Chapter 57: Cursed Child

-1102, October 16th, Sanctuary Hospital-

*Beep*

*Beep*

*Beep*

Aku slowly opened his eyes, gasping for air as he realized he was lying on a hospital bed.

'What happened?'

Memories of his fight with The Sister ran through his head as he looked at his surroundings.

'Did I lose?'

Aku could feel his Aspect as it felt very different from before, nothing could explain the feeling.

'I feel nothing like myself…that dream.'

*Creak*

Aku's Shiryoku activated, and he shot a black crystal shard at the door. Yaki stood in the doorway, shocked, holding a platter of food.

*Crash*

Aku fell out of bed in a scurry, knocking over all sorts of equipment as he jumped out of bed.

"Yaki! I'm so sorry I don't know what came over me, I swear I didn't mean to do that!"

"I..it's okay. Tarin warned the nurses and me that something like this might happen."

Aku hugged his sister with a warm expression. She was rather cold to the hug, however.

"Get back in bed Aku, you need to rest."

"Aku staggered back to his bed and sat down on the edge. He glanced down as the sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on the floor. Yaki placed the platter of food on the table to his right.

"Yaki?"

She stopped for a moment in fear of what he was going to say.

'Don't ask me Aku…say anything that shows me it doesn't matter that much!'

"Did I win?"

He looked at her with a soft smile hiding his desire to know the truth. He was met with mild silence as she sighed and smiled back.

"...Yes Aku you won, Although I wished I hadn't seen it."

She started to walk towards the door.

*Bam*

Tarin stormed into the room with a bright smile wearing a grey T-shirt and baggy jeans. He popped a thing of confetti and blew a party horn.

"Aku attained the second state of his Shiryoku!"

Aku and Yaki stared at Tarin with looks of concern.

"Is it because we didn't throw one for Yaki?"

Yaki shook her head as she approached the doorway.

"I'll be in the hallway..."

The door closed behind her, leaving Tarin and Aku alone together in the room.

"Was it something I said?"

***

Aku took a drink of his coffee as Tarin sat down next to him.

"Are you gonna say something or are you just gonna stare at me disappointedly?"

"I don't know, are you gonna stop trying to take shortcuts or are you gonna consume well over

the safe limit of monster meat again?"

Tarin gave him a look as Aku set down the coffee.

'Damn Geezer!'

"Look, I wouldn't have done it if you didn't show me it!"

Tarin looked down for a second.

'The kid's got a point...'

*Swift*

He was now staring out into the window, with the sun shining on him like a stoic hero.

'Still! I'm the adult in this situation. I should teach him to do better!'

"Aku!"

Aku looked at Tarin's stoic stature.

*Swift*

"Awww who am I kidding!"

Tarin sat back in the chair in a relaxed manner.

"Look just next time tell me you're gonna do it and make sure you don't go overboard on it again! I'll show you how to correctly dose it to help ya!"

'Is he serious?'

Aku couldn't believe what Tarin was saying.

"Or…"

A woman walked through the doorway as Tarin tensed up.

"What you should be telling him is to NEVER EVER do something so reckless again! Right, Tarin?"

Tarin turned slowly, seeing Ms. Ezzy in the doorway. Aku could see Yaki sitting on a bench alone in the hallway.

'I should spend some time with her soon…'

"Of course! I was only joking! Pfft You didn't think I was serious right Aku?"

"Mhm"

Aku responded as Tarin looked back and forth between him and Ms. Ezzy frantically.

"How are you feeling Aku?"

"Just fine actually?"

'I feel more than fine actually, second state shiryoku…hard to believe!'

"Well, what do you remember?"

Tarin asked calmly with a smile.

"I uh…I was fighting the twin sister monster and then the fused. I think I lost after that?"

Tarin smacked  Aku's back with a smile.

"You stubborn kid, you won, you probably just don't remember you passed out from all the monster meat you consumed."

Aku looked at Tarin with questioning eyes.

"Hm…I guess I don't remember a lot of the fight nor some of the days of training."

"In terms of how many monster cells you consumed, I'm surprised you're still kicking kid! Unlike what Tarin told you, please don't build up an addiction to it, its lasting effects can be similar to that of more common drugs in the human world like cocaine or meth. So yeah…don't push your luck!"

Ms. Ezzy scolded Tarin as he put his hands up slightly.

"Other than that, your vitals and everything else seem in check! Meaning you can leave whenever you choose to!"

