Authors Note: I am so sorry for the long wait. I really never planned to take this long with an update, but my computer had to be worked on and it took them longer than they expected to fix. So without further adieu: Chapter 2
The lone devil. Would you be our teammate?
An abandoned warehouse, 1:20 pm, one day later
"Dammit, this sucks!" A teenage boy grumbled, cradling his recently broken arm in its sling. "We corner a couple of Shibusen twerps and we got nothin' to show for it," he growled while knocking a crate over in his rampage.
A throng of other teenagers watched with mixed amusement and worry. "So you got beat up by a Couple of shibusen girls. It's not exactly rare," one of the others boys said trying to comfort the hurt teen. The others nodded in agreement.
"It wasn't the girls that did this; it was some bum in a black blazer who called himself Devil Buster. He nearly snapped my arm like a twig!" The teen corrected full of loathing.
"That guy's got monster arm strength," another teen agreed, touching the welt on the back of his head with pain.
Just then the doors of the warehouse parted allowing a tall, older man in a dark suit to walk through, his cane clacking against the floor.
"Interesting story," the old man stated, rubbing his goatee. "This Devil Buster you spoke of sounds like he would make a nice addition to our organization. Perhaps we should invite him to join. What do you think, boys?" He asked the wounded group of teenagers.
"That guy's part of Shibusen too, boss. I don't think he's all that interested in our line of work," the teen with the welt on his head stated matter of factly.
His boss chuckled. "You just leave the negotiations to me. Also, you-"he said, pointing to the teen with the broken arm. "If our young friend doesn't feel like cooperating, I believe you are due some measure of vengeance. I may have just the thing for you."
Shibusen Academy court yard, 3 pm.
Allison turned her head left and right trying to find any sign of her target but could not see him over the many other students of Shibusen Academy.
"Oh! Where is he?" She said in frustration.
"Who?" her partner Sakuya replied curiously. Allison did one last look around before sighing with exasperation.
"Devil Buster-senpai. I was hoping to see him again so we could thank him properly, "she answered, noticing her friend's strange look. "What is it?"
"Fallen for him after only one rescue, huh?" Sakuya asked back with a raised eyebrow.
Allison went red and replied in a panicked way. "N- No it's just that-"
"Just, what?"
Allison wasn't exactly sure how to put it. How she could seem to feel this profound lonely feeling coming off their upperclassmen that she couldn't quite understand.
Still, she wouldn't tell Sakuya. She just might laugh at her.
"It's just that I- um. I lost my hair braid at the park when we were attacked by those boys and I was hoping he could tell me if he knew where it was." It was a horrible lie, but it was the only thing she could say to save her from embarrassment.
Sakuya seemed to accept it though. "Well that's no good. That was a gift from your mother, wasn't it? We need to find it fast or we might not be able to pick up Robyn-kun or Marie-Chan on time."
Allison had nearly forgotten that their friends Robyn Fletch and Mariam Swallowtail were arriving by plane after going home for the summer and that Sakuya and she promised to pick them up. She really didn't want to make them wait over her little lie, but she was in it now, might as well follow through.
The Park beneath Shibusen Academy
Speaking of the afore mentioned hair braid, it was picked up by the most surprising of people. The braid
was designed as a clip to hold Allison's hair back by clamping around the end of her hair and hold it together. Atop of the clip was a gold heart shaped design with a triumphant angel etched into the metal.
Devil Buster recognized the braid he held in his hands and suddenly his thoughts drifted back to the other day, when of brown haired girl who spoke so kindly to him. He shrugged off the memory.
He was always alone, and he wasn't about to add her to the list of people who flinch away when he walks by. He was about to walk off when he realized that he suddenly wasn't alone anymore.
He was surrounded by a group of teenagers, most in rough looking clothing and all wielding a weapon of varying types. In the middle of the throng was an old man with a black goatee, holding a cane with what appeared to be the 3 eyed emblem of the kishin on its top.
The man stepped forward holding out what looked like a business card to Devil Buster.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he said, offering the card. Devil Buster made no move to take it but could read what it said well enough.
