CHAPTER TWO - CRAZY RAIN ARC - YAY! VOMIT GIRL

Chunks of vomit spray into the toilet bowl.

"Ueeugh!"

Finally, it stops.

Riru kneels in front of the toilet, staring down into the bowl. The stench wafting around her only makes her more nauseous. 

"Spit..."

"Spit it out!"

Clasping her two hands together, she pummels herself in the stomach.

"Auuugghh!"

Again.

She wipes the residue from her mouth, uncontrollably sobbing. 

"SPIT IT OUT!"

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Riru and Mitsugi stare at each other uncomfortably.

"I..." he stammers.

It smells good.

She couldn't keep her eyes away from him.

"I'm so in love," she thinks.

It smells good. It smells good. It smells good.

"I wanna kiss him." "I wanna cuddle with him." "I wanna lick him." "I wanna bite him." "I wanna eat him." "I wanna tear him apart."

It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good. It smells good.

In that instant, Belphegor's claw tears through the doorway.

Blood drips from Riru's pointed teeth, a crazed look on her face as she turns her head toward the devil.

Mitsugi's disfigured corpse lay at her side, his chest crushed to pieces and his stomach gouged open. 

"THAT SCENT! YOU ATE IT, YA DUMB BITCH!"

Riru continues to mindlessly stare.

"YOU STOLE IT! GROSS! NASTY! DISGUSTING! I DON'T EVEN WANNA LICK YA!" 

The beast turns his back, having given up on catching his prey.

Riru grabs onto his tail.

"HUH? WHAT DO YA THINK YOU'RE-"

Belphegor is dragged into the closet, blood exploding from the doorway shortly after.

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Another blast of vomit. The toilet is almost completely filled. 

"S...Spit..."

Riru falls over while curling into fetal position, screaming in between her sobs.

"Just spit him out already..!"

After a few minutes, she exits from the bathroom. Her hair is a knotted mess, dark circles surround her swollen eyes, and her figure is noticeably frail.

She makes her way to the overflowing pot of boiling water in the kitchen, sticking her hand right inside. She pulls out a heap of cooked ramen noodles and stuffs them in her mouth.

Suddenly, a vision of Mitsugi's innards, spilling from the hole torn in his abdomen. 

Riru immediately keels over, regurgitating the noodles all over the floor. 

No matter what she ate, she couldn't keep from having the same terrible thoughts. 

Shortly after the incident, the devil exterminators arrived. The severe lack of anti-devil countermeasures meant that any bad press they received for their untimely arrival wouldn't matter. If anything, people were thankful just to have a cleanup crew. 

The exterminators questioned Riru, though their hesitancy to push any tough questions and her inability to answer caused them to write her off as any other traumatized student. For all they knew, Belphegor had attacked and killed Mitsugi, leaving Riru to watch in horror.

Even then, all she was offered in reparation were therapy sessions on behalf of the organization.

She hadn't attended a single one.

She collapses onto the floor, closing her eyes and drifting into a light sleep. 

...

The sound of tortured wails drag her out of her slumber. 

The pentagram covering her floor glows a bright red.

"...Decline..."

The screams stop.

Why her?

Out of all the devils in Hell, even of the Ars Goetia, why was she chosen?

Will she ever fall in love again?

A visage of Mitsugi pierces her mind.

"I..."

Did he even love her? How would he have responded?

...

Did she even love him? 

These thoughts are interrupted as she drifts away once again.

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She stands on a stage in an empty auditorium, the Black Moon of Hell shining upon her. Mitsugi stands across from her, smiling.

The two approach each other.

To her surprise, Mitsugi grabs ahold of her waist, pulling her close and going in for a kiss.

In an instant, his face twists and contorts into a giant gaping mouth.

Riru's body is crushed under the weight of the creature's heavy maw, her upper half ripped clean off and swallowed into an infinite void.

The dukes of Hell, now lining the seats of the auditorium, ominously clap in unison.

In place of the beast now stands Riru, covered in blood and filth.

