Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man is the property of Hoshino Katsura.
Chapter Three: The Bride, A Formidable Wife
It was already a week since Allen had heard about the Akuma from Miranda. The information only made Allen extra paranoid that he resorted to avoiding having meals with Kanda and staying away from crowded areas. He tried to find more information about the Akuma, but apparently knowledge about Akuma were of such common sense that it was not recorded by any books in the library, and Allen was too scared to ask anyone to tell him more for fear that they would suspect him.
Allen was pretty sure that he was a normal human, but what if his supposed birthmark tied him to those creatures? It would probably turn everyone against him, even more so than humans since they did not know the true meaning of the pentacle. Or could the shape be simply a co-incidence with the pentacle of the Akuma?
"There are no co-incidences in this world, only destiny."
The voice which intruded upon the silence startled Allen badly, who turned around to see a lady dressed quite sensually looking at him. Long black hair folded around her figure, her butterfly-like kimono giving off a strange mystical feel. Allen unconsciously tugged at his cloak, burying himself further in it. The lady chuckled, walking around him a few times. "So this is the bride? Fufu...Such a moyashi~!"
Instantly, Allen snapped, "It's Allen, not moyashi!"
"Ooh, fiesty! Though not as volatile as my dear Watanuki. See you later, dear," the woman bid him farewell and made to leave. Allen stared at the retreating back, wondering who in the world that woman was. The boy was so distracted by her that he didn't realise that Marie had entered the lounge as well. "Allen, are you free now? Kanda-sama wishes to see you," the demon lord's right hand mentioned. Allen jumped at the abrupt approach.
"S-See me? You mean now?"
'I can't! I'm not mentally ready yet!' Allen screeched within his mind, but he only found himself steered by Marie to another room which he had never seen before. More than a room, it was a hall, similar to the one where he first met Kanda. Apart from Kanda, who sat at the edge of the hall, there were five other people in the room, pairs of two sitting opposite each other with the fifth one sitting on the left. Feeling slightly self-conscious at the attention, Allen tightened the cloak about himself. Kanda gestured for Allen to come to his side. As much as Allen preferred not to, right now he'd rather sit with someone he knew than the strangers who occupied the hall right now.
As demurely as he could possibly move, Allen silently moved towards Kanda, taking his seat beside the demon prince. Satisfied with Allen's obedience, Kanda began the meeting. "Today, I formally announce to the council that I have found my bride. Before any questions are asked, I have promised my bride anonymity of his identity. No questions about his features are allowed," he announced, letting his eyes convey the severity of his order.
"I've heard the rumours...The bride is human?" One blonde young lady asked, contempt audible in her voice. Another blonde lady, completely alike in looks to the former, whispered, "Sister, you musn't imply such things!"
Allen knew being human compared to these demons would probably make him the lower class, but he couldn't stand the jibe. "And that concerns you so?" He voiced his thoughts, surprising everyone who thought he would not speak. Another, this time, an old man, answered Allen, "Yes, as the council we must decide what is good and what is bad for the kingdom. A human is...inconvenient in certain methods, be it strength or intelligence."
"Sophia, Angela, hold your tongues. Bookman, be careful that your words do not overstep boundaries of modicum. Tiedoll, what do you think?" Kanda asked, looking to his left. This time, another man smiled. Not as old as the one named as Bookman, this one carried a gentler feel, somewhat like a doting grandfather. "Well, if everyone is unsatisfied with your bride, then there is a solution. Let him be tested. If he passes, then the council will hold to their silence. Is that a good suggestion, Zhu?"
"..."
"Zhu?"
The third old man slowly looked around. "Is it time for lunch?"
Kanda resisted the urge to smack his forehead with his palm. "Someone, speak louder to him. He's already deaf as he is." Marie politely went forward and spoke loudly into Zhu's ear. Zhu, having properly heard this time, nodded approvingly. "Of course I agree. Let us all put the lord's bride through a challenge of each our own choosing. Should destiny prevail, then the bride surely be able to overcome it."
