Ardent Exorcist

by Cvicel

Althea (a medicine student or perhaps a spy) enrolls into the True Cross Academy where she finds new friends and turns Mephisto's carefully-planned world upside down. ***Rated M because it contains some mature content, but the focus is on my own story - characters, relationships and fights. The story does have an ending and you have much to look forward to.***

24. Christmas blues, in Hell - loose

Chapter 24 - Christmas blues, in Hell - loose

The lovely violin tones echoed through the huge ball hall of the True Cross Academy. It was December 24th, the day of the most anticipated event of the season - the Winter ball. The academy staff, its students, Exorcists of all True Cross Order branches, and the honorable partners and sponsors filled the lavishly decorated halls. The guests wore their best tuxedos, robes, and dresses; and were enjoying the evening full of melodious tones of the orchestra accompanying their dance and enthusiastic chatter. The irresistible aroma of exquisite foods and assortments of various sweets was inviting the guests to the long, full tables. The halls were basking in the light coming from huge ornamental chandeliers and candles. Everything was absolutely superb and dream-like. Just as expected from the renowned, extravagant headmaster who stood behind every year's highlight of social events.

The host stood on one of the inner balconies overlooking the huge dancing hall. He was wearing a tailored white tuxedo with lavish golden and violet embroidery on a few elements, including the ascot tie. However, while he was usually in the spotlight of every such event, this time, he limited his presence to the short welcome speech. He then became but an inconspicuous shadow looming over the guests, working hard to avoid everyone who would want to engage in a small talk with him, which was, well, everyone. His nonchalant smile was gone, just as his usual excitement. The music was an enchanting medley of waltzes. The menu contained no beetroot or fake, processed strawberries, while the selection of sweets ranged from the traditional daifuku to Mozartkugeln. All the flowery decorations consisted mainly of the white roses which were climbing the pillars and walls were arranged in a way that the flowers wouldn't wither after a few days. Instead, they were carefully placed in elegant pots, so that they could be placed in the gardens and around the Academy after the end of the event. Only… The person who would be able to truly appreciate the attention to those little details was not there. The fairy tale atmosphere was there for all to enjoy, except for him and the one for whom he had put so much effort to create this Wintermärchen in the first place.

Mephisto breathed out softly and clutched the railings of the balcony tightly, trying to regain his composure. The metal bent slightly under the strong grip without the demon noticing. He had waited for this moment eagerly. He was so sure he would be able to bring her back safely, just in time for the big event. He was so sure of his network, of his own capabilities, of the kidnappers' motives. And he had never been so wrong… Thea was nowhere to be found even after a good week of intense search all around the globe. He looked down at the merry crowd, bitterness filling his mind. To think that he would ever feel so envious towards humans. He had all he could wish for, and yet, it was not enough. Not when she wasn't there to see… He was supposed to be down there, too, welcoming the guests, enjoying the atmosphere, chatting, dancing, greasing the wheels, making witty remarks - all that while accompanying his dear lady. Just like the last time, during the Summer festival. The precious memory of that night sprung up in his mind before he could stop it…

…A warm summer evening, him standing in the very same hall, welcoming the guests. His beautiful, beloved, and workaholic lady was still stuck in the hospital wing, helping to treat the members of squad fifteen who had been exposed to a huge dose of miasma during their mission. Mephisto remembered arranging his ascot tie and the tuxedo for about the thirtieth time that evening, then inconspicuously combing his hair with his fingers while looking in the tall windows. Suddenly, his eyes rested on the person rushing through the garden alley towards the main entrance. The young lady stopped a bit afar to adjust the intricate, ornamental comb in her golden locks carefully. His heart just skipped a beat. She looked absolutely stunning in that elegant champagne colored dress and long-sleeved gloves. And was the pendant on her necklace shaped like the infinity symbol? He could feel the heat rush into his cheeks. It was! Could she know it was his symbol? Did she pick it on purpose? Knowing her as well as he did now, he was fairly certain that those jewels and likely the dress, too, were borrowed from her friend Ayami, who usually spent most of her money on these things. Luckily, Ayami had both good taste and a very similar figure to Thea and enjoyed sharing things. He chuckled, because Thea kept adjusting her dress and hair in front of the very same glass window as him, only from the other side, until she finally spotted him. She burst out into laughter and facepalmed herself. Then, she breathed softly on the glass, drew a small heart for him and rushed inside. He blinked twice, his heartbeat quickening. It was so unusual and precious for her to pull such a romantic gesture on him.

One memory from the same evening replaced another in a blink of an eye. Thea had just entered the main ballroom, her eyes searching the crowd for him, only to be halted off by a group of ladies. And one 'lady' in particular. He immediately focused his sensitive hearing on their conversation through all the music and chatter, and slowly made his way through the huge ballroom towards Thea. Just in case. After all, the women had no idea whom they were dealing with… A sly, haughty voice reached his ears soon. "...you must have mistaken the entrance. This is the Summer-ball hall. The Summer-party hall for the Academy's students is taking place over there. I'm sure the loud pop music and goofy attractions will be more to your liking." lady Mitsuhide cooed sweetly, gesturing towards the opposite entrance with the glass of champagne she was holding. Thea didn't wait with her answer, and she cut a perfect, curtly smile. "Oh, I didn't know Johann employed greeters. How very thoughtful of him. Well, thank you for the little orientation tour, I will consider checking on the others in the 'Summer-party hall' should I find the present company too… old-fashioned for my taste." Thea clasped her hands enthusiastically, then proceeded to walk right past the group. "But I am sure I've got the right entrance. Also, thank you for your attention, but since the weather is nice and warm outside, I have no coat for you to take to the cloakroom." Thea shot the group a smug look and Mephisto had to stifle the outburst of laughter. An outraged mingle of 'Hey!', 'Beg your pardon?', 'Misunderstanding?' and 'Excuse me?!' came from the group of ladies who supported lady Mitsuhide - the proud lady who refused to let it go and to lose face in front of her cronies.

"Didn't you hear me? This ball is designated for Mr. Faust's most esteemed guests and… Hey, where do you think you're going, girl?" lady Mitsuhide stood in Thea's path with an infuriated expression on her face, only for Thea to interrupt the preposterous outburst. "That would be Doctor Heilbrunn for you, Miss. Now then, if you excuse me, I wouldn't want to keep Johann waiting any longer…" To Mephisto's absolute thrill, Thea cut a perfect smile and waved them off with her hand dismissively. She rarely flaunted around her newly acquired title, or rather, titles, as she had become both a medical doctor and achieved her Meister Doctor rank. But seeing his dear lady acting like that - something about that slightly cocky, queen-like attitude made him pull at his ascot tie to release the sudden tension. Another series of abashed gasps sounded - 'A doctor?!', 'Then our mistake?', 'So young?', 'But she was supposed to…'. And then, in a blink of a second, he saw it. Lady Mitsuhide's shocked expression when she was processing the inacceptable facts - that her plans to sabotage Thea's studies and eliminate her as her love rival had failed. The look of outrage and hate in her eyes. He helped himself a little and teleported through the crowd just in time to pull his beloved lady closer to him and far enough away from the splash of champagne ('accidentally' spilled by lady Mitsuhide) which would have completely ruined her elegant dress. Women could be so petty… And this one… this one could consider herself uninvited from any future social events he would organize. The Mitsuhide family might be one of the Academy's patrons, but that didn't mean he would put up with their youngest daughter's childish fits… Especially since she was already pushing her forties.

Thea looked at him with a surprised expression, then regarded the spilled alcohol on the ground. She blinked, then graced Mephisto with a warm, thankful smile. "O-oh, Sir Faust…" lady Mitsuhide put her hand in front of her mouth, when she noticed a few droplets of champagne falling down his right sleeve. Judging by her bulged eyes darting to and fro, she was trying to come up with an excuse to save the situation. "I… I must have slipped… Oh, how very clumsy of me!" she feigned a lament, hiding her 'embarrassed' face behind her fan. Suddenly, Mephisto spotted Thea's eyes playing as she turned towards the sly, aggravating woman. "How very clumsy indeed. As a doctor, I suggest you stay away from the bar for the rest of the night. Also, alcohol doesn't go well with those Alzheimer pills, remember?" Thea put a hand on her cheek. Mephisto couldn't hold it any longer. The time stopped for everyone except him and Thea after a swift 'Null. Verweile noch.', followed by an uncontrolled outburst of laughter… "Thea dear, that was…" he kept laughing, holding his stomach, unable to finish the sentence. The girl's face grew red. "I know, I know, sorry, that was probably uncalled for. It's your night, I should behave… But come on! What's the woman's problem?! Did I do something to anger her? Because I cannot think of a single reason…" she folded her hands on her chest, affronted and shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, dear." he put a kiss on Thea's hand, then grinned. "Good thing we have so many Doctors present tonight. Perhaps she had managed not to affront at least one of them, so someone might be willing to look at those burns she just suffered."

The scenery soon changed, as Mephisto recalled another memory of the same enchanting summer night, only a bit later. Thea was standing in front of him on the balcony, apologizing for running late. He didn't care. All he could think about was how lovely she smiled at him, how eagerly she looked at him. As if she was waiting for something. Oh, she was waiting for something! She was handing him an envelope with an enthusiastic German birthday wish - 'Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu Deinem Geburtstag!'. He took the envelope while she kept explaining how he had completely spoiled all her birthday gift plans for him when he had bought the last exclusive collectable volume of Akatsuki no Yona manga with all the little figurines of heroes. He was stunned. She bought a gift for him? True, it was his birthday, but it was customary for him as the host of the party to invite everyone to celebrate. There was never an exchange of presents, though, merely best wishes and toasts. But if she didn't buy the special manga edition, then what did she plan for him? He opened the envelope eagerly. His eyes almost popped out as he pulled out a photo of a ridiculously cute… lamb? He looked up in confusion. Thea was grinning from ear to ear, explaining that she had just sponsored Ms. Fleece in his name - a little sheep in the local zoo that was just born, quite early, but healthy. He even got his name engraved and his photo put up on a small plaque next to the exhibit. Apparently, Thea thought that he got to like her little plush sheep herd, so she figured a real one could only be better. Needless to say, Thea had obliviously overlooked his silent competition with Mr. Wooly, the damn sheep whom she always cherished and refused to sleep without. Even though she had a demon lord at her disposal to cuddle with… But verdammt, was it adorable! He had such a soft spot for anything cute…

But wait, that was not all. Thea pointed at the envelope, nudging Mephisto to search it again. And truly, it contained a small, dimly shining card - the Queen of Hearts. He pulled it out, feeling a huge amount of energy flowing through it. Thea's energy. She smiled softly, apologizing for having wrinkled the card from his deck when practicing the warding technique with him some time ago. Ever since the attack on the Academy, she had been practicing some enchanting and warding techniques with Arias and managed to embed a simple but powerful restoration spell into the card. He should be able to tap on the energy and Thea's healing powers in case of emergency, when she wasn't around to treat him. Mephisto was looking at the card intently, rendered speechless. She cared! She really cared for him… And he… He… He had to stop time yet again that night. However, this time, he had to extend more power, for the time-freezing spell had to affect his lady as well. At least for a few heartbeats. That was all he needed in order to wipe the stupid tear out of his eye… He must not be seen like that! And Thea would never believe that it was just some dust… Unglaublich. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? Worrying about him, trying to protect the most powerful demon lord, second only to Lucifer and Satan himself. Wahnsinn… Before he knew it, the time was flowing again, and he was hugging her tightly, thankful for the privacy the balcony along with the thick long curtains offered. He remained completely silent, for he feared that any sweet words from his eloquent vocabulary would only spoil the precious moment. Instead, he kissed her on her forehead while stroking her cheeks gently, the familiar, soothing scent of honey and cinnamon enveloping him. Then, he led her back to the ballroom where he soon found out that his lady was also an amazing dancing partner… Yes, she was excellent, despite occasionally stepping on his shoes. And that accidental kick in his shin was rather cute, too. Not clumsy at all. The way he saw it, he had a chance to hold her even closer. Although, judging by the reaction of the others, their surprise was far greater as they noticed the girl's graceful gliding through the ballroom, letting herself be led by him, practically melting in his hands, alternating between praising his dancing skills and cursing her heeled shoes…

Mephisto shook his head, dissolving the precious memory forcibly. He needed to focus on the present, on the Winter ball. His hand reached to his chest, feeling the soft edges of Thea's Queen of Hearts card safely tucked in his inner pocket. He half-considered tapping at least a portion of the power stored in the enchanted card, just so he could feel Thea's warm, calming energy… Suddenly, he picked up a familiar presence next to him. "You sure know how to throw a party, big brother." Amaimon said appreciatively. "Why are you up here? All the fun is down there. Have you tried the cakes? De-li-cious! Human food is the best!" he chatted excitedly, offering him some treats from the huge, fully loaded silver tray he fetched himself. "I'm not hungry." Mephisto bit off. "Then how about a drink?" Amaimon lifted up a few bottles of liquor, dangling it in front of Mephisto. "It's sooo much better without the ashy aftertaste you get in Gehenna. H-hey! What does Okamura think he's doing?! That's my woman!" Amaimon pouted, pulling up his sleeves as he was about to jump from the balcony down to the secondary dance floor, where he spotted the young half-demon getting way too close to Shiemi. A shiver suddenly ran down Amaimon's spine. "Ah, no worries, brother, I'll behave! I swear! On my Demon's heat." he added sheepishly, putting a hand over his heart, then jumped down in all his showmanship. Mephisto didn't even have the energy to care anymore, apart from giving him the 'you had better' look. He absent-mindedly eyed the huge tray of foods and drinks Amaimon had bought up. Then, he reached for a bottle of whiskey, and left.

