Chapter 10: Aftermath of the battle. An angelic encounter, childhood and a brief dark history.
This is the start of the Excalibur arc.
I do not own anything from both series.
A few days have passed since the battle of Riser. Issei, Dark Pit and their girlfriends were able to relax for a while. Although the boys were training themselves from time to time, they still felt the need to keep themselves strong. Recently, Raynare and Asia trained themselves to learn how to defend themselves. During their recovery, they ignored Rias and her peerage. It made them recall the incident with Riser, forcing them to avoid the Gremory peerage. Rias watched them move away from her like a plague. She felt guilty and silently cried. Akeno was also crying, missing her interactions with Dark Pit. Kiba felt guilty and was very quiet, a trait Rias, her peerage, and everyone took notice. Koneko's face was expressionless, but her eyebrows were quivering. She was trying to mask the guilt and grief.
The quartet were heading to school, till they saw a heavenly figure. She had long, platinum blonde hair with a model figure. Her hair was waist length and tied to a ponytail. The hair glowed on the sunlight, making it appear brighter than it should be. She wasn't like any of the classmates they knew of.
"It's probably a transfer student. Judging by her attitude, she must've transferred just now." Issei said.
"I worry about her... The perverted duo might take advantage of her. She looks too innocent of the world around her." Dark Pit said.
######
Much to the chagrin of the boys, the perverted duo were with the girl. For Dark Pit and Issei, it was trouble for them.
'Give me a break, man. Won't these perverted idiots stop causing trouble? If not, let's see if they like a knuckle sandwich…' Dark Pit thought.
He gave a small killer intent wave to the perverted duo. Immediately, they stopped gawking at Gabriel. He felt relieved to see them become well-mannered.
Issei sighed, not liking the perverted duo's persistent actions. He ignored them and head to his class with Dark Pit.
######
Inside the classroom, the quartet were preparing for their class. The teacher came to make an announcement.
"Everyone, we have a new transfer student. This person is a foreign exchange student who will stay with us temporarily." He said.
The entire class perked up when hearing the announcement. From the doors, the same girl the quartet saw came to the class.
"Hello everyone. My name is Gabriella. I'm a foreign exchange student from Europe and will be studying for the semester." Gabriel said in disguise.
Dark Pit took notice of the female transfer student. He wasn't as curious as the boys were. However, he was suspicious of the girl staring at him and Issei. His thoughts were focused on something else.
'I know what happened at the Underworld... Some of my memory is still foggy, but I can clearly recall what happened back there. Still, the person, Sirzechs was to blame for the negative opinions of devils. With little redeeming qualities, it may prove difficult for me to trust them. Then again, I'm no different judging ALL the devils. If only the majority of them were like Sona and Rias.' He thought.
######
Lunch period came by quickly. The quartet were eating inside the classroom and talking. Little did they knew, Gabriel was watching them.
"Everything is back to normal, save for the perverted duo." Issei said.
"True. Those guys never learn their lesson." Dark Pit said.
"Honestly, they were warned for their actions." Raynare said.
"Although I wish they would stop, their lust is too strong." Asia said.
The quartet felt uncomfortable talking about them. They decided to talk about something else. They left the classroom to head at the grass field outside.
"So... Have you gotten used to the supernatural, Asia?" Issei asked in concern.
"Yes. Although I'm a little shaken, you and our friends are nearly supernatural. I'm glad to be friends with yours, Issei-kun." She said sweetly.
'K-KAWAII…!' He thought.
'Issei would definitely have a hard time dealing with Asia's cute behavior.' Dark Pit thought comically.
######
Gabriel was watching the quartet from a distance. Her interests in the boys were slowly increasing. She was mainly interested with Dark Pit, despite seeing him more often at work. She gave a vacant stare at them while she watched.
"Gabriella-san, we want to talk with you." Kiba said.
"Ok. But where?" She asked innocently.
'Despite her being an angel, the innocence is too cute from this one…' Kiba thought in surprise.
"We'll be at the old school building. You can come over after school." He said.
"Ok. I'll be there to have a chat with you." She said.
######
Class was over. The quartet was getting ready, till they saw Kiba with Gabriel. This got their attention from seeing them.
"What are Kiba and Gabriella doing here?" Issei asked.
"I got a bad feeling about this... Let's tail them to see what's up. I don't like what I'm experiencing right now." Dark Pit said.
"I agree with Dark Pit-kun. Let's follow them." Raynare said.
"Although curiosity is not a sin, we need to be careful." Asia said.
The quartet sneaked their way to the old school building. Dark Pit knew Rias was up to something involving the transfer student. His face frowned, knowing of what might happen.
"I'm going to rush inside and see what is happening. I know what Rias is doing." He said.
"By all means, go ahead." Issei said.
Dark Pit smashed the doors open, surprising everyone inside the old school building.
"You can drop the act, Rias. Still, it was a sly and lazy move to use your servants to inform the transfer student to come here." Dark Pit said.
"Kuro-san... You really should tone the destruction down…" She said comically.
"Don't joke around with me. Anyway, the transfer student is in our class. I know what she is, but not who. She's an antithesis of your kind." He said.
