Kira

~

I'm once again struck by how quickly things around the Overseers are taken care of, in almost no time at all we're being escorted out of the Council chamber by a somber but good-natured Tokiya. We're walked through several high-ceilinged hallways, well-lit by torches that seem to be producing way more light than naturally possible. In our wake we pass several grand tapestries and scroll paintings depicting epic battles or unknown figures adorning one wall or the other until a doorway opens on it's own to reveal a sprawling gardening of unnatural looking flowers and drooping trees that look even more breath-taking than the ones I've seen in daytime.

In the middle of it all stands large marble fountain, the sculpture of a writhing dragon curling around the basin and the pole middle all the way up to a stone lotus with water trickling down between it's petals. The inanimate creature pulses with an eerie protective energy, it's expression sending chills down my spine.

I pull my gaze from the imposing structure to rest some place just in front of it's basin where a small makeshift altar had been set up with white and red candles long side wooden charms and various flowers. Plaques with Ryoichi and Shiro's names stand side by side with a small pot of two unlit incense sticks between them.

The wind caresses my cheek as I follow Tokiya foward, the light-hearted air around him sweeping me up and giving me the push I wish I could muster on my own.

"Are you sure we should be doing this for that person as well?" Troy asks, gaining my attention by grabbing my cape.

It takes me longer than it should to understand who Troy is referring to, his blazing gold eyes raking over Shiro's plaque with disgust. It's not that I don't understand how he feels, a part of can't let go of of the initial hatred, of the fact that he had deceived us, killed so many and led to deaths of those Hikari held dear.

But more than all that, I feel pity.

I can't excuse his actions, I don't want to; but just like me, he wanted to change...I made him want to change.

Guilt and anger toss turn inside my gut, I shouldn't feel this much for two people I'd barely known but what I do know makes me feel all the more worse. Ryoichi should be here instead of me. He should be with Shiro as they helped the Council fight Nightmare. In that reality, I'm probably still awake at this ungodly hour morning but for an entirely different reason.

A sad smile graces my face if only a little.

"I want to do this, I wouldn't feel right otherwise." I come to stop in front of the altar. Lucifer and Mammon hadn't moved past the doorway, content to watch from a distance for whatever reason. Maybe just like most humans they weren't too fond of funerals. I turn to Tokiya, fishing out the soul orb, "Thanks by the way..."

He takes it from me, turning it over this way and that to examine it, "It's nothing Demona-chan," I can't quite read his expression with his Mask but his smile is gentle when he looks my way, "People like us can only move forward burying the ghosts of the failures right?"

I stiffen under the pointedness of his words, it feels like being stripped bare but oddly comforting too because he seems to understand.

"But they'll come back Keeper, on the quietest nights, on days grey with dread, those ghost won't leave you alone forever. You'll get this done now but for whatever lays beyond this point, will you be ready?"

My mind goes back to the child I hadn't been able to save on my first night as Demona, back to how easily I brushed it aside because I'd naively thought things would get better, that I'd get stronger or find someone stronger to take this burden from me and it'd no longer be a problem.

We had stopped Ahlai and Beelzebub but they had killed Yamagata and several others before that; Akio had run away but Ryu couldn't walk and hundreds had lost their lives; I had saved Momo but Arius had destroyed part of the city and almost exposed the world of Magic on a large scale.

There were so many negatives I'd looked past, so many I'd convinced myself were inevitable, drowned in my worries and desire to hold on the naive hope that next time there wouldn't have to sacrifices.

Things will only become more personal from here, more dangerous, and sacrifices would be inevitable, but I want to believe there's a power out there that can prove that false.

I have to find it in order to protect the life I look forward to living.

Uncomplicated, unchallenged...free from my pasts and failures.

And all that can be taken care of once Nightmare is gone.

"Whatever comes next, I'll deal with then, I can't lose heart here but right now I want to keep my promises, so when I leave this place tonight I don't have to hold onto these feelings..."

"Love the optimism!" Tokiya laughs, patting me on the shoulder and beckoning Troy foward, the blond blinks in confusion before answering, "Divinity Magic does wonders for trapped souls, hope you don't mind me asking for your help."

