::Author's Note::
So this one took a little longer. Mostly because of IRL craziness and other such things. But something I noticed with this chapter is that I've created a lot of branching narratives here and I'm trying to wrangle all the loose threads up into something coherent before I create a monster I can't uncreate.
Not sure what chapter this is going to end on. We've still got plenty to go. In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy the ride and I present to you Chapter 30.
::End Note::
Motohama was seriously beginning to question his sanity given everything that had happened to him in so short a span of time. From the zombie outbreak, to confessing his feelings for Saya in the most ridiculous way possible. Now there was this.
His Uncle was back in Japan. Not only that, but he was apparently leading a squad of elite commandos against the zombies.
He grinned at Motohama and patted his shoulder. "Good to see you're safe. You and your friends did well making it this far. We'll take over from here."
Motohama had so many questions about this, but given the current situation he knew better than to ask them now. His uncle was right, they needed to focus on getting to safety.
With his nephew safely out of harm's way, he focused all his attention on commanding his men. "All units in Squad A! Form a perimeter around the survivors! Squad B, cut a path to the vehicle and secure the package!"
The soldiers from both Squads worked in perfect unison to complete their objectives. Meanwhile, Matsuda, Rei, and the other members of the survivor's group all watched on I'm stunned silence.
"What's going on?" Rei asked in bewilderment.
"I don't know. But I think we're being rescued." Matsuda observed hopefully.
"But wait…" Something occurred to her. "Where is Xenovia?"
From over the crest of the road a lone figure sped towards the zombie horde on a motorcycle, weilding a massive sword in her right hand. Xenovia gunned the engine of her bike before slowly standing up on the seat. With the grace of a cat she balanced on the bike before leaping high into the air in a backwards somersault. Gripping the hilt of her sword in both hands, she then brought the end of her blade down into the middle of the zombie horde. The wave of energy that followed disintegrated every undead around her and sent the few that remained flying into the air.
Azuka's men were able to mop up the rest while Xenovia's group stood with their jaws hanging open.
"Guys...I found her." Aika commented while pointing a single shakey hand at the large blast mark she was standing in the middle of.
"Hooooly shit…" Motohama gawked in bewilderment. His attention was broken from Xenovia's display of power, however, by his Uncle tapping him on the shoulder.
"So how've you been, Kid? You look good. I'm digging the whole no glasses thing."
"Uncle Azuka, what the hell are you doing here?!" Motohama asked in bewilderment. "Who are these men? And why are they taking orders from you?"
"I'm sure that you've got about a million and one questions for me, Motohama, but this isn't really the best place to answer them." Azuka insisted. "For now, all you need to know is that we're here to get you safely to Kuoh."
That was good to here, at least. Though it did leave him with another question. One he was almost scared to ask.
"My Mom...is she…?"
"Your Mom's fine, Kid." Azuka assured with a grin. He then turned to the rest of the group. "In fact, all your parents are waiting for you back at Kuoh."
Hearing that brought overwhelming relief to Matsuda. At that moment he felt about a hundred pounds lighter.
"All our parents?" Saya asked hopefully.
He shook his head. "You're Souchiro's daughter right? Saya Takaga? Actually, your Mom and Dad aren't at Kuoh."
She was crestfallen.
"They're here with me."
And just like that she perked back up. "Th...they are?"
"Yuriko, she's over here!"
Saya's heart leapt as a familiar voice rang in her ear. "Daddy?"
Two figures appeared from behind Azuka, having left the armored vehicle they arrived in. The first was a tall intimidating man with black hair and a fierce gaze reminiscent of a predatory animal. He was wearing formal military attire complete with a Captain's Sword on his belt and carried himself with a similar bearing.
Directly beside him was a woman with long purple hair and lavender eyes. She was dressed in a red evening dress and carried herself with an heir of nobility.
They both smiled upon seeing Saya.
"Mommy! Daddy!" She sprinted to them and jumped straight into their arms, laughing in pure joy as well as relief as the emotions she felt began to well to the surface.
"My darling Saya. We're so relieved you're alright." Souichrio spoke in a calm, warm tone.
"You came for me." Tears leaked from their daughter's eyes as she began to tremble uncontrollably. "You both came for me."
"Of course we did, Sweetheart." Yuriko stroked her hair gently. "Your father and I would never abandon you in this nightmare."
"I'm so happy you're here." Her words came out as choked up sobs. "I thought you...I'm just…" She broke down completely. "I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!"
While Saya bawled in her parents arms, Matsuda and the rest of the group smiled happily for her.
"Fucking A. I'm so glad our parents are all alright." Matsuda beamed happily.
That was when he remembered who he was carrying. Rei hung her head in his arms, a distant look in her eyes as a familiar gloom settled in around her.
"H...hey...I'm sorry." He apologized sincerely. "I shouldn't have brought up-"
She cut him off with a hug, a bright smile forming on her face again. "I'm so happy for you. All of you. It means the world to me to hear your parents are all okay."