She smiled as she walked out of the room, leaving the door open. She waved at Yaki, who waved back with a smile

"Let's get something to eat!"

Tarin exclaimed for the entire hospital to hear as Aku sighed in embarrassment.

***

Aku, Yaki, and Tarin were sitting down at a small round table outside of a small restaurant. Yaki saw the children playing on the dirt road next to them. Aku saw the kids as well as they were an assortment of demons all between the ages of 7-11. Their laughs and giggles were more than bliss to those around them.

'So peaceful…'

"Well…I have to use the bathroom! I'll be right back, just make sure our food gets here in one piece!"

Tarin hopped up and scattered away as Aku watched on. The hanging lights, candles, and odd music felt like he was in a dream.

"Quite the place huh?"

Aku looked at his sister with the words leaving his mouth he knew something was wrong.

'I should address it? There's been this weird tension between us this whole time?'

He watched as Yaki's eyes and mind seemed to be on the activities on the dirt road.

'I was away from her for a while…she was with Tarin though! He probably explained it?'

His sister's hair flowed in the wind showing off her black eyepatch.

'Right?'

He cleared his throat loudly as he prepared to gain his sister's attention.

"Yaki?"

She turned slightly looking at him through her left eye.

"Hm?"

'Is it that bad?'

Aku prepared himself with a smile on his face.

"How was your time with Tarin?"

Yaki looked back at the time with Tarin through their adventure throughout the forest. She thought of the beautiful bugs and sights she had seen.

"It was…pretty fun you know until I almost watched you die and whatnot."

Aku slightly chuckled nervously at her comment.

"I'm sorry again I…I don't know why he brought you. You didn't have to watch that-"

"-You didn't have to be down there."

Yaki interrupted her brother, she swiftly took a drink of her water. Aku was at a loss for words.

"I uh…well, I was trying to become stronger. To help protect us."

"Do you expect me to understand that Aku? Me the girl who found out her entire life was a lie, and her brother and her were secretly beings the media describes as bloodthirsty monsters? You want me to understand you trying to become a stronger…a stronger Demon? I thought we were safe here. Why would you need to be stronger?"

"We are safe, it's just normal fo-"

"Normal?! This is not normal Aku! Watching my brother fight a fucking monster in the middle of a cave in the most dangerous place in the entire world is not normal. That is not normal! None of this is normal…I just want my normal brother to be normal, is that hard to ask for Aku?"

Aku was silent for a moment as he looked at his distressed sister.

"We aren't normal Yaki…"

"I wa-"

"Sorry…uh to interrupt…"

A girl came up behind Aku interrupting Yaki. Aku turned to her as she was holding three plates of food but it wasn't the food his eyes were grabbed by.

"Is now a bad time? My name is Sienna, I'm your waitress for the rest of the night!"

Her long green hair was as eye-catching as a beautiful plain in a deep sea of grass, her eyeshadow was daring, and her lipstick was charming. Aku was lost for words, and so was Yaki.

"Why hello! Sienna!"

"Tarin! Oh, what brings you here?"

Tarin sat down in between Aku and Yaki once again with a smile, his eyes locked onto the food Sienna was holding. Aku's sights were set on her green eyes. Yaki's sights were set somewhere else.

"These two runaways, and of course your place's amazing service!"

Sienna started to place down the plates of food.

"Oh well, I hope the two of you are settling in nicely."

Placing the last piece of silverware she began to walk away.

"If the three of you need anything, shout out!"

Aku watched as she walked away and he felt a bump on his shoulder from Tarin.

"You know she's your age too."

Tarin said before cutting into his steak.

"What! I mean really? She looked rather mature."

"Sienna was a hideaway, not seeming to have much of an origin but she's been here since she was 10. She's 17 now and believe it or not one of our most skilled fighters we have here."

"Fighters?"

Yaki seemed confused.

"Yeah we have a fighters corp but it's all volunteer, she's there almost every day. I was thinking about enrolling in Aku soon."

"You're telling me I could've been training here instead of going to that forest?"

"Yeah but-"

Tarin took a bite of his food mid-sentence.

"You wouldn't have come this far so quickly if we hadn't done that! The people in the corps would have taken you down easily, but now you stand a chance!"

'Stand a chance? Must be kids who have consistently trained with Tarin throughout their lives. The protector of The Sanctuary and his little army of disciples is what it sounds like. Still, if I can beat a monster like The Sister and him to say I wouldn't have a chance is odd, and that dream...I don't remember much of it. What was that dream I had about?'

