Chapter 45, Testing the Waters

Warning: Some Language

There was a cool, salty breeze coming in from the ocean, kissing her bare legs and rosy cheeks as it enveloped her. There was always something about the sea that she admired, that gave her life; maybe it was how gentle it could be, moving around everything solid as though it hadn't a care in the world, all while staying persistent enough to cut through rock with enough time. Maybe it was how hard and unforgiving it could be, making sailors fight their way across without knowing whether they would live or die. The water chose to take or have mercy all on its own. And yet, it was soft and tender, nurturing millions of lives within itself. It was so free and wild, doing as it pleased, never to be tamed or held against its will.

There was something about those dark waters she wished she could be; and yet, she didn't realize she already was.

They had set up quite a ways off shore as to go undetected from the large mass of exorcists who were arriving on the scene. The demon summoned a pink lounge beach chair, and it stayed floating ever so slightly as he opened his umbrella and placed behind him, shielding him from the bit of sun that peaked through the clouds as it hovered. He had offered a chair for the girl, but she merely shook her head, opting to stand instead.

She watched him intently as he got comfortable, unbuttoning his striped blazer and leaning back on the chair with a sigh. Was this what he really had in mind? She thought, digging her toes into the sand between sprouts of reedy grass. Previously, he had always made it sound as though he watched the missions as more of an active officer; someone who would be at the ready to do something if something happened, not someone who would relax in his chair as if he were to take a nap. Were they really only there to watch? She let out a sigh as her heavy scrutiny dropped to Amaimon, who kneeled in the patch of sand trying to sculpt it. He would gather it up in his hands, push it together, and hold for a second; as he released, the loose bits would just topple over.

"It's not wet," she said, moving towards the young demon.

"That's dumb," he replied carelessly.

She took a moment to look over the beach once more; it was quiet. All the exorcists looked small in stature, and she doubted they would ever even notice them, for they all had little reason to look so far inland. It seemed like many of them were sitting, while only a few were on patrol, and some were walking slowly, picking things up off of the shore. The kraken she had been told about was nowhere in sight; it was hardly what she had envisioned her first mission to be like. Was it possible the demon had lied to her, and this was but a meaningless mission for the exorcists with no real threat or danger, just so he could fulfil his end of their deal? Did he take her on the mission as promised, only making sure it was something ridiculous, so the next time there was a real threat he could keep her from it again?

A heavy lament escaped her lips and her gaze drew back inward, landing on a toy bucket near a shed not too far away. "Let's go find some," she finally said, dropping her bag and heading towards it. Amaimon quickly sauntered after her, and the two of them searched nearby for tide pools or a stream to pass the time by. When they returned, she watched Amaimon play, trying to craft whatever he could out of the sand, sticks, and leaves. She glanced over at Mephisto once again, who was busy lying in his chair with a portable handheld game; she figured he probably hadn't even realized they had ventured off for a bit.

"Are they going to actually do anything over there?" she asked with a huff.

Only the reply of tapping and clacking of buttons came.

"Samael—"

"Any time now, my dear," he said listlessly from behind the game. "Just relax for a bit, won't you? Enjoy the beach."

We're barely at a beach, we're so far away from the water! She let out a measly snort, turning and heading back to Amaimon. Relax a bit, enjoy yourself, she mocked in her head, mouthing his words with a sneer as she bobbed her head back and forth. Grabbing the hem of the oversized sweater that rested at her thighs, she pulled it up over her head, rolled it into a ball, and tossed it into her bag.

Sensing her annoyance, Mephisto lifted the brim of his straw boater's cap while peeking over the edge of the pink device, hoping to catch a glimpse of the protests he always found so adorable. Instead, he fell victim to the sight of his little human unfurling before his eyes, until she plopped to her knees in the sand. The enamored demon took a moment, setting the screen upon his chest as he rested, just to take her in while she didn't even realize it. It was moments like these, when she wasn't paying attention and was lost in her own world that he enjoyed the most, and the rate at which she managed to steal his breath without even lifting a finger seemed to be ever-increasing.