I can see the tension build up in Troy's jaw before he gives his answer, "I've never done this before."

"It's real easy, hm. Just cup your palms and hold them out, yeah like that!" Swept up in the Council Member's enthusiasm , he obeys. Tokiya puts the orb into his glove hands, light one of the incense sticks with a simple flick, "Now concentrate all your energy in that spot, you've got some of your strength back right? Good, good now repeat the spell after me and let your energy enshrine the orb all through...my aren't you natural?"

Tokiya turns back to me with a teasing smirk, "Are you sure you guys can't leave this one with us?"

I shake my head, grateful for his attempt at lightening the atmosphere a bit.

The older man begins chanting, line after line of words in ancient tongue which Troy follows seamlessly, perfect as always even on the first try. It can feel the swell and crackle of his magic dancing through the air as he gives it best despite the exhaustion he's hiding all too well.

The winds pick up but rather than going out the candlelights sway and flicker, their flames turning soft enchanting hisses of burning silver and neon red.

"Shiro Akane and Mochizuki Ryochi soon to be released...may thy souls find guidance," Tokiya whispers, and Troy does same. The orb in hand trembles violently, shooting into air and glowing with enough light to brighten up a whole street.

There's a deafening shatter that rends through the air but the shards fly about, hovering in place as a the mist in the orb seeps out taking in intangible blurry shape of young white-haired boy with eyes the color of moonlight.

Our gazes meet and I'm pretty sure I see a smile before he vanishes completely, leaving this world to where trapped spirits find home.

The shards fall but Tokiya catches them with a spell, arranging them neatly on Ryoichi's side. Right at that moment a scout runs in, handing him a small urn and a small dirt brown pouch.

"I had our scouts cremate his remains once he was searched, hope you don't mind?"

Shaking off my amazement from the ethereal beauty of the Release Ceremony, I turn to the little urn taking it from him to place it on Shiro's side, the tight ache in my chest loosens its grip just a bit, "It's fine."

I've kept my promise.

Tokiya lights the second incense stick and faces me with the pouch held out. Inside lays the black fabric of Shiro's mask, worn and threadbare but clean of soot and the stench of blood. There's also one of the many studded red leather bracelets I'd seen on his wrists."

"For you to remember him and in turn Ryoichi, you don't always have to think of their loss, Demona, but you must never forget-"

"Because once you do, it's over."

We all turn at the sound Motoichirou's voice, he's standing at entrance, steadfastly ignoring the Demons' disgusted glaring at him.

"You're taking way too long, Tokiya."

"Aye, aye, we're all done now so no need to scold me."

They argue but start for the corridor, leaving the rest us to follow after at own paces. Troy goes first, escorted by Mammon and the scout that had appeared earlier.

"You're doing a lot for someone who tried to kill you just an hour ago," Inoue huffs walking past me.

He's not wrong, maybe this is a bit more than Shiro might deserve but I can't let go, not on this. The Shiro I'd seen in person, beneath the hatred and booodlust, that Shiro was the kind of person I wanted on my team, "Maybe but he saved one of my friends too so I'm might be biased."

"I still think people like him dangerous, but your method could work on the saner ones, but don't give up being stronger, beyond words you have to be more than your enemies, faster, smarter more powerful, I'm sure your Demons can agree on that as well."

I watch him leave with measured strides cutting the distance between he and the entrance to the building. I catch Lucifer's gaze which the Demon shifts to Kuro who's standing hunched over the alter with a frustrated gleam in his eyes.

"Kuro?"

"His memories, they were so close, so happy...it's disgusting what Nightmare made him do because he was afraid."

I close the distance between us to warp an arm around his shoulder and steer us away towards the door, "We'll just have to make sure he never does that again, right? "

But Kuro doesn't look up at me, that darkness in his eyes reminiscent of our meeting with Akio returning with even more viciousness.

"Right?"I stress, shaking him lightly which seems to do the trick, his eyes widening a bit like he remembers something he can't tell me, doesn't want to.

He gives me a false smile that sends chills down my spine, "Right."

