Night had long since fallen, where two officers were investigating a disturbance that happened in a nearby church. There weren't exactly many official statements, only rumors, but the amount that had circulated in recent days was concerning.

Officer Moa Hesse, was convinced that the rumors were only that. Rumors. Moa was a young woman in her early to mid-twenties. Her brown hair was currently tucked under her police hat in a lose bun. She pushed her glasses up her nose, and turned to her partner, who was cowering behind a lamppost. She sighed in annoyance.

"Charles, this isn't the time to play-hide-and-seek." Moa chided. Honestly, Charles was supposed to be her mentor, and he was currently the one acting like a scared child. "We have to investigate this church once and for all."

"But what if it's a ghost or something, Moa?" Questioned the scared male officer. Moa so wanted to slap her partner.

"There's no such as thing as ghosts Charles. You're a police officer so act like one!" The police woman scolded. She was getting rather tired of this by that point.

With much persuasion…and an equal amount of force dragging the older officer, the two law-enforcers entered the building. "Th-this place has s-seen better d-days…"

"Mmhm." Moa agreed. A look of sadness was in her eyes as Moa took in the dilapidated church. It was two years ago, wasn't it?

"I heard the g-ghost of a br-bride haunts these old walls…"

"Charles."

"Yes…?"

"Shut up." Moa has heard the rumors. But she was there when the true event had happened. They had no right to assume what really happened here. The rope that once held an elegant chandelier was frayed where the stress had gotten the better of it. Below the swaying rope was the very decoration that once hung proudly on the church, now nothing more than shards. The light which once glistened from the crystals were now dusty and dull. Much like the future that became of her late sister and her mourning groom. "Let's investigate further."

"H-huh?"

(* - *)

"He has to be here somewhere…" Allen grumbled, as he continued to search for the cat that was trying to eat her golden companion.

"The probability of an Akuma being here is likely too." Link pointed out, lifting a few old newspapers, and quickly dropping them when stale urine reached his nose. Damn, he needed to burn those gloves now, didn't he?

"I believe you should consider a leash for Timcanpy." Apocryphos suggested. "At least that way, he can't fly off, and you won't lose track of it."

"That would be cruel to Tim." Allen retorted. "Besides, he was eaten by a cat. Stupid fur ball…huh?"

"Did you find something, Walker?"

"Ssh! I see the cat. I'm going to catch it." The duo decided to just watch the fail happen as it would. Because they were both rather sure something amusing may happen out of this.

(* - *)

Fifteen minutes into the search the two partners got separated. "Nothing. There's nothing here either." Moa's search was proving to her what she already believed. The rumors were just that. "Where on earth has Charles gone?"

Her answer came to her in the form of a terrified scream, and the woman was quick to rush from her spot, and head to where she heard Charles. Only to see him freaking out over a cat that wanted to be friendly with him. "I-It's on my leg!"

Sighing in annoyance, she kneeled down, and picked up the cat. "It's just a cat, Charles."

From the rafters, bats were suddenly scared from their posts, and in the next instant, Moa was gone.

"M-Moa!? Moa, where are you?!"

(* - *)

Moa grunted as her back made contact with what felt to be the back of an old wooden chair. "Gotcha! Wait…you're a woman!?"

"Good work, Walker." Another voice said with what only sounded like amusement to the otherwise stoic tone. "I guess you—"

"I suggest you don't finish that sentence." A third voice advised. "God knows it will come back to haunt you in the future."

The owner of the second voice shrugged. "I didn't realize you cared."

"Hardly."

"Eh…? Handcuffs…? H-HEY! WAIT, YOU GOT IT ALL WRONG!"

"You're all under arrest." Moa hissed.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid there's a bit of a misunderstanding." The lighting began to change with the passing of the moon, and Moa was able to make out the three different people before her. The one she handcuffed was definitely the youngest, though his white hair nearly made him appear older than he should be…and a little feminine with the length of it…but it was definitely a boy. The one to his direct right was around the same height, though it was apparent he was a few years older, with blonde hair, and a stern expression. The final of the three was…a priest?

"Clarify."

"We were just trying to get someone super important from that cat…" The youngest said, and much to Moa's confusion the cat in question was grinning. Who knew a cat could do that?

