On July 28, 2014, an unknown meteor shower occurred near the brink of midnight, and it is speculated that the meteorites never made contact with the grounds below. ...That is what I hear from the countless Livings that heard of this incident the earlier that day. I am only a Spirit enlisted with the responsibility of recording much more than the meteor shower. What I am here to record is related to the fact that certain Livings will become Pact Bearers from that meteor shower, and there I will begin my recording duties.

---

"....what....what the hell just happened?" the only response that came from the shocked Corentine, for once, she was actually lost for what she just did. The girl was on the ground in absolute shock, her eyes unable to look away at what was before her. Scared to death, she stared at a body of a man she had just killed. It all didn't make sense. One moment she walking through the Hachiko Statue area, and the next moment, she was standing here in front of a man that had died because of her. Thoughts raced in her head...what if she were caught here? There were bound to be police headed towards the scene, and she was still here in front of a scene where a murder just happened.

"It's because you made a pact with me..." a shallow voice echoed near Corentine, cause her to immediately stand up in surprise and laid her eyes upon a very strange looking individual. Wait, this person was responsible for having Corentine commit a crime? Enraged, Corentine had sudden anger towards the strange girl, throwing herself at her in an attempt to tackle down the strange girl. But...when she did that, Corentine saw herself phase right through, as if this girl was never a physical living person.

"I...I'm sorry I haven't told you anything yet...Please realize that you aren't at fault here..." the girl sounded full of regret, and tapped her finger on Corentine's finger. for a brief moment, Corentine was filled with images of the murder that had occurred moments ago, and then she started to remember or realize something that she was too blind to figure out during the encounter due to absolute fear. The man she had killed was not a human, but some sort of demon that had attacked her on her way home, and in her conscious she made a pact with this girl, this spirit, in order to combat the man in a pure rage. To her and the spirit, it was a demon that appeared human, but to the world around them, it was just an average man that was unfortunate enough to die.

"..why me?..." Corentine mumbled as she looked at herself, still confused as to why she had to be targeted in the first place. It was moments after that she started to hear the police sirens coming closer, someone must had called the authorities since she did just "kill a man" in public, and staying here wouldn't be good along with the fact she couldn't just say it was a demon in the interrogation room.

The girl known as "Alice" sat at a table in Shibuya Japan. in front of her lay several cards, and four others were sitting at the same table around her. Across the table, the dealer stood, dealing his cards and answering to the signals to either hit or fold from the contestants at his table. Death Dealer Rank IV, Seras Akira was doing what she always enjoyed - gambling. For her, the world and duty of demons was of no concern to her at the moment - all she needed - and wanted - to do was to have fun.

In Japan, a casino such as this one was illegal by law - and of course that meant there would be one here, under the control of the Yakuza - Japan's organized crime syndicates. Alice bore no concern that she was in a den of criminals - she was a customer and they were doing a business. Nobody got hurt. She paid no attention; especially not to the Yakuza guard holding a katana ready to deal with cheaters in the old fashioned way.

"...Oh my," another guest exclaimed as he looked out the window, "That's a pretty meteor shower."

'Alice' spared the window a glance, knowing full well what that meteor shower was. She knew it would eventually come, however, and she saw no reason to react nor prepare anything in advance. Turning back to the table, she glanced at her cards again - a three of hearts and a seven of spades. Smiling, she made the hand motion and announced: "hit".

The dealer obliged. Alice smiled.

An ace of spades. Blackjack.

Miyashita Park.

Wonderful.

---

"Really? Because an unbuttoned jacket and a t-shirt has been my summer attire since I was 14. And I sure as hell don't think I'm cool."
His slight british accent echoed throught the small tavern. The tall, slender female next to him had a questionable face. Half-bored. Half-confused. Half-smiling.

3 halves.

Abnormal, she was. That was the only way to describe the female. Absolutely abnormal. Not physically. But mentally, internally, the kind of thing you could learn from reading faces. The red-headed girl was weird. But, nonetheless, she responded.

"Really? Because the amount of assing idiots that do are immensely unreasonable. I mean, how many people can think that?"

Five people raised their hands.

Fuck.

What in the bloody hell's bells was that-

"Hello."

WAAUUUGH WHAT IN THE FUCK!

