Hey guys!
Sorry this one took so long. I've been very busy lately, plus this is kind of a long chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
Xenovia groaned as she regained consciousness. She could feel her body for the first time in a while and she felt like shit. Her body was trembling from the electricity she had felt from earlier along with an ache in her chest. Her head was pounding about as hard as a sledgehammer and it hurt to open her eyes.
After a moment, she felt the strength to finally open her eyes and was surprised to find Neil sitting by her side staring at her with that same blank look he always had.
"Good, you're awake." Neil said. "The doctor said you'd be out for at least a month, but devils are a lot stronger than humans now aren't they?"
"D-doctor?" Xenovia asked. "What are…"
She looked around her room. It was a room from the hospital in town. It had what you'd normally expect from a normal hospital room, but on the table across from Xenovia and Neil sat a small group of bouquets of flowers saying, 'get well' on them.
"After the barrier fell we couldn't fix you with magic or the humans would suspect something." Neil said as Xenovia looked to him. "We took you here and hoped for the best." He pointed to the flowers. "The big one is from Rias. She couldn't stay because of business. I'm sure you understand."
Xenovia sat up with a painful grunt. "How long was I out?"
"Four days." Neil replied. "That hit you took was supposed to be lethal. You got lucky."
"I don't feel lucky." Xenovia replied.
"Hm." Neil replied. Xenovia figured that was his way of laughing.
"So what happened while I was under?"
"Well for starters, we haven't heard a peep from the Chaos Brigade. I guess killing half of their lieutenants and most of their men spooked them."
"What about the others?"
"Well you remember how Rias never knew about how Jimmy was Issei?"
X
A few days ago…
"Oh come on, really?" Jimmy said to his holo-phone.
He had been playing Final Fantasy in the Occult Research Club's lounge for the past hour and a half. He figured he could catch up on the game he started before he came to Japan in the first place. Unfortunately Issei messed up the spell and attack list. What kind of idiot doesn't give their White Mage Cure? He was surprised he even made it to the third boss.
Jimmy struggled to defeat a horde of angry ogres when…
SO… WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING?
"Final Fantasy." Jimmy thought to Ddraig. "All my friends thought it was very retro, so I thought I'd give it a shot… and apparently Issei did too. Did you know he chose the bard for his party? The bard! Everyone knows bards suck!"
I SEE. WELL HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE AT DEFEATING THESE OGRES.
"I know, right? And maybe I can kill a few dragons while I… oh, sorry."
IT'S FINE. I WOULDN'T MIND KILLING A FEW DEMONS EITHER.
"Woah! Look at Ddraig with the comebacks." Jimmy thought as he smirked.
BY THE WAY, I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT RIAS HAS BEEN STARING AT YOU FOR THE PAST FIVE MINUTES.
Jimmy looked over at Rias, who was sitting at her desk eyeing Jimmy in a very stern way.
"Meh, she'll get bored anytime now and walk away." Jimmy thought. "Why, you want me to do something?"
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND.
"Fine." Jimmy thought in annoyed tone.
"You need something?"
"Were you ever going to tell me that you were in Issei's body?" She asked. "Or were you just going to wait until I slept with you?"
"Wait, is that what this is about?" Jimmy asked as he stood up. "Look, I have a girlfriend, you know this. Even if that somehow happened, she'd kill me on the spot."
"So you're admitting you'd let that happen?"
"What?"
"Me sleeping with you!"
"No! I mean you're hot, but…"
Rias stood up and marched over to Jimmy.
"Look, I don't care how powerful you are or what your friends say. You are not welcome here!"
"Oh real mature, Ms. Hypocrite. You're the one who kissed me."
"Yes! I kissed you! Because you let me!"
"I was trying to deactivate your sex drive! Remember when I said, 'you're a good friend?' That was a hint!"
"So what, a simple, 'don't kiss me' is too much for you?"
"No, but maybe you're too dim-witted to take a fricki'n hint!" Jimmy shouted, getting angrier.
"How dare you!" Rias shouted. "I am the king of the house of Gremory and you will treat me with respect!"