Aku stuck his fork in and out of his stew.

'Why can't I remember it fully?'

*Glass shatters*

Everyone looks over at Sienna who had dropped a tray of glass cups. Her face turned red out of embarrassment as she let out a soft giggle. Aku looked over.

'She may be attractive but if what Tarin said is true it's her strength I'm seeking, I can start by making a good first impression.'

Yaki and Tarin heard Aku's chair move as he started to make his way over to Sienna. He smiled awkwardly as he approached her.

"Need a hand?"

***

Yaki watched on as Aku and Sienna were laughing while cleaning tables together.

'I thought he went to help with the broken glass, why is he still cleaning?'

She looked over at Tarin as he was finishing his plate.

"Tarin?"

"Hm?"

"Why can't we tell him?"

***

-1503, October 13th, Sanctuary Hospital-

*Screeches*

"HOLD HIM DOWN!"

Nurses and Doctors all surrounded a demon who seemed to be lashing out. Black crystals came out and stabbed one of the doctors holding them down but they paid no attention to it. Yaki looked around the corner at the patient lashing out.

'Aku…why?'

She felt a presence behind her as someone hugged her from behind.

"He'll be alright, I'm sorry this happened. I didn't realize he had been consuming so many monster cells over the course of his training."

Yaki cried into Tarin's side softly as the double doors closed down the hall Aku's screeches and yells were getting quieter.

"You have a right to be upset at your brother Yaki but I will also take blame for my ignorance at that moment. I won't let your brother become like that again I swear."

'Why Aku? What's the point in getting stronger if you have to leave me in the process? I still don't get you!''

***

-1615, October 16th, Sanctuary Restaurant-

Tarin sighed hearing Yaki's question.

"Yaki...you know for me to answer your question you'll have to learn more about our world here. Are you okay with that?"

Yaki looked over again at the children playing, relaying a moment of hesitation.

"I think I'm okay with that…There's been enough lies in my life so I'd like to know why I should keep one right now in my life, especially from my own brother."

Tarin let out a sigh as he looked over at Aku.

"Your brother, I told you before he was a special demon didn't I?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I was wrong-"

'What does that mean?'

"-Your brother isn't just special…a simple word like that doesn't begin to describe the possibilities of talents your brother possesses."

Tarin thought back to his childhood before continuing.

"Long ago, a legend was told to me as a child, one that spoke of seven cursed children that were to be born to our world. These children, born of women with immense strength, were to be unmatched in their time. However, these children were destined for something far darker. While their strength made them nearly invincible, they were only ever challenged by their own incompetence or by each other. But that strength came with a price. It was the kind of power that, once tasted, one would continually crave. All cursed children inevitably become dependent on that power. A power so ultimate that nothing, not even they themselves, could challenge it. Throughout history, we demons agreed that there have been four such children. The first was Monarch Erith, who ruled the world for two generations. Her reign was built on fear and her unmatched strength, which allowed her to subjugate nearly every species to her will. Her reign ended when the second cursed child, Demon Queen Lilith, was born. Lilith killed Erith in what is said to be one of the greatest battles in history and claimed her throne, ruling for a long time before eventually succumbing to old age. The third cursed child, Paul, emerged a century later during the transition from the Era of Separation to the Era of Amends. Paul sought power but made the effort to lose himself in the process and wrote about his journey. His book still exists, though it is said to be a painful read, as it tells of his gradual descent into madness. How he died remains a mystery. The fourth and most recent cursed child, Erendal, was the fiercest demon the world had ever seen. Born during the rise of the D.E.O., she became the first demon to be classified as a triple-zero demon (000). She was supposedly killed in combat, yet the ones close to her chose not to speak about it. As for the remaining three cursed children, either they have not been born yet, or their existence remains unknown."

Tarin looked at Aku as the boy smiled with Sienna.

"...I believe I Found one."

Yaki couldn't fathom what she was hearing.

'Cursed children? There's a history of Demons controlling the world? I don't know about any of this, is this how the D.E.O. affects the schools? Hiding knowledge of how powerful demons can be or were? Does he suspect Aku?'

Yaki breathed in as she saw Tarin staring at her brother.

"You don't mean…"

"I do."

Yaki couldn't believe what she was hearing while seeing Tarin's serious demeanor.

"Do you think Aku will be driven for power and…lose himself in the process?"

