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Chapter 8

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"How long are we gonna wait?" Kamiki whined as all the Cram class students met up at the exit gates. All of them except Rin and Miyuki.

"I have no idea," Suguro grumbled. Once the words left his lips, Yukio Okumura walked out of the gates.

"Uh, Sir?" Kamiki got his attention. "What the hell's going on around here?"

"Listen up, class. Today's mission is over. You can all return to your dorms for now," Yukio explained, a frown set on his face. Before anyone could even trun around, the sound of struggling drew their attentio to another figure leaving the park.

"Let me go! I can't breathe, damn it!" Rin yelled as he was carried away by a red-headed woman. His face was way too close to her chest.

"Well, that sucks. I'm jealous," Shima sighed, head dropping in defeat.

"Shima!" Konekomaru gasped at his friend's words.

"Who's that hottie?" the pinkette asked Yukio.

"She's wearing pants from a boy's uniform. Could that be Yamada?" Konekomaru thought out loud. The class widened their eyes in shock.

"Typical Okumura. Guy's always getting into a jam," Suguro grumbled as the redhead abruptly stopped. She narrowed her eyes that kept staring forward and snapped her fingers.

"I need you, too," she ordered. The group of students looked around confusedly, searching for who she could've been talking to.

"What for?" Miyuki frowned, an uninterested look plastered on her pretty face. Everyone looked up to the roof of the theme park's exit. Miyuki was sitting there, arms crossed as her legs dangled off the edge. Aliza was hidden in a nearby bush since she couldn't return to Gehenna just yet.

"Just c'mon," the redhead demanded, still not turning around. Miyuki sighed as she jumped off the roof, holding her skirt down. She hit the ground then walked up next to the mystery lady and Rin. They begrudgingly continued walking as the other students were left to wonder what on Earth was happening.

"Where are you taking me?" Rin asked when they stopped before a door labelled "staff only". Miyuki watched Yukio take out some keys and put them in the door.

"Oh, that's right. You never had a reason to come to the base before now," the redheaded lady, apparently named Kirigakure Shura, hummed thoughtfully. The group walked inside, revealing a large room with a path leading elsewhere.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Miyuki noticed Aliza slip through the door and hide under her skirt. The imp had decided to shadow the Yuki-Onna until she could go back to Gehenna and Miyuki didn't mind.

"Is this it?" Rin whispered to her sceptically. She simply shrugged.

"I hope all this fancy decorating is worth the walk. I'm getting tired," a yawn escaped her throat.

"This is the Japan branch of the Knights Of The True Cross," Shura explained as she pulled Rin through the door. Miyuki followed behind. "The main headquarters are in the Vatican, right underneath Saint Pierre Paulo's Basilica. All the branches from all over the globe are run from that location. The order's been around for more than two thousand years, protecting the world from monsters."

"Quite true," a familiar voice praised. Miyuki instantly wished she was anywhere else.

"Welcome to the Japan branch of the Knights Of The True Cross!" Mephisto Pheles welcomed.

"I haven't seen you in ages, Shura! And what a surprise it is to find that you'd infiltrated our Cram school to spy on us. Your disguise was inspiring. I had no clue," he smiled his usual annoying smile.

"Mephisto, how about we cut to the chase?" Shura narrowed her eyes. "Why'd you hide the existence of the Son of Satan from the Order? The Yuki-Onna too?"

"I didn't hide anything from anyone. Yes, I took them in, but it was all for the sake of the Order and its future," Mephisto explained.

"What do you mean by that?" Shura asked, finally letting go of Rin so he could breathe.

"We train the son of Satan as a weapon for the order. I know for a fact that the Yuki-Onna is a power Satan would love to have in his arsenal. If we take that before he can corrupt it, we're one step ahead," he clarified his thought process, receiving some uncertain looks from his audience. "Look, for the last two thousand years, we exorcists have been on the defensive. But now we have the chance to take the initiative."

