Past Life.6 By a Hair's Breadth
"U… Uh…"
In a hotel room illuminated by the morning sun, Aslatiel Bael woke up.
(If I remember correctly, we only have to get some things ready with Cristina and we're done…)
Usually, he would spend a day with no work dozing off leisurely, however, today he could not do so.
Planning to get up and half-fold the sheets, he reached out both hands, only to…
*Funyuu*
… Feel something remarkably soft.
(What is this? It's small, tender… Kinda like bread dough… Or maybe marshmallow-like would be more accurate?)
*Funyuu* *Funyuu*
Half awake, Aslatiel played with the mysterious soft mounds within the palms of his hands. Then…
"Good morning, Aslatiel-sama."
"…"
… A calm voice made him freeze. Its source? A beautiful, nude girl sitting on his abdomen.
Her silver hair of a somewhat lighter shade than his own glittered in the morning sun, and her tight bare skin was as white as immaculate milk. She looked around 14-15 years old, and was small-bodied, but had all the necessary curves. The girl's figure was modest, but ideal.
She looked at Aslatiel with her mysterious violet eyes, her face devoid of emotion.
"What's the matter? You're not going to play with my breasts anymore?"
"Uwaah!"
Aslatiel straightened up in a fluster and pointed at the beautiful girl in front of him.
"Wh-What are you doing!? Or rather, why are you naked!?"
"Incorrect, I'm properly wearing knee socks." Straddling Aslatiel's stomach, Est raised her knees to prove her word.
Startled by that mysteriously erotic action, Aslatiel looked away while blushing.
"No, that's worse! Because compared to nude, knee socks nude is even, err… That!"
"Do you want me to take off my knee socks? Aslatiel-sama… Pervert..." While staying expressionless, the beautiful snow-haired fairy bashfully rubbed her knees.
Aslatiel did not understand why she reacted like that, but somehow, for this sword-girl, showing her bare feet was more embarrassing than almost complete nakedness.
"A-At any rate, move aside, Est!"
"Roger, Aslatiel-sama." Although she seemed a little dissatisfied, Est obediently moved.
She was squirming over the sheets. The sensation of her soft thighs was bad for his heart.
(I shouldn't be dealing with these things until adolescence at least…)
"Aslatiel, I took care of the check-out. All that is left is going to Cris-"
"…!"
The hotel room's door was opened and there…
"Wh… Wh… Wh…"
Lucina Lucifer stood with wide open eyes and a face that could be easily mistaken for a tomato.
"What are you doing with that sword spirit!? D-Do you really intend to start doing those things at eleven years of age!?"
"Hell no! She was right here when I woke up!"
Amidst all the yelling and accusations, only Est remained calm. She looked at Lucina cluelessly.
"I don't understand. Why do you care so much about Aslatiel-sama's personal affairs?"
"W-Well, that is… I mean…"
Est had her cornered. Almost any excuse that Lucina had available could be perfectly use to infer a deeper care for her King. She definitely didn't want to give the 'wrong' idea.
"You are Aslatiel-sama's servant, an existence similar to mine, so what are you so worried about? Unless… You-" Lucina interrupted her before she said something dangerous.
"Ah, geez! Do whatever you want! I don't care!"
She stormed off with the most embarrassed expression Aslatiel had seen on her face up until now. The room was left silent.
"… What the hell did I do? Why's she so angry?"
An entire month had passed since Aslatiel and Lucina left the Old Maou Faction's research facility. After the original issue with Est had been dealt with, Aslatiel and Lucina had spent three weeks doing work for Cristina in order to save some money and continue with their journey. After said three weeks had passed, Aslatiel considered that they had enough cash for the moment. After all, jobs for a supernatural information broker can indeed earn you a pretty penny.
"So you're leaving Italy?" Cristina Faraldo said while slightly perplexed.
"Yes. We can't stay here for too long if we're achieving nothing. I do appreciate all the help you've lent us, but at least for now, this is goodbye." Lucina said with a small smile.
Aslatiel was waiting for her at the building's gate, having nothing else to do.
"That sucks, I will be a little lonely. Anyway, could I make a recommendation for your next destination?"
"Huh? Uh, sure." Lucina was a bit surprised by this.
"According to one of my friends, she has come across some juicy information that apparently pertains the Old Maou Faction. Most important, it seems that it is someone who is associated with the Church who is also working in tandem with the Old Maou Faction."
"What did you just say?"
If indeed what Cristina said was true, they would have remarkable use in this individual if they could capture him in some way.
Cristina took out three pieces of paper. Two were map-like, while the other was a talisman with a symbol on it.
"Huh? A talisman, a marked map and another map?"
Cristina pushed her glasses up a bit before speaking again.
"My friend lives in a village near Kyoto, when you use this talisman on the marked spot, it will take you near her village. We information brokers need some method of fast transportation, after all. The other map is of Kyoto and its surroundings. It will allow you to reach the village and move around more easily."
Despite Cristina's usual frivolity, it seemed that she did care for them quite a bit. Lucina laughed lightly.
"I see. You have our gratitude. Still, there's one more favor I need of you…" Lucina blushed slightly as she said this.
"Hm? What is it?"
"Stop! Stop, I say! You're gonna chop off my scalp!"
"Calm down! It will end quickly and without injuries if you just stay put!"
Small cutting sounds reverberated through Cristina's living room as thin whitish strands fell on the floor. Finally, after maybe ten minutes of this ordeal, Lucina finished.
"So, what do you think?" She said as she handed Aslatiel a hand mirror.
On the reflection, Aslatiel noticed that the silver hair that previously went past his chin had been shortened to earlobe-length, somewhat similar to the hairstyle he had during his time in the Gremory castle, but a bit more spiky and irregular due to Lucina's inexperience in cutting hair. Nevertheless, he couldn't complain about this haircut.
"It's not half bad, and it shouldn't get in my eyes so much during battle. Thank you, Lucy."
"You're welcome, I can do this whenever you want. Thank you for letting me cut Aslatiel's hair here, Cristina." Lucina said as she started to get everything ready for them to leave, including all of the cut hairs to an empty pocket dimension.
"Nah, don't worry about it. My friend's name is Kiyoko, just mention my name to her and she will know you're trustworthy. Tell her I said 'hi'."
"Thank you for everything, Cristina. We may contact you again. Hopefully we will be able to properly pay for your services by then." Aslatiel said as he smiled at Cristina for the first time.
"I'm looking forward to that moment, Aslatiel. I wish you two a good journey."
After all the goodbyes were taken care of, Aslatiel and Lucina finally exited Cristina's residence.
It was approximately two in the morning by the time they reached the marked spot. Aslatiel and Lucina saw a small stone structure nearby. Normally, it would look like a tall rock, but they could notice a vague magical aura gushing out of it as the talisman drew near.
"This should be the place. I'm not good at magic as you know, so please take care of the necessary procedure." Aslatiel said absentmindedly.
"Of course." Lucina walked forward.
It was at that moment that Aslatiel felt a chill running down his back. He got out of the way without much difficulty, but Lucina, who was focused on the stone structure, was barely able to avoid the white blur that swept across the grass.
"I knew it. Not only a Bael, but even a Lucifer was lurking around. It seems our investigators are getting less skilled."
"What the-" Aslatiel was flabbergasted by this individual's sudden appearance.
He was a young man in his mid to late teens with sharp brown hair and piercing blue eyes who was dressed in an immaculate white tunic. Aslatiel recognized at the instant that the silver longsword in his hand was not normal.
(An exorcist!?)
"Lucy! I'll hold him off, you prepare the talisman!"
"R-Right!" Lucina swiftly ran towards the stone statue.
The man prepared to launch another assault at her, but was interrupted by the voice and sudden upsurge of energy coming from Aslatiel's direction.
"Dispassionate Queen of Steel, Sacred Sword who destroys evil. Transform yourself into a silver blade, and give me the power to defeat the Demon in front of me!"
Quickly transforming from many specks of light, the 'Demon Slayer' formed on Aslatiel's right hand. The brown-haired man made a frown at this.
