Asuka

Alex: "Asuka!!!!"

Asuka: "On it!!"

I sprinted down the alleyway as fast as I could, scythe in hand. About five fireballs hurdled towards me, however Alex let loose his own fire, which easily destroyed them and almost me along with it.

Asuka: "Watch it!!"

About 40 feet away, a massive Demon threw a large dumpster at me. The body was covered in black scales, a large belly, and one horn protruding from its forehead. The Demon wore no clothes, which forced me to keep eye contact with it.

Just before I could get crushed with the dumpster, a golden veil appeared in front of me and took the force of the flying dumpster. I looked behind me and saw Nozomi with her staff out, forming the barrier.

Asuka: "Thanks!!"

Nozomi: "Get it!!"

I slammed my hand onto the ground to reshape the earth underneath me, launching me straight at the Demon. With a single swing of my scythe, the Demon had been cut in half and turned into a fine red powder that blew away with the wind.

Asuka: "Phew, that was rough"

Nozomi: "Hold still, I think it got you a bit before you killed it"

I looked down and saw a gash in my thigh.

Asuka: "Aw! Come on!!"

I leaned against the wall as the pain suddenly rushed over me. Nozomi walked over and knelt down, placing her hands over the wound.

Nozomi: "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fill my soul with your divine light"

Her hands began to glow a bright golden light. Within seconds, my wound had closed up and my leg felt as good as new.

Asuka: "That's much better, thanks"

Nozomi smiled up at me.

Nozomi: "I'm glad it was just a minor wound"

This whole time, Alex stood away from us, looking down at his phone.

Asuka: "Dude— Why are you on your phone?"

Alex looked over at us with a scowl.

Alex: "You know what today is, right?"

Asuka: "Of course I know..."

Nozomi: "Did you expect us to forget?"

Alex turned away.

Today marked one year without Draco. Exactly a year ago, Yuki had betrayed us and killed Draco. If that weren't enough, it was also the day that Shadow, or I guess Chris, killed Alex's sister, Scarlet.

Alex: "You guys head back without me, I have stuff I need to do"

Without waiting for a response, he walked off. Nozomi sat down on a weird bench inside the alley, which we probably shouldn't sit on for sanitary reasons.

Asuka: "How are you feeling?"

Nozomi: "Sad... really sad..."

I sat down next to her.

Asuka: "Yeah... me too..."

The first month was the hardest as the death was still fresh in our minds. After a while, most of my sadness was replaced with anger for Yuki. We had all trusted her and she literally backstabbed us.

I especially felt bad for Nozomi. She lost her brother and her girlfriend. I knew they never made it official, but it was stupid obvious.

Asuka: "How about we head back home and watch some anime? I'll let you pick this time"

Nozomi smiled.

Nozomi: "Can we make popcorn too?"

Asuka: "Of course"

Over that year, Nozomi and I had grown closer as friends to comfort each other during our lowest moments.

And before anyone says anything, no, I don't like her that way. I don't swing that way. Sorry lesbos~

While Nozomi and I grew closer, Alex had grown more distant, often training by himself rather than as a group. I tried to check on him, however he always said he was fine and wouldn't talk further.

We had arrived back at the House of God, all damages long since repaired. Despite us defeating Satan a year ago, the Demon sightings have only increased. While the number of Demon's increased, we haven't had a single Exorcist join. The attack on the House of God really frightened everyone, a lot even quit on the spot once the dust had settled. Those that were left were the most devoted to the Lord.

And what did those devotees do once they were off shift? Anime, duh.

Nozomi and I were relaxing in our room's living room, sitting on the sofa and a bowl of popcorn between us. She had put on Citrus, which if you know, you know.

I wasn't that into it, but it made Nozomi feel better and kept her mind off of things. About halfway through the episode, I looked over and saw Nozomi's eyes were tearing up.

Asuka: "H-Hey"

Nozomi tried to blink the tears away, however she eventually just wiped them away with her sleeve.

Nozomi: "D-Dang it, sorry"

Asuka: "Why are you sorry?"

Nozomi: "I shouldn't cry..."

I hadn't seen Nozomi cry a single day after Draco's death. She always tried to stay confident and in control of her emotions when around others, especially when I was the one in tears.

Asuka: "Come here"

I pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

Nozomi: "I... I miss him... so much..."

Asuka: "I know... I do too..."

Nozomi: "We promised to get him out, but... it's been a year out here and who knows how long it's been there... I can't imagine what he's going through..."

The thought of him being tortured in Hell made me tremble and want to cry, however I managed to keep myself under control.

Asuka: "We'll get him back, I promise"

She buried her face in my chest.

Nozomi: "Thank you... but... don't make promises you know you can't keep..."

That night, I was visited by an old friend. I was sleeping in my bed when I suddenly felt the hair on the back of my neck stick up. My eyes shot open and I saw Annis hovering above me.