"I…" He wanted to say more but finally decided to let it go. "...thanks Rei."
While they shared a moment together, Motohama nudged his Uncle and pointed to Saya's parents. "So those are her folks then?"
Azuka quirked a brow at his nephew, somewhat curious as to why he expressed interest in Saya's parents before looking at them and nodding. Lord Souichiro is the head of one of Japan's Largest Ultranationalist Parties and an incredibly wealthy man. His wife Yuriko is a successful stockbroker on Wallstreet. Together, they make up one of the richest and most powerful families in Japan."
Motohama blanched. "Oh…okay."
"Why the sudden interest in the Takaga family?" His Uncle asked curiously.
Before Motohama could answer Saya approached with her parents in tow and cleared her throat abruptly.
"Dad, Mom, this is Motohama...my boyfriend." Saya blushed as she spoke the words aloud.
Azuka gave his nephew a disbelieving look. "Her what now?"
"So wait...she was being serious about that?" Matsuda was at a loss for words.
"I guess so…" Aika replied, also not quite sure how to react to this.
Motohama, for his part, was absolutely petrified. The look her Dad was giving him at that moment was beyond scary.
His Uncle burst into a fit of hysterical laughter before shaking his head at Motohama incredulously. "Unbelievable. Kid, you have NO Earthly idea what you just got yourself into."
"Wh...what do you mean by that?" He was sweating bullets already.
Saya's father slowly approached and glared down at Motohama with his arms folded. "So...boyfriend eh?"
He stood straight as a board, still sweating profusely. "Yes Sir! That's me, Sir!"
"Let's get a good look at you." Souichiro placed his hands on Motohama's shoulders and inspected the boy thoughtfully. "Hmmm, good strong features, sharp eyes...how's your bloodline? No Korean I hope."
"Dadddyyy!" Saya whined at him.
His wife chuckled sweetly in amusement. "Oh come now, Darling. Give the poor boy a break. He did save our dear Saya's life after all. If what she's told us is to be believed."
He growled complacently. "Fine, fine. We can work with a little Korean. But absolutely NO Chinese!"
Azuka chuckled at Souichiro. "You can relax, Sir. This one is my brother's kid."
At that, Saya's Father smiled approvingly. "Ah, so you're a Hirano then? That's a strong bloodline in more ways than one."
Motohama's uncle cleared his throat gruffly. "Just a heads up, Sir. I never actually got around to telling them that part yet."
Souichiro laughed thunderously. "That's probably for the best. Wouldn't wish to burden the young ones with too much all at once, now would we?" He then turned and waved for them to follow. "Come, the two of you will be riding with me. I wish to hear more about my future son in law."
Both Saya and Motohama turned white as ghosts while their mouths proceeded to drop to the floor.
"S...S..Son in law?" Saya stuttered in abject mortification.
"B...but we haven't even...kissed yet." Motohama muttered, just as mortified as she was.
Matsuda and Rei both shook their heads in pity at their two friends.
"Man...I do not envy them right now." He spoke worriedly.
"Me neither." Rei admitted.
At that moment Xenovia appeared behind them, having returned her Excalibur Destruction to the pocket dimension she kept it in. The case containing the remaining Excalibur swords was slung over her back as she eyed the men around her group warily.
Upon seeing her approach, Azuka narrowed his eyes at her before turning and looking back at Souichiro who bore the same look in his eyes as well. After nodding in confirmation, Azuka turned towards his men and gave the order.
The soldiers surrounded her on all sides and readied their weapons.
"Drop the case." One of them commanded, his rifle primed and ready to fire. "Now."
"H...hey! What are you doing?!" Matsuda protested.
"It's alright, Matsuda." Xenovia assured before slowly dropping the case and placing her hands behind her head. "I saw this coming."
One of Azuka's men quickly grabbed the case and brought it to him. "Package secured, Sir."
He nodded appreciatively. "Take the Holy Sword User into custody."
"Uncle, why?!" Motohama looked appalled. "She helped us. Xenovia is half the reason we even made it this far."
"I'm sorry, Kid." Azuka frowned apologetically. "But we have our orders."
"Daddy, what's going on?" Saya asked worriedly. "Why are these men arresting her?"
He shook his head at Saya, a stern gaze in his eyes. "It is as Azuka said. Our Lords were clear in what they expect of us regarding the Holy Sword User. Even I cannot reprimand this order, it comes from the very top."
"Our Lords?" Saya thought for a moment and blanched. "W...wait. You mean the Devils, don't you?"
He remained silent, essentially answering her question.
"This isn't really the best time to get into this, Dear." Her mother spoke gently. "Rest assured, no harm will come to her so long as she follows our directions."
"But…"
"It's alright." Xenovia assured, maintaining a small smile on her face despite the men placing her wrists behind her back and locking them into handcuffs. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. The rest of you focus on yourselves."
