Lucifer: The Bloody Christmas Arc

Leon broke completely, his hands trembling as he covered his face, trying not to cry. Manabu placed a firm hand on his shoulder; he assured Leon everything will be alright.

"Leon, it's no use crying; we have to do something, and faster." Leon wiped his tears and looked at Manabu. Manabu's gaze was fixed on him as he leaned closer, visibly he was concerned. "Leon, we have to save Mion. If we don't, your dad might kill her since she knows everything about him."

Leon nodded. Suddenly Manabu asked, "Where? Where did he take her?" Leon took a pause. said that after seeing all those things yesterday, he was at his limits, but then he heard the sound of the door closing. He rushed downstairs but found they were already gone. Leon went back to his room, quickly looked out from his window, and saw them walking down the road. He wondered what's gonna happen next—"I was sick of these damn games. I made up my mind. I will follow them to find out everything, what my dad has been plotting, for the sake of Mion." Leon scrolled through his phone gallery and showed Manabu a series of pictures. He followed them all the way and took these photos of their route. "They went to an old hospital. They both went inside, but that's all I could manage. I didn't have the courage to go inside or risk getting caught, but I saw my father coming out alone. Which means Mion is still inside."

Manabu watched the pictures closely and sent them to his mail. After a brief silence, he made a sudden decision. "We'll go to the hospital tonight," he said. Leon exhaled in relief. "I was thinking the same thing."

That was a pretty careless move for Manabu, but they couldn't waste time, or things might get out of hand. The longer Mion stayed missing, the more complicated things would get. Her life could be in danger. Their first priority was to save her. "We'll meet at the hospital at 2 AM. Until then, no calls or messages—we might get tapped by the police."

Leon agreed and smiled, but he still looked a little nervous. Manabu patted his shoulder. "Everything will be alright," he said. 'Leon knew that already.'. They parted ways. However, unbeknownst to them, Taiju had overheard everything from the second floor, hidden behind the corridor wall. Without a word, he quietly left the school.

Night—1:36 A Manabu left his house, making his way toward the hospital, recapping the whole incident to find some loopholes. Meanwhile, Leon had mixed his father's food with sleeping pills, ensuring he would be unconscious for eight hours. He packed two flashlights, his camera, and a bottle of water before stepping out into the night. After school, Manabu had actually gone to Mion's place instead of going home. Her house was still locked. Manabu tried to open it but failed. She lived on the 8th floor of an apartment building. Standing outside the door, he looked at the view while thinking about the situation they were in. "Mion killed Hojo... Hojo was the Copycat. In short, Futuba and Naomi's killer. And Daima is Santa. Daima manipulated Mion into killing Hojo, which makes her the prime suspect... If Daima is proven to be Mr. Santa, Mion will be guilty of the Santa case too. In short, she's doomed. We can't let that happen. Mion had a clear reason to kill Hojo, but why did Daima help her? According to Leon, Mion already had the key to Hojo's house. So did Daima give it to her? And what about the violin kit she carried?"

As he pondered, his eyes fell on a distant instrument shop. He walked over and asked the shopkeeper about Mion. The lady shopkeeper smiled and said, "Mion is a sweet girl. A few days ago, she bought a violin from here. She told me she loves playing the violin." Everything was as clear as glass for Manabu. He looked at the time and decided to leave.

At night—he finally reached the hospital. Leon was already waiting outside, holding his flashlight and carrying his camera to capture anything important—just in case. It might come in handy as proof. They stepped inside cautiously. The place was pitch dark, and their footsteps echoed through the eerie silence. They carefully explored the first floor of the aged hospital. It was built in 1786, but after the independence war of Feropia that took place 36 years ago, this hospital had become just an abandoned ruin—broken glass, beds, rusty equipment. They searched the first floor thoroughly, but it seemed like Mion wasn't there. One by one, they checked the floors.

The second floor... empty.

The third floor... still nothing.

On the fourth floor, Leon started checking the rooms while Manabu whispered, "I'll go check the top floor. If we stay together, it will take us too long."

Manabu ascended the creaky stairs and cautiously walked down the dark hallway, calling out in a low voice, "Mion!" After a few moments, he finally found her—lying on the floor, unconscious. His heart skipped a beat. "Mion!"

He rushed toward her, noticing a water bottle and some dry food beside her. Just as he was about to lift her up, a sudden blow struck his ankle, sending pain shooting through his leg. Manabu fell to the ground with a grunt, his flashlight rolling away into the darkness. Manabu gasped, his voice trembling with pain as he stared at the man standing before him. His heart pounded, and his chest felt as if his skin had been torn. "Daima?!"

Daima smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "How are you, Manabu? You came all the way here to save your little Mion?" Before Manabu could react, a sharp kick struck his chest, sending him stumbling backward as a wave of numbness spread through his arm. He could barely move, managing to lift his head, pushing his body back, and pressing against the wall.

Daima's voice was unnervingly calm. "I knew my son had figured out everything. Since I wanted him to. Mion came to me asking for help, but unfortunately, the keys were the only thing I could manage. And when I left the hospital, I knew Leon would follow me and spill everything to you. Even today, he slipped sleeping pills into my drink. But now look—his funny little schemes brought him doom." He let out a low chuckle. Manabu's eyes widened in horror. A deep sense of fear clawed at his chest, making it hard to breathe. "Where is Leon? What did you do—"

Daima gave a cold smile. "Leon is right where he needs to be. You don't have to worry about him." Manabu struggled to rise to his feet, but before he could fully stand, Daima pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. "I thought you were smarter than Leon. It could have been fun, but you ended up being just as foolish, letting your emotions drive you straight into my hands. Well, anyway, killing you won't change anything."

