Chapter 9: Love And Apocalypse

Riku's POV:

My footsteps echoed through the ghostly amusement park. No humans, nor birds can be found all around the place after that creature appeared; however, the dark clouds still linger around the air it's movement is really unnatural.

*CRACKLE!!!*

"HOLY SHIT!" I lost my balance when the lightning struck the tent standing a few yards away from me.

I quickly got up on my feet as my adrenaline shot up. Gasping heavily, I sprinted through the walk way desperately while trying to avoid getting hit by the debris that comes from the exploding tents and stands.

I got filled with hope when my eyes caught a view of a fast-food restaurant just a few meters away.

"The door is open! I must hurry!"

As I run, I bursted through the slightly opened door, barely surviving the calamity. I closed the door behind me before running to the counter to hide. I just sat there being surrounded by darkness, the only light source I have is my phone screen.

*Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock! *

Fifteen minutes passed before the onslaught calmed down. I pointed my phone in the left wall, my light illuminates at the clock.

"I hope they're okay." I sighed and mumbled.

I stand up on my feet, glancing around the area hoping to find some drinkable water to rehydrate.

*SLAM!!!*

I jumped back when a dark figure entered the restaurant.

"Whoo! You surprised me!" I chuckled.

*Cough! Cough! *

"Hey man, are you okay?" I squinted my eyes, trying to make out of his appearance.

I pointed my phone on his feet, slowly moving the light to his hands. My heart sunk and the atmosphere around me change when I saw his bloody unhuman hands.

"G-Go hide! B-Before it's too late!!!" The guy cried out before collapsing.

I sprint to the back kitchen, bursting through the swinging doors. The strong scent of the freshly cooked foods lingers in the air, but it doesn't help ease my nerve. Inside, I head towards the edge of the stainless-steel table away from the door, and just sat there feeling like my lungs are about to collapse.

"H-He has claws?!" I stuttered."Wh-What the hell is happening to the world?!"

*SCREECH!!!*

"NO! PLEASE NO!" I cried out, lying behind the table while holding my head with both of my hands.

When the blood curling shrieking ceased, I was left shaking in the floor hoping whatever is that thing won't find me in here.

"Please, someone save me!" I said inside my mind as I sat up and press my back on the table.

It feels like hours inside the kitchen. After the screeching stopped, everything went quiet. There's a part of me saying it is safe to come out while the other part of me is saying it's better to stay here and wait for help. Being trap here, the only noise that I can hear is my heart thumping fast until...

"Riku?! Riku?!"

My eyes light up when I heard a familiar voice outside the kitchen.

"Kotori?!" I stand up and head towards the door.

*Creak! *

Without thinking, I slowly opened the door and poke my head out.

"Kotori?" I whispered, breathing shakingly.

I took out my phone in my pocket and turn the screen on before pointing it in the dark room.

"Damn it! I can hardly see anything!" I mumbled.

"Kotori? Are you here?"

I step outside the kitchen. I froze when I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine.

"K-Kotori? I'm here."

"Riiiikuuu~"

My eyes widen when I heard the voice is on top of me. I pointed my cellphone on the ceiling and...

*Creature screeching!!!*

*THUD! *

"NO! GET OFF!!!" I fell on my back, almost hitting my head on the cashier's table when the horrifying creature took me by surprise.

I suddenly realized that this creature is the guy earlier because of his clothes.

I trembled at the sight of his grotesque face: Nose like a pig, his eyes are jet black, fangs like knives, pointy ears, and decaying skin.

My hands are on his neck, trying to hold him off from biting me.

"Rikuuu~!"

That's when it hits me hard, this creature is mimicking Kotori's voice, baited me to his trap.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" I cried out when suddenly...

*Creature screeching!!!*

The creature quit assaulting me when he combusts into flames, filling the air with the smell of burnt flesh. He rolled around the floor in an agonizing manner while he let out a horrifying cry.

My eyes widened when I look at my flaming hands.

"Wh-What?! H-How did I?!" I was cut off when the creature tried to lunged out on me again but only to be...

