Chapter 3: I Discover My Origin
Like I said before, today is going to be a long day. Normally I enjoy my walks to school; helps me think. On a lucky day, there's a nice breeze. Today however: hell no. Today, Lucile is trying as hard as ever to try to convince me to be her Pawn. This morning, she tried the "Making breakfast while wearing barely anything" tactic. Gotta respect her a little though. Most times that scenario involves the girl being naked underneath that apron. Lucile however wore a thong. Give her credit for not showing the other parts. At first, I found her attempts to turn me a little amusing. But now, they're annoying. Right now, Lucile is walking right next to my left, her arms wrapped around my left arm, and lightly leaning against me. Although she's wearing a cute little smile, I can tell from here that she just hates herself right now.
"I'm interested, Lucile. Why exactly are you clinging to me right now?"
"Well, I've come to the conclusion that you're a man of great pride. So, if everyone at school sees me, a beautiful and yet mysterious transfer student locking arms with you, your reputation will be improved tenfold!" She answers proudly.
She's not far off the mark, but… "Hm, I'll admit, you are right about me being a man of pride, but you're wrong about one thing."
"Eh?"
"My pride doesn't relate to how high in the popularity ranks I am. Now, please kindly remove your arm."
She releases me, and continues walking by my side after letting out a sigh. "Sheesh, you're a real buzz kill, you know that?"
"I've been called many things, Miss. Paimon, a buzz kill is not one of them."
"Could've fooled me."
"Clever one."
We continue walking to school, and Lucile glances at me occasionally. "Something on your mind?" I ask her.
"I'm trying to figure out that skull of yours. I'm guessing your pride is more aimed at your Devil heritage and your power."
"Closer. In fact, you're millimeters from the bull's-eye."
"Hm, that pride is what's keeping you from the honor of serving as me Pawn. They say the first is often allowed…'special' privileges…" she shoots me a rather seductive stare.
But, I've learned better. Hey, I might be a pervert, but I know where that line is.
"But it's my pride that drives me. Plus, you're no different. So I suppose we'll both be our own undoing. 'Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud'. Proverbs 16:18-19."
Lucile tilts her head in confusion. "That sounds like a quote from the Bible."
"It is."
"But how can you read one? Devils can't go near nor get involved with anything that has to do with God without some kinda pain."
"You see, due to realizing my heritage, I think my parents experimented with my weaknesses for me. In retrospect, I should thank them."
"So, you can read the Bible without it hurting you?"
"Not exactly. I still suffer headaches, but I can assume that my human half is balancing it out and lessening it. I was able to read a few passages, but the headaches would start to win. That was until I figured out how to use a computer. I guess there are technicalities, because the pain was still there, just less irritating."
"So you read the Bible on the internet? Didn't know you were such a fan of the book."
"Who says I'm a fan?"
I move my head to look straight ahead. I can see that the school's front entrance is still a little ways away. I'd like to avoid this subject, so I pick up my walking speed a tiny bit without Lucile noticing.
"Huh? What do you mean?" she asks me.
The entrance is getting closer.
"…I don't know if it's simply a natural instinct because I'm half-Devil, but…Let's just say I'm not God's biggest fan."
We're about to enter the school.
"Do me a favor Lucile: try not to seduce me during school. I'd like to avoid ANYTHING that may associate me with certain…'elements' in this school."
I enter the school grounds, leaving Lucile standing at the entrance. I really don't like talking about Him. He's earned everything below my respect. The moment the bell rings, I zone out staring out the window. I sit in the back on the far left side of the room. As the class goes by, the boredom pretty much kills me. I look around the room for a moment and come to a realization: I can train here. As long as I'm careful, no one will suspect a thing. I can see how far I can generate the flames, see how much control I have over it, and a few things in between. Okay, let's start small. I look at the ground next to my desk and focus. I generate a very small ball of the black flame, and press it against my desk.
I have this single thought on my mind: "Do not burn the desk".
I shove the thought into the fireball, and the desk doesn't burn. So, the flame does respond to my thoughts. Alright, time for movement control. I rest the fireball on the floor, and begin slowly rolling it on the floor. I roll it to the right under a classmate's desk. I begin slowly bouncing it, and have it bounce over to the under of the next desk. I have it bounce between the two. Thankfully, the fireball doesn't make a sound when it bounces. I split the fireball in two, and continue the bouncing pattern. I merge them together, and another thought crosses my mind: can I make the fireball bounce without looking. I rest the ball, and turn to look out the window. I think of it bouncing, but still think of it not burning anything. I then think of rolling it back to me. I turn back to face it again with my eyes, but it hasn't moved at all from where I had it.
