Hey guys! So, in response to popular demand (emphasis on DEMAND), this chapter is coming out a bit earlier than the usual! (actually, I just had some free time and seriously wanted to write, but who needs to know that?) And besides, it's a Gehenna chapter, and you all know what that means! :D
Anyway, story-of-my-life update: I have one Biology midterm on Wednesday and a quiz on Friday for different Biology class. Ack. Last weekend I got to see my dad and little bro; it was great to see them both again :) Went up north with them and watched my bro play baseball at a university camp for high school students, ate some good'ol German sausage, watched Ender's Game with them, and then got dropped back off at school and had to say the goodbyes. I hate goodbyes. First I started to get all teary, then my dad got all teary, and then my little bro got all teary and it was just a mess.
Goodbyes.
I hate them.
But enough rambles. Comments at the end :) Feels like I haven't done that in ages! Thanks for all of the support you guys, and continue staying awesome! Enjoy the chapter!
...
Rin's POV
...
The world was a pastel of molted reds and blacks.
Rin slammed against the ground, bruising his hip, but ignored the searing pain and rolled onto his bloody knees. Warm salt flooded his mouth and he impatiently spat blood at the ground.
He bit his lip.
Again.
In the distance, Xavier grinned. His pale blue eyes danced red from the flickering fires, his shadow jerked and sputtered on the dirt floor. Demons were cheering and screeching from above, slamming their fists against the iron bars that enclosed the Pit.
The Pit was shaped like a well. Iron bar covered the top and grates were built into the bottom, though there sole purpose was the drain the blood after the more gruesome of battles. Even now scarlet stained the walls like rust, pooled on the dirt floor and filled the air with the stench of decaying flesh, salt, and copper, and smeared the bars of the grates like they were made of rubies rather than iron. Here, demons could come and hunt human sinners. Sometimes hundreds could be packed inside the bottom of the Pit like cattle, and the audience watched from the bars above would hurdle burning coal, knives, and other lethal objects down at the helpless victims below. It was once said that one could hear the screams of the damned if they listened closely enough.
Those screams came from here.
"Come!" Xavier shouted. As one of the head Generals of Satan's army, he was well versed in many different fighting styles, each one of them as complex and deadly as the one before.
Rin, on the other hand, grew up with the street fights. With one foot he kicked the dirt into the air then cut left, bending down and grabbing the fallen rock in the process. He didn't speak and didn't think; the days had all but numbed him. His arms felt like lead and his legs threatened to give out on him, and yet he continued to train.
No - not train.
He continued to fight for his life.
Xavier's cold eyes followed Rin as the younger demon threw the rock. Xavier tilted his head with a smirk, and the stone flew past him, disturbing his icy silver hair. Rin was there in a moment, one fist curled back with such intensity that his nails cut half-moons into his palm.
A thought cut through the barrier around his mind. Too slow, he realized, then tried to turn his body midair in a desperate attempt to dodge as Xavier raised his arm and caught his fist. Before Rin knew it his body was being painfully twisted midair and his back slammed against the ground. A choked cry escaped his parched lips as the wind was knocked out of him.
He heard the wind of the boot coming to meet his face before he saw it, and he turned his head as Xavier's foot came crashing down. The ground splintered and cracked, and the roaring of the crowd grew all the louder. Rin struggled to take a breath as he got to his feet, but his head felt so light, so light, like it could float away.
Xavier withdrew his boot from the ground. Pieces of dirt that stuck the sole flaked off as Xavier watched Rin with a cold, calculating expression.
"That's it?" he asked, sounding bored.
Rin spat again, and scarlet splattered on the ground. He wiped his chin, but only managed to smear the blood. "Go fuck yourself," he replied, breathing hard. His voice was strong and his posture seemed good, but his vision was hazy and his arms were shaking ever so slightly.
A couple hours ago, for the first time in days, he was allowed his first sip of water after he began to exhibit phases of unconsciousness. It was just enough to bring him back from the edge of death, but all he wanted was more. The demon inside of him - the demon that he tried to control - was edging towards the surface.
Rin clenched his hand into a tight fist to stop the shaking, then took a deep breath and lunged.
Xavier's face fell and he spun around, and the next thing Rin knew a hand had grabbed his face while the other pushing down on the small of his back, and suddenly he was facing the distant iron bars above. He blinked - was the ceiling always that high up? - when he was slammed to the ground again.
His head smacked the hard floor and stars burst in his vision. Copper flooded his mouth and trickled from the corners of his lips as the back of his neck grew hot from something warm and sticky. In the distance he could hear someone laughing, but it was so far away, so incredibly far away that there was no hope of reaching it.
Suddenly he was dimly aware that his body was moving. His arms pushed his body to his knees in short, staggered motions and soon one foot was on the ground, then the other, and eventually he was standing at his full height. His head was tilted back slightly and he slightly swayed back and forth; the stars were still dancing like dunk things in his vision, but the world seemed blue now, like he was wearing those cheap sunglasses from that one store, the one's Yukio hated . . .
His breath fluttered in his chest, and with his next exhale, something had changed. Nothing hurt anymore. He couldn't feel the biting pain that numbed him, couldn't tell that he was half-starved and dehydrated, wasn't even aware that his head was bleeding profusely. The cheering above him was silenced, the noise around him faded to murmurs and whispered, the colors all blurred into shades of blue.
His sapphire eye's flicked to Xavier, and a cruel smile formed on his lips as the caged demon inside cried for blood.
And why not?
...
Demon Rin POV
...
Rin opened his mouth in a bone-chilling scream. Flames enveloped him like a second skin, and he could feel their protective warmth cover him like the loving arms of a mother. He looked up, only for a second, but it was more than enough time to see the horrified look on Xavier's face. Rin could see the demon's fear, taste his fear, feel his fear like it was his own.
