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Chapter 5
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"Seriously? This thing looks like something out of a horror movie," Suguro frowned at the disturbing and baron men's dormitory that stood before him. His eyes studied the large cracks in the wall and the vines that seeped out of them.
"Wow, it's so creepy...and ugly. Is this the best place we could find to do this?" Kamiki asked, Shiemi and Paku right behind her. "Oh, take it," she dropped her bag in Shiemi's hands and the blonde took it without a second thought. Rin growled.
"Miss Moriyama...If you don't want to, just say so," Paku gave her a concerned smile.
"Huh? Oh, no, I don't mind at all. I'm just helping out a friend because that's what friends are for!" Shiemi returned the gesture.
"Okay..." Paku muttered with a tone of uncertainty. Rin watched with furrowed eyebrows, not liking the display one bit. Shiemi was being played and couldn't even see it!
As everyone walked inside, Yukio counted the students. He paused and knit his eyebrows together before recounting.
"Wait...we're missing someone," he noted once all the teens were inside.
"Oh, yeah. Where is Miyuki?" Rin asked as he looked around. A sudden sneeze was heard from across the room. In one of the chairs was Miyuki, book in her hand and a stick of poky in her mouth. Lazily, she waved to show her attendance.
"How did you get in here?! We've been watching the entrance the whole time!" Rin nearly jumped out of his skin, having not noticed the girl before. Yukio was also very confused. Miyuki pulled the key, which she got from Mephisto, out of her pocket and dangled it in the air.
"I had a key," she shrugged. Both Okumura brothers sighed with defeat.
"Whatever...Just get going," Yukio grumbled. Miyuki gave him a two-fingered salute.
"Aye aye, Cap'n."
That night, Yukio had the Cram class write for ten minutes straight. There was not one teen in the room who didn't immediately drop their pencils and sigh when the time was up.
Miyuki took one hand and applied a cooling sensation to the other with her powers as she tried to rid herself of the cramp. Rin got up to get some air as Paku, Shiemi and Kamiki made their way to the baths.
"You're not going with them?" Shima asked, pointing to the girls with his thumb.
"So you can spy on me? Yeah, no thanks," Miyuki scoffed as she crossed her arms. She fell onto her back and laid flat on the floor, exhaustion taking over for a second. Shima chuckled and shrugged off the entire conversation.
Wordlessly, Miyuki stood up and made her way to the kitchen. She didn't know where it was but she usually had a sense for these things. In Gehenna, the Yuki-Onna was known for her infamous food sense.
Her chest grew heavy at the thought of her home. She had to admit she missed it. Mostly Aliza and Strix. She couldn't be happier to be away from Amaimon.
Miyuki shook the thoughts from her head as she finally found the kitchen. With sparkling yet tired eyes, the half-breed rummaged through everything in the dorm. No cupboard was left unopened and no box of leftovers was left uneaten. They won't mind, she thought with a pleased smile on her face.
Her scavenger hunt came to a halt when her ears twitched and picked up a high-pitched scream. Grumbling swears, she put the leftovers back and ran to the source of the scream.
She found herself in the girls' bathroom. Rin stood in front of a defenceless Kamiki. Shiemi came up behind her and covered her mouth with her hands.
"Paku!" the blonde gasped, noticing her unconscious friend lying in front of a large ghoul. "You keep the ghoul busy, Rin. I'll take care of Miss Paku!" she took immediate action. "Don't just stand there!"
"That's easier said than done!" Rin grumbled, not using the sheath of his sword to knock over the ghoul.
"Hey, I'm here too," Miyuki smirked as she went to punch the ghoul. Unfortunately, the beast managed the catch her fist in its jaws. She hissed through her teeth, resentment filling her as she realized she would indeed be left with a bite mark.
With as much force as she could, she kicked the ghoul's side. It let out a howl of pain and allowed the ice queen to take her hand back.
"My young prince...and the Yuki-Onna..." the ghoul muttered via the telepathic link shared by demons. Miyuki narrowed her eyes as it turned its attention onto Rin. His hand tightened around his sword, knuckles turning white.
"Damn it," she spat under her breath. The ghoul, who had been readying an attack, threw its acid spit in Rin's direction. It hit the back of her knee, forcing her to the ground before grabbing her by her hair and throwing her against the wall. "Not...what I thought I'd be doing tonight," she mumbled groggily.
"Miyuki!" Rin yelled, trying to run to her. His path was obstructed by the ghoul. It put it's large claw over his throat and pinned down the struggling boy as he reached for his sword.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Miyuki holding her hand up to shoot the ghoul with her ice, which had already gathered in her hand. She forced two large spikes of frozen water to go straight through one of the beast's legs. It let out a howl of agony and let go of Rin. He didn't have time to even grab his sword or warn the Yuki-Onna before the ghoul was on top of her.