***

Soon we're back in the Council Chamber, all eyes fixed on us with the special guests back in their place and paying little mind to the magical reconstruction of the broken wall going on off to side.

Kuro had called for a chalkboard on our way back and from the start we had all agreed he was the best one to break down all we had figured out to the Council.

Still, sweat trickles down my brow, Kuro had let us know how crazy it all sounded and the Demons had revealed they had an idea of what the Summoner had been planning but even then, they hadn't believed it until Yamagata's message to Kuro and seeing the dagger Ahlai had used to summon the Demons the night of our final battle.

'It's ludicrous but it's possible,' Lucifer had said.

And now we're standing here to convince a room full of people that hadn't taken that very Summoner seriously until this very moment that one of his men, one Demon really, had destroyed their wards and broken in.

No pressure.

Kuro coughs into his fist, clearing his throat, "I'll cut right to chase, how many of you have heard of the Plane Rendering Daggers?"

Murmurs of confusion, dismissal, and recognition ripple through the room. My eyes find lady West, her smile equal parts intrigued and knowing. Had she been the one to teach Kuro about the weapons?

Yasushi is the one who speaks up though, "There's no actual proof of their existence."

Kuro smirks, drawing out the shape of the dagger I had described weeks earlier, it's far from resembling the real thing but close enough to get the point across, "I get it, three daggers that can individually rip through the division between Planes with minimal magic output is a hard pill to swallow...but they're very real."

"We saw the Demon known as Ahlai use it one of them in front of us." Troy adds.

Shigeru lifts her hand, asking in the most deadpan voice, "What are these Rending Daggers?"

A twinge of satisfaction fills me a bit at the thought of knowing a bit more than the most respected woman in the room, "If you'll allow me-"

Tokiya cuts me off, starting the tale with a flourish, "Once lived a sorceress who was the daughter of a powerful Summoner and the world's greatest Alchemist, who longed to unite with her dead lover. But because traveling through the Spirit Plane in search would drain her powers she took three crystals, one from each Plane of Existence and using her knowledge of alchemy and her Summoning abilities, she shaped them into daggers, each one a combination of all three..."

"But this process took several years off her life," Hayahiko picks up, "And so she left the daggers to to her disciple, instructing them to hide each dagger in a different locations across various Sub-planes. In the process of hiding the last one, it shattered killing the disciple. The only reason we know their story is because a of relic hunters who had been monitoring the sorceress closely in order to snatch the finished weapons for themselves but to this day no one has ever found them." She finishes in a conspiratorial sort of tone, she and Tokiya making me realize I might not have had the sort f charm for this of thing in the first place.

She's corrected however by Kuro, "Until Nightmare."

I can see Shigeru's jaw tightening before her nest words, "You're telling me this Summoer is in possession of these daggers that can, in simple terms, create cracks in the Barrier."

"Yeah but Kuro says they're just small cracks that only stay open for a brief period," I confirm.

"It takes only a bit of magic output but whoever uses it must have the coordinates of where they want connected in mind," the dark haired boy taps the side of his head.

"We think Nightmare, with the time and support he's been able to amass over the past three centuries, has been able to construct the third dagger and now plans to use it in his grand plan." Troy throws in, traces of bitterness seeping into his voice.

Motoichirou slams his hand down on the armrest of his throne, "That's ridiculous-"

"Then act on the basis that its not," Lucifer drawls eyes defiant, "We aided Hikari to chase him as best as we could but the the forces behind him have been at play longer than we realized. Your neglect in viewing him as a threat also has a hand in what's coming."

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"And what's coming, huh?!" The Council Member jeers, "So he can open a few short term cracks? What's the big deal?!"

Kuro smirks, pointing his chalk like he'd been waiting for that very question, "That's only individually, it's just a theory, but I think by merging the power of the Daggers together with his own magic, at the same time, will allow him to open rift the size of several wards," he draws a rough map of Tokyo city and circles a third of it. "But the party doesn't stop there, he plans to do this at a time when the Barrier is at its weakest which only happens every five hundred years which is at the end of summer this year."