The light of the moon grows stronger, creating a heavy and oppressive haze.

"BLOODSPLATTER MOON!"

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Riru rubs her eyes, finally sitting up and coming to her senses. The voices of panicked civilians can be heard outside.

"BLOODSPLATTER MOON!"

Her eyes widen.

Without a second thought she dashes outside, scouring the streets until she finds the source of the bellowing voice. A voice she recognizes all too well.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

The devil stands at roughly double the height of the average human male, muscular in build with two tiny wings sticking from his back. His most recognizable feature, the two giant axe-like horns protruding from his skull, look even more menacing in person.

Desolation Darkness Phantasmagoria. 

"WOW YOUR SO CUTE WHEN YOU LOOK STARVED AND UNHEALTHY HAHA."

 He opens his arms, his face twisting into a goofy smile.

"GIVE ME SOME SUGAR."

"Ew!"

Riru glares at him, his smile slowly fading.

"What are you doing here?!"

Des regains his composure, striking a confident pose and putting his fist to his chest.

"I HAVE COME TO CLAIM MY HONOR."

"Huh?!"

He gives her a smoldering look. 

"YOUR BOYFRIEND. WHERE IS HE."

Riru's heart immediately sinks.

"He's... he's not here right now."

"OK CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE HE IS THEN."

"It's none of your business!"

Des abruptly grabs onto a streetlight pole, heaving it out of the ground. He swings it over his shoulder like a weapon. 

"A SHAME. THE COWARD WON'T APPEAR FOR OUR DUEL."

"Duel?!"

"YES. ME AND HIM WILL ENGAGE IN A BATTLE TO THE DEATH. IT WILL PROVE WHO IS COOLER AND MORE STRONG AND MORE SEXY SO BASICALLY WHO SHOULD DA-"

"He's already dead, okay!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAT."

Tears form in Riru's eyes. Even Des can tell she's being serious.

"UH. SORRY."

...

"DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT."

"No! Not with you! Just get away from me!"

"WHO KILLED HIM. I WILL KILL HIM BACK."

"You won't be killing anyone while I'm here."

The voice is soft and composed, yet commands presence stronger than the roar of a devil. The figure steps forward, his dark eyes fixated on Riru. He flaunts a composed smile.

"WHO ARE YOU. ARE YOU THE ONE WHO-"

BLAM!

Smoke trails off from the tip of the man's pistol as blood explodes from Des's face, his towering body collapsing onto the ground.

A small droplet of blood lands on the man's pitch black shirt resembling that of a clergyman, right below the silver crucifix dangling from his neck. He wears a large collared puffer jacket over his shoulders and a chain across his pant leg, giving his saintly look a more modern and youthful edge. He carries a long rectangular case with a strap on his shoulder, completely covered in tape.

"A devil exterminator...", mutters Riru. 

"GRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Des stumbles back up, his brawny frame towering over the man. Flesh contorts around his face to mask the gunshot wound. 

"THAT HURT. DIE."

"You need not concern yourself with this, Gabriel."

The woman behind the exterminator makes her presence known. Her outfit is simple in comparison, a long black cloak matching her similarly styled hair. Her bangs are cut perfectly straight, falling right above her glasses, and she clutches a rosary in one hand. 

"I've said it before, Theresa. It is my duty."

"We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"If I see a devil, I will exterminate it. Simple as that."

Gabriel gives her a passive aggressive smile. She scowls.

She takes a bead off the rosary, tossing it to him.

Upon grasping it in his palm, it immediately morphs into a slim katana. 

Closing his eyes, he begins to chant.

"Our father, who art in Heaven. Hallowed be thy name."

Without hesitation, Des swings the streetlight at him. It makes impact with the katana at his side.

Without even having to move his arm, the pole is cut in two.

He finishes his prayer, uninterrupted.

"-And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

A glowing ring materializes around the katana.

Des grabs ahold of another streetlight, ripping it from the ground and stabbing it directly into his chest.

"AAUUGH!"

