Yukio Okumura woke up with his chest constricted in either dread or a terrible asthmatic attack. He checked for signs of being ill, of being near an allergenic capable of triggering this phenomenon today. Dust was cleaned. Polen was nowhere to be found. He hadn't eaten anything that he shouldn't have.
Glancing at the alarm clock told him he had slept too few hours. This was nothing new. Slowly the exorcist rose out of bed and tottered to the bathroom he only tied with the memory of throwing up because dealing with Satan had been too much to handle.
In the distance he heard Rin preparing a meal for them. If Yukio were a more emotionally intelligent man he would have shared his burden with Rin and rejoiced in the emotional support to be had. Alas, Yukio Okumura was a mess of a man incapable of knowing what was best for him.
Rin had problems of his own. The True Cross watched him like hawks, waiting for any slip up that would give them an upper hand in putting Rin down like a rabid, blue dog. The very last thing he needed was to know anything about Yukio's troubles. It would only aggravate and distract him more.
Deep down in his twisting gut he hoped that Shura had not blabbed to anyone. That meeting with her had not been a proud moment. His hands shook so he thrust them into his exorcist coat's pockets. Knuckles white from the pressure he felt cascading through him. It started from his head and tip toed gently downward, enveloping him whole. He was so used to pressure that it felt like a mother's embrace would to most.
Today he would take his usual demon gene test to see if he was as human as before. His adam's apple bobbed with uncertainty. Perhaps after spending so much time with Satan he would have had the gene manifest or awaken.
Sweat pooled in his hidden hands. Those eyes that were always before something different about him and Rin now felt like he would be better off gouging them out of his head.
The exorcist doctor that drew his blood noted his jitters and talked him through the process as if he had not done it many, many times before. It irked him, to appear weak in front of others. Even more so that he was weak. The cruel fact was engraved in his mind and it remained as a reminder to his childhood.
Although Rin was stronger than him, and much easier to love and be friends with, Yukio vowed not to grow bitter about that. Rin was someone worth loving. Yukio was not. He learned to kill as a child and committed many cruel things all in the name of humanity. That same humanity that would not hesitate to kill him and his brother if they proved too demonic for their taste.
"The results will be sent to you later today."
This was the one good thing about having an efficient demon in charge of the Japanese branch - everything of importance was done at express pace.
With that nasty job done, Yukio set off to work. Teaching would either brighten or worsen his day. Probably the latter as this had begun as a pessimistic day and would continue to be.
Missions he'd been barred from by Mephisto. It came as a curse. That was him being generous as his initial plan had been to bar him from any exorcist work whatsoever. To be without work was unimaginable for Yukio. This existence was like hell, pure and simple.
Ryuji Suguro and Konekomaru Miwa were talking about homework. Rin was looking just as lost as Shima Renzo. Yukio's blood began to boil. Of course Rin would not take his studies as seriously as he should, even if his whole life depended on his doing well on the exorcist exam. Shima Renzo could act however he liked. Rin was not afforded that. He had not been afforded that either.
Someone should have seen this coming. He had been burdened by his eyes since he was a boy. They had said it was Rin that cursed him with the sight of demons, but with his added information - Yukio wondered how much of it was Satan's genetics altogether.
Shiemi Moriyama and Izumo Kamiki spoke amiably with one another about manga Izumo had lent Shiemi. Yukio was happy that Shiemi was growing into herself as a person and an exorcist. He had no doubt in his mind that the tamers would pass if they continued to apply themselves.
Nemu Takara was having a conversation with his puppet and Yukio wasn't nearly as rested to tackle that problem.
The class passed without any disturbances miraculously. It left him feeling tired. Rin strolled to him after class and asked him if he wanted to hang out later in the dorm. They hadn't had any time to spend together.
Yukio said that he couldn't as he had some business to attend to. Mainly to wait and stress about his medical results, but he wasn't about to just admit something like that.
He wondered if having Shiro with him would have made his life easier. It certainly would have left him feeling less stressed to know that he didn't have to worry about Rin solely. It was too big of a burden to bear. Not only this, but he had regular school to go to and ace. Cram school to teach. Missions to help plan if not go on.
Seeing Satan came as icing atop a cake that was imploding in on itself.
