Chapter 7: Putting the 'Fuck' in 'What the Fuck?'

The main headquarters of the Khaos Brigatde was in ruins.

Hidden deep within the outer territories of the Underworld, the large makeshift camp which had been the main focal point of the terrorist cell's operations was now reduced to nothing but burning cinders. The corpses of creatures and Sacred Gear wielders from every corner of the supernatural world that made up a majority of the camp's population were strewn all over the place. Blood drenched the ground in large puddles and severed body parts were littered around the area, giving the camp the appearance of some kind of hellish waste dump. The few bodies that were fortunate enough to keep all of their parts were either burnt to smoky crisps or impaled on the wooden stakes that made up the surrounding wall of the camp. Human or nonhuman, young or old, not a single soul had managed to escape the carnage. The scent of bloody iron and burnt flesh filled the air while the only source of noise for miles around was the crackling of the many fires that continued to consume the camp in their raging blaze.

A little ways away, a pair of silvery-black eyes surveyed the horrid scene with thinly veiled annoyance.

To say that Ophis was irked was putting it lightly. Though she only conveyed it with a slight narrow of her eyes, deep inside she was highly irritated. It had taken her quite a while to collect this many soldiers for her quest in defeating the Great Red and now she had lost them all in the mere blink of an eye. By no means was she upset in the slightest about their deaths. No matter how powerful or how much potential they had, they were all just pawns to her in the end. They would outlive their usefulness once she had finally succeeded in killing that accursed dragon that had stolen her home away from her. However just because they were pawns didn't mean that she wanted them dead. At least not yet.

No, her annoyance stemmed from the fact that her plans were now set back indefinitely until she somehow managed to gather more warriors for her cause. There was no way she would be able to kill that damned dragon now that her subordinates were reduced to bloody and burnt pieces.

Speaking of dragons…

Ophis set her annoyed gaze on the other figure floating no more than ten feet away from her. Clad in shining white draconian armor along with a pair of large blue wings protruding from his back, the figure removed his helmet, reveling the smirking face of a young man with hair as white as his armor.

"Vali." Ophis said in an emotionless tone. Her black eyes narrowed further as she closed the distance between them. "Explain yourself. Why did you kill them?"

"Oh, no reason in particular." The half devil shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I simply wished to see if any of these worthless pissants could offer me a challenge. Cleary I was wrong. I must say I'm disappointed Ophis. I thought you only chose the best of the best. Obviously your so-called 'best' weren't ever good enough in the first place."

If Ophis was angered at all by Vali's mocking comment she didn't show it. Instead she was staring intently into his eyes which were dark purple in color. "Your power…" she said slowly, almost hesitantly. "It has increased exponentially yet for some reason I cannot sense it. What has happened to you?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Ouroboros." Vali waved his hand dismissively. "Let's just say that I've received a major upgrade that has allowed me to reach new heights. Heights that I fully intend to climb further if I ever hope to become the strongest being in the universe."

The blatant declaration almost made Ophis shake her head in exasperation. If there was one thing she absolutely despised about Vali Lucifer, it was his constant boasts about becoming stronger than anyone else. At first it was simply a minor annoyance but now he was starting to sound like a broken record.

"So I assume you still plan on helping me slay the Idiot Red?" While his sudden increase in power was still an enigma, Ophis found that she couldn't really care less where or how he got. So long as he used that power to help her kill Great Red then nothing else mattered.

Vali scoffed as if he were offended by her question. "Obviously. It was be a tremendous waste to not use this power to slay the Dragon of Dragons itself. Though before I do there are others I plan of killing as well."

Ophis frowned, not at all pleased with his answer. "Who could be more important than Baka Red?" she asked.

"I wouldn't go far as to say they're more important. Merely warmups for me to hone my abilities. I already slaughtered the entire Greek Pantheon. Who's to say that I shouldn't try going for the Hindu or Egyptian Pantheons next? Or maybe all of the Three Factions?"

"I fail to see why it is necessary for you to 'warm up' if you were able to wipe out the Olympians. They were one of – if not – the strongest pantheon in the entire supernatural world. Furthermore, I fail to see why any of the other pantheons or the factions take priority over killing Retard Red."

"Patience, Ophis." Vali let out an amused chuckle. "What fun is there in going straight for the main boss when there are so many sub-bosses for me to kill along the way?"

"I have spent plenty of time waiting, Vali." Ophis' childlike voice became deeper as her already black eyes somehow managed to darken further. The atmosphere around them became heavy as a black aura surrounded the Ouroboros Dragon's small body. "I have waited countless millennia trying to get that insufferable Red out of the Dimensional Gap and refuse to waste another second just so you can go screw around with this newfound power of yours. If you will not do as I ask then I shall dispose of you myself and find someone who will."

