Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kageyama Tobio isn’t born so much as made.

Before his removal as head of the House of the White Rose Coven Council, Ito Masaru fears the coming of an apocalypse. Repeated trips into the hellish dimension of Hinokoku alerts one of the Class 1 demons ruling there to the existence of Japan, and Ito knows he must create a contingency plan in the event the demon ever seeks to pass through the dimensions to expand his territory.

Ito sends one of the eager young hopefuls into her Hinokoku trial with a specific mission: collect a sample of the Class 1 demon’s seed for an experiment. She succeeds, but not without horrific psychological damage. Ito doesn’t care about that, though. That’s par the course with the Hinokoku trials. Sometimes, the witches-in-training come back broken. They aren’t strong enough to endure the trial and therefore, he wipes his hands of them.

He takes the sample and experiments with different surrogates. The first one, a human woman desperate for money, gives birth to a horrifically deformed monster that dies soon afterwards. His second attempt is with a half-blood witch, but even with the magic in her aura the child dies, no longer deformed, but unable to thrive with so much demon energy.

Finally, Ito finds the perfect young woman willing to be a surrogate. Her family name is Kageyama, and he pays her three hundred thousand yen for her trouble. She’s a pureblood witch who came through her Hinokoku trial unscathed and stronger than ever. Ito sets her up in the second floor of his own house, and every day he imbues her womb with magic. This was the key he missed before, he realized. The magic needs to be strong enough to counteract the demon energy. To create balance. He starts with small amounts, but as the fetus grows, he spends more and more energy pouring his magic into the child.

When the child is born, Ito sends Kageyama on her way. After all, only he knows the true importance of the birth.

He calls the boy “Tobio.” Flying hero.

He is to be the savior of Japan.

As Tobio ages, he shows signs of incredible power early on. As a toddler, he moves his toys around without touching them. As a young child, he memorizes and executes multiple spells with remarkable accuracy. By the time he reaches his twelfth birthday, Kageyama Tobio is the most powerful witch Ito’s ever seen.

Of course, he can’t go to regular school, and he can’t be discovered by other witches. No one must know of Ito’s experiment, lest someone try to steal Tobio away or worse, kill him for his demon blood. He committed the taboo when he combined human and demon DNA, but he doesn’t regret it. Not when he’ll be the one to stop the apocalypse.

He instills this knowledge into his “son.” He tells him, every day, how special he is, how his body is infused with magic, how his demon abilities make him stronger than any living human or witch. But he also tells him how dangerous he is, how careful he must be that he never goes outside, never lets anyone see him. If he does, others won’t understand. They’ll call him a monster. They’ll hunt him, torture him, kill him.

Tobio must stay inside the house, always. No exceptions.

At first, Tobio doesn’t mind obeying. The house is all he knows, and Ito takes care of him, trains him, teaches him cool spells and tricks he can do with his abilities. But as he gets older, curiosity seeps in. He looks outside his window, tinted so that he can see out, but nobody can see in, and watches the children walk to school, to the park across the street, to grocery store on the corner. He sees them playing together, chasing each other, and it looks fun.

But he mustn’t go outside. No. He shouldn’t.

He does.

It’s an accident, really. One moment he’s standing at his window, wishing desperately to know what it feels like to touch the grass of the park, to try out the swing-set he’s seen multiple kids his age use, and the next thing he knows, he’s standing beside the very same swing-set, black smoke curling off his skin before dissipating in the wind.

Not sure what happened but knowing this is the outcome he wanted, Tobio sits on the swing and kicks his legs back and forth. Tilting his head back and closing his eyes, he feels the warmth of the sun, and the wind ruffling his hair. When he does this, it almost feels as though he’s flying. It’s exhilarating.

Then he gets smacked in the face with a ball.

“Ack! Sorry! Sorry!”

Tobio slows to a stop, turning his head to watch as a small boy with bright orange hair rushes toward him, scooping up the white ball that lies in the grass behind him. The boy laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a wide grin, so wide his eyes squeeze shut. He’s got a dimple in his cheek. Tobio stares at it and wonders what it’d feel like if he poked it.

“Sorry about that!” the boy says, his voice loud and bright. “I’m really bad at receives.” He opens his eyes to observe Tobio, head tilting to the side. “Hey, I’ve never seen you here before! Did you just move here?”

Tobio blinks. How much can he say? He’s not even supposed to be outside, let alone talking to anyone. But this boy, with his gangly limbs and sunny, unassuming smile, surely he’s harmless.

“No,” he admits, shaking his head.

“Oh! Well, I’m Shouyou. Hinata Shouyou! What’s your name?”