She was escorted away after having her weapons confiscated to one of the armored vehicles off in the distance. Much to the confusion and frustration of the rest of her group.
"Uncle, this isn't right." Motohama insisted angrily. "We would never have made it without Xenovia. She's not an enemy."
Azuka walked up and placed his hands on his nephew's shoulders. "Trust me, I understand how you feel. But this isn't my call to make."
"But we can't just-"
"There's a lot that needs to be explained." His Uncle insisted. "To all of you. For the time being, try not to worry about your friend and focus on what comes next. Motohama, your mom is worried sick about you." He then turned to Matsuda and Rei. "As for you two, your parents will be just as eager to see you, I have no doubt."
They gave him a funny look.
"Hold on...as in BOTH our parents?" Matsuda asked in confusion. "Or just mine."
He nodded in confirmation. "Both of you."
Rei frowned at him sourly. "Sir, I think you have me confused with someone else. My parents are dead."
Mazuka gave her a squirrely look. "Your name is Rei Miyamota, right?"
"Right?" She answered, still terribly confused as to what he was saying.
He smiled. "Then I'm not mistaken."
The weight of his words hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Your parents are both very much alive. And they're waiting for you at Kuoh."
The rusty iron doors opened up before Kiba as he stepped into the light and out of the dark corridor he had traveled down. Or at least...what he thought was the light. Truthfully it was more of that same darkness from before, only this time, illuminated by a blood red moon. All around him was nothing but death and decay. The ground was like soot, the trees withered and dead, the buildings around him were all condemned, and the chainlink fence that surrounded the compound he found himself in was rusted and worn.
"This place…" Mouse swiveled his head around searchingly. "...is any of it familiar to you?"
Kiba looked around. It looked like some sort of prison...or a war base...or a POW camp. Where the heck was he?
"It looks like…" He narrowed his gaze at the scenery. "I think this is...it's somewhere from my past but…" Kiba gripped his head in frustration. "...dammit, I can't remember!"
"Try to think back." Mouse encouraged. "Is there anything about this place at all that might jog your memory?"
Kiba thought long and hard. A single bit of information appeared in his mind. It wasn't much, but perhaps it was enough for him to work with.
"The central courtyard." He declared. "There's a big dirt covered field in the middle of this place. If we go there, something might help me remember."
"Are you sure?" Mouse asked cautiously.
"It's the only bit of info I've got." Kiba insisted.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Kiba walked with Mouse on his shoulder past the rotted wooden buildings and concrete bunkers of this long abandoned camp. The red moon hung in the air like an ominous omen, surrounded by nothing but starless pitch black sky.
"Anything ringing a bell?" Mouse enquired.
"Not enough." He replied glumly.
"Wait a minute...what's that?"
Kiba peered off into the distance. "What's what?"
"That shade…" Mouse pointed with his nose towards the thick black phantom standing in the central courtyard.
They cautiously approached the figure, both of them wary of its intentions. The phantom didn't seem to react to their presence, if it even knew they were there. It simply continued to stare at them with those same unblinking glowing red eyes.
"Well well well. If it isn't our Fynn." The shade spoke in a well mannered yet no less ominous voice. "Back once more to try his hand at escaping the darkness that binds him here."
"Fynn?" Kiba asked the shade warily. That wasn't his name, yet it resonated with him for some unfathomable reason. "That's not my name."
"Perhaps not anymore. But that is what we've always known you as. Strange how you always sound so surprised to hear it. I know you've heard it before."
"Wh...who are you?"
"That's hardly important." The shade assured. "And even if I were to tell you. It's not as if you would remember for long."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mouse asked, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Why do you keep talking like we've been here before?"
"Perhaps you haven't." The shade spoke. "But he has. Many times before. And it will be many times still. We've become quite accustomed to our Fynn wandering the darkness with us."
"Don't call me that." He growled at the shade. "My name is Kiba. I'm a Knight in service to Rias Gremory."
And just like that, it came back to him. Rias, that was the name of his King. The name of the one he serves.
"Rias…" Mouse scratched his head with his little paw. "...that name is familiar to me. Rias Gremory...the President of the Occult Research Club. But what does that mean?"
"Strange…" The phantom sounded the mildest bit annoyed. "...you usually take far longer to remember that part. No matter, I'm certain you'll fail this time, all the same."
"Fail what?" Kiba stepped toward the shade and glared at him angrily. "Either start making sense or leave us be."
"Awww, but it's so much more fun watching you wander blindly." The shade chuckled in amusement. "But very well, I'll humor you this time, Fynn. If for no other reason than your expression is always priceless when you find out."
Kiba continued to scowl at him as he spoke.
"This is not the first time you've appeared before me, Fynn. Baring that same angry, perplexed look on your face. With these same questions. Each time you wander the darkness, seeking answers to a question you don't even know, and each time the darkness consumes you. Forcing you to start all over again." His voice sounded almost pleased by his next words. "If you can't figure it out, then you'll be doomed to wander this place forever."