Around noon was when Yukio realised that he hadn't caught a glimpse of Satan at all.
The split form of the demon usually came to bait him when he woke up. It followed him around everywhere and left him feeling bewildered, like a ball of pandemonium was cultivated within his heart.
Yukio had seen better days. Today seemed the worst by far.
Fear gripped him tightly around the neck and left him breathless. Why had Satan decided to skip today? Was the demon up to something?
A wish to go to Mephisto and ask him what to do crossed his mind. It disappeared when it instilled a sense of dependance in him.
Looking at his watch became something of a neurotic tick. Yukio waited either for Satan or for the results to arrive. He checked his mail constantly. A thought that they didn't send him the results because it was one hundred percent demonic set its roots in his mind and did not leave him be. More toxic thoughts like this took home in his head.
Yukio felt bile and breakfast travel up his throat.
Satan was nowhere to be found, neither were the results.
Yukio climbed up and down stairs, trying to ignore the desperate feeling of helplessness that clawed against his insides like a caged animal wanting for freedom.
He tried to take a nap. Rin had gone with the cram school kids to hang out seeing as Yukio was being uncomfortable with himself and was driving everyone away.
The temperature was higher than usual, Yukio felt. Panic rose and fell in his chest in time with his hard breathing. He had stripped down to his clothes, shedding his coat and shoes.
What if his result saw traces of the same material that Rin had in his body that made him able to have the blue flames? What then? Could he expect to have a death sentence placed on his head now, too?
It was not that hot, thought Yukio. Not hot enough to make him want to strip to his underwear and pant like a dog.
He didn't take off his shirt in fear of bursting into flames if he did a sudden movement. Having Satan around had pushed him into a room of paranoia he had not thought himself possible of entering. Its flames were stark compared to Rin's, merciless. However, they decorated Satan in a way Yukio could not say did not befit the king of all demons.
They exuded a power that not anybody could control well. Rin's control was null. This much was obvious from his many meltdowns.
Satan and Yukio had watched Rin practising once. He was trying to light a few candles without igniting the middle one. Satan had nearly made Yukio laugh that day by the incredulousness of the king. The split form had gestured at Rin and made such disappointed comments.
"This is not how you learn how to control fire! You plunge yourself into it and feel all of the burning, all of the pain of your enemy. You learn not to destroy by first destroying! What human notions of self discipline." then laughter, loud enough for the whole world to hear but only heard by Yukio. "Neither of you are human enough for self discipline."
Yukio had chanced a glance in Satan's direction and whispered a question he had been terrified of knowing the answer to. "What am I considered by demons? Human? Demon?"
Satan had fallen silent, laughter cut off abruptly. The pause was more painful than any demon wound Yukio had ever sustained. The king neared. Placed a clawed hand on Yukio's shoulder and whispered back, equally as conspiratorial. "Everyone considers you what I want you to be considered as."
The exorcist jolted from his nap, having somehow succeeded in falling asleep. The fatigue had been too hard for his body to fight. Sweat glued his clothes to his body uncomfortably.
He had a quick shower and changed into fresh clothes. It made him feel better, if only a little bit.
Downstairs he found Mephisto Pheles standing tall and proud. His shoulders rolled back and his emerald eyes speared Yukio with a powerful look that left him feeling nothing good.
That demonic mouth split into a fanged smile that promised him the unknown. "Okumura-kun."
Yukio had a gut feeling that something was wrong. Some sort of half demon intuition.
The demon king told him that out of necessity he was being brought back on a mission. Yukio thought, because he knew not of the dangers waiting in his mids, that his day was turning for the better.
''Of course, sir.'' Yukio said and noted a dash of impatience in Mephisto's demeanour when he told him he needed to get his weapons and supplies.
That was when Mephisto teleported him to a forest near the ocean. He spotted some higher up exorcists there, but nothing too alarming. What confused him was why the exwires were there. Was there some bigger crisis that warranted other personnel and this was a way to balance out the experienced exorcists with the inexperienced.
''Okumura Rin.'' Shura's voice blared and she stomped her foot down on the ground. She looked serious and Yukio knew there was something undeniably wrong with this picture. He remained silent as his older brother surged to her, tail swishing and sword in hand.
''Yeah?'' he called.
