Choices (Rewrite)

-A few hours later, Rin's Pov-

I woke up from what felt like a weird dream as I just stared at the ceiling. What the hell was that?

"Wait… That ceiling looks... Different…"

I rubbed my eyes when I noticed this wasn't my room before looking around. The ceiling I'm used to is mouldy and is under the staircase after all. Reminds me of a certain wizard with a scar on his forehead. But this is too bright to be there.

"A bed…"

It was only after moving around did I realise I was sleeping on a bed. Why am I on a bed? I usually sleep on an old sofa. Whose bed is this? Mums? Nah, she wouldn't let me even go to her room. So whose bed would this be?

"Where am I?"

I got up from the bed and looked around in a slight daze. I feel a little nauseous, but I try to endure it while trying to remember what happened again.

I should've been sleeping on the sofa while my mother went on a night out with one of her boyfriends, it's a Sunday today but-

"Ugh."

I clenched my fist a little as a headache came back. It wasn't as bad as before but now I remembered what happened a few hours ago. Haaah, so I'm Rin Okumura now. So that must mean I'm in his room right now, or mine technically speaking.

(Rin): "Seriously, what the hell is happening?"

I sighed as I looked around. I'm still surprised by this sudden transmigration and I'm shaking. Not from fear or anything. Shaking from excitement after I realised I'm finally free from that place.

(Rin): "I'm finally free…"

I said as I collapsed onto the bed again. Freedom. I wanted it. But I thought it would've been impossible… I've got it now. I won't waste it. I clenched my fist as I vowed to myself to not let myself be controlled like that again.

(Rin): "Let's look around."

I said as I got up again. There's another bed beside me, probably Yukio's. I just realised now I have a younger brother. Damn, now I'm nervous. I was too excited about escaping my mother that I didn't realise that now I have to worry about the people who were around Rin Okumura. How do I hide taking over his body?

Not like I have a reason to tell them but I feel bad. I sighed to myself as I put those thoughts to the back of my head as I focused on what was present. I carried on looking around and noticed the desks near the window. They were side by side to each other. The one closest to me has random junk, food wrappers and manga's lying all over it while the other desk is tidy, with its equipment and books all neatly piled up.

The personality difference really shows here. But in between both of the desks was a picture frame of a group of people wearing priests cassocks along with two children. It was a group photo. I don't recognise the others, but there are few I recall easily, even without using Rin's memories. A man with grey hair and a weird pair of glasses, a child with navy blue hair making a toothy grin, and a shy kid with glasses and brown hair.

They were Shiro Fujimoto, Yukio Okumura, and Rin Okumura… me. I'm still not used to this. There were others too, but I didn't recognise them until I focused on them. I started seeing interactions with them from kid Rin's point of view. Not just the information but the emotions were there too. The innocent mind of Rin who cared about each of his "family" members kept replaying as I looked at each of the people's faces and got flooded by memories again.

This time the memories aren't as painful but I got a small migraine. My eyes watered a little but I held back. I looked at each of them one by one until I got to Shiro's photo.

(Rin): "Father…"

I said with a sad tone as my memories with him were the most intense. I had to sit down to properly digest it before feeling lethargic. They did a lot huh… cooking, fighting, celebrating their birthdays, playing and more. I'm jealous that these memories aren't really mine though. I wish they were actually mine but it made me start hating the old Rin. For how he reacted when father tried protecting him.

It took me a while to put myself together and sort out my memories, both mine and Rins. After close to 10 minutes were passed, I slowly got up from the bed. How long was I sleeping for? I got out of the room and looked around the monastery. I had to use Rin's memories to make my way out whilst suffering from the emotions he had while walking through the same places.

Once I left the monastery I headed to the graveyard. There were other priests there too. I recognised them from the memories. They were all coming back from visiting a newly dug grave. Fathers grave.

I silently walked past them and started to make my way to fathers grave. I could tell it was fathers as it was a new grave with his name engraved into it.

I stood there as I tried thinking of what to say. I'm neither Rin nor am I my past self. I can already feel our personalities mix as my pessimism starts to get better. Haah, what can I say? I'm sorry for the past Rin's mistakes? On Rins' behalf, I say sorry to you? I don't think those are appropriate right now.

