Just Friends?

Suki nods slowly "If that's the case, that would mean there's an Oni close by that's controlling him. But if there's an Oni close by, how come they haven't come after me?" she asks "Surely they know who I am...or, Takumi is resisting them and he didn't make a deal with them, but is being Forced."

"The later sounds more likely." Hiroshi said shaking his head. "Either way, this is all just theories. All I know is there's far too much coincidences to me liking with this."

Suki nods "Me too. I'll head on home and see what I can find out from grandmother's old books. If nothing else, I can bring this up to mom." she suggests "It probably wouldn't be a bad idea." she gives Hiroshi a quick hug "I'll see you later." she says, then heads out.

Hiroshi wished there was more he could do, but this wasn't really something he could help too much with personally. No one had any clue of what was going on or why they were sick in the first place.

He decided to head home after Suki left to be around her family.

The next day rolls around and Suki's parents bring Takumi back home. He looked better. He said he never had a better night's rest that he could remember. Suki had told her mom about what she and Hiroshi suspected. But they had hit a wall as far as proving it. So Konata decided to head to her mother's and see what she could find.

Naturally, Hiroshi wanted to check in on everyone so he ended up heading to Suki's place the next day a bit later in the afternoon to see how things were going so far.

Suki assured him that everything was fine. "Mom thinks she might have a lead or at least an idea on what's going on. I was about to head over there, but I didn't want to leave Takumi." she takes Hiroshi's hand "Would you head over there and see what's going on for me?" she asks, her eyes all a twinkle.

Suki didn't have to ask too much, she already had Hiroshi wrapped her finger even if she didn't know it. Poor boy had it bad, it was just more recent he was honest with himself or at least realized it.

"Yeah, sure no problem. I'll be back soon and let you know what's up. "

Suki smiles "Thank you, Roshi!" she says with a quick kiss to the cheek. She starts off to the herb garden to make something for Takumi.

Hiroshi rubbed his cheek a bit, feeling stupidly happy at the moment but he tried to temper it. He was looking too much into things he told himself but when he came back he was going to ask before he forgot or lost his nerve.

Funny I can fight Oni and stuff but this makes me nervous. Doesn't make a lick of sense.

He went to leave, hopefully he would find answers when he got there.

It didn't take long for Hiroshi to get to Suki's grandmother's house. It was only a block or two away. Konata answers the door "Oh, Roshi! What a surprise." she says as she invites him in "Me and mother were just going over some of her old books about the different classes of Oni. Would you care to join us?" she asks.

Hiroshi smiled a bit. "Sure, actually what I came in for in case you guys learned anything. Suki wanted to come but she's taking care of her brother right now."

Konata nods "Well, we hadn't found anything on Oni that could possess a person, sad to say, but we did find something about why the Oni are trying to hard to get Nixa." she says.

"It seems that long ago, there was a terrible Oni Lord who was rampaging across the land and all who tried to stop him were destroyed. No single Demon Hunter could stand up to his might, until Nixa appeared." she explains.

Long story short, Nixa was able to seal away this Oni Lord using the power of the elements, for all times and since the elements trapped him, the Oni believe the elements could free him." she says "Interesting, huh?"

* *

Fumitsuki had finished in the herb garden and heads back to the kitchen to mix Takumi's drink. She stops short when she sees her brother standing there "Oh!" she says in a surprised tone "Takumi, you surprised me. I was just getting ready to make you..." she trails off as her brother walks close and puts an arm around her.

Suki gasps in surprise again, then sighs in pain as she looks down to see Takumi pull a knife from her stomach! She drops her herbs and stumbles back as he stabs her in the stomach again and she falls to the ground!

"T-tak-ku-umi..." she gasps "W-why you doing this?" she asks as her brother straddles her and holds the knife up high "W-why...why are you killing me?" she asks weakly as Takumi brings the knife down!

"Yeah. So basically they think Nixa could free them, or rather her death." Hiroshi was thinking a bit. "It was mentioned the original Nixa used magic that humans couldn't, do you know what kind of magic it was?"

