Allright, new chapter is out and I hope you all enjoy.
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Ichigo made to stand up but Koneko hissed at him and he elected to remain on the couch. four days had passed since his return to the human world. Three of which had been spent in frantic busy work as he juggled Issei's punishment, getting the Student Council paperwork in order, catching up on schoolwork, training a good number of people from both Peerages, spending nights learning Kido with Aizen, practicing with Kiba in how to actually use two blades, as Rias' Knight was the only one among them with a little bit of knowledge in how to do that. Even then he only showed Ichigo the basics and refused to go any further, saying it would hurt him rather than help.
The Occult Club had been just as busy as well, Issei's arm had apparently been acting up and Akeno had been the only one able to do something about it. Issei had informed him, nervously, that it had involved her sucking the power out through his finger, but she had been professional about it and he had done his best to do so as well. Ichigo guessed that the boy thought he would be mad, but despite the weirdness of said cure, if it helped even he would have done it. It would have been very awkward and uncomfortable, but that was what you did for family. Thankfully he was not needed for that job and, well, it did not seem to change the Queen's relationship with the boy...and even if it did would it be right for him to feel...possessive.
They had not even gone on a date yet, but some part of him registered the women as part of his sub-group, the girls who were now in a relationship with him. That mode of thinking made him want to smash his head into a wall, but that was life for him now. He was a Devil and had to keep that in mind. Anyway that drama averted he and Koneko were stealing some quiet time.
"Shhh," He whispered, running his hand through her hair, the other gently tickling her chin, "Sorry about that, guess I am not going anywhere."
"Nooo..." The girl replied, her expression one of pure bliss.
"Ok, ok," he paused, "I've been meaning to ask, do you just act like a cat sometimes or is there something I should know?" The question was a joke, but judging by the way the girl froze she had not taken it as such. He opened his mouth to assure her that she did not need to tell him anything when Koneko shuddered.
"I guess you deserve to know, I mean, you tell us all about your life freely and well…" She sighed. "It's not even that big of a secret." He decided to keep his mouth shut, wondering what he had stumbled into this time.
"I was not human before I became a Devil."
"Hmm, well that's interesting."
She glared up and grumbled at him. "Stop making this harder say."
"I'm listening." He figured that was the best two words he could offer.
"I… I mean, I guess it's better to show you first." Her aura flared white and he could sense something subtle, but vital, shift in her soul. Even still, the two fluffy ears that seemed to pop out of her head was a surprise as was the single white tale that pushed its way out from under her skirt and up his chest until it rested under his chin.
He blinked and then a few times more. "Cat girl?" Even as he said it his hand moved over the new ears, running through the fur that covered them. Koneko stiffened at the touch, looking ready to bolt at any moment. Carefully he moved his hand away and she relaxed, her tail bobbing a little, ticking his chin. "Sorry." He muttered.
"No, you just caught me off guard… you can touch them, your allowed...hentai." She added the last part under her breath.
In the same manner as he did with a real cat he moved very gently as he explored her new ears and ran a hand up her tail. That got a moan which was not at all decent and he decided to leave the tail alone for now, using the free hand to start running though her hair again.
Poor Koneko, she looked both ecstatic and embarrassed. "Not a cat girl," She mumbled, "That's like calling a vampire, blood sucker. I am...was a Nekomata."
"I have no idea what that is."
"It is a species of Yokai under the Shinto pantheon." There was clearly more to that, but perhaps this was as far as she was willing to go right now.
"Well," He hesitated, "You look really good." He sighed knowing how this made him sound. "Even cuter than normal, I did not know that was possible." She huffed though her tail was still bobbing in excitement.
"Thank you for telling me about this, it makes me happy that you trust me." Her new ears twitched once, turning about halfway towards him. He could not help himself as he ran a hand over the fluffy appendage.
"Hentai." She groaned.
"Your still mad at me for having to work? Besides, I'm not touching you anywhere inappropriate."
"I know, it would be nice if you did." She said that in her deadpan voice as if she did not care, but her new cat like appendages all went very still and alert.
