Disclaimer: I do not own HighSchool DxD
Chapter X – A Different Way
Issei knelt on the wooden floor in agony, cradling his almost crushed right wrist. Breathing heavily to ease his pain as Rias and Akeno tried to fix the damage done.
The Gremory heir tried to heal Issei to the best of her abilities but she couldn't help but stare at the cracked Sacred Gear.
Sacred Gears were created by the Biblical God and only He or others of equal or greater power could destroy them. And yet, here before her eyes, a Sacred Gear cracked and damaged…by the hands of a human.
'But...but that should be impossible. No human can do this!' Rias panicked in her mind, uttering the thoughts that were raging in her peerage's minds.
They knew Kyuren was strong, stronger than any human, stronger than most of them as he proved not a couple of days ago. But today just takes the damn cake.
Sona, Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko all tried to pry Issei away from Kyuren's iron grip but he didn't even budge. Their combined strength was no match for his and he had managed to actually crack a Sacred Gear.
That prospect spooked them because as Sacred Gears could only be damaged by beings of immense power and strength like the Four Great Satans and other mythological gods. As impossible as it sounds, Kyuren had the strength that could rival a god.
After a few more minutes, Rias and Akeno were finally able to fix Issei up but they weren't able to remove the cracks. That had to heal naturally...over time.
"Arigato President, Akeno." Issei flexed his fingers and could get some feeling out of them. "That damn bastard." He growled out. "Next time I see his face, I'll-"
"Do nothing." Rias interrupted Issei, giving him a stern glare as the doors opened to reveal the Sitri again, now with her own peerage.
Sona appeared to have heard what Issei said as she was giving him a very heated glare. "Rias is right. You will not do anything against Avynzen."
To add insult to injury, Saji just gave Issei a mocking smirk. "Heard you got your ass handed to you again, dick face."
The pervert glared at Saji. "I don't care if that bastard's the strongest, I'll kick his ass no matter what!" He said as if he was certain of it. Oh, Issei couldn't be any more wrong.
"That's enough, Issei. You will not provoke Kyuren any further." The Gremory heir chastised her only pawn. He made the mistake of letting his emotions control him and going after Kyuren.
This incident just showed them another glimpse of his power.
"Why the hell not?"
"In case you didn't notice it, Rias, Sona, Koneko, Akeno and myself were there trying to pry you out of Kyuren's hands." Kiba said. "That's five devils against one human...and he didn't even budge."
That revelation shocked Sona's peerage while those who were there all gained somber looks. Five devils, two were high class devils, one was a queen, another was a rook, and another a knight...yet they couldn't even contend to the strength of one human.
"S-Sona-sama, is this true?" Tsubaki asked in an unbelieving tone. They knew Kyuren was strong but to overpower five devils at the same time?
Sona nodded her head. "Yes...it's true." Her peerage's eyes were wide with surprise and disbelief and the Sitri heir couldn't blame them. Even she could hardly believe it herself.
Kyuren was entirely human...there was not even a sliver of magic...there was no signature of him ever being related to the supernatural. But he displayed an enormous amount of physical strength that should be impossible for a normal human.
It just baffled her Sona. But the real surprise has yet to be revealed.
"Rias." Sona called and the Gremory heir looked at her counterpart. "Have Issei show his Sacred Gear."
The Gremory heir hesitated but nevertheless, commanded her pawn to do just that. And when Issei showed his Sacred Gear, those of the Student Council were wide in shock.
His Sacred Gear had cracks running all over it. The damage was minimal at best but only Tsubaki knew of the true ramifications of what this meant. And it troubled her.
"Woah, you gear's busted up." Saji whistled, glad that his own wasn't it that state.
"To those of you who don't know, Sacred Gears were created by the Biblical God and only he or beings that rival or more powerful can destroy them." Sona explained, eyeing Issei's damaged Gear.
Tsubaki looked at her king. "Do you mean Kyuren did this?" If he did, then that means...
Rias nodded. "Yes, Kyuren almost crushed Issei's wrist and Sacred Gear. And he didn't even look like he was putting effort into it."
Needless to say, Tsubaki was stunned.
Issei looked between Rias, Sona, and Tsubaki. Wondering just what the hell they were talking about. Sure, his Sacred Gear was busted up, but was it really that big of a deal? "Sorry, but why do you look so down? You can fix up my gear, right?"
Akeno sighed. "Issei, you're missing the point. The Sacred Gears were created by God and only He or another that rivals or is more powerful than Him can damage, much less destroy them. Like the Four Great Satans or other gods."
"Wait, hold up a minute." Saji waved his hands. "You're telling us that the Sacred Gears can only be hurt or destroyed by someone just or more powerful than the Big Guy?" He asked, pointing upwards.
