Chapter 41: Wardrum
I won't make any excuses, but hello once again. I have 0 promises but I do have chapters. Slight edits to some of the previous chapters, but nothing worth noting.
In order to get to a certain point that I think everyone wants, I've jumped around a lot to just kind of get past the points that didn't want to be written. A lot of things get kind of skimmed over and plenty of things aren't super well proof-read, but I'm tired of staying stuck over small scenes that don't actually add much. I have been out of the fandom forever, so characters might shift, but whatever.
Honestly, I've realized that Konekomaru has like 0 noticeable personality beyond being just a worse Bon and "Shima prevent=bad" for a huuuuge chunk of the series, so I'm just going to do what I want with him. Even Shiemi is extremely weak at this point in canon beyond "the nice girl". At least her ignorance is something to work with, so I'm expanding on that to be more obvious +additional traits so she isn't just saying "I'm sure everything will be fine" a million times.
TLDR: Things will be a bit shoddy with characterization, but I'd rather people stand out a bit more because holy hell I realized how boring some interactions were.
Also, all romance has been dropped, I never wanted to do it but I felt compelled to cause canon. It was terrible and I kind of want to go back and take it out, but I'd rather move forward first.
Thank you to everyone who's stuck through this mess.
I'm also going to do FFnet review responses here because I need something to motivate me. Responses are just going to be to whoever I have something to say to, so people with comments beyond "Please update/I love it" get more attention, but I appreciate every comment! I just need to see how many people have been waiting on this story.
Mythfan: A battle for the ages: Who does Yukio now call "Dad"?
EndlessHax: I'm glad someone is putting it together to a degree, though I think the full thing will be a bit unexpected.
Zela Night : You're right about something, not saying what though~
Violet-Dalily: Well, waking up for him is going to be a biiiit of a big deal, so that'll be fun (it was not, in fact, fun). The camera was a completely random thing I did since he needed a hobby like how Rin has cooking, and now it's physical proof of him caring about things beyond himself and Yukio. Yeah, most of the pics are of Yukio, but it isn't all of them. At the time of writing this, i have no idea how far I'll get, but you're not super far off the mark, just know there's a key bit of info that has not been revealed that would click it together. I'll do a general write-up of what's not done at the end of the updates.
monamonalisa17: Hint: It involves lots of fire.
Tangerine: Thanks, I wasn't sure how those elements would be taken, but they add a lot to the lore and character interactions, so I decided to run with it. Shiro and Satan are co-parents whether they like it or not/even know that's what's happening lol. Satan teaches Yukio to actually control and not be afraid of his demonic self, and Shiro teaches him to be a person as well as basic life skills an immortal creature doesn't even know are needed.
ScarletSaphire: Well, guess what's happening now?
Lexyqu: "Problematic families with a thing for violence" sounds like a completely different family dynamic than is found in the fic lol. Or, I guess it isn't super off considering Shiro and Satan's earlier interactions, even if they've mellowed out. Either way, thank you very much~
"I see, so those are their plans? Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Renzo, this conversation has been very informative."
A pause.
"Do try and keep your head down then. Things have only just begun to move, and you wouldn't want to miss the show, would you? I wish you the best of luck."
With a decisive click, Mephisto closed the cheap flip phone. It wasn't quite a burner phone- what need did he have to hide? -but it wasn't something that couldn't be replaced quickly and easily if it became necessary. The information Shima had provided him was nothing he hadn't already guessed based on the telling documents he had gathered on Izumo and Rin, but having confirmation was always a good thing. The question now was how to approach everything, seeing as a borderline worst-case scenario was rapidly unfolding.
Things were happening much quicker than he had predicted. It wasn't anything he couldn't adapt to, but the timetable was tight when it came to politicking and maneuvering manpower. They had little time to act before an overwhelming force was potentially introduced to the board. Only quick and decisive action would be acceptable here.
