Yo! Everyone! Shinigami here! So I'm finally back from Japan, after a longass plane ride that I knew was going to be annoying! But Japan is quite fun, and I can assure you that whatever you think Japan has, there's going to be 10 times more to it! It's incredibly beautiful, and I can't wait to study abroad there my Junior year! I might even have something to study regarding the Catholic Church in Japan!
Also, I finally caught up on the Blue Exorcist manga, and holy shit! It is getting intense! We've also got some new character outfits, so I'm looking forward to more! So, depending on where my story gets, I'll start diverging once I get caught up to canon, so we'll see how far I get! Also, finally started college again, so I have a paper to get to once I'm done as well...
Disclaimer: I do not AoE. Only Kazue Kato-dono does.
Reviews! YES! So, does it just depend on my threat as well? Regardless, thank you to ef07, SadisticPrincess13, ShadeAllure, ElectraX12, PurpleSnow10, crazydutchy, YokaiAngel, Reading Pixie, Vernacious, tone-ton, Makoto4Days, Guest, Rex888, Reddo-sama, SakuraKoi, RizLuvAnime, Leopardheart44, yukixvongola, Naru-Shikaforever, nicoleAnE, ILoveLilies247, .Screens, 3, Rainbow Girl, ZGK1007, AnimeHails (x2), snowy1219, Artdirector123 (x4), AirbourneEnginuity, Guest-Name-Here, ARSLOTHES, SayMrrp, Elie, Guest, Sillydarkcat, draco7347, Guest, Vi-Violence, Guest, Guest, and TheMysteriousPerson -0-'-0 for reviewing! A special honor to yukixvongola for being my first foreign language review, and thank you as well to those who left very long reviews! Golden cookie for you!
Thank you as well to those who favorited and followed, and get ready for the beginning. Everything, (well, not exactly everything) is revealed, and the Lady and the Boy will be revealed at last. Everything is starting to tie in. Also, fair warning, there is going to be a lot of historical background, so I'll let you know when, in case you want to skip, as I know that history is boring to some.
Also, Paradise Acquired has finally surpassed 100,000 words! That might not seem like much, but it's been my dream to have a fanfic that big! WOO-HOO!
"Every Hail Mary is like a blow on my head. If Christians knew how powerful the Rosary was, it would be my end."
Allegedly said by Satan, as reported by Father Gabriel Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rome
(Yes, that is a real position...)
Throughout True Cross City, everyone could feel a shudder go through them, as fear seized the hearts of everyone in the city. Cats shrieked and darted off, dogs hid under their paws, infants cried, and everyone couldn't shake the dread that gripped them. Those that had temptaints couldn't understand the sight before them, as they witnessed an unfathomably large pillar of blue light shooting into the heavens. It was as if the fire and brimstone of Sodom and Gomorrah had appeared once more. (1)
High upon the top of True Cross Academy, a man dressed in a white trench coat with a decorative cape not unlike angel wings looked upon the sight, and placed a wireless communicator in his ear, "This is Arthur. Yes, summon the heads of the Church and the Grigori at once." He narrowed his eyes at the sight, "Satan has returned."
In the Forest...
Amaimon grinned like a madman, his broccoli hair returning to normal, as he began laughing. This power! "Ha! YES! SHOW THAT POWER!"
Bon slowly got up, his entire body hurting with pain. 'Ghg. Just... what kind of monsters are these things...' He thought, as he looked up, and his eyes widened. Everything was wreathed in an ethereal blue light, and in awe, he looked up to see a pillar reaching to the sky, comprised of that same blue light. 'No...' He realized, 'Not light... FLAME.' He looked at the epicenter of the light, and he saw that at the center of it... was Okumura?!
Konekomaru looked on as well, "What's happening to Okumura?" He said in horror, as he saw the blue flames. Shima slowly got up to look as well.
Yukio was confused. There was no way that his brother had this much power! How could this be?
All their questions were answered, as Amaimon spoke up, "YES! THAT'S IT, FATHER! SHOW ME THOSE FLAMES!"
Yukio froze at that. 'Wait. Father?! Only one person could be Amaimon's father, but...' His eyes widened in horror. "That's impossible!" He shouted, as he realized the implications!
The great pillar ceased to exist, as two great orbs of fire floated behind Rin, and two ethereal fiery wings appeared above his shoulders. Upon his head, it was wreathed with fire not unlike a crown. "Amaimon. As Lord of Hell. I'm gonna fucking kill you." And both Amaimon and Rin charged forward as they began fighting, Satan effectively using the Kurikara to block Amaimon's strikes.
Bon couldn't believe his ears. Did they really just say that?! But, that sword... "That's a demon sword... The Kurikara..." He muttered.
Satan swung Kurikara against Amaimon, unleashing a razor sharp blade of fire. Amaimon twirled to avoid it, even as the fire began to consume Assiah. "Ha ha! So beautiful!" Amaimon yelled, even as Satan appeared above him, nearly cutting his head off with Kurikara, and following it with an earth-shattering dropkick, and then he stabbed through Amaimon's shoulder, igniting him in the process. "Burn to ashes!" Satan yelled, as Amaimon screamed in agony.
Amaimon reached out and grabbed Satan's tail in a last minute resort. "Agh!" Satan screamed at the dirty trick.
Mephisto was actually silent for once, looking on with a serious face as he attempted to comprehend what was going on. 'Okumura Rin... was Satan the entire time?! How is that possible. Satan's power should be too great for Assiah, yet at the same time, his body shows no decay. Perhaps Okumura Rin is sturdier than I thought... However, there certainly are some characteristics. A demon's tail is his weakest point, but Satan always chose to ignore that fact, keeping it out as a sign of power. A taunt...' He watched, as both of them landed on two juttting rocks, preparing to clash again, and with a roar, Satan charged forward, 'But... What is your goal here, Satan? What is motivating you now!'
With Yukio
Yukio gave out orders quickly, "Hurry, everyone! We need to dig faster!" He commanded, as they began digging where Amaimon has sunk that strange mysterious woman. Just who was she, and why was she so familiar?
Using their familiars, Izumo and Shiemi quickly scraped at the dirt, while Shima dug with his staff, and Bon with his hands. After some effort, the ground gradually collapsed, and Yukio looked in quickly. In a small air pocket, there was the strange young woman! "Quick! Help me pull her out! And be careful with her leg!"
Shiemi jumped down, and helped Yukio pull her up. He leaned in close to her face, and his eyes widened. Reaching into his bag, he grabbed a mirror, and saw it didn't fog up! "Shit!" He yelled. She wasn't breathing! 'In the air pocket, she must have panicked and used up all the air... Yukio quickly began chest compressions, while attempting to understand everything that was going on. Everything had literally gone to shit in the last five minutes! He quickly applied mouth to mouth resusciation, and recommenced chest compressions, until with a cough, Yuri started breathing again!