"Spirit weapons were not made for Devil hands."
The young exorcist leaped at Aslatiel, who blocked an overhead slash. The man swiftly retracted his sword and attempted a thrust, but Aslatiel jumped and landed at the tip of the man's sword. He then made a backflip thrust that scratched the man's chest, drawing fresh blood. The brown-haired exorcist then tried an upwards slash on the airborne Aslatiel, but it was met by a directly opposite strike and the silver-haired Devil landed safely.
Swiftly pivoting on his foot, the man continued with a spinning slash. Surprisingly, Aslatiel deflected the attack with just the heel of his shoe, getting an opening big enough to make a shallow cut on the man's cheek. Both swordsmen jumped back after the exchange.
The man touched his cheek and chest and looked at the red liquid on his fingers.
"Remarkable. It seems I'll have to fight more seriously."
(He was holding back!? This guy is no ordinary human!)
"Let's see how you handle the 'Quick-Sword'. Come."
The man only prepared a stance with his sword still in only one hand. Aslatiel briefly glanced at Lucina to make sure of her progress. There was still some time before the portal was ready. Aslatiel took Est in both hands.
(Be careful, Aslatiel-sama. That's not a Holy Sword, but it is incredible that it withstood a direct clash with me without as much as a nick. I'd dare say it's close to my own level.)
(It doesn't matter, I'll finish this up quickly…)
"You don't have to tell me to kill you… Absolute Blade Arts, Eighth Form – Hydra's Shadow!"
Aslatiel dashed forward without even leaving an afterimage, infusing his right arm, especially his elbow area, with demonic power. Seven thrusts so unbelievably fast that they seemed to be done in exactly the same instant were thrown towards the young exorcist, mimicking a hydra attacking simultaneously with all of its heads. However, something unexpected happened.
Bright red liquid splashed… From Aslatiel's torso. Without making a single visible movement, the man had received no damage from one of Aslatiel's fastest techniques and had even inflicted a wound.
"That sword skill was dangerous. If I hadn't decided to use the 'Quick-Sword' before-hand, I would probably have as many holes as a piece of cheese by now." Despite having the clear advantage now, the young man remained as serious as ever.
"Guhah!" Aslatiel lost his balance and almost fell forward, barely being able to stop the next slash. Just as he thought he did this, he felt another cut at his left shoulder.
(What is this…? He's overwhelming me!)
Aslatiel dodged a thrust directed at his right shoulder, but received one to his abdomen. He deflected a spinning slash, but suffered a cut near his knees. Aslatiel tried an overhead slash, but it was blocked in midair by some invisible force and without a second to spare he received one on his own shoulder. Aslatiel jumped back and fell to his knees.
(I… I get it…)
"It seems that this is the end, you're losing too much blood. I commend you for fighting so well against my 'Quick-Sword', however. Up until now, you've negated each potentially fatal attack."
(Now… All I have to do is see if I can pull it off…)
Without listening to his opponent, Aslatiel stood up again, his sword back in position. The teenager's blue eyes quivered slightly.
"Not giving up, huh? Devils shouldn't imitate humans."
Intending this to be the final blow, the young exorcist closed the distance between the two in a split-second. The silver blade almost pierced Aslatiel's throat…
"Gotcha."
… But it was caught by his small hand. Taking advantage of the small moment before his opponent took back the blade with his superior strength, Aslatiel pierced the man's chest, barely missing his heart. The man coughed out blood, but managed to jump back and get his sword out of Aslatiel's grasp. For the first time in this battle, his stoic face showed surprise.
"To drive most of your muscular strength and magic to your right arm, in order to explosively increase its power and speed. It can be effective, but I know that skill all too well." Aslatiel said while panting slightly.
(… Because I use something similar… Only in short bursts…)
"To be able to fight in a constant way while doing that, you have incredible endurance for a human."
"Tch!" The injured exorcist dashed forward.
Still, incomprehensibly, Aslatiel managed to deflect the invisibly-fast slashes with pinpoint accuracy. The brown-haired teenager received a wound to his sword arm this time. He then tried a barrage of blindingly-rapid thrusts, but Aslatiel dodged to the side and slashed his back with a spinning motion.
"That technique has also a fatal flaw. If I can sense the flow of your magical energy precisely enough, I can predict the direction, speed and power of your attacks."
(Members of the Marchosias Clan are secure from this due to directly infusing the muscle with the demonic power, making it undetectable. However, no one can replicate our Devil Trait. Since you have to 'coat' your arm with the magical power, it is easy to read its flow…)
Aslatiel slashed the exorcist's thighs after dodging a powerful upwards slash. The overhead slash that came next was also blocked, but there was difference this time. Despite blocking the attack, Aslatiel felt the cut landing on his shoulder, proof of it being the blood splashed on his face. Both males broke off their bout for the third time.
The brown-haired exorcist panted heavily and began to speak.
"Darn… To think that I would have to use both the 'Quick-Sword' and the 'Ripple' against a single opponent."
"'Ripple'?"
(So that's it…)
Aslatiel could now see his opponent's sword vibrating in such a way that made it seem like it was undulating. By rapidly moving the sword's ends in opposite directions and vibrating his arm at impossibly high speeds, the longsword would appear to ripple like a snake.
(A sword that's impossible to block…)
Before Aslatiel had finished thinking of a solution to this predicament, a black crescent moon of demonic energy made its way towards the brown-haired adolescent, exploding and leaving a gigantic cloud of smoke and dust.
"Aslatiel, quick! The portal is ready!"
Aslatiel looked behind and saw Lucina standing over a whitish blue pentagram. Not minding the unknown fate of his fellow swordsman, he quickly ran towards her. Without a second to spare, they disappeared from sight along with the pentagram as soon as he placed a foot inside it.
A few seconds later, the cloud of smoke cleared. The brown-haired man appeared from within it with only marginal wounds apart from the ones Aslatiel had inflicted on him. However, his previously serious face now reflected fiery rage.
"Darn it! They got away!"
He punched the ground repeatedly. He then stood up with difficulty and placed his sword in a hilt-up position on the ground.
"Silver hair and red eyes… I will not let this end so inconclusively."
Aslatiel and Lucina reappeared in some plains, next to a similar stone structure as the one in Italy. However, it was daytime where they were now.
"Phew. That was close." Aslatiel said as he fell back on his bottom.
"It sure was. Who would've known that an exorcist would be able to notice us? I'd say we can't go to Italy for a while, he really mangled you up." Lucina looked worriedly at the injured Aslatiel.
"Tch, don't worry about it too much. At any rate, where do we go from here?"
"Let's see, I had the map right…"
Lucina kept quiet suddenly, but Aslatiel didn't mind as he would've done the same.
(Could it be…?)
"There's a human being attacked. The possibility is rather low, but we can't discard that it maybe is Ms. Kiyoko. Let's go, Aslatiel!"
"Of course!"
Bearing the pain from his wounds and the blood loss, Aslatiel followed Lucina to the location where the human was attacked.
"You picked the wrong person to pick a fight with, boy." This unnatural echoed voice came from the woman's crimson lips.
Only this was no ordinary woman. No ordinary woman would have a three meter tall spider body with octopus tentacles coming out of the rear end, and only maintain her face as human. However, the one she spoke too showed not an ounce of fear, but merely a faint smile adorning his effeminate face.
The boy seemed to be around Aslatiel's and Lucina's age, was dressed in a blue kimono over a white shirt, whitish gray armguards, black tabi and had somewhat short light black hair with matching eyes. He also had a full-sized katana in a black sheath slung over his back on a belt.
"Look, I already apologized, Youma-san, but you can't be doing as you please near the village. I'm sorry, but I'll get mad if you don't leave quietly."
"Rather impudent, aren't we? I haven't had the flesh of a young boy in a long time, you have my gratitude for coming here alone!" The spider-woman's tentacles went at full speed towards the boy…
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, Kuzuryuusen."