Or, perhaps…
It was straightforward enough, and Mephisto smiled as the last piece clicked into place.
"If that's how it's going to be, then…"
"You want to organize an entire assault against the Illuminati in less than a week!?" Shiro sputtered, floored at even the notion.
"Actually, the attack will be five days from now, and we only have roughly four to prepare and one to set out." Mephisto corrected with a flippant wave of his hand. He could see the anger building in Shiro's eyes and so he continued before a pointless tirade could begin, "This plan has hardly anything to do with me, those on high are chomping at the bit to fight. All I can do is support them. Let me put it in a simpler way for you: In eight days the Illuminati will attempt to move the Ninetails into Izumo Kamiki's body. Experts have corroborated this report, as it would align with the full moon and several other phenomena that could help increase the success of their experiments. By the time this occurs, any hopes we have of saving the girl will be virtually null."
It spoke volumes of Shiro's experience and jaded world view when the man didn't even try to doubt the demon's harsh words. "The Order will just abandon her, won't they?"
"To put it bluntly, she won't be worth the effort of saving in their eyes. She is a perfect host, so much so that removing the demon without killing her would be almost impossible, even under ideal circumstances." Mephisto confirmed with a nod, "While you'll be free to try on your own, the odds won't be in your favor when it will be several times easier just to cut her down."
It was always a balancing act between saving possessed humans and simply cutting one's losses and saving the most people possible. Against the Ninetails, mindless as it was, the Order was sure to call in their heaviest hitters who were closer to exterminators than saviors. Anything less would be foolish.
Hands scrubbing at his face, Shiro sighed, "To think we're still finding ways to justify killing kids…"
Mephisto couldn't contain his smile at the defeat in Shiro's voice. Good, he understood the stakes and was less likely to argue. The King of Time was at least able to school the smirk into something more sympathetic before Shiro looked up, though he doubted the Exorcist was fooled, "Now, now, so long as we succeed, we won't have to worry about that. You may have balked at the idea of organizing a strike team in such a short time, but, in reality, virtually all the preparations have been done by yours truly. It has been decided that this, coupled with the kidnapping of Rin Okumura and the attack on True Cross Academy, is an act of war and cannot be allowed to stand. And nothing throughout history gets humans motivated quite like a good old war."
After all, the Illuminati had attacked a school, endangered children of all things, so bringing the entire might of the True Cross order down on their head until their neck broke was the only reasonable response. It didn't matter that it was just an excuse, it was all the motivation anyone could need to strike back and feel that they were 'justified'.
And now-
"I've already gotten approval for Yukio and his friends to join in the assault."
"No, that is not happening." Shiro whirled on the King of Time, grabbing his suit and dragging the demon to his eyes, "If you think I'm going to let him near the very people who what to do God knows what to him-"
Mephisto took the human defiance and anger with good humor, always amused at how lively they were. "Peace, Fujimoto. They'll be on the very back lines, with the support teams and surrounded by dozens of highly trained Exorcists. They won't see any combat whatsoever, but it will be enough to satisfy them, or at least keep them somewhere we can keep an eye on them."
The grip loosened, and Mephisto pulled off Shiro's hands, his own grip just tight enough to make the man's bones ache in warning. A fraction more and they'd splinter, weak and delicate like what had once been their ordinary 'everyday'.
Then, more seriously, the demon continued as he smoothed his pristine suit, "This school has been infiltrated already, and you and I both know that there are plenty of traitors in our midst even now. I myself am being kept on a shorter leash because of the mess my dear siblings have made, and so all I can do is support the Order's foolish decisions. Cheer up, old friend, this is much better than leaving the children alone so that they can plan some rescue and sneak away in all the convenient chaos. You and I both know that Yukio is entirely capable of outsmarting anyone we leave to watch him."
"Fine, you've made your point. But I want to leave someone I can trust who can also fight Someone I get to pick. We need to protect our rear guard, after all. I'm sure you already know who I want, don't you?" Shiro emphasized, and Mephisto just nodded, placatingly, like he hadn't already made the needed preparations.
