Furuichi ducked under a harsh strike, springing up to his feet to block a straight jab for his chin. Rolling with the blow, he twisted on his hands and tried to kick his opponent in the gut. Kirin had expected it and blocked it with his tonfa, bringing his leg up to counterattack and landing a hit square on Furuichi's head. He blinked his eyes as his head snapped back, trying his best to stem the onslaught of bleariness as he spun his tonfas in his hands to block three more strikes aimed for his vitals. The two Pillars disengaged, Furuichi stumbling backwards while Kirin merely jumped, and took a small breather as they waited for another chance to strike.
Furuichi panted as he stared at Kirin. The older male didn't seem winded or otherwise harmed from their bout, while Furuichi sported several new bruises and cuts on his body. The Pillar had told Furuichi that throughout their time training with one another, or really it should be called physical wailing, that he would not go easy on him. It was on thing to be told it, and a completely other thing to have it being done to you.
Furuichi blocked the second shot, twisted around, and ducked underneath Kirin's outstretched hand. He swiped his hand right, aiming to elbow the older Pillar's gut but his attempt was blocked and was countered with a high kick to his head. Furuichi stumbled back, dazed, and didn't manage to parry the next hit in time.
He hit the ground with a thud, and was able to roll back onto his feet. He blinked back the dizziness and refocused his eyes onto a grinning Kirin who stood there with a wide smirk on his lips. His stance was wide open, mockingly so, and the way he swung his arms showed restlessness that bordered laziness. It was an insult directed straight at him, and one Furuichi was only able to recognise due to the burning rage that overtook his soul as the vampire side started demanding for blood. Furuichi resisted the urge as the calmer parts of his soul started to temper the raging fire.
He clicked his tongue and repositioned his legs. False experience and knowledge filtered through his mind, and he tried his best to focus solely on that part of his soul. Strangely, Furuichi thought about how he had never felt something like this before. He had been mostly ignorant as to how a soul would feel like, but as of now, since his soul was now an eldritch abomination, Furuichi became acutely aware as to how a soul felt like. He played host to a variety of types after all, and was thus now foreign in his own body as his original soul collided with these different brands, each bearing different staples and stereotypes of their kind. He could blame his ignorance on the subject of souls till recently, but Furuichi had slightly marveled at how bright his human soul was and consequently how the more supernatural parts contrasted darkly against his original soul.
He felt Kirin's piece on his soul begin to spread and reach across his body. The tonfa in his hands was gripped tighter, and he felt himself form the stance that Kirin had taught him. It was imperfect, a sham, and even though Furuichi was trying his hardest to emulate the secrets that Kirin's soul tried to feed him, he couldn't quite get it down right. But it was enough, and that was all that mattered.
He reacted, striding forward and pushing his tonfa into a straight jab. Kirin slapped it away and Furuichi rolled with it to build momentum in his other hand. The Demon parried the second hit, and then another, and then another. Each time Kirin blocked one hand, another came to hit him on the other side.
The Demon grunted, and using both hands he knocked Furuichi back. The white-haired Lieutenant brought his right leg back to stop himself from stumbling backward and tried to knee Kirin in between the legs. It was blocked and Furuichi hopped back to prepare another tactic.
He focused harder on Kirin's soul, stretching it across his own and trying to force it to unlock the proper movements, stances, and tactics to him. For a moment it worked, his stance shifted slightly - small movements that could go unnoticed - but they were there. Then Kirin's soul was beat back by the vampire as it surged against its natural enemy, while the water spirit and the youkai inside him tried to quell the sudden civil war before it attracted the dryad and the fae.
Furuichi dropped his tonfas at the sudden war, his body twitching in silent pain as Kirin's little slice of soul was beaten back with such fervent ferocity. He was unable to react to Kirin clotheslining him into the ground, and was forced to concede defeat as the wind rushed out of his lungs.
"Lost control again?" Kirin asked calmly. His answer was a gurgle of noises as Furuichi grabbed his stomach. Kirin made a sigh and gestured for Elim, who was chewing on a lollipop in a corner, to heal Kirin.
"Mou~, this is the third time today! You're tiring me out Furuchin!" Elim complained.
Even in his state of dreariness Furuichi was still very impressive in his vocal skills, "Don't say stuff like that."
"That was a pretty weak Tsukkomi," Kirin commented.
"Bite me, I'm panting on the floor curled up into a ball," Furuichi huffed. Kirin raised an eyebrow at him, and the young teenager didn't even need a second to know what he had done. "I regret everything."
