Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was snowing the day you were born.

A man cloaked in blinding ivory unintentionally blended into the surrounding environment quite well, standing tall, completely unaffected by the cold. A woman kneeled before him, presenting your newborn form. She spoke. "Please...take this child and keep her safe from the horrors of our homeland..."

The man in white lifted your infant body into his arms. He held you gently, as if he'd had decades of preparation for this occasion. Almost as soon as he did, the woman collapsed, bleeding out onto the snow below her.

"Intriguing..." The demon looked down at your sleeping figure, emerald eyes filled with something akin to joy. "Yes, my dear, I believe you'll do quite nicely..."

Looking at the woman's motionless figure, he knew it wouldn't be there for much longer. He knelt down gently, grasping the necklace your mother had around her neck and yanked on it. The clasp immediately gave way, breaking. He held the tethered jewel in his hand, running his thumb against the red teardrop for a moment before standing once more.

Smiling, the man snapped his fingers and the pair disappeared.

Chapter Text

"Leave it to Papa to turn me into his errand girl." You sighed, shaking your head. Mephisto had been clear in his directions:

"Please give this key to Mister Okumura," Your father requested, gently passing the key into your hand. "This is an important task, so I'm trusting you'll get it done."

"Alright." You nodded, running your thumb across the golden key, looking it over. He'd never given you any sort of errand like this before, so why he decided not to send someone else or just do it himself, you had no clue. Suspicious? Perhaps, but he offered you a bag of your favorite chips as a reward, so you wouldn't question it much further. "What does it go to anyway? I'm starting classes next week too, but you haven't given me any sorta key."

"Awe, is my precious daughter jealous?" It only took a split-second for Mephisto to take your cheeks into his hands and start pinching, much to your chagrin. "Don't worry my dear, it's just the key to the cram school. Only students involved in the afterschool program receive one, so of course you didn't get one!"

"Papa..." You whined through aching cheeks.

You looked back down to the key in your hand for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon.

"Cram school, huh?" You hummed in thought. That was your father's big project he'd been managing for as long as you could remember. You didn't even consider signing up yourself. You were never very studious, so the thought of willingly filling up your free time away from class with more class was almost enough to give you a headache.

That was when you spotted Rin Okumura.

He stuck out like a sore thumb, wandering like a lost puppy through the hallway. He'd certainly look cute with the ears and tail now that you thought about it. You giggled at the imagery of the boy having such features in your head.

"Huh, who's there!?" Rin suddenly turned around, watching as you approached. Boy, he sure was jumpy. You decided to walk up to him slowly, offering a friendly wave and matching smile to hopefully calm his nerves.

"You're Rin Okumura, right?" You asked, though it was more of a formality at this point.

"Uh, yeah..." Rin's eyes widened in surprise. You were the first person to willingly approach him all day. Everyone else had just seemed to give him weird looks and whisper behind his back like he was some sort of weirdo. Not to mention, a cute girl like you coming up to him out of the blue like this was kind of suspicious if you asked him. The only type of girl that ever really spoke to him even before coming to the academy just seemed to be interested in his brother. "Who're you?"

"My name is Princess (Y/n) Faust III, esteemed to make your acquaintance!" You gave an extravagant bow the same way your father did everytime he made an introduction. It had always seemed a bit over the top in your opinion, but Mephisto was over the top doing almost everything, so you couldn't really fault him there. Rin stumbled in response, clearly not expecting the greeting and in return, you burst into laughter. Taking a few seconds to let it all out, you began wiping tears from your eyes and straightening up once more. "You should see your face dude!"

"H-hey!" Rin didn't seem too amused. Why did he always seem to attract weirdos? He knew a pretty girl wanting to speak to him on his first day was too good to be true! "Who are you really!?"

Geez, this kid was funny. This school year was guaranteed to be fun with a guy like him around.

Once you calmed down enough to speak again, you replied. "It's true! The name's Faust. (Y/n) Faust. Nice to meet you."

"So you're related to that clown!" Rin exclaimed, pointing his index finger right into your face. You rolled your eyes in response.

"Hey, that clown is my father." You crossed your arms in disapproval. However foolish the man could be, he had still taken you in and raised you. You cared about him, not that you'd ever admit it out loud. There was no reason for this kid to insult him, and much less for you to just standby and let him.

If Mephisto had spoken to this Rin guy personally though, it probably wasn't under the best circumstances considering the last time your father went out of town was for a funeral. Rin might just need to interact more with the older man.

Besides, it wouldn't do you any good to be getting off on the wrong foot with the only boy you knew your age so far, so, after a lot of consideration, you figured you'd let it slide this time. You sighed, a small smile forming on your face. "But...yeah. He can be kind of funny sometimes."

You uncrossed your arms, taking Rin's hand into your own.

"Here, he told me to give this to you. Don't lose it!" You handed over the key your father had given you earlier. "It goes to the cram school apparently."

"Huh? And where's that?" Rin asked, holding the key close to his face as if to examine it. You had to resist the urge to start laughing again.

"Dunno." You shrugged. Mephisto never told you the exact location of the cram school and you honestly didn't think to ask. If anything, you'd figured that Rin would probably know, being the one enrolled and all. Luckily for him, as far as you knew, classes didn't start till next week, so he still had time to find out. "I don't do cram school. You might just have to try it on every door in the academy."

"What!? No way!" The boy clutched the hair on his head at the mere thought of having to hike throughout the ginormous campus just to find out where to use one stupid key. He'd be out all night- no, all year- just to check half of them! There had to be some other way. His gaze on you returned as a glare. "If you're that clown's daughter, you had to have been going here for years now, right? Shouldn't you know your way around by now?"

"Up until now, I've been homeschooled my whole life." You shook your head. The labyrinth making up the gigantic school was as a mystery to you as it was to the boy in front of you.

Growing up, Belial would always take care of your lessons at home. It was boring, but despite that and your lack of interest in schooling, he was a pretty good teacher.

Returning to reality, you gestured out of the nearest window to the mansion on the very top of the hill. "My father's servant was my teacher and we'd always just use one of the old entertainment rooms for classes."

"So the purple bastard's got the kind of wealth it takes to have servants..." Rin seemed almost lost in his own fantasy, picturing your father's riches as well as a fleet of butlers ready to serve him.

"Just the one. Let's get back to finding the cram school though." You flicked the boy's forehead, pulling him out of his daydream. You looked to the door closest to you, pointing him towards it. "Here's as good a place to start as any!"

"I am not trying every door in campus. That'd take forever!" Rin objected almost immediately. He'd just have to find the director himself and ask him. Considering you were related to the freak, you could probably point him in the right direction at least. Then again, you haven't exactly been very helpful so far...

"Oh don't be such a chicken!" You snatched the key from his hand, despite his protests. Shoving the key into the lock of the door before you, you quickly twisted it and were satisfied to hear a distinct click, signaling that it was now unlocked. A large grin took over your face as you pulled the door open, revealing a grand hallway lined up with rooms unlike the rest of the academy's. "Ta-da! See?"

Rin's eyes nearly blew out of their sockets, looking at you as if you'd just grown a second head. "Woah! You must be seriously lucky!"

You could almost feel your ego physically grow larger, the expression on your face showing as much.

"I see you and Mister Okumura are well acquainted now!" You stumbled out of your stupor to find your father now standing directly in the doorway of the hall that had just been empty a moment ago. Mephisto's smile grew at the surprised expression now painting Rin's face. "I knew I could count on you, Pumpkin! As promised: your reward."

The violet man tossed you a bag of chips, you catching them easily with a pleased hum in return.

"Thanks Papa!" You wasted no time popping open the bag, devouring the treat one chip at a time.

"So, you call your old man 'Papa', huh?" You couldn't say you appreciated the sly smile sneaking it's way onto Rin's face. You glared as he continued. "That's pretty childish, don't you think?"

"Why, you!" Although you normally hated to waste good food, you didn't hesitate to chuck a particularly large chip into the boy's face.

"Hey, watch it!"

"You watch your mouth!"

Just as the two of you were ready to go into all out brawl, a pink umbrella occupied the space between the two of you. Your attention was immediately taken by the object, any thought of annihilating Okumura disappearing in that moment.

"Now, now children. You're classmates now, so you shouldn't fight." Mephisto scolded in that same tone of voice he always used whenever he would tease you, making it hard to tell if he were actually serious or not.

You cheeks flushed red, but not from his words. Rubbing the back of your neck sheepishly, you looked in the opposite direction of your father.

"I can't believe you're still using that old thing..." You blindly gestured to the ice cream themed umbrella in front of you.

"Of course I do! It was a gift from my adoring daughter afterall!" Mephisto's grin seemed to grow into one more akin to pride, his chest puffing up in effect. You'd gotten that umbrella for him years ago, painting the ice cream on yourself with the help of Belial. Though the images were clearly handmade, the tiny device that he could barely fit just himself under was in pristine condition.

Rin could only blink at the exchange in front of him. He still couldn't believe this jester had a kid, much less one like you.

Your blush only grew as you brought up a hand to try and cover your reddening cheeks. "Papa..."

"Now, be a dear and head home to wash up for dinner. I'll be there soon." Your father gave you a quick pat on the head and that was clearly the end of the conversation.

You simply nodded in response, turning to head down the hall, presumably in the direction of that giant mansion you had shown Rin earlier. Just before you were out if sight, you turned, shouting back to the strange boy you'd met just minutes ago. "Catch ya later, Chicken!"

"WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' CHICKEN!?" Rin screamed in return. Man, it was only his first day, he couldn't get such a degrading nickname so soon! Though, truthfully, he'd prefer not to have one at all.

"Isn't she lovely?" The purple exorcist seemed to be lost in his own delusion of what had just happened, completely ignoring the look on the younger demon's face that disagreed with him. Mephisto soon snapped out of it, turning on his heel and into the cram school's hallway. "Come, come, Mister Okumura. We mustn't lurk in doorways!"

Rin begrudgingly followed the clown, knowing this was a fight he wouldn't win.

The door behind him snapped closed automatically as if some unknown force had pulled it shut. Rin's mind was on other things, however.

"Woah, this place is huge!" The demonic boy gazed in awe. This place was much bigger than the buildings designed for the academy's regular classes, which brought a question to mind. "Hey, how could this huge place fit inside the building we were just in?"

"It couldn't." Mephisto replied, seeming more amused than anything as they continued down the hall. "That key is a warp pad of sorts. It would've led you here no matter what door you used it on."

"So that girl wasn't really all that lucky afterall." Rin huffed. He'd be sure to rub that one right in your smug face later. Unless... "Wait a sec! Was she just pulling some kinda prank on me the whole time!?"

"Afraid not, Mister Okumura." The director replied, still not even glancing in the boy's direction. "(Y/n) has no knowledge of the cram school's secret or the special ability of that key."

"Huh?" Rin was confused. The daughter of one of the world's most powerful exorcists didn't know that her father's school held secret classes to train people on how to slay demons? "So, she's not training to become an exorcist?"

"Nope! Afraid not!" Mephisto confirmed with a bright hum. "My daughter has no clue that demons even exist in our plane of reality! And if you want to continue your education here, you'll keep it that way~"

"But...why?" This conversation only seemed to confuse Rin more and more. His head was starting to hurt.

"You'll understand one day..." The man answered vaguely, dodging the question entirely and only sparing the boy beside him an ominous side glance.

Chapter Text

Wiping the sweat from your brow, you made note that you'd have to thank Belial in advance somehow since he'd most likely be the one stuck washing your now-filthy soccer uniform when you got home. Your team had been working so hard all afternoon through different drills and techniques that you hadn't exactly had time to take in the state of your outfit until much later. That didn't bother you though; it was just physical proof you'd worked much harder than any of your teammates.

You felt like you had to. You were the director's daughter afterall. You didn't want anyone to get the idea that your father was the only reason you'd received a spot on the team. Using your dad's name could be fun when messing with teachers or the people in town, sure, but sports were something you were actually passionate about and you wouldn't intentionally take any shortcuts at a single one you played.

Carrying your ball underneath your arm, you headed away from the field and into the direction of your home ontop of the hill. It was a long journey, yes, but you weren't afraid of a little hike, especially not on a nice day like this.

It wasn't long before you spotted the fountain you had long ago designated the "fancy fountain" as you passed through one of academy's many courtyards. You thought about maybe popping a coin in while you were there, but the train of thought halted after noticing a figure standing atop the fixture. It was Rin Okumura.

From what you could see, he didn't look too happy at all, probably something to do with the guys standing infront of him if you had to guess. There were three of them and, from what it looked like at your distance, they were ganging up on Okumura and some girl.

Strange; you didn't take the chicken to be the knight-in-shining-armor type, but, then again, stranger things have happened. If he was protecting that girl though, the least you could do is help out.

Setting your ball gently on the ground, you took a moment, using your fingers to calculate trajectory and all that. The next time you would ever spend this much time on anything related to mathmatics would probably be on the final exam your senior year.

Meanwhile, Rin stood on the fountain's rim, ready to turn the fight physical if needed.

"Son of a-!" The half-demon clenched his fist so hard it looked almost painful. This Bon guy was the absolute worst! How could he have ever thought someone like him was cool? "And what's up with you, huh? You're always with your crew! What's the matter? You afraid of being alone?"

Ryuji seemed taken aback, and even more so when his pink haired friend started laughing. The split-haired boy turned to glare at the offender. "What's so funny, Shima!?"

"He's right; we're always together!" The boy continued snickering as if it'd been a hilarious joke and not just an insult on his best friend.

"Hey man, don't take his side!" Ryuji quickly turned back to glare at the Okumura, Rin mimicking the gesture in return. They stood like that for what seemed like hours until-

"Hey, watch out!"

And of course neither boy did. Bon was the one to suffer, however, when his face suddenly met hard, synthetic leather. The force from the soccer ball knocked him back, disorienting him for a moment as well as leaving a patterned print on his face. "Ow! What the hell man?"

"Sorry, must've been a bad kick." You shrugged, not really seeming too apologetic at all despite your words. The ball simply rolled back to your feet soundlessly. You knelt down, picking it up and propped it right back under your arm. "Then again, it'd be hard not to accidentally hit a head that fat."

"Why, you!" Bon was up in your face in less than a second, clutching the front of your jersey in his fist, lifting you a solid inch or two.

"C'mon on Bon! Picking on girls now?" Rin rolled his eyes, hopping down from his post to help you out.

"Bon, cool it!" The members of Ryugi's group both moved to pry the split-haired boy off of you, an effort that wasn't guaranteed to pay off seeing as how he was the largest of the trio.

"Please, stop fighting!" The blonde girl ontop of the fountain spoke up for the first time the whole interaction.

Bon let go of your shirt at that, sighing before allowing his face to scrunch up in annoyance. "You losers aren't even worth it! I'm outta here!"

Rin was quick to lock his arms underneath your own, preventing you from running after to pummel Sugaro's face in. Once the three-man crew was far enough away, the demon boy let go, allowing you to brush yourself off immediately afterwards. You knelt down once more, picking the ball up from where it'd dropped during the altercation.

"And good riddance!" You huffed, holding your chin up high. You weren't expecting to be whacked on the head not a second later. "Ow! Hey, what was that for."

"Mind your own damn business next time! You almost got your ass kicked!" Rin scolded, looking as if he himself was the one you'd picked a fight with.

"As if! I wasn't gonna stand around and let him pick on you! Besides, I could take that rooster-brain any day!" You objected, turning your nose away from the boy. The halfling promptly gave you another smack to the head. "Ow! Hey, stop doing that!"

"Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself..." Rin pinched the bridge of his nose. Oh geez. Now he was turning into Yukio. "But...thanks. That guy's a jerk. The old me would've jumped to fight him in an instant."

"Well if the 'old you' ever comes back, let him know I've got baseball practice on Wednesdays, just in case he plans to fight that guy for real." You snorted, rolling your eyes playfully.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate the offer." Rin sarcastically joked in return, prompting another laugh from you.

"Ya know what? Maybe your not so bad afterall, Chicken." You placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, ignoring his protest not to be called that, before turning to the cute blonde girl who'd seemed to go quiet once again. "Hey, you holding up okay?"

"M-me?" The girl seemed surprised you'd addressed her, probably not being social with kids her own age too often. She was clearly shy, especially if the red hue staining her cheeks from that interaction alone. "Oh yes! I'm fine! You don't have to worry about me!"

"Hmm. You're that girl who lives in the house across the bridge, right?" You stated, knowing she'd seemed familiar from somewhere. You didn't know many people in the first place, so it was pretty difficult for you to forget a face.

The girl nodded, face still a light shade of cherry. "Y-yeah! My name is Shiemi Moriyama! It's very nice to meet you!"

The bow she introduced herself with was a bit dramatic, but nonetheless you returned it. "I'm (Y/n) Faust, it's nice to meet you too."

After the two of you straightened up, you were quick to offer her a hand off of the fountain.

"Hey, you don't live too far from me. Let me walk you home." You hummed, figuring it'd be alright to have company for once. She didn't seem too bad and you also didn't want those boys ganging up on her if she ran into them.

"Ah! R-really?" Shiemi seemed surprised at the offer. The two of you'd just met and you were offering to go out of your way for her. "Don't you live in the dorms though?"

"Nah," You shook your head in response. "I live with my old man in the house on the hill."

You gestured to where Mephisto Manor loomed above your group. Shiemi looked up, her expression giving away her sense of awe.

"But, isn't that where the director lives..?" The blonde eventually asked, confusion showing clear on her face. Then, suddenly, she understood. "Ah! So you're the daughter of Sir Phe-!"

"Yup! She's Mr. Faust's daughter!" Rin interrupted quickly, throwing an arm around you shoulder. He quickly thrust both of his hands over your ears, mumbling to Shiemi through his teeth. "Ixnay on the amschoolcray!"

The gardener blinked for a moment before nodding softly in understanding. "Oh...okay..."

Your brow twitched in the meanwhile. It didn't take you too long at all to grow tired of being manhandled. Thrusting your head back, your skull made contact with Rin's chin in the moments following. A loud smack resounded in turn.

"OUCH! WHAT THE HELL!?" Rin stumbled back, rubbing his reddening skin. If he was any normal person, he'd be sure to develop a nasty bruise sometime after, however, thanks to his unique heritage, it went from a light purple to completely healed in no time.

"I should be saying the same to you! Don't you know how to handle a lady?" You crossed your arms, using a hand to fondle the bump now forming on your head.

"You're no lady! Who're you tryina fool?" Rin was quick to object.

"Puh-lease, you wouldn't know a lady if one hit you in the face! Oh wait. I did!" You scoffed, turning back towards Shiemi. "Whatever...come on Moriyama, let's head out before the chicken and I tussle."

"A-Alright..." Shiemi followed you away from the fountain and a still miffed Rin blowing a raspberry at your retreating figure.

The trek upwards wasn't too eventful. Shiemi was awkwardly quiet and you simply kicked your ball most of the way up.

"Ya know, it's kinda weird." You spoke up for the first time in about ten minutes. "We grew up right next to each other, but this is our first time actually speaking..."

"Huh?" Shiemi looked to you as she pondered the comment herself for a moment. "Yeah...I guess that is kinda strange..."

"Maybe it just means we've gotta make up for lost time then." You shrugged, approaching the bridge that connected to her home at last. "Why don't we start by using each other's first names?"

"Make up for...?" The blonde mumbled, looking down at her feet. Her cheeks soon began to heat up as she made her own conclusion. Did this mean you wanted to be friends!? "Y-yeah! That's fine with me!"

Shiemi had no time to think any further as you began to act foolishly for what was probably the tenth time that day. You pointed to the short brick wall right infront of the hill leading to the garden. "Hey, watch this! I bet I can kick it up to that wall there!"

"O-Okay!" Shiemi agreed almost immediately, mostly because, if you did wanna be friends, she didn't want to ruin the opportunity before you even got to know each other, but also because she figured it was harmless. Afterall, the ball couldn't go that high could it? "Go for it!"

"Right!" You wasted no time tossing the ball into the air, jumping nearly in unison and kicking with great force just to make sure it'd reach the end.

Well, as it turned out, the answer was yes. It could go that high.

The ball flew through the air, hopping right over the fence and into Shiemi's precious garden. Whoops! You must've kicked harder than you thought.

The pair of you flinched as a loud crash was heard, signaling you both to start running towards the source. Maybe it was because of the specific situation at hand, but you had to say, for someone in a heavy yukata, Shiemi could run pretty fast. Not as fast as you, but still, you had to appreciate the hustle. If she wasn't involved in the cram school, you'd've recommended her to the track team in your free time.

Throwing open the garden gate, the two of you rushed inside to inspect the damage. It didn't take you long to find it; a shattered pot with your now flattened ball amongst the shards.

"I...am so sorry." You bowed deeply in apology. "I'll buy you a new one, I promise."

Shiemi gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, don't worry about it. It was just an empty pot, so there's no harm done."

"Let me help you pick up the broken pot at least." You knelt down onto your knees and began to collect the bits. Shiemi soon joined you with a trash bag for you to chuck the broken pieces into to throw out when you were done.

The two of you gathered the pot's pieces in silence, giving you plenty of time to think to yourself. This place was really beautiful. You were very glad your recklessness didn't ruin it; if that'd been the case you would've never forgiven yourself.

Glancing next to you, you admired the plant growing to your immediate left. It was a bush of beautiful blooming pink flowers, planted in moist soil.

"Hey Shiemi," You called. The other girl gave a hum of acknowledgement as you gestured to the plant. "What are these called?"

"Those?" The blonde's eyes lit up, her passion for botany quickly overcoming her shy nature. "They're called-"

"-paeonia." A voice from above your small, kneeling figure answered as you leaned to get a good whiff of the plant.

"I see..." You hummed, smiling at the flowers as if they were grinning back at you in return. "Do these ones have a special meaning like the others?"

"Yeah. They mean 'happy marriage' or something like that in your culture." The voice replied once again, sounding pretty uninterested, but answering nonetheless.

Your face scrunched in confusion, you turned to look up at the voice's source, but the beaming sun made it hard to get a good look at their face. "Marriage? What's that?"

"It's when two adults make a vow to belong to each other forever and then start to live together. It's not really a concept people like me or your 'Papa' practice often." Whoever the person speaking to you was backed up a bit and sat crisscross on the armrest of a nearby bench. The display of balance would've impressed any normal people around, but it seemed to be just the two of you at the moment.

"Forever...?" Your face relaxed into one of a more gentle confusion, this topic now becoming more thought-provoking than anything. "Why would they wanna do that?"

"Because of 'love' or so I hear." The voice was now a bit muffled for some reason, as if they'd put something in or around their mouth.

"Oh I see..." You nodded in understanding before looking down at the ground below you.

Did that mean you should marry Papa? Hmm, but you already live with him, so you could just stay with him forever anyway. Who's someone you'd wanna be with for the rest of forever..?

Oh! That was easy!

Your head shot up to the figure looking down upon you in turn. "Will you marry me Mai-mo?"

"Well, you are more interesting than any of the potential brides Father has presented me..." The other went silent for a moment as if thinking. After a minute or two of deep contemplation, they nodded. "Alright. When you get older, I'll make you my wife."

A large grin spread upon your tiny face so wide you felt as if the skin of your lips might crack. "Yay! I'll get older and then we can get married in the garden of Amahara!"

"Um, Miss (Y/n)...?" You were snapped out of your thoughts by the voice of Shiemi. A worried expression painted her face and you soon felt your cheeks heat up in response. Man, you knew you could be a ditz, but did you really just space out like that? "Are you alright?"

"Oh! Yeah! Sorry!" You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly, face still a little pink. "This place is just so peaceful, I kinda zoned out."

"I understand." Shiemi smiled, visibly pleased by your response. You could almost physically feel your friendship level meter grow a bit in that moment. "I'm really glad you like it here!"

"Me too." You nodded placing your hands gently into your lap. You looked back to the plant that had instigated the daydream in the first place. "These...are called paeonia, right?"

Shiemi seemed a little taken aback. By what exactly, you were unsure. "Uh, yeah, but people more often call them peonies..."

"Rad." That was your only reply before continuing to pick up shards.

Later on, you laid in bed, thinking about your experience in the garden. What was that? A memory? And who was that person with you? Surely it wasn't your father or Belial...

You'd have to ask them both in the morning. Maybe. Or maybe not. You'd decide when the time came.

You fell asleep ontop of your covers to these thoughts, dreaming of this mysterious stranger and meeting them wherever Amahara was.

Chapter Text

"My, my, this is a predicament..." Mephisto sighed, rubbing two fingers to his temple. He was sitting at the kitchen table, leaning casually in his chair when you found him after having woken early from a bad dream.

"What's wrong, Papa..?" You yawned, trudging into the room still clad in your sleepwear.

"Oh, it's nothing for you to worry about, my little cat sídhe." The man answered, sending a tired smile your way. He was always coming up with such weird nicknames for you, so you hardly questioned his vocabulary at this point. "It's just that the chef I had hired for the Okumura brothers is currently on strike, so it is now up to me to take care of them until he feels like working again."

"You mean like...cook for them?" You rubbed your right eye sleepily with the back of your wrist. An idea came to you in that moment, perking you up and out of your drowsy demeanor. "Hey, you've been working really hard lately. Why not let me handle it?"

"Huh? Let you handle it?" Mephisto's eyes widened a bit, somewhat surprised by your offer. After a moment though, he quickly relaxed once more, waving the notion away. "No, no, I wouldn't want to burden you with such small trifles."

"It wouldn't be a burden! I don't want you to overwork yourself!" You shook your head, now more determined than ever.

"Hmm...Alright." Mephisto finally agreed, watching as you grinned in response.

Hours later, the two of you were walking down the mountain together, headed straight for the abandoned boys' dormitory.

"I told you, you should've stayed home and relaxed." You hummed, enjoying the feel of the cool morning breeze against your skin. Dawn was a beautiful time of day despite the fact that normally you would be snuggled deeply into your blankets, attempting to fall back asleep on your regular schedule. "I wanted to give you a break, after all."

"And leave my little girl alone with two hooligans? Never!" Mephisto huffed, thrusting open the dormitory's main door and leading you inside. You followed, keeping a steady pace behind the man while taking a quick glance around. It was awfully plain for your taste, but, to be fair, that might've just been because you were so used to your father's...unique taste in design. Nevertheless you'd suddenly gained a new appreciation for the manor's gaudy decor.

The twins were clearly on the other side of the building, not a sound echoing throughout the floor you were on save for the soft squeaks of your sneakers and the trill clicks of your father's heeled boots.

Entering the kitchen, you set to work, rolling up your sleeves and tying an apron to cover your clothing. As much as you tried to discourage Mephisto from following suit, the man was clearly set on helping for one reason or another.

"Now! What to make!" You shuffled through whatever food was stocked into the Okumura's cabinets in search for a decent meal to cook. "Oatmeal, maybe?"

"A brilliant idea!" Mephisto praised, already having a ton of vegetables spread out on the counter before him. You guessed he must've raided the fridge for them while your back was turned.

Shrugging it off, you picked up a nearby pot. "I'll start boiling the water!"

Ten minutes later, and the quiet tune you were humming while assisting your father chop a few veggies was interrupted by a certain pair of teenage boys sprinting up to the kitchen counter.

"Gentlemen, morning." The purple haired director turned to greet the twins, momentarily pausing his job of chopping up some sort of radish or something. You honestly weren't sure what it was to tell the truth.

"You!?" Rin exclaimed, eyes nearly buldging out of his head.

"All this time it was you?" Yukio seemed almost equally as surprised as his brother. "You're the one who's been cooking all our meals for us since we moved in?"

"I've been doing no such thing. I'm just a temporary replacement." The demon king hummed, correcting the boys' theory before it went wild.

"A replacement?" Two voices chimed in unison.

"Temporary replacement. The one in charge of your meals is Ukobach." Mephisto replied with a knowing wink.

"Ukobach?" Rin still sounded confused.

"I know that name..." Yukio trailed off before mumbling something you couldn't quite hear to his brother. Well, whatever he'd said, it seemed to please your father.

"A splendid answer!" Mephisto was quick to point his knife in Yukio's direction. His arms then crossed as he continued. "Up until now, he has been loyally carrying out his duties in service of me. Yesterday though, the two of you had apparently trespassed on his territory: the kitchen."

"Now Mister Ukobach is boycotting his job. Nice going, Chicken." You spoke up from behind the other side of the kitchen island, popping out from behind Mephisto for the first time during the conversation.

Your sudden presence apparently surprised Rin from what you could make out of his shocked expression. The half-demon stumbled back a bit into a defensive pose. "You!? Why're you here!?"

"I'm glad you asked, Mister Okumura." Your father hummed, ushering the boys to take a seat at a nearby table. You picked up the finished product of your efforts on a tray, carefully following behind. "Seeing as Ukobach was my responsibility, it is now my duty to prepare your meals until he returns to work."

You placed two bowls of red, boiling liquid in front of each twin respectively.

"My lovely daughter here offered to assist in this morning's breakfast." Mephisto smiled, placing a hand onto your shoulder. "We both made it with lots of love, so be sure to finish the bowl!"

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it?" Yukio asked, observing the mixture with caution.

"It's oatmeal. Duh." You raised a brow in response. Had these guys seriously never heard of oatmeal before? "It's my dad's special! Go ahead and try some!"

"Go on, don't be shy!" Mephisto added in, pressuring the boys to partake in the meal.

After a moment of silence, Rin finally took the bait.

"Here it goes!" The madman chugged the bowl, immediately regretting the decision afterwards. His face turned bright red before his body collapsed, Yukio only managing to catch him at the last second.

"Rin, are you okay!?"

"You guys are just being babies." You mumbled between a pout. You looked to the door just so you wouldn't have to view the scene before you.

"I hear grandma calling me..."

"Grandma? We never met our grandma! Whoever she is, don't follow her into the light!"

You looked down to your feet in response to the display. Was it really that bad? You'd thought you'd followed your father's instructions perfectly...

"Now, now, my dear. I'm sure Mister Okumura is simply over reacting." Mephisto picked up a nearby spoon, passing it to you soon after. He gestured to Yukio's bowl. "Why don't you try some yourself just to be sure, hmm?"

"No! (Y/n)!" Rin gasped out, reaching towards you in a weak attempt to stop you.

Hesitantly, you scooped up a spoonful and brought it to your lips. Opening your mouth, you slurped it clean. Both boys in front of you shivered in anticipation, just waiting for you to blow chunks or something.

"Mmmm!" You hummed in a pleased manner. Turning to your father, you grinned. "You really outdid yourself this time, Papa!"

Both Okumuras were frozen, shocked into stone at how you were actually enjoying this demonic meal.

"Thank you, thank you, but I must accredit this success to my wonderful assistant!" The director took a deep bow as if finishing a performance.

You giggled, suddenly feeling much better about the situation.

"You...actually like this stuff?" Rin asked hesitantly.

"Of course!" You nodded. "Papa used to make this for me all the time when I was little!"

"It's a mystery how you ever survived childhood..." Yukio muttered with a sigh.

Mephisto cleared his throat in order to get the room's attention once more.

"As I said before: seeing as Ukobach is my responsibility, I'll be preparing all of your meals until he decides to return to his duties." The man grinned deviously towards the twins.

"What if he doesn't return..." Yukio asked in a wavering voice.

"I will become your personal cook for the duration of your time here!" Your father decreed.

"I'll help out too! I'll kick your ass if you start overworking him!" You threatened, glaring at a specific Okumura brother.

"Not if I kick this Ukobach guy's ass first..." Rin replied before promptly passing out into Yukio's arms.

"Idiot. You will not kick the chef." Yukio muttered, glaring at his twin.

You left soon after the exchange, heading to an emergency sports meet closer to the main building.

The next day, things were different. You woke up early that morning to go cook the Okumura's breakfast, only to be stopped by your father.

"No more of that anymore, my dear." The director pat your head, passing you your bento for the day. "Ukobach has returned to his post, so neither of us need worry about cooking for those boys anymore."

"Huh?" You blinked up at the man. "You're tellin' me that chicken actually apologized...?"

"You could say that." Your father's gaze shifted, glancing in another direction. "More like the two came to an understanding."

"An understanding, huh?" You brought your thumb to your mouth, subconsciously nibbling on the nail there. A quirk for when you're deep in thought about something that you'd picked up when you were little and never quite broke the habit of. You thought about Rin and what kind of person he had to be if this Ukobach guy could go from hating his guts to reaching an understanding with him over the span of two days...

Mephisto's soft smile fell into a frown of disapproval. "Pumpkin..."

"Huh?" You looked up before suddenly realizing what you were doing. "Oh. Sorry."

The purple man simply sighed before starting to usher you out of the door. "Just get going. You'll be late to class if you continue to dawdle here, you know."

A little saddened by the sound of disappointment in your father's voice, you simply nodded before heading out for the day.

It wasn't until around lunchtime that you ran into Rin again.

Well, actually, it was Yukio you spotted first. He was relaxing on a bench, surrounded by some pretty girls you recognized from your class, but couldn't quite remember the names of. It wasn't too long after that that you'd spotted Rin, alone behind a nearby tree.

"What's up Okumura?" You asked, strolling right up to the younger twin.

"Oh, it's you Miss Faust..." Yukio relaxed a bit when you approached. He'd probably thought you were another fangirl there to harass him.

"I see you didn't need me to make you lunch today; guess that means Mister Ukobach is ready to do his job again!" You smiled, gesturing down to the boxed lunch sitting on the boy's lap. Unknowingly, you'd gained three hateful glares in your direction.

"Though Ukobach is fine now, it was actually my brother who made this." Yukio shook his head and clarified, looking over to where his twin stood by the tree. It was obvious he was trying to be discreet, but that honestly was impossible seeing as the older Okumura was doing almost nothing to hide himself, listening in with a smug look on his face.

"Is that your brother..?" One of the girls asked, unimpressed by the sound of her tone.

"How could a creep like that know anything about cooking?" Another girl chimed in.

Judging by the expression on Rin's face, she'd clearly wounded his pride and it was then that you remembered that morning.

"An understanding, huh?"

"Hey!" You were surprisingly quick to jump to Rin's defense. The four students in front of you nearly jumped at your shout. "Rin may be a little strange, but I'm sure he worked really hard making this lunch! If you're not gonna appreciate it, I will!"

You snatched the lunchbox from Yukio, quickly shoveling the food contained there into your mouth before anyone could stop you. You managed to finish the whole thing in less than a minute, guaranteeing you'd get a stomach ache later. Shoving the now-empty bento back into Yukio's hands, you headed in Rin's direction.

Ignoring the look of surprise on his face, you bowed respectfully. "Thank you for the meal. It was delicious."

Rin was stunned into silence, only speaking up after a moment or two. His cheeks reddened as he made it a point to look in another direction. "I-I'm glad ya liked it, but next time just ask for your own instead of taking my bro's, okay?"

You straightened out before giving a firm nod in response.

"Yo! Faust! Coach is calling for a lunchtime practice, so head to the gym!" A member of your basketball team suddenly waved you over.

"I'm comin'!" You hurried their way, following them and leaving the poor Okumura alone.

Rin's gaze stuck onto your form as you left, still amazed at what'd just happened. You just kept managing to surprise him...

Wait a minute. Had you used his real name for once? A smug grin made it's way onto the half-demon's face amongst the rosey red skin. Perhaps this was the start of his "stud phase" after all.

Chapter Text

"HAHAHAHA!" You snickered at the pouty expression painted on Rin's face, clearly amused at his predicament.

"Shut up already! You've been laughing for, like ten minutes now!" The half-demon glared, gritting his teeth in annoyance. "So what if I got detention? It ain't that funny!"

"Maybe not..." You agreed, finally settling down and a stray tear from your eye. Unfortunately the grin on your face didn't seem to soothe Rin's anger one bit. "But the fact that you're stuck there after a lover's quarrel with our good friend Bon-Bon, now that is funny."

Rin simply grumbled under his breath in response, his cheeks reddening as he began to hasten his pace in hopes that you wouldn't be able to keep up.

Of course you noticed and immediately followed suit. "Hey! Wait up! C'mon, where's your sense of humor?"

After volleyball practice that day, you'd ran into Rin heading home from cram school. You'd decided to accompany him back, especially since it meant you'd get home later, meaning you wouldn't have to do your homework as soon, which is when he somehow wound up spilling the beans about getting into a fight with that Bon guy not too long ago.

Suddenly, you spotted something out of the corner of your eye. You lightly grasped Rin's shoulder before pointing to a group of girls not too far away. "Hey, isn't that Shiemi?"

"Huh?" The demonic boy shook out of his grumpy state, his eyesight following your finger. "Oh, it is. And it looks like she's with Paku and Eyebrows."

"Eyebrows?" You raised a brow of your own in response. Looks like you weren't the only one giving people odd nicknames.

"You'll see." Rin merely waved off your skepticism, heading over to meet the girls where your respective paths crossed. You followed silently as he called out to them. "Hey, Shiemi, Paku, Poke-Brows!"

The lead girl of the entourage grit her teeth, face twitching in response. Ah, that was probably 'Eyebrows.' Like the name suggested, her eyebrows were shaped a lot differently than the rest of the groups'. "Don't call me 'Poke-Brows!' You're the reason we've all got detention tonight!"

You snorted, ignoring the small glare you received from Rin in return. You then looked to Shiemi, noting the large bag she was carrying using both of her small hands. "Hey, Shiemi, lemme help you carry that."

"N-no, it's oka-" Before she could finish, you'd already grabbed the bag by its handles and lugged it over your shoulder.

Noting the bag's fairly heavy weight, you jostled it a little as if trying to figure out what was inside. "Geez, what are you carrying in here, Shiemi? Rocks?"

"Hey! Be careful with my bag!" Poke-Brows hissed at you, diverting her attention from Rin to sneer in your direction.

"Your bag?" You placed a hand on your hip, visibly confused. "If its your bag, why is Shiemi the one carrying it?"

"N-none of your business!" The purple haired witch glared.

"H-hey, there's no need to fight." Shiemi intervened, not wanting to see the two of you argue, especially if it was over her. "I really don't mind helping her carry it since we're friends and all."

"Oh?" You shut your eyes for the shortest moment to think. They opened again the moment you'd come to a conclusion on your current train of thought. "I see..."

Both girls looked a little worried at the short reply.

"Alright then, since your such good friends and all, surely Eyebrows here understands how tired you must be from carrying both of your bags all this way..." You trailed off in an ominous tone. You then promptly let go of the bag right in front of Izumo, leaving the purple-haired bully to scramble until she caught it mid-air.

"H-hey!"

Ignoring eyebrow girl's protests, you turned your back to the group, beginning your lengthy ascent to Mephisto Manor. "Have fun in detention, Chicken! Make sure Shiemi doesn't get into any more trouble!"

You continued walking away from your peers ignoring their reactions including Izumo's harsh glares and the red tinge covering Shiemi's cheeks.

A few hours later, you found yourself standing at the entrance of your father's study. It wasn't super often that he summoned you there; it was essentially a room of things you weren't allowed to touch where he did work you weren't allowed to look at, so when Belial had escorted you to the familiar door's entrance the moment you got home, you'd almost thought it was some sort of joke. Belial never joked though, so the theory was banished from your mind practically instantly. You knocked on the door, rapping your knuckles against the wood in a way that echoed throughout the empty hall you were standing in. "Papa? You in there?"

"Yes, my dear, come in!" As soon as he gave the 'ok' you pushed open the door and entered the room, being sure to shut it behind you on your way in. The man who'd raised you sat behind his large desk, offering you his usual smile. "I know this is sudden, but I was hoping you could help me out with something."

"Ah, so you want me to run another errand for you?" You rolled your eyes. That made sense. If you had to guess, you'd figure that he wanted you to go pick up something from a teacher or pick up a package from the post office. You honestly didn't know why he didn't just send Belial to do all this mundane stuff, but you supposed even butlers needed a break every now and then.

"No, no, nothing of the sort, my little cat sídhe." The purple-haired headmaster shook his head, gesturing for you to come closer. Once you'd moved a bit nearer to the man, he stood up from his seat. "You see, your friends in the cram school are taking an important test tonight. I figured I would reward them for their efforts with something they'd like and that is where you come in."

That was certainly a first. He'd never asked you your opinion on anything like this before and, from what you understood, he hadn't done anything similar for past cram school classes either, so this was completely out of left-field. It was all very suspicious. You loved your father, but he could be a really sketchy dude when he wanted to.

But, then again, he was usually pretty weird, so maybe you were just thinking too hard about it.

"Is that all?" You hummed, starting to think about the different ways one could reward kids your age. Normally you'd suggest something sports related, but, as you soon found out after a quick game of basketball with Rin one day after school, sports aren't always for everyone; not that he was bad, its just that you'd totally creamed him the entire match. Luckily, there was one thing you know for certain they'd like: food. "Why don't we bake them a cake?"

"A splendid idea! I knew I could count on you." Mephisto agreed with you instantly, almost surprising you with how quickly he'd responded. It was almost as if he knew you were going to say that...Ignoring the odd look on your face, he continued. "Let's get started! I'll have Belial prepare the ingredients."

You simply smiled in return, happy to be sharing the kitchen with your dad again. Those Okumura boys didn't seem to like your cooking much last time, however things'll be different this time around. This cake was going to be delicious; there was no other outcome possible!

You definitely preferred cooking in the manor's kitchen to the one in the old boys' dorm. It was a lot roomier for one thing, and for another, you actually knew where most of the ingredients you needed were. For those you couldn't find, Belial would fetch, taking his place beside the room's entryway in the meantime.

It didn't take you and your father long to make a mix for the batter, a goopy, purple concoction that would occasionally bubble, dumping it into a pan and tossing it into the oven when you were done.

"There!" A proud expression crossed your face as the man beside you turned the oven on so the cake could bake. "How long should we leave it in for?"

"It should be alright as long as we keep an eye on it." Mephisto waved off the idea of setting a timer before you could even suggest it.

"If you say so." You shrugged, hopping up on the countertop to sit, despite the disapproval both your father and Belial seemed to hold for the action.

"So, my dear, is there anything new in your life you care to share with your loving father?" Mephisto took a seat across from you, sitting in a chair you hadn't noticed moments prior. He made himself comfortable, throwing you a sly expression as he pretended to brush a stray hair out of his face. "I've noticed that you've started spending an awful lot of time around Rin Okumura nowadays. Are you finally at that age where I need to start worrying about boys, hmm?"

"No, Papa, it's not like that." You shook your head in denial, rolling your eyes at the man's ridiculous suggestion. Your eyes then gleamed a little softer. "We've just...come to an understanding is all. He's not as bad as I thought."

"I see..." Mephisto still didn't seem convinced, unwilling to drop the topic. "If not him, then perhaps there's someone else you've got your eye on..."

You knew he was just pestering to be nosey, but your mind couldn't help but wander to what happened the other day.

"Actually..." You hummed, recalling the strange memory from the garden.

Your father's eyes widened a bit, his interest now piqued.

"Belial." You turned to look where the servant was standing from where you were sitting. "Do you remember...promising to marry me?"

A dead silence filled the room. The atmosphere quickly grew more and more tense by the moment, almost causing you to regret saying anything at all.

"Yes, Belial. Do tell..." Mephisto's eyes narrowed dangerously in the direction of the poor, suit-clad man. Your father's aura seemed to radiate in a threatening nature, warning the butler to choose his next words very carefully.

"No, Miss." Belial promptly replied. He was always a very stoic man ever since you were a child, however, despite his expressionless visage, you could somehow tell he was nervous under your father's scrutinizing gaze. "I do not believe that I have ever made you such a promise. Forgive me."

"That's weird..." You rubbed at your chin as you started to think. If it wasn't Belial, then who? Growing up, the only two people you'd ever seen on a regular basis were your father, Belial, and occasionally a pediatrician, but you sincerely doubted the doctor would've made such a promise to you.

Wait a second. Weren't you forgetting someone?

A flash of green suddenly clashed with your vision as a sharp pain struck your brain at that moment. You clutched your forehead with one hand, using the other to tightly grasp the counter you were sitting on. You couldn't help but let out pained groans at the awful sensation.

Wordlessly, Mephisto stood and approached your body, now bent over in pain. He placed a hand on top of your head, stroking your hair in a soothing motion to gently force you to look up at him. Meanwhile, his free arm wrapped around your figure, holding you close to his chest in a firm, yet comforting embrace.

"Now, now, it's alright meine kleine Puppe." The purple-haired man practically purred into your ear. He continued to gently pet your head, soothing the horrible ache in your brain at least a little. You closed your eyes, focusing on the soft texture of the man's pearly suit against your overheated skin. Your mind went fuzzy.

This...felt right.

"Pardon the interruption, Master," Belial cleared his throat after what felt like ages. You and your father snapped your heads in the butler's direction in sync, the pain from earlier now completely vanished. After catching your attention, Belial continued. "I believe your cake may be a bit...overdone."

"Oh no!" Mephisto rushed to the oven, completely throwing off your balance. The man swiftly yanked out a colorful hunk of burnt goop from the oven, placing it on top of the stove with a sad whine.

"Let's just get monja..." You muttered from where you were collapsed face first on the floor.

That's how you ended up joining the cram-school kids for monja. You sat in between Rin and Shiemi, cooking your food with a bright look in your eyes. You hardly noticed the grumpy stares coming from Bon and Izumo a few seats down.

"Okay, who invited baseball-for-brains here?" The purple haired girl spoke up, complaining about your presence as if it inconvenienced her in any sort of manner. "I thought this was some sort of treat for finishing the exwire exams, not some goofy get-together."

Rin slapped his hands over your ears the moment Izumo began voicing the word 'exwire.' He whispered harshly in the direction of his peer. "Eyebrows, ix-nay on the exorcist talk!"

You quickly swatted the boy's hands away, turning to glare at him in response. "Hey! What was that for!?"

"Hehe, sorry, just saw some bugs flyin' around your hair, that's all. Looks like I shooed them away though!" The ravenette rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish grin on his face. You were't buying it. That expression had 'suspicious' written all over it. You opened your mouth to voice this, but were quickly interrupted.

"Yo, lovebirds! Could ya find somewhere else to flirt? The rest of us are here too ya know." Suguro rolled his eyes, slurping up some grub unceremoniously. Both you and Rin's faces light up a bright red.

"WE'RE NOT LOVEBIRDS!" The two of you shout in harmony.

"First she's secretly engaged, next she's having an affair with a total ruffian-" Mephisto sobbed from his seat at the head of the table, ignoring the way his tears sizzled on to stovetop below as they fell. "What's happened to my little girl!?"

"You cut that out!" You shouted, flinging the cushion of you seat at the man.

"Hold up. Engaged..?" Rin raised a brow, causing your attention to turn towards him.

You simply shook your head in response. "I'll...tell you later."

"HAHAHAHA!" Days later, Rin snickered at the pouty expression painted on your face, clearly amused by your story.

"Oh, shut up! It's not that funny!" You grumbled, crossing your arms in front of your chest as you pouted. The pair of you were walking back to Rin's dorm from the store where you'd both bought a bag full of popsicles to hopefully stave off the immense heatwave rolling over the city that day. You'd taken this as the opportunity to tell the boy about your memory and, subsequently, the chat you'd had with your father and Belial.

"It's pretty funny. Mephisto must've been pissed." Rin hummed, taking a bite out of the popsicle in his mouth with his bare teeth. You shivered at the sight.

"You're a monster. I can't believe you bit into a fucking chunk of ice." You shook your head in disapproval, unwrapping one of the treats from the shopping bag for yourself and eating it the proper way.

You ignored any attempts to bring up the subject again for the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

"Summertime!" Rin rushed off of the bus dropping you off at your sunny destination. "The ocean!"

"The bikinis!" Shima hopped out after, equally excited.

"The volleyball!" You were third to get out, shoving Shima out of the doorway to exit sooner. He didn't seem to mind too much as the three of you threw your arms up into the air with Izumo tailing behind at her own pace, clearly less enthused than the rest of you.

"Woohoo!" You and Rin cheered in synch.

"Let's go hit on chicks!" Shima practically skipped his way across the road. "Time to hit the water Okumura! C'mon Izumo, Faust, go get changed! Swimsuits people: chop chop!"

It was almost kinda cute how excited he was.

"Oh man, I love the oceeeaaaan!"

"Can't believe my old man actually let me tag along with you guys!" You grinned about thirty minutes later, shoving on the long shirt you were using as a coverup for your swimsuit. After hearing about the different trips the cram school students were getting to take over break, you quickly hopped onto the opportunity to beg your father to allow you to go as well. It took a fair bit of convincing on your end, however, eventually you were able to get him to give in.

Izumo ignored you, stepping out of her changing room stall moments after you. This didn't bother you too much. The two of you had never been on good terms, so you didn't really expect any less from her.

The only downside to this free trip is that all of you have to work at a teacher's food booth selling grilled squid for half the day. You and Izumo worked the first shift and somehow managed a grand total of two sales, though, considering Izumo's attitude the entire time, you were surprised you even got that. It was Rin and Shima's turn to work now.

As you got closer to the booth, you could hear the boys' conversation before even seeing them. "...not exactly what you'd call a team player."

"Excuse me?" The purple-haired girl questioned the guys, still looking unamused. Shima's face paled immediately as he hopped up to hopefully cover his slip up.

"Uh, hi! Geez, you guys sure look cute in your swimsuits!" The pink
-haired monk rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, probably praying silently that neither of you heard what he was saying just then. You'd bet money he'd been talking about Izumo.

"What's your problem?" Eyebrows glared, turning to look towards the ocean. She started heading off that way, ignoring the exasperated look on Shima's face. "I helped you grill those squids didn't I? Besides, I'm not really the kinda girl who works retail."

"Rin and I'll take first shift tomorrow, so you can check out chicks then, alright?" You waved off the monk's visible disappointment, dropping your beach tote by Rin's feet. There wasn't really anything worth stealing in it, but you trusted the chicken to protect your stuff regardless. He was kind of a gentleman when he wanted to be, not that you'd ever admit it out loud.

"What's with volunteering me all of a sudden?" Rin tried to seem annoyed, but really wasn't. Despite his pout and crossed arms, you could tell he wasn't actually upset.

"Becaaauuusee after our shift tomorrow, we're gonna go have fun." You hummed, letting a soft smile grace your lips. You then leaned in close, whispering into the boy's ear as if telling him a secret. "Besides, you don't really mind do you? If you aren't with me, you'll be stuck with Pinky or Eyebrows and you know Izumo's just gonna ignore you the whole time and Shima's just gonna wanna pick up girls."

"Sad thing is, I think you're right." Rin sighed. Truthfully, he really would've preferred hanging out with you anyway. The two of you hung out a lot outside of school nowadays, somehow finding time away from cram school and sports practice to walk home, read manga, play games, and/or, as you'd started doing more recently, cook together. Though, by "cook together" you really meant Rin doing all of the cooking while you taste-tested anything he made. He probably spent more time with you now than he did his own twin brother.

"Ohoho, don't worry, I can take a hint." You didn't like the sly expression on Pinky's face when he'd said that. The boy only offered a wink to the two of you, ignoring the cloned looks of confusion you and Okumura were giving him. "I'll be more than happy to give you two lovebirds some alone time."

"PSCHCHCH!" Your face went comically red, mirroring the one belonging to the boy next to you. "That's not what I-"

"Don't sweat it, you don't gotta explain it to me!" Shima grinned, unaware of the danger he was currently placing himself in. "I know your old man doesn't approve, but you don't have to worry about putting up an act around me!"

If Rin hadn't preemptively reached over and hooked his arms up underneath yours, Renzo Shima would be a dead man.

"Good work you all! I am truly blessed to have such wonderful students under my wing." The cram school teacher approached, holding a fan to cool himself off with. You didn't really know the man's name, having only met him this once for the field trip, but you settled down as he approached nonetheless. He looked happy to see the stand up and running. "So, how's business?"

"Not good." Rin shook his head, looking down to all the ungrilled squids still roasting over the flames. "We haven't sold a single one."

"Really?" You blinked, surprised that not even one person had been interested in buying from the booth. "I thought people liked eating seafood by the shore..."

"Well, it's still early in the day, but I'm sure it'll pick up soon." The man laughed nervously, almost as if there was something he wasn't telling you...

Before you could question him, he'd already started scurrying off.

"Just do the best you can!" With a wave from his free hand, the teacher was gone, leaving you and the two boys at the stand.

"I can't put my finger on it but something about that guy is...weird." You shook your head, kneeling down to rummage through your bag and up your cell to check the time. The phone screen lit up as a picture from the last festival you'd attended with your father just a few months ago presented the time on your lock screen. The two of you stood side-by-side in matching yukata while fireworks went off in the background, looking happy just to be in each other's company. You held up your phone screen, showing the boys the time displayed. "'Early in the day?' It's almost time for supper."

"Eh, who knows? He's a weird guy." Shima shrugged, not seeming too bothered by the man's actions. He did, however, seem interested in your phone screen. "Ya know, you don't really look a whole lot like your old man..."

"Huh?" You flipped the phone around, taking a good look at the photo yourself. The physical differences between you and your father were pretty clear. From ear shape to facial structure, the two of you looked vastly different. Most people probably wouldn't assume the two of you were even related if they saw you around town. This wasn't a big surprise to you, but you'd be lying if you said it didn't bother you a little. "Oh, that's cuz I'm adopted."

"Really?" Shima looked a bit surprised. "He doesn't seem like the type to me, but good for him."

"Why doesn't anyone seem to believe that my dad's actually a pretty nice guy?" You huffed, tossing your phone back into bag and ignoring the deadpanned faces of the boys in front of you.

Suddenly, Okumura's eyes widened and the ravenette pointed behind you. You instinctively turned to look at the ocean. "Oh no! Izumo!"

You could barely see her, but you could tell she was in trouble even from your distance. "Looks like she's got a leg cramp!"

"We've gotta go help her! (Y/n), watch the stand!" Rin thrusted the tongs he'd been using to grill squid into your chest, hopping over the grill like it was nothing and rushing to Izumo's rescue with Shima in tow.

"H-hey! I'm captain of the swim team with training in CPR! Shouldn't I be the one doing the rescuing!?" You called out to no response. You rolled your eyes, moving to stand behind the grill. From what it looked like, Eyebrows would be just fine; someone was already out there pushing her floatie to shore.

Giving a sigh, you tugged off your coverup, revealing the well-fitted swimsuit you'd been wearing underneath. It was a lot hotter where you were standing, probably from the combined heat of the grill at your front and the unforgiving midday sun beating down above you. Either way, the shirt had to go.

You regretted this decision not two moments later.

"Hey pretty lady. What's a sweet thing like you working in a dump like this?" Some sleazy guy approached your stand, a group of similar looking men standing right behind him and a few beautiful women waiting behind them. From the way this dude looked, you can tell he was some rich, jock-type with more muscles than brains. Not that you had much room to speak when it came to judging people for being wealthy or jocks.

"Well, right now I'm waiting for you to either order some squid or leave." You answered honestly with your best customer-service smile. You had no clue if you were doing it right, however, it must've been good enough since he seemed a little peeved after that.

"C'mon, don't be like that babe!" The guy sneered, leaning over the grill just enough to get into your personal space. "Why don't you come hang out with us for a while? I promise it'll be fun~"

Right as you'd opened your mouth to instinctively reject the offer, you caught sight of a nearby volleyball net, a wicked idea coming to your mind.

"Alright, I'll hang out with you," You hummed, looking rather smug. "Buuut on one condition."

"I knew you'd come around doll!" The sleazebag grinned, legitimately believing his natural charm had won you over. "What is it babe? You want money?"

"Nope! You've gotta beat me in a game of volleyball!" You placed one hand on your hip, using the other to gesture to the nearby net. "You win, and I'll hang out with you."

"You've got a deal!" The guy was quick to agree.

"But! If I win, you have to buy out my entire stock of squid." You finished, a gleam of excitement flashing in your eyes. This was like killing two birds with one stone. You got to play your game and you got to make this jerk look like a total fool.

"You're on!"

It was a very short game. The guy teamed up with two of his lackeys while you, on the other hand, were completely alone on your side of the court. And yet, you completely annihilated them. It was like time stood still every time you spiked a pitch, you hitting the ball so fast no one could even spot you do it.

"So, will that be cash or card?" You grinned, placing your sunglasses onto your face as you basked in the glow of your victory. In the end, the creep bought you out, true to his word, and you got to bring back the plentiful earnings to Mister Tsubaki with pride.

"W-what is this..?" Shima's stomach churned at the sight of the food in front of him. It was some mixture in a square pan with bits that were either burnt or undercooked, all of it an odd maroon color he wouldn't typically expect out of his meal.

"Since you all took so long getting back, I took the liberty of cooking us dinner." You grinned, clearly proud of your skills. You'd been practicing different recipes with Rin for the past few weeks, but tonight, you wanted to try something different. "It's my dad's special casserole!"

"I was planning on simply fixing up the squid that went unsold today, however, Miss Faust here somehow miraculously managed to sell every last one, so I let her decide on the dinner menu." The mutton-chopped man explained, clearly feeling a bit ill from the sight of the dish himself. "Squid is the only thing anyone's been able to catch around here, so I really didn't expect it to be quite so popular."

"What can I say? Guys can't resist a pretty girl in a swimsuit." You snickered, awfully smug at your accomplishment.

"Yeah right, you probably threatened to knock someone's teeth out or sold 'm off in some kinda bet." Rin narrowed his eyes at you suspiciously. Your hand immediately shot to hold your gut, your pride wounded by the surprisingly accurate prediction.

"Miss Faust, didn't you have something else in the oven? Perhaps you should go check on it, hmm?" The teacher reminded you, ushering you out of the room.

"Ah, my spinat-puffs!" You rushed to the kitchen, hurrying to rescue your dish before it burned.

A few minutes later, you re-entered the dining area carrying a tray of what seemed to be burnt charcoal. Mr. Tsubaki was gone, but the other three were still sitting around.

"Huh? Where'd the teach go?" You raised a brow, placing the tray onto the table in the center of the room.

"Went to go answer a booty call. Again." Izumo rolled her eyes, exiting the room without so much as a goodnight.

"Wow, good for him I guess." You blinked, kinda surprised that a man your father entrusted your safety to basically just ditched your group for the second time that day so quickly.

"Yeah, whatever. At least we don't have to work tomorrow." Shima sighed, standing and brushing off dust from his pants. "Says he's hired a 'proper worker' to cover us."

"Yeah, but we've gotta watch some kid instead." Rin added in as Shima gave a shrug.

"Huh, why are we babysitting? I thought this trip was to work for Tsubaki to get extra credit or something." At least, that was the way it sounded when you'd asked the teacher about it. It didn't really make much sense for him to send you to watch some random kid if that was the case, so you were more than a little confused.

"It's his...nephew!" Rin smiled a little too quickly to be genuine. "Yeah! The kid's mom is outta town for business, so he's havin' us keep him outta trouble!"

"Hmm, I guess that's alright..." The change in plans irritated you a bit. Unless the four of you were splitting into shifts, that kid would be taking up your whole schedule, ruining your opportunity to do those things you wanted to do. Letting out a sigh, moved towards the door. "I guess this is goodnight then..."

"Woah, hold up!" Rin prevented you from leaving, gently grabbing onto your shoulder as he continued. "You seem pretty bummed, what's up with that?"

"I-" You'd almost started to answer before remembering Shima was still in the room. There was no way on Earth you were making any sort of confession around that guy. Glaring at the teasing expression on Pinky's face you simply shook you head in response to Rin. "Never mind, I'll tell you later. Night."

And with that, you left the room, leaving the two boys alone together.

"What was all that about?" Rin had to admit he was a little worried. You weren't usually one to stay quiet when something was bugging you; it was honestly one of the reasons the half-demon appreciated your company. He didn't have to worry he was secretly being a bother to you and that you were just to polite to say so.

He could only stare at the door you'd shut behind you, wondering what was on your mind...

"Isn't it obvious?" Oh yeah, Shima was still there. The monk threw one of his arms around Rin's shoulders, wiggling his eyebrows to make a point. "She's bummed she's missing out on having alone time with her sweetheart."

Rin felt his own eyebrow twitch in response. "Bro, how many times do I have to tell you? We are not 'sweethearts'."

"Maybe not yet, but tomorrow, that could all change." Renzou hummed, closing his eyes as if he was imagining it.

"What do you mean?" Rin looked to Shima, now thoroughly confused.

"I'm just sayin' maybe she wants to get you alone with her to confess her feelings for you." Pinky shrugged, looking awfully smug for whatever reason.

"Huh? You really think so?" Rin thought about it and couldn't help but let his imagination run wild with the idea.

"Oh, Rin! I just can't deny it any longer!" You turned to face the half-demon, your back now facing the ocean as the two of you stood on the shore at sunset. The beach was completely empty, leaving the two of you alone together. "You really are the coolest guy I know! I love you!"

Rin could only watch in awe as you took both of his hands into your own, leaning upwards slowly with your lips gently puckered.

"DUDE!" Shima's laugher broke Rin out of his fantasy, the demon boy freezing in his current position. His lips had been puckered, even more exaggerated than yours had been in his daydream. Renzou continued laughing, holding his stomach at the force of each giggle. "You totally got into it!"

"OH SHUT UP!" After finally snapping out of it, Rin smacked the back of Shima's head, ready for for his reddening face to cool and the pink-haired boy to cut it out.

Chapter Text

You woke up earlier than usual the next morning, careful not to wake Izumo as you stood and dressed. You wore your work-out clothes, tying a pair of well-worn sneakers to your feet before making your way to the room next door as quickly and quietly as possible. The boys were sleeping when you'd entered, which was pretty much what you'd expected since it was the crack of dawn.

But that didn't stop you from tip-toeing your way over to where Rin was sleeping, stepping over various splayed out limbs, and kneeling down next to his passed-out form. You carefully placed both hands on his shoulders, shaking him in an attempt to rouse him from his slumber.

"Okumura! Okumura!" You whisper-yelled after a few moments. It was getting increasingly more aggravating to try and wake the boy. Part of you was almost convinced he was dead; seriously who sleeps this heavy? "...Rin?"

Rin's eyes cracked open to see your face centimeters from his own, pretty similarly to his vision just hours before. Oh, so he was still dreaming. That was cool. His eyes slipped closed once again as he prepared to re-enter the land of dreams.

"Okumura..." You shook your head, ready to give up your efforts. Oh well, you'd just have to talk to him later...

...Or at least you would have if you hadn't slipped on the sleeping boy's arm while trying to stand.

The moment your backside crashed into his stomach, Rin shot up wide awake, spit shooting up and out of his mouth. You cringed a bit at the sight, not meaning to cause the boy any pain.

"Oops." You chuckled nervously.

"So, you woke me up at five in the morning...to go jogging with you?" Rin squinted his brows as if still trying to process what you'd just told him.

Finishing up your stretches, you turned to the boy and nodded. "Mmhm! If we're babysitting today, I'm not gonna be able to work out later and I never skip leg day."

"Why'd ya have to bring me though? Don't you usually work out alone?" Okumura was right; you'd never invited him to jog with you like this before, adding this incident to the list of odd behaviors you'd been enacting the entire trip.

You simply shrugged, passing him a sweat towel before heading out of the front door. "I don't want any creepy beach dudes to hit on me again."

"Oh, so you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend." Rin deadpanned, following you out.

"Nope! You're here to keep me from pummeling them if they do." You grinned, beginning your route, leaving Rin to pick up the pace.

About halfway into town, you'd slowed down considerably, allowing you and Rin to simply stroll for a bit.

"So, who was that guy who saved Izumo? Was he a lifeguard or somethin'?" You asked, using a clip to push some hair out of your face.

"Nah, it was actually that kid we're watching today." Rin answered with a nod.

You snorted. That was pretty funny. The look on her face must've been priceless. You were almost sad you missed it. "Sucks for Izumo. That's gotta be embarrassing."

"Yeah..." Rin nodded in agreement, but didn't really seem like he was actually listening. He looked a little lost in his own thoughts, prompting you to stare at him inquisitively.

"Uh, you okay there Okumura?" You placed a hand on his shoulder, jolting him back into reality.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I was just thinkin'." The half-demon admitted, quickly speaking up again before you could reply with something snarky. "You said some guy at the beach hit on you; what's with that?"

"When you went to go help Pokebrows yesterday, some creep tried to get me to hang with him and his crew." You explained, thinking about your miraculous victory with a soft smile. "I bet 'm in a game of volleyball and won so the sucker had to buy up the whole stand."

"Wow, that rocks. Dude must've been loaded." Rin shoved his hands into his pockets, loosely kicking a rock beneath his shoe. "Sorry I kinda shoved all that work onto you, that wasn't cool of me."

"Nah, don't worry about it. You can make it up to me later by buying me a cone of shaved ice." You grinned, reassuring the boy.

"Alright, it's a deal." Rin returned the smile with a large one of his own.

You watched as Rin waltzed into a nearby convenience store to get the two of you a bottle of water to keep hydrated. Unfortunately, pooling your current funds together, you only had enough on you for one so you'd have to split, but on a hot day like that, it was better than nothing.

You stood there for a minute or two before turning towards the beach. Okumura sure seemed to be taking his sweet time. Maybe the cashier was on break?

Either way, you made the executive decision to hop the railing separating you from the sand, and slid down the dune until you reached the bottom. You'd spotted a small surf shack around the area the other day, maybe you could rent a board and surf later on if that kid's parents showed up early. That'd be pretty fun. It felt like it'd been forever since the last time you'd surfed and you were sure Okumura could use a lesson or two.

Walking up to the shack, your eye immediately focused on the board displayed out front. It was clearly crafted by masterful hands, painted delicately in your favorite color in a pattern of, what you recognized to be, peonies. Huh, just like the ones from the garden...

"Excuse me?" You turned to the person closest to you before you could think too hard on it. "How much is it to rent this board?"

"I don't work here, but, according to the sign, that board's only for sale." The boy pointed lazily to a sign stuck to the back of the board, prompting you to take a look at it.

"Ah, right. Sorry..." You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed by the ordeal. The boy didn't respond, simply staring at you in a way you were only more flustered by. It was almost as if he was examining you. Was he checking you out?

You had to admit, he was kinda cute. He was lanky, pale skin contrasting the green hair and dark clothes he was sporting, with a permanently uninterested look on his face. He looked like the punk-rock boyfriend you'd bring home if you reaaaally wanted to piss off your father. Hot.

"Uh, my name's (Y/n)." Birds squawked loudly in the distance as you introduced yourself to the handsome stranger. "Nice to meet you."

The boy's eyes widened a bit, but only for a moment. He seemed to think to himself for a second or two before finally responding. "My name is Amaimon. I guess I should say it's nice to meet you too."

'He guesses? That's kinda rude.' You deadpanned a bit, but ultimately figured that, if you could get through a conversation with Suguro or Izumo, this should be a piece of cake. You shook it off before offering Amaimon a smile. "You here on vacation with your folks?"

"No, I'm traveling Japan to find something fun." The green guy answered honestly, looking up towards to sky with his hands shoved into his coat pockets. Wait, who wears a jacket like that to the beach?

"Sounds exciting. What exactly are you-" You froze before you could finish the thought. You watched as a small, green head peeked out from behind Amaimon's legs, captivating your attention from then on out.

Inhaling a deep breath through your mouth, you couldn't control yourself as you instantly launched to kneel down beside Amaimon's feet. The punk didn't seem startled in the least, but watched you with curiosity as he stood his ground.

"Oh my goodness! Your dog is so cute!" You practically shook with excitement, looking up to Amaimon with pleading eyes and ignoring the stares of the shop's exiting patrons. "What's his name? Can I pet him?"

Looking between you and the creature, Amaimon gave a slow nod, gesturing for his pet to reveal itself and come closer to you. You bit your lip in excitement as the...dog waddled it's way towards you, plopping down next to his master obediently. "His name is Behemoth. He's a demon familiar."

"A what?" Your face scrunched up in confusion as you didn't really understand what he was saying. Regardless, you began petting the little beast, scratching it's head in affection you reserved for all dogs that crossed your path. "Oh! That's the breed, isn't it? That's pretty cool."

Amaimon didn't reply, only watching with mild interest as you interacted with his pet.

"So, are you planning on learning to surf?" You asked, filling the void of silence with something other than the sounds of enthusiastic belly scratches.

"Maybe. It looks like it might be fun, but I have to get back to my big brother soon."

You nodded in understanding, looking back up to the green boy and away from your current task. "Ah, that's a shame. I'd be willing to show you if you had the time."

Standing up and brushing the sand from your legs, you ignored the soft whine from Behemoth in favor of making eye contact with Amaimon.

"Tell ya what, if you're still around later and I'm done doing work with my group, I'll give you a lesson free of charge!" You grinned, offering the boy your phone to put his number into.

He took the phone with zero reluctance, passing back your cell when he was finished. "That sounds fun. I accept."

"(Y/N)!" You turned around at the sound of your name, watching as Okumura sprinted towards you with an unusual amount of speed for being in the sand. "I've been looking for you! What are you doing over here?"

"Huh? Oh sorry. I was just talking with-" You turned around, but Amaimon was nowhere in sight. "Wait, where'd he go?"

"Here, dehydration must be makin' you hallucinate." Okumura passed you an unopened bottle of water with a sigh. It was lukewarm at this point, either something in the store holding him up or him searching for you for so long it was no longer cold.

You quickly cracked to seal before chugging a good bit. Once you were done, you thrusted the bottle into Rin's arms. "You too. No offense, but you look kinda rough right now. Did something happen at the store?"

"I...don't wanna talk about it." Rin replied looking a little annoyed. Wow, something really must've pissed him off in that shop.

"Alright, well, I'm here if you feel like talkin'." You shrugged, heading forward in the direction you remembered the teacher's house being in.

Rin hangs back, looking down at the half-finished bottle you'd given him. When you suggested the two of you'd share, he didn't think you'd make direct lip contact with the bottle. Honestly, the thought of sharing an indirect kiss with you flustered him a little in a way he thought he'd only get with Shiemi. Was it just cuz you were a girl or...?
Not bothering to continue the train of thought, Rin quickly swallowed what was left of the container, tossing the empty plastic into a bin nearby as he ran to catch up with you.

The two of you parted ways when you reached the house, both changing clothes and getting ready to start working, though you honestly wouldn't be surprised if Okumura had decided to just pass out in his room for a bit.

You idly scrolled through your list of contacts on your phone as you walked. You figured you'd take a look at the info Amaimon typed in, but paused when you reached Shiemi's info. Part of you was a little surprised the girl even had a phone, but you'd been happy to exchange numbers with her after she stuttered out the request to do so. There was no way you could say no after witnessing something so cute.

Maybe you could video chat her later? You were sure she'd be happy to hear from you and you were kinda curious about what kind of trip the other students went on.

"Oh, hey Faust!" Shima's voice pulled you up from your phone, focusing your attention on him. He seemed to be in a good mood. "You can chill out for today; Izumo's got the babysitting gig covered!"

"Huh? Really?" What exactly was this guy trying to pull? There's no way Izumo of all people would volunteer to do manual labor.

Noting your obvious suspicion Renzou continued explaining. "Yeah! She seemed really adamant to do it herself. Probably something to do with the kid saving her life."

You supposed that made sense. "Alright, but it's still kinda weird..."

"Yeah, but at least we've got the full day to relax now! We can enjoy the ocean!" Shima's grin only grew as he raised a fist in the air in silent victory. "Say, maybe it's time the two of us hang out alone for once~"

Once again, you didn't like what pinky was implying, prompting you to reject the offer immediately. "Sorry, I've got plans."

"Really?" Renzou blinked. You didn't even know you were free today, how could you already be busy? "With who?"

"Oh, uh..."

Good question. Who did you have plans with anyway?

Chapter Text

"Why'd I have to be the one to go in again?" Rin grumbled under his breath, walking into the convenience store to fetch the bottle of water you'd insisted was so important. As soon as he'd asked himself the question, he remembered the game of rock-paper-scissors you'd played and how he'd lost at a clear 2 out of 3. Poor guy.

It didn't take the half-demon long at all to grab a bottle from the store's fridge and start walking up to the counter.

"Here's your total! Thank you for shopping with us!" The cashier accepted Rin's payment, handing him his change with a smile. Rin offered a nod in acknowledgement before heading towards the entrance. Moving through the aisle, a bag of chips caught his eye.

"Huh? Isn't that Faust's favorite flavor?" The half-demon picked up the bag, looking it over to make sure it was the right thing. "I wonder if I have enough change..."

"Bruh, that girl totally kicked your ass yesterday!" Rin's ears twitched, inadvertently eavesdropping on a conversation further down the aisle. "You still reek of all that squid you had to buy!"

Huh? Were they talking about...?

"Nah, dude. I let her win! There's no way a girl like that could've take on all three of us by herself in a game of volleyball." Sounds like they were. That must've been the guy you'd told him about earlier. There was no way what the guy was saying was true and Rin knew it. All of a sudden, the guy speaking started whispering, though not so quiet that the ravenette couldn't hear them. "Besides, did you see how hot she looked in that skimpy swimsuit? I got the best view every time she scored a point."

"Woah! Really?" The other seemed much more interested.

"Yeah, dude. I bet she's still around, we'll challenge her to a rematch and you can see juuust what I'm talking about." That was enough.

Before he even knew it himself, Rin'd wasted no time grabbing the smug punk's collar, slamming him up against the shelves of the aisle.

"Hey man! What's your problem!?" The first guy's friend shouted, freaked out from the display.

"My 'problem' is how you punks are treating (Y/n) like she's some kinda object!" The half-demon practically flung the guy he was holding up into his friend, not forceful enough to hurt either of them, but enough to make the two fall down. "Leave her alone or I'll kick your ass!"

Both of the boys seemed miffed, yet scared at the same time. "Woah, man, what are you; her boyfriend?"

"Yeah, I am; so don't mess with her!" Rin sneered, watching the two sleezebags scramble to get up and sprint out of the store as quickly as possible. The half-demon huffed, glad he probably wouldn't hear from those two again. Now, he could buy your chips and-

Wait a second...

Did he really just call himself your boyfriend?

A scarlet blush rose to his cheeks at the realization. Yeah, he did. And it actually felt...really nice.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" Rin was broken out of his trance by the cashier he'd spoken to earlier. She seemed a lot more timid now than she did earlier. "I'm sorry, b-but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave..."

Oh well, at least he got the water.

__________________________________

"Okumura." You finally answered. "He's supposed to make it up to me for ditching the other day."

"Figures it'd be him." Shima sighed, looking a bit disappointed, but only for a moment. He was fairly quick to perk back up again. "You two are pretty close though, so I guess that makes sense."

Huh. You'd never thought about it, but yeah. With as much time as you spent with Rin, you'd guess you were.

"Well, have fun with that! I'll catch up with you two later." Shima waved you goodbye as he went on his way, probably towards the beach to creep on chicks. Ew.

"Seeya." You hummed, waving him off before heading to the boys' room. This time, you didn't bother sneaking in, thrusting the door open without a second thought. "Okumura!"

"GAH! I'm up Yukio, I swear!" Rin shot up from where he'd been resting, actually impressing you with how fast he'd managed to get on his feet. It took him a solid minute to realize that it wasn't, in fact, his brother trying to wake him for class. "Faust? What're you doing here? Again!?"

"We've got the day off. You promised me shaved ice, remember?" You didn't give him any time to object, chucking him a pair of swim trunks from the open bag you'd recognized as his near the door. "It's time to hit the beach!"

Rin stumbled, unprepared for being smacked in the face by a swimsuit, landing on his bum in the process. Why did he agree to this again?

"Wow! Das schmeckt lecker!" You happily munched on your cup of ice, appreciating the cold treat on that hot day.

"That's...good?" Rin was unsure of what you'd said, but you seemed pretty happy. The two of you'd managed to find a shaved ice vendor on your way to the beach, giving you a nice snack on your way to the water.

"Mhmm!" Safe to say, you were content. You plucked up another spoonful, offering it to your raven-haired friend as you walked. "Here, you want some?"

"Huh? Oh, no thanks." Rin seemed distracted, but you were honestly too focused on your snack to notice.

Rin, in the meanwhile, had managed to not only spot the jerks from the convenience store yesterday, but noticed that they were headed to the same area the two of you were. You didn't notice since you were so focused on your treat, but Rin's arm found its way around your waist while the young man himself let out a soft rumbling growl without him even realizing it.

"Huh? Is there a cat nearby?" You blinked, hearing the sound and glancing around in curiosity.

The Okumura coughed, catching himself off-guard. "Uh, m-maybe? Cat's don't like water though, so it's probably nothing."

"Yeah, that makes sense." You nodded, kicking off your sandals into the sand nearby. Your father, who paid a good amount of money for said sandals, would throw a fit if he could've seen it. Ignoring your father's imaginary fit, you turned to Rin with a mischievous grin on your face. "Race ya to the water."

"You're on!"

And you were off! Both of you sprinted towards the ocean, leaping over several beach towels and sandcastles, much to the beach's other occupants' annoyance. Neither of you seemed to care though. For the first time the entire trip, you and Rin were both having fun together without anyone else being able to interfere.

"I win!" You sprung off a large rock towards the water, canonballing into the ocean to consummate your victory.

"Yeah, yeah, don't act like you didn't try and trip me on the way!" Rin was only a half step behind you, watching as you did a few backstrokes in the water, probably just to show off.

"Don't be such a sore loser!" You laughed, splashing him from where he stood on the stone above.

"Hey! That's it!" The half-demon quickly shed the jacket he was wearing as a coverup and followed you into the water, making sure his canonball soaked whatever parts of you that might've possibly been dry.

From that point, the two of you splashed each other in a brutal war neither of you were willing to lose. You swore you'd had him on the ropes when, all of a sudden, he ducked under the water and you'd lost sight of him.

"Giving up already, Chicken?" Wow, it'd been a while since you'd used that nickname. You didn't get the chance to think too much on it though, as you were abruptly lifted out of the water and held up over Rin's head as he prepared his final attack.

"Not this time!" Despite your soon-to-be loss, you were laughing uncontrollably in his arms, making it difficult for the half-demon to sound serious through his own laughter in reaction to yours. Just as he prepared to yeet you with the smallest chunk of his demon strength, he stopped.

The blue waters flowing towards you were slowly turning an inky black, meaning he'd soon have a job to do.

"Huh?" Your giggles died down as Rin lowered you, now carrying you princess-style. The young man carried you out of the water with haste, worrying you even further. You looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

"I, uh, think I just saw a shark!" Rin turned around, facing you away from the ocean. "I've gotta go warn the lifeguard!"

Good call, but how was he gonna get you away from the beach?

"Would you mind...heading to the store for me?"

"Sure, but why? Shouldn't I be helping out somehow?" You were very confused and also concerned. Not a great combination in your opinion.

"You are helping! I just really need-" Rin scrambled to come up with something, anything that would convince you to get out of there as quickly as possible. "...headlight fluid."

The half-demon instantly died a little on the inside. Why? Why did he say that? Everyone knew that stuff was completely fake! There's no way you'd believe him-

"Alright." Or maybe there was.

You hopped out of Rin's embrace, still not happy and clearly pouting.

"They're not gonna let me in the store like this though." You gestured up and down your dripping wet physique, Rin's eyes shifting away in immediate embarrassment.

"Just use this then!" The Okumura practically shoved his once-abandoned hoodie over your head and onto your body. "There, now hurry!"

You didn't get the chance to respond as he ushered you towards the sandals you'd left behind, quickly running off somewhere himself afterwards. You didn't waste any time grabbing your sandals and making your way to the store as you were requested. You weren't happy about it, but Rin seemed pretty adamant about needing this stuff.