Using our demonic powers? It's not stupid, I'll give you that, Miyuki thought. Mephisto's eyes narrowed and his smirk grew wider.

"Why thank you, Miyuki. I do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever thought about me," he put a hand over his heart in a faux heartfelt gesture. Miyuki's eye twitched and her lips turned to a frown.

"Stay out of my head, Mephisto," she snapped.

"You didn't answer my question, so I'm gonna ask you one more time...Why didn't you report this to the Vatican?" Shura asked, still holding Rin.

"Well, just look at them. Their powers aren't at their full potential yet. You know the Grigori would never be convinced by a half-finished project. I was simply waiting for the right moment," Mephisto smiled.

Miyuki clicked her tongue. He had a point there. She still had some ways to go before she could truly be called a Yuki-Onna. Sure she could control ice but what about her other powers?

"Tell me something..." Shura gained their attention again. "Was Fujimoto Shiro also involved in this scheme of yours? What about Toshiko Arai and Ichiro?" she asked.

"There was no scheme, I swear! Fujimoto raised the boy until he became aware of his powers. Arai and Ichiro simply acted of their own accord. All I'm doing now is acting as their guardians," Mephisto told the intimidating woman.

"I see...Either way, I'm still gonna report this. Before I do, I wanna interrogate the kids. Hope you don't mind if I use the Great Cell," Shura's last sentence wasn't a question as she was already moving before getting an answer.

"Please, make yourself at home! I'm sure you'll find them quite amusing subjects," Mephisto winked. Miyuki groaned, showing her disapproval.

"Huh, you're cool as a cucumber. We'll see what you're like after I'm done," Shura slyly smiled.

"Wait, Shura, just a moment," Yukio called. "You don't have to interrogate my brother. I can tell you anything you want to know," he suggested. Shura raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're a little taller than the last time I saw you. But in a lot of ways, you're still the kid I used to know," she pushed on his forehead with her index finger. She turned back to Miyuki and Rin, pushing them forward. "Move it."

"Oh, before you go," Mephisto called, making them stop. "I'd suggest that you disclose the whereabouts of your little friend, Miyuki. Just to be safe." Miyuki could feel Aliza's talons dig into her legs, clearly angered by Mephisto. She sighed.

"What is he talking about?" Shura knit her brows together questioningly.

"Come on, Aliza," Miyuki grumbled. Of course, Mephisto would call her out. How does he seem to notice everything?!

"You get on my nerves more than Stolas ever did, Mephistopheles..." Aliza hissed, suddenly appearing on Miyuki's shoulder. Rin widened his eyes and pointed to the imp.

"It's you!" he gasped. Aliza cocked her head to the side.

"It's me," her razor-sharp teeth were visible through her big grin. That smile sent a shiver doen the boy's spine. Shura paid no mind to the small creature.

"Let's go, Frosty," she ordered as she pulled Rin along. Aliza and Miyuki sighed in unison.

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Miyuki and Rin were thrown into a big, empty room, Shura closed the door behind them. As Rin and Shura talked, Miyuki walked over to a wall and slid to the ground. She crossed her arms and legs as she leaned her head up and closed her eyes. Soon enough, she got bored and listened in on the other two's conversation.

"Growing up, I lived in some awful places. Every day was a struggle just to stay alive. Then, out of nowhere, this man came and saved me. He was Fujimoto Shiro," Shura told Rin.

Miyuki peeked one eye open, somewhat intrigued. She thought of the day she ran away from the orphanage...and how Strix had saved her from her loneliness. Both of Miyuki's eyes were open now as she watched Rin get fooled again, resulting in the swiping of his sword.

"You just fell for the oldest trick in the book," Shura grinned. "How many times you gonna give this thing away?" she asked. "You got a problem hanging onto it, kid?"

"Of course I don't! Give it back," Rin activated his flames and charged towards the woman.

"Without the sword...?" Miyuki thought out loud.

"Devour the Eight Princesses," Shura put her hand to her tattoo on her chest and summoned a sword. "Slay the serpent."

