Ray tried to stay attentive during the lesson. That should have at least earned him some points for effort. Because really, it was rather hard trying to pay attention when there was this really creepy black mass of goo making gurgling noises as it crept through the classroom like a phantom.
You'd think that after fifteen years of being able to see all sorts of weird and creepy things wouldn't phase Ray anymore.
Well, granted that it was practically breathing down the back of his neck, it really wasn't Ray's fault that the creature was rather hard to ignore.
But either way, Ray left the classroom with almost zero new knowledge, and homework regarding said knowledge.
Yeah, life was hard.
Stretching, Ray leaned back against the tree he'd been resting on while waiting for the lunch break to be over. He had already eaten, so he really had nothing to do now.
Looking back up at the sky, he let his mind wander once more, relishing the fact that he didn't see any creatures floating about, other than the occasional blob or bug creature.
He'd miss seeing a clear sky when he returned to Singapore.
0o0
When Yukio returned to the dorms, he quickly retrieved his brother's Koumaken that had been tucked away safely in the cupboard for the last decade or so
He probably wouldn't have even touched the Kurikara for a decade more if Mephisto hadn't suggested it during their meeting.
"Why not have a look at your brother's sword, Okumura-kun?" Yukio sometimes wished that Mephisto would just get to the point instead of beating around the bush. Just explain why, damn it.
There really was no need for such time wasting, but if Mephisto found amusement in riling the younger Okumura up, what could Yukio do?
He picked up the Koumaken, gently turning it over in his hands. The sword had no longer glowed with Rin's blue flames fifteen years ago, so why would it now?
Which was why he did not expect to see what he did.
Running along the length of the blade, a small blue flame flickered faintly. However small it might have been, Yukio didn't miss the significance of it.
He knew the Kurikara had contained his brother's demon heart. But ever since the flames had vanished from the blade all those years ago, Yukio had always assumed that Rin's demon heart had died with him.
Had the demonic energy simply been biding it's time, awaiting it's master?
Had Rin really been...?
Yukio sheathed the Kurikara, letting the blade slip back into its saya with a click.
He really needed a drink.
0o0
After three hours of unsuccessfully attempting to do his homework, Ray finally decided to swallow his pride and just ask his teacher who stayed a few doors away from his room.
Ignoring his pride, Ray knocked on his teacher's door and waited.
And waited...
... And waited...
Alright, his teacher wasn't in? Ray sighed, turning to walk back to his room to once more attempt his homework with reference to a textbook he still couldn't read that well, before he paused.
Something was... tugging at him. Actually, the more accurate description of the feeling was that something was calling out to him.
Come back... The feeling seemed to imply that. And this seemed to come from the teacher's room.
Feeling throughly freaked out, Ray retreated back to his room. He honestly didn't want to know.
0o0
Later that night, Ray got up from bed to get some water. He knew he should have filled his water bottle up beforehand. Now he had to go walk down the darkened hallway to the kitchen.
He didn't know about anyone else, but those hallways were creepy! Did anyone ever bother installing working lights?
Using his phone as a flashlight, Ray made his way down the hallway, constantly checking over his shoulder for anything, as though he was in a horror game.
Well, he did have a reason to be worried. The last time he had taken a dare from his friend to enter an abandoned creepy house (The dorm was creepy, and sometimes looked abandoned. Yep, Ray wasn't taking any chances), something that looked like it had just come out of one of those Japanese horror movies decided it would be a good idea to follow him.
Even when he went back home.
Worst. Day. Ever.
He never took any dares afterwards, and last Ray checked, the horror movie ghost still hung around his house like a stalker.
Seriously, Ray once woke up to it staring at him from the window. That was really a bad way to start the day. Especially after he had screamed like a little girl when it's eye had fallen out.
Of course, the only reason why it hadn't entered his house could have been because his mother had the house blessed a while back...
Unfortunately, while it kept things out, it also kept things in.
Ray was unfortunately already resigned to the fact that the little terror living underneath his bed would never go away.
Ray broke out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching. "Okumura Sensei!"
It was indeed his teacher, but he wasn't wearing his usual clothes. He was wearing a coat that looked some sort of uniform, and a strange pin was pinned to his jacket's lapel.
Call Ray weird, he could have sworn he had seen that pin somewhere before...
"Ri- Ray?" His teacher looked surprised. "What are you doing up at this hour?"
"I needed water." Ray replied with a shrug, before he caught sight of something.
"Okumura Sensei, you're bleeding!" True enough, blood was seeping through a tear on the jacket. Yukio blinked in surprise. He hadn't seen that...
He nearly groaned. Judging by how it looked, he was definitely going to feel that in the morning.
"It's fine," He dismissed it, ignoring how painfully similar Ray looked when Rin was worried. He'd clean the injury later, when Ray wasn't around.
But Ray just wouldn't back down. "Sensei Okumura, that doesn't look okay! It looks like something clawed you! You should get that looked at by a doctor."
"Ri- Ray, it's alright. I've had experience with this. I'll be fine." Yukio cursed under his breath for his repeated slipping up.
