Lucifer: The Bloody Christmas Arc

A few days earlier—Christina Town, Feropia Early Morning,

The chilly days of winter had already arrived. Manabu struggled to open his eyes, the warmth of his bed enticing him to stay cocooned beneath the blankets with a soft groan, stretching his legs and arms. Manabu is quite workshy, but he was good at certain things like math calculation, sports, and his personal favorite, teasing his friends. It was time for school. Now he had no choice whether to surrender to sleep or face the day. Only a few days remained before the winter holiday. forcing him to summon the willpower to get up. He got up and stretched again. And looked at the clock. It was 8 already. He's late. Manabu always tries not to rely on alarm clocks. He often boasted about this, finding a sense of pride in his unorthodox reasoning. 'Alarms aren't good for our health,' he would say to anyone who listened.'When we're tired, our bodies need extra rest. Alarms disrupt that, increasing stress. Scientifically, it's better to wake up naturally. For someone like me, who loves sleep, this helps me to defend myself in almost any argument with friends, but of course—Manabu mostly gets punished by teachers for being late at school.With a reluctant stretch, he dragged himself out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

The cold air bit at his skin, and he shivered slightly as he reached for his toothbrush. Six years ago, winters weren't this harsh. He thought to himself, squeezing toothpaste onto the bristles. 'But now? The cold is unbearable. It's like it seeps into your bones. And water… My beloved enemy. Bracing himself, he turned on the tap, the icy splash against his face jolting him awake. As he brushed his teeth, his thoughts wandered. Finished, he spat and rinsed, heading to the door to fetch the newspaper. 'What the… Where's the newspaper?' He was quite annoyed by the news delivery guy because oftentimes he would just forget to deliver the paper. 'The delivery guy didn't show up today?'With a sigh of irritation, Manabu retreated inside, rinsing his face one last time, letting the frigid water invigorate him before starting his day. But it was so cold his face turned red. He put his hands in his pocket and went to his bedroom, and under his couch he had a weight measurement plate.

Manabu was particular about his diet. Every week, he meticulously checked his weight, keeping track of his progress. Pulling out the weighing scale from under his bed, he stepped on it and watched as the digital numbers settled at 64.61 kg. He was one kilogram underweight. Manabu is a 17-year-old teenager and probably will turn 18 at the end of the month. He is 5'9 in height, and with shoes on, he might even reach 5'10. Today, he skipped breakfast. Since he had woken up late, Manabu often sacrificed meals in the rush to stay on schedule.As he got ready to leave, his gaze fell on the framed photo of his grandmother sitting on his bedside table. He picked it up and cleaned the dust with his sleeve cloths. Her kind eyes looked back at him, a bittersweet reminder of her absence. She had passed away just seven months ago due to illness, and though time had moved forward, the void she left behind lingered. Manabu undoubtedly loved his grandmother the most. Since he had no parents, she was his world.

