Sometimes to defeat an enemy, you need to look into the past, a piece of advice that Hades Izanami took to heart. For all her intentions to destroy the world in the present and create her perfect world of death, she was still no step closer to achieving this goal.
True, steps in the right direction had been taken but with the myriad of differing worms squirming around to stop the end of the world, she was forced to look for new allies. Not that the current ones weren't good enough. Despite treachery and disloyalty, she still made the best of use of the four puppets at her disposal.
But with Terumi showing enough signs of treachery, Nine's attempts to break free and resist her commands and Relius being far more interested in endless experimentations that went nowhere, she desired someone that could obey her without question and be as deadly as she needed them to be to take care of the ones that dared to rebel against her.
Scouring over history she took note of several powerful individuals… but most of them were treacherous or unable to calculate their moves and ideas. Others were cowards letting their own puppets fight for them whilst they hid behind walls of stone or concrete. Yet, history wielded many individuals that could be put to good use.
As such her glance fell onto Europe of the late 14th century. Wars were fought between many countries to gain supremacy as many mercenaries and assassin guilds attempted to make use of it. However one war wasn't fought against a country, yet an individual, a demonic entity of unknown evil. The Azure Knight who was better known as Nightmare.
This individual, strong as he might be wasn't the one she was attracted to. As she knew from own experience a powerful dark light draws many moths to it and only the strongest moths would survive eventually. One moth was not only powerful enough to stand as his second in command but also after his downfall continue her own schemes and showed great loyalty to the being of sorts…
Her loyalty was however far more shown to the sword he wielded. Perhaps it was the key to his real strength? Izanami cared not for the being however but only for the girl that had worked her way from a lowlife nothing with no true name to be the second of one of history's greatest evils. The assassin simply known as Tira would be of good use to her.
Thus she decided that a recruitment of this one individual was in place. Perhaps she needed some sweet words to trick the girl into servitude or give her something in return to gain her loyalty. Whatever was needed wasn't beyond her. She just needed loyalty and someone who desired to watch the world die just as well, something that the girl already harbored inside of her.
"What's this dump you taken me to?" was the first thing Hazama asked the Imperator after they had traveled back in time in the middle of a green luscious forest. "It's so green and blooming with life here, it's sickening to the very core!"
"Indeed." Izanami only dryly replied, having doubts on having taken Hazama along with her. The only reason she could think of was to right away give the girl someone else to partner with. A choice that could prove a mistake but in the end that was of little consequence. As fast as she could travel back and forth, so easy it was just as well to take certain lives. Sometimes with a snap of fingers, other times with different means.
"Seriously, what the fuck are we doing here?! Don't you think I have anything better to do?!" he said as he kept up a very angry and displeased tone having to go along with this. "It be nice if you once in your dead beat dreary life told me what the hell you wanted."
"If you'll be quiet you'll see soon enough." Izanami told him without even losing temper once from the insults thrown at her head. She knew Hazama was just saying this for the heck of it and to trigger her. However, after enough time one would even get used to his very remarks and rude words up to the point she didn't even phase from it.
Hazama only crossed his arms and looked away like a spoiled child as he kept quiet knowing that there was no fun in pushing his boss. She remained calm, having become too used to his actions and words. In a way it started to irritate him.
Luckily for him he didn't need to wait much longer as out of the bushes suddenly a girl jumped out, covered in blood as she had an eerie smile on her face before it suddenly vanished seeing the two strangely dressed people in front of her. "Who the hell are you two? How did you find my little hide out?"
Izanami only raised a single hand with a disturbing smile on her face as she observed the girl. It was indeed the one they had been waiting for, the girl that she had chosen to join them.
"I'm dreadfully sorry to barge in with my… accomplice like this…" she began carefully as Tira eyed both of them. Already Izanami guessed gears in her mind were working overtime to see where to best cut them down. Then she would be in for quite the surprise.
"Wow… accomplice… that's the nicest thing you ever said about me…" Hazama mumbled behind her as he just as well eyed Tira, curious why they had arrived here. Did Izanami really seek to take this girl as well under her wing? What depraved being did she have to be to deserve that?
"Right, well if you could also barge out I might forget this ever happened." Tira said with a slight grin on her face, seeing two to be dead soon bodies in front of her. She cared not where they came from, but if they were going to talk, people were going to hunt her down… and that was some shit she couldn't have anymore. Years of spending working for a demonic entity made sure people hated you.
