---

It was a poisonous dream. Many loathed him, many feared him, and yet even more still couldn't so much as put a name to his face. He was born of humble beginnings, an aimless soul lost in a society of crime and betrayal. He started optimistic, and for a good while he was optimistic indeed, but with time his light faded to a mere flicker. What was it he sought all that time ago? Why, despite all of his hubris and passion towards his pursuits, did he still feel so well and truly empty? The screams of suffering of those he had humiliated and killed so thoughtlessly plagued him every night since that day. The day he'd turned his past to ashes.

The day he admitted to himself, oh so quietly, that he was less than human.

---

Tomoe awoke with a jolt, standing upright in seconds. He swore he'd awoken to the chilling touch of something cold against his own left hand, but there was nothing there. In fact... nothing was anywhere. Nothing was the same as when he'd fallen asleep the night before. He was somewhere else entirely, and the only thing he could mutter aloud was the most cliche of lines one could in this situation...

"Where am I...?"

And with that, he quickly and instinctively drew his hand to the ring on his left ring finger, ensuring it was there; thankfully, it was, and he had a good feeling that he'd find all of his usual belongings inside as well. Tomoe would withdraw his whiskey flask from the ring and took a long drink of it before pocketing it and further scanning his surroundings. The place was dead quiet and more than that, as dark and as cold as a winter night at its worst. Joya wasn't a particularly cold place, so his resistance to such things could be deemed passable at best. Fog was setting in, and it seemed that he was in some kind of graveyard. Previously he'd been resting next to a tombstone, though he had no memory as to how he ended up here in the first place. "Nothing to do but find a way out, I guess. If this is some Gunter or Yugo kind of dickery I'll fuck 'em up.", Tomoe cursed under his breath before continuing his walk through the graveyard.

In the distance, peeking out just barely through the fog, a mansion could be seen. The Joyan began his walk towards it, seeking answers. All the while, he'd keep his guard up for any sudden movements or noises, ready to react and blast apart any ghouls or sex-crazed freaks at a moment's notice with a hail of arrows.

The poor kid didn't know that it apparently was hard to play this whack-y game. "Darn, seven points away," he groaned, then watched as the skeleton look at him with a shrug on its' face that says, 'That's too bad,' and despite being a skeleton, they were quite expressive. After that booth, Masami had to leave and go somewhere else; the ground was cold when he walked barefoot, so his feet had no choice but to dirty itself. "Agh... my clothes," white clothes, to be exact. Masami had tried his best to keep them clean, because then it'll be a hassle to wash them afterwards. Even though Lucifer made Masami look like this, he was still the Masami in his normal form, and he'd walk around the Garden of Rest... which could use some cleaning, actually.

In the inside, he had hoped that he finds someone familiar, otherwise he might get eaten by the residents of Samhain if they find out that Masami's human, after all. Though, with this sort of appearance (or "cosplay," in other words), who would have thought that he was human? "Hey, is that...?" looks like it was a jackpot of spotting someone familiar! Or at least, they "felt" familiar, because everyone knew that they had to dress up before entering, otherwise they'll "get eaten by the residents of Samhain," or was that just a trick to scare the kid?

"Boo!" Masami said behind the person—which was Tomoe, but Masami was yet to know if he was right or wrong. "Gunter and...?" looks like Masami has heard at least the last segment of Tomoe's utter; nevertheless, those were both familiar names. "It's me; Masami, by the way," Masami said this when he was finally in front of the person, now realizing that it truly was somebody he knows. Hopefully, his (ex-)guildmaster doesn't get scared of what had happened to the kid's general appearance.

Tomoe shifted around suddenly, about to activate his pocket dimension ring and fill the owner of the voice behind him with arrows, turning them into some kind of weird modern art piece. Instead, Tomoe merely dashed backwards a few feet away, guard raised. Something about the nature of this place almost drained the courage out of him a little, and he couldn't place a finger on why that was the case. When the person introduced themselves as Masami... well, Tomoe couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion. Had he heard right?

"Masami? That right? It's been a hot minute, eh? How you been? You look, uh. Different. Something with your hair maybe?"

At that point, Tomoe was convinced there was some trick being played on him. Sure they had the same height, physique and voice, but... something was different. Had he changed, or was this place just messing with things? Tomoe looked down after feeling a sudden shift, and sure enough, he was wearing a black robe and had the mask of some kind of wailing, screaming spirit tied to the side of his head in a Joyan style.

"Wha...?", Tomoe gasped in awe, looking over himself in confusion; one second he was in his regular attire, the next he was suddenly shifted into something he'd never seen in his life.

Looking back towards Masami, if that's really who it was, Tomoe pressed a finger to his chin in questioning, and after a moment of silence, spoke.

"You know where we are, by any chance? This place is kiiiinda not my thing, y'know?"

