Those who Favor Fire
Disclaimer: Characters and premise are the property of Kazue Kato. I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.
Chapter Eleven: Oaths Given
Rin reached up to grab the lash wrapped around his throat. For a moment he tugged futilely at it then his eyes went blank and his hands fell to his sides.
"I'm not finished!" Angel growled. He twirled Caliburn around opening a thin cut on his side before slashing at the whip. The resultant backlash threw him back into the cliff-face they'd camped beside but Iblis' whip was undamaged.
Bon tried to form a barrier beneath the lash and pry it off Rin, but the Blue Flames Yuri had imbued it with cut through Bon's barriers. "There's nothing you can do," she said. "You may be able to channel my son's flames, but I have access to his father's and I have Iblis' support as well."
"What are you doing to him?" Bon demanded furiously. "How can you attack your son like this?"
Yuri's eyes flashed. "How can you call yourself his friend while you hold his freedom hostage? You're the one who's forced me to this."
"I'm careful with his oath!" Bon protested defensively.
On one level Rin was aware of the lash around his throat, of Bon and Angel fighting to free him. On another he was watching his memories of the last two years play out before him as if watching a movie. He hadn't forgotten his past but he felt detached from it, an observer rather a participant.
Glaring at Mephisto, blue flames burning high. "You promised!"
"I promised to consider not interfering," Mephisto corrected. "A demon's word is his bond, and I did consider it very carefully… then I decided I would be interfering. Your plan was, frankly, terrible."
Staring at a holy water cristen in the door of a chapel, feeling like it was an impenetrable barrier because he wanted to plunge his hands, arms, head into it. His skin itched and he wanted to feel the taint of his demonic blood being burned away, but Mephisto had tricked him into promising not to touch it.
Konekomaru's hands, firm and sure on his back, "It was never the holy water that made you feel purified, it was always Yukio making you believe you'd earned the right to be cared for."
"What, you want my word that I'm not going to go berserk and kill you?"
"A little less specific and include Sadao-kun," Ueno requested. "He can be a moron but he's my moron."
"Fine! I, Okumura Rin, give my solemn word that I won't attack Ueno Michi or Suzuki Sadao." His nails digging into his own flesh. "Happy now?"
"Thank you," Ueno replied. "That was… a lot more than I was expecting. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I can't just trust you."
It was worth nothing. She could have offered him something in return, a promise for a promise, but it never crossed her mind to deal fairly with a demon.
"Hey, Okumura-kun," Suzuki Sadao called. "You're a year ahead of me, could you help me with my summer homework?"
"Yeah, sure. What class?"
"Promise?" Suzuki asked lightly.
"Yeah, yeah,"
Suzuki dropped an Advanced Demon Pharmacology textbook on the table. "I gotta finish this chapter before Saturday to stay on schedule," he said with a nasty smirk.
The maddening itch as his oath drove him to do something he simply wasn't capable of accomplishing. The hurt and disappointment when Ueno made Suzuki release him from the oath, not because it was a nasty thing to do to him but because she was afraid how he might retaliate.
Sato Aiko standing on the platform at the train station surrounded by her bags and trunks. "Take care of yourself Rin. I'll stay in touch."
Unanswered emails. Silence ringing in his ears like tinnitus.
"I, Okumura Rin, return to the Myodha what my chosen father stole from them. Along with the return of Kurikara I also pledge my service to Suguro Ryuji for so long as he lives as remuneration for the years that Kurikara was withheld from her true owners. Suguro Ryuji, I willingly and gladly swear to faithfully serve you to the best of my ability, to protect your interests in all things and to never cause you harm."
A feeling of security and belonging filling him as the terms of the oath settled on him. A promise neither given nor accepted lightly anchoring him to Assiah, stitching closed the wounds his twin had inflicted. He wasn't necessarily human but he was Bon's, he had a place and a purpose in Assiah.
The tearing horrible feeling when his Oath to Bon conflicted with the bond of love and loyalty he felt toward Izumo. Even if she wouldn't let him make a formal Oath to her she was his girlfriend, the one he wanted to marry if only she'd agree. It didn't have the mystical strength of a Demon Oath, yet, but it was no less real and true in his heart and mind.