I, being the oblivious idiot me, threw my one and only writing utensil- a pen- at the voice that came from my write, with excellent aim I might add, and guess what?

The Bloody Beetroot karate chopped it in half.

The pen that I have stuck with for so long had just been chopped in half.

"I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU-"

I threw a forceful punch at the voice to my right, and I pretty much got my ass ripped out. The fucker had punched me in the abdomen, sending me straight to the ground, holding my midsection.

See, I'm a terrible fighter. Always have been. I'm a writer, not an MMA fighter, so I'm wimpy as shit. There we go, some information about me. I'm just a long-haired 20 year old who likes to write and fall in love with fellow females.

I'm a fucking wimp.

But I digress, after somebody has broken your most valuable item right after a meteor shower you just WROTE THROUGH, what else would you be? You're almost useless, your alias is gone right there and you don't expect anything to happen.

"Oh god, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Me, still laying on the hard floor of Miyashita Park at nighttime, furious and about to break out crying, I tried to stand up. All that happened, though, was sheer pain and electricity seeming to strike my abdomen everytime I tried to move. A grunt came out, though. It was almost a blessing, having an excuse to not talk to someone you're furious with.

But the curse was the feeling of near death.

---

Serj, am I? Am I really Serj though? Am I someone else entirely?

No, I'm fucking Serj. And I'm not doing shit.

I'm simply just walking throughout Shibuya at nighttime. Hey, somebody lying dead. That's cool. I always like people dead.

Yeah, I just walked past someone dead. Why? Because I'm cool like that.

I was on my way to ten-four anyways. Maybe see a few soaps or two being shot. That's what was always in ten-four anyways, 12/5 or something abnormal like that. Why? Because why the fuck not, that's why. I like abmormal things. And illogical ones. Who wouldn't? Smartasses.

I'm answering my own questions too much.

So, I actually got to ten-four. Surprising. Shibuya, being the famous nightlife city, I expected to get run over by a crowd of teenage girls following some hot pop sensation running down the street.

But, there was nothing being shot. And some orange-haired emo prick was walking towards ten-four building with his enormous pack of friends.

I wasted my time.

Already midnight and he was still walking on Shibuya. Nothing more nor less. Just a normal day like always. Eveything seemed so equal and usual that nothing was unfazing. The streets and their lights, the high movement of people in the streets... the lack of silence was something lived on and on. Nothing of abnormal seemed to happen again. Life would keep on and on like an endless cycle. Maybe wanting things to happen was something completely abnormal in that ocasion. After all, no one would stand daydreaming into the middle of the street.That was the same thing of saying 'Hey, can someone kill me?'.

Then, Giovanni looked at the sky. A meteor shower was happening at that moment. The people around him stopped to gaze at the even, but he kept moving onwards to his home. He looked at the ground as he walked and nothing ever seemed out of place in the world. "Heh... what am I wishing? That something would happen for me so I could play the hero and try to save the day? What a joke...", Giovanni said to himself. Ever since he lost his family, life seemed vain and hopeless. Like if it lost its meaning and there was no way that it would go back to the way it was. He would probably hear his mother calling and asking where he was. That's an instinct of a mother.
But that was something that he lost some years ago. Now, he had to move forward, without looking at the past.

"Hey, Big Bro!", then a voice called out on his ear. It was a voice which he recognized. But wfrom where did it came? Giovanni looked around and around, but nothing. Somehow, it was truly familiar, as he wanted to hear that voice again. But it could be probably a child walking with his mother and brother. Maybe I'm hearing things. This is crazy enough to me... better head home and sleep for the night., he thought. He was near his house, and he was used with the street.

Cat Street was a rare area in Shibuya that Micah enjoyed - while not away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it was a classy area, almost reminding them of France. The European country was a place they would much rather be, but the higher ups had other plans; they were needed here.

Maybe once all this excitement was over, they would visit there, they thought.

The Death Keeper sat at a table alone, outside, drinking their coffee and watching people as they went along. They glanced up at the sky, nothing yet, but in a few minutes it would begin. They didn't need their premonition to know what was going to take place, the other demons had been talking about it for awhile now. It was the events that took place after that was bothering them. The future was looking so blurry that Micah couldn't tell much more than what everyone else knew, and quite frankly, it was pissing them off.

