Ashley 'Ash/Soot' Clade's Story

The sky was turning crimson by the time the children would have arrived at the warehouse that had been chosen as the meeting place between them and the Warriors of the Divine Light's current Leader, Arthur. The sky had started to open, a light drizzle of liquid tinted golden by the last rays of the setting sun. The Warehouse was located in a fairly isolated part of the countryside, so that nobody would get too suspicious if a few cars rolled up the driveway and a few relatively varied people entered the building. The Warehouse was surrounded by nothing but beautiful fields of long, green grass on the left side, reaching as far as the eye could see into the distance, where pillars of smoke could be seen beyond a mountain range. The right side of the warehouse's surroundings belonged to the sea, a purely vertical drop straight down onto the sharp, jagged rocks below, constantly showered and sprayed by the foam and strength of the cold, merciless blue below. The rest of the scene was fairly bland, and that was just as well, since the place that your attention would be brought to was the warehouse itself.

Passersby wouldn't even bother to turn their heads to look at the dull, unattended building, instead focusing on not crashing their car or sliding off of the road and slipping off of the cliffside, toppling to a water grave, and most likely an early one. The lights inside the warehouse flickered to life as a group of people, some older than others, slipped into the warehouse silently, closing the door just as the storm started raging like someone who had just died for the billionth time. The interior of the warehouse was almost exactly the same as the outside. Dull, worn, and practically nonexistant, aside from a few seats and a couch, all positioned in a way that man sitting in the comfiest looking chair in the room could easily keep tabs on all of his audience, whom were arriving through the door and being seated at that very moment. A suited man slipped over to the man in the chair, and whispered something into his ear, to which the man nodded once, clicking his fingers. Suddenly, several lamps in the room were lit, and the lights dimmed. None could see his face, but those that had met him before would know him from his one working eye.

When his audience had been seated, the man clapped his hands, and a young lady appeared from behind him, appearing out of nowhere but shadows and nothingness, her red eyes sparked as she looked over the four faces before her, and her expression saddened visibly, as if someone she was looking for wasn't there. She eyed the newcomers with a small smirk on her face, despite her apparent dispair, if you could call it such. Something about her seemed off, maybe it was the way she was constantly fidgeting, or maybe it was the fangs that protruded clearly from her mouth, and the scarlet eyes that seemed to have no emotion in them, no pity, no love or hatred, only... nothingness.

"You four have been summoned here because of one reason, and one reason alone. You all possess one thing in common, although none of you have met before, you may think that those round you are slightly familiar or that you are somehow connected. Indeed, this is the truth, you all are connected, all of you have the blood of the Devil running through your veins. You are all born of Human Mothers and Human Fathers, or maybe both, having gained your blood further on in the past, but it remains the same. You are all half Demon, and you are a danger to Humanity".

With that statement made, several of the men in the room fidgeted uncertainly, and the tension thickened. It could even be cut with a metaphorical knife, if you wished to. Moreso, you could cut it if you could somehow hold a metaphorical knife, which is described to be intensely sharp and difficult to handle. The man in the seat clicked his fingers, whilst the girl beside him laughed seemingly uncontrollably. A few men stepped forward, pulling guns from their coat pockets and aiming them at the people seated. The man in the chair looked around the room, his eye searching for one person in particular.

The doors behind them opened, and a boy stepped into the room, playing a Game on his iPod, apparently undisturbed by the horrendously powerful storm that he had just entered into the safety of the warehouse from. His guide staggered in behind him, apologising repeatedly about how the boy had been hard to track down, and how he'd been a bit hard to handle. It almost seemed that the man was a bold-faced liar, but the boy's grin told otherwise.

The girl eyed him as a hawk would eye their prey, but something changed, and her scarily crazy demenour disappeared, her smile changing into one of satisfaction, and she tapped the man in the chair on the shoulder and nodded. The man glared at the boy, but only the most skilled people-readers would even notice it, as he was practically glaring permanently. The man stood, spreading his arms wide dramatically, as lightening flashed in the background, illuminating the scene briefly, he laughed slightly, then continued his speech.

"But I shall give you all a choice, you may come work for the international organisation, called the WDL, or the 'Warriors of the Divine Light', or you may die here, and be of no threat to humankind at all, and you shall be sent straight to Purgatory, where your soul shall rot for all eternity for the sins you have no doubt committed in your years. I am Arthur, current Leader of the WDL and the Leader of the Paladins, the WDL's elite Demon Hunting Squad. In short, I am the most powerful Human on this Earth".

He motioned to the girl beside him. "This young lady here is known as 'Illusion', due to her nature and skillset, she is the head of our Demon Program, being one herself. Due to her Demonic heritage, she is not very trusted, but she has served us for a long time, long enough to gain at least a molecule of our trust, therefore she will be watching over all of you as you grow. I will not reveal much about her to you, as it is strictly confidential, and only very few of our own men, even the higher-ups, know anything about her".

The man paused as somebody rushed up to him, whispering urgently. The mans eyes widened, and he held up his hand, the lights blazed brilliantly as someone switched them up to full power, and he was finally revealed. His long, once golden hair hung down to his waist in a braid, and his chin was the site of a fair amount of stubble and hair. His left eye and cheek had a viciously long scratch adorning them, as if someone had cut him with a blade of some sort. His robe was swept aside to reveal Paladin Armor, and he hoisted a Golden Axe above his head, apparently awaiting something. A few minutes of tense silence followed, and everyone within the room could have sworn that the shadows were moving by themselves.

It was a few more seconds before the lights went out and all of the windows smashed att he same time, just before a massive swarm of crows and smaller Demons flooded the place. Sounds of fighting could be heard and the roaring of the minor demons filled the room, echoing off of the walls. Suddenly, several torches were lit, and the swarm receeded slightly, and a figure stood in its midst. The piercing blue eyes penetrated many souls, and the people in that room had almost no defence. It eyed person after person, before settling onto the five children, wherever they were. Cackling could be hear from the swarm of crows and the figure, whose talons stretched almost a metre long, totaling five on one hand, and four on the other. It glared at Arthur, and it then became obvious that the missing talon was the work of the Paladin standing before them. The man simply glared at the Monster, who ceased his cackling, and turned once again to the Children.

"Ah, my Masters Children have mostly all been summoned into one place, easy pickings really. But I am not here to kill you, I am simply here to... recruit you into our Ranks". The Demon grinned maniacally, before opening his wings and allowing a Portal to form. "In naught but a few seconds this place shall be filled to the brim with minor Demons ready to feast on your very souls. Now, those of you that are more.. darkly inclined must come to me quickly, and then we shall meet your Father". The portal glowed crimson red, and pure hatred seemed to seep from it. A loud clamour could be heard outside, and the creature grinned. "Soon...".

Suddenly, a glow eminated from a far corner of the room, with Arthur standing by it and more people rushing inside than even seemed to have been present. Arthru turned, glaring at the Demon. "Quickly! Before the Demons gain entry! We must fight the Devil and rid the world of his tyrrany, so that Humanity may rest in peace!".

In a short time, a large amount of Demons, both major and minor, would both enter the Warehouse, tearing those present to shreds. The boy wearing the hoodie had already made his decision, heading towards Arthur, who muttered something to him, and the Boy nodded, proceeding down into the depths, followed shortly by Illusion, who glanced back at the people behind her, before grinning and entering the tunnel.

Now is the time to make your choice, for good or for evil, for power of for love? Your choice must be made now, or you will die.

Slowly rolling down the dirt road, the low hum of a motorbike could be heard as it made its way across the countryside. The empty field of grass, now well overdue for cutting reminded Ash of an old farm that she’d visited with her family once, and she smiled at the faint memory of the time her sister had been kicked by a cow. Slowly but surely, she continued up the road, though a pair of rapid honks from behind her indicated that the ‘WDL’ wanted her to pick up the pace. The sleek black car with a pair of agents had been following relatively close the whole time, making it quite clear that they didn’t trust her to head to… Wherever it was she was going. It’d been a while since the last time the car in front had turned, and seeing as they were in the countryside, it all looked basically the same – the only reason she’d be able to find her way back to civilisation was because it was practically straight.

Again, the horn sounded behind her, and she mumbled something under her breath, revving the engine a little more as the first few droplets of late afternoon rain began to form. Bringing her hand up to shut the visor of her helmet, the soft scent of salt began to become clearer, and the low rumble from her bike began to give way to the sound of waves against the rocks. Glancing to the side of the road, Ash didn’t realise she’d travelled all the way to the ocean, and part of her marvelled at the sight. Even though the cliff was sheer rock, she could still see the way the foam crashed and sprayed up the jagged wall. Wherever they were going, it certainly had a nice view – especially at this time with the sun dancing off the rain.

As the car in front veered to the side, Ash got her first glance at the structure they were heading to. It was a large, dingy looking warehouse, and part of her was just a little bummed it wasn’t some mansion or something. Gingerly slowing herself down, she pulled her baby to a stop by the wall, kicking the stand and removing the key from the ignition. Slipping her helmet off and shaking her hair free, she tussled it twice with her hand, getting the black strands clear of her shoulders before nestling the helmet into the seat. Somehow, she didn’t think she had to worry about thieves taking it. Glancing across the other cars arriving, she didn’t get much time to view who exactly was attending this thing before she was somewhat roughly nudged in the back. The ‘gentleman’ behind her was clearly the impatient fellow behind the horn earlier, and he had no intention of letting Ash lollygag about. Rolling her eyes in disdain, Ash made her way through the opening in the warehouse doors, taking in the gloomy décor before being shown to a rickety looking metal stool. Normally she would comment on such treatment, but the somewhat sullen, serious nature of the atmosphere made her refrain. Instead, she made do with folded arms and a sceptical expression, looking bemused at the current predicament.

Glancing about the room, it didn’t take her long to acknowledge who the ‘important’ people were. First of all was that kid one seat across from her: He looked young, maybe around her 2nd youngest sister's age? For a moment, she met eyes with him, but he quickly broke it off. Didn't seem like he had much confidence. Turning aside, she looked to the next one on her right, and eyed the coils of rope binding him to his chair. This man was a bit older, closer to her age. She wasn't sure how close exactly, he could've been late 20s for all she knew. Regardless, the fact he was bound worried her somewhat. Was he that dangerous, or just uncooperative? Deciding not to dwell on it, she looked to the last person seated nearby, a tall and pale fellow, that she could only guess was younger then her. Probably needed to get out in the sun more. As she continued to think on the situation, it occured to her that anyone without that MIB wannabe suit was probably in the same boat as her, or…

As the lights suddenly flicked on, revealing the body of who Ash could only assume was the leader, she leant forward in her seat, waiting for the inevitable announcement that was to follow. At the appearance of the… strange woman…Well, ‘strange’ was possibly the polite way to put it; Ash was more than a little transfixed by the numerous and somewhat… mystifying features of the girl... Snapped from her daydream by the man’s words, the sudden, sinister change in attitude put Ash on edge, and instinctively, she clenched her fists and stood up as the guns were drawn and pointed their direction. So this was how they were going to deal with things? Drag her off to some isolated warehouse and then cover up spilling her blood? Shit, how could she be so stupid? These people were clearly psychotic…

The sudden slamming of the door, accompanied by the coincidental strike of lightning brought everyone in the room to a pause, swirling to the boy who had made his entrance to the room. With the shaky excuses coming from the agent, Ash begun to wonder if perhaps she should have put up more resistance to this trip… But then remembered the fellow tied to the chair on her right. Still, something about the boy irked her. Perhaps it was his nonchalant attitude arriving late, playing some game and being unfazed at the multitude of arms pointed his direction?

Oh wait. That was what annoyed her.

As the man known as Arthur began to laugh at the situation, rambling on about a ‘choice’ for them, Ash’s annoyance was quickly shifted to a new target. Forget the bad boy, this old guy was definitely on the top of her asshole list. And for those who didn’t know, that was a pretty big list. She couldn’t stand bigshots like that guy, especially one hiding behind all his little agents rather then facing them like a man. For the ‘strongest’ human on Earth, he certainly seemed scared about them. As the man summoned forth some shining armour and mystical axe, Ash was beginning to wonder if perhaps he’d heard her. She didn’t have time to dwell on that before hell broke lose. Screaming as she ducked down, shielding herself from the splintering glass all around; the whirlwind of chaos was almost more than she could handle as she backed up to the wall, crouching down. Not in fear though - Don’t be stupid - She was just protecting herself.

And suddenly she felt cold. Alone. Empty. She froze as she stared into that blue void, a haze of nausea and weakness flooding through her. Just… What was this feeling? That taloned freak seemed to be staring into her soul, picking it apart… Clenching her eyes shut and shaking her head, slowly, she stood to her feet. She wasn’t afraid of this thing and she wasn’t about to go see some demon father. She had a father. She wasn’t going to let him down. Narrowing her eyes, she gave her own piercing stare of defiance at the monster. She’d made her choice. The WDL were no saints, but in her mind, at least they wanted to protect this world.

Better the devil you know.

The soft hum that had accompanied Ash for her trip became heard once more, before filling the air with a deep roar. Screeching through the front door, the black blur bowled over a number of the demons scrabbling about the ground before sliding to a stop in front of Ash. Her personal Ninja and escape ticket had just arrived. She wasn't sure how in the hell her motorbike had gotten in here like that, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Straddling the seat, she revved the engine twice, looking over her route. Gunning it and filling the air with the smell of burning rubber, she shot off, crushing one of the already crippled demons on her way to the tunnel. Suddenly swerving and slowing, she barely missed the tall boy with the black hair giving the demon the bird, having awkwardly stopped in the middle of the road.

“Out of the way, dumbass!” Ash yelled in irritation over her shoulder, before focusing back in front of her as she travelled on her bike through the black tunnel…

:: The day had certainly been a strange one for Sebastian, although what day wasn't? He was being taken to this god awful place for some god awful reason, oops, he just used the lord's name in vein, how thoughtful. Upon arriving, Sebastian found the place to be, well, old, as one could of guessed, and suspicious, he hated looking at it already. He thought this was going to be it, his life was finally going downhill and he was going to be kept like some dog on a leash, to serve for your country or to die for it, he guessed was the old saying. Although one thing did catch his eye, a young woman, who had arrived and he presumed was here for the same reason he was. She looked older, way older, but that didn't matter to Sebastian. As he felt himself grow closer, he hid behind his own personal wall, it was all he could do from being an idiot right in front of more idiots. Once he felt himself sit down, he did his best to avoid looking at her, or even making eye contact with her. Questions filled his curious little head, who was she, where did she come from, did she have the same hobbies as he did, but they were quickly put to the side as the people in front of him began walking.

He thought to himself, oh be quiet already, let me go and I'll sleep on the job. I'll do anything to get out of this place, even sell my soul. His eyes rolled in secret as he heard them say what he expected to say, you are a dog on a leash, nothing more to us. We will kill you if you step out of line, we are not human, you have the devil's blood in you, prepare to spend your remaining days as souless sl -- wait, what? He had the devil's blood in him?! He couldn't believe it, they all had it somehow?! He then looked back over at the girl by accident, quickly turning away as he felt himself mentally get slapped for being such a fool. Physical pain was nothing new to him, hell, he had been through it all his life, whether on himself or others. He wondered if he would be working together with the woman, but those thoughts too were interrupted by the presence of another.

It seemed today was just full of surprises when all of hell was suddenly breaking loose in the place, his eyes looking around for the woman, but he couldn't find her. Those holy pricks, he thought to himself, how dare they force them to do what they pleased! They weren't human, they were far from human, and somewhere in his heart he knew this. He then saw a portal, his eyes widened as he looked into it and thought maybe this was where the woman went. He looked around as he knew he couldn't stay here, he had to go, he had to escape, this was his only chance! He then sprinted away, away from the holy people who claimed to be following god's orders, and threw himself in. And then, it grew dark.

His eyes opened to look around at the flames that were suddenly around him, the spot he was in was empty of those flames. How long had he been here, he wondered, as he got up on to his feet. Where was he? He saw no one but himself here, he was doomed it seemed. "Welcome." A voice spoke out, he almost jumped as he fell on his butt and saw a single eye appear in front of him. "Do not be afraid of me, I am here to guide you." It spoke out, as he suddenly felt calmer, although it was strange. What did it want from him? "W-what are you...?" He asked the eye, as it seemed to be watching him with such curiosity, he thought it strange for such a being. "Well, in a way I am you, and in another I am not you. I already know everything about you, but you hardly know anything about me." It spoke out, as he tried to catch up, but it continued. "You are Sebastian, correct? Your father never showed up to your birth, he left your life and was never seen since, your mother grew ill over time and eventually you were sent to an orphanage." His eyes widened at this, it knew! He put his hands over his ears, it knew, it knew, it knew! "You were never adopted, you were left to die, yet you survived on your own." Oh god, he could still hear it so clearly! "Calm down, as I said, I am in a way you. Now, let's talk about why you are here."

He felt his hands slowly lower as he continued to watch the eye, it never stood still but kept moving all around and about, never once going past the circle of darkness. "That woman." It began, as he forced himself on to his feet, watching it come up to eye level. "You feel something, don't you? You are confused, yet you are also angry, for now her life is in danger." It spoke out, as he felt his body shiver. "Do not worry, she will live, most likely. If not, she will be cast down here." It gave off a chuckle after this, as he nearly slapped the thing for this. "She will not die! Not if I have anything to say about it!" He shouted angrily to the eye, much to his surprise, it began to laugh at him, as if already knowing the answer. "You wish you had that kind of power, but do not worry, you will. You are, in a sense, a demi-god. Ever heard of the greek gods?" It asked him, but before he could nod, it spoke once again. "Of course you do, it's easy history. Now, when I say demi-god, I do carefully put in the word 'demi-god' because you are half man, half demon god. Well, as close to a demon god as you will get in this world. So, you want to save her from the corrupted men of the surface world?" This time it allowed him to nod in his answer. "Good! Let me tell you, those men are not holy. They are against God and his rules, they sin every day without his authority, they dis-respect the laws he has put down, and they have ruined the world he created for you all. Oh but do not worry Sebastian, you will now have the power to stop them. Hold out your arms for me." It asked of him, and when he did, dark red flames came out and started to slam down on his tattoos. He wanted to scream out as he felt the flames hit, but there was no pain, no burning of flesh, somehow it was meant to be this way. Once the flames were gone, his arms were unharmed, and his tattoo's were now glowing red, he felt his arms shaking from the experience. "Well, that ought to do it. Your first power has been granted to you, although it will be some time before you can use it. Trust me, you will learn soon enough. Now, what is your purpose?"

He considered this through in his head for a while, seeming to close his eyes as he went through thought after thought in his head, already knowing the eye could see all of them somehow. "I cannot bring back the dead, nor will I try. I will not try to destroy the Earth, for it is my home. I will fight against the corrupted holy people, I will bring them down for what they have done to the world. They have become so misshapen, so tainted, so... evil. I will destroy them, and I will save her." He said as he finally opened his eyes, the eye couldn't help but laugh. "Very well, have your own opinion on the matter. There is a man you now must meet, the man behind your very existence, the reason you are here. It is time to meet the fallen angel himself." He rose a brow as it began to fly off then, the flames beginning to separate in front of it. He felt himself ran off after it, closing his eyes and then opening them to still see it happening. This was no dream, he thought to himself. That woman had been no dream. This place was no dream. The Fallen Angel himself must not be a dream then. He had no idea if he would be accepted or not, being only a novice and all compared to the rest of hell's depths, but was this thing right? Was in, in a sense, a demi-god to the world? No, not just the world, but the demon world as he knew it? And that woman, why had he taken such an interest in her suddenly? It may all become clear, now that he was about to meet the man responsible for all this. ::

Several of the cars took off, speeding away from the Warehouse fater than the Demons could chase, although this was only a temporary thing, the minor Demons, having eaten everything and everyone inside the Building, and still thirsting for the blood of Exorcists, pursued the Cars down through the tunnel. It was dark in the tunnel, only lit up by the dim lights on either side of the walls, and a centered line of lights stretching along the roof, the entire length of the tunnel.

The Cars easily caught up to the female on the Motorbike, and Deon actually took the time to look at her, now that he had some time to. 'Hmm, not bad, but not amazingly attractive either, maybe I should give her a hand or something?'. Deon pondered this, until something hit the back of the truck, knocking him into reality and annoying him somewhat. He looked up just in time to see the swarm of Demons close in, sticking together and transforming into one to slam into the car once more. The Phoenix Boy had a few seconds to realise what they were doing, groan in annoyance, and kick a door off of the side of the car, before the demons hit again, flipping it over and sending flames flying through the tunnel, incinerating and illuminating Humans, Demons and other Vehicles alike.

"Damn, I liked that Car, and I didn't get to finish my goddamn drink".

If the female on the bike had decided to look up at that second, she would have seen a shadow flying over her, landing on yet another Car, and pull out two revolvers from seemingly nowhere. The figure grinned savagely, leaning into the roof on one of the Cars, before he pulled his head out and took aim. There was a mask covering his face this time, hiding all but the blue and gold eyes, and the vicious smile.

"Now, shall we have some fun? The Executioner has.... arrived!".

The sound of bullets hammering through the bodies of the Demons could be heard by all, echoing mercilessly throughout the tunnel. The attacking gunner seemed to be dancing in the air and on the cars roof, all the while humming loudly, as if he was waiting for something. He felt the powers of his bloodline awaken, and a savage growl arose from his throat. He hated using it as much as the next person, which, apparently, wouldn't be that much at the time, but he needed too all the less. Well, he would've had to, except he remembered something.

The Gunner sheathed his Revolvers, palming himself in the face in a way that said 'How the fuck did I forget about that!'. He pulled something out of his Pocket, and flicked it in his hands a few times. "I'll probably just be able to blame all of this on Illusion, or make somebody else an 'awesome demon-killing dude', but I can't let them know about me yet. Not until I'm more well acquainted with them, and I'm able to ditch the WDL".

The boy pulled his hood on further, hoping that nobody had noticed who it was that had decided to murder a gaint amount of the Demons following them. He pulled the pin and threw it, waiting.

Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
...

"Did I pull the pi- Whoa!".

The boy shielded his eyes against the brilliant glare, as the holy water and shrapnel burst from the tiny canister, shredding through the hordes of Demonic enemies and leaving their torn, bloodied bodies littering the floor of the Tunnel. The boy grinned as the light faded, and the demons finally relented their attacks. "Damn, if I hadn't remembered my Grenade, I would've been given away. Oh well, it's just a little favor of mine to the WDL, saving their goddamn asses".

The Boy sighed and shook his head, leaping down into the open rooftop window of the limousine he was on. He was angered, and wondering how the hell the Exorcists had even become such, when a high voice, dripping with slight amusement, spoke to him from the darkness.

"I'd congratulate you, Hikari, but I'm not sure I like you yet".

Deon, or Hikari, as the Exorcists knew and spoke of him as, turned to the girl, Illusion, and gave her the bird. He wasn't very fond of her mind games, and the fact that she always eyed him oddly, in fact, he didn't like her much at all, although her eyes were pretty.

