Sureiyazu

Episode 26: Akuma's Light

Now . . . who should be first to die?

The demon's lips moved to the words he was saying, but the words still echoed eerily in Akuma's head.

Akuma had no time to think over her words. "Me!" she shouted before the demon could think of hurting anyone else.

How heroic of you. But, sadly, that isn't the way life works.

A tentacle made of the same darkness that had trapped Akuma before sprung out of Katsuo's back and wrapped itself around Mizuki.

She definitely deserves some punishment. But then again, maybe that isn't torturous enough for the rest of you, since she basically stabbed you in the back.

Another tentacle grew from him and picked Yuri up from off the floor.

I think that should work. So . . . which one of you will be the first to run at me idiotically to try to save your friends?

Akuma suddenly realized she had been about to do just that, and cursed under her breath.

She glanced at Kasai and Aya, looking for ideas. Neither seemed to have any. But then, Kasai looked to angry to have any rational ideas.

But maybe . . .

No, Akuma couldn't rely on that . . . she had only been able to do it once, when she had been fighting against Tsugu.

But did she have a choice?

No, she didn't.

She tried finding her spiritual energy, somewhere inside her - somewhere in there, there was the great power Master Shi had told her about -

Why don't you answer me?!

Wham!

I asked you a question . . .

And Akuma was on the ground.

Is this your plan?

She was rising higher into the air - no, she had been captured with Mizuki and Yuri . . .

You think you can ignore me? Is that it? No!

She needed her weapon now, now more than ever - if only she could cut herself and her friends out, then he wouldn't have anything to taunt them with . . . She could hear Kasai and Aya trying to save them down below - she needed to help them . . .

And then her kyoketsu shoge was in her hand. Akuma glanced back at the place where she had dropped it, and found that it was gone. So she wasn't imagining things - had she used her power again?

Slash! She was free.

She landed on the floor - on her feet, a first for her - and prepared to strike again.

But that was when she heard the sound. The sound she had hoped she would never hear again.

"AAAAAARRRGHHH!"

Yuri was no longer Yuri.

She grew to nearly twice her size, gained fangs and claws - but most importantly, and most terrifyingly - she had lost her sense of humanity.

With two horrible sounds like a cross between fabric ripping and the squelch of mud, Yuri and Mizuki were free. But Yuri didn't stop there - she turned around with murder in her eyes towards the demon to finish the job.

Interesting, interesting. What a surprise! I knew there was something about you -

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"