Ch 23: Ankam Waltz (Part 3)

Caine

(24 weeks 1 day after arrival in Kalichi)

Waking up comes slowly and begrudgingly.

Doubly so once I remember the whole mess Kuroka and I ended up in the night before, as well as the fallout that's going to be headed our way this morning.

…Crud.

Heaving a sigh I roll off the couch and grab the bucket from the shower room before heading outside to fill the thing up, reflecting that I could probably use a wash.

I rip back the tarp that leads to the 'yard'-

-and come face-to-face with Kuroka.

We both blink once.

"Umm…morning, Kuroka."

"Yah…good morning, Caine."

…

Hellfire, this isn't awkward at all.

"I'll just, uh…be going to fill this up then."

I squeeze past her, only to have my progress halted as her hand quickly grasps my bicep.

I glance at her only to find a downcast and subdued expression dominating her face, causing me to frown.

"Hold up a second Caine. Look, I just wanted to…well…I kinda want to apologize for what I did last night. I knew you and that Ravel girl had something special happening and that you're not the type to just jump into relationships…at least of this nature. It was a shitty thing for me to do…that's all I wanted to say."

She lets go and moves to walk away-

-before I grab her arm with a hand of my own.

"Kuroka, I'm not exactly the guiltless party in this either. I could have told you right away what my answer would be…but instead I played along and let things happen, and that ended up hurting you."

I take a deep breath and try to push down both my nervousness and embarrassment.

"I'll say it again. I meant every word I said. About you being beautiful in both appearance and personality, about me wanting to actually have something more with you…I just want a few days, maybe a week, to think of how to ensure that, at the end of the day, we're all still alive and content. I don't want to sacrifice anyone's happiness if I can avoid it."

The atmosphere takes a turn for the bizarre as Kuroka suddenly blushes of all things, as well as gaining a goofy smile.

"Heh, you sure you're not older than you say you are? The way you talk is almost like you've been in a dysfunctional relationship before…"

I snort and dryly reply with, "Let's just say Mom was pretty clear that it's the guy or girl in charge of the Harem that has to make sure things work out. She used to tell me that if I ever got involved with another girl, or guy if I ended up into them, that wasn't approved by my wife she'd kick my ass and then disown me…huh, looking back she totally knew me and Ravel were going to get engaged. She always did like Ravel though…probably just her way of looking out for her."

Kuroka just stares at me for a second before suddenly snorting with laughter, eventually saying, "Kick your ass and disown you? Damn, I would have loved to meet your Mom…"

I offer a playful smile in return and retort, "Same here, although I'd have to ask your folks where they went wrong with you and right with Shirone…"

A playful smack upside the head is her reply and she snidely says, "What wrong with me? Kid, if there's anything wrong with any of us, it's on your side of the crazy train!"

I grin at her words, my mood instantly taking an upwards turn.

"Well, you know what they say! Madness is like gravity…you shouldn't let it keep you down."

Kuroka gently wraps her arms around my neck and purrs out, "Hey, a little bit of crazy never hurt anybody…" before affectionately rubbing her head against mine.

Which is significant once you remember that cats only do that to things they just so happen to like.

…Hey, disaster was averted, and now I have time to both take over the Kalichi gangs and make sure Ravel doesn't roast my guts out when I eventually get back home.

Priorities, gotta love em'.

"Ey, it's the Little Bastard! How you been, Little Bastard? Hear you been beatin' people up out there! Ok small talk over, buy something now."

"The usual then. Hey, Chow…I gotta ask you something."

The lethal old man doesn't even look up from where he's piling a carton full of food and I take that as a sign to continue.

"That gift my family wanted to give to me…Don't you think I've earned it by now? I took down a gang leader of Kalichi in one-on-one combat, that's gotta count for something, right?"

"That'll be 250 rupees Little Bastard."

I pay before fixing him with an uncompromising stare.

"Chow, can't you give me a straight answe-"

My mouth clacks shut as a plastic knife imbeds itself through my carton of food with practically invisible speed, Chow fixing me with an annoyed expression.

Well…more annoyed than usual, at least.

"Still haven't figured it out, Little Bastard? You clean out five freaky bastards in Tartarus Pit or you don't get gift. Simple, yah?"

My hand clenches into a fist and I take a deep breath before shakily saying, "Chow…I don't want to go back there. That place was…isn't there anywhere else that I can do this test?"

He just sighs in frustration.

"Think, Little Bastard. If family only thought you needed to beat people up to handle gift, why I send you to Tartarus Pit? Why not gang people and beat them up? Because you needed something else. Know what it is?"

"…No."

"Fear, Little Bastard. Wasn't easy, really. You get scared, sure…but finding something you afraid of harder. But I find it, and now you gotta beat it. Beat fear, and you get legacy of Mommy and Daddies."

I stare at him for a while longer…before sighing listlessly and taking the bag of food.

"…Alright, I'll see you around Chow…"

"Ok Little Bastard, have fun taking over city! Tell skanky cats and crows to visit again, it makes me more money!"

"You sure you want to do this now Caine? I mean you just took on Galeran two days ago, I get that you recover fast and everything but even this seems a little…hasty."