Between them, Izumo and Bon had the power to rip him apart. Rin didn't want to remember how often they'd made him feel like the rope in a game of tug of war but Yuri didn't give him a choice.
A few hours after the Exorcist Exam ended Izumo plopped down on Rin's lap to watch while the Old Dorm's lobby was transformed into a home theatre. Paku had taken charge. She had Konekomaru, Ueno and Godain hooking up wires while Bon, Suzuki and Ito hauled additional speaker system downstairs.
"So," Izumo said leaning back against Rin's chest. "I maybe, kind of, might have offered the foxes rice treats in exchange for helping out with my Tamer Practical… and they might have said only if you're cooking."
"Her rice is like eating paste," Uke commented, his tail waving lazily as he and Mike sprawled on one of the other couches in the lobby.
Izumo reached down and pulled off her indoor slipper then chucked it at her familiar. "Shut up you," she ordered.
Uke flattened himself and the slipper sailed harmlessly over his head. Mike buried his snout in his paws to stifle his snickering.
"Sure, no problem," Rin said. "If you help we could try making some traditional mochi in addition to the basic rice."
"The kin would like that," Mike remarked. "Most of them have a sweet tooth."
"And Izumo has to work, not just look cute," Uke added.
Izumo scowled at her familiar but actually took the comment as a backhanded apology for all the times the byakko had compared her to her mother and found her wanting.
"I also might have said something about a liver dinner for Ryujin. Which ended up getting negotiated into a state dinner between the Fire Prince Rin and the Sea God Ryujin," Izumo added. Then quickly, before Rin could get a word in, she continued, "It's a good idea! Ucchusma's block is too strong for Iblis to attack us casually but you are a Prince of Flames, you're a threat he can't ignore forever. Having allies in the Water Kingdom could really help when it comes to fighting him."
"Sounds good," Rin said.
Izumo blinked at him. She'd been ready with a whole list of justifications and Rin's easy acquiescence felt anticlimactic.
"I mean I just don't get the whole Kingdom thing," Rin continued. "Egyn wants to kick Satan's butt. So do I, why shouldn't we get along? Iblis hates humans. Dad raised me better than to judge people on race."
Overhearing them, Konekomaru looked up from what he was doing. "You have to remember Rin was raised in Assiah. Uke and Mike grew-up in Inari's service, it would be all but unthinkable for them to turn their backs on that." He shrugged, "But Rin doesn't have any real ties to the Flame Kingdom even if he is classified as a part of it due to his powers."
"So mochi first, state dinner later?" Rin asked.
"You're turning, I'm pounding," Rin declared, laughing when a too-enthusiastic stroke almost overturned their bucket of mochi rice. Izumo surrendered the hammer and they traded places. Rin took over pounding the rice into dough while Izumi turned the dough to make sure it was evenly done.
A number of the Kin had slipped into the Old Dorm's kitchen and were perched on shelves, chairs and counters eagerly watching as their treat was prepared.
Bon stuck his head in the door. "Out!" Rin and Izumo shouted before Bon's much-hyped 'kitchen-curse' could take effect.
"We were supposed to study," Bon said glancing toward the clock.
Rin froze. "Sorry, I-" he began agitatedly. Izumo glared daggers at Bon.
"No worries," Bon said quickly. "Go ahead and finish up. I just wanted to know when you were going to be done?"
"We'll need another fifteen minutes to finish the dough then I can put it on hold 'til tomorrow," Rin said.
The Kin began pouting exaggeratedly.
"Ah come on guys," Rin protested. "Homework's important too. I've got to pass the Exam this year or everyone'll leave me behind."
"As long as that's you talking, not Suguro," Izumo said, still scowling at Bon.
"All of you use him," Yuri accused. "All of you, from that priest onward-" Her gaze lost its focus. "That priest, I thought he was different. He studied to be a Tamer with me when it was practically a death sentence to be a Tamer, he didn't even have the aptitude. But they sent him after me… We weren't hurting anyone! We just wanted to be left alone! I had to protect my friends. They burned me. My babies, I'm going to die before you're born. I can't die, not yet!"
