Upon entering the abandoned cathedral near the outskirts of the town, Asia couldn't help but notice that the religious symbols, such as crosses, had been crushed down to pieces. She kept her head low as she followed after the white-haired young man clad in black, clerical clothing, Freed Sellzen, and the female Fallen Angel, Raynare, whose body was wrapped entirely in an all-encompassing cloak, yet form-fitting enough to highlight her womanly figure.

"So~" Freed spoke, grinning as he looked at the blond nun. "Where have ya been?" The excommunicated exorcist asked.

"I-I…" Asia averted her gaze. She had been taking shelter in various places these last few days, such as the manga café, small chapels, and a few places that deemed to be safe for someone young and defenseless as her. "I was lost, F-Father," she said. She didn't tell him a lie, as she was a foreigner who was unfamiliar with this country. "P-please, forgive me, Father Sellzen." She lowered her head, trembling slightly.

"Aww, shucks, ain't you just adorable~?" Freed cooed, walking over, getting closer to the nun, his hands in his pockets. His tone might have been soothing if not due to the fact that a deranged grin could be seen on his face. "Yup, adorable alright. Like a kitty."

Suddenly, Freed brought his hand up, grabbing Asia's hair. The nun let out a pained cry as the excommunicated exorcist pulled her hair, drawing her head closer to his. She could feel his breathing as he did so. She wanted to scream for help, but her voice struck silence in her throat. Those intense red eyes of his were looking straight into hers. It felt like staring into hellfire itself.

"And ya know what I usually do to a kitty? I stomp it under my foot!" Freed said, licking his lips, his eyes were still looking straight into Asia's. "Spill its blood on the floor and kick it! But since you ain't no kitty, I guess I'm gonna do something else…"

The debauched look sent chills down her spine as Freed's other hand went to grab her hand before he pushed her towards a wall. With her back touching the cold wall, the cornered nun was unable to do anything as she was put completely under the depraved exorcist's mercy, and Freed was not known for his mercy. The dangerous glint in his red eyes was a thing of nightmare for the terrified nun. Being pressed against the wall, Asia was helpless and unable to do anything as Freed moved to touch her.

"Freed…" A voice spoke, stopping Freed from going any further. "Didn't I tell you to not touch her?" Raynare said, glaring at Freed with her violet eyes. "We still need her intact for the ceremony…"

Freed pouted when he let Asia go. "Aww, you're not fun at all, Raynare~" he complained. "Oh welp, I guess gettin' myself to fuck the shit outta you ain't that bad," the stray exorcist shrugged. "Meh, I guess I'm gonna go outside, then. I'm gonna try to find myself somethin' to kill or shit like that." Then he laughed. "Or maybe rape the shit outta a bitch too along the way! And cut her down and rape her corpse! Man, that sounds like an awesome idea~ Too-da-loo!" And so, the demented excuse of a human being called Freed Sellzen skipped out of the church, singing happily about things like rape or murder as he did so.

Raynare scowled. "That asshole…" she growled. "I swear, one day I'm going to rip his dick and shove it down his throat…" she grumbled before she glanced at Asia, who was on the floor, shivering. Her tears flowed unbidden on her cheeks. It was clear that she was deeply traumatized by what Freed was trying to do to her.

The Fallen Angel gritted her teeth. Her bandaged arm twitched slightly, and she scowled. She barely stopped herself to bring the hand up to reach the girl. She shook her head before she turned back.

"Go to your room," Raynare spoke to Asia. "Prepare yourself. And don't get any funny ideas in your head. Like it or not, your Sacred Gear will be extracted. That's your only role here." If Asia wasn't in a catatonic state, she might be able to detect a faint strain in Raynare's tone. "You have no other role besides that. Your God abandoned you, your people abandoned you, and no one loves you or cares for you. You're nothing. A pathetic, unneeded child. And you only belong to us, and you will make sure to remember that."

Glancing behind to see the nun, Raynare clicked her tongue before she walked away, leaving Asia alone in the middle of the abandoned cathedral.

Slumped on the floor, Asia remained there. The green penguin-shaped keychain that she clutched in her hands slipped away from her hold, falling onto the floor.

The moments that she had experienced together with Ai and Issei before felt like dreams. Sweet, beautiful dreams.

And now, all she had to do was to wake up and open her eyes to face the cold, cruel reality.

She had stopped praying to ask for His help. No matter how hard she prayed, no matter how earnest she begged to her God, all her prayers were left unheeded. Probably Raynare was right all along. Her God had abandoned her. She was unneeded. Wasn't that the reason why the Church and Vatican excommunicated her in the first place? She had committed a sin. She was unaware of it, but it was still a sin.

In helping a Devil, she had committed the sin of helping the enemy of God. She didn't know the one she was helping at that time was a Devil, but still, it didn't change the fact that she had damned herself.

Asia looked up, her face still stained by her fresh tears. Even after being abandoned, she couldn't bring herself to hate Him. For all she knew, He was just doing His duty as the All-Watching God, and He had to be fair, and there would be no exception to those who had broken His rules.

Slowly, she raised both her hands as she gazed up to the ceiling of the cathedral, holding them together. She opened her mouth and with a strained voice, spoke, "My God… my God," she prayed. "Why have you forsaken me? Why have you abandoned me? Please tell me, why have you forsaken me?" She closed her eyes. She did no longer ask to be saved, as there was no salvation to the damned. She just wanted an answer. She wanted her question to be heard, and to be answered, so that even she was no longer under His grace, she would still be able to find comfort in it.