Rias gave a nod. "Hai."
"…And you're saying Kyuren, the same guy we've been hanging out with…did that?" Saji pointed towards Issei's damaged gear with a shaking finger. Another nod from the Gremory heir just confirmed it all.
Kyuren had the strength than rivaled a freaking god.
"Fucking shit." Saji mumbled in disbelief. "I know he was strong; I didn't know he was this strong!"
The Sitri heir nodded slowly. The mystery that is Kyuren was terrifying her with every new thing was uncovered. But as terrifying that it is, she couldn't help but become more interested.
'I don't know what I'll find out about you, Kyuren…but I want to know more about you.'
Kyuren parked his car in the hotel parking lot and made his
way to his home. 'Ah, for en dag.' (Ah, what a day.) He sighed internally.
He had another run in with Raynare just a few hours ago, but it was nothing hostile. Just went out for a few drinks...while he was still at school. Not that Kyuren could complain about it.
Well, he had fun going with her with no hostilities, that was certain. Kyuren wouldn't call it a date, just a little get together with an acquaintance...of sorts.
They talked over a bottle of sake and Raynare told him that she was going to go forwards with her plans. Kyuren knew that he shouldn't care about what the fallen angel does, but she had so much potential in her.
He could see it in her eyes. The fire, the drive, and the desire. The look of someone who was willing to go the distance and finish what they started to the bitter end. Kyuren could respect someone like that.
The girl had the heart, but it was misplaced.
Kyuren had already told her the consequences and the most likely outcome if she should fail or succeed, and had asked her one more time if she was going through with her plans.
There was no shame in turning away from a lost cause. There was no shame in valuing your own life. And there was certainly no shame to live and fight another day.
But Raynare was adamant in this. She would go through with this, no matter what happens to her. And if that is what she wants...then so be it. The raven haired boy would not interfere with this.
Besides, she and her cohorts were rogues and should they fail, this would not spark another war.
Coming up on the hotel entrance, Kyuren opened the doors and entered the establishment. "Ohayo, Tadashi-san." He greeted the receptionist with a small wave.
Tadashi replied in kind. "Ohayo, Kyuren-san. Oh, I sent up your delivery up to your suite."
Kyuren smiled and nodded his thanks to the receptionist. "Arigato, Tadashi-san. I'll see you later." He said before going to the elevators. Pressing the call button, he waited for the lift to come, and he didn't have to wait long.
The doors slid opened and Kyuren stepped in. Selecting the top most floor, he waited for the lift to get there while he listened to the elevator music.
It took a few minutes as a few people were also using the elevator, but the lift finally made it to the top floor. Clearing his throat, Kyuren stepped out of it and made his way to his home.
Unlocking the door, the raven haired boy opened it and he was welcomed by the cool air of his suite. Breathing a relieved breath, strolled in after removing his shoes and socks.
"Pip, you there?" He called out to his cat as he took off his scarf and his overcoat.
"Meow." He got his answer when his Sphinx cat came striding over to him. Pip has gotten a little bigger these past few weeks here, but she was still his precious kitten.
Kyuren smiled and knelt down to greet his cat. "Hey, girl. You miss me that much?" He asked only to get a small hiss from his kitten which clearly said, 'As if'.
Chuckling, Kyuren stood up and made his way to his room to take a long and relaxing shower. After he was done and clothed in more comfortable clothes, he went right back down and turned on the TV.
It was time to relax.
"What do you mean we can't go after them, Rias-sama?!" Issei questioned his king angrily while the Gremory heir looked unaffected save for the strict glare she was giving her pawn.
It had been a few hours and the Student Council had since left. No doubt trying to come to terms about what they had learned. It shocked all of them really. A human that had the strength to rival or even equal that of a god? It was pretty scary to think about.
Now, Issei was asking for his king to help him save Asia, but the problem was, the Gremory heiress was unwilling to lift a damn finger on this.
"I've already told you, Issei. I won't allow any of us to go save a nun. And even if I did, your Sacred Gear is still damaged." Rias pointed to her pawn's right arm. "I don't even know if it will function properly."
"But we can't just let her die!" Issei protested.
Rias sighed, getting a little irritated by her pawn. "You are in no condition to battle the Fallen Angels. Without your Sacred Gear, you're powerless."
Issei gritted his teeth. Yeah, he was weak. Yeah, he was a pathetic perverted asshole. But he'd be damned if he will let Asia be killed just like that!
"I don't care. If you won't help me, then I'll do it myself!" Issei said but that only got him a hard slap across the face by Rias. That made him stop his tirade of words.
The Gremory heiress took no pleasure in hitting any of her servants, but she had to make a point with Issei. By the sound of her slap, it attracted the attention of Kiba and Koneko.
