"Whoa!" Rin couldn't contain his amazement this time as he stepped through the door. "This is totally fancy!" His new tail was wagging behind him and bumping into Ryuuji's thigh. But then logic caught up and he blinked, looking back at the tall wooden door that was certainly larger and very different from the smaller metal one they'd walked through. "Wait…" He furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head to look at the view out of the window.
"Is your office underneath the mall?!"
Mephisto chuckled at the question.
"It's not," he said. "At the moment, we are miles away from Southern True Cross. A special ability of mine involves the creation of magical keys. This key in particular leads directly to my office. Insert it into any lock, and voila~"
Mephisto spread out an arm to gesture around the room.
Rin stared at the key, bewildered . "So you made a portal or something with a key?" The light bulb clicked on and he remembered the chain around his own neck. "Oh, is that like the key of vanishing or whatever my old man gave me?" He pointed to his chest where the key resided underneath his hoodie. "Didja give that to him?"
Mephisto's eyes gleamed as he inclined his head. "That's correct. That's one of the many keys your father has in his possession." He slipped his own key back into his pocket before urging the two teenagers forward towards the small seating area that lay before his desk.
"But enough about him. We have more pressing matters to discussing, and I am sure you are famished as well. Eins, zwei, drei!"
With a snap of his fingers, the large flower vase in the middle of the circular table disappeared and two steaming cups of pork ramen appeared in its place.
"Sit. Eat."
The deceptively light voice made Ryuuji shudder. He didn't trust this man, not one bit. He was reluctant to step forward, but the smell of food immediately made his stomach growl, reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day.
Rin seemed to have come upon this same realization for the shock at the materialized food had quickly been overcome by his hunger for it. His stomach gave a hearty growl and he was about to step forward, but the tense hand that still rested on his shoulder made him pause.
He looked at Ryuuji and placed his hand on his friend's, squeezing it reassuringly. "He's my dad's friend." Rin glanced towards Mephisto before resting his gaze on Ryuuji. "Come on. Let's eat." He grinned brightly. "Smells good."
Somewhat appeased by Rin's words, Ryuuji sat down and picked up the ramen cup. With a wary glance, he began to eat it and soon found himself thankful for the food, savoring each bite that appeased his gnawing hunger. The young half-demon was quick to join him.
Seemingly in no hurry, Mephisto bypassed his desk and casually joined them in the small sitting area, plopping down on one of the chairs, legs crossed. Just then, a tea set floated over and delivered a hot cup of tea to the principal of the Academy, who proceeded to sip it in silence as he waited for the two teenagers to finish eating.
Uncomfortable by the stare the older man was giving them, Ryuuji paused halfway through his meal and after clearing his throat awkwardly, he asked, "…What happens now?"
Mephisto took another calm sip of his tea before putting the cup down on the saucer he was holding. He smiled kindly at them.
"Now, the two of you should enjoy your last meal to its fullest extent. While I am a firm believer that death should be faced quickly, your father and I are close friends, so I can't very well dispose of you with empty stomachs, can I? It would be awful of me."
Rin choked. He put down his food, almost spilling it, and slammed his fist against his chest a couple times to regain his breath.
"What're you talkin' about!?" Rin stood up in a rage, clenching his fists. "I thought you were gonna protect us!"
Mephisto shrugged lightly, undaunted by the outburst. "And I had every intention to. Unfortunately, it seems like you went ahead and broke the last seal that held back your powers." The man looked at Rin with a knowing gaze. "You can no longer pose a normal human, and the son of Satan can't be seen wandering around Assiah. You must be killed before you present a threat to humanity."
Rin blanched. He his nails dug into his palms as he felt his chest tighten. "I didn't have a choice!" he objected, "and I'm not gonna hurt anyone as long as I keep the sword closed, right?!" Wrong, wrong, wrong. The traitorous voice in the back of his mind reminded him of all of those he hurt even before he'd known of his heritage.
"I'm afraid the situation is not as simple as that. As an honorary knight of the Order, I have certain responsibilities I cannot ignore. I can't be seen mixing up private and public affairs, you know," Mephisto explained, smiling. "I will have to apologize to your father, but one kid out of two isn't a bad outcome, wouldn't you agree?"