"Miyuki!" Rin warned her while he gasped for air. She tsked. Her eyes narrowed menacingly as she tried to regain the lost air in her lungs. Rin was about two inches away from grabbing his sword when three loud bangs filled the room.
"Rin!" Yukio yelled, shooting the ghoul with his holy water gun. It ran out of the window, breaking the glass and screeching on its way out.
"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Yukio asked, looking down at Rin with worry and slight confusion.
"You're late," Rin spat as he took his brother's hand and pulled himself up.
"I still made it didn't I?" Yukio's veins nearly popped out of his forehead. He shook his head before turning around to check on Paku, Kamiki and Shiemi. Rin got up and looked over to Miyuki who was using her hands to ice her leg.
"Thanks for taking the hit for me," he awkwardly scratched the nape of his neck. Miyuki shrugged, not bother to look up at him.
"That ghoul? Don't make me laugh. I could kill a hundred of those in my sleep." The two of them watched her wound heal in a matter of seconds. Rin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry..." he mumbled quietly. Miyuki finally looked up at him, sternly glaring with her scarlet irises.
"Someday someone won't be there to help you, Okumura. Learn to protect yourself so no one else has to get hurt." Blankly staring at the blue-eyed boy, she let her hands rest in her lap. "Things like this are going to happen. Be prepared next time."
With that, she got onto her feet and left the room without saying another word. Rin silently watched her walk away. There was nothing he could do or say to negate that. Deep down, he knew she was right.
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Miyuki and her classmates were in the boys' dormitory with Baryon's on their laps. The rock demon would get heavier the longer it sits on someone. Miyuki had just about had it and was perfectly fine with sending her ice through the cracks of the rock to bust it open.
"One of the objectives of this boot camp is to strengthen your academic skills. The other is to get you to start becoming closer as a team," Yukio adjusted his glasses as he explained. Kamiki scoffed.
"I'd rather die than be friends with these losers..." she murmured.
"You need to learn to get along! Exorcists do not go into battle alone!" Yukio snapped. Miyuki couldn't help but laugh.
"Good luck winning over this group. They fight like a bunch of squabbling chickens," she mocked, allowing her lips to twitch upwards and into a smirk. Her words seemed to make her instructor's blood boil.
"You need to start taking this seriously. In a real combat situation, this ridiculous in-fighting could get you or someone else killed. You keep that in mind," he reprimanded before pausing to check his watch. Now that he had blown off some steam it was time to go.
"Okay. I have to leave on a mission and won't be back for about three hours. Now then, because of that attack yesterday, I have to take extra measures. I'll be blocking all of the entrances and placing a powerful demon-warding charm on the building," he explained.
"Locking us in? Then how are we supposed to get out of here if we need to?" Suguro asked.
"You're not going anywhere. I'll only be gone for three hours, so cool off and get along until I get back." Yukio turned to go through the door but stopped before he even got a foot out. "Oh, and try to keep Miss Hayami awake until then," he smiled before slamming the door shut behind him.
The students looked to Miyuki, who had raised her hand as to give him the finger. It's not the lost diabolical thing she's ever done but she was still proud, nonetheless.
Before anyone could say anything about her actions, all the lights turned off.
"Ow! I dropped the Baryon on my foot!" Rin yelled as a loud thud was heard in the room.
"You gotta be kidding. Did he turn the lights off on the way out?" Suguro asked.
"Is it a blackout?" Kamiki wondered. Miyuki sighed. She nonchalantly pushed the Baryon off her lap and stood up. After quickly stretching her legs, she let out a long sigh.
"He's just trying to scare us or something," she grumbled.
"I'm going outside," Shima declare, noticing that they were the only building without power.
"Sh-Shima...Be careful!" Konekomaru warned, voice cracking slightly.
"Don't worry! I love this kind of stuff. It's like a real-life test of courage," the pinkette smiled as he calmly walked to the door.
Miyuki's ear suddenly twitched. She widened her eyes slightly, her heightened senses allowing her to hear what was beyond the door. It was the same ghoul that attacked them yesterday. She raised an eyebrow as Shima's hand grasped the doorknob.
"Ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you..." she mumbled with an amused tone. He chuckled before opening the door and looking out.
Mere seconds after seeing whatever was beyond that door, he shut it. "My eyes must be playing tricks on me. Either that or we have a de-"
Shima's high-pitched wail filled the room. An arm punched through the door and tried to grab him but he ducked and ran back to the others. A large demon walked into the room and Rin's eyes widened. Miyuki, who had been silently wishing for something like this to happen, couldn't help but smirk.
"Not again..." he huffed.
"The ghoul came back!" Kamiki yelled. Everyone was up and on their feet, ready to either fight or run.
"Oi, this guy doesn't know when to quit, does he?" Miyuki narrowed her eyes tauntingly.
