Title: Hellspawn
Chapter: 26/?
Characters: Rin, team exo, Shura (mentions of others),
Genre: action, general, mystery(?)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, it's purely fan made for fun... or tears.
Warnings: No beta'd, etc. cursing, anime!ver, brocon, RinYukio, prolly ooc, unrequired love, sloooow buuurn.
Summary: (Then something none of them even considered happened. Amaimon sighed glancing at Shiemi and rolled lolly in his mouth finally crushing it between his teeth. The crunch was deafening and it reminded them that he still was their enemy, if they wanted it or not.)
A/N: 0-100 real quick. Another chapter no one asked for (not even me) bye.
Classroom was quieter than usual.
Before an enormous yawn broke free from Rin.
He couldn't help himself, professor Natara's demon's anatomy lessons were boring him to Gehenna and back. Shima's yawn from behind him hasn't gone unnoticed either, actually, maybe there was something in the air around them.
Or maybe it was a fault of a poor teaching program.
Anyhow Rin found himself seriously doubting that anything would take off that veil of sleepiness from his brain. It was almost a given their next lesson wouldn't do any better. Not his fault, he just wasn't made to endure such tedious sessions which didn't even try to lodge themselves inside his fogged mind. Not to mention he was slightly distracted by his aching face, even after couple days since hallow's eve.
It was exactly as Yukio said; bruises needed to fade at their own pace. Unfortunately.
Rin of course did forget about that tiny, minuscule fact again when he leaned his chin on palm and winced painfully when electric shock of his aching, bruised jaw jolted right through him. Gritting teeth in agony, he squinted eyes not noticing as next teacher stepped into classroom.
"Yo, squires. How's yer life goin'?"
Shura's perky voice greeted them as she walked nonchalantly towards teacher's desk. Even more silence followed after her initial welcome but gratefully Shima was first one to break sudden awe that fell upon them. Because apparently they weren't informed their 'combat trainer' was back in town and kicking.
"Shura-san! It's sooo good to see you again!" Shima chirped, his voice ecstatic. "We've been all wondering what happened..!"
Rin had to agree with that, he also wondered who or rather what had Shura back off on teaching them. Whatever it was it must've been dealt with as she was smirking at them with that light in her eyes. Something what was lacking on their last shared lesson.
"So yer back? Already?" Rin asked instead, feigning boredom as he let his tail sweep leisurely behind him. "I was hoping at least for a few more weeks of free lessons. Oh well."
Shura at that laughed boisterously then pointed her finger at him. "Don't get yer boxers in a twist, Okumura. I've been on a few higher ranked missions when yer all been probably slacking off" she boasted. Looking around their classroom she sighed before pushing herself from the desk she unceremoniously sat upon before. "Seein' ye lot I'd say ye need a good knockin'" she added, now on her feet. "Well, maybe not you. Where is Moriyama-san though?"
Well, Shiemi wasn't with them true. It was the first thing Rin noticed in their damned cram school. Apparently she was unavailable, whatever it meant. Bon was first to speak up to that though.
"Shiemi-san couldn't make it today" Bon answered slowly. Shima nodded to that vigorously, a shrug following after.
"Oh, that's a shame" replied after a while Shura, few seconds later waving that info away though. "Whatevs, let's get to it then shall we? Let's go! Up yer butts!"
Izumo groaned at the back of the classroom, Konekomaru in a tandem with her.
"Not everyone likes getting their asses spanked" murmured Rin narrowing his eyes at their teacher but smiling altogether. Yep, he was definitely looking up towards their old-school sparring.
With a two more groans silence was finally broken as classroom filled up with a scratch of chairs against the floor. Shima already was pushing past Rin just to get to Shura first when their classroom doors where suddenly smacked open. It was ridiculous how winded up and breathless one person could get just to come to school, especially when it concerned school but there she was – Shiemi Moriyama, red faced and sweating but with that hard look in her eyes when she put up her mind to something.
Sweatdropping at her appearance and that clumsy, knocking over her own legs stride Rin smiled waving.
"Shiemi! You actually—walked?" he hollerred happily but his tone faltered nonetheless at their blonde friend. Shima followed his example even jumping ahead to catch Shiemi before she'd face planted the floor.
Just as she felt hands of their friend keeping her upwards she glanced wide-eyed at Shura, tears in corners of her panicky eyes.
"I am so sorry, sensei!" Shiemi wailed, shaking her messier than usual head. "I've tried to come earlier but Amaimon just wouldn't bugger off! I am really, really sorry about that sensei!"
From beside Rin, Konekomaru murmured something about bloody demons and their knack for appearing when they're not welcome and he couldn't help but to chuckle to that.
Shura on the other hand blinked slowly at winded up appearance of their classmate. It was clear as a day Shiemi didn't come up to them the easy way but the long way and for that fact alone a prize should've been awarded. Shaking his head in a dismay Rin couldn't help but to squint one eye and raise eyebrow at his friend.