Resting his warm cheek upon his knuckles, his soft stare descended upon her features, which he took in with regard individually and collectively. How he admired her, how she unknowingly took charge of every situation she was put in. Even then, as she kneeled in the sand with his younger brother to help with his construction, she took on the role of the foreman without a word, and Amaimon looked to her for guidance thoughtlessly. Even the way she moved while digging in the dirt was like poetry in motion; her long hair, previously tucked behind her ear, began to fall around her face as a grandiose frame of her angelic features and sun-kissed shoulders. Between the marks and bruises, her airbrushed skin was as soft and delicate as rose petals, embraced in a swim suit so fair it appeared to be white against the honey tone of her body – a shade he always found so suitable for her. She was flawless, as if she had been brought to life by an artist; she was something from another world, the kind of girl that wars were started over, that the sea would part for, that flames would never burn. The only blemish the demon could fathom was the small crescent shaped birthmark, barely differentiated in tone, on the flesh above her hip joint – but it was arguably one of his favorite things about her.

It was then that the ruffle above her hip caught his eye, and a lewd smile began to tug at his lips. Investigating the two-piece, he found the trimming made its way around her entirely; when she moved just right, he could see a matching ruffle along the top of her bosom, meeting with a bow in the center. The edges of his mouth curled as he studied the fabric, realizing it was not only white, but a very faint pink and white plaid. An easy mistake when you weren't paying attention to what she was wearing.

A low chuckle sounded from the demon as he extended his fingers. When he coiled them back into his palm, the girl was snatched from the sand and sent backwards through the air – within an instant she was in the demon's arms. She let out an instinctive gasp, squirming as she tossed arms and legs around to break free, only to be met with his twisted grin as he inspected her with eager eyes and hands. "Is this the suit I bought you?" he snickered, poking and pinching at the fabric, ignoring the pulsing in her veins every time he came into contact with the thrashing human.

The girl began to turn colors as she swatted away the hand that pulled the fabric from her body. Another pinched her thigh, then her rib, then her hip. "So what? Is there a problem if it is?" she questioned with a grumble, trying to subdue a titter.

A black nail made its way around the top of the frill, giving it a quick flick away from her breast. The hand was met with yet another smack, and he had to chuckle again. "Not at all, I'm just a bit surprised is all~" he hummed, continuing to search and prod her, conjuring restrained giggles from his beloved little human.

"Does it look bad?" she asked through tight lips and aching cheeks, slowing the fight against the intrusions that just kept coming.

And like a turn in undecided weather, the demon's impression unexpectedly changed as he wrapped his arm around the small of her back, drawing her in close to his own being, lifting her chin to face him. The girl disputed the contact silently, looking away for just a moment; but finally she faced his sudden, delicate sincerity, collapsing into the emerald glint below mellow lids. "Nonsense, my dear flower; you could never look bad in anything," he said in a low, velvety tone, sending a quiver down her spine. "You're absolutely entrancing."

"Look brother – I made you!" Amaimon spoke zealously from where he sat, damp and covered in sand. He spun around, lifting a deteriorating cluster of sediment and twigs, with two pebbles for eyes and a leaf for hair, and a long curled stem sprouting at the top. When his impartial gaze caught up with them, his expression contorted to see his elder brother progressing over the girl, their faces joined together as his hand caressed and gripped her thigh around him. She giggled and squirmed as he nipped at her bare flesh, whispering mischievous intentions into her. The clump of sand plopped back down to the ground, splattering into something unrecognizable, and the boy's eyes rolled as he let out a livid grunt and returned to his crafting.

All of a sudden, a deafening shriek moved across the clouds as the ocean rained down heavy. Mephisto popped up from his diversion like a Meer Cat on patrol, just before he was shoved off of the hovering chair completely. The girl sprang to her feet, grabbing her bag and dashed for the beach without a second of hesitation. The disoriented demon watched from the ground as the human ran as fast as her feet could possibly take her. Letting his head slump onto his shoulder, he chuckled lightly. "There she goes again," he said quietly, a smile on his lips and tranquil warmth emanating in his eyes.

"Shall I retrieve her, brother?" the younger demon asked rigidly from his feet, eyes locked on her shrinking form.

Bringing himself to his feet, Mephisto dusted himself off with a sigh. "No; as promised, I'll let her play for a bit this time." He positioned himself back onto the beach chair as it raised itself high in the air, and he sat on the edge with his chin in his palm. Amaimon followed suit, staying close to his brother, although he remained confused on how the elder demon could stay so relaxed when the girl faced potential danger.