Do I require direct eye contact with it? I was able to spin several fireballs at once around me like an atom last night, so what's different? Range? Limits? There are too many questions about my power that can't be answered in a small classroom. So, I sit and observe the class. Eventually, the break came along. I went toward the tree that Yoshida and I usually eat at. For lunch, I answered a few questions about an assignment given to us for another student and got some bread out of it. Fair trade, I should say. As I turn the corner to see the tree, I see not only Yoshida, but Paimon as well. And what's more, she looks MAD while sitting on the bench next to the tree but in the shade. Lucile being mad? There's something new…
"Hello, Ueda." Yoshida greets me. "Miss Tyler was just telling me how you two met. I gotta say, you keep surprising me!" he says gleefully.
I sit against the tree, the bench Lucile is sitting on being to my left. Yoshida moves over to sit against the tree as well, but on the right. I hope Lucile knows how to be subtle…
"What's got you so angry, Lucile?" I ask.
"The Student Council won't grant me permission to start my club unless I can actually FIND members."
"Well, duh. I thought you'd know that."
"Oh, I do. I reasoned that I've got a 'standby' member, a.k.a. you, who can join the club but isn't an…" She looks around to see that Yoshida was kinda paying attention. "… 'official' member. Thanks to you, I can't start the club. And what's worse, is that there's no one else in the school who could join!"
"Why not?"
"I already told you. I accept only the strongest."
"You're going to have to settle at one point, Lucile."
"I did; with you."
Ouch. That's a below-the-belt-attack.
"Hm, I didn't know your tongue was made of silver."
"The same could be said to you."
I swear, this woman is identical to me in WAY too many ways. The pride, the sharp wit, and especially the ambition. Though we're not on the same level in terms of intelligence. In the distance, one other male student calls for Yoshida.
"Oh, sorry guys, but I gotta go!" Yoshida finishes his small snack, stands up, and tilts his head to bow. "Sorry for leaving. I'll see you around, Ueda!" He turns around and runs toward the student who called for him.
I return to eating my bread.
"Hey, I've got a question." Lucile asks.
"Shoot."
"How come you just call him Yoshida, and yet you call me pretty much everything else?"
"My levels of respect changes for certain people on a regular basis depending on what kind of mood they're in and myself. For Yoshida, he's always the same and never diverges from the unpredictable."
"Wait, so you're saying that you change what you call people out on the moment? So, if you called me Lucy, it'd just be like you're calling me Lady Paimon? No emotional attachment at all?"
"…I wouldn't say that."
"Man, you're complicated!" she says in a huff.
"Hey, that's how I roll. Makes me unpredictable."
"And you don't like being predictable because…?"
"I don't trust people. In the event of a confrontation, I know that I'm safe from being easy to read."
"…You have trust issues, don't you? Does it have anything to do with your particular dislike of God?"
I wish she hadn't brought that up again. "…Can we drop that?"
"No. I'm interested. If you want to start making friends, you better start opening up."
Making friends, huh? Never gave though to it, actually. I've always been a little bit of a loner, so I never really needed to open up to anyone before. My own parents don't even know about key parts of my personality. Well, if she really wants to know…
"My problem with God is that I refuse to believe that he truly loves humans."
"How so?"
"Because if he did love us, why is he always pushing us to the point of death?"
"…If it's not too much, could you explain that to me?"
"Let's use the 'Tower of Babel' as an example."
"This sounds interesting."
"…It really isn't. In the story, all of man was united and had one language. As one people, they decided to build a massive tower. Because since they were united, mankind was unstoppable. The ever marching steps of progress made humans a strong race. But, God seemed to look at it as man's way of defying him, and indulging in pride. So, he scattered their languages. No longer able to communicate properly, the people stopped constructing the tower. What's more, the massive confusion caused by the dividing of language lead to progress stopping, arguments, and in turn led to conflict. Most people who read the book say that God was right in knocking humans down a few pegs. I, however, disagree. I see it as God was afraid of humans. He was afraid that humans were growing too powerful and wise. That's a good thing. It's called progress, evolution. You can't create new life without expecting it to one day have the chance to grow out of expected parameters. It's like raising a child. You can't force it to be born into a certain look, personality, and the like. Just let it roam. Afraid of humans having too many freedoms? That's part of living. I hate it when people try to make others into obedient sheep of a flock."
The bell rang, signaling everyone to return to class.
"Sorry, Miss Paimon, but it seems that we need to return to class."
I stand up and start heading for class. I dare not turn back toward Lucile. I've never shared that side of myself with anyone, not even my own parents. Hm, I must be getting weaker these days. Classes went by quicker at the end of the day, which I can appreciate. The moment that bell rang for the school being over, I walked out of my classroom and headed for home. But along the way while I was walking along the concrete path next to a small grassy hill, I saw the last thing I ever wanted to see: the Perverted Trio.
They were just lying on the grass and looking at the sky. The track team might need to go by soon, so I think I'll step aside ahead of time. Why is that every time I see these guys, they keep looking more rat-like? The leader of the group, Issei Hyōdō, is young man in his adolescent years with an average body build, short brown hair, and light brown eyes. He wears the Academy's boys' uniform, but leaves his dress shirt open and wears a red shirt under it.