Raynare, who was leaning against the wall behind the closed door, heard Asia's solemn prayers. All she wanted was a message from above to explain everything to her, so that even under damnation, she would still be able to see a silver lining in it.

"Tch!" Clicking her tongue in annoyance, the Fallen Angel walked away, going to her room. She needed to make sure that her new, fake arm was properly functioning. She didn't want any sort of stupid feelings to get in her way. No, never.

As Asia continued her solemn prayers, the penguin-shaped that she dropped onto the floor had mysteriously disappeared. No one seemed to notice the shadow-like thing that snatched it away.


Heart of a Butterfly

Persona 3 and High School DxD Crossover

Chapter 09: Doll's Resolve

"I'm sorry for asking you to help me carry these bags, Aigis," Fuuka said, walking alongside the suit-clad blond android while carrying two plastic bags with both hands. Aigis seemed to be carrying four. Both of them were on their way back from their grocery shopping. It had been one day since Aigis returned from her trip around town together with Issei and Asia. "Especially since you can't really eat," she said apologetically to the mechanical maiden.

Aigis smiled at the thoughtful young woman beside her. Even after all these years, her caring, nurturing personality hadn't changed even in the slightest. She was still the same sweet, gentle Fuuka Yamagishi, and it could be said that her calming presence was partly the reason why SEES was able to work together even under pressure, besides the presence of one particular blue-haired boy, of course. And thanks to her ever watchful eyes and her ability as a scanner-type Persona-user, they were able to make it to the top of the twisted tower of Tartarus.

"I do not mind, Fuuka-san," Aigis said, looking at the young woman beside her who was attired in a simple sundress. Despite the simplicity in her appearance, one could say that Fuuka Yamagishi was quite beautiful. She wouldn't compare herself to other females such as Yukari or Mitsuru, but there was a reason why she somehow gained a fan club upon entering the college department of Kuoh Academy a few days ago. When she was asked regarding this matter, she just blushed and said that while she was happy with all the attentions, she would like to focus on her study. "I have some free time, so there is no reason for me to turn down your request."

"Ah, I'm glad." Fuuka smiled. "It's a shame, though, that you can't eat food. If only I can have someone try to sample my cooking." She sighed.

"Well, Mitsuru-san had told us that they had been developing a function for Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons like me to be able to consume foods," Aigis informed. "Once they are done with it, I cannot wait to have a taste of your food, Fuuka-san," she said, smiling.

"Thanks, Aigis," Fuuka said. "You really are nice, aren't you?"

Without both of them noticing it, they were observed by a pair of red eyes, which belonged to a young man with glaringly white hair, who was sitting on top of a lamppost while having a wide grin etched on his face.

He looked at the shorter one, the one with teal-blue hair, noticing that she was the easier target than the blond one who was taller than her. There were no other people around, so he could just jump in and catch them off guard.

If he was lucky, he could even score with both of them. After all, it's been a while since the last time he did that with two women at the same time. It would be, as he would aptly put it, fucking awesome.

"Ah." Fuuka stopped walking, blinking a few times.

Aigis took a few steps forward, making a gap between both of them when Fuuka stopped before she stopped as well. "What's wrong, Fuuka-san?"

"Umm, I don't know how to explain this…" Fuuka said, shaking her head. "It's just that… I feel something all of a sudden." She brushed her hair to the back of her ear as she said that. "It feels like... something is watching us from somewhere." She closed her eyes, trying to focus her concentration on discerning this something that she had picked up. "I... I'm not sure. Maybe we should just go home immedia-"

Before the young woman could finish, a figure jumped down from somewhere above, landing right between both of them. It was a young man, clad in black, priestly clothing, holding something which looked like a glowing sword. Fuuka froze as she was totally caught off guard by the appearance of this young man.

"Eh?" That was the only thing the young woman could say as she saw the young man's red eyes.

"I'm gonna cut your legs first~" The young man said excitedly as he swung his glowing sword at Fuuka, aiming to cut her legs. The sound of the glowing sword cutting through something filled the silence in the air. "Hmm?"

The young man frowned. Instead of cutting Fuuka's legs, he seemed to be cutting the plastic bags that she was holding. Then, he heard a hissing noise, which came from behind him. He looked behind and saw the blond female who was with her, cradling Fuuka with both arms. Apparently, she managed to seize her away before the glowing sword could even cut through her.

"Oho~?" Grinning, the young man turned around. "Now that was interesting…" he said.

"W-wha…?" Fuuka seemed confused by this turn of event as Aigis held her with both arms. "A-Aigis, what happened?" She asked before she saw a small rip on the sleeve of Aigis' suit. "Y-your arm!"

Noticing Fuuka's worry, the mechanical maiden just shook her head. "It's just my suit. I'm not hurt, Fuuka-san." Then, she looked at the young man who was armed with the glowing sword before them. Somehow, he attacked them all of a sudden, without even giving them any warning. "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" She asked as she looked at the young man, observing him carefully.

As for the young man, he pouted. "Dang, I done goofed!" His voice was high-pitched and a little grating. "Still, I didn't expect ya to avoid that, y'know? Oh well." He shrugged before he focused his eyes on Aigis. "Ah, you're the one Raynare spoke of, ain'tcha? A robot girl or something…"

Aigis' body stiffened. "You know Raynare?"

