"This isn't good, nii-san," Yukio was saying. There was a brief pause as he typed something into his computer. "From the research I've done, it's said that when a demon loses his heart, his mind is ripped in two: the host and the remnants of the demon. The host takes precedence over the body, obviously, but, the remaining consciousness of the demon will try to take command of it—basically, they fight over the body. Sometimes the demon materializes and eats its host. Sometimes the host ends his own life to escape his descent into madness."
"Then...that means..." Rin's voice was so soft that Amaimon had to strain to hear. It sounded haunted and sad.
"Yes. Amaimon's wound is self-inflicted—either by himself or by this voice he supposedly hears in his head. He's a demon king, so the thing trapped inside him is going to be several times more powerful than what we have recorded. It will probably expedite...whatever happens internally when a demon loses his heart."
Chapter Six
. . .
Trapped
Amaimon wasn't thrilled to discover they would be going back to the doctor after breakfast, but he did seem eager to get out of the dormitory. Since they haven't had a chance to go shopping yet, Rin let him pick an outfit from his closet. Unfortunately, the demon king didn't have a good grasp of the word 'share'.
"What the hell did you do!?" Amaimon had picked out one of his most expensive pairs of jeans and clawed at the denim, giving it a new, fashionable—yet entirely unnecessary—ripped and frayed design. He had done something similar to the shirt: tearing the black fabric in the center to reveal the white undershirt he wore. A green belt hanging loosely from his waist completed his outfit.
He shrugged a shoulder, unconcerned by the tattered condition of his clothes. "I like them better this way." He glanced down at himself. "It looks good."
"That's not the point!" Rin snapped. "Those are my clothes!"
"Friends share," he said casually, tucking a lock of green hair behind his pointed ear. "You are my friend, right Rin?"
The excuse made him furious. "We're not going to be friends for long if you keep ruining my stuff!"
"I didn't ruin them—I made them better."
Rin pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sharp sigh. "Fine! You know what—fine! Whatever, let's just go!" As Amaimon passed, he noticed something furry—and oddly familiar—sticking out from a knot on his belt. "Is that your tail?" He had never seen it before and the sight surprised him, replacing his anger.
"Yeah—why?"
"Why is it wrapped around you like that?" Rin wrapped his tail around his torso when it needed to be hidden, but he didn't tie it into a knot.
The demon unwrapped his tail and stared at it sullenly, dragging his thumb across the short fur, his cheerful mood gone in an instant. "I don't know what to do with it," he admitted softly. "I asked the doctor to cut it off, but he said he can't."
C-Cut it off!? Rin winced at the thought. "Why would you want to do that?" He dropped it and looked up at the half-demon with a stoic expression. His tail landed with a lifeless thump, and Rin understood why he didn't want it. "You...can't move it..."
"No—I can't. It's more troublesome then anything. I don't see why I have to keep it."
Imperfect as his understanding of demons was, Rin was certain of one thing: tails were awesome. "There are tons of reasons to keep it! I'll show you!" He pulled the earth king back to the bed and forced him to sit. Carefully, he picked up the green appendage and examined it. The tuft was matted with thick tangles—probably from being dragged on the floor.
Perfect.
Amaimon tensed, clearly uncomfortable with having his tail handled by another demon. "What are you doing?"
Rin flashed him a smile—an attempt to assuage the demon's anxiety—and stood. "You'll see!" Amaimon inclined his head curiously as he watched Rin dig through the various contents of his desk's top drawer. "Where did I put it? ...Oh! Ta-Daa!" He held up his brush with a triumphant grin.
"Fascinating..." Amaimon quickly lost interest and turned away.
With a light chuckle, Rin sat beside him and held out his hand. "Let me see your tail."
He clutched it to his chest and shied away from his hand. "Why? What are you going to do to it?"
"Just trust me! You'll like it."
Hesitantly, he placed his tail in Rin's hand. He pressed the brush's bristles gently on the length of the tail and, after giving Amaimon an evil grin, dragged it down, against the fur's natural growth. The demon shuddered violently and ripped his tail out of his grasp. "What the hell was that for!?"
"For ruining my favorite jeans!"
He shuddered again and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the dreadful sensation. "That's mean! You're a bully!"