"It will be difficult to justify, but the Illuminati is known for their underhanded tactics. Very well."
There was a thought in Konekomaru's mind that just wouldn't leave.
When the attack on True Cross Academy had first begun, when the chaos had erupted, over the very edge of the trees had been blue. He had done his best to convince himself that it was just a combination of gasses burning as the siege began, that it was something completely normal but then…
Then Yukio had said that he and Rin were half-demons. And even with that shocking level of honesty, he had still refused to say who it was. Because it would mostly affect how they saw Rin, and sure, that made sense, but it meant that Konekomaru could do nothing but wonder and theorize. They had just been attacked by two Demon Kings, one of their friends was a spy who had led them into a trap with a smile, and now True Cross was due to go to war with a secret organization led by the strongest Demon King.
Compared to all of that, surely whoever their demon parent was couldn't be that shocking.
Unless, of course, it was someone forbidden. Someone even more shocking than greater demons, something higher than even the Demon Kings they had seen.
There had been blue. There had been blue f-
The floor seemed to drop out from under Konekomaru's feet, so lost in his thoughts he hadn't even seen the stairs. He fell with a shriek, a box of supplies flying out of his arms as he tried to stop his fall. But, like a fool, he threw his hands out, and knew that as soon as he hit anything his thin wrists would snap like brittle wood-
A hand caught the back of his shirt before he could fall face-first down a dozen stairs and pulled him back. His momentum couldn't be fully stopped, however, and instead he could feel the person behind him overbalance and fall backwards, hitting the flat floor hard.
Under him, Yukio groaned and slowly sat up. "Are you ok, Konekomaru?"
"Y-Yeah. Thanks. Your reflexes are something else, Yukio…." Konekomaru stuttered, quickly jumping to his feet and to help Yukio up. Kuro meowed and darted onto Yukio's chest, practically screaming his dissatisfaction with the fall in the bespectacled boy's face. Sprawled out on the floor, worn out and with dark lines under his eyes and being berated by a clingy cat familiar, Konekomaru could only see an exhausted classmate.
"I've developed a bit of a sixth sense for when someone is about to get hurt." The glasses-wearing boy replied, his expression slipping into something with a touch of despondent fondness as he petted Kuro, "I kind of had to with how often Rin would get himself hurt. Of course, most of the time I was stuck patching him up instead of actually keeping him from getting hurt."
Rin, who wasn't here. Rin, who was a demon's child, a demon who-
"Yeah, I was just thinking about…" Konekomaru started, unconsciously.
"About?"
"Um…"
"Ah, there you two are!"
From down the corridor sauntered Mephisto, his gaudy outfit a sharp contrast to the grim atmosphere that had settled over the school for the past few days, "If you two could meet me in my office immediately, that would be perfect. The rest of your classmates will be there, and we will be discussing how the Order plans to move forward."
"Does…Does this have anything to do with the attack a few days ago?" Yukio asked, hopeful.
Mephisto smiled in a way Yukio knew promised blood. As for whose…
"Perhaps. Now get along. I will send someone to fetch these files."
Yukio nodded and started off towards the Principal's office at a walk so brisk it bordered on a run. His poorly-hidden haste would have been funny if Konekomaru didn't know the desperation that backed it. He swallowed his feelings and started to follow, only to be stopped by the principal stepping in front of him, a too-wide smile on his face.
"Oh, and Mr. Miwa?" Mephisto hummed, tone deceptively mild but green eyes piercing. Assessing.
Konekomaru swallowed thickly, and did his best to try and recall what could have drawn the man's ire, "Y-Yes?"
"If you ever have any…distressing thoughts," And here Mephisto made sure to meet his gaze, pinning the small boy down with fear alone, "I do suggest you come to me with them first."