"And we were trying not to lose track of him," The blonde stated, gesturing to the youngest. "We were going to make this quick, and then be on our way…though it seems we've found ourselves in the middle of an investigation."

"Just who are you three?"

"I'm Allen Walker." Allen introduced himself, "And…these two are…my travel companions…"

"Uh-huh." Moa was disbelieving. "Why not tell the truth?"

"But it is the truth!" Allen cried, "I was chasing after a cat that kidnapped a very important friend of mine, and I've been chasing him around London nearly all day!"

"Walker, it was only half a day." Said the blonde.

"Not helping, Link." Allen huffed, before turning his attention back to Moa, "I literally just had a long journey in a train, you've got to believe me officer." He pleaded.

"It's too farfetched to even consider." Moa bluntly told the trio.

Suddenly, screaming could be heard from the level below, and all four reacted simultaneously. "There's someone else here?" Allen asked.

"Stay put!" Moa told them, before running off. She never bothered with the two men who had accompanied Allen, having been too high on alert to consider making sure they wouldn't be able to disrupt her job. Once she left, Allen fidgeted with the cuff, growling in annoyance when he couldn't release the mechanism within it.

"Help?"

"I got it." Link sighed, pulling a bobby pin from somewhere on his being. "And there." The lock was released, and Allen's cuff fell to the floor.

"I hate these things."

"I would assume you would." Apocryphos pointed out. "I also assume you wish to make sure misfortune doesn't become of the police girl, correct?"

"Yeah…" Allen chuckled, before standing. "Let's go."

The search didn't take long, as the sound of shots and crumbling stone made it easier to pinpoint the exact place they needed to be.

Moa was out cold on the floor, and Link cursed, as he rushed in, managing to get Moa out of harm's way just as a portion of ceiling fell straight towards her form. The shadow of a creature was already retreating, all three having taken notice, but none had the opportunity to pursue it.

Sirens sounded from outside, and Apocryphos actually cursed. "We must leave this church, and come back later!"

"Understood." Link affirmed. "Let's make sure we get her to safety."

. . - * - . .

Link carefully placed Moa on the bench, within the Police Station where Moa worked. He sighed. Much to his dismay the chief of police here was quite the nuance. He was quick to point the finger at the trio and because of this inconvenience, all three had ended up in the interrogation.

"ADMIT IT! YOU THREE ARE THE CULPRITS!" The chunky man roared, and Allen grimaced when spit landed just short of his folded hands.

"Sir, I mean not to be rude, however, you have the wrong people in question." Link calmly said. "When Officer Moa awakes, she can prove our innocence without—"

"Chief! Moa's awake, sir!" An officer says, entering the room, with a disgruntled Moa being dragged in.

"Ah! Charles is—"

"We know. We're interrogating the suspects now."

"Greetings, officer." Apocryphos said with a curt nod. "You're looking better."

"Um…?"

"According to them, they're Allen Walker, Howard Link, and…"

"Harold Cryphos." Apocryphos smoothly lied.

"Why are we even being interrogated?! All we did was bring back one of your officers after she lost conscious!"

"All three of you were in the church, that makes you all suspects!" The Chief of police blatantly growled out, "Besides, look at your hand, kid! Covered in blood!"

"N-no, it's always been that way…" Allen struggled a little, not comfortable with a stranger touching his obvious disfigurement. His fidgeting caused his make-shift glove on that hand to snap open, the material once hiding the cross now revealing it for the room to see.

"What the hell is this?!" The man in charge asked in shock and disgust, "What is this?! Shouldn't you be in pain from embedding that cross in your hand?! You should be taking better care of the body your parents gave you!"

"A-actually…"

Moa cleared her throat, easily distracting her outraged boss, "Chief, none of these people were the culprit…they were with me the whole time."

Another officer took the liberty to inform the fat man of a few things. The Chief growled in annoyance, "Alright, fine. We have yet to find that weapon at the church…WHY DID YOU HAVE TO FAINT, OFFICER MOA HESSE!?"

"Please hold on for a moment." Link spoke up, crossing his arms in annoyance. "There wasn't anything she could've done regardless. What your men are up against is something they can't defeat with there mere firearms."