Frankly, he's the most normal looking one of the bunch. His friends however, look barely human.
From where I stand, to the left is Matsuda, a bald and big-eared pervert who has earned the nicknames "Perverted Baldy" and "Sexual Harassment Paparazzi". From what I know, he's a massive lolicon and uses his camera to get perverted pictures.
To my right is Motohama, who has dark brown hair and wears huge glasses. He has the nicknames "Perverted Glasses" and "Three Sizes Scouter" because he has the God-like power of instantly calculating a female's body measurements. Out of the three, he and Hyōdō are the only ones I dislike the least because of Motohama's power, and I can't help but respect Hyōdō's failed attempts at perversion, but never giving up.
I like to stand around and listen to just how amusing these perverts are. Observing their dumb comments rarely produces any good knowledge, but it's a cheap and quick way to get a laugh. With my superior sense of hearing, I can hear them clearly despite the distance. What words of wisdom will they speak today?
(I don't know if most of the stuff Issei says here is in his head or out loud. Also note that I have ZERO faith in the sites I watch this one for good translation, so I used two different types of players with different translations, and picked which either version of the fllowing lines sounded best)
"I wanna squeeze some boobs." Hyōdō states.
Hm, we're off to a good start, aren't we?
"I approve of that!" Matsuda claims.
"Stop saying that. You're making me feel empty." Motohama replies.
Hyōdō sits up and sighs. "Matsuda, Motohama, why did we enter this school?"
I wonder that myself.
"Kuoh Private Academy has switched only a few years ago from being an all-girls to a co-ed school. Thus, the school has an overwhelming girls to boys ratio, not to mention the ample amount of beautiful foreign girls. Which makes us boys valuable. That means, we'll be popular without having to lift a finger! It truly is just like an eroge."
Hyōdō stood up like a flashy hero who had just won a battle. "In other words: a harem!"
The other two stood up as well.
"Yes, in other words, an everyday life full of breasts is waiting for us!" Matsuda claims.
At this rate, my sense of hearing won't even be needed. Who can't hear these idiots babble out loud? I heard the girls start coming from the right, which is why I stayed on the other side of the concrete road so that they could pass. Although now that they turned around, they see me, and immediately look mad.
But their rage is soon sent another direction, as another famous school figure passes through: Yūto Kiba. And right behind him is a whole trio of girls. Kiba is a handsome young man with short blonde hair and grey eyes. Like me and the rest of the boys of Kuoh Academy, he wears the Kuoh Academy boys' school uniform.
I zone out whatever the girls are saying to him, because I frankly don't care. One of the only thing the Trio and I share: a certain dislike for "Prince Charming". After they exchange words, the Prince leaves and heads off while the girls stand there in awe. The hatred of the Trio now aims toward me. Now it's time to play my favorite game: Poke the Breast-Obsessed Bears.
"Afternoon, dipwads." I greet them.
I walk down the hill and head towards them.
"What are you doing here, Ueda?" Matsuda asks.
"I was thinking about going to the zoo and watch the monkeys throw shit at each other, but I think talking to you three will have the same experience." I can just feel the hate spewing out of them.
"Well, aren't you just all high and mighty." Hyōdō comments. He then points his right finger at me like he's accusing me of something. "You're a disgrace to perverts, you know that? Your methods are cowardly!" he hollers.
Oh, he should not have said that. "And just is so wrong about my methods?" I ask, my left eyebrow noticeably twitching.
"You use mirrors, cameras, and indirect contact to see girls naked! You avoid directly getting close to avoid being caught! Seeing the real deal is what makes the experience worth it." He finished by crossing his arms.
"That's right!" Matsuda accuses by pointing at me.
"Highly ineffective methods." Motohama adjusts his glasses.
Okay, that's it!
"My methods of self-preservation are efficient, and last much longer than your constant peeping. You lack subtlety, the true essence of perversion. The point of being a pervert is not to get caught; it's to enjoy the sight of breasts without the fear of the fury of a woman!"
This is one of the reasons I hate these fools. They force me into revealing my perverted nature. But, since we're along here, I can say what I want without fear (as long as I keep the tone low).
Hyōdō glares at me like he's going to punch. "I'm beginning to remember why we call you…'Perverted Black Prince'!"
"…What did you just say?"
Perverted…Black…Prince? Oh hell no…
"Okay, scoundrels. I'll try your methods. Matsuda!"
"Y-Yes!"
"Aren't you going to peep on the kendo club today?"
"Yes, I am!"
"We're all going then. Get moving, Perverts."
Why am I joining them on this escapade? Simple, I've got a plan. We make our way to a special peeping hole into the kendo club's locker room. Matsuda and Motohama have first dibs looking while Hyōdō and I stand back. These simpletons...
"Murayama's boobs are so big!"
"She's 82-70-81."
"Katase has great legs!"
"78-65-79."
"I miraculously found this spot during PE!"
