Summary: Amaimon and Rin follow the coal tars like a trail of bread-crumbs… Wait, wrong fairytale. Also, that explosion you just heard? That was Rin combusting as he plays the "connect the name to the demon" game. When did Amaimon become the responsible one again?

A/N So I've got that post update high going for me right now and I figured I'd get while the going was good to start cranking out chapters for BRS while I wait for the new manga chapter coming up for aoex to see if it gives me anything substantial to go off of for Incandescence (I really should have picked an easier fic title to type out, like, how are u supposed to shorten it like BRS?) Asking for a friend bc I keep spelling my own title wrong and then having to correct it (:

Also, chapter 110 was lovely (that cover tho, like, Shiemi looked so cool!) but, once again, not what I needed XD What I DO need is to see my gremlin king again. Where's the green boy, Kato? Produce him!

Amaimon walked ahead of him in silence after he'd explained why the coal tars would lead to Astaroth.

Apparently, as kin of Astaroth, the coal tars were all connected to him in some way that Rin couldn't sense at all but which Amaimon assured him was obvious to demonic senses, though the unsaid but clearly felt 'duh' at the end of his explanation was definitely unnecessary.

They still needed to take the slower route so Amaimon could get a better lock on which of the little demons were more connected since it meant they had been closer to Astaroth recently- or something like that, Rin hadn't really understood.

Once Amaimon got a general vicinity, they'd teleport there and begin the search again until the location was narrowed down and they found their target. Until then, they were following said coal tars to more of their brethren drifting in the air in mindless patterns.

Watching Mephisto's hair sway with Amaimon's movements was turning into an almost hypnotic effect with nothing else to claim Rin's attention.

He tripped over another root in the ground and decided he'd had enough.

"Uh I can carry Mephisto too, if you want," Rin hedged.

Amaimon didn't slow his pace- in fact, he seemed incapable of it, having been going at the same steady speed the whole time.

He did look back at Rin, quirking a brow at the request like Rin had said something weird again.

"No."

Rin blinked, almost feeling insulted that Amaimon had denied him so simply and without any kind of explanation forthcoming, returning to ignoring Rin.

Okay, Rin narrowed his eyes. He was not going to be doing this whole thing in silence and Amaimon could bite him if that pissed him off.

"Why?"

The question got him a subtle tensing of Amaimon's shoulders, though Rin couldn't tell if it was because Amaimon was irritated at it or just Rin breaking the silence again. Or even just having to answer another one of Rin's questions in general, though he'd seemed fine with answering them before, if a little sarcastic when he answered.

At the very least Amaimon didn't get angry about them like Bon sometimes did when Rin asked too many things he considered to be obvious.

So it was something else, Rin determined, only to realize Amaimon hadn't spoken.

"Amaimon?" Rin prodded, hesitant but curious about why he had yet to responded.

"No."

Rin felt his eye twitch at the stubborn refusal and was about to open his mouth to say something about it- it wasn't that he wanted to lug Mephisto around like a sack of potatoes, dammit, but it was a matter of principle now!

Amaimon stopped, flicking a clawed finger at one of the floating coal tars near his face and sending it tumbling away through the air before righting itself and carrying on its aimless course.

"I've narrowed it down."

And he raised his fingers to snap before Rin could protest him dodging the question again.

They left the peaceful forest behind.

And entered a concrete hell.

The sounds reached him first, rushing traffic and crowds of people bombarding his senses, unbearably loud after the relative silence they'd just come from. Smells followed close behind, millions of humans and the fumes from passing cars assaulting his nose until Rin had to throw a hand over his mouth to hold back the instinctive gag he wanted to let out.

Once again, besides a wrinkle of his nose, Amaimon seemed unaffected, though he also didn't look like he enjoyed being around the hordes of people either, if his already blank expression turning stony was any indication.

But Rin was able to adjust to the city after the shock wore off, lowering his hand and taking a closer look to see if he could recognize where he was.

Chaos met his eyes and he blinked once.

Yeah, there was no way he was figuring this one out. Rin inched nearer to Amaimon, who'd been analyzing the new swarms of coal tars, so much more prevalent in the city.

He'd thought Kyoto and even the Academy town had been large, but what he was seeing made them look like quaint villages by comparison.

And, of course, after listening to the voices around him, Rin couldn't understand a word being said. If he got lost here, he'd be hard pressed to find Amaimon again, or even his way around.

"He's here."

Rin jerked his gaze up, startled at the sudden words, "really? That was fast. Uh, where are we?"

Amaimon paused where he'd been about to snap his fingers again, brows scrunching in thought, "I don't know what the humans are calling it nowadays, or what it would be called in your language."

