Sangre Millfeore's Story

"Your eyes are my admonishment. They remind me of blood. So, please don't look at me..."

A fleeting smile that had been burned to ashes from the canvass of life. Tears fell to the ground in abhorrent denial. He had always wondered why he did not do anything to prevent it. If he had moved or if he had only spoke, perhaps the outcome would have been different from the grand design of fate. Perhaps, he would have still be watching those gentle eyes staring into the vast weaves of time. Yes, how he loved those obvious yet impossible notions. However, he would never experience that ever again as blood tainted his hands. Whose blood was on his hands? He could not remember. Or did he chose not to recall for his sanity? Whatever it may be, he just wanted it all to be washed away by the falling rain. The freezing coldness that numbed his senses without discrimination.

"You should just die. If you die, everything will be better!"

The ironic twist of that statement was something he would not refute. It was a perfect suggestion. This was the probable cause that he was now lying on the soaked earth while his blood combined with the liquid from the skies. His heart was slowly fading from its rhythmic tempo. The breath that filtered from his nose and mouth was becoming a burden to his lungs. His warmth was being robbed by the crying weather while on his chest the symbol of his despised existence protruded proudly. Yet, the small blade was taken from its sheathe which was his body. A renewed flow filtered from the now unplugged hole. The rush of death quickened its touch on him. Somehow, it was a pleasant feeling to know that rest would come upon him. He welcomed it as a reprieve from this tiring life. So, let the demise come to him without fail.

"Did you want to die? Too bad, this isn't the afterlife."

How ridiculously disappointing. The end did not bestow him the blessing of peace. So, he must move on. In this world which he feels no affinity with, he remained in a never-ending loop. It annoys him that he had to blame the one who deemed to be his savior. He should have been left to rot and be food to the worms. His existence should have been just a figment of the imagination. Yet, it did not happen as he had desired. Life was utterly a villain in disguise.

"Come on! Don't be a wuss. You'll never know. May be you're alive because..."

Being alive meant something? How overrated. People tend to give meaning to everything even to the simplest of gestures. It was moronic in his opinion. Perhaps, it was the other way around. In any case, the continuation of that sentence was a puzzle piece to him. The exact words that was spoken to him was overlapping with something else. A memory of another, the story of another that mattered the most for now. Yes, someone who was needed or could just be a disposable piece to those above and below.

"It had been a long time my friend."

The one who had spoken was the Gatekeeper of Paradiso. Soft spoken and a gentle presence to those who would be judged whether to enter or to be dismissed to the whims of reincarnation, this was the Gatekeeper's function in the elaborate system that was slowly crumbling from an unknown source.

"Not long enough as it seems, Kiy."

This brought a smile to Kiy's face who seemed to be define the hue known as blue. As for him, he had an idea for the reason of such a summon. It also did not go unnoticed by him the presence of other Angelic Essences that had been called upon to do one thing which was to clean up house. The influx of Wraiths and Spirits was getting out of hand and this threatens the delicate balance of the souls. Somehow, he could careless about such transition. It could be a good change for the monotonous ways of the world.

"You have changed. Do you regret?"

The question lingered in the cosmos that was in the space of Paradiso. However, it was answered soon enough with a rather confident and unyielding tone.

"No."

Upon hearing the answer, Kiy's smile became wider and had a warm expression on his face. The Archangel who showed much promise was sent to the realm of men without an ounce of complaint. Perhaps, it was for the better. It was then the Gatekeeper decided to discuss the matter at hand.

"I called you here because we've been charged with a very important task. If you haven't noticed already, there are Spirits and Wraiths escaping Inferno at an increasing rate. We don't know exactly what has caused this, but we need to help stop it as soon as possible.

"Our Commander has charged you all to awaken fully in the human host you've taken and head to the Order of Exorcists. As Angels, you cannot Purge a Spirit or Wraith from a human's body, thus you need the help of the Exorcist.

"Inferno is also sending their Demon's to meet with the Exorcists as well. The Demon's are the only ones who can seal the breaks in their gate. They will need help as well to exorcise the Spirits and Wraiths.

"If you cannot get the entity to return to Inferno, then you must destroy it. Only an Angel can do this, the Demons can help you to fight it and even immobilize it. However, they cannot destroy them. Be careful, these Spirits and Wraiths are tricky and can be deadly.

"Now head to Resmyrd, where the catacombs for the Order of Exorcists lay. There you will meet your future companions. I bid you luck in this endeavor."

Then a flash of bright light returned him to the reality of things, a couple of books carried in his arm and a book in his other hand as it was being placed in its respective shelf at the local library. Yes, this was the human vessel he had the opportunity to assimilate himself with. The seals on his powers had been removed to extend his essence to awaken powers to aid the erasure of Wraiths and Spirits in this realm of men.

