Good Afternoon,
It has been a while! Alas, I find it increasingly harder to write these days. Unfortunately, unless I get some inspiration it is entirely possible that this train may roll to a stop, much like my other story has essentially done. There a lot of things I would still like to do with this story, so we will see how long the engine keeps going. As I have said before, good reviews do help so if you have something nice to say please say it. I won't bother going on another rant about Sasuke fanboys-girls; their reviews are annoying as always but unfortunately I can't boot them out of here or ban them from commenting so it is what it is.
A note about Vali: I haven't watched a whole lot of the original series, but from what I have read on the subject he seems to be a bit of an asshole and a battle junkie. He also doesn't seem to play nice with others, much like Sasuke. As I have mentioned before though, when you take side characters and make them main characters you almost inevitably change the character. A rarely seen side character is defined by a few one liners and easy to maintain tropes (like for Vali "Grrr, me like battle, my powers are polar opposite of Issei and I occasionally popup to make him grow as a character").
All this to say, he will definitely be OC, much like Sasuke is.
Enough of that though, story time!
As always, please do enjoy yourself.
A vermilion pillar erupted over the battlefield as the spectators instinctively crouched low in their seats behind the magic barrier. The audience watched in rapt fascination as the Raven haired human was transformed into a smirking Blond Devil in flawless gold armor. The transformed Sasuke swished his sword in satisfaction as fresh strength coursed through his veins, looking to the North as the rapidly approaching figure of Vali drew nearer.
"Not a bad strike human! It's about time somebody gave me a real fight in this fo-"
Vali suddenly grew pale as a ghost as he saw the transformed figure of Sasuke.
"This...This cannot be...you are dead."
It is often times the smallest thing that causes victory or defeat in a battle. A bead of sweat lodging in one opponents eye at a terrible moment, a misplaced step that causes one to stumble, etc. It is the ability to both recognize and capitalize on these pivotal moments that separates the elite veterans from the rest. After many years of duty as an active shinobi, Sasuke's instinct for spotting these moments was honed to a razor's edge. When he saw Vali hesitate and briefly freeze at the sight of him, he didn't bother questioning why the young devil froze at the sight of his new appearance, but instead instantly capitalized on the opportunity.
Sasuke closed the distance in a blur, sucker punching Vali on the tip of his chin. Vali staggered back as the stunning shot caused him to be temporarily dazed, the shock of both his brain being rattled in his skull and his mysterious reaction to Sasuke's new form too much for his mind to process. Sasuke continued to pummel Vali with massive blows as the stunned devil remained unable to respond or defend himself. With a final kick, Sasuke sent Vali tumbling far away from him as he overcharged the Ruby Lance ability. It was risky, but he invested a large chunk of his energy into this one attack. He hoped that it did not kill the boy, as that would waste all his effort in holding back to this point and allowing the fight to drag on. Even still though, Vali was dangerous and Sasuke had learned long ago never to toy with his opponents. If he held back too much, Sasuke had no doubt that Vali would likely kill him in a heartbeat.
"Ruby Lance!"
The Lords gasped from the viewing box as the crackling red energy split the air like a bolt of lightning, instantly impacting the sucker punched Vali where he was attempting to rise from the ground. The world turned white as a massive explosion took place, the barrier struggling to hold as worried spectators watched the sweating magicians holding it in place through force of will. Sirzechs shook his head in amazement from his view of the fight high above the ground; the Ruby Lance technique was legendary for a good reason. It was quite impressive that it was able to affect the barrier from so far away; thus was the power of an Old Pillar Lord, even when incarnated in a human!
Azazel had his lips tightly pinched together, an alarming sign to those that were familiar with his infamous poker face. He had no doubt that Vali could withstand even an attack of that magnitude normally, especially with the help of the Juggernaut drive. The question remained whether or not he was able to get his defenses up in time, given his shock at Sasuke's appearance. Vali appeared late to the meeting, thus he missed seeing Sasuke's altered appearance when it was first unveiled it to the group. Azazel had his suspicions at to exactly who Vali thought he was seeing, and it distressed him that such a reaction possibly cost the brash young devil everything.