Ryuuji paled at the words.
"Rin," he hissed urgently, feeling his heart pound anxiously as the situation they were in hit him. They needed to get out of here—escape somehow. But as soon as the thought entered his head, Mephisto's eyes turned to look at him. The gaze froze him in his place, and the older man's smile widened just a tad before his eyes settled back on Rin.
"Well, then, if you've finished eating, I won't delay this any longer." With all the nonchalance in the world, Mephisto leaned forward to place his saucer down on the table. When he got up to his feet, it was with a predatory gait.
"You have two options remaining to you. Allow yourself to be killed, or kill me and flee with your friend. Now, which one would suit you best~?"
Rin's clenched fists shook. Gritted fangs were bared and his tail was up and alert. He glanced towards Ryuuji, and Rin couldn't help but to wonder if Mephisto would allow Ryuuji to live if he let himself be killed. But he couldn't be sure of that. He'd almost lost Ryuuji once and he'd been forced to rely on a power he was never supposed to touch because he'd been too weak to protect himself. Because he'd been forced to rely on his friend and his family to protect him.
He wasn't strong enough.
"Neither." Rin spoke with all the determination he could muster. "I want to be an exorcist!"
The declaration was met with silence. Ryuuji looked surprised. Mephisto looked amused.
"You? An exorcist?" The older man finally spoke, snorting in ridicule at the thought. "Silly boy, did Shiro teach you nothing about self-preservation? The last thing you want to do is join the very organization that wishes to kill you. Do you not understand the position you are in?"
Mephisto pressed his fingers to his temple and shook his head exasperatedly.
"You are no ordinary demon—you are the son of Satan himself, the most feared demon and the ruler of Gehenna! The stigma of your birth will follow you constantly. You will be sought out to be killed not just by the Vatican, but by everyone who knows your true nature! That is how much danger and fear your existence poses. And if they don't get their hands on you first, then one day, even Satan himself will eagerly seek you out. He will find no greater pleasure than to finally get his hands on his wayward son."
Rin scowled further, glaring up at Mephisto. But he didn't back down. There seemed to be only one option left. "That bastard isn't my dad! My only dad is Fujimoto Shiro! I'm going to become an exorcist and when I do, I'll kick Satan's ass!"
Deafening silence. If Rin's previous declaration had surprised everyone before, this one completely stunned them.
Ryuuji felt his heart pound.
"I'll kick Satan's ass!"
The words echoed inside him, reverberating so loudly it almost made him shudder. His breath caught because that—that—had been the last thing he had ever expected Rin to say. The dream that had been so easily mocked by everyone around him—his father, his peers, even Shima—in one second, Rin had thoughtlessly declared it as his own. Rin, who hadn't known of demons until a few hours ago, Rin, whose entire life had been sheltered because he was Satan's own son—
Rin, his friend, his best friend, the one person Ryuuji had been too scared of to confide in all this time about this, the one person whose reaction he was afraid to hear the most—Rin, who had spoken in such a firm, fierce voice that made Ryuuji unable to doubt that determination, that made his chest clench and then ease in a way he didn't understand because…
Everything fell into place together.
He was star-truck, slack-jawed, his heart was palpitating so hard it was hard to think, and he barely even registered when Mephisto broke out into a peal of laughter.
"The son of Satan wants to become an exorcist?" The man laughed like a buffoon, clutching at his stomach as he giggled uncontrollably. "Hahaha! This is great! I haven't laughed like this in an age!"
Rin snarled. "Don't make fun of me! I'm serious!" He glanced at Ryuuji, fearing the same reaction from him, but he hadn't expected the taller teen's shocked expression. Did he think it was ridiculous too?
Mephisto continued giggling for a few more seconds, but when he finally stopped his eyes were gleaming with interest. Eagerness spread across his features as he leaned over, hand pressed against his chest, just below where the fabric of his cravat ended. He bowed slightly, as if thanking the other for providing such an entertaining show. When he leaned back, he was grinning broadly.
"I like it! Very well!"
He snapped his fingers, but no display of magic followed the movement. It was a mere gesture that spoke of finality. There's no turning back from this path, said Mephisto's hooded eyes.
