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...

Chapter Seven
. . .
This Isn't Me

Startled by the demon's sudden presence, Rin yelped and jumped back. "ARGH! Amaimon, what are you doing here!? You said you would stay back at the dorm! Why did you follow me!?" he shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him slightly.

He nonchalantly shrugged under Rin's grasp, unfazed by his outburst. "I changed my mind. I decided I would rather spend time with Rin than eat something sweet."

Rin could feel his cheeks burning as he blushed. He quickly glanced behind him, noticing that Bon was tilting his head to see what they were doing, and tried to shove the demon back into the hallway. Amaimon refused to move. "T-That's adorable, but you need to leave. Now!"

"I don't want to," he said, idly—and effortlessly—walking into the classroom, dragging the half-demon with him.

Bon moved to stand protectively in front of Koneko, who trembled slightly and clutched his injured arm weakly to his chest. "Rin, what are you doing with a demon king!?" He flinched at the ferocity in Bon's voice. "Didn't he try to kill you?"

"Ah...w-well," he laughed awkwardly and scratched the side of his face, frantically searching his racing mind for a decent excuse. "That's...uh... I..." He couldn't come up with anything.

Amaimon stepped forward, his cheeks puffed out childishly. "I would never hurt Rin!" he said firmly. "He's my best friend!"

"Best friend...?" Bon was stunned by those words, but his anger returned quickly. "What the hell do you mean best friend?" Though he asked a question, he didn't seem to want a response from him, and turned to Rin. "Please tell me he's joking."

He sighed heavily—there was no point in hiding now. "Amaimon lost his memories," he explained slowly. "And... I'm supposed to watch him until he gets better." Rin would take all the blame—it was best not to get Yukio involved.

Bon relaxed, realizing that Amaimon wasn't there to attack them again. "So... He lost all his memories?" Rin nodded. "You don't remember attacking our camp?" Bon asked the demon.

Amaimon, still glaring, folded his arms with an offended huff. "I wouldn't attack anyone."

"Rin, is he... Is he joining our class?" Shiemi spoke up shyly. She stepped back with a startled gasp when Amaimon turned to her, as if recognizing his face.

"S-Shiemi..." Rin wanted to tell her no—that Yukio would never put his students in danger like that—but stopped himself, eyes locked on Amaimon. Dread instantly rolled through him. The demon was eyeing Shiemi hungrily, that daunting, familiar shade of red seeping back into his pupils.

. . .

The petite, blonde girl—the one Rin called Shiemi—was beautiful. Her hair curved gently under her chin, its fair shade accentuating the emerald of her eyes. She had a sinfully curvaceous body, and he found himself perversely intrigued by her. He wanted to touch her hair, taste her skin, kiss her lips, sink his teeth into her delicate flesh...

Ghost growled huskily at the sight of her, and, for once, Amaimon agreed with the monster's desires.

HER
I WANT HER
FEED ME

If... If he killed this girl to satiate Ghost's abhorrent appetite...would it leave him alone? Disappear back into whatever wretched corner of his mind created it until it wanted to feed again?

Would it finally stop trying to eat Rin?

YEEESS

The voice purred, pleased by Amaimon's weakening resolve. He could feel the monster trying to take control of him, and he didn't fight it—not yet, anyway.

He stepped forward, and the girl, snapping out of her thoughts, stumbled away. Before he could get any closer to her, someone grabbed him from behind and whirled him around. The student with the streak in his hair—Bon, he recalled—landed a hard punch on his temple.

That was all Ghost needed.

Amaimon tried desperately to resist it, to smother the creature's presence, but it was far too powerful.

An intense, hot, tingling sensation erupted in his limbs, and that was it. Ghost had completely taken control of Amaimon.

No! Stop—this is my body! Get out! The monster laughed wildly and a small, disturbing chuckle came out from his mouth.

YOU ARE WEAK
YOU ARE MINE

Amaimon's body straightened against his will and turned to Bon. The student took a nervous step back, but maintained his intense glare.

ALL MINE
I'LL PROVE IT

He tossed his head back and roared, the sound causing Bon to drop to his knees, clutching his ears. Amaimon tackled him and snapped his teeth, trying to take a greedy bite out of his neck. Bon was impressively strong for a human, thankfully, and he was able to hold Ghost back with an arm, though he was quickly weakening. A bald student behind him suddenly started shouting something Amaimon couldn't understand. The words made him feel dizzy, but they had little effect on Ghost, as he continued to squirm and bite, coming within an inch of Bon's supple flesh.