"Geez, stay still and stop crying!" Elim waved her wand, which Furuichi knew to be ridiculous since she really didn't need a wand, and cast a healing spell over his body. It boosted his slightly higher healing rate thanks to the Water Spirit inside him, and sealed most of his injuries before they became life threatening. Feeling his body return to its proper state, as a teenage boy should be in, Furuichi rose to his full height and pulled his jacket over his body. His body felt colder than usual, another side effect of having a vampire soul strapped inside him and his human body sadly made the feeling very uncomfortable.
"I don't know how to get around the problem," Furuichi admitted as he pulled his jacket even tighter around him, "No matter how much I pull on your experience and your knowledge, the rest of my body horribly rejects it. Learning the stance and the forms doesn't even change anything, it pulls on the soul just as much as I would have trying to do it myself and my body would reject it again. This is so frustrating!" It really was, no matter how much Furuichi tried, his own soul seemed to be making things difficult for him.
"You'll find a way around it," Kirin said, fixing his tonfas onto his back. "You just need time." Furuichi smiled weakly and fixed his uniform as Elim started preparing the next part of his lessons. The magic, which Furuichi called freaky occult math, was just as terrible as the physical abuse.
"Alright, where were we?" Elim pulled out a large book, which was ripped and looked worn with use, and started flipping through the pages with reading glasses on her face. "You already know the theory with most of the summoning magic I thought you, but because of how unique your contract is, I think it's best for you to learn some teleportation magic too! First, recite to me the basic summoning magic and the formula."
"Save me." Kirin smirked but otherwise did nothing of the sort for Furuichi. Whining pitifully, Furuichi resigned himself to the mental abuse that he would suffer in the place of the tiny witch. Before anything else could be mentioned however, there was a soft knocking on the door. The gathered people all turned to the source, and were only partially surprise to see Lamia there with a small frown on her face.
"Geez I was looking everywhere for you guys," she said as she strode into the room. Kirin shrugged his shoulder unapologetically as he stared at her.
"I wrote a memo," he said indifferently.
"Where?!" Lamia replied exasperatedly. Kirin reached into his pocket and pulled out a yellow sticky note before handing it to Lamia.
"There," Kirin said nonchalantly, "I just forgot to put it in a place for you to find, but better late than never." Furuichi became concerned as a tick formed on Lamia's forehead, both for Kirin and Lamia if she managed to go through with it.
"Ugh nevermind. How long have you guys been here?" She asked as she walked up to Furuichi. He chuckled awkwardly as she pushed him into a seat and started running tests on his body.
"I skipped most of the first few classes, and took the middle two periods as a break, so I'd say for at least three hours," he admitted freely. "Why, is there a problem?" It was after school now anyway.
"Of course there is!" Lamia said irritably, "We're still unsure of the limits to your body, and over-stressing it like this could lead to unforeseen side-effects!"
Furuichi laughed sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck. The little pinkette assumed Lecturing Position #2, with her hands on her hips and her legs spread apart. "Listen here Furuichi! You're not as dumb as Oga, so you don't have an excuse for being so beat up and disregarding your own health! Don't go trying to get yourself killed for the stupid excuse of getting stronger."
"Of course not! I'm not the main hero of some ecchi, shounen anime!" Furuichi yelled. Lamia seemed to sag in relief at that, her worries sated for now, but didn't let go of her harsh demeanor.
"What about your plans for the Maous arrival? Have you figured that out?!" For some reason or another, Lamia had been quizzing him on basic tactics and planning. 'Qualities of an Officer,' she said, and while he felt grateful for her concern, he had to wonder why now of all times did she express it so willingly.
"Kirin will shadow the Maous, while I shadow the Gremory group. Leviathan-sama had personally sent a message to Behemoth that she would handle Sitri-san's group, and Elim will be monitoring the situation from the sky," Furuichi said, a repetition of the many other times he had recited it that day alone with Kirin, "During class time, Kirin and I will split up and patrol around the buildings for any traps or the like."
Lamia bit the side of her lip as she crossed her arm, her eyes closed in thought. Furuichi glanced at Kirin, but the experienced Pillar didn't seem to mind her actions, so Furuichi chose to ignored it as well. "The Maous will be here tomorrow for the visit, are your parents coming Furuichi?" Lamia asked.
"Yea they will, but I doubt they'd come to see me. They'll probably just come to watch Honoka," Furuichi muttered. He slipped his arms into his jacket and clipped the buttons into place. His jacket wrapped snugly around his newly acquired muscles, and the Lieutenant was still slightly uncomfortable with the sudden bulk. He shook the feeling away and looked at Honoka, who seemed to be blushing for some reason. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Of course I am!" she said quickly, "Here, mother asked me to give you this." With speed that Furuichi didn't know she had, Lamia pushed a pin to his chest and disappeared out the door. Blinking in surprise, Furuichi glanced down at the pin that she had given him. It was of a dagger that resembled a tanto in its sheath, with a snake coiled around it. The head of the snake rested at the top ot the hilt and it was entirely colored a dull gold.