OoO

"Sire, my apologies for the disturbance, but it's time for the traditional Winter ball midnight speech and toast and…" Gin stopped in his tracks shortly after entering the headmaster's office. The room was dark, illuminated only by the festival lights from outside coming through the tall windows, and a few small, scented candles. The air was thick with the aroma of honey and cinnamon… and also… alcohol? "I am sure they'll manage a toast without my presence. I am not in the mood for balls… or company. Leave me." a low, cold voice reached him from the desk - Samael was sitting in his chair, its back turned towards the door. "But Sire…" the spy tried again. Gin could see Samael's hand holding a glass of whiskey waving him off. "Alright, alright. I'm on my way." Gin said and left the room swiftly.

The spy didn't exactly expect his master to be out enjoying the Winter ball, but it seemed that even the last drop of all his previous optimism had just left him. He didn't like the idea of his master being angry and desperate. Satan's Flames, nobody in their right mind would like the idea of an angry and desperate Lord of Time! Things might end up nastily, should Samael unleash the bottled-up temper and frustration. And so, the secretary went to the Main Hall and delivered a short, improvised speech on behalf of his master, who unfortunately had an unexpected and important business to attend to. A few minutes later, he let himself into the headmaster's office again.

"I believe I told you to leave, Gin." the familiar voice spoke, this time more tired rather than cold. "And I left, Sire." Gin confirmed, then approached the windows carefully. "And now, I am back." he said a bit lightly. "I do not wish to be disturbed tonight." the voice insisted. "And I made sure you won't be, Sir." the spy answered politely, then set a few bottles of liquor he had fetched on his way on the ground in front of the windows. He then pulled a chair and sat right next to his master. A defeated exhale escaped Samael's lips, then he uttered a short incantation which Gin recognized as another sealing ward. It would prevent anyone from entering, but more importantly, it would also prevent their demonic auras from affecting the environment outside of the office should their auras act out. Even demons would lose full control of their energy if they got themselves drunk enough. And judging by the strength of the spell, Samael intended to punish himself with a crippling hangover tomorrow for not finding his lady. The headmaster gestured with his hand in the air, and the bottle of whiskey Gin had brought flew into the air, opened itself, and poured a portion of its contents into two glasses.

For long minutes, both demons just sat and drank in complete silence. The only sound was the chatter and soft melody from outside, and the sounds of bottles being opened and emptied, one after another. Gin refrained from noting that the Insomniacs shouldn't be taken with alcohol. He also refrained from pointing out that, should the enemy decide to strike, it would be now, when the place was most crowded, and the Academy's staff stretched thin. Maybe it was because part of him secretly didn't mind his master blowing off some steam in case any fools showed up right now. The way the demon lord was now, Gin felt like sitting next to a ticking bomb. "I messed up, Gin. Colossally." Samael's voice finally tore through the silence, and Gin had a lot to do in order to keep the liquor in his mouth, as his jaw almost dropped after that comment. "Samael - admitting to not being perfect? And even to a mistake?" the spy thought incredulously. His master just continued, looking out of the window, his gaze resting on the dancing couples longingly. He was sitting in an uncharacteristically slumped position, his elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward, his ascot tie on the table, and his shoes nowhere to be seen.

"It's been a week… Not a trace of her. My people are turning every stone, searching every corner… Everyone is. Even the Grigori, for their stupid prophecy. Amaimon even offered to join the search himself, he's having his hobgoblins comb the national park in the Asahikawa region, where Ayami saw the helicopter fly off. Where on Earth is she?!" he rested his forehead on his hand. "I have all the resources, know all the right people, and yet… Verdammt!" the thick whiskey glass cracked slightly under the pressure of a portion of Samael's uncontained frustration. "Yes, you employ all your resources, but I believe your lady too is surprisingly resourceful. And unpredictable. Whenever she is, I'm sure she's not simply waiting around for you to come to her rescue. And if she manages to give us even the slightest signal, the slightest hint, we will be there." Gin tried to encourage his sulking master.

"What else could I have done? My wards always keep slipping off her, losing their effect after an unpredictable amount of time. I couldn't even place a simple summoning spell, because her powers contradict mine." the demon lord said in frustration, running his fingers through his hair. "I should have known better. I should have pushed harder to find out about her powers. I should never have let her go to Asahikawa, I should have never allowed her to leave my protective barrier. Not now, not yet… The situation was too unstable, too uncertain… I should have…" "You should have what?" Gin raised an eyebrow. "Thrown her into your special little dimension using 'das stäkste Gefängnis' spell? You know she would hate you for that. Holding her like a bird in a golden cage. Or rather like an angry lioness. Provided it could hold her for long…" the spy said in a low chuckle, trying to play it on a more positive note. Unfortunately, his master was far from responsive to humor at the moment. Gin exhaled and continued. "Besides, for how long would that be? Are you listening to yourself? 'Till the situation grows more stable…' When has the situation ever gotten 'more stable', Samael?" Gin threw up his hands, trying to lift the tension, but for some reason, his master looked even more down than before.

"Then tell me - where did I go wrong? What did I miss?" the demon lord held Gin's gaze expectantly. "Because I cannot see it. Cannot specify it. Every time I make a mistake, as rarely as it happens, I identify the root cause, then adapt, plan, make adjustments… So, what was my mistake now?" "I… I don't know. Sometimes, things happen out of our reach, despite all of our careful planning… Isn't that the beautiful chaos you cherish so much about Assiah? We all make mistakes, Sir." Gin said. "This mistake might very well cost me her life, Gin. If the lowlives who kidnapped her dare to harm her… When I find them…" his breathing quickened, his eyes gleaming vengefully. "...then I will be there with you, ready to support you and help deliver any judgment you pronounce on them, my lord." Gin gave him a pat on his back, then returned to his drink. "I have to get back to the search." the demon lord rose abruptly with an adamant determination but wobbled on his legs and leaned on the tall window, the alcohol taking the better of his coordination. Or perhaps it was the exhaustion. Nevertheless, the effect was the same.

Gin also stood up, his patience with the stubborn demon lord running out. "Satan's Flames, Samael, rest already!" the spy scolded him, no longer thinking much of berating the second most powerful demon lord of Gehenna. "At least for tonight. Look, we are all concerned. Your lady was very dear to all of us, but this is not helping the situation at all. You're not thinking straight and…" before he could finish the sentence, a loud clang of shattering glass echoed through the office, and he found himself grabbed by his master by the shirt and pinned to the wall next to the windows. "She was dear to all of you? Was?!" he shook him. "Is that what you think?! That after one measly week, I should finally rest and give up the search because she is most likely dead already?!" the demon lord gritted through his teeth, violet taking over his eyes again, the air in the room practically shivering from the accumulated demonic energy.

"I… I misspoke, Sir." Gin admitted, then added, his gaze unwavering. "But yes, Samael. You should also be rational about this. You want to plan? To adapt? Then act like it and move from all your 'happily-ever-after' plans and finally also prepare for the scenario where your lady is simply no longer among us." There, he said it. Plainly. Boldly. No courtesies, no sugarcoating. It was the cold-hearted truth his master needed to hear. The possibility he must have definitely understood and seen coming, yet for some reason refused to acknowledge and truly interiorize. Samael's eyes widened, his mouth opened slightly. Gin didn't give him the chance to rebuke him, he continued straight away. "She's a human, Samael. A mortal. Sooner or later, she'll perish, and you need to be mentally prepared for it. She might be dead right now, or she might die in six, maybe seven decades. What is it to us? To you? A fleeting moment, a droplet in the ocean which is eons for beings like us. But you… You are The Lord of Time. You've got realms to rule, demons to lead. Endless future stretches in front of you. All the possibilities, all the chances and opportunities. All the lives and fates of not just individuals, but of kingdoms and realms. Just waiting for you to take them, lead them, destroy them. To conquer them or ignore them as you please. Worlds you wanted to build. Things you wanted to achieve. Things you always wished for…" the spy counted out, holding his gaze firmly, meaningfully.

To his astonishment, the demon lord dropped his head and slumped his shoulders almost defeatedly. "I wish… I just wish… I wish she would be safe and sound." he whispered, completely taking Gin off guard. He expected rage. Anger. Dismissal. Or a fist in his face. Satan's flames, he expected - hoped not - but expected to be blasted to nothingness of the universe by his master's very own hand. But he did not expect to hear this. And as if it weren't enough, Gin just realized that not once had Samael mentioned his concern for his undermined authority of a demon lord, or about its direct consequence - potential attacks on his territories or his very person. Not once had Samael mentioned his concern for the girl's powers, whatever they truly were, falling into the hands of his enemies, or about the Prophecy and the turn it might take. No. His only concern was simply the girl's life. Gin would have believed that idea unfathomable, had he not seen it with his very eyes, had he not heard Samael himself say it… Gin had always known his master was very different from the majority of demons. But it seemed to him that he had just learnt the true extent of it…

Samael lifted his head, clutching Gin's shirt tightly, his body trembling, his eyes glistening. "Jinn Al-Jann, I wish you brought her back!" "S-Samael…" Gin said silently, stunned by Samael's invocation of his true demonic name, stunned by his wish. He put a hand over Samael's, pushing them away, freeing himself from the demon lord's firm grasp. "If you haven't already used up all three wishes centuries ago, it might have worked. But the power is gone." the Ruler of Jinns said solemnly. "I swear I am doing everything I can to make it happen. I swear by my Demon's Heart." he said apologetically. Samael slumped visibly, but nodded in understanding, rubbing his tired eyes. "Forgive me, Gin… I…" he cast a spell at the glass he had let fall, reverting its time, making it whole again, then ran his fingers through his hair. "Let's just finish that bottle…"

OoO

"Satan's Flames…" Khan whispered with his snake tongue, leaning on the wall in front of the laboratory. "Yeah, the Poison-maker is all hyped up today. Makes my skin crawl…" Ramil said while fending off a shiver running through his huge shoulders, then mimicked the other guard's pose while another series of cries carried from the laboratory. Even though the Duke of the Abyss had managed to force the human into unbreakable obedience through the Blood oath, it apparently didn't mean the end of the Poison-maker's experiments. "I'm talking about you, Ramil!" the serpent-like demon hissed, his expression serious. "Me? What about me?" the brutish guard arched an eyebrow. "You were holding the human's arm instead of the chains when we escorted it to today's session. You know that the Poison-maker told us not to touch it. It might be able to use its powers if granted direct contact. You have seen it executing Abaddon's prisoners by its weird powers. You know there is no coming back." Khan's green eyes glowed warningly, but he only received a dismissive snort in return. "And not just this one time. There was also that time when you brought the human some food and handed it over without wearing the protective gloves. Or the time when you carried it out of the lab after it passed out instead of just dragging it out using the chains… That was incredibly careless of you." Khan shook his head disapprovingly.

