The transition from declaring war on the Illuminati to walking back through the doors of the True Cross Academy dorms was almost comical.
Some time ago, I was sitting on a throne of crystallized light, watching my army reduce Lucifer's prized bio-weapons to ash. Now, I was walking down a quiet hallway smelling of floor wax and old wood, patiently awaiting whatever counterattack the King of Light was currently plotting.
My next stop was the kitchen, mostly because the Exwires had decided to throw a massive Christmas and farewell party for Shiemi, since she was officially leaving to start her intense training as the new Shemihaza. The topic of my and Yukio's birthdays coinciding with the seasonal holiday came up, which somehow led to me being partnered up with Konekomaru for food duty.
Before making my way down, I opened a small, swirling rift in the air and peered into my pocket dimension. I extended my right hand, letting a brilliant mixture of blue and platinum flames ignite across my fingers. With a sharp twist of my wrist, I actively regulated the dimension's flow of time from Assiah's.
I stabilized the ratio, making one day on the outside equate to exactly one year inside the expanse. I got the idea after Mephisto told me he designed the area in which Shiemi was going to train to have a time-dilation effect.
And to ensure my army didn't just age into dust, I flooded the atmosphere of the dimension with the passive, purifying heat of my platinum flames. It acted as a conceptual lock on their biology. Their cells wouldn't degrade or age; they would only harden, absorb energy, and grow exponentially stronger. By the time Lucifer figured out what happened to his lab, even the weakest demon in my army would be able to make his strongest sweat.
I closed the rift with a satisfied smirk and continued on my way into the newly industrial-sized dorm kitchen. Konekomaru was already there, sweating nervously as he looked over a massive pile of raw ingredients.
"R-Rin!" he stammered, looking completely overwhelmed. "There's so much to prep. The turkey, the sides, the pastries... I don't think we have enough time or oven space to pull this off before everyone arrives."
"Relax, cue-ball," I said, rolling up my sleeves and walking over to the central station. "You're looking at this like a normal human. Grab a cutting board and just start chopping the vegetables. I'll handle the heat."
I snapped my fingers and dozens of small, perfectly controlled orbs of my blue flames materialized in the air, floating exactly beneath the heavy iron skillets and boiling pots.
Konekomaru's jaw dropped as he watched me work. I turned the kitchen into a symphony of elemental control. I used flashes of intense, roaring blue fire to instantly achieve perfect, caramelized sear on the roasts, then dialed it back to a gentle, simmering heat to flawlessly temper chocolate for the pastries without burning a single drop.
Within forty-five minutes, the kitchen was filled with the mouth-watering aroma of a Michelin-star-level feast. Perfect cuts of meat, rich gravies, and perfectly baked desserts lined the counters, all cooked entirely by demonic hellfire.
I extinguished the flames with a wave of my hand and tossed Konekomaru a tasting spoon.
"Try the glaze," I told him, leaning back against the counter with a satisfied grin.
He took a hesitant bite, and his eyes practically rolled into the back of his head. "Rin... this is... this is the greatest thing I've ever tasted."
"I know," I said, untying my apron. "Keep things warm for me. I've got to go meet Shura for a training session before the festivities start."
I left Konekomaru to guard the feast and made my way to the underground training facilities.
Before getting her curse removed, whenever I met Shura for a sparring session, I could smell the cheap beer and lingering hangover before I even opened the door. But now, when I strolled into the cavernous, heat-resistant room, the air was entirely different.
Shura was already there, running through a complex series of katana strikes. Her skin looked clearer, her eyes were bright, and her aura felt far more stabilized and grounded.
She finished her set with a clean, whistling slash that cut the air, then sheathed her blade, turning to look at me with a smirk.
"You're late," she said, tossing a towel over her shoulder.
"I was busy cooking a Michelin-star feast," I replied, walking casually into the center of the room. I looked her up and down, genuinely impressed by the shift in her demeanor. "More importantly, who are you and what have you done with my alcoholic mentor turned gorgeous girlfriend? You don't even smell like a brewery today."
Shura actually laughed, a bright, clear sound, and leaned against the training mat. "Yeah, well, I decided it was time to make some changes. I've been cutting out the bad habits, taking care of my health... you know, actually putting some thought into the future instead of just waiting for it to end."
A sober, forward-thinking Shura? I mused internally, a smirk playing on my lips. I can't even imagine it.
"The future, huh?" I asked, crossing my arms. "And what pray-tell does that look like? A picket fence? A minivan? A couple wine coolers?"
