AN: This fic takes place in the same universe as Sincerely and Until Next time. It's our last installment for our "Lettersverse" that's relevant to the plot we've got going on. This installment won't be updated as often as the other two stories. It's more of a fill-in-the-blanks kind of thing. Considering that, it's kind of important to at least read up to chapter 29 in Sincerely in order to follow along with this chapter. We hope you enjoy it!

Shiro clutched his chest and let the shotgun hang at his side as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Reverend Fujimoto!"

"Hold on!" Shiro let go of his chest in order to hold up a halting hand, stopping Nagatomo in his tracks. "Just give me a second."

He regulated his breathing. Deep inhale and release. Deep inhale and release. The stitch in his chest was slowly beginning to unwind itself. His muscles felt less tense. The panic that had formed in his mind was calmed and he was able to smile at the other priests who were staring at him with concern.

"I'm alright," Shiro said, letting out a small laugh under his words. "I'm just... not as young as I used to be."

Nagatomo was the only one who didn't soften at his words. "Are you sure?" he prompted quietly as the other priests set about dispelling the last of the demons that had attacked the monastery.

Shiro nodded. "It's under control."

Nagatomo hesitated before he nodded as well. He was the first to turn around and resume his duties whereas the others took a couple more moments. The monastery was in shambles. Astaroth had broken in, bringing a small army of demons with him in order to take Rin into custody. Fortunately, they were able to hide the fact that Rin and his friend had already left long ago.

Still, Shiro was worried. He stowed his shotgun back under the tabernacle and absently rubbed at his chest.

"Nagatomo," he called out and flicked his wrist to beckon the priest over. He was just finishing the Rite of Purification on the boy who had been Astaroth's vessel when he stood up and headed over.

"Something wrong?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. It was just…" Shiro didn't know how to explain it. "Look, I'm going to go see Mephisto. I need to see if Rin and Ryuuji-kun made it safely."

Nagatomo nodded. "Go. I'm worried about them too. We can handle things here."

Shiro clapped a hand on the priest's shoulder and headed for the back door, a golden key in his hand.

But the scene he walked into when he did was possibly Shiro's worst nightmare. Rin and Ryuuji were, indeed, in Mephisto's office. But the way things turned out weren't at all like he expected.

"—path you've chosen is not a simple one, and one day you'll surely come to regret it, but I will support it! From this day forth, you, Okumura Rin, will be enrolled to this Academy to be trained as an exorcist!"

"Mephisto!" Shiro snapped immediately.

Mephisto met his eyes. The bastard didn't even have the grace to look ashamed. His manic grin merely widened as he acknowledged Shiro's presence. The expression wasn't anything new. Shiro found himself glossing over it in exchange of looking at his son.

Rin had a tail. No, more than just a tail. The pointed ears were half hidden under messy hair and fangs were showing behind a grimace. Shiro zeroed in on the one other person in the room. Ryuuji looked slack jawed and unaware.

"What happened?" He couldn't stop the lowering pitch of his voice nor bring himself to sympathize too much when Ryuuji flinched.

No one dared to speak. Rin was biting his lip with uncertainty, and Ryuuji couldn't bring himself to look at Shiro in the eye.

"I…" the bulky teen began shakily after what seemed like hours, but Mephisto interrupted him before he could explain a thing.

"That's an awful face you're making there, Shiro."

Mephisto's voice was as silky as it was sharp. He cut the tension in the room with ease, grinning the entire time.

"Glad you could finally make it though. We've much to discuss~!" he continued, looking entirely too pleased about Shiro's arrival.

As he had been standing right in front of Rin, it only took him a step before he was able to reach for the teen. Mephisto placed a hand on the back of the half-demon's neck and urged him forward, resting it there as he looked at Shiro over his son's head. There was an undeniable smirk twitching at the corner of his lips as he continued speaking that same jovial tone.

"You came at the perfect time too. These kids have had quite a day. How about we send them off while you and I discuss things?"

