Chapter 11
A Bloody Crow
xXx
oOoOoOoOo Vashyr Furtur oOoOoOoOo
It had been roughly a week since he'd recruited Akame into his Peerage as his Knight and his…uh, night time meeting with Kuroka. He as pretty sure the night would be forever ingrained into his memory, considering how intense the memory was. He couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed of that particular fact, though.
Either way, he was happy that some progress had been made on Akame's abilities. She'd all but thrown herself into training in order to unlock her Sacred Gear and become more useful to him. He remembered seeing her waking up at the crack of dawn to go out and start training, forcing her body through intense physical pressure to activate her Sacred Gear again. Never once did she stop or complain, she just kept going no matter how battered or bruised she got, no matter how much it hurt.
He'd honestly felt a little outdone while watching her train so hard, so he'd gotten some work of his own done and put together a new trick while sparring with Sairaorg. He'd actually been working on it for a while, planning it for even longer, but he'd only worked out a combat usable form of it rather recently. A little something he'd seen in an anime that he thought would mesh well with his abilities. It wasn't exactly perfect yet, but it was a good first step.
Still, he couldn't help but think Akame's sheer drive was because she thought he would just abandon her if she didn't quickly manifest her Sacred Gear. He was actually about to allay her concerns, but she'd unlocked her One Cut Killer within three days of training and it ceased to be such a concern. She was currently honing her skills by sparring against Walter, but the progress on that front had slowed down slightly.
It wasn't that Akame was a bad fighter, far from it, but she didn't seem to have much immediate promise in regards to using an actual sword. She showed good instincts and reflexes, and her speed was rapidly enhancing, but that could only go so far when she didn't really know how to use a sword. Something that was all more notable, given that there was nobody in his Peerage capable of teaching her.
He'd thought of asking for some help from Sirzechs on that matter, maybe getting her some lessons from Sōji Okita, but he'd decided against it in the end. It's not that she wouldn't improve, or even that Sirzechs might say no, but he just wasn't comfortable relying on the Lucifer for help whenever he got into a speed bump. He wouldn't be able to rely on the help of the Crimson Satan for everything, so getting too dependent would be dangerous in the long run.
It was for that reason that he started flexing a little muscle of his own, and Rita had proven herself indispensable yet again. Vashyron had been able to find her and the rest of the original four members of his Peerage, so that meant he must have had a network of his own in order to find interesting candidates. He'd had his servants look in his own territory to find Kuroka, but he hadn't known about the larger network until Rita had personally confirmed it before getting to work on them. She quickly put herself on the job, sending out some probes for any notable sword users in the Human world.
That had been three days ago, giving Vashyr some time to think a few other things over. One thing in particular, to be exact, as he sat comfortably in the chair of his study, carefully twirling a Knight piece in his fingers.
It was one of the two Evil Pieces he'd retrieved from Andreas, the Stray Knight he'd killed a week ago for his two Evil Pieces. He'd noted back then that they felt strange, more intense than his own Evil Pieces, but he hadn't been able to quite figure out why. But now he knew.
It's because they were Mutation Pieces. Evil Pieces that had a far greater capacity for revival than the standard model, hoarded by their possessors as great resources for inducting the most powerful people into their Peerage. And he just got two of them!
It took a little thinking to figure out how, but it didn't take long for him to put the pieces together. While some Mutation Pieces simply existed as they did from the start, others underwent some form of metamorphosis through unusual circumstances. Issei's Evil Pieces underwent such a change in canon, due to his apparently rapid growth in power and being connected to his Boosted Gear. It was even stated in canon that Evil Pieces could grow stronger over time, so that cleared it up.
All things considered, an Evil Piece undergoing such a change because its host Devil broke away and became a Stray and having their own power go out of control wasn't all that hard to believe. Yet another thing that was never brought up in canon. Damn you Ichiei Ishibumi, why the hell did you gloss so much stuff over? Did you just enjoy leaving people with plot holes?
Either way, holding up the Mutated Knight closer to his face, he couldn't help but realize how much of a boon this could be. Having Mutation Pieces would mean he'd be capable of inducting more powerful people into his Peerage. Given that a single Mutated Bishop in canon allowed Rias to recruit Gasper, a Dhampir with Forbidden Balor View that possessed a fragment of Balor's soul, he could recruit some very powerful people. If he played his cards right, he could have one hell of a Peerage. That meant having more powerful subordinates to fight in the coming conflicts.
But that only meant something if he had some powerful candidates lined up to recruit. So who could he start with?
He got his answer as the door to the study opened up, revealing Rita as she entered with her usual smile. "Got a present for you." She teased, holding up a file in front of herself with a cheerful glint in her eye as she walked forward.
He couldn't help the smile that formed on his own face in turn. "Really? And it's not even my birthday." He reached out for the folder she held to him, pulling it back and opening it up to start reading. Looks like someone in Vashyron's little network had found something. A young Human woman who happened to be…..scarily good with her sword. She was put on the radar when she personally killed a Stray Devil that had wandered into her town. A Pawn, but still impressive for a Human with no forms of supernatural enhancements.
Looking through the pictures of the incident, however, he didn't think kill was a strong enough word for what had happened. No, she completely slaughtered the poor thing. She'd butchered it so badly that the Devil in charge of the territory couldn't even work up the guts to intervene. And this was from some vanilla Human? Kinda scary.
As he flipped another page and saw the face of the young woman in question, Vashyr briefly froze in recognition. Where had he seen that face before?
She was youthful looking, probably no older than eighteen or so. Slim and with an athletic build, but still noticeably feminine. She was wearing a white shirt baring her midriff under a black jacket and over black pants and…..yeah, black shoes. Guess he knew what her favorite color was. Her hair was a rather interesting tone, some kind of shade of silver or grey, tied into a ponytail and long enough to go to the small of her back.
But what most stood out were her facial features. A smooth looking face with slightly high cheekbones and slanted grey eyes.
And a rather disturbing smile. The kind of smile you thought of whenever a cat spotted a particularly large and juicy canary. It was probably worse for whoever was taking the picture, because she was smiling right AT HIM. The poor photographer had probably suffered some kind of heart attack.
'But why the hell does she look so familiar?' Seriously, he was sure he's seen her somewhere before. He was pretty sure he'd never met someone like her in person before, so why did she seem so familiar.
