Yukio and the others reached the entrance to the forest, but there was still no sign of Suguro-kun.
"Maybe he went into the forest alone?" Shiemi asked.
"There's no way he could have beat us here only on his own two feet. And if he had gotten ahold of a vehicle somehow, we would have passed it on our way here," Konekomaru stated, though he sounded as if he were scared of his own logic.
"Then where is he?" Shiemi's voice quavered a bit.
"Something got him. Probably the same thing that got the rest of the town," Izumo state bluntly, but her pale face betrayed her. Everyone was spooked.
"Do you think it got Okumura-kun, too?"
Yukio clenched his fist, the pale moonlight glinting off his glasses and hiding his eyes. When he turned to the rest of the group, however, his demeanor was as calm and collected as ever.
"Obviously there is a very powerful malignant force at play here. Somehow this power has expanded beyond Aokigahara and affected the surrounding area. I'm assuming that is the reason for the townspeople's disappearance as well as Rin's strange behavior. As such, it is our duty to investigate this demonic infestation. With our current man power, we can't hope to exorcise the forest. Our mission is to locate Suguro-san, Okumura-san, and Logan-san and rescue them, then get to safety and alert the Order of this situation."
"Isn't it a little strange how that man's friend came here before all this started? What if he is in on this?" Izumo stated, eyeing the forest nervously.
"Sir Pheles tasked me with taking care of Logan-san. If Mephisto trusts him, then we will too."
"That seems a little flimsy," Shima murmured. Yukio merely adjusted his glasses.
"Please! Let's just trust Yuki-chan and help our friends! Logan-san did help us earlier by killing that demon! He didn't seem like a bad person!"
Konekomaru shook his head, "You're too trusting, Shiemi. But you're right. We can't focus on our doubts right now. Let's do this," he tightened his grip on his dagger and nodded towards Yukio, who returned the gesture with a curt nod.
"Everyone, arm yourselves, and remain within eyeshot of everyone else at all times. Do not leave the group. If you think you see something, speak up, even if you're not sure."
Yukio took the first step into the forest, hoping to God he was doing the right thing. Was he just leading his students - no, his friends - into danger? He was clinging to the hope that Rin and the others were still alive, and still within reach. With that in mind, he took another step into the forest, then another.
Logan had been annoyed by these kids when he first met them. Calling themselves exorcists, trying to act like they could protect him. But now, walking with Rin, he realized how badly he had misjudged them. This kid didn't skip a beat when some terrible monster popped up out of the forest - he just incinerated it. Without him, Logan would have been...well, it wouldn't have been pretty.
However, the fact still remained that they were completely, utterly lost.
Not even Logan's keen senses could get them out of this mess. He secretly suspected that if it had been a normal forest, he could have found his way out in no time. But this forest was cursed, filled with demons and ghosts and who knew what else. There was nothing normal about it.
While they walked, Logan had tried to explain mutant genetics to Rin. Fumbling as it was, Rin seemed to understand the basic premise of his explanation. When he finally grasped the idea that Logan was completely human after all, he looked down at his feet and let out a quiet
"Oh."
The ensuing silence was heavy with some sort of emotion Logan didn't fully grasp. Trying to dispel the gloomy lull in conversation, he asked about Rin's brother.
"So you're a half demon, but Yukio isn't?"
"Well, we both are, technically. But only I inherited Satan's power."
"Whoa, back up - did you just say Satan?"
Rin looked away, but Logan noticed the hunched shoulders and the clenched fists, not to mention the way his tail suddenly went rigid and little blue flames puffed up along his arms and shoulders. Apparently his parentage was a touchy subject. Not that that was much of a surprise - this kid's dad was Satan? Like, the incarnation of all evil in the world?
Rin was internally beating himself up. Why had he let that slip about Satan? Logan wasn't even a half demon, so he was sure to be freaked out that Rin himself was a demon. But worse than that, the son of Satan. He had been hoping this guy was like him, someone who would understand...but he had ended up just isolating himself further.
Not that he could blame Logan for his reaction - he had every right to be freaked out. He was just some stranger that was suddenly thrown into this world of demons. What had Rin been thinking?
"That's pretty badass, kid."
Rin looked up in surprise, only to see Logan smirking down at him, one eyebrow cocked.
"Back where I come from, they call me the Wolverine. But compared to the Son of Satan, my name sounds like a pansy."
Rin looked away again, still embarrassed, "Why do they call you the Wolverine?"
"I'm not really sure where the name came from...I've always been called that. I think it's because people think I'm an animal."
Rin looked up at the man, "An animal?"
"I've got claws like one, at least," his silver claws flowed out from between his knuckles, glinting in the blue light cast by Rin's flames.
"I'm not a gentle guy, sorry to disappoint you. I'm a fighter - sometimes I feel like an animal. Most people, normal people - they don't understand. When you have this other side that's not quite human..." he looked at Rin, "But that's not a bad thing."
Rin held his sword up, catching his reflection in the metal blade. His eyes were wild and glowing - definitely not human. They were the eyes of a demon.
He was about to lower the sword when something else caught his eye - something glowing red, over his shoulder.
"Logan, watch out!" he spun around just in time to see the shadow emerge from the forest and swallow them whole.