"I really like you!" - Speech
'Too much, huh?' - Thoughts
"And just like that…" - Flashback / Emphasis
*Brr!* *Smack!* - Sound effects
\Chapter 3: Demons and Magic\
The world where our protagonist resides in is widely known as the 'Human world', thriving with those non-intelligent creatures who, according to Charles Darwin, advanced from monkeys.
…Apes? Baboons? Orang-utan? I'm not exactly sure, but it should be apes.
In any case, that's just one world, where the natural is… well, natural. But how about the world where the unnatural is natural?
In such a world, there existed the devils, who are the main inhabitants of this world. Underworld, Hell, hot red place, all the same.
The devils had 72 pillars that were well-renowned by every corner. Although, the Great War of the Three Factions had ultimately left more than half of these pillars in the dust. Of course, now that the war no longer continues, there is peace, but a strangled one.
Were they to act freely and cause any trouble for each other, even minor ones, the other wouldn't mind taking measures.
But that aside, let's get a recap on the families.
Of these families, there was the Gremory household, which everyone knew. But if you, my good readers, were thinking that I was going to talk about them, the answer is no. Just, no. Rias isn't the main character here, so deal with it.
Ahem, no. Instead, we'll be talking about another family. The family of the Lucifers, to be exact.
So, I know what you're thinking. Vali Lucifer. Well, you're half-correct. See, since this is technically a fan fiction, anything is possible, am I right? As such, we'll call her…
Valeria? Yeah, let's go with that. Valeria Lucifer.
In any case, she was daughter to the family of the Lucifers. However, her father was afraid of her. For one, she was his daughter, which meant she had the blood of Lucifer in her body, meaning that she was a powerful person. Add to the fact that she has a Longinus, and it made sense why he was so terrified of her.
Seeing his son in distress, her grandfather ordered her father to quote unquote 'bully' her. He would ignore her, threaten her, and act in a coldly manner with the girl.
Being so young, she didn't understand. But time was all it took for the silverette to soon learn that her grandfather had suggested such thing were her father to be so afraid of her.
Unable to take any more of the hostile treatments from both her father and grandfather, Valeria fled from her parents' home. She had nowhere to go, until one day…
"C'mon, I'll take you with me," a Fallen had saved her that day, took her to Grigori and cared for her as her subordinate father.
It didn't take long to soon learn that he was actually Azazel, the Governor of the Fallen Angels.
Of course, she loved him, but soon enough, she was offered the chance to take revenge upon her bastardly father and grandfather. However, it meant leaving home, and while she was reluctant to do so at first, she finally gave in.
Azazel hadn't said anything. He didn't scold her for making such a choice, nor did he ask her to remain. He could only watch, and it tore her heart to do so.
Even then, Valeria trained herself, to grow stronger and avenge herself for all the torments and painful experiences befallen upon her by her father and grandfather.
She was now Valeria Lucifer, member of the Khaos Brigade.
Present—Khaos Brigade Base
"Whoo! That was something!" A monkey-looking male grinned brightly, slinging a pole staff on his shoulder.
"Nya… You said it," a girl with feline ears sticking out from her head nodded with a smile. "Plus, it was good training! I say it made us stronger, nya."
"I can agree with you on that. With this, we should have no problem should we ever be pitted against strong enemies," a lad with spectacles pushed his glasses up to properly fit on him.
"I agree…" A blonde girl with a large witch's hat nodded in agreement.
"They were easy!" All eyes landed on another girl, who was looking the happiest out of them all. "We were like, kapow! Bammy!"
"Yeah, yeah! Haa, shi boom!" The monkey-looking teenager joined in the fun, laughing with the girl. Everyone else just smiled at the antics presented before them.
"Well, come on, guys. Let's get back to base," their leader urged them to hurry, of which they responded with a nod.
This leader of theirs was indeed Valeria, who had grown to be extremely beautiful as the years passed. With her long, silver hair braiding down to her waist, it went well with the light blue eyes she had. She indeed had such a beautiful figure, with her busts threatening to pour out of the grey t-shirt she wore.
They had just finished their mission of gaining information from the devils, but learned nothing. Their security was tighter than they had initially thought. It only grew worse when they were forced to fight moments later.
Now, of course, with such a big group such as this, they shouldn't have no problems. However, it did become a problem once the fourth wave of devils poured in, then the fifth, and sixth, and…
Well, you know the gist.
They managed to get away when Valeria casted a light spell into the air, successfully blinding the devils in the vicinity, giving them ample time to flee the area.
Now, they were back in base.
"Hey guys," one of the members of the Khaos Brigade waved at the team, of which they waved back.
Knowing that they had nothing to do, they decided to go to the commands centre, in case Cao Cao wanted to give them info on their upcoming tasks. Plus, they had to report to him about their failure.
Stepping past the iron doors that slid open, signalling their return, they were about to go find Cao Cao, until they realised that Ophis was standing in front of them, with a strange-looking boy beside her.
