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The day Sir Pheles was to collect him from the monastery was blue and clear
and his apprehension was bitterly palatable. On the positive, he would officially begin his training as an exorcist. On the negative, his
father was dead and his brother just up and left without a word.
His father was gone, dead, and he was given an improbable reason
as to why.
He was overpowered by a demon
, or so they said. Yukio couldn’t wrap his head around how his father the Paladin was overpowered by something as simple as demon in his own
monastery. A place he knew possessed some of the greatest wards on
the planet.
But it wasn’t entirely fair to say he knew nothing. That was
something and he didn’t believe it to be entirely false. Though there was
something he wasn’t being told and he knew it has something to do with Rin.
The night after his brother disappeared, he heard Rin’s name spoken harshly
through the closed door of their kitchen. Fearing the worse he waited for a
moment but heard nothing more.
The last he had seen of his brother was his rain blurred figure knelt by
their father’s gravestone as the funeral faded away.
Yukio dialed the emergency number their father had programmed into his
phone and when Mephisto Pheles appeared his brother was long gone.
He had only ever seen the man but once. It was late one night in his second
year of middle school and he had gone downstairs for water only to find a
clown sitting across the table from his father.
All he knew of him was that he was an Honorary Knight of the Order and the
headmaster of True Cross Academy.
But regardless of what he did and didn’t know, one thing remained true –
and it lingered and lingered and lingered – the man that had
raised him was dead.
Fujimoto Shiro was dead.
Fujomoto Shiro was dead and he didn’t understand why.
He stood on the curb dressed in full uniform with his remaining bag slung
over his shoulder. He pulled the ratty school bag from the back of his
closet and hastily shoved a pair of inscribed guns he had recently received
with the sentiment of his father’s wish.
He was familiar with the weapons. He remembered his small hands wrapping
around the grip at his father’s encouragement. He was never permitted to
fire them, only the training guns. But it was with those guns that his
father taught him to appreciate the art of firing and filled his mind with
visions of a life fighting evil.
As far as Yukio was aware, he was one of the rare few born with a mashou
and though he had always been aware of demons, Shiro was hesitant to
introduce him into the world of exorcists while still so young. Instead, he
told stories and perfected his stance. So, that if the time came, he would
be able to protect himself. He never told his father, but Yukio always
imagined he grew stronger so he could not only protect himself, but his
brother as well. His brother who was never to know of the training less he
get unnecessarily involved. Less he get hurt.
Rin didn’t have time for demons anyway, his time was already well consumed
by hours upon hours of kendo practice. Shiro encouraged Rin to join classes
to help curb his baseless aggression and while Yukio couldn’t vouch much
for progress in that regard, he knew his brother fell in love. Rin needed
to focus on his competitions and leave Yukio to keep them safe.
A tacky pink limousine pulled up to the curb and he could just barely make
out the sound of someone speaking inside.
The door was flung open.
“Ah! Okumura-kun, please sit.”
He slid into the ostentatious vehicle to be greeted by Sir Pheles with a
phone to his ear and gesturing for him to wait a moment.
“It is ultimately your decision. We will speak later, outoto,” The clap of
his phone closing punctuated the finality in his tone and Yukio silently
wished the other person the best of luck.
“Where is my brother?” Yukio asked after several blocks had passed.
“What makes you think I know?”
Yukio resisted the urge to huff and Sir Pheles laughed.
“Your brother will be meeting us at the school. Don’t worry, he’ll be there
for your speech.” Something about the man’s smirk was purely demonic.
A tense silence cocooned the vehicle as it pulled up to the prestigious
entrance of True Cross Academy.
“I’ll see you after the entrance ceremony, Okumura-kun~”
If he hadn’t already toured the school, Yukio would have felt inclined to
gape. The floors alone were worth more than the entire monastery.
He took a breath and, as he walked to the podium to give his speech as
Freshman Representative, his eyes trailed over the crowd up to the balcony
never resting upon a familiar figure. So, with an inaudible sigh he steeled
himself and did his best to squash the disappointment. He hadn’t even told
his brother about the speech. He wonders when that had become the case.
That he wouldn’t even tell his own brother about something as simple as
this.
Despite his best efforts, a feeling of great remorse and apprehension
followed him throughout the tour and lingered until he was released from
his group.
Finally able to breath, he flipped through his entrance packet in search of
his dorm assignment. He was interrupted by a dog’s bark of all things and
not even a real dog. A bark from the likes of dogs he had seen in pictures
of American women’s purses.
He held his packet to his side and peered down at the small white creature.
The dog yipped and began to trot away only pausing to turn and cock t’s
head. Curious, he followed the dog until it stopped at a bridge a good ways
from the main campus.
Confused, Yukio turned and looked the way they came when he returned his
attention to his guide, the dog was gone. The dog was gone and in its place
was a grinning headmaster.
Yukio attempted to subtly wipe his eyes with his sleeve. “What are we doing
here?”
“What is anyone doing anywhere, Okumura-kun?”
Yukio wondered if the man was always so disobliging.
A key was dangled before his face and he took it gingerly, “What’s this
for?”
“Why, Cram School, of course!” and with that he jumped off the side of the
path and leaving Yukio to scramble down the rocky side.
“From here on you will be a Page, the first step to becoming an exorcist.
While regular classes do not start for two more days, exorcist cram school
begins today.
“Put this key in any lock and it shall be available to you.” The demon
swept an arm in a dramatic gesture towards a pair of rusted doors.
With a healthy bit of skepticism, Yukio turned the key in the lock and with
a great groan, the door opened.
“First Years are meeting in classroom 1106”
Despite Sir Pheles’ insistence of tagging along, Yukio was able to locate
the classroom without assistance and entered with the confidence that he
was exactly where he was supposed to be.
There were three boys on the far side of the room that obviously knew each
other and the same went for the two girls sat near the front. In the back
of the room was a rather odd figure whose face was obscured by a deep black
hood and a blond boy with a puppet of all things.
He nodded a greeting to the girls and sat in front closest to the door.
Fifteen minutes later the instructor was still not present and his
classmates had started to whisper amongst themselves.
The girl with purple hair and odd eyebrows stood abruptly, “If our teacher
can’t even bother to show up, why should I sit here?” murmurs of agreement
followed her comment.
Startling the room into silence, the door was swung into the wall with such
force the blackboard rose and smacked against the wall.
“Good question! I’m honestly surprised anyone is still here! I would have
left ages ago.”
He knew that voice.
Rin entered the room dressed as the love child of an exorcist and a
juvenile delinquent wearing his heavy coat the sleeves rolled and chains
dangling from his belt.
What really caught his attention was the sword at his hip and the barely
contained violence in his eyes. Rin had always been a something of a wild
child possessing an air of aggression that he could never manage to shake.
With his hair shaggy poorly concealing an unfamiliar point to his ear and
nails shaded black,
Rin looked less like a delinquent and more like -
A demon.
His brother looked like a demon.
“Nii-san?”
Instead of acknowledging the obvious question, Rin’s eyes narrowed into
slits as he glared at the headmaster who had situated himself on the chair
next to Yukio his front paws propped on the desk.
His brother hissed something too low for him to hear and Sir Pheles paused
before giving him a smile that was impressively dodgy for a dog.
“I’ll start by saying that I didn’t volunteer for this but,“ he shrugged,
“the guy who was supposed to be here was called out. So you’re stuck with
me, for today.”
He clapped once, loudly. “Now that we’ve gotten that over with, my name is
Okumura Rin, Middle First Class, and today I will be supervising your
induction into the Order.”
It sounded too rehearsed to be his brother’s words.
“Nii-san?”
“But you’re the same age as us!” the girl with the odd eyebrows exclaimed.
“Yeah! How are you any better than us?” the menacing guy from the back
followed.
Rin smiled.
“Great thoughts everyone!” he chirped. “Yeah, I am the same age as you but
that does not mean I’m not better than you,” he cocked his head slightly,
his voice remaining chipper, “I started training when I was seven and
worked my ass off to get to where I am today.”
“Rin-chan is the youngest exorcist to pass the qualification exam. A genius
in swordplay,” Sir Pheles whispered sounding almost proud.
“What?” his brow furrowed. Rin had been training for as long as he? Why
wasn’t he allowed to join the Order? Why hadn’t anyone told him?
Rin dropped the smile and eyed the room seriously, “You don’t have to do
anything more than tolerate me as long as you follow my instructions.
“Now! Who here doesn’t have a mashou?”
Yukio turned slightly to see eyebrow girl’s friend and the guy with the
hoodie raise their hands and, for the life of him, Yukio could not fathom a
decent reason as to why they were in the cram school.
Rin pulled out a vile from his coat pocket, “Obviously, this classroom
isn’t actually in general use,” he made a disgusted face, “but it is home
to several hobgoblins.”
“Is that alright?” asked eyebrow girl’s friend.
Rin waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t worry about it. This,” he held up
the vile,” is rotten pigs blood and just a bit will attract a hobgoblin to
give you a mashou.
“Those of you who need to, please come to the front.”
Yukio fears he knows nothing at all.
Chapter 1: Fractures
Rin is four years old the first time he burns blue. Yukio was ill in bed,
their father was asleep, and he wasn’t tall enough to reach the stove.
Unable to do little more and stretch up to clatter the pot onto the
stovetop, his frustration overwhelmed him and the stove top explodeed just
as Shiro entered the room.
He may not remember the incident but what he does remember is looking up at
smiling, bizarrely dressed, man who placed his hat on Rin’s head and told
him to call him Aniue.
Mephisto or rather Samael, became something of a fixture in Rin’s life
after that first meeting. By way of stories he taught Rin of Assiah and
Gehenna and of the Seven Demon Kings sired by Satan himself.
When he was seven, and against his father’s wishes, Samael introduced him
to the komaken Kurikara and gave him the truth. The truth that his flames
were much stronger than Kurikara could hope to contain and it was only a
matter of time before the komaken was overwhelmed.
But that wouldn’t be for years yet.
It was Shiro’s idea to put him in kendo and, while it did little to curb
his temper, it narrowed his focus. Rin progressed far faster than any of
them could have imagined.
At ten he was introduced to Shura and immediately expressed his distaste
with her attire. She was unamused but agreed to help train him as a favor
to Shiro.
When he was thirteen, Shura tattooed a storage seal on his left wrist and
Samael rested Kurikara upon his calloused palms.
By fifteen he was a Middle Class Exorcist.
……….
“You’ve been training him?! This entire time?!” Rin shouted. He and Shiro
were the only ones present in the chapel and his voice filled the space.
“Rin, please,” Shiro tried to placate.
“He should’ve been able to live a normal life! You –” The candles in the
chapel burned blue.
“He had a mashou, Rin!”
The silence was deafening and the breath was stolen from Rin’s lungs.
“What? Who?”
“He was born with it, Rin. It’s no one’s fault.”
“But you didn’t tell me. Does Aniue know?” he shook his head harshly. “Of
course he does,” he turned to Shiro, “Why didn’t you tell me? Does he know
about me?”
“We didn’t tell him anything.”
“We? Was I the only one who didn’t know?”
Shiro sighed and nodded.
“I would expect this from Aniue, but not you,” Rin’s voice was low. “I get
why you raised me this way. I know I never had a choice. But he did, he did, and you took it from him!” the flames expanded bathing the
whole chapel in a deep blue.
“Eventually it wouldn’t be safe for him anymore! You know this, Rin. He had
to be prepared.”
“Eventually. We still had years when you started training him. You
may not have had him inducted, but you still took away his childhood.
“You’re supposed to be our dad, what kind of dad turns his sons
into soldiers?! Not a good one as far as I’m concerned,” he spat.
“Enough,” Shiro’s voice was cold. “I have made many mistakes with you and
Yukio, but I do not regret teaching you how to protect your-“
Shiro suddenly doubled over, “No! Rin you have to run!”
“Tou-san? What’s wrong?!” He took a hesitant step forward.
“Go! Rin! Get away from me!”
He was being possessed. The Paladin of the True Cross Order, his father was being possessed.