Her eyes still blurry, she looked and saw a strangely familiar face, but she couldn't place it yet... Yukio leaned down, and smiled gently, "I apologize, but I need to set your leg. It's going to hurt a lot." Nodding slowly, Yuri looked down, and quickly looked away. Her leg wasn't supposed to look like that, right?!
Yukio gingerly grabbed the the edges of the fracture, and gently spoke, "On the count of three, alright?" Yuri clenched her hands in worry, and Shiemi leaned up close and grabbed one of her hands, helping to calm her down. Everyone was watching as the two rather professionally handled the situation. "Alright... One, two... three!"
CRECHK!
Yuri tried to muffle her scream as much as possible, but the pain was excruciating! She would have rather given birth again! Yukio quickly prepared a makeshift splint, but it would have to do for now, until they could get her more formal care. "Okay." He sighed.
"Oy! Are you all right?" Shura yelled, as she finally ran up.
"And where were you?!" Yukio yelled.
"I was dealing with Amaimon's pet! I wasn't slacking off!" Shura pointed with her thumb in the opposite direction. "It's not safe here! We need to get going!" But she stopped at a sudden blast of light, and turned to the forest skyline. Fire flared up over the tree line, and quickly burst up in another area, as more and more of the forest caught fire. Her eyes narrowed. She could sense that that power was definitely NOT Okumura Rin's. 'You wanted to raise a son, Shiro, but were you aware of how much of a beast he actually was...' She smiled, "I'm looking forward to it!"
As they began marching off, Yuri looked off into the distance, and she saw the blue flames emerging from the horizon, "Satan..." She muttered, while Yukio looked behind him in confusion. Just how did Ri-, no, Satan know her?
The fight between Amaimon and Satan was getting far more intense now. Satan was now using less precision over his flames, primarily because he was starting to get even more pissed.
"You certainly are insane, if you think you can stand up to me, your father, Amaimon!" Satan yelled.
"I do dare! I'm tired of being called weak! I'm tired of you not caring! You never cared for any of your family, and then some random whore comes by-"
"Don't you dare call her a whore!" Satan yelled, and unleashed a burst of flames from his right hand. Amaimon crouched down, and buried his hands into the ground, lifting up the earth, and used it to block the wall.
Satan increased the intensity of his flames, and Amaimon gradually began to be pushed back, even as the makeshift barrier began to melt from the intensity of the heat! Acting quickly, Amaimon pushed the boulder towards Satan, and cocking his fist, slammed it full force into the ground.
Everyone began to struggle to keep their balanace as the earth trembled, shaking back and forth violently. Even Satan was forced to his knee as he struggled to stay upright. However, Mephisto watched as parts of the town began to collapse, older buildings coming down completely, while bricks and other various parts began to topple from the top of the Academy. He hated to, but he needed to interfere.
As Amaimon and Satan lunged towards each other, arms outstretched, both of them were stopped by Mephisto grabbing their arms. "This has gone on long enough! At this rate, my school will be completely reduced to rubble!"
"Samael, you DARE interfere!" Satan yelled.
"Aniue, don't you get involved! This fight is mine!" Amaimon shouted.
"I did warn you not to break the school, did I not?" Mephisto chided, "Besides, haven't you understood it already? This is father. There's an overwhelming difference in your abilities."
Amaimon bristled in anger, and Mephisto couldn't help but notice a difference in his aura, even as Satan broke out of Mephisto's grip, and quickly moved back. "What?!" Mephisto turned to deal with him, but stopped as he noticed rocks were beginning to float around him.
"Tch, Einz, Zwei, Drei! Er Stopfen!" Mephisto yelled, as he temporarily stopped the flow of time, intending on making his next move. But the rocks didn't stop! "Ugh!" Mephisto yelled, as the bombardment sent him crashing through the forest. 'Why didn't my time spell stop him?!' Mephisto thought.
"I haven't lost yet!" Amaimon yelled.
Mephisto was about to respond, until he noticed the area was bathed in more blue light. He turned, and saw Satan charging an orb of blue light in his hand! "Shit!" He muttered, as Satan crushed the ball, sending multiple bursts of flame against him. Mephisto quickly dodged, but Satan smiled.
"You might want to look behind you." He said, and Mephisto turned around. The bursts of flame kept traveling, until they exploded in the city! Within minutes, people were screaming as buildings caught fire and collapsed. Filled with anger, Mephisto turned around, only to see Satan right above him, "Now get out of my way." And with that, he backhanded Mephisto into the the Academy.
With that dealt with, he turned back to Amaimon, "Where were we now?" And he slowly walked towards Amaimon, flames slowly starting to consume all of the forest surrounding him.
Not responding, Amaimon got up, and stared Satan directly in the eyes, a serious look in his face. His face became more intense as veins began appearing on his face, and Amaimon's claws began twitching.
Satan's eyes narrowed, "So he's releasing his heart..." He whispered.
A flower sprouted from Amaimon's chest, as horns sprouted from his head, a tail burst out from behind him, and his arms ripped out from their sleeves as they bulked up. The new appendages were all green, with red highlights on them. His ears grew pointed as well, and he slammed his hands together, bristling with anger.
Satan had to admit, even he was impressed with the power that Amaimon was releasing, even as the very earth itself seemed to shake. All across Japan, people were taking shelter and bracing themselves as the earth seemed to unleash her fury upon the poor nation. Even around the world, it seemed as though Mother Earth herself had awoken, and she had not slept well, it seemed.
He chuckled, "So inexperienced..." His faithful flames gathered around him, their boundless power wreathing him, as he gathered it in his hand. "Let me show... Just how a demon uses his power!"
With a near angelic grace, he swung his hand, and unleashed seven bursts of flame, and as they flew towards Amaimon with pure lethality, they gradually seemed to take shape, until with near intricate detail, they resembled seven dragons of lore, and with a great roar, they flew with hungry maws against him.
Amaimon clapped his hands, and the earth flew up, eager to protect its young prince, but Satan could only smirk, pure contempt quite evident in his visage. "It's unfortunate, Amaimon..."
Amaimon watched in horror as the very earth itself was alit by the purity of Satan's flame, the fire of a fallen angel, and all the dragons lurched skyward, before like a falling star, they wrapped him in their lethal grasp.
Amaimon's screams rang throughout the night sky as he felt his flesh burn, and he swore even his soul and thoughts themselves burnt, as Satan's grin turned into full-blown mania as his laugh rang like a bronze din through the night sky, almost seeming to dim the stars themselves. "HA HA HA! EVERYTHING BURNS!"