Shiemi was always so gullible, there was not a single mean bone in her body. Unlike in Amaimon, who strode right then into classroom with hands behind his head completely nonplussed, searching ceiling for something. Let's just say, he wasn't the most welcome guest in there. It happened few times in the past, yes. It didn't mean he was welcome though and yet he paraded himself between them like it was the most normal thing to do.
In a nanosecond temperature fell at least ten degrees. Shura's icy glare was everything to be afraid of and thankfully it was aimed at their nonchalant guest who rolled lollipop in his mouth before finally glancing at the company he walked into.
"What are ye doing here?!" Rin growled, hands balling into fists. His inner demon was pulsing underneath his skin recognizing likely threat. There was no say that he wouldn't attack him, not if he could help it.
Amaimon looked with his dead-fish eyes around to finally rest them onto him then popped the lolly from his mouth but Shura cut him off before anything would start.
"What are yer doin' here?" she asked, her eyes boring into demon king's.
To all their surprise it was Shiemi who answered. "I am sorry, he just wouldn't go away! Please, sensei, let him stay this once" she added hurriedly, her voice pleading.
Shima who was still albeit awkwardly holding blonde let go of her quickly stepping away. He backed off right into Bon and unleashed quite comical high-pitched shriek upon doing that. With a single glare from his friend though he shushed himself out but not before whispering that Amaimon was one scary broccolihead. Actually, he deadpanned that he was prolly the only one broccoli to be afraid of. Ever.
Shiemi was still staring hopefully at Shura awaiting her response, and Rin could only grit his teeth together at the entire situation.
Finally Shura cocked her head to the side, narrowing eyes suspiciously. "Under one exception, yer—" here she glared at green-haired demon "—won't do shit. If ye as much as fart then Moriyama-san is out. Understood?"
Shiemi nodded gratefully as Amaimon sneered back at them, looking them all down his nose. Lollipop was popped back into mouth and he rolled his eyes.
"If you don't like it, then feel free to just go" concluded Izumo, her stare as icy as Shura's. "There's nothing keeping you here."
Konekomaru nodded mutely from beside her.
A long, loud sigh told them that Shura was growing impatient. It's not as if she was the only one. Rin was actually looking towards their sparring time before Amaimon casually walked in as if owning the place. Even worse now, he was apparently staying with them.
"Alright, kiddos. Let's go then. And you, you go first" Shura strode behind Amaimon and closed the doors. After few seconds she fished out her exorcist keys and grabbed one of them. Soon enough the doors where open again and she waited patiently for their guest to go in first.
Amaimon moved slowly, deliberately. He stopped by Shura, looking at her intently. "You teach combat, right?" he asked, cocking his head little.
Not as if anybody considered it but they were inviting a demon king into their training grounds. Now that Rin thought about it, he realised it was probably a very bad idea. Before he could voice it out though Shiemi was already pushing past Amaimon with stern face.
She whipped around, still clad in her fluffy jacket. "What are you waiting for? Let's move, Amaimon."
In a second everybody stilled. Time stopped and only breathing was heard. It was the first time any of them heard or seen how did Shiemi and Amaimon's bond really worked. Nobody should've been surprised they were staring with hearts in their throats at the scene before them.
Even Shura kept her eyes in place not daring to look away, a mixture of wonder and concern in them.
Then something none of them even considered happened. Amaimon sighed glancing at Shiemi and rolled lolly in his mouth finally crushing it between his teeth. The crunch was deafening and it reminded all of them that he was still their enemy, if they wanted it or not.
But blood wasn't spilled—it was just a tiny, plastic stick that fell from Amaimon's lips to the ground.
He scorned then, his eyes barren but shrugged shoulders nonetheless. "If you bore me with this, I'll never let you come here ever again."
Shiemi sighed as if tired upon hearing this but turned around and stepped ahead first.
Rin growled, once again gritting his teeth in ire. "Stop saying bullshit like that. We would never let something like this happen—"
"—you too, brother" cut him off Amaimon. He was watching him now, slight upturn to his lips. "Stop saying bullshit like that" he outwardly mocked him walking right after Shiemi.
They both were already beyond their classroom's threshold walking further ahead and Rin couldn't help his anger bottling out, if only little. Shura noticed his tense posture and semi-permanent growl and did the first thing that came to her, she cocked her head towards doors in invitation.
"Go in, we will have some knockin' to do."
Those words were like a silent promise of unleashing all of his frustrations upon Amaimon. Of course he'd never get to kick that bastard's ass but he could still dream. Before long though, doors were closed and all of them were separated but still in each others vision, warming up.
After what felt like forever their workout was done with, Shura called them over for a sparring matches. Every single one of them. Of course, they weren't giving out everything given Amaimon was with them and all but it still was a good lesson.
Knocked back onto his butt again Rin clutched at his sore face, tears streaming down his face. He felt how swollen it was and it wasn't funny anymore, Shima couldn't stop pointing that out though. Shura reprimanded him over and over again that he shouldn't let his guard down when striking from point blank at his opponent – and Rin actually listened but Amaimon's presence kept itching at the back of his mind and he couldn't concentrate enough.
