Eight.
fera/formosa

They walked down the same roads that evening after the sun had set, the concrete no longer painted gold, but a deep dark instead.

It had become like a ritual for the past month for them to visit the same part of town, knowing there was nobody but them there after dark. It was an escape for Shou, away from his family, and for Judai, a place he'd gotten to know; somewhere that wasn't far from home, and somewhere there was usually plenty of shadowkind to hunt. Just like any other time, they'd wait until dusk fell, then practice; then, Judai would scent out a shadow or two and they would go in for the kill.

Even if it had scared Shou at the beginning, the hunt was becoming a kind of refuge. He'd improved in the month since the first encounter, and Judai was someone he could trust. Even if something went wrong, he knew he could trust him to help. Their tactics, he knew, were different, from their weapons to their attitudes to the fight, but something within them was clicking, as friends. He felt happier having reassurance; he hoped Judai was happier too with his company.

His family most likely despised him, and he went to bed each night hoping they hadn't learned of his disobedience, but in the end, they'd said they'd do nothing, and there wasn't much to fear after dark with a friend by his side.

"Sorry about my mother, though. I mean, OK, it's kind of my fault, I didn't wash up this morning and then she had a go at me…"

Judai's rambling urged him back to reality, and he recalled the memory with a smile. It had been kind of funny, he admitted. Of all the things he had expected to hear when Judai announced his arrival into his own home, an angry English speaker had not been on the list at all.

He'd almost stumbled when Judai replied back to the voice with a shout of his own, and in perfect English himself, no less. Shou hadn't known that Judai could speak English; at least, not that well. The two had never shared an English class, and when he thought about it, English was the one set of notes Judai had never asked to peer at.

Mom gets pissed, and that's when she goes into English. He'd said it so casually, as he always did, even if he was talking about something outrageous, or strange, or just unexpected.

Shou had looked at him as if he'd seen a ghost.

"How come she started talking in English?" He asked, curious. He'd put the question aside before in favour of dinner and Judai showing him around.

"Ah, well… It's kind of a long story, but she and my dad met while she was at college in America. Translation degree," he added. "They lived there for a while, she got a job while he was doing his doctorate, and then, I guess I don't think I was part of the plan."

Shou couldn't help but cringe.

"…So, I was technically born there, but I don't remember it. We moved back to Japan just after I was born, and we've been here since."

"Wow. That's pretty cool..." Shou replied, unable to hide his envy. "How well do you speak English, then? You can understand her really well." His own English was far from perfect, and consisted of mostly school work and a few odd bits from television.

"Just enough to get on with her. I'm used to her going into English. She does Spanish too – she had an entire telenovela phase a few years back. I'm not kidding, she used to marathon Mexican dramas! And her music tastes are pretty much all love songs in other languages."

"Can you speak Spanish as well?" Shou prodded.

"Nah. Just 'hi' and 'bye', really. Sorry to disappoint you." After a few seconds, he added, leaning in, "Actually, I can swear too, but that's more something I looked up on the Internet. She doesn't need to know that."

"That's useful, though…So does she just like languages, or is that her job?"

"Both, really. She's a translator. She likes languages so much she'll go into one when she's in a mood. You heard English, but you're lucky she wasn't didn't go into Mandarin." Judai snorted under his breath. Shou didn't understand what was so funny about his mother speaking Mandarin, and for some reason, didn't want to find out.

"That's pretty cool anyway."

"Well, it has its perks for me too. She's out tonight with friends, and Dad's at a conference…" Judai's eyes lit up with some kind of sly determination that only left Shou confused.

"So they won't know you're out?"

"They never know. Anyway, I'm extra sure tonight. Nobody's going to complain if we go off and do the usual, kill a few embodiments of darkness here and there, be a friendly local exorcist - except, well, I'm not an exorcist…"

Shou nodded, concealing a laugh. Judai's parents really did know nothing, and having them out would be a real advantage. He couldn't help but wonder how Judai had managed to get out of the house so often without punishment in the last month. Were they out that much? Or did they simply not notice, or let his behaviour slide?

His own father hadn't cared much before he'd been shamed a month ago, and hadn't seen him sneak out since. Even if he did get caught, his father had said he would do nothing. Ryo had the inherited weapon, besides, and he had said that he would not help either.

If he hurt himself or died, it would be his own fault. That had been his family's approach.

