"Stay strong because things will get better. It might be stormy now, but it can't rain forever..."

"Goodmorning, Yurika." A mass of golden hair appeared next to her. "It's not a good day." She puffed. The demon laughed. "Kurena, there's nothing funny. I swear I can't go on living like that." The gaze of Kurena grew sad. "I'm sorry..." "And for what should you be sorry? Look at you. You've become a demon. You are forced to stay in this sword. You're cursed. At least you can say that I have a certain freedom." "Oh, really? Freedom to choose what to do and what not? Freedom to decide who you are? Nice freedom, my dear. I swear I envy you." The two exchanged glomering looks, than they bursted out laughing. "Yurika?" "Yes?" "You know, I would like to stay with you speaking some more time, most of all I would like to know your progres... It's late and even if I know that meeting are not interesting at all I think it's better not to arrive late." Yurika shiged. "See you later than." And she woke up.

She tasted the warmth of the blankets until her gaze paused on the alarm clock. Twenty past ten. Her brain spent some seconds to record the information, then she sprang up. The meeting started at half past ten and, how much she could apply herself, she could never be ready on time, but she decided to try all the same. She washed quickly and she fried to dress up the most quickly she could, but the buttons of the shirt and of the uniform kept her occupied for a while. In the end she put in order her hair and she ran in the direction of the conference room. After she has reached the place she stopped on the threshold to get her breath back; she took a deep breath and she entered. Tenri Hiiragi stopped speaking to look at the person who has just entered. Yurika swallowed. "My apologies..." "Nobody has asked you something. Now sit dawn and don't disturb. You've lost an important part, but I have no time to repete myself and nobody is here to lose his time, you'll have an explanation from Shinya and Guren. Now..." "Well, seeing that you've just been interruped I take advantage to go away." Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose Guren stood up going towards the door. "Ichinose, you should show more respect for your superiors." But the man had already gone. Tenri shot a glowering look at the people present. "Hoping that we won't be interrupt again, we can go on." And the meeting continued for another hour.

Yurika was trying to follow the speech, but she wasn't so much interested in it. They were talking about speculations on vampires, promotions in the army, experiments and similar things. Only the theme of experiments drew her attention, but all the rest was deadly boredom for her. She perfectly understood because Guren went always away, it was something that also she really wanted to do, but she couldn't. She was a major general, she had worked hard to reach that position and it was necessary that she kept it. Hold that rank allowed her to have acess to all the documents of the experiments run by the army, but she wasn't interested in the 'Seraph of the End', but more in the experiments of the weapons. In the last years she had tried to collect the greatest number of information, but it hadn't been simple: she should pay attention on what she was doing, because if someone had discovered, or at least suspect, what her real goals were... It would have been the end for her. Actually she didn't care about it. In the end it was impossible that someone could discover her real goal because it wasn't a normal one and probably it was something that nobody had ever thought before. She would try a way to free the demon from the chains that bound the demon in the weapon, but moreover find a way to let the demon live once again as a vampire. And it was a crazy thing, if Mahiru had sacrificed herself to improve the weapons, she would have made the opposite process. Even if, for now, she couldn't get concrete results. She couldn't find the right pieces of information. For that reason she had decided to follow everything that concerned the demoniac weapons. More secrets she discovered about their creation and, maybe, she could elaborate more solutions.

