July 21, 2009 (Evening)

Ryuuji's eyebrows shot up at the seriousness in Konekomaru's voice.

"'S everythin' alright?" he asked. All thoughts of studying disappeared as his mind raced to analyze what could bring their friend to see them with that kind of expression.

When Konekomaru bit his lip unsurely, a worried knot formed in his gut.

"I know this is not the best time to do this," Konekomaru began, truly looking apologetic as he spoke, "but I think it's best if we clear the air now rather than later. This has gone on for way too long."

The more Konekomaru talked, the more confused Ryuuji felt. His eyebrows furrowed tightly, wrinkling his brow. He glanced at Rin and felt the worry in his gut sink heavier at the pale look on his face.

"There's somethin' you two have been hidin', isn't it?"

The sudden words felt like a punch to his sternum. Ryuuji's mouth dropped open; his eyes widened.

"Uh," he said.

Rin's eyes were wide and his heart was down in his stomach. Oh no. What could he say? What could he do? He glanced at Ryuuji, panic and worry gripping at him, hoping he had some sort of idea, but Ryuuji seemed just as blindsided as him.

"Hiding?" Rin lifted his hands, deciding to just play dumb. "I-I don't know what you mean!"

The answer merely caused their friend to frown. Konekomaru's eyebrows drew closer together as his fists clenched on top of his lap.

"That's not true," he said insistently. "There's somethin' you've been keepin' from us for some time, I'm sure of it!"

Ryuuji felt as if every muscle in his body was paralyzed. Words were difficult to form, much less put together. He stared at Konekomaru in incomprehension.

What did he know? he wondered.

How had they slipped up?

"L-Look…"

Konekomaru must have sensed Ryuuji's attempt to downplay the conversation, so he put up a halting hand and lifted his chin.

"There's no point in denyin' it. I don't really know the specifics, but given what I've drawn up, I think it's been really irresponsible of you two to keep this quiet."

Konekomaru's words only brought further alarm. Ryuuji still didn't understand how it had come to this. The only thing his brain could process at the moment was Shiro's voice echoing in his head.

"This secret is too much of a risk."

"I know you trust them, but I need you to give me proof that they're worth that trust."

They had wanted so badly to explain. Rin and Ryuuji had felt more than ready to share their secret.

But not like this.

They had clearly stayed silent for too long. Konekomaru's eyes looked wounded. He stared from Rin to Ryuuji and then finally down to his lap.

"Come on… Please, say somethin'. I don't know what your reasons are for keepin' this a secret, but… is it really somethin' that you think you can't trust me with?"

Rin looked at Ryuuji in a slight panic. His heart was pounding at his chest and he was biting harshly on his bottom lip, so much so that he tasted copper as his canines made cuts on the inside of his mouth. What could they do? What could they possibly even do? Rin covered his face, hoping and praying that he could have more time to think, even though such a thing just wasn't possible.

"It's…!" Rin suddenly clenched his fists in his lap. "It's not that we don't want to tell you!" Even saying this much felt like he was doing something wrong.

"Rin!"

Ryuuji held out a halting hand in front of Rin's chest without even thinking about it. The tension inside the tent rose exponentially. He gritted his teeth. What could they say? It felt like their backs had been shoved against a particularly pointy wall. Rin went back to biting his lip.

"Just what do ya know…?"

He knew as soon as the words left his mouth that it was the worst way to lead this conversation. A sour taste filled his tongue as Konekomaru turned those wounded eyes back on him. The shorter boy was frowning. Ryuuji could easily gauge what was going through his mind.

"So you won't tell me then," Konekomaru concluded, likely anticipating the tall tales that may come from them as soon as he revealed his half of the cards.

Ryuuji could not say he had not been contemplating it. The weight of Shiro's words were holding him back—but Konekomaru's betrayed expression felt much heavier in comparison. He could not hold back any longer. "It ain't as simple as just sayin' it!" He had to make Konekomaru understand. "Do you think we like keepin' quiet from our friends? It ain't a black and white situation we're dealin' with here!"

"Then paint me a better picture!"

They reached an impasse.

Rin's tail in his shirt shifted uncomfortably. It felt hot against his skin and the sword's strap felt heavy on his shoulder.

We could just say it… A traitorous voice in Rin's head whispered as he looked nervously at Konekomaru. We could say it and no one has to know. Konekomaru would keep the secret… Wouldn't he?

Rin's canines dug into his bottom lip, indecision and fear overtaking him for precious seconds. "Ryuuji," he whispered, his tone torn with hope. "Ryuuji, can't we just…?"

"You, too, boys!" The flap of the tent was suddenly tugged open and Shiro bent down to look in. The three boys froze under the eyes of their teacher. "Time to get ready. You're heading out in less than half an hour!" He let go of the tent flap and walked along to the next one.

Rin shivered. That was too close. His tail was constricting tightly around his chest, rendering him almost unable to breathe.

