Haruka practically flew down the hallways. Though they were too thin for him to spread his wings and fly, literally, his goblin abilities gave him great speed, even more so, since his master could be in great danger. He scanned each room carefully, but didn't sense anything, at first. Then, as he was passing by one of the hallways near the door, he sensed Kantaro's familiar aura. He immediately head into the third room, and threw open the door.

He expected to see Kantaro in there, but there was no sign of him. There was a residual aura, which matched his lingering there, but not the physical form. Haruka was about to turn away until he spotted something shimmering on the floor. He gasped, and ran to pick up the trinket. It was Kantaro's rosary. This discovery scared Haruka to no end, for, like him and his rice bowl, Kantaro never went anywhere without his beads. The boy even slept with them, for goodness sake! Just then, Haruka heard the floorboards above him creak, and Kantaro's energy seemed to be coming from there as well. Kantaro was in the room above that one!

Haruka looped the rosary around his arm and ran to the front of the house where he had seen the stairs. Unfortunately, as he tried to climb them, he found himself unable to. A red barrier had been set up to stop him, but Haruka was in no mood to accept it. He took out his long, powerful staff and tore the barrier apart, leaving no trace of the darker energy as he ran up the long steps. There was no doubt in his mind that a demon was trying to stop him, and he was becoming even more afraid for the young boy with the scar on his chest. He must have been in terrible pain.

Haruka, after a moment of searching, found the room directly above the one where he had located the beads, and stood outside the door a moment. He could see another strong force keeping the door closed, not allowing his entry, but he knew the boy was on the other side. Kantaro's weak, quiet voice was speaking on the other side, and though Haruka couldn't hear what was being said, he knew he had to get into that room.

Once again, Haruka took out his staff and blasted the barrier in his way. The door was now accessible, but once he thrust open the door, he stopped dead. Kantaro was sitting near the window in the back of the room, and there wasn't a demon around. Still, Haruka sensed a demon near, and the feel of it grew stronger as he entered the room and took a step towards Kantaro. The boy had his head down and he spoke sop softly that the demon-eater still couldn't hear him. What Haruka found strange was that the boy was holding onto a lit candle, and a red ribbon was tied around his neck. Hesitantly, Haruka took another step closer.

"Kantaro? Hey…"

The boy looked up enough so Haruka could see that his eyes were glazed over, and his face was pale. The boy was looking right at him, but it was like he couldn't see him. Then, Kantaro smiled weakly, and somewhat freakily as he spoke up.

"Happy birthday…to you… Happy birthday… to you…"

Kantaro looked back down to the candle again, still smiling. Haruka was creeped out. Kantaro wasn't responding to his calls at all, and he started to sense another presence somewhere in the room.

"Happy birthday dear… Kantaro… Happy birthday…to you…"

Kantaro chuckled, and the smile deepened. Haruka had his eyes fixed on the boy, he hadn't noticed a ghost woman had appeared. Haruka finally noticed her as she clapped her hands. She was smiling at Kantaro, and then she walked around Haruka and stood behind Kantaro. She was evil. Taking up his staff, Haruka glared at her.

"You! Stay away from him!"

"Hmm? Who are you?"

She looked down at Kantaro, who was looking weaker by the minute, especially since she had gotten so close. Still, he was smiling.

"Oh, I see… you must be Haruka."

"How do you know my name?"

"Kantaro told me. He told me many things… Like what a horrible life he had led, and what his dreams are."

"What did you do to Kantaro?"

"I gave him what he wanted…"

"What do you mean?"

The woman looked down at Kantaro and smiled. She softly ran her long, white fingers through his soft hair as she spoke.

"Right now, he's trapped in a world of his own creation. He's surrounded by people who love him and listen to him… He's having such a wonderful time at his party."

Haruka rose his staff, angrily.

"Don't you dare touch him!"

She didn't pull her hand back. Instead, she took hold of the collar of his shirt and pulled him to his feet. He leaned heavily on his right leg, and the other one looked like it should hurt a lot, but Kantaro's expression was blank.

"Now,… do you really want to deny this child the attention he has wanted ever since he was a child? Do you wish to cause him such pain?"

"Demon… the world Kantaro is in now is not real! Something that isn't real cannot create true happiness!"

"Oh?"

"I demand that you let me speak with him!"

"Why? So you can have him tell you, himself, that he wants you to leave him be? Is that what you want? To hear it for yourself?"

"Just do it."

The woman stared at him for a while, and then her hand softly ran over the red ribbon around his neck. It shone brightly for a moment, and when the light faded, Kantaro's expression changed into one filled with pain. The boy took in a deep gulp of air and grabbed the front of his robes hard. The ribbon was the source of the demon, and it WAS causing Kantaro pain.

"Kantaro!"

Haruka took a step forward and extended his hand, but Kantaro yelled at him.

