Chapter 5:

He remembered coming here after his night classes with his sister and having dinner here. Seeing as his father was away so often, it was uNingNinglly just the two of them until King tagged along.

Those pleasant memories shattered as Karina's voice beckoned him.

"Look in the water," said Karina.

"What?" asked Kouji. "What good will that do?"

"Look at your reflection," said Karina. "Just look.

"

"Is that really important right now?" Kouji balled his fists. "It's kind of cruel, don't you think?"

"Of course it's important," said Karina. "It's the most important thing in the world right now.

Just look, Koujiro. "

He didn't know what good it would do, however Kouji set King's body down on the gazebo bench and peered over the railing down at the water. His heart stopped.

"W…What the fuck…" Kouji felt his face. He didn't believe it at first but he felt it.

Forming over his face from his hairline down, was some kind of mask. It was white and hard, maybe marble, but it was forming out of nothing.

It hadn't fully covered his face, mostly just his left eye. The eye socket of the mask was pitch black, however it gave view to his transformed eye.

His eyes were brown, they had always been brown, however through the mask…it was the color of blood.

"W-What is this?" asked Kouji. "What did you do? What's happening to me?"

"We didn't do a thing," Giselle landed beside Karina. Her eyes were full of sympathy as she looked at him like he was some kind of sick puppy who needed to be put down.

"Koujiro we're telling you the truth. In your veins is the blood of something very ancient and very powerful.

Whatever your adoptive family did to you surpressed your magic all these years, however the seal over your magic is beginning to weaken. No magic is powerful enough to completely seal away something like this.

"

"What is it?" asked Kouji. "What the hell is inside me?"

"You don't want to know," said Karina.

"The hell I don't," His fists balled with anger and frustration. "Tell me the truth.

I deserve to know…if you're going to kill me anyway, then why not at least tell me why I have to die! I'm sick and tired of other people telling me that I'm insane…for once in my life, please…just be honest with me. "

"Karina," NingNing, who landed and pointed more spears his way. "This is getting out of hand.

We should-"

Karina raised her hand and forced the others to stand down.

"You're right," said Karina. "You're completely right.

I'll tell you why you have to die. "

A wave of relief washed over Kouji. "Thank you…"

"You're the last member of the-"

Karina was cut off when a figure dropped from the sky, cloaked in black and holding a katana to Karina's neck.

"A-An exorcist?" asked Winter. "What's an exorcist doing here?"

"Hands off my brother," the hood of the figure flew back to reveal Irina. Her long chestnut hair, tied into pigtails, flew back as she glared at Karina.

"Shidou Koujiro is under the protection of the Church. You may be Angels, but even you have to respect the rules that your kind set.

"

"A-Angels?" asked Kouji. "Y-You're all angels?"

"Well not exactly angels," Winter peered to the side and smiled. "It's kind of complicated but we're still human, just not fully human.

I'll explain it to you next time when my sister doesn't have a sword to her neck. "

"You lied to him," said Karina. "You've been lying to him his whole life and hid the truth of who he is…and we're the bad guys?"

"You had no right," said Irina. "He's my brother.

"

"Is he?" asked Karina, calmly placing her finger on Irina's sword and moving it away. "He's as much one of us as he is one of you.

He has the right to know who his family is. His real family.

"

"He'll know when we decide he's ready," said Irina.

"Oh?" asked Karina. "That doesn't seem fair, don't you think so Koujiro?"

"It's…It's true?" asked Kouji. "Irina…I'm not your brother? Why did you never tell me? You and dad…You've both been lying to me this-"

"I'm sorry," said Irina, dashing back in front of him. Her eyes filled with tears as she placed a finger to his forehead.

"I'm so sorry…I promise I'll explain everything once you're awake. "

"What do you-"

With a tap of her finger on his forehead, everything went black.