Still looking unconvinced, Ray grudgingly accepted this, but not before saying,
"You still need a doctor."
As he walked off, Ray swiped at what he thought was a large bug, since it was too dark to make out what it was.
Yukio could only stare in shock as he saw Ray swat away a Coal Tar.
"Rin..."
0o0
A month quickly passed, and Ray found himself quite settled at the school. For one, the students weren't complete assholes who'd pick a fight with him the first chance they got, before running to their parents, screaming bloody murder after Ray had throughly handed their asses to them.
Secondly, the lessons were not as boring as the ones back in America, even though Ray sometimes had trouble understanding what the teachers were talking about. Needless to say, the 'Japanese for Dummies' really came in handy.
Although, something did worry Ray, despite everything being seemingly fine. Over the course of the last few weeks, the number of those bug like creatures seemed to have increased from zero to over a hundred.
They weren't everywhere, but considering how the school and been free of these creature no less than four weeks ago, the sudden increase in number was pretty alarming.
Ray sighed, absent-mindedly pulling at the grass that had been growing at the base of the tree he was leaning against as he enjoyed the evening air. He didn't know what was going with all the freaky things. Not only had they increased in numbers, they also seemed a tad bit more... active.
Really, they wouldn't stop buzzing in his face! Ray was honestly considering getting a fly swatter by this point in time.
Losing his temper, Ray swiped at one of them, sending the bug creature careening to the side.
"Get LOST!" The bug creatures chittered frantically in an unknown language, backing away from Ray as though they feared his ire. Kuro, who had once again followed the teenager, meowed and nudged Ray's hand with his nose as a form of comfort.
The teenager leaned back, shutting his eyes as he enjoyed the absence of the annoying buzzing.
You...
Ray's eyes snapped open, searching for the eerie voice that had spoken. Suddenly, the teenager wished that there when there were other people around, just so that if anything happened, someone would know what happened.
As it was, one of those creatures could easily jump him, and since there were no witnesses, no one would ever know what happened.
Kuro hissed, the fur on his back standing as he protectively stood in front of Ray, ready to defend the teenager against any threat.
Moments passed, and Ray began to wonder if he had even heard something at all. But Kuro...
He didn't get to finish that thought, as something dripped onto the back of his hand. Looking down, it was a dark, purplish liquid that was really starting to burn...
Gasping, Ray shot away from the tree he was resting beneath, just as a freaky looking... thing, dropped down from said tree, bringing several branches with it.
It honestly looked like it had dropped out of a horror movie, what with the decaying flesh that had been stitched together only by wire. Murky purple liquid dripped from the gaping hole that Ray assumed was the mouth.
"Wha- what the hell?!" He nearly shrieked, more than startled by the creature's sudden appearance. He had seen many creatures during the past fifteen years, but never had one been so hostile.
This definitely did not bode well.
Kuro gave a snarl, before the cat dashed forward with the intent of biting the horrifying creature.
"Kuro, no!" Ray cried out, a hand reaching out as though that would stop the cat from running to it's possible doom.
But said doom never happened. But what did happen left Ray gaping, as well as wondering if he even got out of bed that morning.
A puff of smoke had concealed Kuro from view, and when the smoke dissipated, the small cat that Ray had gotten used to was gone, and in its place was a huge cat, way bigger than the teenager himself.
Kuro bit down on the corpse like creature, cutting it into two. Purple substance gushed out as the creature fell to the ground.
However, Ray's relief did not last. The creature's gashes sealed itself, splitting into two separate demons, one of which kept Kuro busy, while the other...
'Oh come on-!
Ray was very unceremoniously thrown against the tree that he been leaning against only minutes prior, and he didn't get the chance to even catch his breath before a strong grip held his throat, making breathing almost impossible.
The teenager choked, kicking his legs out as he tried to get the creature to relinquish it's hold on his throat, but to no avail.
He couldn't breathe-!
"For... give... M...e... bu...t the... king..." The creature rasped. Ray, as fogged as his mind was from the lack of air, barely registered this in his head as black splotches appeared in his vision.
King?
A sharp crack filled the air, and the next thing he knew, Ray was one sprawled against the ground, coughing as he filled his lungs with oxygen, black spots in his vision refusing to fade away.
"Get away from him!" Looking up, one hand still on his bruised throat, Ray squinted his eyes to focus them. He nearly fell over in shock when he did see what made the creature let go of his throat.
Was that his teacher holding two pistols, firing away at the menace?
The teenager's mind blanked out, his head spinning from the everything that had just happened. How the hell had a peaceful evening gone down the drain so quickly?!
He didn't even notice it when his teacher had chased the creature away, or when Kuro had effectively destroyed the creature he was battling. It was only when his teacher had come up to him to check on him did Ray finally find words to speak.
"What the hell just happened?!"
[A/N So... I'm done with this chapter. I didn't go too fast, did I? I'm not particularly good at pacing my stories, and I really don't want to disappointl anyone...
Well, I hope that this chapter was decent enough, so I guess I'll see you guys next time.
Bye!
~ Gwntan12 ]