Tobio inhales sharply. How much is too much? But nobody even knows he exists, so maybe saying his name won’t lead to anything bad. “Kageyama. Tobio.”

“Nice to meet you, Kageyama-kun! Do you want to play with us?” Hinata holds out the ball in his hands.

Tobio frowns at it, not recognizing the type of ball it is. “Play what?”

“It’s volleyball! Don’t you know what volleyball is?”

Tobio scowls. “Of course I do.” He doesn’t.

“Well, then come play with us! I need a setter. There’s only three of us right now, and I wanted to play two on two!”

“Setter . . .”

“You just throw the ball up in the air, and I hit it over the net! If the other team doesn’t bump it back up, then we get a point!” Hinata demonstrates with his hands.

Tobio glances over to where he can now see a net set up a few meters away. Two other children are standing beside it, watching them silently. They wave when Tobio looks at them. He turns back to Hinata, regarding his height skeptically.

“You can hit that over the net?”

Hinata straightens his shoulders, attempting to appear taller. It doesn’t work. “I may be small, but I can jump!” he declares, gesturing to his feet. “I’ve got magic! I send it to my feet, and it makes me go like gwah!” He swings his hand up into the air.

Gwah?

Still, having magic is impressive. Even Tobio knows that. If Hinata is like him, maybe it’s safe to play with him. He stands from the swing.

“Okay.”

“Yay!” Hinata cries, holding the ball up over his head in victory. He takes off back toward the net. “I got a fourth player! We can do two on two!”

“It would be better if it was three on three,” one of the other boys says, as Tobio approaches.

“We can do it,” Hinata insists. He points at Tobio. “This is Kageyama-kun! He’s going to toss for me!”

The other two boys wave again, introducing themselves as “Izumi” and “Kouji.” Tobio promptly forgets these, glossing over them when he takes note through his demon vision that their auras aren’t very strong. Come to think of it, neither is Hinata’s, though it shines somewhat brighter than the other two. Before he can contemplate on that too much, though, Hinata throws him the volleyball. He catches it on instinct, blinking at it.

“Toss it up!” Hinata instructs, gesturing toward the air.

Dubious, but seeing Hinata already running toward the net, Tobio does.

He considers the angle at which Hinata’s coming and throws the ball. It makes a nice arc as it travels up, and Tobio almost expects it to hit the ground with no incident, but then Hinata appears. He’s in the air, much higher than he should be, and his hand smacks the ball directly in the center. It shoots down past the net, and while the other two dive for it, it’s too quick for them. Hinata cackles, as he lands and turns to Tobio with his hands up.

“That was awesome! You tossed it perfectly! We made the point!”

Tobio stares at him. He’s used to getting praised, Ito always tells him when he’s done a good job, but never this enthusiastically, and never with . . . whatever Hinata’s doing with his hands.

Hinata tilts his head. He reaches for Tobio’s wrist, taking it in his warm hand and lifting Tobio’s to push their palms together with a light “smack.” He grins.

“You’re really strange, Kageyama-kun,” he says.

“Eh?” Tobio reels back. Strange? What does that mean? Has Hinata noticed how much he’s different? Will he tell someone? Will he be afraid of him? A sharp pang enters his chest at the thought.

He doesn’t want Hinata to be afraid of him. He wants to keep playing with him.

“Sho-chan! Heads up!” one of the boys, the one with lighter hair and freckles, calls before tossing the ball. The darker haired boy runs up to hit it, and Hinata rushes to receive it, though it smacks him in the face instead.

Still, it goes up into the air, so Tobio gets beneath it and moves to toss it, taking into account where Hinata is and sending it toward him at an angle which should match up perfectly with his hand again. He uses his magic to make sure.

Hinata hits it, grinning despite the redness on his face, once more in the exact position he needs to be, his height and speed rather impressive.

“How do you know how to use magic? Your aura isn’t very strong,” Tobio asks him, as the other two chase after the ball.

“Eh?” Hinata turns to him with a look of surprise. “Oh! I told you! I send as much of it as I can to my feet and legs, so I can run really fast and jump really high.” He grins, hands on his hips. “I’m going to become a Demon Hunter! Just like the Small Giant!”

Tobio blinks. “Who?”

Hinata’s jaw drops open. “WHO?” he shrieks. “YOU DON’T KNOW THE SMALL GIANT?!”

Tobio grimaces, clapping his hand over his ear. “Should I?” he asks with a scowl.

Hinata sputters. “The Small Giant is one of the most powerful Demon Hunters in all of Japan! He’s killed thousands of demons, and holds the national record for most kills ever! He’s the absolute coolest and I’m going to be just like him!”