Shiro straightened and looked Rin in the eye, “My son. How I have longed
for our meeting.”
“Satan,” Rin whispered wheeling back and falling to the ground.
“Haaaaaah! Just kidding! I came all the way out here to see you, be happy
about it!”
“Get out of him!”
“Don’t worry. This body won’t last long anyway,” Satan mutilated Shiro’s
hand a crazed grin marring his father’s face.
He didn’t have a sword. Why didn’t he have a sword?!?
Satan began to chant, the blood from Shiro’s hand to pouring unto the
wooden floors that Rin suddenly remembered he was supposed to help mop
earlier that day.
He looked down at the black band covering his left wrist.
He did have a sword.
“Gehenna Gate! I am the only one powerful enough to create one!”
Satan grabbed Rin by his collar dragging him towards the gate.
“I created you out of boredom but now I realize it was a masterstroke! Part
Assiah, part Gahenna. You are strong enough to be my vessel!”
Rin slid the band off his wrist and chanted under his breath, “ Slayer of Karura, holder of Heart, fire fights fire.”
He was going against the plan. The plan to wait for his power to overwhelm
the komaken then absorb his Heart into his body. It was the only way to
keep him from being irrevocably tied to Kurikara and he was. Going.
Against. The. Plan.
Without a thought other than survival, he unsheathed Kurikara and was
consumed by blue.
Satan just laughed, “You can’t burn me with my own flames!”
Rin swung around slicing through Shiro’s arm watched it fall in slow motion
as he took a defensive stance. “You’ve got one thing wrong, bastard. These
flames are mine!” His body moved as he had been bred to move and as they
fought time blurred and all he saw was an enemy.
Blood burst from the demon’s lips as he fell and as he fell Rin tore apart
the Eye of Gehenna.
A demonic scream pierced the air and Shiro’s body was his once more.
“Rin,” Shiro gasped for air, “Rin, I’m sorry.”
“To-tou-san?” his voice cracked and shook. He dropped to his knees beside
his father. “Tou-san!”
It was then that the monks came rushing in beaten and bloody to find Rin
hunched over the Paladin’s body, a white knuckled hand wrapped around an
unsealed Kurikara.
The scene that met them was horrifying and though they were exorcists, and
though they had witnessed terrible death, it did nothing to prepare them
for the fall of their friend, the fall of the Paladin.
“Rin! Rin, what happened?” Nagamoto placed his hand on the teen’s shoulder
shaking him gently. Rin jerked his head and bared newly formed fangs. The
monks watched Rin’s face crumble tears pouring from his eyes.
“Tou-san… Tou-san. He apologized. He apologized but it was my fault. It was my fault.”
Nagamoto crouched beside the crying teenager, “Rin, what happened?”
“He – he was possessed.”
“What? How – “ At the realization the room grew still.
At Rin’s face and the state of Kurikara, they all understood.
“Where’s Yukio?” Rin asked his face turned downwards and his free hand
clutching Shiro’s bloody shirt.
“He‘s out, but he should be back soon.”
Rin took a shaky breath and pushed himself to his feet still clutching
Kurikara. He whirled around and addressed the men with steeled eyes.
“Lock down the chapel, Yukio can’t know what happened here.”
“He’s going to ask, Rin-kun. Fujimoto-san was his father too. He deserves
to know,” Izumi argued from his place by the scorched ground where the
Genhenna Gate once stood.
“Like how he deserved to have the old man train him?” Rin shook his head
slightly, “No, not yet. Just tell him he was killed by a high level demon.”
“He’s not going to believe that and you know it.”
Rin looked the Nagamoto in the eyes, “Yukio doesn’t need to know that his
brother killed his dad.”
“Rin, this isn’t – ” he tried.
Rin narrowed his eyes at the Paladin’s right hand daring him to speak. The
man was higher ranked then him and had no real reason to comply but Rin’s
resolve was unshakeable.
Nagamoto sighed and ran a slow hand down his face. He gave Rin a pointed
look, “Fine. But when this comes to bite you in the ass – and it will –
you, alone, have to deal with the consequences.”
He gave one last glance at the boy he had watched grow before motioning for
the monks to leave the chapel. “We’re going to wash up but we’ll be back.”
Rin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There would be time to morn
after the chapel was cleaned and Shiro’s body was cremated.
……….
What Rin considered the most important affair was the private funeral that
included only Rin, Yukio, and the monks. Fittingly, and with a tinge of the
surreal, it was raining. The monks left collectively with only Nagamoto and
the twins left behind. With a frown, the man placed his hand atop the
headstone and closed his eyes briefly before turning away.
Dropping his umbrella, Rin knelt at the base of the stone allowing the rain
to wash over him plastering his hair to his face and his clothes to his
body. Yukio stood behind him and Rin lingered until Samael was in sight and
left without overhearing a word of their conversation.
There was a second ceremony that could argue was of greater importance than
the family affair that was held within the main headquarters in the
Vatican. It involved the Grigori, the Branch Heads, the Arc Knights, and
several higher level exorcists that were known to be close associates with
the deceased Paladin.
Despite Nagamoto’s insistence, Rin had no plan or desire to attend the
event. He found it thoughtless and knew his father would have hated the
formality of it all.
But Samael made a point of dragging him along.
“It is important for you to show solidarity with the Order. Now that
you lack the protection that Shiro’s position provided, you will be
closely monitored. The Order is aware of your status as a half demon
and while we can easily play off the changes in your appearance, it is
pivotal for your
patronage to remain unknown – trusted exorcist or not.”
During the proceedings he and Samael stood off to the side while Nagamoto
was granted a seat. Samael had been a part of the Order for nearly 200
years and Rin was a known associate of Shiro, but half-human wasn’t human
and speciesism ran deep.
Rin figured the ceremony was for ceremony’s sake and while, on some level,
he understood that maybe other people deserved to give their farewells but
it didn’t change the fact that it was mostly a bunch of stuffy old men
waxing poetic about a man they barely knew.
After the funeral, if anyone were to search for him, they would find Rin
sitting on the floor of Samael’s office definitely not hiding from
Yukio
“Did I kill the old man?” he asked abruptly breaking the silence of the
room.
The scratch of Samael’s pen ceased and Rin could hear him set it on the
desk. Without opening his eyes he just knew that the demon had laced his
fingers and was giving him that look that he gave when he wanted
Rin to think.
“Do you think you killed Shiro?” the demon returned.
Rin liked to think he knew Samael as well as was possible, as well as he
really needed to. For instance, there were several things that he knew to be truth.
Samael was fascinated by humans, Japan in particular, and if he had his way
he would never return to Gehenna. And, also, he cared deeply – in whatever
twisted way a demon could care for a human – for Fujimoto Shiro.
Rin didn’t know how they met, and would never ask, but after years of
watching them interact and hearing them complain about each other he knew
Shiro, in the least, considered him a friend.
“I tore him apart.”
“Ah. But did you kill him? Do you truly believe Shiro was still alive when
you did so?”
When he could no longer shake the image of him plunging Kurikara through
his father’s chest, Rin opened his eyes to see that Samael was indeed
giving him the look.
“If he was in anyway conscious, do you believe that he would have allowed
Satan’s mutilation or his opening a Gehenna Gate?”
“Aniue…”
“But regardless of what we believe to be the truth, while you are a demon,
you are also human and you will be haunted by what happened that night. And
there is nothing I can do to help you, outoto. You will have to learn how
to move on before it destroys you.”
Rin brushed away any tears that had formed before they fell. He did this to
himself and to Yukio. Even if Satan had Fujimoto Shiro’s death warrant, Rin
had been the catalyst of his demise and that was something that he had to
accept. No matter what Samael said, he knew he killed his dad.
He sat for a moment pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes
breathing slowly before laying back against the plush carpet.
Rin could feel Samael’s eyes on him as he laid there but when he looked
again the demon had returned to his work the familiar scratch of his pen
relaxing him into a light rest.
……….
“You better not tell him anything, Samael,” Rin growled into the
phone. He stood outside where the first years would be having their
orientation ceremony and off to the side partially shadowed by an overhang.
Yukio would be giving his speech soon.
Rin was proud of his twin. While he fought with blood, sweat, and tears,
Yukio excelled in school free from darker obligations. Shiro had trained
him but Rin knew for fact that it didn’t go as far as actual fighting.
If Rin had a choice in the matter, he wouldn’t be caught near the academy
much less wearing the uniform but Samael had given him the stipulation that
if he was to remain near Yukio he was to attend school. He didn’t get it
but he had reluctantly agreed after futilely trying to glare the demon into
submission.
“The truth will be revealed sooner or later, Rin.”
“Then it better not be by your hands,” he snapped.
“If you had a choice, he would never know.”
“If I had a choice, he would have never been trained! If I had a choice,
the old man would still be alive! I know I don’t have a choice but that
doesn’t mean it can’t wait.”
“The consequences may be severe if you wait much longer.”
Rin sighed running his hand through his hair in agitation, “I just want him
to be innocent for a bit longer…”
“It is ultimately your decision. We will speak later, outoto.”
Rin closed his phone and slipped into the crowd headed into the auditorium.
The facility’s aesthetically pleasing high ceilings did nothing to curb the
cacophonous den that assaulted his ears. However, he could say that the
room had good acoustics as Yukio’s voice carried clearly across the hall.
He couldn’t help but grin as he listened to Yukio’s speech. He couldn’t
help it, he was so proud! He knew Yukio was speaking but he hadn’t known he
was the First Year Representative! In hindsight, why else would a first
year be given the opportunity?
His phone vibrated near the end of the ceremony and he flipped it open
without fanfare. Not many people had his number after all.
[Meet SR 1500]
Rin grimaced. The number was unknown but that didn’t mean he didn’t know
the sender.
Without bothering to respond, he shoved the phone back into his pocket,
with more force than was strictly necessary, and slouched further into his
seat remaining in the position until students were called to file out of
the building.
He couldn’t help but gape as his class was led through the school. He
didn’t know much about architecture, or anything, but he knew it was over
the top, especially for a school that wasn’t like a college or something.
If he were to be honest, though, Samael designed the school, of course it
was ostentatious. The demon’s very existence was outrageous. So, how could
anything of his design be anything but?
At the end of the tour Rin fished out a ring of keys and opened himself a
door to the cram school. He made his way down the hallway and stopped
before a marked door pausing only briefly before opening it with a scowl.
Despite the antiquity of the facility, the staff room for the cram school
was surprisingly modern. It lacked technology, yes, but it was set up the
same as the rooms he had been reprimanded in when he was a kid.
“You’re late,” the sole person in the room commented without looking up
from his work.
“What do you want Neuhaus?” Rin snapped his hand automatically resting on
pummel of his sword. The man had made him uneasy since their first meeting
and, even if the man didn’t have a major vendetta against Satan,
he was creepy.
“You’re needed in 1106.”
“With the First Years?” with Yukio.
The man set down his papers and stood, “You need to administer the mashou.
There are a couple students this year without.”
Rin honestly found it utterly ridiculous how people who knew nothing of
demons, who had never even seen them, possessed the nerve to up and decide
to dedicate their lives to them. He frowned, “Why can’t you do it?”
“I was called on a mission that I should have left for ten minutes ago,”
the man gave him a pointed look.
And that was the end of that argument. Rin knew better than to argue about
obligations to the Order especially against someone who was technically his superior.
Rationally, he recognized that his dramatic entrance was wholly unnecessary
but he was pissed. He felt it justified, he really didn’t want to be there
and he really didn’t want to see Yukio.
“Good question! I’m honestly surprised anyone is still here! I would have
left ages ago.”
“Nii-san?” At his brother’s question he made a point to glare at the
familiar dog on Yukio’s lap. He knew Samael was just there for a show.
He looked around the room.
Yukio was sat closest to the door.
There was a weird puppet guy, weird hooded guy, and a girl with tiny
eyebrows who sat next to a plain looking girl who was probably her friend.
Pretty unexciting until his eyes reached a group of three.