… But they were all chopped off by the next second. The spider-woman saw only nine bright flashes, and didn't understand what had happened until she saw the boy's blood-drenched katana and her eight tentacles lying by the ground. She felt blood trickling down her face from a shallow cut on her cheek.
"I'll say it again. If you leave quietly, there'll be no more need for bloodshed. I'll kill you if you continue, you know?" The boy's lips remained curved in an emotionless smile.
"Y-Yeah right! How's a mere kid going to kill me!?"
The spider-woman's black legs came down on the boy, destroying the ground where he stood, but he was now nowhere to be seen. Instinctively, she looked up.
"Like this. Ryuutsuisen."
Being four meters over the spider-woman, the black-haired boy used the momentum of the fall to strengthen a two-handed downwards slash, cutting her head in half. The boy landed gracefully as the spider-woman's heavy body fell forward lifelessly, making the ground tremble a bit. The boy swung his katana again to clean it of residual blood, and sheathed it.
"This is the fourth Youma of the month, I wonder why there are so many lately."
The boy started to walk away, but before he could move even a meter away, the black limb dashed towards him.
"It's not over yet!"
"It is."
Accompanying this new voice, countless black streaks slashed the black leg into pieces. Lucina Lucifer glared in disgust at the spider woman.
"W-Wha-"
The monster couldn't finish speaking as it was finally torn apart by multiple silver flashes, leaving it dead in ten-odd pieces. Aslatiel knelt on the floor, still feeling tired from his previous fight.
(I'm sorry, Aslatiel-sama, but I'm feeling fatigued as well. Could you allow me to rest?)
(Of course, Est. You have worked hard today.)
Aslatiel's silver sword disappeared into particles of light after this mental exchange was over.
"Phew, this time it's dead for real. Still…" Aslatiel glanced at the black-haired boy.
"… It seems you didn't actually need our help."
Noticing the last attack of the spider woman, he had drawn his katana, stopping just before it hit Lucina. Lucina herself was surprised by the proximity of the blade when she turned around to face him, but the boy cheerfully sheathed it while not minding her.
"That's true, but I still thank you. Who are you two? You don't seem like normal humans."
"Because we aren't. I'm Aslatiel, and she's Lucina. Your name?"
"My name is Soujirou Seta. Pleased to make your acquaintances." The boy replied cheerfully, in spite of the bloodshed nearby.
Lucina by then had started to look at the map. She sweat-dropped upon noticing something important.
"Um, Aslatiel? There's a problem with the map." She said with a troubled smile.
"What's the issue?" Aslatiel walked over to her side. He froze upon noticing the problem.
The map of Kyoto and its surroundings was immaculate, without a single mark.
"You mean to tell me that you didn't notice this before!? If there's not a single mark here, we don't even know where we are! How will we reach the village!?" Aslatiel shouted angrily.
"Stop yelling at me! People make mistakes, ok!? How about that time you dropped my wallet in a lake!?" Lucina replied with similar annoyance.
"Th-That's beside the point!"
Despite enjoying the exchange between Aslatiel and Lucina, Soujirou felt the need to intervene.
"As funny as it is to watch you two argue, I think I can help you with your problem since I'm from around this area. Can you tell me anything about this village you're looking for?"
Aslatiel and Lucina finally stopped fighting and noticed the luck they had in finding someone from the area. Lucina spoke.
"We only know that it is in Kyoto's surroundings, and that a woman named 'Kiyoko' lives in it."
Soujirou thought for a bit, but then cupped his fist in his hand as if he had remembered something.
"Well, you're in luck. A woman named Kiyoko lives in my own village. I can take you there if you want to."
Aslatiel's eyes lightened up and Lucina sweat-dropped at how unlucky yet at the same time lucky they could be.
"Thanks a lot, Soujirou. I promise to repay you in some way."
"Nah, don't worry about it. I can't leave two girls alone like this, especially when one is so injured."
It took Aslatiel and Lucina a few seconds to notice what Soujirou had said.
"Girls?" Aslatiel asked with a twitching eye.
"Yup. Is there a problem?"
Another few blank seconds passed, until Lucina uncharacteristically burst out laughing. Aslatiel began yelling with a slightly red face.
"I'm a guy!"
"Huh? Really? But you have such long eyelashes and thin hair, I thought for sure that you were just a girl in a boyish getup." Soujirou said with the slightest surprise in his voice.
Lucina stopped laughing and began to talk.
"But it's true, Aslatiel. You do have rather long eyelashes, and your hair is not only thin, but also very soft." Her teasing tone made Aslatiel's face redden even more.
"Gaah! Whatever! Let's just go!"
Still amused from this little incident, Soujirou led Lucina and a blushing Aslatiel to his village.
It didn't take long until the trio reached the village, even though they were walking leisurely. Aslatiel, who now had his most serious wounds covered in makeshift bandages, was surprised by the small size of the village and the traditional look of the residences, but more than that by the lack of passersby. Except for them, he could see no one else walking outside.
"Well, here it is. This is Kiyoko-san's house." Soujirou's soft voice took hold of Aslatiel's attention again.
They stood in front of a residence similar to all the other ones in the village, though it was considerably larger. Soujirou walked to the front of the door and opened it without even knocking.
(Isn't this an illegal house break-in?)
"Oi! Kiyoko-san! You have some visitors here!"
Surprisingly, the person who opened the sliding door to greet Soujirou didn't seem annoyed in the slightest by him entering without ringing the doorbell.
"Really? Thank you, Sou-kun. Cristina told me about it, but I didn't guess they would arrive so quickly." A relaxed, yet mature female voice said this with slight tiredness.
The voice's owner was a somewhat short woman in her late teens, with light brown eyes who dressed in a dark blue yukata that failed to hide her remarkably large bust. However, Aslatiel took special attention to her brilliant black hair that went all the way to her knees. For some reason, he felt something akin to nostalgia swelling up in him.
(That hair… Where have I seen it before…?)
He was snapped out of this daze by Lucina strongly pulling his hair.
"O-Ouch! Why did you do that?"
"Stop staring so shamelessly." She replied with a slight pout.
"I wasn't doing anything wrong…" Aslatiel said while rubbing his hurting scalp.
He then noticed that Lucina was mysteriously quiet and sulking, totally unlike her usual disposition.
"Hey, Aslatiel…"
"What is it?" He was still somewhat angry from Lucina's aggression, but had calmed down.
"D-Do you prefer women with long hair?" Due to Lucina facing away, Aslatiel failed to notice the heavy crimson on her cheeks.
"Um, yeah, I guess so. Though there's nothing wrong with having short hair."
"I-I see…"
This exchange apparently grabbed hold of Kiyoko's attention. She smiled charmingly as she spoke.
"I suppose you two are the young couple Cristina told me about?"
The tag team of ice-cold glares was enough to scare Kiyoko away from that topic.
"That sure is a powerful reaction. Would you mind telling me a bit about yourselves?"
She signaled Aslatiel and Lucina to sit down, and they did so, as well as Soujirou.
"My name's Aslatiel Bael. As you can guess from my surname, I'm a Devil."
Soujirou was visibly surprised from this revelation, but didn't say anything.
"And I'm Lucina Lucifer. I'm Aslatiel's Queen, obviously a Devil as well."
Lucina's introduction was much more shocking. After all, it isn't often that one meets a member of the Lucifer clan.
"Bael and Lucifer, you two are quite a big deal. My name is Kiyoko Himejima. So, what do you need me for?"
Aslatiel made a slightly evil smile due to Kiyoko's effective talk.
"I'm glad to see you are quick to cut to the chase, unlike your European friend. We'd like information on the supposed partnership between a high-ranking member of the Church and the Old Maou Faction."
"Very well. However, if you're acquainted with Cristina, you should know the way we information brokers work, right?" The clash of brown and red became more intense.
"What do you want us to do?"
"Well, there is-"
She was interrupted by the sudden opening of the house's door. Two very young girls entered frantically, even stumbling around some furniture.
"K-Kiyoko-neesan! It came again!"