"Eh?" well, that was quite questionable. Masami looks different from head-to-toe, but "something about his hair"? "Ah, Luci—" nope, Tomoe isn't supposed to know about that, and Masami remembered only now. He acted as if he didn't cut himself off to hide something; "They helped me with this outfit, so I can visit this place," apparently, Masami went to this place by foot, but Tomoe seemed to be in a different situation so that made Masami slightly wonder. "Uhh..." the next thing Masami had to wonder about were the two names: Gunter and the second one, the boy could not recall. Slowly, his arms lifted up for a light shrug, and his face have shown an amount of confusion. Until now, he had respected Tomoe as his (ex-)guildmaster, which will apparently make things complicated because this is just a #HahaFunTimes filler chapter but... oh well. It be like that sometimes.

The boy would then decide to admit after a short, awkward trace of silence, "I... don't know who they are, Tomoe," at this point, his expressions is able to tell everyone that ultimately, he was still the Masami that everybody knew. "I don't think you've mentioned them before... hmm, were they new fellows?" indeed, they were, except Masami didn't know that yet. "New recruits for the guild?" in this part, his roleplayer would facepalm. Of course, Masami doesn't know that Penumbral Guard has burnt down! And no way in heck he'd get stuck in Marigold City the second time just to check if it's still there (lmao); except, the child was too innocent to even wonder if the guild is still there. Maybe it was better to say that it finally completely hid itself in the mountains... or something like that.

"Hmm," he'd think for himself, acting as if this was a guessing game between the two. "Knowing Tomoe, those 'fellows' were probably Joyan... people you've drank with in the streets recently?!" Masami's fingers snapped—he didn't mean to be rude, but his surprised "I got it!" expression made it look like he only saw Tomoe as a swordsman who... drank in the streets. His eyes almost shone, literally, because it was positive to the kid that he was correct, and he was apparently very sure that he was correct. He was still waiting for Tomoe to tell him that Masami was correct, or maybe get a pat in the head from the respected elder for guessing correctly—except Masami was incorrect.

"Luci?"

Tomoe said the word out loud, and interpreted it as a name. Finger at chin, he pondered on the name for a moment, and after doing so, his features spread upward. He definitely knew what that meant. Luci, huh? Well, Masami was a growing boy. It was only a matter of time before he'd find love, and Luci sounded like a cute name. The Joyan beamed with pride, his mind temporarily distracted by the odd place they found themselves in. Though changing his appearance for a girl...? Well, Masami would need to learn in time not to change himself for people. That's a lesson he'd need to discover on his own, as Tomoe wasn't the type to lecture at length; especially not at life lessons, as he wasn't the type of person that should be followed as an example.

"Well now, you are growin' up then, eh? Good on ya, kid! I hope she can make ya real happy. Treat Luci right then, y'hear?", Tomoe spoke boisterously, letting out a chuckle from his stomach and patting Masami on the back with medium, yet casual, force.

Afterwards, it was time to turn to a matter more serious.

"Ah, well you've never met them. Guild recruits? Well... something like that, I suppose. They were certainly recruited for... a job."

Tomoe scratched the back of his head, and he could swear as he gazed off into the distance he could hear the faint screams of children... the children he murdered mere weeks ago. He had no idea how he knew it was them, but some unseen force reassured him that yes, it was. After a thousand yard stare into a night abyss for a few moments, Tomoe's gaze drifted back to Masami once he was done talking about the potential for Gunter and Yugo to be his drinking buddies. He needed to be honest, at the very least, to a surviving member of Penumbral Guard. He'd find out soon enough anyway, from news reports or just from visiting Marigold once again.

"Gunter and Yugo... well, they did help me. They did a lot. They're sometimes my drinking buddies, but more than that, they helped me take care of something that needed taking care of. Needed it done more than I needed air. Because, y'see..."

The Joyan took a small step backwards, an empty smile on his face. His eyes held immense pain and the deepest of joy in them simultaneously, and he had to admit his true self. The boy before him still had no idea, so it was best that the news be broken by a fellow - and former - comrade. He stretched his arms outward towards the sky and looked upon the night sky.

"Me, Gunter and Yugo. And Kratos, a Dardian. The four of us went in and butchered anyone and everyone in Penumbral Guard's tower. Not a single soul of any note or threat was able to survive, and any mages that were lucky enough to avoid the slaughter altogether will now find themselves as wanderers looking for new purpose. That's the verdict that I, the failed heir of Murakumo, bestowed upon them. What they received was the divine punishment of a messenger of god. They are all among the stars now, with me as the Shooting Star that sent them there."

With that, searching the sky for the brightest stars, eventually directed his gaze to meet Masami's once again. There was no regret in his visage, only the satisfied glint of a man who believed he had done something great.

"We burned them alive, shot them dead, skinned them, pissed on them, and trampled over their honor. Any starry-eyed ambitions that the young scholars or hot-headed hunters held within them? Snuffed out with ease. The guild? Ashes. There's not a single thing left to be found where Penumbral Guard once was. It all ended, so easily, in less than an hour of casual and minimal effort while we played with their half-baked attempts at heroism and twisted it into childish begging. Such was the extent of their resolve."

