If you want to see my logic behind a few of my decisions see the bottom of the A/N. That is all
The faint rays of moonlight phased through the window where Tatsumi laid in his bed. His green eyes were focused intently yet blankly on the white, featureless ceiling. He had be doing this, just staring at the ceiling idly, for at least an hour. While this was probably the last thing that he should have been doing, it was really the only thing that he could do right now. After all, what choice did he really have? Those fallen angels flew off with Asia and Freed to God knows where and it didn't seem like the Occult Research club was going to do anything about it either. So Tatsumi did the only thing he could do...
He begrudgingly went home.
As much as he would have loved to just blame Rias for interfering with the whole situation, it was probably his own fault for not finishing off Freed earlier in their battle. Besides, he made a promise to aniki that he wouldn't let his emotions rule him and that he would continue to get stronger. So far, he seemed to be neglecting the first part. This new... life... made him soft.
In his other world there was always a struggle. He was used to the need to literally fight almost every day to survive. Here... there was no such need so he hesitated, if even if it was for a moment. How could a seasoned assassin hesitate? Simple, psychology.
Tatsumi hadn't killed anyone in the last sixteen years and didn't even have to fight. He was completely at peace with himself and with the world around him. The matter of fact was that he didn't die in vain in his other world and that he didn't have a reason to fight or kill in this one. He was also lucky enough to walk away from his past experiences without any trauma so he didn't have any complaints there either. Basically, Tatsumi had grown soft and used to his life of peace. Simply going back to killing after such a long time... was not something easily done.
"I guess, I really am the one to blame here." Tatsumi sighed deeply. "To think... if I didn't mess up, I could have saved her." He suddenly sat up. "But laying here and beating myself over it isn't going to solve anything."
The green eyed teen clenched his hand into a fist. "I don't know what I'm suppose to do though."
His eyes traveled to his sword, which was leaned up against the wall. About an hour ago, when he got home, he had done maintenance on it to ensure that it is always at top condition. He was lucky that it didn't break during his entire time in his other world and that it still remained strong in this world. The last thing he wanted to do was tempt fates and let his sword's condition deteriorate, especially in a times like this. The fact that it was the only thing that remained of Tatsumi's other world, besides his memories, made it all the more worth maintaining.
Tatsumi got off of his bed, walked over to the sword and picked it up. He examined the polished blade closely for any potential cracks, rust or blemishes he may have missed before. When he didn't find any he turned and made his way towards the door that lead into the living room.
"Asia… just hold on." He thought as he slipped into his shoes and opened the door. "I can't save you right now... but I'll make sure that when I get the chance, I will." He finished as he walked out the door to practice some of the moves that Akame had taught him.
However, the green eyed teen couldn't help but feel that there was something... calling him. Almost like something was trying to get his attention or reach out for him or something. But, this calling wasn't strange, it actually felt familiar. It was... warm, warm and familiar.
The sun was bright and the sky was clear, but the streets of the town were noticeably empty as lunchtime approached. How strange, this was usually the time that the streets were packed with people. The weather was nice too, and it had been nice for the last week or so. Why people would choose stay in on such a wonderful day was baffling. However, the answer may have not been as obscure as it seemed to be. In fact, the answer may have been more supernatural in nature than relatively scientific. Or... it just could have been a slow day.
Among the scarcely populated streets was Tatsumi. The former assassin weaved his way around the people that he came across as he moved swiftly and intently towards his destination. A pair of headphones covered his ears and a long jacket traced his movements as the large bass case strapped to his back swayed with every step. He was a man on a mission, a mission that started because of something he found at his doorstep this day.
"That note is pretty suspicious." Tatsumi thought as he pulled out the slightly crumbled and worn down piece of paper from his jacket's pocket.
This morning, on his way out the door to look for clues as to where the fallen angels may have taken Asia, Tatsumi noticed a note just outside his door. Well... he didn't exactly notice it, he actually stepped on it, but the point was that he found a note. The contents of the note were pretty suspicious and quite cliche if you asked Tatsumi. It was the typical "meet me at this location" sort of thing. The writer even cut out letter from magazines and newspapers to disguise their handwriting. Whoever wrote this was either really not messing around… or had a really strange sense of humor.
Although, one thing was certain, the author of the note wasn't a fallen angel or that Freed freak. It made sense because there was nothing to gain from writing that note except for possibly luring Tatsumi into a trap. Still, staging an attack in broad daylight was probably the last thing that those guys wanted. Surely, they weren't that stupid... were they?
"I guess I won't find out until I get there." Tatsumi thought as he folded up the paper and shoved it back into his pocket. "Finding Asia comes first. I don't have any time for games, especially ones that reek of a set up."
At that moment, the green eyed teen passed the park that the note had singled out for a rendezvous point. It was also the same park that Issei had died in, and the same park that Tasumi had gone out of his way to avoid since that day.
It was a lesser known fact that the scent of death was not easily washed off, and no amount of water or soap or bleach is going to permanently get rid of it. It has been thought that the memory of death is linked to the sense of scent, and let's just say that this scent brought back some... unpleasant memories for Tatsumi. Ones that he wished to forget.
"That is the downside of being reborn I guess." Tatsumi sighed somberly. "You still remember everything that happened in your past life. All the good times... and all the bad times."
Suddenly, Tatsumi felt someone grab his shoulder, not in an aggressive way but in a way that surely got his attention. The green eyed teen turned his head slightly to see Issei standing behind him. It seemed that the perverted boy had recovered from his injuries rather quickly, probably because of Rias or Akeno's doing. There was something strange about this whole situation though. Rias or anyone else from her peerage couldn't be spotted nearby so they either got better at hiding, or they truly weren't here.
Tatsumi removed his headphones and arched an eyebrow. "Issei-san? What are you doing here?"
Said boy's face scrunched in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked with a scratch of his chin. "Didn't you get my note?"
Tatsumi tilted his head to the side and pulled out the crumbled and now wadded piece of paper from his pocket. He lifted it up for Issei to see. "You mean this note? Why would you send me a note? You could have just talked to me you know."
"Y-yeah but... you're kind of... uh… intimidating." Issei admitted while sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "The way you talk to Bachou, it almost seems as if you hate her, so I wasn't sure if approaching you directly was a good idea."
"Intimidating?"
That word brought back memories of Tatsumi's childhood in this world. That was the word that all the teachers used to describe him when he was in grade school. His classmates, however, choose much meaner words like 'freak'. They were scared of him because they didn't understand him. Due to having memories and experiences of his previous life, Tatsumi was not an average child by any means and because of this… he was very lonely. His was branded as a freak since grade school and didn't have any friends until high school. As sad as it sounded... Tatsumi didn't really care since he was satisfied with his life.
Issei nodded energetically. "You are pretty intimidating." He stated plainly. "The fact that you can use that sword so well is scary enough by itself." He finished with a dreadful cringe.
"Good point." Tatsumi agreed with a nod. "Also, for the record, I don't hate Rias-senpai or any of you guys." He stated, making Issei blink in surprise. "While I don't like Kiba and I don't necessarily care for how Rias-senpai does things, I don't let my dissatisfaction affect how I see you guys."
Suddenly, Issei gained a serious look and smirked. "Finally! There is another person that doesn't like the pretty boy either." He beat his hand against his chest. "Us, normal looking guys, have to stick together against the pretty boy scourge." He finished with fire burning in his eyes.
Tatsumi rolled his eyes. "Is that really what you're concerned about?" He thought dryly.
"Yeah, I wouldn't go so far as to put us in the same boat, Issei." Tatsumi waved Issei off. "As much I would love to sit here and talk to you, I have things to do. I'm sure whatever you wanted to talk about can be saved for later." As Tatsumi was about to turn around, he felt Issei grip his shoulder again, but this time a lot firmer than from before.
The green eyed teen narrowed his eyes when he studied Issei's face. The perverted boy's expression was much more serious and determined than any look Tatsumi had ever seen him make. It was rather shocking to see such an expression on the perverted boy's face. In way, it was actually quite admirable.
