As fate would have it.

How?

(Possible Manga spoilers up until chapter 54)

The smile still remaining on Rei's face, he watched as Yato drank a sip of water that he had received from Hiyori.

It wasn't only remaining but rather getting worse, threatening to let out a devilish laugh any second until he couldn't hold it back any longer.

A hysterical laugh escaped his lips. A laugh so cold that it caught everyone's attention and sent shivers down their spines.

"I'm so sorry but I can't take this anymore!", he said in a voice that was so different from what they used to hear, not stuttering like he usually did,

"This is too hilarious. I gotta say, You really caught me off guard here. I never would have thought I would be forced to blow my cover like that."

"R-Rei? W-What ... Why?", it was Tsuki's turn to stutter.

"I'm impressed. Looks like my acting abilities are better than I thought. How pathetic you are. Look at you now, all shaking and messed up... Yaboku."

Yato's body twitched as he was called by his real name.
"Y-You ... Y-Y-You a-are ...", he said, his voice shaking even more than his body.

"Yes! Yes I am! Say hello to daddy!"

The sound of breaking glass was the only thing they could make out for what felt like an eternity.

Yato had let go of the glass, leaving shards and water on the ground.

"I-It w-was y-you?", he said with a breaking voice, trying to sort his thoughts.

"Oh Yaboku how ignorant you can be. See, you are lost without daddy's guidance. I would never have dreamt to see how my message affected you first hand. I have to admit, I wouldn't have thought you'd be trying to protect the p-poor lil' R-Rei f-from your s-s-scary d-dad."

"Tsuki, Yukine! Come over here! NOW!", Yato hastily stood up and dragged her and Yukine behind him, positioning himself in front of his family protectively.

"Don't make me laugh again!", father said through the boy they used to know, " I'm a little disappointed though Yaboku. Not even noticing your own father when he stands right in front of you."

Hiyori felt how the atmosphere got more pressuring by the minute. Her thoughts were just as much of a mess as Tsuki's.

What was happening to her best friend?

Why didn't he sound like he used to anymore?

Why did his expression change so much?

She couldn't recognize him any longer. The boy she had spent half her life with was now a total stranger to her.

"Rei?", she asked hesitating, "W-What h-happened t-to you? W-Why a-are you s-saying those things? I-It's not funny! P-Please stop now."

She was practically begging.

Begging for her best friend to get back to the way he was before.

But that person was gone.

That person never had existed in the first place.

"Aaaaw. Poor little thing. You don't understand yet do you? Well let me explain. Your little friend Rei doesn't exist. But don't be sad, you may have lost a friend but you got yourself a grandfather. Ain't that nice?"

"Shut the hell up!", Yato interfered.

He wouldn't allow his father to mess her up. Not with his psycho tricks that he loved to use on him. As long as he was there, Yato wouldn't allow his sick father to mess with Tsuki's head.