T. R. Mori
Master of imports and exports.
"Exactly what is it that you import and export?" Devil Buster asked, though not really interested in the answer.
His host chuckled, beckoning. "Perhaps you would like to discuss such information in a less public area. As well as, perhaps, what part you could possibly play in this wonderful business, hm? "Devil Buster's answer was clear in his expression. "Not interested," he said coldly, looking to leave in the opposite direction.
A familiar face stood to block his way. If D.B. remembered correctly, he broke this same guy's arm just yesterday. He now had an expectant sneer across his face.
"Want me to break the other one" D.B. said, still looking to leave.
"Do reconsider," Mori called behind him. "This might not have to end in violence."
The rest of the gang moved in their weapons hefted at the ready. Devil Buster brought his guard up, more than willing to end this in violence. Suddenly two shapes rushed through the break in the circle to stand at his side.
" Senpai, we'll back you up!" Allison said covering D.B's right.
"You two!" D.B. said in true surprise to see the duo again.
"A whole group of thugs against 3 shibusen students? I can't say I like those odds. Senpai, where's your partner?"
"I don't have one." He said, returning to a serious demeanor. "I work alone."
As if to show his point he shoved passed Allison and Sakuya, aiming straight for Mori with his fist pulled back.
Just before his fist made contact, a gush a flame blasted out in front of him, separating him from Mori.
The flames from what a seemed to originate from along metal pipe sticking from the cast of the boy with the; not so broken anymore, broken arm.
"Like it?" He sneered. "Only one of the perks of working in the black market business. The bitches are yours, guys. Blazer boy's mine." The crowd of thugs didn't seem to mind that deal.
"Well this is looking even worse," Sakuya stated, taking Allison's hand as she took weapon form.
A cloud of blossom petals engulfed her frame and where before stood a teenage girl; now placed firmly in Allison's hand, was a 3 foot long katana with a pure white hilt and a guard shaped like sakura petals. Allison took her stance, tilting Sakuya back and holding her with both hands while placing Sakuya to Allison's right.
The first of the large gang charged forward looking to chop Allison down with his wickedly sharp looking pole axe. Allison struck first. Slicing through the shaft of the axe with a quick a horizontal slash and following up by smacking the back of her sword against the thugs face, knocking him unconscious.
He was only the first of many similar victims and Allison rushed forward slashing at a conscious pace making sure not to make fatal hits.
Another such thug ran forward, holding a twin pair of sickles. This one was smarter and faster than his comrade, ducking and rolling under Allison's slashes, at same time aiming for her throat. Allison parried the near fatal strike though this cost her ground and her offensive lead. The sickle wielding thug rushed forward again looking for another chance.
Suddenly a loud whistling noise became imminent and he was grasping his shoulder in pain. Checking the wound he discovered a shaft less arrow head imbedded in his shoulder and, after looking around, he saw that many of his comrades were suffering similar wounds.
His distraction cost him, as Allison came back around snapping off a round house on the side of his head. Allison looked around now for the source of the save until she heard a pleasantly familiar voice call behind her.
"Could you two please finish this up?"
Allison smiled when she saw her friends, Marie and Robyn, standing behind her, holding off a group of the thugs themselves. Robyn gave her a two fingered wave before taking his weapon form, a quiver arrows wrapped in green leather with an infinity symbol across the side. Marie readied her personal crossbow, wrapping its straps to her arm and loading up an arrow from Robyn's infinite supply.
"Ready, Sakuya-chan?" Allison asked her best friend.
"Let's do it daibo!" Sakuya replied
The girls concentrated all their energy into Sakuya's blade as an orb of blue light took shape around them.
"SOUL RESONANCE!"
Ho-oh hou! (Phoenix cannon)
The blade glowed with a brilliant blue light as Allison swung loose in a horizontal slash. A large crescent shaped blast broke forth from her slash racing toward the group of teens and knocking them all back utterly defenseless.