Allen's eyes were nervously darting back and forth. What was going on? Was he going to have to earn his right to be the bride that he didn't want to be? And they were speaking as if he wasn't present! But even if he spoke out his thoughts, Allen somehow sensed that he'd be ignored outright. 'Why must this happen to me?' The boy thought as he lamented his ill luck.
"...What do you think, moyashi?" Kanda turned to his bride, who jumped at being addressed.
"It's Allen! W-Well, it's not like I have a choice, do I?" Allen muttered.
"Wonderful...We meet two hours later, after we prepare for the challenge. Prove yourself, human," Sophia sneered, standing up from her seat. Her twin sister Angela hurriedly got up and bowed apologetically to Allen before she followed after her sister. One by one, the council filed out, until only Kanda, Allen and Marie remained in the hall. Wondering what sort of trials awaited him, Allen got up to leave when Kanda grabbed his arm.
"Kanda?"
He was afraid that Kanda may have somehow found out about his birthmark, but the demon prince merely stared at him for a while before letting him go. "Marie, make sure he doesn't get lost."
Allen looked at the retreating back, shaking his head. "I don't understand him."
Marie smiled at the comment. "It cannot be helped...Our lord has had a difficult past, and certainly even he has reservations about how to act around someone he would be spending the rest of his life with. He must be worried that one of the challenges may involve a test of power, that in which you lack."
Although Allen was concerned about the mention of Kanda's past, something was more pressing at the moment. "What do you mean, test of power?"
"Your ability to fight. Kanda-sama is the best blade user in the kingdom, possibly good enough to rival other kingdoms, so there is certain expectations...that his companion may possess the equal ability."
"...Right..." Somehow, Allen was so sure he was going to get into trouble.
The promised time had come, and Allen was as ready as he could possibly be. He was decked in his typical attire of a shirt, vest, pants and a ribbon, not that anyone knew as he was securely tucked in his travelling cloak. Just in case, he had a dagger tucked by his side, though he decided that he could make use of Crown Clown. Right now however, he was in a kitchen. Apart from himself, only Angela was there.
"I'm sorry if my sister has been terribly rude, Allen-sama...She is rather...taken with our lord," Angela mentioned shyly. Allen shook his head, answering, "Allen is just fine, Miss Angela. No wonder she's so scary...Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. So...What will be your challenge?"
Angela blushed, smiling as she stated her challenge. "Angela will suffice. My sister told me to put you through a difficult challenge, but I find it necessary that you experience a more...relevant challenge, one that will exercise your skills as a bride."
Allen sighed, fiddling with his cloak. "I really wish people will stop calling me that; a bride."
Angela was quite confused. "Why not? The bride is the one whose hand is asked for in marriage, so is it not suitable?" Allen had forgotten; the concept of gender did not get in the way of demons. For a human like him, a bride carried female connotations, but it would seem that in the demon world, a bride is the one who is being proposed to. Which had been most unfortunately, him.
"...It's alright, so what sort of challenge do you think befits a...bride?"
Angela giggled, her smile brightening. "Cooking, of course! Kanda-sama may be picky with food, but I'm sure even he cannot resist the food made by his bride. Any married demon will be happy to have their spouse cook for them. Of course, what you cook will be served to the council and Kanda-sama himself as a form of evaluation. I am here to make sure you do not cheat. Have you decided what to make?"
Had his cloak been off, Angela would have seen Allen visibly brighten. Cooking was one of his strongest fortes; this was a clinch! "...Do we have to make the same thing for everyone?" Allen asked, already planning the variety of dishes he could make. He may not have willingly taken up the challenge, but once he did, he played to win. "Oh, of course not. I'm sure being able to make more than one dish would help you get better evaluation," Angela answered.
Allen folded his sleeves up. "Time to get started."
Kanda was wondering what Allen was doing in the kitchen for almost three hours. He hoped that the boy was not making a mess out of the kitchen right now, or worse, destroying it. The prince shook his head as he recalled the moment he was informed of the theme. If the moyashi's cooking was bad, he would not eat it. Not even if it was made by his bride.
"I'm done!"