Tobio’s scowl doesn’t soften. How in the world is this small, loud child with barely any magic going to become the top ranked Demon Hunter in all of Japan? It doesn’t make any sense. Especially since, according to Ito, Tobio is already well on his way to becoming the most powerful witch in all of Japan. “How?” he asks. “Your magic is weak.”

Hinata puffs out his chest. Before he can say anything, though, the others call out that they’re ready to serve again. The game continues, and Tobio takes note of the fact that none of them are very good at it. Hinata gets under most of the receives, but he doesn’t seem to be able to bump it back correctly, or he’ll get knocked over by the force of it. The other two are even worse, and they don’t even have magic on their side. It’s an unfair match-up, and Tobio grows frustrated after some time.

“Why don’t you play with people who actually know what they’re doing?” he asks, gripping the ball in his hands.

Hinata blinks. “It’s just for fun,” he says, shaking his head. “They don’t even really like volleyball. They’re helping me work on my reflexes so when I’m thirteen next year I can start training with a coven.”

Thirteen? This kid is my age?

Tobio’s stare must’ve grown intense, because Hinata veers away from him, lifting his fists in front of his face. “What’s wrong? You wanna fight?”

“You’re my age.”

“Yeah? So?”

“I thought you were in elementary school.”

“What?”

Before Hinata can react further than that, Tobio senses a strong, familiar presence. He flinches, as a hand descends upon his shoulder.

“Tobio,” Ito says, his voice low, ominous. “What are you doing?”

Hinata’s tenses, and even the two boys on the other side of the net exchange worried glances. Tobio stares down at the ball in his hands, squeezing it.

“Playing volleyball,” he replies softly.

“It’s time to come home. Tell the children goodbye.”

“Bye,” Tobio mutters, the ball caught in a death grip, as Ito’s hand moves to his upper arm and clutches tight enough to bruise.

He drags Tobio away from the park, marching across the street to where their house stands. Behind him, he hears Hinata cry out that he’s taken their ball, but Tobio barely registers it. There’s a rushing sound in his ears, a dark cold feeling curling through his chest and stomach. He feels sick.

Once they’ve entered the house, Ito flings him onto the floor. The ball slips from his grasp, bouncing and rolling away out of sight into the kitchen. Tobio watches it go.

“Do I need to remind you what will happen if anyone out there finds out what you are?” Ito demands, standing above him. When Tobio doesn’t answer, he continues. “What if you’d hurt those children? None of them are as strong as you, nobody is as strong as you. That is why I have to keep you inside. One false move, one mistake, and those children could have died, and you would have killed them. Do you want that to happen?”

Tobio can only shake his head. Of course he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. But Hinata, with his bright smile and warm hands . . . he accepted Tobio into his game without a second thought. He didn’t even ask if Tobio had magic. He just wanted to play with him. An unfamiliar ache blooms in his chest.

Ito crouches in front of him, reaching over to lay his hand on Tobio’s head. He pushes gently, forcing Tobio to look up at him. His expression is tight, lips pursed, eyes cold.

“Never leave this house again, do you understand me? Not until I say you’re ready.”

Tobio nods.

Despite this, Ito fashions a collar for him, one that blocks his access to his magic, even his demon abilities. It’s not quite strong enough to suppress all of it, so Tobio can still train and do minor things, but Ito tells him it’s for his own protection, and for the protection of others, and that he must never take it off. Only Ito can do that, when the time is right.

Three years pass before Tobio sees Hinata again.

After months of rigorous training, Ito decides it’s time to put Tobio’s abilities to the test. He removes the collar, allowing the full strength of Tobio’s power to return. Tobio has to take time to adjust to the surge of energy, and as he does, a strange thing happens.

He begins hearing voices.

They’re like whispers, at first, incomprehensible. As he concentrates, words start to form, but they’re not Japanese. It’s an odd, clipped language, almost as though whoever’s speaking cuts themselves off before they complete each word. Even so, Tobio can understand them.

Kill. Destroy. Devour.

Listen. Open. Consume.

Rage. Lead. War.

These words, over and over, as shadows shift and writhe in the corner of his vision. Whenever he turns to look, they disappear, but he can still feel them. Hovering. Watching. Waiting. The words repeat, again and again. They burn into his skull, until he wants to dig his nails into his brain and tear them out.

“BE QUIET!” he screams.

Silence falls. Surprised, Tobio sits a few minutes more, waiting. They don’t return.

Instead, a single voice curls into his mind.

“Ah. There you are. My son.”

The voice is deep and insidious. Tobio trembles when he hears it, as fear creeps into the corners of his heart, threatening to freeze it. He can feel Ito’s eyes on him. He’s not sure when the man entered the room, but he’s standing there, watching him. He isn’t the one who spoke.

“Who are you?” Tobio asks the voice in his mind.