Asuka: "A-An—!"

She quickly covered my mouth with her hand and spoke in a whisper.

Annis: "Not so loud! If anyone knows I'm here, I could get in deep trouble"

Asuka: "W-What are you doing here? And where have you been?"

After Draco's death, Annis hadn't been seen by anyone and we assumed she had gone back up to Heaven.

Annis: "With no one to guard for now, I was sent to Heaven and I'm not allowed to leave until I have a host to guard. I'm really not supposed to be here"

Asuka: "Then what's up?"

Annis: "Swear you won't tell anyone about this"

Asuka: "I swear"

Annis took a deep breath.

Annis: "Someone has appeared on Earth"

Asuka: "Huh?"

Annis: "There is a boy nearby who has been picked up on our radar. The thing is, when we investigated further, we found something disturbing"

Asuka: "What?"

Annis: "No Sins and no Virtues"

My eyes widened.

Asuka: "S-Seriously? That can't be right"

Annis: "I thought the same, however something isn't right. Every human has their Virtues and Sins, some minor and some major. I can even see all of your Virtues and Sins"

Asuka: "Y-You can?! I-I mean, you're an Angel, so I guess it makes sense"

Annis: "I suggest you get rid of those images from your phone"

I blushed a tiny bit.

Asuka: "E-Ehe... I don't know what you're talking about"

She shook her head.

Annis: "What am I doing? Asuka, you need to track him down and figure out what he's up to"

Asuka: "Is it possible that he really hasn't Sinned or hasn't been Virtuous?"

Annis: "Humans are incapable of not preforming both of these. If he was an Angel, he would be completely Virtuous. If he was a Demon, he would be full of Sin. Human would be a mix of both. But there's nothing there, like an empty husk"

Asuka: "O-Okay, I'll track him down. But I seriously need some sleep"

Annis: "I'll send a dream to Arana to notify her. She'll likely meet with you in the morning. With that, I bid you farewell"

In a flash of light, she vanished from my room.

That morning, Nozomi, Alex, and I were all called to Arana's office. The second we walked in, I saw a new coffee maker on her desk and multiple cups already used. Arana had actually taken the time to clean herself up a bit, with a haircut that left her hair just below her shoulders. However, as always, she had bags under her eyes.

Arana: "Good, you three are here. Please sit down"

Alex: "Make it quick"

I wanted to tell him to be respectful, but I saw heavy bags under his eyes, even worse than Arana. Despite that, we all sat down.

Arana: "I've been given a vision in my dreams from the Lord. There is a boy—"

Alex: "Pass"

Arana: "Excuse me?"

Alex: "I said pass"

He stood up.

Alex: "Unless it's a Demon, I don't want anything to do with it"

Arana: "It very well may, so sit back down"

He sighed and sat back down.

Arana: "Back to what I was saying. This boy is extremely suspicious, not a single Sin or Virtue to his name"

Nozomi: "How is that possible?"

Alex: "It's not, whatever dream you had was probably when you were in a caffeine coma"

Arana: "Watch your mouth, Shinto, show respect in the House of God"

Alex: "Why should I respect the one who set Satan free?"

Suddenly, the room went dark.

Arana: "You know good and well that I had no idea it was the Devil himself"

Alex: "I don't care, you still did it. And because of it, my sister is dead and Draco was killed by Yuki. As far as I'm concerned, you're a traitor"

I was expecting Arana to lose it, however the lights flickered back on and Arana sighed.

Arana: "Many others are rightfully still upset with me. I have done everything within my power to make up for what it. I don't expect everyone's forgiveness, but I expect you to still follow orders"

Alex: "You don't know what it's like!! I watched my best friend kill my sister in front of my eyes and then watched a friend kill Draco! You have no idea what I've been going through!!!"

Arana: "Yes... I do..."

The room fell silent.

Arana: "I have lost family, friends, lovers, and anyone in between to the Demons. I have experienced loss over and over again by those I deeply care about. Everyone here has lost someone important to them, so don't you dare think we don't know what you're going through"

Alex looked over at Nozomi, someone who didn't have either parent and didn't have her brother. He then looked at me, who lost both parents to Demons.

Alex: "I... I'm sorry..."

He sat back down.

Arana: "You have every right to grieve and be sad, but do not take it out on those around you"

She poured herself a new cup of coffee and took a sip.

Arana: "Back to the boy, I need you three to track him down and bring him here"

Asuka: "Right, did you see what he looked like?"

Arana: "Dark green hair with sharp green eyes. Mostly wears a tie, however that's all I have at the moment. Look for someone who seems out of place"

Nozomi: "What if he doesn't want to come back?"

Arana: "I give you permission to use your powers only if necessary. Do not assault the boy, but try to explain it to him"

Asuka: "Any name for him yet?"