"Would you first instead listen to what we have to offer? It is rather rude to ignore us like this and plotting to kill us." Izanami told her in a deadpan voice, showing she already knew what Tira was planning as the girl stared in slight surprise, her voice taking a sudden turn towards a much raspier sounding one.
"How would you know that bitch?" she asked as she grit her teeth against one another as Hazama couldn't help but smile at the sight of another being standing up against his bitchy boss. It was actually sort of funny to see it in action instead of doing it yourself.
Izanami instead looked with her unwavering look right at Tira as the girl stared back, just as defiant as before as she narrowed her eyes, waiting for the moment the woman would make a move to counter it right away. The tension was rising between the two, unwilling to waver but for a moment.
"I would wish for you to work with us… your expertise and power is something we could use…" Izanami finally said ignoring Tira's question now all together as the girl instead softened up again, curious about what she was being offered.
"Alright, now you've got my attention… if it includes killing I'm always up for something." Tira told Izanami with a smile as she thought that if that was what she wanted, she could get it. It would be good to get back in some old groove, having someone that needed her to kill… that was good for her.
Izanami gave a small nod, content to see the girl was finally listening to her as Hazama behind her just looked between her and Tira unsure what had just happened. One minute it looked like they might rip each other apart and the next she offered the prospect of murder and that seemed to win the assassin quickly over.
"It does up to a point… I have some people I wish to rid myself off and my… accomplices… are seemingly not enough." Izanami explained as she could hear the gritting of teeth behind her as Hazama just as well kicked some dirt up as he was clearly not enjoying hearing he was simply bad at his job, even if she didn't take all of his accomplishments in mind.
"Aw, I take it your bad boy is just simply not enough." Tira said with a grin seeing the pissed off Hazama, taking a quick moment to taunt him and make fun of him.
Hazama narrowed his eyes as he looked at her, his yellow eyes filled with hatred before he simply shrugged. "Heh, coming from the top dog of some demonic being… how well did that go for you bitch?" he asked with a smirk as Tira simply shrugged as well.
"Terumi, that is quite enough." Izanami quickly intervened as she turned for the first time to actually glance at him as Hazama smirked and simply shrugged at her, not really giving that much of a crap about what she thought again, but decided to still listen to her.
Turning back to Tira, Izanami saw the girl was hardly fazed from what Hazama had said to her, taking that either she was tougher than she looked… or used to being called out like this.
"Is there something you wish in return for your service to me?" Izanami asked curious if the girl needed something. It was better to her if she didn't but usually it helped to give something to strengthen their loyalty to her, though as she had found out, enough of them took that to eventually begin their treacherous ways against her.
Taking a moment to think about it, Tira shook her head, thinking it was unneeded to ask for anything. "Just make sure I get to fight enough enemies. Oh and they should be at least a bit strong… and if I see something I like, I get to keep it, like a momma bird to keep her little chicks." she said with a smile as she cocked her head as Izanami only nodded her head to agree to the terms.
"Very well… everything you wish can be yours." she told her calmly as Hazama behind her made some stammering noises, clearly upset with the deal as Tira in reply stuck her tongue out at him with a big grin.
"Now, we shouldn't delay anymore… Terumi." Izanami said as she turned to Hazama who quickly composed himself again, but still had a good leering glare in his eyes at the goddess. "I trust you will do your best to work her in." Izanami continued as both he and Tira looked at each other, clearly not enjoying to be forced to work together for now.
"Yeah, wait one fucking second with that." Hazama right away protested against Izanami as the goddess just stared at him with a bored expression. "I'm not going to do babysitting. Let Relius do the sitting instead! He has a kid already because he couldn't keep it in his pants!" he roared out at her not wanting to spend a minute lecturing Tira around as the girl instead grinning mischievously at the guy who was trying his best to avoid her.
"Orders are orders Terumi. You'd do well to remember that." Izanami only spoke in her dry voice as she turned and opened a portal for the three to leave as Hazama turned to look at Tira.
"Well, first thing as an introduction, I already want to say I hate you and I think at the end of the day I will have ripped your heart out!" Hazama proclaimed at her with a grin as he stared at her as Tira simply shrugged.
"Can't rip out what I don't have!" Tira simply joyfully replied as she skipped behind Izanami leaving Hazama with a slight disappointment again. He hated to admit it… but this might be fun after all.