"Where am I?" Kiba demanded. "What is this place? Answer me!"
"Oh I'm sorry…" The phantom growled at him, its aura darkening. "...you've mistaken me for someone who wants you to succeed. As far as I'm concerned, you're free to rot in this place forever with the rest of us. After all these years of torment, it's nice to finally see the one responsible for it all languishing here as we have."
"Come on, Kiba." Mouse insisted. "Whatever this thing is, it's not going to help us. We should just leave it alone."
"Wander all you want." The Shade spoke indifferently. "You're destined to fail. Repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Lost to the nightmares that have consumed this place."
They turned to leave when the shade spoke again.
"But...if you're truly so keen to leave, curious puppet, then I'll give you a hint. Seek out the spirits of those who haunt this place. Each of them will be...familiar to you."
Kiba narrowed his eyes at the Shade warily. "Why should I trust your help? You just finished saying you didn't care if I failed or not."
"Truthfully, I don't. Were I you, I wouldn't even try to escape. There's very little chance you'll succeed." He commented bluntly.
"So then why help me?"
"Why does anyone do anything for no reason?" He posed to him. "I'm bored."
With that, the phantom vanished. Leaving Kiba and Mouse to ponder the significance of his hint.
"Seek out the spirits…" Mouse spoke aloud. "...could it be?"
"Are you remembering something?" Kiba asked hopefully.
"I think so...I remember when I first awoke a shade told me something similar. There's something here. Something you've lost that you need to find again. That's the whole reason for you being here."
"So then why are YOU here?"
"I haven't got a clue." Mouse admitted. "I've been wandering the darkness for even longer than you, but none of this looks familiar to me at all. But...maybe if I help you find what you've lost, I'll find out more about myself along the way."
Kiba nodded in agreement. "It's worth a shot anyway."
"One last thing…" Mouse cautioned gravely. "...if this place is anything like the other places I've been, then we need to be careful where we step. There are...creatures here. Things plucked from the realm of nightmares. I haven't the faintest clue what they are or why they're here, but they are none too friendly."
"What do these creatures look like?"
It was then Kiba heard...something. It sounded almost like grunting. Or maybe grunting wasn't the right word. It sounded more like someone struggling to breath in a plastic bag. He slowly turned his head to see, off in the distance, some...thing approaching them. It had grey skin, walked on two legs like a human, but was missing any semblance of arms or a face.
"Well…" Mouse replied glumly. "...as it so happens they look an awful lot like that."
"It's not terribly fast." Kiba observed. "Any chance we can just kill it?"
"I wouldn't recommend trying." Mouse cautioned. "They're a lot tougher than they look. And besides…"
Off in the distance, through the thick clouds of black smog, more of those creatures appeared. Each of them came lumbering towards him despite not having any eyes.
"...there's never just ONE of them."
The nightmare in front of the other's opened its chest cavity and shot a stream of boiling black tar at them. Kiba narrowly avoided getting hit with the black goo by dodging to the side. The tar hit the ground below and began melting through it.
Left with no other options, he ran as fast as he could.
The drive back to Kuoh was not terribly long. So despite Motohama and the rest of the survivors having dozens of questions they desperately wanted to ask, Azuka and Souchiro decided to stick to the basics and let their parents explain the full story to them.
To put it simply, both Azuka and Souchiro were Demons in service to house Gremory. Saya's family, in particular, had been serving the Gremory Clan for hundreds of years. Many centuries ago, Saya's ancestor formed a pact with the head of the Gremory Family, offering his soul and the soul's of his descendants in exchange for power and influence for his bloodline. They'd been bound to the great Devil Family's service ever since.
Saya represented the seventh generation of a powerful lineage of Demons. In hindsight, that explained the fang protruding from the top right corner of her mouth.
As for Azuka, both he and his late brother, Motohama's father, were born as Demons in service to House Gremory after their Father formed a pact with the family. They'd been serving as Scouts in Lucifer's Private Army since they were both sixteen years old.
As jarring as these revelations were, none were more in shock than Rei. Her parents were ALIVE according to Azuka. Something she was still coming to grips with. Why had they disappeared? And furthermore, why had they never bothered to come find her after leaving? Her parents had a lot they had to answer for, and while part of her wanted to meet them, another part of her felt a rather foriegn sense of anger and distrust towards them. Why did they let their only daughter go on thinking they were dead?
Funny enough, Rei didn't seem to be the only one who was hesitant to see her parents. Aika also looked quite reserved about seeing her family as well. While she didn't want to talk about it, Matsuda and Motohama both agreed it most likely had to do with the fact she was gay, so they didn't press the issue further.
Upon arriving at Kuoh, Matsuda reluctantly handed Rei over to a group of medics to get her back checked out. They insisted on letting them check him out as well but he assured them he was fine. His cuts and bruises were already gone and the burn on his arm had already scabbed over and healed up for the most part.