You searched aisle after aisle looking for headlight fluid, but never seeming to find any. You only grew increasingly frustrated the more time you spent searching. You'd thought briefly about perhaps simply asking the teen girl working for help, however, you were pretty sure you were gonna snap at the next person to so much as look at you funny and you really didn't wanna put an innocent retail-worker through any more stress than the amount that already came with the job.

"Hey, baby. You don't have to look any further; all you need is right here." You turned around to see none other than the douchebags who'd been bothering you almost non-stop this whole trip. The jerks instantly flinched at the sight of your face, remembering the beatdown Rin'd nearly given them that morning. "Oh, it's you."

"Uh, yeah. It's me." You rolled your eyes, starting to turn back around so you could continue your search when a hand on your shoulder stopped you in your tracks.

"Woah, slow down there babe!" The main sleezeball looked over your face, seemingly admiring your features. "Ya know, that wimp we ran into here earlier might've said he was your boyfriend, but a thing like you's much too pretty for a guy like that."

"Here earlier...?" It didn't take you long to figure out that they were talking about Okumura. Rin'd said he was your boyfriend? But, why?

"He was pretty rude too; scuffed up my new shoes and everything." The punk huffed before gaining an awfully snarky look on his face. "I think you should offer us a little compensation for the trouble."

"Oh yeah? If by 'compensation' you mean 'knocking your teeth in', then sure." Slapping the hand off of your shoulder, you scowled. "Sounds to me like my boyfriend had the right idea."

You shoved the jerk away from you, making it apparent you weren't playing around. Luckily, that was as far as the altercation went.

"Whatever, tch." The boys, having now officially given up, trudged out of the store, cutting their losses once and for all.

"All I wanted was to find headlight fluid." You groaned, grabbing a bag of chips in defeat and placing it for the cashier to scan.

"I hate to tell you Miss, but," You looked up at the girl who was pulling the price up for you bag. "Headlight fluid doesn't exist."

"..." You silence spoke words.

Rin watched as the giant squid returned to the sea, everything coming together nicely in the end.

"OKUMURA!" Scratch that.

The half-demon had no time to react, receiving a face-full of designer sandal, yet another inappropriate use of fashion your father would disapprove of.

"Ow, ow, ow! What's wrong with you?" Rin rubbed his reddened face, thankful that his ability to heal was superior to your ability to chuck a shoe. Not that it wasn't a close race.

"Me? What's wrong with you!?" The Okumura shuddered in response to the heated glare you were giving him. "'Headlight fluid?' Seriously? I should only really be mad that I was stupid enough to fall for that! Why'd you send me off for something that doesn't even exist?"

Rin watched as your face fell into a pout, a much nicer look compared to your angry face. He couldn't tell you the truth of course; Mephisto would absolutely murder him if you came home blabbing about a giant demon squid. But, what could he say...?

"..." Your eyes widened as you came to a realization of your own. When Rin had informed the lifeguard, people had probably panicked and fled the beach. Did Rin send you to the store just so you could get out before all of the chaos started? Was he trying to...protect you?

Wow, suddenly you felt like a jerk.

Rin stiffened up the moment he felt your arms wrap around him.

"Thank you, Rin..." You hugged him close, really glad to have someone like him in your life.

Rin could feel his entire body go cherry red as he couldn't help but panic internally. He looked away as he frigidly placed a hand on top of your head to give it a pat. His voice cracked as he tried to come up with something to say. "I...don't know what for, but don't mention it. Seriously."

You pulled away, this time smiling much to Rin's relief.

"Oh, here's your jacket back." You slid off the hoodie the half-demon had lent you, holding it out for him to take.

"Ah, thanks." Rin's face had finally began to cool down when he'd looked back at you. He took his hoodie back, moving to slide it over his head when he'd spotted something strange. "Woah, your old man let you get a tattoo? I figured the clown would be they type of dad who'd rather eat his own cape then let you get inked."

"Huh?" You met Rin's gaze, looking down to the marking on your chest right below your left collarbone. It was a dark-colored pattern very similar to shape of a certain flower, a little smaller than a softball. "You really didn't notice that 'til now?"

"H-hey! Don't blame me for not looking at your boobs! Who do you take me for: Shima?" A mere second after Rin'd said this, you could hear the pink-haired boy shout in protest from about 30 feet away.

You rolled your eyes, ignoring Shima completely. "Either way, it's not a tattoo; it's a birthmark."

"That's a weird birthmark..." The half-demon squinted as if to examine the mark more closely. You covered your chest in response to the action.

"If you're gonna be like that, gimme back that jacket!"

"What? No way!"

Thus commenced a game of tug-of-war between the two of you that ended in you gaining a new hoodie and Rin gaining a new bruise to the shin.

Chapter Text

"C'mon Moriyama! Pick up the pace!" Suguro shouted at the girl who'd managed to fall behind the rest of the group.

"I'm hurrying!" Shiemi sprinted to the best of her ability in order to try and catch up. She hated to admit it, but her choice in clothing probably wasn't the best for physical activities.

She really needed to switch to a less formal wardrobe and she knew it. Her only problem was that she had no clue how to wear clothes that weren't traditional attire... What if she accidentally made herself look weird? She'd have no chance at making friends then...

When she'd thought of the word 'friend', you suddenly popped into her mind. You were always really nice to her and you looked super cute in your uniform too! Maybe she could ask you to help her...?

__________________________

"Shiemi." You answered, much to Shima's surprise.

"Moriyama? But, she's not even here!" He seemed more confused than upset. How were you gonna hang out with someone hundreds of miles away?

"That's the beauty of modern technology, my friend." You held up your phone, brushing past Shima to head into your room.

You quickly changed into your swimsuit, figuring if the call ended too quickly, you could at least go for a swim.

The beach was a lot less crowded that day, giving you plenty of space to set up a nice towel for you to lay on. When you finally got the chance to relax on top of it, you almost debated falling asleep. It was just so peaceful that day; the sky was sunny, the sand was super soft, and nobody was bugging you for once.

It was a little boring if you were honest.

You pulled out your phone, making sure your appearance wasn't a total wreck, before video-calling Shiemi's number. It rang once, then twice, and then, it went through.

"(Y/n)!" Shiemi looked excited to see you. You were a bit startled by the enthusiasm, but mostly flattered she'd felt so happy at your call.

"Hey Shiemi!" You grinned, showing off your pearly whites to the girl on the other end. "How's the mountains?"

That's where your father had told you the other group was headed. You'd honestly wanted to tag along with them, but the director was oddly insistent you go to the beach.

"O-oh," Shiemi looked a little nervous at the question. "It's really fun! The others are just out...getting ice cream at the moment!"

"And they just left you? The nerve!" You huffed, miffed at the thought of anyone treating poor Shiemi so unfairly. "You tell rooster-head he's got a lot worse than a face-full of plastic waiting for him the next time I see him."

"Hehe..." Shiemi gave a nervous laugh in response. Poor Bon.

The gardener would make it up to him later, but for now, she couldn't let on that the real reason they'd separated was cuz she'd sprained her ankle during their exorcist work. She couldn't ask the whole group to stop just for her, so she'd willingly stayed behind.

"Oh! (Y/n)!" Shiemi suddenly shouted, startling you almost into dropping your phone. "You look really cute in your swimsuit!"

"Huh? Th-thanks, Shiemi." Your face went a little red at the compliment. You were honestly a little nervous to show it off, but now that you'd received a genuine compliment, you felt a lot better about it. "Papa helped me pick it out. He said I couldn't wear anything too skimpy, but that also couldn't wear anything considered 'last season' either."

You'd long accepted the fact that your old man was weird like that.

"Mr. Faust has good taste." Shiemi admired your swimsuit, only making you more embarrassed. "But, I didn't know you had a tattoo..?"

Tattoo? Oh, she probably meant that.

Right below your left collarbone was a dark-colored pattern, strikingly similar to the shape of a certain flower, a little larger than a tennis ball.

"Ah, it's actually a birthmark." You explained, subconsciously bringing a hand to rest on the mark.

"Oooh." Shiemi nodded in understanding. "Well, it's really pretty!"

"Thanks!" You were happy she wasn't freaked out or anything. You were honestly a little worried when you'd put on the swimsuit that someone would say something rude. "What's your swimsuit like Shiemi?"

"Huh?" The blonde's face fell a bit at the question, making you a bit regretful you'd even asked. "I've...never been to the beach before, so I don't have one."

"Really?" You were surprised. Looks like you weren't the only one who'd spent most of their childhood indoors. It kinda made you sad you hadn't known Shiemi growing up, even though you'd always lived so close to one another. Looks like you'd have to make up for lost time. "That's okay! Next time, we'll come together!"

"Really...?" Shiemi couldn't help the look of amazement on her face or the stammering in her heart at your proclamation.

"Really!" You confirmed. "But, that might not be til next summer. How about we spend a day at Mephy Land together before then?"

"I've never been to an amusement park before either!" Poor Shiemi looked as if she were ready to burst into tears. In fact, you weren't so sure she didn't as you watched her bring a sleeve up to wipe her eyes. Sniffling a bit, she spoke again. "I would love to..."

Your face softened as you made an internal vow that this would be the last time you'd ever make Shiemi cry.

"Whatcha got there, Faust?" The pink-haired nuisance was at it again, bugging you on the bus ride home this time.

"Noneya." You pouted, shoving the item you were holding into your pocket.

"Sheesh, I was just asking." Shima rolled his eyes, sitting down from where he'd been standing over your seat.

It really wasn't any of his business. You idly thumbed the small pink shell you'd found on the beach earlier from where it was now stored in your pocket.

You just hoped Shiemi would like it.

Chapter Text

"Hey, Mai-mo, can I go visit you where you live sometime?" You asked, looking up at the figure that was still hazy in your memory.

"Hmm?" It seemed like the figure wasn't paying much attention, but they turned to look at you, so they must've been listening. They paused to think for a moment, but ultimately shook their head. "Nope."

"Why not!?" You were honestly shocked. Your face pouted as you readied your foot to start stomping in outrage.

The figure, clearly not in the mood to deal with a tantrum, picked you up, lifting you from under the arms and bringing you to face level. You still couldn't make out any super-defining details of their face, but, for some reason, you couldn't help but think of your father the harder you tried to make it out. Maybe they looked similar?

"The other kings would make fun of you. I don't want you to start crying," Mai-mo, whoever they were, stated. It was sweet until he continued. "It'd be annoying."

Your pout relaxed into a more neutral face. "Alright...but that means you've gotta visit me more, okay?"

__________________________

"Some guy I met on the beach earlier." You finally answered, earning a strange look from Shima.

"A total stranger?" He looked almost as if he wanted to say something negative, but he didn't. He was probably just jealous you weren't hanging with him instead. "Good luck with that."

"I will, thanks." You brushed past him, heading into your room to change into your swimsuit. You thought about taking a nap, but the waves looked pretty nice earlier. You might as well catch them while they lasted.

It took a while, but you eventually reached the area you'd been earlier, purchasing that surfboard you'd had your eye on, courtesy of your father's card. He probably wouldn't be happy when you brought it home, but he'd forgive you if you got him some kinda weeb-thing before you left.

"So, you showed up after all." You turned around, spotting the voice now speaking and recognizing him as the guy from earlier.

"Oh hey! Amaimon, right?" You gave a wave in greeting. "You decide you wanna surf?"

"If you promise it's fun." The green-haired guy nodded in confirmation.

You almost replied, but then you noticed he still hadn't changed into a swimsuit...

"Are you just gonna...wear that?"

"Mhm."

Whelp. Weird flex, but okay.

After getting Amaimon a board, and showing him some of the basics, you decided it was finally time to get him into the water.

"Here, just follow my lead." You paddled out on your board, Amaimon keeping a pretty good pace with you. Much to your surprise, when you'd started actually riding, he did even better, keeping steady and not once faltering on the wave. "Hey, that's pretty good!"

"Thank you for the compliment. I should probably tell you that you're doing quite well too." Amaimon seemed pleased, even if his face didn't really show it. "You were right; this is fun!"

"See? I wouldn't steer you wrong." That's when you decided to try tricks a bit more complicated, willing to tempt this incredible 'beginners luck' your student was having. "Here, try this!"

You began performing a few stunts, Amaimon following just fine. Was this really his first time doing any of this?

It was only when you slipped up that the streak ended.

You took a nosedive, falling off of your board, which usually wouldn't have been an issue, however, during the tumble, you hit you ankle against the hard, wooden surface of your board. Sharp pain shot up your leg from your ankle, making it nearly impossible to swim.

"Is this part of the lesson too?" You couldn't hear him, but Amaimon was wondering why you weren't just getting up again.

"That person's drowning! Someone save them!"

Drowning? That was bad, right? He couldn't risk damaging his bride before their wedding day.

The demon king jumped into the water, disregarding all the human chatter going on around him. Pulling you up was easy, humans weighed barely anything compared to most demons, so carrying you to shore wasn't hard at all either.

You weren't exactly unconscious, but you still only really saw things in a blur. You started to come back to your senses at the sensation of an intense burning pain right smack on your chest. You clawed at it, trying your best to scratch it off without success thanks to your short nails.

Amaimon placed you on the sand, not really sure of what else to do but wait. That's when the burning stopped.

You coughed a bit before looking up at your savior. "That...wasn't apart of the lesson."

Amaimon didn't respond, his eyes simply traveling down your chest, around the area you'd been scratching. There weren't any physical marks, however, there was something else present in the area. A dark-colored pattern, strikingly similar to the shape of a certain flower, a little smaller than a baseball was imprinted onto your skin, detailed enough for most people to brush it off as a tattoo.

"Ah, it's a birthmark." You explained, leaving it at just that.

Amaimon didn't reply, simply biting the nail of his thumb instead. He really wanted to say something, however, he knew his big brother would be upset if he said what he really wanted to.

You stood up, shakily, taking a moment to catch your breath before brushing yourself off. "I...think that's enough surfing for one day. Hope it lived up to your expectations."

"Yes, I'm very glad I decided to stay." Amaimon nodded watching as you grabbed your board that'd washed up on the beach nearby.

"Great! Now, let's get some shaved ice. I hear there's a really good stand nearby."

And so, you got your shaved ice with Amaimon before parting ways with him. He sure was a weird guy, but you kinda liked that about him.

Now to find out where in town they might sell weeb shit.

Chapter Text

"Welcome home!" You found yourself embraced the moment you walked into the manor.

"Papa! You're squeezing too tight!" You complained, struggling a bit in your father's hold.

Mephisto's grip loosened as the man moved to hold you at arms length. He looked you up and down, examining you for any marks or bruises. Once he was satisfied, he gave you a soft pat on the head. "It seems Mister Okumura is allowed to live another day yet."

Elsewhere, Rin sneezed all over the manga he was currently reading. "Damn, must be catchin' a cold..."

"I'm sure he's grateful." You snorted, rolling your eyes at your father's overprotective nature.

"I'm sure you must be awfully tired from your trip, mäuschen, but I insist you sit with me for a cup of tea and tell me all about it." Without giving you any time to respond, your father ushered you to drop most of your luggage, leading you into a nearby living room. You'd often use this room in the past when you were a lot younger to learn etiquette and occasionally host playful tea parties, however, it'd been quite a while since you and the headmaster had actually sat down for tea together. He must've really missed you.

You sat down in the seat he'd pulled out for you, chuckling at the display. After pushing your chair in, he took the seat across from you and, before you knew it, Belial was in the room pouring tea into both of your cups.

"Now, my dear, tell me all about your first school field trip." Mephisto looked to you eagerly, ignoring the butler entirely.

"Well, the squid-selling was kind of a bummer. I hope Belial knows how to get ink out of a swimsuit." You blew on your tea a little, making sure it wasn't too hot before taking a sip. You immediately winced; apparently blowing hadn't been enough. You tried to hide the pain as you accidentally burnt your tongue, not wanting your father to see you so undignified. You coughed a bit before continuing. "But, it was pretty fun overall."

"Ah, yes; I can only imagine the kind of trouble you must've gotten yourself into during your stay." He sent you a knowing look, causing you to swallow and laugh nervously as you felt the full weight of his gaze. There's no way he could've known about those guys from the beach, your time with Rin, or your run-in with Amaimon. Could he?

You couldn't help but sweat in your seat, trying not to overthink the odd things your father said, as he continued.

"Perhaps next time I'll join you." The headmaster sipped his tea so casually it probably should've made you even more nervous in hindsight.

Instead, your eyes lit up as an idea came to mind. "Let's go on a vacation then. We'll take a trip; just the two of us!"

Mephisto looked up from his cup of tea, an amused expression overtaking his face. "A vacation, you say? I don't believe I've had one of those in quite some time."

He kept you sitting in silence for a few moments in anticipation, clearly teasing you while he pretended to think on it.

Eventually, he spoke again. "Why not?"

"Sweet!" You couldn't help but grin from ear to ear, throwing up a fist in victory. It'd been so long since you and your father really spent any time together at all that lasted more than maybe an hour if you were lucky. Not for lack of trying; Mr. Johann Faust was just a really busy guy.

In your sudden bout of enthusiasm, you managed to accidentally knock over the one bag you'd carried into the room with you, causing its contents to spill out.

"Oh! That's right!" You leaned down, grabbing one of the items now scattered and picking it up. "I got this for you while I was down there, like a souvenir."

You passed him the item, instantly wincing as the headmaster hugged you in pure glee. "THIS IS A ULTRA-LIMITED MOON SAILOR KEYCHAIN FIGURE! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YOU'RE THE BEST DAUGHTER IN THE WHOLE WORLD!"

You were getting unbelievably dizzy from all of the spinning your father was subjugating you to, but you held on for his sake. "I'm glad you like it!"

Mephisto eventually came to a stop, clasping your shoulders with his hands in order to look you in the eyes. "I love it Pumpkin, but how on Earth did you manage to get your hands on this?"

"Huh? Oh, there was this guy who was just selling a bunch of weeb shit down by the docks our last night there. Apparently he was moving onto a houseboat and couldn't keep most of his stuff with him." You picked up your bag, showing off another small figure attached to the strap. "I also got this little guy too so now we match. I figured you'd want the lady, so I went ahead and put him on my bag."

"Thank you, my dear. That's very thoughtful of you." Mephisto leaned over, placing a chaste kiss upon your forehead in gratitude. He pulled away, reaching his hand into his inner coat pocket before pulling out something shiny. "I was going to save this for your birthday, however, I believe now is as good of a time as any to give it to you."

You blinked, watching as he took your dominant hand in one of his own, using his other to place the object into your palm and gently force your fingers to curl around it. It was smooth, that was the first thing you noticed about it, yet it clearly had refined details etched into it's frame from the feel of it's surface.

Mephisto let go of your hand slowly, allowing you to look down at his gift with your own eyes.

"It's...a pocket watch?" Indeed it was. It was a generously sized watch colored a metallic sheen of lavender. It had very simple yet elegant-looking detailing on its front with what appeared to be a tear-shaped ruby on the underside.

"Yes, I had it engraved especially for you." Mephisto smiled, not that you were looking up to see it, but you could hear it in his voice. It was odd. This wasn't like any other gift he'd ever seen fit to give you before. Usually he'd get you dresses or jewelry, which you never really found the proper occasion to wear, or sometimes even new sports equipment that you could use daily. You looked up at him in confusion, but were softly hushed before you could question the odd man. "That jewel on the back belonged to your mother. The original necklace was, unfortunately, broken in the accident, so I saw it fit to combine it with something of mine to give to you once you were old enough."

That was enough to shut you up.

Your father rarely spoke of either of your birth parents, simply explaining that they'd perished in an accident less than a day after you were born. It made you pretty sad to think about, so you tried not to, and you could only assume the headmaster didn't say much about it in an attempt to spare your feelings.

You silently examined the watch, turning it over in your hands several times before finally popping open the cover to get a look at the clock face inside.

"Huh?" Your face scrunched up as you immediately noticed something wrong. "It's broken."

The clock was completely still, both hands merely a minute away from midnight. You moved to at least straighten both hands for aesthetic purposes, but were quickly stopped by your old man.

"I would be careful if I were you. This watch is exceedingly fragile and, once those clock hands move forward, things can never go back to being the same again." Mephisto warned, going back to sipping his tea despite the fact you were pretty sure it was freezing by now. You eyed the clock for a little while longer before closing it shut once more, placing it in your pocket for safe keeping.

"Thank you, Papa..."

"You're welcome, mäuschen."

You spent a little more time in the tea room, mostly making small talk with your father before finally parting ways. You still had some time left before your break was over and you could find no better pastime than lazing about your room and binging hours of your favorite shows and sports marathons.

Though, as much as you enjoyed this, you couldn't help but get a little lonely after a few days of it. This was never an issue for you before so you honestly had no clue why on Earth you were craving company. Was it maybe because of...that person?

Now that you really thought about it, you had been spending more time with them lately than you'd ever spent with anyone in probably your entire life. It was no wonder you were practically craving their attention now that you were finally alone.

Moments after reaching this realization, you picked up your phone. You were still on break, so there shouldn't be any harm in asking them to hang out, right?

Chapter Text

To your surprise, Shiemi messaged you first.

FlowerPower: Miss (Y/n), I hope I'm not bothering you, but I was wondering if you'd help me out with something...

There she goes calling you 'Miss' again. Here you'd thought you'd finally broken her of the habit.

She sounded serious though, worrying you a little. Was Izumo picking on her again? If things got any worse between those two, you'd probably join the cram school yourself just to protect the garden girl from the purple-haired witch. You quickly typed back a reply.

You: Sure thing Shiemi! Be there in 10 ^3^

You threw on your jacket, quickly leaving the sanctity of your room to head to Shiemi's.

"Um, thank you again for helping me out, (Y/n)..." Clearly embarrassed, Shiemi thanked you for what was probably the tenth time in a row.

"Hey, it's no problem! It's what friends are for, right?" You stood on the other side of the door waiting for Moriyama to get through dressing. Apparently she wanted help with the school's uniform to make sure she was wearing it correctly. It was kinda odd to you considering you were still on break, but maybe she just wanted to get a head start on practicing? You tried not to judge too harshly.

"So, what do you think?" Eventually the blonde stepped out, causing you to turn your attention her way. You immediately choked on whatever spit had been in your mouth at the sight of her.

She looked incredibly different in her uniform than she had in her yukata, you were honestly a little surprised that this was even the same person.

She looked cute in the outfit, if not a little sloppy from a few accidental mistakes while dressing, but those could easily be fixed. If you let her out like this, you had no doubt Shiemi would have a line of suitors waiting for her to notice them. Your eyes scrunched up at the thought, for some reason making you feel an uncomfortable burning inside you'd never felt before.

Taking your expression the wrong way, Shiemi frowned. "Does it look that weird? Maybe I should just go back to my yukata..."

"No, no!" You shook your head, snapping out of your trance and hastily attempting to fix any damage your glare might've caused. "You look really nice, a few things just need to be straightened up a little."

You approached carefully, gently taking hold of the knotted bow tied much too loosely around her neck.

"Here, lemme show you how to tie this." You carefully unknotted the ribbon, trying your hardest not to get too frustrated and scare Shiemi. Sooner than later, you finally managed to get it loose, allowing each end to hang loosely at the sides of her chest. You went to start retying the bow, however, as you reached up to take up both ends, you realized your hands were shaking. You took a deep breath and tried your best to stop, but couldn't no matter how hard you tried.

All of a sudden, soft, pale hands grasped your own, immediately soothing the shaking. "Are you okay?"

You look up, your eyes meeting her own gaze of concern. You swallow, feeling your cheeks warm in response. "Yeah..."

Closing your eyes for a moment, you nodded, slowly beginning to tie the bow so Shiemi could watch.

"There." You took a step back, allowing the other girl to look in the mirror after straightening out the uniform. "I'm no professional stylist, but I'd say you look pretty good!"

"You really think so?" Shiemi turned to look at you, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Y-yeah! Of course! Please don't cry..." You quickly patted yourself down trying to find something, anything at all to wipe her tears, but before you could grab anything, you were embraced.

Shiemi hugged you tightly, nuzzling into your chest. You almost lost your balance, but managed to steady yourself before either of you could fall. This wasn't helping the return of crimson creeping its way onto your face, but you returned the hug, gently holding the fragile blonde close to you.

Chapter Text

You: Hey chicken, come over to my place. I just bought a new game and its got pvp. I'm tired of kicking npc butt so lemme kick yours instead : P

Chicken: wtf i'd like to see you try

Chicken: ill be over soon yukios trying to make me study rn D : <

You put your phone down, not even bothering to tease Okumura about the way he texted. You really wanted to cut him some slack anyway. Apparently, before you, the only people he'd ever messaged in his life were Yukio and his old man, not that you had any room to judge. Before this school year, your dad'd been the only person on your contact list, but now, you had Rin, Shiemi, and the guy who delivered your favorite chips to the school's vending machines; that was a weird Tuesday.

You slipped on a hoodie while waiting, deciding to at least try a little to mask the fact you were still in your jammies, not really noticing what jacket you were putting on at the time.

It wasn't for about another hour that a knock came from the other side of your bedroom door. "Miss, your company has arrived."

Oh, Rin was finally here. You hurried to open the door, not really in the mood to keep them waiting. Belial stood at the doorway, bowing a bit before allowing the boy into your room.

"Thanks Belial!" You shut the door behind the ravenette, watching as Rin eyed your room in awe.

"This place is friggin' huge! You really live here?" Okumura practically shouted. Your home was a lot different than the dorms, so it's no wonder he was so out of his element.

"Yup! Lived here my whole life. Honestly, its kinda lost it's novelty." You shrugged, flopping onto the couch in front of the tv, grabbing the controllers to your gaming system. You tossed one to Rin, who caught it in one hand much to your surprise. "Woah, nice catch. Your reflexes must be getting better."

"Ya think so?" The boy couldn't help but tilt his head a bit.

"Totally. I'm impressed. Whatever kinda training you're doing is really paying off." You gestured for the Okumura to sit next to you, smiling as you offered him the compliment.

Rin couldn't help but to clam up a bit at the word 'training', but tried not to stress too hard on it. There's no way you'd ever guess that the only kind of training he was going through was hunting demons with the cram school. He took his seat next to you wordlessly, waiting patiently for you to boot up the game.

"Oh, hold on. This is the wrong disk." You stood up, heading over to a whole shelf of games nearby.

You didn't notice, but Rin's eyes trailed your figure as you did so, watching your every movement even if he didn't realize it himself. There was just something about you that the exorcist-in-training couldn't help but be captivated by.

Rin froze, suddenly noticing something that'd been staring him right in the face as soon as he'd entered the room. Was that HIS hoodie you were wearing from that trip to the beach?

"Y-you need any help looking for it?" The half-demon felt his face go red at the realization, only offering to help you look to get his mind off of how surprisingly good you looked in his clothing.

"Sure." You shrugged, not noticing the other's internal struggle and simply continuing your search.

Rin, shaking off his initial embarrassment, walked over to the shelf, looking over each of the different games stacked neatly on top.

"Wow, I should've known you were a sports nut even in your taste in games." The Okumura rolled his eyes. You were obsessed and you couldn't convince him otherwise. It was then that he caught sight of a game in pretty pink packaging, much unlike all the others. "Woah, what's this?"

"Huh? Wait don't-!" You were too late. Rin pulled out the game in question, leaving you to watch in horror as he discovered your dark secret.

"Is this...an otome?" You could hear the boy holding back his snickers in every word. "Didn't know you were into pretty boys, Faust."

You snatched the game from his hands, hiding it behind your back as quickly as you could.

"I-It's one of my old man's creepy weeb things I swear!" As believable as that lie might've been, the harsh blush spread across your cheeks told another story.

Before either of you could continue, a knock came from your door. "Miss, pardon the intrusion, but I've brought a tray for you and your guest."

Ah, saved by Belial. You really needed to check in with your father to make sure he gets that pay raise. You sped over to the door, thrusting it open, knowing there was no chance at startling the stone-faced servant. You clasped Belial's shoulder, grinning in gratitude. "Thank you, Belial. You're the greatest!"

A moment passed and you released the butler from your hold, taking the tray and moving to place it on the table by the couch. You shut the door as Belial left, promptly picking up a piece of popcorn and popping it into your mouth afterwards.

"Does that guy do everything around here?" Rin asked, accepting a bar of chocolate you'd held out to him.

"Pretty much." You popped the game you'd been searching for into your system, sitting back down onto the couch next to Rin when you were done. "Ready to get your butt kicked?"

"You're on!"

And so, the two of you played for hours, always somehow ending up in a tie despite the game's straightforward mechanics. This didn't really bother either of you though, simply motivating you both to keep trying until you were tired.

"Dang, is it that late already?" You looked at your phone before placing it down gently on the table now covered in a heap of half-eaten snacks.

"Yeah, I guess I should be gettin' home soon. I kinda told Yukio we were having a study group that ended at seven." Rin sighed, running fingers through his dark bangs.

You casually leaned onto the half-demon, a little sad it was time for you to part ways. "Sounds rough. Having a top-student for a twin brother's gotta get real old real quick."

Rin's breath hitched, unable to actually hear what you'd said. His eyes narrowed as an unusual scent hit his senses coming straight from your form. It wasn't your normal scent in the least. In fact, he could tell with complete certainty that the scent was that of another demon.

He suddenly remembered your interaction with that butler, it must've belonged to him...

Mine.

One moment you were chilling beside your best friend without any worry in the world and, in the next, you were being pinned to the couch by said best friend who was nuzzling into your neck as if his life depended on it.

"Um, Rin?" You poked the half-demon's back in confusion. It didn't really hurt, it was really just a super weird hug where the ravenette laid on top of you. Was he trying to roughhouse? If so, this was a pretty odd way of doing it. Usually the two of you would wrestle a bit before pretending to beat the crap out of each other, never anything super weird or gentle like this.

Whatever it was, Rin was completely lost to himself and you could start to feel your own mind grow hazy as your eyelids began to droop in response. Both you and Rin took in the other's scent, oddly comforted by each other's presence in that moment.

Pretty soon, you were both fast asleep on that couch, a sense of peace washing over the demon boy specifically that he couldn't describe.

Sadly, that peace was interrupted only an hour or so later.

Rin's ears twitched at the sound of someone clearing their throat, rousing him from his nap. Blinking to clear his blurry vision, the Okumura's heart dropped as none other than Sir Pheles stood over the couch the two of you were laying on.

"MEPHISTO!? What are you doing here!?" Rin shot up, almost accidentally tripping over the table in his rush.

"Shhh, Mister Okumura. We don't want to wake Dornröschen." The headmaster placed a finger to his lips, glancing down at your slumbering figure. It was lucky you were a heavy sleeper or else this conversation would've been even more awkward than it already was. Mephisto continued. "Though, that really should by my question considering this is my home and that is my daughter you've decided to make into your personal body pillow."

"I-I really don't know how that happened!" Rin only continued to grow more and more flustered by the moment. "It's just like I blacked out for a minute after catching a whiff of some other demon..."

"That would be your demonic instincts. Quite a natural reaction in this case." The elder demon pulled a bright pink blanket from what seemed like thin air, gently tossing it over you as you continued to rest. "It seems like you've subconsciously chosen poor (Y/n) as your mate."

"Mate!? What the hell?" Rin's face lit up red at the implication.

"Yes, mate. Whether you realize it or not, you recognize (Y/n) as a suitable partner to spend your life with." Your father pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Honestly, I should skin you alive for even breathing in her general direction. You're lucky I'm feeling generous tonight."

The younger demon couldn't help but feel as if the smile Mephisto proceeded to offer him was actually some kind of warning. He just hoped Yukio would at least hold a nice funeral for him once the headmaster finally decided to finish him off...

You woke up in the morning with stiff limbs not used to having such limited mobility when sleeping. Why were you on the couch again?

Oh, that's right. You fell asleep here with Okumura.

Looking around, you couldn't see him anywhere. He must've gone home after he woke up. You didn't really mind too much, laying back down with the intention of falling back asleep. Holding the collar of your hoodie up to your nose, you couldn't resist taking a whiff at the lingering scent of Rin's shampoo still hanging onto the fabric.

You didn't take him for a cuddler, but it somehow felt right when the two of you were so close.

Chapter Text

Checking the time on your phone, it was around lunch break, which presented an opportunity in itself.

You quickly headed to the kitchen, opening up the fridge and nearly every cabinet in the room as you got to work. You picked up an empty bento box, starting to fill it with things you imagined your father would like to eat, not really paying attention to if those things really made sense being eaten with each other or not. In the end, the box looked nearly inedible, but you were so proud of your creation you didn't notice.

Rushing past a certain demonic butler, you headed to your father's office, bento in hand. You managed to break a sweat, causing you to almost consider adding running this route on your daily routine, but ultimately abandoning the idea since the headmaster would very likely disapprove. Still, it was such a long walk that it made for a good workout, which you could always find the time to appreciate.

Wiping the sweat from your brow, you knocked gently on the solid oak doors to your old man's study.

"Come in~"

You entered the room nervously, somehow feeling as if you were doing something wrong despite the fact that you knew you weren't.

"Oh? To what do I owe the pleasure, my little cat sídhe?" Based off of his tone alone, you felt as if he somehow already knew exactly why you were there.

You shook off the feeling, approaching his desk carefully before holding out your handmade lunch for the older man to take. "Here, I know you like those ramen cups, but you've gotta eat actual food sometimes."

"My, my, did you make this for me? How wonderful! I'm sure it's del-" The headmaster cut himself off, opening the bento box and discovering the absolute mess of what you'd claimed to be food sitting inside. "...icious."

Mephisto cleared his throat, noting the hopeful expression on your face.

"Something this wonderful must be saved for later at a better time to appreciate it. Thank you very much, Pumpkin." You were satisfied enough with his answer, offering him a bright smile in response.

"Sooo, what are you up to today, Pops?" You leaned against the solid wooden desk, eyeing the papers scattered atop it.

"Now, mäuschen, you know better than to stick that adorable nose of yours where it doesn't belong." As if to punctuate his words, Mephisto booped your nose before gathering the sheets of paper into a pile, straightening them using the table. "If you must know, I have a new teacher coming in to drop off a some files in a few minutes and then I have an absolute mountain of paperwork. I am so sorry your Papa can't keep you company today."

"A new teacher?" Your face scrunched in confusion. You remembered hearing that all of the staff applications were filled, so for someone to be hired so late into the school year was really odd.

"Yes. She's here to lecture at the cram school, so you won't be learning under her I'm afraid." Mephisto explained, pulling out more papers from his desk drawer.

"Shame." Your father's explanation made sense, putting any suspicions you'd had to rest.

Three knocks came from the study's door before it swung open, revealing a redheaded woman on the other side.

"Yo, I'm here to drop off those files." She was carrying a large stack of papers stuffed into manilla folders over her chest. Despite this, you could still tell that, for some reason, this woman wasn't wearing a shirt. Instead she wore a bikini top paired with bootyshorts and jacket that probably didn't actually do much to protect her skin from the cold. The ensemble showed off a long tattoo on her skin that spread from the top of her chest to below her bellybutton which actually suited her quite well.

You tried your best not to stare too intensely. Maybe she was just going to the beach after this or perhaps she was planning to use the school's private swimming pool. Either way, you couldn't help but feel drawn to her beauty.

And her massive melons, but mostly her beauty.

"Ah, Miss Kirigakure. Always a pleasure." Despite the pleasantries, you could somehow tell your father was faking his pleased expression, not that he was trying very hard to hide it. You got the sense that this was someone he didn't get along with.

"Hm? Who's this, a student?" The redheaded woman finally noticed you, plopping the pile of folders onto the headmaster's desk while she did so. "Go home kid, vacation ain't over yet!"

She was clearly teasing, very lax for someone who'd just entered their new boss' office.

"I am home, lady; I live here." You huffed, inching a little closer to your papa to create some distance between you and the newcomer.

"Huh?"

"Miss Kirigakure, allow me to introduce you to my daughter; (Y/n) Faust." Mephisto explained, a smile crossing his lips as he eyed the woman, gauging her reaction.

"(Y/n), huh?" After shooting the purple-haired headmaster a look that clearly promised they'd talk about this later, the woman eyed you up and down as if she was silently scrutinizing you. "So you're the one Okumura was gettin' all hot and bothered about. No wonder; you're pretty cute. Nice to meet ya."

"Okumura? You mean Rin?" Had Rin really spoken about you to this woman?

It shouldn't be too surprising that they'd met considering she was going to be teaching at the cram school, but something else bothered you about her that you were honestly surprised you didn't notice sooner. Strapped to her back was a case used to sheath swords much like the one your raven-haired friend carried around on the daily...

You once asked him why he lugged it with him since you knew for a fact he didn't practice kendo. He explained that the sword was an heirloom from his father, not willing to go much deeper into it than that.

If that were truly the case, you had a hard time imagining him handing over such a precious item to a woman he'd just met.

"That's Rin's sword, isn't it?" You glared, fully prepared to throw hands in your friend's honor if it came down to it. "Listen lady, I don't care how big your boobs are; you're not gonna get away with stealing from my friend!"

"Calm down. I didn't steal it; he's letting me hold onto it for him so he doesn't get himself into any more trouble while he's training to use it." Her explanation still sounded pretty fishy to you, but you guessed you'd find out the truth sooner or later the next time you spoke with Okumura. To your surprise, Miss Kirigakure smiled. "You're pretty sharp aren't ya? You sure you're this clown's kid?"

You grit your teeth, curling your hands tightly into fists at the insult to your father. You were getting real tired of people calling him a clown all the time.

Luckily, before you could even open your mouth again, Mephisto spoke up once more.

"That wasn't very nice. Here I thought you'd be a bit kinder now that I'm your employer." The headmaster sighed dramatically, taking the folders the redhead had brought in into his arms to file them. "Now, if you'll excuse us Miss Kirigakure, I'm afraid I'm on my lunch break and my wonderful daughter was generous enough to pack my meal for today."

Your face flushed red, successfully distracting you from your previous anger.

"Whatever." The strange teacher shrugged, heading out of the room only to stop in the doorway. "And, Mephisto: the Vatican's gonna hear about this whenever they discover the Okumura boy."

"I wouldn't assume anything less." Your father didn't seem to bothered by the obvious warning.

The redheaded woman left with those ominous parting words leaving you even more confused than when she'd entered. "Papa, what's she talking about? Is Rin in some kinda trouble?"

"Don't you worry your pretty head about it, Pumpkin. Your papa has everything under control." Your father stood, placing a hand to your head gently as he gave it a soft stroke, causing your head to go a bit fuzzy. What were you talking about again?

All of a sudden, the petting stopped as Mephisto pulled away.

"Though, I must admit, I'm quite jealous. Rin Okumura seems to mean an awful lot to you nowadays." The suited man hummed, causing your attention to be pulled back into reality. "I just hope you're not starting to like him more than your dear papa."

"No way!" You were quick to object. You shuffled around hastily, shoving your hands into the various pockets provided by your outfit until finally you found what you were looking for. You pulled out the pocket watch given to you not long ago by the man in front of you. You held it up, showing off its pristine condition with pride. "I've been carrying this thing around with me everywhere, so it's like I've got a piece of you with me like all the time. That's more than I can say for Okumura."

This response seemed to satisfy Mephisto, his form relaxing just a bit as another smile formed on his lips. "My dear, I can think of no truer statement in all my years of living."

You wound up staying there most of the day, eventually falling asleep on one of the couches available for company. Only then was when the demon lord saw it fit to toss the unfortunate bento right out of the nearest open window.

Chapter Text

"Man, you sure go on a lotta trips with that cram school. Are you sure you're actually learning anything?" You huffed, watching as Rin dumped a small pile of clothes near the bag that sat in front of you. "I'm almost jealous. Maybe I should sign up for next semester."

"Nah, trust me they're all super boring! 'Sides, this way you can keep doing sports!" And Rin wouldn't have to worry about you seeing him get his ass handed to him by demons like Amaimon. Not that he planned on running into that guy again, much less let him anywhere near you. "Thanks for helping me pack by the way. I've never been to these woods before so I'm not really sure what to bring if I'm honest."

"No problem! I think my dad used to take me hiking there a lot when I was little." You picked up one of the shirts Rin had tossed into the pile, beginning to fold it like you'd seen Belial do a few times before.

"You think?" Rin raised a brow, sitting on the floor beside your legs and folding a pair of pants from the same mound.

"Yeah. His face gets kinda blurry in pretty much all of those memories, but I'm sure it was him." It was probably just because you'd been so young at the time. After doing some research on that odd flashback from the garden, you'd thought you'd read something somewhere about children not being able to easily recognize faces and just sorta shrugged that mysterious figure off as being your father. "I didn't really know anyone else back then, so who else could it've been?"

Rin accepted your explanation with no further comment, almost seeming lost in thought like something was bothering him.

"Done!" You didn't notice, simply presenting the wadded up shirt you'd carefully 'folded' and moving to toss it into the half-demon's bag. You were so proud that you didn't see the flick to the forehead you quickly received coming. "Ow! Hey! What's the big idea!?"

"That's not how you're supposed to do it! Here." Rin took your hands, naturally going through the motions of folding a shirt as if by total instinct. "There, see?"

"Yeah..." You held up the article of clothing almost as if you were admiring it. "Say, you'd make a pretty good housewife, Chicken! Ya know, you could just drop outta that cram school if you married and came to live with me~"

"Sh-shut up! You just want a live-in maid. Don't you already have a butler?" Rin looked away so you wouldn't catch the red hue rapidly spreading across his cheeks.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure my dad's gonna want me to move out at some point and I can't exactly take Belial with me when I go." You pouted, picking up another shirt and trying the process again. "Then again, maybe I could get away with mooching off my old man forever. When you think about it, this is a pretty solid plan for you to get in on the mooching too!"

Rin could barely hold back his cringe. "Living with that clown for the rest of my life? No thanks, I'll pass."

"I'm tellin' ya, he's not that bad." You shrugged, letting the clown comment slide just this once. "Your loss though."

"Guess this is it." Both you and Rin stood before the vehicle meant to take him and his classmates to the lower region of True Cross. Everyone else had already loaded in, leaving Rin last. You were sad to see him leave, but you secretly hoped he'd have a good time. "I'm gonna miss you, Chicken."

Rin wasn't prepared to be hugged, but quickly accepted the one you gave him anyway.

"Yeah..." The Okumura squeezed, growing a little too comfortable in your arms. "Who's gonna bug me the entire time we're there?"

"Easy; Eyebrows of course." You snorted, pulling back from the embrace. For some reason, you found it really hard to let go. You couldn't explain why, but it oddly enough felt as if this would be the last time you saw Rin for a very, very long time. You weren't quite sure when you'd become such a sap, but you brushed off the feeling of paranoia and continued. "I wouldn't put it past Pinky to harass you into helping him find Bigfoot just to make sure he's not actually a sexy lady hiding in the woods, though, so you might have to deal with that too."

"Hey! I can hear you ya know!"

Ignoring Shima, you watched Rin get load up just as the others had done.

It was actually a pretty mellowing scene, watching as the group left to go on their camping trip, but you knew they'd be back soon. The thought of your friend returning and the two of you hanging out again to celebrate was the only happy thing you could imagine coming from this situation.

Oh well. Until then, you could always just go bother your old man.

Speaking of, a familiar bright pink limo pulled into your view as soon as you'd had the thought. "Huh?"

"Surprise!" Mephisto placed a hand on your shoulder, though you weren't entirely sure when he'd shown up. "Remember how you'd wanted to take that trip together, mäuschen?"

"We're going right now?" You peeked into the limo through the window, noting that it was completely empty, save for the driver separated by a darkened glass pane. "I haven't packed or anything."

"Oh, don't worry, Pumpkin! I took the liberty of having Belial pack a few things for you. They're in the trunk right now." Mephisto opened the door for you like a gentleman, smiling as he patiently waited for you to get in.

"Why didn't you tell me we were going anywhere?" You were still confused, but you trusted your father enough to enter the vehicle, sitting on the far right so Mephisto could take the left.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, of course." The moment the door closed, the driver took off, moving much faster than what should be possible for such a lengthy car. The headmaster continued. "You've been such a dear lately, I felt as if I simply had to reward you somehow. This way, you get to enjoy yourself and I get to leave that nasty pile of paperwork behind for the weekend! Perfect, isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure pops." This was exactly the type of thing your father would pull to get out of work. Honestly, you were only surprised he hadn't tried it much earlier. "Where are we going anyway?"

"The woods of Lower True Cross Academy. We're going camping." Ok, now that was weird. Your father was entirely too bougie to sleep in the woods and no paperwork or request of yours would ever be able to change that. Plus, he was ignoring the obvious.

"What about the cram school guys?"

"Oh, we should be seeing them much later in our endeavor, but, for now, it's just the two of us, my little Schätzchen." The car stopped, it's left-side door flying open automatically. Your father gestured for you to exit. "Ladies first~"

Rolling your eyes, you stepped out, taking in a breath of fresh air provided by the woodland around you. You were in a clearing which was strange because there didn't seem to be sign of a road nearby anywhere. Did the limo really drive through all of these tightly condensed trees to get you here?

You turned around to ask your papa, only to find both him and the limo gone as if they'd never been there in the first place. What?

Stumbling back in shock, you tried looking around for any kind of sign indicating the direction they'd gone.

"Papa...?" Your voice came out a lot softer than you'd intended. Did he really just...leave you? The man who'd raised you for so long, taking you in, feeding you, clothing you, making sure you were bathed, really just up and left you in the middle of the woods with no clue of where you were or how to get home. Was this really happening?

Surprisingly enough, in the moment, you were much more angry than sad. Your chest was filled with a vaguely familiar fire, one you clearly hadn't felt in a long time, as you fought to keep it contained within your body.

Your entire being just seemed to be telling you to destroy while a small pit deep inside of your heart knew that it'd never truly make your problems go away.

It was nearly pitch black at this point, making it almost impossible to see, yet you still managed to find a large tree branch nearby. Picking it up, you tested the weight in your hands, making sure it was a good size for what you were planning to do next.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAHHH!" You swung at the closest tree in anger, beating it as if it'd broken into your house, popped holes in every soccer ball you owned and called you a clowntochter all at the same time. It helped to imagine all the people who'd referred to you in such a degrading manner, most of them oddly related to the cram school, until your rage had finally quelled.

You only stopped when you were out of breath, the branch having snapped in half long into your little tantrum.

Catching your breath, your brain went into overdrive. Now that you thought about it, there was no way your father of all people would just ditch you in the middle of nowhere by yourself. That was ridiculous!

You started to laugh, running your sweaty palms through your dampened hair in a sense of relief that washed over you. Of course he didn't leave! He was simply waiting for you nearby, probably just wanting to watch you squirm a bit.

"Very funny, Papa." You called out sarcastically into the woods ahead of you. "I'll remember next time to be more specific on what kinda vacation I wanna take."

You began walking through the dark forest, searching for any kind of light to guide you through. You walked and walked for what felt like hours on end, only stopping to debate climbing a tree to see if you could spot the campsite or signs of civilization at all. You were tired, sweaty from all the physical activity you'd been doing, and emotionally tapped altogether. When this was over, you were going to head straight for the tub in your father's master bathroom, the one that bubbled automatically and had those lovely jet streams, and there was not a single thing he'd be able to do about it.

"Ouch!" You slapped the back of your neck, feeling something sharp poke just below your skull. A mosquito probably. "Damn, bastard could've at least left me with a little fucking bug spray. I shouldn't've let Okumura borrow my only pocket-sized can."

"You mean Rin Okumura, right?" You turned around coming face to face with a dark figure you could just barely make out. Squinting your eyes, you recognized the green spike that came from the head of a familiar punk-rock gentleman you'd met not too long ago. "I just don't see what the big deal is about him. Father and my big brothers are practically obsessed."

"Huh? Amaimon?" You were surprised to see him. You figured after you'd left the beach you'd never see him again, much less near midnight in the middle of the forest. "What are you doin' here?"

"I came to play with my little brother. He's not as strong as I am, but it's pretty funny to see him get angry." Amaimon explained as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "Big brother said I could use you to make sure he wouldn't refuse, so I'm gonna take you now, okay?"

"W-what?" Before you knew it, the other had thrown you over his shoulder, holding you tightly by the waist so you wouldn't wiggle free. Not that you didn't try at least. You beat your fists against his back as hard as you could, which wasn't a force to be scoffed at, yet Amaimon seemed unfazed. Your chest burned once again, this time from the spot roughly located near where your birthmark should've been.

"Why are you struggling? Shouldn't you be happy?" The green-haired demon sounded genuinely confused. "We can finally get married now and big brother promised not to interfere."

"Married!?" You stopped your beating only to squirm in an attempt to get a look your kidnappers face. There's no way this wasn't some kind of practical joke. "Are you nuts!? Why would think I'd wanna marry you?"

"What? Of course you do. You're the one who proposed to me, after all."

You wanted to argue more, but soon ringing flooded your ears as your body fell limp, making it nearly impossible to hear or move a single inch. Only the memory of one phrase rang through your head as the man known as Amaimon carried you off in an unknown direction.

"Will you marry me, Mai-mo?"

Chapter Text

"Ah, looks like the parasite's found your nervous system." You couldn't hear him, but Amaimon sounded pretty pleased with his own work. He carried you for quite a while before he'd landed on a tree branch he was satisfied with, shifting you to sit on his lap much like a kid at the mall telling Santa exactly what they wanted for Christmas. This was no holiday for you, however.

Your brain was fuzzy, as if it were completely filled with static noise while the ringing from before continued to invade your ears, not allowing you so much as a moment of peace inside of your own mind. Amaimon tilted your chin to look you in the eyes. "It's time for my little brother to come out and play. Go ahead and call for him."

If you'd been able to think straight, you most definitely would've told him to fuck off, however, you were under his thrall, vulnerable and completely unable to do anything other than his absolute bidding.

"Come forth and serve thy bearer." Rin watched in awe as Shura pulled the sacred sword straight from her stomach. It was times like these he was reminded that his new teacher wasn't the total ditz she pretended to be. Much to his surprise, she then tried to hand him the covered blade. "Here."

The half-demon simply stared as she presented it for him to take. Was this some kind of test?

This lack of response only seemed to frustrate the female exorcist. "What? Take it."

"You said that I had to beat you for it!" Rin was quick to object.

"I also said I'd give it back when I felt like it." Shura rolled her eyes. Honestly, the nerve of this kid. "What's the matter? Take it. That's what you wanted isn't it?"

"I thought you wanted to suppress my flame! You told me not to use it!" The ravenette was close to shouting. This woman was a total puzzle to him. One minute he's supposed to keep from using his flame at all costs and the next it's suddenly fine?

"Pipe down. I did, but you used it anyway!" Shura laughed cynically at the outburst. She was right. He'd used his flame to save Shiemi from those moths within the first ten minutes of their training exercise, in complete total disregard of what she'd told him about the Order. The redhead simply shook her red head and continued. "Anyway, what can you do...without your flame?"

Rin wasn't completely sure of that himself. He held the koma sword in his hands, staring at the sealed blade as if it would somehow simply give him the answers, but it never would.

"Think about it, alright?" The kunoichi insisted. "Amaimon is no pushover. Think about it."

The half-demon did think about it. This Amaimon guy up and attacked the exwires out of nowhere and he probably wouldn't give up just because they'd managed to escape. If he wanted to protect his friends, he'd have to do without the use of his demonic powers. Despite the disadvantage, he was absolutely sure that he'd win in the end. He had to. If he didn't, who knows what that maniac would do next?

Rin couldn't afford the luxury of assuming the demon king would simply stop at conquering the forest. No. If he continued his rampage, Amaimon would probably wreck havoc throughout True Cross Academy, putting hundreds of civilians in harms way, including-

"...in..."

Rin felt his ear twitch. Wow. He was thinking about you so hard, he could practically hear your voice.

"Rin..."

Okay, now it was getting a little freaky.

There wasn't a chance you were just out in the middle of the forest in the dead of night, was there?

"Help me, Rin..."

Rin's eyes widened at the soft cry for help; there was no way he could ignore that. He took a mad dash into the direction he was able to discern your voice was coming from, leaving behind some very concerned classmates and upper-level exorcists.

"Where ya goin', Okumura!?"

Ignoring Shima's shout, he continued into the forest, Shura in tow.

At least she had been until Amaimon's faithful Behemoth dropped down into her path.

"Rin! You better not do anything stupid!" The swordswoman called out to the half-demon's retreating figure. "I'll be right behind ya!"

"Okumura!" Bon quickly approached the outer edge of the barrier, watching as his teacher took on the monstrous creature one-on-one.

"The rest of you stay inside the shield!" Shura ordered, hoping Rin knew what he was doing.

Rin, in fact, did not. All he knew was that you were calling for him, so of course he'd come for you. Luckily for him, you were easily located. However, seeing you in the clutches of Amaimon seriously pissed him off.

"Amaimon!" The half-demon growled, noting your limp form and the glazed look in your eyes. "What did you do to her!?"

"Huh? Oh, I just had a moth lay an egg in her." Oof. You weren't going to be too happy about that whenever you snapped out of it. Or any of this for that matter. The demon king's nonchalant attitude wasn't helping one bit either. "It took a while for it to hatch and find her nerves, but now she'll do whatever I say."

"What the hell? What do you want with (Y/n)!?" Rin held his still-sheathed sword up in a threatening manner, prepared to strike at any moment.

"I wanna make her my bride of course." Amaimon softly stroked your cheek, careful not to puncture any skin with his horrifically long nails.

"W-what!?" Of all things Rin had expected, he would admit that was not one of them. "You can't do that!"

"Of course I can. She's already agreed; see?" Pulling down your shirt's collar to just below your collarbone, Amaimon revealed the dark splotch you had insisted was a birthmark not long ago. Unlike then, it was now glowing a dark, angry red, looking painful if the Okumura had to guess. "She bears the mark of the earth. She's betrothed to me."

Rin couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. While the exwire stood in shock, the earth king turned his attention back to you.

"Now, let's take our vows. Do you promise to be true to me, in sickness and in health, to love me, to honor me, and help me until death do us part?" Amaimon cupped your cheek with gentleness that would've surprised you had you been any form of conscious. Unwillingly, you mutely nodded in response. "Then I now pronounce us husband and wife. I may now kiss the bride."

Rin watched in horror as Amaimon pressed his lips to yours in a kiss you couldn't reciprocate. The demon king tangled his fingers through your hair, keeping you close to him as his lips moved harshly against your own as if he was impatient and wanted to rush into something more. It was only when he snaked out a long, disturbing tongue to lick your lips that the half-demon finally snapped out of it.

"KNOCK IT OFF!"

Rin bashed the sheathed koma sword right into Amaimon's skull, knocking the king of earth backwards with tremendous force.

"That's what I was gonna say!" Amaimon hissed, managing to keep his grasp on you as he flew back into the fray to counter. "You're supposed to draw the sword, so why haven't you?"

Drop kicking Rin into the ground below, the demon king continued.

"Stop messing around." Amaimon was able to beat Rin soundly, all while at the disadvantage of carrying you the entire time. "How strange, isn't this girl important to you?"

"Drop dead." The exwire muttered, coughing up blood.

"Well then, I guess it's time to take her back to Ghenna with me." Amaimon shrugged, reaching into his pocket and pulling out something he'd taken off of you much earlier. "But first, I need to undo that seal big brother put in place."

"Huh?" Rin looked up, recognizing the item the demon held as your pocket watch you'd been so proud to show him only days earlier. You'd insisted it was fragile, not even allowing your best friend to hold it, making it clear how much you treasured the item. Was Amaimon planning to smash it? "No, don't!"

Surprisingly, the demon king merely popped it open, revealing the clock face inside. "Here it is! If I remember right, all I have to do is move the hands..."

Rin struggled to his feet as the other exwires arrived at the scene just in time to watch Amaimon painstakingly move both hands the way your father had specifically advised you not to.

The hands clicked forward until they were both fully upright, the ringing of the academy's clocktower signifying that the watch was now, ironically, correct despite being broken and that it was officially midnight.

Nothing happed for a moment. All was silent from both exorcist and demon alike as every single one of them stood around in confusion.

"Huh? I was sure that was how big brother said it'd work..." Amaimon seemed more disappointed than anything. "Oh well, guess we'll figure it out in Ghenna."

Before he could move, however, the clock that Mephisto had stated was completely busted began ticking.

Intense burning shocked you out of your hypnosis, the overwhelming pain spreading through every individual vein connected inside of you. You couldn't tell what was happening, but it felt as if you needed to shed your skin completely in order to grow into a new one where the pain would be much less prominent.

Those on the outside, however, were able to witness what could only be described as your drastic transformation firsthand. The whole group watched as you were bathed in a purple glow. Your ears and teeth began to elongate, a tail formed at the base of your spine, and once blunt nails grew to sharpened claws making you quite the sight to behold.

"No way. (Y/n) is..." Rin trailed off, staring slackjawed at your altered form.

"A DEMON!?" Shima screamed, hands threatening to rip his own hair out from the shock of what he'd just witnessed.

The first thing you were able to distinguish was a pounding headache making your brain miserable. Your mind was still hazy and you couldn't make out much through vision or sound, but as you collapsed into Amaimon's waiting arms, you made a mental note to sock Shima in the face later.

Then, it was all just black.

Chapter Text

You woke up, every muscle in your body aching with a pain you wouldn't believe. Sitting up was a pain, yet you still forced yourself despite your body's complaints.

"Oh goodie! You're awake!" Amaimon stood over you, clearly pleased by your awakening.

"Where...are we?" You rubbed your eyes, looking around to survey your surroundings once you'd registered you weren't dreaming. It was dark, so seeing was kind of difficult, but thanks to a few luminous stones, you could tell you were in some kind of cave. It was fairly spacious as far as caves usually went. Various wrappers from candies you easily recognized littered the whole area to the point where you wouldn't be able to walk one step without picking up a few on your way. Regaining your composure, you glared at the demon king before you. "Where's Rin? What did you do to him?"

"Don't tell me your obsessed with that guy too. I'm your husband now, so the only man you should be interested in is me." Amaimon cupped your face in both of his hands, squishing your cheeks, though not harshly enough to hurt you.

"Husband!?" This guy was messing with you.

"Yes! You agreed to your vows in the forest, remember?" Strangely enough, you could vaguely recall a muffled conversation leading up to a kiss with a blurred image oddly similar to the Earth King's likeness. Maybe there was some truth to the nonsense this guy was spouting after all.

Slapping away both of the demon's hands, you deadpanned. "Nice try pal, but something tells me you're not an ordained minister."

"I don't have to be. See?" Amaimon held up one of the more reflective wrappers lying around, showing you your mirror image.

Spotting something odd peeking from underneath the collar of your shirt, you pulled it down, only to gasp at the sight. Your 'birthmark' had spread, now covering the majority of the left side of your chest, turning a muted green hue sometime in the process.

"Now other demons won't try and eat you while you're occupying my territory. You're welcome." Still not demonstrating any sense of personal space, Amaimon gave your head a pat, obviously feeling a bit full of himself.

"And how long is that gonna be?" Your body began shaking, though you weren't quite sure whether it was in anger or fear at this point.

"I told you people who are married live together forever. Were you just not listening?" Amaimon huffed. "I know we didn't get married in Amhara like you'd wanted, but this game where you act like you don't know me is getting old."

"Amhara..?" Then, you remembered. Those weird daydreams you'd had, the memories of a mysterious man who'd kept you company during your childhood. This was... "You're Mai-mo?"

"Ya know, if you were anyone else, I'd probably pull your teeth out for calling me something stupid like that." The demon king pulled away from you, taking a sucker from his pocket and popping it into his mouth. "But because you're my beloved wife, I guess I'll allow it from you."

"Gee, thanks." You rolled your eyes, flicking a stray wrapper away from your body.

"I should find something to call you then shouldn't I? Don't both spouses usually have nicknames in human culture?" It obviously wasn't up for debate. Amaimon thought on it for a minute before coming up with something. "I know! I'll call you 'Nosedive'!"

You managed to choke on your own spit. "What?"

"From that day we spent at the beach, remember?" The demon king explained. "You fell off of your board in a 'nosedive'."

"Damn. Wiped out once and that's what I'm stuck with." You weren't entirely sure if it was Amaimon you were annoyed with or the soon-to-be-constant reminder of your own failure. In the end, you decided it was both. Definitely both. "Ya know, typically couple nicknames are cute like honey, sweetheart, or something unique with a deeper meaning. I'd rather you use my first name if you insist on bein' informal."

"I see. You really are my big brother's kin. I can imagine him saying something a lot similar." The demon was, luckily, unoffended, going back to the drawing board with the whole nickname thing. Though, it didn't take too long for him to come up with a new one. "I got it."

Amaimon suddenly grabbed your arm, pulling you into an embrace you hadn't much say in. He touched his forehead to your own, looking directly into your eyes and brushing his nose against yours.

"You are my paeonia."

Chapter Text

"And so, the clock struck midnight and poor Cinderella's evening became nothing but a mirage she was too naive to realize was never real."

"Papa, what's a 'mirage'?" You asked, snuggling further into your thick, warm duvet.

"Well, mein kleiner schatz, a 'mirage' is typically a vision someone has of something beautiful they want more than anything, but isn't actually reality." Mephisto answered, watching as you yawned, trying your best to keep your eyelids from drooping.

"So, like a dream, but when you're not sleeping?" You'd ultimately failed, your eyes fluttering closed unwillingly.

"Exactly, my dear." Mephisto stood and gently closed the book despite only being in the middle of the tale. "That's enough for one night, Pumpkin. It is time for me to bid you gute nacht."

The headmaster placed a soft kiss to your forehead, tossing up your storybook, only for it to disappear in a puff of pink smoke.

"Gute nacht, Papa." You mumbled before going out like a light.

"Sweet dreams, schatz..."

____________________________________

"Time to wake up, mäuschen."

The sound of your father's voice gently roused you from your slumber. You could feel his gloved fingers softly stroke your forehead with the lightest of touches, just barely making contact with your overheated skin.

"Papa, it's summer vacation! Can't I sleep in today?" You rolled over in an attempt to ignore the man's wakeup call.

Your papa chuckled, pulling away. "I'm afraid not. If you sleep any longer, you'll miss the battle in your honor."

Battle..?

Your eyes shot open. You sat up quickly, despite the harsh pain in what felt like every muscle you owned including your ears, teeth, nails, and something you couldn't quite place. Clutching your stomach in pain, you immediately realized you were still in the forest, or, more accurately, above the forest.

You were seated on a bright pink couch floating in the sky, sitting next to your father who was sipping on tea and acting like this was a perfectly normal occurrence. A blue light spewed from a nearby clearing, though you weren't sure of the source since your attention was heavily focused on your current predicament.

"What...happened..?" You felt a long, heavy weight underneath you and couldn't resist pulling it up to get a closer look at what your brain was irrationally telling you was probably a snake. A sharp pain shot up your spine as you tugged on the offending item, only for you to drop it once you'd realized it was a tail. "I have a-! Alright, I get it; this is just a weird dream!"

"I'd be careful if I were you. The fall from here is quite steep and I'm unsure Mister Okumura would be able to catch you and fight Amaimon at the same time." The headmaster sipped on whatever blend was in his good china. "Also, my dear, for future reference; a lady always keeps her tail hidden. It's bad manners to leave it out."

"Right, right." You took a few moments to fully register what he'd said. "Wait, Rin's fighting Amaimon?"

Was the kidnapping part of your dream too?

"Papa! Where's Rin now?" You turned to your father, looking for answers.

"Funny how that's the first thing you want to know. Not a question about how we're floating or where those blue flames are coming from." Mephisto chuckled, refusing to meet your gaze. "Mister Okumura is down there, right where the forest is set ablaze. However, this is far from a dream and I wouldn't recommend going down there in your current condition."

"Huh? Why not?" You huffed, starting to grow more frustrated.

"Because, although the sheer power enveloping your body during your...transformation may have destroyed that parasite, it'd still managed to do a number on your nervous system before it perished." Parasite? What was he talking about? "Luckily you're demonic heritage allows for a speedy recovery process, however, it'd be best to wait until the wound is fully healed before rushing into action."

"Demonic...what?" Your face scrunched in confusion. You knew your dad was a total weirdo, but what the fuck was he talking about?

"I'm afraid I have a lot to explain to you, my dear, but most of it will have to wait for now." Mephisto finished his tea, the cup disappearing into thin air as he finally turned to face you.

"Most of it?" Clearly he had more to say.

"Yes. But for now, know this: the reason you've grown a tail, Amaimon had captured you, and that Rin Okumura is trying so very hard to keep you safe is because you are..." The purple bastard paused a few moments to keep you waiting in anticipation. He really was too much of a showman for his own good. He smiled, ignoring the glares you shot his way. "My daughter!"

"..." You couldn't help but silently deadpan. "Uh, yes? We've already established this. You adopted me as a baby."

"Not quite." Mephisto shook his head. "I'm afraid I'd lied about that little detail. You and I are actually related by blood."

"Huh? So, you're...my birth father?" And you'd thought things were confusing before. "Why ever tell me I was adopted then?"

"Because I am a demon, my dear." The headmaster explained without truly telling you anything at all. "Up until now, you'd been completely human, but thanks to my troublesome little brother, Amaimon, the seal on your demonic half has been broken, making you halbdämon now."

"Yeaaaah, I didn't understand a word of that at all." You rubbed your temples, trying to process all of this new information. "What exactly is a demon anyway?"

"Demons are monstrous beings that originate from Gehenna; a dark, empty world that mirrors this realm." Mephisto then gave a wide gesture to the atmosphere surrounding the two of you. "This world is Assiah. It's where humans reside and nearly all demons wish to inhabit."

"...are you sure this isn't a dream? All of this sounds pretty crazy to me." You crossed your arms, still not entirely convinced. You had more questions than answers at this point and you were starting to get annoyed. "How come I never knew any of this?"

"That is one of the things I'll need to explain later, Pumpkin." Mephisto gave you a soft pat to the head. "But for now, let's enjoy the show, shall we?"

"Show?"

"Did you forget? Amaimon and Rin Okumura are still fighting." You looked down and, sure enough, those two were still going at it.

You watched in awe of Rin's magnificent flames, lighting up the darkened woods with a light you'd certainly wished you'd had earlier. As impressive as it was though, something was clearly wrong. How was he able to do that? You looked to your father for answers once again. "Is Rin a...demon like you?"

"Close." Mephisto hummed, watching as the battle continued. "Rin Okumura's situation is...unique, but he is half-demon just as you are. I suppose that's probably a pretty large reason as to why the two of you get along so well."

You and Rin were the same then...

You kept watching until you could hardly stand the sight of your friend gone savage, waging a battle that didn't seem anywhere close to ending. "Shouldn't we stop them? They're going to burn the whole academy down!"

"Hmm. I suppose you're right. Let's go fetch them, shall we?" Mephisto stood, floating in midair before offering you his hand. You accepted warily, though, a bit worried that you'd fall despite the demon's confidence. He then pulled you closer, wrapping your arms around his neck tightly. "Hold on!"

And hold on you did, dangling from the headmaster's neck so that you wouldn't fall to your certain doom. In a puff of pink, you were both suddenly in between the two warring demons, preparing to exchange their next devastating blows.

"Okay, boys, that'll be enough." Mephisto caught one wrist each from both the demon king and the exwire. "Any more of this and my school will be destroyed! Playtime is over for today~"

You looked to Okumura, only more concerned now that you could see his condition up close. Blue flames spewed from his forehead, blocking your view of his eyes and illuminating his lengthened fangs. He seemed completely out of it, only responding in growls like he couldn't understand what was being said to him.

"Dawn is breaking. It's time for you two to go home." Mephisto hummed, seemingly unbothered.

"But you said-" Amaimon was quick to object, but was soon cut off by Mephisto.

"Don't be unruly, little brother." The elder demon dropped the two others, now using one of his free hands to support you by the waist and the other to wield his umbrella. Using the umbrella to pop his top hat into the air, he began counting. "Eins! Zwei! Drei!"

Out of nowhere, a ginormous clock appeared, blocking your view. Instead, you looked up at your father, the expression on his face one of complete confidence. How was he doing all of this? Was this the kind of power held by ones referred to as demons?

"Cuckoo Clock of Candy!" Not a moment later, Amaimon was swallowed by the ornate fixture, screaming the entire way in.

"MEPHISTO!"

Your father ignored the other demon's shouts, using his umbrella once more. "Abracadabra~"

And poof, just as suddenly as it'd appeared, the clock vanished. You carefully reached up, catching the silken hat you knew your father treasured before it could fall too far.

"Thank you, mein kleiner cat sídhe." Mephisto smiled, taking the accessory and straightening it onto his head. "Now to deal with Mister Okumura, shall we?"

Conveniently, Rin had chosen that moment to attack, allowing for the elder demon to grab the back of his shirt before vanishing the three of you in his ever-popular disappearing act together.

Chapter Text

One moment you were in the woods, the next poof! You were on one of the highest walkways of upper True Cross Academy. Mephisto tried to set you down gently, but you couldn't quite keep your legs from wobbling. Luckily, a pair of arms shot out to help you, much to your surprise.

"Here, kid." The redheaded woman sent you a weak grin, tucking your arm over her shoulders.

Rin, all the meanwhile, was still spewing those blue flames, growling at the small group formed at the end of the walkway.

"Hi there. Long time no see, Angel." You looked up in the direction your father was speaking, spotting a man with flowing locks of blonde hair in luxurious clothing standing atop a nearby tower. Wow, and you thought Mephisto was flashy. The demon continued. "Congratulations on becoming Paladin."

"Shura, if what you found had anything to do with Satan, you were to exterminate it immediately." The newcomer ignored him, addressing the woman holding you up instead. "Wouldn't you say this blue flame spewing beast seems to fit that bill?"

Your father sheathed Rin's precious sword, the blue flames engulfing him vanishing immediately. The half-demon collapsed, only able to stay upright from the older demon's grip on his wrist.

"Mephisto, you've finally shown your tail." The blonde stranger finally turned to the headmaster. "Word of your disloyalty has even reached the Grigori."

"I'm not showing my tail. What a rude thing to say to a gentleman." Mephisto huffed, tugging Rin forward, only to slap him in the face. The half-demon's eyes shot open, Rin catching his own balance immediately, unlike you.

"The Grigori have ordered..." The man known to you as Angel hopped down from the tower and onto the walkway like it was nothing. Perhaps this man was a demon as well. You wouldn't be surprised if even Belial of all people was a demon at this point. Angel shot forward, suddenly gripping Rin's neck in one hand while threatening to skewer the exwire with his oversized sword with the other. "..the death of Satan's bastard!"

Oh Ghenna no.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
You could feel the anger boiling in your veins as you moved without thinking. You didn't notice as everything in the immediate area, sans Mephisto, stilled for just a single moment, but, to the average person, it looked like you'd just teleported from where you were with Shura, to behind Angel. It wasn't much time at all, but it was enough for you to get over there and give the blonde man's ponytail a harsh tug before the paladin could do a thing about it.

Angel, clearly shocked, instantly turned his blade to you with speed you were surprised anyone in such heavy clothing could wield.

"Another nephilim? Is this one related to Satan as well?" The paladin eyed your father who held his hands up defensively.

"Of course not. Can't you see the resemblance~?" Though he smiled, it was easy to tell that Mephisto was unamused by the turn of events. "Though, I'd thank you kindly to unhand my daughter..."

"This is your kid?" Angel's eyes widened, trailing your figure a few times before laughing. "Ha ha! What a funny joke!"

"Let go of her!" Rin launched for the paladin, set on saving you, but was quickly stopped by Mephisto's umbrella being held in front of him.

Meanwhile, Angel picked up a call on what you assumed to be some sort of earpiece you couldn't see.

"Yes. Understood." The blonde turned to face Mephisto. "That was a message from the Grigori. Mephisto is to undergo immediate questioning with these two halflings as evidence."

Before either of you could object, the paladin had both of you by the collars of your shirts, dragging you off towards the nearest doorway. You managed to break free fairly easily, but only because Angel had deemed you cooperative.

As the exorcists shuffled to escort the exwires elsewhere, Rin shouted out to the group. "Is everyone all right!?"

To your surprise, instead of a grateful response for the show of concern, Suguro called back to him. "WHAT'S THE CHILD OF SATAN DOING AT A SCHOOL FOR EXORCISTS!?"

Rin was clearly taken aback, but not deterred. He turned to Shiemi next. "Shiemi...you're not hurt are you?"

Silence. The gardener only glared at the half-demon in return.

"What's the matter? You hurt somewhere?" He tried not to seem hurt, but you could hear his voice crack just a bit when calling out to her. Still, he received no answer.

"Rin..." You took the ravenette's hand into your own, giving it a comforting squeeze as you led him along with you. He didn't say anything, simply stumbling behind you for a bit before you entered the courthouse.

You and Rin walked side-by-side into the main courtroom of the Opera House Court, escorted by several exorcists including the paladin himself. The room was impressive, but gave you strange "Alice in Wonderland" vibes from the moment you stepped in. Not surprising considering this was essentially a whole new world to you and that these people, including your father, all sounded like raving lunatics in your opinion.

"Kneel." Angel forced you both to the floor, though much crueler in his treatment towards Rin. The paladin pierced the other half-demon to the floor with his sword in a move that you could see was hella painful for Rin from the look on his face.

"What are you doing!? We came with you willingly!" You hissed, ready to pounce on anyone who'd cause your friend so much pain.

"I don't want him flaring up in the courtroom. He'll heal." The paladin paid no more mind to you.

"(Y/n), it's okay. Please just listen." Rin smiled your way, though still clearly heavily wounded. "I don't want them hurting you. Especially not because you did something stupid for me..."

This...worried you. A lot. But, for now, you kept silent for his sake, giving him a determined nod in response.

"Order! Have the accused take the stand."

Your father, in turn, stood up at the large podium before the court, an air of confidence surrounding his entire presence. For someone on trial, he was awfully level-headed.

"The court will now hear the case of Mephisto Pheles. Your interrogators will be myself and the current Paladin, Arthur Auguste Angel. The Grigori will adjudicate." A small man in a powdered wig's voice echoed throughout the room. You never thought you'd see the day anyone ever wore a powdered wig unironically, but today seemed to be a day of many firsts for you. The Chief Justice presented a monitor for his first speaking point, displaying an image of Rin bathed in blue flames, laying waste to the forest around him, though you weren't quite sure how anyone without enhanced vision was supposed to see that. You'd think these guys would have some sort of projector considering all the money they seemed to dump into decorating and hiring people like Mister Angel. The chief continued. "Sir Pheles, the boy shown here is the demon kneeling before us, is he not?"

"Yes." Mephisto answered without a hint of hesitation.

"Then, without further delay, I ask you: Is he the child of Satan?" You still didn't know who this Stan guy was, but he must've been a pretty big deal if everyone was freaking out over Rin being his kid.

"That he is. I won't hide it any longer." Mephisto answered, several murmurs resounding throughout the room. Ignoring this, he continued. "I have sealed his heart within the koma sword, allowing Shiro Fujimoto to raise him in secret until he was ready to assume his power."

"For what purpose, Sir Pheles?" A man dressed in a giant cone asked. What was it with these people and their atrocious taste in fashion?

"To make him a weapon." Your heart dropped to your stomach at your father's words. You never knew he could be so...heartless.

"And what of the girl?" Angel sneered, clearly not pleased with the direction this trial was headed.

"What about her?" Sir Pheles raised a brow, turning to look Arthur in the eyes. "As I told you before, that would simply be my lovely daughter. Isn't she precious~?"

"You...you've actually sired a child!?" The wigged man was clearly taken aback, and not just him from the return of those murmurs.

"So, you're saying this half-human girl lives with the blood of a Baal running through her veins?" Another cone person spoke, this time a woman.

"Indeed."

"And what kind of scheme is she involved in?" Arthur scoffed, glaring at Mephisto's far-away form before meeting your eyes with the same gaze. "If the Okumura boy was born to be used by the Order as a weapon, what is the purpose of this one's birth?"

The loud thudding of your heartbeat at that moment was almost enough to deafen you, but you strained your ears, preparing to cling onto each of the man you knew as your father's next words.

"Not that it bears any relevance to this case, but the answer is boringly simple: storge." The headmaster you'd written off as heartless merely moments ago, suddenly managed to force his way back into your heart with one short phrase. He allowed the court to murmur for a second before continuing. "Ladies and gentlemen of the court, I ask you: if any one of us can learn to lust for money, glutton over fine foods, or envy those who are more fortunate; why can't a demon learn to love another living being, especially one of a familial bond?"

"Even if that was plausible, you think that the demon to set this first example is you?" Arthur couldn't contain his laughter, despite the serious subject.

"Indeed." Your father turned around, offering you a smile from the very top of the staircase towering above you. Something wasn't quite right about the expression, but you couldn't tell from where you were knelt. "If you don't believe me, why not ask mein kleiner schatz herself?"

"Papa..." You sniffled, shaking your head to prevent the tears threatening to spill from your eyes from allowing you to cry in a room full of strangers. There was no way you'd show any form of weakness in front of these monsters who were treated you, your best friend, and your father as if you were total scum.

"I have no doubt in my mind that my daughter could prove to be almost as valuable an asset to the Order as Rin Okumura." Mephisto turned back to the judges. Clearing his throat and smiling, the demon king spread his arms in presentation to court. "All of you gathered here today, make a wager with me!"

The court was intrigued, the entire room's attention drawn to the demon king in the center of the room.

"Will these young nephilim become demon lords of Ghenna?" Sir Pheles then gestured to the pair of you, still kneeling below the podium as if you were the ones being tried. "...or will they become the Order's- Nay! Dare I say it, the saviors of Assiah!"

The court erupted into a chorus of voices, echoing off of the walls and certainly not doing any favors for your adjustment to your newly enhanced sense of hearing. The Chief Justice banged his gavel for order until the courtroom finally settled.

Meanwhile, Mephisto continued to speak. "Of course, one condition of this wager is that we'll have to wait a while to find out."

"Don't let this trickster fool you! Surely you have not forgotten what he is. Deception is what they excel at!" This Arthur guy was really starting to get on your nerves. "He conspired with Shiro Fujimoto to raise Satan's bastard son and a half-demon he claims to be his own daughter! He was plotting to overthrow the Order from within!"

You grit your teeth, grabbing Rin's arm in a failed effort to comfort both him and yourself. Various voices began shouting around you.

"That's right!"

"He's out of his mind!"

"I demand you relieve Mephisto of duty!"

"SHUT UP!" Rin pulled out of your grip, erupting into flames as he sat up on his knees. "Neither of us are demon lords or saviors!"

"Rin!" You sat up as well, following suit.

"Someday, I'm gonna be the strongest exorcist alive!" Okumura growled, flames continuing to grow. "All of you better remember that!"

"The strongest exorcist?" Arthur started chuckling. "You're going to be Paladin?"

"Do all exorcists dress like you?" The ravenette asked, staring straight ahead.

"What?" Arthur withdrew his sword from the half-demon's ankle, holding it to the Okumura's throat instead.

"When I become Paladin, I won't be dressing like a fashion reject." Rin turned and shot a smirk Angel's way. You weren't expecting that. At all.

One moment your expression was grim, worried for what these people planned to do with the ones you cared about and the next....

It started out with a snort. Then a chuckle. Then suddenly, you were back on the floor, full out laughing, the sound bouncing throughout the room as tears came to the corners of your eyes.