Despite the overwhelming pressure that surrounded the two, Vali didn't appear to be the least bit phased. Instead, the smirk on his face was replaced with a full blown grin. "I welcome to see you try, Ouroboros. Don't forget that without my help your chances of defeating Great Red are practically zero. Especially with you being as weak as you are now. Make no mistake, I fully intend on killing Great Red once I've done away with all of the other stronger beings that plague the earth. Once they're gone I'll gladly run my fist through that dragon's beating heart. This I swear as the White Dragon Emperor."

Before Ophis could say anything more, a bright white glow enveloped Vali before he shot off into the sky like a fired bullet. A second later his entire form disappeared in the horizon in a soft blink of light.

Ophis' small lips slightly twitched. If one were to look hard enough they could see the faintest trace of a scowl developing on her near emotionless face. Her annoyance from before doubled in its intensity.

She honestly didn't know why she even bothered keeping the troublesome half devil around. The boy clearly showed no concern for anything except for the constant need to prove he was the strongest. While not nearly as overbearing in arrogance like those of the Old Satan Faction, his overconfidence was still suffocating to listen to. And that boy had the gall to make her wait even longer just so he could go gallivanting off into the sunset with that power of his.

If the Khaos Brigade's camp hadn't already been destroyed, Ophis was sure she would've vaporized it for the sole purpose of venting her growing annoyance.

With nothing else for her here, Ophis opened a rift in space before disappearing through it. She may not have complete control over Vali but luckily for her she had been able to find two new individuals who may just be able to help her achieve her ultimate goal as well as deal with Vali if he proved to be a threat in the future.

These two individuals also just so happened to be the wielders of the Red Dragon Emperor and a Dragon King.


Issei's Album of Badassery

Now Playing "Wow" by Post Malone


"Said she's tired of lil' money, need a big boy

Pull up twenty inch blades like I'm Lil' Troy

Now it's everybody flockin', need a decoy

Shawty mixing up the vodka with the liquor, yeah."

Saji grimaced as he listened to the music emanating from Issei's phone. "Why the hell are we listening to this American crap?

"Because unlike the musicians here, theirs don't consist of nothing but prepubescent boy bonds or female singers that sound like deflating chew toys." Issei replied simply and he and Saji walked down the sidewalk with their schoolbags in hand. "And don't even get me started on their porn. One can only listen to the helium-induced orgasms that most Japanese women seem to make so many times without going crazy. I mean have you ever listened to a Japanese woman cum? It gets so high that it's physically impossible to jerk off to without it becoming a massive cringe fest."

"TMI, Hyoudou. TMI."

"Hey, you asked. Not my fault most of the women here can't moan for shit."

"G-Wagon, G-Wagon, G-Wagon, G-Wagon

All the housewives pullin' up

I got a lot of toys, 720-S bumpin' Fall Out Boy

Saji shook his head at his friend's bizarre attitude, though deep down he reluctantly agreed that the one song was already better than most of the so-called "music" that was made in their country. Seriously though, why was it that most Japanese music consisted of nothing but gaudy preteens trying to get their quick fifteen minutes of fame?

He was interrupted from his thoughts when a police car came speeding down the road with its lights and siren blaring. The two high schoolers stopped in their tracks and stared as the cruiser quickly rounded the nearby corner and disappeared behind the house at the end of the street; its sirens echoing in the distance as it got further and further away. The two boys didn't have time to comprehend what was happening before another police cruiser sped past them and disappeared down the same road.

Both Saji and Issei remained still before the brown haired boy turned towards his companion.

"Someone get shot or something?"


It turns out that someone had indeed been shot. At Kuoh Academy of all places.

Issei and Saji stood in the very back of the continuously growing mass of students as they all piled in front of the Academy's main gate, which was currently closed and blocked off by over a dozen police officers. Yellow tape extended across the gate along with orange traffic cones. Dozens of police cars surrounded the entire Academy, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The intense chattering from the overwhelming crowd as well as the piercing howls of the police sirens effectively drowned out all other sources of noise around the two boys, though Issei could faintly hear the distant whirling of helicopter rotors. No doubt a news helicopter.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. I heard someone was shot last night."

"No Way! Did they say who it was?"

"I heard a rumor that it was-"

"GREMORY-SEMPAI!"

The sudden shrill screaming was enough to make Issei and Saji jump as they both looked over and saw a small group of girls trying and failing to push their way through the huge crowd. Though they were a good distance away they could clearly see their tear-stained cheeks and puffy red eyes as they desperately pushed and shoved their way past the other students to the very front of the crowd. However the girls were soon intercepted and apprehended by other police officers before they could reach the gate.

"IT CAN'T BE TRUE!" One of the girls cried out as she tried to claw her way out of the officer's tight grip. "IT CAN'T BE! GREMORY-SEMPAI CAN'T BE DEAD! SHE JUST CAN'T BE!"