After Tomoe had finished, his voice and vernacular not that of his usual Joyan thuggish self but rather an eloquent and detailed manner of speech, he held silent while waiting for Masami to process his words and react as he would. He wouldn't blame the boy for any anger, confusion, sadness or desire for vengeance. If it ended up being a fight the boy wanted, standing in front of the killer of his old guild and probably the killer of some mutual friends or acquaintances, Tomoe would oblige in turn. He was ready for an attack to let loose, whether that be immediately or after a bout of tears. Either way, Mr. Tanaka would not be making the first move this day, waiting to see how Masami would take the news first.

Tomoe should've have questioned the name; the boy gulped. "A-Ack... well, you see—" it was reasonable for Masami to get nervous. Any Joyan men would get angry if they discovered that the younger men, especially the underclassmen, had demons inside of them. Masami didn't want Tomoe to get angry at him, nor did he want his (ex-)guildmaster to question it. However, when Masami was going to reason out, with his palms raised to correspond to his reasoning, Tomoe seemed to be pleased. "Ah... of course, I will," a great sigh escaped his lips after his response, a thumbs up given in a shaky manner. Oh, well, at least Tomoe wasn't his mother – otherwise, the situation will become incredibly awkward for the boy's side. Guess the boy will just have to confess next time.

"Gunter" and "Yugo" were the names Tomoe mentioned, and his story gave Masami a chance to show a wholehearted smile... well, at first. "Wah, Master Tomoe gets his sentimental times, sometimes!" until now, Masami respected Tomoe as his (ex-)guildmaster. When the red-head told the prelude of the tragedy, Masami gave a continuous round of applause. The sentimental side was strikingly unexpected from a man that Masami discerned as strong in leadership and fighting. Until now, he believes that his (ex-)guildmaster was the swordsman he once was, especially when they travelled in Myras City. Surely, Masami will remember those two names in great respect of—

"... huh?"

There, Masami could hear his own breath. This similar feeling—Masami had too many occasions where he'd experience the same feeling: when he was going to perform on stage the first time, when he was being rewarded as a performer, when he got an award for singing... when his mother almost died of illness and when the Joyan court burned down before Masami chose to run away forever. In great doubt, Masami chose not to believe his (ex-)guildmaster's words despite backing away, a hand trying to feel where the guild tattoo was supposed to be in the boy's lower back. No, (ex-)guildmaster Tomoe Tanaka must be joking. This is just one of those Halloween acts, right? Where they tell each other scary stories and play pranks with each other because, truly, there was no way Tomoe could be this type of person.

Each time Masami tried to speak, or if he tried to act like he was not startled nor confused at all, he would mumble. He was unable to say anything to cut Tomoe off of his words. Come to think of it, Masami hasn't heard from anyone of the guild; what about the letter Natsumi delivered through the bird she kept in a small cage? "What..." he was left there, unable to choose a reaction, "what about the lich?" Surely, Tomoe would never joke about such a thing because, truly, there was no way Tomoe could be this type of person.

To explain how the guild burnt to ashes in such a detailed manner, and to bravely boast it to the child. He needed to go back to Marigold City just to check if Tomoe's tale was true, but not at the moment where the boy could hardly feel his legs nor hear anything other than his own heartbeat and breaths. For years of performing and acting, following script such as thus—Masami knew all too well that asking "Why?" is a very—if not idiotic—inferior question. "Didn't you love the guild? What about protecting the people?" were the words that flowed out of Masami's lips, a bit without of his control. The first time they met in the Penumbral Guard guild hall, and the impression Tomoe Tanaka gave Masami, all those lingered but Masami could no longer see them as clear as they were before. No... this was definitely just a joke—a very clean trick, and that the two were still guildmates until now, right? Masami chose not to leave this spot because, truly, there was no way Tomoe could be this type of person.

"Is that why... Magnolia—" a hand reached out to the mask that hung at the side of his face, attempting to hide whatever facial expression he may reveal by accident in the next few turns.

"The lich?", Tomoe questioned with a scoff, turning his head away. "Aegis wouldn't be on board with all this, as is obvious. I don't know where he is now, but I do know that he'd allowed me to dream a long, cushy dream. A dream where maybe, just maybe, I could have been a champion for the people in earnest."

The Joyan looked back to his old comrade with a psychotic gleam in his eyes, the pain still plain as day within his reddish orbs but seemingly not realizing it at all. He had no regrets - that much he was sure of. He knew he was speaking gospel, and it was too late to convince him otherwise. He'd gone so far towards this path now, for so long, and knew what true faith was after giving up everything he thought he valued. There was no longer an uncertain hero in the man known as Tomoe Tanaka. No, he knew he would become one worthy of being called a hero. He would save the world, and not in the false way that he thought he was meant to with Penumbral Guard. Their resolve was cheap and easily crumbled. Any hero or denizen of the light would be tested by him personally, and if seen wanting in either power or mentality, they would be condemned.