I don't even glance at Ferdinand as we make our way through the back alleys of Kalichi, the same group as before-plus David-trailing in our wake.

Apparently my win over Galeran, and my sparing of his life, caught the Priest's interest and he'd tagged along this time.

"Relax, Ferdinand. I'm in as good a shape as I need to be. And this time I'm not being an idiot and going in with only one knife. Damn that was stupid..."

The older Devil just sighs and says, "Alright…but remember, Syriana isn't like Galeran. She's not going to be up front and straight with you, never mind how she fights. Don't try to take her on like you did the Griffon."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, since he's legitimately trying to be helpful instead of nagging, and instead neutrally reply, "Count on it."

We finally make our way past some more run down buildings-

-and I have to do a double take at the entrance to the Black Wing's territory, it being an almost polar opposite to the Griffons.

Whereas theirs had been an understated, practical entrance guarded by people pretending not to be guards…this one might as well have a neon sign the size of Great Red itself emblazoned over the entryway.

Tons of graffiti in the motif of the Black Wings, all crows, exotic men and woman as well as no shortage of stylized names decorate the entrance while gang members decked out in black leather suits stand professionally nearby.

…I think I liked the Griffons better. Less in your face and all that…

"You got an appointment with the Mistress, Ferdinand?"

Some massive Devil, obviously chosen more for his size and muscle mass than he was for good looks, looms over Ferdinand who easily replies with, "Not a previously made one, no. Mind if I speak with her anyway? I've got some guests she might want to meet."

The muscle head gives us a once over, his tiny brain no doubt working overtime to come to a decision, before grunting and stepping aside, motioning for us to enter.

"Don't cause no fuss in there, newbies. Otherwise I see you again and don't have to be friendly."

This time I let my eyes spin around in their sockets.

Give me half a second to land a clean Weiji-do strike to his heart and we'll see who's making a fuss then.

We brush past the bouncers-

-and enter what I can't decide is a paradise or a nightmare.

Strobing lights send crystal refracted beams all over the tiled floor, recessed lamps providing a dim but constant illumination to offset their more eccentric counterparts and music blares from some unidentifiable source.

Wait…are they playing Black Machine's How Gee?

I'll give them props for having taste at least…

The members themselves are also a perfect contrast to the Griffons now that I get a good look at them.

Where the Griffons were fairly relaxed, keeping their territory simple and makeshift, hanging out and basically acting casually friendly with each other…the Black Wings have other ideas.

They're all insane.

Members of every species and sex are scattered all over the floor, some of them dancing, some of them drinking, some of them partaking of drugs, some of them eating…and I'm pretty sure I saw a pair having enthusiastic sex on a nearby sofa, every single one of them undulating to the beat of the music.

And all the while people with oddly blank or dead expressions wander the floor, carrying trays of appetizers and shots atop precariously balanced limbs and skulls.

And all of this was in a single glance.

I shake my head in a vain attempt to clear it and Ferdinand laughs before leaning in close so he can be heard.

"Quite a big change from our last adventure, isn't it!?"

"That's putting it lightly!"

I glance around once more-

-and almost choke on my tongue as I realize, in my initial shock, that I missed a rather important detail.

Everyone is in their underwear, or some variation of underwear as long as it's skimpy.

Uhh…what?

I almost do a face fault alongside Vallia as Ferdinand starts shucking his clothes into the cubby of a nearby rack being watched by several alert attendants, all the while completely straight-faced.

…This place is seriously weird.

Then again, should I have expected anything different from a place run by a Fallen Angel?

I should just be glad we don't have to walk around nude…

Not that it keeps me from desperately averting my eyes from the girls in my group, not trusting my body to keep things…limp.

"Ooh, look who's shy~!"

My jaw tightens and sure enough Kuroka suddenly wraps her arms around me and presses her chest against my back and I have to take a deep breath in order to keep my blood from getting all excited.

She got over the initial awkwardness of our 'confrontation' a few days ago quickly enough…

"Kuroka? Could you maybe let me go now? I really don't want to have this meeting with a super influential gang leader when I'm, uh…erect."

She scoffs before amusedly replying, "Aw that's no fun…heck, a Fallen Angel would probably take that as a compliment! Hey, you four! If the Kid over here popped a stuffy after looking at you would you be flattered?"

I choke on my tongue as Kuroka suddenly wheels me around-

-and I find myself facing the group as a whole.

Sans clothing, of course.

Vallia makes an 'eep' noise and hides behind Dohnaseek…but not before I get a glimpse of her pale and smooth skin, covered only by a plain set of grey bra and panties.

The Fallen are as provocative as I expected…and feared.

Kalawarner was apparently topless underneath that trench coat she wears, her tits hanging free while her lower half is thankfully covered up by some sort of dark blue lingerie. Raynare is rocking her leather dominatrix outfit, the collection of straps and other pieces providing a pretty provocative view. Dohnaseek, thankfully, didn't go for anything just as wild as his counterparts and is wearing a simple pair of black boxers.

He's still got his fedora on though…

Mittelt had her gothic outfit before the disrobing, now only clad in a pure white bra and garter belt ensemble that accentuates her hair color.

…And, of course, my face heats up to like a bazillion degrees.