Saya left with her parents to have a long talk with them about everything she needed to know about her bloodline while Azuka took Motohama to find his mother. Aika and Matsuda left to go find their parents as well. Upon being reunited with his family, Matsuda had a tearful moment as the relief of seeing them alive and well finally boiled to the surface. This was quickly replaced, however, with a boatload of questions.
After a long and somewhat arduous talk with his folks, the mystery finally began to reveal itself. As his parents explained it, their souls were bound to the service of the Gremory clan in exchange for saving his life. The disease he had suffered from as a teenager apparently being far worse than he originally thought. It would have eventually killed him if Rias's father had not intervened. As payment, their souls were bound to the Gremory House to serve as Demons.
As was his.
This was, naturally, a lot for Matsuda to take in. So after catching up with his parents, he decided to go find Motohama. Who had just finished talking with his mom outside one of the medical tents set up on the President's lawn.
"I still can't believe it." Motohama spoke in numb disbelief as they walked through the military camp aimlessly. "Mom always told me Dad died in a car accident...to think he was killed by one of those things...those creatures we fought on the way here."
Matsuda nodded in understanding. "My story isn't much better. That disease Mom and Dad said I had...it doesn't exist. I had a tumor the size of an orange in my brain. It would have killed me if your Uncle hadn't convinced my folks to strike a deal with Rias's dad."
"Did they give you the same bullshit excuse for lying about it that my mom gave me?" Motohama asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Something to the effect of we didn't want you to know until you had to." Matsuda recited.
"Man...can you believe them? Hiding something this major from us like that?"
He shrugged. "Honestly, after everything that's happened I can't even get worked up about it. It's not like this changes anything."
Motohama shook his head. "I don't know man, I feel like now that we're not the same useless scrubs we used to be, we may have to consider the fact they won't just erase our memories like they're planning on doing to the other surviving humans."
Matsuda quirked a brow at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean...what if they expect us to...you know, do shit?" He asked cautiously. "Like...be full fledged Demons for the ORC or whatever."
He thought about it for a moment. "Would you be upset if I said I think I'd be cool with that?"
Motohama snickered at him. "Honestly, I'm not completely opposed to the idea myself. Now that we have these abilities, it would be nice to have an excuse to put them to use."
"Besides…" Matsuda added. "...if going back to my normal life means losing all my memories of Rei, I'd rather give my soul up right here and now."
"Speaking of which...how's she doing?" He asked worriedly.
"She's still recovering in one of the medical tents. And...talking with her parents as well."
"I still can't believe they're actually alive." Motohama shook his head at the thought. "Christ, can you imagine?"
"I can't...I'm more worried about her health if I'm being honest. That was a nasty hit she took to her back." A scary thought crossed his mind. "What if she can't-"
"Rei's gonna be just fine, Dude." Motohama assured with a grin. "I mean...if these Devils can cure your head tumor, they can deal with an injured back just as easily."
Relief washed over him. "You're right. I'm getting worked up over nothing."
Matsuda and Motohama's conversation came to a stop as they observed, off in the distance, Aika speaking with two older women. While they couldn't hear what they were talking about, it was clear by the look in Aika's eyes they were arguing about something.
"What's going on over there?" Matsuda asked curiously. "Who are those two ladies?"
Motohama narrowed his eyes at the two older women more carefully. "I think...those are her parents."
"Wait...she has two moms?" He asked in confusion.
Aika spotted Matsuda and Motohama from afar and frowned at them. She waved goodbye to her parents before making her way over to them, that same forlorn look on her face.
"So what's the deal, Bra?" Matsuda asked her in a friendly tone. "You didn't tell us you had two moms."
"There's a reason for that…" She sighed glumly. "...I've always been weird when it came to the subject of my parents."
"Because they're both women?" Motohama guessed.
She nodded sadly. "Japan's not the worst country in the world to be stuck in if you're gay. But they've always been iffy about laws regarding equal rights for the LGBT community. Whenever people find out I have gay parents, they always have the same reaction. Oh, she's gay because her parents are gay." Aika sighed despondently. "It's a stereotype I've had to live with my whole life."
They both frowned at her pityingly.
"Hey...we're sorry you have to go through that." Motohama insisted.
"It ain't right. No matter which way you slice it." Matsuda added.
Aika shrugged. "Honestly? Considering what I just found out, that's the least of my concerns right now."
They both gave her quizzitive looks.
"Like I said, Japan's laws regarding same sex couples are still behind the times. They can't legally get married the same way a straight couple can...which means they're exempt from adoption laws and sharing each other's insurance."
"So...what does this have to do with you?" Motohama asked curiously.
"My parents always wanted a child." She explained. "But adoption wasn't an option for them so they had to get crafty." Aika hung her head dejectedly. "They always told me they went to the united states to get some sort of experimental insemination procedure done...turns out that was a bald faced lie."