"I want to protect the people. I WILL protect the people! Penumbral Guard and all those that claim similar platitudes, false heroes all, will be cut down by me and my friends. Earthland will be saved, and I will pursue that dream, but it won't be delivered from evil by honor and righteousness. Only with the work of a miracle of a god - one fit to return to the mortal world - can everyone be saved. Without that, there is nothing but ashes awaiting everybody!"

Tomoe stomped his foot down, taking back the step he had previously withdrawn from Masami with, and stood before the masked boy with pride and resolve clear. The flames in his eyes burned their brightest, but during his speech, there was a small percentage of doubt and pain still within. Fear, even. But he wouldn't let it show for long, as upon realizing the pain he felt in his chest with his words, he knew he had spoken too much. Emotions like his would guide the people to a new dawn, but at times they would also give way to the greatest of weakness; a true double-edged sword, as it were.

The Joyan scratched the back of his head, shrugged, and loosened his posture before continuing. His speech had concluded, his flames dimmed, and he was back to the mannerisms of an average street punk.

"I suppose I took ya to Magnolia at first to get you away from Marigold, keep ya distracted. What else was I gonna do, kill ya? Nah. Not there, anyway. You're one of the ones that would need a more grand stage for that, if ya wanted to kill me once I got found out. Still, nobody's gonna get in the way of this, not even a short-lived pupil. I'll execute anybody who wants to stop what I've started, 'cuz honestly, it won't matter so much once the world is saved."

It was obvious that his mentality had been corrupted somehow - though it was also clear that he wasn't being mind controlled or altered by anything. This was him. This was the real Tomoe Tanaka, formerly of the Murakumo family of swordsmanship, that had failed in his journey of self-discovery. There was nothing left for him but the world's salvation. If enough people would just die, SHE would return. SHE would return and show the world HER love once and for all. Then, everyone would understand.

Everyone would understand.

Everyone would understand...

Unfortunately, the union between Masami and Lucifer were not as creative as Zane and Beelzebub's, and even Masami was quite upset that the prideful demon soul has the habit of taking his vessel over at the oddest of times, without their permission, even. However, these were one of the moments where Masami was thankful; because although Masami was speechless, Lucifer wasn't. So, at the second part of Tomoe Tanaka's speech, the mask that lay on the side of Masami's face was then placed in front, just like how it should be. Neither Masami nor Lucifer wants anyone to see their horrified expressions, thus it was better to keep it all hidden, as if Lucifer even had enough patience to do so.

Then, when Tomoe was finished, it was Masami's turn to speak. Except, he had said nothing but stand still, and his figure was not showing any signs of reaction nor emotion. Masami was afraid and it was reasonable for the child to not have anything in mind to say, while Lucifer understood that this occurrence wasn't healthy for his vessel's mentality. The point of view has switched in a rather forceful way; Masami was trapped and is unable to leave this place without being caught, imprisoned, and in worst cases, dead. Lucifer had forced his vessel to lunge backwards to create enough distance and like a puppeteer, had Masami's hand raised to the sky and then slammed to the ground after the lunge. It was the Momijigari mask that unleashed the circle of fire, therefore Masami was not to blame in all these. Like Lucifer wished, Masami will be faultless 'til the end.

Masami's whole appearance sapped into the union of Lucifer and Masami, giving the boy a completely different form. When the flames had reached its' maximum point and had vanished into thin air, it revealed the Lucifer that had taken Masami over—he that sat on top of a gigantic woman's hand that had swept the vessel off of their feet. "Pathetic," Masami would scoff, but in a more disappointed tone rather than showing amusement, "to think that this kid respected a delusional bastard like you... you're worse than all demons alike." Illumin—it was supposed to be just Illumin—but it looked like Lucifer had more things to deal with and it was making him wrathful. The demon did not like being compared to other demons and, to think that his vessel is going to weaken because of someone (or something) the demon soul did not like, leaves a very sour tint in the demon's tongue.

At this point, neither Masami nor Lucifer cared about being unleashed nor hidden. Both souls were tired enough and to feel betrayed like this had the prideful demon in awe of the vessel that did not have anything to say at all. Masami blamed himself for misjudging such a respected man and Lucifer disliked seeing the boy in such a pitiful state, thus he will "save" the boy in a better way than the Joyan ex-guildmaster had in mind. Lucifer was infuriated enough to misplace silence everywhere, because he pitied the vessel and was angry for it, and that his prideful nature didn't allow him to describe what he was exactly feeling. In addition to that, despite Masami already realizing what sort of person he had connected himself to, he would not dare lay a finger on that said person so Lucifer felt responsible to take the vessel over by force, even if he knew that it will drive the Joyan ex-guildmaster to insanity upon the realization of Lucifer's existence within Masami.

