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(Y/N) sat on the leafy ground at the base of the tree; her head rested on her knees as tears welled in her eyes.

What am I going to do? She thought back to the horrid images of what she saw just moments before.

Mamoru was circling the demon, dodging every attack it threw with grace and speed.

"You made her call me by my real name," (Y/N) did not hear Mamoru scold the Possessed man.

"She doesn't want me to kill you, I think because of those idiots she is traveling with."

Mamoru dodged another strike.

"But I am in such a bad mood, I will have to disobey the little princess today."

When the demon swung again, Mamoru did not bother to dodge it. Instead, he caught the gray fist in his gloved hand with no difficulty, or even a flinch, and twisted it to an unnatural degree.

Mamoru kicked his knee into the elbow of the demon, snapping the arm in half. The Possessed screeched again, reaching out once more, but Mamoru repeated the action.

"Mamoru! Please do not hurt him like that!" (Y/N) screamed from her branch, panicked at the state of the demon.

Kazumi acted as if he did not want to hurt any of the demons, the least I could do is save this one.

Her plea made Mamoru all the madder.

"Did you hear that?" Mamoru asked the crazed demon, pointing up to where (Y/N) was.

"She is being so unfamiliar with me... because of you." He gripped the hilts of both Katana on his back.

It unfolded as fast as lightning flashing, and (Y/N) was not sure what happened at first.

One second Mamoru was feet away from the demon, she blinked, and then Mamoru was behind him with his back facing him. When she saw the katana in her fox's hands her heart stopped, and her eyes flashed back to the still demon.

(Y/N) watched it sway, and stumble before falling to its knees.

She gasped and clutched her hand over her mouth as she watched the head roll off onto the ground.

No!

"Do not make that face, ugly. Thank me, for saving your life."

She jumped as Mamoru spoke out of nowhere, rejoining her on the branch.

"Y-you killed him? I s-said... I asked you not to—" She began with an unsteady voice.

"You asked me not to kill it, but you are so ignorant to the outside world you do not know what you're requesting." He snapped, sending a flick to her forehead.

"Huh?" She questioned offended.

"You asked me to knock it out 'or something'. Did you see how I broke both of its arms and it did not slow down?" Mamoru asked heatedly, but she did not answer.

"That was not a man anymore, not even a human tethered spirit, it's a walking, raging parasite. You cannot simply knock it out, it does not have a fully functioning brain in a weak host."

"What you wanted was impossible, unless I had spirit chains, there was no taking it alive."

Am I so ignorant that I am requesting the impossible out of Mamoru? I begged him for something that could not be done because I did not understand the situation.

"I- I am sorry, Momo." She finally confessed; his heart fluttered at the nickname. "You're right, I am ignorant of a lot."

His sharp gloved nails found the bottom of her chin raising her head to meet his gaze.

" call me Mamoru again." He demanded firmly, ignoring her apology.

Her brows furrowed in.

"O-okay?"

"Your little buddies are on the way." He stood on the branch and held his hand out to (Y/N).

She looked from his hand to the fox mask he wore.

Mamoru was only protecting me the best he could... and I accused him of something so horrible.

She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up harshly, not enough to hurt her, but she went crashing into him and they fell from the branch.

(Y/N) could not scream as soft lips pressed into hers, her tears vanished in the wind from her shocked eyes. (Y/N) never even saw Mamoru take his mask off and now she was receiving her second kiss from him.

They fell headfirst towards the ground; Mamoru had his arms wrapped around her as he took this precious moment into his memories.

Before they could hit the ground, Mamoru ripped from the kiss and shifted (Y/N) in his arms, to hold her bridal style. He threw their bodies to turn mid-air and used a lower branch to hop off just to soften the landing on the ground for (Y/N).

The young woman was still shocked by the falling-towards-the-ground kiss as Mamoru slid his mask back on.

Her eyes traveled around to the trees, and finally landed on the head and broken body of the demon.

She cringed and looked away, closing her eyes. Mamoru saw this and released a heavy sigh.

"You truly are a fragile little flower, you know that?" Mamoru ruffled her hair as he walked by her.

He began to kick up leaves to cover the body and head.

"Thank you..." (Y/N) quietly thanked him once the corpse was completely hidden.

"It is nothing." Mamoru scoffed. "They will arrive here in a few minutes," Mamoru added.

"O-oh, okay." She nodded.

"And next time you're in trouble, don't run away from the only people who can protect you." Mamoru flicked her head.

(Y/N) giggled followed by a quick sniffle.

"What if I was just trying to run towards you, Momo?" She got good at teasing after being with the gruesome twosome: Leopoldo and Ivo.

Mamoru tensed as his heart banged against his chest, deafening to his sensitive ears and his face heated under his mask.