"That One-Horned Monster! Oji-chan's in trouble! Where's Sou-nii-" The little girl was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm here. Don't worry Akari, Kagari. I'll deal with this…"
Soujirou had gotten up and, contrary to what Aslatiel and Lucina had seen up until now, raw anger was now reflected in his black eyes, in spite of the emotionless smile that remained on his face. He exited the house soon after.
"Lucy, let's go."
"Sure, but let me deal with any problem that arises. You're in no condition to fight." Aslatiel looked at his bandages angrily upon hearing Lucina's words.
"Alright. Excuse us, Kiyoko-san."
After he said this, both exited the house and went to the center of the ruckus.
"You aren't weak, that's for sure. It's no wonder that you were able to take Yuki away." A muscular man in his fifties said as red blood dripped from his armless left shoulder.
His opponent, a sleek, white crystal-like body around 140 centimeters in height. Four large butterfly-like crystal wings were located on its back and transparent blades sprouted out of the thing's forearms, shoulders, knees and also behind the shins. Above the disturbing parody of a human face, on the abomination's forehead, a single translucent horn stood proudly.
Only having his left arm remaining, the man was barely able to block the bladed monster's next attack with his katana. His long black hair in a ponytail shook from the impact. Taking advantage of the creature's position, he tried an overhead slash, but it was easily blocked by one of the blades on the creature's right forearm, allowing it to slash the man diagonally across his chest and calf. The bladed monster jumped back, apparently enjoying to toy with the man, instead of killing him quickly.
"Damn, it seems I'm completely outclassed. I'm sorry, Yuki…"
While clutching his bleeding chest, the man braced himself for death. However, the storm of blades never rained down upon him. He opened his eyes to see a black-haired boy he knew very well engaging the atrocity with his katana.
"Soujirou!?"
"What's wrong, Shishou? You're looking even worse than usual, and that's saying something." The black-haired boy said with his usual emotionless smile before breaking off with the bladed monster. He looked at it with a quiet rage.
"And as for you… I normally try to stay jovial must of the time, but I really want to cut you up." He pointed at the abomination with the shiny silver blade.
The monster, surprisingly, responded to this. The blades on its right forearm disappeared, reforming in the shape of a katana held by the creature's hand. For the first time, Soujirou lost his smile.
"Are you lowering yourself to my level? How insolent…"
The boy dashed forward at an inhuman speed and hit the creature's katana with his own. He continued the motion with a forward spinning slash, to no avail. He tried a constant barrage of thrusts at the creature's head, but they were dodged with a terrific easiness.
Futilely, he tried a reverse-hand slash, but the creature responded with the same movement, only with more force, making Soujirou's katana bounce off. Without a second to spare, the creature thrust forward to the vulnerable Soujirou. Stunned from the previous block, he was unable to completely evade the attack, and he received a vertical slash on his right eye going from his cheek to just over his eyebrow.
"Gaaah!" The black-haired boy screamed as blood poured from his cut eye.
He tried another desperate slash, but was unable to finish it before being cut all over his body by the bladed monster. Fresh blood gushed out of his arms, legs and torso, and he fell unconscious without being able to put up any more resistance.
"Soujirou!"
The middle-aged man whom Soujirou had called 'Shishou' tried to go to his help, but was stopped on his tracks by a 'gaze' of the abomination. Fear gripped the man, and he was unable to take more steps.
Seemingly satisfied, the monster transformed the makeshift katana back into its forearm blades. It tried to finish off the unconscious Soujirou, but was blown away a great distance by three red scaled appendages.
"Damn it! I told you to leave everything to me!" Lucina yelled angrily at the panting Aslatiel.
"And that's what I'm doing, go after it! It's running away, and we have to know what it is!"
"Geez! Whatever!"
On Aslatiel's order, Lucina took out her Devil wings and flew after the monster. The middle-aged man looked at these developments in shock.
"Wh-Who are you two, boy?"
"We're help for now. That's all you need to know. Let's go to Kiyoko-san's house and bring that boy. We have things to talk about."
Not finding any reason to argue with his mysterious helper, the man complied.
"So, you pass down the Tennen Rishin - Ryu in its purest form?" Aslatiel said while sipping a bit of miso soup.
After arriving at Kiyoko's house, the man now known to be called 'Kogoro Okita' left the injured Soujiro to be looked after and treated by some maids and Kiyoko herself. After having his own wounds treated, he had sat down with Aslatiel at his request for conversation.
"Yes. We descendants of Souji Okita, captain of the First Unit of the Shinsengumi, have a responsibility to pass down the full form of this koryu. Soujirou is the greatest prodigy we have had in decades, he even created his own sword style, the Hiten Mitsurugi - Ryu, using principles from the Tennen Rishin - Ryu and altering them with his own preferences and style. However, there was one other student who had a similar level of skill…" The man seemed severely pained by this.
"Please continue, Kogoro-san." Aslatiel pressed further shamelessly.
"My daughter, Yuki Okita, was also a gifted student of the Tennen Rishin - Ryu. Soujirou and her would have multiple close matches with real swords as practice, and they formed a strong friendship. However, when she went to gather some firewood at the forest a month ago, she never came back."
Aslatiel had already connected the dots by this point, but let the man continue the tragic tale.
"We went to search for her, but only found her blood-stained and torn clothes with that damn monster standing over them in triumph. I think it's pretty clear what happened. We tried to cut it down, but it swept through everyone but Soujirou and me in a matter of seconds. We were outmatched, we had to retreat so we could try again at another time. As you can see from today, the result wasn't much better." The man rubbed the armless mound on his left shoulder with a guilty look on his narrow eyes.
Aslatiel then turned to look at Kiyoko, who had arrived and stood near the corner of the room.
"Correct me if I'm wrong. The payment for your information will be the extermination of that monster, right?"
"Correct. As you can see, we lack the power to do so ourselves. Cristina told me you are the master of Terminus Est, so maybe it's possible for you." The dependency and seriousness in Kiyoko's eyes clearly differentiated her from the frivolous Cristina.
Aslatiel's wouldn't normally concern himself with these serious matters that could actually put his life in danger, he could feel the monster's power from their brief encounter. However, the information Kiyoko possessed was far too tempting. His thoughts were interrupted by the frantic footsteps nearing the living room.
"S-Sou-nii! You can't go after the One-Horned Monster again!" One of the small girls from earlier tugged at the bandaged boy's arm, but he pushed her aside brusquely.
"Stop nagging me, Akari-chan. This is something I have to do."
Soujirou had most of his arms and torso covered in white, blood-soaked bandages, as well as a bandage eyepatch on his now-useless right eye. However, he showed no weakness neither in his voice or look.
He walked towards the door with his sheathed katana in hand, not minding the many gazes on him. Once he managed to exit the house, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"You will die if you go against it again." Aslatiel said sternly.
"It's no business of an outsider like you, Aslatiel-san. You're not even human, so keep your words to yourself."
Soujirou brushed away the hand on his shoulder and continued walking towards the dark forest. Without noticing his movement, he was intercepted directly by Aslatiel.
"I have no intention of letting you die for nothing and leave those two girls and your teacher behind. Therefore, I propose a deal." Aslatiel smiled arrogantly.
"… What is it?"
Aslatiel closed his eyes and brought his right hand to the right. A white emblem with two intersecting swords glowed on its back.
"Dispassionate Queen of Steel, Sacred Sword who destroys evil. Transform yourself into a silver blade, and give me the power to defeat the Demon in front of me!"
(I'm sorry, Est, but I only need you for a bit more. You'll have your well-deserved rest, so don't worry.)
(I am your sword, Master. Your wish is my command.)
The magnificent silver-white broadsword manifested itself on Aslatiel's hand without a second to spare. Soujirou, who normally maintained an unbreakable calm, was unable to hide his awe.
"A one-hit duel, Soujirou. Since we've both been injured earlier today, we should be on somewhat equal conditions. If you win, you are free to be turned into minced meat like you so desire, but if I win, you'll stay here."