Suddenly, bright streaks appeared in the sky, only a few at first, before quickly filling the space. It was very pretty, but Micah held no further interest. Instead, their attention turned to the humans as they watched the meteor shower in awe, looking to see if any pact was made in the immediate area. It didn't look like there was, so they relaxed, leaning back in the chair and once more trying to focus on the future.

It was with slight surprise that things were becoming more clear, they could see faces, and they felt on the verge of knowing names. While it wasn't much, and the faces they saw could be many things, Micah was pleased with the new developments as they sat back up, leaning their elbows on the table. They looked around the crowd again, and saw nobody familiar, and started wondering what they would do if they did see a familiar face. They figured they would ignore it if nothing came of the situation, fate would guide them when it was ready, and rushing such a force always left one for the worse.

Finishing the coffee, Micah caught a waitress walking by, ordering another.

"M-Miss...you gotta go!...Please!" the rather strange girl pleaded, somehow worried for her even though they had just met a few seconds ago. Besides, why the hell did this girl/spirit/thing/etc wanted to help her out? Was it because of some crazy supernatural bullshit, like that weird pact the girl mentioned? Corentine couldn't wrap her head around it anymore, and knew that she had to leave the scene fast if she were to get an explanation from this "girl." As fast as she could with, Corentine rushed out of the area, further and further away from the Hachiko statue that was the scene of the crime. It wasn't long until she got to the Scramble Crossing, a good place to lose the authorities here...Corentine was basically pushing over the people in the crowds at this rate, doing her best not to lose her running momentum. She didn't even bother to check on where the girl was, seeing that she was probably lost in the crowd, but that didn't matter because it was her that needed to get out of here fast. Corentine just hoped that she would lose the cops in the crowds.

With the blackjack game having gone in her favour, Alice stood from her table. Smiling, she watched the smirking Yakuza trade her chips in for Japanese yen - something completely worthless to her as a demon but still good to have to blend in with the living when she wanted to. Taking her newly "earned" Yen, Alice strode out of the Yakuza building - disguised as a simple office building near the scramble crossing. Ducking into an alley, Alice closed her eyes and counted to ten.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself near cat street. Nobody had seen her arrival - a good thing, for if they did she would have to kill them. Her human weapon still in her purse, Alice glanced around at the street before finding what - or who - she was looking for. Heading to one of the outside seating areas of a cafe, Alice boldly entered and approached the fifth most powerful demon in the underworld, Death Keeper Rank V: Micah Vertes.

"Good evening Micah." she smiled as if this was a meeting between two rather distant friends or business associates instead of two of the most powerful demons in a world the mortals around them didn't even know existed. "Do you mind of I join you?"

As expected, the Death Keeper stood in front of them. Alice having beaten them for the title of rank IV, Micah held a certain respect for them, if not a small grudge. But it was a fair fight, and they had since grown to accept their new position as rank V. "It's good to see you Alice." The waitress came by with their coffee, which they gave an offhanded thank you for before returning their attention to her. "Please, sit down." Having returned the polite smile, Micah went back to their usual lack of emotion as they gestured to the empty seat across from them. They figured that, as events unfolded, they would be in touch with the other keepers much more often. It was something they had mixed feelings about that, but there was nothing to be done about it.

Justice: such a petty construct utilized by many, defined only by the bearers of which guides the forefront disaster. Twisting of the constructs which guide basic understanding is a primal cause for the justification of actions. From war to the famine, such bares the cross of justice. To create a definitive definition of a concept, one must be able to create a general comprehension of such based on the opinion of the masses. Such lucid-based constructs are open to interpretation of many, therefore such would be unable to concrete a responsive definition of "righteousness" and "good" from "evil". If one were to take contemporary means to obtain good, is such really right? Is justice what makes the means, or the effects?

It mattered not to Kokoro Fujiwara. Justice was not what the others believed in. Rather, justice was a concept equal to perception; created from a balanced scale to ensure that the "means" were justified by the result. A simplistic system where events would be dictated by the scales which balance the "evil" from the "good". As long as the scales ended up with the "weighted good" over that of the "weighted evil". Evil can be committed for a greater result than one can truly produce. In the end, as long as "good" is triumphant in defeating this "evil", the means is justified; serene and peaceful in its construction, sweeping aside the nothing in no hurry for the next and that if only man could change another forever if man merged like a flame swirling up for an instant then snuffed out harshly along the phantasmal nothing instead of lying there trying not to think of the flame until its wielder comes to have that look of victory.