An expected surprise and confusion were present on his host's face. The books that was being carried fell to the ground. Fortunately, the library was still closed and the opening time has yet to come. In an effort to appease his vessel, they both conversed within the privacy of the consciousness. Thousands of questions and grievances were thrown at him by the human vessel. However, he had only answered one question and that was enough for the human.

"This time, you can finally die."

With that, the human consciousness that had resisted him so passionately dissipated. Acceptance flooded through the stagnant space of their minds. It was then the Angelic Essence was able to fully merge himself to the human host without resistance. The next time those eyes opened, there was now a more defiant tinge in those blood red eyes.

"It is now time for a new job."

After saying that, the doors to the library were opened. Sound of bells chimed which was used as a sort of alarm. He could only judge it as his employer who was a middle-aged man around his fifties. Noticing his presence, the elderly man greeting him with a pleasant smile.

"Good morning, Sangre."

Sangre picked up the books that littered the ground before answering the greeting. "I quit. I despise perverted old men."

Placing the books in its proper sections, Sangre then walked passed the rather shocked man who did not expect those words. He had known for sometime the lecherous looks being given to him the subtle passes of lustful implications. However, he ignored for there was nothing better to do until now. The only sound that rang through the library was the ringing of bells and closing of the doors. Once outside, he had only one destination in mind.

"Next stop, Resmyrd."

Akira Hikaati

There was more noise now in the Cathedral where the Exorcists were gathered. Many more had come, either by portal from Inferno, or by more general means, walking and the like. Either way, it all disinterested Akira who sat in the corner of the room still with his arms crossed over his chest. He tried his best to ignore all that was around him and pretty much succeeded until the noise ceased to stop. The random idle chatter, soft movements of everyone's bodies, it all came to a stand still. Akira looked up from his place, curious as to what exactly had happened.

Up on the balcony where the Vatican had once been, and stood now, were two new additions. One was a tall man with long flowing hair. His robes were opened and he was clearly a demon as his pointed ears suggested, long claws and horns on his head. Akira turned his gaze to the other one standing on the other side of the Vatican. This one was a little bit shorter, almost childish in looks. Everything he wore had a light blue color to it, his eyes being the same. This was most definitely an angel as Akira could just barely make out the near translucent wings behind him.

The Vatican had raised his hands to gather everyone's attention, and that was what had caused the silence to ensue. Akira stood slowly from his spot and began making his way closer to the front of the room.

"Now that we are all gathered, I'll allow the Demon Commander Treylion and the Angel Commander Rai to direct you in what is to proceed next," With that the Vatican took a step backwards and both the Demon and Angel came forward. Treylion had a slightly displeased look on his face as he looked out amongst those that had gathered before he glanced over to Rai. The smaller Commander looked up as well and gave a soft shrug.

"Awakened angels and demon's that have joined us," Treylion spoke up, his voice was deep and vibrated across the room, "I'll began placing you together. Do this quickly, we've no time to waste," there was a lingering threat in his words and Akira felt a slight chill as he turned his eyes towards the gathered group. The Demon Commander began barking out names and Akira watched as there was much movement across the open room of the Cathedral.

"Lucian, Sangre. Janus and Ryu. Xana and Cadenza. Marethyu, Volos. And Culsa and Caelestis," Treylion finished speaking and waited for a few moments as everyone gathered into their respective groups... all except for the Exorcists. Akira raised an eyebrow as he turned his attention back to the front of the Cathedral.

Rai spoke up this time, his voice was soft, adding to his childish look. Akira almost thought him to be fragile, not the sort of being that would be a 'Commander', "As for you, Exorcists. You'll be placed into each group as we deem fit. What I mean by this is you'll have the choice to fight either myself or Treylion. Based on how well you do, we'll place you in these groups," Rai's eyes swept the gathered Exorcists and laid on Akira. The little Angel smiled sweetly and beckoned to him, "We'll start with you."

Akira's eyes narrowed slightly as he slowly took a step forward. The Angel and the Demon watched him as he moved out into the area that had suddenly cleared away. Apparently that was his fighting space. Looking up at the two who stood on the balcony it took the Exorcist a moment to choose whom he wished to fight. There was something about the Angel Commander, almost as if he were too innocent.

"I choose you, Commander Rai," Akira called, his low voice soft but still stretching out across the silence. Rai's smile widened and his wings took him up off the balcony and down into the 'arena' with Akira. For a mere moment, Akira felt a twinge of regret for picking the Angel over the Demon. Perhaps he'd thought that the Angel would be an easy win... he was about to find out. Rai stretched his hand open and in the outstretched fingers, a very large sword began to materialize. Akira's amethyst eyes widened just slightly as he witnessed the weapon.