"You know of them?" She asked in surprise.
"Yes. I know about angels. Did you forget that I was created as an incomplete fallen angel from the original?" He asked.
"Oh... Never mind." She said in embarrassment.
Gabriel was surprised of what she heard.
"So you know about the 3 factions of the supernatural?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm fully aware with them. However, my opinion with devils and fallen angels is strained due to recent battles. Despite my status, I would prefer talking with beings not interested in battle." He said.
Gabriel smiled, now knowing he doesn't like fighting for no reason.
"Despite being a fallen angel, you have a good heart. Perhaps it's my time to reveal myself" she said.
Dark Pit was curious of what she said. Gabriella was surrounded by a powerful flash of light. From the light, a white robe covered the girl. Wings of gold came from her back. On top of her head, a halo was shining.
"My true name is Gabriel. I was sent here by Michael to keep an eye out for the two boys." She said, pointing to Dark Pit and Issei.
"Why does the leader of the angels want to keep an eye out for us?" Dark Pit questioned.
Gabriel was surprised about Dark Pit's knowledge.
"Well, that outburst of power a few days ago caused tremors among the 3 factions. Michael was concerned about the sudden outburst so he sent me to find its source. When I realized it was you two, I decided not to fight. Michael only wished to know why you two were exuding such power." She explained.
The boys sighed, knowing of what they have to explain.
"You can thank Miss Gremory's brother for that." Dark Pit responded.
"What do you mean." She asked.
Issei decided to explain briefly.
"Rias's brother, Sirzechs, engaged her to a man she did not love. This resulted in a marriage feud that nearly spiraled out of control. Because of Grayfia's encounter with my friend, she reported to him about his power. He was protecting his girlfriend from her when she was about to kill them." He said.
"I see... So one of the 4 Maou was responsible for this skirmish…" She said.
Dark Pit followed with his explanation.
"When that devil, Riser Phenex appeared, he only treated Rias as an object, not a person. When Rias said she wanted to have Issei as her fiancé, I immediately protected him. Grayfia then proposed Sirzechs's idea to have an unofficial Rating Game. Of course Riser was so cocky, he summoned his peerage to psyche Rias down. We were angry with him on how he treats his servants. A minor fight broke out between us and him. It resulted in him being publicly humiliated by us." Dark Pit said.
Gabriel listened carefully to the whole scenario.
"That doesn't explain why you two killed him." She said.
"We're getting there." Issei said.
Dark Pot nodded as well.
"Riser made a change to the challenge. He wanted us to fight against him, along with his entire peerage. If we won, Rias is free from him. However, if we lost our girlfriends along with Rias would be forcefully taken from us. He planned to marry Rias and use our girlfriends as concubines." Dark Pit explained.
Gabriel was shocked of what she heard.
"Is this true, Ms Gremory?" She asked.
"It was true of what he said." Rias answered.
"Moving on, we trained for 2 weeks, honing our skills to battle against him. When the day came to fight him, Riser kidnapped our girlfriends. He ordered his queen to torture them, hence why they have some bandages right now. This made us nearly snapped. The only thing we thought was to kill him for what he has done. During the battle, our rage was released. We murdered most of Riser's peerage one by one brutally. The moment we faced the person who tortured them, we gave her a painful beating, but let her live. It served as a message to not anger us." Dark Pit finished.
"Hmmm... I understand. By then, you killed Riser in a berserk fashion." Gabriel said.
Issei and Dark Pit nodded.
"Although we were enraged, we were somewhat aware of what we were doing briefly. If we ended up losing our minds, we wouldn't be able to recall anything from what we did. Plus, the Underworld would've been destroyed." Dark Pit said.
"Quite a frightening interpretation, yet accurate." Gabriel said.
"In a way. Right now, we're wary of the devils' actions. This is the reason why we're here. We were concerned for you since Kiba was ordered to bring you here. We suspected Rias would've done something terrible." Issei said.
"I'm glad you two care for my safety. I only came here to make sure you two don't become berserk. You two nearly lost yourselves after the devil's marriage skirmish." She said.
Rias only watched with a tinge of sadness. She heard Dark Pit and Issei can trust her and Sona, but she unintentionally made them hate devils. Her hair shrouded her eyes as she tried to push back her tears.
"You don't need to hold your tears, Gremory-san." Dark Pit said.
"But I caused problems to both you and your friend. Whether intentional or not, I'm truly guilty for what happened." She said.
"It's not your fault... Blame the flippant rulers of Underworld for not being strict with their kind. If one of the 4 Maous isn't as flippant as your brother and not arrogant as Riser, I can tolerate them." He replied.
"I can vouch for that. Riser was an example of the negative aspects of devils. Although we still judge your kind in general like him, it'll take a handful of people to make us forgive the devils in general." Issei said.
Rias smiled sadly. She felt as though a weight was lifted from her shoulders.
"I'm glad your opinions of our kind have exceptions. Perhaps later on, your opinion may change." She said.
Dark Pit smiled with a scoff.
"Not in a millennia." He said comically.