*CRASH!!!*

I covered my eyes from the dust while coughing.

"W-Who's there?!"

In the dust, I saw the shadow of the creature getting cut in half vertically, making all his innards fall to the floor with a wet squelching sound.

"Urgh!" I hold my mouth, getting sick in the stomach.

The rotting odor entered my nostril. I threw up all over the floor, couldn't take it anymore.

"There goes those delicious meals that I've ate." I said to myself, breathing heavily.

"Riku?"

I felt my chest tighten as I pointed my flaming hands towards the source of the voice.

"Y-You're still alive?! Stay back or I'll burn you again!" I stuttered.

"Stop! It's me!"

When the dust settled, a familiar girl with a scared and worried look on her face came into view. I felt a hint of joy inside me as I run towards her and wrap my arms around her.

She returns the hug as I sobbed on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for letting you go off alone." She spoke up.

"I-I'm scared and confused; I can't understand what's happening to the world." I said to her with trembling voice.

"You don't have to be scared, I'm here now." She whispered in my ear while rubbing the back of my head with her warm hand.

All my worries and fears disappeared from her comforting touch. My body relaxed, gaining all my courage again. After breaking the hug, I wiped all my tears away and smiled at her.

"Are you okay now?" She asked, touching my right face with her right hand.

"Y-Yeah, sorry I cried." I replied.

"It's fine, now come on, the others are waiting for us... Cry baby." She jested.

"Yeah, yeah." I chuckled.

The both of us exited the restaurant, the dark clouds already scattered all over the amusement park. Our eyes look around the place, but not one soul is present in the dark lonely walk way. The only noise we are hearing are the rumbling of the heaven and our footsteps.

"Hey Kotori? Would you mind telling me what the heck is going on?!"

She sighed and said. "Firstly, an evil angel invades your world; secondly, people are turning into monsters."

"How the hell did they even turn into those things?!"

"Your answer is the angel earlier; he unleashed a large number of evil spirits that possessed the humans to turn them into his own pawn."

"But why am I not possessed?" I look at her.

"Because you have my powers, thus, making you a half spirit." Kotori replied.

*bang! *

*clang! *

In the distance, I can hear a faint sound of fighting.

"Is that them?!" I glance at her.

"Yeah, let's go!" She run off which I quickly followed behind.

"Riku, try to support us as much as you can!" She ordered.

"How can I do that?! I still don't know how to use your abilities yet!"

"Make some fireballs like the flames you conjured before! And attack them from the distant!"

I just nodded in reply while gasping for air.

A few minutes of running, the both of us got a full view of the chaos in front of us.

"Riku! Get ready!" Kotori said. "Camael!"

Kotori summoned his weapon again as she run off to battle.

"Yeah!" I held out both of my hands and tried to form a fireball which I barely succeeded.

*Creature screeching!!!*

I look on my right and saw a creature sprinting towards me. With a war cry, I hurled my fireballs to him, bursting him into flames. The creature fell to the floor roaring, experiencing its own slow painful death.

"Get over yourself Riku! They are not humans anymore!" I said to myself when I felt a sharp in my chest.

I heard another creature heading towards me on my left, it tried to pounce me, but I barely caught it in mid-air with my fireball.

Breathing heavily, I look at both of my flaming hands. Finally accepting that I'm not human anymore and it's time to embrace what I've become.

I'm slowly gaining more confidence to my new self. I join the others to battle by being the supporter of the group just like Kotori ordered while also defending myself when some of the creatures tries to get close to me. I hurled fireballs at the enemies that will attack them from their blind spots or if some of them are getting distracted.

The creatures are all over the place. Some of them can fly, and some of them are fighting in the ground. But the most dangerous are the ones with a tanky build body that look like it can crush your bones with one swipe of its giant fleshy hammer like hand.

"What's happening?!" I stop on my onslaught and look up the sky.

A loud sound of a war horn roared through the heaven, the creatures stop attacking when they heard the sound, they all retreated outside the amusement park to who knows where. Inside my mind, I'm guessing is the angel ordering them to fall back.