"Careless?" Ramil cut in. "It was knocked out and completely drained. It was faster to just pick it up instead of letting its horns and whatever tangle into all the staff lying about the lab." the brutish demon snorted. "Still, it was dangerous." Khan insisted. "Don't make me laugh. As if that husky creature had the will, strength, or ability to fight." Ramil forced a low chuckle, but his face looked particularly grim, displeased. Khan's eyes widened. "So that's why…" he breathed out as the realization hit him. "Why what?" Ramil folded his arms on his chest, eying the other captain sideways. "That's why you've been acting like a friggin' lunatic these past weeks…" "Excuse me?" Ramil cut in, his temper rising, but his companion was faster. "All this time… You were always the careful one around it. You were the one who thought there was more to the human from the very start. But now… Now that it's finally broken and bound by the Blood oath… You've been angry at that human. I know that in your twisted sense, you actually liked its spirit and guts, as it was resisting the Poison-maker and fighting us every chance it got, don't even try to deny it. But now it's been tamed, and you hate it. You really feel disappointed. You thought it had some miraculously strong power, and you were wrong, and you hate it." Khan counted out.

"Tsk… Keep your wild philosophies." Ramil grunted under his nose, annoyed because Khan was right. "Oh, no, no. If anyone's the philosopher out of the two of us, it's clearly you. You've got your philosophies and I've got my schemes, judgment, ability to understand the minds of others, not to mention smoldering good looks." the serpent demon grinned. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. The human is broken… Damnation… One look into its haunted, expressionless eyes and you know it's far gone. The oath did it, now it knows it is just a thing, a tool… Just like Abaddon wanted it." the brutish demon grimaced sourly. A few incredibly long seconds of silence passed, then Khan voiced the burning question. "Do you honestly believe it? You were the one who claimed that there's far more to the human than it seems. After all this time, after all that resistance, defiance, stubbornness… Do you truly believe that it broke after one moment with our gracious duke?" the demon asked expectantly. "Tsk… You saw what he did to it. The future he envisioned for it, should it remain resistant… Tomoe told me. Torn-off limbs, hung above a fire by ribs, low enough to be burning but high enough for its healing powers to keep it alive. Forever… Damnation…" Ramil shook his head, then continued. "I myself would… uhm… I mean… it would be foolish to expect any other outcome. Sure, the human does seem to have invaluable and dreadful powers, but even those are now in full control of the duke. Now, the human just sits quietly in its cell, looking somewhere to the distance… It suffers through the Poison-maker's experiments without complaint, obliterates any demon the duke brings down here and points his finger at. As if it weren't enough trouble, now it barely eats anything. Barely touches the greens I managed to secure, so that it doesn't need to rely on insects all the time… It obeys every word, speaks only when spoken to, with that soulless voice at that…" a defeated exhale escaped Ramil's lips. He just rubbed his eyes, then added. "It's gone, OK? Just drop it…"

Khan was even more surprised now than before. "By my demon's heart… it bothers him." he thought incredulously. "I bet that he had been rooting for that little human all this time. He likes a good fighting spirit. The idea of something so fragile successfully resisting the horrors of Gehenna must have been intriguing for him. He saw far more in that human. Definitely more than I did. Until the very last moments before it took the blood oath." Khan thought silently, invested even more so when both him and Ramil were bound by the same fealty. However, while Ramil seemed to lose all interest in the human and believed it was defeated - thus the change in calling the human 'it' instead of 'she' again - Khan's instincts kicked in. "The change in the human's behavior was drastic. That was to be expected, sure, after what the human was put through and told what to expect next. But it had never behaved as expected. And that makes it suspicious… Maybe Abaddon was simply too much for it to handle. But what if… Or is my paranoia getting the better of me again? It must have realized it cannot stand against the will of the duke. But what if… if this was somehow to its advantage? But how…"

OoO

"Are you certain, Gin?" the headmaster was pacing nervously around his table, a most disturbed expression on his face. The tension in the room became tangible again. "We are absolutely certain, my lord. Mr. Shinichi and Mr. Susumu reported so yesterday evening when preparing the grounds in the training area no. 12 for the upcoming Dragoon exams. The range was set, equipment prepared, but the usual 'opponents' our candidates are supposed to fight were simply not present." the spy reported. "That is out of the question." the demon lord bit out, lifting a finger importantly. "I might not be at my best at the moment, but I would never allow those demons to escape my own dimension. Not to mention without even noticing. It's my realm, Gin. No. There must be another explanation for this." he insisted stubbornly. "Those were my thoughts exactly, Sire." "Were?" Samael raised an eyebrow at the spy, daring him to even suggest his control could have slipped that badly. Gin inclined his head politely, then weighed his words carefully. What his master was about to hear would without doubt ruin his already cranky mood. Not that he had expected Samael's mood to get any better - the trend was clear the last few days. The situation was getting worse with every day they went without clues, with every day his lady wasn't found.

"We searched the training area thoroughly. We double-checked. Not a trace of those demons. They were not in hiding. But if they hadn't escaped… Well, it occurred to me that the missing demons might have been eliminated before and were still in the process of forming back their essence. I assumed that it was simply taking them longer to re-appear. So, I requested a report of all missing demons, then performed a few resurrection rituals on selected individuals with my squad to see if we could help put the exams back on track. However, … None of the demons could be called back to life… Not the Reapers, not the one Harpy from the Winged Mountains, even our dear Raiju-demon 'final boss'. And since they were not responding to summoning rituals, nor to resurrection rites, it would mean that they are not dead. They truly managed to escape your realm. Somehow…" Gin finished his report with an audible exhale, then handed Samael the list of missing demons. The demon lord snatched it and ran his eyes through the paper.

"Impossible! There is no way they could have escaped my realm. I would know." Samael shook his head, completely disregarding the possibility. "I assure you that we will locate them, Sir. As soon as Miss Heilbrunn is found, of course…" the spy added quickly, well aware that creating a search party to bring back all the demons who had escaped would mean one less search party for the missing girl. "You are not listening, Gin. There has to be another explanation. I would not let my guard down. Not like that. And especially not now." the lord kept pacing. Before his movement could assume the appearance of a white smudge, the demon lord suddenly felt a hand landing on his shoulder, keeping him in one place. "Especially now, Samael… And you know it." Gin held his gaze with an air of importance and understanding. "All the special dimensions, all the Gehenna gates you keep holding sealed, all the energy you are pouring into the search for your lady… it sure must be draining and…"

"Thea…" Samael suddenly interrupted Gin mid-sentence. The spy just nodded sympathetically. "It happens, Sire. But I will make sure to locate the demons. I merely wanted to report on the situation and…" "No, Gin. Thea!" the demon lord blurted out, his eyes wide open, his breathing quickened. The lord stretched out his arm and a folder from one of the shelves came flying to him. The spy blinked as he spotted Doctor Heilbrunn's training reports from the time she had spent in the training area no. 12. Samael was again but a smudge of white as he kept listing through the report eagerly. "Das ist des Pudels Kern!" he exclaimed, causing Gin to jump up slightly. The sudden excitement was particularly unnerving to the spy. Or maybe it was the use of the German language? He did recognize the familiar 'that's the crux of the matter' phrase. Did his master truly crack the case? Just what got into him? Before he knew it, the scenery in front of him changed rapidly. He found himself standing in one of the Academy's towers just as the demon lord was opening the gate to the training area no 12. No matter how many times he asked what was going on, Samael just proceeded working the intricate spell, then simply motioned to Gin to follow him to the realm. The demon lord kept checking the training reports and the missing demon list, then proceeded to teleport them both throughout the realm.

"Here. Day fourteen of her training, 15:36. Area 5, the Winged Mountains. This is where Thea fought the harpies. These are the results, but we need to make sure…" Samael ordered, handing him the sheet. "Observe carefully." He recited an incantation. The surroundings changed suddenly. Not the scenery really, rather the time of the day. Samael must have altered the time, bringing them back to the moment of the training - Gin noted mentally. This was Samael's dimension that he himself had created over the centuries, mainly for training and for… other purposes. His powers were the greatest here. Gin looked carefully as he spotted the blonde standing in front of them. She was shooting at the harpies flying above her with a rifle, hitting remarkably precisely considering she was not using a scope, the targets were far away and moving erratically. The harpies were falling one after another, hitting the ground like feathery sacks. None of them even managed to get as close enough as to scratch her. Gin whistled, impressed. "The training was truly a great idea, Sir. While these are just low-level harpies, fighting them must have helped the lady take care of the metal-winged breed who attacked your Academy later on." the spy noted, trying to lift Samael's spirits. However, the demon lord was just looking at the girl. Silently. Intently. Longingly. The spy nodded to himself in understanding, then turned his focus back towards the fight in front of him. He remembered the assignment - the girl was supposed to track and kill all fifteen harpies, then return back to the starting point under the mountains with a feather and a talon as proof of a fulfilled mission. It was more of a custom than a necessity - the teachers would do a quick body count, since they knew the exact number of opponents. The training report said that Miss Heilbrunn managed to kill fourteen harpies during that mission, one managed to escape. One harpy - just as their current report on missing demons said. Just what was going on?

What played out in front of his very eyes was not what the report said. The girl managed to take down all of them! So why did the report mention only fourteen? How was it possible? The staff would not be so incompetent. He shot a questioning look towards his master, who was apparently thinking about the very same thing. Samael approached closer, observing very carefully how Thea squatted next to the two closest harpies to pull out a feather, then proceeded with cutting out a talon. She suddenly yelped as the harpy thrashed in a last-breath spasm, closing its talons painfully around the girl's wrist. And in an instant, the harpy was scorching and burning in a surge of brilliant light, until it completely disappeared. "Damn you scared me! Stupid chicken!" the blonde was pouting and breathing heavily. Not that the demons' reactions weren't too different. They both took a step back, their postures alert. "And stupid me!" Thea continued angrily, then exhaled, resting her forehead on her hands. "I really need to work on this… I have to control myself. If any demon familiars were around, if Rin was around, if Mephisto was around… I could have seriously hurt them. I have already burned them before…" she said a bit solemnly, biting her lip. "It's settled, then. I have to train even harder. I'll make the most out of this and learn to compose myself. Right!" she clasped her cheeks, stood up and headed back, down from the Winged Mountains.

"Sire, that was her aura alone, wasn't it?" the spy shot an alarmed glance towards the demon lord. "Yes. Her aura, the very essence of her powers… I always assumed… I assumed that the damage was rather physical. That she can burn a demon in that golden light of hers, like in ordinary if extremely hot fire. But… Could she really… No. That would be unthinkable…" Samael ran his fingers through his hair. Before Gin could process the event, he found himself at another place. And at another time. The demons kept teleporting to and fro, rewatching the events of the past. There were rules to glancing at the past, such as that Samael would have to either have been there personally or acquired the permission of another party to view their memories. But this was his own dimension. Here, he could view what he wished.

And as they went from place to place, observing every fight carefully, a pattern arose. Unfathomable. Impossible. Absurd. And yet, clear. There were demons who were shot, stabbed, purified by holy water or by an incantation, even the Oni-demon who had the great misfortune of experiencing the girl's improvised maleficent wave - they all re-appeared in Samael's special dimension, just to be fought and hunted again, as they had been countless times before. All except those who died by that brilliant light. The very same individuals who were on the list of missing demons… It only happened a few times - only when the girl acted rather instinctively, in a rush, in a shock – when she lost control of her aura. Or when she was spooked. Just as on the night when Gin attempted the surprise attack to test the girl and her peculiar powers… Gin gulped as he watched his own familiars disappear in the same obliviating light. Scarabaei 3, 5, 12, 23 and 41 were gone the moment they got too close, accompanied by a dune of sand. Gin hasn't been able to summon his little spying companions ever since. Samael looked at him meaningfully. Gin knew the unspoken command behind the intense look. Yet he almost didn't want to find out, to confirm the inevitable conclusion. Still, he muttered the summoning spell for those lost scarabaei. The results were identical to all of his previous attempts.

