270. History of the 'Inner Fiends': The trampled flower - Part 4

[Demon's War: Arc 13]

Approximately 100 Years ago, the first signs of 'Fiends' appeared with 'Inner Fiend's' alongside them. Humanity's safety existed no more and due to the high number of Spiritual Duelists, the number of 'Fiends' drastically rose along the years.

The first 'Inner Fiend' was known to seek one's body after it was sealed away into someone's else's. Over the hunt, he successfuly found his prey and tried to overwhelm his power, but due to the man unable to be a Spiritual Duelist he was incapable of being controled, until one day, that Spiritual Duelist received a weapon known as Ginken and was known as the first Substitute-Duelist. Righteously after the obtainment of that Ginken, the 'Inner Fiend' awoke itself from his slumber and immediately overtook that man's body.

Due to that Substitute-Duelist being easily to manipulated, he never contained his 'Inner Fiend' and decided to one day eject his Spiritual Symbolism and seal it away, due to losing his 'Spiritual Symbolism' he was then killed and both, the man and the Fiend died in one, over the years multiple Duelists received an 'Inner Fiend', but none of those 'Inner Fiends' managed to successfully overtake their bodies, until now.

Shinkaku Timoshī, 17 year old teenager and a 2020 Substitute-Duelist one day recieved a Ginken from another Spiritual Duelist Giovanni and from there became known as the 'Substitute-Duelist'. Over the years he had met multiple allies and fought multiple enemies, but never until now did he fall under 'Inner Fiend's' control.

In conditions of revenging Ayuka, he gave in to his 'Inner Fiend' and allowed him to surf on the surface of his body, his memories were fully lost and his existence has disappeared from his mind, now.

Only the 'Inner Fiend' stands in the world and has no intention of giving his control over back to Timoshī.

[Planet Earth - Misano City - Monday, 11:20 a.m.]

Toshio's arrival to Misano City was extremely was rather incomposed due to the unexpected appearance of the Demon who has been roaming around the streets for more than 2 months.

"Isn't that a 'Duelist' from 'Dueling Architecture', what is he doing here? Don't tell me that he's here to try and capture that terrifying creature." The woman spoke at loud, once watching from the side. "Yeah. He must be. But I don't understand why would he hunt it down? That's nothing like Demon, anyway." The words there were crowded from people's conversations aroused Toshio into thoughts. ("What are they talking about? Not a Demon? But it's impossible? Which kind of enemy is supposed to be then? I only reckoned that Demons exist, do they not understand what a Demon is? No, that couldn't be possible, they've been in tradition of 'Demon Huntin' ever since this city's creation... So why do people fear that enemy more than normally?") Toshio continued to step among the crowd and traditionally hoping to get some sort of an answer, but even if he tried to ask, people decided to back away from him and ignored him.

"W-Why are they avoiding me? I'm a Duelist, they should know that I'm on their side."

"Do you feel it too? That terrifying paralyzation that's coming from that man's body, it feels as similar to a Fiend." The woman questioned and every human around them agreed. ("F-Fiend? What's going on, I'm perfectly normal, I'm human, so why are they afraid of me?") Toshio stepped in front of the child who tried to talk to him. "Hisashi! Get away from him." The woman quickly stepped in between her son and Toshi, gently pushing the child away. "B-But...." However, the woman ignored him, just like the rest of whom stood around him. At once, people began to walk farther back, hoping to not get stopped by Toshio, and that was clear to him that he wouldn't have chance of talking his way through. Toshio looked at his right palm and felt a paralysis effect. "W-What was that?" Without proper knowledge about what was going on, he was thought it had something to do with his Spiritual Symbolism. ("Ugh. Forget it. I have to find that Demon and capture it.") Toshio dashed for the nearest alleyway, scaring people from his actions.

The journey to find his targeted Demon was unexpectingly easy, as his target came from the shadows in the next hour he entered the nearest alleyway around the store.

[Planet Earth - Misano City - Monday, 12:12 p.m.]

Toshio slid on the floor once his eyes became serious. "I suppose you're the one who's willing to capture me, is that correct?" The voice seemed to have been highly pitched and terrifying. "W-what. Y-you're speaking?" The confused part about his expectations, was that, it is known than no Demon could potentially speak, which is why he got caught in surprise. "What's so wrong about me speaking?" The shadow that stood in front of him, raised its right arm and put it on the right side of its head.

("Calm down. Try to question, it should be willing to answer me, as long as I don't limit his patience.")

"How can a Demon like you even speak?" Wondered Toshio, while slowly reaching for his Ginken if it would be necessary to fight. "A Demon? Hah, just like the others." Sighed the shadow, as it stepped from the darkness, at once, Toshio's eyes shook when a transperent body stood from among the shadow. "You.... You're a hu-human?!"

