HighSchool DxD: The Void

Yep... it's back... the accursed first story that I ever attempted to write and post on FF... I've decided to come back to it... recently I haven't been interested in writing so I'm hoping to find my spark once more... I've changed the story up this time as well, so any of you who read it when it was first released, don't worry, you won't have to read a chapter that's already been posted.

Enjoy.

I hear it... the dreary sigh of the Void as its maw readies for the next sacrifice.

Yes... I feel its yearning... and yet I can do nothing for it.

I... its sole champion... am helpless and alone in its wake.

Yet... I feel no fear... there is only calm... like a cold courage that has washed over me.

Soon... I will know who it desires... who it yearns to consume.

Then it will give me another gift.

I need to be ready.

"MR. KALLEN!" Shouted a voice from the front of the room I had fallen asleep in. "I understand that you're new here, and that you aren't used to the time zone difference... but please refrain from sleeping in my class." The teacher growled.

"Yep... you got it." I mumbled back. Why did I even come to this school? Is this where the next sacrifice is supposed to be? Ahh man... at least I have a place to blend in... but did it really have to be in bum fuck nowhere? Class ended shortly after, and I stretched my arms above my head, my eyes drifting to the ceiling, finding nothing of interest around me.

"Umm... excuse me, Mr. Kallen?" A soft whisper interrupted my lackadaisical mood. I removed my gaze from the ceiling to see who had requested my attention. It was a girl, but one I didn't recognize from the faces in my class. She was cute, with long honey-brown hair that cropped off at her shoulders, and wide, silver eyes. "Umm... my name is... Takamiya... Inori... and..."

I'm sure she continued her stuttered speech, but I had already stopped listening to her words, as I had found myself captivated with her face. God... she's fucking cute... what the hell does she want with me? My thoughts were interrupted once more as she bowed her head in front of me, nearly bashing it against the edge of me desk.

"Eeeeppp!" She shrieked. Her high pitched cry rang sharply in my ears, and I put my hands up to see if she was hurt. "Oh shit... are you okay?" I asked. She immediately shot back up, her face filled with embarrassment. "I'm... I'm fine... I apologize, here I was getting ready to make a request of you, and I'm already making you worry about me." She pouted.

"It's nothing... my concern is entirely of my own volition. You said you had a request. I'll be more than happy to listen." I said. Her face lit up with joy, which was swiftly replaced with embarrassment once again. "Umm... well... I was wondering if you were seeing anybody." She said, her eyes seemed to struggle with meeting my own, which I found increasingly adorable.

"Well now... I'll admit that this is quite the surprise... I knew at some point that someone might ask me out, but I didn't think it'd be so soon." I chuckled. I extended my hand, and she took it, giving me a jolt of odd energy. Is that...? No... she's a human, she just has an incredible life force. I stood up from my desk, her hand still in my own, and grinned. "You know what? Sure... I'll go out with you." I said. I wrote my number on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

The mixture of joy and relief on her face was invigorating. She let go of my hand then dashed back to her desk where a friend giggled and congratulated her. She then sat down and began frantically asking her friend questions, to which her friend seemed to respond with earnest explanations or reassuring smiles.

The final bell for the day rang, signaling the end of school for us all. Inori and I exchanged a cheerful goodbye, and she ran to join her friend in front of the school. With no extenuating circumstances keeping me at the school, I began the short trek back to my apartment. The crisp air of the city was refreshing, and yet I could take no peace from it, what with the Void's soft whispers in the back of my mind.

I did my best to ignore it, and eventually found myself in my room, laying on my bed, flat on my back. Ughh... I hate when I black out, even if it is only for a few minutes. I stood up, then brushed myself off, a flurry of leaves and twigs falling to the floor. I also like to run through obstacles rather than go around them... that's annoying... I opened the closet next to my bed, pulling out my vacuum and quickly dealing with the mess I had made.

After cleaning the floor and dumping the vacuum's canister, I threw myself back onto the bed, placing my phone onto the side table. I laid there for a few minutes in dead silence, listening to the Void as it whined softly. Another noise burst into my focus, my phone was vibrating softly on the table. I reached out and grabbed it, answering the call and tapping the speaker option.

