HOPE 「GOJO SATORU X OC」≫BOOK II≪

T H I R T Y

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Chapter Thirty: Burn It

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"THIS has become a much bigger issue than I could have ever imagined."

Rey lifted his gaze from where he'd been staring at his distorted reflection in the murky water of the puddle at his feet. He was leaning against the side of a building, his hands tucked over his chest, eyebrows pinched together. Across from him, Nathan was seated on a pile of boxes, his fingers tangled in his hair.

"This isn't my first encounter with Satan," Nathan muttered. "He knows that Aki has retracted her oath. He's going to start targeting her now, rather than me."

"Something needs to be done," Rey stated, removing the cigarette from his mouth and flicking it to the side. "I'll nose around, and see if I can figure out what his motive is."

"I know what his motive is," Nathan stood. "He wants to kill her. He was going to kill me to break her. He wants to see her suffer. For what reason, I can only imagine the list."

Nathan slid his hands into his jacket and turned away from Rey, beginning to walk away from their meeting spot. "Give me any information you find. I want everything I can get."

"What are you gonna do, Nate?" Rey called, making Nathan pause. "What's your plan?"

"My plan is to exorcise the motherfucker before he destroys my sister," Nathan's eyebrows pinched together. "What the fuck did you think it was?"

"You can't exorcise him," Rey stated. "He's the goddamn devil."

"He's a demon," Nathan replied. "All demons can be exorcised, no matter how big or small. And if you think I'm not going to do anything about this, you're an idiot."

Nathan turned to leave once more before Rey again, called out to him. "What about Adrian?"

Nathan's steps came to a pause. He turned and began to walk back towards Rey, making him take a step back, pressing his back to the wall. Nathan took his hand out of his pocket and pointed his finger at Rey.

"Keep him away. From the sanctuary, from the school, from her. I don't trust him," He stated firmly.

"Aki's his daughter," Rey said. "If you knew their relationship...Nate, you can't keep them from—"

"He made a fucking deal with the devil," Nathan spat. "He stayed dead for so long, so why would Satan just now decide to let him back into the living, huh? You don't fucking think, do you? He's going to use him to get to her. Satan will use Adrian to kill Akeldama. And if you think I'm gonna let him even get close, you're mistaken."

A moment of silence passed between them before Nathan stepped back. Rey stared at him wearily, his eyebrows laced together.

"If he comes near her..." A smile passed over his lips. "I will kill him. And then I'm fucking coming for you, do you understand me? You might have helped us in the past, but the moment you fucking betray me...remember that you're nothing but a fucking demon, and I'm a hunter."

"Aki wouldn't let you kill me," Rey scoffed. "After everything I've done for you—"

"I don't give a shit what you've done," Nathan said. "You run, I'll track you down. You betray me, and I will make sure that you never walk on this Earth again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Fucking hunters man," Rey turned his head to the side, slipping another cigarette between his lips. "You're all the same."

"Then burn it in your fucking brain," Nathan spat.

When Rey glanced over, Nathan was gone. He exhaled heavily and cupped his hands around the cigarette, striking a flame from the lighter. He took a long drag before rubbing his brow, staring down at the murky water once more.

...

"You're starting to look more and more like your sister."

Nathan lifted his gaze from the glass in his hands. Satoru was standing in his living room, hands on his hips. Nathan set the glass of liquor down with a sigh, rubbing his temple as the cigarette burned between his fingers.

"Runs in the family," Nathan muttered, flicking the ashes into an empty beer can. "What do you want, Satoru?"

"Haven't heard from you in a few days," He replied, walking into the kitchen. "Aki was getting a bit worried. Guess that runs in the family too?"

"You want something," Nathan placed the cigarette between his lips. "Aki checks on me, not you."

"I thought Adrian Dragavei was dead."

Nathan slid his gaze up, meeting Satoru's over the rim of his dark glasses. Nathan closed his eyes briefly before he adjusted himself in the chair and rested his arms on the table. He dropped the cigarette into the beer can and exhaled slowly, watching the smoke pour into the air.

"Fucking knew I should have killed him there," He muttered. "Bastard's gonna be nothing but trouble."

"We noticed a demon had been lingering around a few Special Grades," Satoru began. "Kept himself low on the radar, but stirred up a bit of trouble the other day. Sent a few Grades 1's to tail him and watch him."

"And?" Nathan asked.

"Found them hanging from a rafter in a barn out in the country."

"God fucking—" Nathan raked his hands through his hair before standing. He retrieved the pistol from the table and cocked it, causing the empty shell to clatter onto the table.

"It's no use in trying to kill him," Satoru stated.

"I'm going to kill him before Aki finds out he's alive," Nathan said. "He made a deal with the devil to come back to life, he's just going to try and—"

"He found Aki."

Nathan stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"I came home, and he was sitting on my fucking couch," Satoru said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Hope was bringing him her stuffed animals to show him. Aki was sitting beside him, wiping tears from her face."

"I'm going to fucking kill him," Nathan said, an edge to his tone. "Satan is using him to get to her! If I don't do something—"

"You're not gonna get the chance," Satoru cut him off.

"He's going to kill her!" He exclaimed. "Everything that we did to help Aki—to giver a normal life is going to go down the fucking drain if we don't—"

"You're not gonna get the chance," Satoru repeated. "Because I already killed him."

Nathan stopped. He stood there for a moment before turning to look at Satoru. "What?"

"Doubt he's gone for good," Satoru said, removing his hand from his pocket to wipe his nose. "But I killed his earthly body. I figure he'll be back around soon enough, but..."

Nathan placed the gun in his waistband. "It buys me enough time to figure something out. What about Aki?"

"She left," Satoru said, wiping his hand over his mouth. "She's holed up in the church."

"That's good for now," Nathan nodded. "He can't enter a church."

"She's confused, Nate," Satoru said. "She doesn't understand it."

Nathan exhaled heavily and plucked his jacket from the back of the couch. "Yeah, neither do I."

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