It was something out of his longest-sought dreams. He extended his arms, as his flames twisted around his arms like snakes. Slowly, all his surroundings grew engulfed by the accursed blue flames, the symbol of evil and betrayal. He swiped his arm, and his lethal nest of flames exploded, sending Amaimon flying somewhere into the distance. Nothing would stand in his conquest of Assiah now, and his triumphant mockery grew louder.
Amaimon crashed, HARD, into the earth, carving a jagged scar into the life-giving earth. Father was... monstrous. Never had he experienced such power before in his life. Such was the strength of the foolish being who had dared stand against God Himself.
However, all beings had a weakness, and Amaimon was no fool, though he was often made out to be so. He knew exactly what his father's weakness was, though he believed he had none. He forced himself to stand, and he concentrated all of his strength. He was the King of Earth, and heir to Gaia, and he made his authority known.
He slammed his fist into the earth itself, and to any onlookers, it would appear as if the earth had opened its hungry maw. His blow pierced the very womb of the earth, and the forest seemed to just split, as Amaimon unleashed his fury.
Yukio and others had finally reached True Cross Academy, breathing heavily, while he pondered just what the Gehenna just happened. When did Satan first possess his brother, and how could he not notice? Was Satan that great a deceiver? Was he just that terrible a brother? And just who was this woman, and why did she seem so familiar!
"What the hell is going on?!" Bon yelled, voice slightly terse, as they turned around, to see the hellish scene behind them.
"It's the... blue flames..." Konekomaru muttered nervously, clutching his broken arm.
"Rin..." Shiemi muttered, while Yuri looked on in worry, looking on with concern for both Satan, and her son, who she felt was lost in thought. Mother's know these kinds of things after all, even if it's been 16 years.
Yukio's thoughts were quickly interrupted, as the earth was shaken out from underneath his feet. What the hell was going on?! "Oof!" He grunted, as his balance was taken out from underneath him, followed by everyone else. He adjusted himself so he didn't land on the lady's broken leg after all.
"What the hell?! Another earthquake?!" Shima groaned.
"It's to be expected! We're dealing with the King of Earth after all! This is the same guy who caused the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960!" Shura yelled. (1)
Of course, speak of the devil, and he doth appear. And appear he did, walking from the darkness like something out of a Faustian drama. He slowly scanned the crowd, until he found who he was looking for, Yukio helping Yuri up.
Everything almost seemed to happen at once, Shura's eyes widened as she went for her sword, Shiemi gasped, Bon ran forward, Shima took a moment to realize what was going on, Konekomaru screamed, and Izumo stared wide-eyed, as Amaimon extended his claws, wreathing them in a jagged stalagmite, and rushed forward against Yuri, even as Yukio jumped in front of the lethal blow, as Yuri screamed.
"YUKIO!" To which Satan quickly ended his mania, turning faster than he thought possible.
"Yuri!"
Yukio almost thought Mephisto was playing with time. It seemed that everything moved in slow motion. The claws moving towards him in slow motion, even as he moved to protect that woman. Everyone's faces... they seemed so slow... Why did he even jump in front? He didn't even know her... All these thoughts ran threw his head even as the instrument of death moved closer and closer, eager to reap his life...
SQUELCH!
Yukio blinked, as he felt the red liquid drip down his cheek, but it wasn't his own.
"Why didn't you move... Moley... Four Eyes..."
Yukio almost couldn't seem to breath. He was wreathed in the blue flames, and there he was, protecting him as always? Or was it a first? All he knew was that in front of him was his elder brother, a giant gaping hole in his heart, gazing at him with that oh so familiar grin. But he couldn't tell. Was it his brother, or was it Satan? Where did one end and the other begin?
Satan coughed up blood. Now why did he do that... Assiah was right in his grasp. Now why did he give it up... He looked down at the jagged spire protruding from his chest, and silently cursed. He couldn't explain the metaphysical parts, but when demons possessed a vessel, there was always the physical heart, and the metaphysical heart, or the demon heart. The demon heart could be accessed for a power-up, at the cost of making it physical, and thus exposing them to weakness. However, he wasn't possessing a vessel. He was in it, flesh and blood. When his demon heart emerged from Kurikara, his physical heart and demon heart became one. He never considered hiding it again... And there was currently a giant gaping hole where it was. Well, shit.
The light faded from his brother's eyes as he collapsed, Kurikara clanging to the ground, Yukio nearly gagging as he realized he could see clearly through him, while Amaimon grew the biggest smile since Mephisto discovered anime.
"HA HA! I DID IT! I BEAT FATHER!" He yelled to the heavens. "GO AHEAD GEHENNA! TELL ME I'M WEAK NOW!"
"Very impressive. Now, Kuchen Cuckoo Clock!" Amaimon recoiled as the giant chicken head popped out of nowhere, and dragged him into the infinite darkness of Mephisto's cuckoo clock.
Mephisto was full-on angry, and it was quite evident by the veins pulsing on his head. This was certainly quite a mess, and he hated messes. And he hated to admit it, but he was actually at a loss at what was going on. Although he wanted to kill Amaimon in many painful ways, he was impressed. He was probably the second being to defeat Satan in combat. Any others, Satan personally eradicated the legends of, if they existed, that is. He looked over where Rin was lying.
"Nii-san! Nii-san!" Yukio yelled, trying to shake his brother's limp body, but Mephisto looked on. Rin's body was already starting to repair the wound. But was it Rin, or Satan who was doing the healing, he mused.
Yuri had started reaching for Satan's hand. It had been so many years, so long, but just as she was about to touch, she felt her hand smacked away. She gripped her throbbing hand, as she looked into the angry tearful eyes of Yukio.
"This is your fault! If you hadn't come by, none of this would have happened! Nii-san and I could have all lived in peace! But you made him give it all up! Who are you to force him to do it!" He raged, while Yuri watched, hurt visible in her eyes.
"Yukio..." Yuri began, "I'm-"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!" Yukio shouted, very confused.
"Oy, Yukio!" Shura stuttered out, quite taken aback by his sudden rage, while everyone else really had no idea what was going on. But the real kicker was when Shiemi walked right up to Yukio.
SMACK!
The sound echoed through the night, as Yukio's glasses clattered to the ground. Yukio looked at Shiemi's blurry face, his cheek smarting from where her outstretched hand had assaulted him. Shiemi couldn't even say anything, her face quite angry, as she just humphed, and walked away.
"Ah, so blue..." Everyone turned to the new voice, as high up on one of the towers, a new figure emerged, winged cape and luxuriant blonde hair flowing in the air. "It's just like that night, wouldn't you say?"