"That's the pin of the Serpent Guards. It denotes members of the Pillar Squad who act as aides or elite members that serve under the Pillar Barons directly. The Pillars Generals have some commandment over them too, however their rank is technically equal - though the General's are senior officers. I too am a Serpent Guard under Jabberwock," Kirin said as he noted the unique design. "She giving this to you means that she probably convinced her mother on your abilities and potential."
"Why would she do that?" Furuichi asked, befuddled. Kirin only looked at Furuichi blankly for a moment, sighing as his opinions were cemented.
"I can understand it perfectly fine, since she has her own position as Laymia's daughter to worry about. Even though she is an apprentice to the Blackjack, it is not enough. You'll need to climb the social ladder as well if all her hard work would not be for naught."
"I don't mind climbing up the hierarchy, it's just I didn't expect her to be so enthusiastic about it for me," Furuichi muttered. With a shrug he clipped the pin on his left side, and ran his hand over his sleeve to smooth the edges.
"Geez, for someone who's a mob character you really are clueless sometimes!" Elim said in exasperation. A knocking on the door drew their attention again, and Furuichi was further surprised to find Xenovia there. Remembering his earlier conversation with her, Furuichi couldn't help but blush happily as he approached her with a goofy smile.
Xenovia noticed the two others in the room as she confidently strode into the room. "Did I interrupt a meeting between you and your superiors? I apologise if so." Always so blunt, like a true knight. It was a refreshing atmosphere to be in.
"Not at all," Kirin said, "We were wrapping up actually."
"Ehhh?! But I haven't given my lesson yet!" Elim exclaimed. She stomped her foot on the ground grumpily as she bit her lip. "What's the point of getting a doctorate if I'm not gonna use it!"
Furuichi was a little surprised at that. No! Is it right for a little girl like her to so nonchalantly declare that she had a doctorate. There were people in their early thirties who still worked hard for that recognition. This was beyond the level of ridiculousness.
Furuichi would have said something had Xenovia not pull on his sleeve. "Regardless, I come bearing a message from Sona-kaichou. With regards to the planned meeting with the Maous, she asks that the Pillars assist the Student Council by checking the area of the town for any signs of magical interference or the type. The Student Council will prioritize sweeping the school."
Checking the town? Indeed, that would be the task most suited for the unrelated Pillars to be assigned. But Xenovia hadn't let go of her sleeve, and instead looked up at Furuichi with a fire in her eyes. "Also, I would like to spend some time with Takayuki. I was informed that a date at the starting stages of a courtship is too heavy-handed, so I would request that Takayuki escort me home!"
"T-Takayuki!" Furuichi spluttered, grabbing his throat in embarrassment at having a beautiful girl so confidently say his name like that. Elim, who had stepped up to stand next to Kirin, had her hand up against her mouth and an excited blush dusting her cheeks. Her eyes gained a starry light as she appreciated the drama in front of her. Kirin seemed completely nonplussed.
"Is it wrong?" Xenovia asked, her face still the determined mask she had on when she walked in, "As I have decided that I would strive to become your lover, such shows of affection would be common. Perhaps a nickname? Taka? Furu-san? But that's pretty silly."
"I think you broke him," Elim commented idly as she stared at the dumbstruck face of Furuichi. In all seriousness, Furuichi was the happiest he had been in a long time; in fact, you could say he is the happiest man alive at the moment.
"N-no, I'm fine," Furuichi quickly amended. Though Furuichi was still unsure to the use of his name, in some ways, it was just too much but it was also amazingly refreshing! "Just surprised is all."
Xenovia nodded in resolution and then pulled Furuichi out of the room. "Then let us head home together!" she said, no, exalted would be a better word. Elim had said something behind their backs, but Furuichi was too busy memorising the soft feel of Xenovia's hands to notice. The loitering students on school grounds staying back for club meetings were given the treat to see the school's newest bishoujo drag the military school transfer student out of the old school building by his hand, and both Motohama and Matsuda were crying as they watched the not-so-handsome student be dragged away. At once, they both decided to shave their heads and join the military. Of course, they were not the main characters of the story, so in all honesty, you shouldn't be giving a shit about them.
"Oh," Furuichi said, stopping Xenovia at the gate of the school. "Where exactly do you live Xenovia? Is it somewhere nearby my house?" Furuichi asked. Xenovia paused, cupping her chin as she thought about it.
"Actually, I'm living in the old school building for the time being," Xenovia admitted.
"Eh! Then you live in the school? How in any way is this ok?! Rather than that, where am I supposed to escort you to?" Xenovia huffed as she placed her hands on her hips.
"It leaves us with no choice. I'll simply follow you to your house, since I live in school," she said, as though it was perfectly normal. Furuichi sweatdropped at her assured expression.