''You're a last resort. We have on good authority that Egyn has been sighted nearby. This is distressing as he dwells deep within the Arctic ocean.'' Shura explained, before anyone could ask her more she chanted and took out her demon slaying sword, a grim expression grimming. ''Blue fire can't be put out as easily as all our holy fire can by his unholy water, therefore we're sending you in. Keep your flames minimal unless you see Egyn or I give you a mark.''
Instead of looking professional or honoured, Rin looked elated to be sent on a suicidal mission. Yukio's gut dropped and he gripped his guns tighter than humanly possible. If this continued his body would break from the exertion it took him not to yell and scream. He pushed up his sliding glasses.
They traversed the woods, aware of peering eyes from earth demons. Shiemi had Nee with her and as long as he didn't feel any malice coming off from them they were good, for now they were passive observers. Rin was gripping his sword like he couldn't wait to unsheathe it. After the Impure King the exwires as a whole had gotten closer to each other and become a tight-knit group. It was good to know that there were others that pushed Rin to better himself.
Yukio moved silently through the forest, carefully slyfooting down towards the wild beach area that was barred from tourists and the like.
''Why isn't Sir Pheles doing anything about this?'' Ryuji asked the question of the day. ''Aren't demon kings his area of expertise?''
''They are.'' Shura said.
Yukio looked ready to shoot something. His eyes were wide behind his glasses as he spotted the first sign of danger that day. If anyone wasn't paying attention to the scene in front of them and had taken a look back at Yukio they would have undoubtedly noticed his red pupils.
A tall demon possessing a black man wearing a suit with sunglasses on had a human hostage. His whole form was enveloped with insects and arachnids of all kind, no matter the damage to the ecosystem. He glanced at the exorcists and waved, many larvae and wasps falling off. They branched off and surged into an attack towards the exorcists. Arias put up a good front, chanting and holding rosaries, casting barriers of protection. Demonically augmented insects were toxic. Doctors took out their supplies and readied to use them in case someone needed immediate saving. Yukio took up position with them, but kept his dragoon vigilance.
Rin unsheathed his sword and a sea of blue burst into the world.
The demon grinned. ''If it isn't the Young Prince!'' He took his hostage and dangled them by their neck, watching the human squirm. Insects travelled from the demon's hand in a diligent march towards the human's open, screaming mouth.
Shima Renzo nearly fainted at the sight, but was paralysed by fear to actually go through with it. Konekomaru chanted, sweat dripping down his head, but he did not let up. Neither did Ryuji.
Rin broke from position and surged into action. ''Whoever the fuck you are, I won't let you get away with this!'' he said heroically, like a protagonist of a manga.
''Holy shit, kid, you don't know who I am?'' The demon jumped two steps back when the blue flames got too near for comfort. He discarded the human and let it fight his bugs by themselves. Rising to full height and dusting off his suit, the demon struck a power pose and exclaimed: ''I am Beelzebub, demon king of insects!''
Shima Renzo cried, somewhere in the background. He kept close to Izumo because he had promised to protect her. Though, he had promised that to someone particularly higher up than anyone in True Cross.
Shura shouted after Rin, he pretended not to hear her, Beelzebub took on the defensive. As if he was afraid of hurting Rin?
Yukio thought that none of this made sense. He shot at Beelzebub and found that his bullet went through him, sans the pain of being shot. It was distressing to note that the demon's body was wholly made out of insects. Demon possession transformed the vessel exponentially the more a demon inhabited it.
Talk about body horror. Yukio's face froze in impassiveness.
Shura jumped into a attack from above, but was hit by a hidden figure that slammed her to the ground. The other exorcists that weren't stuck healing continued fortifying the barrier that stopped the demons from going to a more populated area.
''REIJI SHIRATORI WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?'' Rin asked, amidst a fight. Beelzebub took this opportunity to headbut Rin down. However since he really had very little information in his head he recovered quickly.
Astaroth who was possessing Shiratori Reiji, just kind of stood there in disbelief. ''Young Prince, I'm Astaroth! Demon king of rot. What fucking sense does it have for a schoolyard bully to be fighting with demon kings?'' Then while avoiding exorcist attacks and rotting the floral protection of Nee. ''USE THAT FUCKING HEAD OF YOURS?!''