"You misunderstand..." Arthur's eyebrow twitched, the man refusing to look at you. "I had this outfit tailor made."

You sat up, calming yourself enough to be able to speak.

"Damn, if they let someone both ugly and blind be paladin, I'd say you've got a pretty good shot at the job, Chicken." You sent Angel a snarky grin. "Not to mention, anyone carrying a huge ass sword like that is clearly overcompensating."

You could hear your father failing to suppress his own chuckles from the top of the podium.

"Order! Order!" The Chief Justice began banging his gavel once more. "Stop it, Angel!"

"Demons are indeed our enemy, however, learning from our opponent has always been one of the strategies of the Order." Another cone person started speaking. "Let us put it to a vote whether we accept this wager. One condition is that these two pass the exorcist certification exam in six months."

The rest of the trial was fairly uneventful. The Grigori stated all of their conditions before ultimately releasing the three of you back into the academy's grounds. You still weren't sure who Stan was or why these people seemed to hate demons so much, but what you did know was that you had to become something called an exorcist within six months or else...

...Rin would be executed.

Chapter Text

"There were other conditions, but the decision was generous." Your father explained, holding his umbrella over your head to shield you from the rain. The man was also kind enough to drape his coat over your shoulders to keep you warm, so you were well bundled before exiting the courthouse. Why you weren't just speaking indoors, you had no clue.

Following the trial, you found yourself and the rest of your small crew on top of the same walkway you'd almost fought Arthur Angel on mere hours ago.

"Generous? But what can you do?" Shura asked, eyeing Mephisto.

All of a sudden, Rin knelt to the ground, bowing before the redheaded woman. "Please Shura! Teach me how to use a sword!"

"Well, your attitude does appear to have improved." Shura looked down at the exwire, placing a hand on his head. "Alright. I'll do it."

"Excellent!" Mephisto grinned. "And while you're training with Miss Kirigakure, I'll see to it that dear (Y/n) starts her own studies under the tutoring of the other Mister Okumura!"

"Huh? Studies?" You turned to your father, stepping closer so you could both be at least a little underneath the umbrella. "Oh, for that exorcist thing, right."

"(Y/n), do you even know what an exorcist is?" Rin asked softly, brushing Shura's hand away.

"Nope, but a certain someone is going to be filling me in as soon as we're home." You placed your hands to your hips, glaring at Mephisto.

"Something tells me I'm in for a good scolding this time!" The demon king threw up his free hand in surrender and chuckled. "I won't keep you waiting any longer then. Miss Kirigakure, Mister Okumura, enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Seeya." You waved to the other two as your father placed a hand on your shoulder. The next moment, the two of you disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." You sighed, shrugging off the borrowed coat and handing it to Belial, who'd been waiting for your return. From the walkway, Mephisto had transported you both into the tea room, summoning the butler shortly after.

"After a few thousand years or so, you get used to it." The demon king shrugged, pulling out a seat at the table for you to take. "Now, my dear, I believe it's time I explain a few things."

You sat at the table for hours, Mephisto going through the basic rundown of exorcists, the Vatican, basic demonology, and the "Rin Okumura" situation.

"So, Rin's the son of basically the most powerful and evil demon that exists. That checks out." You leaned back in your seat, knowing the posture wasn't necessarily ladylike, but not really minding that at the moment. "Did you really mean what you said about using him as a weapon though?"

"Unfortunately, it was the only answer I could give to prevent Mister Okumura's immediate execution." Mephisto rested his chin on top of his folded hands, answering your questions with endless patience. "Though, I do believe in fact that he could potentially defeat Father if he ever unleashes his true potential."

"I still think it's kinda weird you call him 'Father' even though he's not your real dad." You sighed, shifting in your seat. "But, then again, I wouldn't have thought you were my birth father until yesterday. Not to mention that you're apparently King of Time."

"Yes, I know, but you have to understand, I did it for your protection." Mephisto offered you a saddened smile. "You've witnessed first-hand how the Vatican treats demons like us. If you'd known all of this before now, it would've risked them finding you and taking you away from me for interrogation or experimentation. And that, my dear, is a pain I simply wouldn't be able to bear!"

So, he'd kept you away from the demonic side of this world...to protect you. It was oddly sweet and a good enough explanation to quickly quell your frustration with him.

You moved onto your next question. "What was the deal with the pocket watch? You said it was some kinda seal, right?"

"Indeed. I used it as a means of sealing your demon heart, the most vulnerable, yet powerful, extension of your body. Speaking of..." Mephisto nodded, pulling out the once broken watch and placing it onto the table between you. You hesitantly picked it up, noting that the clock was now working and accurate to the current time. "Think of it as a conduit for the abilities you've inherited from my aspect. Push the clock hands forward and you should also move forward in time. Push them backwards and, well, I believe the explanation is fairly obvious."

Your eyes grew wide at the notion. That seemed like entirely too much power for one person to have.

"You can also freeze time in your immediate surroundings using the button on the side." The demon king explained, watching your reactions with obvious amusement. "Of course, all of these abilities are very limited since you have no formal training and closing the watch will dampen your power as well as help hide your more demonic features."

"Are you planning to train me?" You asked, looking up from the watch.

"I would love to, Pumpkin, but I'm afraid your Papa is a very busy man. Even more so now that the Vatican is aware of Rin Okumura." Your father sighed, sending you a look of sympathy. "You're going to have to train under the watch of his younger brother, Yukio Okumura."

You stayed silent for a moment, closing the watch gently. Your more demonic features were greatly less exaggerated, the only notable features of yours now being your pointed ears and furry tail.

"Hey, pops, I'm gonna become an exorcist, alright?" You shoved the hand clock into your pocket, looking back up to your father with an expression of determination. "I don't care how nice that dude's hair, face, and swordsmanship skills are; I'll make that Angel guy take back anything bad he's ever said about a single one of us!"

"Oh ho ho, seems like 'that Angel guy' left quite an impression on you." Mephisto winked, a sly expression now painting his face. "First Okumura, now Angel; I'd always hoped you'd set your sights a bit higher, my dear."

"S-shut up!" Your face went cherry red at the implication.

"Honestly, I would've preferred Amaimon over either of those two." The demon king took a sip of his tea, freshly brewed by Belial.

"Oh yeah, what was his deal anyway?" Quickly changing the subject, you accepted a newly poured cup of your own, but didn't drink out of it quite yet. "Like, I get he's a demon king like you, but what was up with the whole 'wanting to marry me' thing?"

"Ah, when you were very young, Amaimon used to visit fairly often." The headmaster replied, setting down his cup. "He was truly there to update me on current events in Ghenna, however, he wound up spending more time with you than he did myself."

"Huh, weird." He was a odd dude. Childish, yet you could imagine wanting to hang out with him at a younger age. "How come he wanted to marry me though? And why don't I remember any of this?"

"You were young. It's only natural you'd forget such memories." Mephisto shrugged, though you had the feeling he knew more than what he was telling you. "It seems you'd apparently made some sort of agreement to wed during one such memory. Once Amaimon saw you as his, he didn't want to let go for anything."

"It's a good thing Rin was there to save me then." You smiled, though there was no pleasantness behind it. "Especially after I was suddenly dumped alone in the middle of the forest."

"You were never truly alone, Pumpkin, I promise!" The demon king rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was there! I came and retrieved you as soon as you were in actual danger."

"Uh-huh, right." You rolled your eyes, standing up from your seat before pushing it in. "You're gonna have to make it up to me big-time, Sir Pheles."

"I wouldn't dare imagine anything less."

Chapter Text

A day eventually passed and your training had officially begun. You spent what little time you had not studying on going out to explore the new area of the academy you now had access to, simply in awe of how you'd missed all of this the entirety of your life.

During your outing, you couldn't help but lookout for a certain head of blonde hair, even if you knew it was unlikely you'd see her.

Shiemi hadn't spoken to you since that moment before the trial, and even then, she had been speaking to Rin, not you. You could only imagine she was upset with the two of you, but you weren't entirely sure why if you were honest.

Of all the people you would've expected to understand Rin and his situation, Shiemi was the one person you thought would accept him with open arms. You couldn't understand why it was that she reacted the way she did. It was so out of character for the soft, flower-loving girl that you just couldn't wrap your head around it.

The more you'd thought about it, the more you wanted answers.

That was how you found yourself in front of the house across the bridge. The large wooden door was unusually intimidating, but you didn't allow that to stop you from knocking after taking a deep breath.

After your first initial knock, you waited. You could hear the blood pumping through your veins in your ears as you continued to stand at the entrance. You waited about five minutes before knocking again. Maybe she just hadn't heard you first time? Surely she wasn't ignoring you on purpose.

You waited twice as long after the second knock. She could've been busy, unable to reach the door in a reasonable amount of time which is what you wanted to believe.

Unfortunately, after that culminated fifteen minutes, it was pretty apparent she wasn't going to answer. With a sigh, you backed away from the door, unwilling to hang around any longer like a creep. Your luck only worsened as it started to rain, drenching your once dry outfit and leaving you to trudge home miserably.

Your only thought was to wish you could see Shiemi smiling again.

Chapter Text

You took a day to let everything sink in.

That time alone was spent meditating on whatever thoughts you had on your perspective of reality and studying more on demonology. You honestly hated the prospect of having to study outside of what was required for a simple degree, but you had a lot of studying to do if you wanted to catch up to the others anytime soon. Rin's life depended on you scoring a passing grade on that upcoming exam, you didn't have any time to whine or complain.

After you were sure your head wasn't gonna explode from looking at your father, Rin, or basically any person you'd ever met in your entire life, you finally left your room.

The first place you went was the bell tower, wanting to test your new demonic abilities, while also potentially pissing off your dad, whom you were still a bit irritated with at the time.

Three hops was all it took to reach the top. You were sure you looked ridiculous, but you didn't really care if you were honest. The view from that height was incredible, allowing you to see almost the entirety of True Cross Academy Town from a single point. You'd have to bring a camera up there sometime or something.

It wasn't for another moment that you realized you weren't alone. Sitting on the opposite side of the bell tower was a dark figure you immediately recognized. "Rin..?"

The Okumura jumped out of his skin a little, clearly not having noticed when you'd joined him. "O-oh hey! It's been a while, huh?"

"Uh, yeah." You sat down next to him, not quite sure how to react to the other's presence either. Your legs hung off of the edge as you leaned on your arms for support.

You didn't know what to say to him, which was fine because he clearly didn't know what to say to you either. The two of you sat in silence for a while, just staring ahead as the sun began to make it's descent over the city.

Your eyes widened as you felt something warm brush up against your side. You looked down to see a certain black cat rubbing into you, bringing a soft smile to your lips. You reached down, giving a gentle scratch behind Kuro's ears. "I missed you too, buddy."

"Next time, come and visit more often, okay?"

"Alri-" You swiftly sat up straight. "Wait, what!?"

"Oh yeah, you probably aren't used to the whole 'demon-to-demon telepathy' thing, huh?" Rin chuckled, finally breaking his brief bout of silence.

"Yeah; no!" You gave a shove to the demon boy's shoulder. "So this is normal?"

"Only if you're part demon, I guess." The Okumura sighed, making your heart clench unnaturally. You hadn't meant to bring down his spirits.

In a swift action, you swung your legs up, crossing them in front of you as you face Rin and Kuro. You proceeded to then flip the cat gently onto his back, scratching at his belly in turn. "Good! Now he can tell me all of your secrets! Kuro, does Rin really like biting into popsicles or does he do it around me just to be a dick?"

"Don't tell her Kuro! She won't like the answer!" Rin snorted, looking a lot better already. Kuro simply swatted at your hands playfully, purring too loudly to answer your question.

You and Okumura laughed, relaxing for what felt like the first time in forever.

As your snickers died down, Rin looked away again, this time in shame more than anything.

"(Y/n), I'm so sorry. I got you dragged into this..." Your friend mumbled, looking down at the town below. "You're not hurt are you?"

"Huh? Rin, you didn't drag me into anything." You shook your head.

Was that really what he thought?

" From what I understand, the whole thing with me and Amaimon was bound to happen eventually. There was nothing you could've done to stop it." You explained, reaching over to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And I'm fine. Papa said something about my nerves being fucked with by some kinda bug, but it feels like it's all better now."

Rin took a shaky breath, tears visibly welling in his eyes. You could see a fragile smile gracing his lips.

"Ya know, since I'm new to this whole half-demon thing, sombody's gonna have to show me the ropes. I still don't know what to do with this thing." You raised your tail, showing it to Rin despite what your father had said before about manners. "It seems pretty useless to me."

Rin chuckled, holding up his own tail in turn. "I dunno, I think they're kinda cool."

"Oh yeah? That must be why you never get any dates; the ladies just haven't seen your secret weapon yet." You snorted, scooting closer towards the other nephilim. You weren't quite sure what had gotten into you, but all of a sudden, you were feeling...

Coy.

Placing your hands to his chest, you looked up at his rapidly reddening face with an unusually coquettish expression on your own. "But I know your secret you stud, you."

You nuzzled your cheek to the Okumura's, clearly enacting on some demonic instinct neither of you were quite used to. Once you were satisfied, you pulled away, but couldn't seem to find it in yourself to move very far. In fact, you soon found yourself leaning in once again; this time placing your lips gently to Rin's own in a chaste kiss.

It didn't last very long. Only a few seconds passed from when you touched lips to when you opened the eyes you didn't remember closing, but it was long enough to bring a cherry glow to the cheeks of both you and the boy in front of you.

The tension was unbearable. The two of you simply stared at each other as if some sort of dam was going to burst if either of you made any sudden movements.

"I...better get going. Papa's got some more things he wants to teach me before I start training with your bro..." You slowly leaned back, unable to tear your eyes from Rin's face for a solid minute before you stood. As you hopped off of the tower, Rin could only find it in himself to wave mutely at your retreating figure until you were out of sight completely.

Kuro hopped on the exwire's shoulder, ignoring how his master was currently frozen in place. The cat gave a gentle sniff to Rin's cheek, purring audibly in response. "Wow, Rin! Your mate sure smells pretty!"

"Yeah..." A soft smile paired with a lovestruck gaze painted the Okumura's face. Though, the expression soon fell as he registered his familiar's words. "Wait, don't tell me you're trying to sell me this whole 'mate' crap too!"

Chapter Text

It'd been a few days since the trial and, ever since, you'd been giving your father the cold shoulder.

Whereas you'd normally speak to him several times a day, you now avoided him at nearly all costs. You skipped meals if Belial summoned you to eat in the dining room, avoided the manor by sleeping over at the Okumuras' private dorm building, and even changed the lock screen on your phone from that precious photo of the two of you together to something different entirely. You knew you couldn't avoid him forever, but the overly rebellious part of you still wanted to try.

Sir Pheles, however, wasn't one to be ignored.

"Oh great. Rain." You sighed, suddenly wishing you'd worn a jacket with a hood today. You were on your way to Rin's dorm from the convenience store, having purchased a light snack when, all of a sudden, rain began drizzling from the sky. "Damn. If this keeps up, I won't make it back before the chicken's brother locks the dorm's doors for the night."

You started to pick up the pace, a dangerous effort, when the roads were so slick. You learned that lesson the hard way, slipping not long after and falling flat on your face.

"Ouch!" You rubbed at your forehead, instantly grateful for your newly gained healing ability. You snorted. "If only it could heal my damaged dignity."

You laid on the ground for a few moments, honestly debating the advantages of just sleeping on the road for the night, when suddenly, a pair of white paws came into your view. You looked up, surprised to be face to face with a strange dog you'd never seen in your life before.

It was white, a furry ivory that showed off it's purebred, well-groomed coat with pride. It also wore an oddly familiar scarf you couldn't quite recognize around its neck, a pink one with polka dots that suited it quite well.

"You lost, bud?" You asked, despite the fact there was no way the dog would ever respond. Instead, in response you received a blank, clueless stare. "...I'll take that as a yes."

You hopped to your feet, brushing away any excess gravel that might've been clinging to your legs. Luckily, any scrapes or other injuries you might've gained in your fall were already better, leaving you sopping wet, but still in peak condition.

"Let's get outta this rain. Looks like it's about to start pouring hard." You looked up to the sky, watching as the grey clouds blackened. You weren't paying attention at all, which gave the odd dog the perfect opportunity to snatch the snack you'd just purchased and take off running. "Wh- Hey!"

You immediately sprinted after it, not just to regain your stolen treat, but to make sure the small dog didn't get hit by a car or anything while it was so dark out. You eventually followed it down one of many walkways, eventually catching up to it where it'd stopped underneath a bridge.

"You run pretty fast for a little guy. Ever consider joining track?" You chuckled, catching your breath much quicker than you would've if you'd still been completely human. The dog sat, bag still grasped in it's mouth, gazing at you expectantly. Did it want you to join it?

Whatever it wanted, you sat down across from the little guy, ringing out the locks of your hair that'd been soaked in the rain. Now that you thought about it, it'd been a while since your last haircut. Your father usually insisted on cutting it himself, putting his own flair on whatever you wanted, be it long and wavy or incredibly short and shaven.

You subconsciously sighed at the memory of Mephisto, remembering why you were avoiding him even if you didn't want to think about it right then and there. Your new fluffy friend approached slowly, dropping its stolen goods into your lap.

"Thanks." You giggled softly, reaching to pat the dog's head and finding it's fur incredibly soft. The dog then sat in front if you once again, this time tilting it's head inquisitively. You guessed it wanted to know what was wrong, or at least that's what you chose to believe. "I s'pose if there's anyone I should be able talk about this with, a random dog I found on the street should be it. Don't go telling people about this though; it'll ruin my 'tough guy' image."

If you'd thought such a creature capable, you could've sworn you saw it roll its eyes.

"It's not that I don't wanna see him; I actually kinda miss him. It's weird not having him close to weeb out about some new anime or watch him parade himself around like the 'perfect gentleman.'" You snorted, fondly remembering the headmaster's past antics from before you'd changed. From before...he'd changed..."Did he even really change at all, though? Maybe that's what I'm really afraid of finding out..."

Had he ever really cared about you like he'd claimed to for so many years? If he did, why would he have just let a dangerous demon try and spirit you away out of nowhere? He'd said you weren't really in any danger, but was that really true?

Was anything he'd ever said to you really true?

You felt a trail of cool wetness slide down your cheek and immediately looked up to find whatever hole or crack in the bridge it'd dripped down from. However, even as hard as you looked, you couldn't find a single flaw in the structure's integrity. You lifted a hand to touch the offending foreign substance, only to be mortified at the realization it was a tear.

That's when the dam had burst. More tears blurred your vision, flowing silently down your cheeks without allowing you any control over the outburst. You slowly tucked your head into your knees and began crying to yourself.

You cried and cried, not sure if you'd be able to stop even if you wanted to. Was this normal? Were demons supposed to be able to...feel?

"Why can't a demon learn to love another living being?"

The explanation Mephisto had given for why you'd been brought into creation rung through your ears as you continued to wail into your legs. Was what he'd said...really true?

"My dear, I can think of no truer statement in all my years of living."

Though out of context, you couldn't help but think of that particular instance as well; your time with him beginning to bleed together in all the happy moments you shared as, not just demon and mortal, but a family.

Your sobs softened into sniffles as you pulled your head away from your knees.

You wanted to believe him- to believe IN him. Once you'd settled that, every worry you'd held in your heart seemed to melt away.

"Papa..." You smiled softly, ignoring to dizziness in your head as well as your flushed cheeks as you shut your eyes. A moment later, you collapsed to the ground, laying underneath that bridge with no fear of the elements.

"You called, and thus, I am here~" Sir Pheles quickly shed his disguise, the dog from before now the very man you'd been speaking of. The demon king wasted no time lifting you up into his arms, pressing his forehead to your own as you laid unconscious. "Looks like someone's caught a fever. Seems as if your newly formed demonic immune system isn't enough to prevent stress-induced illness."

Removing using one hand to remove his cape with finesse you would've been impressed with had you been conscious, he draped it like a blanket over your shivering form.

"Let's go home, mäuschen."

You woke up later, surprised to find yourself in your bedroom at the manor. You were now wearing fresh pajamas with a wet cloth draped over your forehead.

You remembered falling asleep under that bridge so...how were you here?

Looking around, you noticed your room was filled with quite a few more stuffed animals than it had been when you'd left. Your father must've been stocking up on them since you'd started staying at the Okumura's. You remembered how he'd used to shower you with gifts like this any time you were sick as a kid, mostly as insurance you'd actually stay in bed without Belial having to, metaphorically, wrestle you into staying put.

A soft knocking came from the door. You recognized the specific knock from years of listening out for it daily. "Come in, Papa."

The door opened a lot more gently than you expected, your father smiling softly as he entered the room. "Good morning, Pumpkin."

Your heart ached at the tenderness of his tone, tears nearly threatening to spill again as you realized just how much you really missed this big purple dummy. You sat up and swallowed a huge gulp of spit before offering the man a bright smile of your own in turn. "Guten morgen, Papa."

Mephisto's smile grew as he then decided to approach you, cupping your cheek in one of his hands while using the other to pull out a pink handkerchief to wipe your face with. "Now, now, schatz, there's no need to cry."

You opened your mouth to object and tell him you weren't crying, but soon realized that you actually indeed were. Instead, you stayed quiet, allowing your tears to be dried until he was finished. "Hey, Papa..?"

"Hmm?" Mephisto tossed up the hanky, the fabric disappearing in a puff of pink smoke.

"Whenever Amaimon would touch me, my chest would burn like the skin wanted to melt itself off..." You touched your hand to your clothed collarbone, remembering the sensation contact with the green-haired demon had brought you. You then reached up with your free hand, brushing strands of lilac bangs from the headmaster's face as if to make a point. "...At first, I thought it was a demon thing, but, when I touch you, I don't feel any pain at all..."

In fact, the exact opposite could be said. Whenever you'd made contact with Mephisto, your head just seemed to forget any worry or concern you'd had on your mind at the moment. You felt a warm comfort blanket over you, like the two of you being near was somehow right.

Mephisto chuckled, brushing your hand away and standing straight once more. "That would be because you'd changed your mind about marrying Amaimon before he'd marked you as his bride."

"Huh?"

"I wasn't there for the proposal, however, I remember the day you cried for hours after realizing that marrying Amaimon meant living in Ghenna and leaving your precious papa here in Assiah, not that you knew what either of those places were at the time." The headmaster gave a dreamy sight, as if it was a pleasant memory and not a reminder of the day he ignored his paperwork in favor of trying to pry you off of his then tear-stained suit. "You swore off of ever marrying and decided to live here with your papa forever~"

Cue the deadpan. "Why do I feel like that second half's a little exaggerated?"

Mephisto simply shrugged, an innocent expression on his face despite the fact you knew better. You couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his antics.

You slowly laid back down after a minute or two, keeping your eyes open with all the strength you could muster from your droopy eyelids. Curse this perfectly comfortable bed. "Papa..."

"Hm?" Mephisto raised a brow as he tucked you in, just like he would when you were a child.

"All those people...the 'Vatican'...they treat you pretty poorly even though you work for them..." You yawned, now warm and even sleepier than a moment ago.

"I told you, my dear, humankind is cruel to demons like us, simply for our species." The King of Time let out a wistful sigh, shaking his head, almost as if he were lecturing you. "Not that many demons are much better, mind you."

"Then...why are we helping them?" You just couldn't wrap your head around why your father would stick around so long with people who clearly didn't give a fuck about him. Was there something he needed from them?

"Because, Pumpkin, don't you want to prove them wrong?" That didn't seem like something your father would normally say, but you were honestly too tired to question it at the time.

"Papa..." With what strength you had left, you leaned up and kissed the demon king's forehead, allowing your eyes to shut by the time you fell back onto the bed. "Don't worry, I'm here for you, okay? And I always will be..."

Mephisto's brows raised, but only for a moment. He simply smiled although you couldn't see it with your eyes shut. "Of course, schatz."

You let slumber take hold of you again, knowing your training was to begin the moment you woke up again.

Chapter Text

You stood in front of your father's desk, wondering what he'd so suddenly summoned you in for. He was being weirdly vague again, making you almost anxious for him to get to the point. Eventually, he cleared his throat.

"Now, Pumpkin, I know you and I haven't been on the best of terms lately..." That was an understatement. The rollercoaster that called itself the relationship between you and the man known as Mephisto Pheles had certainly gone through a few twists and turns recently. Though, if you'd already reconciled, you'd've felt less of a twinge of unease pang through your heart at the statement. Mephisto simply continued. "...sooo, as a sign of good grace, I've decided to allow you a privilege I'd previously rejected whenever you'd brought it up."

What? The look of confusion on your face said it all.

"Remember how you'd always wanted a puppy? Well..." No way. You couldn't believe it! Did the Demon King of Time finally concede on your pleas to get a dog? You foolishly allowed yourself to get your hopes up as the man lifted a small, pink handkerchief off of his desk in a grand revelation. "Ta-da!"

It was...a hamster.

"Geez pops, this is sure one weird looking dog." You drawled, watching the tiny beast stand itself on two legs.

"Now, now, dear. Think of it as a practice pet." Mephisto seemed unfazed, continuing to smile despite your unenthusiastic expression.

"A 'practice pet', huh?" You straightened up, not breaking eye-contact with the rodent for a single moment. Creepy. "What do these things eat anyway?"

"Candy!" You froze, hearing a familiar voice invade your brain.

"Papa..."

"Yes my little cat síde?"

"Why is the Demon King of Earth currently a hamster?"

Your father chuckled, sitting down in his plush leather seat before beginning his explanation.

"Unfortunately, Amaimon here has managed to use up quite a bit of his energy in a tantrum he'd had after I'd imprisoned him." Mephisto gestured to the tiny green hamster. "He's stuck in this form to conserve power, so he's stuck like this for the moment. In the meantime, I need someone to watch over him."

"And you thought I was a good pick for the job because...?" You poked at the green demon king's furry stomach with your pointer finger.

"He likes you!" The headmaster's point was only proven as Amaimon grabbed your finger with two tiny paws, rubbing his chunky cheeks against it. "See? Had you been anyone else, he would've bitten your entire finger off just now."

You hated to agree, but you knew it was the truth. Amaimon wasn't the type of guy who played nicely with others, so your father probably had little choice in the matter himself.

As you allowed Amaimon to crawl into your hand, you remembered all of the pain the green-haired demon had brought you these last few days: kidnapping you, attempting to battle your best friend to the death (twice apparently), putting a bug underneath your skin- that last one was more than enough reason for you to simply chuck this small, adorable rodent into the nearest dumpster and leave it- but, you had to admit, you were ultimately grateful towards the King of Earth. After all, if it hadn't been for him, you might've never discovered the truth of your heritage, continuing to live blissfully unaware as the people around you struggled so much on the daily.

You supposed that, in the end, you owed him a debt of gratitude, one that could be repaid by giving him a second chance. You just had to teach him how to not be sooo...evil?

"Alright, I'll do it." You finally conceded, much to your father's joy.

"Excellent! I knew I could count on you, Pumpkin!" The headmaster made a show of clasping his hands together in glee.

"I don't see how this was even a debate." Amaimon's voice rang through your head again. Man, you were calling it that moment: there was no way you were ever getting used to this 'demon telepathy' thing. Hearing your own thoughts on the regular was jarring enough as it was, you didn't need this psycho's voice popping in at random to add to that mix. On the flip side, the hamster seemed quite content in your palm. "Of course my wife would be the one to serve by my side."

After a moment of silence and filled by twin deadpans, curtesy of you and Mephisto, you spoke up again.

"Is it too late to get that dog?" You rubbed your temples, feeling a headache starting to form.

"Big brother..." Amaimon turned to Mephisto, though still keeping put in your palm. "Why doesn't she seem happy? As my wife, she should be overjoyed to be sharing this time with me."

"Well, first off, I'm not your damn wi-"

"Now, now, Pumpkin. A lady doesn't speak with her mouth full." Mephisto cut you off before you could finish your sentence. Suddenly, you felt soft, fluffy marshmallows fill your mouth out of nowhere. "No need to worry, Amaimon. She'll adjust soon enough."

You pouted through the sugary treats stuffed into your cheeks, making sure the almighty King of Time watched as you slowly spit the entire glob of marshmallows onto a paper on his desk before you silently strode out of the room.

Chapter Text

You groaned, tossing a nearby pillow over your face to shield your ears from the awful blare of your alarm clock. Six am was way too early to be up, especially during summer break.

You apparently weren't the only one annoyed by the loud cacophony gracing your ears as, in the next moment, you shot up it pain, having been socked by a certain fist-sized rodent's intentional cannonball into your stomach.

"GAH!" You clutched your stomach in pain, glaring at the green hamster looking up at you under the guise of innocence. "Amaimon, what the hell!?"

"That machine is annoying. Get rid of it." The demon king stated as fact.

"Ya know what? No. But that's a mood." You shut off the alarm, looking at Amaimon for a straight minute in silence before dropping the pillow you'd been using for your face on top of him. Sure he was Demon of Earth, but, at the moment, he was also a hamster; what was he gonna do?

You took the opportunity while he was distracted to strip and throw on a comfortable outfit, readying yourself for the day. Once you were done, Amaimon took it upon himself to join you, climbing up your body and into your satchel as you were walking.

"Remember what I told you last night, alright?" You made your way out of the mansion, addressing the green hamster. "No speaking around anyone other than me. If Rin heard you, it could cause a problem."

"Yes, big brother told me that as well." Amaimon's head poked up from the gap the front flap allowed. "He also said that you'd be cranky for quite some time."

"He was right about that." You sighed, stepping out of the house.

You entered the batting cage area, waving hello to Rin and Yukio.

"Yo! Chicken! Teach!" You grinned. The two ignored your nicknames, not that you minded. Instead, you were interested in the bat the older twin held in his hands. "I didn't peg you for the baseball type. You up for a round?"

"Huh? Sure!" Rin nodded, seemingly happy at your interest for whatever reason.

"Sweet!" You grabbed a bat from the rack. "Loser buys winner monja?"

"You're on!"

The results were close, you'd almost ended in a tie, however, you managed to pull through as the victor in the end. It was no wonder why; you were captain of the baseball team, after all. Sometimes Rin forgot kinda these things since everyone was always so focused on exorcising demons and stuff.

Wiping the sweat from your brow, you shot the exwire a smile. "You didn't do too bad for a beginner. You've gotta work on your posture, though."

"Looks like you're all having fun." Shura strutted in at that moment, approaching the cage you and Rin were using. "Foolishly relaxed while having fun, Rin."

"Shura!" Rin turned to his teacher.

"With your tail out, you look just like a monkey!" Shura chuckled, causing you to subconsciously bring a hand over your clothes to where you'd hidden your own. You were suddenly glad you'd decided to take Mephisto's advice in the matter rather than follow Rin's straightforward approach to presenting demonic features. Shura tossed Rin the bag she was carrying. "Just like a moron. The perfect look for you!"

"It's constraining to hide it, so I feel better this way." The raven-haired half-demon pouted.

You placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "It's okay, I don't really see the point in it either to be honest."

"Yeah? Then why'd you hide yours?" Shura raised a brow, scrutinizing you under her gaze. She didn't seem to need you to respond, somehow getting an answer simply from your face. "Oh right, I forgot; you're a total daddy's girl, aren't you?"

You huffed, deciding not to dignify the childish statement with a response.

"Whatever, what's with the bag?" Rin peeked inside of the sack, pulling out a candle from inside. "Candles?"

"You need to master your flames." Shura raised her pointer and middle fingers simultaneously. "Line up three of these then light up the ones on the sides, but not the middle."

"Right!" Rin plopped himself down on the floor, lining up the candles as instructed. You watched as he struggled until finally his surroundings went up in azure flames, completely melting the wax spires.

"I said light, not melt." Shura put Rin down as he continuously failed to light the candles in the proper fashion. Eventually, she approached him. "This is about control. Do three sets every day until you can do it and pick your nose at the same time."

"Did you really have to word it like that?" Yukio sighed, starting to pick up some of the baseballs from your competition with Rin. You decided to go help him while Rin sorted out his training regimen with Shura.

"Uh, here." You passed him the balls you'd collected for him to reinsert them into the machine. He simply nodded to you in acknowledgment. You weren't sure if it was just the younger twin's personality, but the two of you always seemed so awkward around each other. Because of this, you tried to never be alone with him if you could help it. Unfortunately, since you've been training with him in firearms, alone time with him was inevitable.

"Wimpy four-eyes~?" Shura sang, entering the cage. "How about a rematch?"

"No, thank you."

"You're no fun." Despite Yukio's response, Shura picked up a bat and started stating terms of the match.

You decided to leave them to it, joining Rin in his practice. You sat next to him, crossing your legs as you watched him struggle.

"(Y/n)..." The other half-demon seemed surprised you were so quick to keep him company. "Are you sure you're okay with sitting so close?"

"Hm? Of course." You picked up a candle, looking it over in one hand. "Why shouldn't I be? You got cooties or somethin'?"

"No, no, it's just..." Rin melted another candle as he spoke. He was failing, but he kept trying despite his lack of success. "Everybody else is making a big deal about my flames, but you don't seem even a little scared."

"Well, duh. It's cuz I'm not." You tossed your candle up in the air, kinda tempted to buy some scented ones to see how they'd smell being lit by blue flames. Would they be any different? This experiment had potential. "Maybe it's because I got to all this stuff late or cuz I'm halbdämon like you, but I also know you better than you think, Chicken. You couldn't burn me with those flames of yours even if you really wanted to."

Your statement surprised Rin, a light tinge of pink coming to his cheeks as he gazed at your distracted form. Unfortunately, you weren't the only one distracted. Rin's flames subconsciously flared as he looked your way, the fire spewing over to where Shura and Yukio were still invested in their competition. You watched as the pair of teachers' clothes burnt away until Rin threw his hands up over your eyes, preventing your eyesight from being further tarnished.

After the two senior exorcists were clothed at least partly using pieces of Rin's uniform, you and Rin got to putting out the cinders of the fire. You silently mourned the loss of a perfectly nice batting cage, making note to tell your father you were no way related to this incident the moment you got home.

You looked over to Rin who seemed to be pouting over the incident more than anything. He was now clad in only his boxers, making you want to look away, however, your eyes couldn't help but wander to a certain feature of his ensemble.

"Bruh, why are you still wearing your tie?" You snorted, covering your mouth with a hand as you giggled.

"It makes me feel less naked!" Rin glared, protesting as you took the tie from over his head. "Hey!"

"Well, it makes you look like a doofus. Here." You tossed the other half-demon the sweatshirt you'd been wearing. "This way you're actually less naked. Make sure you get it back to me soon."

Rin caught the jacket with one hand, shoving it over his head before looking at it more closely. "Hey, this is mine! How many of my sweatshirts do you have!?"

Before you could get into it, Shura whistled from a short distance away to get your attention. "Yo! Flame-brain! Princess! We're leaving!"

Huh?

Chapter Text

"Sorry we're late. I'm intermediate exorcist first class, Yukio Okumura."

Your group arrived on the scene within the hour. The exorcists there seemed to be having trouble keeping the crowd dispersed with most on duty tending to the injured.

"Shura Kirigakure, senior first class." As you each began to introduce yourselves, a timid looking man approached to survey you all.

"I'm Rin Okumura! An exwire!" The other half-demon grinned. "Here to save the day!"

"You!? Aren't you dangerous!?" The older gentleman seemed like he was ready to have a heart attack at the prospect of having Rin on the scene.

"You don't even know him, gramps. He's a good guy, don't worry." You simultaneously scolded and reassured. You didn't have any form of formal identification since you weren't even an exwire yet, but you proceeded to introduce yourself. "(Y/n) Pheles."

You stared using Pheles as your last name around the Knights of True Cross in order to avoid confusion. It was an adjustment at first, but you'd slowly gotten used to it.

"O-oh, Miss Pheles! It's a-an honor!" Despite his words, the elder only seemed to sweat more. "I'm Saburota Todo, senior exorcist first class and warden of the Deep Keep."

"You must be the one in charge then." Shura was awfully lax for someone so near a crime scene.

"Yes, though I'm afraid I've been doing a miserable job. The Left Eye of the Impure King has been stolen from the Deep Keep!"

"Huh? How'd that happen?" The redheaded woman was curious now. As were you. Just what was this eye thing they were talking about?

"We're not sure! I pursued the intruder; a masked man who was clearly the culprit, but he used a child as a shield!" Todo seemed like he was ready to burst into tears at any moment. You watched as he held his face in his hands, almost feeling sorry for the guy. "He's holed up in that building now. The gas has affected over thirty-one people and we don't have enough doctors. This is an absolute failure!"

"Is the kid still in there too!?" You started heading for the doors to the nearby building, no further questions asked. For some reason, you began sneezing almost uncontrollably as soon as you got closer, but this didn't deter you. Through your sniffles, you continued. "We need to hurry!"

"Not so fast, Princess." Shura grabbed the back of your collar, preventing you from going forward. "You and Flame-Brain are stayin' with me."

"What? But that kid could die in there!" Rin protested, obviously on your side.

"We can't save everyone. Sometimes there's nothing we can do." Yukio spoke up this time, using that condescending tone of his you personally hated. You couldn't imagine what it was like for Rin.

"You shouldn't give up before you even try!" The older Okumura glared, ready to continue arguing until Shura took his collar in her free hand.

"That's enough you two. We're staying here, the answer's final." The beautiful exorcist dragged the both of you further from the scene, an impressive feat considering you both possessed demonic strength.

"Hey! Leggo of me!" Both you and the exwire struggled for a minute before an idea came to mind.

"Rin!" The moment you called out for him, the two of you locked gazes before nodding in turn. You hastily pulled out your watch from your pants pocket, fumbling until you were able to hold it steady and pop it open. You held in a deep breath as you pushed the button on the side, the air around you stilling as total silence was the only thing heard in your immediate surroundings. Everything stopped.

You let out a breath shakily before getting to work. You still weren't quite used to these new timey-wimey abilities of yours. You'd practiced a little, but you'd gotten so busy with your other exorcist-related studies, you, ironically, had issues finding the time, so they weren't much to write home about quite yet.

There wasn't much time to worry about that now, however. Based off your most recent experiments, you figured you probably had about five minutes before time would continue its natural flow, so you couldn't waste a single second. You hastily loosened Shura's grip on yourself and then Rin, moving him out of the way for the time being.

You then took a random man from the crowd, one of similar stature to the Okumura and replacing Shura's grasp with him. You knew it wasn't nice, but it seemed necessary to shove an apple in his mouth, if only to give yourself a few more seconds before the redhead figured out your trick. Hopefully it would be enough time for Rin to do what he needed to.

Reluctantly, you put yourself back into Shura's clutch, just as time began once more.

The man you'd basically kidnapped immediately started to squirm and protest around the fruit in his mouth.

"No more buts, Rin. You two are gonna stay put right here, got it?" Shura released the two of you, turning to face you within the next moment. Needless to say, she noticed Rin had given her the slip. "What the hell!? I swear when I find that kid-!"

"What's the matter, Miss Kirigakure? Lose something?" A familiar voice came from out of the blue, just as the man you'd used as a replacement Rin ran away. You looked up at Mephisto who'd placed a hand on your shoulder as he stood by your side.

"Why, not at all~!" Shura smiled, her honey-sweet tone clearly fake. "I was simply wondering what took you so long to get here!"

"I'm afraid I had some paperwork to attend to." The older demon shrugged, pulling two popsicles from out of nowhere. He held one out for you to take, however, leaned in close as you went to grab it. "But as soon as I sensed my lovely daughter making a show of her new abilities, I simply couldn't wait to join you any longer."

A hot blush of embarrassment took over your face as you popped open the popsicle the headmaster relinquished. Of course he'd be able to tell whenever you were fucking with time. You decided to change the subject. "Is this eyeball thing really so important you need to put off your work again?"

"Indeed. It's an important relic to the history of exorcists." Mephisto bit into his popsicle, much to your chagrin.

"Papa! You shouldn't bite into those!" You scolded, immediately forgetting about the eye. "It's bad for your teeth!"

"I'm so glad my adorable daughter is worried about me!" The elder demon squished your cheeks, muffling any further protests from you. Despite how it seemed, you could tell he was just doing this to prevent you from nagging him any further.

"Ugh. Don't you guys have to be gross somewhere else?" Shura rolled her eyes at the display.

"Not 'till four." You hummed through squished cheeks.

"Oh look, seems they've returned." Mephisto released you, approaching the Okumura boys who'd just exited the building. "Truly excellent work!"

"Mephisto!?" Rin seemed surprised as the headmaster came closer, you and Shura in tow.

"Though, it seems it was just a diversion." Despite his words, Mephisto continued to smile. "It seems the real left eye has actually been stolen."

"My familiar's already tracking it." Shura piped in. When did they figure all this stuff out!? You could've sworn you were with them the whole time!

"I thought something was fishy about Todo, so I looked into it and my suspicions proved correct." Mephisto took another bite of his popsicle, causing you to sigh in defeat. "And there's more. We don't have all the details, but an attempt was also made for the Right Eye.

"Isn't that just awful?"

Chapter Text

"Kyoto: here I come!" You tossed open your suitcase, ready to fill it with things needed for your trip.

You were more excited than ever, throwing in all possible combinations of clothing into your luggage in preparation of what you might need. You had no clue what Kyoto was like in the least, so you figured it'd be better to be over prepared than under.

You sat on the floor of your bedroom, biting the tip of your nail. Clothing wasn't your only concern. You'd never really left True Cross Academy Town before, save for those short visits you'd made to the beach, and this mission was set to take place for at least a week. You'd never been away from your father for that long before. You didn't wanna be a baby or anything, but the thought of being separated for so long from someone you were used to seeing nearly every day of your life since birth was just a little jarring.

You attention was pulled away from your thoughts as you spotted a certain green menace plop a giant bag of candy into your suitcase.

"Excuse me, kind King of Earth." You strained a smile in his direction. "But I don't remember offering you space in my suitcase."

"You're my wife, what belongs to you belongs to me." Amaimon stated as fact.

"First off, we're not married. Second, Papa's gonna kill me if he finds out I packed a shit ton of sweets like this." Otherwise, you really wouldn't have much of a problem packing as much sugar as the King of Earth wanted. After all, that meant you'd have a constant supply of candy your entire trip, which was always a good thing.

On the other hand, it felt kinda good refusing Amaimon's request. He'd be at least a little upset and while you might be giving him a second chance, that didn't change the fact that the motherfucker put an actual bug larva underneath your skin. Yes, you were still salty.

You lifted the bag of sweets with one hand, plopping it out of your suitcase with a blank expression on your face. If he wanted a fight, you'd give him one.

A few hours later, you tugged a candy-filled suitcase through the train station. How in Assiah did you manage to lose an argument to a friggin' hamster!?

You let out a sigh. If your father ever found out, at least you could push the blame onto Amaimon. Or video games. Parents liked to blame video games for all their kid's problems, right?

"You okay?" Rin looked over to you in concern from where he was walking next to you.

"Yup. Never better." You showed off a weak grin, contrasting the hostile look Amaimon was sending the other half-demon in comparison, though, it probably looked pretty silly with the hamster perched on your shoulder.

"Hey! That's your new pet, right?" Rin ignored the glare the tiny rodent was giving him, leaning in to get a closer look. "What's his name again?"

"It's, uh..." While you hated to keep a secret from your best bro, you somehow doubted this was a good time to tell him you were currently harboring one of his greatest enemies on your shoulder. You didn't need time-powers to foresee how that conversation would go.

'Hey buddy! Remember the swamp goth that kidnapped me in the woods, made out with me in front of you then tried to kick your ass, outing you as the son of evil incarnate to your friends and the organization that wants to execute you? Well, I'm taking care of him so he can regain his power and hopefully become an ally and not just decide to take his revenge and kill us all!'

"..."

"Uh, (Y/n)?" You snapped out of your daze when you heard Rin call for you.

"Huh? Oh! His name, right! It's..." You paused for a moment, trying to come up with something good. "...Maimo. Yeah, Maimo."

It sounded almost like an actual name when you pronounced it without any childish dictation.

"Huh, weird name. Where'd you get that from?" Rin raised a brow.

"Oh, I made it up. Just sounded cute, ya know?" You shrugged, wanting to change the topic as quickly as possible. Luckily for you, it was time to board the train. "I'll go in first, I want a window seat!"

"Wha- No fair!" The ravenette rushed in after you. He probably didn't even want a window seat, but, due to the competitive nature of your relationship, he couldn't resist backing down from such a childish challenge.

Unfortunately, thanks to your rushing, Rin didn't notice Shiemi, bumping into her and causing her to slip onto the floor.

"Ah! Sorry, Shiemi!" The flame-wielding half-demon didn't hesitate to offer the blonde a hand. "Lemme help you up!"

Shiemi, however, couldn't find it in herself to respond, simply staring up at Rin with wide, horrified eyes from where she sat on the floor.

You simply sighed, shoving your luggage into a random seat before intervening. Without a word, you crouched down, hooked your hands underneath Shiemi's arms and tugged her up til she was standing. Once she was up, you grabbed Rin's wrist, dragging him towards your seats despite his protests.

"W-what the hell!?" The other half-demon stuttered as you pushed him into the seat next to your own. He watched as Shiemi greeted the others, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Just...ignore them, alright?" You huffed, sitting down in your own seat. "They're not even worth it."

Amaimon nodded in agreement, clearly wishing to add his own input about how humans are ungrateful, insignificant creatures anyway. He'd never hesitated in broaching the topic with you before, attempting to convince you to elope to Ghenna with him after his power returns. You, of course, declined as politely as possible by completely ignoring him.

"B-but, they're my friends!" Rin protested, trying to assure you they weren't actually bad people, despite your recent encounters with them.

"How...How can he just sit there!?" Your ears twitched as the young bald-headed boy you'd never bothered to learn the name of quivered in his seat directly behind Rin. "What if he goes wild again!?"

"The higher-ups said it was okay. Just don't bother them."

"How can you stay so calm, Shima?"

"Yeah, they sure sound real friendly right now." You clenched your teeth, knowing that lashing out would only upset your friend, even if it was to defend him. You looked over to Rin, noting the dejected look on his face, your heart breaking as you did so. Shakily, you reached out a hand, placing on top of tussles of raven hair. The young man, in response, glanced up at you in acknowledgment. You gave him a grin in an effort to cheer him up. "Lemme see that pamphlet you packed. I've never been to Kyoto before!"

"Me either!" Rin lifted his head, light now returning to his eyes at least a little. "I wanna see Kyoto Tower and tons of other cool stuff!"

"Same! Let's bully Boobalicious into letting us out on the town for a day!"

"For sure!"

The cheery conversation came to an abrupt halt as the two of you froze in complete shock not a moment later when Izumo "eyebrow-bitch" Kamiki herself took the seat on the end of your row, only one seat away from Rin.

Well, this was awkward.

Shura had wasted no time explaining your mission as soon as the train took off. Basically, the Eyes of the Impure King were toxic demon relics. Your job in Kyoto was to protect the one not stolen already. Seemed simple enough.

Now, however, about ten minutes into your ride, there was an awkward silence between you, Rin, and Izumo Kamiki.

"Aren't you scared of me?" The blue-eyed boy was the one to speak first.

"Ha! Of you? Not in the least." Izumo scoffed, rolling her eyes as if the statement was completely ridiculous. "Maybe you don't know, but there are tons of people with demon blood, many of them being exorcists."

"R-really!?"

"Yeah. Did you really think you and Pheles were the only ones?" Twintails continued. "The problem is that the demons you two are related to are pretty much the most dangerous demons in existence, besides the King of Light. The order hasn't killed you because they don't know if you're a boon or a bane yet. Not to mention, they might act all tough, but they can't risk losing Sir Pheles or turning him into an enemy. That's all this is about."

Polkabrows crossed her arms, raising her voice so that the passengers in the seats behind you could hear her loud and clear.

"So I can't be flipping out over every little thing!" Izumo huffed, clearly miffed at the attitude everyone else was presenting.

"Dang! Guess you're not so bad after all, Half-Brows!" You sent a grin of appreciation, ignoring Izumo's protest to the nickname. "You can be kinda stand-offish at times, but at least you're not a paranoid coward like everyone else."

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A COWARD!?" Bon was quick to hop up from the seat behind you, seething in anger from your words.

"OBVIOUSLY YOU ROOSTER-BREATH!" You shot up to prepare to get physical, only to be hindered by Rin's arms quickly locking underneath your own to hold you back.

"GRRRRRAAAAH!"

"I sentence you to Bariyon Punishment! I told you to work together!" Shura angrily scolded you as a group, the rock in your lap making you uncomfortable as well as grumpy from earlier.

Warning you not to wake her up, the redhead stormed out of the room, leaving all of you alone in the train car.

"Does this happen often? Why would she have these things on hand?" You sighed.

"We did this during our exwire exams as well. Come to think of it, it was Bon's fault last time too." Shima chuckled. Most of the students in the cram school were like him; they didn't mind speaking to you alone, but they typically avoided you since you were almost always with Rin. Renzo laughed. "You still haven't made any progress, Bon!"

"Quiet you!"

"W-why'd she have to leave Okumura with us!?" You could hear the tears in baldy's voice, somehow only annoying you further. "If he acts up, our lives are in danger!"

Before you could tell him off, his rock shot up into the air, landing on top of Shiemi who'd been sitting next to him. It began crushing her under its weight as time passed on.

Hopping up along with the others, you rushed over to where Shiemi was laying. Renzo and Bon tried their best to lift it, but couldn't seem to get it to budge.

"Urrrgh! I can't, I'll throw my back out!" Shima squealed after failing to move it. "I think you have to burn or break Bariyons..."

"Leave it to me!" Rin volunteered immediately, grasping onto the rock as if this was what he'd been born to do.

"Hold on!" You stopped your friend before he could spew his flames, suddenly pulling out your watch as an idea came to mind. "Rin! When I give the signal, I want you to blast this thing with your flames, got it?"

"Yeah! You can count on me!"

"I know..." You gave a soft smile, in response, showing Rin your appreciation. With a deep breath you focused on the Bariyon alone, moving the long hand on your watch backwards about five minutes. Your head felt like it was splitting apart, the pain causing you to grind your teeth as you did your best to keep it together.

Focusing on a single object, especially a living one, was somehow more taxing on your body than stopping time or just going forward or backwards yourself a few minutes. This was why you needed training, along with a proper teacher to help control these abilities. Though, it couldn't be just anyone. It'd have to be someone strong.

As the time flow of the Bariyon moved backwards before your very eyes, it wasn't long before the rock demon was back up into the air the same as it'd been minutes before. "Now, Rin!"

"Got it!" Rin blasted the Bariyon with his blue flames, burning the rock along with several seats surrounding the group.

"Knock it off!" Bon pulled his blue-eyed peer back, preventing him from releasing any more fire and allowing the Bariyon to crash to the ground. Shiemi had been smart enough to move, so it simply fell on the carpet below where she'd once been laying. Suguro wasn't finished there, however. "Can't you get it through your thick skull? Those blue flames can kill people! People who are apart of my temple and family have died from those flames!"

Izumo, in the meantime, managed to make quick work of extinguishing the fire, destroying the Bariyon in the process.

"You won't have to worry about anything like that ever happening again! Cuz I'm gonna defeat the guy that did those things! Got it!?" Rin snarled, grasping the collar of Bon's shirt. "I'm not him! So don't group me in with him!"

"Why, you-!"

"Bon! Above you!" Shima shouted, drawing your attention to the Bariyon dropping right over Suguro's head, fully intending to crush in his skull.

You barely had enough time to react, the pain from your usage of power still pounding. You used your watch once again, pausing the cabin around you this time, rather than just the rock. You moved quickly, shoving Ryuuji out of the way before practically collapsing on top of him.

The moment you passed out, time resumed, the Bariyon dropping to the ground while Bon suddenly had an arm-full of you. Did you just...save him?

"Can't you kids even handle a pipsqueak like this!?" You'd be happy later knowing that you missed an entire lecture from Shura while you were sleeping.

Chapter Text

You rubbed your eyes, stretching your back off of the futon underneath you, hoping to feel a satisfying 'pop' from the action.

It didn't take you long to realize you weren't in your bed back in the manor. While this futon was comfy, nothing could compare to the absolute cloud your mattress was back home.

You sat up, looking around and noting that it was clearly still daytime from the light pouring in from behind the sheer sliding doors nearby. You were clearly the room's only intended occupant for your stay seeing as there was only one bed centered in the middle of the decently sized room. Thanks to the décor and overall atmosphere, you could tell this was one of the nicer rooms this establishment had to offer.

You figured this was the inn Bon's family managed, though you were a bit surprised he hadn't convinced them to room you in a storage closet after all the fighting you two'd done.

"Amaimon?" You called for the demon king, watching as he crawled out from under the covers you'd just been using. "What happened while I was out?"

"The annoying meathead carried you here on his back after the train stopped. A human woman insisted you be put in this room to rest." The hamster caught the piece of candy you tossed him as thanks, holding it in his tiny paws in a manner you couldn't help but find at least a little cute. "They clearly know you're much higher above them in status. I saw where Rin Okumura and the other worms are staying and they didn't even bother to get them separate rooms."

"Huh? Everyone else is sharing?" You dumped most of the candy out of your suitcase, wondering why they didn't just group you in with the others. "Don't tell me they did this cuz of Papa."

"Why wouldn't they? You're the highest of Samael's kin and Princess of Time," You cringed a bit at the title, ignoring the fact Amaimon was speaking with his mouth full. "You can join the rest of our family in Ghenna whenever you want, all you have to do is unseal your demon heart and claim your place as my wife, Queen of Earth."

"Uh-huh. We've been over this Mai-mo. I have a life here." You leaned down, picking up the small rodent in your palm. "I have friends who I care about and don't wanna leave."

"Like those human weeds you were so eager to play with on the train?" It took you a while to figure out the first time he'd used the term 'play' a few days ago, but he really meant 'fight'. "You shouldn't be so quick to play with others like that. I'm the only one who's allowed to-"

"Amaimon, if I fight someone else, it's cuz they've either pissed me off or I'm training to get stronger. Not cuz I wanna 'play.'" You sighed, hoping this would sate the King of Earth's jealousy, at least for now. "But, no. Not them. They're gross. I mean people like Rin, Belial, and Papa."

You stopped there with the examples, mostly because you couldn't think of any other people you considered close enough to be called 'friends.'

"They're all demons. Just take them with you. I never understood why Samael was so attached to this world in the first place." You put the hamster down once more.

"How...do you still not understand that kidnapping is wrong?" You shook your head in disapproval. "Besides, I don't have a large enough sack to carry all three of them."

You slipped a pair of slippers on your preciously bare feet, heading out of the room and towards where the nearest sounds were coming from. Your demonic hearing was both a blessing and a curse.

Shura was the first one you managed to run into.

"You're up? Great!" The redheaded woman didn't seem too concerned about your condition, but you decided to leave it be. "You can start helping out the others."

"Alright, I don't mind. Where is everyone?" Finally! Your first official work as an exorcist-in-training! You tried your best to hide the look of excitement from your face, but couldn't gage if it worked or not from Shura's reaction.

"They all split up so it's up to you who you buddy up with really. So, pick a friend and get to it." The senior exorcist yawned, clearly uninterested in keeping this conversation going much further, though, a sly expression soon took over her face. "Or should I say 'friend'?"

The older woman snickered.

"Don't think I haven't noticed what's going on between you lovebirds~"

"L-l-lovebirds!?" Your face turned bright red at the insinuation. Was that really what it seemed like?

"Though, I dunno how daddy dearest'll handle the news." Shura seemed lost in thought on the matter. "He usually keeps you on a pretty tight leash. I can't imagine he'd take it well if you told him you were dating."

"Please, never refer to my dad as 'daddy' ever again." You cringed a bit. As far as you were concerned, you were the only one who could call him that without it being weird and you didn't even do that unless you really wanted something.

You didn't bother acknowledging any of the other things she'd said; there was no use trying to change her mind on the topic.

Thankfully, Shura seemed to drop it. "So, who's it gonna be?"

Good question.

Chapter Text

"Rin, of course. I'm not exactly on good terms with any of the others at the moment." You pouted a bit, still annoyed about the incident on the train. "And I won't be til they get off Okumura's case."

"You sure are stubborn." Shura sighed, despite her immediate smile afterward. "He really is lucky to have you, Princess!"

You couldn't prepare yourself for the noogie the redheaded firecracker gave you, ruffling your hair and unintentionally shoving your head in her boobs. "H-hey!"

Shura just laughed, releasing you from her hold. "I saw the slacker head outside just a minute ago. Do me a favor and keep him outta trouble, 'kay?"

"Yeah, yeah." You waved her off, parting ways without another word.

It didn't take you long to find Rin at all. As soon as you opened the door to head outside, you nearly bumped into him.

"Oh, hey! You feelin' any better?" The first thing the half-demon did was press his forehead to yours to check your temperature. You were kinda used to it by now, but, with the conversation you'd had with Boobs-a-lot earlier, your face couldn't help but flush just a bit. Rin frowned. "Huh, you're kinda warm. Sure you shouldn't be resting up some more?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks, Mom." You giggled, taking the plate the blue-eyed exwire had been carrying on his head. Both of his hands were full of similar plates, all filled with slices of watermelon. "Where'd you get this stuff anyway?"

"Bon's dad, believe it or not. He's actually a pretty cool guy." That was surprising. You'd expected him to be some kind of hardass authority figure from the way Ryuuji acted.

"Seems like Bon could take a note or two." You rolled your eyes. "You gonna offer this stuff to the others? Lemme help out."

"You sure?" For some reason, Rin seemed a bit hesitant to let you join him. It was kinda weird since he'd never once complained about hanging out with you before. "You could always go join the others. I'm sure they're doing much more interesting stuff than this..."

Aaaah, so it was his self-confidence issues kicking in.

"Why would I wanna be there with them when I could be here with you?" You stated as if the answer was obvious. You really hoped he'd snap out of it soon. You hated seeing him all mopey cuz of the others. "Don't let it get to your head, but, outta everyone else here, you're pretty much the only one cool enough to talk to. Other than me, of course."

Rin blinked, trying to process your words. Soon, a big grin spread from one of his cheeks to the other. "Thanks, (Y/n)."

"Don't thank me for the obvious, Chicken." You rolled your eyes playfully. "Let's just hand these bad boys out before Boobalicious gets mad at us."

"Alright!" Rin followed you inside, searching for any exorcists that looked willing to accept food from demon spawn.

It took you very little time to find others well enough to eat. A group of patients were arguing in a tiny room, attracting your attention.

"Ooh, I'm soooo scared! Resorting to force, huh? All you Shimas are so incompetent!"

Dang, this lady was pissed. She and her sisters all looked pretty much the same, making you wonder for a brief moment if perhaps they were actually clones. You then remembered that wasn't possible, feeling a little silly for even thinking such a thing.

"WHAAAAT!?"

The other party didn't seem to take the criticism too well. That must've been Pinky's family. They weren't bad looking, but none of them were really your type. The snake ladies however...

"The recent attack showed your father's lack of leadership! We're talking about the essential problem here!"

"Ha! Essential? Explain that in 200 words or less!"

"I thought Kyoto was more elegant than this..." Rin seemed disappointed in the behavior of the Kyoto Field Office. You honestly were a little too.

"I don't think they're interested in eating watermelon right now." You noted, grabbing Rin's wrist with your free hand. "There's no sense in wasting our time here."

"Alright..." The other half-demon complied without complaint, allowing you to drag him back outside to sit on the walkway.

You plopped down first, hanging your feet off the end of the platform without a worry in the world. You wordlessly picked up a slice of the watermelon Rin had cut up and took a bite out of it.

"Hey! Those are for the patients!" The Okumura protested immediately. "What'd I tell you about eating other people's food!?"

"C'mon! The people inside are either too sick to stomach this kinda thing or too busy dick-measuring to eat it." You spit out a seed into a nearby bucket that honestly looked too rusted to be considered fit for use anymore.

"Well, w-what about the people treating them?" Rin argued.

You shook your head. "They'd just get their hands sticky, so they'd probably refuse anyway."

That was a lie. You knew they wouldn't accept, but you didn't have the heart to tell Rin it was because of him. You saw the way people treated him and you weren't planning on giving them more opportunities to put him down than they already had.

Your friend eventually gave up, sighing as he sat down next to you. You offered him a slice of melon which he accepted absentmindedly.

"Hey," After a short while, you'd broken your mutual silence. "How far do you think we can spit these seeds using our demon strength?"

"Huh? I dunno."

"Looks like we'll have to find out." You grinned, picking up your next slice. "Betcha I can spit it farther than you can."

"You're on!"

"Ouch!" Tatsuma Suguro stood in front of his family's shrine, rubbing the back of his head. He'd just been minding his own business when he'd suddenly felt something hard smack into him. Luckily, he'd caught the offending object, allowing him to take a closer look. "A...watermelon seed?"

He barely managed to duck as the next fruity projectile shot past him, into the shrine and making itself at home.

Later that night, you and Rin carried large stacks of bento, helping out the kitchen staff and on gofer duty for Shura.

"Good work!" The senior exorcist complimented, not hesitating to indulge. "Now, go get some rest. We're starting early tomorrow."

"Alright." Rin agreed, still full from all the watermelon the two of you'd devoured earlier.

"I'll go too. I'm done for the night." You headed out with the Okumura, bidding goodnight to Shura and only Shura.

The two of you found yourselves outside of your bedroom door, sitting much like you had been earlier during the day. You weren't really sleepy, having rested earlier and Rin didn't seem too tired either.

The two of you talked about this and that, mostly just admiring the moon and how lovely the cool breeze felt against your heated skin.

Rin, however, wasn't actually interested in the moon. Sorry Yue. Instead, his gaze was focused on you, watching as you smiled and laughed in the silver light without a care in the world.

Feeling as if you were being watched, you captured his gaze, catching him redhanded.

"Rin..? Are you...okay?" You leaned in closer, pressing your forehead to his in a similar manner to how he'd done earlier. His face was warm, but he that wasn't unusual for him. You were always a little jealous of how his body retained heat so well, tempting you to cuddle him at every opportunity given.

Rin didn't seem to hear you, swallowing nervously at the contact. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, remembering that moment you'd had at the bell tower. Gathering up all the courage he could possibly muster, he ignored the pounding of his heart that echoed through his ears, and began leaning in to close the gap.

Unfortunately for him, you weren't quite on the same page.

Not reading the mood one bit, your eyes drifted to a sheet of paper in Rin's pocket, reflecting off the light of the moon.

"What's this?" You tugged the paper out of his pocket, quickly leaning back and unfolding it to read what Was written.

"W-wha- Hey! Give that back!" Shaking off his hypnotized state, the Okumura twin reached over to snatch the sheet away from you, only to be hindered as you pushed him back using your foot.

Holding the paper up to the sky, you snickered. "You seriously ranked the people you know by coolness?"

Rin simply kept trying to grab the sheet, a little embarrassed you'd found it.

The list read as follows:

1. Fujimoto
2. (Y/n)
3. Bon
4. Konekomaru
5. Me (Rin)
6. Kuro
7. Yukio

"Huh?" You blinked, making sure you were looking at it right. "I'm number 2?"

"Sh-shut up!" Rin, who'd given up trying to tear the paper away from you, crossed his arms and avoided your gaze.

"Wow. This Fujimoto guy must be pretty cool to beat me out for number one." You teased, grinning at the list as you looked it over again. "Who is he anyway? I need to meet my competition!"

"You can't..." Rin suddenly frowned, looking down to the grass below his feet. "He's my old man. He passed just before the school semester started..."

Oh boy, that's right. You remembered when your father had gone out of town for a funeral, merely a day or two before you'd met Rin. Looks like the assumption you'd made back then was right.

Now that you thought about it, you remembered hearing the name in the trial too, but you'd been so concerned for Rin you couldn't really concentrate on the details at the time.

"Rin, I...I'm so sorry..." You placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "He must've meant a lot to you..."

"Yeah, he did. But I took him for granted and now, because of me, he's gone." Your eyes widened as tears began to slip down Rin's cheeks, breaking your heart in two.

It hurt to see him like this and it hurt even more knowing you didn't know how to help him. All you knew was that you wanted to be there for him. You wanted him to rely on you and not feel like as if the entire world hated him.

Before you knew it, you'd wrapped the other half-demon in your arms, holding him close to your heart as you embraced him. Rin froze at the action. Eventually, he relaxed into the hug, wrapping his arms around you in turn and resting his head just above the origin of the beating in your chest.

You stroked his hair gently with one hand, staying silent as you did so, until every one of his tears had stilled. In that moment, you pulled away, just a bit, before looking into his beautiful weepy eyes. You placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, hoping the message would get across.

Once he looked more emotionally stable you pulled away completely, picking up the list once again.

"Ya know...it's not bad, but there's something bothering me about it..." You squinted your eyes as if analyzing the paper.

"W-what?" Rin blinked in confusion, watching as you stood up and brushed yourself off.

"Wait just oooone moment~" You entered your room, leaving the Okumura outside. You came back after a minute or two, sitting down exactly were you had been before. You wordlessly took the paper and placed it on the floor, using a pen you'd grabbed from inside to scribble something on the sheet. All of a sudden, you held it up, presenting the final product to Rin. "There! Much better!"

"You...moved me to number two?" Indeed you had. You crossed the other's name out from where it'd been previously and wrote it next to yours instead.

"Mhmm!" You nodded in confirmation. You shrugged nonchalantly as if it wasn't much of a big deal. "It's pretty hard to be cooler than me, but you're pretty much the coolest guy I know."

Other than maybe your Papa, but you didn't wanna ruin the moment.

"..." Rin was silent, gripping the sheet in his hands as if it were a matter of life and death. You let out a deep breath you'd secretly been holding in as you watched a soft smile form on his face. "...thank you."

"I told you earlier: don't thank me for the obvious, Chicken." You flicked his forehead, smiling in return. "Now, come on. Let's head inside and hit the hay. I'm gettin' sleepy!"

Rin allowed you to pull him into your room, watching as you flopped onto the futon below. "You...want me to sleep in here...with you?"

"Duh! Those other guys probably snore. Plus, I know you want some of my awesome cuddles!"

"W-whatever!" Rin's face grew hot as he stiffly joined you, laying his face a good distance away from your own. You snorted in response, but didn't push it. Instead, you silently held one of his hands, squeezing it in comfort.

Sooner or later, both of you feel asleep, exactly like that the entire night.

Chapter Text

"I think I'll go see what Moriyama's up to..."

You hadn't referred to her by her first name since she'd ghosted you. You really wanted to believe it was just a misunderstanding, but part of you wasn't so hopeful.

"Blondie's helping out in the kitchen." Shura gestured her head in the general direction of the room. "From the look of Mephisto's lunch the other day, I'd suggest you stick to dish duty if you wanna be helpful."

"Huh? Papa said that was the best bento he'd ever had though..."

"That guy. I still can't believe he actually has a soft side." The redheaded beauty rolled her eyes. "It sounds a little too good to be true..."

"What?" Was she trying to suggest something?

"Oh, nothin'." Shura waved off your questioning gaze. "Hurry up and head to the kitchen. I'm starvin'!"

"Whatever." You sighed, figuring you probably weren't getting any answers out of her any time soon. You headed over to where she'd motioned the kitchen area was, discontinuing the conversation.

Shiemi had frozen up the moment you entered the kitchen, leading up to a solid hour the two of you were just in total silence. You took Shura's suggestion and stuck to doing dishes while Shiemi decided to spend her time chopping veggies.

"So, uh, have you guys gotten to see the eye-thingy yet? I feel like I hit the hay at a really inconvenient time." You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly, doing your best to make conversation.

However, it was no use. Shiemi simply kept stiffly chopping vegetables without any indication she'd even heard you. Your face fell, realizing there was no sense even trying.

"Ow!" Distracted in your thoughts, You mishandled a knife by mistake, accidentally cutting your finger. You hissed at the sting, clutching your hand closer to your body on instinct.

"Are you alright!?" Shiemi was by your side in moments, grabbing your hand to get a closer look at the wound.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine." You blinked in surprise, having expected the gardener to continue her silence. "It should heal up pretty quick with my demonic healing and all. There's no need to worry."

"We should still disinfectant the wound." Shiemi insisted, a determined expression on her usually cheery face. "Nee! Get me some Mister Yuugo, please!"

You weren't sure who or what 'Mister Yuugo' was, but the tiny green familiar wasted no time popping out some kinda plant that Shiemi immediately used to treat your rapidly-closing injury. It stung a bit, but not for too long. Before you knew it, the blonde had slapped a bandage where the cut had once been, clearly proud in her work.

"Thank you, Shiemi." You offered the other girl a smile. "You're really good with medicine. It's super useful."

"You think I'm...useful?" For some reason, Shiemi started tearing up, causing you to panic a little. Did you say something wrong?

"Of course! I'm actually pretty jealous!" You decided to offer her a grin, hoping that you didn't just screw things up any further.

In response, the soft blonde gripped your hand in her own, looking up at you like she was about to cry.

"Oh, Miss Pheles! I'm so sorry!" Tears began to flow down Shiemi's cheeks. "I've been such a bad friend! You, Rin, and Yuki have all been suffering so much and I really haven't been doing anything to help you!"

Was that what she'd been upset about this whole time? Ignoring the fact that you'd really only been "suffering" for the few days you actually knew you were a demon, you couldn't help but want to comfort her.

"Shiemi, you've been hella helpful to all of us." You placed your free hand over the one that the gardener was using to grip your other. "All you need to do is stay by our sides. Your support is more than enough."

You weren't sure who hugged who first, but Shiemi was in your arms within the next moment, silently crying as you pet her head in comfort.

Looks like you'd broken your promise.

"Make sure you don't drop these, 'kay?" You passed the carefully crafted bento dinners to Rin. "Shiemi crafted these with a lotta care."

"Yeah, yeah, what do you take me for; a klutz?" Rin huffed, carrying at least three times as many as the other exwires.

"Yes." You teased, playfully shoving him out of the kitchen. "Eat every last bite!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

You watched as the others left before turning to Shiemi. "It's pretty nice out. You feel like eating outside?"

"I'd love to." Moriyama nodded, taking your hand in her own before leading you to the nearby garden.

That night, you had dinner with Shiemi for the first time under the beautiful moon, not letting go of each other's hands the entire time.

Chapter Text

"Actually..." You hummed after thinking for a moment. "If it's cool with you, I wanna go train a little."

"Studyin' hard, huh? That's alright." Shura approved giving you a simple pat on the head. "Keep it up and you'll be an even better student than Flame-Brain!"

"Thanks." You rolled your eyes, heading back into your room to grab your bag before the conversation could continue any further.

It didn't take long for you to find a nice, quiet place outside without any people. You weren't quite sure where the exorcists of this branch typically trained, but for now, this was good enough for you.

You placed a few empty cans, courtesy of Shura's drinking habit, on top of a fence nearby and stood back, admiring your handy-work.

"Alright. All I gotta do is shoot the cans down. That's all I'm aiming for." You took a deep breath, readying yourself for training. You'd already resigned relying on Rin's brother to learn this stuff, so you figured it'd be better to be self-taught than nothing at all.

You pulled out a pistol from your bag. It'd been a present from your father that you'd been taking pretty good care of since receiving it. You loaded it up the way Yukio showed you, one of the few things he'd actually bothered to demonstrate, before readying the weapon to fire.

Carefully aiming for the first can, you pulled the trigger.

Thirty minutes later, you were out of exorcism-bullets and every can was still practically pristine in condition. The closest you got to an actual hit was grazing the middle can in a stroke of luck. You collapsed to the ground, looking up at the sky and wondering about the least suspicious way to ask Shura or someone at the temple for more ammo.

"Man, how am I supposed to learn from a guy who can't even bother to acknowledge I exist half the time?" You pouted, wondering why Mephisto even suggested this guy to be your teacher. "I should probably just look for a new instructor myself. One that can actually bother to at least pretend to be a gentleman."

Yeah, that sounded like a good plan. Or at least a study-buddy learning the same stuff.

The image of someone popped into your head, simultaneously making your face hot in irritation and embarrassment. There was no way you'd ever ask him for help with jack shit!

Then again...

Rin was the next person to pop into your mind. He was really counting on you to become an exorcist soon, trusting you literally with his life. He'd come to your rescue without hesitation when you needed him, the least you could do was let your pride down a bit and ask that guy for help.

"At least he's kinda cute..." You sighed, swearing to speak with him as soon as this whole Kyoto-fiasco was over.

Chapter Text

The next day, you woke up early, heading out to eat breakfast and get your next assignment from Shura. Surprise, surprise, it was another "free" day, at least for demon spawn like you and Rin.

You decided that you'd spend the morning training in your room this time and catch up with your half-demon pal later on.

Amaimon perked up from his spot on the futon as you re-entered the bedroom. "You're back soon. Have you finally decided to abandon those exorcists?"

"Uh, no. I just felt like training in here today." You explained, grabbing a pen from the nearby desk and sitting. Amaimon silently climbed up the table, watching as you placed the pen down in front of you. "I'm still not great with using Papa's abilities yet, so I wanna practice. So far, the only powers that don't hurt are freezing time and moving forward or back and, even then, I can only go for about five minutes, if that."

In truth, you really weren't sure how well you could actually travel through time. Your mind raced back to a conversation you'd had with your Papa a few days ago.

"As bearers of the aspect of time, we have certain responsibilities that can't be ignored." Mephisto lectured, his tone surprisingly serious for once. You stood in front of his desk, hanging onto every word, whether you really wanted to or not. "Tweaking with time and space a bit is virtually harmless, however, if manipulated too much, reality as we know it could collapse before our very eyes."

You swallowed nervously. You guessed Uncle Ben had been right with all that power and responsibility talk.

"As soon as we travel back in time, be it twenty years or twenty hours, we become observers. We can look, but we cannot interfere with what's to come." The demon king explained, observing your every movement as if to analyze you. A mischievous smile made it's way onto his lips, sending a cold shiver up your spine. "If your powers grow anywhere close to my abilities, you'll be able to move your consciousness along time itself, no longer needing to tax your physical form."

"R-really!?" That sounded pretty cool! It was too bad you couldn't pull a Back-to-the-Future or anything, but you wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

You slapped your cheeks, grounding yourself to reality once more.

"Time to get serious!" You picked up the pen, staring at it with such intensity that, if you were Rin, it probably would've burst into his signature blue flames. You did this, glaring at the writing utensil for a solid minute before Amaimon chimed in.

"What are you doing?" The green hamster tilted his tiny head in curiosity. "Is this another strange human ritual?"

"Nope!" You answered, eyes never leaving the pen. "I'm trying to do that thing Papa does where he makes stuff disappear. If I can figure out how to do this, I can sneak whatever food I want wherever I want!"

"I see..." Amaimon nodded in understanding. "...you seem to not be doing a very good job."

"Thanks for the words of encouragement." You honestly didn't know what you were expecting. It's not like the demon king was going to dress up in a cheerleader uniform and cheer you on or anything.

You slumped down in your seat, tempted to give up entirely.

"You got any actual advice ya little moss goblin?" You turned to Amaimon, not allowing your hopes to get too high, but still curious if he'd respond with something useful.

"As long as you expect it to happen, it will." Amaimon answered, ignoring the 'moss goblin' comment. "That is how the abilities of us Baal work."

"Huh?" You blinked, sitting up straight at the revelation. If that was the case then...

You picked up the pen. Looking it over for a few seconds before shutting your eyes and holding in a deep breath. Silently, you tossed the pen into the air with the belief in your heart that it would disappear before you opened your eyes.

A second passed...

Then another...

"It wor- OW!" You almost shouted in victory, but wound up calling out in pain instead as the pen smacked you on top of your head. You must've thrown it pretty high.

"You still have some doubts in your heart. The King of Earth shook his head.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." You couldn't help but glare at Amaimon, almost wishing it was him who'd vanish instead.

You'd eventually left the room to find your home boy like you'd promised him earlier. It didn't take you long at all to find him, your increased sense of smell making it incredibly easy to do so. All you really had to do was take a whiff of one of the many sweatshirts of his you'd hoarded and follow that scent outside.

It was a little confusing at first, the scent going upwards at one point, but eventually you figured he'd probably hopped onto the roof.

"Yo! Rin!" You cupped your hands around your mouth, calling out to him.

"Huh?" The Okumura twin peeked over the roof's edge, rather cutely if you had to say. "Oh, hey! You made it just in time! I'm about to start training again."

"You mean the thing with the candles? Sweet." You replied, throwing on the sweatshirt you'd been carrying before stretching upwards in a grabbing motion. "Gimme a hand, will ya? I'm not used to jumping up this high."

"Got it!" Rin reached down with both hands, preparing to pull you up whenever you jumped high enough for him to reach.

You backed up a bit, preparing yourself for the leap before just going for it. You hopped up much higher than expected, instinctively wrapping your arms around Rin's neck to keep yourself from slipping back to the ground. You might've had demonic healing now, but that didn't mean splatting onto the hard earth below would be a pleasant experience.

"Gotcha!" You grinned, leaning back to poke the other half-demon's nose. "Now you've gotta grant me three wishes!"

"That's genies, you dummy." Rin rolled his eyes playfully, flicking your forehead gently before he stood up. He took your hand, leading you over to where he'd left his sack of candles.

"Glad you two could finally make it." Shura sarcastically commented. "Maybe now you can actually start trainin' for once."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm doin' it." Rin quickly got to work, pulling out a few candles and setting them ablaze in no time. You took a seat next to him, watching the wax spires melt under the intense heat.

You watched Rin work hard late into the evening, sad to see him get so frustrated from failing so many times.

"Damn! Why do I melt the whole candle!?" The Okumura twin growled in frustration after what felt like his hundredth attempt. "Damn it!"

Shura yawned. "Giving up all ready?"

"I'm not giving up! My t-shirt's sweaty so I'm gonna go change!" Tears of frustration fell down his cheeks despite his words. "And you! Start acting like a teacher and quit lyin' around!"

"Oh Rin..." You sighed, watching as he lept off of the roof. You frowned, noting just how completely useless you felt in that moment. Rin was trying so hard and suffering so much just because of how he was born and there was nothing you could do to help him. After all, you didn't know anything about Stan, his blue flames, or how to slay powerful demons...

"I see that look on your face." Shura said, grabbing your attention. She laid on the other side of the rough, chilling like this was an actual vacation for her. "Listen, what Rin needs now, more than anything, is a friend and, so far, you've done an excellent job of just that."

You were surprised by the statement, unable to hide the look of shock on your face. As you let the words sink in, you couldn't help but offer her a smile in gratitude. "Ya know, you might not be such a bad teacher after all, Miss Booze-'n-Boobs!"

"That's ri- Hey! What was that!?" The redheaded swordswoman made to draw her blade, preparing to punish you swiftly.

Luckily for you, Rin popped back up a moment later, still dressed in the same clothing as before.

"Weren't you gonna go change?" Shura raised a brow, her attention now drawn to Rin.

"There's no time for that! I need to master this!" You weren't quite sure what'd happened while he was alone, but you had to admit, you were happy to see him motivated again.

Chapter Text

"HELL YEAH! I DID IT!" Rin's face lit up as both candle wicks set ablaze without melting into wax puddles.

"NICE WORK!" You highfived the other half-demon in celebration, glad to see him more excited than he had been this whole trip. "You've finally mastered your flames!"

"Not yet." Shura butted in, instantly raining on your parade. "He needs complete control to come easily."

"Damn, that's right." Rin sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I've got a long way to go..."

