Chapter 33: Inception
In which Satan realizes his actions have consequences. Just not the ones anyone was expecting.
"So, you again, huh?" Satan sneered, assessing the boy before him. Minoru Tasomething, the slightly creepy stalker boy who he hadn't seen since the very first day of school. He hadn't changed much, though the dark rings under his eyes were new, "I already said you didn't owe me anything, so whatever you're offering, I'm not interested."
They were at an isolated classroom in one of the older buildings, far away from anyone. In fact, the building was just a year away from full demolition, and only a few classes were being held there at all. To make things even stranger, Minoru sucked in a deep breath before walking over to the door and closing it, fully sealing them away in their own world. It was suspicious, but Satan was antsy enough about securing the campus once again that he was fine chasing even phantom threats, just in case.
Satan idly thought about the best way to kill the boy and make it look like an accident if things really did go to shit.
Minoru spoke: "Do you even remember those adults that you killed? Because I do."
Silence, ringing as the question hung like poison in the air between them. The question was serious, without a single hint of joke or deception, born from knowing something to be as true as the sky was blue.
Not ten feet separated them, and Satan could cross that distance in a mere second if he so wished. Less, if he threw a knife. A single shot and the boy's throat would be torn, leaving him to gurgle and suffocate on his own blood. He could figure out an excuse later, or simply vanish the body completely.
Instead, he grinned so wide it hurt, slowly forming fangs twisting his mouth into that of a shark's.
"Which ones?"
Minoru laughed. It was ugly and cracked and just a bit crazed, but bitter relief underlaid it all. "Of course, you 'took care' of more than just those two, I should have known based on your file alone."
And there was the kicker Satan had been waiting for, baited out without him actually trying. It was enough to slip the smile from his face into something even more feral, and as dangerous as the things that one little word implied.
"File?" He questioned lowly.
"I really am thankful for what you did that day." Minoru said, ignoring the question and Satan would have torn out his liver then and there if the boy hadn't kept talking, "It was scary how easily you took care of them, and you cursed me without a thought, hoping I would be thought of as crazy. It isn't right, but I just can't help but be happy that you showed up, even if it was just to get some sickos off your 'territory'." The air quotes were heavily implied, but somehow not sarcastic or a jab. Instead, it felt more like the black-haired boy was reciting a title or phrase.
Minoru shook his head when the other teen said nothing, clearly waiting for him to get to the point, "And it's because of that that I'm going to do something really stupid and tell you that some really powerful people know exactly what you've been doing and want you for something. They've been watching you for years now and have gone as far as covering up any time you were sloppy with your kills just so they could watch you more."
Well, that was certainly…distressing. He had thought that outsiders knowing about him started and ended with Astaroth and his network of tiny rot demons. He was sure that his son had kept his mouth shut like asked, probably going above and beyond to keep the secret under wraps, in fact, so he really must have been sloppy somewhere.
That just left one thing to confirm before he decided how to proceed, "So, let me guess: You're a spy for these people, right? It's the only way you could know this, and it's how you knew my name that day, isn't it?" That had always bothered him, and it looked like his paranoia had finally paid off.
"That's right. I saw how no one believed the other kids when they tried to talk about demons, so I kept quiet. But not quiet enough, because a few years later they approached me and gave me all the information and protection I could ever want so long as I kept an eye on you once I was enrolled in your school. I didn't have to do anything, just tell them whenever you got into trouble, and they would do their best to make all the problems go away. I didn't think anything of it since I just wanted to repay you any way I could, and these people acted like they wanted the same, but…" The boy trailed off, looking to the side in shame.
"But eventually you wondered why they cared so much, right?" Satan finished.
"Yeah." A nod, "Yeah…You're a very important person, you know? You're so important that they ran tests on me just because I had contact with you, something about the Temptaint being different." Minoru continued, still looking away so he didn't notice how Satan flinched at that revelation, "I'm not sure what that means, but it meant something to them, and I saw how far they were willing to go, so I just had to play along."