A part of Bon looked at Yuri's meandering dialogue and recognized a weakness in his enemy, another part raged at the Grigori, reminded by Yuri's flashback of how close Rin had come to dying before he'd even been born.
Iblis glanced down at Yuri with a grimace. "Wake up!" he demanded roughly and Yuri's eyes regained focus.
"Fujimoto, God's priest, twisted my sons against each other. Do you have any idea how perilously close Mephisto came to breaking his word to send Yukio away? But it had to be done to protect Rin from his brother." And in this Bon had no answer for Yuri's accusations.
"It's not the first time," Yuri continued. "Satan told me, over and over again, God has made my children destroy each other…. I can almost remember, sometimes, other lives, grief for my children over and over again. The priest is gone but the damage he did remains, my sons can't be together and they've both been twisted to hate their father. But we'll make them better, we'll be the family we never had the chance to be before."
Bon eyes hardened, "The way I hear it, Satan did a damn good job of making Rin hate him all on his own. It's you that's trying to force him to change what he thinks."
Yuri scowled. "Have you ever wondered what it was that Rin did to heal the Myo'o Dhari bonds of the taint that generations of lies and secrecy had tarnished them with?"
Behind Bon, Angel stirred weakly. Blood dripped from his side where his collision with the cliff had significantly widened the cut in his side as his hand tightened on Caliburn's hilt.
Rin watched anxiously while Itamae looked over his proposed menu and sampled the liver dish he'd chosen.
"Much better, got over your fear of cooking liver too hot I see," the chef said with a smile. "As for your menu, Flame-on-the-Iceberg is an excellent topper for your theme, very showy."
"I'm presenting it myself. I've almost got it so I can use my flames to flambe without messing up the taste," Rin said. "It wouldn't go over with a room of Exorcists but for the Sea God I thought it'd be impressive."
"Check with Sir Pheles if that's appropriate before you spend too much time on it," Itamae suggested. "And I'd choose a spicier soup to balance the cucumber salad, but otherwise very good."
Rin flashed a quick grin that quickly faded back into nervousness. "I just hope everything goes okay. It just keeps getting bigger, Mephisto-ni got involved and Egyn got invited, so we're having it in Delphi now. To start with it was me, Ucchusma and Karura representing our faction of the Fire Kingdom, Izumo and her familiars as mediators and Ryujin, the wani Izumo summoned and a couple of Ryujin's other retainers for the Water Kingdom. Now Mephisto's coming to help mediate and he's got Gaia, Renzo, Echidna, Amaimon, Anubis, Egyn and Obizu coming and they're all bringing, an um, a retinue. It's turning into a-a summit for Hell Kings who might go against Satan. And I'm cooking dinner!"
"Remember, you're only to cook for the head table. Ukobach and I will handle the rest, working from your menu of course." Itamae reminded Rin. "This is meant as a friendly overture between you and the Kingdom of Water, but you have to be conscious of your station."
"Yeah," Rin said doubtfully. "Mephisto-ni said Bon and Konekomaru couldn't come because I 'have to be the Flame Prince Rin, not Surugo Ryuji's knight.' I don't know how to be a prince!" he exploded. "I'm just the stupid, worthless twin. The demon who gets in fights all the time and can't do anything right."
"You're not." Itamae said, putting his hands on Rin's shoulders. "I don't know if it helps with the prince issue, but I am very proud to claim you as my apprentice and I know your knight-mentor feels the same." Rin looked up tentatively. Itamae smiled. "Besides, how many aspiring chefs can say they catered a banquet for three kings and a goddess before turning eighteen?"
Rin smiled a little at that, "Yeah, if I just didn't have to attend the banquet it would be totally cool."
Itamae chuckled. "Remember, you have a goal at this conference. Show them that the animosity between kingdoms can be overcome, that you all share a common goal in defending Assiah."
