Mugen no Tenma, in.
Hey, guys. I'm not dead. Just mostly. I had some problems so I couldn't continue my other fanfic for now. I hope you understand.
I've come to bring you... this. I'm going to try to make a Highschool DxD that isn't focused on Devils, Fallen Angel, or even Angels. This is about the humans. Mostly canon, but many things would be changed, included the characters. For example, I will add some characters from Fate/Series, and OCs. Also, there will be a major change in the story line. I won't tell you now.
Without further ado, let us begin right away.
Prologue:
Small Steps For Humanity
Today, the Grand Church in Vatican was crowded. Priests and nuns, Exorcists and Saints, all sat on their respective seats. Their eyes were staring seriously at the altar, where an important ceremony was being held. The archbishop, clad in crimson regal clothes and holding a majestic sword, was standing before a kneeling man.
"Georgios, you have been deemed fit for this high estate by your peers, and have indicated your willingness to accept this honor from Our hands. Do you now swear by all that you hold sacred, true, and holy that you will honor and defend the words and laws of the God?"
The kneeling man looks up slightly.
The man has long brown hair, light tan armor, and a white battle dress and cape on his person. His face betrays nothing to everyone in the room, not that he had to hide anything anyway. He is a righteous man almost unknown to vice, his sheer presence alone exudes kindness and holiness.
"I will." The man nodded solemnly.
"By the name of God, do you now swear that you will honor, defend, and protect all ladies, and those weaker than yourself?"
"I will." The man nodded again.
"And, by the name of God, do you now swear that you will be courteous and honor your peers, of the God's side, and the Church, and of the Exorcists?"
"I will." The man nodded, this time a bit slower.
"Finally, by the name of God, do you now swear that you will conduct yourself in all matters as befits a Saint, drawing your holy sword only for just cause? That you will enshrine in your heart the noble ideals of our God to the benefit of your own good name and the greater glory of the Church?
"I will." The man nodded for the final time. "In the name of Georgios, Descendant of Saint George, I hereby swear that I will never falter in God's way."
The archbishop carefully handed the glistening sword with both hands to Georgios, in a manner befitting of handing a royal treasure. The brown-haired young man accepts the sword readily and gracefully, all while without saying any unnecessary word.
"Then having sworn these solemn oaths, know now that We, the Church, by right of God, do dub you with Our sword, Ascalon, and by all that you hold sacred, true, and holy... Once for Honor... Twice for Duty... Thrice for Chivalry... Arise, Saint Georgios!"
The young man stood up with no wasted movement, while still holding the sword he just accepted with both hands.
"Accept this sword, which shall symbolize your prowess at arms. Remember well: that this holy sword of the God should be drawn only in defense of the realm, or of those weaker than yourself. Wear it with care. Wield it with mercy."
"I understood." Georgios nodded solemnly once again. "I swear that I will only wield this sword for righteous ends. I swear by the name of God, my bloodline, and myself."
As he spoke of those simple, yet powerful words, the crowd released a breath they didn't know they were holding. They knew Archangel Michael entrusted the sacred Holy Sword to the right man. It wouldn't do to give a holy sword that means so much for the Church to a young man with a perverse mindset, right? In the hands of a holy man, the name of Ascalon will remain untainted.
In the end, the ceremony went smoothly without any unwanted problem.
As the crowd stood up almost immediately to cheer and congratulate the newly-appointed Saint, one particular young man in standard Exorcist attire just shrugged indifferently and walks away from the seat, immediately taking a stride towards the exit. His long white hair flutters a bit as he steps a bit too fast for a normal human.
He walks on the red-carpeted hall on his own, and as his hand reached out for the entrance door—
"Hey, aren't you going to congratulate him for being promoted? You're his friend, are you?"
A feminine voice called out to him before he could exit the Church, clearly heard even though the Church was full of people talking about the newly-appointed Saint with much fervor. Even so, the white-haired young man was taking his sweet time to turn to the voice.
"Ah, I think I will do that later…" He shrugs. "George's a patient man. He'll understand."
"Seriously, you're one bad friend, Tenma." The smooth feminine voice spoke again. "Saint Georgios would be sad if he knows you're leaving his ceremony just like that."
