Yo! Qwaszxedc9 here! XD

Heh. I've updated again! Wow, I'm on a roll! Though I don't think I can keep up this speed for a while. Really busy in real life. You'll probably have to wait a while for the next update, sorry about that. Reviews equals fuel, so that might change if I get really motivated.

Once again, Not yet beta-ed. Any mistakes? Point them out! Thanks!

ENJOY!


The Priest and the Demon

Chapter 4


Takao was seated inside a huge chamber on one of the seats beside Midorima, watching as priests, familiars, humans who were not priests and a bunch of demons with masks entered the chamber and sat in their allocated areas. The demons were wearing masks with a combination of white background, pink and black lines, and Yosen in kanji on the left cheek, coloured pink and black. The chamber was located near the end of the Northern division compounds, accessible by demons, priests and familiars.

Why was Takao here? Well, apparently there were going to be two Bonding Ceremonies conducted today, and every member living in the compound was expected to attend, even Takao. The soon-to-be-familiar's clan leaders were also expected to attend, to witness the new bonds between priest and familiar.

(Takao had spent a few hours sweating and fixing the roof, before Midorima dragged him down an hour before noon, tossing him into the bathroom to "Shower! You stink!". Midorima hadn't even told him about this ceremony today! What a meanie…)

It would seem that one (or maybe two) of the Yosen's clan members was going to become a familiar. Most likely it would be a leader of the clan. Takao wouldn't know until they saw the familiar-to-be.

"Shin-chan, who's doing the bonding thing?" Takao asked, whispering loudly to Midorima, who sighed.

"This is the Bonding Ceremony, not a thing." Midorima said, pushing up his glasses. "The two bondings will be between Priest Himuro Tatsuya and Demon 'Thor' Murasakibara, and between Priest Nijimura Shuzou and Condemned Demon 'The Stealer'."

Takao blinked. "Condemned?"

"He had been killing and eating human women, and was actually sentenced to full exorcism after he was caught. However, he requested for forced bonding instead." Midorima explained, caressing his hello kitty doll (Takao had blinked, then ignored it) and frowning. "Since The Stealer had a power level of a leader, the priest chosen to bond with him was Nijimura, the previous head of the Priest Council."

"Wasn't The Stealer a leader of the Fukuda Clan?" Takao asked.

"He left a while ago. Presumably he was expelled from the clan for unknown reasons." Midorima said.

"Huh."


After everyone was seated, the lights dimmed, and the chamber went quiet. Takao watched as Nijimura Shuzou stepped to the center of the chamber. Two other priests led another gray-haired demon to the center, leaving him there before walking back. The Stealer had thick gray scales on his face, as well as binding handcuffs around his wrists, binding down his powers to that of a low level demon.

A soft wisp of energy circled the pair, before a bright glow of silver and blue filled the chamber, the thin wisp solidifying into a thick circle of light.

Nijimura glanced at the condemned demon, raising his eyebrow in expectation.

"Che. Haizaki Shougo." He grunted, revealing his full name for the first time. Nijimura nodded.

"Haizaki Shougo, we have entered a bond between Priest and Familiar. You are hereby bound as Familiar to Priest Nijimura Shuzou. Do you accept?" Nijimura stated, watching Haizaki as he leaned back, glancing up.

"Like I have a choice." Haizaki grumbled, shaking his chains for emphasis. Nijimura frowned.

"Do you accept?" He asked again.

"Fine, I accept." Haizaki growled. Nijimura simply nodded as he placed his right hand on Haizaki's right, silver-blue wisps of energy wrapping itself around both forearms, imprinting Nijimura's priest symbol on the inside of their forearms, solid and blue.

The bright glow dimmed slowly, the chamber falling back into misty light. Nijimura reached forward and removed the handcuffs from Haizaki's person, motioning for his new familiar to follow him before turning on his heel.

In a flash, Haizaki's grey-black had solidified into a several spears, shooting themselves toward Nijimura and the Kagami-Kuroko pair. There were gasps and shouts.

"Freeze, Haizaki." Nijimura simply said, pushing his power into his voice. The spears froze a short distance from their targets, and so did Haizaki. Nijimura turned and watched Haizaki.

"And what were you hoping to accomplish?" Nijimura asked, raising his eyebrow. Haizaki just smirked.

