They called him their savior. Which, okay, he kind of understood - he saved lives constantly and purified any demons that happened to threaten his people. But that was his job, and so it always made him feel vaguely uncomfortable whenever the villagers of Hasetsu praised him for healing another sick woman or destroying that troublesome demon that had been attacking young children.
It's just - Yuuri always felt almost sorry for the demons he purified. His reiki was strong, so just a simple touch or one arrow would almost guarantee the defeat of a demon. But sometimes, when he was there, standing in the tall grass, notching an arrow onto the string of his bow, he felt a strong feeling of sorrow.
These demons were alive, just like him and his villagers. They were only doing what they needed to survive, and most of them were so lowly and weak that they succumbed to madness. They didn't know what they were doing.
But it was dangerous for a priest like Yuuri to think like that, so he purified them without hesitation. That is to say, it's not like he completely regrets killing them, though. He had promised to protect his village, and he would, even if it'd kill him.
Yuuri sighed, realizing that he had just been standing in the shade of the tree for the past few minutes without actually collecting the herbs that he needed. He pursed his lips, ready to head back to the village and look after Minami, who had recently fallen to a cold -
Oh.
He froze before flinching. He… he had never felt a youki so strong before - it was clashing against his own reiki, fighting against it and causing a spark in the air that caused his hair to stand on end on the back of his neck. His skin crawled, and he dropped the basket half-filled with herbs as he notched an arrow onto his string as fast as lightning.
He pulled it back tight, and looked around him, eyes scanning desperately for the demon that was somewhere near him. This demon was powerful - a hell lot more powerful than any other demon that Yuuri had faced. This wasn't some low imp or a mad flea demon. It was strong.
Really strong.
He shuddered, feeling the demon's youki continue to clash against his own aura. It was a good thing, however, that this was happening here, instead of at the village - Yuuri was a good half hour or so from his home so his people were safe for now. He just needed to fight this demon, and hopefully make it back home; assuming Yuuri could even hold his own against the demon in the first place.
For once in his life, Yuuri doubted the power of his reiki.
"Please come out," Yuuri pleaded, desperate by now. His arms were shaking in fear and his skin was beaded with sweat.
And for a moment, the air stilled, as if the demon was shocked at the sudden presence of a priest. Then, just like that, the youki disappeared.
Yuuri furrowed his brows. That couldn't be right, he thought to himself. He concentrated, and ah, there it was - the barely-there hint of a demon's aura brushing against his own. It wasn't nearly as overwhelming as before, just a little nudge here and there. It was also far more… tame. Before, it had been harsh and aggressive, as if trying to push Yuuri away, but now it was mellow. Gentle, even.
"Where did you go?" Yuuri whispered. He was half tempted to turn and go back home without trekking further. But the other part of him - the one that loved his village and its people, the one who shouldered the burdens of being a priest - knew that he couldn't turn his back on this. What if the demon followed him? What if it slaughtered his people?
It was just too risky.
Abandoning the basket of herbs, Yuuri slowly moved forward, stretching out his reiki and feeling for the source of the demon aura. He still had his bow in his hands with an arrow notched onto the string, but he had lowered his arms.
"Hello?"
He followed the source of the youki, slowly feeling more and more nervous as he grew closer to the demon.
"Hel - oh."
He had stumbled upon a clearing, one that had gentle sunlight and the sweet smell of honeysuckle. And there, lying down at the base of a tree, was the source of the demon aura.
Gentle silver locks flowed in the small breeze, his delicate face adorned with the markings of a demon. Long eyelashes were brushing against his cheeks with closed eyes, said cheeks adorning two stripes on each side the color of pale blue. Yuuri shifted his eyes up and saw the marking of a small crescent moon, and he gasped lightly - the sign of a demon lord. Of course - that was why the aura was so strong. A demon lord… the most powerful and intelligent of demons. And he was absolutely beautiful.
His eyes roamed the figure once more. The demon's pink lips were parted slightly, and judging by the slow rise and fall of his chest, he was alive - but Yuuri couldn't be too sure, since he was heavily laden with thick furs and pelts.
And then he saw it. On the side of the demon's stomach was a long, deep gash, one that was bleeding heavily and staining the grass on the ground.
Yuuri gasped, and he rushed forward, distress jumping in his heart as he hurried to the beautiful demon's side, setting down his bow and stumbling forward.
"Oh god," he whispered, and small tears sprang to his eyes.
The wound was horrible - it was a ragged cut, and tore out some flush, judging by how jagged the edges of the skin was. Yuuri knew he shouldn't do it. He was a priest, he purified demons, not help them, but Yuuri couldn't stop himself. He wanted to heal him.