Ichigo glanced around, there was no one in the clubhouse he could sense, ever since that little incident in her room they had not really done all that much in the way of touching beyond the norm.
She must have taken his hesitation for something else because she sighed her ears flattened and her tail dropped. "I know I don't have Serafall-sama's curves or Tsubausa-san's legs, or Bouchou's boobs or..."
Well, this was not going to lead anywhere productive. So, with one hand reached down to the base of her tail, his hand sliding under her skirt to do so, with the other he covered her mouth. He squeezed just a little, cutting off her speech as she let out a sharp sound between a scream and a moan. "None of that," He said quietly, "I will not hear you talk about yourself like that." She went very quiet as his hand drifted from mouth to her covered chest, pressing into the slight rise he found there. "I think it's time I made this clear, I like Koneko, I like how Koneko looks," he moved his hand up and down her tail, making her squirm as his other hand molested her small chest, "I like how Koneko acts, I like her. I am falling in love with that Koneko, not the unrealistic Koneko that is some amalgam of all the best traits that she sees." He let go of her and reached up to turn her head to him.
Her gold eyes were very wide, almost scared… and he was a little angry. "You are beautiful, you will be beautiful when and if you grow, you will be beautiful even if you do not grow. You are, barring Nel, and that is because she is a toddler, so it's unfair, the cutest person I know." He let go of her chest to point at her heart. "Don't you ever dare think that I would want, that I would wish, to see you change yourself or compare yourself to anyone else? I only care about what you think of yourself, how you see your body, am I understood?"
Koneko nodded, looking to the world like a started animal ready to bolt at the first sound. He leaned in and kissed her hard, harder than he had kissed anyone. He trapped her there, in his arms, as she squirmed; his tongue almost forced its way into her mouth as he plundered hers with abandon. Behind her, her tail lashed widely in excitement, the ears pricked to their full height. How far was he going to take this?... Far enough to make a point he decided. She let out a yelp as one of his hands slipped down her dress, under her skirt and into her underwear taking a tight grip on the firm flesh he found. When he pulled away for air he gasped out. "Do you still think I want you any other way?"
"Nya!" Was the only response she gave.
Oops, perhaps that was too much. He removed his hand and gently cradled her in his arms watching her small chest rise in fall with great breaths. If anything her response had embarrassed her far more than it had surprised him. So when she got her breath back he was not surprised at her first word. "Pervert."
"Sounds like you're projecting to me."
She closed her eyes and he felt a vibration that went though her body, this time clearly a purr. "I'm a girl, so I when I do it, it's hot."
"Well, you don't get a free pass from me on that, but it's ok." He leaned forward. "I think I can still love a little pervert." He whispered in her ear.
She looked like she might have had an objection to the word little, but after a moment let it go, perhaps she had been listening. "You can be intense, you know that, zero to one hundred in what a few seconds."
"Hey, I'm not the one who took a second of hesitation to mean that I was not physically attractive."
Koneko sighed. "Fair enough, I don't really know what came over me."
"How long has it been since you… let it all show?"
"Years." She admitted.
"Could be something to do with that, I do know a good family therapist who is helping out another much taller pervert."
She swatted at him, brushing her hand along his cheek. "I'm fine."
He decided to let it go for now and stood up, making Koneko growl, but since he was carrying her she seemed willing to allow it. He repositioned himself so he could lie down on the couch and let Koneko's light weight stay atop him. He slipped a pillow under his neck and one beside him so she could have her head close to his. "That's better, I could stay like this for a while." He put an arm over her belly. "There are a lot of advantages to being light, Koneko." He closed his eyes and whispered. "And lots to find attractive in the small."
"Hentai."
"Well it's you people's fault," He grumbled, "I used to be pure."
That got a snort from the Nekomana and he laughed at it, setting back for a well deserved break, but not before playing with her tail a little bit more.
