Okumura Yukio had always been able to see demons. They were obscuring the heavens in blobs of darkness, crawling under his bed and slithering on the walls like geckos. It made him cry. He couldn't help it, when they locked their bulging eye on him. His classmates picked up on him, calling him a freak. Only Nii-san protected him from the bullies, but Nii-san always got in trouble in the end. It was Father Fujimoto who told him to grow stronger so he could protect his Nii-san. Nii-san didn't know of the monstrosities he saw, of the squishing, squirming sounds he heard, and the decaying smell of rotten flesh he smelled. It was better that way.

The world he lived in was clear: demons were meant to be slain. His aim was the closest thing to perfection, and the knowledge he had compartmentalised worthy of the mightiest libraries. He had chosen a Meister in Dragoon, like his father, and in Doctor, so he could take care of his ever so reckless Nii-san. It served him well, both of them. With one he stole life, and with the other he healed it. Nii-san never learned about it.

It wasn't before his first solo mission that he realised there weren't only demons. He had been sent to the outskirts of True Cross to deal with a small case of goblins. Yet, once he had reached the frontier, he had encountered a most peculiar sight. He had etched her image in his memory like he would with a demon's description. Tall, with flowing locks of hair reaching her ankles, and wearing a bikini top with a short skirt, astride a lion. Piercing her right ear, a sakura-shaped earring gleamed. Although Yukio's nape hadn't tingled with foreboding, he had cloaked himself in the shadows of an alley. His instinct had told him, although they were no demons, not to meddle. They weren't demons but they were dangerous.

He had liked to say he returned unfazed by this encounter and that it had only been a one-time occurrence, but it had only been the beginning. He saw much more peculiar things afterwards. While he never saw the woman again, he did see a man clad in a black tracksuit with blue eyes burning brighter than Nii-san's flames. He had mistaken it for Satan in his shock, only to remember the bittersweet memory of Father's death. The man, while he had a gaze of molten azure, wasn't Satan. He once witnessed a young boy with wild blond curls transforming into a sword with ragged bandages swirling around its handle. He (it?) belonged to the faux Satan. The latter wielded him with elegance yet aggressiveness, cutting through demons' scales like it was butter and landing with a feline's grace.

Those people didn't hurt humans. In fact, Yukio doubted humans could see them, for the bikini-clad lady atop a lion with a gigantic sword never caused any commotion. He had grown used to being the only one cursed with seeing the darker side of this world. Yet those people, no matter how strange they were clothed or how uncommon their ways of fighting were, didn't hurt humans. They rather saved them. They slew demons with weapons that transformed into people. He had never dared to question it, not like Nii-san would've done. The one time he had mentioned it to Father, he had received an eluding answer in the likes of, "Don't worry about them and they won't mind you."

If only Father had told him more, for Yukio was cautious but nevertheless curious. He had never dared to approach them. He acted like everyone else, ignoring them. Even the other exorcists who came across their paths weren't heeding them.

However, Okumura Rin had no qualms smashing the unspoken rules like a truck in a glass case.

His Nii-san had always had the subtlety of an elephant. It was both a weakness and a strength, and Yukio couldn't determine with certainty if it was more of the former than the latter. When Nii-san awakened his powers, he attended True Cross Academy to become an exorcist, but he never caught a glimpsed of one. Seeing them was as rare as getting struck by lightning and winning the lottery on the same day. Beside, Nii-san had more important problems, like him slacking off in his studies. Yukio would've liked to help him more, but he was a teacher who couldn't be swayed with favouritism and he had to let Nii-san learn things by himself.

Yukio had been sent with the Exwires for a small Coal Tars cleaning mission in an abandoned mansion. His duty was merely to watch and evaluate, but his stomach was heavy with apprehension. Somehow, with Nii-san having to hide his demonic flames yet always relying on them, and with those people wielding weapons that transformed into people, he knew he would have to intervene. His teacher's coat burdened his shoulders as he led the way. He adjusted his glasses, frowning as he heard his students arguing once more. Was it too much to ask that they worked together just this once?

Yukio froze and looked up. It was that woman again. She soared above their heads, her blond hair veiling the sun. All the Exwires' bickering stopped as they stood, mouth agape, staring at the apparition vanished in the distance.

"What was that?" Nii-san exclaimed, one hand in a visor.

"Exwires, let's continue," Yukio called to order.

Nii-san grabbed at his sleeve, his eyes wide and devoid of any malice. "Yukio, have you seen that? There was a–"

"I've seen it as well as you all, but this doesn't concern our mission."