And heal he would.
Determination now replacing the fear within him, Yuuri gently coaxed some reiki to cover his hands. They glowed a soft blue, and he concentrated. He couldn't use too much of his powers, because if he did, then it would purify the demon, doing more harm than good.
He bent his hands down, and taking a deep breath, he pressed them against the side of the demon.
He immediately felt the skin start to blister and split, and tears sprung to his eyes. "Please work," he muttered, pleading with his powers to agree with him. "Please, please, please." And slowly but surely, his reiki obeyed. His powers began to heal, soothing over the blisters it had once created before stitching back the skin together.
Through the whole ordeal, the demon's youki didn't turn hostile even once.
"Oh my gods," Yuuri breathed heavily, finally pulling away. He felt drained, his reiki having worked hard to fix something that he usually destroyed, but was wholly satisfied. He examined the wound with expert eyes, and was pleased to see that it was healed, although it'd leave a scar and probably feel quite tender for some days. Still, it was better than a gashing wound that'd eventually kill the demon.
"Bandages," Yuuri muttered, thinking fast on how to ease the discomfort. "Ointment. Uhh, where are they - ah!"
Yuuri shuffled around, finding his abandoned bag nearby on the grass beside his bow. He dug out a small bottle of ointment along with a roll of bandages.
He worked with quick and steady hands, and in no time, the demon was lying there with a fully wrapped stomach and enough ointment slathered on to numb the pain.
"I have to get back," Yuuri muttered, looking up at the sky and spotting the setting sun. "They'll get worried…"
He hesitated, and turned back to the demon, who was still unconscious and made no sign of getting up anytime soon. Yuuri sighed, and he reached down, brushing back a few silver strands behind a pointed ear. "I'll be back tomorrow."
The demon's youki rose, being responsive for the first time in hours. It tugged on his aura, not aggressively, but in an almost pleading way.
Yuuri couldn't help but giggle, and he breathed, his reiki brushing against the demon aura soothingly. I'll be back.
Finally, the youki relented and slid back, curling around the demon protectively and sending out a warning signal to anything that may come to try and attack. Yuuri bit his lip, and he decided to take a final precaution before leaving.
Standing up, he walked around the clearing slowly, muttering several charms under his breath while letting his reiki wrap around the whole place completely and protectively. Eyes blaring brightly for a second from his power, Yuuri abruptly slammed his bow against thin air. It stopped, meeting a solid block that flashed blue with Yuuri's reiki before fading away again.
He couldn't help but grin. The barrier would keep out any unwanted guests and hopefully protect his little patient while he was gone.
Gathering his things, Yuuri swept his eyes across the area one last time, and stopped upon the demon.
He really was beautiful.
Feeling his cheeks go red, Yuuri silently berated himself before stumbling back home in the semi darkness.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Yuuri the next morning started packing, eager to go back and visit his patient. After he treated Minami - the poor boy was the sweetest little thing Yuuri knew, and he was still coughing rather roughly - with some soothing honey and advised him to stay inside, Yuuri shouldered his bow, arrows, and his small pack of herbs before trekking back into the forest to the clearing.
Luckily, he could still feel the trail of reiki he left behind from last night, so it was quite easy to find the clearing once more.
He passed the barrier, his reiki warm and welcoming as he stepped into the clearing.
Yuuri couldn't stop the (admittedly goofy) smile from spreading across his face. The demon was still there, and judging by how he hadn't moved an inch from when Yuuri saw him last, he hadn't woken up once.
The demon's youki flared, but not to the point of threatening Yuuri - instead, it almost welcomed him, brushing against his aura tenderly and prodding gently. Amused, Yuuri stroked the demon aura back before settling down beside Mr. Demon Lord.
"Hello," Yuuri said again, because he couldn't control himself around this man apparently. And even though the demon was clearly still out of it, Yuuri hoped his voice would soothe him somewhat from the ache in his side he must be experiencing.
"I've come back, just like I promised," Yuuri said softly, and it was a little crazy of him, but really, how could Yuuri help himself? Something about this demon was enchanting, and right now, it didn't matter that he was a priest with holy powers that could destroy the being in front of him in less than a second. Right now, he was merely a young man helping another man - admittedly a very beautiful man that Yuuri kept sneaking glances at.
"I'm just going to change your bandages, okay? It'll probably be a little tender, but that's okay, I promise I won't hurt you," Yuuri babbled, slowly unraveling the thick fur coat once more. Carefully avoiding looking at the demon's pale chest - last time he had been too panicked to appreciate the view, but holy gods - he worked quickly, unwrapping the old bandages and gently rubbing in some more ointment.
