"Kyaaaaaaaa!"
Ios winced as a thick Encyclopedia of the Occult (A through H) went through the window.
"I don't think Souma-kun will appreciate that."
Sword glared at him, fangs bared and tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. "It... was... right... THERE!"
"I know," Ios couldn't help the smile twitching up the corners of his lip. "I was there too, you know."
Sword was across the room in a moment, fist around the neck of Ios' shirt. "You think this is funny, bastard?"
"Of course not." But looking at Sword made him want to laugh if only in nervousness, so he focused his eyes on Souma's room-what was left of it, anyway. Sword eventually let go of him to seek out something he hadn't destroyed yet.
He shouldn't lie, but... these were strange circumstances. Ios wasn't sure he wanted Sword to regain his demonic form, something he definitely couldn't admit. He was under the impression the others had similar misgivings, although Sword seemed not to notice, lost in either his stupidity or his anger.
"Damn you, Satan!"
"I think he's been damned already. Maa, maa..." Ios waved his hands placatingly, but to no avail.
There was a lot to complicate things-the coming battle, the hell to pay when Heaven got ahold of him-but none of these blurred Ios' vision the way it did Sword's. Although Ios was anxious about his ability to defeat Sword, he knew that wasn't the only reason he was somewhat relieved that Sword had failed. This was the problem too deep for Sword to comprehend.
Ios had been growing strange-strangely human. Affected by Kanna, he supposed, or even just this body. For Sword, it must be the same. The person Sword was now was not the idiot who slew everyone in sight out of sheer bloodlust. Perhaps this was the first time he could be referred to as a person... something which might be lost, if Sword returned to his wholey demonic state. To bring back Sword's body and free him of Souma's influence might just undo everything that had happened here on Earth.
Ios sighed and mumbled more protests over the destruction of Souma's room. There was more and more that he had to admit he simply did not understand-because to admit that several of the demons they'd faced had redeeming qualities was, well, not something he could afford at the moment.
If Satan doesn't kill me, God will... Ios took a moment to pity himself, but it was a short moment.
"Sword, that's enough. Any more and we'll be late for school."
"Like hell I'm going to school!" It was amazing that a demon could sulk this much.
"Couldn't you do it for Souma-kun? He did save you."
Oops, he shouldn't have mentioned that. Sword was up and destroying things again. "I had to be saved by some fucking human?"
"I as well-"
"Don't compare us, bastard!"
Ios sighed, gave up and left for school, reassuring their hosts' father on his way out. He could do with some reassuring himself. He was so very new to this human sense of right and wrong. But that, he could not blame on Kanna alone.
He stopped at the end of the walkway, brushing back his long hair. "Sword ...will you and I really be mortal enemies once again? Although I'd love to fight you, it is a bit unfair, asking me to kill you after all this."
His eyes softened-the morning light drew them towards the heavens.
"Can I return to the way things were?" Assuming he would be allowed back into Heaven at all. "Can I believe that the fight is so simple? I have already turned against God's orders, I have already sided with a demon against my own..." His wings had not yet turned black, but...
"Good morning, Ios-san!"
He greeted Nanami with a smile which only grew during that morning's debacle. Whether anyone in Heaven would believe it, he found he felt completely right and safe next to this angry girl and whining demon, as though a compass had been placed in his heart to keep him here. It must be a human thing.
Tagging along, amazed at Nanami's rousing effect on Sword, smiling behind his hand, he prayed for it to remain with those non-human, as well.