In the end he was the most bruised one after that lesson.
Shima kept jumping around Shura like hyena, using his staff to do things Rin seen only in films. To be honest he was more than surprised upon seeing the skill his happy-go-lucky friend had and how effortless it looked from afar. It was nothing against Shura but Shima would most certainly could take on a banshee, or a kappa alone. He even managed to catch their teacher into one of his aries when she lost a sight of pink hired male. Rin was amazed to say the least by that.
Bon and Konekomaru faced Shura together as they rarely did on their own. There was also a question of their Meisters, which was purely aries. Their match consisted of using said aries to mostly ward off incoming attacks but also to catch-trap and finally to exorcise possible threats.
Then there was a time for Izumo and Shiemi.
When girls walked onto middle of the grounds it was clear as a day above them it would be interesting. And it was, oh boy it was. Three tamers against each other, what could have been more exciting than that. So Rin watched and looked, really looked as girls fought between themselves.
Izumo was the more athletic one from them, using her lighter posture to make last second jumps and dodges – some of them blood chilling, as for a second he thought that Shura actually managed to slice through her at some point. Then there were her two familiars, white foxes just as graceful as her. Working together in union, like one person, there was no say that Izumo was bad. Given that she also learned to use runes was an additional bonus. All in all she was an outstanding tamer in itself.
And then there was Shiemi, his good sweet friend. She wasn't terrible but she lacked the same fluidity that Izumo possessed. Shiemi would often stop and gaze around, looking for something before she'd send her familiar to create a blockade or to unleash some kind of a pollen around them. She was clearly on the defensive side, if using her familiar for healing wasn't a dead give away already.
But then there was also Amaimon. A demon king, Shiemi's familiar too. And he seemed to gaze drowsily clearly bored outta his mind at the spectacle before him, hands crossed over his chest.
Now, couldn't Shiemi sent Amaimon to the fight, Rin pondered briefly. He would seem to be more than appropriate to be sent off into the fight but also—dangerous probably. Would she've been able to keep a tab on Amaimon? Probably not. Would he listen to her commands? Again, probably not.
But—there was a silver lining. Scene they witnessed before, in the classroom. It almost seemed, normal—for them. As if Shiemi didn't spend a lot of her time with the demon already. He was morbidly scared and curious thinking how those two managed to keep themselves sane to this point.
Shaking that stupid thought outta his mind, Rin groaned as his face protested with a shutting pain all over it.
By then their training was over, girls were walking idly chatting about something. Izumo was nodding stoically while Shiemi was grinning because of something they kept talking about. Their chatter stopped though when a shadow fell upon them, a very intimidating Amaimon standing above them and not budging.
Rin watched through his pain, inwardly screaming for the demon to just disappear but he didn't. Shima who was lounging beside him, kicked him on the shin though and he yelped at sudden move.
"He's weirder then even before."
With that he needed to agree. "I wonder what he gets from it?" he pondered aloud.
Bon snorted, Konekomaru's glasses shone. "Probably nothing, fun at watching people."
"He is a demon though. They feast on strong emotions" mentioned Koneko, relaxing. "Shiemi-chan is good-hearted person. Maybe that's why he keeps her around him so much."
At that Shima scratched at his head. "Yeah—but doesn't demons feed on negative energy though? Shouldn't that like—I dunno—scare him off or something?"
Nodding silently, Bon watched as Izumo shuffled in place before she all but darted away from the strange pair of a demon and tamer. Shura was already on her way back to the duo.
"There must be something—"
Rin gazed at the pair too, thinking. Nothing felt right when it came to the strange connection between those two. It was alien, wrong. But so was the red string attached to his own little finger, one he shared with his twin. Could he really judge Shiemi upon that? She wasn't even really aware of the fact that she summoned a hellspawn to do her bidding after all, not for a long time anyhow.
Izumo then finally reached them, brushing her own arms as if she was chilled to the bone. With a huff and flying everywhere ponytails she dropped next to Rin who chuckled at her usual grumpy expression.
"I can't stand him" she spoke coldly, her eyes snapping towards the pair that now was talking between themselves. It looked so—normal. "He's creeping me out. I wonder how Moriyama-san can stand him at all" she stated, frowning. "I understand that he became her familiar and all but—" a pause, a long one stretched between her words "—he is a demon, a king nonetheless. He could just probably snap our necks in an instant if he wanted to. Yet Moriyama—as foolish as she is, she trusts him. She speaks with him like with an equal..."
Rin glanced back from Kamiki's little monologue at the couple. Somehow the way Izumo spoke touched something within him, something he was constantly reminded of. His own origins, his own skin. It hit him that a lot of people were still looking down upon them just because of him, just because he was Satan's son.
He hated it.