"Just wanted to see what you would do." Haizaki answered, still motionless. "And if you died, well, just a bonus, I guess."

"Disperse your aura." Nijimura ordered, the spears vanishing immediately. "I see that you do not wish for me to place restrictions on you in private. I shall do so in public, then."

"You are not to use your power for anything other than to defend yourself from physical harm, and to follow my explicit orders. This includes manipulation of aura, healing and physical combat. You may only defend yourself from physical harm, ensuring that you do not inflict any fatal or serious injuries, serious injuries only when absolutely necessary." Nijimura ordered, his voice layered with power, Haizaki growling at his priest. There were snickers resounding across the room, obviously enjoying his humiliation. Takao couldn't help but cringe. If he were caught after eating Midorima, there was no way he was going to request forced bonding.

"You will not actively search for loopholes in my orders, and follow them to the best of your ability. Should I pass on, you will submit yourself to the Priest Council's verdict, whatever it may be." Nijimura watched Haizaki, keeping eye contact. "Is that clear?"

"Cyrstal." Haizaki spat, still frozen.

"Good. Let us leave. There is another pair to be bonded, and I fear the mood has been thoroughly ruined by you." Nijimura turned and walked off, his new familiar following behind, grumbling, snickering still resounding in the chamber.


The moment they left, the other priest, Himuro Tatsuya walked up to the center together with Murasakibara. A soft wisp of glowing energy twirled around them in a circle. The chamber fell silent again, before a bright glow of purple and silver filled the chamber, the thin wisp of a circle solidifying into a thick circle of light.

"Murasakibara Atsushi." Murasakibara stated lazily, revealing his full name for the first time. Himuro smiled at him gently.

"Murasakibara Atsushi, we have entered a bond between Priest and Familiar. You are hereby bound as Familiar to Priest Himuro Tatsuya. Do you accept?" Himuro stated clearly, silver wisps of energy surrounding the pair within the circle. Murasakibara blinked, then nodded.

"Sure…" he said, rocking himself back and forth on his heels. Himuro smiled at him, placing his right hand over Murasakibara's right. The silver wisps of energy wrapped itself around both forearms, imprinting Himuro's priest symbol onto the inside of their forearms, clear and purple.

Soon after, the glowing circle subsided, and the chamber fell back into misty light.

There was one clap, and that seemed to signal the need for a resounding applause and cheering, followed by people standing up and rushing toward the new priest-familiar pair, hugging or patting their backs and what-not. Takao leaned over to watch, then noticed Midorima swiftly leaving.

"Ah…? Shin-chan?"

"I am leaving. The important part is already over. The only thing that happens next is a party to celebrate the new pairs, or pair in this case." Midorima deigned himself to explain, walking away. Takao rushed to catch up.

"Join the party then, aren't you the vice-head?" Takao asked, still following behind. Midorima scoffed.

"Why should I join such a ridiculous party that happens every time a new pair is formed?" Midorima replied, pushing up his glasses. "My time is better spent working."

Takao sighed. Man, sometimes he's just so uptight. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to have some fun, Shin-chan."

"If you wish to join the party, just go ahead. All priests and familiars are welcomed to join." Midorima stated, turning behind to glance at the demon. Takao raised his eyebrow, pointing at himself.

"Did you forget? I'm not a familiar." He said, with the sort of look that questioned if Midorima had thought through what he said at all. Midorima blinked a few times, inwardly startled. The last few days with Takao had felt so natural; he had forgotten that Takao was just staying to fix his roof. Midorima ignored his thoughts, pointing at the uniform Takao was wearing.

"That is my familiar uniform. I'm sure you can gain access to the party while wearing that. You can continue fixing the roof tomorrow." Midorima said, pushing up his glasses before turning on his heel and walking away.

Takao blinked. Somehow the thought of wearing Midorima's familiar uniform didn't seem as disgusting as before. The fact that he could gain access to a party was just a bonus. And since Midorima was kind enough to let him enjoy the party, well, who was he to complain?


"So, how does the bonding feel like?" Takao asked, curious. Murasakibara took a moment to think, before placing his fork on the plate and answering in the bored drawl he was so experienced in.