As the dust cleared, a deep crater was revealed with Vali lying in the center of it. His Juggernaut drive had protected him from most of the damage, but the powerful attack had still been enough to render the already punch drunk devil unconscious. Sighing in a mixture of relief and discontent, Azazel went down to check on Vali. Exchanging looks with Sirzechs after examining Vali's condition, they both turned to Sasuke as he assumed his original form.
"Vali is unconscious and has lost as per the conditions of the duel. The contract is in full effect and you can now dictate terms; he will awaken to your words enforced as law through his magic." Azazel intoned dispassionately.
Sasuke turned a questioning look to Sirzechs.
"In other words Sasuke-san, since he is subject to you through the contract you can now dictate much of his behavior and actions, and it will be magically altered. Any changes you wish to make in Vali's behavior are up to you; they will last at least as long as he is in your service, and often times remain as permanent changes to the recipients personality."
Sasuke turned a hard look Sirzech's way.
"So essentially I could order him to act like a beast and the magic would force his personality into accomplishing my will?"
Sirzechs grimaced and nodded.
"While many of my kind abuse contracts in such a way, my family and some others in the nobility refrain from such base abuses. Even still though, there is a reason devils typically avoid contracts, since they are intimately aware of how they can be so open ended and abusive."
Sasuke grimaced in disgust and considered his options. He was sure people like Danzo or Orochimaru would take this opportunity to completely destroy Vali's personality and create the perfect servant for their needs. While there was a small part of Sasuke that reminded him it was fully within his rights and that Vali would have abused the contract mercilessly had he won, Sasuke effortlessly silenced it. He had not followed in that man's footsteps his entire life, and he wouldn't become like him now.
"Very well, upon the contract I command that Vali treat me as a superior officer and follow my instructions in all things with respect. In turn I will assist him in becoming more powerful and look after his interests in all things."
Azazel's jaw dropped as Sirzechs smirked.
"Boy, you do realize that you just had the power to rewrite one of the most powerful individuals in our society to your liking? Most would have turned him into a slave to their whims, assuming they didn't add some humiliating caveats."
Sasuke slowly turned to Azazel.
"I had a friend once who never would have suggested the contract in the first place; he would have fought Vali and likely ended up recruiting him through sheer charisma. I walk a different path and am forced to sometimes choose gray areas in order to accomplish my goals. With that being said, I will not force people to do things against their will unless it is absolutely necessary and justified. I'm sure forcing Vali into a mindless servant would be more effective than what I chose, but I refuse to become a soulless monster for the sake of mere convenience."
Azazel stared Sasuke in the eye for a few tense seconds before giving him a small bow of respect and grinning widely.
"Oh, I think we'll get along just fine Sasuke-san. Would it be alright with you if I borrowed Vali now and then for some of our more crucial missions until I find a replacement?"
Sasuke gave him a shark grin.
"Certainly, so long as each time accrues a favor from you that I can cash in at my leisure."
Azazel gave a belly laugh.
"Agreed! We can discuss the details whenever I visit to check on Vali. Do take care of him Sasuke-san, I would be most displeased if any harm came to my protege."
With a nod of respect, Azazel flew off to join his comrades.
Sirzechs stared at the unconscious Vali before addressing Sasuke.
"I have often found that the measure of a man is found in the decisions that he makes. Some men justify their bad decisions to themselves and others, while others never have the courage to even confront difficult situations. It heartens me that my sister has found a man that is able to avoid both those options and take the better road."
Sasuke snorted.
"Putting aside the fact that our potential marriage is political, I can assure you that I have made plenty of poor choices in the past."
"As have we all; it is the ability to learn from our past mistakes and use failure as a learning tool that separates the wise from the foolish. I suppose that is enough philosophy for now though; what are you planning to do with young Vali?"