Izumo, after laying claim to Mephisto's credit card, assumed responsibility to see Rin dressed appropriately for the dinner. Rin tolerated her playing dress up with him with good grace. After several hours of examining different fabrics she chose a dove grey kimono with a dark blue hakama and brighter blue kataginu that she claimed complimented Rin's eyes.
The night of the banquet Izumo wore the white and red of a Miko with a flowered shawl to dress it up. She had also invited enough of Inari in to have silver fox ears poking up through her dark hair. Mephisto smiled approvingly at the two of them when Rin consciously straightened up, standing tall as he took Izumo's arm to escort her through the gate.
The three of them arrived at the small building in Delphi Mephisto had claimed for a classroom a moment later. When the winter term started Mephisto had decided to move his negotiation class to Dephi and add Renzo to the roster in light of his new circumstances, even though Mephisto claimed that Renzo was already the best prepared of his five of students for Demon Oaths. Rin wasn't sure who had been more offended by the comment, Amaimon or Izumo. For the night Itamae and Ukobach, aided by a dozen of Uke and Mike's kin had taken over the building, turning it into a staging room for the banquet. Itamae waved to Rin as they passed through.
"Before we go out," Mephisto said putting a hand on Rin's shoulder. "Do not unseal your heart, but pull your flames past the seal. Let them see the power you wield."
Rin nodded and did as Mephisto asked. A shimmering blue cloak of flames formed around him.
Mephisto tilted his head to the side and studied Rin for a moment. "You can manage a bit more," he said.
Rin sighed as he followed Mephisto's instructions. His teeth sharpened and his ears lengthened, his flames coalesced into horns on his temples.
They crossed a small courtyard then rounded a corner to enter the building where Gaia had signed her treaty with Greece a few months earlier. Rin recognized the doorman as one of the zombies rescued from the Illuminati, now a golem. "Samael, King of Entropy." Mephisto stepped forward and stood framed in the doorway for a few moments. Rin's jaw dropped as massive midnight wings unfurled from nowhere. He'd caught glimpses of Mephisto's wings before but it had never really sunk in how huge they were. They spread from Mephisto's shoulders, iridescent feathers of the darkest shades of purple, stretching to fill the entryway and then they simply kept spreading, passing through the walls and ceilings as if they weren't there.
Mephisto stepped aside to allow Rin and Izumo their entrance. Izumo used her elbow to nudge Rin. He tore his eyes away from Mephisto's wings and entered the banquet hall with Izumo. "Okumura Rin, inheritor of the Blue Flames, Prince of the Fire Kingdom, escorting Kamiki Izumo, Miko of Inari, newly of the Earth Kingdom."
"Your wings, people, walls," Rin stammered somewhat incoherently as he and Izumo rejoined Mephisto after being announced.
"Interesting," Mephisto said. "You don't sense my power when I allow my control to slip, but it seems you see something of my true form. Most everyone here tonight will be projecting their power. Nothing so uncouth as unsealing their heart but showing their power none-the-less. It helps establish the pecking order. Try not to be distracted by what you see. And remember, continue holding your power at the level I suggested."
Rin glanced around the room. Ucchusma was conversing with a woman whose lower body was a snake's. Amaimon and Egyn were glowering at each other from opposite corners of the banquet hall. Amaimon was wearing a less ragged version of his normal outfit and had the air of a young boy who'd been spruced-up entirely against his will. To Rin's eyes Amaimon's flesh seemed to flicker between different types of rock and clay. Egyn wore an elaborate 18th century admiral's uniform, the details of which Rin couldn't make out for the water swirling around him. Out of the corner of eye Rin saw a pair of dragons, one green and one irridescent blue, their heads bent close together, their bodies passing through the walls of the building. But when he turned and looked at them directly all he saw was a woman in a flowing green gown and a man in a Japanese naval uniform from the late 1800's. Karura was cautiously speaking with a woman made of water. Like the other high ranking members of the Water Kingdom she wore a naval uniform. Rin wondered how it stayed dry when the body it clothed was pure water. Perun was there, having come from his grotto beneath Rome. As was Xihe, the mother of ten sun-birds and one of the most recent members of the Fire Kingdom to seek refuge from Iblis' vendetta against Assiah with the Myodha. Mike and Uke's kin wandered through the gathering offering cups of shrimp cocktail to the mingling guests.