There was a row of buildings off to the side between their original spot and the beach; the girl skirted around to head towards where the majority of exorcists were gathered. Somehow, she managed to catch up to Bon, Shima, Konekomaru, and Izumo, who seemed rather surprised to see her at all.

"Where did you come from?" Izumo blurted out as they all made their way to the water.

Shima and Bon took a double take. "How the hell did you get here?!" Suguro yelled.

The girl shrugged over-expressively, turning her palms up with wide eyes, unsure of how to explain her arrival. No one was probably informed of her involvement in the current mission, as if Mephisto hadn't even planned on allowing her to join in. And of course, she couldn't just come out and say: I'm sleeping with the director, who's also the king of time and space, so it was nothing for him to bring me here. Better to deny and distract, she figured.

Shima jogged over closer to the girl. "You look so very nice in your bikini, by the way," he said with a grin, the tips of his cheeks turning red. She and Izumo only rolled their eyes.

Pursing his lips and warping his brows, Mephisto leaned forward in his chair. "Careful of those eyes of yours, boy," he muttered tightly under his breath, the air getting heavy around him. Amaimon took notice, and looked on carefully with distress. His brother, it seemed, had become even more fixated on the girl, and he wondered when the game was supposed to end – if it would ever end.

The group met with the scattering exorcists on the beach, where Shura was barking orders. "What's been going?" the girl shouted, deterring the conversation.

"Shiemi, Rin, and Professor Okumura were stranded on that island," Konekomaru announced, pointing ahead to the rock formation near the kraken. "We've been waiting around for orders!"

So they have been here for a while, the girl thought, scoffing. All this time she had thought they had arrived promptly when the others were gathering, and assumed that nothing had happened yet – when in reality, Mephisto had brought her to the scene late, possibly on purpose. Of course.

"Was that Moriyama's scream earlier?" one of the exwires asked in a panic.

"Get ready!"

The group looked on helplessly from shore as the kraken lifted the small image of Shiemi high into the air. How can I even help? The girl wondered. They're so far away, I don't even know if Fenrir can do anything from here! It was then that a blue flicker was seen moving off in the distance, just before an ear-shattering crackling shot through the sky and shook the ground below, like a bolt of lightning had just struck the shore with no remorse for potential victims. From the island sprang a great whale out of the rubble, which latched onto the kraken and drug it deep into the ocean, only the tips of curled tentacles breaking past the water surface.

"Watadsumi is awake! Get into your positions! Get ready for battle!" Shura called through her megaphone.

The girl blinked, watching the commotion of exorcists clamoring on the shore, and the splashing off in the distance as a great battle broke out between two giant beasts. The blue dancing along the horizon then vanished, causing a stir in the group of exwires – "What happened to Rin?!" they shouted. But the island was too far away in order to see anything.

Another splash of great magnitude as Wadatsumi attacked the kraken, and another shriek could be heard from the beach. In a haste, Konekomaru pulled out a pair of small binoculars and sighted in as best he could, relaying the scene of Shiemi falling from the Kraken's grip. Hearts pounded so hard as they sat helpless on the shore, too scared to even call out – but then, something else appeared to snatch her from the air before she hit the water.

Onlookers watched as the whale guardian charged, chomping down on the colossal squid. It sounded as though a great storm was approaching with how much the waves roared; tentacles and tails whipped through the air, sending water particles to rain down on the beach so far away. And then, it appeared Watadsumi had pinned the kraken, tearing at its rubbery hide with his jaws, and it was quiet for a moment.

"Watad..sumi…"

The world seemed to go quiet, numb as the ancient guardian let out a cry of agony, tentacles ripping through his flesh like blades. He fell limp, staining the water burgundy as he bled, and the kraken lifted his worn body high in the air in victory.

"Such a shame when your body is too weak to continue on in this world," Mephisto noted with a playful sigh.

Suddenly, the kraken hurled the massive, fading body towards the beach; exorcists everywhere yelled as they ran for cover, unsure of where the whale would fall. But before they could collect themselves, the kraken charged toward the crowd, preparing itself for the final attack.

Amaimon's heart pounded against the chest of his host. "Brother—"

"Quiet," Mephisto scolded, observing carefully.