Jimmy fixed his eyebrows. "You know what? Fuck you!"
X
"I could hear them arguing from outside. It did not go well." Neil finished.
"Wow." Xenovia said, astonished. "I… didn't think Rias could get that angry."
"I don't blame her. Jimmy at times can come off as a little… headstrong. I'm surprised it hasn't come to blows yet."
"So what about everyone else?"
"Well we met Azazel." Neil said. "He's laid back, but he's a bit of a douche."
Xenovia chuckled. "Yep, that's Azazel."
"Anyway, they're adjusting nicely. Although Joanna still can't get over her new body. She loathes it so much."
"And you?" Xenovia asked.
Neil stood. "On the contrary, Azazel learned about my triumph over Loki and decided to hire me for a personal errand of his. There are a few stray fallen angels among the city who are being protected by a group of humans and he hired me to take them out, or should I say… us."
Neil extended a hand to Xenovia.
"I… what?" Xenovia asked, dumbfounded. "But I just woke up from a coma."
"I have Joanna on speed dial. I call her and she'll be over here in a matter of minutes. What do you say?"
Xenovia looked away and gave the proposition some thought. After some time, she grasped Neil's hand.
X
The Tokyo Temple was one of the most elite hotels in Japan. It was the home of big time events such as the New Year's celebration, The Ides of Spring Dance, and tonight the annual Masquerade Ball. Although this was a time of celebration, Neil was focused on his targets.
The fallen ones were named, Ismir, Darcy, and Rose. All three were supposed to be in attendance with an entire human security team guarding them not to mention hotel security. Fortunately, Neil had a plan to get in and take out each of them without raising alarm. Hopefully Xenovia wouldn't screw things up. He didn't know what to expect from her on a stealth mission considering her main weapon was a claymore the size of himself.
Neil completed dawning his disguise as he contacted Xenovia.
"Xenovia, are you in position?" He asked.
"Yeah." She replied. "So what am I supposed to do again?"
Amateur.
"You're supposed to distract Ismir while I take out Darcy and Rose on opposite ends of the hotel. Once they are killed, the poison in the drink that Ismir drinks will take effect, distracting everyone while we make a clean escape."
"And by we giving him the drink, you mean you?"
"Yes."
"Why can't I have a kill?"
"You're new to this. If you tried anything you could compromise this entire mission."
Xenovia sighed. "Fine. What if I drink the poison then?"
"Assuming you're that stupid, I took it into consideration. It's a supplement that affects only beings of holy decent. Not devils. Just keep Ismir distracted and everything will turn out fine. Oh, and if he wants to have sex… just say you're waiting until marriage."
"You know I really didn't have this in mind when I thought of being an assassin."
"You wanted to be on a stealth mission. This is how it's done."
X
Xenovia
It had been ages since Xenovia had to dress up like this. She was wearing a blue-green, silk dress that showed off her features while sporting a black handbag and a green mask.
She didn't feel comfortable trying to seduce someone other than Issei, but she had gotten to know Neil better since their confrontation five days ago, and thought she could trust him.
She walked in through the front door after being checked by security and proceeded to the party. Inside was an entire crowd of people dressed in various dresses, suits, and wearing all sorts of masks. There was even someone wearing the mask from Dishonored.
Neil told Xenovia to walk to the bar and await Ismir, who is supposed to be a notorious womanizer. He couldn't resist someone as beautiful as her.
Xenovia sat down at the bar and sighed.
"What am I doing?" She thought.
After about five minutes, she heard a voice speak to her.
"Excuse me," Ismir said in a very Norse accent. "I couldn't help but notice you all by yourself. Can I buy you a drink?"
Xenovia looked at him and smiled. "Sure."
Ismir turned to the bartender. "Bartender. Two glasses of meijyou daiginjyou."
The bartender poured the drinks. He turned and gave them the glasses.
"Here you are." Neil said as he handed them the drinks. "Enjoy."