The victor is always right. History is written by such, therefore one might assume that justice is only there for those who win.

And Kokoro was not someone who chose loss over anything. Winning was all that mattered. To create her own justice, this was the only means to such.

Means to create a world within the picture of her own justice.

Break their ranks

It appeared before her. As serine and constructed as all that around her; as generated and presented as the floor; as that of the coffee staged within her hands. The presence of such was unnatural, though as if it had been there throughout time. A person; a visage of a man known not by Kokoro, but at the same time illuminated with the "existence" which had been with her the entire time. A being that was both unearthly, yet at the same time seemed to belong within this plane of existence.

"W-who are you?" Kokoro finally barked, exiting the trance which had caused her gaze to become affixed on the strange, yet comforting being. Someone who belonged, yet did not. Her curiosity into the subject broke the thresh hold formally taken by his presence, outweighing such in terms of priority. This man before her was someone she knew should not exist. As if the astral flow within her rejected him, but at the same time accepted him as something that existed. Something that should belong. An anomaly, but at the same time the crucible that held true with the expected world.

One might not be able to keep themselves after witnessing the being before her, however, Kokoro was strong of being. A person who had identified themselves past that of their peers. Someone who truly understood themselves enough to exist within the same plane that this individual harbored.

"Answer me," Kokoro demanded of the person before her. What was the purpose of his existence? What was he to do within this area? Kokoro needed to know; to understand what the being wished of her.

Loyalty.

What is loyalty, anyway?

Is it the willingness to stay faithful to a specific cause or individual? A term used to keep the weaker-willed in line? How about a byproduct of such fluctuating notions such as justice, good, or even evil? One could even claim it's a 'promise' to trust. One cannot say for certain what loyalty is, except this:

Loyalty is almost never true, as people are not true themselves.

A human is made of lies, lies that are only revealed when one cannot hide them any longer, or benefit from them. Lies that make up their core. Lies they've held on to since birth. Lies that have since become truths. And, of course, lies that are disguised as friendships. Whatever the lie may be, you can't mistake it for anything other than human nature. Selfishness is another core trait of any normal human being and it is from that core that the fruit of lie comes to fruition. People desire things no matter the cost, and more often than not, a person has no troubles pushing that 'price' onto another. It range from any severity. Anything from purchasing the last copy of a video game or movie, all the way to taking the last of the water or food in a serious disaster. It does not matter, nor should one look down on another because they did it. Again...

...it's human nature.

..........
.......
....

Unfortunately, absolutely none of that would matter to Yamato Shirou, who was a much simpler person than that. The man had certainly never really thought too hard on 'what loyalty was' or 'is it even real?'. No, he didn't question loyalty, for he did not feel any form of loyalty to anybody but his one true friend in the world. That, and his loyalty to the female body. Yes, that was his only other loyalty, although some would insult it's integrity. How dare they. Oh, but I digress.

Basically, someone had the audacity to push him! Yes, push him! What a bitch. He caught but a brief moment, a flash a brunette as a woman darted past him as if she'd just seen a ghost or killed someone, and she was much too quick for him to bother stopping. Instead of wasting effort chasing her down, he checked to make she wasn't just a pickpocket, and when he found his wallet in his pocket along with everything in it, he sighed and continued walking the other way. It was getting far too late for him to do anything, so he ought to head home for the night.

---

The first thing Keiji had become aware of once he had landed, or rather, 'returned' to the Living World would've been quite astounding had it not also been entertaining as well. The shouts, no, the demands of a Living had started no sooner than he had appeared, so swift in fact that he wasn't quite sure how he felt he should respond. The girl was annoying, at least, she sounded quite annoying, demanding an answer from someone she'd just met. But, at least that meant she wasn't some weak-willed runt who cowered at the very sight of another being. Perhaps he had found someone with which he could contract?

"Rude. I recall it being common courtesy to give one's name before demanding it of another." he replied, an unhidden tone of contempt lacing his words and a narrowed set of eyes to go with it. "But if you must know, I am called Keiji."

As he glanced into her eyes, he saw something in them. A fire, if one would. And this fire evoked a small smile from Keiji. "Say, woman... would you be interested in obtaining power?"