Rias laughed from the comment. Gabriel watched with curiosity and awe of Dark Pit's amicable behavior.
"That's how he is. Most people judge him to be complex at times like this. He had his terrible times, but he has a caring heart. He doesn't show it for personal reasons." Issei said to Gabriel.
Everyone watched as Dark Pit, albeit hesitantly, extended his hand in a handshake gesture. Rias gently grabbed his hand and they handshake. To everyone present, it became a sign of forgiveness.
Asia and Raynare smiled. Asia was impressed of Dark Pit's forgiving nature, despite his ruthless behavior in combat. Raynare quickly went to him and hugged him from behind, surprising him. In a comical fashion, Dark Pit unveiled his wings in full length. Everyone noticed something different from his wings.
"Hey Pit-san. Did you check your wings some time ago?" Issei asked.
"Hmmm? I did checked upon them this morning. They didn't have anything wrong." Dark Pit replied.
"Your wings... They're shining." Gabriel said in surprise.
Dark Pit's wings, despite their dark color, were shining brightly. A faint aura of light was shining from them. In a flash of light, the wings changed. Although they were the same length and appearance, they had a gold accessory at the wing shoulders.
"Woah... What happened?" Dark Pit said in fascination.
Gabriel took a careful look at his wings. She noticed the wings still contained their organic appearance, but the gold shoulder wing armor got her interested.
"By our Father... Kuro Pit, you've become a fallen archangel…" She said in surprise.
"I'm...a fallen archangel…?" He said in awe.
"By the Maous... He has acquired enough power to become one. I never seen an angel become an archangel up close, especially a fallen angel." Rias said in surprise.
"Life is full of surprises... Is this a permanent part of me or is it temporary." Dark Pit asked.
"Archangels are able to turn back to normal angels at will. If anything, the same is also true for you, Kuro-san." Gabriel explained.
Raynare was able to watch Dark Pit in complete fascination. Asia was speechless in seeing one of her best friends change. She prayed to God from the surprise. Much to Rias and her peerage's chagrin, they had minor headaches from the prayer.
"It has been eventful for everyone, but I need to head back home and finish the homework I missed. Also, use my legal name in the human world. It feels uncomfortable for me to hear the original name I was given." Dark Pit said.
"Ok then, Pit-san." Rias said.
Dark Pit laughed and went back to his home.
######
Dark Pit was able to finish all the missed work quickly and carefully. He then received a call from Issei.
"Hello?" Dark Pit answered.
"Hi Dark Pit. How's everything with your assignments?" Issei asked.
"I managed to finish mine already. Good timing with the call." He said in a comical fashion.
Issei laughed from his friend's humorous response.
"Hahaha... I'm almost done with mine. Anyway, my parents want you to come over to my place for a visit." He said.
"Really? I guess it couldn't hurt to visit the place today." Dark Pit said.
"Ok. I'll let my parents know that you're coming." Issei said.
Issei hung up the phone, allowing Dark Pit to get ready to visit his friend. He decided to wear black jeans, black and red sneakers, and a black-red T-shirt.
######
Dark Pit walked to Issei's house, which was about half a mile away on foot from his house. He then went to the door and knocked. From the door, Issei's mother appeared.
"Kuro-san. Good to see you again. It has been a while since you came over." She said.
"Forgive me Mrs. Hyoudou. I had to concentrate on school for the most part." Dark Pit said.
"It's ok. I understand you have to be academically prepared for your classes. Take a break once in a while. It can be helpful for you." She said.
"I agree. I'm done for the day so I can take a break for now." He said.
'Although I can't outright tell her of what has even happening for the past weeks.' He thought in concern.
######
Dark Pit walked inside the house, but was greeted by Rias and her peerage. Issei was with Asia, away from the group. This made Dark Pit question himself.
'What happened here...? Issei looks like he's ready to leave this place in embarrassment…' He thought.
When Dark Pit went to Issei, he looked mortified.
"What happened Issei-san?" He asked his friend.
"Before you came here, Rias decided to come here for her club meeting. She complained of the old school building's lack of maintenance. She asked her friend, Sona to help fix it for her." Issei said.
"Leave it to Rias to improvise any event too her advantage…" Dark Pit said.
Issei laughed briefly. He then explained his reasons.
"Rias was attempting to claim me for herself, like a crazed lover... I would say she tried to convince me to keep my relationship with Asia while she marries me." He said.
"Whoa... Talk about a polygamous relationship..." Dark Pit commented.
"Tell me about it. Asia was glaring at Rias for trying to seduce me. She then hugged me close and pressed herself on me." He said.
'I didn't need to hear about what Asia said... Still, he looks like he couldn't take it…' Dark Pit thought in pity.
"Just stay with Asia for now, Issei. I'll have a word with Ddraig from this issue." Dark Pit said.
"Ok. I'll let him talk with you." Issei said, summoning the Boosted Gear.
"Hey Ddraig. I would like to talk with you." Dark Pit requested.
{What do you need to talk about, Dark Pit?} Ddraig said.
"One question, although I'm reluctant to ask... Do any Sacred Gear users from dragons get harems on occasion?" He asked with a blush.