"Who's that?" Izumo said.
"Look who's here..." Shura said, silently cursing in her mind.
"Good morning, everyone!" He said, as he turned to them, revealing a quite handsome face. "I am Arthur Auguste Angel. A Senior First Class Exorcist with the Vatican Headquarters."
"Arthur Auguste Angel..." Izumo repeated, rolling each name off the tongue.
"He was just named to the post of current Paladin." Shura explained, placing her hands on her hips.
"Huh, Paladin?!" Izumo shouted.
Arthur turned somewhat contemptuously to Shura, "And I am also your direct supervisor, Shura." She turned somewhat sheepishly at that. "But Shura, what is your explanation for this? Wasn't it your mission to investigate and report on the conspiracy and cover-up by the late Shiro Fujimoto and the Japan Branch Precept, Mephisto Pheles?"
Shura's face turned serious, "Yeah, but I'm not the only spy you've got stashed away here, am I?"
"True." Angel admitted, "Still, you had another crucial task to carry out as well..." He turned to look at Rin's limp body in Yukio's arms. "If you could confirm that their plot was Satan-related, you had the go-ahead to eliminate it immediately." Yukio's grip grew tighter at that.
"Shura, does this blue flame-spewing beast not strike you as being a Satan-related entity?" Angel concluded, before he turned at a sudden clapping sound.
"Such piercing insight, as always!" Mephisto interjected, a dark look over his eyes.
"Am I right?"
Angel turned with utter disdain to him, "Mephisto..." He muttered with pure spite.
"It's been a long time, Angel. I hear that you've recently been appointed to the rank of Paladin." He mockingly bowed, "I offer you my most heartfelt congratulations!"
"So you've finally shown your tail, demon!" Angel yelled, gesturing to the ruin of the city, "I will ensure you are fully prosecuted for the innocent lives you've taken! Reports of your treachery have reached the ears of the Grigori! They're convening an upper level Synod even as we speak! This incident proves it without a doubt!"
"Actually, I haven't even been able to play my hand at all." Mephisto admitted, adjusting his fancy hat, even as he rubbed the bruise on his face.
Angel just grew incredulous, "Never mind." He ended, as he grabbed the greatsword at his side, with both hands, moving its scabbard in front of him "Caliburn, lend me your power."
"Ohhh, Arthur! Gladly!" The sword suddenly shouted with a fangirly voice, as he drew it from its scabbard, revealing an elegantly forged broadsword.
"By order of the Supreme Advisors of the Order of the True Cross, the Grigori..." He suddenly vanished, leaving everyone to look around for him, Yukio seeking hardest of all, until he felt Rin wrested from his grasp. "I shall execute the spawn of Satan!"
Shura was about to move as well, even as Yukio drew his firearm, but surprisingly both were beaten to the punch. Everyone cringed as Yuri, ignoring the searing pain in her broken leg, marched up to Angel, and drawing her leg back, full-blown kneed him straight in the groin.
Angel's face quickly grew pale, as he collapsed on the ground in pain, clutching his very sensitive area. "Keep your hands off of him, you bastard!"
"My my... This just got interesting." Mephisto chuckled, walking over to grab the lifeless Kurikara to place in its faithful scabbard.
Yukio didn't know her still, but he had to admit, he liked her spunk. "You... go... girl..." He turned to the weak voice, and saw it was Rin!
"Nii-san!"
"Hey... Yukio..."
Yuri collapsed, unable the bear the strain anymore, even as Angel, much to his credit, stood up, and grabbed Rin by his throat. "Regardless, this spawn will not be allowed to live!"
"NO!" Yukio yelled, jumping up, until Angel's sword stopped millimeters before piercing Rin's throat.
Angel's eyes were averted to the side, as he appeared to listen to some voice in his earpiece. "Tch." He withdrew his sword, even as he dropped Rin to the ground, coughing, "That was an order from the Grigori. They are holding a disciplinary hearing against the Precept of the Japan Branch, Mephisto Pheles."
"Oh? I shall look forward to that!" Mephisto smirked. He had no idea what was going to happen, and he must admit, that excited him!
Angel turned to Shura, "Shura, you're coming with me as a witness. Needless to say, so is that spawn of Satan as evidence. We also need to determine for how long was possessed by Satan, and how to prevent such an event from happening again." Any more he was going to say was interrupted by an eerie chuckle.
Everyone turned as Rin stood up, and to the great unnerving he almost seemed larger, despite being no change in his stature. The air grew greatly chill, even as he spoke. "What, I don't get any say in the matter?" He chuckled evilly, even as he held his right hand up and engulfed it in flame. "What makes you think I feel like going to any trial, and further, who said I was out of this vessel?"
Various exorcists drew their weapons, as Shura led the Exwires back, "Satan!" Angel uttered, even as he brandished his sword.
"Ha! The one and only!" He admitted, as Yukio felt his heart sink. He still didn't have his brother back! "Again." Satan's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What makes you think I'm going."
Angel snapped his fingers, and two exorcists marched up and seized Yuri, making Satan's eyes widen.
"Oy!" He yelled, drawing his claws.
"Ah ah ah." Angel said, shaking his finger, as they held a sword up to Yuri's throat, making him stop. "I don't know who this woman is, but whoever she is, she's important to you. And if there's one thing I know about demons." Angel walked up and looked Satan right in the eyes. "They jealously guard their treasures."
Satan tch'ed. He hated to admit it right now, but he was weak. All of his flames were going to work currently repairing his heart. "Fine." He uttered with the venom of a snake, "But I won't forget this, exorcist." And he gazed right back into Angel's eyes. "It's only a matter of time. And I have all eternity."
He began walking, until he heard the sound of a gun click. He turned around and saw Yukio pointing a gun right at him. He turned around and smirked, "What's the matter Otouto?"
Yukio clenched his teeth, as his grew close to drawing the trigger, "Give Me Back My Brother."
Satan merely smirked, "Sorry, I quite like this body far too much."
Yukio merely tightened his grip, but Shura gently walked over, and placed her hand on his gun, and gently lowered it, to which Yukio begrudgingly complied.
Satan was about to continue walking, until Bon couldn't bear it anymore, and he furiously shouted, "What the hell is Satan doing in an exorcist academy in the first place?!" He was going to continue, but he broke into a coughing fit from being flicked in the chest by Amaimon. Was everything that this guy said a lie, or was it genuine! He had to know!
Satan just turned around, "Who knows." He smartly said, as two brave exorcists quickly led him away. Of course, he had some fun, and growled at them. He was pretty sure he made them wet their pants!
Mephisto followed, after he had directed the medical personnel to treat them, and Arthur led them to the trial, having Yuri accompany them.