"Well, this is still a big step for you!" You tried to cheer him up, proud in his accomplishment even if he hadn't mastered his training. "Let's go get barbecue when we get back to True Cross to celebrate! Papa's treat!"

"Eh? When did he agree to this?" Shura snorted.

"Oh, he didn't. I just know where he keeps his card." You admitted with a shrug. "I'll bring him back a souvenir to make it up to him in advance."

BOOOOM

"...that...that wasn't him was it?" Your stiffened at the sound.

"I don't know, but something's wrong." Shura looked over in the direction of where the noise came from.

"Everything's shaking." Rin was right, helping you keep your balance by holding onto your arm as the building shook beneath your feet.

"C'mon! We're gonna go investigate!" Shura wasted no time leaping off of the roof, leaving you with no time to respond.

You and Rin glanced at each other before following her lead together.

"Looks like we missed the party..." You observed the damage done to the inner chamber warily, watching as several exorcists scrambled in panic. "I wonder what- ACHOO!"

Rin watched in horror as you sneezed into his t-shirt. "Hey! What the hell!?"

"What? You said it was dirty anyway." You sniffled. "Plus it's not like I have cooties or anything. ACHOO!"

You sneezed again.

"Are...you okay?" Rin asked, ignoring how you were still using your messed up logic to dirty his shirt with your snot. Honestly, he blamed Mephisto's parenting.

"Yeah, I think it's just allergies." You answered, wishing your father was here to offer you his hanky. "Papa gets them too sometimes, but I dunno what causes 'm."

"Mamushi turning traitor and this mess we're in...all of it..." Was that Bon? He sounded pissed. You looked over, your sneezing fit ceasing as whatever had been in the air must've cleared out, only to see Suguro clutching the collar of some bald guy. "IS YOUR FAULT!"

"Ryuuji..."

"Who's that bald guy?" Shura asked, crossing her arms at the display.

"No clue." You replied. "But Bon seems to have it out for him."

"That's Suguro's dad." Rin answered, frowning.

"The truth...is a secret! One I can't even tell my own son." Despite Bon's treatment towards him, the older man smiled. "It'd be better if I never had to tell you. Anyway, I have to go after Mamushi."

Suguro's father turned to leave.

"Ryuuji, be a good boy. Okay?"

"ENOUGH WITH THE CARING FATHER ACT!"

You were taken aback by the sudden shouting. You'd always known Bon to be pretty loudmouthed, but even this was a bit much.

"If you leave without answering me..." Ryuuji clenched his fists tightly at his sides. "...I'LL NO LONGER CONSIDER YOU MY FATHER!"

You glanced over at Rin, watching him go rigid at the declaration.

"Well, I've gotta go." The older Suguro continued to leave despite Bon's ultimatum. "Sorry."

"Wait." The next thing you knew, Rin was grabbing the back of the bald man's robes, preventing him from going anywhere.

"He got away again!?" Shura uselessly looked to her side as if needing confirmation it was true.

"Looks like it..." You sighed.

"Suguro...YOU JERK!" You couldn't get over in time to stop Rin from socking Ryuuji right in the face. "I don't know what's going on, but you'll regret this later! Now, apologize! You can't disown your dad!"

"You're one to talk! You're the one saying you're gonna defeat your own father!" Bon spat back, his face looking pretty busted from the blow.

"Alright, Rin and Ryuuji, go on and make up now, okay?" Suguro's father tried to mediate in vain.

"GET LOST AND NEVER COME BACK!" Bon shouted at the older man.

"SUGUROOOO!"

You were only able to watch in horror as Rin's flames sparked up, alarming the exorcists around you.

"What's going on!?"

"What is that!??"

You shoved those who'd crowded the scene out of the way, forgoing manners completely as you made your way to intervene. You hooked your arms underneath Rin's armpits, barely able to do much other than keep him directly out of Ryuuji's face.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT DEMON'S SON!" The Okumura didn't acknowledge your presence, continuing to scream at the other exwire. "BUT YOU'RE DIFFERENT, RIGHT!?"

"Bon!" An older man pushed Ryuuji out of the way. "Run!"

Rin's flames began to die down as he stood still once more. You loosened your grip, letting go when deeming it safe enough.

"EEEYOOOOOWWWW!" Apparently, you'd spoken to soon. Rin collapsed to the ground in pain not moments later.

"Rin! What's wrong!?" You knelt down, a strange sense of deja vu falling over you.

"Rin, if you lose control, they'll exorcise you!" Shura whispered, crouching down at the exwire's other side. "Get a grip."

"Butt out, Hag!" Rin panted wearily, angering the older exorcist instantly. Shura mumbled a few strange words you didn't recognize and, soon enough, Rin had passed out from the pain.

"RIN!" You immediately took the offensive. You already regretted letting that Angel guy go, you weren't gonna make the same mistake twice.

"Relax, he's just passed out for now. He'll be just fine after some rest." The moment you stepped close enough, a pair of cuffs were slapped onto your wrists, preventing you from reacting violently. You assumed they were probably made of the same stuff Rin's tailpiece was. "There's nothin' you can do to help him if you pass out too, so you better just follow my instructions, okay?"

"Tch." You glared at the ground, knowing she was right no matter how much you hated it.

"Take her somewhere safe. I don't need Mephisto up my ass for hurting his 'precious princess' or anything like that." At Shura's request, a few exorcists who were brave enough to approach, escorted you out of the chamber.

You could only glance back at Rin's fallen form and worry for what's to come.

Chapter Text

Before this, you'd always assumed that if you were ever imprisoned it'd be for breaking into the zoo in the middle of the night and taking those cute ass penguins home. Or arson.

"I don't understand." Amaimon watched you hug your legs, sitting on the comfortable futon provided by the inn. "Why don't you just break out of this room? It's not as if you couldn't easily defeat those parasites standing guard."

You shook your head. "That would only cause more trouble. They'd probably put Rin on an even heavier lock down..."

You needed to come up with a plan, fast. Rin was in danger, especially if the exorcists here decided to get that Angel freak involved. But what could you do..?

"ACHOOOOO!" You sneezed for what felt like the millionth time already. Your allergies were acting up again all of a sudden. "That's weird. I've slept in here several times and never- chu!-sneezed like this before..."

You desperately searched the room for a tissue to wipe your gross snotty nose. Unfortunately for you, there didn't seem to be any around.

You could feel your next sneeze building up, your face scrunching as it prepared to let out a big one. "AAAAAAHHHHCHOOOO!"

"Gesundheit." You turned around to see none other than your father standing as if he'd been there the entire time. He pulled out one of many hankies he owned, using it to manually wipe your nose the way he'd always done during your childhood. "Much better!"

"Papa! When did you get here?" Your face scrunched as he cleaned it, displeased by the action, but allowing him to do as he pleased anyway.

When he was finished, he tossed the now-tainted cloth into the air, causing it to disappear into the void.

"Not long. I rushed over as soon as I could get out of that wretched board meeting." Mephisto sighed warily before eyeing you with a knowing look. "Apparently a couple of half-demons have been stirring up trouble in the Kyoto branch. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that though, would you?"

"M-maybe..." You mumbled, a blush of embarrassment lighting your cheeks. You couldn't look the elder demon in the eyes.

"Well, regardless, you're lucky your position is a lot more advantageous than Mister Okumura's." Mephisto narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid he's just been sentenced to death."

"W-what?" Your voice grew shaky as a light ringing invaded your ears.

"Yes, unfortunately, even I cannot change their minds this time." The King of Time allowed you to embrace him, patting your head in comfort in hopes of consoling you. "Now, now, my little cat sídhe. Dry your tears. Papa will make it all b-"

"ACHOO!"

Mephisto's face fell, disgusted that you'd just sneezed into one of his finest silk cravats without any semblance of regret whatsoever. He raised a hand to his forehead in order to rub his temples. "Honestly, what kind of a lady did I raise? ACHOO!"

Finally, it was Mephisto's turn to sneeze, the allergen in the air growing stronger by the moment.

"Gesundheit, Vati." You looked up at your father with a teasing grin.

"Danke." Mephisto narrowed his eyes at you suspiciously. "Allow me to return the favor."

Before you could let out your next snot-rocket, the older demon snapped his fingers. Suddenly, you were wearing a face mask, much like the ones surgeons wear, though this one was your favorite color. You immediately felt relief from the attack on your sinuses; not a lot, but enough that you weren't sneezing every two seconds anymore.

Mephisto soon locked eyes with Amaimon. The two seemed to share a silent conversation before the green hamster crawled his way into your pocket. He didn't seem frightened, but, with a poker face like his, you'd hardly be able to tell even if he was.

Your father then looked back to you with a small smile gracing his thin lips. "Would you like to accompany me to Mister Okumura's cell?"

"Yeah! Take me to see Rin!" You clutched the lapels of Mephisto's suit as you made your demand.

"Nuh-uh," The demon king waggled his pointer finger in your face in a scolding manner. "Try again~"

"..." You glared up at him, pouting from beneath your face mask. "...bitte."

"That's better!" And with that, the two of you disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.

"Howdy!" Mephisto greeted the hall despite the terribly thick atmosphere. "Guten abend!"

You immediately slipped from his hold, rushing up to the bars of Rin's cell. "Rin!"

"(Y/n)? What's Mephisto doing here?" The other half demon stood to meet you.

"Good question." Shura looked at your father, clearly annoyed by the sudden appearance. Yukio, who stood next to her, seemed to be fairing no better.

"No need to be rude. I'm here to help you clean up your mess." Mephisto straightened his cravat with a huff before pointing to Rin's cell with his umbrella. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

You stumbled back as a giant metal box appeared right where you'd been standing mere moments ago. From out of the contraption shot a giant metal claw, dragging Rin inside of it before you could grasp your bearings.

"The inquest committee headed by the Grigori has sentenced Rin Okumura to death." Your father explained, though he didn't sound too torn up about it if anyone asked you.

And with that, the doors to Rin's new prison cell clunked closed.

"Papa..." You turned slowly, looking at your father with a straight deadpan. "You realize...he was already imprisoned, right? What's the point of putting him in double jail?"

This was why you never used your father's house rules when playing monopoly.

"To make it harder to escape of course!" Something about the wink he sent you when saying that seemed suspicious. "What's important now, however, is defeating the Impure King."

"How did you know about that!?" Shura seemed surprised word had reached him. Though, if the Vatican had managed to hear about Rin's fight with Bon, you didn't see why he couldn't have known about this.

"Isn't that impure thingy from that story you told us on the train?" You scratched the inside of your ear with your pinky. You were pretty sure you remembered Shura's speech. "Weren't we here to protect its eye?"

"Well, ya see..." The redheaded exorcist rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "It was kinda stolen."

"The thieves now have both eyes and will no doubt use them to unleash the Impure King upon Kyoto." Yukio sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if this were more of an annoyance than anything.

"Oh. That sounds..." You paused for a moment trying to come up with a word to describe the situation. "...bad."

"Indeed, Pumpkin." Mephisto gave you a pat on the head.

"So, why aren't you helping out exactly?" Shura looked to your father through a narrowed gaze.

"It's impossible. It's much too uncleanly." Mephisto sneezed into a tissue he'd suddenly conjured. "I have terrible allergies, you see."

"I guess the tree doesn't stand too far from the fallen apple." Shura deadpanned watching as you sneezed immediately afterwards.

"The Impure King will rapidly grow and once he matures, Kyoto will become a city of death." Your father pointed his umbrella towards Shura. "Defeating the Impure King won't be a simple task. Here's a little gift!"

A pile of clothing appeared in Shura's arms.

"Good luck!" You father then leaned in to whisper in your ear. "Be a doll and don't break it from the outside, alright?"

And with that, Mephisto was gone.

Chapter Text

"Geez, that guy." Shura sighed, rubbing her temples at Mephisto's swift exit. "Why can't he just be straightforward for once?"

You stood near the metal prison, curious and worried for Rin. "Papa just wants to help in his own way. If he said anything directly, he'd probably get in trouble with those jerks you guys work for."

Shura snorted. "Ya know, you're gonna have to work for those jerks someday too if you wanna keep livin' in Assiah."

You cringed in response. As much as you hated it, she was probably right. Your muscles froze in horror when you realized this meant you'd be stuck with guys like Arthur Angel for the rest of your life.

"Whelp, I'm off!" Shura turned on her heels, heading towards the building's entrance. "Be a good little princess and wait here, 'k?."

"Huh?" You watched as she left, visibly confused. You shook your head, looking to Yukio as he follwed suit.

"I'm leaving too." That was all you got before he left.

"Geesh! At least try and act a little upset your brother's been sentenced to execution." You glared at his retreating figure, not really caring much if he could hear you or not.

You eyed the contraption in front of you, silently wondering what was up with your father's obsession with prisons. First, there was that cuckoo clock and now, this?

"Hey, 'Maimon. Is my old man...normal for a demon king?" You asked the tiny rodent wiggling in your pocket.

"Samael is strange even to the rest of the Baal." Great. Oh well, even if the rest of them act similar to Amaimon, that still makes them all total weirdos, so maybe it was a good thing Mephisto was different. "He's a lot more fun than the rest of our brothers, though."

You sneezed into your mask.

"Look! There's Faust!" Someone called out.

You quickly turned to look in the direction you'd heard the voice coming from, only to find absolutely nothing.

"Am I...hearing things?" You slapped your cheeks in hopes of snapping yourself out of whatever stupor you were in.

"We've come to help save Okumura!" No, no, the voices were definitely there, not to mention the scents of the other cram school students, so you weren't imagining things. However, you still couldn't see them. There was only one plausible explanation to come to mind-

"Did-did I...BREAK TIME!?" You remembered your father saying it was fragile, but damn! From a sneeze? You were gonna be grounded for at least a month for this. Then again, if time was truly broken, your father would probably have a difficult time measuring that out, so would he even bother?

"No, you nitwit! We're using camouflage!" Izumo lowered her hood, revealing herself while the others followed suit. You let out a sigh of relief, though a bit disappointed you had to drop your plans of finding a way to use the fissure in time to extend summer vacation or get your hands on those limited edition chips your favorite brand sold when you were little.

"Is this it?" Shima took a close look at the metal prison encasing Rin.

"TOODLE DEE DOO~!" Your jaw dropped as the giant contraption you'd just spent a solid ten minutes with began singing out of the blue.

"What the actual fuck!?" Had it heard your conversation with Amaimon? What an eavesdropper!

"WEE WEE WEE! I AM DAS STÄRKSTE GEFÄNGNIS! I LOCK FROM THE OUTSIDE BUT NOT FROM THE INSIDE!"

"Well, if Papa named you, he's gotta work on being more creative."
You eyed the box in annoyance. "But, if you named yourself, then I'd say it's almost cringey how condescending that is."

The demon prison paused for a moment and you felt like you'd probably hit a sore spot. You'd feel bad if it hadn't just gobbled up your best friend.

"RIDDLE ME THIS!" Apparently it'd shaken itself off from your comment. "WHY AM I SO STRONG? FIGHT ME AND SEE~!"

"We just have to fight it then, right?" At Suguro's statement, everyone save for Shiemi entered battle positions, preparing to attack as a team.

"GRAAAAH!" That's when everyone went still, save for you and Shiemi.

"Huh?" You turned around, wondering why everyone was just frozen. You waved a hand in front of Bon's face, looking over him while biting your lower lip in concern. He didn't even blink. You rested your hand on his chest to check if he was even still breathing. Shiemi looked just as confused as you were.

"WEEWEEWEE! THE ANSWER IS-" You sneezed, turning back towards the metal prison. "...BECAUSE I CAN FREEZE ANYONE WHO TRIES TO ATTACK ME! THAT'S WHY THEY CALL ME THE STRONGEST! MWAHAHAHA!"

"Bruh, that's not even a riddle. What the fuck?" You deadpanned, watching as the prison somehow sagged a little at the comment. Maybe you could roast this thing into letting Rin out.

"So why didn't we freeze?" Shiemi wondered aloud.

"YOU'RE WEAK AND UNARMED..." It sounded like you'd taken quite a bit of wind out of this thing. "...AND DIE TOCHTER MEINES MEISTERS IS IMMUNE TO MY ABILITIES..."

Shiemi looked down to her feet, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Seeing this, you grit your teeth.

"That means I can kick your ass no problem, right?" You glared at the now trembling prison, ready to bust it open through force before remembering what your father had said earlier.

"Be a doll and don't break it from the outside, alright?"

He'd probably meant this thing. You sighed in exasperation. "Looks like we gotta go in ourselves..."

"UNFORTUNATELY, I AM ONLY FIT TO CONTAIN ONE OTHER PERSON IN AT THIS TIME!" Whelp. That sucked.

You reached for the doorknob protruding off of the prison's face. "Don't worry, I'll bring 'm back-"

"Please! Let me be the one to go!" Your eyes widened as Shiemi cried out to you, clutching at your sleeve. "I...I want to be strong enough to help save my friends!"

"...alright." You backed away, making room for the blonde to open the door and step inside. "But if you're not out in ten minutes, I'm crackin' this thing open like a cold one with the boys."

Shiemi nodded in understanding and that was the last thing you saw before the door shut, trapping her inside. This left you alone with the frozen bodies of your classmates and the talking prison that'd been a pain in your butt since it showed up.

"Soooo..." You rocked back and forth on your heels. "Let's talk."

"Ooo, that one wasn't half bad!" You praised with a grin, causing the prison's metal to heat up a bit in bashfulness. The two of you'd been working on new riddles to replace the one that hadn't made sense. Turns out, this guy wasn't as bad as you'd thought.

With his permission, you'd named him Ansel after an artist who's piece hung up in your father's study. You'd remembered it because you'd been scolded for breaking the frame once when you were ten and from then on vowed you'd never throw golfballs like ninja stars in the house ever again. A vow you'd break the very next day.

Nevertheless, Ansel liked his new name.

"I AM HONORED TO RECEIVE PRAISE FROM ONE SUCH AS YOU!" Ansel seemed proud, though you weren't sure what exactly made your opinion so special.

"Why's that?" You asked directly.

"BECAUSE YOU ARE THE SPAWN OF MEIN MEISTER, OF COURSE!"

"Ah, so that's it." Wow, if you didn't know any better, you'd think this guy admired your father more than you did. "Ya know, I'm pretty cool on my own without relying on my old man's reputation."

The contraption began to sweat somehow, obviously not believing you, but also not wanting to correct you either.

"Geez, I guess I'll just have to show you then." You rolled your eyes. "As soon as this whole 'Impure King' situation is dealt with, let's hang out, 'k?"

"I COULD NEVER REFUSE SUCH A REQUEST!" And like that, the talking prison seemed happy again. "HOWEVER, I WOULD NOT WANT TO SEND THE WRONG MESSAGE TO DEIN LIEBHABER!"

"Mein Liebhaber?" You looked disgruntled.

"JA! HE SEEMS TO BE STRONG FOR A HUMAN!" The demon box chirped. "AND I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE WITH SPLIT HAIR SUCH AS THAT!"

"Ugh. Why does everyone assume me and Rin are togeth-" You paused, your brain finally registering exactly what Ansel had said. "...wait, 'split hair'?"

You looked over to where the rest of the exorcists-in-training stood frozen.

"You mean BON!?" Your eyes went wide at the implication before you burst out laughing. "W-what on Earth would give you that idea!?"

"HE WAS THE FIRST ONE YOU CHECKED AFTER THE REST OF YOUR COMRADES WERE FROZEN!" The talking prison explained. "YOU SEEMED QUITE WORRIED ABOUT HIM!"

"I...did?" Your laughter died down as you gazed over at Suguro. Nah, there was no way. "No, no, he's just a jerk who's been on my friend's case since the moment I met 'm."

Ansel had it all wrong; there was no way you'd ever have feelings for a guy like Bon!

"He's stubborn, loud, prude, short-tempered..." You began to list off all of the negative qualities you'd seen in the exwire, eyeing him with lightly flushed cheeks when you were finished. "...but...I guess he might be a little cute. That's it though!"

"AH, ICH VERSTEHE..." You had a feeling he didn't really believe you.

"W-what do you know about finding people attractive anyway?" You scoffed, glaring at the metal contraption. "You're made of bits of scrap metal!"

It was at that moment Ansel exploded in a ball of blue flames.

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" You crouched over one of his pieces with tears in your eyes, picking up the warm metal, horrified.

"Hey, (Y/n)! Guys! You all came to bust me out!?" Rin seemed surprised to see the large group gathered just to help him. Meanwhile, the other exwires slowly grasped their bearings. It must've been a weird experience to suddenly freeze in time and then unfreeze several minutes later.

"I know you're not dangerous." The bald kid who's name you still didn't remember was the first to speak, looking between you and Rin as he did so. "...so let's all be friends."

"Konekomaru!" The other half demon seemed touched.

"Just so you know, I'm only following orders."

"I didn't wanna come, but I'm glad I did!"

The rest of the group spoke up in turns while you silently mourned the loss of your new friend.

"Awe, (Y/n), were you really worried enough to cry?" Rin smiled softly, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.

"Y-yeah..." You strained a grin of your own in return.

"Here. You were right, but only about my dad." Suguro held the koma sword out to Rin, standing menacingly in front of you. "You're gonna need this if you're gonna fight."

"Suguro..." The Okumura accepted the sword hesitantly. He stared at the sheathed blade, clutching it like it was his last lifeline. "I can't help how I was born...but I'll use my flames for us! So please, trust me!"

Bon scoffed, turning on his heel and heading for the exit.

"Who cares about that? What I can't forgive is how you take everything on yourself." The split haired boy's face scrunched in anger. "You're the one who pushed us away! Why should I trust a guy like that?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" You jogged up to Bon, stopping him in his tracks by gripping the back of his cloak. "Any time Rin's tried to speak with you since the trial, you've either picked fights or ignored him!"

You glared at the back of Ryuuji's head.

"And yet, he still considers you his friend! So get over yourself and make-up already!" You loosened your grip, letting go of the exwire.

In return, Bon sighed.

"...alright..." That was the last thing he said before starting to move again. "Let's head to Kongo-Shinzan in Rakuhoku...

"To defeat the Impure King!"

Chapter Text

"Father!" Suguro ran up to his dad who'd collapsed to the forest floor. He was bloody and didn't look like he was in the best shape. Suddenly, flames burst up from the older man's body. "What the-!?"

The rest of you caught up, only to witness a demon pop up from the fire.

"...you see the flying monkey too, right?" You whispered over to the person standing the closest to you. It just happened to be Shima.

"That's Karura, Bon's dad's familiar." The pink-haired boy explained quietly.

"What are you kids doing here?" Tatsuma sounded weak. He probably couldn't hold out too much longer.

"We came to help!" Bon crouched down next to his dad. You followed suit soon after.

"Does anyone know first aid?" You looked over form, trying to figure out where he might've been bleeding from.

"Fear not; I have healed his wounds, but he must not move." Tatsuma's familiar explained. "I will not allow him to die."

"Rin!" The monk coughed, calling out to the other half-demon. "Have you read my letter...?"

"We all have." Ryuuji answered for him. You'd looked it over during the walk over, mostly skimming it since you were in a hurry. You understood the gist of it, but you thought about asking to take a better look when all of Kyoto wasn't on the brink of total destruction. Bon continued. "Everyone here understands the situation. Now tell us everything."

"Alright...I'll tell you how to defeat the Impure King..." Tatsuma sighed, his face growing grim. "The Impure King will grow to the size of a castle and a giant spore sac will form in the center."

You weren't gonna laugh. Nope. You were totally straight-faced. 'Sac' was a completely innocent word in your opinion.

"...if it matures and ruptures, poisonous spores in the form of gas will spread through the air." The older Suguro continued, undeterred from his bloody mouth. "The Impure King's only weak spot is its 'heart' which is inside the sac."

"Those must be the right and left eyes..." Izumo muttered loud enough for the group to hear.

"So, we've gotta find a way to keep the gas from spreading so we can pop the sac and break the 'heart', right?" You looked up to the sky, trying to figure out a scenario where things'll all work out. "Something tells me breaking up with it over text isn't gonna work though."

Tatsuma chuckled softly.

"Fifteen years ago, I made a deal with Karura to use the Aeon Wave Flame." The older man looked over to his familiar, his face hardening. "It converts a person's lifespan into flames. I planned on using it to completely destroy the Impure King, but I only managed to use it to hold him in place."

All of a sudden, he crushed the flaming Karura in in fist. Harsh in your opinion. If you tried something similar with Amaimon, you have no doubts he'd bite your fingers.

"With the remaining flame, I'll prevent the gas from spreading when the sac bursts. Rin..." Tatsuma turned to your best friend. "I want you to use the Koma sword to destroy the heart of the Impure King."

"I'm sorry but..." Rin hesitated.

"I know..." Tatsuma smiled. "You could die, but-"

"Huh? No. I mean I can't draw my sword."

"Huh!?" The group voiced in sync.

"I've been trying, but I can't do it." Rin explained, demonstrating by pulling at the sword's sheath unsuccessfully. "It's some kinda mental hang-up."

You immediately smacked Bon on the head. "Good going, Rooster-Brain! You broke him!"

"Me!? What the hell!?" Ryuuji turned to glare at you.

"Now, now, don't fight. Your friends after all." Tatsuma tried his best to diffuse the situation. He tried to stand up, but struggled. "I'll at least put up the barrier..."

"You must not move. You've lost too much blood." The fire monkey was clearly unbothered from what the monk had done to them earlier, scolding their master. "If you attempt a barrier spell now, you will die."

"This is more important than my life!" Tatsuma insisted.

"Dad, is there anything we can do?" Bon held onto his father's arm, helping to steady him.

"Oh? If you are Tatsuma's son, I can transfer the Aeon Wave Flame to you thanks to your high priest blood." Karura eyed the younger Suguro as if judging him closely.

"No! You can't involve him!" Tatsuma was quick to object. "I swore these fetters would end with me!"

Bon paused, biting his lower lip in thought for what felt like an eternity.

"Hey, I get that you're feeling protective of your son..." You voiced after a solid minute of awkward silence. "But Bon's a grown man now. Why don't you have some faith and let him decide for himself?"

"The nephilim is correct, Tatsuma." Karura turned to Ryuuji. "I will now transfer the Aeon Wave Flame."

"Looks like you won't be the only arsonist around anymore, huh?" You stood, heading over to Rin and playfully hooking an arm around his neck.

"Shuddap..." The other half-demon pouted, looking away from you.

"Ryuuji Suguro, you now possess the Aeon Wave Flame." Karura lit up, drawing your gaze towards your classmate who simply stood in awe.

"Ryuuji..." Tatsuma sighed, finally giving into his son's wishes. "I will teach you the strongest known barrier spell. Watch closely."

You released Rin from your hold, watching the father and son practice the hand signs required for the spell.

"AHCHOOO!" You sneezed into your mask. "ACHOO!"

"Man, you're still sneezing? What's up with that?" Rin eyed you with concern, silently glad his shirt was safe from your snot thanks to your mask.

"Yeah. From what Pops said, I think it has something to do with the Impure King, to be honest." You sniffled.

"Then, it's gotta be miasma." Izumo piped in, clearly grossed out from your constant sneezing.

"Huh? I don't see what that has to do with anything." You raised a brow. "Do you need an inhaler or somethin'?"

"No, you dummy!" Izumo scoffed. "Miasma! It's like the stench given off by kin of the King of Rot."

"Another demon king?" As if you didn't have enough of those in your life at current. You blinked as soon as you'd finally registered the normally twin-tailed girl's words. "Wait...you're telling me...there's a literal king of garbage-"

"DAD!" You all turned to see Tatsuma collapse. Bon hastily called out to the rest of you. "Moriyama and Kamiki...would you stay here and look after him?"

"Okay!" Both girls were quick to agree.

"Shima, Konekomaru, go tell everyone in Myodha what we just learned." Ryuuji stood, turning to look at the giant formation slowly growing in the distance. "I'm going to put up the barrier."

"No way!!" Both Konekomaru and Shima objected. "You're gonna die, ya know that!?"

"No." Rin stood in front of Ryuuji, resting his sword over his shoulder. "I'll protect him."

"And I'll go too!" You immediately joined in. "Rin was able to use his flames in the prison cell, so he can at least use 'm a little. Plus, we're both pretty strong."

"...alright." Konekomaru backed down, turning to start heading down the mountain.

"Let's go." Bon took the lead for your little group, walking in the opposite direction. "And Dad..."

Ryuuji kept moving forward, refusing to look behind him.

"You better not die on me, alright?"

Chapter Text

"It's an actual castle...?" You stared at the Impure King in awe, only tearing your gaze away to sneeze. "ACHOO!"

"Crap. We've gotta hurry..." If you didn't know any better, you'd think Bon had allergies too. He was looking in pretty poor shape, not that you could blame him.

You all turned at the sound of rustling coming from bushes nearby.

"Rin!" Kuro popped out, waving his paws frantically in front of you. "We've gotta run! It's dangerous and it really stinks!"

"Tell me about it- AHCHOO!" You sniffled, sinuses burning as if they were on fire. "Unfortunately for both of us, we're fightin' that thing."

"WHAT!?" Kuro growled, looking to Rin to confirm your statement. "You can't deal with that thing! It's too dangerous!"

"Someone's gotta do it." Rin replied.

"You dummies!" In the next moment, Kuro grew at least twenty times his original size, much to the amazement of both you and Ryuuji. "Let me take you then!"

"Dang Kuro! I can't believe you haven't shown me this earlier!" You eagerly hopped onto the giant cat, hugging him affectionately from your seat. "You're awesome!"

Rin was the next to get on with Bon reluctantly in tow. And with that, you were off.

"WOOHOO!" You grinned, practically flying up out of your seat, only managing to stay tethered to your ride by holding onto Rin's cloak.

"We're so high up!!" Rin grinned joining in your tears.

Ryuuji, on the other hand, wasn't doing so well. "We're gonna die!"

Kuro, in the meantime, was doing his best to land, but couldn't find a stable spot to stop. "As soon as I touch down, it comes after me!"

"Is there any place to land near the spore sac, Kuro?" Rin asked.

"I'll look!" Kuro bounced around some more, finally finding a suitable spot. "There! There's a boulder below!"

"Looks like this is the only place not covered in gunk." You sneezed once again, hopping off of Kuro's back.

Rin and Suguro soon followed.

"Then this is where we'll fight." Rin nodded, looking around to observe the situation.

"You two...just don't give up, do you?" Ryuuji sighed.

"'Course not!" The other half-demon smiled despite the danger around you. "Everyone is doing their best right now, so we will too!"

Rin turned to look at Bon.

"So get to work on that barrier Princess Suguro!"

"Dammit! You don't have to tell me to do it!" Ryuuji was quick to object, huffing as he crouched into position. He looked to you before he started, tossing you something from his pocket. "Here, catch."

"A gun...?" You eyed the handgun, having caught it with general ease.

"Yeah. You're studying to be a dragoon too, right?" The split-haired boy explained. "Please, tell me you know how to shoot."

"Mhmm! Rin's bro taught me the bear minimum." You nodded in confirmation, way more confident than you probably should've been.

"Great..." Bon didn't seem to convinced, but didn't have much choice.

"Alright! Let's go, Kuro!" Rin jumped off the rock. You stayed behind, deciding to stand on top of the rock to shoot from a distance. There was no sense jumping directly into the fray when you were armed with a long-ranged weapon,

Suguro started chanting strange words and you took that as a sign to start shooting any guck that got too close. Your sneezing was awful by now, snot flying into your mask between shots. It was pretty gross, but luckily you were still able to do your job.

"Ryuuji Suguro, I grant your barrier spell." Karura shot up to the sky, releasing a red-tinted barrier from their body, encasing your side of the mountain. The Impure King was officially sealed.

"Damn, that was actually really cool!" Rin was quick to praise, gazing up at the newly-formed barrier.

You felt a wiggling coming from your pocket, a certain green rodent peeking out to have a look for himself. He spoke, sounding unimpressed as usual. "So this is the power of the Aeon Wave Flame..."

"Hey, you've gotta hush!" You shushed the demon king quietly. "Rin is right over there!"

Rin, however, was distracted with his own problems. "KURO!"

Both demons were starting to become overwhelmed with the spores popping up, fighting them off just barely enough to keep them away from Bon.

That's when a ginormous creature bubbled up from the guck around you, revealing the form of what looked like a giant moth right in front of you.

You had to shake away the tears in your eyes caused by the horrible miasma the beast spewed from its mouth, your sneezing now automatic every half-second.

"Are you alright?" Bon looked up to glance your way in between his own fits of coughing. Looks like you weren't the only one suffering.

"That's what I should be asking you!" You sniffled, trying to control your allergies the best you could.

"HEY! LOOK OUT!" Rin shouted, his eyes growing wide as he looked behind Suguro.

The giant moth had moved in an instant, looming dangerously over Suguro who was frozen to his spot.

"SUGURO!" Rin cried out, preparing to try and catch the beast in time.

"I've got this!" You pulled out your watch with one hand, reflexively using the button to still time around you. The radius was small, only managing to cover Suguro and the creature, but it was enough to keep Ryuuji safe while you caught up. Your head pounded, your abilities not used to being used on a being so incredibly large, but you grit your teeth to bear it.

You aimed your gun at the creature, shooting multiple times at multiple different angles. Each time, as soon as the bullets left the gun in your hand, they paused like everything else in the area.

Just as you ran out of bullets, time resumed, each of the special bullets crashing into the giant moth at once.

The beast screeched as it was forced to back down, sinking back into the sea of ick to shield itself from your attack.

"Are you alright?" You turned to Suguro who'd begun coughing once more.

"I'm fine..." Ryuuji muttered, unable to meet your eyes for whatever reason.

"Good. Just focus on keepin' up that barrier." You instructed. "We'll make sure that thing keeps its distance."

"Bold words for one who's out of ammunition." Your lower lid twitched at the snarky comment made from your pocket.

"Quiet you!" You softly scolded the demon king once again.

"The barrier's only gonna last another twenty-five minutes..." Suguro muttered, loud enough for you and Rin to hear. "Looks like Koneko and Shima didn't make it in time. I hope they're alright..."

"Of course they are!" Rin insisted, not paying attention to the bubbling gunk behind him.

"RIN!" In a heroic move, Kuro jumped over the ravenette, tackling a tower of ick and saving him from being swallowed. In return, however, Kuro was covered in spores, thrust into the sea of mush in the half-demon's place.

"BASTARD!" Rin cursed at the reformed moth, grasping at his sword as he attempted to pull it from it's sheath fueled by pure rage alone.

"You focus on that thing, I'll go get Kuro!" You called out to the Okumura twin, jumping towards the spot you'd seen Kuro swallowed.

You hadn't really thought about how you were essentially unarmed until you tried to shoot, only for your gun to let out an empty click.

"...shit."

Chapter Text

To your surprise, instead of being overcome by the Impure King as you expected, you were swallowed by the earth below.

A funnel had formed, parting the gunk consisting of the Impure King's body just enough to allow you to land inside. It was a small hole you were incased in, on your knees, completely dark and eerily silent. Your sinuses weren't being barraged by miasma either, so you must've been sealed in pretty good, though part of you wondered how exactly you were able to breathe if that were truly the case...

"Um, what the fuck?" You reached into one of your pockets to pull out your phone, feeling something pop out of your other pocket while you were at it.

"You were almost overtaken by the Impure King." Amaimon sounded annoyed, glaring at you as you shined your phone light over his tiny frame. "Though it may be a pathetic beast, I understand mortals are quite fragile."

Was he...scolding you?

This was the first time he'd shown direct concern for your safety. You had to admit, it felt kinda...nice.

"I'm sorry." You smiled softly, using one finger to gently scratch the demon king's chin. "Thank you for rescuing me. I'd say we're pretty much even now."

"Even?"

"Yeah. For the kidnapping." You hummed, booping his nose before drawing your hand back. "And the bug-larvae thing. I hope you realize now that both of those things are preeeettty bad."

Amaimon didn't say anything, simply blinking up at you with curious eyes. You simply shook your head.

"You think we could go save Kuro with your terraforming thing?" You asked, shifting to a crawling position.

Amaimon shook his tiny head. "It's too late. He's already been overcome by spores."

You sighed in disappointment, worried for Kuro as well as everyone else fighting above. You couldn't just hide safely down here while your friends struggled for their lives.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" All of a sudden, you smiled, an epiphany forming in your head on how you could assist the group above. "Think you can sense where that giant moth is with your 'demon king powers' or something?"

"It's known as the Impure King's heart and I can sense its location roughly. I'm sure I can figure out when it's about to take form." Amaimon tilted his head, using a small paw to scratch behind his ear.

"Good enough!" You praised. "Let's dig a tunnel beneath 'm."

Amaimon nodded, only questioning one thing."Can I expect a reward for this?"

"Yeah, yeah." You rolled your eyes. Of course he couldn't do it just to be nice. "We can get mochi next time we're out. You can eat as much as you'd like."

Your father's treat. As always.

"Okay." The tiny rodent got to it, carving a large passageway through the mountain as he ran on all four of his little paws.

You crawled behind him, honestly having a bit of a hard time keeping up. Your clothes were going to be ruined after this and your father would not be pleased.

Speaking of, ever since your sinuses improved, you got this weird feeling in your guy that he was close by. Your brain felt warm and comforted the way it did whenever he was near. That wasn't possible though, was it?

You glanced up in a random direction, wondering what Mephisto was doing at that moment. Probably a mountain paperwork concerning Rin's escape. You'd have to thank him later for all of his hard work. Maybe you'd cook him something new.

It took around twenty minutes to finish the tunnel if you had to guess. Considering the area was so large, you were impressed. You supposed when Amaimon was properly motivated, he could really do anything with relative ease. You could only eye the size of the beast, but, if your assumptions were correct, the tunnel should be both wide and deep enough for what you'd planned.

"The heart is preparing its form of a beast right now!" Amaimon informed you, sounding more excited than he had all trip. "Now will you tell me what it is you're planning to do?"

"Sure." You shrugged nonchalantly the best you could in that tiny space. "I'm not planning to do anything."

Amaimon seemed confused at the statement. "Are you planning on having me do something then?"

"Yeah, kinda." You hummed before pointing up. "I want you to get us outta here as soon that moth pops up. 'K? Then we should get to see something pretty cool."

The King of Earth nodded. "Then I'll take us now. The Impure King's heart is taking shape as we speak."

"For real? Alright!" The look of determination on your face masked the hint of worry you felt of your idea possibly failing. You can only hope everyone above was ready to attack.

You popped out of the ground on a spire made of earth, the spores below struggling to climb your perch. Immediately, a shrill screech resounded through the forest, the underground tunnel you'd made collapsing underneath the weight of the heart as it formed into a giant creature. The sinkhole wasn't deep, at least not compared to the relative size of the moth, but it was enough to separate it from the mass of spores, preventing the heart from dissipating into the gunk and popping up elsewhere in the near future.

Before even noting the fall of the barrier, a blue light encased your vision, causing you to shield your retinas from its fury. It felt warm. Not hot enough to burn or anything, but far from cold or lukewarm either. Was this from...Rin?

You cracked your eyes open, spotting the other half-demon not far away. The flames were indeed from him, spewing from his entire being as well as the sword he'd finally managed to unsheathe. There was a ball of fire at the tip of it, its wings reminding you of that flying monkey Karura, making you wonder if perhaps it was a demon similar to the familiar.

The cyan fire burned everything around you, yet only seemed to damage the spores spread by the Impure King. Just to be sure, you reached out with one hand, feeling the flames tickle your skin.

"Rin..." You softly called, pride welling up in your chest above all else.

When the flames died down, a clearing revealed itself, having been created by the imprint left from the Impure King. Rin stood at the center, not yet noticing your presence.

The first thing you did was peel the now snot-coated mask off of your face, slugging it down onto the ground below with a wet 'smack!' You'd be sure to pick it up later, but for now, you wanted to congratulate you friend more than anything.

"RIN!" You jumped off of the platform, eager to embrace the half-demon you knew had suffered so much simply from his manner of birth.

"(Y/n)- AAACK!" The Okumura twin barely had enough time to catch you as you wrapped each of your four limbs around his torso, causing him to stumble back before steadying himself. Once he was stable, he hugged you in return, soft tears flowing down his cheeks and onto your shoulder in turn. "...I did it. I really...did it..."

You couldn't help but bury your head into his shirt to hide tears of your own.

Chapter Text

"RIN!"

You hopped out of Rin's arms after hugging for what would be considered an uncomfortably long time for anyone other than the two of you. You kept an arm flung around the other half-demon's neck while one of his rested comfortably around your waist in turn.

Your ears twitched at Yukio's shout, the younger Okumura approaching soon after.

"Yukio! You're okay too!" Rin was ecstatic, much unlike his brother. Your friend used his free hand to jab his thumb towards himself. "I saved everyone here! I bet you're super impressed!"

"Way to be humble." You rolled your eyes at the smug expression on his face.

"Pretty soon, I'll have surpassed you..." The ravenette let out a chuckle, unaware of the incoming danger until Yukio's fist had already made contact with his face. Your eyes went wide as Rin was knocked out of your arms.

"STOP JOKING AROUND!" Yukio yelled, scolding his twin much to your enragement. "Don't you understand the mess you're in!?"

"What the hell!? He just saved all of our lives, give him a break!" You glared, stepping forward until you were face to face with the young teacher. "Meanwhile, I didn't see you doing jack, asshole!"

You stumbled back as your wrist was taken in a large hand, tugging you back until you bumped into the chest of the hand's owner. You looked up to see none other than Bon.

"Don't do anything stupid." The split-haired exwire muttered, looking towards the crowd of exorcists standing by in case either you or Rin retaliated.

You followed his gaze, biting your lower lip. You didn't like it, but you understood his point.

"I do understand." Rin mumbled, loud enough for your small group to hear, but not many standing any farther. "I can't escape my power..."

Yukio went rigid, unable to respond.

"I was always too much of a coward to accept it, but..." Rin started wobbling on his feet, his voice fading in and out. "...that was...wrong..."

"Rin!"

The other nephilim collapsed onto the ground below. You ripped your hand from Ryuuji's grasp immediately, dropping to Rin's side. He was pale, paler than usual, which worried you. You glared up at Yukio who stood frozen in shock.

You couldn't understand how someone as sweet as Rin could be related to such a douche.

That night, you decided to sleep with the rest of your classmates.

Rin had passed out in the clearing, leaving it to you to carry him back to the inn. He'd been out cold ever since then, unable to object to you making yourself comfortable in the futon next to him.

At some point, Shiemi had snuck in and fallen asleep as well. She was supposed to be on nursing duty, but she must've been exhausted. You didn't blame her, allowing the gardener to snuggle you as soon as she conked out.

You, on the other hand, hadn't managed to get an ounce of shuteye yet.

"(Y/n)..?" Rin called softly, finally waking in the dead of night.

You turned to look at him, smiling softly. "How ya doin', Sleepy?"

"Y-you're so close!" He must've finally registered the situation, his face glowing red even in the dark. You giggled softly in response.

"Rin..?" Shiemi sat up, rubbing her eye drowsily. She smiled at Rin, prompting you to sit up so she wouldn't have to lean over you. She used the back of her hand to feel his forehead. "You're a little warm. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." The blue-eyed boy muttered, unable to meet her eyes.

"You did a good job. Suguro and the others said you saved them." Shiemi drew her hand away, placing it on her lap.

"Yeah! You're a hero!" You grinned, ruffling the exwire's raven locks in a gentle noogie.

"It was nothin'." Apparently, Rin was bent on playing bashful. He turned his head away, face now hotter than it'd been before.

"Awe! Okumura's getting attention from the most beautiful babes in our class!" Shima piped up, rolling over to face you all. "I'm so jealous!"

"Hey! I'm here too, you know!" Izumo shouted from behind a partition she'd used to separate herself from the rest of you.

"Who'd be interested in a smart-ass like you?" Ryuuji scoffed, adding in his own two cents.

"Bon! At least try and be nice!" Koneko playfully scolded from his own futon. You could hear his smile from where you sat, not even needing to look in his direction.

"Would you all shut your trap!? Some of us are tryin' to get some shuteye!"

Your eyes widened as some creepy kid you'd never interacted with before and hadn't seen all trip spoke up for the first time, using his puppet to speak rather than opening his mouth.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?" You shivered in your seat, startled by this stranger's sudden appearance.

"He's been in our class this whole time! Are you seriously just noticing him now?" Shima was the first to burst out laughing. Everyone else, including you, was close to follow, filling the room with the lovely sound, much to puppet boy's chagrin.

You weren't sure when you'd fallen asleep, but when you woke up, you were sandwiched between Rin and Shiemi with Kuro resting on Rin's head in your own little demonic cuddle pile. It was nice and warm, tempting you to fall back asleep. Despite this, you carefully stood, sneaking out of the room as quietly as possible.

Your father had returned to the inn after the Impure King's defeat, staying in a separate room than the other exorcists. You wanted to greet him good morning for the first time in about a week and figured he'd appreciate the effort if he'd missed you anywhere close to how much you'd missed him, ignoring the ten minutes you'd seen him the other day.

You made your way to his room, still drowsy, but slowly waking up as you went. You saw the light on from outside of his room's door, bringing a smile to your face. Good. That meant he was awake.

"Guten morgen, Papa!" You threw open the bedroom door with a wide smile, completely unprepared for the sight that greeted you.

You had a full view of Shura Kirigakure's skimpily covered curves perched over Mephisto's laying form, close to making contact in an activity you didn't even want to think about at the time.

The cheerful expression you'd worn hadn't faltered, even as you slammed the door shut immediately and sprinted down the hallway to get as far away as possible.

Your skin was completely red all the way up to your slightly pointed ears, though your expression only fell once you were far enough away from the scene, which was when your sprint sputtered to a slow walk.

"(Y/n)? I was wondering where you went." Rin approached you, canned drink in hand. He noted the expression on your face and grew concerned. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"Nah, I'm good." You strained a smile, opting not to reveal what you'd seen to Rin's innocent ears. "Hey, totally unrelated question here, but do you remember those purifying flames you used on the Impure King?"

"Uh...yeah?" Rin raised a brow at this question, clearly wondering where this was going.

"Do you think you could maybe use them on my eyeballs?"

"W-WHAT!?"

"Finally! Let's have fun!" Hours later, you tugged Rin through the streets of Kyoto, though he didn't seem to mind too much. The rest of the group trailed behind you, everyone looking pleased in their own way.

You spent the whole day with your classmates, goofing off in the riverbank, visiting temples, and finally getting to see-

"KYOTO TOWER!" Both you and Rin shouted in excitement, immediately running inside.

You enjoyed the view first and foremost before heading into the gift shop. You bought a shirt with the tower's mascot on it as well as another item that you'd snuck into your bag quickly in fear of prying eyes. Yes, you'd actually bought a gift for a certain someone. It might have been cheesy, but fuck if you cared. It'd probably make them pretty happy and that's all that really mattered to you.

Shima approached you just as you zipped up your bag.

"Hey, Faust! You interested in a little prank on Okumura?" The young monk grinned mischievously as you raised a brow.

"As long as it's harmless, sure." You shrugged, admittedly interested.

"Awesome! Here's the plan." Shima leaned in, whispering into your ear his master plan.

Huh. It actually wasn't completely garbage.

"C'mon! Let's get a pic!" You dragged Rin towards the mascot, not that he needed the encouragement. "Everyone else should join in too for a group shot!"

"Yeah! That sounds good!" Rin took position next to the mascot before looking to the rest of your peers with a pleading gaze. "As long as it's cool with you guys..."

"Of course!" Shima spoke for the group, grinning in response.

The other exwires followed, taking position behind Rin as he cluelessly smiled at the camera. He might not be happy once he figures out your trick, but deep down you knew he'd look back on this eventually and laugh.

You grinned at the camera, posing in the shape of an 'n' with your arms with Yukio standing stoically next to you. Later on, you'd hang a copy of this photo on your bedroom wall.

Chapter Text

"Everyone, go buy a swimsuit!" Shura practically shoved both you and Rin into the shop, ushering the rest of the group as she did so.

Instead of heading straight back to the academy, your group traveled by train to Kamogawa Beach, much to everyone's surprise. Shura seemed to be the only one aware of the change of plan prior to boarding, but only spoke up once your train had already arrived.

"Is this some kinda surprise vacation?" Rin wondered aloud, browsing the swim trunks in front of him. "It feels good to be recognized for all of our hard work!"

"Hmm, I dunno. I kinda doubt it." You stood behind him, back turned to the other nephilim as you browsed one-pieces in the aisle across from him. "I feel like if this were planned, Papa would insist on helping me choose a swimsuit like last time. Probably pink. Most definitely frilly."

You picked up a blue suit that looked kinda like your official school swimwear, but ultimately put it back after realizing there wasn't any space for your tail. You sighed. Looks like you'd have to drop from the team for sure.

You moved further down the aisle towards the two-pieces, going more for color than style at that point. Shiemi joined you soon after, frigidly eyeing each suit like simply standing near them was an act of perversion in and of itself.

"You...okay?" You placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, feeling as she immediately stiffened up.

"Y-yeah...It's just..." Shiemi looked down to her feet, face beet red. "Isn't wearing a swimsuit...just like being naked..?"

You couldn't help but snort. Was that what she was worried about? "Nah, Babe, you're thinking too hard on it. You think my old man would've let me go to the beach that one time if I was gonna be basically nude the whole time?"

Shiemi looked at you wide-eyed.

"Besides, there's plenty that'll cover more skin than these." You pick up a cute, flowery tankini to prove your point. "But, in the end, it's really your decision. If you're not comfortable wearing a swimsuit, you could always just wear your regular clothes."

"..." Shiemi was quiet, looking forward at the varied swimwear in front of her. "No, I...wanna wear a swimsuit."

You smiled in support, giving her a pat on the back in support. She seemed a lot more relaxed now that she'd made her decision.

You went back to searching for a swimsuit of your own, finally settling on one that made room for your tail to hang free and also felt comfortable on your body.

"Wow, Shiemi! That looks great!" You complimented, tying the back string in a sturdy knot.

Shiemi flushed at the compliment. "Thank you...yours looks really nice too, Miss (Y/n)."

You didn't bother correcting her this time, simply smiling before stepping out of changing room. You wore the swimsuit you'd chosen from the rack in your favorite color, topped with a short-sleeved sweatshirt in a darker hue. It was convenient for hiding your tail and protecting you from sunburns, so you found it a to be a worthwhile purchase.

You left Amaimon with the rest of your stuff, the green hamster napping the last you checked.

Shiemi stepped out after you, walking by your side out of the door and down to the beach. It seemed like you'd gotten there just in time. Shura stood in front of a crowd of exorcists, using a bullhorn to address the group as a whole.

"A'ight maggots! Lissen up!" You took Shiemi's hand, weaving through the crowd as Shura made her announcement. "Our target this time...is a kracken! The tourists have already evacuated, so we'll carry out our operation here!"

Apparently a fishing vessel had sunk and the regional coast gaurd had detected a giant mysterious object with their sonar. They'd called in the Knights of the True Cross and they'd figured out it was actually a kracken. There wasn't really a plan or anything, but your crew was on cleanup duty more than anything. For now though, you were allowed to chill.

"Yo! (Y/n)!" Rin waved you over after the crowd had dispersed. You walked over, Shiemi in tow. "This is just like our last trip to the beach! Looks like we're fighting another giant squid."

"Another?" You blinked in confusion. You're last beach trip was just to do manual labor for extra credit...wasn't it? "You mean I smelled like grilled squid for an entire week and I didn't even get to see the huge monster we were there for!?"

Rin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Seems like it..."

"Moriyama looks so nice in her swimsuit~" Shima drooled like a creep before turning to you. "But...what's with the sweatshirt, Faust?"

You rolled your eyes, ignoring the gross commentary. You flexed your arm, grinning in a teasing manner. "Nothin' much, I just figured I wouldn't wanna make anyone jealous of how awesome I look in this swimsuit."

"Idiot, who would feel jealous of you?" Bon scoffed, crossing his arms to try and appear more serious.

"I dunno." You shrugged nonchalantly before glaring at the dark-eyed dude. You leaned in, getting in his face with your own, taking him aback just slightly. "Maybe split-haired muscle heads who secretly have a thing for wearing bikinis."

"Why you-!" You could practically see the vein popping up from his forehead. "Shut up!"

You knew it was cliche, but you couldn't help but respond. "Make me!"

Before you even had time to process it, you were lifted over Ryuuji's head and tossed into the ocean in one big "SPLASH!"

You stuck your head up out of the water, coughing up a bit of seawater you'd accidentally swallowed during the impact.

"Bon!" Konekomaru scolded the taller boy.

"Are you alright Miss (Y/n)?" Shiemi asked, treading into the water to help you out.

"Yeah." You ignored her assistance in favor of diving back into the water, swimming towards the shore as inconspicuously as possible. When you were close enough to your target, you popped up right in front of Ryuuji, squirting a mouthful of seawater out of your lips and into his face.

"GAH!" Suguro instinctively covered his face with his arm. "HEY!"

"You've gotta admit, she got you good, Bon!" Shima found it hard to stop laughing, holding his sides with Rin chuckling right next to him. "Hey! Why don't we settle things with a chicken fight?"

"Yeah! That sounds fun!" You quickly turned away from your glaring contest with Suguro to agree with Pinky's idea, your eyes sparkling. "But, I wanna be on Bon's team!"

"Huh!?" Ryuuji's eyes practically popped out of his sockets.

"You dummy! You were just arguing with that gorilla and now you want to team up with him?" Izumo scoffed, chilling in her inflatable donut where she could judge your group without having to interact with you directly.

"Hell yeah!" You looked up at Ryuuji, an excited expression painting your features. "I wanna be so frickin' tall!"

And that's how you found yourself on top of Ryuuji's shoulders, struggling against Rin who was lifted by Renzo, both of you trying to push the other into the water. Originally Shima was the one who was supposed to be carried, but soon you figured out that a contest of strength between a human and a half-demon wasn't much of a contest at all.

Izumo simply floated nearby in her donut with Shiemi standing next to her, the latter giggling at your antics. She turned to the shore, shouting at your spectating teachers. "YUKI! Come play with us!"

Yukio refused, shaking his head silently in response.

"Just let 'm be." Rin pouted, too distracted by your game to even glance over at his twin. "He's an official exorcist, so he's busy."

"Don't sweat it. We'll come to the beach again some other time and make him have fun." You hummed, trying to console your friend while also concentrating on pushing him into the ocean below.

"EVERYBODY, GET READY! IT'S HERE!" Soon enough, Shura starting shouting instructions through her speaker again. "It might be big, but it won't seem like much compared to the Impure King!"

Bon took this as the opportune moment to take hold of your legs and flip you off of his shoulders. You, once again, splashed into the ocean, this time popping out in a rush, not even bothering to get mad at Ryuuji...

...not to say that you wouldn't feed him to that squid immediately if given the opportunity.

"First-years and exwires, ready your flamethrowers!" Finally! The moment you'd been waiting for!

You readied your weapon, admiring its build while standing next to your peers. You all waited for the kracken to come closer, but were ultimately surprised when it dived under the water's surface instead.

"It's not coming ashore...?" As soon as Shura voiced your group's confusion, a large tentacle shot up from the water, sinking the helicopter above it into the ocean below. "What!? Why didn't it attack the people on the beach!?"

"Rin! Where are you going!?" You turned to see Rin and Shiemi board a nearby speedboat, quickly pursued by Yukio.

"Yukio, stop!" Shura called out to no avail.

"Hey! Wait up for me!" You started sprinting towards the speedboat to join in their rebel behavior, only to be halted by the redheaded swordswoman taking hold of your sweatshirt's collar.

"Oh, no ya don't! It's bad enough we've got one half-demon on the loose, we don't need another!" Shura dragged you back towards your classmates, releasing you only when the boats were too far to catch up to. She looked to Suguro. "From now on, you two are beach buddies. Make sure she doesn't cause any trouble or I'll have Mephisto up my ass, alright?"

"Beach buddies!?" You and Ryuuji shouted in sync, neither of you too stoked about the situation.

At least it'd give you ample opportunity to feed him to the squid.

"Man, this sucks!" You kicked up the sand in front of you in a fit of frustration. "My best friend ditched me to fight a giant monster and I didn't even get to use my flamethrower!"

Apparently Rin and the rest found some sort of giant whale that they needed to make offerings too or it'd blow up or something.

You were willing to admit you weren't really paying attention after the word whale.

"Settle down and eat your lunch!" Suguro held out your pre-made bento, sitting on the stairs nearby.

You sighed, deciding to simply sit down next to him without making a fuss. Not like it'd help or anything.

"I wish this was one of Rin's bentos. It's been too long since I've had his food." Despite your words, you devoured your lunch, barely even chewing as you practically inhaled it.

"You're really mad Rin's taken off again, huh?" Shima said, sitting across from you.

"Not really." You sighed, answering honestly. "I just wish I wasn't missing all the action."

You placed your empty bento box next to you before stripping off your now-soaked sweatshirt. It was starting to get uncomfortable and, despite how reluctant you were to pull out your tail in front of others, it was feeling unpleasant being trapped underneath the article of clothing.

"W-why are you taking it off, you dummy!" Suguro sputtered, face reddening at the sight.

"Cuz it's soaked thanks to someone!" You socked the hoodie into his face with no regrets. Ryuuji was obviously unhappy with this, readying to start another tussle with you.

"Woah, Faust! I didn't know you had a tail!" Shima marveled at your furry appendage, watching as it wiggled behind you. It was the same color as your hair, the fur a lot shorter and smoother than what you'd seen on Rin's, the fur only flaring up at the very tip in a tiny ball of fluff that curled just slightly downwards.

"Yeah, the old man mentioned somethin' about showing it being 'improper' or whatever, but I haven't heard anything about it since." You explained angling your tail behind you to avoid too much of Shima's staring. "He's...kind of a weird guy."

"No kidding." You could tell Shima was reluctant to say anymore in your presence.

"Everyone prepare for battle!" The command pierced your ears, disrupting whatever was left of your lunch break, and like that, everyone rushed to ready their weapons. You and your classmates stood at the shoreline, flamethrowers in hand.

You never thought you'd ever get to see a giant whale fight an enormous squid, but that was exactly what was happening in front of you.

"You think we can convince Shura to get calamari after this?" You hummed, speaking to no one in particular.

"It's Shura, of course we can." Shima replied, standing a few feet away.

The battle between the beasts continued for a bit, but ultimately, the kracken was victorious. The squid lifted the whale, tossing it towards the shore with each of its mighty tentacles. Everyone on the shore panicked, trying to move out of its way before they could be crushed, however, a few people straggled and would most certainly die if you didn't act quickly.

Shoving a hand into your top, you pulled out you pocket watch from where you'd shoved it in earlier. By now you had the movements down by instinct, pressing down on the side button just before impact.

"Hör jetzt auf!" And thus, time froze.

You'd decided to start using phrases and commands to go with your abilities, kinda like names for them. You'd noticed pretty much every big-shot exorcist, including your father, did the same thing and while you weren't sure whether they just did it to look cool or keep them organized, you figured you'd try it out in an attempt to seem more professional.

Your head hurt, but not nearly as much as it had with the Impure King and it felt almost as if you could handle letting the time stop last a little longer as well. Did you gain enough exp fighting the Impure King to level up?

You didn't linger on the thought, rushing to push the straggling exorcists out of the way of the giant whale's body. You made good time, managing to get the last person to safety before the time freeze ended itself.

"Nochmal beginnen!" Time resumed.

The whale crashed onto the beach with no casualties. You gave yourself a moment to pat yourself on the back, ego growing immensely in a fairly short amount of time.

The kracken was now closer to the shore, thanks to the its fight with the whale, but, according to Shura, that only made it more of a danger. You regrouped with your peers just in time for the squid to spew smoke from its body, completely hiding its massive form. When the smoke finally cleared, several more krackens were wading the waters before you.

"There's MORE!?" Shima screamed, looking as if he was about to faint.

"Calm down! All but one of them are dummies!" Shura instructed, approaching one of the krackens fearlessly. "Hit 'm between the eyes to make the fakes disappear and find the real one!"

From out of the squids' tentacles, slimy balls shot out, only uncurling once they were on shore to reveal tiny, mini-versions of the krackens in front of you.

"Exwires, you'll be dealing with these babies!" Shura shouted. In turn you prepped your flamethrower for what felt like the fiftieth time that day, finally giving you the opportunity to use it.

"Awe, but they're so cute!" You whined, shooting them with flames despite your reservations.

"Cute!? These things are trying to kill us!" Shima disagreed, destroying the nearest squids aiming to tear his face off. You resisted the urge to point out that Amaimon also tried to kill everyone, but he was also pretty cute in your opinion. At least as a hamster.

You silently wondered if you could leave one of these things alive and how much stuff you'd have to take out of your backpack in order to shove it in.

As quickly as the giant squids appeared, they disappeared, smoke covering the area once again. You waved an arm in front of you in order to try and clear it from your persons, but it didn't do much. When the smoke cleared entirely, even the giant whale was gone, leaving a large skeleton in its wake.

And here you'd thought you might've just misheard the whole "explosion" thing.

"Whelp, that's enough 'beach' for me." You collapsed onto the sand below, stretching out on the warm bed comfortably. You closed your eyes. "Wake me up when it's time to go home."

You didn't receive any verbal response, everyone too busy scrambling around you to pay attention to your antics, and laid there for about five minutes before being disturbed. Tiny paws touched your scalp, crawling up your head before settling on your forehead.

"I thought we were supposed to be returning to True Cross." Amaimon sounded annoyed, clearly waking from his nap in a bad mood. You didn't open your eyes, simply reaching up and scratching the hamster's chin.

"We had to fight some squid. I want calamari." You sighed, pausing your petting when Amaimon grabbed onto your finger using his tiny paws.

"You promised me we'd get mochi once we'd returned."

"Don't worry, I didn't lie. We'll get it once Shura decides to stop taking us on detours." Amaimon settled down, seemingly satisfied with that.

You cracked an eye open to meet the King of Earth's gaze from where he was looking down upon you.

"Hey, do you think if I ask nicely enough they'll let me keep the flamethrower?"

Chapter Text

Dozens of baseballs zipped your way at an alarming pace, too fast for any normal human being to even hope of hitting. For a sports-junkie half-demon like you, however, this was nothing.

You were at the newly refurbished batting cages, practicing your swing the day before break ended. It was actually a request from your father. He'd asked you to test out the new equipment and you couldn't exactly refuse seeing as you were at least a little responsible for the destruction of the old ones. Not that you would've tried to refuse in the first place.

The pitcher was on its highest setting, running seemingly smoothly so far with no jams yet whatsoever. Your father had clearly spared no expense on top-of-the-line machinery for the students here. People could say many things about Johann Faust, but he ran a damn fancy school.

When the machine finally ran out of ammo, it automatically sputtered to a stop.

You wiped the sweat from your brow using your forearm, catching your breath as you leaned against the fencing behind you. "That was...a pretty good workout..."

Someone behind you cleared their throat.

You turned around to see Suguro standing a few feet away from the cage and something told you he wasn't there to practice like you were.

"Uh, hey." You stepped out of the cage, accepting the towel Ryuuji passed you to wipe your sweat more thoroughly. You dabbed your cheeks, grateful for the plush fabric's feel against your heated skin. "You need something?"

"Yeah, I just..." Ryuuji took a deep breath before suddenly pulling out a plastic bag. You recognized it as the baggies used at your favorite convenience store to bag items.

You accepted the bag, surprised and confused. Looking inside of it, a bag of your favorite chips laid at the bottom.

"I, uh, asked Okumura what kind you liked." Bon explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I wanted to say...thanks."

You immediately popped open the bag, munching on the chips before he could even think of taking it back. Muffled by a mouth full of chips now, you voiced your confusion. "Why?"

"For what you did. Back in Kyoto." Bon looked like he was struggling to explain. Here you'd been judging him for being such a hardass this whole time, poor guy must've just been emotionally constipated. "You saved my life."

"Oh yeeeaaah." You remembered finally, finishing off the chips. You gave the split-haired guy a pat on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it. You probably would've done the same for me...I think."

Squishing the toned muscle of his shoulder, you blinked. You'd know he was a pretty well-built guy, but clearly you hadn't been paying enough attention during the beach fiasco to notice just how muscled he was.

Bon was put off by the motion, but did nothing to stop you, instead watching red-faced as you poked at his shoulder.

"Hey, you've gotta work out at least a little, right?" You looked at him, waiting for a nod of confirmation before continuing. "You play ball?"

And thus was the start of a very...athletic relationship.

Chapter Text

You tried so hard to flush the image from your brain, but Shura just made it so damn difficult.

Ever since you'd walked in on their little rendezvous, it seemed like the redheaded exorcist was visiting your father more and more, stopping by his office almost daily and even visiting the manor every so often. Could they be any less inconspicuous?

You thought a lot about what this meant for the future. You'd no longer hold a strict monopoly on your father's affection. They'd probably get married if things continued to go well and, if it came to it, maybe they'd even sire another child, increasing your household even further.

You held mixed opinions on the prospect. You weren't a kid anymore, there was no reason you should've felt jealous. Shura and your old man could both make their own decisions and were in no way obligated to notify you regarding the status of their relationship. Yet, still he could've at least told you before things started escalating.

Your thoughts were spiraling so quickly, it was beginning to make you dizzy.

You sat across from your father, eating dinner with him in the dining room for the first time since you'd returned from Kyoto. Well, more like he was eating dinner while you poked around at the food in your bowl. You just weren't super hungry.

Mephisto, however, wasn't blind. Setting down his eating utensils, the elder demon smiled your way. "You know, this is your favorite flavor of instant ramen; usually you'd have devoured at least three bowls by now."

You shrugged, looking up and returning the expression. "I'm just not really hungry, I guess."

"This coming from the one constantly snacking to focus on 'gains' or whatever it is?" Mephisto scoffed, waving his hand in a dismissive motion. The table immediately shortened itself, your chair following the edge so that you and your father were now significantly closer. "Now, tell Papa what's truly bothering you, mein kleiner schatz."

You mulled it over, chewing your lower lip as you debated just how to voice your opinion on the matter. You didn't wanna seem judgmental or accidentally sound like a total brat, so you had to go about this carefully. After thinking it over for a solid thirty seconds, you took a deep breath and went for it.

"If she makes you happy...I'll be alright with whatever you decide." You closed your eyes, smiling softly. Yes, this was your final conclusion. "What's important is that you're good to each other, so don't worry about me! Okay?"

"..."

Mephisto rested his chin on folded hands, elbows propped vertically on the oak wood below. He was quiet, which made you nervous, though that nervousness soon changed to confusion when he finally opened his mouth again.

"I'm sorry, who?"

You blinked, stunned that he'd ask such a thing. If he truly couldn't tell based off of what you'd said then that must mean...

...he was seeing more than one woman!?

"Hmm? Would you hurry up and tell me what's with that look of disgust on your face?" Mephisto kept his smile, but looked weary, almost as if he'd regretted asking.

"I can't believe it! My own father!" You stood straight up, looking away from the demon king. "A playboy!"

That was a super gross thing to think about. He was your dad! It was weird enough to think about him being in a romantic relationship, now this?

"Excuse me?" Mephisto only seemed more confused, however, continued to smile even if it looked like it was tiring.

"Well, I was referring to that redheaded woman originally," You sighed, elaborating if even just a little. "But, if this is the kind of lifestyle you prefer, I won't stop you."

"Aaaah, now I understand." The headmaster began chuckling, sweeping up his short bangs as he laughed. He leaned back in his seat, relaxed, much to your surprise. "This is a misunderstanding about what you'd witnessed the other day, yes?"

"A misunderstanding?" You looked back to the elder demon.

"Yes, Pumpkin. I'm afraid Miss Kirigakure and I are not in any sort of relationship, nor am I currently seeing anyone for that matter." Your father's laughter died down, allowing him to look you in the eyes again. "When you walked in, Miss Kirigakure was just doing me the pleasure of showcasing that lovely knife of hers up close."

She was...just showing him her knife? You didn't quite understand the implication, but you couldn't help but feel a little better anyway.

"So you're really not seeing anyone..?" You thought on this for a moment, eventually letting out a sigh of relief. You relaxed in your seat once again. "You know...if you did decide to start dating, I'd support you, right?"

"I know, Pumpkin." Mephisto was the one to stand this time, giving you a gentle pat on the head in praise. "However, I can assure you that if I do ever pursue someone romantically, I will be setting my sights a bit higher than Miss Kirigakure."

"Thank goodness." You wiped imaginary sweat from your brow. "Having your dad's girlfriend as your teacher sounds embarrassing. I don't think Rin would ever let me live it down."

Good thing you never mentioned your suspicions to him.

Mephisto chuckled, eyeing you with a mischievous gaze you weren't too fond of. As much as you tried to rid yourself of the feeling, it gave you a sense of unease as if he knew something you weren't aware of quite yet.

You knew even if you asked, however, he'd simply reassure you that nothing was wrong, which somehow only worried you even more.

Chapter Text

"Thanks again for helping me study, Shiemi." You flashed the blonde a grin of appreciation, plopping down on the cushion placed on the floor for you to sit. Shiemi had offered to help you catch up academically with the rest of the exwires before classes officially started up again.

"No problem! I'm so happy you could come visit me." Shiemi took the seat across from you, pulling out some books from her bag she'd insisted you look over together. They were mostly about pharmaceuticals, botany and the like, but you weren't gonna complain. It was sure to be more interesting than whatever Yucky-o would've tutored you in anyway.

You picked up the first book, flipping through and eyeing the plants in the images inside. You started to mutter under your breath, not paying much attention to what you were actually saying. "I wonder If Amaimon would know anything about these..."

A loud 'clunk' sound prompted you to look up from where you were reading, only to be met with Shiemi's horrified expression. She'd dropped the textbook she'd been holding, frozen in shock from her seat across from you.

"Did you say...Amaimon?" Ah shit. You did didn't you? Shiemi was practically shaking in her seat, tears welling to the corners of her eyes. "Why?"

You scrambled to come up with an excuse, put off by her question completely.

"Uh, ya know, it's just that he's King of Earth and all so I was just curious! That's it!" You quickly explained, slamming the book shut in your panic.

"Is that all...?" Shiemi looked down at her lap, clutching the fabric of her kimono as if it were a matter of life or death.

Your expression softened, worried over her unusually distraught attitude. You spoke softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were so afraid of him..."

The blonde gardener was silent for a moment, but took a deep breath before her next reply.

"I don't see how you're not; he almost spirited you away..." Tears began falling from Shiemi's cheeks as her gentle voice started to break. "He could've hurt you and I was too weak to do anything!"

"Shiemi..." You stood up, only to sit down again next to her. You were close enough now that your shoulders touched together. You grasped one of her clutched hands, holding it tightly in your own. "It's okay, I was never in any real danger. Apparently my father set the whole thing up!"

"Still, even if that's true-" Shiemi looked up, meeting your gaze with her own. Her cheeks were completely flushed from crying and you couldn't help but admire the strange beauty brought out by her reddened cheeks. "I want to be stronger so that I don't have to worry about someone taking you away from me ever again!"

Your eyes widened at the declaration, your face heating up in a rosey flush to match the fragile girl's.

You couldn't help yourself in that moment. You leaned in slowly, but it felt too brief all the same. Your lips softly touched to the gentle beauty's own, eyes closing as the beat of your heart pounded through your ears.

All too soon, you pulled away, Shiemi's tears no longer shedding. You used your free hand to cup her cheek, brushing the still-wet trail away with your thumb.

"Let's both get stronger, okay?" You smiled in reassurance. "That way, neither of us have to worry about some demon whisking us away."

Shiemi merely nodded softly, as if she still hadn't quite processed what'd just happened. She was pretty much distracted that way for the rest of your session.

Needless to say, you didn't get much studying done.

Chapter Text

"Thirty whole minuuuutes!?" You whined, slumping against the kitchen island in, truthfully, a rather pathetic manner. "But I'm hungry noooow!"

"Dem's the breaks! I told you, cooking takes patience." Rin shook his head at you in faux disappointment. "You're the one who wanted to cook something here instead of going home."

He was right. You'd invited yourself to the Okumura's dorm for dinner, knowing Yucky-o was working late that night and that Rin would subsequently be alone for the evening.

"Yeah, but all we've eaten for dinner since we got home from Kyoto is instant ramen! Papa's refusing to cook anything else and he's barred me from the kitchen entirely!" You pouted, hoping the ravenette would be merciful.

"Why don't you order that butler guy to fix something for you?" Rin raised a brow, cleaning off the whisk he'd just used with a dishrag.

"His food's not as good as yours..." You muttered, deflating further onto the island. "Plus...I wanted to see you before we had to start classes again..."

The whisk Rin'd been cleaning clattered to the floor, drawing your attention to the other half-demon. He was stiff, his face reddening rapidly as he clutched the dishrag to his side.

"You...w-wanted to see me?" The raven-haired exwire stuttered, clearly caught off guard. "W-why?"

"I mean, we'll both be studying our butts off to pass that exorcism license exam or whatever it is as soon as classes start up again, so we probably won't get to have time like this to hang out just you and me for a while." You explained, sighing as you stood up straighter.

Rin went silent, his azure eyes trailing up and down your figure as if to read what was going on inside of that head of yours.

"Is that really all?" The other nephilim spoke softly, drawing your attention to his face. He wore a conflicted expression, worrying you a bit.

"What do you mean?" You stepped closer, confused, but more concerned with how Rin was feeling than anything.

The ravenette chewed on his lower lip for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"(Y/n), what exactly am I to you?" Rin finally breathed out, meeting you with a serious gaze, despite the rosy color slowly spreading up his entire face. "Why did you kiss me on top of the bell tower?"

You could feel your eyelids shoot up in shock. Why had you done that?

"I...I don't know..." You answered honestly, your voice coming out much softer than it's typically boisterous volume. You tried your hardest to explain. "It's like...when I'm near you, something feels...different inside of me."

You could feel the blood flooding to your cheeks in nervousness as you tried to find the proper words.

"Ever since my half-demon side was awakened, I wanted to keep you close to me and I never wanted to leave your side." You continued, looking anywhere but those beautiful eyes of sapphire. "It's like some kind of demonic instinct that I just always wanna be close to you. I-I have no clue why."

You finally found the courage to lock eyes, finding Rin stunned in response to your confession.

"Maybe I...like you?" You swallowed nervously.

In the next moment, you found a pair of coarse lips clumsily smashed against your own. Rin's hands clutched your shoulders, pulling you closer as he kissed you with his chapped lips, screwing his eyes shut completely.

You found yourself returning the poorly-coordinated kiss before you knew it, leaving your hands to hang at your sides as you leaned in, now closer than you feel like you'd ever been to the demonic prince you were lucky enough to call your friend.

The two of you stayed like that until you were harshly interrupted by the shrill screeches of the kitchen's timer.

"Please, don't be burnt! Please, don't be burnt!" Hastily, Rin pulled away, rushing to the oven to pull out the food you'd been waiting for the entire time.

Strangely enough, you'd forgotten all about it.

Chapter Text

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Party poppers went off all around you, making you feel kinda sorry for the shop's employee who'd ultimately wind up cleaning up the entire mess after you'd leave.

Your father was so generous as to take you and your classmates to get monja in celebration of your official promotion to exwire. Now, you were finally caught up with everyone else. In ranking at least.

"Thank you so much!" You smiled from your seat between Rin and Suguro. Amaimon was perched on your shoulder while your father sat at the head of the table. Izumo and Shiemi sat across from you with Shima and Koneko further down. "Please, continue to take good care of me!"

Rin ruffled your hair playfully in response. "Let's eat! I call first dibs!"

"Hey! I'm the one we're celebrating here!" You protested, knocking his arm down and glaring at the other nephilim.

"Allow me to solve this dilemma." Mephisto spoke up, readying to take the freshly made monja for himself. "This is being paid for by yours truly, afterall."

"Papa!" You pouted, disappointed, but unsurprised.

"Here."

Bon passed you a plate of monja that'd been grilling simultaneously on the second grill next to the batter you'd all been arguing over.

"Woah! You're really giving this to me?" You accepted the plate gratefully, clearly surprised by the display.

"Hey! Don't look so shocked!" Bon scolded, already starting on the next circle of batter.

"I can't decide if you dummies like each other or hate each other." Izumo scoffed, starting to construct her own plate of monja. "Just decide already and stop being so gross in public!"

Bon's face went red, causing him to turn away so he was looking anywhere that wasn't directly at you. It was a good thing too or else he would've have noticed the three sets of glares directed his way, originating from the trio of demons sitting on his other side.

"Thank you, Suguro." You smiled, ignoring Izumo since you were pretty used to her comments by now.

You offered Amaimon a bite your food, who eagerly accepted, temporarily forgetting his frustrations on not being able to utterly annihilate any human suitor that crossed your path. Rin, on the other hand, pouted from his seat next to you. This time, you noticed the sour expression on his face.

"Here, Rin. Try some of this one." You offered the other half-demon your plate, who eagerly accepted.

"Woah! This is seriously good!" Rin praised, swallowing the chunk he'd taken. "Hey, Bon! Grill me one next, please!"

"You're right in front of a grill, make your own!" The rest of the group laughed, much to Suguro's chagrin.

You knew somewhere in your heart that very soon, these would become the people dearest to you. If they weren't already, that is.

Chapter Text

"Awe, man! Of course it's gonna rain right when I want convenience store munchies." You sighed, quickly pulling out the umbrella your father had insisted you take, despite the fact the skies were clear up until just a moments ago.

Your break was finally over, which only meant you quickly had to figure out how to balance schoolwork, sports, and cram school all at once, which was a total bummer. You had to drop quite a few teams thanks to your schedule, disappointing many of you former teammates and probably dealing considerable damage to your popularity. Oh well.

To be honest, you cared more about your friends in the exorcist school than anyone you knew from sports.

You were on your way home from basketball practice, one of the few sports you decided to stick with, when you were suddenly pulled from your thoughts by a rustling noise coming from nearby. Your attention was drawn to an alleyway to your right. There, you spotted a round, shady figure rustling menacingly through piles of garbage, unaware of your presence just yet.

Curious, you stepped forward brazenly, figuring that after taking on the Impure King, you were practically invincible from small fries like this. Certainly a bold assumption, but not necessarily a wise one.

"Hey!" You called out, to get the monster's attention. The figure immediately froze, slowly turning in your direction. Your eyes immediately met a much larger set, though you stood your ground regardless.

You and the creature stared each other down like this for all but 2 seconds before the beast came barreling towards you. You readied your stance for battle, tossing the umbrella onto the cold, wet pavement below.

All of a sudden, however, you froze. The threatening expression on your face soon turned into one of confusion before you were tackled to the ground by a formidable force.

You slowly creeped inside of the manor, hoping to direct as little attention as possible your way as you snuck in.

You examined the foyer, hoping it was empty, unlike when you'd left. Luckily for you, there wasn't a trace of life anywhere, human or demonic in origin. You were in the clear.

Giving a sigh of relief, you turned around and softly closed the entrance's door behind you.

"Good evening, Miss. I presume your 'snack run' went well?"

You nearly jumped out of your skin as Belial's voice rang through the previously vacant hall. Turning to face him, you attempted to act as naturally as possible.

"Uh, yeah! Thanks for asking!" You grinned, stepping further inside. You made a beeline for the stairwell, walking quickly in hopes that the butler wouldn't say anything about the elephant in the room. "Quick question: do you know if Papa's working late tonight?"

