Classes resumed on Monday. The transition from "Global Threat" to "Revered Figure" back to "High School Student" was jarring, to say the least.
I walked down the bustling hallway of the True Cross Academy main campus. It wasn't quite parting the Red Sea like it was with the monks in Kyoto, but the normal students definitely gave me a wide berth.
To the normal world, I wasn't the Son of Satan who just purified a Demon King. To them, I was Rin Okumura: the physically imposing, unreadable delinquent who somehow snagged a prestigious culinary scholarship, and the embarrassingly rough twin brother of the brilliant freshman representative, Yukio.
"Is that him?" one student whispered, pressing herself against her locker as I passed.
"Yeah. I heard he disappears for days at a time to get into gang fights."
"Look at those eyes... they're so cold and dismissive. Do you think he's killed someone?"
"Don't stare," a senior urged, pulling his friend away. "You don't want to get on his bad side. I heard he threw a guy out a window on the first day."
At least they aren't calling me a literal demon, I thought, adjusting my incredibly uncomfortable tie. Gotta take the bad with the good.
One major thing I took notice of as I walked was that people instinctively flinched when I got too close. I was instinctively radiating a biological "Do Not Touch" signal. Like a tiger walking through a herd of gazelles, they didn't know why they were scared, but their primal survival instincts were screaming at them to make way.
It seems like my Banshōman energy is even more sensitive than I realized. I'll have to learn to rein that in more securely the next time I meditate.
I turned a corner near the vending machines and nearly trampled a student. He was small—well of average stature, wearing the standard uniform, but he was hyperventilating, swatting frantically at the air like he was being attacked by a swarm of invisible bees.
"Get away! Get away!" he shrieked, batting at empty space.
The other students around him were backing away slowly, whispering about him having a mental breakdown. But I happened to see the root of his problems. A thick cloud of Coal Tars was aggressively swarming around his head.
He's got the Temptaint, I thought, watching the bugs crawl over his shoulders. Must feel like a never-ending nightmare waking up to that one day.
"Hey," I said, stepping into his space.
The kid froze, looking up at me with terrified eyes. Giving me an expression that told me he wasn't crazy, that something was actually happening, something only he could see for some reason.
"Take it easy," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
I just projected a microscopic pulse of killing intent at the Coal Tars. The low-level spirits shrieked silently and scattered instantly, fleeing down the hallway.
The kid blinked, looking around the suddenly empty air. "They... they're gone."
He looked at me, trembling. "You... you chased them away? You can see them too?"
"Yea, just ignore them and you'll be fine," I said. "Try to take deep breaths."
The kid took a deep, shuddering breath. He looked at me with sudden, intense gratitude.
"Thank you," he said gratefully. "I thought I was going to go crazy. But you... you stopped to help."
"Uh-huh," I acknowledged.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but how can you see them? And why help me?" he asked.
"I felt like it," I shrugged. "Plus, we have third period together. Your name's Godaiin, right?"
He nodded. "That's right, I'm Sei Godaiin."
"It would get too troublesome if you started freaking out in the middle of a math test."
He smiled, a weak, wobbly thing. "You're a good person."
I almost laughed. A good person? That's a new one.
"Listen, Godaiin," I said, leaning in. "If you start seeing things again—bugs, shadows, whatever—don't scream. Just come find me. I know a guy who handles these kinds of things."
"Okay," Godaiin nodded frantically. "Okay. I will."
I walked away, lost in thought.
If I purify him with my flames or other methods, he might start asking questions about my powers that I really do not want to answer. I need a mundane fix.
That evening, I was picked up by Mephisto's butler for dinner at his mansion, located in the sprawling, gaudy penthouse level of the Academy.
When I arrived, it was exactly how I remembered it from the anime: expensive, ridiculous, and filled with rare anime figurines. Mephisto was waiting at a long dining table.
"Welcome, Rin!" Mephisto cheered, raising a glass of expensive wine. "Congratulations on your reinstatement. The Vatican has officially suspended your execution order. You are now a 'Sanctioned Entity.' Which is a polite way of saying 'Useful Monster.'"