Daima's expression changed to confusion. "Why do you kill people?" Manabu pressed on, his voice raw with pain. "Is it because they're criminals? Or just for your own sick pleasure?" Daima chuckled and admitted without hesitation, "It's just pleasure, Manabu. Criminals were the most exciting targets to satisfy my urges. And if I kill a few of them, people don't care. Tell me, Manabu, didn't you even once think I was injustice? Even though I killed criminals? Did anyone ever think of them as human beings? The police didn't even show an effort to catch me. Except a few of them. What happens when justice gets caught?— People go crazy, right?" Fury surged through Manabu. Without thinking, he lunged at Daima, aiming a punch at his stomach. But Daima barely flinched. Instead, he retaliated with a devastating blow to Manabu's chest again. The force was overwhelming—like being struck by a sledgehammer. Manabu's ribs screamed in agony, his breath escaping in ragged gasps. His vision blurred, the world spinning out of control. He fell to his knees, wheezing, his mind screaming, No—No, NO! NO!

Daima turned his gun toward Mion. Manabu's body refused to respond, his limbs trembling under the weight of pain. He could only watch in helpless horror, his breath ragged, as Daima's finger hovered over the trigger. "You helped a lot, Mion. But I guess it's time for a goodbye." Suddenly, a swift kick knocked Daima's hand aside, sending the gun skidding across the floor. It hit the wall with a loud clang. Manabu gasped, his eyes widening. "Taiju?"

Taiju knelt beside him, gripping his arm tightly. "What's up, buddy? Try not to speak and breathe slowly. I'll handle the rest," he said, his voice filled with calm and concern. Manabu, struggling to control his erratic breathing, nodded weakly. Daima's gaze sharpened as he took a step back, his lips curling. "I wonder if you followed your best friend just to save him by sacrificing your own valuable life, Taiju. I believe it would've been smarter if you had just avoided getting involved. Curiosity kills the cat, you know?"

Taiju smiled sarcastically, pulling out his phone. It was on hold with Kenzo. Taiju mentioned that after school, he overheard Leon and his conversation. "I knew you two couldn't handle this alone, so I followed you here. And guess what? The policemen and Kenzo heard everything. I kept the call going in my pocket the entire time... Mr. Santa Claus, your game is over."

Kenzo was unbelievably shocked. He couldn't believe what was going on.—'What is Daima up to?' but Daima's expression didn't change at all. But instead he said, "I suspect, even if the police are coming, it won't matter. Your little plans aren't worth it. Before they get here, I'll decorate this place with your dead bodies. The nearest station is twenty-seven minutes away... and it won't take me that long to kill mere insects like you." Taiju tightened his fists. "Underestimate me, and you'll face your greatest loss."

While he was talking, in an instant, Daima hurled a sharp knife toward Taiju, but Taiju dodged it skillfully—That was close. The fight erupted instantly. Taiju ducked low and delivered a powerful punch under Daima's armpit, striking a nerve. Daima staggered briefly but retaliated with a crushing blow aimed at Taiju's chest. Taiju barely managed to evade it. Fists flew in rapid succession, each strike more brutal than the last. Taiju fought with agility, but Daima's brute strength was overwhelming. Every punch he received felt like his bones were about to snap. Despite the pain, Taiju stood his ground, refusing to back down.

Manabu, still dazed, spotted a knife lying on the ground. Summoning every ounce of strength, he grabbed it and aimed for Daima's leg. But Daima was quicker. He caught Manabu's hand mid-strike and twisted it cruelly. Daima smirked and aimed a punch at Manabu's face, but Taiju intercepted, grabbing Daima's wrist and twisting it sharply. Daima grunted, his grip faltering for a brief moment. Seizing the opportunity, he lunged for the gun on the floor. "Fuck!" Taiju rushed toward Mai and Mion, shielding them just as Daima fired. Five bullets tore through the wall, narrowly missing them. Manabu gritted his teeth, desperately trying to wrestle the gun away from Daima, but the older man was too strong. His grip was unbreakable, and Manabu could feel his bones straining under the pressure. Daima's finger tightened on the trigger, aiming directly at Manabu's chest. Panic flooded his mind. — 'No! Not now! Not like this!'

Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the room. Blood splashed over their bodies. Taiju's eyes widened in horror. "Manabu!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet, his heart pounding wildly. He rushed toward Manabu, his mind racing. Mai rushed toward him as well. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment; within the depths of unconsciousness, Mion drifted through darkness. Fragments of memory flickered in her mind—being brought to the hospital, the food she was given, had something unusual in it. —

'Why won't you tell Kenzo?'

'It's for the better, trust me.'

'This is dry food and water for two weeks.'

'Leon, I'll be alright, don't worry.' She fell asleep after eating that food. Something was mixed with them. She had been unconscious for nearly twenty-nine hours without eating. Slowly, she stirred, her eyes fluttering open to the sound of a familiar voice calling her name. "Mion... Mion!" Her vision cleared, and she found herself on Mai's lap. "Mai...?" she whispered weakly. Then, her gaze shifted. She noticed Manabu and Taiju fighting Daima, but Taiju was dominating him. Then Daima rushed at the gun and started shooting around. Manabu rushed at Daima, trying to save them. Taiju rushed to Mai and dodged a few bullets. But then Mion's eyes landed on something strange. She noticed something. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed a shadowy figure standing in the doorway, cloaked in darkness. Her head was still dizzy. "Who is there…?"

But then suddenly a gunshot echoed, and a flash revealed the face. Mion whispered the name. "Leon?"

He stood still, recording everything with his camera, an eerie, unsettling smile on his lips. His pitch-black eyes held a darkness that sent shivers down her spine.

'What is going on?'