The three teens sat still as an uncomfortable silence filled the small space around them.

Each one of them had things they wanted to say, but the indecision, or perhaps the desire to pick the right words, left them all speechless. Ryuuji, especially, felt paralyzed by Shiro's short visit. The man always had an uncanny sense of timing… It always put him on edge.

Finally, it was Konekomaru who broke the silence.

"I guess…" he said, the words slow and heavy, "we oughta get ready for the exam." As if watching a car crash, Ryuuji's eyes watched as the short teen turned around and began to exit the tent.

"Neko!" Ryuuji's chest twisted painfully as his friend turned to look at him with expectant eyes.

"I… I'm sorry…" he said.

For once, his apology did not manage to placate his friend. Ryuuji didn't think he'd ever seen Konekomaru give him such a serious glare. The desire to bow down and beg for forgiveness churned heavily in his stomach. It must have shown on his face, too, because the shorter teen let out a frustrated sigh.

"When you're ready to talk, you know where I'll be. Also," he added, turning his eyes on Rin, "I don't think anyone else has noticed, if you're all that worried about it."

With that, he left without waiting for any type of response.

Rin let out a trembling breath and bent forward, pressing his forehead into the ground. Tears burned at his eyes and easily flowed down his nose and cheeks.

"I hate this…" Rin whispered, covering his face with his hands. "I hate this so much…"

Ryuuji let out a shaky breath and placed his hand on Rin's upper back.

"It…" He swallowed. "It won't always be like this…" he whispered.

Rin rubbed his face, the hand on his back helping him breathe just a little easier. He sat up and smacked his cheeks before looking at Ryuuji. "We… We should tell him. After the exam, if we just keep it a secret, we can tell him to keep it a secret… right?" He looked hopeful.

Ryuuji bit his lip in indecision. He certainly wanted to tell Konekomaru. In fact, if he had to pick any of their friends, he would pick him first above anyone else. The shorter teen had always had a good head on his shoulders, and Ryuuji doubted he would turn Rin away, despite what had happened to his parents.

What damage would it do at this point anyway? Konekomaru was already a step ahead of them on the matter.

Still, Ryuuji kept his voice low as he agreed. "Let's give it a try then. We can do it back in my room once we get back." The 'and away from your family' did not need to be said.

Rin sniffed and dried his eyes roughly. "Yeah." He looked at Ryuuji, a determination burning in his eyes. "Yeah, definitely." He paused and glanced down, then back up at Ryuuji, just a bit more meek. "Thanks… I know this is…" Rin gulped. "I know this is hard for you but I really appreciate everything you've been doing, and keep doing for me. I dunno if I can ever thank you enough."

Ryuuji's heart, still twisted into knots from their confrontation, softened at Rin's words.

"What're ya sayin', ya dork?" Yer the one that's in the most pain, aren't ya?

He felt the urge to pull Rin close and wipe his tears away. He hated to see him so unhappy.

"Ya don't hafta thank me for anythin'," he told him. "We're in this together, through and through."

"Through and through." Rin gave him an uneasy smile before smacking his own cheeks hard enough to redden his cheeks. "Okay! Let's get through today and then tomorrow… we'll do it!" He stood up, still half bent over due to the height of the tent.

The reminder of the task ahead jolted Ryuuji back into action. "Right." He started gathering up their study materials, picking up the seals they had been working on, and packing away any other items they might need into their bags.

When they headed outside, a different sort of nervousness overtook them. The anticipation of the exam had everyone's energy bubbling up, like a hot tea kettle whistling for attention. Extra supplies were given to the students to tuck away in their bags. A flare, to be used in case they needed to be rescued, extra medical supplies, and a flashlight.

The sun was down and the stars were out. The forest itself was bustling with activity, both animal and demonic. The students were arranged around the perimeter of the clearing, all facing different ways. Rin glanced over, catching Ryuuji's determined look and giving him a nod. He clenched tightly to his flashlight.

"Remember, kids. If at any point you feel like you're in danger, use the flare. Your life is more important than your grade." Shiro stood at the center of the clearing, looking around at all of them. "And no matter what happens, I'm proud of all of you." He pulled out his watch and watched the seconds pass. He pointed to Yukio.

"On your mark!" Yukio held up his hand. "Get set!"

The students held their breath.

"Go!"

Rin sprinted forward, into the trees as fast as he could go. He flicked on his flashlight and quickly took out his phone, finding the navigator and switching it on. With everyone's recon information, Ryuuji had managed to narrow down possible locations for the lanterns they were supposed to retrieve. He'd been sure to show Rin and now Rin changed course to head to a potential site.

He ran as quick as he could, jumping through bushes and brush and thankful his physical energy never seemed to fail him when the time was right. He was moving quickly and swiftly… until his foot caught on something small. Rin landed face first into the dirt, a perfect juxtaposition to the previous almost graceful way he was travelling through the forest.