So—did he really have a right to judge Shiemi? Conclusion he got made him a little bit more uncomfortable than he wished because in the end he realised he couldn't. Being a half-hellspawn was having a few drawbacks when it came to things like this. Because apparently most people still blindly believed that there was a black and white world.
Good and evil.
But it wasn't true. It wasn't all that there was to it and Rin—he himself was a walking, breathing example of that. He was neither good nor evil, he was bordering on that grey spectrum where everything mixed up. Where everything fucked up, ultimately reminding him that there wasn't a place in the world for things like him.
He never realised that he zonked out a little bit before Shima's voice snapped him out back to earth.
"No shitting way!" Shima hollerred from his place, eyes wide and hands trembling. "Holy shit, they actually might do that!"
Outta the loop Rin blinked few times facing his friend. "What?" he asked, blinking rapidly. He was missing something, something big or—? "What's going on?"
Izumo smacked his head upside down, at what he sniffled as pain shot through every fibre of his body.
"What was that for?!"
Kamiki frowned, brushing her fringe off her forehead looking at now talking trio. "Amaimon wants to fight Shura" she deadpanned.
Upon hearing that Rin too shrieked. "WHAT?!"
Bon was standing with his arms crossed, glancing intently at the speaking three. Their conversation didn't look heated at all. Quite the contrary, it seemed as if Shura wasn't bothered by the presence of a demon at all, being a little bit too relaxed for Rin's tastes.
"No way, that's a—no way" he breathlessly voiced his earlier thoughts.
Would Shura actually do it? He couldn't say he wouldn't look up to it, if he could say he'd rather enjoy the show if it ever happened. And goddamn, by glancing at the profiles of his female friend and teacher he almost believed his wish was going to come true, real fast. Shiemi's kind of alarmed look didn't go unnoticed though.
"Shiemi-chan is scared" confirmed his thoughts Konekomaru. "She's really afraid if I may say."
Bon nodded silently. "That she is, I wonder why."
"Maybe she never really commanded Amaimon" he piped in his two-cents, now way too curious. "Don't get me wrong but he doesn't exactly seem like the type to just let anyone push him around."
"That's what I was afraid of" mentioned Izumo from beside him. "There needs to be a certain submission from the demon itself when it comes to that. Amaimon is clearly not the one submitting."
"Is that—bad?" wondered aloud Shima.
"Given circumstances—yes, it might be" answered back Konekomaru. "Have you heard about the case of Elaise Weisermann—actually, no, you probably did—"
"Wait, wait, wait, waaaaait a second there!" piped in shaking his head Shima, figuring out his friends thoughts. "You wanna say that it was her familiar that got her killed in the first place? No effing way, Koneko. From what I remember it was an accident, she's got jumped by some Shinigami and committed suicide."
Bon grouched at that turning back to look at them. "That's what they wanted you to believe. Can you imagine every single tamer's reaction if they knew that their oh so called familiars could just as well turn on them and kill in their sleep? Especially the stronger ones like the demon that was under Weisermann's command."
"Wait a second" Rin frowned at his friend, little bit taken aback at the information. "How do you know it was her familiar that killed her? Do you have a proof of that—"
Izumo sneered from beside him, half-wondering how could he not. "Most of tamers realises this, Okumura" she concluded with an air of finality around her. She was watching Shiemi and Amaimon intently now, her brows furrowed a bit in worry. "Or at least never let their guard down around their familiars. They are after all demons. Demons we use as our own weapons."
With that Rin couldn't disagree more. "Bullshit" he sneered back at her. "If your familiars are so called weapons then why do you care so much about yours?"
Izumo's breath hitched as she turned her face way, hiding it from everybody. "Of course I care about them, they are—mine after all. I couldn't just let them go into the fray by themselves, they'd be devoured by their kind in a second if I did" her voice got quieter as she spoke, when she turned around her eyes were bit duller than before. "It's difficult to be a tamer. In the end if we are not strong enough our familiars have a right to turn on us; it's in their nature after all."
"You still care about them though, even if you realise that they might be the death of you" he ended up that topic.
She nodded to herself before she turned eyes to him. "I don't care. They are a part of my life. Besides they aren't strong enough to do that. You must understand that there is a certain hierarchy between demons. Both Mike and Uke are second of the last on the ladder itself, Shiemi's Nii-chan being on the farthest end. However we are not speaking about Nii-chan here but Amaimon himself, he is at the top of it—do you get it?"
Rin racked his mind saving that information for later. Indeed if things were looking this way, Shiemi might've been in huge danger all this time. He couldn't help himself but to hope that Amaimon was smart enough not to anything drastic like killing their friend off, he was—he believed—still somehow connected to Mephisto.
Why would Mephisto ever bother with helping humans then?
It was a chilly thought but he knew they all were grasping at straws here, their most trusted asset was a demon himself.
"Mephisto would probably kill him if he tried to do anything to Shiemi" he stated confidently. "There's no way he wouldn't."