The scar was even smaller than last night. Yuuri smiled, delighted that he was healing, before rewrapping him quickly. It was a little challenging, considering the demon was apparently pure muscle and weighed a lot more than Yuuri could lift, but it was simply a matter of rolling and shifting before the bandage was securely in place.
"I brought you something to eat," Yuuri continued, turning around and rummaging through his satchel. "I don't know if you'll wake up, but if you do, it'll be right next to you, okay? It's just some rice cakes and a cup of water, but it'll help you a lot, I bet."
Yuuri turned, his hand holding the said small plate of rice cakes, and his eyes locked with a gaze so blue it rivaled the ocean that lapped Hasetsu's shores.
They stared at each other, the only sound being their breathing, and Yuuri was just… He couldn't look away. Those eyes were not the eyes of a demon - they didn't even seem angry. Instead, they were soft, gentle, and had a gleam of curiosity. Yuuri would have melted had he not been so tense.
"... Hello," Yuuri finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. He set down the place of rice cakes and the cup of water.
"Hello," the demon replied back, his voice rich and wrapped in an absolutely beautiful accent. The east, Yuuri vaguely thought to himself. It was eastern, the accent, but not from Hasetsu. Up north, maybe.
"How are you feeling, my lord?" Yuuri continued to ask in the same quiet voice, his hands hovering as if ready to reach out and touch the man just to make sure he was okay.
The demon blinked his blue eyes, and ah, Yuuri realized, the pupils were half-narrowed slits. Definitely not human. "You… know I'm a lord?"
Yuuri let out a small huff of laughter, and darted his gaze up to the man's forehead, where the crescent moon sat on his brow behind several silver strands of hair. "My lord, you have the mark of a higher demon. I'm not blind."
The demon tilted his head slightly. "Aren't you a priest?"
Yuuri glanced down at his priest robes, the white and red silk a clear symbol for anyone that he was a priest. "Yes."
"Have you tried to kill me yet?"
"No!" Yuuri yelped, his voice wrapped in horror and his face showing clear distraught. "I-I wouldn't, I didn't - "
The demon suddenly started laughing, and wow, Yuuri thought dimly, if him acting like an idiot made him laugh like that then Yuuri would become a fool for the rest of his life. Vaguely he realized that he was staring creepily so his face went red before he forced his attention elsewhere.
"Ahh, my little priest, you're so cute," the demon cooed. Yuuri flushed. Were all demons like this? "A person of holy powers, healing a demon? You are indeed interesting."
"My name is Yuuri," he said a little awkwardly, suddenly not knowing what to do with himself as his hands fidgeted and rested in his lap.
"My name is Viktor," the demon purred, and Yuuri went an even brighter red at the rumbling tone before reeling back all of a sudden, feeling like he got whiplash.
"Lord Viktor?" Yuuri all but shouted, suddenly feeling like an absolute idiot. How had he missed this? The signs were so obvious! A demon lord with silver hair and piercing blue eyes, the mark of a crescent moon on his brow and his smile that was both beautiful and mysterious. The Eastern Lord, Viktor Nikiforov, who was also known as the Living Legend General.
"Oh, you've heard of me?" Viktor chirped, seemingly oblivious to Yuuri's sudden plight.
"What… What are you doing down here?" Yuuri borderline whimpered. "Y-Your lands are farther north!"
Viktor smiled at him once more, and it was quite ridiculous, Yuuri thought to himself, because it was anything but mysterious and sly like he heard from the legends. Instead, it was… cute, Viktor's lips pulling up into a ridiculous heart shape and making his entire face light up.
"I wanted a change of scenery!" Viktor cheered, and Yuuri nearly fainted in shock.
He couldn't believe that this almost child-like man was the greatest general who ever lived.
"You got hurt," Yuuri muttered, and that seemed to sober Viktor up a little. Both sets of eyes drifted down to Viktor's half-open robes, revealing a flash of white that were the bandages.
"It was my fault," Viktor said off-handedly, as if it was no big deal. "I admit I should have been more on my guard, but I've been distracted lately."
Yuuri blinked. Viktor Nikiforov? Distracted? Yuuri would have never expected a sentence like that to have ever been spoken, especially by the great demon himself. "Why?"
