RIN'S P.O.V

To say I spend the rest of the day kissing, cuddling and enjoying every single second I have left with Kamiari wouldn't even be an overstatement. I treat every minute like it could be my last; the second the damn blondie walks through that door, it's over for me. I doubt I'll ever see Kaminari again, so we just make the most of it. We catch up for time we've lost, right down to the dumb stuff. Like him telling me what new memes popped up while I was asleep.

Honestly, it's so perfect. Just being with him is everything I could've asked for in my final hours, but that doesn't make the sinking sensation softer when there's finally a knock on the door. And, when it slides open to reveal none other than the tall, slender frame of Arthur, the paladin himself, it feels as though every shred of happiness within me crawls in a pit to die. Just like I probably will when I eventually have to end up following him.

"Rin Okumura, you have been summoned by the Grigori, and they have appointed me as your escort," he hums, his voice as pompous as ever. I think if he had his head any further up his ass, you'd see his face sticking outta his own mouth. Still, I don't really think I'm in any place to treat this like a joke. Even if I can't help but wonder why he's being so civil; last time, he pretty much dragged me down to the Vatican by the scruff of my neck.

"Uh... Right," I mutter, quickly pecking Kaminari's cheek one last time before shakily trying to ease myself up. It isn't easy, and I have to essentially lean on my lightning rod to stay steady, but I manage to stand as straight as I can. I might be fresh outta a mini coma, but I'm not gonna let this pompous blondie look down on me like I'm just a bit of dirt on his shoe.

Well, I guess it's kinda unavoidable. As long as I'm a demon, he's gonna treat me like vermin. And he makes this perfectly clear; as soon as I've shuffled close enough, he snaps his hand around my wrist and yanks me forward. "Hey! Ease off, asshole!" I snap, jerking my arm back to free it from his hold. I hate the way he smirks at my irritation.

"Don't even begin to think you're in any position to be making demands," he snorts, placing himself between Kaminari and I. Before I can even say my goodbyes, I'm pushed out of the room, and the door is sealed shut behind us. So this is it. Welcome to my last hour on this earth.

~

"Rin Okumura. Son of Satan. I'm sure you understand why you have been summoned here tonight." As the Grigori's voices boom through the grand hall confining me underground, I just keep my hands tucked between my legs and my head held high. Mostly because this is the first time they haven't forced me to kneel, though that doesn't mean that I've escaped having the edge of Arthur's sword against the back of my neck. Some things never change. 

"I ah- Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea," I mutter, eyes sweeping around the overhanging balconies, crowds upon crowds of people peering down at me. Some with malice in their faces, others with sheer curiosity. And then there are the ones who look downright petrified of me, clutching their crosses and canisters of holy water. I even spot a couple True Cross exorcists among them, clusters of little red dots all over my head no doubt. Snipers, ready to shoot the second the word is given.

Just stay calm, Rin. If you don't freak out, you can't screw anything up. Just don't flare up. Keep it together.

"Exactly six days, six hours and six minutes ago, you erupted into blue flames in front of the students your brother put into your care. Not only did you carelessly use your satanic abilities, but you endangered the lives of every person present on that mountain. The spectacle could be seen from this very building," they explain, sullen tones looming over me like a cloud of guilt over my conscience. I know. I know I risked everyone's lives. I was outta control, that- Well it doesn't take a genius to work that out. But-

"I didn't mean for that to happen. I was protecting my class from Lucifer- he shattered my sword! You think I could stop my demon heart from waking up?!" Immediately, I regret raising my voice; the second I do, everybody shuffles in their neatly-aligned rows. Wooden beads clatter as they shift to defend themselves, and guns are rapidly cocked to shoot. I guess, to them, it really does sound like I'm gonna explode any second.

"And that brings us to our second point. The Koma Sword was a sacred relic, guarded by the Kyoto branch. A relic that was stolen by your guardian, Shiro Fujimoto, and tainted with your demonic heart. Your carelessness caused it to break," they explain, as though I didn't already know that. Although the word 'tainted' is a little bit harsh. They really do see me as nothing but a plague of evil, huh? C'mon, man, where's Mephisto in all of this? That damn clown's impossible to figure out, but he's usually here to defend my case! Why isn't he here to give them some damn lip?

I guess I gotta do everything myself, huh?

"I didn't break it. I was trying to stop Lucifer from hurting anyone, and he shattered it! It wasn't my fault!"

"Do you have any evidence to prove this?"