Konekomaru gulped, feeling very small and very weak all of a sudden. He wasn't entirely sure what Mephisto was referring to (a lie, part of him knew, but that knowledge was too distressing, too painful to be accepted just yet) but he knew that if he didn't do what the man said, he would…well, he wasn't sure what would happen, but it wouldn't be good, "Y-Yes! Yes, I will do that…sir."
"Good, good!" Mephisto chirped, mood flipped instantly, "Now come along, I am sure that at least a few of your questions will be answered soon."
It took no time at all for Mephisto to unravel all of humanity's pretenses. Months' worth of politicking and red tape were cut through with the beat of war drums, because, oh, how humans loved their killing games. They might pretend to enjoy a tedious peace, but really, their craving for blood, for something more simply because it was forbidden, could be seen in every single aspect of their culture and media.
An eye for an eye might make the world go blind, but only blood could quench that seething hatred for their fellow man. It was simple to direct that frothing rage where he needed, and so Mephisto, for once, found his plans virtually unopposed. After all, the Illuminati attacked a school, endangering children of all things, so bringing the entire might of the True Cross order down on their head until their neck broke was the only reasonable response.
Inside his office, restored and polished, Mephisto could see that very same bloodlust looming behind tentative hope in one young Yukio Okumura's eyes, "An assault on the enemy's base?" The young not-demon breathed, like saying the words would shatter a dream.
"Yes! It will be a large-scale operation involving plenty of high ranking Exorcists." Mephisto informed the slack-jawed children, "Thanks to a certain little spy, we now know where a major Illuminati Base is."
Bon stepped forward, an inkling of an idea clear behind his eyes, "Hold up! A spy? You have a spy in the Illuminati!? Who the hell is it!"
"Telling you that would defeat the purpose of them being a spy."
"It's Shima, isn't it. Come on, it has to be!"
"Honestly, ruining my surprise like that…" Mephisto sighed, but he didn't sound nearly as disappointed as he likely should have, "You have a lot of faith in your friend."
"Yeah, well, he was acting strange even before that." Bon pointed out, remembering how Shima's behavior had suddenly shifted the day before the attack. Looking back on it, it was all… "And, despite how bad things got with the raid, no one died, right? He was able to maneuver us in a way that we were isolated enough to be vulnerable and away from any of the normal students. There's no way those people weren't willing to carve their way through as many people as they had to, and now he's…Damn it, for just how long…?"
Shiemi perked up, realizing just what was being implied. Gleefully, she asked, "So Shima is a double-agent like in those movies? That's cool!"
"Just make sure he doesn't hear you saying that, Shiemi. It would go to his head in an instant." Konekomaru pointed out.
While the news of Shima being a spy sent…conflicting feelings through Yukio, he ended up latching onto the one thing that Mephisto had failed to acknowledge, "So you knew this was going to happen? You're telling me that because of you, Rin got shot!?"
"You and I both know that your brother's actions and impulsivity are what led to those consequences. But no, I did not know, I could only suspect and guess. Shima has permission to act as he sees fit to preserve his position, and that includes deceiving me." The demon sighed, speaking over the beginning of Yukio's tirade, "Your brother is fine, though heavily sedated, so you can stop worrying so much. When the Illuminati have decided they're making their move, there is very little anyone can do to truly stop them. In that way, they are not dissimilar to the True Cross Order."
Yukio was practically shaking in anger, but whatever he wanted to say, he swallowed down. It was clear from his expression that there would be words exchanged whenever he was next alone with the King of Time.
Mephisto thought Yukio's silent attempts at intimidation to be rather cute.
Feeling the rising tension as her classmates did their best to process what Shima being a spy truly meant, Shiemi stepped forward, "You said that Rin's ok? That's good news, right? It means that when we go and save him, everything will be alright!"
"Yes, he's doing more than 'ok' as well. The last update I received was that he had recovered so much that he's being kept sedated, more for the Illuminati's safety than his own." Mephisto recounted, "Apparently, a heavily drugged Rin Okumaru is still capable of rage and is also incredibly destructive when he isn't keeping his strength in check."