"Yes, Miss. He sent word that he won't be returning for another hour or so." Perfect.

"What a bummer." You shook your head in mock disappointment, instantly chippering up afterwards. "Well, I'm, like, suuuuper tired, so I'm just gonna use his bath and then head to bed. Night!"

"As you wish, Miss." Belial remained stone-faced, watching as you retreated up the stairwell with much haste. If he'd noticed the malformed bulge underneath your coat, he certainly didn't show any signs of it via facial expression.

You kicked open the door to the master bath, clutching your extra passenger with one arm as you entered. You shut the door behind you using the heel of your foot without bothering to lock it. You never did.

There wasn't really a point in locking any doors in this household when every resident was a demon who had their own unique way of getting in one way or another, locked door or not. Besides, with a demonic sense of smell, it was pretty easy to tell when a room like this was in use, so it's not like anyone could just barge in on you or anything.

You approached the porcelain tub, emptying your jacket's content inside of it carefully. Almost immediately, a long, slimy tongue made contact with your face.

"Behemoth! Chill!" You giggled, reaching over to start the water. Indeed, it was Amaimon's pet dog you'd encountered in the alleyway, though you had strong suspicions now that the green cutie was actually a demon. Just like everything else in your life.

You were even starting to suspect the convenience store clerk was a demon at this point.

In just a few minutes, you had a wet, soapy goblin baby in your bathtub, sloshing around happily in the water. Your clothes were soaked, but you figured it was worth it if you could get the furry demon to smell any less like garbage.

"I swear, if I didn't know you belonged to Amaimon, I would've figured you were probably a familiar of Astaroth." That's right; you learned more demon stuff. Your vocabulary was now full of demonology terms thanks to your rigorous studying. You still felt pretty far from catching up to the other exwires, but you took comfort in knowing if push came to shove you could always use your time powers to cheat off of Kamiki when it came time to take the big exam. Not that you tested this out in regular classes or anything.

As long as you father wasn't one of the test prompters, you should get away with it with general ease, especially if you were finally able to use your abilities without the stopwatch the way you'd been practicing lately. You'd opted only to use this as a last resort, however, it'd make a good plan B.

"C'mere ya little moss-terror terrier." That was all Behemoth needed as cue to jump into your awaiting arms. You wrapped him up in the fluffy, fuchsia towel you'd prepared, hoping your dad wouldn't notice the smell of wet goblin if it happened to linger after Belial did laundry.

During the process of drying your new demonic companion, your ears twitched, picking up the sound of your favorite song ringing from your back pocket. You mindlessly began to hum along until it registered in your brain that you should probably pick up your phone.

Fishing out your cell and putting it on speaker, you placed it on the floor and continued to dry behemoth's fur.

"Ja?" You worked carefully to dry behind the demon's ears.

"Hey, (Y/n), are you busy?" Rin's voice rang out from your phone's speaker.

"Nope, not really." You answered, ditching the towel to search for your dad's largest blow dryer. Which would probably take a while considering he never cancelled his subscription to the blow dryer of the month club. "Why, what's up?"

"You wouldn't happen to know if your old man has any way to make it so that someone affected by a temptaint can't see demons anymore, would you?" Rin asked, shuffling around a bit in the background. "I met this guy today and he's super scared of 'm."

"I'll ask..." You could probably give him a better answer if you could actually remember what a temptaint was. "My dad doesn't get back for a while though, so I'll have to get back to you tomorrow."

"Awesome! I knew I can count on you!" Your face flushed in embarrassment from the demon boy's declaration. You could practically hear his smile from the other end of the phone. "I'll catch up with you tomorrow then."

"Yup. I'll see ya then." You hummed in response, listening as the other half-demon hung up on his end, leaving you alone with Behemoth once again. You grasped the hair dryer you'd finally managed to locate, spinning it around once in your hand before gripping it. Then, you smiled at the beast. "I hope you like pink~"

Behemoth tilted his head innocently, gazing up at you.

"...you groomed my Behemoth." Amaimon stared at your handiwork, eyeing his familiar with an unreadable expression. Said familiar sat happily on the floor in front of your bed, panting heavily as his long, floppy tongue hung out of his mouth. A pink bowtie was hung around his neck in the position his spiked collar had once been. His fur sparkled as a result of one of your father's many gels you'd dumped into the bath mix, each hair now clean with a slick, glossy shine.

"Yup! Now he doesn't smell like Shiemi's compost bin." You ran your brush through your hair, continuing your nightly routine as usual. The King of Earth sat on top of the foot of your bed frame, not paying you an ounce of attention for once. The silence was almost a welcomed change.

A soft, yet distinct knock came from your door, drawing your attention that way. You ditched the brush on a nearby dresser, jogging up to answer as quickly as possible.

You cracked open the door only wide enough to fit your figure, hiding Behemoth's presence behind you. You only hoped the smile you offered Mephisto didn't seem too forced. "Yes, Papa?"

"Guten abend, Prinzessin." Oh ghenna, that was your 'definitely in trouble' pet name; he definitely knew what was up. If that wasn't evidence enough, the tight smile on your father's face definitely gave it away. "A little vögelchen told me you smuggled in a surprise into the manor~"

"Uh, nooooo..." You denied nervously, immediately followed by a crash coming from the background.

"(Y/n) Pheles..." Nice to know which last name of yours was more canonical now at least. "Is that a dog?"

You brought your hands together, pressing them against your lips before rotating then towards him reminiscent of the pelican's neck in one of your favorite memes. "Define dog."

Mephisto frowned, an expression you surprisingly only saw on rare occasions considering he was a literal demon. Beads of sweat started to form at your temples in nervousness. His eyes began to glower as his tone shifted in warning. "My memory must be failing me because, the last we spoke of it, I could have sworn I told you no."

"Weeeell..." You gave a nervous chuckle. "It's kinda, technically, not a dog and it's also technically Amaimon's, not mine."

Mephisto raised a gloved hand to rub his temples. "Tell me you did not find that hobgoblin on campus and bring it home."

"Noooo..." You rocked back on the balls of your feet. "I found him in the garbage and brought him home."

Bad answer.

Chapter Text

You trudged your way to school, ignoring the odd looks shot your direction the entire way. As usual, your father's punishments were both cruel and unusual with your attire simply consisting of a singular facet of it. Later on that night, you were in charge of polishing his entire figure collection. Say goodbye to any possible chance of sleep that night.

"Yo, (Y/n)!" Of course Rin would be the first person you bumped into. "Did you ask about the- W-w-what are you wearing!?"

His eyes grew large enough to pop out of their sockets, spewing spit from his mouth at the sight of you. If you were the offspring of literally any other being on the planet, there was no way on Assiah you could get away with wearing a Sailor Scout uniform to school, much less for some sort of weird punishment employed by your parent. Damn, your dad was such a fucking weeb.

You almost wished he'd turned you into a hamster like Amaimon instead.

Speaking of, you hadn't seen the fuzzy rodent since the night before. You'd decided to look out for him in your free time, whenever that existed again, but you couldn't help but worry he'd gotten himself into some kind of trouble...

"What? This ol' thing?" You dramatically gestured to your outfit. "It's for...the school play! I'm auditioning for one of the main characters."

"Our school's doing a play? That's cool." Rin blinked in surprise. You sure loved this boy, but fuck was he too gullible for his own good. "I wouldn't put it past Mephisto to make everyone wear cosplay, so I guess that makes sense. What's it called?"

"Uuuuh...'Put That Thing Back Where it Came From or So Help me.'" You spat out the first thing that came to mind. "...it's a musical."

You sure hoped that whatever internet service he had on his phone was too crappy to do a search that night.

"Anyway, let's head in. We're gonna be late." Before the other half-demon could as anymore questions, you quickly tugged him inside, weaving through each locker til you stood in front of your own. Luckily, Rin's happened to be right across from yours, though part of you wondered if it was really a coincidence.

You let go of Rin, opening your locker and glaring into the mirror left inside. Very funny.

In truth, you contemplated changing out into your gym uniform for the day, but quickly ditched the idea as soon as you remembered your father was the literal Demon King of Time and Space and would absolutely know one way or another.

"Huh? What's this?" The sound of Rin's voice drew your attention his way. He held something pink in his hands, which must've fallen out of his locker.

"It looks like...a love letter!" You peered over his shoulder. You snickered, throwing an arm around his neck. "Well look at you Mister Popularity. Who's the lucky lady or fella?"

Rin ignored your jeers, turning the letter in his hands. "Looks like the envelope is signed-"

'From Mephisto~'

Rin didn't even attempt to hide his deadpan.

"Woah, Okumura got a love letter? No fair!" Shima and Konekomaru joined you, the former clearly rushing over at the mention of 'love letter.' "Why him!?"

"If it was an actual love letter, I'd say it's cuz he's decent looking and a bomb ass cook, but, unfortunately, it's more likely to be some kind of unorthodox hate mail." You sighed, wondering if poor Rin was to be the next victim of Mephisto's odd, yet effective punishments. "It's from my dad."

Koneko and Shima seemed just about as impressed as Rin.

"That's rough bud-AAAAAH!" The pink haired monk tore his eyes from the paper, gluing them to your form immediately. His entire face turned unnaturally pink, almost the same shade as his hair, as he covered his mouth and nose with both hands. "...I'm dreaming. That kracken put me in a coma and now I'm stuck sleeping in a dream I never wanna wake from."

Renzo faced you, now wearing the most serious expression you'd ever seen grace his face.

Pinky placed his hand on your shoulder. "Please, tell me you've convinced your dad to switch the girls' swim uniforms to string bikinis and the gymwear to cheerleader uniforms."

You batted his hand away with a look of disgust. "Keep dreamin'."

"Mornin'." A disheveled looking Suguro joined your little party, clearly having woken up not very long ago at all. He must've not gotten much sleep last night, after all, you were fairly certain you'd heard somewhere that he was an early riser. His eyes finally settled on the envelope in Rin's hands. "What's that?"

"..." Rin, who'd been frozen in shock this entire time, visibly shuddered, tears sprouting from the corners of his eyes. "IT'S FROM MEPHISTO!? THAT'S SERIOUSLY CREEPY!"

You wanted to argue, but couldn't disagree without knowing the letter's content.

"Hurry up and open it, it could be important." Bon suggested, much to Rin's chagrin.

"I don't wanna..." The Okumura twin whined, despite ripping open the envelope anyway. You looked over his shoulder again to read the note.

'Dear Rin Okumura,

The weather has been abnormally warm for the beginning of autumn, but I hope you're doing well.'

What on Earth?

You shook your head once again at your father's antics. Part of you wondered how you were actually related to this man, but then you remembered how you'd recently bedazzled that flamethrower you'd managed to smuggle away from the beach after the kracken incident and everything seemed to check out for the most part.

'I have exciting news! In regards to the death sentence ordered by the Vatican the other day...it has been SUSPENDED!!!

Yay! Congratulations! CLAP CLAP CLAP'

"Woah! That's awesome! Congrats, Rin!" You hugged your blue-eyed friend, giving him a brief squeeze before pulling away.

"Thanks, but there's still more here..." The other half-demon pulled the page behind it to the front, skimming over it suspiciously.

'By the way, I'd like to invite you to dinner this evening to celebrate the suspension. Wear your finest formalwear and come to the residence of Johann Faust around the hour of 6 PM.

I'll be waiting!

~Mephisto'

"Huh..?" Your group collectively voiced your confusion.

"STAY AWAY!"

You instantly swerved your head in the direction of the sudden shouting.

"That's Godaiin's voice!" Rin tossed the note behind him, taking off towards the hall. You were quick to follow, eventually halting beside him when he stopped. "Godaiin!"

"OKUMURA!" A rather plain looking boy rushed towards your crew, collapsing at Rin's feet and onto the cold, marble flooring. He was as pale as a sheet, huffing in an attempt to catch his breath. It was then you'd spotted what he'd been so desperate to get away from.

A gooey, dripping, abstract creature stalked towards the boy, squealing as if to taunt him. It was colorful for sure, but looked as if it were a cat drawn by a toddler who'd never seen an animal ever before in their life. Every one of its limbs were bent, its face sprouting a thin beak with misshapen eyes cracked in a strange, colorless mosaic. No wonder this guy had been frightened of the thing.

Rin knelt down to help the other boy, glaring at the minor demon with an intense flame in his eyes.

You, on the other hand, had your own idea.

You approached the little monster, staring it down as it stopped in its tracks before you. You took a second or two for dramatic effect, but once you were satisfied-

"WHEEEZ!!" Oily liquid spewed from the mini demon's eyes and beak, as you sent it flying through the air with a singular punt. Your father would be absolutely furious with the goop now clinging to the boot of your costume, but that was an issue for future (Y/n).

The walking oil spill eventually staggered to its feet from where it'd landed down the hall, waddling away without any more trouble.

"I can't take it anymore..." The boy known as Godaiin shivered on the floor, curled into a ball as he covered his ears with his hands. "Somebody, please..."

"Let's get him to the infirmary!" Rin rushed to try and lift the other student from the floor, but you were quick to stop him. You shook your head.

"We don't wanna hurt him. He's gotta stand up on his own." You knelt down at the knees, gesturing for Rin to follow suit. "Godaiin?"

The boy's eyes shot up to look at you, though he didn't make any sudden movements otherwise.

"That thing is gone now, don't worry. Rin and I just wanna take you to the infirmary, okay?" You and Rin both offered your hands to Godaiin, waiting patiently for him to respond.

After a moment or two, it seemed to work. Godaiin lifted his torso from off of the floor before firmly grasping the hands offered to him, allowing you to lift him to his feet. You immediately swung his arm around your neck, waiting for Rin to do the same before heading towards the infirmary.

"Welcome, Master Okumura." Belial bowed before allowing Rin to enter your home, holding the door open for him.

The blue-eyed exwire took in the sight of your foyer, just as equally amazed with the decor as he always was whenever he came over. He was early by around thirty minutes, by your request. Apparently you wanted to talk to him about something?

"Rin! You're here!" You bounced up the the other nephilim, clad in an oversized t-shirt and shorts. Mephisto had, in fact, been pissed over you ruining his costume, however, to your surprise, he only responded by smiling ominously, promising to punish you much later.

You'd know when the time came.

"Yeah. You wanted to talk about something, right?" Rin tried his hardest to ignore the gaze you bore into his chest, straightening the tie of his uniform subconsciously. "Uh, what is it?"

"Papa told you to wear formalwear." You stated blatantly, gesturing to his current attire. He hadn't even changed out of his school uniform yet.

"Hey! It's the fanciest thing I've got, okay?" Rin pouted, looking down to the ground.

You hummed to yourself for a moment in thought. This wouldn't do. Your father was in a sour mood as it was, Rin probably didn't need to test his patience any more.

"Here, come with me." You gave Rin little choice, grasping his wrist and dragging him up the grand staircase before he could get a word in.

"Hmm, it's not a perfect fit, but it'll do." You didn't do a whole lot. Honestly, all you did was take his school blazer and replace it with one of your own, a plain black jacket you'd probably only worn maybe once, and ditch the school tie.

The other half-demon looked himself over in the long mirror you'd placed in front of him, wondering why exactly you were so insistent he do this in the first place.

"...something's missing." You tapped your foot in contemplation. In the next moment, it hit you. You turned to face the open door to your bathroom, calling out to the fuzzy goblin inside. "BEHEMOTH! HERE BOY!"

Several hundred pounds of pure, unfiltered joy came bounding from out of your pile of dirty laundry and into the room towards you. Behemoth plopped himself onto the ground at your feet, smiling and panting, happy to be getting attention.

"Woah! What is that!?" Rin was taken aback by the demon's sudden appearance, drawing the attention of Behemoth himself. The goblin growled at the other nephilim, reminding you of his master and feeling glad he wasn't there at least.

"His name is Behemoth. He's my new familiar." You explained quickly without going into any further details. You simply bent down, slipping off the bowtie you'd adorned the goblin with previously, before slipping it onto Rin, tying his outfit together. Luckily the accessory was still perfumed from when you'd dolled up Behemoth, so your father shouldn't notice the smell of goblin. Maybe. But, you silently hoped he wouldn't recognize the tie as one of his own. "There!"

Now, he almost looked like a proper gentleman.

"Now for your hair!" Rin had to hold back a groan. At least you couldn't make him look any more ridiculous.

"Perfect!" You grinned, passing him a hand mirror from where he was sitting on the couch in front of you. You'd dug out some hairgel as well as hairspray to style the other half-demon's hair up, spiking it in a way that was actually similar to Suguro's now that he thought about it.

His bangs were held up by small, raven-colored berets while the rest of his hair leaned back thanks to all the product in it.

"This is..." Rin took his time examining every strand before suddenly grinning. "So awesome! I look like a total badass!"

"Right!?" You'd styled it after some delinquent character you'd seen in a comic once, having wanted to try the style yourself for ages. You figured Rin would appreciate your sense of style. "You look handsome, my guy!"

"Heheh, thanks." Rin's cheeks tinted pink, though he was honestly thinking the same thing himself.

"Now, you should probably head to the dining room; you don't wanna be late for your date~" You hummed, practically shoving him towards the door.

"Please, don't say it like that." How you could make a joke like that about your best friend and your father, he would never understand. Before he could be kicked out of your bedroom, however, he reached out and grabbed onto the doorframe. "Wait!"

"Hm?" You raised a brow, halting in your motion. "What is it?"

"Did you ask your dad about what I'd said the other day?" Ooooh, right! You knew you'd forgotten something.

"Yeah, don't worry." You'd somehow managed to find the time to ask after being dealt your punishment. "He said he's got some special eyedrops. Are they for Godaiin?"

"Yeah." Rin nodded, confirming your suspicions. "You saw just how bad he's got it earlier. If I can do anything, I wanna help him out."

You sighed, patting Rin's shoulder with a smile. "You're a good guy, Rin Okumura."

"I..." The other nephilim seemed to be at a loss for words, a teary gloss threatening to overtake his vision. He took a deep breath. "Thanks, (Y/n)..."

Chapter Text

It was eleven pm at night, why were you being summoned?

You made your way over to the designated meeting spot, honestly a little grumpy. You'd just settled down for bed, snuggling with Behemoth when suddenly your phone buzzed with a message from Yucky-o telling you to come forth. You almost told him to screw off, but then Mephisto'd entered the room, ushering you out of the door before you could even change out of your jammies. Great.

So there you were; out on campus in the middle of the night in nothing but your pajamas and slippers. You honestly wouldn't have cared much if it weren't so damn cold out.

Everyone else was in uniform, looking completely normal. Were you the only one to get the notice at the last second!?

Rin, however, was sporting a new hairstyle, one completely different than the one you'd given him. This one was slicked back, much more sophisticated than his usual do.

"I'm sorry to have called you all here at this hour." Yukio apologized, standing in front of your group. You didn't believe him one bit, but were too distracted to care. You stared at Rin's hair with burning interest, slowly reaching up to touch it. Yukio continued. "Tonight, we're having a special lesson: a mission directly from Lord Pheles."

Your ears twitched a bit. Usually Yukio referred to your father as 'Sir Pheles'. Weird. Maybe he just wanted to switch it up for once.

"Follow me." Yukio started off, your group beginning to follow him.

"Your hair looks different today, Rin." Shiemi noted aloud, drawing the half-demon's attention. Before he could do anything however, you reached up and ruffled it, completely ruining the style.

"That was my old man's doing, right?" You sighed, pulling away. It didn't look bad, but it just wasn't Rin. "He probably fed you instant noodles and talked about demon shit."

"Huh? How'd you know!?" Rin seemed surprised you'd guessed so accurately. You weren't in on the whole thing...were you?

"So he was just messing with you..." Shima chuckled from his place ahead of you.

"Yeah, I wouldn't stress over it too much." You offered Rin a smile, hoping whatever Mephisto had said wasn't burdensome to your friend. The other nephilim simply nodded, his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Alright, listen up." Yukio stopped in the middle of a bridge connecting two of the school's buildings. He turned to face your group, speaking up so everyone could hear. "You've all heard of the seven school mysteries, right?"

"The girls talk about them a lot." Shima piped up. You could confirm this, having heard many a time from Shiemi of all people about how spooky the school is. Here you'd figured it was just Behemoth screwing around before you'd found him.

"They're a pretty hot topic around the school." Koneko chimed in, not nearly as enthusiastic.

"You're going to be taking on the demons behind those rumors." Your teacher explained, pulling out a sheet of paper from his pocket. "I'll be observing, but I won't intervene. It's up to you all to work together. At least that's what the preceptor wants."

Yukio handed the sheet to Bon, who's shoulder you peeked over to read it. To your surprise, he didn't complain, simply passing it around to the next person without a word.

"The first one you're facing is the white apparition that wanders the academy at night!" Yukio accepted the sheet back, holding it in front of him. "According to our info, it's the ghost of a bride. She attacks men who notice her, but won't appear around women."

"There!" Izumo suddenly shouted, pointing to another bridge in direct view of the one you were currently standing on. A white figure stood at the end of the walkway, looking over the academy. "A white shape!"

"There she is. Begin the mission!" The younger Okumura ordered. "Don't forget about teamwork."

Your group huddled together in a circle, brainstorming a plan before you headed into action.

"You girls should probably sit this one out." Bon reasoned, though he didn't seem too pleased at the notion.

"I'm not happy about it, but you're probably right." You pouted, having wanted to kick some demon butt. You were even more annoyed since you probably could've just slept through this one without being kicked out of the house in your jammies. "We'd probably just scare her away."

Izumo and Shiemi were quick to agree with you.

"Arias are the best for expelling ghosts, but what kind of prayer or sutra should we use?" Suguro scratched his chin in thought, trying to formulate a good strategy based around the group's specific skills. "Neko, Shima, and I are all training to be arias, so we can chant all kinds of sutras."

"Then I'll be the distraction!" Rin declared, happy to chime in.

"So, whadda you do, puppet guy?" You turned to the creepy boy, trying your hardest to remember his name. As soon as it came to you, you smiled in epiphany. "Nemo!"

"...I'm pretty sure it's Takara Nemu." Koneko quietly corrected.

"Shut up! Don't talk to me!" The puppet was the one to respond, snapping at you. "Just do whatever you want!"

"So you won't complain if I kick your butt?" You huffed, throwing him the bird as Shiemi hooked your arm with hers and gently led you away.

"You've got this, buddy!" You called out words of encouragement to Rin, watching as he and the other boys made their way down the walkway towards the figure. The blue-eyed nephilim sent you a wave of thanks in return.

You were standing in the archway of the building the bridge was protruding from with Shiemi, Izumo, and Yucky-o, only one of you really concerned for their safety.

"It'll be alright, Shiemi. Don't worry." You tried to comfort the gardener, patting her head gently.

"I know. Everyone's really strong, but I can't help but worry about them." Shiemi admitted, trying to relax for your sake. This girl was too pure for this world. You wrapped your arms around her, holding her tightly too you with no intention of letting her go anytime soon, not that Shiemi took any problem with this. If anything, she relaxed in your hold, blushing lightly up to her ears.

That was when your phone buzzed in your pocket. That was weird. You could've sworn you'd accidentally left it on your side table when Mephisto kicked you out. Were you really that sleepy?

Yukio looked at you with a look of disapproval that you promptly ignored. You could tell that he wanted to say something, however you quickly showed him the caller I.D. on your screen. "It's my father. He probably wants something important if he's intentionally interrupting a mission."

"Very well, go ahead." Yukio gave you his permission even if he wasn't happy about it. "But, I'd like to hear what Sir Pheles has to say for myself if you don't mind."

You did mind, but understood that the call could very well be meant for your teacher also. You led Yukio into the building, walking far enough away for a bit of privacy before hitting the 'answer' button.

"Ja?"

"Guten abend, schatzi!" Mephisto's voice rang from your phone, gracing your ears. "How's your mission going~?"

"Uh, gooooood?" Your tone of voice gave away your confusion. "Why'd you call me?"

"Couldn't I call simply because I missed my little knuddelbär~?"

Your face burned bright red, spreading quickly throughout your entire body. You looked up at Yukio, praying he'd somehow missed your father announcing your most embarrassing nickname out loud pretty much anyone nearby to hear.

The teacher held an unreadable expression, glasses glinting so you were unable to look directly into his eyes.

"Papa, I'm here with the teach'..." You replied weakly, covering your face with your free hand as if that would work to hide your shame. At least Angel wasn't around to hear it...

"Oh! Good evening, Mister Okumura!" Mephisto called out cheerfully, clearly smiling from behind the phone screen. "If you're alone with my daughter, perhaps her tastes have changed. I'm not happy, but I'll give you my blessing to court her if it means she'll keep away from any ruffians."

"Papa!" Surprisingly enough, you weren't the only one embarrassed.

"Sir Pheles" Yukio cleared his throat, looking away to distract from the light blush dusting his cheeks. "Surely you didn't call just to gossip?"

"Indeed!" Mephisto finally ceased his teasing, much to your gratitude. "I'm calling to inform my dear schnuckelschneke that I'm on an important mission of the Order, so I won't be home until at least tomorrow."

He was definitely choosing the most embarrassing nicknames on purpose, just to spite you. Was this revenge for ruining his costume?

"Very well, I'll continue to handle the exwire's missions here as originally planned." Yukio replied, straightening his glasses.

"If that's all, I'ma hang up-"

"I told you this call was completely unnecessary. Just focus on the task." A new voice spoke up to scold your father from behind the phone. Was that Arthur Angel?

"It seems like even demons can act like mother hens!" A new voice chimed in; one you didn't recognize.

"..." You closed your eyes, refusing to go through any further shame. "Tschüss."

You hung up the phone, slipping it back into your pajama pocket silently.

You looked over at Yukio, sighing before heading back towards the group. "Let's...never speak of this. Ever."

Yukio simply escorted you back in silence, just about as eager to leave as you were even if he wouldn't admit it.

"I am the Puppet Master! I control and summon puppets! Even without a Meister, I'm still better than you losers!" The puppet from Takara's hand exclaimed, talking more than he had the entire time you'd been in cram school. "Cram school's boring! Just leave me alone!"

What the fuck did you just walk in on?

After hearing his insults, everyone looked pissed, finally prepping to fight this a-hole like you'd been for the past few weeks. You wouldn't stop who ever threw the first punch, but you'd probably toss them a weapon if things got dicey.

"THEN JUST QUIT CRAM SCHOOL!" Koneko was surprisingly the first one to call him out, tears leaking from the bald boy's eyes, even as he lunged at the creepy blonde.

"Hell yeah, Konekomaru! Burn his house down with lemons!" You encouraged, prevented from moving any closer by Shiemi's nervous grip on your sleeve. Unfortunately, Bon was quick to hold the smaller guy back, keeping him from wailing on Takara. You were disappointed, but unsurprised.

"That's enough, settle down." Yukio warned, gesturing for everyone to gather together again. Bon reluctantly released Koneko, allowing you all to huddle up. Once you were together, The teacher continued. "Tomorrow you'll be taking on mystery number three: Mayuko the Toilet Ghost."

That sounded kinda gross.

"According to the rumor, some girls got locked in the north restroom of the sixth floor of the girls' dormitory." Izumo explained, being the only one who actually lived in the girls' dorms. "When they were rescued, it was like they were empty husks. Now they're all absent from school and no one's touched the bathroom since."

"The story is true. Mayuki is likely an evil ghost who's bad business." Yukio confirmed the rumor and you couldn't help but wonder what kinda life you'd have to lead to die and get stuck in a stinky bathroom for eternity. "Unlike the white figure, this ghost only appears before women. Ms. Pheles, Ms. Kamiki, and Ms. Moriyama will handle this mission."

"Let's do our best!" Shiemi looked determined, yet still happy to get a chance to show off her abilities.

"Yeah! It's our turn to kick ghost booty!"

Chapter Text

"Here we are."

You, Shiemi, and Kamiki entered the bathroom, surveying your surroundings carefully.

"Wow! It's so luxurious!" Shiemi exclaimed in awe of the fancy decor.

"If you want, we could probably take a bath in the dorms later." You offered, strolling in and noting the light sheen of dust covering the mirrors.

"Neither of you even sleep here! You can't use the baths!" Izumo argued, glaring in your direction.

"Well, I hate to pull the 'my daddy paid for all of this' card, but he did, so I'll bathe wherever I want." You could bathe in the front fountain if you wanted and who the fuck was gonna try and stop you? Not Izumo Kamiki, that's for sure.

"Guys look!" Shiemi whisper-yelled, calling out for your attention. "Coaltars!!"

A tiny, black demons began floating your way. Supposedly, they were a bad sign, but you couldn't help but wonder how anything could be bad about something so friggin' cute! These were Astaroth's lackies, right? Maybe the King of Garbage had some good traits after all.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Yukio whispered from behind a nearby partition. "We'll be here on standby, so do your best."

"Of course! As if you need to tell us that." You rolled your eyes, heading to the stalls and starting to kick each individual door open. You were swiftly joined by Shiemi and Izumo, each taking on doors not in your direct path of destruction.

"Here!" Eventually, Shiemi drew your attention to one of the closed doors on your other side. "This one's the only one that's locked!"

"Nice job, Shiemi." You were quick to praise, moving to join her. "Let's bust it open!"

"Um, I feel like maybe we should kno-"

"Your potty break's over!" You shouted, kicking open the stall before she could finish. To your surprise, however, it was empty.

"YoU UgLy HaGs!"

A grating voice called out from behind you. You swiftly turned to face the demon, standing your ground despite its unsettling appearance.

"ShE rEaLLy PiSsES mE OFf!" The ghost was mostly hair, bearing a strong resemblance to Cousin It if you had to say so. Various sets of eyes and mouths peaked out from behind the long, black curtain, spouting nasty words and mean phrases it'd probably learned from others. This thing really knew how to spill the tea. "I wISh I hAd HeR LoOKs!"

"Alright, get ready to get exorcised!" You pulled out the gun you'd prepared in advance, aiming it at the concentration of spite directly.

"I dOn'T ThInK So!" Hair shot out from the demon's form, taking hold of Shiemi by the neck. The poor blonde struggled, attempting to free herself, though it was no use.

"Shiemi!" You immediately began firing, shooting bullets at the creature in hopes of freeing your friend. "Eyebrows! Hurry it up with the purifying!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Izumo scoffed, summoning her foxes even if she'd just argued with you. "Uke! Mike! Purify!"

The purple-haired exwire began chanting some prayer you weren't familiar with while you kept shooting. You were only able to hit it's non-vital areas as it used Shiemi as a human shield to protect itself like a coward.

"You sure talk a big game for someone so scared of a few...mostly-humans!" It was a strange statement, but you wouldn't claim to be completely human when this thing could probably tell it was a lie just by looking at you.

"EXPEL SPIRIT!!" Izumo finally finished her chant, vanquishing the enemy for good and releasing Shiemi from her binds.

You instantly rushed to catch her, holding her in your arms to keep her on her feet.

"Kamiki, Miss (Y/n)..." Shiemi smiled softly at the two of you. "Thank you..."

"There's no need for that, Shiemi! We did this as a team!" You shook your head, refusing her thanks.

"Great teamwork everyone!" Yukio and the rest of the boys stepped out from behind their hiding space, revealing that each of them were clad in girls' uniforms with makeup and even wigs in some cases. "All three of you did well!"

"Yeah! That was awesome!" Rin bounced up to you, unfazed by his change of clothing or the shortness of his lower garment. He looked good. "Ah! (Y/n)! Are you okay? Your face is red!"

Indeed it was. You snapped out of your stupor, shaking your head to clear your head.

"Must be some kinda after effect of being so close to the purification." You rubbed your sheepishly, telling the truth and not silently praising your father's taste in miniskirts.

Meanwhile, Kamiki and Shiemi stood off to the side, laughing nearly uncontrollably.

"That's how you were planning to save us!?" Izumo snorted, clutching her stomach in her laughter. "How can you keep a straight face!?"

"Aren't I at least a little cute..?" Rin's face deflated pretty much instantly, much to your displeasure.

"Of course you are, Rin; you're adorable!" You cupped the ravenette's cheek in comfort. You offered him a pleasant smile. "The skirt really shows off how nicely toned your legs are and your hair in that clip is too cute for words! Don't listen to them."

Luckily, that was enough for Rin to perk up, spinning around in his excitement, showing off the outfit in its entirety. "Sweet! I knew I looked good!"

"Yeah! Kamiki's just jealous you look better in it than she does." You ignored Izumo's glares boring into the back of you head.

He honestly did look amazing in the uniform and the makeup job wasn't too shabby either. Maybe you could convince your father to let students alternate between uniforms?

"Willkommen zurück, Papa!" You greeted your father at the entrance upon his return home, worried after he'd been gone for much longer than he'd predicted. You wrapped your arms around the elder demon in a tight hug as soon as he'd entered the room.

"Danke, schatzi." Mephisto praised, patting your head gently in return. "I was set to stay longer, but I simply couldn't knowing that I had such a cute daughter waiting at home for me!"

You pulled back, walking with your father to the drawing room. He wasted no time lounging on the couch, snapping his fingers to change from his regular suit into one of his pink, weeby kimonos, loosely hanging onto his figure.

You took the seat across from him, settling in as Belial served you snacks on the coffee table between you and the demon king.

"How was your mission, Papa?" You asked, biting into one of the powdered cookies from the tray. "It was an emergency, right?"

"Unfortunately, the information is mostly classified, but yes I was called there under the presumption of an emergency." Mephisto sighed, running his fingers up through his short, purple hair. "However, it turned out to be nothing to be concerned about."

The headmaster flashed you a weary smile. You simply raised your brow in turn. "So they called out both the Paladin and the King of Time over a false alarm?"

"Afraid so." The demon king shook his head, seemingly just as disappointed as you were.

"Oh yeah? Then what's that?" You squinted your eyes at him, pointing at a dark spot just below his collar bone. If he was going to lie, he could've at least made it a good one.

"What is..?" Mephisto snapped a hand mirror into existence, using it to eye the spot for himself. A glint of understanding flashed through his eyes, practically burning a hole into the mirror at this point.

You sighed, standing up and sitting beside him. "I know you're a 'big bad demon king' and all, but that doesn't mean you should act reckless."

You took a closer look at the area for yourself. It appeared to be just a light bruise splotched on his skin.

"Shouldn't this have healed by now anyway? Your demonic healing should've kicked in already." You took the first aid kit from Belial gratefully, pulling out some ointment and a pack of bandages. Scooping some of the ointment onto your fingers, you reached over to rub it into the tender skin, however, you were thwarted when your wrist was caught in a tight grip.

You looked up at Mephisto in confusion, however, you were only met with a mirroring look of surprise. For whatever reason he seemed almost more shocked as you were.

"Papa...?"

The demon king released his hold on your wrist without a word, averting his gaze as if he was deep in thought.

You looked away as well, continuing with your task and rubbing the cream in gentle circles on the wound.

By the time you were done, Mephisto's chest was littered with a variety of pink princess bandages, not very sturdy in their individual places. It's then that the demon king realizes that, this entire time, you'd had no clue what you were doing.

"Thank you, schatzi." The headmaster stood as soon as you were finished. "It's been a long day. Why don't you head to bed while I clean up this mess?"

You could tell it wasn't actually up for debate. You simply nodded in response, making your way back into the foyer and up the grand staircase with many thoughts running through your mind.

You suddenly froze, remembering something you'd forgotten to ask about. You called down the stairs. "Hey, Papa!"

"Yes, Pumpkin?" Mephisto popped his head into the room.

"Did you get that boxed-lunch I sent? Belial told me he could make sure it got to you." You'd found the time to make your father some food during his mission, sending it his way to make sure he was eating properly.

A dark, satisfied expression took over Mephisto's face. "Indeed I did, my dear. Indeed I did..."

Earlier that day, the King of Time held the boxed lunch you'd sent him, wondering how deadly it'd be on the scientific scale today. Either way, he wasn't eating it.

He was soon joined by the Paladin, Arthur Angel himself, along with the famous Lewin "Lightning" Light.

"Did you bring your own lunch, Sir Pheles? I didn't know you cooked!" Lewin pestered, peeking over the demon king's shoulder to peer at the closed container in his hands.

"I did not." Mephisto answered with a strained smile. "This was made and sent by meine schöne Tochter."

"I wouldn't have pegged her for type to enjoy the culinary arts. Are you sure she's the one who made it?" From what little he'd seen of you, he didn't take you for someone who'd take up such a refined hobby. Perhaps, in certain aspects, he'd misjudged you.

"I am completely sure." Mephisto could sense the meal's deadly aura from outside of the box itself. Perhaps he should find you a proper cooking instructor.

"It must be really nice to receive a home-cooked meal from a cute girl. I'm jealous!" Lightning congratulated with a smile, giving the demon king a firm pat on the back. "I just eat fast food and Angel only eats fancy stuff."

"I've told you, just because something is made with vegetables doesn't necessarily mean it's fancy." Arthur sighed, clearly having had this conversation many times before.

Mephisto looked down at the box in his hands, a grin slowly crawling its way up his face. He turned to look at Lighting. "Say, I've already eaten brunch not too long ago and I'd hate for this precious food to go to waste. Why don't you gentlemen enjoy it in my stead?"

"Hm? Won't your daughter be disappointed you didn't eat it?" Lewin tilted his head in confusion.

"No, no. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to have two fine exorcists like yourselves try her cooking." The headmaster insisted holding out the box for one of them to take.

Arthur seemed hesitant to accept anything crafted by demon-spawn, but Lewin on the other hand had zero qualms, taking the meal with no further questions asked. "Thanks!"

Mephisto watched as the pair walked away, relishing silently in the chaos that was sure to ensue from his mischief.

"This is..." Arthur couldn't help but heave into the porcelain bowl in front of him. "...your fault!"

Lewin simply continued eating the amalgamation of ingredients piled into the boxed lunch; a meal that would probably have to be censored had it been shown on TV. "Hm? What's the matter? Tastes pretty good to me."

That makes one person who enjoys your cooking.

Chapter Text

The third and fourth missions came and went without any major issues (unless you considered being chased around by a giant statue of your father throughout an amusement park at night or destroying a demonic tram car to be issues) and, before you knew it, you were on your final mystery.

"So we're dealing with the Hall of Portraits today, huh?" You yawned, leaning with one arm on Bon's shoulder. "What's so scary about this place?"

"Other than the fact there's a ton of creepy pictures covering the wall?" Shima looked to you in disbelief. "They say one of the portraits shows a different face every time someone looks at it or something."

"Mr. Okumura's late..." Koneko noted, looking down to his watch.

"You think he forgot?" You looked up at Bon who stood stoically beside you. "He's not the type to slack off."

"No way, he's probably just caught up in his work." Suguro grumbled, oddly stiff for some reason.

"GYAAAAA!"

"Izumo?" Every one of you turned your head to where Kamiki had been standing, surprised to see your father next to her.

"Papa?" You left Bon's side to move closer, eventually stopping next to Rin. "What're you doing here?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Okumura has been summoned for some important work by the Vatican, so I will be observing in his stead." The King of Time shot you a wink. "I believe the Hall of Portraits is your last assignment."

"What? I thought there were three left." Konekomaru voiced, visibly confused.

"Hm? Oh!" Mephisto shook his head before explaining. "The seventh one, the unreachable mansion, is actually Futsumaya."

"Isn't that where you live, Shiemi?" You turned to look at the blonde.

Shiemi's face went nearly completely red. "Yeah. I didn't know people were talking about it..."

"Number six, the Wunderkammer, is my special collection of..." The headmaster cleared his throat with an 'ahem'. "...pranks, so you don't need to worry about it."

Mephisto walked towards the wall, stopping right in front of one of the larger pictures hanging on the wall. It was a portrait of a woman you personally thought was pretty cute. She had short, blonde hair as well as beautiful blue eyes. It was hard to think of her as a demon.

"That only leaves this: the 'Family Portrait'. It was a part of my collection of..." Mephisto cleared his throat once again. "...pranks, but recently, it's been inadvertently terrorizing students. It's become dangerous enough to require exorcism."

The demon king snapped his fingers, disappearing in a puff of pink smoke. When he reappeared, he was sitting on top of the upper floor's banister, game console in hand.

"Let's get started!" Mephisto hummed, looking down at you as he relaxed. "I'll be watching from up here."

Your group huddled together. He was probably just going to be playing his game the whole time, so this was all up to you guys.

"Why's it called the 'family portrait' when it's just one lady anyway?" You stepped closer to the picture, eyeing it wearily. "Everyone else sees her too, right?"

A chorus off various affirmations confirmed question.

"Why don't I just cut it down?" Rin suggested before anything else. "If it works, no one'll be in danger!"

"Heck yeah! I wanna see that!" You were quick to agree, shooting the other nephilim two thumbs up, much to Bon and Koneko's chagrin.

"There you idiots go again!" Suguro glared, scolding the both of you.

"Here I go!" Rin ignored him, slicing through the portrait with the koma sword like it was made of warm butter. Both halves of the picture clattered to the floor. "...did I kill it?"

The answer was no.

Dark slime gushed from the torn portrait, obscuring your vision. When it cleared again, the room was completely inverted color-wise and every one of your peers had vanished.

"Hello?" You stepped forward, calling out to whoever might've been nearby. "Guys? Are you there?"

"Rin Okumura, for the crime of being born an abomination, the Order officially sentences you..."

You twisted around in a complete one-eighty, finding the source of the voice immediately, much to your horror. Rin sat on his knees, chains encircling his neck and wrists, keeping him tethered to the floor. Arthur Angel stood over him, those coned figures you'd seen in the trial room right behind the Paladin.

"...to execution." As the Paladin began to bring his weapon down, you sprinted forward, fully intent on stopping the swordsman from exorcising your friend. About halfway there, however, you were forced to a halt. Strings had encircled your wrists and ankles, preventing you from moving forward.

Your eyes shot upwards to where your bindings were suspended from. Far above you was a giant hand clad in a purple glove with your strings wrapped around its fingers. Two of the fingers suddenly jerked and you felt your arms raise forward against your will, both hands now gripping something cool and metallic.

You looked down to see Angel's sword in your hands, your feet beginning to move on their own. You stalked forward, approaching Rin's knelt form from behind, the demon boy showing no indication of noticing your presence.

"RIN! NO!!" You tried to call out to him, but your cries fell on deaf ears. Your arms raised higher, prepping you to swing down your blade upon the unsuspecting nephilim.

You finally swung down, gritting your eyes closed as fat tears painted your cheeks.

"Faust!"

You opened your eyes just as the nightmare dispersed, the room returning to normal and clearing your vision. In between your eyes was the butt end of a familiar staff, its wielder having been the one to annihilate the demon that was hugging your face.

"Snap out of it! We've gotta get in the barrier!" Shima tossed you over his shoulder with surprisingly little effort, carrying you through a hoard of small goop demons, much like the one you'd punted for that Godaiin guy the other day, towards the center if the room where everyone else had congregated. You'd expected him to struggle at least a little, but it seemed like the pink-haired aria-in-training was a lot stronger than he looked.

You were soon placed back onto the ground, stumbling to keep your balance.

"(Y/n)!" Rin was behind you immediately, holding your shoulders to steady you. "What's going on?"

You peered around to see the entire room was crawling with those abstract globs, save for your group's circular barrier in the center.

"Don't look at them! Form a circle and look at each other!" Konekomaru instructed. You'd noticed he'd been getting more assertive lately and were actually kind of impressed if you had to admit it. You and your peers followed his instructions, huddling together.

You looked to Shiemi, who simply covered her face, before glancing over at Rin. He looked a lot different, his ears elongated with blue flames sprouting from his temples. These features instantly disappeared as he sheathed his sword.

"I think each of you saw something, but keep control of yourselves!" Koneko addressed you all, his glasses hanging at his chin for whatever reason. "A shapeshifter possessed the picture."

"I see. Shapeshifters change form to reflect the fears of those who look at them." Bon explained, mostly for you, seeing as you were still behind on your demonology. Funny since you were one of the only demons in your class.

"Oooh, so Koneko wasn't affected cuz his glasses aren't on." You nodded along in understanding. "Good job, buddy!"

"Ah, thanks. I can't see, but it looks like it paid off." The bald exwire seemed a little embarrassed, but accepted your praise.

"I know five death verses for shapeshifters." Ryuuji spoke up again, already formulating a plan. "If I can chant them all then-"

"Bon!" Koneko cut him off, suddenly raising his voice. "This barrier won't last long."

"So, we'll just fight 'm head on. Sure there's a lot of them, but they're pretty much babies compared to Beetlemon and the Impure Garbage Baby." You reasoned, readying your gun. There was no was way you could lose to a ton of used paint tubes like these things.

"You guys...always do the same thing!!!" Konekomaru begun shouting, taking you aback having not expected it.

The monk turned to glare at Bon first before anyone.

"Bon, you know a lot about arias, so you use them for everything! It's a bad habit." Koneko scolded, not sugaring up his criticisms. Suguro seemed even more surprised than you were, a stoney expression on his face as he took Koneko's scolding. "And there's no reason to try so hard to be the leader!"

"Woah, Koneko, don't you think that's a little harsh?" Shima attempted to calm his friend, unsuccessfully.

"Shima...why are you even studying to become an aria?" Konekomaru turned his gaze to the pink-haired monk. "As things are, you're going to fail the certification exam."

"Well, that won't be such a big deal..." Shima weakly retorted, scratching his chin nervously.

"You should be a knight! So start trying harder! And Kamiki-" Koneko looked to Izumo next, clearly intent on scolding you all one-by-one. The twin-tailed girl went wide-eyed as she was addressed. "I don't know why you're so intent on keeping your distance from us, but in battle, you need to lose that habit."

Izumo looked unhappy, but didn't speak up for herself.

"Moriyama, you need to have more courage!" Koneko put Shiemi up next on the chopping block. "You're as strong as everyone else, so start treating yourself as an equal!"

Y-yeah, okay..." Shiemi gave a nod of agreement, without questioning his reasoning.

"Pheles!" Konekomaru turned to you next. Clearly you were not to be spared from his critique. "You always act like you're somehow invulnerable to anything and everything. If you did that in a fight with an enemy much stronger than us, you'd just get yourself killed!"

You froze as you tried to think up some kind of retort, but soon realized that he...wasn't wrong. After the whole ordeal with the Impure King, you'd just sorta taken to facing enemies using brute force without thinking too much about what exactly it was that you were up against. It happened with Behemoth, it happened with that thing chasing Godaiin in the hallway, it even happened mere moments ago with the portrait you were supposed to be exorcising. Damn.

"As for Takara.." You all turned to look towards the puppet master whom hadn't moved from the chair he was sitting in before your mission had even begun. "We can't count on him, so forget it."

"How's it goin' over there Little Nemo?" You called out to the blonde, only for the rabbit on his hand to slowly make the movement of slicing its throat while making direct eye contact with you. You flipped it the bird before turning back to your classmates.

"Rin, we've all been relying on you to get us out of danger, but what happens when we can't?" Koneko looked to the raven-haired nephilim solemnly. "The rest of us need to get stronger too, so in our battles, I want you to be our trump card."

"Trump card..?"

"It's the card you play at the end or when it really matters." The bald boy explained. "Having a trump card keeps everyone reassured during battle. I want you to be that presence for us."

"Got it." Rin nodded in understanding.

"Everyone, please leave the strategy to me this time!" Konekomaru bowed to your party, showing that, even if he'd just criticized you, he still held great respect for everyone.

"Alright." You shrugged as the rest of your group muttered their own expressions of agreement.

"It's okay with me!"

"Same here."

"I don't mind."

"Whatever."

"Fine. Show us what you've got!" Ryuuji challenged. Koneko nodded, accepting his friends' trust.

"Moriyama, produce some berries in the barberry family. Bon, you use them to cast a spell of spiritual awakening on everyone. That should save you from the shapeshifters' deception." The monk instructed. Shiemi and Suguro did as he said without question, your forehead now marked with berry juice with a spell attached. "Now we should be able to look directly at the shapeshifter!"

"Woah, it's huge!" Both you and Rin gazed at the formation in the middle of the room. It was a giant glob of mixed colors, not unlike an oil spill, sprouting tentacles in every direction. This was probably the mother of all those tiny guys surrounding you.

"The barrier is about to fall, so Shima, Okumura, and Faust, protect Bon from the little ones!" Koneko then turned to Shiemi. "Moriyama, can you make some sort of plant barricade around him?"

"Yeah! Nee!" Shiemi called on her familiar who automatically shot bramble from its stomach. The roots formed a cage around Suguro, much to his displeasure.

"Man, a girl's gonna protect me!?" The split-haired guy complained from inside the barricade.

"Yeah! And a girl's about to kick your ass too if you don't shut up about it!" You scoffed, readying your firearm for the upcoming fight.

"Kamiki! Do an official expel spirit on the shapeshifter!" Koneko instructed Izumo.

"Okay, but don't cry to me if this fails!" The purple-haired exwire huffed, chanting her spell as ordered. "Expel spirit!"

Light wrapped around the giant glob, snapping it into pieces, only for it to reform immediately.

"It had no effect!" You shot at the tiny demons crawling their way towards you, getting in some much needed target practice despite the situation.

Koneko bit his lower lip, looking around the room before coming to some sort of conclusion. "Those portraits; two from the top ahead of us, seven up from the chair on the right, and the long one over the entrance on the left! They all share the same frame! All four together might be a 'family'!"

"They all probably need to be attacked at once then." You suggested. "Chances are Kamiki can't exorcise all of them at once and they'll probably just reform if we try to attack one at a time!"

"You're right. Pheles and Kamiki, you go for the top two! Okumura, you attack the top one! Shima, the one straight ahead!" Koneko ordered. "All together now!"

"Got it!" You shifted your aim to a portrait of some old dude, ready to shoot.

"Finally, some action!" Rin seemed just as pumped as you were, much to Kamiki and Shima's chagrin.

"Hold on a sec..."

"This is crazy!"

"One...two...THREE!" Rin counted down, signaling for the four of you to attack. You immediately shot at the portrait designated to you, filling it with bullet holes that spewed goo as soon as it was pierced.

Soon enough, each of the portraits exploded, encasing the room in a bright light.

"Yeah! We did it!" You high-fived Rin, celebrating your victory.

Nearby, Konekomaru dropped to his knees. "I'm so sorry...I ordered you all around. I w-wanted to participate in the fight too, but..."

"I'm the one who's embarrassed!" Ryuuji approached the shorter exwire, bowing his head. "I've been trying to fight all alone. I'm sorry! You're very observant and clearly well-suited to call the shots!"

"B-Bon..."

"All done?" Mephisto popped up in front of your crew looking extremely pleased. "To celebrate the completion of your special mission, why don't we all go for monjayaki?"

"Yeah! I'm starved!" Your stomach growled, right on cue.

"Silly child. You'd think I never fed you." The elder demon shook his head. "It's good to be young!"

"Mephisto!" Rin held his hand out to your father expectantly.

"I know, I know! Here they are." The headmaster snapped, a small, curved bottle appearing in Rin's hands. "The eyedrops I promised you!"

"Awesome!" The other nephilim seemed pleased, gripping the bottle in his palm. All of a sudden, a noise began ringing from his back pocket. He pulled out his phone, only for his eyes to go wide in realization. "Crap! I forgot my extra class!"

Oh, that was right. He'd told you his teacher had been asking him to come back to the classroom later to try and improve his test scores. Poor guy. Not that you were doing much better.

"Here, (Y/n)." The other half-demon passed you the bottle. "Would you mind passing these on to Godaiin for me?"

"Uh, sure." You accepted the task, taking the container into your own palm.

"Cool! I'll seeya soon then!" Rin wasted no time dashing out of the room, speeding presumably towards the classroom.

"I guess we'll have to wait on that monja. Sorry, Pops." You hummed turning to your father. "We can always do that tomorrow and just have cup ramen tonight."

"Sounds good, Pumpkin." The demon king gave you a quick pat on the head before 'poofing' out the same way he'd came in.

Now you just had to figure out where Godaiin was.

You figured the boys' dormitory was probably the best place to start since you and Shiemi were the only students you knew who didn't technically live in dorms. Boys eyed you as you strolled into the building like you owned the place. Which you kind of did.

Girls weren't typically allowed in the boys' dorms, so the sight was definitely a rare one. Not to mention, if you of all people were there so late at night, it was probably to kick someone's ass.

"Um, can I help you?" The boy you recognized as the dorm head approached you, clearly nervous from the way he was sweating.

"N- actually, yeah." You were quick to nearly reject him, but decided to employ his assistance after all. "Where's Godaiin's room?"

"Godaiin Sei?" The name began murmuring throughout the halls, your ears twitching as you could hear it all. It seemed like Godaiin was gonna be a popular guy after this, for one reason or another.

"Th-third floor. Fifth room." The dorm head looked like he wanted to say more, but wasn't bold enough to do so.

"Thanks." You gave him a little nod before heading up the steps, ignoring the gazes lingering on your ascending form.

It didn't take you long to reach Godaiin's dorm and knock on it. His roommate was the one to answer.

"C-can I he-"

"Where's Godaiin?" You cut him off, tired from your mission and ready to just head home.

"Uh, h-hey." Godaiin finally showed up, gently ushering his roomie out of the way. He seemed just as nervous as the other boys had been.

"Hey, you're lookin' better!" You grinned, holding out the bottle of eyedrops to the human boy. He took it, visibly confused. "It's those anti-demon-seeing eyedrops from Rin. He had class so he asked me to get 'm to you."

"Oh? Thanks..." Godaiin eyed the drops with an unreadable suggestion. "H-hey, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure." You shrugged, figuring you could stick around for a minute or two. "But if you're asking me out, I've got baseball practice on Wednesdays."

You teased, unable to control your yawn as soon as you finished the sentence.

"W-what? That's not what I-" Godaiin's face lit up red before he shook his head to try and cool it off. "I wanted to ask you about Rin."

"Ooooh. I think he's free most weekdays." You hummed. "I could always ask 'm for you though."

"No, no! I mean..." Godaiin let out a deep sigh, pushing one hand through his bangs. "He's half-demon isn't he? Aren't you scared?"

"Scared? Of Rin?" You couldn't help but laughed a little. "No way! That guy's a total sweetheart! Plus, I'd be a pretty big hypocrite of I was."

You decided to ignore your father's advice just this once and pulled out your tail from underneath your clothing, showing it off for the human guy to see.

"I'm half-demon too." You explained, taking the opportunity to stretch out all the kinks from keeping your tail wrapped around your torso all day. "Demons aren't necessarily bad. They're just people. Just like humans, there's good ones and bad ones."

You started to head out, but froze before you could take more than two steps.

"And, just so you know, I've met more bad humans in my life than I have demons. But, I also have plenty of good humans in my life too, not to mention my friends and family, so I know I don't have to be afraid." You shot him one last smile before walking off, heading towards home for that cup ramen you'd promised your father.

As you left, Godaiin couldn't bring himself to draw his gaze from your retreating figure.

Chapter Text

"Woah, good hustle today. I think we made it here in less time than usual." You wiped the sweat from your brow using the base of your tank-top. You wore something light underneath it, so your chest was still covered, but that didn't stop Bon from looking away to give you a little privacy.

The two of you were regular jogging buddies by now, taking at least one day a week to go around campus together either before classes started or in the evening after they'd ended. It was still pretty early in the morning at this time.

"Yeah, it's a lot cooler today than it has been pretty much all week." Suguro agreed wiping his own sweat using his forearm. "It's almost time for class. I'm heading out."

"M'kay." You sent him a nod. "Same time next week?"

"Sure." And with that, he started off towards the dorms, leaving you to get going yourself. You made your way towards the gymnasium, having left your bag with your uniform in a locker in one of the several shower rooms. Heading into the building, you entered the locker room, only to catch sight of a strange paper clinging to the side of the wall.

You ripped the flyer off of the wall without thinking much. Your eyes flickered over the bold words and bright images with a shine of excitement quickly beginning to gloss over them.

"Woah, that's awesome!" According to the sheet, there was a school festival coming up with games, food booths, and even a live concert!

This was pretty much an annual event by now. You'd gone with your father a few times in the past, however, you'd always been placed on a strict curfew and were unable to do much of anything other than viewing the fireworks thanks to your father's strict supervision. Maybe this time things would be different.

You were honestly hyped for that concert, having never been to one before in your life, however, there was one issue: you had to have a partner to get in.

Looks like you needed to find a date.

"Papa!" You slammed the door open to Mephisto's office. You'd sprinted over the moment the school bell rang, signaling the end of the classes for the evening. You had to be quick, however, since cram school started very soon after.

"I know the young lady I raised as my daughter was taught basic manners on how to properly knock before entering someone's private office." Mephisto didn't look up from his paperwork, simply continuing to sign whatever documents were in front of him. He held a dangerous tone, clearly warning you to tread carefully from here on out.

You swallowed nervously, stiffly backing out of the room, shutting the door as you exited. Moments later, you gently knocked on the large door.

"You may enter." The headmaster's voice pierced through the wall separating you, signaling for you to come in.

You opened the door again, much more gently this time, closing it behind you just as softly. You then turned, offering the elder demon a curtsy with your head bowed politely. "Entschuldige den eindringling, Vater."

"Much better." Mephisto placed his pen down, smiling gently. "What can I help you with, schatzi?"

You relaxed immediately, shoving your hand into your bag before pulling out a wad of crumpled paper. You were quick to slap that bad boy onto your father's desk, unfurling it to reveal the poster you'd torn from the wall of the gym earlier that day.

"Well, Papa, I was just wondering if I could maybe attend the festival this year." You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly, feeling shy all of a sudden despite your original entrance. "Not alone or anything, of course, but I was thinking I'd take a friend to that concert, ya know?"

"I see..." Mephisto rested his chin on top of his hand, his elbow propped on the desk. "Rest assured, I've already considered allowing you to go, but my answer is no."

"Great! I'll just go ask-" Your brain took a moment to process what he'd actually said. "Wait- 'no'?"

"Indeed." Mephisto hummed, picking up his pen and returning to his paperwork. "This is your punishment for bringing that mutt into the manor without permission as well as staining that costume with demonic fluids."

"I..." You opened your mouth to say something, but couldn't seem to let out any noise.

"You may leave." It wasn't a request.

The demon king snapped his fingers and immediately you were enveloped in pink smoke.

When the smoke cleared, you felt yourself drop, luckily landing on something soft below you. You were in your bedroom, now dressed in your pajamas, Behemoth snuggled up at the foot of the bed.

Looks like if you wanted to complain, it'd have to wait til tomorrow.

"Um, Miss (Y/n)?" Shiemi eyed you with concern from her seat next to you. She'd invited you to sit with her, Paku, and Eyebrows for lunch that day. Normally you ate with the boys, but you couldn't refuse such an innocent request from Shiemi. "Are you alright?"

You blinked, startled out of your train of thought by the blonde's question. You'd zoned out the moment they began discussing the festival you were banned from attending. "Huh? Yeah. What's up?"

"We were just talking about our dates for the festival's concert." Paku smiled gently. This was only your second or third time speaking with her, but she seemed like a pretty nice girl. "Is there anyone special you wanted to take, Faust?"

"Doesn't matter. I can't go to the festival." You pouted, pressing your cheek on to the table in front of you. "I'm the only student whose dad has the power to ground them while attending the academy."

"Awe, please cheer up, Miss (Y/n)!" Shiemi gave you a soft pat on the back in hopes of helping you perk up a little. "It might not be that fun anyway!"

"Thanks, Shiemi..." You sent her a weak smile of appreciation. At least she was trying.

"Well, who would you have liked to go with?" Paku asked sending you a look of sympathy. "Maybe Sir Pheles'll change his mind when he sees how much you're looking forward to it."

You doubted it, but supposed there was no harm in daydreaming a little. So, who was it you wanted to take anyway?

Chapter Text

"She wants to go with Okumura, Of course!" Kamiki scoffed before you could answer. "Those two are so lovey-dovey all the time I can barely keep my lunch down."

"Izumo..." Paku scolded her friend for your sake.

You didn't respond, your face heating up in the realization that she was actually right. You did wanna go with Rin.

"Hey guys!" Speak of the son of the devil. Rin approached your table looking more nervous than usual for some reason. "Could I borrow (Y/n) for a minute?"

"Told you!" Izumo crossed her arms. "They're probably sneaking off to make-out or something right now!"

"W-what!?" You shot up from your seat immediately, your face flushing red at the implication.

"N-no! I swear! I just wanna talk about something!" Rin was quick to explain, attempting to squash out any unsavory rumors before they could have a chance to form.

"It's okay. Please, don't mind Izumo." Paku waved in understanding. "Go on ahead, lunch is almost over anyway."

"Alright." You nodded, standing before following Rin to wherever he wanted to lead you.

He took you down a long hallway, only stopping after stepping out onto the grand balcony of the cafeteria building. He seemed a bit fidgety for some reason.

"You okay?" You raised a brow in concern watching as he tried to collect himself.

"Y-yeah, I just..." The other half-demon took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you had any plans for the festival."

"The festival?" You sighed, pouting as you remembered your current predicament. "I've been grounded by my old man. I can't go."

"Really!?" Rin looked surprised.

"Yeah. Sucks too cuz I wanted to go to that concert." You kicked a pebble that was underneath your foot.

"Same here!" The ravenette grasped both of your hands in a bold move, squeezing them tightly in his own. They were so warm. "I...actually wanted to ask if you'd go with me!"

"You mean...like a date?" You could feel his hands subconsciously squeeze tighter at your question. You'd probably be worried about his strength had you not been a half-demon yourself.

"Y-yeah, kinda..." The other nephilim released one of your hands to scratch at his cheek sheepishly.

"Rin..." You smiled softly before leaning in and placing a soft peck on his cheek. "I would if I could. Maybe Shiemi'll go with you. She was pretty excited for the concert too."

"Yeah, but I wanted to go with you..." Rin muttered in admittance, looking down to his feet in disappointment.

"Hey, don't look so down! There's always next year!" You playfully ruffled his hair in an attempt to cheer him up. "This just means you've gotta have enough fun for the both of us! I'll see ya around."

And with that, you were off, leaving Rin alone with his thoughts. All of a sudden, a lightbulb seemed to turn on in his head.

"Yeah, you will..."

The night of the dance came much sooner than you'd expected.

"Please don't be too disappointed, my little knuddelbär!" Mephisto stood next to your bed, stroking your hair gently away from your face despite the grumpy expression you held. "There's always next year, hm?"

"Yeah, I guess." You huffed, batting his hand away and turning over in your sheets. You lifted the comforter over your head, not even changed out of your casual clothes for the day, completely enveloping yourself and hiding from the headmaster's piercing, emerald gaze. "Goodnight, Vati."

"Gute nacht, schatzi." Your father left the room quietly with no further comment.

You stayed enveloped in your cocoon for what felt like ages, not wanting to move or do much of anything really. You'd almost managed to fall asleep until a knocking sound came from your window.

It was probably that stupid crow that came and sat on your windowsill sometimes in hopes of stealing something precious and shiny from your room. You'd attempted to teach it curse words at one point, but all it would do is squawk irritatingly in your face.

"Alright you feathered bastard, I'm not above fighting birds-" You thrust the curtains open only to reveal not a bird, but Rin Okumura sitting on your windowsill. You blinked in surprise, only to be greeted with a small wave in return. "...Rin?"

You lifted the large window open, allowing the other half-demon to slip inside.

"(Y/n)!" He seemed awfully cheery to see you.

"Uh, hey?" You were confused. Was he really not scared of your father finding him here? "What are you doing?"

"I'm here to take you to the festival, of course!" A smug grin painted Rin's face as he clearly envisioned himself as some sort of knight in shining armor, much to your amusement.

You couldn't help but snort a little. "Oh yeah? Is this some sorta prison break?"

"Yup! Now, c'mon; the concert's gonna start any minute." The ravenette stepped one foot out of your window, offering you his hand as he clearly intended to jump.

Honestly, you probably didn't need the assistance and could most likely make the same jumps he was able to, but you found yourself taking his hand anyway, smiling as he held you close to him. Once he was satisfied, he leapt from the window, leading you out and onto the branch of a nearby tree. A few more jumps and you were safely on the ground.

You never let go of Rin's hand, allowing him to lead you into the sea of lights the festival provided.

"This is gonna be so rad!" You were hyped up for this concert, both you and Rin all grins as you approached the velvet rope, preventing any non-couples access to the venue. You held onto the other's upper arm as if he were escorting you, not that either of you minded.

"I know right!?" Rin agreed. The two of you almost made it, but ran into a certain someone along the way.

"Woah, Okumura! You actually managed to get a date, huh?" Shima greeted with a smile, manning the bouncer position.

His eyes trailed up and down your figure uncomfortably in a manner somehow different than his usual lecherous ways. It was as if he was thinking hard on something...

Nevertheless, he soon returned to his usual cheery disposition. "Figures it'd be Faust. You're a lucky guy."

"I know." Rin admitted, cheeks glowing a rosy hue as he glanced your way.

"W-we should head in now! I think the concert's starting soon!" You quickly changed the subject, pushing past Pinky and practically dragging Rin inside.

"Alright, alright. Have fun you lovebirds~" Renzo teased as you disappeared into the crowd.

You only spared him a brief glance behind you as you continued forward. Something inside of you was telling you to put as much distance between yourself and Renzo Shima as possible...

"Woah, this is awesome!" Your worries soon faded away as the band began their first set of the evening, loudly blasting rock music through the ginormous speakers on stage. Rin nodded in agreement, hooked on the tunes just as much as you were, not minding the crowd of people surrounding you.

Suddenly, you were stricken with an idea.

You grabbed Rin's hand, startling the other exwire for a moment, before tugging him close. "Let's dance!"

"A-alright!" Rin swallowed nervously, taking your lead as you pressed against him. To his surprise, you placed one hand on his shoulder, taking the other in one of his own, raising it up elegantly as if you were preparing to waltz. "Wait. What exactly...are we doing?"

"We're about to dance, of course." You stated as if it were completely obvious. "I've taken dance lessons from Belial ever since I was little. This is the correct form to start off dancing with a partner."

"Uh, (Y/n)..." Rin began to sweat nervously as he didn't want to rain on your parade. "I hate to break it to you, but this is really something only fancy people do on tv..."

"W-what?" You blinked in surprise, face lighting red in embarrassment. "Then...how do normal people dance?"

"I dunno. I'm not really a normal guy." Rin shook his head, a soft expression gracing his features. "But...it's okay. I think I'd rather be not normal with you than anywhere without you."

You looked directly into his eyes, locking gazes with his own for several silent moments.

That silence was soon broken, however, as you couldn't help but let out a snort.

"That was pretty cheesy, my dude. Where'd you rip that line from?" You chuckled, much to the other's embarrassment. Your expression softened up as his face lit bright red while he sputtered incoherently. You let go of his hand, in favor of cupping his cheek instead. "Buuut, it was also pretty sweet, so I'll let it pass just this once."

You leaned over, pressing your lips softly to his in reward for his lovely words. He must've smeared on chapstick before all of this because his lips were much softer than they'd been the previous times you'd exchanged kisses, not to mention, cherry flavored.

You felt yourself purr subconsciously. It was a strange sensation, however, it was clearly the correct action as your date soon answered your purrs with low rumbles of his own. He finally responded to your kiss as well, closing his eyes and returning the gesture while ignoring everything else around you.

"I didn't take you for a cherry man." You snickered as soon as you parted, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing your nose against his own. "Trying to tell me something?"

"W-what!? No!" Rin's face was practically burning by now. Eventually, he simply leaned his forehead in against yours, sighing in defeat. "You tease too much..."

"Yeah, maybe." You hummed in agreement. "But you prefer it this way. If you were with someone like Shiemi or Izumo, you wouldn't have even made it to first base by now."

"I wouldn't want either of them anyway. You're the one I wanna be with." Rin admitted, much to your surprise.

It was your turn to go red, looking away in an attempt to hide your embarrassment. "Oh, you-!"

"This looks so yummy!" Your eyes sparkled at the sight of your skewer, mouth practically drooling at its appearance alone. You were starving by now, having skipped dinner in a poor attempt to spite your father earlier in the night.

"It smells great too!" Rin admired from where he stood next to you. The two of you had left the concert early in hopes of grabbing a good spot to catch the fireworks display, only to be tempted by the sweet scents of tasty festival food.

You'd pooled your pocket money together to buy a treat to share; a meat skewer with all sorts of veggies. You looked over to Rin, holding the stick up to his mouth expectantly. "Say 'aaah~'."

"No way! That's way to embarrassing!" The other half-demon refused, much to your amusement.

"Then I guess it's all mine." You shrugged, preparing to take a large bite yourself.

"Hey, I paid for half of it!" Rin protested.

"Yeah, but you made the mistake of letting me hold it." You giggled, a mischievous look overcoming your face. "Buuut, I guess if you want, we could make a trade."

"A trade?" Rin tilted his head quite cutely.

"Mhmm." You nodded in affirmation. "I'll give you the skewer if you give me another kiss."

"Wh-what!? No!" The other immediately refused.

"Hmm? Why not?"

"There's way too many people here..." Rin mumbled, looking away from your face.

"There were people at the concert too, ya know." You held back a laugh.

"That was totally different!" It really wasn't, but before you could argue with him, the other half-demon took a deep breath, opening his mouth just a little. "A-aaah."

"Good boy." You held up the wooden skewer to his mouth, allowing him to finally take a bite of the treat. You followed suit, taking the next bite as he swallowed.

"Sometimes, I forget you're the daughter of a sadist." Rin sighed, accepting the hand you held out in offer to let him hold.

You simply shrugged, though part of you wondered if your father had even noticed you missing yet.

"Here, this should be perfect! You stood on the roof of one of the academy's many buildings, overlooking the festival. "This is where we can get a good view of the fireworks!"

You stretched out your limbs, dangerously close to the edge. You closed your eyes, enjoying the cool sensation of the night breeze against your skin.

"Yeah, the view is perfect! There's not too many lights and we still get a great view of the concert." Rin agreed, watching as you sat down at the building's edge. He took a seat next to you, only tensing up a little as you laid your head to rest on his shoulder. He blinked down at you as you looked up at him expectantly. "...what?"

"It's cold." You stated as if his next course of action should be obvious. Your eyes narrowed, glaring up at him. "Cuddle me."

Rin suddenly jumped to action as if realizing this all of a sudden. He took off his jacket, blanketing it over your shoulders before pulling you into his lap, albeit a bit hesitant when doing the latter. He swallowed nervously as you tugged his arms around you, leaning your back against his chest with his chin situated on top of your head.

"That's better." You hummed, relaxing in his hold, being as bold as to slip your tail out from underneath your clothing and intertwine it with his own. You figured it was probably an intimate action between demons, but were relying purely on instinct since you didn't know much about demonic mannerisms. He didn't seem to mind though, simply squeezing your tail with his affectionately, glad you couldn't see his blushing face from your position.

You weren't sure how long half-demons typically lived, but, as the fireworks began, you savored that moment, wanting nothing more than to stay right there with Rin for all of eternity.

"So this time you've chosen the spawn of Satan, hmm?"

You were torn from your thoughts as your father's voice rang out just before the next firework.

"Papa!"

"Mephisto!?"

Both you and Rin were quick to hop up from your seat, cringing as your tails accidentally tugged on one another on the way up.

"Ow..." You rubbed the poor, sore appendage before turning to Mephisto. "This...totally wasn't what it looked like...depending on what you thought it looked like."

"And here I remember telling you that a lady always keeps her tail hidden." The headmaster shook his head in disapproval. "Honestly, you used to obey my every word and now your acting like a ruffian as well as ignoring your punishment to run off with Rin Okumura of all beings."

"Nothing's wrong with Rin. I don't see why everyone keeps giving him flack just for existing." You sighed, dropping your tail and allowing it to hang. "But I get it, I screwed up. I'll accept any punishment you give to me."

"As if you had any choice." Mephisto narrowed his eyes as you bowed your head.

"Hey, cut her some slack! I was the one who convinced her to leave her bedroom." Rin objected, shielding you behind him. "So, let me take on some of her punishment instead, okay?"

"Rin..." You looked up, placing your hand on his shoulder. "I can't let you do that. This is my responsibility."

"Oh, that doesn't even begin to cover it." Mephisto continued to scold before beginning a familiar chant. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

In a puff of pink smoke, a familiar metal contraption appeared.

"Is that...Ansel!?" But Rin destroyed him didn't he? So how was he still alive?

"WEE WEE WEE! I AM DAS STÄRKSTE GEFÄNGNIS 2.0!" The machine answered, bouncing up and down in place.

"Once you've thought long and hard about what you've done, perhaps I'll let you out." The demon king hummed, sending an unreadable smile your way. "Goodbye for now, meine schöne Tochter!"

Before you knew it, a mechanical arm was wrapped around your torso, tugging you harshly into the cold depths of whatever pocket of space you now resided in.

You didn't even get to finish seeing the fireworks...

Chapter Text

"Well, there's...this guy." You admitted, much to the rest of the table's intrigue. "He's kind of a meathead, but he's kinda cool sometimes..."

"Come on, don't try so hard to hide it; we all know you're talking about Suguro." Izumo scoffed, rolling her eyes. "The two of you bicker like an old married couple so much it makes me sick to my stomach."

"Izumo!" Paku turned to scold her friend.

"Is it true?" Shiemi asked, interested. "Is Suguro really the one you wanna go with?"

"Mm." You gave a slight nod, burying your head in your arms. Geez this was embarrassing. You just hoped lunch would be over soon...

"C'mon man! Just do it like we practiced!"

Your ears twitched as you could hear a whisper of encouragement come from nearby. You were at your designated shoe cubby, changing into your outdoor shoes when you caught wind of the conversation.

Was that...Shima's voice? You were interested, but shook it off. It wasn't really any of your business after all.

That was when you heard someone clear their throat behind you.

"Bon?" You turned to see Suguro standing behind you, hiding something large behind his back. You leaned to the side in an ill attempt to get a peek, however Ryuuji was quick to stop you.

"Pheles- er, (Y/n)." He started out, addressing you informally for once.

"Yes, Ryuuji?" You teased, using his given name for the first time probably ever. You smiled as a rosy blush began to sprout across Bon's cheeks in response.

Once he regained a hold of his bearings, he cleared his throat and continued. His eyes darted to the side as he looked anywhere other than your face. "You look...cute today."

What?

You didn't have time to be confused for too long as Ryuuji let out a growl of annoyance underneath his breath. "This is stupid! Just go to the festival with me, okay?"

The bouquet the split-haired boy had been hiding behind his back was suddenly shoved into your arms. Out of the corner of your eye you could spot Renzo lurking around the corner, slapping his face into his hand nearby. That's when things clicked.

"Did you really go to Pinky of all people for advice on women?" You snorted, watching as Ryuuji's face went even brighter. You cut him some slack, approaching him slowly before placing a hand on his shoulder to draw his attention back to your face. "Listen, dummy. You don't need to do anything silly to impress me. I like you just as you are."

You leaned up, giving the aria-in-training a soft peck on the cheek, much to his absolute shock.

"For the record, I'd love to go to the dance with you." You admitted, looking to the floor in disappointment. "Buuut, my old man's banished me to my bedroom for the night. I don't think I'll be able to make it."

You brushed a stray strand of hair behind your hair, backing up to give him space.

"But...thank you for the flowers." You offered Bon one last smile before heading off, wanting to put the flowers in a vase before your father noticed them.

Ryuuji stared as you left, feeling like an absolute idiot that he wasn't able to say anything after handing you the flowers. If you being grounded was the only issue, maybe there was something he could do to help you out...

The night of the dance came much sooner than you'd expected.

"Please don't be too disappointed, my little knuddelbär!" Mephisto stood next to your bed, stroking your hair gently away from your face despite the grumpy expression you held. "There's always next year, hm?"

"Yeah, I guess." You huffed, batting his hand away and turning over in your sheets. You lifted the comforter over your head, not even changed out of your casual clothes for the day, completely enveloping yourself and hiding from the headmaster's piercing, emerald gaze. "Goodnight, Vati."

"Gute nacht, schatzi." Your father left the room quietly with no further comment.

You stayed enveloped in your cocoon for what felt like ages, not wanting to move or do much of anything really. You'd almost managed to fall asleep until a thumping sound came from your window.

It was probably that stupid crow that came and sat on your windowsill sometimes in hopes of stealing something precious and shiny from your room. You'd attempted to teach it curse words at one point, but all it would do is squawk irritatingly in your face.

"Alright you feathered bastard, I'm not above fighting birds-" You thrust the curtains open only to reveal Ryuuji Suguro standing beneath your window. "...Bon?"

As you opened the window, Ryuuji dropped the pebble he'd been holding to the ground beside him. He looked a bit bashful that he'd been caught, like he was almost surprised you'd actually answered. "You wanted to go to the festival, right? So let's just go and worry about everything else later!"

"...is that really you?" You raised a brow in suspicion. "You're not actually a shapeshifter trying to trick me again, right?"

"What? No!" Bon looked at you in disbelief. "Just get down here!"

"Hmm. Alright." You agreed. "But first, hold your arms out in front of you."

"What?" Bon's face scrunched in confusion.

"Just do it, dum-dum." You rolled your eyes, watching as he reluctantly complied. "Ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"This!" You jumped out of your window from a height most humans would piss their pants at the thought of falling from. You, however, weren't most humans.

"What the hell!?" Ryuuji watched as you took the plunge, running forward when he realized he wasn't quite close enough to catch you. Luckily for you, he made it just in time, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you close to him before you could hit the ground. He stumbled a bit at the force of the fall, but managed to keep his balance as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. The moment he deemed it safe enough to let you go, he dropped you to your feet. "You're crazy!"

"Yeah, but that's what you like about me." You snickered, letting go of his neck in favor of holding onto his arm. "Now, are we going to the festival or nah?"

"You..." Bon rubbed his temples, wondering silently how long it would take him to regret his decision.

"Woah! Look at that one!" You were amazed by all the booths surrounding you. There were so many games and so much food, you didn't know why this festival wasn't going on every day!

Ryuuji kept up a good pace with you, though that wasn't a surprise. You took the lead hopping from booth to booth to eye whatever they had on display, finally stopping at one that caught your fancy.

"One please!" You slammed your money onto the counter, spooking the student attending the stall. You pointed to the exact item you wanted using your free hand. "Gimme that one!"

"That's not how you ask for things, idiot." Ryuuji scolded. "Try again."

You pouted, but ultimately listened. "That one, please."

"U-um right away!" The clerk quickly handed you your purchase, probably in hope that you'd go away.

"Thanks!" You shot him a grin, holding the balloon in your hand with utmost care. It was your favorite color, drawing your attention immediately. You smiled as you held onto the string, allowing the balloon to float high in the air.

"Hold on." Suguro wordlessly took the string in his own hand, using his other to firmly grasp your wrist. He tied the string around your wrist like a bracelet, freeing your hand from the burden of carrying the string. "There."

"Woah, thanks Bon!" You grinned up at Ryuuji, watching as he simply looked away.

"Whatever..." He muttered, taking a hold of your free hand and pulling you off to the next booth.

"Ow!" You stopped in your tracks, lifting your foot to hold it in your hand. "I think I stepped on a rock!"

Indeed. In your rush to leave, you hadn't changed out of your indoor slippers, allowing for pebbles to slide underneath your feet every other step. They weren't too burdensome until larger ones began rolling in, making it painful to walk.

Ryuuji must've finally noticed this after your complaint, looking down at your nearly bare feet with an unreadable expression. Eventually, he turned his back to you, letting go of your hand. He crouched down expectantly. "Here, get on."

