Double update! Finally got this thing done. I've been busy with playing Sankai Ou no Yubiwa and finally beat it just yesterday. It's rather small, just around 4 GB, for a recent Eushully game. Anyway, this chapter mostly explains about Yuuto and Shirone though more about Yuuto though. That and team Akua's arrival in Kuoh. Next chapter will be team Xenovia and the devils and the two teams' meeting.
Chapter 12: Of Lies and Loyalties
-Two weeks ago-
"So you're finally back, mister troublemaker."
Setsuna greeted his friend as he lean on the front door of his mansion, already waiting for him for the last few minutes. Setsuna won't ask about his diminished power, missing arm, and white hair. It is obvious that those are the more obvious price he has to pay to release enough power to defeat the number five. In reality, Sirzechs should be sixth strongest since Eterna is rank two but she's not counted. Still, it is already a miracle that Haruka is still alive after fighting an enemy far above him in power. Ohh Setsuna knows how he managed to defeat the Maou but it is still incredible that he's alive.
"I sometimes wonder if you're even human, Haruka. You're tougher than a cockroach."
"Quit it Setsuna. I'm still tired and my body hurts all over. Can I please come in?"
"Help yourself."
Setsuna got out of Haruka's way and allow him to walk in.
"Ojamashimasu."
"There's no need for you to be polite, you're like a Nurarihyon in how you come and go."
Haruka ignore the light jab at how he comes and goes as he please like a Nurarihyon and proceed to head to the living room. Setsuna took note of something though. Haruka had exchanged his old gray trench coat with a jet black one with golden lining, the most notable feature being the crest of Eterna emblazoned on its back.
"So you're back here to stay or what?"
"I'm here just to deal with the trouble I brought you. After this… I'm starting."
"…You're serious about this, right?"
Haruka silently nodded.
"It's faster than you planned but… you're running out of time huh?"
"…"
"Your life force, it's weakened. Judging by the amount of life force you possess, you won't even have a decade."
"Not many host of Eterna lived past their forties. Our average life expectancy had always been in the thirties to forties."
"What about your girl?"
"…I wonder how it will end."
Setsuna then lead Haruka to the back garden which has become a training field with how often it is used to train. There Haruka finally met the group that he dumped with Setsuna along with the familiar face of a yuki onna.
"Yo!"
In an instant, Kiba Yuuto appear in front of him and tried to cut him down with his holy eraser, the strongest sword he could create. Of course, it is futile even if Haruka is not at 100% strength since despite his still considerable speed that Issei still cannot follow, it is extremely slow in Haruka's eyes who had faced Eterna in light speed. Using just his fingers, Haruka stopped the sword easily.
"Geez, calm down will ya. Well can't really blame you since I did kidnap you."
Haruka then yanked the sword from Yuuto's grip and examine the blade.
"It's a good sword. Better than most Sword Birth user I've met but nothing compared to Jeanne's."
Haruka tossed the sword back to Yuuto.
A white blur speed towards him but again Haruka is too good to be taken down by a mere kick. Haruka lazily sidestepped the attack and chop the top of the head of his offender with his hand.
"A neko relying on brute strength? You've been a rook for too long that you forgot who you are."
The two former devils, Yuuto and Koneko, glare at the strongest exorcist known to mankind.
"Maa, let's settle down and talk this out. Secchan!"
"Don't call me Secchan! "
Setsuna angrily shouted from inside the house.
"I'll be borrowing the garden!"
"Do whatever you wish! Just don't make a mess!"
Haruka could hear the cry of a baby from inside so that means Setsuna is tending to his kid. To be honest, it makes him envious of his friend. If he doesn't have a work to do, he would've already been dating Xenovia and maybe he will propose to her soon. But as it stands, that cannot happen. Not without abandoning what they are working for which Haruka swears he will never do.
"So what trouble did you bring today, Haruka? And what's with your hair?"
Mizore asked Haruka who is still looking at the two former devils with amusement. They look like they want to attack him but they know they can't win so they both settle with glaring at the former exorcist.
"Just settling some matters. And I used too much power that my hair turned white. Well, nothing too much for beating Lucifer. I honestly believed that I was dead when he went all out but I manage."
"Haruka-san, what happened to your arm!"