Deon thought to Himself. 'Well, she isn't that bad, after all, she's probably just like me somehow. Or maybe... that spark in her eyes betrays her somewhat. And I'm sure that I'll know her when I get my memories back, stupid WDL blocking them! Gah, I just want to fucking murder them, tear their throats out and strangle them with their own organs!'

"But then I wouldn't get them back, and I'd be screwed forever".

Deon reclined in his chair, whilst Illusion mumbled something about returning to the Academy early to sign some enrollment plans... 'Wait... what? Enrollment plans!? I have to go to them WDL's Academy now? As a Student? Fuck that!...Wait, no. This is just what I need, to scope my Sisters and Brothers out, to find and weaknesses and destroy them'.

Deon would've opened his eyes again, but sleep was claiming him, and he fell into a restful slumber.





Illusion vanished from the Limo as soon as Deon had fallen asleep, watching as Arthur sent out the beam that would open the portal to the WDL's Main Academy, and where they Children would be safe, or so they thought. Illusion smiled at the stupidity of the WDL's Leader, Arthur had foolishly trusted her enough to allow her to oversee the Academy, and the occupants. Most of which weren't Demonic, and almost all were fully Human. She closed her eyes, a dark smile on her face, and let the shadows consume her.

"Ahhh, my Daughter, what have you found? You, the embodiment of Lies and Deception herself, have succeeded in your mission?"

"Indeed, I have, my Father, my Lord. Five of your Seven Children have been found. Two are coming to you, and the rest are joining those idiotic Warriors of the Divine Light. Sadly, one of those is also one of your eldest Children. Him".

"That is only troublesome due to his memory loss.... Send for Loki, ask him to see the Council immediately. I shall send you as my representative".

Illusion turned, and with the click of her fingers, and a grin on her face, summoned a Demon, a timid fellow with a life to live and a family to care for. He would work nicely for Loki.

"Find Loki, tell him that the Council wishes to see him and his idiot Brother, and then return to me with news".

The Demon stammered his reply, and left, disappearing to find Loki.

"This is working well, it is. Isn't that right, Deon? Something tells me that Loki will be looking forward to seeing you again".

A smile snaked it's way across her face, spreading until it took up the entire width, literally from ear to ear. A laugh began to slide out of her vocal cords, an unsettling laugh that depicted a young girl ruined and crushed by hatred and rape, of a taste for blood, and her fight for life, and it all ended with nothing but insanity. The insanity that could infect anybody, and had infected everyone at some point, the Illusions of grandure and lustre that proved to be nothing but false hopes and the beliefs of the idiot population. When it ended, she vanished, as if she was never there.

Just like a true Illusion, because they never really are there.

Lights and streaks amongst the darkness. Hollow echoes of desperation hurtling through the empty black abyss, screaming for their escape and freedom. The whipping of the wind and the terrifying cackles of their demonic pursuers rattled through Ash’s brain, sending shivers down her spine. Her hands ached from gripping the handles so hard, and she had the feeling she was getting a little windburn without her helmet. It was all a blur around her, and the adrenaline pumping through her body made each moment agonizingly clear to her. Glancing to her mirror, she could easily make out the cars hot on her tail, one swerving out to overtake her. Clearly it was less about chasing her, and more to do with fleeing for their own lives.

As she continued to focus on the mirror, her eyes widened in shock and she muttered an obscenity, turning her head to look behind her to confirm what she saw. Grimacing, she could see it was no illusion, a ravaging whirlwind of demons behind them. Hounds, ravens, crows, imps… A mesh of shadows and darkness, it sickened her watching them meld together into some giant abomination, the odd pieces of wings and flesh hanging from the chimera of monsters. Still, she was unable to turn away, transfixed in horror as it closed in on the rear truck, a deafening crash sounding as it rammed the vehicle, causing it to swerve violently.

And then, the next few moments seemed like eternity. Sparks flew and brought more flashes of the destruction behind her, highlighting the beast as it bathed in the red light, its gaping maw shredding into the truck and flipping the vehicle. The screech of metal grinding along the ground filled the air, before the deafening roar of an explosion sent shrapnel, dust and flames scorching through the tunnel. Forced to look away, Ash clenched her eyes shut, hanging on for dear life as she balanced herself against the strength of the explosion. Flames licked at her heels as searing heat closed in... Then, as cinders wafted past and the heat faded around her, she tentatively opened her eyes, looking back to confirm she was clear.

Bewilderment was the expression on her face as she saw the figure silhouetted against the fading explosion a moment before sailing clear over her head, landing perfectly on the roof of the nearby limousine. That was impossible. No one could do that. Shutting her gaping mouth and shaking her head, Ash leaned forward, gunning the engine to catch up and get a better look at just who this guy was. “Get a grip girl. The moment you started believing in demons was the moment when you should’ve expected this kinda thing…” Thinking to herself as she rationalised what happened, she glanced up to see the man with two… Pistols?

"Now, shall we have some fun? The Executioner has.... arrived!"

Who did this guy think he was? Some vigilante hero? This wasn’t a Saturday morning cartoon, this was serious. They didn't need some Dante wanna...- Flinching at the sound of gunfire hailing through the air next to her, Ash gave a yell of panic as she quickly eased off on the accelerator and weaved to the side, clearing the line of sight for the shooter as the bullets ripped through the sinewy demons closing in behind her. Glancing back at the mess of monsters being shredded, part of her realised that could have been her. Narrowing her eyes as she turned back to the front, she once again tried closing the gap between her and the limo, pulling up along side it. “Hey, Dumbass! You could’ve killed me!”

Unable to be heard over the engines, demons and gunfire, Ash frowned and glared at the figure. She couldn’t make out anything about him, other than those menacing glowing eyes and that stupid carefree attitude, like he wasn’t even fazed by the monsters behind them, alot like… Blinking once, Ash did a brief double take. “Is that…?” The soft clink and the whizz of something small and metal dropping to the speeding asphalt distracted Ash for a moment as she looked back to the sound, before watching something sail through the sky back to the demons. Had she of been watching the ‘Executioner’ the whole time, she might have been able to anticipate what was to follow. Instead, she stared perplexed at the object as it landed right in front of the amalgamation behind her.

“Just what the hell was-“

Forced to cover her eyes from the brilliant blinding glare, Ash nearly swerved into the wall of the tunnel before she could clear the disorientation, rubbing her eyes and swearing under her breath. Behind her, all that was left was the dismembered mess of demons, and the now, far off wreck of the truck. For now, it seemed she was safe... And she had ‘him’ to thank for it. Looking back to the roof of the limo, he had already vanished, like some phantom that had never even been there. But she knew he had been there. She knew who had been there. She was certain of it. Running alongside the limo, Ashe pulled up to the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the figures inside. Leaning up to the tinted glass, she was almost close enough for her breath to mist against it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t see anything but her own dark reflection… Black... Menacing... Violent! Dark demonic wickedness hissed in her face, reaching out to claw at her throat with sudden ferocity! Giving a strangled yelp, Ash swerved and fell back from the window, covered in perspiration as a cold dreading fear washed over her, her breath deep and ragged. Cautiously glancing back to the window, all she could see was that infinite black void. There was never anything there.

“Cool it! All these demons and stuff is just psyching you out. It’s stupid to be afraid of your own reflection. God…” Thinking it over in her head some more, she gave one more look back to the window, meeting eyes with her reflection before sharply turning away. Though she kept telling herself that in her head, she couldn’t help but feel awash with deep feelings of doubt… With a sickening feeling in her stomach, Ash gave a sigh of disgust. Returning her eyes back to the road in front of her, she slowly shifted down in gears to trail behind the Limosine, idly following it as she was left to her thoughts.

Somehow… She didn’t really want to be anywhere near that reflection…

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry"

Those words kept repeating on and on, echoing throughout the room that they were in.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry".

Flinching. Dark, cold, filled with nothingness as the bat swung down, a brutally thunderous crack resounding throughout the room, and the night sky seemed to react in kind, pouring her tears down onto the Earth.

"I.... I'm s-sorry.... I'm... s-sorry.... I...."

Sentences were cut off by gurgles as the cold, icy grip of the reaper closed around her throat, and the crimson liquid flowed down to her lap, and she finally left him. He looked down at the weapon in his hands, a feeling of relief flooding through him, and when he opened his eyes he saw the world for what it really was. The syringe on the ground contained not a deadly drug, but medicine that a Doctor had prescribed to him.

Blink.

The two girls and the boy that he had thought were trying to do him in, to end his existence as they had suddenly, or supposedly ended the lives of so many others, were only trying to help him get over his sickness, his cold. He didn't need their help, or ask for their help though, and then it finally sank in.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I... I- I thought you guys were tryi-... I should've known better, not to trust him... I... I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU, DEMON! YOU, THE DEVIL HIMSELF, SHALL FALL TO MY FUCKING BLADE! HEAR ME!? I'LL TEAR YOUR FUCKING FACE OFF AND THEN STRANGLE YOU WITH YOUR OWN ORGANS!".

He stood, clutching the metal bat in his hand, he threw it at the wall, screaming like a savage beast that had been driven to the absolute edge of sanity, lusting for nothing but vengeance against the one that had cursed it with it's power and anger. He roared again, tearing at the wallpapers and leaving long tears in the walls themselves, the blood from his own fingernails mixing with the pool of blood already on the floor. He hated his Father, his real Father. He would do anything to kill him, and bring his friends back from the dead.

"Dammit. DAAAMMMIIIT! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN UNTIL I FIND YOU, DEVIL!

And with that, the boy leaped out of the window, avoiding police and innocents alike, cursing the day he was born.



"Gah! Hah.... hah....ah...".

Deon's breathing was quick and heavy, and a pool of sweat had pooled up on his brow, which he promptly wiped off, cursing the nightmares that almost constantly plagued him. He looked outside, realising that the Limousine had gone through the portal that Arthur had opened, and they were safely in the academy, where no Demons could enter, or so it was said. He quickly longed for fresh air, and he practically leaped out of the Limo, kicking the door open and clambering into the dazzling light. He looked back at the Limo, only to see two armed men get out and reach for him. His eyes widened and he bolted forward, but in all his speed, a coughing fit took him to his knees, and he clutched at his chest, trying desperately to drag oxygen into his lungs, and he kept this up until somebody kicked him roughly in the small of his back, lifting him up and hitting him across the face with the butt of a Shotgun. How he ached to take the smile off of the mans face by tearing into his throat, and then going on a rampage through the Academy, but he simply hissed dangerously at the man, spitting at him, which gave him nothing but another few whacks to the face and stomach.

The WDL was known for it's brutally efficient methods and the fact that not even a Demon King could last long due to the Weapons they carried and their abilities. Deon punched his assailant square in the jaw, and leaped on top of him, with the intent of caving his face in. 'Heh, I think I'll enjo- what?'. He grimaced as he was once again lifted from the ground, this time whilst being restrained by two armed soldiers, both with tazers and pistols at their hips. His previous assailant stood, just as the others must have arrived, and pulled out a vial of holy water, splashing Deon in the face and watching as he writhed in agony, which was followed by a few good whacks from the butt of the Shotgun. He grasped Deon's face by the cheeks and looked at him.

"Do you submit? The pain and suffering will end here if you do".

"No, it won't. The pain won't end for a long time, asshole".

Luckily, Deon was too far away from either Ash or Devin for the two to hear what he said, and so he gave them a sign to make them think. He spat straight into the face of the man, blood and salive alike hitting him in the eyes and causing him to recoil in shock and slight pain. he quickly got over it however, and then seemed to make it his life goal to make Deon suffer and scream, but he would be met with much resistance, and Deon would resist as long as he could stand to, after all, weakness and submission hadn't gotten him this close before, had it? No, it hadn't, and he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip out from his clutches, he would fight with the strength of a Deon, and he wouldn't let anybody win over him, because his Phoenix pride had been awoken, and once he starts something, he intends to finish it.

*Whack*
*Thwack*
*Crunch*
*Snap*

The man beared down on the boy, beating him with much vigour and strength, whilst Deon was held back by his two accomplices in the crime, the blood starting to drip from his nose and the pain increasing with every hit from the mans Shotgun. Suddenly, something happened, the man had broken his Shotgun with the last hit, and it had snapped. It fired in the mans face, the bullets barely missing, but the aftershock hit him square in the face, causing him to stagger backwards and roar in agony and anger. He motioned to his friends, and they let Deon go, but only for a second. Deon gritted his teeth as he felt a taser bump him in the side, causing him to spasm wildly, whilst the other man had grabbed him and begun savagely booting him in the chest, and Deon thought he heard ribs break.

"Heh... Is that... all... that you assholes have?".

*Crack*

Deon's head whipped backwards as he felt a fist collide with his chin, and he was sent flying backwards into the Limo, leaving a massive dent in the side of it, a human-shaped dent, mind you. The main assailant was grinning, unwrapping the bandage on his hand, which revealed an insignia on the back of his palm.

"The Warriors of the Divine Light's Sigil grants those who use it to smite Demons enhanced physical powers. I can break wall with this hand, and walls are stronger than you are".

Deon lifted himself off of the Limousine, staggering and falling to his knees lightly, coughing up blood and letting it dribble down his chin. He knew it would be better to pretend to be defeated, and his power was being restrained due to the Holy Water. Already though, his wounds were healing, aside from the punch the man had given him. He grinned, but only slightly. The man took strides toward him, rearing to punch him when....

"I hate to stop your fun, but...."





A red and gold blur blasted out of the Limo, flinging the Man into the air and sending him flying into a far off wall, causing several pillars to collapse, but that would have no overall effects on the main Academy Building, nor the Dorms, only the Gym. 'Oh well, it's just a Gym. And possibly a few expendable people'.

Illusion grinned lightly as the man's allies rushed to his aid, she sighed loudly and beckoned Ash and Devin over, grinning innocently as if that sort of thing happened all of the time. Deon stood, coughing a few times as the last of the blood shot from his mouth onto the already scarlet stained ground. Illusion smiled at him. "Is your last name Scarlet because you always cough up this much blood?". Deon looked at her, unamused and obviously slightly miffed. Illusion laughed, a perfectly normal laugh, of course, one that somebody would use when they were amused, which Illusion was. "You're a weirdo, you know that, Illusion?".

Illusion laughed again, grinning. She opened her eyes, surveying her audience, and opened her arms dramatically. "Welcome to the Academy! You'll enjoy your stay I'm sure, but only as long as you're able to keep your Demonic heritage a secret, of course. Arthur has already left to his Quarters, since his is technically the Pope, so he could easily be in Rome now. Allow me to further introduce myself. Yes, my name is 'Illusion', I am a Demon, and I love being so. This form is only used to allow me to blend in around here, and i go by a different name. In Public, I am known as 'Alexandra Demonia', and I am the Principal of this School! People will state that i am not, for I have a Human as my spokesperson, so people will ask you who I am, simply answer with 'A Friend', and you'll be fine. The people here absolutely hate Demons, even though some have rebelled and walk among them, they are constantly fighting, but when a real threat appears, they stop all that nonsense".

She turned to Deon, a small smirk playing on her lips. "I trust you've already met Mr. Hikari Scarlet here, so you can introduce yourselves when I set up your Dorms later, for now, I'll give you a Tour of the School!". She looked at Deon, or Hikari, and grinned. "But you should rest first". She tapped Deon on the head, causing him to wonder what was going on exactly and emit a 'What the he-', before he dropped to the ground, unconscious. She gave a little chuckle, then clicked her fingers, watching as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Don't worry, he's in the Infirmary being patched up, they're used to me doing this type of thing".

Illusion grinned, and turned to Ash and Devin, gesturing for them to get into the Limousine. She stepped inside, leavign to door open for them to enter into if they wished to do so, and a light giggling could be heard from inside. "Hurry up~ We only have an hour!~". When they stepped into the Limousine, Illusion, or Alexandra Demonia, as she was also called, looked them up and down. "Firstly, any questions?".





"But Loki, what do we do now? Are you really gonna have to leave? That sucks, but I'm sure you'll find friends when you get there, right?".

I never knew, but from that day, my best friend for almost the entirety of my Childhood, Loki Belphegor, one of the most powerful Demon Kings in Hell, would change into the perso.. No, the monster, he was today. He was my best friend, the only person I actually slightly looked up to, even though I was a few months older than him, but what did that matter, we had eachother and we had our imaginations. Funny... we always played games where we would get sticks and fight with them, pretending that we were both powerful Demons on different sides, or that I was an Angel come to Earth, fighting off the darkness in the world. Sometimes we'd even pretend that there were others, other people, other Demons and Angels, and they all had their own parts and roles to play. I remember that one time we'd stubled across a little hidden garden, and me and Loki went inside, of course, his misheivous nature caused him to do things that I didn't, and maybe that's where we went apart.

Kind of like a bit of foreshadowing, isn't it?

"Hey Deon, look at this! It's an injured animal".

"Really? Whoa, it's guts are hanging out!".

"Should we help it? It looks like it's.... in pain".

"Well duh, come on, we'll put it somewhere it can lay down in peace,alright?".

"Y-Yeah. That's so sad....".

Eventually we moved the animal, a little Squirrel, to the nice little grove that we'd found a few months beforehand, and laid it down on a little piece of blanket that I'd torn off of my old one at home, and watched it. Loki's eyes were brimming with tears for the majority of the time, and the Squirrel died at the exact same time as the last rays of the sun died from the loveliness of the sky. Loki even cried at that point, which was really odd for me, since to me, he'd been a strong guy, but at that moment, I realised that I was wrong. He wasn't strong, he seemed like it, but he had a mothers love, as did I. So we both went home that night, after burying the Squirrel, and Loki and I were sullen for a few days after that, I'd admit.

"Maybe the aspect of death was a shock to him?".

It was a few years later, but eventually me and Loki seperated. We still kept in touch for a long time after then, but one day, when I was sixteen, nearly turning seventeen, that I lost all contact with Loki. He'd simply vanished, on the exact same night that his Mother's corpse was found, bloodied and practically torn apart by what seemed to be claws.

When Loki's Mother was found dead, Loki was nowhere to be found. I didn't automatically put two and two together, it took my a while to realise that Loki was the killer, and on that day, I came out of my room after a week locked in there with the ample supplies to keep myself alive. My Mother tried to comfort me, and my Father did the same thing as always. Nothing, but it's not like he was there anyways. From that point on I'd been alone my entire life, until we moved again, and I found friendship once again in the form of a closely knit group of two girls and a guy. Sure, they weren't the most popular people, but they weren't the most hated or beaten up either, in fact, they were perfect for me. They were the best friends one could hope for. they encouraged me, liked me, and they even comforted me when I was sick or depressed, and with their help I always bounced back up from whatever had brought me down, I even nearly forgot about Loki, maybe I even did for a bit.

Then again, all of that changed on that one day. It was an awesome day, I was seventeen and a half at the time, and it was the school holidays, although it didn't matter much since I was schooled at home, so I had whatever time off I want anyways. Back to the point, it was an awesome day, we'd just had a Party and everybody was leaving, and somebody decided to cut the power switch, so that the entire place was dark. When I walked into the main lobby of my Mansion, (which was shared, by the way) and my friends were all sitting there, grinning like maniacs and being generally creepy. I told them I would go check on the lights and they smiled and nodded.

Let's just say that that was the night when I first met my real Father, the Devil. He'd instilled a paranoia in me that raged on inside my mind for at least a month. Then, people started dying, nothing was found, except weird symbols on their bodies, and another strange thing was that they'd been torn apart, from what looked like tools, too. This, combined with my Friends acting strange, and the fact that they'd been avoiding me, added onto by the Paranoia that my father had instilled in me, all lead me to one conclusion. They were the killers. Of course, I couldn't have been more wrong, but the Devil's magic was strong on me at that one point in time, and it wasn't until it was too late that I had realised my mistake.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry"

It broke my heart when I realised what I'd done and I'd spent all of the rest of my Human life trying to find out if I could bring them back. Sure, they might've been happy in the afterlife, but I wanted to at least apologise. And so one day I found a Sword, a magical sword, that could be insufed with a person's soul. I wanted to buy it, but I had no money since I'd run away from home. I resorted to stealing, and I'd succeeded in that respect, but I was nearly caught, so I had to flee once again. I ended up somewhere I can't even remember, maybe in Australia, or even Austria, who knows? All I knew is that it was me, and my newfound Blade, Mokou. One of my old friends who I'd killed, she'd forgiven me and even promised to tell the others my apology. And when I was given news of their acceptance and forgiveness...

"I remember that I cried for at least a few hours, straight".

Then I realised something, I wanted to kill my Father, but I had no way of doing this... it sucked, in all honesty, it really did, but at this point I guess you're tired of hearing my screwed up, bull shitty sob story, right? And besides, it's not like I remember any of this anyway, the Warriors of the Divine Light saw to that, with a fair bit of efficiency.

But there is one thing I'm sure of:

"My name is Deon Morris, and I will kill my Father".




"The heck? How did that bitch even knock me out that fast? What the hell is she?".

Deon sat up, his head still letting the room fly in a circle for few good minutes, when he grimaced and blinked away the dizziness. He allowed a few minutes to let his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room, and then he stood up, pulling the blinds open and flinching at the sudden light. He noticed his clothes on a table next to him, and noticed that he was naked.

"... Wha... What type of place IS this!?".

He quickly put his clothing back on, blushing slightly at the fact that somebody had seen him naked, without his permission. He growled and turned to the mirror, his wounds had nearly healed, and he looked mostly fine, but the bruise from the mans punch was still there, and it hurt like a bitch when he touched it. He pulled his hoodie on and pulled the hood over his white hair, growling slightly at the pain of the hoodie's slightly rough inner fabric as it slid across his chin. He looked at himself in the mirror one last time, and went to leave through the front door.

It then occurred to him that, in his state of unconsciousness, he'd probably remembered something, only to have it forgotten as soon as his eyes opened. He leaned against the door and hit it once in anger. Once he'd gotten close enough to Arthur, or even maybe Illusion, he'd be able to use the machine. He shook his head free of those dark thoughts and stepped back, opening the door and leaving the Building without much incident, he walked outside just as Illusion's Limousine rolled past, with the Principal herself still inside, and possibly the other two if they even got in with her. Deon ignored them, but since he was headed to the dorms, and they seemed to be heading that way as well, he had no choice but to try and keep himself unseen.

"Hey, Deon? Where're ya going?".

"The Dorms, I'm gonna sleep in there, and I'll let the girls materialise as well".

"Good, they're annoying me. A lot".

And the conversation kept going as long as Deon kept walking.

“What the…” Ash muttered aloud as the vehicles moved towards the shimmering golden gateway found deep within the recesses of the tunnel. Though its outer walls shined and rippled like a river of aurum, she could clearly see through it to an entirely different world. White tiled paths and potted trees framed an open courtyard surrounded by beds of flowers. Marvelling at the décor amongst the orange glow of the streetlights, she unconsciously slowed her approach to the portal, til she came to a complete stop in front of it. Cautiously, she pushed her hand out, as if testing what she saw was real and not some illusion. Indeed, her hand moved through the air, and even through her gloves she could feel the change in temperature as it entered a new domain. Withdrawing her hand to her chest, she sat there a moment, dully listening to the echoing sound of her engine, her mind drifting as thoughts and emotions played within her head.