Now of course, this must have been some new member or something, so they didn't really pay him much mind. Although—
*Thud!*
"Ghaah!" The lad yelped in surprise as something tackled him from behind. Peering his head over his shoulder, he was met with a familiar view. "What the…"
"Hi, Young-ae!" The girl with white hair beamed at him, his eyes widening as the realisation of who was hugging him slowly dawned on him.
"Shiro…" He breathed out, earning vigorous nods from the overjoyed girl. "W-What are you doing here?"
The girl was much taller than he last remembered, being a head shorter than her. He was confused why she still wore the jumpsuit she wore back in the lab, but he couldn't possibly deny that she looked even more beautiful than last time. Her skin still white, her hair a matching colour, and her bright red eyes were just captivating.
"Isn't it obvious? Shiro joined the Khaos Brigade!" She cried out, hugging him once more, this time even more harder than before. "Shiro misses Young-ae!"
"Y-Y-Y-Yes! I missed you too!" He struggled to sound his words right, due to the strong pressure exerted on his ribs. "N-Now, would you please..! Let me go..!"
"I don't want to!" She denied him, not seeing the way his face was slowly turning blue.
"W-Well, I'm about to die..!" At the mention of dying, the albino finally released him, a look mixed with apologetic and dread contorted onto her pretty face. "H-Haah… Thank you, and all the gods above… If they even exist, that is…"
"Ahem," Ophis cleared her throat once.
"Sorry Ophis… But you're a dragon, not a god," he smirked.
"Uhmmm…" Finally, the three looked to Valeria, who, just as the others, were waiting for a chance to speak. "Okay… This is awkward…"
"What are you talking about? I don't see what's awkward about this," he rolled his shoulder, a crack sounding afterwards. Everyone winced at the sound. "It's just two old friends reuniting, so don't worry about a thing."
"O-Oh, okay…" She had honestly thought that she was intruding on their little moment together, but since he said otherwise, she supposed it was fine. "So, I… suppose we should introduce each other."
"And I agree," the lad nodded. "Young-ae Cross here. You?"
"Valeria Lucifer," she answered, slightly relaxed now.
"Lucifer, you say? So you're a descendant of theirs?" He asked, genuinely surprised.
"Yeah, don't worry. I get that a lot," she giggled, turning around to face her team afterwards. "Hey guys, introduce yourselves too."
"Of course," the lad with the spectacles nodded, stepping forwards. "I am Arthur Pendragon, at your service."
"Good to meet you, and that better not mean you'll start serving me as my butler or something. I'd rather us treat each other as equals," Young-ae nodded, moving to the next person, all the while ignoring what Arthur was about to say. "What's up?"
"Good. I'm Bikou, by the way," the monkey-like person shook the guy's hand. Just from this, Young-ae could tell that Bikou was a friendly, all-around super nice dude to be around.
"Kuroka, here, nya~!" The girl with black hair and are those cat ears sticking out of her head?
"Huh. You must be a Nekoshou, judging by those cat ears and tail obviously sticking out of you," he highlighted the word 'obviously' with a smirk. "But good to meet you as well."
"Le Fay Pendragon, Arthur's sister," the blond girl with the witch hat gave a short curtsey.
"And the pleasure is mine as well," the lad nodded. "But damn, this is a pretty big group, if you ask me."
"Yeah, well, we work great as a team. We compensate for one another's weaknesses," Valeria's brief explanation earned a hum of understanding from Young-ae. "So, mind telling us what you're doing here?"
"Young-ae's here to join the Khaos Brigade!" Shiro answered in his stead the moment he opened his mouth, snapping her head to his direction, looking directly into his eyes. "You are joining, right?"
"I…" He would have said anything, but how she was literally staring him with those damned forbidden technique PUPPY EYES were basically forcing him to say yes. "…Well, why would I be here then? For some telemarketing?"
Everyone just blinked at what he said.
"No. Just, no," he groaned. "YES! I'm here to join you, in the name of gods and goddesses!"
"Yay! Young-ae's joining us!" Shiro was quick to embracing him once more, giggling into his chest. He sighed in response, patting her at the back of her head.
"Yes, yes, I'm joining you guys. Now, can you please get off of me?" He sighed in relief once she finally released him. "Thank you. So, now that things are done, I suppose I could go home now?"
"Not quite," a new voice penetrated the air, gaining everyone's immediate attention and respect.
Stepping into the room was the presumed leader of the Heroes Faction of the Khaos Brigade, indicated by how Young-ae couldn't sense any inhuman impulses from the man. He was no doubt handsome, with short black hair and blue eyes.
This was indeed Cao Cao, as the lad had read before. He wielded the [True Longinus], the very same weapon St. Longinus used to pierce Jesus Christ—Young-ae had thought such a myth was nothing more than utter bull, but it seems that he was wrong. It possessed the power to destroy just about anything it touches.
