🕊Chapter Twelve: Demons🕊
🕊🕊🕊
It was the next morning. I sat up in my bed, letting out a yawn as I rubbed the back of my head. I looked over with drowsy eyes and saw a note on the desk. I let out another yawn and got out of bed, walking over to the desk.
I leaned on the desk, reading the note as I scratched my stomach from under my shirt.
To, Rin,
The boxes I sent off yesterday will be arriving sometime this morning, so I'm heading over early. Take care.
- P.S. -
Please don't make Dad or Alaina worry any more than they already do.
-Yukio.
"Man, that's cold." I pushed myself off the desk and walked over to the lone window in our room, pushing open the curtains. "You couldn't even say goodbye in person?" I grumbled tiredly and rubbed my head, standing in front of the window. I opened my eyes, quickly spotting a bunch of tiny black bugs flying around. "Wh-What's that?!"
I quickly got dressed, pulling my blue hoodie over my head, changing my pants, and slipping on my shoes, running outside. "What the hell are these bugs?" I ran over to the front gate, stopping as I stared at a large number of black bugs floating around.
'How come nobody else see's them?' I looked around at all the people passing by, going about their business like they don't see a thing!
"Okumura, my friend!"
I glared over at the familiar voice, seeing Reiji and his group of friends standing a few yards away.
"Do you have a second?"
I lifted my foot, about to step over the gate but soon remembered what the old man said;
'For the foreseeable future, you both are grounded!'
"What's the matter, Okumura? You turn chicken on us?"
His blond friend snickered, "Yeah, don't tell me you wanna run and hide behind your daddy!"
My eyes narrowed at them, stepping to the sidewalk.
Reiji snickered, turning around, "That's what I thought."
I followed them a little ways away, them turning into a back alley under an overpass.
They turned around and faced me, Reiji's bandaged face grinning at me. "Sorry about yesterday. I was just playing with those pigeons, but my hand slipped, you see."
I stared at him. The black bugs were going crazy around him. 'What's going on with this guy?' I glared at him. "And what about with my friend? Are you gonna apologize for that too?"
He smiled slyly and put his hand over his eyes, searching, "Ah~ the girl. Where is she by the way? I'm surprised she wasn't there with you."
"She's grounded."
He laughed. "What a surprise! Never thought that goody-two-shoes would get in trouble! Ha!" He looked back at me, smirking. "Anyway, I wanna know how much you want."
I looked at him in confusion. What the hell does he mean by that? "What?"
"My parents are somewhat famous, you see. And as for me, I'm about to enroll in True Cross Academy. So, I don't want any unsavory rumors swirling around."
"You mean you're going to the same prestigious school as Yukio? I see your problem."
He chuckled, "Now you got it. Consider it hush money, I'm buying your silence. You just have to keep this and every other episode between you and me!"
I scoffed, letting out a chuckle. "You really threw me a curve there." I began to walk away, holding my hand up dismissively. "Keep your money, I won't tell. I've got a lot of things to do."
"Woah~! What is that, bravado?!" He laughed, "Just take the money! Everyone knows you're so damn poor you can't even get into school without help." He smirked and pulled out his brown wallet, pulling out a 10,000 yen bill. "Here, just take it. At least give it to that sweet lady of yours if not. Yeah, that brother of yours, Yukio is his name? The only way he got into that school was by cramming like hell and gettin' a scholarship! Isn't that right? I feel for you! Use this to help pay his tuition- GAH!"
I rushed forward, flinging my first forward, punching him in the same spot as yesterday. "Scumbag! You can say whatever the hell you want about me, but never diss my brother! OR Alaina!"
"Man that hurts..." He groaned and held the side of his face. "I wouldn't push my luck IF I WERE YOU!!!"
The black bugs around him immediately became more active, swirling around him. "What the hell?" I took a step back, watching his fingers grow long nails and horns grew from the side of his head and a black tail sprouting from his back, 'He's not human!'
His friends rushed behind me, pushing me to the ground as they held down my arms and legs, rendering me defenseless. They didn't even comment on his new appearance. 'Damnit! Why doesn't anyone else see it!'
"An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth..." Reiji walked over to the barrel fire in the corner, grabbing an iron rod from it. He began to walk over, the glowing red rod making a bead of sweat roll down my temple. "I'm gonna give you back twice the pain that you caused me."
"W-Woah... C'mon, Shiratori... You don't wanna do anything-"
"Shut up!" Reiji kicked the guy holding my right arm in the face, knocking him away with incredible strength. 'What the hell is he?!'
He crouched down, gripping my hair and lifting my head off the ground. I groaned in discomfort, eyes clenched shut. "Now, where would you like me to burn you? Your nose, your mouth? Or perhaps your eyes..."