Their words do not help matters either.

Kalawarner puts a hand to her cheek and sultrily purrs, "Why, Kuroka, are you insinuating that a mature woman like me wouldn't be pleased if a young man wasn't taken with her? Why of course I would…"

Raynare adds her own two cents by slowly running a hand down her bared stomach and happily murmuring, "Kitten, I'd be insulted if he wasn't, shall we say…excited?"

Letting loose a brief chuckle Dohnaseek muses, "While I would indeed be flattered…I'd have to decline his interest."

Mittelt, the last of the Fallen to comment, merely scowls and sullenly replies, "I ain't interested in some brat's ballsack."

The other three Fallen all roll their eyes while I just sign in resignation.

So much for not getting an erection before all of this…

I turn to David for help-

-and find him completely unconcerned with my plight, instead glancing around the room with a sort of casual interest.

What the Hell dude?! As a Holy Man aren't you supposed to keep me from Sin? Strike down the tempters and all that?

…Thank Maou Shirone isn't making a big deal of things. In fact, clad only in a sports bra and panties she seems thoroughly disinterested in the whole ordeal, carefully watching our surroundings with an intense gaze.

…She's probably uneasy because there's so many strangers wandering about.

I kick those distracting thoughts aside and break free from Kuroka's grasp before following Ferdinand, throwing a, "If you're done screwing around feel free to actually proceed with what we came here to do!" over my shoulder as I do so.

Stupid perverts.

…

I just sounded a lot like Shirone and Vallia just now.

The center of the Black Wing's party room is a raised dais with crimson-carpeted steps leading up to a lounge area almost five meters across, four bouncers guarding the base of the stairs.

Ferdinand says something to them and they wave us through-

-but stop the Fallen and David from passing, explaining, "The Mistress only wants to see them, not you."

Mittelt instantly scowls and puts a hand on her hip-that pose is actually kinda hot-before growling out, "Oh, and you're going to stop us?"

"If I have to. By all means, make my day."

I inwardly wince, knowing there's no way the blonde Fallen is gonna take that lying down, before David steps in and defuses the situation with a calm, "We understand, do you have any objections to us staying here with you then?"

The bouncer looks like he's about to protest until he gets a good look at who David is and promptly snaps his jaw shut.

"Uh, no arguments here. It's a, umm…honor to meet you Paladin?"

The priest merely nods blandly and easily replies, "Likewise." before motioning for us to head on up, the four Fallen easing in to wait at the base of the platform.

Ferdinand shakes his head at the antics before silently signaling for me to follow him, the Yokai and Longinus Wielder following in my wake.

I move past the final step and get my first look at Syriana.

"Ah, Ferdinand! Goodness young man, it's been awhile since we've last met. Was it a month ago?"

Keeping his expression bland the older Devil just shrugs and replies, "Most likely, I've been rather busy the last few weeks."

Syriana is what most men would no doubt consider some kind of goddess.

Possessing an hourglass figure, breasts that make Kalawarner's look small (Thank Maou for Magically reinforced spines, am I right?), long blonde hair that reaches down to her thighs, a plump rear that doesn't cross over into overweight territory and four midnight black wings all paint a picture of exotic beauty.

And every bit of it is accentuated by the arabic slave outfit embroidered with what looks like real gold and gemstones, it's dark purple fabric unanimously see through even on the parts that shouldn't be see through.

...

I dislike her on sight.

Something about her tone of voice, her attitude…

She turns her bright blue eyes on me and playfully asks, "Ah, so you're the one who made such a fuss on the Griffon's territory. Heh, allow me to offer you my thanks for putting that upstart fowl in his place, the whelp had an ego far too large for his shoes…"

I can't really think of anything to say to that so Ferdinand steps in and says, "This is indeed the Devil who-"

"Ferdinand, it wasn't you I was talking to."

Ah, that's it.

That confident tone, as if they owned the very Earth they walk over…the implied threat that crossing them would be bad for your health…the assumption that their every word will be followed to the letter…

She reminds me of the Old Satan Faction and some of the more arrogant Pillar Families, specifically the ones who thought they were Satan's gift to the Underworld.

Now I know why I don't like her.

She must have taken my silence for a reluctance to part with any significant information about myself since she just chuckles and says, "You don't need to worry about keeping your identity secret, Caine Valefor…I've known about you since yesterday. You'd be amazed at what tales people tell when they're properly drunk or high. Rumors of a Devil with control over shadows besting a Kalichi gang leader in an Ankam Waltz, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere? A Devil who, the more exaggerated of rumors suggest, also had a hand in Adder's demise? It didn't take much to put two and two together…"

A scowl I have no control over makes it's way to my face-

-and the Fallen peaceably raises a perfectly manicured and cared for hand.

"You needn't worry, the Crocell messengers don't have any idea of the conclusions I've drawn. Client confidentiality is something I take seriously, especially when the client is such an interesting child such as yourself."

Her voice takes on a slightly miffed tone.

"Besides, those Crocell representative were so boring! They tried to be professional and everything, not come off as crass and overly horny…but what's the point if they keep sneaking glances at my cunt and tits?!"