"Oh, right," Rin said. He kept forgetting just how old the demon kings were, that they'd been around for what seemed like most of human history, despite Amaimon looking like he was somewhere in his early twenties.

Mind thoroughly boggled at how truly ancient Amaimon was- and the concept that Rin might one day reach that age, was way too much to think about right then. So, Rin happily put it out of his head and nodded to show he was satisfied with Amaimon's answer.

It was oddly polite of the demon to even wait for him before teleporting them, Rin had a chance to think, before the snap came and he was blinking his eyes open to a new area.

The same rough buildings and indecipherable language, this time expressed as graffiti fading on the bricks, met him, but there were less people around, the noise of their conversations muffled by the labyrinth of alleys they'd appeared in. He could just hear the hum of human activity but, as they made their way further into the murk, Rin lost even that.

Mysterious stains in the grit of the alley had Rin covering another wince and doing his best to avoid stepping in anything he'd have to smell until it washed off his shoes later.

But there was another scent surrounding him that took his attention away and had him sniffing the air to chase it while he tried to place where he could have smelled it before, coming up blank.

In his distraction he didn't notice they'd reached the end, though at least this time he didn't walk straight into Amaimon again, twisting out of the way at the last moment to stumble to a halt at his side instead.

A door, mottled paint flaking to reveal layers of equally worn paint beneath, greeted Rin.

"Er, he's in here?" Rin asked, already knowing the answer but hoping he was wrong.

"Tch, I don't know how he stands it either, he always chooses these places," Amaimon said, an admission Rin hadn't actually expected from him but made him feel better for the solidarity it provided. He wasn't the only one uncomfortable, though, as Amaimon was already pushing open the door without hesitation, he definitely covered it better.

It wasn't as bad once they entered the building. But that wasn't saying much, Rin grimaced. The lights weren't flickering, at least, even if they were the type of fluorescent that burned your eyes if you looked too long, and the stench of the city was covered by stale air.

That strange smell was still there, Rin felt his hackles raise.

He jumped as a coal tar drifted past him while he'd been distracted again. In fact, now that he was looking, more of the little demons revealed themselves, filling the claustrophobic corridor until Rin had to brush them aside or have them bumble straight into his face in their nearly aimless journey down side paths he and Amaimon avoided.

Amaimon narrowed his eyes as them, his height not helping matters when it came to keeping out of their path. But he just stalked forwards, head bowed to let the coal tars bounce off his hair and not into his eyes.

Rin followed behind him, not above taking advantage of the clear path he made through the thickening swarm.

Actually, that turned out to only be a temporary solution as the air filled with too many to count and Rin let out an irritated growl, "seriously? What does he need all these guys for anyway?"

Amaimon shook his head and Rin caught a glimpse of gold eyes narrowed in a peeved glare at another coal tar that left a circle of soot on his cheek when it hit him, "it's better than his mushrooms."

"Mushrooms?" Rin muttered, trying to figure out why that seemed familiar too. And why it made his claws want to extend.

He tried to think harder about the strange physical reactions that kept piling up without an apparent source that he could remember-

-Then sneezed as a coal tar smacked right into his nose, getting soot inside. Blue flames burst out and incinerated the poor thing in a squeal of its tiny voice and hissing fire.

Noise came from Amaimon while Rin recovered from the surprise attack, realizing it was laughter a moment later and scowling, "hey! I didn't mean to, it just got in my nose."

Amaimon shot a smirk back at him, snickering, "you should see your face right now."

"Yeah, well," his eyes darted to the similar soot-stain on Amaimon's cheek, the shape distorted by his grin, "you too."

Somehow that just made Amaimon smile wider and Rin sensed things were only going to devolve if he let it continue, where, exactly, he wasn't sure. Though he was sure he didn't want to find out.

"Isn't, uh, Astaroth gonna be angry I just killed one of his guys?" He pointed out in an effort to get Amaimon onto a new topic.

Another coal tar hit Rin's forehead and he batted it away with a swipe of his claws while delight entered Amaimon's gold eyes at the frustrated move.

Rin glared at him, Amaimon having turned to walk backwards through the swarm so they looked like a dark billowing cloud expanding around his form.

A thought occurred to Rin then as Amaimon opened his mouth to respond, "wait, why aren't we getting a gift for him too?"

It worked, distracting him from further teasing. Amaimon waved a hand at the question and turned around to continue, "too many gifts will spoil him, I already got him one recently."

They rounded a corner in the hallway that just kept going, heading towards a slightly ajar door at the end of it that Rin hoped was the location so he could escape the damn coal tars.

And they were through the door.