The white-haired young man finally turned, his face apologetic.
"Sorry. I just remembered I had something to take care about." He said. "I really forgot to turn off the water at home… at this rate, it's going to flood my apartment…" He added, much softer so anybody can't hear that.
Unfortunately, the owner of the other voice, a young woman in Exorcist attire with sunken red eyes and long light blond hair tied into a braid together with a blade-shaped hairpin, heard that last bit. She sighed in disappointment and disbelief, to the young man's chagrin.
"Geez, you're so hopeless for an Exorcist." She said, even though there's no malice in her voice. "You can't be a warrior of God if you keep forgetting small things in your life."
Nu Airgetlam. An Exorcist from Ireland, recruited by the Church few years ago for her capabilities of wielding the Holy Sword Claimh Solais. Her achievements helped her in climbing through the ranks of Exorcists until she reached the rank of Legate, the fourth highest rank, faster than most people.
The white-haired young man grumbles. The young woman just raises her eyebrows.
"Well, excuse me for living alone, Nu." He rubs his head. "In case you don't know, I had to work on boring paperworks at day and exorcise monsters at night, I literally had no time to think about small things... too much work, okay? Give me a break here."
The sunken red eyes of Nu softens a bit.
"I knew that already, Tenma. We're partners, right?" She says. "In that case, if…"
She paused.
They both are Exorcists from the Church, and they have been assigned on joint mission for months. They are close acquaintances at best, or at least that's what Tenma thinks. That being said, Tenma doesn't have any clue of whatever his partner is going to say.
"… if?"
"Well, if you ever need help at your place, you can ask me anytime." Nu averts her eyes, her cheeks flustering a bit. "Just… just give me your address, and I can… come over if you need me."
Tenma opens his mouth and points at her, as if wants to say something, but nothing came out for a few seconds. His emerald green eyes widens a bit… until he finally manned up and clears his throat.
"Nu… thanks for offering. But I don't want to trouble you, I'm sorry."
"A little trouble to help a fellow comrade is nothing." Nu insists, taking a step closer to him. "I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy dealing with that trouble eventually…"
"Hm, I doubt helping a boring man with his houseworks would be interesting." Tenma stood his ground, unmoved by her advances. "I'm sorry, but I think you shouldn't waste your time with me."
Nu pouts and took another step.
"I don't think it's a waste of time. Please?"
Tenma still valiantly stood his ground.
"I'm sorry, the answer is still no." He shook his head adamantly. "Sorry." He added.
A small growl escapes Nu's throat.
"Stop apologizing and let me help you."
"I'm sorry, but I can't!" Tenma shook his head rather vigorously. "Not that I don't appreciate your concern, but I don't think it's your prob—"
Before he could finish his sentence, another voice joins in the conversation.
"Please do not be concerned by his stubbornness, Miss Airgetlam. He just wants to maintain his pride as a man."
Both of them turned to the owner of the new voice, and they found the newly-appointed Saint standing before them, smiling politely in greeting before his expression turns back to neutral.
"Saint Georgios!" Nu nodded at him respectfully. "Congratulations for your promotion."
"Thank you very much, Miss Airgetlam." The brown-haired Saint nodded back. "It was very pleasant to know that so many people still support me."
Meanwhile, Tenma walks up to him, striking a friendly smile.
"Yo, George." Tenma just casually greets him back, patting the Saint on his shoulder. "You came here often?"
"Yes, I always come to the Grand Church whenever I had the chance." Georgios, the brown-haired Saint answered matter-of-factly. "I'm trying not to forget the symbol of our faith is all."
Tenma sighs, slightly rolling his eyes before back at Georgios. He was only joking, but the Saint took his words literally. The man is too uptight for his own good…
"George…" He started.
"Yes, what it is, Exorcist Amakusa?"
"Cut the formalities with me, will you?" He said, chuckling. "You're too formal. Just be casual with me and call me Tenma. Don't be so uptight…"
Georgios looks a bit surprised.
"But, isn't it disrespectful to address a man of your stature like that?" He inquires. "After all, you are Tenma Amakusa, the courageous and formidable Exorcist who wields the Demonic Sword—"
Georgios suddenly stopped as Tenma abruptly held his hands up, apparently confused. Nu, who was watching them silently, also looks at them with confusion. Talking about a Demonic Sword isn't forbidden anymore in the Church, not after the new leader of the Exorcist took over few years ago.