She rather unnecessarily flares her arms and four wings, showcasing her body off in all it's glory and pouts, "I mean come on! Do I look like I care about being on display? I would have been far less annoyed if they'd just been honest about their pervryness…"

…The Crocells seem to have a knack for pissing off the gangs around here.

Also, I'm just coming to the realization that not liking someone makes a great buffer against any awkward feelings of lust or attraction.

Seriously, I don't think my groin has so much as twitched the entire time I've been looking at her.

Bringing my mind back to the present Syriana just sighs and motions for me and the others to sit, plopping down on a nearby sofa and brazenly spreading her legs while fixing me with a curious expression.

I take a seat, Kuroka and Vallia on either side of me-

-while Shirone, to my surprise, places herself directly on my lap, tail possessively curling around my waist.

I'm about to ask what she's doing when I catch a glimpse of all three of my companion's expressions.

Kuroka is tense even as she pretends to lounge in the armchair she took up residence in, eyes constantly scanning the dais while Vallia doesn't have her usual timidness to her. Instead she has that emotionless, frigid mask she wore when we first met.

Shirone is the most telling of all, her golden eyes locked directly on Syriana's body, something she doesn't really like to do with people she isn't familiar with.

They don't like her either.

With a snap of her fingers the busty Fallen makes an order for some drinks and asks, "So, Mr. Silent, I'm assuming you're here for the question of who'll lead the Black Wings in about an hour or so?"

Finally speaking up for the first time I simply reply, "That was my plan, yes. But I'd like to thank you for not spreading the info regarding my identity to the Crocells."

She airily waves a hand and says, "Oh don't mention it, I can understand the desire to remain anonymous, even if I have little use for it myself nowadays. But back to the topic of leadership. Feel free to correct me if any of what I say is wrong, but I get the impression you're not interested in personally running the Gang's business, preferring instead to do what you're mother did and keep more of a hands-off approach to the whole deal, am I right so far?"

I cautiously admit, "You might be…mind if I hear you're reasoning behind that statement?"

Instead of being insulted she almost eagerly replies, "Of course! And it's actually quite simple reasoning, really. You left that brute Galeran alive. Obviously you wanted to avoid disrupting the workings of the Gang, something that would have come about if you had killed the leader. Just from that alone it's a safe bet to say you're after the Valefor's old position. And I don't think it's just because you have an aversion to killing…"

…It's funny how she's both right and wrong at the same time. Wrong, because I actually hadn't cared about the workings of the gang, and I'd been plenty reticent to snuff Galeran because I was averse to the idea of killing him and Aino.

But she's still correct in what I'm trying to do.

"…You're spot on."

There's no reason I have to tell her that though.

"Excellent! Then perhaps we can make a deal without all of the resulting blood and guts that get in the way of situations such as this. I scratch your back, you scratch mine…"

I feel the slight tingling of warning bells in the back of my skull but forge ahead with a curious, "What kind of deal?"

Syriana is about to reply when two dark skinned teens, a boy and a girl, arrive bearing trays of appetizers and drinks. It's a variety of meats and cheeses with stuff that could either be soft drinks or expensive champagne alongside them, I wouldn't hazard a guess.

And there's something wrong with the people serving the refreshments.

Maybe it's the utterly blank and expressionless faces with dead eyes.

It could be the robotic and machine like way they move.

Or perhaps it's the scar line on their necks that remind me of Shirone's, of either strangulation or slave collars that bite into the flesh.

…Could be all three.

I'm so busy gawking at them that I almost miss Syriana coo, "Why thank you very much Baba, Bobo. This, Caine, is the deal I'm referring to."

A sick feeling in my stomach all I can do is ask, "I don't have any soulless slaves, if that's what you want."

"Yah, well, the psycho-bitch has a habit of collecting what she calls 'damaged' people like it's some kind of fucking art collection."

"Nonsense! I wouldn't expect you to, but then…your companions would suffice rather nicely."

My eyes narrow.

The Black Wing's leader enthusiastically continues with, "I've heard rumors about the Sacred Gear wielder that's shown up around town recently…and judging by her chilly little mask, she has some serious confidence issues, choosing to hide behind an unapproachable aura. Hmm…family troubles, perhaps?"

The briefest of flinches crosses Val's face and she averts her gaze, caught off guard by the unnervingly accurate assessment.

I'm just numb.

This bitch-

"And what about the two Yokai girls, hmm? Just like with the little darling over there I've heard funny rumors about what I'm assuming is you two…wards of the Paladin, of all people, a Yin and Yang sister pair that was part of the group that killed Adder…"

She turns an unhinged smile in Kuroka's direction and purrs out, "For you, missy, I'd guess the relaxed way you move and flaunt your body is part of your survival strategy in this city…and judging by those scars, as well as that death glare you're giving me, I'd say that little plan of yours more often than not lead to some rather unfortunate results."

Kuroka's hands slowly clench and unclench as if they were wrapped around the Fallen's neck.

An expression of pure bliss comes over the gang leader's face as she gazes at Shirone, a pleased sigh escaping her lips.

"Good God…where to start with you, my little darling?"

Shirone flinches and I instinctively wrap an arm around her as if to ward off the deranged Fallen's words.