"Hmm… Like eating cookies with milk," Murasakibara answered, nodding thoughtfully. Takao nodded as well, agreeing with his inner thoughts that that analogy just went straight over his head. Murasakibara turned to him and frowned, as if Takao was the stupid one for not understanding such simple logic of cookies and milk.

"… Cookies and milk both taste good on their own, but together they taste better …" Murasakibara explained, picking up his fork and walking off with his plate to find more food to eat.

Takao could (sort of) understand what Murasakibara meant, but not much.

"Yeah… I still don't understand." Takao admitted, grinning. Kuroko popped up from a corner of his vision.

"It's a warm feeling." Kuroko said, trying to answer Takao's question, glancing at Kagami before turning back to him. "The feeling of having someone connected to you, a person who'll never betray you and always remain your friend."

(Takao quite suspected that Kise and Aomine had surpassed 'friends' a long time ago.)

"Hmm… What does that feel like?" Takao asked, blinking. Did it feel like going back to Shuutoku, where his clan members bowed to him as leader, or having Miyaji greet him with a pineapple to his face, Otsubo ruffling his hair as Kimura asked him how his day was, or when Nakatani was still Head, training him in aura manipulation, being strict as hell but making him preen with the slightest praise? Did it feel as beautiful as that?

"It's like coming home after a long trip, into welcoming arms." Kuroko smiled, a warm expression on his face directed at the red-haired priest eating mountains of hamburgers on the opposite table, making Takao both jealous of what the familiar could feel, and yearning it slightly. "It's a really warm feeling."

It really did sound nice.


The moment Takao was done with the party (which lasted for hours) and dinner, Midorima had appeared to drag him into the infirmary. The infirmary beds were now empty, and the room was quiet. Takao stood near the door, watching as Midorima snatched up a notebook and pen, motioning Takao to sit on an infirmary chair as he sat on his roller chair. Takao sat, feeling like some prisoner to be interrogated, Midorima looming over him.

"How well can you manipulate your aura?" Midorima asked, staring at him, not even adding a word of pleasantries. Takao raised his eyebrow.

"What's that got to do with healing?" Takao asked, honestly curious. Midorima huffed, pushing up his glasses.

"My research shows that priest and demon healers always have excellent control over their aura, yet those with excellent control do not always develop healing abilities." Midorima answered, radiating satisfaction. Takao was once again reminded of a preening peacock, but muffled the snort that came with the thought.

"Really?" Takao asked, reluctantly fascinated. He had wondered why he developed healing abilities, and yet Kimura and Otsubo didn't. Miyaji said it was talent and hard work, but he had wondered.

"Indeed. Are healing abilities a consequence of excellent aura control, or is an excellent control due to latent haling ability?" Midorima twirled his pen around the index finger. "I haven't the answers yet. The likely explanation is talent – that you are either born with or without it."

"I disagree. Hard work is vital to everything, nodayo. One must do everything humanely possible to achieve the desired result. Fate favours those who put in their best effort. There must be a way to develop healing abilities, a connection we're missing now."

"Woah, that was some heartfelt speech." Takao said, snickering a little, causing Midorima to glower at him. Takao grinned, raising his palms out to pacify him.

"Yes, yes, Shin-chan. I do have excellent control." Takao said, answering the previous question. He rubbed his fingers together, pulling out some of his orange-black aura and coating his fingers with them. The quantity of aura he could only use now was much less than usual, but control was not really determined by power levels. One with low power levels could still have better control than one with higher levels. Midorima watched Takao effortlessly turn his aura into shapes and spirals, separate the colours of his aura to orange, black and white, and keep his aura steady on both hands. Nodding, he jotted down a few more observations into his notebook, before putting it on his lap and pulling his own aura into his hands.

"Do this." Midorima said, stretching the golden-green wisps of his aura into whips, a glowing line of light. Takao grinned, imitating the shape, his own whip coloured orange-black. Midorima nodded, dispersing his whip, jotting down more notes and mumbling to himself.

Takao ignored the priest for a moment, fascinated by the whip. He had never tried to shape his aura into something like this, mostly just sharpening the edge of his aura, creating shields or balls of energy or coating his arm to harden it and fighting hand-to-hand. His aura manipulation was mostly centered on healing and shielding, creating shapes and designs was only to train and practice his manipulations. Takao directed his aura-whip to wrap itself around a leg of one of the infirmary beds. Tugging it, he smiled as it remained steady, stretching itself.

