Volume 23

Volume 23 is the twenty-third volume of the manga series, Blue Exorcist (青の祓魔師 Ao no Ekusoshisuto) by Kazue Katō. The front cover features Shiro Fujimoto.

The Story So Far
''Unknown to Rin Okumura, both human and demon blood runs in his veins. In an argument with his foster father, Father Fujimoto, Rin learns that Satan is his true father. Satan suddenly appears and tries to drag Rin down to Gehenna because Rin has inherited his power. Father Fujimoto fights to defend Rin, but dies in the process. Rin decides to become an Exorcist so he can someday defeat Satan and begins studying at the Exorcism Cram School under the instruction of his twin brother Yukio, who is already an Exorcist.''

''Rin and the others succeed in defeating the Impure King, awakened by the former exorcist, Todo. Meanwhile, Yukio fights Todo, and as the battle rages, he senses the same flame in his own eyes as his brother. Afraid, he keeps it a secret.''

''Later, mysterious events begin occurring around the globe orchestrated by a secret society known as the Illuminati. Finally, the Japanese government publicly recognizes the existence of demons.''

''In order to learn about Satan inhabiting his left eye and the secrets surrounding his birth, Yukio tells Rin goodbye and goes to join the Illuminati. Rin realizes he too must know about his birth if he ever wants to see Yukio again, so he asks Mephisto about it and receives a key for traveling into the past. Rin goes back in time and follows Shiro and Yuri in their youth and learns that their fates are harsher than he ever imagined.''

The moment when Satan will take corporeal form is approaching!

In the next volume…
''Rin's journey to the past takes him to the fateful night of his and Yukio's birth. The Knights of the True Cross prepare powerful barrier spells and sutras to deal with what is coming, but no one is really ready for what is about to happen. Back in the present, Yukio begins to come to terms with his inner flame and Lucifer bestows a gift on him. Elsewhere, Suguro and Kamiki come to a shocking realization about Shiemi, and the threads of Mephisto's web of schemes tighten even more…''

Foreword
The arc set in the past got long—and it's still going!

The month this volume comes out (in Japan) marks the ten years of Blue Exorcist!!

Blessed with support from readers and many others, the series has lasted a whole decade!!

Thank you very much!!

The end is still far away, so I hope you'll keep reading!!

Enjoy the manga!

Cast of Characters
Info below retrieved from Viz Media.

Rin Okumura Yukio Okumura Mephisto Pheles Shiro Fujimoto Yuri Egin Lucy Yang Osceola Redarm Drac Dragulesc Shemihaza Grigori Agency Richard Lincoln (Rick) Jenny Kal Goro Lucifer Amaimon
 * Born of a human mother and Satan, the God of Demons, Rin Okumura has powers he can barely control. After Satan kills Father Fujimoto, Rin's foster father, Rin decides to become an Exorcist so he can someday defeat Satan. Now a first-year student at True Cross Academy and an Exwire at the Exorcism Cram School, he hopes to someday become a Knight. When Yukio broke his Koma Sword, the power of Satan swallowed him, but Shiemi called him back to himself. He has traveled to the past to learn the circumstances surrounding his birth.
 * Rin's brother. Hoping to become a doctor, he's a genius who is the youngest student ever to become an instructor at the Exorcism Cram School. However, the flame of Satan lies in his left eye. He has begun to question the righteousness of the Knights of the True Cross and has gone to meet the Illuminati.
 * President of True Cross Academy and head of the Exorcism Cram School. He was Father Fujimoto's friend, and now he is Rin and Yukio's guardian. The number two power in Gehenna and known as Samael, King of Time.
 * The man who raised Rin and Yukio. He held the rank of Paladin, but Satan possessed him and he gave his life defending Rin. There is a possibility that he was a clone of Azazel created by Section 13, but he made a deal with Mephisto to become a Senior Exorcist First Class.
 * Rin and Yukio's mother. She was an orphan, but after she met Shiro, Asylum took her in and she became an Exorcist.
 * An Exorcist at the China Branch.
 * An Exorcist at the Mexico Branch.
 * The director of the K.R.C. Laboratory doing research into cloning for Lucifer. At the time, he went by the name of Nicolae Eminescu.
 * A Grigori, one of the Order's highest-level advisors.
 * An organization at Vatican Headquarters that assists the Grigori.
 * An Exorcist raised with Yuri at Asylum. He's a Junior Exorcist Second Class and a Tamer.
 * A girl raised at Asylum with Yuri. She becomes an Exwire and has taken a different path than Yuri and Rick.
 * A clone of Azazel created at Section 13 like Shiro. Satan possesses him.
 * Known as the King of Light, he is the highest power in Gehenna. The body he possesses is deteriorating, so Section 13 is working to extend his life.
 * Mephisto Pheles's younger brother. The seventh strongest ruler in Gehenna, who bears the title King of Earth.

Chapter List

 * Chapter 104: SsC20:20
 * Chapter 105: SsC19:21
 * Chapter 106: SsC23:17a
 * Chapter 107: SsC23:17b
 * Chapter 108: SsC23:17c

True Cross Order

 * Tsuguro Todo
 * Waro Todo

Demon

 * Iblis