Rin couldn't help but laugh at his response. "Okay, okay," he mumbled between breaths, "I'm sorry—I won't do it again." He held out his hand, but Amaimon glared incredulously at him and refused to move. "C'mon Amaimon—I was just kidding!" he said, feeling that familiar pang of guilt.
"Don't do it again."
He sighed. "Okay—I won't."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Rin was relieved when Amaimon tentatively placed it back in the half-demon's hand. Careful to follow the fur's natural growth this time, he gently brushed the length of his tail. Amaimon shivered slightly, but quickly relaxed as he continued. Once he assumed his sensitive tail was used to the rough feeling of the bristles, Rin began to work out the tangles trapped in its green tuft.
It felt strangely surreal holding such a vulnerable part of Amaimon, weaving his fingers through the voluminous fur, trying not to pull too hard as he brushed it. Rin could barely believe this was real; that a demon—the same one who wanted to kill him—would ever grow to trust him enough to let him touch something so fragile.
He now understood why Yukio liked to brush his tail so often.
. . .
Amaimon closed his eyes, enthralled by the oddly pleasing sensation of having his tail groomed. "See? It doesn't hurt." He was so distracted by Rin's hypnotic movements that all he could manage in response was another shiver and a satisfied purr.
Just as he was about to drift off, Rin stopped. He looked up to find him returning the brush to his desk. "Why did you stop?"
"U-Uh," he blushed slightly. "Well... We still have to go to the doctor, and I have cram school later, so...we should get going soon."
Amaimon picked up his tail as he stood and stroked it, surprised by how soft it felt now. "Will you brush my tail more tonight?"
His blush darkened. "S-Sure..."
NO
NO DOCTOR
NO MORE TAIL BRUSHING
I CAN'T STAND IT
Amaimon let out a quiet, exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes at Ghost's retorts. The beast was always quick to disappear when Rin touched him, but came back just as fast and twice as irritating.
Rin dug out a key and used it on the lock of his bedroom door. When he opened it, he saw the endless hallway from the hospital in place of the dusty dormitory hallway. Amaimon was unconcerned—strange things like this seemed to happen often—and followed Rin through the door, still fidgeting absentmindedly with his tail.
"You should probably keep that under your shirt so no one can see it."
Amaimon glanced down as Rin pointed to his tail. "Why? Now that it's nice and soft, I don't want to hide it."
"Because the tail is a demon's weak-" he suddenly stopped, eyes wide.
"Because what?" He tilted his head, curious. Why did he mention demons? Demons like Ghost? Ghost had a tail, didn't he?
MY TAIL IS STRONGER THAN YOURS
YOUR TAIL NEEDS TO BE HIDDEN BECAUSE IT'S WEAK
Amaimon bit his lip hard, suppressing the urge to growl at the voice in his head. Rin obviously didn't mean he should hide his tail because it was weak.
...Right?
"U-Uh, w-well...Wh-What I meant to say...w-was...uhh..." Rin stumbled over his words, scrambling for coherency. "...O-Oh! You don't want anyone to step on it, right? A-And it might get tangled again!"
He remembered all the times he accidentally stepped on his tail and the intense, almost unimaginable pain that came with it. As much as he enjoyed touching it, he didn't want it to lose its new, silky texture. "You're right." He carefully tucked it under his white shirt before following Rin further down the hall.
They stopped at a seemingly indistinguishable door. A moment after Rin knocked—the doctor was always slow to respond, apparently—it opened and he smiled in greeting at the two, tail hanging lazily at his feet. "Hello Amaimon and...pizza boy."
"I'm not a pizza boy," he said firmly. "My name is Rin."
"That's a nice name," he responded, scratching the side of his head.
An uncomfortable silence fell over them as they waited for the doctor to stop scratching his hair and step aside. Rin glanced back at Amaimon, shaking his head in disbelief. "Is he always like this?" He shrugged. "Hey, uh, doctor guy," he turned back to the man in the doorway with an irritated frown. "We have an appointment, remember? My brother called and told you about Amaimon's...problem."
"Ah, that's right—he did. Come on in." He pushed the door open and the two followed him inside.