"And you guys listen to me...this man is manipulating you all...”

That man… He’d spoken with such conviction… And the way he’d been treated… Was this Arthur fellow she’d willingly followed to escape the demons that untrustworthy that he’d risk dealing with the devil..? Had she made the right decision? For a moment, her confidence faltered as she sat alone in the darkness of the tunnel. Staring through the portal, Ash realised that none of the suits had noticed her stop. She was on the precipice. This was her chance - Her only moment to make a choice other then what was dealt to her. If she turned back now, she could escape it all... Demons… Exorcists… She could forget it all and go home. She could have her family.

Turning to look back down the tunnel, the last embers from the explosion were dying to the cold, their brightness fading. The ragged pieces of decaying demon flesh were still swaying from the force they’d been struck with, and the shattered lights on the ceiling were broken and dimmed from damage, leaving nothing but an endless black abyss. And just like that, the answers came to her amongst the darkness. She couldn’t return. Not after what she’d seen. Before all this, she felt she understood the world and her place in it. At the moment, she had more questions then answers. Now that she knew everything could shatter in a moment… That those demons could burst forth and do to her family what occurred at the warehouse…

She cared too much to let that happen.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she drove on through the portal, taking one last look behind her as the gateway shrunk and close. “Goodbye mum, dad. Take care everyone… I promise; I’ll be back one day.” Hanging her head a moment, she coasted to a stop behind the parked limousines, her body heavy from both stress and the weight of her decision. She knew she couldn’t trust Arthur, but by that same token, she knew that there was no way the demons were trustworthy. Inside, she knew she hated herself for what she was. Had she not had that blood… If she wasn’t part demon, then she could’ve continued her normal life. She would’ve gotten an apprenticeship, became a mechanic, and made a living. Now… now…

She hated them. Both of them. They’d ruined what she had and stolen her dreams. But she wasn’t stupid. No, she knew she was being manipulated, both by the demons and by the WDL. But the best way to make your own choices, was to let someone else think they were guiding you. She’d play along with the WDL while it was convenient, but she held her own ideal and motives. When the time came, she’d be ready to do what was necessary, regardless of what they wanted. She wasn’t a demon. She wasn’t an exorcist. She was Ash Clade, and in the end, she’d make her own choices.

Renewed in her confidence, Ash stepped from her ride, glancing over it before stopping once again as another thought dawned on her. She’d completely forgotten about the mystery of how it moved of its own accord, not to mention the lack of a key in the ignition… Squatting next to it, she placed a hand against the surface, feeling the warmth through the tapered metal. If demons and magic portals and everything were real, maybe she had a possessed bike or something? What was that Marvel guy called again… Death Rider? No, that was it: Ghost Rider. Maybe she had a spirit bike thing? She smiled at the thought of her motorcycle having flaming wheels. “Now that would be cool… Heh, guess I owe you one… Maybe I’ll give you a name…”

SMACK!

The sharp sound resonated throughout the courtyard, Ash sitting up to turn to the source. She managed to turn her attention just in time to catch the brutal sight of the WDL Suit repeatedly slamming the butt of his gun into the young man’s face. She was about to intervene when the white-haired fellow burst from the beating to connect a punch squarely in the jaw of his assailant and tackle him to the ground. The shocked view on the guard’s face brought a smile to her own, but only for a moment before the violence kicked up to the next level.

She winced as something that looked and sounded like acid was thrown into the face of who she now recognised as Mr. non-chalant from the warehouse, the boy thrashing about in the grip of his tormentors as his skin burned from the liquid. Then, once it was finally over, it seemed the boy couldn’t let it go as he spat in the face of his aggressor. ”Idiot…” Ash thought to herself as the men continued to beat down on the ‘demon child’ for his insolence. It served him right for needlessly provoking them, the dumbass. She wasn’t a coward, but she was smart enough not to get herself into a mess like that and needlessly get the snot beaten out of her. For that reason, she’d leave him to the repercussions of his mistake. Folding her arms and watching the scene continue to unfold, Ash’s hardened expression began to crack as the brutality continued, and she uncomfortably shifted her weight to her other foot before taking a step forward.

A firm hand on her shoulder stopped her from moving forward. “Uh-uh. Don’t make me mess up that pretty face of yours too.” The deep voice of the agent that had stopped her was slightly sinister, indicating that the threat was not an empty one. “Tch…” Roughly shrugging free from his grip, Ash glared at the man before turning back to the vicious display before her. Despite the fact she probably couldn’t help, she was not the kind to just sit back and watch people take things too far. “Damnit, that’s enough…” Ash continued to watch the violent display, willing those agents to get bored of it, to shut up and finish their business. And to think they thought that they were the human ones…

The boy slammed into the limousine, crumpling the door as he feel back to the floor, coughing up blood and staggering from the beating he’d received. As he got back to his feet, the agent once more drew back his arm for another bone shattering punch. “That’s enough damn it!” Ash growled viciously as she took a step forward, planning on intervening. He’d had enough, and so had she. He didn’t deserve everything that they were giving him – No one did. She didn’t know what she could do, but it was a damn sight better then watching them kill the boy.

CRASH!

In an instant, the man standing over the heavily savaged boy went sailing across the courtyard, colliding with a large building and sending a number of pillars splintering to the ground, marble crashing across the tiled ground and scattering in all directions as a plume of dust rose from the point of impact. Ash watched this in shock before slowly tracing the line from the destruction back to its source, locking eyes with perhaps one of the last people she expected to see. It was her… That ‘Illusion’ lady… Well, she was a demon, which explained why Mr. WDL had just beaten the world record for the long jump.

As she met eyes with Ash, and then the pale young man in turn, she gestured them over while still speaking to the man struggling from his injuries on the ground. So his name was Scarlet, was it? Bit of a girly name, but at least it was something. Listening intently throughout Illusion… No, Alexandra’s speech, Ash’s eyes occasionally wandered back to Hikari. Even now, given what he’d just endured, it looked like little more than a soft brawl rather then torture… Not only that, but Ash had certain suspicions about that young man, and part of her wanted to ask- In a wisp of smoke, he was gone, sent off to the infirmary for medical care. Blinking a couple of times, Ash wondered if she’d be able to do that at some point – then decided she much preferred walking or using her bike when given the opportunity.

It seemed however that neither was to be her option as she was called to enter the limo, alongside the pale fellow next to her. That’s right, he was the guy who’d wanted to flip the demon the bird. Great, she’d be stuck with this jackass for the trip… Clambering in after him, Ash glanced back at her bike before stepping inside. Well, if it was some mystically possessed demon bike, she had a feeling she didn’t have to worry about its safety. And if it wasn’t… She’d make damn sure someone here paid for it.

"Hurry up~ We only have an hour!~"

Ash eye rolled some at the tone used against her. She hated people that did that cutesy accent to their voice, it reminded her all too much of the most annoying of her siblings… Wait an hour? Hour for what? She glanced to the blonde demoness, who simply met her sceptical expression with one of amusement. Still, it seemed part of her had picked up on Ash’s curiosity, taking this opportunity to answer any questions the duo might have. First to take the initiative was the other boy, Ash shaking her head a little at the content of his question as she gave an incredulous sideways glance at the boy. Seeing he was serious, she sighed and turned her attention back to the window as she leant her chin in her hand, not in the least bit interested in Illusion's answer to his question. It was funny – From this side of the window, she could see right through. She couldn’t even see her reflection in the opaque glass.

A giggle brought Ash’s attention back to their host, and she glanced across at the other guest to see just what was so amusing. Her eyes widened a little as she watched the panicked expression etched on his face, the boy scrabbling to escape some invisible assailant before panting and glancing about frantically, as if regaining his bearings. Eventually, he looked back to Illusion, studying her before asking his next question: "Just what the bloody hell is this place?" Ash gave an exasperated sigh as she sat up, staring him down dryly as she gave a response.

“In case you missed the announcement, this is the Academy; and judging by what Alexandra’s told us, I’d say probably some sort of training ground for Exorcists under the guise of a school. Maybe if you had half a brain you would’ve worked that out by now.” Her voice drenched in sarcasm, Ash’s cool demeanour was lost to confusion for a moment as Illusion burst into laughter. It was as if her ‘joke’ was the funniest thing in the world. Ash waited a moment, but since she didn’t seem to be stopping, she instead decided to begin her enquiry. “I have some questions of my own, but first off I’d like to get some things straight.” Ash spoke with a surprising amount of confidence given the circumstances, and it seemed that Illusion respected that to some degree, ceasing her laugh and returning to a ‘stern’ expression as if she’d never stopped being serious in the first place. All at once however, it broke back into a devilish smile. “Go on then~”

“For starters, you said something about Dorms. I am not sharing a room.” Ash watched that grin seemingly widen just a bit, but she shook it off as she decided to continue her list of demands. “Secondly, my bike. I want somewhere safe to keep it, and where I can work on it. In private.” Adding emphasis at the end, Ash’s face turned irritable as she was unable to read Illusion’s expression beyond that stupid grin of hers. Waiting for a response, Illusion prompted her to continue her little list of ‘needs’ in frustratingly innocent style “And?~”

“And…” Ash repeated, trailing off as she glanced over to the other boy before looking back to Illusion. She had nothing to be ashamed of, so why was she hesitating? She wanted to know if they’d done as they said they would and left her family alone. “And…” At the last moment, Ash switched tact, leaning forward to meet Alexandra’s face. “Illusion… Or, should I say Alexandra? Either way, I don’t consider you my friend, so don’t expect me to ever call you that.” As intimidating as Ash was attempting to be, somehow, she could tell it just wasn’t working with that grin on the demon’s face. Huffing a little and folding her arms as she fell back into her seat, she finally decided to ask an actual question.

“So what exactly are we in a rush for? You said we only had an hour.” Trying to act disinterested, Ash’s view returned back to the window, watching the school buildings slide on by… Once Illusion had explained satisfactorily, Ash remembered the next most salient point in her mind, reminded of the beating Hikari took earlier. “Uhuh. So what are the rules here anyway? Both for you, those suits, and for us.” What she meant by that of course, was not only what they were allowed to do, but what the exorcists were allowed to do to them. Part of her imagined that what she saw today wouldn’t be the last time the WDL attempted to instil a lesson with their fists…

Grin. Just grin and bear it, they're only new Demons, although some of them are kind of odder than others. Their Hearts are easy to read though, but I think I'll keep that ability a secret for now, shan't I? I hate how Arthur constantly insists that I'm not sane, but I very much am sane, I just don't show it much. Hikari is being treated as we speak, and these two are already hating the WDL more every second, it's a good victory.".

Illusion sat in the chair, happy about her victory over Devin's mind, but in the dark recesses of her own, she was shifting uncomfortably. Of course, all that the other two could see was her cheshire-cat esque grin. She wanted to rebel against the craziness, but even if she did then she'd probably just get laughed at again...

Illusion snapped to attention from her inner thoughts as Ash asked her question, finally. It's a shame about her last staement though, since Illusion hadn't seen a female Exorcist with that much spunk in a while, and it'd be enjoyable, maybe. Illusion blinked a few times, focusing on what Ash said.

"...You said we only had an hour.”

Illusion's grin disappeard, and she rubbed her forehead with her index finger, not in a rude way, but more in frustration that Arthur hadn't even told them about it. Illusion's eyes flicked to Ash's, a certain something in them, something buried deep within her past, after all, Ash was a woman as well, and immediately Illusion had thought that they might've been able to get along. Well, she was wrong, apparently.

"Huh... wha? Oh, right. Since the Hour's almost up, we'll go pick up Hikari and then go to the Hall, where the Assembly is gonna be taking place. And no, nobody will be getting beat up again, unless you have some weird fetish and enjoy that type of thing". Illusion giggled to herself, and then, noticing Ash's expression, she stopped giggling, coughing awkwardly and muttering a barely audible apology. Illusion looked outside of the Limo, a smirk crossing her face as she found the person she was looking for. "Hmm, is he talking to himself? I think he i- oh wait, nevermind".

Illusion gave the two others ample time to study the Boy, who was walking by himself, but his mouth was moving, and it seemed like another voice could be faintly heard nearby. Illusion smiled, wondering what the others would think of it, and when she tired of that, she opened the door of the Limo, just as it slowed to a halt. She stepped out, and proceeded to sneak up behind Deon, whom was completely oblivious for a few seconds, as someone shouted a warning, and illusion pounced. She grabbed him by the wrist and, quite literally, dragged him over to the Limo, throwing him inside and then getting inside herself, closing the door after.

As the boy grumbled, seating himself far away from the others and closing his eyes, leaning back on the couch and relaxing a bit. He breathed out heavily, rubbing his chin, and then letting his arm fall down onto his lap, in an obviously comfortable position. Illusion eyed him, smirking slightly. She turned to Ash, eager for one last jab at her.

"Oh, you'll be sharing your Dorm with these two, and since we've only got two rooms, and Devin doesn't seem very sociable, you'll be sharing the same room with Hikari~". Illusion grinned widely as replies came flying at her, and she waved her hand in reply. "Only screwing, you two. You'll all be in the same building, but have your own sections".

Illusion laid back, closing her eyes and humming softly, completely ignoring the other people in the Limousine, as she drifted away into her own mind.





Deon rubbed his chin, wondering where the hell Illusion had come from, and how much the people inside the Limo had seen of him speaking with Mokou. He opened an eyelid slightly, observing the others sittign there, when Illusion said something he'd never even expected. "Oh, you'll be sharing your Dorm with these two, and since we've only got two rooms, and Devin doesn't seem very sociable, you'll be sharing the same room with Hikari~".

"Wh- WHAT!? Why do I have to share a room with her? I need my privacy, ya know!". Hikari has practically nearly leaped out of his seat, and when he say the grin on Illusion's face, he knew he'd fallen for it. He glared at her and sat back in his chair, pissed off about the day in general. He could still feel the remnants of the Holy Water on his skin, and it still burned slightly, but luckily, he was healing faster again. He sighed and rubbed his eyelids lightly, grimacign at the barely audible sizzling that emanated from his burnt flesh. "Ugh, Holy Water's a bitch[.". He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, but since nobody else had said anything for a bit, he felt that he need to break the silence.

His mind was still reeling from Illusion's joke, and he realised that, under any other circumstances, he would've probably been fine with bunking with Ash, but since she seemed to hate him for some reason, and he needed to research into finding his memories more, he just couldn't. He just hoped she wouldn't be too angered at him. He opened his eyes, blinking, and he pulled out his iPod, and plugged his earphones into it. He turned his musicup loud, so that if nybody spoke, he couldn't hear them, but then he got an idea, and turned his music down, just in case somebody said something of interest.

He sat there, or maybe layed there, whatever you wanted to say, as a light drizzle began to patter onto the roof of the Limo, and the concrete road that they were travelling down. He wanted to go to the dorm, and just sleep there, relax and then maybe cook some food or something, but he knew that it was mandatory, and annoyingly so, that all Exorcists had to go to the Assembly. Sure, it was annoying, but it was mandatory, not even Illusion, or rather Alexandra, could say no. It was the Pope's orders that it would be so.



"Okay, time to get out and go inside the Hall, all of you, aside from Mrs. Demonia, who will be doing something quickly before entering the assembly hall". Deon opened his eyes, realsiing that he'd fallen asleep. He sat up, wiping the tiredness from his eyes and stretching, yawning semi-loudly. He watched as the others left the Limo, and then he went to get out himself, but Illusion grabbed his arm with her iron grip, and whispered into his ear.

"You should stop being a hero so much, otherwise you'll be found out, Deon. You're not First Class Exorcist Deon Morris anymore, you're the Rookie Hikari Scarlet". Deon hoped that Illusion hadn't spoken too loudly, but he nodded anyways and she let him go. He stepped out of the Limo and was pushed lightly in the direction of the Hall. He glanced at Ash and Devin, and then proceeded straight up into the Hall, opening the doors and waiting in the Lobby. "This is gonna be juuuust great".





Illusion watched as the others left the Limo, and the door closed. She chuckled to herself, and watched as a dark maisma dripped out of nowhere and into the middle of the Limo. She bit her thumb as she watched it transform in anticipation, and she grinned widely when it had fully formed it's Human state. "Hello father, how are you?".

”Assembly, huh? Reminds me of Grade School…” Ash thought to herself as she slouched back in the limo, before disdainfully glaring at Illusion for the masochism joke. Clearly, she still had her touch, as her glare broke Alexandra’s façade and forced her to take a step back. Somehow, that served to inflate Ash’s ego at the thought of being able to intimidate a demon. Smugly smirking, she didn’t notice the limo stop until Illusion had departed the vehicle, slyly sneaking up behind Hikari before manhandling him into the passenger door. Not that he entirely seemed to mind, seeing as Ash had already seen what he was like when he was resisting.

He didn’t seem to say much, slouching away from the two – an aspect that Ash took note of, but was more than happy with. She wasn’t entirely sure if he’d be any better company then the other boy, but she’d be lying if she said she wanted to engage in friendly small talk. Maybe in another scenario, but with all that had happened, the situation seemed too serious for such things. Still, in looking over Mr. Scarlet, Ash couldn’t help but notice his body. No, not like that. She had way better taste than that. What her critical eye perceived was the absence of most all of his injuries in their entirety. Either the medical staff were holding out on modern medicine, or, just as she’d noticed during his ‘welcoming’, this guy was like that Wolverine guy. Shaking her head, Ashe realised that was twice she’d referred to nerdy superhero comics. She’d been hanging out with little Jean way too much. Not that that was going to be a problem now she was here. She had other accommodation issues to worry about, as evidenced by Alexandria’s next statement.

"Oh, you'll be sharing your Dorm with these two, and since we've only got two rooms, and Devin doesn't seem very sociable, you'll be sharing the same room with Hikari~".

Ash’s face said it all, her eye widening as her nostrils flared for a moment. Then, just before she spoke, she realised exactly what Illusion was doing, the glint in her eye giving it a way. She relaxed, refusing to take the bait. Unfortunately, it seemed her ‘roommate’ wasn’t so lucky. Still, it made it all too easy for Ash to slip in her own private dig at the boy.

“I wonder what a boy needs privacy for? Hmm…” Smirking as she insulted Hikari, Ash happily ignoring the select finger he showed her. Turning to Illusion, who was quick to admit that she was indeed messing with the two – an activity Ash was beginning to believe was a habit of hers - Ash tried to read whether the joke was supposed to provoke her, Hikari or both. In the end, she decided the latter was the most viable. As Hikari pouted, much like a child after a tantrum, Ash decided to prod some more buttons and provoke her compatriots just a little further. “I can’t believe you fell for that. Oh wait, you are the guy stupid enough to be rendered near comatose within the first five minutes of being here. Never mind, it makes sense that you’re gullible to boot. At least you didn’t nearly wet yourself like Devin here.” Casually leaning back in her seat, Ash listened to Hikari’s retort in mild amusement.

"At least I'm not gonna get my throat torn out by a Demon when they pop up, or taken to Hell and made into a Slave. They love girls down there, ya know, not too many female Demons, so the Girls are treated the worst, and made to do all sorts of... unsanitary things" He was grinning, like that was supposed to scare her. Ash was more than happy to return the banter however, unflinching at the threats of danger. “I suppose you’d know all about unsanitary, wouldn’t you? Kinda sad you need such sick fantasies to get hard, limp dick. Explains why you want that privacy so much.” Readying another insult in her head in case Hikari wanted thirds, Ash decided her next angle would be that stupid name of his. Hikari Scarlet, huh? Mr. ‘Light Red’. Hah! Pinky. That was good. She’d have to save that for an opportune moment…

After the heat died down, Hikari was the first who dared to break the silence, commenting on the holy water that he had smeared across the face. Considering how much that had burned, Ash wondered if it would have the same effect on her. Sensibly, she decided she never wanted to find out. Still, it seemed no one was willing to bite on the conversation offering, everyone slipping into their own private world. Illusion humming to herself, Hikari with his music, and Devin… Lost in his thoughts? Well, now she felt like a bit of a jerk, killing the mood for conversation. Well, whatever. It’s not like she wanted to chat with them at all anyway...

**********************************************************

“Hey! Hey, can me and Louise come to the ball too?” The eager young girl looked up to her sisters with bright blue eyes, clutching her doll in front of her in anticipation. She was a small young thing, little more than five or six, and always eager to join in on the games with her elder sisters. “Uh… Sorry Ash - Louise can’t come.” The youngest of the trio, Penny, spoke up; not meeting eyes with Ashley as the other two sisters began snickering with laughter. “What?! Why?!” Ashley asked indignantly, pouting a bit as she looked to them in surprise, her face falling significantly. Why wouldn’t they want to play with her? She just wanted to join in…

“She needs a dress to go to the dance, stupid.” The 2nd eldest, Jasmine was the next to speak, pointing to Ash’s doll, Louise. “She can’t go looking like that.”

“B-but Louise is like me – she doesn’t like wearing dresses…” Mumbling to herself with her head downcast, it was barely audible enough for the other girls to hear; but it was enough for the eldest sister, Cindy, to pounce. “Well maybe she should sit out and play with her toy cars like you! Haha!” A chorus of laughter went out amongst them as Ash began to sniffle to herself, wiping the beginnings of her tears from her eyes. It was true that she normally played with the cars her daddy gave her, but she still wanted to play with her sisters.

“Come on, I just want to join in…!” Ash was sobbing a little now, blubbering as she wasn’t able to hold back her tears. Still her sisters laughed at her. “Aww, poor Sooky Sooty’s upset!” “As if we’d let a crybaby in to the dance!” “Louise is probably a wuss like you too!” The demoralising laughter continued to echo about the room, and no matter how much the little girl protested, she was not heard. Finally, she could take no more, crying out as loud as she could. “Fine! I don’t care! I didn’t even want to go to your stupid ball!” Tears streaming down her face, Ash ran from the bedroom and down the hall, escaping to the solitude of her bedroom. Sobbing into her bed, she continued to cry to herself. No matter how many times she said it, she couldn’t convince herself otherwise. She would’ve loved to play with them…

**********************************************************

As the Limousine cruised to a stop at the hall, the driver indicated they had to leave the ‘principal’ behind. “Good riddens…” Ash mumbled to herself as she pulled herself up out the side. Stopping to look over the building, she was a little surprised how huge it was – almost like that massive coliseum in Rome. Whistling a little, she stepped up, taking a few steps before glancing back to see if she was being followed. Indeed, Devin was behind her, but Hikari was lagging behind, Illusion having a bit of a private word with him. Just what was that all about?