Maybe it was for the best, and yet, at the same time, Shou couldn't stop himself wondering if they would miss him if he actually died. Fortunately, he had Judai to help, and he'd improved himself, too, even if was far from perfect, and most likely, he'd make it out alive.

Shadows frightened him still, but at least he could move and slash at them more freely. He had himself and a friend for support.

Is that going to be enough?

He hoped so.

"…But yeah, sorry about my mom. She's not used to me having friends round."

"Yeah…" Shou mumbled. He still hadn't recovered from the fawning treatment he'd gotten from Judai's mother. She'd looked at him as if he was some kind of miracle. Shou had narrowly avoided being pounced on and embraced to death, and had been offered him virtually everything in the house as soon as his mother had seen him.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been hugged before that.

Judai bringing over a friend, apparently, was far more of a special occasion than he'd expected. It had taken them ten minutes to suggest to Judai's mother that they'd rather be left alone for a while.

"She did say she was all right with it. Back before we moved house, I never called anyone over. To be honest, I didn't actually have anyone to call over, but still…" Judai smiled, but Shou wasn't taken by the obvious facade.

"You didn't have anyone back there?"

"No…" More hesitant, the mask having been shattered, Judai's shoulders drooped. "I honestly didn't."

Shou almost didn't want to enquire why, but curiosity got the better of him before he could shut it up. "Why? Did they… know about you?"

"Not a chance. Guess they just didn't like me."

"That's mean."

"Life gets tough, but you find a way out. My dad got a job here, so we moved. That's been really good, actually. You're great, you know that?" Judai's smile was back as he glanced at Shou again. He, too, couldn't help but smile back.

Judai had become a friend in a short space of time - a friend that understood him, and one that had helped him conquer his fears. He'd pulled him out of his comfort zone, and into danger - and he was in danger even now, making his way to someplace they could find and kill another shadow - but even that was not as frightening any more. He'd somehow adjusted, and he still had a fair way to go, but without Judai, he would never have taken the first steps.

Misawa had been a friend, too, but he'd drifted to other people whenever he needed. Judai had stuck by him.

He hoped that that had not been solely because of him being an exorcist.

"I… I'm glad. You're great too," Shou quietly replied, blushing with the praise he'd received.

They wandered on for a few more minutes, the sky only growing darker. Every now and then, Judai would look off to one side, then quickly turn to the other. Shou knew he was sensing things - he'd become used to it over the last month - though why he continued on walking, he wasn't sure.

The city was full of shadows, as was any human dwelling place. Where there were humans, there were sadness and anger and confusion and hatred. Wherever humans were was where shadows were, feeding off emotion and fuelling that emotion further.

It made him sick, just thinking of the possibilities. The world could be a dreadful, cruel place.

It was why his kind existed.

They turned off into one of the smaller side streets, away from the amber streetlights and vivid windows and lights of the main street. Here, they were sheltered, away from the crowd, where nobody would see them. They'd seen the odd passers-by in these parts before, but they were never a threat to them; here, they had space and relative quiet and virtually nobody to interfere with their practices.

Judai led the way, as usual. After a few minutes, they'd found their way back to their usual spot, near some back walls and a rusted-out fire escape at the side of a brick building. A cat stared out from behind an abandoned box, fleeing with a flash of its green eyes as its space was invaded.

Glancing around, Judai breathed out a sigh of relief. "Right, place is empty. You want to start, then?"

Shou nodded, stopping opposite Judai a few metres away. Putting on a brave face, he closed his eyes and reached out, feeling his pseudo-weapon materialise in his hand. Warmth surged through his veins like streams of fire, heat pulsing as the polearm formed, then fell neatly into his hand as he opened his eyes, meeting Judai head-on.

"All right." His breaths were still tense as he took a stance, even after weeks of practice.

I can do this, I can do it, he repeated. I'm not going to let anything get in my way. I'm going to get better at this, and I'm going to try.

Holding it tight in his hands, thinking of the way his brother fought, he focused and signalled with a slight nod.

Judai accepted the sign, and had already whipped out the stones he kept in his pockets by the time Shou made the first attack. The first swing of the polearm was blocked and parried by a rogue shard in midair, and the next one broke as it was hit, shielding Judai's hip.

Spotting what had to be a gap in his defences, Shou swung at his shoulder, missing only narrowly as his partner darted away. Judai was fast, and he knew it, envied it, even, and he still had a ways to go, even after a month.