Actually, I found this spot a few weeks ago while looking for said peepholes.
"Man, this is some serious stuff!"
Hyōdō loses patience and tries to charge in. "Hey you, let me take a peek as well! Don't hog it all to yourselves!" He tries pulling Matsuda away from his spot. "Damn you!"
Time to enact my plan. "Ah…ah…ACHOOOO!" I fake.
At that, I heard a girl scream inside.
"Is someone outside?"
At that, I immediately ran like hell into the woods behind us. Matsuda and Motohama split left and right, while Hyōdō fell behind. I ran far until I jumped into a tree and hid inside the leaves and watched the poor bastard from below. Within seconds, the entire kendo club is behind Hyōdō with their shinai out. Farewell, dipwad.
What followed was a massive beat down by the whole club. Rest in peace, soldier. Once the club dispersed from the beat down, I jumped down from the tree and walked over. Hyōdō lies on the ground, absolutely defeated. I looked over him, his scratches easily visible.
"So, that went well, didn't it?"
He glared at me and jumped back up. "You planned that, didn't you?" he asked with a mutter.
"Of course. Do you really think I'd just join you three in a peeping session? Let's get one thing straight, Hyōdō…"
"What?"
"…I don't like to share."
"Well, aren't you selfish? No wonder you don't have any friends."
…Low blow. "I don't have any friends because I don't need them. The only thing I need is the thought of watching you get your ass kicked on a regular basis."
I turn around and start walking, my objective being home. I've never been on good terms with Hyōdō, but I don't TRULY hate him. I stop walking when the thought of an incoming punch is coming. I duck, and Hyōdō flies by. He turns around and looks angry.
"…But..."
"Huh?" "I do have to admit an odd form of respect for you."
"What?"
"You act like a pervert without fear of what others think, chasing your lust without restraint. I'll be blunt…I respect you for being so open about your perversion."
I look around and make sure no one's watching.
"Which is why, out of payment for the beating you took, you may deliver one pu-"
Before I could finish, a fist immediately slammed into my face and sent me flying down onto my ass. Everything's a daze at first, but since I'm a Half-breed, the Devil half is lightening up the blow. I look up and see a proud looking Hyōdō standing over me, rubbing his fist.
"How's that?" I asked.
He extends a hand out to me. "We're even!" he says with a smile.
I couldn't help but chuckle. I grab his hand and let him pull me up.
"But don't think this means we're friends, Hyōdō." I point out.
"I never thought about that." He replies.
I look at my watch and realize that it's time to leave.
"Be seeing you, Hyōdō."
I walk around him and head straight, going home.
"Later, Katsu."
The walk home was thankfully, without any attackers like last time. Though honestly, I wouldn't have minded one. I need to grow stronger soon, and having a surprise enemy is just the thing I need. I eventually make it back home, and headed straight for my room. As much as I need training, I need to exercise my brain as well. So, for the next hour, all I did was homework and train using my fireballs again. In my training, after doing some in my room here, I've come to several conclusions about my fire power.
1: I have no size limit, but the larger it is the more strain it puts on me.
2: I have a generation range of 10 meters (looking out the window helps out).
3: I can generate it anywhere AROUND me in that 10 meter range, as long as I've analyzed my environment and know EXACTLY where to generate it.
4: The shape of the fire is limitless, but the size limit applies all the same. That means I could make the fire take the shape of not only a ball, but even a small lizard.
5: I move the fire ANYWHERE in that 10 meter range, even with my eyes off of it, but I must have totally memorized the environment.
6: I can use my willpower to choose what and if the fire burns.
7: I am not affected by my fire's damage.
8: With rule 6, I can cover something with the fire (body part, weapon, ect.) and not burn it, but the fire/weapon can still burn others.
Using this power requires a lot of control and mental focus. Both of which I'm adept at. The problem is with so much of its power being effective only with control, room for strength can get a little low. My emotions do have an effect of how damaging it could be. After a while, I got a knock on my door.
"Katsu, sweetie, can you come down for a minute?" It's mother.
"Yeah, be there in just a sec."
I clean up my room a little from the…singes, and change out of my uniform into some black sweatpants, and a black short-sleeved shirt. I leave my room, head down the stairs, and look to my left into the family room. My parents were sitting on the left couch, and Lucile was sitting on the right couch across from them, looking rather calm actually.
But there was someone else in here as well. Sitting next to Lucile, was a middle aged man with combed back deep blue hair, sharp yellow eyes, and wearing a grey business suit with white gloves and brown dress shoes. There was a small cup of tea on the table on a small glass plate. From the similar appearance to Lucile, I'd have t guess that this is Mr. Paimon, her father. Wait, Devils use some kinda hierarchy, right? So it's…Lord Paimon.
"So, to what do I owe two Paimons in my home?" I ask as I walk over, jumped over the third couch and sit down on it.
The man chuckled lightly, before reaching for his tea and taking a sip. "Perceptive AND rude, to be expected from one of your heritage." He comments.