"Satan's Flames…" the spy breathed out, the realization dawning on him. "Satan's Flames!" he exclaimed, feeling the panic inside rising uncharacteristically, then he started pacing around nervously. He had to walk it off. This wasn't possible, was it? And how could Samael be so collected about it? He did realize the implications, didn't he? Gin regarded his master curiously - the demon lord was intently looking at the girl from the past standing in front of him, unseeing him in the present, living in the past. Thea was crouching on the bed, her back pressed to the wall, her eyes wide, and bright golden runes were shining around her. She managed to cast a binding circle to protect herself. Quick thinking there. Not to mention quick acting. She even cast it without the lengthy incantation somehow. She often did that and never could explain it, only said she had been training really hard ever since the attack on the hospital. He would be impressed, were he not so unnerved about the whole situation. The girl was shaking slightly - the surprise attack obviously scared her. She must have believed the cottage to be some kind of a sanctuary, where no demons would set a foot. And yet, she was attacked. Gin felt a bit guilty, but the attack had been a necessary lesson. They had to make sure she wasn't a spy. Or an assassin. Or that she wasn't hiding some strange power. The last one, though… He knew the girl must have purified her familiars somehow, that her aura could be particularly devastating, but… to such an extent that she would not just end a demon's life, but completely obliterate their very essence? The girl exhaled softly, then sneaked out of her bed silently and proceeded to creep around the room with a shotgun and a flask of holy water, skillfully avoiding the windows, securing the area with a few wards, making sure no other demon was around.

"Sire… I asked this before and I'm asking again - Just what on Earth is she?" he faced the demon lord. "The fate, the origin of Sin she can erase, truly unmake…" Samael's words reached him. Silent, yet resonating, sending shivers down his spine. The words of The Prophecy. "No, Samael. No. That is impossible. No one can completely end a demon. No such incredible power exists - in this world or in any other." the spy shook his head, reluctant to accept this reality - a reality where demons could perish for good. Where essences, perhaps 'souls' could just… be erased from existence. The Lord of Time turned towards him. "Her powers' existence is the highest treason; Second to the Almighty one, other none; - that does seem to be the definition of 'such incredible power'. I believe the Grigori are wrong, though, and the time for the Prophecy is not right, so it cannot be about her… But who knows? After all, I have been wrong before…" he said with a strange lightness. Gin gawked at his master. The idiot demon lord was smiling. He was smiling! "Remind me to never spook her like that, Gin." he grinned while loosening his tie. "I should have taken a hint from the last time I dropped by unannounced, she almost burned me to a crisp… I assume I am here only because she had managed to get her aura under check quickly enough." he added, knowing that Gin would remember the incident from the night when the staff and students' documents were stolen from the Academy. "I should probably refrain from throwing surprise parties for her, too~"

The spy's mouth fell open and his eyes bulged. Before he knew it, he exploded. "Yeah, right. Let's not spook the little miss, poor thing might get scared - and obliterate us from the face of the Earth! FOREVER!" he threw his hands up. "Don't be such a drama queen, Gin." the headmaster rolled his eyes while the spy's face turned red. "W-what? A drama queen…? Do you even realize what we are dealing with, Samael?!" "I do. But please, enlighten me." the demon lord folded his arms in front of his chest, shooting an amused smile towards the spy. "Satan's Flames, where do I begin? Everyone is sooo concerned for the sweet, kind Thea dating the 'creepy, old, scheming demon lord', but it should be you they should be concerned for. Hell, you should be concerned for yourself. And for the whole demon race, as a matter of fact!" "Now, that is just preposterous. I am not that old. My vessel should be around thirty-five, after all…" Samael lamented, and Gin felt the vein on the left side of his forehead bulge. This bit of terrifying news was obviously enough to return the demon lord to his standard, annoyingly smug mood.

"This is not funny, Samael! The girl's trouble! She's either the greatest schemer ever or completely clueless, unpredictable, insanely…" "Careful, Gin. That is my girlfriend you are talking about." Samael reminded the spy, a hint of warning entering his voice, though his eyes played with amusement. "A girlfriend? A girlfriend?! This is far beyond the dilemma we faced during the attack on the Academy. I can accept that she is powerful, that she might even be on your level when her powers spike. But this? This kind of power… Just why can't you go back to dating assassins who are out to get you? Why do you have to date little Miss Nuclear Power-plant, of all people and demons out there? She's our friggin' doomsday, that's what she is! She'll be the death of yours!" Gin pressed, his voice a mix of irritation and concern. "What can I say, I've got a type." Samael shrugged innocently, a soft blush appearing on his face as he regarded the blonde again fondly.

"No. You've got a death wish." Gin pointed an accusatory finger at Samael, unable to control himself and the fact that he was yelling at and scolding his own master. And he was ashamed to admit that it has been happening more often during the last year than during the last few decades together. The spy kept pacing around the room, massaging his temples. "Don't you see? If that kind of power were to hit you, I don't think that even your Aegis would work!" The demon lord's expression became thoughtful as he rubbed his chin. "No. No, it probably would not. Her power seems to obliterate the very demonic essence. With no essence around, there is no Aegis. It truly does seem to be permanent. Now, the question is, why is it so unstable? What causes the strength of her powers to vary so much?" Samael thought out loud, sounding more fascinated than anything even remotely close to concerned or panicked. "Forget the altitudes for a moment. Your ultimate power might not work against her. Does that not unnerve you in the slightest?! She could burn you to a crisp! Satan's Flames, she could smite you! She does not even need any tool or incantation to do so. Hell, it looks more like her aura is set to smite everything by default unless she actively suppresses it. Do you understand? She might smite you by accident, Samael!" Gin took hold of his shoulders, giving him a firm shake in a futile attempt to bring his master back to his senses. "Oh, I am afraid it is too late for that. You see, I am already smitten by her. From the very first moment I saw her." the demon lord said playfully, shooting a disturbingly enamored glance her way, leaving Gin to process that.

While the two demons were arguing, the blonde in the past had searched her surroundings, then decided to return to her bed. She pushed her back to the very corner. She did not lay down to sleep but remained in a seated position with a shotgun in her hand, flasks of holy water at her side and the binding circle surrounding her. Then, she clutched Mr. Wooly tightly, and kept peering into the room, her eyes darting from one place to the other in a cautious alert. Samael pursed his lips, then his expression grew serious. "Gin, my friend, your concern is appreciated, but misplaced. Thea is not trouble, she is in trouble. And she needs our help. More than ever." the demon lord started and before the spy could protest any further, he lifted his hand, making him stop. "Make no mistake, I do realize the gravity of the situation. Whoever took her… they really took her because of her, not to get to me. They must have learned about her powers or the Prophecy somehow. And while I still doubt that the Prophecy does apply to her, the effect of her powers is undeniable, and thus of great interest to many. It could completely destroy the current power balance. Just think about it. Her powers in the hands of the Grigori - those fanatics could start their glorious purging, another holy crusade. But this time, this time they could eradicate all demons. Permanently."

"And the same goes for demons…" Gin nodded in understanding. "Anyone who could control her, would be able to control Gehenna itself. The individual would be able to get rid of all their enemies. Also permanently." the spy said almost gravely, just thinking about the chaos which would break out in both Gehenna and Assiah. "Exactly. And I do not even dare to imagine what would happen if Father learned about her existence…" Samael added, his voice heavy with concern. "Do you think her powers could work even on the King of Lies himself?" Gin asked carefully. "Yes. I think it is very well possible. When they are at their peak, for sure. That is why it is so important to find her quickly, but also keep all of this secret. For if Father learns, if he already knows, if he gets to her first…" Samael gulped, closing his eyes, before they could turn completely purple again. "We must not let that happen, Gin. And Thea… She deserves a different life. She deserves better. So much better… We must find her." the demon lord said, his hands forming into fists.

"And what if she 'chooses her own kin'?" the spy questioned. "That too stands in the Prophecy, right? Well, what if she chooses to work alongside the Grigori? Will you stop her, then? Will you stand on the side of your kin and fight her?" he held Samael's gaze, piercing his very soul. Samael's eyes widened for a moment. He turned to the girl whose chocolate-brown eyes were still scanning the room carefully, the plush sheep clutched firmly in her gentle hands. After a moment of deafening silence, the Lord of Time finally smiled as he said softly. "Of course I would choose my kin." he said, taking Gin aback by such a straightforward answer. Then, he added quietly, though. "It is just that one does not necessarily need to be blood-related in order to be considered one's kin, my friend…" he winked, causing Gin gasp at the implications. "By my Demon's Heart… Is he saying what I think he's saying?!" his mind kept racing as he looked at the blonde. "Is she really that important… He would consider her a family? A mate. A true mate, with that annoying, troublesome sense of responsibility and attachment and everything… By my demon's heart… He's fallen for a human… or whatever she is… That's just… That's insane! And I'm insane for sticking around, supporting this foolishness… Damnation! But he means it. He really means it! Nothing will change his mind. Not even me. And I… I guess I won't change that easily either. I want to see the world he has in mind… The future where he wants the girl by his side, no matter for how brief of a moment. And I shall be there, help him make it happen."

OoO

Thea's mouth was full. It has been like that for hours, and it has been causing her great pain. "Human body is such a peculiar, miraculous thing. You break a bone, and given some time and care, it will mend again. You cut the tissue, and that too can heal, leaving but a small pale mark of a scar. And sometimes… sometimes you feed it poison - regularly and in doses strong enough to cause excruciating pain but small enough not to kill you - and it will build up resistance." Her eyes opened, bright orange orbs burning with determination "It is today. Today. The perfect opportunity, with the Poison-maker gone, and with everything I need in place." She stood up after what seemed to be weeks spent curled up in a small ball of misery in the far corner of her prison cell - silent, obedient, broken. She relished the straight pose, despite her beaten-up, exhausted, scrawny body. She moved skillfully, already accustomed to walking in such a manner that her chains wouldn't hinder her movement, let alone make a sound. The fox demon sitting in the opposite cell perked up, unmistakably surprised by her sudden movement. Well, no wonder. She did her best to play her role of a broken little thing. At times, she had feared she wouldn't be able to collect herself and emerge from the depressing, defeated state that was truly getting to her at times. But once she had thought of a plan, a real, solid plan to bust herself out, the hope itself was enough to keep her morale and spirits up… not to mention her sanity. "That's right. I freed myself from the Asylum when I was a child by pretending, by showing them what they wanted to see… There is no way I would fail now, all grown up, after years of studies and experience." she nodded to herself. "I must do it now. And I must do it on my own. Mephisto will not come to save me… Or worse - he will come, and then - by the oath compelling me - I would have to, would be forced to… No! Stop that right now. I must bust myself out, and the perfect time for my plan is now. I cannot wait for a better opportunity, I have already wasted a few openings. I cannot risk any more commands and restrictions being placed on me by that bloody blood oath." she encouraged herself, determination burning in her eyes.