I turn to the Council Members, eyes catching Inoue's awed gaze on the blackboard, "If he does that, his range will be multiplied two-fold but that's only the start."

"The start of what?" Lady West is leaning forward in her chair, eyes glittering hungrily with excitement.

"We think he's turned the whole city into a seal, two seals in one actually," Kuro shows his fingers, "He's a Summoner so complex Summoning circles will definitely be a walk in the park for him. He's going to summon the Gashadokuro from their prison first, maybe just a few of them, Kira can tell you more on that later but he's going to do it. Once they're here, he's going to activate the second circle, his sacrifice will be the blood of those killed by the army, hundreds, maybe thousands but it'll be enough. With the Barrier weakened he'll open smaller cracks all over the world, and they'll be open for as long as sacrifices keep dying or the Daggers are still active."

The silence from all corners of the room is heavily with grim realization, even the scouts working on the wall had stopped to listen and stare. My heart races the longer it stretches, waiting cr someone to something.

Anything to indicate this wasn't enough to rattle the so called greatest exorcism organization in Japan.

Tokiya is first, both hands clasped above his knees with his chin resting atop them, "This...if what you're saying is true, then the world as we know it..." he trails off, a trance-like quality to his voice that tells me he still hasn't quite wrapped his head around it.

"It can't be," Yasushi follows suit, hissing with venom, "After all we've done to keep from discovery."

"That's the least of our worries, there are lives at stake," Troy scowls.

"These worries are intertwined, Archer," Shigeru say calmly, "Discovery and realization to the general public could turn the tide in the favor of the Demons; panic, fear, death...these emotions give them power over people and amplify their hold." Her gaze takes in in all of us as if truly seeing us for the first time, "You mentioned you had a way to stop in during the thr trial."

Nerves tingle beneath my skin sending several sparks of trepidation up my spine to feed my mind. This was the turning point. The part where we could either get their aid or find ourselves cast aside while they do things their way.

"There's a way," Kuro hums drawing a none descript circular object on the board and an arrow pointing down at it, right about the arrow he rights a name, "It's not exactly a way to stop him but a means to minimize the damage. Best case scenario, we lose a couple blocks to the Gashadokuro and a couple hundred of the Demon territory's heavy hitters escape into our Plane."

"Worst case?" Lady West asks, licking her lips.

Kuro gives her a death glare, "Multiply my stats by about a thousand."

"However it goes, Nightmare will be weakend enough for capture if we can break through his guards," I finish.

Motoichirou points to the object Kuro had drawn on the board, "And this 'oracle stone' is the thing this whole plan hinges upon?"

I nod, speaking fast, "After defeating Arius, I was Summoned by the last three Keepers to a Sub-plane connected to the spirit realm. Second Keeper Agawa Shiko told me it's our best chance at stopping the Gashadokuro."

Kuro goes about drawing on the board again, frantic now, "One Seal and the Daggers will be connecting our Plane to the Gashadokuro army's prison. If we can find the core of that seal, which can only be done once it's activated, we'll be able to place the Stone on it and all beings from that plane will be unable to come through, sucked back into it and banished for as long as the stone remains on the seal. "

"That's not comforting," Hayahiko sighs tiredly, "We're expected to wait for him to activate the seal?"

"Why don't we just track him down and take him prisoner before any of this can happen?!" Motoichirou growls.

"You're free to try," Mammon says derisively.

"You've been trying, although not hard enough, for years," Lucifer joins in, "If you buckle down now you might just catch his coattails."

The easily irritable exorcist doesn't back down in the least, "And what about you oh so powerful Demons, what's stopped you ridding us of this threat?"

I can feel the tensions in the room starting to sky rocket.

Lucifer coolly lights himself a new cigarette, "We're only as capable as our wielder," he scoffs. But there are traces of something unsaid in his expression, I can see it in Mammon's eyes too but the larger Demon turns away the moment he catches me staring, whistling in a manner that's definitely not suspicious at all.

Turning back to the Council Members, a nervous smile splitting my face. We're so done, "That's about all of it."

