So that face was my expression when I realized what happens next in the sequence of events for this story because it was like "oh shit" but also laughing so I looked like this ^ and my older brother was massively confused.

DEMONSDEMONSDEMONSDEMONSDEMONSDEMONSDEMONSDEMONS

It was just a simple assembly. But not even five minutes into Mephisto's part of the thing and there was a bullet in his forehead. Everyone gaped at what had just happened. On the TV, Mephisto fell backwards and Shura and Rin rushed forward.

Well, Shura rushed forward, obviously panicking. Rin walked to the microphone and gave his signature grin. "Sorry folks, we have a medical emergency, so that'll be all. Please go home." He said in a pleasant voice, then crouched next to Mephisto. The medics were coming with a stretcher, but it was not needed. Rin simply picked him up and carried him off stage.

They learned later that the Demon King's host would be fine and no one had caught the shooter, but the Time Lord had to let go of the Artificial Gehenna Gate if he wanted to recover, thus releasing demons upon the world.

§~•~§~•~§

"They're going to send me with Angel." Rin sighed. "Who's Angel again?" Godaiin wondered.

"The Paladin. My boss. Supposedly the strongest exorcist in the order." Rin reminded him.

"Ahhh, the tool. They'll send you with him....to take care of that Gate thing?" Godaiin guessed. Rin nodded. The way his shoulders were tensed.... Rin didn't want to go. He saw the hesitation in the half-demon's eyes when he turned to face Godaiin.

"It's your job, Rin. Besides, if anyone has a chance against hordes upon hordes of demons, it's you." Godaiin encouraged. A knife flew at his face like usual. He considered the shiny blade before raising an eyebrow at Rin.

"You don't know any other Exorcists except me and Yukio." The half-demon deadpanned. Despite the blank expression, the human saw Rin's internal struggle. He was really worrying about this.

Was he that afraid of not coming back? Rin's emotional development was going splendidly, but there were always things like this that brought out the more troublesome emotions. Especially worry, anxiety, and fear. Godaiin shivered to think of how lost Rin would be if he had to experience actual fear all alone in some unfair situation.

It would be horrible, no doubt. After hearing about Rin's recurring nightmares of whatever had happened when he was six, he knew Rin's insecurities were growing as he learned to feel again. As time went on, more and more pieces to the puzzle were added to the nightmares and Rin didn't like it one bit. He'd always hug himself and curl up and stay silent–just like he described he'd done when he was taken by whatever the hell his kidnappers had been.

Now, those habits began to show through and Rin put the knife down and he pressed his nails into his palm probably she'd enough to cut into skin in an effort to not wrap his arms around himself.

Godaiin gently grasped one of Rin's fists, wrapping his other arm around the half-demon. Rin didn't fight the embrace. He didn't pull his hand out of Godaiin's grip either.

"No, I don't know any other Exorcists." Godaiin agreed. "But I do know that everyone who knows you believes you can get the job done. We all know you're capable of taking care of yourself and others. It's why we trust you, despite your difficult personality."

Rin snorted at the description.

"You've got an army of Demons ready to fight with you and for you. Hell, you've got demons in your body that boost your power. You've learned how to control the fire. You know how to keep it from hurting humans too. You've mastered fighting with your sword." Godaiin continued. "So, use the flames as a trump card if you need to. Use all of your other utilities before them. If things get especially bad," Godaiin pulled away to look Rin in his deep, Sapphire-blue eyes.

"Blast those bastards back to Hell."

Rin gave a smile. The smile he only gave Godaiin for some reason. No one else could get him to smile like that. It was a small smile, but it was surprisingly soft for Rin's personality. And he only did it for Godaiin.

It warmed Godaiin's heart and made butterflies flutter in his stomach, but he ignored it. Now was not the time to crush on his emotionally detached best friend who was about to go off and fight demons for who knew how long. Although, he felt a bit like he was a woman sending her husband off to war in the days of the World Wars.....

Godaiin pulled Rin back against him. Rin stood there, enjoying the embrace for what felt like a long time but was probably only about five minutes. His eyes closed and he turned his face more into Godaiin's chest. The human held him just a bit tighter.

"Hey." Godaiin pulled back some and lifted Rin's chin so he could look him in the eyes again. "I'll see you when you get back." He said firmly. Rin's eyes hardened again into what Godaiin had realized was determination.

"Okay."

Godaiin could wait until after Rin came back to kiss him like he wanted to now.