"You have excellent control." Midorima said, still scribbling notes. "Most would not be able to create such a compact and stable whip on their first try."

Takao grinned, dissolving the whip. "What made you think it was my first try?"

Midorima snorted. "You would not be so fascinated otherwise."

"Fine. It was new. I've never really done that before." Takao relented, leaning back.

"Of course you haven't. Demons don't learn much outside of their clans, unless they request knowledge as compensation for a familiar." Midorima stood up, marching to his desk as he pulled out a cage. Opening it, he pulled out a white mouse, leaving the cage on the table and sitting back down, handing the mouse over to Takao.

"Heal it." Midorima demanded. Takao brought the mouse to eye level, examining it. On the surface, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but knowing Midorima, there was probably something wrong. Using his hawkeyes, he examined the mouse more carefully, before realizing that there was an internal wound near the stomach.

That was not something he could have seen without his hawkeyes. Miyaji usually asked him to identify injuries before either one of them treated it. How was Midorima expecting him to notice the injury? Maybe it was better to pretend he didn't see anything.

"You sure it's injured, Shin-chan?" Takao asked, looking up. It was testimony to how absorbed Midorima was by his research that the nickname was just ignored.

"Yes, it is. Use your aura and find the internal injury." Midorima said, slightly impatient.

Takao paused and blinked. "My aura? Was I supposed to use it?"

"Obviously. How else would you identify internal injuries?" Midorima frowned, tapping the notebook with his pen. Takao just shrugged.

"Well, I was taught how to identify internal injuries by asking patients where the hurt was and how it felt like. Based on that, I would vary my healing." Takao said, cocking his head to the side. "I've never heard of using aura to identify injuries."

"Indeed." Midorima said, looking back down to scribble in his notebook. "Demon healing methods are sorely lacking as demon healers are few and therefore teachers are few as well. Different clans do have varied healing methods. Most clans do not even have healers."

Takao had to agree with that. "So, how am I going to heal this little guy?"

"Use your aura." Midorima looked up, frowning as he tried to describe the procedure. "Try turning it into something similar to air and pushing it into the mouse."

Pulling out some aura, Takao tried to press it into a mist, but the aura flattened into something like a pancake. He tried again, stretching it out, then cutting it up, then expanding it, all resulting in creations that were not airy at all. Breathing in again, Takao tried dispersing it into a fine mist, the same kind of feeling when dispersing the aura, and ended up with something that kind of looked and kind of felt like air. Glancing up, he saw Midorima nodding and unwittingly felt a tiny sense of gratification.

Turning back down, he pushed that mist of aura into the mouse from the side of the body, eyes widening when his aura began washing over the inside of the mouse, plotting out the contours and surfaces of the internal organs. The internal injury had a jagged feel to it, and he could feel the injury almost as well as he could see it.

"Woah, this is amazing!"

"Well? Have you found the injury yet? Heal it then." Midorima said, almost impatiently. Takao grumbled a little before letting his aura glow white, pulling out the aura-mist and healing the mouse. He was interrupted, however.

"Why did you remove your aura from inside the mouse?" Midorima demanded, stopping Takao from healing. Takao raised his eyebrow.

"How else do I heal it then?" Takao asked. Midorima graced him a look, as if the answer were perfectly obvious.

"Turn that aura inside the mouse into a healing aura! Why must you remove the aura just to replace it with another batch so far off from the actual wound?" Midorima asked. Takao had to admit that that made sense.

"I was just used to it, no need to fuss…" Takao grumbled, blowing air from his mouth as he pulled out his aura again, this time turning it into a mist and pushing it into the mouse, finding the injury and turning the mist-aura into a healing aura before healing the damn mouse. Midorima watched Takao work, jotting down a few notes.

After a few minutes, Midorima reached over to the fully-healed mouse and flooded it with his own golden-green mist-aura, examining it carefully before standing and placing it back into its cage, storing it away somewhere below the table. Takao watched him pull out another booklet to write something, shaking his legs in boredom as he played with his fingers and waited.