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Golden eyes flickered open as a sensation passed over the woman with them, a warning, something set in place long again to make sure a precious child would remain safe. Would be healthy, would not be rushed. "So fast, nya." The woman yawned and stretched much like a cat would. "Now I have to go check on you, little one." She felt her back pop. "Who has stolen your little heart, Nya." She chuckled. "I hope for their sake they are worthy, little sis." She had a bit of time, the warning was set a little in advance of the event that would follow. "Well, I better get prepared, I have a bit of a journey to make, nya."
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Ichigo landed on the asphalt and gently let Koneko onto the ground. Nel loosened her grip a bit on his back, but otherwise looked comfortable. Rias Gremory had called them, she had called them to this abandoned warehouse. They were just in time to see Issei ride up on his bike with a large package. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at him and Issei shrugged. "Payment."
Rias cleared her throat. "Sorry to make you all come out here, but I have just received orders to kill a Stray Devil." Ichigo closed his eyes and found the creature easily enough. "Now I know that, given how strong we have all become, most of us could kill it easily enough, however I would like to take this opportunity to practice. Yuuto, Issei, Koneko, Ichigo, I want you to draw it out Akeno and I will be waiting in ambush, Asia in reserve for healing injuries. However, if things get truly dangerous you are to strike with extreme prejudice, am I understood?"
"Yes Buchou." They all replied, all of them except Kiba Yuuto.
The blonde hardly looked to be paying attention, his eyes distant. "Kiba!" Issei called out.
The boy blinked. "What?" He shook his head. "Sorry, I am ready."
Rias gave the boy a worried look, but did not say anything. "Are we ready to go?" Issei sounded excited, but seemed to take some of what Ichigo had been teaching him to heart. Things like not rushing in, or letting your excitement get the better of you. The excitement part was something Ichigo himself still had trouble with, no better represented visibly then by his Hollow.
Nodding, the four walked up to the steel doors and Koneko moved without a second thought to the center of the doors and pausing. "I wonder what kind of stray devil it will be?" Issei said. "It's kind of exciting now that I'm not going to just die from it looking at me."
"Stay wary." Ichigo warned, as he noted Kiba's eyes straying off into the distance again. Koneko ignored them, raising one arm and holding it an inch from the door. She took in a breath and a glow showed through her white shirt, on her outstretched arm the Gremory Rose glowed is black-red menace. She flicked out one finger, the digit hitting where the doors met each other. The metal things went flying, one spinning and hitting a support post hard enough to bend the beam and causing the metal door to warp, and almost wrap around, the thing. The other slammed into the cinder blocks of the far wall and went halfway through before stopping. Koneko pulled her hand back, looking at it, before nodding in satisfaction.
"Oh wow," Issei said, "That looked painful."
Ichigo patted her on the head, a bit sorry at the absence of her furry ears, but she only wanted to show him and no one else yet, so that was fine. Ichigo moved past her. "I'll drive it out of hiding, Issei, Kiba you two keep it corralled around me, Koneko when you get the chance, toss it out of here." He paused. "Oh, and before I forget." Each person in the Gremory Peerage glowed as he used his Mutated Piece's ability to share his Rook protection and strength with them all. "Remember, just like we practiced." He announced.
"Right." Issei said.
Kiba did not answer but that was his way, however that distraction..."Kiba!" He said again, louder.
The boy rocked in place. "I'm here."
"Stay focused, this is still dangerous." Ok, not really that much, but he wanted them to treat it like it was. The Knight nodded in reply and they walked into the moonlit interior of the warehouse. If they had been using sight alone it might have taken some time, but Ichigo could sense the foul mix of hate and power the creature had become. And since he knew where to look he could see a rather pretty looking face watching them behind a machine. He closed his fists and focused his spiritual power into them. The force of his swings in Shikai was now akin to Getsuga Tenshou so he figured he could use a punch the same way to do a bit of damage and scare their prey out of hiding.
As his fist shot out, something flowed from inside him, latching on to the image in his head of what he wanted. A silver circle appeared, lines intercepting the center like an X with four smaller silver circles in each of the spaces created by the X. The force of the blow took on a visible silver tinge, ribbons of power that moved like wind currents flickering in and out of sight. There was the sensation of a power being drawn out of him, one vastly smaller than his spiritual force, but there none the less.