The Opera Courthouse
Deep within the depths of the Vatican City State, far beneath even the Holy Catacombs where the relics of Saint Peter dwelt, in the center of the ancient Apostolic See of the Diocese of Rome, dwelt the Opera Courthouse, used to try exorcists primarily for the sin of Apostasy, or various other crimes against the Church and humanity. It had been elaborately designed, a gift from the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV to appease Pope Gregory VIII in order to lift his excommunication for daring to usurp the authority of the Pope over the Church.
This court is where the group had come, after they had been given proper medical treatment by doctors. Shura, Shiemi, Izumo, and the Kyoto trio were watching from above, in one of the lofty balconies. They were certainly nervous, especially as they looked around, noticing that upper level clergymen were present, as well as wealthy backers of the order, albeit in secret, for fear of revealing it.
Silence entered the hall as Angel led Satan in, followed by Yuri, Yukio, and Mephisto. They quickly came to the center of the hall, where Angel pushed Satan to the center, and very hastily backed up. Satan looked back, somewhat in confusion, until Angel began reciting. A glow came from underneath Satan, and he looked down, and swore.
Underneath him was a very elaborate designed cross formula. A celtic cross lay in the center, the letters CSSML and NDSMD crossing each other upon it. In the four empty spaces between the cross's branches lay four circles with the letters CSPB in them following a clock-wise order. And in the circle encompassing it, lay the letters VRSNSMV-SMQLIVB, with the single Latin word Pax emblazoned at the top. (2)
Satan was forced to the ground by the power of the seal, and though he struggled, found himself unable to move. 'Fucking bastards!' He mentally swore. They had used the Benedictine Medal to seal him, and even for him, that was not an easy seal to break. It was more powerful than the Absolute Defense Seal in the forest.
His struggles were momentarily put on hold as the sound of a gavel rang through the courthouse. "The disciplinary hearing against the accused, Mephisto Pheles, Precept of the Japan Branch of the Order of the True Cross, is now in session!" Satan looked up to see Mephisto placed high up on a dais in front of him, having (thankfully) switched to a more formal outfit. "The interrogation will be carried out by myself, Timothée Timowan, Law Enforcement Director of the Order, and the Paladin, Arthur Auguste Angel. Also, the Grigori, the Supreme Advisors of the Order of the True Cross, will preside. However, we are also faced with an unprecedented event, namely the discovery that Satan has both returned and found a vessel capable of possessing his essence, namely his son, Okumura Rin, which he is currently in hold of," Numerous gasps of horror went through the room, as many crossed themselves. "We have deemed it fit as regards the Order to convene in upper level Synod of the heads of the 24 Sui Iuris Churches, in order to determine the action best for the it."
Everyone stood in respect, as the doors above the chamber of the Grigori opened, as easily the 24 most important men in the Roman Catholic Church entered into the Courtroom.
(A/N Here's the history part!)
Now when most people deign to think of the Roman Catholic Church, they usually imagine it as one giant monolithic entity, subservient to the Pope, and usually drowning in Latin. However, that's usually the fault of the enormously massive Latin Church. In truth, the Roman Catholic Church is comprised of 24 Sui Iuris, or autocephalous Churches, which are all united in one, Catholic unity. These Sui Iuris Churches came to birth through the separation of a group of the faithful from the various schismatic Orthodox Churches, and who desired a union under the primacy of the Pope of Rome, save two. The leaders of these churches were now gathering to determine the fate of the Church. However, of these, only the most important shall be discussed for the sake of brevity. (3)
The first of these to enter was the one of the two who had never separated from the Roman Catholic Church, the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, head of the Maronite Church, who formed out of the teachings of Saint Maroun, had come to gather in the ancient Christian community of Lebanon.
Next followed the Catholicos-Patriarch of Babylon, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. It follows a great and glorious history from a shared heritage with the Ancient and Assyrian Churches of the East, the earliest of all Church schism, who rejected the Council of Ephesus in 431, when it came time to repudiate Nestorianism. However, when a schism arose in that Church, a faction came to the Pope of Rome to be ordained Patriarch, and yet in a strange twist of irony, the opposing faction came to full communion as the Chaldeans.
Next came the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria, that ancient See founded by Saint Peter's disciple, Saint Mark, and anciently given primacy after the See of Rome, until it was replaced by the rising See of Constantinople. Over time, they separated from the majority of the Coptic Orthodox, who had rejected the First Council of Chalcedon, and were recieved into full communion.
Of these, not a patriarch, but still important was the Major Archbiship of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Primate of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. When that Church of the East was cut off from the rest of Orthodoxy, it gradually spread East, and came to India, and China, led by Saint Thomas the Apostle. In time, through the work of the Carmelites, these churches united under Rome.
Unique among them was the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, and Alexandria and Jerusalem, spiritual leader of the Melkites. Their history is a valuable one, birthed out of the fears of the Patriarch of Constantinople that his authority would be threatened, declaring the Melkite Patriarch deposed in favor of his own agenda. Most disagreed, recognizing the Patriarch as legitimate, and to this day, it remains one of the few Eastern Catholic Churches to be larger than its Orthodox counterpart, and has always been a leader of the Arabic Christians, a status in enjoys to this day.
(A/N End history! Whew!)
Finally, most important of all, and everyone bowed their heads in reverence as he entered, entered the Pope of Rome. Wielding authority from his status as successor of Saint Peter, who was gloriously martyred at the hands of the Roman Emperor Nero as recorded by the historian, Saint Eusebius, it is his responsibility to lead the Church.
He entered, clad in the familiar white cassock, fascia, and zucchetto, he was also clad with a red cape with golden shoulder cape, and carried his crosier with the crucified form of Christ upon it. He looked around the court, and took his seat.
He was followed by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Jude Maximilian. As the Dean, he was effectively the second most powerful man, and as such, was summoned for this spectacle as well. He adjusted his zucchetto on his head as he remained standing behind the Pope's throne.
Timothy cleared his throat as he began, "Sir Pheles, let us get straight to the point, is that demon there before me the son of Satan?"
Mephisto bowed, a smile somewhat still present on his face, "That is entirely correct. It is far too late for excuses."
A clamor arose, as the entirety of the audience began to freak out, shouting and screaming predominant. Even the archbishops and patriarchs were not immune.
"Have you gone mad, Sir Pheles!" The Armenian Patriarch of Cilicia shouted, "If this knowledge should ever get out, are you trying to incite violence against us!"
"Forget violence!" He was interrupted by the outburst of the Ukranian Major Archbishop of Kiev-Galicia, "Just imagine of the Russians should find out!" He cried, "We would face complete annihilation! It would be worse than the ages of the USSR!"
