But.........that attack never came.

　Mizuho and Marion turned around fearfully and gasped when they saw Gaston's vicious claws perched just before their necks.
　When they lifted their gaze upward from the claws in front of them, they saw that Masato was holding Gaston's hands from behind the Gaston.
　Gaston looked at Yuto behind him and said, "Muu! He grunted, revealing his anger.

'You rotten little bastard!　It wasn't broken yet!

　Gaston forcefully took Yuto's arm and threw him against the wall in the manner of a hammer throw. Yuto couldn't get passive, and with a tremendous roar, the walls of the hotel collapsed.
　In the meantime, Mizuho and Marion, who had come to their senses, jumped back from Gaston and kept their distance.
　Then they want to run to the situation of the man who saved their lives, but Gaston is in the middle of it and they can't get close.

　Gaston's angry expression disappears and he turns to face Yuto and smiles, nymphetically.

'Oi, hey, boy-kun~. Do you think that if you save these two.........your previous sins will be erased?

　Yuto was underneath the collapsed wall and pushed the wall away, blood pouring out of his forehead as he got down on one knee while Yuto silently looked straight at Gaston.
　Mizuho and Marion were relieved when they managed to confirm that Yuto was safe, but they were surprised to see Yuto's face smeared with a large amount of blood.

''Doudou Yuto!　Are you okay!

Eugene!　Can you move?!

　They reflexively try to run to Yuto, but a sharp glare from Gaston causes their bodies to freeze.
　Gaston confirms it, sniffs lightly and turns his back to Mizuho and Marion to face Yuto.
　Gaston turns his chest away, spreading his arms out in an exaggerated manner.

'Let me tell you something, boy. That crime of yours.........'

　When he said that, he put a beat. Then he stared at Yuto with a strong gleam in his eye.

''There's no way I'm going to disappear!　For life!　...and you know it, don't you?　What you've lost so far isn't something you've unfortunately lost!　This is exactly what it is!　It's your fault!　You killed him!　You!

　Both knees of Yuto, who had been expressionless until then, break.

''You know, the current you, you're built on the people who died because of you!　Get it, kid!　You kill people you love, you kill your friends, and then you eat their lives!　Hahaha!　You're a dumbass, you know that?

'Oh ... ah ...'

　Yuto's tears were streaming down his face and his eyes were unfocused.
　Yuto turned his face upward in a posture that was unexpectedly upward as he shivered and sat upright on the spot without power.

　Mizuho and Marion could only watch Yuto's crumbling....breaking.....figure.
　Gaston's mouth twists up in a satisfied and relieved manner as he fiddles with his own bangs.

(Kukuk...............Finally, you've completely broken down. Oh, I've been waiting for you, that look ... it's the best.)



　As a matter of fact, satori ability is not a panacea.
　Strong consciousness and emotions of a place are easy for a satori person to perceive.
　However, it is necessary to have certain conditions to see the depth of the person's heart.

　Specifically, you need to establish a trusting relationship with the person to open up, or take time to completely chip away at the walls of their mind.
　Right now, Gaston is getting a glimpse of Yuto's mind and memories in his satori ability, but he doesn't see everything.
　The conversations he's been throwing at him are also spoken from his imagination, based on the fragments of strong guilt and despair from the past in his mind.
　In other words, we don't know what exactly happened.

　But Gaston speaks of it cleverly as if he has it all figured out.
　He speaks only in the abstract, but depending on the way he speaks, the person who is told remembers the scene vividly and on his own.
　Gaston knew that this alone was enough to be destructive enough to disturb the other person's mind.

　In addition to that, Gaston's positioning ability made him appear to be the closest person to the person he was dealing with, or the person whose content he least wanted to be told about.
　The power is not inherently that strong if you recognize Gaston in front of you, but it does affect you.
　Moreover, in the state of being disturbed by the satori ability, the effect was great even when Gaston was in front of him.
　In other words, this satori ability and positioning ability were made to exert their power over each other in the worst sense by Gaston.