To Tira's surprise when she exited the portal she was left alone with Hazama right inside the Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi, looking around in amazement at every sight and sound she could see and felt like a little kid in a toy shop.
"Well, this is where we work." Hazama said as he looked at Tira, already feeling good enough to just leave her well alone but knew that somewhere Izanami was paying attention the two for at least now. It was better to keep following his orders for now until he found a way to get out under it.
"It looks so… weird…" Tira said as she was slowly swallowing the massive culture shock of the far future into her throat. To someone from the far past it was a bit too much all to take in as she was looking at it with big eyes at every building and person that passed by her gaze.
"Yeah… you get used to it." Hazama told her as he smirked before he grinned a bit. "That is unless beastkin or cat people aren't normal in your time of day." he added to it curious to her reaction as she turned to look at him.
"Eh… we got vengeful pirate ghosts, ninja's, demons, vampires, lizardman, clay giants, iron giants and every sort of in between." Tira told him with a smirk as she wasn't worried about anything the city was going to throw at her or what her new ally was going to throw at her.
Tilting his head slightly over his eyes, Hazama's trademark grin grew to solid size from cheek to cheek. Vampires eh? Maybe there was a small opportunity to take with that. He wanted to deal with that vampire bitch for a long time already. But perhaps it was better to first find her someone she could work in with. Someone not too strong but yet not too weak in that regard as well… but who had no guts to probably finish her off as well.
His mind already wandered to one single traitor from the NOL, Noel Vermilion. After having failed to make good use of her, much to Izanami's chagrin, she had been on the run and now it was time to smoke the rabbit out and give her a good match up to begin with.
Given that she was probably still scared of using her full power anyway this would be making things even easier for her… well, up to a level. It was also useful to him to see how powerful she was and if he could use her to finally take out the vampire bitch.
"Well, that's all interesting but it's worth shit if you can't even put up a small decent fight." Hazama remarked as he shifted his hat up to look back at Tira as the girl frowned and next hissed her words at him.
"I was already fighting when you were just a small baby mewing and crying for your mother!" she told him in a raspy hate filled voice at the fact that he dared to doubt her from his mere sight at her as he quickly threw up his hand in defense.
"Whoah there sport. I didn't say you suck. I just need you to show me you don't suck and thankfully I know the place where you can show me you don't suck like a little bitchy schoolgirl!" he replied quickly in his usual way to avoid conflict and yet throw out enough insults at the same time.
"Oh… well that does make sense." Tira said as she nodded her head with an eager smile ready to see who she was going to kill as Hazama thought about where he would hide if he was Noel and the most likely place was where all traitors had ran off. To either the traitor general or better, the half cat bitch of sector seven.
"I will need to do a bit of research… where my little training dummy ran off to hide." Hazama stated as Tira simply looked around and then pointed at someone in the crowd.
"How about the red guy over there? He's got a big sword and looks tough enough." Tira asked with a grin as Hazama stared down as well to look who she meant as his smile stretched out even wider.
Yeah, Ragna could provide just the right challenge to see if this doll had what she needed or would break instantly.
"By all means, you go right ahead and arrest the most dangerous criminal we got lined up for you." Hazama told her as he graciously bowed and smirked at her. "But he probably might slam your ass into next Thursday and unless you enjoy the damn beating… I suggest you keep your fucking idiocy to yourself."
"So that's a yes?" Tira asked with a smile as she hopped ahead and grinned. "Because I'm just aching for a good fight!" she followed up on it as she next smiled, gave a wave to him and next jumped off from the top of the building, before she graciously landed on the ground, right on her feet.
"Impressive. No broken bones so far…" Hazama only remarked as he sat down and began counting when he needed to intervene on her behalf.
Ragna had just been minding his own business as usual as he strode through the streets of Kagutsuchi. He already knew that being out in the open wasn't a good thing as usual but with the massive bounty on his head it also meant people usually left him alone, something that he appreciated a lot.
He already had ran into enough annoying retards to mess up his day. First that stupid idiotic cat Taokaka, that dumb little fuck Carl and to top it all off having to face off again with Tsubaki. If anything, he hoped he wasn't going to run into any more people for the rest of the entire day.
Sadly for him his bad luck was just about to mess that up.
"Oi, red guy!" A girl with messed up pigtails and a strange sense of clothing with strange white skin was walking up to him, carrying an even weirder weapon in her hand.
"Fuck off. I have no time." Ragna said quickly as he tried to move quicker through the crowd, wanting to try and avoid her as best as he could.