Haruka winced when he heard the cry from his healer friend. Asia who noticed his missing right arm immediately rush to his side and examined what's left of his arm which is only a stump.
"Another result of my fight with Lucifer. Don't worry about it Asia. I'm planning on replacing it… maybe."
Haruka muttered the last part to himself. He then noticed Issei gawking at him. He approached his childhood friend and wave his remaining hand in front of him but Issei remains unresponsive.
"Oi Ise, you there?"
Haruka asked.
"You really fought Lucifer!"
Issei's shout would've disturbed the neighbors if it weren't for the barriers around the mansion.
"Old news… and I really don't want to fight anyone like that again."
"Awesome! Isn't he like a last boss chara? You're really strong."
Haruka chuckled as he lightly punch Issei on the elbow.
"Right. You're the Sekiryuutei, Ise. If you train hard then you can become just as powerful."
Haruka then turn to look at the former devils and went back to Issei.
"Ise. Can you please run along? I need to talk with the two of them."
Haruka gestures at Yuuto and Shirone.
"Uhh, okay. Haru-nii will be staying, right?"
Haruka shook his head and Ise immediately look down.
"I need to replace my arm so I'm dropping by an acquaintance's place."
"I get it."
Issei then went back to the mansion followed by Asia but Mizore stayed.
"Mizore?"
"I think as mistress of the house I have the right to stay and listen. I also know your goal, Haruka. It's okay if I hear what you have to say, right?"
Haruka just shook his head in defeat and allow Mizore to stay and listen. He owes her that much at least. The maou killer then turn to the former devils and start talking.
"To think that I would find the two of you with Gremory of all people, Isaiah, Shirone."
The two former devils widened their eyes in surprise when Haruka called them by the name they no longer use.
"How do yo—"
"Did you not know, Isaiah? I was the one who discovered the research facility. It was around the same time they're disposing you guys. Still, I was too late. By the time I got there most of your friends had died and you have escaped. I killed all the researcher and assassinated those involved in the project although some escaped me."
"You were there? Wait, you said 'most of my friends'… you're not saying that…"
"When I got there, I forcibly activate the sacred gears of those whose power was still dormant. Three other survived. A girl named Tosca, the eldest of the subject named Maria, and the eldest male named Joseph. Sadly I can't do anything for the others. I was too late."
Haruka then took out from his pocket a photo and gave it to Yuuto. The former devil knight's eyes began to tear up as he look at the faces of his three friends together with Haruka. He touched Tosca, Maria, and Joseph in the picture as his memories of them began to appear. The two eldest male and female had always been there for everyone. They were the first to stand at the front to let everyone escape which ironically ended up with them surviving. And then there is Tosca. She is a quiet little girl whom Yuuto doesn't really interact with but he knew her at least.
"That photo was taken two days after I rescued them. They are now in Vatican working under Vasco so they are at least safe. Last I heard of Tosca, she was working as Griselda's assistant while both Maria and Joseph are exorcists. They each go by the name Tosca Quarta, Maria Evelyn, and Joseph Strada. They've been adopted. They told me to search for you that day but I was never able to find you. So imagine my surprise when you were Gremory's servant."
"Buchou saved me that day."
"Yes… that she did. I will at least thank her for that. But listen Isaiah. Of all devils, the Gremory are the one you should be wary of."
"Are you going to insult buchou?"
Both Yuuto and Shirone glares at Haruka who is now frowning.
"Like I said, I will thank Gremory for saving you but you must know that you were in Church territory at that time, a hidden one but Church territory nonetheless. I did not pass by due to chance alone. I was there in town resting after a mission and I was walking near the mountain when my sacred gear detected something strange. Italy is Heaven's territory, the whole Italy. Isaiah, what is the Gremory heiress doing in Church territory and deep in the mountain at that?"
Nobody could reply to that. When Haruka put it that way, it seems to be too convenient. The former exorcist addressed Shirone next.
"And then there is the matter with Shirone. Actually, it is more of a favor for Kuroka than anything."
Hearing her sister's name mentioned, Shirone gasped.
"Really, someone as skilled as Kuroka falling to the madness of senjutsu? No way, her skill and control is much too good when we battled for someone claimed as mad. I fought her and beat her once and she told me her story. I did an investigation and found out some facts. Kuroka's master was a sick bastard and he was about to go for Shirone so Kuroka killed him… though now that I think about it, there's no real need for me to take Shirone with me. Ahh well, what's done is done."