'Huh?　Don't look so depressed, okay?　We're all going to die anyway. So, come on~, you guys should let me suck your blood too. Then your abilities will come into me.

　Gaston spread his hands wide with an exultant, pleased face, and then hugged himself.

'That is to say!　.... you can live in me... right?　....forever.

　The eyes of Masato, who had been looking upward without effort, opened wide.



　Gaston has already removed his gaze from Yuto while drunk on his own narrative.
　He turned his body to Mizuho and Marion, revealing a creepy smile and long fangs as he turned his body to Mizuho and Marion, as if to say that it was you guys first, leaving the Yuto who would have been broken.

''Ku!''

　Mizuho and Marion predicted that Gaston would be ready to attack and began to formulate a new spiritual power.
　However, as they felt the ugly swell of magical power coming from Gaston, their bodies lost their will to fight and Mizuho and Marion retreated.

　The faces of the talented women who have now achieved the highest grades on the exam already lack a shred of dignity and strength.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.

(Already........no good?)　I can't move. (Killed by this guy in a place like this... what?)

　Out of the sight of those two, Mizuho and Marion.............through Gaston.

　Yuri.........and Masato stood up.

　Mizuho and Marion are drawn to that Yuto as if their eyes were sucked into it.

''Nah........''

'Ahhhh...'

　Instantly, Mizuho and Marion's bodies begin to tremble on their own. They are no longer capturing Gaston at all.
　Mizuho and Marion can't even put any strength into their legs anymore they fell on their asses on the spot so that their hips could slip out.
　Then their bodies retreated backwards as if their hips were dragging.

　What Mizuho and Marion are feeling right now.........


　It's.........unmistakable fear.


　An unfathomable...........A fundamental fear that Mizuho and Marion feel for the first time.

(What was that?　No I'm scared!　(I don't want to see it.)

　Gaston noticed the two men's mutation and the destination of their gaze, and flew away from the scene in a way that made him turn around and check on Yuto, who was probably the cause of this mutation.
　Then he stood up and was violently confused by Yuto's transforming appearance.

''Wha, what!　This is...... You, what is it!　Guka!　This is.....

　But the reason for Gaston's confusion was not just the current transformation of Yuto's appearance.
　That's true, but more importantly, an enormous amount of clear images that have never been seen before from inside of Yuto are entering Gaston unceremoniously.
　For some reason, Yuto's mind right now is more than normal........completely naked.

　The video footage is a mixture of various memories, starting with the events of Masato's recent school and those of the people who were involved with him. And then there are the three people that Yuto can now say are his friends. Mari, Ichigo, and Shizuka.
　Also, Gaston can see that this is something that Yuto values very much right now.
　In addition, the feelings of expecting something from Mizuho and Marion who are there now. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you can get to know each other better.
　And ... just now ... it comes into Gaston's mind.

　A sense of giving up those important things and expectations..... The loneliness that strongly covers the heart of yuto.

　Gaston is struck by a severe headache. Gaston's entire body writhes and writhes like a mollusk at the crushing pain.
　Next, Gaston came inside Yuto, deep inside of him. But then Gaston was confronted with the great experiences and memories that made up the current Yuto.

'Gigi, what, what!　What is this?　This footage!　This is ... what the hell. What ... what are you ... what are you fighting?　Where is this?　Huh... here?　Shinagawa?　Ouija gah!

　Gaston's head was filled with the most intense pain he had ever experienced in the last one thousand and five hundred years.
　It was as if the shock of that time was coming in from Yuto's memories along with images.
　No, to be precise, he was forced to experience it.



　That was the record of the battle with the Demon King in the vicinity of Shinagawa Station a year ago. Gaston saw a blow from Yuto that destroyed the roof of a huge skyscraper in a terrific clash of power. Footage of his mother, who followed Masato until the very last minute, is also included in the footage.

　And then the scene shifts at a dizzying pace, and Gaston's brain feels the pain of burning out again.

'Ha!　Ha ha, ha. Here!　Oh, you ... what's that?　What are you?　Your home is Du Du Du the Cave Keeper?　At the end of this cave you, that's... no way!　No, no!　Stop!