"Yeah, no dice mister!" the girl replied as she quickly strode in front of him as she had a pretty damn insane smile on her face. "I need someone to have a good fight with and you are right now the one who is going to preform my kind of entertainment!"
"Like hell!" Ragna yelled at her as he stared at her, his eyes sparking with anger and hatred. "Just leave me alone! I already have a shit day without you needing to make it worse!"
"Alright, listen here bastard!" the girl suddenly yelled at him with a much raspier voice as she suddenly pushed him back. Ragna had to admit, she was stronger than she looked like… "I said I wanted to fight you and you're not going to ignore me… because if you do I will rip your stomach out to shove it down your damn throat!"
The fuck was wrong with this girl? Was she so hell bend on fighting him that she just dared him in the most nonsensical way? Well, if she needed a good beating to clear that idiotic head of hers…
"Fine then bitch." Ragna only replied as he took Bloodedge in hand and stared at her with a defiant angry glare before he right away rushed at her. Before he could even land a single slash of his large sword, the girl already jumped over him as he realized too late his mistake when she kicked him in his back.
"Come on, at least put some effort in it." The girl now playfully taunted him as Ragna quickly got back up. Now he was pissed.
"You little bitch!" he roared in anger as he rushed right up to her. Before she had time to react he grabbed her throat and viciously threw her into the wall before rushing once more up to her ready to cleave her in two.
"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" she yelled in response as she quickly dove under him as Ragna's sword struck the wall, cleaving the stone in two as she was already behind him, smacking her blade against his side.
"A bit slow… but powerful enough." She remarked next as Ragna pulled Bloodedge free and slammed the blade against the girl before right away trying to smash it into her.
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" he roared in anger as he slashed across of her as she blocked most of his slashes with her own ringblade with a smirk before she let her guard down for one minute and the blade slammed into her.
Ragna took finally a moment to process everything that was happening as he looked at the girl who had the blade slammed into her as she instead grabbed it and pulled it out of her. Gone was her smile, gone was the happy expression… now he had pissed her off.
"You dirty idiot…" she hissed as she next slammed her leg right against his lap as Ragna nearly crashed down from the impact of the hit, only managing to keep his balance for a moment before she brought her blade down again, slashing him across his chest. "DAMN YOU!" she yelled as next a flurry of slashes followed as Ragna held Bloodedge in front of him.
Damn, she got him… he felt already blood pouring over his black shit. He just had no time to do anything about it right now. He had to deal with this crazy bitch first.
That was going to be rather hard as she showed little sign of slowing down. He still kept up his guard as he just had to find an opening during her vicious barrage of attacks. However, he knew right away what he had to do as he instead kicked her against her legs.
The girl nearly lost her footing as she quickly recovered though but that small moment was all Ragna needed to land a solid punch on her face. Stumbling back again the girl gritted her teeth, audibly, as she punched Ragna next in his face right onto his nose.
"BASTARD!" she yelled angrily at him as Ragna held his nose as he felt blood seeping out from it as well. Damn, this bitch was a lot tougher than he had given her credit initially as he wiped the blood quickly away.
He knew he had cut her… that was still visible, a large cut across the girl's stomach visible for all to see. But there was no blood, not even a single drop of it. She wasn't human… she was one of Izanami's newest slaves.
With that knowledge he once more rushed forward, his hand slamming right into the girl's face as he punched her down. Before she could get up again, he kicked her stomach, kicking the air out of her lungs as she groaned in extreme pain.
He tried to slam Bloodedge once more into her before suddenly the giant sword was blocked by a small butterfly knife as the man in front of him grinned madly.
"Ho, Raggie… is that anyway of treating a lady? What, you wanted to slam your sword even harder into her?!" Hazama asked Ragna as he grinned as he instead gritted his teeth and jumped away.
"Terumi, you son of a bitch, what the hell are you doing here?!" Ragna asked as he was ready for a round two, although he felt the pain and blood loss slowly beginning to catch up to him.
"Ho please, not like this!" Hazama replied cheerfully as he helped Tira back up and tipped his hat at her only causing the girl to snarl at him as she quickly also grabbed her ringblade. "I'm just taking the rookie with me again and we'll forget this happened before I send you crying for mommy… oh wait… that's impossible."
"TERUMI!" Ragna roared as he once more came rushing towards him but before he could land a blow his head slammed right into Tira's leg as he fell onto the ground. Damn, too sloppy again.
