To live is to suffer.

"Tsukasa, Yugi Amane is my enemy."

Tsukasa looked at her approvingly, hearing those words.

"Rightfully so. And that's why you need to learn how to kill."

He watched in satisfaction as she nodded in agreement, inspecting her knife with interest.

"Can you tell me more about Yugi Amane?"

Tsukasa paused for a moment. Revealing it to her now may just drive her into insanity yet again, just like how she had slain the Mokke. 

But the time would come when he will reveal it. He wanted apparitions and Wonders alike to be free to traverse the humans' world; Hanako, the one who believed in peace and order, was that one obstacle.

With the Rift, he was one step closer to bringing his brother down. Y/N was the final, deathly blow.

'Not yet.' He thought. 'She needs to make her first kill.'

"I'll only say one thing," he said in a guarded tone. "He's from Kamome."

Y/N nodded, but she clearly wanted to learn more.

"What else?"

Tsukasa took a deep breath in. She was eager, but that alone was not enough to fuel one's desire to murder.

"I'll tell you more when you're ready." He said simply.

● ● ●

"Good morning, Y/N!"

"'Morning, Mitsuba."

"What are we gonna' do today?"

"Kill, Mitsuba."

The pink-haired boy shuddered, holding the red scarf wrapped around him a little tighter.

"Does Tsukasa really want to see you kill for the first time?" He winced, looking at her with pity.

"I have no choice," Y/N sighed, crossing her arms and sharpening her kitchen knife. It glinted in the shaft of sunlight pouring from the bathroom's lone window.

"You do  know we owe Tsukasa-sama everything, right? He saved our lives."

"But I know killing is hard for you. Being Aka Manto sure is tough." Mitsuba quietly looked to the side, unable to sympathize.

Y/N stifled a sigh. It was true. It was her duty to be the leading Wonder and protect her other Sukora spirit friends, but she could not even give a person a single scratch.

"It's fine, really!" She rose her chin a little higher, putting on the hood of her red coat. "I'll get the jist of it!"

● ● ●

"I can't  get the jist of it!" Y/N wailed.

Tsukasa's grip on her shoulders grew tighter, his hand on her neck still firm as ever against the wall.

"'Ya think the person will just hear your sentiments and let you go?" He jeered, a smirk on his face. Y/N held unto his wrist with an indignant look, trying to kick him.

Tsukasa watched her struggle, bemused. To her dismay, she could not break free.

"You know... you fuss around like some duped puppy!" The boy laughed, finally releasing his hold on the gasping, trembling Wonder.

"Don't think it's funny." Y/N irritably replied, adjusting the collar of her red coat.

"I don't think it's funny!" Tsukasa smiled, chuckling lightly. "I think it's cute."

"Don't call me cute. Move aside."

Tsukasa shuffled away politely, Y/N wishing by every minute that she could wipe the grin off his face.

"Why do you act so grumpy?" The spirit hopped after Y/N step for step as they headed away from the gym where they practiced combat.

'Great. Now the little rat's following me.'

Ever since Day 1 as Aka Manto, Y/N had been pestered by the spirit, encouraging her to learn how to kill.

She could not say no: first, because he saved her life, and second, he was hella' scary when you didn't follow his orders.

"It's because I haven't been doing well, with patrolling all the other Wonders. And you're the only person I can look up to for advice."

"And...?"

Y/N threw her hands up in frustration.

"You're solution to everything? 'Kill, kill, kill!'"

Tsukasa hummed, accepting the prospect. However, he leaned close, amber eyes slitted in reminder.

"I'm helping you. Didn't you say you want to kill Amane?"

Y/N tensed uncomfortably, stroking the sleeves of her red coat.

"Well, I..."

She did. Despite her reluctance to brutal violence, she still hated her murderer with a hatred she could not explain.

"....I'll work on my knife swings. Sorry, Tsukasa." Y/N sighed, shoulders slumped in defeat.

"There, there!" The boy patted her on the head in a childish manner. "Killing came naturally to me. Don't worry, the time will come you'll get used to it!"

'But I don't want to!'  Y/N shied away from his hand, not missing the flicker of crazy in his eyes.

As they weaved through the many empty corridors of the school, she took the time to timidly pry a topic she'd been dying to talk about for almost two months.

"Tsukasa?"

"Yes?"

"You mentioned a portal that leads to many other portals all those days ago. Can-"

"Y/N." His eyes had gone dark, devoid of any warmth. Y/N smiled back nervously.

"If this is about when you can guard it, I'll decide later."

"But you said I  am its guardian!"

"You're not  ready!"

Y/N looked at him indignantly, ruffled.

"Who are you  to say when I'm not-"

"Oh, look where we are!"  Tsukasa floated to a jarring stop, clearing trying to veer away from talk. Y/N held back a groan; the spirit always brushed the topic off, like any other day.

It was a bird's eye view of the whole of Sukora, the school she was bounded to. Right now it was lunch, so all the students stayed in the cafeteria, making it look vast and peaceful.

It would've been a nice sight, if it weren't for the fact that all six Wonders  laid beyond, expecting her.

"Good luck checking on them, Y/N!" Tsukasa chirruped.

"W-Wait!" Y/N stammered nervously, E/C eyes pleading. "I need help, Tsukasa! Didn't you say you want to help me out?"

"I'm busy!" The spirit waved dismissively, disappearing into a gray cloud.

Y/N huffed, tugging her hood over head.

'Thanks a bunch.'

● ● ●

Mitsuba watched in sympathy as Y/N flopped unto the grass, taking off her red coat so that she only wore the Sukora uniform.

It was a cool, quiet night. The moonlight glowed dimly from passing clouds in the dark sky, and there were no stars.