"Meister Heilbrunn… You're… You're up?" Tomoe gaped, uttering in a soft, amazed whisper, scrambling to the cell bars quickly to take a better look. Thea put a finger over her mouth to shush him, then spat out a portion of the Dragon's Breath on the lock of the cell. She had been holding it in her mouth a few hours into the night, until such time when the Poison-maker would have left for her regular research of the Death Zone. The vicious liquid went straight through the metal, disintegrating it. Just as it did before to the guard's gauntlet. Just as Thea hoped it would now. Dragon's Breath reacted with metal, but as soon as the drops reached the dusty ground, nothing really happened. The poison also reacted differently with living tissue - it was very painful and basically true to its name. She would not have been able to hold it in her mouth for so long, had she not built up some resistance. In fact, the idea of using Dragon's Breath had formed in her mind long ago, she just hadn't been able to figure out how to transfer it without anyone seeing. Until recently, when she felt the effect of the torturous poison lessening… Fortunately, only Abaddon could force her to speak or answer his questions and commands. She had purposely made it a habit to speak as seldom as possible, to act completely hollow and absent-minded. So, when she had refused to speak to Zahar, it wasn't a bit suspicious. Additionally, ever since her 'taming', she observed that the guard didn't bother with the special alarm ward around her cell, nor did they lock the chains she always had on her hands to the cell wall anymore - undoubtedly thinking her completely broken and controlled. Now, that mistake would cost them dearly…

She pushed the cell door open, then approached Tomoe's cell. He looked absolutely stunned by that action. Thea just bent over the fox demon's cell door, letting the rest of the liquid dissolve the thick metal of the lock. Having tested it before, she knew it would not have worked on the crimson chains sealing her power, but it would do just fine for the simple cell lock. "Come." she said simply in demonic language, then smiled at him encouragingly. "But Miss, the guards…" Tomoe blurted out, looking around frantically. "They are not here now. We have small time. Hurry!" she said in an urgent whisper. The guards did spend most of their time guarding her cell, but they still had to take their rounds around a part of the prison structure. They never masked their auras, so she memorized their comings and goings by feeling and following their auras. Each round took them approximately fifteen minutes, then they would spend fifteen minutes in front of her cell, then take a round, then guard her cell again… They never split up - probably a special tactic, for none of the guards she could feel ever ventured for their rounds alone. Always a pair. "We sneak. Poison-maker's room. We take things, then wait. Guards come - we ambush the guards. Then, we leave." she whispered in demon tongue in which she was still far from fluent, as she could not use any other language to ask questions and help speed up her studies. And so, she pointed at both of them, helping herself with some gestures. The demoness wanted her close by for her experiments, so the laboratory room and her cell were fairly close, and more importantly, located in the same corridor.

Tomoe grinned, then nodded in understanding and followed her to the Poison-maker's laboratory. She remembered the way by heart - twenty steps forward, one turn right and straight in. They reached the laboratory and Thea wasn't about to lose a single second. "Take things." she urged the fox demon, pointing at the shelves around. He nodded and started rummaging through the jars and flasks. Thea concentrated on the auras around her for a brief moment - the guards were still too far away, and it would take them some time to reach their cells. She swiftly recalled the list of ingredients and things she had planned to take with her. She couldn't carry too much, but there were things she had to take no matter what. One of which was, unfortunately, a supply of the 'Beetroot nightmare'. She wouldn't want to find herself in the wilderness of Gehenna completely out of mind due to withdrawal symptoms, so she scooped a large portion of the main ingredients, which looked mostly like dried blood and silvery herbs of the silverleaf. She had to make sure she had enough to gradually stop taking it and get clean. "Now, to the interesting part…" Thea thought, turning to the other door in the lab. The door she never knew exactly what was in. She pushed the handle and found herself in… a storage room? Well, Thea sure expected something more mysterious from the demoness, but a storage room was not a disappointment. After all, where else would she find good supplies or gear for what might turn out to be a long survival journey? She ran her eyes through the things, searching for a bit more ingredients for the drug.

Suddenly, her eyes widened at the sight of something she thought she would never ever see again. Something she missed dearly. "Mr. Wooly!" she covered her mouth, tears rushing to her eyes. There, in the far corner of the room, covered by dust and dirt and old pieces of junk, was her most cherished plush companion, who was looking at her from the side bottle pocket of her rucksack. She pulled him into a tight embrace, happy as a little child, no longer able to keep her tears at bay. But, she had to cut the happy reunion short. She scooped up her rucksack. Apparently, the demoness had the captains throw her things in the storage room when she had first arrived, and then forgot about it, probably assuming Thea - a lowly human - couldn't possibly have anything of interest in her possession. Thea gulped, hoping the demons truly haven't bothered to search her bag. She reached inside - and was never happier to see her comfy old jeans, a simple white T-shirt that still smelled of her favorite almond & honey freshening, and ah, yes, her trusty hiking boots! Definitely much better than running away barefooted with only a torn and worn black rag on. Only, she couldn't get changed just yet, because of the chains on her hands, feet and neck. Still, it was comforting to know that she would have something better to wear once she managed to undo the chains. Somehow. She then checked for the presence of the guards' auras again - they were a bit closer now, but their path seemed to be cut off by a group of other auras, most probably other guard squads, stopping for a brief chat or reports? Well, she didn't know, and it didn't matter, as long as they bought her some precious time.

Instead, she reached for the pile of the most crucial things she remembered putting right on the bottom. There it was - Mephisto's gift, her beautiful, snow-white doctor's cloak. She remembered him telling her about the cloak having some protective enchantments and other useful perks. "Oh, I can't wait to wear it again. It will surely come in handy, soon." she thought excitedly. "Now, to the gear…" Thea smiled and reached for her shotgun and the cartridge belt lying on the very bottom, along with some other useful tools - everything from first aid, flasks of holy water, multitool and knives to emergency gummy bears. She grinned. "Yeah, doctors and soldiers have one thing in common - we sure dislike being undergeared." No matter where she went, the bag was always with her, if she ventured far enough. And she was never so happy and thankful for it. She threw away some unnecessary things to make room for the supplies she would really need. Then, she hastened back to the main laboratory room, because the two guards' auras started moving their way again.

Tomoe seemed slightly alarmed, but he did manage to put together some useful supplies. Thea approached the table, then reached for the map hanging on the wall right above it. "Important." she said as she rolled the map and put it to the bottle pocket, opposite to where Mr. Wooly was carefully placed. She could only hold the rucksack in her hand for the moment, for the chains were still preventing her from wearing anything apart from the black rag about her. Then she ran her eyes through the assortment of various flasks, sacks and jars on the table, and pointed to the sack containing dark-green and yellowish dried leaves which looked a bit like shredded nori seaweed. She took a handful of them out, careful not to crush them. She intended to mush the leaves in her palms, making them excrete a potent fume which would in turn induce strong drowsiness when inhaled. Thea knew she had some immunity to that effect already built up, but the guards did not. All they needed was to breathe in a few times… No one would pay attention if they yelled, either. Screams were on a daily order in that god-forsaken place. It would work. It had to work.

The fox demon cocked his head curiously. "Special herbs. They force sleep, be weak." she said, then tiptoed towards the main entrance door, so that she could position herself behind it and make sure the guards wouldn't spot her. "Guards are close. You stand there. I stand here. They come, I use herbs. Nose. No… uhm… No wind!" she lifted her finger importantly, pointing at her nose, then held it for a moment, trying to compensate for the gaps in her demonic language by using a lot of gestures. Fortunately, Tomoe nodded in understanding, shooting her an encouraging smile. Perfect! Thea turned towards the door, waiting, her breath already half-held due to the tension. Her heart was pumping with adrenaline. But she also felt incredibly alive. She felt hopeful and excited. She felt herself being pushed to the door roughly, face first! Her head rang and a prickling jab shot through her lower back, right at her tail bone. At the same time, her left hand holding the dry leaves was twisted roughly into a painful position, till a bone in her left wrist snapped loudly. The dry leaves slowly drifted to the ground, only to be stomped on and leveled with the dusty floor. Thea's heart started beating like crazy. "What just happened?! Did they know? How…" she blinked, completely disoriented and panicked, until a low growl reached her ears. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, 'Miss'. Your little adventure ends here and now." came Tomoe's amused, sinister snicker from behind her.

OoO

"Uh… Hi. I… I'm Kei Tanabe and I came to see Sir… uhm… right, Sir Johann Faust V." the incubus read the ridiculous name out of the little business card nervously. He now began to truly second-guess his sanity - showing up in front of the demon lord considering their history. However, the past days were incredibly suffocating. The girl's annoying face was looking at him almost judgingly, hauntingly from every missing-person poster, every newspaper, even popping up among various advertisement banners while he tried to browse for food on Tinder in peace. For some inexplicable reason, it kept driving him crazy. "Do you have an appointment?" the man at the reception interrupted his train of thoughts. The elderly man eyed him skeptically, already expecting the answer. "Unfortunately, no, but you see, this is quite important and…" "The headmaster is very busy at the moment, young man. State your business and I will check the earliest possible date and time with his secretary." he said flatly. Unbelievable. People thought that they could just pop in right on the headmaster whenever they pleased. "This is urgent. It concerns the missing girl, Thea. This one…" he brought up a piece of poster with the girl's photo on it. The receptionist's eyes focused as he stretched over, then he took hold of Kei's arm. "This way, right away!" he ushered him through the huge corridors of the luxurious Academy while speaking urgently to someone on the phone. A few moments later, he found himself standing in front of a huge, ornate door. "News about Miss Heilbrunn is handled by the Secretary, but he is currently with Sir Faust, so go there now. The Secretary will see you without delay. I sure hope you bring reliable news… The headmaster's been quite on edge lately." the man clapped him at his shoulder, then scurried off as if to leave the perimeter before a bomb went off. Kei gulped, then knocked and pushed the door open.

The Lord of Time was sitting at a huge desk, surrounded by an incredible amount of papers, folders, organizers and monitors. At least ten other people were also present. Kei recognized them as Exorcists by their uniforms. Some of them were also holding stacks of papers, others were resting their hands on praying beads, holsters or swords, eying him with piercing, suspicious looks. Still, it was nothing in comparison to the soul-wrenching stare the two demons right in front of him shot him. Just like the last time he had the pleasure of meeting the demon lord, even now he somehow managed to make him feel like an insignificant, bothersome cockroach. On top of that, Lord Samael looked like his day just went from miserable to outrageously unacceptable. "You…" he gritted through his teeth menacingly, and Kei could feel the lord's powerful aura spike. Kei's heart jumped to his throat at the lord's subconscious power display. He looked around frantically, only to discover that all the individuals in the room were frozen in time. Except for him, the demon lord and his companion - the one who had personally banished him back to Gehenna, claiming he had been doing him a favor. It was only now that Kei found himself fully believing those words.

"How dare you act against the Code and set foot in Assiah? Have you not learnt your lesson?" Kei froze. He remembered the demon lord to be more… nonchalant? Always on top of every situation. Unfazed. But the image of the demon in front of him… well, it sure was far from the 'weak excuse of a demon' many of his kin believed him to become after the time spent in Assiah. His jaw was firmly set, his posture stiff, and despite the dark circles under his eyes, he somehow looked both tired and energetic. Like a raging beast contained in a too small, too thin, too worn-out cage. A beast that was hungry, agitated, and had a terrible toothache. Like a tempest which was seconds from being unleashed upon the whole world. "Oh man, I must have gone mad… Bob was right, I should have stayed in Mexico… What in the world possessed me to come in here? Oh right, the promise of a generous reward that would get Mammon off my back…" the incubus gulped, but fortunately overcame the stupor. Kei remembered the basic courtesy and dropped to one knee immediately, bowing his head. "My lord, I beg your forgiveness… I'm here to bring information about the human girl you've been searching for." he said, trying to stop his body from shaking.

A heavy silence settled over the room. He wouldn't even need his demonic senses to hear a pin drop. Hell, he could probably hear a feather drift through the air. He barely noticed that the time in the room was flowing again. "Speak." Lord Samael ordered. "I just… Uhm-uhm…" Kei cleared his throat, pulling himself together, then started as smoothly as he could with his rehearsed speech. "My lord, I came here relying on your mercy and your word of a demon lord. I am hoping for the promised reward, and for a boon of being allowed to stay in Assiah - whenever I choose and for as long as I wish…" the incubus suddenly picked up the sound of the lord cracking his fingers, so he hastened to fill in the rest of the sentence. "...in complete accordance with the rules of your Code, of course." the incubus said, glad that he had been practicing this line on his way here, otherwise he would not manage to express himself properly under such pressure. "If I give you this information, shall what I ask for be granted?" the incubus lifted his head to meet the piercing forest-green eyes of his lord. Samael remained silent, purple slowly entering his eyes. Kei gulped. "I just want to live peacefully in Assiah, I swear on my Demon's Heart. Just…" Kei tried to bargain. He wanted the reward money but did not really care that much about them. It was simply a part of the basic tactics in every negotiation - to have some demands to take back if necessary, to make the bargain look like a compromise, a mutual agreement. Frankly, he just didn't want to be discovered by the lord's agents and sent back to Gehenna again. And this time, it could very well be for good. He just couldn't bear that thought.