"So your parents too, huh?" Matsuda guessed woefully.
"They made a pact with the Sitri Clan in exchange for having me." Aika explained. "I'm the product of magic, that's the reason I'm so magically inclined." She looked completely crestfallen. "I thought maybe the fact I had these powers made me special. Turns out I'm just a test tube baby."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that." Motohama insisted vehemently.
"Yeah, it doesn't matter where you came from. You've got abilities that the two of us can only dream of. It's still pretty kickass."
She perked up a little. "You really think so?"
"Absolutely." Motohama assured with a genuine smile. "I think it's pretty cool that you were born through magic. It almost makes you sound like a child of prophecy or some crazy shit like that."
Finally, a smile formed on her features. "I...didn't really think about it that way." She chuckled. "Goodness...when you say it like that I feel tingly all over. Alright...I think I can grow to like the idea of being born through magic."
"That's the spirit." Matsuda encouraged.
"It still doesn't explain how we got these abilities." She adjusted her glasses. "Are they purely a product of whatever was in that vial? Or did we have them all along?"
"I don't know...but thinking about it makes my head hurt." Motohama admitted.
"We should find some answers." She declared. "Now that we know about this whole other world, I say it's high time we go straight to the ones behind it all. The ORC."
"First things first." Matsuda insisted. "I want to check on Rei and see how she's doing."
Aika nodded. "Good idea."
The group made their way to the medical tent where Rei was receiving treatment. Upon entering they found her to be alone, sitting up in bed, seemingly none the worse for ware. She smiled upon seeing them.
"Hey guys. Glad to see you're doing okay."
"We should be telling you that." Matsuda insisted with a relieved smile. "How are you feeling?"
She shrugged. "Apparently I had a bruised kidney and some fractured vertebrae. But given these people have access to alchemic medicines, it was basically like having a splinter removed."
"But how are you feeling now?" Aika asked.
"Still a little sore. My back is really stiff." She then shot Matsuda a chiding grin. "Also...my boobs still hurt from SOMEONE using them to stabilize an assault rifle."
Matsuda turned his eyes away and whistled innocently.
"So...how was it talking to your parents?" Motohama asked nervously. "That must have been weird."
She frowned and lowered her head. "Honestly, it's frustrating more than anything. I don't know how I should feel. Should I be happy? Pissed off? Joyful? Hurt? It's like my brain can't decide how it wants to process this information."
"Did they at least give a reason for letting you believe they were dead?"
"My parents are both Scouts for Lucifer's army." Rei explained. "Or at least...that's what they told me. Apparently something happened when I was really young and one of their targets tried to kill me. They decided I was better off living with my Grandfather after that. You can't be used as leverage if no one knows you exist, right?"
"That's all they gave you?" Aika asked in disbelief.
"That's all I could listen to." She admitted. "I just...need time to process this. I told them we would talk more about it later, but for now…" Rei sighed. "Did my Grandfather know about this? If so, how long has he kept it hidden from me? I'm still just trying to come to terms with the fact that most of my life has been a lie."
"We all are. That's something we have in common at least."
Everyone turned to see Saya leaning against the doorway, a steely look in her eyes.
"And I don't know about the rest of you. But after hearing everything my parents just told me, I'm feeling severely pissed off right now." She grinned at them, a single fang protruding from the upper right corner of her mouth.
"So I say, it's high time we got ourselves some answers."
Irina continued to scout the base of the hill with Aldin close at her back. The two of them had been checking the surrounding landscape together to make sure that no massive hordes of zombies were approaching the Church.
"Dammit." Irina quietly cursed from behind the tree she was hiding behind. A rather large horde was shambling up the hill on a direct path for the church. "They're here too."
"That makes three groups coming from three different directions." Aldin observed while readying his shotgun. "I'm not sure we can outmaneuver them this time, Irina."
She nodded in agreement. "Come on, we'll go back the way we came."
"Things are about to get interesting." He observed nonchalantly.
She didn't comment.
"I don't suppose you have a plan. Feel like sharing it with me?"
Irina narrowed her eyes at the approaching horde. "I do...but you're not gonna like it."
He smirked devilishly at her. "Hey, don't put words in my mouth. Let's hear it."
She sighed wearily. "Well...I think our best bet is to get them to follow us. Then I'll take care of them from there."
He snickered. "Guess that means we're running, huh?"
"Yep."
Irina pulled her revolver from her belt and fired it straight up into the air. The zombies immediately reacted to the gunshot and turned towards them. They ran off deeper into the woods as the undead proceeded to give chase.
"Okay, so now what?" Aldin calmly asked as they ran for their lives.
"Just stay close to me." She insisted while ducking under branches and jumping over logs.
They eventually made their way to a small hillside with a rather sheer drop off. Irina nimbly jumped down while Aldin chose to slide instead. Every zombie that was chasing them proceeded to fall face first in front of them, making them easy targets for his shotgun and her Excalibur Mimic.
