Chapter 3

"I'M LATE!" Yelled Rin, making me drop the toast that I'm eating into my ramen. I frowned at the soaked bread and sighed. I was just about to stand up when the annoying Exwire appeared and sat down in front of me. "Good morning!" He said before gulping down rice and eating the Gyoza in front of him. I watched with a shocked expression as he ate his food in under a minute.

"G-Good morning." I muttered before picking up my sword and walking away. Satan's really loud son followed behind me with his sword hidden in the red sleeve of his. "Stop following me." I snapped at him as I turned the key on the door. I opened it and saw the long hallway leading to the classrooms. I slammed door behind me but something stopped it from closing completely.

I looked down and saw Rin's shoe on the way. "The hell! Why are you so mean?! I'm just trying to be nice okay?" He angrily said as he forced open the door and stood in front of me. I looked away with a sullen look before turning around and walking away. "Hey! I'm still talking to you!"

I ignored him as I headed towards the room for the Exwire's. As I approach it, I tied my long blonde hair into a messy bun and entered the classroom. I felt disappointed with the amount of students in the classroom but I didn't show it. Instead I walked towards the available seat in the front of the three guys and sat down. "Hey, are you a new student?" Asked the guy behind me. I didn't bother to reply because at that moment, Okumura Rin bursts into the classroom with an angry look.

"Don't walk away when I'm still talking to you!" He angrily yelled with visible flames licking his hair as he held up his clenched fist, making the burly guy behind me stand up and yell back. "What the hell is your problem?!" I sighed and turned to look at him. "Put out your flames, Okumura Rin."

He looked stunned for a second, putting out his flames. Yukio opened the door at the exact moment and stared at all of us before spotting me and Rin. Somehow, he knew what happened and let out a sigh. "Sit down, students. We're going to start our lesson for today." Rin sulked and sat down heavily beside a short blonde girl while muttering.

"First, I would like the new addition to our class to introduce herself to everyone." Yukio nodded to me as I stood up and faced everyone. "My name is Elspeth Regalis. I am a transferee from the Budapest sector. Unlike you, I am just waiting for my Authorization test to become a full-fledged Exorcist. But as Sir Pheles' instructions, I will be your classmate for now." I sat back down as everyone starts to whisper.

I could hear the bald with glasses guy explaining to Okumura Rin who I am. "A month ago, the Budapest sector got invaded by a high-class demon and everyone was murdered. The only survivors are the girl who was said to possess this really scary strength almost like a demon and the Exorcist that went insane after witnessing what happened there. The relic of St. Michael also disappeared at the same time. Nobody knows why the demon attacked but they guessed it was because of the relic." The burly guy leaned back and kicked the back of my seat. "Not to mention the name Regalis. Isn't that the family where the cursed child was born? The one who is followed by death?"

My mind flashed back from when I was in the playground, playing alone in the sand while the adults whispered about me. It's the demon child...

Everywhere she goes, death always follows...

"I thought that was a myth?" The red-haired guy asked.

I gritted my teeth and turned to glare at the four of them. The bald guy immediately shrank with fear on his face but Okumura Rin just stared at me with a contemplating look. "Now, now. Listen up! We're going out to the woods as a practical exercise. There are other Exorcists present there during our exercise. You will be divided into groups depending on your 'Meister' and honing those skills. We're going to be ridding the Budapest sector of demons." Yukio announced and I felt frozen in place.

Going back to my old school...? But... why...?

I stood up and glared at Yukio. "Why am I included in this clean-up duty? Mephisto knows exactly why I can't go back there!" I yelled despite myself, gripping my sword tightly. Yukio frowned at me before looking at the door where someone just entered. I turned my glare to Mephisto Pheles as he approached me. "So early in the morning and you're already fired up." He commented before adopting a more serious tone. "I thought it was time you moved on from the death of your comrades. It's a real shame to let your emotions run freely whenever you get a mission around the Budapest sector."

I approached the clown demon with a dark aura and noted that Yukio reached into his gun holster as I neared them. "Move on? Move on?! It's only been a month since I witnessed how that damned demon massacred my people! YOU EXPECT ME TO MOVE ON FROM JUST A MONTH?!" I could feel my anger radiating from my body as I stopped in front of him. "My best friend and the people that I count as my family died in front of my eyes! I can't just..." I stopped myself and felt cold chill my whole body. "I'm not..."

Mephisto cleared his throat as I stared down at my feet. "How will you ever achieve reaching your dream if you are held back by your past, hmmmm?" He asked but my mind is already distracted by the crystals forming on the soles of my feet. Ice crystals...?

