Chapter 4- Not Your Eyes

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Shura planted her feet on the desk, hands on her hips. In one fluid motion she pulled put her sword from her seal, pointing it at the uninvited 'guest.'

"Just what the hell are ya doin' here, Earth King?!"

The green-haired demon pressed his clawed finger against the tip of the blade, moving it a few centimeters away from his face. He then replied in his usual monotone, gesturing to the other cram students. "I'm supposed to 'protect all the lovely cram school students and Shura Kiragakure.'"

With that he walked to the back of the class, taking a seat a few rows back from Shiemi. When the blonde did turn around (as did the rest of the class in shock), Amaimon gave a casual wave, eyes fixed to the tamer.

Shiemi reluctantly waved back, unsure as to whether be frightened or amused because it looked like a fight would be breaking out at any moment. Rin had already stood up, reaching for the sword on his back. His tail twitched angrily as he went to remove the katana from its holder. Amaimon remained passive, drumming his long nails against the desk in boredom.

"...Are you going to teach?" He finally asked, ignoring the blue-haired teen in favor of propping his feet on the wooden desk before popping a cherry lollipop into his mouth.

Shura sighed in exasperation, taking Kurikara out of Rin's grasp before he set the whole classroom on fire. "No fightin' in the classroom unless I say so! And right now, as much as I'd like to punch the stupid triangle-head over there, I don't need ya burning down the school."

"Yes, you should listen to your teacher, Okumura-kun~" A familiarly flamboyant voice called out.

All the students looked around the classroom in confusion. A few more seconds passed until Mephisto fell from the ceiling, landing gracefully on Rin's back. He brushed his cape back before giving a wide, fanged grin.

"Oh, my apologies, Okumura-kun. It seems I've accidentally landed on you." He jumped off the youth, chuckling to himself.

"And y-you call yourself a principal?!" Rin coughed, rising shakily to his feet. He wanted to punch the clown, but he was blocked by Shura, who had pointed her sword at the dark-haired demon.

"Get the hell out of my classroom! And take that cretin with you!" She motioned to the apathetic green-haired prince who had merely glared back at the fiery exorcist.

"This is just like with Rin Okumura. Why are you so interested in Shura Kiragakure? She seems… noisy." Amaimon said, crinkling his nose is disgust.

"You little brat—" Shura started, bringing her thumb to her lips. Mephisto interceded immediately, grabbing the woman's wrist with a surprising gentleness.

"Now, now, didn't you say that fighting wasn't allowed in class? That would be another strike to your character, Shura-san."

She tore her arm away from the demon king, teeth clenched in anger. "Look, just get him out of my class! I don't want to deal with—"

"Sorry, that's all the time I have to play today~! Please look after Amaimon. He has to make up for all the problems he caused my lovely students, after all~!" Mephisto added, a coldness seeping into his voice.

A flash of fear crossed Amaimon's features for a brief moment, the lollipop nearly falling from his mouth in his surprise. He gave a curt nod, placing his feet back on the ground obediently.

"…I'm sorry for any problems I've caused before." The demon said quickly, eyes cast to his brother. Mephisto's grin widened as he walked away, whistling a tune while spinning his umbrella lackadaisically.

"It was nice seeing all of you. But, for now, I must bid you adieu. Goodbye, my lovely students… and Miss Kiragakure~!" He teased, disappearing out the door.

Shura groaned, reaching behind her desk for where she kept a secret stash of booze, but found none. "Damn you, ya stupid clown!" She roared, planting herself on the desk.

"Alright class, here's yer new assignment. You do this too, broccoli-head. Write a one-thousand word essay on why Sir Pheles is a horrible principle. You have the rest of the class period."

Amaimon raised his hand suddenly, remembering that it was traditional for a student to raise his or her hand before speaking, or, at least it was in the anime Mephisto made him watch.

"Yes, Amaimon?" She asked, finally calling the demon by his name.

"…If I do this, brother might kill me." He deadpanned.

"Right on schedule~!" Mephisto cheered, watching as the fiery exorcist slammed the office door shut behind her, glaring fiercely at her superior.

"So, how was class?" He goaded, already knowing the answer.

"What do ya think?! I had to separate Rin and Amaimon nearly twenty times! And that triangle-head has some weird obsession with Shiemi. It's like he's watching her every move. It's freakin' creepy."

Mephisto laughed, clutching at his stomach. "Typical Amaimon. When he becomes interested in something… well, let's just say it's hard to deter him. Ah, I have such a naughty younger brother~!"

"As long as he doesn't claw out her eyes or some weird crap like that then he can stare at her for years if he wants. If it'll keep him from fighting with Rin, then I won't stop it."

Mephisto chuckled again. "Do not worry. I've made certain… safeguards to ensure that Amaimon is on his best behavior."

"Whatever…" Shura muttered, turning to leave the room.

"Wait, Shura dear, I have more to discuss with you~!" He called, winking at the woman.

"What else do ya want?"

"Oh, I just wanted to invite you to dinner!"

"W-what?"

"Hmm? But don't you want answers? If you don't then I understand—"

"No! I'll go eat dinner with ya, as long as you explain the whole 'elder brother wants to destroy the world' crap that's been going on."