Rin allowed himself a minute to gawk before he and Izumo went to join the other guests. They'd only started to mingle when the room dimmed as a forest appeared, it shifted to a jungle then a savannah in rapid succession. The doors to the Hall swung open and Shiemi walked in on Renzo's arm. She wore a simple white sheath that fell to her ankles, the material was thicker than was Gaia's preference but left Shiemi's shoulders bare. Ivy twined around her waist like a belt and flowers studded her hair like jems. Renzo wore a black tuxedo with pink accents. His hair was smoothed down to make his horns more notable. His eyes were solid obsidian. "The Lady Moriyama Shiemi, vessel of Gaia escorted by her knight, Renzo of the Black Flame."
Gaia's power, flowing freely from the Earth into Shiemi, filled the room with a tangible presence that silenced the crowd. After a few moments Mephisto swept into a florid bow and the other Hell Kings followed suit while the lesser demons knelt. Rin glanced around uncertainly, then decided he should bow as well. Shiemi blushed but Renzo squeezed her arm, steadying her. She took a deep breath and nodded graciously to the assembly. Mephisto met them as they reached the main floor and subtly guided Sheimi through the room to her seat at the center of the head table. Along the way they stopped and chatted briefly with a number of the guests. Rin grinned when his turn came. "It's great seeing you, I thought it was going to be Gaia," he said.
"The banquet wasn't during Gaia's time," Shiemi explained. "And we thought it would be good if word got out that her power is at my disposal even when Gaia's residing in the Olompali."
"And who's idea was it for Renzo to escort you?" Izumo asked, her tone said she was remembering every perverted thing the pink-haired boy had ever done or said.
Shiemi huffed exasperatedly. "Amaimon and Egyn got in a fight over which of them was going to be my escort. Neither of them even thought to ask me, so I asked Renzo. It really works out for the best, with all this fuss about rank Renzo wouldn't have been able to sit with us if I hadn't."
Renzo shrugged. "It works for me," he said.
While Shiemi made her way across the room the Kin laid out place settings on the tables. Once she took her seat at the head table everyone else followed suit. As Shiemi's escort Renzo sat at her left hand. Mephisto, as the highest rank Hell King sat at her right. Egyn sat on Mephisto's other side while Amaimon sat on Renzo's. After Amaimon, Rin and Izumo finished out the left side of the table while Ryujin and the Wani Izumo had made her deal with completed the right side.
Once everyone was seated the Kin circulated around the room, serving a spicy tomato bisque.
"How are the little ones coming along?" Mephisto asked Shiemi.
She smiled, "Really well. Almost all of the babies have been placed with nice families. There are only a couple of the older children who are still non-verbal. With more and more of the children becoming ready for school the Golem are a huge help," Shiemi said enthusiastically.
"Yeah," Renzo added. "The La Llorona were great when we just needed to round the kids up and get them out of that abattoir. But, well, most of them were around Shiemi and I's age when they died as humans. Even though they've been demons for ages they don't actually seem much older now. A lot of the Golem were grandparents before the Illuminati got them. They're better at helping us figure out how to take care of the kids."
"It is only to be expected," Mephisto replied. "Humans are not designed for immortality. Gehennans, even myself, the King of Time cannot make them so without repercussions."
"Like the spirits we rescued from the Phantom Train?" Shiemi asked. "They hadn't even realized they'd died."
"Precisely." Mephisto turned to Renzo. "With those like the the La Llorona it is less obvious and, perhaps more insidious for that fact. They are aware of time passing but still they were trapped, forever more, in the moment when they became demons… Or at least they were until our Lady Gaia involved herself."
"What do you mean?" Rin asked.
"Her reward for their assistance in rescuing the children, it wasn't exactly a typical merger," Mephisto said. "The La Llorona were humans turned into demons. Gaia's sleeping granddaughters were Gehennan-human hybrids. By merging them the La Llorona's deadlock was broken but only time will tell which way it broke." Mephisto grinned at the puzzled looks he garnered. "It's unfortunate you didn't cook a turkey dinner for us," he said to Rin. "A wish-bone would be a useful prop right now." He mimicked snapping one and held up one imaginary half then the other. "Human, Gehennan, impossible to predict which half will be dominant in the new being each of them has become."