"Reminds me of when I joined Night Raid's cause." Tatsumi noted with a small smile.
"I want to save Asia, but in order to do that… I need your help." Issei stated earnestly.
Tatsumi blinked. "You want to save Asia-san?" He repeated the question for clarification.
The perverted boy nodded. "More than anything else."
"Why ask me then? Surely, Rias-senpai would help you." Tatsumi folded his arms and developed a skeptical look "If you wanted to find her then Rias-senpai could probably do it better than I could by myself."
Issei hung his head. "I don't think that is an option."
"And why is that?" An eyebrow was arched.
"Because, Bachou told me to forget about Asia, that's it's too dangerous for me to continue associating with her." Issei said sadly. "But, I really want to save her. I can't just leave her with those freaks." He continued. "Even if I die, I can at least make sure that Asia is able to escape."
Tatsumi didn't reply immediately, he was perfectly content with Issei's answer. So... it seemed that Issei wasn't as bad as what the rumors said about him. Well... they probably were in terms of his perverse actions, but they said nothing about this part of him. Tatsumi was now convinced that Issei meant every word he said. He was surprisingly an honest person, at least from Tatsumi's point of view.
It still didn't change the fact that Issei was a pervert thou, but at least he made it clear that he was a "chivalrous pervert."
"I like that answer." Tatsumi stated with a smile. "Alright, I'll help you." Issei's eyes lit up. "But! This by no means makes us friends or makes me loyal to Rias-senpai. All I want to do is save Asia."
Issei nodded vigorously and smiled before holding out his hand. "I guess that means we're temporary partners."
"I guess so." Tatsumi shook his head. "I would prefer Koneko-chan though."
Tears streamed down Issei's face. "You're so cruel Tatsumi-san."
"Issei-san, Tatsumi-san?"
Both of the teenagers looked over to the side and were stunned to see Asia standing there, safe, sound, and seemingly uninjured. She did, however, look like she was confused about something, and at the same time she also seemed to be focused on something as well. It took the male duo a couple of seconds realize what it was: the handshake. They instantly broke it off.
"Well... that was easy." Issei commented.
"Yep."
"So... what do we do now?" The perverted boy asked, really confused on what to do.
"Get lunch?" Tatsumi offered with a shrug.
"Uh, I guess?"
The inside of the Arlington Cafe was surprisingly crowded. Despite the streets being so scarcely populated, the Arlington Cafe actually had a considerable number of customers. It was no full house of course, but it was definitely hosting more customers than any other café or restaurant in the district at the moment. Again, the magic of animal ears and tails showed its might in the face of adversity. However, such accessories didn't charm everyone.
Tatsumi's eyebrow twitched as he glared at Issei, who, in a rather annoying fashion, was being very vocal about his tastes in animal ears. What wrong with this guy? Even the music club president wasn't this bad of a pervert and that was really saying something. In his mind Tatsumi apologized to Rabac, may his soul rest in peace, for making a back handed remark about the green haired man's own perverse actions. He was truly sorry.
"As much as I would love to hear the rest of your rant about cat ears vs fox ears, I think there are more pressing matters." Tatsumi cut off Issei, much to the latter's dismay, before turning his attention to Asia. "Asia-san, I know this may be hard for you, but I need to ask you some questions, is that okay?"
The blond girl frowned, she probably knew what was coming, but she nodded regardless.
"My first question is, how are you here right now? The last time we saw you, you were taken away by that Freed guy." Tatsumi inquired, his arms folded and his expression serious.
Asia lowered her head. "I... ran away from the church." She said, gaining a shocked expression from Issei. "I was going to tell you that I was on my break, but when I saw that both of you were at the park I decided to be honest."
Tatsumi nodded. "My second question is where did they keep you?"
"At the church near the city's edge."
The green eyed teen pinched the bridge of his nose, tilted his head back and inhaled sharply. He should have known, how could he have been so stupid? Asia did say that she got transferred to this town's church, where else was she going to be? They literally hid her in plain sight and he wasn't able to put it together. This was definitely a face slapping moment, but not in front of Asia. Besides, this just made Tatsumi's job much easier in the end, now he didn't have to search high and low for those black-winged bastards.
"Now, my third and final question is, how many fallen angels are there?" Tatsumi asked, knitting his fingers together. This was the question he wanted to ask from the very beginning, since it would decide his next course of action.
Asia didn't answer immediately. "I think, there were four of them counting Raynare-sama."
Instantly, Issei and Tatsumi locked gazes with each other. Raynare, a predictable evil mastermind behind all of this. She even fit the description well: evil and a fallen angel. In their hearts, Tatsumi and Issei probably both knew that she was involved in some way, considering she was running amok lately. Also, she was the only fallen angel that Issei or Tatsumi could think of right off hand. Now the question is... why would she want Asia?
"Four of them huh? Well, that is going to complicate things. It seems I'm going to need those after all." Tatsumi noted mentally before getting out of his seat. "I'm sorry, but I need to go and take care of something. I will see you guys later." The teen then stood up and was about to walk away until…
"Wait." Tatsumi stopped and looked at Asia who was fidgeting a bit in her seat. "S-since you asked me a few questions, it's only natural that I get to ask a few things myself… right?"
Tatsumi sighed and sat back down. "That is fair, I guess."
"My first and only question is..." Asia started as a frown spread across over face. "Were you really going to kill Father Freed?"
Tatsumi sighed and looked way. He knew that this would come up eventually. He has resolved himself to kill the stray exorcist without hesitating anymore. If it meant protecting Issei and Asia, then killing Freed was just something that he had to do… even if Asia might end up hating him for it. Now, the real question here is... how should he answer her.
Tatsumi sighed again. "Yes, I was going to kill him." He admitted remorselessly, making Asia gasp. "When it comes to my friends and family, I'll do anything to protect them. If that means killing Freed to save them and other innocent people, then I will do it." He continued with a cold gaze. "Truth be told, I could have killed Freed back then... but I made a mistake, and now we're in this situation."
"We all make mistakes." Issei stated softly, earning a nod from Asia. "Plus, you did save me back there, so I'm grateful for that." He gave a small smile. "I'm weak after all. I'm so weak that I couldn't do anything. If you hadn't interfered as you did, I would have most likely been killed."
"I don't think that makes you any less likable." Asia stated, earning the attention of the Kuoh student duo. She smiled shyly, her cheeks flushed red. "You both are the kindest people that I have ever met… and I am really thankful for meeting you two in my short time here."
"So, we're friends?" Issei asked with a smile before looking at Tatsumi. "I mean, me and Tatsumi-san and friends with Asia-san, right?" He asked nervously.
"Nice save." Tatsumi commented with a smirk.
Issei then decided to change topics. "So, Asia, perhaps you could tell us your story, you know, what was your life like before you got mixed up in all this mess with the fallen angels and that psycho exorcist?"
Tatsumi tilted his head to the side. "Her story?" The teen can truthfully admit that he himself was also curious about Asia's life, but the sorrowful expression she gained when Issei asked her about it, made Tatsumi reconsider that perhaps it wasn't the best thing to inquire about.
Asia took in a deep breath and recomposed herself, even if barely. "I was abandoned as a baby by my parents at the steps of one of Rome's churches." Asia started. "The church took me in and raised me there." She paused for a moment. "Then, one day, an injured puppy wandered into the church's courtyard. I prayed to God with all I had so that the puppy would get better. That was when my... power, had awakened."
Tatsumi and Issei remained silent as Asia continued her story.
"When my miracle was discovered, I was moved into the Main Church where people from all over the world came to hear my prayers." She stated with a smile. "I was truly happy that I could help so many people. It made me feel like I had something great to offer, that I was useful." She continued. "Then... one day, after finishing attending the morning masses, I stumbled across an injured boy. Without hesitating, I quickly healed him… only later to find out that he was a devil."
Tatsumi's eyes narrowed at that last bit of information, and the sad look that took hold of Asia's face after she said that. "I was branded as witch for healing a devil and was immediately excommunicated."