"W-wait a minute, are you escorting me?" Furuichi asked.
"For the sake of romance, we have to reach a compromise," she stated evenly. The sweatdrop grew bigger, but even then, there was something to be appreciated in Xenovia's straightforwardness and calm logic. Well, even if it does take away the moment. "By the way, why are we waiting by the gate?"
"Oh, right," Furuichi chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, you'll have to accommodate for an extra. My little sister goes to Kuoh too, so we'll be walking home with her," he stated. Xenovia seemed surprised by that, as she looked up at him with wide eyes.
"You have a sister?" she asked, almost in a whisper, "Is she a member of the Pillars as well?"
He shook his head in the negative, "No, she's a normal human being. She's completely unrelated to the supernatural world." Whatever surprise Xenovia had at him having a sister was only increased when she heard that.
"Don't tell me you've somehow managed to keep your status as a contract holder a secret from your family!" she said. "Surely they must have seen the signs, or you would have to have explain some of it!"
Furuichi scratched his head, idly wondering what the big deal was. Oga was able to hie his contract with Beelzebub, and it was with one of the Maous kid to boot. He didn't really think his contracts compared to that. "Being a contract holder wasn't something I expected to happen. It just did, and I had to familiarise myself with using it quickly so I guess I just didn't have the time. Though I don't quite understand why I should tell them anything at all?"
Xenovia quietly mulled over his words, a curious glint in her eyes. "No, it's alright. It's just most contract holders are solitary people, ranging drom Magicians to outcasts. They would usually be people with 'the desires to want something' stronger than any other human being. It's not like the contracts we hand out on our fliers, contracts like these should be more personal and be so demanding so as to allow the contractor to succefully bind the Devil in 'The Agreement'. And you say you had contracted with all of the Pillars too," she grabbed her chin, her eyes narrowed in deep thought, as she bore a hole into Furuichi's head. Furuichi blushed and stuttered at the attention he was getting, turned away in embrassment.
Xenovia seemed to caught on to something as she asked, "You said you had to familiarise yourself with your contract, why?"
Furuichi blinked and his response was almost immediate, "Oga needed me."
"Oga?"
"Sorry, a friend needed my help," he clarified, "not that it was much help," he added as a bitter afterthought. No more words could be exchange, though Furuichi did note something lighting up in Xenovia's eyes, and both the two second-years had turned in surprise when a shocked presence had entered their bubble.
"N-nii-san! W-who is this?" Honoka asked, her mouth ajar in shock as she stared at the beautiful Knight in front of her.
"O-oh Honoka, this is Xenovia she's my cla-"
"I am Takayuki's lover," Xenovia interjected.
"T-T-T-Takayuki!" Honoka spluttered. Furuichi sweatdropped, hoping that he could somehow salvaged the situation.
"I-it's not like that," he tried to amend quickly, "She's just joking around!"
"Not at all, I fully intend to have Takayuki be the father to my children," Xenovia stated. At that point both Furuichi and Honoka were on he verge of fainting, one from shock while the other from all the shocking news throughout the day.
"Ho-Honoka, l-let's just head home and talk about this there alright?" His sister could only nod dumbly, and Furuichi felt slightly bad at all the things he was putting her through. They walked silently down the way back to their apartment, or the Furuichi's apartment at least.
Honoka was still stunned at the new revelation, while Furuichi felt incredibly awkward. Xenovia seemed unaffected, in fact she was curently leaning her head on his shoulder, smiling slightly as she snuggled her cheeks against him.
It felt great! The fact his rght arm was in between her boobs was an added bonus. He was in absolute contentment.
If it weren't for the whistling sound of a blade heading towards him.
The sound of skin being pierced, blood spilling, and a scream filled the air.
THIS TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE! And it was so hard to write! And I still don't like it! But after five revisions I guess this was as good as you were going to get.
I did say this was going to growth between character relationships and Furuichi as a whole. The first few trials (and I mean trials) with Xenovia are going to be awkward but hey that's her charm.
Of course Lamia is slowly buy surely wheezling her way into there.
At the same time we larn more about Furuichi's current condition, and how much it reflects his nature with his Sacred Gear, 'Fracture Image' and 'Shattered Mirror'. I won't get into it too much in AN but this is a development of Furuichi's power as a person, so while there are some things I can't change, I would like to see your comments on has just been such a welcoming flood of support that I was honestly surprise, I thought the internet would gut me at every turn.
Of course in some ways this was set up for future instances. A thing about his fic is that the politics that were somewhat covered in the LNs would be expanded upon since Furuichi is now standing at the very divide between supernatural and normalcy.
Anyways sorry this took so long, but you know the chapter didn't want to come out the way I wanted it too.
This is WDO345 signing out.