"Let me be crystal clear with you, Issie." Rias began. "When I say you don't, you don't. You have to forget about that girl. You're part of my household now."
The pervert grunted. "All right, fine. Then why don't you just drop me from your peerage. I'm you most precious piece, right? I'm just a stupid pawn, what the hell am I worth anyway?" He asked, his words laced with sarcasm.
Having enough, Rias glared at Issei. "That's enough, Issei!" Her pawn recoiled a bit, probably knowing that he stepped out of bounds with Rias. "You may think that pawns are not important, but that couldn't be any farther from the truth."
"Huh?" Issei was confused. Well, what do you expect from a perverted idiot whose only thoughts are women, breasts, and all things lewd.
"Pawns are important because when they enter enemy territory, or if the king allows it, they can get promoted to either a rook, bishop, knight, or queen." Rias explained the basics of the Evil Pieces.
The boy appeared to think about it. 'So…I'm not that useless after all.' He thought to himself. Thinking that if he can get far enough into an enemy's place, he can get promoted to any piece he wants.
If Issei wanted to, then he can be just as strong as Koneko just as fast as Kiba, and just as powerful as Akeno.
Seeing that what she said was finally sinking in, Rias let out a silent breath. "You see, Issei? Pawns are far from useless in any peerage. They're just or even more important than a knight, rook, bishop, or queen."
"...Maybe." Issei said dejectedly.
Rias' stare softened a little. "Now, ;et's talk about your Sacred Gear. What have you found out about it?"
It took a few seconds, but Issei found it to talk about what he learned with his gift. "Un, it doubles my power. Yuu-" Issei stopped himself, remembering the Fallen Angel that broke his heart. "I-I mean, that Fallen Angel told me. Said it was a Twice Critical."
The Gremory heiress responded with a nod. "You already know what your Sacred Gear does, that's good." She came towards him and softly placed her hand on his cheek. "The Gears respond to their owner's will. In other words, the stronger your feelings, the more powerful you will become."
"I…I didn't know… My feelings will make me more powerful?" (Of course not. Idiot.)
Rias gave a small smile and retracted her hand away from his cheek. "Good, now summon your Gear. Let's see if it's healed somewhat and can still function."
Issei nodded and did just that. "Sacred Gear!" With a flash of green light, his Sacred Gear reappeared and now, the pervert could see just what Kyuren was capable of. Though some of it was fixed up, there were still pretty large cracks.
'Damn, it really took a pounding.' He thought to himself, examining his gear. 'If what Rias-sama says is true, that Kyuren had that kind of strength...' Issei gulped the nervous lump in his throat.
The pawn was this close to losing his arm.
"Hmm, it looks like it's healing fine." Rias mused. "Try using it." She said, wanting to know if the Gear could still function after the abuse it took from Kyuren.
"Umm, okay. Sacred Gear, boost!" Issei shouted out and the Twice Critical shone brightly.
BOOST!
Issei could feel his power being doubled but as soon as it appeared, it was gone as the Sacred Gear flickered in and out. "Woah, what's happening?!"
Rias sighed, she was afraid that this would happen."Issei dismiss it." He did just that. "Your Sacred Gear is still too damaged to work properly."
"You mean I can't boost?" Issei asked. How was he going to save Asia without his Gear?!
"No." The Gremory heiress shook her head. "You can't until it fixes itself naturally. If you do, there's no telling what can happen."
Issei tilted his head in confusion. "Like what?"
Koneko let out a small groan of annoyance. How stupid can this perverted idiot be? "Blow up." She said in the most blunt way.
Hearing that, Issei paled. It was obviously clear he didn't want to be blown to little itty bitty pieces.
Rias sighed in good nature before Akeno came up to her ear and whispered something. Her amused expression was replaced with a serious one. She gave a single nod before she and Akeno walked to the center of the room. "An urgent matter has come up. Akeno and I have to deal with it at the moment."
"Hey, wait a minute, I still have questions-" Issei was cut off by Rias.
"Just remember this, Issei." Rias summoned her teleportation circle. "Even if you're promoted, a single devil cannot stand against to numerous foes." And the two were gone, leaving Issei to contemplate on his next move.
It didn't take long to figure it out, actually. Just like every idealistic, kind hearted fool you see in popular stories, animes and mangas, Issei decided to go get Asia back.
He started walking to the door when another voice stopped him. "You're going, aren't you?" Kiba asked.
"Yeah, you two are not going to stop me?" He said, referring to him and Koneko. If need be, he'll fight them too if it meant getting to that church.
Kiba sighed. "You're going to get your ass killed."
Yeah, Issei knows he'll probably die...but like the old saying goes, to hell with it. "I don't give a fuck. Just as long as I can get Asia out of there."