Back then, using Demonic Sword or any unholy weaponry outside of God's realm was forbidden for any member of The Church. Even considering their use can mean serious punishment. However, the new leader of Exorcist somehow convinced the upper echelons to bend their rules for a bit.
That is why both Georgios and Nu were confused of Tenma's action. He looks as if he was afraid that someone would overheard the name of the Demonic Sword that had been bestowed to him and flips out. He didn't say anything, until his face relaxed and he opens his mouth to speak.
"I'm not that great, George. No need to butter me up. I mean, I'm not even a Saint like you. I just do shit paperworks and kill monsters… oh, and some dangerous heretics too. Anyone can do that." Tenma shrugged. "But you, George… you protected people from harm, healing curses with your holy Aura… basically, you do good deeds everyday. No wonder you're a Saint now."
A silence for a moment, before Georgios replies.
"I'm not that special either, Exorcist Amakusa… I just did what I had to do. And please don't think so lowly of yourself like that." He said warmly. "By killing those monsters and heretics, you protected innocent people from those unspeakable dangers as well. Those are good deeds by themselves, no?"
Tenma blinks his green eyes, staring astonishedly at George for a few moments.
"Well said. I can't say anything to that." Tenma sighed, apparently defeated. "You're right. I can't just judge people from their job and duty… and that goes for myself too. Sorry, I guess."
A silence that's oddly pleasant and not awkward at all blooms between the three. Until the one who was content just listening to the conversation finally decided to speak her mind again.
"Georgios, mind if I ask?" Nu raises her hand, like asking a teacher about a certain subject in class. "You've been friends with Tenma for a long time, right?"
Tenma and Georgios both raise their eyebrows. The former didn't say anything and his face cannot be read, but the latter decided to humor her question for his own curiosity. No matter how virtuous, a human's curious mind cannot be avoided.
"You could say that. Back then, when I first moved to Vatican, I'm just a freelancer photographer. I'm basically a homeless person." Georgios said. "Exorcist Amakusa—"
"Just call me Tenma, for God's sake George."
"Apologies, my friend." Georgios cleared his throat. "Tenma saved me by providing a temporary shelter for me, until I can stand on my own two feet."
He nods in gratitude to Tenma, who just shrugs in return.
"So you two lived together for some time?" Nu asked, her head tilted to the side.
"Yes. May I ask you, what does it matter, Miss Airgetlam?"
"I'm just curious how you two met." Nu smiles, then averting her gaze. "That must be nice…"
For a moment, she looks sad. Both men look at each other, unsure what to say. Georgios isn't one to pry into private matter, while Tenma is, politely saying, fairly oblivious to other people's feeling. While he is definitely not a social outcast, he was no expert on dealing with people. However…
"… okay, I guess I'll give you my address. You can come anytime. We can, uh… hang out together in my place? George will come too!" Tenma said awkwardly. "And… ugh… George, help me! Say something, for god's sake!"
"Yes, that is a great idea." Georgios said, turning to Nu. "I will bring along some food and drinks for us. You and Tenma can relax, this is my treat."
A new light just lit up in Nu's sunken eyes.
"R-really?" She asks, voice full of anticipation.
"Yes." Georgios nodded.
"We promise." Tenma added. "Throwing a small party once in a while doesn't seem too bad."
Tenma and Georgios can see the light blond-haired woman beaming in joy at their words. They both exchanged looks of satisfaction, making someone happy always put a smile on their faces as well. They are happy for her.
"This is a blessing from the God." Georgios said solemnly to himself, as Tenma moves forward to give a paper containing his address to the young woman. "Sharing happiness with other people is certainly His teachings as well."
He smiles at Tenma and Nu's interaction, especially when the latter grasped the former's tanned hand a bit too eagerly.
"If I may interrupt…"
A new voice spoke.
"I have something to talk about with Mr. Amakusa and Miss Airgetlam there."
It was a woman in nun attire, her appearance alone hints that she's in her late twenty or early thirty. At first glance, she looks like the other nun in the Church. However, the two Exorcists and one Saint has already aware that she isn't human… not anymore, at least.