"I promise~!" He said, pulling out a letter from his breast-pocket. "This is for you. It has directions to my mansion. I'll expect to see you by eight-o-clock! And wear something elegant; this is a dinner with me, after all."

Shura huffed in response, taking the tacky pink envelope before slamming the door loudly behind her. "Yer pressing yer luck, clown…"

The principal folded his hands, resting back in his chair. "She's always so cute~!" He said to himself before returning to his papers.

After spending over thirty minutes trying to decipher Mephisto's 'directions,' Shura eventually found herself standing on the steps of the mansion. She went to knock on the door only to have it swing open, catching the woman by surprise.

"Welcome, Miss Shura Kiragakure. Sir Pheles has been waiting." A dark-haired man bowed, pointing to the spacious foyer. Reluctantly, Shura walked in, violet orbs wide with surprise.

"Damn, I knew he was an otaku… but this is ridiculous." She breathed, noticing the huge T.V, shelves of anime and manga, and, of course, his unnaturally large collection of anime body pillows. Before she had a chance to inspect the room more, Mephisto appeared, not dressed in his usual white clothes. Instead, he was wearing a black suit with a black-and-white striped tie which contrasted greatly with his pale skin. He looked… intimidating. Nothing like the usual clown or jester that his usual attire tended to make him appear as.

"You look absolutely lovely, Shura." He complimented, peridot eyes fixed to the red-head. She had worn a dark violet wrap-around dress, whose neckline was surprisingly modest, given her usual attire. Her hair had been braided, allowing it to fall elegantly across her shoulder. She flashed him a cocky grin, following the demon further into the mansion.

"You're lucky, Shura dear. When I invited Rin here, he only got instant ramen. I'm feeling a bit adventurous tonight, so we'll be eating something high-class. But, first, I should probably answer some of your questions."

He ushered her to the table, pulling out the seat for her. Shura grinned, taking the seat. Mephisto snapped his fingers, making the once large, rectangular table which had enough space to easily fit twenty, shorten considerably. He sat across from her, folding his clawed hands on the white tablecloth.

"Now, my older brother, the one who is attacking the school, is very dangerous. So much so, that even I have no chance of defeating him by myself. His name is Lucifer, the king of Light."

Shura sat and absorbed the information, running a hand through her hair. "Light? But don't you have power over Time and Space? How is he stronger than you?"

"Light is everywhere. It is something physical, corporeal. As such, it would be stronger. There are also other… reasons, but it is not something I can disclose."

The exorcist was about to retort, only to pause, noticing that the chandelier above them was rocking back and forth. The light began to flicker until it shined bright enough that Shura had to cover her eyes. The quakes increased in intensity until she was thrown from her chair, landing to the marble floor with a painful thud.

"Belial, check on the barrier of the school!" Mephisto ordered, diving down to where the exorcist had fallen. He covered her body, hands splayed on either side of her head as the ground continued to shake. The lights got impossibly bright as a white bird manifested from the chandelier, cawing loudly.

A seraphim?! Shura thought, fear gripping her heart. Seraphim were among the most dangerous demons. No exorcist had successfully killed one. But, all trained exorcists knew the sound of their voice. It was melodious, like a siren's song that lulled the human into complacency as it exploded in beams of light. The seraphim cawed again, this time releasing hundreds of bolts of pure light, aimed at the pair.

Mephisto took the brunt of the attack, back scorched by the too-bright flames. He hissed lightly, squeezing his eyes shut as he focused, creating a barrier against the bolts of light. The bolts disappeared into his personal pocket dimension, leaving the room in total darkness. The quakes eventually stopped, much to the demon's relief.

"…Well that was unpleasant." The demon king finally said, once he was sure that the danger was over. Looking down at Shura, he froze.

The once brilliant shades of amethyst in the woman's eyes were now an icy silver, pupils turned to slits. She titled her head up before speaking, voice a few octaves lower than normal. "It's been a while, hasn't it, brother?"

"Well speak of the devil…" Mephisto teased, although his expression remained serious.

"You know that Gehenna has been in turmoil since your departure all those centuries ago. Why are you playing the part of a prodigal son?"

The dark-haired demon sneered. "I do not need to explain myself to you, Lucifer. My thoughts are none of your concern. What I would like to know is why you've decided to attack the school now."

"Father's not pleased with your actions. You, who we thought the least likely to become attached to humans, have been causing problems for the rest of your brothers. Abandon the school and come back to Gehenna. That is all I ask."

"But that's not everything, is it? You've always been as good a liar as me, brother. There's more to your attacks than that fabricated reason."

Lucifer responded calmly, silver orbs trained to Mephisto. "So be it. I wonder how you will react when all your precious humans… disappear."

The exorcist's eyes closed suddenly, head lolling back. Mephisto caught her before her skull collided with the floor, frowning deeply.

"You misread me, brother. These humans mean nothing to me…" He said, gaze fixed to the unconscious woman.

A/N: Ooh, stuff's getting serious! Amaimon's joined the cram school group and Mephy's loyalties have been called out XD Thanks to everyone who has left reviews so far! You guys are all amazing! I'm so glad that people have given Mephisto/Shura a chance :P Anyway, see ya next chapter!

Review?

-Isis