Marie and Robyn were having similar success. Also performing Soul Resonance, the arrow nocked into place and the crossbow took on a pinkish color as Marie aimed skyward and let loose. As the arrow hit the sky it exploded in a hail of pink arrows and stabbing into the large group of thugs pinning those victim to the shots in place on the ground.
The rest of the thugs had had enough, dropping their weapons to the ground as they ran off.
Sakuya and Robyn retook human forms as the group said their greetings. However, Allison was aware of another fight still going on.
The thug hefted his flame thrower again, still looking to barbeque Devil Buster.
Devil Buster had led him on a chase, running and dodging the burst of flames, all the while waiting for an opening. However he had miscalculated, he realized, as his current position placed him more importantly the flame thrower in the path of Allison and the others.
"Nowhere to run. Bet you wish you had a weapon now, Death Meister." His next funnel of fire was bigger than those before, it would surely burn almost anything in its path.
Almost anything.
Allison looked on in horror as the fire engulfed Devil Buster.
"Devil Buster-senpai!" She called in horror, rushing forward to try and help Devil Buster. Marie suddenly grasped her wrist holding her back.
"Wait! Look, he's still alive."
They all watched in wonder as he parted the fire with a swish of his right arm.
"You all seem to be confused about something, "he announced. "I am my own weapon!"
Ripping off the burnt sleeve of his blazer, he revealed his weapon.
His arm glowed from blue line that ran up the length to his fingers. His entire arm was covered in what looked like blood red scales.
"What the hell are you?" His adversary cried, backing up.
"Like I said, it's none of your damn business."
His arm suddenly burst into flames on its own, as red fire ran up his bicep.
Jumping forward he quickly grabbed the pipe of the flame thrower and lifted the teen up by over his head.
"Devil! Dynamite!"
An explosion engulfed the two boys that knocked Allison's group off their feet.
The boy, now without an arm, broken or otherwise, landed a bit burnt but mostly unharmed.
Devil Buster also walked away from the scene mostly unharmed until someone suddenly grabbed his shoulder. He turned expecting a new enemy only to find the short boy who joined Allison's group, throwing his arm around D.B's shoulder.
"Dude that was awesome. You have got to teach how to fight like that."
D.B. looked confused as the rest of the group crowded around him, asking him about his wounds.
"You're not afraid of me?" he asked. Allison stepped forward, not paying attention to his demonic looking arm. "Of course not! Though we're concerned if you're alright."
He quickly regained his composure. "Well I'm fine," he announced, making a move to leave again when he stopped and turned back to hold out the hair braid to Allison. "This is yours, right? This one looked better anyway."
Allison accepted the braid, blushing in spite of herself. Devil Buster began walking again.
"Wait!" Allison called stopping him in his tracks. "You said you don't have a partner and that you work alone, but I don't think that's the way Shibusen students do things. We should learn to rely on our comrades to become stronger. So- will you consider also becoming my partner?"
Devil Buster turned back around one of his eye brows raised. He looked closely at her expression. She had this look of profound concern on her face. Concern for him.
"I know I'm not that great of a meister, and I'm not all that smart either. But! I promise I'll give 200% into making you and Sakuya into great Death Scythes!"
He turned away from her and crossed his arms as if to think. He stood there for what felt like minutes. Then letting out an exasperated sigh he said:
"Gabriel."
"Eh?"
"My name, my real name." He said, offering his hand.
A smile crept to Allison's face as she eagerly took it and shook it.
"This could become complicated" Sakuya sighed, walking over to them.
"But, still, this guy doesn't seem all that bad. This could be good for you guys after that bad year last time." Robyn interjected, also making his way over to the pair. Sakuya grumbled, not liking him reminding her. Still one other in the group also felt uneasy. Mariam seemed to scan the entire park thinking only one thing. Where did Mori go?
Alright! Great way to start back up, with plenty of action and new friendships formed. I'll try to be quicker next time. Until then, PREVIEW:
Gabriel returns to class having revealed a startling bit of news to Allison and Sakuya. As well as gets into a fight with his self proclaimed greatest rival.