"We did it!" The girl with dark purple hair celebrated.

"Good job girls! Especially you!" Kotori's brother glance at me.

I approach them nervously while wearing a weird smile on my face.

"Riku is it?"

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you, sir?"

"Just call me Shido, I'm Kotori's brother." He held out one of his hand to handshake me which I accept.

All of us heard a faint sound of a helicopter accompanied by multiple police siren.

"Let's cut the introduction for now, we need to get out of here." I told them.

"To where?" The girl with a dark purple hair asked.

"To my place, we can barricade the doors, window, and we can all rest there to restore our strength back." I answered.

"You heard him, let's go!" Kotori ordered.

All of us exited the amusement park, we cut through the second entrance of Celestial park to avoid being seen by the incoming police vehicles. While inside the park, all of our eyes got filled with tiny yellow light that dance around the air. I'm walking beside Shido and a young blue haired girl with a puppet on her left hand.

"It's so pretty here!" The young girl with a rabbit darted her eyes around while we walk on the stony path way.

"That's Celestial park for you, what's your name?" I look at her.

"My name is Yoshino, and this is Yoshinon." She held her left hand with a puppet bunny.

"Heya!" The bunny gleefully said.

"Nice to meet you Yoshino and Yoshinon, you can call me Riku." I introduced myself with a smile.

Behind me, I can hear the other girls whispering.

"Kotori? Who is he?"

"His name is Riku, why?"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Wh-Why are you asking me that?! H-He is not my boyfriend!"

"Well, he has your powers so that means you fall in love with him."

"I said he is not my boyfriend and that's final!"

"Ara~! Kotori-san, then why are you so overprotective when I got close to him lately?"

"Would you guys shut up before he hears you!"

I can hear them loud and clear though, I'm just minding my own business enjoying this peaceful walk. I already experienced Kotori's anger; I don't want to risk it even though I have her strong regenerative ability; I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut so I won't get in trouble.

"Man, the park is too damn quiet." I said to myself.

My eyes darted back and forth while we walk through the dark on our way home, I feel like one of those creatures are just waiting for the right opportunity to attack us.

Thirty minutes later, we've arrived at the house without a scratch, well mostly unscathed.

"Finally! Home!" I said while sighing, releasing the tension that's building inside me.

I open the door and gestured to the guests to come in. After closing the door, Me and Shido barricaded all the windows, and the front and back door while the spirits formed a powerful invisible barrier around the house by combining their powers.

"Is it okay for us to stay here?" Shido ask me while rubbing the back of his head.

"Of course, there's no problem." I told him while we all went to the living room.

All of them jump on the couch, and some of them sat on the available chairs. I step in the front, and waved at them to grab their attentions.

"Alright, before I go to the kitchen. All of you can call me Riku." I introduced myself before asking them. "Kotori and Shido already knows me, so can I ask all your names? If you don't mind that is."

"Me first!" The dark purple haired girl raised her right hand. "I'm Tohka, it's nice to meet you Riku!"

"I-I know I've already introduced myself lately, but I'm Yoshino and this is Yoshinon." The timid spirit said.

"And I'm Kurumi Tokisaki, you're such a handsome young ma, Riku-san." Kurumi said while licking her lips, earning a glare from Kotori.

The two orange haired girls stand up from the couch.

"I'm Kaguya Yamai!"

"Pleasure, I'm Yuzuru Yamai!"

"And we are the Yamai sisters!" Both of them said with a dramatic introduction.

"I'm Miku, an idol from back home in darling's world!" She smiled warmly.

"So, who's next?" I said to them, trying to hide my nervousness.

"I guess I'm next then." The green haired young girl with a witch hat said in annoyance. "I'm Natsumi, pleasure to meet you."

"Looks like I'm the last one." The white-haired girl looks at me with her emotionless face. "I'm Origami Tobiichi."

"Now that's settled, it's nice to meet you all!" I smiled at them. "Make yourself at home though, you are all welcome here."