Konata shakes her head "It was never really said what kind of magic it-" she stops midsentence "The Oni, they're here!" she says as she pulls out a special charm "I'll get mother, you get Suki and bring her here!" she says as she rushes out of the room "We'll hold them off as long as we can! Go!"

Hiroshi nodded and wasted no time, he really wished he had gotten Usagi's phone number as well in case her help was needed. He quickly made time to Suki's place knocking on the door.

Takumi opens the door a crack and peeks out "Oh. It's you. If you're looking for Suki, she's no longer here." he says in a dead even tone. There were No emotions in his eyes, not like usual, where there was a certain animosity. There was just, nothing. Like Takumi's soul was no longer there.

Hiroshi frowned, a bit suspicious more then anything. "If she left, then where did she go?" The situation didn't feel right at all.

Takumi shrugs "Don't know. To hang out with her friends I guess." he says in an even tone "If there's nothing else, Leave." he says in a low, almost hostile tone.

Hiroshi really wanted to punch Takumi at the moment but he controlld himself. Sure Takumi was annoying but he wasn't normally this much of a dick. "You know, you're acting awfully suspcious, more so then normal. If really know where Suki is, I need to get to her, your mother and grandmother are in trouble and need her help."

Something flashed in Takumi's eyes at the mention of his mother and grandmother in trouble and them needing Suki "What's the matter? Big tough Hiroshi can't beat the Oni by himself? He needs a school girl to fight his battles for him?" he asks, his voice barely containing a deep, almost pure rage.

"Why don't you man up and fight the Oni by yourself or can you not be bothered to do so?" he asks "You say my mom is in trouble, yet you, the strongest one there, abandon them to get Nixa?" he almost spits the name through gritted teeth.

It had now become clear what the emotion was that flashed in Takumi's eyes when Hiroshi mentioned Suki. It was pure hatred and a hate that strong, was deadly!

"Whatever." Hiroshi snarled and left quickly before he really did knock them into next week. He didn't know what had gotten into him but he liked the brat even less then he did before if that was possible.

He didn't know where Usagi was, so guess he was on his own he quickly headed back to where the fighting was taking place.

Speaking of whom, Usagi comes jumping down, her strange rabbit forming next to her after she lands "Hiroshi, we got Oni! Get Suki and let-" she stops, gasping as her hand goes to her mouth and she takes a step back, a look of horror on her face.

Takumi had thrown the door open "Enough about Suki! She can't help you anymore!" he yells! He was covered in blood and was holding a large, blood stained knife "Everyday, all day it's Suki this and Suki That!" he roars, his voice started to get deeper and slightly two-toned.

"Well guess what? There's No more Suki to help you!" he bellows as his skin starts to ripple and change! Forming into and hardening into the same armor as before. The knife in his hand started to grow and change until it was a large sword and Takumi had changed into the Evil Knight from before!

Hiroshi stood there stunned before everything began to click in place. The reason Takumi had been acting strange and not letting them in. The 'Suki can't help anymore' finally clicked into place. Suki was probably dead in that very house and to add insult to injury, judging by Takumi's looks he had stabbed them again before coming out.

He'd never see Suki laugh, smile or cry again.

He would would never get to tell her he loved her, and he had been a idioit for not noticing that about himself before.

Takumi.

He had to die.

He had to.

The temprature around the area itself began to rise, Hiroshi clenched his fist hard enough to draw blood as fire came him, true to his race name like a wildfire except turning to blue as strange tatoo's began forming. Hiroshi didn't care he had just performed two stronger feats that were impressive for someone his age such as the transformation and the fire.

"I'll kill you..." He snarled, not sounding like his normal self at all, and for lack of a better word demonic.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Hiroshi roared as his aura flared as he charged into Takumi like a bat out of hell, all intent on focusing all his rage and hate on the knight and tearing them out of that armor.

Usagi shoots in front of Hiroshi "I'll handle Takumi, you find Suki! She needs you now!" she yells to Roshi, hoping to snap him out of his rage!

The thing that Was Takumi laughs "This pitiful creature called Takumi is no more!" he roars as he throws a fireball at his closest target, Usagi!

Which swirled around her, due to her control over gravity, and then shoots back at The Knight! He clearly didn't expect that and was thrown aside by the force of his own blast!