Allen's triumphant voice announced his presence, as he entered the dining room with a line of maids behind him, each carrying a different dish. He made quiet orders to the maids, who dispersed to present each meal to the council members. The only one left was the dish in Allen's hand, and he was heading straight to Kanda. Kanda was rather surprised to see that Allen had served soba. As if noticing Kanda's reaction, Allen spoke, "I noticed a lot of soba packets in the kitchen, and whenever we eat together, you seem to eat nothing but soba. It was easy to deduce your favourite item, so I tried making soba from scratch."
Tiedoll was nodding approvingly. "You'd make such a wonderful wife, to notice your husband's favourite dish."
As much as Allen wanted to retort, it was wiser for him to keep his mouth shut. He had after all, made soba in order to get a good impression from Kanda to get a better evaluation. So what if it was considered slightly unfair to make the judge's favourite food? As long as he won, Allen didn't care a bit. Bookman observed each dish on the table. "...You seem to know a lot of different dishes."
Allen nodded to the statement, replying, "I am a traveller, so I don't have much money. I can't really afford to eat in restaurants but it's much cheaper if I buy the ingredients and put them to work myself. Besides, travelling to different places have allowed me to pick up a lot of different recipes. For example, your dish is lightly marinated, in order to allow the flavour of the fresh ingredients to come through. As for Mr Tiedoll's dish, the ingredients are plain but full of earthy flavour. For Angela, I made Angel Cake because she has been so kind to me. Mr Zhu's dish is more Oriental in cooking method while Miss Sophia's contain a blend of many different spices because spices are the life of curry. Best to eat it while it's still hot."
'Plus, that idiot master always demands for weird dishes that are out of the season...If I didn't cook it I'd be racking more debts buying it for him...' Allen, while cursing the fact that his culinary skills were learnt mainly to satisfy the unusual eating habits of his master, was shaking his head mentally at the irony of the usefulness of his skills. But to Allen, as long as anyone enjoyed what he cooked, then he would be very happy. He loved the expression of pure joy on people's faces when they eat.
And if expressions were anything to go by, then Allen was assured of a win for this challenge. Of course, Bookman and Kanda didn't let much of what they thought go to their face, but Angela and Tiedoll looked very pleased. Zhu was already nodding away as he finished his meal. Even Sophia, though disliking Allen, had to begrudgingly admit that the food was good. Checking with everyone before announcing his final verdict, Bookman finally stood up and stated, "It has been unanimously decided that Allen Walker has passed this challenge. Now, if you are ready, we shall move on to Zhu's challenge."
"Bring it on," Allen confidently accepted, in high spirits after passing the first challenge easily.
As the next challenge was done in the open, everyone moved to the next location. Allen was told to walk with Kanda, but in his victory he wasn't too bothered by the request. That was, until Allen found a hand around his waist. He nearly jumped if that hand didn't pull him closer, to Kanda's side. "Kanda, what are you doing?" Allen whispered, trying not to catch the attention of the group of people walking before him.
"Size estimate by touch, since you won't let me see you. Your waist is pretty small...Are you sure you're a guy?" Kanda nonchalantly answered.
"Of course I am, BaKanda...As if my voice isn't enough proof..." Allen grumbled back, subtly trying to pry off Kanda's hand, but his strength was of course, no match for the demon's. Kanda smirked, deciding that aggravating Allen was very amusing. He hardly had anyone who dared talk back at him bar a few, but no one was possibly as diligent as Allen in coming back with scathing sarcastic remarks. "I was almost deceived by your voice, demure enough to be a woman's."
"I find that statement insulting! Retract it!" Allen growled, elbowing Kanda for his rudeness. He may have lived near his abominable master long enough to experience various forms of irrationality, but his master at least was a gentleman when it mattered. Of course, when it did matter it almost always concerned women...Allen turned blue just thinking about the debts racked up merely to pay to entertain a woman's whims.