Debris went flying, the machinery the monster was hiding behind groaned with strain, the silver ribbons of power slammed into the hidden Stray, slamming it into the back wall hard enough to crack it. Now visible in the moonlight it was revealed by the naked upper torso of a woman and some sort of mutated spider with large feet on the ends of its arachnid legs. Its arms too had been mutated into large bear like paws with dagger sharp black claws like chips of obsidian.
It hurled itself into the remnants of the ceiling scaffolding, howling at them in blind fury. Sending a gob of acid from its suddenly distended mouth. The blast went straight towards Kiba, but the boy was once again distracted and not even looking in the right direcion. Koneko shoulder checked him, knocking him out of the way. The acid would have hit the girl, but a shield materialized and it did not melt in the slightest. Ichigo mentally took Kiba out of the fight, as the Stray lunged down like a falling star at Issei. The boy rolled to the side in a smooth motion, his gear announcing his boost. He was up on his feet and dodged a flailing arm and snapping jaw, landing a solid punch on the thing's thorax. The enhanced blow launched the monster across the floor right into Koneko who had come up in a crouch took in a breath and slammed the thing with an uppercut that shattered most of its back end, sending the thing careening up and out of the building. The air above them crackled with energy as Akeno made her move.
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The Queen had been waiting for that moment just like she had been ordered, her Devil Power dancing at her fingertips. But…she could add more. "Does the girl love Rias more than she hates the man?" Yes, of course, but the power was not needed here, not yet. She could take things slower. With the end of that thought she jerked her hand across as the Stray came flying out of the building, running it through with lighting guiding its harsh descent into the yard with a spine cracking snap.
She watched as her King approached it. "A disobedient creature, consumed by its own desires, such a sinful thing deserves punishment." Dark power crackled around the girl as her right hand became the Power of Destruction. "In the Name of the Gremory, I shall be that punishment." The stray weakly hissed at her King as she raised her hand and blasted a five foot crater in the ground, swirling dark power devouring the Stray, the dirt and everything else with equal abandon. Rias pulled back her arm and stared at it for a moment, the Power of Destruction seeming to strain against her will, consuming her arm down to the elbow before snapping back to her hand and finally her normal flesh returned.
Akeno watched as the rest of the Peerage emerged, Ichigo going over to Rias, which was followed by the King pulling Kiba off to the side. Akeno landed just as a resounding slap echoed through the night air. "Did that wake you up?" Rias asked with more than a hint of anger born of worry. "One misstep and someone could have died."
Kiba hardly stirred at the blow, he replied with an almost mechanical ease. "I'm sorry."
"Yuuto," Rias put a hand on the cheek she had just slapped, "What's wrong? I have never seen you like this before."
"Today just has not been a good day." He replied. He bowed, using the motion to move her hand off his face. "I have to excuse myself for now, I need some time alone." With those words he turned and walked away, that same robotic gait, not seeming to care where he was going.
"Kiba." Akeneo blinked as Issei ran up to the Knight, he put a hand on the boy's shoulder and she wondered if the boy could sense the pure threat that flared up from the boy. Judging by his gulp he had. "What was that, you're acting really weird, I don't think I have ever heard you be curt with Bouchou."
"It's none of your business." The Knight replied.
"When it puts one of us in danger it becomes our business." Ichigo said. He had not moved from his spot, but even so, his words were cutting.
"Not just that," Issei said, "I'm worried."
Kiba stiffened, a low smile you could cut steel with touching his face, turning his handsome features almost ugly. "Worried about whom?" Issei paused, confused. "Devils are naturally self-centered creatures."
"What does that have to do with me being worried about you, with us being worried about you?" Issei waived his hand over all of them.
The Knight shivered. "Nothing, nothing, I apologize for what happened."
"It better not happen again." Ichigo said.
Issei looked frustrated. "What is going on, you can tell us, you can tell me. We're family aren't we?"
"Family?" Kiba turned to look at Issei, his eyes sharper than the blades he could create. "Family..." He said the word again as if tasting it. "You have quite the passion when roused Issei… but honestly I should be thanking you."