You were surprised by the sudden act of chivalry, but also found it incredibly endearing at the same time.

"Don't complain if I'm too heavy, 'kay?" You got on his back, hanging onto his shoulders as he lifted you up. "Woah, someone hasn't been skipping leg day!"

"You're one to talk. Is there any time you're not thinking about exercise?" Bon shot back, continuing through the crowd.

"Hmm. Yeah." You answered, admiring your view now that you were raised a bit higher above the sea of people. "When I'm thinkin' about you."

You said it so casually, Bon nearly lost his balance. "How exactly are you able to say stuff like that in public without getting embarrassed!?"

"I dunno. It's a gift." You shrugged, not that he was able to see it.

"Here, this should be perfect! You stood on the roof of one of the academy's many buildings, overlooking the festival. "This is where we can get a good view of the fireworks!"

You stretched out your limbs, dangerously close to the edge. You closed your eyes, enjoying the cool sensation of the night breeze against your skin.

"Hey, get away from the edge." Ryuuji, pulled you back by your sleeve. "If you fall from here, I won't be able to catch you."

"You worry too much." You shook your head, allowing him to pull you closer. You stepped forward until you were close enough to place your hands on his chest. "You should relax; this is a date after all."

"What are you-?" Ryuuji's question was cut off as you gently pressed your lips to his own. He tensed up, freezing in place at the action.

You closed your eyes, kissing him, close to pulling away before he finally melted into it. Suguro's lips were quick to respond, melding against yours with his hands now holding the small of your back and back of your head respectively. You clutched tighter at the fabric of his shirt as things began heating up with a nibble to your lower lip.

You always figured he'd be a bomb-ass kisser.

"So this time you've chosen a human boy, hmm?"

You quickly pulled away, turning to growl at whoever dared to interrupt your moment.

"Now, young lady, is that any way to treat your father?" Mephisto soon appeared into your view looking less than pleased. You supposed he'd probably found your room empty with the window you'd left open. "Honestly, you used to obey my every word and now your ignoring your punishment to run off with some boy."

"Papa, this...totally wasn't what it looked like...depending on what you thought it looked like." You were quick to try and save a little face, not that it was working.

"Sir Pheles, this isn't her fault!" Bon spoke up, quick to defend you. "I was the one who told her to come with me. So, please, punish me instead!"

"What a disgustingly sweet gesture..." Your father smiled to hide an obvious cringe of distaste. "But, unfortunately, I can't afford to let her reckless actions slide this time."

"I get it. I screwed up." You sighed, giving Ryuuji a look of reassurance.

"Oh that doesn't even begin to cover it." Mephisto narrowed his eyes at you before beginning a familiar chant. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

In a puff of pink smoke, a familiar metal contraption appeared.

"Is that...Ansel!?" But Rin destroyed him didn't he? So how was he still alive?

"WEE WEE WEE! I AM DAS STÄRKSTE GEFÄNGNIS 2.0!" The machine answered, bouncing up and down in place.

"Once you've thought long and hard about what you've done, perhaps I'll let you out." The demon king hummed, sending an unreadable smile your way. "Goodbye for now, meine schöne Tochter!"

Before you knew it, a mechanical arm was wrapped around your torso, tugging you harshly into the cold depths of whatever pocket of space you now resided in.

You even lost your balloon on the way in...

Chapter Text

"Actually, I'd wanna go with you, Shiemi." You admitted, looking up at the girl beside you.

"M-me!?" Shiemi's face went bright red at your confession.

"Awe, that's so cute!" Paku cooed in support.

You, in the meantime, simply smiled up at the blonde, admiring her flustered body language.

"Too bad my old man grounded me." You sighed, not noticing the look of determination Shiemi now sent your way.

"Please don't be too disappointed, my little knuddelbär!" Mephisto stood next to your bed, stroking your hair gently away from your face despite the grumpy expression you held. "There's always next year, hm?"

"Yeah, I guess." You huffed, batting his hand away and turning over in your sheets. You lifted the comforter over your head, not even changed out of your casual clothes for the day, completely enveloping yourself and hiding from the headmaster's piercing, emerald gaze. "Goodnight, Vati."

"Gute nacht, schatzi." Your father left the room quietly with no further comment.

You stayed enveloped in your cocoon for what felt like ages, not wanting to move or do much of anything really. You'd almost managed to fall asleep until a thumping sound came from your window.

It was probably that stupid crow that came and sat on your windowsill sometimes in hopes of stealing something precious and shiny from your room. You'd attempted to teach it curse words at one point, but all it would do is squawk irritatingly in your face.

"Alright you feathered bastard, I'm not above fighting birds-" You thrust the curtains open only to reveal Shiemi Moriyama standing beneath your window. "...Shiemi?"

You swiftly opened your window, sticking out to speak with the girl below.

"Shiemi, is everything okay?"

"Yeah!" The blonde was quick to nod before fidgeting as if she was flustered. "I just...want you to be my date to the festival!"

You blinked, taken aback by her exclamation. Your eyes soon softened at her nervous figure.

"So, you're my knight in shining armor, huh?" You smiled down at the other girl. "I'm gonna need some way to get down from here. You got a plan for that, honey?"

Shiemi nodded, ignoring the burning sensation in her face at your nickname. "Nee!"

You spotted her tiny familiar hop out from behind her hair and into her hands. All of a sudden, thick vines sprouted from the greenman's stomach, ramping up all the way to your windowsill.

"Oh, you're good." You grinned, hopping out of the window and onto the vines, using them to slide down and meet Shimei where she was standing. "That was awesome!"

Shiemi smiled brightly as you wrapped your arms around her in a tight hug.

"Now, c'mon! We don't wanna miss that concert!" You let go, only to take one of her hands in her own. Your pace was a little fast, but Shiemi didn't mind. Seeing your excited expression was enough to make her happy.

"This is gonna be so rad!" You were hyped up for this concert, both you and Shiemi all smiles as you approached the velvet rope, preventing any non-couples access to the venue. You held onto the other's hand, grasping it tightly in your own, not that either of you minded.

"I'm excited too!" Shiemi agreed. The two of you almost made it, but ran into a certain someone along the way.

"Shiemi, Pheles." Yucky-o stood at the bouncer's station, clearly there for security detail. The younger Okumura squinted at you under his scrutinizing gaze. "I thought Sir Pheles forbade you from attending this event."

"He changed his mind." You waved him off, lying without bothering to fake a smile. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we wanna go to the concert."

"..." Yukio stared you down as if trying to catch you in your lie, but ultimately unable to confirm whether what you were saying was actually the truth or not. "...go ahead."

You quickly tugged Shiemi through the gap in the velvet rope, not wanting to prolong your encounter any longer. You didn't spare the raven-haired teacher a second glance as you headed towards the crowd, only stopping when Shiemi cried out.

"Wait!" Your eyes widened as the gardener tugged you back in a surprising show of strength. To your chagrin, she dragged you all the way back to Yukio, looking up at him with a pleading expression. "Yuki, dance with us!"

"WHAT!?" Both you and the licensed exorcist shouted in shock. Nonononononono.

"Please! It's unfair that you have to work all night." A light pout overtook Shiemi's features. "Plus, I wanna dance with you too!"

You sent Yukio the nastiest glare as he attempted to think of a reply. You didn't miss it when he locked gazes with you or the small smirk finding its way onto his face sent your way.

"Sure. One dance." Yukio eventually agreed.

"Yay!" Shiemi cheered.

"Yay." You also cheered, except much less enthused.

That's how you found yourself holding hands with Yucky-o, gross, and spinning in a circle to a song you didn't know the name of. Fantastic.

"Here, this should be perfect! You stood on the roof of one of the academy's many buildings, overlooking the festival. "This is where we can get a good view of the fireworks!"

You stretched out your limbs, dangerously close to the edge. You closed your eyes, enjoying the cool sensation of the night breeze against your skin.

Eventually, you'd managed to ditch your unfortunate third wheel, but you were no longer in much of a mood to dance. Luckily, Shiemi was happy to take your suggestion of finding a spot to view the fireworks before it got too dark.

"Be careful, Miss (Y/n)!" Shiemi was quick to warn you.

"Hmm, alright." You took a few steps back from the edge to stabd next to her. "But only cuz it's you who asked."

A soft blush rose the the blonde girl's cheeks. "You'd really listen to me..?"

"Silly. I'd listen because it's you." You chuckled, leaning in to place a soft kiss on Shiemi's forehead.

"So this time you've chosen a human girl, hmm?"

You quickly turned, throwing an arm up to shield Shiemi from whatever possible threat was now near. A soft growl escaped from your lips, warning whoever was there to keep their distance.

"Now, young lady, is that any way to treat your father?" Mephisto soon appeared into your view looking less than pleased. You supposed he'd probably found traces left from the greenery you used to escape from your bedroom. "Honestly, you used to obey my every word and now your ignoring your punishment to run off with some girl."

He was quick to appear behind Shiemi, looking her up and down as if analyzing her.

"I see you've chosen Miss Moriyama. I suppose you always have been a fan of soft things." Mephisto hummed once he was satisfied.

"That's right. I like Shiemi." You huffed, stating this as if it were obvious.

"How sweet..." Your father smiled to hide an obvious cringe of distaste for such lovey-dovey sentiments. "But, unfortunately, I can't afford to let your reckless actions slide this time just because of some infatuation you have with a human."

"I get it. I screwed up." You sighed before scolding. "But you must not think humans are all too bad or else I wouldn't even be here!"

"You do have me there." Mephisto chuckled, taking off his hat and holding it in one hand. "But you still went against my orders to stay inside, which warrants punishment."

Mephisto narrowed his eyes at you before beginning a familiar chant. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

In a puff of pink smoke, a familiar metal contraption appeared.

"Is that...Ansel!?" But Rin destroyed him didn't he? So how was he still alive?

"WEE WEE WEE! I AM DAS STÄRKSTE GEFÄNGNIS 2.0!" The machine answered, bouncing up and down in place.

"Once you've thought long and hard about what you've done, perhaps I'll let you out." The demon king hummed, sending an unreadable smile your way. "Goodbye for now, meine schöne Tochter!"

Before you knew it, a mechanical arm was wrapped around your torso, tugging you harshly into the cold depths of whatever pocket of space you now resided in.

You didn't even get to see the fireworks...

Chapter Text

"Well, there's this guy I met recently who's pretty cute." You admitted without lifting your head. "He's kinda freaked out by demons and stuff though, so that miiiight put a damper on my chances of scoring a date with him."

"O-oh..." Paku's smile wavered awkwardly, not quite knowing how to respond to that.

"You don't know for sure!" Shiemi declared with a look of determination. "I used to be afraid of demons too, but then I met you and Rin!"

"Thanks, Shiemi." You smiled appreciatively. "Who knows? Maybe he'll do a complete one-eighty just before the festival."

"Stop moping and eat your lunch already." Izumo groaned, reminding you of her presence. Great. You'd almost managed to forget about her. "People who are scared of every demon they see are stupid and don't know anything."

Huh. That was actually kind of sweet in a weird Kamiki Izumo way. "...thanks, Twin-Tails."

"H-hey! Don't call me that!"

"Hm? What's this?" You picked up the white envelope that'd fallen to your feet as you'd opened your shoe locker. Looking it over, it was unsigned, blank on both sides. It was honestly probably some sort of advertisement someone was shoving into random lockers for clout. "There better at least be coupons."

You tore open the top, eager to see what was being advertised to you so you could either use their discounts or avoid them like the plague for the offense of invading your shoes' personal space. Surprisingly enough, rather than a flyer from a business wanting your money, inside the envelope was a letter. Shocking.

It was handwritten, though you didn't recognize the sender based on the writing.

'Please meet me by the fountain at 6 pm.'

The rest of the page was blank. You supposed you had to give whoever the sender was credit for getting straight to the point. You couldn't help but wonder what they wanted, however. It seemed like there was just one way of finding out.

"H-hey! Thanks for meeting me here." Much to your surprise, Godaiin was the one waiting you when you'd arrived at the fountain that evening. He'd clearly been waiting there for quite some time based on the light sheen of sweat marring his brow. You wouldn't be surprised if he'd been there an entire hour waiting nervously for you to show.

"Yeah, no problem." You offer him a smile while waving hello. "So, what's with the note? This isn't some elaborate scheme to advertise that new taco place down the road is it? Cuz you really didn't have to try this hard to get me to go."

"H-huh?" The human guy had no clue what you were going on about. He shook his head in denial. "No, no! Un-unless you'd rather go there than festival."

"So, you're trying to advertise the festival to me?" You raised a brow. Dang, what were you supposed to do with coupons to an event you couldn't even go to?

"I...was actually hoping..." Godaiin bit his lower lip, looking troubled for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "I was hoping you'd go to the festival with me!"

"..." Cue the old-fashioned internet modem noises ringing through your brain. He was asking you...on a date?

Godaiin's face was cherry red, nervous sweat beading down his temples. "N-not that you have to or anything! I just think you're kinda cool, especially since you went through the trouble of saving me and all that one time, but I don't wanna pressure-"

"Alright." You answered, finally. Your own face was dusted in a rosy pink, but you made no effort to hide as you met Godaiin's gaze. "I...wanna go to the festival with you. As a date."

Godaiin's expression soon melted into one of surprise, having expected you to reject him. Finally, once he was able to respond, he gave you a determined nod in return. "You won't regret it!"

You couldn't help but smile in amusement. He really was cute.

"We do have ein kleines issue, though." You sheepishly explained, looking anywhere other than directly at the human boy's face. "I'm just a liiiiittle bit grounded."

"'Grounded?'" Godaiin wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah." You nodded in confirmation, quick to reassure him. "But it's okay; I have a plan!"

The night of the dance came much sooner than you'd expected.

"Please don't be too disappointed, my little knuddelbär!" Mephisto stood next to your bed, stroking your hair gently away from your face despite the grumpy expression you held. "There's always next year, hm?"

"Yeah, I guess." You huffed, batting his hand away and turning over in your sheets. You lifted the comforter over your head, completely enveloping yourself and hiding from the headmaster's piercing, emerald gaze. "Goodnight, Vati."

"Gute nacht, schatzi." Your father left the room quietly with no further comment.

You didn't unfurl yourself from your cocoon until you could no longer her the sound if his footsteps echoing through the hall just outside your door. That's when you shot up, tossing off the bedcovers to reveal the outfit you'd picked specially for your date that evening. What Mephisto didn't know wouldn't hurt him...probably.

"Behemoth! C'mere!" You called for the demon dog, a ball of green fur shooting your way from underneath the bed instantly. You held up the comforter as Behemoth jumped happily into the bed, curling up as you tossed the duvet over him. "Good boy! Now, try and look more 'me'-shaped."

You patted the demon from overtop the comforter affectionately before making your way to one of your bedroom's windows. You threw it open, exposing yourself to the cool evening breeze.

"Godaiin, you there?" You called out, minding your volume in case your father or Belial were somehow able to hear from across the estate.

"U-um, yeah." The human stood nervously at the base of the tree just outside of your window. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Nope!" You leapt out of the window anyway, grasping onto the closest branch. You weren't stupid enough to jump straight from the window itself (you were pretty sure that'd bust your ankles, half-demon or not), so this was the alternative solution. You hopped down, branch by branch, only coming across an issue when reaching the last branch.

"Watch out!" Godaiin called out, watching as the branch cracked unexpectedly at your weight, a lot weaker than you'd expected. You had little time to do anything as the branch broke off completely, sending you falling.

You probably would've been fine, however, poor Godaiin still rushed to catch you, only half-succeeding. You crashed into him, landing on his chest with the human boy sprawled on the ground.

"Gnh..." Godaiin groaned in pain from the force of the crash.

"Holy crap, are you alright!?" You leaned over the black-haired human, still sitting on his chest.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay." He blinked up at you, his face going red after noticing your position. "Can...we get up now?"

"Ah! Yeah!" You were quick to hop up, helping the poor guy to his feet.

"Thanks." Godaiin brushed the dirt from his clothing before looking over at you with concern. "Are...you alright?"

"Yeah! Don't worry! Half-demons are pretty sturdy." You hummed, shooting him a grin of reassurance. "Now, let's head out before my old man sees us out here. We don't want the night to end before it begins!"

Godaiin swallowed nervously, quick to nod his head in agreement.

"Woah, they really went all out this year!" You grinned, gazing around at all of the booths surrounding you. Bright lights came from stations selling food and advertising games, all beckoning you towards them. "Let's check out this one!"

You held Godaiin by the wrist, practically dragging him towards the first booth to catch your fancy. He didn't complain, simply following the best he could with the pace you were walking.

"Step right up and test your strength!" A student you recognized from the year above you gestured you closer, drawing your attention with his hammer and test of strength like you'd seen in carnivals on tv. "Ah, young miss! Why not have your boyfriend try his hand at ringing the bell? If he wins, I'm sure he'd love to gift you our top prize!"

The human running the game pointed towards a ginormous stuffed...something?

You couldn't really tell what it was. It looked kind of like a bear mixed with a bit of monkey and cat, but wasn't super distinguishable any way. Was this supposed to be some kind of demon?

You paid this no mind however, simply chucking your money into the older student's hands and lifting the massive hammer with ease. The student looked shocked by your abrasive actions, turning to Godaiin who simply gave a sheepish shrug in return.

Within moments, you slammed the hammer down onto the target, the bell popping off instantly at the force, busting the machine entirely.

"I believe that prize is mine now." You grinned, nonchalantly swinging the hammer over your shoulder.

"U-uh, sure." The student made no effort to argue, simply handing you the plush without question.

"Sweet! Here ya go." You passed the animal on to your date, who looked surprised. You raised a brow in response. "What? This is a date, so isn't it natural this goes to you?"

Godaiin's face went red at your observation, holding the prize close to him. He swallowed nervously before giving you a solid nod. "Y-yeah. Th-thanks."

"No prob!" You grinned before taking his wrist again and continuing to drag him around the festival. Not that he voiced any complaints.

Godaiin simply smiled softly at your antics, watching as you won more and more prizes, gifting them all to him of course. By the time you were through, his arms were completely full. Luckily, one of the booths was kind enough to give you a large trash bag able to carry each spoil of your numerous victories.

You felt your stomach growl as you passed by one of the various food stalls available.

"H-hey! This is the booth my class is running." Godaiin explained, approaching the booth while dragging all of the prizes you'd won behind him. "Let me treat you this time. I-if that's okay."

"Huh? Of course!" You nodded, practically drooling in anticipation of the tasty food you could smell from where you stood. You watched as Godaiin conversed with the girl running the register, inadvertently admiring his sheepish smile in the light of the festival surrounding you. He really was a sweet guy.

"Hey, (Y/n)!" Your eyes shot up to where Rin was calling you from behind the grill of the booth. "I thought you were grounded!"

"Grounded is such a strong word..." You chuckled nervously. "But I got a hot date, so I figured I'd take the risk and ditch for a bit."

"You? Got a date!?" Rin's eyes practically popped out of his skull, the other nephilim leaning over the top of the grill to try and get a glance at who you were with. "Hmm? I don't see anyone..."

"Here, I wasn't sure what toppings you'd like so I just got one with sugar." Godaiin came up to you, passing you the treat he'd purchased to sate your case of the muchies.

"Thanks!" You gratefully accepted, thanking him for the food.

"Godaiin!? He's your date!?" Rin looked as if his brain was still trying to process the fact that the two of you were even next to each other, much less on a date.

"Oh, hey Okumura!" Godaiin seemed unfazed by the other boy's surprise, simply offering him a small wave in greeting.

"Let's head out for now, we don't wanna block their stall forever." You finished your snack within moments, leaving a mess on your face.

"H-hold on." Godaiin grabbed a napkin from the dispenser beside him, nervously reaching up and cleaning your face, much to your surprise.

You could feel your face burn in embarrassment, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Godaiin seemed a bit more red in the face as well.

"L-let's get going!" The human was the one to take the initiative this time, holding your hand and gently leading you further into the crowd before you.

"Here, this should be perfect! You stood on the roof of one of the academy's many buildings, overlooking the festival. "This is where we can get a good view of the fireworks!"

You stretched out your limbs, dangerously close to the edge. You closed your eyes, enjoying the cool sensation of the night breeze against your skin.

"U-um, are you sure this is safe?" Godaiin voiced his concern, keeping considerably farther from the edge.

"Not usually, no." You admitted turning to look at the human boy directly. You smiled at him, offering him your hand. "But you're with me, so you don't have to worry. I'll keep you safe."

"...really?" Godaiin moved closer, gingerly taking your hand in his own.

You gripped his hand gently, tugging him close til you were chest to chest. "I promise."

You could hear your heart pounding in your ears as you leaned in close. Godaiin froze in place, tensing up as he watched you make the first move. You slowly pressed your lips to his, careful not to scare him off seeing as he was usually a pretty jumpy guy.

Surely enough, however, he followed suit, closing his eyes and pressing his lips to yours in a nervous motion, clearly new to this kind of thing. It didn't bother you though, his lips even softer than you'd expected.

By the time you'd pulled away, you weren't any less nervous, yet you still looked directly into his eyes despite your many worries. You squeezed his hand gently, only brought back to reality by the sound of someone clearing they're throat nearby.

"So this time you've chosen a human boy, hmm?"

You quickly turned, throwing an arm up to shield Godaiin from whatever possible threat was now near. A soft growl escaped from your lips, warning whoever was there to keep their distance.

"Now, young lady, is that any way to treat your father?" Mephisto soon appeared into your view looking less than pleased. You supposed he'd probably found Behemoth acting as your dummy and came searching for you. "Honestly, you used to obey my every word and now your ignoring your punishment to run off with some boy."

In the next moment, he was behind Godaiin, examining him head to toe.

"He's rather plain, isn't he? He's a human and not even an exorcist at that!" Mephisto shook his head in disapproval, much to your annoyance.

"Papa, it doesn't matter if you think he's 'plain' or not; I like him and that's what counts." You scolded, disagreeing with the elder demon. "Besides, you must not think humans are all too bad or else I wouldn't even be here!"

"You do have me there." Mephisto chuckled, taking off his hat and holding it in one hand. "But you still went against my orders to stay inside, which warrants punishment."

"Mr. Faust, p-p-please!" Godaiin stuttered, catch the attention of both you and your father. "This is my fault. I was the one who asked her to the festival, so please don't be too hard on her!"

Woah, was this really the same kid who curled up in fear at the sight of a shapeshifter's lackey the other day? He must've grown some pretty big balls since then to be speaking to a demon king like this. You admired that.

"What a disgustingly sweet gesture..." Your father smiled to hide an obvious cringe of distaste. "But, unfortunately, I can't afford to let her reckless actions slide this time."

"I get it. I screwed up." You sighed, giving Godaiin a reassuring pat on the back.

"Oh, that doesn't even begin to cover it." Mephisto narrowed his eyes at you before beginning a familiar chant. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

In a puff of pink smoke, a familiar metal contraption appeared.

"Is that...Ansel!?" But Rin destroyed him didn't he? So how was he still alive?

"WEE WEE WEE! I AM DAS STÄRKSTE GEFÄNGNIS 2.0!" The machine answered, bouncing up and down in place.

"Once you've thought long and hard about what you've done, perhaps I'll let you out." The demon king hummed, sending an unreadable smile your way. "Goodbye for now, meine schöne Tochter!"

Before you knew it, a mechanical arm was wrapped around your torso, tugging you harshly into the cold depths of whatever pocket of space you now resided in.

You didn't even get to go to the concert...

Chapter Text

"Well, it might sound kinda lame, but I usually go to this kinda thing with my dad." You admitted. "So, if I went with anyone, I'd probably wanna go with him."

"Awe, thats actually pretty sweet." Paku cooed, assuring you it was alright. "Maybe if you ask him, he'll go with you."

"Yeah, maybe..." You replied, honestly not getting your hopes up. If your dad wanted to go with you, he would've told you by now. Right?

"Sir Pheles really seems to love you in his own way." Shiemi spoke up, voicing her own opinion for once.

"Really? What makes you say that?" You sat up, raising a brow.

"Well, he saved you from Earth King, didn't he?" Shiemi reasoned. While this was technically true he was also the one to let the Earth King kidnap you. The gardener continued. "Plus, he helped let you go to the beach with half the class and threw a that party when you were promoted to exwire!"

These were all correct in one way or another, so you couldn't exactly argue. Instead, you smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess you're right..."

The night of the dance came much sooner than you'd expected.

"Please don't be too disappointed, my little knuddelbär!" Mephisto stood behind you, gently brushing your hair with a bright pink brush he'd given you some time ago. You'd found a knot interwoven in your locks and asked him to take care of it since he was always good at that kinda thing. "There's always next year."

"Yeah, that's true." You sighed, simply focused on enjoying the sensation while it lasted. "At least the fireworks are still close enough to see from here."

"Very true, schatzi." The elder demon placed the brush down on the vanity in front of you, resting his hands on your shoulders as he leaned in to look at your reflection.

You eyed the reflection yourself and were taken aback with how many features you found similar between the two of you. When you were apart, it felt like you couldn't look any more different, however, when you were beside each other, you could plainly see the genes passed down from father to daughter.

Once he was satisfied, Mephisto softly kissed the side of your head before straightening up once again. He headed for the door, turning to look at you one last time. "Sweet dreams, schatzi."

"Good night, Papa." You watched as he shut the door, leaving you to your own devices for the rest of the night.

"Ugh, damn!" You cursed under your breath as you died for the fifth time, watching as your character collapsed onto the ground. "C'mon Leon! We're better than this!"

You sighed, placing your handheld next to you as you slumped down on the couch. With all of your friends at the festival and your father who knows where, you were all on your lonesome for the evening, reminding you of the days before Rin Okumura or any of the other cram school students entered your life. The days you spent alone while your father worked nearly day in and day out on whatever job he did for the Vatican with you none the wiser.

How exactly did you live 19 years of your life this way?

You were drawn out of your thoughts by a loud popping sound coming from outside of your window. You quickly rushed over to see what it was, watching as the next firework shot into the sky, exploding into an array of colors over the festival that looked so close yet felt so far away.

You wanted a better view of the show. Shoving open your window, you took a huge risk, jumping up from your windowsill and just barely grasping the edge of the roof by the tips of your fingers. You managed to tug yourself up, turning to face the festival directly.

You tugged your knees to your chest as you watched each firework bloom, only to fade into ash within mere moments. You vaguely recalled at that moment some quote where someone stated that beauty was fleeting. You supposed it had to be true.

"There's my little delinquent." You looked up to see Mephisto standing over you, a teasing smile on his lips. "This isn't quite what I meant by 'grounded' you know..."

"You said I wasn't allowed to leave the house. Technically I'm on top of it." You hummed, shooting him your own smile in return. "Therefore, I haven't left."

"That's my girl." Your father straightened up, giving you a brief pat on the head. He then snapped his fingers, a purple cushion appearing next to you in a puff of pink smoke. The elder demon sat on the cushion next to you, close enough for you to lean your head on his shoulder, so you did.

Strangely enough, Mephisto tensed at the contact. He didn't speak up or anything, however, so you didn't move. Your head began feeling faintly fuzzy as you grasped his surprisingly bare arm in an attempt to snuggle closer.

The headmaster was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt tonight, much more casual than when he was working, which made him much more comfortable to lean on than normal.

"Hey, Papa?" You kept your eyes to the sky as another firework crackled against the sky's darkening canvas. "This might be a weird question, but..."

You hesitated for a moment before deciding to continue.

"What's up with you and the other demon kings?" You asked, having wondered this for a while now. "You're on good enough terms with Amaimon to let him babysit your kid, but Rin told me that Astaroth was on his ass before he even found out he was half-demon."

You turned your gaze up to your father as you continued.

"You're all brothers, aren't you? Why don't you all work together to live in Assiah?"

"I'm afraid it's not something you'd understand, Pumpkin." Mephisto gave you a vague answer, not even bothering to look at you.

"Maybe I'd understand these things if you were just honest with me!" You let out a soft growl of frustration. "You weren't honest about your field mission a few days ago either. Has that bruise even gone away yet?"

"Enough of this." Mephisto stood up, shaking you off of him. You almost slipped, but managed to catch yourself with one arm. "We're done speaking."

"Geez, Papa! You're just like everyone else around here! You're so damn emotionally constipated and you just freaking hide it!" You huffed, standing to face your father. "Friggin' Amaimon of all people is more in touch with his emotions than you are!"

"I said enough." Mephisto grasped your wrist tightly in the palm of his hand tugging you close and causing you to fumble your footing. "Don't speak as if you understand things you don't barely even begin to comprehend."

Using his free hand, he snapped his fingers, the pair of you disappearing only to reappear on the roof of another building.

"Uhh, so what's the point of just up and moving to another building?" You raised a brow in confusion, rubbing your wrist after he was so kind as to release you from his hold.

"Let's just call it for continuity's sake." Mephisto smiled ominously before beginning a familiar chant. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

In a puff of pink smoke, a familiar metal contraption appeared.

"Is that...Ansel!?" But Rin destroyed him didn't he? So how was he still alive?

"WEE WEE WEE! I AM DAS STÄRKSTE GEFÄNGNIS 2.0!" The machine answered, bouncing up and down in place.

"Once you've thought long and hard about what you've done, perhaps I'll let you out." The demon king hummed, sending an unreadable smile your way. "Goodbye for now, meine schöne Tochter!"

Before you knew it, a mechanical arm was wrapped around your torso, tugging you harshly into the cold depths of whatever pocket of space you now resided in.

You never got to finish watching the fireworks with him.

Chapter Text

"Well, there is someone I'd like to go with..." You admitted, a little embarrassed. "But...I haven't seen them in a while to be honest..."

"Really?" Paku looked down at you sympathetically. "I'm so sorry..."

"Nah, don't be." You assured her with a wave. "It's either their fault for being too dumb to come and see me or my fault for being dumb enough to like them."

"Don't say that! I'm sure it's not true!" Shiemi gave you a pat on the back.

You smiled her way in return. "Thanks, Shiemi."

"Please don't be too disappointed, my little knuddelbär!" Mephisto stood behind you, gently brushing your hair with a bright pink brush he was letting you borrow. You'd found a knot interwoven in your locks and asked him to take care of it since he was always good at that kinda thing. "There's always next year."

"Yeah, that's true." You sighed, simply focused on enjoying the sensation while it lasted. "At least the fireworks are still close enough to see from here."

"Very true, schatzi." The elder demon placed the brush down on the vanity in front of you once he was done. Soon enough, Mephisto headed for the door, turning to look at you one last time. "Sweet dreams, Pumpkin."

"Good night, Papa." You watched as he shut the door, leaving you to your own devices for the rest of the night. Behemoth bounced up to you, scurrying out from underneath your bed. You scritched his head gently with your nails. "Looks like it's just you and me, Bud."

The round demon simply smiled up at you in response.

"C'mon! I've got a full house here!" You spread the cards out in front of you on the coffee table. "This game is rigged!"

Behemoth simply continued to drool on the cards in front of him, unbothered by your outrage.

You simply shook your head in faux disappointment. "You're lucky you're cute or else I wouldn't have let you be the referee as well."

You stood up, heading up to the window in order to get some fresh air. You opened it up, sticking your head out for a moment. You could see the festival from there, yet still somehow felt so distant from everything going on down there.

You silently smiled as you hoped everyone was having a good time.

A loud 'thump' came from inside of your room, prompting you to look inside only to see your resident hobgoblin bashing his head into your vanity for...some...reason?

"Hey, 'hemoth!" You started to scold the beast, however, before you could say much more, due to the force of Behemoth's knocking, the very pink and expensive brush your father had lent you fell from the vanity and straight into the hobgoblin's waiting mouth. "AAAH THAT'S NOT A TOY!"

You panicked, following closely behind Behemoth as he ran, clutching the brush within his teeth. Eventually, he rounded the table, juking you before hopping out of the window you'd left open like a fool.

Whelp, two could play at that game.

You chased Behemoth quite a distance for your father's brush, knowing that, if you were to admit the truth, the hobgoblin would probably get kicked out, or worse: exorcized.

"C'mon boy, we've gone far enough!" You'd chased him onto the rooftop of one of the academy's many buildings, one that happened to overlook the festival quite nicely. Not that you were paying attention to that at the time. "Just drop the brush and we'll pretend like none of this ever happened."

Your negotiation somehow worked, much to your own surprise. Behemoth trotted up to you as if he'd done nothing wrong in the first place before dropping the brush at your feet with a huge smile on his face.

You let out a sigh of relief, bending down and picking up the now slobber-covered tool. "Great. Let's leave now before Papa finds out we're gone."

You swiftly turned around, only to run into someone's chest. Looks like it was too late.

"P-papa!" You stumbled back, shocked by his sudden appearance. You quickly hid the brush behind your back before he could see.

"Mhmm." Mephisto smiled down at you ominously. "Looks like my little vogel has flown the nest."

"Y-yeah. Sorry..." You couldn't hide the sheepish look on your face. "I...screwed up, huh?"

"Oh, that doesn't even begin to cover it." Mephisto continued to scold before beginning a familiar chant. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

In a puff of pink smoke, a familiar metal contraption appeared.

"Is that...Ansel!?" But Rin destroyed him didn't he? So how was he still alive?

"WEE WEE WEE! I AM DAS STÄRKSTE GEFÄNGNIS 2.0!" The machine answered, bouncing up and down in place.

"Once you've thought long and hard about what you've done, perhaps I'll let you out." The demon king hummed, sending an unreadable smile your way. "Goodbye for now, meine schöne Tochter!"

Before you knew it, a mechanical arm was wrapped around your torso, tugging you harshly into the cold depths of whatever pocket of space you now resided in.

Chapter Text

You sat inside the prison your father was using for a makeshift "timeout" area, twiddling your thumbs on top of a pile of literal garbage, wondering just how many tetanus shots you were gonna need after this. Part of you also wondered if your father was sated with one singular prison this time or if you were now in double jail like Rin had been and just didn't know it. At least no one could say he didn't come up with creative punishments.

There wasn't really a whole lot to do in this pocket of reality other than rummage through trash all day. Behemoth would be in absolute paradise.

You were also kind of curious as to where all this junk even came from. Was this all once your father's? Did he literally just toss you into his own personal garbage can dimension??

You had plenty of time to think on this, probably all the time in the world depending on how long Mephisto decided to keep you in there. You weren't sure how long half-demons typically lived, but if it was even half as long as a normal demon, your punishment would probably be prolonged to fit the timeframe, meaning you'd be in there a loooonng time.

Man, you were already so freaking bored. It had to have been at least ten years since Mephisto stuck you in there. Luckily for you, eventually, you had company.

"Faust!" You heard a door creak open, turning around to see Shima of all people hopping over various piles of junk to get to you.

"Yo! Pinky!" You waved at the monk, motioning him closer. You took a good look at his face, examining his eyes and skin. "Ey, you aged pretty well! Tell me, what's True Cross Academy up to nowadays."

"Uh, the same stuff it's been since before you were stuck in here." Shima looked at you incredulously. "You've only been in here ten minutes."

"I- huh?" You blinked, surprised at his statement. "I guess that's why I never felt like I was getting hungry."

"Yeah, that would make sense." Shima chuckled, still a little in disbelief you'd somehow came to that conclusion. "...anyway, I'm here to rescue you!"

"Oh, sweet." You hummed, standing up. "But how? We're both just kinda...stuck in here now..."

"Don't worry, I've got it covered!" The other exwire pulled out his staff and extended it to its full height. The staff shot up immediately, reaching a height taller than you and Shima both before it was done. He then tapped the bottom end on the ground twice, only for black flames to envelop the tip. "Hold on!"

Before you had time to react, Shima pulled you close, hugging you tightly as eventually you were engulfed by the fire.

Hearing the clanking of scrap metal hitting the ground, you pried your eyes open, not remembering when you'd even shut them. You were back on top of the building you'd been on when you were imprisoned with pieces of Ansel 2.0 scattered around you. You hoped that wherever Mephisto had those made offered some sort of insurance policy.

"Not that I don't appreciate the assist, but won't my dad be pretty pissed you busted me out?" You turned to Shima who simply smiled in return.

"Probably, but he's got other things to worry about right now." Renzo shrugged, pointing behind you to draw your attention to something in the distance.

It was a black dot growing larger and larger the longer you stared at it. You squinted your eyes stepping on the edge of the rooftop to get a better view. "Is that a...helicopter?"

That was when you felt the most incredible pain of your life.

Your eyes widened as everything suddenly seemed to move in slow motion. Your gaze was drawn downwards to where black flames pierced clean through your stomach like a blade, licking at your skin without actually burning your body. You involuntarily coughed, thick red liquid dripping down your chin and onto your shirt.

It was kinda funny, but your thoughts in that moment hyper focused on how your father was the one to gift it to you a while back and how sad you were that it would have to be tossed out now that you hacked up blood onto it.

As you realized you were completely paralyzed, you felt yourself falling forward as the flames dissipated, gravity now pulling you down to lean over the streets below. Before you could fall, however, an arm reached out and wrapped itself around your waist.

"Man, this was supposed to knock her out. Whoops." Shima sighed, picking you up bridal style and noting how your eyes were still open and moving.

"If she were a normal human, yes, however, since she is nephilim, the outcome was somewhat unpredictable." A deep, whispy voice spoke up from somewhere you couldn't see.

"Well, there's not much we can do about it now." Shima hummed. "Looks like the boss is here now."

The helicopter you'd seen in the distance was now overhead, lowering enough for a few people in strange uniforms to hop out before approaching you and Renzo. Who were these people?

"Well done." A woman not much older than you congratulated. She had dark, bobbed hair with a blonde streak and wore a slim pair of glasses along with her uniform. She was honestly pretty cute. You kinda wished you looked a bit more presentable and less like you were just chillin' on a pile of garbage. "One of our other agents should be securing the other target now."

Other target? You weren't the only one they were after?

"Yeah, no prob." Shima smiled as if this were no big deal. Meanwhile, the other uniformed parties set up a few large shields behind you.

"(Y/n)!" You tried your hardest to turn your head in the direction you'd heard Rin's voice coming from. You could hear the sounds of his footfalls against the roof's concrete base, wishing more than anything you could shout out to warn him from coming any closer. You didn't know what trick Shima had used on you, but you weren't willing to risk Rin's safety to find out.

Suddenly, a blinding light shined from high above you, forcing you to flinch. The source was vaguely shaped like a bird, silently adding to your list of reasons to begin hating birds.

"He has come." The young woman you still didn't know stated.

A sudden heatwave fell over the rooftop as the source of light slowly descended from the sky. Even from far away, you could sense this thing's crazy amount of raw power. You'd probably shiver if you had any feeling in your...well, anything. This had to be some high-level demon.

"Mephisto!" You heard Rin call out. You couldn't turn your head, so you weren't able to confirm it, but your father must've finally shown up.

Everyone was silent for a few tense moments until the radiant figure finally hit the ground.

"It is a pleasure to meet all of you." The mysterious being dimmed until a masked man stood in its place. You could only see him out of the corner of your eye, but he looked like a creep. His voice was smooth, but firm. "Please forgive me for so forcefully making myself heard."

"You really went all out for this event, didn't you?" You heard your father's voice ring out. What was he doing?

"I am the Lead Commander of the Illuminati." The man ignored Mephisto's comment, beginning to introduce himself. "I am Lucifer, The King of Light."

So, he was a demon king. That explained why your father hadn't done anything yet. If you remembered from the very minimal studying you'd done so far, this was the one and only member of the Baal that outranked even Mephisto.

"My big brother!" You could hear your old man cheerfully exclaim, making you silently wonder what to do with the split-second you'd have left to live after you were going to kick him in the shin whenever this was all over. "The mask suits you!"

"Samael, i see that you are still healthy." The masked man coughed.

"Thanks to you, I'm having a blast." Your father admitted. You decided to use that split-second you'd thought about earlier to kick him in the shin a second time. "But what brings you to our little backwater?"

"Well...as a first step, we, the Illuminati, have come to issue a declaration against the Knights of the True Cross." Lucifer explained, raising his voice to project across the roof. "In less than a year, we will revive Father, merge Assiah and Ghenna into one, and free all of suffering to exist in equality and harmony. The world will know true peace."

You couldn't voice this aloud, but based on your limited knowledge, you were preettty sure if any of this actually happened the world would probably explode.

You could see the masked demon king turn to face your direction.

"Our door is always open to those who would listen, however, we will not forgive any who oppose us." Lucifer continued, addressing Mephisto directly. He slowly approached where Shima stood, still carrying your limp body. Once he was standing over you, he looked down, meeting your eyes with his own golden orbs that seemed to stare directly into your soul.

He reached one hand down to gently stroke your cheek. Geez, this guy was the total poster guy for the phrase 'stranger danger'. Didn't he know you didn't know him like that?

"I'd be careful if I were you." Mephisto's voice rang out once again. "She's a biter!"

He was right; demon king or not, had you been able, You totally would've bit him.

Lucifer ignored him, going as far as to lift you from Shima's arms to carry you in his own. He held you close before turning around, moving in closer to where your father was standing. This allowed you to see Mephisto in your peripheral vision while he was now able to gaze down at your rather pathetic figure.

"Samael, before, you refused to join us due to your close-minded ideals." Lucifer looked directly into his brother's eyes. "Can you still say the same to this day?"

Ooooh, you understood now: this guy was crazy.

He was crazy and wanted to induct your dad into his loony cult. This made sense.

"You should already know the answer to that." Mephisto replied, shaking his head. "I'm afraid whatever you're planning is a lost cause."

"Then we shall have to agree to disagree." Lucifer shook his head in either opposition or disappointment. Possibly both. He then looked back down at you while you did your best to attempt glaring back up in return. It didn't really work out. "By the way, I'm taking Kamiki Izumo as well. She is necessary to our plans."

Oh, Izumo must've been that 'other target' that woman mentioned before.

The King of Light turned on his heel, heading towards the helicopter.

"WAIT!!" You heard Rin shout from behind you. "WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH (Y/N), IZUMO, AND SHIMA!?"

Lucifer made no move to stop, continuing his way forward with his lackeys quick to part ways into a path for him.

"HEY MEPHISTO! THAT'S YOUR DAUGHTER! ARE YOU JUST GOING TO STAND THERE AND WATCH!?" Yeah! You go Rin!

"What can I do against the King of Light?" Mephisto sounded as if his mind was somewhere far away. Nice to know your own father was a coward. "He may be weakened, but he's still the strongest being in Ghenna. You've sensed this too, right?"

"Then..." You could sense the flames from Rin's removal of the Koma sword from its sheath, thankful that at least he was trying, unlike somebody. "I'll stop him!"

Shima was quick to block his attack, the two beginning to fight behind you.

Meanwhile, Lucifer was almost to the 'copter when he suddenly turned his head to the side and began coughing up splatters of blood onto the concrete below. It was then that you swore if this guy was nasty and coughed on you, most powerful being in Ghenna or not, his shins would be the next to go, straight after Mephisto's.

Maybe if you were feeling nice you'd let him keep his favorite one.

"Commander!" The lady from earlier rushed to Lucifer's side and that's when your hearing began to fade. You felt your eyelids began to droop closed as someone called for a doctor, but lost consciousness completely after being placed into the helicopter. You didn't know where you were going, but one thing was for sure:

Between Mephisto Pheles, Lucifer, and Renzo Shima, no shins were going to be safe.

Chapter Text

You woke up in a plain white room; the kind of room that drives people to madness just by sitting in it for a few hours. This was a stark contrast from waking up in your normal bedroom.

You felt heavy, like several hundred pound weights were tied to each of your limbs in an attempt to keep you still. It was then you noted that your hands were bound with short cuffs, making it even more difficult to move.

It took you a while, but eventually you were able to regain control of your muscles, every bone in your body aching as you sat up and examined yourself to make sure no one had done anything weird to it while you were sleeping. You were now dressed in new clothes: a numbered hospital gown that reached only about halfway down your thighs as well as underwear underneath it. Your shoes were nowhere to be found.

Was this some kind of hospital?

You hopped off of the examination table you'd been laying on, trying to still your legs from buckling underneath you. As you leaned against the table, struggling thanks to the cuffs, the room's only door hissed open.

"Hey, Faust!" Renzo fucking Shima. This bastard had a lot of nerve to be anywhere in your line of vision and not halfway across the country by now.

"If it isn't my good friend Pinky!" You sent him a strained smile, eyebrow twitching involuntarily. "Why don't you step a little closer? I feel like it's been forever since we've had a little one-on-one between us!"

Yes, yes. Just a bit closer and his shins would be in kicking range.

Unfortunately, Shima wasn't a complete idiot, much to your dismay.

"No thank you! I choose life!" The pink-haired monk threw up his hands, stopping several feet in front of you. "I came in to see how you were doing. Apparently the big boss man wants to see you."

"You mean that masked creep from before?" Your legs finally decided to cooperate, but Shima's statement had you more confused than anything. "Isn't he a demon king? Why the fuck does he wanna see me?"

"No clue, but you might not wanna call him that to his face." Shima chuckled nervously.

The door opened again to reveal two identical men, both taller than you and Renzo both and built with more muscle than you and Bon combined. You'd be impressed if you weren't just kidnapped by their organization.

"There's our escort." Shima turned on his heel, heading for the door. He glanced behind him once he realized you weren't following. "C'mon! We don't wanna get in hot water for making him wait!"

"You've got some big balls, Shima." You sighed, following suit. Might as well see what this bastard wants. "It'll be a shame when I eventually sever 'm."

Shima swallowed nervously, silently glad you were cuffed.

You soon reached the door leading to Lucifer, you spotted the woman with split hair from your kidnapping standing in front of it. She eyed Shima under her scrutinizing gaze. "He wants to speak with you first."

Renzo gave her a short nod in response, waiting until she stepped into the room before entering after her.

In the meantime, you looked to the two men who'd escorted you here.

"So, uh, you two work here, right? I gotta ask: does ol' Lucifer cover dental?" You smiled cheekily in hopes of getting a good gauge on the types of lackeys Lucifer was employing here. Unfortunately for you, neither seemed too amused. Your face fell. "Killjoys."

Luckily, it wasn't long before Shima and the young woman returned.

"You may enter now." The lady ushered you in without much choice on your end. She followed you in, closing the door softly behind you.

The first thing you spotted was a man in a hospital gown, similar to the one you were wearing, laying on a bed with several cords stuck to his body, hooking him to various machines surrounding him. He had blonde hair and golden eyes as well as a tail quite similar to your own. Was this...Lucifer?

It was odd; looking at him was ringing a lot of bells in your head, like you'd seen his face somewhere before...

"I'm so glad you've finally awoken." Lucifer smiled gently at you before turning to the woman who'd led you in with a much more serious expression. "Miss Todo, you may leave us."

The young woman, now known as Miss Todo, looked hesitant to leave the two of you alone, but ultimately gave in. "Yes, sir..."

She left the room, meaning you were now alone with the Demon King of Light.

"I'm sorry to have to greet you in such a state, but thanks to Chief Researcher Geodin's work, I am able to show you my true face, if only for a moment." The demon king apologized, looking quite sheepish for someone who could probably obliterate you with just his right pinky. "Please, come closer."

You hesitated, narrowing your eyes in suspicion. "First, tell me what you want with me."

"Forgive me, I was too bold in my request." Lucifer apologized, showing patience you wouldn't have expected of him. His smile never faltered, only softening the more he looked at you. "I simply wished to see my daughter's face up closer."

Your eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"Your...daughter..?" It took you a few moments to process, but when you did, you could only let out a small snort. "Man, I knew you were crazy, but I didn't think you'd lost it completely!"

"I assure you, what I say is the truth." Lucifer motioned you closer. This time, you obliged, taking pity on the seemingly senile demon king. Once you were close enough, he reached out a hand to tenderly cup your cheek. "I am your father and you are my precious child..."

"Oh yeah? Then why was I raised by Mephisto?" You allowed him to touch you for now as long as you got your answers, but if he got any more handsy, you weren't afraid to bite off his finger. "And why do I have control over his aspect?"

"Samael stole you from me the moment you were born." A mournful look overtook Lucifer's face as he began his explanation. "You've been compatible with his nature since birth so he took you and poisoned you with lies and deceit."

"But...why?" You felt like you were only finding more questions than answers.

"To use you as his next vessel." The demon king responded, leaving you shocked.

"His 'vessel'...?"

"Unfortunately, us members of the Baal may be the most powerful demons in existence, however, our bodies are quick to weaken from the moment we enter a new host." Lucifer explained, gently stroking your cheek with his thumb. "Our bodies go through indescribable pain and deteriorate much too quickly for comfort."

He glanced down at his own body as if showing off his current state as a prime example.

"Unless, that is, we find our perfect vessel." The King of Light spoke these words as if they were a distant dream, far from reality. "A flawless host that is completely compatible with our being. You, my darling one, have greater compatibility with my little brother's aspect than anyone before."

"That...can't be true..." You were completely taken aback. Is that why he was always so nice to you? Is that why he kept you ignorant to the world of demons since your birth? Is that why you'd grown up so sheltered?

Your mind flashed back to the other day when you'd discovered the wound he'd been sporting even stronger than his demonic healing could fix. Lucifer's story was staring to sound more and more plausible...

"So...what do you want from me?" You spoke in a wavering tone as if you were going to either begin shouting or crying at any second.

"I want you to join me." Lucifer's tone was firm, but not demanding. "Leave Samael and his foolish ideals and come work as my right hand for the betterment of both demons and humanity."

Looking at the serious expression on his face, all of a sudden, you realized why his face looked so familiar. Amidst your shock and fragile emotions, you couldn't keep from shouting out. "Angel!"

"What a beautiful sentiment. I knew you'd understand." Lucifer was quick to sit up straighter and pull you into a hug, wrapping both of his arms around your torso. You hugged him back awkwardly, not bothering to correct him. This guy sure was touchy...

"Well, as much as I'd like to join your cul- organization, I'd like to have some time to think about it." You backed away as soon as Lucifer released you, tons of thoughts swirling through your head, yet none of them making any sense.

Part of you still wasn't sold on this whole 'being Lucifer's daughter' thing, but you knew the only person who had the answers to all of your questions was Mephisto. If you were gonna find the truth, you'd have to return to True Cross Academy.

You tried to come up with an excuse for Lucifer that wouldn't end with you either forcibly inducted or obliterated by the King of Light. "It's nothing personal, but I kinda have this thing next Tuesday and I really can't skip it, ya know?"

Lucifer chuckled. "You're still skeptical? Don't worry, that much is to be expected."

Damn, you had no clue how he saw through your absolutely brilliant lie.

"You simply need further motivation to trust me. That's fine." Lucifer coughed, droplets of blood splattering onto the hand he attempted to cover mouth. It was kinda gross, but it was better than having him hack on you. Once he was through, he continued speaking as though nothing were wrong. "Ask Samael about Section Thirteen."

"'Section' wha-"

You were cut off as the woman from before rushed into the room. "Commander!"

"Ah, Miss Todo. Please treat my daughter kindly and make sure she's comfortable." Lucifer requested right as you were rushed out of the room by people in lab coats.

That was the last you saw of Lucifer during your stay.

"This...isn't the room I was in before." You eyed the cushy bedroom in front of you. The entire room was white mixed with various pastels, furniture adorned in lace with plush animals decorating the entire area. It was cute, but much different than what you'd expected to walk into.

"This is the room the Commander had prepared for your arrival." The woman explained, as stoic as ever.

"Then, how come I woke up in that hospital room?" You raised a brow.

"We were unaware that the effects of the black flame would be so...taxing on you, so I took the liberty of having you examined." She explained. You shivered, not sure you wanted to know what she'd meant by that.

"Uh, thanks?" You shook off your worries, turning around to face the young woman before gesturing to your gown. "Can I get some new clothes? Or at least ones with a cooler number like 'sixty-nine' or 'four twenty'?"

"I..." Todo pinched the bridge of her nose. "...will see what I can do."

"Thanks." You sent her a nod as she left. The moment the doors shut, your cuffs clattered to the floor. Looks like they were confident that the room would be enough to hold you.

Sadly for them, they didn't know you as well as they thought.

Chapter Text

"Oh c'mon!" You hissed tossing another book behind you. "What's the point of having a big ass bookcase if there's no secret passage behind it?"

You'd been searching for an escape route, still waiting for that change of clothes, for the last two hours to no avail. You were exhausted, finally giving up on the whole bookcase thing and collapsing on top of the bed.

"Is escaping even worth it..?" You tossed your right arm over your forehead as you really thought about it.

You'd thought that you finally had everything figured out; you knew who you were and exactly what you wanted in life: to become an exorcist.

But, was that even really what you wanted?

The only reason you went with the exorcist thing in the first place was because the Vatican was threatening Rin's life. You were being blackmailed by the people claiming to be the "good guys".

So...what was it you really wanted?

You took a deep breath and tried to imagine where you'd be ten years from now. You had a difficult time at first, but, eventually, you were able to see it: a serene and picturesque scene of a sunny afternoon in the monja shop. Everyone you knew and cared for sitting a short distance away, waiting for you to join them. Yes, this was what you wanted.

"In less than a year, we will revive Father, merge Assiah and Ghenna into one, and free all of suffering to exist in equality and harmony. The world will know true peace." Lucifer's words rang through your mind. You hated to admit it, but he was starting to sound less and less crazy the more you stayed in the facility.

But, at the same time, everyone here was a jerk. Just for that, you'd rather sit through one of Yuck-o's lectures while hyped up on twelve cans of energy drinks than stay there.

You hopped up, slapping both of your cheeks. This was no time for sulking!

You went back over to the bookshelf, looking over each of the books once again. What if you just dumped them all out to see which one sticks? You immediately agreed with yourself, prying your fingers behind the large bookcase and beginning to push. That's when you realized that, if there had indeed been a secret passageway, you wouldn't have been able to move the structure with such ease. You realized this too late, however, as the bookcase toppled over and on to the ground with a resounding 'thud'.

You were about to snap again until you spotted the escape route you'd been searching for: a large vent the bookcase had been hiding, just barely big enough for you to squeeze in without having to worry about getting stuck.

"Sweet!" You grinned, instantly giving the grate a good kick and removing it from the vent. You'd have to be quick; you weren't exactly quiet when finding your exit, so chances were that the Illuminati was already sending someone to stop you.

You crawled into the vent, unconcerned about how sneaky you were supposed to be and more worried about crawling to the exit before you had someone on your tail. You should've paid more attention to what was going on beneath you.

All of a sudden, a familiar staff popped up through the vent in front of you, blocking your path any further.

"Yo, Faust! Or should it be 'Miss (Y/n)' since you're the Boss' daughter and all?" Shima called up to you in a manner way too casual considering the circumstances. "You're up there right? Why don't you come down so we can chat?"

You groaned, but decided it'd be easier to take him down face-to-face rather than trying to avoid him throughout the ventilation system. You swung your legs down as hard as you could, disconnecting the duct you were in from the one behind you and allowing you to drop through the gap created from the action. You dropped to the floor, a good twenty feet or so from the duct. You watched as Shima returned the staff to his hand, almost impressed he'd been able to toss it up that high in the first place.

Renzo Shima was just full of surprises.

"So, does Lucifer pay you good money to harass young women or is this just a hobby?" You glared, readying to fight despite still being in your hospital gown.

"C'mon! Don't say it like that!" Pinky was quick to object. "I'm just doing my job here!"

"Didn't realize 'being a creep' was an actual occupation!" You sprung into action, sprinting at the monk full-speed before thrusting your fist forward in a punishing punch. Shima was just barely able to dodge, backing up as your knuckles made harsh contact with a nearby wall. You pulled back your hand, revealing the sizable hole you'd made by mistake. Your hand stung a bit from the impact. Lucifer must've spared no expense on this facility.

"Woah! Chill out!" Shima's poor attempt to calm you down did nothing for your nerves, only irritating you further.

"Sorry if I'm not in the best mood after being kidnapped and sold out by someone I considered my friend!" You spat out at him. "This time, I won't miss!"

You reached down to your pocket, intending to whip out your watch, until you realized you had no pockets and your pocketwatch was gone.

"You lookin' for this?" Shima held up the hand-clock you'd been searching for, taunting you.

"That's mine!" You dashed for him again, only to be stopped by...zombies!?

An entire hoard of the undead burst through the walls like they were made of paper. You hoped Lucifer had a good apocalypse insurance policy.

The zombies made chasing after Shima even more difficult as each one stumbled into your way and attempted to grab you.

"Okay, clearly this is all some sorta weird dream, right?" You tried convincing yourself more than anyone else as you kicked one zombie's shin clear off its rotting figure. It fell down right as you shoved another away to try and get closer to Shima's quickly retreating figure. If things continued like this, you'd lose him as well as any hopes of escaping.

You knew it was a long shot, but you had to try.

"Ein. Zwei. Drei. Vier. Fünf!" You did your best to concentrate on counting despite having to try and avoid getting grabbed by a bunch of undead corpses. "Hör jetzt auf!"

Your head hurt like hell, tears springing to the corners of your eyes as time halted before you. Attempting to do such a thing without your watch wasn't something you did often, making the sensation all the more painful. However, you couldn't just wallow in your pain; you had to hurry.

Grasping the sides of your throbbing head, you rushed forward the farthest you could, managing to get past the hoard as time resumed once more. Your head immediately began feeling a bit better, but the pain still echoed through your skull while you continued hot on Shima's tail.

"Gotcha!" Eventually, you caught up, tackling the pink-haired boy through the wall and into the next room. You pinned him to the ground, sitting on his chest with all your weight. "Time to-wHAT THE FUCK!?"

Your head shot upwards after catching a glance of something out of the corner of your eye. A giant...something filled nearly the entire room. It was huge and fleshy, probably the greasiest, most grotesque creature you'd seen on your life; and you'd dug a demon dog out of the garbage a few weeks ago.

The beast had several lumpy limbs, much more than the average person and an oddly human-esque head as if it were some kind of humanoid-octopus.

Shima took advantage of the distraction, kicking you off of him and swiftly hopping to his feet.

"(Y/n)!" Rin called out for you from the other side of the room. He stood with all of your other classmates looking like they'd just crawled out of a dumpster that'd been soaking in sewage for about three days straight and had to fight the king of raccoons for dominance over the trash pile.

Or like they ran into those zombies too.

"Rin!" You hesitated, briefly considering continuing your pursuit of Shima. However, as soon as the monster in front of you swung one of its nasty limbs in your friend's direction, you made your choice. You sprinted towards the bumpy appendage, ready to kick it with all you had, but stopped, stumbling forward as black flames began to spew from the monster's head. The creature gave out an ear-piercing screech, quickly being engulfed by the flames and shrivel down to a crisp.

Your gaze immediately shot back to Shima who'd somehow managed to get up to the high ground, standing on the rim of a hole in the ceiling.

"Oh, man! I hate that I missed all the fun!" The pink-haired monk chuckled, looking down at you. "But we're enemies, so I shouldn't stand around being too disappointed. Catch ya later!"

"WAIT!" Bon shouted out to his former friend. Shima paused in his next step, looking over at the split-haired boy from over his shoulder. "...is this my fault?"

"Nah." Pinky was quick to reassure. "I'm doing this for me."

And with that, he was gone.

Zombies began flooding the room through the hole you'd created in the wall. Yukio was the first one to shoot at them. "Everyone! We have to get out now!"

"Let me handle this!" Rin readied his sword to fight, but was interrupted by a beam of light shooting clean through the lone of zombies he'd been aiming for.

"Bon! Are you okay!?" Kinzo Shima of all people was the next one to enter the room, quickly followed by several other faces you'd recognized from your time in Kyoto. The group made quick work of the remaining zombies, ushering you out of the building before you could even blink.

Eventually, you found yourself sitting outside of the now-former Illuminati complex, blanket wrapped around your shoulders as paramedics rushed to assist the injured. Rin sat next to you, watching as the building slowly started to crumble.

"Uh, Rin?" You blinked slowly, not tearing your eyes off of the facility. "I've got a question."

"Yeah?" The other nephilim turned to look at you.

"What the fuck just happened?"

"I..." Rin took a deep breath to begin his explanation. "...I'm still not sure to be honest..."

"Whelp, I'll just add that thing to my list of future nightmares and get answers from Bon-Bon later then, I guess." You sighed, rubbing your temples. Your head still stung in memory of the pain you suffered from stopping time for that short period of time.

"Hey, (Y/n)? What's that?" Rin pointed to your back with a raised brow.

You reached back, feeling something smooth and cool attached to the lower back of your gown. You yanked it off, eyes widening as you recognized the shiny object. It was your watch...

"What a cheeky bastard..."

Chapter Text

Your injuries were minimal, healing quickly thanks to your demonic blood. You briefly visited the makeshift infirmary set up by the Order, but left much sooner than your other classmates.

Pretty soon, you were shutting your eyes on the train ride home, only to fall asleep in your exhaustion. You woke much later to the sensation of your hair being gingerly stroked by a familiar hand.

"Papa..." You muttered, still half-asleep.

"Shh, my little cat sídhe. You need to rest." Mephisto hummed, lifting you up from your seat to carry you. You instinctively clutched the fabric of his coat, holding on as if it were for dear life. You'd honestly be about the position embarrassed if it wasn't so damn warm and comfortable. He hadn't carried you like this in quite some time, yet it felt somehow as if it'd only been the other day...

No. The other day, you were held in the arms of your supposed father, but not this one.

Your eyes snapped open, only to find yourself tucked into your bed back home. Behemoth was snuggled tightly next to you and everything appeared as of you hadn't just been kidnapped by the King of Light and told that your entire life was a lie.

You checked your alarm clock, noting that you'd slept in more than usual and that it was time to get ready for school. Wordlessly, you got up and showered.

You couldn't imagine what chaos cram school would erupt into.

You headed downstairs once you were ready for the day, planning to skip breakfast. However, as soon as you descended the foyer's grand staircase, someone called out for you.

"Time for frühstück, my darling schnuckelschneke~" Mephisto's voice rang out from the kitchen, striking an unexpected pang of fear through your heart.

You froze, subconsciously gripping the bannister next to you hard enough to chip the paint. Thankfully, you caught yourself before you could do any further damage.

"...(Y/n)?" The demon king called out to you once again, this time sounding a lot less cheerful.

"Uh, coming!" You shook away the fear for a few moments while you continued down the stairs. You headed into the kitchen, catching your supposed father's gaze as you entered.

"Ah, guten morgen, my dear." The headmaster was dressed in fairly casual clothing with an apron draped over him. He'd been mixing something in a pot over the stove when you came in.

"Guten morgen..." Your limbs felt heavy, but you forced them to move as you took a seat at the table.

"I made your favorite!" The demon king placed a bowl in front of you, reddish-purple gunk bubbling up from inside of it. "Little demon style oatmeal!"

"Ah, thank you, but I'm really not all that hungry..." You forced a smile up at the King of Time.

"Nonsense. You must be starving! You haven't eaten anything in quite some time." Mephisto narrowed his eyes at you, sending a chill down your spine that you hoped didn't turn into a visible shiver. "Did they even feed you in that Illuminati complex?"

So that was it. He was fishing for information about what went down with you and Lucifer.

"You're right. I haven't eaten in a hot minute, huh?" You picked up the spoon on the table, using it to scoop up a spoonful of 'oatmeal'. "Thank you for breakfast!"

"You're welcome, Pumpkin." Mephisto took the seat to your right, turning to face you while leaning an elbow on the table. "So, tell Papa about how his big brother treated you in that infernal facility, hmm? I want to know how badly he needs to be taught a lesson."

You shoved the first spoonful in your mouth, slurping it up, despite knowing the indigestion you were sure to get from this later.

"W-well, they pretty much just locked me in a room for most of the time. I had to bust out through a vent." You admitted, trying to play this as casual as possible. "I only saw him once and it was super brief cuz he kept hackin' up blood everywhere."

You hadn't lied yet. Now, as long as he doesn't ask what you talked about-

"And what was it the two of you spoke about?" Dammit!

"...dental insurance." You mumbled quietly, slowly swallowing another mouthful of food.

You flashed him a strained grin.

"Oh, really?" He didn't believe you.

"Yup!" You replied hastily. "He's apparently got a pretty good policy. Full coverage for all employees!"

You hopped up before he could speak again, not bothering with the rest of your meal.

"Whelp! Time for class!" You brushed off your uniform, beginning to head for the door. "Heard we're learning about nutrition today. Teach' says it's perfect since I'm such a meathead!"

You chuckled awkwardly, only to be stopped in your next step.

"Wait." The demon king stood up, slowly walking towards you until he was looming over your frozen figure. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

You swallowed nervously, biting your lower lip. In a sudden movement, you whipped around, hopping up and wrapping your arms around Mephisto's neck. You squeezed tightly as you hoped it wasn't too noticeable that you were shaking. You were even so bold as to place a brief kiss against his left cheek before releasing your hold.

"Sorry, Papa. I was really worried I wouldn't wanna let go." You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly.

"It's okay, schatzi." Mephisto smiled, rewarding you with an affectionate pat to the head. "Now, get going. You wouldn't want to be late."

You nodded in agreement before turning tail and yeeting out of the manor as quickly as you could without looking back.

"Oh man, I'm starving!" Your stomach growled angrily as you made your way towards the cafeteria. Mephisto had been correct in assuming you hadn't eaten in a while. Besides the few bites you took of oatmeal earlier, you hadn't had a proper meal in over nearly fourty-eight hours. "Maybe Rin'll spare me some of his noodles."

"Oh, Rin's not here today!"

You turned around only to see the other nephilim wearing a pink wig, grinning over at you as if this were perfectly normal.

"It's just me: Shima!" Rin fished out a fistful of something out of his pocket, handing it to you cheerfully. "Here, have some candy!"

Your eyes narrowed, immediately dropping every sweet just handed to you onto the ground. Rin watched as they tumbled to your feet, too distracted to see what was coming until it was too late.

"OUCH!" The other nephilim held his nose in pain from where you'd just socked him in the face. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"'ME!?' WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" You grit your teeth, feeling a demonic growl starting to bubble up in your chest. "This dude freakin' kidnapped me and handed me over to a fucking DEMON KING, one that happens to be my father's greatest enemy, and you think it's a good idea to come up to me while pretending to be him!?"

Rin stumbled back a bit, startled by your sudden shouting. He looked genuinely frightened which instantly tugged at your heartstrings with the feeling of guilt.

"I...I'm so sorry, (Y/n)." Your friend was quick to apologize, looking at you with regret and an understanding that he'd done wrong. "I just wanted to cheer everyone up from the whole 'Shima thing' so bad, I didn't stop to consider your feelings..."

You took a deep breath, counting to ten in your head before responding.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have got so mad." You sighed, apologizing yourself. "It's been a pretty rough few days for me."

"Yeah, I really should've considered that before trying this." Rin sighed before offering you a shaky smile. "Are we...okay again?"

You wrapped your arms over his shoulders, holding him tightly in your embrace. "Yeah, we're good."

Rin's smile softened as he returned the embrace, hugging you for the first time in ages. He didn't even notice when you reached up and chucked the ugly pink wig off of his head and into a nearby trashcan.

You entered the cram school classroom with Rin, munching on the candy he'd planned to hand out as Shima before your fight.

"Ack- (Y/n)! You can't eat them all!" The other half-demon scolded as soon as he went to start passing out treats and realized you were eating them. "Those are for everyone!"

"I'm not eating all of them! Just the tastiest ones!" You objected, shoving another piece into your mouth.

"Could you two be quiet?" Suguro sighed from across the room. "None of us are really in the mood if you couldn't tell."

"C'mon Bon! Being all glum and gloomy isn't gonna bring Shima back!" Rin whined going over and ruffling the split-haired boy's hair. "Besides, I feel responsible! I said I'd bring him back and I failed!"

He then began downing an entire bag of candy through his sobs.

You sat down next to Shiemi, looking over at Rin in concern. This was a weird outburst, even for him. Maybe you punched him too hard earlier...

"You rang? Well here I am! It's Shima~"

Your head snapped over to the doorway where none other than Renzo Shima himself stood, smiling with an annoyingly large grin on his face. You weren't the only one shocked, however, as the entire class froze in stunned silence.

"The teacher isn't here yet? I barely made it on time!" Shima strolled over to his desk, sitting down much too nonchalantly for your liking. "Hm? Why's everyone so quiet?"

"Sorry I'm late, class. Let's take attendance." Yukio was next to enter the room, placing his carrying case on the desk. He began calling out your names individually, allowing everyone to respond to roll call one-by-one. "Seems like everyone's here. Let's begin demon pharmaceuticals. Turn to page one-thirteen."

You flipped through your book, trying your best not to stare at the elephant in the room.

"Shima, would you please read from the chapter on Witches' Salves?" The younger Okumura twin asked, looking down at his own book.

"W-wait, this isn't right!" Shima objected immediately, slamming a hand on his desk. "Why isn't anyone saying anything!? Shima the spy is back!"

"Grrr..." Bon, who'd clearly been holding himself back this entire time, stood and suddenly grasped the color of Shima's shirt, lifting him a good foot off of the floor.

"GYAAAAH! FORGIVE ME!" The pink-haired traitor pleaded. "THIS WASN'T IN THE PLAN! I THOUGHT I'D QUIT SCHOOL AND NEVER SEE ANYONE AGAIN!"

Then, just when it seemed like Bon would burst, he hugged Renzo instead.

"I'm glad you're safe! Do you know how worried we were!?" The taller boy began shaking Shima. "Explain yourself!"

"You pretended to kill Uke and Mike, so you must've had a reason!" Izumo stood next, wanting answers herself.

"I'm just in another rebellious phase, ya know?" Shima shrugged the moment he was released. "We good now?"

That's when Suguro head butted him hard enough to draw blood.

"No we're not good!" The dragoon in training then hit him with an uppercut. "You're SCUM!"

Izumo apparently wanted in on the action, summoning her foxes to perform purification on Shima's injured body. "Expel scum!!"

Before he even hit the ground, his body was shoved by a broom, wielded by Konekomaru of all people.

"You guys are really gonna kill me!" The spy sobbed, writhing in pain on the floor.

"Should I help you out?" Rin crouched to the traitor's level, eyeing him with some form of sympathy.

"Okumura!" Shima looked hopeful, smiling at his possible savior.

"Not so fast." Rin shook his head before nodding it towards you. "You've gotta apologize to (Y/n) first. Then, I'll think about helping you."

You eyed Shima as he slowly crawled forward on his hands and knees, making his way towards where you were seated.

"Faust..." He stopped in the aisle just before your desk, looking up to you with tears in his eyes. "Please...forgive me..."

You stood up silently, approaching him with a stern expression. All of a sudden, you smashed your foot into his face, not hard enough to kill him, but enough to maybe break his nose if he were any more fragile.

"Maybe I'll consider it after you lick my shoes clean." You began slowly adding more pressure to your foot, making sure he could really feel it as well as your anger towards him.

"Ow!" Shima whined pathetically, looking up at you with a snarky look in his eyes. "I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree after all..."

That was clearly a jab at your current internal conflict.

Your entire body felt like it was beginning to burn as pure anger suddenly flooded your system. Your fangs felt sore as they began to elongate as well as your ears, now pointed out much farther than normal. This transformation usually only occurred after you opened your pocket watch.

You couldn't stop yourself from raising your foot, only to snarl as you moved to slam it down once more, this time much harder.

"Now, now, please stop punishing Mr. Shima any further." Familiar arms wrapped themselves around your torso, tugging you backwards into the chest of a slender figure. Your mind began to feel fuzzy as the anger inside of you started to dissipate. Your features shrunk back to normal and you began to feel drowsy, tempting you to just rest then and there. Mephisto looked down at you with a smile. "Did you miss me?"

"Mephisto!?" Rin was the first to shout, as usual. "You-"

"Stop!" The headmaster rested his chin on top of your head. "We have a pesky visitor from the a Vatican waiting for us. I have to take you all back to my office."

"What's this about?" The older Okumura asked, only to be ignored.

"Eins...Zwei..." The demon king began counting before snapping his fingers. "Drei!"

Suddenly, you weren't in the classroom anymore. Instead you were all in the office situated in your home.

"Huh?" Izumo glanced around, surprised by the change of scenery. "Where are we?"

Mephisto released you from his hold, immediately allowing for clarity to rush through your head. You shook it to both sides just to be sure, but recognized the room instantly. "We're back home? Why are we in your office?"

"HOLY COW! Sir Pheles' powers are amazing! It's like magic!" Your group turned towards the source of the sudden voice: a raggedy-looking man with black hair and stubbly facial hair. He was dressed in a fisherman's hat as well as capris and a black jacket with a t-shirt full of holes underneath. "Hi! I'm Lewin Light! Nice to meet ya!"

"L-LIGHTNING!?" Izumo and Bon shouted in sync.

"You know him?" You looked to Ryuuji, confused more than anything.

"He's Arch Knight and the Paladin's right hand man. He's famous." Suguro answered, still in shock that such an important man was in front of him. "He's an expert in arias and summoning. His nickname is 'Lightning'."

"Huh? Do all Exorcists get nicknames like that?" You wondered aloud. "Sounds a little edgy to me."

"Oh! I know you!" In the next moment, the shaggy Arch Knight was up in your face, grasping both of your hands in his own. He smelled awful. "You're 'Cuddle Bear'!"

"'Cuddle' wha...AAAAAH!" Your face lit bright red as you suddenly remembered the conversation you'd had with your father on the phone just a few days ago.

"Couldn't I call simply because I missed my little knuddelbär~?"

You wanted to hide your face in your hands but couldn't as the man was still holding them.

"Thanks for the lunch the other day! It was surprisingly tasty!" Lewin grinned. "I didn't expect Sir Pheles' daughter to be a cutie who could cook!"

It took you a few moments to register what he was saying, but eventually you figured it out. You turned your head around to look at Mephisto. "You didn't eat your lunch...?"

"Lightning, can we move on?" The headmaster cleared his throat, looking anywhere other than your direction. "Why don't we all take a seat, hm?"

Everyone sat in different chairs, surrounding a small decorative table in the center of the office.

"This must be our Illuminati spy: Renzo Shima! You and Sir Pheles sure got results!" Lightning continued to smile, looking directly at Pinky from underneath his dark bangs. Too bad he smelled so rotten, he was actually kinda cute. "The order has always wanted inside info on the Illuminati and the top brass doesn't fully trust Sir Pheles."

"Unfortunately." Mephisto shook his head, confirming the statement.

"So I've come to judge whether or not Shima is trustworthy!" Lewin continued, addressing you as a group.

"What happens if he's not?" Izumo asked after a moment or two.

"Then he'll be interrogated." The room's atmosphere dropped within seconds, the air growing tense at Lightning's words. Shima shivered in his seat looking rather nauseous as Lewin continued. "But, I'd rather avoid that, so I gathered you all here to vouch for him."

"So, if we put in a good word for him, he'll become a double agent, right?" You reasoned, looking a little troubled. You figured 'triple agent' would be more appropriate seeing as how Mephisto seemed to be his own side of the chess board entirely, but didn't voice this opinion out loud. "Aren't they gonna think it's hella sus if we just accept him back with open arms like everything's chill?"

"Maybe, but they think he's valuable, so they won't kill him or anything." Lewin answered in an oddly cheery manner.

"Exactly." Mephisto chimed in from where he sat at his desk. "Played strategically, we might be able to use him to outwit the Illuminati."

"Yep! But only if we can trust him." Lewin nodded in agreement.

"If Shima is indeed a traitor, the information he feeds us could throw us into disarray." Yukio muttered more to himself than anyone else. "That means we must be certain."

"So here's my question." Lewin spoke up to project across throughout the room. "Do you all think he's trustworthy?"

Complete silence filled the room as no one dared utter a single noise.

You were the first to break the silence, standing up from your seat and beginning to head for the door.

"I...want no part in this." You opened up the entrance to the hall, looking back at the group and locking eyes with Bon. If there was anyone you trusted to know what to do in this situation, it was him. "I'll be in my room. I'll leave this up to you."

You shut the door behind you as you left, leaning against it as soon as it clicked closed. You let out a deep sigh, wondering just how you'd gotten yourself into this.

"You won't always be able to run away from your problems you know." Your eyes widened as you whipped your head to your right to see none other than Arthur Angel standing less than five feet away.

"What are you doing here!?" You narrowed your gaze, matching the glare he sent your way.

"That's not any business of demon spawn." The Paladin scoffed.

"It is if it's the 'demon spawn's' house you're creeping around." You countered, placing your hands on your hips in a scolding manner.

"If you must know, I'm waiting here for my partner to finish his business inside Sir Pheles' office. He's been avoiding his paperwork for too long and if I don't force him now, he'll never get it done." Arthur rolled his eyes, answering despite clearly not wanting to. "Are you satisfied?"

"Not quite." You replied, shaking your head in the negative. "Let's head somewhere more private. There's something I wanna talk to you about. I think you'll appreciate hearing me out."

You began heading further down the hall, not stopping even as you heard Arthur's reluctant footsteps begin to follow.

"Make me your apprentice."

Arthur nearly choked on his coffee, coughing profusely at your request. You'd taken him to this cafe on the outskirts of town that you figured would probably just barely suit the tastes of someone as bougie as him. You dropped this bomb on him the moment your server walked away, looking at him with an intense gaze.

"No." He answered as soon as he regained his composure.

"I won't accept that for an answer." You shot back. Even now, the Paladin's face was uncanny to Lucifer's. He absolutely had to know something and, considering the personalities of both Lucifer and Mephisto, this guy was probably your greatest hope of getting any actual answers to some of your questions.

"And if I still refuse?" Arthur's eyes narrowed.

"You won't." You replied with confidence. "Not unless you want to lose the opportunity to keep a leash on me and Samael both."

A shocked expression overtook Angel's face, unable to hide his surprise.

"Train me and I'll become your spy." You spoke in a low voice as to not be overheard by any unwanted third-parties that might've been listening in. "You wanna keep an eye on Mephisto, right? Well, this is your opportunity."

"Why would you be so willing to do such a thing? I thought this man is supposedly your precious 'Papa'." Arthur seemed suspicious of your offer. You couldn't exactly blame him either.

"That's what I thought too..." You looked down at your lap, memories of the last few weeks flooding into your memory. "Now, thanks to him, if I had a nickel for every time I've been kidnapped by a demon king, I'd have two nickels. Which, albeit, isn't a lot, but it's still weird that it's happened twice!"

You looked back up to the blonde, still ignoring your own drink completely.

"He's the one who orchestrated the attack on True Cross by Amaimon and knew at least several days beforehand about Lucifer invading the festival! There's no way I could trust him knowing that!" You had to consciously keep from raising your voice any louder. Luckily, the sound of other people's conversations drowned out your own fairly well.

Arthur's face scrunch as he contemplated your offer, forcing the two of you into uncomfortable silence for several minutes straight.

"...alright." The Paladin finally replied. A rush of relief rushed through your body. The blonde continued. "However, you must obey my every order. If I find out you've lied to me, I'll personally execute you on the spot."

You nodded excitedly in agreement. Seemed like things were finally starting to look up for you again.

You sipped on the half-melted shake you'd ordered from the cafe as you walked home with Angel by your side. He'd insisted on escorting you home, rather gentlemanly considering that he'd been so hostile earlier. Perhaps this arrangement wouldn't be too bad after all.

"(Y/n)?" Rin called out to you, drawing your attention to where he stood with the rest of your peers by the fountain up ahead. "Woah, why are you with him!?"

"You guys were taking a while to come out, so we headed over to grab a bite at a place nearby while we waited." You answer, holding out your shake for him. The other half-demon accepted it gratefully, taking a few sips as you looked up at Arthur. "I'm gonna hang with Rin for a bit. He can take me home."