I'm still going to get you! Shou swung the pseudo-weapon back into both hands, holding out its bladed end in a threat. Judai drew back, forced into restoring the distance between them. As Shou swung it again, aiming higher this time, Judai evaded, but only just; he'd had to raise some more shards from one stone in his hand to slow down the blade, and once Shou pulled back, he responded.

As a few glass-like spikes burst up from the floor, Shou fought back, panting, sweeping the shards away with a quick whoosh of the weapon. What he knew he had was distance and range; what Judai had was speed and energy, something he admitted he lacked as of yet, and something he knew he had to work hard for.

Judai stood up, as if he had read his mind in that instant. A quick breather would do both of them good.

"You've gotten better… honest." Judai said, wiping his forehead. "I'm really not lying about that."

Shou knew he couldn't have been tired out that much, but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. He hoped Judai was right, and that he hadn't been bluffing.

"You're not too bad yourself…"

Suddenly, there was a loud gasp, making Shou almost drop his weapon.

The sounds of the city, clear as ever, were still ringing in the background. Judai's eyes were wide, mouth agape. "Shit," he mumbled, after too much silence for the pause to be comfortable.

Shou looked around, frantic, but saw nothing. "What is it?"

"Company."

There was something ominous about the way he'd said it. It was a familiar reaction. Judai had sensed something nearby; something that reeked of trouble of the supernatural kind. There had to be a shadow close by. Shou felt his heart begin to pound, louder and faster, his arm muscles tensing, anxious but knowing he had to pull out his weapon.

"Wait." When Judai spoke again, he was much calmer. Why, Shou didn't understand. Judai had always rushed into battle head-first and with a smile on his face. What was the problem now?

Turning around, a look of intrigue in his eyes, Judai bit his lip.

"I don't mean the shadow kind of company. We've got exorcist company."

Shou didn't have time to respond before he was yanked by the sleeve and urged to run, the shock making him lose control of his pseudo-weapon. It fell from his grasp, fading in a burst of sparks before it could hit the ground.

Judai's hand, firm and determined, was keeping him close, and he had no choice but to follow. Judai's curiosity was something he'd found hard to challenge; even if that curiosity was making him itch for a fight, and he would get involved too if he came…

I could protest, but I want to find out too. What's going on? Company? Who is it, really?

He'd not met any other exorcists face-to-face before. At this rate, he was going to run straight into one.

Sooner or later, sooner or later, he thought. It was always going to happen, knowing his luck. Bad things had always happened around him, for as long as he could remember.

Sooner or later - that 'sooner or later' was now.

His heart was leaping restlessly in his chest as he followed, not knowing where to go other than to follow Judai, who, like a hound dog, was leading on with his instincts.

"In here. I think, anyway."

Judai had stopped, pointing at the doors of a battered-looking warehouse. In the dark, it was harder to make out, but Shou could see the mess of rust and peeling paint on the doors, and couldn't help but find it unsettling.

"You sure?" He shivered.

"I… I think so. It's got that weird smell to it."

"Like mine?"

"Not quite; you're different. Not that one I felt before, either. I really don't know what this is."

"You said an exorcist!" Shou yelped.

"Smells like one, yeah, but I don't know their name. Come on."

Easing one door forward, finding it to be unlocked, Judai peered in, going first. Glancing over his shoulder, he gestured for Shou to follow him in.

There wasn't much inside, from what they could see, with some thin windows towards the high roof, and the odd cracks filtering in light from outside. Piles of what looked to be crates were scattered around the back in a haphazard jumble. On the floor - Shou treaded around it, hesitant - was a small puddle, dangerously close to a piece of cable, torn up and useless on the floor.

Spotting cracks in the slits of glass above him, Shou fought to restrain himself. The place was cold, too cold to be comfortable, and something was definitely off about it; but what, he couldn't tell exactly. Judai, too, seemed to be on edge with uncertainty, scanning the space in search of clues as to what he'd sensed inside.

"Hello? Anyone around here?" Judai called out, echo bouncing from wall to wall. "Hello?"

He was met with total silence.

"…Nope? Well, I guess not." Turning to Shou, his voice quietened a little, but stayed loud enough to echo. "Come on, this place feels dead. Let's get out of here."

The cunning smirk on his face as he said it made Shou think otherwise.

"Shou? I'm telling you, nothing here! We ought to get out!"

"Well, look who's here."

The new voice made Shou jump. Judai had been right all along; they had never been alone here. Before he could reply, or even run, Judai was already on the move, making his way back into the warehouse's depths.