"Welp, let's just say we're accomplices or stuff like that." The young man shrugged. "So, you're the one who got Raynare's arm cut?" He asked, seemingly curious.

Aigis didn't answer his question.

"Aww… don't be like that, ya robot girl!" The young man complained. "Welp, I guess I really can't help it, then. I thought about finding some bitches to rape and kill, but then I found you instead."

Fuuka couldn't help but feel repulsed by hearing the words of what the young man was saying.

"So, yeah… weird shit happened, but I guess that's how it is…" the young man said. "Name's Freed Sellzen, by the way." He slashed his glowing sword randomly into the air. A buzzing sound could be heard as the blade of light cut through the air, leaving trails of light behind. "I was so bored outta my mind, so I thought, 'Hey, why don't I go out and find some bitches to rape?' So, I found you two. Thought it's gonna be easy, but then it turned out I got to meet ya instead, robot girl."

Aigis put Fuuka down, and the young woman immediately hid herself behind the mechanical maiden.

The young man, Freed, seemed to be pondering over something as he stroked his imaginary beard before he snapped his fingers. "Hah! I've got a brilliant idea!" He said cheerfully before he looked at both Aigis and Fuuka, licking his lips lecherously. Fuuka shuddered upon seeing such a debauched look from the young man. "How about I cut ya down and rape both of ya?! Hey, that sounds pretty awesome! Prodigious! What a prodigious idea!"

Aigis could feel her rage starting to build up within her. "How repulsive…" she muttered before she dug into her jacket, taking out a specialized combat knife before taking a fighting stance. "Fuuka-san, run. Go straight home and lock the door. I shall deal with him."

"B-but-"

"Please," Aigis continued, not even allowing Fuuka to voice out her protest. "Just go. I won't let him lay his hand on you. Just run."

Fuuka seemed to have a troubled expression on her face before she reluctantly nodded. "P-please be safe, Aigis."

"Understood," Aigis responded. Fuuka spun on her heel and started running away.

But it didn't look like Freed was going to let her go anytime soon. "Aww, goin' away already?! Man, the party's just gettin' started!"

Much to Aigis' surprise, Freed dashed towards the fleeing Fuuka with such speed that could be considered inhuman. In less than three seconds, he managed to get close to Fuuka as he raised his sword of light over his head, intending to strike her down on her back.

"You ain't goin' anywhere, ya little kitty!" Freed shouted before he brought down his sword. The blade would slice through Fuuka's small back, and blood would be splattered onto the ground. The small frame of the young woman would hit the ground, eyes widened in shock, not unable to comprehend what was going on.

However, before the blade could even touch her, it was stopped by something, some kind of metal. Fuuka managed to get away from Freed. Frowning, Freed saw a figure starting to manifest itself right in front of him. It was a handsome man, clad in knightly armor, with a crimson cape covering the entirety of his back. He used a majestic-looking sword to block Freed's light blade.

"Wha…?" Blinking in incomprehension, Freed took a good look at the sandy-haired man before him. "Who the fuck are you?"

Before his question could be answered, his battle instincts screamed inside him, and he immediately twisted his body to see the mechanical maiden attacking him with her knife. He kicked the ground, jumping away from both the man and the battle maiden.

"I will not let you hurt Fuuka-san. I will not allow you to touch her or even a hair on her," Aigis said in a dangerously low tone, holding her knife in a reverse-grip position. It appeared that she had summoned the knightly man, her Persona to protect Fuuka in the nick of time.

"Who the fuck are you two?!" Freed repeated his question, this time the question included the mechanical maiden.

The knightly man smiled benevolently as he made a warrior salute with his sword. "Since you have enlightened us with your name, I suppose I shall do the same as well. I am Galahad, the God's Knight on Earth." He continued smiling as he assumed a fighting stance. The sword that he wielded glowed slightly. "And you, son, are going down."

As for Aigis, she looked at Freed with a pair of glowing blue eyes before she spoke, "You tried to hurt my friend, Freed-san. I will not let you walk away unscathed." Using her teeth, she removed the glove of her free hand, revealing her finger guns. "Shall we get started, then?"

Grinning, Freed responded, "Oho~! Is that a challenge?! Bring it on, robot girl!"


Issei Hyoudou was happy. After a few unlucky occasions such as being killed by his girlfriend and being attacked by Fallen Angels due to the Sacred Gear in his possession, he finally got himself a well-deserved break. The members of the Occult Research Club had been treating him well, and all the clients he had been making contracts with had brought him new experiences (even though they were complete and utter weirdos). And there was also the time he spent together with Asia and Aigis the other day.

In a way, he really adored Asia, and he wished for nothing but her happiness. He thought about introducing her to his friends next. He thought that Matsuda and Motohama would be thrilled to see such a bishoujo like Asia.

Due to some reasons, Issei was unable to teleport while contracting with his clients, so he opted to use a bicycle instead. It was kind of lame, as Koneko once pointed out, but he had to make use of it for the time being. The path of becoming a High-Class Devil and a Harem King sure was filled with thorny obstacles, and he had no choice but to brave through them. Once he managed to get himself a harem filled with big-breasted girls clad in revealing outfits (bunny suits, belly dancing dresses, swimsuits, bikinis, you name it), he would be able to reflect on his time when he had to struggle to achieve his dream.