Sasuke smirked.
"I will take him back to Kuoh; I have no doubt he will be an invaluable training partner for one of my current students. Assuming that they don't kill each other when they first meet."
Sirzechs gave him a puzzled look before understanding dawned.
"I don't believe the two dragons have ever fought under the same banner before; it should be interesting to see how things progress the next few years."
Sasuke inclined his head before scooping up the wounded Vali on his shoulder.
Sirzechs wordlessly created a magical portal back to Kuoh, prompting Sasuke to depart without a backwards glance.
Sirzechs chortled to himself at the casual rudeness as he closed the portal.
Sasuke emerged back at Kuoh Academy, surprised that the repairs had already been completed. If anything, the restored buildings looked better than ever, the fresh construction adding a sheen to many of the metal surfaces once pitted with age. Seeing the lightening sky, Sasuke began the trek back to his apartment with the unconscious figure of Vali still slung over his shoulder.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon by the time Sasuke arrived at his personal apartment complex. Passing his room with determined steps, Sasuke firmly knocked on Asia's door. There was a mixture of sounds from inside as Asia obviously drug herself out of bed and put on suitable clothing to see who was at the door. The door opened to a sleepy looking Asia, though she immediately became alert when she saw who her visitors were.
"Saint-sama! Please come in and let me heal you, you seem to have even more wounds than after the battle at Kuoh Academy."
Sasuke laid Vali down on the couch.
"Check him out first, I want to make sure our fight caused no serious damage."
Nodding reluctantly, Asia began magically scanning the silver haired figure.
"It appears that he is completely exhausted, both physically and magically. I can restore his physical stamina once I am finished healing you Saint-sama, though his magical reserves will need to recover on their own."
Sasuke was bemused and also felt a twinge of old pain as Asia confidently cataloged his injuries out loud and proceeded to heal him, much as Sakura once did for him after missions. He was heartened to see the confidence in Asia, even if it only came out when she was healing someone. He would have to thank Sona for her hard work so far when he saw her next; reliable trainers were hard to come by, doubly so if they could be trusted.
Asia sagged with exhaustion as she finished healing Sasuke and restored Vali's stamina. Sasuke nodded his thanks as he collected Vali in a shoulder carry once more.
"His name is Vali, and he will soon be joining us in our training sessions."
Sasuke hastily made an exit back to his room as he felt Vali stirring to wakefulness. He would need to have a talk with the brash young devil before he made any future plans regarding him. It would also be useful to see how effective the contract was in curbing Vali's belligerent behavior; the last thing he needed was another young hothead under his tutelage that refused to follow orders.
Setting the groggy Vali down on an armchair in his apartment, Sasuke gave him a minute to collect himself.
Vali winced as he rubbed his head and took in his surroundings, a look of horror slowly dawning as his memories slowly came back to him.
"I can see that you are beginning to realize your current situation. Just so I can save us further difficulties, let me fill you in on events that have transpired since you were rendered unconscious. Once I was declared the winner, I enforced only the ideal that you would show respect to me as a subordinate does their commanding officer; I will give orders and I expect them to be carried out to the best of your ability. I will have none of the disrespect you casually used in your previous organization towards your leader Azazel; I expect you to address me properly and respectfully at all times, especially in public situations."
Vali nodded.
"I want to impress upon you the fact that I did not have to leave you with almost your entire personality intact; I have no doubt that you would have either killed me outright or horribly destroyed my original personality given the chance. Do you disagree?"
"Yes sir. While it is true that I most likely would have killed you, had you somehow managed to survive I would have just ordered you to fight me whenever I felt like it and otherwise left your personality alone. During the fight I taunted you with lies about what I would do to you once you lost in order to make you angry; an angry opponent is one that much easier to defeat."
"Interesting; in that case could you tell me why you planned to betray your old mentor and the Grigori?"