Stepping inside the lobby, once again, Ash was a little awed that it seemed even larger from within. The interior was a massive circle, a large platform in the middle of the room surrounded by seats. Forming each of the four corners was massive private booths with tapestries, Ash a little curious just what they were for. It was kind of like one of those broadway musical halls, except radiating out of a centre stage. Part of her wondered where the ‘front’ seats were and whether she’d be looking at someone’s back all night, but it didn’t really matter to her as she filed her way to one of the back rows, getting the odd stare from Exorcists. Honestly, she didn’t stand out that much, did she? Regardless, she wondered if the boys would bother to follow her or not. After all, she had gone a little bit further ahead, and perhaps she’d lost them in the crowd? Well, either way, she’d try to pay at least SOME attention to the presentation. Hopefully it wouldn’t be a boring preach show…


Well, this was it - his big chance to make a name for himself in the Academy. Kane O’Reilly, a recruit and rookie in the WDL - and one day, going to make his way to be a Master Knight and save the world from the threat of Demon invasion. Not for any glory or anything; but because it was the right thing to do. Nay, what had to be done! Ooo, that was a good line. He’d have to add that one to his speech. Scribbling on his piece of paper as he prepared for his big announcement, he was so excited for the opportunity. He honestly had no idea why all the other exorcists had rejected the chance to make a speech at the assembly – It was such a great honour!

Sitting up straight as his name was called out; he grabbed and flicked out the lapels of his jacket before striding up the stairs to centre stage. After this, everyone was going to respect him; he was going to be-“Waaahahoooa!” Kane cried out as he tripped on the top rung of the stairs, falling face first into the floor as his papers scattered everywhere. Rubbing his chin in pain, he winced momentarily before remembering where he was. Oh god no, not here. Not now. Scrambling onto all fours, he hurriedly began scooping up the bits and pieces of his paper as a chorus of discussion rippled through the crowd. “I can’t believe I just did that! Ugghhh.. Alright, it’s cool. I can still do this. Just recover, act natural like nothing happened. You got this Kane.” Calming himself with his thoughts, Kane pulled up the first sheet, and began reading steadily.

“Ahem. And that’s why, I’m proud-AH! Wrong page! Sorry, sorry everyone. Uh, give me a moment… I um, just got to put these in order-Aw shoot, dropped one…” Leaning over to pick up the paper, Kane stayed kneeling a moment as inside he was crying and pleading for this moment to be over. Finally however, he composed himself, lining up each paper correctly as he begun his speech. For real, this time.

“Greetings my fellow Exorcists. None of you may know me yet, but by the end of this speech, I think you’ll all understand who I am. Not just my name, Kane O’Reilly; but who I am. And for that reason, I ask all of you – Who are you? Not just what you’re called, but who are you inside? For me… I’m nothing. I’m just a recruit, the lowest on the totem poll of agents here at the WDL. But that also makes me a proud. Proud to be a member of such a prestigious organisation. An organisation of heroes, men and women alike who strive to protect mankind at all times from the bane of demons. I may just be a recruit, but I’m also an exorcist. I may not be strong now, but one day, I’ll be a hero, just like all of you. We’ll save this world, protect it, and one day, we’ll all be able to live in peace and harmony…”

After getting started, Kane found it all the easier to keep going... And going... And going... The short, 5 minute presentation had easily breached 10 minutes, and already, much of the content seemed to be doubling up and repeating himself. It wasn’t until another exorcist stepped up and less than politely tugged Kane from the mic, did the presentation end. Still, Kane had gotten his message across. He was going to be a hero, just like everyone else in the WDL. Smiling as he made his way down the stairs, he stumbled once more, but caught himself this time. Learn from mistakes, become a bigger person. That was how he was going to do it.

Sidled in amongst the crowd, Ashley leaned back in her seat, before finding that uncomfortable. Shifting herself once more, she leaned forward with her chin in her hand as she propped up on her elbow, staring down at the stage. “Yup, just like Grade school…” She murmured to herself, the position eerily similar to the one she adopted all throughout her teen years at her school desk. It was the only way to stop herself from slipping off into dreamland. Drearily watching Illusion take the stage, she was more than a little annoyed at the rally attempt – more so that it was actually successful. Man, did she hate the masses. Still, she was getting a few glares from the people beside her. Sighing, she half-raised her arm with her most lethargic ‘Yay’, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she turned to the guy nearest her with a ‘Satisfied now?’ look. Clearly he wasn’t, but the glare that followed was enough to make him redirect his eyes back forward.

After some applause, another fellow went up to take the stage. Scrawny, blonde, fairly young; maybe he was- Ash’s thoughts were interrupted at the sight in front of her as the exorcist decided to introduce his face to the floor. She couldn’t help but snort in amusement at the display, though she did her best to contain it just to that. Had to suck to be that guy – oh, and look, he was all flustered now. Poor guy… Well, at least the loser made her smile after all that happened. The effect was short lived however, as the speech began to drone on and on like a broken record. Man, she was actually sympathetic a moment ago, but now this bore was beginning to make her think the trip was Karma in advance for the pain he was making them all endure. Ugh, that was it, she had to get out. He’d been going for 8 minutes straight, she was going to die if she stayed any longer. Somewhat subtly, Ashley sat up, pushing herself over the back of her seat and creeping to the door. The few people next to her glanced over their shoulders to watch her go, but the worst case scenario was they’d tattle and she’d get reprimanded later. Slipping out and silently closing the door behind her, Ash took a deep sigh before snickering to herself. For now, it was the perfect crime, so she just had to find where she’d be staying and chill out ‘til the morning. Maybe if she felt like socialising, she’d ask tweedle dum or tweedle dee for a summary of what she missed.

Plick. Ash blinked. Wet. It was raining? Since when had that happened? Ugh, it’d been silent in that stupid auditorium, now she was going to be soaked well before she found where she was staying… Shaking off the droplets for a moment, she tugged her jacket up over her head. She looked like a bit of an idiot, but at least she’d be a bit dryer. If only she had her bike, then she’d… “Gah!” Ash yelled out as she tripped into something, falling chest first on top of… “You…? Well, I guess this settles that you are some kinda demon bike… But would you mind giving me some warning next time? I didn’t even see you pull up…” Ash blinked a bit as the hazard lights on her bike switched on for a moment, flashing repeatedly. She sighed. “Oh haha, very funny… Wait, you understood me? So you’re actually you know, uh… Sentient?” Once again, the hazards flicked. But this time, only once. “Wait, so is it one blink for yes?” The lights blinked once. Then Ash realised that she was no closer to working out if that was yes or no. She sighed, climbing on.

“You’re worse then me, you know that?” The left indicator flicked on. Then the right. Then the headlight flashed. Great, so she had a demonbike with a sense of humour. Wonderful. Maybe if she showed the exorcists that was all she could do, they’d let her go out of sympathy? Shaking her head, she pulled on her helmet and started up the engine to leave before… “Crap, I don’t even know where the dorms are… How am I supposed to skip the meeting if I’ve got nowhere to go…?” The question was rhetorical as Ashley began flicking the side of her helmet in annoyance, pausing to wipe the droplets from her visor. It took her a second to realise that the left indicator had turned on, continuing to flick again and again. “What, so you’re psychic now too? You think you know the way to the… Ugh, what am I doing? I’m talking to a frickin’ motorbike…” Ash slapped her forehead, before jumping and grabbing hold of the handles as it jerked forward on its own. Okay; maybe she was a little crazy having a conversation with this thing, but it was quite clear that it was listening. Still, why now? She’d done stupid things like whispered to her bike before. What was making it react now? If she’d been a demon all her life, shouldn’t it of done something like this before? Maybe she was overthinking it, but it was something that was bugging her… Why hadn’t she done anything demonic til now?

The bike swerved and sent a spray of water into the air from a puddle, mingling with the bullets of rain hailing down from the sky. It was quite the storm, heavy droplets felt even through the thick padding of Ashley’s leather jacket. She drove for a while, past a few rows of buildings, before turning off towards a… Garage? Remarkably, the door began to fold up and out of the way as Ash drove in, sheltering from the rain in the cavernous warehouse. Pretty cool that it had sensors to open up, but was that secure? Then again, how many thieves would hang out on a campus of exorcists…? The soft pitter patter of rain could be heard outside, but the sound paled in comparison to the echo of Ash’s boot heels. Even though the place had some benches and tools, it was still pretty empty. That was good. That meant plenty of room to do her work. “This is a nice space you picked out. Thanks uh… Bike? No, I better call you something now…” Ash frowned, unbuckling her helmet and removing it, setting it on the bench. Thinking on it a moment, she put her hand to her chin, before snapping her fingers. A little corny, but it’d do. “Alright Umbra, you chill here ‘til I need you… … Uh, no going out after dark... I guess.” Ash added a little hastily, almost as an offhand joke to make the situation feel less corny. She was talking to a frickin’ motorcycle - She still wasn’t going to get used to that. Still, the sound of its horn made it clear that it heard her. She wasn’t sure if that meant it would listen, but it was something.

From the dark concrete of the garage, Ash headed through the next door, cautiously opening it and peering inside. The inside wasn’t exactly thrilling, but at least it was bright – A corridor with white walls and sleek wooden flooring – it reminded her of that display home she’d gone to once with Penny when she was looking to move out, except maybe a bit more bland. At least that place had some pictures on the walls. Sliding inside and shutting the door behind her, Ash casually wandered about the hall, and immediately was disgusted by the first room she came across. What century were these people catering for? Persian rugs, angel statues, old paintings of… more angels, big surprise. With the candelabras in the corner, about the only modern thing was the cool glass coffee table, square white couch, and the ever impressive flat screen TV. Still, the décor in this place was going to need an overhaul. She half expected to hear Beethoven playing in the background. As she wandered about the remaining rooms, Ash began to work out just what this place was. The dorms seemed simple enough, with the shared rooms like the lounge and the like downstairs. She assumed the upstairs were the bedrooms, which was proven to be correct as she checked each one. Interestingly, each had two bedrooms, a kitchen, and even an en suite in one of the sleeping quarters. Well, the one closest to the stairs would be as good as any, Ash slipping off her jacket and placing it over the bed. One thing she could say about this place – the heating was good.

With her tour of the dorms complete, Ash figured she had at least another hour til that assembly was finished. May as well make the most of it and get cleaned up. Heading into her bathroom, Ash fiddled with the taps before stripping down, flinging her clothes over the railing before stepping into the sweet stream of liquid. It was completely refreshing, the warmth permeating through her body as she gave a contented sigh. Even the steam was like a breath of fresh air after that frigid rain…Soaking under the hot stream, she stood like that for a while, not exactly having anything to wash with. That was, until the loud banging from downstairs caught her attention. Really? Someone wanted in now of all times? Grumbling to herself, Ash grabbed a towel as she stepped out… Then swore. Shit, she didn’t have a change of clothes. Heck, where was her stuff anyway? Hopefully in the trunk of one of the limos that didn’t get blown up… Well, it wasn’t like she had any options for now. Bunching the towel up under her arms, she conservatively covered up after a quick dry, tying the towel in a position wrapped around her. Her hair still dripping as she padded back downstairs, she flicked the lock before opening the door. “Yes…?” She asked irritatingly, before smirking at what she saw. Mr. Scarlet was more like Mr. Drenched, and he seemed none too pleased to have been kept waiting so long. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t order any Pizza.” Ash stated casually as she closed the door and went back up the stairs. Thankfully for Hikari, she wasn’t enough of a bitch to leave it locked.



With the assembly over and done with, Kane headed out from the hall with all the rest, walking amongst the crowd. For the most part, despite his mistakes on stage, no-one really seemed to notice him, chatting amongst each other as they wandered towards the various campus dorms. As for Kane? Well… To be honest, he still couldn’t remember his way around the academy. It was kinda embarrassing, but he was a rookie, and he hadn’t been here that long. With the rain adding to his misery, he was quite certain he'd be well drenched before he got anywhere near his room. Everyone else seemed to have umbrellas, so it seemed he was the only one stupid enough not to check the weather. Sighing as he sauntered along with the crowd, he shivered from the cold, wiping the rain and hair from his eyes. It seemed it really wasn't his day. Thankfully however, it seemed luck was on his side for once.

“Hey, Kane, right?” A soft, feminine voice came from behind him, steps picking up pace to come up alongside the exorcist in training. "Here, you can share with me. No sense getting all drowned like that." Pullling up next to him and holding her umbrella out over the two, they were almost close enough to be touching shoulders - though was she taller then him? Turning to look at her, Kane could only guess she was around 20 years old, but she certainly looked mature. She was tall and slim, with a slightly angled face and bright blue eyes. It gave her a refined look, but it was still rounded enough to give her a cute and friendly appearance. N-not that Kane found her that cute or anything! I mean, the short and vibrant pinky-purple hair was pretty and made her stand out, not to mention her figure was definitely worth a second look - Oh crap she was saying something! He hadn't even thanked her yet!

“My name’s Claire, it’s nice to meet you personally. I found you on my dorm list, so it looks like we’re going to end up being partners for the training.” She smiled warmly, cocking her head slightly to the side. Man, he’d totally lucked out with this one. With the way she walked, she had a bit of a serene grace that made her almost look like she was gliding. Perhaps it was her long legs that - Oh crumbs, he was staring again! Say something, play it cool. “N-nice to meet you Claire! T-thanks for the umbrella. I’m Kane.” Extending his hand for a shake, the girl responded in kind, bringing her other hand to her mouth as she giggled a little. “I kinda said that already.” Sheepishly, Kane blushed and rubbed the back of his head with his spare hand, chuckling a little to himself. “R-right, my bad.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I liked your speech today though. It’s nice to see someone with aspirations for the world.” Picking up her pace a little so they were walking rather than standing amongst the rain, Claire seemed to take point, turning off to the side. Perfect, he’d be able to find the dorm thanks to her. “You really think so? The guys in the seats around me said it was pretty lame…” Kane chuckled, a little as he walked beside her. Claire put a finger to her cheek, eyes upward as she thought on it. “Well, the content was good, but you probably could’ve cut it at the five minute mark.” She smiled again as they pulled up to one of the doors, reaching to her satchel bag to find the key. Smoothly, she flicked it out and opened the door, pushing it aside. "Well, I may as well get started on dinner. You hungry?" Kane just dumbly nodded as the girl made her way inside, standing outside in the rain for the moment before jumping inside. He had a feeling things were going to work out for him at the WDL.

Deon looked up slightly as the door in front of him opened. He was glad someone was there, he wanted to thank them for opening the door for him and all of that, but his lips kept themselves sealed when he realised who had been so graciously kind enough to open the door for him.

Suddenly, something happened. Lucifer had somehow become visible, although Deon wasn't sure whether she'd be able to be seen or heard by Ash or not. Deon glared at the black-haired Demon, not to be confused with the equally, if not more, annoying black-haired half demon in front of him. He blinked a few times, and then realised someone was speaking. 'Oh, it's just her. I can ignore her anyways'. Almost immediately after he'd finished thinking about that, he was greeted by Ash slamming the door on him. He stood there for a few more seconds before growling and going inside. Lucifer had realised her mistake and disappeared again, or so it seemed. What an idiot. He scoffed at the thought of Ash's stuck-up attitude. As much as he was tempted to go in there and give her a piece of his mind, or maybe moreso his fists, he had other pressing matters to attend to. In the form of shutting his goddamn stomach up.

"Ugh, is it her personal life goal to make me want to tear her throat out? ..... Yeah, I know. I can't. I'd get booted from the WDL, and I'm not letting this chance slip out of reach again. I'm here for two reasons, one I've decided is pretty stupid, and the other.... Yeah". Deon practically leaped inside the room, slamming the door shut behind him with an offhand remark about how Ash was lucky she hadn't relocked the door. He went straight upstairs, passing Ash's marked room and setting for the Dorm in the middle. He practically booted the door off of it's hinges and then proceeded inside.

"How the hell?".

Deon closed the door behind him, a sigh escaping his lips. He dropped the bags on the table as he passed by and rubbed his forehead. His eyes had been hurting for a while now, and it felt like he needed some sleep to fix himself up. He knew that he needed to rest, but he could almost feel the Girls stomach's rumbling from not having eaten for a few hours. He grimace and let out yet another sigh, before speaking. "Seven Sisters of Purgatory, to me!". The room was filled with a bright light, and suddenly seven girls stood around Deon in a semicircle. Well, a few were standing, the others were sitting on various objects or floating in the air. Deon coughed quietly as they began their usual introductions. Deon sat down on the stool nearest to him and sighed. He was soaking wet, his girls were all looking bored, tired and hungry, and Lucifer was droning on about something.

"Hey, Luci. Why did you pop up earlier? Right where that Ash chick could see you? A bit idiotic, wasn't it?". Lucifer looked at Deon like he was going insane, and the let out a nervous giggle. "I didn't. I've been preoccupied with other things". Deon sighed, thinking about how greeeeaaat it was that he might just finally be going insane, and the timing was awesome too! He stood, pushing past the Girls and telling them that he was going to take a shower, hang out his clothes, and then start cooking. He wasn't really surprised when Beelzebub asked if he could cook first, and when Belphegor asked if she could have a nap while he was doing everything he was gonna do. He quickly entered the Bathroom, and washed his face. The cool, cleansing water felt like the best thing he could ever have, especially since that Holy Water hadn't completely dissolved, and he could still feel the burning it had affected him with.

He stood up again when he heard a tapping noise at his door. He told whoever it was to come in, and he was surprised to see Asmodeus standing there. Well, sure, he and Asmodeus were close, but she looked like she was scared, as well as kind of pissed off. Sure, it was normal to feel fear, but the Sisters always acted so darn confident and brave, it quirked him to see the youngest Sister standing there, looking like she thought that if she said the wrong thing she'd get the crap beaten out of her. Deon rubbed his face with the conveniently placed face washer,, and eyed her curiously. "What is it?". Asmodeus looked up, still angry, but she seemed relieved somehow. She coughed lightly and spoke. "You know that Ash chick?". Deon raised an eyebrow, and Asmodeus continued on. "I think it'd be a good idea if one of us tried to talk to her. I mean, she seems a lot like Luci, and you and Luci get along, and everyone else and Luci mostly get along, so maybe it'd be possible for.... us to... get along with... Ash?".

Deon just held his facial position. His eyebrow raised quizzically. Asmodeus lowered her head, and Deon chuckled a tiny bit. He put his hand on the young Demon's shoulder and sighed. "Sure, whatever. I'll even cook for her if ya want me to, but that means I'll have to cook for Devin too, which is alright I guess". Asmodeus seemed to relax, and she stepped out of the room, but not before Deon caught her with one final remark.

"Since it's you idea, why don't you go and talk to her, eh?". Asmodeus turned around, a devious spreading across her face, her eyes twinkling with deviousness. "Is that a dare, Mister Hikari Scarlet?~". With that, Asmodeus left the room, shutting the door behind her. Deon knew that, if anyone could even speak to Ash, it'd be Asmodeus. She just had that ability. Deon grinned, locked the door, and stepped into the shower.

"I wonder how this'll turn out?"





The dorms were all fairly dark at the current time, considering that it was nighttime. Whilst Deon's dorm was filled with moving people, aside from Belphegor, who was passed out, Ash's Dorm would've been fairly lonely and bare, after all, it only contained a single occupant. Wherever Ash was, she would've either jumped or swore at the fact that something darted across her vision and smack into the wall. On closer inspection it would appear to be a spear of light. Suddenly, the night air was filled with the sound of a teenage girl giggling, and the spear of light vanished.

*Thump*
*Crash*
*Thunk*
*Smash*

The spear of light rocketed out of the room nearest to Ash, bouncing off of the walls, the floor, the roof, and even the windows. It seemed like it was even aiming for Ash, barely missing the girl as it continued it's mad dash aroud the room. And then it all ended, the spear slamming into the wall next to Ash's head, and settling there. The spear began to glow, and it reformed into a Humanoid shape, and the shape gradually gained features. Blond hair, red eyes, a mischievous smirk and a devious twinkle in her eyes. The girl bowed, the smirk staying on her face. "Asmodeus of Lust, present". The figure stood, eyeing as as if nothing had even happened, the smirk growing into a grin as Asmodeus took in Ash's expression. "Oh, you're Ash? You're a lot..... weaker than I expected you to be, although I guess I already knew that". Asmodeus eyed Ash's hands. "And if you want to beat me up.... I'd like to see you try".



By the time Asmodeus had completed her crash course around Ash's dorm, Deon was out of the shower. He sighed as he realised that the breaking noises, and the giggling were Asmodeus screwing around with Ash. Well, at least she'd stop when she went too far, unlike Illusion who didn't seem to know when to stop her mindfuckery. Deon looked over the other girls, grinned, and spoke.

"Time for Dinner now, eh girls?".






The man surveyed the calm area around the Academy, noticing how the majority of the Exorcists, both in training and the veterans, were all tucking themselves away, whislt he and his men were returning from their visit to Rome. The man sighed, glarign slightly as he caught sight of a Demonic student in the window of a Dorm. "They are all monsters, the world would be much better off with their kind extinct". The man stepped forward, his thoughts bouncing around in his head. He knew that the next step of his plan was critically important, and he crept quietly to his of quarters to gather the approriate equipment. "Soon, the new age shall dawn upon us, and all ye whom find thouselfs of Daemoned Blood shall meet ye ends". The man laughed at the statement, as he wasn't the type of person to speak in the olden tongue, or so he called it. "Only that idiot Arthur speaks like that".

With that, he vanished.

Normally, having finished her shower Ash would have either changed into some sleepwear or grabbed some casual wear for the evening til she slept; but with the absence of her suitcases she had to make do with changing back into her tank top and black leather jeans. It was a bit unhygienic, but she wasn’t going to dwell on it that long, considering how much she’d roughed it in the past. Fluffing out her hair a moment in front of the mirror, a flash of light in her vision distracted her momentarily before the brightness impaled itself into the mirror, sending spider web cracks throughout its surface. Ash froze a moment, shock settling in as the object had narrowly missed her head. Was it an assassin? Had someone in the WDL worked out she was a demon child and was trying to kill her?! Panic raced through her mind as she whirled to the doorway, looking for her attacker. Paranoia set in as she heard the girly giggle behind her, making Ash whirl around once more. Nothing. Wait… Where was the..? Ash yelped as the pinprick of light darted out from the shower, flying through the air and bouncing off the walls. Shooting out into the kitchen, it began trashing the paintings, lights, vase… Ash could barely keep up as she ran out to follow it, screaming as she ducked to dodge being impaled in the forehead. Shivering as she turned to it, the light was deeply embedded into the wall next to her face. Panting in exhaustion, the whole event had shredded her legs to jelly, Ash slowly sliding down the wall as she couldn’t support her own weight.

And then… The light began to morph; glowing, growing… it began to expand, filling a vaguely humanoid form before solidifying into a figure. Not just any figure though… It was a girl. She looked to be in either late teens or early twenties, wearing some perverse variant of a school uniform, the front flayed and open to reveal both her thighs and delicate undergarment. Her soft blonde hair was in twin tails, her eyes a soft red, and her lips held a smirk that showed a cheeky taunt of superiority. Ash looked over her petite and delicate form in awe and surprise, a slight red tinge across her face out of sheer embarrassment, before realising just what had happened. She was that light spear that had tried to kill her? That little bi- "Asmodeus of Lust, present." She bowed, Ash glaring at the girl from her position on the floor. "Oh, you're Ash? You're a lot..... weaker than I expected you to be, although I guess I already knew that." Instinctively, Ash clenched her fists, preparing to leap up and attack the girl. Clearly however, the reaction was expected as the girl nonchalantly gestured Ash up with a coaxing finger. "And if you want to beat me up.... I'd like to see you try." Ash snorted, pushing herself up off the floor, dusting her top down before cracking her knuckles.