Just thinking about scantily clad, big-breasted girls smothering him with their Oppai almost caused him to have another case of a bleeding nose, and there was a huge, perverted grin on that mug of his.

"Even so… things are getting a little better these days," Issei muttered to himself as he continued pushing his bicycle. It was almost evening, and his contracting job would begin at night. "Well, I won't say getting killed by my girlfriend is the best thing that ever happened to me in my life, but I guess things are improving bit by bit." He then sighed. While he had taken the fact that he was no longer a human being quite well, it was still an irreversible change. He knew that his life would never be the same again.

He shook his head. There was nothing he could do about it other than making the best out of it. For now, all he needed to do was to focus on achieving his goal on becoming the great Harem King.

As Issei continued pushing his bicycle down the street, there was a man, a rather tall one, walking opposite in his direction. He noticed that there was something strange about this man. While he had already seen many people with unusual hair colors, it was his first time seeing someone with multicolored hair. His hair was mostly dark brown, but his bangs were golden in color. He didn't see the man's face as he just walked past him, but he saw a goatee on the man's chin.

The man's clothing was almost as peculiar as the colors of his hair. Attired in a dark-colored loose yukata, the sounds he made as he walked seemed like he was wearing a pair of straw sandals. He seemed to be carrying a fishing rod over his shoulder.

'Maybe just one random guy who enjoys fishing while watching the sunset, I guess,' Issei thought to himself.

And then, the man stopped. He wasn't too far from Issei when he did so.

"Hey, kid…"

The man spoke, his voice sounded slightly raspy. Issei stopped pushing his bicycle as he glanced behind.

"Hmm?" Issei blinked. Somehow, this one random guy who seemed to enjoy fishing while watching the sunset spoke to him. "What is it?"

Due to some reasons, Issei could feel that the man was smiling as he spoke, "Do you think it's the right time to do nothing?"

"Excuse me?" Issei frowned.

The man turned around, and Issei was able to see the man's face. The violet eyes of his reminded him of one particular girl who killed him during their first date, and Issei felt a little uneasy. The slight dimples on the corners of his mouth seemed to indicate that he smiled quite a lot.

"Things are getting a little chaotic over there, and if you don't act fast, she will probably be in great danger," the man spoke mysteriously.

Issei blinked confusedly. "Umm… I don't get what you're saying, and I should get going now. Someone needs me and-" He stopped when he saw an item in the man's hand.

"You recognize this, don't you?" The man asked.

"T-that's…" Issei could barely contain his surprise upon seeing the item, which was a penguin-shaped keychain that was green in color. It was a memento that Asia bought for herself to become a reminder of all the memories they made when they had fun together. "T-that's Asia-chan's keychain!" He said disbelievingly before he looked at the man with widened eyes. "H-how did you get it?"

"Well, I picked it up." The man shrugged before he tossed the keychain towards Issei, and the boy caught it with both hands. "Somehow, something within her possession is going to be taken away, and she will be in grave danger."

"T-this…" Issei held the keychain in his hands before he looked at the yukata-clad man again. "Her possession? D-do you mean… her Sacred Gear?"

The man just shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Asia-chan's in danger?" Issei looked at the keychain in his hands. Then, he recalled the time when he was targeted by the Fallen Angels. "W-wait, do you mean the Fallen Angels are going after her too?! Are they going to kill her because of her Sacred Gear?"

"Hmm… well, I've told you enough, kid," the man said before he turned around and started walking away. "The rest is up to you to decide." He turned to the corner, disappearing from Issei's view.

"H-hey, wait a minute!" Issei shouted, running after the man. When he arrived at the corner, the man had mysteriously vanished. "Huh?!" Blinking his eyes in confusion, he stared at the empty street for a few seconds before he felt the serrated surface of the keychain in his hand that was clenched into a fist.

He told him that Asia was in danger. If that was the case, then they might do something that they had done to him before. The boy gritted his teeth, feeling a sensation that started building up within him.

"There's no way…" Issei spoke in low, throaty voice. "There's no way I'm going to let Asia-chan die!" He immediately spun on his heel, thinking about going to inform Buchou and the rest but immediately stopped when he remembered that Asia was a member of the Church, a natural enemy of the Devils. "No… I can't tell Buchou about this." He shook his head. There had to be someone else who could help him.

Yes. Her. She's the only one who could help him now.

"Ai-chan…" Issei said. "Yes, Ai-chan. She probably can help somehow." He shoved the green keychain into his pocket before he got up on his bicycle. "Her house is probably that way!"

As fast as he could, he rode his bicycle in the direction where Aigis' apartment was probably located.

"Hang on there, Asia-chan!" Issei shouted as he continued cycling. "I'm bringing help, so you have to hang in there!"


"Tch!" Freed was no longer smiling as he fought both Galahad and Aigis at the same time. Not only were they able to deflect all his blows and hits, they were also fast enough to avoid being hit by his exorcist bullets. "Hey, this is unfair! Why do I have to fight against you two at the same time?!"

Even so, it was quite impressive for him to be able to keep up with both the knight and the battle maiden simultaneously. Despite being a normal human, his prowess in combat was truly quite a sight to behold.

"Stop complaining so I can finally subdue you, Freed-san," Aigis said, parrying the light blade with her combat knife.

"And I don't see you have any right to complain at all, son," the knight spoke to the exorcist in a chiding manner.