"LET US GO!" Another one of the girls screeched as she delivered a hard punch to another officer's face before being roughly tackled by two more. "ARGH! STOP! GREMORY-SEMPAI NEEDS US! SHE NEEDS US!"

None of the other students lifted a finger to help the distraught girls as they were dragged away kicking and screaming off the premises. However it was a few seconds later when what the girls said finally clicked in the minds of all those present before the entire crowd exploded.

"GREMORY-SEMPAI WAS KILLED?!"

"WHAT?! HOW?!"

"WHO THE HELL DID IT?! GIVE US A NAME!"

GREMORY-SEMPAI! NOOOO!"

Pandemonium erupted in front of the school, causing more policemen to arrive on the scene in order to try to contain the enraged students. The only ones who were not joined in the rioting were Issei and Saji who stood frozen in the middle of the ensuing chaos. The declaration that Rias Gremory, one of the most popular girls in all of Kuoh Academy had been killed seemed to have been enough to shock both boys to the core. While neither of them had been particularly close to one of the Great Ladies of Kuoh, she had been well known around the school as one of the kindest and most caring individuals who acted like an older sister to the entire student body. The fact that such a person had been murdered out of the blue without any warning whatsoever was definitely more frightening than either of them could imagine. What kind of sick person would do such a thing?

"Hyoudou-kun! Genshirou-kun!"

The sound of their names being called snapped the teens out of their daze as they both looked over and saw a girl with long, curly blonde hair dressed in the female equivalent of the Academy's uniform quickly making her way over towards them while also taking great care to maneuver her way through the growing mass of bodies. Though the situation they were in was serious, both boys couldn't help but admire the way the girl's well developed chest bounced with every step she took. It didn't help that her uniform was tighter in that particular area.

"Abe-Sempai?" They questioned at the same time as the girl came closer.

Kiyome Abe, who was the Captain of the Girl's Tennis team and in the same grade level as Rias Gremory, pushed past the last of the students blocking her path before hastily grabbing both Issei and Saji's hands into her own. "Come on! Let's get out of here!" Not waiting for a response, Kiyome proceeded to drag the two males with her out of the horde of angry students. Not once did she notice the growing blushes on either of the boys' face as one of the hottest girls in the entire school willingly touched their hands.


"So it was Gremory-Sempai who was killed?"

"Yes." Kiyome answered with a shaking breath. She crossed one leg over the other and gripped the drink in her hands a tad tighter. After quickly escaping from the school, the three had decided to convene at the town's shopping center. Currently they were sitting at a table outside a nearby convenience store. "They say that it happened last night in the old school building where the Occult Research Club was held. Rias-chan was the only fatality since there were no other bodies found."

"Did they manage to catch the killer?" Saji asked as he nervously took a bite of his candy bar. "Or at least get a description of him?"

The Tennis Captain shook her head as her lips began to quiver. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat before answering. "No. The police weren't able to find a single eyewitness who was there at the time of the murder. They only found Rias-chan's body with a single bullet wound in her head."

Tears formed in Kiyome's eyes while her body began to shake. Issei, who was sitting closest to her, placed a gentle hand on top of hers and rubbed his thumb along the surface of her skin. The gesture seemed to calm Kiyome down a bit as she took Issei's hand into hers and gave it a grateful squeeze. Meanwhile Saji sat back and remained quiet, knowing better than to interrupt the private moment between the two.

Seeing the girl in such a distraught state caused anger to boil within Issei's core. Kiyome Abe had been one of the very few girls who was genuinely nice to him despite his perverse nature. Though the two rarely saw each other due to their conflicting schedules, Kiyome had always made it a habit greet him and ask about his day whenever she got the chance. Though they were mere small acts of kindness, it meant the world to Issei knowing there was a girl who was willing to tolerate his habits and still treat him like an actual human being rather than just a piece of garbage on the side of the street. He was so thankful that he made it a point to refrain from ogling or doing anything perverse around her. Though that didn't stop him admiring her curvy figure every now and then.

"Don't worry, Abe-Sempai." Issei said comfortingly as he continued to rub circles into her skin. "I'm sure they'll catch the son of a bitch who did this. And hopefully give them the same treatment they gave Gremory-Sempai." He mumbled the last part to himself though both of the others were able to hear him clearly.

The upperclassman sniffed and wiped away her tears before giving Issei's hand a grateful squeeze. "Thank you, Issei-kun." She then turned her attention towards Saji. "I'm sorry if I brought the mood down, Genshirou-kun. How have you been?"

"Erm…I've been doing fine, Abe-Sempai." 'Dammit, Hyoudou! Why do you get to hold such a hot girl's hand?!' "And please don't apologize for anything. It's quite alright for you to be sad given the current circumstances."