He got his answer when he scrolled up to see her name.
Karasuba Asama.
Oh, SHIT!
oOoOoOoOo Rita Lupo oOoOoOoOo
Rita watched her master quietly, taking in his reaction to the information. It was subtle, but she'd gotten pretty good at actually reading his moods by now. She'd always been pretty good at sensing those little signs and reactions in people, she figured it had something to do with her…let's call it her animal side. And, right now, it was letting her pick up Vashyr's little tells.
"You know her?" she asked, voicing her curiosity.
Vashyr shook his head. "No, I haven't met her before. She just…seems a little unsettling. That isn't exactly a peaceful smile on her face."
Rita shivered slightly, knowing exactly what he meant. She'd looked over the file herself on the way back, making sure everything was in place, and felt a chill go down her spine as she saw the young woman's smiling face. That kind of expression was one she knew very well, one every Werewolf knew.
It was the smile of a predator moving in for a feast, their jaws dripping with blood.
Swallowing slightly, she gathered her wits to respond. "Yeah, I noticed. Unfortunately, she's the only one we've really found that fits the bill so well. Do you want the agents to keep looking?"
His expression shifted slightly, showing he was going over his options. The woman was dangerous, maybe even very dangerous, but she was an extremely skilled sword wielder, and they might not find someone better for quite a while. He was currently going over the risks and rewards in his head, weighing the options. It didn't take him long.
"No," he answered, closing the folder as he rose up from his seat. "If nothing else, this Karasuba is very good with a sword and very strong regardless. Recruiting her would mean getting a strong addition that could also teach Akame. Two potential gains for one excursion? Can't really ask for a better deal than that."
She looked up at his as he stood to his full height, it briefly dawning on her how tall he really was. She stepped back slightly so she wasn't looking right up. "So you're going?"
He nodded at her. "Like I said, two for one. I can't really turn a chance like this down, can I?" He walked past her, patting her on the shoulder as he went. "Thanks, Rita. Take some time off for your hard work. I owe you that much."
With that said, he walked off on his own little mission and left her behind in his study, unaware as she stared at his back as he headed off and disappeared around a corner.
'A break?' she thought. While she appreciated the gesture, she wasn't really sure about taking it up. He made it clear that he still had quite a bit of work to do before things were in perfect order around the manor, particularly regarding the size of his Peerage, and she really wanted to help him with that. He was her master, her King, and she wanted to serve him as best she could. It made her happy to know she was doing a good job and know that he appreciated her.
She sighed as that thought came up, a rueful smile on her face. 'Jeez, what's wrong with me? Am I really turning down a break?'
Maybe she could use a little time off. Aria really loved playing with Shirone, but she'd wanted to spend a little time with her big sis recently. Maybe this would be the chance.
Still, there was one thing left for her to do. Something to check up on that'd been bugging her for a little while.
Steeling herself for what was to come, she headed off to the Residential Wing of the manor, ready to confront someone. It probably wasn't anything big, but she needed to make sure, her responsibility as Vashyr's servant demanded it, and she wouldn't shirk it.
'Time to see the Queen.'
oOoOoOoOo Kuroka oOoOoOoOo
The Nekoshou was filing her nails when she heard the knock on her door. Taking a moment to check over her work, she casually called out, "Come on in, Rita."
The Werewolf didn't answer immediately, just waiting outside the door for a bit. 'Unusual,' she thought. Rita usually came in right away, it wasn't like things were awkward between them or anything. Why was she so nervous?
The door slowly opened and Rita helped herself in, looking a little more….serious than usual. While she usually walked around with a happy and chipper demeanor, she currently moved with some kind of tension in her. Like she was nervous or something. Kuroka tilted her head slightly. "Is something wrong?"
Rita looked at her for a moment before answering. "No, nothing's wrong. I just…I wanted to talk with you for a bit."
The Queen of the Peerage raised a delicate eyebrow. "You know you don't need to be so nervous around me, right?" Making the file disappear with a brief flash of magic, Kuroka spread herself out on the couch, the very picture of laid back. "Come on, what's wrong?"
The Werewolf didn't seem to mimic her relaxation, proving that this wasn't something small. Taking a moment to collect herself, the redhead moved to take a chair across from Kuroka in the room. Sitting down and keeping her in sight, Kuroka could see her mentally going over what to say and use to break the ice.
It didn't take her long, fortunately. "You've been acting differently around Vashyr, recently."
Kuroka tilted her head slightly. Was that what this was about? "Is that a problem?"
Rita opened her mouth and almost responded, but then thought better of it and closed her mouth. The Nekoshou could see the gears turning in the Werewolf's head as she thought over her response, proving that this definitely wasn't just a friendly visit. "I saw how you acted around him some time ago. Trying to get his attention, showing yourself off." The redhead's eyes narrowed slightly at her. "So why did you suddenly stop? What happened?"
Kuroka blinked. 'Oh. So THAT'S what this is about.'
Twisting herself into a sitting position, Kuroka let out a breathy sigh. "I think you already know why."
And just like that, the atmosphere in the room seemed to get slightly colder. Rita's eyes quickly narrowed even more at the confirmation, a slight growl coming up from her throat in response. It was a very extreme reaction, considering just how chipper and friendly she usually was, but Kuroka as unmoved, not shifting from her relaxed posture. Sure, the reaction could be interpreted as a little intimidating, but she knew Rita wouldn't attack her.
Rita didn't speak back right away, trying to take a moment to calm herself down. With deep breaths and clenched hands, she slowly regained control of herself and the atmosphere became a little less hostile. "You slept with him."
Quite telling that she didn't even phrase it as a question. "Yes. I did."
oOoOoOoOo Rita Lupo oOoOoOoOo
'Easy,' Rita thought, trying to keep herself calm from Kuroka's confirmation. 'Easy, easy, calm down. No point in getting angry. I'm sure she had a perfectly valid reason for…..for doing THAT.'
Honestly, Rita wasn't really sure why she was feeling so confrontational about this. She respected Kuroka, she even kinda liked her. They both got along well, they liked hanging out once in a while and even traded a few stories about their pasts together. They'd even shared a few stories about their little sisters.
Point was, she trusted her. She also had faith in Vashyr and that he wouldn't be manipulated by anyone, so why was she so steamed about this? They were both adults that had every right to decide who they had a fling with. She should even be a little happy for them, but instead she was just being so…so….she couldn't even think of a good word.