"So, you must be the person Ophis-sama constantly talked about," Cao Cao smiled. "I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. I'm—"
"Cao Cao, leader of the Heroes Faction of the Khaos Brigade," the lad answered, earning a wider grin.
"It seems that my reputation precedes me, more so than I originally gave credit for," he chuckled. The lad merely raised his eyebrow at this.
"Well sure, if you consider yourself being talked about in 'Hot Stuff, Bad Terrorists' magazine is considered being popular, then sure," he gave a shrug. "But really, no, I just heard about you from some people, don't worry. Or… wait, no. Worry."
"Uhh… Why should he worry about not being in some magazine topic about terrorists?" Valeria sweat-dropped.
"Because that just means he's not mean enough to be noted of," he answered, turning to look at the other black-haired male. "You can take offence, or not, it's up to you."
"I… think I'll pass…" Cao Cao sweat-dropped, but the smile implied that he was amused by this newcomer's antics. "In any case, I'd like to first and foremost apologize. I can't have just anyone join our ranks. But, since you're planning to join the Khaos Brigade, I would rather test your abilities beforehand. I mean, it is a group for those that possess skill, so I'd rather have strong warriors among out ranks."
"I see… Yeah, I can definitely see your logic. Weak men means a harder time terrorising people's lives," he scoffed. "But then again, I did say I was going to join you, so yeah, I'll play along. Just tell me what you want."
"Well, since you don't really mind, I'd like to see how you'll fare against one of Valeria's team members, although you could take her on, but I'd suggest you not to do so," his words were that of a demand, earning looks of surprise from the others, including the lad.
"Young-ae, you, don't need to do it, if you don't want to," Ophis spoke up, earning herself a pat to the head.
"Don't worry yourself, Ophis. This is actually a pretty good chance to see how my allies in the future are in battle," he grinned at the dragoness. "Plus, it's a battle. Obviously the best chance to strengthen your bond with each other."
"I'm glad that you think so positively about this, Young-ae," Cao Cao beamed at the lad. "So who shall it be?"
"Hmm… Let's see here…" At that, the half-ghoul decided to look at his possible opponents.
Arthur was indefinitely a great swordsman, just from the looks of it. He seemed to also be a master of magic, second to his sister. Quick and strong, undoubtedly dangerous were one to face against him either head-to-head, or in a sword fight. Adding to the fact that he wielded Caliburn, the strongest Holy Sword there is, which only proves how strong he truly is.
Next off the list was Bikou. The descendant of Sun Wukong, Young-ae could only presume. And he was right. He was physically strong, capable of taking hit after hit without breaking a sweat. Even in an ambush, he'd survive it, and, possibly win. It was hard to take him on without being properly equipped.
Then the girls. Kuroka was undoubtedly a master of Senjutsu, considering that she was a Youkai, this time however a… feline. If seduction was her skill, she would win, hands down. But, surprisingly enough, she could win in a fight if she wanted to. She has survived countless times being hunted down by the devils, Young-ae thought. A cunning foe.
Le Fay was, to put it in a nice way in case Arthur came over and kicked his ass, a… not as strong as the others. She poured all her focus onto magic, and came out as the strongest magic wielder amongst everyone else. In a true fight with fists, she… may or may not win, but it is in the magical vicinity where she truly lives up to her name. Add cuteness overload to the list of deadly things, of course.
And then…
'I don't think I could go against Shiro, not with what had happened a long time ago…' He had grown somewhat shameful for his defeat against the albino girl. He wondered if she still remembered, but supposed it was fine if she did forget. 'So, if I were to choose, I would go for…'
He knew who to pick.
"Cao Cao, you earlier stated how you didn't want me going up against Valeria, am I right?" He turned around, the man smiling calmly.
"Well, of course. She is the strongest there is out of her group," he nodded. "She's both a Lucifer and the [Divine Dividing] wielder. Fighting against her is going to be a very difficult task."
"Young-ae, don't," Ophis, as monotonous as always. And yet, he could sense a small trace of concern laced in her words.
'Aww, how sweet…' He mentally chuckled, crossing his arms. "Then I know who I'm up against. Get ready Great White Empress. I'm choosing you."
"Really? You'll be fighting with me?" She was technically surprised, but couldn't hold back from sounding delighted.
"Yeah. I like taking the hard way out," he shrugged. "Well, sometimes. Err, unless if its too hard, then I'll take the easy way."
"Then who was the easiest to fight did you think, out of all of us?" Bikou asked, curious looks from both him and everyone else shot at him.
"Dude, I don't know…" He sighed. "So, Cao Cao, when is our arranged fighting time?"
"Well, that's up to you both to decide," he shook his head.
"Then let's go up against each other on…" His gaze drifted to the calendar so conveniently placed by one of the worker's workspace. "…Two days from now. Third of February, a Friday. How does that sound to you?"