{Although I may question on why you still have some innocence, I can answer you that. Almost any woman would fall for a dragon Sacred Gear user, regardless of race. It acts like similar to allure from a succubus. My users, along with Tiamat's have their users with harems at times. Although she does not like the idea of it, unless the love is pure. It's not an uncommon event for the users to suddenly have a harem.} Ddraig explained.
"I...I see... Considering the fact that Akeno and Rias often act like a teasing girlfriend near us, I'm starting to understand why…" He said with reluctance.
{Don't get me wrong, Ddraig. Because of the power we emit from our hosts, they act like magnets to the opposite gender. In my opinion, harems get uncomfortable at times.} Tiamat said in annoyance.
Dark Pit sighed from the interaction between the two dragons.
"Sometimes I wish you can get along like we do with our respective dragons. Cut us some slack for once Tiamat and try to appreciate Ddraig's company". Dark Pit complained.
{Fine... I'll get along with Ddraig... However, his rival is what I need to defeat.} Tiamat said.
"Rival...? Who is Ddraig's rival?" The boys asked.
{I'll tell you about it later.} She said.
Both boys sighed from the interaction of the dragons. They didn't notice Issei's mother appearing with a photo album. Issei's skin paled considerably, like someone found his secret.
"Mom...! Why did you have to bring that old album out now at a time like this!?" Issei questioned in irritation.
"I wanted to show your fiends how you were in your childhood." She said.
Issei groaned in defeat. Rias and her peerage looked at the album. Asia also looked in curiosity as well.
"This was when he was in middle school. He started his training in martial arts at that age." She said.
Issei's mother turned the album, showing him with a glass of fruit juice staring at the camera with an innocent expression.
"This picture was when he was 5 years old. He tried to reach a cup at the kitchen. He managed to use a chair to climb up and got the cup to pour his favorite juice." She said.
Rias watched with fascination of Issei. To Dark Pit, it looked almost similar to a girl who's obsessed with her boyfriend.
"Little Issei... Little Issei...! He's so cute…" She said.
"Issei-kun's so cute. I wish I was there to see him." Asia said with a pink blush.
"Issei's history... Normal, but cute." Koneko complimented.
Kiba had a jovial expression. He took the album and was looking at the pictures. Issei tried to snatch it back, but Kiba simply moved his arms out of the way. By then, Kiba took notice of a particular picture and stopped. It gave Issei time to snag the album away.
"Hey Issei... This photo that shows a friend of yours…" He said.
Issei was blushing in embarrassment but the blush faded quickly. Issei knew which photo Kiba was referring to and flipped the pages of the album. It showed Issei holding a toy car with another child his age. The young child had light brown hair holding one of his toy cars.
"You mean this photo of my childhood friend? It's been a while since I've seen him." He said.
"That sword though... That's not an ordinary sword. Issei, do you often see that sword?" Kiba asked.
"I don't recall much, but I often see that sword when I visit my childhood friend's place. I remember feeling strange yet at peace with it. I've forgotten his name due to lack of contact." Issei explained.
Kiba made a dark smile, hearing from Issei.
"So it's true after all. Coincidences do happen at unexpected times." He said darkly.
Dark Pit and Issei took note of Kiba's sudden change in attitude. Rias didn't notice Kiba's change, preferring to stare at Issei's album.
While Dark Pit and Issei watched Kiba, Akeno appeared behind Dark Pit. She clamped onto his back, making his wings pop out. Everyone except Kiba noticed the interaction and laughed.
"Ne Pit-kun... Do you have an album for yourself from the orphanage?" Akeno asked.
"Come to think of it, do you have one Pit-kun?" Raynare asked.
Dark Pit tried to compose himself but blushed red.
"I have an album, but most of the pictures are just selfies of me exploring around parks. I was never adopted, remember?" He said while looking away.
Akeno briefly had a sad face, hearing about Dark Pit being an orphan.
"I'm really sorry. I was being insensitive." She said.
"It's ok. I'm mostly a loner for the most part." He said solemnly.
Akeno and Raynare made a somber expression. They knew Dark Pit never experienced parental love, yet he experienced romantic love. They hugged him close, looking as though he would disappear.
"I may know you a while back, but my memory's a little fuzzy, Pit-kun. Maybe you can show me from your album." Raynare said cutely.
"Ara ara... We might as well have a look at his album." Akeno said.
Dark Pit sighed and flew back to his home.
######
Inside his home, he moved to his bedroom and opened a secret door. Within it, there was a safe. He managed to open the safe, revealing an album. Reluctantly, he took the album that was given to him from his caretaker and head back to Issei's place.
######
Dark Pit arrived to Issei's place quickly. With an embarrassed expression, he showed his album. Everyone, even Kiba decided to take notice. They noticed an 8 year old Dark Pit who was staring at a mountainside view with a sunset.
"Wow... He looks so cute when he was a kid." Raynare said.
"I couldn't agree more, Raynare. That place in the photo looks romantic." Akeno said.