"You're just a little roadmap of misery, aren't you? A gouge torn out of your lip, a scar across your head, injuries across your neck, as if someone tried to throttle you…and those lacerations across your chest…you poor dear, not many men have a fondness for visibly damaged goods."

She rubs her thighs together as if there's an itch she can't scratch between her legs.

"How did those injuries come about? Random misfortune? Or perhaps it was because of the mistakes of your sister…"

All four of us tense as Syriana slowly reaches a hand out towards Shirone's face.

"Oh you beautiful, misfortunate piece of art…your past experiences…it's made you afraid, hasn't it?"

I'm not sure what did it.

Kuroka's feral growl, Vallia's sudden surge of Draconic energy, Shirone's near imperceptible whimper as Syriana almost brushes her scarred side with her fingertips…or maybe it was the cold, inhuman rage that spouted within me.

All I know is that my words somehow carry throughout the building, despite the cacophony of noise.

"Syriana, no deal. We're having an Ankam Waltz. Now."

The Fallen gang leader slowly retracts her hand, an unreadable expression on her face as she raises an arm, quieting the building within a few seconds, somehow.

If I wasn't so furious, I'd have been impressed by that little stunt.

I gently set Shirone aside, Kuroka quickly wrapping an arm around her younger sibling as I face my opposite number directly.

An amused smile comes to the Fallen's face as all the revelers watch us in varying degrees of lucidity.

"Caine, I don't think you truly appreciate my generosity-"

"Your generosity can go fuck itself."

Her smile disappears completely and she slowly stands up, me mirroring her movement.

"I don't suppose there's any sort of chance that I could appeal to whatever reason might reside within you?"

I glacially retort, "There might be a bit of reason within me…"

Before baring my teeth and hissing out, "It's hiding up my colon. See if you can suck it out my asshole."

Her face goes just as cold as mine and she growls out, "Very well then, Boy. I hope you remember those words, because I'll be having you eat them later. Slowly."

With that she stalks away, shouting orders to the dais' guards to get some sort of arena ready while I try to get my temper under control.

Kuroka walks up beside me, body shaking in barely repressed fury even as she consoles Shirone.

Her voice is actually quavering as she says, "You know…I'm of half a mind to just kill her myself, screw the rules of this damn Waltz."

My tone could freeze lava as I reply, "Get in line. I think I'm actually going to enjoy this…"

There's a disembodied growl from Albion, no words needed as he conveys his bloodlust through that sound alone.

Vallia just stares expressionlessly at Syriana's retreating back.

The Ash Tray was obviously named with tongue firmly in cheek, an Angel's lightspear leaving ashes more often than it does blood.

Said Ash Tray is a 15 meter wide cylinder that stands 20 tall, observation walkways spiraling up and down the structure and providing a close up view of the interior, a honeycombed space with dozens of crisscrossing metal support beams that would no doubt make flying a real pain in the ass.

"Boy, what equipment do you have on you?"

I glance at Syriana, now decked out in some leather bodysuit with the zipper open to her navel, and wordlessly open the flaps of my sweater, revealing the collection of knives and one of David's .44 revolvers that he'd given me, three speed reloads lined up and ready to go with one already in the chamber, 24 shots in total.

She just smirks and lazily replies, "Those toys of yours won't save you, Boy…come, let's begin!"

At her shouted cry the surrounding crowd of Black Wings roars in approval, the acoustics of the place amplifying the shouts in an echoing scream that only seems to gain strength as it continues to bounce around the room.

I simply unholster the revolver, cock the hammer and settle into a relaxed crouch.

Alright…let's do this.

watch?v=bMLyseKiz5k&list=LLPb9QcsQSjQ-ZjknfuFwTqw&index=2 Yozakura Quartet (Hana no Uta) OST~ 16

Four lightspears appear behind Syriana and I take that as a sign that the fight is on.

Before she can fire them off I snap up my hands, gun in one and Elemental Magic in the other.

"[Shock Bolt!]"

Coinciding with the corkscrewing arc of electricity I pull the trigger on the revolver, a BANG that momentarily deafens even the cheering crowd sounding out as the bullet streaks towards Syriana.

The Fallen doesn't flinch in the slightest, wrapping her wings around her and my [Shock Bolt] bounces off harmlessly.

The bullet not so much.

It carves a furrow in the patagium of her left upmost wing, her face briefly contorting in pain from the shot.

As much as I'd like to just sit here and fire away, slowly blowing her to pieces, she wisely doesn't allow me the opportunity.

Two of the four lightspears suddenly shoot forward, their lethal tips headed straight for my shoulders.

A hard flap of my wings shoots me up into the maze of metal and I quickly manifest two Shades before wrapping them around my waist, their hazy tendrils lazily drifting to either side of me.

Syriana smirks as she sees me hang in the air, seemingly an easy target, and launches her two remaining spears in my direction.

I bet she's real disappointed when those two Shades wrapped around me swiftly grab onto a nearby beam and yank me out of the way, freeing me up from worrying about having to navigate through the skies in here.

My surprise maneuver affords me the time to pump two more bullets into her, one tearing off a few feathers from her lower right wing and the other grazing the bone and cutting a small gouge in it.

