I have no excuse, I will try to be better with them updates

Honestly though, I kind of lost my drive for this story for a while. Not like writers block I just didn't want to work on it but I have no intention of abandoning it either. But anyway, on with the chapter.

I changed the formatting a little bit. I didn't like all the line breaks. And I'm pretty happy to say that my chapters are getting longer. I hope that means my writing is getting better.

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Assiah: True Cross Academy

Year: September, xx10 (Before the spider demon attack)

It was bright. So bright he thought he might go blind in the vibrance. The morning sun was grossly outdoing itself, making sure to touch practically every inch of the school. Rin hated the radiance with much more of a burning passion in the resent weeks then he had in his entire life. He never really thought about it before. The sun rose and set each day and he would follow suit. His days were always the same easy flowing track. Funny how his oblivious human life seemed like a millennium ago. It was simpler back then. No demons, no exorcists. He had been just a normal teenager making his way in life. Though, looking back it was never that simple. He had always been different; he could feel it. And when he finally learned the truth, he wished he hadn't or maybe in some ways it was a relief. He knew why he was an outcast, even if knowing did nothing to change social standing. It was closure of some sort.

His eyes fluttered away from the sun. When had he begun to wish so desperately for the night? The darkness was soothing, perhaps in a way, comforting. He never really recalled ever liking or disliking sunlight or its counterpart before, but now the shadows were all he wanted, all he could think about. Their safe embrace and warmth putting him at an ease he didn't know possible. It both calmed and unnerved him.

His thoughts were clearer in the murkiness of night. Rin could see his enemy better, could hear his core better, no human emotions in the way. When did he begin to see human sentiment as weakness? Probably around the same time listening to his inner demon brought him to focus. That put him in a very dangerous place. He might have agreed to play Mephisto's little game, but as time seemed to drag on, it was becoming increasingly harder, and nearly impossible in some cases.

There were plenty of times he almost slipped, almost had gone through with it. Usually his surroundings could pull his racing impulse back. But there was one occasion where Mephisto, having appeared out of thin air, had to literally kick him across the room to bring him back to reality. The incident left him with an annoyingly hollow feeling that he still carried with him. It also served as a painful reminder of just of close the demon was monitoring him. In a way, he knew someone was always watching out for him, but it more than anything gave him very little freedom. He thought he was restricted before, now he knew what little luxury he had lost.

He had begun to drift into unconsciousness in the windowsill where he sat. Not the best place to spend a morning when trying to avoid the sun, but he was waiting for Mephisto to return to his office and something about chairs just didn't seem as appealing anymore. He liked the advantage the ledge gave him, even if he didn't quite understand why. Rin had spent an increasingly amount of time with Mephisto. Most likely because he was the only other one who still retained his memories and the only one he could be true to. Really true to. He didn't have to hide the demonic urges suddenly overtaking him. That didn't mean he was ever given a straight answer, let alone to act on the instincts, but it was an emotional anchor of sorts. He leaned his head against the window, yearning for sleep to wash over him.

Then the door flew open. Rin immediately was alert, though he made no attempt to leave his spot in the window. He looked at the newcomer with slight annoyance. He wanted to be alone right now. Amaimon had burst in rather loudly and seemed just as thrown off by the others presence. Rin huffed. His exorcists training told him to do something about the Demon King, but Mephisto had made them both swear to not cause trouble. As much as Rin was opposed to company, he would rather be with Amaimon then anyone else he had access to. It hurt too much to deal with them. He didn't have such strong emotion, or instincts rather, when it came to the Earth King, not in the same way he regarded the humans around him.

"You get gloomier every time I see you, and not in a good way." Amaimon said in his same bored voice. Rin resisted the urge to roll his eyes and continued looking out the window.

"What, not talking to me?" Amaimon was growing more curious. He walked straight to Rin, who again said nothing.