He puts the tea down, and holds his hands together in his lap. Heritage? Oh yeah, Lucile mentioned that her father would be looking into which clan I possibly come from. From the sound of it…
"So, Lucile told me that you've been taking a look into where I came from. Since you're here tonight, I can assume that you know?"
"It took me a while, but then I remembered a certain Devil I remembered a long time ago."
"A certain Devil?"
"Yes, let me first start by saying that I was surprised that you were the infamous Abel."
"So, you already know me?"
"It's not anything you've done; it's related to your very existence."
"Interesting."
"Let me also say that you're not from some royal family."
"Why?"
"Just to smash any hopes of thinking that you come from greatness of that level."
"Well, bad news: I don't have high hopes about that." Lord Paimon looked a little disappointed. "Hm, that's unfortunate."
"I can't believe it; I've found someone ruder than Lucile."
My parents looked a little shocked, while Lucile seemed to have lost her cool and looked enraged. Lord Paimon however, looked amused.
"And that's proof that you're his grandson."
"Huh?"
"Abel, its time you know where you come from." Paimon takes another sip of tea, and sighs. "…You come… from the infamous Berith Clan."
"Berith...?"
"Yes. The Beriths were well known for several factors, one them obviously being your distinct appearance."
"I'm assuming that you're referring to the silver hair and the cat-like green eyes."
"Yes. That appearance is very distinct, much like the crimson hair of the Gremory Clan."
"Okay. Can you tell me about the Berith Clan?"
"Of course, it would be my honor. The Berith Clan is rather high ranking, possessing the rank of Duke. Unlike the Gremory Clan, the Berith Clan is known for their cold attitude toward others, and their penchant for secrecy, also known for being liars when not answering questions."
"Okay, so far everything has been accurate."
"Your family owns a rather large territory, about the same size as if you combined the Hokkaidō, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, about the same size as Honshu if you group it all together. Castles and the like were very common for your family members. Perhaps one of the greatest achievements of your family was when your great-grandfather, Herribel Berith, created the Demon Sword, Mystletainn."
"Mystletainn?"
"Yes. It was a very deadly sword. Not much is known about Demon Swords, other than that there's a curse on their users and are few in number. Herribel wanted to create a powerful weapon that only Berith blood could use. I've never seen it myself, but during the Great War, it was devastating out there."
"How were my family members individually?"
"Well, despite my earlier comment of being liars, your family members were quite calm and cool individuals. They never caused trouble, unless antagonized. Though, the same can't be said for your grandfather, the last had of the family."
"Who was he?"
"Kabel Berith. THERE was an intimidating presence. Kabel was known for not taking anything from anyone. In battle, he was especially ruthless."
Hang on a second, he keeps using words like "were" and "used to". Does that mean…?
"You keep using past-tense, Lord Paimon. Care to explain?"
He looked surprised at first, and simply stared at his teacup for a moment. "…This is where the story gets a little…depressing."
"Believe me, nothing can surprise me by this point."
"…The entire Berith Clan is destroyed."
Whoa…okay…that was a ton of bricks. "…Say what?"
"Well, not entirely. Right now, there are only five members total, three being from blood."
At that, Lucile looked a little sad and concerned.
"Dad, what happened to them?" she asks.
"During the final days of the Great War, the Beriths suffered a casualty: Kabel's father, Herribel, was killed by an Angel. Somehow, during a family gathering at the main castle in the Underworld, the entire family was mysteriously killed. No survivors, except for one: your mother Jenova Berith, who was in the human world at the time."
"So, she's been alone all this time?"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Oh yeah, my dad."
"Not just him."
"Huh?"
"Five years before you were born, your mother attempted a chance at companionship. She had an affair with a Fallen Angel and you're older half-brother was born: Cain, was his name."
"Cain? Like in the Bible?"
"Yes. But, you're brother was far from normal. He was born with a large amount of power. So much so, that at two years old, he killed his own father."
The room fell silent at that. Two years old, and killed his own father?
"Why?"
"I don't know. Some say that Cain was BORN insane."
"How did I come into the picture?"
"A year later, your mother recovered from the loss of Cain's father, and found a friend in the human Magician, Atsuko Yukimura. Eventually, you were born."
Hang on, a thought came across my mind.
"Wait, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"I've seen Cain before; in my dreams. He has silver hair, but the eyes are normal in appearance. A little sharp, and red colored, but he's normal. I thought Berith Clan members all have the silver hair and cat-like green eyes."
"I'd like to think of it as natural order."
"How so?"
"As you know, the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels are in conflict. Your mother having a child with a Fallen Angel is like betraying your own people. And so, Cain didn't inherit the eyes. I think of it as poetic justice."
"Hang on." My father intervened. "As of now, you've introduced three members of the Berith Clan. Katsu, Cain, and their mother, Jenova. You said earlier that there's FIVE."
"That's right!" mother said in realization.