His fellow blonde gave him a grateful smile before reaching over the table and giving his hand a warm pat. "Thank you, Genshirou-kun. I'm so glad that I have-"

Her words immediately died in her mouth when her eyes suddenly rolled up and closed. Both boys jumped up in shock when she suddenly fell onto the table unconscious.

"A-Abe-Sempai! Are you okay?!" He tried to shake her awake but the blonde girl didn't budge. "H-Hey! Wake up, Abe-Sempai! Abe-Sempai!"

"Issei!"

Startled at his friend's yell, Issei looked up towards Saji who was now standing up and frantically looking at their surroundings. Confused, Issei looked around him and saw that every single person in their general vicinity had also fallen onto the ground unconscious. Letting go of Kiyome, Issei slowly stood up and walked over to where Saji was.

"What the hell is going on?!" Saji yelled as he surveyed all of the unconscious people.

Issei didn't get the chance to answer as a sudden chill crept up his spine, halting him in his tracks. Saji must have felt it as well because he too halted in his movements. None of them could quite place it but it felt as if the weather had suddenly gotten a dozen or so degrees colder. The pair could even see the fog coming out of their mouths as they exhaled.

[This power…it can't be!]

"Huh?! Can't be what, Ddraig?!" Issei asked in a panic as he looked down at his arm.

[Partner! Genshirou! You both need to get out of here as soon as-!]

"It's been awhile, Ddraig. Vritra."

The voice of a young girl reached both the Dragon weilders' ears. However it was the tone that made the shiver in their backs double in intensity. The voice sounded dead. Almost as if it were being spoken by a corpse.

Very slowly, the teens turned around and were met with the sight of a young girl who looked to be around the age of ten, maybe even younger. She had long black hair that reached down to her knees and pale skin. Her attire consisted of some kind of gothic lolita outfit that left her chest area exposed, leaving only two patches of what looked like black tape covering her nipples in the shape of X's. Her black eyes were devoid of any kind of emotion, though if one were to look very closely they would see the faintest hints of amusement as she stared at the two shocked teens.

Neither of the three said anything as they faced each other in a standoff. It was as if Saji once again brought time to a standstill as the only sounds emanating from their area were the frantic breathes from the two boys. It felt like time had remained frozen forever until said boy finally gathered up the courage to speak. "W-Who are you?"

"I am Ophis." The little girl replied before a foreboding smile crept up on her small lips. "And I have come for you two."


She was gone.

That was the single remaining thought that plagued her mind like a parasite. She was gone. She was gone and she was never coming back.

She was gone.

It revolved around in her head like a broken record that couldn't be silenced no matter how many times she smashed it to pieces. No matter what she did to silence it, the words kept repeating again and again as if they were purposely torturing her.

It was ironic, really. She was known as both a sadist and a masochist yet the words didn't bring her a single tickle of pleasure. More like it felt as if they were razor sharp blades dipped in a vat of acid and were repeatedly stabbing into her until she was nothing but a sizzling puddle of seared flesh and blood. She was supposed to take pain. The pain was supposed to make her stronger. It always had. Yet this pain was simply too much to bear.

Rias had been her whole world. She had loved her more than anything else in this accursed world. Even more than her own life. Now she was gone. Just like her mother.

It some sick, twisted way she supposes she shouldn't be surprised. The last person she had loved with every fiber of her being had already been taken from her. Why should she expect anything different from the girl who gave her a second chance at life?

Maybe she was never destined to have a good life in the first place. Her life had pretty much been nothing but a complete train wreck from the very moment she was born. Sure there were some good moments every now and then but those only served to delay the inevitable. Her mother had been killed, her supposed "family" had all but cast her out and she completely alienated the only parent she had left. Now the last tiny bit of hope she thought she could hold onto had fallen through her fingers and turned to dust. Again, she supposes she shouldn't be surprised. Why should she expect Paradise when she carried the blood of those who were cast away from it?

She would cry though. Despite the unending Hell that was her life, she wouldn't give this cold, cruel world the satisfaction of seeing her tears or hearing her anguished screams. Her eyes remained perfectly blank and not a single sound made its way past her lips. She remained perfectly silent.

She remained silent as she grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it into her room before closing the door behind her.

She remained silent as she stood on the chair and tied a piece of rope onto one of the wooden support beams.

She remained silent as she fastened the other end of the rope around her neck.

She remained silent as she kicked the chair over and let her herself dangle from the ceiling.

She remained silent as her eyes closed for the last time.

Her body wouldn't be discovered for two more hours until her bedroom door was opened by a certain white cat. The sound of shattering glass as a hot tea kettle impacted the floor and spilt its contents echoed throughout the empty house.


"100 bands in my pocket, it's on me

100 deep when I roll like the army

Get more bottles, these bottles are lonely

It's a moment when I show up, got 'em sayin', "Wow."