"Griselda Quarta, isn't it?" Tenma turns to her, eyes sharp. "Is there anything we can help you with?"
Griselda Quarta. An Exorcist from England, one of the top five female Exorcists in the Church. Through the Brave Saint system, she was recently reincarnated into an Angel under Archangel Gabriel. Among the others, she is known for her fearsome title, The Stone-Hearted Queen.
Following the young Exorcist's words, Griselda smiles politely. That doesn't reassure the three, since the woman has the reputation of capable of being somewhat scary without even trying. That is why they didn't let their guard down around her, even for a second.
"The Imperator required your presence in his quarters." The woman replied curtly. "There are people who wants to meet you two."
Imperator is the highest rank an Exorcist can possibly reach in the Church. Reaching that title also means that you have become the leader of the Exorcists, the highest placement in power and authority among the Exorcists. It was a position that many would kill to obtain, yet anyone who bears it would have the greatest responsibility that not just anyone could bear.
Who could possibly lead them to change humanity for the better?
"Meet us?" Nu tilts her head, confused. "Why would they want to meet us?"
"It would be better if you ask them directly." Griselda gave her a mysterious smile.
"Hm, I guess we'll be going then." Tenma shrugs. "They're important guests, aren't they?"
"You could say that." Griselda replied, her smile never falters. "Saint Georgios, you are free to tag along if you wish to." She said to Georgios.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Tenma turns to Nu. "Come on, Nu. Let's get going… no. Actually, wait a second. George?"
"Yes, what is it?"
He turns to Georgios, his face apologetic once again. The brown-haired Saint just stares at him with confusion, while Nu and Griselda just raised their eyebrows.
"I'm sorry, can I ask you a favor?" Tenma stepped closer to him, whispering with hushed tone. "Could you please turn off the water in my place? I forgot to turn it off this morning… at this rate, my apartment would be flooded…"
"How could you forget that?" Georgios whispered back. "That could end in a disaster!"
"I told you… I just forgot, I'm sorry…" Tenma hang his head in shame.
"It's fine. I will do that, don't you worry." Georgios nodded. "But I will need your apartment key for that. Do you have it with you?"
"Sorry to bother you…" Tenma reached down to his pocket. "Yeah I got it, here's the key…"
"Excellent. Now I will make haste and go to your place."
"Yeah, yeah, please just hurry up before anybody notices the water…"
Nu and Griselda just watched as the two friends whispered to each other like gossiping housewives. For them, it was almost unbelievable to see two of the most powerful and high-ranked individuals in the Church spoke so casually like that.
For the latter, it was somewhat amusing. For the former, though… she feels kind of lonely.
Georgios left them with swift steps, as fast as a flash. Tenma waved him goodbye with deadpan expression on his face.
"What a reliable friend." Griselda couldn't hide her amused smirk on her face. "That being said, we can't afford to waste anymore time. Your guests are waiting... so, shall we?"
"Yeah, yeah… whatever. Let's just get this over with. I'm sorry for wasting your precious time." Tenma sighed, rubbing the back of his head tiredly. "Please, lead the way, Ma'am."
"With pleasure."
After walking in the Grand Church for a good few minutes, they finally arrived in the Imperator's Office. Griselda was knocking the door politely, requesting entry from the Imperator himself inside while the other two waited behind her.
"Imperator, I've brought Exorcist Amakusa and Airgetlam."
The deep voice of the man known as the current Imperator of Exorcists boomed from inside the room.
"What are you waiting for then? Enter."
And so, they entered the room without further inquiries. There are three person already inside the office, but the Exorcists didn't recognize two of them and decided to address the third person first.
A man in his late twenties with black hair and grey eyes and wears glasses was sitting on a chair behind his pristine white table. Rather than a religious office, the office looks more like a room in a hospital, sans the medical equipments. Everything is pristine white and clean.
He wears doctor uniform with black collar long sleeves white shirt with black, grey, and light blue tie and grey sweater vest, white lab coat, black gloves, black pants with grey lines, and black shoes.
To be honest, he doesn't look like a leader of an organization from the Church at all.
