274. The 'Seal' that once stood!

[Demon's War: Arc 13]

Innerlight City, year 2020, day Friday, time 9:21 am a sudden chaos began.

Suddenly an abnormal number of Demons appeared out of nowhere. People and Duelists were caught unprepared at the potential extinction and were caught in emotion-filled chain. The chaotic appearence in just a short time had already devoured several people and the fear of being killed has grew all around the Innerlight City center and local streets, with already 5% of the Innerlight Human Society killed and devoured an alarm was set at the main agency and Innerlight City's Guild.

Duelists were warned about the abnormal number of Demons' appearances and were split into their yearly level.

Due to sheer-number of so many Demons, Duelists from the Innerlight City's Guild were split into 10 squads, each having different priority and under one of the top tier duelist's leadership.

With the instructions explained by Toyama Shin, they've titled their operation: Innerlight City's Lineup: Innerlight City Retrieval Operation and has just began on its way.

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City's outskirts - Hideout - Friday, 9:50 a.m.]

"Die! Die! Die! Die!" Tim's voice was still growling over Maya's dead body. "Tim! You have to clear your mind! Come on! If you continue to act like that! We- We might never see you again! Tim! Come on! This is not how you usually act! Wake up and take control, hurry!" Codey yelled, but Tim's ears just never managed to reach Codey's words. "It's useless. He's gone! I can't do anything about it! I can't even reach into his mind, is killing him the only option to eliminate that 'Inner Fiend'. There's gotta be another solution, right?" Codey was stressing and never managed to get a perfect idea. "Go to hell! Go to hell! Go to hell!" Tim continued to rip out Maya's body while he felt absurdly inhumane. "Miss. Maya.... W-why did you.... Maya!" Tsuneo yelled in sadness and immediately dropped down. "Are you out of your GOD DAMN mind, kid!" Shouted Codey when instantly complaining at Tsuneo who was dashing for her corpse. "Tsunoe! Stop! You gotta run! Tsuneo! If you get near! He'll kill you!" Shouted Ryoko, reaching with her hand forward. "He's not killing the woman on the floor, is he?! He's constantly taking bites of Miss. Maya's body!" Once Tsuneo turned around, his clearly seen tears continued to flow down the face. "No! You don't understand!" Shouted Ryoko, afraid of her brother. "I don't care! We have to get him away from her! Please! Whoever you are! Please, just stop!" Tsuneo shouted while slipping over the rock, and falling. "Tsuneo!" Yelled Ryoko, but Tsuneo stood back up. "Wake up! I thought you were different than what I see! Would that girl on the floor see you as a friend again! Would she consider you as a friend when seeing you like that?! Hey?!" In the instance, Tim's left leg that was stomping onto Maya's body froze.

[Mind - Deepened Reality - Tim's mind - Friday, 9:52 a.m.]

Tim's body was still lost in the pitch black as it was soft and hearing voices. "T-this..... girl... What are you talking about. W-where am I? Am I still alive? Whose voice is that? Why is it trying to call it out? I don't understand... What's happening?"

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City's outskirts - Hideout - Friday, 9:52 a.m.]

"Isn't that girl your friend! If she is! Then you should understand how I feel! Please, get away from here! I beg of you! I know you're not actually a monster! Earlier... Earlier when you spoke to me! You've promised me that nobody of you would kill Miss. Maya! Please, stop! She's already gone! Come on!"

[Mind - Deepened Reality - Tim's mind - Friday, 9:52 a.m.]

"Promise...? What promise? M-Maya, who is that? I'm sorry, but I don't see anything. Whoever you are... I... I can't help you..."

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City's outskirts - Hideout - Friday, 9:52 a.m.]

"Why did you say that the girl besides you wouldn't kill Miss. Maya! Was it only a lie so that you would receive back that pendant! Please, talk to me! Stop!" For the second that Tim froze stomping on the body, it then began to happen constantly. "P-please, just stop! If you want the pendant! If you want it! It's here! Please! Take it, just stop!" Shouted Tsuneo, dragging out the pendant. "He had the pendant this entire time?" Surprisingly questioned Codey.

[Mind - Deepened Reality - Tim's mind - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"A pendant? What are you talking about? The pendant is right here.... it's right around my neck..." Tim opened his eyes extremely slowly when he noticed a light in front of his sight, in front of it was a waving pendant due to the gravity. "I don't understand you. The pendant, is there any other pendants that I intended to have? N-no.... This was given to me... I don't see why are you trying to give me the second." Tim said while the slow waving of the pendant continued to wave in front of his eyes. "Oh.... y-yeah.... Why do I even have this pendant? What's the meaning to it?" Tim questioned.

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City's outskirts - Hideout - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"Come on! Please! I beg of you! Return to yourselves! You're going to end up killing your friends if you don't stop! I beg of you! Do you not remember me?! I was the one who stole that girl's pendant! I'm not sure what she is to you, but I understand your feelings! Just please, return! I don't want anyone else to die! You've already killed somebody who took care of me for when I was young! Please! Wake up, I'm begging you!"

[Mind - Deepened Reality - Tim's mind - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"Return myself? W-what do you mean? I am myself, why are you making this so much more difficult? And what do you mean... H-hurt somebody, k-killed somebody who you care about? I haven't killed anyone. Why would I kill anyone? Aren't I alive? I feel perfectly calm... I can't see everyone's faces, so why are you calling out to me? Wasn't I always alone? Wasn't I always the one who tried his best to one day become a full grown adult? My mother, she told me about it..."

In the moment, Tim's eyes shook a little.