Wow, the two posts above me are so Edgy. Goddamn Nerds-
Ow. I cut myself on their edge.

Alice nodded and took her offered seat, taking in the nighttime view of the living world. It sure had come a long way since the first colonial age carnivals she had first began gambling in. Taking a cup of coffee with a smile and a thank you to the living waitress, Alice took a sip. Perhaps she should consider offering coffee at the Etoile Millenaire.

"Well," she said as she lowered her coffee cup and turned to Micah again, "It's finally begun, hasn't it? Honestly, with running my own casino and visiting all of these... places, I don't know how I'll be able to handle all of these new additions to my schedule." she sighed.

"Yes, finally. It's nice to have that vision out of the way." Micah had been seeing the meteor shower with years, with more clarity as time went on. It wouldn't have been so bad if they could have seen more than that, but now that it was over and they could see other things the demon was in a much better mood. "I'm sure you will find a way to manage." They would have suggested a cutback on gambling on Earth, but they knew Seras would shoot it down instantly. Besides, she had plenty of warning about the event, plenty of time to figure these things out.
"This all will be over soon enough." Having lived for over a thousand years, Micah's sense of time had started to become warped; soon could easily mean a couple hundred years. "Of course, we will actually have to be working to make that so."

A simple name for such a simple person. Keiji was typically written with the characters "stained(blackened) tree". Quite a common name, despite it's falloff in popularity into the more modern of eras. Even with the proposed "fall off", it was still a typical name. One might be able to consider this name too "typical" for the apparition before Kokoro; the visage of a person whom should not exist.

"Keiji, you said you name was? My name is Kokoro; Kokoro Fujiwara. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

A single word brought forth the attention of a "darker", though at the same time "lighter" sides of Kokoro's personality. A duality off nature, as it were. An inconsiquental construct of desire and longing which had been the forefront of her many choices within life. A construct that would cause both death and rejoice. An evil plague of the world, yet the greatest of all elixirs.

"I need power," Kokoro simply said to the other. To obtain power was to gain status, and that would bring forth the ideology of Kokoro to another stage, skipping passed many of the former means to such. If this man was telling the truth, she would have advanced in her goals. Justice was a construct held only by the perception of the victors, and to become the victor through power was a means to an end. Justification for actions leading up to a desired point.

"But what is the cost of such?"

Power was not something given to others based on such an exchange. Power was something given to others with expectations of the future. One might expect such to progress their own status through knighting and providing others with the necessary supplies to expand influence; standard ponzi scheme. What was the desire of the other before Kokoro? Did he wish to proclaim interest in herself due to an investment construct, or did he simply have no one else to turn to?

"Maybe you should tell me what you are, I know you cannot be human. What exactly are you? An angel? Devil?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A comet.
A visage.
Matter.
A construct.
A concept.

A meteor had taken aim at a particular individual. One "Yamato Shirou"
As if designed to target the individual, to end the other under it's great mass. One might expect that such was the end of this person; a lost individual at the wrong place at the wrong time. Simply put, the presence of "himself" at "point of contact" was a mistake of the greatest calibre.

Despite this, the existence known as "Yamato Shirou" had not ended. Before the other was a radiant bright that consumed most of his vision. Evidence of a "crater " existed not. Simply, the "falling object" existed not in the vision of "Yamato Shirou", replaced simply by a presence of someone that seemed to belong in this place, yet not belong at the same time. A construct of the highest existence, but one without basis.

"She" spoke to him.

"Boy, what is it that you desire?"

A simple test to the person before her.

Keiji gave a small, delighted chuckle upon hearing her answer to his inquiry. It was nothing unexpected, yet it brought about great joy. Not only could he see hidden determination in those eyes of hers, but she at least bright enough to question the cost of the offer. Good, idiots with determination weren't preferable. With determination and a bare-minimum of brains, she showed quite some potential as a partner. Now then...

"I am neither, Kokoro Fujiwara. You may think of me as... a ghost, a person who had once lived at one point in time, but no longer. And I come bearing power that you may borrow so long as you simply form a contract with me to become a mahou shoujo allow me to remain in this world of yours---" suddenly, Keiji felt a nasty presence approaching them, halting his speech briefly. It seemed they had run out of time to be dilly-dallying, as it were. Oh well, she was likely going to be targeted now regardless of her acceptance or denial, he might as well speed things up.