It was fascinating – this different method of healing. Once he got back to his clan, he could show it to Miyaji and they–

He paused. There was a very good chance he wouldn't have time to show this to Miyaji. After he eats Midorima and returns to Shuutoku to remove the exorcism symbol from the other three leaders, he would have to run from the rest of the priests gunning for him. Since Midorima was a vice-head, it was unlikely Takao would get away without a full exorcism.

Unless, of course, he took the option of forced bonding, which was highly unlikely.

"Shin-chan, am I done here?" Takao asked, playing with his fingers again. Midorima didn't answer, but came back to the seat, pulling open his notebook again.

"How well can you heal broken bones?" Midorima asked, scribbling illegible words into his notebook. Takao looked up, cocking his head to the side. Technically, at full power levels, he could heal a few broken bones within ten minutes. Healing a broken bone required a certain level of power before the bones could even begin joining back together. With his current level of power, he could probably heal only a mere fracture in five minutes. Bones were not as easy to heal as flesh wounds – internal or otherwise.

"I'm not sure." Takao admitted, truthfully. "I haven't tried to in a while."

"You have been here for less than a week. Were you not still apprenticed to a teacher before?" Midorima asked, glancing up. "How could you have not practiced? Do you expect-"

Midorima looked as if he was going to start ranting about practice being important for learning, about how it was arrogant of him to not practice (as if he could talk!), and how "Man proposes, God disposes. I am a man that proposes-" (bla bla bla), so Takao decided to interrupt him.

"I haven't had an actual teacher for a while." Takao said, trying to pacify Midorima. Technically, it was true. Miyaji had run out of things to teach him a while ago. All that was left was experience and hands-on work. In that aspect, Miyaji was far better than Takao, as he had years of experience under his belt. Takao had only discovered his ability to heal two years ago, and had started on live patients a couple of months ago. There weren't really any volunteers who would break their bones just to let Takao practice. The last broken bone he had healed was that of a bunny's, while he was still apprenticed to Miyaji, nearly half a year ago.

Midorima seemed to consider that seriously, pausing his writing. "You don't have a teacher?"

"No, I had one." Takao said, being as vague as possible. Midorima nodded.

"How much healing have you actually learned?" Midorima asked. Takao shrugged. Miyaji could only really teach him the basics. There wasn't really anything else to teach.

"How to turn your aura into a healing one and how to identify injuries. Just the basics, I guess?" Takao replied. Midorima frowned, pushing up his glasses.

"Your knowledge in healing is sorely lacking, as evident from your demonstration previously." Midorima started, rubbing his chin with his fingers. Takao had a bad feeling about where this line of conversation was leading to. "You have excellent control over your aura, and have manifested healing abilities. It would be a waste not to exploit the opportunity."

"What are you-"

"I shall become your teacher for a while, just until you finish fixing my roof." Midorima said, pushing up his glasses and glancing to the left, pointedly not looking in Takao's direction. "Consider it a slight re-compensation on my part for your efforts in fixing my roof without too much objection."

Takao blinked, taking time to digest what Midorima was saying. "Are you offering to teach me to heal?"

"I-I was offering to impart my knowledge to you, seeing as I have much of it to spare and you are lacking." Midorima stuttered slightly, his hand still on his glasses. "Don't read too much into it. I just cannot stand being in the vicinity of your incompetence. Since I am unable to be rid of you yet, I have no choice but to rid you of your incompetence."

"Shin-chan~" Takao started grinning. There was a slowly reddening tint to Midorima's cheeks.

"Don't call me that!" Midorima shouted, standing up, not noticing the notebook and pen falling to the ground. "B-be grateful that I'm even offering!"

Takao continued grinning, still seated. Midorima wanted to teach him to heal better. He would admit that in terms of healing, Midorima was loads better than him. Though, he didn't know what to feel at the offer. He was still planning to eat Midorima – maybe this would help him gain Midorima's trust.

The tsundere priest didn't even realize that the demon he wanted to teach was the one planning out his murder. That's way too careless.

He was sort of grateful. Grateful that Midorima himself was making things easier for him.

"Heh. Shin-chan's really sweet!" Takao grinned, taking pleasure at Midorima spluttering and denying, whole face now blushing red, quite a contrast to his green hair and pure white uniform. Takao inclined his head. "Sure! I'll be in your care."


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