Instantly, Amaimon was surrounded by a familiar antiseptic scent and the indistinct haze of sounds that always seemed to hang in the background here. Ghost, emphasizing his displeasure at coming back to the hospital, started growling and thrashing, beating against the palpable walls of his mind, trying desperately to escape his prison and take control of the body they shared.
Stop it! But his feeble command only served to make Ghost's snarls louder, deafening. Their internal struggle was starting to affect him: his head throbbed, his vision swirled, his ears rang painfully, his stomach churned uneasily. Please, stop! Overwhelmed, Amaimon resorted to begging. I'll leave—just stop! Ghost, please! He clutched his head and hunched forward, groaning and gritting his teeth as he futilely fought back the beast's unbearable attempts.
HATE THIS PLACE!
HATE
"Amaimon?" Rin touched his shoulder, turning Ghost's roars into soft, muffled growls. He stumbled slightly, dizzy and confused, but Rin steadied him. "Are you alright?"
Amaimon found himself trembling in his arms. When had he grown to be so weak? He pushed away and straightened himself. "...I'm fine," he said, his voice betraying him.
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN WEAK
PATHETIC
An eerie chuckle echoed in the back of his mind. Ghost was becoming increasingly tenacious; quickly realizing how easy it would be to incapacitate him, to seize control of his body, with Rin not around to save him. Amaimon silently hoped the doctor could do something to help.
"You two can, ah, wait in here." When they caught up to the doctor again, he led them to a small side room with a round table and four chairs. "I'll be right back."
With a loud, exhausted sigh, Rin flopped down into one of the chairs. Amaimon, tense and apprehensive, slowly paced the length of the room. Rin watched him, brow knit together with concern. "Hey," he started gently, giving him a soft, reassuring smile. "Everything is going to be okay. You'll get better soon! And, until then, I'll be here to protect you!" His smile melted into a smug grin and he puffed out his chest.
Amaimon frowned. That was impossible. Rin couldn't see or hear Ghost. No matter how powerful or confident he was, he couldn't protect him from a beast who claimed they were the same person. But, before he could think of a response that wouldn't ruin Rin's confidence, the doctor returned. He was holding a syringe filled with a clear liquid.
"This should help with that, ah...voice problem of yours, Amaimon." He paused to push his glasses further up his nose. "Roll up your sleeve, please." He complied, and was given the injection just above the bandage that covered his bite wound. "It usually takes a minute before it kicks in." The doctor shuffled his feet nervously. "...You know the way out. Call me if anything, ah, strange happens." He left quickly, black tail wagging behind him.
Amaimon could feel the medicine move through his veins, up his neck and down his arms. It was invigorating and warm at first, quieting Ghost, putting his mind at ease, but, soon, it started to tingle uncomfortably. And then it began to burn. He winced and glanced down at his arm.
"Well? How do you feel?" Rin asked, chin resting in his hands.
"I feel-" Ghost suddenly screamed, cutting him short.
The room spun beneath him—around and around and around—and all he could hear over the monster's shrieks and violent thrumming of his heart was his panicked, ragged breathing. Rin called for the doctor, but his voice sounded muffled and distant. The next thing Amaimon knew, he was sinking, slowly falling into a dark abyss.
Deeper and deeper...
Until...
When Amaimon opened his eyes, he found himself on the floor of the infirmary's lobby. The lights were off, but he could still make out the distinct outlines of familiar furniture. He tried to sit upright and realized he couldn't move his body.
No, not his body...
He looked down, recognizing the scaly, green skin, the oversized hands, the sharp, maroon claws—he was Ghost. He opened his mouth to scream, but a roar came out instead, his breath misting in front of him.
Ghost moved, creeping forward slowly, dragging its massive tail behind it. The creature rounded a corner and Amaimon saw Rin cowering on the floor, trapped alone in an empty hallway. He immediately knew what the monster wanted him to see.
Don't! Please! His pleas were ignored. All he could do was watch helplessly as Ghost grabbed Rin in one of its large hands. No! Rin struggled, a blue fire covering the majority of his body and tail, but, just like Amaimon, he was too scared to break free.