The blade looked utterly heavy and almost twice Rai's own body size. However, the Angel moved the blade with ease, putting it into a comfortable position across his front. Akira reached back and slowly drew both of his knives, feeling that his weapons were utterly outmatched. His heart pounded in his chest as he eyed the Angel carefully. What if he happened to actually hurt the Commander? What then? Once again, Akira found himself wondering how things had come to be the way they were right then.

Rai smiled innocently and then rushed him. Akira barely got his knives up into block the incoming swipe that aimed for his upper body. The Angel was powerful, and strong, much stronger than he looked. Akira slid backwards from the hit, his arms and fingers in pain from the vibrations that shuddered from blade into his flesh. Wincing he slowly lowered his arms and glowered at Rai.

"Come at me, Exorcist," Rai called, beckoning to him. Akira did as he was asked and lunged forward. His knives slashed, thrust and cut through the air. He was moving as quickly as he could, but no matter how fast he went, no matter what kind of training experience he put into his weapon combat, he couldn't touch Rai. The sound of steel ringing across steel almost became a continuous noise as Akira swiped at him. Rai's blade moved just as quickly as the Exorcists, taking each hit as they slowly moved from one side of the opened area to the other.

Finally, as Akira was starting to slow, Rai turned his blade flat and batted at him. He crashed into the wall that held up the balcony over head. His body went numb for a few moments as he slid down the wall and sat there as he tried to regain his composure. One of his knives had flown from his hand and he couldn't find it. Nor did he have the time for Rai was coming at him, sword level and pointed straight at his chest. Akira ground his teeth, took in a sharp gasp of air and got his body moving. He ducked down and managed to roll away from the attack.

The sword ran into the wall sending bits of stone everywhere and a loud thud issued right with it. Akira turned his head as he was now on his hands and knees some distance away. Damn... He sure hoped that Rai hadn't intended to actually try to harm him, but with what he saw... Akira stood and charged his body. Blue electricity crackled all along his form in little waves of lightning strikes. However, he hesitated, watching Rai carefully. If he hit the Angel full on with his power... it would most certainly hurt him.

Rai didn't wait either way and came at him again. Akira blanched at the speed that the Angel lunged forward. He stepped back and unleashed a small portion of his electricity. A bolt came down between them, stopping Rai's advance mere inches from Akira's throat. The Exorcist quickly bounded away and tried to come in from the side, thinking that he could take advantage then. However, Rai turned and with a hard swipe of his blade caught the Exorcist in his side and sent him flying once more.

"If you don't get serious with me, Exorcist, you will get hurt," Rai warned then. Obviously this was no 'child' that he was fighting. Damned appearances were deceiving. Slowly Akira turned himself over and wiped the bit of blood that had spilled out from the corner of his lips away. Getting back to his feet, he charged his power again. This time he unleashed a more direct, concentrated dose of his electricity. The lightning shot down at Rai, who let it fall over him. Akira watched, half in shock and fear, the other half in amazement that he'd actually struck the Angel.

However, the lightning did not last long and when it faded, Rai still stood there, unscathed. Akira panted, tired from expending so much into one hit. His body ached from being tossed twice and he feared for the rest of the battle to come. Rai leveled the enormous sword once more, his smile returning to his face. Akira dropped the electricity and decided to go a different route. He called on his binds, weaving a new style of magic and let the near invisible tendrils of magic wrap around Rai. Once the magic was there, he tightened his hands into fists, and Rai's limbs were suddenly pulled all together. The Angel dropped his sword and he looked surprised at what had just happened.

Akira figured that if he couldn't hurt the Angel, then what he could do was immobilize him. The surprise on Rai's face didn't last long, and his grin returned, "Very good, how long can you sustain it?" He asked and the Angel invoked his own magic into the line of binds that held him. Akira's teeth ground together and he was forced to concentrate harder to keep the hold on the Angel. It was a struggle for a few minutes, the binds around Rai vibrated and shimmered silver as they caught the light just right to be seen. Akira thought to hold Rai a bit longer, but the Angel apparently had different plans. The vibrating along his binds came back at Akira, but with it Akira's last shot of lightning followed as well. It wasn't much, not nearly as high a dose as Akira had sent at Rai, but it was enough.

He cried out in shock as his power rushed over his arms and body. Immediately he let go of the spell that held Rai and dropped to his knees, arms wrapped around his upper frame tightly to try to get rid of the painful feeling. Looking up through one eye, as the other was closed tightly, he watched Rai regain his sword. The Angel shouldered the weapon and looked at Akira warmly.