Issei looked away somberly while Tatsumi hung his head down. This is why he didn't care for this world's religion, but that wasn't saying that the religions back in his previous world were any better though.
Religion has always been a tricky subject, and the wrong thing to comment about since it was the same as asking for trouble from particularly zealous believers. But still, how could the Catholic Church banish Asia after all that she did for them? She healed them for crying out loud! How could they just toss her out for healing someone who she wasn't even aware of being a devil? It was ingrates and judgmental people like them that cause all the problems in the world... well... not exactly all of them… but they still are responsible for a lot of them! They're too close minded to even appreciate what has been done for them. How disgusting.
"Dammit, that is pretty harsh." Issei commented sadly.
"It is. You did so much for them without asking anything in return, and those bastards banished you for a simple, small mistake." Tatsumi added as he slumped down into his chair.
"Don't say that." Asia cried defensively.
Tatsumi rolled his eyes. "I don't see why you're now defending them." He continued disdainfully. "They treated you so badly and for what reason? For helping someone that you weren't even aware of being a devil? How were you even supposed to know that?"
"Yeah!" Issei agreed.
The green eyed male sighed. "But... I guess that shows just how kind you really are Asia-san." He added. "Most of your life you've remained faithful to your religion, and later on was treated badly by the very people that made you believe in it... and yet, in the end... you still don't hate them." He looked out the window to see the streets were still empty. "But, at what cost?"
Asia tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Tatsumi turned back to face her and briefly glanced at Issei out of the corner of his eyes. "Asia... you're a lonely girl, aren't you?"
Both the blonde girl and Issei looked shocked at Tatsumi's statement. The brown haired swordsman smiled warmly. "If it makes you feel any better, I was lonely too, until I met Koneko-chan." He laughed lowly. "I won't lie, she's my only friend and she means a lot to me."
Light tears started to well up in Asia's eyes as Tatsumi continued. "But, it looks like I have just gained another important friend in my life. You won't ever have to be alone again, Asia, now that you have me and Issei-san, right?"
Tatsumi heard someone sniffling, but it wasn't coming from Asia. The former assassin turned his head to side to see Issei trying as hard as he could to hold back what appeared to be tears.
"Well said man, well said!" Issei gave a thumbs up as tears started to flow down his cheeks like small waterfalls.
"Why is it that every time I see you, you always end up crying?" Tatsumi commented while pinching the bridge of his nose.
Issei deflated and hung his head low while Tatsumi tried to hide the small smirk on his face. He didn't hate Issei, he really didn't... but Issei was kind of fun to poke fun at. Tatsumi didn't know if it was because of how Issei reacted, or if it was his hilarious face expressions… well, whatever it was, it was fun. This must have been the feeling that those people got when they were hazing the new guys. Although, now that he put it that way... he didn't want to be like that… he'll have to make it up to Issei later. But, later was hours from now.
"Well, as I said before, I've got to go." Tatsumi got up out of his chair. "Issei, take her to the safest place you can think off. I won't be there this time in case you're attacked."
Issei arched an eyebrow. "Then why not come with us?"
"Because they're probably be looking for me." The green eyed teen responded as he strapped the bass case to his back. "Not being rude here, Issei, but which person do you do think they are most likely are going to conclude that Asia ran off to? To the guy that has injured two of their members, or to the guy that has been injured by two of their members?"
The perverted boy raised a finger and look like he was getting ready to say something, but deflated once more. "Point taken." He stated before looking at his classmate hopefully. "But, I can spend some more time with her, right?"
Tatsumi sighed. "It would be better if you take her somewhere safe as soon as possible." He said knowingly. "But, I guess if you make it quick, then they might not find out about you."
Issei's face lit up. "So it means, that I can spend the day with her?"
"Were you even going to do what I said anyways?" Tatsumi asked, making Issei look away. "Yeah, I thought so."
"Sorry."
"Remember what I said Issei, make it quick and get somewhere safe fast." Tatsumi said in a commanding voice.
Issei clenched his hand into a fist. "Alright!"
"You don't have a problem with that do you, Asia-san?" The former assassin asked the blonde nun.
Said blonde shook her head. "N-no."
"Okay then, I'll leave her in your care Issei."
"Where exactly are you going?" Tatsumi heard Issei ask as he was walked away.
Tatsumi stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to take care of our fallen angel problem." He stated coldly, making Issei and Asia shiver. "But before that, I need some... tools first." He finished as he walked out the door.
"Don't fail, Issei-san." The former assassin thought as he run as fast he could towards his destination. "Remember what I told you."
Rias sighed as she looked at Issei. Her pawn had just barged into the clubroom about ten minutes ago with a bloody shirt and a sealed wound on his chest. There was no doubt that this was the work of a fallen angel. Although, when Issei told her his story she noticed a few things that were a bit... off.
The first thing she noticed about his story is that this Asia girl was involved yet again, even after she had repeatedly told Issei to stay away from her. The second thing she noticed was Tatsumi's involvement in this. Despite how adamant he was in staying out of things that concern her, Sona, or their respective peerages. Why get involved with Issei now? It didn't add up.
Rias's green eyes moved to the side to see Akeno standing at the entrance with a smile on her face as usual. Kiba was sitting on the couch, polishing his sword and Koneko was sitting on the couch, eating some sweets. Basically, everyone except for Issei was acting like they usually do.
"Issei-kun, I told you repeatedly not to get involved with that nun." Rias chided with annoyance. "But, now it seems that even Tatsumi-san has gotten involved in your shenanigans."
Issei shook his head vigorously. "But he knows Asia-san too! He wants to save her as much as I do!" He almost shouted. "If you won't do anything to save her, than Tatsumi-san will! And I will help him!"
"No, you will not!" Rias countered as she got up from behind her desk. "I will not allow you to! You've almost died twice in one week's time and if you die again, I won't be able to bring you back this time."
Issei looked away with a sour look on his face. "What's the big deal then, huh?" He looked back at his Bachou. "I'm just one piece on the chess board right? A simple pawn! I'm easily replaced."
A slap suddenly rang out and everyone in the room, even Koneko, turned to see Rias standing in front of the perverted teen, her arm in a post slapping position while Issei's head was turned in a similar position. It was pretty obvious to everyone in the room, even to the ones that weren't looking, of what just happened. They'd be lying if they said they didn't see it coming, they were actually kind of expecting it to happen.
"Don't talk like that Issei-kun." Rias said, pulling her hand back. "Do you really think that the pawn piece is the weakest?" She asked, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes at the boy in front of her. "The pawn piece has special traits that none of the other pieces have: promotion."
The brown haired boy tilted his head to the side. "Promotion?"
The red haired beauty nodded. "When a pawn is deep in enemy territory, they can rank up to any other piece, besides the king." She explained. "But, it is not something that you can do at will. As I stated, it requires you to be in enemy territory, and have the permission of your king to do it."
"Enemy territory and the permission of the king huh? Yet several other things that you have failed to mention." A new voice said.
Slightly startled, everyone turned to the door to see Tatsumi standing there. The green eyed male didn't seem to be in a very good mood, given the cold and distant look in his eyes.
Rias shivered a bit, this was the kind of look that he made back before she reincarnated Issei, the same look he had when he threatened the fallen angel. It was just as intimidating as it was back then. This boy was more frightening than anything she had ever seen in her life. But... how could someone so young be so threatening?
"Rias-senpai." Tatsumi breathed, his voice even and firm. "What Issei-san said is true." He stated, shocking the redhead. "I met Asia-san the same day as he did, and just like him, I do want to save Asia… with or without your help."
The teen assassin glanced to the side to see Issei giving him a sorrowful look. Tatsumi closed his and eyes sighed before walking up to the brown haired boy with a blank expression on his face. The coldness of his eyes disappeared, and instead was replaced by... a sense of pity.
"Tatsumi-san I…" Issei started before Tatsumi put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about it." Tatsumi waved him off before giving a small smile. "It's not like you gave her to them, right? You tried your best to protect her." He said, much to everyone's surprise. "Besides, you asked me to help you save her, remember? We'll get her back."