Soujirou didn't reply verbally, but surprisingly changed his emotionless smile for a shadowy frown, and took an unusual stance with his sword. He took the sheath on hand and placed it next to his waist, holding the katana's hilt with his free hand. He also placed his right foot behind his left.
(Was this called… Iaijutsu…?)
Aslatiel himself took Est's hilt in both hands, pointing the blade forward and slightly upwards. He placed his right foot slightly behind his left and waited. Soujirou looked at him expectantly with his remaining right eye.
Holding a sword taller than himself in such an injured state must require quite a bit of effort…
(With such a slender blade, he can easily step aside and attack my abdomen or waist. However, from his posture, I can easily predict an horizontal slash…)
Still, I'm not even sure I can take his swing. Even if I could take a hit or two, the third one would break my sword. That leaves Battoujutsu as my only choice…
(Alright, my chance lies in the first move. I absolutely cannot let his sword slide down my own…)
By mere chance, a hawk cried at that moment.
Soujirou stepped forward at an inhuman speed while Aslatiel brought his sword over his head as he switched the position of his feet.
Soujirou drew powerfully while aiming for his opponent's aorta, and Aslatiel brought down the Demon Slayer at full force. The singular clash of steel would bring this battle to an end. After the fraction of a second that seemed to be an eternity had passed, everything was decided…
CLINK!
… Making his eye widen, Soujirou's katana bent like a pendulum three times from the shock before finally breaking in half, the upper part of the blade spinning through the air.
It's over…
The Demon Slayer continued its way down at full speed until it touched Soujirou's shoulder, at which point it stopped abruptly.
The force behind the swing, however, lifted a cloud of dust from the ground. The flying katana part impaled the ground around four meters behind Soujirou, and he ultimately fell on his knees while dropping the hilt that conserved only half of a blade.
He had been utterly defeated. Not paying any particular attention to the shock of the kneeling boy, Aslatiel made Est dissipate into particles of light.
"It was by a hair's breadth, but I won. You will stay here."
"… Of course."
Aslatiel showed a satisfied expression, but it wouldn't last long. He felt a familiar energy drawing near, and turned his face in its direction. Anger boiled up inside him on the sight.
"L-Lucy…?"
"Lucina-san!?"
Aslatiel doubted his eyes. Lucina was stained with blood all over and was walking slowly towards them. She was dragging herself with staggering steps and seemed about to fall down at any time.
The Rosa Atra was barely dangling from her weakened, drooping right arm. The tip of the blade scraped the surface of the ground as she moved and produced an exceptionally earsplitting sound.
Lucina stopped before the two of them. Completely covered with wounds, she looked weakly at Aslatiel with eyes that seemed as if they would spill tears at any time.
"A-Aslatiel…"
"Don't say anything!"
Lucina dropped the Rosa Atra, which stopped emitting pressure and trembled upon touching the floor. She collapsed into Aslatiel's arms due to lack of strength.
The demonic scythe that fell to the ground began to disappear as if merging with the air.
"Idiot, still holding onto that scythe with a half-dead body? Of course you'd overexert yourself and run out of strength."
Even these harsh words failed to hide Aslatiel's worry for his Queen and anger towards the one who had injured her so brutally. Lucina herself was completely unconscious. Except for the wounds on it, her face was a pale beyond pale. It was as white as a corpse's.
"U-Uh, Aslatiel-san…"
"Shut up! We have to go back quickly and treat her!" The anger on Aslatiel's red eyes made them seem like endless pools of hellfire.
"Y-Yes!"
As if racing against time, Aslatiel made Est disappear in particles of light, swiftly carried Lucina princess style and ran together with Soujirou to Kiyoko's house.
The wait for some news seemed eternal. Aslatiel felt like either crying his eyes out or crushing his own head between his hands. How could he do something so stupid? How could he send Lucina completely alone against a monster whose capabilities he didn't knew?
Aslatiel berated himself over and over again, unable to forgive himself for making such an injudicious decision. While hugging his own trembling body in wait, he grinded his nails strongly enough to peel skin from his arms. He felt a dark presence converging at his back, a fanged jaw being spotted by the corner of his eye.
{See? Once again, you've let someone get hurt due to your own weakness. You really are a hopeless case...}
(Go away!)
Finally, as if responding to his aimless wishes for some news, Kiyoko exited the room where Lucina was being treated and walked over to Aslatiel. The ethereal black wolf disappeared before she could finish opening the door, but Aslatiel payed no more mind to it.
"How is she?" He asked dependently.
"Her injuries are severe, and all over her body. However, they're only physical wounds, she'll be fine if she rests enough. You brought her right on time before the blood loss was too severe, so don't beat yourself up too much. She's alive thanks to you." Kiyoko patted Aslatiel's head gently.
"It's getting pretty late, so she'll spend the night here, as a matter of fact. Do you want to stay in the house too? If you do, you can check how she's doing at any moment."
Aslatiel was surprised by this treatment, and looked down in slight embarrassment.
(This woman is way too kind…)
"You have my gratitude, however…"
"Hm?"
"Are you sure you'll be fine with just some sheets?" Kiyoko asked thoughtfully.
Aslatiel decided to spend the night at the room where Lucina slept, but instead of requesting a futon or mat, he only asked for some sheets to keep himself warm. Hearing Kiyoko's question, he looked at her with a small smile.
"It's ok. I'm used to sleeping on rough surfaces, beds and the like make me feel uncomfortable."
"Very well, sleep tight. If you need anything, I'm on the room at the end of the corridor, and Soujirou is sleeping in a room in the floor below." Kiyoko said with a gentle smile. She then left after leaving the carefully folded sheets on an unoccupied night table.
Aslatiel stood there for some blank seconds, and then turned his gaze towards the sleeping Lucina. After covering her many wounds in magically enhanced bandages and dressings, Kiyoko had dressed her in a somewhat short black yukata, so she didn't look that bad after the treatment. However, Aslatiel could still not shake off the guilt of sending her to a potential death due to his own poor judgment.
"… I'm so sorry, Lucy. I promise to not leave you alone ever again. You have my word."
Lucina was fast asleep, so Aslatiel was making this promise more to himself than to her. He didn't really understand why he did this, but probably to reaffirm his pledge, he bent forward and briefly kissed the sleeping girl's beautifully white forehead.
Once he separated himself from her, he looked at her slightly pained but peaceful sleeping face. Aslatiel couldn't help but notice her fairy-like beauty, completely unlike that of an ordinary eleven-year-old girl.
(H-Have I really been alone with such a cute girl for an entire month…?)
He blushed heavily upon the complete realization that he had kissed a girl. It was on the forehead, but for an eleven-year-old, it wasn't that much different from a kiss on the lips. Embarrassed by his bold actions, Aslatiel took the blue sheets Kiyoko had left for him and sat at the side of Lucina's bed, covering himself with the sheets.
"Geez, I'm such a moron…"
Amidst the childish display of awkwardness, he caught glance of Lucina's arm slightly dangling by the bed's side. He would be equally embarrassed by his next action, but not minding it, Aslatiel gently held his Queen's hand with his own. It was soft, and a little warm. The fragility he felt in the girl's hand reminded him once again that Lucina was a girl.
"No matter what happens, we will always be together. Good night, Lucy."
He didn't how much time passed, but somewhat after he said this, Aslatiel fell asleep. He didn't let go of Lucina's hand even then.
"… Mm… Hm…?" Lucina woke up in the middle of the night to some strange sounds on the floor below.
However, she quickly got her attention grabbed by something else. This being, her left hand being held by a sleeping Aslatiel's right one. He was soundly asleep while sitting with his back to the side of the bed, and didn't seem to be letting go of her hand.
"A-Ah… A-Aslatiel…? Wh-What are you d-doing…?" She stammered shamefully as her entire face became bright red.
Wh-What happened!? L-Last thing I remember was seeing Aslatiel with Est on his hands and Soujirou-kun kneeling on the ground… H-How did it come to this!?