"A human? This conversation truly is pointless. Tell me something, dear Duelist. Have you ever heard of a Fiend?" In shock, Toshio remembered. ("Those civilians spoke something about Fiends, what the hell is this creature if not human or Demon?") "What's gotten into you? Has something surprised you? Have you never heard of a 'Fiend'? Ugh, do I really have to describe it?" The Fiend standing in front of him quickly persuaded Toshio into an explanation. "Us 'Fiends', specifically known as Demon's Evil Spirit, are different than the Demons themselves. We take on the form of a human through the spirituality of a killed Demon and provide efficient power for one human we dedicate our life to. But for us to be able and support that human's body, the man or the woman themselves, must sustain an immersive Spiritual Symbolism, enough for us to feed on. In short, we form ourselves into a Human's body in exchange to lose their humanity, but due to their impressive Spiritual Symbolism, most of the Fiends cannot overcome one's body, especially if themselves are weak, but. Unlike them, myself is strong enough to overflow someone's blood with my own pressure, in consideration that you've chased me down, this means I'll receive your body, once and for all." Smiled the Fiend, making a step. "My body? Y-you're crazy! You wouldn't even be able to form your Spirituality inside of my mind, how do you plan on doing that?!" Toshio dragged out his sword and pointed it's blade at Fiend's face. "Speaking about it, how come we've never heard about 'Fiends' existing. I bet you're just trying to talk to me and try to make me fear you. But it won't be enough to stop me. I've come here to capture you, I've been given set and clear orders to do so!" Toshio spoke, preparing.

"Capturing me? Then isn't it perfect if I seek your body, it'll probably be fine if they intend to seek me down."

"Shut up!" Without knowledge of what Fiends are capable of, Toshio ran in for the clash. "Oh, well. It was worth talking to you, but please.... Do remember my name... Oe Takehiko." As Toshio swung with his blade, it was pointless, due to the Fiends spirituality the flatness of the sword just swiped through Takehiko's body, similar to being a Ghost, but in the instance that had happened, Takehiko smiled and reached with his right arm in front of Toshio's chest.

At once a massive blast of Spiritual Body passed through the tip of Takehiko's 'Fiendish' skin and in the moment sent Toshio flying back, between the alleyway out on the opened field of the city. The Ginken that he had held before that, slipped to the side and people were shocked to when they saw a lying Duelist on the floor. "It's that Duelist! Back off!" But while people felt feat, Takehiko himself stepped from the shadowed alleyway, smiling, it was clear to Toshio that this was the 'Demon' that people have had reports over. Toshio looked onto his chest and saw a curling white liquid that was flowing around. "W-what the hell. What was that attack? E-even us Duelists are incapable of doing such powerful attack." As Toshio was once known as the first Substitute-Duelist with an inplanted power of 'Force', he never realized why his power exceeded the rest, but at this moment, even a Fiend outragingly exceeded it.

At the risk of losing too much blood, Toshio slowly sat up, but the Fiend, named Takehiko had already stood in front of him. "This body may be quite interesting, I just wonder how well will its results be." Smiled Takehiko reaching with his right arm at Toshio's chest. "G-get away! I'll cut-" But while Toshio tried to back off, he soon felt aa terrifyingly creepy pressure, overflowing among his veins and blood, at once his humanity's mind disappeared and from there onward, he was releasing a black aura that wasn't his. People were frozen at the spot and were looking at Toshio at which point a white mask began to form by the white liquid, his left side of the skin was melted and his eyes were changing, it formed a black sclera and yellow iris, while his mouth soon began to shape a laugh.

The people who were still around him, noticed how Toshio reached with his left hand to the side and stomped the ground, the sword itself floated from the floor up into the air, and was forced into his hand.

The same kid that tried to talk to earlier noticed how Toshio's head turned into his direction and an instant terror fell upon the humanity.

"This feels great! This feels so good! I'm finally free! I'm finally here to do whatever I want! I couldn't care more about that 'Spiritual Body' I am once again in control! I have once again reached physical body! Yes! Yes! Yes!!!" The crazy voice was mixed with Toshio's own and at the same moment, he had began laughing. "Run, it's released! Hurry!" People began to rush, but in that instance Toshio looked sideways. "Are we running? Fine. We'll play fetch!" In that moment, Toshio dashed ahead and swung with his blade, people's screams were heard.

Toshio's body that was once in full control of his mind, has now fallen under the control of a Fiend named Takehiro, with the rampaging unleash, the Fiend in control of Toshio's body ended up killing an entire 20% of the Misano City's population, and only then was Toshio able to return into his prior control.

To when his control remained to Toshio's humanoid control, he has returned back and explained that the 'Fiend' somehow managed to control his body, to reveal the secrets behind the 'Fiends' the scinetist made research over his body and formed a signature list of what Fiends were and how they react.

Due to the unexpected reason of them being able to control else's body, they've called them the 'Inner Fiends' and at the end, Toshio lost his Ginken as it was sealed away, in sudden time, he was never a part of the 'Dueling Architecture' and was known to fail an important expedition, however has he believed that he would be able to live happier with his future wife 'Yuki'....

It appeared to be impossible.

Two years after Toshio's failure, he and his wife Yuki lived a normal life, but in his lone expedition that he was set on for a month, that was no more possible.

Upon returning to his town, he found that an entire town was wiped out of people by feasting Demons.

Upon noticing that his wife was eaten and devoured, he decided to do a suicide, due to his new form inside his body, and due to his wife being devoured.

From that day, people have managed to know Toshio as a Hero, and Fiends were now known as the new and another enemy to be afraid off, it's was discovered then, if a human is born on Planet Earth and is seeked by a Fiend as a child, through years a man or woman would have the second spirit of evil within them.

To learn how to control them, or how to use its power for themselves, the studies could not help and only themselves could learn how to.

To be continued...