He pushed his glasses up once more. Nii-san was staring at him as if he had grown a second head.

"But - but have you seen her? She was flying on a lion."

Yukio's gaze swept through his class, meeting confused eyes. Although they were knowledgeable in demonology, they all seemed new to those people. Their reaction was enough of a testimony. He drew a deep breath, "I understand you've never seen one of those people before, and they're a rare sight. I don't know who they are because I've been told to ignore them, and so do the other exorcists."

"Sensei, do you mean nobody knows who they are and we just let them roam in True Cross?" Bon scowled, incredulity tainting his voice.

"There were investigations to verify their intentions, and the Vatican had concluded they were no threat to the human population. In fact, all reports pointed that they eradicated demons."

"So they're allies? We should go talk to them then."

"Have you listened to what I just said, Nii-san?"

Yukio shook his head with a sigh, yet fortunately Nii-san grumbled something before giving in. They ambled to the dilapidated mansion, stopping in front of what used to be a lawn of fresh, mowed grass. Instead, there were clouds of dust and cinders swirling on the porch and snaking through the cracks in the brick walls. The windows were gaping holes giving way to darkness, except for an ominous light flickering on the second floor.

"Your mission is simple." Everyone perked up, their gaze hovering him and the building back and forth. "You have to eliminate all the Coal Tars inside, and I also placed a few traps inside to make sure this training will be worthy of Exwires."

His speech emitted a few groans, but then they straightened to face the challenge. Yukio let them go, his eyes boring in Nii-san's back. He knew how reckless Nii-san could be, and even the dread of his classmates discovering about his flames, it had never stopped him before. He sighed, turning his back, only to be face to face with a chestnut-haired man with bespectacled green eyes. Yukio's hand slid towards his gun in the fold of his coat, the man cocking an eyebrow.

"I'd advise you not to attack me. I've only come to warn you."

How did he–? Yukio, unlike Nii-san, actually listened to logic and complied, removing his hand from his holster. "Then deliver your message."

The man pushed up his glasses in such a similar way to him that he felt like watching himself in the mirror. "We know you're currently training young exorcists in this building, but we'd politely ask you to leave the premises. It is not safe for you to remain here."

"I assume that 'we' stand for this blond woman and you."

The man's body was taunt like a wire as his head tilted upward. "You've seen her."

"It was hard not to see her. All of my students including myself would've had to be blind not to see someone flying on a lion."

Although his face didn't display a flicker of emotion, Yukio knew his expression well, for he wore it more often than he'd admit. The man was assessing the situation with a cool mind, readjusting variables and sketching possible outcomes. His body was a statue but his mind was a machine, reeling, calculating, memorising.

Yukio's eyes were drawn to the kanji "Chō" tattooed in crimson on the man's hand, stark against his pale skin. The man looked completely normal, except for this symbol. Yukio knew better than trusting appearances. There was an edge in his steely glance, an edge Father Fujimoto had when he switched from caring father to rational exorcist.

"Chō," Yukio tried, and he wasn't shocked when the man's eyes snapped back to him, "what kind of danger am I exposing my students to if I choose to remain here?"

"In all due respect, exorcist, the demons we are hunting are out of your league. To retreat is the wisest decision."

A reply worthy of Nii-san danced on the tip of his tongue but he didn't indulge himself. He had pride but not arrogance. Locking eyes with Chō, he knew it was better to stand down. The man didn't hold himself like a human; he held himself like a weapon. His stance was stiff, his feet balancing his weight, his head curved forward as if ready to ram into him, his eyes cold and never wavering. He was one of them, the extraordinary weapons. Yukio almost asked to confirm his suspicions, but Chō's eyes kept on straying, as if he itched to look behind. He was worrying about the woman perhaps as bad as he did with Nii-san.

Yukio was about to answer when shrieks erupted from behind him. He whirled around, cocking his guns and aiming instinctively. Chō was already darting forward, leaping on the porch and disappearing inside. Yukio hurried after him as fear gripped his heart for both Nii-san and the man, before reminding himself that the latter didn't need protection. He was a weapon. As for Nii-san... It was a whole other matter, and he doubted Chō would take it well that Nii-san had Satan's flames.

The man ahead of him was just a shadow on the floor as Coal Tars swarmed around him. Gritting his teeth, he fired a few shots, wincing as they exploded and released wafts of sulphur. Much to his dismay, they didn't float away from him but rather sought to drown him.

"Chō!" Yukio cried out, never stopping from firing. He couldn't see a thing except for yellow eyes and pointy teeth eager to sink in his flesh.