"How do you know that?" shot back Bon, chuckling to himself as if it was a joke. "You're fooling yourself as much as everyone else is."
"Not everything is black and white, spikey. If it was then what that makes me and Yukio?"
Silence blossomed after his words, nobody said a word but glances were exchanged. What that made him and Yukio indeed.
"It's all right, we trust you" answered Konekomaru and Rin send him a quiet 'thanks' at that.
"It won't make me human though" Rin conceded, sighing. A bump on his arm was unnecessary though but Kamiki was smiling at him that hers chilly smile only she could.
"You certainly are quite funny familiar to have around though."
A vein popped up on his forehead. "Do I look like one of your foxes Kamiki?!"
She chuckled, her fingers dancing in the air at him. "I don't know, should I scratch behind your ears to check?"
This time Rin felt as he flushed at the implications of that, Shima didn't help him one bit hollerring with laughter at his discomfort. Sliding farthest he managed from Izumo he picked up and sat laughing Shima right between them just in case indefinitely shutting up their pink haired friend.
"Hey, they are going to do it" said Bon actually surprised.
Indeed, Shura Shiemi and Amaimon seemed they finished their conversation with Shura leaning her sword over shoulder and smirking towards their demon guest. Amaimon himself appeared to emanate hidden hellfire that spiked upon their agreement.
Rin gulped, now watching intently at the match that was about to start.
Shura stepped away from the duo and fell into her stance, then with a nod she lowered her head.
Amaimon didn't even try to wait for his tamer's command as he burst out from place leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Shiemi on the other hand shrieked at sudden gust that tore at her when he's done so. Entire scene was like watching a movie, Amaimon and Shura clashed over and over again – a smile and a dull, unperturbed blank stare upon their faces.
Shiemi looked so much out of place Rin realised, she was shaking like a leaf on the air. There was no way she would ever manage to keep a tab on a demon king ever and it was painfully clear to all of them. How did she manage to summon him in the first place was a wonder.
Before long neither Rin nor Shima realised they were clutching to each other as they kept on watching the exciting fight before their own eyes. Shura and Amaimon crashed again sending a wave of another gust around them when Rin finally noticed that Amaimon actually didn't use most of his own tricks—like the ones he used when fighting him—and it struck him that maybe, maybe he wasn't because of Shiemi.
Or was he?
Shura smiled through her growl as she send her familiar ahead and then once again tried her luck at catching her opponent unaware. It was a folly's move as she wouldn't manage as much as graze Amaimon with her wind cuts. Their fight was intense and it didn't look to end anytime soon.
That was until Rin realised that Shura's familiar wasn't meant for Amaimon but Shiemi herself. Blonde's shriek caught all of them unawares as they noticed her flailing around with Nii-chan chucking boulders at speeding snake.
Shura laughed aloud for all of them to hear then. "Remember, familiar is useless without their master. Even ye, demon king."
Amaimon clearly caught on the message as he dropped back, smacking the snake away. "It was a fight between me and you."
Shura apparently didn't think so. "It was a lesson to teach. Just because I agreed to fight ye, I've done so under impression that Shiemi will be the one making moves, not you."
Squinted eyes narrowed more at that. "Boring."
Shiemi picked up that moment to remind them that Shura's familiar still was around and speeding up to her. "Nii-chan, wall—ward—whatever! Help! Amai—mon!"
Frowning and sneering Amaimon turned around, glaring at her down his nose. "You're useless. So weak. How did I end up with you in the first place?" he added as in afterthought but he caught Shiemi at the last second before snake would encircle her.
Chuckling Shura once again commanded her familiar to rush back at the duo. "Once I get to Moriyama-san, it's over. Now, do try to get to me first" she decided with a wicked glint in her eyes.
That glint told Rin everything he needed to know. Shura realised that she had an advantage she wouldn't think of to not to use, all for the win.
"This is intense" spoke Shima trembling.
"That it is" agreed Bon but there was more he wanted to share. "Shura is going to win this anyway though."
"No way. Have you seen whom does Shura fight with?!" barked back Shima, pink hair falling onto forehead with his heated words. "It's a demon king. As much as I want her to win I just know that Shiemi will do it. There's two of them against one after all."
"Maybe, Renzo" added Izumo from herself. "There's just one problem. Amaimon doesn't act like Shiemi's familiar at all, did you not realise it?"
Frowning under nose Rin had to agree. Looking from their standpoint it was obvious that Amaimon was very reluctant to keep Shiemi out of trouble, probably 'cause he didn't really care about her.
"So you think that Shura's gonna win, huh?" murmured Shima frowning. "Not fair."
"Well, however it turns out we gotta relish in the view of Shura and Amaimon fighting. It's the first and the last time we will see this..." Rin said smiling blankly. "So let's just enjoy it, I guess?"
Bon grouched something under his breath at that but that was the end of their little chit-chat for now. Rin was more than elated to keep his eyes on the quick moves and clash of the titans before him. There was nagging thought at the back of his mind that Shima's words did ring true but only if Shiemi and Amaimon actually cooperated.