Rin looked back to find a tiny… white fox? The little fox looked as if it was wearing a sort of bib. It snickered and bounded over, biting at Rin's pant leg and tugging before running off in a direction. It paused and looked back.

It wants me to… follow it? Rin realized with a start and his curiosity suddenly took over. He quickly scrambled to his feet and chased after the little fox as it took off at full speed.

"Where are you taking me?!" Rin called out but the fox only snickered in response and, it wasn't until he shoved himself through an overgrown brush that he found where the white fox was leading him.

"Finally." Izumo huffed, the small fox returning to the side of her two fox familiars. At the same time, another small baby fox pranced through with Renzou following behind.

"Izumo-chan! Rin?!"

The pink-haired teen stumbled to a stop to look at them, surprised etched on his face, but before he could say anything, Ryuuji stumbled through the clearing as well. Konekomaru and Shiemi were not far behind. The latter's voice could be heard from a distance.

"Please wait, Mr. Fox!"

Another pair of foxes burst through the bushes, one of them holding a flashlight between their teeth. The fox dropped it at Izumo's feet just as Shiemi came through, cheeks red with self-consciousness.

Ryuuji wasted no time in addressing the situation. "What's this all about, Kamiki?" He stared at her with suspicion.

"I already know where one of the lanterns is." Izumo tore a paper and the baby foxes disappeared, leaving only Mike and Uke behind at her feet. "So let's go."

"Aren't…?" Rin looked confused. "Aren't we supposed to be working separately?"

Izumo gave him an incredulous look. "You've gotta be kidding me. Look, it's gotta be another test from Sensei. He's drilled it into our heads that we have to work together and now he separates us? It doesn't make any sense. Don't be so dense." Her tone was as ruthless as always.

"Don't call him that!" Ryuuji snapped. "What makes ya so sure anyway? Earlier, ya weren't even the slightest bit interested in partnerin' up!"

"I told you I know where the lantern is." Izumo snapped right back. "So are you going to keep questioning me or just follow?" She rolled her eyes and turned around with a huff. "That thing isn't solo work. So let's go already!" She was quick to head off.

"Hey!" Rin stepped forward but hesitated for a moment.

"Kamiki-san! Wait!" Shiemi didn't hesitate for a second and quickly took off after her.

Rin groaned and looked at Ryuuji and the others. "I don't think she's lying?"

"Well, we don't have much time to think deeply about it!" Renzou said, eyeing the growing distance between them and the girls.

"Argh! Fine then! Let's follow them!" Ryuuji said.

The boys quickly followed after the two girls without any other protest. Rin found his place nearby Ryuuji and felt his chest loosening. Izumo had said this wasn't a solo mission. That meant they could all do it together. They could all pass together! His nerves were beginning to wash away, leaving him with an excited grin. There was still an anxiety in the back of his head, especially whenever he glanced over to Konekomaru who seemed to be studiously ignoring them, but Rin did his best to put it out of his mind.

Exam today. Everything else would come later.

Izumo led the way through the woods, across a rickety bridge over a dry riverbed, and down a path until they arrived at some sort of shrine. There, sitting in the center, was a peg lantern.

"This… This is way bigger than I thought it'd be." Rin looked up. The lantern was huge. It was at least twice the height of Ryuuji and looked way heavier.

"See?" Izumo crossed her arms with a smug smirk. "Definitely not a solo job. Sensei wanted to see who would bang their heads against this alone before cooperating. You should be thankful I gathered us all up beforehand."

"Tch. You always have such a bad attitude," Ryuuji grumbled. Despite his words, he had to admit he did feel grateful to her. This was going to be a lot easier with all their heads pulled in together. Well, almost all of them.

"What about Takara? Anyone got his number?"

The group collectively shook their heads at Ryuuji's question.

"My foxes weren't able to find him," Izumo admitted.

"Well, we can only worry about the here and now. Maybe we'll run into him later," Renzou pitched in.

"Guess so. Well, let's get right to it then," Ryuuji decided. He eyed the lantern with contemplation. It really was quite large. "Anyone got any ideas of how to move this thing?"

"It looks like we can use that to carry it." It was Konekomaru who spoke up. The shorter boy had been silent for such a long time that his voice almost made Ryuuji jump. He tried not to show too much of the guilty feelings churning inside of him as he took a glance at him.

Konekomaru was pointing upwards at a ledge which, from this distance, a large wooden cart could be seen.

Rin looked up towards where Konekomaru pointed and stepped back a couple paces to get a better look. His eyes glanced over and he was quickly able to find a path. "Okay, I can get up there." Rin ran towards the ledge and jumped up, grabbed the rocks, and began to climb.

"Can you even push that down by yourself?" Izumo huffed, watching him climb. "Make sure it doesn't break!"

"He sure is a nimble guy," Renzou commented as he watched Rin climb with ease.