"That's very courageous of you, Issei." Kiba shook his head. "And very stupid as well. You're going to commit suicide and I don't think Rias-sama's not going to like that."
Having enough of this, Issei spun and glared at the blonde knight. "Just shut the hell up, pretty boy!" He snapped before looking on in confusion as Kiba held on to his sword.
"If that's what you want, then we're coming with you." Kiba replied in kind.
"Wait, what?"
Kiba chuckled and smirked. "Weren't you listening? Rias-sama said if you set foot in that church, you can promote yourself to any piece you want. But she also said you can't do this alone." He then motioned to himself and Koneko. "So, we're coming with you."
Issei looked at him in surprise before turning to the young Nekoshou. "And what about you, Koneko-chan?"
"I'm bored. Might as well go with you." She said in her monotone voice.
Smiling that he had back up, Issei nodded as the three made their way to the church. 'Don't you worry, Asia. Help's on the way.'
"Well, since my baby left me.
Well, I found a new place to dwell.
Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street.
At Heartbreak Hotel."
The classic music of the King of Rock n' Roll, Elvis Presley, played from the the entertainment system as Kyuren was making dinner. A healthy serving of fried rice and some sausages. All the while, swinging to the beat.
He was stirring and flipping the rice on his pan as the next line came in and he used his spatula as a microphone to pretend sing.
"Where I'll be, where I'll be so lonely, baby.
Well, I'm so lonely.
I'll be so lonely, I could die."
The raven haired boy smiled and grabbed a bottle of soy sauce and pour in a few drops onto his meal, eliciting a loud sizzle and an aromatic smell.
'This needs a little bit of spice in it.' Kyuren thought to himself and opened the cabinets for some spices. Just a punch was needed and he then placed back where it was stored.
"Although it's always crowded.
You still can find some room.
For broken hearted lovers.
To cry there in the gloom."
"And be so, where they'll be so lonely, baby.
Well, they're so lonely.
They'll be so lonely, they could die."
Ah, this was the life. Good music playing in the background, a nice hot meal on the way, and most of all, away from all that nonsense in Kuoh.
Don't get Kyuren wrong, it's been interesting as of late with all the things he found out, but every once in a while, Kyuren wants some down time.
And besides, he had no place in rescuing that girl, Asia. He didn't even know her.
But for now, he had things to do.
"Well, the bellhop's tears keep flowin'.
And the desk clerk's dressed in black.
Well, they've been so long on Lonely Street.
Well, they'll never, they'll never get back.
And they'll be so, where they'll be so lonely, baby.
Well, they're so lonely.
They'll be so lonely, they could die."
'It's almost done.' He said to himself, surveying his work. The rice had a dark gold color, just perfectand exactly what Kyuren wanted. Mixed with vegetables and minced meat, and big chunks of sausages.
He could hardly wait to eat.
"Well now, if your baby leaves you.
And you have a sad tale to tell.
Just take a walk down Lonely Street.
To Heartbreak Hotel.
"And you will be, you will be, you will be lonely, baby.
You'll be so lonely.
You'll be so lonely, you could die."
Finally, it was done so he turned off the stove and poured his dinner onto a wide bowl. Kyuren could honestly say that this was going to be a very delicious meal. He should know, he made it, of course.
He finished it off with a dash of pepper and a pinch of salt before grabbing a glass of water from the refrigerator and placed it on the table.
"Well, though it's always crowded.
You still can find some room.
For broken hearted lovers.
To cry there in the gloom.
And they'll be so, they'll be so lonely, baby.
They'll be so lonely.
They'll be so lonely, they could die."
As music ended, Kyuren turned to his kitten who was laying on the counters with her tail swaying back and forth. "So, what do you think?" He asked Pip and his only response was a lazy deadpan look from his kitten that clearly said, "Your taste in music sucks."
Kyuren took offense to that before glaring at Pip and crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey, don't hate on the classics, young lady."
His response was a hiss.
The sun had long since set and darkness had claimed the little town of Kuoh. Everyone of it's residences were fast asleep.
It was just another one of those quiet nights for the ordinary folks, but the silence will not stay for long.
In front of the church, by the the edge of the tree line were three devils. Koneko, Kiba, and Issei were laying low in the brush and were surveying the church for any possible way of getting in.
"How many do you think are in there?" Issei asked.
"I don't know." Kiba replied from behind a tree. "There's probably a lot of them in there, so be prepared for a fight." There was no denying it, the Fallen Angels new they were coming sooner or later, it just surprised the knight that they weren't caught yet.
Shouldn't there be some guards or patrols here? But he wasn't complaining.
"Yeah, no kidding. I can feel all that from here." Issei said. "Now I;m really glad you two came with me. I don't think I'd be able to get in there in one piece."
