Desiderium

Chapter 10: Push Comes to Shove

I opened my eyes slowly and realized that it was morning. I turn over to my nightstand and see that it's eight in the morning, I turn the other way and peck a kiss on Mason's nose. I notice a small smirk appear on his lips, signaling that he's awake. I start to get up, "Morning Mase."

He opened his beautiful green eyes and he sat up just as I stood, "Morning Dante."

I laughed as I pulled my pants on, "I still don't understand that nickname..."

The brit yawned, "Seriously... Dante, like Dante's Inferno," I just looked at him with a face of confusion, he just sighed, "Someone named Dante travels through Hell while being led by a dead Roman guy... jeez it is too early for your stupidity."

I walked over to the bed and put my arms around his neck, "You love my stupidity." I pecked him on the lips, "and it's not that early." I turned back to grab my t-shirt, it was a saturday so we didn't have any classes.

I forced Mason out of bed and after he got dressed we went out to breakfast, Daisuke was surprisingly a good cook so I wasn't worried about making food. We entered the main area and I saw Natsuki and Erin cuddled on the couch with Ralph at Erin's feet, Haruki was sitting at one of the bar stools watching Daisuke cook. Natsuki turned her head at us entering, "Well look who finally decided to join us."

"Very funny Nat. Daisuke the coffee better not be empty..." Mason said as he walked into the kitchen. I just laughed lightly and sat at the dining table scrolling through my phone. Daisuke put a plate of Tamagoyaki in front of me and I finally looked up from the lit screen.

I heard Haruki spin the chair and take an audible sip of her drink. "So... are we going to talk about our next move or wait until Iblis burns Tokyo to the ground?"

"We don't even know where she is, how are we going to plan our next move?" Natsuki asked from the couch. Kuro jumped onto the dining table and looked at me.

"You can sense demonic presences now, right?" my familiar asked me, I nodded, "Well then just look for a strong amount of demonic energy and make sure it isn't Mephy or Luci."

"Kuro you're a genius!" I stood up from the table and walked over to the hologram projecting pole in our living room. I turned it on and it created a map of Tokyo and spread across the living room.

"What did the cat do?" Erin asked standing up and walking over to me with Ralph beside her.

I placed a marker on the location of True Cross Academy. "Silas. Where's the airship?"

Haruki walked over to the table, "Last I heard it was over Edogawa City." I placed another marker.

The rest of the team came over and watched as I did so. Daisuke was very confused, "If this is some kind of movie strategy, then it's failing. There's only two points, nothing in the middle."

I shook my head and placed another marker. It was a park, though it was also the place of most energy. "They're there."

"Wow, this really is a movie moment."

---

Shura was sitting in a meeting with the other exorcists of the Academy waiting for the director to show up. When the purple-haired clown finally showed up he looked to have news. "My fellow exorcists... my brother, Azazel, and I have talked and we have come to the conclusion that Iblis, the King of Fire, has come out of hiding. We also have reached the outcome that our Rin Okumura is working with her."

"What?" Shura said, standing up from her seat, "Rin would never do that!"

"He left the Vatican and joined the Illuminati. We have to assume that Iblis is working with them, and after the stunt his team pulled a few weeks ago... there's no other option, Ms. Kirigakure." Mephisto lowered his head, "Rin Okumura is now an enemy of the Knights of the True Cross."

Shura sat through the rest of the meeting feeling like she was underwater, none of the other topics even reached her ears, if they did they were muffled by her own thoughts. The only words that she comprehended was when the director said, "Meeting adjourned."

Shura immediately stood and left the room she walked out into the courtyard outside. "I can't actually be considering this... can I?" She told herself as she looked into the forest beyond the courtyard. "You didn't raise a weapon Shiro... he would never do something like what they're saying. Shiro, what do I do?"

'When push comes to shove I know where your loyalties will lie.'

Shura looked further into the forest and saw a small ball of light a few meters into the foliage.

'Follow the light.'

"Oh, who am I kidding... This better not blow up in my face." Shura grumbled to herself as she walked into the forest.