Pulling it out, the end of the pole now has two large blades on each side, the whole thing now resembling a giant two sided battleaxe. The blades appear to be made from solidified blood. 

He swings at Gabriel, who jumps up and lands on the tip. 

Des continues his swing, Gabriel using the axe as a platform to jump into a backflip.

While midair, he motions his hand down the side of the katana, the glowing ring following along with.

When he reaches the hilt, the ring flies off the sword so quickly it appears as a laser of light. 

A perfectly ring-shaped hole is blasted into Des's stomach. 

He coughs up blood. The wound seems to have trouble healing.

"AGH!"

Riru watches from the sidelines in horror, unable to stop the massacre in fear of exposing her connection to the devil.

"S...Stop it...", she whispers under her breath, too quiet for either fighter to hear. 

Gabriel comfortably lands on his feet, brushing back his hair with his hand.

"You're pathetic."

"NO IM NOT IM COOL!"

Des breathes fire onto the blades of the axe, the solidified blood melting into a magma-like substance while remaining ablaze. 

He swings once again at Gabriel, who dodges with ease. 

Des smirks as magma flings off the blade of the axe. A clump lands onto Gabriel's jacket, burning a hole through the left side of the collar. 

"Tch."

"You deserve it for treating this like a game."

Theresa pushes up her glasses, pouting. Gabriel softly laughs.

"It'll be over soon."

The glowing ring flies back to the katana, shrinking around it instead. The entire length of the sword radiates with a golden light. 

Des stabs the pole into a nearby car, lifting it up as spikes of solidified blood burst out of every corner. His makeshift battle axe now resembles a spiked mace. 

He lifts it up over his head for one final smash. 

Gabriel smiles, slashing his katana as a crescent of light shoots out from the blade. 

Both of Des's arms stretched upward are cut cleanly in two. He drops the mace, the spiked car dropping directly on top of him. Blood explodes from the body, splattering all over Riru. 

The rectangular case on Gabriel's shoulder softly shakes. Resting his hand against it, he manages to stop whatever commotion is occurring inside. 

Suddenly, he notices Riru, the smile immediately disappearing from his face.

"Y-you there! You should evacuate!" 

He runs toward Riru, holding her shoulders and brushing some blood off her.

"Are you all right?"

"BLEEEEEUUUGGGGHHHH!"

Vomit violently erupts from her mouth and splatters all over the exterminator. 

"E-ew! What the hell!"

"Language!", shoots Theresa.

"S-Sorry!", Riru's face flushes red with embarrassment.

Theresa's phone rings, and she answers within the span of a second.

"Yes. All right."

She hangs up.

"Playtime is over, Gabriel. They want us back at the office."

"I told you, I don't do this for fun.", Gabriel retorts as he wipes the vomit from his jacket.

"If you didn't, you wouldn't smile like that every time."

She shoots him a playful grin.

He rubs the back of his head in surrender and turns to Riru. 

"It's all right. You can head home-"

"EAT SHIT MOTHERFUCKER!"

Des's heavy fist slams into Gabriel's face with the force of a truck, sending him skidding against the pavement. 

"SEE! I'M COOL!"

His bones crack back into place as his body continues the reforming process. 

Gabriel looks up with a furious glare. Half his face is bright red and blood drips from his nose. 

Des panics, desperately flapping his tiny wings to increase his speed while he runs away.

Gabriel heaves his body up from the ground, starting in a sprint towards the devil until-

"Drop it."

Theresa is grabbing onto his arm without any consideration for her force.

"It'll attack people again."

"You saw its strength yourself. It's not a priority. The boss wishes to speak with you."

Her voice doesn't waver for a second.

He hesitates.

"Tsk."

Without another word, he stomps his way towards the jet black sports car parked nearby.

"S-Sorry! I mean, thank you!", Riru shouts to him.

His face softens and he throws her a quick wave.

Right as the car speeds off, Riru gets up and dashes towards the retreating devil, who's making his way to a nearby alleyway.

"Des! Wait!"

He turns around instantly, a look of horror on his face.

"EEK! UH IS HE GONE..."