Kiba smiled. "Well, yeah. We're a team, right?" He said before the Knight's eyes turned sharp. "And besides, Fallen Angels aren't exactly at the top of my most favorite things in the world list." He muttered but Issei was just barely able to pick it up.
Issei was about to ask about what Kiba meant when Koneko said her piece. "Are we going to do this or not?"
Hearing her voice, Kiba shook his sulking side for now and looked at the young Nekoshou. Ever since that day with Kyuren…his little demonstration…Koneko was rattled to the core.
Hell, everyone was rattled by it including himself. The Knight knew that Koneko was no push over, when it came down to it, she can take a lot of hits and dish out twice as much punishment.
But after witnessing the raven haired boy take three of her hits at full force, Koneko was motivated to train.
Day in and day out, the young Nekoshou would train until her body could not move anymore. And Kiba could definitely say that she had become stronger.
But then, they again saw another glimpse of Kyuren's strength when he almost crushed a Sacred Gear.
Needless to say, all of them were spooked. But there was a time for that later. They had to save Issei's girl from the Fallen Angels.
"Yeah, let's go." Kiba turned to Issei. "Remember, Rias-sama said that the church is enemy territory and you can promote yourself to any piece you want except for the king. But you can't use your Sacred Gear right now. There's no telling what will happen if you do."
Though he didn't like that, Issei nodded in understanding. "Right." He said, but on the inside, the pervert was cursing. Without his Sacred Gear, Issei was practically useless.
'But like hell am I pussying out.'
At that, the three moved on to the entrance with Koneko at the middle. "Koneko, you mind knocking the door for us?" Kiba asked.
The Nekoshou nodded and knocked on the door with a kick that blasted the poor wooden door into splinters, clearing the way for them.
Once they set foot inside the small church, it had certainly seen better days. The statues were all smashed, and even the cross was missing a few of its pieces. Rubble covered the floor of the demolished House of God as the three devils put their guard up.
"Oh man, this is creepy as hell." Issei mumbled, feeling a little tingling sensation at the back of his head and he was pretty sure Kiba and Koneko was feeling it too.
They were devils and even if this place was broken and rotting from the inside out, it was still a holy place.
Just then, they heard someone clapping and their attention was diverted to the source. It was Freed Sellzen, certified nutcase and sadistic exorcist extraordinaire.
"Well, well, look at what I have here." "Freed walked to the center of the room with a mock friendly smile and waved at the three like welcomed guests. "I bet you all remember me. Especially you, Issei-kun." He laughed with a sick grin.
Issei growled as he and his companions prepared to fight. "Tell me where Asia is right now. Or I'll make you wish you weren't born."
Sellzen just grinned. "Well, look at you. Trying to scare little old me. HA! Like you can scare me! Kid, do you know what I do to filthy devils like you?! I kill them for the hell of it!" He laughed insanely before Freed looked at them with a smirk. "Here's the deal, I carry myself for I don't have to deal with the same devil twice. So…let's get this show going."
Freed got out his light sword and his pistol. "I can't wait to taste your flesh as I cut you all up."
Kiba and Koneko readied themselves as Issei stepped forward. "Great, if you wanna fight, fine. Now, tell me where Asia is."
The insane priest chuckled and decided to humor this little devil. It's not like he and his friends are going to live for long anyway. "Oh, fine. She's under the altar standing on. But you better hurry, I think Raynare-chan's almost finished with her."
Hearing that Asia was down there and that Raynare was almost done said it all. The innocent nun was close to death. Issei clenched his fists in anger; he had to get to her now! He was about to summon his Gear until Kiba grabbed his shoulder.
"No, Issei. We don't have time to play with him." Kiba whispered, motioning to the still grinning Freed. "Me and Koneko will take him while you deliver the final blow, all right?"
Though Issei wanted to pound that priest's face into the ground, he nodded nonetheless. Even he could understand that they didn't have the time to fool around. Not while Asia was so close. "Alright, take him down."
Kiba nodded and looked at Koneko who instantly understood her role. Moving quickly, she hoisted one of the benches and threw it to the deranged priest.
Acting quickly, Freed sliced it in two with ease. "Hey, you're strong for a midget."
Koneko narrowed her eyes at the comment. "Midget?"
Kiba, who was moving in to get the jump on Freed, smirked. 'You shouldn't have said that.' If there was one rule to midgets, it was this. Never call them midgets. Ever.
The Nekoshou threw some more benches at Freed who was forced to dodge and fire a volley of bullets at Koneko and Issei who promptly evaded.
"Ha! That all you got?!" He sneered at them before he noticed a glint from his side and was barely able to block Kiba's strike.
Rebounding, the Knight jumped back from Freed's own slash before dashing around to avoid getting hit by the bullets.
