And I am back home!

"Iori, is that you? I couldn't find you anywhere! You were suddenly gone last night!" (S)

There she is, with a look full of anxiety.

"Mum? Umh, I'm sorry, I was looking for Chiaki. Could you please leave the room for a moment?" (I)

"Leaving the room? Why?" (S)

"I have to bring her out and I... I don't want you to see me when I do this. It's no pretty sight." (I)

"Iori, I already said you don't need to hide anything. But if you're embarrassed about it. Fine!" (S)

"Thank you, mum!" (I)

As soon the door is shut I concentrate on Chiaki's light and begin.

First I need to completely isolate it and then I push it to my borders.

My chest is the only part of mine that is big enough to avoid too much body shifting.

This means still that my torso opens up in thousand tentacles as soon the feel comes closer.

Different from Zika this feeling isn't leaving by itself so that I have to put a little bit more effort to finally squeeze her out here.

The mass builds some kind of cocoon in front of me and Chiaki's presence gets placed inside.

When it's settled I retract everything that is not Chiaki.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" (C)

And there is Chiaki.

Hands folded over the head and curled into a ball.

"Are you alright?" (I)

A stupid question, I know.

Mum directly rushes in.

"Aahh, aah, ah!" (C)

"What happened?" (S)

"It's fine, Chiaki. You are alright." (I)

Chiaki needs some time to steady her breath and some more to calm down enough to react.

"Are you better?" (I)

"This... isn't good! This is bad! Really bad! Terrible!" (C)

A plopping up eye on my neck tells me that mum nods in affirmative.

Chiaki meanwhile looks as if she wants to kiss the ground before she can slowly get back to normal.

Oh, and Kuri is there.

"Umh, it's good to see you are alright. You should get ready. I made breakfast." (S)

"Are you able to eat something, Chiaki?" (I)

"Give me please a bit more time." (C)

"Sure! Maybe you want to go to the bathroom." (I)

Chiaki directly hurries in there, in terrible need of a wash.

She might look fine, but I guess she's got heavy sweating right now.

Also, the fleshy mass she came from looked quite glitchy, even if there's not much to see of this on her clothes.

Maybe it really recreated everything when I brought her out.

I've just noticed, but also the burns on her hand are gone.

Wouldn't that mean that her body as well...

No, no. Dismiss that thought!

This could also be her own power.

I go to the living room and find that mother again palates a small feast.

"Kuri! This time hold yourself a little bit back with eating, okay?"(I)

Can't have her again devouring all our food stocks.

Soon also Chiaki joins and looks already much better.

The breakfast consists mostly of one big talk between mother and her about me.

They both always liked each other.

Chiaki is active and has good grades and mum was very open to her plans to bring me along so that I wouldn't lie in bed all day.

So those two extroverts control the entire discussion while I stay on the sidelines.

It's naturally about how surprised they were, what they experienced, Zika, how Chiaki ended up inside me, and what mother thinks about this.

The usual breakfast talk.

Kuri meanwhile enjoys her meal but eats much slower.

It must be for her the same as for me.

I can experience the taste, but it is not filling.

So it might actually be better if she learns to savor it a little.

Since I had not much to add in the first place, after a while I excuse myself and head for my room.

I control my uniform, which I had on the whole day, but I guess it doesn't smell.

This might be because it's no fabric and I don't sweat like a human being.

Which is distressing!

Yet soon I notice that Kuri followed me.

And she has a somewhat expectant look.

"Is something, Kuri?" (I)

"They said we're going to school!" (K)

I'm very sure mother said Chiaki and I have to go there.

"Uhh, you know..." (I)

While I don't have problems with her personality, I wouldn't want to bring her along to school.

Even if she's hidden by her powers, I am able to perceive her, which is distracting and like this a bad condition to attend classes.

Also, the demons there could take offense with me bringing more powerful demons in.

So my child in spe should better not accompany me.

"Ehm, Kuri... I can't take you with me." (I)

"But, but what shall I do then?" (K)

"As soon school is over I will come back!" (I)

"But what can I do?" (K)

"Do?" (I)

"I want to help mother! Please let me help you!" (K)

"I, I think I can do well on my own." (I)

Honestly, it would be more of a problem having her there.

Taking her with me sounds like a recipe for chaos.

"Please! There must be something Kuri can do! Anything!" (K)

Help. I don't know a thing about parenting.

Should I just give her a task to keep her occupied?

There was something, but I don't know if it's the right thing to do.

"Well..." (I)

"Yes!!! What is it? What can Kuri do?" (K)

Uhh, now I'm cornered.

"You know, there is... something." (I)

"What?! Please tell!" (K)

"You see, mum... I'm a little worried about her." (I)

"Worried?" (K)

"You've seen those ghosts, didn't you?" (I)

"Yes." (K)

"They are quite scary, right?" (I)

"No." (K)

Okay, she's a super demon.

Maybe a different wording.

