"Damn, the Order was screwed!" Yami declared, stepping out of the shower and quickly drying his hair with the heat of his aura.
Usually, an exorcist's aura ran at about 45°C—star-level temperature. On rare unlucky occasions, it had killed people who stood too close.
Still wearing his coat, he headed to the kitchen with his smartphone in hand. Recent headlines flashed across every screen: the Darkness Syndrome had surpassed a thousand infected, the old man's murder, the earthquake and destruction in Hiragana. Everything that had happened in the past few days… and here he was, facing yet another half-baked mission.
He didn't care much—as usual—he dropped the phone on the marble countertop, its notifications still buzzing. Tired, he grabbed a frying pan he'd abandoned days ago and chucked it into the sink. Then he pulled a pitcher from the cabinet beneath the counter, filled it with tap water, opening the faucet fully.
Calm down! he thought, as his phone kept buzzing nonstop.
Tough luck if it didn't…
He turned on the stove, twisting the dial on the first burner until it clicked on. He placed the pitcher on the flame and dropped two eggs into the water, waiting for it to boil.
Both eggs were from a tray he'd rescued two days ago—close to expiring.
What wasn't expiring… had already gone bad.
"I haven't eaten in two days!" he complained. "And it's all your fault… your rush to get things done!"
Frustrated, he watched the circular swirl of water as it started to boil into a vortex.
"It's two days since we've eaten… you meant that!" Azaael snapped, appearing suddenly and scratching his claws into the marble. His shadowy form materialized in front of Yami, exuding a nearly tangible metaphysical aura. He felt fully present—far more than just a projection in the boy's troubled mind. "Gah, liar! You're the one in a hurry!"
"Of course… you're killing my motivation for everything, you jackass!"
The young man reached to pick up his phone again, but hesitated. His fingers hovered in midair before he straightened up and flashed a crooked smile.
"Why are you like this? Am I missing my meds?"
"The matter is no longer in harmony with metamatters… The imbalance is so intense our bodies feel like they're collapsing. I strongly believe!" the demon answered, savoring each word, mixing provocation with a careful analysis of the situation.
This game amused him. Oh, a dark deity, with plenty of time to waste…
"Maybe it's just a side effect of the chaos you cause," Yami retorted, opening the fridge and grabbing an energy drink. He took a quick swig, grimacing at the artificial strawberry flavor. In this world, there were no more feet or seedlings. "Seems like you're already recovering well, aren't you?"
"Ah, maybe…"
Boredom knocked at the door.
He reached for his phone a third time, but faced with the sea of notifications, he put it back on the counter.
No patience left.
"Need more energy?" he said, reading the label. "This girl's messing with your head more than you'd like…" he added, walking to the apartment window.
He pulled the curtain aside, letting dawn's light wash across his shadowed face.
Smoke billowed out… Those who live in the shadows are not meant to walk in the light!
"True… not sure anymore. It's been so long since I interacted with another human…" he said, glancing back at the boiling water.
Such a masochist…
"Huh?"
"Nothing…"
"Hmm… about my materializing… Maybe the time I've spent here affected this place. Don't humans manifest supernatural barriers with their faith? Maybe it's connected… like a focal point of manifestation!" the demon suggested, curious. "Also… why is it bugging you now? When we swapped, I could do it too…"
"You could? Huh… must have mixed up my thoughts. Anyway, about that girl… Maybe she's the change I need, or just irritates me and wakens boredom…I dunno. Equivalent trade, right?" he answered, cutting his train of thought short.
His mind always knotted when he overthought things.
He sat down, drinking more, while the creature watched, amused by how Yami reflected on everything instead of just losing it.
"When a demon pissed me off, I killed it or beat it until it gave up."
"Killed until it gave up? If it died…"
He said it so honestly the entity almost dropped his jaw.
"What? ADHD kicking in?"
He sighed, embarrassed.
"Forget it… um… Want me to do that?" he hesitated, incredulous at even considering it… After all, he always expected the worst from a demon. I mean, demons, right?
"No, I'm just sharing a curiosity among friends… you know?"
"Oh, here we go…" he muttered, annoyed.
"So, Chatosaki, too afraid to make a friend?" the demon smiled, finally turning to the exorcist. His face, still recovering from light-induced damage, was far from healed.
Since it had drained its energy trapped in the boy's subconscious during their fusion, its essence was split into three parts: soul, body, and mind.
