From Rins experience in the past, he knows that fevers go by faster than they come.

He severely begins to greatly doubt his theory at eleven o'clock before lunch. He's getting really sick of being sick, no pun intended. He's barely been able to keep down his food, unless it's broth and even that came out nasty. He was feeling even worse knowing that he's keeping everyone back from going back to True Cross. This whole trip had been hell from day one and he's only had two or three good experiences. He sometimes wonders if the universe could be nicer to him. Maybe not. Who knows.

A three hours earlier, Yukio came by with herbal tea and medicine. An hour later and the garbage can was having a surprise vomit delivery.

Rin had no idea how he was still alive. Either hunger or lack of liquids should have killed him by now. It feels like it's been years.

He thinks like he's hallucinating because there's an actual flaming chicken on Suguros head when he sees him. In fact, Rin is seeing waaay too many things. Suguro and the flaming pigeon is one thing. The others are another.

The only two people that came with him that don't ooze a strange aura of something are Konekomaru and the puppet kid.

Izumo is surrounded by fog and mist with red and purple lines shifting every once in a while into the shape of fox ears and fluffy tails. He smells maple leaves and disinfectant when she visits him.

Shura has snakes swimming under her body. So many that you can see their outline perfectly. Snakes which open multiple eyes and sometimes slither out of the tattoo she has. There's ice and frostbites circling her skin around her waist and hips for some reason. She's almost like a walking winter.

If Shura was a walking winter, Shiemi was a shinning spring. Everywhere she walked, everything she touched was almost instantly surrounded by greenery. Flowers and vines wrapped around the corner of the walls when she was in the room. Long strands of grass wrapped themselves around anything she held from under her skin. And all of it glows in a warm yellow color. Every floor board is covered in moss, every door is wrapped in grapevines, every item is secured by hazelnuts and water lilies. Everything feels fresh and alive. She had the aura a god would have shown to their beloved. Like the sun itself had taken residence behind Shiemis head. He was almost lulled to sleep by this.

Then there was Shima. Dear lord, Shima. Shima was dripping ink and his footsteps burned black wherever he went into his room. Black bubbles came out of his mouth every time he spoke, tattoos crawling on his skin. If Shiemi felt like spring, the Shima had to be fall. Simply because of the feeling of something slowly dying or a false sense of security that is being given.

Really, Rin thinks he should tell Yukio. If only his brothers eyes weren't burning blue. Rin's scared of looking straight at him.

So yep, Rin was probably seeing too many things.

And this all happened today.

It's about three o'clock. Maybe even four. He's never seen a clock in his room so he's counting his fingers. It's been five fingers since Yukio gave him tea. That's rather long.

He decided to sleep. Sleeping the pain away would be better than suffering.


Mephisto was staring at Astaroth, greatly displeased. The brute had burst into his office, possessing Shiratori Reiji again. He hadn't expected a student of his to be possessed but this was Astaroth. Astaroth knew a good vessel when he saw one and was stubborn enough to break many cleanses for it. But his usual madness filled grin had been replaced by an angered sneer.

"Astaroth." Mephisto sighed." Please do tell why you were hellbent on ripping my office doors off their hinges just now?"

"You're the head of the Japan branch of those exorcists. Don't they pay you enough to replace them?" His tail swished in annoyance. Astaroth walked to the front of the desk and took a seat. "And we both know why I'm here."

"Oh? Well I certainly don't know. If it's something you want then you already know the answer. I'm not one for favors."

"You're serious, aren't you? You're a principal. Shouldn't you care about your students?" Astaroth leaned in, propping his elbows on his knees. "Your students are getting sick. Four are already coughing, two were sent to the nurse in the dorms. And that's just my floor. Don't get me started on the whole building. "

"Must be because of your foul coal tars, brother. You really don't know the meaning of subtle." Astaroth was the king of rot, meaning that the decay he brought with him comes with miasma and bacteria of any kind. Miasma and coal tars were a source of tuberculosis if inhaled enough. He was known for bringing quite a few diseases into the world.

"My coal tars shouldn't be even reaching them. There's an epidemic going on. People are coughing in the streets and for once it's not my fault. It's probably worse." Astaroth dug through his pockets to snatch his phone. Punching in the password, he tapped the gallery icon. "I fell as if you'd like to take a look at this." He turned the phone's screen to Mephisto.

Mephistos eyes widened. The picture was blurred by fog and it showed a seal of a black crow, rotting cuts shown on the body with a single green eye in its stomach. The bird was inside a circle, letting vines and spots weave around the wall. "The white dove falls for the white plague -"

"The black crow flies for the black plague. I know. I've been seeing them in the town more often than not. That thing is back. And it's getting closer." Astaroth finished bitterly. There wasn't much that he could say about the topic anyway. That thing had gone and wrecked havoc in their world once every few centuries. Almost as of to taunt them.

"Did you inform anyone else?"

"It's just you and me. But if Lucifer finds out, which will probably be sooner than later, it's going to be the pre-clone Era all over again. With his suicidal tendencies." Astaroth sneered. That had been a dark time.