"I don't know what to say to you. You make the fallacious look like angels," prideful souls make themselves possessive, and Lucifer accepted that possessive part of himself that if he did not take Tomoe Tanaka now, he will soon take Masami away from the demon soul. The idea gave Lucifer a dreadful chill in the spine so he flew upwards and knowing that a spell would hit at this distance, shot a thread when they pointed at the target, and that it would blind them if it hit. "What kind of pagan god did a human like you worship alongside the other worthless ones?" then, Masami would hysterically laugh because Lucifer made him to; his arms stretched downwards and the palms opened and closed multiple times to surround himself with orbs of fire. Masami waited until his laugh cooled to a serious tone of voice, in which made him appear more Lucifer than he was Masami; the unpredictability of the duo's pact had allowed the vessel to switch reactions in less than a second. There, Lucifer's thrilled errors had imitated Tomoe's act of spreading the arms out in the air, being ten-meters away from both the ground and Tomoe himself.

Before the fire orbs took the form of mythological foxes and charged towards the Joyan red-head, Lucifer uttered, "You... make your god look worse than a pauperized peasant." Indeed, Masami would have loved running away – except, not unless Lucifer is satisfied "unwinding" and paying more than the toll gate needed.

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Tomoe would watch Masami lunge backwards 10 meters, and at the same time as the boy would dash back, all of Tomoe's gear would instantly materialize on his body, his bow in his hands. As Masami raised his hand, Tomoe's bow would have a spell charged within it, having a gut feeling that Masami would be the one initiating this encounter. As Masami would slam his hand down and a magic circle would inevitably appear, Tomoe would cast his own spell through the bow at the same time as Masami would almost touch the ground with his hand. The difference was that Tomoe's spell would require no casting motions, being channeled through the bow in his hands instead as he watched the flames with an unblinking demeanor.

Only, he wasn't worried, as Crux would appear 5 meters in front of him just as the flames were being conjured from Masami's origin point. Crux, his loyal shield in the form of a circular disc of light, stood stalwart and ensured that the expanding ring of fire wouldn't touch its conjurer. It would block 1x A-rank damage from the flames and break, but alongside it, the spell would also disperse into mere smoke and heat.

From above, Masami would make an insulting remark from on high, on top of a floating hand. Now Tomoe had truly seen everything. What an odd power that was. Yet, something in the Joyan's core almost thought it seemed... wrong, somehow. It certainly wasn't any ordinary magic, and Tomoe could only think about the "woman" Masami had talked about a while ago. Was this all some kind of trick?

"to think that this kid respected a delusional bastard like you... you're worse than all demons alike."

...

Did that mean this new side of Masami, different in essence very clearly, knew something of demons?

Luci-

...

Was this really all some kind of big joke? No. Demonic possession? It couldn't be. Had Masami fallen to the darkness? Had he become consumed by demonic tendencies? Was this all well and true? He couldn't allow Masami to fall to evil like that, not before he'd had the opportunity to die. The boy didn't know what kind of sins he would commit by following a lying scoundrel of a demon down the path he was going down. He just needed to see HER love. HER light. SHE would guide Masami down the correct path, as would everyone be dazzled and inspired by HER message. Demons would die as a concept under Tomoe. No longer would people like Masami be tortured and used by them. It would be the end of the demonic and the beginning of justice.

"The clouds will part, angelic and free.", Tomoe spoke, his voice sounding distorted somewhat and almost as if he were speaking as two people separately, as Lucifer spoke of angels or something; he no longer fully heard the demon's words, as they were just the stupid ramblings of a wretch.

Instead, Tomoe was focused on avoiding the next spell shot his way. As Masami pointed towards Tomoe, a magic circle betraying the intent, the cultist would also disappear at that exact moment with no casting motion. In his time fighting he'd learned that one didn't need to react to a bullet as long as one could anticipate the one firing the gun, and he'd experienced far faster projectiles launched his way in the past. People he'd failed to get along with. People he'd abandoned.

In the brief millisecond between Tomoe disappearing and re-appearing 20 meters further back from his original position, an image in his head drifted to Vali, who he had abandoned and left to follow his path alone.

Being 30 meters away from Masami at this point, the fire foxes would immediately disperse after reaching their maximum 15 meter range.

"But angels will die, all the same. So what's left?", Tomoe continued speaking in his distorted voice, his hair slowly darkening and the red of his eyes dimming.

Yet again without a casting motion by casting through his bow, Tomoe would rise into the sky 10 meters, cloaked in a golden light. He was now 10 meters above the ground and 30 meters away from Masami, looking at the boy with intent. At the same time, it almost looked as if he was looking through the boy rather than at him. He was an obstacle now, and Tomoe didn't tolerate obstacles.

"All that's left, after the rending of the heavens, is the love of the Dark Goddess."

He would float in place, watching for Masami's next move with a glare almost as if he could see the future of this battle.