Rin headbutted Beelzebub's head and broke his sunglasses in half.
''NOT LIKE THAT! FUCK?!''
Instead of revealing demon eyes Rin balked at the sight of Beelzebub's eye sockets from which stared at him many wiggling bugs. His lips pressed into a sneer and a vow was made that he was done playing nice with his young brother.
What happened next was not exactly good. It was actually pretty bad.
The water from the beach began to recede.
No one noticed as they were too busy fighting the two demon kings. Astaroth grew into the bulk of a demon he could truly be. He charged into the exorcists and rammed most to the ground. Beelzebub formed duplicates of himself with bugs and faced off against them. Exorcists were on the losing side of this. None could locate their fatal verses.
Izumo's foxes vanished. A bug demon began to fight with her. Shima Renzo came to her rescue reluctantly and stabbed the demon with his scepter, terrified wholly of any insect's movements.
Shiemi picked the bugs off of the hostage while keeping an eye on Nee's progress.
Yukio took aim at Beelzebub's head when he had locked Rin in a tight, unrelenting grip. He shot and relished in the way it blew a hole through his eye socket. Light seeped through it, but was quickly mended by insects.
''Rin, burn him!'' Shura shouted. ''Burn everything!''
That was all Rin was waiting for. The azure fire flickered across Beelzebub's form, singeing the insects he used as a body. Trees caught fire near the beach. Astaroth grabbed two exorcists that weren't the main cast therefore would be canon fodder and rotted their bodies into zombie-like corpses. They fell.
Meanwhile, a few kilometres away from the beach.
Amaimon and Egyn were hovering in an Illuminati helicopter. Homare Todo was there with a cellphone propped to her ear and listening to Lucifer telling her how this was going to do down. He and Samael were pretend fighting. She roughly heard the younger king exclaiming a heroic line that sounded like it'd come straight from a shounen anime.
''Lucifer, you will never hope to defeat the True Cross!''
Homare needn't be there to imagine the way they faced off like actors on a stage, needing to fool the whole viewing world. She had on good authority that Arthur Auguste Angel was there with Lewin Light as backup. Lucifer had the best of the Illuminati's experiments and personnel there. The best except for her. This caused her to worry and hope her commander would come out of this not-so-pretend ordeal alive and well.
The wards around Japan sizzled hard. Their weakening changed the sky from slightly muted blue into stark blue it would normally look like.
''Lucifer-nii, got a punch in.'' Egyn whispered. Amaimon scowled at that and said that they should get a move on. He picked up the small shark demon and put him under his arm, nestled tightly.
''This is undignified.'' Egyn whispered.
''Shut up and make sure your wave doesn't destroy all of Aniue's playground.''
Homare Todo's eyes bulged and she scrambled to get a hold of her phone to call Beelzebub or Astaroth to secure Kamiki Izumo as she was Illuminati property still. They had use of her.
No one answered. Beelzebub's phone was broken when Shura stabbed him through his breast pocket. Astaroth's phone was desecrated by Yukio's expert shooting when he'd tried to answer it.
''Wait, my kings!'' Homare shouted, but Amaimon wasn't taking orders from humans.
He stomped once, using his full strength and the weight of his ego. The helicopter shook, causing the pilot to scream expletives as he struggled to keep their course steady.
Amaimon jumped into water. His weight and falling momentum gave him just enough power to land on the bottom hard, giving the earth a quake big enough for Egyn's job to commence. Water receded, power built up, the ocean rose, Egyn controlled it, and then in an act of cruelty and precision he pushed it towards the exorcists.
Back on the beach Astaroth was picking off exorcists one by one. Miwa Konekomaru and Ryuji figured out a verse that could cause him damage so he sought to destroy them before they could bring him down. Once to be broken and defeated by an exorcist was excusable as it was the late Shiro Fujimoto (man capable of bringing Satan down) - but for it to happen twice and this time by exwires? Oh. That would shame him.
Astaroth knocked down Miwa hard. His glasses broke and so did something when he hit the rock hidden in the sand. Blood pooled from his head. Ryuji couldn't even curse out or go to help him as he was cornered by a tree behind him and a monstrous face of a demon king scorned.
