Volume 9

Volume 9 is the ninth volume of the manga series, Blue Exorcist (青の祓魔師 Ao no Ekusoshisuto) by Kazue Katō. The front cover features Shura Kirigakure.

Blurb
Fight hellfire with hellfire!

''All of Rin's friends have done their best to hold off the deadly Impure King so Rin can confront it. Now it's entirely up to Rin to finish off the gigantic demon. Although Rin has finally drawn the Koma sword and found his confidence, that alone may not be enough to defeat the Impure King! And Yukio's battle with the possessed Saburota Todo may have awakened something dark deep within him.''

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.''

On day, they learn that someone has stolen the left eye of the Impure King from the academy's Deep Keep.

''Rin and the others go to the Kyoto Field Office of the Knights of the True Cross to assist in the defense of the Right Eye of the Impure King. When they arrive, they learn that almost half of the combatants there belong to a religious sect named Myo-o Dharani and their leader is Ryuji's father, High Priest Tatsuma Suguro.''

''Todo, a former Exorcist, stole the Left Eye and then tricked Mamushi, who belongs to the Hojo family of Myodha archpriests, into giving him the Right Eye. Todo then uses the eyes to awaken the Impure King and seize the power of Tatsuma's familiar, Karura.''

''Meanwhile, Rin uses his forbidden flame, causing the Order to imprison him. After his friends break him out, they all prepare to face the Impure King, who has finally revealed its true form. Ryuji receives the power to erect a barrier from his father Tatsuma, but there's very litte time. Rin finally draws the Koma Sword and confronts and Impure King!!''

In the next volume…
''The Impure King was defeated in Kyoto, but halfway around the world, another powerful demon rises that may have some connection to events in Japan. As the Vatican scrambles to respond, the enigmatic Mephisto Pheles continues to plot and scheme. Meanwhile, Rin tries to make friends outside the Exorcist cram school, though escaping his infernal birthright may be forever out of reach.''

Foreword
''The long Kyoto/Impure King arc ends this volume! I feel like self-study just might have paid off in slightly better pseudo-Kyoto dialect!''

On to volume 9!

Cast of Characters
Info below retrieved from Viz Media.

Knights of the True Cross
Rin Okumura Yukio Okumura Shiemi Moriyama Ryuji Suguro Renzo Shima Konekomaru Miwa Izumo Kamiki Shura Kirigakure Mephisto Pheles Shiro Fujimoto Kuro Tatsuma Suguro Torako Suguro Yaozo Shima Juzo Shima Kinzo Shima Uwabami Hojo Mamushi Hojo
 * 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 lost confidence and couldn't draw his sword anymore, but during a fight against the Impure King, he resolved his internal conflict.
 * 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. Inspired by Rin and Yukio, she became an Exwire and hopes to someday become an Exorcist. She has the ability to become a Tamer and can summon a baby Greenman.
 * 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. He's an Exwire who wants to become an Aria. He has an easygoing personality and is totally girl-crazy.
 * Like Shima, 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 quite 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.
 * 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.
 * 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. He plans to turn Rin into a weapon to use in the fight against Satan.
 * The man who raised Rin and Yukio. He held the rank of Paladin and once taught Demon Pharmaceuticals. Satan possessed him and he gave his life defending Rin.
 * 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.
 * Ryuji's father and the leader of Myodha. While keeping the secret that was the price of his contract with Karura, he developed the technique called Aeon Wave Flame for defeating the Impure King. He has transferred the flame to Ryuji and asked him to subdue the Impure King.
 * Ryuji's mother. She runs the Toraya Inn and secretly uses the proceeds from it to prop up the family temple.
 * Renzo's father. A Senior Buddhist Exorcist First Class holding the classifications of Knight and Aria. In Myodha, he is an archpriest, one rank beneath Tatsuma.
 * Second son of the Shima family. A Senior Buddhist Exorcist Second Class holding the classifications of Knight and Aria. He looks cool and collected on the outside but is actually short-tempered.
 * The fourth son of the Shima family. An Intermediate Buddhist Exorcist Second Class holding the classifications of Knight and Aria. Like Juzo, he's always ready for a fight.
 * A Senior Buddhist Exorcist First Class holding the classifications of Tamer and Aria. Like Yaozo, he is an archpriest and helps lead the Myodha sect.
 * An Intermediate Buddhist Exorcist First Class holding the classifications of Tamer and Aria. Todo preyed upon her worry about the future of Myodha and tricked her into cooperating with him.

Demon
Saburota Todo
 * Todo comes from an honorable family that has supplied the Order with Exorcists for generations. However, he has joined the demons and awakened the Impure King. Since a fight with Yukio, he has been in hiding.

Chapter List

 * Chapter 33: Obliterate「砕破 Saiha」
 * Chapter 34: Wrapping Things Up「事の結び Koto no Musubi」
 * Chapter 35: The Sea is Vast and Wide「海は広いな大きいし Umi wa Hiroi na Ōkii shi」
 * Chapter 36: Gone with the Blue Waves「青い波ゆれてどこまで Aoi Nami Yure te Doko Made」
 * Chapter 37: The Moon Falls and the Sun Rises「月は沈むし日も昇る Tsuki wa Shizumu shi Hi mo Noboru」
 * Bonuses:
 * 4-koma Special
 * Illustrated Guide to Satan
 * Blue Exorcist Live Act Comic

Demons

 * Amatsumi Hiko