More spears streak towards me and I again retreat further into the rafters, prompting Syriana to do the same.

I smirk and swiftly put on a pair of heavily polarized sunglasses.

Ferdinand and Galeran had been pretty forthcoming about Syriana's abilities, specifically her little quirk with the lightspears. Apparently, she can remotely cause them to 'explode' into holy light, acting like flashbang grenades without the bang.

While creatures that aren't susceptible to holy energy would find themselves temporarily blinded, for Devil's and the like that attack is way more deadly than it's given credit for.

Staring directly at one of Syriana's spears would no doubt leave one of us staring at blackness for a good couple minutes.

Sure enough, a spear flashes up in front of the beam I'm standing on, a good two meters away-

-and flares into an intolerably bright display, my sunglasses thankfully handling it even though my exposed skin feels more than a little sunburnt and dry throughout the assault.

The Fallen quickly flies up no more than a second after the assault ends, smug grin on her face as she no doubt expects me to be flailing about-

-and instead finds the barrel of a gun pointed right at her face.

She barely manages to get her wings in front her to block the shot, several more feathers being blown off by a direct hit…and misses the throwing knife I chucked shortly after.

There's nothing wrong with her reaction time though and she brings about one of spears to block the dagger, deflecting it to the side enough that it merely lacerates her side instead of piercing her gut.

My four Shades that suddenly lash out at her from above are also summarily dispelled by two lightspears being expertly swung about and I once again jump further into the rafters.

My Fallen opponent snarls and flares her wings to follow me closely-

-"[Water Jet!], [Frost Air!]"

A powerful stream of liquid shoots out of my left hand while my right unleashes a blast of freezing air that, when combined, creates a makeshift barrier of my own and forces my pursuer to either go around it or through it.

She elects through it.

Her spears smash against the ice wall and rapidly burn through…but it takes almost two whole seconds.

In this kind of a melee, two seconds might as well be ten.

Rapidly reaching my own platform I whip around and fire the last shot I have in the revolver, all the while shouting, "[Flame Bullet!]"

Just like the last five projectiles more damage is done to Syriana's wings and the burst of fire that comes from my free hand is swatted away…at the cost of a few smoldering feathers.

A smug grin comes to my face as I leap to another support pillar, avoiding the retaliatory spears that either burn through the metal or detonate in blinding flashes.

The next 30 seconds or so are just a repeat of the opening act, me springing around the place and staying a step ahead of the Black Wing's leader, harrying her from a distance and slowly whittling her down with bullets and Magic all while I avoid her lethal spears of light.

And then I make a stupid, stupid mistake.

Firing off the last round in the chamber of the revolver I swiftly snap it open and shove my last reload in-

-just as I hear a pained shout and the sound of flesh hitting metal.

Apparently that shot did some pretty good damage to Syriana's wings, because she just bounced off one of the pillars and is desperately trying to right herself, levitating slowly and helplessly in midair.

…I should keep doing what I've been doing, staying a safe distance away while bringing her down one bit at a time…but I'm still enraged by the Bitch's earlier actions and the sight of her wallowing helplessly below me is too much.

Pushing off the beam I streak towards her, fist cocked and ready to land a Weiji-do strike to her head-

-when she suddenly whirls around expertly, obviously not helpless after all.

She suckered me.

I have to desperately twist in midair avoid a lightspear that tears for my right eyeball-

-and narrowly avoid it, my sunglasses being burnt off by the near miss-

…

Oh shi-

The lightspear explodes into a blinding display of light no more than a centimeter in front of my face and a brief scream escapes my throat as it feels like someone just shoved a pile of broken glass right into my eye sockets and oh crap I can't freaking see-

Something hard and unyielding hits me in the back and some semblance of rationality returns as I realize that's the floor I just impacted, and that there's still a fight going on.

And then Syriana just laughs.

"What's the matter Devil Boy? Thought you had me right where you wanted me?"

I ignore her taunt and instead snap the gun up to where my best guess says her voice is coming from-

-and with a pull of the trigger I hear the bullet ricochet of a metal plate and the Fallen laughs even harder, several of the onlookers joining in.

"That was a close one! Well, if you can call three meters close…"

Dammit, with the acoustics in here being a nightmare of echoes and reflections pinpointing her voice just by sound alone is gonna be impossible.

"Here, let me 'illuminate' the situation for you!"

Not questioning my instincts one bit I throw myself into a backwards leap that keeps me from getting impaled by several lightspears-

-DONG!

A wave of dizziness and vertigo racks my body and wow my head feels…empty?

I slowly roll over and briefly flex my neck-

-and a wave of pain hits my skull so badly I almost puke right then and there on the floor.

…Crap.

During that full force jump I smacked my head directly into one of those support beams.

Great, blind and disoriented…anything else to add to the list?

A sudden, searing pain that spreads throughout my leg and causes it to go numb answers that question.

The fuzziness in my head abates somewhat and the indistinct roar that had been in my ears resolves into laughing and shouting, Syriana's voice sounding throughout it all as she enjoyably monologues, "It's a shame you aren't able to see, Devil Boy…otherwise you might have been able to see your face!"

There's jeering catcalls from the rafters and I grit my teeth, furiously blinking and trying to get my vision to refocus.