She rolled her eyes, but a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "Maybe. I'm even thinking about things like... marriage. Eventually."
Oh? A new development, I thought as I burst out in laughter, causing her to shoot me a glare.
"Reaaally?" I teased, closing the distance between us until I was looking down at her. I leaned in, my voice dropping to a confident, mocking purr as I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against me. "And who exactly is the lucky and entirely terrified guy who's going to put a ring on that finger? You dropping hints already?"
She glared at me, though the heat in her eyes told me she wasn't actually mad. She rested her hands flat against my chest, her fingers playfully tracing the collar of my shirt. "Ah, shaddap. I can be domestic when I want to be."
"Prove it," I challenged, my smirk widening into a full grin. "The Exwires are throwing a farewell Christmas party for Shiemi tonight. I'm the one catering it. And I expect you there as my date."
"Your date?" she questioned with a raised brow. Then, a sultry, wicked smile adorned her lips as she leaned into my touch. "Hmm, I suppose I can pencil my man in. But what makes you think I want to spend my Friday night at a kid's party?"
"Because you want to show off your new healthy lifestyle," I said effortlessly. "And because I expect you to show up in a ridiculously hot Santa outfit. If you're going to be my date, you have to look the part."
For a second, she just stared at me, evaluating the sheer audacity of my demand. Then, her grin turned absolutely lethal.
"A hot Santa outfit, huh?" she challenged, stepping just a fraction of an inch closer, sliding her hands around my neck. "Careful what you wish for, Rin. You might not be able to handle the heat once I get you alone—"
I leaned down and captured her lips in a slow, searing kiss. The playful teasing instantly melted away into genuine heat. She sighed softly into it, her hands sliding up the back of my neck to tangle in my hair. I lingered for a moment before finally pulling away, leaving her slightly breathless.
"I'll hold you to that," I murmured, my lips lingering just a fraction of an inch from hers. I stepped back, giving her a final, confident smirk before heading for the exit. "Don't be late."
A few hours later, I met up with Shura outside the main common room of the dorms.
She wore a fitted, absurdly flattering red velvet Santa dress trimmed with white fur, paired with thigh-high black boots and a red Santa hat resting at a jaunty angle on her head. I couldn't help but smirk as I offered her my arm, which she took with a confident, sultry sway of her hips.
We opened the double doors to the common room, expecting to hear Christmas music and laughter. Instead, we were greeted by unmitigated chaos.
The ten-foot-tall Christmas tree in the corner had been knocked to the floor and was actively engulfed in roaring, normal-colored flames. The Michelin-star feast I had perfectly prepared was scattered across the floor in a catastrophic mess of gravy, meat, and ruined pastries. Bon and Renzo were shouting at each other with a fire extinguisher, Izumo was passed out on the floor near a cake, and Shiemi—dressed in a baggy, oversized Santa suit—was standing in the center of the room with a blank expression as she stared at the disaster in sheer, frozen horror.
"Wow, quite the 'kid's party', huh?" I said to Shura, who could only look on at the chaos with a slack jaw.
I threw my head back and started laughing at the sight of that.
The sound of my laughter cut through the panic. The Exwires immediately stopped what they were doing and looked in my direction.
"Rin! It's all ruined!" Shiemi stammered, tears welling in her eyes. "Nee turned to the side in his sleep, and then Bon tried to catch the turkey, and then the candles—"
"Hey, hey, it's okay," I said, waving a hand casually. I stepped further into the room, letting go of Shura's arm. "You guys really can't go five minutes without supervision, can you?"
I tapped into the temporal authority of my four-colored halo, and snapped my fingers.
A ripple of silver and blue energy washed over the room, isolating the physical space around the ruined party. Then, the Exwires and I watched as the contents of the room began to pull themselves backward.
It was like watching a movie in reverse. The roaring flames on the Christmas tree instantly shrank back into the candles. The meat and gravy defied gravity, peeling off the floor and flying backward into their ceramic bowls. The turkey launched itself out of Bon's hands and landed perfectly back on the silver platter. Within five seconds, the room was completely spotless, the food was piping hot, and the tree was perfectly intact on top of Shiemi's familiar, Nee, once again.
I released the temporal lock, leaving the Exwires staring at the perfectly set tables in absolute, mind-bending disbelief.
"Now," I said smoothly, gesturing to the feast. "Who's hungry?"
The party was a massive success after that. The mood shifted from panic to total awe, and soon enough, everyone was stuffing their faces with the best food they had ever tasted. Even Mephisto and Lightning made an appearance, drawn in by the smell and the festive chaos. I spent most of the night mingling, keeping Shura close.