A sharp flick to the forward made her yelp and raise both her hands to the spot.

"I just might eat you if you keep teasing me, I just need to figure out in which way."

Her cheeks exploded with red at his retort, even if she did not understand what it fully meant.

"Oh, and just to let you know," Mamoru adjusted his hood back over his fiery red hair. "The four-eyed troll is in Bizia now, out of uniform." And with that Mamoru disappeared.

"Wait!" (Y/N) called but it was too late, Mamoru went back to distancing himself between the pirates.

Silas is here? She stumbled back into the tree trunk and slid to her butt.

I could see him again... but he would take me back.

"Momo, if you can hear me, please tell Silas that I am okay." She said aloud unsure how far Mamoru had traveled.

His eyes narrowed on her form and watched as she pulled itself into a ball and she rested her head on her knees.

. He smirked.

I miss Silas so much, but I cannot give up now... what am I going to do?

"Hey, idiot!"

(Y/N)'s head perked up at her name.

"Leven?" She asked herself softly.

"Little Dove!" Ivo's voice sang from another direction.

"Dear, where are you?" Leopoldo sounded somewhere behind her.

"(Y/N)!" Kazumi called.

A smile spread across her face, forgetting her troubles for a moment as her friends searched for her.

"I am here!" She shouted, quickly getting to her feet, looking around her.

"Where?!" Leven shouted annoyed.

"By a tree!" She called back, but with a look around she palmed her face. "Uh, I will clap until you find me!"

She began to clap her hands, feeling pretty silly in the middle of the jungle giving an applaud to nothing.

Her hands were already starting to hurt when a hand made light contact with the back of her head.

"Would ya stop that? It looks stupid." Leven huffed hands on his hip; he had reverted into his human form already; the demon became dormant with no threat.

"Leven!" She wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey! Hey!" Leven's face became bright red as he shoved her off.

"No hug for me, Little Dove?" A pouting voice came from the side.

Ivo stood leaning against a tree with crossed arms.

"Hug me as well, dear." Leopoldo wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her head causing her to blush wildly.

"Are you okay?" Kazumi appeared behind Ivo, the last bit of red in his hair changing back to black.

(Y/N) smiled softly.

"I am fine, but... I couldn't save him." (Y/N) sadly pointed to the lump below the leaves.

"Who?" Leven asked carelessly, kicking the smaller pile of what he thought were leaves.

(Y/N) gagged quietly at the sight of the demon head that went rolling, turning away from the sight.

Once shining green eyes of the rabid creature were now a shattered glassy cast of dull hope. The illuminating rage snuffed out by cold blades wielded by a beast in love.

"What the hell..." Leven muttered, going over the larger pile to kick the leaves away, revealing parts of the corpse, the broken arms especially.

"This was the demon that chased you, correct, Little Dove?" Ivo asked, looking down at the body.

(Y/N) nodded.

"What the hell happened to it?" Leven nudged it with the tip of his boot.

"Who did this, dear?" Leopoldo asked her.

"Another demon?" Kazumi followed up quickly.

She shook her head, "Someone else was in the forest, he saved me." She partially lied.

"He?" Ivo's voice dripped in venom, but he wore a smile.

(Y/N) nodded.

"Where did he go then?" Leven pressed.

"I don't know, he just disappeared," (Y/N) answered.

"He must have been having a bad day," Leopoldo commented. "He had time to break two of this demon's arms and cut the head off."

(Y/N) looked away shamefully. I am the one who upset him.

"We have the demons, we may leave. It is dangerous to keep (Y/N) here longer than we need to." Kazumi decided.

I am nothing but trouble.

"Leopoldo, Leven, go back and collect the demons. Ivo and I will lead (Y/N) out." Kazumi ordered the two brothers who did not bother objecting and began to trace their steps.

Kazumi pulled the map from his pouch aiming to figure out where they were.

"I am sorry," (Y/N) said to the two pirates. "If I caused troubled and worried you both."

Ivo physically swooned, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Such a sweet young woman, how could you be at fault for causing trouble? You did no such thing." He assured her with a tight hug.

Kazumi looked over her troubled expression that Ivo could not see; he saw she did not believe his words.

"Stop assuming you are a nuisance to us and accept that you are with us by our choice," Kazumi spoke as he rolled up the map.

(Y/N)'s eyes shot up to him with surprise.

"Yes, little dove." Ivo released her from the hug to caress her soft cheek. "We would not be dragging you around with us if we felt you to be such a pest, which would not make much sense."

(Y/N) felt the tears welling up in her eyes at their reassurance.

They are so kind to me. I was beating myself up, but I was being delusional. They would not treat me like this if I were a pest... but I am nothing but a liar. I promise, everyone, that I will make up for my lies tenfold.