Neil walked away as Ismir reached for his glass. In that moment, she didn't know why, but Xenovia took the glass closest to Ismir and took a sip. She knew that that was the one with the poison and she didn't want Neil to get the kill. For once she wanted some of the glory.
Xenovia smiled at Ismir as he looked at her a little confused. Eventually he smiled back at her and drank from the other glass.
X
Neil
As Neil was about to step out of the bar, another bartender grabbed him by the arm.
"Hey, where are you going?" he asked. "The party's not over yet."
"I have to check on my car." Neil said. "I left the windows down."
Neil walked out the door and into the night.
He looked around. Nobody seemed to be there safe for one drunk couple, but they were too busy enjoying each other's company. Neil ducked behind a dumpster and took out a bag from behind it. He unzipped it and pulled out a suit from the hotel staff. He quickly slipped it on along with a brown wig, and rejoined the party.
He knew Darcy was among the crowd of guests who were dancing or lounging around. He had to figure out which one he was and fast.
Bingo.
He spotted a large man lounging on a big chair with two human girls on each of his arms. He was dressed in a black, Armani suit and had on a grey mask.
Neil made his way to the man and interrupted his company with the two maidens.
"Excuse me, sir." Neil said. "May I have a moment of your time?"
Darcy laughed. "Of course." He turned to the girls and winked. "I'll be right back." He said as he stood to his full height. Seven feet tall, dwarfing Neil.
"What is it, little man?" he asked.
"There seems to be a problem with your room. Would you mind following me?"
Darcy rolled his eyes. "Oh Christ. Fine. Make it quick."
Neil led Darcy into the elevator and pressed the button with the number, "twenty" over it. The elevator began moving, but as soon as the doors closed, to Neil's surprise, Darcy whipped around and pressed him against the wall. He conjured a blue knife and held it to Neil's neck.
"Did you really think you could fool me, Devil scum?" he asked. Neil could smell the whisky on his breath. "I could sense you from a mile away."
"To be honest, I was hoping you would do something this stupid."
"We fallen ones are known for our bravery and will never back down from a fight." Darcy said, pressing the knife to Neil. He could feel a slight burn on his neck. "Got any more tricks, you bastard?"
"Just this."
Neil conjured a small knife and plunged it into the elevator wall. Darcy went still. Blood trickled down the back of his head as a sword came out of his head and back into the ceiling of the elevator. Neil pushed Darcy off of him and the elevator doors opened. Luckily there was nobody there.
Neil made quick work of Darcy. He dragged him back to his room, covered up the wound, put him lying down on his bed, and placed a "Do not Disturb" sign on his door for good measure.
Neil straightened his wig and made his way to the penthouse suite.
"One down, two to go." He muttered to himself.
He exited the elevator once it reached floor 30. Rose was a fallen angel known for her interest in lust and the finer things in life. As expected, she was quite wealthy.
He made his way to the door of the penthouse suite and put his ear to the door. Nothing.
He conjured a sword that masked his presence just in case as he entered the room.
Inside was a large, elegant room about twenty feet tall with a luxurious living room set. There was a separate area to the kitchen, but it was barely visible.
Neil noticed clothes everywhere scattered about hastily. As he listened closely, he heard creaking and moaning coming from the bedroom. It sounded like one woman and two men.
Perfect.
Neil snuck over to the bedroom and peeked inside to see Rose and two handsome men having intercourse (I'm not going to describe it because . Just make up your own kinky story).
Neil closed the door and readied his sword. With one stroke, he plunged it into the ground. Next he heard stone and steel clanging and silence.
Neil removed his sword and the swords he summoned receded back into the stone.
Neil flipped the sword as he walked away, but stopped. In the living room, stopped mid-walk was a half-naked Brazilian hunk holding a bullwhip, frightened by the teenager dressed as a hotel manager holding a spectral sword.
Both of them stared at each other, waiting for the next move.
X
Neil banished the bloodied sword as he exited the room and hung another "Do not Disturb" sign on the handle.
"Two down." He thought to himself. "And soon to be three."
He checked his watch. The poison should have taken effect by now.
He made his way to the elevator and exited into the lobby floor.
