I sat alone in my mother's rose garden, looking at the blue roses. Melissa had left. But she told me everything that I wanted to know. I decided not to be very mean to her anymore since she did save my star spirit. But nevertheless, she was a hoe! A demon, huh? Does this mean I have contracted a demon? But, she didn't tell why he got that vitiligo mark—Does possession of a master makes you a demon. I suppose that's why Lict got contaminated. So then is the vice versa possible? If Lict is a demon, will I become one too? It is not impossible considering how close we are with the demon realm, it's easier for them to possess us than to possess humans.

I heard footsteps and turned back. It was Lord Akagi. I got up and bowed.
"What are you doing here?" Well, it's my mansion.
"Just taking some fresh air." He stood beside me.
"...Do you really not feel anything here?" Lord Akagi asked.

This is the second time he has asked that to me.

"No. Do you feel something here?" I asked because I guessed he felt something there. And that was the reason why he asked me about it again and again. He looked at the roses and his eyes were shining red. He closed them and then when he opened them again, they were back to normal.
"I feel an uneasiness." I looked at his eyes.
"Are you a demon too?"

"Why would you think that?"
"You've got red eyes. Isn't that a characteristic of a demon?"
"That is. But for me it's different. It's a birth defect."
"I see. Are you here for some fresh air too, Lord Akagi?"
"Oh right! Before I forget," He searched through his coat pockets and took out a thing that seemed like a collar.

"Wear it" He ordered. It had been only a day since Lict went unconscious and I'm being predated by this man already. I never knew Lord Akagi was into this stuff. But I guess authors do have their dark side. I took the collar and saw it had a small curved metal attached to it. It looked sharp.

"It's a pocket finger claw knife with a leather sheath." Perhaps he smelled my thoughts. I blushed with embarrassment, "I see." I was acting like a total beginner. I was supposed to be a professional assassin by this point!

"Where am I supposed to wear it?" Or am I even supposed to wear it?
"Somewhere where people can't see it"
"I see. There's no such place," I heard men like stupid women. I was just trying my luck here.

"I hate stupid people." He sighed. See, that's why I hate the internet. You can never rely on it. Yes, mortals, I had learnt of the internet and I wish I hadn't because now I am addicted like you rats.
"Am I supposed to teach you everything?" Well, you chose your job. Aren't you a teacher? I definitely made him mad, "So, there's no place on your body that others can't see."

Wait a minute. I like where this is going.

"Give it here or else you'll just make a fool out of yourself," He snatched the pocket finger claw knife with a leather sheath from me—Can we have a shorter name, please? I know Russians like it big but please. Our names are big, our houses are big, the food servings are big, heck Russia is the biggest country in the world! I was thinking about the future of the Soviet Union but Lord Akagi was in another world. He flipped up my skirt and pressed his hands on my thighs.

"It should be fine here?" He seemed serious. I shrieked and kicked him in the stomach.

Treacherous!

My holy body was touched by a man! Now I have to bath in the freezing waters of the Himalayas to purify myself. I had already started planning the trip in my head while he got up, grabbing his stomach.
"It's nice that you're stronger but can you please try to use that strength to activate your brain? I was trying to help you here."
You were feeling me up! Stop putting yourself as a victim—I'm the one who's traumatised here!

"Sorry," Honestly, I hate myself. Why can't I just speak what I'm thinking? What am I afraid of--What can he do? Then, I remembered his red eyes. On second thoughts, nevermind.
"Tie this around your thigh." He gave me the pocket finger claw knife with a leather sheath. I'll be honest, I wasn't being purposefully stupid anymore. I didn't know how to do it. I mean, it had buttons and weird angles—They seemed to make no sense. Heck, ever a pocket finger claw knife with a leather sheath is drunk nowadays. I looked at lord Akagi with a pleading look.

"If you kick me this time, I will kick you back."
"You don't hit women! You're supposed to be a feminist."
"I am a different kind of feminist. I am a bad feminist"

He was close, really close. Then, he looked down as he fixed the pocket finger claw knife with a leather sheath on my thigh and buttoned it up. I realised I was wearing it upside down. The knife hung a bit loose on the sheath. After he was done, I jumped back. It heard a clatter under my skirt.

"What do you think?" I asked.
"You got nice thighs."
"That's not what I asked." But well, wasn't I happy. Nice work, thighs! "But why do I need this?"
"For making a pact. When you go to the blank space, you can take the knife out from the leather sheath and wear it like a ring on your thumb, wear it on your left thumb "

"Well, I'm a lefty so it's fine." After that, when I walked, I heard the click-clack of my heels and the clatter of the knife. Lord Akagi walked beside me. I told him that I knew what Lict was. Melissa had told me about everything. He just nodded his head. Was he angry at Melissa? I made an evil grin and jumped before him.

"I'm better at keeping secrets than her."
"You surely are. I'm pretty sure nobody will ever know that I touched your thighs."

Wait—Does that make me a hoe? What?! What have I become, no!
"I'm not a hoe!"
"I never called you that."
"Yes but—" I didn't know what to say so I pouted.

"So, why this hatred towards Melissa?"
"Because she is bad."
"And why is she bad?"
"Because you like her."

"Girl, I hit her on every possible occasion I can. Do you boil your eyes before putting them on every morning?" Nevermind, after this point, I was getting roasted. Then, I remembered something.
"Lord Akagi, if Lict is a demon, will I become one too?"
"You don't pay attention to your classes, do you?" What? I do! I'm the best student you can have. Oh wait—Maybe that's why I don't exist for you, "How many times have I told you that demigods are purification vessels?"

"Then why was Lict's old demigod possessed? He was a purification vessel."
"That's" He paused for a while, "That's a good question."

I was scared. So, we couldn't be sure that I won't be affected? Lict, what the bloody hell? Why did you drag me into all this? If you think I can help you--I can't. I'm not a fangxiangshi. All I can do is feel sorry for you.

"How is Lict now?" I asked as we reached the stairs. I was behind Lord Akagi. He had already climbed a few stairs. But upon hearing my question, he paused.

"Not completely a demon yet." He turned towards me, "That seal has grown weak in all these years. It's been almost two thousand years. On every lunar eclipse, the seal grows loose as the demon it holds increases in power. Demons grow stronger during a lunar eclipse."

"I know that,"
"But this time, it might be the last chance the demons need to split the seal once and for all."
"Can't we ask Lady Ivsana for her help again?" I asked.
"Can you contact a god?"
"There must be some prayers."

"Prayers? Do you think gods come to you from prayers? No, honey. You have to do everything yourself. If you wait for divine intervention, it'll be too late. Depend on yourself Vierne, not on gods. Don't forget, they are ones because of whom Lict is suffering. If he didn't get the curse, he could have fought that demon. But now, you have to fight him."

I looked into his eyes, "You know, sometimes, I don't know why, but I think that it was a conspiracy."
"Why would any god plan a conspiracy against a gatekeeper?"
"Why wouldn't they? He was smart and he was making new rules whereas gods have this habit of doing everything as they please. They don't like rules."

"But then, why would they harm Lict?"
"Because if they wouldn't, he would eventually find out about everything." Lord Akagi seemed to be lost in thought after that. I wasn't really sure about what I had just said but I felt that what I was doing was right.

"I have to go to Purgatory. Only that can tell me what happened." I said.
"There's only one way to do that."
"To become a gatekeeper."
"Yes."

Alright then, I will become a gatekeeper. Everyone assumed demons were bad, but what about gods? Are they any good? Or have we been fooled to worship them? I will become a gatekeeper.

And even if I can't, I have to.

-To be continued

Dear Ms Lady Demigod