"Issen!"

The exorcist squinted as a bright line chopped in half a few Coal Tars that were hovering close to him. They fell to the ground, writhing before stilling. The line pulsed with a white glow, and the Coal Tars whined as they bumped against the frontier. Chō was scowling, the light reflecting in his glasses.

"Follow me."

He offered no more words, not that Yukio needed encouragement. They bolted through the building infested with demons, but Chō repeated his spell while slicing the air with two fingers and the Coal Tars were blown away. Yukio couldn't help but wondering if Chō had a special training in Aria, for he had never heard of a one-word chant to dispel Coal Tars. Running in his wake, Yukio couldn't see his countenance. They broke through a door, the Coal Tars inside flapping around and screeching. Yukio didn't flinch. He cleaved his way through the throng of demons with bullets, chills rolling down his spine.

"Nii-san?" He shouted, his eyes darting through the room to land on a demon he had never seen.

It was a gigantic black mass covered with eyeballs rolling in their sockets. It was crouching, but its back was still rubbing against the roof and threatening to break through it. Tendrils of oily liquid like petroleum were dripping from the mass, falling on the floor with a sizzling sound. Yukio could make out the near imperceptible outline of two enormous hinder legs and smaller arms like a tyrannosaur.

"Smells... nice..." It moaned, and the exorcist cocked his gun faster than lightning.

He was about to aim when a hand gripped him by his shoulder and shoved him aside. Yukio stumbled backwards, gasping. Chō stood in front of him as if to shield him, yelling his demon-repelling spell. The creature turned towards them, bristling. It effortlessly broke through the frontier, each step making a sound of thunder.

"Issen!" He repeated, but the boundary was shattered once more. "We have to find Veena."

"Who?" Yukio inquired, but Chō was already sprinting away. "Wait! My brother–"

"Only Veena can defeat an ayakashi of this size. Come on."

Yukio grounded his teeth together yet followed suit. Even if he wanted to mirror his brother and plunge headfirst in action, his logic prevailed. Chō knew more about the situation than anyone, for he was a part of the taboo universe he had been warned against. He felt powerless and clueless, something which hadn't happened since he had entered True Cross Academy. Yukio had always been in control. He had believed that he knew everything there was to know, but he had never heard about ayakashi demons. Chō, on the other hand, knew.

The two young men bolted out of the mansion, the Coal Tars spiralling out of the windows and seeping from the cracks in the basement's walls. Chō stared at them with creases wrinkling his forehead. They shared a sideway glance heavy with tension. His mind was fissured with uneasiness. If Nii-san happened to die by Chō's fault...

"Come, Chōki!"

Chō's kanji glowed and detached itself from his skin to hover close above his hand. Yukio watched with wide eyes as the man was transformed into a sakura-shaped earring. It flew away to pierce the lady's right ear's tender flesh, shining under the setting sun. She managed to look fierce and ethereal at the same time, her violet eyes drilling holes in his very soul. He would've felt the need to draw his guns, but he was rooted where he was. The lady hopped off the lion. Yukio straightened as he caught the jingles of weapons, most likely guns, concealed in her quite revealing attire.

"You should leave if you want to live, human."

Human. Her hair waltzed in the wind, billowing like a bride's veil. The twilight cast shades of pink to dance on her cheeks, heightening the fire within her cat-like pupils. The sakura-shaped earring winked at him. He had always wondered, ever since listening to stories on Father Fujimoto's knees, if gods existed. He had figured there had to be a counterbalance somewhere to outweigh Satan and bring harmony to the world, but Father had never acknowledged or denied it. He understood why exorcists didn't talk to them. It wasn't for the sole reason they feared them. It also was because they revered them too much to bore them with their petty existence.

Yukio bowed, fisting his hands in his coat. "Milady, I have no desire to offend you, but I can't leave yet. My students and my brother are still somewhere with this demon. Chō called it an ayakashi. It's my responsibility to ensure their safety."

The only thing she registered from his speech was, "Chō? Do you mean Kazuma?"

"Kazuma... I had deduced he also answered by the name Chō because of the kanji on his hand."

She examined him, narrowing her eyes. "I'll do everything I can to save your students, but my main duty is to eliminate the ayakashi. Kazuma says you'll accept not to intervene if I allow you to come."

Yukio wanted to protest, but as he glanced at the earring, he felt like electricity coursing through his veins and short-circuiting his core. "Yes, milady."

"My name is Bishamon. What is yours?"

He gulped inwardly. Bishamon, as in Bishamonten the God of war? "Okumura Yukio."