Despite his anger, Yukio felt himself smiling at the thought of how ridiculously dangerous a loopy and pissed-off Rin would be. Especially one who couldn't immediately locate Yukio but knew he had been in danger…It was amazing the Illuminati even had a base left, actually. "That…That does sound like him…"
Shiemi perked up at the thought and latched onto it, "Rin is like a super agent, isn't he? I bet before we go to save him, he'll have already busted out of his cell, and he and Shima will have teamed up and stolen a helicopter we'll all get to escape on!"
Paku chuckled at the stars in the blonde's eyes, "Shiemi, I think I've been showing you too many action movies. But yeah, we need to help Rin before he busts himself out."
Mephisto, without anything to indicate the sheer magnitude of what he was about to say, began, "About that. Mrs. Noriko, if you could please leave. I have given you a lot of leeway due to your…personal connections, but the following information is for Exorcists only."
Paku blinked at the principle, the implication of the words failing to register, "...Huh…?"
"You officially withdrew only a day before the Illuminati attacked. Rather fortunate timing for someone of your skills, I feel."
"That…" Paku stuttered,"I've changed my mind! I want to save Izumo no matter what, and if I ran away now I'd never be able to live with myself."
"I do not care, Mrs. Noriko." Mephisto retorted, tone bland, "You withdrew, and the rules are the rules."
A hot flash of angerfrustrationsorrow so strong it physically hurt gave Paku a surge of confidence, "So change them. Set me as support, or…or something. I just have to help Izumo."
"I'm afraid I cannot make such an exception for some of your, frankly, pathetic skill level."
Paku startled at the painfully blunt yet accurate assessment. She had known this would be difficult, but having the principal shoot her down so quickly and without a care was devastating. Around her, her classmates bristled in anger on her behalf.
Bon was the first to step forward, unable to ignore the purely devastated look on Paku's face. He knew what it was like for someone to shoot down your dream with casual cruelty, "Hey, aren't you being way too strict here? She's stuck around, right? Plenty of people I've known would've run."
Konekomaru nodded, "All of us are only Exwires, so it's not like we're that much stronger than Paku."
Mephisto scoffed at their arguments. They were as solid as air, "You all at least have decided what Meisters you wish to specialize in. Paku here, has not. Such a shocking lack of decisiveness and resolve cannot be ignored."
Yukio, already feeling hostile to Mephisto, spoke up, irritated, "Paku knows the basics of how to handle a gun; I've made sure she knows how to fire it safely and without any issues."
"Yes, but can she actually hit her target?" At the telling silence, Mephisto let out a laugh, "No? Then she is still effectively helpless."
"You don't know that." Yukio spat out.
Mephisto raised a brow at the hostility. Well, well, the demon boy's motivations might not be nearly as pure as he pretended, "Oh, have I hit a nerve, boy? I might enjoy an entertaining tragedy now and then, but even I am not in the habit of sending children out to die for no reason."
"This isn't 'no reason' for Paku."
"So you admit she would just die if she faced any enemy? I see how much you believe in your classmate now."
"That's not-"
"Would you all stop talking around me!?"
Everyone stopped and looked back towards Paku. The brunette's body was shaking, with anger or sorrow, they could not tell. But, she pressed on, "Sure, I only became an Exorcist because Izumo asked me, and I really did think about quitting…" Paku admitted, "But everyone actually…actually telling me to quit or just making excuses for me is…it's pissing me off! The Principle is right, you know! He's right but…but I can't just run anymore!"
"Paku…"
"I don't care what you think! Do you know what Izumo said to me before she was kidnapped?" Paku shook, as her tears threatened to spill, " She told me that since we weren't friends anymore, I didn't have any reason to protect her and that…that I should do my best to save a kind idiot like Shiemi over her! She knew she was being targeted, and even though she tried to sound tough, I could tell how scared she was at what they'd do to her! But she was doing her best to protect Shiemi and I over herself and I…I still ran away knowing that! I never even got to apologize to her, and now…I might not ever get to!" Paku yelled.