“Well that’s good. Now I don’t have to feel bad about flooring you, Ass.” Adding emphasis to the last part as Ash developed her nickname, a twinge of annoyance crossed her expression as the smirk never left Asmodeus’ face. “Oh, you like my ass, do you? I think it’s one of my best features…” Turning to face her back to Ash, the girl’s face blushed as she bent over, pointing her rear up and into Ash’s face. Poor Ash turned as red as a beetroot, before stomping her foot in indignation. “Damn it, take me seriously!” Her eyebrow twitching a little, it seemed the demon of lust would do no such thing as she continued to taunt and ‘seduce’ her prey. “Oh, but I am. Come on, spank me. I’m such a bad girl…” Waving her rear back and forth, Asmodeus grinned at the tortured expression of embarrassment on Ash’s face. Swearing under her breath, Ash had finally had enough. “Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Winding up her strike, Ash charged forward and planned to land a heavy right hook to the smug little bitch’s head. With a soft '~Woopsie~', Asmodeus ducked, bumping her rear into Ash and - using the built up momentum - flipped Ash head over heels and crashing over the top of her and into the floor. Laughing and giggling, she stepped over and stood above the cringing Ash, not quite caring for the view she gave.

“Sorry about that. I promise I’ll sit still this time and give you a chance.” Asmodeus giggled a little as Ash remained silent below her, perhaps in a mixture of pain, embarrassment and shock. Indeed, Ash was unable to comprehend the audacity of this girl. Did she have no shame at all? She was just… Ugh! How could she fight someone like this?! Swinging her arm out to try and catch the demoness’ leg, it was once again predicted as she pivoted onto her other foot, jumping to the side. Growling, Ash sat up, lunging towards Asmodeus. Still, her footwork was slow, heavy, and predictable, Asmodeus easily slipping this way and that, sidestepping each swing. No matter what Ash tried, she was met with frustrating taunts and fancy footwork, slowly fatiguing herself as the ‘fight’ wore on. Steadily however, she started to realise brute force wasn’t working. No, she needed to use her head. Carefully, deliberately, she attempted to force Asmodeus back, a bit to the left… Perfect. Ash grinned, having trapped the girl in the corner. This was her chance! Rushing forward, Ash made a heavy forward punch square at the girl’s chest. There was nowhere for her to run! She had her!

“Hold up a sec…”

Asmodeus suddenly became intangible as she looked up and to the side, as if she heard something. Ash gave a yell as she passed completely through the demoness, her fist colliding into the wall with a crunch. Obscene swearing could be heard coming from the girl’s mouth, but Asmodeus paid it no mind other than chuckling a little. It seemed Deon finished dinner, and he’d had enough of the ruckus next door… Well, she could continue playing with Ash later. One thing was for certain: she had spirit; and it was always entertaining to humiliate someone vulnerable to her… ‘charms’. “Well, that’s enough for now. I’ve been informed that you’ve been invited to…” Asmodeus giggled intentionally, before continuing. “'Come' to dinner. Hikari’s actually a very good cook… Mmm, he certainly has a way with buns…” Ash eyerolled at the second pun, still rubbing her bruised knuckles. This girl… Wait, she knew Hikari? Then she was just… Ugh, this girl had been sent to mess with her for before, and she’d completely fallen into it! Ash facepalmed a moment, before shaking her head. “Forget it, I’m not going near that asshole-” Asmodeus’ face lit up. “-Or yours you perverted freak… Sheesh…”

“Tsk, you’re no fun. Come on, he’s trying to be nice here. Would it kill you not to be such a dick?” Asmodeus folded her arms and pouted a bit, while Ash simply shook her head again. The vocabulary of this girl… She wasn’t sure whether to be depressed or impressed by her ability to turn everything into sexual undertones. Probably the former. “You expect me to just casually turn up for dinner, after all this?” Ash gestured to the broken room, still glaring at her unwelcome guest. Enthusiastically nodding, Asmodeus extended a wagging finger. “If you like, I could fight you for real instead…” Ash attempted to gauge her expression, but found it difficult to tell if she was serious or not. She sighed in resignation, scratching the back of her head. “Fine, whatever, I’ll come to his stupid dinner… Needed something to eat anyway… But no guarantee’s I’ll be friendly.” Strolling past Asmodeus to the door, Ash gave a startled gasp as the demoness latched onto her back in a hug. “Well… I guess that’s ok. I like dicks too, you know…” Whispering into Ash's ear, she giggled as Ash groaned, not even bothering to shake the girl off as she dragged her through the hall. She’d take her hostility out on the dumbass that sent this bitch to her at dinner…

"Whoa, what do you mean this Scythe has a soul in it?".

"Hard to believe isn't it. This Scythe has the soul of a great witch, and this Scythe belonged to her. It's dangerously powerful, and... I'll tell you more another time, just run for now!".

"Gotcha!".

"No, we've got you".

Running. Jumping. Fear. Loathing. Exhaustion. Escaped. Death. Anger. Hatred. Demons. The Devil. Kill. Revenge. Flames. Phoenix. Burning. Blazing. Heart.

"Your Heart is different to others. It's almost as if it's... on fire. Burning, blazing even".



Deon leaped over the small fence, his heart pounding. The WDl had sent a squad of their most powerful Soldiers, the Paladins, to retrieve a cursed Scythe. He'd only grabbed it just in time, and had gotten a head start on the Paladin asswipes, before they realised he had what they wanted. He'd hidden it well, the same way he'd stored Mokou. In his chest, he could store anything, even other people, and they were sent to another dimension of sorts. It was a trick that a friend had taught him 500 years ago. He leaped over another obstacle, but then the scenery changed.

"Whoa, the fuck?"

He scratched the back of his head, and he felt different. he was shorter, and a mirror appeared in front of him. He stumbled towards it, taking in his brown hair and his grey eyes. He gasped. "Whoa.... I'm... me again? How did this even.... urhh. I feel sick".

"Here, drink this. It'll help you get what you want".

"Who are you?".

"A Friend, now drink".

*Glug, Glug, Glug*

"Mmm, thanks. What was that anyways?".

"It was an Elixir made by my Family, well, moreso made by me. Look at it".

Deon turned the bottle in his hands, wondering what the bottle contained, or what the liquid inside it was. He squinted at the bottle, but could only make out a few letters. Ho_r_i E_ixi_. "What is it?".

"Wait, where did you g- Whoa, agh. My... my chest. I... gah... hah... hnng... aah... fuck this stings. What did you do to me!?".

Deon doubled over in pain, his chest felt like it would explode into flames at any moment. He looked up into the face of the person above him, somebody that he'll never forget. "Damn you, what's your name? TELL ME!".

"My name?".

"Yes, your name, fuckwit".

"Remilia".

"I'm going to murder you after this, Remilia".

"Sure you will".

"Keh... I will, you know it. I'll tear your goddamn eyes out of their socket's and... whoa...".

*Thump*

With that, Deon passed out.

"Sweet dreams, my Immortal Prince~".



"Ah fuck! Not again!". Deon sighed as he threw the sheet and quilt he'd been provided with by the WDL off of him, or at least what was left of it, anyways. He sighed and rubbed his temples, standing and heading straight for the shower. He hopped in and was greeted by water.... Wait... OH SHIT!

"HOLY FUCKING ICY FAIRY'S SPELL THAT SHIT IF FUCKING COOOLD!". Deon leaped back, wondering just why the water was so cold, and then he realised that there was somebody else in the Bathroom with him. He was pretty darn used to this, but the hand on his shoulder made him jump a tiny bit. He spun around, raising his hands before realising it was just Lucifer, and turning himself sideways before taking the towel she was offering, and wrapping it around himself.

"I wanted to have a Shower next".

"And?".

"You can't have a shower before me, unless you want me to be angry'.

"I have a hangover thanks to you, so shush".

"I have one too".

"You can't get a hangover".

"Yes I can".

"Fine then, why don't you shower with me then, eh?".

"W-What!? Uhh". Lucifer took a step backwards, her face slightly crimson. "I'm not like Asmodeus, I woudn't do that. Y-You know that".

"Did you know that's exactly what I expected you to say?".

"Eeeh!?".

*Boot*

And that was how Lucifer found herself on the floor. Although she quickly realised that she could just float through the door in her intangible state, which she did.



"Well, that shower was kinda nice, although I had a certain Demon sharing it with me..... fucking weirdo".

"I WANTED A SHOWER!".

"And you had one. Creep".

"Sigh... do you even remember what happened last night?".

"I have a hangover. What do you *hic* think?".

Lucifer just glared at Deon, and Deon just stayed emotionless. He sighed and sat down on the floor, before digging into the breakfast that he'd made last night. He grinned as he remembered the look on Ash's face when she saw the amount of food he'd cooked, and how good it was.





(This is based off a an exchange between my and Tanman, rewritten to fit Deon's POV.)

It had started off well at the dinner, Ash storming in looking dark and full of scorn, a polar opposite to the cheerful smiling face of Asmodeus, who had latched herself around Ash’s neck and continued to hang off her back. "I find your methods to be cruel and unorthodox. Would you mind getting this 'thing' off of me?". Ash continued to glare at Deon, obviously ignoring how ridiculous she must've looked with Asmodeus on her. Deon laughed. Wondering what exactly happened between Ash and Asmodeus, and he even allowed himself to think about it before he decided to let Ash free of the 'torture'. "Hm? What do you mean 'methods'? I only sent her around to ask if you wanted dinner. The rest was all her". Deon stifled a laugh before grinning. "Asmodeus, cut it out, will you?".

"Uhuh..." Ash muttered as she was finally freed from her oppressor's grasp. "I'm beginning to see where that Ego of yours comes from". Slowly, Ash pulled out a seat, sitting down. Deon grinned, before pouting. "Who said you could sit, woman?". After a few seconds, he grinned widely and allowed himself a seat at the head of the table, whilst Asmodeus sat closer to Ash. "Sorry if you're offended by that joke, but whatever". Beelzebub was on a food-feasting crash course, and Belphegor seemed like she was about to fall asleep. "So Ash, why are you here, exactly? The WDL, I mean. Not the Dinner".

Ash raised an eyebrow. "I dunno. You seem to know everything. Why do you think I'm here?" Slowly, Ash took a cue from the other girls, grabbing her cutlery and beginning to carve into her meal. Deon eyed Ash wearily, and was about to answer her question when Asmodeus threw a piece of Chicken at Belphegor, who had fallen asleep at the table. "Manners, Bel! Sheesh". Deon gave a snort. He grinned even wider when he saw Ash's face, and jabbed. "What's wrong Ash, like the food?". He grinned again, and dug into his own meal.

It's not bad, Pink. Given your... 'Girlfriends', and that chauvenistic attitude of yours, I didn't think you'd even know what a frypan looked like".

Deon raised an eyebrow. "Pink? Please don't make fun of my last name, I'm trying to be nice here, you know". Deon laughed at Ash's comment. "Girlfriends? Nah, they're just friends. They come over every now and then and talk about stuff. Also, Asmodeus is the only one like... you know, so you're all good here". Deon chomped down on another piece of food. "And, since I've been living alone for a while, I had to be good at Cooking". 'For more reasons than you know, Ash'. Deon grinned and excused himself for a moment, leaving the room momentarily.

"Right... Just friends...". Ash mumbled, looking them over as Deon left the room. "Any reason why you all decide to dress like you're from a cheap brothel?". Asmodeus threw a piece of Beef at Ash, a scowl on her face. "Do I really have to beat you up again, Ash? Really?". She giggled after the last remark and continued on. "This is our School Uniform, and our Principal is a massive perv. No, this isn't the WDL's Uniform, if you're thinking that". Deon strode back into the room, a grin on his face. "Cheap Brothel? Just what did Asmodeus do to you?". He laughed at his last remark and began eating again.

"You mean you see nothing wrong with what they're wearing? Honestly?"

Deon sighed. "I never said that, I just have no choice, or voice in the matter. It's not like I go to their School or anything. And besides, Asmodeus is fine with it, Lucifer doesn't care, Satan's a bitch anyways, and yeah". Satan hit Deon in the arm. "Shut it, asshole". Deon replied. "Make me, bitch". Satan just glared and returned to eating her dinner, and Deon sighed. "Yeah, that happens a lot, since Satan represents Wrath". He blinked. "Oh, Asmodeus said something like 'Asmodeus of Lust, present, right? When she popped up, right?".

"Uhuh, she did. So these are your 7 sins huh?".

All the noise, the movement, the motion, and the life of the eight people aside from Ash stopped, and they all turned to face her, as one. "Thou hast foundeth my secret. Thou must pay in thy blood if thou wishest for thee life to continue... For we are Legion, and we are many". All eight stood, and the seven girls circled around Ash, devilish smirks on their faces. "One of us, One of us, One of us".

Then they all started laughing their heads off. Deon watched Ash freeze up, and when she became irritated, he laughed even harder.

"You know what? I think I lost my appetite. You 'tards enjoy yourselves..." He watched Ash head for the door, and then stopped laughing. He called out to Ash. "Oh come one, relax, enjoy yourself! I can't help it.... And didn't Asmodeus promise to fight you for real? How's your wrist holding up. I'll let you two fight, but.... only if you stay". Deon grinned, placing his chin in his hand. Asmodeus latched back onto Ash, and whispered into her ear. "I promised, didn't I?". Ash paused, apparently scrutinising Asmodeus and Deon. "I don't know what I find more disturbing - How retarded all of you are, or the fact that the personification of your lust was the one who wanted me here for dinner".

Deon laughed again. "Personification of my Lust? Heh. Hardly. Like I said, they're friends, although they may be Demons, they're not parts of me". Deon narrowed his eyes at Ash. "And besides, why would you leave? We're all trying to be nice, take it easy and get to know eachother, except that Devin guy. Dunno where he is". Deon leaned back in his chair. "And besides, the WDL has a habit of breaking promises, and I don't like it when they completely screw people over. Tell you what, you stay here and eat, since I can practically hear your stomach rumbling from here anyways and the shops are all shut, and I'll let Asmodeus train you for the next few days. How's that sound?".

Ash turned to face him, folding her arms. "And how is THAT supposed to sound appealing to me? I'd rather lick a toad". Deon grinned. "There's quite a few toads outside. In the pouring rain. If you're into that type of thing I can go get one for you if you like. But hey, how much food do you have in your Fridge? And does any of it even look edible?". Deon nudged Belphegor, who lifted her head and yawned. "I'm tired, Hikari. I might go to bed". Deon sighed. "Alright Bel, go on.... No, not my room, yours". Belphegor mumbled an apology and disappeared. "Come on Ash, don't goooo!~". Asmodeus pleaded, her eyes turning into those puppy-dog like things.

"How about this;" Ash set her finger down on the table, as if drawing up a plan. "I stay for dinner, and you make sure Lust here stays away from me. Got it?"
"Deal. Although I thought you'd like to learn your powers quicker than the WDL would like to teach you. After all, if you get powerful enough you can just ditch the WDL entirely and join those Renegades. I think that's what they're called. Oh, and I can't guarantee what Asmodeus'll do". Asmodeus grinned. "I'll stay away from her, whatever. Now come, sit down, and eat!".

"Don't presume that you know me, or my intentions". Ash stated in annoyance. She returned to her seat, probably guessing that if she left, Asmodeus would make her regret it. Deon sighed, and turned to Ash. "What do you drink, anyway?. Alcohol wise, mind you".

"I'm not exactly some connoisseur. I'll have whatever's available". Her tone remained hostile. Asmodeus chimed in from her seat. "Sheesh, she's one tough cookie, ain't she Bub?". Beelzebub didn't reply, she was too busy shoving food down her throat to notice anything else. Deon watched this, sighing again. "She eats so muuch.... Ahem, anyways. Asmodeus, grab me.... some Vodka, and grab some for Ash as well, and some lighter drinks for the ladies? Unless you think you can handle it, of course". Deon smothered a laugh as Lucifer glared at him. "S-Shut up! I wasn't drunk at all!". Deon smirked, and replied cheekily. "Suuuuuure you weren't, Luci~".

Ash smiled a moment at the banter, but quickly covered it up with another mouthful of food. Asmodeus nudged Lucifer in the foot, a smirk on her face. "Oh come one Luci, you can't handle your drinks at all!". With that, she left, returning after a few moments and placing each allocated drink in front of its drinker. Of course, Deon opened his first and began to drink around half of the bottle fairly speedily. "Drinking is bad, don't do it. Heh, that's what Mum always used to say to me...." *Ahem*. Deon's eyes returned to their former livelyness, as if nothing had changed, but if someone had been watching him, they would've felt the change. He grinned, and raised his bottle. "Cheers!".

Half heartedly, Ash raised her bottle, much more casually taking a swig. Deon grinned, watching as Lucifer took a few sips of her drink. She coughed lightly, her face turning a bit redder as the effects hit her. She turned to Deon, and glared. Deon grinned. "Told ya, you can't handle drinks at all". Lucifer groaned. "Alright, I admit I'm not good at drinking, but I haven't had as much time to get better at it then you, since you're alm-". Asmodeus cupped her hand around Lucifer's mouth, grinning and giggling nervously. Lucifer realised her mistake and pulled herself free of Asmodeus' grasp. She coughed light and apologised. Deon laughed and patted her on the back. "Drink some more, it'll make ya feel better~". Deon stiffled another laugh as Lucifer glared again. He looked at Ash, and grinned. "See? Is it really that bad here?".

"I've been some messed up places before, and I can honestly say...". Ash looked around the others a moment, before kicking back in her seat. "I'd rather be there again then here...". Deon sighed, his grin disappearing. "Well, I guess I have no reason to be extra nice anymore, since that doesn't seem to be working at all. Ah well, can't help it". Deon skulled the rest of his drink before grabbing another from the center of the table, and Asmodeus glared at Ash. "That was a really bitchy thing to say. Part of me wants to beat you up, but I don't want to hurt one of my friends". Asmodeus also sighed, downing her drink and reaching for another. "Since when did I agree to be your friend?" Ash asked.

Asmodeus rubbed her forehead. "You didn't, dumbass. And if you really hate being here so much, why not just lea-".
"Asmodeus. Listen up. This was your idea, you can deal with the consequences, without being a bitch about it. Alright?". Asmodeus facedesked onto the Table, a loud moan coming from her lips. "But she's being such a DICK.... Heh... Dick....". Deon facepalmed and turned to Ash. "If you really hate us so much, why did you come here, Ash?".
"May as well use you for the food and drink". Ash sipped again, not missing a beat in her facade. "Not to mention your little friend here didn't give me much choice."

Deon looked at Ash, making eye contact. It was almost as if his eyes were on fire, kind of like the eyes of that crazy demon back at the Warehouse. He broke contact quickly, and downed the rest of his second bottle. He wiped his mouth and looked back at Ash. "You could've just said something about that earlier, you know. I don't cook for people who use other people. In fact, I hate those kind of people. They're sad, pathetic leeches who should- You know what. Never mind. I'm done being nice. Sorry Asmodeus, but I'm out for a bit". With that, Deon stood, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him with enough force to make all of the girls jump. Asmodeus glared at Ash. "Great job, fucktard. Now I have to get him back in here before he kills somebody". Asmodeus stood too, giving Ash the bird, as the rest of the girls started packing up dinner. Lucifer walked past Ash as she went to put dishes away. "I know I'm meant to be the embodiment of Pride, and Satan's the embodiment of Wrath, but you're the worst Human I've seen in a while".

"Gee, thanks. Now don't I feel just peachy...". Ash mumbled the last part, beginning sarcastic before trailing off.



"Asmodeus, I'm fine. I just needed some fresh air for a few seconds. Honestly. And I'm exhausted from all the things that've been happening. We're so close, but if we screw up even once, it's all over".

"I know, but don't hate her too much alright?"

"You're the one that called her names".

"She IS a bit of a bitch".

"So are you sometimes. Anyway's, I've cooled off now. See ya back inside".

"Deon, wait, you go in first".

"Nah, you can. I like the night, and I don't like hanging around people like Ash without breaks".

"Then... yeah... I'll see you inside".

The door opened and then shut again, and Asmodeus waltzed back into the room. "He won't come inside. He says he doesn't want to be around people like Ash. He has a good reason too, since... you know..". Lucifer went over to Asmodeus, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, that was a looong time ago. He still had brown hair then... and normal eyes too. And it's in the past, nobody can change tha- Huh?".

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Honestly. Just gimme a few more drinks and it's all good. Really. We haven't even had dessert yet, girls!". Deon sat back down where he was before, his face the very meaning of happily-drunk, although the drunk part might'nt be applicable just yet. He grabbed another bottle and chugged it down, and then reached for another. By that time, the only girls left were Asmodeus and Lucifer, and they weren't very hungry, so the cake was given to Deon and Ash. He grinned at Ash as he took another swig from his fourth bottle, and Lucifer and Asmodeus looked on, whispering to each other.

"Something's weird. He's gone weird again. Oh well...". They weren't sure if Ash could hear them or not, but that wasn't their main concern at the moment. "You're pretty odd, you know that? Most people don't cool off that quickly". Ash stated, as she took a piece of the cake. Deon just grinned. He grinned some more, and then took a piece of the cake as well. "It's just that I've lived a pretty darn intense life, and ya have to be able to adapt to things. Luckily I'm pretty adaptive.... And stuff". Deon had finished his fourth bottle and was starting on his fifth. "How many bottles is that, young one?". He didn't bother to contain his laughter this time, and he laughed for a little bit before finally being able to stop himself. "Heh, oh god. And I'm not even that drunk yet".

"Probably too many". Ash muttered. Deon stifled another laugh, and locked eyes with Ash. It would've felt like the same time the crazy bird demon was in the warehouse, but not so darn creepy. After a few moments, Deon broke eye contact. "I've seen a ton of things, Ash.... Oh, and this is nothing". Deon grinned, and spoke: "Yeah, you'll be able to do that soon... Just don't take it too far. I accidentally broke someone's mind last time I did that.... I still feel like crap about it though. Heh, stupid bastard tried to hit me. Anyways, you still wanna fight Asmodeus or not?". Deon took another bite of cake, grinning even wider when he realised how scared Ash was. "Appearances can be decieving, right Ash?".

"Too right...". Ash muttered, glancing away. "And I think I'd like to keep my one good wrist, thanks." Deon laughed, and stood up. "Hang on a second, I'll grab ya a bandage for it". Deon turned and headed into the Kitchen, grabbing a Bandage an throwing it to Ash. "You DO know how to put those on, right?". Lucifer and Asmodeus both sighed. "Crisis averted, good".
"Yeah. A bandaid. Real good for a fractured wrist...". Ash grumbled, but caught the Bandage all the same. Slowly she stood up, stretching a second. "Well, barring anymore weirdness from you, I think I'm going to retire back to my room."