Before he could get up, Tira slammed her feet onto his hands as she smirked and held her ringblade above him. "Time to finish this pig!" she yelled with a mix of anger and happiness before Hazama pulled her off from him.
"Yeah, sweet stuff, two things. One, I said we already were going! Show's over, you done good… for a starter!" Hazama said as he next slipped his knife under her throat so they were looking at each other. "Secondly… don't you dare fucking kill him! I will be the one to end that little fuck nugget and I will do it when I fucking want to!" he said in an angry voice as for a first Tira was intimidated by him.
"Yes sir…" she answered him as she looked down as he next petted her on the head and turned back to look over Ragna.
"Why Raggie, you look rather…down and out… and like a piece of shit… go and rest up and then come back for a rematch… if we're around for you!" Hazama only replied as he grabbed Tira and as soon as they had arrived they left again.
As quick as they had appeared on the scene just as quick they had suddenly left. Ragna didn't really progress all of it as he slowly tried to get back on his feet. Damn, he got jabbed rather badly. He first needed some treatment… after that…
Well, that was a worry for later. He would eventually need to also start worrying about Terumi's bitch. That girl was lethal and insane enough to try and kill him.
He would need to be better prepared for her in the future.
It had been a few hours after her fight with Ragna as Tira gazed from between her wound to Hazama as he seemed not too terribly interested in her well-being. Not that she really cared about what he had to say anymore.
Come to think at it, they hadn't said anything since they had left Ragna to bleed out in the streets. Probably the dog found a way to live another day, but that meant very little to Tira who once more looked at the back of Hazama.
"Hey, I could have killed him!" she finally uttered breaking the silence as Hazama made no response to it. "Just a simple slash over his throat and he would be a corpse to mount on the wall for all intents and purposes."
Finally Hazama slowly turned to her as he glared at her intently as Tira just right away shut up again, knowing that perhaps it was better not to talk at all than to have him like this.
"If I hadn't stepped in to save your carcass it would be you that I mounted on the wall as the world's biggest imbecile!" Hazama finally replied as he looked at her as Tira shrugged. Another insult… but he seemed a bit more meaningful with this one. No idea why he was this upset… until she finally realized.
"You're just upset to be playing the white knight, huh?" Tira asked with a slight grin as Hazama nearly let out an audible hiss not even liking the fact that she dared to joke about that.
"Come on, don't be that upset about it." Tira said as she smiled getting up and walked up to Hazama as he quickly turned his back again at her, not wanting to give her another chance to taunt her with this as she slowly slide her hands over his chest now. "I should probably properly thank you."
The change in voice seemed to perk Hazama up as now the jolly voice took a much sweeter and malignant tone as if the woman was trying to seduce him. Slowly he turned around with a big grin on his face as he looked right into her eyes.
"I know what you're trying to do harpy…" he whispered as he grinned at her pulling her in closer as he now whispered into her ear. "But you'll have to try very hard to win me over you little bitch."
Tira giggled in response as she softly hugged him in response and licked her lips. "Harpy… I like the sound of that." She told him as she drew closer to him before he finally slipped a finger onto her lips as he smirked.
"Nope… if you want that you need to start earning it." he told her as he grinned and next pushed her away again. "I was already impressed by how you were able to stand up long enough against Raggie, but now… now it's time for the big main event." he told her as he took a more artistic approach to it as Tira nodded and sat down eager to listen to him.
"See, we got a vampire here too. A real bitch that one. Keeps trying to support Raggie and mess up my plans for so long I have gotten irritated with her unlike anyone else. Granted, you come close but she's bitch number one above the rest!" he explained to her as he smiled taking the time to make dramatic poses just for the heck of it during his explanation.
"The best thing… she's not really that great of a vampire. Sucks no blood, hardly does any killing, walks around in the sun like she doesn't care…" he continued as by now Tira just got more and more annoyed by what she heard alone.
"Bloodsuckers… I hate all of them. Granted, we only had two and they weren't even that great." She told him as she twirled one of her pigtails in her fingers and smirked.
"Yes… now… as you have proven with your… inability to bleed like a normal person, I need to conclude that you too aren't human… and from what I gathered no vampire or werewolf at that." Hazama continued as he smirked pointing at Tira as she smirked, a cruel delighted smile spreading over her face.
"What do you think I am?" Tira asked him as she swayed from left to right where she sat as Hazama began to laugh knowing exactly what she was.