The older man confirmed it with his own words the next moment.
"The path you've chosen is not a simple one, and one day you'll surely come to regret it, but I will support it! From this day forth, you, Okumura Rin, will be enrolled to this Academy to be trained as an exorcist!" he exclaimed loudly, his voice booming through the office.
"Mephisto!"
Rin turned at the familiar voice. Shiro stood there, staring at Mephisto, mildly shocked as he closed the door behind him. But his father's eyes had shifted from the principal to Rin and he paused mid-step. The shorter teen winced, his new tail tucking between his legs.
"…What happened?" Shiro's voice was low and carefully even, and when Rin didn't respond, he turned to look at Ryuuji.
Shiro's voice made Ryuuji snap out of the stupor he had fallen into. His eyes darted away from Rin and towards the gray-haired man, but he found that meeting Shiro's penetrating gaze was an impossible task. He quickly glanced away again. His earlier feelings of self-loathing and frustration rose up like bile all over again. He had promised to protect Rin, to watch out for him, to get him here safely, and instead… he had messed up. He had completely messed up. If it wasn't for him, Rin wouldn't be in this position. He wouldn't have drawn his sword. Wouldn't have awakened his powers. The guilt that had fallen on Ryuuji was heavy and it made his jaw clench. How could he face Rin's dad after all of this?
The room fell into an uncomfortable atmosphere. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of it. Ryuuji glared down at his knees and struggled to speak. It felt as if minutes had passed, but it had been merely a few seconds since Shiro had asked that damning question.
Ryuuji forced himself to swallow his feelings, forced himself to ignore the tightness in his chest, and the way he was clutching onto the fabric of his shorts. He had to face the consequences of his actions.
"I…" the teen began shakily.
"That's an awful face you're making there, Shiro."
It was Mephisto's voice that spoke over Ryuuji. The tall man looked entirely too pleased about the new presence in his office. "Glad you could finally make it though. We've much to discuss~!" he exclaimed with a broad grin, his voice cheery despite the thick tension in the room.
As he had been standing right in front of Rin, it only took him a step before he was able to reach for the teen. Mephisto placed a hand on the back of the half-demon's neck and urged him forward, resting it there as he looked at Shiro over his son's head. There was an undeniable smirk twitching at the corner of his lips as he continued speaking that same jovial tone.
"You came at the perfect time too. These kids have had quite a day. How about we send them off while you and I discuss things?"
Rin faced his father and was able to see the tense jaw and narrowed eyes half hidden behind his spectacles. "It wasn't Ryuuji's fau—" He began but Shiro visibly tensed.
"Rin." He spoke sternly, his eyes now locked onto Mephisto. "Go with Ryuuji-kun to his dorm. Spend the night there. I'll pick you up in the morning. I have to have a long talk with the Chairman about your future here."
The young half-demon's tail was wrapped tightly around his leg. He already knew he was in deep enough trouble and trying to stir up more was just stupid. At least he wasn't being separated from his friend. So it was with a bite of his lip that he stepped away from Mephisto to pick up his sword and his bag that sat against the couch.
"Ryuuji, c'mon," he urged the other, muttering quietly at his friend who was still boring holes into his knees.
Ryuuji's clenched fists tightened slightly at Rin's words, but he nodded and got up to his feet.
The tension was palpable as they slowly trekked out of the room. Ryuuji forced himself to keep his head up high, though he still couldn't bear to glance at Rin's dad as they headed for the door. Then, just as they passed the gray-haired man, Mephisto's voice broke through the silence again to address Rin.
"It goes without saying, but it is a secret that you are Satan's offspring. Best keep your tail hidden to avoid any awkward questions—but more importantly, please control yourself and keep those flames in check~"
Ryuuji winced at these words.
Rin's tail twitched and stiffened before he grabbed the appendage and stuffed it under his hoodie. Of course. He should have hidden it before… He didn't respond to Mephisto and just gripped the straps over his chest while his other hand tugged on Ryuuji's sleeve. Together, they walked out of the office.
It wasn't seconds after the door closed behind him that Rin heard the low rumble of his father's voice. He didn't want to stick around and listen.