"Don't be shy, moyashi. You're already fighting for your right to be my bride," Kanda further teased, easily blocking a vicious jab to his side from an incensed Allen, who seethed in his anger at every word Kanda spewed forth. "Just to set the record straight; I don't want to be your wife. I don't even want to do this in the first place. But I have my pride as well. I can't just throw the challenge just because I don't like it...especially when some of them are intent on seeing me fail. I like proving people's misconceptions wrong," Allen loftily remarked, thinking of Sophia, whom according to Angela, nursed a crush on Kanda. Hah, she was better off not being with Kanda!
If anything, having to deal with Kanda would give anyone white hair in their young age! But he already had a head of white hair, so it didn't matter to him.
"We have arrived at the next challenge."
The sudden announcement caused Allen to abruptly pull away from Kanda, who frowned at the separation. What was laid out on the field was something that looked strangely like a haphazard build up of jutting logs and poles, dangling ropes and interconnected blocks of solitary walls. Zhu stepped forth, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
"This is a survival maze that I built to train spies. As a human, I am afraid that your fighting capabilities may not match up to a demon's, so I must be assured that you have mastered the art of escape. You are to be bride of our lord, therefore you have a high price attached to yourself once your status is made known to the kingdom. If anything untoward might happen, at least we can be sure that you are able enough to escape the clutches of those who wish to harm you. The maze is made to stimulate the most difficult type of escape route; narrow spaces with multiple obstacles. If you can go through this maze which surpassing these obstacles and pursuit, I shall consider this challenge a victory for you," Zhu explained, seemingly very happy that his creations were put to test as well.
"...Pursuit?" Allen echoed, suddenly not liking the sound of it.
Zhu perked up at the word, having finally put on his listening aid. "Ah, I almost forgot! You will be chased through the maze to test how fast you can act in desperate situations. Cerberus!" The old man whistled. Immediately, guards of the surrounding areas dispersed as if lightning was about to strike the very grounds they stood upon. From the distance, something small walking on four feet approached slowly, until Allen could see its form. From what he saw, it appeared as a dog. A rather fat dog, but that was beside the point. The dog stared at Allen for a while, and it grinned.
Allen suddenly understood why the dog was chosen. Two rows of humongous, sharp and glinting white canines were displayed for all to see. Without a moment to lose, Allen ran with a shriek as Cerberus pounded after him, herding the boy towards the survival maze. While Kanda was entertained by the sight of his terrified bride running and screaming, he was also slightly worried because the obese hell-hound Cerberus was known to be ruthless.
"...Make sure he doesn't eat moyashi."
Zhu replied cheekily, "Cerberus won't eat bean sprouts."
Allen was too occupied to care where he was going, or how his undignified screams made Sophia smile widely. He only knew he had the dog from hell (Cerberus didn't look like it, but Allen swore he saw the fires of hell burning behind the dog!) at his heels, ready to tear into him if he stopped even for a second.
'Isn't this just a repeat of my daily life? I'm always getting chased by monsters, no matter where or when! At least this survival maze isn't as bad as the time in that forest full of bramble bushes...'
With the swift-footedness he gained from his usual escapes from monsters, or Mamono as he now knew it, and his experience in running through tight areas, Allen slipped through relatively without problems, ducking and dodging or on occasions jumping over the odd poles and logs designed to imitate obstructing branches. Allen scaled the walls like a lizard, effortlessly hoisting himself up with the help of a rope.
Thinking that Cerberus wouldn't be able to climb, Allen heaved a sigh of relief and looked over the wall's edge only to choke on his own voice. Cerberus WAS climbing! In an instant Allen was back on his feet, balancing himself on a stick-thin ledge to get across to the other side over a moat filled with a suspicious purple goo; he was sure he didn't want to fall in. After seeing Cerberus scale the wall, Allen was most assured that dog could pass over the ledge without a problem.
However, he only arrived on a high platform with a long dark tube heading downwards. Hearing Cerberus approaching behind him, Allen knew he had only one choice. The tube was narrow, so it was best if he went in head first, with his shoulders compressed to avoid getting stuck while sliding down. Plus it reduced the possibility of the wind overturning his cloak. There was a chance that his head might strike the ground if he wasn't careful, but Allen thought it was better to protect his head and roll out than have his momentum destroyed by coming out feet first and stumbling onto the ground.