"What the-What are you doing? You said you were the old man's disciple!" Rin knit his eyebrows together in annoyance.

"But this comes right from the top and I'm a Senior Inspector, so on the day Shiro died, the Vatican's sent me on a secret mission. They suspected Shiro Fujimoto and Mephisto Pheles had been conspiring ever since the Blue Night. The Vatican thought the two of them had been hiding something connected to Satan, so they sent me to investigate," Shura explained. She looked at Miyuki for a moment.

"Here's the fun part. If I found out there was a conspiracy that was tied to anything Satanic, I was given permission to exterminate it on the spot."

"Exterminate?!" Rin asked.

"That's what I said. You know those blue flames shooting out of your body and the ice she uses? Even to the untrained eye, that's proof positive you're the son of Satan and she's a high-ranking demon. So as ordered, I'm going to kill you," Shura stated plainly as she smirked.

"Kirigakure Sword Technique, Snake Fang!" Shura flicked her sword around, causing attacks to fly at Rin too quickly for him to dodge. Miyuki stuck out her hand, turned it over, then pulled it up. As she did so, a wall of ice was made between him and the sord attacks. Rin looked to her as a big crash was heard, the sound of the ice wall shattering.

"Thanks," Rin smiled. Miyuki nodded. Miyuki clicked her tongue.

"Mephisto mentioned someone named Toshiko...Can you tell me who that is?" she asked as she walked towards Rin then stood in front of him, facing Shura.

"They were an exorcist couple. One of the best out there," Shura lunged another attack at the two kids. Rin put his hands up for self-defense but another wall of ice went up to protect him. Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, I figured as much," she grumbled as she shot an ice blast towards the redheaded woman, who dodged then shot twice as many fang attacks at her. It sliced through her wall once again.

Miyuki put her arms up in defense as Shura ran up to her, kicking her in the gut. She roughly hit the wall, taking her out of the game so Shura could start targeting Rin. She chased him with attacks then kicked him to the ground as well.

"Man, talk about deluded. Even if I did train this good-for-nothing punk, He'd never be able to put a scratch on Satan. That scrawny chick wouldn't stand a chance either," Shura said as she put her purple and green sword up to Rin's throat.

"Say what?" the boy asked.

"You were a coward, Shiro. Instead of fighting like a man, you decided to hang on to your impossible hopes," Shura shook her head in defeat.

"No!" Rin yelled, startling a dazed Miyuki. She was ninety per cent sure she had a concussion. "My dad wasn't a coward! He died protecting me," Rin hissed angrily.

"Rin..." she mumbled as she staggered to her feet.

"I say he was a coward," Shura shrugged.

"You don't know a damn thing...So shut the hell up!" he shouted as he activated his flames again. "I don't care if you were his disciple. I'm not gonna take your crap anymore. Don't diss my old man!" he charged at Shura once again. The two began fighting in the middle of the room.

Miyuki leaned against the wall, catching her breath as another one of Shura's fang attacks were thrown towards her friend. She put her hands to her mouth then breathed out, shooting an icy wind at Shura. The swordswoman dodged it.

"You'll have to try harder than that, hon," she mocked. Miyuki growled while running towards her. The teen swiftly dodged Shura's assaults but was thrown off when she managed to slice the girl across the torso and toss her aside once more. She rolled across the floor before landing on all fours, blood seeping through her shirt.

"What happened? You weren't gonna take my crap anymore. If you don't attack, I will. Kirigakure Sword Technique, Rattle!" Shura readied another onslaught. Miyuki saw five metaphysical snakes lung at Rin. He grunted as his flames were extinguished and Shura stabbed her sword into his shoulder.

"Rin!" Miyuki called as he howled with pain and the sword was pushed deeper through his body. Any movement made by her was quickly shut down by the pain in her abdomen. In order to stop the bleeding, she layered her wound with ice.

"There's no way I'm gonna let myself get killed in a place like this, you hear?" Rin told Shura as he grabbed the blade. "I swore on his grave that someday I was gonna be a great Exorcist like him and that I'd beat the shit out of Satan!"