They didn't know the layout to this place at all so Ryuuji ended up texting Shima and Konekomaru for directions. He barely had the energy to wince at the worried messages from them that had piled up all day. He'd been keeping in contact with them ever since he arrived to Rin's place, but today had passed by so fast that he hadn't been able to check his phone since he had gotten back from his morning run.
"Bon…! And Rin-kun too?"
It was Konekomaru who first spoke up. The moment Ryuuji got to their common room, the smaller teen got up off the couch only to stop in shock as he got a good look at the two of them.
Ryuuji didn't meet either of his friend's eyes. "Sorry I didn't mention much before comin' here. 'S been a long day."
"We can tell. Sheesh, you guys look like hell." Shima ran a hand through his hair and frowned at them. "How'd ya two even get here?"
Even though Rin was tired and rather scared, seeing Konekomaru and Shima for the first time brought a smile to his face. He waved from Ryuuji's side as his tail twitched from inside his hoodie.
"We, um..." Rin looked at his friend, at slight loss for words, wondering what he wanted to tell them. "We got attacked... Well, I did, but Ryuuji came to my rescue." He looked guiltily at the taller teen's bruised and bleeding face before smiling a bit at the other two.
"Why did you come here?" Konekomaru's face had grown pale. His wide eyes were fixed on the gashes on Ryuuji's cheek. "You should've headed straight for the infirmary!" he protested.
Ryuuji let out a small sigh of frustration. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his friend's overprotectiveness, no matter how justified it was. "It ain't a big deal. I can clean this up myself. An' we came here 'cause it's been a damn long day. Leave it that, will ya?" He scowled.
Shima snorted at his response, looking at him with a dubious expression. "Dude, that's a hell of a shitty explanation. Do you have any idea what ya look like? Koneko-san's right. Your face's a wreck and—wait, what the hell's wrong with your face?" Shima blurted out as he looked at Rin.
Konekomaru's eyes darted away from Ryuuji's face and he let out a small gasp as he finally took in Rin's features.
"Your ears…"
Rin immediately clapped his hands over his ears, forgetting that his tail wasn't the only thing different about him. "U-Um…" He went pale, trying to frantically come up with an explanation.
Ryuuji caught Rin's panic out of the corner of his eyes and growled.
"…Tch! Didn't ya two hear what I was sayin'?" he snapped, moving forward to block Rin from his friends' view. The shorter teen gripped the back of his shirt, trying not to bite his lip. "We got attacked by a demon! It bit Rin, his dad took us here 'cause of it, an' now here we are. He's stuck lookin' like this and there ain't nothin' we can do 'bout it. That a problem?" Ryuuji's eyes narrowed.
"O-Of course not!" Konekomaru shook his head rapidly bringing his hands up in front of his chest in a pacifying gesture.
Shima grimaced. "We were just surprised, Bon. Cool off a bit, won't ya?"
Ryuuji looked appropriately contrite. "Sorry," he muttered, backing off entirely. "Jus' been a long day," he repeated. He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment before glancing at the two again. He felt bad for making excuses but the Principal was right. They couldn't just tell them the truth about what was really going on. He understood that. Still, it left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Listen, Konekomaru… Could ya bunk up with Shima for the night? I wanna keep an eye on Rin. Make sure there ain't any side effects to this whole thing," he said.
"Is that… safe?" Konekomaru shot Rin an apologetic smile, but the creases in his brow showed that he was undoubtedly worried. "If it's that bad, he oughta stay at the infirmary, shouldn't he?"
Ryuuji bit his tongue in frustration and shook his head tiredly. "It's fine," he insisted. "So could ya…?"
"Well… alright…"
Ryuuji shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks."
Rin was still holding onto Ryuuji's sleeve as he smiled at the other two boys. "'S nice to finally meetcha. Bad that it's on such a bad day, though."
"Yeah, seriously. This is the last place I expected to see ya guys." There was something strained about Shima's smile, but the pink-haired teenager looked off to the side before anyone could catch it. "So, ya two need a hand with those bags or somethin'…?"
"We got it."
It didn't take long for them to settle down. Konekomaru fished out a first aid kit as Ryuuji and Rin dropped their bags in Ryuuji's room. Shima pointed Rin to the bathroom while Ryuuji endured Konekomaru's insistent manhandling. Finally, it was Ryuuji's turn to change. He ran into Rin just as he was leaving.