There was a punk with a blond stripe in his hair and a ridiculous amount
piercings that he was pretty sure was Suguro-san’s son, he had seen
pictures of him when he was a kid but they had never met, and next to him
was a short bald kid with glasses. By themselves he found them wholly
uninteresting but the pink haired guy in the aisle seat was pleasantly
familiar.
Rin resisted the urge to allow his gaze to linger.
He continued to speak and at each syllable that left his mouth, he could
see their faces grow more and more incredulous.
“Yeah! How are you any better than us?!” the punk followed.
It didn’t matter, he knew it didn’t matter. No one his age had ever given
him any respect even when he kicked their asses in training. He didn’t need
their respect. How could he have even had the slightest idea that after all
he had worked for, after everything he had been through, that he
deserved any respect. Of course it was preposterous. Besides, he
wasn’t there for them. Maybe he was enduring this for Yukio but even if
not, it had nothing to do with him.
“Those of you who need to, please come to the front.”
Plain girl was first and he had her hold out a hand. On her open palm he
placed several drops of the blood. A hobgoblin appeared almost immediately
and barely gave him a second glance before digging his teeth into her flesh
and flying off in fear. The girl pulled back and Rin ignored her squeal of
pain as he promptly wrapped her hand.
When he dismissed her, weird hoody guy stepped up immediately offering his
hand. Rin looked critically at the offered hand and raised an eyebrow.
The hand bore callouses matching his own. Callouses gained from hours upon
hours of wielding a sword. Why was someone with that much experience
traipsing as a Page?
Rin preformed the rite, though he doubted the necessity, but otherwise said
nothing. Heavy thinking wasn’t his forte. He would ask Samael later.
“Alright then, that’s all for today. Feel free to go, just be here same
time tomorrow for your first real class.”
He leaned back against the teacher’s table and waited for the room to
empty. Though he desperately wished otherwise, he knew Yukio would stay
behind to talk.
“Hey, Okumura-sensei!” Renzo practically sauntered up to him. Rin grinned,
his first actual smile since before the old man’s death.
Renzo bumped his shoulder, “So?”
“It was one of Mesphisto’s rules if I was going to stay here.” To watch over Yukio went unsaid.
Renzo gave the younger Okumura a once over out of the side of his eye and
dropped his voice while putting his back to him.
“Rin, I heard what happened. I –“
Rin shook his head lightly. “Not now. We can talk later tonight.”
“Where?”
He grimaced, “The Old Boy’s Dorm.”
Renzo placed a hand on his shoulder briefly, “See ya later, Okumura-sensei.”
“Friend of yours?”
Rin suppressed the urge to groan and shrugged. He really didn’t want to
have this conversation.
“I’ve worked with his brothers before.”
“Huh,” Yukio rounded the desk to face him and Rin knew Samael was
giving him the look.
“Just come out and say it, Yukio.”
“How long, Nii-san?”
“How long what? How long have I been an exorcist? How long have I
been a demon? How long has this been kept from you?”
Some part of him recognized he was being more aggressive than strictly
necessary but another part of him blamed Yukio for Shiro’s poor decisions.
Part of him wanted Yukio to feel the same pain he did, the same
hopelessness, the same betrayal.
“We’re the kids of a human and an Upper Level demon. You were sickly and
born human. I wasn’t. When we were four years old, the powers I
inherited from our father,” he spat the word, “began to overwhelm
the seal placed on me for and for our safety I was taught to control them.”
“Then why didn’t you look like this before?”
“What? Like a demon?” Rin gave a sardonic laugh. “The day the old man died,
the stress caused this,” he gestured to his person. “If it hadn’t happened
I would have stayed how I was,” he was lying. He knew he was lying. Samael
knew he was lying. But he couldn’t tell Yukio the truth. He couldn’t. At
least not yet.
Yukio didn’t need to know that Rin wielded the powers of Satan. That Rin
had long since accepted he was Satan’s son and he didn’t need to know that
he considered the second highest ranked Demon King as family, that he
called him brother.
No, there was no reason for him to know.
“Even though I started training young, I didn’t get my certification ‘til a
couple years ago. And I didn’t know you had a mashou and I didn’t know you
were being trained. The old man promised you would be protected. But he lied and now he’s dead.”
“How, nii-san? How did he die?”
Rin frowned and looked down at his ratty shoes. Samael had offered to
replace them countless times, but they were comfortable and the first thing
he had ever bought with his own money.
“Please, Rin. No one will tell me the truth,” he stressed the last
word in desperation.
He toed the ground twice before looking Yukio dead in the eye.
“The old man and I had a disagreement that left us unprepared for an
attack. A demon took him down.”
There, he shot Samael a look. He couldn’t be accused of anything more than
being vague.
“…oh.”
Rin found the silence that followed to be incredibly depressing but
refrained from commenting. Yukio had every right to mourn the loss of the
man that raised them.
Samael hopped off the desk.
“That is enough of that. It about time for you boys to wander about until
you find your dorm,” the demon winked. “Eins. Zwei. Drei,” he counted
before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
Rin watched Yukio flounder slightly as he looked down at the spot where
Samael stood mere moments before.
“Can he do that?”
Rin shrugged, “It’s his territory.” He said in way of an actual
explanation.
Yukio still looked to be at a loss, although he was obviously trying to
hide his confusion. Rin pushed open the door making to leave, “You comin’?”
……….
Rin knew it would be gross.
But the Old Boys Dorm was filthy, disgusting, and, at first glance, decrepit.
He was not pleased and he just bet the old clown was watching from his high
tower taking great amusement in his reaction.
Yukio appeared to be equally displeased.
They stood on the bridge leading to the building looking up at it in all
its glory.
“Why?” though it was a question Yukio’s voice was deadpan.
“…let’s just go inside,” With great reluctance, Rin trudged through the
doors, without sparing the building another glance, and with Yukio only
lingering a moment longer.
The sigh of pure and utter relief Rin released when they stepped entered
the building was nearly orgasmic. It was still filthy but nothing that
couldn’t be managed and definitely not as terrible a picture as the outside
depicted. The dining hall needed to be mopped but other than that it was
acceptable and the kitchen.
The kitchen
.
The kitchen boasted the equipment of a professional restaurant. And. It.
Was. Pristine.
He may have drooled and Yukio may have laughed at him.
Their room was also surprisingly clean with clear windows and made beds and
their stuff neatly put away.
Rin unbuckled his sword and collapsed onto a bed while Yukio sat in the
closest desk chair and waited.
“Why are we living here and not anywhere else?”
Rin sat up with a groan and ran his fingers through his hair nervously.
“Well, when I came my… inheritance. It changed more than just my eyes and
ears.”
“And?”
“And…” Rin unbuttoned his coat and slid off allowing it to rest behind him
on the bed. He then started to unbutton his shirt.
“Nii-san, what are you-“
He shucked his shirt and allowed his tail to uncurl from where it was
previously wrapped around his torso.
“I see…” Yukio adjusted his glasses and Rin just waited. Waited for
judgement. Waited for his brother to actually say something.
Yukio continued to consider him and Rin could feel sweat forming.
“The clown figured it’d be best if I was away from normal students just in
case, ya know? And he figured it would be better if we weren’t totally
separated but if you don’t want to stay with me, we could ask him and you
could room elsewhere and,“ he babbled nervously.
Yukio raised his hand then smiled, “Nii-san is nii-san.”
Rin could have cried in relief.
He actually might have. Just a little.
…………
It was dark and Yukio was asleep by the time Rin made his way outside to
meet Renzo.
He stopped at the edge of the bridge looking across to where Renzo was
partially shadowed. He took off at a dead sprint and launched himself at
his friend burying his face in the crook of his neck.
At any other time he would have been embarrassed but his world had fallen
apart and Samael –
Samael was a demon.
“It’s been a while,” Renzo whispered.
Rin rain a hand across his damp eyes, “I missed you.”
“How are you holding up?”
Renzo maneuvered them so they sat leaning against the railing and slung an
arm over Rin.
“One second everything was fine and the next…” He gave a broken laugh and
the dam broke.
“It’s my fault, Renzo. The clown doesn’t think so but I killed the old
man.”
Renzo waited.
“We were arguing, ya know? Yukio was supposed to be safe. He was training him. Sure, he wasn’t inducted but he was fighting.”
“I told him. God. I said a good father doesn’t train his kids to be soldiers.”
“Everyone was told he was killed by an Upper Level demon…” Renzo’s eyes
widened minutely.
Rin gave a dark chuckle, “ Yeah, an Upper Level Demon.
He shook his head firmly, “No, no. Satan. It was Satan. They said the old
man was the only person in Assiah strong enough to withstand his
possession.
“And he could, Renzo. He did.”
“Rin…”
“The clown said there was no way he was still there when I killed him,” Rin
looked up to meet Renzo’s eyes tears streaming down his face, “But he was!
He said he was sorry! I had just jammed my sword into his chest and he
apologized to me.”
Rin felt Renzo’s arm tighten around him as Renzo pressed him against his
chest.
“I couldn’t tell Yukio,” he said between sobs. “I couldn’t. How am I
supposed to tell my brother I killed our dad?”
“I’m sorry, Rin. I’m so sorry,” he whispered into Rin’s hair.
He had trusted Shiro and he trusted Samael, to an extent, but he had known
Renzo for years and he was undoubtedly human in a way that the
others lacked even Shiro. Because, the sacrifices the sacrifices Shiro was
forced to make to gain as much power as he wielded made it inevitable that
something would be lost along the way.
……….
Renzo was surprised but mostly amused when Rin entered the classroom. His
indignant scowl and thuggish gate was familiar. Familiar because he’s fully
aware that Rin could act like a civilized being if he truly wanted but only when he wanted too.
He met Rin when he was eight and Fujimoto Shiro brought him around to
introduce him to Renzo’s brothers. It was never said outright, but Renzo
suspected that Fujimoto-san wanted Rin to make connections with people of
his generation and he and Renzo were the same age. Renzo sometimes wondered
how Rin would have turned out if Fujimoto-san had never brought him around.
He always felt the rambunctious family atmosphere was good for Rin.
They clicked almost instantly and were close ever since. As such, he had
long since known Rin was the child of an Upper Level demon despite his
human features and, amongst exorcist families, it was common knowledge that
a half-demon wouldn’t necessarily take on the traits of their demon parent
at birth if at all. However, it was also known that under great periods of
mental or physical duress, it was possible for the recessive traits to
consume traits of physical humanity.
Besides that, he knew that, for whatever the reason, it was inevitable that
Rin would grow into his inheritance, as he had liked to refer to it, and
that was that. As far as that was concerned, there was no problem.
His problem was in fact, the fact that Rin had been directly involved in
the death of the former Paladin. Someone who, it seemed everyone was
forgetting, was his dad.
Throughout the class – did it really count as a class? – he kept glancing
over at the guy he assumed was Yukio. The guy honestly looked lost and
bursting to say something but was reserved enough to leave it until later.
Rin ignored him completely and Renzo wanted to sigh. But if he sighed than
both Bon and Neko would look at him funny and maybe ask what his problem
was and that would’ve been a pain.
After Rin preformed the mashou rite, something he honestly didn’t
understand, and after his classmates began to file out he waved away his
friends. Once everyone but Yukio was gone, he sauntered up to Rin.
“Hey, Okumura-sensei!” Rin’s previously withdrawn face was split by a smile
– Renzo counted that as a success.
When he got close enough, Renzo bumped his shoulder against Rin’s, “So?”
“It was one of Mesphisto’s rules if I was going to stay here.” To watch over Yukio went unsaid.
Renzo gave the younger Okumura a once over out of the side of his eye and
turned his back to Yukio.
He dropped his voice, “Rin, I heard what happened. I –“
Rin shook his head lightly. “Not now. We can talk later tonight.”
“Where?”
He grimaced, “The Old Boy’s Dorm.”
Renzo placed a hand on Rin’s shoulder only lingering for a moment and
hoping Rin understood the gesture.
“See ya later, Okumura-sensei.”
While he expected it, he wasn’t entirely pleased to see that his friends
had waited for him outside of the classroom.