"You're so boring now." He turned around and slid down the wall so he was sitting on the floor next to the window. Rin was doing his very best to ignore him. But that was becoming incredibly more difficult and, well, his pent up aggression had to go somewhere.

"What are you even moping about anyway?"

"Can you just shut up!" Rin snapped. Immediately realizing he made a mistake in talking, he was doing his best to remain indifferent, though it could be considered failing. Rin crossed his arms in a poor attempt to close himself off.

"See that's much better." Amaimon clapped his hands, satisfied he was getting a reaction.

"Forget it. It's not like you'd understand." Rin could have slapped himself. Why was he still talking?

"Oh? Why not?" His tone was musing.

"You're a demon, you don't have emotion...Right?" He tried not to think so hard on why he needed confirmation on something that had been ingrained in him as true. Maybe it was because the truth for a while now had been skewed.

"Hmm," he thought for a moment, "define emotion. We're more instinctual and are driven by our cores, but you could consider it feeling. Just different I guess."

"So, what do demons do when they've been betrayed then?" Rin wasn't sure he should have asked given the way the others expression darkened. He shouldn't even be talking about this. He was supposed to be focusing on the impossible task of forgetting it.

"We destroy traitors." He said much more seriously. "Did you not do that?" The question was almost accusing. Rin's flinch did not go unnoticed by Amaimon, nor how the tip of his tail, which had been pooled on the floor, started to nervously flick.

Apparently, there was someone else who had memories of that night. Though how, Rin wasn't sure. He didn't recall the Earth Kings presence in the woods that night. But his earthy smell was oddly familiar, not that he liked admitting how much stronger his senses had become since that night or that he knew what Amaimon smelled like.

"I don't know. It's never happened, at least not like this." He subconsciously rubbed his scar. "Mephisto said to ignore it and do nothing."

"He told you what?" Amaimon looked up over his shoulder with an expression Rin couldn't identify. "That goes against everything we are, our very core."

"Hey, stop saying 'we'." He used air quotes. "I'm not like you."

"No?" He tilted his head slightly amused, temporarily putting aside his older brothers actions in favor of teasing his younger. "That's not true at all. Just look at you."

Rin returned to looking out the window, refusing to make eye contact. He knew if he did it would be all over.

"You have fangs and a tail. Your senses and reflexes are far better than a humans." Amaimons mocking tone cut through Rin's defense.

"Stop it." He whispered. Rin didn't need to be told just how demonic he was becoming. He could feel every part of him changing.

"You look like us."

"Stop it." Rin tried again, putting slightly more emphasis in his words. If it had an effect, it eluded the demon and perhaps only served to encourage Amaimon more.

"You see like us.

Rin closed his eyes trying to forget the act of sight. Most nights hated how perfect his vision was. No matter how dark or light his visibility never wavered. He refused to look at himself once the sun set. Ever since that one night about a week ago. He absentmindedly walked past a mirror in the dead of night and caught that faint glow of his irises. He had been avoiding anything that might show his reflection after that.

"Stop."

"Your core acts just the same as mine."

"Stop it!" Rin shouted that time, his tail energetically bouncing.

Amaimon wasn't sure if he liked the idea of being an older brother when he had first learned of Rin's existence. But now he was sure. He loved having a younger sibling.

Amaimon laughed a little, and boy could Rin say that was an odd sight. It made the demon almost seem... What? Human? Normal? Rin had his thoughts abruptly startled (and he was glad for it. He was entering dangerous areas of realization) when he felt a hand grab his tail. He yelped, and pulled it out of the demon's hands, while sinking back into the window.

"What do you want to do about it then?" Amaimon brought the topic back around to his elder brothers strange actions. Keeping Rin, or any demon, confined like this could not be a good thing.

"I want him dead." He whispered, almost ashamed of how quick and easy the reply came.

"Your response is perfectly rational given the circumstance. Why big brother wants you to hide it is completely beyond me. Is he trying to keep you human or get you to burn out?" He said the last part more to himself.