"No, it's not," Troy pushes past me, speaking evenly with the subtle charm I've seen him use convince teachers and other adults of his trustworthiness, "We came here tonight to prove our worth, and ask your assistance because we know we can't do this alone."

"We don't exactly have the resources, you might say," Kuro chirps in with a slight pout, throwing the chalk stick and catching it repeatedly.

"We know you don't trust our leader, or the Demons, but they've come through, she's come through," the blond turns to back to me and I can almost see he's more confused rather than optimistic, "She's emotional but once she's made up her mind to protect something she won't stop so believe in her and us and we'll work to bring you victory."

He bows slightly and I join him seconds after, blood pumping hot and ready through my veins with at least a bit of his acknowledgement to back me up. It's been a long night and so much had happened with more still to come. More perilous and, strangely, exciting than anything we've faced until now.

I stand straight, hand to my chest, amplifying the resolve I've built up over the last hour from facing my wants, fears and desires in the mirror reality, "I still have a long way to go but help us find the Oracle Stone, please!"

It's hard to read all their expressions but thankfully I don't have to. Tokiya begins clapping, kicking his feet eagerly, "How could we say no to a pitch like that?!"

Motoichirou tries to smack him, "Be quiet you damn bastard!"

Hayahiko is swayihg as if ready to fall asleep in her seat, "Exhausting but we don't exactly have a choice."

Lady West is strangely quieter than Tokiya, her delight more evident in her eyes. She says nothing, merely nodding her agreement.

Yasushi is the same, studying us intently.

Once again, Shigeru's hand is up, halting the murmurs about taking over the room. She shifts our gaze to us with a benevolent smile, "We have a month and some weeks at best. We don't know where this relic is. Our foe has the upper hand and your plan is full of holes but...I suppose we can work it all in due time."

Pride and relief blossom in my chest as I hiss a silent victory cheer to myself, high-fiving Kuro and holding my other hand for Troy which he ignores. Oh well.

I turn the to the Demons who smile give thumbs up gestures with varying degrees of sincerity.

We've all come so far; the flood of happiness from this it's almost enough to lift the dread of tonight's losses and the cluster sad revelations.

Almost.

I shake myself out of the haze.

We've managed to bag the Overseers on our side, they have connections, and with their aid our victory had to be within reach by now.

"There's one more thing," Kuro declares, there a dark dangerous edge to his voice that stuns the room back into that weighty silence. His eyes are fixed firmly of the six Council members, "I've seen Shiros memories, the ones he had been able to push to the surface in the short time we had. There's nothing in them but I can't ignore his last warning."

"Oh, and what's that?" Motoichirou drawls leisurely, flipping his not-exactly-a-coin coin.

It twirls through the airwith a faint chime, coming down like a hammer with the weight of Kuro's words.

"The Overseers have been compromised," he states coldly, "Nightmare has a spy among you."

***

We're escorted out of the Council Chamber almost immediately after Kuro had utter the words. Cries of displeasure from the special guests and some even going as far to screaming their distrust at the word of an imposter.

It was instant pandemonium, but Inoue and some of his juniors got us out to the front hall in record time, wearing their own solemn masks of disbelief.

Inoue turns to Kuro, serious as ever, "Is that truly what the Shape-shifter said to you?"

The raven-haired boy nods, pissed at the distrust, "It's not like I get anything from lying to you killjoys in the first place."

The Division Captain turns to me, "You three will have to return tomorrow night after things have settled but we'll get started on identifying and tracking this Oracle Stone."

Kuro clicks his tongue, floating over to the Captain's side, "You will surely need the intellect of yours truly which is why I'll be staying here to use your archives-"

"No leave."

"Don't be like that Tskuki-kun~"

I chuckle, my amusement at the display, a welcome distraction from just how grave things could become from here. I had vanished the Demons on the way out more concerned with conserving my strength for the trip home.

"It's not like I can go home anyway since that witch has a tracking charm inside me now," Kuro grits his teeth.

Witch. Charm.

"Lady West?" I can feel my brows furrowing at the thought of how she could have done that.