Issei blinked in surprise at his classmate before smiling back. "Yeah."
"So, you had a fun day with her right?' Tatsumi asked with a blank look, much to everyone's shock.
The perverted boy nodded. "Yes, we had a blast." He answered honestly, a ghost of a smile appeared on his face before quickly disappearing. "I should have listened to you. I should have taken her somewhere safe, but... she told me that this maybe the last time I'll see her."
The green eyed male quirked an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
"She... she told me that when we were hanging out." Issei responded. "I don't know what she meant that, but I had a feeling she was serious."
"What? But why would she... oh no." Tatsumi's eyes widened when the realization hit him. The fallen angels... were going to kill Asia. That was the only reason that he could think of as to why she would say something like that.
"Tatsumi-san," Said boy turned to look at Rias, and saw her giving him a stern look. "I cannot allow you to go after this girl either." She stated sternly. "You will die if you go there. You may have been able to take on a single fallen angel and a stray exorcist." She continued before narrowing her eyes at the former assassin. "But, there is no way that you can take on all of those fallen angels, plus that exorcist."
Tatsumi gave her a dry look. "If you hadn't been careless and pulled the weed out by its root from the very beginning, we wouldn't be in this situation." He snapped harshly, making Rias flinch. "You should have killed Raynare when you had the chance, but you let her live. You could have just asked Issei-san to join your peerage, but you didn't. "
Rias stayed silent as Tatsumi took the bass case off his back, opened it, and pulled out the sword she saw him use earlier. It looked especially lethal and sharp today, it almost seemed... deadlier than it was when she first saw it. There was a certain light that seemed to be hitting it. Whatever it was, it gave Rias a very, very, very bad feeling that nothing good was going to come out of this.
"I had my reasons." Rias countered weakly.
Tatsumi rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you did. But now, these so-called 'reasons' are going to get an innocent girl killed." He commented bluntly. "If you would have just acted from the very beginning, don't you think this all could have been avoided?"
"That's..." Rias started to say before she trailed off and looked down guilty.
Tatsumi sighed in exasperation. "Sill, despite that, I don't hate you, any of you." He stated, making everyone look at him. "I'm sure that you are all wonderful people, at least I think so, but it seems that circumstances are working against you." He continued. "Besides, despite what you have done, I'm not completely innocent here either. If I just finished off Freed when I had the chance, then Asia-san probably wouldn't have been taken."
Tatsumi started to walk towards the door. "I can't waste any more time here. You can either help me, or don't, but I'm going to save Asia-san."
"Stop! If you go to that church, you will die." Rias shouted at him as he walked away.
"You don't seem to realize that I don't take orders from you." The green eyed male responded bluntly. "I'm not your servant and I'm not your friend. I am just a stranger to you and almost everyone in this room." He spelled out harshly. "If I want to save my friend, then I'm going to save my friend… especially if I know that I can do it."
Tatsumi stopped by the doorway. "If you ever want to move out of the stranger phase, I suggest you begin making better choices from now on. Then I'll actually consider making the attempt to get to know you, Senpai."
With those final words said, he left.
The fading rays of sunlight were now completely eclipsed by the blanket of darkness that was night. As darkness reigned, the calls of nocturnal animals echoed through the air, playing the symphony of the night. However, in one area, it was silent like death.
Not a single sound could be heard around the old church at the outskirts of the town. The church itself looked to be a little worn down from all the years that it had stood on the cliff, looking down on everything else from its throne. The church was surrounded by a large forest that was home to many creatures who, for some reason, were dead silent.
Tatsumi rushed through the forest. The tail of his jacket whipped behind him as he sped through the trees, and towards the church building. As he got closer, he could feel stray traces of killing intent swelling into a large mass of a murderous cancer. However, this was nothing compared to some of the foes that Tatsumi fought back in his world. Zank alone would have produced more than whoever was releasing this.
"Just hang on Asia, I'm coming." Tatsumi grit his teeth as he plowed through the plants, ducked under a branch, and broke into a clearing inside the forest. He suddenly stopped as a trio of light spears came down in front of him.
"Not so fast, shorty." A high pitched, feminine voice taunted.
At that moment, three figures dropped just a few feet away in front of him. Two of them were female and one was a male. One of the females was blond, short, and was wearing what looked like a gothic lolita dress. The other female was much taller, much more mature and well endowed, had blue hair, and was wearing a very revealing dress. The male looked to be middle aged, had black hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a trench coat and wore a fedora hat on his head.
"Ah, you must be that human brat that Raynare mentioned." The blonde one started with a smirk. "How sweet, the devils send you as a diversion so they can go in and rescue the girl."
"Get out of my way." Tatsumi stated, completely ignoring what the fallen angel just said, much to her ire.
"How rude!" The blonde fallen angel shouted, childishly stamping her foot on the ground. "We went through all this trouble to greet you and this is the greeting we receive in return!?" She huffed before puffing her cheeks out and looked away. "I don't see why you're so eager. The ceremony has already started. You'll never save that girl in time."
That made Tatsumi quirk an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'ceremony?'"
The blonde smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"What the ceremony is doesn't matter. All that counts is what is here and now, and what I see now is what I think is a worthy opponent." The only male in the trio stated, folding his arms as he did so. "You may not look like it, but you're either really dangerous... or just really lucky." He scoffed. "I was actually expecting to fight a grown man, but instead I find a mere boy."
The second, taller female sighed. "Can we just get this over with? This is dreadfully boring."
The trio of fallen angels prepared to take off into the sky, but before they could, Tatsumi bolted straight towards them. A bit startled by his speed, the angels quickly threw spears at him, but Tatsumi skillfully dodged them all and continued his accelerated advance. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Tatsumi was upon Mittelt and unleashed a flurry of strikes at her. The blond fallen angel gritted her teeth as the strikes tore through her clothes and bit into her flesh. This human sure was fast wasn't he?
"Brat!" Dohnaseek, the male fallen angel, shouted as he and Kalawarner, the taller female, threw spears at Tatsumi back… but it proved to be ineffective.
Even while dodging the spears, Tatsumi didn't relent on his attack and stuck to Mittelt like glue. He was intent on taking out at least one of them out before they took flight on him... and it looked like he was going to get his chance. The blonde fallen angel in front him smirked as she formed a spear in her hand, intent on throwing it at Tatsumi at close range.
"Got you!" She shouted triumphantly as the spear flew towards his head. But her eyes widened with horror when Tatsumi dodged it, and two more spears from Kalawarner and Dohnaseek, before swinging his sword.
Her scream echoed through the night as the sword cut her skin, spattering her blood onto the grass and trees like a paint. Tatsumi's face remained cold and emotionless as Mittelt's body fell to the ground, a deep and savage cut strategically placed below her waist and the look of horror frozen on her face. It only took her comrades a moment to realize what happened.
Mittelt was dead.
Noticing that they were distracted by the loss of their comrade, Tatsumi rushed forward with the intent of killing another one before they could recover from the shock. However, Dohnaseek and Kalawarner both snapped out of it and took flight, gaining the aerial advantage they had over Tatsumi. But, the former assassin didn't stop running. He instead kept rushing towards the spot that the two fallen angels once stood.
From above, Dohnaseek and Kalawarner threw spear after spear at Tatsumi in fury, but he dodged them all gracefully before disappearing into the foliage of the forest.
"Shit!" Dohnaseek cursed as he started to throw spears randomly at the trees. The situation was really bad, and it was just about to get worse. The scream that followed just confirmed this.
The aged fallen angel looked over his shoulder just in time to see Kalawarner being pulled down into the forest. His vision might have been a little bit short because of the night's darkness, but he could have sworn that he just saw the moonlight reflect the surface of some sort of wire.
Before he could get a better look, Kalawarner disappeared into the thick cover of the trees. Then, the screaming stopped and silence took its spot. The silence lasted for what seemed like hours before...