She tried to shake his hand off, but his grip was reasonably tight. Lucina felt her heart racing wildly from this development. Nevertheless, she still felt the need (probably from sheer embarrassment) for Aslatiel to let go of her.
"A-Aslatiel! Wake up!" She said strongly, yet still shy.
"… Nn… What?" The boy opened his red eyes tiredly.
He looked up and noticed that the voice that had woken him up had come from a now awake Lucina. Aslatiel blinked a few times and then glanced at their entwined hands. He blushed heavily and let go of it.
"S-Sorry. I-I don't know why I did such a thing."
Lucina found somewhat cute the way he frantically apologized while avoiding eye contact. This eased up her own embarrassment slightly.
"Don't worry about it." He cheeks were still reasonably red, but she spoke calmly and with a warm smile.
It was at that moment that Aslatiel became mostly aware of what was transpiring on the floor below.
"That idiot! Wait right here, Lucy. I'll be back in a while."
"W-Wait! Wait I say!"
Aslatiel had swiftly gotten up from his covers and walked quickly towards the door, but Lucina's frantic voice stopped him on his tracks.
"Soujirou's going after that thing again! He will get killed!"
"S-Still! I don't want you to get hurt by that monster!"
Aslatiel was somewhat confused by her phrasing, but he would understand soon enough.
"What do you mean? You know we Devils have strong regenerative powers, so my wounds are mostly healed up! I won't have much trouble with that bladed monster, especially if I have Soujirou as a back-up-"
"I don't mean that monster! I'm referring to… Th-The one who left me like this…" Lucina said with fear in her voice.
It was then that Aslatiel understood some things. Due to his urgency at the moment, Aslatiel hadn't recognized that a fresh Lucina using the Rosa Atra wouldn't have that much trouble with the white bladed abomination, at least not according to the level of power he had deduced. However, she had returned with life-threatening injuries.
The only possible answer was that she had unfortunately encountered a different, yet much more powerful enemy.
"… Tell me what it looks like." Aslatiel sentenced sternly.
Lucina was visibly scared, but she managed to get some words out.
"I-I don't know where to start... but…"
"And?"
To traumatize Lucina to this extent, Aslatiel's anger towards this creature grew by each passing second. A single tear fell from Lucina's left eye when she mentioned these final characteristics.
"… Eyes… Focus on eyes you can see even in the night…"
She could feel the next tears coming, but they were stopped by a gentle, yet strong sensation on her head. She gazed upwards only to see Aslatiel patting her head with a reassuring smile on his face.
"Don't worry about me trying to act like some hero, or something. If by any chance I see that thing, I'll run away. I won't ever leave you alone again, Lucy."
These words, together with the warm hand on her head, made a strong spiral of emotions swell up in Lucina. She couldn't identify them well, since they were so many and so complicated, but if she knew something about them, is that they felt nice.
"… Very well. Go help Soujirou-kun, I'll be waiting for you here." She lightly punched Aslatiel's chest while smiling widely. A smile of complete confidence and joy.
Being reassured himself because of this, the silver-haired boy walked down to the ground floor.
Soujirou ran into the wilderness while having only one thing in mind. Revenge for his dead friend, Yuki Okita. To this end, he would do anything, even if it was stealing the treasured heirloom of the Okita family. Namely, the legendary nihontou, 'Kikuichimonji Norimune'.
This time, instead of slinging it over his back, the pure black sheath was held by a belt on his waist, in a way that it was horizontally enough to not touch the ground when walking normally. A necessary preparation for Battoujutsu, as he intended for this to be the deciding battle. His hand placed of the Kikuichimonji's white hilt, he could almost feel it tremble.
Jumping from tree to tree as much as running on the ground at inhuman speeds, it wasn't long until Soujirou finally reached a clearing. In it, there it was. The white bladed creature that had taken away his best friend and possibly his first love, although he wouldn't realize this until later years.
The monster noticed him, and just like last time, formed a white translucent katana from its arm blades. Soujirou maintained his emotionless smile, and closed delightfully his remaining eye.
"I'm sorry, but I won't be as weak as in our last fight. This time, I'm going all out." Soujirou's eye opened again and he began to tap the floor repeatedly with the tip of his right foot.
He drew the Kikuichimonji Norimune from its sheath, and was able to truly admire the blade for the first time. It was approximately of the same size as the katana that Aslatiel had broken earlier, but Soujirou could feel that it was considerably heavier and sharper. This shiny blackish katana could probably cut through his old sword's blade with ease.
"This is it, I will end you. Shukuchi." Without a second to spare after saying this last word, Soujirou disappeared completely from sight.
The beast didn't notice anything until its single horn was sliced off. It attacked with its makeshift katana, slashing nothing but air. It then felt a gust of wind at its right side and attacked, but it instead received two cuts, one to its left leg and one to the left side of its abdomen. During this barrage of one-sided blows, the only thing the creature could see were footsteps crashing into the floor.
This is my trump card, 'Shukuchi'. Using all of the strength in my legs, I move so fast that it makes the so-called 'God Speed' of my Hiten Mitsurugi - Ryu seem sluggish. More than speed that the eyes can't follow, 'Shukuchi' is speed that the eyes can't see…
Realizing that its katana was proving useless, the creature tried to attack with its bladed legs, but it missed once again. This time, before it could even see the footsteps on the ground, the bladed abomination received a heavy slash to its back, and then to its chest. White liquid gushed out of every place Soujirou had cut with his unbelievable speed.
The black-haired boy stood in a single spot once again. He showed an unusual surprised expression.
"That didn't cut you in half? It seems it'll be tough to get used to this lack of depth perception."
Soon after he said this, the creature returned the white katana to its body in its original form of translucent forearm blades. The creature then got down on all fours, and started releasing a huge amount of aura. All of the blades on its body grew larger and more conical, becoming slightly more like spikes, all the while a new fin-like blade grew out of the creature's 'tailbone'. Its horn also regenerated and became much larger. The creature's butterfly-like wings became larger and more moth-like, also growing a third pair.
All in all, the bladed monster now looked surprisingly similar to a gigantic spiked moth with a tail fin, not resembling its original form that much. Soujirou was remarkably shocked at first, but recovered his emotionless smile soon.
"Now, what will you do?"
Soujirou was pretty surprised when the creature dashed at him at a speed that made it impossible to see. Instinctively, he shielded his head with the Kikuichimonji. The next instant, he was blown away by a powerful impact accompanied with a thundering noise.
Soujirou felt his body flipping back multiple times before finally landing on the floor.
"G-Glagh…!" He felt his head spinning from the force of this impact, and even threw up as a result.
It's fast…! I can't do anything… I can't even see it!
He looked up and witnessed the creature flying gracefully with the moon on its background. Its white body shone beautifully in the dim light.
So you wanted to show me how it felt to fight against my 'Shukuchi'… Such an immature monster…
It then remained in place while pointing its horn towards Soujirou, and then disappeared from sight. The process repeated, and Soujirou was blown away once again after barely preventing the creature's horn from skewering him.
Wh-What is this!? After it flies by, this explosive wind? And that thunder-like sound… Could it be a sonic boom?
It went like that for two charges more. Seemingly to toy with Soujirou, it repeatedly blew him away as a method to wear him down and make him dizzy. This time, however, was different.
With whatever strength he had left, Soujirou once again tried to block the next attack. Except he actually didn't need to, because this time the monster went by his side at an even faster speed as if he wasn't there.
For a moment, Soujirou thought of this as a moment to catch his breath, until he realized he had been thrown pretty high in the air, were he was unable to dodge and if he tried to block, the creature could just go on and crash with him to the ground.
Crap… It seems this is the end for me…
He saw the monster moth drawing near without him being able to do anything. The next second, blood was sprayed on Soujirou's face, except that it wasn't his own. At some point before the moth reached him, Aslatiel had pushed him out of the way and had taken the blow for him.
"A-Aslatiel-san!?" Soujirou exclaimed while falling to the floor.
"Sh-Shit!" Aslatiel yelled painfully.