Looking down on how things looked now, it was a far, far way ahead of them before that.
Or so they all thought.
Steady rise of the hellfire that embraced Amaimon was sneaking around Shiemi and only when it was too late Rin noticed it. Their bond was affecting their friend more than any of them realised before and that made hairs on the back of his neck stand to an end. As minutes passed Rin stood up as he didn't like the fact that there was more and more of it flowing to and fro between duo.
Izumo tensed suddenly behind him.
"DON'T YOU DARE!"
Shura's angry shriek shook everything around them as she launched herself at green-haired demon only to miss. Amaimon smirked back at her suddenly jumping away towards their blonde friend before he seemed to whisper something into her ear and seconds later literally dropped dead behind her.
That was exact moment when Rin felt and almost seen as entire hellfire pooled up around Shiemi encompassing her. Scream that escaped from her lips was teeth-shattering and Rin's gut twisted with worry at that. He was already stepping ahead when Shura happened to reach their friend first.
"That's what I was worried about" mentioned Izumo then, also stepping up and closer to the scene. She was callously composed. "This is what happens when a demon is stronger than tamer."
Rin gritted his teeth, brows drawing together. Was that how people viewed him? Uncontrollable, screaming, in pain.
"We need to stop it" he drawled with his canines bared. His power itched beneath skin. "We need to get to her!"
Izumo clenched her teeth at that, looking remorseful. "There's nothing we can do. She needs to do it alone. Like Yukio did, like you did."
No, it wasn't the only way. It couldn't—he didn't like feeling so helpless.
Shiemi's scream was subsiding, her trembling hands curled in blonde hair. She stood wide eyed and alarmed but there was more to it, it seemed as if she was debating with herself on what to do. Or maybe she was just too confused and barely kept up with the enormous power that tried to break through her will.
Shura decided on watching their friend cautiously, in waiting.
It was almost funny how in a blink of an eye the day became a very shitty one.
Sensing no change whatsoever from Shiemi Rin finally snapped. There was no way in fucking Gehenna he would let Amaimon from every fucking demon use Shiemi as his vessel.
"That's it, I'm going in" he deadpanned shrugging Izumo's hand from his bicep.
And he did, and nobody tried to stop him for which he was more than glad. However he halted when Shiemi finally blinked her wide eyes back to normal, she lowered her hands too.
"Shiemi?" tried cautiously Shura, her sword hand kind of limp but ready to snap into action if needed. "Moriyama-san?"
Shiemi glanced around but in the end her eyes looked straight into Shura's. Then her fists balled little at sides. "Oh—okay" she whispered under nose then nodded her head as if she listened to someone. "I trust you."
Rin blinked back to that. Was Shiemi actually hearing Amaimon inside her head? If so then oh boy it was bad, so bad. Yet she didn't look any different than that, omitting hellfire that she was swallowed in, she seemed—sane-ish.
Cocking her head little Shura apparently also heard Shiemi as she frowned. "Moriyama-san?" she repeated herself, sword lifted now.
Biting lip Shiemi nodded, she seemed to sweat bullets though. "Y—yes, sensei it's me. Amaimon says that we should be ready now."
Cocking eyebrow onto forehead Shura growled under breath. "We? Moriyama-san what have you done" she continued, reprimanding. "It is forbidden for a tamer to consent to a demon's will. I thought you knew better than that!"
Well, it's not for nothing but Rin have had no idea such restriction existed. Not that he wondered in the first place but he figured it had probably something to do with how corrupted the tamer could get or some shiz. All in all, he was happy that Shiemi was keeping a steady ground under her feet even with Amaimon inside her head.
She looked feeble though.
With a shaky breath Shiemi lowered her head to the ground. Terrible trembles were shaking her up.
"I—I—" she started quietly, staring down. "I—don't like it, sensei."
Tiny voice his friend used didn't feel right and Rin couldn't help but to stare.
"I don't like feeling like this at all." Shiemi spoke still shaking and Rin almost believed he seen tears splashing on the ground where she stood. "I don't like to be a liability most of the times... I want... I want to be strong!"
Loud grumble followed that statement as she snapped her head upwards, hair falling around her always happy round face that now was contracted in a mixture of anger and sadness.
"I want to protect everyone too and I will. Amaimon promised that he won't do anything without my word. I trust him, I trust him that he will make me stronger."
As irrational as it was Shura conceded shaking her head in defiance. "You stupid girl. He is too powerful for you to be his vessel. He will destroy you before you know it and then we will all blame ourselves for that!"
Shiemi blanched little, her face twisting in alarm. "N—no, sensei—Amaimon—"
"Horse crap" continued Shura stoically, yet there was a power behind her voice. "That's how all of them try to get to you..."
Shaking head Shiemi's face scrunched more. "Amaimon is not like that!" she concluded and in a blink stomped her foot on the ground hard.