"The medicine her people gave me," the younger boy cries, "I took it because I didn't have a choice if I still wanted to talk tonight but it's good you and Angel boy turned her down, damn hag!" He's talking rapidly, shaking and pointing wildly.

I glare at Inoue, "Did you know about this?"

His quiet unflinching gaze tells me everything I need to know but weirdly I can't find it in myself to be angry. Okay I am, just a bit.

But seeing as they might just have a mole in their ranks, I don't see them becoming any less strict with their measures.

"We should leave," Troy remarks before dragging me towards the gates by my cape.

"I'll make my precious Angel boy a portal all the way home~" Kuro coos bounding after us.

"Don't you dare, just make it close you moron so they don't figure out!"

"Eh? I ain't stupid y'know?"

"Debatable."

My attention is stolen from their bickering by Inoue jogging to our spot.

"Captain?" I pout.

"It nearly slipped my mind but Tokiya-sama has extended an invitation to your Ice Magic wielder to come here and train if they are in need of a proper environment since we haven't seen them since the last...event."

"Really?"

"Yes, the same goes for you three. Since you are now official partners with our organization," he turns his back to us, a stoic gaze tossed over his shoulder, "Don't let it go to head, Team Demona."

I smile, renewed jitters of elation sparking through me. There was so much on the line but right now, this very second, things we're looking up and for tonight, with a new path opened us because Shiro had turned up, that was all that mattered.

***

Letters and numbers blur in and out of my vision. Taunting me with their indecipherable code and instructions.

Shit.

There's a distant ticking somewhere above me, a reminder of how much time I'm losing the longer sit with sweat beading my brow and doing nothing else.

Double shit.

Why? Why? WHY ON EARTH HADN'T I REMEMBERED MY FIRST PAPER WAS TODAY?!

My fist slams down on the table in panic and the teacher in charge calls me out by name, his warning lost to the sea of my thoughts as I fight to direct all my focus in the first question.

And it just had to be Math, it just had to be.

Like a cruel joke from the universe. I curse the school's exam committee in my heart. Math was the last thing anyone wanted to deal with after facing a trial and the the death of probable teammate the night before.

I hover my pencil over the various sheets provided, glaring at each question th moment I realized I was skipping about five a time with no idea how to go about them.

'Guys...you there?-'

I can feel Lucifer and Mammon's presence hover to the forefront of my subconscious until I can almost imagine them looming over me looking down over my shoulder.

''Sup boss, those numbers giving you trouble?' Mammon barks out.

I apologize silently to Haru, he had done so much but my brain was going to fail him this time.

Troy had turned in his seat slightly to squint at me but I couldn't care less right now, 'Listen, I need you two to help me out and I promise to let you to do whatever you want for an entire weekend.'

'Done!' I can hear the smirk in Mammon voice, ramped up to a hundred as usual.

'I refuse to be bought so cheaply.' Lucifer scoffs.

'I'll have Troy make one of his special desserts just for you.'

Silence

'Here's the way to Summon us in an invisible state...'

Bingo.

A grin splits my face in a wide line and I have to duck down to my desk to hidr it as Lucifer feeds me instructions to do the Summoning and Mammon directs me tk the answers he's sure of on sight.

'What happen to the 'Just this once' noble hero attitude from a while ago?'

I erase my previous wrong answers, 'This noble hero can't save the planet if she has to take remedial classes over the summer so help me cheat more effectively!'

An hour later I walking out of the classroom with a content smile, twirling my pen to meet my waiting friends in the hallway.

"Yeah she definitely cheated," Jade hums gesturing for Troy to give her something.

The blond was glaring at me, stiffly pulling out his wallet to give some money to Jade. Momo does the same, looking just as angry as him.

I stare dumbfounded. Had they really had a betting pool going on whether I'd cheat or not?

I fall the floor, face buried between my knees from shame.

"You're a disgrace Vermillion, after I vouched for you too."

"I'm sorry."

"Kiraaa how could you?! I have to pay Kuro now too! How did you do it? Tell me right now! I'm asking for a friend?!" Momo had begun shaking me by the shoulder at some point but I could hardly feel anything with the crushing weight of Troy's disapproval pinning me down.