Aslatiel had prevented a lethal blow by blocking with both arms in a way that only his right arm would be pierced. Effectively, he was alive, but was also taken further into the air by the moth, still dangling from its horn by his heavily damaged right arm.
Soujirou had already fallen to the ground, taking only minor damage. Now, he could only look worriedly at the airborne battle before him.
With the moon shining behind them, the bladed moth stopped with Aslatiel hanging by his injured arm. He was barely conscious from the pain and blood loss that this single injury had caused, the moth's horn wasn't that slender. He never expected it, but for the first time...
"Bye… Bye…"
… The moth spoke.
However, Aslatiel merely smiled in a sadistic way that if Soujirou could see, would've scared even him.
"Let's see how you do in your first job, Romulus!"
Without anyone noticing until it was too late, Aslatiel had conjured up a large pistol colored almost entirely in black, with the words 'Romulus' and 'The path behind is twisted, the path ahead unknown' engraved on it.
Using blueprints made by Cristina on his vague request, he had constructed it with his element manipulation ability during his time in Italy, on the realization that there would be moments where sword fighting would be useless. Length of 39 centimeters, weight of 16 kilograms and a caliber of 13 millimeters, it was a semi-automatic gun never meant for human hands, but perfect for a Devil.
Without sparing a single second, Aslatiel pulled the trigger, and a powerful gunshot was heard. As soon as the bullet entered the moth's body, most of its abdomen and fin-blade were utterly devastated and engulfed in a blazing inferno. Soujirou stared in awe from ground level.
(So, explosive orichalcum rounds have the expected effect. That's one thing done…)
As he thought of this, both Aslatiel and the moth fell to the ground. Taking advantage of the many trees, he was able to avoid a lethal fall, and landed near Soujirou.
"Wh-What the heck were you thinking!? You could've died because of such recklessness!" Completely losing his usual calmness, Soujirou yelled at the downed Aslatiel.
"Sh-Shit… It hurts… I thought you would need help with this, and so happened that you did, you would've been skewered if I didn't push you out of the way. And now, look at it." Aslatiel pointed at a certain place.
Soujirou gazed in that direction and saw the bladed moth with a gigantic hole at the side of its abdomen going down to its thighs and extending at that spot to the other side. The creature's body from the chest down also had countless burn marks, with some places still on fire.
"See? Now that I blew its ass off, it won't be able to pull that speed anymore. Feel free to deal the final blow." After saying this, the tired-enough Aslatiel sat leisurely.
Soujirou looked at him for a second, but nodded and took the Kikuichimonji and sheathed it. He brought the sheathed katana to his waist and stood in front of the bladed monster, who was preparing another charge attack.
"Even though I hate you so much, you have proven yourself a worthy opponent. So I'll meet you with my fastest Battoujutsu technique. This is called… Shuntensatsu."
Soujirou put himself in his Battoujutsu stance and waited. Without a moment to spare, the bladed monster launched itself forward once again at a blinding speed. However, while it was still incredibly fast, Soujirou could see it now. That was all the reassurance he needed.
This is it. Concentrate all of my strength on my legs, to bring the Shukuchi to its limit. After that…
Soujirou finally stepped forward with his right foot, leaving only the strong footprint behind.
… A draw-slash with as little resistance from the sheath as possible!
Soujirou received a scratch to his cheek, and felt the blood trickling down his face. However, while he only received this, the bladed monster was cut cleanly in half.
"It is done." Aslatiel said while spectating leisurely.
Soujirou placed the Kikuichimonji on the ground while panting, tired from fighting. However, all of this disappeared when he saw the bladed monster's figure changing. Specifically, changing to a human shape.
"A person?" He was confused by this, so he went to check out the body.
When he saw the visage of the person that had been that bladed monster, his blood froze. Aslatiel asked curiously.
"Hey, Soujirou! What is it?"
Soujirou remained silent as he walked backwards, until finally falling on his bottom.
"N-No… It can't be…" His single black eye was filled with despair.
This was enough for Aslatiel to go to see the body for himself. What laid there was the cut in half body of a human girl, around Aslatiel's and Soujirou's age, with long black hair in a 'hime' cut. Once Aslatiel began to connect the dots, it was clear that there was only one possibility.
"I-Is this girl…?"
"Y-Yuki… Yuki…! G-GgAaaAaAHH!" Soujirou screamed painfully like a lunatic.
He banged his face against the ground repeatedly, not finding a way to cope with this tragic event. The monster who had harassed his village and almost killed his master and him had been all along his believed-dead best friend, and he had killed her.
(But what could've caused this strange change? Could it have been a Sacred Gear out of control…?)
"Hm? Ah, it seems lil' Yu proved to be useless."
Aslatiel was taken by surprise by this supernatural voice, and just like Soujirou, turned his head towards it.
To call it a monster would fail to make justice to this eldritch being.
It was of a black color that seemed to intertwine with the darkness of the night itself, if not for the dozens of eyes of many different sizes covering it while glowing ominously. With the vague appearance of a featureless humanoid, many tendrils extended from what would be its fingers.
It was unmistakable. It was the thing Lucina had described. Aslatiel couldn't help but feel frightened of the thing's appearance and pressure, vastly exceeding everything he could remember.
"Y-You… You're the one who did this to Yuki!?" Soujirou yelled with tears on his eye.
"Eh? Ah, yeah. Is there some sort of problem?" The disturbing specter replied nonchalantly.
"I'll kill you! I'll put your head on Yuki's grave!"
"No! Wait, Soujirou!"
Soujirou payed no attention to Aslatiel and dashed towards the creature with his Shukuchi. He slashed horizontally at an invisible speed, however, there was nothing there when he arrived. He glanced sideways and saw the creature holding very recognizable things on its tendrils.
"These are yours." After saying this, it left Soujirou's ribs on the ground.
Soujirou looked down at his abdomen, and saw a bloody mess. Indeed, at some moment at a speed that he couldn't process, this thing had ripped out six of his ribs.
"Gfgh!" Soujirou coughed a large amount of blood and fell forward unconscious.
Aslatiel only knelt forward with despair filled eyes. He couldn't believe that Lucina had faced this kind of opponent alone, much less escaped from it. He was scared. He was utterly terrified of the creature in front of him. He felt like crying and could feel the warm wetness on his eyes.
Before he knew it, it had appeared in front of him and was holding up his chin with horrifying gentleness.
"Your little pal is in such bad shape, even though I only tickled him a bit. Should I see if you fare better?" The playful tone of this eldritch being only made the whole ordeal all the more frightening.
(I'm scared. I'm scared. I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to die…)
The creature slowly began to grasp Aslatiel with its tendrils becoming somewhat thicker, tightening around his neck and limbs. Then, it stopped abruptly.
"Hm? Well, ain't this interesting!"
Before the creature or even Aslatiel himself could notice it, an abnormal change had taken place.
Aslatiel's tentacle-claws had sprouted out of his back, though this time there were four, instead of his usual limit of three and with further splits as with tree branches. But the other change was even more bizarre.
Dirty black goo had crept up to Aslatiel's face, eventually hardening and forming into the shape of a mask similar to a wolf's head, with lightning-like sockets through which the eyes could see.
"Tell me, boy. Do you fear for your life?"
Aslatiel nodded sluggishly, as if detached from reality.
"Do you hate? Do you resent someone so much that you want to end them with your own little hands? Is that why you wish to live?"
Faces began to flash through Aslatiel's mind, and he nodded again.
"Do you care about something or someone? Do you wish to live for them?"
For the third time, Aslatiel nodded, his tentacles becoming more corrupted and the wolf mask becoming more complete by each passing second.
"Those are some nice ideals, especially because they tend to crash and burn, making the tale more interesting. Yes… I should let you ripen a bit more, you could make for an interesting 'child' in the future."
After saying this, the monster disappeared from sight, although Aslatiel could still hear its voice one final time. He would forever remember this.