Aldin couldn't help but laugh as he blasted another zombie's head off. "So they can climb up and down stairs but don't know how to react to a hill?"
"Their sense of balance is completely skewed." She explained while cutting them to ribbons with her Excalibur Mimic. "But their recovery time is flawless."
"Still…" He blasted another zombie with buckshot. "...once you figure out their attack patterns they stop being quite as scary. This is almost laughable."
"Best not let your guard down." She insisted while mopping up the rest. "Now's not the time to get sloppy."
They finished mopping up the rest of the horde in quick succession. Using the hillside to their advantage, it didn't take long for the two of them to clear out every zombie that had given chase. After which they harmlessly dissolved on the ground and all became quiet once more.
"We should remember this place if any more hordes decide to show up." Irina insisted.
Aldin slung his shotgun over his shoulder and grinned at her. "Man, you really are something else, you know that? What did you say it was you did for a living before all this?"
She frowned at him. "No offense to you whatsoever, Mr. Zefford. But now really isn't the time to get into my past."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, suit yourself. I'm just trying to make small talk." After a moment of silence, he scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "So...you got a boyfriend?"
Irina made a small indignant noise and turned red. "Th...that's none of your business!"
Aldin laughed at ther. "Oh come on. This is going to be a really long perimeter check if you don't open up at least a little. A pretty young thing like you with those kinds of skills? You must have guys left and right chasing after you. You really mean to tell me there's not ONE guy who stands out? A highschool crush at least?"
Her expression glowered and she turned her head away. "Well...there was one guy."
"Oh?" He quirked a brow at her in intrigue. "By the tone of your voice I'm guessing there's history there?"
After a long, thoughtful, silence she turned her head up towards the clouds. "We shared a lot together. For a long time, he was the only family I had." She placed a hand over her heart and shut her eyes. "I...almost thought it was love. What we shared."
"I take it whoever this guy is, he didn't feel the same way about you?" Aldin guessed.
Irina shook her head solemnly. "It's complicated. He wanted me to be something I couldn't." She sighed. "Look, I'm not exactly ready to talk about this. Especially with someone I hardly even know."
"Hey, don't get me wrong." He raised his hands defensively. "I'm not looking to pry into your personal business. I'm just bored is all."
She gave him an annoyed look. "Well what about you? What's your story in all this?"
"Me?" He looked up towards the treeline, that smile that never quite seemed to reach his eyes still present on his face. "I'm just a good for nothing guy who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Not much else to tell really."
Irina narrowed her eyes at him. She couldn't help but feel there was a lot more to it than that. Something about this guy...he just didn't strike her as another random survivor.
"You said you're a Billionaire?" She questioned a little more insistently. "How is it you're here? And not holed up in some private bunker with a boatload of security? Or better yet, how is it you managed not to escape on some private helicopter?"
He chuckled in amusement. "What can I say? It was a rather nasty string of bad luck that brought me here." After a moment, he then added a little more calmly. "But in all honesty...this situation isn't so bad. If I'm being completely honest, I'm rather enjoying myself."
She gave him a disbelieving look.
"Just letting the rage out...this feeling of primal power. The will to survive...the human condition." He snickered to himself. "What can I say? It's been awhile since I've been this entertained."
"You stuck around because...you're having fun?" Irina asked, not sure how she was supposed to feel about this.
He bowed and shook his head, his eyes shut. "Truth be told, I'm no better than the ones who orchestrated all this. If anything, I sympathize deeply with their ideals. That feeling of power, of control over another person, it's the sort of thing I live for." With a sigh he then added. "But...I guess where I differ from the powers that be is that...I've lived long enough to regret what I've become."
"So then why become what you are?" She asked, genuinely curious now. "What was the purpose?"
He laughed. "My decision wasn't so much a choice as it was a natural reaction to something I had no control over. The arrival of a conflict like this was always an inevitability. The variable was always when, not if. I don't see anything about what myself or the rest of us are doing here as a decision but an evolution."
The look she was giving him, it made him pause for a moment. But after awhile, he finally spoke again.
"You feel sorry for me. Don't you." He deduced with an amused chuckle. "Feel sorry for yourself. One day the world's going to look back on us the way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in crude dust and with a dull, primitive language. All set for extinction."
Irina took in everything he said and, after thinking about it for a moment, grinned at him angrily. "What a disgusting philosophy."
He gave her an inquisitive look.
"That's your whole outlook? That the human race is just out of gas? Circling the drain with the rest of the extinct species?" She gripped the revolver on her hip. "Honestly, that's just pathetic." Irina got directly in his face and glared at him determinedly. "You really want to know why I gave up the man I love? Why I continue to give up everything I love for the sake of others?"
Again, he simply continued to peer at her searchingly.