"Why the hell would I wanna break my own sword?! You think I wanna be like this?! Y-You think I wanna be a full demon?!" I swear, I nearly let out a scream when Arthur grips my tail and suddenly yanks it, a sharp jolt of agony blistering through my spine at an alarming rate. Asshole! What the hell?!

"One more outburst like that, and I'll kill you myself," he whispers. I don't even need to look at him- I can tell he's grinning just by the sound of his voice. Why have I gotta put up with this? Why the hell do I have to let other people treat me like I'm a damn monster?!

"Try it." I already know I shouldn't have said that before I do. Because, the second the threat leaves my lips, almost every member in the crowd stands to attention, holy water at the ready. Weapons are drawn, familiars are summoned, and everyone just stands there. Waiting for the go ahead to tear me to pieces where I stand.

But the Grigori stop them.

"Order in the court! All of you, as you were!" They call, waiting patiently until everyone has been seated once again. A couple resist, and some of the exorcists have to pitch in to get them back down into their chairs. But, eventually, the court has settled again. Okay, no more threatening the Paladin. Despite how much of a prick he is. "Now, Rin Okumura. Whilst you were unconscious, three witnesses came forward. Katsuki Bakugou, Shouto Todoroki, and Izuku Midoriya. These three boys were under your care, were they not?"

"I- Uh, yeah. Yeah, they were."

"Young Midoriya explained that he was hit with the full force of your blue flames when you unleashed them upon Lucifer. Is that correct?" I swear, every time the phrase 'blue flames' is uttered, members of the court start to murmur among themselves, accompanied by uncomfortable shuffling. But I do my best to push them out of my mind.

"It's true." Okay, it's nearly impossible to ignore the odd gasp echoing through the stands. Instantly, they're all shifting again, tension starting to swell up in the air until it's difficult to breathe. Like the whole area is slowly filling with smoke.

"And yet, he was unscathed. We did a full assessment of the boy, and found no burns or temptaints on his skin. At least none inflicted by your flames," they explain, shuffling the documents they've got placed before them. "The same applies to the other two. Despite being caught in your satanic flames, neither were affected. It seems the only victim of your onslaught was- Well, Lucifer." I don't think I've ever heard a crowd of people burst out into uproar so quickly before.

"Impossible!"

"Those blue flames kill everything in sight!"

"Kill him!

"Nobody will be spared if he loses control!"

"Demons won't kill their own!"

"This is absurd!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill him now!"

"ENOUGH!" The Grigori boom, sentencing the room to silence as instantly as it exploded. And, though the conversations don't die down in the slightest, at least the yelling stops. The constant chanting to see my blood spilled onto these walls. Not long. I don't have to be here for much longer, at least with any luck. Soon as I'm done here, I won't- I won't have to worry about them anymore. Just keep it together, Rin.

"So... What're you gonna do with me?" I finally croak. I need this to be over. I need to get out. The longer I stand here, the tighter my throat gets. The harder it is to breathe. My chest feels like it's on fire- like I've been holding my breath for way too long. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. Keeping my cool isn't just difficult- it's starting to burn me up from the inside. And I definitely can't let it get out.

"Though you lost control of your flames initially, we can confirm that it was due to factors that you had no say in. Not only that, but, when released, your hellfire's only target was Lucifer. You engulfed your peers in your flames, and yet they were uninjured.

"Therefore, Rin Okumura, you are hereby pardoned, and will no longer have to fret about the possibility of execution. You have proved your worth as a weapon for the Vatican, and we will continue to use you as such. However, know this- if your flames do result in the injury, or death, of a fellow exorcist, you will be executed." And, suddenly, I can breathe again. Like cool air has woven into the room, my lungs finally fill themselves, all pressure slowly starting to lift.

"I- Thank you. Thank you! I swear, I won't let you down," I stammer, struggling to pull myself together. No more being scared. No more living with the threat of death over my head. I can be me. I can finally be me!

"We don't doubt that. And, as a sign of our confidence, and our gratitude for eliminating one of our most formidable enemies, we are rewarding you with the rank of Middle 2nd Class Knight. And, with a title too. From here onward, you will be addressed as 'The Blue Exorcist'. We hope you continue to carry out your duties to the best of your abilities, and resume fighting Gehenna's evil." After that, everything just kinda... Shuts off. It's like I'm numb to everything, save for the buzzing warmth sizzling through my entire body. I barely feel the fabric as an exorcist uniform is handed to me, nor do I pay much attention to anything else they have to say.

Old man, you've gotta be seeing this too. I'm- I'm finally an exorcist!