Forcing herself to calm down, she tried to keep her voice level. "Why?"
"Why did I sleep with him? Do I really need much of a reason?"
Rita did her best to choke back her growl. Closing her eyes for a moment, she did her best to recollect her thoughts and get her mind in order. Nothing good would come of getting angry right now. She liked Kuroka, even trusted her, but she needed an answer for this.
"Kuroka," she started, her voice coming out soft and subtle. "I don't want to believe there's some secret reason for it. I don't want to think you're manipulating him." She looked the Nekoshou in the eye, their gazes meeting. "But as Vashyr's servant, as a member of his Peerage, I need to be sure. So, why were you so intent on having sex with him before? What was the point?"
To her annoyance, Kuroka didn't immediately respond. She just looked at her, an unreadable expression on her face as silence filled the room. It went on for a few seconds, then ten, then twenty and she thought it would keep going on. She opened her mouth to speak but, as fate would have it, Kuroka chose that very moment to answer.
"There wasn't any point. I just wanted to have my first night with him."
Rita's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That's it?"
The Nekoshou nodded. "That's it. Is it so strange?"
As much as she wanted to question her on it, Rita really couldn't think of anything to say.
Kuroka let out a sigh, leaning back into the couch in her usual relaxed position. "I actually thought about it for a while. I mean, what's really not to like." She smiled. "He's done so much for me and my little sister, hasn't tried at all to take advantage of me, he's very friendly and has a wonderful sense of humor, he's never anything but sweet with my little sister, brought us into a home like this," she spread her arms out, encompassing the room. "And, last but not least," her smile morphed ever slightly, matching the glint of mischief in her eyes, "he's very nice to look at. Such nice eye candy."
Rita did her best to hold back a blush on her cheeks as the tip of Kuroka's tongue darted out to lick her lips. It was even harder to keep the blush in check because of her own…experience. 'She's not exactly wrong.'
The Queen must've noticed her discomfort, because the mischievous glint in her eyes became, if anything, even more pronounced. "Oh, now that's unexpected. I didn't think you've had a turn with him."
Rita's hands clenched. "Don't talk about it like it was that simple."
Really, it wasn't. Her reason for that one night with Vashyr were entirely different, something she needed to do in order to move on. It wasn't something done on a whim, nothing like what Kuroka had done with him.
But, as much as she liked to say she'd moved on from it, she had to admit that she had…enjoyed herself. It certainly wasn't an unpleasant memory, something that really stood out. It was probably the first memory of her time in this Peerage that she honestly didn't feel like she wanted to forget.
But she couldn't let herself get distracted by that right now. This was more important than that one night from months ago.
Kuroka seemed to realize she'd stepped over a line, because her mischievous look quickly toned down and she became serious again. "Look, I can understand why you're worried, but I'm not trying to seduce him or anything. I have no intention of trying to use him."
Rita quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"
The Nekoshou nodded in response. "Really." A small smile appeared on her face, her expression becoming something slightly wistful. "Though I've gotta admit, the thought of it becoming something more serious isn't exactly unappealing. Maybe it's a one night stand, maybe we just keep it physical, maybe it changes into something more, who can say? But I promise you I'm not trying to use him in any way. And I won't regret my first night being with him."
And with those words, Rita could tell that she meant it. Guess she was concerned over nothing.
Rising up from her seat, the Werewolf let out the breath she had been holding in her lungs since this conversation had started. It really took a lot of concerns off her mind to know she didn't need to worry about Kuroka. Guess she was just being paranoid after all.
"I see," she nervously said. "Well, thanks for clearing that up. Sorry for the trouble."
Kuroka shook her head at that. "Don't worry about it, I can understand why you wanted to make sure he was safe."
Rita's smiled slightly as she moved to the door. She had almost opened it when Kuroka spoke out again. "After all, you're starting to like him too, aren't you?"
oOoOoOoOo Kuroka oOoOoOoOo
'Oh, I'm sorry Rita, but you're just TOO much fun not to lead on a little.'
Really, she meant what she'd said. She would never go so low as use Vashyr like that after everything he'd done for her and Shirone, not ever. She wasn't about to complain if he'd like to continue their little nightly meetings, or if it became more serious over time, but using him? Never!
But that didn't mean she couldn't tease Rita a little bit. Especially if she could give her a little nudge towards him herself.
After all, she did so love watching romances unfold around her. And she was sure that something would develop between Rita and Vashyr sooner or later. Might as well help them along a little.
Plus, Rita just looked so adorable as she froze by the door with her face seeming to turn beet red. It was made even better as she started sputtering incoherently at the accusation. People could be so much fun to mess with, and Rita was just making it too easy for her.
"W-w-what are you talking about!?" the Werewolf shouted out as she twirled in place to look at her. She had the most adorable expression of embarrassment on her face, wide eyed and cheeks as red as her own hair. "It's NOT like that, I swear! He's my master!"
Kuroka nodded in affirmation. "Mine too, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate him." She licked her lips suggestively, trying to stifle her chuckle as Rita let out an 'eep' and turned away from her. 'Oh, this is SO much fun.'
Kuroka couldn't help it, she got up from the couch and snuck up to embrace Rita from behind, getting another eep from the young woman. "What are you doing?!"
Kuroka just tightened her hold, resting her chin on the other woman's right shoulder as she spoke. "Oh, come on now. Why so nervous?" Her left hand started to move, snaking slowly up her body to gently rest on Rita's right breast, getting a squeak from her with a barely noticeable squeeze. "Come on, Rita, you don't need to hide it from me." She breathed lightly into Rita's ear, drawing out a shiver. "I mean, I'm not opposed to sharing the fun with you, if you'd like."
Rita let out a yelp as Kuroka applied another squeeze to her breast, breaking free and twirling around, looking at her like she'd just gone crazy. "What are you even saying!? I'm not interested!"
And with that, she turned back to the door and ran right out. Rushing into and down the hall like there was something nipping at her heels the whole way.
Kuroka smiled predatorily at her back as she ran off. "That's not what your reaction is telling me." She whispered, just loud enough for the Werewolf to hear her.
Rita's near trip at the end of the hall showed that the words had just the effect she'd wanted.