"Alright. I'll bid you good evening then." The Paladin offered you a slight nod in goodbye before leaving you with your classmates.

"So, is Shima still coming to class tomorrow or can I buy a cake to celebrate his interrogation?" You asked, looking over the faces of each of your friends. "If it's the latter, I hope you guys are cool with funfetti. Any other flavor makes the occasion seem too misprized."

"I wanna know too!" Shiemi chimed in. "I want Shima to come back to school so we can all be friends again!"

"Of course he's coming back. Like we all said; we trust him!" Rin replied, ignoring your pout. "Right guys?"

Every other member of your group looked at Rin as if he'd just grown a third leg.

"HELL NO, WE DON'T TRUST HIM!" Ryuuji shouted. "WE JUST SAID THAT TO BAIL HIM OUT!"

"W-what?" Rin seemed surprised by the split-haired guy's reaction.

"You guys are a lot nicer than I am." You sighed, a little disappointed you had to put up with seeing Shima's face on a regular basis from now on. "I mean, does anyone here actually still trust him?"

"I don't know anymore!" Suguro stormed off, Koneko hot on his heels.

"Geez, all because of that one scumbag." Izumo scoffed, watching them go.

"I don't like this..." Shiemi mumbled, close to tears.

"I agree." You sighed, plopping down to sit on the nearby fountain's rim. It wasn't hard to notice the torn expression on Rin's face while he stared at you. You raised a brow. "What? You still want me to buy that cake or somethin'?"

"No, no, it's nothing..." The other half-demon seemed hesitant to finish his thought. Your eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Something happened in that room after you'd left and you were going to figure out what it was.

Chapter Text

"Hey! You're late!" You teased Suguro as he jogged up to greet you. The two of you were set to go jogging around campus that day, as usual. He was late by only about five minutes, but this was a serious change considering he was usually the one waiting for you. He seemed a little distracted as well. "Hm? Is something wrong?"

"Not really..." Ryuuji sighed, answering with a solemn expression. "I...ran into Shima just now."

"Oh." You understood now why he seemed so troubled. Out of everyone, Bon seemed to take Pinky's betrayal the hardest, excluding your violent reaction of course.

It made sense. Suguro and Shima were childhood friends. You couldn't imagine knowing someone your whole life, only to have them turn their back on yo-

Oh wait. You could.

"Why don't we just chill out today?" You placed a hand on the muscled guy's shoulder, gesturing to a nearby convenience store. "We could get some snacks and just hang out. My treat."

Bon seemed reluctant at first, but wasn't given the opportunity to reject the offer as you immediately turned and headed into the shop without a second word. It wasn't long before you returned.

"Here. I wasn't sure what flavor you liked, but I figured strawberry was a pretty solid guess." You passed Ryuuji a packaged popsicle, plopping down on the curb of the sidewalk to begin eating your own. After a moment or two, you realized he hadn't yet joined you. "C'mon and sit here, big guy."

You patted the spot next to you, moving your hand as Bon took your suggestion. You scooted closer to him, feeling as if he'd needed your support more than anything right then.

"Hey, Pheles?" Bon unpackaged his treat and stared at it. "Can you tell me what exactly went on in that facility? I just want to understand..."

He trailed off.

"Ya know, you can get away with calling me (Y/n) as long as you're cool with me using Ryuuji." You sucked on a bit of your popsicle as you thought about how to answer his question. You figured he'd only really wanted info on Pinky, though, unfortunately, you didn't have much. "I...ran into Shima when making my escape, but you probably figured that much."

You looked up at the sky,

"He didn't say much, just kept insisting that he was doing his job." You huffed, still pretty miffed about the whole thing. "That was pretty much it though."

"I see..." Bon ran a hand through his mohawk. "Thanks for telling me."

"Don't mention it." You offered him a strained smile. The two of you sat like that for a while, your popsicles quickly beginning to melt in your respective holds. By the time you'd finished yours, you'd remembered something. "Hey, Bon?"

"Hm?" Suguro lifted a brow in your direction.

"You've known about this Exorcist stuff for a while now, right?" Ryuuji grew up as the heir of the Kyoto branch, if you remembered correctly. It was a long shot, but you figured you might as well ask your question just in case. "Have you ever heard of something called 'Section Thirteen'?"

"Huh?" Bon wracked his brain, trying to recall any instance where the phrase might've been mentioned. "Don't think so. Why? Did Shima mention it?"

"No, someone else in the facility did." You answered vaguely, deflating a bit at the negative reply. Looks like you really might have to speak with Mephisto at this rate.

The two of you sat there, both bummed out for about thirty minutes after that, only making minimal small talk before parting ways.

"It's...real?" You blinked, surprised at the sight of the building in front of you. A large bath house loomed almost menacingly over your group. "I thought these things only existed in anime!"

"Seriously? You've never been to one of these before?" Rin raised a brow.

"Nope!" You answered, shaking your head. Mephisto had been so gracious as to gift Shura with free passes to this bathhouse, renting out the entire place just for your group. You weren't sure what he was thinking, but you were excited for the experience nonetheless.

You entered the women's section with Shiemi, Shura, and Izumo, separating from the boys for what would probably be the rest of the afternoon. The bathhouse wasn't mixed, so you couldn't bathe with the others. Honestly, you were a little disappointed.

From what you'd heard, this place was equipped with a ton of fun stuff like waterfalls and waterslides and, while you liked Shiemi a lot, she wasn't the type to wanna do stuff like that. Izumo wasn't any better, she'd probably just glare and complain if you even asked her. Shura was probably your best bet, but she was still injured, so you doubted she'd be stupid enough to try anything to strenuous.

You let out an audible sigh. Maybe next time you could go to a waterpark with that person. That way you could both have fun together and not worry about being naked.

You chucked off your clothes, tossing them into an empty locker while the other two college girls hesitated nearby.

"That's the spirit, Pheles! No need to be a blushing maiden!" Shura cheered, sprinting towards the baths, already in the buck. "I'm goin' in!"

You chuckled a bit, following in her steps. "Hey, wait up!"

"WAHOOOO!" You went down the large waterslide for what felt like the millionth time, splashing into the pool at the bottom with a large grin.

"INCOMING!" Shura was quick to follow, having watched you quite a few times and wanting in on the fun herself. You were a little worried at first, but she'd assured you that she'd gotten the 'okay' from her physician before even coming.

You shielded your eyes from the huge splash caused by her body hitting the water nearby.

"Nice one!" You shot the redhead a thumbs up. She was quick to return the gesture before heading back up the steps to repeat the process all over again.

You were about to follow, stepping out of the pool to join her, however, you stopped as a warm feeling pooled in your gut. Was...Mephisto nearby?

You tried to shake away the feeling. Maybe he popped into the other baths to join the dudes or something? It wasn't necessarily suspicious when you thought about it like that.

"Miss (Y/n)..." Shiemi called out from a nearby bath where she was sitting with Izumo. "Are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh yeah! I'm fine!" You assured, walking over to join the pair. "I'm just starting to get a little tired is all. Is it cool if I join you?"

"Do whatever you want." Izumo didn't spare you a second glance, answering for the both of them.

You slipped into the bath, relaxing into it almost immediately. It was pink with bubbles filled to the brim, reminding you of the times your father would bathe you when you were too young be left unattended in the tub. The memory was comforting for a moment, however, quickly reminded you of the current mental crisis you were hoping this trip would help you forget.

"Yo! What happened? I thought you were havin' fun!" Shura joined the three of you, hopping into the bath herself.

"I started getting a weird feeling about Mephisto bein' close by and decided to join these two to try 'n forget about it." The words just slipped from your mouth without warning. You surprised even yourself with your honesty, but couldn't seem to shut your mouth no matter how much you wanted to. "Then I started to wonder just how much he's lied to me over all this time."

"Uuuh, alright?" Shura tilted her head in curiosity. She acted like she wasn't super interested, but you could tell she wanted more info. "What do you mean by that?"

"I-" You started to answer, but, by some miracle, were stopped by Sheimi.

"Miss (Y/n), are you sure you're feeling okay?" The blonde placed her hand over your forehead to feel your temperature.

"Yeah, I feel fine. Your hand is super soft, by the way." Again, the words kept slipping out.

"Th-thank you. It means a lot to me to hear, especially coming from you..." Shiemi's face grew red, admitting more than she'd typically care to share on a daily basis. Whatever was going on, you didn't like it.

"The only one I wanna see is (Y/n)!"

Your ears twitched as you picked up the sound of someone shouting from beyond the other side of the wall separating the baths. You couldn't make out exactly who'd said it over the roar of rushing water coming from both areas. Whoever it was clearly wanted to see you pretty badly. But for what?

"I think the guys are fighting." You hummed to the rest of the group. "I can't tell what it's about, but I heard my name.."

"Typical. I bet it's that spy scum, Shima." Izumo scoffed. "Can't we have just one day where he's not trying to cause some kind of trouble?"

Before you could even answer, you picked up on another shout from nearby.

"(Y/N) IS MIIINE!"

...what? Clearly someone over there needed to be taught a lesson. You didn't belong to anyone-

...other than maybe Behemoth. You'd probably be his belly-rubbing knave til the day you died. Not that you were complaining.

You thought about putting on a towel and just hopping the wall to tell 'm off, but someone else apparently had a similar idea. A large chunk of the wall suddenly burst into tiny pieces, creating a sizable window between you and the guys.

Your two groups simply stared at each other in shock for a few solid moments, no one making eye contact. The silence was only broken when Shiemi dunked herself further into the water with a squeak in an attempt to further cover herself.

"Th-this isn't what it looks like!" Rin was quick to try and explain rather frantically.

"Devour the seven princesses..." Shura drew her sword from her chest without waiting for an explanation.

"You guys miiight wanna run." You made eye contact with Rin, doing your best not to look down any further. You closed your lids as the guys sprinted out resisting the urge to open them until you were sure they were gone.

"I'm hungry so I'm goin' home!" You called out to the group heading for the door to the entrance. After the fiasco in the baths, hanging around felt kinda weird, so you figured you'd just chill at home til the whole thing blew over. Shiemi, Izumo, and Shura were still changing, but they could probably hear you from the locker room with how loud you'd shouted.

"Hold on!" A voice called out to you, prompting you to turn and face the source. Bon was the one who'd spoken, dragging Shima by the collar over with Rin in tow.

"You guys need somethin'?" Your face began to heat up just a little, remembering how, despite being fully clothed now, the four of you'd seen each other in the buck less than an hour ago.

"Yeah. We all wanna apologize." Ryuuji bowed his head, forcing Renzo to follow his lead, Rin also showing respect from beside them.

"It was kinda our fault the wall blew up, so we wanted you to know we were really sorry!" Rin sounded ready to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness.

"Hey, it was really thanks to those demons, not us!" Shima objected, only to be slapped on the back of the head.

"Shut it, spy!" Ryuuji huffed.

You took in their apologies for a few moments before responding. "Well, I'm not saying what you did was okay, but I understand that it was an accident, so I'll forgive you just this once."

The guys seemed to relax immediately.

"But, the next time any of you bust into a room while I'm tryin' to take a bath, kiss goodbye to your kneecaps." There was no way any of them would be that stupid though.

You smiled, hoping your point had sufficiently come across.

"Got it!" The trio lifted their heads, happy to have been forgiven.

As Ryuuji and Shima went off somewhere else, you took hold of Rin's wrist, preventing him from moving any further.

"Hey, this is gonna sound like a weird question buuut..." You remembered the events just before the wall had broken. "Did my old man join you at some point?"

"Huh? Mephisto?" Rin looked confused. "No, why?"

"It's..." You hesitated. Normally, you'd tell the other nephilim everything, but, after what you'd been through in the Illuminati facility, was that really such a great idea. You shook your head dismissively. "Nothing. I'll see you tomorrow, 'k?"

You let go of Rin's wrist, ignoring the look of concern on his face as you headed out of the door.

Chapter Text

"Hey, I didn't realize you guys'd be up here." You opened the door to the cram school auditorium's balcony, only to find the rest of your classmates already waiting there. "Did y'all wanna see the assembly too?"

"Yeah." Bon nodded, eyeing the stage below. "It's about to start. Looks like all the teachers are down there already."

You headed over to where the split-haired dude was standing to get a better view. You hopped up, swinging your legs over the railing to use it as a makeshift seat.

"Guten morgen!" You watched as Mephisto poofed onto the stage below, addressing the room out of a microphone he'd conjured himself. "As you know, demonic activity all over the world has been increasing the last few months. Requests for exorcisms have increased to the point where people have to make reservations and wait for cancellations like they're trying to get tickets to see some pop star! And that's a serious problem!"

The crowd began to murmur as he continued.

"For that reason, Vatican HQ has issued an urgent order to increase the number of exorcists." The headmaster explained, talking over the group. "Furthermore, to facilitate this drastic increase, we will be holding the exorcist certification exam early in the new year!"

"Early next year!? That's in a month and a half!" Izumo gasped, panicking in her shock.

"Is this cuz of the Illuminati?" You asked more to yourself than anyone else.

Everyone immediately turned to look at Shima.

"It's got nothing to do with me, I swear!" Pinky was quick to deny any unspoken accusations, not that any of you believed him.

"In order to help with preparations, Vatican headquarters has sent the cram school a rather powerful helper." Mephisto spoke up once again, regaining your attention. "Allow me to introduce-"

All of a sudden, a bunch of little Behemoths popped out of the wall, crashing the assembly out of nowhere.

"What's going on?" Koneko asked, squinting down at the scene below. "There are hobgoblins down there!"

"Holy shit, they're so cute!" You gushed, leaning even further off the balcony. "How many do you think I could fit in my shirt if I hopped down there right now?"

Bon grabbed the back of your shirt, preventing you from joining the goblin hoard in inadvertently terrorizing the exorcists below. "Don't do anything stupid!"

"You're right." You agreed with a firm nod. "I can't stretch this one out. Lemme use yours!"

"Wh- no!"

"Um, is that..." Izumo ignored the two of you, her eyes were glued to a familiar-looking man walking onto the stage. "Lightning!?"

"Huh?" That caught your attention. "That fisherman from a few days ago?"

"Furfur!" Lightning began the aria for summoning a demon. You recognized the name as belonging to a super-high level spirit that required a long ass chant and complicated ritual. "Great Ikazuchi, Lord of the Arch...and so on."

Out of a great flash of light above the rest of the assembly, a giant wolf appeared. Lightning began shooting in various directions out if its form, striking each and every hobgoblin at once.

"I...my poor heart." You bit your lower lip, clutching your chest at the horrible sight. "How could anyone wanna hurt those cuties?"

"I hate to break it to you, but you're the only one that feels that way..." Shima deadpanned.

"Introducing the Arch Knight known as the Master of Lightning: Lewin Light!" Mephisto introduced the shaggy man as soon as the room calmed down, gesturing to where Lewin was posing with his familiar. "The cram school students will be learning volumes from him."

Sounds like you'd be seeing a lot more of this guy, for better or worse.

The next day, you found yourself squished between Rin and Little Nemo in a classroom full of exorcists of varying levels of experience. As soon as Lightning announced the time of his first lecture, people rushed into the room, pushing and shoving in an attempt to grab a good seat.

"So there you have it! Previously, Miss Kirigakure was in charge of Swordplay and Magic Cirles, but now I am! Pleased to meet you!" Lightning introduced himself again in front of the class. "Alright, let's begin!"

The scruffy Arch Knight began drawing symbols on the white board, turning to the class.

"What are these?" Lewin pointed to his doodles before thrusting the pen your way. "Can you answer, Cuddle Bear, daughter of Samael, the Demon King of Time?"

"That depends. Can you stop calling me that and go take a bath?" You huffed, unamused at his antics. You sighed, looking at the board with disinterest. "Those are symbols we use in field sports when we're strategizing, so they're probably used for battle plans or something."

"Close! They're symbols I use when summoning demons. Good job!" Lewin praised, despite your answer being nowhere close to correct. "Simple, right? In a fight, you need speed, so I'll teach you how to simplify complicated magic circles and long arias."

You were actually interested now. Tamer wasn't a class you were planning to obtain, but, if you could learn to summon Behemoth, you think that'd be pretty rad.

Or maybe you could summon Amaimon out from wherever he's been hiding...

"First off, make friends with demons! Establish connections with demons in positions of authority!" Lewin grinned, annunciating to the entire room. In half a second, the classroom was nearly emptied, the only ones still remaining being you and your peers. "Um, attendance seems to have dropped. Well, class dismissed!"

"Someone needs to tell him his advice is ridiculous." Rin sighed, packing his bags.

"What's so ridiculous about it?" You asked, raising a brow. "If you have a powerful demon on your side, doesn't that make fighting a lot easier?"

"A contract with a high-level demon is needed to become a senior exorcist." Koneko chimed in.

"Plus, some demons are nice." Shiemi smiled. "Like Rin and Miss (Y/n)!"

"We're only half-demons." Rin shook his head in disagreement.

Your phone buzzed from inside of your bag, prompting you to pull it out to look at the new message.

"Oops, almost forgot! I need a couple of helpers!" Lightning called out, looking to your squad. "Someone strong..."

You could tell he had his eyes on you and Rin.

"Sorry, would love to, but I've got training with an Angel in the outfield." You hummed. The message you'd gotten had been from your master, summoning you for a quick training session. You suddenly kicked one of Shima's ankles out from underneath him. "Why don't you take the spy? Make sure he has an 'unfortunate accident' while you're at it."

"Wh- hey!" Renzo whined, stumbling to catch his footing.

"No. Let me and Okumura go." Bon volunteered, much to your surprise.

"Works for me." Lewin shrugged before throwing you a coy smile. "I'll miss you, Cuddle Bear!"

"I will miss every free-throw my next game before I'll ever miss you." You waved him goodbye, starting to head out of the door. "And basketball season's already ended for the year."

And with that, you left.

"Your form needs work, but it's not completely pitiful. I see that Miss Kirigakure must've been at least somewhat of a competent instructor." Arthur observed as you whacked at a training dummy with a wooden sword, showing off what you'd learned in class so far. "Ease up. You don't need to use so much strength when you swing."

The Paladin watched as you focused on being gentler, listening to his instructions even if you didn't quite understand them.

"That's better. Your sword is meant to slice through your opponent, not bludgeon them." The blonde gave you a surprising amount of praise for someone who claimed to hate your kind. Actually, although you were the one who'd insisted he'd train you, you'd been a little worried about his skills as a teacher up until now, but for the most part, he'd been patient with you, giving you helpful tips and demonstrations on how to improve without insulting you even once.

"You sure you've never done this before?" You asked, not sparing a glance away from the task at hand. "I was almost sure when I came in you were just gonna call me hopeless scum and leave me out here for the night."

"I'm a man of my word. Not that one with demon blood would understand." The Paladin scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"And there it goes." You sighed, twirling your training sword with one hand absentmindedly. "Say, when do we get to spar anyway? I thought we'd be doing that a lot more since I'm already good with the basics."

"Not that I wouldn't love to put an abomination like you in your place, however, unfortunately, any sword you'd find on this campus would be inadequate for such a thing." Arthur made his point by drawing his own sword, ignoring the way the blade giggled as he pointed it towards you. "The weapons here wouldn't stand a chance against Caliburn. They'd simply shatter into pieces upon the first impact and I am not looking to owe Sir Pheles any money for the damages."

"So what you're saying is..." You eyed the Paladin's sword with interest. "...I need to find the Master Sword."

"What?" The blonde's face scrunched in a mix of annoyance and confusion.

"...or maybe just a cool weapon with better stats." You tapped your foot, trying to recall if you'd ever heard of such a sword before.

"Just get back to your training." Arthur sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You got it, Boss!" You gave a firm nod, immediately spinning on your heel and going back to whacking the training dummy.

But now, you had homework.

"You're playing with your food again, Pumpkin~" Mephisto hummed, flipping through one of his manga magazines from where he sat across the table. The demon king insisted on joining you for breakfast this morning to, in his own words, "take a break from all that icky exorcist business." He claimed that being with you felt like the breath of fresh air he'd need to get through the day.

Not that you believed him.

"Huh? Oh." But, he was right when he mentioned you were playing with your food. You poked at your omurice, provided by Belial, with only faint interest, sloshing the egg and rice around your plate carelessly. "Sorry, I guess I just have some heavy stuff I'm thinking about right now."

"Hmm?" Mephisto raised a brow in curiosity, placing his magazine on the table. "Tell me, Prinzessin; what is on your precious little mind?"

"..." You bit your lip, wondering whether or not lying was worth it.

Of course you'd already told him about your apprenticeship with Angel- sans the whole "spy" thing- so it wasn't as if your sudden interest in obtaining a blade would be seen as strange, but who knows if you could really trust any advice the King of Time would give if you told him the truth.

You let out a deep breath, deciding to just be honest. "I want- no, I need a powerful sword. One that can rival my master's."

"Oh? Is that so?" Mephisto was definitely interested now, unable to hide the coy smile on his face. "And why is that?"

"It's the only way I'll be able to keep up. Not just with him either." You explained, looking up to meet his gaze. "Rin and Shura are the only other two 'Knight Class' exorcists I know and they both have special swords too."

That and you didn't wanna look lame in comparison in battle.

"I see..." Mephisto stood, snapping his fingers, only for a large, leather-bound book to appear out of nowhere. "I might have just the thing you're looking for."

"Really?" You blinked, watching as he spread the book down in front of you. The pages flipped on their own, stopping on a page with a picture of a black sword. You couldn't read any of the writing, as it was in some other language.

"This is Lævateinn, a demon sword I crafted myself." The King of Time explained, resting his chin on your head as you looked over it. "Originally, I'd crafted it for some hero to slay a beast that'd been on my nerves for some time. However, once that hero passed away, I had it sealed in a cave out in the woods of True Cross."

"You couldn't have put it in a rental storage unit or something?" You deadpanned.

"I suppose I could have, but then the quest ranking would go down at least three letter grades." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's yours if you go out and fetch it yourself."

"Whelp, there goes the plan to bribe Shima into doin' it." You sighed, turning to look up at the demon king. "You've got yourself a deal, old man."

"Care for a little wager to spice things up a bit?" You could practically hear the smirk in Mephisto's voice.

You were suspicious, eyeing him through your squinted gaze. "What kinda wager we talkin'?"

"I was thinking, if you manage to obtain the sword within, say, a week, you are allowed one favor from yours truly. And if I win, let's see..." The demon king hummed, tapping his chin as if he was weighing his options. He then looked back to you with an unreadable expression. "You'll tell me what you and Lucifer really spoke about when you were alone with him."

Damn it. Here you'd been hoping he'd bought the dental insurance thing.

You sighed. No use trying to spew nonsense to get out of this one. "Alright. Deal."

Mephisto smiled gently, ruffling your hair affectionately. "Good girl."

As you watched him stride from the room, you slumped in your seat, almost slouching down to the floor. It looked as if you'd have your work cut out for you.

Chapter Text

"So, this is goodbye, huh?" You smile held a sad undertone as you looked directly into Rin's eyes.

"Don't say it like that!" The other half-demon scolded, waving off your negativity with one hand. "I'll be back in like a week tops!"

Shura Kirigakure had run off somewhere, abandoning her duties and going up into the mountains suddenly without explanation. At Mephisto's request, the Okumura twins were being sent off to bring her back, much to both their relief and dismay. It was an important mission for sure, as well as an ample opportunity for Rin to bond with Yukio, however, thanks to your 'sword' dilemma, you couldn't go with.

"I'll hold you to that." You gently pounded your fist to the top of his head playfully. The other nephilim smiled sheepishly in return, causing your heart to squeeze itself tightly when you realized you wouldn't be able to see this expression again for quite some time. That's when you'd remembered something. "Oh shit! I almost forgot!"

You straightened up, clearing your throat as Rin watched in curiosity.

"Eins...Zwei...Drei...Vier...Fünf!" You chanted, snapping your finger at the end of the fifth number. All of a sudden, a royal-blue scarf poofed into existence, allowing you to pull it from thin air and hold it out for Rin to see. "Someone gave me advice on how to do that 'poofy' thing Mephisto always does and I've been practicing."

"That's awesome!" The raven-haired exwire cheered, eyeing the scarf in amazement, You couldn't help but feel a little shy under his gaze.

"I can only really do small stuff and I can't create things out of nothing either. It's really just a fancy sock-drawer right now if anything." You were sure if Mephisto heard you referring to the aspect of space as a 'sock-drawer' he'd probably flip his lid, but in that moment you didn't really care. You beckoned him closer. "C'mere."

As soon as he was close enough, you wrapped the scarf around his neck, making sure it was secure without choking him.

"There! I knew from the moment I ordered it that it'd look good on you!" You grinned, backing up a half-step.

"(Y/n)..." Rin stood, frozen in awe as he reached up to feel the plush garment in his fingers. All of a sudden, he began tearing up. "Thank you so much!"

"It was no biggie." You looked away, poorly attempting to hide your reddening cheeks. You were glad he liked it. You'd been nervous when you'd originally bought it for his trip, but it seemed like he was genuinely happy.

Feeling fingers brush lightly against your chin, you turned back to look at Rin, only for your lips to be met with his own the instant you did. Unlike many of your other kisses, this one was fragile, the pressure being light and nearly unnoticeable. Through this kiss, Rin conveyed his delicate feelings that you were more than happy to keep and treasure for as long as he wanted.

Eventually, you had to part, much to your displeasure.

"No cherry today, huh?" You teased, wrapping your arms around his neck and your forehead to his own.

"Sh-shut up..." Rin pouted, refusing to look you in the eyes. You giggled. He really was cute.

"Hurry up, Rin! The train's leaving soon!" An annoyingly voice called from the train's entryway, spoiling the moment. It was Yucky-o, of course.

You begrudgingly released the other nephilim, parting from him with one last longing expression.

"I'll see you soon. I promise." Rin swore, turning to go catch up with his younger brother.

You knew, even as the train pulled out of the station, that he would do anything to keep his word.

Chapter Text

"You're finally here!" You grinned, opening the front door to greet the other student. "You ready to go?"

You'd ran into Godaiin the other day and hung out for a while, finally finding out that he never actually used the eyedrops Rin'd gone through so much trouble to procure. You'd also learned that, while he was still frightened by demons, he wanted to start attempting to get along with them so he wouldn't need to be so afraid. You immediately had an amazing idea.

"Y-yes." The lanky guy swallowed nervously, nodding his head in confirmation. "I'm ready."

"Alrighty! I promise he's really a huge sweetheart even if he looks a little intimidating." You assured, promptly turning and whistling through the foyer. "Here boy!"

Behemoth bounced into the room, scrambling down the stairs to meet you. You caught the ball of fluff as he leapt into your arms.

"See? He's not scary!" You turned back to Godaiin, only for Behemoth to immediately use his oversized tongue to lick the human's face. You pulled your little terror back, smiling sheepishly as the human in front of you wiped the demon slobber off of his face using his hands. "Oops. Sorry..."

"It's alright. He was just saying 'hello', right?" Surprisingly, Godaiin seemed a bit more relaxed after seeing Behemoth's smiling face. He must've really liked dogs.

Unbeknownst to you at the time, the truth was that he just realized liked you. He admired you, the muscle in his chest tightening at every little smile you flashed his way. Handling demons like this was just one impressive thing out of many that he'd noticed you did on the regular. Though, to be fair, you could spit in his face and he'd still think you were amazing.

Was this what it was to be a simp? Shit, maybe. But did he really care?

"Eins...Zwei...Drei...Vier...Fünf!" You broke the silence with your chant, snapping your finger at the end of the fifth number. All of a sudden, a bright pink dog leash poofed into existence, allowing you to pull it from thin air. You wordlessly hooked the leash onto Behemoth's collar, looking up to realize Godaiin was staring, dumbfounded. "What's up?"

"You..." The raven haired guy blinked, attempting to grasp his bearings. "You made that appear out of nowhere!"

"Yeah. It's just one of the powers I got from the old man." You hummed, placing Behemoth on the floor while holding one end of the leash. "I can only really do small stuff and I can't create things out of nothing either. It's really just a fancy sock-drawer right now if anything."

"Old man..?" The other looked confused.

"Hm? Oh yeah, you only know him as the school's headmaster." You forgot for a moment that not everyone around you was an exorcist. "My dad's the King of Space-Time."

"The...king of..." Godaiin promptly fainted.

You decided not to tell him your biological father might actually be the King of Light.

Chapter Text

"Finally, I'm starving!" You eyed your food, taking in the sight and smell of your meal in joy. "Thanks for inviting me out again Ryu!"

"It's fine..." The other exwire looked away, his cheeks tinting in embarrassment at the new nickname you'd given him. "Now we're even for the haircut."

"Yup!" You hummed, instantly digging in. He'd taken you to a restaurant in town in exchange for helping him cut and dye his his hair back to its natural color. He said something about wanting to look 'more professional', whatever that was supposed to mean. "Personally, I'm gonna miss your old style, but you look pretty handsome with the whole 'mature' aesthetic too. I like ya cut 'ji."

"...thanks." Ryuuji cleared his throat in a sorry attempt to hide his embarrassment. He started devouring his own food, though not quite as enthusiastically as you were. "How do you think you did on Mr. Okumura's pop quiz?"

"Please talk to me about anything other than school!" You whined, getting mopey just thinking about it. "I'd rather talk about that new petting zoo that opened up the other day!"

"You should really be more focused on your studies." Ryuuji sighed, shaking his head at your antics. Why did he think this was a good idea again?

"I know, I know..." You pouted, looking down at your lap where you fidgeted your fingers. "But...I wanna spend as much time with you as I can..."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ryuuji raised one of his eyebrows in confusion.

"Well, it's just that-" You hesitated, debating on whether or not you really wanted to admit how mushy you were really feeling this whole time. "With both of us taking up apprenticeships and the time crunch to study for exams, I feel like we won't see each other too often out of class anymore..."

Bon was visibly surprised at your concern. Here he'd thought you just wanted to goof around. Seeing your rapidly reddening cheeks, he suddenly felt like a total ass.

"Never mind, it was silly." You sighed.

"It's not silly." Ryuuji shook his head in disagreement. "From now on...let's study together, okay?"

You blinked up at him, shocked at the suggestion. Usually you were the one badgering to spend time with him, so to see him applying that effort himself?

It was kind of refreshing.

You couldn't hold back your grin in response after several moments of silence. You nodded enthusiastically. "You got it!"

"You actually have to study though; no goofing off!" Bon was quick to warn.

"You're no fun." You rolled your eyes before quickly smiling once more. "Alright, alright! You're lucky you've got that 'gap moe' thing goin' on."

"Even if I memorized the whole damn dictionary, I'll never understand a thing you say." Poor Ryuuji.

Chapter Text

Throughout the week, you made it your personal mission to avoid Mephisto at all costs. You skipped meals, ignored his texts, and stayed in the Okumura's dorm more often than not.

Deja vu.

It was wrong of you to think he wouldn't notice. However, at the time, you secretly hoped he'd get too busy to realize your absence. So when you finally ran into him for the first time in days, you weren't exactly prepared for any sort of confrontation.

"Huh? Oh, excuse me." You apologized to whoever you'd suddenly bumped into, having been distracted looking over a map of the town you'd picked up on your way out of the school's main office. You wanted to mark off places it was possible for Lævateinn to be hiding out in the woods. The map wasn't super detailed, but you could always mark down landmarks as you went.

"How polite! A welcome change from your usual manners." Mephisto chuckled, drawing your gaze up to his face immediately.

"V-vati!" You gripped the map tightly enough to pop holes in the paper. You'd have to go back in for a new one, but that wasn't your top priority at the time. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing~" The headmaster hummed, smiling with a wink. "I was simply wandering, minding my own business, when I noticed meine süße Tochter all alone and I thought she may want some company."

"...don't you have work to do?" You huffed, turning away and occupying yourself with opening your tatterted map so you wouldn't have to look at him. It was obvious he was up to something and you couldn't help but feel irritated the more he stuck around. "I'm busy, so I don't have time to play games with you right now. Sorry."

"Oh? 'Time' you say?" The tone of his voice caused your heart to drop into your stomach. You froze, feeling your blood turn to ice as his soft, silky voice pierced your ears in the form of a familiar chant. "Eins...Zwei...Drei!"

Time froze, everything stopping in the area around you. You and Mephisto were the only beings alive who were unaffected.

"Why didn't you say so before, Pumpkin?" Mephisto asked, eyeing you in amusement. "Time should never be an issue when it comes to conversing between just the two of us."

You took a deep breath to grasp your bearings. "Listen, Vati, I just need a little space-"

"Ah, 'space,' now is it? You should have plenty of that as well with how diligently you've been training." He teased, twirling a strand of your hair in his finger.

"You know what I mean." You grit your teeth, batting his hand away in annoyance. "I just want you to leave me alone!"

You spun around to glare at his face, only to find the demon king no longer there, almost as if he'd silently decided to grant you your wish. Time was flowing normally again and there was no sign of Mephisto anywhere.

As you hesitantly went back to eyeing your map, you couldn't help but feel anxious knowing the whole interaction was probably his idea of some stupid game.

Chapter Text

Surprisingly enough, the pride of the Japan branch wasn't Kyoto, True Cross Academy, or even that really great monja place you all go anytime there's reason to celebrate. In truth, it's actually a library. An uber restricted library that required a ten-foot stack of paperwork in addition to Mephisto's permission to even receive access.

The files inside contained the history of the branch as well as information on every exorcism ever preformed there. Based on that information alone, you figured it was as good a place as any to search for info regarding Lævateinn and the Illuminati.

It was difficult to convince him, but you managed to talk Mephisto into letting you go in for an hour to look around. Your hand would be cramping for weeks after signing those documents, but if it gave you any lead to finding out where Lævateinn was or what Lucifer's relationship was to you, you would've signed twice the amount.

"That bastard...." You grit your teeth as you flipped through the thirtieth completely useless book out of three million covering the shelves of the absolutely gargantuan chamber. "HE FREAKIN' KNEW I WOULDN'T FIND JACK SHIT IN AN HOUR!"

You huffed, trying to up your pace by solely looking out for keywords that stood out on the pages. Your hour was almost up and you had gained nothing from this experience other than solid confirmation that Mephisto was, indeed, an asshole.

"Woah, I thought I'd recognized that shouting!"

Your head whipped around to bear your fangs at whoever had interrupted your valuable study time. Not that you thought you'd ever place 'valuable' and 'study time' in a sentence together before.

"Hey, hey! It's just me Cuddlebear!" Lightning held up his hands in surrender, coming closer as you relaxed a little. "Didn't think I'd run into you here. Why so sore?"

"I came here to look for info on some stuff, but I can't find anything." You admitted begrudgingly, slapping your book shut and shoving it back on the shelf where it belonged. You thought about just leaving it on the floor, but the librarian here probably had a hard enough job keeping up with this shit as is. "Old man Mephisto only gave me an hour to look, probably as some sorta sick joke."

"Sounds like him." Lewin hummed in understanding, scratching his stubble. "How much time ya got left?"

You pulled out your phone to check the time. You deflated immediately. "Two minutes..."

Lightning shook his head.

"Well, if it's something related to the Order, I know a thing or two. Maybe I can help." The Arch Knight grinned while offering. "I've got permission to be here for a few days, but if you wanna join me for coffee at my place, I can reschedule for another week."

"This isn't some dumb trick you're using to try and get me on a date with you, is it?" You glared, doubting his motives.

"How'd ya know?" Of course he'd say that, even if it wasn't true.

"Alright," you sighed. At least it was marginally better than Shima.

"At this point, Bon should just move in with you." The office was a lot cleaner than you'd expected after hearing horror stories from Rin, but you figured that must've been thanks to Ryuuji.

"Yeah, he makes a pretty good mom, huh?" Lewin didn't even try and deny his own ineptitude, sipping out of a white mug he probably jacked from the school's employee break room. The two of you sat on opposite sides of his couch, turned just enough to face each other. "So, what was it you wanted to know about?"

You opened your mouth, nearly spilling the beans on everything that was currently on your mind. However, you quickly realized that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to talk about a secret sword hidden in the woods or the fact that the Illuminati head honcho claimed to be your father to one of the higher-ups of an organization that would completely oppose both such things.

You quickly darted your eyes, attempting to come up with a good response. Your gaze was soon met with a framed photo of Lightning alongside a familiar figure situated on top of his desk. "I... wanted to look into my Master's past."

"Angel?" Lewin raised a brown hidden by his dark bangs. He sounded surprised.

"Mhmm." You nodded, just spewing out whatever felt believable at this point. "He rarely talks about himself. I wanna know who he really is. Where he comes from, ya know?"

You then paused, looking down at your reflection in the liquid of the cup you held in your hands.

"And...why he hates demons so much." Perhaps that last one was an actual query.

"Ah, you're right. He doesn't talk about that stuff a whole lot, even to me." Lightning's tone softened just barely, the room's atmosphere shifting into something more...sobering.

The Arch Knight leaned back against the couch, looking up to the ceiling as if contemplating an answer.

"Usually I wouldn't be so open to sharing my best friend's personal history with anyone, but I think I'll make an exception for you, Cuddlebear." He finally answered, probably taking into consideration your current relationship with the Paladin. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all. "To keep it brief, his parents were exorcists, two of many who were slaughtered during the events of the Blue Night. He was only around ten at the time."

You'd heard of the 'Blue Night' before. You weren't sure of the exact date, but apparently Rin and Yukio's father decided to come to Assiah and stir up some trouble twentyish years ago and a lot of people kicked the bucket thanks to it. Part of you understood why people were so afraid of your friend now, but it still gave them no excuse to treat him the way they did. You continued to listen, completely captivated now.

"The Order took him in and raised him from then on." Lewin explained, looking back to you. "Even I don't know much after that. You'll have to ask him yourself if you wanna know more."

"I see..." You nodded, soaking in all the fresh information. "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem, Cuddlebear!" He grinned. "Not a bad first date, hm?"

You took back what you'd thought about him not being so bad. This guy was the worst.

Chapter Text

"This could get pretty dangerous. Are you sure you wanna tag along?" You asked, tightening your shoelace.

You and Shiemi stood at the edge of the forest, prepared to begin your hunt for Lævateinn, having a rough idea of where it was thanks to the research you did on the area. There weren't a whole lot of places a demon sword could hide undetected in a city like True Cross, but the large cave on the far-most end of the woods was probably your safest bet.

You were originally planning on making the journey alone, but Shiemi insisted on coming with you after you'd accidentally let the details of your mission slip during lunch one day.

"I'm sure! I'm not gonna let you go somewhere dangerous all alone!" She huffed. To your knowledge, there wasn't anything particularly 'dangerous' in these woods, at least not anymore, but you figured she must've still been shaken up about the whole Amaimon thing a while back. Maybe this would be a good way for her to get closure.

"Alright then." You stood up, hitching your backpack over your shoulders. Taking one step into the lush, green woodlands, you turned, offering your hand out to Shiemi. You figured it might give her a slight morale boost and it'd make it a lot easier to keep from getting lost. "Let's get movin'."

The gentle gardener grasped your palm in her own, happy to have a friend like you. If this were any of the others, they probably would have refused to let her tag along and fussed over her as if she were a child. You, however, trusted her capablilities.

As the two of you headed into the forest hand-in-hand, you found yourself shaking your head to ward off vague memories of fairytales Mephisto had read when you were younger, most starting in ways quite similar.

It was fairly obvious when you'd entered the heart of the forest. Where there was once vibrant flora covering the entire area, there was now ash and char, stark in contrast to the woodlands you'd just stepped out of.

"Rin and Mai-mo really did a number on this place, huh?" You whistled, surveying your surroundings. "I...probably contributed at least a little too though, to be fair."

You felt a little responsible having had unwillingly unleashed your powers so suddenly, but there wasn't a whole lot you could've done to prevent it. Shiemi squeezed your hand comfortingly. "It wasn't you or Rin's fault; the King of Earth did this. You don't need to be sorry."

"Thanks..." You personally believed the whole ordeal could be blamed entirely on Mephisto alone, but didn't bother to voice that opinion. Instead, you tweaked the subject. "Ya know, he might not be all that bad..."

"Huh?" Shiemi looked at you with visible confusion written on her face. "You mean...Amaimon?"

"Mmhm." You nodded, kicking a loose stick underneath you foot. "Maybe there was just some sorta miscommunication between us all."

"How could you say that!? He hurt you, Rin, and Konekomaru!" The small blonde protested. You could feel her grip on your hand tightening.

"Yeah, but we all came out alive, right?" You countered, allowing her to squeeze as hard as she needed. "If he really wanted to harm us, at least half the class would be six-feet under right now. Instead, he just swept me up and fended off anyone who came too close."

"..." Shiemi took all of this in quietly, slowing her pace, but never fully stopping. When she spoke up again, her voice was much quieter. "Why...why do you think he did that anyway? He's a Demon King, why would he want to take you away so badly?"

She had a good point there.

"I...have no clue." You were stumped. Sure you'd made him promise to marry you all those years ago, but why did he even accept that in the first place? He could've just said no back then, but he didn't. You couldn't convey any of this to Shiemi, so you tossed the question back at her. "Why do you think he did it?"

"I think...maybe..." The gardener began to mutter, looking down at her feet to watch where she stepped. "...he was lonely."

"Lonely?" That wasn't the answer you were expecting. You raised a brow in Shiemi's direction. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, he's at least a few thousand years old, right?" She began to answer. "If I was alone all that time and then met someone as lovely as you, I'd never want to leave your side either."

That kinda made sense. Amaimon's only friends seemed to be you and Mephisto, though Mephisto was probably only using him to pick on Rin, so he couldn't really count, and your relationship with him was 'complicated' at best. You were starting to feel a little bad for the guy.

But only a little.

You stepped over the charred remains of forest, continuing further towards your destination in soft silence.

"Looks like this is it." You let go of Shiemi's hand, digging a flashlight out of your bag and passing it her way. The two of you'd finally found the cave, much larger and more menacing in person than the map had advertised. Placing your hand on her shoulder, you gave the girl a serious look. "Hey, if anything shady goes down while we're in there, I want you to do me a favor."

"Of course!" Shiemi was quick to agree. "What is it?"

"Bury me with my basketball trophies." You ordered, completely serious. "I dunno if they play down in the underworld, but I wanna be able to flex on the other demonspawn in case they do."

"Don't even joke about that!" Shiemi scolded, glaring directly at your face.

"You're right." You sighed, hitching your backpack over your shoulders once more. "They'd probably be more into something weirdly obscure like water polo."

"I'm serious!" Shiemi raised her voice, surprising both you and the tiny greenman on her shoulder. "I don't want anything thing bad to happen to you, so be careful. Okay?"

Nee chimed in as well as if to provide her backup.

"Alright, alright." You agreed with a smile of reassurance. "I'll be careful. But I want you to do the same, you hear me?"

"I will." The small girl nodded.

"Also, if something happens that we can't handle for whatever reason, I want you to run and go get help, 'kay?" You weren't too worried, but if Lucifer and his lackeys were to show up again for whatever reason or something similar, you wanted to make sure she'd make it out at least. Shiemi looked like she wanted to object, but you were quick to silence her. "I won't take no for an answer here. I'm not gonna let you die for my sake."

She still seemed unsure, but eventually hesitantly agreed. "Okay..."

"Good." You rewarded her with a playful pat to the head. "Now, let's grab this bitch and go! I wanna rub it in Mephisto's face when I win this bet."

"Mhm!" Shiemi followed closely after as you stepped into the cave where Lævateinn awaited.

"You're kidding me...right?" You rubbed at your eyes making absolutely sure that the sight before you wasn't some sort of strange mirage. "He told me about the sword, but didn't think to mention that it was being guarded by a giant chicken!?"

You'd reached the cave's end to find a ginormous feathered beast trotting around the chamber like it owned the place. It wasn't even a cool looking bird like a peacock or a toucan. It was just...a rooster. A normal, house-sized, rooster. You were honestly more disappointed in Mephisto than anything.

"Look, there's the sword!" Shiemi pointed up towards the cave's ceiling where, sheathed inside of one of many stalactites hanging there, was an ebony sword.

"Great, now we've gotta get past the chicken." You supposed it was a good thing you weren't Link right then.

"Maybe it won't bother us if we don't bother it?" Shiemi suggested.

"Hmm. Maybe." You watched as the oversized bird pecked a nearby pebble, instantly crushing it with its humongous beak. It didn't seem like the brightest crayon in the box for sure. You shrugged. "Worth a try. You stay here. He's less likely to notice just one of us."

Shiemi nodded in hesitant agreement, standing back as you handed her your bag before strolling into the chamber like it was nobody's business. So far, it seemed like it was working. The chicken was far too distracted by a bug it'd found to even notice your presence.

You soon stood directly under the stalactite your future weapon was lodged in.

"Hmm. Probably should've packed a ladder." You hummed, thinking on how best to retrieve the sword without collapsing the entire cave. Maybe you could shoot it down?

You didn't register the large shadow looming over you.

"WATCH OUT!" Shiemi shrieked, drawing your attention towards her. Unfortunately, blocking the blonde from your line of vision was a fowl sight.

You didn't have time to even draw your handgun before the rooster lunged it's horrible beak to try and peck you to blood and bones. You weren't too keen on letting it skip a few steps in the circle of life, so you dodged, just barely avoiding a feathery doom.

"You jerk! We weren't even bothering you!" You scolded the beast. You should've just went with your usual method of brute forcing everything like you usually did. Then again, how were you supposed to know chickens were total a-holes?

Whether the giant bird understood you or not, it didn't seem to appreciate you talking smack. It's feathers ruffled up dramatically as it raised its head. "SQUACK!"

You fumbled to pull out your gun, only to realize you'd left it in your bag which was now with Shiemi. Nice one. Your only option then was to run.

The beast was quick to follow, chasing you in circles around the dim chamber as you tried to think of a way to fight it without abandoning your mission. There was no way you were leaving this place without that sword. Even if you tried, the jerk chicken would probably collapse the cave trying to follow you out.

Maybe you could pause time for a moment to ready your gun and-

"Nee!" You heard a happy squeak before vines appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around the chicken's neck, beak, and body before pinning it to the ground with its face down and bottom up. Looking to where the vines were originating, you spotted Shiemi's greenman sporting them from his stomach.

"Nice job you two!" You grinned, sending the pair a thumbs-up in appreciation.

"Hurry!" Shiemi urged from her end of the chamber. "We can't hold on forever!"

"Right!" You nodded in understanding. You almost went for your gun, but looking back to the beast, you suddenly had another idea.

You broke into a sprint, surprising both Shiemi and the chicken as you leapt onto its beak, running up its slanted body like a ramp. It was a little tricky with friction being nearly impossible to gain against those giant feathers, but you managed to get to the tail in a timely manner. You were now directly underneath Lævateinn and its stoney scabbard.

Hopping up from there was a breeze. You gripped the sword's golden handle and pulled down with all your might. Unfortunately, however, it didn't budge.

"What the- Oh shit!" You gripped the sword's base tightly as your feet were suddenly swept out from underneath you. The giant rooster apparently had enough of being pinned down and broke free from the vines that were holding it. It's sights were now set on Shiemi, leaving you to dangle pathetically from the ceiling's stalactite. You weren't too concerned about that though. "Shiemi! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" The blonde called up to you soon after bramble began shooting from Nee's belly. You knew it was a good idea to let her tag along. Sure you might've babied her a little, but in the end, you knew she was capable of holding her own against guys like this.

Instead, you focused on the sword. Mephisto wouldn't have sent you out to complete an impossible task, would he?

In truth, he probably would. However, he definitely wouldn't have turned it into a bet if that were the case. There was no way he'd get the full amount of shits and giggles he wanted if there wasn't a risk factor involved. There had to be a way to remove the sword.

You took a deep breath, ignoring the sounds of the beast bellow you pecking annoyingly at continuously growing bramble, before swinging your lower body up and wrapping your legs around the base of the stalactite. Now hanging upside down, you didn't need to worry about dropping to the ground.

You kept tugging at the sword, despite the awkward angle, the weapon not seeming to wanna budge one bit. "How did Mephisto even stick this thing in here!?"

Though the question was rhetorical, you thought about it. He probably floated up here without having to worry about the feathered monstrosity below you, popped it into the stalactite no problem, and welded it in using his fancy-pants space magic.

Fancy-pants space magic you were also able to use for one reason or another.

You couldn't decide if you were a genius for thinking of this or an idiot for taking so long to do so.

You didn't have a ton of experience with the space aspect of your abilities, however, with Amaimon's advice in mind and the training you'd done making pens disappear in your spare time, you closed your eyes and focused on unsheathing the sword. You closed your eyes as an unfamiliar sensation wracked its way through your body, your guts shifting uncomfortably within your body and an intense feeling of vertigo washing over you. You briefly thought about giving up, but were quick to banish the notion, continuing to give it your all. You wouldn't fail.

You let out a breath you didn't realize you were even holding in as Lævateinn finally began to slip out. It was a slow process, however, eventually, the sword was free from its confines.

"Yes!" You cheered in victory, careful not to fall from your mount. You were quickly silenced however, as the blade emitted a bright light, runes you couldn't recognize etched onto the dark steel before disappearing entirely. Whelp, that wasn't ominous at all.

"(Y/n)..." Shiemi called out weakly, drawing your attention towards her. She looked exhausted, probably from the constant use of her energy. Eventually, the bramble stopped sprouting as she stumbled to catch her breath. The giant chicken took this as an opportunity to strike, breaking out of the vegetation and raising one of its terrible claws to crush Shiemi underneath.

Just like the chicken itself, that wasn't going to fly with you.

"SHIEMI!" In an instant, you released the stalactite from your hold and began falling to the ground below. You were able to flip mid-air, using the weight of the sword in your hands as a counterbalance, now raising it above your head and ready to slay.

And slay you did. You swung the sword down before you even hit the ground, beheading the beast and landing only a few feet from where its head had dropped.

"Woah, this think rocks!" You cheered, showing off the now blood-soaked blade to Shiemi in excitement. You yourself hadn't come away too clean either, yet it was much less noticeable against the black steel than it was your once nice clothing.

"Good job..." Shiemi sent you a weak smile, before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. You were quick to kneel by her side, checking and making sure she was okay. She was out worn out, but luckily still conscious.

You helped her up, gathered your things, and let her use you as a crutch as the two of you exited the cave together.

"You lose, old man." You held your new blade up to show Mephisto, who'd been chopping vegetables in the kitchen when you'd returned. You'd helped Shiemi home, making sure she was well taken care of before heading up to the mansion to rub your victory in the demon king's face. After taking a much needed bath of course.

In response, Mephisto simply smiled.

"Well done." The King of Time praised, not bothering to look at you. "And how much have you managed to learn about the blade in the time given?"

"Huh?" You raised a brow, lowering your sword. "Not much, to be honest. I couldn't find anything in the library and the only book that seems to exist on it is that one you showed me."

Mephisto gave a hum of acknowledgement, not bothering to continue the conversation.

"Hey, you can't just say something like that and not spill the tea! C'mon!" You huffed, plopping the sword on the counter beside you. "Bitte."

"Alright, alright, you've convinced me. You are truly a master of charisma." He teased, tossing up his knife for it to disappear mid-air. Still not looking your way, he pointed to a different knife in a block nearby. "Just hand me that cutting knife and I'll tell you what it is you want to know."

You nodded, passing around the elder demon and pulling the kitchen knife from its block. It slipped out easily, at least it did compared to your new sword.

"Here." You moved to hand it over to the demon king, however, are quickly halted by a bright glow emitting from the knife in your hand. When the radiance cleared, much to your surprise, the kitchen knife was gone and you were wielding Lævateinn in its stead. You stared, your brain trying to process this new information. "...what?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention?" Mephisto chuckled. "Any blade automatically becomes Lævateinn in its master's hands."

"...did you just freakin' curse me?" You glared, gripping the sword's hilt tightly.

"Technically, yes." The demon king admitted. "But, it's far more helpful than having to carry around a large sword everywhere, yes? It's also a more conspicuous way of carrying it as well."

You had no words. You were exhausted and technically he wasn't wrong. You guessed you'd just have to figure out how to fit a whole slab of meat in your mouth anytime you wanted to eat steak. You closed your eyes, covering them with one hand. "Anything else? It's not gonna turn my head into a butt every time I try and use a spoon now, is it?"

"What? No. Where on Earth would you get such a strange idea?" Mephisto shook his head despite how you couldn't see it. "However, do be mindful of how you use it. There's a reason it's the only weapon capable of slaying Víðófnir."

"Was that the giant chicken!?" You lifted your hand to look at him once more.

"No, that happened to be his direct descendant. Víðófnir was the nuisance I'd mentioned when I'd first told you of the blade." Mephisto explained, snapping the vegetables he'd been chopping away into oblivion. "When the hero I sent to slay the pest returned from his task, he brought back an egg from Víðófnir's lair. That egg was the creature you'd fought."

"Ah, I get it. But why is Lævateinn the only thing that could kill it?" You set the sword down once again, this time eyeing it with suspicion.

"Because Víðófnir and its kin had healing abilities unlike any other and Lævateinn has the unique ability to counteract those properties." Mephisto turned to face you, untying the apron from his waist. Apparently he wasn't actually cooking anything, but you didn't bother to voice this out loud. "In fact, any injury inflicted by Lævateinn cannot be healed through demonic healing alone, so be very careful where you swing that thing."

"Sure would've been nice to know all of this before I went and fetched it, but thanks." You sighed, completely done with this conversation.

"Yet you managed it nonetheless. You've won our bet." The demon king tossed the apron over a nearby chair. "Congratulations. Have you considered what you want as your reward?"

"Nah, I think I'll save it for now." You shook your head. "Right now, I kinda wanna just head to bed for the night."

"Fair enough. Gute nacht, schatzi." Mephisto approached you expectantly and it didn't take long for you to figure out what it was he wanted. You hesitated, but ultimately wrapped your arms around his neck, giving him a brief hug before letting go.

"Gute nacht, Vati." You wished him goodnight before heading up to your room, hoping that whatever came next, you'd now have the power to protect the person you cared for most.

Chapter Text

"Welcome back!" You greeted Rin with a big hug. You hadn't seen him in several days while he was in the mountains, which might not have been a long time in hindsight, but felt like an eternity to you.

You stood by the fountain in the area around the office building where some of your classmates had been waiting for you.

"Hey, (Y/n)! Long time, no see!" Rin happily accepted the hug, returning it in earnest. "I'm glad to see you."

"Me too." You pulled back, offering him a smile.

"Here, try this!" Rin held out a piece of meat on a skewer, one you didn't bother to identify before shoving it in your mouth. You knew if he was offering you anything edible, it was going to be delicious no matter what it was. "What do you think?"

"It's great!" You hummed, swallowing happily. "Grilled fish, right?"

"That's right. I'm practicing out here cuz they won't let me do it in the hospital," The other half-demon admitted. Yukio had been rushed there the moment the twins got back into town after he'd been injured pretty badly on their trip. You were more worried for Rin than Yucky-o, but you knew the older twin would appreciate it if you at least feigned concern for the other.

"Woah, you did this with your flame?" You admired, hoping to coax him into making more soon. "Does that make this food, like, reverse-blessed?"

"I'm not sure that's how it works." Konekomaru chimed in with an exasperated look on his face.

"So, where's Ryuuji?" You asked. Usually if Pinky and Koneko were around, Bon wasn't too far from the scene.

"Just look up." Shima pointed to a nearby balcony where Suguro stood airing out laundry in an apron not unlike the ones you'd seen Mephisto wear on occasion. "He's starting to act more like Lightning's mom than his apprentice."

"Those are Light's clothes?" Your face scrunched in disgruntled confusion. You walked closer to the balcony and called up to the aria. "Yo, Bon! Why're you doing housework for that guy?"

"Yeah, ya look kinda ridiculous like that..." Shima added, not helping.

"Shut up!" Ryuuji huffed, scowling down at you. "I'm doing this cuz I can't stand the stench of Master's clothes!"

"Hey, mom!" Speaking of, Lightning stuck his head out of the window not long after that. "I'm hungry! Go get me the usual at True Cross Burger! Times two!"

"Hold your horses, you idiot!" Suguro shouted, stunning the rest of your group into silence. Lewin simply brushed it off, returning to his business, but Bon sighed in shame. "I know I'm like his mother and that I'm not showing him enough respect. I need to learn to have more self control."

"You're showing him 'bout as much as I would." You replied honestly, feeling a little bad for Ryuuji. You decided to do him a favor, just this once. "Alright, lemme help you out a little."

"Huh!?" Bon was taken aback as you leapt up over the balcony's railing and hopped onto the veranda.

"I'm gonna cook for you and Light." You explained, chanting to three in German before a small apron appeared out of nowhere. You tied the garment around your waist, waving goodbye to the other boys. "See you guys soon."

"I don't really get it, but have fun." Rin waved as he, Shima, and Koneko left the scene.

You brushed past Bon without waiting for his response and entered the office.

"Oh, hey Cuddlebear!" Lightning grinned, waving from his spot on the couch as you came in. "What brings you by?"

"You're hungry, right? I'm gonna make you dinner." You answered, heading towards the tiny kitchenette in the office's corner.

"That's pretty forward of you, isn't it?" Lewin teased. "Next, you'll be asking to move in with me."

"You wish." You rolled your eyes, looking through his cabinets.

Ryuuji rushed in with a basket full of now-clean laundry, placing it on a nearby counter. "Sorry, Master. She insisted on coming in."

"I don't mind. Cuddlebear is welcome to visit whenever she wants." Lewin hummed, looking back down at the paperwork on his coffee table. "Actually, I wish she'd come in more often. Especially if she's offering to cook."

"Well, it looks like we'll have to take a raincheck on that." You replied, noting how every cupboard was bare. "There's no ingredients or cooking utensils at all. What's the point of even having this stove in the first place if you weren't planning to use it?"

"Came with the room." Lightning shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'll go out and just grab a pizza or somethin'. You guys sit tight." You stripped off the apron, tossing it aside before stepping towards the door.

"No, let me." Bon stopped you. "I know exactly what Master likes and what he doesn't. Just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, okay?"

You wanted to reject the notion, but in the end, simply sighed in acceptance. "Alright. Leave 'm to me."

"Thanks." Ryuuji sent you a nod of gratitude before turning to Lightning. "Behave. Don't scare her off, alright?"

"You got it, Mom!" Lewin chirped. Suguro simply shook his head, exiting the room in response. Lightning paused in his paperwork to look back at you. "Man, it feels like I'm a teen being left alone with the girl I like for the first time."

"Maybe she'd like you back if you bathed more." You snorted, walking over to the desk where he was working. "You're not bad on the eyes, but I'd rather date someone who didn't constantly smell like they just crawled out of the dumpster behind school's cafeteria three days after they served meatloaf."

"So you're saying I'm handsome then." Lewin's grin grew more despicable by the moment.

"Of course that's what you'd take from it." You rolled your eyes. Somehow, you still liked him better than Shima. Wordlessly, You plopped your butt down on the couch next to him. "So, what's shakin' bacon?"

"You mean this?" The Arch Knight gestured to the papers in front of him. "This is all boring stuff I need to look into at the library later. Nothin' you'd be interested in."

For some reason, you doubted that. You took a closer look at one of the sheets nearest to you. This one seemed to be stray notes he'd taken himself and, for the most part, he was right; it was pretty boring stuff. That was until you'd spotted two particular words a bit farther down the page. Your eyes widened, heart beating loudly throughout your ears.

'Section Thirteen.'

"Nope! It's rude to be nosy!" Suddenly, the paper was snatched up by Lewin, the senior exorcist holding the sheet over his head in a teasing manner. However, though he may have been acting cute, you could feel his gaze narrow in suspicion from underneath his dark bangs. "You wouldn't happen to recognize anything written there, would you?"

"I dunno, I couldn't read a whole lot before you so rudely snatched it from me." You huffed, hoping you sounded at least a little convincing. "Maybe if you let me look, I could help out!"

"Hmm, nope! I don't think so!" Lewin sounded cheery despite his negative response. "You'll have to pry it away from me!"

"That sounds like a challenge." You eyed the man with a new sense of ambition. You'd been fine just leaving it be until he issued the dare, but you had a serious problem in refusing to back down when tempted. "Fine. I won't lose!"

In the next instant you'd darted over to Lewin's side of the couch, reaching up to attempt to grab the paper just barely out of reach. You didn't realize it, but you'd inadvertently climbed into Lightning's lap in the process. You used the hand not reaching for the sheet to push down on the Arch Knight's shoulder in hopes of gaining a little leverage, however, this was ultimately your downfall and one of your biggest regrets in life from that day forward.

It was a surprise to you and Lewin both when you'd lost your balance. You were normally a pretty dexterous person so it wasn't often that little things like this would slip you. Slip you did though, and down you went in response.

The two of you flopped fully onto the couch's cushions, Light now flat on his back with you sitting directly on his chest. During the fall, you'd managed to take the senior exorcist's wrists in your hand, effectively pinning him. Honestly, it was kind of a similar position to how you'd caught Mephisto and Shura that one time that you might've remembered if you hadn't burned the image from your memory.

You and Lewin were both stunned into silence. You locked gazes with the one eye that was now visible through his parted bangs, unable to move due to your absolute shock.

"Bonjour, schatzi! You weren't picking up your phone, so I figured I would come fetch you myself." Much to your horror, pink smoke puffed into the room in the next instant, a familiar figure standing in front of you when the cloud disappeared. The demon king hadn't noticed your position quite yet, adjusting his hat as he continued speaking. "There's something rather urgent I have to discuss-..."

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed, tension in the air thick enough to cut through with a knife.

"...I see you're busy." Mephisto's tone was dangerous causing shivers to chill down your spine. "The mess of papers scattered around this pigsty must be funeral arrangements, yes?"

"NO! NO! NO! THIS IS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" You shot up, stumbling to your feet. "I WASN'T- WITH HIM- I JUST-"

You fumbled over your words, trying to come up with a good explanation. Your entire face turned strawberry red up to the tips of your pointed ears.

"I know they say 'live fast, die young', but I didn't realize you were so eager to put the motto into practice. Were you looking for a one-way ticket to Ghenna, Mr. Light?" Mephisto raised an inquisitive brow at the younger man.

Slowly, Lewin sat up in a manner much too casual for your liking. He rubbed his neck sheepishly and, as soon as he shot his signature grin, you just knew something stupid was about to come out of his mouth. "Maybe, but I was already in heaven just before you showed up."

"H-HEY! HOLD ON!" You leapt in front of Mephisto attempting to dissuade him from annihilating your master's best friend. The man already despised you enough, you didn't need him up your ass about Lewin's death.

"Hey, what's with all the shouting? You're being too loud." Bon entered the room with excellent timing. He stopped as soon as he entered, trying his hardest to read the room. "Sir Pheles? Why are you here?"

"Oh, just wondering how long it'd take for the Vatican to notice if one of their Arch Knight's went missing." Mephisto hummed, tugging your wrist into his hand and pulling you behind him. "If you don't want to find out the answer for yourself, I suggest you keep your master as far away from my daughter as possible."

"Huh?" Bon seemed taken aback, looking to Light. "What did you do!?"

"I'll leave you gentleman to it. Good day." Mephisto snapped his fingers and, with that, the two of you disappeared.

"Had it been literally anyone else I wouldn't be nearly as perturbed." Mephisto rubbed his temples, refusing to even look at you. Part of you wondered if he cared so much because you were his daughter and didn't want you ruining his image or if he just didn't want to inhabit your vessel later on knowing that it'd canoodled with Lewin Light of all people. Not than any canoodling had been done, that is.

"Really? Cuz you seemed pretty pissed when I asked Belial if he'd promised to marry me." It probably wasn't a good idea to tug a bull by its horns, but this guy had been fucking with you for a while now and you couldn't help but take the opportunity to turn the tables for once when it was presented to you. "I'll let him know the wedding's on then?"

"..." The glare the King of Time sent your way could freeze over Ghenna itself. "You may be an adult, but don't delude yourself into thinking you're too old for me to punish you for your mouth."

That made you hold your tongue. You'd stop there before he tried to make you clean the mansion top to bottom.

"I've decided: you're not allowed to date until you're at least eighteen-" Well that didn't make any sense. You were already- "Hundred."

"What!?" At least you now had kind of an idea of the longevity of your lifespan. Unless he was just bullshitting you. It wouldn't actually surprise you if he banned dating even after you died and went to Ghenna. He probably had more power to do so there than he did here anyway.

"Onto the matter I'd originally summoned you here for." Mephisto snapped his fingers, a large door coming into existence a mere three feet away from you.

"Don't tell me you're making me...do handiwork?" Kind of a weird punishment, but if all he wanted was for you to install some doors to the manor, you wouldn't complain.

"I am not." The demon king shook his head in the negative. "This doorway actually leads to one of many pockets in space where time does not flow."

"...is this another one of your weird space-prisons you've collected?" Man, you'd heard of people being into bondage, but wasn't this a little extreme? "I think we may need to find you a hobby..."

"Believe me, dear. I have plenty of those." Mephisto hummed. You knew he was telling the truth, but didn't particularly want to press for details. He continued. "Back to the matter at hand. As I'm sure you've noticed, my little brother, Amaimon, hasn't been around lately."

"..." You stared blankly at the door before staring blankly at Mephisto in turn. "He's behind the door, isn't he?"

"Mhmm!" The King of Time nodded. "I'd borrowed him for a bit during my dinner with Mr. Okumura a while back. However, I'm afraid he caused quite a fuss in the middle of our meal."

"Man, if you'd told me, I could've taught him some table manners beforehand!" That could've been pretty funny if you'd been given the opportunity. Teaching a hamster lessons in dining etiquette sounded hilarious.

"Well, you'll have plenty of time to do so now." Mephisto replied with a mischievous smile. "I'll be releasing him in just a moment and I was hoping you'd assist in helping him adjust to life in the academy."

"That didn't work so well last time, what makes you expect things to be any different now?" You raised a brow in suspicion.

"Because this time, my dear, you won't be petsitting a mere hamster." The headmaster explained. "He's regained his human form between now and the last time you'd seen him."

"So I'm in charge of a wholeass person now!?" That seemed like much more of a challenge than just looking after one little hamster.

"Not 'in charge of' per-say." Mephisto replied. "Simply show him around for a bit to teach him the rules and such. Perhaps help him make a friend or two."

"Right. I'm sure he'll be real popular." You sighed sarcastically.

"That's the spirit!" The headmaster ignored your sarcasm and turned towards the door. "I hope you're ready~"

"I am." You answered with a determined nod, looking to the doorway yourself.

"Alrighty then." Mephisto snapped and the door began slowly creaking open revealing a dark abyss behind it. The elder demon raised his voice, addressing a faint figure in the distance. "I believe you've had enough time to reflect on your actions, little brother."

In an instant Amaimon shot out of the abyss, almost as if it'd spit him out like a used piece of gum. He crashed into the floor with a 'thud', several bruises, scrapes, and cuts little across his body. His clothes were tattered and he honestly looked as if he'd certainly seen much better days.

"Vati! You could've at least patched him up!" You scolded the demon king, squatting to Amaimon's side to get a good look at the damage. You couldn't see it, but Mephisto simply shrugged in response.

"My big brother and my bride. I'm happy you're both here to greet me." Amaimon spoke, though his voice sounded a little rough.

"I hope you've learned your lesson." Mephisto hummed, moving to sit at his desk. "Don't pick any more fights with Rin Okumura, you understand?"

Amaimon glared, visibly upset at the mention of your flame-wielding friend.

"Amaimon..." You sighed, scolding him softly.

"...I won't." The King of Earth eventually muttered, much to your relief.

"Good." Mephisto smiled, starting on some of his paperwork as per usual. "And I hope you've learned your lesson as well, Pumpkin."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." You huffed, helping Amaimon get to his feet.

The earth king looked at you, now curious. "What is it (Y/n) did wrong, big brother?"

"Oh, nothing. I just caught her getting quite...intimate with a man. Lewin Light of all insects." The other demon king answered, focusing on the sheet in front of him. Bastard knew he was stirring up trouble.

"Another man...with my wife...?" If Amaimon was irritated before, now he was pissed.

"NO! NO! NO! YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!" You pointed a finger at the headmaster accusingly. "HE WAS HOLDING A PAPER ABOVE MY HEAD AND I ACCIDENTALLY TOPPLED ON TOP OF HIM TRYING TO GET IT!"

Amaimon still seemed mad despite your frantic explanation. Mephisto, on the other hand, was unfazed.

"Let's just get you cleaned up for now!" You practically dragged the earth king out of the room, wanting no more to do with your so-called father's trickery for the evening.

"This might sting a little." You warned before pouring the rubbing alcohol on one of Amaimon's worse looking wounds. He didn't even flinch, glaring somewhere off to the side while you helped clean him up. The pretty princess bandages weren't going to stick for long with the way you placed them, however, with the demon king's slow reacting automatic healing, they didn't need to.

Usually these wounds would've healed up much quicker with his demonic abilities, but you figured he was still under some sort of status effect from being imprisoned by Mephisto for so long.

The two of you sat on your bed, the demon king in your uniform basketball shorts without any other article if clothing so that you could treat his wounds. He personally didn't see any point in it, but you'd insisted it was important.

After agreeing to let you help him, he'd been mysteriously silent the whole time.

"Alright, what's up with you?" You asked, tossing a piece of trash in a bin nearby. "Normally you'd be begging for candy or attention by now."

Amaimon turned to glare your way, a grumpy expression painting his entire face. "Were you really seduced by another man while I was away?"

"What? 'Seduced?'" You shook your head vigorously in the negative. "I already told you, I accidentally fell on top of him. Not that it's any of your business anyway."

"Of course its my business; you're my wife!" A low growl began to rumble from the back of the demon king's throat.

"No, I'm not!" You argued in return. After that shit went down with Lucifer and Mephisto, you were getting pretty sick of all these demon kings trying to claim you like you weren't your own person. "I'm not an object! You can't just treat me like I'm one of your possessions!"

Amaimon eyed your neck, worrying you that he was gonna pounce for it. It was demonic instinct to know that the neck was where you bit to lay dominance on another demon and, if he went for it, there would be no way to avoid a fight.

Suddenly, however, he stopped.

Instead, he reached out to your chest, thumbing the skin of your collarbone revealed thanks to the tank-top you wore.

"It's gone." Amaimon muttered, stroking your skin with tenderness you didn't know he'd even possessed before then.

"...yeah." You nodded, knowing exactly what he'd meant without even looking. You'd noticed it soon after you'd shifted into a nephilim, but the dark spot on your chest you'd always thought was a birthmark had disappeared, suddenly vanishing from your being.

"It was only meant to be a temporary claim until I could make you mine, but it wasn't meant to disappear..." Amaimon retracted his hand, now biting on the nail of the thumb that'd been making contact with you.

"Probably happened cuz of my transformation." You shrugged. That was what you'd told yourself anyway. "Even when you did have me marked though, I still didn't belong to you. I'm my own person."

Amaimon seemed to gnaw at his nail even harder, to the point where you were almost scared it was going to break. Then, that discussion you and Shiemi'd had in the woods came to mind.

"Hey, it must've been pretty boring trapped in that prison the old man put you in." You tested the waters, not wanting to set him off on accident by accusing him of actually having feelings or anything. You placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "If you wanna hang out with me from now on, it's cool, but only if you treat me with respect."

"Re...spect?" The earth king seemed to be mulling the concept over in his mind.

"Right." You nodded, continuing. "From this moment on, we're friends. Just friends. So don't go bossing me around or calling me your wife or else I'll never talk to you again. Ever."

Amaimon seemed to think on it long and hard before he gave his answer. If it were anyone else, he'd've strung them up by their toes by now for showing such impudence. However, you were someone he couldn't hurt without risking getting banished into the abyss for Father knows how long by his older brother. Not to mention, you were probably the closest thing he could find to an actual ally, sans Samael.

He'd never had anyone tend to his wounds this way before, not to mention entertain him so much within such a short span of time. It felt...nice. Yes, he definitely wanted this to continue.

But, he now recognized that it would have to be on your terms, giving you much more power than he'd anticipated when this whole thing began. Could he really do that?

"Let's be...friends." Amaimon accepted, figuring there was no harm in trying it out, at least for a little while.

"Sure thing!" You grinned giving him a hardy pat on the back. "Now let's start things out right by getting monja for dinner!"

Mephisto could live without his credit card for another few hours.

Chapter Text

"So, how's it feel to be a free man?" You asked, looking over at the demon king as you walked. It was Amaimon's first day of classes, so you took it upon yourself to escort him to homeroom like Mephisto requested. He actually looked pretty good in the uniform, though you did have to help him into it after witnessing him add about five different layers before even starting to put it on.

Amaimon simply shrugged in response, popping another hard candy in his mouth. It was the only thing he'd agree to eat for breakfast. "I don't understand why humans waste so much time in these facilities when they clearly seem unhappy to be here."

He...wasn't wrong. You passed by at least twenty students on your walk over, each looking as if they were about to keel over at any second before the first bell even rang.

"Cuz they're trying to teach us skills for when we enter 'the real world.'" You sighed feeling bummed just thinking about it.

"Are we not already in Assiah? This all seems pointless." Amaimon scoffed.

"Mood." You gave the King of Earth a pat on the back in encouragement. "But you've gotta at least play nice and not cause trouble 'kay? You already kinda have a job, so you shouldn't ruin anyone else's chances of getting one by being distracting."

"But humans are so easily distracted by everything!" The swamp goth huffed, starting to grow more agitated.

"I know it seems like a lot, but I promise that there'll be a payoff in the end." You tried to comfort. This was all a lot to take in at once, even if the guy was a demon king. You remembered your first few weeks of attending school with other students and could kinda sympathize. "You liked surfing, right? Maybe if you do good enough, I'll recommend you to one of the sports teams!"

"You find those fun, right?" Amaimon seemed to think on this, trudging beside you without really paying much attention to what was going on around you. "...okay."

"Great! We can hit up the batting cages soon and see how you do!" You hummed, happy to have someone to do sports-stuff with that could actually keep up for once. You couldn't imagine Amaimon being cool with giving less than his best effort in any kind of competition. It was one of the few things you admired about him.

"Oh hey. Who's that?" The demon king drew your attention towards a small group in front of you. "That would be Rin Okumura and Shiemi Moriyama! Long time no see!"

Despite his words, he looked mad. Oh boy.

You were honestly surprised he'd remembered Shiemi's name, but you supposed that after Kyoto, he probably remembered everyone you spent ample amounts of time with.

Rin and Shiemi were both visibly shocked, the half-demon turning a pale white head-to-toe while the gardener looked as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment. If you weren't careful, things could go sour quick.

Deciding the best course of action was to show them he wasn't a threat, you slung an arm around Amaimon's neck, much to the entire party's surprise. "Hey guys! Nice to see ya!"

"(Y/n)..." Shiemi swallowed nervously, looking between you and your new friend. "W-why is he here..?"

"Well, he was put in time out for a while, but Vati decided to give him a chance to better himself through the world of education." Or at least that's what Mephisto had said. You had your suspicions that there was probably a different reason in actuality, but you simply notified your master and that was the end of that.

"Then why are you hanging out with him?" Shiemi sounded genuinely worried for you.

"Because we're friends." Amaimon piped up before you could answer. He leaned into your loose embrace, getting more comfortable than you'd originally anticipated.

"Nice try! But, there's no way (Y/n) would be friends with a guy like you, Umaimon!" Rin huffed, breaking out of his trance and stepping in front of Shiemi.

"My name is AMAIMON!" the candy in his mouth crunched into tiny pieces as he made an attempt to lunge for Okumura. You were quick to wrap your arms around his torso, preventing him from moving any further. The demon king looked down at you in annoyance, briefly forgetting about Rin. "...why are you hugging me?"

"To, uh, prove to the others that we're friends now!" You chuckled nervously, patting him on the back somewhat awkwardly. He seemed confused still, but gave you one in return anyway. You turned your head to look over at the other two who stood in silence, wondering just what it was that they were looking at. You simply grinned their way. "See guys? He's chill now! Let's all get along from now on, okay?"

"Uh, alright, I guess." Rin scratched his head, not sure how to react, but deciding to vibe with you anyway. Shiemi seemed a little more hesitant, though.

You noticed this and chose to straighten out a bit, keeping one arm wrapped Amaimon's waist while using the other to reach out a hand in offering to the blonde. She accepted it without question, trusting you with her entire being. You gripped her palm gently and tugged her closer, bringing her into your embrace with the demon king. Your arms were now wrapped around both of their hips, the two eyeing each other with varying levels of skepticism.

"Shiemi, you remember what we spoke about when walking through the forest, right?" Of course you were talking about your conversation about Amaimon. Recognition sparked through the gardener's eyes as she nodded in affirmation. You continued. "Well, both of you really love plants and stuff. I was thinkin' maybe the three of us could start a gardening club or somethin'!"

"A...gardening club?" Amaimon and Shiemi both voiced in confusion.

"Yeah!" You nodded enthusiastically. "I think the two of you could be really good friends."

It took either of them a moment to respond, but Shiemi was the first to speak up.

"You can't be that bad if (Y/n) thinks of you as a friend..." Shiemi muttered, swallowing to steel her nerves. "So, I guess I can too! It's nice to meet you, Amaimon!"

She gave a quick bow in introduction, a bit restricted by the embrace the three of you were in.

Amaimon simply glanced away, looking in another direction. "...okay."

That was probably the best you were going to get from him.

"Great! Let's all have lunch together sometime!" You offered, pulling away from the two. You took Amaimon's wrist and began tugging him down the hall, waving back to the others as you went. "I'm gonna show Mai-mo to homeroom for now. We'll see you two later!"

Shiemi gave a soft wave in return, a small smile now on her face. Rin, still attempting to process the interaction, simply stood and watched as you left.

"See? You're off to a good start already!" You praised the demon king as you walked.

He didn't say anything in response, simply giving a brief huff in acknowledgment before popping a new piece of candy in his mouth.

It didn't take long to reach the classroom Amaimon had been assigned to. It was a different one than your own, much to your surprise. You figured that Mephisto would've wanted you close to the King of Earth as often as possible to keep him in line, but perhaps he had more faith in Amaimon than you'd originally thought.

Or maybe he really was serious about the whole 'no dating' thing.

"They shouldn't give you any trouble since you're related to the headmaster 'n all, but if anyone bothers you, let me know before taking any action yourself, 'kay?" You felt like a parent, sending their child off to kindergarten for the first time. You were a bit worried, mostly for the other students, but were also kind of excited to introduce the demon king to all sorts of new experiences.

Amaimon simply nodded, clearly board out of his mind already. He'd already made several promises to you and Mephisto both to behave, even if he didn't quite understand the importance of 'being good' around some measly humans.

You let out a deep breath, reassuring yourself that things would be fine.

"Oh, (Y/n)!" A voice called out to you from a little further down the hall.

You turned to see Godaiin quickly approaching and immediately felt a small pit form inside of your stomach. This could not end well.

"Hey, Sei!" You waved, smiling as he came to a stop next to you. "How's it hangin'?"

"Pretty good. I wanted to see if you'd want to join me and Rin for lunch today. My treat." Godaiin offered with a soft smile of his own before turning to address Amaimon who stood across from you. "Oh, is this a friend of yours?"

Poor, sweet, innocent Godaiin.

"I'm her husband." Amaimon answered with full confidence, much to your chagrin. The green goblin man glared down at the human.