"I'm good for that, yeah," she nodded. "Well, hoping for a good fight."
"Just… make sure not to beat me into submission please," the lad sweat-dropped a heartwarming laugh filling the room.
Friday—Khaos Brigade Base, Training Fields
It was finally the day for the battle between the newcomer and their silver queen, which got all the workers excited and pumped up to watch the battle.
News had spread even faster than wildfire, and soon enough, the whole of the Khaos Brigade had heard of the battle, which is why everyone were rushing to the training fields right now.
It was just a square area, possibly two acres wide. The spectators area were situated around the field, and there were guards stationed around, just in case.
When Young-ae arrived this morning, he had been getting snarky remarks and fearful comments, either that he was going to lose and that they were hoping he wouldn't die. He scoffed in his mind.
'I get that no one knows what I am, so they don't know much about me, but come on..!' He sighed, passing the looks that yelled 'You're going to lose!'. He was really hoping not to lose to another girl again in this lifetime.
It took some time, but he finally managed to find the training fields. The sheer number of spectators were overwhelming, but he paid it no mind.
There were two possible outcomes from this. One, he would win, and shake the very foundation with shock. No doubt he'd gain a ton of respect from everyone else. And on the other, he would lose. He'd make a mockery of himself, presumably, and everyone would laugh at him.
Either way, he was prepared for both. If he won, he would be a good sport and just accept it without boasting. If he lost, he'll accept it and just block out the taunts.
It didn't take long for Valeria to finally show up, wearing a grey tee with matching pants. Possibly her training gear.
"So, you'll be fighting in that?" She asked.
He didn't have much clothes to begin with. Right now, he was wearing a plain burgundy dress shirt with black sweatpants.
"Yeah… Don't even ask," he sighed. "So, any rules?"
"None. Cao Cao just said you'll fight me in any ways you want, but no restorative items," she informed, earning a nod from the lad. "Okay then, let's do this."
And without further ado…
*Final Fantasy XIII—Defiers of Fate (Play Song)*
*Phhaah!*
"Hrraah!" The half-ghoul emitted a loud battle cry, his kagune now out to the public eye. Even from Valeria herself, everyone had looked on with curiosity and impress. "Come on, Valeria. Let's get this over with."
"R-Right," she nodded.
[Divine Dividing!]
The white wings-like Longinus finally popped up, earning cheers from the crowd.
A powerful SacredGear capable of halving the strength of a targeted opponent, which is then siphoned into the user. Basically, it steals the energy, making it a worthy weapon in the right hands.
Not wasting a moment, Valeria jetted forwards, intent on delivering the first blow. Even so, she was curious as to who or what he was. He didn't look human, but she couldn't sense anything abnormal in him, so… what was he?
Cocking her fist backwards, she lunged it forwards.
*Bang!*
"Whoa," her fist was blocked by the same blood-red tentacles spurting from his back. 'Man, they're actually really solid… They looked flimsy at first, but I suppose looks can be deceiving.'
He shoved her back, still standing on the same spot. He breathed a bit, rushing forwards next, leaping into the air and willing his kagune to strike. The tentacles were backhanded by the girl, but he managed to land a clean kick to the cheek, knocking her away to the side.
"You were way too open," he remarked as he dropped to the ground.
"Oh, alright then," she cracked her neck, a vicious smile popping up. "Don't mind me."
"Actually, I do mind, but whatever," he too got into a ready stance.
The female Lucifer made the first move, opting for another tactic. She outstretched her hand, shooting a ball of condensed grey energy. It shot fourth, unsteady, but powerful.
Even then, she was impressed when he merely batted it away with his kagune.
And yet, he had to admit; that ball of energy, no matter how simple it was, was incredible dense. Were he careless, he would have seriously hurt himself.
Deciding to raise the stakes, Valeria launched a volley of energy balls at the half-ghoul, watching him dance around to avoid getting hit. None of her attacks were hitting, much to her chagrin and amazement. He really was like a dancer, in this field of danger.
The way he so flawlessly avoided her attacks like they were nothing were both deserving of respect, and pretty attractive, really.
But of course, her train of thoughts were cut short the moment she saw him running towards her once again.
She erected a barrier of energy in front of her. Even then, it didn't stop him from shattering it, with one powerful strike.
'Don't let her hit you,' he told himself, twisting in the air to avoid her fist strike. 'That [Divine Dividing] of hers won't be a pretty show.'
Thinking that he's wasted enough time, he zipped towards her in a zigzag pattern, her energy balls missing him by a hair's length.
With a look of defiance on his face, she couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat.
*Bam!*
"Ghugh..!" Too lost in thoughts had costed her dearly. She hadn't thought that he would actually use his own body.
But then again, whatever was sticking out of his was probably a body part too, so… yeah.
He quickly added another jab to the side of her face, probably causing a bruise. Even then, he didn't stop there, knocking her far back with his kagune.
