As soon as Izanami exited the portal she was taken by surprise by the weird girl stepping around in the office.
"So… this is all yours? All these books?! You must get really bored easily!" the girl yelled around as Izanami right away looked to her right as Terumi just stood there with a smirk as he shrugged to her.
"Terumi… what is the meaning of this?" she asked in her calm but deadly voice as the girl whirled around and smiled at the sudden two newcomers in the office.
"Oh hi! I'm Tira! Can I kill you? You look fun to kill!" she told Izanami right away as the goddess disdain for the girl only seemed to grow.
"Easy there bucko, that's my actual boss!" Terumi told her as he finally decided to intervene let his hard work be all for naught with Izanami throwing a tantrum.
"Indeed… I am Hades Izanami and I understand you know why you're here." she told Tira, not even asking her as she just expected her to know it already.
"Sure, to kill and maim and torture and kill again!"
She smiled happily as Izanami nearly wanted to sigh fearing that for now she had to coop with two Terumi's. And that was far too much for anyone to handle.
"Terumi, why did you choose this one exactly?"
"Well, the girl can clean up. I mean, she can cut straight through muscle and is a delightful whirlwind of death."
He told her honestly as Izanami remained unsure but even so she still wanted to grant Tira a honest chance as she looked over the girl again.
"So… you enjoy to kill?"
"Yep!"
"And it doesn't matter who?"
"As long as they bleed!"
Izanami saw an opportunity here. The girl was easily swayed under the promise of death and blood which was a good thing. Even so, she needed to know how strong she exactly was.
"I think you would like a little challenge then."
Tira's eyes widened at hearing this as she smiled brightly and quickly hopped over to her new boss as she made a kneel in front of her.
"What you want little ol' me and me to do?"
"I want you to kill Ragna the Bloodedge."
Terumi's smile faltered as he suddenly realized what Izanami asked of her as he quickly stepped up but before he could get a word in Tira had already jumped up.
"Ho! He sounds like a right old killer! That's going to be fun!"
"Hey, yeah, fun, whoo, just a minute though… sending her off to kill our great big evil nemesis is all dandy and fun but I don't want my hard work to end up in a bodybag!"
He told Izanami harshly as she simply stood with a slight smile, enjoying to see Terumi freak out over his work… or was it more... he would never that easily step up to protect someone.
"Aw, have a little bit of faith in me! I have fought five hundred assassin's all made to kill me... they are all dead now."
Tira told him with a smile as she slightly tugged him back and smiled brightly as she gently rubbed her hand over his chest.
The very motion sparked something inside Izanami as a thought. Was Tira… into Terumi? How did that even happen? Were these two on such a same wavelength that they were able to… be together.
If she had the ability to be truly surprised now was the time.
"Hm… well, alright, I'm sure our boss wouldn't want you dead on your first mission!" he told her with a smile now as he shrugged again as he seemed to revert back into his role.
"Indeed… our pawns are too valuable now to simply sacrifice. Phantom, you will assist Tira. Protect her when the need arises."
She told the silent spectre that had stood silently by as it wordlessly shifted as it seemed to understand as Tira grinned.
"Good, one head of Bloodedge, coming right up!" she told her with a smile as she quickly bowed before Izanami before she hopped off, out an open window as the two watched her drop down.
"She did realize how high up we were right?" Izanami asked as Terumi shrugged only.
Relius looked around as the world they had entered as he stared quite fascinated at the large structures towering to the sky.
Buildings that stretched out to claw at the sky, a sky that was blue and filled with pretty little sheep clouds as he smirked slightly at the sight of it.
Perhaps it were just old memories of before everything went wrong when man tried to play for god or perhaps it was just a notion of his own sadism that he would enjoy choking that sky with ghastly fumes.
Ansem stood nearby overwatching the world with a dull look as if he wasn't even slightly impressed. Of course, he had seen his share of worlds.
"So… where is our hacker?" Relius asked him curiously as Ansem still looked stoïcally forward, not even slightly bending his head to look at his companion.
"She's going to be a hard one to track. Criminals on this world need to remain underground lest they attract the wrong kind of crowd."
Relius gave only a slight nod. That wasn't that far removed from when the NOL still tried to act in the best of humanity.
"So we should look for a base or something?"