"H-huh?" Godaiin's face went white, an expression between confusion and fear painted on his face.

"He's joking!" You were quick to object, shaking your head in denial. "This is my cousin; Ambrosius. He just likes to play around sometimes!"

You gave the fake alias Mephisto had given the Earth King to introduce him. You seriously doubted Godaiin would take it too well if you'd explained the man was actually a demon king.

"O-oh, I see." The dark-haired human looked much better, the color slowly returning to his face. He smiled again, this time with wavering confidence. "It's nice to meet you. You're welcome to join us for lunch as well if you'd like."

"I'll think about it." Amaimon was clearly through with the conversation, simply strolling through the classroom door before even saying goodbye. You'd scold him later, but left him be for now.

"I'm sorry about him. He's kinda moody today." You apologized in Amaimon's stead, feeling kind of odd now that you were the responsible one for once. "He's never attended school like this before and it's his first day."

"It's alright. I understand." Godaiin was quick to forgive. He looked a little hesitant to form another response, but eventually spat out what was on his mind. "You said he was your cousin, right? Does that mean that he's..?"

Godaiin knew you were half-demon, so it was impossible to hope he wouldn't question Amaimon's own species.

"Yeah..." You confirmed, silently readying to catch the human if he fainted.

"Alright." Godaiin nodded in understanding, taking the news a lot better than you'd imagined. "I still hope he sits with us at lunch. I want us to be good friends."

"I hope so too." You agreed. Godaiin really was a sweet guy.

You decided to ease him into the whole 'demon king' thing later on.

Chapter Text

"Hey, old man! I'm using your tub!" You called out into the hallway, receiving a very faint, yet still somehow disappointed sounding 'alright' from Mephisto's office nearby. You probably would've done it anyway, but you figured you'd spare yourself a scolding just this once.

You entered the demon king's bedroom, heading past all of his figurines and entering the master bath. You hadn't been in there since bathing Behemoth, but it was just as grand and luxurious as you remembered. Your own bathroom was quite similar, however, Amaimon was currently using it, the two of you absolutely filthy after wrestling in the dirt for an hour.

That had been entirely the earth king's fault. The two of you plus Shiemi had been in the first official meeting for your little gardening club, the blonde teaching you a thing or two about planting snowdrops, when Amaimon decided he wanted to show off his powers and somehow managed to coax you into roughhousing. At least the flowers he'd bloomed were beautiful.

You figured Mephisto wouldn't want Amaimon touching all of his fancy products, so you opted to take the master bathroom while the earth king bathed in yours. At least you hoped he was bathing.

You ran the water hot and steamy, tossing off your filthy clothes while the ginormous tub filled up. You didn't add any of Mephisto's fancy bubblebath mixes, not really seeing the point in them if all you were doing was getting clean.

Once your bath was drawn, you sank into the tub impatiently, immediately grabbing the nearby loofah and dousing it in liquid soap. You scrubbed the dirt from your figure, skin now smelling like fresh roses, before pouring generous helping of shampoo into your palm.

You worked it into your tail firmly, but not too rough. For some reason, looking at the appendage at that moment reminded you of what Mephisto had said when you'd first turned.

"What's the big deal if people see it anyway?" You huffed to yourself, dunking your tail into the water. "It's not like I'm going around flashing people or anything."

You thought about pretty much every demon you'd met and wondered if it was just a Mephisto thing. Then again, you didn't recall ever seeing Amaimon's tail either. Maybe it was just a demon king thing then?

No, no. You remembered how Lucifer didn't make any sort of effort to hide his tail when you'd been summoned to see him. Perhaps etiquette was different if you were related.

You were starting to get a headache already and didn't need to open that particular can of worms at the time, so you simply chose to believe it was personal preference. Amaimon would probably tell you later if you asked.

You picked up a nearby razor and stood, wanting to see if you could maybe shape up the wild fluff at the end of your tail with it, just as an experiment.

Unfortunately for you though, that was when the bathroom doors busted open.

"No more games, Mephisto!" Lewin Light waltzed into the room unannounced, somehow managing to get past Belial and into the mansion unscathed with Ryuuji Suguro in tow. You would talk to the King of Time later about the rather pathetic security measures of his abode later.

"MASTER, WHAT THE HELL!?" Bon simply screamed, covering his eyes with both arms to avoid looking your way. His face turned a scarlet red all the way from his neck to the tips of his ears.

"Huh? Oh, it's Cuddlebear!" Light spoke nonchalantly, extremely relaxed for someone who had just walked in on the daughter of the Demon King of Time unclothed. "Looks like I've got the wrong room."

"Uh, yeah." You quickly covered your body with a towel hanging nearby. You crushed the tip of the razor you were holding, pulling out the blade and wielding it threateningly towards the Arch Knight. The tiny metal piece soon shifted into your sword as you prepared to shed blood. "Now, you've got ten seconds to pick a demon king to beg to take mercy on you when I send your ass to Ghenna."

You glared, baring your fangs at both men before you.

"Man, were you always this cute? It's hard to believe you're related to Sir Pheles!" Lewin gushed. You were threatening him with a weapon and he thought you were cute??

"I dunno, were you always this stinky?" You glared, not wavering one bit. If he was trying to catch you off guard by teasing you, it wouldn't work. You threw your blade at his head with full intentions to skewer him, but the bastard somehow avoided it by the skin of his teeth. The sword lodged itself into the wall behind him, much to your frustration. "PAPA!!"

In less than a split second after you'd screamed, Mephisto popped into the room in a pink cloud, Amaimon busting in through the doors, clearly having just hopped out of the tub seeing as he hadn't bothered to put any clothes on save a small towel he'd loosely tied around his waist. Behemoth And Belial were quick to follow as well now making six total people, human and demon alike, standing with you in the bathroom.

"This is the second time I've caught you getting much too comfortable with my daughter..." The King of Time narrowed his eyes. "Belial, how could you allow this pervert onto the premises?"

"My sincerest apologies, Master." Even the normally stone-faced butler's tone was sharper than usual. He must've been pretty pissed. "Allow me to escort them out."

"No, let me, big brother." Amaimon chimed in, roots beginning to sprout from the ceiling. "I believe these humans are committing a crime, yes? That would make violence justifiable."

"Hang on! We've got some questions for you!" Lightning seemed unconcerned that several demons were currently threatening his life. "What do you know about Section Thirteen?"

You had to mentally prevent yourself from visibly showing your surprise. Now you were interested in what he had to say.

Mephisto, on the other hand, took one glance at you before turning to his younger brother. "Amaimon, take (Y/n) to her room, please. I will handle this."

You wanted to object, you had just as much of a right to hear his answer as Lewin, possibly even more so. You didn't have much of a choice, however. Amaimon ushered you out of the room, still clearly frustrated that he couldn't defy Mephisto's orders and simply disembowel the two men himself.

You spared one last glance back at the group, adding to the list of mysteries you needed solved.

"Hey, Mai-mo?" You scoured your dressers in search of clothing, planning to change into actual clothing. "Is it rude to show off your tail to other people?"

"No." Was the answer you got in response from the demon king who was also still in a towel, probably wanting to borrow some fluffy pajamas again.

"Huh. Mephisto was pretty adamant I keep mine hidden, so thats a little weird." You hummed, tossing a shirt and shorts his way. He was lucky he was so lithe that he could fit into nearly anything, be your clothes a little tight against his frame or practically hanging off of him.

"It's considered a sign of intimacy to show it off in front of others. Normally the only people who would see it are either kin or lovers." The demon king went into a little more detail, catching the clothing in one hand.

"Oooh." You nodded in understanding, heading behind your folding screen to change. "So that must be why I've never seen yours, right?"

"..." Amaimon went silent for a moment, his brain trying to process what you'd just said. When he was finally able to reply, he stared at the screen. "Did you...want to?"

"Not if you don't wanna show me." You replied, stepping out from behind the barricade, now clad in your favorite pjs. You figured the two of you were close enough friends by now that you could consider yourselves family. You and Rin had already shown your tails to your entire friend group anyway, so there wasn't a point in being too modest with Amaimon. "If you want, I can show you mine too."

You spun around to look at the earth king directly, surprise to see him nod. "Alright."

Amaimon turned, his back now facing you as he brazenly dropped the towel from around his waist. You stumbled back, startled as you hadn't expected him to just drop it like its hot right in front of you.

Shaking off the initial shock, your eyes shifted over his slender figure, noting the surprising lack of muscle definition. Maybe you could get him to bulk up with you?

Moving on to his other features, the next thing to catch your eye was a green tail covered in scales resting just below the base of his spinal column. Unlike yours, it was thick at the base, gradually thinning out to the pointed tip. The appendage began to sway back and forth, though you weren't quite sure if it was from the demon king attempting to seduce you or if he was just getting impatient.

"Woah, that's pretty cool. Thanks for that." You thanked, assuming the latter.

Amaimon simply nodded, starting to dress in the pajamas you'd given him before. During that time, you took It upon yourself to pick up his towel and toss it into the hamper nearby.

"You probably saw mine in the woods, but if you wanna see it again, I can just keep it out." You offered, pulling your tail out of your pants and allowing it to hang the way it did naturally. "Unless you'd rather not see it at all."

"I don't mind." The demon king was quick to assure, gazing at your tail as if it were the eighth wonder of the world. "Your tail is a lot furrier than I expected! You're not going to shed are you?"

"Psh, no." You scoffed, hopping on your bed. "...I don't think."

Amaimon had apparently decided to follow your lead, leaving his tail out on display while he jumped into your bed, belly-flopping on to it.

"You wanna sleep in here tonight?" You asked. "I kinda wanna cuddle right now, not gonna lie."

"It's instinct." Amaimon explained, pulling you into his arms. "This is one way us demons exchange scents. A weaker demon will wrap itself around a stronger one to mark itself so the stronger demon's scent wards away any predators."

"Really? Weird." You returned the embrace, wrapping your arms around his neck and petting his head. "When I was little, I used to sleep in Mephisto's bed a lot, even if he wasn't in it. That probably has something to do with it."

"It's most common between parents and their young, so that would make sense." Amaimon hummed, shutting his eyes.

"Did your parents ever do this for you?" You asked with a yawn, starting to feel drowsy.

"...no." He admitted. "But I was born strong. I didn't need it."

You didn't reply to that. The more you learned about Amaimon, the worse you started to feel for him. For that moment, you were fine with doing this, not just for yourself, but for him as well.

You would, however, take it upon yourself to cuddle each of your friends the next day as much as possible. They'd no longer need to worry about lower to mid level demons ever again at the low, low cost of their personal space.

Chapter Text

"You're acting rather gloomy for someone usually rather enthusiastic to help me hunt demonic beasts." Angel eyed you questioningly, only slowing his strolling pace a little as he noticed you lagging behind.

The two of you were walking the halls of Vatican HQ, just about to head out to take on a group of Raiju gathered near a major city in France. Normally, you would be ecstatic, however, he'd pulled you from your cuddle session with Amaimon for you to be there and the place couldn't help but remind you of a certain someone who'd walked in on you bathing not too long ago.

Annoyance was practically radiating off of you, your fists clenched and a scowl painted on your face subconsciously. You looked back at Arthur. "Oh, I'm still pumped for that. I've just got other things on my mind right now."

"Other things?" Angel raised a brow. He looked away from you for a few moments, allowing a pregnant pause into the conversation for him to think something over. He finally responded after he'd made up his mind, stopping in place to face you. "I...understand that whatever it is you're thinking of might not be something you want to talk about, however..."

You followed his lead, stopping to face him in return and now paying full attention.

"As your master and a gentleman as well, it would be uncouth of me to ignore anything that may be bothering you." The Paladin cleared his throat, glancing away so he wouldn't have to meet your eyes. He clearly felt a little awkward, but continued anyway. "So, if there's any issue you're facing, you can always speak with me if needed."

That was...unexpectedly kind of him.

"Oh, tin man! You do have a heart!" You couldn't help but wrap your arms around Arthur's torso, giving him a nice big hug. Your mood was improved immediately at his offer, realizing that he must've liked you more than you'd realized.

At first, the two of you were both unhappy to be stuck together, despite the fact you were the one who'd suggested the proposal. You weren't impressed with his stuck-up attitude and he didn't like your demonic heritage. However, you'd sparred with him quite a few times since then, even accompanying him on the odd mission every once in a while and, during that time, you were starting to find each other actually pretty capable, especially when it came to combat.

"Cut it out! You're causing a scene!" Arthur hissed in a low voice, his face coated in a light flush in embarrassment from all the unwanted attention from exorcists nearby. His expression soon changed, however, as he noticed someone new entering the hall. "Lightning? Why are you here?"

You instantly let go of your master to turn and glare the Arch Knight's way. To your surprise though, he looked shocked to see the two of you.

"Has something come up?" Arthur questioned, his hair swaying gently from a breeze in the room you couldn't identify the source of. "I thought you were investigating people who left the Japan branch after the Blue Night."

"Or did you just get tired of peeping on delicate maidens trying to bathe?" You huffed as Light approached you, Suguro in tow.

"From the way you threw that sword at my face, I'm not sure you qualify as a 'delicate' anything, Cuddlebear." That same stupid grin found its way onto Lightning's face, covering his previous surprise.

"You peeped on my apprentice while she was bathing!?" Arthur's expression gave into his own shock, though he was quick to scold the Arch Knight. "Lewin Light, that is unacceptable!"

"Sir, please forgive us, it was truly an accident!" Suguro bowed in apology, explaining the situation. "We'd went in to find Sir Pheles, but accidentally walked in on (Y/n) getting out of the bath."

"Hm?" Arthur raised a brow. "Who're you?"

"My name is Ryuuji Suguro! N-nice to meet you!" Bon introduced himself, stuttering in his nervousness. "I'm Lightning's-"

"Lightning's top pupil? I hear you act like a mother to him." The Paladin noted, examining Ryuuji from where the young man was still bowing. "However, it's not me you should be offering an apology to."

He was...sticking up for you? You couldn't hide the look of surprise on your face.

Suguro turned to you before bowing deeply once again. "(Y/n)...I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

"I apologize on Lightning's behalf as well." Arthur forced Lewin's head down, pushing him into a bow before bending over himself. "He can be an idiot sometimes, so please take pity on him."

"...alright." You nodded, growing a bit flustered from the display. "I'll take both of you off of the kneecap list. You guys can stand up again."

The trio stood up straight once more, Lightning being the first to speak up after that. "Angel, my investigation has made progress."

Everyone in your little party turned their attention to Lewin.

"Before the Blue Night, a facility known as Section Thirteen existed at the Japan branch." Lewin explained. "Have you heard of it?"

Your eyes instantly shot towards your master, extremely interested in his answer. You were dying to know if what you'd reasoned was true, if this man really was connected to Lucifer somehow. You'd wanted to ask for so long, however, you were bent on gaining his trust beforehand in the off-chance that he'd lie or interrogate you. But now, you were finally going to get a step closer to connecting the dots.

The answer you'd been waiting for...

"I've never heard of it." ...was anti-climactic more than anything. Arthur seemed completely oblivious to any details on Section Thirteen whatsoever. "What was it for?"

"..." Lewin's expression was unreadable. "It may have been involved in the Illuminati's founding."

"What!?" The Paladin's curiosity was reasonable.

"I'll pursue it and write a report when I get more info." Lightning resolved.

"Very good. Be careful." Angel sent him a firm nod, beginning to head down the hall once again. "We'll be off!"

You followed him hastily, much more apprehensive than you'd been earlier. Lucifer's narrative was seeming less and less crazy by the moment...

"By the way, Miss Pheles," Arthur addressed you as you continued to walk.

"Yeah?" You raised a brow.

"What is this 'kneecap list' you'd mentioned?"

"Good mornin'." You yawned, joining your crew early the next morning. The eight of you had planned to meet up and head to class together that day since it was the date scheduled for your first exam. You were the second to last to arrive, Shiemi being the only one missing.

"Good morning! Did you guys study enough?" Koneko asked, looking much more awake than you were.

Both you and Rin deflated immediately.

"No, I fell asleep..." Rin admitted.

"Me too." You sighed. After the events of that night, you couldn't sleep soundly at all, even with Behemoth snuggled against you. "Amaimon's a lucky bastard. He's only been here for a few days so he doesn't have to take any of 'm."

"Does he even really need to go to school?" Shima chimed in, rubbing the back of his neck. "But cheer up! Just after exams, it'll be winter break!"

"Thank goodness. If I have to sit through one more lecture on English homografts, I think I'll drink a whole bucket of holy water." You whined, slapping both of your cheeks in determination.

"Uuh, did you mean homonyms?" Konekomaru sweat-dropped.

"What?" You blinked, face scrunching in confusion. "You mean those early humanoid things?"

"Yeah, you're so gonna bomb this test." Rin snorted, looking much too cheery for someone who was probably going to fail just as hard.

"Morning everyone!" Shiemi ran up to your group to join you.

"Morning!"

"G'morning!"

Various members of your group greeted her. She stepped
into place next to you.

"So what's everyone doin' for break?" Rin asked, now that your whole squad was there.

"I'm not goin' home!" Shima admitted. You couldn't really blame him for his decision considering the current mess he was in.

"I'm busy too." Bon piped in next.

"If the two of them are staying, then I will as well." Konekomaru added, joining his bros.

"Maybe we could study together for the Exorcist certification exam!" Izumo offered.

"Good idea!" Koneko praised with a smile.

"What!? A Christmas party would be way more fun!" Shima groaned, not that anyone asked him.

"Speaking of Christmas..." Rin chimed in. "That's our birthday, mine and Yukio's."

"You were born on Christmas!?" Shima shouted, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

"No, but that's when we celebrate." Rin explained. "We were actually born on the twenty-seventh."

"Oh, that makes sense." Shiemi nodded from her spot next to you.

"Hey wait, you mean the twenty-seventh of December?" You turned to Rin, giving him an odd look.

"Yeah." The other half-demon nodded in confirmation. "Why?"

"That's my birthday too!" Or at least that was the date Mephisto had told you that you were born on. The two of you would typically celebrate with a small party along with the Belial, though you supposed things would probably be a lot different that year.

"Really!?" Rin and the rest of your group seemed surprised, although the other half-demon didn't seem too upset about it. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah!" You grinned, noting that some of the others were giving you strange looks despite your excitement. "Is that rare or something..?"

"Not normally. People with the same birthday run into each other all the time." Konekomaru explained, nervously shifting his glasses further up his face.

"But the child of a demon king and the son of Satan being born on the same day? That's pretty creepy." Izumo added. "It's suspicious too. If the Vatican knew, they'd probably launch another investigation on Sir Pheles."

You supposed it was kind of odd when you really thought about it. Maybe you and the Okumuras were secretly triplets and your real father was Sa-

You shook your hand thoroughly to banish the thought. You did not need your own Mama Mia moment.

"I forgot my birthday this year and no one else remembered either!" Pinky whined, thankfully changing the subject. Crocodile tears prickled the corners of his eyes.

"Mine passed too. August twentieth." Ryuuji spoke up, unimpressed with his friend's complaining.

"Mine was October eleventh." Izumo was next to add in. "I guess we were all too busy to notice."

"Let's all have a big Christmas slash birthday party!" Shima shouted. "We've all gotta enjoy student life more!"

"Shiemi!" You all turned to see Yukio approach your group, calling out to the blonde. "Is it true you're not taking the certification exam?"

"Mhm! I decided not to be an exorcist!" Shiemi hummed casually. "Instead, I'm going to run Futsumaya."

"WHAT!?" Your group let out a chorus of shocked exclamations.

The blonde smiled, despite the immediate backlash.

"This is a little out of left field, but..." You were the only one not freaking out over the reveal, noting how cheery the gardener seemed about her decision. "If something was bothering you, you'd speak up and say something. You're not a quitter."

"Thank you, (Y/n)." Shiemi beamed at you, soaking in your praise. "I'm glad you understand."

"Of course!" You shot a grin back at her. "You'll still be in regular classes, right?"

"Right!" Shiemi confirmed with confidence. "Also, I agree with Shima's proposal!"

"Huh?" You raised a brow.

"Let's all have a birthday party when winter break starts!" The gardener exclaimed loudly, drawing attention from nearby students passing by. "We can celebrate all of our birthdays plus Christmas!"

"That sounds like fun." You agreed, always up for a good birthday party. "One question though."

"Only one?" Izumo seemed unimpressed.

"Yeah...for now." You replied, addressing the group as a whole. What is 'Christmas'?"

Chapter Text

"Are you sure this will work?" Amaimon had the nerve to doubt after helping with your project. "He's never visited the house in the past and it's not even nightfall yet."

"Well, we've never left him the proper offering before." You hummed, looking over your handiwork and making sure everything was just. The candles were all placed perfectly around the plate right in front of the painted portrait you'd made so that the target would have no doubts the baked goods were meant for him. "Plus, the jolly bastard has twenty years worth of presents to bring me, he's gonna need to start now if he wants to get done by morning."

Yes, you were talking about good ol' Saint Nick. After hearing about the big-bearded old man from Rin, you immediately headed home to prepare for his arrival. You built a shrine in your dining room for him to easily locate your offering of cookies and hopefully leave plenty of presents underneath the large tree Amaimon was kind enough to summon in the far corner of the room in exchange for some if the cookies you'd baked.

"Perfect! Now we just have to mail him our letters!" You picked up the two envelopes you'd left nearby, ready to head out to the post office to mail them, but were swiftly halted by a new presence entering the room.

"May I ask why you've made a mess of my dining room or do I simply have to wait until you set the house on fire for an explanation?" Mephisto looked over your decorations with intense scrutiny. Normally, he'd be just fine as long as you cleaned up the mess afterwards, however, there was now a sizable hole in the ceiling from the oak tree planted in the room.

"That was one time! How was I supposed to know bowling balls were flammable?" You huffed, remembering why that particular sport was the only one you were forbidden from playing. You shook your head and continued. "This isn't a mess anyway; we're preparing for Santa!"

"...I see." Mephisto closed his eyes, now understanding. "So, you've learned about Christmas now, have you?"

"Yup. Rin told me all about it the other day." You answered, explaining. "This Santa guy seems like a pretty powerful demon if he can do stuff like travel the world in a night and know what kind of deeds you did the whole year, so he's cool in my book. Why haven't we celebrated this holiday sooner?"

Mephisto had a choice to make. Depending on his answer here you would either leave the room blissfully ignorant or horribly disillusioned.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Claus and I had gotten in a rather petty dispute a few hundred years ago." The demon king cleared his throat, trying his best to keep a straight face. "Ever since, he and I have steered clear of one another's business. Regrettably, as my kin, that includes you."

Your face immediately fell, the joy you'd previously shown now completely void from your expression. "So, he won't come..?"

"Now, now, schatzi, there's no need to pout." Mephisto reached out, gingerly stroking your hair. "Since it means so much to you, I will personally contact der Weihnachtsmann myself and sort this all out."

"Really? Awesome!" You grinned, perking up instantly. You batted his hand away gently, gripping the envelopes in your hands with newfound fervor. "I'm gonna get to mailing these! Thank you, Vati!"

You practically sprinted out of the room, fully intent on running the entire ten miles it'd take to get to the post office. The two demon kings watched as you left, staring in silence until Amaimon spoke up again.

"I never wrote anything in that letter." He recalled you handing him a piece of paper, but ended up simply shoving it into the envelope blank when you asked for it back. "I wonder what kind of presents I'll get."

"I'm afraid it doesn't matter, little brother." Mephisto shook his head with a sigh. "You're definitely on the naughty list this year and likely every one after."

"MASTER!" You slammed the door to Angel's office open in haste. The Paladin, startled, dropped his paperwork and stood from where he'd been sitting at his desk. Lightning, who'd been lounging around, likely giving the blonde some kind of report before you'd come in, was quick to follow suit, the usually childish expression on his face now serious.

"What is it? Is there an emergency?" Arthur asked, watching as you jogged up to his desk. He noted that you looked more disheveled than usual, your appearance nearly on par with Lewin's, which was saying something.

"Yeah! Well, kind of." You pulled out two bright pink envelopes, one distinctly decorated while the other was simply plain. "I need a favor."

"Wow, it's not often Cuddlebear asks for something." Lewin hummed, his figure relaxing now that he realized you were simply up to your usual shenanigans. "Usually you just take whatever you want without considering others."

"Hey, I take people I know into consideration!" You objected in a huff. "Strangers, on the other hand, are fair game! For all you know, they could be criminals."

"I suppose you're not wrong." Arthur softly nodded in agreement with your logic, sitting back in his seat. "Now, what is it you wanted?"

"Well, you can get pretty much anywhere in the world with those fancy doorways, right?" You slid your envelopes onto the desk, pushing them both towards the Paladin. "Do you think you could get both of these to the North Pole for me?"

"...the North Pole?" Both men eyed you with expressions of disbelief.

"Cuddlebear, are you trying to send a letter to Santa?" Lewin asked.

"Yeah!" You nodded in confirmation. "I tried getting it mailed at the post office, but the postal workers just laughed at me for some reason!"

"That was awfully rude of them." Angel huffed, taking your letters in hand. "I suppose I could deliver them when I have the time."

Lightning's look of disbelief shifted to Arthur next. Did neither of you know that Santa was a myth? The tamer had a hard time keeping a straight face after that.

Lewin shook his head. "Here, let me take care of it! You're much busier nowadays than I am."

"Really? That's rather thoughtful of you." Arthur noted before passing over the envelopes. "Your attitude has been steadily improving, Light. I'm impressed."

"It's all thanks to Cuddlebear!" Lewin grinned. Those letters would eventually become a keepsake of his family's for generations.

"My, don't you look...precious!" Mephisto hesitantly cooed over your outfit, taking pictures of you and Amaimon before the big party.

You weren't entirely sure of what kind of costume you'd wanted at first, so you'd gone to Mephisto for advice. The demon king was more than happy to assist, even going as far as to craft the outfit for you.

Your costume wasn't one based off of the characters described by Rin, but one Mephisto had told you about personally. This one vaguely resembled Santa, but held a much darker motive and color scheme. Apparently this guy would snatch up bad kids and shove them in a sack come Christmas and that seemed like a costume you could get behind.

You'd tried to convince Godaiin to let you carry him in your basket for effect, but the poor guy had nearly passed out the moment you showed him your reference photo. Nevertheless, your bloody face paint, tattered clothing, and fake horns were more than enough to impress as it were.

Amaimon, on the other hand, was dressed as a tree. He had taken some time to convince to wear a costume, but eventually allowed you to drape him in a green sweater adorned with Christmas lights and dust golden glitter in his hair, topping it off with a star-shaped hair clip you'd found in your room.

"Now, remember to be home at a decent time this evening." Mephisto instructed. "If you want der Weihnachtsmann to show up, you need to be in bed early."

"Got it!" You nodded, taking Amaimon by the hand. "We're already running late, so we better get going."

"Of course. Have fun!" Mephisto waved you off, watching as you and Amaimon left for the Okumura's dorm.

It wasn't long before you'd arrived, simply letting yourself inside by thrusting open the doors. "We're here!"

"Hey! Merry Christmas Faus- WHAT THE HELL!?" Shima was the first one to greet you, shouting in horror at the sight of your costume. "WHAT ARE YOU WEARING!?"

"Uh, he's a tree, duh!" You scoffed, gesturing to Amaimon. You knew he didn't get along with the demon king, but that was no excuse to make fun of his outfit.

"Um, I think he meant you, (Y/n)..." Rin admitted, walking over to see you for himself. "What exactly are you dressed as anyway?"

"What do you mean? I'm clearly Memphis!" You huffed, not understanding why everyone was so surprised.

"Do you mean Krampus?" Koneko suggested, placing a plate of rolls on the table in front of you.

"Yeah! That's it!" You nodded. "Sorry we're late, by the way. I had to visit my master for somethin'. But don't worry, I didn't come empty handed."

"You're good. We just finished with the food!" Shiemi chirped, greeting you with a smile. "We're all heading out to get changed so we'll be right back!"

"Sweet!" You shot her a thumbs up, watching as everyone spilled out of the room, leaving you with Amaimon, Rin and Yukio. "What are you guys getting dressed as?"

"I got this for thirty yen near the station!" Rin grinned, putting on a cutesy pair of antlers. He pulled out another set shoving them into his brother's arms. "And I bought a matching pair for Yukio so we can be a set!"

"Don't waste money like that!" The glasses-wearing exorcist scolded.

"It seems like not all humans are convivial enough to enjoy the holidays." Even Amaimon seemed unimpressed with the younger twin's attitude. "How boring."

"'Con-' what now?" You and Rin both were visibly surprised at the demon king's use of vocabulary.

"Fine, fine. I'll wear it." Yukio huffed, putting on the headband begrudgingly.

"See? Isn't that a whole lot less of a pain than just being a butt about it?" You hummed. The exorcist ignored you, going somewhere else to escape your presence. In the meantime, you admired the room's tree. It sprouted from Nee's belly, covered in decor for the party while the greenman himself simply napped. "You guys did a good job!"

"Thanks! I'm glad you like it!" Shiemi entered the room now clothed in a large red suit and a familiar white beard. She walked over to her familiar, patting him on the stomach. "Thanks to you too, Nee! I'll go get you some water."

Unfortunately, just as the blonde stepped away from the greenman, Nee could no longer stay still, rolling over in his sleep which, unfortunately, brought the tree down with him. The other students entered just in time to watch as the train wreck that followed occurred.

The tipping tree quickly caught on decorations hanging from the ceiling, pulling them down as it crashed into the table, squashing the feast laid out on top of it. The lights were next to bust, engulfing the tree in flames that were rapidly spreading.

Shiemi couldn't handle the sight, plummeting face first until you grabbed her, holding her up in your arms as the scene unfolded.

"The cake!!" Izumo shouted, watching in horror as Konekomaru tripped into the chair holding the beautifully decorated desert. The cake plopped onto the ground rather pathetically, only about half being on the actual flooring itself, which was good enough for you.

"Oo, five second rule!" You shoved Shiemi into Amaimon's arms, fully intent on eating what you could salvage from that cake, only to be stopped as the King of Earth grasped the back of your collar with one hand. "Hey, what's the big idea!?"

"Big brother told me to stop you from eating anything off the floor again because it's 'unsightly' or something." Amaimon explained, holding Shiemi in his free arm.

"Awe, c'mon! It's still mostly good!" You whined, watching as Suguro snuffed the fire with an extinguisher that was luckily nearby.

When the chaos cleared, the room was destroyed, decorations charred in a goopy puddle of foam.

Shiemi was quick to wake up, lax in Amaimon's hold. "Nee's a living creature, so it's only natural he'd roll over in his sleep."

You felt really bad for the gardener and everyone else for that matter too. You'd all put in so much work for this party only to have it devolve into madness before it even began.

The first snort came from Rin, but eventually, he could no longer hold it in, bursting into uncontrollable laughter. It was apparently contagious, the rest of your group soon following suit, toppling yourselves over in fits of chuckles and giggles until you were all red in the face. Well, all except for Yukio and Amaimon.

"Is this a common human tradition?" The demon king asked, confused as to why everyone was so happy if the party was ruined.

"Not really..." Yukio sighed, shaking his head in embarrassment.

"Hey, some of this still looks good!" You noted, escaping Amaimon's grasp to look over the food. "Why don't we use it all in a hot pot?"

"Good idea!" Rin agreed, picking up a few of the dishes. "We can make a stew!"

"Yeah! Plus-" You reached into the basket you'd been carrying on your back, pulling out a foil covered plate from inside. "Mai-mo and I baked cookies!"

"G-great..." The other half-demon's grin faltered, though you didn't bother to take notice.

"Let's get this party started!" Rin cheered, toasting his glass of juice to the rest of the room.

You and your crew sat around a small kotatsu, all squished underneath the blanket together. The table was covered in empy dishes, all surrounding a giant pot filled with what you could salvage from the food of the previous setup.

"Happy merry Christmas birthday to us!" Rin cheered in one huge mouthful.

"Maybe 'to all'?" Shiemi suggested with a giggle.

"Who cares? Let's get to eating!" You hummed, stomach growling rather audibly. "It smells so yummy!"

"Be patient, we'll get to it." Bon scolded with a soft smile.

"Tada!" Rin lifted the cover off of the pot, revealing the stew bubbling inside.

"It looks great!" Konekomaru praised, eyeing the stew in awe.

Each of your bowls were filled to the brim, everyone getting their fair share in due time. You were quick to begin devouring the food, thankful for having such good friends who knew how to cook.

"This is awesome!" You praised. "Can it be Christmas every day from now on!?"

Everyone laughed once again, reminding you of how thankful you were to know each and every one of them.

Soon, even more people began joining the party, an extra table behind you rapidly filling up with more of your friends who'd been invited a bit later. First was Mephisto who'd simply popped in with that teleportation technique you both loved and hated at the same time, followed by Shura who was decked out in her own costume; a revealing Mrs. Clause dress paired with a hat and sack to complete the look.

Next was Takara, though you weren't sure who'd invited him. You'd figured he would've hated this kind of thing, but wound up shrugging it off in the end.

Lightning and your master of all people were next, the Arch Knight apparently having convinced the Paladin to take a break for the evening to join you.

"Woah, they're drinking booze! Is that alright?" Ryuuji noted, watching as the older exorcists all indulged themselves in alcohol. You never would've expected your master to be the drinking type, but there he was, drinking enough to give Shura a run for her money.

You'd guessed it probably had something to do with the stress of being a whole ass Paladin.

"I don't see why not." You shrugged, chugging down a glass of juice. "Only another year or so now 'til we'll be joinin' 'm!"

That was right. In two days, you would turn twenty, marking two decades since the day of your birth. The fact weighed heavily on your mind, reminding of just you how little you actually knew about the circumstances surrounding your creation. When you really thought about it, you had no clue who your birth parents were and anyone who did seem to have the answers you were looking for only ever seemed to give you more questions than anything. It was like you were trying to solve a puzzle where none of the pieces really fit...

The sound of a phone buzzing nearby broke you away from your thoughts.

"Hey, Juzo!" Shima grinned, putting his cell on speaker. "What's up?"

"Renzo! Are the others with you? I have news!" Shima's older brother spoke up from the other side of the phone. "Mamushi and I are gonna have a baby!"

"Seriously!?" Bon shouted in shock.

"Yup!" Juzo confirmed. "We're already officially married, but the family is going to gather for a ceremony at Toraya!"

"Wow, congrats, Juzo!" Shima grinned, excited for his brother.

"Thanks!" You could hear the genuine happiness in the older man's voice. "You're all invited of course! We'd really appreciate it if you could make it over New Year's break."

"Alright!" Cheers came from around the room, including from the older exorcists who had no clue what was going on thanks to being so shitfaced.

"Oh, (Y/n). Are you leaving?" Shiemi asked watching as you stood up to open the door.

"Yeah, I'm gonna help Lewin get Master out of here and then I'll probably get ready for bed." You usually would've stayed to party more, but you were much to worried about missing your visit from that rosy-cheeked reverse burglar that night that you wanted to head home at a decent hour. "Why, what's up?"

"I just wanted to give you this." The blonde pulled out a small glass vile from her sack, handing it to you gingerly. Upon closer inspection, there was a small four-leafed clover inside. "It's a good luck charm! I got one for Amaimon and everyone else too cuz I thought it'd come in handy!"

You blinked, gently gripping the small charm in your palm. This was the first Christmas gift you'd ever gotten. You couldn't contain your smile. "Thank you, Shiemi..."

"Happy birthday, (Y/n)." The gardener smiled in return, glad that you'd enjoyed her present so much.

"Damn, Master. I would've expected this from Shura, but you?" You chuckled, walking with one of Arthur's arms tossed over your neck as the Paladin leaned against you. You'd dismissed Lewin when you realized he was more of a bane than a boon, helping your master into his apartment using the spare key the Arch Knight had given you.

Gently laying the Paladin in bed, you tried not to feel like a pervert as you helped him out of his shoes and sweater. He sure was good looking, even when he was completely out of it.

"A shame you're so busy all the time. It'd be cool to party more often." You gently eased his hair out of his ponytail, not wanting to worsen the headache he'd definitely have in the morning. It didn't take you long to notice the strange expression on Arthur's face. "...why are you looking at me like that?"

"Were your eyes- hic- always that color?" Angel squinted his gaze, examining your face carefully. "I thought they were a unique shade of blue..."

"Huh?" It was your turn to be confused. He must've really been gone. "My eyes have always been the color they are now...I think."

"No, no- hic-your hair was another color too..." Arthur insisted, watching as you placed a glass of water on the table beside him. He closed his eyes to try and keep the room from spinning any further. "That's right. You were pregnant back then too- hic-weren't you?"

"I have never once been pregnant in my life, Master." You sighed, brushing back the stray hairs that'd fallen in your face during the ordeal. "...why don't you tell me more about whoever you're thinking of though?"

You figured it might've been a good way to get him to sleep.

"She was always- hic- really nice to us. Nicer than any of the other adults were." Arthur hummed, his reddened face slowly relaxing as he recalled what he could. You weren't sure who he meant when he said 'us', but allowed him to continue. "She always brushed my hair for me whenever I'd asked and read to us when it was time for bed."

The Paladin was drifting off, much to your relief.

"I wonder where she is now..."

"Probably somewhere happy with her baby." You weren't sure, but that's the truth you wanted to believe. "Maybe someplace warm..."

A light snore came from between Arthur's lips, signaling that he'd finally passed out. You sighed, giving one last glance to his handsome sleeping face, silently wondering how, even when he was absolutely plastered, he still managed to look like a statue carved to perfection.

You slipped out of his apartment, ready to head home for the evening. Your mind couldn't help but stick to the drunken conversation you'd just had with your master. You hoped that woman was doing alright, but also hoped that one day you'd get to know more about your own mother.

"Welcome home, schatzi." Mephisto greeted you as you entered the manor, completely drained from the day's activities.

"Hello, Vati." You yawned, rubbing your eyes tiredly. "Merry Christmas."

"Fröhliche Weihnachten." The demon king hummed, placing his hand on on your head and giving you a gentle pat. "I know you wrote to Mr. Claus earlier, however, have you thought of any specific gift you'd like from yours truly?"

"From you?" You hadn't thought about you.

You honestly didn't think you'd be getting anything seeing as your birthday was two short days away. But, if there was one thing you could ask for...

"Yeah, actually..." You nodded, biting your lower lip for a second to hype yourself up a little. "I...wanna hear about my mom."

"Ah, so it's finally time for this conversation." Mephisto smiled gently, snapping his fingers. In the next moment, you were sitting in a plush chair while the demon king stood directly in front of you. "Very well, I will tell you everything I know about the woman who gave birth to you."

You swallowed nervously, unintentionally gripping the arm rests, in your anticipation. This was it. All of your questions could be answered in this very moment.

"Nothing!"

What?

"I don't know a thing about her!" Confetti popped out from around Mephisto's figure. "I'd only met her once, perhaps twice before she passed away. I'm sorry to have to disappoint you."

You physically deflated, sinking in your seat. Great. Just what you needed. Even more pieces to the puzzle. At this rate, you might suspect half of the Vatican to be your father and that the other half would want to use you as some sort of minion or vessel.

How the heck do you have a kid with someone without even knowing them!?

"Cheer up, meine schöne Tochter." Mephisto hummed. "Sometimes, it is better not to know these things."

Maybe he was right. Yet, as you laid in bed that night, you couldn't help but feel like you were missing something.

Something...important.

Chapter Text

"Man, this thing is great!" You grinned, enjoying the nice warm heated blanket underneath Rin's kotatsu. "And you found this thing in the garbage?"

"No, not the garbage!" Rin shook his head vehemently, placing a cup of juice in front of you.

"Well, wherever it came from, it's definitely well-worth whatever you paid for it." You hummed, sipping at your drink the moment it was placed down. You were quick to tug at Rin's shirt sleeve as he attempted to sit down, patting your lap in offering.

The other half-demon gratefully accepted, quick to plop down in your lap and lean into your embrace. You wrapped your arms around him, nuzzling your face in his shoulder. You couldn't resist breathing in his scent, immediately reminding you of what Amaimon had told you just days before.

"Hey, did you know cuddling is a demon thing?" You asked, muffled a little by Rin's shirt.

"No, but I guess that makes sense." The other half-demon nodded. "Kuro's real cuddly too, so it must be some kinda instinct, right?"

"Yeah. It's like..." You struggled to think of a way to explain it, propping your chin on his shoulder. "...supposed to make you feel safe."

"Well, it's working pretty well. I feel safe just sitting here." Rin admitted, shuttling his eyes and enjoying your warmth. "I almost wanna fall asleep in your lap."

"Go ahead." You encouraged, a soft purr subconsciously coming from your chest. "I'll be right here."

"Thanks, (Y/n)." Rin yawned, beginning to drift off in your arms. "Merry Christmas..."

You placed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Rin."

Chapter Text

You knocked on the door to Futsumaya, wrapped in your warm winter coat. To your surprise, it wasn't Shiemi who'd opened the door.

"Hello?" A brunette, middle-aged woman answered, eyeing you under her scrutinizing gaze.

"Sorry to bother you!" You grinned sheepishly, face tinged a rosy pink. "Is Shiemi home?"

"Oh! (Y/n)!" The older woman open the door much wider, welcoming you. "I'm sorry, you're so bundled up, I didn't recognize you!"

"It's alright..." You accepted the apology, a little embarrassed. Mephisto had insisted you bundle up before you leave the house, wrapping you in a thick coat and several scarves after hearing you sneeze just once. You had a feeling he'd fussed more to mess with you than out of actual concern, but begrudgingly accepted it without much struggle.

"Come in, come in!" Shiemi's mother ushered you inside. "Please, make yourself at home."

The brunette helped you out of your jacket, folding it up and placing it on the nearby counter.

"Here, take a seat." The woman gestured to a chair by the desk. You sat down, accepting her hospitality. She smiled at you. "I've actually been wanting to thank you for quite some time now."

"Thank me?" Your face scrunched in confusion. Ms. Moriyama simply nodded in response.

"Yes. You see, Shiemi has always been rather shy as a child." She explained, her smile turning a little sad. "She was very sickly when she was younger and couldn't attend school much. Sadly, that meant she never managed to make any friends."

Ah, you understood how that felt. Growing up in that large mansion with no contact with the outside world left you feeling pretty lonely fairly often. You'd had Belial and Mephisto of course, however, those two had their respective jobs to do, leaving you alone more often than not.

"That's why I'm so grateful she's made such a good friend." The older woman perked up, responding more cheerfully.

"I'm grateful too." You didn't have the heart to tell her you were a little more than just 'friends' with her daughter, but you were glad she was so pleased.

"Mom?" Shiemi herself eventually peeked out from behind the screen door. Her eyes went wide once she'd spotted you. "Oh, (Y/n)! When did you get here?"

"Just now, don't worry." You shot her a grin, standing to greet her. You pulled out a small box from your pocket, gently handing it to her. "Here, I wanted to thank you for the charm you gave me yesterday. I hope it's alright."

"It's perfect." Shiemi smiled, face flushed as she clutched the present to her chest. "Merry Christmas, (Y/n)..."

You couldn't express how glad you were in that moment. "Merry Christmas, Shiemi."

Chapter Text

"Are you seriously working on Christmas?" You sighed, shaking your head in disapproval. You'd gone out to see your not-quite boyfriend on the holiday, only to find him airing out Lewin's laundry again like some sad, handsome housewife. "C'mon and take a break for once!"

"Juzo's wedding is in only a few days, I need to get this done before I leave." Ryuuji sighed, hanging up a pair of shorts.

You leapt up onto the balcony, much like you had mere days ago, intent on convincing him to spend the day with you. "He should be doin' this himself, ya know. What a louse."

"I know, I know." Suguro didn't even bother to scold you from technically breaking and entering, knowing it was a lost cause. "Why are you here anyway? Shouldn't you be goofing off with Okumura or training with your own master?"

"Oooo, is someone jealous?" You teased, leaning up against the veranda railing. "Maybe I would be, but I wanted to see you. This holiday's supposed to be romantic here in Japan, ya know?"

Ryuuji's face tinged red to the tips of his ears causing a smooth grin to spread across your face.

"Not you too." The other exwire sighed.

"'Too'? Someone else try and hit on you or somethin'?" You raised a brow. "Good luck to 'm."

"What? No!" Ryuuji shook his head. He then pointed to some kind of strange weed hung up over Lewin's doorway. "Master decided to hang mistletoe from the doorway for some reason. Not like anyone's actually gonna kiss him if they walk under it anyway."

You think you understood the gist of the ritual. Someone walks underneath this plant and another person plants a smooch on 'm. Simple enough.

"Hey, Ryu. Could you look over here for a sec?" You asked nicely.

"Hm?" Suguro turned to face you, only to have your lips pressed tightly against his own in the next instant.

You, unfortunately, pulled away just as quickly, only offering the other exwire a grin afterwards.

"W-what the hell was that for!?" Ryuuji demanded an explanation, his face somehow even redder than before.

"Well, you walked in through that door to get here, didn't you?" You shrugged. "That means you needed your mistletoe kiss!...unless Lewin beat me to it."

"No! He didn't!" Bon was quick to defend, not wanting to think about being anywhere close to his master's lips. Ever.

"See? I just did you a huge favor!" You grinned. "Merry Christmas, Bon."

Ryuuji had no stamina to argue with you, not that he was unhappy with the situation anyway. He simply looked away, hiding his face from your view. "Merry Christmas, (Y/n)."

Chapter Text

"They all look so good!" You practically drooled over each plate in front of you, stomach growling in anticipation. The very moment you'd learned of Christmas cakes, you dragged Godaiin out to the nearest bakery.

Luckily, he didn't have any complaints, happy to watch you order three different flavors as he sat across from you. "How is it?"

"Really good!" You chirped, stuffing another forkful in your mouth without thinking. Picking up what was meant to be your next bite, you held out the for to him instead to his surprise. "Here, try some!"

"A-ah, are you sure?" The human guy grew nervous, startled to sweat at just the thought. "People are g-gonna stare..."

"Hm? Who cares about that?" You asked, confused about why he was so worried. "You don't have to if you don't wanna, though."

Just as you were about to pull your fork away, he stopped you.

"N-no!" Godaiin's face went red as he realized he'd spoken a bit to loud. "I-I mean, you're right. If I wanna become more reliable to you, I'm going to have to get over being embarrassed by stuff like this!"

"Is that what you're worried about?" You asked, a bit charmed by his humble attitude. "I already think you're super reliable, Godaiin."

"Yeah, but, if I can't do something as simple as this right now..." Then how would he ever find the courage to ask you to be his girlfriend in the future?

Letting out a deep breath, Godaiin took the fork from your fingers, lifting the silverware to his mouth before taking a bite of the treat.

"It's r-really good." He admitted after he swallowed.

"Yeah..." You smiled, not quite done with your teasing. "Maybe next time, you should let me feed you."

Godaiin's face stained red the rest of the date thanks to several more comments just like that immediately afterwards.

Chapter Text

"Man, he could just snap his perfectly manicured fingers and this whole mess would just 'poof' away." You shook your head, dumping the excess cookie crumbs from the night before in a trash bag. "But nooo, we have to clean up our own trash. What has this world come to!"

"Weren't you the one who'd promised Samael you'd clean?" Amaimon hummed, graciously getting rid of the giant tree that'd been in the room.

"Yeah..." You admitted with a sigh, plopping the bag down and turning to lean against the table.

He had a point, not that you'd wanted to admit it.

While you were sulking, you'd noticed he was holding something small in his hand. "Hm? What's that?

"Here." Amaimon held his clenched fist out to you, gesturing for you to take whatever was in it.

You accepted what he had in curiosity, eyeing the clump of newspaper he'd handed you in return. Luckily, you had enough sense to unwrap the paper before mindlessly chucking it in the garbage. Inside, you found...a rock.

It was a nice rock, as far as rocks typically went. It was smooth and perfectly round, fitting nicely into the palm of your hand.

"Is this..?"

"I heard that humans typically exchange presents over the holiday." The demon king admitted, confirming your suspicions. "That girl suggested I give you something pretty, so I took this from her garden."

So, he'd stolen it from Shiemi. You had to hold in your laughter at the thought of him just pocketing the nicest rock he could find out of her garden while her back was turned.

"This was very sweet, Mai-mo, but we're not supposed to take other people's stuff, remember?" You smiled, shaking your head in disapproval. Truthfully, you wouldn't have cared so much if it'd been anyone other than Shiemi, but that girl deserved better than to have her shit snatched. "We're gonna have to return this."

"I don't see why. She has plenty others!" Amaimon huffed, scrunching his face in irritation.

"You don't want other people taking your stuff without asking, right?" You raised a brow, gesturing him to come closer. You took his wrists in your hands when he begrudgingly did so, stroking them gently with your thumbs. "Hey, I've got a gift for you too."

"For me?" He sounded surprised for whatever reason, eyes widening in curiosity. You could feel the excitement radiating off of him. "What is it?"

"Close your eyes." You insisted, a large grin forming on your lips.

Amaimon was quick to follow the order, screwing his eyes closed as tightly as he could. They only opened again after feeling your lips pressing softly against his own. You were...kissing him?

You pulled away after a brief moment, taking pride in the shocked expression painting his face. "Merry Christmas, Amaimon."

Now to figure out how you were going to take care of that hole in the ceiling.

Chapter Text

"I'm here!" You practically threw open the office door without thinking, strolling in just like you owned the place. "Now, where's that reward you promised me?"

In exchange for helping Angel home the night before, Lewin Light had offered to buy you dinner that day, assuring you he'd have everything ready by the time you arrived.

"Cuddlebear! Thanks for coming!" Lightning hopped off of the couch to greet you, stopping you from entering any further from the doorway. "The food's on its way, but first..."

"Hm?" You raised a brow in confusion. Lewin pointed upwards drawing your eyes to a strange plant hung on the doorframe. "...why do you have weeds hung up over your door?"

You narrowed your eyes at him in suspicion.

"Is this some kinda new exorcism technique?" If he was attempting to murder you, he probably shouldn't be so obvious about it. Then again, he was the professional here, not you.

"Not 'weeds', Cuddlebear, mistletoe." Lewin chuckled. "It's not for exorcism either. It's a Christmas tradition."

"Oh, so like decoration, right?" Your face lit up at the prospect of more Christmas fun.

"Hmm, kinda. There's actually a little ritual to go with it." Light explained, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's said that if you walk underneath a doorway decorated with mistletoe, you've gotta smooch the next person you see!"

Your eyes only narrowed further, somehow even more suspicious than before. "I'm not that gullible, ya know."

"I'm serious! Here, look!" Lewin pulled out his phone, typing for a second before showing you the screen. "See?"

You read the page pulled up on the cell, making sure the site was legit and realizing that he was telling the truth.

"Huh. Whadaya know? You weren't bullshitting me afterall." You hummed, thoroughly surprised. You looked back up to the Arch Knight with a snort. "That doesn't mean you didn't totally plan this out, though."

"Maybe I did. Can ya blame me?" Lewin shrugged, unbothered.

"Not really, I guess." You shook your head. "Buuuut, if you reaaallly wanted a kiss, you could've just asked."

You were quick to wrap your arms around his neck, catching him by surprise as you pulled Lewin in closer. You planted your lips on his, closing your eyes as he swiftly melted into your embrace.

In the next moment, your back was pressed to the doorframe, one of his hands resting against your hip as his adjacent forearm leaned close to your head against the frame.

Lewin returned the kiss with a slow, but sensual fervor, you hadn't realized he was capable of until then. You were genuinely surprised at how good he was at kissing, shivering lightly as his teeth nibbled gently at your lower lip.

Not one to be outdone, you poked your tongue out to playfully swipe at his own lips, appreciating the sharp breath he took in response.

The Arch Knight sighed as you eventually parted, gazing at you through his bangs with a dark look in his eyes. You had to focus on controlling your breathing, knowing that, had the need for air not been so great, you wouldn't have separated anytime soon.

After catching his breath, Lewin went in for another kiss, only to be stopped midway.

"E-excuse me?"

Your head immediately twisted to face whoever had dared to interrupt, scaring the poor pizza boy to bits as you growled unintentionally.

"C'mon, you know that's not very nice, Baby." Lewin scolded, his voice nearly an octave lower even as he started to regain his bearings. He couldn't help but tease you, watching as your face lit up red the moment you registered the new nickname. Before you could respond, the Arch Knight fished some cash out of his pocket, stepping away from you to exchange it for the pizza. "Keep the change."

That poor delivery guy deserved it.

Chapter Text

Arthur woke up that morning with a splitting headache. He really needed to stop hitting the bottle so hard whenever anyone offered to get drinks.

That wasn't what woke him, however.

What woke him up was the distinct smell of burning coming from somewhere inside of his apartment. He immediately shot up, assuming the worst and worsening his hangover in the process. He sat up on his bed, preparing to sprint out when the source of the burning smell came to him directly.

"Good morning!" You chirped, bringing in a plate of food. "How are you feeling?"

"How did you get in my home and why are you here?" His voice sounded a little raspy, but he was quick to clear his throat. He accepted the glass of water you offered him, watching as you placed the plate you'd brought in on the bedside table.

"Wow, rude. How do you think you got in last night?" You snorted, rolling your eyes. "You were so shitfaced, you couldn't even recognize me. Much less have enough dexterity to get your key in the lock."

He supposed that made sense.

Arthur placed the glass next to the plate before cupping his face in both of his hands. You took a seat on the edge of the bed next to him.

"I figured you'd be pretty out of it, at least for a little while." You hummed, passing him a pain pill you'd prepared. "I wanted to make sure you didn't choke on your own vomit while you were sleeping, so I came back to check on you."

"Well, thanks. I suppose I appreciate it." Arthur stated, muffled a bit by his hands.

"You're welcome." You accepted his thanks, watching as he shifted to look at you directly. You offered him a smile. "Merry Christmas, by the way."

Arthur couldn't help but return the expression, though obviously a bit more tired than yours. "Merry Christmas, (Y/n)..."

Of course, your cooking eventually made him more sick than his hangover, but he wouldn't mention that to you.

Chapter Text

"Man, it feels like we just got everyone back together again, only for us to get separated again so soon." Rin complained in a huff.

"Hey, don't worry. It's only for a few days." You assured, helping lift Shiemi's bag onto the train. Your entire class stood at the train station, waiting for their departure time.

Everyone else was heading to Kyoto for Juzo and Mamushi's wedding. They were meant to leave that day and return after the new year's, but your master had requested you join him on a mission for training and field experience that same week.

You'd decided to go with Angel in the end. No offense to Juzo or Mamushi, but after Amaimon tried to marry you in the woods, you kind of had enough of weddings for the time being. Not to mention, your master's mission seemed pretty big, so you didn't want to miss the opportunity to tag along.

"(Y/n), are you sure you'll be alright by yourself for a few days?" Shiemi voiced her concern, looking hesitant to leave True Cross without you.

"I'll be fine! I head out with my master tomorrow and, until then, I've got Amaimon to bother." You waved her off, assuming her you'd be alright.

"We'll miss you, Pheles. Tell us about your mission when you get back." Koneko said his goodbyes, hopping onto the train right behind Izumo.

"Yeah! I bet wherever you're going'll be super awesome!" Rin grinned, almost more excited for your trip than you were.

"Alright, alright. I promise." You chuckled. "As long as you guys promise to bring me back a slice of cake!"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it'd go bad by the time we got back." Shima hated to be the one to break it to you. He was next to board the train.

You ignored Shima, hugging Rin and Shiemi simultaneously before they got on as well. The only two left on the platform were you and Ryuuji.

"Hey." Suguro approached, stopping in front of you.

"Hey." You echoed, a small smile on your face. "You need somethin'?"

"Yeah, actually." Bon cleared his throat. "I know your relationship with Lightning is...pretty weird if I'm honest, but I was hoping you could check in on him before you left."

"You think our relationship is weird? You're still acting like his mom even when he's not here." You teased, rolling your eyes. "Okay. I'll give him a visit later to make sure he hasn't drowned in a pile of his own dirty laundry."

"Thanks." Suguro nodded in gratitude. "Good luck on your mission."

"Thank you." You watched as he finally boarded, leaving you alone on the platform. You waved at the train as it took off, missing your friends before they were even completely out of sight.

Perhaps Shiemi's worries weren't completely unwarranted.

"Hey, Lewin! Open up!" You hung upside-down off the edge of the roof just outside the glass doors to the balcony of Lightning's office. You hadn't felt like entering the building like a normal person and had been using the academy's rooftops to hop around more efficiently anyway, so this just seemed like the most logical thing to do at the time.

Apparently, you'd spooked him, at least a little. He shot up from where he was laying on the couch nearby, confused until he'd spotted you. You sent him a little wave as he came over and opened one of the doors.

"Cuddlebear!" Lewin grinned, welcoming you in. "What brings you here?"

You flipped down, landing in front of him, not too concerned about the bag you were unintentionally jostling.

"Bon-Bon was worried you'd be too lazy to feed yourself, so I told him I'd take care of you." You admitted, strolling into the office. You opened your bag and fished out a bottle of water and a boxed lunch you'd put together earlier in the day. "I made a lot, so eat up."

"Wow, thanks, Cuddlebear!" Lewin accepted the food gratefully. He wasted no time tearing into it, shoveling bits of burnt, discolored food into his face and swallowing before you could even respond. In between bites, he continued. "Ya know, if you ever decide you don't wanna be an exorcist anymore, you should just marry me and cook stuff like this all the time instead!"

"I mean, it can't be all that great..." Your cheeks flushed a rosy red at the compliment. Though, when you really thought about it, marrying Lewin probably would solve your personal issue with the Vatican. It'd be pretty hard to be suspicious of someone who's tied the knot with one of their strongest, highest-ranking members...

...though, if that was the case, it'd probably be more beneficial for Rin to marry him instead.

"Well, it's not really the taste that I like." Lightning admitted, his meal completely finished. "I like that you were the one who made it."

"W-what!?" You stumbled a bit, taken aback by his confession. "What are you talking about!?"

"I mean, I can tell you worked really hard on this." The Arch Knight explained, though it was hard to tell whether he was being truthful or simply teasing. "I can feel the love you put into it just by tasting it!"

"...you're embarrassing. Why did I even come here?" You sighed, shaking your head dismissively.

"Whatever reason it was, I'm glad you did." Lewin stood, not bothering to tidy up his trash. "I'd hate to head out on an empty stomach."

"Head out? Usually you're the one begging me to stay." You raised a brow. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Romania." He admitted, wrapping himself in his poncho.

"W-" Now you had even more questions. "Why?"

"Afraid I've already said too much, Cuddlebear." Lewin booped your nose with one finger before heading out of the door. "You can hangout here if you want, but if you go through files and things you're not supposed to, I'll have to punish you when I get back."

You weren't sure whether that was supposed to be a joke or not. Still, you watched as he closed the door behind him, leaving you alone in his office.

Lewin Light was a strange guy.

Chapter Text

"Why's it gotta be so damn cold out here?" You shivered, wishing you'd worn at least another ten pairs of underwear before you left the house that morning. At least then you wouldn't be freezing your ass off.

"We're in the arctic. Next time take that into consideration when preparing to leave." Your master scolded, looking nice and toasty in his fancy-pants custom coat and scarf. He turned his back to you, walking forward in a motion for you to follow. "Come. It's time I show you something."

You weren't sure what you were expecting, but what he'd showed you wasn't it.

"What...the hell is this?" Your eyes bulged at the sight before you, stopping you in your tracks completely. It was...a dark rift.

The whole thing was encompassed by a large, clear dome, adorned with a golden clock. It didn't take a Paladin to figure out who had most-likely erected it.

"This is an artificial Ghenna Gate created by the Illuminati." Angel explained, eyeing the structure with disdain. "Sir Pheles has managed to prevent its growth by slowing time in the area, however, we only have a few weeks until it becomes unable to hold any longer."

You listened in earnest, biting your lower lip subconsciously. The freezing air did nothing but exasperate the cracks in your lips, causing a sharp pain in both of them as they swiftly became severely chapped.

Arthur turned to you. "Would you be able to create a similar barrier?"

"Maybe..." You answered honestly. You'd been able to stop time before, but only for short periods before the strain of manipulating the aspect itself took its toll on you. "At my current level of experience, I could probably hold it about a day at max."

"I see..." Angel seemed disheartened by your confession.

"Sorry that I can't be more useful." You apologized.

"No, no. Even the smallest amount of time you can buy us is helpful." Arthur reassured you, looking down on the dozens of tents raised below you, not far from the gate. "There are still those who doubt your father's loyalty to the Order, therefore doubting your loyalty as well. I'll admit, I was hoping this would be a good opportunity to prove your worth."

In truth, you didn't blame them. You weren't loyal to the Order. They could all suck it for all you cared. The only ones you were loyal to...were your friends.

You cringed a little on the inside on how that sounded, even if it was true.

"I'll prove my worth another way." You declared, glaring down at the people below.

Arthur simply smiled in a manner you couldn't read. "I look forward to seeing you try."

"I should've packed a space heater." You sighed, knowing fully well you wouldn't have been able to carry such a thing in your bags.

You sat on the cot inside of your tent, bundled up in as many layers as you could walk in, getting ready for supper. Your mission didn't officially start until the next day, so it was important you eat up and get a good rest that night to prepare for the long week ahead of you.

"Where is it?" You shoved your hand into one of your bags, digging around for the candy bar you'd packed, figuring you might as well have dessert now instead of risking biting into a solid block of ice later on. Instead, however, you found a small, pink tube tucked in one of the pockets. "Huh? Chapstick?"

You almost never wore chapstick. This definitely wasn't yours. But, then how did it get into your bag?

A brief memory of Mephisto holding a similar tube a few days earlier came to mind.

"There's no way..." You shook your head in denial. It must've been some sort of mistake.

Still, no sense in not putting it to use when you needed it. You uncapped the lid, smearing a generous amount on your lips before capping it once more.

Your lips were starting to feel better already.

"Hey, you haven't eaten yet." You mentioned to your master as soon as you spotted him.

He sat on a log not far from the fire pit. The Paladin hesitantly accepted the bowl you passed him, shivering at the sight of the gunk inside of it. "So, you made this for me? How...thoughtful."

"Hm? You can tell that I was the one who made it?" You questioned, confused.

"Yes, in fact." Arthur wracked his brain attempting to think of an acceptable way of explaining without telling you it looked like a bowl of hot garbage. "I can feel the...'love' you put into it just by looking at it."

"Huh? Weird." You took a seat beside him. "Lewin said something like that yesterday. I thought he was just being sappy."

Maybe you were a good chef after all.

"Lightning does say many odd things." Arthur sighed, wondering just what was going through the Arch Knight's mind, much like he does every time the tamer interacts with him.

"So." You touched your elbows to your knees, resting your face in the palms of your hands. "Mephisto can't hold that barrier much longer, huh?"

"No." Arthur explained. "Apparently he's put his own body on the line to keep it up as it is."

"I've seen the decay. I didn't realize it was from this." You admitted, recalling how you'd treated that wound of his what felt like forever ago.

"A demon willing to sacrifice his own body to save humans..." Angel was almost amused. "Such a thing seems surreal."

"...maybe it's cuz he's found a new body." You somehow managed to keep your cool while speaking. "He's not worried about his current vessel cuz he's got a new one at the ready as soon as his current one kicks the bucket."

Arthur's head shot to look at you so quickly you were worried he might've caught whiplash. "You don't mean-!?"

"I don't know what I believe, to be honest." You sighed, leaning back to see the sky. "Do I think he's a great dad? No. But do I think he'd raise me like some pig for slaughter..?"

You closed your eyes, trying to prevent yourself from getting a headache.

"...what about..." Arthur started, obviously wavering on whether or not he should actually ask the question on his mind. "What about your mother?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." You sighed, tired of trying to piece together your past. "Funny thing is, Mephisto says he never even knew her!"

"How is that-!?"

"I know right!?"

The two of you shared sentiments on that front.

"Anyway, enough about me." You turned to look at your master, silently admiring how the light glistened off of both the snow and his hair, making the man appear as if he was sparkling. "What were your parents like?"

"I...don't know." Arthur admitted, his face falling solemnly. "I can't remember anything before or during the Blue Night. That's when they died."

So, he had amnesia? Poor guy.

"I'm...so sorry." You tried to console, understanding his deep-rooted hatred of demons a lot better now. "What about that woman you told me about?"

"What woman?" Angel's face scrunched in confusion.

"The one you mistook me for that night you got wasted." You explained, yawning as the feeling of tiredness hit you like a brick wall. "She took care of you as a kid, you said it yourself."

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Arthur shook his head.

"Well, this might not mean much coming from me but..." You started having trouble keeping your eyes open, your lids eventually fluttering shut as you lost your fight with exhaustion. "...I think your parents would be really proud of you."

Arthur had little time to react as you leaned over, head meeting his shoulder before he understood what was happening. He sat still, listening to you softly snore against his neck, wondering how he's come to make a demon feel so comfortable they'd leave themselves vulnerable out in the open.

Chapter Text

"You manage to surprise me each time we train just how quickly you pick up these techniques." Arthur admitted, praising you for once. The two of you stepped away from camp to spar, brushing up on your training to prepare for upcoming battle.

"What? Why are you so shocked?" You huffed, wiping sweat from your brow despite the freezing cold atmosphere. "Maybe I'm just a fast learner."

"Please, I've seen your most recent report card." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Were you simply planning to leech off of Sir Pheles for the rest of your life?"

A shamefaced expression plastered itself onto your face. He'd hit the nail right on the head.

"Paladin!" Angel's radio buzzed to life, a feminine voice ringing out from the speakers of the device. "The targets have arrived and are approaching the barrier. We're waiting for you on standby."

"Looks like that's it for training." You hummed, happy to have a change in subject.

"For now at least." Arthur nodded in agreement, starting towards base with you in tow.

"Holy shit! These things are huge!"

Yetis littered the snowy plain, towering over your camp and probably intent on destroying it if you had to guess.

This was the reason you were here in the first place. Yetis had been showing up out of nowhere, bent on breaking through Mephisto's barrier to open the Gehenna gate. Your master had been summoned to assist with the issue which is why you were there. He said it'd be a good opportunity to get you some "field experience", but you had a feeling he'd mostly just wanted to know if you could hold the time barrier.

"I hope you're not getting cold feet." Arthur hummed, looking unbothered by the looming threat.

"No way! I put on extra socks today so my feet are nice 'n toasty!" You shook your head. You knew he was simply using an expression, but couldn't help teasing him a little.

"An angel taking demon-spawn underneath his wing, hmm?" An unknown man approached you, grey-haired but built like a tank. This guy towered over your master, probably attempting to seem menacing with his tight scowl directed towards you. "I never thought I'd see the day. You're going soft, sir."

Now, you and Angel might not have always seen eye to eye on things, but, as far as you were concerned, you and Lewin were the only ones allowed to haze him.

"And I never thought I'd see such a tightass spew so much bullshit." You huffed, only to have Arthur throw his arm up to halt your verbal assault.

"We're wasting time here." The Paladin addressed you specifically. "Why don't you stop the needless banter and demonstrate what you've learned so far?"

You weren't too happy leaving things off this way, but ultimately accepted your master's order. Pulling a switchblade from your coat pocket, you flipped it open, only for the knife to pop out and shift into Lævateinn.

As it turned out, cutting down ginormous snow beasts was a great outlet for your frustration.

You swung your sword, slicing through the ankle of a yeti like a warm knife through melted butter. With the blade's ease of use, you were continually impressed with Mephisto's swordsmithing skills each time you slid Lævateinn through enemy limbs. At least he had a good backup career in case the whole headmaster thing eventually fell through.

The yeti you'd de-ankled came crashing down on the snowy tundra instantly, shaking the ground and nearly burying you underneath a thick pile of snow. Luckily, you were able to hop onto the creature's immense back before the crash, wobbling a little, but ultimately able to keep yourself steady by sheathing Lævateinn into it's spine.

That seemed to finish it off as the yeti died face-down in the snow.

"That makes three for (Y/n)!" You proclaimed proudly, jumping down from your perch to go face your master. "Think I could make a warmer pair of boots with this guy?"

"Only if you suddenly took up cobbling." Arthur shook his head, surveying the area. You hadn't been able to see it, having been distracted by your own battles with the beasts, but, in that same amount of time, the Paladin had been able to take out ten yetis, wiping the area clear. "That seems to be the last of them, for now at least."

"Great!" You grinned. "That means it's time to head home, right?"

"Yes. Your classes start up again soon, so you'll have to head back." Angel confirmed, tossing you your bag after having someone fetch it from your tent. "I must warn you, however. Things have...changed in the outside world since we'd departed."

"'Changed'?" Your face scrunched in confusion. You kept pace with Arthur as he approached the door meant to transport you home. "It's only been about a week since we left! How much could've happened?"

Your mind immediately darted to thoughts of the Illuminati and Lucifer, but considering you were thousands of miles away from Japan, it was safe to assume it wasn't them...unless they weren't targeting you this time.

Sensing your anxiety, Arthur elaborated. "Demons have been roaming the streets of heavily populated cities as of late. Powerful ones at that."

"So what?" You raised a brow. "Isn't that how it's always been?"

"Not demons this strong, no." The Paladin stopped in front of the doorway, turning to look at you with a serious expression. "And never ones visible to nearly half of the Earth's population."

"W-" You couldn't keep from sharply inhaling your next breath in a gasp in your shock. "Why the HELL IS THIS THE FIRST I'M HEARING ABOUT THIS!?"

"Would you have honestly been focused on your task here if I'd told you beforehand?" The Paladin explained, not caring for your tone. "Besides, this all occurred less than twenty-four hours ago, it's fairly recent news to me as well."

"Damn it..." You huffed in anger, frustrated more than anything. You wondered how your friends were faring. They should've gotten back from Kyoto a few hours ago. Were they safe? What about Godaiin and Shura?

You almost caught yourself worrying about Amaimon, but figured the green bastard was probably having fun amidst the chaos if anything.

As you were stewing in your mental turmoil, Arthur's headset beeped with a communications request. The blonde answered, only to be met with an urgent sounding voice on the other end.

"Put them through." Angel ordered whoever he was speaking with. You were too busy sulking in your own frustration to pay the man any attention, so you couldn't make out what exactly had been said. You couldn't, however, ignore his panicked expression after listening to whoever was on the other end. "What!?"

You watched as the Paladin hastily stepped forward, shouting across the vast tundra.

"PULL BACK!"

"What's going on?" You asked, rushing over to his side.

"No time to explain! We've got to evacuate everyone!" Arthur forced each available doorway open, preparing to abandon the camp.

Soon enough, hoards of people began squeezing through the portals in droves, leaving you confused more than anything.

"What exactly-" You looked to Angel, ready to demand answers when, suddenly...

The barrier collapsed.

You watched as the pocket of time created by Mephisto began to slowly shatter and that's when you knew exactly what the matter was.

Your blood ran ice cold as you willed yourself to turn and face Angel directly.

"Tell me..." Your voice quivered as any background noise became a light ringing in your ears. Your chest tightened as it became increasingly harder to speak. "What happened...to my father?"

Arthur looked to you, not knowing how to carefully broach the subject without incurring a negative response in you. He tried his best despite this.

"Sir Pheles was shot and seriously wounded. That's why he couldn't maintain the barrier." The Paladin observed your face, ignoring the people rushing to flee the area. "Nonetheless, this is too sudden! He acted like there was an ample amount of time left!"

"Oh geez, I wonder why it fell!" You sarcastically grinned, trying your best to keep it together. "It's not like he was shot or anything!"

"..." Arthur eyed you, clearly confused. "...I think you may have misheard me. He was, in fact, injured in that manner."

You wanted to cry. Of all people you could've asked to mentor you, you chose the one friggin guy who doesn't understand jokes or sarcasm.

Soon enough, only the two of you were left, everyone else had safely evacuated to Vatican HQ. Good timing too.

You watched the Gehenna Gate explode into dark waves of power, beginning to envelop the land before you could do anything to prevent it.

"PALADIN!" Someone shouted from the open entryway to the last remaining portal. "If that swallows the door, anything could happen! You must hurry!"

Either Arthur couldn't hear him or he just didn't care. The blonde simply stood frozen at the sight of the destructive energy heading straight towards you. If you didn't act quickly, he would be consumed.

"ER STOPFEN!"

Time is frozen as a barrier erected around a circumference just wide enough to encase you, Arthur, and the door to your escape. It was not as intricate as Mephisto's had been, only decorated by a small clock on the top, however, it did the trick.

It felt as if it'd been less than a moment to you, but, when your small barrier inevitably crashed down, the dark waves had passed over, leaving you, Arthur, and the doorway completely sound...almost.

Angel's attention snapped from where he'd been entranced to where you'd suddenly collapsed to your knees. You coughed, hacking crimson splatters onto the snow before you. You'd casted that spell on a whim, not bothering to count or use your pocket watch, not even sure if your phrasing was correct for that specific barrier.

Not even Mephisto himself could hold that spell unscathed. All your risks immediately took their toll on your mortal body.

"Why..?" Arthur knelt next to you. "Why did you do that!?"

"To save your sorry butt, duh." You snorted, instantly coughing up another pool of blood. You struggled to your feet, trying to steady yourself the best you could. "I think I've grown attached to that tsundere personality of yours."

"What??" Arthur only seemed more confused, attempting to help you walk, only to be swatted away.

"Don't think too hard on it." You staggered towards the open portal. "I've gotta get home and make sure my old man hasn't kicked the bucket."

And if he hadn't, you might just decide to finish the job yourself.

Chapter Text

From the moment you'd slammed the front door open, Belial was at your side. "Miss, you're injured-"

"Not as injured as Mephisto though, right?" You brushed off his apparent concern, making a beeline straight to the headmaster's bedroom.

"Miss, perhaps you should rest before visiting Master." The servant insisted. "You're in a fragile condition and don't need to agitate your wounds."

"We can worry about me later. Right now, I have to see Mephisto." You shook your head, barging into the demon king's room with no warning. Belial didn't follow, simply hanging back as the door slammed shut behind you.

You stopped a few feet from the man you'd been raised by. He laid in his sizable bed, covered in plenty of plush blankets, his head wrapped in bandages along with what you could see of his chest underneath his robe. This was the worst state you'd ever seen him in.

"How...how did this happen...?" Your voice shook as you took a tentative step forward.

Mephisto's eyes had been closed, yet after your words, they'd cracked open to look at you. "Poor security detailing, if I'm honest. Next time I'll have to bring more than just Miss Kirigakure."

The demon king gave the side of his bed a soft pat, gesturing for you to take a seat. You sat on the bed next to where he was laying, looking down at him with a quite pitiful expression.

"Now, now, there's no need for tears." Mephisto snapped, a violet hanky appearing in his hand from out of nowhere before he passed the cloth to you.

You hadn't even noticed, yet light tears were streaming silently down your cheeks. You took the handkerchief and started to dry them. "Who did this to you?"

"They've arrested Mr. Yukio Okumura for the deed." He admitted.

A scowl of anger sketched itself onto your face as you could feel your face grow hotter from the rage. Of course it was him! Things between you two were never friendly, but now you had a valid motive to actually murder him.

"You can calm down, it wasn't actually him." Mephisto reassured, attempting to soothe your anger. "He was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time."

You relaxed a little at that. Someone was still definitely going to die, but at least this time it wouldn't be Yucky-o.

You eyed the man's bandages. "Your body is falling apart."

"Seems like it." Mephisto agreed, accepting the hand you'd placed over his own.

"What's gonna happen when you lose your vessel?" You asked, giving his hand a squeeze. "Will you end up like..?"

"Like Lucifer? Oh no." The demon king denied. "I plan to abandon this body long before that. However, it would be a burden on more than just myself if I should die here."

He was right. If he was forced back into Gehenna, there was no telling when he'd be able to find a new host. He'd be leaving unfinished business with Rin's execution, the mystery of Section Thirteen, and, not to mention, should Lucifer suddenly decide to attack, he was currently the best chance you had at winning against the King of Light. He was way too important to let die.

And, as much as you hated it, you also didn't want to have to go through the grief of losing your father to the depths of Gehenna.

You couldn't deny you'd been cross with Mephisto for a few weeks now, to the point you were willing to betray him. Now that you thought about it, however, you weren't actually really that mad with him. You were just scared.

You'd been thrust into this world so suddenly, different people putting dangerous ideas in your head while telling you that you and the people you cared for most were awful monsters without any consideration on how you were affected by any of it. You had a feeling that the real monsters were those people who'd tried to take advantage of your fragile psyche. People like Lucifer.

You couldn't imagine dealing with any of this when you were younger. Your childhood may have been lonely, sure, but at least then you were never truly unhappy. Was this why Mephisto had kept you hidden away for so long?

You remembered what Lucifer had said back when you'd been held hostage. Maybe you had been born from him, but he certainly wasn't your father.

The man laying down, slowly rotting away in the bed in front of you was.

"Use me..." You muttered, gripping Mephisto's hand as if your life depended on it.

"Huh?" The headmaster looked up at you, clearly confused.

"Use me as your next vessel!" You grit your teeth, demanding the demon king listen. "Isn't that why I was born!?"

A harsh pain stung your cheek, the skin immediately throbbing were Mephisto's hand had slapped your cheek. You looked down, absolutely shocked at the action.

"Don't say such ridiculous things. Using you as a vessel is not an option." Mephisto scoffed, looking at you more seriously than you may have ever seen him. "And what exactly would you know about the circumstances of your birth?"

Hot tears began to slip down your cheeks making it more difficult to speak. "Nothing. Cuz you haven't told me a damn thing..."

You began to sob, suddenly burying your face in Mephisto's chest. In turn, the demon king looked torn between being disgusted and attempting to soothe you. He pet your head gently, allowing your snot and tears to soak into his robe. He'd probably have to burn it later, but for now he chose to bear with it.

"Now, now, mein kleiner knuddelbär," Mephisto cooed softly, allowing you to take in his familiar scent as you needed. "There's no need for tears."

"Why...why won't you just tell me?" You murmured into his clothing. "Why am I here? Was I truly born of Lucifer's blood?"

"Ah, so he did speak to you about more than just 'dental insurance'." The demon king spoke as if he hadn't already had a feeling that had been the case. "(Y/n), the only thing I can say right this moment is that now is not the right time."

"Then, when is the 'right time'?" You sat up once again, your face now red, puffy, and covered in various fluids. Whoever claimed that crying could be pretty was a straight up liar.

"Hm, I'd say about four hours from now." Mephisto admitted, much to your surprise.

"Four stinkin' hours!?" You huffed, annoyed as well as throughly confused. "Why not just tell me now!?"

"Because first, you must do something important." The demon king hummed, passing you a tissue from a nearby container. You accepted the tissue, wiping your face, careful of how tender your cheek still was. You nodded for him to continue, so he did. "You must help rescue Yukio Okumura."

"What!? That jerk!?" You weren't happy. For all you cared, he could rot in whatever prison they shoved him in. Better yet, you hoped they put him in double jail! "What's he gotta do with me? Are you gonna tell me I'm actually Stan's kid like him or somethin'?"

"Like I said, I promise to answer all of your questions after you complete your task." Mephisto shook his head, declining to answer you. "Belial should be just outside this room. He'll fill you in on all of the details, so just be good and play your part, verstehen schatzi?"

"Ja, ich verstehe es." You sighed, standing up from where you'd been sitting. Before heading out of the door, however, you paused, looking down at Mephisto one last time.

You leaned down, placing a kiss to his forehead before leaving the room.

"Get well soon, Papa..."