"Grr…" Freed growled before he leaped back, making a distance between two of them and him. He held his sword in one hand and his exorcist gun in the other. "It ain't fair, y'know?! You should get yourselves cut down instead!" Then, he glared at Aigis. "And after that, I should get to rape you too!"

Aigis blinked. "I believe it should be impossible for you to do so, Freed-san, unless if you are really that depraved." She scowled. "Very, very depraved."

"Pfft, so what if you're a robot?! Ya look like a girl, so… why the fuck not?! Maybe I get to skullfuck you too after I cut ya down to pieces!" Freed said.

"What a pathetic excuse of a man you are, Freed Sellzen…" Galahad shook his head. "Even so, the way you fight and the weapons you wield… the holy aura from the sword of yours is unmistakably a blade of light. And the bullets that your gun shoots seem to have the capability to exorcise dark beings," he observed the white-haired young man. "Are you perhaps an exorcist?"

Freed glared at the knight. "So what if I was?! I got to learn a few nifty tricks from the Church! And I can kill monsters too with 'em! I love killin' monsters, and if they're females, I rape 'em first before I kill 'em!" The stray exorcist cackled. "Then they excommunicated me because I love killin' monsters! Pfft! They asked me to kill monsters, but then, they kicked me out when I came to enjoy killin' monsters! If they're tryin' to make jokes, they ain't funny!"

Aigis frowned as she looked at the excommunicated exorcist. "You used to be under the Church? The same Church that Asia-san belongs to?"

Freed gave Aigis a curious look. "Asia? Ya mean… Asia Argento? How didja get to know her?"

"I befriended her," Aigis answered.

Freed suddenly laughed. "Pfft! Befriended her?! Tell me you ain't joking here! Pffthahaha! C'mon now! My stomach's hurtin' here, y'know?!"

Aigis gave Freed a strange look. "What is so funny, Freed-san?" She didn't lower her guard as she continued observing the crazed exorcist. Her Persona, Galahad, went to her side, standing while holding his sword with both hands.

"Hahahaha, ya really don't have any idea who she is, do ya?!" Freed continued cackling after saying that. "Don'tcha know she's the same like me?!"

"Same like you?" Aigis furrowed her brow.

"Yup, the same like cute little ol' me," Freed said, baring his teeth as he grinned. "She's also excommunicated, just like me! The reason? She used her Sacred Gear to heal a Devil! She used her power to help the enemy of God! That's why she was kicked out by the Church! She is a heretic, and a heretic deserves to be punted out to the street to rot and die! That's why she got taken in by Fallen Angels instead! She's still a stupid little bitch, but at least she can be useful!"

Aigis tightened her grip on her combat knife.

"So, what's the matter, robot girl? Ya angry or somethin'?" Freed spoke with his irritating voice. "So, this cute lil' sister ya befriended is a heretic, and she probably lied to ya 'cause nobody wants a heretic like her to be her friend, right? C'mon, say I'm right!"

"Shut up…"

"Huh?"

Her headband seemed to be glowing blue as Aigis threw a contemptuous glare at the excommunicated exorcist.

"Freed Sellzen… I told you to shut up…" Aigis spoke in an uncharacteristically guttural tone. "I cannot accept it. I absolutely cannot accept it. Not only are you a pathetic excuse for a human being, you are also a monster. You badmouthing Asia-san isn't helping your case either. There is nothing human about you." Her blue eyes glinted dangerously. "All I see standing before me is trash that needs to be disposed."

Freed wanted to retort, but somehow, the pressure that came from the mechanical maiden seemed to stop him from voicing it out.

"I have to admit, that in a way, I am probably a monster too…" Aigis continued. "There is nothing human about me. My body consists of metal bits and wires, and yet, I can proudly proclaim that I am more human than you are! I am a machine, a weapon, a monster…" She brought her hand to her chest. "But with my heart inside me, I can proudly claim that I am also a human. And you," she brought her hand to point at Freed, "are not."

"Pfft! What kind of joke is that?! Are ya seriously tellin' me tha-" Before Freed could finish, Aigis instantly disappeared from the spot where she was standing on before he saw her zooming towards him at high-speed. Using her rocket propellers, she rushed over to him, leaving steams and trails of azure light as she moved. "What the?!"

Freed immediately brought up his exorcist gun and pulled the trigger, firing at the advancing battle android. Nimbly, Aigis avoided and dodged all the attacks as she advanced forward.

"Clench those teeth!" Aigis then threw a fist towards Freed's face, hitting him straight on his cheek. The rocket-propelled punch, added with the fact that Aigis' hands were made of sturdy materials, caused the exorcist to be sent flying a few meters back. His body landed on the ground with a thud.

The punch seemingly knocked Freed out cold. It was still quite a wonder that his jaw was still left intact after the punch.

"Enemy, taken down," Aigis announced, unclenching her hand. She looked at Galahad, who was not too far from her, giving him a nod before the Persona dissolved into motes of blue light.

She went closer to the prone form of Freed, who was unconscious. She was tempted to fill that skull of his with her high-caliber bullets, spilling his grey matter onto the ground. But doing so would be wrong. He might be a monster, but she shouldn't necessarily bring herself down to his level.

"Aigis!"

The mechanical maiden perked her head upon hearing her name being shouted by a familiar voice. She turned around and saw Fuuka, running towards her with tears in her eyes. Then she pounced on her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Fuuka-san?" Aigis blinked a few times in bemusement.

