A/N: Hello there! I'm Iri and I'm here to introduce Milites de Cruce (Knights of the Cross) Um, it is an AU fic and therefore there maybe some OOC moments, though I tried my best to keep their personalities the same. I do hope this fic goes well, even got myself a beta reader, my lovely ~PurpleNurples, (Papa Pony) Sooooo yeah, I'll stop talking now so you can read on. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing~

Warning: This fic has Male/Male relations so you have been warned.

Milites de Cruce

It was their hour of entertainment as they so called it. The late evening where the sun is finally gone from view and the only light in the dark world was just the spotlight of the moon. Of course the normal world knew nothing of this dangerous hour, for they were oblivious to the underground world that lived in secret within human reality.

The underground world, called the Umbra Mundi, consisted of demons; demons that ranged from mischievous creatures to bona fide heartless killers and anything that lies between. They roamed the world since the age of man, having been created and groomed under man's constant sins of the mind and body. Demons live off of every dark thing that lives in humanity: madness, greed, lust, murder, intoxication, self-indulgence, and many more. In their hands, these soulless creatures have the power to seduce, possess, and enact evil actions. Nothing is below a demon's morals. They love chaos.

Most humans don't know of these beings that lurk in the shadows. However, there are special humans that have the power to both see and defend against the demons. This fairly large group of organized demon hunters has existed since the discovery of demons and has made it their duty to keep the Umbra Mundi in line. It has grown into an international organization with branches stationed in every country and city. To monitor each country, three heads are appointed in each country branch with the task to oversee the activities of city branches. All heads must report to headquarters, which is an ever nomadic and grand cruise ship, called Anima, which sails around the seven seas.

For centuries, the organization, known as Milites de Cruce, has sworn to slay the demons and protect humanity. No one has strayed from the life as a Milites de Cruce, all dying under the oath to slay, protect, and free humanity from fear and danger. These specific ideals were followed by a certain man: Masato Hijirikawa.

The young male pulled his coat tighter, ducking his head into the warm collar to ward off the cold breeze. Strapped to his back was his katana, made of pure silver. At his waist under his coat were a few daggers for emergencies. One would think carrying weapons without any inhibitions was careless and would go against the code of secrecy. However, when Masato moved to Tokyo to take over the city's branch, he learned quickly that the people of Tokyo are very flamboyant and dense. If someone saw his weapons, they would simply think he was cosplaying or starting up a new style and beg for pictures. Masato rarely worried about hiding his weapons now, which was beneficial since it cut out the time needed to pull them out of layers of clothes or cases. Demons are quick; one wasted second and it could be the end of your life.

Wrinkling his nose, Masato paused in his trek, glancing at his surroundings. The tattoo on his side was giving off waves of heat, matching the beat of his heart. The magical properties in the clan markings were alerting him that a demon was close. Hopefully it was the one that had been plaguing his territory for the past two weeks. From reports and recent crimes and deaths, he had concluded it was a powerful shapeshifter. Apparently it liked to take on the form of a large wolf as the chewed up and mangled bodies had exemplified. When the demon first showed up, Masato instantly sent out a team to dispatch it, however the opposite happened and the team was taken down. After causing more chaos and killing another team, Masato decided to take matters into his own hands and take on the demon himself.

Born into one of the three head families of Japan, Masato's whole life has been nothing but Milites de Cruce. The Hijirikawa family was very prominent within the Milites de Cruce, actually being one of the founding families of the order. Therefore, he was trained since he could crawl; he even held a dagger before he could hold a pencil. Masato's father was a tough man, drilling Masato until the young man would collapse from exhaustion. Due to Masato's more feminine looks, dark blue hair that fell to his chin and just above his large purplish eyes, pale skin, and a lean figure, many believed he would end up frail and incompetent. However, Masato proved all the speculation wrong, growing up to be a young prodigy who mastered both the bow and katana and even earned the position as city head at the young age of twenty. Many respected him, many envied him, and many more feared him. Either way, he was the pride of the Hijirikawa family and the heir since he was the oldest and the only son. He has a younger sister, Mai, but women of the order are expected to marry and raise children. Of course, since times have changed, women are now allowed to become fighters if they chose, but most tend to raise the next generation. Though that fact doesn't change the tradition of many of the old families such as the Hijirikawa family, women are forbidden to become knights in such families, which is a relief to Masato. He wouldn't be able to think properly if he knew his sweet little sister was out here risking her life to battle demons.

A lone howl broke the silence of the empty street, snapping up Masato's attention. His side burned greater, making him place his hand on the tattoo that marked the skin there. The demon was close…it was heading his way. Narrowing his eyes, Masato reached behind him and took hold of the blue hilt of his katana. He faced the dark alley that was just a few feet from him, getting into a low stance. His mind went blank. Nothing invaded his thoughts as he went into the zone of demon hunting. One distraction and it could be the end of his young life.

The howl sounded again, echoing off the dirty walls of the buildings around the young hunter. It was getting closer. By the sound of the heavy footfall and deep breathing, Masato could tell it was a big demon heading his way. Great.

Five. The beast caught his scent. Four. Another howl. Three. It started to run faster. Two. Red eyes and deadly canines appeared in the shadows. One. Masato unsheathed his katana in a clean swoop as the demon flung itself out of the alley. Sword and claws met with a deathly clang, the impact vibrating Masato's bones. Gritting his teeth, Masato pushed back on the demon, sending it staggering backwards with a growl. It landed a few feet away, shuffling on all fours and staring at Masato with glowing red eyes that called for his blood. Slowly it began to walk to the side, prompting Masato to do the same so the two were walking in a circle, eyeing each other.