"Trapped in the moment they became demons," Izumo repeated. "Will that be a problem for Rin? Or Renzo?"
"Or the Golem?" Shiemi asked urgently, her eyes darkening with worry.
"Gaia has more than a bit of experience in crafting shells for human souls," Mephisto assured Shiemi. "The Golem will last around a hundred years but they will age and eventually die as is natural for humans. I trust you'll have more sense than to attempt to create new bodies to transfer them to after their original expires." Then he turned to frown severely at Izumo. "Rin-kun never became a demon. He is exactly what he was born to be. As for Renzo-kun," he shrugged, "it may be wise to keep an eye on him. It isn't typical for the human personality to become dominant in a merger."
Ryujin glanced up from the last sip of his soup. "A merger? I'd heard rumor that the Lady Gaia's knight had become one of those demon-eater creatures." The sea dragon frowned. "They captured one of my lieutenants last year."
"You will have to tell me more," Mephisto remarked. "Lucifer-ni was getting quite out of hand and I dislike leaving loose ends like his Illuminati running about."
The spicy soup was replaced with a cucumber salad.
"Humans are always misnaming things, even each-other." Egyn said giving Izumo a disappointed look. "Always lumping things together. Ghosts, La Llorona and the like are born human then turn themselves into a soddy imitation of what we are."
Izumo bowed her head at his reprimand. "Please enlighten me?" she requested.
"Let me try," Renzo said. "First there was the Eldest. He created Assiah and the angels, the first generation. A faction of the angels, lead by Satan rebelled. They went out and found human soulmates. Their kids, Samael here included, were the Nephilim: half-human, half-angel. Even though he was born much later, Rin-kun and his twin are technically Nephilim too. There aren't many new Nephilim these days because, according to Lucifer anyways, Satan's the only angel, fall or otherwise, left… And judging from you, Egyn, plus Amaimon, Iblis and Astaroth, Satan'd rather get busy with other Gehennans. I'm not sure where Azazel and Beelzebub come into play."
"Hmm… I'd give you 80% credit for that answer," Mephisto said. "You mentioned that fallen angels found soulmates, or more correctly they found human whom they created soulbonds with, and it doesn't occur to you why my father doesn't take human lovers more often? Beelzebub is a class unto himself and a bit disgusting, let us not discuss him over dinner. Azazel, like many of the third generation, is a quarter human. By the time the War of Angels began all of the Angels who followed Satan had lost their soulmates to the ravages of time. Some found lovers among the Nephilim in hopes of being spared the pain of loss again. Others, most particularly my father, chose their partners with an eye to the children that would be produced. The third generation didn't prove more powerful than mine, despite having more Gehennan blood at birth, but as the ages passed keeping an eye on linage did allow compensation for a lack of age... Or did you think it was coincidence that Satan's sons have divided all of inner Gehenna between them ever since Zeus and Hestia fell to Iblis during the Great Fire of Rome."
"That's the thing with Nero fiddling right?" Rin asked.
"Quite right," Mephisto replied. "History books are undecided as to whether Nero had the fire set or opportunistically used it to clear room for the building of his Golden Palace. But the fire destroyed both Zeus and Hestia's strongholds and Nero's advisor, Ofonius Tigellinus was host to Iblis. Oh how he laughed when he was made Prefect of the Vigiles, Chief Fireman of Rome."
"Excuse me," Izumo said getting up as the Kin cleared away the salad dishes and replaced them with a small dish of sorbet as a palate cleanser.
Egyn glanced after Izumo, "What claim does she have that you fulfill her obligations?" he asked Rin.
"I'm courting her," Rin replied blushing fiercely.
"Ahh," Egyn said sympathetically. "Courting can be quite the challenge."
"Not fighting over the girl like dogs over a bone might be a good place to start," Shiemi said tartly. Rin blinked at her in surprise while Amaimon and Egyn both stared down at their plates guiltily.