"...It would seem people wish to stop this before it begins. I guess this leaves you no choice in the matter." Keiji threw an uninterested glance over his shoulder, where he felt the energy, before turning back to Kokoro.

"Contract with me or perish, it is your choice." and so, without any more elaboration on his behalf, Keiji gave the woman an ultimatum.

---

Yamato, for one reason or another, had glanced up into the sky. Perhaps he wanted to just let out a sigh of boredom as he walked home. Perhaps he wanted to just observe the sky, to see if any stars were visible through the light of the city. Or perhaps he could sense the impending meteor as it approached him. This question would likely never be answered, but the matter of the fact is that he did glance up just a mere second before the collision, his eyes closing in anticipation of being squashed like a bug simply because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. However....

...the impact had never came. He was not flatted like a pancake or otherwise harmed. It did not immediately seem like anything happened to him, until, suddenly, he felt a presence that he could not accurately explain. It was something he knew for a fact he'd never witnessed before, and it was too strange to consider it an occurance common in this world, or from this world at all. It gave both a mysterious vibe, but also a powerful one as well, and this called to him in a beautiful voice.

"What do I desire...?" he repeated, slowly glancing one way and then another, but finding no physical signs that this presence was even there, though it certainly was. And at first, he wanted to say what was on his mind immediately after being asked that questioned. What he desired, what he typically wanted out of life was simply 'fun', 'entertainment', 'women', all that kind of stuff. But there was more to this question, a deeper meaning that he only just barely caught. He wasn't sure why, but he felt answering this without thought would not bode well for him. And so, he reached deep down and retrieved a very hidden, secret, and true desire. One he himself wasn't even entirely aware of.

"I simply desire... the power to do what I will."

Corentine wasn't paying attention to where she was going, who exactly she was pushing over, or even knowing if she was in the clear or not. All she could think about was what really happened back at the Statue of Hachiko, did she really kill someone or a shadowy illusion? Upon entering the Center Street, she glanced back to see that no one was following her from the Scramble Crossing...meaning that she was safe for now. The foreign transfer student gave a sigh of relief, and quickly headed herself towards an empty alleyway that had little lighting. At least there was a good place to hide out and wait for the police to give up on the search for the murder suspect. More importantly, a place to finally talk to the Spirit that had supposedly knew what happened.

"Hey...weird girl...come on out..." Corentine called out as soon as she was away from the public eye, calling over to the very girl that held the answers to what happened in the span of half an hour. The girl didn't take too long to appear, surprising the teenager as the girl...how should she put this,...phased through the nearby wall as if she didn't exist. Just like the time Corentine had attempted to tackle down the girl, only to see that she went through her like a hologram. She only stood there in absolute confusion and shock, waiting for the strange girl to finally spitting out the answers Corentine desperately wanted to hear.

"S-Sorry...for making you run away from the area on a short notice...and not telling you any sooner..." the girl rambled, clasping her hands close to her chest. As much as she sounded like a young girl, the other teenager had no more patience for this. So, Corentine immediately interrupted in a harsh manner,"I'm getting tired of all of the damn apologizing, just tell me what is going on?"

"Oh...o-okay. I'm...Monsone, a Spirit that holds the power of the Winds. Please don't talk so much in a loud way to me, people can't see or hear me, but if you want to communicate with me, just use your thoughts...so, I'm not sure how it went back there, but we made a Pact there, and then you started to attack the disguised 'Shadow Replica,' a being made out of a deceased person's negativity. The basic purpose of a pact is to keep the balance of the Realities, the Living, the Spirits, and the Corpses. You'll learn more on the way...so I won't burden you too much with too much information, but...what kind of purpose you want to give yourself because we now share a Pact together..." the spirit spoke and explained to the girl that was thrown into this mess. It was all too much to take in, and she thought she was going crazy at first just because she had 'committed' a murder back in the park area near the Statue. Though, she started to realize that all of this was real, since the very fact that the man tried to kill her wit the help of some dark source, it was safe to say that the person she 'killed' was a Shadow Replica in disguise.

All that the teenager said to the spirit Monsone, she answered: "To live."