It was silent as the class and Mephisto watched the girl suddenly lose her bluster and strength and sink slowly to the floor. She buried her face into her hands and sobbed out, blubbering through her tears, "So you're right, I'm too damn weak! But I can't just let things end here!"
"P-P-P-PAKU!" Shiemi wailed, loud and unrestrained by whatever tension had gripped the rest of the room. She threw herself at Paku, hugging the girl in an attempt to comfort her even as she herself sobbed, "I'm so s-sorry I didn't see how much you were hurting! I'm such a bad friend, I'm so sorry!"
Paku blinked, shocked out of her own sorrow by Shiemi ugly crying into her shoulder. Everyone else really did care, didn't they? "S-Shiemi, it's fine. I…I was the one who tried to act tough, like…well..."
Mephisto laughed. He laughed at the display of foolish human emotions, at the foolish reasoning and self-serving resolve dressed up as selflessness. He laughed, for not a single one of the children in front of him would dare to run away now.
So, then…."Well then, Mrs. Noriko, you've passed! I'll allow you to have one last chance to become an Exwire if you can survive this mission."
It was amusing how the student's heads all snapped towards him, their eyes wide with disbelief. This is what they had all been ready to argue for hours for, so why was it when he gave humans exactly what they wanted, they always seemed so shocked? While their distrust was warranted, he had yet to lie to these children.
"R-Really?" Paku asked, voice filled with hope.
"Yes. but, unlike the previous, this one's danger will be very real." Mephjisto was sure to warn, because he might be cunning, he was also far more fair than most demons, "It's only fair that if I'm to make such an extraordinary exception for you, that you do something extraordinary to prove yourself!"
Bon blinked, "This is a hell of an Exwire exam…"
Beside him, Konekomaru sighed, "We barely made it through the first one, and this one's going to be worse? I guess it is a mission…"
Mephisto ignored the mutterings, "If she does well on this mission, the Order will have no choice but to accept that there was an, ah, 'mishap' with the paperwork, or risk looking like a bunch of fools."
"I feel like we're being used as political pawns." Bon grumbled. He knew that things never worked out this smoothly in real life, but he also couldn't bring himself to care too much if it benefited his friends so much.
"Welcome to my life, Bon." Yukio grumbled bitterly, remembering certain incidents from years prior with a new degree of bitterness.
Unaware of the politicking and resulting constraints, Shiemi cheered, "Do you hear that, Paku? You're going to become an Exwire, just like the rest of us! I'm so happy…You should become a Tamer with Izumo and I!"
"Thanks, Shiemi, but I don't have the talent…"
"Oh, right."
Mephisto loudly clapped, drawing the class's attention back onto himself, "Good, now that matter has been settled, we will move on to the specifics…"
The moment it had been said that he and his class were going to be allowed on the raid, he had known that there had to be a catch, there was no way his father would allow it.
And he had been right.
They were relegated to backline support.
It made sense- they were all barely Exwires so them being allowed to join at all was already questionable. The revelation had been demoralizing, but it had at least given Yukio some perspective. Their inclusion at least made a little more sense now, and they were likely only being allowed so resources didn't need to be split watching over them.
It was frustrating and it made the ugly part in Yukio scream that it would be denied its revenge. But, but, this was for the best, he convinced himself. His classmates would be safer, he would be safer, and Rin and Izumo would still be rescued.
It was right when he was trying to convince himself that he and his classmates being relegated to sorting supplies was completely necessary and not at all busy work that she burst into his life. Quite literally, with the way she kicked open the door with a long enough BANG! to wake the dead.