Freed continued to shoot at the illusive Kiba with a mad grin. "That's right! Show me what you got!"
Not one to disappoint, Kiba used his speed and dashed towards Freed and the two locked swords. "You're good." He commented at they stared each other down.
"Well, you're not bad yourself, blondie. But that just makes me wanna kill you even more!" The deranged priest pointed his gun at Kiba's face who widened his eyes in surprise.
A bullet shot out from the gun, but thankfully, Kiba was able to dodge it at the last possible second and kicked Freed away for some breathing room.
As this was going on, Issei was watching the whole fight from the back. He was amazed at how good Kiba was at a sword. And it just shows him how pathetic he was again.
These guys trained for things like this, and what does Issei bring to the fight? Nothing. He didn't even know how to throw a decent punch! It irritated him that he had to rely on his Sacred Gear to fight while these guys had skills.
And with his Gear busted, he was essentially useless here and had to rely on Koneko and Kiba to fight for him.
Koneko lifted another bench over her head and looked at Issei. "Hey, get ready to take a shot at this freak." She said and Issei nodded. Oh, he'll be ready and able to return the favor to this creep.
Kiba smirked, Freed's attention was solely on him. "All right, since you got serious, it's only fair that I get serious too." His sword was then enveloped by some dark energy. "Let's continue."
In response, Freed giggled and dangled his tongue out in anticipation and charged at the blonde knight. When their swords clashed once again, something was happening to Freed's own.
"What the hell is this?" He asked, watching as his sword was slowly being consumed by this dark stuff.
"Say hello to the Holy Eraser. It's my Sacred Gear that eats light." Kiba said almost smugly. "But you don't have to worry about that. Koneko, now!"
Freed's eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"
He turned just in time to see the young Nekoshou came at him with a bench ready to swing. "Call me a midget, huh?" Kiba jumped out of the way as Koneko swung at Freed with as much strength as she could and he was sent flying. "Your turn, pervert."
"Gotcha!" Issei ran at Freed. "Promotion time! Rook!" He charged at the still soaring priest at full speed, mustering his new strength. 'The rook's like a tank. Has unrivaled defensive strength.'
Freed landed hard on the floor with a grunt. "Fuck, that hurt." He hissed before he tried to stand only for him to look in front to see Issei coming straight at him. "Aw, shit."
Issei cocked his fist back. "Take this you damn psycho!" He lunged his arm forward, connecting at Freed's cheek and sent him right to the altar.
"GAAARGH!" He wailed before he crashed into the stands.
The pervert breathed heavily, surveying the damage he did. And damn did it felt good. "That's for trying to hurt Asia." He finally caught his breath and managed a goofy smile. "That felt great."
Under the rubble, Freed was trying to dig his way out of it. His face stung like hell, but he would be damned if he squealed uncle now. No, not to some devils! Finally out of the rubble, he glared at Issei.
"Oh, you've done it now, devil boy!" He brought out two more light swords. "Time for some-"
"Hey, freak." Freed turned to his left and saw another bench coming at him. It hit him dead center. "It hurts!" He gave an indignant squeak and crashed on the floor.
Kiba was upon him in the next second and tried to swipe at him but Freed was able to dodge and jumped to the top of the altar.
Outnumbered, outmaneuvered and defeated, Freed had no choice but to make a hasty retreat. "Okay, you guys are tougher than I thought, but I'll be damned if you get to kill me." He reached into his coat and pulled out a small pellet. "So long, devil scum!"
He threw the pellet down and a bright flash of light temporarily blinded the three devils. Once they regained their sight, they saw that Freed was gone.
"Damn, that nut job got away." Issei growled in irritation before Kiba came to his side.
"Forget about him, let's go." He said and Issei nodded. Freed will get his someday, but Asia was first.
Koneko approached the altar and knocked away the stands to reveal a stair way leading down. "Looks like Freed was telling the truth." Kiba said, not really expecting that crazy priest was telling the truth.
Issei nodded. "Yeah, let's go. Asia can't be far out." The two agreed and one by one moved into the stairs.
At the back of Issei's mind, he knew he was going to face the girl that betrayed him, tried to kill him, and now was trying to kill Asia. He was scared and nervous because he couldn't use his damaged gear for the fight.
But one way or another, he was going to get Asia out. Or die trying.
Further into the passage was the final chamber and there standing before a collection of rogue priests was Raynare. She had done it, Twilight Healing was finally hers. She held the rare Sacred Gear in the palm of her hands and couldn't help but smile.
Finally, Raynare has done something. Finally, she has done what she wanted and needed. The Fallen Angel has struck out on her own.
Of course, the poor nun that was crucified was slowly dying. She essentially did had her soul ripped out of her. Of course, it wasn't the girl's fault why she had this. Even Raynare would admit that Asia was a nice girl, but her life was marked from the beginning.