Rin had a moment to enjoy the wide-open warehouse space that allowed him to breathe without risk of inhaling a coal tar before Amaimon stepped forwards to greet Astaroth.

"Astaroth."

"Amaimon? is this a personal matter or do you have news for Father?"

That voice.

The scent Rin recognized. He looked up.

"You."

Rin saw red.

"My… Prince? Amaimon, what. Did. You. Do."

The question made Amaimon narrow his eyes, but Rin barely comprehended the sudden wary attention he was being paid.

Because there in front of him was Reiji Shiratori, somehow possessed again, and Rin knew which king Astaroth was and why he was familiar.

"Rin," Amaimon spoke up, eyebrows scrunched in consternation as he stepped forward, clawed fingers twitching as if he was unsure, caught off guard.

Rin snarled, flames bursting from his mouth. His breath huffed out between extended fangs, the action both open threat and to take in the scent of his target. He vaguely registered that his ears must have lengthened and eyes begun to warp. He couldn't control it even if he'd wanted to.

Amaimon stopped in his tracks, but his face hardened, a warning Rin didn't pay any attention.

"Why is he here, Amaimon?" Astaroth made the mistake of speaking.

Everything happened in an instant.

Rin roared his rage, tearing forwards and erupting into flame, his entire intent and focus on reaching the bastard that had led to Shiro's- to his father's death.

He'd kill him- he'd kill him!

Only to gag as he was grabbed by the throat and thrown into a wall, thick steel siding screeching as it warped and twisted into the shape of his body from the devastating impact.

Amaimon's fangs were around his throat halting his shout and the coughed out growls he'd been releasing at having his vengeance interrupted.

He couldn't move, flames vanishing to leave him in a cold sweat as he felt the needle-point tips press in further, dangerous growl vibrating through them from deep in Amaimon's chest.

Claws rested at Rin's middle, ready to gut him if he showed signs of moving in any way that looked like a continued attack.

And he'd dropped Mephisto, Rin realized, eyes prickling with tears in an automatic fear reaction.

A whimper escaped his mouth and he slumped in the hold, giving into the instincts screaming at him to submit to the demon at his jugular.

Seeing he was done, Amaimon gave one more squeeze to his neck before pulling his claws back from Rin's stomach.

Then Rin was squeaking because a long tongue laved against his throat along the path between fangs as they receded to their normal length and disengaged.

"Amaimon!" Rin gasped out, dropping from the dent he'd made in the wall and rubbing the wet trail before it had a chance to cool on his flushed skin, "What-"

"Why did you attack Astaroth." Amaimon said, cutting him off before he could yell at him for the massive boundary over-stepping he'd just undergone.

But the question reminded Rin how he'd ended up in the situation in the first place and he couldn't help the curl of his lip over a fang, gaze darting to Astaroth's still form, the demon king having taken to watching them in silence as he let Amaimon handle Rin.

Amaimon stepped in front of Rin, blocking his view of Astaroth and releasing his own warning growl until Rin backed down, not wanting a fight.

Rin glanced at Mephisto and he wondered which of the demon kings knew how everything had begun, since Amaimon clearly didn't.

"He's the one who started everything," Rin said voice almost a hiss, bringing his gaze back to meet Amaimon's, unrepentant, "he attacked my home and my dad's dead now because he tried to protect me!"

"Tch. That damn interfering exorcist," Astaroth scoffed and Rin's heart stopped in his chest at the sheer god damn nerve, eyes widening and body freezing as fury swept through in a blinding red wave-

-Only to crest as Amaimon snarled behind him, "Astaroth. Stop."

Amaimon's breath left him in an exasperated huff when Astaroth grumbled, crossing his arms but standing down anyway so he could turn back to Rin.

"Astaroth follows our Father and is on Lucifer's side," he began when he knew he had Rin's full attention, "your father would have known that, as he would have known the risks involved in taking care of the son of Satan in the first place- or dealing with Samael at all."

The way Amaimon said it, laying things out with such cold logic, it hurt. Rin dropped his gaze, chest aching as the entire night came back to him in nightmarish flashes of vivid color while he stood in the cold of the metal warehouse.

"It was an inevitable conflict that he accepted the moment he took charge over you," Amaimon continued and, Rin was startled to realize, the calm certainty he said it with somehow allowed Rin to breathe deeper and not feel like tearing Astaroth's throat out with his claws when he caught his scent again.

"I know," Rin answered when it looked like Amaimon was waiting for a response, voice coming out bitter around grit teeth.

"I know," he repeated when Amaimon still looked unconvinced, "he was just the first guy who came, and my dad already took care of him before- before…" Rin trailed off, taking a shuddering breath again to force himself the rest of the way calm.