As the beast neared, it released hot fumes that reeked of dead fish and made dozens of other krakens appear out of thin air, sending a panic through the inexperienced exorcists. Surrounded, Shura called out through the megaphone once more, telling everyone not to fear; they were mimics, and would disappear once the real kraken was harmed. "Lower-first class exorcists and below—exwires included—turn your focus to the skid!" she ordered, pardoning the amateurs from battling the monsters before them; guns were tossed in their hands to help with the ordeal.

"See, my dear little flower?" Mephisto said to himself in a nurturing tone, a sly smile cracking across his face. "It's not my fault you didn't get to play as much as you wanted."

The battle on the beach raged on, each man and woman giving it their all, dodging tentacles and aiming to kill. The exwires fought off the slew of miniature squid, who were nothing more than a nuisance. A rocketing shot ripped through the air, destroying one of the mimics. Then, a blue flash appeared on the island again, giving the exwires a sense of relief to know that Rin was alive and fighting still.

But it was short lived; as their attention was drawn away, something slithered against the sand, wrapping itself around the ankle of the girl. As soon as she felt it, it jerked back, slamming her head onto the ground before lifting her into the air. Shima and Suguro jumped after her, reaching out for anything, but only missing by inches and falling back onto the sand. Ears ringing, sight spinning in all sorts of directions, she scrambled to reach her weapons and bag before they slipped over her head, but to no avail.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Shura snapped, watching the girl get hoisted higher and higher into the air. "Attack!"

Amaimon shook, fighting the urge to intervene; his sharp, shaking pupils darted back to his brother, who remained focused, but calm. How could he stay so calm?

The exorcists focused their shots on the kraken, which seemed to disrupt its plans. The massive arm grasping the girl waved back down toward the beach – making everyone fear it would smash her into the sand – only to lift back up, where it released her finally. And to get away from where it was being pelted with mass bullets, it headed back into the ocean towards the lonely little island with a blue flickering on it.

"Must I save you in every situation you get in?" the demon's voice sounded from the chair with a light titter as he exhaled.

"Shall I retrieve her now, brother?" Amaimon asked with a crack in his voice, eyes fixated on the human as she went higher and higher.

"Not just yet."

The ringing in her ears had finally stopped, and everything went quiet. The sun shined brightly through the clouds, and the birds flapped through the sky above as though they hadn't a care in the world. There was no sound besides the going of the waves, the calls of the gulls, and the rush of the wind as it played with her. Everything was peaceful. She glanced down, becoming disoriented once more; was she above the ocean, or the coast? Everyone looks like ants.

And then, it was still.

When she fell, would the water break her fall? Or would she crash back onto the ground? It was so hard to tell from her height. And it was at that moment that her stomach churned, and her heart fluttered. Shit, I could actually die, raced through her mind – she frantically searched herself, patting her bare body down for something, anything to help her. Where was her bag? Where were her summoning strips? Where the hell was Mephisto? Surely he wouldn't allow that. But, could he save her without drawing attention to the fact that he was a demon?

Her eyes grew wide as the wind rushed against her back. Fuck. What could she do? Fuck. She had to do this on her own, didn't she? Fuck. She couldn't depend on anyone but herself. Fuck!

Finally hearing a scream from the girl sent the young demon over the edge; he snapped, making a sudden move toward the girl. But before he could get very far, he stopped midair, unable to move a single muscle. Heart beating faster and faster, his pupils shot over to Mephisto, who scowled darkly from his chair. "Leave her."

The two demons watched on from their vantage point, the whole show before their very eyes: the exorcists fighting mimic krakens on the sand, Satan's children fighting the real kraken on the island, and their fragile little doll tumbling faster and faster towards the earth's surface. The beating in Amaimon's chest grew so rapid his breathing couldn't catch up, and he began to hyperventilate; but the elder demon sat on the edge of his chair, a wild Cheshire smile coiling on his lips as his pupils shrank with exhilaration.

Exorcists yelled from where they stood, helpless, and some of them scrambled to pull tarps apart to try to catch the young exwire. But as she neared the ground, a gust of black wind blew through the area, materializing into the even greater wolf, Fenrir. He leapt into the air with a mighty roar, catching her.

"That's my boy," Mephisto chimed darkly, letting his breath out with an exuberant heave as he released Amaimon.