This girl was still expendable and an obstacle to her own goals, but Raynare...she felt a little pity for the girl.
Perhaps it's because of the short time she had spent with Kyuren. True, he tried to kill her, but since then, they had formed a little relationship...or at least that's what Raynare thinks.
Kyuren had been trying to change her mind about this. Telling her that there was nothing that could be achieved from getting the Sacred Gear against her superior's orders. And the risk that this could escalate into another conflict and her death.
Raynare thought long and hard about that. Why did he care anyway? He was just some low human while she was a Fallen Angel, she shouldn't be thinking of his words much.
But, she just couldn't help herself. Her smile disappearing as she stared at the Gear in her palms, she asked herself, "Was it really worth it?" All of this trouble, was it all worth it?
In the beginning, she thought that it was, but now…after the talk she had with Kyuren, Raynare wasn't so sure now. She could possibly reignite a war between the factions and more of her brethren will be needlessly slaughtered because of her.
Not to mention what will happen to her and her underlings. Clearly, Raynare hadn't planned this through in the beginning.
The Fallen Angel sighed and closed her eyes. It was too late for that now. Whatever comes her way, she'll take it head on. This was proof that she could do something and succeed. Proof for Azazel-sama, proof to the entire Grigori Organization, and most of all, proof to herself that she wasn't a failure.
Raynare had come too far now to give up and if she did die…at least she can say that did something.
With her resolve revitalized, Raynare embraced the Gear and she could feel it merging with her being and it felt great. She could feel the Gear's powers becoming one with hers. Now she could heal any injury in seconds thanks to this.
Twilight Healing was hers now, and it was time to leave. But it would appear fate had other plans for her.
From the passageway, Raynare could her hasty foot steps coming towards them. No doubt it was Issei and his friends coming to save Asia's ice cold corpse. That pervert was no problem for her, but the rest of his companions were a different story.
'Issei's not going to be a problem, but the others will definitely be.' The Fallen Angel said to herself and decided that the best course of action now was to make a hasty retreat while she still can.
"Keep them busy." She commanded to her followers who nodded in affirmation.
Issei was leading the charge towards the end of this damn passage. He could see the end of it, and there was Asia. She was so close, and there was no way he was going to fail now. Come hell or high water, he will save Asia.
Coming up to the end, the trio stopped when they were met by about two dozens of cloaked people. And behind them was Raynare and a cross, and on the cross was...
"ASIA!"
"ARGH! FAEN!" ("ARGH! GODDAMMIT!") Kyuren howled in frustration, glaring at the game over screen on his seventy-inch plasma.
The reason? He had just bought a new PS4 with all the gadgets and stuff that came with it. And the first game he bought was…Dark Souls 3.
And you all know how that plays out.
Kyuren was just in the first goddamn boss, and he had already died fifteen fucking times! And that wasn't counting the way there! He snarled at the game over screen before hitting the restart.
"Okay, no more playing around." He growled lowly as the level booted up. Not twenty seconds later, Kyuren died.
That did it and the raven haired boy had enough and smashed the controller on the couch. "Dette spillet er jævla rigget!" (This game's fucking rigged!") He seethed.
Kyuren knew this was a hard game, but this is so hard it makes his training look like a walk in the jævla park!
Not willing to admit defeat, he grabbed the controller again and hit the restart. He'll get through this level if it's the last thing Kyuren does!
On the right side, Kyuren could hear slight hissing sounds and turned only to see Pip there…laughing. He glared at his kitten.
"Hold kjeft, du dum katt. Dette er vanskeligere enn det ser ut." ("Shut up, you stupid cat. This is harder than it looks.") He grumbled as the rave haired boy again tried to win this.
…
YOU DIED
"...Knew I should've got Ghost Recon instead."
Raynare stared at Issei as he screamed the young nun's name. "You just wasted your time coming here, Issei-kun." Despite herself, the Fallen Angel smirked. "I've already got her Sacred Gear. See?"
To prove her point, Raynare showed them the rings that was Twilight Healing and she couldn't help but laugh at Issei's stunned face.
Issei couldn't believe it. He was too late. Raynare had Asia's Gear and that meant that she was dead. The boy looked at where his friend was and she had her eyes closed shut and wasn't moving.
"No. ASIA!" Issei screamed and charged. "You bitch! You'll pay for this!"
Raynare smiled. "I don't think so. Kill them!" She commanded and the rogue priests tried intercepted Hyoudou and kill him.
Issei managed to duck under a swipe and delivered a powerful uppercut enhanced with a rook's strength. "Out of my way, pricks!" Unknown to him, one of the priests managed to get behind him and was about to run Issei through if it weren't for Kiba.
