Highschool DxD is not mine.

Kaito woke up in this strange cell with a lot of strange, monster-like equipment all over the place. He blinked a few times, and found himself tied up to some weird cross with all kinds of gems on it.

" The hell?!" His limbs were put inside some kind of sucker and it made him feel weak and sloppy. It was almost like being sleepy but couldn't sleep. His body also ached badly for some unknown reasons.

" Heh, that boy…"

He heard a whisper from outside the room. Mustering all the power he had, he used it all to sharpen his ears to extreme levels.

" You'll get your promotion, don't worry. As I suck that boy's holy energy dry, a new holy sword shall be born. We'll be the first to invent a holy sword from pure holy energy!" Wait, he knew that voice!

" True, but if they smell us…"

" Meh, don't worry. A life of a young boy is nothing compared to what we shall receive! They know that as well. If not, we'll just say it's a noble sacrifice for God. They won't know we kidnapped him, so we might as well say him giving himself voluntarily. He'll be dead already, anyway"

He clicked his tongue. How stupid of them. They thought this measly little cuff would hold him for long? HA! Dream on, fat-ass. He wiggled his hands around, only to find himself getting even more stuck than before.

" O-kay, this might be problematic." He kept on trying to shed off that wretched cuff off him. For God's sake! It wouldn't budge!

Jeanne walked around the monastery to find the new boy she met before. She had searched all around, but there was no one knowing anything. She sighed in exhaustion as he found the infamous thug from the Combat Region. Okay, one last try, she thought.

" Hey, do you know where Nakashima Kaito is?" She politely asked

" HUH?!" He growled back, noticing the blond girl cowering in front of him. His expression softened immediately.

" Sorry. I kinda hate it when people disturb me in training" He sheepishly spoke.

" No, it's okay. He's that new boy from about 2 weeks ago" She answered.

" Oh, him. I never saw him since yesterday, too" He said with a glint of worry in his voice. He could train himself, sure, but it was a far cry from training with him. Not to mention he was a really good listener.

" I'm starting to get worried…" She bit her finger anxiously.

" I know" He adopted a serious expression as well.

2 weeks later…

Kaito was slumping on his cross. It really was inescapable. Nothing he did could break off those stupid chains binding his limbs. And to top it all off, his energy was seeped away from him in an alarming rate. At this rate, he might die as skin and bones before he could even gather enough power to break out from there.

" I'm hungry…" He muttered. He wasn't fed in two weeks straight.

His thoughts were blown off when he heard several footsteps and a strong energy signature that reeked of holy power. He heard many things from outside, some chatters about how the monastery was doing, and the most recent event a.k.a the brutal massacre on the village down there.

" That was a horrendous event. So, where's the killer?" A woman's voice was heard.

" Um, he's in the prison. Not to worry, miss. He won't do anything ever again" That voice again…he'd spent two weeks trying to remember, and he found out. It was that baldy prosecutor that was trying to charge him.

" Well, could you let me see him?" She asked

" Y-Yes, Ma'am. Please wait for a while" He gulped.

The door creaked open and he saw that damn prosecutor and a voluptuous blonde woman in her twenties with twelve wings from her back. The holy power was immense, but it was pure and calm, and full of kindness like she was radiating from all over her body.

" This is him?" She asked with an unreadable voice.

" Yes"

" Why…" Her blonde hair shadowed her face

" WHY IS HE LOOKING LIKE A WORN OUT CORPSE?!" She shouted at the poor prosecutor. In an instant, her power nature changed to hostile. Gone her gentle voice and expression, replaced by that of pure anger.

" No, no Ma'am! We had to chain him and weaken him so he wouldn't wreak havoc here! And what you see is just an after effect of the muscle depressant!" He chickened out in the presence of that lady. And she was right. Kaito looked like a corpse personally sent from a graveyard, albeit his skin made him a little bit…life-like. She took a few breaths and sighed. Hesitantly, she left that place.

Later that night…

Kaito was already mustering strength for two weeks with much, much effort on his part. Finally, he had collected enough strength to bust those stupid things stuck to his limbs. If only he had the moment to leave…

" Damn!" He spat out

Suddenly, a bright light erupted from the floor and turned to a cross and that woman from before appeared from it. Kaito left his mouth open in agape, until that woman did the honors and closed it for him.

" You need food" She took out a bag full of bread and water. She started feeding him and giving him drinks. He had finally tasted food after 2 weeks of near-death trance. She put down the glass on the floor and looked at him.

" Thank you…" He spoke with a shaky tone.