Enormous shake knocked everybody from their feet and Rin found himself sweating at the feeling of the power that was emanating from his blonde friend. Shura unlike rest of them jumped into air before the wave would hit her and so she landed back on perfectly still ground once wave finished.
"Why do you keep on defending him?" Shura growled through her teeth.
"Because he is not as bad as you all make him be!" Shiemi shrieked back, tears ready at the corners of her eyes. "He is like me and you, and all of us. He doesn't go around kill—aack"
Gulping Rin scrambled back onto his feet as Shiemi shivered her hands flying into her scalp once again, this time it looked worse – and she did indeed sweated bullets. Then came the shock as her head was flying right and left mumbling something to someone.
Amaimon was just as impatient as Shura it seemed.
Finally after painfully long seconds Shiemi stilled like a corpse and then slowly, gracefully her hands limped as her head cocked back towards Shura. A red light flashed from the corner of her eye and Rin gasped. Before anything could be said though Shiemi rushed with a speed no human possessed and struck Shura. Shura who was thankfully prepared and ready to block the attack as she did, her feet dragging through ground leaving a trail in their wake.
"Damn it!" snarled Izumo from her place, jumping ahead towards Rin. Rest of their team followed after her.
"This is bad" mentioned Shima a mixture of concern and fear on his face. Yanking his pink hair out wasn't helping though. "Like really bad."
"We will need to trap Shiemi—" concluded Bon.
"You mean Amaimon, right?" asked Rin, not liking this at all. He knew from the beginning that Amaimon spelled troubles.
"Both" concluded Konekomaru.
"Shit, this isn't good at all."
"Of course it isn't. I told you what happens with tamers who let themselves drop their guard around familiars" that insulting glare send Rin's way didn't help the matters but it seriously pissed him off.
"But still—we can't" Rin protested meekly.
Burst of wind and rocks flying towards them was a great wake up call to dodge and start being aware that this fight was above their league.
"Holy shit!" said Shima dragging himself onto all fours, eyes wide and staring. "If we ever gonna fight him we will be crushed."
Izumo shrieked from behind them grasping at her skirt that was flying all over. "I—I don't think we will manage as much as cheer on them."
Growling inwardly Rin knew it was truth. The power of any demon king was something out of their world, something to be afraid of. Yet Shura, their teacher, she was keeping up at it—she was on par with Amaimon. It was amazing and gut wrenching. Amazing because Shura done so with such confidence in her, gut wrenching because Shiemi's face shouldn't have that dully blank expression upon it.
For all he could do, Rin grasped at the ground underneath his hands.
"Shura-san!" he shouted like an idiot. "Do it! You can win!"
His friends were staring at him open mouthed but he didn't care.
"I didn't mean it literally, Okumura" deadpanned Izumo. Yet she turned around and yelled as well. "Do it sensei, win this match!"
Shaking his head in disappointment Shima grumbled angrily. "Wow, such support for Shiemi" he said half-glaring at Rin and Izumo. Then he jumped onto his feet and hollerred as loud as he managed. "Go, go, go, Shiemi-chan! Wooo!"
Bon facepalmed to that.
"Shiemi-chan! We count on you!" jumped into fray Konekomaru.
Rin chuckled under nose before it transformed into full blown laughter. Bon being himself—meaning a dickhead, all did was to look in disappointment at the only megane in their group.
Their growing laughter and chuckles and shouts were however interrupted when another shake knocked them all onto ground. Faceplanting Rin groaned in pain as he picked himself up into sitting position and once he did his eyes widened with sudden fear as Shiemi was literally flying knocked back right into them at such speed he couldn't believe.
"Shiemi!" he screamed jumping to his feet and bursting his flames around.
Before he managed to touch the girl however a huge boulder rose from nowhere catching her body. Then another one appeared crushing the first one. Rin's breath was caught in his chest, rest of his companions also stopped breathing. That—that was like a certain death, no human possible would've been able to live through something like this.
"Shiemi-chan!" wailed Shima worried outta his mind. Gasps from Izumo and Konekomaru followed.
"Where the hell is Shura?" grumbled Rin looking around and not seeing no-one. "Where is Shiemi?!"
As if his questions were answered both Shura and Shiemi were found once thick cloud of dust settled. They looked like it was a stale-mate. Yet it wasn't, their fight was over and Shiemi was walking back towards the place where Amaimon's body happened to land once everything was over.
Shura's shoulders were shaking in silent rage yet she schooled her features into nothing. Letting her sword fall to the ground she watched as blonde stood above Amaimon's motionless body. Blinking Rin felt as the bond opened between them again and how hellfire escaped from Shiemi's body back into original vessel.
It was relieving that Shiemi felt as pure as always, her wobbling was something nobody expected though. On automatic Rin darted towards their friend before she'd hit the ground and caught her just before that.
"Hey—hey, Shiemi?" he asked looking her all over. She seemed fine but the dust and tattered clothes gave her an appearance of someone heavily beaten. There wasn't much blood on her, few bruises at most hopefully. "You're okay? What happened?"