　Gaston holds his head and begins to walk around the area, wavering back and forth and side to side with his pupils dilated.
　Mizuho and Marion, who were sitting on this unusual and alien scene of Gaston, could only watch.



　Now........Gaston was in a strange place.



　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I don't understand why I'm here, although I already know where I am.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　It's not just a matter of time before you find yourself in the middle of the day.
　The girl standing in front of that Yuto is shaking her indigo hair, which is slightly darker than Yuto's, and is talking to Yuto.

"Yuto......... Are you going to use that power again.........?

"...Yeah. Maybe ... I think it will.

　The girl doesn't deny it anymore.

'All right!　Use it all the time!

　Yuto looks dumbfounded.

''Because I'm the only one who will never forget you!　Huh?　Oh, hey!

　Yuto hugged the girl tightly in the middle of the conversation.



　Gaston understood the exact meaning of that conversation.

''This is.........you....... Stupid, how dare you!　The price of power, the catalyst ... the attention ... the recognition from people. If you do that ... if you do that ... if you do that, you'll lose your existence alive!



　Yuto is running. Then he saw the devastation deep in that deep forest.
　There was the indigo-haired girl from earlier and several men lying there.
　There was no more life in those faces........
　As Yuto wandered, he went in front of each of the fallen men and checked their faces, trembling powerlessly.

''......... Why.........?　

　Gaston didn't hear well, but it seemed that Yuto was calling out his name to each one of them in front of their corpses.
　That memory coming from Yuto tells me that each of them were irreplaceable comrades in arms.

　And.........

　Yuto was the last to stand in front of the indigo-haired girl.

　Yuto kneels in front of the girl who is lying there, as if the strength from her knees is released....

　He touches the girl's cheek as if to slowly confirm it with his trembling hand.





　Yuto realized the girl's condition and picked her up violently.

　It was then.

　

''Cry about what?　It's your fault, isn't it?　Because you won't stop me......... It's okay, their souls are in me, and that girl........ They'll be working for me all the time, with the help of that soul.

　Gaston felt as if the owner of that horrible voice had cleared his throat as if to taunt him.

'I mean, these guys ... they're living inside me ... whether they want to or not. Well ... maybe a little painful, kukukuk.

You!

　Yuto blows up a tremendous Sento Ki and stands up.
　At the same time, two swords of different colors, black and white, appeared as if they were falling out of the sleeves of his long-sleeved shirt that were not supposed to fit there, and Yuto quickly grabbed the hilt of the swords.

''It's no use. I'm not there anymore. But don't worry about it. I'll come back........to see you again soon.......

　Yuto searched the area as much as possible while activating the ability that girl was talking about.
　However, the opponent can't detect it. In the meantime, that horrible voice echoes in your head.

You'll be able to find out why. You have defeated my master and destroyed the balance of this world. This ... will not be enough for you at all.

Huh!

　As if madly, Yuto swung his sword at random.
　The vacuum blade is born from the tip of the swing, and the giant trees nearby are knocked down one after another.
　Gaston, who was standing beside him, could see that the vacuum blade released by the Yuto was carrying an intense cleansing power.
　From the memories within Yuto, he also learned that it is a profound technique that is passed down in the family of spirit swordsmen, the Dou Dou Dou family. It seems that even that ability, which is usually unusable, can be used when the seal is lifted and in this state.

(Huh?　(You said it was sealed?

'Well I look forward to seeing you again. And I'm sure these humans inside me will miss you too...

　That horrible voice always spoke one way, and then one way and then one way, dismissed any hint of it.

'Wait!　Hah!　d*mn it!　d*mn it!　d*mn it!　d*mn it!　d*mn it!　Haaaaaaaa!　d*mn it!

　Embracing the girl who has become a shell, Masato screams and cries without regard to his position and sheds large tears.



　After that.........Gaston spent two whole days with Masato, who was crouched down in that place.



　Eventually, a group of knights who look like Yuto's friends appear in a big way.
　That's when Masato stood up for the first time.