Deon eyed Ash wearily. "Sure, go ahead. But Asmodeus'll be waking you up early tomorrow for training". Ash paused midstride, turning. "I thought I made myself clear?". She questioned, looking to the two. Deon sighed. "Hey, she's the one who had her fingers crossed, not me. Yell at her, I had nothing to do with it, Sis". Asmodeus grinned, showing her hand. Two of her fingers were crossed, and she had a devilish grin plastered to her face.

Ash eyerolled. "Whatever. Night losers. Thanks for the meal."

Deon stuck his finger up at Ash as she left, a friendly grin plastered to his face. "Yeah, seeya bright and early tomorrow, ya bitch!". Deon laughed again, and waved goodbye to Ash. "Oh, and any time!".

Ash simply shook her head, before closing the door behind her.




Deon sighed. "Oh, right. I forgot for a second there. So, Luci, any special events I should be notified about?". Deon eyed Lucifer wearily, and a smirk appeared on her face. "Oh, it's only Midday".

"And the importance of that is?".

"Class started at 8 AM".

"...." Lucifer just grinned. "Yep, Miss Demonia came by earlier and told us to wake you up and get you to class, but you were soooo 'kawaaaaaiiii desu' in your sleep, that I might've just decided to snuggle up with you instead, Oujou-sama~". Deon just stared at Lucifer blankly, and then his head hit the table.

"Why me?".



Deon sighed. Class was wasting valuable time for him, and it wasn't like he actually needed the training. He tapped his pencil to every ticking sound the clock made, much to the apparent annoyance of his lecturer. She raised her head from her lecture on demonology, and glared straight at Deon. "Mr. Scarlet? Would you mind telling me the main weakness of a demon that is in their Humane form?". Deon just sighed and spoke, louder than she would've expected him to speak. "Yeah, it's their tail, and if you needed me to tell you that, you probably shouldn't be teaching here, Mrs. Jackson". Some of his classmates snickered, and others full-out laughed. He looked over them, and his eyes landed on Lucifer, who'd decided to get permission from Illusion to enroll, and she'd, not surprisingly, given her academic superiority and ability to learn extremely quickly, been enrolled before the hour had been up, and assigned to the be sitting next to or near Deon in each class. Deon shook his head as he heard the bell ring, and he was the first person out of his classroom.

Another reason that Lucifer had enrolled was so she could walk around the academy, in school uniform instead of her usual clothing, of course, and help Deon try and find wherever the WDL kept the machine that had blocked Deon's memories. The two were nearly able to enter one of the locked buildings the previous night, and the night before that, they'd gone into the Teacher's lounge and found nothing. The WDL was a secure place, that was for sure, and the guards were well-armed as well, almost as if something had forced them to go code red, but they hadn't notified anyone. Deon sighed as he looked around to make sure there weren't any observers, and he'd given Luci a boost up to an open window on the side of the building that they'd nearly infiltrated before. The sun was just below the horizon, and Deon flet the power of the moon wash over his body. His eyes began glowing again, the gold and the blue, and he pulled Mokou out of his chest, just in case he needed to fight. He heard Lucifer shout for him to come and look, so he leaped up and grasped the ledge, pulling himself into the building. He gasped as the memories flooded back.



Deon and Lucifer sat on the formers Bed, and the rest of the girls had clustered around, happily talking amongst themselves. Leviathan coughed and spoke up. "Lucifer, what happened today, why are we all here, in Deon's room instead of ours?". Lucifer grinned. "Today we gained a massive step forward in our search for... you know what. In fact, we've even found them. We'll be going back later on to fix everything up, so Asmodeus..... You may want to say goodbye to Ash tomorrow sometime, my familiar has informed me that something's coming from the land of Brimstone. Brenhin's place". The girls made various 'eugh' and 'oh' sounds at the mention of Brenhin's name, and it was obvious that they didn't think very highly of him. Asmodeus looked up, her face stern but her eyes displaying her emotions.

"Do we really have to go? I'm actually starting to make progress with Ash and.....". Asmodeus sighed, figuring that Lucifer probably wouldn't understand anyways. She stood, turning on her heel and left the room. Lucifer and the other looked after her as she left, wondering what she was thinking, but the only one who acted was Deon. He stood, and proceeded out the door and followed the blonde demon of Lust to the room she currently shared with her sisters. She looked at him after flopping onto her bed, and curling up slightly. "Do I really have to go tomorrow?". Deon just sighed and patted her on the shoulder, and she grasped his hand. "I don't wanna leave yet, I want to stay with ash for a bit..... I mean... she's not that bad. And I mean, she's the only human besides you that I *Cough* get along with!". Her voice was faltering slightly, and she pulled herself closer to her Master. "Please Deon, can I stay until she gets stronger? I promise I'll hurry it up a ton!".

Deon sighed. He always hated it when Asmodeus got too attached to anyone, but he couldn't stop her from doing it. Although she was a prankster, thief and a dirty-minded, fairly lustful Demon, she still had that.... That... 'side', to her, that made Deon want to cuddle her and keep her safe from the things that had happened in the past. "I... I'm going to go and get my memories, and then we'll talk, alright. Don't cry yourself to sleep tonight either, you've got a big day with her tomorrow, if Lucifer was right". He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her for a moment, but then he stood, and left the room, leaving Asmodeus on the bed. Luckily, she'd fallen asleep.



Deon and Lucifer stood outside the building that housed the Memory Blocker, and it was fairly easy to get into the building and get Deon strapped to the machine. He grinned as Lucifer read the manual, and she chucked it down on Deon felt relieved, but also kind of scared at the same time. Was he really so dangerous that he had to be tamed by having his memories wiped. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't back out now, since he was all ready to go and everything. He gasped as Lucifer put the metal circlet around his head. He grinned. "Fuck, that's nearly as cold as my shower was the other morning, until you hopped in with me, of course". Lucifer grinned and punched him on the arm, knowing full well that the contents of the shower they'd had together was between just the two of them.

"Okay, you ready for this, boss man?". Both of them laughed at this, and Lucifer pulled down on the switch. "Says here that you'll feel a burning sensation, although since you're a Phoenikoi, you should be fine. Kinda, right?". She giggled nervously and pressed a few buttons, and Deon felt what she'd just described to him, although if they must've tested this on somebody that was immune to being lit on fire, because 'burning sensation' was a bullshit term, a more appropriate one would be 'A feeling like you're being dragged down a hill of sandpaper naked'. Deon grinned, as he was used to this. He moved around a bit, but stopped himself when he felt, and partially saw, the electricity crackle along the circlet on his head. His vision started blurring, and he felt himself being racked with small amounts of electricity. Lucifer was exlaiming, although he couldn't hear her, all he could hear was his own heartbe-

"FUCK! DEON, DON'T YOU DARE PASS OUT ON ME ASSHOLE!". Lucifer grimaced as she heard the impossible. The heartbeat reader that was connected to the machine did something Lucifer would never have dreamed of seeing. "Oh no... it's... it just... it.....

Flatlined!".

Lucifer sobbed to herself as she realised that she'd probably calibrated it wrong. She slammed her fist down onto her deceased master's body, and choked on her words, but after a few moments she almost leaped back in fright, since, you know, Deon doesn't exactly die. "Holy fuck, don't scare me like that, you ass!". Deon grinned at her, and snarkily commented. "Stop being so easy to scare, Luci". He unstrapped himself from the machine, which could have easily doubled as a torture device, and, before she could spout off any inane comments, Lucifer found herself wrapped in his arms. "I want to apologise for nearly killing you when we first met. Although I guess I owe you two, since I've technically done that twice. Holy fuck, 1300 years being reloaded into your brain sure gives ya a motherfukcing headache".

Lucifer grinned, and Deon felt something wet drip onto his chest. "It's just good to have you back, Sir". Deon was about to reply when he felt something cock and load, and he turned to the source. Two heavily armed WDL troopers stood there, one with a miniturized minigun, the other with two Machete's. Deon wouldn't have trouble taking them on at all, but his recent memory gaining had make him all the more tired. He sighed and thought aloud. "Don't you WDL fucktards ever give in? I just wanna go and sleep". He sighed again as one of the soldiers spouted something about them being sent to Arthur for intruding on sacred ground, and Deon just gave him the bird. Obviously, he was a bit of a pussy, because he rushed towards Deon and Lucifer with his machetes pointed straight at their hearts.

*Thunk*
*Splat*
*Thump*

*Crack*
*Thump*

Deon's eyes widened at the fact that his opponents had been picked off from afar, with a sniper rifle, no doubt, and he only knew one demon that could pull off a double shot like that. He turned to the window, observing the rooftops for the giveaway glare, and when he found it he saluted, a grin on his face. He grinned even wider when he got the salute back, and the assassin disappeared into then night.

"Oh boy, this is gonna be a fucking awesome story for my kids, eh Luci?".



Deon woke up the next morning, and sat up. His head was killing him as he surveyed the room. He looked over to the bedside desk and saw a note, and he studied it sleepily as he picked it up.

'Lucky for you I got here in the nick of time, eh Phoenix-san? Anyways, you know where to find me, and if you don't, you know I'll find you. Sincerely, Sniper'.

He layed back on his bed, not quite ready to get out of it. He grinned slightly, knowing that Hikari Scarlet could be ditched now, and the real Executioner, was back in town. And oh boy, did he have a score to settle with the WDL.

“Mmm… That’s nice…” Ash sighed a little, the soft warmth caressing her back as she slept. It was early morning, and she was only just starting to wake up from the comfy embrace of her covers. Her nice, snug, warm, soft, supple, rubbing… Wait. Something was wrong with that. Ash’s eyes opened with a start, and found herself staring at the delicate face of Asmodeus. Sooner then Ash could react, the girl darted her lips forward, pecking Ash on the cheek and giggling. “Glad you liked it.”

“GET THE FUCK OUT!” Was the cry before seconds later loud yells of anger and frustration rose from Ash’s bedroom, along with multiple sounds of smashed objects as Asmodeus darted out the door, barely dodging the alarm clock thrown at her head with a laugh. “That’s what she said! Oh, and see you at training, sweetums~!” Ash panted a bit, having sat up from her bed and thrown everything within arm’s reach at the demoness to no avail. That frickin’ tart never gave it a rest… How the hell had she even gotten into bed with Ash in the first- Shit, now she was starting to think like that too. God, it was contagious, and now she was starting to think of everything in innuendos… Mentally sobbing to herself out of sheer exhaustion, the past 3 days had really taken their toll on Ash, and she gave a long sigh as she slowly climbed out of bed.

It had started off well at the dinner, Ash storming in looking dark and full of scorn, a polar opposite to the cheerful smiling face of Asmodeus, who had latched herself around Ash’s neck and continued to hang off her back. Initially, there was little chatter, given the frosty mood of the biker. As the night wore on however, Ash got herself a well made meal, and learnt a little about Hikari’s ‘family’ – Or friends as he so constantly referred to them as. Although a prank had managed to steam her a little, she’d similarly managed to rile Hikari, and after all was said and done, she’d returned to her room. To her annoyance, it seemed the demon of lust insisted on remaining by her side, Deon indicating she would be waking Ash up early for ‘training’ – An offer Ash had refused to no avail. Which brings us to the first day after Ash’s arrival at the WDL. Thankfully, with the return of Devin the night before, Ash had reclaimed her suitcases from the limo and had unpacked in her room. Less thankfully, was Asmodeus hiding them and refusing to return the suitcases until Ash ‘Earned’ them. Not wanting to give into her ‘threats’ Ash had initially ignored the girl. This proved to be a mistake, as the remaining garments that made up Ash’s ensemble was taken from her during her morning shower. With the prospect of going naked for the day, Ash begrudgingly agreed to some ‘test’ of her abilities, a triplet of blood drops onto a paper revealing just what Ash could do. Ash had been sceptical for some time about the ‘demon’ thing, but this was the first real sign that she truly was different from everyone else.

Darker then Black… She wasn’t sure what that meant, along with the ‘Poison Heart’ thing… In fact, she grimaced a little at the names. Just what did that mean about her? It was like they were some horribly twisted descriptions of her… Then there was the Shadow Walk thing. She could haphazard a guess what that was about – And as for the Telepathy… Wait, there was a little asterix there? What did that mean? Reading the list on the cold tiled floor of her bathroom with nothing but a towel for warmth, she’d eventually relinquished the paper to the ever curious Asmodeus, who took some time reading it herself. After a heavy appraisal, she turned to grin at Ash, a mischievous light decorating her eyes. “What?” Ash asked, then immediately regretted her decision to ask as Asmodeus began to giggle, grabbing hold of Ash. In a blaze of light, everything was white for a moment… And then… Cold. Drafty. Soft, dewy wetness was beneath Ash’s feet, and her eyes opened wide. S-she was outside?!? Embarrassment reared its ugly head once more as Ash became heavily self conscious, clutching her towel close to her body as she scanned the horizon. It looked like she was in the middle of the school oval, and no one was in sight thanks to her early wake up call. This did nothing to alleviate her fear and blush, the girl swearing as she spun and looked for the demon that brought her here.

“AZ! Get out here now!” Ash half-yelled, half-whispered, given where she was. It took her a moment to locate the muted giggles of her trainer coming from behind her, but even then, she was nowhere to be seen. Ash swore again. She should have known better then to trust that little harlot… After a few more agonising moments alone, Asmodeus made her presence known, a devilish smile on her face. “So, how you feeling this bright and sunny morning?” Cheerily smiling, Asmodeus relished in the angered and yet abashed shame across Ash’s face. “Take me back to my room. Now.” The last word had a stone edge to it, along with a deep threat. Not that that meant anything to the semi-untouchable demon before Ash. Waving her hand dismissively, Asmodeus continued. “I take it that means you’re not enjoying the fresh air? Well that’s perfect, since I figured you’d need some motivation to learn your powers.” Ash leaned forward, grabbing the girl’s tie and reeling her in close. “To. Hell. With. You. Get me the FUCK out of here!” Ash literally growled, while Asmodeus just chuckled, before disappearing into thin air. Still, her voice lingered, giggling a bit.

“If you insist, but I’m not taking you anywhere. You want to get back to your room unseen, you’re going to need to master Shadow Walking. Anyway, Hikari’s calling me. Maybe if you get back to your room we’ll play some more… ‘Intimate’ games. Toodles~!” And with that, the echoing voice of Asmodeus left Ash’s mind. For a moment, a panicked Ash began calling out to the demon. She didn’t even know how to shadow walk! She didn’t even know what that was! Just how in the hell did that bitch expect her to…! Argh! This wasn’t teaching! This was throwing her out into a tsunami and seeing if she’d swim or die trying! Slumping against the nearby goal post, Ash tried to work out just what time it was. She had maybe 2 or 3 minutes before people would be up and about… Shit, she couldn’t even run back to her dorm in that time. How was she even going to explain herself when she was caught? Somehow, she didn’t think ‘Demon Training by a psychotic lust demon’ was going to go down well.

“Well, guess I just have to suck it up. Least I still have my towel…” Ash muttered, before she felt an insistent tug behind her. Modesty taking precedence over logic, she instinctively covered herself with her hands, with a slightly effeminate squeal. “Ooo! That’s the best noise I’ve heard from you yet! Makes me drool a little… Anyway, Hikari needed to towel off after his shower, so I’m borrowing this.” Asmodeus waved once at Ash, remaining present for a moment. It seemed for now, she’d tamed Ash’s temperament, the biker unwilling to even try retrieving her towel for fear of exposing herself. “J-just what do I do…?” Ash whimpered meekly, her hostility all but dissolved out of necessity. Asmodeus smirked. “Just find a big, thick, meaty… mmm uh, Shadow! Yeah! A shadow. And try and become one with it. Should be easy now that it’s just you and nothing material.” The Lust demon giggled once more before vanishing. Although being naked WOULD help with using the power, it was just a tad more of an excuse then anything else.

With limited information to go on, and the prospect of total humiliation in front of everyone looming fast on the horizon, Ash hesitantly and awkwardly shuffled her way to the nearest shadow – A large tree. Praying silently to herself, she placed her hands against it. “Come on… Come on… Please work please please…” She felt the soft grass beneath her hands, and the cool air around her. Nothing was happening. She swore, thumping her hand back into the soil. “Come on you piece of shit just work already!” Trembling slightly in anxiety, there was no sign she’d managed to do anything. I-If this was just another prank on Asmodeus’ part, Ash wasn’t sure she was going to make it through the day…

“Man, sucks having to get up early for training. Our coach is brutal.” Ash froze as she heard voices approaching from behind her. God, there were people out already for some sports club. Turning and backing up in horror, Ash could see them, but it seemed for the moment, they weren’t looking this way. Clenching her eyes shut, she cried a little to herself. This was it! She was so so screwed…! And then, she gave a soft scream.

“You hear that Bill?”

“Hear what?”

“Thought I heard a girl’s voice… Musta been my imagination…”

Ash panted from her position, the falling sensation having caught her off guard and making her yelp for that brief moment. But, as she watched the two boys head off to the oval, she felt nothing but an overwhelming sense of relief. It was an odd sensation… Cool, with all around her black. It was just like when she shut her eyes… And her sensations felt heightened, able to see beyond and around her. Then, as she started to focus more… She could move herself amongst the black void, like a liquid stream travelling through a ravine. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she began to notice patches of light filtered in amongst her black world, and as she came to realise, she could emerge back into reality through them. At the same time, she was able to manipulate the darkness to pass over the light areas… at least to some degree. It was both amazing… and frightening. As she began to wander amongst the shadows more and more, she felt fear, loneliness and despair welling up inside her. She felt isolated, suffocating… Cut off from both the world and everyone else, sealed within the darkness. By the time she managed to get back to her room, she emerged shivering and covered with sweat. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle that… It was… It scared her…

“Ooo~! These ones are really frilly! Who’d you buy these for?” Ash looked up to the voice of Asmodeus, the demoness sitting on her bed and - having opened Ash’s suitcase - was rummaging about her delicate unmentionables, holding them up in the light and against her own figure. “Ah-Asmodeus… I um…” Ash stuttered a little, looking to her with shimmering eyes. “I… got those for you…” Heavily blushing, she held her hands to her cheeks, turning rosy red. Asmodeus turned a similar shade, looking back to Ash in shock. “I-I never realised… I-I’m so flattered…” Asmodeus stammered at the sudden and stark change in Ash’s personality. It was a little suspicious but… Gawd! She was so adorable like that! It was… It was so impossible to deny her! Az continued to watch Ash as she nodded, looking up to the demoness. “If you like… I can wear it for you… just… close your eyes…” Ash blushed some more and fidgeted, while Az’s eyes sparkled. It was a dream come true! She’d won Ash over with her charms! It didn’t matter what came next or whatever the repercussions, this was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up! Closing her eyes, Asmodeus made a deep sigh of anticipation as she felt Ash close in…

SMACK!

Ash smugly held her fist. Painful as that acting was, it was well worth it to land just one solid punch on this bitch. A dazed and somewhat delirious Asmodeus remained on the floor as Ash reclaimed her clothes, heading off to the shower to change. Quickly, she got ready for classes and hurried out the door, leaving the demoness behind…

Looking back on that moment, Ash smiled a little. Though she was loathe to admit it, and that morning had been the most fretful she’d had in a long time… It was fun. She hadn’t experienced something like that in a long time. It was a rush that made her feel alive… And as frustrating as Az was… She did seem to want the best for Ash. In fact… Well, maybe ‘enjoying’ the company was too strong a word. Tolerate. Yeah. Ash could tolerate having Asmodeus around these days… Stepping into the shower, her mind began to drift again, back to that second day here at the academy…

Learning about her Poison Heart ability took some time, especially since Az had stringently been honing Ash’s Shadow Walk talents. By about midday, Ash could consistently navigate the shadows, along with join and separate from them at will. Though she had some degree of control over them, she still wasn’t very good at making objects from the darkness, but finally, after a number of failed attempts, Ash had done enough to satisfy the demon by creating a sword of shadows, earning herself a well deserved lunch. Or at least, so she thought. When the lid fell off the pepper shaker, ruining her food, Ash would’ve probably flipped her lid and used that sword to attack Asmodeus. Instead, something much more effective happened.

“Th-the hell A-Az… I’m Suh-su-starving…” Ash squirmed in her seat awkwardly, pepper getting up her nose as she struggled to hold back her sneeze. Asmodeus just grinned, munching into her own sandwich. She’d explained to Ash on day one that the pranks were part of her training. Demons didn’t play fair, and she had to be prepared for anything at all times. This included dodging the demon’s playful attempts at groping and making advances towards the biker girl. “It’s the oldest trick in the book, you gatta be prepared to- H-hey! Cover your mouth!” Az’s warning was far too late however, Ash sneezing loudly. What made the whole affair far more disgusting was the massive spitball that launched from Ash’s mouth, sickeningly coating Asmodeus’ sandwich in a black goop. Steadily, the sandwich bubbled and fizzed, before corroding away to nothing, the splotch dripping to the table before slowly melting a hole through that. Both girls watched this in repulsion, and then…

“Hands off!” Ash smirked as she snatched up her sandwich seconds before Asmodeus could grab it. “My sandwich.” Taking a big bite, she grinned maliciously through her mouthful. Asmodeus pouted and slumped onto her elbows. Now she wouldn’t get to eat until dinner… Well, at least there was something else she could work on with Ash… But… Man, she was so hungry! They’d been training for hours! Mabe she’d sneak something from Hikari’s fridge if Beelzebub hadn’t gone through it yet… Groaning as she faceplanted on the table, it took a nudge from Ash to get her to sit back up. What she saw made her eyes go wide. Neatly cut down the middle and held in front of her by Ash’s hand, was half of her sub, the Biker dusting the crumbs from her shadow sword on the table. “Go on. I don’t want you whining all day, got it?” Ash was munching on her half, looking to the side and not meeting Asmodeus’ gaze. Slyly grinning, Asmodeus took the offering. Ash was… Being nice! Maybe she wasn’t such an evil bitch after all! Taking a huge bite, Asmodeus immediately regretted the decision, gagging at the excess pepper Ash had slipped inside. Ash continued to smirk… And actually smiled. “Demon’s got to be prepared at all times, right? No tricks this time, scout’s honour.” Ash laughed,, and it was genuinely warm and friendly as she handed over the bottled water. It was times like this… Just like back home…

“Heeeellllooooo? What are you doing, masturbating in there? Hurry up!” The voice of Asmodeus ducking her head into the bathroom snapped Ash from her daydream, mumbling to herself for Az to be patient as she switched off the shower. “Yeah yeah, I’m com-… On my way.” Ash corrected herself, breathing a thankful sigh of relief as she dodged that verbal double entendre. She could vaguely hear Az giggling to herself as she stepped out and dried off, pulling on her clothes for the day. By now, she’d gotten a bit more of a handle on her shadow powers, and could do basic things like have the shadows hold her clothes for her without too much thought. Part of her wondered how she’d lived without them, or why it was so easy for her to manage. Well, there was something to say for instinct.