Upon grasping the situation, his confidence returns. 

"HAHAHA! BLOODSPLATTER MOON DID YOU SEE WHEN I PUNCHED HIM THAT WAS REALLY COOL RIGHT-"

"Shut up!"

Riru's fist collides with the devil's stomach, knocking him onto his backside.

"AGH!"

"You're so stupid! I hate you!"

"B-BUT... I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT YOU..."

"I wasn't even in danger!"

She sighs, sitting down next to him.

An awkward silence fills the air.

"...I MISS YOU."

Riru doesn't reply, looking away.

"YOU STARTED FEELING SO DISTANT EVER SINCE YOU WERE CHOSEN BY THE BLACK MOON. YOU EVEN LEFT WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE."

"I have to do this. For everyone. And I don't want you getting in my way."

Des looks down, dejected.

"SO I GUESS I CAN'T BE YOUR BOYFRIEND."

"No. Sorry."

...

"THEN CAN WE BE FRIENDS AGAIN."

"I-"

Riru looks flustered.

"I-I don't know." 

"OKAY."

...

"IM SORRY ABOUT YOUR BOYFRIEND."

Riru looks down and mumbles.

"He wasn't my boyfriend."

"...OH."

Police sirens can quietly be heard in the distance.

"UH... I GOTTA GO." 

"Yeah."

"GOOD LUCK."

"Yeah."

Des speeds away, his miniature wings flapping rapidly to support his weight.

Riru collapses onto her side and curls up.

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Gabriel and Theresa make their way towards the towering office building with a giant black cross on the front. They enter through the sliding glass doors and Gabriel drags his feet, a small tissue now in his left nostril.

"Be on your best behavior," says Theresa.

"Stop telling me what to do," Gabriel spits. 

The elevator opens its doors and old nun greets them inside with a smile.

"What's the deal, anyways?"

"I wasn't informed."

"Huh."

DING. 

Exiting the elevator, they approach the room at the end of the hall.

Theresa stops right before entering.

"Have fun," she teases.

"Uhuh."

He enters, folding down the collar of his jacket to hide the hole burnt through it.

"Welcome, Gabriel."

A long table, with six people sitting along each side. They each wear the hat of a bishop with clean white sheets covering their faces. They hold their hands together in prayer. 

At the end of the table stands a black rectangular monolith. The letters "YHWH" are inscribed onto it, glowing with radiant light. Gabriel uncomfortably fidgets.

"Your work up to this point has been most commendable."

The voice booms from the monolith, though it seems to ricochet from every wall in the room.

"I suppose we should get straight to the point."

Gabriel nods.

"We have a new objective for you." 

A TV screen hanging above the monolith glows, displaying an image of the halls of Riru's school. Belphegor is seen bursting out of the classroom, while Riru escapes with Mitsugi flung over her shoulder. She wields her giant horn blade while her wild hair obscures her face.

"The incident at Yamabuki. I assume you've been made aware."

"Yes. It's unfortunate nobody could make it in time," Gabriel gives the monolith a stern look as he speaks.

"Certainly."

The voice is unflinching in its tone. 

"Peter."

One of the figures at the table bows his head and begins to speak.

"Pictured here is a second devil, not mentioned in prior reports. It's not uncommon for devils to attack in groups, though-"

"It appears to be running away," Gabriel interrupts. The rest of the figures all turn to face him.

"...Apologies."

"No need. You are correct. It seems we now have an explanation for the unnatural amounts of devil blood found at the scene."

The screen zooms in on the girl.

"And its clothing..."

Gabriel looks shocked.

"A school uniform... you're not suggesting..."

The screen abruptly cuts to black, darkening the room. 

The monolith makes its presence known once again.

"It's only natural that a serpent may attempt to deceive the lamb." 

"And what do you ask of me?", replies Gabriel. 

After a moment of silence, the voice continues.

"It's most regrettable you couldn't experience your adolescent years to the fullest. Perhaps this will be a change of pace."

"You don't mean..."

"What else? Deceive it in turn."