Chapter One

Whims and Provocations

Amaimon stared out of his brother's office window as he rolled a new flavored lollipop around his mouth. Melon wasn't a particular favorite of his but it's what Mephisto had lying around so for now it would have to do. Perhaps he'd try the sour lemon next.

"Are you paying attention?"

He turned wide eyes to a very annoyed looking older brother. With the penalty being death should he botch this, it was probably better to focus on his brothers instructions rather than different flavors of candy. He blinked and turned away from the window.

Mephisto, seeing he now held his brothers attention, continued. "As I was saying, my little students have already left for their camping trip. After they finish gathering the lanterns and returning to camp you'll attack. "I want it made clear that none of them are to die. You are simply to push our dear baby brother into using his flames."

Amaimon nodded. He had made that point clear several times. Don't kill Rin and don't kill the humans. "Do you plan on making that point again tonight?"

Mephisto raised one eyebrow at him. "I do."

Amaimon turned to look back out of the office window. His older brother was always planning something and could get quite irate should anyone disturb those plans. The last of the melon candy melted onto his tongue and he spit out the soggy stick and stuck his thumb nail into his mouth as a replacement. His brother made a disgruntled noise and began to scold him. Something about proper respect for someone else's space but Amaimon wasn't paying too much attention.

Instead he thought about Rin's schoolmates and which of them would be best suited to goad his brother into a fight. The useless brother would normally be his first choice. But he was a trained exorcist that was just capable enough to not bother with. The woman from the amusement park was even more useless for this endeavor and would more than likely end up getting in the way. He'd need to have those two occupied during his fight with Rin.

Out of the rest only one stood out as the perfect bait. The woman who had been Rin's partner at the amusement park would suit his plans just fine. She was weak, pathetically so even. Why was something so fragile putting herself into such dangerous situations? Surely she knew that she'd be used in such a manner as he was planning to so as to hurt her schoolmates.

Amaimon pulled his thumbnail away and opened the window. "I'll be going now." Was all the notice he gave before he jumped out the window and plummeted to the concrete, six stories below. Above him he heard his brother shouting about doors. As soon as his feet touched the ground he raced off to the forest. If he remembered correctly, demon moths inhabited this forest. The larger females could lay eggs under a humans skin that when they hatch could control the human. All he had to do now was slaughter a couple hundred of its children so it would cooperate.

XxX

That annoying woman had surprised him with that barrier and if the opportunity presented itself he would remove her head and take the skull as a souvenir. He didn't care if his brother was fond of her mostly bear chest or not. Perhaps he'd give Mephisto her nipples as a gift.

He arrived back at the camp site just as the larva hatched and took hold of the woman/pawn. Staying hidden in the trees he beckoned her to him and like a lamb to slaughter she came. He jumped down to intercept her before that hag could pull her back into the safety of the barrier. The untempered rage on his brothers face was all he needed to know that he had chosen the right hostage.

"What did you do to her?" The wench demanded as she held Rin at bay with her blade.

He stroked her hair enjoying the way it fueled his brothers rage. "I had a demon lay her egg in her." It should have been obvious by this point. He had been sure the wench had caught on to the situation before.

He glanced down to his hostage who's head was on his shoulder and pulled her even closer. "Now she'll do whatever I command." Rin would burst into fathers flames at any moment now, all that was left was to separate him from the worthless humans.

Bending down he lifted the girl into a sitting position on his right arm. She was surprisingly light and had draped one arm over his shoulders. Turning around he jumped back into the trees, passing Behemoth as he ran further into the forest.

Rin was on his heels without hesitation, calling for him to wait. "What the hell do you want from me? What do you need Shiemi for?"

Amaimon paused on a tree branch out of his younger brothers reach and studied him. He looked desperate and oh so mortal that it was sickening. Perhaps he needed another push before he'd get serious. "Let's see," He pondered allowed. From what he had observed at the park his brother was infatuated with the woman on his arm but hadn't laid a claim to her. "Yeah! I'll make her my wife."

"W -what?"

He sounded confused as though that was the last thing he could have said. Almost there, just a little more and he would snap. He turned to the woman and began to recite the ritual lines to claim her. "Do you promise to be faithful to me in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health? Will you love me and honor me all the days of your life?"

She nodded her head still in a daze. "Then seal this covenant with a kiss." He spoke as he leaned in closer to her. Rin would stop him before he got to kiss her but it didn't hurt to play it up a bit. He opened his mouth wide and stuck his long tongue out.

The snap was almost audible as Rin flew into the air with his still sheathed sword in both hands. "Don't screw with me!" He roared before bringing the sword down to Amaimon's head.

He easily blocked it with his forearm. Just how much more would he have to do before Rin was ready to play. "That's my line." With a flick of his finger he sent the halfling three hundred yards in the opposite direction uprooting the trees in his path. He jumped into the air and followed after him. With another flick he sent the teenager toward the freshly made rubble that was once the forest floor. The girl sat patiently on his arm while her friend was being beaten.