“What did you want from Okumura-sensei?” Neko asked and Renzo nearly
snorted at how seriously the guy called Rin sensei. In any other
circumstance, he wouldn’t be able to imagine Rin in any position of
authority over anyone but if it was Mephisto’s doing then….
“That guy ‘s our age! Why should we have to call him sensei?!” Bon was
outraged, it was amusing.
“He is a senior exorcist, Bon,” Renzo pointed out and Bon proceeded to
grumble all the way to their dorm.
“What did you need to ask Okumura-sensei?” Neko asked when they returned to
their room several hours after dinner.
They lay on their beds and Renzo turned slightly to face his roommate.
He hummed and waved his hand dismissively, “Nothing important, really. It’s
just not every day that someone that young has rank.”
Neko just nodded in acquiescence.
“Mind if I turn off the light?”
At Renzo’s negative the room was plunged into darkness.
He waited for Neko’s gentle snores before flinging back his blankets and
sneaking through the door thanking the heavens that it didn’t creak.
After more running than he had really been prepared for, he found himself
on the edge of the bridge leading to the Old Boys Dorm. He leaned against
the pillar catching his breath and waiting.
It wasn’t long before Renzo met Rin’s eyes from across the bridge.
And then Rin was running.
And Renzo caught him.
Rin wrapped his arms tightly around him and Renzo happily reciprocated. Rin
had always been physically affectionate when able and while he wasn’t,
Renzo had never begrudged him for it in the least.
“It’s been a while,” he stated the obvious. It had been several months
since they had met and Renzo had been forbidden from taking a train to see
Rin after the Paladins death. He cursed the inconvenience of not having
magic keys.
He, of course, knew what the loss of the Paladin meant for the Order but he
also knew what it meant to Rin. Not only was the Paladin his father, he was
also the man who trained him, and the biggest buffer between Rin and the
higher ranked exorcists. He didn’t know what would happen to Rin’s status
as an exorcist now that he had come into his inheritance. He figured it
would be a pain but, when the time came, they would cross that bridge.
“I missed you,” Rin mumbled into Renzo’s neck.
They ended up on the concrete leaning against the railing of the bridge
Renzo’s arm wrapped tightly around Rin’s shoulders as he spoke.
Fujimoto Shiro was possessed by Satan. Rin defeated Satan. Renzo couldn’t
begin to wrap his mind around how powerful Rin would have to be to manage
the feat. But for the time being, he ignored that in favor of thinking of
it as how Rin felt he killed his father.
So when Rin confessed to not telling his brother the truth, Renzo just let
him cry into his shirt.
He knew Rin.
He like to think he knew Rin very well.
Rin was a horrible liar. No, Rin was a successful liar but terrible
nonetheless. Not because he couldn’t but because it destroyed him.
Renzo frowned. If he hadn’t happened to be there, would Rin have ever
talked anyone? No, he knew the answer to that. Rin never let anyone help
him less he become a burden. Though they had always been close, it took
years before Rin would come to him naturally. Years before he would speak
before asked. He might have spoken with Mephisto Pheles. Renzo knew Rin was
as close to him as one could get to a demon though he didn’t know why. He
probably spoken to him but the demon was a demon and there was only so much
he could understand.
Renzo knew, he knew, that Rin’s secrecy was going to bite him in
the ass because things like that don’t stay hidden forever and if the
nature of the former Paladin’s death was the only thing Rin was hiding he
would eat his K’rik. But he couldn’t say anything as much as he wanted to,
as much as he wanted to prevent whatever was to come, he couldn’t. He had
no right to comment on secrecy. So, silent he remained.
It was extremely late or, rather, very early when Rin shook him awake and
gave him a hand up.
“See ya later,” he waved before making his way back to his dorm.
“Oi! Renzo!” He turned at Rin’s call. “The pink suits you!” Rin’s grin was
blinding.
Renzo rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed and ended up watching Rin’s
figure disappear into his dorm.
The next morning at breakfast he sat with Bon and Neko.
“You snuck out last night,” Neko stated casually in between bites.
“Wha-What?!” Bon looked back and forth between Renzo and Neko. “Really?
Where did you go?”
“Ah, nowhere special, I couldn’t sleep – new place and all – so I took a
walk,” he defended.
“Long walk, huh?”
“I guess?”
Neko addressed Bon, “He left shortly after lights out and didn’t return
until nearly four this morning.”
Renzo short Neko a challenging glare but then tried to laugh the situation
off.
“I bet he went to see someone,” Bon scoffed, “Did you go meet up with
someone?”
“What’s with this line of questioning?”
“Wow, Shima. We just got here and you already found a girl. I’m not sure if
I should be impressed or disgusted.”
“Yeah… Met her at the entrance ceremony,” he lied.
“What class is she in?” Neko inquired.
“…I didn’t ask.”
Both his friends shot him looks of disbelief.
“Fine, if you don’t want to tell us, don’t. But if you get caught I’m not
covering for you,” Bon decided.
Renzo just smiled, “Wouldn’t ask you to.”
He wasn’t sure what he would ask them for.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Yukio had his books spread across his desk reviewing for the classes to
come like the good student he was. He was not, however, seated at said desk
but instead towering over his brother.
He snatched the manga out of Rin’s hands.
“Hey!” Rin protested.
“Nii-san, you’re going to get behind before school even starts.”
Rin sighed and threw his legs over the side of the bed, “I have somewhere
to be anyway.”
Yukio watched him stand and buckle his sword belt before shrugging on his
jacket.
“Take me with you,” he demanded as Rin pulled out a key ring that had far
too many keys for the small ring. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed a
pink strap amongst the mess of keys.
Rin narrowed his eyes at him and said nothing for too long to be
comfortable before he shrugged.
“Alright.”
“Alright?”
“Do ya want to go or not? Don’t kick a bad horse in the mouth!” he snapped.
Though the metaphor was horribly confused, Yukio ignored it in favor of
watching his brother insert a key into their door and on a whim he grabbed
the worn school bag still containing his father’s weapons.
“Is that like the key to Cram School?” he asked.
Rin hummed, “Yeah, the clown likes making keys. Makes it easier for us to
get around.”
The clown? Yukio mouthed in confusion.
Rin pulled open the door and Yukio was given the grand view of a great
stone walkway leading to a small house surrounded by greenery.
“Come on, I just need to stop by the shop for supplies,” Rin explained as
they made their way towards the house.
“Nii-san, how high up are we?”
“Ah. Hm. High enough to die, I guess.”
Yukio gulped but by that time they were already at the house that was
actually a shop.
“Now, ya can’t go in, so just sit out here and wait for me. Shouldn’t be
too long.”
After several minutes of standing around, Yukio made his way to a gate that
he assumed lead to the yard.
He placed his hand on the gate and peering into a gorgeous garden.
Where he saw a girl that was probably the cutest girl he had seen in the
entirety of his relatively short life.
“Hello?” he called out.
The girl visibly startled and their eyes locked before she turned away a
light blush staining her cheeks.
“May I come in?” he asked.
She nodded excitedly still blushing.
Yukio pushed open the gate and made his way towards her.
“Is this your garden? It’s beautiful.”
“Th-thank you.”
Yukio nodded and smiled until the girl shuffled over to where she had
several large buckets.
“Is there something wrong with your legs?” he asked gently. He didn’t want
to pry but…
“Ah, I’m just having a little trouble with them right now,” she confessed.
Yukio picked up one of the buckets and set it down where she asked.
“Oh!” she started her hands deep in what she had explained was diluted
manure. She suddenly grinned up at him, “My name is Moriyama Shiemi!”
Her grin was blinding, “Oku-Okumura Yukio.”
“Hmm. Okumura-kun?”
“Yukio ‘s fine,” he interjected.
“Do you want to be friends, Yukio-kun?” Shiemi asked in a rush.
He gave her a small smile and nodded, “Of course.”
Apparently being Shiemi’s friend meant being put to work, not that he
minded, and it was rather relaxing working with the dirt beneath his hands.
“You know,” she spoke suddenly sitting back, “this garden was obaa-san’s
garden. I love this garden like I love obaa-san. But –
“She died last winter and I promised her I’d care for it.”
“I’m sorry,” Yukio said attempting to navigate the sudden onset of a heavy
atmosphere.
“I like to think she just went ahead to the Garden of Amahara,” she looked
a bit wistful and Yukio was confused yet again.
“Garden of Amahara?”
She positively beamed, “It’s the place where God gathered all the world’s
plants. It’s said that it’s hidden somewhere on Earth and if you can find
it you can see all the plants that have ever existed.”
“It sounds beautiful, Shiemi-chan. I hope you get to see it someday.”
Shiemi shook her head sadly, “It’s just a story and besides, with my legs
like this –
“But! If it really did exist, I’d love to see it someday.” She practically
beamed.
His response was halted by his brother’s abrupt appearance.
“Oi! Yukio! What happened to waiting outside?”
“You didn’t specify where outside, Nii-san,” Yukio pushed up his glasses.
Rin frowned deeply.
“Rin-chan!” Shiemi cried.
“Hey, Shiemi,” Rin waved with a grin. “I see you met my little bro.”
Shiemi looked rapidly back and forth between him and his brother.
“What?!”
“You know Shiemi?” Yukio asked.
“Course, she’s the daughter of the shopkeep.”
“You’re brothers?!”
“Yep!” Rin chirped. “Yukio’s my younger brother.”
“In name only,” Yukio scoffed.
“But Yukio-kun is… and Rin-chan is-“
“What? Roguishly attractive?”
“A delinquent,” she deadpanned.
Rin scowled, “Well, this delinquent is a fully licensed exorcist taking his
brother, a Page, out to observe.”
“…observe what?” Shiemi asked with wide eyes.
Yukio watched a large woman with a pipe come down the steps behind his
brother.
“Let the brat look at your legs!” she demanded.
Yukio decided the woman was more than likely Shiemi’s mother.
“But I haven’t – No!” she shouted obviously distressed.
“Please let me at least look, Shiemi. It won’t hurt anything if nothing is
there,” in a display of gentleness that he would have never believed his
brother capable of, unless he had seen it himself, Rin knelt beside Shiemi.
Shiemi sat back and Rin pushed up her kimono, his eyes only on her legs.
“Roots...” he murmured. “This is definitely a mashou. A demon caused this.”
“It-it can’t. No…”
“Shiemi is –“
“She’s not possessed, ya hag,” Rin snapped. Yukio could have sighed in
relief at his brother’s return to his normal setting. “The demon isn’t
strong enough to fully possess a human. It pro’bly possessed a plant. It’s
definitely a Low Level Earth type though and it’s obviously leaching her
heart through her legs.
“It’s gotta be somewhere in the garden.”
Shiemi looked close to tears and her mother looked like she was seconds
away from boiling over.
“The demon could’ve only taken hold of ya if you talked to it. Do you know
when?”
“I-I haven’t spoken to any demons!” If he knew her better and if he were a
physical person, Yukio would have been tempted to hug her with how pitiful
she looked.
“Shiemi!” her mother shouted startling the garden’s occupants. “I keep
telling you this garden is no good and now look what’s happened!”
“Mother?”
“I don’t care what this garden meant to your grandmother, it’s miasmic!”
“Miasmic?! How dare you?! This garden was obaa-san’s life! I hate you, mother!” She spat the last word with such palatable distane Yukio
could feel the rapid change in atmosphere. She stared er mother down her
breath heaving before she crumpled to a heap.
Rin gestured to Yukio with his head and Yukio picked up the girl, surprised
by her frailness, before following her mother’s directions taking her to a
remodeled storehouse.
“It may not look like it, but she’s being sucked dry. If we don’t do
somethin’ soon, she’ll be gone,” Yukio felt his eyes widen at his brother’s
bluntness but said nothing.
“She’s been locking herself up in here since my mother died. All she does
now is take care of this damn garden,” Shiemi’s mother took a long drag of
her pipe. “Bad legs, just like her grandmother.
“Why is this –
“Every time I try to talk to her, we fight. I’m a failure as a mother…”
Suddenly feeling overwhelmingly intrusive, Yukio turned and made his way
back to the storehouse where he found Shiemi upright and lucid.