They eventually turned to another photo, showing a 10 year old Dark Pit flying up to a tree at a forest. The tree was a tall, cherry blossom with beautiful flowers blooming near him. At the left edge of the picture, a young looking Raynare was seen watching him in awe.
"I didn't see you when I took that photo, Raynare-chan." Dark Pit said.
"Hehehe... I was very shy when I saw you. You looked beautiful under that tree." She said blushing.
The next photo showed Dark Pit, who was 13 years old, lying down on the ground. His wings were fully shown, with sakura petals on his wings.
"What were you doing at that park" Akeno asked.
"I was enjoying the weather. It was summer, but the wind blew with a comfortable temperature." He answered.
"What made you appreciate nature, Pit-kun?" Raynare asked with curiosity.
"Back in my original world, I often find beautiful places worth looking at. Despite my...neutral attitude, I secretly had wanderlust which made me travel to places without flying. It made me appreciate nature more. Since Japan has many natural parks and places, I often find many views or spots I like to rest at." Dark Pit explained.
"Maybe one day you can take me to one of your favorite spots." Akeno said.
"Me too." Raynare said.
Dark Pit laughed nervously. He then turned to another photo which showed him at a familiar shrine to Akeno. There, a 10 year old Dark Pit was about to offer to the shrine. A young looking Akeno was peeking shyly at him.
"That shrine... It was my old home…" Akeno said.
"Really? I often go there to provide offerings. That shrine, for some reason, makes me feel at peace." Dark Pit said.
Issei noticed a young Akeno looking at Dark Pit.
"Hey, is that Himejima-san looking at you?" He asked.
"You're right. I often felt someone was staring at me when I make an offer. When I peeked at the same spot, there was no one. I guess you have been part of my childhood, Akeno-san…" Dark Pit said.
Akeno had turned the page to see a 12 year old Dark Pit sitting up on a tree. The photo was a distant shot of him.
"Ara...? Did you ask someone to take this photo?" Akeno asked.
"Hahaha... Not really. I used my Guard Orbitars to take the photo. It was difficult at first, but I was able to wield them efficiently in long range use." Dark Pit said.
"Quite a crafty equipment you have there." Raynare said.
Akeno and Raynare looked at the photo and noticed a girl wearing Lolita clothes.
'This is...! How on earth is she there!?' Akeno thought in surprise.
"Hmmm? What's wrong, Akeno-san?" Dark Pit said.
"It's nothing. I thought I saw something." She said.
Before Dark Pit could question any further, Rias received a call. It was an order to kill a stray devil.
"Everyone, get ready. A stray devil has been found." She said.
"A stray huh? Well then, I suppose I could go for a warmup. What do you say, Issei?" Dark Pit asked.
"Count me in. I could use a warmup as well." Issei said.
"We're coming as well." Raynare said with Asia nodding.
"Ok then. Just don't get hurt you two." Issei said.
######
Issei grabbed Asia gently. Everyone then flew out to where the stray devil was located.
"Ugh... What a stink…" Issei complained.
"You got that right. It stinks of blood and corpses." Dark Pit said.
"Enemy ahead." Koneko said.
(Play Kid Icarus: Uprising OST – Boss Battle Theme)
A naked girl that looked injured walked out of the darkness. Although her eyes looked human, she quickly shifted them to look like an insect's.
"That's one disturbing monster I rather forget seeing." Issei said.
"A being that lost one's humanity in favor for destruction and chaos... How stagnant." Dark Pit commented.
"Good way with words." Koneko commented.
"Stray devil. You have abandoned your master for your selfish desire. Your actions have caused unjust problems in the human world. In the name of the Gremory household, we will eliminate you." Rias said.
'Does she have to act like some cliche superhero?' Dark Pit thought.
"Try and stop me, Gremory. I'll stain your corpse with the color of your hair." The stray said.
"Guess negotiating won't work. Leave this to Issei and I. This stray devil won't last for a minute." Dark Pit said.
Issei and Dark Pit charged forward. The stray started to spray a corrosive liquid from her insect-like body. The moment the liquid touch the concrete wall, it dissolved quickly.
"Ugh... That's stronger than hydrochloric acid. Don't let that liquid touch you!" Issei warned.
"Tell me something I don't know" Dark Pit retorted.
The boys began to ready their Sacred Treasure. Issei equipped his Aquarius Blade while Dark Pit equipped his Optical Blade.
"You're nothing but a weak stray. Scum like you don't deserve to live…" They said.
They charged in an X pattern and sliced the legs off of the stray.
"Ok. Kiba, you can finish it." Issei said.
Kiba wasn't responding from him. He had a far off expression.
"Kiba! What are you spacing out for!? Take care of this!" Dark Pit said.
He didn't respond. This gave the stray a chance to spray corrosive liquid to Raynare and Koneko. Koneko managed to protect Raynare, but suffered strong acid burns. Raynare took some of the acid as well.
This had the unfortunate effect of Dark Pit getting angry. He unleashed the Second Shift of his Optical Blade, changing it to a katana. Using the iaido style, he held his katana from his left hand.
"Fatal mistake of harming the people I care for. Have a taste of my Light of Judgment…" Dark Pit said.