''Rin, help Suguro-san!'' Yukio called. A reanimated corpse of a fallen exorcist rose and tottered towards him. He shot him in the head twice and reloaded, farthest from the trees. Around him was only sand. ''RIN!''
Nearly tripping while fighting in sand taught Yukio that he better stay grounded and balanced.
Rin didn't seem to hear him as he was too busy fighting control over his own flames while they destroyed Beelzebub's body. The demon king continued to fight nonetheless. It seemed that having Satan training them they were all used to enduring the azure fire.
Yukio inhaled sharply and tried to calm down, surging towards Suguro and Miwa to help.
Shima and Kamiki and Moriyama held down the fort and protected their injured.
Shura summoned snakes to help, but they quickly disappeared when Beelzebub seemed to destroy her concentration by flinging bugs into her mouth. It shut her up and consequently so did her damaging chanting cease.
The demon king panted and jumped into the air, sprouting wings from his back. Yukio began to shoot him in earnest, asking anyone capable of wielding a gun to try. Some exorcists aimed their weapons to the sky and even with broken bones and exhaustion hanging over them like death they shot in harmony. Most missed, but some had the desired effect. Beelzebub grimaced in pain. He landed on a tree atop the forest and looked towards the ocean, grinning.
''Astaroth! Grab the fox and let's go.''
In the distance could be seen a calm, silent body of water advancing towards them. No other word could describe it but something everyone was taught the signs of in elementary school by teachers and the like. A tsunami was formed. Everyone had been too caught up in battle to notice, fretting over what demon kings could do to them.
Beelzebub and Astaroth had served their purpose. Samael had done his bit with Lucifer. Amaimon and Egyn had done theirs.
Nobody cared to fight Astaroth as they scurried towards higher ground. Moriyama used Nee to help carry the wounded. But then, because life was unfair - Beelzebub created more duplicates of himself and formed a barrier that stopped them from climbing higher than they were. It was in range of Egyn's attack and would envelop them in a cool, drowning grave.
Rin's flames helped, but insects were a near infinite resource in forests so the barrier remained fortified. Astaroth grabbed Izumo Kamiki by her wrist tightly and pulled her from the exorcists, ignoring Shima's half-hearted attempts to fight him. If one looked for it, it was obvious the boy was an Illuminati spy.
Alas no one had reason to look for signs of betrayal from friends.
Yukio ran out of bullets. That was red flag number one. He snapped out of a bubble of self control and tried to fight his way upward by slamming his weapon into hordes of uprightly held bug demons.
There was a smell in the air. It was pungent and bitter and painful. Tears sprang in Shiemi's eyes he saw. Rin looked unaffected as did Shura and Kamiki Izumo. The former of the three fought for the safety of the latter. Shima Renzo covered his mouth with his arm and choked.
Red flag two.
The water continued to advance towards them and it was Shura that first named the thing they feared most. ''It's unholy water, everyone get to safety!''
What they were facing was this:
Two demon kings that had immediately destroyed a good portion of their man power. It was not unknown to either party that exwires had no good reason to be here, even with Rin Okumura there to fight Egyn one on many. One demon king warranted the appearance of a paladin, let alone two. Their injured were going to die. The elemental prowess of the demon kings had set them in a trap, cornered now like animals right before slaughter.
To make matters worst of all - that smell, electrical somehow, like a burnt electrical unit that had no place anywhere near water - was the same aroma of unholy water. A specialty of Egyn's. Whereas humanity turned water into holy water to combat demons, special water type demons had the unique ability to reverse that effect and cause great harm to humans by infusing water with miasma.
A helicopter approached, its propeller the only sound heard by shellshocked exorcists who either resigned themselves to this death or denied it. Inside it were Egyn and Amaimon, Yukio could recognize them.
Rin, upon spotting Amaimon screamed at him, butchering his name in the process.''MAMAIMON, FIGHT ME !''
This angered the demon king of earth greatly. He jumped down from the chopper and landed in the water that was devouring the beach quickly. Half of Yukio's body was drenched in the unholy water, yet he found himself unaffected by it. This told him his demon-test result better than any human made test could.
The ocean splashed into the air. Homare Todo threw down a ladder. Astaroth and Shima Renzo pulled along a struggling Izumo Kamiki. She remembered her sister and thus remembered her duty to the organization capable of creating hell for them both.