"You know, this was the worst spot to fight me." Dohnaseek's eyes widened with horror as he looked up to see Tatsumi, much higher in the air and about to come down on him. The green eyed male smirked. "You picked a spot with plenty of high places to jump off, and you fly so low as well. It seems that this just isn't your day."
"Go to hell!" Dohnaseek shouted out defiantly as he created another spear and threw it. Tatsumi twisted in the air and came down on him with the sword.
Dohnaseek roared in pain as the cold steel blade pierced him just below his heart and the weight of Tatsumi's body crashed into him. Dohnaseek chocked on his own blood as his strength left him, causing him to lose flight and get sent into a dangerous nose dive before violently slamming into the ground. The sound of cracking bones echoed through the night as the fallen body settled into post-fall position.
The fallen angel literally chocked again as he laid motionless on the ground, the wound inflicted by the blade bled profusely as his final moments approached. He was in pain, more pain than what he had ever been in. He... lost... and to a human at that.
"I... I lost... to a human." Dohnaseek wheezed as he glared up at Tatsumi who stood over him. "How... dare you... using me as a-a... landing pad." He said before grunting in pain. "But... well played, human. Before... I go... tell me... how you got Kalawarner."
Tatsumi quirked an eyebrow before producing a grappling hook. Dohnaseek narrowed his eyes at the simple looking tool. It looked like it was handmade rather than store bought. The rope that was typically used for grappling hooks was replaced with a thick wire while the hook itself looked like two fishing hooks and a harpoon fused together. It was rather wicked and twisted for something that appeared to be handmade.
"It is a grappling hook I made to counteract your flying." Tatsumi stated as he started to walk away from the dying angel. "I knew that you fallen angels would try to fly during combat, so I made sure to have precautions in case I wasn't able to take you down quickly enough." He explained. "However, things went in my favor, so I didn't really need it until you guys took flight."
Dohnaseek gave a strained, final laugh before his eyes closed. "Well played."
Tatsumi didn't say anything as he disappeared into the foliage once again.
While the inside of the church was much more maintained than the outside of the building, there was still plenty of dust and dirt around that typically accumulated in underused buildings. However, those were petty details. In the grand scheme of things, the inside of the church wasn't really that bad looking, all the rows of seats were lined up, the alter was maintained and standing tall, and the rose-stained windows looked polished. It seemed the phrase of "don't judge a book by its cover" was true in this case.
The double doors slowly creaked open and revealed this sight to Tatsumi, sword in hand and covered in blood. His eyes narrowed as he sensed the same killing intent from before, only in a much higher dose. There were either a lot of people in here who gave off this murderous intent, or there was just one freak in particular that was both crazy and bloodthirsty.
"I've been waiting for you, you shitty devil lover!"
At that moment it was pretty obvious that it was the latter.
Tatsumi narrowed his eyes and looked straight ahead just as Freed jumped down in front of the altar. Where was he hiding? On the ceiling? What the hell? The green eyed teen sighed as now was not the time to wonder about that. Every moment he spent standing around, was a moment less he had to save Asia. Although, the expression on Freed's face made Tatsumi think that this was going to be a struggle. Well... he figured that would be the case actually.
Tatsumi didn't say anything and instead gripped his sword with both hands and shifted into his combat stance.
"What's the matter, shitty devil got your tongue?" Freed taunted, his own tongue hanging out of his mouth. "But, do not worry, this boy-priest will save the day!" He shouted at an obnoxious volume. "I'll pay you back in full for the pain you caused me." He smirked cruelly.
Tatsumi's tensed slightly when Freed produced what looked like a machine gun. The markings and coloration was very similar to the gun that Freed used during their first battle. It probably shot bullets of light or light bolts or whatever the other gun shot as well. This machine gun-like weapon was in one hand, in his other, Freed had the same gun he used from before.
Tatsumi narrowed his eyes. While Freed laughed. "I'm not stupid, crazy, but not stupid!" He shouted manically. "You can't get me with your sword if you can't get close enough to me!"
With that, Freed shot his smaller gun at Tatsumi, who easily dodged it. Freed then started to spray the area with his other gun, unleashing more light than a disco ball. Tatsumi ran forward towards Freed as he skillfully dodged the hail of projectiles sent his way. He knew that if he just kept evading all of Freed's shots and didn't strike back, he would never win and that Asia would... no... he won't let that happen. The risk now was definitely worth the potential outcome. All he needed to do was get close!
Tatsumi suddenly increased his speed, seemingly disappearing and reappearing around the shots Freed fired. Said exorcist gritted his teeth before firing his other gun into the fray. There was no way he was going to lose twice to this shitty devil lover! He hadn't even laid a finger on this brat before and now, here he was just dodging a hail of bullets like he had been doing it his whole life?! What heresy was this?!
In a matter of seconds, Tatsumi was already upon Freed. The stray exorcist laughed tauntingly as he jumped backwards, avoiding Tatusmi's strike. At a safe range, Freed used his machine gun again. But, before he could shoot, he spotted a hook shaped object heading straight for his head. He sidestepped it and laughed again.
"Is that all you got you shitty devil lover?" Freed mocked with a twisted smile.
The green eyed teen smirked. "You know it isn't." He suddenly pulled hard on something.
Freed yelped when he was suddenly ripped off his feet from below. The crazed priest hissed in pain when his body slammed onto the ground, causing him to drop his machine gun in the process. He looked up to see that the same hook from before was lodged in his pants.
Freed quickly dropped his smaller gun and reached inside his jacket to produce his light sword. He lifted it up just in time to block a downward strike from Tatsumi. The exorcist kicked the teenager away, ripped the hook out of his pants, and hopped to his feet. This was getting annoying.
The mad exorcist smirked maliciously. "It seems I'm not the only one with a new toy." He taunted, earning a death glare from Tatsumi. "Ooh! That look! I enjoy receiving death glares just about as much as I love giving them." His smirk widened. "And I find yours to be especially enjoyable."
Tatsumi didn't respond as dropped the grappling hook and picked up his sword. Freed laughed as he and Tatsumi rushed forward at each other. The two traded blows at lightning quick speeds as sparks flew form the continuous collision of their blades. However, it wasn't long before Tatsumi started to strike faster and more aggressively than he did before. His cold green eyes remained unmoved as he quickly overpowered the stray exorcist. He was done holding back. There would not be a round three if Tatsumi had his way.
"This will be the last time, Freed." Tatsumi warned mentally as he swiped at the stray priest's knees.
Freed managed to block the low blow, but coughed violently when Tatsumi's foot slammed into his solar plexus, one of the weaker points in the body. Freed stumbled back but was able to lift his sword to block Tatsumi's next blow.
But he yet again Freed stumbled in pain when Tatsumi kicked him again, this time into the side. He pushed pass his pain and blocked the sword strike that followed after the kick.
Faster than before, panic and fear started to fill the stray exorcist. It was clear to him at this point, that Tatsumi was fully intent on killing him right here, right now. However... that just made Freed want to live more.
"Fuck you!" Freed roared in anger as he increased the strength and speed of his strikes. Unfortunately for him, Tatsumi was unmoved by this act of preservation. He just continued to striker faster and stronger.
Freed hissed in pain as Tatsumi cut him furiously all over his body. His crimson blood ran from his wounds almost like a small river, but he still kept on trading blows with Tatsumi. He was not going to die! And if he did die, he would make sure to take this shitty devil lover with him!
"You remind me of someone that I had fought before." Tatsumi stated suddenly, making Freed quirk an eyebrow. The green eyed teen glared hatefully at the stray exorcist. "But the difference between you and him is as plain as day though."
Freed gave a twisted smirk. "Oh, and what is that? Please enlighten me?"
The white haired exorcist's eyes widened when Tatsumi suddenly vanished. Freed got into a defensive position just in time to see Tatumi reappeared and violently slash at him. Freed raised his sword to block it... but failed. A pained scream and the clunk of Freed's sword hitting the ground echoed through the church. A second later, drops of blood and few bloody objects fell to the ground.
They were Freed's severed fingers.
"He wouldn't have been hit by that." Tatsumi stated coldly as he poised his sword to strike again.