“Your mother is worried about you.” He spoke softly when he returned to the
girl’s bedside.
“Why? Why are you – It’s her who’s being horrible! I promised I would
protect this garden!” she shouted nearly falling from the bed.
“My father just died,” Yukio began. “My father just died and I don’t know
why,” Shiemi sucked in a breath. “And all I can think about are the times I
could have done better and the things I’ll never get to say to him. That’s
what’s keeping me from moving on. What’s keeping you?”
It was like the floodgates had been released as Shiemi began to sob.
“I-I stayed out to late. If I hadn’t – if I had just helped obaa-san with
the grapes then she would still be here. It’s my fault she’s dead! That’s
why I have to protect her garden!”
“If that’s what you truly want, then fine. But it’s not, is it? You’re just
using the garden as an excuse. Would your grandmother want you to hide
yourself away in this garden or would she want you out there searching for
the Garden of Amahara?”
“She would wa-want me to go out. She would want me to leave and find it.
But I can’t! My legs…” Yukio stepped forward and she leaned against him
crying into his shirt.
“We can take care of the roots no problem, Shiemi,” Rin said coming up from
behind. “You just need to settle your heart.”
The words seemed to trigger something because the next thing he knew,
Shiemi was overwhelmed by the demon. He stumbled back.
“Yukio, I need your help.”
“What do you need?”
“Hold out your hand.”
Yukio did as he was told and Rin placed a white bullet onto his waiting
palm.
“Nii-san! I can’t just-“
Rin slowly drew his sword not taking his eye off the demon for a moment.
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course!”’
“Then shoot on my mark.”
Rin took off at the demon with his sword at the ready.
It was obvious that his brother was acting as a distraction. Yukio pulled
one of the guns from his dirt stained bag and loaded the bullet.
“Now!” Rin shouted and Yukio caught the exact moment that the demon was
vulnerable. He waited for the blood but none came. Instead, the demon
separated from Shiemi completely and Rin sliced in in two.
Chapter Two: Ammunition
“Wel – Oh it’s you,” she shop keep greeted.
He had left Yukio outside for a reason.
“You say that like you didn’t call for me, ya hag.”
She motioned him over and he took a seat on the second stool behind the
counter.
“How’s she doing?”
Moriyama took a deep drag from her pipe, “We’re having a bit of a
disagreement at the moment. She won’t leave that damn garden and her legs
are getting worse by the day,” she exhaled. “Doctor says nothing ‘s wrong.
You’re all I’ve got left.”
Rin gripped the sides of the stool and leaned back his eyes on the ceiling.
He didn’t much care for Shiemi, she was far too young for someone her age
and while he knew it wasn’t by fault of her own, he couldn’t stand her.
But, he liked the shopkeep enough to watch out for her.
“When would she have had contact with a demon?”
Moriyama made a careless gesture that was contrary to how she actually
felt.
“No idea, it started just after my mother died.”
Rin returned his gaze to her slumped form, “Demons will exploit any and all
weakness. She was probably approached when her grief was fresh.”
“I know,” her voice was but a whisper.
Rin stood abruptly, “Let’s go see her then.”
“I appreciate you doing this for me, Rin. I know how you feel about my
daughter,” she said as they walked the steps to the garden where he was
faced with his disobedient brother.
“Oi! Yukio! What happened to waiting outside?”
“You didn’t specify where outside, Nii-san,” Yukio pushed up his glasses.
Rin frowned, he was incredibly pissed. He didn’t want to be there already
and Yukio was undermining what little authority he had.
After a further enraging conversation he chose to block out Yukio’s
presence and focus on Sheimi.
After significantly more coaxing then he found should have beed necessary,
Rin pushed up her kimono his face determined and his eyes only on her legs.
He really didn’t want to touch her and he prayed nothing was wrong even
though he knew there was no way in Ghenna that was possible.
The affliction was definitely a mashou. “The demon could’ve only taken hold
of you if you talked to it. Do you know when?”
“I-I haven’t spoken to any demons!” Rin wondered if she actually believed
that.
“Shiemi!” Moriyama stepped forward and shouted startling everyone.
Shiemi only argued with her mother for a moment before exclaiming her
hatred and loosing consciousness.
Rin motioned for Yukio to pick her up and Moriyama lead them to the
storehouse where Shiemi was obviously living.
He honestly didn’t understand where Moriyama got off.
“You’re right.”
He turned to face her absently noting Yukio’s returning to the storehouse.
“You should have paid more attention to her as a kid instead of handing her
off to her grandma and you didn’t even pay attention after her grandma
died,” he shot her a pointed look and then moved his gaze to the garden.
“She was grieving the only true caregiver she had ever known and you tried
to keep from her last ties. You should have mourned with her. But instead
you were jealous.”
“Jealous?!”
“You couldn’t understand why she cared more about her grandma then she did
for you.”
He liked Moriyama, he really did, but she was a shitty parent, not that he
had any examples to the opposite. At one point, he would have said Shiro
was one such example but as he grew older he came to the realization that
Shiro hadn’t done right by him in the least. Yes, he was loving and
supportive but he has also groomed him to fight with training that went on
for longer than he could remember.
He asked Samael about it once, trying to understand. Samael, of course,
hadn’t seen a problem with the situation. Demons were left to their own
devices even if they had a parent. Samael likened it to how, occasionally,
younger demons with potential were superficially adopted into groups that
would then train them to be able to fight alongside them. This obviously
did nothing to make him feel better.
Rin left Moriyama to think and returned to the storehouse lingering
outside.
“- just died. My father just died and I don’t know why,” Rin frowned as
Yukio spoke. “And all I can think about are the times I could have done
better and the things I’ll never get to say to him. That’s what’s keeping
me from moving on. What’s keeping you?”
He could hear Shiemi’s sobs from his position outside the door.
“I-I stayed out to late. If I hadn’t – if I had just helped obaasan with
the grapes then she would still be here. It’s my fault she’s dead! That’s
why I have to protect her garden!”
He scoffed. She honestly though an accident was her fault.
“If that’s what you truly want, then fine. But it’s not, is it? You’re just
using the garden as an excuse. Would your grandmother want you to hide
yourself away in this garden or would she want you out there searching for
the Garden of Amahara?”
Yukio was too soft for the world of exorcism. Rin hoped the world wouldn’t
break him in the same breath that he wondered how long his brother’s heart
would last.
“She would wa-want me to go out. She would want me to leave and find it.
But I can’t! My legs…” Yukio stepped forward and she leaned against him
crying into his shirt.
“We can take care of the roots no problem, Shiemi,” Rin said making his
entrance. “You just need to settle your heart.” Settle your heart. It was a
bit ridiculous of a statement, in his mind, but there really wasn’t a
better way to word it. And he had tried.
“Shit,” he cursed as the demon began to assimilate with Shiemi.
“Yukio, I need your help,” he really hadn’t wanted to involve him in the
exorcism itself but he had the means to help and he knew Yukio had brought
his guns along in that ratty bag. Rin made a mental note to order the kid
some holsters.
“What do you need?”
“Hold out your hand.”
Rin dropped the bullet of plant protein in his hand
“Nii-san! I can’t just-“
Rin just began to draw his sword.
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course!”
Yukio trusted him. Yukio trusted him of all people. He wasn’t sure
if he wanted to laugh or cry.
He locked the emotion away for later.
“Then shoot on my mark.”
He sized the demon up before lunging forward making sure to hold back and
keep the damage minor in case it affected Shiemi.
“Now!” He shouted and Yukio shot immediately and precisely.
Oh God, he really did trust him.
He cut down the demon and caught Shiemi in his arms resisting the urge to
drop her.
“Rin-chan?” she opened her eyes blinking slowly.
“You should be able to walk now, the roots ‘re gone,” he gently released
her setting her on her feet.
Moriyama stormed up to them.
“Mother?” Shiemi asked quietly.
The shopkeep wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter.
“I’m so sorry, Shiemi. This is all my fault.”
“It’s not your fault! I was the one who-“
“No!” Moriyama pushed her out to arm’s length and looked her in the eye.
“None of this is your fault. I’m your mother and I’ve failed you.”
As the pair cried Rin took a step back. He was glad that Moriyama was able
to reconnect with her daughter despite the circumstances but that was
something he would never have.
No, he did have it.
He closed his eyes and saw a bloodbath.
“I’m sorry,
” Shiro’s voice echoed through his ears.
“Yukio!” he barked. “We need to go. I have another errand to run.”
Rin waited by the gates impatiently while Yukio said his goodbyes and when
he was finally done, Rin silently took long strides across the bridge.
“Nii-san?” Yukio questioned as Rin opened the door.
“Yeah?” Rin’s voice came out significantly calmer than he felt.
“Is something wrong?”
Rin shook his head, “Nothing ‘s wrong but you’ll have to return to the dorm
without me.”
“Why?”
“Ah, I can’t get away with sneaking you into where I’m going.”
Fortunately, Yukio accepted his response and bid him farewell.
As soon as he was gone, Rin opened the door to Samael’s office.
“Well this is certainly a surprise,” Samael drawled looking all the while
like he had been expecting him.
“Let’s spar.”
“You’ll never defeat me, outoto,” Samael taunted as he transported their
consciousness from reality.
That was one of the few things he loved about his brother: he wouldn’t ask
questions when it counted.
“That’s what I’m betting on.”
He moved to draw a sword that wasn’t there. “Samael,” he growled.
“What’s wrong, outoto? Draw your sword,” he commanded and Rin couldn’t help
but comply.
“Defeater of Kurara, Holder of Heart, fire fights fire.”
A flash of light and the naked blade of Kurikara rested in his hands. Rin
welcomed the cool familiar heat of his flames.
Samael laughed, “Now we can play.”
Sparring with Samael was never a pretty thing or a safe thing or really a
good thing at all. It always ended with him close to death and then he
would return to his body exhausted but in good health.
But he loved it. He craved it.
With the first swing of his sword, he managed the lucky shot of knocking
Samael’s stupid hat off.
With the first swing of Samael’s sword, he was nearly cut in half.
There was a trick he had learned years ago. He was on his first solo and a
demon had taken a good chunk out of his leg. He didn’t have the time to
bleed out, so he lit himself up and burned the wound into submission. When
he returned to base he was told under no uncertain terms he should be
grateful for his regeneration factor less the combination of the original
wound and the burn cause permanent damage. Rin didn’t see why that mattered
because he could, in fact, heal and he was fine. Shiro knew a great many
things but Samael was a demon and he thought it was a clever idea.
With bloody teeth and a sharp laugh, Rin lunged.
Sparring with Samael was an exercise in futility. He knew that, Samael knew
that. If Shiro had ever learned of it he would say it as well. But, Rin and
Samael had always operated under the accord that their sparring sessions
would be kept under wraps.
Their swords locked and Rin was surprised to discover that he was able to
hold steady for seconds longer than he could before the seal was broken.
With the worsening of his wound, the more difficult it became to keep a
grip on his sword.
“If you’re not careful, outoto, you will lose that arm,” Samael chided.
Rin just shook his head and directed his flames towards the wound but
before he could adjust, Samael grabbed the arm and flipped him over his
shoulder.
Rin’s head smacked against the ground with a deafening crack.
Samael looked down at him, “I believe you have accomplished what you came
here for.”
Rin bared his fangs but otherwise didn’t move.
“Alright, that’s enough for now.”
Rin blinked and the next thing he knew he was on his stomach on the floor
in Samael’s office.
He groaned and rolled onto his back his breath coming in gasps. Samael
always brought them to a dream scape when they fought to avoid inflicting
serious long term damage, Rin found the mind remembered the pain vividly
when they returned and only faded after several hours.
Samael, the bastard, was sitting at his desk calm as can be and flipping
through a manila folder.
The demon’s ceiling was a pinwheel of white and violet that was actually
quite pleasant. It had used to be solidly white but after much gripping on
Rin’s part, Samael magicked it into the pinwheel. With as much time as he
spent on the floor of Samael’s office, he greatly appreciated the change.