"Good," Amaimon nodded, un-tensing from the alert stance he'd been in, though he still didn't drop it completely. They still had to deal with Astaroth.

They returned to where Amaimon had left Mephisto, and Rin didn't resist the urge to correct the uncomfortable way he'd fallen this time, bending to pull the arm lodged under his body and his legs from their twisted position with careful movements.

The slow process allowed him to steel his nerves further until, brushing the mussed purple bangs from where they'd caught between Mephisto's slightly parted lips, Rin felt ready to face Astaroth without breathing fire.

He stood, coming to Amaimon's side where the two demons had been waiting to get down to the real reason they were here.

"Samael is cursed, it's the King Killer," Amaimon said without preamble, and Rin settled back to let him talk, not quite trusting himself to speak yet.

The name of the curse prompted a surprised look from Astaroth, his arms tightening in their crossed hold.

"He's dead already, then, so why did you involve our Prince?" Astaroth said, matter-of-fact and with the same care the rest of the kings had when finding out Mephisto was dying. Rin shouldn't have been surprised but it hit him with the same disbelief at their callousness as it had when the humans had displayed their own casual cruelty.

Was he the only normal person who cared whether someone lived or died anymore? Rin almost wished Shiemi was there because she was always the only other person who backed him up on these sorts of things. But he would never involve her, or any of his human friends, actually, in something he'd brought on himself, something so dangerous.

They'd probably even protest not being able to help him, Rin suspected, heart hurting because he knew this was something they'd never be able to help him with. This was something only a demon could do.

"He involved himself," Amaimon said, bringing Rin's reluctant focus back, "I found them fleeing from Samael's exorcists. We've been to see Beelzebub already for information about the curse. He directed us to you next."

Each bit of revealed information was stated without wordplay or attempts to cover it up, very different from the way Mephisto liked to tease people with promised knowledge and hints to his true motives.

Rin wondered how much they all spoke amongst themselves, never having considered that Mephisto might be in communication with the other kings, since Amaimon seemed to spend more of his time away from them than together.

"So you've chosen a side, Amaimon." Rin just contained the jolt those words from Astaroth sent through his body. What did he mean, had Amaimon chosen a side?

"No."

The short response had Rin hiding a wince, sensing the fault line Astaroth had just stepped on as the same one Beelzebub had skirted around in his encounter too.

"Yet you won't take our prince to Father and you protect Samael, you have chosen a side," Astaroth continued digging, not satisfied with Amaimon's negative.

"I. Have. Not," Amaimon said through clenched teeth, his stance firmly rooted to the ground while Rin considered preparing himself to grab Mephisto and run if the two started fighting.

"Gehenna won't see it that way, Father won't see it that way," Astaroth kept at it, as if reminding Amaimon where the line in the sand was.

"I know," Amaimon said instead of explaining himself, gold eyes flashing in warning, saying without words that Astaroth should make up his mind whether he would be helping them or not.

Astaroth watched him with considering eyes and Rin had no idea what his next move would be.

Would they be getting his help and the information he had about the curse, or…

"Then I'll tell you what I know from that time," Astaroth conceded, closing his eyes and letting the challenge go out of him, the expression on Reiji's face so out of place Rin was almost able to keep himself from thinking about the arrogant bully he'd dealt with for so much of his childhood.

It seemed so long ago that picking fights with schoolyard bullies had been his greatest obstacle, that and schoolwork in general, though he'd still had to deal with that at the Academy.

He wasn't sure if he could go back to that simple life, now.

"You'll be facing the consequences of your actions soon, but I'll give you that much," Astaroth said, his statement a last caution to change course. Which, like hell he'd be listening to whatever Astaroth said, Rin determined, glad to see Amaimon was just as steadfast in his decision.

"I was there, that last week of Abduxuel's existence, as I'm sure Beelzebub told you already," at Amaimon's confirming nod, Astaroth continued, "that overly-excited fool…"

That hadn't sounded like a compliment, Rin thought, watching how Amaimon twitched at the description of Abduxuel, though he didn't say anything, letting Astaroth finish.

Astaroth scoffed again, staring into the corner of the warehouse at the coal tars still floating around them, "he was a shell of himself at that point, more dead than alive- well, you've felt the pain of degradation to that degree, Amaimon, you're familiar with the experience."

The rot, he must mean, Rin hadn't really seen how bad it could get, but he remembered smelling it on Lucifer and seeing the patches of gray flesh not hidden by his uniform, trying to imagine it covering their whole body, as Astaroth seemed to imply.

It was a horrifying concept and Rin tried to focus on something else other than the memory of decay in the air.

"Samael wouldn't let anyone in the room with him besides Lucifer at that point, not that we would have wanted to be, with how out of control he was."

