Chapter 15
Kakashi burst into a conference room, using the stairs to reach the upper floor quickly. The men inside were startled by his sudden appearance.
"You aren't supposed to be here!" one of them shouted.
"Get out of here! There's a demon in the building!" Kakashi yelled, and the men quickly scattered, leaving him to scramble under a table for cover.
He let out a muffled scream as he tried to adjust his broken arm, quickly stifling the sound when he heard the door open. Tomura entered, dragging a terrified man by the neck.
"If you don't come out, I'm going to kill this man," Tomura threatened, his voice chillingly calm. Kakashi remained silent. "It seems like you don't care about him."
Tomura opened his mouth, preparing to devour the man.
"Lightning blast!" Kakashi yelled, unleashing a powerful attack. The lightning-charged karma energy he channeled nearly struck Tomura, but he dodged, and the blast tore through the wall, causing a section of the building to collapse. Kakashi barely avoided falling from the building.
He screamed in pain as Tomura grabbed his broken arm, twisting it cruelly.
"You came to save him," Tomura said, holding up the struggling man. The man was trembling, tears streaming down his face.
"Please, I don't want to die," he pleaded desperately. "I have a family, please."
"Too bad your family won't see you tonight," Tomura stated coldly. The man's body began to shrink and contort, transforming into a voodoo doll-like figure before Tomura consumed him.
"What did you just do? You demon bastard!!!" Kakashi roared, his voice filled with fury.
"Yes, yes. I'm a DEMON!" Tomura said, a smug grin spreading across his face.
He yanked Kakashi's arm, hurling him across the room. But before he slammed into the wall, someone caught him mid-air.
"Yaze-sensei!" Kakashi exclaimed gratefully.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier," Yaze said, gently lowering Kakashi to the ground. Ayaka landed beside them, kneeling beside Kakashi.
"Are you okay? Just stay still; I'm going to heal you," Ayaka said, placing her hands on his injured arm. A bright blue aura emanated from her hands.
"Ayaka! Take Kakashi back to the academy," Yaze ordered, stepping between Kakashi and Tomura.
Ayaka nodded, hoisting Kakashi onto her back before leaping into the city.
"Do you think Yaze can handle that demon on his own?" Kakashi asked, concern lacing his voice.
"Yaze-sensei will be fine," Ayaka said, landing on a building and preparing for another jump. "We need to get back to the academy."
…
…
…
Kakashi and Ayaka returned to the academy and reported to Miss Tokoyami, who was far from pleased. Surprisingly, Yaze had returned before them. He sat in a chair as Kakashi and Ayaka knelt before Miss Tokoyami.
"Do you know the consequences of what you did?" Miss Tokoyami asked, her voice sharp with anger.
"We're sorry," Kakashi and Ayaka said in unison.
"The building you destroyed cost ten million yen," she stated, her tone unwavering.
"Ten million yen!" Kakashi and Ayaka exclaimed in shock.
"And you are—no, you are going to pay for it," Miss Tokoyami said, her gaze fixed on Kakashi.
"Me? But you know I can't afford that much," Kakashi protested. "Besides, the demon attacked me. Isn't it the job of a supernatural to dispatch demons?!"
"Yes, our job is to dispatch demons, not destroy buildings," Miss Tokoyami replied, handing Kakashi a student ID card.
"What is this for?" Kakashi asked, examining the card.
"Every supernatural has this. Normally, you'd have to pass a test to get one, but since you're here on special permission, I'm giving it to you," Miss Tokoyami explained. "It can also be used as a credit card, and I'm going to be deducting your salary until the money for the building is repaid."
"WHAT?!?" Kakashi screamed, his eyes wide with disbelief. "If you take all the money, how am I supposed to live?"
"You'll still get money for food, but the rest is going towards the debt, and you won't be going on any missions from now on. You're going to start training with Yaze after the summer break," Miss Tokoyami said, turning her attention to Ayaka. "And as for you, I'm letting you go this time because you called for backup and weren't involved in the fight, but I'm leaving him under your care, so teach him what he needs to know!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Ayaka nodded.
"You can both leave," Miss Tokoyami dismissed them.
Kakashi and Ayaka stood and left the office. Yaze, who had remained silent until now, spoke as they departed.
"Why didn't you tell him about the deaths?" he asked.
"He's new and has a high spirit; besides, he's recovering from his shock quickly. Telling him that would only get him down," Ayaka replied.
"If you say so," Yaze said, sitting back in his chair. "The demon, Tomura, is the same one we've been looking for."
"That means he's gotten a new vessel, but he could change his vessel again. It will be impossible to find him again," Miss Tokoyami said, leaning back in her chair.
"I doubt that," Yaze said, his expression unreadable.
"Why do you say so?"
"He seems interested in Kakashi. Even though we weren't looking for him, he sought out Kakashi," Yaze explained.
"The academy is protected by a barrier, so I don't think he'll come here. That means we won't be able to catch him," Miss Tokoyami said.
Yaze stood, heading for the door. "I'll be taking Kakashi to the forest behind the shrine; that way, I can keep a closer eye on him."
"Are you sure…?" Miss Tokoyami asked, her tone hesitant.
"I can do it; besides, it was my fault…" Yaze said, his voice low. He closed the door, leaving Miss Tokoyami alone in the office.