"Knew it." His voice was cocky, anticipating the new voice's owner to reveal themeselves from the shadows. "Knew there was someone in here. Hey, you gonna come out?" He shouted.

"The show's just about to get started, you know?" This time, the reply wasn't as calm. Like Judai's, it took on an edge of excitement.

The echoes were throwing him off, and it wasn't the best place for seeing clearly, but as Shou focused, he began to pin down the corner from where he had heard the voice come from. He dared not turn around, fearing whatever - whoever - lay concealed in the dark. This place was like some sort of hideout; one the voice's owner most likely knew like the back of his hand…

He dreaded the thought that the place might be filled with traps of all kinds.

He had to get out.

"Judai - "

"Don't run away now!"

Gasping, Shou turned around to face the source of the voice, caution tossed away in an instant. The sound had echoed, but he'd gotten the source right, or at least close to it. Judai followed suit, quickly spotting the right area.

Where some stray light was pooling through a small window, the two made out a human shape perched on top of some of the crates, broad-shouldered yet lithe, and clad in a long, dark coat. Sat amongst the piles and messed-up stacks, the figure looked almost playful, as if it had been lazing there, watching them all along.

"So, you're the ones who have been playing around in our territory." With pride in his voice and his pose strong, yet relaxed enough to make Shou unsettled in the darkness, the figure spoke. The depth of the voice suggested a man. As the stranger shifted and turned, he swung his legs over to the edge of the crates, before standing up to full height.

Light traced the edges of his coat and the tips of his fingers, glistening as it highlighted a white mask covering the top half of his face.

"This is our place. Other clansfolk aren't allowed to hunt here, by the laws of my clan."

Smiling, the masked figure leapt.

His dark coat billowed out behind him like a cape as he jumped and expertly landed, unhurt. Coming closer, his steps echoed, sending shivers down Shou's spine. As he came closer, long fingers gently touched the mask, as if to remove it, but it stayed on, as if to tease. His coy smirk, grew clearer as he came closer.

"I could spare you right now. Just promise to not come back…"

"Hey, who's making the rules here?" Judai lashed out and mirrored the look on the masked man's face. Shou wanted to tug at his sleeve and tell him to be quiet for his own good, but didn't have time to, before the figure replied.

"This area's under our control. Clan laws are the laws of all clans; respect territory or pay the price…"

He didn't seem too aggressive; his voice was silken, careful and refined, yet somehow sharp and intriguing. Judai's expression didn't seem to have changed, and instead, he reached out his hand, gesturing at the figure, as if to tempt him to strike.

God, don't. Goosebumps beginning to rise, he nudged Judai, eyes wide. "We should get out," he whispered.

The suggestion was most likely ignored. He didn't look back; instead, Judai's gaze remained fixed on the man with the mask. His grin was still intact, as if on the hunt for a challenge.

You're in trouble, don't you realise?

Winking, Judai threw out a taunt. "I don't go by clan laws; heck, I don't even have a clan…" The slip of both hands into his pockets alerted Shou; he almost screamed at him, don't you dare -

With a dry laugh, the masked man replied, his disbelief clear. "No clan? Really?" One hand reached down to his side, something light and sparking dancing around his palm. Tell-tale flickers twisted around his fingers, before clustering together in his hand into a more definite form. White-silver, in his grip, twisted into a sleek, sharp, pure blade.

He raised his arm, his hand with the sparks still lingering coming to eye-level. What he now held in his hand was a carved knife of white metal, finely forged, and though it was not close enough to see in detail, Shou knew it to be as intricately engraved as the Soul of the Kaiser his brother possessed.

Inherited weapon! The voice in his head sparked.

Wide-eyed, Shou realised he had come face-to-face with not just a clansman, but the head, or the heir of a rival exorcist clan.

"Clanless, huh?" Coming closer still, the shining blade in hand, the man's steps resonated with Shou's terrified heartbeat. "That's a new one. Got a weapon, at least?"

"Yeah. Not one like yours though. Mine isn't that flashy, and I'm kinda jealous." His smirk clear still, Judai tossed one of the small stones he'd taken out like a coin in his hand. With odd bits of light glinting among its edges, it really did seem like an odd coin in the dark, albeit much darker. Shou braced himself for the sound of shadowy crystals and stalagmites bursting forth from the ground.

Nothing was happening. Still, in his hand, he continued to flip his stone, eyeing the stranger as if to throw him off somehow.

