Lucifer: The Bloody Christmas Arc

Taiju rushed towards Manabu, his voice trembling, as he turned to Manabu immediately. "Manabu!?" His eyes scanned Manabu's whole body anxiously, searching for any sign of injury, but Manabu was alright—alive, unharmed. "But blood on your—" The realization dawned too late. Manabu's hands trembled; shock covered his face in fear. His white sweater was now stained with crimson. He had shot Daima.

Unintentionally, he had done something he had done back then. The weight of realization, of what he'd done, hit him like a freight train. His stomach twisted the moment he saw Daima's blood. He couldn't hold it and threw up. His breath hitched, his voice shaky and frantic. And he noticed Leon standing right in front of them, unfazed."Leon—Leon, I didn't mean to—I didn't do it on purpose! It was a mistake—Leon, it was a—" Manabu's words trailed off, his mind spiraling. He hit a trauma; he had done something so horrible, once again. Just like before. He was terrified, he killed Leon's father, right Infront of him. He couldn't breath properly; his lungs tightened.

Leon had brought an inhaler, he tossed it toward Manabu. Taiju immediately picked it up and gave it to Manabu to inhale. Before this, even Taiju didn't know Manabu had asthma. He just did what he thought would be ideal to do in the situation. Leon slowly stepped inside, his eyes fixed on the blood staining Daima's chest. Silence hung in the air like a noose. Then, with an eerie calmness, Leon reached into his pocket and switched off his camera recorder. His lips curled into a sadistic smile. Taiju said, "Leon, it's not his fault. Your dad tried to shoot us." But Leon simply waved off the chatter and said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, this guy isn't my father anyway." The room fell into a void of silence. An unpredictable shock hit them. Manabu's expression shattered into confusion. He looked up at Leon. "W-what?"

Leon took a step closer, his voice cold and precise. "I'm sure I made it pretty clear, didn't I? Daima isn't actually my father, nor am I his son. So don't worry." But then Leon hid his face for a funny realization and giggled. "Oops! I forgot! Maybe you should worry."Before anyone could say anything, Leon smoothly pulled out a gun and pointed it at Manabu, his posture eerily relaxed, hands out of pocket. He stood tall as he said, "You all have to go with me. To Lafiaza."By the time Mion gained consciousness, she stood up. Leon waved at her and warned her not to move. They all remained frozen. Mion still didn't understand the whole situation. Manabu's mind raced, his thoughts a chaotic whirlwind—"Hojo killed Naomi, Mion avenged her and killed Hojo, right after that, she went missing. Daima is Santa's serial killer; I had just killed him, but Leon didn't seem to care at all. Daima isn't his father? What is going on? Who is the actual Santa?" — Manabu whispered to himself, his lips barely moving.

As Leon's gaze met his. "I am Mr. Santa," Leon clarified. Leon answered his question about what he was whispering in his mind.Leon tilted his head. "You wanted to know, didn't you? I am Mr. Santa Claus." Taiju was getting angrier each second. He tightened his fist and looked at Leon's eyes; they had no emotions. "Stop joking around! You—you're Mr. Santa?" Taiju yelled in rage. Leon barely blinked. "I am. So?" With a furious growl, Taiju lunged at Leon. But in the blink of an eye, Leon sidestepped, twisted Taiju's arm, and sent him crashing to the floor. Taiju's hand landed on shattered glass, a sharp piece piercing his palm. He screamed in immense pain; Mai rushed to him, holding his injured hand. She was so scared at the moment that she started sobbing; Leon loomed over them. He stared at Mai and Taiju with wide eyes. His dark eye lenses barely reflected any remorse or emotions. Leon said, "Let me tell you a fun fact: ever since I was a child, I was very aggressive. And in fact, I am far stronger than you. There's no one in this room who can outsmart me or outstand me, so therefore, OBEY ME!"

Mion staggered to her feet, slowly starting to walk towards Leon, asking—"Why? You said it was for Naomi... Why do you have a gun?" Her voice was desperate, pleading. Manabu grabbed Mion's hand and shook his head, denying her to get close to him. "Mion, step back." Leon clarified he didn't want any harm, and he was just doing his job, but he had to explain later. He had his own reason for doing this all—"Mion. Step back. I wouldn't want any unnecessary harm." Taiju gritted his teeth and smiled. "Time's up!" Leon turned to him, with no change of expression. Taiju smirked despite the pain. "My phone's been recording everything. The police will be here any second." But Mion shook her head with a pale face. "It's no use..." She knew what was going to happen next.