"Grandma, I'm going to school, see ya." he whispered, his voice soft but laced with a deep ache. Turning towards the room door, he rushed for school.It was 9 and a half. Manabu jogged at a relaxed pace, muttering to himself, 'Exercise, you know? Anyways.' Talking to himself was a habit of his, something he found oddly comforting. Sometimes, he even laughed at his own jokes, imagining himself as a second person in the conversation. Not that Manabu was lonely—he had friends—but there was something undeniably peculiar about him. Manabu liked talking to himself ever since he was a child. While on his way to school, he thought to call Taiju (Taiju Hiroshi is his best friend and study buddy). Pulling out his phone, he tried calling Taiju, but it went straight to voicemail. His phone was switched off. Shrugging, he dialed Mai instead. He wondered if they were together. At that moment, Mai and Taiju were on the school rooftop, furiously working on a laptop, deep in the throes of hacking. When Mai saw the incoming call, she turned to Taiju. 'Manabu's calling, pick up the call,' she said. Taiju grabbed the phone and answered the call, "Sup! Buddy We're at school. Where are you?' Taiju said with total concentration on the hacking."I'm on my way," Manabu replied casually. 'What are you guys doing? Your phone was switched off.'Taiju looked up, with a disappointed face, 'Yesterday, Mai broke my phone. She was playing games, but someone called right at the moment—she got annoyed and broke my mobile. She literally just threw my damn phone at the wall. By the way, we just managed to hack the guy's computer. Mai did this for me.' Manabu's voice perked up. 'What? Cool. How'd she even do that? She is a freaking genius. Her big sister is also a programmer, right?— Mai learned coding and programming from her elder sister. And by the time she grew, she became obsessed with it. She is fluent in programming, and she has also developed a few online websites for people too'. Manabu was quite amazed by Mai's skills. Before Taiju could reply to a thing. Suddenly, Mai let out a frustrated yell. 'No! Damn it! Shit, shit, fuck, fuck! Fuck! Why!? No!? You asshole!'Taiju sighed, trying to calm her down. 'Stop cursing!'Mai slammed her hand against Taiju's laptop. And lifted it with no good intentions. Taiju immediately grabbed his laptop and saved his 1220 Das (Das are Feropian currency). He shouted, 'Why do you have to break everything?! Just calm down! What the hell just happened?!' Mai lay down on the school roof floor, crying dramatically as if she had faced the greatest defeat in her life, 'Five days of efforts, wasted! He managed to escape!' Manabu, listening to their chaos, chuckled. 'Alright, alright, forget about it. He was probably troubled too. So he just escaped. Mai, calm down.' Taiju asked how long it would take him to reach the school; Manabu realized he was almost there and it would take him 2 to 3 minutes. Taiju was fine and asked if Mai wanted something to eat so Manabu could grab it for her. But Mai simply sighed and said nothing. 'The answer is nothing' as Manabu hung up and resumed walking. A little further down the road, Manabu spotted Sayuri walking ahead and called out to her by her first name, 'Mion!' Sayuri turned around, frowning. "Satoshi? What h...?"Ignoring her confusion, he grabbed her hand and started pulling her along. He instantly understands what she was thinking in her mind and replies. 'Come on, we've known each other for ages. First-name basis isn't a big deal.' Sayuri followed, albeit reluctantly. 'How do you know what I was going to ask you? And why is he laughing?'Manabu explained as they walked, "For the past four or five days, someone's been trying to access Mai's device. At first, Mai couldn't figure it out, but she eventually caught on and hacked them back. The problem is, the hacker wiped everything on their end before she could trace them.' Sayuri's face grew warm as she realized Manabu hadn't let go of her hand, even as they walked through the crowded streets. People were starting to notice, making her blush even more. 'Manabu, 'she muttered, tugging her hand back, 'let go. I can walk just fine, and people are staring.' Manabu blinked, glancing down at their hands before releasing her with an apologetic smile. 'Oh, sorry about that.' She wouldn't mind holding hands, but she is just a shy, introverted girl. They reached the school and then went to their own classes. Manabu and Mion Shared the same class, but Taiju and Mai were from different sections.

Their school, DSH (Detens Scholar High School), is the most renowned institution in all of Feropia. It was established in 1910 in Feropia's Christian Town and gained immense reputation within just ten years. Now, it holds the 9th rank in the entire country.At DSH, students are not just called 'Scholars' by name but also by their quality, values, and morals, shaping them into the most qualified creatures in mankind.Manabu is in the Science section, which is divided into three classes, all of which focus on the same field. Their class commenced with the first period—Physics. The teacher, Mr. Futuba, entered the room—he is head teacher of the physics department. carrying the air of authority and familiarity. He wasn't just their main class teacher; he was also Naomi's father. Naomi, a girl who was more like a sister to Mion, had been her closest friend since childhood. (Naomi is also Manabu's close friend.) The bond between the two sisters was inseparable, and it was natural for them to always stick together, even as they grew older. And just like them, the brotherhood of Taiju and Manabu was quite famous on the school campus. Once school was over, Manabu and Taiju took off on Taiju's bike, zipping through the streets. enjoying the fleeting freedom of youth. Intentionally overspeeding and breaking rules of traffic. Taiju came from privilege—his father was a highly successful businessman, counted among the wealthiest elite in Feropia. With a portfolio of twelve high-rise apartment buildings, each towering between 30 to 40 floors, he was a self-made millionaire. His father had assigned one entire apartment to Taiju. He had to manage it, take rent, and keep an eye on other things, wanting him to learn the art of living independently. He wanted Taiju to take his own responsibility for life.In the evening, the gang—Manabu, Taiju, Sayuri, Mai, and Naomi—would assemble at Taiju's apartment. Their study sessions were a mix of focused reading and endless chatter, a blend of discipline and camaraderie. Despite their varied personalities, one thing united them: a shared and uncompromising sense of justice.Manabu, in particular, had an obsessive interest in criminal studies. He religiously kept track of news reports, crime records, and psychological profiles of criminals. Over time, this fascination materialized into a meticulously maintained notebook, a personal archive of sorts. Yet, Manabu was no ordinary enthusiast; his depth of understanding went beyond surface-level curiosity. He was a science student, and he aimed for forensic studies. He was particularly good at biology and mathematics. A shameful secret of Manabu was he had hidden in the washroom of his home, behind a cleverly concealed fake ceiling board that was undetectable to the naked eye, lay his prized possession: the notebook. Manabu alone knew of this secret spot. He didn't share it with anyone—not out of selfishness but because he feared others might ridicule him for it, dismissing it as an odd or juvenile obsession.