"Well, I've only introduced the BLOOD members. The other two were part of Kabel's peerage."
"Go on." My father said.
"Kabel had a large Peerage, but there were only two members of it who survived and were in battle at the time. The most notable was Kabel's Queen, Jezebel. She was known as the Lustful Virgin."
"There's a paradox. Why was she known as that?" I asked.
"Even though she was a virgin, she wasn't afraid to use her body as a weapon. The other survivor was Kabel's Knight, Azrael. He was a ruthless warrior, and was given usage of all the family's greatest weapons. Among them was a legendary tool known as the Suit of Sin, which allowed Azrael to use the powers of Angels, Devils, AND Fallen Angels at once. Over the years, the two of them have been on their own crusades. Jezebel lives in solitude in the Big Ben Clock Tower in England, while Azrael is roaming the world searching for Mystletainn."
"Did it go missing?"
"No, it was hidden away. From rumors I've heard, someone in the Berith Clan made a deal with some humans and Angels to hide the Mystletainn."
"Is that all…?" I asked.
"…That's the Berith Clan. Any other questions?"
I took a moment of silence to breathe a sigh of relief. So, I'm a Berith. I have a half-brother. I have a lost mother. And, I have a large mass of territory. Hang on a sec.
"I do have one."
"Yes?"
"Where are the Berith's in terms of rank?"
"Well, while you never OFFICIALY lost status how others did…I suppose you're still rather high. I mean, most of the other Clans lost their positions because a majority of their heritage comes from humans who were made into members of the Clans by the Evil Pieces system."
"The Peerage stuff?"
"Yes. Now, Cain loses the right to lead the Beriths because of his half-Fallen Angel blood. You however, are the first human member of the Clan in ages. Azrael and Jezebel aren't blood members, but they are Pure Devils who were made into Kabel's Peerage. So, since your mother practically gave up the position years ago and lives a life of solitude you, technically…"
"…I'm the head of the Clan…?"
…Words cannot express just how HAPPY I AM! WHOOO! They have no idea how hard it is to stay calm right now! WHOOO! I maintain my composure.
"So, I'm the head?"
"But, there's a catch."
By impulse, I face palmed my face. "OF COURSE!" Everyone looked at me, obviously shocked. "Um, continue, Lord Paimon."
"For one, you are not of age yet. Plus, you are a Half-Breed. That instantly reduces your rank. While not as powerful and influential as you used to be, you still have SOME pull, however small it may be."
Well, at least that means I can still work for my rank.
"So, how do Devils work to gain rank?"
"There are three methods. 1: Doing Devil Jobs by granting the client's wish. This is the slowest method."
"Devil Jobs?"
"Yes. Each Clan can give out contracts to humans. When the human uses this contract, a Devil belonging to that Clan must grant their request."
"…Please tell me there are limits to just WHAT they can make you do?"
"…None that I'm aware of."
"Hm, great. What are the other two methods?"
"2:Obtaining great achievements in times of crisis or situations. This is the fastest method, but does not happen often. And 3: Doing well in Rating Games. This is by far the best method to raise one's own ranking."
"Rating Games?"
"Remember the Evil Pieces Peerage system?"
"Yeah. Oh, the chess pieces."
"Correct. Members of a Peerage fight each other, and the result can affect your rank."
"I see. So," I look at Lucile. "That's why you only want the strongest; for Rating Games."
Lucile looks away from me and seems to want to ignore me. As usual, these days.
"What about the territories the Clan owned? What happened to them?"
"Out of respect for your Clans loss, they were left untouched in their memory."
"So, I still own land. Well, there's something."
I stretched my back, and heard it pop a few times.
"Well, tonight's been very informative." I stand up and approach Lord Paimon and extend my left hand for a handshake. "It was nice meeting you, Lord Paimon. Thank you for telling me about my heritage."
He doesn't shake my hand, and stares at me. "There's one more thing I must tell you."
I pull my hand left hand back and put it into my pocket. "I know where you mother lives."
"Really?"
"Yes. She lives not too far from here."
"How do you know?"
"She keeps contact with several friends from her youth. I tracked her through them. Would you like to meet her?" he asks.
Gee, I don't know. My birth mother, who gave me up for adoption? That might be productive. She must have a good reason for leaving me with humans. I don't hate her, I just want answers.
"I would like to, sir."
"Very well then. I will contact her, and let her know that you're coming over on Sunday. That's a free day for human schools, correct?"
"Yes. Thank you again, sir."
"Here's a warning." He stood up, and turned to face me. "She's not exactly…normal, per say."
"Did you just really say that?"
"Oh, I suppose 'not normal' is the regular for you, by this point."
"Understatement of the freaking century."
He finally exchanges the handshake with me while chuckling. "You have such a freedom in your speech."
"That is highly inaccurate."
"How?"
"Because if did have such freedom, there'd be A LOT more f and s words."
"I understand."
He lifted his right arm and used his left hand to move his sleeve, revealing a wristwatch with the time.