My enahanced hearing picks out Haru's footsteps coming our way and I immediately go into dogeza position begging them not to tell him about it. Troy's disappointment was enough already and by looking up to catch their expressions I was given a clear vision of free shopping sprees and more intensive training in my future.

Even worse, Mammon and Lucifer were cracking up in my head and making it very loud.

I sink lower into the ground, I really couldn't wait for the summer break to come.

***

The next week is filled with constant activity from both ends of my life; last minute assignments, reviewing practice schedules for the volleyball team over the break, exams, training at night with Inuoe and Troy, later reading with Kuro in the Overseers' archives and tons more.

Surprisingly Jade had accepted the invitation, coming through one of Kuro's portals the first time before registering a point she could exit and enter from later on with the Council giving her a badge. She had picked a spot as far from her home as possible.

"Can't let uou three get any further from me now can I?" She had said on the first night.

Upon meeting her Tokiya had gone an hour long rambling session about how curses could actually be tamed with enough time or experimentation and sure Jade might still never be able to touch anyone but she'd become a powerful exorcist of she joined them and be- and he just kept going.

Kuro had practically turned into a permanent fixture in the Archives, his hair a disheveled mess with him murmuring to himself every time I came in to at least make sure he was drinking water. The exorcist scouts gave his table a wide berth, the only bold enough to even step into the sea of tomes and scrolls being Tokiya.

He seemed to have been assigned as our supervisor at some point and I think I'm pretty okay with that. He's relatively easy to talk to save for the times I can swear his eyes are picking each of us apart.

When I'd asked he had simply replied he found our mismatch group interesting to say the least.

On the second day, Inoue had shown me around the HQ which I'd come to learn was a lot larger than it looked on the outside because of Magic and some rooms being attached to other Sub-planes of their own. A complex mesh of ancient magics perfected over the ages all dedicated to keeping the supernatural from disrupting the human world. It was breath-taking and brilliant, and every new discovery sent my heart soaring like I was truly discovering the world of Magic again for the first time.

Evey night I made to sure visit Shiro and Ryoichi's altar which had been moved to some inner sanctum room with other altars for fallen exorcist I didn't know. Looking at their names though I couldn't help but want something of the sort for Hikari and that other woman Kuro had mentioned from Shiro's memories.

Amanai.

Rui, Shiko and Kazue also come to mind.

Did they have graves or altars somewhere or was the life of a Keeper only one to be remembered by the Keeper after? Would everyone connected to me die tragic deaths because of the path I'd chosen?

Thoughts I'd never felt myself capable of bubble up in my mind, traveling down my throat to leave a bitter taste in the face of all that had happened before I given this role.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts," Troy questions walking up being me, "It's too late for that now."

"I'm doing great thanks for asking."

It's our sixth night at the temple HQ and tensions are rising by the day as scouts scramble about to get any piece of information that can connect us to the whereabouts of the Oracle Stone. Kuro had looked surprisingly extra cheerful when I had paid him a visit earlier but he had been in animated conversation with Tokiya so I decided to wait it out by visiting the altar.

I could only hope more could come out of this other than my sparring sessions with Inoue who was just as brutal a partner as Troy and Kuro but all without the concern of making sure I would be able to show up to school the next day.

Just what need.

For all the challenges though, there's a part of me that never wants to exchange it for the world.

That'd be a far easier choice than to face whatever lay ahead so it was safe to assume it wouldn't happen.

I look at Troy on my left side, studying his sharp features in the candlelight of the multiple altars around off.

"Are you nervous?"

He clicks his tongue, "Unlike you simple humans, I don't do nervous."

I smile, grateful for his unwavering confidence. Kuro's working hard too, so I had to be ready and be at least half the Keeper the world expected of me in time.

Summer's end.

Given how long it's taking to get information though, a darker side of my mind is starting to wonder if we're really going to make it in time.

The rush of approaching footsteps coming our way causes both of us to flinch and turn. Inoue skids to a halt in front of us, his usual composure thrown off by the sparkle in his eyes.

"We've got it."

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