"What is this shadowy organization called?" Satan asked deceptively lightly, looking over his nails.
"The Illuminati."
Without a single thing between them, it was easy for Satan to reach the boy. So, so easy for him to shove him back and pin him to the wall, the kiss of a knife to that frail throat a pale substitute for the prick of claws Satan preferred, but it would have to do- he wasn't that much of a demon yet. With no one around, he didn't have to bother muffling the impact, and bore down on the boy despite his inferior height, refusing to let him move an inch.
"Why are you willing to turn against them, if they helped you so much?" Satan asked, calm even as the anger that he had been watched for so long simmered under his skin, "You've seen what I can do, so why help me? Why should I trust a self-proclaimed traitor?"
If Minoru was willing to change sides once, he could be willing to do it again. Unless, of course, this went beyond simple dissatisfaction.
"Because you're the one who actually did something." Minoru gasped out, though his desperation had nothing to do with the knife. Instead, his eyes shone with something fanatic that he had nurtured from childhood, "Even if it wasn't for me, you're still the one who actually saved me, not them! I was doing perfectly fine on my own until they came, and I only helped them to help you, but it's obvious that they want to use you somehow! So just let me finally pay you back and make up for my mistakes!"
Children were so easy to mold. The vales they gained in their first decade of life would stick with them through most of the lives, almost impossible to shake off on their own. Their morals, their values, even their heroes. So long as nothing directly contradicted them for years and years, they would cling to those things.
So of course, at least one of the children Satan had indirectly saved would come to admire him after he had done something so very tangible for them. Something that, without, they wouldn't have had the privilege of living a relatively peaceful life afterwards. And Minoru was so hyperaware of that fact that he must have remembered that once incident and what could have happened to him thousands of times.
"Fine, I believe you. Get me whatever information you can by tomorrow and then we'll talk about what to do next."
"Next?"
Something in the depths of Satan's mind had reacted at the word 'Illuminati'. It was a buried part of him, hazy like he had been told of it when he…wasn't all there, but just clear enough he was certain that someone had talked to him about it more than once. Possibly extensively, and possibly Lucifer himself. Almost certainly Lucifer. The one-sided conversation was long forgotten, but the impression left behind was warm and hopeful…and sometime much later tinted to something cold and cynical. But that underlying hope never left, even if it twisted and withered, it became a black blossom in its refusal to die completely.
Yes, Lucifer had been hopefully about something, and that was dangerous. A hopeful Lucifer had shaken Gehenna to its very foundations, nearly ripped apart the world itself in the wake of his fervor.
"What, did you really think I was just going to take your info and let you go off to get killed?" Satan really had missed a good many important things over the last millennia, so he would need even the weakest possible ally, "Nah, how about you become my little spy instead if you really want to get rid of that guilt for being tricked? After I decide if you're telling me the truth."
Satan was only half paying attention to the results of the exam, and even it was only enough to notice the new seating arrangements. Izumo had relegated herself near back, occasionally scratching at her hidden bandages, and the demon couldn't help but scoff at the dramatic behavior. Paku had only cast her a nervous glance before sitting at her usual spot and it was pathetic how they refused to confront the obvious issues they had. Sure, maybe it had only happened last night, but surely that was enough time to think of what needed to be said, right?
In the end, it wasn't his problem right now. He had paid attention to what Yukio had had to say and knew that his child was sure to pass and that was all the drama he had time for. His own success was guaranteed already, so all he had to worry about was making sure that Samael kept his end of the bargain. Though, a part of him was happy that the twin-tailed bitch was sure to get her ego knocked down a few pegs when she inevitably failed for losing control of her summons-
With a completely unneeded level of flourish, Samael finally announced: "Everyone but Ms. Noriko Paku is promoted to Exwire! Congratulations to the winners!"