"A-Aigis, a-are you alright?! Did he hurt you somewhere?!" Fuuka was panicking as she looked at her with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Seeing the young woman in such a state, Aigis smiled gently before she brought her hand to wipe her tears. "I am unhurt, Fuuka-san. Please do not worry." Then, she frowned. "But, didn't I tell you to go home and lock the door? Why are you still here?"

Hiccuping, Fuuka said, "I-I was worried! I thought he was going t-to… t-to…" She was unable to continue as she buried her face against Aigis' chest, sobbing quietly. The mechanical maiden sighed as she patted the young woman's back.

"There, there," Aigis cooed. "I won, and no one will be hurt anymore." She glanced at the unconscious Freed not too far from them.

When Fuuka finally calmed down, she let go of Aigis, blushing slightly. Drying her tears, she looked at the unconscious Freed. "S-so… what are we going to do with him?" She asked.

"I suppose we have to leave him at the station," Aigis said, nodding. "But first, there is still a matter that I have to attend to." She looked in a direction worriedly. "I have a feeling that a friend of mine is in trouble. I… I am worried."

And so, after leaving the unconscious Freed at a nearby police station, restraining him with ropes that were conveniently found nearby and leaving a note describing who this person was and what he had done which made him deserve to be left there, both Fuuka and Aigis walked home. Freed's weapons had been safely disposed. The mechanical maiden wanted to prepare herself. If Asia was in danger, then she had to be ready.

When they arrived at her apartment, however, they saw a boy, who seemed to be waiting for Aigis. Worry seemed to be evident on his face as he waited for her.

"Issei-san?" Aigis blinked before she approached him. "What's the matter, Issei-san? Why are you here?" She asked.

"A-Ai-chan!" Issei looked at Aigis. "I-it's… Asia-chan, she's… F-Fallen Angels…" It appeared that Issei was unable to come up with anything coherent.

"Please calm down, Issei-san. Take a deep breath before you speak," Aigis told the boy.

"A-alright, alright… I-I'll do that." Issei took a deep breath, and then another. After finally calming down, he looked straight into Aigis' eyes and spoke, "W-well, it's like this…"

Issei told her about his encounter with one particular man who gave him a warning before giving him Asia's keychain. He also told her that Asia might be targeted by the Fallen Angels due to her Sacred Gear.

"I see…" Aigis mused. "Issei-san, I believe both of us have come up with the same conclusion. Something is happening to Asia-san." She nodded.

"S-so, what are we gonna do?" Issei asked, nervous.

Aigis patted Issei's shoulder. "We go and fight. There is no way I can allow anyone, even those Fallen Angels to hurt her. Are you with me, Issei-san?"

Issei nodded. "Of course! I will not forgive myself if something happens to Asia-chan!"

Aigis smiled. "Good. Let us depart immediately."

"Right!" Issei said.

"Umm…" Then, Issei noticed the young woman who was with Aigis. He looked at her, and the first thing that came to his mind was that she was pretty, a bishoujo with a petite frame and a cute look.

"Hey, so you're Ai-chan's friend?" Issei spoke to Fuuka. "Name's Issei Hyoudou. My friends get to call me Issei." He shrugged. "But maybe we can talk later. We have something to do, right?" He looked at Aigis.

"Affirmative," Aigis nodded. "Fuuka-san, please remain in my apartment, and please lock the door. If anything happens, do not hesitate to open the emergency box near my capsule seat. Use it to defend yourself if something shows up to threaten you," she told the young woman.

"Y-you mean… a gun?" Fuuka asked.

"A modified Glock 17, to be exact," Aigis answered. "You do know how to fire a gun, do you not?"

Fuuka nodded. "M-Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai showed me the basics."

"Good. Now, please be safe. We shall be going now."

And so, both Aigis and Issei left.

As for Fuuka, she was still pretty agitated by this whole situation. A while ago, when the boy named Issei spoke to her, she detected an enormous power from him. Using her Persona, Juno, she could feel some kind of presence within the boy.

She closed her eyes, trying to imagine the shape of the presence within the boy, and she gasped when the images came into her mind. "W-what the?!" She brought her hands to her head, trying to make sense from what she had seen.

-a beastly roar that fills the heaven-

-a mighty presence that shakes the earth-

-a pair of gleaming emerald eyes, filled with nothing but power beyond imagination-

-crimson, scaly hide of a saurian body-

Fuuka fell to her knees, panting. The torrent of images that came into her mind drained her will to stand upright. "W-what… what is that? What in the world is that?!" She muttered in disbelief.

-the crimson emperor takes flight, and the world once again comes to learn the might of-

Fuuka shook her head. She immediately dismissed Juno as she tried to regain her composure. That was it. That was the presence that she sensed within the boy who called himself Issei Hyoudou.

Even in her confusion, something else came over to her. As she regained her composure, she got up on her feet, rubbing her arm a few times and leaned against the door of Aigis' apartment. It had been a while since the last time she beheld something completely incomprehensible like this.

She was curious.

"What are you, Issei Hyoudou-san?"

She was curious in the boy named Issei Hyoudou.


Both Issei and Aigis ran down the streets, intending to find where Asia was. But then, they realized that they had no idea where to find the nun.

"Gah, how in the world are we going to find a nun in this town to begin with?!" Issei screamed in frustration, ruffling his own spiky hair with his hands.

"Let us think, Issei-san. Where do you think Asia-san will be staying at night?" Aigis asked.