"...Yeah, he's good at that."

Konekomaru's quiet voice made Ryuuji glance over at him sharply. The contemplative expression on his face left him uneasy. But the shorter teen's attention was clearly elsewhere.

"Say, Moriyama-san," he said, "do you think you could grow somethin' that will help Rin-kun out?"

Shiemi gave a short enthusiastic nod.

"I can do that! Nii-chan!" The blonde girl summoned her familiar and instructed it to help out. Long wooden limbs grew from its belly, forming a pillar wide enough for Rin to push the cart into.

Rin looked to the side, watching the wood pillar grow up next to the ledge and past him. He grinned and hopped to it, letting the thick trunk carry him the rest of the way up. Once he was at the top, he frowned. "Um… Little bit of a problem." Rin leaned over to look down at the group.

"Wh-What is it!?" Shiemi called up, a bit of anxiety in her tone. "Do you need more-?"

"No, no, nothing like that." Rin looked back towards the wagon. It was covered almost wholly in thick vines and roots that he recognized from earlier that day. "It's… It's stuck! It's stuck with tons of vines all over. L-Like that thing from earlier!" He looked at Konekomaru, though seeing his friend's face gave him a pang of anxiety, remembering the earlier conversation.

"Dekalps again?" Ryuuji's nose wrinkled as he recalled what he had heard about earlier. "But they shouldn't give ya too much of a bother, this time!" Or so he hoped.

The group turned to look at each other to discuss options.

"The Fatal Verse for Earth Kin types are somewhere in the book of Genesis if I remember correctly. Not sure which one it is though." Ryuuji should have thought to look into that when they had returned to camp.

"Can't we just rip them? Or cut them through. He has a sword, doesn't he?" Izumo said impatiently, arms crossed over her chest.

"Plants usually like light, but hate fire..." Shiemi pointed out.

"Ooo, nice idea, Moriyama-san!" Renzou shot her a thumbs up.

"Hmm, that last one will probably work best," Konekomaru agreed. "Though maybe a good stern talk is all it needs?"

The words carried all the way to the top. Konekomaru met Rin's eyes silently.

"Eh? A joke from you at a time like this?" Renzou laughed. "Didn't think ya had it in you, Koneko-san!"

Rin, however, didn't laugh and merely met Konekomaru's eyes. His expression turned serious and he nodded. He knew what Konekomaru was asking of him. Surely he could do it again, just like he'd done during the day. Rin climbed up onto the wagon and nudged the vines with the toe of his shoe.

"Hey… D'ya mind letting go?" He kept his voice low and he watched as a large black flower bloomed open and the face inside looked at him.

Letting go? The Dekalps seemed to stretch, its vines stretching out before settling back in. The demon looked around and its eyes settled on the wagon. This old thing? Why?

"Because people are gonna take it from you if you don't give it." Rin lifted his hands to show the demon he was unarmed. He paused before the tiniest flash of blue sparks flashed out of his fingers. "And I just… I just wanna ask without having to fight you."

Oh! The vines shuddered before pushing the wagon out from underneath the plant. Please! Take it!

Rin smiled and waited until the wagon was free from the Dekalps before he hopped off and pushed it forward onto Nii's pillar. "Thanks!" He grinned backwards as the demon fell back asleep. He leaned forward and waved to the group.

"It was actually asleep, so it was pretty easy to work the vines off! All done!" Rin gave them a thumbs up. Thankfully, the group was too preoccupied with moving on to the next phase to give that any more thought. The wagon and Rin were lowered to the ground as the conversation started back up again.

"Well, we got a cart now, but who's pushing it?" Renzou asked, glancing back at the lantern with a grimace. "I'll tell ya right now, I do not volunteer."

"This ain't the time for your nonsense, Shima!" Ryuuji snapped. "We all gotta pitch in somehow, so make yourself useful."

"...I think it should be Rin-kun."

"Me?" Rin pointed at himself.

Several pairs of eyes turned to look at Konekomaru. The shorter boy looked somewhat hesitant, but he pushed through with a lift of his chin. "He's pretty strong after all. You can manage it alone, can't you?"

Rin's hesitant nod made Ryuuji's eyes narrow in suspicion. He was beginning to put together what may have led to Konekomaru's earlier confrontation. His anxiety and frustration began to shoot up again.

"I can help too!" he said, taking a step forward. His body just only slightly hid Rin behind him. Just what're ya playin' at?! he thought, the heat in his eyes piercing straight through Konekomaru.

If his message was properly conveyed, the shorter boy gave no note of it.

"Bon, you should focus on keepin' the lantern under control. We won't be able to move it unless we light it up, and you've got the chant completely memorized, don't you?" The question was rhetorical. He didn't give Ryuuji a chance to respond.