" I'm sorry…I knew he was lying, but he's essential for the church. I went berserk and saved you, the number of believers would unquestionably drop. And as angels rely on believers to continue living…" She whispered, afraid of the possible peepers.

" No matter. I'll still thank you. Can you tell me your name?" He coughed a little

" Very well then. I am called Gabriel, one of the Seraphs. Nice to meet you, Nakashima Kaito-kun." She said as she smiled brightly at him.

" Yes…" He smiled at her, too. Her wings started to shine and a cross made of light appeared.

" Okay… I'll be bringing food again later. Until then, Kaito-kun"

She left in a burst of feathers, leaving the room in darkness once again. Now he had enough energy and vitality to break these damn chains and plow through the enemy's defenses. He still had to get the timing, though.

" Well, whatever" He shrugged.

Two nights later, Gabriel was going to visit him with food hidden behind her robes, but she thought she saw some kind of bright light illuminating a room just 3 meters from her. Filled with curiosity, she walked to the room and saw a golden claymore resting on a pedestal. The holy power it radiated was insane, as if it was Excalibur reborn. She tucked out a cable supporting the holy power and tracked it carefully, until she arrived in front of the room she was so familiar with.

" Oh, Holy Father. Impossible…" She opened the door, only to see her worst thought coming true.

Kaito was waiting for Gabriel to bring rations for him. It wasn't really the food he was after, but she was a great cure for boredom. Being chained to a strange machine was really boring, for goodness' sake! At the very least, she could give him stories about things, not just sleeping around while being sapped away like a certain yellow sponge. The night passed on quickly, and he soon found himself in front of Gabriel. She walked to him quickly and touched his forehead.

" This won't hurt, okay?" She pulled away and started yanking the chains.

" Um…Gabriel-san, what are you doing?" He nervously muttered.

" No use…seems like it's made of dimensional sacred gear, and a Longinus, too…breaking this won't be easy" She started smashing it with holy power.

" Gabriel-san, what about the believers?"

" I don't care anymore. I deem your life more precious than a dozen of those fakers " She hit harder. He heard her muttering words about being unable to smash it with full power, or they'd be noticed. He sighed and raised his head

" Gabriel-san, move back a little"

" What?"She stopped her violent actions

" Just believe me"

She walked back by several steps. He started to summon the power he'd been accumulating for weeks and released them all in one go. The cuff and the room shook violently, along with the whole monastery. His body glowed with power and his pupils turned to slits.

" HYAAAHHHH!" His scream filled the whole room, and everything exploded. After the smokes were gone, they were standing above a pile of rubble from what remained of the silly cuff that chained him before.

" That's better. Now, let's go!" He grabbed Gabriel's hand and ran. But, she shook his hand off with a quick yank, making him fall.

" I'll be preparing for your teleportation. Meet me at the outside of this monastery." She disappeared in a flash of light.

Kaito rose up and walked like a zombie to the door. Hearing that loud explosion caused by him, some priests came with weapons in their hands. They kicked the door in with a 'FREEZE!' yell. He didn't even raise his head against that foolish bunch of guards.

" Freeze, heretic! Go back to your cell!" One of them shouted

He kept on walking, and he pulled a sword from his dimensional armory. It was the sword that massacred the whole village down below and bathed in their blood. He raised it and the priests started to pull back

" Kh! Go back, or we'll have to use force!" They shouted again

The door was only 3 steps from him.

" Charge! Put this foolish heretic back to his place!" The leader raised his sword and swung it wildly to him. He smiled under his dark face and stopped the sword with two fingers. The priest looked at him in obvious shock.

" You're in the way." He moved his finger a little and the sword snapped in two with a loud crack.

" MOVE!" With a single punch, he sent half of them kissing the stone wall across the room. The others were too shaken to do anything else.

" S-Seriously?! This guy's supposed to be all bones by now, r-right?" They shuddered in front of him.

" Unfortunately for you people…" He gave out a maniacal smirk

"….I'm no human" He moved quickly.

His slashes were very accurate, and his movements were flawless. Arondight went through their flesh like hot knife against butter. Heads rolled, blood splattered, and yet, he was smiling. In an instant, the wall was dyed red with blood of those priests, clueless of what had killed them without mercy. He kept on his trip to outside and he found the room that Gabriel found before.

" Oh~~ So this is the sword made from my power. It's powerful, but it needs some improvement. Well, they don't deserve it, anyway" He grabbed it with one hand and took another holy sword from the armory.

" Clarent, huh? Mordred's sword…" He took a look at the slender silver sword he just found and strapped it on his waist, and strapped the claymore on his back. He stopped when he smelled something wrong in the air.