A voice cut through the tense air. Kenzo walked forward and giggled—"Sorry! Taiju, you called the department. But sadly, only I heard you, since both were my phone numbers." Kenzo appeared from the shadows, holding up his phone with a sarcastic smile. Taiju was chained with disbelief. Leon looked at the time on his left arm, 3:45 pm—"Manabu and you guys too, it's time to come with me. Kami's been looking for you, and my job is to bring you to him. And I promise everything will be okay. But if you resist." Leon pointed the gun at Mion, "You'll leave me no choice but to get a little harsh. Since my job is to get you by any means necessary. I can proof that Mion killed Hojo. And if I do, she's done for it. Also, she will be guilty as a partner of Mr. Santa. Also there is another option, I can kill her right now and get you guys arrested. For murdering Daima and her. And since Mion was involved with the DSH-Murder (Hojo Tetsuya murder case), I can make sure with the help of Kenzo that you guys look involved in the crime too. In short, I can destroy your lives in one blink of an eye. So do not ask anything and come with me."

Taiju gritted his teeth and said, "Feeling cocky? Huh!? You think you can fucking get away with this?!" But Leon ignored him. Manabu was quiet; he felt trapped; Leon was right. — There was no escape. Leon looked at Kenzo. "It's time; get them in the ambulance. And take their phones. Break the SIM cards as planned." Kenzo pulled out a gun and pointed it at them, commanding them to leave for the ambulance. "Move! Now."Manabu exchanged a helpless look with Taiju, then with Mion, who looked equally devastated. They had no choice.

They had no idea—'What's going on?' 'Who's waiting for us?' 'Who is Leon?'

he questions swirled in their minds, unanswered and haunting.As they were herded into the ambulance, Leon remained behind for a moment. He changed his clothes, slipping into a black suit with white stripes and a neatly tied necktie. His expression remained unreadable. Then, without hesitation, he turned back to Daima's lifeless body, drew his gun, and fired several shots into the corpse. The bullets tore through flesh, releasing the last of his frustration. Each shot was cathartic—an act of cleansing, not of grief.Kenzo stepped forward, watching in silence before giving Leon a nod. Everything was set. It was time to leave."A doctor is inside," Kenzo informed Leon as they walked toward the vehicles. "He'll treat Taiju's wounds and leave on the highway. Taiju's hand will be fine. The ambulance will go straight to the airport. No one will stop it. The ambulance will pass through every checkpoint—no questions asked. Stopping an ambulance is forbidden in Feropian law; unless there's suspicion or reason. But in case, we've placed an officer in the front seat. He'll ensure the ambulance isn't delayed. Our men are waiting at the airport. Everything is done perfectly."Leon listened without much reaction. He reached into his coat and handed Kenzo a few photographs."Good," Leon said. "Take these. They show Daima murdering those criminals. Use Taiju's phone records, where Daima confessed to all the murders. Make it official. Prove him to be Santa. And at the end, report Manabu and the others as missing cases."Kenzo nodded, glancing at the pictures. "Our men have probably broken into their homes by now. They'll destroy everything—make it look like a kidnapping. In a few months, this case will be closed. They'll be missing forever in Feropia's history."

Kenzo stretches hard, and sighs in relief. Then he asked, "Hey, Leon... did you plan all of this? Why didn't you tell me anything beforehand? I thought Daima was up to something again. I was damn terrified." Leon laughed."I didn't plan everything. I planned to kill Daima myself, but Manabu pulled the trigger instead. Either way, the job's done."Kenzo sighed, shaking his head. Then, after a moment, he stepped forward and pulled Leon into a brief, firm hug. Like an older brother bidding farewell."Our job is finally done. See ya, Leon. Call me anytime, Your brother is always by your side."Leon gave a small nod. "There's still one thing left. Stay ready for it." Kenzo exhaled, watching as Leon got into his car. The driver shut the door, and within seconds, the vehicle disappeared down the road. Kenzo stood there for a moment, staring at the empty street before pulling out his phone. He dialed the investigation department and relayed his report. He smiled to himself. "Everything went exactly as planned… I just hope things don't go south."