He then slowly gripped the sword and held onto the handle carefully. Dark Pit's speed was so quick, it looked as though he didn't drew the sword out. The moment he made the sword click, a white, transparent orb appeared. It then unleashed swift cuts to the stray devil. Although it looked like the attacks missed, the stray stood still like a statue. Before everyone's eyes, the stray fell apart into pieces.
"Ara ara... He's getting more brutal with his fighting style." Akeno said.
"I'll never get used to that. The more I watch him in combat, the more frightening it gets…" Rias said
"Never anger him." Koneko said with a bit of fear.
(Boss Battle Theme OST ends here)
"Asia, please heal them." Issei said.
Asia used her twilight healing to heal the acid burns from Koneko and Raynare.
Dark Pit and Issei made their Sacred Treasure disappear. Issei quickly walked up to Dark Pit.
"You really need to teach me the Second Shift of the Sacred Treasure." Issei said.
"I'll train you to help unleash it. In a literal sense, it's close to a Balance Breaker from a Sacred Gear." Dark Pit said.
The boys' conversation was interrupted by a loud slap. Rias's right hand was at Kiba's face.
"Did that wake you up...? You would've killed your comrades if you continue being like this." She warned.
"Forgive me, Buchou... I'm not feeling well right now." Kiba said, walking away from Rias.
"Seems like he has a problem. Rias, what happened to him?" Issei asked.
"I don't know. But I think it has something to do with his past" she said.
"Do you mind if you explain about Kiba's past to us. Any information would do." Dark Pit asked.
Rias sighed. Although she didn't want to tell about Kiba's dark history, she relented.
"It was about 9 years ago. I was a child exploring an icy wilderness in Scandinavia. It was during winter when I went there. I discovered Kiba, who was barely alive in a forest. He was already close to death, yet he refused to die. His body was already freezing from the cold air. There was one thing he kept mentioning. He wanted to avenge his brothers and sisters from the Holy Swords. His grudge with the Church is evident enough. Truthfully, I revived him to help him find his vengeance. He also possesses a unique Sacred Gear, capable of making any blade imaginable." Rias explained.
"Do you know anything of Kiba's former past as a human?" Issei asked.
"One thing I know of, he was raised in the church. It was some kind of project that get his adoptive family killed." Rias said.
"We may have to delve deep to find out more about this." Dark Pit said.
"Kiba never revealed much of his past to us. He's more of a silent loner." Akeno said.
Everyone began to ponder about Kiba's past. Issei and Dark Pit were thinking of a way to know more about him.
"Gremory-san, we'll track Kiba down and talk with him. He may reveal something more about his past. Of course, we may have to fight him so he can be reasoned with." Dark Pit suggested.
"Hmmm... I'll let you two handle this. Please, don't hurt him too much. He's had a rough life, despite his calm personality" Rias said.
"Very well... We won't use any of our light element attacks, weapons, or anything holy related." Issei said.
The boys went to their girlfriends.
"Asia, head back home. We'll be searching for a friend. He needs our help." Issei said to her.
"I understand Issei. Please come back in one piece." She said.
"Raynare, we'll be searching for our ally. I need you to head home. This may involve some violence for you and your friend." Dark Pit said.
"I understand, Pit-kun. I know you want to save him from his revenge and protect us. Make sure you come back safely." She said with worry.
The boys nodded and flew off. Raynare took Asia and flew with her back to the boys' respective homes. Rias watched at the boys flying back.
'It's strange... He may have a fiery temper, yet he cares for others. He only fights when he needs to. He was able to forgive me to some extent. He doesn't work with anyone, nor join any side. He's more of a neutral person... A NEUTRAL FALLEN ANGEL…' She thought in surprise.
"Buchou? Is something wrong? You look surprised." Akeno asked in concern.
"It's been something I've been thinking of, Akeno. It's relating to Kuro Pit. He truly doesn't want to cause any fighting. He only wanted to live peacefully, seeking any means in order to stay human." Rias explained.
"Ara... He's an interesting person. Don't you have Issei to be with?" Akeno asked.
"I-I know that... I also like Issei for your information." Rias said embarrassed.
"Ufufu... I'll have Kuro Pit for myself then." Akeno said with glee.
Both of the girls stared with lightning surging at their eyes.
"Please stop fighting... We need to focus on the problem…" Koneko said.
######
Raynare flew back to Dark Pit's house after bringing Asia to Issei's place. She noticed Kuroka sleeping on the guest room couch.
"Having a good catnap, Kuroka?" Raynare asked jokingly.
"Nyaa~. It was a good nap for me. I wish I could head out for a walk, but I can't surprise my imouto, Shirone." Kuroka said.
"One day you'll have to overcome your inner demons, no pun intended." Raynare said.
"You're right, despite the ironic statement you said." Kuroka laughed.
Raynare laughed from what Kuroka meant. They both laughed with each other.
"Say Kuroka... There's something I want to ask." Raynare said.
"What is it that you want to ask?" Kuroka questioned.
"Do you like my boyfriend, Kuro Pit?" Raynare asked.