"You're gonna beat the shit out of Satan?" Shura asked, clearly mocking him.

"Yeah. I'm gonna be a Paladin, the most powerful Exorcist of all. Then, once I'm Paladin, everyone's gonna know that my Dad was right all along!" Rin grit his teeth and bared the pain.

"A Paladin, huh? Don't make me laugh you brat!" Shura roared. Her eyes suddenly widened and she began laughing as she pulled the sword out of Rin's body. He fell to the ground. "You were right, he's funny. Or maybe I'm the ridiculous one...I don't know," she sighed while door opened and she put her sword back into her tattoo.

"What about you, girlie? Got some big ambition, too?" Shura asked. Miyuki's eyes closed as she leaned against the wall.

"I'm going to find my parents..." she confessed determinedly.

Shura sighed as she turned to Rin. "You really loved Shiro, huh?" she asked.

"Huh? I-I didn't say that!" Rin choked on his words.

"And you want to protect the ones you care about, right?" Shura turned to Miyuki. The girl raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Why else would you protect this idiot?" Shura laughed as she grabbed Rin. Miyuki's face flushed for a moment but she didn't know how to respond so she said nothing. Shura cracked a smile at that.

"Let's get going," she nudged the boy forward. Miyuki trudged after them begrudgingly.

That Night...

Miyuki sat up from her bed. Thankfully, her wound from her battle with Shura had healed up and didn't hurt any more. She sighed, rubbing some crust out of her eyes as she stood up. Deciding to take a walk, she slipped on a hoodie and walked out of the girls' dormitory.

Since the door hadn't closed yet, Aliza took the opportunity to jump out and latch onto her leg. They crawled up it until they was on her shoulder.

"Up late again, I see?" the imp asked.

"Something like that," Miyuki's cold eyes were set on the path before her. Aliza sighed.

"Where to?" they asked as they sat on the Yuki-Onna's head.

"I don't know..." she sighed, closing her eyes as she walked.

"Are you worried about him?" Aliza asked. Miyuki shoved her hands in her pocket after putting a cherry-flavoured sucker in her mouth. Her imp friend narrowed their glowing white eyes. "I see the way you try to protect him. That's unusual for you, M'lady. Your objective is to help in the capture of Okumura Rin, is it not?" They tilted her head slightly.

"That's what it was in the beginning..." Miyuki sighed. Aliza looked down until their face was mere inches from the demoness who stared her dead in the eyes.

"Shouldn't it still be?" they inquired.

"I'm...not so sure anymore. I mean, it's not like I can just decide to stop this mission; it was given to me by the big man himself...I just wish it was that easy, I guess," the Yuki-Onna bowed her head in defeat.

"Look, M'lady...All I'm saying is that you don't need Satan. You don't need any other demon. Your heart is strong," Aliza spoke softly.

Miyuki stopped walking when she found herself at the Boys' Dormitory. She looked up and saw Rin sitting on top of the roof, holding his wooden practice sword out in front of him with a determined smile spread across his face.

A breeze blew Miyuki's hair around her face and her clothes around the frame of her body. Aliza noticed the soft gleam in their mistress' eyes.

"Come on, let's go have some fun," Rin told Kuro, who was sitting on his shoulder.

"Okay! Let's play! Let's play!" the cat grinned as it transformed into a bigger version of itself.

"Let's go!" Rin grinned as he bounded off the roof with Kuro. Miyuki watched him as the fire in his deep blue eyes burned brightly. When he finally disappeared from her view, she sighed.

"Maybe you're right, Liz...Maybe I don't need all these demons..." Miyuki willed her eyes to glow as her white horns poked out of her whipping hair and her tail swished behind her.

"But then again, maybe I do."

She smiled warmly.


Thank all of you for reading my story so far! I Hope that you'll continue reading and maybe follow or favorite it! I'd appreciate it~

Special Thanks To:

nightwalker616