She skidded to a stop, wiping off the blade from her lip.
"Man, you're pretty unpredictable," she snickered.
"Ehh, I suppose," he shrugged. "Come on, you're not holding yourself back, are you? I don't like pulling punches, so you'd better not."
'Well, that does it,' she grinned brightly, rushing into the fray.
She didn't care now. She loved fighting, and as going to enjoy winning against him.
Activating [Divine Divider], she propelled herself into the air, before letting loose a hail of ice towards the field, where Young-ae stood. Not stopping there, she willed her energy to mix in with the attack, creating a deadly combo otherwise capable of destroying everything.
Or so she, and everyone else, thought.
"That's all?" He sighed. "Might as well."
*Phhaash!*
They had thought those tentacles of his couldn't get creepier. Turns out they were wrong.
During his time in the human world, he had encountered other less-than-friendly ghouls. As such, were they to threaten him and Ophis, he would fight and kill them. At times, whenever he felt like it, he would consume them.
But what was special about him, was his RC Abnormal Typing, which would allow the RC cells in his body to develop other kagune depending on which ghoul he consumed.
Consuming those of the Rinkaku, the type of kagune he possessed, strengthened and enhanced his current kagune, allowing him to manipulate it at will.
And of course, it just had to work splendidly.
Now, rather than taking the shape of tentacles, it had developed into four pairs of spider legs, thick and sharp like swords. Even then, what scared the others, was how eyes had developed in those blade-like limbs.
And it took one single moment, drawing them like real swords, and slashing the barrage of attacks in one fell swoop.
*BOOM!*
*Final Fantasy XIII—Defiers of Fate (End Song)*
The energy balls had finally dissipated, and when the dust had cleared, there he stood, unscathed.
Young-ae looked at himself, mentally satisfied that he was able to pull this off.
He had long waited to use this new kagune. After realizing that he had been devouring way too many Rinkaku-wielding ghouls, he realized that he would be able to develop his own kagune as well.
As such, he was able to accomplish this.
'Not bad, for intimidation,' he too thought it was creepy, before reshaping it to its original form. 'Welp, I still love the real one. Father technically passed it to me, after all.'
And at that, his frown formed.
To think that everything happened because of his parents. To be born and taken away from them. It was truly a pity.
Time to let it go, he told himself. There was no way the pain would fully heal, but it had dulled enough for him to focus on other things.
"I think that's enough," Cao Cao stepped onto the battlefield, joined by Ophis. Valeria descended to the ground a moment later. "I must say, I was impressed with what I saw. You survived against Valeria this whole time, and didn't falter. You're pretty skilled."
"Yeah, well, years of practice does that for you," he nodded.
"But that begs the question, what are you?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"A half-ghoul," he answered. "Don't ask me. Read up on it yourself."
"Fine, fine," he chuckled, before outstretching his hand. "Well, I'm pleased to say, Young-ae, that you are officially part of the Khaos Brigade. Welcome."
The young half-ghoul took the leader's hand, shaking it.
Ophis's Shrine
"You didn't die…" Ophis sighed in relief, earning a chuckle from the lad.
"Come on, did you really think that I was going to lose so early in the game? I did promise you that I was going to join your little playgroup," he grinned.
"True," she nodded, joining him at the living room before taking the fresh cookies he baked. "I, must say. I, was impressed with what I saw."
"So was I," he scratched the back of his head. "In fact, I had been thinking that I was going to lose. Valeria was strong, no doubt, so I was lucky that I didn't die."
"Don't," she shook her head. "Who, will bake for me then?"
At that, he couldn't help but stop and look at her. This girl, who was indeed the very dragon who represented infinity, had been so kind to take him in, and care for him. He was truly indebted to this girl, for everything she had done.
And it was because he loved her as a mother, and as a friend, that he managed to smile back.
"Of course it'll be me. No one else," he snorted.
The Next Day—Khaos Brigade Base
Now that Young-ae was part of the Khaos Brigade, his first task was to clear out the Stray Devils in the nearby town.
He was briefed about these creatures by Kuroka, who was considered one by the devils. They were, to put it simply, devils who betray their masters and possibly kill them in search for power and other things.
He wondered why the devils considered the Nekoshou a Stray, until he stopped to read on her documents.
It was stated that she and her little sister used to live under a devil as their master. However, he had attempted to shackle the sister and use her powers, causing Kuroka to kill him and flee. In the eyes of the public, this was a case of betraying her own master, thus causing her to be labelled as a Stray Devil.
"Mother f**kers," he muttered, a sour look on his face. "How could they do that?"
It wasn't fair, no doubt. What she did, she didn't do for power or wealth. She did it to keep her sister safe. This wasn't fair, no matter he looked at it.
And then, reading up on one of his teammates, he started to pry into the other's lives.