Vali raised an eyebrow.
"How is it that you know of that?"
"I have my sources; now answer the question."
Vali grimaced and acquiesced as the magic took effect.
"As you may have guessed, my life has always been about the joy of battle. Since joining the Grigori, it has been increasingly filled with paperwork and babysitting missions. The few times I am allowed to fight someone, it's usually with a team that slows me down or tries to take my prey away from me. I have brought this up to Azazel countless times and always receive the same placating answers. "Be patient Vali, your time will come." "There is more to life than battle Vali, can't you see that?" Eventually I tired of his endless excuses and began working with an outside group to cause chaos and force battles within our world."
"We will discuss that group at a later date, once I decide what to do with the information. In the meantime, let's discuss the future."
Vali snorted and rolled his eyes.
"I don't see why you bother; the magical geas forces me to respectfully obey every order. Why bother telling me your future plans when you are just going to use me as your pawn going forward?"
Sasuke shook his head.
"I will refrain from using that unless necessary. While I expect you to address me respectfully in general, you are free to voice your opinions and disagreements in a calm manner and I will take them into consideration. Instead of seeing this as some sort of twisted master-slave relationship, see it instead as a relationship between a subordinate and his superior officer. Just as a Sergeant to a recruit, I will sometimes give you strict orders that you will be required to follow, but otherwise you are free to interact normally so long as it does not reflect poorly on me."
Vali looked at Sasuke speculatively.
"Very well then, tell me this: How much were you holding back in our fight?"
Sasuke smirked.
"Let's just say if I wanted you dead you would have been so long before you ever activated your Juggernaut Drive. That is just one of the many things we will work on to make you a more effective fighter."
Vali made an annoyed sound.
"Why? There are only a few people within all the factions that can match me at my current level, why bother taking the time to get stronger or more skilled?"
"If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is that there is always someone better and you never know when a new threat is around the corner. I expect you to assist me in training some of my other students, which will be a chore for you. In exchange though, I will allow you to fight a powerful opponent at least once a month."
Vali's eyes gleamed.
"Already you have my attention more than the Grigori. I can stomach hateful duties if I am at least given some incentive to do so; just make sure it someone strong enough to give me a decent workout, no weaklings stray devils."
"If need be I will fight you myself; I am generally a man of my word and strive to follow it out when possible."
Vali looked thrilled at the idea of a rematch.
"What of peerage, I assume that you would like me to join as one of your followers?"
Sasuke tapped the table in thought.
"Since it is not my secret to give, I am ordering you to share this information only with those that I approve of."
Vali nodded seriously, the geas locking in.
"Very well; I have a unique chessboard that allows me to empower humans but would be wasted on devils. I'm not even sure if it would work on a Devil's physiology to be honest. Either way, it appears we will have to avoid that option."
"Not necessarily."
Sasuke gave Vali a puzzled look as he grimaced.
"I am actually half human; my father was a Lord in the family line to the original Lucifer, whereas my mother was simply human."
Sasuke grinned widely.
"In that case, I would be glad to offer you 'peerage' as it were."
Sasuke pulled the chessboard out and selected a piece, casually tossing it to Vali.
Vali looked surprised.
"You would offer me the Queen piece? While I am the obvious choice in terms of power, surely you have someone more trustworthy you would give this to instead. We were just enemies hours ago, fighting to the death."
Sasuke shrugged.
"My previous profession taught me that enemies can become allies and vice versa at the flip of a coin. The basic terms of the original contract keep you from betraying me outright so I see no harm in it."
"In that case, I accept your offer, on the condition that you continue providing me with at least one good fight per month."
"Agreed."
Minutes later, Vali rubbed his chest as the new piece integrated itself into his body.
"Excellent; I can already feel myself growing stronger. Very well my king, what is our next move?"
"How would you like to fight in a few arena death matches in my stead?"
Vali's carnivorous smile made a crocodile look like an herbivore.