"You've done well. Lucian and Sangre will take you as their Exorcist. Go join them," Rai ordered and Akira all but collapsed from sheer relief that it was over. Should they have fought any longer, Akira was sure to just drop from exhaustion. He got to his feet and slowly made his way to the group he'd been placed in. His eyes brushed over Sangre with no real interest, however, the moment he set eyes upon Lucian... it was something else. He stood with them, one an Angel essence, the other a Demon. His gaze watched Lucian for a long time. Did he know this man? No... Akira was sure he'd never seen him in his life.. but still, there was the feeling that he knew him.

Well... whatever, Akira shrugged it off and turned away. He could ask the man later, because at the moment, they were all far to busy for idle fantasies. Even so, as he stood so close to Lucian, the feeling persisted and did not give him a moments rest.

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Utterly ridiculous.

These were the words which reverberated within the trapped celestial's mind whom was bound inside an earthen vessel. It is why he hated to have any forms of chains whether in a philosophical or literally existence of the word. Now, he found himself travelling alone the road. His assigned companions had gone ahead of him. As for him, he had stayed behind due to the insistence of the Angelic Commander Rai. The reason was a discussion of grave importance and soon, it was revealed to him as nothing more but casual conversation. He pummeled the guy with one punch. Although, he knew for a fact that was just a mere rouse by Rai. Trying to reaffirm something within him, Sangre could see this as a useless method all together. Well, it was not much of a difference to him. He had been used to such a setting in his existence as a mortal. However, he was rather thick-headed when it comes to his duties and that would be the exorcism of those runaway spirits and wraiths. In such affairs, he disliked being detained even if he was said to be dying. So, the next time he meet Rai he would carved into that angel's mind not to anger him.

In any case, he had finally arrive at the town called Alveron. According to the information given to him from the headquarters, his so-called partners should be around here or something like that. Looking around, he could not see anything outwardly different. So, it is safe to assume that nothing like an exorcist battle on the forefront. Most of the residents were much more alarmed by his presence than something unnatural or those like in that category. Thinking about it, he could use such an awareness to his advantage. He did not like acting much like a search dog searching for every nook and cranny of this town. If there would be a more efficient way, he would use that instead.

"Excuse me, I would like to ask you something important to me."

His voice rolled out like a refreshing mountain spring to a hot summer day. Furthermore, his appearance stood out greatly as he dressed in an apparel at his own dislike. The Angelic Commander still much stronger than Sangre opted to punished him for his insubordination so to speak. So, he was now wearing an all-white ensemble. It greatly contrasted to his midnight black hair and crimson red eyes. As a result, they were brought out more making it more attractive than it was already. But his main concern was the blinding white of its hue. He would certainly slaughter Rai when he ever gets the chance to. Well for the townspeople, he pretty much looked like a priest or even more so an angel. How annoying. So, the expression of the old woman which he asked was somewhat expected. She looked awfully starstruck and was stuttering in her words which irritated him.

He tried asking others and it was all the same. It would have been better if he had just gone and search the entire town. There was no way those two would not be found given how small this town was in comparison of the others.

"Did you see that? A guy was injured or something I wonder if he went into a fight."

"It's the newcomer right? They are always trouble!"

Well, it seemed that he still have some luck on his side. He approached the two gossiping men who was at first surprised at his appearance. But soon enough, it turned into looks of lust which he particularly hated. They began hitting on him which he rewarded handsomely. He beat them all in a bloody pulp without much of a trouble and even got the information he wanted. All in all, he would say his efforts were not wasted. It seemed his companions were staying in an inn named "Rickety Shack". He wondered if there were no other inns in this forsaken town.

Sangre found the inn and asked the clerk if a Akira Hikaati and a Lucian Faust were staying here. Finally, he received the answer he wanted which was a 'yes'. Now, he stood in front of the door which was rented by the two before he knocked and opened it. He did not need to introduce himself as he looked at Lucian and then to Akira noticing the thrown bandage on the floor and the aftermath of him cleaning his wounds.

"What did I missed exactly here?"

The night was slowly going to be turning to morning, the cool breeze fluttered through the trees as the figure walked through the sparse wood. They seemed to have no particular destination in mind, at least at first. Then as the woods became a little bit thicker, an outcropping of boulders appeared at the center of the area. Here the figure stopped and knelt down next to the rocks. A gloved hand reached out and brushed the boulders almost as if they were precious. A slight glow filled the area, symbols swirled around, carving their way into the rocks that piled up on one another. After a few more moments, the rocks shuddered and lifted into the air.

The figure stood then, took a few steps back and watched the display. Beneath the tumble of stones was a gate, a dark gate that amassed and swirled with power just beneath the pile of boulders. It wasn't just any gate that sat there either, it was one of the gates that led to Inferno. A sharp scream pierced the air then and as the rocks shuddered, so did the gate. Lifting their hands, the figure spun their fingers in a circular pattern. More symbols of power etched their way through the dense air and penetrated the dark portal. The screams erupted and a multitude of spirits and wraiths washed forth. The air exploded backwards with their escape, making the trees groan and the boulders scatter through the area.