'Looks like things were gonna start getting fun.'
oOoOoOoOo Vashyr Furtur oOoOoOoOo
All things considered, finding Karasuba's trail hadn't been all that hard. Granted, it required a more specific search pattern than walking up to someone with a picture and asking "Have you seen this woman?" but it was shockingly easy when certain things were taken into account.
Looking over the other towns she'd inhabited in the past, he noticed a few things about how she operated. It wasn't an entirely consistent pattern, often broken by an inconsistent kill, but it was enough to form a good picture. In every town she'd visited, rarely staying for more than a few months, the Stray Devils had taken up a place to hide in an area that was largely abandoned by the population to keep out of the public eye. Oh, the more daring ones sometimes popped up in more populated areas, but they largely stuck to the edge of town where nobody could hear the screams of their victims.
And that was where they were found dead. All of them eviscerated to the point of being reduced to strips and ribbons of meat rather than a whole corpse, their blood smeared all over the slickened ground and walls. If nothing else, Karasuba certainly didn't alter from her preferred method of killing. In fact, he could honestly say it made her all the easier to track down.
Now, that might not seem like much of a clue on its own, right? So what if all the Stray Devils were killed in that general area? It was probably just because they all happened to be concentrated there and Karasuba could've just zipped in to kill them before heading back to wherever she was staying. A fair point, but it overlooked one little detail, and a rather important one.
Karasuba was, for all her skills, a regular human. She didn't have any Magic or special powers, no unique lineage or anything to really connect her personally to the supernatural world. And a regular Human, regardless of Skill, couldn't just zip in and out so quickly.
That meant one of several things. First was that she personally lived in the area. Possible, but not ALL too likely, given that someone else would've found her hideout in the area after a while, which nobody ever did.
The second possibility was that she had some kind of accomplice, someone skilled with Magic enough to teleport her in and out. That was very unlikely, given that there was no trace of Magic at the sites of her kills at all. Not beyond the stuff leaking from the corpses, anyway. Besides, the file made it clear she was a lone predator, no way would she rely on someone else like that.
The last possibility it left him with was some sort of advantageous position. That she had some way of quickly traversing the distance on foot without anyone seeing her.
And from what he'd been able to piece together from her previous appearances, that last one fit her perfectly. The reason? All of the towns she'd inhabited were along the coast, each with a rather large river going through the center that led out to the sea. And with those large rivers were equally large drainage systems with tunnels that went all over the town. Including the older areas where the Strays tended to hide away.
He'd checked the size of some of the tunnels in the towns she'd previously inhabited and they were easily big enough for a human to ride around in with a motorcycle.
And that was the reason he was currently suspended above the water of one such tunnel, using Magic to check the layout of the drainage pipe and how far it spread out under the city. It wasn't really a difficult spell, only requiring him to channel some energy into the structure and have it spread out through the rest like a sonar, bouncing back to him with an imprint of its size.
'Oh yeah. Definitely big enough.'
Entering the tunnel, he walked forward while keeping his senses sharp. He was entering her turf now, and that meant he had to be careful. She'd already killed plenty of Stray Devils and Rogue Exorcists in the past, and he wasn't interested in adding his own body to her kill count.
oOoOoOoOo Karasuba Asama oOoOoOoOo
It wasn't exactly the most luxurious abode in town, in fact it as actually pretty pitiful. Just a sleeping bag and some extra blankets with a big pillow, a bag holding a few changes of clothes, a bunch of cleaning products for removing blood, a couple electric lights for illumination, and the motorcycle she used to get from place to place. Not a great place by anyone's definition, but it suited her just fine.
After all, it's not like she spent that much time down here. She just came down to eat and sleep, as the empty bottles and take-out containers testified.
Absently running the piece of cloth along her sword, she cleaned it with the same loving care she always lavished upon it. Buffing the metal until it seemed to shine in the relative darkness of her little temporary home, lit only by the electric lights she kept nearby.
Getting up from her seat on the ground, she gave her oldest friend a few quick swings, testing its path through the air and listening to it sing.
'Looks like she's happy.'
Call her crazy, but Karasuba had always found herself relating better to blades than she did with people. They were made for a purpose, used for that purpose, and found a fulfillment in seeing that purpose through to the end. There was something enviable to that simplicity, in her own mind anyway.
Maybe that was why she liked fighting so much? A desire to emulate them? Possibly, but she didn't really care. Her only concern was the next battle, the next challenge, the next moment that got the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the blood ringing in her ears. She didn't need to know why, she just needed to live in the here and now.
'Nice and simple.'
Too bad it was getting harder to find real fights now. The first few times she'd fought those Stray Devils had been exhilarating! She'd never felt so alive before, every move being a gamble between life and death, straddling the edge with every passing second. That was the rush she lived for, what she'd always craved, and she'd finally found it!
But then it had gotten too easy, those monsters suddenly losing their novelty as she became so much better at reading their movements and reacting, her instincts honed to such a sharp edge from fighting them so many times. They were fun at first, but it quickly became obvious that they were all force, just raw and unfocused strength. They were like children that didn't even know how to use the strength they had.
Those other people, the ones calling themselves Exorcists, had been a pleasant surprise for her. Unlike those Devils, the Exorcists actually had a pretty good degree of skill to their fighting abilities, meaning they were actually capable of coming up with tactics and knew how to use what they had. They might've been physically weaker, but made up for it with tricks and cunning.
Too bad it didn't change their lack of raw power, though. Eventually they became just more chaff to her, just more speed bumps as she traveled along on her lonely road.
She sheathed her sword with a huff. "Jeez, why the hell am I thinking like this? They aren't worth thinking about."
Maybe she'd be heading out a little earlier today. She hadn't really scoped the town out beyond the older areas, so maybe she'd missed something. Might as well go out to ease her boredom.
She was just about to get on her motorcycle and ride off before she heard something and froze.
For a moment she thought it was just the sound of water dripping from the ceiling again, certainly a common enough occurrence. She was essentially in the center of a big storm drain system, so there certainly wasn't a lack of moisture. But the sound was too….heavy for it to just be drops of water hitting the ground. It was almost like…
"Footsteps?" she questioned, aiming it at nobody in particular.
But as the sound grew closer, she decided that, yes, it really was the sound of footsteps. Someone was actually walking along in the storm drain. And it wasn't her.