Kuroka blushed, feeling her heart beat quicken. She placed her right hand on her bosom.
"My feelings for Kuro Pit... They started when he took care of me. Because of his kindness, I feel safer with him." She said.
Raynare knew Kuroka had feelings for Dark Pit. However, she accepted the answer and smiled.
"Why did you ask me?" Kuroka said.
"Well... I'm willing to share with him. He has captured both of our hearts due to his selflessness. Even though he's hotheaded, he cares for the people he meets." Raynare said.
Kuroka was surprised of Raynare. She then smiled with a blush.
"I'm glad that I can share my feelings with him. Maybe when we explain it to him when he gets back, he'll be understanding." Kuroka said.
"True. Kuro Pit's ideology in monogamy will make it hard for him. I'm sure he'll accept sharing with us." Raynare said.
"I hope he comes back. I miss him talking with me already." Kuroka said with a pleading tone.
######
Issei and Dark Pit were flying across the suburban area of Kuoh, searching for Kiba. Unfortunately, Dark Pit sneezed, briefly making him disoriented in flight.
"Everything ok, Pit-san?" Issei asked.
"I'm ok. Someone was probably talking about me." He said.
The duo noticed Kiba walking throughout the suburban area. They landed near him to talk with him.
"Kiba... Calm yourself. It's just Issei and I." Dark Pit said.
"Why are you two searching for me?" Kiba asked coldly.
"We want to know more about your past. Rias told us about your history, but it was brief. We know of your hatred of Holy Swords, but what does your hatred with them have to deal with your revenge." Issei asked.
"My revenge started due to a project of the church. It was...-"
Before Kiba answered, a familiar figure appeared.
"Yo. It's been a while, shitty devils." The person said.
"YOU! How the hell are you alive, Freed?" Issei asked in surprise.
Issei summoned his Boosted Gear, ready to fight Freed.
{BOOST!}
"Hahaha... Story time...! You want to wonder how I'm still alive? Before you killed me, I was able to use a special technique from ninjas to escape from your brutal execution. The body you just destroyed was a decoy! Although I was heavily injured, my boss healed me!" Freed explained.
Dark Pit was angry and charged at Freed. However, Freed suddenly disappeared.
"What the...!? How did you become so fast?" Dark Pit questioned in anger.
"You like that, shitty devil!? That's the result of this sword!" He said.
Freed showed the sword he was hiding in a cloak. The sword was exuding a powerful, divine aura. It made Issei and Dark Pit uncomfortable from the untamable aura. However, Kiba was angry from seeing the sword.
"An Excalibur sword...! I will destroy that sword to avenge my comrades!" He exclaimed.
Kiba summoned his Light Eater sword, intending to strike the divine blade. However, the Excalibur sword proven to be stronger. The Light Eater sword was destroyed from the pressure.
"Quite a powerful partner this sword! You shitty devils won't be able to shatter or even touch this blade! Even a light scratch can be lethal!" Freed said in psychotic glee.
Freed then charged forward with immense speed. The speed looked as though he disappeared in a flash. Dark Pit and Issei used their Guard Orbitars to block the strike. The Sacred Treasures were able to ward off the strike with no problem.
"What the..!? Why can't my sword pierce this barrier?" Freed questioned in rage.
"It's a Sacred Treasure, you fool. It means any weapon holy related will not shatter it." Dark Pit said.
Freed attempted to break the barrier, tiring himself in the process.
"Our turn…" Issei said.
{BOOST!}
Issei and Dark Pit equipped their Sacred Treasure Palms.
"Have a taste of our Second Shift!" They said.
"Burning Palm, KAGUTSUCHI! /Raiden Palm, SUSANOO!"
Both boys used fire and lightning and struck Freed. He was flying towards a wall where he impacted. Freed was still conscious, but his body felt sore.
{BOOST!}
"Hahaha... You can keep beating my body up, but it won't work because of this." Freed said, showing a familiar orb.
"That's...a recovery orb…" Dark Pit said in surprise.
"I was able to steal one from your girlfriend, Raynare. Marvelous, isn't it!? It helps in situations like I'm in." Freed said.
"I'll make sure you WILL NEVER COME BACK!" Dark Pit said.
"Let me help in this fight, Kuro-kun. I want to smash that sword apart" Kiba said.
Dark Pit and Kiba charged forward to fight Freed. Issei decided to support with his Boosted Gear.
{BOOST!}
"That's enough boosting, Issei. Transfer the boosts to Kiba, now." Dark Pit said.
Issei nodded and transferred the power to Kiba. He felt the power surge in his body.
"What power...! I can use my special technique with my Sacred Gea…r" Kiba said in amazement.
With a concentrated expression, he willed his Sacred Gear to use his technique.
"SWORD BIRTH!"
From his shout, a field of swords appeared. The swords reached to Freed who jumped away from the field.
"I'll be back you shitty devils! Don't think you can kill me easily." Freed's disembodied voice said.
Dark Pit, Issei, and Kiba growled angrily. Their chance to kill Freed was gone from them.