Energy bubbled inside of him, hot and biting, as it rose and grew inside of him. The blue flames grew hotter as the energy inside of him demanded release, but a small part of Rin - the human side - begged for it to be contained. That side pleaded that he wasn't a monster, than he was different from a true demon, that he would not be Satan's son.
That small part of Rin's humanity went ignored as the demon side of him wailed in response and allowed the energy that was threatening to overwhelm them both be let free.
There was a slight pop as the air distilled, and then a single ring of blue flame exploded with Rin at its center. The demon was buckled over with his hands clenched around the sides of his head as if he was trying to keep the two halves from splitting open. The world fluctuated in shades of vivid blue as Xavier, from somewhere in the Pit, cried out from fear.
Fear.
Rin's head snapped up, the scarlet in his sapphire irises alight.
Prey?
Xavier, a General of Satan's army and a wielder of ice, had cried out from fright. Steam enveloped his body as he desperately tried to cool the air around him and failed. Above, the iron bars began to melt and drip to the ground. A droplet hit the side of Rin's face, his cheekbone, and trickled down like a metallic tear.
But Rin didn't even notice - all he could see was the demon crying out from pain and blistered bubbled and healed over his body, as the blue flames climbed higher and higher. Screams filled the air, screams that went unnoticed. His only focus was Xavier.
Images flashed in front of his eyes; chained to the floor and being whipped like a dog, being beaten half-to-death in an arena, slowly starving to death in the cold stone room, waking up to being hit and looking up to see his face, to see Xavier's face looking down at Rin like he was some disgusting, horrible thing that didn't even deserve to die in peace . . .
The world flared blue and Rin lunged forward with everything he hand, his hand outstretched before him with a single thought in his mind:
Kill.
...
Raziele's POV
...
The wind was rattling the old, cracked windows. The glass ground against itself and it screeched in response. The clouds were dark, the ground black and barren of life.
Raziele watched the world outside, then closed his eyes. He could see a different place behind his eyelids - he could see a lake, the sapphire sparkling amiss a bright sun, and an emerald forest surrounding it.
Suddenly there was a soft noise behind him. Raziele's eyes flew open and he spun, but it was only Sophiel - her single violet eye staring quizzically at him as she slowly lowered a tray before him. Her hair moved to cover her eye patch.
"Food," she said simply. "Stole it from the kitchen."
"Thank you," Raziele said honestly, and shot her a small smile. Sophiel's face remained blank as she turned and walked away. His face fell; after these couple of days, he had been hoping that he could teach her how to smile. But it anything, she had grown more distant.
Maybe she's worried about Rin, he wondered, grabbing the single loaf of stale bread and turning to look back out the window. He sighed and turned to the bread in his hand. I know I am.
He had searched, or he had searched as much as he could. Rumors had spread that that he was currently a member of the deceased, and he wasn't sure if he should burst anyone's bubble just yet. Playing dead may prove beneficial for him - he could get away with so much more now than before. Nobody was keeping tabs on him, nobody cared what he was doing.
It was great.
Suddenly there was a loud noise behind him, and when Raziele turned, it was Sophiel again - but this time, she was a little flushed and short of breath.
Raziele slid off of the window ledge. "What's wrong?" he asked, hurrying to her.
She swallowed. "Rin," she said in her soft voice. "Heard that Rin had gone berserk. Satan is going to . . . to take care of it. He is going to the Pit now."
Raziele should have said something. He should have reacted, at least. Sophiel hadn't addressed Rin formally - that meant that it had to be serious. But at the moment all he could do was stare at her in shock as the words slowly sank in.
Rin. Berserk. Satan.
The air chilled.
Satan is going to take care of it.
Raziele closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and prayed to anyone who cared to listen that they would not die today. "Well," he said, his rosy eyes flying open, "Satan won't be able to do a thing if we take care of it first." When Sophiel simply blinked, Raziele flashed a crooked smile and added, "Come on, it won't be so bad."
Sophiel swallowed hard and nodded, determination flooding her thin angelic face. Her violet eye blazed in the candlelight.
"I know a shortcut."
Aaaaand the plot moves forward! Little timid slave Sophiel is turning into a little badass, Raziele has recovered and is going with the flow that he's dead, and Rin has completely lost it.
So, to all of you dudes begging and pleading and whining for chapters, I hope this met your standard. :D BUT I'M GONNA FLASHBACK TO IDK HOW MANY CHAPTERS AGO. REMEMBER THE STOP-DEMANDNG-UPDATES-RANT? YEP. WHINING ABOUT IT WON'T MAKE ME UPDATE FASTER - I PROMISE YOU ALL THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UPDATED. IT MAY NOT BE AS FAST AS SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE, BUT IT WILL COME, AND THIS STORY WILL EVENTUALLY COME TO A CLOSE. but not anytime soon because this is a freaking long story. But whatever. Thanks for making this story such a fun one to write, and thank you all for the support! :) I really mean it - I'm writing this story for you guys! But please be patient with me. I'm working on it haha
Ok. Mini-rant done :) Comments time! Because I love you all!
DreamxtoxlivextoxDream: First of all, typing out your name gave me a handcramp. (nah, jk :D you're name is awesome) and thanks! Yeah, college is busy - Biology majors are worked to death. Good luck!
mummy okumua: Aww thank you! I'm glad you like this story so much!
Guest: Whoever you are, you said fanfics. That's plural. You've read my other stories?! :D
Dowgma: Thank you! :) Don't even worry about the relationship - girl power ftw hahah :) and thank you! You too!
Starfrost Prime: Thank you!