The dark clothed figure watched silently, the cowl over their face lifting to observe as the beings took to the air. They were released from their torment in Inferno and they were hell bent on doing whatever pleased them. Nothing would bring them back, nothing. Stretching a hand forth, power emanated through the air and the magic curled around one of the fleeing wraiths. With a flick of his wrist he brought the wraith downwards and held it in place as it struggled. The inhuman growl did nothing to put off the figure and instead it seemed that the cloaked being ignored it completely.

"You're going to be something special," the voice that pierced the air was male and coming from the cloaked being. The wraith twisted and turned in the hold that the man held on it. Magic pulsed through the air and pumped into the wraith that was being held. Its cry of surprise echoed all around and a few moments afterwards, the wraith stopped moving. The man regarded it carefully before letting it go. As he stepped towards the creature, the wraith lifted its head and gazed at the man with dark hollow eyes.

"I want you to destroy those that call themselves exorcists and anyone else that may be with them. Is that clear?"

The wraith sucked in a deep breath. The dark mass of energy twisted around as it reformed its body. Long arms stretched forth from the darkness, legs as well and a tail. The face was elongated and there was no mouth for the moment but that soon changed. Along with the rest of its body, long ears sprouted from its skull and a second after, lips parted the darkness to reveal a pitch darkness surrounded by black razor sharp teeth made of pure energy.

"Master," it's inhuman voice hissed passed a tongueless mouth.

"You're free to use any means you wish. Just kill them all."

The wraith stretched its hands forth and extended its elongated claws. The creature gave a sharp cackle as it tested it's new found power given to it by the man before him. Dark magic flooded the area, turning what was once living to nothing but blackened death. The man's hood nodded up and down slightly in appreciation for the wraiths quick take on his power. The wraith looked to the man and pulled its lips into a cruel grin, "Consider it done."



There was a slight knock on the door before it was pulled open and Akira's gaze lifted to see who it was. At first he was tense, but upon seeing it to be Sangre, he settled. Of course it would be the angel. The exorcist finished buttoning up his shirt and hoped to god that Lucian wouldn't insist on his wrapping them. He could only imagine the scene... Quickly he pushed the thought aside and stood up slowly, still weary from the loss of so much energy. Food and a bit of sleep would do him good.

"What did I missed exactly here?" Sangre asked.

"I went after a spirit and lost it. It overpowered me too quickly," Akira replied shortly, not keen on giving too many details. The night had been rough enough the last thing he wanted was both Lucian and Sangre on his case about failing to secure a single spirit. Not that Lucian had said anything of the kind, but Akira was sure the man had at least thought it once. With a sigh, the exorcist pulled on his long black jacket that went over the white shirt beneath and buttoned it up. Once dressed he moved passed Sangre and opened the door.

"I'll be right back. I'll bring something for you both to eat as well," and Akira left the room, closing the door gently behind him. He took the stairs quickly, making his way down to the bar area and went to the tender of the inn. He waited patiently for the man behind the table to address him and once he found out what the menu was he ordered a few things. With the help of a pretty little waitress, he went back up the stairs with three platters of food for the three of them. Cheese, meats and some pastries along with some water and ale for him.

Opening the door again, he stepped inside with the waitress and motioned for her to put the platters down on the table with him. When that was done Akira paid her for the food and she left. Without waiting for the others, the exorcist took his cup of ale, a bit of cheese and meat along with one of the pastries and sat down to eat.



"Reika..." Ryu panted as he was once again locked in a struggle of strength with the possessed human, his teeth ground together as he watched the poor human try to kill him, "A little... help please!" He called to the bond. Not that he expected much from her, she wasn't all that bright to begin with. The best he could hope from her was a bit of distraction so that he could disengage from the possessed human and make his way to where Reika's owner had gone.

With a roll of his eyes, he shoved the human away from him and decided that his best course of action was to rely on himself. However, what did make things better was that Reika was there and she could lead him to Virie. With the human stumbling away from him he turned on his heel and rushed across the street to grab Reika who was no doubt just sitting and watching the display. How utterly useless... Never had Ryu thought that he would utter those words to a being, but this bond was something else entirely. He wondered briefly how Virie managed the little sprite.

Quickly, the archangel grabbed the girl around her tiny little waist in one hand and started to run through the alleyways. The creature followed behind them, intent on killing the angel by whatever means possible. Ryu hoped that Virie would exorcise the human, thus allowing him to destroy it. Or if Virie had somehow managed to find Janus, then they would be able to bring the spirit back to Inferno. That was, if the spirit allowed them to. Pushing aside those thoughts, he ran through the streets with Reika in hand.