Astaroth chewed at his lips, scowling, a much more familiar expression on Reiji's face, "and of course, not that any of that matters to you, since you decided to fuck off around Assiah back then."

Amaimon growled, teeth clacking together in sharp irritation, "that's not what I need to know, Astaroth, is there a cure to the curse."

"Typical, Amaimon," Astaroth snorted, "but yes, there is something you wouldn't know that might be useful."

"Well?" Came the impatient prompt.

"Abduxuel wasn't the first of us to be afflicted by this curse."

Rin sucked in a breath, that was it. That was the information they needed. The chances that another had been cursed and even survived going up even further.

But Amaimon didn't react to that information and Rin wondered if he'd already thought of that possibility.

"But only Lucifer knows who it was," Astaroth added, crushing the hope that had been budding, sending them back to square one because the answers still all seemed to point to Lucifer and, as Rin had been repeatedly told, they couldn't go to him without signing his death warrant.

"Could it have been Azazel?" Amaimon asked, focus inward as he tapped a claw to his bottom lip, scratching lightly until it bled and he blinked back into awareness, "he was always strange, he could have been afflicted."

"Yes, Azazel is a weird one," Astaroth agreed, and Rin wondered what could have been so odd about who he was presuming was another of the kings that could have someone like Amaimon calling him strange. "But I don't think so, at least, he never indicated that he might have, and he seemed just as… bothered by Abduxuel's state as the rest of us were."

"So, what would you suggest, then," Amaimon brought them away from the topic of Azazel's weirdness, waving a hand to brush it aside.

Astaroth shifted, uncrossing his arms to place his hands on his hips, the move so reminiscent of Reiji that Rin felt another pang of guilt, even though he'd been such a bastard of a human.

What had the human Amaimon inhabited been like? Was he still in there, like Izumo's mom had been, in the end? It wasn't a pretty thought and Rin buried it for another time.

"Iblis," Astaroth finally said, dropping his arms, though Rin had no idea what or who an Iblis was, "she is closer to Lucifer, for a given sense of the word, though not as close as Egyn, and he may have told her what he didn't tell me "

"That's too close," Amaimon said at the mention of whoever Egyn was, "Egyn stays at Lucifer's side, we can't approach them."

At that, Astaroth smirked, "and there's the fact that you never much liked them, if I recall."

Amaimon glared and the reaction had Rin blinking. What kind of demon Egyn could be that Amaimon wouldn't get along with them? He seemed so laid back all the time, what did it take to make him dislike someone enough to go out of his way to avoid them.

He'd probably be waiting for a while longer to learn about that relationship, Rin figured, knowing Amaimon wouldn't bring it up on his own and might be annoyed if Rin did.

Although, Rin might get Amaimon to tell him about Egyn and Iblis at the same time if he phrased the question the way he had about Beelzebub and Astaroth. As something to know about demon politics and how they fit into the scheme of things. That way Amaimon wouldn't think it was a personal question and was just another thing to educate Rin on so they'd have a better chance of surviving this!

Despite himself, Rin found he had to fight to keep a smile from his face, the thought of, not manipulating, but learning more about Amaimon in such a clever way filling him with a giddiness he couldn't quite explain the source of.

A sigh came from Amaimon and Rin realized they were done.

"Thank you, Astaroth," Amaimon said without inflection, more formality than anything as he walked to Rin's side to bring Mephisto back over his shoulder.

"Your time will run out faster than you think, Amaimon," Astaroth warned, the gravity of it making Amaimon still, body hunched and face shadowed by his choppy green hair from Rin's sight.

"I know, Astaroth."

And Amaimon rose the rest of the way, flicking his hand at the door to indicate Rin follow as he stalked past.

Well, Rin wouldn't be thinking twice about that, anything to get out of the uncomfortable presence and away from the scent of rot and coal dust filling the room.

And away from Astaroth- although, Rin stopped, hands fisting as he turned to Astaroth.

"Before we go," Rin stared into those familiar red eyes, now completely changed from the boy he once knew, "how did you posses Reiji again. My old man said he sealed him against possession."

Astaroth leveled a steady gaze back at him from slit-pupils, "those are not impossible to overcome, my Prince, provided you have another demon or exorcist who can remove it from the body."

Rin nodded, accepting that and trying not to let the hate rise in his gut again for the answer he had suspected, "thanks."

And left with Amaimon without a backwards glance.

The voices had left with his awareness an indeterminate time ago and hadn't returned with his waking- if what he experienced could be considered waking at all.

If he could have sobbed, he would have.

Had he ever cried before? The act seemed unfamiliar to his mind as well as his body.

But he was sure he wanted to now. He wanted to be able to do anything now.