Freed, who had stumbled back a few feet, sent a glare filled with unrestrained malice at Tatsumi. He watched anxiously as the brown haired swordsman approached him. He could see the diligence in Tatsumi's eyes and he could practically taste the killing intent sent his way. However... he wasn't going to die here. Quick as lightning, Freed reached inside his jacket with his good hand and threw what he pulled out at Tatsumi.
"Grah!" A thick, blinding light was released from the thrown object. Tatsumi shielded his eyes with his arms in order to protect his eyes. But as soon as the light appeared... it quickly disappeared as well.
When Tatsumi opened his eyes, he soon found out that Freed was gone. He got away during that blast of light. However, a quick look around revealed that he failed to take his fingers with him. The crazed exorcist's bloody digits were still laying in the bloody puddle they had landed into earlier. Interestingly, another quick look around revealed a thin trail of blood leading out the front door.
Tatsumi gritted his teeth. "Dammit, he got away… again." He sneered before he noticed a door behind the altar. "As much as it pains me, I have to let him go… this time. I still need to save Asia-san."
The door behind the altar burst open to reveal a room that looked a lot like a dungeon, or some sort of torture chamber. Torches were burning alongside the walls and a large, pyramid-like stand could be seen at the other end of the room. The fact that there was a crucifix-like structure on top of the pyramid-like stand was also an indication that this room wasn't used for very nice things.
What kind of messed up church has this kind of room? Wasn't this against coding violations or something, this whole damn structure seemed illegal... and medieval.
Tatsumi narrowed his eyes dangerously at the small army of what he assumed to be stray exorcists, judging by their priestly clothing. They were giving off a considerable amount of killing intent, but it was nothing compared to what Freed gave off. They were all armed with light swords very similar to the one that Freed used. Tatsumi's eyes moved higher to the pyramid-like stand and he was both shocked and horrified at what he saw.
There was Asia, hanging lifeless on the crucifix.
She wasn't moving and it didn't even seem like she was alive. Tatsumi looked away sorrowfully, but then quickly steeled himself and readied his sword to face the stray exorcist in front of him. He didn't know if Asia was alive, and he won't found out unless he got close enough to check. However, that was easier said than done in this case.
"So you've finally arrived." A familiar voice cooed.
Tatsumi's hands tightened on the hilt of his sword as his cold green eyes were lit up with hate and anger. Raynare descended from the ceiling with the same cocky and arrogant look on her face she had when they first met. However, Tatsumi wasn't fooled, he could see right through her tough facade. She was slightly shaking, like she was scared and she wasn't looking directly at him either. It was almost looked like... she was afraid of him.
"You're too late." Raynare stated proudly and with a smirk. "The ceremony is already complete and Twilight Healing is mine." She continued with a confident laugh before glaring at Tatsumi. "Oh, how unfortunate, If only you were faster."
Tatsumi didn't say anything as he just continued to stare at the fallen angel with cold eyes.
"Ah, Azazel-sama will be so pleased with me." Raynare said as she clapped her hands together, closed her eyes, and smiled. "He'll reward me generously for my success."
"All of this... was to please some jerk?" Tatsumi questioned, fully aware of the fact that the exorcists were creeping towards him. "You killed an innocent girl... for that?"
"Don't you dare insult Azazel-sama like that!" The fallen angel snapped at the brown haired boy, but to no effect. "You don't get it do you? No wait, of course you wouldn't." She stated with a sigh. "Twilight Healing is a rare Sacred Gear and leaving it with that girl would have been a waste."
Raynare smirked, despite the fear that she felt just a few moments ago, she was feeling pretty good now. It seems that the human was finally put in his place, given that there was no retort from him, or that he didn't attack her straight away. It was definitely an improvement from what happened during their first encounter... or so she thought.
"If drop to your knees and beg me for forgiveness now, human, then maybe I'll make your death quick and painless." Raynare offered smugly with a smirk while closing her eyes. She just loved how her plan came together. Using Freed, Mittelt, Dohnaseek and Kalawarner to delay Tatsumi... and possibly that perverted idiot from before, was a perfect idea. And the best part was that she didn't have to get her own hands dirty. Azazel will be pleased with her success.
"Give. It. Back."
Raynare opened her eyes and was shocked to see the small army of exorcists, that her group had assembled, all down on the ground. They were dead, and it was pretty obvious that they were. The pools of blood, their prone figures, and blood that covered Tatsumi's clothing were all evidence of the silent slaughtered that had occurred in an instant. But... why didn't she hear any noise? The answer again, was simple... not even the exorcists realized that they had been killed.
"Obviously you didn't hear me." Tatsumi said lowly and darkly as he started to walk towards the stand. "I said to give it back." He finished with a hate filled glare.
Raynare took a step back in surprise, before she glared back and formed two light spears. She quickly threw them at Tatsumi, but he easily sidestepped them and continued his relentless advance.
How could this be happening? She was a fallen angel elite! After all the trouble she had went through to finally acquire the Twilight Healing, there was no way she was going to give it up just like that. He'd have to pry it from her cold dead hands.
"You don't have a right to use that Sacred Gear or whatever it's called." Tatsumi stated as he continued his advance towards the pyramid-like stance. "You didn't earn it and you don't deserve to even look at it." He chided harshly and hatefully. "You had to kill an innocent girl that literally did nothing wrong to satisfy your own selfish desires."
"Shut up! I don't care what you think!" Raynare threw another spear.
Tatsumi dodged it. "All of this was to satisfy a person that probably doesn't care if you live or die. Can you truly say that this was worth it?" He started to walk faster. "Don't answer that, as I already know the answer."
Tatsumi reached the stairs of the pyramid-like stand and started to walk up them, all while gracefully dodging Raynare's spears. "You fallen angels are really one trick ponies aren't you? Just throwing spears like a bunch of idiots. You're so hung up on that ability that you fail to develop other skills to make up for your obvious weakness."
The green eyed teen suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of Raynare, causing the woman to take a another step back. "You're spears are only as effective as your ability to actually hit something with them. If you can't hit them, you're useless."
Before Raynare could do anything, Tatsumi thrusts his sword forward, impaling her right in the gut. She gasped as the cold steel pierced through her warm body and immense pain jolted through her system. Raynare glared up at the cold green eyes looking down at her with such indifference, such apathy that it made her stomach churn.
Tatsumi twisted the sword sharply before pulling it out. Blood splattered on the ground as Raynare stumbled back, holding her now bleeding gut.
"The other fallen angels are dead." Tatsumi stated coldly as he wiped the blood off of his sword. "Freed got away, but everyone else except for you and me are dead." He stated as he poised his sword for another strike. "Only one of us is going to walk out of here alive."
"It doesn't matter." Raynare wheezed as she raised her hands that each had a single ring on them. "I have Twilight Healing, no matter what wounds you inflict upon me, I'll just heal them up."
Out of nowhere, Tatsumi brutally swung his sword, slashing Raynare across the chest, causing the arrogant angel to fall to the ground. She coughed violently as this was even more painful than the last blow. This was sheer agony!
"Anything you say? Nothing I do to you will matter?" Tatsumi quirked an eyebrow before a sinister smirk grazed his face. "Would you like to test that theory?"
The upstairs part of the church was all quiet, not a single sound could be heard inside the building or outside the doors. All was silent, and that was never a good sign, especially in a place that had just witnessed several brutal displays violence in a short amount of time. No, this place will never be the same again, the blood that stained both its up and downstairs will never wash away or be forgotten like a memory.
Suddenly, a bright red light emanated just outside the front doors. A few moments later, a group of people walked into the church. The Occult Research Club had arrived and by the looks of it, they seemed to be ready for some action.
Kiba had his sword out, Koneko had her gloves on, Issei had called out his sacred gear and... well... actually that was it. All the other members looked normal besides the clear determination in their eyes.
Kiba walked in front of the group with Koneko not too far behind him. Kiba's sharp eyes and Koneko's keen senses would ensure that the group doesn't get ambushed by unexpected attacks.