A malicious grin appeared on the demon lord's lips. "Thea might have spared your life before, but you should tread very, very carefully if you expect such courtesy from me. Especially after breaking my Code. Or if your information is wrong by mistake or deceit. And especially if I learn you touched a hair on her head…" he growled threateningly, his eyes flickering between green and violet, the violet now entering the eye whites too. "N-no, my lord, I did no such thing. I would never, I mean, not now…" the incubus started bowing his head, so it touched the ground. "Then I suggest you speak right now, Kei Tanabe, or I shall make you." Samael leaned in closer over the desk. The incubus felt like he had sweated through his shirt right there. He turned his head towards the secretary with a pleading expression. The secretary produced a small, inaudible facepalm, then exhaled silently and nodded very softly, encouraging Kei to finally spill the beans. "Y-you see, my lord, your lady is actually, I know exactly how she looks like, having spent time with her… So, I am absolutely sure. I saw her… She is Gehenna, my lord." he gulped.

An incredible surge of the demon lord's energy reverberated through the whole room, practically shaking it. Had Kei not been kneeling, he would have toppled over from the overwhelming pressure. Now, he got simply pinned down to the ground. He couldn't even draw a proper breath due to the overwhelming pressure. Kei's eyes widened in panic, and he could feel a trail of blood running down from his nose… and even eyes! The secretary too seemed completely shaken, one hand pressed on his head and the other trembling, trying to reach Samael. Then, he too went to one knee to support himself. All the people in the room collapsed to the ground. The incubus looked around frantically, searching for an escape route, but could not move an inch. The hour hands on his watch as well as on the huge carved clock hanging on the wall started to move forward and backward at an awkward, disrupted pace, jumping randomly back and forth. The pages on the books and reports which lay around were flapping left and right, changing their placement, at times landing right in the middle of a chair, going straight through it.

The scenery in front of him was changing as if in slow motion, then sped up again. The flowers at the windows were withering and blooming. The room was lit, then dark, then in gentle candlelight, then in bright light of the summer sun - irrespective of what was going on outside. One moment the Exorcists around him were standing again, the other moment there were less of them, then more, then completely different ones than those who were originally in the room when he came. Through the windows, he could see the day and night switching randomly, with the moon or the sun in different positions. Then it was snowing, then raining, then sun, then snowing again, but… upwards?! The night sky had three moons, each in a different phase, and then it was day again, but still dim in the office. Did it last a second or a whole day? Kei couldn't tell. Time went crazy, and its ruler went mad, and both were out of control. The Lord of Time stood up behind the desk, his eyes taken over by the violet color, including his eye whites. His claws pierced the pink gloves he was wearing, his hat toppled to the ground under the pressure of horns which rushed out of his head. He was breathing heavily, trembling all over in unspeakable fury, his fangs more prominent than before. And all the time, he could hear the demon lord's tremendous voice echoing around in pulsing, soul-crashing waves.

"THEA WHAT?!"

"THEA WHAT?!"

"THEA WHAT?!"

OoO

Tomoe grinned wickedly, enjoying every panicked beat of the girl's heart, the pleasant snap of her broken wrist, the cutting metallic sound of his dagger which he rammed to her lower back. She wouldn't get too far with her legs paralyzed due to the severed spinal cord. He had gone along with the wench's plan. Just for fun. Just to see how far she would make it in her little escape attempt. "Look at you, you little vixen. ~ You made it further than I expected. Made us all believe you were all tamed and broken. Crafty. But… that won't help you. Not here." he whispered into her ear mockingly. He could feel her whole body trembling suddenly as the reality dawned on her. "T-Tomoe… You…" the girl whispered, breathing heavily. She tried to jerk away, but before she knew it, she found herself lying on the ground, her head spinning and her left cheek and ear aching terribly, hot blood gushing from her wound. She looked around, completely panicked, until her eyes rested on the only person whom she considered an ally in this whole hellish world. A huge knot formed in her stomach at the sight of the fox demon, who was looming above her, his outstretched claws red with her blood. Seven tails were rushing out of his lower back, creating quite an imposing sight.

The demon smirked, his eyes glowing menacingly. He had briefly considered letting the wench go on with the plan further - knock out the guards, escape from the prison basements. However, she had obviously thought her escape plan through, and judging by the equipment she somehow managed to put together, she might actually have a chance to escape the corridor they were stationed in. "Not even close to escaping the prison, but far enough for my mission to be considered poorly executed." Tomoe thought with caution. "Or that idiot would manage to get herself killed on her way out. And we cannot lose Abaddon's new toy, now, can we?" the fox demon concluded, then focused on the girl.

"I've been looking forward to this. And now, now I will finally be rewarded.~" his fangs flashed, and he opened his palm covered in her blood, readying himself. Thea's eyes widened in horror as she was trying to cope with what had just transpired. Her spirits fell. Has the fox demon ever been her friend? Well, now that she thought about it, it seemed quite unlikely. Oh, she had always suspected that her kidnapping must have also been an inside job, she had just never suspected Tomoe, since he had been captured with her… Tears started building up in Thea's eyes. She reached for her bleeding ear and cheek subconsciously, only to panic yet again. She had a pretty deep scratch on her cheek, and her ear lobe was gone - simply torn off, along with her grandmother's earring! The demon must have cut the tiny earring off along with a piece of her ear. She turned her head to the dusty ground, her eyes desperately searching for the only possession which still connected her to her previous life, the life up in Assiah…

A foot suddenly landed on her back. Tomoe pushed down, making her gasp for air. And she just laid there, paralyzed. Literally - due to the wounded spine. "I sure hope they let me have some fun too, now that my identity is out. You have no idea how annoooying you were all this time, how long I had to suffer your entitled, insignificant and self-important presence. But never you worry, I shall return the favor.~" he chuckled wickedly. And while the fox demon kept bragging, Thea felt truly, really, definitely defeated. At the verge of her will to live. If Tomoe betrayed her, then… Could she truly trust anyone? Did Abaddon speak the truth when he said she was only being of interest to anyone, being dear to anyone only due to her special abilities? Did Mephisto really, had he ever… She stopped herself. No. She had thought over this. Even if that proved to be the truth, she still had her own life to fight for. For her own sake.

The terrible, suffocating thoughts seemed dampened by the invigorating energy which started surging through her whole body - unnoticed at first, but impossible to ignore now. The feeling was just so empowering, so energizing… Her heart started pounding excitedly. "My legs! I can… I think I feel… He stabbed me, he severed the spine, but…" she dared move her legs, just slightly, so that Tomoe wouldn't notice. Her heart started beating excitedly - she could move! And that was not all. She touched her torn ear briefly, gently, and she could feel the tissue already grown back. She gasped in disbelief. "My power! It's my power! It's back!" After long, long weeks, she felt strong. Not her 'peak-strong', but maybe… about half? "But why now?" She looked at the crimson chains, which were still firmly fastened on her limbs, digging into her skin painfully, as they struggled to keep her powers dampened. They were shining incredibly brightly, like never before. "How? The only thing that changed is that my back got stabbed, but it's almost healed now. Then my ear was torn off. So, I probably lost some blood, along with my… with my grandmother's earring…" the realization finally dawned on her.

Memories rushed to her mind, her brain connecting the dots. All this time… The reason for why her powers were so unstable… She was usually most powerful at nights, when she would take the earrings off for bed… Just as when she had burnt Mephisto by accident. But also on some days… Days when she didn't wear them. Like during her medical lessons and shifts spent at the radiology unit where jewelry wasn't allowed. Or when Ayami let her borrow her jewelry sets for dates with Mephisto… Just like that time when she was supposed to go to see a theater play, but ended up in the huge fight at the Academy, suddenly able to infuse Mephisto's warding cards even though it had been impossible before… Or like when she had captured Amaimon for what turned out to be three days… All this time, the earrings must have been interfering with her powers! Before she could ponder about the incredible discovery any longer, a sudden kick to her stomach pulled her back to reality. A kick that was vicious and broke her rib. However, it only made her feel more excited, because she realized that the rib was already halfway healed by the time she had hit the wall and slid down. Her body regenerated, and it regenerated fast!

As if the situation hadn't been overwhelming enough, the guards rushed to the laboratory after Tomoe had called them. The moment they spotted her, they walked towards her at a brisk pace, but there was a hint of great caution in their movement. "That's enough, Tomoe. We'll take it from here." the Brute ordered firmly. They started unsheathing their swords as they strode closer. "Relax, guys. I've got this." Tomoe cooed reassuringly, resting his leg on the girl again, pushing her down. Thea's heart was beating like one of a colibri. "No! I must not let them capture me. Not now. Not when I'm this close…" she could hear her heart beating in her ears, feel the incredible surge of adrenaline. The presence of her power somehow made the depressing fog settled over her head disappear, as if a curtain had been lifted, allowing her to think clearly. Just like back then in Assiah. And just as the guards seemed close enough to reach her, she ripped off her second earring forcefully.

In an instant, she could feel herself being enveloped in the aura of her power. The feeling was strangely familiar and foreign at the same time. It was her power, no mistake about it, but it was somewhat different. The light changed. It used to be golden and bright, but now… Now it was of no uniform color. It was somehow golden, mixed with crimson, and silvery white where the two met. It seemed to be pulsing, like flames of different colors burning simultaneously, but in random directions, not just upwards. Thea's eyes widened. Her aura changed! She knew such a thing could happen, although it was rare. The change was mostly triggered by a traumatic or significantly important, life- and character-changing experience. Well, her stay in Gehenna would fit those criteria… But for the first time in a very long time, this particular change out of all the changes she had gone through, was more than welcome.

The cursed red chains shattered into little pieces, as she channeled her energy for a binding circle around herself - energy in amounts they were unable to suppress. The binding circle sprung to life. Brilliant and beautiful. Thea felt… great. Blazing. Powerful. Alive. Lord, she forgot what it was like to feel good! Thea stood up slowly, then looked behind, only to notice Tomoe toppling to the ground within the circle with her, the leg which was pressing on her just moments ago completely burned by the contact with a thin layer of her aura she had not managed to completely control and suppress in time. Tomoe's face was a mixture of outrage and utter panic. He was trying to pull himself away from her. She turned to the other side, where the guards were. The Brute, Ramil, was also laying on the ground, but in a positively worse shape than Tomoe. He had managed to get closer to her than the Snake did, which meant that half of his body got nearly burned off. He was shaking, breathing heavily, bleeding at a rapid rate despite the regenerative abilities demons possessed. The Snake, Khan, suddenly stood between Thea and his comrade, each hand gripping a wicked-looking saber. Thea cocked her head to the side at the strange gesture, causing the demon to fall back to a defensive stance. He didn't seem like he was going to attack her. Rather, he was trying to protect the other demon from her, shielding him. The girl nodded to herself in understanding, but the guard was still a threat. She would not have him interfere. So, she simultaneously dispelled the circle around her and Tomoe, and placed one under the Snake, separating him from the rest of them. The Snake altered his defense stance but did not dare to move a muscle. Then she turned towards the fox demon and stepped closer.

"N-no, Meister Heilbrunn… I… F-forgive me, I didn't know what I was doing… It was… It was them! They made me! I beg of you…" he stuttered through the words. Suddenly, Tomoe flicked his wrist, and Thea stepped aside to dodge a set of flying daggers. One of them hit, though, landing right under her left clavicle. She grimaced, but the pain seemed like a little sting in comparison to the torture she had been put through. Amateur mistake on her part, but then again, she was in shock and was adapting to the new situation rather quickly. A quick pull, and the wound was healed before the dagger hit the ground. Terror filled Tomoe's eyes at the sight of failed attempt to hurt her, and he started bowing again, his movements skittish. He clutched his head as if in pain. "S-see? They're controlling me… Spare me, I beg of you! I swear to get you out of here… Just spare me." Thea just approached closer. "Spare? Like your comrades? Like Ayami?!" she asked coldly, surprisingly collected, trying her very best for her demon language to convey the right meaning as the oath still had hold over her. "Ah, it wasn't me. T-the Poison-maker, she killed your friend, it was her!" the fox demon said again, looking around, perhaps searching for an escape route, or maybe another hidden weapon.