"Yea, thanks, Clown," I said, sitting down, throwing my legs up onto the mahogany table and placing my arms behind the back of my head. "Where's the grub?"
"Ah, straight to business," Mephisto grinned. "Tonight, I have a special treat. Meet my personal chef, Ukobach."
A small cloud of purple smoke appeared, revealing a tiny, ruddy-skinned imp-like demon, wearing a chef's hat. He had small spiral horns, like a ram, large ears, and yellow eyes.
"I told him about your... impressive talents in the kitchen," Mephisto explained, his eyes glinting. "But he's highly skeptical."
Mephisto snapped his fingers. A second, fully stocked kitchen station materialized on the other side of the dining room.
"So I propose a cook-off," Mephisto announced. "Make me an appetizer. If yours is better, we discuss serious business. If Ukobach wins, you do my academy paperwork for a month."
The fuck kinda reward is that?!
"You dragged me here to cook for you?" I deadpanned.
"You've finally earned the right to speak to me as an equal," Mephisto said, his tone dropping its playful edge for a fraction of a second. "Or do you want to pass that up?"
Bastard's bluffing. He's been anticipating this meeting ever since I erased the Impure King like a bad stain.
I stood up, rolling my sleeves up with a serious expression. "Whatever. I'll play your little game."
Ukobach screeched a challenge, firing up his stove. He was incredible, chopping vegetables and searing meats with supernatural, demonic speed.
I didn't rush. I grabbed a premium slab of tuna. Instead of a knife, I focused my Mantle into the very edge of my index finger, creating a microscopic blade of thermal pressure. I sliced the fish so thinly it was completely translucent. The localized heat seared the absolute edges of the fish instantly while keeping the center perfectly fresh. I plated it, finishing it with a reduction sauce I flash-boiled in the palm of my hand.
Five minutes later, we presented the dishes.
Mephisto ate Ukobach's dish first. "Exquisite. Delicious as always, my friend."
Then, he took a bite of mine.
He paused. His eyes widened slightly.
"The texture..." Mephisto murmured, looking at the slice of tuna in genuine surprise. "The heat seared the microscopic nerves of the fish instantly, preserving the raw flavor without damaging the cellular structure at all. It's... flawless."
Ukobach tentatively took a bite of my dish. The little demon froze. Tears welled up in his large eyes. Then, he slowly turned and bowed perfectly to me, offering his prized spatula in absolute surrender.
I took the spatula, giving the little guy a respectful nod. I'm a cooking god, I thought, wiping my hands on my apron.
Then I took a seat.
"Splendid," Mephisto clapped, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Now that the appetizer is finished, we move to the evening's entertainment."
"Entertainment?" I raised an eyebrow, suddenly sensing a massive spike in demonic energy directly behind me.
"You seem to think that you're strong enough to kill Satan," Mephisto grinned, his eyes narrowing into predatory slits. "I want to see exactly how much you've grown since Kyoto. And I have just the sparring partner."
The floor beside my chair rippled like liquid shadow.
"Finally," Amaimon breathed, stepping out of the portal. The Earth King looked at me with hungry, dilated eyes, his claws fully extended. "Brother promised me I could break you this time, Rin."
"You brought Broccoli-top?" I raised a brow, not even bothering to rise from my chair.
Mephisto casually swirled his wine as Amaimon moved. He was fast—much faster than he was in the forest. He cleared the distance in a blur, his clawed hand aiming to decapitate me before I could even draw a breath.
But I didn't panic or quickly draw my sword. I didn't even look in his direction.
I simply raised my left hand and caught his wrist as his claws were inches from my neck. The shockwave of the impact blew the napkins off the table and shattered the nearest windows.
I didn't budge an inch.
Amaimon's eyes widened in absolute shock. "Huh?"
"Your attacks are too light," I muttered.
I tightened my grip, effortlessly crushing his wrist bone, and slammed him down. He went face-first into the hardwood floor with enough force to create a localized earthquake, splintering the floorboards.
Amaimon gasped, pinned to the floor by sheer physical dominance. I kept him pinned by the back of his neck with one hand, looking bored.
"Is that it?" I asked Mephisto.
"Impressive," Mephisto murmured, his smile fading. "But let's take a closer look."