“I am Malikra. King of Hinokoku. A witch took my seed and created you. I have waited and I have watched. You were hidden from me for some time, but now I see you again.”

Tobio shivers. “You’re not my father. Ito-san is my father.”

“He may be the one who raised you, but I am your true father. You are my progeny. My destiny. You will usher in a new era. You will extend my kingdom into the dimension of Japan. I will show you the way.”

Tobio chews on his lip.

“What is it, Tobio? What’s wrong?” Ito asks sharply.

Tobio blinks, looking up at the man. “Nothing,” he says.

If he admits to hearing the voice, he knows Ito will put him back into the collar and won’t let him go hunting. Tobio’s been looking forward to this day for three years. He can’t let anything stop him from seeing the outdoors again.

“I am a Demon Hunter. If you are a demon, I will kill you.”

A low chuckle follows this declaration.

“I look forward to seeing you try.”

The voice fades after that, and it doesn’t return. At least, not then. Ito apparently believes him and sends him on the mission.

It’s a Class 7 demon, practically an imp. Ito wants to start small, see how Tobio does in a real-life situation before sending him after larger prey. He gives Tobio a GPS with the coordinates of the sighting programed in. Tobio stares into the screen as he walks, dressed in tactical gear, several enchanted knives strapped to his waist, with one on his thigh and one on his ankle. He probably won’t need them. His magic is powerful enough. But they’re just a precaution in case the demon gets the drop on him, and he isn’t quick enough with his magic.

He senses the demon before he sees it. It’s like he’s stepped in something cold and slimy, except the sensation covers his entire body. It’s disgusting, and Tobio stops short automatically, wrinkling his nose. Do they all feel like that? Gross.

Then he hears the shouts of spells, the cry of human voices calling to each other. Has someone already found the demon? Curious, Tobio moves forward, stopping a few meters away from where the GPS says the demon is. Looking up, he watches as the demon leaps out from an alleyway, wings singed and smoking. It lands and turns with a snarl, as two figures race after it. They stop short, one holding a knife, enchanted with a golden glow of magic, at his side, breathing hard; the other holds up their hands, which glow faintly, fainter than the knives. The first Hunter has a head of bright orange hair, and the sight of it causes the air to leave Tobio’s chest.

He knows that hair.

Hinata Shouyou leaps forward with a yell, darting at the demon with remarkable speed. Speed is all he has, though, and even as he swipes at the demon with his knife, the demon spins away and rakes its claws across Hinata’s back. Or, it attempts to. With amazingly quick reflexes, Hinata twists to the side and the demon’s claw swipes the air.

“Senpai!” the second Hunter yells, and when the demon turns to look at him, he startles like a frightened rabbit and shouts off a spell on instinct. A blast of golden magic shoot from his hands, but it’s weak and barely singes the demon’s chest.

As it’s distracted, Hinata races forward and plunges his knife into the back of the demon’s thigh. It howls and brings its claw down. Hinata manages to avoid the hit again, but in doing so he leaves the knife behind.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit,” he mutters, as he runs back to his companion.

“Hinata-senpai, I don’t think this is a good idea. We’re not strong enough for this,” the second Hunter says.

“We haven’t lost yet!” Hinata yells, yanking a second knife from behind his back. This one glows as well.

Ah. Now Tobio understands. Since Hinata’s magic is so weak, he’s relying on enchanted weapons to do damage, while he focuses on using what magic he has to bolster his legs and feet, just as he did back in the park playing volleyball. It’s not a bad strategy, it’s pretty impressive, actually, but his companion’s magic is also weak, and they’re barely holding back the demon. As it grows angrier, it’ll only get more vicious. Tobio knows they don’t stand a chance.

What is Hinata doing with such a weak partner? Didn’t he say he wanted to be the top ranked Demon Hunter in all of Japan? He’s not going to get there like this. His reflexes are good, but his form is sloppy. He should’ve managed to keep his grip on that knife. Now, the demon has yanked it from its thigh and flung it back toward the two boys. The partner flinches, throwing up a ward, but since the blade is enchanted, it passes right through.

Hinata leaps in front of it, taking the knife in the shoulder.

“Senpai!”

How stupid. Now Hinata won’t be able to use his own knife at all. They’re going to lose for sure.

Striding forward, Tobio lifts his hand, knocking the demon away from the two. It tumbles into the street, snarling. Looking up, it whips its head around to glare at Tobio. For a moment, it bares its teeth, but then a look of uncertainty flickers in its dark red eyes. Not stopping to wonder at that, Tobio flicks his hand and the demon’s chest smolders, as a blast of magic hits it squarely. It stumbles, and with another quick shot Tobio skewers the demon to the ground.