"Have mercy! I will… I will aid you. Y-you could see Samael again. You want to see him, right?" he asked, sweat running down his spine. Thea stopped in her traces, and the demon took it as the hesitation he needed. He pressed further. "Thea, don't do this." came a different voice. The voice of the one she had hoped would come to save her. She almost wavered at the sight of hurt, burnt Mephisto begging her to spare his life. "A shapeshifter…" Thea realized with a shock but collected herself quickly. "I understand… Spy…" she nodded to herself while Tomoe put his right hand on his chest, trembling. "I… I was here with you, your only companion. Without me, you are alone in here. I can help. I can serve. Show mercy. You are a doctor - doctor! R-right? So, heal me. I beg of you. I am on your side." he kept begging for his life, but he was also growing nervous due to the absence of any answer from Thea. His eyes darted to and fro in panic, till they settled on the brutish demon. "This…" he pointed at the dying Ramil next to him accusatory. "This is your enemy. Remember? They kept you locked in here, they tortured you! But I… I was here with you, all this time… taught you demon language, kept you company, comforted you… I was with you, I helped you. Now, you help me - heal me, and I will help you more. I can guide you out of here, I can… I can help you escape not just this prison, but this world! You will not manage that without me. So, heal me, I beg of you, doctor!" he knelt beside Ramil, his head touching the ground in supplication.

Thea kept looking at the fox demon intently. Tomoe had betrayed Mephisto. His comrades. He had already betrayed her once. No, more than once actually… Her eyes wandered towards Ramil… The guard had helped torture her, he had helped burn the terrible mark on her face… Thea's eyes burned with resolve. She walked over and knelt down between the two demons, then she put one hand on Tomoe's head and the other on Ramil's. Abruptly, she could hear Khan yelling something from the circle he was trapped in. He looked at her urgently, equal measures of anger and fear showing on his face as he was trying to break free, undoubtedly hoping to aid his comrade. He was slashing and pounding on the invisible wall frantically, only for it to return burns. A futile attempt, really - not even Mephisto could break those circles when she was experiencing the peaks of her power. Thea couldn't understand the guard, he spoke way too fast, and was too panicked. However, she didn't think too much of it. Instead, she just looked at the Snake and her lips curled into a small smile. Then, she unleashed her power on both demons simultaneously.

As the fox demon was enveloped in the blazing light, a strangely peaceful expression appeared on his face. No longer did he look angry, desperate or scared. He looked serene, calm. And an instant later, he dissolved into nothingness. Never to return, erased for good or bad from all the fates, all the futures, and all the possibilities. And as Thea's blazing aura enveloped the guard, his breathing steadied, his bleeding stopped, and his burns healed.

The shouting and pounding coming from the binding circle suddenly ceased, only to be replaced by a deafening silence as Khan fell to his knees. Thea closed her eyes and exhaled - her waves worked the way she had intended. She knew that a demon's physique was different from a human's, despite the demon bearing humanoid features. Still, it took her a little off guard, when she had worked on her healing waves skillfully, mending the Brute's body parts together, regrowing what was missing - but mostly, she was just giving his body the energy it needed to repair itself. The demonic regeneration would take care of the rest. Even at full strength, the process was very taxing on her, and tested her limits. The limits of her doctor abilities and wave mastery, if not really the limit of the vast power coursing through her.

Thea knew what she did was… not very rational. In fact, it was a complete foolishness. Especially after Tomoe's betrayal. However, the fox demon was right in one point - she couldn't possibly deny her own personality, which was first and foremost a doctor. Besides, the guards had never crossed the line. They obeyed their orders to the letter, even though they often consisted of inflicting terrible amounts of pain on her. But they also acted with a surprising amount of honor. At rare moments, they also displayed small gestures of… well, it was not exactly kindness, more like civility. She also knew that the Brute went further than that, bringing her more varieties of food or trying to keep her hydrated, carrying her to her cell when she was so exhausted that she could no longer muster the strength to walk, or pretended to have fainted… Did she just fall victim to Stockholm syndrome? Maybe… At least now she understood how difficult it actually was to resist the effect. A valuable lesson.

She stood up slowly and faced the Snake. "Khan." she said, and the demon's eyes almost popped up when he heard her say his name. "He is… no-die. Ramil no-die. He sleeps. He is… tasty." she pointed at the Brute, who was still laying on the ground, dozing off. The Snake gave another start. She gestured a bit to explain that the demon was not dead or anything, because her poor attempt at an explanation was probably not clear enough. She couldn't remember the word for good or healthy for her life, so she settled for the kind of 'good' which went with food. Khan was looking at her with a stunned, calculating expression on his face. "Why?" came a question from the Snake. He pointed at the place where the fox demon was before. "Tomoe is dead." Then, he pointed at his comrade. "Ramil is not dead. Ramil lives. Why?" he asked, waiting. Thea understood. She was not the only one who was surprised by her actions. But she knew why. She was also glad that the demon was speaking so simply and slowly, at least she could remember and use the right words. A smart demon. "Tomoe…" she pointed to the empty space in the middle of the room. "...Tomoe was spy. He kills comrades and Ayami. Tomoe lies, trays. No. Uhm… betrays." she corrected herself, then said firmly. "So, he dies. Forever. No betray me more." Her gaze turned towards the Brute. "Ramil, Khan - you are soldiers, obey orders. Honor. Blood oath." she pointed at her heart, which was bound by the very same nasty pledge. The oath wouldn't just slip off her like one of Mephisto's wards used to. She had sworn that oath herself, willingly, so unfortunately, there was no way it would break just because her energy had finally manifested. "So, you live. Mercy." she finished, hoping they would understand.

She had always wondered about the choice of words Tomoe used to teach her as first in the demon language. They were so different from any basics of any language she has ever learned. Most of them seemed to be unnecessarily complicated for a beginner, and she thought she would rarely have the opportunity to use them. After all, she just forgot the word for 'good', yet words like 'mercy', 'honor', 'contract', 'oath' or 'master' were practically etched into her mind. Even the simplest 'please' and sorry' were completely left out. Demons just didn't 'ask' for anything, and they didn't 'thank' anyone either. No, they offered a contract or forced their will onto the individual if they wanted something from their counterparty; and if they really had to, they negotiated or begged for forgiveness instead of apologizing. The whole demon language sounded more like a series of law- and contract-like assembly of appropriate expressions and appropriate answers, really. Her basic vocabulary consisted of things which were common in Gehenna or tied to her closest surroundings. After all, most of the things in Assiah didn't even exist down here. And so, instead of learning all sorts of food, buildings, vehicles, jobs, clothes or animals, she learned to name the various demon kinds, to recognize statuses and ranks. She could name weapons, potions and poisons, body parts or kinds of terrain…

Thea snapped out of her little linguistic window when the Snake exhaled audibly. Good. The sudden clarity of her mind sure took her places, and she had to focus! The guard seemed absolutely stunned by her explanation, but then he looked her in the eye and bowed till his head touched the ground. He said words she didn't understand at all… Her confused look must have betrayed her, so the Snake tried again. She still couldn't understand the rest of the sentence, but she guessed the demon was simply glad his companion survived. Maybe she just couldn't concentrate enough because the lighting started flickering. The torches were sometimes on and then off, then they lit up again, but the corridor remained dark or light irrespective of the torches. "What the hell?!" her eyes widened in a fresh rush of adrenaline. The lights never acted out like that. Could she have sprung up a ward by using her powers? "No, calm yourself. You would feel it if there really was a ward." Thea told herself.

A powerful surge of energy suddenly pulsed, shaking her very being, and the whole place started to tremble in its grounds. Doors in the corridor opened or closed randomly. The auras of demons kept appearing and disappearing at different places, moving either too swiftly or flickering frantically in one place. "What on Earth…" she was holding onto the wall to keep herself from falling, trying to process the events. The Snake was apparently just as surprised as her. Thea gulped, feeling incredibly disoriented. And it was not just because of all the frantically flickering lights or auras. Her whole perception suddenly seemed… flawed. As if her senses couldn't stabilize, couldn't show her the reality in front of her. She had no idea what happened or even how long it lasted, for that matter. The whole situation felt so foreign, the time so off - she couldn't tell how much of it had passed. It could have been anything from seconds to hours, from minutes to days… But… Thea didn't have the luxury to ponder about the peculiar event. As soon as it seemed to subside, she snapped out of it, pushing all disturbing feelings and thoughts away. She had to hurry! Whatever happened, more of the guards would now definitely rush to check on all the prisoners. And well, they would probably check on her first as their top priority…

Without the chains restricting her, she changed into her clothes swiftly and put on her doctor's cloak, relishing the feel of the soft fabric. She then turned to the desk and scooped up some additional supplies. Last but not least, she also had to collect a very important item, stored in the first drawer on the right. Allowing her aura to envelop her hand, she broke through the protective ward as if it was never even there. She pulled out the Poison-makers black diary with the nightshade flower on the top, tucked it in her big rucksack carefully and threw it on her back in a swift motion. Next was the belt with cartridges which went over her shoulder, and her trusted shotgun. She had it at the ready in an instant, because a shuffling sound caught her attention - Ramil shifted ever so slightly, though he was still laying on the ground, unconscious. "Calm." Khan said as he saw her startlement, and laid down both his swords in a slow, careful motion. "Go. I stay with Ramil. We will not try to stop you." he said in simple, short sentences, probably mindful of her vocabulary, trying to avoid any misunderstanding. Thea gulped, but she wouldn't take unnecessary risks. She quickly cast a binding circle on Ramil, just in case he would wake up. Then, she outstretched her hands and concentrated on both circles, trying to set them up in a way that they would be dispelled after a while - hopefully enough to buy herself time for her escape, but also not too much as to trap the guards forever or till someone manages to break them free. She turned to the corridor, looking left and right, intending to make a run for it, when Khan suddenly shouted at her. "Human! Straight, right, right, right, straight, right, left. Up." Thea stopped in her traces, eyes widened. She shot Khan a searching look, only to receive an urgent 'Hurry!' in return. Thea inclined her head towards the demon, then turned on her heel to leave the god-forsaken place.

From that point onward, it was all just pure chaos. Thea could hear all the commotion, cries and shouts echoing through the corridors. She could feel the other auras present in the prison area - restless, some of them patrolling, some of them probably running judging by the speed, and some of them doing nothing. She wasn't surprised. The prisoners yelled and screamed on a daily basis due to the torture. Now it was some kind of anomaly which had triggered all the commotion, as the prisoners were making the best of the doors randomly opening and closing. Still, she had to hurry. "Straight, right, right, right, straight, right, left. Up." she kept repeating the directions provided by Khan in her head through all that raging chaos. Thea was determined to use it to her advantage. The randomly opening and closing doors, the weirdly flickering lights which illuminated the corridor despite the torches being long extinguished, the chaotically appearing and disappearing auras - just what she needed - a proper distraction.

She rushed down the corridor, taking two guards by surprise with her shotgun. Ammo was scarce, but she would rather run out of ammo first than out of her newly regained energy, so she opted for shooting her enemies. Suddenly, a third guard appeared close behind her back, looking incredibly disoriented and panicked. It must have been the working of the anomaly again. Thea didn't think twice and before the guard could react, he crumpled to the ground the moment she touched him and channeled the maleficent wave through his body. That required much less energy, but much more focus. She snuck for a few meters again, then cast a binding circle on herself before the disgusting, misfit demon who emerged from the prison cell to her right could stab her. It was the same kind which had attacked the Tokyo university hospital a long time ago. It screamed as the metasoma rushing from its lower back got scorched. Thea shot a few rounds at it, but the demon's scaly skin was too strong to be penetrated. So, she splashed some holy water at the creature's face, then shot again. The water seared and burned through the demon's face like a strong acid, and the demon went down screaming, scratching at its face in a frenzy. She rushed forward again, then a strange clicking sound sent her senses on high alert. A shower of small, razor-sharp darts shot out from her left and right, only to bounce off her satin silk cloak after the impact. "That is one handy cloak! Oh, thank you Mephisto, thank you!" she thought with relief, Thea gulped while clutching the cloak tightly to her body, then looked under her right foot - she had set off a trap by stepping on a tile hidden under the dust and sand on the ground. She exhaled but couldn't really afford to ponder about how close that one was. She pushed further through the maze-like prison structure, till she reached the stairs which only lead upwards. "So, Khan was telling the truth, after all." Thea exhaled thankfully, as the directions were correct. "Good. I wouldn't be able to get this far, the whole place is one huge maze…" she observed. She knew that maybe she shouldn't have trusted the instructions of a demon, but it was not like she had a better idea what path to take. So, up she went.