Someone had found her. And she could barely suppress the smile that wanted to form on her face as she drew her sword and got ready for a greeting.
oOoOoOoOo Vashyr Furtur oOoOoOoOo
His steps echoed in the large pipe of the storm drain, the sound bouncing around the interior of the pipes before coming back to him in dull echoes. He was starting to understand why Karasuba had liked these kinds of places so much: it was impossible for someone to sneak up on her. There was no way she didn't know he was coming from the sound he was transferring through the pipes, so she just had to know he was coming.
And if what he'd learned from her file was accurate, her greeting would be somewhere in the neighborhood of hostile and more than a little manic. Preferably with her sword drawn and ready.
Which was why he'd already prepared a lance of lightning for the clash. Might not exactly be a trusting gesture to visit someone with a weapon in hand, but it was best to screw politeness when you were dealing with a potential homicidal maniac. Besides, he might not have come her planning to kill her, but he was more interested in preserving his own life in these kinds of circumstances. He had to prioritize.
He was also very grateful for the night vision granted by his Devil body, it made moving through these tunnels so much easier. He was pretty sure he'd be walking along with testing steps and keeping a hand on the wall to know where he was going if he didn't have it. Not exactly a dignified entrance.
His musing came to an end as he saw the tunnel ending up ahead, opening into what seemed to be a rather large cavern.
Preparing for an ambush, he cast a quick spell to sense for anyone else in the room to avoid being caught by surprise. It was a very basic spell, easily blocked even by a novice, but the reports said that Karasuba had no skill or power in Magic at all.
His suspicion as confirmed hen the spell showed there was exactly one person in the cavern. Armed and ready for a fight.
"I know you're in there," he shouted out, trying to make the words clear in spite of the echo. "If you want to fight me, fine. But I don't suppose we could talk for a moment? If you want to fight me than we can do it after. Okay?"
He didn't receive an answer nor expect one. If this Karasuba was anything like the one from Sekirei, the chances are that she wouldn't be interested in talking at all. Still, no harm in trying, right?
Making sure his steps were even and clear, he moved forward to the cavern entrance, making it clear he coming in. Passing the threshold, he was mildly surprised that he wasn't immediately attacked by her the moment his foot got in.
Entering the caver fully, he turned to see his host and was greeted by the strangely tranquil expression of Karasuba as she stood in a traditional kendo stance. He could tell how tense her muscles were, ready to spring into action at a moments notice and send her sword slicing through the air straight towards him. Hopefully he'd be able to avoid that.
"You must be Karasuba," he politely stated, giving her a nod of recognition. She didn't really respond. But neither did she move to attack. "My name's Vashyr Furtur, but you can just call me Vashyr."
Karasuba's smile grew just a little, her expression briefly seeming to become just a little less menacing. "So nice to meet a Devil with some manners for once. The others never really seemed too interested in talking. Then again, I don't think anyone would want to talk while they're getting carved up."
"Did you ever try talking with them before you attacked them? I know they're not much for conversation, but they'd probably spend some time gloating a little."
She rolled her eyes. "I hate gloating. If you're gonna kill someone than you should just get it over with. Don't waste time talking about it."
"Something we can agree on," he commented. Seriously, why did so many people always stop to gloat or monologue when they were about to win? It was so much smarter to wait until their opponent was dead so they could gloat over a corpse, or at least make damned sure that they were down for the count and couldn't get back up.
Her smile seemed to actually get a little friendly at that. "Oh, you agree? That's good. Then you can understand why I won't be gloating until you're bleeding to death on the ground."
"And why haven't you started trying to cut me up yet?"
Her expression shifted slightly and he couldn't help the bizarre impression that she was somehow pouting at him. It was so wrong in so many ways. Karasuba didn't pout, no matter what world she was in.
"Don't you know it's rude to cut someone up when they're trying to have a polite conversation with you? My parents didn't raise me like that. Why else would I be waiting politely until we stop talking?"
That….actually made a scary amount of sense, coming from someone like her. Either way, he might as well get to the point. "Do you know what a Peerage is?"
Her stance didn't change, still staying in that ready position, but her expression shifted at his words again. Curiosity? "Peerage," she slowly repeated. "I think I heard that word from some of those Stray Devils I killed, but I'm not sure what it means." Her head tilted slightly. "Is it something important?"
oOoOoOoOo ? ? oOoOoOoOo
An elderly man stood on the platform of the lab hidden beneath the earth. A place of research and creation that he'd put so many years into. So many projects and plans born and implemented in this very room. So much progress made.
And now one of his finest projects yet was about to be taken due to security. "It's too dangerous", they said, "that manic girl will attract too much attention", they told him. Bah! He hated when people interfered with his research, hated it with a burning passion down to the center of his being. Did they not know they were interfering with something great? Something that could shake the very foundation of the world?
So it was with barely concealed contempt as he was forced to watch them take away the tank below, restraining himself from shouting at them to be more careful with one of his greatest achievements yet.
For within the tank, there rested a little girl. Not very impressive at a glance, just some little girl of perhaps 14 years old with long blond hair. So small looking and apparently fragile that she barely even looked her actual age.
But appearances were deceiving, Grigorio knew that better than anyone. The appearance of weakness, the appearance of power, the appearance of mortality or stability. Practically any appearance in existence was merely something waiting to be proven wrong, a façade put up over something so much more promising underneath. This little girl was no different.
A part of him also appreciated the irony of such a tiny body being made to contain the power of a Heavenly Dragon, but that was merely a bonus.
After all, what fun was life without a little irony?
oOoOoOoOo Vashyr Furtur oOoOoOoOo
"So, that's the long and short of it."
Karasuba's attention didn't waver from him for even a moment during his little exposition. He did his best to condense all the necessary information about Devil society and the Underworld and Peerages, but there was only so much you could effectively explain over a few minutes. Karasuba might have been polite enough to listen for a little while before she came at him blade swinging, but he was willing to bet there was a limit to her patience.
The look on her face was a little hard to read, but that wasn't anything new. She seemed to be rather fond of low key expressions rather than anything grand, but he figured she'd be reacting more strongly than just…..staring at him with such a blank look.
"Let me get this straight," she said, her words coming out flat. "You're some kinda King of the Underworld," he nodded, "you're recruiting people to your own little brigade," he nodded again, "and you came here because you want to recruit me into your little team as a….Knight, was it?"