" Fire?!" He started running to the source of that smell.

She was the one who inherited the spirit of the legendary Joan of Arc, the legendary warrior of church. Her fate had been sealed the moment she was chosen as the holder. She was a holy woman, and she must do what was expected of her, no matter what. Helping people, being selfless, and many other things.

Jeanne was wearing a white robe and kneeling while a priest was chanting prayer and pouring her whole body with the so-called holy oil. They said it would make her ascend more quickly. Then, she was led to a stake where she was roughly tied with firewood under her feet. One of them brought a large torch and put it on the wood. She winced due to the heat

" Light 'er up!"

It was hot. Her body felt like burning, This was how those people repaid her for all her good deeds? Did she not deserve something for enduring her own desires for a very long time? But, she had no choice. What she's doing was for everyone. She was the only one who could do it.

" Bring more woods!"

" Jeanne, pray to the God who will accept your deed in Heavens. Be thankful to Him"

In other words, they're telling God to pay her for their deeds, and burning her on a stake like the witch hunt in Britain was an act of kindness and mercy? Her organs churned in agony, her blood started to darken, and her skin cracked. Why would that matter, anyway? She was okay with it. She should be. That was the only way for her to gain recognition, and she accepted her fate as a part of the church, and she must do her part without any comment. That was the way the church had taught her all along. To abandon every desires, and live for others. To die in body and live in spirits of God. She should be happy that she was going to meet withGod, the one who had granted her mercy for all her sins.

"Ah, that's right. It's because of him. All because of him"

That night before he was gone, they had their last conversation. How she talked about helping people was good and that God would be happy for the good deeds humans do.

" But, you know, the important question is : are you happy with it?" He sipped his tea

" What?"

" Are you okay with being sacrificed, just to preserve something those priests made up? Don't you want to live?"

" Eh?"

" I mean, at the very least…everyone deserves to live and find their own happiness. Struggles, paths, and other things are just our way of showing that we live. It's a part of being human." He smiled

" But...wouldn't we need to meet God? The sooner the better."

" That's where you're wrong. if that's true, then why did God give us life? Why did God give us life? I believe He wanted us to live our time wholly, because in the end, we'll meet Him, and eventually all memory, bitter and sweet will turn to nostalgia you'd always cherish. Then, we can tell him, how life had been for us. Loving him is another part, but we shouldn't forget the other parts too."

" Then, what should I do?"

" Live, cherish, love, and cry. Struggle to your desire. Do what you want. Make your life happy, not for others, but for you. Why did God make us happy in serving others? We find happiness in smiles of others, and content in their relief. If it makes you happy, why not?"

" I don't know..." She answered.

That's right. Since that day, Her desires had changed. she didn't want to die, she wanted to feel, she wanted to be happy, She wanted to see this vast world had in store for her.

" Rejoice, Jeanne. Soon, your noble deed will acquire you a seat in Heaven!" The priest prayed for her. No, this was wrong. She didn't want to end up in ashes like the previous holders. She didn't want to end up dying for what people believed.

" I WANT TO LIVE!"

She bellowed, shocking all the people near her. She slumped, giving away all her energy for that shout.

" If that's what you want, I'll gladly grant it"

She looked up, and suddenly found herself in the arms of the very man who told her to live as how she desired, the reason for her to live.

" Heretic!" A beacon came to him, sword raised.

*SLASH!*

His head rolled on the floor. It was a clean kill. Kaito's claymore gleamed under the fire's light.

" Now, who's next?" His eyes lit up with rage as he brandished the golden claymore he had taken before.

" Impossible! How did you get away from that cross?! It was made from Dimension Lost Longinus!" The bald prosecutor said. He cast a scary glance and made him release an 'eep'.

" Shut up"

He raised his sword and with a stab, and he left that guy bleeding to death. She mustered all her power and looked at her savior.

" T-Thank.." She deliriously muttered, blood trickling from her wounds.

" Shh. No talking. You'll live, as I said. Don't worry." He ran outside, quickly surrounded by many priests. He smirked as he held Jeanne with his shoulder and pulled his sword to eye level. He dashed forward, decapitating two priests with style.

" Now, I'll do you all a favor and clean this place completely. Prepare yourself" He encased himself in holy aura. He smirked and jumped high. He hovered mid-air using a sword as a fly board. Then, he glided down and rinsed the ground with blood.

" Wow, I guess being tied and sapped for holy energy wasn't for nothing, huh? I can use holy power now" He whistled.

" M-Master?"

Kaito stopped for a while only to see the thug he had been teaching for quite some time. He looked at him warily. He had a basket in his grasp, full of food.