"Well, I must return home. Your mother get's busy around this time. I'd like to contact her a little ahead of time for a meeting with her child."
"Thanks again, sir."
"Lucile, come."
I stepped back so Lucile could have room to stand as well.
"Yes, father."
They both walked around the couch I was sitting at and headed for the front door. They both turned to face us.
"Well then, I wish you luck on your meeting, Abel Berith."
At that, a large, green, glowing circle appeared on the floor below them, encompassing them both inside of it. The symbol looked like a weird, ancient looking symbol of two snakes facing each other, wrapped around a third one with a large green circle around them.
"See you tomorrow, Katsu."
They both started descending into the circle and within seconds, vanished.
"A quarter to whoever can explain that." I say to my parents.
"That son, is a Transportation Circle. Devils use them to travels long distances instantly. Problem is, you need to be a member of the Clan using it to travel. At least that's how I think it works. I'm old, I don't know much anymore."
"I'll take it."
I take out a quarter n my pocket and flip it back to him. He catches it quickly. "Yes!" My father is rather cheap.
"Katsu, dear…" I turn to face my mother, who looks a little sad. "We need to talk."
"Yeah, I had a feeling you'd say that."
I sat back down while they remained seated.
"Katsu, it's about your birth mother."
"Okay." She sighed once, holding back a sob. "You're father and I have had this discussion before, so we were slightly prepared for this. But now…"
"Its okay mom, take your time."
"Son," my dad continued. "If Jenova will allow it, we'd like you to move out of here and move in with her."
As he finished, mom shed a small tear.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because, to this day, we feel like we denied your mother a chance to actually BE a mother. Besides, you're reaching that age where soon, you'll have to move out. So, think of this as a chance to be connected to your roots." "Are you guys really okay with this? I mean, I'll be gone."
"Don't worry son." Mother said. "We'll be fine here. Besides, I don't want to seem selfish. You and Jenova deserve to finally meet."
I stood up from my couch and walked over to them, giving them both a single hug.
"I want you guys to remember one thing. Even though we aren't related by blood, you will always be my parents. And mom…" I adjusted myself so that I could stand in front of her, holding her shoulders. "You will always be my mother."
I give her a single hug. After a long while talk, I returned up stairs to return to business. I also started packing a small amount of my stuff. They are stone set on letting me move out to see my birth mother. So much has happened today. My history revealed, a chance to meet my real mother, it's rare to hit me in such a sensitive way.
Hm, I really am NOT as strong as I though. Tomorrow is Saturday, which means that Sunday is when I move and meet my birth mother. Whew, boy. I'll have to start busting my ass soon. I have to rank up, train with my powers, move, meet new people, take a look into my history; boy, this is NOT going to be easy. Mystletainn…something about that name really rings a bell. I've never heard of it before, so why does the name sound so interesting? Well hang on a sec; I don't know a thing about these contracts. Maybe Lucile can help me? She's probably going to want something in return. Man, this is gonna be a LONG-ASS week!
Third Person POV
The evening sun has long set, this city falls into night. But with the existence of beings other than humans, perhaps this is when there is more active life than ever. Within this city, is a church belonging to the Christian God, long since abandoned. Several holes in the roof emphasize its abandonment. Here is the base of operations for a group of Fallen Angels.
Approaching the church is a beautiful young girl, with long black hair that falls to her hips and violet eyes. She is also wearing a school uniform, which consists of a dark red jacket with the letter "P" embroidered in gold, a white undershirt, a red bow, and a green skirt with a thin white strip around the lower end of it. There was a bright smile on her face, a sense of accomplishment in her spirit.
She opens the door to the church, and is greeted by three comrades, each waiting in the main room, which was illuminated by a few torches burning with flame.
The one to the far left is a female Fallen Angel by the name of Kalawarner. Kalawarner is a tall and buxom woman with long, navy blue hair that obscures her right eye and brown eyes. Her outfit consists of a violet, trenchcoat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. The trenchcoat top is open at her chest, giving view to her breasts and cleavage. She also wears a gold necklace around her neck.
The middle one is a Fallen Angel by the name of Dohnaseek. Dohnaseek is a middle-aged-looking gentleman with short black hair and dark blue eyes. His outfit consists of a pale violet trenchcoat over a white dress shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, and a black fedora.
And lastly, the one to the far right is another female Fallen Angel. Her name is Mittelt. Mittelt is a girl with blonde hair styled in twin short side ponytails and blue eyes. She wears a gothic lolita outfit, consisting of a black Lolita dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front, and a green jewel embedded on the collar, white thigh-high socks, and black shoes. She also wears a large black bow on top of her hair.