"We'll get him eventually, Kiba. Right now, we need to rest. If you want, you can rest at my place for the night." Dark Pit suggested.
"Alright... I'll sleep over. Since you and Issei have been involved with my revenge, I hope you two can help me procure the destruction of Excalibur." He said.
"Don't blame the weapon, Kiba. It's like judging the sword that has no wielder. Blame the person for his/her obsession." Dark Pit said.
Kiba relented and calmed down. Issei then walked up to Kiba.
"Say, we didn't get to hear much of your history since that bastard Freed showed up." He said.
"Good timing to point that out, Issei." Dark Pit said.
"Hahaha... Good call with that." Kiba laughed. His expression became serious.
"My dark history was due to a project. It was called the Holy Sword Project."
"The Holy Sword Project…?" Dark Pit and Issei questioned.
"This project was developed to find natural holy sword wielders. The most famous is Excalibur" Kiba explained.
"Excalibur!? The legendary sword said to be wielded by King Arthur…?" Issei questioned in shock.
"To think a legendary sword exists here. I thought that sword was a myth…" Dark Pit commented in surprise.
"We'll comment on your initial opinion of the sword later." He joked.
"The Holy Sword Project was used to find people capable of wielding the sword. I was among my adopted brothers and sisters to be selected for the project. All of us were deemed failures and couldn't wield an Excalibur sword" Kiba explained.
"Wait... You said 'an Excalibur sword.' Could it be there's more than one Excalibur?" Dark Pit asked reluctantly.
"Well... In a sense, yes. But they are just fragments of the real sword." Kiba answered.
"What happened to the legendary sword?" Issei asked.
"In a fight long ago, the sword was broken into 7 pieces. Through the use of alchemy, the Church was able to refine the fragments into individual blades. The Excalibur swords have their unique abilities. That sword Freed had was without a doubt one of them. It's called Excalibur Rapidly." Kiba explained.
"Excalibur Rapidly... Sounds like it can increase one's agility." Issei said.
"Good thinking, Issei-kun. Yes, that sword increases one's speed when wielding it. It also boosts the wielder's reaction time. Not even my speed can keep up with it." Kiba explained.
"I see... Anyway, what happened to the people who were deemed failures?" Issei asked.
Kiba had a forlorn expression, recalling the painful memories.
"The people that were deemed failures were disposed." He said.
"You don't mean..." Dark Pit and Issei felt the tension rising on their backs.
"Yeah... They killed them, leaving no one alive. They killed us with cyanide gas. I was able to survive, albeit barely. The cyanide has didn't kill me, but it left me heavily weakened. The cold was slowly killing me. When Rias Gremory found me, I was already reaching the late stages of frostbite. I couldn't feel my entire body, but I was willing to be her servant. She resurrected me so I can recover and seek revenge against the divine weapon." Kiba finished his explanation.
Issei and Dark Pit could only stare in silence. Issei felt terrible for Kiba, shedding a tear in silence. Dark Pit sympathized with him, knowing of the same pain he felt.
"We both never knew. I had my own tragic past from my home world. Yet, it changed me for who I am. Kiba, if you truly want vengeance, we need to find the person who ran the Holy Sword Project. If anything, the person responsible must be still alive. We'll find him to make sure this person pays…" Dark Pit said.
"I never knew, Yuuto Kiba. We'll stick together to find the one that ran this project. I'm not backing away to let you find vengeance alone. I'm with Dark Pit to help you. We'll make sure you finally achieve retribution." Issei said.
Kiba was moved from the boys. They were willing to help Kiba to deal with his revenge. He shook Issei's and Dark Pit's right hand as a sign of friendship.
"Let's head back home. We all had a day full of surprises." Dark Pit said.
The trio nodded. Issei went back to his house. Dark Pit took Kiba to his house to rest for the night.
######
Dark Pit and Kiba made it to the house. Raynare and Kuroka were surprised that Dark Pit brought Kiba to his place. However, Kiba was shocked of seeing Kuroka. He quickly drew his sword, only to feel Dark Pit's killer intent.
"I suggest you be careful. Harming the people I care for would immediately make me beat you to a pulp, Yuuto Kiba…" Dark Pit said.
"She's the most wanted criminal in the Underworld!" Kiba exclaimed.
"Like I heard that one before. Her actions from her previous master were to protect her younger sister Shirone, aka Koneko Toujou…" Dark Pit said.
Kiba reluctantly sheathed his sword. This made everyone calm down, not wanting to fight with Dark Pit when he's angry.
"I have a couple of spare rooms this house. Feel free to choose which one." Dark Pit said.
######
Dark Pit was exhausted from today's events. He eventually fell asleep, too tired to notice two girls sneaking their way to his bed.
That's all from here.
The Excalibur arc starts from here.
Note 1: While Kiba's seeking revenge makes him a loner, it doesn't suit well for his character.
Note 2: Issei has the capability to use the Second Shift of Sacred Treasures. He's able to do so, thanks to his acquiring of the Balance Breaker.
Note 3: The Second Shift of Sacred Treasures doesn't have only one technique. It's merely a concentrated attack, but packs immense power.
Any other questions, PM me.