''RENZO?!'' Suguro Ryuji and Rin shouted atop their lungs. Egyn moved his hands in a motion that had the water back on its track, losing momentum and strength, but intensifying in rising upward in a wall-like formation - ready to snap down on the exorcists and kill them all in a gruesome way.
Those that were able fought. Izumo climbed the ladder and Astaroth quickly grabbed it behind her. He had no wings as Beelzebub, or a death wish as Amaimon.
Blue and green annihilated the scene. Water went around the blue fire and attacked the humans. Yukio's heart beat to the rhythm of a war drum deafening him with every thump. The heavy exorcist garb dragged him underwater. Shiemi screamed when it touched her. Ryuji Suguro fell under and saw Shima Renzo climbing up the helicopter ladder with the Illuminati woman and the demon king of rot. Miwa Konekomaru's concussion helped ease his way.
Amaimon and Rin fought, trapped in a demonic circle of hunter and hunted. Yukio closed his eyes because they burned.
Shura was fighting. People were drowning. Death dangled like putrid stench.
Yukio tried to swim upward to safety to breathe, but his boot latched between two logs and he couldn't budge. He felt something brush against him and opened his eyes because he refused to die in ignorance of what was to be his last stand off.
Red pupils stared into red.
A cold, freezing hand caressed his neck and told him to calm down. Like it had many times before. Even though they were underwater and Yukio had his ears stuffed with water and ocean miasma. Even though the thought of his mortality was the only one crossing through his mind like an unchecked jaywalker. Even though Yukio knew most of the people he was in charge of were dead. Even though all of that, Satan's voice was crisp, clear, and powerful.
''Youngest, I just came back from Tokyo! Lovely sight there, anarchy and desolation all created by my first sons. Makes an old man like me feel oh so proud.'' Satan spoke and Yukio realised that the reason he could hear the split form was because of their connection and genetics, that Satan had spoken every time directly into his head.
The exorcist felt sick and it was not because of the miasma filling him up and constricting his throat in a way that felt horrifying. He floated and tried to free himself, tried to mimic to Satan to free him, but no party moved.
Satan moved through the water as if it was not there. It bent down to see where Yukio's leg had latched. There was blood pooling and dribbling upward. Friction caused by twisting and pain that blinded if not for adrenaline.
''Why are you here? Want to see me die?'' Yukio gurgled yet Satan understood him perfectly.
It shrugged its shoulders and rolled them back in a smothering of a laugh. Darkness fell and being underneath the ocean felt even more terrifying. Yukio was never more reminded of his youth than in that moment.
He didn't want to drown to death, alone, scared, and in the dark. It was much too early for him to die. For fuck's sake he hadn't even finished high school! Rin had gotten more out of life than him. He had had close friends. What had Yukio had? Shura Kirigakure and stress? Fear of his life and complexes of worth and lack thereof.
It exhausted him to feel so small and insignificant. It exhausted him to be a pawn in a chess game he would never fully understand.
''You do not have to die, Yukio.'' Satan's voice was a lulling lullabye that was preparing to send him off into a final rest. It snatched Yukio's hands into its glacial. A shudder ran through him. ''Nobody need die.''
''Everybody's already fucking dead!'' came the reaction one who always must be in control had when not in control.
Satan's hands travelled up to his face and cupped his face gently, peering into the eyes Satan swore were the same as Yukio's. ''Samael will dance to the tune I play. He will make sure they live.'' Yukio's silence told Satan that he expected an elaboration. Smart boy, Satan wished to praise.
''Only if you surrender to me. I have learned from my mistake with Fujimoto Shiro. He was an admirable exorcist. Do not lie and say he would not want to sacrifice himself to save his students, his comrades in arms? If you truly wish to emulate him and denounce all that is demonic in you, step up to the task.'' Satan moved and with raised arms gestured a showmanship pose. ''It is your turn to prove to me that there is a speck of humanity in you.''
Yukio blinked and when fatigue creeped up his spine, Satan's hands batted it away. As long as Satan and the blue fire were with him he could not die. Was it wrong, Yukio wondered not like a catholic, but a child with too much on his plate to handle, was it wrong to think that death was a release worth pursuing?
''What does any of that mean?''