-Or not. They really did just let anyone pass these days, didn't they? Satan internally sighed, already dreading the idea of actually having to work with the plum-haired girl. She sure as hell wasn't going to be in charge of guarding Yukio, that was going to be Kuro's job. Yes, the two of them had had a very long talk about priorities last night…
Satan was only half paying attention to the results, so he didn't think anything of the silence and half-whispers until Izumo suddenly stood, slamming her hands on the desk.
"Hold on, that doesn't make any sense!" She shouted, clearly trying to be angry but only looking even more distressed than before, "That doesn't make any sense at all! I didn't do anything either! In fact, my own summons attacked me because I couldn't concentrate! So why do I get to pass while Paku fails?"
The murmurs of agreement were quickly silenced with a pointed raise of Samael's finger, "It is the intent that matters, my dear. You are just trainees, so of course some…mistakes will be made, but at least you have potential. Ms. Noriko, however, did nothing but rely on others, and has shown no promise in any field. An Exorcist cannot be reasonably expected to be useful in every situation, but they must at least have one thing they are good at, so it is only reasonable that she continues to remain a Page until she finds something she can commit to. Understand?"
Honestly, the argument was a lot more than Satan had been expecting- he had thought Samael would have some bullshit reason up his sleeve, not a nearly air-tight argument. There were a few holes in that logic, mainly what's-his-face in the back somehow passing, but Izumo was hardly in the right mindset to notice, much less counter them, and it showed.
"That's not…That's-!"
"It's fine, Izumo." Said, surprisingly, Paku, with the calm but defeated air of someone who had made peace with an unfortunate fact, "I was thinking about dropping out anyway since I just get in the way."
"Paku-"
"I'm the reason your summons attacked you, aren't I? Because I 'weakened your heart' by being a nuisance."
Yes, Satan decided, even if Samael dressed the reason up as something completely understandable, at the core he probably saw Paku as Izumo's deadweight given form. A tag along who couldn't even prop her friend up enough to be useful as a motivator. So, of course, she had to go. Though, Satan was impressed that Paku had realized this to some extent already and had accepted being unfit for Exorcist work so quickly.
"But…" Izumo nearly blubbered, trembling just a bit as things collapsed around her, "But I thought we both agreed that we would get better together, Paku!"
"I'm sorry, I need some time alone."
The girl stood and left.
Izumo collapsed back into her seat and Samael used the stunned silence to babbler on about the life of an Exorcist, the duties of an Exwire, things Satan already knew or didn't care. Instead, he watched the doorway Paku had left through and wondered if she really would drop out or not. If she had the maturity to understand and accept her own weakness, then she wasn't completely hopeless. And she got along with Shiemi, who it turn got along very well with Yukio. So maybe, just maybe he would talk to her and make sure she was serious before she left forever.
It certainly had nothing at all to do with how he could vividly recall all the things he had said and done.
It was sometime later that Satan realized that he hadn't heard from Minoru yet. He had gotten a vague feeling of being watched the past few hours but hadn't seen the tiny boy.
He decided he would find the boy tomorrow, after class.
Everything had been going well, almost too well, in fact. He couldn't believe what he was doing, couldn't believe he was finally standing up for himself, but he had finally taken the first step forward. He was sure it would be hard, but he was tired of living as he had, so surely it would be worth it.
Everything was going well, perfectly, in fact.
It was all perfect until he began to write down what he knew. Barely three lines in and suddenly-
Something burst behind his head, acid burned its way down his spine, and-
And-
And he was-
And he was surely being dissolved in fire, surely dying.
Surely.
BuT͙̝͖ͨ hE̹̟̺̠̽̋̊ͭ̐̄ WasN͙̼̯̈́ͮ̀̾̿̓͂͘'T Ḍ̶̇̒̍̾̎̓eA͇̳̮̻̣͓̬̒̈́ͯḌ͎̰̻̄̉̆͂͛͗ͣ.