There was a strange expression on Rin's face that disquieted the taller teenager.
"You… holdin' up okay?" he asked, frowning.
It was a stupid question. Ryuuji watched Rin's face anxiously, already feeling reluctant to leave him alone.
Rin hadn't lingered in the bathroom mostly because of the large mirror that covered the wall above the sink. He'd kept his back to it. So when Ryuuji asked that question, Rin wasn't sure what face he'd been making in order to prompt it, but he smiled anyway. "Just… tired, I think…" And in reality he didn't know. But he still felt bad for lying to Ryuuji.
Ryuuji's frown deepened but he nodded after a moment before heading towards the bathroom.
Rin slipped into Ryuuji's room, closing the door behind him. He stood there alone. Knowing only the two of them would be there, he let his tail out come out from underneath his clothes as he turned towards the bed that was supposed to be his. That's when something glittered in the corner of his eye.
Another mirror. Rin stared at himself in the mirror hanging on the closet door. His tail was slightly curled as it hovered behind his legs. Rin couldn't help it as his eyes moved upwards and he turned his head slightly.
It was the first time he'd laid eyes on his ears. They were in no way as pointed as Mephisto's were but they were larger than what he'd originally thought. They were in no way the same as his ears from before.
Rin stepped closer to the mirror, now captivated by the twisted image he saw. With great hesitation, he slowly bared his teeth. They were pointed and sharp.
Like an animal.
Like a monster.
Rin slowly opened his mouth and ran his thumb over the pointed tip of his sharpened canines and hissed as it split the skin. Blood welled up on his thumb dripping down to his palm. Rin trembled, looking back at the mirror as he touched his fangs again, a sick and morbid curiosity rushing through him. But by the time his thumb touched the tip again, the small scratch had begun to knit itself closed. Rin quickly sucked the blood off so he could watch the scratch fading into his skin.
Freak.
Demon.
Rin's tail wrapped tightly around his middle.
Monster.
Demon child.
"Rin?"
Ryuuji stepped back into the room and quietly closed the door behind him again. He was surprised to see Rin's tail out.
Anyone coulda walked right in, sheesh.
They still could, so Ryuuji locked the door behind him before glancing back at Rin. The reprimand that had been building up died on his lips as he noticed how tense his friend looked.
Rin barely heard Ryuuji enter. He was back to staring at himself in the mirror. His arms curled around himself. "I…" he whispered, "I really am a demon child, after all…"
Ryuuji froze at the words.
Rin… He swallowed hard, stunned at the unexpected blow. He hadn't expected to be hit with this conversation so soon…
Who am I kiddin'? 'Course he'd end up thinkin' 'bout this…
Ryuuji'shands clenched slightly and his expression grew somber. He glared down at the floor helplessly and wondered what to say to the other. Could he deny it? All those years of him telling Rin to ignore the people who said those things… and in the end, they had been true. Rin was the child of a demon. The son of Satan. Looking at him now made that fact clear, he knew that. Even without having seen the tail, Shima and Konekomaru had been surprised. And who wouldn't? For those who had known Rin for this long, and especially for Rin himself, this change in appearance was something foreign, drastic even.
But…
"You're… still Rin, aren'tcha?"
That's what Ryuuji had realized back then, the moment Shiro started barraging them with the truth behind Rin's heritage. Ryuuji had been shocked at the words, at Rin's appearance, at the sight of those blue flames, but when he'd seen that expression, when he'd taken in Rin's wide eyes glossed over with pain and confusion, Ryuuji had arrived at the core truth beneath it all—no matter what other things Rin was, first and foremost, he was his friend, his best friend. That wasn't ever going to change.
With that in mind, Ryuuji approached the other, his heavy footsteps slowly making their way across the wooden floor. He put a hand on Rin's shoulder once he was near and pulled the other around, away from the mirror.
"Look at me," he told him, his voice soft but firm.
Rin stared at the mirror until Ryuuji pulled him far enough away that he couldn't turn to see it anymore. He looked up at his friend as he was told. His vision was blurring with tears and his body was still trembling if anything with more force than before.