"Burn out? And what's wrong with staying human?" Rin asked defensively.

"Demons hold grudges to the death. If you're never able to resolve this and kill him, you'll eventually exhaust yourself to the point you'll be a danger to yourself and not your opponent. It's not healthy." He paused for a moment. "And well let's face it you're not human."

"How do even know what happened anyways?" Rin was getting irritated. He didn't like being told what he was and was not. He was desperately trying to hold on to his humanity, but even he could tell that it was fading. And ever since that night in the woods, it was leaving him faster than before.

"Well I don't know all the details. I wasn't there when you were shot. But I did find you and bring you to big brother."

Rin flustered. He had no idea that Amaimon had been there or been his apparent rescuer. That did explain why his scent was so familiar, and in a way, made him feel safe. He hated the idea of being more comfortable with a Demon King than his own brother. But if he thought about it, and admittedly he tried not to, Amaimon was also his brother.

"But I'm not a demon, it would be wrong." Rin had to find a way to justify his lack of action before he did something he wouldn't be able to undo.

"He had been aiming for your only heart. That makes things pretty serious." And then there was Amaimon, encouraging him.

"Only heart? I think Mephisto said something like that too once. What does that mean?" Rin needed to quickly change the topic. And honestly, he was curious why they kept referring to his heart as only one.

"Is he not even teaching you demon biology? What is big brother even doing with you then?" Mephisto's logic completely baffled Amaimon's reasoning, and the earth demon really didn't even have much of that.

"Most demon's you encounter here in Assiah are heartless, meaning they literally have no heart, organs, or blood. They're pretty low level. Like hobgoblins and coaltars. When they're exorcised they vanish, no trace, no remains." Amaimon gently took Rin's tail again, letting it just rest in his hands. Rin didn't know anything about demon etiquette, but he was pretty sure this was inappropriate.

"Higher tier demons, like the Demon Kings and most of Gehenna's citizens, have seven hearts. We have organs, blood, reproductive-"

"Stop! I do not need to know the birds and the bees between demons." His simple brain was starting to regret asking his initial question. Killing seemed like a much better alternative now.

"What do those have to do with reproduction?"

"Never mind, just keep going." He tried not to blush and retreated his tail back to his side.

"Anyway, it's the reason exorcists have a hard time with stronger demons. To completely get rid of us you'd have to destroy all seven of our hearts simultaneously, or in relative sequence. You on the other hand have one heart but have the potential to be as capable as someone with seven. But it's a human heart. It's much more vulnerable than a demons. And if it is destroyed you don't have another to fall back on."

Rin wasn't sure he liked how much he understood of that. All of a sudden, he felt insecure about having one heart. But that wasn't logical. He was born with one, as was everyone else he knew. Nothing should change just because he now knows that he should have seven. No wait, that was wrong, he wasn't a demon. Why were his thoughts fighting with himself like this? He wanted it to stop. He couldn't think clearly, it was too bright.

"It doesn't matter. That doesn't help me figure out what to do. I'm not even supposed to do anything."

"It's not like you need his permission to do something." Amaimon continued to encourage.

"Actually, I kind of do. And even if I didn't, I still don't know what I should even be doing." For the lack of movement currently happening Rin was surprisingly exhausted.

Amaimon got up from his place on the floor, an idea forming. His sudden change in position had startled Rin, but he made no protest. He couldn't be found being so friendly with the young half demon in front of his elder brother or Rin's peers for it to work. He decided to leave the office before one of those came walking through the door but making sure to give Rin a little psychological nudge. After all he needed his cooperation for this to work.

"Well, we could always do something about it." Amaimon said with an emphasis on 'we' and an emotion in his voice that nearly made Rin run after him. He managed, begrudgingly, to stay put in the windowsill, as he watched Amaimon walk out the door. The offer was tempting, but Rin's insecurities and unacceptance of his demon half, made him stay rooted where he was. He knew he couldn't do it on his own. Maybe with some help, some (and he hated this thought) demon guidance, he could go through with it, get rid of this instinct that was more rapidly than slowly taking him over. He gritted his teeth and sank back into the windowsill, it was still too bright.