She took down the guard who was standing in front of the door, but suddenly, her body spasmed as a strong surge of what felt like electric shock shot through her body. Thea fell to her knees, breathing heavily, unable to move. As soon as her eyesight adjusted, she spotted the runes and symbols written on the ground - there had been a ward placed on the ground and she walked right into it. A paralyzing one, too. The guard was also back on his feet again. He cursed and pulled her up at her horn, readying his sword. As he struck at her, Thea managed to move her hand at least a bit despite the ward and pulled her cloak closer to shield herself. The slightly curved sword was deflected, but it slid down from the cloak in such an angle that it caught Thea at her side, cutting her along the ribs. Pain reached her, but it was so far away from everything she had been through during the experiments and tortures, that she barely noticed. Instead, she used the momentum to touch the guard's hand, giving him a massive stroke. The surprised guard fell right into his own paralyzing ward, next to Thea. Unfortunately, the ward didn't dissolve with the guard being knocked-out. Just her luck… But at least her wound was long healed.

She struggled to move, but the more she did, the more the damn thing hurt her. And soon, five guards appeared in the corridor in front of her. Their leader pointed at her, and the guards rushed her way, while the leader kept motioning some other demons to join them. Panic overcame her. She couldn't be caught like this! Not now, when she had already overcome the most difficult part. The loud, rushed thumping of the heavy boots almost matched her own heart. The blinking lights, the randomly appearing and disappearing items, the doors which still kept opening and closing, the rushing guards, the flickering auras all around her… She let her aura loose around her instinctively, obliterating the guards closest to her, but weirdly leaving the body of the guard she had just killed intact. "That's strange… So, my aura works only on those that are still alive? Interesting…" her brain was processing the events in all of that commotion. The warding which bound her broke. "So, it also works on wards. Just like on Zahar's ward on the drawer… Also interesting" she concluded again, then she set off running through the corridor as fast as she could, her blazing aura taking the lives of everyone around her. She was running until she reached another set of stairs.

There, she stopped herself, shaking and breathing heavily. The reality dawned on her. "I killed everyone. Forever. Just because I let my aura loose… That is… That's not the natural order of things… I must be careful with this power. Incredibly careful." she realized. She did want to escape, she wanted it so badly. But what her powers could do… Well, she didn't want to be killing demons like that. That power was just too destructive, too permanent. She would only use that kind of power in moments of utmost necessity. But it was not just her aura. The thing was, the guards didn't want to kill her. They actually wanted to help her. She had just been too scared and desperate that she only realized that now. She remembered and understood the words the guards were shouting. They wanted to break the seal for her, they told her to wait… Probably because they also saw the other guard caught with her in the ward. "That's right… they didn't think I was a prisoner! And why would they? It makes sense… I… I don't really look like a prisoner. I have no chains binding me, I wear no dirty rags, and I look just like another demon… I just don't look like one of the guards, because I have no uniform. So… should I get one to blend in? No. No, that wouldn't be wise. I may pass for a demon, but not for the ones that guard this place. They are all too… masculine. And they might know each other, too. But the way I'm now… I could pass for any other staff member. Maybe even someone who does not need to listen to their orders…" she thought as she re-evaluated her options, as she was catching her breath. After all, Abaddon made sure that nobody would ever learn that she, a living human soul, was among his prisoners. Nobody except the few individuals who served him directly. "Time to change my strategy, then." Thea nodded to herself, hid her compact shotgun and straightened her snow-white cloak. She calmed her breathing and assumed such a poker face and unfazed nonchalance, that even Mephisto would be impressed. Then, she proceeded to the next upper level.

She walked through the corridor at a rather brisk, yet still calm and collected pace. Like someone who had business to do. Like someone with such an important purpose that she couldn't be distracted by a measly commotion in the prison. It took her barely thirty seconds to finally stumble upon two guards, who were wrestling with a loose prisoner. Bingo! The Oni-demon prisoner was a raging mountain of muscles, which managed to throw one of the guards to the opposite wall so strongly that her skull cracked, well, more like splattered on the wall. She was dead on the spot. The male demon was a vampire, but the scratches his long claws left on the Oni-demon's robust body looked just pathetic. And when an Oni-demon entered his 'rage-mode', only a very strong demon could stop him. Judging by the vampire being knocked down to the ground, he was not a very strong vampire. Good.

Thea approached from behind, before the Oni-demon could stomp on the vampire's face. She concentrated. Then, in a series of quick movements, she touched the demon thrice - each touch for each of his hearts. The mass of muscles fell down to the ground, partially sprawling on top of the vampire. Thea didn't hesitate. She towered all high and mighty above the vampire and scoffed. "Tsk, pathetic. Get up, guard!" she ordered, and the vampire scrambled to his feet. He eyed her carefully, his eyes resting on the black 'executioner' tattoo. Thea grinned inwardly - the way she looked at the moment was pitiful when it came to any human standards, yet it was incredibly convenient for the moment. Nobody would suspect her of being a human, let alone a prisoner. "I'm in your debt, demoness." he bowed politely. Thea rolled her eyes as if bored, waving her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. And I will be there to collect it one day." she answered using the proper response phrase. "Now, move it. Escort me to the exit." came another order from Thea. Barking orders was a piece of cake. She simply quoted Zahar and her usual vocabulary which she used in abundance during her imprisonment. The Poison-maker just loved ordering everyone around, including the guards. Who would have thought that the wretched demoness had unknowingly provided Thea with the ideal vocabulary for her escape. She had been even kind enough to repeat all the phrases for her so many times that Thea was hundred percent confident she was speaking perfectly correctly, without making the slightest mistakes in either pronunciation or intonation.

The vampire nodded and escorted her through the corridors without a question. Judging by this reaction, Thea must have made quite an impression. That or the guard was some kind of newbie who didn't remember to check her rank. He was rather chatty though, and from what Thea was able to catch, he was commenting on the current commotion caused by the strange anomaly. "Enough." she said firmly. Not that the vampire's monologue wasn't refreshing, but he wasn't able to provide any useful piece of information, and Thea figured that if she were to play her role well, someone like her wouldn't want anyone to waste her time with useless rant. The vampire ceased immediately, leading the way forward. They were passing other prison cells on their way - some of them had their doors unhinged, some of them contained very angry, raging prisoners who kept screaming, howling or pounding on the door or shaking the bars on their cells only to be pacified by various wards or guards. Some of the guards were rushing to and fro shouting orders, some were checking if the wards held in place, some were wrestling with wanna-be-runaways, and some were dead, too.

When they were both in the second level from the top, a pair of guards stopped them. "Hey, you two! Where do you think you are going? We need all hands we can get down here." a fox demon guard approached them. Thea sprung to attention - the ornament on the demon's shoulder indicated a lieutenant's mark. "Sir." the vampire saluted the fox demon clumsily. "I will join you shortly, but I need to escort the… uhm… Executioner first." he explained, pointing at Thea. The fox demon eyed Thea suspiciously, noting her tattoo. "And who would you be?" "I don't have time for this. Move it or I'll make you." Thea mustered her best haughty look, borrowing another flowery quote from Zahar - the one she fancied when Thea couldn't get up and walk back to her cell after a demanding experiment session. "Whoa, whoa, easy there. I don't remember seeing you here before. Who are you and what business do you have?" the persistent lieutenant inquired. Thea racked her brain with the right translation of what the demon just said. But since she couldn't understand the first part very well, she just settled for emphasizing her order. "Insolence! Out of my way." One of the guards said something about the Executioner seen with duke Abaddon and pointed at her. But that was not enough for their superior. "That is no way to speak to one of my rank! Betray the truth of your purpose here and state the identity of your - direct - superior. Now!" the fox demon grabbed her at her shoulder roughly.

The last loudly, slowly pronounced words finally gave Thea a hint. She put her hand over his and channeled her waves, focusing on the brain center which regulated pain perception. Ironically, she actually channeled a healing wave for this rather maleficent purpose of stimulating his pain receptors, as maleficent waves destroy whereas healing waves build and stimulate. Thea was not sure if the wave was thus technically maleficent or still healing, but she sure decided to write a paper on it later. She shot the lieutenant a piercing gaze, which, she imagined, must have been pretty darn unnerving considering her bright orange eyes split by a vertical pupil. And as he cried out from the sudden rush of pain and fell to his knees, Thea gritted out another of Zahar's favorite phrases through her teeth threateningly. "Listen here you insignificant, little pest. I serve duke Abaddon. I have work to do." The guard's jaw dropped in astonishment. "So, you will obey me. I leave. Understood?~" Thea raised an eyebrow, and the fox demon shook his head in affirmative. "Say it." she ordered more firmly. "O-of course. I recognize and obey strength. You leave." he bowed, then stood up, brushing off the dust clumsily, and hastened to support the other guards. Thea had no idea what he said, but the 'you leave' part along with the guard's scared expression was enough to give her a fair idea.

Thea turned on her heel and off she was together with the vampire who kept escorting her through all the commotion and maze-like structure without a single word. No one else stood in their way. When they reached the last upper level, loud gong sounds suddenly echoed through the whole prison. "Satan's Flames!" the vampire cursed. The gong kept reverberating the place and a series of orders followed soon. "The lowest level… Satan's Mercy be upon us…" the vampire gulped, adjusting his helmet. Thea understood. The alarm didn't sound before for such a thing as the anomaly. But it would surely sound the moment the guards realized that the creature from the very lowest level managed to escape during all that commotion. "Leave." Thea said simply, motioning back to the corridor and borrowing another order which Zahar used for Ramil and Khan. "Keep order. Dismissed." The vampire bowed gratefully and rushed back while Thea kept pressing forward.

And finally, she ordered the last gate opened, and was not questioned this time. Thea dreamed many times of walking out of that door, but she had never imagined the guards holding it open for her while saluting. A vast, barren land stretched in front of her. The prison structure was so well masked that it was practically leveled with the ground, not a single thing betraying its position or character of the place. She practically found herself standing in the middle of nowhere, with only a few mountain peaks rushing from the ground far to the… east and west? She looked up, taking a note of the two suns, each of them positioned at a different spot - one right up above her head as it would be during midday, the other one to what looked like west. Just as per Zahar's map. Thea inspected the map quickly. She had to move, and fast! The Poison-maker was on her weekly research trip to the Peaks of Peril, investigating the 'Death Zone'. Oh, she would very much like to get her hands on Zahar, but it would not be worth all the complications. So, Thea turned to the opposite direction, making sure she would not meet the damned Poison-maker on her way back. A strong, unpleasantly warm wind was blowing grains of sand and dirt to her face. The suns above her head were quite intense, too, and there was not a single cloud to shield her from the beams, so she pulled the cape of her cloak over her head, mindful of her horns. Despite the intense heat and sunshine, the country did not really look too illuminated. In fact, she would have thought it was almost twilight. A very reddish twilight. The ground was dusty and rocky, not a single spot of greenery. Only a handful of old, withered trees here and there. All in all, the place looked most depressing. And yet, her eyes filled with tears of joy at the sight of it. "We are free, Mr. Wooly. Free at last."

OoO

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Disclaimer: Blue Exorcists belongs to Kazue Katō. Please, do not re-post or publish my story without my consent.

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Author's note: As depressing as the writing of the previous chapter had been for me, I thoroughly enjoyed working on this one. After all, it's finally here - the suffering is over, but her hellish adventure just begins. ^^ Yeah, I know, Mephisto didn't come riding on a white horse to save her, but hey, we all know that Thea is not your typical princess that would just keep waiting meekly for her prince Charming.

Much about her power was finally revealed, but will it be enough to survive Hell and escape? Hope you will further accompany her on her journey through Hell and perhaps back into Mephisto's arms.

Thank you very much for all the support. As always, I will be looking forward to your thoughts on this chapter or the story so far. Did you think Thea would bust herself out? Did you suspect the role of her grandma's earrings? Please, leave me a comment or send a message - any feedback helps :).