The moment the door closes behind her, the young girl's smile turns more into a wicked grin. Within an instant, she begins transforming from her school girl appearance into something less innocent. She grows taller, and her eyes change into a darker and more evil look. Her clothing also changes dramatically, now wearing black, strap-like objects (resembling leather) around and under her breasts, a thong-like piece held around her hips by three thin straps, gloves that run right up her arms with small lengths of chains hanging from them, shoulder guard-like objects on her shoulders with three large spikes sprouting from her right shoulder, and black boots. And what's more, she grew large black feathered wings. Yes, she was yet another Fallen Angel. Her name: Raynare.
"Were you successful, Raynare?" Kalawarner asked.
"More than. The idiot actually accepted." Raynare replied.
"Is he as big a threat as you said?" Dohnaseek asked.
"I still need to do some more analysis."
"Well, that's disappointing." Mittelt commented. "Why can't we just kill him now?"
"Because then you'd never know if his power was even worth a damn."
A fifth, sly voice said. Everyone traced the voice to one of the holes in the roof. Standing over them was a much more sinister being than any of them. His sharp red eyes piercing towards each of them.
"Who the hell are you?" Dohnaseek asked.
He prepared to draw his weapon, the common weapon for all Angels, both Fallen and normal, the light spear. But before he could use it, the man descended to the floor, and the air turned cold. What's more, the flames on the torches turned bright blue. Raynare immediately recognized the man through all of the signs: the blue flame, the black kimono on his back, the sharp red eyes, and the short silver hair. It was one of the most infamous members of her kind.
"Dohnaseek, if you want to live, I suggest you don't try to fight him." Raynare suggested.
Dohnaseek was hesitant to stop at first, but then he remembered the signs as well. He withdrew his weapon. It was clear at once just who this man was: the Half-Breed, Cain. Raynare approached him as he turned around to face her.
"Good evening, Raynare."
"To what do we owe the 'pleasure' of your presence, Half-Breed?" she ask him.
"You know, Raynare, I certainly 'love' that rude spirit of yours."
While Raynare was wearing a false smile, Cain was truly grinning. Both Fallen Angels gave off the air of intimidation, Cain's being much darker. Raynare's fake smile finally gave out.
"Get to the point of why you're here, Cain."
"Oh, I've finally decided to take the initiative in this little war. But it seems that your target and mine…cross paths."
"How?"
"Well, they share several factors. They're both perverts, students at the same school, and most importantly, they both possess Sacred Gears that come as a threat."
"Do you know which Gear your target has?"
Cain narrowed his eyes into a glare with his grin still showing. He stepped closer to Raynare so that they were mere inches apart. Being a little taller than her, he leaned down and whispered into her ear. The other three Fallen Angels tried to listen, but they heard nothing but Cain's whispers. But they knew that whatever he was saying, it was truly important. They knew so because they saw Raynare's eyes grow wide with surprise.
When Cain pulled back, Raynare was silent at first. But then, she sharpened her eyes back into a glare toward Cain.
"So, he has a Lost Longinus as well? How do you know that?"
"Because he and I have the same mark."
Cain raised his left hand and grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled it back. Raynare saw a strange symbol on his shoulder. It appeared to be a red gauntlet with its fingers closed into a fist.
"Well, not the SAME mark, be he as the skull one."
He released his collar and his shirt was back into order. Raynare held her chin for a moment, contemplating her group's options.
"And why should we help you? Why don't you just attack him yourself?"
"Because…"
In a flash, Cain moved like a striking serpent. His hands grabbed onto Raynare's large breasts, and pulled her close to him. He lunged his into contact with her, and plunged his tongue into her mouth. He began furiously groping her breasts and using his tongue to assault her. While at first Raynare resisted, she soon succumbed to the random flash of pleasure befalling her. Cain's attack became less furious, and his hands moved to her waist while his kisses became more gentle. He finally pulled back, a small strand of saliva still connecting his tongue to Raynare's.
While she tried going in closer to continue, Cain used his hands on her waist to hold her in place.
"You still owe me for liberating you from a Holy Oppressors rules."
And now, a secret that not even Raynare's allies knew about: Cain was the reason why Raynare fell from grace.
"So, care to help a friend?" Cain asked.
"With pleasure…" Raynare said in a daze.
"Wonderful~!"
Cain immediately released Raynare and turned to walk away, leaving her to almost fall forward for wanting more from him.
"Then go ahead and send one of your friends here to attack him this coming Sunday."
He turned back again when he was right below the hole in the roof he came from.
"Oh and, during your date with Issei, please keep him from getting passed a 'certain' base. 'Kay dear?"
While it sounded like he was cheerfully asking for it, Raynare was more than smart enough to know that it was an absolute order. Cain's single, large black feathered left wing appeared, and he took flight into the sky, small feathers being left behind. Raynare watched in awe as Cain disappeared into the night sky.
As he left, the flames on the torches turned back to normal. And like that, more flies were caught in the large web of a sinister scheme.
"Raynare…what's a Lost Longinus?" Mittelt asked.
Raynare regained her composure, and stood proudly with her right hand on her hip.
"Something that EVERYONE needs to be afraid of."
TO BE CONTINUED