The knight blocked the strike with his Holy Eraser as Koneko grabbed the priest and threw him to the wall.
"Issei, we'll handle them. Go get your friend!" Kiba hollered out as he and the young Nekoshou tried to cut a way for Issei.
Wasting no time, Issei ran full speed to the top where Asia was. "Thanks, guys!" But he was shocked to see that the Fallen Angel was missing!
While this was going on, Raynare took the opportunity to escape out of sight and out of the battlefield in the confusion in a swirl of feathers. No way was she going to risk dying after just getting the win. She wasn't that stupid…not anymore.
Reappearing just outside of the church in a swirl of feathers, Raynare immediately high tailed it out of there to meet up with the rest of her team. Hopefully they were still alive since she had modified her plans.
A few minutes later, Raynare found herself a significant distance away from the church and dismissed her wings before taking cover.
"Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, Mittelt? Are you three there?" She called out, hoping that her three companions had survived their brush with the devils.
Several minutes later, Raynare began to fear he worst for her subordinates. "Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, Mittelt. Talk to me." The Fallen Angel called out one last time before she would be forced to cut loose and leave.
Until…
"Raynare-sama, we're here!" The familiar voice of Donasheek responded and Raynare smiled slightly. Her subordinates managed to get away after all.
Coming out of her cover, Raynare came towards them. "You three made it. That's good."
"Yeah, that Gremory girl and her queen were tough." Donasheek said with a nod.
"But we kicked their sorry asses!" Mittelt cheered, but her statement couldn't be farther from the truth.
"It was just like what you said, Raynare-sama. Even the three of us weren't a match for the Gremory Princess." Kalawarner said, ignoring a protesting Mittelt. "It's a good thing you changed up the plan or we'll all be dead."
Raynare nodded. She changed her plans from facing Issei's group head on to an immediate pull back after she had her prize. And it was all thanks to a simple meeting with a gentleman.
"We can talk about how you escaped later." Raynare said. "Now, we need to get out of here and back to headquarters."
The three looked apprehensive at the idea, but Raynare was adamant and they took off out of there. Their objective was done, now they had to deal with their superiors.
They could only hope they didn't get the death sentence.
The next day, the four disguised Fallen Angels were at the airport, ready to board the next plane out of Japan. They won't last another day in they did.
But Raynare wanted to make one call.
Moving to a payphone, she dialed the number given to her by a certain raven haired boy. She could hear the phone ring and waited for him to pick up.
Her success was mostly thanks to Kyuren. Had she not talked and woke her up to the severity of her situation, Raynare didn't even want to about what could've happened.
A few seconds later, she heard a click. "If this is a prank call, I will find you and I will kill you." He said in a dead serious voice and Raynare had to stifle a giggle.
"This isn't a prank, Kyuren-kun. This is Raynare."
"Raynare, good to hear you're still alive." She could almost swear there was relief in his voice. "I guess you did it, huh."
Despite herself, Raynare gave out a small smile. "Yeah, I did." She looked at one of her finger where a ring lay. It was Twilight Healing. "I just want to thank you for telling me all that, what my actions could do. It made me think better."
Kyuren chuckled. "Don't thank me for what you accomplished."
"And I also want to thank you for…believing in me." Raynare bit her bottom lip. "It really meant a lot."
"Don't mention it." Kyuren replied. "So, I guess you're going back to your superiors and face the music."
It was the hard truth, but Raynare knew she had to face Azazel and await her and her team's judgment. "Yeah, I don't what'll happen to us." She was scared at what this will mean to Azazel.
"I can't say for sure, but if and when you get out of this, train like hell. The next time we meet, I expect you'll be more powerful than ever."
"I will. Good bye, Kyuren. And thank you again." She hung up and smiled. If she did managed to get out of this, she'll definitely train like hell to get stronger.
And once she did, she hoped she could see him again.
The Fallen Angel let go of the payphone and made her way to her subordinates.
"Raynare-sama, where'd you go? We're almost ready to get on the plane." Mittelt pointed a thumb to her back.
"Just giving a friend a call." What she said confused the other three but before they could ask, the boarding call was made.
"Let's get out of here." With that, the three boarded the plane and not long after, were out of Japan.
AN:
There you have it. Raynare's a smart young woman. And when Kyuren said to her that the only thing that would come out of her actions was war and her death. So, she modified her plan to escape rather than fight and got her prize, Twilight Healing.
If any of you are wondering, Asia's going to live. Just without Twilight Healing.
And a major reason why Raynare survived is one of the major flaws of Shounen heroes. They're Gung-Ho types. They rarely think ahead.
Also, we won't see Raynare for a while, so Sona will have her time with Kyuren. And we all know what comes next.
The prick known as Riser Phoenix.