---

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"Wow, wow," was what Masami exclaimed with his hands clapping as is, and his legs swinging as he sat on top of the spirit woman's hand, seeing Tomoe in front and in-flight as well, "what do you want to do now, Masami? Since you're a crybaby who can't fend for yourself and needs to rely on others to win, how are you going to win this one?" Magic circles of various sizes appeared on top of Masami's head from when he clapped from a while ago thus casting this spell while he spoke, flying still on the same spot. "Surely, you don't lust for blood... what a useless kid," was the last thing Masami said when he tilted his head, and then dashed forward to face Tomoe with his palms touching each other, closing a distance of 5-meters at most, and then casting a spell when he whispered: "Your goddess doesn't exist," a magic circle appeared in front of the mask's eyes, immediately afterwards: the same would appear in front of the mask's mouth this time, releasing a quick jet of flame—those two spells were casted without the need of any spell motion.

Through the mask, Masami kept his eyes opened; if Tomoe decides to dodge or to distance himself like what had previously happened to the foxfire spells, then Masami would chase his opponents' direction(s) and maintain the 5-meter distance; he will be able to turn in all directions without falling off of his platform, even for the means of somersaulting. However, if the opponent decides to fight back to counter the spell with another, then Masami would release his palms from one another to cast a shield that he was preparing a few seconds ago, in which would be stationed 2-meters away from Masami, and then fly backwards to create at most a 15-meter distance from Tomoe, ready to dodge any attacking attempt in flight. Regardless of the two assumptions, whether or not Tomoe's response would meet Masami's expectations, he'd lunge diagonally backwards in order to lower himself from 10- to 5-meters from the ground, and then 10-meters away from Tomoe. And, if Tomoe ever disappears from Masami's sight any time, then Masami would fly downwards, until a meter from the ground at most, cutting the rest of the tasks off in case his opponent transports or teleports behind the performer's back—then, he'd look for Tomoe before doing anything else.

Once that sequence is finished, Masami would stretch his arms downwards regardless whether or not he has reached the maximum distance of his intentions, and then opening and closing his hands to recast The Fox' Wedding, which would launch thirty-two fire balls towards Masami's opponent after spotting them, dealing 1x D-Rank damage per hit; Masami would also fly towards the direction the spells were casted to keep them sustained for the round, Masami keeping a 10-meter distance from his own spells until they disappear through any means, keeping his guard just in case Tomoe disappears from Masami's sight once more, if ever. Where's the sword? he'd think, We'd have to run away after a while, Masami; unless you're feeling alluringly masochistic—you better not be a pathetic vessel.

...

Damn, shut the hell up.

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"My Goddess serves a purpose far greater than you could ever know, worm.", Tomoe spoke aloud, an echo trailing behind in a half-second delay of a slightly higher pitched voice.

Both of the mask's following spells would hit, in a way. The glowing eyes would almost feel as if they 'marked' Tomoe, cursing him. He'd already resolved himself to a fate like that, and though he felt weakened by the spell from the eyes, he wouldn't allow it to show on his face. Like any curse, he'd need to endure it, as this level of such a thing would be nothing compared to what he'd face in the future on this path. At the same time, the jet of flames would sprout forth and blast him, burning away at his armor somewhat. It was a mild heat, and he'd already faced the flames of a Dragon Slayer in the past - what was a mask's, in comparison?

Instead of bothering to dodge either of these, Tomoe would shoot at Masami instead, an arrow fired just as the stream of flames would just start to reach him, attempting to match the boy blow for blow. Deceptive as it was, the arrow would start its travel path as an arrow but then quickly and instantly shift into an 8 meter diameter ball of magma. Happening at the same time as the stream of flames, it would be doubtful whether Masami would be able to react in time with either defense or a dodge, as Rama's Bow had arrow speed unrivaled by the greatest ranged weaponry in the world. Traveling at 30 m/s from a 5 meter range from its mark, the 8 meter diameter meteor would impact with Masami in 0.16 seconds, dealing S-rank fire/earth combo damage. It was a projectile that, despite its size, one would probably not react to in time even if they didn't blink while staring at its approach. Chances are that not a single thing would be able to happen when faced with a projectile moving at such a speed from such close range, and covering such height and width.

Afterwards, Tomoe would gain some distance, flying backwards with a quick but slight lean away from the boy. If Masami were to pursue despite it all, he truly would be insane. If the balls of flame would pursue Tomoe after that, he would continue his flight backwards, bow aimed at the ready towards a pursuing Masami. With their speed of 20 m/s, they wouldn't be able to reach the flying archer, who was at a consistent and unending 30 m/s speed. Masami seemed about as fast in flight speed, but that wouldn't matter if his projectiles weren't up to that same speed and if the boy would keep a 10 meter distance away from him. Despite this, Tomoe kept up his guard and stayed perceptive while flying backwards, keeping his eye on Masami for any movements or magic circles to indicate more tricks up the boy's sleeve.

"You have no place in the new world unless it's in worship.", his distorted voice would say after the fireball pursuit would end, the 32 projectiles dispersing without hitting their mark.

---

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Let's do it... Masami!