Satan's face split in a wide, too wide to be physically possible grin. Its hand patted Yukio's cheek condescendingly. ''Everything I have I share with you. I did not lie to you. Power and strength, you will never be without. Right now you are capable of saving all of your friends. Will you?''
''You caused this.'' Yukio pieced together like the boy genius he was. Bubbles escaped from his anguished face. It was draped in agony and transformed into torment. ''You did all of this.''
Satan did not lie to him, for that Yukio was grateful in what he thought to be his last moments.
''I did. Will you do as I tell you and save them from death?''
''How the fuck-''
Satan grew agitated with him and for the first time in their joint presence Yukio felt what he had been warned of. Anger and wrath and retribution. The fire retracted and the miasma surged to his lungs, filling him and crushing him, and turning his vision black spot by spot.
A hand moved, the flames returned, but the pressure around his throat felt worse. Satan held him. ''My patience thins. You will die soon and I need an answer.''
With the informaiton presented to him, Yukio closed his eyes to avoid those intimidating eyes.
''I will teach you when we are in Gehenna. We need not be together forever. I would tire of you otherwise and burn you for my amusement. No, you will live like my prince. Not a toy, but think of yourself as an equal.'' Satan's voice urged.
lieslieslieSLiesLiesLiesLiESLIESLIESLIES
Then, however, exhaustion caught up with him. Years spent living in fear, years spent living a kind of life he had never asked for and resented. Yukio had days when he wondered what his life would have been like had he not been able to see demons. Would he be a civilian in a world of war? Would it be easier to breathe and live without the burden of knowledge weighing him down like his exorcist garb and wet pistol and lungs full of water.
He opened his mouth and mouthed the words: ''When I see my friends alive I will give you that yes.''
Satan had nodded and disappeared. A hot, scorching feeling began from Yukio's breast pocket. He dug into it with his hand to see what it was and took out a stray bug Beelzebub had flung at him. Due to battle he had been unaware of its nesting inside his clothes to ride out the storm.
It was glowing blue.
And then
And then
And then
Blue fire shattered the world around them. It came as a vortex in whose epicentre Yukio found himself in. The water subsided and turned to steam. The helicopter above was gone. Rin and Amaimon remained relatively unscathed. Rin's flames joined the fray of Satan's attack. His flames were overpowered by the king himself. Amaimon stayed rooted in place and marvelled at such control and precision flowing from that possessed insect.
Yukio doubled over and threw up water, coughing and wheezing and trying to survive. His eyes, in that moment, were that of a man who'd almost died. It was not a kind sight to behold.
Bodies full of water and seaweed with deformities miasma brought littered the beach and the landslide forest. Trees bent in odd angles. Dirt was flattened. Rocks were chiseled off and eaten by demonic creatures Egyn had sent their way. Humans looked more like demons did when thrown into holy water.
Whatever Rin thought when he saw blue fire errupt from Yukio's vicinity, Yukio would never know. Amaimon punched him in the back of the head with the power to cause earthquakes and disasters on scales too much to handle. Rin toppled down on the hot sand.
eINS
ZWEI
DREI
Samael appeared out of a cloud of brazen, pink smoke. He floated down serenely onto the beach and stood rigid at the sight of Satan's fire. Yukio was discarded, he noticed. In this moment of unimaginable duty and stake, he was yet again a pawn. Bitterness coloured him.
The Satan bug glanced at Yukio and a voice that sounded too detached to be completely inside the insect sounded: ''Order him to save your friends. He has the ability. Show me you are serious about being my equal.''
Lies. Equals did not have this kind of difference in power. Lies. Equals they could never be.
This was another ploy. Yukio inhaled and exhaled deeply. Another plan to get him into Assiah.
''My friends must be safe.''
''They will be.''
''My friends must be left out of whatever you want to do to Assiah.''
''Less than what all of you believe, youngest. Yes, you have my word.''
Samael stood outside of their vortex, straining his ears to hear, yet unable. The buzzing, crackling sound of the fire was too thick of insulation.
''What use do I have of your word?'' Yukio snarled.
Satan laughed, the voice was too close to his head for it to be tangible to believe it was inside the insect. Yukio clenched and unclenched his fists.