"Friend? You're a troublemaking demon! Come on, Azaael, make this morning less annoying. Shirasaki's enough… why don't you just shut up, hey?" he complained, rolling his eyes.
"Aww, so jealous! So she's the only one allowed to annoy you?"
Being dramatic to the extreme over something so trivial…
Yami slammed the can on the table and jumped up, heading to the stove to turn it off. He dropped the boiled eggs into a colander, steam rising to warm his face.
"Go fetch your coconut!" he ordered.
Who was worse? This bored demon or that girl? he wondered, looking at the ceiling and sighing. I'm pretty sure I've put up with Azaael too long… Maybe Shirasaki isn't so bad. At least she's better to look at…
But… today she was a pain, like a weight full of stones weighing down his feet.
"Pervert…" the demon teased, floating like a ghost and whispering in his ear, gripping his shoulders.
Dragon breath was unmistakable.
"Damn, brush your teeth first!" he replied, irritated, dropping the colander as he tried to wriggle free.
He bit his lip in anger!
"Could you be less invasive?"
"Oh, damn, eggs gone…" the demon complained, disappearing in a puff of black smoke, laughing.
But the push and pull of routine dragged him back… No time left to eat, the exorcist was calling again. It was time.
"Shit!"
In under twenty minutes, he grabbed the phone, hung up on her, left the house, started the car, and drove off. As he drove down the main road, he noticed a grave in the middle of the street, surrounded by people glaring at him like he was the enemy.
Opponents of the Order—long demanding regulation and imperial oversight—held banners and protest signs signed by the Illuminated… a spiral revolt.
Ungrateful bastards…
He adjusted his hands on the wheel, parked, and took his phone out of his pocket, preparing to reply to Amai. Before he could, he spotted the girl standing in front of the car, smiling brightly.
Just for a moment…
"Watch the phone, geez!" she snapped, annoyed, walking around the vehicle. She opened the passenger door with ogre strength and climbed in beside him, glaring.
Damn… so that's an angry Shirasaki?
She wore a tight black top, a red pleated skirt above the knees, and a crucifix around her neck.
"I was just about to reply…" he said, glancing at the rearview mirror. "I drank so much I spaced out… because of you!" he tried to justify—uncharacteristically.
"You were? Uh-huh… But let's not argue now, grumpy-pants!" she retorted, bossy, slamming the door so hard the car shook. "Everything ready, partner?" she asked, noticing his fixed stare.
"I'm dead serious…"
"What?" She crossed her legs.
"What? Nothing… uh, and that outfit?"
"What's wrong? Don't like it?" she teased, waiting for the perfect moment to hit back.
"It's not that. And your uniform? Isn't it mandatory for work?"
"So?"
That made him back down. Where was that bold, mouthy guy now?
"Annoying…"
He noticed her bag—full and lingering with cherry scent. That's when he realized that smell filled every corner of the car.
Nice smell…
He looked away quickly.
"Do you like the perfume, at least?"
A soft, appealing laugh echoed as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"It's nice…" he murmured, uncomfortable with the mood, and finally stepped on the gas.
Not many minutes passed before she spoke again, after a deep sigh… The red-haired girl wouldn't let things cool, not the atmosphere or their mission.
"Well, I accepted a level-four mission… We were supposed to deal with a Calamity entity in the Forest of Death. It's been pending for years. No one dared to take it…" she said. "They even tried to build a campus area there, but it failed… Many deaths in just weeks…"
"Maybe because there was a demon legion… right?"
"And that wasn't good?" They exchanged looks as she spoke without thinking. "I mean… A true exorcist should want to exorcise as many demons as possible! Right?" she countered, giving his arm a light elbow jab, which he hated.
"Maybe… But it seems complicated for one person, don't you think?"
"For me, it's easy. And for you?"
"Confident… well, I don't know. I've never felt so cornered or…" He paused, remembering Azaael nearly taking his life over a year ago.
A genuine chill ran through him… And the truth was he'd never felt so cornered before—or since.
"What's up?"
"Nothing! Just… Let's get to that Forest of Death already!" Determined, he was out of New Tokyo within minutes—something he rarely did.
"That's how you talk! Let's kick some demonic ass!"
He rolled his eyes.
"Just don't die in the process, 'true exorcist'…"
The car sped down the deserted road, leaving civilization behind and diving into the threshold between the human world and the supernatural.
And so, the pair's first mission began—right then and there.