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City's outskirts - Hideout - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"Tim! Don't you even remember me? Codey! Hey! I helped you save Ayuka once! So.... so what's going on?! Why are you going out of control! You are my friend! Come on, just snap out it you fool!!" Codey yelled, in the distance.

[Mind - Deepened Reality - Tim's mind - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"Codey? Ayuka? Who are these names? Fool? Why did you call me a fool, I'm not doing anything..."

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City's outskirts - Hideout - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"Do you remember Kanji? Or Sakami? Or Ellie? Or Sakami, who you've saved 5 years ago? Or anybody else?! Do you remember Sayori? Do you remember your childhood friends, Chapple, Rachel and even Tooru! Do you not remember Kylin! She was the one who taught you about Spiritual Control?! Do you remember? Please, just remember one of them at least!" Shouted Codey, trying to break through Tim's mind.

[Mind - Deepened Reality - Tim's mind - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"Please.... Stop counting these names... I can't tell you who they are... Why are you doing this? I've always been alone..."

[Planet Earth - Innerlight City's outskirts - Hideout - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

"Don't you remember!" ("Is this safe to say it? I don't know, is it safe to say. B-But it may be the only option.... I don't know.") "Tsuneo, Ryoko! Please cover your ears as much as you can!" Called Codey. "W-what do you mean?" Wondered Ryoko. "Please! Just do it! I beg you! I promise, it's the only other choice, I have to try it!" Finally, both of them crossed his arms. ("There, this is the only thing.")

"Tim! Remember! YOU'VE PROMISED AYUKA TO PROTECT HER, DON'T YOU KNOW WHY SHE EXISTS! DON'T YOU?! Remember! Kirashito Ayuka! She is the one to who you promised to protect! She is the one! The one person! The Godess's daughter!!!" The loud shout that came from Codey's mouth, roared at instantanous utterance as the wind beserked around the area.

"YOU'VE GOTTA REMEMBER!"

[Mind - Deepened Reality - Tim's mind - Friday, 9:53 a.m.]

Tim's eyes widely opened when his pendant surfed in front of his face. "That's right. A promise... I've made a promise to my mother, my friends... I've promied them that I'll protect them in future, I've promised them just that! Of course.... H-how could I forget?"

{"Ayuka...." Ayuka looked at him with confused but somewhat worried face. "You don't need to fear. As long as I'm here, I promise you with the bottom of my heart, I'll protect you and everybody else! And I don't break promises!"}

{"Well... Being well taken care of means that it was her doing, she allowed me to become so friendly, so hard-working, she was the one to why I have the chance too live and see the world. She was the one who taught me how to walk and speak, how to cook, how to do chores. She allowed me to walk to school alone, she taught me how to make friends, she even shared her own jewerly that she made by herself. Everything that I'm witnessing now, it's due to her existence. That's it! I understand it! She was the one who first time introduced me too, she was the one who allowed me to be friends with you, she was the one who gave me such a great life! She even shared some details that even myself doesn't understand, currently. But if she says that I shouldn't know more about it, I'll take her word. I'll do as she say and I'll work hard, I'll improve even better, I'll keep everybody that cares about me protected..." Tim spoke, it was the first time he understood the proper meaning of being a human, to keep people safe, to take care of his friends, to help them in any scenario. "... I'll wait for that time, and once I look at this pendant, I will understand everything that she's hiding! I won't disappoint her, that's a promise!" Both, Chapple and Rachel felt a bit confused, listening to him. "What's happening? Is there something wrong? You're like a different person..." Spoke Chapple, blinking twice in a row. "It doesn't matter! Let's hurry and go check the 'Dueling Architecture' maybe I'll get some more answers there - Maybe I'll even understand, what is the true meaning of living as a human, not a monster!"}

The memories and promises came swifting through his mind, the promises that he had made to Ayuka, the promises that he made to her friends.

{Tim felt his mother's warmth in front of him standing. "Why would you make it so early, how'd you even know that you'd have a child?"

"It was made at my pregnancy, so I was hoping that whenever you were born wouldn't die due to some kind of injury or accident, but I've still decided to make it. I think this is the right time to give this to you, while also wishing to tell you something." She claimed and reached over Tim's head and gently leaned the smaller chain onto his skin near the neck.

"In future, when you grow up, remember this, all right. If you ever lose your control and go a bit mad, look at it and remember it. This is a very precious pendant that you should keep around your neck at all cost, if anyone steals it, mommy will be sad, all right?" Smiled Ayame as she wasn't prepared to tell him everything. "W-what are you talking about?"

"Don't worry, the time for the explanation will come in future. Just remember this, if in future in any chance you lose your knowledge about me, just remember this. I haven't left you, nor have I disappeared."}

"All of those memories.... I promised them and I'll keep them! This pendant, it was given to me by my mother.... I understand, I understand you! I thought I understood you before, but now I understand you, mother. You've given me this pendant to remember, this is what you meant to lose it, but I won't let it happen." Tim's body was quickly getting surrounded by fire when he immediatelly with his left hand in front of him, a barrier that was invisible, blocking him from going anywhere was doing its best to keep it away, as the electricity continued to shock.

With the pain that he had in his palms he continued to push. "Get me out of this! I'm not sure what I am doing here! But it's clear to me, I shouldn't be here! I'll fight until the very end, I won't give up, I won't let some kind of monstrosity keep me sealed, I'll break through it! I promise! I'll break through it!" Tims voice was itching out painful noises, but why his mouth continued to shake, his eyes glowed blue and the white hair continued to wave in the instance of the happening, orange flames, no, blue flames began to burst out from his palms while the skin on his arms began to melt. "I won't let this to stop me! Ignore the pain, ignore it! Just. Break....."

"THROUGH IT!"

Tim's hands bursted through the wall as it shattered.

To be continued...