With a smirk across Masami's face, hidden behind the demon mask, Masami would continue charging towards Tomoe despite the arrow being launched at him. He quietly winced when he moved his head to get shot by the arrow by intention—rather, the damage will be reflected back to his opponent using Lucifer's Reverse spell. Lucifer assumed that the opponent would at least halt on their spot due to pain, as the Reverse spell directly brings damage back to the attacker and may cause them to slightly lose focus; therefore, Masami was not distracted from the attack at all and if ever, will only feel very slight pain. While the Reverse spell was in motion, Masami's body was being engulfed by a thin layer of flames, and a magic circle right in front of his torso. Once the damage is finally reflected back to the attacker, Masami would unleash the flames and dash twice towards Tomoe in his lunge speed through the spell, with his left hand pointing forward—the tip of the index finger had created a magic circle—and his position slightly tilted to the sides.

A thin, red-colored string would disperse out of the magic circle, which would launch at Tomoe after Masami had entered a 5-meter distance from him; if hit, it would cause Half-Blind to the target. Regardless whether or not it hits, Masami would continue chasing his opponent in flight, at maximum run speed, and will be able to fly in all directions while maintaining his position on the platform. Before the red string would have dispersed, Masami would have grabbed his face through the mask, and then extracted a fire spell to be launched at his opponent after the red thread disperses. The fire spell had the exact same appearance of the mask that hid Masami's face, except it was forged out of flames, which will deal damage to the opponent if it hit.

Until now, Lucifer and Masami has been expecting the swordsman to bring out a sword; the bow did not appeal very much to them. If Masami manages to advance and close a distance between him Tomoe, to the point where Masami has slightly passed the opponent, then he'd use the opposing elbow he had charged to hit his neck for a vital hit. If ever Masami spots the opponent grab for an arrow, taunt an attack through the bow, or at least attempt to grab Masami before or after the Reverse spell's process, then he will be forced to use another spell to dash to the side while still in flight, still with the intent to cast the Half-Blind spell in accordance to the other that deals damage. Otherwise, it's better to create a distance.

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Claiming a hit for 1x S-rank (reduced to 1x A-rank [Earth], 1x B-rank [Fire]) damage from the S-rank Meteor Shot to Masami, due to his minor fire resistance; but since the Meteor Shot is 8 meters in diameter and thus big enough to hit Masami's entire body, it would also hit Masami's Momijigari, Hesiod Amulet and Stalwart Ring for 1x S-rank damage as well.

Reasoning:

Knockback:

And now, on with the post.

---

Tomoe's arrow would hit home, delaying Masami's advance somewhat. With a quick jolt, Tomoe blasted off backwards again, gaining more distance between him and his old guild mate, using the brief moment in time to gain his own preferred distance. Tomoe would continuously move backwards, gaining what air distance he could while moving at 30 m/s. Simply by moving backwards at his maximum speed, Tomoe was able to avoid any spells Masami could throw at him. It didn't matter how fast the boy was if his spells couldn't keep up, entirely depending on the position they were first cast at rather than anything else. It was certainly a step up from the kid who was out of breath after a single Caelum sword was swung his way.

Maybe I've lost my touch a little bit. Heh., Tomoe thought, keeping up his full 30 m/s speed backwards while the masked boy pursued.

Due to Masami's halting, Tomoe would attempt to maintain a 15 meter lead, constantly keeping away from his spells and moving at a speed they couldn't match. While still moving and after Masami had finished blasting a fire mask that didn't reach him, Tomoe would respond by shooting another arrow towards Masami's face without losing speed for a single moment; said arrow, after launching would morph instantly into a 2 meter diameter meteor while moving at the same 30 m/s speed. He'd need to take Masami seriously, but seeing the boy's improvement brought Tomoe a brief return to his senses, still moving away from the boy.

"You're doin' alright. Real alright.", Tomoe would say, grinning proudly in his own way, in his own voice for the first time since the battle started.

Despite this, the battle would continue if both parties willed it. At best, Masami was trash-talking. Though if it did continue, under no circumstances or through no pain would Tomoe be staggered long enough to allow the boy to get in close unless he willed it. His endurance, naturally trained and hardened through battle, meant that no damage would stagger him long enough to allow a fatal blow to hit him. He kept his retreat strong, seeing what the boy would do next and being prepared to react accordingly.

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More Reasoning:

He didn't mind at all.

When he wholeheartedly let that arrow struck him, he didn't mind at all—the opposite happened to Lucifer, because it was as if the vessel and the demon soul had split in half when Masami felt the Momijigari mask crack. Between the two, it had always been Lucifer who was ever-so concerned about the durability of the mask; for some reason, everything that breaks would start to piece back up after leaving the scene – this had kept Masami in contentment, while Lucifer always worried. "That was Tomoe," he whispered to himself while the impact had pushed Masami and caused him to soar through the skies, slightly groaning. At this point, Lucifer would get angry, and would intertwine his soul in a way that would choke Masami's heart. He was trying to take control, even if the vessel couldn't take any more than that single shot. Masami was only stronger because of Lucifer.

