Book One: Blue Flames & Red Roses

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty:

Nyx's POV:

We ran under a bridge, panting heavily. I turned back to see the blue flames getting larger.

"What the heck is going on over there?" Shima asked.

"Oh God, the blue flames."

"Oh no..." Yukio murmured.

"Rin." Shiemi muttered. I could hear the trees crashing against the ground, and the animalistic growls coming from the son of Satan. I felt my chest tighten.

"I need to get to him." I said. Before anything could be done, his body came flying towards us, landing on the hard pavement.

"No, Rin." Yukio spoke gravely.

"Rin!" I yelled, running towards him.

"Wait!" Shura, Emi, and Yukio yelled. I stopped seeing his expression. His pupils were small specks, and he was baring his teeth, snarling. His ears were long and pointed. I moved forward, but was blocked by the instructors.

"Stay back! We got this!" Yukio yelled as he pulled out his gun and Emi and Shura pulled out their swords. He growled, before moving towards them slowly. I saw them hesitate, using it to my advantage.

"Rin!" I yelled, running past them. He charged at me. I could hear Emi protest.

"Nyx, no!" Emi screamed. She was still injured so she couldn't stop me. I ran into him, seeing him raise his sword, before wrapping my arms around him, burying my face into his chest. His mouth was frothing, but his movements had stopped.

"Ny... x." I heard him mutter. "Run."

"It's alright, baby. I got you. It's gonna be okay." I felt my voice waver. The blue color faded, and the flames were gone. He dropped to the ground, wincing, letting go of the blade. I cradled his head.

"Rin!" Yukio yelled as he and Emi ran towards us.

"Ah... so blue." I looked up, to see a blonde, long-haired man. "As blue as it was that night. No?" He stood at the top of a building, looking out into the smoke. I felt my heart stop. This was not good.

"Oh, great." Shura groaned. The mysterious man then turned to face us all.

"Good morning, everyone! Arthur Auguste Angel at your service. I'm a Senior Exorcist First Class from Vatican Headquarters." I groaned, looking at Shura. Emi then looked at me.

"Nyx, who is that?" I heard Emi mutter. I sighed.

"The biggest pain in my ass. Oh, and the Pa-" Shura cut me off.

"He got promoted a little a while ago. He's the new Paladin."

"Huh? The Paladin?!" Izumo yelled.

"That's correct. I am your supervisor now, Shura. Oh, and Nyx. Don't you think it's time to end this little charade? After all, why were you even trying to in the first place." I growled.

"Hello, Arthur." He frowned at my use of his first name.

"Now then, care to explain what's going on? Weren't you assigned to investigate a possible conspiracy? One between the late Shiro Fujimoto and the Japan Branch Preceptor, Mephisto Pheles." I looked up. So we weren't the only branch concerned with corruption. "Am I correct?"

"Yeah well, I'm not the only spy you got stashed here, am I?" I turned to Shura.

"Too true. Which brings me to the other crucial task you were assigned." He faced Rin. "If you discovered the plot had anything to do with Satan, you were to eliminate it at once." I held the unconscious Rin tighter. This was not the corruption I was sent for, it wasn't Rin. I knew that much. There was something more than Rin. Yukio, Emi, and Shura glared. "Shura, wouldn't you say this blue-flame spewing beast has something to do with Satan?" I scoffed.