A sharp exhale left his mouth, chest squeezing with the effort as his vision blurred in exhaustion and agony.

The pool of water that made up his entire world rippled.

Another gasp, this time one that would be a sob of relief were he capable of it.

They were back. Please let them be back.

"He's the one who started everything," the second voice shouted, raw anger and emotion sending his pulse skipping a beat in his chest as he wondered who 'he' was and what he'd started.

He latched onto every word, savoring them like they would be his last and greedy- desperate, for more.

"He attacked my home and my dad's dead now because he tried to protect me!"

Was it his imagination or was the voice louder, more real than it had been when he'd heard it last?

And what did that mean if it was?

"Tch. That damn interfering exorcist," a familiar voice, a third one that he couldn't place a name to.

But the word exorcist made another twinge of familiarity go through his heart.

"-. Stop."

The first voice again, struggling to calm the second and third voices down, he could hear.

"- follows our Father and is on -'s side." There were names missing, he could hear where they would be. Why? Why were they missing? Who were they and why was this happening to him?

"Your father would have known that, as he would have known the risks involved in taking care of the son of - in the first place."

The urge to scream his frustration was back again.

"It was an inevitable conflict that he accepted the moment he took charge over you," the first voice continued, not letting go of the cool logic that he admired the more he heard it.

Emotions were ugly little things that could be manipulated so easily, but…

…But they were all he had in this cruel place he'd found himself in.

"I know," the second voice answered, a bitterness that seemed to reflect the strange melancholy filling him at the topic of their conversation.

There was something about this exorcist- this father the voices spoke of, that had dulled tendrils of melancholy- or possibly regret, coiling through his chest that he couldn't explain any more than he could explain why everything they said made him feel as if he should be intimately aware of who the exorcist was and the part he played.

"I know," the second voice repeated, and he could hear the fight go out of him.

"He was just the first guy who came, and my dad already took care of him before- before…" the voice trailed off, a final concession to the wisdom of the first voice.

"Good…"

He was fading again, teeth closing together, though he didn't have the strength to clench them in the frustration he felt but lacked the energy to express.

But he'd lasted longer this time, heard more.

Was he getting stronger? Could he escape this place on his own, given enough time and effort?

The thought gave him hope that followed him down in a tangled mix between frustration and still lingering melancholy.

The last door shut behind them and they were back in the outside world between the walls of the alley.

"We don't have to worry about him like Beelzebub?" Rin asked when he thought they were far enough away and he noticed Amaimon hadn't teleported them like he had before.

Amaimon shook his head, focus on something else, probably the politics that Rin was beginning to see played a large part in every interaction between the demon kings. It was… kinda exhausting, and Rin realized why Amaimon seemed to avoid the others whenever he could now.

Well, with the exception of Mephisto. Rin glanced at him, watching the way his face looked slackened in sleep. Did it have less color in it than this morning? He couldn't be sure, the already dim surroundings in the shadow of the alley muting his features.

"Astaroth is straightforward in his allegiances," Amaimon said, startling Rin again as he leant back against the alley wall with the shoulder opposite the one he carried Mephisto on.

"So that's good?" Rin needled, trying his best to understand the personal versus political relationships between the kings.

"He'll do as he said he would," Amaimon said, shrugging, though he didn't look especially happy about that and Rin wanted to pull his hair out because he still didn't know if that was good for them or not. "He'll report this to Lucifer."

Rin sighed, giving into the urge to scratch at his arms before forcing himself to stop the frustrated habit, "Lucifer. Who you and Beelzebub said we shouldn't go to because he might take me straight to Satan?"

He got a slow blink from Amaimon and a nod in confirmation, though it seemed to be humoring him and not because he was being particularly helpful.

"I don't get it." Was he whining? Yes. Yes, he was. By the twitch of Amaimon's lips upwards Rin could tell he heard it and was definitely laughing at him inside. Bastard.

Rin scowled, crossing his arms and raising a brow, "well, what now?"

That brought out the smirk Rin had known Amaimon was hiding.

"Now, we go to Gehenna. We have no other choice, as you heard from Astaroth, Iblis, King of Fire, is our next target."

Gehenna. Rin had known it was coming down to that place- that world of demons, ever since it had been brought up by Amaimon.

What would a world like that even be like? Somehow, after seeing the demon kings and even minor familiars like Kuro, Rin had a hard time believing it was anything like the religious books he'd been forced to go through at the church as a child.

He'd be finding out soon, whether he was ready or not.

His gaze wandered the alley until, with nothing but the dirty brick to take his attention, he focused on the contemplative figure of Amaimon- and Mephisto.