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Assiah: Outside the exorcists base

Year: x361

The barrier, while strong, was like every other seal. All they would need is a crack. Of course that would let off a flurry of alarms and show and angry hoard of exorcists exactly where they were, but they needed to get in and out in a merge of chaos.

They waited for Iblis, who was on the other side of the base, to draw the exorcists attention. Then they would destroy the protective seal and the rest would be up to the ancients to decide. And if the greater deities were on their side this battle, they would leave here with their brother and a destroyed base in their wake.

Amaimon, upon seeing flames light up the other side of the base, snapped his fingers, and true to his title, the earth in front of them split and cracked into pieces, the seal being dragged apart as a result. Within a few seconds, they were inside the base. Exorcists were confused and scrabbled but managed to put up another defense rather quickly.

With the barrier out of existence, Rin took this as his chance to leave the relative safety of the giant hobgoblin. But not before taking notice of some exorcists taking aim at Amaimon. Rin could deal with them first.

They took aim. Rin landed in between the two of them in a crouch. He stood fluidly and took a few steps forward, waiting for time to catch up. The two gunmen hadn't even noticed his presence and never would. They fell to the ground, weapons clattering around them. His speed, he'd like to think, could break time. Not even a drop of blood on him or his claws, his victims were not so lucky. He was glad his hood was covering his face, he wouldn't want anyone thinking he might be enjoying this.

He usually reserved that level of speed unless he really needed it. It was a talent only one of his brothers and few others he was close to knew. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but every demon like to have a reserve, just in case. He doubted he would ever need it against one of his brothers, except maybe Mephisto. But that would be more of a playful payback than inherent need.

He ran in between two buildings, only to be faced with more angry exorcists on the other side. He didn't care if he was seen this time around. He jumped at them with no hesitation, using his claws and their disorientation to quickly end them. Rin continued further into the base looking for someone higher ranking to get the information on where Egyn was.

"What do you think you're doing standing around!"

Rin heard an exorcist call to some of his subordinates. He quickly stopped his pace and hid. He pressed himself up against the wall and used his sensitive hearing the find out what was happening on the other side.

"To the front lines with you!" He instructed them, but conveniently stayed behind.

Perfect

Scurrying and panicked exorcists always made things easy.

Once they had disappeared from his sight, he set himself onto their troop leader. With his right hand he grabbed the unsuspecting man by the throat. The man struggled under a demon's grip and Rin pinned him to wall.

"The confine." Rin demanded.

"Like I'd tell a miserable beast like you." He spat.

"I wasn't asking." Rin had a devilish smile that he was sure would make his father proud. He brought his left hand up to his mouth and used his teeth to remove the fingerless glove, revealing the tattoos underneath. On the back of his hand bore a pentagram and on his palm, an eye. Both were interlocked with a rage of designs that traveled up his arm and across his heart.

With the palm of his left hand he touched the forehead of the now terrified man. He felt a pulse and instantly learned all he needed. He licked his lips and growled.

"You've been helpful." He used his monstrous grip to snap the man's neck, replaced his glove and changed directions. This was going well.

With an actual map of the base in his head, navigation was much easier. His unwilling benefactor had never in truth, actually been in the confine, but he did know its location. That was more than enough to give Rin a proper direction, instead of stumbling around, hoping he might come across it. That was very unlikely for a number of reasons. The first being the sheer amount of exorcists scattered around. And then there was, of course, the fact that he could not feel Egyn's aura or core. The complete lack of its presents could mean one of two things. Either he was dead, which was unlikely given the circumstances, they wanted a live Demon King, but not an impossible outcome either. He chose not to think about it and instead focus on option two. Which would be they had him trapped behind another protective barrier. That option seemed the more probable, he hoped anyway.