It opened its long jaw and placed Rin on its tongue. Amaimon could taste him—the salt from the sweat on his brow, the dry fabric of his clothes. He could feel the blue flames rising, futilely attacking Ghost's mouth. He could hear Rin crying as he desperately writhed against its tongue. Dread and disgust rolled through him, but there was nothing he could do.
No! Please, no! Despite his protesting cries, Ghost began to bite down. Hot blood filled his mouth and, as much as he hated to admit it, it tasted good—sweet and smooth and delicious. Rin eventually stopped moving and his legs were torn from his body. The fire died, becoming nothing more than thin tendrils of smoke. Ghost tossed his head back.
And swallowed.
Amaimon shot upright with a yelp, his head spinning from his abrupt movements. When his vision cleared, he realized he was back in his sick room, brilliant light shining through the open window beside his bed. "Amaimon, are you okay?" He was relieved to see Rin sitting in a chair beside his bed. "You... You're crying..." He reached out and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks with the back of his hand. "Did you have a bad dream?"
The sight of his sick room frightened him, reminded him of Rin's disgusting death. He didn't want to be here. "I want to leave..."
Rin was surprised by the urgency in his voice. "Are you sure? Do you feel okay?"
"I want to leave!"
"O-Okay!" He stood and offered his hand. "Can you stand?"
Amaimon ignored Rin's offer—he didn't want to appear any weaker than he already was. "I don't need any help." He stumbled awkwardly as he stood, but managed to steady himself without falling, and without Rin.
"Let's go back home, Amaimon."
FEED ME
Much to his dismay, Ghost was still present in his mind, and as powerful as ever. Amaimon shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. The injection hadn't worked. Was there something—anything—that could protect him from Ghost's influence?
The monster laughed in response to his thoughts.
. . .
A Few Hours Later
For once, Rin sat at his desk and tried to focus on his schoolwork, but his mind was too distracted by Amaimon. The demon had been different—distant and solemn—ever since their return from the infirmary. (He even refused another session of tail brushing.) He sat quietly beside him at Yukio's computer, mindlessly clicking away at random things on the Internet.
Rin had to forcibly keep himself from asking if he was feeling well. He didn't get a clear response the first dozen times he asked, and he didn't want to further irritate the earth king. But it was difficult for him to stop worrying, especially since Amaimon would be alone in the dormitory as he attended exorcist classes for the next four hours.
As if on cue, an incessant beeping from his phone demanded his attention. Don't be late—a friendly reminder from Yukio...who's class he was failing.
He sighed and closed his textbook. "Amaimon, I have to go." He gathered his things and slipped his sword's strap over his shoulder.
"Okay," Amaimon stood with him. "Where are we going?"
He frowned. "Um, actually... I have to go to class, and you have to stay here."
"...By myself?"
"Yeah. B-But it's just for a few hours! Watch some television and I'll be back before you know it!" He turned to leave, awkwardly aware that the demon was still following him. "Amaimon," he sighed again, "you can't go."
"Why not?" He pouted and Rin was almost tempted to let him tag along.
"Because this class is only for students, and you're not a student." He used his infinity key on his door and stepped into the cram school's hallway. Rin turned back when he heard the demon follow. "Come on, Amaimon—I'm going to be late."
"I... I don't want to be alone." The piteous sound of his voice made him hesitate.
He shook the thoughts out of his mind. Amaimon couldn't go to class with him—the other exwires would recognize him, and, no matter how he looked at the situation, it would end poorly for both of them. "You'll be fine." He placed his hands gently on the earth king's shoulders and pushed him back into the dormitory bedroom. Amaimon shook his head, clearly unconvinced. "Okay, how about we make a deal? You stay here until I get back, and I'll make you something super sweet for dinner!"
Something flashed across his face, and he nodded stiffly. "Okay."
"Good. See you later tonight." He softly closed the door and hurried to class. "Hi, guys! Look—I'm not late!" Rin entered the classroom with his usual, friendly greeting, but froze when he noticed the fearful looks the other exwires were giving him. Were they still afraid of him? That was ridiculous; they didn't have anything to be afraid of—he would never hurt his friends.
"Rin..." Bon pointed, his glare vicious and intense. "What the fuck is he doing here!?"
"Huh? Who?" Rin glanced over his shoulder.
...And met Amaimon's stoic, cerulean eyes.