It’s ridiculously easy, honestly. Pinned with nowhere to go, the demon can only struggle and growl and then it’s gone; another blast from Tobio, larger than the first, causes it to disintegrate. As its ashes dissipate into the air, he turns to frown down at Hinata and his companion. The unfamiliar boy has his hands over the wound in Hinata’s shoulder, and he’s attempting to heal it, but his magic is near to tapping out, so all he’s managed to do is stop the bleeding.

With an aggrieved sigh, Tobio crouches beside Hinata and pushes the kid’s hands away. A simple touch, and the wound is healed completely. The companion stares at Tobio with wide eyes. Hinata wrinkles his nose, as he sits up and notices the demon’s gone.

“Hey, what the hell? That was our kill!”

Tobio blinks. He just saved the guy’s life. Isn’t that more important? “You weren’t going to kill it. It was toying with you. You would’ve died.”

“You don’t know that!” Hinata hops to his feet, his companion following suit slowly. “We could’ve beaten it with a little more time!”

Tobio scowls. “You were on the ground. Injured.”

“I could’ve still killed it,” Hinata grumbles, picking up both knives from the ground and shoving them into their sheaths, one at his side, the other behind his back. He squints at Tobio suddenly. “Hey . . . I know you.”

Tobio stares back at him, wondering if he seriously didn’t realize before.

“You’re that guy! The one that stole my volleyball!”

Tobio sputters. That’s what he remembers from the encounter? “I didn’t steal it!” he exclaims.

“You took it and didn’t give it back! That’s stealing!”

“You were playing shittily anyway. You didn’t need it,” Tobio grumbles, trying to ignore the slight guilt that’s pricking his chest.

“That’s not the point! First you steal my ball, and then you steal my kill! What gives?!”

Tobio grits his teeth. Is this guy serious? “That wasn’t your kill. You weren’t going to kill it. I did, so it’s my kill.”

Hinata makes a noise like a boiling tea kettle, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Up close, Tobio can see he hasn’t changed much. He’s still ridiculously short, and his hair is still a mess of orange. There are more freckles on his nose now, though, and he’s not smiling so Tobio can’t see the dimple. Hinata stamps his foot.

“Next time, I’m going to get the kill. I have to! If I’m going to rank at all, I need to kill a demon!”

Tobio shakes his head. “You won’t rank if you’re too weak to kill even a Class 7 demon, dumbass,” he says flatly. “Didn’t you say you wanted to be as strong as the Small Giant? What have you even been doing these past three years?”

Hinata’s face grows red. “Shut up! You don’t know anything about me! I’ve been working hard!”

“Well?! What have you got to show for it? Nothing!” Tobio can’t believe this guy actually thinks he’s strong enough to defeat a demon, especially after just fighting one and getting injured. It’s even Hinata’s own fault for jumping in front of the knife. The other kid would’ve been fine, probably. Maybe. Still, it was a stupid move, and Tobio doesn’t understand why he did it when he knows he doesn’t have enough magic to make a ward shield to protect himself.

“Just you wait! I am going to become the top ranked Demon Hunter! I’ll beat everyone! I’ll beat you!”

Tobio scowls. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He’s going to get himself killed at this rate. Dumbass!

“You’re ridiculous!”

Tobio grits his teeth. How can he make this guy understand? “The one who’s able to stand their ground and defeat any demon they come across will be the top ranked Hunter.”

“I’ll do that, then!”

“You couldn’t even defeat this demon!”

“I’ll still do it!”

“Um, Hinata-senpai.” The kid next to them pokes his fingers together nervously. “W-we should probably head back. My mom was going to make dinner for us.”

Hinata continues glaring back at Tobio for a minute before his expression smooths over, and he turns to his companion. “Okay, Mori-kun, let’s go back and let your mom know you’re okay.”

He shoots one more frown over his shoulder at Tobio, setting two fingers in front of his eyes before shooting them in Tobio’s direction, as the two of them walk away. Tobio has no idea why Hinata seems so angry at him for only pointing out the truth. It makes him feel uneasy, though, to think of Hinata out there throwing himself in front of knives and demons without proper protection.

Stupid. He shouldn’t be thinking of Hinata at all. They’re not friends. Like Hinata said, he doesn’t even really know the guy.

Glancing toward where the demon lay before it disappeared, Tobio stares at the black blood staining the street, before turning and walking back the way he’d come. The entire day has been weird. From hearing the demons and his biological father’s voice, to coming here and running into Hinata again, of all people.

He doesn’t tell Ito the details of what happened. He simply states he killed the demon as asked, without incident. Ito says he did well, but he still straps the collar back around Tobio’s neck.