Yuri looked confused at first, while Yukio looked on in worry. Everything was finally out in the open, or so he thought.
Timothy banged his gavel, shouting "Order! Order!" But struggled to keep it, but the entire hall was once again brought to order when the Pope lifted up his crosier, and slammed it once upon the ground. With a resounding echo, the entire hall once again was brought to silence.
"In other words, 15 years ago, when Fujimoto Shiro claimed to have exorcised the child of Satan with Koumaken who Lower Second class Yuri Egin was pregnant with, and later died, are you saying that report itself was false?" Yuri looked shocked at that.
"Yes, it was doubly false. First off, the two male twins were not executed, and one of them did not inherit Satan's flames, our dear Yukio Okumura as you know. Secondly," He gestured behind him, "It was also a lie that Yuri Egin perished."
The Grigori finally took note of the woman behind him, and were indeed in shock. "My God! The witch is alive?!"
"Yuri..." The female Grigori muttered.
"Very much so!" Mephisto exclaimed.
Yukio turned with shock, according to what the Grigori had said, and he stared at Yuri. "M-mother...?" He could barely stammer out, as he clutched the wall for support. Yuri just merely hobbled over, somewhat slowed by her crutches, and gently tenderly gave him a hug, as he tried to recover from his shock. Not only was his mother possessed, but his mother was alive? Did God feel like throwing everything at him today?
"It's alright, Yukio... I'm here now..." Yuri gently uttered, clutching him in a tight hug, as she stroked his hair, noting how much taller he was than her... But, 'What did Mephisto mean by twins... I only gave birth to Yukio...' She thought in her heart.
Casper, the only female among the Grigori began the questioning, "Then what was your purpose for having secretly raised him under Shiro Fujimoto's care? Why not under Yuri Egin.
"After your failed attempt at executing her for heresy, Satan, under the possession of a cardinal, took her off to the mountains where she nearly passed away from her injuries, had I not acted and froze her time, doubtless she would have died. Only recently did we have the means to treat her properly." Mephisto's grin easily grew more sinister, "As for the elder, I had a twofold purpose... To turn him into a weapon for fighting Gehenna...:
"A weapon you say?" Melchior said.
"That's rubbish! I would advise you not to take this swindler's words seriously!" Angel yelled, Gentlemen, surely you have not forgotten Pheles's personal history! Conniving words are his specialty!"
"Order!" Timothy shouted, "Sir Pheles, now what exactly was your other purpose?"
"As some of the Grigori know from my talks with them, the balance of the world has been greatly disturbed." Mephisto's face grew darker, "It was also my hope, through use of Okumura Rin, that Satan could finally be flushed out."
At this point, Cardinal Jude finally lost it, "WHAT?! Why would you want to lure that monster out!"
"It's better than the alternative!" Mephisto chided, a rare serious look on his face, silencing the outburst, "Both this world and Gehenna have been slowly on the path to civil war!" Satan perked up at that.
"So your intention was to primarily to prevent war, Sir Pheles?" Samyaza, the younger male and leader of the Grigori finally spoke up.
"Indeed!"
"Why?"
"It's quite simple. From the beginning, humans have always fascinated me, capable of both creation and destruction! However, I've found that the human creation is always much more preferable! Besides, I can't very well enjoy my precious anime if there's a war going on!" He shouted dramatically.
Everyone primarily sweat-dropped at the demon king's... unique priorities, and even the Pope repressed a small smile. Casper began again, "It is true that we view demons as our enemy. However, we have also gained wisdom from demons, arming us with countermeasures."
"Still," Melchior continued, "This does not dispel the suspicion of treachery against Lord Pheles, least of all considering your weapon was providing nothing more than access to Assiah to none other than Satan himself!"
"But..." Samyaza concluded, "We do have grounds to trust Lord Pheles, based on his 200 years of cooperation with the Order, and... unique love of Japanese culture. However, this issue of Satan must be dealt with!"
"Finally," Satan shouted, face still stuck to the floor, "I was starting to feel a little left out here!"
"This demon conspired to raise the son of Satan with Fujimoto Shiro! That fact is indisputable!" Angel countered, "For all we know, he conspired to help Satan gain access to Assiah from the start! There's no question that Mephisto planned to betray the Order and overthrow it from within!"
"Still," Everyone turned to the voice from above, as the Syro-Malankaran Major Archbishop of Travandrum finally broke his silence, "It remains that we are severely outmatched against the demons."
"This is an issue of unprecedented magnitude" Added the Syro-Malabaran Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
"Should things go wrong," The Romanian Major Archbishop of Făgăraș-Alba Iulia, finalized, "The risks too, are grave, as we risk both our own lives, and the lives of our flock."
Shura tch'd, as she cleaned her ear out with her pinky from up at the balcony, "Jeez! How long are they gonna keep going like this..."
Casper continued once more, "However, Mephisto, now what is your plan given Satan's unprecedented return."
"It should be quite obvious. We need to return Satan to the throne of Gehenna as soon as possible." Mephisto answered.
"What?!" Bon shouted, although it was largely ignored.
Samyaza interjected, "You cannot be serious. You cannot expect us to place our greatest enemy back onto his throne!"
"What other alternative do we have? Like it or not, a more stable Gehenna is much more preferable than a Gehenna at war." Mephisto was about to continue, but he was interrupted by a laugh; a cold laugh.
Satan was full on laughing. "That's beautiful, but, what makes you think that I'm going back?"
Mephisto stuttered, "What do you mean?"
"It's quite simple. For far too long, I've longed for Assiah. And now that I've finally got it, what makes you think I'm going to give it up!" Satan said, the red in his eyes seeming to glow even brighter despite the light.
Cardinal Jude bursted, "As if we would ever let you stay in Assiah! We'll do whatever we can to make sure to rip you from that host, and ensure you burn in Hell where you belong!"
"Heh heh heh... What makes you think I'm possessing this body..." Now it was Satan's turn to grin, as the air suddenly grew ice-cold chilly.
Mephisto turned dark, "What did you just say?"
"You heard what I just said." Satan grunted as he stood up from the seal, albeit with difficulty. "It's quite hard to separate a possession, if there's no possession going on."
He heard a click as he turned around and lo and behold, Yukio was pointing a gun at his head. "You know, you seem to be doing that a lot today." He drily remarked.
"What... did... you mean by that." Yukio coldly uttered.
Satan made eye contact, "You heard me. Simply put, your dear old brother Rin, quite simply, never existed."
"You're lying!" Yukio yelled, "That's all you are, a liar!"
Satan shrugged, "Well, I might be a liar, but maybe you should ask dear old Mommy."
Yukio turned around, "What does he mean by that?"