"Power, you say?" the voice muses, seemingly taking a rather playful approach to the young man. As if musing with something which seems entertaining at the moment. As if the "voice" was a "better" to the person before this voice, only existing as a focal point to her amusement. As if caring not for the person, but rather the "event" he had represented. The person before her was simply a petty existence.

"The power of the king is something that many have wanted before. What makes you think that you are someone who deserves power? Who would you want to protect?"

She had appeared before him. Someone who appeared just as one might expect a cosplayer of sorts to look like; the rather antique clothing bearing a resemblance to that of a tradition centuries old Japanese culture, typically woman only appearing this way during times of festivities. To wear such an outfit would be a rather strange action taken by this woman.

Well, one might have considered this person not a "woman" per se. Rather, this person was considered an anomaly within this plane. A visage that existed only for this "Yamato Shirou" for the time being.

"Where does your loyalty exist, boy?"

---

Well, that was a rather strange turn of events.

Live.

"Death or survival is a cheap trick."

Demons are that which feeds upon the body; the soul of the befallers which gains power from those of purity and sovereignty. Existence of demons exist to defeat weaker existences of "purity", creating a system which hunters are to obtain strength and grow from prolonged gorging of the human race. Parasites that exist only to be destroyed, as that was true "justice".

"But power is something I have longing for. Very well, I accept your contract, otherworlder!"

Yamato remained silent as he listened to the being talk. When it posed the question of worth, he couldn't truly find a particular reason as to why he should be the one to receive power over someone else. If anything, he was a bit undeserving, what with his tendency to ignore work and focus on play, to think mostly of himself, to ignore the call of others. But, well, that did not change his desire. He still wanted power, though he was still unsure why he did. Would it really change anything?

"I don't believe there are too many people less deserving, as I simply want power for selfish reasons." he replied honestly. "Power so I can be confident. Power so I can reach short-term goals. Power so that I can be brave. Though.... Power so that I can protect somebody is the most apparent, I think. I wish to have power to protect a friend, as well."

He wasn't sure why, but he felt he needed to be completely true. As if this being, this fox-gi---

Wait, what?

Perhaps he'd just been musing on something internally, or perhaps he was just not really looking at the being for some reason, but it took a minute to notice that the being before him had, in fact, cute ears and a tail. Even if it was cosplay, it fit so perfectly. "Ohhh! What?!" he suddenly got excited, ignoring anything else. "Are those real? Can I touch them? My loyalty remains with fluffy tails!"

---

Keiji's small smile grew larger as the woman caved in and agreed. He now had established a contract which would allow him to remain here, in the Living world, with no difficulties so long as she didn't screw up and die or something. Well, right now was a perfect time to find out, as the aforementioned demon had finally appeared, and it seemed quite berserk. With large, knife-sharp teeth and an inhuman growl, one would have to be fairly foolish to not understand its intent.

"Then this shall be your first task: Be rid of that demon. Now, steel yourself." with a flash of light everything just changed, her molecules got all rearranged and his hand extended towards her, she would feel the contract sealing and his power seeping into her. She was now his, and he was now hers. "It is done."

And right about the time he said that, the demon, not waiting for them to completely finish, lunged after the woman with clear desire to tear her head from her neck.

Seras had considered her options alright. She had even gone as far as to consider simply not participating and continuing her old habits, but she had a feeling that if she did, the three entities who were more powerful than her would immediately interject - perhaps even remove her so they can have another rank IV - one more obedient. Oh well.

"Of course, by "soon" I have no idea whether it's a few weeks or a few centuries." Seras sighed. "Still, I suppose we don't have much of an option."

Taking a sip of the coffee again, she decided to drop a question. "...So, Micah," she asked out of curiosity, "For what reason will you fight in this upcoming... 'war', for lack of a better term?"

The pact was complete.

A contract between spirit and human.

An aid of power for aiding in wars.

Not a bad deal per se, considering the alternative was death. Kokoro Fujiwara had not much time to consider this offer. It mattered not, however. The power she was presented with was something she would eagerly take the position of the "spirit world's pawn" for the time being.

There was the matter before her. Knowledge of the Demons was granted with the contract. The sort of beings that exist as "monsters under the bed" that one remembers from their childhood. Demons that exist only to cause calamity and the like to those of mortal standings. They could be considered parasites; blights ruining the status of humanity for self-gain. Truly these were beings that were not "just", therefore Kokoro understood what she needed to do.