At one point, Bon got a call from Mamushi and Juzo about a wedding ceremony and the news of them expecting a baby. They wanted the trio to come back home for the ceremony and had even invited everyone else too. However, the person they wanted to come the most was me because they wanted me to bless their unborn child after Kinzo told them about the miracle I performed in Inari. I ultimately accepted, since Kyoto was truly the beginning of everything for me, so I kind of owed them one.
By the time the party wound down, the clock had struck midnight. Shura had indulged in a few drinks—nothing like her old benders, but enough to put her in a warm and relaxed state. Yukio and I ended up walking out with her into the quiet hallway.
"Way to pile on the drinks, Miss New Lease on Life," I teased, throwing an arm around her shoulders.
Shura let out a breathy laugh. "You gotta let loose at times, ya know? Can't end up all stiff and serious like four-eyes here," she said, pointing a thumb at Yukio.
A visible tick mark appeared on Yukio's forehead. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, exhaling a long, sharp sigh. "At least I take my responsibilities seriously. Try acting your age for once, Miss Udders."
"I am acting my age!" she waved him off, then extended her hands toward me and pouted. "Rin, your brother's being mean to me. Make me feel better?"
"That fiend," I said, then gestured for her to come into my arms. "We can hide his glasses when he needs to file reports."
Shura smiled and jumped toward me. I caught her and positioned her bridal style.
Woah! I'm feeling something magical, right now, I thought, getting a feel of how soft her legs were.
"You two are something else," Yukio said, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.
Shura replied by laughing and sticking her tongue out at him. The conversation naturally shifted as we made our way to our floor, and out of nowhere, Shura's tone softened slightly. "You know, seeing you two idiots tonight... It reminded me of the one time I met your mother. Yuri Egin."
Yukio stiffened instantly and his eyes went wide. "You met her?! What was she like?! What did she say?! How do you know her?! Why didn't you tell us?!" he asked, desperate for any scrap of information about her.
"I was just a kid," she replied, momentarily stunned by his change in demeanor. "I didn't know it was that big of a deal to you."
Shura began to tell us a story about Yuri's warmth and her eccentricities. Yukio hung onto every single word like it was a lifeline. I, however, completely tuned it out.
Even though I knew I should probably be paying more attention since I only knew bits and pieces of the lore surrounding her, I could always dig that information up later, I mused. As for now, I couldn't seem to care because my core objective in this moment was far more important.
My face became serious and my eyes hardened as I let my gaze unapologetically admire the way the velvet Santa outfit hugged Shura's voluptuous figure.
Goddamn! I thought. One person can't be blessed with this much ass! It should be a crime! I gotta give my boi Hachiro a promotion for delivering this into my life the next time I see him.
She caught me staring, and a knowing, wicked smile crossed her lips as she purposefully showed off more of her figure.
"Anyway," she said, wrapping up the story and turning to head upstairs. She paused on the first step, looking back over her shoulder. "Happy Birthday, you two."
She locked eyes with me, her voice dropping to a husky whisper that only I could hear. "Don't fall asleep too early, Rin. I've still got your private gift to deliver."
Ayyyyyye! I'm in there! I celebrated internally, and gave her a smirk-filled nod.
With a wink, she disappeared up the stairs.
I headed into the dorm room with Yukio. The contrast between us was pretty evident. I was riding the high of absolute power and potential redheaded bliss, while Yukio looked pale, brooding, and weighed down by the ghost of a woman he never knew.
"Rin," Yukio said quietly as we got ready for bed. "Don't you want to know more? About the details of our birth? About why things are the way they are?"
I stopped wiping down the counter and looked at him over my shoulder. My expression was completely flat, devoid of the anxiety that was eating him alive.
"No, it doesn't interest me right now," I answered honestly.
"How can you say that?!" Yukio snapped, his frustration boiling over. "It's our history! It's the reason we're cursed!"
We?! I thought. I don't recall people hating on him for no reason. He must have picked up French or some shit in my absence.
"Being stuck in the past leads nowhere, Yuki-boy," I told him, turning my back on him and tossing the rag on a rack. "You need to keep moving forward. If you don't, you'll find yourself as a prisoner of the past."
I could feel him glaring intensely at my back. His fists clenched in quiet, impotent fury, but I didn't care enough to comfort him.
This is something he gotta deal with himself, I mused, heading toward my room. As for now, it's time to await my gift from that temptress.