Taking a deep breath, Allen dived. Wind howled in his ears, but Allen kept his head tucked, his hands firmly gripping the edges of his hood to secure the protection of his head. A spot of light was coming fast, when Allen saw that there was no ground. Angela gave a loud gasp when Allen came flying out from the end of the tube into mid-air, drawing everyone's attention. Kanda almost got up from his seat when Allen performed the most beautiful stunt.
When he shot out past the hanging handles he usually saw in circus performances, too far for his hands to reach, Allen instinctively twirled his body around mid-air and caught on with his legs instead. Swinging from the momentum of Allen's force, he easily reached the next handle and caught it with his hands this time before finally reaching the platform. Allen counted his blessings that he had been a travelling performer with his beloved foster father; he would have died from falling otherwise. Having no ladder to go down except a tilted pole, Allen simply slid down to the ground.
Only with the burst of applause did he realise that he had passed the challenge. From the crowd which gathered to watch the challenge, a lady burst through the wall of onlookers. "Allen-kun, that was wonderful! Oh, the last part was simply heart-stopping!" Miranda gushed, filled with wonder and admiration for the young boy. Allen smiled bashfully at the praise, having rarely received such heartfelt words before.
Zhu guffawed aloud, and he was not the only one impressed with the show Allen put on. "Who knew you'd be quite the nimble monkey, my fair lady?"
Allen, on his part, noticed the good amusement at the friendly 'monkey' comment and simply nodded. "By the way, where is Cerberus...?" The dog was spotted, lazily parachuting his way down after getting itself unstuck from the slide.
"Hn, at least we are assured the human knows how to make a cowardly exit should need arise. Let us move on to the following challenge," Sophia remarked icily and stormed off. Allen triumphantly grinned at her back, not knowing why irking her was so satisfying to his ego. Because she looked down on his identity as a human? Possibly so, but something at the back of Allen's mind sneakily suggested that it was because he was proving himself as the most suitable person for Kanda.
'...I know it's you, Clown. Stop filling my mind with such nonsense. It's distracting.'
Gentle chuckles filled his mind.
'I shall try my best...Master. But if you can wield me...Then you are the destined one.'
'Destined one or not, I can only be acknowledged if I prove myself, even if I don't want to.'
'Say what you will, master...But those who are destined for one another will surely be attracted, like a magnet.'
Allen involuntarily shuddered at the parting words of his robe, which seemingly had its own conscious. However, he was again distracted, when Kanda stepped into stride next to him. Not knowing Kanda for a long time, Allen could not tell, but Kanda was rather, just slightly proud of Allen for overcoming the challenge. "For a moyashi, you did quite well just now."
"It's Allen! Guh, do you not have enough brain capacity to remember my name?" Allen snidely commented, glaring at the demon prince.
"I shall call my bride whatever I please," Kanda retorted coolly.
A twitch formed in the corner of Allen's eye, but he forced himself to smile and replied, "Then I shall call the 'groom' as I please, BAKANDA."
"Finally admitting that you're my bride, moyashi?"
"Do you not understand sarcasm? And it's Allen!"
Their next challenge was held in a room. This time, it was Tiedoll's challenge. Allen was made to sit at a table, with three other men, two of which Allen already knew; Marie and Chaozii. Tiedoll introduced the stranger as Daisya, apparently Tiedoll's main assistant. "As you are a human, I shall provide you leniency. I will now test your cunning in a game that I have chosen as my challenge. This game is very common among humans, though seemingly a play of luck, actually requires high skills in order to win. Strength is not the only way to win a battle, the use of your intelligence is important too. These three are well-versed in the game as they play with me often. The name of the game is...poker!"
Everyone looked at Allen who fell silent for a short while. Suddenly, a dark, delirious chuckle filled the room. Without a doubt, the sound was coming from Allen, whose shoulders were shaking with each laughter that escaped him. He picked up the deck of cards, shuffling them like a pro. Not even asking the sort of poker they were going to play, Allen dealt the cards out. "Let's play, boys." Something in Allen's voice told Marie they have awoken a demon.