"Alright missy, tell me where you lovely master went!" He ordered as he took another turn down an alleyway.

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"Huh?" The blank expression of the youkai greeted the angel as she stared back at him. She didn't really understand his concern at all, he had just been fighting this TOTALLY badass looking monster... Which was kind of cool. But also kind of sucky at the same time. Since he hadn't stayed still long enough for her to sketch out the scene and turn it into an amazing, glittering, butt-smacking awesome hentai. "Er... uh..." Oh, what had he asked? No, he hadn't asked about her yaoi collection... no one knew about that...

Oh yeah! The mistress, that was who he had been asking after. "She sent me here after you!" She giggled absently, clearly not comprehending the situation enough to put two and two together to realize they were actually in danger. "She told me to wait until she got here and then uhhhh... I guess surprise butt sex, I dunno." She said casually, shrugging her shoulders. Whatever, she didn't see what the big problem was in the first place. He was panicking for no good reason! Mistress would be here soon enough and this was prime time to grill him for answers, anyway.

"Oh hey, now that I have you here. So. Janus." She began, a sneaky grin coming on her face. (She was quite literally ignoring the horrid growls coming from the town) "He has a firm ass, right? All tight and stuff! 'Cause I saw you looking at him earlier and I was totally convinced that maybe you know, you had the uh, man hots for him. Which it's cool if you do. Because that'd be awesome."

If Ryu was even remotely disgruntled by her statements, the youkai was paying them no heed. She was going off into her own little fantasy land where Ryu and Janus frolicked through fields together, holding hands and doing other... lovely... things... Mmmm... She drooled openly, totally lost in her thoughts and completely tuning out the destruction from the wraith that would probably find them sooner than later.

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Virie had kept her thin lips upturned ever so slightly as she traveled with Janus, making sure to allow him to take the lead as they progressed towards the next town over. Since there little "conversation", the two had taken to an odd bout of silence. She stared at his back openly, observing the slightly broadened shoulders and the way in which he walked. He was cocky but then again, he was a demon, of course he would be. He was certainly a good subject for her observations.

The woman tapped her chin, a smirk flashing across her face briefly as a malicious thought passed through her mind. What would he look like if she murdered him right here and now? Would he rot along with his pathetic human flesh or would his demonic form take over? Did demons even die if one murdered their little meat puppet forms? To be "fair" to Janus, he was an archdemon, so perhaps the probability of flat-out murder wouldn't be as easy or as high as she would've hoped.

Hm, but now that she thought on it, would killing him let her take his place? Clearly killing lessers would do her no good in the long run--they were mere toys in it all and easily disposable by those higher on the demon spectrum. But how delicious he would look with his flesh strewn about the ground, an expression of rage, loathing, and faint shock upon his face... Just the mental image was enough to make her shiver with anticipation. Soon, not yet. She had to observe his ways first and learn all she could before she took those measures.

She blinked, ah, they were already at this hovel of a town already? She had thought it would take longer. What an absolute pigsty this place was. She wrinkled her nose, raising the sleeve of her robe so that it covered her face. Absolutely disgusting.
Now where was that stupid familiar of hers? She did tell her to go off and find Ryu but the odds were high that the retarded demon messed up those simple orders. She took a few steps forward but it did not take her long to sense that there was something else in this shithole of a town. Her eyes almost lit up--ah, there was no mistaking it. This was no small-fry spirit. This was a wraith, a beautiful beautiful wraith that would be all hers for the taking...

She clicked her tongue at Janus. "Come dog, there is hunting to be done," She said, a little excitement rushing to her voice as she followed the scent of the creature.

Janus' eyes twitched disdainfully at the insolent welp, following the altered course of her direction. "Just make sure you keep up this time. The faster we get this over and done with, the less I have to deal with you worthless flesh bags."

The exorcist was starting to realize, with a bit of amusement, that he would probably always have a snarky remark ready for her no matter what she said to him. Good, it was always best when they put up a struggle first. "Cute and a welcome relief for us all," She said curtly, narrowing her eyes at his former comment. "Given your height, it's a wonder you can even keep up as it is. So do be sure you're not the one to bite your own words."

"Given my height?" he asked, rolling his eyes incredulously, "Then I'd hate to see you struggle to keep up. Maybe I should get your broomstick for you, your majesty?"

He was feisty, she'd give him that too. She licked her lips as a few devious thoughts came into her mind. She'd have to make good use of that later. She didn't indulge him with a response and just flicked her hair over her shoulder. She was close enough to where the ends of her hair hit him lightly. Virie glanced to the distance, squinting her eyes. It was definitely nearby, now it was just a matter as to where it was hiding.

