Chapter 7: The Sun Saved Me

" I saw him and fought with him This is why I am in this state."

"Hmm?"

"Him?"

Hana and Arakaki look at him confused. "I do wonder who got you in this state, No ordinary demon can. So who's him?" Hana and Arakaki ask.

"Akumu Nikushimi, The creator of all Demons."

*

"But how? Did you wander off when you finished?" Hana asks, her face full of fear.

"No, I did not I stayed in the intermission area. I had no plans on going elsewhere." Takeshi explained, he kept his composure calm and collected. It seems as if Takeshi and Arakaki had switched bodies.

"Then how did he find you, and why did he just target you?" Arakaki inquired, his heart full of guilt and emotion. The fight with Akumu was ruthless. Leaving Takeshi on the brink of death.

"I don't know why he targeted me, he even knew my name which I don't recall telling him my name. He wanted to kill me. He didn't even bother turning me into a demon, saying that I would probably betray him." Takeshi puts his hand on his chin stroking it a couple of times.

"I think he knows something about the future that we don't." Hana implied. "Otherwise he wouldn't have known you're name, never mind that he wouldn't have wanted to kill you, he would have simply turned you into a demon." Hana was now enraged by Akumu's actions. "Did you see his powers?" Arakaki asked.

"Yes, in the battle we had I saw a conclusion of three powers he had used. Let me just remember the names." Takeshi told the Astrals.

"Hey! I think you should give it a rest with the questions! The boy just woke up for crying out loud." Mizuki, the little girl, shouted at Astral Hana and Arakaki.

No one answered.

"I think the girl is right, I did just wake up and I'm feeling hungry. Maybe it'll

come to me later on." Said Takeshi. His belly was rumbling loudly making him go a deep shade of crimson.

"Don't worry Takeshi! I will bring you some noodles!" Mizuki shouted.

"Thank you!"

"I see the screaming boy has awakened." A voice called out from behind the shoji. It was Aoi, she came with flowers and some treats.

"Hey, I'm not-" Takeshi shouted but then remembered their first meeting. Oops,I guess I deserve that name. "Here I got you some things to get well, your fight wasn't pretty I heard." "Pretty? Is an understatement. I almost died." Takeshi mutters. Then, Takeshi feels two knuckles come in contact with the top of his head. "OW what'd you do that for?" Takeshi says his head was spinning and he felt dizzy.

"Before you were so loud now I can't hear a word." Aoi yelled.

"That's enough Aoi." Hana scolded Aoi.

"Fine, congrats for becoming a demon slayer." Aoi crossed her hands and went into a huff.

"I passed?" Takeshi questions.

"Yes, of course, you killed three demons. Not only that you took on The demon King, most would have submitted or ran away." Hana replied.

"And I'm just proud you survived, all of my students except one, well two now including you, have died during the Bladeborn Trial." Arakaki tells Takeshi. Takeshi felt relief swarm all over his body. If I didn't pass I might as well have died that day.

"I GOT YOUR FOOD- NOW WHO GAVE YOU TREATS!" Mizuki shouts, yelling at Takeshi.

Takeshi's eyes dart to Aoi. Mizuki took the hint and said, "WHY YOU BRAT! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS RUINING EVERYTHING!!"

A few hours later.

Astral Hana Shimizu enters Takeshi's room. Behind her were Aoi and Mizuki.

"Hey Takeshi, Do you remember what powers Akumu had?" She asked with a smile on her

face.

"Yes, yes I do." Takeshi replied, determined. Arakaki jumped from his chair. Hana sits down alongside Takeshi.

…

"Well spit it out then boy." Aoi yelled.

Hana nudged her making her make an angry noise. No respect honesty. Takeshi thought shaking his head.

'Well, first he could shape shift into a human, when we fought he was in a human form but still had some of his demon features out. He then put me into a time fracture. He swatted me away like a fly that's how strong he is. He said his power name, I think it was Black Pulse Heaven, time stopped and a blood flame ran towards me wrapping me up," Takeshi explained. Hana and Arakaki looked at him, fully concentrated.

"Continue."

"I couldn't breathe, every breath I took it got tighter. I controlled my breathing and slipped out which I'm guessing confused him. I charged for him again using Tide Serpent style breathing. But he stopped me and said Emperor's Breath, Red shift? My movement slowed massively. I couldn't even swing my sword. My body went very numb. Then I was on the floor, he ran towards me full speed, as if he was teleporting. He kicked me with an unimaginable force. That's how I got in this state. And then he stomped on me creating a hole in the ground. Then something wrapped around my heart like a hand. It started to squish it, almost bursting it, but then the sun saved me." Takeshi said, his face now filled with horror and disgust.

He looked up and his eyes met with the Astrals. The colour had drained from their faces. Hana was no longer smiling even though she always smiled no matter the problem. Arakaki's face was green with disgust. Their faces were stapled in Takeshi's head.

"I remember his face, so maybe, that could help in finding him again." Takeshi broke the silence.

"Okay thank you, I will inform the other Astrals with this information. This really helped as now we know how powerful this demon monster is." Hana said, her voice shaky but calm. Takeshi nodded in agreement. "You are here for a few more days then you may go back to training." Aoi adds. She was now calm and not going crazy on Takeshi. She was speaking formally. I guess the information took a toll on how she speaks to me haha. Takeshi thought.

Takeshi just laid back down and drifted off to sleep.

"Poor boy, no one has experienced

that one before, and definitely not survived it.." Hana said stroking his face.

"It's a miracle."Arakaki adds on.