"You?! You're a demon yourself. Probably some Succubus or something…" he said as he finally adjusted again as Tira shrugged and gave a nod.
"It's the truth…" she said as she smiled leaning her head on top of her hands as she looked at Hazama with a delighted grin. "And you got an idea for that?"
"I got an idea how to properly torture that vampire bitch for all those long years that she's been a pain in my ass. It's time that you my dear sweet harpy, fucked her brain enough to your heart's content."
Rachel was utterly bored. It had been a while since she arrived in Kagatsuchi and had tried to find something to entertain herself with. Sadly, nothing seemed to be able to hold her interest for that long as she now sat lazily in a quiet corner of the city, sipping tea on top of Nago who had formed into a chair.
She still sat, sipping tea in quiet as she wondered if there was anything to do. It was unlike the Imperator to keep quiet for this long and especially for Terumi. He would already have tried by now to taunt her twenty times for being a short little brat. As if that brute knew any better.
Whilst she had decided not to concern herself with it, it still gnawed at her mind in the back of her head. As if something terrible was about to happen… and sure enough.
"PRINCESS, I'm getting bored here…" Gii whined at Rachel as she sighed and looked at him before grabbing the small red bat creature.
"Gii, I already told you not to disturb me with your uncalled speech whilst I'm drinking tea." Rachel explained calmly as she next began to pull violently onto the bat as it groaned in pain, clearly not enjoy it.
"Yes Gii, why don't you behave and be quiet?" Nago chimed in as well and in reply got a sharp kick from Rachel into his stomach.
"That goes too for you Nago." Rachel told him in a strict voice as she let go of the small red bat as it quickly fluttered away again, glad to be out of the reach of the vampire.
Not too far away from where Rachel still sat, Tira and Hazama looked on as Tira just looked from Rachel to Hazama as if he was serious that the twelve year old on the weird giant cat shaped cushion was the target.
"Yeah, blink a few good times with your crow eyes, that is indeed the target." Hazama said with a grin as he sat looking at Tira already finding this amusing.
"You have to be kidding. That little brat is the cause of all your misery?" she asked as she stared back at Rachel and smiled slightly. "Poor girl, horrible fashion sense… I should probably take her under my wings…"
"Wait… what?" Hazama quickly asked as he looked at Tira as if she was serious on those words. He had wanted her to mess with her brain, but nothing more than that really… but slowly the idea dawned on him that it would be ultimate punishment that their biggest enemy would be their greatest aid.
"You heard me snake boy." Tira said as she smiled as she got up. "Just sit back and enjoy the show."
Rachel in the meantime was still sipping her tea gently, as she felt like she was about to doze off before Tira landed not too far away right in front of her, right on her feet again as she smiled at Rachel.
"Hey there little girl, aren't you a little small to be out alone?" she asked Rachel with a grin as the vampire in reply just pocketed her cup away as she slowly got up from Nago who slowly reformed back into a black cat.
"That is very rude of you. I am quite capable of looking out for myself and you have kept me waiting for long enough." Rachel replied as she looked at her dress to make sure she was at least presentable. "I know you were up there with your little friend, Terumi. I just anticipated you would have come down faster than that."
Tira stood dumbfounded as she looked at how the little girl with few words had just left her nearly speechless. Instead of an ambush she was expecting them all this time and she was even backhanding her remarks with extreme grace.
"Now listen here you brat!" Tira spoke as she raised her voice with a smile. "I don't care if I keep you waiting. Maybe I just don't want to fight you at all!"
"Than what is the point of being here?" Rachel remarked again with her usual calm voice. "If you have no business with me, you wouldn't be here… and if you're evil plan is to horribly waste my time and bore me to death you are doing a good job at that so far."
Tira just had to keep holding herself back. This brat was in no way going to push all of her buttons. Not in a million years. But even so… she was slowly starting to get more and more annoyed with her, rather than the other way around.
"You talk far too much snobbish brat." Tira finally told her as she held her ringblade in her hand and pointed it next at Rachel. "I would prefer my little girls to be silent."
'My little girl'? Rachel wondered what she had meant with those exact words. If this girl sought to claim her, there was little thinking in that that was going to happen. Instead she held out her hand as she smiled at Tira.
"It seems you are the one instead who needs some manners." she said back to her as Nago and Gii looked at Rachel and back at Tira.