"What the hell do you know?"

"We know quite a bit, but unfortunately, it's nothing you would so much as be willing to understand." Apocryphos boredly said.

Perhaps it was the last straw, but after the nonsense the man was given, he immediately ordered Moa to watch over them at her place from there on.

No one on the receiving end was happy with this decision.

. . - * - . .

"So…that thing is called an Akuma, then?" Moa found herself asking. After a mini fiasco which had Allen attempting to sneak out from her home, and a light scolding from both her and the two whom accompanied him, she had she picked up an old book she had. It was an encyclopedia, the content within it holding the knowledge of different areas of the world. A house-warming gift she had gotten, though never really had any use for. "Mm…according to this, the only 'akuma' are translated into 'demons' from hell." She said, speaking her thoughts aloud. "They're mythical beings that were created to explain people's misfortune during ancient times. They only exist on paper, and in our heads. Not in reality. I don't believe in curses and demons. I hate that type of stuff."

"That's not the same thing as Akuma." Allen sighed, scratching under the cat's chin. The feline purred, delighted by the attention it was given.

"Pardon?"

"What Walker means," Link decided to speak up, "Is that the Akuma we're to deal with is a weapon."

"A tragic abomination." Apocryphos said. "A weapon designed to specifically prey upon the human race. Unfortunately, they often blend in amongst humanity, thus you cannot exactly spot them."

"You two might not, but…"

The door suddenly slammed open, revealing a man in a wheelchair. He appeared paler than what was considered normal, and multiple alarms in three heads were going off at the intruder.

"Marc!" Moa raced to the man, keeling before the disabled man, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm…hung…ry…"

"H-huh?"

"GET DOWN!" Allen cried out, grabbing Moa just as Marc's form began to shift and change, a spontaneous transformation in only the most grotesque of manners.

Shots were fired, and dual voices called out as Allen had acted on instinct alone. The projectile Allen had caught, had blown both him and Moa straight through the wall of her home, and were both flung clear across the way through the church, where they finally stopped, crashing into the altar where different services once took place. Allen groaned in pain, seemed one of the criteria they agreed on was already broken. "Heh…I guess that was kinda stupid…"

"You…did you just…" Moa was making a reach for the bullet still in Allen's hand. He quickly pulled it away, preventing her from touching it.

"You shouldn't touch this. It's a blood bullet from the Akuma." Allen said, looking to the cat in his lap. "The virus contains a poisonous virus. The Akuma transforms itself into a powerful firearm, and releases them."

Moa didn't miss the pentagrams beginning to form all over the cat's body. "The moment your hit by these things, the virus spreads rapidly, and then…"

In the blink of an eye, the cat became dust.

"And your body crumbles to pieces." Allen finishes. There was sadness in his voice, "I'm sorry kitty, I couldn't save you…"

"Then…my brother…what happened to my brother, Marc?"

"Moa, an Akuma camouflages itself in our world by 'wearing' a human corpse…I hate to say it, but that wasn't Marc anymore." Allen explained, as he removed his coat, and placed it over the remains of the cat that perished.

"But…"

"That thing that killed your brother, and began wearing his skin? It's an Akuma."

"You mean…my brother was murdered?"

Allen pulled Moa close to him, looking towards the direction the Akuma becoming from. "It's here."

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!"

"Detective?"

"What the hell is that?!" The man exclaimed, before pointing towards the demonic entity before them, "FIRE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THAT THING IS, BUT IT LOOKS EVIL!"

"No! You're guns are useless here! Run away!" Allen cried out, but his words fell to deaf ears. They began shooting at the Akuma, which shot them all in turn. Each and every officer crumbled to dust.

"YOU MONSTER! WHY DID YOU KILL THEM?! WHY?!" Moa screamed out, on the verge of crying, though did her best to not shed her threatening tears.

"Moa, your words are useless…they don't wish to do this…but they're programmed to evolve as weapons."

"But that's just a killing machine!"

"As true as that may be," Link's voice stated, as he and Apocryphos dropped in from above, where the Akuma had created its entry. "There's a bit more to it than that."