In the doorway stood a…woman. She was certainly…bold, Yukio noted, doing his absolute best to not stare at her and her outfit choice. Wearing little more than a bright red bikini, shorts, stockings, and an open jacket that looked more like an accessory than something meant to actually cover her, the woman stood out even more than her bright red and yellow hair already made her.
Bon, red-faced and very determinedly looking at the exact center of the woman's forehead, choked out, "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Shura Kirigakure, and for this mission I'm your babysitter." She said, very matter-of-factly. After looking around for a moment her eyes locked on Yukio and she strode up to where he was crouched. "You all keep working on this here. I need to have a word with four-eyes here."
She grabbed Yukio roughly by the arm and the teen was taken aback by her casual strength. She looked obviously fit but nothing about her appearance hinted at the raw strength she held. Pulled uncomfortably close to her check, Yukio could now see the elaborate seal caved into it and how it stretched down past even her stomach. Whatever it was, it made something deep inside him warry, and with that the shock of her sudden appearance and…appearance wore off enough for Yukio to see a bit deeper. She carried herself with enough of the predatory grace Rin had for Yukio to recognize it and instantly become a bit wary of her. Other Exorcists held themselves with a warrior's pride, but this was a bit too sharp and savage, too wild.
Used to being handled by someone much stronger than him, Yukio easily broke out of her hold. She raised a brow at him, clearly having not expected him to have that sort of skill, and Yukio steadily met her gaze, no longer flustered but instead cautious.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but my class and I are still busy getting ready for the mission and I don't even know who you are. We're very pressed for time, so if this isn't important, then it can wait until later."
"Fine. Here." Shura said, taking out something, "I already told you my name is Shura, but here's my badge. Upper First Class Exorcist. If it makes this easier, your father, Shiro, sent me."
"An Upper First Class Exorcist? But why are you here?" Bon gaped, clearly trying to connect the woman to his regal ideals of what a true Exorcist was supposed to look like.
"I told you, I'm here to babysit you all during the mission." Shura repeated, annoyed. "Well, technically I'm protecting the entire backline, but…Ah, whatever. I'll tell Yukio here everything he needs to know."
After a winding walk to an empty room, Shura slammed the door shut the moment Yukio made his way in. It was subtle, but her demeanor shifted to something a bit more serious than before. Maybe it was her gaze that tracked his movements, maybe it was the way she put herself between himself and the door, but the shift was hardly jarring when Yukio had noticed the beast under her skin earlier.
"So, you're the other demon kid, huh?"
An unbroken stare, but still, Yukio didn't feel threatened, just uncomfortable, "What do you want?"
"Your old man put me in charge of protecting you, not the backlines, I hope you know that. Oh sure, he said I'm supposed to watch everyone, but I know it's mostly you." Shura grumbled out with an accusatory wave of her hand in his direction, "He's gone soft for you two kids, you know that? I used to be his apprentice and he used to be an absolute monster of an Exorcist. But then you two showed up, and suddenly that was all that mattered. Not me, not the Order, nothing.
"Hell, he wanted me to eventually train your brother to use his sword once he was a bit older, and even told me to watch over you two if something happened to him. He didn't say why, but it was clear he knew he was getting in over his head years before you even set foot in that school. He told me everything…everything except what demon you two have for your father."
And now there was anger at something being taken. Angered at being left in the dark, no matter the reasons, and Shura advanced on Yukio. Yukio refused to back away, but it was a near thing, losing a half-step to her before he caught himself, "I'm not an idiot, and I can do the math. Even if the exact dates don't match up, the very first thing you'd do is change those problematic dates, right? And if that wasn't enough, the fact that both the higher ups in the Order and Mephisto are so interested in you two tells me about everything I need to know."
Yukio stared the woman down, calm with the icy cold dread that froze his bones, "So what, do you want me to say it out loud or something?"
Shura backed away with a huff. Frustrated, she started pacing back and forth, "See, that's the thing. Shiro's still refused to tell me himself, even when I basically shouted I knew in his face. He kept going on and on about how it's not his secret to tell, like he isn't the adult who did this insane shit to himself. All he told me was that I had to protect you two."