"His suit's covered in soot still," Rin finally said after shaking himself from his thoughts, "he'd be really pissed it was dirty, he was always telling me to clean up or dress nicer, you know? And then he'd do that snapping thing you guys do and fix my hair and clothes anyway."

Amaimon stared at him with those unblinking eyes again, as if he'd seen something that surprised him or had made him re-evaluate what he'd known. Like a puzzle he'd found new pieces for- or had revealed itself to be of an entirely new picture than the one he'd been building.

Rin shuffled at the intense stare, though he kept his gaze steady because he refused to show weakness. It was more important than ever to keep himself true to his human ways, even if he would have to start learning what it meant to be a demon.

"Living as a human must be incredibly," Amaimon searched for the word while Rin startled at the sudden break in their staring contest, "tedious."

He snapped his fingers and Mephisto's suit was back to its spotless white. For some reason that made Rin feel better about what he was about to do. About going to Gehenna.

"Okay," Rin breathed, it was okay, now, right? He began to walk a few steps, turning to walk the other way when he realized his steps were purposeless.

"There's something else," Amaimon said, abrupt and halting Rin from his pacing.

"What?" Rin asked, wary as something off in Amaimon's usually laid-back tone sent warning bells ringing in his head.

"When you go to Gehenna, the flame that's trapped in your sword will come back in full to your body if it's unsheathed. You'll more than likely die if that happens. You can't draw it."

Amaimon could have punched him into a wall again and it would have had less impact than those words did.

He couldn't breathe, staring into cool gold eyes as he tried desperately to process the thought of being even more defenseless than he already was.

"What?" He managed to ask, hoping for clarification of any kind.

"The sword- it's a gateway to Gehenna where the majority of your flames, your demonic heart, reside," Amaimon tilted his head, "did Samael really not tell you any of this?"

Rin flushed, for some reason feeling shame at not knowing something he shouldn't have been expected to know in the first place, all because it was a demon thing, "no, I don't think he told me much of anything, now."

Amaimon furrowed his brows, shooting a look at Mephisto. It somehow carried more than the simple irritation he'd held the first time Rin had told him how much of his heritage Mephisto had kept in the dark.

"I need to call Yukio," Rin said, the words coming to him from numbed lips while his hands fumbled the burner phone he'd been given just that morning, already feeling like it had been longer- a different world than the one he was in now.

That got another tilt of Amaimon's head at him, though he was only aware of the curious gaze on the periphery of his mind, typing in his twin's number and hoping he picked up.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

The message tone played and Rin took a shuddering breath, leaning back against the wall to hold himself up as he tried to think of what he could possibly say.

"Yukio," he started with no other ideas forthcoming, "I'm going to Gehenna, Yukio. We have to track down more information and there's no one left on Assiah to get it from so…"

"…So I-" Rin scratched the claws of his hand not holding the phone into the wall behind him, the sensation of gouging brick helping him gather himself.

He knew what he had to say. The only thing that really mattered, in the end.

"Yukio, tell Shiemi and Shura- and Bon, Konekomaru and even Shima- and everyone from home, and Kuro," Rin let out a self-deprecating laugh, realizing he'd made more friends than he'd thought. And that he'd possibly be leaving them behind forever.

He turned his eyes down, hand clenching on the phone before he forced a shivered exhale out and continued, "tell them I'm-"

The phone beeped again, message ending and cutting him off, "-sorry."

Rin stared at the screen for a few moments longer, hoping Yukio got his message and that it was enough. He pocketed the phone and nodded to a, once more, shockingly patient Amaimon.

He was ready.

But Amaimon didn't just take them straight to Gehenna, how ever that worked, anyway.

Instead he pushed off from the wall to stride down the alley, forcing Rin to follow behind him as confusion about their destination bubbled in his mind.

"Why are you sorry."

The words shocked Rin and he stumbled, staring up at Amaimon where the demon continued to walk as if his question hadn't thrown Rin for the biggest loop.

"What?"

Amaimon stopped and sent him a narrowed eyed glance before clarifying, "just now, to your twin, why were you sorry when you already explained to him why you're doing this earlier, and he's likely already told those others you mentioned about it, too."

That, Rin couldn't take his wide-eyed gaze off Amaimon, he didn't know what to do with that question.

The look on Amaimon's face started to turn irate and Rin quickly remembered he didn't like being made fun of or ignored, opening his mouth to say the first thing he could think of.

"Because I'm leaving them and I might never see them again- and they might never see me again," Rin said, realizing the absurdity of explaining something so simple yet, now that he'd thought about it, so utterly human to the demon king of earth, stunned that he was even curious about it in the first place.

"It's so they have something from me, even after I'm gone and that they know I thought about them, and I'm thinking about them, and I haven't forgotten them."

