IQ Exorcist

Part 10~Wrathacore

Rin screamed in frustration, throwing the book across the library as he hit his head on the table.

"Okumura?"

"Call me Rin." Rin didn't bother lifting his head. He was so tired.

"What are you doing?"

"Research." Finally forcing his head up, Rin looked at Bon as he yawned. "I'm trying to figure out what I summoned, but nothing looks close to her. There isn't even a demon that has metal on it! Not one!" Rin let out a huff, laying his head on his arms as he glanced at the crab staring back. "But what are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to the intensive training camp, but then I heard you screaming, so I came to make sure you were okay."

Rin narrowed his eyes. "That's tomorrow. Why are you so early?"

"Rin, it's today. It's 8am."

Rin snapped up, moving too fast and falling out of his chair. Groaning, Rin rolled over with a huff. His arm was still twitching as he pushed himself up.

"You really stayed here all night trying to figure out what this thing was?"

"Well yeah. It was annoying me." Rin closed the various books he had looked through, putting them back.

"Why don't you just ask it? Or can demon children not understand demon talk?"

"I can understand it, thank you very much, and I tried already. She just kept saying Wrathacore- or Wrath for short. So I started looking at the kin of Satan but nothing."

"I guess it does make sense that you would be able to summon one of your dad's kin, but she doesn't seem very, Satany."

"Exactly! But I have no other leads!" Rin let out an exhausted sigh, slumping against Bon's side. "I'm so tired."

Bon blinked, shaking his head as he grabbed Rin's bag and picked Rin up. For how tall he was, Rin was surprisingly light. The crab- Wrath- jumped onto Rin's stomach, settling down on him and taking a nap. "Why am I doing this?" His annoyed expression softened as he looked at Rin. The boy had fallen asleep, nuzzling into Bon's chest.

Taking a moment, Bon rested Rin against him and took the hairpin out, letting Rin's hair fall around his face softly.

"Bon? You there?" Shima peered around the corner as Bon froze, straightening up. "Why are you carrying Rin?"

"Be quiet! You'll wake him! He fell asleep when I got here. I can't just leave him. I don't have another choice."

Shima did not seem to buy it. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that. Let's go." Shima turned around, meeting back up with Konekomaru as Bon carefully and gently carried Rin to the camp.

Rin was allowed to sleep the first day.

~~~

Stepping around the inky blackness, Rin didn't know where he was. "Hello?" He didn't get any answer. He walked further though he didn't know where he was going. His hand twitched in irritation. Two unsolvable puzzles in a day were not doing him any good. "Hello!"

Crack.

Pausing, Rin stopped midstep. He looked down, finding the glowing eggs. "What the..." Kneeling before the eggs, Rin picked up the one that was hatching. It burst open as a small crab crawled out.

It looked like Wrath, but this one was brown with a copper top. More eggs began to crack and fall apart. Some were gold and silver, some had black metal, and others had green copper oxide. The room wasn't black anymore.

It was a room of sorts. The air had a strange blue colour, as if it was under the sea. The walls were made of marble, with a large furnace at the front. Colourful coral surrounded the space, holding the eggs. There were different eggs.

Some were bigger than the crab eggs, some were squishy or slimy, and one was a massive ostrich size egg above the furnace. Rin did not want to see the crab that would hatch from that one.

"What are you?" He asked the crabs. The little ones didn't answer, barely beginning to talk. "Guess you don't know either." Rin petted the small crab, who garbled in response, holding onto Rin's hand as if he wanted more.

"We are Wrathacores." The door to the furnace swung open though the coal was not doused out by the water in the room. Wrath scuttled out of the furnace, approaching Rin. The little crabs jumped up, surrounding Wrath as she took the bucket from her side, pouring the molten lava into the little Wrath's mouths. "Kin to the prince of hell."

"So you are my dad's kin. I thought so, but how has no one seen you before?"

Wrath chuckled. "You misunderstand, my lord. We are not Satan's kin. We are the kin of the prince of hell. You are the prince of hell. You called us into being."

"I'm sorry, what? That's not possible."

"It's also not possible for that fire to burn without air. It's impossible for us to breathe, and it's impossible for you to keep denying who you are."

Against Rin's wishes, his sword appeared in his arms.

"You do not need to open it now, but the longer you wait, the more shall perish. We shall serve you and delay the plans but your father plots against you. He wishes for you to return to your throne or die. When decision day comes, and the coals burn blue, the greatest of your kin will awaken, but who they shall serve is not in our hands." Wrath climbed onto Rin's shoulder, settling down. "My children shall watch it, but we are not warriors."

"I still do not understand. Why would my kin turn against me?"

"Why do you turn against your father?"

"Fair point. If this is mine, where are we?"

"We are still in your plane, sleeping on the floor above your friends, but the rest of this is in my plane. I put it somewhere I thought the princes of hell would not find, somewhere where satan will not find."

"Thank you?"

Wrath nodded proudly. "We serve you, my lord."

"But I don't want to be your lord. I don't want to be the prince of hell."

"Not all hell is as dark as you've been led to believe. This is life, is it not? This is beauty and care."

"You're called Wrathacore," Rin pointed out, making the crab laugh.

"We are Wrathacores, the core of your Wrath. You are a prince of hell. Every species you will come to know will represent one of the seven sins."

"Great."

Wrath shook her body as a bright light entered from above. "You are waking. We will continue our conversation in your world." Wrath turned to her little crabs, waving them goodbye as Rin gave them an awkward wave before snapping awake.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Bon moved away, looking down guiltily.

"What? No, it's fine. What happened?"

"You passed out. I brought you here, and Mr Okumura gave you the day off." Bon stood up, turning around. "I'll go now."

"Wait," Rin picked up the tray Bon had brought him. "Thank you for the food." Bon nodded, leaving Rin alone. Rin turned to Wrath. She was awake and looking at him. "Did you have the same dream?"

"It was not a dream," Wrath responded, making Rin sigh.

"I was afraid you would say that."