Valeria was prosecuted by her father, due to being a Lucifer and possessing a Longinus. Her grandfather had suggested such a thing, in which she was exposed to constant tortures and harsh treatments. Bastards, he thought. She was his own flesh and blood.
Le Fay and Arthur had always worked hard, trying to meet their family's expectations. They stuck to their lessons, their morals, and yet… They had received no love. That was what they wanted. Love. They didn't care about the public. They just wanted their family to see them.
Bikou was a descendant of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. He had been presented the title one day, and, due to the pressures of such a crown, he was forced to run away. He had been seeking ways on how to get stronger ever since, joining the Khaos Brigade in the long run.
Shiro was, well… He knew her. They were in the same experimentation lab. And yet, as he searched through her files, there were no such details. Maybe they just couldn't trace anything about her, or she had remained silent about such a thing? He didn't know.
Reading on his friends' lives, he felt sour. This was all the actions of adults. His teammates were all the same age as he was. They were all teenagers!
AN: For almost all my stories, the characters' age have constantly been reduced, and this fan fiction, as well as 'Resonance of Demons' are the same. Please bear with me.
Bikou, Arthur, Kuroka; 17
Young-ae, Valeria; 16
Le Fay, Shiro; 15
So to hear of such a mistreatment to each of them was just… terrible. He felt terrible inside.
'And I thought my life sucked…' He mentally sighed, returning to where his team was.
They were currently in the cafeteria, eating away and having conversations with each other. Young-ae joined them after getting his own snack.
"Oh, hey dude!" Bikou waved his hand in the air, with the lad returning the gesture.
"Where were you?" Kuroka asked.
"I was in the library," he admitted, keeping the part where he snuck into the officer's room to read on their profiles a secret. "Reading."
"You read a bit too much…" The Nekoshou giggled in amusement.
"Well, when you don't have a television in your home, reading's the next best thing," he shrugged. "Plus, it teaches you stuff. You can't deny that it's a pretty good thing."
"Yeah, I suppose so," the female Lucifer rolled her eyes with a smirk. "So hey, where do you and Lady Ophis live?"
"In a shrine in the middle of a forest," he answered, pulling out his bread and biting into it.
"What do you do in your free time?" Le Fay asked this time.
"Hmmm… Well, I read," at that, everyone chuckled. "Quiet. Anyways, I practice baking and cooking, go around eating…"
"Pardon my intrusion, but what do mean by eating?" Arthur spoke up, everyone else sharing curious looks with him.
"Okay, let's take things slow," he stopped eating. "Do you all know what a ghoul is?" His question was met with nods. "Okay, good. Now, what do we eat?"
"Human," Shiro answered.
"Indeed. Now, at times, there are crimes that happen, so I go there to deal with it," he finally resumed eating, allowing everyone to figure out the rest.
And when the puzzle snapped into place, they understood.
"Wait, so you go around eating the criminals?" Valeria blinked.
"Well, they're human, so yes. And I'm technically doing everyone a favor by getting rid of the troubles," he nodded. "Plus, it's necessary for me to eat man. If I go for a month without eating at least one whole body, I go rabid and'll start eating whomever I see."
"That's… something," the Monkey King coughed into his fist. "Question. What is that thing that sticks out of you, again?"
"A kagune, a predatory organ formed from RC cells stored in our kakuhou, a sack-like organ," he explained briefly, met with understanding nods.
"Seriously though… That last move was somewhat unfair," the Lucifer chuckled. "I was seriously not expecting that to happen."
"Yeah, well… Anything happens, I suppose," and with that, he finally smiled.
"Ophis, by work, did you mean..?" He sweat-dropped.
"Yes. I'm, hungry," she nodded.
After he finished eating, a secretary had ran all the way to Young-ae, stating that the Ouroboros Dragon wished to speak to him.
Of course, there was no way he could deny her request, so he came right after. He excused himself, wondering if it was something important.
But as it turned out…
"Seriously though, there's so many food sold at the cafeteria," he sighed, preparing the ingredients. "I mean, they sell everything. Cookie, bread, baguettes. Ahh, baguettes…"
"But, it's not you, who made them," she shook her head, another sigh escaping the lad.
"Fine, fine… What do you want?" He leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"Mmm… I want to try something sweet," she told him.
"A pastry, you say? Sure, I've practiced making some," he nodded. "What would you like? Cake? Muffin? Tart?"
"Apple pie," she answered. "I, heard people talking about it. They, said it was delicious."
"Well, delicious is one way to put it," he smiled. "Alright, one apple pie, coming up."
They were in some form of resting area, supplied with a bathroom, a living room that had a television, and a small kitchen area with a fridge, an oven and a microwave. There were cabinets that had some other things.
He got to work, starting with the filling. Of course, the most important ingredient was the apples, since, well, this was an apple pie. Sugar, floor, ground cinnamon, salt, a bit of water and other things mixed into a bowl, before he poured it into a pie plate after placing a pie crust in it. Then he added a second crust, and deposited it into the oven.