He snapped his fingers. "Nailed it."
The snapping sound of his fingers echoing in the cavern was the only noise as they stared each other down. Karasuba's stance hadn't changed at all from when he'd entered, holding that same ready position with her sword drawn. It was a little amazing how she could still hold it for roughly five to seven minutes without even budging.
Then she started chuckling and her stance seemed to fall apart. Her feet shuffled slightly, her left arm wrapped around her midriff and she didn't even try to keep her eyes on him. She just threw her face up as her chuckles turned into laughter and bounced off the walls and ceiling.
It was actually a little creepy seeing someone like Karasuba laugh like that. It wasn't that the laughter had any malicious notes in it, but it was the absence of anything menacing. It just sounded like the kind of innocent and pure laughter of a child finding something funny.
'Okay, THERE'S some nightmare material for later.'
Fortunately for his sanity, her laughter didn't really last too long. Barely 15 seconds passed, in fact, before she calmed herself down and looked at him again. "Aw man, you have no idea how funny that all sounds. I mean, come on. It sounds like something out of an anime!"
He fortunately managed to keep his thought of 'More than you'll ever know' from slipping out of his mouth.
"Unfortunately," she said slowly, relaxing her body as her humor finally died down. "I'm afraid I'll just have to settle with cutting you up."
He sighed slightly. He figured she wouldn't make this easy for him, he'd even kind of expected it, but that didn't mean he couldn't hope. "Don't like the thought of working for a Devil?"
She chuckled again at his words, feeling some kind of humor. "No, nothing like that. It's just…." she stopped talking, her eyes seeming to go distant a little as she seemed to look beyond him, beyond the cavern they were in, to see something only she knew.
But she eventually regained her focus and looked at him again, breaking away of whatever vision she had. "It's just that I can't really see myself signing up for that without a fight. And I always fight to win."
'Ah,' he thought, the picture clearing up a little. 'So THAT'S why.'
Not exactly ideal, but it was an opening. "Then how about a little bet?"
Her right eyebrow perked up, her expression showing just a hint of curiosity. "What, we talking cards or something?"
"No," he answered, shaking his head. "We settle this the way I'm sure you'd like. Put simply, we fight. I win and you join up, you win and I die. Simple as that.
"Really?" Her eyes took on a predatory glint, lips turning upwards slightly into another smile. "No complaining if you lose? I really don't like it when people try to back out on me."
Vashyr shrugged. "I did a similar bet with another member of my Peerage. I'm only asking that you kill me quickly if you win." He smiled at her. "After all, I wouldn't want both our time to be wasted if you start gloating. That'd just be hypocritical of you."
This time she smiled in earnest, her eyes dancing with a combination of predatory light and honest humor. "Y'know, I think I just might be starting to like you."
He readied his lance for any incoming attack, taking a stance of his own. "I hope it's not enough to go easy on me?"
She launched herself at him, sword coming down in an overhead swing with her teeth bared, her face twisted with a bloodthirsty smile and her eyes opened the widest he'd seen. "NOT A CHANCE!"
Her sword came down in a vicious arc, slicing through the air like a bulled shot into the earth as it impacted against his lance of lightning with all the force of a sledgehammer.
But he blocked it all the same and Karasuba continued her assault, undaunted by him stopping her blow.
Moving in closer to his guard, she pulled her sword down as she continued the cut, dragging it with the handle to bring the razor sharp edge closer to his face.
He could feel it cut through the air as he pulled his face back, moving his body to the side as he shunted her away.
It took her less than a second to regain her balance and twirl around to face him again, twisting her sword back towards him in a vicious arc that he blocked yet again.
But she didn't stop at one attack, continuing into a flurry of blows. Upward slash, stab, downward stroke, a cut towards his head, a piercing lunge towards his chest, every attack leading into another with all the force and intent to act as a finishing blow all on its own. They barely even seemed to count as separate attacks, instead seeming to merge together into a flowing dance of steel whistling through the air.
Vashyr was honestly rather impressed. If he was right, then she was actually moving roughly as fast as Walter, maybe even faster. She was singlehandedly pushing herself to the very limit of what should be possible for a Human and she probably didn't even know it. And if that wasn't enough, he was pretty sure she could still go even faster.
But, even with all their speed, he still avoided getting hit even once. She caught him by surprise with that first attack, her initial rush coming at a speed he didn't expect, but he adapted and pushed his own speed to match her, brought to bear all the speed and reflexes he'd developed in those sparring sessions with Sairaorg. She was fast, almost inhumanly fast, but even she couldn't compare to Sairaorg.
And, unlike his spars with his fellow Devil, he was allowed to enhance his body with Magic for this fight.
So every slash was blocked, every thrust was shunted aside, every close attack was dodged, and he kept the lead.
Karasuba seemed to notice, but she was hardly discouraged. In fact, the smile on her face made it clear he was only encouraging her.
oOoOoOoOo Karasuba Asama oOoOoOoOo
'He's still alive.'
That one thought repeated itself in her mind, ringing inside her skull like the mantra of some madman. It emphasized itself with every repetition, growing louder and more pronounced. 'HE'S STILL ALIVE!'
Again and again she brought her sword against him, clashing it against that weird weapon he was holding, every failed attack urging her to keep fighting.
No. To keep fighting harder!
So she fought harder, brought her A game to the fight and threw herself into the battle like a woman possessed, like some berserker of the Vikings from the distant past, swept up into bloodlust as her ears started ringing and her vision shined red.
This was gonna be a good day.
oOoOoOoOo Vashyr Furtur oOoOoOoOo
'Something's wrong.'
The thought went through Vashyr's mind as he blocked another slash towards his neck, warding off yet another attempt to take his head off. Her attacks were coming in even faster now, but it still wasn't anything he couldn't handle. That was probably the only reason he could think about anything besides blocking and dodging her attacks, parrying and shunting aside her offensive.
And that's when it hit him, right when her sword passed by him again. How was her weapon still in one piece? It should've been destroyed through mere contact with his lance of lightning, but it was still solid. How?
Well, he'd find out when this was over. He had more pressing things to worry about at the moment.
Like how Karasuba was somehow still pushing herself to go even faster.
oOoOoOoOo Karasuba Asama oOoOoOoOo
Her heart was beating.