"S-Stop it, Hayami!" Shima would've shot her a warning look but his eyes wouldn't leave the large beast in front of him.
"What about the demon-warding charm?!" Konekomaru panicked. The teens watched the demon's second head burst open, squirting a black fluid flew all over them.
Shiemi quickly summoned her Greenman familiar, who began to sprout large branches from its stomach. It made a wooden barrier between them and the demon.
"Nice going, Shiemi. That was some quick thinking," Rin praised her as he stepped closer. Everyone could hear the ghoul thrashing about, trying to break the barrier but no one knew what to do about it.
"Damn it! For a dead thing, it's pretty lively, isn't it?" Rin asked.
"That's because ghouls are more powerful in the darkness," Suguro explained. Miyuki bit her lip as she watched Shiemi fall to the floor.
"I feel...dizzy..." the blonde began coughing. Soon, Suguro, Shima, Konekomaru, and Kamiki were experiencing the same thing.
"What's going on? I feel like I'm burning up!" Suguro spat.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Rin asked, not fazed.
"That ghoul sprayed it's fluid all over us. How come you're not affected?" Kamiki asked, eyebrows knit together in confusion. Miyuki shrugged before turning back to the garden wall Shiemi made. Rin tried desperately to call his brother but to no avail.
"Hell of a good time to not be picking up right now, Yukio...It's up to me now..." Rin pocketed his device and stepping up to the barrier.
"What are you doing?" Suguro asked.
"I'm gonna go outside and try to draw it away. If I can get it to follow me, it'll give you guys a chance to get out of here," Rin explained.
"Huh?! Have you lost your mind?!" Suguro quickly retorted.
"You don't gotta worry about me. I'm pretty strong, you know," Rin grinned.
"You can crawl through here. I'll follow in a minute. Try not to burn down too much stuff," Miyuki furrowed her eyebrows. Her fellow half-breed gave her a reassuring smile then climbed through the branches. The others called out to him but they didn't stop him.
"Why would you let him go?!" Suguro shouted, angrily glaring at Miyuki. The noirette tsked.
"I'm not responsible for him. He can do what he wants. Besides, it's one ghoul. He can handle it," she shrugged carelessly. With a hefty sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair. "He's probably thinking that if he could turn the lights on that the ghoul would lose its power. The power grid is his best bet."
"It won't matter if he's dead!" Kamiki spat harshly. Miyuki resisted the urge to freeze the entire room. Taking deep breaths, she started to relax.
"I'll go after him."
"Are you serious?! You'll both be killed then!" Suguro hung his head in defeat. Miyuki shrugged.
"What are you gonna do about it?" she teased. After giving her classmates a two-fingered salute, the Yuki-Onna crawled through the plant barrier and ran towards the source of Rin's shouts.
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Rin was thrown against the faulty railing. The ghoul lunged for him, but he managed to dodge and escape. Unfortunately for him, he was quickly captured again and thrown down onto the lower floor of the room.
As the demon lunged once again, he brandished his sword. Brilliant blue flames erupted all around him, illuminating the room.
"Don't mess with me!" the fanged boy yelled. Suddenly, the demon stopped.
"Excellent. that's what I've been waiting to see."
Rin gasped as he looked up to his instructor that had helped them learn about summoning.
"Those brilliant blue flames that you keep hidden..." Noihaus chuckled.
"Are you the one who-" "Since you won't use your powers in front of the others, I decided to lure you away...Rin Okumura: Son of Satan," he narrowed his eyes.
"How did you find out? Who told you about me?!" Rin tightened his grasp on his sword. The instructor smirked and Rin gasped.
"Are you the scumbag responsible for those attacks on us? The one who hurt Miyuki and Paku?!" he growled. Unbeknownst to him, the noirette he had just mentioned was now in the room. She didn't want to intervene. Quite frankly, she wanted to enjoy the show.
"Actually, I am," Noihaus answered matter-of-factly. "But enough about me. I want to see more of that power of yours. I'd have liked to see the Yuki-Onna's powers, too, but I have a feeling she'd be a little less cooperative." His ghoul snarled menacingly. Rin narrowed his eyes and jumped up, aiming his flaming sword at its heart.
"Leave her out of this!" Rin yelled, slicing the demon and lighting it on fire with his flames.
"Oh, but she's a part of this just as much as your are. She's just as guilty. It makes me wonder if you even know what your talking abou," the instructor snickered before disappearing into the shadows. Rin watched the ghoul collapse, his shoulders rising and falling. He stopped when he saw Miyuki leaning against the door frame.
"Miyuki?"
"Impressive display," she smiled. Rin looked up to where Noihaus was standing mere moments ago.
"Damn it. Where the hell did he go?" he growled. The Yuki-Onna shrugged then walked over to the breaker switch and turned the power back on.
She sighed, "We should go make sure everyone else isn't dead." Rin paled at the thought.