I don't know what happened to the original Rin but I know that I have control over his body now. I won't disgrace this body's original host. I'll make sure to live and prosper in this world. I know that for sure.

As I thought that, I started getting flashbacks from the past again, but this time from my original world. I never knew who my real father was, but I knew who my mother was. That bitch wasn't a good mother though. When I was younger I never knew who she was since I was raised by my grandparents instead. That ended when I was seven though. When it was my birthday they died in a traffic accident, trying to get me a birthday present. So I was forced to live with my mother who simply didn't care about my existence.

She was a prostitute at her time in secondary school. The reason was that our family was poor and she was jealous of her friends having rich boyfriends and wanted expensive items. So she'd date multiple guys at once and sell her body on the side while being addicted to drugs and alcohol. At some point, she got pregnant while enjoying the carefree lifestyle. When she found out, she unhesitantly tried getting me aborted but unfortunately, or fortunately, my grandparents found out about her "job" and fought against her. Eventually, she gave up and birthed me, but didn't speak to them ever again.

I was lucky enough to have caring grandparents but my mother clearly didn't inherit any of their virtues. How do I know all this? My mother would yell at me with the same story over and over again. She hated me and likewise, I hated her. Whenever something didn't work out she'd pin the blame on me. Calling me insults over and over again. I wanted to escape but I was too afraid of leaving. I remember the cold glint in her eyes whenever she came back from work. She managed to get a stable job at the office or something and wanted to get rid of her past as a prostitute.

Whenever she looks at me she doesn't stray away from insulting me as a mistake her younger self made and about how she wishes she could go back and fix it. I would always stay quiet thanks to my grandparents' teachings but at some point, my body stopped responding whenever she'd yell at me. I hated myself for being weak but the damage was already done to my mind. Whenever her "committed" relationships break down, issues at work, not being able to pay the bills or food, she'd either physically or verbally lash out at me.

So... I guess you can say that I'm jealous of Rin. He never knew his real parents but had a loving foster father, an overprotective, yandere-ish, younger brother and everyone else in the Monastery. He was able to live a carefree life and didn't have to live up to anyone's expectations growing up. I've lived hell and now I'm sent to this dangerous world. A world that's much worse than my old world.

.

Oh well, I don't know why I'm here or what's going to happen to me but I know one thing.

(Rin): "I'm not wasting this opportunity."

I can't mope around forever, especially since this world is more dangerous than it seems.

(Rin): "From now on, my name is Rin Okumura. I'm gonna leave my past behind. I'll struggle against this world for the freedom I desire. Even if I have to fight against the Order who wants me dead for being Satan's son."

I smiled at my resolve and made it clear to the world what my goal was. I need to get stronger. I need to make plans to fight against the world and the story.

As I smiled, I remembered my father's words before he left me.

(Fujimoto): "Rin, once you leave the monastery, I want you to use this. There's a single number stored in its memory, it's the number of a friend of mine. I doubt you'll be able to live as you have done until this day but my friend will at least be able to protect you."

I put my right hand in my pocket, only now realising I'm still wearing the suit meant for the job interview, and brought out fathers phone. I looked at it before thinking for a bit. So this is where it all started huh. With Rin and Mephisto meeting.

This will be my first step in becoming an Exorcist. There's no password so I was able to unlock it and went to contacts straight away, there's only one number so I dialled it and waited for him to respond. I've never used a phone personally before but luckily I had Rin's memories of messing around with one of the priests' phones before.

*Ring* *Ring*

When the phone started ringing, I could hear a circus-themed ringtone coming from far away. So my hearing's increased in this body huh. He's here already too. The Demon of the Order. I wonder if he was camping here the whole time.

(From the phone): "A pleasure to meet you, Rin Okumura."

The phone call then cuts as men in black exorcist uniforms come out with their faces covered with a black neck gaiter. So these are his henchmen huh. As for the person himself…

(Mephisto): "My name is Mephisto Pheles. I am a friend of Father Fujimoto. you have my sympathies for what you have been through."