She thought back to the moment when her brother's powers went haywire in the hospital. She came back to reality however to Tarin's warming smile as he looked at her.

"Don't worry too much Yaki, if anything I'm glad I'm the one that found him. I won't let any of that happen I swear!"

Footsteps were heard approaching them as they looked at a smiling Aku.

"What's up? What are you guys talking about? I thought I heard my name?"

"Saw you talking to Sienna over there? Need some tips?"

Aku's face went distraught.

"Please tell me you're joking."

Yaki giggled at Aku's comment.

'I hate to say it but I have to act normal around Aku from now on…Although it does feel wrong being scared of my own brother.'

"Hey Aku! Have you ever been on a train before?"

Aku thought back to a few missions he was on for The Boss.

"Yeah a few times but not recently."

"Great to hear! Look, I have to make a trip on Megashi soon to deliver some information to a friend of mine. Wondering if you'd like to join me or not?"

'Megashi!? The largest and fastest bullet train in the world! I'd love to but-'

He looked at Yaki.

"I uh think it's best if I-"

"Shut it Aku, You can go!"

Yaki interrupted her brother calmly.

"I have more things to go over with Ms. Ezzy anyway.

"Are you sure Yaki?"

"Yes, Aku."

They all smiled as Aku sat back down at the table with them. Tarin looked at the two with a moment of sincerity.

'As long as they're with me I think they'll be alright.'

***

-Unknown-

7 Shadows stood around a table in a dark room.

"What do you think he summoned us for this time?"

*Swish*

The room fell even quieter as the eighth shadow emerged in front of the full moon symbol.

"We have a transfer finally, train shipment in Aubu they said they'd meet us in Taihen-"

His eyes were a shiny white as his Shiryoku was active.

"-I'd like for Yetz and Rouko to accompany me."

"What?!"

A woman with a soft voice sounded upset as the symbol glowing before her was the om.

"When do I get to do something here? I've been waiting long enough don't you think? The whole reason I agreed to help here was because I was told I'd get to fight and kill some strong demons!"

"Don't you think it's rude to interrupt your superior?"

A woman with the crown symbol interrupted the girl with the om symbol.

"Well, look who wants to say something out of nowhere? Since you're talking now want to take this outside?!"

"You're a waste of my time Kafka!"

The woman with the crown symbol responded.

"A fight? Hey, now ladies relax!"

The man with the tie symbol tried his best to calm the situation down.

"A fight?! I want to fight! I'll kill anyone in here! Right now! Please! Please! Please!"

The crackled voice with the smiley face symbol on the table giggled.

*Zip*

Everyone was silent now.

"Why thank you Yetz…I thought they'd never want to hear what's next."

The man in front of the full moon symbol calmly took advantage of the situation.

"You're welcome, now please finish explaining."

The woman with the witch hat symbol somehow silenced the others, allowing the man to continue.

"Rouko and Yetz will be attending this transfer with me. As for the rest of you, some know what your job is already. Kafka…there's been a thorn in my side lately. How would you like it, if I asked you to take it out for me?"

*Unzip*

Everyone but Yetz and the man took a deep breath.

"Haha! I'd love to!"

The woman with the om symbol responded with excitement. Her shadow vanished as did some of the others. 4 remained. The Full Moon, The Witch Hat, The Rock, and The Tie.

"Why are you here tux?"

Rouko asked as his rock symbol shined bright.

"Boss said he'd have something for me to do after the last meeting."

Tux's shadow looked over The Full Moon.

"Tux…I need you to make a deal with The Banker."

The other three shadows seem to have winced at the mention of the name.

"Are you crazy?"

Tux couldn't believe what he heard.

"He is waiting for you in his estate in Cafe. I'll send you the coordinates after you leave."

'So he is crazy'

Tux sighed.

"Alright I'll get going then, but if anything happens to me I'm gonna be pissed!"

"I assure you, you are safe as long as you say that I sent you. The Banker and I well…we have a past."

Tux's shadow disappeared leaving the other three alone in the room.

"We set out in 38 hours, I expect the two of you to be there on time to board Megashi."

"Yes sir!"

Yetz and Rouko said in unison as their shadows disappeared leaving the man there by himself.

'I expect there to be chaos on that train…our identities will most likely be revealed. Which means we can move forward with the next step seamlessly. The D.E.O will most definitely be there…I wonder if I'll finally be graded. Double Zero would be pretty nice.'

End of Volume 6: "A Charming Cave"