"I do too, but not as well as you," he continued. "So instead Kamiki-san, Shima-san, and myself can guard you guys as we move forward. There will be plenty of demons attracted by the fire—Chuchi, most likely. We'll have to defeat them so we can use them as fuel. That'll leave Moriyama-san to feed the fire. Is everyone okay with this plan?"

"Ugh, I think I've changed my mind." Renzou was looking a little pale at the thought of being in close contact with the demonic moths. "I'd much rather push the cart," he said. His comment was swiftly ignored.

"I can do it!" Rin looked at Ryuuji, grabbing on to his sleeve to catch his attention. He nodded again, but his gaze was more determined. Rin figured Konekomaru was just trying to figure stuff out. In the end, it wouldn't matter. After this was all done, they were going to tell Konekomaru anyway. Rin did his best to hold solace in that fact.

"Tch. Fine. It's the best plan we've got." Izumo looked at one of her foxes. "Mike, stay on the wagon with her once we have the lantern loaded and keep guard to make sure nothing gets through." She pulled out a pack of matches from her bag and tossed it over to Konekomaru. "Let's get this started already. We haven't got all night."

They filled Shiemi's backpack to the brim with twigs and dead Chuchi's ahead of time, mindful of the fact that they would have to continuously keep up her fuel stock through their journey. Then, after placing a couple of seals on the lantern, they lit it up and set off back to camp. The plan Konekomaru had proposed was working smoothly. Shiro had said that the purpose of the exam was to test out their individual skills, and they felt pretty confident that they were meeting his expectations.

Of course, there was still one individual in their class that had been unaccounted for. As a flare lit up the sky in the distance, more than one of them frowned a bit guiltily.

"Uh-oh. Looks like Takara ran into some trouble after all," Renzou said.

They did not have much time to dwell on the thought, however, because as they drew closer to the bridge they had taken earlier, they were surprised to find it blocked by a family of bariyons.

"Oh, great," Izumo complained.

"We're going to have to find another way." Konekomaru frowned.

Rin wiped his forehead and looked around. He was barely sweating. Even though the lantern was nigh immovable by normal standards, Rin had been able to pull the wagon all on his own, just as Konekomaru had predicted. Everyone seemed to be too focused on their own jobs to really consider what Konekomaru had had time to before, and he was thankful for it.

Izumo was directing her familiars with one hand and pulling out her phone with the other, opening up the navigation app. "There's an alternate route down this way that we can take." She pointed.

"Alright!" Rin grabbed the handles of the wagon again and, with a grunt of effort, dug his feet into the ground and got the wagon moving again. It would take them longer than the quickest way through, but they soon found themselves at, what must have been, the deepest part of the river that used to flow through here before. However, what lay underneath the rope bridge was no longer water. Instead...

"G-G-Gaaah!"

A choked up noise escaped Renzou's throat which drew several pairs of eyes to his alarmed expression.

"B-Bugs!" he said, his face as white as a sheet of paper. The bones of his knuckles were almost entirely visible from how tightly he was holding his staff. "Sooo many bugs! Why?!" he moaned.

Ryuuji, without pausing his continuous chant, neared the front of the group to peer down at the space under the rickety bridge. Indeed, there was a sea of bugs crawling tightly close together, squirmy little thousand-legged centipedes and leeches climbing over one another.

"Haha…" Renzou tittered nervously. He looked very close to fainting, or puking, which made Ryuuji want to roll his eyes. He grabbed Renzou's staff out of his hands with a firm tug, then stabbed through the space below them, unfazed by the gross squelch that emerged from the movement. It looked like the space below them was not too deep. Definitely shallow enough for them to waddle through it.

He returned Renzou's staff back to him and pulled a notebook and pen out of his bag.

"I've got an idea," he wrote.

The plan was simple. The rickety bridge that crossed over the river of bugs would be able to support one or two people at a time, but it definitely wouldn't support the weight of the lantern. Ryuuji drew out diagrams to show an image of Rin and two foxes holding the wagon above their head and wading through the bugs while the rest of them carefully and slowly crossed the bridge, meeting them on the other side.

Rin gave a dubious look to the bugs before he nodded and rolled up his sleeves. "We can take care of this, right?" He looked at Izumo.

"With your freakish strength, Mike and Uke can help you carry it across no problem." She nodded as the foxes stood forward. They each had their own dubious expressions, but no complaint was heard.

Rin pulled the wagon as close to the edge as he could before he jumped in. He grimaced at the feeling of the bugs around his waist and legs, but he lifted his arms. Mike and Uke pushed the wagon from behind and it soon tilted slightly forward until it hit Rin's outstretched hands. Rin grunted with effort and slowly stepped forward as Mike and Uke quickly moved underneath to catch the back end of the wagon as it fell off the cliff.