He's finally arrived huh. The man in question is wearing a white outfit that consists of a white top hat with pink and purple around the base, purple gloves, a tie that is pink with white dots, a white suit and undershirt, jester-like trousers, and pointy shoes. He also has his dark purple hair and forest green eyes and that weird goatee. Damn, he's tall.

(Rin): "So you're the person that father said will look after me?"

I stared at the demon from head to toe before responding. His smile pisses me off but I put that at the back of my head as I listen to the rest of what he said, similar to what I remember.

(Mephisto): "I am afraid that as an Honorary Knight... I have certain responsibilities. I cannot confuse personal with public interest. You are the son of Satan, therefore you must be killed before you pose a threat to humanity."

Mephisto says while twirling his umbrella around. He's not taking this seriously, huh.

(Mephisto): "You now have two options remaining for you: Allow us to kill you... Or you kill us and flee. I suppose there's also the option for you to commit suicide. Now then, which do you prefer?"

I expected as much. There's no way any sane Exorcist will let the son of Satan walk freely and live. Luckily this isn't your normal Exorcist I'm dealing with but these options piss me off a little since Mephisto is also a Demon. A high ranking one at that. I can feel my instincts telling me that I'm too weak to fight him after all.

(Rin): "I pick none of the above"

(Mephisto): "Hmm?"

I don't remember the words of canon, but I wonder if there'll be a butterfly effect? We'll see from my words I guess. Hopefully, it doesn't get me killed in the process.

(Rin): "Let me join you guys instead."

(Mephisto): "Waah?"

Did you have to overreact like that? Oh well, I need to get on his good side for now.

(Rin): "Think about it. It's a win-win situation. I get to live and you guys get another weapon to fight against the demons with. It sounds reasonable if you ask me."

I'm starting to sweat a little from negotiating. It's my first time talking to someone properly after all and it's in a life and death situation like this. This is the worst.

(Mephisto): "Hold up, are you for real, kid?"

Mephisto recovers from his shock as he looks at me in disbelief.

(Rin): "I'm about to die, aren't I? I'd rather talk it out like civilised people. And don't get me wrong, I may be Satan's child but Shiro Fujimoto is my father."

(Mephisto): "I like your guts kid. And what would you do... if you become an Exorcist?"

(Rin): "It's obvious, isn't it? I'm gonna beat Satan's ass!"

I said as I clenched my fists. The fear Rin felt at that time was also with me and the revenge burning inside him is affecting me. The original Rin was too weak to even deal with a demon king, much less Satan. I need to train.

(Mephisto): "Hahahahah, oh this is wonderful. Hahahahaha, I haven't laughed like this in ages!"

And as if he's rehearsed this, Mephisto laughs at me. I could see the background henchmen looking at me in disbelief too and some were shaking their heads. Looks like they're not professionals huh.

(Rin): "You done laughing yet? You know I'm serious about this."

Feels like I'm watching my mother make fun of my dreams again. The similarity is frustrating.

(Mephisto): "Hahaha, Satan's son as an Exorcist. Very well, I like it."

(Men in black): "Wha-? Sir Pheles...!"

And with that, I've confirmed my chances to live. The background character couldn't help but make noise from the decision but I didn't care

(Rin): "Thanks."

I said with a grin. Let's see what kind of hell this world has to offer.

(Mephisto): "However the path you have chosen is a long and treacherous one. Do you still profess on taking that route?"

(Rin): "Yeah, I promised the old man I wouldn't waste any opportunities if they're in front of me. I'll live my life and won't have any more regrets. Anyway, I can't live either as a normal human and I don't think the demon life will suit me. So... I'll just be an Exorcist. Since I won't die."

(Mephisto): "A very excellent answer, young Rin. Rest well tonight and pack your things up. Tomorrow I'll pick you up and aid you for your journey as an exorcist."

Haah, this is going to be a rocky journey, huh. But it's the start of gaining true freedom. I'm gonna enjoy how this world works.

(A/N: Alternative Titles: "Encounter with Mephisto", "The first step is always the biggest hurdle", "Man, who remembers those side characters?")

Edited by Xenoblade

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