"I'm…" Rin croaked, "Ryuuji, I…"
Ryuuji squeezed Rin's shoulder hard and ignored the ache the other's expression caused in his chest. "Listen," he said in a fierce, insistent tone. "It ain't 'bout what ya look like." He forced the other to hold his gaze and stared straight into those watery steel-blue eyes. "'S 'bout what ya do," he continued, "'s about what's in here." He rapped his knuckles against Rin's chest twice and then kept them there, pressed against the rhythmic beat that throbbed under his touch. "So forget about what everyone's said, or what you might hear in the future. I know who you're, Okumura Rin. Yer a dork with a good heart. Same heart I got. 'S all that matters."
Rin felt a tremor rush down his spine and his tail wrapped tighter around his middle. He let Ryuuji's words sink into him and he grabbed the hand at his chest, holding it carefully. Tears slipped past his eyes and down his cheeks. "You're gonna stay with me, right?" His voice shook as he kept his gaze. "No… No matter what I… who I hurt…?"
"Monster! Demon!"
Rin gripped Ryuuji's hand.
Ryuuji squeezed Rin's shoulder tighter and seized his hand, clutching onto it between his fingers fiercely. The back of his hand was still pressed against Rin, so he could feel every tremulous heartbeat and the hitch in the other's breath that caused that unsteady rise at his chest.
"You ain't gonna hurt anyone." Ryuuji's jaw clenched in frustration as he stared at his friend's wet cheeks. It pained him to see Rin like this. He'd give anything to make that expression go away.
"Your lousy temper might get the better of ya sometimes, but ya ain't… ya ain't a fuckin' monster, Rin. Ya think a monster would worry 'bout hurtin' others?" Ryuuji shook his head slightly, the wrinkle in his brow deepening as he frowned. "Quit thinkin' so bad 'bout yerself, dammit," he whispered harshly. "Quit… thinkin' I'll leave ya. I won't. No matter what. I promised ya that, 'member?" He shook the other a little, as if trying to shake sense into him. His eyes never strayed away from Rin's own. "I ain't ever breaking that promise," he told him, firmly, truthfully, without a shred of hesitation.
Rin's lip trembled as he stared into Ryuuji's steady and sure eyes. He nodded quietly, tears still flowing. The half-demon gripped tightly to his friend's hand as his other roughly began to dry his face from the continuous stream of tears.
"I promise too," he spoke resolutely through his trembling voice. "I'm not ever gonna leave you either." Rin looked back up at his friend and smiled shakily through his tears. "I'm glad we're still friends, Ryuuji."
"Dork," Ryuuji muttered, swallowing hard at the sight of that tremulous smile. "'Course we are," he whispered in a gruff tone. When his grip on the other's shoulder loosened, he wasn't really thinking about it. He still wasn't when he pulled the Rin closer into an embrace, his arm resting on the back of Rin's bare neck. Their hands were still holding on to each other, pressing against their chests in the little space left between them.
This was nothing like their earlier embrace. There was no fear, no panic, no demon threatening to attack them. It was warm. It felt good. After everything they'd gone through today, this closeness was something reassuring, relieving. They were alive. They were safe.
They were together.
Rin took a deep breath, inhaling the clean scent of his friend. It was a strange feeling, holding onto someone's hand and having that person hold it back. But it was okay because it was Ryuuji. His childhood friend. His only friend. His best friend. He felt safe in this embrace and he didn't feel an inch of embarrassment as the tears started up again in full force. Because he knew he could cry here. He could be vulnerable in his friend's strong hold.
Ryuuji tightened his hold on the other as he heard him sniffle.
Rin…
He let the other boy cry into his chest, glad for the privacy they had, glad that they could speak like this with each other, frankly and without fear of anything.
He wished this moment wouldn't end. The uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring was daunting. He still didn't understand all the details behind what was going on—just who was Rin's father? Why did he know the Academy's Principal? How had they obtained the Kurikara? And just where did Rin fit into their schemes? It all felt like a huge conspiracy and Ryuuji didn't know where he fit into all of it. All he knew was that after everything they had both been through today, a pressing desire, as strong as any of his other goals, had risen inside of him.
How do I keep ya safe?
