Disclaimer: Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist belongs to Kazue Katou. May Yang, Quian Li Yang and all the new demons are invented by me.
I would like to thank Poisonsnake23 for beta-reading this chapter and making some suggestions/corrections.
Chapter 3 - Secrets
December 29th - True Cross Academy, Japan Branch
Boys' dorm, new wing.
Rin walks into Ryuji, Konekomaru and Renzo's room.
"What's up, guys."
"What's up, Okumura!" Renzo greets him.
"Oh, hello there, Okumura." Konekomaru greets him with a smile.
"Oy..." Ryuji greets him, "We heard about the incident with the barrier yesterday. Sorry we couldn't come to help. We were dispatched by Mr. Kawanaka to the Southern District. He had us get rid of a pack of coal tars infesting the area."
"Nah, don't sweat it. We managed to handle it. No biggie." Rin states with an even tone and walks toward one of the beds, throwing himself on it with his back against the mattress and joining his hands behind his nape. He stares at the ceiling for a couple moments, "So... today you guys are gonna head to Kyoto."
"Yeah!" Konekomaru answers excitedly.
"Oh, please, don't remind me..." Renzo mutters.
"Are you really sure that you don't want to join us, Okumura?" Konekomaru asks him.
"Well, three days of vacation would be cool. But I'm really behind with studying for the written tests and stuff, so I think I had better stay here and work my ass off." Rin answers with an even more flat tone.
Ryuji notices that something is bugging him, "You okay?..."
"Hm?"
"...You look kinda off. Is something bothering you?"
After a few moments, Rin answers, "It's nothing."
"Anyway..." Konekomaru is the one who breaks the silence next, "I heard Kamiki and Moriyama are going to visit the Meiji Shrine on New Year. You should at least go with them! Even if you have to study, a little breather won't hurt!" he proposes to his friend.
"Yeah..."
"Waah! Izumo in a kimono..." Renzo's eyes literally sparkle, "You totally have to go! I want you to take some photos for me, pal, got it?"
"Talking about the exorcist exam," Ryuji interrupts, "I heard they're planning to hold it around the first or second week of January."
"Yeah... I heard that too." Konekomaru confirms.
Ryuji turns to face Rin, noticing that his gaze is lost in the void above him.
After the teachers' meeting, Yukio leaves the conference room, along with the other instructors. He stops by the door to put a folder inside his briefcase. The moment he's done, Lightning walks out of the room too. As soon as he spots him, Yukio stares at him. Lightning flashes him a smile. In that moment, Shura pops in front of Yukio, breaking the two guys' eye connection.
"So... what's yar plans for New Year?" Shura asks him. The boy sighs and turns to walk away. Shura crosses her hands behind her head and starts walking by his side.
"I'll probably be busy." Yukio plainly answers.
"Ah? Ya kiddin' me? The only thing yar supposed to be busy with durin' this period is the exam schedule. And we just took care of that. So, now, what could ya be busy with?"
They reach the end of the hallway, "Sorry, I'll be heading this way." Yukio states and turns to walk away, but before he does Shura grabs him and headlocks him, "Shura!"
"Yar not puttin' yarself into some troublesome situation, are ya?" she asks him with a serious tone.
"Why would you think that?"
"Dunno. But I've noticed Rin's been actin' pretty weird lately. In particular... since the day after that Christmas party." and she side-glares at Yukio, "He's been kinda spacin' out durin' our training sessions. So unlike of him... Do ya know what could be troublin' him?" but Yukio doesn't answer. He takes the chance to free himself from the woman, "Do ya know if he has plans for New Year?"
Yukio takes a deep breath, "Hopefully, none. All he should be focusing on right now is study. Until he succeeds in getting his exorcist qualification, the execution order will still be pending over his head. He already skipped his training on Christmas, he shouldn't be wasting any more time."
"Ow, come on. Yar always blabbin' about that! Rest is part of the training too! Let him forget about that execution crap just for one day!"
"Unfortunately, he forgets all the time, so someone has to think about it twice to compensate."
"Hahaha! Yeah, ya do just that!" Shura laughs. A few moments of silence follow, "Really... Something's happened between ya two. Am I right?"
"I should be going now." Yukio cuts off and turns to walk away.
"Yukio." Shura calls him and he stops, "Whatever yar doin', be careful." and after hearing her words, Yukio resumes his walking, "Anyway, we teachers are gonna hit the usual on New Year! If yar free, yar welcome to join us!" the woman proposes him.
Yukio smirks, "Thank you for the offer, but I don't think I would be allowed to do that. I'm still underage, after all."
"Oh? Hahaha! Now that comforts me. Ya usually forget. Glad to know yar still capable to remember that once in a while." Shura smiles.
"New Year, huh?" he whispers to himself, as soon as he has distanced enough from the woman.
Shiemi, Paku and Izumo are sitting at the Academy's cafeteria.
"We can change at my place! This way I can introduce Nori to my mother!" Shiemi proposes to her friends.
"Your place? You mean... the exorcist supply shop?" Paku inquires.
"Not exactly there. We can use my room-"
"Room? Is that how you call it?" Izumo interrupts her.
"W-Well..."
"Hm? What do you mean?" Paku asks with a curious tone.
"It's essentially a garden storehouse. Or, at least, that's what it should be... Or... that's what it looks like from the outside..." Izumo tries to describe it.
"Huh?" Paku is even more confused.
Izumo recalls a memory from when she visited it the last time, "L-Let's say that... you'll understand the moment you'll see it!"
"Aww?!... Kamiki! So are you saying that it's okay? Are we going to change there?" Shiemi realizes what Izumo's implying and jumps on her seat while reaching forward to grab one of the girl's hands with both her owns.