"Imperator Pieceman, sir."
Both Tenma and Nu saluted respectfully to the man. The man with glasses nodded back at them.
"It is good to see you two alive and well."
Twice H. Pieceman.
The current leader of the Exorcist, a mysterious man both in his demeanor and background. Nothing is known about him, except that he was a war orphan from an ethnic group war and was later adopted by his foster parents, both Exorcist from the Church.
He was the one who sparked the idea that humanity must use any means necessary to survive and prosper in the current world, where other beings with unimaginable powers reign over. As long as it is for the sake of humanity, utilizing any kind of power is allowed. Even the demonic ones as well.
Of course, at first, his idea was opposed by so many people. So many people, fellow followers of the Church branded him as a heretic who doesn't know any better. However, as he utilized his idea on so many mission regarding the retrieval of holy artifacts of God and succeeded, those people couldn't deny one thing.
He brought results.
"Likewise, sir." Nu spoke carefully. "If I may ask, how did the mission at New Orleans go?"
"It went smoothly." Twice answered easily, steepling his hands on his desk. "The Holy Sword of Joyeuse has been retrieved safely, what's left is finding someone with the blood of Charlemagne or just anyone with sufficient capability."
Nu nodded in understanding, as Tenma shrugged and steps forward, looking directly at the Imperator.
"Imperator, sir. We heard from Miss Quarta that you required our presence." Tenma begun, cutting to the chase very bluntly. "I'm sorry for being rude, but do you need us for something? I would prefer to take care of anything you need rather quickly."
Everyone in the room sans the Imperator let out a sigh at the young Exorcist's bluntness. That includes the two guests in the room, who haven't turned showed their face to the Exorcists yet. They were sitting across Twice.
"Ah, yes. Although it was not I who actually required your presence…" Twice looked at the other occupants of the room. "Sir Pendragon, if you would."
"Yes, thank you Mr. Pieceman."
Tenma and Nu widened their eyes slightly in mild surprise, just as a young man stood up from his seat.
At first glance, he looks literally like a knight in shining armor that anyone would dream as a child. Short, golden blond hair and emerald green eyes, those are traits that hinted that he was someone with European descent.
He also wears the standard armor of a knight. The armor parts are silver in color, while the tunics part are blue. He also has a black and white hood attached to the back of the armor part of his neck. Combined with his beautiful and composed appearance, their first impression doesn't seem to be too far-fetched.
"Hello, Mr. Amakusa and Miss Airgetlam." The young man greeted warmly, extending his hand. "My name is Arthur Pendragon, Descendant of King Arthur. Pleased to meet you, great Exorcists of the Church." He smiles radiantly.
Tenma shook his extended hand almost immediately, wasting no time.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Pendragon." He says, returning the young knight's smile with his own. "I would never expect that the Descendant of the great King Arthur himself would visit us in person. It was a great honor."
He practiced those lines in private, so that he wouldn't offend anyone with his carefree attitude. There are some people who took great offense at how he casually greeted or talk to, and their temper aren't pretty to look at, so he developed counter measures to avoid more trouble in the future.
"No, it was a great honor for us." Arthur grasped the young Exorcist's hand rather vigorously. "Thanks to your efforts, our family's greatest treasure, Excalibur, has been restored to its former glory. And more importantly, it has been returned to our possession. We can't thank you enough for your deeds."
Excalibur Destruction, Excalibur Mimic, Excalibur Rapidly, Excalibur Nightmare, Excalibur Transparency, Excalibur Blessing, and Excalibur Ruler. Those are the fragments of True Excalibur that King Arthur wielded in his life, one of the pinnacle of magic and alchemy… an undeniable proof that humanity was capable of setting foot on the territory of God.
"But, ah… I don't think we've done anything special…" Tenma said, as Arthur let his hands go and offered it to Nu with excessive enthusiasm... which she accepted. "We just did our job. We did what we had to do. Isn't that right, Nu?"
"Y… yes! Exactly what he said!" Nu replied, a bit taken aback from Arthur's vigorous handshake. "It was nothing special, really!"
Just as Tenma opened his mouth to voice his support for his partner, he was interrupted.
"Heh. Yes, maybe you Exorcists think so, but for us Pendragons, it was a very important matter."