“Outoto, I believe it would be best if you returned to your dorm,” Samael
stated some time later.
“Why? I’ve slept here plenty of times.”
“Things aren’t how they used to be, Rin. There are people who will take
notice and worry at your absence.”
“Is that why I’m rooming with him? So you can have your office back?” he
complained but pushed himself up anyway.
“You know full well, I don’t care if you’re here.”
“Yeah, I know,” Rin gave a wave as he opened the door to the Old Boy’s
Dorm.
He noted the dark sky through the windows and wondered just how long he had
been asleep.
Rin navigated the dark dormitory until he was met with the light of his and
Yukio’s room.
“Yukio?” he questioned cautiously opening the door. Yukio, who had been
sitting at his desk, turned and gave him a stern glare.
“You were gone for a long time, Nii-san.”
He didn’t want to have that conversation. All he wanted was to sleep in a
bed and try to make it through the night without waking up in a cold sweat.
“Demon,” he gave by way of an explanation.
Rin dragged his leg slightly before he collapsed into his bed and cursing
when his injured arm smacked into the wall.
Yukio stood, his chair sliding back. “Are you alright? What happened?”
“Demon.”
“Nii-san,” he warned.
Rin rolled over his scabbard scraping the wall with the movement and
phantom pain shooting through his shoulder.
“ ‘m not injured, just sore. You know I heal fast.”
Yukio looked him over with a critical eye.
“Did you eat?” Rin asked tired of the look.
Yukio’s sudden laugh nearly made him jump out of his own skin.
“What?!” he squawked.
“It’s just, that’s very you, injured and still asking after my well-being.”
Rin had no idea how to respond to that.
……….
He knew it was coming, Moriyama had practically begged for it, but he was
still surprised to see her.
The Page’s had a break before his class, so Rin meandered over to the old
fountain to check on Shiemi.
Hoisting himself up on to the highest tier he addressed her, “How are your
classes going?”
“I-I thought they were going well…”
He hummed, “I’m sure you’ll get over any roadblocks you hit.”
She looked up at him hopefully, “You think so?”
He just nodded and would have said something more if it weren’t for the
sound of untrained footprints approached them.
“Look who’s having a good time!” jeered the punk.
“Bon,” the glasses kid warned, “he’s a teacher.”
“What do you want?”
“Even if you”re our age, should you really be fooling around with a
student?”
Rin narrowed his eyes.
“Or, is she only a student because of you?” Rin saw Shiemi freeze out of
the corner of his eyes. “Didn’t want your girlfriend to be left out?”
They’re human. He reminded himself. They’re human. He took a deep breath
and attempted to uncurl his fists. Human.
Glasses guy looked worried and Renzo, Renzo looked livid.
Rin watched Renzo’ angry scowl morph a look of concern and hesitance.
“Bon,” he placed a hand on the punk’s shoulder.
“What?!” The punk whirled around.
“I just think this is a really bad idea. He’s a teacher,
Bon.”
Glasses guy nodded furiously.
“Fine,” he spat then left without a second glance.
Rin locked eyes with Renzo before he left inclining his head slightly in
thanks.
Later, Rin’s class began without a trace of the punk’s previous ire and he
noted the kid’s impressive ability to compartmentalize. It was something
that would most certainly come in handy in the future.
Rin grabbed a stack of warn, water stained, cardboard boxes and prayed the
bottoms wouldn’t fall. He dropped them before his small class with a loud
thud and was pleased that only one of the two broke open.
“What’s in the boxes, teach?” Renzo asked promptly.
RIn grabbed a heavy grey coat from the remains of the smashed box
“These are Page’s coats!” he said using what he hoped was a teacher-y
voice. He handed the coat to Yukio to pass around.
“They’re basically exorcist coats but heavier and don’t have all the fancy
crap.”
“What ‘re they for?” asked the punk.
“For the rest of the term, you will be training in these for three reasons.
One, when you get your real coats, you’ll be stronger and faster than you
thought you were. And two, they will get you used fighting in our uniforms.
I’m tellin’ ya, it’s harder than you think.”
“What’s three?” asked Eyebrows.
Rin gave a bright grin, “Because they look cool, of course!”
His students either scoffed or chuckled with the exceptions of Renzo and
Yukio who just shook their heads in amusement.
“Shiemi!” he called he pointed at her abruptly.
“Ye-yes?”
Rin sighed, “Do you own any gym clothes?”
Shiemi looked around owlishly then shook her head.
“Then you’ll have to sit out until you do. Nothing against you, it’s a
safety thing. Maybe ask one of the girls for help.”
She nodded.
“We have names, you know,” Eyebrows complained.
“I’m sure you do,” he acquiesced before clapping his hands ignoring her
look of disgust.
“Everybody grab a coat. Can’t say if they’re clean but I know they’re
cool.”
The class was a symphony of groans. He didn’t quite understand. Sure they
might be dirty, but they represented the first step to becoming an
exorcist. They should be excited. The Page’s coat marked the true beginning
of exorcist training.
He never got a Page’s coat.
He just got a license and signed a fine line.
So, he understood the symbolism of the coat and wished he was better with
words to explain the significance to them. But, all he could do was hope
that they would understand and appreciate them someday.
“Since everyone seems bothered by the smell, we will begin tomorrow. You’re
dismissed, but bring ‘em tomorrow, clean or not.”
……….
“I would have told you if I was dating her.
Renzo just shrugged, “I wasn’t worried about it.”
The sky was bright and the concrete of the bridge railing was cold against
their backs.
“I thought you were gonna deck him. The punk, I mean,” Rin bumping his
shoulder against Renzo’s.
He laughed, “Bon? Do you know any of their names?”
“I know you and Yukio and –“
“And that’s it, isn’t it?” he laughed again and Rin just shrugged.
“So, how did you meet Moriyama-san?” Renzo asked after a while.
“She’s the shopkeep’s daughter. It was a favor to her that Shiemi’s in cram
school…” he trailed off.
“Bon was right?”
“I guess,” he conceded. “She got possessed wants to become stronger, whatever that means. I’m pretty sure Yukio has
something to do with it. Kid ‘s too nice.”
“You don’t like her,” it wasn’t a question.
“You know Rin, we both know you know how it feels to want to be stronger.
You just don’t get why she would give up her peace for it.”
……….
There was a new girl in class.
A cute new girl dressed very traditionally with a bright yet nervous smile
splitting her face.
A new girl who seemed to be flustering Yukio.
She was introduced as Moriyama Shiemi and other than her clothing and her
ability to flap the unflappable Okumura Yukio, she was nothing remarkable.
Weak was Renzo’s first thought. Young was the second. Mystery was the
third.
The cute face drew him in and at mystery he checked a room.
Yukio obviously knew her since he doubted she was the type to get flustered
over someone she just met. If Yukio knew her and she was obviously related
to the Order since she joined Cram School after the start of the term. So,
it was likely that Rin knew her as well.
This was all well in good, but he hadn’t spoken to Rin since the first
night.
Renzo sighed, it would have to wait. He didn’t care enough to go looking
for answers.
Plus, he could practically feel Bon stewing beside him.
He sighed again and returned his attention to the teacher.
The new girl obviously had never opened a book on exorcism in her life as
shown by her abysmal test scores.
He had even started to doubt that she had ever even been to school before.
Throughout the week Renzo had watched Bon’s temper growing but it wasn’t
until they received their pharmaceuticals tests back that he actually lost
his temper.
Renzo himself had done pretty averagely on the test. His grade was nothing
to complain about.
As the rest of the tests were handed out he watched. Shiemi was upset over
her grade and Yukio was frantically trying to calm her down.
And then, Bon got his test back.
“I couldn’t get a score that low if I tried,” he stared down at Shiemi,
“Why don’t you try studying instead of drooling over your boyfriend,” he
spat and Shiemi cowered.
Yukio stood abruptly his chair knocking against the front of the table
behind him.
“Please, watch what you say, Suguro-kun. We’re all here for the same
reason.”
“You’re right. If we’re all here to become exorcists than what is she doing here?”
Shiemi stood up shakly, “You- you’re right, Su-Suguru-kun. Everyone is
trying so hard and I’m lagging behind. I may not be here to become an
exorcist, but I am here to get stronger just like you.”
Renzo watched as Bon seemed to deflate as he stalked back to his seat.
After class, Renzo and his friends found Shiemi with Rin sitting out on the
fountain. Renzo knew exactly the thought that crossed through
Bon’s mind.
And suddenly, but not unexpectedly, Bon began to verbally attack Rin
insinuating a relationship between the pair.
He kept going and Renzo was overcome with the desire to smack his friend
over the back of the head but then he saw Rin trying to control himself and
instantly calmed knowing that if he acted Rin would follow.
“Bon, he’s a teacher,” he tried and by some miracle it actually worked.
Before they left, Renzo met Rin’s eyes and decided to meet him that night.
Rin gave them Page’s coats in their next class and Renzo was honestly a bit
excited. Both his brother’s still had theirs and he could remember trying
and failing to walk around in the heavy coat as a kid. Excited he may be,
however, his coat still smelled like it had come from the very bottom of a
dumpster.
He decides it’s a hazing ritual and vows to wash it twice as soon as
physically possible.
Fortunately, class was let out early and Renzo’s usual trio fled to their
dorm’s laundry facilities, their coats rattling three different machines.
“What’s your deal with Okumura?” Bon asked leaning against a stack of
driers.
“Yukio-kun? I don’t really – “
“You know that’s not what I mean,” Bon cut him off.
Renzo sighed, “Haven’t we already gone over this? I just think it’s
impressive he has rank at his age.”
Bon grunted, “That all?”
Renzo nodded, “Yeah, it’s nothing sordid.”
The topic was dropped but he could tell it wasn’t dead.
Despite that, he snuck out again that night uncaring of Neko’s watchful
eye.
Rin’s dark silhouette stood out starkly against the white of the concrete.
“I would have told you if I was dating her.
Renzo just shrugged, “I wasn’t worried about it.”
And he wasn’t. She was too meek, too quiet, to naïve, to be with someone
like Rin.
But, even then, he wasn’t surprised her placement in Cram School was Rin’s
doing.
“She got possessed and wants to become stronger, whatever that
means. I’m pretty sure Yukio has something to do with it. Kid ‘s too nice.”
“You don’t like her,” it wasn’t a question.
“You know Rin, we both know you know how it feels to want to be stronger.
You just don’t get why she would give up her peace for it.”
Rin barked a laugh, “Since when are you good with stuff like this?”
“I’m not,” he shrugged, “it’s just you.”
And it was. Understanding Rin came as easy to him as breathing and that was
something he would trade for the world.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“As everybody knows, soon you’ll be on break for a month and a half. I also
get a break, which is totally great,” Rin began a small stack of papers
under his arm. “But before all that, you have to take the EAE. The Exwire
Authorization Exam.”
Yukio was intrigued. If he passed the exam it would be the next step
towards achieving his goal.
“Since the exam is for combat training, it’ll probably be pretty difficult
you since we haven’t gotten to that part of the syllabus yet… But who
knows! I have absolutely no idea what you do in your other classes. So,
even I don’t know what you’ll have to do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” demanded Izumo-chan
“I didn’t take the test,” Rin said like it was nothing.
“What? Why not?!” The yelling distressed the caged Reapers and their
groaning overwhelmed the room until their cages stopped swinging
His brother just waved a hand, “It’s really not that important.”
Suguro-kun looked like he wanted to say something more but Rin beat him to
the punch.
“Anyways, since the test revolves around combat, I’ll be holding a week
long training camp starting next week,” he brandished the papers. “It’s, of
course, not mandatory but I’m supposed to tell you that you probably won’t
pass if you chicken out.”
Rin passed out the papers to each of them without comment.
“Decide on your meister and return the forms on Monday. That’s all for
today,” Rin started to nod, but the movement was aborted, “Except, Shiemi!”
“Yes?!” She squeaked.
Yukio was pretty sure he knew what his brother was going to say.