She was about to dismiss this part of the town entirely when she heard the low rumble of the creature. Ah, there it was, her lovely wraith. Without turning to see if Janus was following her, she picked up the pace and was already taking out her spellbook. Perhaps she'd be able to eat this one if she was careful.

---

---

Sweets. He smelled sweets.

Even with his brief glimpse into this possibility, having it so close by was...

Akira entered into the room with several plates but the one that caught the demon's attention most of all was the one containing pastries. This had always been a peculiar weakness of his--he had never quite been able to figure out exactly what it was about human desserts that made him love them so. Whatever it was, he could barely even contain the enthusiasm he felt as the plate was put down on the center table.

Before the other two could even think about reaching for them, he grabbed one of the pastries quick as a flash and put the delicacy into his mouth. So soft... so airy... and creamy too. Still just the way he remembered. He adored sweets and unfortunately, they were a treat he could not acquire in Inferno. Lucian did not waste any time in snagging all the sweets, one after another. He pushed them into his mouth, unable to contain himself.

It was only when he reached the very last one that he looked up, noticing that the other two were quite literally staring at him. He had, for once, forgotten to pay proper attention. He blinked, a redness coating his cheeks in vague detail as he quietly put the last pastry down. Hm. He would have to be a tad more careful...

He leaned back gradually, crossing one of his legs over the other as he raised en eyebrow. "That was appreciated," His usual monotonous tone was broken by an uncommon smile, very small but still faintly noticeable. He took a breath, releasing it along with his smile.

"The situation in the town square remains, however," He said shortly, bring their attention back to the reason they were together in the first place. Regardless of the fact that he had assisted Akira earlier, there was still a foreign presence they would need to deal with. It would be best to take care of it in the course of the night--the creature would be more difficult to find tomorrow if the sun rose. He pursed his lips, not saying another word as he observed the other two quietly through impassive eyes.

Akira was eating silently his gaze locked on the floor, deep in thought about the spirit that he allowed to get away. He hadn't noticed the dish before him with the sweets suddenly being devoured. At least, not until he looked up and noted that there was nothing left. A hand appeared in his vision and he followed the hand that replaced the last sweet to Lucian's face.

He lifted an eyebrow as he stared at the demon who continued to stare right back. If he hadn't been looking so closely he would have never noted that demon had turned a slight red color around his cheeks.

"That was appreciated. The situation in the town square remains, however," Lucian stated as he sat down, crossing his legs and arms. It seemed that the man was trying to redeem himself for the recent event.

Akira stayed quite for a while before finishing what was on his plate, which wasn't much to begin with. After a moment he flicked his eyes over to Sangre before looking back to Lucian and cleared his throat, "I know the general direction the spirit went in. We can start there," he answered, agreeing wholeheartedly that they needed to go after the thing before it was too late.

Lucian pursed his lips briefly, a tad miffed that the embarrassed blush had been noted. He didn't need to look over at Sangre for confirmation of this fact--well, he wouldn't be visiting Inferno any time soon. He didn't bother to respond to Akira's words verbally, only nodding faintly before getting up. He glanced at the jacket that was laying slightly crumpled atop the bed and grabbed it loosely, throwing it at Akira's face.

"Cover up," He said curtly with a slight narrowing of his eyes. Honestly.

Akira was startled as his black jacket landed over his head. Reaching up he pulled it off and frowned at Lucian in response. What was he on about? He had a shirt on and it wasn't like he was going to walk out of the inn without his jacket. Slowly the exorcist stood up and pulled the form fitting leather over his arms and buttoned it up. The long cloth went far passed his waist, the buttons only reaching to his belt line.

He went to the door and opened it not bothering to look if his two companions were following or not. Down the stairs, through the bar and then outside in a few minutes he stood in the street and looked around. They'd come from the alleyway to his left, and from what he could still feel around him, the lingering sense of evil, he figured the spirit had gone down the street to his right. Probably back into the shadows to hide until dawn.

With that destination in mind he started out, moving briskly as there were very few people out and about in the dead of night. He constantly looked down each alleyway as he passed them, hoping to gain a glimpse of the human that was possessed.

Lucian yawned, the demon had long since been waiting for Akira. Well, perhaps not over long but to someone who had already time-hopped to his present location (as he liked to call it), it was long enough. He could see the exorcist, the man so lost in his outwards sensory that he was not paying attention to his immediate surroundings. The faintest glimmer of a smirk sparked on Lucian's face, perhaps due to his innately demonic nature.

He casually extended out his foot just as Akira was about to walk by, tripping the exorcist. Lucian only shrugged as he watched the man stumble, blinking his eyes as if he had had no influence in what just happened. "Oops," He said softly, stepping over Akira. "Well, don't just lay there." He said with a bit of a snarky chuckle.