The second guest, who had been silent for a while, finally stood up and spoke as well.
It was a young woman in her twenties, not much older than Arthur. Her figure is tall and curvaceous, clad in silver and blue armor. She tied her golden blonde hair in a regal bun, her emerald green eyes full of life. Everything about her screamed 'mature' in everyone's eyes.
"The fusion of all the Excalibur Fragments has been completed, and from now on, it would only serve Arthur as the heir of the Pendragon blood." The woman continued. "It has been bonded with Arthur's soul, and nobody could take it away from him… until his death, anyway."
Her eyes looked straight into Tenma's eyes. Her sharp stare are judging the young Exorcist before her, measuring his worth. She was comparing what she was seeing in front of her and what she had heard about him from the rumors in New Camelot.
"You look even more plain than I expected, Tenma Amakusa." She said bluntly. "To be honest, I was expecting someone with more… presence. The way you are now… you wouldn't stand out among the commoner and blend perfectly with them."
No one spoke after that, even as the woman continued her sharp stare at Tenma, who stared back indifferently. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife... or a holy sword if you would. Griselda and Twice were observing silently, while Arthur and Nu looks a bit nervous.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you then." Tenma finally speaks. "Being in center of attention doesn't suit me. I would rather living my life easy, Miss…"
"Artoria Pendragon, Arthur's sister." The woman answered immediately. "But you can just call me Artoria. I do not like formalities… especially fake ones like yours."
Tenma was taken aback for a second.
"… you knew I was faking it?"
"It was obvious." Artoria nodded, then glances briefly at Arthur. "Anyway, we're gone a bit off-topic. What I meant to say before is, matters regarding Excalibur are not to be treated lightly. You Exorcists might be treating your holy swords like your tool, but for us, it was the meaning of our existence as The Pendragon Family. Without Excalibur, The Once and Future King cannot rise. We were surprised when Mr. Twice came to New Camelot and returned the Excalibur Fragments to us…"
"Yes, I have to take action in haste." Twice said simply, and the attention of everyone in the room was his. "After capturing the Genocide Archbishop, Valper Galilei for his inhuman experiments with holy swords and foiling a theft attempt of Excalibur Blessing in the church of Westminster, London, I decided that the safety of the Excalibur Fragments cannot be guaranteed anymore. So I acted."
"Mr. Twice originally didn't have the authority needed to move the Excalibur Fragments, he said to me." Arthur added. "But since many of his operations succeeded and his prestige skyrocketed, he was given the permission to move the Fragments and secure them however he wished. That would not be possible without the deeds of his Exorcists… and the most prestigious of them just happened to be you two."
He turned to Tenma and Nu, smiling warmly. Tenma opened his mouth, fully intending to deny his words… however, Nu elbowed him all of a sudden, interrupting him from saying anything. This was not the time to deny anything with his humbleness.
"You have our gratitude, Mr. Amakusa and Miss Airgetlam. We are forever indebted to you." He said to them, before turning to Twice once again. "Hear this. From now on, we, the Pendragon and New Camelot, swore allegiance to the Church and its cause. If any trouble befall the Church, we will came to your rescue as your knights. We, Knight of The New Round Tables, are your blades."
"Tell us if anything happens. Anything at all." Artoria added.
Silence reigns the room for a few good seconds. Twice was still tenting his fingers.
"Excellent." He spoke dramatically. "I'd expect no less from the Descendants of King Arthur. I hope we can remain cordial and cooperative after this. Now, let us move on to the new topic… Exorcist Amakusa and Airgetlam, this is regarding your next mission, so I expect you two to listen carefully."
His sharp, yet lifeless eyes, stared at Tenma and Nu.
"Alright…" Tenma nods. "What do we have to do this time, Imperator?"
Twice wasn't the one to answer that question.
"Someone from a group called The Khaos Brigade came to us and offered their protection if we joined them. They also said that they will hold a recruitment at a certain location. The Messenger himself, if I recalled correctly, his name was…"
It was Arthur who answered.
"…Cao Cao."
Tell me what you think about this story.
Also, if you know who I'm basing the characters from, tell me about it in the review too.
Mugen no Tenma, out.