“If you don’t get practical clothing, I can’t let you take the test,” Yukio
found his brother’s delivery unnecessarily harsh but he couldn’t argue with
the logic. Shiemi’s traditional clothing was much too restrictive for
really any physical activity.
Rin pointed at Izumo-chan and Paku-san, “One of you please help her like
you should have already.”
Paku nodded and that was that.
“Yo, Sensei! What’s your meister?” Shima called out and Rin shot
the guy a look Yukio couldn’t decipher.
Rin put a hand on his hip, “Why don’t you guess?” he challenged.
“What do I get if I’m correct?” Shima actually bantering with Rin?
His brother grinned showing his teeth, “I’ll tell you a secret.”
The whole class was watching at that point.
“Ah. My first guess is Knight, obviously.”
“What do you mean first?” Shiemi asked.
Shima ignored her, “And for second I’d say….” Yukio watched his classmate’s
eyes drag over his brother and felt the sudden instance urge that he was
intruding.
“Hmmm. Tamer,” he decided in a manner that Yukio found seemed almost
arbitrary.
But, instead of Rin being surprised he just rolled his eyes dramatically.
“I doubt it,” Izumo-chan scoffed.
“Like Naehaus-sensei?” Paku-san asked.
“Don’t compare me too that -” he snapped but cut himself off. At their wide
eyes he took a breath and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “But
Shima’s right, actually.”
“How’d you get that from this guy?” Suguro-kun asked.
Shima shrugged not taking his eyes off Rin, “I figured it was obvious.”
Yukio didn’t think it was obvious and Yukio didn’t understand how a
relative stranger knew something about his brother that he didn’t.
Successful tamers were exceedingly rare from what his father told him and
Rin was one?
How? And why hadn’t he known?
“Gonna tell me a secret now, teach?” Shima grinned like the cat got a
canary.
His brother rolled his eyes again but motioned him over all the same.
When Shima got to him Rin blocked his mouth with his hand and whispered
something that made Shima grin before he returned to his friends.
“It’s not much of a secret if it’s something I already know,” Shima spoke
so quietly, Yukio wondered if anyone else even heard him.
“Rin-chan!” Shiemi approached his brother as the class started to leave.
She held out her summons.
“Ah! Good job, Shiemi!” Rin complimented with a grin.
Shiemi beamed, “You were right! And I’ve even made another friend besides
Yukio-kun!”
“You’re doin’ good, Shiemi.”
Yukio frowned at the mention of her making a new friend, from what he had
seen Izumo-chan was treating her more like a servant than someone she would
actually want to spend time with.
It bothered him.
It bothered him deeply.
……….
In the Old Boys Dorm and shortly before they were to meet their class, Rin
handed him a package wrapped in a foreign newspaper.
“You’re going to need these for the exam,” he gave by way of explanation.
Hesitantly, Yukio pulled apart the wrapped exposing a pair of leather
shoulder holsters.
“It’s not realistic to keep them in your bag, this way you’ll be armed. But
I have to tell you that you can’t just carry them around,” Rin shuffled his
feet nervously.
“Am I – am I allowed to even have these?”
“Any exorcist in-training can carry a weapon as long as it’s approved by a
teacher.”
Yukio clutched the gift to his chest, “Thank you, Nii-san.”
“One more thing, Yukio,” Rin stepped through the door out onto the front
steps. “They’re not the old man’s anymore, they’re yours.”
After holstering the guns, he made to join Rin sitting on the steps outside
the dorm.
“Nii-san?” he asked, Shiemi’s predicament returning to the forefront of his
mind.
Rin hummed.
“Have you seen what Izumo-chan is doing to Shiemi?”
“Yeah.”
“Why haven’t you done anything about it? She’s being bullied!”
Rin just rested his chin in his hand.
“Are you going to do anything about it?” he asked fearing the answer.
“No.”
He could see his class nearing the bridge.
“Why not?”
Rin pushed himself to his feet, “The world is a cruel place, Yukio. The
sooner she learns that the safer she’ll be.”
Yukio was stunned into silence. He had known his brother to be rude and
sometimes even openly hostile, but never this callous and never this jaded.
He wondered if he really knew his brother.
When his class appeared there were various complaints about the state of
the dorm. Complaints that he himself agreed with wholeheartedly. He caught
sight of Shiemi dressed in the True Cross gym uniform and looking
uncertain.
He offered her what he hoped was a reassuring smile when she passed him
carrying Izumo-chan’s bag.
His brother lead them inside and showed them to the rooms that had been
cleaned for the occasion before taking them to a room with a long table on
by the entrance. Yukio assumed it was intended to function as a study room.
“I have to give you a bunch of worksheets and after everyone’s done, you
can go.”
Once everyone had finished working, the girls headed to the bath.
“A bath full of women, we gotta go check it out. Aren’t training camps
supposed to have that sort of excitement?” Renzo commented surprising
Yukio. Hadn’t he grown up in a monastery?
“You’re supposed to be a Buddhist priest!” Suguro-kun protested loudly.
“Guys, there is a teacher here…” Miwa-san warned.
Shima turned to face Rin and paled at his expression.
“Maa, don’t worry about him. I bet he’s not into this stuff anyway,” Shima
waved off Miwa-san’s concern.
“Shima...”
“Listen to Glasses, Shima-kun. We both know Eyebrows would kill you if you
peaked. Besides…”Rin didn’t finish his sentence but Shima seemed to get his
message.
“Do you still not know our names?” Miwa-kun asked.
It occurred to Yukio that maybe his brother didn’t actually know his
classmate’s names. He thought back on Rin’s interactions with people. He
had always assumed that his brother liked handing out nicknames. Was he
really just bad with names? But he knew –
His brother just shrugged and offered a wry smile.
Rin turned off the light plunging the room into darkness and forcing
everyone to scramble out.
On his way up to their room Yukio found Shiemi outside the baths.
“Shiemi?” he questioned, “What you doing?”
She wouldn’t look at him, “… I need to buy fruit milk.”
It was wrong.
It was wrong.
And if Rin wouldn’t do anything about it, than he would.
“Shiemi, you don’t have to do everything Izumo-chan asks you to,” he said
softly.
“I-I’m just helping out a friend,” she protested.
“Friends don’t talk to friends like how Izumo-chan talks to you.”
She whirled around with tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, “You
don’t get it! Yukio-kun is smart and popular! You’ve always had friends!”
Yukio was momentarily silenced and she took the opportunity to walk away.
“Wait!” she stopped. “I may not personally know what it’s like, but I’ve
seen what it does to people,” he took a breath. “Rin always had trouble
making friends when we were kids and I know that if he was treated by a
friend like Izumo-chan treats you, I would be angry.”
A terrible scream interrupted their conversation.
“It’s coming from the baths!” Yukio exclaimed. “Shiemi, go find Rin!” he
demanded as he rushed to the source.
When he burst into the bathroom it was to the scene of Izumo-chan’s summons
turning on her.
Instinctually and with reflexes honed over the years, Yukio whipped a gun
from his holsters and shot downed the summons in two quick shots. They
weren’t deterred and after a second round of shots, he was beginning to
panic.
“Tear the paper!”
But just as she complied, Paku-san had collapsed and a Ghoul hovered near
deadly close. He swallowed the bile gathering at the back of his throat.
The pictures were a far cry from the horror that was the thing before him.
He fell to his knees besides his classmate and checked her pulse.
“She has a mashou!” Izumo-chan shouted, “If it’s not treated soon she won’t
– she won’t – “
Mashou, mashou. He wracked his mind going back to every lesson on
Anti-Demon Pharmaceuticals he had ever had. Aloe, they needed aloe.
The Ghoul moved and Yukio released several shots into its torso. He didn’t
think he was strong enough to take it down on his own and soon his
magazines would be empty. He prayed Rin would get there in time.
It was in that moment that he hated himself. He was never strong enough.
Nothing had changed. He was still that lost little kid crying for his
brother.
“Paku-san!” Yukio took his eyes off the Ghoul for a moment to see Shiemi.
“What are you-“
“You distract the demon. I’ll treat Paku-san,” she ordered as she rushed
over to Paku-san.
Lacking a better plan, Yukio stood and shot again.
Over his shooting he could hear Shiemi muttering to herself.
The demon slowly pushed Yukio into a corner.
“Oi!” The demon released him at the shout and Yukio slid to the floor.
The sound of grating steel filled the room but just as Rin was about to
dispose of the Ghoul it released a deep growl that caused him to pause.
Rin’s mouth moved but he couldn’t hear him over the horrific sound.
Yukio watched transfixed at his brother’s grace as he swung his sword and
sliced the demon clean in two. He didn’t know Rin was capable of such
refinement or where he had been disciplined. He never saw him move like
that during his kendo practices.
He had known.
He knew the moment he brother called out that it was over. That the fight
was won.
“What happened to your friend, Eyebrows?” Rin asked and Yukio scrabbled to
stand and joined the rest of the group at Paku-san’s side.
It was a testament of the situation that Izumo-chan didn’t object to the
nickname.
“The ghoul…” she was shaking and Yukio figured she was in shock.
He watched his brother poke at where Shiemi had treated her.
“Aloe?” he asked.
She nodded her head.
He clapped a hand on her shoulder, “Good job.”
Hours later with the day’s work completed and everyone was asleep, Yukio
awoke to see Rin’s bed empty.
He had long since grown accustomed to Rin disappearing in the middle of the
night. When they were kids he would climb up onto the roof when he couldn’t
sleep or he would go to the kitchen and end up passing out on the table.
So, unperturbed, Yukio put on his glasses and made his way to the kitchen
for a drink.
The dining hall was illuminated by the light in the kitchen. Yukio could
hear voices but they were too low to make out. So, he crept through the
dining hall and peeked through the serving window.
Yukio sucked in a breath.
“-getting long,” Shima said softly with his hand in Rin’s hair.
“I guess,” Rin shrugged. “I think it got longer when the seal broke.” Why
would Shima know about the seal on Rin’s powers? He remembered Rin telling
him that he knew Shima’s brothers but he hadn’t thought it went any farther
than that. Did it? Would Rin rather tell a stranger his secrets than his
own brother?
His brother pulled at a strand of hair and looked at it, “I kinda like it.
Does it look bad?”
Renzo shook his head and reached into his pocket, “Close your eyes.”
Yukio watched as his brother complied and Shima slid a clip into Rin’s hair
holding his bands out of his face.
The moment was so tender, Yukio felt as though he was intruding despite the
fact he was hidden. So, he took his guilty conscious and went back to bed.
Chapter 3: Venice
As soon as he was finished speaking Renzo called out, “Yo, Sensei!
What’s your meister?”
“Why don’t you guess?” Rin cocked his hip and smirked.
“What do I get if I’m correct?” Shima teased.
Rin thought for a moment then grinned roguishly, “I’ll tell you a secret.”
He could feel the whole class’ eyes on him and was distinctly
uncomfortable. He didn’t like being the center of attention if he could
help it – it was one of his biggest hang-ups with teaching. Samael, of
course, knew this and the proceeded to ignore it enitely. If Rin actually
asked about it the demon would probably laugh and make an unnecessary and
inappropriate joke about how he was the son of Satan and he should be
greater than the problems of mere humans.
Obviously, it wouldn’t have been the first time Samael put Rin’s problems
on a back burner if it meant his plans would be furthered. Not that Rin
minded, not really. He was used to it by that point and he knew if there
was actually a serious problem then Samael would spar with him to scare it
away.
“Ah. My first guess is Knight, obviously,” Renzo started.
“What do you mean first?” Poor Shiemi didn’t seem to understand that a guy
doesn’t wear a sword if he doesn’t have some idea as to how fight. Rin
didn’t bother to respond too absorbed in his and Renzo’s banter.
“And for second I’d say….” He hadn’t actually told anyone outside his
proctors, Shiro, and Samael but if anyone could guess it, it would probably
be Renzo – the guy was smarter than he let himself believe.
“Hmmm. Tamer,” he said matter-of-factly.
So, maybe some part of him didn’t expect for him to be spot on, at least
not on his first try.