In the meantime, the rest of them lined up to cross the bridge, one by one. Izumo was in the lead, followed by Shiemi and Konekomaru, who carefully trailed behind her. Renzou was up next but the pink-haired teen was shaking like a leaf when he took his first step forward, despite his best efforts to hold it together. Ryuuji watched him carefully as he followed behind him, continuing chanting in a loud, steady voice. However, he could not help but to sneak a few glances towards Rin, who was thankfully almost on the other side. He felt bad for making him cross through the bug-infested river but hadn't been able to come up with a better idea.

An audible crack brought his attention away from Rin. In front of him, Renzou let out a sharp gasp as the floorboard beneath his foot snapped and his leg fell through the gap. Ryuuji scrambled over to him and tried to help him back up.

Unfortunately, Renzou seemed pretty stuck and he was squirming like crazy, which made the splintering wood surrounding him crackle ominously.

Ryuuji snapped his fingers in front of his eyes. Stop moving! He tried to communicate the thought through his eyes since his mouth was still occupied with the sealing chant.

Renzou's own eyes looked wild, but a hissed breath through his teeth seemed to calm him down a little.

Ryuuji reached over and tried to grab Renzou's staff. He was going to need to use it to help his friend out of this one. However, the movement sent Renzou back into panic.

"Don't you dare!" he yelped. The only thing that kept Renzou from squirming again was the weakening planks beneath them. When Ryuuji made another attempt for the staff, Renzou moved it away from him again.

"Bon, I will die," he said with the most serious face the taller teen had ever seen.

Ryuuji rolled his eyes and finally snatched Renzou's staff from him. He jumped down under the bridge, ignoring the audible squish beneath his boots and the uncomfortable sensation of an endless number of bugs sliding over his thighs.

He looked straight at Renzou from down there. Renzou had a hard time meeting his eyes, but Ryuuji insistently caught his attention. He pointed at his eyes while looking at him, then closed them tight before opening them again.

Renzou seemed to get the clue because his face was scrunched up and his eyes were tightly shut now. Ryuuji wasted no time in jabbing the staff at the weak cracks in the wood, which broke apart under the blow.

Renzou let out a loud shriek.

He fell on top of Ryuuji's shoulders as intended. Ryuuji grabbed onto him and guided his hands to rest on him as he tried to balance the weight of his friend and continued crossing the distance of the bug-filled riverbed.

When he finally made it to the other side, Ryuuji tapped Renzou's leg. Renzou opened his eyes hesitantly and he very deliberately did not look down. Instead, he reached out for the hand that Konekomaru was offering him and helped himself up.

Ryuuji felt his chest lighten with relief as he noticed all his friends and classmates safe and sound on the other side. He threw Renzou's staff up and helped himself up using a thick rope that was hanging nearby. Ryuuji quickly learned that this was not a good idea, however. When he pulled on the rope, he realized it wasn't as secure as he thought it was.

Nearby, Rin was beginning to negotiate the wagon up on the ledge with the help of the foxes when he saw the thick rope unravel, sending Ryuuji falling into the bugs almost completely.

"Ryuuji!" he shouted, and a burst of strength took over. Rin grunted in effort and practically threw the wagon up before hurriedly wading over to pull Ryuuji up to his feet, leaving the foxes to shove and push the wagon the rest of the way up.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly. It wasn't until the words left his mouth that he felt a deep rumbling under their feet.

"Uhhh…" Renzou's voice came out as a squeak and Shiemi let out a loud gasp as a large beast emerged from below, bursting up from the endless sea of bugs. Its massive wings flapped ominously. Long, rubber-like tendrils spewed out of its mouth and latched onto Ryuuji's arms and legs, ripping him away from Rin's grip. Ryuuji's eyes widened, panic and surprise flashing across his face.

"Bon!" Konekomaru cried out.

"Ryuuji!" Rin lunged forward, trying to catch Ryuuji before he was taken away too far, but the tips of his fingers just managed to snag the hem of his pants which were pulled from his grip all too easily. Not good, not good! Rin rushed forward and tried to grab onto the leg of the beast but it easily kicked him off. He glanced up to the ledge where the other students were struggling to figure out what to do. They were watching. Rin couldn't pull out his sword like this.

"What kind of demon is this!?" Izumo growled, lifting her hand. Mike and Uke quickly returned to her side but there was a calculating look of deliberation in her eyes. Could she attack the demon without hurting Ryuuji?

Ryuuji, for his part, was struggling wildly against his restraints to no avail. He could hardly move a muscle. "Dammit!" he cursed. "Let go of me!"

"What should we do?" Shiemi asked, the worry high in her voice.

Konekomaru struggled to think fast. He forced himself to tear his eyes away from Ryuuji and tried to consider their options, but he was drawing a blank. When his eyes locked with Rin, a part of him couldn't help but to strongly think—please, do something!

A low, rumbling grumble roared just a few feet away from them. The lantern that had been kept sealed had awakened now that Ryuuji's concentration had been broken.

"W-Watch out!" Renzou called out as soon as he noticed where the lantern's attention had turned. It made a valiant leap towards Shiemi, who yelped and ducked out of the way.