No dice, my sight is still an indistinct blob of white and black.

Not to mention my sense of balance is still crap from giving myself what feels like a concussion and my leg is shot after it took a light spear through the joint…

Dammit if I was better at Senjutsu sensing I might be able to pick out her aura from the crowds…but as I am now I have to be in a calm state of mind.

Right now I'm about the furthest possible thing from calm, my heart beating a mile a minute.

Dammit there has to be something I can use to beat this insane Bitch!

If only it wasn't so damn loud I might be able to thin-

…

Oh…oh that's good.

"Well Devil Boy, any last words before the real fun begins?"

Masking my actions as a pained roll onto my hands and one working knee I carefully prep my Spell and set the revolver onto the floor beneath me, praying that Syriana will both keep running her mouth and stay floating above me, not level with me.

"No last words for mercy? No plea for your friends for help? Hmph, that's hardly any fun-"

I shove my shoulders up around my ears and open my mouth before aiming the revolver straight into the air, Magic formula swirling around it.

Specifically, the one for noise amplification that I'd used to play a trick on Kuroka and Shirone a few weeks back.

…Hell, I hope they recognize this pattern and have their ears covered like I do, or this is going to hurt.

I pull the trigger-

-and all Hell breaks loose.

The sound of a .44 handgun firing had already been dangerously loud enough in this arena, only our Supernatural hearing and toughened bodies keeping us from going deaf.

With my Spell active and firing on all cylinders, boosting the noise range almost six times higher than it was before the sound isn't heard so much as it is felt.

The air trembles, my skin feels like someone just went over it with a toothbrush and my insides definitely shifted a few centimeters.

Anyone with uncovered eardrums during that isn't going to be hearing anything for a long time, provided they're even still conscious.

Taking the brief moment of peace my little action brought I lower my hands away from my ears, spend a moment to appreciate that the jeering laughter and heckles have been replaced by a uniform groaning, and place my finger on either side of my head before channeling a low-key Weiji-do strike into my eyeballs.

Since Weiji-do is more or less the manipulation of a beings Magic and/or energy, given the time to do so I can remove the harmful effects of Light poisoning as long as they're in small dosages by using the technique on myself.

Gently, of course.

Matters are also helped by the fact that Syriana's light spear didn't actually come into physical contact with me, so the actual light poisoning is in minuscule amounts.

Within a few seconds my vision is mostly back. Focusing on things take way more blinking and time than it really should…but at least I cant make out the outlines of things again.

One of those outlines is Syriana, now weakly picking herself up off the floor with shaky limbs.

A bloodthirsty smile makes it's way on to my face and I swiftly drag myself over to her, lame leg trailing behind me as I use my wings and good leg to move.

All the while I'm gathering Weiji-do energy in my fist.

I get within half-a-meter of her and she picks up her face along enough to look at me, blood streaming out of her ears-

-before a savage, Toki enhanced kick smashes her nose flat and actually lifts her off the floor where my Shades swiftly wrap around her wings and arms, holding her up long enough for me to swing my arm forward-

-and plant my fist into her gut, the Weiji-do strike hitting home and actually throwing her back a good few meters where she lands heavily and spastically twitches on the ground, the blow no doubt heavily damaging her innards.

Game set and match.

I sweep my gaze around the viewing walkways and find that most of the Black Wings are now somewhat recovered, although a few of them still seem pretty shaky.

My companions don't seem all the rattled though, apparently the sisters were able to warn them ahead of time before I fired off that shot…

"B-boy? Y-you…win…"

I cast an idle glance at Syriana as she weakly utters those words, blood now freely dripping out of her mouth and a dark, mottled bruise forming on her stomach where I struck her, the blood vessels and organs below no doubt heavily damaged, if not outright broken.

"You're damn right I won. Now say it louder. Say it so that everyone can hear. Well, those who still have hearing at least…"

She tiredly pulls herself upright, despite the pain it's no doubt causing her, and loudly-if somewhat wetly-announces, "You won, Devil Boy…the Black Wings are now yours."

I take a few seconds to luxuriate in those words, at the prospect of being one step closer to having one of my family's legacies back under my control, before fixing the Fallen with a disgusted look.

Disgusted, because she's staring at me with abject hope in her eyes.

"I suppose this is the part where you ask if I'm planning on letting you live?"

"You…let Galeran...live…"

I decide not to bother pointing out that Galeran never caused the few people I trust and care for wholeheartedly no small amount of distress.

I doubt she'd understand.

Instead I swallow my distaste and gaze around the arena, trying to gauge the crowd's mood.

I'm pleased at what I see.

Whereas the Griffons had actually liked Galeran as their leader, and had respected him…the Black Wings have a far more detached relationship, it seems like.

No one looks even the slightest bit uncomfortable at the fact that I'm about to waste their boss.

It's just another day of life in the big city for them.

I turn my gaze back towards Syriana and let a wolf's grin appear on my face.

"You know, for someone who's so interested in 'damaged' things…it's actually kinda funny that you missed out on the damage to the structural integrity of this place."