Eyebrow’s didn’t believe him and he wondered what she had thought it was or
if she didn’t believe he had a second one at all.
Then, Eyebrows’ friend compared him to that Ghoul summoning bastard – not
that she knew or that it was anything more than a simple question.
Either way, he was instantly defensive.
“I’m nothing like that bastard!”
Naehaus was a bastard that believed a good demon was one a dead on,
something hypocritical for one with his meister. Rin hated him. He
hated him and yet he ecretly feared the day the Santan hating man leanred
of his secret. His dad was no longer around to protect him and Samael was,
well, Samael was Samael. He hoped his brother would find it beneficial to
assist him should he require it. Those were thoughts always lead to him
feeling like a child. He knew he was strong and was growing stronger but he
still hid behind Samael’s coat tails. Even though there was an obvious
difference in power between them it all summed up to a kid hiding behind
his brother.
He took a calming breath ignoring the class’ shocked faces, “But Shima’s
right, actually.”
The punk questioned Renzo and Rin knew the others were wondering the same
thing.
“I figured it was obvious.” Renzo shrugged but looked him in the eye.
He was a half-demon, the likelihood of him being a successful tamer was
extremely high and it was actually the main reason why the Order allowed
half-demons to be inducted. He was slightly offended that his class was
surprised. It was pretty obvious that he wasn’t human and the tamer thing
was common knowledge.
He understood why though.
He knew they didn’t respect him, even Yukio wouldn’t listen to him.
And he knew they didn’t think highly of him.
They underestimated him and he could hear a voice in his head, that sounded
eerily like Samael, telling him that if he was underestimated he had the
advantage in a fight. He thought that was bullshit. He would rather be
feared than seen as weak.
So, while Renzo had never seen him in full combat, they were close and he
knew Renzo had as high opinion of him as Rin did of him.
The grin Shima gave him stirred familiar feelings.
“Gonna tell me a secret now, teach?”
Rin rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.
He raised his hand and leaned towards Renzo so that his mouth was at his
ear.
“I’m really glad you’re here,” he whispered.
After the scene they made, the class dispersed but on his way out, he was
stopped by Shiemi holding out a baby Greenman – it was adorable and if he
had been alone he would have gushed.
So, Shiemi had tamer potential? That was food for thought.
The day the training camp began, Rin was sitting in their room with Yukio.
He pulled out a package wrapped in newspaper and sat it in his lap just
looking at it. Rin had ordered the holsters several days after the Shiemi
fiasco and Moriyama had given him a huge discount. He had no doubt that
Yukio would find great use in them but if he gave them to him…
Giving Yukio the holsters would mean more than his brother would ever
understand. Giving him the holsters would mean he could fight. Giving him
the holsters meant that Rin would have to let him go.
“Hey, Yukio, I have somethin’ for ya.”
After giving him something to think about, Rin made the trek down to the
front steps of the Old Boy’s Dorm and waited.
Waited for Yukio to join him.
Waited for his class to show up.
Waited for something to actually go right for once.
And the first thing Yukio did when he joined him was criticize him.
No, he wasn’t going to help Shiemi. He didn’t want to, she needed to learn,
and he was starting to think that maybe he didn’t need to.
A surprisingly jaded remark was all he had in him to offer.
Of course he saw Yukio flinch, he wasn’t blind and he knew that Yukio had
never heard him be so cynical. Rin also knew it was his fault. Shiro might
have trained him, but he didn’t train him to an exorcist. Yukio was
sheltered – this was not something he harbored resentment over, not
anymore. Shiro had said he wanted Yukio to have a chance at a normal life
and Rin had accepted that. He wanted Yukio have what he couldn’t and be who
he wasn’t.
Rin knew he wasn’t good with emotions, but maybe he should have expected
everything to turn out how it did. Not with the Paladin’s death, but with
Yukio seeing him in his natural environment. Shiro hadn’t just sheltered
him from the world of exorcism; he had sheltered him from Rin. They were
relatively close as kids but as they got older and Rin’s training became
more intensive, they spent less and less time together and grew steadily
apart. Rin knew it was Shiro’s doing regardless as to whether or not it was
intentional. It made sense, why would a father want a monster anywhere near
his son?
Rin pushed open the door to the dorm and lead his students inside.
When he handed out the work sheets Renzo gave the obligatory groan and when
everyone hunched down to work, he winked.
It was late afternoon and they would have plenty of time to work before
dinner began.
The worksheets were finished soon after dinner and Rin watched Eyebrows
lead away her friend and Shiemi to the baths.
The guy were all joking around and all was fine until Renzo opened his
mouth.
“A bath full of women, we gotta go check it out. Aren’t training camps
supposed to have that sort of excitement?” Rin nearly started. Was this
what Renzo was like with his friends?
The punk obviously had a problem with it as well.
“You’re supposed to be a Buddhist priest!”
“Guys, there is a teacher here…”
Rin glared when Renzo turned to face him and found some sort of
satisfaction in seeing him pale.
Renzo quickly looked away, “Maa, don’t worry about him. I bet he’s not into
this stuff anyway.”
“Shima...”
“Listen to Glasses, Shima-kun. We both know Eyebrows would kill you if you
peaked. Besides…”That’s disgusting went unsaid but Renzo seemed to
get the message.
He dutifully ignored Glasses when he asked if he actually knew their names
– he didn’t.
………
When Rin faintly heard screaming he practically launched himself up the
stair and skid across the tile before bursting into the bathroom.
He quickly took in the scene. Eyebrows was cowering and her friend was
lying prone on the floor with Shiemi hovering over her supposedly giving
treatment. And Yukio, Yukio was cornered by a double-headed Ghoul.
That wasn’t part of the exam.
No demon could get in without Samael’s knowledge. Meaning, he knew it was
there and it was probably summoned.
Naehaus.
The bastard.
Rin drew his sword and was about to off the thing with it spoke in abyssal.
“My prince.”
Rin scowled.
“Give your master no report,” he ordered.
“As you wish,” were its last words before Rin took it out.
He made a face and wiped the blood on his sword on the leg of his jeans
before sheathing it and kneeling over Eyebrow’s friend’s body.
Shiemi would to have worked quickly for the treatment to be sticking.
He clasped her shoulder, “Good job.”
……….
He was ten years old and it was his first trip to the Japanese
Headquarters of the Order. Shura was busy and Shiro was with Yukio so,
instead of being bored at home, Rin took to following Samael around.
It said something that he was more comfortable with a demon than in his
own home.
Samael pushed him through the doors of the training facilities and told
him to wait there and learn something. So, little ten year old Rin with
a sword that just barely fit him, took a deep breath and straightened
his back. Those were the people whose positions he coveted.
His eye was drawn to a large pit of sand where two knights were
sparring.
“Hey!”
Rin started at the shout.
“What’re you doing here, brat?” Everyone in the room had stopped what
they were doing to look at him and it took all he had to resist the
urge to curl into himself.
They were exorcists. But if he couldn’t handle their judgement, was he
really worthy?”
“He’s Sir Pheles’ pet,” piped up another guy. Rin flinched, “I’ve seen
him following that demon around like a puppy.”
The guys closest to him snickered.
“He should keep his pet on a leash,” someone muttered. It words were so
quiet he wasn’t sure if he was meant to hear them.
He wasn’t a pet.
He wasn’t a
pet.
Anyone who knew Rin knew that he had a terrible temper – something that
was barely beginning to subside as he grew older.
“Why do you think he keeps him around?” another asked.
“Who knows? He’ll throw him away as soon as he’s done.”
Rin seethed.
Yeah, he knew Samael was a demon. Yeah, Rin knew that he really had no
obligation to him and if it were anyone else in his place, he would
have assumed the same thing.
But it wasn’t someone else, it was him.
Samael had explained once that demon’s had packs and that it was a
pack’s job to take care of the weak members until they were strong
enough to provide for the pack – Rin thought this was awfully domestic
and did not fit the image that exorcists had of demons in the least.
Rin knew Samael respected pack – even if they were only half-brothers –
and he knew that since Samael hadn’t thrown him away yet, Rin probably
wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“Get out of here, brat. Go find your master.”
Rin’s vision went red.
And then it cleared, and everything was quiet.
And everything was so, so, clear.
The man that stood before him was bulky and significantly larger than
himself.
Cocked his head slightly and smiled.
The man took a step back, uncertain.
Rin took a step forward.
The man stuck out an arm to keep him from getting any closer.
And as simple as that, Rin wrapped his fingers around the guy’s wrist
and twisted.
The crack was audible and the man screamed in agony but before he could
make it to the ground, Rin spun around slammed the top of his foot
against the side of the man’s head.
Rin looked down at the man expressionlessly.
The sound returned at the sound of clapping.
He blinked several times and slowly turned his head to look up at
Samael.
It occurred to him then, that Samael had expected something like that
to happen. It was definitely the reason he was shoved into the room.
He could tell his brother was speaking but his voice was a buzz.
He had hurt someone of Assiah.
He had hurt a
human.
Yukio was human.
Would he hurt Yukio if he got angry enough?”
Samael’s hand clamped onto his shoulder and he was directed from the
room.
“There will come a time,” he began, “that demons will not be your only
enemy. And for that, we must prepare. You must learn to control your
temper until the moment is beneficial to release it.”
Rin listened quietly as Samael continued to talk and then suddenly, Rin
was sitting on the pink carpet of Samael’s office while the demon sat
at his desk.
“Much like your flames, your anger will rage if left untamed.
Rin fell back onto his back his eyes on the white and purple – it’s
violet not
purple you heathen – ceiling.
“He said you were my master…”
Samael barked a laugh, “There will come a time where you become the
master of yourself. Never let anyone shackle you.”
……….
Renzo was not ashamed to say he made Bon flip the mattresses before they
laid down.
No, sir, was he bunking with bedbugs.
Bedbugs were no joke.
Bon, of course, was not amused and was very much begrudging in the act.
After that was taken care of and had what taken his immediate attention was
the fact that the door creaked. No, that wasn’t right. The door screamed like it was being murdered.
And he had promised to meet Rin in an hour.
Neko was snoring and Bon’s back was to him.
Renzo sighed softly and ran a hand down his face.
“I’ll just make a break for it.”
He fished Rin’s gift from his bag and with socked feed shuffled to the
door.
“Please, please….”
The door that immediately opened its jaws and promptly woke everyone in the
room.
“What the fuck!?” Bon started and glared at Renzo.
“Where the hell are you going at this hour?!?”
“Uh… Bathroom?”
He opened the door another inch.
“Just go back to bed, Shima,” Neko pleaded.
“Sorry, really have to go!”
He swung the door full force and slammed it behind him.
……….
“I know you said this place was filthy, but I underestimated just how bad
it is,” Renzo bemoaned. “How do you live like this?”
“I’ve seen your room,” Rin deadpanned.
“Riiiin,” he whined.
Rin just sipped his milk and smiled teasingly.
“Your hair ‘s gotten long.”
“Yeah? I think it got longer after the seal was undone.
“I kind of like it. Does it look bad?”
“Close your eyes.”
Rin complied and Renzo slid a metal clip into Rin’s hair.
“See, now you can see.”
Rin opened his mouth to speak but suddenly snapped his head to the side,
eyes narrowed.
Renzo followed his gaze, “What’s wrong?”
“Someone was there…”
“Did you see who?”
Rin shook his head and stared at the empty space for a moment.
He turned back and smiled widely, “Thanks, though. This’ll make reading
easier.”
Renzo watched Rin push himself onto the counter.
“How are things going with Yukio?”
Rin flopped onto his back and groaned.
“That bad?”
“No, not really.”
“Then?”
“I gave him holsters for his guns. It’ll make things easier for him in a
fight.”
Renzo lifted himself up next to Rin.
“Is it the idea of him fighting?”
“I don’t know. Maybe? I mean, how can he fight if he can’t even see his
weapons as his own?”
“It’ll take time, Rin. Shiro may have taught him to shoot, but he has to
figure out how to fight on his own. All you can do is push him in the right
direction.”