“Remember,” Ito says, as he does every day, “you can’t go outside without me telling you that you can. If anyone finds out what you are, they will consider you just as terrible as the demons they slay. They will fear you and they will kill you. So, keep the collar on, and stay inside. Do you understand?”

Tobio nods, but he can’t help but think that he won’t be able to meet Hinata’s challenge if he stays indoors.

Ito gives him the opportunity to hunt and kill more demons as time goes on, but Tobio doesn’t see Hinata again.

And so, another three years pass.

“Well, he finally did it. He quit. He’s gone.”

Sawamura Daichi looks up from the laptop on his desk, where he’s painstakingly created a flyer promoting the Black Crow’s training facility: Karasuno. It’s plain but has all the information needed, including the fact that Udai Tenma, the Small Giant himself, trained there under Ukai Ikkei. That has to draw in new coven members

He frowns at this new information, though, unable to help but wonder what’s gone wrong now.

“Who’s gone?”

Sugawara Koushi sighs, gesturing absently towards the open office door that leads further into the facility, to the various training rooms, locker rooms, and showers, which have all been rather empty as of late. “Asahi. He said he can’t do it. Not after what happened last hunt. He’s having nightmares and stuff. He apologized but says he quits and then he left.”

Daichi grimaces, saving his progress before leaning back in his chair. “I mean, I guess I’m not surprised . . . He took the loss pretty hard.”

Suga frowns. “We’ve all had nightmares, Daichi. Now isn’t the time for quitting! He’s one of our strongest Hunters. We can’t afford to lose him. Especially since Nishinoya’s saying he won’t go on hunts without him.”

Daichi feels his eyebrows inch toward his scalp. “Excuse me?”

Suga flaps his arms in a helpless gesture. “He yelled at Asahi for being a coward and then said he won’t fight if Asahi doesn’t. He’ll still train with us, but that’s it.”

Daichi rubs his temples, feeling a headache forming. “He’s not even Asahi’s hunting partner. He can’t skip out on Tanaka like that.”

“Well, Tanaka doesn’t seem too heartbroken, but I think that’s because he’ll have to pair up with Shimizu now.” Even in this stressful situation, Suga looks amused. His ability to see a bright spot in the worst of times is one of the things Daichi loves about him, though this particular amusing aspect of it doesn’t necessarily make him feel any better.

“I can’t believe this. We’ve already lost Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita. Now Asahi and Noya?” Daichi throws up his hands. “I’m trying to make sure the House of the Black Crow doesn’t get disbanded; how am I supposed to do that with only four Demon Hunters? The coven council’s already down to just Ukai-san and Takeda-sensei. We’re losing more and more members every day.”

Suga steps around his chair, taking his shoulders in his hands to start massaging them. “Hey, relax,” he says softly. “We’ll get him back. We’ll get them all back.”

Daichi sighs, leaning back into his touch, as he closes his eyes and tries to obey. Suga’s arms wrap around his shoulders, and he sets his chin in Daichi’s hair.

“Is that the flyer?” he asks curiously.

Daichi opens his eyes, looking at the black and white image on his screen. “Yeah. It’s not very eye-catching, but I’m hoping mentioning Udai-san will help.”

“He was pretty impressive.” Daichi can hear the smile in Suga’s voice.

“Yeah, he was.” Daichi chews on his lip, not entirely sure how to follow up on a reputation like the one the Small Giant had. It was before his time, but at the height of his career, Udai Tenma had been formidable. Despite his lack of height, his magic was strong, his reflexes sharp, his fighting style impeccable. The Black Crow coven had flourished, back then. Everyone wanted a chance at hunting alongside the Small Giant.

Then his team and two others fell at the hands of a few Class 4 demons and the House of the Black Crow’s popularity dwindled. Now, there are barely enough members to sustain a ranking among the covens. They’ve fallen so far behind, there are rumors that Ukai’s considering disbandment.

Daichi doesn’t want that to happen. He, Asahi, Suga, and Shimizu . . . they’ve all been a part of this coven since they were children. They grew up in it, studied in it, trained in it . . . it feels like a betrayal to even consider applying to a different coven, even if nobody really hires Demon Hunters from the Black Crow anymore.

“If we can get even a few more members, strong ones, I think we could prove ourselves as a coven to be admired again,” Daichi admits, reaching up to hold Suga’s arm where it sits across his chest. He strokes it lightly with his thumb. “We’ll start getting jobs more regularly . . .”

“Right, exactly,” Suga agrees, giving him a squeeze. “I’ll get Tanaka started on putting up the flyers, and I’m sure Shimizu will help out, too. We’ll build a strong team in no time!”

Daichi smiled, unable to help it in the face of Suga’s indomitable optimism. “What would I do without you?” he asks, tilting his head back to look up at him.