You don't know Tomoe, the demon soul would reply, still trying its' best to keep his vessel composed. It would take longer than eternity to find a new vessel of pride—however, it was already ironic how the demon fell for Masami despite having contrasting personalities. The thought had made the demon angry; What, will you go back to Joya and leave me again? Still laying slightly-unconscious on top of the palm of the spell, Masami shifts back to his normal form; another entity was completely visible, and he resembled exactly the white-haired Masami in a demon costume—will it still be called a "costume" if the appearance had taken a physical form, and glared right into HER's follower? Lucifer doesn't know; he was like a child that was throwing a tantrum. He held Masami's shoulders and closed his eyes so he could sleep on top of the palm, still in the sky. Maybe "Lucifer" deserved a better name—perhaps he wasn't even the "Lucifer" that was written in the tales and the mythologies.

Even though he seemed as if he was in physical form, he was still a demon soul that resided within a vessel. This is one thing Lucifer can't take control of, even if he attempts to; "One day," Lucifer said, and he shared the exact same voice as Masami's when Lucifer takes over, "when I regain my memories, when I reclaim my throne as Prince, and when I get my power back..." poor Lucifer; he doesn't know what he's saying, does he? "I'll strike you with the exact same arrow for underestimating me, and for making fun of my vessel." As if he dispersed into mist that re-entered his vessel through the mouthpiece, Lucifer once again resided within Masami, and that the demon himself had commanded the palm to leave, away from the cultist, to a way where he cannot "steal" the vessel from the demon.

Until now, Lucifer despised the fact that the vessel he was thrown into was unexpectedly flexible, but weak. He hated how emotional and attached Masami can become, and he hated how Masami doesn't open his mouth when he wants to speak. Lucifer hated it so much that he disliked anyone and anything that Masami acquaints with, because Masami had a name while Lucifer didn't. If he was truly the demon of pride, one of the Princes of Hell, then why is Lucifer a different entity from the "Satan" he had become in the stories? The prideful, obsessive demon has nothing else but Masami—no one else but Masami—nobody else but the demon soul that resided within Masami. Perhaps he wasn't such a self-aware demon, after all.

---

Before Tomoe was a defeated opponent, as he had seen so many times before. At this point it was almost the actions of a machine. He knew the process to follow back when he still called himself a swordsman and an assassin.

Draw. Move. Strike.

Though with the times changing and more difficult opponents on the horizon each and every day, Tomoe needed to change the very core of himself and adapt. Melee was inefficient compared to this new combat style. He could kill at far greater ranges now, and in much greater numbers at a time. With that, though, he started to grow less familiar with each opponent - he no longer needed to look them in the eyes when he fought them, he just needed to pull back the strings of his blessed weapon of death and allow a stray arrow that knew nothing of either glory or tragedy to do the killing for him. He had what he would consider a natural talent for marksmanship, and as a result, picked up on the whole process very quickly; the way he understood it, anyway.

Draw. Aim. Fire.

In essence it was very similar to Joyan swordsmanship, and due to this he'd quickly allowed instinct to take over. But now as he looked upon another fallen foe, arrow aimed for the downed boy's head in his own personal crosshairs with precision even in deep darkness, he paused. There was another entity within Masami, but that wasn't the only thing that halted his arrow's advance. His glare - the glare of a machine doing its created purpose - softened, if even just for a moment. The arrow was drawn back with great intensity as he lined up his shot, but...

A tear. A single droplet of liquid from Tomoe's left eye, though the sniper hadn't realized it. It wasn't the other entity's words that sparked it, as to him they rang out as mere promises of another meeting... but why would they meet again if the boy were to die here? That was foolhardy. And yet still, that single tear ran down the cultist's face. He still hadn't realized. He hadn't even felt it - or if he had, he couldn't allow himself to. He would, without hesitation, eliminate everyone he once knew from his old self's foolish life. He would. He had to. It was his purpose.

"...Get outta here."

Tomoe spoke these words with his arrow still trained on the boy, not realizing the hypocrisy between his words and actions. For just about everyone on the planet, to live was to be a hypocrite eventually. For this man, this murderer who considered himself to be the champion of a dark goddess, it was his turn for hypocrisy. Contradiction. The act of separating heart from mind, no matter what that meant.

"Leave. And next time we meet, I'll test him for real. I'll test both of you for real. Endin' things here would be a waste. I'll seek you both out when I've decided that you're worthy of a battle to the death."

The mad cultist, steeped in contradiction that his mind couldn't allow him to accept consciously, had an arrow ready in case this was a ploy by the duo, until they left his sight. And then, once Tomoe was certain there would be no ambush or any more surprises with Masami out of sight, he descended and allowed his feet to touch the ground once more. He'd walk for a while in silence, processing everything, until he once more arrived at the graveyard where he and Masami had started their conversation.

"...For those lost, I can't allow myself to hesitate. My path is set. There can't be any deviation from the plan. SHE will return. SHE... has to. For those lost, I won't give up. It's too late to give up. I will save the world.", Tomoe would mutter to himself a while later, sitting among the graves in the Garden of Rest as he watched the spirits high above maintain a carefree existence, having long ago accepted their deaths.

In a way, he envied them.

---

- EXIT -