"Yeah, I am. Just, don't make a fuss about it!" Izumo tries to conceal her blushing face as best as she can.
"Thank you so much!" Shiemi thanks her. In that moment, she lifts her gaze and sees Rin walking nearby, "Rin!" she calls out and waves at him.
Rin waves back at her and reaches the girls. He takes a seat at their table. Shiemi immediately starts to explain the girls' plan for New Year's night to him.
"So, after we're ready, we can meet at the Academy's gate and we'll go to the Meiji Shrine together!" Shiemi concludes with a smile.
"Actually, I..." Rin slightly lowers his head.
"Oh... Is there any problem?" Shiemi is taken aback by Rin's reaction. He's usually all for party's.
"...No... It' okay... Just let me know the time." the boy tries to force a smile on his face.
"...Uh-huh! Then I'll have Kamiki call you when we're done." Shiemi turns toward Izumo, looking for her approval.
"Buy a phone already!" Izumo comments, feigning annoyance.
"Oh, we should invite Yuki too!"
"I... I don't think he'll accept this time. He's in charge of organizing the exams, so he got to meet with the other teachers and stuff." Rin tries to justify him.
"Even on New Year day?" Shiemi notices that Rin looks distant, "Rin..."
Yukio is walking through the corridors of the Academy as Lightning approaches him.
"Yukio Okumura!... You wanted to see me?"
Yukio brings Lightning to his teacher's private room, "Sorry for taking your time. I'll get straight to the point," he shows the man a file, "Misumi Tadashi, he was a monk at the Southern Cross Boys' Monastery. The place where my brother and I grew up..." and he puts the file on his desk, gazing away from Lightning, "The day he passed away, we went back to the monastery for his funeral. And after the function, I happened to overhear something... "
"Misumi was prepared. There's nothing we could have done."
Yukio places a hand on the file, "This official report states that he died for an acute heart failure... But... he was prepared... That's rather strange, don't you think?"
After overhearing the monks' conversation, Yukio walks back to where Misumi's coffin is placed to inspect the man's body and behind his neck he finds a peculiar mark.
At this, Yukio picks his tablet and shows Lightning a photo of the contract of Morinath's symbol on Misumi's neck, "This mark proves... that Misumi Tadashi didn't actually die for natural causes, but that he was killed by the demon he formed the contract of Morinath with." as Yukio explains Lightning attentively stares at him, "And to have the demon take the contractor's life, he must have broken the terms specified in the contract he signed. Meaning he either talked about something he shouldn't have on his own free will... or was forced to do it by someone..."
"We should never have invited them!"
"There was no way we could stop Lightning-He's an Arch Knight!"
"...You were the one who forced Misumi to break the contract... Lewin Light." Yukio concludes.
Lightning remains in silence for a few seconds. Then he breaks into a loud laugh. In the end, he lets his usual smirk show on his face, "Now, that sounds like an accusation..."
At this point, Yukio shows Lightning a copy of a printed document. Lightning's eyes widen.
"This is a registry of the Japan Branch staff. Kyodo Naoya. Nagatomo Seishiro... Misumi Tadashi. Monks at the Southern Cross Boys' Monastery. The document states that they were assigned to this place roughly around the same time. The time... of the Blue Night incident..." Yukio stares at Lightning for a long moment, "I know that you're investigating the Illuminati and their connection to the Blue Night... I'll be blunt. I want you to let me join the investigation."
"Now I get it." Lightning's serious expression vanishes, once again replaced by his previous smirk, "So you're interested in the Blue Night too. I guess it makes sense. You and your brother were born around that time, after all. So it's understandable that you'd want to discover the truth behind that incident..."
"I can grant you my help." Yukio states.
"...And what kind of help could you grant me?" Lightning asks, but the boy just stares at him, "Oh, I see. Of course... We're talking about Yukio Okumura, the youngest person to become an exorcist in the whole Order's history. It sure takes a genius to reach such a great result in such a short time... Indeed, having someone like you as a partner for my investigation could be a total blast... That's all good but... I only have one question... Why are you actually interested in this incident?" at this question, Yukio instantly tenses. They keep staring at each other as the atmosphere around them grows heavier and heavier as the seconds pass. After a while, Lightning puts on a more relaxed smile, "It's okay. You don't need to answer. Relax!" and he gives Yukio a pat on his shoulder. In the end, the man makes his way to the door, "Thank you for your offer, but I'm afraid I have to decline it."
"...W-Wait-"
Lightning simply waves at him, walking out of the room. Yukio grits his teeth, staring at the now closed door in front of him.
Ryuji and the others are ready to set for their journey to Kyoto. As they're walking out of the dorm, Ryuji tries to get a call of Lightning. The man has just walked away from his meeting with Yukio and is still wandering around the Academy's corridors. In that moment, his phone rings.
"Why hello there, my partner in crime!" he greets his apprentice.
"Partner in...?!" and Ryuji sighs, "...Is it really okay for me to be taking these three days of vacation, after all?"
"Hahaha! It is! It is! Don't worry! I already told you. I'll be spending that time sleeping..." Lightning reassures him.
"Don't forget to eat and to shower too, once in a while." Ryuji suggests him.
Lightning laughs, "Roger, mom! See you when you get back!... Happy New Year!"
And he hangs up the call. As he resets his walking, he remembers his meeting with Yukio and what they said.
"This is a registry of the Japan Branch staff."
"I had to ask for a special permission to consult that registry..." Lightning mumbles to himself, "Yukio Okumura... Someone of his rank should not be allowed to even access the Underground Library... You granted him the freedom to look at those files on purpose, didn't you?... Mephisto Pheles... What are you aiming at?"