"Yes, you horrible brutish tramp." Nago said with a proud smile as Rachel had a mind to give him a thwack over his nose before Gii spoke quickly after that.
"There's no way the princess is going to be intimidated by a runaway circus freak!" Gii yelled happily as Tira as it earned him a rightful smack from Rachel.
"I wish to show this girl some manners Gii. You're not helping me in this way." she said as the small red bat quickly fluttered behind Rachel saying many times how sorry he was for saying that.
Tira just shrugged as she got rather tired by the entire charade before her as she kicked her ringblade into the air before catching it and grinned right at Rachel.
"I'll just have to first take care of your pets then. After that, we'll have a good talk to each other little girl of mine." she told Rachel as again in her mind, something seemed off to that tone as she frowned for a moment.
"PETS?! I take offensive to just be labeled as some common house cat!" Nago shouted in disgust as he looked rather angry before Rachel held out her hand for him to transform into a parasol.
"I will have to teach you also some knowledge apparently since you enjoy spouting nonsense with that thing you call a mouth." Rachel said as she smiled again and stepped forward. "Enough talk now, let's begin our dance."
Before Rachel knew what she got herself into, Tira already sped up to her. The vampire girl tried to fly out of the way but quickly enough the first hit wasn't intended for her but instead for the small red bat as she kicked it right out of the air as it soared into the wall and next slid down it, clearly muttering and groaning in pain before slumping down.
"That's one pet down. Now for the shapeshifiting kitty!" Tira yelled happily but right away was forced into the defense as Rachel swung Nago like a sword against her own blade.
"It will not be that easy child. I have danced to this tune a good amount and am quite skilled in it." Rachel only told Tira as she forced the assassin back into defense as she smiled slightly.
Taking this moment to fly back, she stood back as Nago, turned into a giant form of itself and shot out upper cutting Tira before the girl truly knew what was going on. She stumbled onto her legs before she grinned and looked at Rachel.
"That's neat, what else does it do?" she asked curiously as Rachel just stared in surprise that the attack didn't really faze her but also didn't seem to have really hurt her. Clearly she had underestimated her foe. A deadly thing, but still she was sure she wouldn't be too much of a problem.
"Well, if you wish for that." Rachel smirked to herself as she smiled as Nago now turned into a sword before rushing over towards Tira.
Before the sword could hit the mark, Tira gracefully only jumped over it as Rachel's eyes widened in surprise, especially after what happened next.
Before Nago could return back to Rachel, Tira grabbed the sword and slammed it into the sword, slamming it far enough into it to make sure it was stuck into it as she laughed and turned to Rachel. "That makes two."
Rachel sighed and shook her head as Nago muffled some words into the ground that were akin to an apology as he tried to pull himself out to no avail. "Congratulations. You made this quite spectacular… but I'm far from done. I could if I want just swipe you away… but I will grace you still with a proper fight even after this dirty performance." Rachel stated as she smiled at Tira.
Tira instead just grinned and shook her head and just looked at Rachel with a big smile. "You know… you try too hard to sound like an adult." she remarked causing Rachel to frown again. Why was this girl making such an impact on her?
She had never been fazed before by any words, the many insults that Ragna threw at her, that incredible frustrating brat from Sector Seven and even Terumi himself had never managed to even get her to lose her composure once. This however was different. Somehow the words of this girl seemed to have an impact on her… and she didn't enjoy that.
"I speak as my age allows me." Rachel countered as she huffed slightly crossing her arms as Tira instead laughed at her.
"Oh poor little baby… what's wrong with you? Did you never get enough hugs?" Tira asked before she suddenly gasped and looked distressed at Rachel. "Is it because… you never had a mother?"
That last question finally seemed to do something in Rachel's mind. She was trying to still figure out why her words seemed to affect her harshly but she was unable to really pinpoint it. She only knew the girl wasn't human and that she had clearly made a mistake.
"I don't wish to talk about that… I thought you wanted to fight me." Rachel said, trying to hide the fact she was slowly losing her composure as Tira grinned knowing she was getting under her skin… and she was enjoying what she was going to do next.
"Why do you want to fight? Does fighting make you forget your mother?" she continued to ask pressing on a painful spot as Rachel looked away as she felt her head started to hurt.
"What are you doing to me?" Rachel asked as she held her head trying her best to ignore the pain inside her head but she knew that she was responsible for the headache as she glared intensely.