"That's it!" Konekomaru's head turned sharply to stare at Izumo. "Kamiki-san, you have to lead it to the pit!"

"To the what!?" Izumo's eyes widened before the lantern began to recover. It started bouncing around, frustrated and angry, before spotting Izumo. She shivered and held out her hands. "Ugh! Alright already! Come and get me!"

Mike and Uke jumped up and whipped up a powerful wind. Izumo jumped just as the gale whipped up under her feet and she landed gracefully on the rickety bridge. The lantern followed her quickly, bouncing on the rope bridge and immediately breaking through it. The bridge collapsed at once as Izumo hopped on to Mike's back and the lantern itself landed among the bugs.

As soon as he was sure that part of the plan had been successful, Konekomaru quickly ransacked his bag for a pair of small vials filled with oil. He had originally thought he might encounter some difficulty turning on the lantern they had to retrieve; now, he was glad he had come prepared for a completely different reason.

"Rin-kun, get out of there!" he called out as soon as the familiar glass brushed against his fingers. His hand tightened around the vials. "Kamiki-san, please stay close to Bon!"

The lantern's fire was already started to flare up as the countless bugs surrounding it caught on its continuously spreading flame. This exponentially increased when Konekomaru threw the vials straight into the mix.

"Oh shit!" Rin staggered and jumped back as far as the bugs would allow him. The fire from the lantern exploded and began to spread. Rin gave a worried look up to Ryuuji but saw Izumo and his foxes rise towards him. He knew he was in good hands. Rin waded as fast as he could, doing his best to outrun the fire until he finally latched onto the ledge and clambered up as fast as he could.

The beastly demon thrashed as fire licked at its feet and cried out in pain. The tendrils released Ryuuji and Uke jumped up to catch him. He landed on the fox demon's back with an 'oof', then held on tight as it zipped forward to where the rest of the group was.

"Alright, Koneko-san!" Renzou's face went slack with relief the moment Ryuuji's feet touched the ground. Uke swiftly returned to Izumo's side, who was jumping off of Mike's back in that same moment.

"Konekomaru… thanks." Ryuuji felt his heart slowly return to its normal pace as he got to his feet on shaky knees. "You too, Kamiki," he added without the slightest bit of reluctance.

Renzou cut in before either could answer, only somewhat apologetically. "Err, not that this ain't heartwarming but, guys… how're we supposed to get that thing back?! Are we flunkin' out of this test or what?!"

Behind them, the lantern was still thrashing around in the pit. Its fire was getting wildly out of control and the moth-like demon looked very pissed off about it. It was like a scene out of a nightmare. A chill passed through the exwires when the moth let out a loud roar and turned that vicious glare on them instead.

"Damn. That thing ain't done for," Ryuuji said, eyeing the beast with trepidation. He turned around and signaled for everyone to get going. "For now, just worry about runnin'! We can think about it later!"

They all seemed to agree to this plan without saying a word. All except one person, who was instead approaching the edge of the pit with a nervous but determined energy. "Hey! Come this way!" Shiemi waved her hand up in the air frantically, trying to catch the lantern's attention.

"Shiemi!" Rin rushed backwards, hurrying towards her. "We'll come back for—ACK!"

The lantern suddenly jumped up, quickly following Shiemi's call, and landing right in front of them. Rin screamed, picked up Shiemi, and began sprinting after the group. The lantern was hot on their heels, fire bursting out as it tried desperately to catch up to them; Shiemi, more specifically.

"The lantern is coming!" Shiemi called forward cheerfully.

"Mike, Uke, go get the wagon!" Izumo ordered and the foxes bolted back, doing just as they were told.

By the time they were far enough away that the giant moth demon had lost sight of them, Mike and Uke landed in front of the group, the wagon on their backs. Rin ran past it with Shiemi and as soon as the lantern jumped up, trying to clear the wagon, Konekomaru threw a seal at it and began to chant. The lantern immediately went dormant and everyone breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"W-We made it…!" Rin fell to his knees, still holding Shiemi in his arms and was careful not to drop her.

"That was crazy…!" Renzou let out a long groan as he folded over as well, leaning his entire body's weight on his knees. "Please, please tell me this is almost over."

As if his words themselves sought out to tempt fate, Izumo followed up with a question that made everybody freeze.

"Hey… where'd the gorilla go?"

They all straightened up upon noticing that there was one of their members missing. Ryuuji was nowhere to be seen. Panic gripped at Rin's chest as he carefully put Shiemi down and stood up.

"Ryuuji!" He called, hoping he'd call back. He didn't.

"No way he got left behind—he was right in front of us!" Renzou exclaimed.

"Did you two see him?" Izumo's foxes shook their heads which made her lips twist into a frown.

"He can't be that far off…" Renzou proposed with an unsure smile. "Maybe he just took a wrong turn?"

