Disclaimer: I own nothing; however that doesn't mean I'm not petitioning for ownership. I just need signatures… lots of signatures. Sign, please? Please?
A/N: It's at the bottom.
The Bloodstained Omamori
Chapter One
Lucky Seven
I stood outside the classroom, casually adjusting my new uniform. It was…interesting to say the least. A black jacket with white accents over a white dress shirt and a pair of black pants. The black collar that normally went with it was conspicuously absent as I rolled my shoulder, trying to kink out from sleeping in the wrong position.
Damn seven hour flights…
Lastly, hanging around my neck was a small paper, Japanese protective charm, or an omamori. It's predominately blue with three small white flowers decorating it.
I pushed a hand through my pitch black hair, looking through my dark gold bangs with a tired expression. Sighing softly, I fought the urge to glare a hole into the door in front of me with my light brown eyes.
I had arrived in Kuoh not twelve hours ago…on business, one could say. When I arrived at my new home, I found a manila folder filled with copies of my transcripts, entry forms, directions to the school and basic information that would be beneficial to my stay in this very, very normal Japanese city.
Grimacing, I fought the urge to unbutton the damn jacket and give myself more breathing room. I stood as still as possible as I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, waiting as patiently as I could for the teacher to begin my introduction.
"You can come in now." Her voice broke into my thoughts.
Lifting my head, I stepped through the now open door and went to the teacher's podium. Turning to face the class, I took a moment to look everyone over…and was shocked to see only girls. Really? I heard Kuoh used to be an all-girls and that it was now opening its doors to boys, but this is absolutely ridiculous. I was, quite literally, the only person in the whole damn classroom with a 'Y' chromosome. What was even more awkward was the fact that as soon as I made my appearance, whispering began to occur amongst them, with yours truly as the subject.
"A guy? Transferring in as a 3rd year?"
"I wonder what his type is."
"He looks so mysterious!"
"So handsome! I can't wait to talk with him!"
"Our class finally has a guy in it!"
I had to keep my face as impassive as possible, since the incessant, obviously loud enough for me to hear, whispers were starting to grate on my nerves. These girls are around eighteen years old for God's sake! Shouldn't they have some form of maturity or self-control!
Surprisingly, there were three girls who weren't amongst those who were whispering amongst themselves. Amongst the annoying not-whispering, I found my eyes traveling to the first of the two. She was a slender young woman with a black bob haircut. She wore a pair of purple rimmed circular glasses that seemed to be resting halfway down her nose, giving her the appearance that was peering over them, rather than through them. What struck me the most were her eyes; they were a shade of purple that screamed intelligence and cunning. Her lips were held in an impassive frown as she seemed to be studying me.
The second was a young woman with a more mature figure. She had extremely long black hair that fell well passed the bottom of her seat as she sat. I could safely assume that they reached her knees if she were to stand. Her face was a cool mask of no emotion as she peered at me with her equally sharp brown eyes, behind a pair of blue, semi-rimmed glasses.
The third was another young woman with a mature figure. Her long crimson red hair fell in waves down her back as she leaned on her hand, eyeing me with the hints of a smirk. Blue-green eyes seemed to move unabashed over me as I stood in front of the classroom, as if she were measuring me up against something.
The three of them aren't human. That was the conclusion I came to as soon as I examined the three of them, just as they looked over me. I couldn't get a read on their power, as they were most likely hiding it, but they wouldn't get anything on me either. The only thing I didn't know was what exactly they were; they could be anything from Devils, to Fallen Angels to some form of Yokai. Although, Kuoh is specifically stated to being Devil territory under… Dammit, what was the name of the Devil family that controlled the city?
Okay, I need to remember the Ars Geotia… There's… Astaroth, Bael, Valefor, Leraje... Crap! I should have listened closer to Griselda-sama's lessons on Devil history! That whole 'know thy enemy and know thyself' crap and everything…
"Please introduce yourself, Shizuka-san." The teacher asked me seconds after I entered the classroom.
Nodding to her, I bowed respectfully to my new classmates. "Hello, my name is Daisuke Shizuka. I've been living overseas for the past ten years, so forgive me if my Japanese isn't that good. I hope we get along."
As if on cue, I was assaulted by verbal equivalent of battering rams in the form of my new classmates all asking me different questions. I could hardly make any of them out as the sounds of all of their voices seemed to bleed together into a single blob of high pitch squeals and giggles. A man's worst nightmare if I had to guess.
They were quickly quelled by the sound of a loud slam. I turned in slight surprise to see her lift her book from previously hitting the surface of her podium. "Okay, okay, everyone. I think you can assau-, I mean, ask Shizuka-san your questions your questions during break. We need to get started." She looked to me and said, "You can take the seat next to Shinra-san."