It didn't take long. He was far too used to it now.
"Alright-y. That should do it then. Forty minutes of baking, then it should be done," he smiled in satisfaction, joining Ophis on the couch. "Give it some time. Three quarters of an hour, and it'll be done."
"Okay," she nodded.
"Haa… Well, at least you're asking me to bake for you. You wouldn't be disrupting anyone's work," he chuckled. "Plus, I don't trust anyone to make anything for you. Only the gods and goddesses up there would know what they put in your pie."
"True," she nodded. "And, no one can bake as well as you do."
"I'm flattered then," he grinned.
*Knock! Knock!*
"Coming," he called out, stepping away from the couch and opening the door, only to be met with familiar faces. "Oh, 'sup. What are you guys doing here?"
"Shiro wouldn't sit still, and kept saying how she wanted to see you," Bikou shrugged, knocked aside as a happy Shiro tackled her friend into a hug.
"Ghugh..!" He huffed, embracing her back. "Jeez, no need to worry or anything. I'm just with Ophis as usual."
"Aww, no fair!" She pouted, stepping away from him. "What about Shiro?"
"You know, you could always tell me if you want to spend time with me or anything. You just need to tell me when, and I'll see if my schedule is free," he sighed, patting on her head. The pout immediately turned into a grin. "Fine, I'll spend the day with you tomorrow."
"Really?!" She beamed at the offer.
"Yes. Right now," he gestured to the oven, all heads turned in that direction. "I'm making pie for Ophis."
"Oh, you can bake, Young-ae?" Le Fay thought, surprised.
"Yeah, I said that I practiced it, remember?" He chuckled back, the girl turning a few shades red. "In any case, it turned out that Ophis called me here because she was hungry, so I offered to make her something. She chose apple pie."
"Apple pie? That sounds delicious, nya!" Cherokee happily purred.
"That's, my apple pie. If you, want, go buy your own," the dragoness uttered, jaws dropping.
"Hey, no fair! Young-ae's our friend too, you know!" Bikou whined.
While they were busy protesting against Ophis's statement, Young-ae had retreated into the kitchen area to begin on the next batch of pie, just to satisfy his hungry friends.
*Ting!*
"Done," he smiled, pulling out the first batch and putting the second one into the oven. "Ophis, your pie is here. Hey guys, who knows ice magic?"
"I-I do," Le Fay stepped forwards.
"Nice. Listen, I need you to cool the pie for a lil' bit. Keep it to approximately five degrees Celsius. Make sure the cold air spreads throughout the pie's surface. Keep doing so for three minutes," he instructed, placing the pie on the coffee table behind the couch.
"Okay!" She nodded, getting to work.
Some time of waiting, and the second pie was done. Le Fay helped once more, while Young-ae served Ophis her pie.
"Careful. It's still hot, but that's how it's supposed to be," he grinned. "It tastes better when warm."
"Okay," she gave a brief nod, plunging the fork into the pastry. How it easily broke through the crust, yet the sound of crunching easily got everyone excited.
And when she finally dipped it into her lips—
*Boom!*
"Holy sh*t," the half-ghoul blinked. "I bet someone just used explosives."
"It's delicious…" Ophis's words brought him out of his reverie. "It's really good…"
"Oh, man! I can't wait to eat!" Bikou excitedly licked his lips in anticipation.
"Don't worry, you guys can dig in now," he nodded. "Le Fay, you can stop cooling it. Get a plate and fork, and start eating."
"O-Okay," she nodded, returning to the kitchen and bringing plates for everyone.
Young-ae leaned against the wall, watching everyone's reactions as they ate his work.
He was glad to see how satisfied they looked. The way their faces shaped into bright smiles were enough indication that he had done it right. Everyone looked so happy, it must have been delicious.
Suddenly, Le Fay came to him, offering him a plate.
"Come, Young-ae! The chef must try his own work!" She smiled.
"…" He didn't say anything for a while, before smiling eventually. He took the plate. "Thank you."
And with no hesitation, he brought the pie into his mouth, chewing it before swallowing. He thought on it for a while, eyes closed, as everyone awaited his comment.
When his eyes opened once more, he spoke.
"It could have used a bit more lemon juice," he chuckled, laughter filling the room.
"Man, ever the cook you are!" Bikou laughed. "But man! Ophis was right! This is the bomb!"
"If so, then we would be dead. But I wouldn't have minded such a thing. This pie is indeed very delicious," Arthur grinned, inviting more of the pastry into his mouth.
Everyone too ate, and Young-ae watched. His pie was left unfinished, given to Ophis afterwards.
That Night—Ophis's Shrine
"Pffew!" He spat into the hole he dug in the ground, covering it up afterwards. "Whew, that was something."
"Young-ae," Ophis called to him. He approached her after properly sealing up the hole. "Why, did you eat the bread and pie?"