Yuri sighed, "On that day... Sixteen years ago, I only gave birth to only one child... That was you, Yukio..."
"Then how are you here!" Yukio yelled.
Satan shrugged yet again, "Even I don't know that. Contrary to popular belief, I don't know everything." He chuckled, "Although you can rest assured, you're entirely human." Yukio nearly choked, "Now put the gun down... Nii-san." Yukio's glare intensified.
*BANG!*
The shot rang through the courthouse, as Satan's face turned surprised, a bullet hole directly in the middle of his forehead. Yukio panted heavily, sweat beading on his brow. Did he finally do it?
"Satan!" Yuri yelled.
Yukio looked at his brother's lifeless body, so many different emotions going through him. He didn't have a brother, his mother was alive, he was human!
"Pity," Mephisto said, "If it were actually that easy to kill him, somebody would have done it eons ago."
Satan groaned, as the wound in his head finished healing, "Ouch. That hurt."
"Why did you stick around!" Yukio yelled. "Was everything just a lie!"
"Not entirely." Satan answered, cracking his neck. Yukio at least deserved that much of an answer, "For the first few years of my life, my memories were sealed, in no part thanks to my no good son over there." He said, gesturing to Mephisto. "Damn you by the way."
"You're welcome." Mephisto replied.
"When he sealed my powers when I was sealed in that infant body, he coincidentally sealed my memory with it." Satan admitted.
"So then, why stay?" Yukio prodded.
"I did have a promise to keep after all." Satan said.
"What promise is that." Yukio questioned, somewhat curious.
"I can answer that..." Everyone turned to look at Yuri. She gently put her hand on her abdomen. "It was when I was pregnant with you... Yukio. Satan had always been there, and I asked him... I asked him to care for you."
"And as a demon, I do keep my promises." Satan smugly added, "Even sealed, I did."
"Why would you do such a thing!" Angel yelled at Yuri, who shrank under his gaze, reminding everything he was there.
"That's not important right now." Satan said. "I have more pressing matters at hand. Namely, finally conquering what is rightfully mine."
"What! Why?!" Yuri yelled, "What do you have to gain from that!"
"Because I can." Satan answered, "Don't worry, my dear." He sobered up, "You have my sworn word that no harm will come to you, or Yukio."
"But-"
"STOP HIM!" Angel yelled, as they finally realized what was going on.
"I must thank you, Knights." Satan spoke, his grin finally returning. "You've made hunting down all the major leadership of the Church much easier. Now..." He tightened his fist, and punched downwards, completely destroying the Benedictine Medal. The impact traveled outwards as it the resulting explosion forced all the charging exorcists back.
Screams reverberated through the entire hall as the smoke cleared, revealing Satan was free. "EVERYONE EVACUATE NOW!" Angel yelled, even as Shura jumped down to the balcony.
Satan looked at the charging exorcists, "So sorry, but I have other things to deal with." And vanished in a burst of speed, right in front of Mephisto. No one was aware of the giant chamber doors opening behind them.
"This is going to hurt, isn't it." Mephisto muttered.
"Yes. Yes it is." Satan said. And he backhanded Mephisto straight into the wall.
"Ugh..." Mephisto groaned. "This seems awfully familiar."
"Now then..." Satan said, as he began charging up a massive ball of fire, looking directly at the Pope himself, who sat there stoically, even as the archbishops began to panic, and the Cardinal stepped in front of him. "I'm going to kill all of you, and then conquer Assiah, if you don't mind."
The entire hall became illuminated with blue, as everyone began ducking for cover. Bon quickly grabbed Izumo and Shiemi and guarded them with his body, while Shima ducked for cover, and Konekomaru cowered.
Satan grinned, even as the blue glow filled the hall, threatening another blue night all over, gloating in his triumph. Alas, it was not to last.
*SQUELCH!*
"AGH!" Satan yelled, as he looked down to see his hands pierced by some strange chain, a speared cross at the edge, even as they wrapped him up.
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoiced in God my savior."
Satan turned as he recognized that voice, "You!" He saw lo and behold, it was the Lady, a white dove perched on her shoulder!
Her face was absolutely serious, as she continued chanting, "For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold from now on will all ages call me blessed."
Satan watched as pure light energy traveled across the chain, and enveloped him. "AH!" His screams echoed through the chamber as everyone watched in awe. Gripping a beaded rosary in her hands, the lady continued.
"The Might One has done great things for me, and holy is his name, His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart."
The rosary glowed with light, and scattered, and encircled Satan's neck. A light emanated straight from the rosary and connected with Yuri's heart.
"He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones, but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty."
It was time for the final part. The dove flew off her shoulder into the sky, as the it flew up to the top of the chamber, sacred flames flowing off of it, a stark contrast to the unholy ones of Satan. The flames floated down, and coalesced around the Koumaken, which was next to Bon.
The flames also began twirling in a kind of beautiful spiral in the air, as they fiercely plunged from the top, straight through Satan's chest. His scream echoed through the hall as the flames pierced through him. The only difference being that now they were intertwined with his blue flames, as they began to encircle Kurikara.
She began to finish her chant, as the flames drew into Kurikara "He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." (4)
Kurikara glowed with power as the flames were once again sealed within it, with the addition of strange lines written in Hebrew, the words of her chant engraved in the sword, binding its power, the glow fading as it crashed to the ground.
Satan collapsed, the power effectively drained from him, while everyone tried to comprehend what had just happened. Meanwhile, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Angel marched over, brandishing Caliburn over Satan's neck. "Now, while he's weak, I will end him permanently!" He grunted.
"No." The voice rang through the chamber. Angel ceased his sword for a minute, as he turned to her, and brandished it against her.
"Who are you to demand that!" Angel yelled.
"Isn't it obvious..." Yuri muttered.
Angel gritted, "I'm not going to listen to a witch like you. I'm-"
"ENOUGH!" Angel grew silent, as all turned to the Pope, who had finally broken his silence.
"Then who are you." Angel demanded.
The Lady finally spoke, "I am the Virgin Mary, Mother of God."
Angel grew incredibly pale, as he fell to his knees in respect, followed swiftly by everyone else.
"Oy, who the heck is the chick..." Shima muttered.
"Did you not hear her you idiot!" Izumo yelled, "She just said she was the Virgin Mary. She's like the most important person ever!"
"Why have you come here, my Lady?" Inquired the Pope. "It is rare that you grace us with your presence."
"I have had a most terrible vision." Mary began, "In it, It was a series of events that would culminate in the world's end before the appointed time. I saw the boundaries between hell and earth become blurred. I saw where the dead did not stay dead. A great conflict will arise within Rome that will threaten its very existence, and the jealousy of man becomes tied within nature itself. The sun shall rise, and turn its life-giving rays against humanity. The legacy of the Twelve themselves will become threatened, before darkness will consume them all."
