Riko raised her hand without hesitation. The skull-shaped bracelet around her wrist glowed—a deep red. Crimson lines raced through the air like cracks in glass, forming a jagged cage that slammed down over both of their heads.
Sasaki and Sayuri didn't move, nor did they flinch.
The magical barrier snapped into place, its edges pulsing like a heartbeat.
Yuki's breath caught in her throat. Her body stiffened.
Wait, that cage… it's the same one, she thought.
Yuki pressed both her hands on her face as she thought back to when she was attacked by the trench coat demon and how she was saved.
"It was you who saved me, right? Why didn't you tell me." Yuki said.
Riko avoided eye contact with Yuki, as she looked like she was trying to make up an excuse.
"I'm sorry, Yuki. I did this to protect you," she said.
Yuki's eyes flicked between Riko and Sasaki, her heart pounding like a trapped animal.
Sasaki tilted his head, observing the magic that bound him like a curious scientist. Then he smiled.
"Interesting... this type of magic, I've seen it before, you must be a sorceress from the Hoshigiri Clan. They're quite famous for hunting demons and spirits. So, tell me—did I end up on the clan's hit list? I'm guessing they think I'm behind the disappearances?" He said, voice light with curiosity.
"No, the clan didn't say it was you, but I think it is — and that's enough of a reason to bring you with me."
Sayuri stood still, hands to her sides, as she avoided touching the cage bars. Sayuri's eyes were locked onto Riko as if trying to intimidate her.
However, Riko didn't let that bother her.
Yuki could not believe what she was hearing. Her best friend—the girl she would eat and laugh with since middle school—had been living a double life all along. A sorcerer. A hunter of demons and spirits. It didn't feel real.
"So you're part of a clan now—and a sorceress? how could you not tell me about this! Seriously Riko, are we not friends?!" Yuki said.
Riko looked back at her with sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry. The truth is i hunt demons and spirits at night. I'm part of a family of sorcerers and hunters. Our job is to track down and capture these anomalies around the city."
Sasaki chuckled.
"You think I'm behind the disappearances? Little sorceress, you're in over your head."
Yuki's hands trembled. She didn't know how to feel after such a betrayal. However, what's worse is that Riko was now accusing Sasaki Shin of causing the disappearances around the city. Yuki had a hard time believing that, since he came to her believing that she would be able to help him in his investigation.
Riko stepped closer to the cage, holding up a small charm between her fingers—two thin collars glowing with glyphs.
With a snap of her finger, they vanished from her hand and appeared around the necks of Sasaki and Sayuri.
Yuki flinched as the collars snapped shut.
Both of them dropped to one knee.
Sasaki's grin faltered a little while Sayuri winced.
Yuki stared in horror, as her stomach began twisting.
"What did you do to them?"
"They're sealed," Riko said, lowering her hand. "They won't be able to use magic. It's safer this way. For all of us."
Yuki's legs felt like they might give out. Everything was happening too fast. Sasaki and Sayuri were apparently demons according to Riko. This part did not feel shocking due to the fact that Yuki had witnessed them destroying the evil doll spirit that had been haunting her house.
Riko then turned to Yuki and reached out her hand. "Come on. We need to go. You'll understand everything soon. I promise."
Yuki glanced at Sasaki. He gave no sign of resistance. His eyes were closed. Like he'd already seen how this would play out. Sayuri imitated her master and closed her eyes as well.
Riko snapped her fingers, and both cages vanished, but the collar over their necks still held on tight as she gestured for both of them to follow her outside.
Yuki kept pace just behind Riko, her steps were light. Then something twisted inside her chest—tight and sharp, like a wire snapping.
Her legs buckled as she dropped to one knee and Yuki's vision blurred, the air thinned around her. Each breath dragged through her throat like she was inhaling sand.
What... what's happening to me? Yuki thought.
Riko was just about to grab the doorknob when she heard a loud thud. She turned around to see Yuki sprawled on the floor.
Riko quickly ran to her side in a panic.
"Yuki, you okay? Hey, say something, Yuki," Riko said, as she grabbed her weak body.
Sasaki opened his eyes and had a serious look on his face. He then turned to Riko, who looked desperate as she saw her friend in this weak state.
"I know what's wrong with her and how to turn her back to normal," Sasaki said.
Riko then slowly raised her head as she glared at him. Her anger could be seen as veins appeared on her forehead, knowing what he would want in return.
"What do you want, filthy demon?"
"Filthy? Isn't that a bit uncalled for? Especially for someone who is offering a way to save your friend here."
"Just say it, demon... what's wrong with her?"