"What?"
"You remind me of who I am, why I fight, why I live." The last word was spoken with such venom that Issei took a step back.
"Bouchou?"
"No," the knight shook his head, "For vengeance, for restitution, for the destruction of the Holy Sword Excalibur. That is my goal Issei, sorry that it is not as pure as yours."
The Knight turned around and almost ran into Ichigo, Akeno had to blink, realising that she had not seen him move. He was looking right into Yuuto's eyes and the Knight stared back, unblinking. "Ah." Ichigo said.
Yuuto paused beside him and put a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "You seem to get it, what did you do to the creature that killed your mother?"
"My father killed it," Ichigo replied, "Though not before I put in my own try at doing the same."
"Then you understand more than any of them why I do this."
The former soul reaper nodded. "I know the why, I want to know how you got here."
"Ask Bouchou, she knows the story." With that Kiba let go of Ichigo's shoulder and walked away into the dark.
All of them in the peerage turned to look at Rias, Akeno herself knew the story, but she might be the only one besides the President. The Devil watched her Knight vanish with a worried expression. "Let us go back to the Club House, I will explain it to you all at once." Akeno stepped forward to facilitate the teleportation, and made a note to make some tea for the Pres and Asia. The former because it would help her neves, the latter because what they were about to hear would make her sad and stressed, so she would need a little pick me up. Her magic circle appeared under them and they all vanished in a crack of displaced air.
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"Koneko," She glanced at him as they moved to sit down, "What I did back there, was that the Power of Imagination?"
"Looked and felt like it to me."
"Well, that's something I'm going to have to check on."
They all got quiet as Rias leaned against her desk. "To those of you who don't know, Kiba, like many of you did not have the most kind past. To set the scene, you need to know what Holy Swords are. As far as we can tell they are weapons created to fight Devils and by extension the Fallen. I think some of you have seen the mass produced lightsaber-like weapons which anyone can use. There are, however, special and unique weapons, True Holy Blades, that can end all but the highest Devils in a single slash. One such weapon is the sword Excalibur, the sword of legend. It is weapons such as these that require special users. Rare mortals with the highest degree of the light attribute."
She let them take it all in. "To have an attribute of magic to a degree where it blots out all others is rare. And given the number of attributes possible, any specific element is rarer still. The Church was not happy with that situation, relying on such people finding them."
"Sounds to me like that was the point." Ichigo murmured.
He forgot that Devils had great hearing. "How so?" Rias asked.
"Their Religion is based on faith in a higher power with a grand divine plan. With what little I have heard, it's book is all about people answering the call of this divine being when the time is right."
Akeno chuckled, but Asia nodded. "That makes sense to me, you have to have faith." Almost on reflex she bowed her head. "Dear lord."
Ichigo felt something shift in him at the sight, the feeling of mercy and love twisted inextricably with one another. The emotion not his own, Asia flinched as if waiting for something then blinked in confusion. "It did not hurt?"
Oddly, no one but he seemed to hear her say that. "Be that as it may, the Church decided that it was not a tolerable situation. So certain programs of searching and recruitment were put in order resulting in the creation of the title Knight Exorcist for those who did not want to do the job and live a life of celebrity." Rias shrugged. "That in and of itself is not all that concerning, but what else they did was much darker. Programs of breeding and scientific experiments attempting to artificially create people with the proper attribute to wield the Holy Blades." Sadness and wrath, those were the emotions that filled the former shinigami now. "Kiba was one such child, an orphan taken in by the Church for use in the Holy Sword Project. He was one of many, and those who were in it with him became his family, his first family." Destruction flickered around Rias's body like static. "When they were deemed to have failed the project, they were simply killed." Silence filled the room.
"No..." Asia whispered, tears in her eyes.
"The Church is like any other organization, filled with mortals, and there is nothing in particular that stops them from being fooled, from making use of those with lesser morals." The King shook her head. "I would like to say something snide at that fact, but my race is far from perfect in this regard, so I will leave it at that."