"Jealous? Well, thank you for that. It's nice of you to compliment me," the exorcist sighed, unaffected. "But that's still not the right answer. If we're going to fight it out here, you might as well bare your arms now."

"Judai!" Shou yelped, something like a shock sparking within him. He had to get Judai away from the other man. At this rate - he could see the perfect sharpness of the silvery knife in the exorcist's hand - Judai would end up injured, or worse. He would injure far more than his pride.

Though he and Judai had sparred mildly, and he'd countered with the stones and their shards, it had never been more than practice. It hadn't quite been play-fighting, but they'd never intended to hurt one another. If ever there was a cut or a strain, they'd stop and rest before coming back to their practice, but this…

At this rate, Judai was going to end up in a serious fight.

From what he knew of clans, their rivalries were serious. Exorcists were territorial; he felt ashamed that he didn't even know the name of that neighbouring clan. He'd not had to concern himself with clan conflicts at all, even as he'd been taught the laws of the clan, and he'd never met other ones than his own; not knowingly.

If that exorcist is making a challenge, Shou thought, then he must not be in contact with us either. If we had an alliance, he would know me, or he wouldn't be challenging us.

Does he know my brother? He thought about calling him out, telling the man he was Ryo's family, before realising that it wouldn't help either. He'd tell his brother about him fighting if he knew him, and if not, their clans would simply oppose each other anyway.

It was a lose-lose situation for him in terms of negotiation. Judai had taken the lead.

"I'll be all right," he heard him say, seeing him turn towards him and gesturing a quick thumbs-up. Looking back at his opponent - that's right, Shou thought, opponent - Judai called out, beckoning. "I've got all I need now!"

"Are you being honest here?" replied the exorcist, disbelief in his voice. "Because I don't see anything that counts as a weapon. And I'm not going to be nice if you don't back down now."

"Well, I did say it wasn't flashy!"

"Have it your way, then!" Without much warning, the exorcist bolted forward, running towards his target. Judai ran forward to meet him, confident.

Shou was about to shout at Judai, telling him to back away, but got no time to do so; the silver knife had already swiped forward, but Judai swerved. The blade cut through nothing, inches away; Judai turned until he was behind the exorcist's back. In his hands, still held tight, were his stones. Pivoting quickly and recovering, the stranger turned again to cut.

The attack was another miss, but a closer shave than the last time. Still, dodging and darting, Judai avoided every strike the exorcist threw at him, his hands even finding time to alternate between exposure and hiding in the depths of his coat pockets, as if to tease.

On and on they went, attacking and missing, Judai smiling enough for Shou to know he was enjoying the thrill. He couldn't help but shiver at the thought of finding something dangerous fun; but even so, Judai had to be confident.

Looking closer, he could see the stranger, too, wearing a smile.

Judai ducked, avoiding an attack that would have cut his neck, then quickly moved, edging in an elbow to hit his opponent in the side. Wincing, he faltered, giving Judai a window to breathe and make more space between them.

Hitting him physically was an option he'd never considered. Even if clan law told his kind to fight fair, Judai had never gone by those rules.

It was something he envied, deep down - being bound by nothing but his own limitations.

He said he'll be all right. I have to trust him. As much as he didn't want to leave a friend in danger, some part of him told him to let Judai do it himself. It wasn't fear for himself, nor was it laziness; it was his honour, telling him to let him take the fight for himself.

If Judai had been an exorcist, it would be an obvious choice to let him fight alone. He'd heard of clan feuds being solved with one-on-one duels. If this was a challenge, then…

Clan law forbids clan-on-clan fights to the death. If that's a true inherited weapon he's fighting against, then I think he's going to be safe. Enough to live, at least.

At the same time, he dreaded the idea of injuries and full-blown violence. If neither backed down, it would be inevitable.

Wait - no!

He cursed under his breath as he realised it. Sooner or later, Judai would show his true colours. His opponent would see the truth.

Judai wasn't an exorcist, and clan laws meant nothing to him.

Even if he was finding it fun, sooner or later, the fight was going to turn to chaos, and if neither party backed down, there would be blood.

Knowing exorcist pride, and knowing Judai's drive, it would be unavoidable.


Author's note

'beast/beauty'

Alongside work on Part 3, I am also typing up Chalkboard (U/Cverse worldbuilding) notes and I have so much more to tell... Coming soon, I hope. Just a matter of avoiding spoilers.

Thanks for all the reviews/encouragement, I love everything I get!