Arana: "No, however I trust that you'll bring him back. You are dismissed, good luck"

With that, we walked out of her office.

Nozomi: "Where should we start?"

Alex: "Well, it's Saturday, so the farmers market on Main Street is up and running. That's a good place to start"

Asuka: "Right, let's suit up"

The three of us went to our own rooms to change. When I pulled my drawer open, I saw Draco's hoodie folded neatly. Every day I missed him more and more. But I knew that one day, I would find a way to get him out of Hell.

I grabbed his hoodie and put it on. It was a bit big on me, however it felt more comforting that way. It was like Draco was giving me a hug.

We met back up just outside the church that hid the House of God. Instantly, Nozomi recognized the hoodie.

Nozomi: "I'm glad you're wearing it, he would want that"

Asuka: "Thanks, I've been scared to even touch it. But I feel like I should have it with me"

Alex: "You two ready? Got everything you need?"

We both nodded.

Alex: "Alright, let's go"

It was definitely a bit of a walk, but we finally reached the farmers market in the middle of town. Stands and vendors lined the streets with a ton of people around, even some with dogs that I wanted to pet.

Asuka: "See anything?"

Alex: "Nope, there's too many people here"

Nozomi: "Maybe we should ask around?"

???: "Can I help you with something?"

We all turned around and saw a boy with dark spiky green hair and even darker sharp green eyes. He wore a white button up shirt with a green tie. Part of his shirt wasn't tucked in and hung out over his black pants. He wore dark green boots and had a golden cross earring. He showed a mostly expressionless face with some plant hanging out of his mouth.

The three of us looked at each other and we instantly had the same thought.

That's him!!!

Asuka: "Hi, uh, yeah, you can. We're actually looking for you"

???: "What can I help you with?"

Alex: "We need you to come with us"

???: "Alright, where to?"

Nozomi: "Y-You're okay with coming with?"

???: "Yeah, why not? You three look nice"

We all looked at each other.

Alex: "Alright then, come with—"

Suddenly, a large explosion went off a few blocks away.

Nozomi: "What was that?!"

Alex: "A Demon probably"

???: "Woah, a Demon? That's cool"

Alex: "Asuka, you stay here with him, Nozomi and I will go deal with it"

Asuka: "Right"

Alex and Nozomi ran off, leaving me alone with the boy.

Asuka: "So, what's your name?"

???: "Jade, nice to meet you. What's yours?"

Asuka: "I'm Asuka, the blonde is Nozomi and the boy is Alex"

Jade: "Mind if I ask what you want? If not, I can wait"

Asuka: "It's probably not a good idea to talk about it on the open"

Jade: "That's cool, but it probably has something to do with Demons, right?"

Asuka: "Yeah, how could you tell?"

Jade: "Your friends went off to kill one"

Asuka: "Oh yeah— My bad"

Jade: "All good, I've been keeping an eye out myself. There have been these weird things following me, probably Demons like you said"

Asuka: "What?! They're following you?!"

Jade: "Yeah, but I managed to give them the slip a while back"

I quickly pulled my phone out and texted Alex, however the second I did, a large roar sounded off throughout the farmers market. It was so loud that I had to cover my ears. I looked up to see where the sound came from and I saw a large Demon standing on the rooftop of a nearby building.

It was a massive Demon with a large cleaver type sword resting on its shoulders. The blade was covered in dried blood and looked like it weight a ton. The Demon itself had fur all over its body with the head of some kind of wild beast. Two horns protruded from its head while sharp claws grew out from its finger and toes. The face of the Demon showed nothing but pure rage and destruction.

Asuka: "J-Jade! W-We need to—"

Before I could tell him to run, the Demon had already leaped down from the building and stood before us. It towered over me with its cleaver on its shoulders.

Demon: "I want the boy, hand him over and no one has to die"

A part of me knew that this was a trick. The explosion was used to separate us.

Asuka: "I can't let you take him"

I pulled my mini scythe out from my pocket and used Alchemy to make it grow to its normal size.

Demon: "An Exorcist~? This will be very interesting then~"

With speed I never could've expected from a weapon that large, it was swung at me. I didn't have nearly enough time to dodge, however the only part that hit me was the flat of it. While I did have a bit of protection from my scythe, I was still sent flying back into a wall.

Demon: "Exorcists of this era are too weak, I miss the days of battling Kings!!"

The Demon turned to Jade.

Demon: "Do I have to force you to come?"

Before Jade could answer, I propelled myself forward by manipulating the wall I had crashed into. I was flung at the Demon and swung my scythe as hard as I could. I managed to leave a massive gash in the Demon's back, however the blood just soaked back into its fur.

Demon: "So maybe you've got some spunk in you after all!!"

The Demon charged at me, however I was ready for the attack this time. When it swung the sword, I swiftly dodged underneath it and sliced the Demon's ankles, making it fall to its knees.