"I don't think there is any race free from such things." Ichigo said.
"True enough, but in this case Kiba suffered greatly and, from what I understand, his family, the people he had grown to love, were the reason he was able to escape. They gave their lives for him, for his sake, and as he stumbled into the snow, half dead from the poison gas they had been using to kill the failures, I found him," Rias looked at her hand, "And gave him a choice." Another quiet settled on them at those words. "Naturally, he has never forgiven the Church for what happened, but he is smart enough to know that 'The few, not all.' argument is in effect."
"So, he had focused on the reason for why he and his family were experimented on in the first place." Ichigo said.
"Exactly, and something must have triggered this, but I don't know what."
Issei put his hand on his face. "He was over at my house today, mom was showing everyone pictures of when I was a little boy." His cheeks darkened at that. "In one of the pictures he pointed out a sword, one that a friend I knew a long time ago had as a sort of family heirloom, or gift, or something. I don't remember very well."
"I see," Rias nodded, "Then he should just need some time to himself, though we will all have to keep and eye on him and a hand outstretched."
"Yes Bouchou." They all replied.
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It had started raining, Kiba Yuuto moved through it like a ghost, hardly noticing the cold it brought. Such a thing was nothing compared to the biting white of the snow on that cold night he escaped.
The vision of those Blades that made up Excalibur set his blood boiling, the feeling of shame at his actions that day chilled his bones. He felt almost feverish, yet so clear of mind it was terrifying. To think that his target had once been here, in this city, so close at hand for his vengeance.
He knew it would not have mattered, he would have not even been part of the experiment at that point in time… but his heart did not care. Vaguely he was aware of passing some people who were braving the rain for some reason or another. Those mortals passed by him, either without looking or giving him a wide berth.
By this point his clothing was so soaked it was starting to feel like weights around his body, at least it was too cold to be his own blood. Kiba had no real destination in mind, no idea of how to clear his head. Perhaps time was the only real answer, but that was a cold comfort. Some sensation brought him to a stop. The feeling of someone looking at him, looking at him with such focus that even his distracted mind wallowing in pain sensed it.
He glanced from side to side and his gaze locked on to a pair of storm colored eyes that seemed to pierce his soul. It set his everything on edge, the feeling of very real and present danger so tangible you could taste it in the air. The man look old, wrinkles of age that spoke of smiles and laughter creasing his face. But what set Kiba on edge was the man's body, that did not look at all close to an elderly man. Rather it was a body built on the scale of the Incredible Hulk, thick neck, thick arms, thick legs, thick chest, parts of the man appeared to have the same girth as Kiba himself had in his whole body.
The man held his spot, body hunched against the rain, his coat below him covering something just as his body covered it. A head poked out that looked comically small against the man's bulk as a dog blinked at him before slipping back under the coat. The wind picked up and the coat fluttered slightly showing at least six pups mindlessly sucking milk from their mother.
"You look lost boy," the man said in English. The Knight said nothing, his body tense and ready to move at the slightest whisper of attack. "Ah, I see." The old man stroked the dog under him. "I tend to have that effect on people." His arm moved up and there was a series of popping sounds as he stretched it out. "There are a great many who will not look past the outside, I find animals tend to do so less." The dog poked its head out again and licked the massive finger that was stroking its head. "But enough about that, you look hurt and lost." Those stormy eyes found his again. "That tends to happen when you cast aside our Lord."
Anger sizzled, but Kiba kept it under wraps. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I am Cardinal Vasco of the exorcist order," That name tickled something in Kiba's brain, but he could not tease it out with the state he was in, "And you are?"
"Kiba Yuuto, Knight of Rias Gremory." He was ready, willing, waiting for any motion on the part of his enemy to move. But the old man just nodded. "So a young one then, I wonder what promise of power pulled you from the path of light."
"Power!" Kiba laughed. "Don't you dare pretend that the Church has any ground to stand on when it comes to acquiring power."
"Hmmm," the Cardinal tilted his head, "That sounds personal."
