Furever More

Chapter 4: Internal Strife (Love)

Percy's Perspective

     "Hey Percy.~" Almost as soon as we all separated, Jackson starts pulling his usual crap.
     "Come on, Jacky." I was pushing him away, but he knew I didn't really want him to stop. "We have to focus, what if there are demons here?"
     He paused his advances for a bit and gives those cute puppy-dog eyes. I just couldn't hold back. My fingers went through his hair furiously yet carefully. Luckily, his headphones weren't in the way. ☺️

He immediately shifted to a more demonic expression as he stiffly put me up against a tree.
And, of course, I couldn't control my reaction. His lips didn't make me calm down at all.
Don't get me wrong! I loved every moment, but I was still focusing on our surroundings. For some reason, ever since we got to the corrupted part of the fairy forest, I've felt like we were being watched, and something about Nox and Caleb bugged me. I couldn't place my finger on it...

I didn't even notice when Jack had stopped the kiss and looked deeply into my soul. His eyes of gold made me feel he thought of me the same way, something precious and not to be wasted.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah!" I had been completely in my own head again. "I'm perfectly fi-" If you've ever heard a screaming goat, you'd know exactly what I did next. 😣

     Jackson, without the slightest hesitation, ripped me away from the tree. I was clenching to my boyfriend like a child to their father.
     It was this wriggling little tentacle that sprouted from the ground. Little eyeballs with gazes that slid slowly in random directions. "Oh, come on Percy. It's just a bit of demonized grass, don't be such a baby.~"
     "That's easy for you to say! That thing touched me!" His sockets we're almost revealed as his eyes rolled dramatically.
     Plucking the squirming, grotesque plant and squashed it between two fingers. A small squeal was released from it, and I just hear Grace and Gabe's screams reverberating in my mind as Jack tossed it away as an insignificant piece of trash.
     What is this feeling? I could tell something was changing, but I didn't like where this was going. I need to stay strong.
Jacky immediately cuddled me into his ginormous frame. I decided not to think about it for now...
"Well, isn't this cute.~" A sinister whisper rang somewhere insanely close. We both instantly split up in a readied stance. "You two are pretty alert."

Him again? This time, Jacky held together pretty well.
      "Just so you know, I'm not here to hurt you, just wondering what you're doing in this part of the forest again."
     Jackson lashed out, "Why should we tell you!!?"
     In silence, the demon's face didn't change from a slight smile. It didn't seem to have a sinister undertone, but that made this all the more unnerving. "We were sent here to check out progress of corruption in the Southern Fairy Forest!"
     "I see..."
     "Percy!!" Jack's eyes were full of betrayal and I felt like I was hit by a tank. "Don't tell him anymore!"
     "Do you wanna know why the forest is being corrupted?" This question clicked so many things in my mind and was intrigued. "The Fairy Tree was corrupted by 'The First Devil' a long time ago. Once it was completely taken over, it finally became a new form of demon."
     This information had both me and Jack in awe. The entire tree!!? The government never said anything about this, nor was this what they taught us in school.
     "Because of this loss of balance, between the connected and opposing realms, there is deterioration of this side. It's said that the 'Tree Demon' is looking for its missing seeds to achieve its true, full demonic power."
     This information was becoming a bit much to swallow. "Why are you telling us this?"
     "Hmm? This is supposed to be my way of apologizing for what I did to your brother, Jackson."
     Jacky was starting to lose it again. "Hold up, one last question... Who is 'The First Devil'?" His pause was very pronounced. During this entire meeting, this demon held a calm smirk, but now? He looked almost lost.
     "His name was, Azamael."

Belphegor's Perspective
     I was really nervous during the entire encounter. I mean, this was the guy I had to watch if I wanted to get my friend back and Jackson should be self-explanatory, considering our relationship...

     After I explained what happened with The Great Tree, I got confirmation that all the statue fiends I sent were defeated.
What the hell!!? That shouldn't be possible! All eight together weren't able to handle the highest ones, let alone with only groups two of them.

     I went through the clunky toys' memories. What the..!!

     The green one was able to take out the highest quality of them by himself. These guys are just students, huh? In a few years, maybe they'll be almost as strong as me - when I graduated high school...
Shut up, brain! That wasn't even me!!

???'s Perspective

     "Azamael, huh? haven't heard that name in a hundred years."