"No, they actually work in this very building. As normal civilized people would. Shadow activites remain unrecorded after all."
Ansem explained to him as he finally turned to look at him with a slight smirk as Relius was quick to catch up on it.
The hacker was just working here… maybe with others as well and hiding in plain sight. A terrific strategy that Hazama was just as proudly to parade with. The only thing was that the NOL was truly theirs whilst here… it was unknown how big their infiltration party was.
"So what do they do here?"
"Our favorite past time. Research on the human body."
A wicked smile began to grow on Relius face. Truly no better place they could have picked out to lay low. The only question that now remained…
"So… how do you know this hacker?" he asked Ansem as the latter now began to walk towards the door as he was about to enter into the building and seek out their target.
"I have travelled to a myriad of worlds. Some I documented, some I just kept to myself. I was seeking out the heart of this world before being attacked by a group of mercenaries I believe. I only found out later their real target were these fine people here."
He told him as he marched onwards, Relius following behind him captured by the story as he smirked slightly, seemingly enjoying it.
"In return for hurling the mercenaries back… I was allowed to know some of their secrets. Mostly where I could find them. And this was the final location send to me."
He told him before he looked up slightly to remember the name that was last given to him as a place where they had infiltrated and were working in secret.
"The Oasis University…" he told him slowly as he recalled the name of the building as he smirked slightly.
"Well, let's just hope this visit will be worthwhile."
Relius told him as he still trudged on behind him.
Strangely enough the building had been empty. Ansem had expected already to run into somewhere down the line but as it was… it was completely empty without a single soul… and that could probably mean trouble.
"It's… quiet."
He simply said as he glanced towards Relius who gave a nod to him as he glanced back over his shoulder as well. There was no noise in the hallway they were walking in… it gave an eerie feeling as if the building had been evacuated and they were the only ones inside it.
"Are you sure this is right?"
"We are about to find out."
Ansem told him shortly as he approached what seemed to be testing facilities. Pressing his hand onto one he seemed to look inside as if he was searching for someone before walking to the next room.
He walked like that for a few more rooms before finally halting at one testing room as he instead now looked at the lock.
The lock was a computer installed one with a keypad on it and a small screen on top of it… and the top of it was glowing strangely purple.
Ansem gave a slight smile. He had found what he was looking for as he pressed one finger on the keypad.
"Oi, pelo platead bastard, we're not seeing anyone right now here." a girl responded with a heavy spanish accent as Ansem gave a wry smile.
"Even not for an old friend that helped out your organization?"
"No, not even in that case."
She kept holding on as there seemed to be a slight shuffle on the background as if someone was tossed to the ground as the next moment a whole different voice came from the speaker.
"Ah, sir Ansem. I knew you would arrive sooner or later. Do come in." she told him as just as well the door opened as it revealed two ladies. One, a tall slender woman with orange/red hair and a metal plate on her face as the other was a young latino girl with black hair combed in one direction.
"Welcome sir Ansem… oh you brought a guest with you? How fascinating."
The woman told him as she smiled as Relius looked around at the equipment at first, thinking it was rather crude and old but knew better than to judge a scientific mind on that.
It was when he met the woman he was quite taken with her. She had hooked up some device that was probably hers on her back… a woman not afraid to test on herself or anyone for that matter… this was interesting.
"Ah, Ansem is more or less a acquaintance that has decided to help me and my employer out." he told her as he bowed gracefully in front of her with a slight smirk.
"My name is Relius Clover… and yours?"
"Oh pardon my manners… my name is Moira O'Deorain… do make yourself as comfortable as possible."
Izanami soon enough appeared from the dark portal she had opened as she only glanced back once to see if her new companion had been keeping up with her.
Terumi just stepped out lazily as he seemed more annoyed and upset then really wanting to have to come along with her on this mission.
"Seriously, why did I need to come along?"
"Well, I do not trust you without someone to keep watch on you. Tsubaki isn't reliable to give information and Phantom is busy to make sure your latest toy doesn't break on impact."
Izanami told him back coldly as she was rather unsure if Terumi truly wanted to remain loyal. True, he had been her greatest asset and possibly nearly alone responsible for her revival but even then, he was more akin to plot imminent betrayal.
If he was good at anything it was that.