"Ryuuji!" Rin called out again, his voice cracking slightly in distress. He could hear the words his classmates were saying but he couldn't register their meaning. "I need to go find him." He looked at the others. "If you just wait here…!" It was then that he saw the state of everyone present. They all looked exhausted and some of them were injured. Izumo seemed the worst out of all of them, her gaze slightly unfocused from the lengthy summon. Shiemi was quick to support her when she began swaying a little.

"I hate to say it, but we should head back to camp first." Renzou scratched his cheek, visibly uncomfortable to be the bearer of the bad news. "But, hey! We're not too far off at least. I'm sure we can regroup quickly and go look for him. And who knows? Maybe he's already there!"

"Back!?" Rin looked at Renzou, hoping he was kidding. The pink haired teen looked rather serious despite the uneasy smile. "We can't go back without him! What if he's in trouble?!" He quickly took out his phone and pressed the speed dial for Ryuuji's number. It rang… and rang… and rang until the prompt to leave a message cheerfully informed Rin that no one was available to pick up the phone.

"Maybe we should look around a little…" Shiemi suggested. Although she looked worried about Izumo, the increasing tension clearly prompted her to try to mitigate peace between them.

Renzou shook his head, however. "We're runnin' out of fuel here… and I don't mean for this lantern." He shivered as he directed their gazes to the scattered Chuchi's that were slowly making their way to them, attracted by the lantern's fire. "Look, we're attractin' these stupid things again and we're one person down. Izumo-chan's barely hangin' on, and Koneko-san can't be distracted. I can only do so much here, yanno." Renzou looked apologetic, but his logic was sound. On the cart, Konekomaru looked just as frustrated as Rin, but as they all turned to look at him for his opinion, he merely nodded with heavy reluctance.

"But…!" Rin knew Renzou was making sense. He knew that if he was the one who was lost, he'd want them to go on ahead as well. He knew Ryuuji wouldn't hate them for it either. Still, the pang in his heart made him hesitate. Tears pricked at his eyes at the possibility of leaving an injured Ryuuji behind. "Ryuuji!" he called out again, giving it one last shot.

Just like before, there was no response.

Rin looked over at Konekomaru, his eyes searching and desperate, but the shorter teen seemed painfully resigned. What other choice did they have? Rin gripped his hair and let out a loud, distraught yell.

"He'll be fine." Izumo grimaced. "We'll come right back out to look for him with Sensei's help as well."

"Rin… I'm sorry," Shiemi said.

Renzou rubbed the back of his neck as well. "We can all apologize to Bon properly later, but out of all of us, he can probably take care of himself best. Don't worry so much, man."

Rin couldn't stop worrying. He just rushed forward to duck underneath the handle of the wagon and began to push. "Let's just get this over with!" His voice trembled but his strength didn't fail him. As he got the momentum up, Rin's brain was still rattled and filled with thoughts and worry over Ryuuji, hoping he was okay. He thought about pulling out his phone and trying again, but he needed both hands to push the wagon. With both Renzou and Izumo protecting the lantern, there was no one to help.

It didn't take long for them to finally break into the clearing where their camp was set up. The others were quick to put the fire in the lantern out and Izumo ripped her papers, dispelling the foxes and leaning against the wagon in relief.

Rin, however, immediately abandoned the wagon and turned to run straight back into the trees.

"Nii-san, where are you going!?" Yukio and Shura were hurrying over and Rin paused just long enough to respond.

"Ryuuji's lost! I need to find him!"

"Huh?! Now wait a damn second!" Shura tried to close the distance between them but Rin took off faster than she expected. "Tch!" She picked up her pace, her long legs hurrying after him. "Yukio! You take care of the kids!" she called back over her shoulder.

"What!?" Yukio's voice sounded far away as Rin sprinted through the trees.

"Ryuuji!" he shouted, looking around desperately. "Ryuuji!"

"I said wait up!" Shura snapped, but Rin's pace didn't slow on the slightest. He ran as fast as he could, pumping his legs with all his strength as he retraced his steps all the way back to that awful clearing where it had all gone wrong.

When he arrived, Rin's heart halted to a stop. The moth demon was gone. The fire had dimmed down. And…

"Ryuuji?!"

Ryuuji was standing there, his back facing Rin. Ryuuji wasn't in danger at all. All he was doing was standing on the ledge, looking down at the pit of bugs with a hair-raising stillness that made Rin's instincts go on high alert.

Something was wrong.

"Nice, you really did come."

A familiar voice drew his eyes to the top of a nearby tree. Demon King Amaimon was lounging there, a pair of vicious looking imps resting on his lap.

When Amaimon met Rin's eyes, his deadened stare was accompanied by a fanged smile, though that disappeared just as quickly as it appeared when Shura burst into the clearing as well.

"But you brought another distraction this time. How annoying."

See you next week for more Sincerely! :D