"Personal?" The word almost set him into a murderous rage. "You people killed my family, my family who trusted in your kind words, and empty platitudes." Weapons of Fire and Ice appeared in his hands, raindrops hissing to steam as the hit the fire "You people just gassed them like the Nazi fucks you are."
The words had been chosen to get a rise, to get something, but again the man did not move. In fact the appearance of weapons did not seem to bother him in the slightest. "There have been many in the Church who have strayed from the true path, and they are judged much harsher than even you will be. But if you speak of gas...Are you a survivor of the Holy Sword Experiments?"
He knew, he knew, and that meant he was complicit, Kiba blurred forward with a wordless scream, blades flashing, but something hit him, something hard, like a train going sixty. In between two heartbeats he was slammed into and somewhat through a stone wall, indenting his body into the obstacle. Kiba made a choking cough as a glob of blood dribbled from his mouth; his eyes took a moment to focus.
The old man lowered his massive hand, the same one he had backhanded the Knight with such speed that he had not even seen it coming. "That was one of our greatest failures," The old man continued his expression one of pure remorse, "An action not sanctioned by the Pope or God himself. Monsters that were either slipped in by men who thought they were doing God's will or those who were simply willing to take, whatever price was offered. Those who sought their own glory, using the name and authority of the Church as a shield. Thus it has always been, a Church made up of failable men who make mistakes."
"We were not a mistake!" Kiba roared and the stone exploded as he tore himself out of it, fighting through the pain, pain that was nothing close to what his family had experienced.
"What happened was a mistake, the fact that they used the children of the Church, that was nigh-on unforgivable." The Knight grit his teeth, calling a weapon, a weapon large and strong, something to cut though this dog of the church in one blow. "In one way it was my fault your family was killed."
Kiba snapped, leaping into the air and bringing the weapon down with all his might, the old man stopped the blow with his thumb and forefinger, his head not even turning to look. "When I found out what was happening I made for them. But they had been watching me, and others like me. Someone I trusted very much warned them I was coming and when I arrived I found only the dead."
This.. this bastard, pretending that he would do something, that he had done something, surely their God would have seen what was happening, surely if he really cared then he would have done something in time. He forced down more of his strength on the weapon, but Cardinal Vasco simply closed his fingers and the force shattered the weapon into tiny pieces. Almost in the same motion the hand shot forward and flicked him like one might a paper football. The blow to his gut felt like the most murderous attack Kiba had ever experienced as he slammed back into the, now quite broken, wall. "Do not attack me Devil, I do not wish to harm you, especially not one who made a choice as understandable as you."
Kiba blinked a little as spot appeared in his vision, his body still trying to move, forcing him to his feet. "To tell you the truth, I would rather not be in this place, sent to do a duty that I would wish on no man." The Knight raised a hand to call forth another sword but froze as Vasco looked at him again. The look was all he needed to convey what would happen if Kiba tried something once more, the light died in his hand with no sword making an appearance. "In the name of the most Holy Church I offer my sincerest apologies that we were not able to have guarded you and yours as we should have. But I realize nothing can change that past, none-the-less you and your Mistress will soon have more pressing matters."
The rain came to a stop and the chill abated, the man stood up to his full height of two and a half meters. The dog gave a grateful bark and the Cardenal Vasco smiled a little at the sound "Go in peace Devil, I only have one target in this town and you are not it." With a final nod he turned and began to walk purposefully away from the Knight. Kiba found himself suddenly lacking the strength to stand as he half collapsed, coughing up more blood onto the street. He was going to have to get that looked at, but first… Bouchou, he needed to warn Bouchou. He tried to stand, but did so too fast and this time did fully collapse as he vomited what little food he had in him at the moment. The Knight blinked a few times from his spot on the concrete, his mind going all fuzzy. How hard had that man hit him?
He tried to focus though that pain, but as he blinked it got harder to open his eyes, with the last effort he could muster he activated a communication spell. "Bouchou." He said and knew no more.
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And coming in almost 17 ln novel books too early is….the terrifying scary man who despite how he is described I cannot help but imagine as Alexander Anderson. Lol Kind of like how when I picture Michael the Archangel in this universe I always see Mael from the Nanatasu no Taizai.