"Fine, fine, I should probably feel honored you wanted to play babysitter on me personally instead of wanting to stay far away from me for too long."
Izanami didn't reply on that remark. If she did it was more too likely he was going to keep up his remarks as she instead walked along the city that was illuminated by a red moon.
"So… what is this world? Red moon world?"
"This is the City of the eternal night. It rarely stays day here for long times as it is sustained by people that draw their powers from the darkness."
She explained to him as she didn't even glance back once.
As with not wanting to let him on his own, she had no trust in him finding truly capable allies. After all, he had come back with a raving lunatic dog where as she had found a capable man of knowledge and power. It was for the better she instead headed the scouting mission and kept a leash on her dogs.
"So, we are here to seek more warriors for our merry band? Makes sense to me!" Terumi told her with a smirk as he put his hands behind his head.
He told her as they walked onward as it seemed like they had no true plan of action. It was impossible for them to even have a plan to begin with as they had only just arrived in this new world.
Even so it irked Izanami to just take this chaotic way of going about it. Instead she had to play it smarter and faster.
Stopping in her tracks she suddenly raised her hand and closed her hand to see if she could scan for any living being close by and see if she could make the best of it.
"Hm? Why did we stop? Do you need a bathroom break?"
"Be quiet Terumi."
She told him shortly as she tried to focus. Even though she loathed life it was easy to tell where it was… if she focussed enough on it to find it.
They didn't need to wait long however as something suddenly landed behind them.
"Hm… what is this… it… smells different."
As the two turned to where the voice came from they were astonished. A large basilisk like creature with a large white mane from its head stared right at them. It seemed to have sort of sensed them as it stared at them with its purple eyes as it cracked its long neck.
"It will do. Prey is prey…"
It said more so to itself before it screeched as its arms stretched forward intent to grab them.
Terumi grinned as he grabbed his knife and right away kicked the arm and stabbed it as it seemed to have little effect outside of the arm retracting from its target.
Izanami instead watched the arm shooting forward at her before her hand touched the dark skin of the creature. It seemed to recoil from the very touch of Death itself as the arm shot back to it.
"Unusual. You're no in-births… " it told them as it bared its fangs now seemingly as if it was an animal scared from being hunted.
"How observant! Let's give the animal a hand!" Terumi told him before he clapped his hands together before he flew forward intent at kicking it in his face.
The creature reacted quickly as its two giant arms suddenly stretched out to reveal wings and it flew up before suddenly diving right at Terumi.
Before it seemed that Izanami had to intervene on her servants behalf instead a large black sword suddenly appeared before her and hurled itself at the creature.
It jumped back, letting go of Terumi as it growled and snarled before another black blade was thrown at it as it seemed to finally get it was outnumbered and outmatched by the overwhelming power present.
Using its wings it quickly flew up as it gave another growl and snarl before it vanished into the night again.
"Ugh… I had really hoped to capture it this time. It would make such a lovely pet for me to play with!"
Turning around Izanami saw a girl, no older than thirty, dressed in a white and black dress as her long blonde hair dangled in a long tail behind her back.
"Well, guess I owe someone my life that at least wanted to help."
"You were well capable of dealing with that beast on your own."
Izanami calmly stated as Terumi had gotten up and had dusted himself off and seemed rather off though it felt more like a play than that he was being genuine once more.
"You two sure are rude to your savior."
"We required no saving."
Izanami said sharply as she regarded the woman as she walked slowly towards them as her heels clicked on the pavement.
"True, you were strong enough to handle that little beastie all by yourself. Quite impressive I admit."
She told them as she smiled genuinely as she seemed rather impressed… as if meant something in this world.
"Well, if you want an introduction, maybe you can start with your name."
Terumi told her as he grinned from ear to ear as Izanami gave a slow nod seeing that was perhaps the best way to approach this matter.
"Very well… my name is Hilda, leader of Amnesia and I was hoping to make that animal my pet… but I guess I might have to throw this dog collar away sooner than later."
She told them bluntly as they just stared at her unsure if she was trying to play them or if she had been sincerely considering in making the beast her pet.
Bored… that was what she was.
Tira sighed as she sat on the roof of one of the smaller buildings of Kagutsuchi, overlooking the city. It had been probably only a half hour perhaps that she had been set loose on the city but even so, it already felt like a day.