He took a few sharp turns and found himself in front of a heavily fortified and guarded building. He would be going the rest of the way essentially blind. He could always use is little insight trick on one of the men guarding the place, but with so many of them around, he wasn't sure he would have the chance. Just in case, he removed his glove again and stashed it in his coat pocket.

He outstretched his left hand. A couple of his tattoos, specifically one over that important life giving organ, shifted under his closes. They raced down his arm and danced in his palm and began to form a familiar shape. He clutched the handle and his sword materialized. Kurikara would always be close to his heart. His sword may have been drawn, but understanding both halves of himself, he had yet to reveal his flames. He would use them if it came down to it, but something in his core told him to wait. He always trusted that feeling, it was usually right.

"Now, your turn." The two shadow demons that had remained hidden broke away and instantly attacked the guards. "Kuro."

The cat popped his head out of Rin's shirt.

"I'm ready." He yelled excitedly.

"Not yet. Wait here. I'm going to get Egyn and meet you back here."

"You got it." Kuro climbed out of Rins jacket and crawled into a hiding spot on a building overlooking the confine.

Wasting no time Rin joined the other two. He was content to let them handle the guards outside while he went further in. That, however, was a bit wishful thinking. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. They were holding a Demon King hostage, they would have to be better prepared to fight.

These men and women were exactly that. They were well trained, strong and determined. But so too was Rin, if not more so. He wasn't driven by obligation or moral duty, his was more familial, he lost more if he failed than if they did. Even so the exorcists, much to his annoyance, put up a fight.

Eventually, or maybe it was only a few minutes, he found a break in their formation, courtesy of his bird flying off with a couple of guards.

He ran into the building, which wasn't very large or wide for that matter, but it was deep. The prison extended far below the earth. He let out a breath as he looked at the winding staircase that seemed to stretch for an entirety into the darkness. Ancients, it must take humans hours to climb to the bottom. Did they really have so much spare time? He didn't. He placed one hand on the railing and vaulted himself over the edge.

He landed gracefully on his toes, bending his knees as to not strain his joints or break a bone. His healing might be accelerated, but he really didn't need to add a broken leg into the mix.

He straightened himself and took note of his surroundings. It was dark. Great, he rolled his eyes, not a good kind of darkness that he was a part of and grown accustom to. No, this was something different, and every instinct he had told him to run away.

He recanted his earlier statement. There were four marks on the list of things that all demons absolutely avoided. Waking in the middle of the day, the unobservant, the intrepid and artificial darkness.

It wasn't natural, it didn't bend to their will, it didn't bend for anyone's. It was man made and was only there because of the way they built their structure. It wouldn't exist otherwise. It was different the darkness that eclipsedGehenna. The underworlds darkness was natural, just like the night's, and covered everything. There was no keeping it out or in one place, because it was always there. And Rin, for all his control over the shadows could do nothing to mold artificial darkness. It was suffocating, it didn't cradle him like his own shadows. If anything, it was pushing him away, rejecting him. Had his brothers very life not been on the verge of collapse, he would have turned and fled. Not something the normally plucky demon would so openly admit.

He pressed on, forcefully. Though this may not have been his darkness, it did nothing to affect his night vision. The room he was in was empty, except for the stairs that led upward and an equally dark hallway that led to what he was sure would be his brother's cell. He was sure exorcists would be headed his way, but as it were poorly designed, he had some time to himself before they caught up.

He saw on the wall what looked like torches. He wondered if the exorcists were aware how similar they were to the Gehennans. For all their advancements, they liked things surprisingly medieval. Maybe a subconscious side effect from hunting and imprisoning demons since the beginning of time?