Yuuto and Shirone sweatdropped when hearing Haruka's casual admittance and dismissal of kidnapping. Mizore just facepalmed as she is used to Haruka doing things like this. He is intelligent and devious when he needs to but sometimes he just didn't think things through and made small mistakes which usually comes back to bite him. This time, the price for his action was a confrontation with Sirzechs Lucifer.
"Ahh! The Queen of Gremory! She's Baraqiel's daughter! The old man had expressed his regret in the matter with his daughter. Should've took her with me too and we got the full set."
[…I also forgot about that.]
Yuuto and Shirone turn to Mizore for an explanation to Haruka's madness while the yuki onna just shrugged. It's a normal thing when it concerns Haruka. He could be serious in one second and then do idiot things the next second.
"Haruka…-san, what happened to our evil pieces?"
Yuuto asked.
"Probably annihilated or lost somewhere in Scotland. I gave them to Sirzechs which probably what incited the fight. There's so much earth and rubbles flying around and an obscene amount of power thrown that I don't think even evil pieces could survive that. Sirzechs' true form was so powerful and scary that I was forced to unleash my own forbidden move. I thought I was gonna die, ahaha!"
Haruka laughed and even Mizore is sweating now at how casual he made his fight with the 5th strongest being sounds. Then again, Mizore knew how powerful the being sealed in Haruka's sacred gear is. For Eterna, a fight with Sirzechs Lucifer is not really a big matter. Her power is on the same level as Ophis and Great Red after all.
But then Haruka smiled at the two former devils.
"Well, that doesn't matter now. Isaiah, you're a human again. Shirone, you're a pure nekomata again. If you want to return to Gremory, I won't stop you. But just be careful of Gremory. The Gremory are shrewd and manipulative. Rias is much too inferior (Eterna's opinion) for some actual shrewd planning but I put my money on the dead siscon Lucifer. Rias is inferior to Sirzechs in every aspect so all those coincidences like Yuuto and how Shirone came to Rias' service are all Sirzechs'. He is a true Gremory and Lucifer."
After that, Haruka left them to their device and head back into the mansion to let them think of what he had just said. Mizore narrowed her eyes as she stare at Haruka's back.
Shidou Haruka is truly dangerous.
-Present-
Yuuto cannot help but think about what Haruka had said. Because of what he implies and since it all fits, Yuuto and Shirone decided to stay with Setsuna. Three days after their talk and Haruka's disappearance (again) Setsuna called their contact in the Church and Yuuto talked with his three surviving friends. Their nostalgic voice made his tear flows and he promises to meet them when he can. They also confirmed that it was Haruka that rescued them. As much as Yuuto can be loyal to Gremory, his true loyalty lies with his friends and he owes Haruka who saved them. It helps that Haruka is not affiliated with the Church. He still hates priests but Setsuna is not a priest so he is staying with him.
As for Shirone, the nekomata is still a little conflicted but after a while Setsuna offered to send her to Youkai academy where she can study with fellow youkai, especially his old teacher, Shizuka-sensei. She doesn't want to be separated from Yuuto since he is now her only friend but with the complicated state of affair, she can't really return to Rias Gremory so easily. So Mizore decided that it would be good to have her spend time with her own kind in Kyoto. Mizore grew to like Shirone and see her as a sort of surrogate sister or daughter. She had already left for Kyoto and will be under Yasaka's care on Setsuna's request. As Shinto's strongest demigod and child of Amaterasu, Setsuna has a lot of political power in supernatural Japan.
In the end, Yuuto had decided to join the Shinto faction under Setsuna although he still has some reservation. The reason why he didn't return to Rias is Haruka's words about how convenient his rescue was. Haruka was right. It was strange how Rias Gremory found him. Yuuto never did consider about those matters but now that it has been pointed out, everything seems convenient for Rias. It is either luck or someone else at work. Once or twice then it could be considered luck but thrice? Yes, it is indeed a deliberate work of someone.
And that someone was Sirzechs Lucifer.