The party was still in full swing with guests dancing and laughing with one another. Neil looked at the bar to find Xenovia… and Ismir.
Neil gritted his teeth as he took out his phone.
Xenovia
"So tell me…" Ismir said to Xenovia. "do you prefer cars or jets?"
"I don't know… both?" Xenovia asked, giving him her biggest fake smile.
Ismir laughed. "Good thing I have both then."
Xenovia chuckled as her phone rang, which was a good thing, because this guy was going to make her vomit. She reached into her purse and answered.
"Um… hello?"
"Why is he not dead yet?" Asked Neil in a harsh tone.
Xenovia felt her heart speed up as she heard him. She knew the consequences, but she wanted this desperately. She turned away from Ismir.
"Well I didn't… quite do what you said." She whispered.
"You what?" Neil asked. "You mean you took his drink, didn't you?"
"Well I didn't want to be rude." Xenovia said, looking back at Ismir, who was looking at her questioningly.
"Who is that, my dear?" He asked.
Xenovia looked at him and blurted the first thing that came to her mind.
"My boyfriend."
"What?!" Neil shouted into the phone.
Ismir's eyes widened. "Oh. Well I do apologize." He stood up and walked away. "Give him my regards." He said as he mingled into the party.
Xenovia knew she screwed up big time. She turned back to the phone.
"Neil, I'll fix this, I swear." No response. "Hello? Hello?"
Just then, she felt a hand pull her away from the bar. Neil opened the door to the padio, where no guests currently were and shoved Xenovia out the door and onto the terrace. Neil closed the door.
"Are you completely OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" He shouted.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Xenovia said. "I didn't know what I was thinking."
"You're damn right you weren't. That was twenty thousand dollars you just pissed away, and for what? So you would have the glory?"
"I'm sorry, okay?" Xenovia said, sounding defensive. "I just… wanted to be more useful is all."
"Xenovia, every assassin has a part to play, but you can't just go around killing people. What were you even going to do? Whip out Durandal and cut his head off in front of hundreds of people?"
"I… um…" Xenovia stuttered.
"Why am I not surprised?"
"Hey, I can be subtle too, you know. Just because I have a god damned claymore doesn't mean I'm a brute." Xenovia looked at Neil and noticed him looking back into the party room.
"Hey. Are you listenin…"
And just like that… Neil kissed her.
Xenovia's eyes shot open at the feeling. That's when her instincts kicked in. She shoved Neil away and slapped him.
"What the hell's your problem?" She shouted.
Neil rubbed his cheek and looked at Xenovia as he walked away.
"One more try." He said.
Xenovia was tempted to run after him, but as soon as she took one step, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Excuse me, is he giving you trouble?" Came the voice of Ismir.
Xenovia turned around and looked at him.
"I… uh…"
That's when she remembered Neil's words. This is probably what he meant.
"Oh, no. Sorry, that was my boyfr… my ex boyfriend."
Ismir frowned. "I am so sorry."
Xenovia sighed. "Oh… it's fine. He was a jerk anyway."
Ismir put his arm around Xenovia. "Come, let me buy you a drink. Maybe that'll calm your nerves."
"Okay." She said as she exhaled.
Bullet dodged.
X
Neil
"Why did I ever let her tag along?" Neil thought as he mixed the poison with Ismir's drink. "When it comes to something like this, she's useless. So why did I invite her to begin with?"
Neil began to stir the drink. "Well… I guess she's not that bad. She's got a decent form, her hair's the right length… as nice as it is. She has such a sweet voice…"
Neil stopped stirring as he realized what he was doing.
"What was that about?" he thought. Neil began walking toward Ismir and Xenovia. "Why am I like this all of a sudden? Maybe it's a side effect of my new body."
Neil reached a now talking Ismir and Xenovia as he handed them their drinks.
"Here you are, enjoy." He said.
Izmir smiled as he took the drink.
"Thank you very much… assassin."
Neil noticed Xenovia as she froze in fear.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you two?" Izmir asked.
"Honestly, we were going to kill you earlier." Neil said. "Technical difficulties."