Sasaki Shin, then clicked his tongue and swung his index finger from side to side. His grin came back, this time even more menacing than before.
"Nope. I can't just give you the information first. Let's start with what I want. Shall we?" Sasaki said.
"Whatever, just say it already. Stop wasting time," Riko said.
"Little Ayano here owes me $2000. She came to my therapy clinic a few days ago, and as a therapist, I charge depending on a multitude of factors, but one of them is the complexity of the patient's mental state. So with all that being said, are you ready to pay this amount on her behalf, human?" Sasaki said in a mocking tone.
Riko's jaw dropped, not due to the amount he was asking, but the fact that a demon was asking for money in the first place. This type of behavior was uncharacteristic of a demon. She had been hunting demons since she was nine years old, and this was the first time a demon had ask for money.
"Uh? Are you sure you want money? Don't you want your freedom?"
"No, money will do. Besides, I want to meet your father—the Sorcerer King—so I have no reason to be free at this moment."
"Ah, I see. You want to meet my father. So be it. Now, do you take PayPal?"
"Of course. Here is my information," Sasaki said.
After Riko had paid the $2000, Yuki started to shake violently. Her movement became somewhat haunting.
Her bones started dislocating, and her head started to shake violently. However, the most hunting thing of them all was that her eyes had a white light coming out of them.
Riko took a step back. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She could not believe her eyes. Yuki started levitating in the air. It almost looked like she was possessed.
Then spirits started crawling from underneath the floor and from the surrounding walls. They approached the levitating Yuki, almost like they saw her as their master.
Riko was paralyzed due to the fear of seeing this many evil spirits. They all looked monstrous. She curled into a ball, covering herself.
"What the hell is going on!?" Riko said.
Sasaki then sighed as he watched the scene unfold before his eyes.
"Release me," Sasaki said.
"What? No way, I'm not doing that," Riko said.
"You wanted my help, right? So release me, and then you can seal me with your dog collar. I'm not going anywhere. Like I said, I want to meet your father."
"Fine, but you better stop her. Don't you dare run away."
Riko snapped her fingers as both Sayuri and Sasaki's collars disappeared. They, then both looked at each other, knowing exactly what they needed to do to solve this problem.
Sayuri walked forward towards Yuki. The spirits swarmed her almost instantly, lashing out like wild animals. Thin cuts opened along her arms and legs, blood dripping onto the floor with every step. But she didn't stop. She barely flinched. Her eyes never left Yuki's as she moved through the pain.
Once Sayuri got close to her, she then grabbed Yuki's hand, causing her to fall unconscious and collapse onto her shoulder. All the spirits around the house started scattering away.
Sasaki then, without hesitation, summoned his long scythe.
He raised the scythe high, then moved—fast. Too fast.
In a blink, he spun, arms a blur, the blade cutting arcs through the air like streaks of silver.
Each slash tore through spirit after spirit, their screeches drowning under the wind.
After effectively exorcising the spirits with his scythe, he slicked back his hair. He did not have single visible scratch on him.
"Unfortunately, a few escaped," Sasaki said.
Riko's eyes widened in shock. She now knew exactly who Yuki was talking about that one time—the man with the scythe. It was him. She had felling, he was different from your typical demon.
But now she knew that he was something else entirely, not a demon but something more menacing.
Riko snapped her fingers. Two collars blinked into existence, thin and marked with glowing glyphs. They shot forward like coiled snakes, locking around their necks with a sharp snap.
"Oh, I'm already back to being your pet, how unfortunate." Sasaki said.
Riko gestured for both of them to come outside.
"You can stop making those jokes and follow me," Riko said.
Heavy rain slammed into Riko's face, as dark clouds could be seen above. Every step squished. The air stank of mud, and lightning could be seen roaring in the sky.
Riko then snapped her fingers three times as a portal opened up in the middle of the wet street. After a few minutes, a black limousine came out of the portal.
Sayuri Kanzaki held Yuki Ayano over her shoulder, who ended up being drenched from all the rain. Sasaki then removed his black jacket and put it over her head. Riko looked back seeing Sasaki's action.
However, Riko tried to ignore it as best she could, as she felt that this act of kindness he had done was just a way to manipulate her. So, she quickly disregarded it.
Finally, they went inside the limousine, once inside Sayuri rested Yuki in one of the free seats. Sasaki made himself comfortable by taking back his black suit and putting one of his hands behind his head and kicked back his feet. He looked carefree.
This pissed off Riko, but she did not want to show it. She ended up just staying silent.
Riko then snapped her fingers three times once more, causing another portal to open in front of the limousine.
"Let's go, chauffeur, we're going back home, to the Sorcerer Mansion," she said.