The challenge was not even worth mentioning. Even Kanda was watching with wide eyes as Allen cruelly obliterated his opponents in each round with an overwhelming hand. Had his bride been someone this excessively brutal? Even after ten rounds, Allen didn't show any sign of stopping until Tiedoll was forced to step in to end the game. Chaozii looked positively terrified, feeling that he had been playing with the devil the whole while. Daisya was shell-shocked that he had been beaten so thoroughly in all games, since among the three he was the best poker player. Marie had tried to search for some weakness in Allen, even listening to the rate of the boy's heartbeat.
But every part of Allen was steady and in synch; proving that he was so focused, absolutely nothing could have stood in his way. Allen, as if snapping out of a trance, let out an airy laughter. "I'm sorry, I got carried away. I really love poker, it's the only game I'm actually good at, and I'm not willing to lose to anyone at all." Though said with humour, the steel in his voice only convinced Marie that Allen possessed strong convictions concerning poker.
It would be after this challenge, that news spread and from thereafter no one dared to play any sort of card games with Allen Walker ever again.
It was also the first time Kanda Yu saw the dark side of his bride-to-be.
It was soon approaching the later hours of evening, but there were still two challenges to be held. Bookman's challenge, held in the same room, was simple enough. "Knowledge can be power. I merely wish to know the extent of your knowledge, before I judge you," Bookman murmured, staring at Allen. Allen sensed the deep wisdom that slept within Bookman, and a fountain of respect bubbled for the old man. Allen racked his brains hard; what sort of knowledge did he possess which proved useful?
Unable to choose any, Allen decided to tell Bookman all that he knew and let the man himself decide. "Well...I was an orphan and I lived by myself until I was adopted, so I never had any formal education. Even after I was adopted, we travelled, so I know absolutely nothing except what my foster father taught me. After...his passing, I met someone who became something like a mentor to me, and he taught me something too, but it's not anything special. More like how to survive in the world alone,"
"So...I think most of my knowledge is already displayed through the previous challenges. Apart from cooking and running, playing poker and performing shows, uhm...I know a lot of languages! After all, travelling to different parts of the world made it necessary for me to be able to speak their languages. But...the demon lands are across the sea, so I've never been to anywhere with demons, so I suppose I only speak human languages..."
Allen faltered, not knowing what else to say. He was only human, what sort of knowledge would he have that would help him in this world of demons? Bookman merely stared at him. "You are human, I do not expect you to know anything of the demon world. Though our races are separated merely by a strip of ocean, we safeguard our secrets tightly against each other. But fret not, young one, the cultures of the demons and the humans are not too far apart, thus the languages share surprising similarities. Although demons of course...Are more volatile and uncontrollable as compared to humans. You are young; you still have much to learn. You possess incredible adaptability and openness. If you are willing to learn, then I shall not stop you from doing so," Bookman passed his verdict, but Allen was almost doubtful.
"Does...this mean...I pass the challenge?"
"Bookman, you are too lenient!" Sophia hissed, obviously not happy with Bookman's decision. The old demon turned to the girl. "You are too disturbed. Separate your emotions from your task, Sophia. Your duty is to serve the lord and decide what is best for him," Bookman reprimanded.
"...Fine. Then...It is finally my task for the human. Boy, I challenge you to a duel," Sophia coldly declared.
Kanda's eyes narrowed at the mention. "...Sophia, what is the meaning of that?"
Sophia smiled at Kanda, but Kanda was not appeased. "It is as Wise Man Zhu says; if destiny is to work, then he will defeat me. If not...then clearly the human is not meant for you. In our world, Kanda-sama, power is crucial. None would serve one who is human, fragile creatures they are, not without having them prove that they are strong enough to survive among us. Regardless of the council's challenges that he has won so far, if the human fails to pass mine, then he may very well end up as prey for the others,"
"In any case that you decide to keep him still, Kanda-sama, he will only become a liability to you. You are our sovereign ruler; but as demons are, there still exists those who threaten your position, and they will see this human as an opportunity to break you. This is why I must test the human's strength," Sophia reasoned with cruel clarity, lighting the true situation to Allen. Allen was to be the bride of the prince, meaning that in future he would be in a crucial position in the kingdom as Kanda's partner and would inevitably become targeted for many reasons. Though the truth was bitter, Sophia spoke with reason.