Had he... really... What the hell just happened? Akira's thoughts whirrled as he found himself losing his balance and then falling to the ground. How had that happened?! With a loud huff of air he hit the ground, and groaned softly. It took him a moment, a bewildered look on his face as he lay there with his hands on either side of his face ready to push himself back up. Lucian's voice hovered over head and it was with realization that the archdemon was the culprit behind his sudden trip with gravity.

He lifted his head upwards and glowered at Lucian as the man stepped over him and continued to give him a snide remark. His eyes narrowed and he ground his teeth together as he slowly lifted his body off the ground and stood up. He was going to pay that demon back, that was for sure. Just as he was about to unleash his bind upon the man in payment, he caught a shift of shadows from the corner of his eye.

The spirit!

All thoughts of dragging Lucian to the ground were lost as he turned on his heel and shot down the alleyway. His magic already prepared, he had nothing to do but to unleash it. The near invisible wraps shot through the darkness, glinting just right against the moonlight. They wrapped around the target, catching and holding fast. The scream that issued was one of terror and anger. The voice was the same one that belonged to the spirit that he had chased after earlier.

"Human!" It cried as Akira slowly walked towards it, "Fool," it cackled soon after, laughing hysterically. An eyebrow lifted as he wondered what it was the thing was laughing about. Though, that curiousity was soon sated as he felt another presence enter the immediate area. The dark aura was hard to miss, a sickening feeling spreading through his body as he looked off to the right of the spirit that he held fast.

From the thick shadows a figure emerged, taking shape slowly as it stepped into the single shaft of moonlight. The mass was nothing but pitch black, almost like tar, but with features. Akira felt a swell of bile at the back of his throat as he laid eyes on it.

The humor immediately left Lucian's face, the demon instantly backtracking to stand next to Akira. How had he missed that? They had been tracking an ordinary spirit... This was one of the many concerning things about this timeline. His inaccuracy was beginning to become something of a hassle--or perhaps... perhaps that person had succeeded in masking his presence at last from the demon. Tch, annoying.

He did not waste any time, pushing Akira back further with the palm of his hand as he raised his other arm parallel to the ground. Time magic wouldn't work in this scenario so logically... It would be best to imprison the spirit first so it wouldn't interfere--they'd need quite a bit of focus for the task at hand. He willed a bit of the familiar tinge of his magic to his palm and muttered a few words under his breath.

An inky black hue touched with a few ripples of white surrounded the spirit briefly, perhaps for only a few seconds. The aura dissipated soon afterwards and the spirit went to move, not realizing the spell that was cast. As soon as it took its first step, the gravity pulled the creature down from the center of body and it was forced against the ground. It released incomprehensible wails--why did they always do that? Always with the wailing and the headaches that followed after.

His arm dropped back down at his side. Keeping up the gravitational field wouldn't be a bother--dealing with this, however...

Akira lost his concentration of the binds and they fell away easily as Lucian was suddenly before him, pushing him backwards. He was confused as to why the demon had jumped in, but the atmosphere around him was different as well. It wasn't the usual calm and uninterested feel that Akira seemed to notice at all times, no it was different. Something had this man on edge. Was it the monster that had just stepped into the moonlight? Probably, even the exorcist was having trouble facing it properly.

One arm stretched out, flexing its fingers with long claws attached to the end. A mouth split open on the eyeless face, the jagged teeth seemingly caught together as if the shadowy spirit were still stuck as one large mass. Or rather, not a spirit but a wraith. Akira had only faced one wraith in his life time and that one had almost killed him.

His heart raced as he watched the thing warily, wondering what he was going to do to take it down. If they could take it down. He moved ever so slightly off to the side away from Lucian's protection. His body charged with his electricity, the bluish white light jumping in jagged arcs all across his frame. His eyes were narrowed in concentration, glaring at their opponent.

First Akira sent his binds, intent of wrapping the creature up and then letting loose his electrical charge right after. The wraps made it to their target, but the creature hardly moved as it allowed itself to be confined. Something wasn't right, it seemed to easy to have caught this thing. Still, Akira pushed the magic down the binds, the lightining crackling as it went.

The power washed over the creature, danced around it several times and then faded away without doing anything. Akira's voice gasped lightly, the short intake of breath was followed by his head lifting a little in shock. The wraith shuddered once, and Akira's binds shattered, all of it except for the ends in which the wraith took hold of. A harsh pull brought the exorcist forward quite a bit and he was far too close to the damned thing. He let go of his bind immediately and had to duck right after as the thing swiped at him. His heart was in his throat as he stood back up and drew his blades. Damn it he thought, grinding his teeth. It seemed the wraith was more intelligent than others.