She clutched at her Mother's necklace. "It's because there's something I firmly believe in. Something that transcends my faith in God, or in the divine plan. And that is that the people who have the ability to change this world for the better. All, without exception, have the guts to abandon things important to them if they have to. They are those who even give up their very lives when pressed hard to outdo monsters. People who can't throw away something important will never change anything!"
He remained silent still.
"If you want to roll over and accept what's happening here then fine. But I won't give up on humanity that easily."
With that, Irina turned and made her way back towards the Church. Aldin smiled at her as she left.
"I think I'm starting to get what it is he sees in you."
Xenovia was escorted to the ORC Headquarters by two Scouts after spending some time in a holding tent under armed guard. Upon arriving at the now all too familiar Chapter Room, she was surprised to see not Rias behind the desk, but the asian girl with long raven hair. Akeno, she believed her name was.
"Ah good, you've arrived." She greeted her politely upon their arrival. "If you men would so kindly remove those handcuffs, we can handle security from here."
The Scouts escorting her removed the cuffs binding her wrists behind her back before saluting and making good on their exit. Xenovia cautiously approached the desk, still wary of Akeno's intentions.
"Please, have a seat."
A chair appeared behind Xenovia much to her surprise. She sat down cautiously before turning her full attention to the woman behind the desk.
"I apologize in advance for the President's absence. She is undergoing a rather precarious ritual in preparation for the coming assault. Leaving me...the Vice President, in charge while she's away." Akeno explained.
"How precarious?" She asked with her arms folded in front of her.
For a moment, Xenovia saw her frown in concern. However, as soon as she did she was right back to that bright, professional demeanor.
"That's not something you need to worry about." The Vice President assured. "Given the nature of your business here, I'd rather focus on the present issue." She relaxed back in her seat with her hands folded on the desk in front of her. "I trust the soldiers treated you respectfully?"
"As respectfully as could be expected for a prisoner." She spoke matter of factly. "I'm not questioning your desire to exercise caution around me. But if I may offer some advice in the future. Find better handcuffs. Those things may as well have been composed of tinfoil for all the good they would have done."
Akeno chuckled at her in sardonic amusement. "Well see, that's just it. They weren't meant to restrict your movements."
Xenovia quirked a brow at her. "Then what, pray tell, was the purpose of them?"
"To see whether or not you intended to play by our rules." Akeno spoke with ernest severity. "We may have done business together in the past, but given your connection to the Church and the presence of Lord Lucifer here on campus, we needed to be sure you did not possess ulterior motives."
She smirked. Xenovia assumed that's what it was. The ORC was sending her a message. They were in control now. This wouldn't be like last time. If she wanted to negotiate, she would be doing so entirely on their terms.
Akeno reached under the desk and placed the case containing the Holy Swords on the table. "I take it this is what you wished to discuss with us?"
She nodded. "I brought them to you in the hopes you could keep these relics out of Kokabiel's hands."
Akeno peered at Xenovia searchingly, as if trying to discern any sort of dishonesty or attempts at manipulation from her.
"It's a curious thing...you suddenly entrusting us with the Vatican's most dangerous weapon." A wicked grin covered her lips. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
Xenovia's gaze fell to the carpet as pain welled up in her being.
"May I take a guess?" Akeno requested. "You found something in those files you stole from the Fallen Ones. Something that has...made you question your allegiances?"
She remained silent.
"Given what you've learned, I imagine trusting your order with these relics is also something you're currently questioning. Given what you know, there's every possibility they'll have you excommunicated...or worse. And given the current state of the city, you've come to the foregone conclusion that the only chance you have of survival is to throw your lot in with us?"
Again she said nothing.
"So, in actuality, these swords are not merely weapons you desire to keep out of Kokabiel's hands. They're also your bargaining chip. A bribe to grant you asylum here." Akeno leaned forward on the table with a devious, piercing look in her eyes. "How am I doing so far?"
An angry smile formed on Xenovia's features. "You're every bit as shrewd and calculating as your Master. I'll give you that."
Akeno snickered in playful delight. "Why thank you. I consider that to be quite the compliment."
"You've obviously deduced what it is I want." She continued undeterred. "These swords cannot be allowed to fall into Kokabiel's hands. Nor do I have any desire to be hunted down and butchered by his forces. An alliance with you was the logical conclusion. In exchange for my safety, I offer you the swords. It's that simple."
She nodded in understanding, her smile growing in size. The look in Akeno's eye was making Xenovia lose her nerve. It was clear the Vice President knew something that she didn't and it made her nervous.
"It is certainly a sound plan, to be sure. And you've done well in making it this far." Her smile widened until her teeth were showing. "Unfortunately...I fear that you may have made a slight miscalculation."
Akeno proceeded to pop open the latches on the case and slowly raise the lid before turning it towards Xenovia.
Her heart sank in her chest and the color drained from her face. The case was empty. The Holy Swords she had been guarding so fervently were not there.