She beckoned to climb on the lion, but as he approached, the feline bared his fangs. He stopped, hands in the air to show he meant no harm, but the lion turned its head to its mistress and roared. Bishamon glared at him.

"Kuraha says you're tainted."

"Tainted? I've fought with Coal Tars earlier, but I haven't–"

"Revert, Kazuma," she cut off, and in a blink, Kazuma was standing next to him. "Lead him to the clearing we spotted earlier. I'll take it down there."

She left without a glance towards them, heading west and basking in the twilight. Yukio looked down at his hands, wondering if Kuraha had sensed a demonic spark in his blood. He tested it every day and had always been cleared, but the lion had recoiled instinctively. Was it a sign his non-existent powers would awaken soon, or was he just overthinking it?

"We have to hurry before night falls," Kazuma declared, breaking his chain of thoughts.

Yukio nodded, distracted. They ran through the forest. The trees leaned to them as they brushed past their trunks. The roots moved aside when their feet grazed the ground. The flowers whispered, the leaves sang, and the birds looked away. Yukio's nape was tingling. His heart may be pumping, his blood rushing through his veins, his lungs inhaling, but his mind was focusing on one thing. Where were his students? Where was Rin? The wind bit his face, the woods disappearing behind him. His students were standing further away, their face stricken with confusion. Then he saw his Nii-san. Overthrown, cast away, like a doll with no strings, lying on his side, eyes closed like he was sleeping. Towering over him, arms akimbo, the Goddess, considering his worth.

"Nii-san!" He gasped, fear clawing at his heart.

Bishamon's eyes snapped to him, smouldering. He sprang in action, but Kazuma's hand closed around his shoulder like a hawk with its talons. He yanked himself out, his eyes riveted to his Nii-san, crumpled to the floor, his blue flames flickering. He tried swallowing back his fear, but his logical mind was failing.

"Lady Bishamon, he's my brother."

"He reeks of ayakashi," she snarled. "Look at those flames and tell me he's your brother."

"He is. He is my Nii-san and his name is Okumura Rin. He's not an ayakashi."

Father used to prod him often with trapped questions on demons. Questions like "What would you do if you met a kind demon?" or "Do you think all demons should be killed?". He had always pictured the world in black and white. Then he had learned about the circumstances of Father's death by Satan's possession. Then he learned about Nii-san's true heritage, and his own lessened heritage. Then he had learned about the grey areas in life that made it so complicated. Nii-san had stood for a long time in this grey area, but now that he was facing death by a Goddess of war, Yukio had never seen a clearer truth. Nii-san was his brother and nothing could ever change that.

"Then what is he? Those flames don't belong to a human."

Her voice was a crackling whip as she took out two twin guns, aiming at Rin. Yukio grabbed his guns and went to aim, but stopped in his momentum. He didn't understand. He forced himself to move, mustered all his willpower, but he was paralysed from head to toes. He could only move his eyes, which were broadening and looking around frantically.

"I will not let you hurt Veena," Kazuma enunciated.

"Then tell her not to attack Nii-san."

"Okumura-sensei–" Bon began.

"I did more than I should," Bishamon declared, her voice loud so everyone could hear her. "I destroyed the ayakashi andI saved your students as well. Had I arrived one minute after and I would've been too late. Kazuma told me you wouldn't intervene and yet here you are, aiming your guns at me. This boy," she shouted, beckoning Nii-san, "has Satan's flames!"

"Nii-san's half-demon, half-human," Yukio explained. "And so am I. The only difference is that I haven't inherited of Satan's flames. I can't guarantee he's not dangerous, but he's learning. He's learning how to control his flames, but most importantly, he's not evil. He wants to help people and to have friends, and he protected his friends more than once and would do it again."

Bishamon's glower didn't fade, but she pocketed her guns nonetheless. "Release him, Kazuma." Yukio stumbled, his body relieved of an invisible burden. "I can't let this boy roam around on the Near Shore as he pleases. He may not have any malicious intents, but he remains a threat to anyone around him. I have to inform the Heavens about it. If you intervene in any way, whether to stop their decision or try to reason them, your memory of Okumura Rin will be erased."

Yukio scowled, but it faltered as he took in Nii-san's form. He had to inform Mephisto Pheles as soon as possible. "I understand," he relented, grimacing.

"Come, Chōki," she ordered, and then hopped on Kuruha with the earring adorning her ear.

Then she vanished in the clouds, the sky turning a deep crimson as the last sun rays settled behind the mountains.