He snapped his fingers.
"Das Ewigste."
The color drained from the world, turning the room into a monochrome photograph. The dust motes floating in the air stopped dead. The debris from the shattered floorboards hung suspended in zero gravity. Amaimon froze beneath my hand, a statue locked in mid-gasp.
Time had stopped.
Mephisto stood up, walking leisurely toward us. "In this space, I am absolute. I can examine your physiology, your flame structure, your very atoms without you even twitching. It's the perfect dissection table."
He leaned in close to my face, a manic smile spreading across his lips. "Now, let's see what makes you tick, my dear—"
I blinked.
Mephisto stopped talking. His eyes bulged out of his head.
I calmly reached over with my free hand and picked up my wine glass. I took a sip, swirled it, and set it back down on the table.
"This vintage is good, but it's a tad dry," I noted, looking him directly in the eye. "Where'd you get this from?"
Mephisto stumbled back, nearly tripping over his own cape. For the first time since I met him, the Clown looked genuinely, deeply terrified.
"How..." Mephisto whispered, his voice trembling. "I froze time. You should be frozen."
"Thermal Stasis," I explained calmly, removing my hand from the pinned Amaimon. "My atoms are vibrating at a frequency that mimics the heat of the universe. I exist in a state of constant, perfect thermal flux. Your magic tries to grab onto me, but I'm too hot to hold."
I pointed a finger at his chest.
"You can't pause me, Sammy. Remember that," I grinned.
Mephisto stared at me. The fear in his eyes slowly shifted into a deep, calculating wariness. He realized right then and there that I wasn't just a strong piece on his chessboard anymore.
I was the player sitting across from him.
"I see," Mephisto said softly. He composed himself, straightening his suit lapels. "Very well."
He snapped his fingers.
Time resumed, color flooding back into the room.
Amaimon blinked, confused, his face still crushed against the floor. "Huh? Why can't I move my arms?"
"Go home, Amaimon," Mephisto ordered sharply.
"But—"
"NOW."
Amaimon looked up at his older brother, sensed the terrifying, unspoken tension in the room, and wisely dissolved into a puddle of mud, vanishing instantly.
"You want an alliance," Mephisto said, walking back to his chair and sitting down heavily.
The playfulness was completely gone.
"See, that's why you're the right guy to ally with. You're smart," I grinned.
"What does this alliance look like to you?" he asked cautiously.
"An equal collaboration of course," I said, wiping my hands with a napkin. "But, I want resources, information, and the freedom to train and operate without the Vatican breathing down my neck."
"And in exchange?"
"I rid the world of Satan," I stated flatly. "And of the Illuminati."
Mephisto's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"They're making their move, are they not?" I questioned rhetorically.
"You know a lot of things you shouldn't," he said.
"I have my sources," I tapped my temple. "So, do we have a deal?"
Mephisto was silent for a long moment. Then, he slowly smiled. It wasn't his usual mocking grin. It was a genuine, predatory smile.
"A partnership with a world-defying anomaly," he mused, offering his hand across the table. "How could I refuse?"
"One more thing," I added, shaking his hand firmly. "I need eye drops. A high-grade, diluted solution specifically designed to remove demon sight."
"For the Godaiin boy?" Mephisto guessed instantly. "Very well."
He produced a small, unmarked vial from his pocket dimension and slid it across the table.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Partner."
The next day, I found Godaiin by the lockers. He was twitching, scratching at his neck, seeing demons again.
Damn boy, you seeing demons or are ya tryna get over an addiction?
"Here," I said, tossing him the vial Mephisto gave me. "Eye drops. Use them twice a day. It'll clear things up."
He caught it, looking at the bottle like it was the Holy Grail. "Eye drops?"
"Trust me," I said, leaning against the lockers. "It's a special blend. Clears the stress right out."
He used them immediately. He blinked rapidly, tears forming in his eyes. Then, he looked around. The tension drained from his shoulders.
"They're gone!" Godaiin gasped, a smile breaking across his face. "The bugs are gone!"
"Yep, now try to relax a bit. You were putting people on edge."
"Thank you, Rin! You really are a good guy!"
I rolled my eyes. Oh brother, here we go with that again.