"I have one question?!" Kaguya suddenly interrupt.

"What is it?"

"What's your relationship with Kotori?!"

I coughed at her sudden question. I can feel their eyes are staring at me, waiting for me to answer. I glance at Kotori, but she couldn't look at me with her flushed face.

"Well, me, being the one who sealed her powers. I guess it is safe to say that our relationship is very deep." I said sheepishly, I could hear Kotori's groaning uncomfortably.

"Ohhh?" Kurumi glanced at Kotori.

"S-Stop looking at me like that!" She screamed.

"Ehem! Well, I guess I should head to the kitchen to prepare some dinner." I quickly rushed to the kitchen to avoid getting questioned again.

After making some dinner, we spend this whole night: singing, telling stories, and knowing more about each other. In this night, a new bond of friendship was formed, I felt warmth and joy inside me surging.

We finish the night by hitting the hay. Shido and the other spirits are sleeping in the living room while the two young spirits, Yoshino and Natsumi are sleeping with Kotori. While me, I went to my own room, finally at peace.

"I guess this year isn't so terrible after all." I chuckled.

*Creaking! *

My eyes glanced at the door of my room, revealing Kotori in her pajamas without her ribbons, making her long smooth hair to fall down on her back.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked worriedly.

She shakes her head.

"Is it okay that I sleep here with you?" She asked.

"Sure, here." I scooch over a bit to make room for her.

I can hear her light footsteps as she went closer to me. The bed creaked when she lie on my bed. I saw her blushed when our face met, and the both of us just stare at each other. I was hypnotized by the beauty of her red eyes, it glimmers when the moonlight shine through the crack of the wood that's barricading the window.

"How are you feeling?" She suddenly spoke up.

"I feel weird."

"Why?"

"I didn't expect to fight monsters with you guys, and I never expected to be friends with the others... I thought they're gonna be weirded out by me."

She chuckled a little bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I'm just so happy to see them again. Also, all of them accepted you, that makes me very very happy."

I felt her arms and legs wrap around me under the soft blanket while she layed her head on my chest before sighing.

"What are the plans for tomorrow?" I asked.

"We need to find that angel soon, Shido said that they damaged him after I went searching for you. So, we have a small advantage now to stop him."

"So, he retreated? leaving all those creatures behind to distract us?"

"Yeah, he did, but can we talk about it tomorrow?"

My body froze when she suddenly gets on top of me.

"I just want to spend this night with you, alone." She smiled softly while her face blushed a bit.

I felt my whole body getting warm, and my heart thumping on my chest really fast. The both of us stared at each other in what feels like an eternity. I blushed when I felt her warm right hand touch my face.

She slowly brings her face closer and closer to mine. She stops when our lips are just an inch closer together.

"Do you love me?" She whispered sweetly.

"You know I do." I replied before kissing her deeply.

Feeling our warm bodies and lips pressed against each other, my mind got filled with ecstasy, it's like a drug that can make your body search for it every day... She moaned sweetly when both of our tongues wrestled. We broke the kiss, leaving a string of saliva while breathing heavily.

The next morning~

"Hey, wake up!"

My eyes slowly open, I rubbed my eyes and I woke up with Kotori looking at me with a warm smile.

*Yawn! *

"What time is it?" I groggily said.

"6:15 A.M." She said. "It's breakfast time."

"Well, let's go then." I sat up but was pulled back down by Kotori. "Hey! What gives?!"

"Is there a problem?" Kotori asked while laughing softly.

"No, but we need to get up though, the others will wake up soon, and we still need to make a plan on stopping that ang-." She puts one finger on my lips.

"Can we just stay like this a little longer?" She rests her head on my chest.

"Only 5 minutes." I wrap my left arm around her.

"20 minutes." She looks at me with pleading eyes.

"I guess it can't be help." I chuckled.

Both of us hold each other tightly, just enjoying this moment together. I felt so happy because I have Kotori with me, and her brother and friends accepted me for her. The only thing left to do now is to search for that angel before he causes more damage to this world, or possibly ending it.