-Free?- Shion was stunned, her gaze constantly shifting as she looked at Toji, finally, her gaze seemed as if she were looking at a lunatic.
Toji let out a soft, amused snort, leaping from the tree and approaching her. Shion screamed in fright, fell backward, and crawled across the grass, sitting up. -Hey, what are you doing! Don't come any closer! I'm telling you! I'm the priestess of this country! If you come any closer, you'll die horribly!
Toji stopped, raised an eyebrow, and spoke. -Seriously? So you predicted my death?
Shion froze, staring at Toji in disbelief, her hand gripping the fresh grass tightening slightly, her lips pursing slightly, the emotions on her face fluctuating for a moment, loneliness and sadness returning, but the next moment, her brow furrowed, revealing an angry and petty expression.
-So what if I saw you die or not?! Just get out of here!- She shouted angrily.
Toji shook his head, looking at the little girl amused. He could feel that purity in Shion, she was the purest person he had ever seen. She probably never hurt a fly, but Toji didn't plan on acting with her.
A soul so pure is tempting to a Demon, but Shion needed to maintain that purity, the purer it was, the better.
-I ask again, do you want to be free?- Toji didn't continue to approach, looking at the girl sitting on the ground, he asked again.
-What the hell do you mean by free?!- Shion frowned. -I'm clearly free, okay?! Do you see any chains binding me?!
-Yes.- Toji nodded. -The current is there, you know that, you just keep ignoring it.
Shion glared at Toji, filled with rage. She felt as if she were talking to a fool. She stood up, gathering her courage, and began to march away from him. -That's enough, I don't want to talk to a madman anymore.
Toji didn't follow her, instead, he spoke. -It hurts, doesn't it? This loneliness.
Shion stopped in her tracks, without turning to look at Toji, her head lowered slightly, her body trembling, it was unclear whether the tremor was from sadness or anger.
-You say you're free. - Toji began. -However, all I see is a little girl trapped by the shackles of fate. You didn't ask to be the priestess, you didn't ask to foresee the death of others, you didn't ask for your destiny to be to seal the demon.
Shion's fists clenched tighter and tighter, but she still didn't turn around.
-I can help.- Toji finally concluded.
Shion finally couldn't take it anymore, turning to him in anger. -Only you?! What the hell can you do to help?! How can you get me out of this fate?! It's impossible! My destiny cannot be changed.- Tears were already streaming down her face, she tried to be strong, hiding behind a mask, but Toji touched her wound directly, ripping the mask off her face.
Toji looked at the tearful face, still motionless, and spoke again. -I can help, I can free you, you can live as you wish, whether to continue being a priestess, or simply become an ordinary girl, or even anything else, you will have the right to choose.
Shion looked into Toji's dark eyes, seeing only absolute certainty. She searched for lies, for a playful look, as if Toji would suddenly laugh and say he was joking, but no, he just stood there, looking at her without moving.
Shion frowned slightly, wiping away her tears with her fist. She sniffed softly and asked. -How?
Toji grinned, a wide grin from ear to ear, then an aura of extreme evil surrounded him. Shion's eyes widened as she fell back again, shocked and terrified. Toji didn't care, instead, he spoke. -Because I am a Demon.
Shion believed him, that aura, she could feel every fiber of her being screaming 'demon' just by looking at him, which is why she was shocked and filled with fear.
-A-are you Moryo?!- She asked with difficulty.
Toji scoffed. - Of course not, I already told you, my name is Toji.
Shion didn't answer, trembling for a long time, until the aura completely disappeared around Toji, he seemed like just another normal guy again. Shion breathed rapidly, feeling weak. -You... you came to kill me?- She asked, with some fear, but also a certain relief in her voice.
Toji rolled his eyes at her. - No.
-Then why?!- She asked, confused. Why had this demon come after her?! Was he lying to her?
-Do you know why I showed you this even though I knew that letting you know would make you lose trust in me?- Toji asked.
Shion was stunned, unconsciously shaking her head negatively.
-Because I am a demon, but that doesn't define who I am.- Toji explained calmly, looking away from her and gazing at the calm lake not far away. -I refused to be consumed by these desires, I refused to cause senseless destruction, I rejected the nature of this body, because I chose to be free.
Toji looked at her again. -Like you, I was bound to the fate of being a demon, but I refuse to let that define me.
-Even now, I feel this desire, the desire to corrupt, the desire to destroy, the desire to cause pain.- Toji's eyes returned to his own hands. -These are my chains, but I choose to break them.
Toji's eyes turned to her once more. -You too can choose to take the freedom you seek with your own hands.
Shion's eyes widened, slightly incredulous. Everything Toji said seemed to be true, but it could just be lies from a demon. She knew a lot about them, how evil and insidious they could be, yet deep down, she wanted to believe it was true.
Looking at Toji, Shion finally believed in him a little, she identified with him. As he said, he's a demon, but he chose not to act like one. Was that possible? Shion couldn't say, but she wanted to believe it was possible, because only then... only then could she free herself from her own destiny.
-How can I trust you?- Shion asked.
Toji didn't answer, he just looked directly into her eyes and then approached. Shion trembled slightly at the sight of him approaching, but this time she didn't run away.
When Toji reached her, he knelt down and spoke. - Look into my eyes.
Shion unconsciously looked into his eyes, Toji didn't wait and touched the bell on her shirt directly while releasing his demonic aura.
Shion's eyes widened as a purple mandala appeared above them, she had a vision again.