There's a fire burning inside me
Cold steel calls out my name
Tempted to give in to the rage
Torn apart by this affliction
Locked up inside myself
This life is much too young to fade.

-End of Me (Ashes Remain)

xxxxx

Time seemed to slow down as the group of young exorcists stared at the daunting sight before them, most too terrified to move. Sora in particular had an expression of pure horror, while Rin cast the demon his best death glare for both hurting his friend and even coming near his girlfriend again.

"B-Belial?" stuttered a scared Shima. "As in your grandfather, the badass demon, Belial?" Sora could only nod in response, still paralyzed.

"Come with me doll, or suffer the same fate as your mother and watch the people you care about die before you." The demon boomed in his powerful voice which seemed to resonate through their heads as well as the air around them. "Should you choose to fight, you will die as well."

His words had the opposite effect on Sora than he had intended though. Threaten her all you want, but the moment you brought up her parents you would have hell to pay.

The air seemed to thicken around them as a dark aura grew around Sora, and her white ears appeared on her head. Her eyes darkened from their beautiful silver to a purple so dark Rin could barely distinguish between her iris and pupil. Her nails became long and sharp as her whips materialized from the darkness surrounding her. Sora's lips pulled back in a feral snarl over pointed canines.

"Don't you dare mention my parents!" she screamed, the force of her words in their heads enough to break everyone else from their frozen states. Rin and the others turned their attention to Sora, staring in a mixture of shock, fear and amazement at her transformed state.

Sora addressed her friends, looking at Rin. "If you do not wish to fight, I suggest you run now."

Nobody moved, but this time it wasn't from fear. Rin smirked and pulled the sword from his back, pulling it from its cloth cover. "We're not going anywhere. We are with you." Came his confidant response. And with that, he drew Kurikara, his blue flames sprouting to life around him.

Behind him, Izumo recited her incantation and her two familiars sprang out of nowhere, prepared for a fight. Shima had picked up his staff, Konekomaru drew papers for spells, and Bon had his hands clasped together ready to fight.

"You choose to fight then." Stated Belial. "How unfortunate."

Sora looked at him with disdain before snapping one of her whips in a quick motion. The whip caught Shiemi around her waist and Sora yanked her forward, out of Belial's grip and into Rin who managed to catch her and steady her before she fell from the force of Sora's pull. Sora used her other whip to blast a hole in the dorm wall behind them.

"If you want me, come and get me." She growled, and jumped into the courtyard below, Rin following shortly behind.

Belial, ignoring the remaining people in the room, disappeared, only to reappear again outside. Suguro looked around, momentarily lost by what had just happened. It had occurred very fast. It didn't take long before he was running down the stairs of the dorm shouting at his friends to "hurry up".

"What was she thinking, blasting a hole in the wall and jumping down two stories?" yelled Izumo who was irritated at the sudden change of plan.

Suguro shot her a glare and said, "There is more space to fight outside. It gives us more of an advantage." That quickly shut her up. The group skidded to a stop in the courtyard, where Rin and Sora faced off against Belial, nobody moving yet.

"I will never let you hurt my friends." Spat Sora. A deep rumble soon followed. Belial was laughing.

"And you think you can stop me?" he asked, humorously.

"I can, and I will." She growled back.

Belial laughed again. "Silly girl. The only way you could ever stop the carnage to come would be to join me. You have made it clear that is not your choice."

Sora looked as if she was going to retort, but before anyone could even blink Rin had been thrown into a tree with enough force to snap it in two and Sora was on her knees on the ground, blood pouring from a gash on her arm and dripping from her mouth.

Rin groaned and looked back towards the beginning battle. "Sora!" he yelled when he saw her bleeding.

When did he draw a sword? Damn he's fast.

Belial stood where he had moments before, looking as if he had never moved, with the exception of the blade that now gleamed in his hand. Suguro, Izumo, Konekomaru and Shima backed up, now slightly more afraid of their opponent.

We don't stand a chance against this guy…

A loud bang resonated across the courtyard. Belial was the one to freeze this time as two more shots rang out. Blood spilled from wounds in his shoulders and one on his chest, but he did not fall. Rin looked for the source of the shots and called out in surprise when he found it.

"Yukio!" his brother stood behind the others, gun smoking.

"Insolent fool!" shouted Belial. "Very well, then. You will be the first to die." It took all of a split second for Belial to appear across the courtyard and behind Yukio. Belial raised his blade in a high arc and brought it down on Yukio's back. Blood spurted from the wound and Yukio fell.

"No!" screamed Rin as he fought to regain his footing, rather unsteady from hitting the tree. That was when he noticed that Sora was still on the ground. He ran to her. As soon as he reached her, he dropped to his knees beside her.

"Sora? Are you okay?" he asked softly. Sora lifted her head to look at him with dead eyes.

"We can't beat him. He's too fast. Too strong." She let out a light sob and a tear slipped down her cheek. "I can't watch all of you die. Not for me." More tears fell.

"What are you talking about Sora? No one is going to die today. We are going to fight, and we are going to win." Rin said with confidence. He rose to his feet and held out his hand. "Now, are you going to lie down and die, or are you going to help me kick some demon ass?"

Sora looked up at him, what looked like hope beginning to spark in her eyes. He could see as her confidence began returning, a slow smile slowly building one her face. She reached out and took the offered hand and Rin pulled her to her feet.

"Look around you Sora." He whispered, turning her toward her friends. "All these people are her to help you. And you know why?" he paused. "Because they care about you. And you always fight for the people you care about." He finished.

Sora looked at her friends who stared back with determined expressions. She gave them a nod, as if to say thank you, which was returned by each one of them in turn. However, the moment was interrupted by an impatient Belial.

"How sweet. It almost makes me sick. Now, if you are done, I have a bloodbath to begin."

The young exorcists looked at the demon before them with renewed resolve.

"Rin?" he turned to find Sora looking at him, her lips pulled up in a wicked grin, dark eyes gleaming with a hidden fire. "Let's go."

xxxxx

AN: This chapter ended up being longer than I had intended, so the battle is being split into two parts. I hope everyone is enjoying it so far. Thank you for the kind reviews! They keep me motivated to keep writing.