"But they are dangerous." (I)

"Not really. They're weak!" (K)

"Just look at it from the perspective of someone who is defenseless. Mum cannot fight. Not the slightest bit. Even the smallest critter of these beings could maybe harm her." (I)

"Oh no!" (K)

It seems she panics a little at that thought.

"See? I don't want that something happens to her. But I can't always be with her. Do you understand?" (I)

"Yes! I will protect her!" (K)

Pure confidence.

Not much to say against this kind of determination.

"But no one can see you. That would cause problems for mother!" (I)

Just imagining her suddenly appearing at mum's part-time job in the office.

"No problem!" (K)

She gives me a grin and runs off.

Naturally, I follow her and just perceive how she head-dives, somehow disintegrates, and vanishes.

Into mum's shadow.

And she didn't notice.

Should I tell her?

"Iori, get going! School is about to start!" (S)

Well, maybe I should've discussed this first but time is running short and it's not like Kuri would digress from anything I said.

So it should be fine.

Mum is safe

With this, I head to school, together with Chiaki.

While the atmosphere on the way to the bus was a little awkward, it got better as soon we sat down.

And now that we're on the last part of the way to school we start talking.

"Did you call your parents? All they've got from you was a text." (I)

"A text is enough. They trust me!" (C)

"Sounds nice. Mum is at the moment totally worried about me. Even if it should be literally impossible to harm me in any way." (I)

"But you made quite some unusual friends." (C)

"Regarding this, you probably spend much more time with Zika than I did!" (I)

If we don't count the disturbing implication that they were the whole time inside me.

"And, how was it?" (I)

"It's a bit blurry. What I can remember, she was quite harsh, but very into it." (C)

"We probably shouldn't force her to do anything for the time being." (I)

"That's something I remember! She was nonstop complaining that she had better things to do than helping me! Nonetheless, she still did it!" (C)

"And how is it? This energy? Do you feel different?" (I)

"When I use it I somehow feel as if I'm going to burst. There is this pressure and if I am not careful things can go wrong. But there is also the idea of what I could do with this power. If I would train a bit more I could probably do really cool stuff! But how do you feel? With that demon thingy?" (C)

Fortunately, no one listens in on us at the moment.

The bus comes to a stop and we're continuing on the street.

"It feels certainly weird. Right now there is a small drain that would make me switch into demon form if I give in. Also, it's as if I'm not really alone in my head. Not that I am losing myself or something like this, but more as if for example a large number of servants is waiting in the same room to catch up on my thoughts and fulfill my wishes before I even think them. It's a little exhausting since I cannot leave this "room" and be for myself." (I)

"Wow, that sounds hard." (C)

"And then you can put on top of this that my "servants" are all without exception terrifying demonic abominations. This is really taxing for one's mentality and I have a hard time to get by. Mostly I'm ignoring everything to deal with it." (I)

"Ignoring is not how I would call your actions." (C)

"I try, really! But apparently, if you can perceive this whole hidden world it's rather into it to non-stop bug you about it. Also, I'm already troubled with seeing auras. Can you see them as well?" (I)

"Auras?" (C)

"There is this smoke around people. The color gives away who they are and the intensity refers to their life force or something like this." (I)

"Maybe there was something like this. If I intently stare at someone I can sometimes see a glimpse now that I've taken off the bracelet! How is mine then?" (C)

"Why do you think Zika calls you sunshine girl? Honestly, it's hard to look directly at you!" (I)

"Oh, really?" (C)

"Might have to do with your condition. You're like a spotlight, and draw the moths." (I)

She looks uneasy at me.

Uh, maybe that was a hot topic.

"And? Do you have any plans now that you learned about all this?" (I)

"Don't know. It might be a problem if I'm shooting beams when I get attacked." (C)

"The school should be safe. You know, it's kinda occupied." (I)

"Yes, that's true. However, sleeping is an issue." (C)

"Maybe you could ask Makoto! They had this barrier, so there might be a way to put something similar up for your room!" (I)

"This, this could be an idea!" (C)

"Glad I could be of help!" (I)

Eventually, we arrive at school.

In front of our classroom, I first take a peek inside.

And Makoto is already there.

"Chiaki, Makoto is there. If you want to ask him I would suggest you do it on your own. I think that I'm at the moment not in his family's favor." (I)

"Was it that bad?" (C)

"Yes! And I won't say anything else about this. Only that they right now might see me as mankind's biggest threat and probably have to deal with invading demons because of my actions. Your chances will be better without me!" (I)

She approaches him and they get into talking.

Probably apart from this barrier thing, I might be the main topic.

At least they talk quietly enough that I cannot hear them.

There certainly is a way to listen in, but I certainly won't pursue it.

However, with this, my plan was a success!

Covered by Chiaki's distraction I can make it to my place without having to deal with Makoto.

I really have no nerve right now to explain what happened back then.

But it does just bring me so far as when he notices me he is totally startled.

Yet as I am already at my place people can't connect it to me.

And eventually, Zika just plops up at her place.

Like this class is eventually starting without incidents, as Makoto had no idea how to approach me.