Volume 18

Volume 18 is the eighteenth volume of the manga series, Blue Exorcist (青の祓魔師 Ao no Ekusoshisuto) by Kazue Katō. The front cover features Ryuji Suguro.

Blurb
Fight hellfire with hellfire!

''After dealing with the demons of Shura's past, Shura, Rin and Yukio return to True Cross Academy. While Yukio recovers from his wounds, Rin and his friends get back to their lives. But trouble is brewing as the Illuminati continue to advance their plans. Lightning launches an investigation of the Illuminati, intending to get to the bottom of things. With Suguro in tow, he delves into the archives deep below True Cross Academy, where he may uncover secrets that were buried there for a reason…''

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. A secret society known as the Illuminati is behind these incidents, and Shima is their spy. On Mephisto's orders, Shima had infiltrated the Illuminati to work as a double agent and was supplying information to both sides.''

''Mephisto informs Rin and Yukio that Shura has disappeared and orders them to find her. They find Shura near Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture but are shocked to learn that she will soon die due to a contract her ancestor entered into with the demon Hachirotaro Okami. To dissolve the contract, they confront Hachirotaro and force his retreat. However, Hachiro tries to drag Shura to sleep with him at the bottom of the lake. Rin launches an attack that he learned from Shura, but can his flame reach all the way down to Hachiro?!''

In the next volume…
''Mephisto Pheles has freed his brother Amaimon from imprisonment and set him loose on True Cross Academy to serve his own agenda. While the Exwires deal with Amaimon's surprise reappearance, Lewin Light, a.k.a. "Lightning," continues to investigate the mysterious Section 13 and its connection to the Blue Night event that seems to be the source of all the current troubles. Together they delve deep beneath True Cross Academy, shedding light on long-lost chambers shrouded in darkness and the terrible secrets that were buried there for a reason…''

Foreword
''Another school interlude is beginning, but this time it's full of tension! And mystery! And suspense! I put so much work into it I could explode!''

Enjoy volume 18!

Cast of Characters
Info below retrieved from Viz Media.

Rin Okumura Yukio Okumura Shiemi Moriyama Ryuji Suguro Renzo Shima Konekomaru Miwa Izumo Kamiki Noriko Paku Hachiro Shura Kirigakure Mephisto Pheles Arthur A. Angel Lewin Light Lucifer Igor Neuhaus Shiemi's Mother Kuro
 * 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 he draws the Koma Sword, he manifests his infernal power in the form of blue flames. He succeeded in defeating the Impure King and affirmed his determination to live with his flame.
 * 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. An instructor in Demon Pharmaceuticals, he possesses the titles of Doctor and Dragoon. Todo told him that his true nature is that of a demon.
 * Daughter of the owner of Futsumaya, an Exorcist supply shop. She possesses the ability to become a Tamer and can summon a baby Greenman named Nee. She passed the high school entrance exam, so now she is a classmate of Rin and the others.
 * Heir to the venerable Buddhist sect known as Myodha in Kyoto. He is an Exwire who hopes to become an Exorcist someday so he can reestablish his family's temple, which fell on hard times after the Blue Night. He wants to achieve the titles of Dragoon and Aria.
 * Once a pupil of Suguro's father and now Suguro's friend. Currently, he is a double agent providing information to both the Illuminati and the Knights of the True Cross.
 * He was once a pupil of Suguro's father and is now Suguro's friend. He's an Exwire who hopes to become an Exorcist someday. He is small in size and has a quiet and composed personality.
 * An Exwire with the blood of shrine maidens. She has the ability to become a Tamer and can summon two white foxes. The Illuminati has taken her captive, but with help from Rin and the others, she escaped and settled her grudge against the insane professor Gedōin.
 * An old friend of Kamiki. The two girls joined the Exorcism Cram School together, but Paku dropped out when she couldn't keep up. Now she takes classes in the general curriculum at True Cross Academy Private High School.
 * Hachirotaro Okami, the Dragon God. He is a super high-level Hydra demon who possesses strong divine power and ability to regenerate, making him nearly immortal. He and Shura's ancestor entered a contract whereby he would provide a Fang sword in return for its bearer's death at the age of 30.
 * An upper-rank special investigator dispatched by Vatican Headquarters to True Cross Academy. A Senior Exorcist First Class who holds the titles of Knight, Tamer, Doctor and Aria. She used to be Father Fujimoto's pupil.
 * 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.
 * A Senior Exorcist First Class and the current Paladin. He wields the demon sword Caliban and is certain that Rin, as the bearer of Satan's blood, should be destroyed.
 * An Arch Knight, he is Arthur's right-hand man as well as number two in the Order. An expert in Arias and summoning, he goes by the nickname "Lightning." He is currently stationed at the Japan Branch to investigate the Illuminati.
 * Commander-in-Chief of the Illuminati. Known as the King of Light, he is the highest power in Gehenna. He plans to resurrect Satan and merge Assiah and Gehenna into one.
 * A Senior Exorcist First Class who holds the titles of Tamer, Doctor and Aria. After the tried to Kill Rin, the Order suspended him.
 * Owner of Futsumaya. She tends a garden left by her mother and watches over her dauhter, Shiemi, who has begun attendiing the Exorcism Cram School.
 * A Cat Sidhe who was once Shiro's familiar. After Shiro's death, he began turning back into a demon. Rin saved him, and now the two are practically inseparable. His favorite drink is the catnip wine Shiro used to make.

Chapter List

 * Chapter 79: I Will Return「私は帰ります Watashi wa Kaerimasu」
 * Chapter 80: Ah, Aomori Winter Scenery「ああ 青森冬景色 Ā Aomori Fuyu Geshiki」
 * Chapter 81: Rhizome「地下茎 Chikakei」
 * Chapter 82: Awakening「啓蟄 Keichitsu」
 * Chapter 83: Sprout「萌芽 Hōga」
 * Bonus:
 * Blue Questorcist Q&A
 * Fan Art Corner

True Cross Order

 * Tadashi Misumi

Trivia

 * The Japanese version was also released as a limited edition, featuring a drama CD titled "Money・Money・Money" which is an audio adaptation of the chapter of the same name from the Ao no Exorcist Bloody Fairytale novel.