"Hello?" I called out. [Hey... it's Inori.] "Oh, hey, what's up?" I asked. [I was talking with Miiya... my friend in your class, and she told me that if I was serious about dating you, I needed to act like it.] She said. Serious? Meaning what? Her friend couldn't have told her she should try having sex already, could she? Well, even if she did convince her somehow, I can just tell her I feel differently, that should be enough.

"Alright, so what did you decide?" I asked. [Well... seeing as we have tomorrow off, I was wondering if you wanted to do something.] She said. "Do something, you mean like, go on a date?" I asked her. Her squeal of excitement was shockingly fierce, even through the speaker. "That's it!" She said.

It was rather apparent that she had found it difficult to use the word "date" so loosely, which wasn't surprising, considering that the Japanese have somewhat of a penchant for being distant, even to those that they're close to. I laughed. "Sure, tomorrow, right? That's sounds great." I said. I heard her sigh softly on the other end. "Alright, thanks... um... should we meet somewhere, or do you want me to wait outside your place?" She asked.

"Well... technically if we met up somewhere that isn't my place, you'd have to walk farther, so let's just meet here." I put the call in the background then pulled up my location on the GPS. "Here, I'll send you the apartment number and the GPS location, so you won't have to go searching." I said. After she confirmed the address that I sent her, we exchanged another goodbye, and ended the call.

I flipped myself onto my stomach, burying my face into my pillow and trying to contain my anxiety. "Was... that okay? Did I fuck that up? I hope not." I chuckled. Standing up with a short stretch, I looked into my mirror across the room. Short, brown hair. Ice blue eyes with a pitch black ring around them. My face is alright looking... but honestly there's nothing about me that's really interesting... except maybe the fact that I'm a foreigner.

I contemplated myself for a few moments, before feeling myself fade. "Interest... honest... nervous... deceit." Came the sudden invasion of words from the recesses of my conscious, breaking my stupor. "AAHH FUCK! Don't startle me like that!" I shouted. The Void groaned with disinterest at my distress. I thought about its words for a moment. "So... you're saying that she's honestly interested in me... but doesn't want to seem like she's pulling a prank?" I asked.

I wasn't sure if the Void truly understood my words... but eventually it replied. "Vessel... bright." Came the response. "Uh-huh... well... anyway, I'm guessing you're here because you have a target for me?" I asked. "Fallen... Black... Hunter... Female." I felt the words being burned into my brain. "A female Fallen Angel with black hair... hunting for something... very well... I know that since you've contacted me that I'll likely be meeting her soon." I said.

I felt myself push back into reality, I had never actually left, but my presence had been lifted and placed into the Void so it could commune with me. A yawn escaped my lips, and I turned my head to the side to face my window. "Wow... I was out for a few hours... huh... shit, I'm hungry. And tired... and dirty." I complained. I settled for showering first, then eating dinner afterwards. Feeling full and sluggish, I changed out of my uniform and into some lighter clothing, before finally falling into my sheets once more.

I felt a dream tugging at the edge of my sleep, but knew that it wouldn't make it. I forced my mind to be dreamless in order to be more attuned to the Void. It left me unable to dream, but kept me sharp when I needed to be... except in class apparently. I felt the last bit of the dream slip away, and I fell into a deeper slumber.

I woke up rather peacefully, my head clear and alert, which was uncommon, especially for mornings. I stretched out the kinks and slumped to the bathroom. After taking care of my daily personal hygiene matters, I ran my hand from one cheek on my face to the other, passing underneath my chin. "Hmm... should I shave... or keep it?" I questioned myself. I decided against shaving wholesale, and opted instead for trimming about an inch off of my goatee, as well as getting rid of my sideburns.

I rubbed my face, trying to find any lingering stubble. Feeling satisfied with the result, I made my way back into my room, taking a seat on my bed and twisting my back. I heard a long series of popping sounds, and was treated with the sensations to match. I stood to my feet once again, feeling a presence nearby. Is that... a Fallen Angel... ugh... fucking disgusting creatures... all of them. A loud chime broke my concentration, and the presence disappeared. Is that Inori? Isn't a bit early? I made my way to the door wrapping my fingers around the cold brass doorknob.

I guess... I can relax for the day... right?