"Ahh…" He was taken aback by how attentive she was. He had thought she wouldn't notice it, considering how focused she was on eating. "You got me."
Ghouls possess a special enzyme in their system that allows breaking down of human meat. And yet, normal food would taste bad on their tongues. Were they to try and consume them, they could grow weak and tired.
Which is why the hole that Young-ae patched up earlier hid the bread and pie he had supposedly eaten earlier.
"Well, in the pie's case, Le Fay was offering it to me. I couldn't just say 'no' to her," he leaned against the pole. "And for the bread… I was just testing the difference between my own and the base's."
"And which one is better?" She asked, curious.
"The base's. They're using a special mix that makes the bread much softer, and it's easy to break apart. It's hard to say, but I think my own is lacking in comparison to theirs," he sighed.
"I, see…" She trailed off a moment later, staring up into the skies. There were no stars tonight. "Don't do that, ever again."
"Which one?" He asked.
"Eating things that aren't human meat," she answered, eyes displaying slight pain. "You, could have gotten sick…"
"Come now, it's not like I'm actually going to eat it," he smirked. "Ophis, joining the Khaos Brigade means I'm going to be fighting. Of course I'll need to take care of myself. As such, I'm always going to stay away from food. Err… human food, I mean."
"Okay," she nodded. "Oh, and Young-ae."
"Hmm?" He hummed back.
"Even if you, say the base's bread is better, I, still like yours more," she told him, stepping into the shrine and leaving him to his own devices.
Young-ae watched as the girl disappeared into the shrine, a grateful smile forming on his features.
"…Thank you, mother. For everything," he muttered, joining the girl a moment later.
Dreamscape
A stretch of greens. This was a meadow.
"…Huh?" Young-ae finally regained consciousness, realising that he was laying down on the grass this whole time. "The heck is this..?"
Standing up, he found himself standing at some meadow. It was wide, almost endless. Flowers adorned the grasses everywhere, and it was hard to miss that tall tree in the centre.
Not knowing what else to do in this strange world, he travelled to the tree, wondering what could be hidden in it.
Now at the foot of the tree, he realised that there was door hinged into it. As if it were hollow, and he could enter it through this door.
Deciding that it was better than nothing, he stepped into the space.
"What the..?" His eyes widened at the sight before him.
The space he was in was just pitch blackness, yet he could still see. In the centre of this space, a boy wearing a black school uniform with a blue-white striped necktie, wrists shackled to the 'ceiling'. There was no ceiling, so it looked like it was going forever. In front of the boy was a container with some cylinder.
Young-ae walked to the container, opening it. There was a label next to it—
"Void Genome…" The shackled boy spoke, eyes overshadowed by his hair.
"What is it?" The half-ghoul asked. "And look at me."
"U-Urggh…" The boy flinched, slowly looking upwards so that his black eyes stared into matching orbs.
"Tell me, what is this?" Young-ae shook the cylinder.
"I-It's the Void Genome… An object that bestows an ability to a selected person," he answered.
"I see…" The lad nodded in understanding. "Now tell me this. What are you doing here?"
"I-I don't know…" He shook his head. "I… died, I think."
"Died, you say? That sucks…" Young-ae's face turned sour. "But this isn't Limbo, so what are you doing here?"
"I really don't know…" The boy shook his head. "I remembered… My friend, my sisters… They were in trouble. I didn't have a choice, I..!"
"You did what any good friend and brother would do," the half-ghoul finished for him, sighing.
Moments passed. Silence was the only supreme ruler in this situation.
And then,Young-ae spoke up once more.
"Don't give up," he raised his voice.
"W-What? What do you mean?" The boy blinked, confused.
"You may have lost in that fight of yours, but I'm not going to watch you mope about losing and whatnot," he shook his head. "Any good soldier would steel themselves and return to the battlefield, and I know you're better than this."
"Well… what good can I do..?" He felt like giving up.
"This," Young-ae held up the cylinder, a surprised gasp escaping the boy.
"B-But, you found it…" He muttered.
"So? Doesn't mean it's mine. It was obviously yours from the very beginning, just out of reach," he shook his head, placing the cylinder into the boy's hand, closing it. "Wield it. I don't know what it'll do, but trust in its power. Use it to protect those you love."
*Khh..!*
The shackles started to glow, so too did the boy's body.
"I'm Young-ae Cross. What about you?" The half-ghoul smiled.
"I-I…" The boy finally smiled.
Lux von' Halcyon!
A/N: Whoo, New Year! Happy 2018, everybody! And if you read this later than the first of January… Still, 2018!
So, as you can probably tell just by this little scene, this is just a little insight to what I'm about to offer. It's definitely going to be something, trust me.
Oh my God, this has been such an awesome journey! Thank you all for joining me on this dumb ride, and bearing with my writings.
Well, let's have at it another time! See ya'!