Demon: "Finally!! Someone worth my time!!"

The Demon still swung its sword, however I was able to block or parry with my scythe. This clash of back and forth went on for a few seconds until it's strength overwhelmed me. One swing and I was sent flying back, just to land on my back. As I looked back up, I saw the Demon standing again.

Demon: "I must apologize, Exorcist, I had you all wrong. Many apologies for calling you weak, you indeed seem like a fine warrior. Why don't you join us and become a Demon?"

Asuka: "I... I would never become a Demon!!"

I stood up and gripped my scythe tighter.

Asuka: "You're the ones who took Draco from me, and I'm gonna make you pay!!!!"

I slammed my hand onto the ground and turned the concrete beneath the Demon into mud, making it fall into it and become stuck. I then focused all of my Alchemy into the blade of my scythe, making it so sharp that it could even slice through a grain of sand.

Demon: "Come on then!!!"

I dashed forwards and swung my scythe with all my strength, only to be clashed with by the Demon's cleaver. The clash of our weapons made an explosion of dust and debris. When the dust finally cleared, I realized I was on my back with the handle of my scythe the only thing in my hand. The blade lay a few feet away, cracked and broken. That's when I heard the footsteps of the Demon approaching me.

Demon: "You have fought valiantly, you have my respect. Sadly, my respect isn't enough to save your life. Last chance to become a Demon~"

Suddenly, I heard Jade from behind me. I looked back and saw him just standing there, hands in his pockets and looking at me.

Jade: "I don't mean to poke in someone else's business, but do you need help?"

Asuka: "N-Not sure how much you can really help"

Jade: "I mean, I could just kill the Demon for you if you'd like"

Demon: "Foolish boy!! Do you think someone like you has any chance of beating me? You aren't even an Exorcist!!"

Jade: "No clue what that is, but I can still win"

Asuka: "If you have a plan, do it!!"

Jade: "Okay, if you say so"

Jade held his hand out. Suddenly, a small golden vortex appeared in front of him and he reached his hand into it. From the vortex, he pulled out a long spear. The spear itself was completely made out of some kind of gemstone, I think it was Ruby. Jade skillfully spun and twirled the spear around until pointing it at the Demon.

Jade: "You will only be asked once. Leave now and everything will be back to normal. Try to attack me and I may have to fight back for not only my own protection, but hers as well"

The Demon scowled at him.

Demon: "What are you?"

Jade: "I'm Jade, nice to meet you. Now decide on what you're going to do. If you stand down now, I'll even invite you to some coffee, how's that sound?"

Demon: "I was told to bring you back alive, but... If you were killed in combat by means out of my control..."

The Demon grinned, showing off its razor sharp fangs.

Demon: "I like that idea!"

The Demon swung the sword down with all its might, however the second it clashed with the spear, it exploded on impact, releasing enough force to send me flying back, as well as the Demon. Despite the crazy explosion, Jade hadn't moved an inch.

Demon: "W-What are you?!"

Jade: "I already told you, I'm Jade"

The Demon growled and charged again. This time, another vortex formed and a spear made of Sapphire was pulled out. Jade suddenly tossed it straight up into the air, not even close to hitting the Demon.

Asuka: "W-What are you doing!! Look out!!!"

Suddenly, the spear changed course and dove straight down for the Demon. The Demon managed to parry it with its cleaver, however the spear changed course again, coming at the Demon from a different angle.

Jade: "Huh, that's neat"

While the Demon was distracted, I ran over and grabbed Jade's arm.

Asuka: "Come on! Before it—"

The Demon finally hit the spear so hard that it shattered.

Demon: "I've had it with you!!!!!"

Jade: "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I'll have to stop you myself it seems. Please don't hate me for it, I don't do it out of malice"

The Demon began glowing a dark red aura, his sword growing larger and larger. The aura had turned the sky dark like it was night time. Jade looked back at me.

Jade: "You may want to back up a bit, if you don't mind"

I walked back a bit only to see hundreds of vortexes in the sky. They lit up the sky like stars in the night.

Jade: "Divine..."

With those words, hundreds to thousands of spears of all different colors were shot out of the vortexes and straight at the Demon. Some exploded, some created lightning, some even made impact noises so loud that I had to cover my ears. When I looked up again, I saw a massive Ruby spear. It had to be the length of a house!

Jade: "Punishment"

The last spear shot down faster than my eyes could keep up with, creating a devastating explosion that completely destroyed any remnants of the Demon. The surrounding buildings were damaged and we could hear people screaming and running.

Asuka: "W-What the... W-What are you?"

Jade looked back at me.

Jade: "My name is Jade, how many times are people gonna ask me this today?"

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Wow! I'm actually really liking how I'm writing Jade. I hope you all are too!!

I know the past few chapters haven't had much action, but that changes today!!

I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you next time!!