Mephisto laughed. "I see you've found a worthy prize to fight over," he told his younger brothers. "But it appears that she will dictate the terms of your competition."
"She's my priestess," Amaimon muttered sulkily under his breath. "Bastard-ni is just butting in."
Izumo returned with Uke and Mike. One of the Kin proceeded them bearing a platter of calf liver and caramelized onions. Izumo bowed to Ryujin and then to the wani. "I thank you for the service you've done for me," she said. "Please accept this offering as repayment."
Ryujin inclined his head. "You have fulfilled your promise and in the process smoothed the path for better relations between those gathered here," he said. "I accept your offering with pleasure."
Izumo served Shiemi first. Then, while Uke and Mike served Mephisto and Amaimon, she served Egyn.
"You've made this impossibly complicated!" Rin remembered her snapping at Mephisto a few days before. "I know Egyn outranks Ryujin, but do I serve Egyn or Amaimon first? I owe the Water Kingdom a boon but Amaimon is my king now."
"You serve Gaia first," Mephisto replied. "She is the Empress to our Kings. Then have your familiars serve Amaimon and I while you serve Egyn. The Earth Kingdom can hardly take offense if I don't. After all, none would claim that either Egyn or Amaimon could be counted as my equal. Next serve Rin-kun, then Ryujin. Your Kin may begin general service at that point while you serve the Wani you offered the arrangement to and one of your familiars serves you."
Konekomaru had looked surprised at that. "You're saying Rin out-ranks the Sea God Ryujin?"
"As Izumo-chan pointed out, cross-Kingdom rankings are tricky," Mephisto replied. "But Ryujin would never dream of challenging Egyn."
"And I'm gonna have to go up against Iblis if he keeps attacking Assiah and the nicer Flame Demons," Rin had concluded.
After Izumo finished serving the Wani she returned to her seat.
"This is quite excellent," Ryujin said once he'd finished his liver.
"Thanks," Rin replied with a grin. "I've always loved cooking. If I hadn't gotten tangled up in all this stuff with demons and exorcists I'd probably have wanted to become a professional chef." To himself, Rin wondered if it ever would have occurred to him to lever his talent for cooking into a career a few years earlier. "'Course if I hadn't I wouldn't have gone to the True Cross Academy and met my sensei or my friends."
"I would not hesitate to hire a chef of your caliber," Ryujin replied. "Although I'd have to worry about offending your father."
Rin met Ryujin's gaze steadily. "Satan killed the man who raised me as his son. If I have my way it won't matter what he thinks much longer."
"Now, now," Mephisto said. "I think it is safe to say everyone here is tired of Satan's tyranny and of his more obedient sons. But it isn't good to speak openly of such things… Although we should reflect on the fates of Astaroth and Lucifer when contemplating the possibility of enacting change."
While they talked the main course was cleared away then the lights were lowered. The Kin brought out plates of Ice Cream encased in a thick meringue. Once the desserts were distributed throughout the banquet hall Rin stood up. "I wasn't raised in Gehenna," he said. "I don't get the animosity between the Kingdoms. Earth needs Water and Light to make it fertile. Fire is banked by Earth and fed by the Spirits of Air. Water can be purified by Fire or Earth. All these processes that we call life require Time. Together we're not just strong, we're amazing."
Rin snapped his fingers and across the room blue flames ignited, flambeing the rum-drenched meringue For several moments Rin allowed the flames to burn. Then, at his gesture, they twisted together forming narrow columns rising up to the roof before collapsing in on themselves to nothing. "This is Flame-on-the-Iceberg, I think it's pretty tasty," Rin concluded. "So, um, Itadakimasu!"
After the dessert were mostly finished Ryujin stood, "I can hardly dispute the evidence before me that Fire and Water can compliment one another, on a menu at least. Whether or not our two Kingdoms can co-exist peaceably is more dubious. But," he inclined his head in Rin's direction. "There's a better chance of it if the Flame Kingdom was yours. If your dispute with Iblis reaches the point of armed conflict you may call on my armies to aid you."