Her expression suggests she doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about-

-until I direct my shades to tear loose a support beam almost ten meters up that had been damaged during our earlier fight and let it fall downwards, colliding with several other beams and creating one last cavalcade of noise.

Syriana tries to get away-

-and doesn't even get close or have time to scream as she's crushed underneath who knows how many kilograms of metal, a slow trickle of blood coming from underneath the pile of material once it settles.

The room is silent sans the echo from the improvised avalanche.

I let my eyes slowly roam the room, meeting as many Black Wing eyes as possible.

Then I smirk.

"Applications to be my second-in-command are now being accepted! Feel free to send me your resume at your earliest convenience!"

For anyone wondering where the track comes from, I always remember it from the OVA that contains one of the best action setpieces I've seen in a long time (can check it out on youtube by searching for Yozakura Quartet Hana no Uta Favorite Scene) and I couldn't resist throwing it in here considering the 'nightclub' vibe the Black Wings give off.

Other than that not too much to say other than the Ankam Waltz parts are coming to a close in a few chapters.

How about answering some reviews then, there's alot since I never got around to doing so when I posted the short story segment (stoked that so many people enjoyed it though, comedy in writing is hard since you can't rely on physical or visual cues).

Ddastan: I appreciate all your feedback and it is indeed a shame that so much of the universe is never explored outside of Kuoh, probably my favorite part of alot of the DxD fanfics and Crossovers is seeing the different cultures that people come up with when exploring factions or events that were glossed over in canon. I think in one of my previous AN's I stated the age of all the characters who's ages were altered, otherwise everyone else is the same (Rias and Akeno aren't born yet, for example)

AcclaimingTR: Oh GOd I feel like that one awkward kid that never caught up on social 101 and has no idea what anyone is talking about XD

Tohka123: Romantic feelings are always a nightmare to deal with, doubly so if you're attracted to two different people. I've never been unfortunate (lucky?) enough to have that happen to me but one of my friends during High School had that issue and hoooo boy was that a roller coaster. And glad the beeping noise bit was humorous, I used to annoy my cat by clicking my tongue sporadically which gave me inspiration for that bit lol.

maxeplay: True End? With only one girl?! Nonsense! The true ending is always the harem route!

...

In games that is XD. But yah, real life is already pretty bleak so I always enjoy the stories where everyone has a well-deserved happy ending. It's the journey to said happy ending that makes it worth the trek.

ShadowKing042: Apologies, but Mittelt's in for certain. But don't sweat it about the 'loli' harem, people grow up and this story is gonna take place over a large period of time :D and a brief snippet of Chow making an appearance this chapter, as well as what he has in store for Caine.

HelpfulNudge: Thanks for the mention of the Gang Life bit, I'm trying to give each Kalichi group their own personality so it's good to hear I'm succeeding on that level. As for the whole uncomfortable thing with them being 11...well it's kinda supposed to be that way. I know when I was at 11 learning that girls weren't full of cooties was a saga unto it's own...so I guess I'm doing a good job in that regard?

Voidxfox: Always happy to hear from someone who's enjoying my writing, and as soon as the Ankam Waltz part is over some brief catching up with the other characters is in order.

Temsen: Amen to the drama vs angst bit...and Neo was criminally underused, a properly done mute character is kind of a weak spot for me. Something about the expressiveness (or lack of) is always interesting to see.

Ran: Hope the short story scratched that particular itch!

xanothos: Glad I still haven't lost my emotions and can accurately convey them in an entertaining format :D

...wow that sounded really technical.

Blackmist31: Yow, me likey that praise! But stay tuned for sudden kitty-cat raunchiness, that problem is going to rear it's lovely little head sooner or later!

Web11211: No fear, Chow will again rise...and Caine's family powers will continue to grow, as well as develop a few interesting mutations...

OshiroNai: Beeping noises make the world go round!

...and also alert us when fires are starting. Or when someone is playing a practical joke. Either or.

Dark White Fang: There'll definitely be an in depth explanation for who Zenithia was and why Ddraig and Albion were constantly fighting. User LunarOdyssey had a big hand in helping me flesh out that particular bit of plot and while it won't change canon, it'll fill in alot of the gaps and blanks left behind.

CaptainToast321: Mostly because I find it kinda ridiculous that the Church, an organization that's Hellbent (har har Hell pun...kill me) on combating Devils and the like wouldn't have some of their own stationed in the Devil's home dimension. I mean, how hard could it be to bribe or coerce a Devil or Fallen (maybe even an Angel) into providing some transportation circles to the Underworld so that they can have lookout posts down there? It's a proven fact that Exorcists and some of the Church's disenfranchised will work with Fallen.

JohnathanTheWon: Always happy to hear that someone has binge read my stuff, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like I just ate a kitten :D

Sovaton: Well both the show and the novel never really bother to develop Kuroka beyond the 'Big Sister with Big Tits with Tragic Past who Made a Bad Decision to Abandon Younger Sibling' archetype, so in comparison it wasn;t hard to make her more engaging. And I hear you about Ravel, I've been kinda shortchanging her most of the time but hopefully once she and Caine reunite and she starts playing a bigger role in things she'll prove she's got staying power :D and once the Ankam Waltz arc is over time will start skipping forward quite a bit, stay tuned!