"W-Whatever. I need some fresh air..." I muttered as I hurriedly ran out, leaving two perfectly iced-up footprints on the floor. Mephisto stared after me with a slight smile on his face before I slammed the door on my way out. I immediately ran towards the only safe place I knew on this campus.

I was relaxing on top of the highest building when Okumura Rin found me. "I finally found you!" He said before slumping down next to me. I ignored him as I stared at the slowly fading sunlight and breathed in the cool winter breeze.

Rin... She looks sad.

I froze as I heard a demon voice coming from somewhere near me and looked around. What I saw is a black cat with two tails staring at me with a curious look. The cat rests on Okumura Rin's head as they both looked at me.

"You're right. I am sad." I smiled weakly at the cat and scratched it behind its ear. "But I can't help it. It's always like this with me. I get close to someone and they suddenly die." I stood up and looked down at Rin. "That's why you should stay away from me, son of Satan. I already attract too much bad luck. I don't want to cause you more trouble than you already have." I said bluntly but Rin also stood up and looked at me with a pissed-off expression.

"That's not a reason to push people away! I understand how you feel about seeing your loved ones get killed in front of your eyes but that's not a reason to just give up on making friends and moving on with your life!" The way Rin looked determined as he said those words reminded me of Gabe for some odd reason. It caused me to flashback to the way my best friend looked at me before his head got cut off by the shadows.

I felt my whole body tremble and the coolness spread all across my whole body. "E-Elspeth, what...?" Rin trailed off as the area around me slowly got covered by red crystals. He accidentally touched one of the forming crystals and pulled his hand back with a hiss as it burned his hand. "I-Ice?"

Rin, run!

The black cat hissed at the forming red crystals around me as I stare off into space. "You should listen to your familiar, Okumura Rin." I whispered as I tried to stop the growing ice around me. The colour of the crystal reminds me of blood especially with the twilight upon us. The son of Satan clicked his tongue and unsheathed his sword, causing him to get covered with blue flames.

He started to walk over to me, unaffected by the coolness of the red crystals. Though I notice that the ice that I caused didn't melt when it touched the satanic blue flame of his. "I don't care what you are, Elspeth. The only thing I care about is that you'll accept me, us, as your friend. You don't have to hide who you are from us! I know we've only met for two days but I'm asking you to trust us!"

I stiffened and stared at him to see if he is serious. Rin's hair and tail is covered with blue fire and his face held a determined expression as he gritted his fangs. I laughed despite myself and can't stop. He looked offended as I gripped my stomach from laughing. "Who would've thought the son of Satan is this soft?" I said before my laughter turned into sobbing.

"O-Oi! Why are you...?" He stopped again and I turned to him with a sad smile. "I guess we're alike in a way. You lost your loved ones too but you still held strong. Unlike me, who is reduced to a sniffling idiot with just a stupid mission."

"You're not a sniffling idiot." Rin said before raising his hand towards me. "Come with us... to Budapest. We'll be there to support you. Don't worry about the others. They know what I am so I don't think they'll freak out too much when they see you cover something in red ice."

"I don't even know what I am, Rin..." I turned to him just in time to see him look at me with a clueless look. I smiled and gripped his hand hard. "But I'll go with you so you guys won't get killed by the traps set around that place."

He pulled away his hand and waved it around. "That hurts!" He squinted his eyes at me and I laughed. I looked around and noticed the ice is already melting. Rin sheathed his sword once more and turned to grin at the black cat. "Hey, let's eat Yakiniku. I'll treat you both." I said and cringed when the two of them yelled in happiness.

I smiled and for the first time since my best friend died, my heart started to feel lighter. The two demons sang "Yakiniku, Yakiniku~!" The whole time we were walking towards the Yakiniku place. We encountered Yukio on the way and he tagged along but I didn't mind.

I looked out the window of the restaurant as they cooked Yakiniku on the grill and felt another smile creep into my face. "Elspeth, are you okay?" Yukio asked and I shrugged with a smirk. "I decided I'm joining you for the Budapest trip after all."

"R-Really?" Yukio looked surprised but then glanced at Rin. He smiled and looked back at me. "I see. Elspeth, we'll be going at around six in the morning tomorrow. Please pack whatever you seem necessary. We'll be spending the night there after all."

I nodded and grinned. "Please. Call me Ellie." I winked and enjoyed the rest of the night eating Yakiniku with the Okumura brothers.