Joining Asmodeus at the breakfast table, Ash nibbled on some toast before drifting back into her memories… It’d only been three days, but already, she was coming to accept just having Asmodeus around her all the time. In fact… It almost seemed like she saw her more then Deon, though that was probably in her head. Still… Compared to how they first got along, it was amazing how much she’d warmed up to the girl in such a short time. Maybe it had something to do with yesterday…

“Alright, so you’ve learnt how to communicate with your uh… Your tricycle over there…” Asmodeus squealed and jumped behind Ash for protection as ‘Umbra’ the motorcycle’s engine roared. After the initial surprise she’d gotten when it had ran over her, Asmodeus had become incredibly skittish around the vehicle, though given how powerful she was, Ash couldn’t help but find it amusing. “Alright Umbra, that’s enough. She didn’t mean anything by it…” Ash reassured the bike, its hazards flicking for a moment before it drove over to the corner and parked. “You were saying Az..? And let go of my arm, please…”

“Oh… uh… OH!” Asmodeus gasped a little and let go of Ash’s arm, having lost herself a moment. “Heh, uh, well, like I was saying, you got to learn how to communicate telepathically with other things… Not bikes. People.” Asmodeus clarified. In all her time as a Demon, she’d NEVER seen a familiar like that one… And possibly scariest of all was the aura it emitted… For something so basic, it held immense power… “Well, I guess that makes sense, is it much different? Don’t I just have to think about it and picture you in my head and stuff?” Ash asked, Asmodeus nodding as she took a seat, gesturing Ash to do the same. “Right. It’s really handy, me and the girls do it all the time, Hikari too.” Flicking her pigtails, Asmodeus moved to sit opposite Ash. “Now, I’ll try communicating with you telepathically, and you do the same, got it? Remember, you got to stay focused and think what you want to say. Otherwise you can flood your thoughts into the other person.” Nodding, Ash followed Asmodeus’ lead, shutting her eyes. So she just had to focus. Focus on Asmodeus, and speaking to her. Asmodeus…

“Well, she isn’t that bad I guess. Even if she has been picking on me, the training’s been working… And it’s not so bad having the company. I mean… I think she’s a good person. A little weird but… nice… Kinda like my sister…”

…

“Hey Sewt, yew O-kay?” From the top bunk of the bed, Claire leant her head over the side, gripping the railing and hanging down. The younger sister of Ashley, Claire was both similar, and strikingly different. Both had the same bright blue eyes and both were becoming tall for their age - but unlike her slightly elder sister, Claire was a bit slimmer, and much preferred to keep her hair short at shoulder length. Where Ashley’s face was smooth and rounded, Claire had a longer face that made her look that bit older and more mature. Had it not been for the higher cheek bones and childish lisp that she still had, she’d probably come off that way too, as she was always quite the sharp and sensible little girl. As Ash continued to cry into her pillow, Claire swung herself further down, wrapping her ankles around the pole to stop from falling as she began nudging her sister.

“Come on Sewt. Stop cwying…” Claire smiled a little, keeping her hand on her shoulder. Finally, Ash sniffled a bit and sat up, looking to her sister. When she did, she couldn’t help but smile and laugh at the goofy upside-down face looking back at her, lips pulled out to the sides in a silly grin. The effect was temporary however, Ash returning sombrely shortly after, curling up and holding her legs. Claire looked at her curiously, before finally asking the question. “What’s wong?”

Looking up with red eyes, Ashley pouted and glanced to the side, wiping her eyes. “They wouldn’t… *sniff* wouldn’t l-let me play…” Her little hands tensed, squeezing the covers of her bed and scrunching them together. Claire watched her for a second, before grinning and grabbing her by the wrist. “Well come on then. We’ll pway! It’ll be way more fun with just us anyway!” Giggling some more as she tried dragging Ash from the bed, Claire gave a startled yelp as her ankles came lose from the rail, sending both girls tumbling onto the carpeted floor with a crash. Ashley and Claire burst into laughter, ignoring the pain a little as they sat up,

“That really hurt! Come here you!”

“Ah! NooOOOooo! Leggo!” Claire squealed and squirmed as Ashley pounced, tackling her sister and wrestling with her on the ground. The two continued to play about before descending into a fit of giggles…

…

Ash snapped her eyes open, turning a deep red as she realised just then what she’d been thinking about. She’d completely lost focus, and… Oh god, Asmodeus had seen all that! With the way she was blushing and… Damn it! Why hadn’t she said something and interrupted her? Squirming awkwardly, Ash sat up. “I uh… I think that’s enough for today.” Curtly turning around, Ash had managed to sneak off before Asmodeus could call her back. Since then, neither had spoken on the topic… But for that, Ash was kind of thankful. No teasing. No gossip amongst the Sins… Asmodeus had kept it to herself. And that… Ash respected that. Slinging her bag onto her back, she headed out towards her classes at the WDL, Asmodeus floating alongside her – Albeit, invisible to all the students. She had a feeling it was going to be another long day, but little did she realise how right she was…

~ Sebastian's Story ~

Three days he had been waiting for this moment. The chance to finally see her again, the chance to prove himself, the chance to... Do something! The eye merely observed for now, hidden to the WDL members as it waited for them to arrive. Both were a little on edge, this was a big and also very suicidal attempt to get into the WDL's walls without being detected. Sebastian knew he was the youngest looking there, heck he should be in freshman year right now! None of it mattered as the last thoughts escaped when they arrived at the WDL. "Alright team, listen up." The man in charge of the squad spoke out, seeming to walk in front of them as they all got out of their vehicles. "We are getting high reports that an invasion is in the progress of happening right now. Our superiors have told everyone, and I will repeat those words here and now for all of you. Do NOT let it happen! If you even think you see a demon, don't think, act! It's what you were trained to do, it's what you were born to do, now let's go and find some demon asses to kick!" Everyone in the group cheered as they now found the adrenaline to rush behind their leader. Sebastian, however, sneaked his way off towards the WDL itself, somehow not being seen or questioned.

"And what do you think you are doing?" A guard asked him as he had arrived at the front of the WDL. Sebastian panicked inside his head for a second, what excuse could he use to get inside and find her? "Say you were sent to patrol the inside of the halls and help evacuate anyone if the invasion does happen." The eye said to Sebastian, as he quickly put his fears aside to speak to them, trying to not make it look like someone else had told him these words. "I was sent here to patrol the halls, and to also evacuate anyone still inside should the invasion happen." The guard seemed to look over at his friend, who gave the nod as the first guard sighed. "Let me see your I.D." The guard asked, as Sebastian took off the card on his WDL outfit and handed it to the guard. The guard seemed to look puzzled as he looked it over. "Uh, do you remember what this guy is supposed to do...?" The second guard raised his brows as he found himself puzzled as well. "Um... Maybe? I -- I think he's telling the truth. I mean, he isn't a demon I can tell that much for sure, so... You know." Both guards found themselves in awkward silence before the first guard handed it back to Sebastian as he puts it back on his suit. "Alright, you can go inside. But no funny business, okay?" Sebastian nodded in reply, heading inside as the eye couldn't help but chuckle at how neither of them knew about it.

Sebastian was taken aback by how the inside of the academy was, seeming to almost slow down before he felt the eye push into his back to keep him moving forward. "We can't sight-see you know. We got in, that's great and all, but if you want to find her, do it now! Otherwise, this trip will have been for nothing!" Sebastian found himself gripping back into reality as he nodded and tried to look around, but found himself... Completely lost. "So uh, while we're on the subject... What's with all this talk about an invasion?" He asked, the eye seeming to let out a sigh before speaking. "I think it's to do with your father, and also to do with what we did. You see, things are going to get very hectic from now on. What we did might of lead poor Arthur to believe someone inside his WDL is a traitor! He really has a lot to learn, but your father also seems to have plans. We may get thrown into the middle of it, although I heavily advise finding that girl -- sorry, woman now."

He began to see people walking around, gathering up as they made it harder for him to tell people apart at this. He seemed to furrow his brows at this, looking around as he could see a crowd here, a crowd there, a crowd all around him somehow! He was getting upset, he wasn't finding her at all! He wanted to ask her name, he wanted to actually introduce himself... But this was just madness! His first time into this place was a total disaster, and he felt like he might as well give up the goose chase here. "Look, over there." The eye said, as when Sebastian looked up, he found himself looking at... Oh joys of all, he had found her! He found himself running into a jog, his feet guiding him in a direction he never thought he could go before, as he didn't even notice as he lost the I.D. card first. When he entered into the crowd, he found himself trying to push in, when he got push back around, which ended up just with the removal of more WDL clothes. This was more due to him going into a rage and finally just throwing the damn thing off when they weren't looking. Finally, after having lost it all, he found himself... Tripping over someone!

He screamed out a little at this, finding himself quickly rolling off of the person as he got up and quickly brushed himself off, finding the one named Claire before him. Quickly reaching down to grab her hand, he helped her back up as the crowd was moving away at this. He quickly brushed off her shoulders before backing up a little. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to --" He stopped, looking back as he found the crowd moving further away now. "Shoot, no! She's gone... Damn it!" He mumbled the last pat to himself, now in the attire he had worn to the meeting with Arthur, and yes, it had been cleaned since then. "I'm so sorry for doing that, I'm -- I'm Sebastian... I'll -- uh..." He stopped, when a boy came over and started talking to her, seeing a few nods being exchanged before them as he looked up at them. "... Look, I -- I'm just here to find someone... A woman. Can you please help me?" He asked a little out of desperation, the eye silently observing the two as it looked back at the fading crowd and then back at them. "Interesting..." The eye said, noticing Claire's appearance as it kept that in mind.

~ Michael's Story ~

"Renegades base, reporting in for duty sir." A young male voice spoke out to Michael and Scott, as the van continued on it's journey for the WDL. They were getting closer now, and Scott could tell Michael was on edge. He had only just picked up on the rumors, he had long discovered that a strange demon had attacked the same place they were just at, he had only just discovered though that there may be an incoming invasion on the WDL. "I want you to listen to every word I say. This is Michael, so I want everyone to hear this. I don't care if the other two decide to be ignorant, but get them to do this! You need to send most of the squads out to protect places near the WDL or have WDL activity in them. Do you understand? Protect the innocents with your lives! If you see even the slightest hint of a demon, investigate upon it. If you can confirm your suspicions are true, act on it, and strike without hesitation!" Michael spoke, seeming to try to regain a hold over himself as the young man spoke out. "Uhh, b-but what about us here at the base, sir...?" Scott seemed to step in at this. "You will defend the base with your lives. If the demons come to attack, do not let them surprise you! You must get the jump on them, do not let them overtake the base!" Michael sighed out as they both heard the young man's voice again. "Y-yes sir! I won't let you down! Either of you!"

They heard the base hang up at this as they both let out a sigh, as Michael shook his head a little at this. "I can't fucking believe this is going to happen..." He said, Scott seeming to pat his shoulder a bit as he sighed. "Relax... Stop the van for a bit, I need to get something out from the back." Michael rose a brow at this, but stopped it any way, as Scott quickly got out and walked to the back. Michael seemed to be on edge, he tried to calm himself, thinking nothing wrong was about to happen. Well, until he saw a few strange figures heading his way... He seemed to raise his brows at this, quickly getting out as he closed the door as he watched the men in robes come before him. "Are you Michael of The Renegades?" The man spoke out, as Michael nodded his head in confirming this. "Well then... Time to die." The tallest man said, quickly pulling out a scythe, as Michael found himself ducking, losing a few hairs in the process, but it was something he could live with. "Who are you?" He asked, watching as they threw off their cloaks to reveal... People? "We have been sent by our leader and master to personally execute you." Michael furrowed his brows at this. "WDL?" He asked. "No..." Michael rose a brow at this. "Hell?" He asked. "No... We are something far different."

Michael was prepared to attack, when a bright light came flying past him and hit the man on the right, watching as he screamed out as a loud poof was heard, the man vanishing and leaving his cloak behind. "Who dares to try and attack us?!" The lead man asked, as Scott walked forward, carrying a huge looking gun in his hand, it's alien design yet holy presence made all the remaining cloaked men actually shiver a little. "The name's Scott you sons of bitches. I heavily advise following your friend's actions and departing from here at once. I assure you, he won't be getting up for at least two days." He said, as when they heard the gun begin to charge up for another attack, they quickly did the same as the other had, making loud poof like noises before vanishing and leaving the cloaks behind. Michael walked forward and picked one up, looking at the strange demonic emblem on it as he rose his brows. "Christ... Looks like some bastard's are finally having the balls to come out now that hell is on the move again." Michael said to Scott, as Scott sighed out a bit. "You know how it is. We see any of them try to join this so called invasion, we blast them. Although I thought that bastard was a vampire... Or at least a werewolf. What I just heard wasn't either." Scott said, as Michael could only nod. "Yeah... Looks like we got a new type of creature to worry about." He said, before walking on forward, Scott following close behind. "Ah jesus, we got enough problems to worry about! If they weren't demons, what were they?!" Scott asked Michael, as only one word could come to his mind. "Monsters."

“Sounds like next door is enjoying themselves.” Kane commented as the sounds of profuse swearing and smashed objects was vaguely heard through the walls of the next door dorms. Over the past three days, it certainly seemed like the building next to theirs was a lively one, and he was more than a little curious just what went on over there. Still, he didn’t really get to see the occupants very much – Whether they left late or went to some other classes or something, he didn’t really know. Well… Maybe he’d go introduce himself at some point if he saw them. Stretching a moment, he pushed off the window sill, already prepped and ready for class. Closing the door behind him and locking it up, he casually walked down the hall to the main entertainment room, hopping onto the couch as he patiently waited on Claire’s arrival. He’d made a couple of friends in the first few days at the WDL, but for the most part, he’d found himself hanging around Claire the most. She was an easygoing and friendly girl, and never seemed to mind when he tagged along with her after class or anything. Unlike him, Claire had been hugely popular at the Academy by comparison, getting more than a second glance from the boys, and making fast friends with the girls. She just seemed to… fit in. It was an envious quality, seeing her seamlessly slip into conversations and groups. Still, when all was said and done, she’d part ways and return home with Kane. No shopping. No movies. No dates… During the walks home, he’d been tempted to ask why she… Well, chose to hang around him rather then all the other students. After all… He’d seen what some of the other students said about him to her – And knew she’d lost a number of friends because she decided to stick with him. So then, why did she…

“Hope you weren’t waiting long.” Claire jogged in slowly, straightening out her shoes by lifting her leg a moment. Seemed she was running a little late this morning, for whatever reason. She was dressed neat as always, a pale yellow blazer with black cuffs and golden highlights and buttons, white undershirt and black tie and skirt, rounded off with her formal shoes and white thigh-high stockings. Around her neck, a slim silver necklace encrusted with a single ruby red jewel was the only accessory she had, along with some simple stud earrings. Kane appreciated all this in a moment, before sitting up, smiling. “Nah, not at all. Just got here myself. You set for class?” Nodding, Claire and Kane headed out the door, joining up with the rest of the students on their way to class. As they walked, they didn’t really say too much, but that was probably because of the way she was rapidly making her way through the people. It was just a bit faster then a comfortable pace, almost like she had somewhere to be. Kane did his best to keep up, but all of the sudden, he lost track of her. “Claire?” Kane called out briefly, before turning towards a loud commotion off a bit in front of him. It was quite a scene, Claire rubbing her back and wincing a little, having been knocked to the ground by… a young boy? Kane hurried over as the two were getting up, both dusting themselves off.

"Shoot, no! She's gone... Damn it!" The boy trailed off at the end, seemingly having lost someone amongst the crowd. He turned to Claire, apologising for his actions as Kane arrived, the two nodding at each other acknowledging his arrival. Claire smiled a little, gesturing for the boy to calm down. “It’s alright, really. I should have been watching where I was going…” By now, a little bit of a crowd was gathering, though Kane had no idea why. Well, it was a bit of a tumble, but Claire was alright, so he didn’t see why everyone needed to stop and stare. "... Look, I -- I'm just here to find someone... A woman. Can you please help me?" Kane looked to the boy… Then to Claire, who met his gaze as well. She brought her hand to her chin, thinking for a moment, as Kane did the same. Well, the kid seemed a little worried… Maybe they could help him. They did have some time before class, and who knew? Maybe they knew who he was looking for? Besides, they were good people. It was his responsibility to help those in need wherever he could.

“So who exactly are you looking for?” Kane asked after a moment, standing up straight as he looked to the crowd, some of which had dissipated.

“I-I don’t know her name exactly she’s tall with black hair blue eyes-“ The boy continued to spout of his description at a record pace, Kane barely able to note the key features. After politely asking the boy to calm down and start again, he managed to get the full story. A biker girl about 20 years of age; tall, black hair, blue eyes, pale skin. As Kane tried to think on anyone he knew like that, he turned to Claire. “You know anyone like that, Claire?” She seemed to be deep in thought, more so then before as she eyed the kid over, interjecting with her own line of thought rather then answering Kane’s question.

“So why do you need to find this woman…? Sorry, I didn’t catch your name…” Her question was inquiring in nature, though the boy’s response was somewhat cryptic in its own way. "Thomas, that's my last name so call me by that. And I need to find her because she has something I need back." Claire nodded, seemingly unfazed by the weird introduction as she continued her line of questioning. “So what’s her name?” The boy grimaced a little, his face tensing some as he spoke. "...That's the problem... Never got it. We were separated too fast." He still seemed a little panicked, though his panting had slowed down now as he continued to scan the crowd. Just why did he need to find this girl anyway? Well, she was a biker. Perhaps she’d done some evil deed to this kid and he was tracking her? Could she have stolen from him? “So did she take something from you? Is that why you need to find her?” Kane asked, before taking a small step back as the boy quickly gave his response, clearly still on edge. "NO, no! She needed something at the time, I was kind enough to give it to her, but unfortunately we got separated before she could give it back..."

“Huh, well…-”

“Kane, go on ahead and see if you can find this girl. I’ll stay with Thomas and see what else I can find out.” Claire interrupted Kane and met her gaze with his. It was a little odd… Her look was filled with such intent, Kane didn’t quite feel he could say no, even if he wanted to. Instead, he simply nodded. “Alright, I’ll be back soon!” Turning on his heel, he sprinted off into the crowd, darting through people. “Excuse me! Sorry, coming through, urgent business! WhohHoOOaaa!” Kane staggered as he tripped and fell into the ground again. Man, why did he always have to be so clumsy…

…

Elsewhere, Claire began to walk Thomas away from the enquiring crowd, claiming that she’d handle things from here. True to her word, she steered him into an alley, making some small talk as they moved further and further from the crowds of people… "...Aren't you a bit young? To be here I mean. You know where this is, right?" She looked back at him over her shoulder, keeping a close watch on ‘Thomas’. The boy was glancing around, seemingly still quite nervous as he fumbled together an answer to her question. "I'm only fifteen. And I'm a guest, recently got moved here because, well... What do you think we got separated by?" Claire stopped, looking about the alley they’d pulled into. This would do… Turning to face the boy, she smiled again, remaining innocent. “I’m not sure. Why would I know something like that?” She narrowed her eyes a little as ‘Thomas’ muttered something under his breath. Unknown to him, she knew every word both he… And his company had said. Slowly, she leaned back against the wall, folding her arms and looking down on the kid with a look of superiority “And I don’t trust you, or that thing with you.” She paused, taking in the look of surprise on the boy’s face, pushing off the wall as she moved in closer. "You know, you're a pretty poor liar… A guest who just happened to fall out of a guard's uniform? You're only lucky that Kane is as clueless as he is, and that I’m the one that you stumbled into."

Thomas seemed to back up, but a quick glance behind him revealed he was cornered. He sighed, looking away as he mumbled out his response. "If I told you the real reason, you would consider me a stalker. Look, three days ago me, her and three others were brought to this... I don't know, place for some reason. All they had us do was sit down as they... Well, revealed to us a secret. Then we got attacked. That part, I did not lie about. I was trying to run after her, but... Well, I ended up going the wrong way, got stuck in this place full of demons, and now I have this 'thing' following me around wherever I go... You don't have to trust me, but I am not a murderer." All throughout his speech, Claire slowly made her way closer, her shadow looming over the boy as she was less then a foot… then an inch away.

Carefully, she moved her hand up to his face… “H-hey, what are you-“ And then, with one swift movement, swiped her thumb against his cheek. The effect was instantaneous, the holy water fizzing slightly at the contact with the demonic skin, Thomas wincing and calling out slightly in pain as he rubbed his cheek. Claire however, had stepped back, looking down at him. “I knew it. You’re one of them.” Wiping her hand free of the holy water, she looked back to the boy as that ‘other’ voice began speaking again. She wasn’t certain who or what that was, but it’d been around this boy the whole time… "Fine, you want to know? He is half, but he speaks the truth. Don't buy it? You don't have to. But if he really was a demon under my master's control, would he -really- be this stupid?"

The boy and the demon began to bicker amongst themselves, Claire ignoring their discussion for the most part as she searched about her bag, pulling out her glasses case. Finally, the eye began to speak on something a bit more interesting then the child he was babysitting. "And besides, a bloody invasion is rumoured to be happening at any god damn moment... Do you think he would even be here, much less talking to you or your clumsy friend, without so much as even trying to manipulate or kill either of you? Besides... You can hear me. That means you aren't entirely human yourself." Claire froze a little at those words, then smiled, laughing a moment as she pulled on her spectacles, adjusting the bridge with a finger. The glass shimmered a moment, as if glowing; and the floating eye in front of her became clear as day. Turning towards it, she spoke.

“You’re mistaken. But that doesn’t mean you’re stupid. Which makes me wonder why you’re here, looking for her of all people.” Claire narrowed her eyes a little. They were an uncalculated variable… But the fact they were looking for Ash… What did that mean? Did Hell have plans for her? Or was this something else entirely? As the two descended into another bickering, Claire could only question the sensibility of the two in front of her. A crush. Did they honestly expect her to believe that? Continuing to scrutinise them, she calmly raised her hand for them to stop, before speaking. “I don't entirely care what you two do then, but..." With sudden ferocity, a blade of light came from seemingly nowhere, impaling itself into the wall between Thomas and the eye. "If you get in my way, or I find that you've endangered her in any way, I assure you, you'll live to regret it."

Turning on her heel from them, the eye made some attempt to acknowledge her threat, Claire removing her glasses as she looked back to Sebastian, intent on getting her message across to him. “Stay away from her. Got it?” Turning back out of the alleyway, she could hear Kane calling out as he approached her, dragging along some poor black haired girl with him. As Thomas slowly followed in behind Claire, he asked a very simple question that had been part of the formalities she had skipped. "...By the way, what's do you go by?" The boy looked up to her, but she couldn’t judge if it was fear, curiosity or something else in his expression. She smiled warmly, returning back to the pleasant, cheerful persona she adopted amongst everyone. It was as if the entire sequence in the alley had never occurred.

“Just call me Claire. Claire Clade.”