Turning my head, I noticed the girl with the blue, half-rimmed glasses raise her hand ever so lightly, just to let me see where she was. Nodding once, I leaned down and picked up my bag. Walking towards the seat, I had to fight back a cringe as I couldn't help but feel the majority of the girls in the class leering at me. Sometimes, it's difficult being so attractive.
Heh. Heh.
As I sat down, I reached into my bag and pulled out a pencil and a notebook. Placing them on the desk, I opened the notebook and waited for the lesson to start.
Of course, I didn't miss the curious looks that Shinra-san and the other two Devils were sending my way.
Oh, well, can't have the innocent little Devils know that an awesome Exorcist like myself was here.
Lunch break came relatively quickly. Before, everything just seemed to bleed together, the lessons themselves weren't what I needed to worry about. I mean, my tutors at the Church drilled everything I would need to know directly into my head, along with facts I'm sure I could live without. Unfortunately for my desire to sleep, I felt the need to keep up a good impression for the day, so I couldn't in good conscious put my head down and fall asleep. Maybe I could do so a few days after my mission was complete.
The moment break began for the day, I flipped through my notes absently as I took notice of the girl with the bob cut stand and stride purposefully out of the classroom. Making sure to keep my face a mask, I watched as she moved with a grace that would forever escape a human's reach. Definitely a Devil. Not a minute later, Shinra-san stood and took after the same path that the first girl did.
"Shizuka-kun, do you want to eat lunch with us?" One of the girls in the class asked me, pulling me from my silent, subtle observations.
There was a moment of pause before I replied. In that moment, I was able to weigh the pros and cons of the question. If I did go with them, I could see the school in a more thorough manner. Oh, and hang out some cute girls. On the other hand, I would be pulled away from my chance to observe the Devils most likely in control of this area. It also didn't help that they were easy on the eyes.
Wow. It's a good thing that Griselda-sama and Xenovia didn't hear my thoughts, otherwise they'd try to kill me for being an unrepentant flirt.
"Sure. In here or outside?" I decided to agree with them.
The girl and one of her girls laughed in success as they led me out of the room and into the hall. Thankfully, we passed by a staircase where I noticed the bob cut girl and Shinra-san standing by the window. Mumbling under my breath, I prepped a small spell and casually stepped closer to the wall near the spot they stood. Subtly touching the wall, I left behind an untraceable eavesdropping spell.
With that, I walked with the girls, delving into mindless small talk. While I wouldn't mind flirting with the girls in a playful manner, I had a job to do. If there was anything I felt was important: it was to get all the work done early so that I could play as much as I wanted later.
"Kaichou." Shinra-san's voice caught my attention as my spell began.
"Did you get a feeling of his power?"
"No, he's either just a normal human, or he's perfectly hiding it."
There was a moment of silence as, from my inference, the Student Body President didn't respond.
"Sona." A third voice broke into the silence. She sounded like the third girl, Rias, I noticed from the classroom, as I recognized her voice from when she answered one of the teacher's questions. "What do you think?"
"I don't like it." Kaichou replied almost immediately. "We don't know anything about what he is. It's like Shizuka-san just came out of nowhere."
"It does feel like he's hiding something. But so does everyone. What makes you think he's doing that?" Rias.
"When he first walked in, his eyes went across the entire classroom. Shizuka-san even looked directly at Kaichou, you and I. He instantly recognized the strongest individuals in the room. In addition, there was his gait. It was light, yet sure and confident. He carried himself similarly to Kiba-kun. A swordsman's bearing." Tsubaki said with what sounded like a clinical tone.
I felt a smirk appear on my face. So, she's a warrior of sorts? And this 'Kiba' is a swordsman? I may have to challenge him, just cause a little chaos amongst the Devils here.
"Tsubaki is right." Kaichou.
"Well, then, what do you suppose we do?" Rias asked.
"Leave him to us. You're still looking at your own hopeful Pawn, right? Focus on him; I'll deal with Shizuka-san." Kaichou replied quickly, with what sounded a smile accompanying her words.
I felt a smile appear on my face. They'll 'deal' with me, huh? I wonder if they understand what they could be getting into with 'dealing with me'. While I had to fight back my normal urge to try and get a rise out of people who think they can control me, I did honestly want to challenge this 'Kiba' in a small duel of sorts.
"Um, excuse me?" I said softly, catching my beautiful escorts by surprise. "Is there a kendo dojo on campus? I'm somewhat of an aficionado…"
I rolled my shoulder as I hefted the bokken given to me by one of the girls in the kendo club. Lifting it, I took a few practice swings to get a feel for the weapon. Frowning lightly, I felt the resistance in the form of my jacket restricting my movements. Casually flipping the bokken in my grip, I slid it into my makeshift sheath, i.e. my belt.