The power that had been granted to her by her now "partner" was something Kokoro would consider "powerful". In the event that Kokoro used this ability correctly, there was not a lot of beings she could really fear.

The "red strings of fate" wrapped themselves around a simple metallic pipe in the alleyway Kokoro was engaged upon by both the Spirit and the Demon, though in different meanings of the word for each. Where as there was an exchange of ability for herself and the spirit, the Demon had attacked her. I the event that the Demon had not attacked her; had the Demon been passive, Kokoro would not have had the reason to attack it. Rather, because it had targeted herself, she had the "right" to defeat such a monster with the utmost she could muster.

The strings twisted and turned, dragging the pipe towards Kokoro.

"Metal" was the power given to Kokoro. More specific, the ability to "bend" metal to her will. Steeled as she was, ready to deal a decisive strike against her foe.

The pipe changed to Kokoro's will. Shaping itself, it took the appearance of a Katana. Considering her opponent had not armor for protection against weapons and the like, this seemed to be a suitable choice for the matter at hand.

Confirmation: Loading knowledge of swordsmanship from the eastern block. Understanding of weapon limitation and ability, check.

Kokoro was given all the knowledge she needed to utilize this weapon, as if she had become a Master swordsman who had committed their life to the practice.

"Disappear," the "swordsman" said, cutting down the demon before her in a single strike.

After defeating the Demon, she turned to the person who had given her this ability.

"I must thank you for giving me such a power. Never would I have imagined that such an ability would exist in this world, though I suppose that the source is unearthly. It appears that we will be working together from now on."

---

With a slight chuckle, the "kitsune" looked towards the boy before her with a rather interested look plastered on her face.

"Interesting~! Very interesting~!" the woman simply said, clasping her hands together. To think that she would find such a man of passion and desire before her as such. The proclamation stated by this "Yamato Shirou".

"I have made my choice," The woman simply said as she walked closer towards this "Yamato Shirou". Slowly, her footsteps echoed through the streets, each step taken at a rather slowly. Though it might have only been a few seconds, time itself seemed to freeze at her presence. Reaching the area which Yamato stood, the Kitsune leaned forward to whisper directly into the boy's ears.

"My name is Suzuka, but as a special treat you can call me Suzu~. want you to accept my contract. Can you do that for me, boy?"

---

Ezekiel was a man of principle; the sort of person who would never give up on their own goals. One might be able to consider him a loyal individual, while dissuants of the man would simply consider him a stubborn individual. Once Ezekiel was to place stock in a construct, he would see such a construct to the end, taking a position of utmost loyalty to those who had given him a task as such.

Loyalty to "the cause" was the reason that Ezekiel was given his position, as well as his general prowess in combative situations. Though being the lowest number in the ranking system of demonlords, Ezekiel was still one of these Demonlords, therefore he had proven himself over that of the standard mobs.

A single rumor had brought Ezekiel to this coffee shop, and he had to see if such were to prove truthful. Word did travel fast to him, after all. Entering the shop, Ezekiel looked around to see if he had been correct in entering this place. And to his surprise, he was.

Sitting in this shop were both of his superiors in rank, the fourth and fifth lord of demons.

"I see you are as ever lax as usual, Seras." The demon seemed to say in a mater-of-fact sort of manner, awaiting some sort of response from such a comment. "Salutations to you as well, Micah."

"Impressive." Keiji said stated giving an idle glance over the body of the demon. One swift stroke ended its life, and this woman had summoned the pipe, crafted the weapon, and used it without hesitation. She had compatibility if he'd ever seen it. "It would see as though you and I go along quite well. Perhaps that'll make the rest of this contract much easier to complete."

Keiji returned and looked over the woman, whom still had her blade in hand. "Oh, yes. I nearly forgot." Keiji produced unique-looking ring and carefully handed it to the girl. "You would do well to not lose this.

It holds your soul, after all."

---

"Suzu... Suzu.... Suzu...." Yamato made sure to repeat the name he was giving thrice over, so that it remained drilled in his mind. "Alright, then! I don't know what exactly this contract is about, but as long as I get to touch your tail and rub your ears, I'm all game. I agree to your contract!"

Thusly, the man made a decision without thinking it over.

Thusly, he proved what he desired more than anything else.

Thusly, he would soon touch fluffy tail.