“Go gray prematurely, I’m sure,” Suga says with a grin, kissing his forehead.

“TANAKA COMING IN!” Tanaka Ryuunosuke yells, as he stomps his way into the office.

Daichi grimaces. “You don’t have to do that every time, you know,” he says.

“No offense, but I’m really not looking to walk in on the two of you having sex or something,” Tanaka says, gesturing between them.

Daichi feels his face grow warm, especially as Suga begins to snicker behind him. “Why would we be having sex in my office with the door open?”

“Hey, man, I don’t know your life,” Tanaka says, holding up his hands. “You might want to get freaky one of these days, and I just know that’ll be the day I don’t announce my presence.”

“I’m pretty sure we couldn’t miss your presence even if we tried,” Suga says with a grin.

“Did you need something?” Daichi asks, kind of wanting to crawl into a hole.

“There’s been a demon sighting reported,” Tanaka says, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “I thought we might want to get in on it before another team grabs it. You know, as a show of good faith! To prove we’re still a force to be reckoned with!”

Daichi hesitates, wrestling with what to do. On the one hand, jumping ahead of another team, even for a freebie, would show initiative and strength, especially if they won. But on the other hand, with only the three of them . . .

“Do you know what class of demon it is? Or how many were spotted?” he asks, not about to put any of them at risk of horrendous failure.

Tanaka pulls his phone from his pocket, scrolling through something with furrowed brows before he perks up and holds the screen out to them. From his position behind the desk, Daichi can’t read anything, but Suga steps around it to peer at the feed.

“Two Class 5 demons,” he reads. “A few blocks west of here.”

Daichi scratches the side of his chin, considering. Class 5 demons aren’t the worst, but they not exactly easy pickings either.

“I don’t think we can take on two Class 5 demons with just the three of us,” he admits. “One, maybe, but not two.”

Tanaka frowns. “I’ll call Noya. Maybe he’ll come back if I ask him.” He pulls his phone back to tap away at it.

Daichi gets out his phone to call Shimizu but hesitates when he sees Suga pursing his lips. Grimacing, he realizes his mistake. “You can come with us,” he offers. “Even without Asahi, you’re a really strong fighter.”

Suga waves him off. “I don’t want to mess up your rhythm. You and Shimizu have been hunting partners for years. Add me into the mix and it could throw everything off.”

Daichi frowns. “It won’t,” he insists, shaking his head. “We’re really good at adapting. Your fighting style and talent could benefit us.”

“Fuck! He isn’t picking up,” Tanaka says, shaking his head. He looks between Daichi and Suga before setting his shoulders back. “Suga-san! Pair up with me! We’ll kick those demon asses no problem!”

Suga smiles. “Well, I suppose I can’t refuse an opportunity to kick demon asses, now can I?”

Daichi sends Tanaka a grateful look, as he calls Shimizu.

He tells her to meet them at the block adjacent to the one the demons were spotted in, gearing up with Suga and Tanaka, then. He makes sure their House of the Black Crow symbols (the silhouette of a crow against a rising sun) show clearly on their jackets, wanting everyone to know what coven they belong to in the event they do take down these demons.

Shimizu's already waiting for them when they arrive. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, gear in place, proudly displaying the Black Crow symbol on her vest.

“Have you heard anything?” Daichi asks, stepping up beside her.

Shimizu shakes her head. “I just arrived,” she admits.

“Kiyoko-san! You’re looking very beautiful today!” Tanaka exclaims.

Shimizu doesn’t respond, beckoning for Daichi to follow her into the nearest alleyway. “I looked up this block on the map. I believe this is the quickest route to where the demons were spotted.”

Daichi nods and gestures for Tanaka to be quiet, as the three of them follow Shimizu further into the alley. Once they’ve gone a few meters, he picks up the sound of fighting in the distance, shouts of spells and unintelligible roars.

“Shit! Another team is taking our prey from us!” Tanaka sprints forward with a yell. “YOU BASTARDS!!!”

Suga sighs. “I guess we’re going in,” he says, giving Daichi a faint grin.

Daichi nods. “We’ll flank you,” he tells him.

Suga runs ahead, following Tanaka to the right, as Daichi and Shimizu go left. There’s a deafening shriek that causes both Shimizu and Daichi to flinch, and when they arrive at scene of the fight, Daichi sees with dismay the remnants of black smoke dissipating into the air. Tanaka growls at the two Hunters standing there, putting away their weapons.

“Hey! Those were our demons!”

The Hunter closest to Daichi shrugs, and he catches a glimpse of the Eastern Star symbol (a simple rising sun) on his jacket. “You snooze you lose,” he says, twirling his knife before sheathing it.