No, that didn't do it justice, didn't display the gravity. Everyone's heart beat in their own chest, that steady beating that showed they were still alive, told them their blood was still flowing.
But that wasn't the case for her. Her heart may have beat before, but never like this. It wasn't just beating, it was thrumming. It was like the sound and sensation of a drum being struck inside her chest, the sensation of thunder flowing in her veins instead of blood.
For the first time in her life, she felt ALIVE!
(BEAT)
Alive.
(BEAT)
Alive!
(BEAT)
SHE'D NEVER FELT SO ALIVE!
A keening cry erupted from her throat and ripped free from her lips, reverberating on the walls as she moved faster than she'd ever moved before. Faster than she'd ever even thought she could move, her sword flashing through the air in blurring silver arcs as she laughed from the ecstasy and thrill of the moment.
And for the first time since the fight began, she had started pushing him back. It wasn't like his footwork before with quick steps and maneuvering, he was falling back under her assault. She was pushing him back and getting him really on the defensive.
She sensed rather than felt the smile on her face, so wide that it probably made it look like her face was being split in half. Baring her teeth like a snarling attack dog as she closed in.
'More.'
Her sword flashed out again, cutting straight through the air to his face and just barely ghosting the very edge across the skin, drawing out a thin line of wonderful crimson blood.
'MORE!'
She laughed, sounding to all the world like someone from a mental asylum as she pushed herself even harder. Fought to keep pushing this guy back until he hit the wall and she could carve him up and be covered in his blood. Covered in the blood of the first person to make her feel this way in her whole LIFE.
'GIVE ME MORE!'
oOoOoOoOo Vashyr Furtur oOoOoOoOo
'Okay, there's NO WAY she's really just a normal Human. WHAT THE HELL?'
Seriously, there was no way a Human should be able to move this fast. Walter hadn't been able to move this fast, and he was an Exorcist prodigy. She'd even managed to actually get a scratch on him, albeit a light one, and she was still going strong.
The most disturbing thing was that she actually seemed to be getting aroused by the fight. He could see it in the glazed look of her eyes and the blushing on her face, hear it in the panting of her breath and keening screams. It was actually kinda disturbing.
And that damned sword of hers wasn't helping. It was so strange, he couldn't even feel any Magic coming off the damned thing, but it was somehow able to keep in one piece despite clashing with his lance of lightning. It should've been melted down to a puddle of steel by now, but there wasn't even a burn mark on it.
But that wasn't his biggest concern. No, his concern was that he was steadily giving ground now, Karasuba was actually pushing him back.
And it was only a matter of time until there was no more ground to give and he was pushed against a wall, a guaranteed problem. He was good with his spear, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that Karasuba was even better with her sword. And she'd show him just how good once he was backed up against the wall with nowhere to dodge. Even bringing all his speed against her would mean nothing if she cut off his maneuverability.
So that was why he needed to pull out that little trick he'd been working on.
'Guess now's as good a time as ever.'
oOoOoOoOo Karasuba Asama oOoOoOoOo
'Almost. Almost. Almost.'
Almost done, she almost had him to the wall where this would all be over. Just a little longer and she'd be swimming in that sweet, hot, crimson blood. Just a little longer until sheer ecstasy.
Second by second ticked by, feeling like a blissful eternity to her. She was in heaven, Nirvana, every kind of paradise that she'd ever heard about. A long moment of the greatest rush she'd searched for her whole life.
This was her paradise, her Heaven, her Nirvana. This was her EVERYTHING!
Then his back hit the wall and she hit the peak of the moment, the very crown of the rush and excitement as her sword flashed along the side and sailed toward his neck. As her blade streaked sideways through the air like some horizontal guillotine of a great executioner upon the neck of a man condemned for death.
Deep in the pit of her stomach, beneath all the bliss and contentment, she was actually a little sad that this had to end.
And that's why she was shocked out of her whole stupor when it didn't.
Because the moment before her sword connected, barely a split second, it was deflected.
She was brought down from her high with all the speed of the slashes of her own sword. 'What?'
And right after that one question flowed through her mind, she suddenly found herself put on the defensive. That glowing spear streaking out like bolts of light in searing arcs and piercing lines, coming so quickly she barely managed to deflect the attacks.
She was pushed back in the face of the new offensive, giving ground with every parried attack as she was forced to step back.
All the speed that she'd worked up over the fight had practically vanished, leaving her feeling so slow and lethargic as her opponent just kept advancing like a living storm. Maybe it was just her eyes playing tricks on her, but she could've sworn she actually saw tiny flashes of electricity on his body right as he moved. Like there was a pulsing shock with every twitch.
But she didn't have any time to think about that, she needed to focus on fending him off. Not easily done when she was being forced back. Every attack she tried to send out was intercepted before it could really even begin, her every parry seemed to be seen in advance and twisted to get her off balance, with every move for offense and defense just being countered before it could take effect.
And just like that, she found herself backed against a pillar. Ironic that after the whole fight, she was the one to face defeat with her back to some kind of wall. As the strange spear darted out, burning through the air on a direct route to her face, a thought came to mind. 'I've lost.' Kinda weird that she wasn't so upset about that.
But as the spear closed in to her face it immediately twisted away, sliding to the side of her head and melting the part of the pillar it contacted with in a harsh sizzle.
She would've gone back on the offensive if she didn't suddenly feel something akin to the impact of a flying bowling ball hitting her in the gut, causing all the air to shoot out of her lungs in a gasp that held the tiniest drops of her own blood. She could've sworn she actually felt her bottom most ribs shatter from the impact, her legs suddenly having all the tension of wet noodles as her body was held up only by the very fist that had hit her.
And as it sunk in that the fight was over, her opponent spoke two simple words that she'd never heard from any lips but her own. "I win."
oOoOoOoOo Vashyr Furtur oOoOoOoOo
He did his best to concentrate as he focused on healing the injury he'd dealt to Karasuba's abdomen. He was honestly a little surprised she hadn't tried to keep fighting, but it looked like she knew when to accept a loss. Probably for the best, all things considered.
A part of him actually berated himself for allowing the fight to be a melee. He rested pretty firmly on the Wizard end of the Warrior-Wizard-Thief triangle, and getting into a close range battle with Karasuba had been pretty damned risky.