"W-well, she did tell me before that she'd been sleeping at manga café. And small chapels. Or maybe-" He stopped. "Wait a minute, that's it!"

"That's it what, Issei-san?" Aigis blinked.

"This is just a hunch, okay, but I think this is it." Issei nodded as he looked at Aigis. "I think there are a lot of small chapels around the town, but there's only one big church here, and it's abandoned. There's a chance that she might be there."

"Are you sure?" Aigis asked.

"Like I said, it's just a hunch. But, let's go with that first," Issei said. "C'mon, Ai-chan! We gotta hurry! It's already nighttime!" The sun had already set two hours ago, and the night sky was filled with stars. A full moon could be seen in the night sky above them.

"A-affirmative!" Aigis replied as she followed after Issei. Both of them ran towards the direction of where they thought they could find Asia.

They ran down the streets for almost half an hour before they finally arrived. Being an android, Aigis didn't seem to be exhausted, but as for Issei, he was panting heavily because he had been running for thirty minutes straight, nonstop. Devil or not, he still had his limitations.

"Hah… man, I think I'm gonna fall down," Issei said between pants.

"Don't fall down yet," Aigis told the boy. "We have company."

Both of them were standing before the abandoned cathedral near the outskirts of the town, and standing in front of the entrance were three figures. Aigis recognized them well because she had beaten them down days ago.

"Fallen Angels…" Aigis spoke.

One of them, a middle-aged one, looked at the mechanical maiden. "It's you." His eyes looked around to see any sign of the goddess of wisdom. Relief spread on his look upon confirming her absence. Then, he sighed. "I knew it. I told you this is going to be a pain in the ass…"

The woman beside him, who was attired in a rather provocative outfit, folded her arms below her rather ample bosom. "There's no use complaining about it, Dohnaseek. Raynare told us to keep anyone away from here."

The middle-aged man sighed again. "That's what I said, Kalawarner. Pain in the ass."

The diminutive among the trio, upon seeing the battle maiden, immediately hid herself behind Kalawarner, fear clearly evident on her face. It was clear that the petite Fallen Angel, Mittelt, was deeply traumatized by her encounter with the android.

Aigis stepped forward, her look calm and composed. "Please step aside. I have a friend to rescue. You three standing in my way will not help her case," she spoke in a clear voice.

Dohnaseek looked at the mechanical maiden before he adjusted his fedora. "Well, I'm sorry to say, missy, but no can do. Our leader specifically told us to not let anyone in, even if it's you." He conjured a spear of light.

"What he said," Kalawarner nodded. Like Dohnaseek, she also made herself a spear of light.

Despite still being terrified, Mittelt also summoned a spear made of light, holding it with her hand.

"I see…" Aigis mused. "I suppose I have no choice but to defeat you three, then."

[Please, allow me, dear.]

Upon hearing the voice inside her head, Aigis closed her eyes, and her body was wreathed in an azure light before a figure materialized itself beside her. It was a woman, whose body moved sensually as she floated slightly above the ground upon being materialized before slowly landing to the ground.

"Scathach…" Aigis spoke the name of the woman, the Persona that she summoned from the sea of her soul.

Issei took a good look at the woman who just suddenly showed up. The way she moved her hips was very arousing, if he had to be honest. And let's not mention her rather revealing clothing, which consisted of a cropped top and a bikini bottom, which exposed her midriff and well-proportioned legs and thighs. And he also couldn't help but notice her rather large, opulent breasts which seemed to move in tandem with her movements as she swayed her hips.

"E-erotic…" Issei could barely stop himself from having a nosebleed. The woman, Scathach, noticed this and made a seductive smile at the boy.

"You like what you see, boy?" Scathach spoke in a rather sensual tone. "You can get your chance soon to cop a feel, m'kay? But still, we have something to deal first." She stepped forward, looking at the trio of Fallen Angels before her. "Dear," she addressed Aigis, "go and bring the boy into the church. I can deal with them alone."

"Affirmative. You have my gratitude, Scathach," Aigis said to the great teacher before she looked at Issei. "Let's go, Issei-san."

Issei nodded before both of them went to the entrance. Before they could reach it, however, Kalawarner stood in their path, her black wings expanded to their full length.

"Sorry, but you can't," Kalawarner said. "Why don't yo-" Before she could finish what she wanted to say, a sound of something cutting through the air was heard. Kalawarner immediately leaped away, barely avoiding an invisible wind blade that was conjured by Scathach.

"Your opponent is me," Scathach said, her glowing, hearth-like eyes flared with intensity. "Don't take your eyes off me, or else you are going to regret it." She smiled as she levitated, floating several feet above the ground. "There are only a few who can survive the cruelty of the Land of Shadows. Let us see whether you can withstand the attack of the one who relishes in such cruelty."

With all the Fallen Angels being preoccupied by Scathach, both Aigis and Issei ran into the church. Upon entering the abandoned cathedral, they found that the hall was empty, but then, they saw an entrance that seemed to lead to an underground chamber was open.

"She's probably there! C'mon, Ai-chan!" Issei said before he rushed into the entrance, followed by Aigis.

When they reached the underground chamber, however, they found themselves standing before more than three dozen people, clad in clerical robes, armed with glowing swords of light which resembled the one that Freed Sellzen had used to fight. Right on the altar that was behind all these robed people, they saw Raynare, her body wrapped in a form-fitting cloak, standing beside a structure which looked like a cross.