No one presented any sort of challenge, no one knew anything about this Ragna the Bloodedge and no one even wanted to die in a good fashion she saw fit for them.
Top that with having been watched constantly by the cloaked mystery person and there was nothing really to do. Not even getting a sort of conversation as her babysitter had the social skills of a rock. Scratch that, a rock was actually more fun probably.
As she stood up she just surveyed the crowd again. Nothing of any particular interest. Nothing that even seemed remotely evoking any means to start a bloodbath… outside the fact it would be funny perhaps.
But even then both Jolly and Gloomy agreed that the senseless slaughter down below would do nothing. It would attract not the ones that needed to be attracted.
She sat down again as she clicked her heels together and sighed, looking towards her silent companion who stood a few meters away from her as she bit on her lip.
As she looked down again though… she stopped her current train of thought.
"Hey… is that…"
She asked herself as she decided to drop down one more roof as she wanted to get a closer look.
The person she looked at was certainly no Ragna, it was certainly no killer of sorts but she recognized the smell of a vampire all too well. Vampires had been common thralls to the one known as Soul Edge, along with werewolves and other malfested beings.
This vampire was… different though. Calm, poised and seemingly completely in control she avoided the crowd skillfully and kept mostly to herself.
The only thing that seemed to accompany her was a small red bat that hung around her parasol that was shaped like a cat.
Well, it was not the target but it didn't matter all that much! It was something and that was what counted! And hey, maybe a vampire meant something here!
Walking along the rooftops she heard the girl converse with the little bat. Well, that was probably just cute, her having a little pet friend who she kept talking with…
As soon as she got near the end of the building, Tira jumped down again and vaulted right down in front of the girl who didn't even slightly blink or reacted to it.
"Hm, so it seems my deduction was correct. I did sense a strange new presence in Kagutsuchi and you girl, seem to be the source of it."
"Eh?"
Tira was rightly confused as it seemed the girl enjoyed to use big words that she was not really familiar with as she just rose an eyebrow.
"What's all that jumbling? Aren't you a little small to use such words?"
"How uncouth. I am older then you and as such you should give me the proper respect and answer my question… how did you get here?"
Tira just smirked as she thought the girl was just trying to play with her as she did seem a bit smarter… but it didn't truly matter.
"Heh, you're kinda cute you know. Those long tails and ribbons and… well, black isn't my color but it does look cute on you."
"How vulgar! How dare you talk to the princess this way?"
Did… did the parasol just talk?
"You should be more respectful! The princess is far better than-"
The little bat was still in mid sentence as it was suddenly whacked down as it slammed face first into a building.
"Enough Gii. The girl is clearly uncivilized and as such a rabid curr. But still, I wish to know where she came from… and if she doesn't wish to tell me normally, I guess brute force will suffice."
"Sheesh, you're beginning to piss me off with your words brat!"
Tira snarled back as Gloomy seemed to get more annoyed by the second by this girl as Jolly snapped back as she smiled brightly.
"Aw, but she wants to fight us! That's so cute! Oh, maybe I should let you hit me first!"
She told her as she right away regretted those words as the girl smacked her parasol in her face as it seemed a giant paw rose out from it and smacked her right in her face again as well.
"Well… now are we done playing friendly?"
Tira asked as the girl seemed to be a bit confused before she knew what was going on. A split personality. This girl was a rather interesting case… and a danger.
A person from off world wasn't something she was unfamiliar with, she herself had long ago established contacts with such people… but one here on her own world presented a danger. Especially with Izanami awakened and…
She closed her eyes as if she just realized her own foolishness… and that continued as she stepped away just in time as Tira's ringblade inched just in front of her nose as she watched in horror.
She hadn't heard the girl even come for her as she suddenly looked up, seeing the bright happy smile of the off worlder again.
"It's going to be fun to play with you! Maybe if you're nice I might even adopt you!"
"How rude to try and attack me whilst I was lost in my thoughts, I shall punish you in a proper way!"
Her parasol turned into a giant cat that suddenly lunged at Tira as it clawed and slammed it's paws at her, the girl barely managing to avoid getting clawed over her stomach as she looked up in surprise.
"The hell… what the fuck are you kid?"
"I'm not a kid… I am Rachel Alucard. Remember my name as I will banish you from this world."