"I am known as an 'Owl'. I don't think you know about us, but I'm one of those some people call 'Apostles'. See ya later, boy…"
Aslatiel stood kneeling for many seconds after this, the tentacles disappearing into his back and the black mask breaking down. Finally, he broke down in tears of fear and relief.
"I live! I-I didn't die! Gugh, ggh…"
Once he finally stopped crying and calmed himself down, Aslatiel got his priorities straight. Taking Soujirou and his broken ribs with him, he went back to Kiyoko's house for him to be treated. He didn't mention his first meeting with an Apostle to anyone.
Aslatiel and Lucina remained in the village for two weeks after the incident. The information they had gotten from Kiyoko directed them to a Cardinal of the Catholic Church named 'Mozgus', who was currently purging Devils and other monsters in Eurasia. However, the priest's exact location wasn't know, so they would have to search for him almost by themselves. Nevertheless, Aslatiel and Lucina were deeply grateful to Kiyoko for everything, as she even let them stay in her house for these two weeks so they could relax.
Today, they had said goodbye to Kiyoko after getting her contact information, and were on ther way to exit the village.
"All in all, this wasn't too bad, actually. Kiyoko-san is very nice, Kogoro-dono can be strict, but has a good heart, and Akari and Kagari are just adorable." A fully healed Lucina said with a big smile.
"Yeah, I guess so." Aslatiel too was free of bandages.
"For you to not mention me, I'm hurt."
Both Devils turned back upon hearing this jovial, yet calm voice.
Soujirou Seta was there, also in perfect condition, except for the black eyepatch that he now wore regularly over his blinded right eye. He had a katana in a black sheath held by his back. Aslatiel looked at him with a wry smile.
"I thought you had stolen that thing that night."
"I did, but Shishou told me I could keep it when I told him of my future plans." Aslatiel raised his eyebrow at the 'future plans' part.
"And what would those be?"
Soujirou didn't reply at first, at least not verbally. A white fog-like aura of great power quickly formed around him, eventually taking the shape of a naked young girl with a hime hairstyle standing behind Soujirou protectively, katana in hand.
Both Aslatiel and Lucina were surprised to say the least.
"I-Is that…?"
"Yup, it's Yuki. I forgot to tell you guys, but I have a Sacred Gear called 'Hell Masker', which allows me to seal the souls of things I kill into inanimate objects, with the limit of one soul per object. As I found the bladed monster to be exceptionally powerful, I decided it would be good to seal it in the Kikuichimonji. Since at the end it turned out to be Yuki, I think I'm quite fortunate. She's very protective of me." Aslatiel could've just been tired, but he could've sworn that he saw the girl spirit blushing at those words.
"And why are you telling us this now?" Aslatiel already suspected it, but he wanted to hear the answer from the man.
Soujirou made Yuki disappear back into the Kikuichimonji, and then looked at Aslatiel with a serious expression.
"Aslatiel-san, I challenge you to a duel just like last time. If you win, I'll tell you about my future plans, and if I win, you'll still learn about it, but you'll have to help me with them unconditionally."
"I see. And you told us about your Sacred Gear because you're going to use that spirit to empower your weapon in this duel, right?" Aslatiel smiled leisurely.
"If I didn't use everything I have, it would be a disrespect to you." Soujirou did the same.
Lucina sighed at the battle-maniac antics of the boys, but still smiled in enjoyment.
"Dispassionate Queen of Steel, Sacred Sword who destroys evil. Transform yourself into a silver blade, and give me the power to defeat the Demon in front of me!" Aslatiel glared at Soujirou with absolute confidence as the Demon Slayer manifested itself on his hand.
Aslatiel and Soujiro moved a bit away and stood in front of each other at a little less than four meters of distance.
Soujirou took half a step backwards and placed the sheathed katana at his waist. The Battoujutsu stance.
(He plans to use his Shuntensatsu. Alright, this is a perfect chance to see if I can pull it off…)
Aslatiel took a stance that was remarkably similar to a Battoujustsu stance. He placed Est at waist level with her blade pointing behind him and somewhat downwards.
The two boys remained completely calm, in spite of the potential dangers of this kind of duels. The remained several seconds like this, until finally, in a moment that both coincidentally chose, it began.
Soujirou dashed forward at an invisible speed, and began to draw his sword.
The Kikuichimonji shone with snow-white brilliance as it made its way towards his torso. At that moment, Aslatiel took action.
The Absolute Blade Arts' ultimate technique was no ordinary sword counter. One needed to sense the flow of power in the incoming attack and synchronize it with one's own while not losing momentum in the battle. Rather than relying on vision, one had to see through by feeling. A failed activation of the technique would lead to nothing but defeat.
(In the instant that the blades clash, cut the root of the flow…)
The Demon Slayer and the Kikuichimonji Norimune, both swords collided. Amidst the metallic flash that was created, Aslatiel could 'see' it.
The root where the flow of energy and aura was concentrated.
"Absolute Blade Arts, Final Form – Last Strike!"
An instantaneous flash of the sword sent the Kikuichimonji spinning through the air and brought Soujirou down by barely touching his neck, not enough to even scratch him. The Kikuichimonji fell blade first on the ground behind Soujirou a few seconds later.
Soujirou knelt forward and looked at Aslatiel with a smile. This time an honest one, completely unlike his usual one.
"It was by a hair's breadth again." Aslatiel said with a serious tone.
Soujirou chuckled a bit.
"Who knows, that hair's breadth felt very wide."
They remained like that for a few seconds, until Soujirou finally spoke again.
"Aslatiel-san, do you have Evil Pieces?"
"Huh? Ah, yeah." Aslatiel couldn't believe this, neither could Lucina.
"Very well make me one of your servants."
…
"Eeehhhhh!?"
"What's with that reaction? Am I not talented enough?"
"I-It's not that, it's just that you-"
Soujirou sighed before explaining.
"Listen here, I learned during my encounter with Yuki that I've been far too arrogant. Thinking that I already have the talent and strength to go on with my life, but that got me to the point where I had to kill my best friend because she had turned into a monster. I don't want anything like that to happen again, so I want to become stronger. I believe that I can do that if I become a Devil and travel with you two. So, do you accept me?"
Aslatiel and Lucina looked at each other for answers, but finally sighed together in resignation.
Aslatiel conjured up the black ivory case and took a certain piece, the one he had chosen for Soujirou as a logical choice. Represented by a horse, the 'Knight' piece.
He handed it to Soujirou, who held it tightly. Aslatiel took his overdramatic pose and started.
"I, Aslatiel Bael, hereby order you, Soujirou Seta. Allow your soul to be bound to my own, and become my servant Devil. You shall become my loyal 'Knight', and rejoice in your new life!" The voice sounded very grand, but never actually happened.
"Eh?" Aslatiel said with a petrified smile.
"It seems he's too much for one flimsy piece." Lucina said while holding back laughter at Aslatiel's fail. Even Soujirou was chuckling.
"Ah, whatever! Have this!"
Blushing, Aslatiel threw the other Knight piece at Soujirou. Unexpectedly (or maybe not so much), he would need two pieces to be reincarnated.
"I, Aslatiel Bael, hereby order you, Soujirou Seta. Allow your soul to be bound to my own, and become my servant Devil. You shall become my loyal 'Knight', and rejoice in your new life!" This time, the chant did make the red aura with black strands appear around Aslatiel.
Soujirou felt the two chess pieces being absorbed in his chest, followed by a notable increase in his own power, both magical and physical. He could then fell some itchiness in his back, and upon relaxing, jet-black bat wings sprouted.
"Phew. Well, welcome to the family, Soujirou." Aslatiel said with a toothy grin.
"We're glad you're joining us, Soujirou-kun." Lucina also seemed quite happy.
Meanwhile, Soujirou was conflicted by something. He had abandoned his humanity, yet he did not feel guilty in the least. In fact he felt quite happy. He couldn't explain why, but an honest smile crept up on his face yet again.
"Yeah!"
And like this, a cheeky Japanese swordsman with emotional issues joins a scythe-wielding tsundere and an albino psycho-mess. What could possibly go wrong?