"It's not supposed to be here. It took the closest thing to a legitimate vessels to Satan that we had. There's no improvement left. It has no reason to be here." Mephisto hissed. His nerves were pumping to the point where some were visible on his face. Trying to calm down, he began taking deep breaths.

"We don't know if this is a threat or just a curse spell." Astaroth told. Mephisto pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. There was so much to deal with, he might need another bath. His hand slid down his face to cover his mouth.

"We just got rid of a headache, yet now we have to cure this infection. Just when we thought you were gone, you come back to haunt us so very gracefully."

"Headache? Wait, did you do something again?!"


Rin was woken up by sunlight creeping in through the window. His eyes stung from the light but he felt so soft. The futon was so warm and comfortable. Everything felt so easy.

After rolling around in the softness, away from the sun, Rin concluded that he was unable to fall back asleep. No matter how optimal the sleeping requirements were. He peeled the comforter off of his body as he sat up, suddenly having strength to do something. But what Rin was more concerned about was appeasing his loud stomach.

Walking out of the room, Rin realized how quiet it was. Then again, the sun just rose, so there might not be a lot of people up. Either way, that wasn't the problem. He had a mission to appease the demon on his stomach and he was gonna do it.

Walking down the hall, he made his way to the dining hall.


When Shiemi woke up to seeing the room having one too little occupants, she didn't think much of it. Only upon realizing that it was Rin who was missing did she wake the others. Rin was sick to the point of immobility and him suddenly disappearing raised red flags.

Yukio, upon hearing the news, immediately panicked. He hadn't told anyone about his encounter with Todo but... it doesn't deny that he could have gone after Rin because of him. In such an ill state, he's an easy target.

It's only after ten minutes of searching, they found him in the dining hall. Seeing Rin wolfing down food at the table, without a hint of sickness, Yukio felt relief.

"Nii-san, what are you doing?! You should be in bed, it's too early even for me." He walked over to him and used his right hand to pushed the bangs away from his forehead. Rin squirmed a little under the touch. "No fever? Rin how do you feel?"

Rin stopped chewing for a minute, thoughtful.

"Hungry." Yukio sighed.

"Nii-san, give me your hand. I need to check your pulse." Rin gave Yukio his left arm and was left confused. Then again he was sick, but today he felt infinitely better. Minus starving for anything and everything in the kitchen. After a minute of Yukio checking his watch, he stood up.

"Sixty beats per minute. Healthy, overall." Yukio concluded. It was strange though. His fever was bad enough that they would be forced to call an ambulance and turn him in to the hospital. But turning out perfectly healthy in the morning? Something seemed off. Even with Rin's demon immunity. "Nii-san, are you sure you feel fine? Any fatigue? Lightheaded or dizzy?"

"I'm fine, really. But I could go for some miso soup." Rin certainly had his appetite back. But the quick recovery was strange. Especially after such a bad fever.

"Okumura!" Ryuji burst into the hall. He looked disheveled and his hair covering his eyes. How early was it if even Suguro burst into the room looking half-asleep? " What the hell, aren't you sick? You can't just walk around the inn like that, someone might catch it!"

"Hey! For your information, I feel perfectly fine!" Rin pointed his chopsticks in an accusing manner. Suguro was taken back. Rin felt better? Last night Rin looked like he was dying from the inside out with a bad case of tuberculosis. Something that bad couldn't go away overnight. It was suspicious.

"Nii-san, you may feel better, but that doesn't mean that you're not sick anymore. I have to make sure you aren't actually sick, so we're going back to the room." Yukio grabbed Rin's arm and tried pulling away from the table.

"Oh fine. But I'm taking the food with me."

"Okay, okay. C'mon, let's go."

Outside of the inn, a crow was sitting perched on a branch. It's eyes were dripping green fluid and split into two. A third wing on the right folded in an unnatural angle. It stared as Rin, Yukio and Suguro left the dining hall and lightly jumped on the branch, flaring it's wings, cawing in glee and joy.

It flew off the branch towards the mountains, odd green ribbons fluttering from its tail.

It flew past lamp posts, above wire poles, and through trees. Flying past the trees, it saw its cloaked master waiting for it. Its master extended their arm and let the crow land on its hand.

Long nails, green nerves and tiny thorn bunches poked out of the hand. Another hand pulled a packet of crackers out of a pocket and let the crow take a single cookie from the packet with its mouth. The crow put the cracker in his claw and and began munching on the treat.

The hand put the packet back into its pocket and started petting the crow.

"Good news! Good news! Youngling is good vessel, good vessel indeed! Still alive, not dead! Good boy, good body!" The crow stopped munching on its treat to say that.

"Really? Well that's wonderful. I assume he's made a solid recovery?" Jagged teeth poked out of their mouth. Green liquid dripping with every word.

"Yes! Yes!" The crow chirped happily. Upon excitedly crowing, the cracker broke into two, one half falling on the ground. "My cookie! NO! " it ruefully cawed.

"Don't worry, you'll get another." The figure chuckled.