Eternal Melody



But if Sumire were the one to push him away if she told him that she no longer needed him. Toh knew he wouldn't be able to do anything. He can now cling to her, knowing she won't tell him those words. But for how long? He already knew the answer to his own question until Terashima Yuhi returned. 

When Terashima returns, Sumire will not hesitate to push him away.

'I am not the type of person to give up easily, but I do not want to be stupidly persistent and end up like Nagawa.'

"You know, this arrangement with Ki is for your sake, too," Mamoru said, breaking the silence.

At those words, Toh exhaled deeply and ran his hands through his hair.

"I know."

Despite Mamoru's sudden suggestion, Toh figured that he wasn't just doing this for Sumire's sake.

"Has anybody told you before that your too much of a good guy?"

Mamoru laughed. "Yeah, Ki often said it. Though she used to word it like 'your kindness is wasted on people who will never do anything for you.'"

"That's just like her."

Toh watches as Mamoru's gaze falls on the girl fast asleep. "I accepted the job to infiltrate D Entertainment, the Black Alice organization, because I will do anything to protect her."

"I figured." Toh trailed off. "I suppose you do not trust me for information?"

Mamoru shakes his head. "That's not it. It's just I didn't want Lucifer to punish you." He trailed off. "Does she know about the scars?"

"Yeah, I showed them to her."

Mamoru's expression immediately became complicated. "Toh, I know you well enough by now. I know you won't force her, but please hold yourself back more."

Toh nodded. "I am aware. I won't overdo it. Her current state is very bad. It's not like before. She has become more afraid now that she has experienced happiness with the one she loves. She has grasped onto happiness only to gain the fear of losing it."

"So you do understand." Mamoru sighed in relief. 

He rolled his eyes at that comment. "Do you think I will behave like Nagawa?"

Just the mere mention of that guy makes him angry again. He wants nothing more than to rush over and beat him up. But, he has to think sensibly. The consequences of hitting Nagawa Sano mean alerting Lucifer that he is more attached to Sumire than he lets on.

Lucifer most likely already knows that. However, this is a game between them. As long as he continues behaving like an obedient subordinate, then Lucifer's hands are tied even if he knows how much Sumire means to him. However, if he behaves recklessly, then Lucifer will have an excuse to use that knowledge against him.

He has to be careful. He recalled Sumire's pained gaze when she saw the scars and her tears. But, what stood out to him then was the dark gaze in his eyes. 

"No, I don't." He trailed off. "Since we are on that subject. If you're supposed to be 'seducing Ki again,' what is Nagawa doing?"

At those words, Toh frowned. It never occurred to him that now that Lucifer has passed on Nagawa's duties to him, that man would be doing another job for Lucifer. He simply assumed that Nagawa was still on the job. 

"I will find out," Toh said with a deep frown on his face. "Since he joined the organization, the jobs given to Nagawa Sano have been very lenient. Simply overseeing the shipment from abroad, even then, he only has to ensure the boats land and provide support for large gatherings. Nothing dangerous, but-" Toh paused. "Now that he is officially out of the job. I can see Lucifer making him do something unreasonable."

"Because he is an evolved human now?"

Toh shakes his head. "Not just an evolved human, but a hanyou."

Mamoru's face color turned visibly pale. "But that's impossible." He shakes his head. "You can't create hanyous."

"Indeed, there has been no historical record of anyone creating hanyous. Even the creation of evolved humans is limited to replicating their powers, which are limited in use. In an actual fight against a truly evolved human, they would lose. Though many have found loopholes to win and increase their power, that is as far as it goes."

Evolved humans have genes that have evolved inside their bodies. It is not something one can replicate.

"Then-" Mamoru said, alarmed. "-how?"

"But, do you not recall what Lucifer was doing in Star Town before?"

Realization dawned on Mamoru. "The random attacks on evolved humans that involved taking their brains and different organs."

"Yes, though it took a while. Eventually, he discovered a way to bypass the limitation loophole. Initially, that was all he intended to do, to ensure that the powers do not leave the newly evolved human, however, as punishment for Nagawa's disobedience. He fed him his blood to drive him crazy. During that time, Nagawa was already undergoing the process of becoming an evolved human."

Mamoru's facial color turned paler and paler, and he grabbed hold of Sumire's hand and squeezed it tightly, almost like he was afraid that she would slip away.

"The blood of a purebred hanyou, in other words, Lucifer and Sumire's blood, will create not just a perfected evolved human but a hanyou too."

"That's- then Ki will-"

Toh nodded. "Chances are she will be attacked more frequently." He trailed off. "I actually thought you knew, and that was the real reason why you asked her to stay with me."

"I had no idea. I wasn't-I didn't think to look for this type of information." Mamoru admitted. "That was careless of me. I was too focused on what Lucifer wants with Sumire and how to break their connection to even think her lineage would cause her problems."

"The entire Ibuki family are evolved, humans. But Sumire is the only hanyou. It seems Lucifer knew that and previously tried to bargain with her family so he could have her."

"Is that why he killed them?"

Toh nodded. "It was the only way for him to get to her because they refused to give her up. When I found out what happened, I was surprised. I was under the impression that Sumire didn't get along with her family."

Mamoru paused. "They were certainly awkward around her. But it's not like they didn't love her. So they fought, and Lucifer resorted to drastic measures?"

"I believe he truly didn't want to go too far. But I think one of her siblings attacked his base intending to kill him, and he saw that as a sign of war."

Mamoru frowned. "If we put it this way, Lucifer was actually being reasonable."

"Still, arson? Murder?" Toh shakes his head. "No parents will hand over their child to Lucifer. If they were truly evolved humans, they must have sensed the darkness in him. No matter how awkward their relationship with their child is, they wouldn't hand her over to a monster like Lucifer."

When he heard the true story, Toh was horrified. If Lucifer was truly a good person, he wouldn't have used such extreme measures to fight back. That man, there is nothing good about him.

"That's true. Maybe I should-"

Toh shakes his head. "Don't even think about it. Didn't you promise that you would finish up your job quickly? Get the information your agent wants and quit."

The longer Tsueno stays, the more Lucifer and the media can manipulate him to be used against Sumire.

"I understand," Mamoru said reluctantly. "I'll quit soon."

Toh hears the slight pause and exhales deeply. It seems like he will have to watch over not only Sumire but Mamoru too.