Shiemi twitched in his arms pained. "Oh—Rin. I—I'm fine. I won I guess" she said shrugging little but smiling.
That was all good to hear but, "Are you hurt? And—where is Amaimon?"
Grouching little more in response Shiemi turned eyes to him and Rin's breath caught in his chest once again. He saw it, clear as a day—a proof that she has been chosen as a vessel; around her left pupil he could see that awful blood red streaks. His heart crushed a bit more at that, whatever reason Shiemi had to agree to become Amaimon's vessel he felt responsible for it.
His alarmed look was caught on by her instantly.
"Rin? I did win, didn't I? Amaimon said..."
Gulping he shrugged his shoulders, stampede of steps reminded them that there were others here as well. Worried about entire situation as much as Rin was.
"Shiemi-chan! You did it!" chirped Shima. "I knew you had it in you."
Konekomaru chuckled from somewhere next to Rin before pushing glasses up his nose. Rin let his flames disappear now that he knew everything was alright and he's done so with a long, calming breath.
"Well, congrats are in place" cut them off Shura, she was already close by them. She didn't look pleased though. Kind of pissed actually. "You did it Moriyama-san. You managed to get me first, or was it him" she added pointing her sword at the body behind them. Then she blinked comically as there was no body to point at.
"Haah?" gasped Rin finally noticing that Amaimon's body was gone. "Where the fuck that asshole went to?!"
Shura shrugged at that. Shiemi chuckled under her nose at him.
"I don't know, I don't care" said then Shiemi, snuggling into Rin's warmness. "I feel so tired—"
Frowning at blonde hair under his chin, Rin breathed out. "Let's get you back home then, I guess?"
Shura whistled under her nose as Shima looked sheepishly at him.
"Get yer head outta gutter, will ya?" he snarled but colour rose to his cheeks and face anyway. "She's tired and probably in pain from all that fighting, give her a rest."
Sighing Shura looked around their damaged training grounds. They were a mess, literally—all thanks to Amaimon. Shrugging it off she massaged at her painful bruises.
"Well, I wonder how many more pocket dimensions Mephisto is willing to create for us" she wondered aloud staring upwards into clear blue sky and bright sun that accompanied them all this time. "It seems every time we get new one it gets destroyed."
Everyone sweatdropped at that. It was true. Rin could actually already see clown smirking at him waving his this months allowance in his face with that shiteating grin just to spite him. Sighing he reached down when he felt Shiemi's legs give out from underneath her and picked her up into his arms. Instantly blonde nodded off, her face drooping over his collarbone.
"Anywho, it's time to go back" concluded Shura staring them all down. "Yo, Rin-kun, keep an eye on Moriyama-san for now ok? You lot too" adding this she casually runed up her sword back into her chest.
Giving her wary looks everyone made their way slowly back to the exit.
"Hm, Kirigakure-sensei?" piqued suddenly Konekomaru just before they opened magicked doors. "You're not going to inform Grigori about Shiemi-chan, right?"
Raising eyebrow at their teacher Rin also waited for an answer.
There was thinking on Shura's side but in the end she exhaled tiredly. "No. Not for now. That's why I need ye kiddies to keep an eye on her. I really do not want them realising that we have another vessel between our ranks. There is a reason why it is forbidden after all..."
Frowning at lack of the explanation Rin looked down upon sleeping girl. "Why?" he asked. "Why is it forbidden? She didn't kill anyone. Amaimon didn't fully possessed her either. Then what's the harm."
Bon gripped edge of his nose before sending him 'are you dumb' look. "It's forbidden exactly because of that, Okumura. She wilfully became a vessel to a demon, a demon king even. You've seen how bad it was when she fought with him inside her mind."
Rin shook his black hair around grouching. "And what if Shura did tell them, then what?" he prodded on even he felt he wasn't going to like the news.
Surprisingly the one who spoke wasn't Shura nor Bon this time but Shima.
"Execution."
Blinking Rin thought he didn't hear it right. "What?"
"Exactly that. Execution, you heard him right" confirmed Izumo her eyes harsh. "If Grigori was to learn that tamer became a vessel—or was corrupted enough then they give an order to eliminate threat. There is no place in True Cross Order for corrupted exorcists even if they do mean good."
To say he was chilled to the bone was nothing. Rin actually shivered upon thought that their friend might be executed just because she might try to help. Why was he kept alive then, why he and Yukio were outta that loop?
"That's why it's forbidden" finished Shura fishing out her exorcists keys and fiddling with lock.
A thought crossed his mind then. "That—that tamer you spoke of before" he asked even though he already knew the answer to that.
Izumo nodded back at him, face blank but with that forlorn look in her eyes towards Shiemi.
Gritting his teeth little more and hugging blonde tighter to himself Rin could easily conclude that the day was officially the shittiest he have had since a long, long time.
amaimon u sly bastrd
soooooo... team shura or team shiemi? x3