The logical part of his kept saying that beating her in her own field would send a better message and give her less room to complain, while another also noted that it was a great opportunity to see how he'd physically progressed due to training with Sairaorg, but logic tended to be inconsistent when exposed to people and their own little quirks.
"Hey"
He took some of his focus off healing Karasuba's ribs to look up at her. "Yeah?"
"You could've done that trick from the start, right? That thing with the sparks on your body."
He did his best to keep the surprise off his face. 'She SAW that?' Her brain must've been going a mile a minute just to have noticed that. It was actually kind of scary, in fact. Still, no point in lying about it now. "Yeah. I could've done it at any time."
He thought she'd probably be angry at that, at the very thought that he'd essentially gone easy on her, but she just smiled and let out a chuckle. Or at least she tried to chuckle, given the state of her two bottom ribs. He hadn't quite healed them yet.
But those busted ribs didn't do anything to keep her from smiling. "I never stood a chance against you, did I?"
He shook his head. "No, you didn't."
It was harsh, but still the truth. Karasuba was very skilled, terrifyingly skilled, and had the speed to match it. She was probably as fast as the average Devil, if not a little faster. But his training with Sairaorg and the ability to reinforce his body with Magic allowed him to be even faster.
And that was without even bringing up the new power he'd been developing with the lightning portion of his Clan Magic. It was still in the beginning stages, but he was working on an ability similar to the Cloak of Lightning that was used by the Third Raikage from Naruto, an ability that allowed him to vastly enhance his speed and reflexes. Crappy show, but it had lots of interesting abilities he could replicate with his Magic.
He hadn't really perfected it yet, it was still a new ability after all and would likely take him months of dedicated training, if not a year to perfect it, but it already showed promise. Even if he could only keep the flow of lightning active for seconds at a time, it still boosted him enough that Karasuba seemed to move in slow motion, allowing him to easily turn the tide of the fight in his favor.
Of course, that was all ignoring the fact that he could've just stayed at range and pelted her with powerful spells from a distance. That was his strongest strategy, in fact.
Contrary to his expectations, she actually seemed to like his honesty on the matter. "Don't sugarcoat anything, huh? That's good, I hate it when people pretty stuff up to make shit easier to swallow."
He finished healing her ribs almost the second after she said that, rising up from the ground and offering her a hand. She just grabbed it with a smile and hoisted herself up, not hesitating for a moment. "So, guess this means I'm your new Knight now, huh?"
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "You're taking this….surprisingly well."
'Oh, there's that pout again.'
Seriously, Karasuba should not pout. Wasn't that some unbendable law of the universe? He was pretty sure it was supposed to be a commandment of the fabric of reality.
"What do you think I am, some little kid?" 'Well, you're definitely pouting like one.' "We had a deal, I keep my deals, and backing out is for sore losers." The pout was gone after she said that, replaced with something predatory again. "Besides, keep your prey closer, right?"
"Enemies."
She shrugged dismissively at that. "Prey, enemies, targets, all the same thing. Point is, I'm the only one who gets to cut you up. Can't let someone else do it without me looking bad, so I've gotta keep you in one piece until I can have my rematch." She chuckled again, that low and predatory sound. "Besides, I've got a feeling I'll be plenty entertained around you. Guys like you are just a magnet for trouble, and that means more fighting for me. Everybody wins!"
'Is fighting all this lady thinks about?"
…..Okay, stupid question, this was Karasuba of all people.
Still, he couldn't help but share the smile with her. With a fight loving attitude like that she was definitely gonna enjoy being in a Peerage that'd be right in the thick of things. "I can personally guarantee that you'll be thoroughly sick and tired of fighting after six years are up."
Somehow her smile got even wider at that, showing just how much she'd love to take up the bet. "Then what are you waiting for. Knight me already!"
xXx
Whew, LONGEST chapter yet. I thought of ending it when Karasuba shouted out NOT A CHANCE, but I thought you guys had probably gotten a little tired of the cliffhangers by now. I'm still a little unsure about my ability to write fight scenes, so I'd appreciate all the input you could give me on how I did and what needs improving.
Anyway, I'm sorry if that prototype Cloak of Lightning seemed to come out of nowhere. I've been trying to show him training his abilities in some of the previous chapters, but the idea to show it here kinda popped into my head at the last minute and I thought it would've just been way too cheap for me to go back a chapter or two and rewrite it to say he'd developed it. So I tried to put in that explanation early on about how he'd been developing the trick while he was training with Sairaorg. First off, let me say it isn't perfected, just like Vashyr himself had admitted. He can't keep it active for longer that at most two seconds per use, and it's gonna be a while before he can show off a finished product.
As for Karasuba, I wanted to portray her in a way that did her skills justice without her coming across as unrealistic. Fact is that Karasuba, for all her sheer skill and speed, is very much a normal Human, I'm TELLING you that she doesn't have a Sacred Gear or any supernatural ancestry, she's just so naturally skilled and fast that she's capable of easily slaughtering Stray Devils. Her sword IS something unique, not a Holy Sword, but it's not a conventional weapon. If she DID just have a normal weapon, it would've been destroyed when the fight began and the scene wouldn't have done her justice.
Regarding her personality, I tried to make it easy to show who she's based on, but she isn't ENTIRELY like the Karasuba from Sekirei. She's still bloodthirsty and loves fighting, but this one is a LITTLE more of an Anti-Hero.
Lastly, the scene with Kuroka and Rita. I'm sure at least SOME of you have taken the time to read my earlier Authors Notes about how I believe relationships develop, how they take TIME, and I have every intention of backing that all up, I'd be a pretty crappy write otherwise. Keep in mind that it's been roughly six months if not more since Rita accepted Vashyr as her master and she's been working very closely with him. She doesn't love him yet, she's just starting to develop a bit of a crush and Kuroka loves to tease people. Kuroka is also starting to develop a little bit of a crush also, she's just a bit more honest about it. I'm not interested in making them fall right into his arms yet, six months or so isn't enough for that, but it's enough for the seeds to be planted.
Anyway, I hope you've all enjoyed this new chapter of The Will To Power. I'm gonna see if I can get out a chapter for World of Remnant: Online and A Scorpion's Disciple before coming back to this. Feel free to go to my profile to check them out if you haven't already.
On a side note, please point out any spelling errors you find so that I may correct them, as good grammar is a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
Please review and have a nice day!