"Bon!" Rin grabbed him around his waist and tried to pry him off. "Have you lost your mind, Amaimon!? Stop it!" His touch made Ghost snarl uncomfortably.

Rin! Help me, please! Amaimon felt his mouth twist into a sick grin. He tossed his head back, bashing it against Rin's nose and forcing him to release his grip. Ghost immediately returned to attacking Bon, who barely had an instant to recover.

The beast apparently forgot about his free hand, and Amaimon was punched repeatedly. Pain broke out across his jaw, but Ghost didn't seem to feel it. Eventually, the combination of punching and chanting was enough to knock Amaimon off. Bon quickly stumbled to his feet.

Stop it! Amaimon tried again to take back control, but Ghost easily stopped his pathetic attempts.

Bon raised his fists in a fighting stance as Amaimon clambered awkwardly to his feet. Ghost dodged another punch and, slipping through his defenses, wrapped a hand around his throat. He picked him off the ground with ease and slammed him into the nearby wall, tightening his grip. Bon's face turned red.

"Amaimon, stop!" Ghost lazily inclined his head to the side, meeting Rin's concerned glare. He held a sword in his trembling hands, a faint, blue fire decorating its blade. The vaguely familiar sight made the beast furious. "Please, stop," he begged. "Don't make me do this!" Ghost only snorted.

"Rin... Get him...off..." Bon choked out, his writhing becoming weaker.

"L-Let him go!" Rin shouted, tears filling his eyes. "Amaimon!"

"Bon! Rin—do something!"

Help me!

"Nee, save Suguro!"

Tree branches exploded into existence from behind him, making him lose his grip on Bon. He collapsed to the floor, gasping wildly. Amaimon was shoved against the wall hard, a tangle of wood and limbs. Ghost growled in annoyance and forced Amaimon to wave his arm. Instantly, the branches receded, and his gaze was drawn back to the beautiful blonde. He licked his lips unconsciously as he walked toward her.

MINE

She completely froze, her entire body shaking violently.

Rin jumped in front of her, sword pointed at him. "I said stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

It's Ghost, not me! Rin, please! Amaimon cried desperately, trying to get a small part of him past Ghost's barrier—something that would tell him he was trapped inside. He struggled again, wanting to lose himself in Rin's touch, fall into the warmth and safety of his arms... But Ghost was too overwhelming—he could do nothing but watch.

He was weak.

He was pathetic.

Ghost laughed ecstatically as Amaimon finally gave up.

He shoved Rin aside and picked up the paralyzed girl. Amaimon could feel her shallow breath on his face—sweet and gentle. The scent made his mouth water.

ALL MINE

As the beast tilted his head and leaned closer to her, he found himself wondering how delicious she tasted. He brushed his lips against her neck, enjoying the tantalizing flavor of her skin. She shivered under his touch, crying quietly. Amaimon opened his mouth to bite her...

And felt an intense, burning pain quickly travel down his spine. Ghost screeched and fled, causing his limbs to go numb.

Amaimon blacked out, dropping the blonde.

. . .

Yukio released the breath he was holding and lowered his rifle. Shima and Izumo quickly followed him into the classroom. Overwhelmed with relief at the sight of his brother, Rin fell to his knees, breath ragged and body trembling. He glanced up as Izumo passed him to get to Shiemi. She glared, disgust plainly shown on her face.

He averted his gaze, ashamed.

"Man, can't I leave you two alone for ten minutes?" Shima shook his head as he crouched beside Bon and Koneko. "What happened?"

"Rin decided to bring his 'best friend' to show-and-tell." Bon coughed harshly, his voice raspy and faint.

"I... I-I didn't..." Speechless, Rin couldn't manage anything other than a few incoherent stutters.

"That tranquilizer won't last long on a powerful demon like Amaimon," Yukio paused and nudged the unconscious earth king with his foot. "Okumura, take him to the training room. I'll be right there after I check on Moriyama and Suguro."

Rin did as his brother commanded, slowly sheathing his sword and scooping up Amaimon. He hesitated near Bon, wanting to apologize for his cowardice, for being unable to help him, but the Aria turned his head away, a furious scowl twisting his mouth down at the corners. The half-demon bit his bottom lip and decided it would be best not to say anything. He exited the room without a word, gaze cast down.

Shiemi was the only one who watched him leave.