" Choose who you'll believe. Me or them" He pointed the sword at him. He laughed nervously

" Idiot. Of course it's you. But, an angel told me to get food for you" He handed out a basket full of food and some remedy to him

" But let me go with you. I don't want to stay in this place anymore!" He begged

" I killed the ones who had dirtied this place. If there's anyone who can change this misguided place, it's you. Besides, those guys will need you, won't they?" He pointed at the direction where he had left that baldy prosecutor with a massive stomachache he wouldn't get rid of very soon. Perhaps until death.

" Fine. But, your name…"

" Guess what? I'll give you my real name. I'm Kurayama Kaito. Be good, okay?" He ran to the waiting Gabriel

" Chris Maxwell. BYE!" He shouted, as Kaito faded from that place. But, before they disappeared, a man clung to them and got teleported with them.

Later…

" Kaito, where are you?" Hana was walking around. She hadn't done anything other than walking around the area while searching for him for a whole month. When she nearly fell like she often did, an arm carefully supported her.

" What are you doing here? Geez, you're reckless"

Her eyes started to swell with tears. He twitched, but still wrapped his arms around her, trying his hardest to comfort her. She shakily raised her hand and slammed it to his firm chest. Then, her other fist followed.

" Baka! Why did you throw me? Don't you know how worried I was? Idiot, you're a total airhead!" She kept on pounding his chest.

" You…were worried about me?" He asked, ignoring her light pounds on his chest. It was a very unusual feeling for him. Even his parents wouldn't worry like that for him, heck, no one really cared for him except…his last girl.

" Akane…" His mouth muttered the name that had changed his life for the better. The name that made his heart warm and fluffy, with a tint of hurt inside, the fact that she had died to protect this worthless whelp.

" Yeah, I was worried! I don't want to lose you, not like that" She tried to hold his hand, only to be stopped by a knife from nowhere. They both looked at the stupid guy who just dug his very own grave.

" Ohh…you're that wannabe assassin, eh?" Kaito took the knife and kicked it straight to him. It landed one cm beside his cheek. When he tried to look at him, his face was already right in front of him, hands choking his neck. He knew if he wanted to, he could break his neck like a dry branch. Oh, how he wanted to just shatter his skull, but Gabriel was still there. He wouldn't want her to see such gruesome scene needlessly.

" Get lost" He threw him to the ground, making sure he wouldn't wake up for the next 3 hours. At least he wouldn't nag them for a while. Jeanne was being treated by Gabriel, and Hana was falling right after she made the portal..

" I'll take Jeanne with me. Don't worry. I'll guarantee she has the freedom to choose what she really wants with no interference." Gabriel scooped her up.

" Just…take care of her, 'kay?"

He carried Hana princess-style and walked to the portal she made earlier. She wasn't so heavy, in fact, she was thinner than ever. And he thought her frame was already too small to even shrink anymore.

" We're off. Bye, Gabriel-san."

" Farewell, Kaito-san. Take care"

" Will do" He replied as they disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the Seraph alone with Jeanne in the wilderness.

" Uwah~ It's been long since I last met my pillow. Ow, you~" He put Hana on his bed

*NYAA!*

Kuroka in her cat form clawed his face, leaving three scratches on his tired face. He sighed and placed her on the floor.

" Yep. Totally normal" He laughed to himself.

" Welcome back, Kaito. Where did you go? I searched all over for you" Raynare flew in and retracted her wings.

" Just…doing things. No big deal"

" Well, if you say so…by the way, Kaito…" She put her pointy finger together.

" Yeah?"

" Could you teach me how to control spears tomorrow? I'm okay with throwing, but close range would be troublesome for me."

" Sure, no biggie"

She slumped hearing his casual reaction. Not noticing it, he pulled his blanket to warm the fallen maiden. Her breathing was stable, but it looked like he had to prepare food later. Her stomach was learning how to sing already.

" What happened to her?" Kuroka turned to her human form.

" She was totally reckless, and hhh~" He sat on his comfortable chair. Raynare sat on his table and looked him at the eyes.

" What, Ray?" He stared at her, too

" Nothing" She blushed and looked away, while Kuroka shaking her head with a long sigh. He could swear she whispered 'idiot' to him.

" I do hope nothing bad happens tomorrow. It would totally suck otherwise" He rested his head on the desk and started snoring.

It's Easter Holiday, so I thought I'd upload some chapters quickly. So, it ends this original arc. From here on out, I'm going to stray off canon here and there, but I'll still follow the story. Maybe. Well, until next time. Ciao!