"All I'm doing is making you realize something… that little girls like you don't need to fight people like me." Tira said as she narrowed her eyes and now stepped closer to Rachel as the vampire tried to keep walking away from her before realizing she was pinned with her back against the wall. "I make you realize that fighting me is a stupid thing to do…"
By now Rachel's own mind was starting to turn against her. She wanted to say that she was wrong and that she should run back towards Terumi before Valkenhayn would come to rip her apart… instead she was surprised when she opened her mouth and other words came out from it.
"You are right…" she said as she looked in complete surprise and shook her head wildly unable to understand why she said that as Tira smirked.
"All you want is a mommy… a mommy that keeps you safe, that loves you and will spend days with you having fun and tickles you and…" Tira spoke before she fell silent as a small pang of pain sprang in her own mind, remembering how she had killed her own mother… twice at that.
She wasn't truly mom material as she sighed and shook her head. She could be real mom material and this little vampire was going to show the world how she could do that.
Rachel had stopped holding her head but still her mind tried to fight the strange influence holding control over her now. It was as if another personality had snuck into her head and was now taking control off from her. Rachel was in fact scared… scared that this could happen to her of all people. She had thought herself to be above all this and that no one could do this… but this girl somehow… she had been able to do this…
Rachel next felt her body being grabbed by Tira and then hugged against her own body as she somewhere heard a raging laughter. Of course, Terumi was laughing his ass off that she got beaten this easily. The bastard… if she got free she would… what would she do? Why was she upset with Terumi? Who was Terumi again?
Tira hugged Rachel against her with a smirk as she knew the vampire by now was fighting a losing battle as she softly stroked her hair with delicate care. "You're mine now…" Tira whispered in her ear as Rachel instead replied with a small nod and rubbed her head against her shoulder.
Rachel couldn't really think or remember anything anymore. She heard the words… but her mind betrayed her as she smiled. She was now with her mother… the one that she had lost a long time ago perhaps but she was now back with her as she instead now started to hug Tira back in reply as she closed her eyes…
When she opened them again they weren't red anymore but instead they had turned an emerald green as she looked right at Tira.
"I love you mother…" she spoke softly with a happy smile. She still had kept slight traces of her old self… but in time that would too disappear.
Tira picked Rachel up and turned to Hazama holding the girl up as she laughed just as well as he did. This had gone better than they had both expected, much better.
It had been a few days after the adoption. Izanami had remained blissfully unaware… Relius had been bribed with the body of Valkenhayn up for experimenting and the others had not gained the knowledge either yet.
Hazama, Tira and Rachel sat on top of a building as Rachel leaned happily with her eyes closed against her new mother. Her clothes had changed drastically as she had been gifted an outfit more similar to Tira's but with still small bat motives hidden into it. The clothes were more green and black, far more to the liking of the new parents.
Her hair still was tied into two long ponytails as the bows had pretty much remained untouched. It was the only real reminder of who she might have once been.
"When are we going to tell Izanami about this? It ought to brighten her day a lot!" Tira whispered at Hazama as she carefully stroked Rachel over her head with a sadistic grin. She enjoyed having the girl by her side. A loyal puppet of sorts but still one that was capable to talk and actually felt more human… more so than the crap Relius made.
"Why? I'm not going to spoil it to her. I'm much happier with keeping this a secret to her." Hazama said as he grinned at Tira and looked over towards Rachel before looking back at Tira. "Besides, the bitch keeps a ton of secrets from me. One little one hidden from her stinking nose isn't going to hurt her."
"Yet." Tira said with a grin as she flopped Hazama's hat before looking down to spot a good prey to start out with a good mother and daughter bonding moment.
"What do you make of sir hunk a lot there?" she asked Hazama as she pointed at a man with a large black mane for hair and a large sword that he seemed to easily take along with him.
"Kagura… hmmm… I say why don't you two try it?" he said as he grinned with a sadistic glee. If Kagura would fall it wouldn't matter to anyone if he did. It would probably be even better if the traitor general got his ass stuck in a box six feet in the ground.
"Alright sir!" Tira said as she grabbed the vampire and next jumped down with her. Along the way down, Tira smiled as she felt extremely happy for once in her life… it felt like she had a purpose again… she had made a good impression on snake boy… she had the vampire tightly in her clutches… and soon this world would learn to fear the past again.
As she landed in front of Kagura she let Rachel stand by her side as the vampire whipped out a butterfly knife from her pocket and smiled sadistically.
Just like her mother.