Like he was led to believe, the shapeshifter's wolf form was quite large, almost like a bear. It had a black coat with some areas matted with blood. Its claws were long and wickedly curved, making light tapping sounds on the concrete below. The beast's teeth were long and sharp and there seemed to be rows of them, glistening with the endless supply of drool that dripped from its maw. Disgusting.

"Little hunter," The beast called out, seeming so unnatural since it was in wolf form. "You look like a tasty morsel."

Masato said nothing has he continued to match the other's slow pace. There was no way he was going to let him get close.

"Do you even know how to use that?" The demon, who Masato now presumed to be male, did a series of growls and huffs that must have been a laugh. "Why don't you put that down and give up? I might even be nice and play with you a bit; give you some pleasure before you die."

In response, Masato gripped his katana tighter. Like hell he would put down his sword and get defiled by a demon. "I did not come here for games, demon."

If possible, the shapeshifter smiled which showed off more deadly teeth. "Very well, I'll make you submit."

Quicker than the normal eye could see, the demon pounced, jaw wide open and aimed at Masato's neck. However, Masato saw the demon's actions clearly and easily dodged to the side, bringing his sword around to swipe up at the demon. It angled its head and bit down on the sword, stopping its deadly arc. The shapeshifter yanked on the katana, but Masato held a firm grip. If it wasn't made out of silver, the sword would have snapped in half. Still gripping the hilt of the katana in his right hand, Masato reached into his coat and with a snap of his wrist sent a silver dagger into the beast's neck. The demon reeled back in a howl of pain as the combined pain of the sharp dagger and the silver penetrated its defenses. Silver is the weakness of all demons, thus all of Masato's weapons were made out of the precious metal.

As the shapeshifter clawed at the dagger, Masato flicked off the pungent saliva that was on his sword and ran after the injured beast. He ducked under a swiping claw to come up underneath the beast's jaw, gliding his weapon upwards to slice from the abdomen all the way up to the throat before he raised his fist and pushed the dagger deeper into the beast's neck.

The pained yowl filled the abandoned area, the wolf fumbling backwards as blood poured from its wounds. However, the silver was beginning to seep into the demon's veins, solidifying whatever air and blood that was there as it made a steady track to its heart. Once there, the silver would attack the heart, forcing it to stop beating and finally turning it to ash while the demon's body would be fundamentally turned to stone and die. It's a slow death compared to beheading or fire, but it still gets the job done if you stay and make sure the demon doesn't rip off the infected areas.

Blinded by rage and agony, the demon randomly began to swipe its claws around and snap its jaws. Sensing the danger, Masato prepared to jump away, however he only had time to raise his katana to block a swipe that would have clipped his side. By blocking that strike, Masato failed to notice the demon swooping in with its mouth of sharp teeth until they clamped down on his shoulder.

"AH!" Masato yelled in pain, arching his back as the agony went through his whole body. The teeth sunk deeper, penetrating muscle and scraping against bone. Masato could feel the warm, sticky liquid soaking his clothes and it took all his nerves not to pass out from the blood loss.

With sweat pouring down his face, Masato rearranged his hold on his katana so he held it sideways and with a small grunt, swung his katana, slicing the beast's paw and continuing the momentum to bury his blade into its neck. The teeth released his now torn shoulder as the wolf let out a choked howl.

Masato stumbled back, placing his hand over his bleeding shoulder. His vision was swimming with black spots and his balance was becoming less and less stable. He wouldn't be able to continue on like this if the beast didn't go down, especially since his weapon was currently lodged into his opponent's throat. The silver veins were almost all over the beast's body; the toxic substance must have reached its heart by now.

With a hiss, Masato fell to one knee, bowing his head as he clutched onto his injured shoulder. The pain and blood loss was putting a toll on the young man's body. He wouldn't be able to defend himself. He had two daggers, but with his cloudy vision and shaking body, he wouldn't be able to aim right. Damn. This is how he dies? By a shapeshifter in an abandoned street? Masato wasn't even city head for a year! What will his father do? The Hijirikawa line will die off. His is older now and his mother is too sick to bear another child that may or not be a son. He's going to let the whole family line down. He was going to die.

The demon was starting to stagger towards Masato, eyes holding the itch for revenge. Its claws seemed to grow larger and even more lethal. Masato lowered his other knee so he was now kneeling. There was a puddle of blood around him. This is how it ends…he's going to die. The heavy breaths of the demon could be felt on his clammy skin. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He could feel the claws ascending over his head, poised for a final strike. My only regret is that I didn't save you.

With his final thought, Masato waited for his death, for his final breath. However, when it didn't come as swift as he thought and instead a heavy thump greeted his ears, Masato opened his eyes. His vision was so blurry and he kept going in and out, but he could see the dead demon before him, his head missing completely. His foggy mind felt a jolt of surprise, trying to piece together what happened but failing as it started to shut down.

Dimly he heard a fluttering and saw black loafers and jean-clad legs settle by the beast's body. Masato tried to raise his head, but his head swam greatly and he swayed to the side, his eyes closing. Warm arms caught him before he hit the ground. A familiar scent of cinnamon and pine hit him, causing memories to stir. He opened his eyes and looked up at the out of focus face above him. Blue eyes and blonde hair…his lost mind was really trying to make his death a bittersweet ending.

With a hoarse chuckle, Masato released his shoulder to clutch at the image of the man he must have conjured up with his dying mind. His blood smeared on the black silk shirt, but who cares, it was just his imagination.

Masato closed his eyes once more, for good this time. "I never got a chance to say I'm sorry…" He took a shuddering breath and let his last word fall like a whisper. "Ren." Then he slipped into the ocean of darkness, barely hearing the reply he got.

"Masato…"

Hope it was to your tastes~

R&R to give me your opinions.

Well, until next time XD

-Iri~