Izmir smirked. "And what of my associates?"
Neil raised an eyebrow. Izmir frowned and set the drink down.
"I see." He said. "I'm the last then."
"And you know what I'm about to do next then?" Neil asked.
Ismir smirked. "Yes."
In the blink of an eye, everything happened at once. Ismir spread his wings as they shot out of his suit, Neil summoned one of his swords and jumped on top of the counter, at least twenty men from the party stopped what they were doing and drew their guns, pointing them at Neil, and Ismir grabbed Xenovia and pointed a light sword at her throat.
Neil pointed his sword at Ismir as the rest of the crowd noticed what was happening and bolted for the exit. Once the last person was out, there was dead silence. Neil could hear nothing but the breathing of Ismir's men and the beat of his own heart; a feeling that felt familiar, but one he had never experienced in his lifetime.
Ismir chuckled. "You can not win, assassin. My men and I are highly trained in our field and outnumber you. You have no chance."
"I beg to differ, Ismir." Neil said. "Release the girl, or I will kill everyone."
Ismir laughed. "You can't be serious. I hold all the cards. You can't possibly win."
Neil scowled. "Your funeral."
A sword extended from Neil's other hand and hit the ground as numerous others shot out from the ground, cutting the humans' guns in half and piercing Ismir's palm, making him let go of the light sword and giving Xenovia the opportunity to shove him off and summon Durandal.
Ismir stared at Neil in amazement. "This isn't over!" He shouted as he ran off.
"Oh no you don't!" Xenovia shouted as she ran after him.
"No! Wait!" Neil called out as one of the guards tried to grab one of his legs. Neil dodged his attack and swung his sword, cleaving his head in half. Neil jumped to the ground and stared down his attackers.
X
Xenovia
Ismir barged his way through the glass doors at the end of the hallway as Xenovia swung her sword, making a shockwave of pure light that obliterated the hall and shattered the glass. Ismir managed to dodge the attack and fly to the other side of the pool area, where they had exited into.
The pool was a large one for a hotel, stretching over fifty feet and shined, making the area glow just enough for Xenovia to see Ismir and their surroundings. There was also a bar on either side along with chairs and a few umbrellas.
Ismir conjured two light swords in his hands. "Oh I recognize you now. You're that bitch who abandoned your traditions for that perverted dragon freak."
"He's not a freak!" Xenovia shouted, her blood boiling from that comment. "And I didn't abandon my traditions. I had my reasons for leaving."
"So be it." Ismir said as he leapt into the air and charged toward Xenovia. "Die, traitor!"
Xenovia spread her wings and charged toward Ismir and their weapons collided, causing a shockwave that caused the water underneath them to part.
X
Neil
As Xenovia left, the bodyguards pulled out small rods from their jackets and clicked a button. Suddenly beams of light shined out of them like swords.
Neil raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Exorcists."
The bodyguards charged him. Neil conjured a second sword and cleaved one of them in half as he drove his other sword through the second man who decided to rush him.
Two more men swung at him, but Neil jumped over the swords and avoided the attack with ease. Another man swung at him, but Neil parried the attack and drove his sword through the man's chest. He pulled out, elbowing another man in his gut, and then spun around to decapitate him.
Just then five of the bodyguards rushed Neil at once. Neil parried their attacks with ease as he delivered a killing blow to each of them.
Neil scraped his sword on the ground, tauntingly as the last ten bodyguards looked upon him in fear. Neil knew that look. They had never had to deal with someone of this caliber… until now. The look a professional assassin was all too familiar with.
Suddenly, Neil heard a loud explosion outside. Immediately he knew it was Xenovia. Feeling the urge to help his friend, he rose his sword.
"Time to end this." He said as he stuck his sword into the ground. As he did, a torrent of swords erupted from the ground, dicing the bodyguards who were remaining. Neil removed the sword and the swords retreated into the ground. He could hear the moans of the fallen bodyguards as he ran off toward the pool. He hoped he was not too late.