A figure covered with a hood knocked on the door to the class that Ash was in, the only part of their face that was visible being their eyes, which were darkened and it was hard to tell what colour they were. They went in and spoke. "May I speak to Ashley Clade, please?". Asmodeus gasped, and also spoke. "Ash, go with her. Just trust me!". Ash glanced over at the figure, looking to the professor to gain permission. Recieving a nod, she sat up and excused herself, taking her schoolbag and exiting the room. The cloaked figure let out a small sigh of relief as Ash followed her, and she pulled her hood off to reveal a feminine face, but with the difference of cat ears. Her hair was styled into two braids, and it shone a sparkling red. "Sweet. You're Ash, right? Do you know what I am? And more importantly, will you follow me for a bit?". She giggled a little bit at the expression Ash pulled next. "Uhh..." Ash stared at the ears, blinking a moment. "A cosplayer...?" She then shook her head. "But yeah, I'm happy to get out of class..." Shouldering her bag, she looked to Asmodeus, telepathically communicating. "Care to bring me up to speed?". Asmodeus grinned, and did something Ash probably would've been surprised at She materialised, which earned a giggle from the person in front of them, and they both hugged. "Rin! It's been AGES!" "I know right, how's Deon?". Asmodeus' eyes shot open, and she put her finger to Rin's mouth, and turned to Ash. "Ya know what a 'Kasha' is?".

"Do I look like I know what a Kasha is?". Ash asked, folding her arms. Asmodeus grinned and tugged her sleeve like she was a baby. "Kasha are a form of Nekomata, but they're... ugh, you don't know much do you. Maybe Hikari'll let you borrow a book sometime". The Kasha, Rin, turned. "No time, there's a full-scale invasion taking place soon. We need to find our most capable person, and you know exactly who that is, eh Az?". Asmodeus grinned and tugged Ash along. "To the Park!".



Deon leaped onto one of the tallest trees in the park, surveying the surrounding area with a grim look on his face. He sighed and turned to his companion, Lucifer. "Yeah, there isn't anything there, Luci. Not that I can see, anyways". Lucifer sighed and pulled him over to her, and pointed. "What about there?". Deon chuckled and leaped down from the trees, landing near Sebastian and co. He grinned and spoke. "Alright, you guys know that there's an Invasion on top of us right now, right?". He looked around, grinning. His eyes fell onto Sebastian and his grin vanished. "You...".

"Um... H-hey there! Have we met before? My memories a bit... Fuzzy."

Deon eyed Sebastian, but something was off. He grinned, sending a telepathic message to Lucifer. "Is that a Demon he's got near him? I can sense it but not see it". Deon simply grinned. "I dunno, I think we might've met before, or something... Anyways, my name's Hikari. What's yours?". By this time, Lucifer had already infromed him that his suspicions were correct. He sent her another message and told her to materialise in her human form around the corner and come talk as well, and then she was gone. Suddenly, 'Hikari' heard somebody shouting his name, as Lucifer, now in her human form, rushed around the corner. "Hey Hikari, what're you DOING. We're supposed to be in class!". Sebastian saw his grin and seemed to shiver, glancing over at Claire and Kane as he then looked back at Deon. "Thomas. That's my last name... Hikari, huh...? Odd name, but okay. I just don't hear it mu --" He stopped as he saw Lucifer run over and raised one of his brows. He then turned his attention back to Deon. "So... Mr. Hikari... What are you doing coming out of nowhere exactly?"

Deon grinned, and his eyes glinted dangerously. "Demons. Headed this way. You mean you didn't know about that? Odd.... Anyways yeah, this is Lucy, my friend. We should be off though, I need to check on other people, since my Teacher forced me to. Ugh, what a bitch". Lucifer grabbed Deon by the arm as he went to walk off, and spoke. "You look.... familiar... it's been a while, but were you at an Orphanage by any chance?". Sebastian seemed confused, and looked to Claire and Kane and the back at Deon and Lucifer. He sighed out and held out his hand slowly. "Yeah, I've been... Living there for years now. Recently ran away, too, actually. I think it's been two months now, although it seems -- nevermind...". He stopped himself, for some reason. "My name... Is Sebastian. Sebastian Thomas." He told Lucifer. She grinned, and practically cannonballed into Sebastian, and Deon could barely hold himself together at this point. He burst out into laughter, which resulted in Lucifer booting him in the stomach, which made him laugh even harder. Lucifer spoke. "It's been ages Sebastian! Its so good to see you again". Deon stood, and eyed Sebastian. "So, you name's Sebastian, eh?". His grin grew slightly amused, but it disappeared as he heard something. "Oh, really? They're coming this way already?".

Sebastian felt a brow raise as he felt her cannonball into him. He couldn't help but smile as he patted her back a bit at this. "E-easy now Lucy... I didn't expect to find you in a place like this..." He said, before watching her send a blow into Deon's stomach. He laughed a little at the scene and then turned his attention back to Lucy. "... Yeah, it's been ages. And uh... You got a new outfit it seems." He said, before looking back to Deon. "... Got a problem with it?", he asked, before hearing something too. "Who's coming? The demons, the guards here -- What? What?" Deon's grin widened as he saw Sebastian seemingly start to panic. And he spoke. "Neither, although I guess you could call them 'Demons'". Deon grinned as he watched Asmodeus practically fly into the Park, with Ash and Rin close behind. Rin grinned as she pounced, tackling Deon to the ground and trying to hit him. He blocked her attacks and kicked her off, and they both started laughing. Standing up, Deon offered the Kasha his hand, which she accepted. They both laughed a bit again, and Deon turned. "This is my friend Rin, she's a Kasha.... Please tell me I don't have to explain what a Kasha is".



Sebastian looked around at Lucy at this. [b]"What in the world is a Kasha?" He asked, before looking over at Ash. "Um... Lucy, do you know who that is?" He asked. Lucifer replied. "Yeah, that's Ash, why do you ask, Sebastian?". Lucifer looked at him, a smirk on her face and she pushed herself off of him. She grabbed him by the cheek, chuckling a little. "Awww, is 'Basty-wasty curious?". She stifled a laugh as she saw his cheeks redden, and patted him on the shoulder. "Just kidding. It's good to see you again, though.... Hikari, what's the status? How many?". She turned to the others. "Just in case you didn't hear them, there's a few Demons just in the trees around us". Deon sighed, and concentrated. "Around twenty or so, it'll be easy. And I can go all out this time, gosh it's been so long since I've been able to. Heh. This'll entertain me". He turned to the Cat-girl and grinned "Gonna go hide in your kitty-litter, pussy-cat?" Rin punched him in the shoulder, and her claws slifted out with a 'shhhick'. "Hell no, I'm not letting you have all the fun. Also, 'Hikari'? Really? The WDL gave you that, I hope". Sebastian's stood up.

"C-curious? Come on Lucy, don't tease me..." Lucifer grinned as he grinned back at her. "... I... Need to talk to her." He said, before quickly rushing over towards Ash, which made Lucifer feel... odd. Was this 'Ash' girl really better than her?... No. Lucifer wouldn't allow such thoughts. "No". Lucifer looked to Deon. "Should I call the others? Or what?". Deon noticed the angry glint in her eye and grinned. "Go get 'em, they'll love this". Deon watched as the first of the Demons began to appear, Earth Demons... wait, no. He gasped as the multitudes of Demons ran past him, away from something. And then he saw it. "Fire Demons.... fuck, already? Az, Luci! Get ready! Brenhin's coming!". Deon grinned, raising his fists as a fire demon leaped at him, and he roundhoused it to the face. "Listen up, you weaker people get to the back of me, Luci, Az and Rin. If ya don't, prepare to get burned". Deon whacked another Demon in the face, and suddenly they all started pouring out of the forest. Rin grinned, brandishing her claws. "Meeeooow!~ I haven't played for a-ges! Let's make this fun, shall we Deon?". She reached over and clawed his hoodie's arm off, revealing the black armband with a golden pin that was sitting on his arm. Deon grinned. "Yeah, they decided to 'Exorcise' me, and made me an Exorcist. Bullshittery, I say!". He booted another Demon away, putting his hands in his pockets for a cool effect. He spoke. "Seven Sisters of Purgatory, to me!". And suddenly all Seven Sisters were there, grinning and brandishing their weapons. Asmodeus smiled to Ash. "Yeah, I've been going super easy on ya, Ashy-poo~".

Deon moved his foot just in time to dodge the ray that caused the explosion of demons and flesh. "Well shit, look who it is!".

Class was boring. Well, it probably wasn’t that bad, but Ash never was the kind of student that paid attention. She was bright, yes. Was she motivated? Not so much. At least…Not when it came to theories and the like. Sure, it was probably important to know about the weaknesses of the different elemental demons blah blah… But she had avoided university for a reason. She liked being hands on and practical, and in that regard, she’d of much rather had another training session with Asmodeus rather then almost falling asleep at her desk.

"May I speak to Ashley Clade, please?" A feminine voice spoke from the back of the class, Ash casually glancing over to the source. The hooded person was hard to make out, but the gasp and insistence of Az made it clear this was important. Having sat up when everyone had turned to look at her, she picked up her bag and belongings, excusing herself from her desk as she calmly walked out into the hall. “Wonder what this is all about…” Ash thought to herself as she waited for the guest to start speaking. Instead, the first thing she did was remove her hood, producing the most endearing cat ears. Ash blinked a couple of times, staring a moment and almost missing everything the woman said. Still lacking focus, she responded with the first thing that came to her mind.

“A cosplayer…?” Ash stated dumbly, before the giggle from the woman snapped her from her daydream. Slightly embarrassed she’d been staring so much, Ash shook her head to hide the slight tinge her face had undergone, answering the more critical component of her question. “But yeah, I’m happy to get out of class.” Ash mumbled, before looking in the direction of Asmodeus. True to what she told, the telepathy was going to come in really handy when she didn’t want to sound like a crazy person talking to thin air. “Care to bring me up to speed?” Ash communicated directly to Asmodeus mind. To her surprise however, the demoness simply giggled, materialising and leaping into a hug with the newcomer. Well, that explained why she was so insistent on Ash seeing her… Maybe they had ‘that’ sort of relationship? Shaking her head again, Ash attempted to remove her mind from the gutter. It was official; Az was definitely rubbing off on her.

Rin and Asmodeus seemed to exchange some banter briefly that Ash failed to catch in her little judgement lapse. By the time she was focused again, Asmodeus was playfully holding a finger to Rin’s mouth, before directing a question Ash’s way. “Ya know what a ‘Kasha’ is?” Ash eye rolled, folding her arms and sighing before speaking in slight irritation. “Do I look like I know what a Kasha is?” If she knew what one was she wouldn’t be asking her to explain, would she? Asmodeus could be so ditzy sometimes… Teasingly, the demon began tugging on her sleeves, grinning as she picked on Ash’s intellect before dragging her along down the hall. Well, whatever. It’s not like she needed to know what a ‘Kasha’ was. Probably just a demon cat, judging by those ears… Wait, Invasion? Her face turned serious as she listened in on the conversation a bit more intently. So the Demon’s were attacking the WDL? Were they being brazen, or was the academy literally under threat? Either way, Ash broke Asmodeus’ grip, increasing her stride to keep pace with Rin.

“Tell me more about just what exactly is going on here.”



Kane jumped out of his skin as a boy fell from the sky, landing with a soft thud next to them. Behind him however, Claire kept him from tripping over himself, to which he gave an appreciative smile and nod, straightening up and coughing as if he hadn’t just been startled out of his wits. Aiming to comment on that fact, he was silenced as Claire put a hand over his mouth, letting both the white haired boy, and Thomas have a bit of a discussion. It seemed this Hikari person knew Thomas… Or at least he thought he did? Still, how come everyone was all so jumpy about an invasion? They were safe in the academy, right? Nervous, Kane flinched a little as another loud voice rang out nearby, another student running over - a girl this time.

“Does everybody cut class regularly…?” He muttered a little to himself, feeling a little awkward. Today was supposed to be the lecture on elemental demons, and although he’d done some pre-reading, he was eager to learn secret techniques to banish them. With the way these people were talking, it seemed that maybe he’d have to use these techniques first hand. No. They couldn’t be right – This was the WDL ACADEMY. Any demon would be suicidal to step in here, especially with all the guards and exorcists around. He’d just have to speak up, convince all them to calm down, then they could head back to class, find the girl Thomas was looking for and…

"It's been ages Sebastian! It’s so good to see you again"

Lucy practically flung herself into the boy, before viciously striking out at Hikari. They must have known each other from an orphanage, judging by what had been said. It… Must have been nice having friends like that… Sombre for a moment as he thought back to his own past, Kane regretted having grown up in the abbey – If only for a moment. It didn’t take too long for his resolve to return however, as he stepped forward into the middle of them. “Well, it seems we found you your missing friend after all… Sebastian, wasn’t it?” Smiling as he clasped onto the shoulders of the two, pulling them together, Kane was blissfully unaware of how wrong he was, and was still ignorant as the attention turned towards more students making their way over.

“It’s great everything worked out, right Claire?” Kane looked over to where she’d been standing… Before doing a double take. She was gone. “Claire…?” Kane asked, breaking off from Lucy and Sebastian as he went looking for her. She’d been there just a minute ago, and given they were all grouping up here, now wasn’t really the time to go off on her own. Glancing behind him, he heard the sounds of a ruckus, but assumed it was Lucy beating up on Hikari again. It didn’t really matter, his most pressing concern was finding Claire. Just where had that girl run off to?


“Seems we got ourselves a party…” Ash mumbled, slowly wandering up to the group. Asmodeus seemed pretty eager to catch up, as did Rin, tackling Hikari to the ground. Ashley on the other hand, kept her hands in her pockets, calmly striding up and taking a standing position just outside the circle of people. Watching the scene unfold in front of her, Ash turned to analyse the approaching demons intently. It was just as Rin had said – The academy was under attack, and by… Fire demons? Damn it, this was why she was supposed to pay attention in class. Ah well, like hell she was going to let them tear through here like they owned the place. She had some powers now. She wasn’t some helpless little girl like at the warehouse. No matter what, she wasn’t going to let that smug bastard Hikari show her up. Ash glanced over to him as Rin ripped off the Hoodie, revealing the armband around his shoulder. So he was a bigshot exorcist. Okay, well MAYBE she’d be a bit more realistic and make sure not to let Asmodeus show her up.

In a flash of light, the seven sins made their appearance in full, weapons drawn. Asmodeus made a sneaky grin, brandishing a large staff Ash hadn’t seen throughout all her training. "Yeah, I've been going super easy on ya, Ashy-poo~." Asmodeus turned and winked to Ash. Well shit. Maybe she’d start just by holding her own and working her way up from there… Attempting to step forward to join the front rank, she was quickly cut off by some kid. Ugh, she hated clueless people like this.

“Yo pipsqueak, he said non-combatants to the rear. You’re in my way.” Ash glared a little as she spoke, attempting to shove past him.



“Claire?” Kane called out, rounding into the alleyway. Sure enough, there was his friend, opening up her satchel and… Speaking to some cats? She kept CATS in her bag? Were pets even allowed on the campus grounds? Just what was going on with her? She’d been acting weird ever since that Hikari guy had shown up… “What are you doing over here anyway?” Kane froze up a little, hearing what sounded like battle nearby. Were the demons really attacking? They had to warn everyone!

Claire sat up, removing her glasses a moment. “Sorry Kane, these two were starting to get restless, so I didn’t want to cause a scene in front of everyone.” Claire laughed a little, nudging the two cats. One was a pure black, while the other, a shimmering white. Both darted off past Kane however, scrambling towards the sounds of the battle. He didn’t get the chance to see each of their tails split into many, instead remaining focused on Claire. “Come on, we need to group up with the others, it’s not safe… And we need to grab your cats before they hurt themselves.” Kane took her hand, trying to lead her out. Instead, she seemed to fall over, giving a cry of pain.

“O w ow ow… Kane, I think I… Rolled my ankle. I… I should be okay. I’ll just stay hiding here, you go help the others.” Claire smiled weakly… Man, she was brave. Staying injured here like this by herself during a demon attack... He couldn’t just leave her vulnerable like this… “I’ll carry you back to the hall, you can’t stay out here like this.” Kane knelt down to pick her up, but Claire simply shook her head. “I’ll be alright, really. I’ll set up a barrier to hide in with my gear. You can help me the most by making sure everyone else is okay.” Kane grimaced a little, watching her pull out the little candles and chalk. Well… If she was in one of those barriers, she should be okay. Besides, this alleyway was far out of the way of the fight… She’d be fine. “Alright, but I’ll bring the others back over here as soon as I can.” Sitting up firmly, he turned and hurried back towards the others. If this really was an invasion… They were going to need all the help they could get…

…

Behind Kane, Claire waited a moment until he was gone. Then, calmly standing and dusting herself off, she strode off out of the alleyway.

~ Sebastian's Story ~

The time had arrived. The eye watched as Sebastian met with Lucifer and Ashley, making it suddenly feel... Angry. It's plans were suddenly twisting in on itself, this wasn't suppose to happen! It seemed to float away at this, stopping as the battle was just beginning, sending a message. 'The time is now. I must prepare while the battle occurs. Do not fail on this.' It said, as it heard the voice reply back to it. 'Roger, sir. I will do my best. But what if that other demon's men try to kill him first?' A chuckle came out of the eye which could be heard by the other demon it talked with, thinking up words to send for it's reply carefully. 'They won't, trust me. If it is the same demon I think it is, we will have no trouble perfecting stage one of the plan. Remember, once the battle is over, you must scout. We must get all the details we can out of this place, and find out the current ranks too. I trust you the most for this job.' It waited for the reply, and when it got it, it felt happy. 'As you command, my dark lord.' And with that, the eye vanished, off to fulfill it's plans.

Sebastian was confused by the whole scene, suddenly everything felt... Lost. For some reason, Lucy turned out to be... A demon?! If she was one, she didn't look like one. He also questioned on the outfit she currently wore, it was... Well, he didn't know what to think of it, actually. He didn't have time to think it over, for he felt himself get pushed aside as he looked at Ash with a questionable look. What was going on, nothing was going the way he had hoped it would! This whole battle was messing everything up, and he felt lost, as if everything was plotting against him now. The eye was gone, Ash was going off to battle, Lucy -- if that was her real name even -- was preparing to battle as well. He backed up, as he saw demons get blasted away by holy light, and then saw two figures approach. Then he saw Kane start to return shortly afterword. His heart was racing, he became scared, and just when he thought things couldn't get worse. "So... You are him." The voice spoke out to him, as he felt his heart sink. He slowly turned around to find... A demon. Standing right behind him. With a deathly glare in it's eyes.

~ Michael's Story ~

They had arrived just in time it seemed. Michael was the first to arrive, followed by Scott, who had just blasted a few good demons gathered near each other with his light ray gun. He felt proud, this was the chance to show everyone that Michael wasn't the only one who could fight. Michael turned his attention to Deon, smiling as he laughed a little. "Oh my word, is this really happening? Next thing you know, --" He stopped when he noticed Rin, his eyes widening as he looked back to Deon. "My word!" He said, Scott walking over as he stopped and looked at Deon and then at Rin, before looking back at Deon. "So, you two finally showed up." He said, steam coming off of his light ray gun. "I suppose you two want your spots back? We could always use some... Assistance with The Renegades, these days." He said, quickly spinning around as he smacked a demon away with his gun. "Still got it." He said before turning back to face them. Michael seemed to feel some a bit off, looking around as he... Well, his thoughts stopped there. "Get down!" He said to Deon and his girls, as five figures appeared in between Deon's group and Michael.

"You... The creatures from before." Michael said, as the supposed leader walked forward. "It seems we get to kill you after all, Michael A. Malachim." It spoke out, as it stopped as it saw Scott pointing his gun at it. "You come any closer, I'll blast your head off." Scott said, as the robed creature chuckled at this. "That primitive thing? Don't make me laugh..." It said, before quickly pulling out it's scythe and cutting right through it. Scott's eyes widened as the gun split in half before his eyes, and... Then a cut opened on his chest, as he felt weak as the blood escaped from his body. He collapsed on to his knees, the parts to the light ray gun falling before him. "SCOTT!" Michael shouted, rushing towards him as the blade came before him, and he stopped, glaring at the robed creature. "Michael...Wait." Scott struggled to say, as Michael backed up a bit. Scott looked up at the scythe's blade. "That scythe... It's... Made of crystal." He said, and Michael rose his brows, looking at the blade he could see the lines. It was now obvious, as the creature let out a dark chuckle. "You know your demons then, boy." The creature said, as Michael turned his head towards it. "Your in league with a crystal demon?!" Michael asked, as the creature got into a stance with the scythe. "No... We work for one." It said, before dashing towards Michael, ready to strike!

~ Sebastian's Story ~

"You are the guide it seems." It said, walking forward towards him slowly as Sebastian couldn't help but feel... Scared. "Who are you?" He asked, as the demon stopped and shook it's head. "I am an elemental demon, my master has sent me here to execute you. You are, after all, on the list." It said to him, as Sebastian felt... Cold. "W-what...?" He tried to say, before he noticed himself starting to shiver as the air around them got colder. "What the...?" He tried to finish, but found himself caught off guard by the sudden coldness. "You don't even remember me... You have abandoned me, you left me three months ago to die! Now I can return the favor..." It said, as Sebastian saw it appear in front of him. "You are in full sight of everyone... Good. That makes this all the more special..." It said, before striking it's hand on his right shoulder, and Sebastian felt... Pain. As the hand pulled away, his eyes widened in horror as he saw a spike made out of ice having extended from the demon's hand. He collapsed on to his knees, as the spike broke off into pieces. He then formed an ice blade along his arm, quickly striking it across Sebastian's chest. He watched as the blood escaped, collapsing on to the ground as he closed his eyes tightly. "So pitiful..." It said, raising it's arm up, before then going to strike down at him...

Only for Sebastian to suddenly vanish from sight, as the demon struck the ground, the ice blade breaking upon contact. It's eyes widened only a little as it looked forward, seeing Sebastian now standing... A demonic aura now surrounding his form. "Interesting..." It said, as then loud snaps and pops of bones could be heard. Sebastian growled as he suddenly lost it. He slammed a hand on his chest as he hunched over, then... A rip formed on the back of his shirt, as his eyes changed to a more demonic look, his teeth becoming a little sharper as the tips of his ears became more pointy. Then, two black wings covered in black liquid ripped out of his back, the bat-like wings extending themselves as they gave a few flaps, sending the liquid off of them. The demon furrowed it's brows, seeing Sebastian having suddenly lost it. "Aw, someone is having a temper tantrum.. Maybe you aren't the one to lead me to the Evolution Demon after all..." It rushed forward at this, aiming to strike at Sebastian again, but found it broke upon contact with his right arm, now raised up in defense. The demon leaped back, landing on it's feet as it kept it's distance, watching the now enraged Sebastian give off a more demonic growl as he could see the hardened skin on Sebastian. "Interesting... Very interesting. Very well, I will give you an honorable death then." It then formed two ice blades from it's arms, grabbing a hold of them both as it ripped them off, both forming swords then as it took on a stance. "Come!" It shouted, watching Sebastian rush towards him, the tattoo's on his arms now glowing bright red, his wings extending as he looked ready to kill!