Shiro grit his teeth behind his lips and narrowed his eyes at Mephisto. He glanced down towards his son who was opening his mouth to speak.

"It wasn't Ryuuji's fau-"

"Rin." Shiro cut him off immediately. He didn't want to hear what had happened. It was irrelevant now. Wasting time on explanations and excuses was something Shiro was loath to do. He had bigger fish to fry. Namely, the one currently holding Rin's neck. "Go with Ryuuji-kun to his dorm. Spend the night there. I'll pick you up in the morning. I have to have a long talk with the Chairman about your future here."

For once, Rin didn't argue and Shiro was glad that he didn't. He waited, never taking his eyes off the demon before him until the two boys were gone from the room. He felt the quiet anger in him start to bubble over in his chest. Part of it was directed at Mephisto because he knew that the silver-tongued demon had something to do with the way things ended up. And then at himself, because he wasn't strong enough to handle this situation on his own.

"What in God's name are you playing at?" Shiro snapped through gritted teeth the moment to door closed behind them.

Mephisto's lips twitched at the words. His gaze focused back on Shiro now that the two teens were gone.

"What do you mean?" the demon asked in an innocuous tone. Emerald-green eyes glinted with poorly hidden amusement.

"You know what I mean," Shiro growled, but he elaborated regardless. "Accepting Rin into the Academy! Do you know how much danger you're putting him in?"

"We've discussed this, Shiro. There were little other alternatives that we could have taken." Undaunted by the other's anger, Mephisto shrugged and plopped back down on one of the seats, crossing his legs in front of him. "For all your precautions, you were too steadfast in the belief that he would never break the seal on the sword. Did you really think you could continue to keep his existence hidden for long now that it has?"

"So your solution is to put him right under the Vatican's noses?" Shiro didn't move from his spot, glaring at how relaxed the demon seemed to be. But of course, why should he expect anything less?

"Naturally~!" Mephisto grinned up at his old friend. "What better way to flip the tables on them than by making him a vital part of the very organization which hunts him? Make him useful to them, and they won't dare to dispose of him—no matter how much they loathe what he truly is."

From an objective point of view, from his paladin side, it was a good plan. Hell, it was more than a good plan. It was all they got. But knowing that Rin was the one that was going to be at the center of it all… "That's too risky. There are other ways. Safer ways." Shiro shook his head. "You're betting my son's life in this. How can you guarantee that they won't just say fuck it and kill him anyway?"

"Guarantee?" Mephisto repeated the word as if it was unfamiliar to him. His lips twitched slightly as he shot the other a hooded look. "I never make promises I don't plan to keep… but it'll take more than mere friendship for me to offer such a guarantee."

As usual, the long-standing offer to grant the paladin's wishes for a price was silently extended to him.

"Whether he survives what is to come remains as much of a mystery to me as it is to you." The demon shrugged lightly. "More importantly, unless you plan on making another bargain, your part in molding the boy's life is over. As per our agreement, his fate is in my hands now… and his own, I suppose. He's the one that chose this path himself without any prompting from me." Mephisto looked pleased by his own words; he always did when something managed to catch him by surprise.

Shiro tossed a bitter smirk to the side. Demons and their deals. Still, the words stung. The mere thought of Rin being removed from his care was something he loathed. He wouldn't allow it to happen, bargain or not.

"I think I'll hold onto my soul for right now." He offered a malicious grin to the Chairman. "As collateral." Shiro walked over to Mephisto, his steps as calculated as his words. "I'm not willing to go all in with such a dangerous game. I hope you understand."

If Mephisto was disappointed, he didn't show it. That sly smile of his remained on his lips, matching Shiro's expression. "It's nothing less than what I had expected," he assured him. "Still, the offer stands and you are free to pursue it any time." With that said, the Chairman waved a hand in front of him, dismissing the matter in the same way he would dismiss a menu.

"Shall we move onto the next topic, then?"