The notebook bore a title that reflected his fascination: "The Night and the Blood." The name was inspired by one of Manabu's favorite novels, a thriller drenched in supernatural tragedy and psychological depth. Manabu reads lots of books, stories that fascinated him. He opened the diary. Within its pages, he had recorded the profiles of real criminals. Each entry detailed their crimes, mindsets, and stories. These weren't fictional characters from novels or manga; they were flesh-and-blood individuals, many of whom were still under active investigation. In their study sessions, the group often delved into topics of criminology and law enforcement, sharing insights and engaging in spirited debates. These gatherings were more than just academic discussions. Manabu's obsession with justice was deeply rooted in his bond with his grandmother. She had been his guiding light, her words of wisdom echoing constantly in his mind. His grandmother was a paragon of kindness, always seeing the good in people, even when others couldn't. She was everything Manabu aspired to be—yet everything he believed he could never achieve. I was the cold bastard, he often thought, reflecting on his inability to emulate her warmth.His grandmother had been his role model, his idol, right up to her last breath. Even as she lay dying, her thoughts were filled with compassion and love. But Manabu could never forget the regret that consumed him the night she passed. They had argued. His grandmother had given a man a large sum of money, despite having no guarantee that he would ever return it. Manabu had called her a fool for being so blindly kind and stormed out of the house, anger clouding his judgment. Instead of staying by her side, he spent the evening riding Taiju's bike around town, trying to cool his frustration. When Taiju heard about the argument, he insisted on taking Manabu home. But by the time they returned, it was too late. They entered the house and found her lying on her bed, completely still. At first, they thought she was asleep. It wasn't until dinner, when they tried to wake her, that they realized the truth. Panic set in as they called an ambulance, but the doctor's words shattered Manabu's world—'She had passed away hours ago. 'If only I had stayed with you...' he muttered to himself, staring at her empty room. That regret became an unshakable weight on his soul. He blamed himself, believing it was his fault for not being there. Since that day, he had changed. He became kind and helpful toward others, unwilling to take the risk of losing someone he loved again. But after his grandmother's death, something else stirred inside him. He dedicated himself to her ideals, not because he was told to, but because it was his own will. Yet, at night, the torment never left him. He would wake up screaming, haunted by nightmares that refused to fade. Ever since he was a kid, he suddenly started to have nightmares. He went to the doctor with his grandmother; they took his mental test and gave him medicines. But for a few weeks, Manabu isn't taking medicine in time. Nightmares would creep in during the dead of night, pulling him into the shadows of his mind. Memories blurred with dreams, and one event in particular refused to leave him. A family incident from 'June 21st' replayed in his head like a cursed film. He screamed to himself while asleep. He would whisper and call his mother. He He doesn't remember her face. He can't find her in her dreams, but her warmth always consoles him. That night he lost something precious to him. He tried to remember. But it feels like that part of his memory doesn't exist anymore. But her images never left him, and the weight of that night pressed on his soul like an invisible chain of regrets… Manabu often takes sleeping pills for better sleep and wakes up late. Just as usual, he would get punished: clean the hall, water the trees, collect garbage from the playground, or detention classes.