"...I understand. I accept," Allen answered grimly. He was equipped with self-defence, but whether it was sufficient to defeat a demon, he had no idea. And being independent for so long, Allen didn't want to be of any trouble or burden to anyone, even Kanda. Sophia may be a girl, but she was also a demon. No one knows what might happen. Once again, the whole party moved to the fields to have enough space for the fight.
Kanda couldn't argue with Sophia's logic, but he stubbornly decided that he would keep Allen regardless of the outcome. He couldn't explain why, having only met Allen for a number of days, but his instincts told him that Allen was special. Even now, as Allen and Sophia faced each other, Kanda wondered if by any chance, Allen would win. Sophia was not part of the council for no reason.
"...You're not using any weapon?" Allen asked, out of mere politeness. His senses told him he had no time to be caring for the opponent. Sophia smirked in return. "I do not need a weapon. My weapons will fight for me. In the name of the blood which binds the spirit to service, time has come to fulfil your deed. Come forth, my servants, and vanquish that which is before me!"
Two circle of lights appeared on the ground, patterned like a matrix of sorts. Even Allen, who knew naught about magic, knew for certain what was going on. Sophia was summoning, and from the magic circles rose two creatures armed and armoured like knights. Allen was not given time to spare as his opponents charge forth. Being smaller, he managed to dodge the incoming blows as white billowed forth from his body, Crown Clown activated.
"Moyashi...He can use it already?" Kanda was surprised. If that was the case, then Allen was less likely to lose.
Even though Crown Clown was activated, it was a difficult battle. The armour of the monster knights were tough; being a new user Allen was still not used to Crown Clown and was barely able to make a scratch on them. Sophia merely stood aside, watching the fight.
'Think...Master used to say that in a disadvantageous battle, we have to strike the enemy's weak spot quickly. They're big, but slow, so I can avoid them. But they're wearing armour...They must have a weak point somewhere...Somewhere I can deal damage...Why knight-shaped? Damn, I've never fought something humanoid before...If it was Mamono, I could have an easier time...'
Allen's brain was working overtime figuring out how to beat the summoned creatures, even as he ducked each attack and put more distance between himself and his opponents. He observed his opponents, gauging their attacks and reaction time. The most troublesome thing was that they both moved at the same time. The only visible weakness in the armour was the open joints of the neck, armpits, elbows and knees.
Gradually, Allen formulated his battle plan to defeat the two giants. He had to be careful, because if he was right; Sophia was aiming to kill. Was the girl so infatuated with Kanda that she saw fit to eliminate him? Women are scary after all. When he saw Allen rushing head-to-head with an opponent too big for him to handle, Kanda immediately stood up, yelling, "Baka moyashi, that's suicidal!"
Allen however, ignored Kanda as he used Clown Belt to pull himself face-to-face with the monster. Waiting for the monster to strike, Allen quickly pulled himself out of harm's way as soon as the fist flew, causing both knights to smash each other's face. Allen grinned, landing on one of the knights which was roaring in pain and stabbed his left claw deep into its neck. The other creature tried to smack him again, but Allen jumped off, resulting in the knight crushing the throat of the other and effectively killing its fighting companion.
'One down, one to go!'
Feeling bolder now that he had defeated one of the knights, Allen faced the other, which intensified its attacks after the loss of its fellow. It was a long evasive battle, but surely enough Allen was approaching closer to the creature until he was lingering near the legs of the knight. To bring down the knight, he had to seal its movements, easily done as he cut into the knight's knee joints with his claw, causing the creature to tumble and crash as its tendons were severed. Unable to move, the creature tried swatting Allen, but Allen was nimble and quick to deliver the final blow at the jugular.
"I did it!"
"Allen-kun, look out!" Miranda suddenly screamed.