"He can't stay with the other kids." The next topic seemed obvious enough. Shiro crossed his arms. "As much as it pains me to say, I don't know how Rin's powers are going to affect him now. I know he's going to do his best to control them but as of right now, he's a bit of a wild card. I don't want him to hurt himself or anyone else."

Shiro sat down on the coffee table in front of Mephisto and met his gaze, keeping eye contact. "So where are you going to put us?"

"Hmm…" The question made Mephisto pressed a gloved finger to his lips. His expression turned contemplative. "Where, indeed…?" He stroked his beard twice before his eyes lit up. Snapping his fingers caused a map of the Academy to appear with a purple marker alongside it.

"Ah, I know the perfect place~!" After snatching the items off midair, he scribbled on the map and then tapped his finger to the place he had circled as he showed it to Shiro. "The old boys' dorm is unused now that we have made renovations. I'll put a hold on demolishing the place for you for as long as the boy studies here. What do you think~?"

Shiro leaned in to inspect the spot. "Is it inhabitable?" The paladin raised an eyebrow at his friend. "The ceiling isn't going to collapse on us, right?"

Mephisto shot Shiro an insulted look. "A little more faith would be appreciated!" He pulled the map away and rolled it up as he continued. "The only thing you have to worry about is cleaning. I'll have the water and electricity working again by tomorrow. Of course, I'll be taking those costs out of your paycheck," he added with a devilish grin. "The rest is in your hands."

Shiro stared at Mephisto, his lips still marred by that frown. Of course, his paycheck. But still, he knew that this was the best he was going to get out of Mephisto without offering a certain something of his in return. "Fine." He stood up and pushed up his glasses. "I'll have everything moved in by the morning."

"Excellent!" Mephisto followed the other to his feet and handed over the map, placing it in Shiro's hand. If his fingers lingered on the paladin's skin a little longer than propriety dictated, his expression didn't betray it. "Last thing, then. I can easily enroll him discreetly as a last minute entrant, but it's best to keep everything official. I'll arrange it so he can make up the entrance exams before sorting him into the high school classes." The demon grinned. "He'll have to do his best to brush up on his studies. The most I can give him is until the day before classes begin, agreed?"

Shiro held the map in a loose fist. "Agreed." He nodded. "It's best for him if he goes back to school anyway." His phone beeped in his pocket. Shiro frowned and immediately retrieved it, frowning at the screen. "... Shit. I have to go."

Mephisto's eyebrow rose along with his curiosity. "Off so soon?"

"Duty calls," he responded vaguely. Shiro headed towards the door but he stopped short before placing his hand on the knob. "Mephisto." He spoke without turning to look. "If you put either of my sons in danger, I promise you that I won't be as compliant as I've been in the past. This is an entirely different matter from our usual games. Do you understand?"

"So protective of your little lion cubs. You should worry less about me, and more about yourself, Shiro." There was a slight pause. Mephisto's voice showed no hint of concern, but there was something different about the way he was staring at Shiro's back, at the faint hint of skin that lingered between his hairline and the brim of his cassock. "You're looking awfully pale," he murmured.

Shiro smirked tightly and glanced at the Chairman over his shoulder. "Worried about me?" His tone held that usual teasing tone, but the light didn't reach his eyes.

"Aren't I always?"

The purple-haired demon gave a slight shrug. His lips tilted upwards as he caught the paladin's glance.

"You'll be of no use to anyone if you die, Shiro. Do your best not to let your guard down," he cautioned.

The paladin gave a soft chuckle and he turned the doorknob. "Well, don't get your panties in a bunch. I've held out for this long. I have no intention of dying any time soon." Shiro walked out of the office, his step as determined and steadfast as always.

When the door closed behind him, Mephisto's light smile turned as dark and as somber as the bags under his eyes. Green eyes stared at the empty space where Shiro had been standing. The reassurance that he would see the gray-haired man again beyond this day made a choir of triumph throb in his chest.

"I have no intention of letting you die either, Shiro. Not this time. Not for a long while," he murmured to himself. The look of satisfaction on his face was one that didn't fade for the rest of the night.