Daichi frowns, recognizing now the wild black crest of the man’s hair. Kuroo Tetsurou, from the House of the Eastern Star. He doesn’t recognize the smaller man that steps up beside him, blonde hair obscuring most of his face, as he ducks his head.

“How did you get here so quickly?” Daichi asks, clenching his fist by his side. “We only just got the notification and we came over right away.”

Kuroo and his companion share a quick glance before Kuroo answers. “We were in the area.”

“In Sendai? Don’t you live in Tokyo?”

“Eastern Star Hunters get jurisdiction in the Tōhoku region and the Kantō region.”

Daichi knows that, but it doesn’t soothe his irritation. The Eastern Star coven is large enough to cover both regions, while the Black Crow can barely cover Sendai.

“Heh, lucky,” Tanaka mutters, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring.

Kuroo rubs the back of his neck, grinning shamelessly. “Yeah, guess so.” He looks over toward Daichi, giving him a nod. “Heard about your coven possibly disbanding. That’s tough luck, man, I’m sorry.”

Daichi frowns. “Yeah . . . that’s why we need as many kills as we can get,” he says, gesturing to the black blood soaking into the asphalt of the street.

Kuroo smirks. “Can’t expect everyone else to just step back and let you take every demon that pops up around here. We need to make money too.”

“You have plenty of demons popping up around Tokyo too, though, don’t you?” Suga asks, his mild intonation cutting through the growing tension between the groups.

Kuroo holds up his hands. “Okay, okay, I get your point. I won’t tread on your guys’ feet anymore. I can’t promise others won’t, though. More and more demons are popping up both regions. There’s talk of an actual apocalypse coming.”

Daichi blinks. “Are you serious?” He looks toward Suga, but he just looks back grimly. This is the first he’s hearing of this. He turns back to Kuroo, whose expression has turned grave, which is worrisome in of itself. “When? How?”

Kuroo shakes his head. “I don’t know. All I know is that this Class 1 demon named Malikra from Hinkoku has plans to cross into this dimension and conquer it. He’s got an army and everything. I think these guys are just the welcoming committee.” He gestures toward the black blood. “Scouts, scoping out the competition. The Coven Councils have been holding meetings about it, but not very many Hunters know yet.”

“How do you know?” Tanaka asks skeptically, like he’s not entirely sure if Kuroo is fucking with them or not.

Kuroo starts, not appearing to have anticipated that question. “We . . . have an inside source,” he says, exchanging another look with his partner.

Daichi sighs, rubbing a hand over his hair. He has no idea how to take this information. What does this mean for the Black Crow? For his Hunters? Will they be expected to fight in this upcoming apocalypse? Or will they be disbanded by then?

He feels a twist in his gut. It’s not as though he wants to participate in a war. But the thought of the Black Crow not even being asked to stand with their fellow witches and hunters in a fight for humanity stings his pride.

Kuroo gives them a wave. “Well . . . we better head back to Tokyo. I’m sure the Councils will give us more information when the need arises. In the meantime, good luck with rebuilding your coven. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Daichi blinks, surprised by the support but gratified at the same time. He nods. “Yeah, thanks.”

Tanaka still glares at Kuroo and his partner as they leave, grumbling under his breath as he stomps over to Daichi, kicking at the blood.

“Man, we haven’t had a good fight in ages. I’m so pissed.”

“I’m impressed that Kuroo-san and that little guy managed to take out two Class 5 demons on their own,” Suga admits, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he watches the two walk away from them.

“Sawamura,” Shimizu says softly at his elbow. “If this news about an apocalypse is true, it sounds pretty serious.”

Daichi nods. “I know. We need to double our efforts in getting people trained. Even if they don’t join our coven, they should still know the basics.” He turns to Suga. “We’ll open up our training facility to anyone who wants to use it, no matter their coven.”

Suga nods. “Better add that to your flyers,” he says with a brief smile.

“I gotta tell Nishinoya about this,” Tanaka says, thumbs typing away furiously on his phone.

Daichi looks over the deserted street. Already some people are peeking out of their windows and doors to see if the demons are gone. He waves at those who make eye contact with him, tempted to take credit for the victory. In the end he doesn’t, but he doesn’t advertise who did, either, thinking Kuroo should’ve done that if he wanted the clout for it.

“Come on, let’s head back. I need to talk to Ukai about all this.”

It’s a solemn troupe that follows him back to Karasuno. Suga steps up to walk beside him, hand brushing against his until Daichi moves to take it. Suga squeezes firmly.

“Whatever happens, we’ll be prepared for it,” he assures him.

“Yeah,” Daichi agrees with a nod.

He hopes so, at least.