''Yukio, my youngest son, a demon's word is binding.'' Satan said. ''Now order Samael.''
The fire dispersed to allow Yukio safe passage out. He must have looked a horrible sight for Samael did not find it in him to greet him. Both knew that the other could not be trusted anymore. Yukio tried not to let Samael's part in this scheme hurt him. Not now. Not ever.
''Satan told me you can bring back my friends.''
''I can turn back their time. It's called an isolated time bubble every person has around them. This vessel ought to have died a long time ago yet I disallowed it by turning its body back to its prime.''
''What about their cognitive functions?''
''The previous hour they would not remember, but they would be alive and mentally well. Until they learned what happened to you, I think that will cause them great anguish.'' Samael explained patiently, watching intently in Yukio's demonic eyes. He minded them not. Blue fire danced on his shoulders and above his head like a crown. Yet his ears remained rounded and his teeth were human. No claws adorned him.
Yukio ordered it to be done.
''Drei,'' Samael counted backwards, ''Zwei EINS!''
It was not noticeable at first. But then the bodies began to mend themselves. The exorcists nearby all woke from their injuries and tottered to stand.
Their confusion lasted very little. Screams stopped dead in their throat when they saw the blue flames adorning him so casually.
''Is this what you wanted?'' Samael asked, but Yukio also heard Satan's voice speaking directly in his head.
''Yes.'' Yukio answered both.
The insect fell, dead and burnt and contorted in agony.
A heat, not painful but akin to pressure that made him aware of his being, barged into his mind and spread across his whole body. Yukio noticed testing twitches spasaming through his body. It was to test and see how to move inside it, he inhaled and exhaled again - this time out of panic. He had not known that he would be aware for this.
He had just thought that Satan would discard him and use his body without Yukio's say in what happened.
''Calm down.'' came the voice inside his head.
''How can I stay calm when you are possessing me?'' came Yukio's frantic plea.
''Don't fight me, you agreed to this. When we go back to Gehenna I shall let you go. I did not lie to you.''
Samael watched them in curiosity. Everyone else was guarded and knew not what to do.
Soon Angel and Lewin appeared with backup, having heard reports of blue fire. They noticed Samael close to Yukio rather than Rin and knew that the situation was worse than they could anticipate.
''Well,'' Angel said like a man looking down on filth. He took out his sword and aimed it at Satan, relishing now in the feeling adrenaline brought him. This was the duty of a paladin! To fight and destroy Satan. ''If we knew Satan was going to possess the younger brother we would have killed him a long time ago. Who knew it was the other twin that was holding all of the threat!''
Lewin grinned.
Rin took the situation in and before he could even get a word in, Samael was teleporting him, Amaimon, himself, and the dazed exorcists out of there. Cowards fled, yet they lived another day and ought not be mocked for self-preservation.
Satan and Yukio both stood in their spot. The air around them felt as if it was ten degrees higher than possible. Angel and Lewin obviously looked sunstruck. However, battle commenced by Satan asking Angel, quite politely if Yukio could be asked to comment: ''Aren't you the one that stabbed my spare vessel through the foot?''
Yukio tried to close his eyes, but Satan disallowed it. Red pupils gleamed. Azure irises glimmered instead of cobalt.
Claws protruded through fingers and hardened into painful weapons. His ears felt spikier, yet he could not view them.
''I stabbed that demon, yes. He was nothing but a thorn True Cross was too blinded by Pheles to notice and pluck out for good.''
The fire intensified. Yukio tried to pull Satan back from lunging at the paladin, but out of anger or not - the king pushed Yukio into his own subconscious and told him to stay out of this battle for it didn't concern him. ''I'll fish you out when I'm through with this holy scum. Don't fight me, youngest. It only leads to pain.''
There, in the suffocating darkness all who were possessed lived in until given reprieve, Yukio thought one clear thought that chilled him to his very soul:
''I made a mistake.''
Later, when Yukio woke up in Gehenna in his own body alone, drenched in blood - face to face with the real, tangible Satan - he heard the entity tell him: ''It is much too late for regrets.''
FIN!
ENDE!
THE END!
I'M HORRIBLE AND I'M HAPPY IT'S ENDED
Unapologetically dabs
(also there's this one more thing I'll post tomorrow it's like this weird prototype to the story)