"Why won't you draw your sword? Don't be so pretentious." What kind if a demon didn't want to fight. It was weird enough he had to be forced in the first place but Amaimon had chalked that up to only being a half breed.

He floated down closer until his feet touched the ground. "Hello?" Rin wasn't moving. "Wasn't this girl important to you? Why aren't you taking this seriously?"

Rin started to struggle but continued to remain on the ground. "Drop dead." Were his only words.

Amaimon sighed and looked to the girl who was completely lost to the world around her. It occurred to him then that her eyes were a vibrant shade of green he hadn't seen before. There was a cousin he and Rin shared that liked to collect human eyeballs and he had promised to bring back a few for him. He was about to voice all of this when another option struck him.

It was clear that his half demon brother had human feelings for this woman for whatever reason. Humans were a stupid bunch who clung to mortal bonds like a life line. Rin was being stubborn about fighting him so perhaps having an ace up his sleeve would prove useful in the future. Mephisto would probably lecture him about it later, but he had been told to do whatever was necessary to provoke their younger brother into using his power short of killing anyone.

"You'll witness of course." He said as an after thought.

"Huh?"

The woman turned her head, offering him her untouched, virgin skin. Amaimon opened his mouth wide and sank his fangs into the perfectly smooth column of her neck, marking her forever as his. The woman gave a small whimper but remained obedient while his darling brother gave out a cry. Amaimon pulled back, her blood dripping down his chin before he captured her lips.

"Stop it you bastard! Get your hands off her!" He snarled.

Not that it did any good. Amaimon was thoroughly enjoying the rage radiating off his baby brother in waves. And now thanks to his stroke of genius, he could achieve this anytime he wanted just by flaunting this woman in his face. How funny, he never knew how useful a human could be. No wonder Mephisto liked them so much.

His victory was short lived when something bright and shrieking flew past his face and exploded. Pulling away he looked behind him to see three of the students ready to fight him and sweating bullets.

"Why are you leaving us out of this? We want our share of the fun?" The one with the streaked hair called out, preparing to light another firework.

They paused when he fully turned around and he took the moment to wipe the blood from his mouth and face with the back of his hand. Rin shouted for them run, a wise choice.

"Okumura! Get out of here when you get the chance!" The shortest man said. He seemed to quake with fear and had his body turned to run at a moments notice.

The pink haired one mumbled something about saving Moriyama. Was that his brides name? He narrowed his eyes at the man. Exactly how many men were enamored with his woman? She was so weak. Was that an admiral trait in a mortal wife?

Rin began to plead with them to leave and he turned around to see his brother on his hands and knees. How pathetic.

The shriek of a second firework was all the warning he had before it hit him in the back of the head and exploded. He could smell burnt hair and he reached up to the spike on the top of his head to find that the explosive had fried his hair. There was a moment of silence as he squeezed the smoking mass of fried hair. Then the sound of muffled snickering reached his sensitive ears along with the word broccoli. Out of the corner of his eye he saw it was the pink haired one again.

Amaimon jumped down to stand in front of him before a swift kick sent him flying through the air and into a tree. The human fell to the ground with a satisfying thud. He turned to what seemed to be the leader of the three who backed away. The smaller one who had shot the explosive at his head ran to stand in front if him as a shield. Amaimon didn't even bother to glance at him before he poked his outstretched arm and broke it. He screamed in pain and fell to his knees. Now that he was out of the way he grabbed the last one by the throat and lifted him into the air.

"Were you laughing at me?" His answer would depend on how much damage was inflicted upon him.

"I have no business with you. Okumura's the one who's pissing me off!" He said shouting the last part to Rin.

Amaimon really didn't like being ignored. "What are you talking about?" With a disappointed sigh he threw him to the ground and turned to Rin.

He had forced himself into a standing position and was clutching his sheathed sword with shaking hands. One more push, if he didn't snap he'd just pluck her eyeballs and pocket them. Turning fully to his brother so that he could see exactly what he was about to do,he grabbed the woman by the chin. Her mouth was smeared with blood. Deciding that it lessened her appeal he leant in and started to lick it off her face. For a human, her blood was rather sweet, like honeysuckles.

"Rin!" Apparently the useless brother had returned from dealing with the demon bugs. "It's a trap, don't listen to him."

Amaimon didn't bother to spare him a glance and continued his ministrations, pulling the woman's bottom lip into his mouth and sucking on it.

"Yukio, I'm sorry." Rin began. "I'm no good at lying and tricking people." Which was a really poor trait in a demon though humans seemed to value it. "So I'll use my power for kindness!"

There it was! That's what he wanted to hear. The scrape of the sword as it was pulled from its scabbard was like music to his ears. He pulled away to see his fathers blue flames lighting up the night. Finally! He dropped the girl and started laughing. Now the fun could begin!