"An Akuma is a living weapon with a soul embedded in it." Allen said, "The soul is ruled by the 'Maker', these lost souls are those that are tormented in their sins. They hate this world. And it is all the pain and frustration of a tormented soul that serves as the energy source…that feeds the Akuma, and helps it reach its full potential."

"What is it you see, little heart?"

"Even that Akuma…once had a soul embedded in it. She was probably someone who had a deep bond with Marc, whom she chose to be her 'skin'…"

"The gist of it," Link said, as he turned his attention to the floating monster, "An Akuma is made of a machine. A soul…and a tragedy."

"There isn't a human alive without darkness in their hearts." Apocryphos solemnly said. "It just so happens, that once a tragedy intensifies the darkness in a human's heart, that is when 'he' appears and creates an Akuma."

"…that accident…" Moa said out of the blue, "…at away at my brother's heart."

"Do you have an idea who the soul belongs to, Moa?" Allen asked, "I can see her. She's crying in agony right now…"

"You can…you can see my sister? Are you saying you can see Claire?"

"…he was a pastor." Link said, taking a photo he had found while still at Moa's home.

"So, he must've cursed god when he lost his beloved." Allen said. "When he lost Claire."

"Then…are you telling me…that thing is actually Claire?" Moa asked in despair.

"Link…Apocryphos…I know I'm not supposed—"

"We'll turn a blind eye." Link assured. "I feel I should know you almost too well by now."

"Do what you must, little heart." Allen smiled to his two guardians, and nodded, raising his left hand to his chest, he sighed.

"Cross of God, which inhabits my body…lend me thy power to destroy the darkness now." Allen's cross reacted to his wishes, glowing a bright, yet eerie green. He looked up, just as his arm transformed from its normal disfigurement, into a giant white claw. "Bring forth salvation, to this tormented Akuma's soul."

It was over before the Akuma could get another attack in. The enemy screeched, before exploding behind Allen's form as he landed. "Rest in peace, Miss Claire."

In the background, Moa watched the scene before her. Before sadly smiling.

The nightmare was finally over, after all.

(* - *)

Allen rested against the wall where he and Moa had first impacted in the church. In the meanwhile, Apocryphos and Link were doing damage control. "I wonder…if they were both able to go to heaven…"

The white-headed boy looked to the female officer, "You mean…?"

"My sister…and Marc."

Allen nodded in understanding and smiled before looking up to the starry skies above, "I'm sure they did."

"…I'm glad."

"Moa, I think you should know that the Millennium Earl, as the Maker's real identity is, is a being who preys upon those who suffer greater misfortune. He's the one planning the demise of mankind…and as an Exorcist, it's my job to put a stop to it."

"Of you and your…friends, are you the only one who is an Exorcist?"

"I think it's easier for you to understand if that's the case." Allen sheepishly admitted. "But promise me something. Don't let tragedy have you become what Marc and Claire had. Okay?"

"I won't let it happen, so don't worry, Allen…and thank you." From the corner of his eyes, Allen took notice of movement where the cat's remains were. He stood, just as Timcanpy flew out from under his coat, landing on his fingers as they were presented.

"I was wondering when you were going to come back." The boy said with chuckle. Timcanpy ruffled his feathers in response. "That means we'll need to start heading out soon, huh?"

"It would appear so." Link said. "Apocryphos is going to remain at a distance from here on out. He can't risk Lvellie knowing he tagged along."

"Right."

"Farewell, officer. Stay safe."

"Thank you, Link." Moa replied and watched as the duo left. She wasn't entirely sure who they were, but she at least knew they were trustworthy enough. It's the least she felt she could do since they did save her sister and brother-in-law.

. . - * - . .

The remainder of the trip was uneventful. It didn't take much longer before Link and Allen were before a tall building. "Erm…how do we get up?"

"There's an underwater passage. We'll take that, and from there we have a safe way into the main entryway."

Allen nodded, and sighed. So…this is going to my new cage in a sense, isn't it? I…hope the people here are nice enough…

… … … …

Note from the Beta: Hiyas~ This took a while to complete, 'cos life happened…and yeah. But I've finished the editing, and now this thing is over 3,000 words, excluding my Beta's Note xD Continue to enjoy Rose's story, and I'll start editing the next chapter soon enough :)

See y'all next time~! :3

… … … …