The humans, for all their talk of heroism could be just as villainous as the Demon King himself. Not bothering with the why, and only focusing on destroying it as brutally and quickly (and in some cases as slowly) as possible. In some ways that was probably true on both parts. Exorcists didn't respect them as life. Demons, Rin included, never hesitated. Even for all their similarities, there were always difference. They weren't necessarily constructed the same either. Humans lacked the core that gave demons their functions and reasoning. That's not even getting into the actual physical side of things i.e. number hearts or lack thereof. Exorcists saw them as animalistic and unpredictable. Demons were incapable of many emotions such as guilt and remorse, they could feel sorrow, but it wasn't the same. Those subtle and not so subtle contrasts are what kept that line intact. If it were blurred too far this war might actually be pointless.

As much as he tried Rin could never see demons as wicked nor could he see the exorcists as righteous, just different. Different cultures, rules and beliefs. It was all relative really. Depending on who you asked, the victim and the perpetrator were always inconsistent.

He summoned a small portion of his flames around one of his hands, trying to partially get rid of the false darkness. He only released enough to see a step in front of him. Somewhere in his core, someone was screaming not to use his flames. He usually kept them, along with his record breaking speed as a last reserve, but this was different. Like he would regret it if he did, and he wasn't even capable of regret. For as much as Rin was human, he was equally a demon. He could understand those emotions better than any full blooded demon, but it wasn't exactly the same as feeling them. When he really thought about it, even in the past, he had never truly regretted any of his actions. He had just been inexperienced and confused. That left a lot of room for error. Things never turned out the way he planned or hoped, but he would never feel remorse for it.

He continued down the hallway, making sure to keep is senses tightly tuned on his surroundings. There could very easily be an ambush down here waiting for him. In thought of that he figured he should conceal his flames, but he really didn't like the idea of being in the dark. A strange action for the King of Shadows. He would rather risk being seen and loose the advantage of surprise than to douse his only source of light. No doubt the exorcists waiting for him at the end of the tunnel had night vision goggles or something of the like anyway. They wouldn't be down there blind. Yes, they were there, he could smell them. Maybe four of them.

He heard a light click somewhere in front of him. He would always recognize the sound of a gun cocking.

There were five of them he realized. Four huddled next to the door frame, that led into another open room. One a little further back, in the center of that room, taking aim. He got a wicked grin. He let a few more flames cover him. Mostly on his tail (Yes he hadn't been paying attention and let it slip out) and a section on his head that made it look like he had horns. Most likely the subconscious placement of his flames was due to the lack of certain demonic features. In the blink of their human eyes Rin vanished, they hadn't even noticed his reappearance. His glowing blue eyes painted a scene of horror behind them. It took all of one second for the exorcists to realize presence. But as it were, a second too late. Rin used his quicker reflexes and his sword to cut through the two closest to the door. It took another late second for the other two exorcists to react. They too fell. Only the gunman was left standing, but he had those two seconds it took for his comrades to be silenced to compose himself.

Before Rin could move on to the last exorcist, the man shot. Rin felt it, cursing himself for being so unaware, he felt the silver bullet pierce his right shoulder. A few drops of blood spattered on the ground as Rin left his place over the fallen exorcists to knock the other one down. The last Exorcists was semi prepared for the onslaught that followed. That didn't mean he stood a chance. The man skidded a few feet from his guard post when Rin's foot made contact with his gut. He slammed into the door behind him, wheezing. His goggles dislodged and clattered next to him, leaving him blind in the darkness. Rin towered above him, his flames being the only illumination present. It made his features look that much more demonic, instilling fear into the man at his mercy. Rin took the sword resting in his left hand and with a powerful swift movement impaled it into the stone floor next to him. This human wasn't worth Kurikara's blade. With his uninjured arm he grabbed the whimpering man by the throat and threw him across the room. Satisfied with the sounds of cracking bones that followed, Rin retrieved his sword and pushed open the doors in front of him.