Amaimon shifted, silent again, and Rin wondered whether he should try explaining further, though he wasn't sure what to say anymore.

"I still don't understand," Amaimon spoke up, hand tightening on Mephisto's back, "there was no other choice, your actions were the only options with the most optimal outcome you could have taken with the information you had."

"That's-" Rin paused, struck speechless. The only option? Best possible outcome? Did Amaimon really think that? He, Rin had thought he'd screwed up yet again, Yukio's anger before he'd left him telling, because his twin was always the more logical and strategic of the two, right?

His mouth worked without words as he tried to process those questions, prompting Amaimon to sigh and chew at one of his long black claws, "Samael is the only one who kept you safe in Assiah. If he had fallen and you didn't try to save him, you would be signing your own death warrant because Lucifer wouldn't wait long to come after you for our Father."

Ice cut through Rin's spine like a cruel dagger and he shivered despite his natural core of fire and the warm weather.

"Oh," he whispered, eyes darting down, "I hadn't really thought of that- I remember you and Beelzebub said something like that earlier, about Lucifer and his deals with Mephisto."

"Yes," Amaimon's simple agreement had Rin sucking in a breath, steadying himself, "so I don't see why you need to apologize."

He was right, in his own way, Rin sniffed as his nose prickled with his rising emotions, chasing the last of his regrets away before they manifested and saw the sound made Amaimon's eyes narrow, like it bothered him somehow.

It made Rin smile, feeling lighter than he had since the entire start of the catastrophe that he'd found himself in, "you're right, thanks, Amaimon."

"Hn," Amaimon grunted, head jerking to the side as if to avoid Rin's smile, "are you done with your human business?"

"Yep," Rin beamed wider. His situation might suck, and he might die in the process or even fail at saving Mephisto entirely. But he was ready to try.

"Let's go to Gehenna!"

A snap-

Sounds, like the world itself was screaming directly into his ears, loud enough to make Rin cry out in both shock and pain as his vision blurred and his awareness fell with it.

The last thing he saw was Amaimon staring down at Mephisto, expression unreadable and nose a scant inch away from the body he held, as if he was about to press it the rest of the distance into the white folds of fabric there.

Rin's conscious slipped from him as the earth tilted beneath his feet.

"I'm-"

The message cut off, room echoing with the beep of the tone.

Yukio watched his phone screen go black with inactivity, Rin's words and the information revealed in them burning in his mind.

"There you have it, Sirs, the spawn of Satan is going to Gehenna."

Yukio quelled his reaction to the confirmation from the Arc Knight on the other side of the table while he spoke with the Grigori through the video screen.

"Well, that's a real kicker, eh, kid?"

Yukio didn't hide the glare at being referred to so insultingly by the Arc Knight.

"What will you do with this information, then, Sir Lewin?"

A wide, carefree grin lit up the Lightning Knight's face, Yukio's cool irritation somehow delighting him rather than bothering him.

Nothing seemed to bother him, not even their possible annihilation at the hands of Satan when he gained control of Rin's body and opened a Gehenna Gate between Assiah and Gehenna.

Rin…

God. Fucking. Dammit, Rin.

He was going to lose him.

He was already lost the moment he saved the demon king of time.

Shiro- dad, Yukio caught himself thinking the name and shoved the urge to cry down deep where it couldn't hurt him. Father Fujimoto wasn't there to fix things, wasn't there with a steady hand and laid-back grin on his face to chase the demons away anymore.

Yukio had to handle this himself now.

"Well," Lewin scratched at his unwashed ratty hair with dirt-stained nails, smile still on his face, "we gotta prepare for war with Satan, obviously."

War, Yukio gulped, closing his eyes and dropping his chin to his chest.

They were going to war.

End notes: So I guess Amaimon is really just out there, taking Rin on a "romantic" tour of Assiah and Gehenna, like, when will your fav ever XD They're missing out on the romantic candlelit dinners though, Amaimon's gotta get on that, since Rin is gonna be hard pressed to cook on the run lololol

I'm not sure if tracking works like this in the series either. Like, Lucifer seems to be able to sense when Amaimon possesses a new body in Assiah, but do they know where the other kings are at all times?

Or just that they're in whichever dimension they're currently in (i.e. bc Lucifer was in Assiah, he could sense that Amaimon appeared in Assiah too, but didn't seem to know he'd left his old body and gone to Gehenna earlier), or just that they've gained a new body, but can't feel whether they've jumped between worlds or which world they're in?

Idk but for this fic's purposes I've gone with that they can sense when another king has entered/possessed a new host, but not that they've jumped dimensions or what world they're in.