"Are you alright back there?" The pink-haired boy clucked.

"Why am I Aka Manto?" Y/N groaned, rolling away from the red coat. She despised it with a passion.

"Well, it's because you're a good fighter." Mitsuba thoughtfully added.

"I can't harm a single person."

"You're responsible with checking all the Wonders!"

"All the Wonders think I'm some lost, clueless idiot.... which I am."

"Just hear me out!" Mitsuba cried in exasperation. "Can't you see? I think you're great, alright?"

Y/N's back was turned to him, so she didn't see the light blush on the boy's face.

"Anyway..." He shifted in the grass awkwardly, lending her a hand.

"Let's go to my place and hit the sack."

"Why does Tsukasa always tell me to stay away from my stall every night?" Y/N slowly unfurled from her lying, but she did not get up.

"Hmm?" Mitsuba tilted his head, slowly dropping his hand.

"He says that other than being a 7th Wonder, I'm a guardian." Y/N narrowed her E/C eyes.

"Of the Ridge...? The Raft...?"

"The Rift." Mitsuba helpfully put in, recalling Tsukasa's words all those weeks ago.

"I can't stand it!" Y/N exclaimed, getting up with a start. "I'm the guardian of the Rift, yet I can't see it anytime I want to?"

"Y/N..." Mitsuba stifled a sigh. "You're gonna' get yourself in trouble again!"

"What does Tsukasa do in the Rift?" She continued suspiciously. "I know he keeps things from me, which hurts."

"Maybe it's for your own good!" Mitsuba impatiently snapped as he tailed after her towards her stall.

"Well, it's no good for me!" Y/N suddenly whirled around, taking the boy off guard.

"Mitsuba." The Wonder went on pleadingly, putting on her red coat. "I've never seen the Rift with my own two eyes before... maybe if I suck at my other duties, guarding the Rift is my only win."

He looked at her with disapproval for a moment, biting his lip. Finally, he let out a small sigh. When Y/N set her mind on something, she'd do anything to achieve it.

"You're so stubborn." He murmured, half-exasperated, half-admiring.

Y/N loosened her frown to a snarky smile.

"Don't tell Tsukasa."

"I won't."

"See ya, Mitsuba!"

● ● ●

She drifted the rest of the way alone, Mitsuba left to wander Sukora.

That was what he always did, tagging along with a Wonder. So Y/N found him useful when keeping up with all 6 of them.

Not only that... from the very first day, they were close friends.

'I knew I could count on him!' Y/N thought with pride.

She finally arrived at the bathroom where her stall resided in. The Wonder kept close to the shadows, pressing against the wall.

Tsukasa was nowhere to be found, but her bathroom stall was left open. She sneaked towards it stealthily, coat billowing behind her.

At last, she arrived in front of it. The Rift.

She always thought it looked very pretty. It would only appear for a certain amount of times, but she could remember how it looked.

A big, unnatural split in the air, with a gaping hole that emmited a dim red glow.

Most tempting of all, it was the perfect size to jump into.

All these months, Tsukasa always told her not to enter the Rift. She could only look at it, but never jump to go inside.

That was his order.

But for the first time in months, curiousity got the best of her; for the first time in months, Y/N leapt.

● ● ●

"Two months. One week. Three days." 

That was what Hanako kept mumbling to himself with closed eyes.

Each Mokke looked at Hanako sadly. He had never been the same ever since Y/N disappeared.

The Mokke who had a gash spluttered unintelligible nonsense, and his wound never healed. So his fellow pink comrades kept him in the Broadcasting Room until he woke up again.

They were left with no clue as to what happened, other than Osane saying Y/N was dying, and most certainly brainwashed. She hardly believed she survived at all.

They could tell, out of everyone, Hanako was the most devastated.

"Wanna play cards...?" One brought out a pack, shyly inching it in his direction.

The 7th Wonder stood unmoving, head still leaned against the window.

All the Mokke's ears drooped, as if deflated.

"I'm visiting Tsuchigomori." Hanako said quietly, at last opening his tired amber eyes. Nowadays, he didn't even have the strength to fake a smile.

The Mokke watched in silent pity as he floated out.

● ● ●

Everything had gone by too quick.

Y/N was overwhelmed with the amount of stairways she had seen. She knew the Rift was a portal to other boundaries, but not so many!

She had accidentally tripped over a stair, falling (with a loud scream) unto an open door.

Now, here she was, surrounded by endless shelves of books, black and white, all stacked neatly in archives. There were countless cobwebs impeding the derelict, old condition of the place.

'Am I in some sort of chamber... or perhaps a library?'

"Why hello, 7th Wonder." A deep voice grunted from afar.

'Crackers!'  Y/N shrank into a ball. 'I'm not alone!'

"What's up with you?" The voice continued. "You've been wallowing away like a dejected widow these past few weeks."

"I came for advice." A monotonous, flat reply followed. It sounded like it came from a young boy. Y/N inched closer to listen curiously.

"You can see the future." The boy continued. "By any chance, is there a book for her? Any way I can find-"

"No. I can't find one."

'Her?'  Y/N thought with wide eyes. 'Find one?'

She was so in depth with the conversation she didn't realize she had knocked down a book.

Both voices went silent. Y/N inwardly cursed.

"Did you hear that?"

"Most certainly did."

Y/N scrambled to her feet to get away, the voices drawing closer.

Luckily, she saw a small gash similar to what the Rift looked like. She hastily leapt into it.

Hanako and Tsuchigomori arrived at last.

"The intruder escaped." The teacher grumbled.

"No..." Hanako's eyes were wide.

He did not miss the flash of red from Aka Manto's coat.