"I'm still not going to tell you."
"I'm going to have to know eventually, if I'm going to train him to use his sword properly." Shura pointed out before pinning the teen with a knowing look, "Besides, unsheathing that thing will make it pretty damn clear, won't it?"
It absolutely would, and that was why Yukio's next answer was clipped and forced as he finally broke and turned away. "You're right, but I'm not telling a woman I just met before my classmates."
"Are you sure they're going to want anything to do with either of you when this who thing blows up in your face?"
"I don't know."
"What kind of lame answer is that?" Shura almost shouted, "After what I've been told, I assumed you'd shout something about how 'Our bonds are unshakeable!' or some other crap and I'd have to burst your bubble."
He couldn't meet her gaze still, so he walked to the other side of the room to stay busy, to keep his body moving more than his mind, "I'm not an idiot. I know how precarious our situation is. I want to believe that everything will work out and that our friends won't become scared of us." Feeling weak, Yukio allowed himself to sink to the ground, body pressed against the far wall, half hidden by shelving, "But know that probably won't happen, at least not with Bon and Konekomaru. Izumo's a toss-up, but that assumes that…No, we will save her. Paku doesn't have any bias, and Shiemi is too nice for her own good, but still…I can't be sure of anyone. But I can't…."
Yukio buried his face into his knees, feeling the ugly dread trying to come up with the vile words he didn't even have the shame to regret, "I'll leave them in the dark as long as I can, because all I want is my brother back, Mrs. Kirigakure. I really can't handle more than that right now."
The silence was oppressive, made even heavier by Yukio's shuddering breaths as he did his best to not lose it then and there. It was only a moment later that Shura shot to her feet and pointed at his shaking form, glare on her brow, "I'm not that much older than you; I'm only 18! So don't you dare call me 'Mrs.' anything! It's just 'Shura', alright? Even when I start training your brother, it's still just going to be 'Shura'! Oh, maybe I'll get him to call me 'Shura-Sensei'? I hear he's an absolute brat, so I know he'll hate it."
"...when I start training…"
Yukio stopped shaking at Shura's overdramatic tirade. Slowly, deliberately, he looked her up, then down, then up again. Looking her dead in the eyes, he deadpanned, "There's no way you're only 18."
"Didn't your father tell you to never question a girl's age, four-eyes?!"
"You're also going to have a hard time getting my brother to call you anything but 'boob-bitch'." Yukio chuckled despite himself at Shura's look, alreadying envisioning how poorly the two of them would get along. Like a house on fire. Though, with Rin, that might be seen as a good thing in his eyes. He was still shaking, but the distraction was enough to keep himself together for just a little longer. "More importantly, he prefers knives to swords."
"Do try and keep your head down then. Things have only just begun to move, and you wouldn't want to miss the show, would you? I wish you the best of luck."
"Oh and I-" a tiny beep cut off Shima's words before they had even formed, stopping him short. He looked at the blank phone screen with a frown, "So he hung up on me."
Around him, deep in the woods and far away from his new base, the signal was spotty at best. It was a tiny miracle that the call hadn't gotten dropped midway considering how it had taken him three failed calls just to get through. With the midday heat bearing down on him, Shima looked up at the specks of sky between the crisscrossing branches above him.
The vast blue was shallow when compared to the fire he had seen for just a split second, held between fragile human hands. Without a doubt, that fire was the same as the cursed flames that had claimed so many lives. And yet, he couldn't help but think that they had been so very beautiful.
Shima slipped the phone into his pocket with a sigh. Beautiful or not, the fires of hell were not how he intended to go out. No, he would rather be done in by a beautiful woman if he really did have to meet his end. Speaking of which….
He turned, smiling lazily at Homare Todo's disapproving stare.
"So, just how long have you been listening, Commander Todo?"