Haruka was right in saying that Rias is nothing compared to her brother. The Lucifer was powerful and cunning. He was the one who led Rias to them, not out of pure kindness but since they are talented, all of them. Rias Gremory, even at this age, cannot properly recruit someone in a normal way like Sona Sitri. The proof was when she decided to let Issei die and summon her which when Yuuto noticed, made a situation similar to all of their own. Setsuna said that it is to leave them with no other choice.
It is a standard devil recruitment method, Haruka frequently said.
That is what made him hesitant to rejoin Rias Gremory. In the end, Yuuto decided to be in a side that won't oppose his remaining comrades and the devils at the same time, Setsuna's side. Although he owed Haruka, Yuuto still doesn't like him much. But Setsuna has been kind to him and Shirone and even said that having him switch allegiance is possibly Haruka's aim. He had been honest with them and had helped train them instead of locking them up until Haruka's return.
Another reason would be Asia. The kind girl, he found out, was also betrayed by the church but she still possess so much faith in God and humanity. Yuuto had grown to like the girl as a friend.
And then there is Issei. He felt guilty for leaving him to die when they clearly knew the fallen angels' intention. They have developed a strange dynamic. Yuuto feels that he can find a life-long friend in Issei.
All these reasons are what made him decide to stay with Setsuna.
"We've arrived in Kuoh."
Shuuzen Akua, the leader of this taskforce, informed them. Yuuto look out from the window of the car Setsuna provided them. Akua was the one driving as she is the only one with a license. He didn't realize how much he misses Kuoh, a feeling shared by Issei who is sitting in the front seat beside Akua.
Speaking of Issei, the boy had changed ever since his resurrection as a half-dragon. Though traces of the old Issei can still be clearly seen by how he would keep staring at girls and still frequently made that lecherous face he was known for, the boy had become more serious and protective. It is because of his draconic instinct. How much Issei had changed is still unknown since there hadn't been anything worthy of note.
Ohh and now Issei has a very strict rule of not staring at married women no matter how beautiful they are. He did that with Mizore and Setsuna had a 'talk' with him. He refused to come out of his room for a whole week which forced Asia to bring him food during that period.
Of course, single women are free game for him. Although his dragon's pride had made him less vocal about his fascination of the female body, Issei wouldn't be himself if he isn't at least somewhat perverted… which is probably why he currently has black eyes courtesy of Akua's punch. Still, that didn't stop him at all which earns him a punch every ten minutes. At least his attention is now occupied by his return to his hometown.
"Wow, it feels like I haven't seen Kuoh for years!"
"Hahaha, that just shows how much you misses Kuoh, Ise-kun."
"Shut up pretty boy."
The rest of the drive continue quietly until Akua parked the car in Issei's old house which will become their base of operation. The property now belongs to the Shinto faction after the Hyoudou family moved out under the pretense of a generous job offer which is actually just a reason to have Issei's parents to move out from 'devil territory' so they can't be used against him.
"Alright, let's start by meeting the devils."
The two boys nodded as they follow Akua's lead and start walking to Kuoh academy.
Not far from their position, on the roof of a nearby house stood a figure clad in black coat with white hair with a missing right arm. Shidou Haruka watches as his friends headed towards Kuoh academy, the place where the devils gather. Them and…
"Via…"
[You already miss her.]
Eterna stated rather than questioned. She understands his feeling quite well and some more. She misses all her other hosts, particularly Valen Argento who is her favorite and one-time lover.
"I do. But let's not talk about that now."
[Yes. So Kokabiel had reached the end of his patience. No, this is probably Ramiel's idea and Kokabiel finds it convenient.]
"Can they beat them?"
[Ramiel? If I am correct on my assumption of Xenovia's power, she can solo Ramiel. The black lightning is not the strongest of the cadre. But Kokabiel? No, Vasco never truly won against Kokabiel. If Kokabiel is actually serious, Vasco would've been dead many times over. Nobody in this town could defeat him. Nobody but you.]
"But that is not our goal, right?"
[Yes. Let's just hope that everything goes well.]
And then both Haruka and Eterna noticed a familiar energy signature and saw a pillar of flame rise up to the sky. Haruka could hear Eterna chuckling from inside Eternal Twilight.
[Ufufu. Xenovia certainly has a penchant for causing trouble, just like you.]
"I got the feeling that it is actually me who caused that. How is that possible?"