Viktor suddenly grinned, and it was completely different from his childish, endearing heart-shaped smile. This one revealed his sharp fangs, his blue eyes flaring slightly with a golden hue as his youki grew for a moment and pressed almost sensually against Yuuri's reiki. The smile was more animal-like than human - it reminded Yuuri that no matter how cute and ridiculous this man seemed, he wasn't an actual man. He was a demon, and a powerful one at that.
"Your scent is quite enticing, Yuuri," Viktor purred, stretching out the 'uu' in Yuuri's name. It flowed off of his tongue sweeter than honey, and Yuuri shivered, head feeling a little fuzzy as Viktor's youki flared one last time before slowly withdrawing from Yuuri's aura.
Yuuri let out a little gasp as one of Viktor's hands reached out and gently grabbed his own, and he stared, taking in the sharp claws that could tear his flesh in seconds yet held Yuuri with such care, as if he would break any moment.
"Wha… What do you mean?" Yuuri managed to squeak. He's never washing this hand again.
"Ginger, oranges, and something sweet," Viktor's grin grew, and Yuuri was vaguely reminded of a wolf. "It was so alluring that I had to follow it, but in doing so, I was quite distracted and was ambushed."
Yuuri's blush increased ten-fold along with his horror. He had distracted Viktor, the most powerful demon lord known, simply because he smelled good? And because of that, it lead to Viktor being hurt. The guilt within him was almost overwhelming, and all of a sudden the hand that had been holding his own his own was grasping his chin and forcing him to look at blue eyes.
"You smell distressed," Viktor muttered. "Why is that, my little priest?"
"It's nothing," Yuuri quietly denied, his face surely more pink than the cherry blossoms that bloomed in spring.
Viktor's eyes flashed with something akin to amusement. "Lying to a demon is not wise, Yuuri."
It was too much for Yuuri to handle, and so, he rapidly pulled away, a clawed hand falling limply onto the grass as Yuuri practically scrambled up to his feet and nearly tripped over in his haste.
"U-Um!" Yuuri sputtered, face so hot he wondered why his skin wasn't melting yet. "H-How's your wound, my lord?"
Viktor blinked in slight shock before gazing back down at his stomach. "A little sore, but that's to be expected. Your healing skills are beyond comparison, little priest."
Yuuri smiled shyly, feeling more than a little awed that someone like Viktor would praise his mediocre medical skills. "I've trained all my life, my lord. But they still don't compare with other priests and priestesses."
Viktor's eyes twinkled. "That may be, but your holy powers are another aspect."
This time, Yuuri sputtered, "w-well I mean - "
Viktor ignored him and continued with that heart shaped grin on his face again. "Your reiki could probably shatter my youki with a little more spiritual training!"
As if on cue, Viktor's aura brushed against Yuuri's with a gentle touch, and again, that zing of both their powers clashing zipped through the air. Yuuri shivered, the spark causing a little shock to run up his spine. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to the feeling.
"I-I'm not a fighter, my lord," Yuuri muttered, fumbling with his long, white sleeve as he slowly sank back down to the ground and sat on his legs.
Viktor smiled again, but this time, it was almost mocking. Yuuri frowned gently.
"You've purified many demons, Yuuri. Your holy powers are an unwrapped potential. I'd be more than willing to train you."
Yuuri blinked rapidly, not quite sure he heard him right. "But… you're a demon!"
Viktor winked coyly. "Youki and reiki are more similar than you realize, my little priest."
Yuuri bit his lip, and he fumbled with his sleeve even more. "Even if I say yes, what about your lands? What about your people? I can't leave Hasetsu behind, they need me, I'm the only priest around - "
"Then we'll stay here, of course!" Viktor chirped. "I never said we'd go back to my lands. After all, I came here for a change of pace."
Yuuri stared at him.
This was crazy.
Unheard of.
A demon spiritually training a priest? It was a recipe for disaster.
But Viktor was here - Viktor Nikiforov, the most brilliant general known to both demon and mankind. He conquered the Eastern Lands in less than a year, overthrowing the mad demon that had ruled as an unfair lord. He practically vanished famine in half that time, and both humans and demons lived peacefully under his rule. Viktor was willing to train Yuuri.
"I need to take you to my village."
"Of course."
"You'll have to be surrounded by the stench of humans."
"I am sure I can handle it."
"You'll see that I'm a lost cause."
"I enjoy a good challenge!"
By the end of their little shots at each other, Viktor was grinning even wider than he had previously, blue eyes sparkling and pink lips pulled into a ridiculous heart shaped smile. Yuuri couldn't help but feel utterly enchanted.
"Okay." Yuuri whispered.
Oh, gods.
XxXxXxXxXxX
New YOI fic, anyone?
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