And chained on the cross was none other than Asia Argento herself, her eyes closed.

"ASIA!"


A yukata-clad man with multicolored hair was seen sitting on the harbor, humming a tune while fishing. From the looks of it, he seemed like a random person who liked to enjoy fishing under the night sky.

"I can't believe you made an artificial Sacred Gear fishing rod." A sigh was heard as a young man with silver hair came into view. He seemed to be wearing a leather jacket with a popped up collar over a green shirt. He was also wearing a pair of black chaps over his denim pants.

Upon seeing this young man's appearance, the yukata-clad man turned to look at him, his violet eyes met the piercing blue of the young man's. Shrugging, he spoke, "It's just a hobby of mine and you know it." He smiled. "Come on, Vali. Take a seat beside me. Fishing can be a little boring without someone to talk to, you know?"

Wordlessly, the young man who was called Vali took a seat beside the yukata-clad man who was fishing.

"Something on your mind?" The fishing man asked.

For a while, Vali was silent. Then he spoke, "Do you believe this is the right thing to do? I mean, everything seems pretty complicated to me." He looked at the sea in front of him. "You can just ask me to kill those idiots and be done with it."

The fishing man smiled. "Vali… if only everything can be solved by spilling the blood of others…" Then, the fishing rod he was holding seemed to be moving. "Alright, I got this!" He reeled up before he finally pulled out a sea trout. "Hell yeah! What a catch!" He grabbed the fish with his hand and pulled the hook out of the fish's mouth. "See, Vali? I got a sea trout! I told you this Sacred Gear can function well!" He handed Vali the sea trout.

Vali took the sea trout, studying it for a few seconds before he tossed it back into the sea. A few splashing sounds could be heard as the sea trout returned to its home. "You are no stranger to bloodshed, are you not? You know that your little Fallen Angels had done something that shouldn't be done, and yet you refuse to have them killed. Why is that?" His blue eyes focused on the man.

After a few seconds, the man sighed. "Vali… I may be a sinful creature, a heretic who has fallen from his God's grace, a rebellious child who fought against his Father's will, but…" There was melancholy in his violet eyes. "Even I know how sacred, how priceless a life is. If only I knew this when I fought during the Great War…" He sighed.

Vali silently listened to the man's words, which were laced with sorrow.

"Listen to me, Vali. I'm old and weary, and I've had enough of all the deaths in my life. I've lost many people who I considered as my close friends, my brothers, my sisters…" the man continued. "Sometimes, I kind of forgot their names. There were some other times when I forgot what their faces looked like." He smiled sadly. "That's why we put their pictures over there, back at the Institute, so that we will never forget them. It is so that I will never forget them."

"They were… killed?" Vali asked.

"Deaths come in many ways, not only through killing," the man answered. "Throughout the years, I've seen many people losing their lives over something so… inconsequential, so insubstantial. I mean, there are ways for them to keep on living, without having them dying so meaninglessly. So, why do they have to die?" He shrugged. "I already stopped thinking about it, because like it or not, death is certain. But if I can help it, I want to stop anyone from dying before my eyes. That is why I didn't send you to stop these children."

He sighed before he held the fishing rod with both hands before it retracted and vanished.

"They misinterpreted my orders, but I don't blame them for it," the man said. "They are unpredictable, chaotic lots. When I told Raynare to observe the boy to determine whether he's a hazard to the survival of our kind or not, she misinterpreted my words. She believed that I wanted him to be eliminated because he is a hazard to the Fallen Angels. Then again, I don't blame her. As a matter of fact, I don't blame anyone." He sighed. "I'm just tired with all these blaming games. They lose their novelty after a while, you see?"

"If you believe that not killing them is the best choice, why did you decide to rely on the Devils?" Vali asked. "I believe that they may end up killing them for their blatant transgression."

The man smiled mysteriously. "And that's when our role is truly needed. Come on, Vali. We have a lot of things to do. A few preparations are needed for what is going to happen tonight. And if we're lucky enough, then we may end up witnessing something truly awe-inspiring." He stood up before he started walking away.

"Awe-inspiring?" Vali inquired, looking at the back of the yukata-clad man who was walking away.

"Yup, and it's about time the red one awakens, right?" The man glanced over his shoulder.

Vali sighed before he followed the man. Six pairs of jet-black wings emerged from the yukata-clad man's back, sending obsidian feathers everywhere.

"Yes, I suppose you are right, Azazel."

TO BE CONTINUED


Author's Note: This is me, Prince Arjuna. Thank you for reading and reviewing the last chapter, and pointing out the flaw of that particular chapter. Thanks to you, I have edited the last chapter. So, if you see some glaring flaws in my story, don't hesitate to point them out. And so, I somehow introduces Azazel and Vali earlier. Let us see what is going to happen in the next chapter. By the way, the next chapter will focus more on Issei, because as a supporting main character, he also needs his spotlight, right? It's not fair for our cute little Ai-chan to hog all the attentions, am I wrong?

Okay, this time, special thanks to Sorata Shioya for beta-reading this chapter. Glad to work alongside you.

Don't forget to leave some reviews, by the way. They are important for my sustenance, you see? See you guys in the next chapter, Chapter 10: Boosted Gear.

What I have planned: Mitsuru meets Sirzech. That is all.

Edit: The part where Fuuka detected something is altered slightly.

Prince Arjuna (2014)