As he predicted, there was his older brother, chained and bound to the floor, only partially coherent. Rin took a few steps forward. His core buzzed a warning. He stopped, reaching a hand forward. There was a shock, a protective seal, the one that was keeping his brother aura concealed. Even as he stood there looking directly at him, Rin could still not feel his presence. He would have to break this barrier.

He let his flames engulf the room. The seal was strong, but doubtful it could hold up under an attack from his flames. He felt something twist in this core, shrieking for him to stop. Under different circumstances he might have listened and withdrew. Not this time, though. He needed to get Egyn out.

He heard the barrier crack and shatter. He would have smiled, if his brother hadn't been right there. This was a time to be serious, not cocky. He quickly got to work of unchaining him from the bonds. And now that the seal was gone, breaking the chains was simple. Egyn was aware enough to realize something was happening, but not enough to act. Rin's scent was also a sign that things we okay, or at least not as threatening.

Rin threw one of Egyn's arms over his shoulder to help support him and helped him stand. Now all they needed to do was leave. He could backtrack and risk using the original entrance. But no doubt exorcists were waiting there. None had followed him down so they were most likely waiting to corner him once back above ground. He opted on using his flames to bring down the whole building and escape in the mortified confusion. As soon as he let his flames intensify, his core physically hurt and somewhere in its depths someone was howling for him to stop. He nearly tumbled down on his knees. Rin managed to remain steady. He wanted to listen, he trusted that feeling, but he was boxed in a corner (or trapped in a hole) he didn't have the luxury of waiting. So, he didn't. He made his escape in a vivid and chaotic display through the falling debris.

Rin was never so grateful to be out of the dark and in the midday sun. When this was over, he was going to curl up and cover himself in his shadows. The tentative plan he and his brothers had made was starting to fall apart. In their version, Rin should already be riding to freedom on Kuro. That was not currently happening. He needed to lose the exorcists that were indeed, just as he thought trailing behind him, before he could make an escape.

He ducked into a nearby building. He was hoping to use his partial map of the base to exploit the exorcists. After all, they didn't know how much of the base Rin had mapped out in his head.

He climbed a few flights of stairs, dragging his semi aware brother with him. It made it more difficult for him to move freely. But if this stolen map was right there was an exit on the other side of the building. He just had to make it across this next hallway first, then he could regroup with Kuro and they would be more or less in the clear.

Apparently, the exorcists were smarter than he gave them credit for. There were too many in front of him and too many following him. He growled slightly.

A few behind him took aim while he was too focused on the new threat in front of him. Had it not been for Penumbra's timely presences, he would have been hit and far to wounded to retaliate. His shadow came bursting through the window and instantly went after the closest threat.

He let his flames cover the hall in front and behind him, trying to give them both some cover. Someone shot at him. He couldn't think fast enough, he was too distracted and his shadow had her attention on a different group of attackers in the narrow hallway. Rin created a rather more explosive wall of flames than he needed too. It was, in hindsight, overkill, but he was running out of patience and more importantly, options. The shock of his defense and the exorcists counter threw Rin off balance. It sent him and the brother he was supporting, crashing through the window parallel to them.

They both hit the ground, hard. He would have to apologize to Egyn later, if either of them remembered any of this. They were separated on impact and landed several yards from each other. Rin's sword had been dislodged and upon leaving his grip returned to the shadows from where it came. He was vaguely aware of Penumbra's presents again and how she took guard of Egyn. Good, at least one of them could still think clearly.

The cold ground he landed on was a more than welcome sensation. It kept him slightly more focused on his surroundings. Though, that may have been an overstatement. He was really only aware of himself and what he was directly touching. His vision blurred and his focus was hazy.

Shit

He should have listened to his core.

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Also ya'll I'm sorry (not really) I know you guys want to see the confrontation between Rin and Yukio and co. But I'm building up to it so just hang tight. We'll get there soon-ish I promise.

Also, I'm open to suggestions. If there's anything you might wanna see or know about Rin's past just let me know in the comments or dm