My eyes widened, staring at the glowing hot rod nearing my vision. 'He's really gonna do it!'
He laughed maniacally, "A human barbeque!"
"Stop it!" The rod grew closer, never slowing. I could feel the burning heat coming off of it as it neared my eyes, "GET AWAAAAAAY!"
A loud explosion suddenly sounded, making everyone fly back. I slowly sat up, staring at my hands which were covered in blue fire. 'It's... burning.'
"Blue flames? What the hell?" What the hell was going on with me? What is this?!
Reiji's group of friends screamed and ran away in fear. I couldn't help but stare at the ground, in thought. What the hell is happening to me? What even happened?!
"Those blue flames are indeed proof that you are the true scion of Satan." I looked over, seeing Reiji walk over, voice much deeper, and huskier. "Yes. I was right. My eye was unerring!" He stopped in front of me and crouched down, staring into my eyes with his hand held out to me, "My name is Astaroth. Come with me, my young prince. Lord Satan has long awaited you."
I looked up at him, fearful sweat dripping down my chin, "Sa-Satan... has?"
"Evil is in their hearts," I turned my head, seeing the old man standing there. "O' Lord, give tot hem according to their works and the wickedness of their inventions. According to the works of their hands give thou to them: render to them their reward. Thou shalt destroy them, and shalt not build them up."
"Curse those words! Damn you, exorcist!"
Shiro smirked, the dark alley light casting a shadow on his face. "Blessed be the Lord."
I stared at him, surprised yet relieved to see him. "Old man..."
"I'll rip that mouth of yours apart so you can never utter such spells again!" Reiji- or Astaroth rushed forward, tail swinging wildly as Shiro chanted more words.
"For he hath heard the voice of my supplication." Shiro narrowly moved out of the way of Astaroth's sharp fingers going to jab his throat, "The Lord is my helper," He grabbed his arm and flipped him over, almost effortlessly. "and my protector. Thou shall perish!" Shiro pointed his index and middle finger down at him, black smoke exited his mouth.
Reiji soon lay limp, Shiro dropping his arm. He turned to me, "Are you alright?"
I looked up at him, brows furrowed in worry, "Well...- Nevermind me. Is that guy gonna be alright?"
"I exorcised the demon that had possessed him. He'll come to in a moment."
My eyes widened, mouth agape in shock, "Demon?"
"You can see them now too, can't you?" Shiro looked to the side at one of the black bugs, blowing it out of the way of his face.
I shivered at looked at all of the black bugs, trying to brush them away from my clothes.
"They're called Coal Tar. They're attracted to dank places and introverted humans. This world is comprised of two dimensions joined as one, like a mirror. One is the material world we live in. Assiah. The other is Gehenna, an empty realm inhabited by demons. Normally there can be no contact between these two diverse dimensions, never mind any travel between them. But having possessed all material substance in this world, the demons are now intruding upon it." He explained. I couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief.
"Now stand up. Thanks to this uproar, they have learned of your awakening. Demons of all species will come after you for every kind of reason. You must hide before that comes to pass."
"H-Hold on! What're you saying?! What demons? And what the hell do you mean by awakening?! Just what the hell am I, anyway?!"
"You are not a human being, Rin." I gasped, my eyes widening. "You are the son of a demon, born by a human." Shiro took a breath, "Much like Alaina."
"A-... Alaina is a demon...?" My voice wavered, shock making my legs shake. "Wh-What...? D-Does she know...?"
"No. Her mother is a lower-level demon. Noelani, a demon from Ghana. Her father was human. His name was Harrison Ejiri. He was killed by Noelani."
My eyes widened, "What? But you always said..."
"I know. He didn't die from sickness. He died because had to."
My brows rose in surprise before they furrowed in aggravated confusion, "Wha-... What the hell are you talking about?! What do you mean he had to?! Alaina lived her entire life thinking that her dad died because he was sick! Not that some... demon killed him!"
Shiro stared down at me, the dim light of the alley making him seem more intimidating, "If he stayed alive then it dangered both him and Alaina. Demons from all over would try to find both of them and take Alaina to Gahena while they would kill Harrison. He didn't want her life to be plagued by the demons, so he asked Noelani to kill him. He asked me to take care of her on the day he died."
I looked at my knees, 'No way... Alaina... is like me...? That... That can't be...'
Suddenly, strange demons strouted from the ground, odd mushrooms forming at the bottom of the overpass. "But you were not conceived from just any demon either..." The old man grabbed my arm and pulled me up, "The demon of all demons. You are... the offspring of Satan..."
🕊🕊🕊