In the training room, Rin laid Amaimon on a bench and sat down with his back against the nearby wall. He pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapped his arms around himself, and buried his face in his knees. He weaved a hand through his hair and pulled, the slight pain chasing away the tears that threatened to fall. Rin let out a shaky breath, trying to calm himself.

What happened back there? Why couldn't he help his friends? But... Amaimon was his friend too, wasn't he? No, of course not—he was just pretending to be Amaimon's friend to make his time here easier until Mephisto got back. So then... Why was he trying so hard to protect him? What was it about the demon king that made Rin act so illogically?

What was wrong with him?

Rin stared at Amaimon, an arm hanging off the bench. He stood and gently took the demon's hand. He entwined their fingers, surprised by how warm and soft and human he felt—by how hard his heart pounded when they touched. Amaimon moaned and eased his eyes open. "Rin...?"

"Hey—welcome back," he said gently.

He sat up and glanced around, confused, and paused when he noticed their connected hands. His eyes lingered there for a moment before he looked up at Rin. "...It wasn't me," he said softly, voice barely audible. "It wasn't... There was nothing I could do. So I... I gave up." He pried his hand out of the half-demon's grasp and stared at it, as if he didn't recognize it anymore. "I tried...but Ghost was too strong for me. I... I couldn't-"

"Amaimon," he called, placing a comforting hand in the demon's palm. "...It's okay."

His brow scrunched together as he locked eyes with Rin again, his expression uncharacteristically sad. "It's not okay," he countered. "I can't control myself."

Rin smiled, a strange reaction Amaimon apparently hadn't expected. "But that wasn't you, remember?" The earth king's eyes widened in response. "It was the demon."

"How could you tell?"

He cradled Amaimon's face with both hands, tilting his head slightly so their foreheads almost touched. "Because I know who you are, Amaimon—I know you wouldn't hurt anyone."

"You don't know who I am, Rin," his voice was distant and emotionless. "No one does."

"Then we'll find out who you are together." He gently pulled Amaimon's head into his chest, giving him a small hug. "I promise I'll do everything I can to protect you—so don't give up on yourself anymore...okay?" The demon nodded once and buried his face into Rin's uniform.

. . .
Later

Yukio made his way to the training room with a quick, heavy stride, reloaded rifle slung over his shoulder—just in case. He opened the door and gestured for his older brother to step outside. Amaimon was seated on the bench, tense and solemn. He didn't look up when Yukio entered.

Rin slowly left the room, arms folded tightly across his chest and shoulders raised slightly in an uncomfortable, apprehensive posture. "Nii-san, tell me what happened." Yukio leaned against the closed door.

"Amaimon followed me to class and...lost control over the demon," Rin explained, eyes lowered to the floor. "He said he...gave up..."

Yukio shifted his weight and dug his phone out of his pocket. "That's it—I'm going to call Sir Pheles to come back and get him. Amaimon is far too unstable."

"N-No!" Rin grabbed his phone, startling him.

"Nii-san!" Yukio finally lost his patience and shouted. "What's gotten into you!? Since when were you so protective of Amaimon?"

"I...I don't know!"

"Have you forgotten what he's done to you!?"

His brother glared and shouted back. "No—I haven't! But he's changed, Yukio! He's not that person anymore!" He clenched his fists at his sides.

"Amaimon isn't a person," he growled. "You're letting him take advantage of you, nii-san. You couldn't even protect Shiemi because of him!"

Rin opened his mouth to respond, but stopped. He frowned deeply, all the anger vanishing from his face. "You're right," he mumbled, "I couldn't do it—I couldn't hurt him... I don't know what's wrong with me... But, Yukio," he looked up at his brother, determination hardening his features. "He's different now. I know he is. Can you... Can you help him?"

"Help him!?" Yukio wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his request, but the desperate look in Rin's eyes silenced him.

"Please, Yukio!" He suddenly grabbed his hands, begging. "The medicine made it worse! I know you can help him! Please!"

He sighed heavily and shook his hands out of Rin's grasp. He could never refuse his brother, especially when he pleaded like this. "Fine," he spat after a short pause. "I'll see what I can do. For now, I want you to stay with him. I'll be back once my class is over."

"T-Thanks!" he smiled, sniffling softly.

"Oh, here," Yukio removed the tranquilizer gun from his back and held it out. Rin—stubborn as ever—didn't take it. "Just in case he...'loses control' again."

He shook his head defiantly. "I don't need it."

"Take it anyway." Despite his protests, Yukio shoved the weapon into his arms and quickly walked away before his brother could start another argument.