X
Xenovia
Xenovia groaned as she stood. She wasn't hurt badly, but that last blast knocked the wind out of her. She readied her sword as Ismir flew back into the air.
"I must say, I am impressed." He said as he spread his three pairs of wings. "I never knew a knight would have such destructive energy."
"There's a lot you don't know about me." Xenovia said. "Let's see if you can handle this."
Xenovia spread her wings and flew into the air, raising Durandal. She swung at Ismir, who conjured two light swords to block the incoming blast, creating another shockwave as the blades collided.
As the blades clashed, Xenovia held out her left hand and summoned a bright portal. She gripped the handle of her old sword, the sword of destruction (I have no idea what the actual name is. Help me?) and swung it at Ismir, who could only watch as she swung upward, slicing off three of Ismir's six wings.
Ismir screamed in agony as he fell into the pool below. Xenovia smirked in victory as she landed at the edge of the pool closest to Ismir.
Before long, Ismir emerged from the pool, his blood now staining the water. He gripped onto the edge where Xenovia was, gasping for air. He looked up at Xenovia as she grabbed him by his coat and flung him into the bar stand nearby, making it collapse.
Xenovia walked toward Ismir, crossing both swords like scissors as she pointed them at him. Ismir stood, gripping two of his wing stubs, and looked at Xenovia with a mixture of fear and anger.
"Unbelievable." Ismir cried out. "They said a bitch would always be my undoing, I just didn't believe them."
Xenovia scowled. "Well this 'bitch' is about to prove you right."
Xenovia grunted as she swung the blades, making a massive energy wave, decimating the entire east wing of the pool area. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was rubble, some iron from the fence, and Ismir's tattered jacket, blowing in the wind.
Xenovia exhaled as she lowered her swords. Just then, she heard clapping from the hotel entrance. She spun around to see Neil clapping as if he was spectating the whole thing.
"Impressive." He said as he walked toward her. "Very clumsy and full of holes… but impressive nonetheless. Not every devil can win against a fallen one that powerful."
Xenovia sighed. "You could have helped, you know."
"But then you wouldn't have gotten what you wanted." Neil replied. "It looks like you got your kill after all."
Xenovia's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say after Neil's kindness. She smiled. "Thank you." She said.
"By the way, where did you get that Holy Sword?" Neil asked, pointing to Xenovia's old sword.
"Oh, it's my old sword, the sword of destruction."
"But I gave you Kiba's sword to use."
"Yeah, so?"
"So why didn't you tell me about this one? Why didn't you use this against Loki, or me for that matter?"
"Well I…" Xenovia began, but she stuttered as she searched for an answer. "Huh… why didn't I use it?"
X
Xenovia finished counting her million yen as her and Neil watched the rescue teams clean up the Tokyo Temple from the rooftop of the building across from it.
"So tell me, how did you like your first job?" Neil asked.
"It was actually kind of fun." Xenovia said. "I also kinda liked how tricked that guy for a second."
"But he knew you were a devil."
Xenovia's smile faded. "Y-yeah…"
"To be fair, I made that mistake too. People where I come from don't usually have that ability, and I don't know why Azazel didn't mention that before, but in the end we got paid and we got away."
Xenovia smiled. "Hey, Neil?"
"Hm?"
"You think maybe… we could do this again sometime?"
Neil looked at Xenovia as if she said something she shouldn't have.
"R-really?"
"Yeah. I know I screwed up, but…"
"Sure."
Xenovia's eyes widened. "Wait, you're serious?"
"Of course." Neil said. "You're gonna need more training and you need to listen to me more, but other than that, I think you could make a great hit man."
Neil winked at her.
Xenovia chuckled as she looked back at the hotel.
"So tell me, what are you gonna do with your half?" She asked.
"Well I'm gonna give a hundred thousand to Jimmy, Joanna, and Kyle. God knows they'll need it."
"And the other seven hundred thousand?"
"I've got a few ideas."
X
Neil
The doors opened as Neil walked in.
"Hi, welcome to Taco Hut." The Clerk said. "What can I get for ya?"
Neil slammed the stack of money onto the counter.
"Everything!"