The duo hastily made their way back to where they left their classmates. As soon as they entered, Rin scanned the room.
"Is everyone alive?! what happened to the other half of the ghoul that-" He abruptly stopped, noticing the atmosphere.
"But...your ghoul...What the hell happened?" Suguro asked, alarmed. Rin grinned.
"Oh, I killed it. I guess you killed yours too, huh? Awesome! Huh?" Rin bragged, only to get tackled him and stomped on by Suguro. After a few moments of Rin almost getting squashed, Miyuki sighed.
"You're both idiots."
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- That Night -
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BANG!
Miyuki's eyes shot wide open. She was in the men's dormitory for Boot Camp and had fallen asleep while reading. The book that once laid atop her face was now on the floor. The gunshot that woke her up had come from the roof. Wearing only a white t-shirt and a pair of blue shorts, she threw her door open and ran towards the staircase.
When she finally made it to the roof, she found Rin in the grasp of the same ghoul that had attacked them earlier, Noihaus and Yukio, who was fighting to stay conscious, were on the far side of the roof. Rin's head was being squished by the beast's large claw. Miyuki mentally hissed.
"Hey!" she yelled, grabbing the ghoul's attention.
When its grasp on Rin loosened a fraction, she took the opportunity to attack. She came to a sudden halt and shot a beam of ice towards it. The demon absorbed the damage with its arm then swiped at her.
Luckily, she managed to jump over it in time but nothing could save her from the second arm that seemed to come out of nowhere and snatched her up. Her eyes widened as her body was squeezed tighter and tighter.
"Let...go! Damn it!" she pounded her fists against the ghoul's claw. The distinct sound of bones cracking almost rang throughout the night sky.
Yukio managed to break the magic circle that was used to summon the ghoul and both teens were dropped. Miyuki hit the ground with a hard thud then was left lying on the floor, motionless. Rin held a sword up to the instructor's throat. He narrowed his eyes.
"Miyuki, are you ok?!"he called to her but to no avail.
"Noihaus, for your own good, you'd better stop this now. If you lose any more blood, you'll die," Yukio spoke through his ground teeth.
"What the hell are you?" Rin asked the man who simply grinned in response.
"What am I? A survivor of the Blue Night," Noihaus spat.
"The Blue Night...? You don't say..." Rin narrowed his eyes.
"It lasted a few seconds. My body was possessed by Satan...and I lost this," Noihaus pulled his eyepatch up to reveal his missing left eye.
"There was nothing I could do to stop it and when my family tried to save me, Satan took over my hand and used it to slaughter them all," he explained spitefully whilehis eyes glanced over Miyuki's still body. She had a cold haze around her, snow and ice forming on the ground.
"I won't forgive Satan...or any demon I come across. That goes for the son of Satan as well! I'm going to kill you! Even if it means I die doing it!" Noihaus said, using the markings on his skin to summon the ghoul's arm which pierced Rin's stomach. What surprised him was the boy's bloody and toothy grin that followed being stabbed.
"Did that make you feel any better?" Rin asked. Noihaus retracted the demon arm.
"If you think you're still not satisfied, I can handle more. I'm used to it. Pick the time and I'll be there waiting for you. But you gotta promise me that you won't drag innocent people into it again," he narrowed his piercing azure eyes.
"Don't think for a second that it's over," Noihaus hissed as he walked past Rin. He stopped right next to the boy.
"Get ready for what's coming and think about how much you really know about the people you're protecting," he suggested. Rin's eyes widened a fraction as he looked to Miyuki who, as if on cue, spat up a decent aount of blood. When the instructor had left, Yukio and Rin rushed to the wounded girl.
"We'll get you to a doctor," Yukio tried to help her up but was shooed away. Miyuki shook her head and tried to released herself from the boys' grip. Rin, however, wouldn't let go.
"I said I'm fine. Just give me a second to catch my breath," she let a small whimper escape as her body healed itself rather slowly and painfully. Then, with a sigh, she accepted Rin's help and shuffled towards the roof's entrance.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. The Yuki-Onna stayed silent as her mind began to wander.
A frown crossed her face when she remembered what she had done when she first made it to the roof. She yelled his name then tried to save him. Usually, she wouldn't intervene in someone else's battle like this. She was going to let what happened to him happen...but, truthfully, she had come to like his company. As well as her classmates, although she was reluctant to admit it. They were growing on her and—if she dared to—she'd even call them her friends.
"I...need to lie down."
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Hey guys! It's me, DoesNotCompute~! I'd just like to say thank you for everything so far! I'm trying my best to write these chapters and not make them too long. Leave reviews for what you'd like to see, suggestions you have, and just anything you want to!
Special Thanks To:
Ghost of Magic
Light He'arth
Tick Tock Follow the Clock
SilvarRaven