Allen turned around in time to see Sophia's arm coming down, the cold glint of steel flashing before his eyes. Instinctively he raised his arms to shield himself to prevent the knife from burying into his chest but white colour filled his vision instead. Allen slowly backed away to see why Sophia stopped, when he witnessed an unusual sight.
"Birds?"
It looked like a flock of swans was flapping their wings together, pecking and heckling Sophia, preventing her from attacking Allen any further. To Allen, the swans would have been like regular swans, had it not a crimson crest on its head, like a headpiece worn by Oriental princesses and deep black beaks. There he was, saved again by some Mamono. He never understood why some of them would protect him, but he never questioned his fortune.
"...What a rare sight...The Corpse-Eating Shiratori..." Bookman murmured.
"Ohh, such a beautiful sight. Those birds rarely leave their lakes, and now they are here," Tiedoll admired the beauty of the swans.
"...When did moyashi enter into a pact?" Kanda spoke, only to himself.
His bride was human, yet he was able to summon a creature of his choosing to aid him. Kanda had not seen Allen make a pact, with a rare bird-type Mamono like the Corpse-Eating Shiratori, no less. Where would the boy find these birds?
Allen bound Sophia with Clown Belt, allowing the flock of Shiratori to calm down and back away from the dishevelled girl. "Do you give up now?" He asked slowly, not wanting to rub it in, because she already looked livid as she was.
"Fine...You win, but this isn't over...!" Sophia growled.
Satisfied, Allen let Sophia go, who stormed off in mortified rage at having lost to a human. The Shiratori surrounded Allen, gently caressing the boy with their beaks, as if preening him. Wrapped in his white cloak, he must look like one of them. Allen smiled, petting each of the Shiratori lovingly. "Thank you for coming to my aid, though I don't know why you'd do such a thing," Allen whispered. One of the swans, or so Allen thought of them as, came forth. Its crest was far brighter and larger than the other birds. It made a sweeping gesture, as if to bow, before it gave a call and flew off.
The other swans, following the call, took off as well. Allen turned to the awaiting gallery, waving at them as he jogged towards them. "Baka moyashi! What do you think you were doing, fighting like that?" Kanda yelled as soon as Allen was standing before his eyes. Allen was insulted. After all the trouble he went through because of the stupid demon prince, Kanda had the gall to insult him? "So what? It's the only way I knew! I'm not an expert fighter, so don't you dare criticise the way I do things!" Allen shot back acidly.
"Don't argue, you both aren't married yet! Yu-kun is only worried for your safety," Tiedoll interrupted, laughing as he did. Kanda glared. "Don't call me that, old man."
"It is normal for me to call you by name, Yu-kun. I am your mentor after all," Tiedoll resumed as if he had not heard Kanda complain.
"Ah, right! Kanda, do you know what those swans are? They were quite pretty with that red crest on their heads," Allen chirped. The air suddenly turned cold about him as strange glances were given to the boy. Allen looked around in surprise, discomfited by the abrupt change. Even Kanda was quite shocked. "Moyashi, you don't know?"
"I just arrived in this land, why would I know?" Allen questioned in return.
Bookman approached the group, grim look in his eyes. "It would seem that the bride of our lord, though retaining his status, would have need to further explain himself. You are full of mysteries, Allen Walker." The intimidating atmosphere was ruined when something growled. Allen blushed pink, lowering his head as he said, "Uhm...before you ask questions, can I eat dinner first? I haven't had anything since breakfast."
Kanda, in a fit of irritation, cuffed Allen's head. "Baka, don't skip meals! Think of your condition! It's bad if you don't replenish your energy! You're not eating for yourself only!"
"Don't talk as if it's my fault! Whose fault is it that I have to do all these challenges until I'm too busy to eat? Besides, don't make it sound as if I'm pregnant!"
"You could have eaten lunch when you did the cooking challenge! Hah, you'll eventually be pregnant with my child anyway, moyashi, so why do I care what my speech implies?"
"...What? WHAT? Damn it, Kanda Yu, explain what you meant! Explain this instant!"
Tiedoll chuckled to himself as he watched the couple squabble. His student certainly found himself an excellent wife.
Exams were terrible. *bashes head*