"But why spare this demon!" Angel yelled.
"Because the blue flames are at the center of everything. Even throughout the chaos, I saw the blue flames stood out at the heart of the chaos. Whatever shall happen, I believe he is key to whatever happens. However... I grew careless at first. Much harm has come through my decision, as he was left unfettered. I have fixed that." She said, as she walked over, and grabbed Kurikara, giving it to Yuri. "As capable as Mephisto might be at seals..."
"You flatter me ma'am." Mephisto bowed politely.
"Nevertheless, he isn't capable of sealing a power greater than his own, and as such, Kurikara failed to keep the seal. I have remedied that. In addition, I realize now the uncontrollable nature that he possesses, and as such, to you, Yuri, the only woman he ever he loved, I have given a means of keeping him in check, through use of the rosary I have tied to you and him."
"But, how?" Yuri asked very confused.
"You will know when the time comes. But for now, the Knights must accept his help, if the world is to survive."
"Fascinating. I love a wager!" Mephisto said, adjusting his hat on his head, a notable bandage on his face. "But..." He adjusted his hat, dropping a shade over his face. "One question remains yet unanswered. How did Satan gain access to this world in the first place. I thought that Assiah was forbidden to him.."
"Indeed you have a valid point. I may be capable of many things, but even providing for a body is beyond my intercessions." She answered, "But... Fortunately I know someone who can."
"Who would that be?" Yuri inquired.
"That would be me..." Everyone turned at the voice, as the dove descended in a plume of flames, and gained a human form, that of a small boy, perhaps just entering the stage of manhood, all dressed in white.
Mephisto paled, as he recognized him.
"Good to meet you all." He bowed respectfully. "If not obvious, I am Seirei, the Third Person of the Trinity, and her patron." (5)
Mephisto muttered, "What is it with high-ranking celestial people meeting today..."
"To answer your question, I granted Satan the body, mainly at her behest." Seirei explained.
"Why would God let you get away with such a thing?" Yukio muttered.
"Contrary to popular belief, although we are of the same essence, we of the Trinity do not always know what the other is doing." Seirei answered, followed by a great tremor.
"Tch, is Amaimon back?" Angel yelled.
"No, that would be a summons. It would appear that God wishes to speak to us." Seirei answered. "As such we must leave."
"I will leave you with my warning." The Lady answered, "Satan is at the center of everything that will happen. The seal provided is absolute. Only God himself can lift it. However, I have given one last gift, but it will not be immediately obvious. It is the only gift that can temper his rage, and pride. And it will be revealed at the correct time. However, I cannot interfere with the will of man. As such, the choice is up to you." With that, in a flash of sacred fire, they were gone.
"You can't be serious!" Cardinal Jude yelled, "The answer should be obvious! If Satan is at the center of everything, then just remove him from the equation period! Problem solved!"
The Pope stroked his great beard, lost in thought for a while. "Our Lady has never had any reason to deceive us before. Whatever reason, it would seem at least a portion of the Trinity would agree with her, and we must trust their judgment. Very well then," He stood, "We of the Knights of the True Cross will accept our Lady's proposition, and hereby accept the Demon Lord Satan into our wakes. However, I will assign one of my most trusted followers to look after him, and he will be kept under 24 hour surveillance. If he so much as sneezes, we will know it. For the good of the Order, the Church, and the world, so I, Pope Matthew, speak!" (6) And with that, he left.
"Your Holiness! I must ask you to reconsider!" Cardinal Jude followed, urging him, whereas the archbishops and bishops went their separate ways.
"Tch! What the heck are they thinking!" Bon muttered, looking at the prone form of Satan, lying on the ground. "There's no way they can trust him!"
Yukio took one look at his brother's... no, at SATAN's prone form, and sneered, leaving without looking back, whereas Yuri looked at the Kurikara in her hands, wondering what the future holds for them.
Shiemi looked around, and finally realized something, "EH! Where's Hikaru-san?!"
The Exwires looked around, and realized, as a matter of fact, he was missing! "Where the hell'd he go? Don't tell me he got lost!" Bon yelled.
In the smoldering ruins of the great forest, steps echoed through the forest, as Hikaru trudged through. "Well... this changes things... I wasn't expecting her interference at all..." He muttered. He quickly held out his hand, and seemed to cleave through space, a portal of darkness appearing in front of him, as he donned a kitsune mask to hide his own. "I better report back. They'll want to hear this..." And with that, he vanished.
Yuri looked at Satan's prone form, noticing all the various little details, as he laid in a crude hospital room. After the session had ended, they had simply grabbed him and thrown him in some random room, mainly leaving Yuri to care for him. She gently reached down, and touched the rosary now bound around his neck. She had to wonder, was that really what he looked like, or was it just some random face... Regardless, the future will have much in store for them, and she will find that their reunion will be soon cut short.
" ἔστιν ὁδὸς ἣ δοκεῖ ὀρθὴ εἶναι παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τὰ δὲ τελευταῖα αὐτῆς ἔρχεται εἰς πυθμένα ᾅδου "
"Est via quæ videtur homini justa, novissima autem ejus deducunt ad mortem. "
"There is a way which seems just to a man: but the ends thereof lead to death."
Proverbs 14:12
Well, I hoped you liked it! I will admit, I was a little unsure of the ending, mainly because I got some notorious writer's block, but anyways...
Notes!:
(1) If anyone doesn't know, brimstone is another name for sulfur, and when sulfur and fire mis, it actually forms a very ethereal blue. I recommend you look it up!
(2) The Benedictine Medal is basically used for when shit hits the fan. The rough translation of the inscription is "The Medal of Saint Benedict. May the holy cross be my light! May the dragon never be my overlord! Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities! What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!" Pax means peace.
(3) All of these are legitimate postions, but I really don't feel like describing all of them now, so... Just wiki Eastern Catholic Churches. You'll find all you need to know there!
(4) This is the Canticle of Mary, from the Gospel of Luke. One of my favorite speeches!
(5) Seirei is Japanese for Holy Spirit.
So, some brief things, I decided against the Facebook thing. I thought it was a good idea at first, but I realized I kind of like the anonymous side of fanfiction. Everyone is always under a penname, and I don't want to get rid of that. So I hope you all understand!
Also, please note that it takes me a long time to write, so again, please don't rush. I can't always guarantee I'll have time to write you all a note or something, so all I can ask is please be patient!
Finally, don't forget to review! I was a little uncertain about this chapter, as I've never done so much action, so I'm open to some critique! No penalties this time! I'm feeling generous!