"No! …S-stay where you are, Haruka…"

"Kantaro… do you know what is happening to you now? You're being possessed!"

"I-I know… Haruka… please stay back…"

Kantaro winced, and almost fell to his knees, his leg giving out. Then, he coughed hoarsely, and when he looked up, a small trickle of blood was falling down over his chin.

"Kantaro! Hold on a moment longer! I'll find a way to help you!"

"No… she's too strong… She uses this ribbon to control her victims… and uses their bodies to do horrible things, Haruka! There is only one way…"

"Alright… tell me what to do!"

"K-kill me…"

Haruka couldn't speak. Kantaro was a noble boy, but to ask his servant, his friend to do that…

"What are you looking at me like that for! Kill me, and destroy the demon inside me!"

"No… I can't do that."

"Stop standing there, Haruka! Hit me with your lightning now! I can't hold her for very long!"

"No! I refuse!"
"That's an order, Haruka!"

Kantaro was screaming at him, now. Tears were coming in rivers down his cheeks, but still, Haruka couldn't move. As a servant, he could not refuse an order from his master, but Haruka wished he could refuse. He didn't want to kill a boy he was just starting to get used to. Not only would Yoko be devastated, so would Muuchan, and Sugino, too, on some level. It would kill himself, too… Haruka didn't want to do it, but unconsciously, he found himself raising his staff towards Kantaro. His hands were shaking, and his heart was pounding in his chest.

Just then, Kantaro yelled out, and the ribbon was glowing again. The demon woman appeared behind Kantaro, and held him tightly in her arms. Pain shot through all of Kantaro, and Haruka couldn't stand the sight.

"How dare you try to betray me, after I gave you what you wanted! If I go, I'll drag you down to hell with me!"

"Kantaro…"

Haruka's staff lowered a little. Kantaro was losing consciousness quickly, and so he yelled out once more.

"Haruka!"

Haruka shut his eyes tightly, letting his tears fall, and from his staff, dark bolts of lightning filled the room, and all of them hit Kantaro at once. The demon screamed before disappearing, and Kantaro screamed, also. The screaming didn't stop until Haruka banished his lightning and looked up. Kantaro was swaying on his feet, eyes dark and half-lidded. Haruka took a step towards him, and that's when the boy's body fell back, and out the window. The demon-eater ran to said window, and looked out just as Kantaro's body hit the cold, liquid surface.

There was probably no hope that the boy survived, but if there was a chance, even the smallest of one, he was going to hope on it. That's when he jumped out the window and spread his wings. He slowed himself down a little, and then hid the black wings away as he dove deep into the water. It was chilling, and the cold nipped against his skin, and made his clothes and body heavy, but he didn't stop swimming. In the darkness, he saw Kantaro sinking, and he held out his hand.

Moments later, he broke the surface with a still, pale body in his arms. Haruka struggled to stay above the water as he swam to the edge, but was relieved to have made it that far. He pushed Kantaro over the edge and then climbed out, himself. Then, he took the boy in his arms again and brought him a good distance away, in the light of the now-setting sun, which proved to be slightly warmer than in the shade. Haruka set the boy on the grass.

Kantaro wasn't moving. The boy wasn't responding to him, and Haruka couldn't see his chest moving at all. He lowered himself and pressed his ear against the boy's chest, listening for a heartbeat, but when he didn't hear any, he pressed harder. There was nothing. Kantaro's heart had stopped altogether, and Haruka blamed himself.

Haruka had become friends with Kantaro after all that time together, and he swore to protect the boy. However, when he was ordered to unleash his power, and strike the boy, he did. It didn't matter that he didn't want to. It was still his lightning that killed him. Though anyone else would have given up long ago, Haruka hated giving up. If his lightning stopped Kantaro's heart, maybe it could restart it.

Haruka quickly pulled apart the top of Kantaro's robes so his pale, unmoving chest was, and Haruka set his hands on top. He pumped his lightning through him, but it didn't have any effect at first.

"Come on, Kantaro, don't do this! Wake up! Wake up, Kantaro! Open your eyes… God, please open your eyes! Kantaro, don't die!"

Haruka kept pulsing his lightning through the boy, but it didn't seem to be working. Haruka was losing hope, and Kantaro was…

Haruka stopped his actions and collapsed atop the boy, holding him close.

"Damn it, Kantaro… open your eyes! I'm sorry for how I acted…! Please… come back to us… it'll be different, I promise!"

In a final move, Haruka gathered all the energy he could into one last, big shock, which went through both of them. Once it faded, Haruka was crying, until he suddenly felt the body in his arms jolt. He looked down, and Kantaro was finally breathing, or trying to, at least. He was shivering, and huddling close to Haruka's chest. Haruka let the boy cuddle close, and he ran a hand through the boy's wet hair, allowing his keeper to recuperate.

"Kantaro… thank goodness…"

"H-Haruka… th-thank… you…"