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Comments of the Week
Cloth Slayer
I've been enjoying things so far in that so far even with ichigo explaining his and orihime origins of their powers, he doesn't start useing bleach vocabulary like he expects everyone to follow no problem which I've seen a majority of discontinued fics do so I'm happy there's real situations with different reactions. i do hope that you bring the fullbringers as a two chapter villain arc to see how human/hollow power affects them compare to ichigo whose power is too mixed to see any clear affects from one part only.
For the first part I try to keep in mind that with how I have it set up both sides don't know all the much about each other and what they do know only the higher ups have access to.
As for the second part I dont really know if they could take anything from him, or it they did it might outright kill them. Expressly with the new thing that was revealed in this chapter.
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Razmire
It's hard to say if Ichigo or Sona have the more embarrassing parents. On the one hand, Sona's parents make sex jokes and talk about their sex lives while their daughter and her peerage are around. On the other hand, you have the insane asylum escapee known as Issun, enough said. I suppose Sona's parents could be considered more embarrassing simply because there are three of them and only one Issun, but it would still be very close.
I think Ichigio considers his dad much less of an evil than Sona's parents, waking up to a flying drop kick is nothing compared to hearing what your parents do on their anniversary.
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NegaDruid
Aaaah, another chapter in what has become one of my favorite DxD crossovers, right up there with the Dresden Files and Fate crossovers. The possibilities and plot moving ahead in the story tantilize to the extreme. I can't wait to see what happens on the visit home, not to mention the soon to begin Excalibur arc... culminating in a final fight with a certain Fallen Angel. Thats going to be pretty glorious to see how that Rias and Sona are BOTH Super Devils thanks to Ichigo. Especially if Kokabiel brings in help to deal with the situation. Sure he was confident to deal with Rias and Sona before they awoke their powers, but will he be as confident going up against two Super Devils?
We will have to see, both girls are not advertising there new station of power, and you can bet your bottom dollar most of devil society wants to keep it that way. We will have to see what happens when that fallen arrives, there has already been two major changes, what other effects could there be?
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Vysirez
I am happy to see another chapter. I have to say I struggled a bit with this one though. Not sure if it's just be being distracted or not, but I kept losing track of who was saying what. A large part of it is names you can't really do anything about. Tsubaki, Tsubasa. Sebra, Seras, Serafell, Sona. Not too similar, but can still get a bit confusing. Also got a confused for a bit before I remembered Yuto-kun was Kiba. Which leads to my other comment.
I found Tsubaki's conversation with Ichigo to be offensive. She wanted his help getting an in with Kiba, that is fine, just ask Ichigo for a favor. Threatening him with false charges of sexual harassment or attempts to interfere with his relationships is not ok. I really wanted Ichigo to stomp on her. Maybe it's meant to be more joking then it came off to me, but since she followed up with a shovel speech, it seems at least a bit serious. Not to mention Ichigo seems to be getting a million shovel speeches, though that is partially his fault for dating like 50 people. So ya, I found Tsubski to be offensive, and I didn't think it was really in character for Ichigo to just take it.
To the first part I will work on that and to the second they both knew she would not do that, she loves her family too much to do that. I just thought it was a funny way of her asking him to help set her up. But I can see how this could be taken way too seriously, and will think on that if such a situation comes up in the future.
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Comment of the Week
1Batman4u
I can picture Ichigo's latent Devil powers being dependent on his Peerage members mutating before it can awaken, requiring a feedback loop between Ichigo and the various mutant Evil Pieces.
Sera-tan: "I wonder what power [insert name] will evolve."
Ichigo: "You want to do a Pokemon parody, don't you?"
Sera-tan: (bashful) "…Maybe…"
Ichigo: (teasing) "Gotta date 'em all."
Sera-Tan: (teasing) "Does your Caterpie want to String Shot my Shellder?"
Ichigo: "Such poetic innuendo."
Sera-Tan: (false modesty) "It's a gift."