Chapter 14
By the time Kakashi reached where Ayaka was, Yaze had already disappeared.
"Where is Yaze?" Kakashi asked, feeling a mix of annoyance and confusion.
"He left for the academy to submit the report, and he said we were free for the rest of the day," she replied.
Kakashi felt a surge of irritation. That cheat, he let us do the work only for him to run off and report it. Miss Tokoyami will think we were joking around.
"Kakashi, what do you mean by somewhere special for both of you?" Ayaka pressed, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.
"Where are we going?" Kakashi asked, eager to change the subject. He didn't even know where to take her; he just hoped she would forget about it.
"Hey! Don't change the subject!" Ayaka quickly calmed down, her demeanor shifting. "Maybe it's none of my business, but there's a café I always wanted to visit if I got a chance to come to Shinjuku. Will you come with me?"
"Why not? I don't have anywhere else to go after all," Kakashi agreed, feeling a glimmer of excitement. "I heard there's another ASE academy in China and some places around the world; why are there so many?"
"Each school specializes in different things. There's one in China that focuses on sword techniques, while the one in Kyoto specializes in various divine and dark techniques. Most humans go to the sword technique academy."
"Then what about the one we attend? What does it specialize in?" Kakashi inquired.
"Close and long-range combat," she replied matter-of-factly. "Japan is the only country with two academies and three on the continent. Each continent has one ASE academy."
"That's pretty neat," Kakashi said, genuinely impressed.
They stopped at a café, bought some snacks, and left shortly after. Strolling through the park, they decided to treat themselves to some ice cream.
"Wow, it's so good!" Ayaka exclaimed joyfully, her tail wagging with excitement.
"Ayaka?" Kakashi called out, curious. "Are your ears and tail real?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"Your ears and tail," he reiterated, his curiosity piqued.
"Why don't you see for yourself?" She turned around, playfully wagging her tail.
"It's pink!" Kakashi blurted out, a bit too surprised by the revelation.
Shit! That slipped out of my mouth.
"What pink?" she asked, a look of realization crossing her face. "Ahhhhhh, pervert! You were looking under my skirt!"
"I wasn't looking; it just happened to catch my attention," Kakashi protested, his face turning red. "Besides, I already saw it this morning, so there's nothing to hide."
"Pervert! Get away from me!" Ayaka shouted, beginning to get genuinely angry. Kakashi's gaze fell on her tail, which was wagging enticingly, tempting him to reach out and touch it. "Hey! I didn't say you could touch it!"
"Wow!" Kakashi marveled, reaching out cautiously. "It feels so real."
"Of course it is. I'm a goddess after all," she declared, her confidence returning.
She got over it quickly.
"Can I touch your ears too?" Kakashi asked, a playful grin on his face.
"Noo!" Ayaka exclaimed, her cheeks puffing up in frustration as they turned a bright shade of red. She looked so cute that Kakashi couldn't help but feel grateful she was his partner.
"So, how did you end up like this?" Kakashi asked, choosing his words carefully. "Did... your dad... do it with a cat, or what?"
"What do you mean by that?!" Ayaka yelled, clearly offended. "Of course not! I was possessed by a cat spirit, and now it's part of me."
"What????" Kakashi replied, taken aback.
"The spirit boosted my physical and mental capabilities and my karma capacity," Ayaka announced proudly. "It made me feel special, like I was chosen or something."
"Seems pretty dumb to me," Kakashi said, a teasing smile on his face.
"What did you say?!!" Ayaka shot back, her eyes narrowing.
"No! Nothing!" Kakashi chuckled, trying to diffuse her anger.
They continued chatting when Kakashi suddenly remembered his dream.
"Ayaka?" Kakashi called, a hint of hesitation in his tone.
"Hmm?" Ayaka replied, struggling to speak while stuffing her face with cupcakes they bought from the café.
"This morning, when we first met, I had a strange dream..."
Ayaka immediately stood up, handing her ice cream to Kakashi. "I'm sorry, I need to excuse myself."
Without waiting for a reply, she swiftly ran out of sight.
A strange man then approached Kakashi, staring intently at him. Kakashi thought he might be hungry, so he offered his ice cream, knowing he couldn't give Ayaka back and that he had no money. Instead, the man grabbed his arm.
Kakashi tried to pull away, but the man's grip was unyielding. "Umm, sir, I would appreciate it if you let go."
"Kakashi Yami, you've grown bigger than I expected," the man said, a smirk creeping across his face.
"How do you know my name?" Kakashi asked, confusion mingling with fear.
"How?" The man sat down beside Kakashi, still holding his arm. "How can you forget me so easily? Perhaps you won't recognize me in my new body."
"Kakashi, you won't believe..." Ayaka yelled as she returned.
"Ayaka, stop," Kakashi called out, raising a hand to warn her before she got too close.
"Kakashi, who is he?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
"I'm impressed; you are still able to act fast," the man said, a sinister grin stretching across his face. "I guessed I taught you well after all."
Kakashi looked at the man again; he matched the description Hinata had given them perfectly. This man was a demon. But for some reason, his build was different from what one would expect from an eight-year-old.
"What do you want?" Kakashi demanded, trying to sound braver than he felt.
"Honestly, I don't..." Yaze appeared out of nowhere, punching the man away from Kakashi.
The demon quickly regained his balance and stood upright.
He wore black shorts and a cloak, which he discarded casually. His hair was black, and his skin was dry, with cracks revealing red scales beneath.
"Yaze, you came!" the demon exclaimed joyfully, his expression shifting as he scrutinized Yaze.
"How did Yaze get here?" Kakashi asked Ayaka as she helped him up from where he had stumbled.
"That's not Yaze Sensei; it's a clone, and I guess he already figured it out," Ayaka explained, her tone serious.
"I think that is Tomura; he matches the description Hinata gave us, but something feels different," Kakashi said, his instincts telling him to be wary.
"Like what?" Ayaka pressed.
"I don't know, but he seems familiar," Kakashi admitted, standing tall and ready to fight. "I promised Hinata that I would stop him, and that's exactly what I intend to do."
Tomura struck Yaze, and in an instant, he vanished. Kakashi rushed at him, swinging his fist, but Tomura effortlessly dodged and retaliated with a punch to Kakashi's stomach, sending him crashing into a tree. The impact forced the air from his lungs, and he coughed up blood.
Kakashi barely managed to regain his footing before Tomura charged at him again. He jumped out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding another devastating blow that shattered the tree trunk behind him.
If I hadn't dodged that, I would have lost my head. I can't fight someone like Tomura; he's a second-class, no—first-class demon. Right now, Ayaka is contacting the academy for assistance; all I can do is buy time.
Tomura reappeared behind Kakashi, and as Kakashi tried to punch him, Tomura caught his left hand, twisting it painfully behind his back.
"Arghhhhhh!!!!" Kakashi cried out in pain. He looked around desperately and bolted into the city, darting across the road and causing cars to screech to a halt to avoid crashing into him.
"What's wrong with you?" a driver yelled. "Do you want to die?"
No, I don't want to die. That's why I'm running, but I can't stand here to answer him.
Kakashi ducked into a nearby building, cradling his injured arm. It felt broken, sending jolts of pain through his body.
Tomura landed on a car, crushing the driver inside, blood spilling from the wreckage as the demon loomed over Kakashi's escape route.