The Demon Within

Chapter Twenty-One

Mei stood in shock; she stared wide-eyed at the bar in her shoulder, uncertain of what it was. Slowly turning, Mei looked over her shoulder and saw Kalas, with his arm extended and a black bar coming out of his hand. His skin was seperated and Mei could see the bone in his hand, and the black bar seemed to run throughout his body. Mei flickered her eyes over to Kalik and Takashi, who were on the ground holding their stomachs and spitting up blood. Mei had figured Kalas had knocked the breath out of them, or had done something else to immobilize them for the time being. Kazuma and Taichi turned around in shock, for they didn't know what they should do.

"Kalas...why?" Mei asked, her eyes slowly narrowing. Kalas cocked his head to the side as an amused smirk played across his lips. 

"I never did like you, so when Osamu proposed I join his side in taking you down, I didn't hesitate to join in." Taichi's eyes glowed red with anger as his muscles tightened up.

"Traitorous bastard," Taichi growled, his tail whipping back and forth. "After everything Mei did for you, you turn around and stab her in the back?"

"Literally, yes," Kalas said with a smug look. "And what the hell do you mean 'everything she did for me'? My life has been nothing but hell since she showed up. And now the Shin Clan is going to pay the ultimate price for siding with a demon."

"You're brother believed in her," Kazuma snarled as he bared his fangs at Kalas. "And so did Soushi. Are you telling me they deserved this? Are you going to betray their beliefs too?"

"My brother was an idiot," Kalas said rolling his eyes. "He never amounted to anything and he put his hopes in false ideals. In my opinion, he deserved to die the way he did." Mei growled and lashed her tail back and forth, but for some reason her energy was failing. She was feeling weaker with every passing second. She glanced down at the bar then back up at Kalas, who was smiling cruelly at her. "Like my new power? Osamu gave it to me. This bar saps demons energy and is infused with the Demon Blade we took from you. I could easily kill you with this Mei."

"Asshole," Mei growled, her fangs glinting in the red moonlight. "If you think this will kill me, than you're even dumber than I thought." Mei grabbed the bar with her hand and ripped it out of her shoulder. Kalas retracted the bar as Mei's wound healed itself, the skin in the middle of Kalas's palm closing up. Kalik and Takashi finally regained their breath and stood up back on their feet. They drew their swords and pointed them at Kalas, shaking with anger.

"Kalas, what the hell are you doing?" Takashi yelled. Kalas said nothing but gave them the same cocky expression he gave Mei. His eyes had hatred dancing in them as he stared his comrades down.

"He's doing what I told him to do," Osamu said stepping forward, the fear gone from his eyes and confidence replaced it as his trick was put into action.

"What?" Kalik said, looking back and forth from Osamu and Kalas. Osamu stood a few feet behind Kalas, a wicked expression on his face.

"I promised him power to destroy the demons if he sided with me. He did so without hesitation and he has been my spy for the Shin Clan for a while now. And the best part was, none of you saw it."

"How long were you planning this Kalas?" Kalik said eyeing him.

 Kalas chuckled and crossed his arms. "Ever since Mei left with Kazuma. I knew it was only a matter of time before things were going to start picking up. You guys are idiots, siding with someone like her."

"Soushi trusted you!" Takashi yelled. Kalas narrowed his eyes and his cocky expression turned into a sneer.

"That old man wasn't worth shit in the end. It's better where he is now, since he'll get way more accomplished. What does it matter anyway? All of you are going to meet the same end."