"Interesting." Kiba stated as he looked around. "I don't sense any kind of killing intent." He said, turning to Rias. "No signs of Tatsumi-kun or Asia-san either."
Akeno looked closer at the surrounding walls and pillars. "But there are signs that heavy fighting had transpired here. There are various holes in the walls done by, from what I can guess, an exorcist's gun." She informed with a frown.
Issei both tensed and cringed. He knew that he should have followed Tatsumi here. He could have helped! He could have done something! He could have... he could have…. honestly... he didn't know what he could have done, but it would have been better than letting Tatsumi go here and save Asia all by himself. If only he was stronger, maybe he would have been able to make a difference. However, it seemed that Rias felt guilty about it as well.
"Tatsumi-san."
"...this smell." Koneko said, sniffing around before looking down to see a red liquid on the ground. She knelt down and put her fingers in it. "It's blood... human blood."
Everyone was visually unnerved by the news. Their first thought that this was Tatsumi's fate. That he had died just like Rias had said he would. Although, there was still a glimmer of hope that he might still be alive. His body wasn't laying around anywhere so that was a good sign.
"It's still too early to say to whom this blood belongs to." Akeno stated in effort raise everyone's morale. It's best to think positive in situations like this and hope that they are not too late.
"Alright, we'd probably have a better chance at finding Tatsumi if we all split up." Rias stated as she glanced at her peerage. "Issei and Kiba, you go and...!"
The sudden sounds of footsteps caught their attention. Everyone present looked to the side at the door behind the altar. All of them quickly assumed their offensive positions and waited anxiously as the steps got closer and louder. They were really hoping that it was Tatsumi making those steps, but precaution came first before such thoughts.
Ever so slowly the steps grew louder and louder and louder before the door started to creep open. Everyone started to sweat bullets as the door finally opened all the way to reveal...
Tatsumi.
Everyone gave a breath of relief before it was suddenly stolen from their bodies. That was when they noticed the appearance of their schoolmate. His clothing was heavily stained with blood. Koneko's nose scrunched up just from getting a whiff of the reek that was the cooper-like scent of blood. His once white shirt was now completely red and his jacket was spotted with irregular blood stains. Even his boots left bloody footprints as he walked. However, the most noticeable thing about the green eyed boy was the lifeless body of Asia he was carrying princess style in his arms.
"I... I was too slow." Tatsumi said, stopping and looking up to reveal a face stained with tears. "I didn't get here in time." He dropped to his knees and held Asia's body close to his own. "Raynare stole Asia's sacred gear, killing her as a result of it."
Tears welled up in Issei's eyes before he wiped them away, but they just kept coming. He looked over at Rias to find a rather sympathetic look on her face. She walked forward towards Tatsumi who glared at her, but didn't let go of Asia's body. Rias sighed when she knelt down so that she was at the eye level with the brown haired swordsman.
"Tatsumi-san," Rias cooed lightly. "I'm sorry. What you said about me was right." She stated, much to Tatsumi's surprise. "I haven't been acting like a leader should and I haven't been making the best choices." She gulped. "I guess... in a way... I'm the one that let Asia-san die."
Tatsumi didn't say anything he just looked away. Rias sighed, that was the kind of response she was expecting and she had a feeling that what she was about to offer wasn't going to make things any better. In fact, if any reaction at all, she expected Tatsumi to get angry at her. Not like she could blame him if he did get mad. He had every right to be angry with her.
"Tatsumi-san," Rias started. "if I told you that I wanted to revive Asia-san as a devil... how would you react to that? Would you let me?"
The green eyed teen looked up at her, his eyes blank and his expression placid and unreadable. He had one hell of a poker face now didn't he? Only a teenager and he had the look of a pro. It almost seemed like he didn't think anything of the offer. It didn't look like hated it, but at the same time, it didn't look like he loved it either.
After a few moments passed, which almost seemed like an eternity for everyone else, a decision was made. "Rias-senpai," Tatsumi said before getting to his feet and holding Asia's body out towards Rias. "please, reincarnate Asia-san as a devil." He calmly expressed with a short bow. "It may be selfish of me to decide something like this for her but..." He lowered his head sadly. "She deserves to have a life among the living. So... Senpai, you have my permission."
Rias was shocked. She didn't expect him to take her up on that offer. It was strange seeing Tatsumi this way. Usually, he was confident, fierce, and frighteningly aware for a teenager. However, the look of sadness and hurt in his eyes made it clear that he truly meant what he said. She closed her eyes and smiled a bit. She had royally messed up but… she was going to fix everything, starting now. She gestured for Issei to come over.
"Issei-kun, take Asia-san's body and find her sacred at the room bellow so we can start." Rias lightly ordered, earning a nod from Issei. She turned to Akeno. "Akeno, please take Tatsumi-san to the hospital."
"Of course, Bachou." Akeno responded with a smile.
After handing Asia's body over to Issei, Tatsumi cocked his head to the side and put a hand on his hip. "Hospital? I don't need to go the hospital." He said, surprising everyone. "This blood... it isn't mine. I'm not hurt at all."
His eyes sudden darkened. "You understand what happened, right?" He asked everyone. "I killed them. I killed those three fallen angels outside, I killed all of the exorcists in the bottom level of the church, and I killed Raynare." He spelled out coldly. "And I regret nothing. It was something that had to be done. "
Everyone was shocked by these words, especially Koneko who looked away sorrowfully. Seeing her friend like this was... hard. She didn't know what to think. While she was glad that he was safe, she didn't exactly like seeing him covered in blood, and that cold look in his eyes... This was not the Tatsumi she knew but... in her heart, she was truly glad that he made it out alive... even if it came to this.
Issei seemed to be affected the most by his words and by his appearance. He literally turned green and looked like he was about to vomit. Kiba, on the other hand, seemed to be affected the least. He stood silently next to Issei, but glared at Tatsumi intently. He was now more cautious of the brown haired swordsman than ever. Akeno and Rias were also green, but they quickly overcame it and returned to their normal selves.
Tatsumi then glanced at Issei. "You don't need to look for Asia's sacred gear as I have it right here." Tatsumi opened his palm to reveal a set of bloody rings that glowed softly green. "Return them, to the one who they rightfully belong to."
Rias nodded as she took the rings… feeling sad that someone else had to dirty his hands for her mistakes.
"I'm... tired." Tatsumi yawned. "I need to rest… from all of this..." He walked past Rias and stopped in front of Koneko who looked at him with a blank expression. "Sorry you had to see me like this, Koneko-chan. I promise that I'll make it up to you somehow." He said as he patted the white haired girl on the head.
The green eyed male ignored Kiba's glare and instead walked towards the door before stopping. "By the way, you should have been suspicious of me from the very beginning Rias-senpai, another mistake of your leadership." He pointed out. "You never questioned why and you never tried to figure out if I was lying to you."
Rias sighed and folded her arms. "I actually was suspicious you Tatsumi-san." She stated with a nod. "You're reactions to my attempts to reach out to you were borderline paranoid and you were clearly dangerous. But to be honest, I just didn't think you were actually capable of doing what you did here."
Tatsumi nodded. "I see." Then he sighed. "Before I go, Rias-senpai, allow me to make something perfectly clear." He turned around to reveal his cold green eyes. "If you ever mistreat Asia-san, Koneko-chan, or... Issei-san, I will kill you. No force on earth would protect you from me."
Rias flinched, but still managed to nod. "I understand. You have my word."
"I've entrusted you with the lives of people who are close to me… don't me second guess my decisions. Consider this the first step of us becoming closer, but we aren't by means friends." Tatsumi said, he then glanced over his shoulder and looked directly at Gremory girl. "Oh, and Rias?"
"Yes?" The said girl looked tensely at Tatsumi.
"See you at school tomorrow." The green eyed teen said with a light smile before walking out the door.
For a few minutes, there was nothing but silence after Tatsumi's departure. Rias was the first one to break it. "Issei, place Asia on one of the benches so I can begin her reincarnation."