§~•~§~•~§

Rin was sent out with the strongest Exorcists the Order had from every base in every country that wasn't being completely overwhelmed. Rin had to use half-assed sign language because most of these people were from all different countries and they all spoke different languages.

They had every kind of Exorcist– Knight, Aria, Tamer, Dragoon, Doctor, and everything in between those. Their Doctors could barely keep up with injuries. A few Tamers had to work with them, providing Greenmen to produce natural healing supplies.

Rin was in the infirmary every day. Injuries meant nothing to him and they never left scars. He didn't get any real sleep, but he was very efficient and ran easily on an hour of sleep a day as long as he ate enough food. People had sneered and spat at him at first, but they'd come to respect him after he'd saved the base from several nearly-overwhelming demon attacks. If Rin was the only thing standing between the base and the Exorcists in it and this army of Demons, of course he'd be in the infirmary every day.

He often felt something coming from the Gate, something strong. It was pushing at it, trying to force it open all the way. Rin wondered if it was his father or something else....

It's him.

Satan?

Yes boy. He comes closer.

Why?

He only wants to see his son.

He has eight other kids, why me?

None of those are his actual children. They are concepts thought to be his young. You are his only biological child.

....Are you fucking kidding me? Yukio is his kid too.

You are his favorite, Crown Prince.

Rin could hear the mocking grin in the Fox's words and gave a sigh. Life was dull here at the base. Fight, eat, nap, eat, fight more until he landed himself in the infirmary and woke up healed to fight again. Rin hadn't been able to feel most of his body except for when he was injured. It felt like everything was frozen solid. He had no doubt the other Exorcists struggled with this too. Some had already lost limbs to frostbite after being unable to crawl back to the base when they'd gotten injured on the battlefield. Several others had died of hypothermia due to the same reason. They'd frozen to death because there was simply no time for others to help them back to base during the fighting. Those who were taken in between waves of demons and made recoveries were lucky.

Shouldn't I be able to keep myself warm since my main thing is flames?

Beats me, I'm a fox. You should be able to, but your lack of emotions and feeling behind your actions might keep you from automatically staying warm. That's my best guess.

Rin hummed in response and carried on with killing every demon within sight.

He didn't know it, but the more time he spent away from the people who cared for him, the more the world around him faded back to monochrome just like it was for him before.

How miserable.

§~•~§~•~§

The base was almost overwhelmed again.

Stronger and stronger demons came through the more the Exorcists destroyed the hordes. It seemed like as soon as one was destroyed, hundreds more took it's place.

Rin barely made it there to save them. He barely had time to call on his arsenal of demon warriors to defend while he went on the offensive. Fox Form was enough to destroy while the Exorcists collected themselves. He bought them enough time and destroyed enough demons to a manageable level so they could take over and he could get his power nap in and maybe eat something.

§~•~§~•~§

Godaiin was bored without Rin around. It had been months. Second year had started. He hung with Rin's friends, but they were all worried for the half-demon.

Suguro's boss, Lightning, gave them little pieces of information on what was happening at the Gate every once in a while. The latest news was that stronger demons were coming through and the Exorcists already deployed there were having trouble keeping up with the strength and large numbers of the demons coming through. 

A lot of the Exorcists deployed to the Gate were dead or incapacitated and unable to fight anymore. There were a certain five Exorcists, the strongest there, that held their own and the Exorcists still in their home countries and away from the real fight passed around stories of them given by the incapacitated Exorcists who were forced to come home once they were useless on the battlefield. It was like passing down war stories.

The Exorcists still at home, by now, had set up sheilds–massive domes–around cities and towns that were vastly poupulated with humans. Many regular humans had become exorcists themselves, if only to protect their homes. Some humans had been turned into Nephilims–part human, part demon, like Rin. All of the ExWires had been titled Exorcists and there were new and much bigger batches to be taught now.

Bon had passed with both Aria and Dragoon like he'd wanted, and he'd gotten Tamer for his control of Karura. Shima passed with Knight and Tamer. Izumo passed with Tamer. Shiemi got Tamer and Doctor, but was being trained as the Empress of Creation currently. Konekomeru passed with Aria.

They'd taught Godaiin some simple warding and shielding verses and given him a blessed pocket knife just in case the small fry tried to jump him. He was thankful that they thought of him as their friend even if he wasn't part of their world.

He hoped Rin could come home soon. Those war stories of him and the four other Exorcists were incredible, but also frightening to hear.