"The meeting is ended. You can go." The words of Tenri roused her from her thoughts. She saw the gaze of the fathers on hers. For a second it seemed that he had something to tell her, but then, he went away as usual. Yurika sighed. A part of her was still decived that one day she could have a father; but as time passed this part of her was disappearing more and more to be replaced from a sort of indifference for the man. "Hey, Yurika. Did you stay up very late yesterday night?" And here was one of the last person she would like to meet: her brother Sheishiro. She gave him a grim look. "You know Yurika, at least Mahiru did something useful, while you..." "I don't have to sacrifice my life for something that doesn't interest me. And if, with 'something useful' you meant this... I'm not going to follow her example. You could do it, you say?" "I say that in my opinion you're not so different from her. Also you occupy an important position within the army." "Stop harassing her. I don't think you can compare her to Mahiru." Kureto broke into the conversation. What do you want Kureto?" "Be a good baby Seishiro, don't mistreat your sister." "My sister? Our sister, you mean. Anyway you don't strike me as the right person to make certain speeches. In the end, you were the one who ordered the killing of Mahiru. You were the one to be competing with her." I would like to remind you that she has been dead for a while and that Yurika is not like her." The girl wasn't listening to them talk, but that last sentence made her lift her gaze to her older brother. "I don't have to be in competition with someone, I know I don't have more rivals. Yurika lowered her gaze. Too many times she had the illusion that Kureto could show her some love, but each time she was drastically restored to reality. She was different from Mahiru? Of course, she didn't represent a danger. She would never become the next heir of the Hiiragi family. Not that she wanted to become one. Thought it bugged her that attitude of superiority that the brother always had. Had he to turn to the other as if they were hopeless nerd? Because ultimately this was what emerged whenever Kureto spoke with someone, almost like he felt the need to point out the failure of others. He had the ability to make you feel worse than a worm. Yurika had learned not to give weight to this and those comments now didn't touch her, but the same could not be said for Seishiro. He couldn't stand the way Kureto treated him and each time he felt the need to answer his provocations. This time Yurika perceived the tension which had arisen between the two. "What would you say? I'm not enough for you? Huh?" And he approached the brother threatening. "You surprise me. You nailed the point." The girl lifted her eyes and sighed. "I leave you to your speeches." And she walked out before the situation got worse, she could not bother with their stupid speeches. She needed to search Shinya and Guren for the details of the mission.

She let that room behind and went in search of his mission's fellows. She would find Shinya somewhere in the headquarters, while Guren... He was certainly going to train some kids. She couldn't understand the craze of some people to need to posses a demonic weapon, but especially the obsession of having to join the Moon Demon Company. Maybe she could understand if she wasn't born in the Hiiragi family and if she had lost someone important because of vampires, though... The figure of her brother roused her from her thoughts. Shinya wasn't her blood brother, yet he was the only one who acted really as a brother with her. "Shinya!" And she ran towards him. The major general turned and smiled at her. "Yurika. You need the details of the mission, right?" "Yes." "Wake up late, huh?" The girl blushed embarassed. Shinya laughed. "Don't worry, I don't care about such things! It was just to fool around a bit!" And he winked at her. Yurika laughed. He was different from the others, at least he tried to be kind. "There's nothing to say. She and I are complementary." She felt an arm wrapping around her shoulders. She saw Shinya look bad at the person who had spoken. "Come on! She arrives half an hour later and I go out before... So I can tell her the crap said earlier and she tells me those finals!" Yurika laughed. "It's a great gimmick, but now let's move on to serious things. Guys would you explain me the terms of the mission?" There was silence. Guren broke away from the girl. "We must free a town." She looked into his eyes and instructed him to continue. He passed his hand through his hair. "Tomorrow." Her eyes widened, hoping it was a bad joke. She turned to ask for confirmation. Shinya gave a faint smile. "He's not kidding. We're leaving tomorrow. The mission is entrusted to the team of Guren, in addition, for safety, Kureto has decided to add us." Yurika mentally cursed her brother. "We are not in a few? And if we meet a noble?" "We move precisely because it would appear that there are no nobles and the city is not controlled." She looked at him with little convincion. "I bet we'll have fun Yurika! Come on, let's kill some vampires and then go back!" "Yes, Guren. Of course. What time do we leave?" "At six." Said Shinya. "Try to be punctual! It's good that you're an Hiiragi, but we can't wait for you all day, Miss." Said ironically Guren. Yurika incinerated him with her eyes. He laughed. "See you tomorrow!" And he went away. "See you tomorrow, sister!" And also Shinya left her. She sighed.

She had a bad feeling, but she tried to dispel those thoughts from her mind. If Kureto had decided to send them in that town it meant that he had reliable information. And, unless he had decided to ship them all to die, she could trust him. "Are you sure?" Golden hair appeared at her side. "Come on Kurena, once I thought good." "I'm trying to be realistic, my dear. This situation stinks. Rotten." Yurika remarked his demon and snorted. "I know it, I know it. But I'd rather avoid thinking of having to meet nobles. I'm trying to be positive." The demon laughed. "Yes, pity that you don't even convince yourself." And she vanished. "Thanks for the support." And she headed for her room. She had to prepare for what it was expected next day.

The picture is a drawing of Yurika

12/04/2017