The said perverted boy nodded and quickly did as he was ordered.
Rias then looked at one of the church's windows, the one above the alter, and sighed. "I promise, to not break the trust you placed in me… and I'll try my best to become a better leader as well." She glanced at her that held the two bloody rings, Asia's sacred gear. A small smile appeared on her face. "See you tomorrow, Tatsumi-san."
At school the next day, the atmosphere at Kuoh was definitely lighter than it had been in a while. There wasn't the feeling paranoia, suspicion, or annoyance. For the moment everything was fine, which was becoming a rare thing these days it seemed. Everyone was where they were supposed to be and everything was normal... or so it seemed.
Currently, Tatsumi was standing outside his next class, which was history, with an expected person standing in front of him: Asia. It seems that Rias did reincarnate the nun as a devil and somehow was able to transfer her to this school. But then again, it was something that Tatsumi expected as well. In fact, that was probably the only way for the red haired senpai to keep Asia close to her without breaking the rules... or resorting to underhanded tactics.
"Wait, wait, hold the phone." Tatsumi raised a hand. "You have a crush on Issei?" He asked lowly so no one would hear him say that.
The blond blushed and nodded. "Yes, I do." She admitted.
"Umm, okay... but why are you telling me this?" Tatsumi asked while scratching his cheek.
"Because you're my friend… and friends share things like that all the time, right?" Asia asked with a cute tilt of her head.
Tatsumi sighed deeply as he looked up at the ceiling. He really wished that fate would stop giving one troublesome situation after another. Why can't things in his life be simple for once!
A/N:
Long chapters:
All of the chapters of this story have been getting progressively longer. So, if that turns off you all...my bad. The next chapter maybe shorter but I can't be for sure or not until we actually wrote it. The quality of this chapter, in my opinion, is somewhat lower quality than the first two chapters before it.
If you see any mistakes tell me where they're at and I'll fix them.
Familiar for Tatsumi:
I'm still on the fence of if I should or not. I'll let you guys decide. Should Tatsumi get a familiar?
No Asia in the Harem:
Nope, not a fan of Asia to be honest. Also, she is used way too much and she and Issei make a better couple. Sorry if that annoys anyone but...she isn't going to be in the harem. It doesn't mean that Asia and Tatsumi can't be friends though.
Tatsumi is having an easy time:
Not for long. Remember who is next in terms of Arcs in DxD? I'll give you a hint, his name is Raiser. Despite his arrogance he is still quite a formidable opponent.
Harem:
Allow me to clear this up because I apparently caused some confusion. I said that there WILL NOT be a harem list UNTIL Tatsumi has met everyone in the harem so that will not be for a LONG time. Don't count on there being a list anytime soon. However, with Rossweisse revealed I will state that Tatsumi has already met another member but you'll have to figure out who it is. So, here is the closest thing to a harem list that you'll get for a while:
1: Rossweisse
2: ?
The reason there is a harem in this story is because they work easier and because it serves a rather important function later. It will be a while but you'll see what I mean.
Guest Reviews:
I haven't been ignoring you guys:
"Are you splitting the harem by anime"
-Nope
"Will Issei get stronger like tatsumi"
-Yes, but he's lagging behind his canon self. You'll see in the next chapter.
"Can you put more interaction between tatsumi and issei"
-Done
RWBY:
I like that series but Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang are too difficult to work into this story. It is simply more trouble than it is worth. But, I'm likely going to do something with RWBY in the future.
Logic:
Hold onto your belt buckles folks about to give you some justification for the stuff that I do. In theory, I shouldn't have to since all of the questions should be answered in the story. However, I guess I'll explain why I did the things I did. Everything from this sentence from the last italic word is part of this little sub category. If you have no interest in my logic then I suggest you move on and don't read this:
Why are the Fallen Angels and Freed so weak?
-Because they are. All the Fallen Angels, the four in the early part of DxD, only threw spears and that as pretty much it combat wise. There is not much dimension there, so for Tatsumi they aren't hard to beat. The only real advantages they have over him is their ability to fly and their long range. Tatsumi is skilled and is very fast so if he was trying trying to kill them, he could do it. Freed is basically like a weaker, crazier version of Zank. Now, I believe Zank is only stronger because he had Spectator.
Why was Tatsumi so intent on saving Asia?
-Because she reminds him a lot of Schere since she is so kind. Also, she is the kind of person that would have suffered greatly in the AGK universe because those bastards in that verse love to target people, especially females, like Asia. I'll give you a quick refresher of how they can be. Tell me, readers of AGK, do you remember Air, Fal, and Luna? If you do, you know exactly what I'm getting at. Asia was completely innocent in that situation so of course he would try and protect her from such a fate.
Why didn't Tatsumi didn't kill Freed when he had the chance?
-I explained that already but if you another explanation than here it is. As I stated, it was hard for Tatsumi to go back to killing after not having to kill for such a long time. His life was peaceful and didn't have a lot of regrets about his past life. I do admit that Tatsumi would have an easier time going back to killing that a normal person would, but did that mean he wouldn't hesitate? Not necessarily. Tell me...if you were in his shoes could you do it without batting an eyelash?
Why does it seem like Tatsumi hates Rias and Sona?
-He doesn't but his past experiences, particularly the one with Aria, have left him with a distrust of people that are sketchy like those two. The way that Rias operates sets off alarms in Tatsumi's head because, from his point of view, she is acting like Aria and we all know how that ended. He has every right to distrust her and she has every right to chalk his paranoid behavior as being strange. On the topic of Sona, he is more cautious of her than Rias because she is Kaichou (Student Council President) and can actually make things harder for him at school. However, he is more tolerant of Sona than Rias because Sona was straight with him than Rias was.
If Tatsumi is so suspicious of Rias why does he let Koneko be around her?"
-Realistically speaking...what is he going to do? Is he going to slap her on the wrist and say "No don't do that"? He can't do that and he knows he can't since it won't work. Why would he try? There is no logic in trying to keep her from them if he can't monitor her every move or keep tabs on her every moment of the day. Besides, if you do that to your friend...can you really be called their friend?
Why does Tatsumi seem to be two-faced when it comes to Issei?
-Issei is the person that Tatsumi trusts the second most, after Koneko, but he doesn't consider him a friend either. I'd say they're relationship, at this point, is more like "I'll help you if you help me" sort of thing. He is getting more comfortable around Issei but they still aren't close to being friends. If you still don't get what I mean...picture them as the veteran (Tatsumi) who gets the rookie (Issei) as his partner.
Why was Tatsumi more aggressive in his battle with Freed and the Fallen Angels this time around?
-He was done hesitating. He resolved himself and he didn't hesitate because now he was not holding back. Unlike before, his intent to kill them was 100% genuine. That is why he was dominating in both battles.
What happened to Raynare?
-What do you think happened to her?
Why a grappling hook?
-It is actually an idea that Tatsumi would come up with. He was probably channeling Rabac there, notice how he used wire instead of rope? It would also make sense to make one since, besides jumping off of things, is Tatsumi's best bet to get a Fallen Angel while they're in the air. Also, that is the thing that he left Asia with Issei to go make.
Why is Tatsumi so Paranoid/Smart/Aware?
-First of all he has at least 30 years of experience counting his rebirth and new life. He also has the memories of his old life and in a world that he didn't original start in, of course he is going to be paranoid and aware. He is going to project past life experiences onto the new life he has when it comes down to it. His intelligence also steams from this as well since, as I said before, he has 30+ years of experience due to his past life. Plus, this is also "End Game" Tatsumi so he isn't as blind or naive as he was, he is way more mature and put together, so it shouldn't be too hard to believe that he'd be smarter, more aware, and possibly paranoid.
Why is there a harem?
-In DxD they're just easier to write and they flow better with the story.
Why doesn't Tatsumi tell people about his past life?
-No one would believe him. Think about it...you're asking people to believe that you were born into a word with devils, fallen angels, and angels from a world with a corrupt empire, Teigu, and danger beasts. Yeah...you wouldn't sound crazy at all.