'Greater dreams always demand greater sacrifices.'

the ambulance sped down the highway, sirens off. The doctor inside carefully stitched up Taiju's wound, bandaging his hand before advising him to rest. Once his job was done, he got off midway. The ambulance continued toward the airport. Manabu sat silent. His gaze remained locked onto Mion. The second the doctor left, he finally spoke."Mion. Explain everything. From the beginning."Mion stiffened. Her breath hitched. She was cornered. A wave of shame spread across her face, and her fingers instinctively moved toward her nails. She bit down anxiously—but Manabu grabbed her hand, his grip tightened. "Mion," he said sharply. "Talk."She couldn't meet his eyes. Her shoulders trembled. After a few moments, she spoke. "A few days ago... I received a mail. It was about Naomi and Futuba's deaths. It—it was from Leon. He told me that Naomi and Futuba were killed by Hojo Tetsuya. He told me the reason behind their murders."She explained every detail of that night. But then—she revealed something no one else had known. The missing pages of the chapter. "Two days later, early in the morning, Leon visited my house... with Kenzo."Manabu's eyes widened. A sudden realization hit him like a punch to the gut.—'Leon knew Mion's address even before Hojo was killed. No! from the very beginning.' Mion kept on—explaining everything."Leon had a serious look on his face. I asked if I could help him with anything. And then—"Her breath hitched. She could still hear his voice.'Mion, should we kill Hojo?'A cold shiver ran down her spine. Leon had looked her in the eye—calm, unreadable. He told her a secret. A secret no one else knew. They had killed criminals before. Mion bit her lip hard, trying to suppress her tears. "He believed some criminals deserve to die," she whispered. "He asked me again if I could help them. He said we could avenge innocent lives. Avenged Naomi."She was shaking now, unable to hold back her emotions."I—I didn't know what to do! I didn't know what to say! I was under so much pressure!" Her voice cracked. "I wanted justice for Naomi, but I was terrified. I didn't know what to do—what should I do? What should I do? What should I do?!"

Her hands clutched her head, her body trembling uncontrollably."Calm down, Mion!" Manabu called, gripping her arms. Taiju leaned forward, worried. "Mion, take deep breaths—"But she wasn't listening. Her mind spiraled back to that moment. To Leon's words— Calm, yet persuasive.

'Some criminals deserve to die.'

'Humans find salvation in revenge rather than redemption.'

'Mion, sometimes the law can't punish criminals.They roam free, committing crimes again and again. If we don't stop Hojo, more people will suffer. More people will die. We cannot let that happen.'

Mion pressed her forehead into her palms, she couldn't find her ears, she was extremely paranoid. rocking back and forth. "I was trapped... I couldn't think straight…"His voice won't leave her eardrums; 'For Naomi ! For Futuba ! For everyone ! ' she starts screaming and scratching her head. Manabu's jaw clenched. After a few moments, Mion's breathing slowed. Manabu reached into his bag, pulled out his water bottle, and handed it to her. She drank it all, wet her throat. Then, slowly, she continued."When I was at my limit, unable to decide, what to do, what to say. Kenzo interrupted him. He grabbed Leon and pressed down on his head.

'That's enough, Leon. You do not get to talk anymore,' he said. Then he dragged him outside.

'I told you—it's not possible. Sorry, Mion, for disturbing you— ' But... something inside me refused to let them go. I stood up and grabbed Kenzo by his arm."

Her voice turned hollow. 'I wanted to avenge Naomi. I wanted to avenge those innocent people. I made my decision.' — " I'll do it." Kenzo had turned to her, his expression changed, He seemed angry or maybe concerned."Mion, this isn't a joke. You know that, right?"

"I am not joking. I made up my mind," she whispered. "For justice."Leon had smiled then. A soft, eerie smile. He held her hands and whispered, "For Justice. For Naomi. For everyone."But justice, Manabu realized, had no meaning to Leon. Manabu's trembled in rage. He looked at Mion, she had become crazy, she isn't the same anymore. All because of him. "Among all of us… he did the worst to you."

Taiju sat in silence. Mai's voice wavered. "He toyed with our emotions. For what? Is he even human?"Leon had manipulated all of them. They were nothing but pieces in his game. He was the shepherd. And they were the sheep—fed, skinned, and sacrificed at his will. Leon isn't just a manipulator. He is a monster.