"Give me a moment, please. I need to free up my arms; this jacket is so restricting." I said to my opponent with a small, apologetic smile.
Lady luck had smiled upon me when the girls had led me to the kendo dojo. It turned out that one of the girls was a senpai in the club and was pleasantly surprised to hear that I was 'an amateur swordsman'. In addition, there was another newcomer to the club. It was second year in the form of a young man with a fair face and blonde hair that seemed to just fall perfectly into place, his bangs perfectly framing his face. He was slim and had a somewhat effeminate, if deceptively muscular, frame. In other words, he was a pretty boy.
Yuuto Kiba was the name he gave me. It turned out he was also 'an amateur swordsman'. Yeah right, I could tell by the slight shifting of weight that he was a fighter, a warrior; albeit an amateur in my eyes.
What can I say? When you've trained with the best that the Church had to offer, it takes quite a bit of skill to be recognized as more than a newbie.
"Go ahead. I don't mind. Though, it seems our audience may enjoy it a bit more…" He whispered the last sentence just loud enough for me to hear.
Chuckling lightly, I spared a glance at our audience, which had grown from the two girls who escorted me and the kendo club to quite a few more individuals. Unsurprisingly, amongst them, I could recognize the redhead, Rias, and a girl with long black hair tied with an orange ribbon.
The Devils want to see the strange warrior's potential danger, huh? Well, let's give 'em a show.
Removing my jacket, I folded it carefully and walked to the end of the mat. After I placed it on the ground, I unbuttoned my dress shirt, allowing my black T-shirt to be seen. Grabbing my omamori, I slid it under my shirt. "There, much better. Thanks for waiting."
"Not at all." Kiba lifted his sword in a ready stance. "Ready?"
I closed my eyes and released a calming breath, grasping my sword in two hands. Keeping my aura in check, I reopened my eyes and said, "Whenever you are."
He took that as the moment, lunging forward with slash of his sword.
I stayed still under the very last moment, allowing him to get as close possible. Watching his movements closely, I followed his every movement with my eyes. It was only when he came close enough did I retaliate. Releasing the sword with my left hand, I twisted my sword with my right and slapped our bokken to the right. The clang of wood echoed throughout the dojo. Kiba's eyes widened as he clearly felt his body being forced to the side, along with his weapon. Smiling slightly, I threw my left hand back towards the hilt of my bokken and grasped the weapon again. Slashing towards his open chest, I watched with clinical interest as he barely managed to bring his sword back into his guard, blocking my attack.
We locked swords, pushing against one another. Struggling against each other for a moment, I watched as Kiba jumped back.
The moment his feet reunited with the mat, I was after him, the point of my swords aiming downwards. Swinging upwards, I watched he defended with a swing of his own.
We traded blow after blow, the sound of wood crashing against wood echoing throughout the dojo. Moving in what appeared to be a harmonious dance of combat, the two of us match skill with skill as we pushed against each other.
Out of my periphery, I couldn't help but notice the other two Devil's from before, Shinra and Sona, step into the dojo and stand next to the first two.
One of the first things I was taught when my sword training began was that I had to hold back once I reached a certain skill level. A level where I stood well above the average swordsman and could cause untold harm if I didn't do so. It was both practical and safe in multiple ways: for one, it would surprise my opponent if I suddenly became more proficient and dangerous in the art of the sword, but also keep myself from mowing over anyone I happen to be sparring against.
However, I think this can be an exception. Kiba happens to be skilled swordsman who's also holding back against me, no doubt his demonic strength and whatever his Evil Piece was. So, I'd be able to take it up a notch.
Locking blades with him once again, I allowed small challenging grin to appear on my face. "What do you say we take it up a notch, huh?"
Kiba furrowed his brow, no doubt confused by my statement. There was a split second of recognition in his eyes as they narrowed slightly. "I don't mind, senpai." I heard the slightest hint of malice in his tone of voice.
We jumped away from each other, landing on either end of the training mat. I released a breath and let my left hand fall from the sword. Lifting the sword with my lone, right hand, I adjusted my grip on the bokken ever so lightly. "One more bout then it's over. That's my prediction, Kiba-san. What do you say?" My voice was light and kind, with a hint of challenge in it.
"I'm up for that. I hope you can keep up." He did look a little confused at my shift in stance, no doubt originating from the one handed grip on my sword.
Our legs bent in preparation in the same instance, then we lunged.
His sudden speed surprised me, as he suddenly appeared in front of me. A Knight, huh? That's some speed… I felt a grin appear on my face as I quickly parried his slashing attack. Sliding to the side, I matched the swing of his sword with subtle movements of my own, redirecting his strikes with as little effort as I could afford. Granted, if I pushed myself, I could've easily outraced him, but that would involve releasing my powers. Amongst a large group of Devils, that was tantamount to suicide. Five of them versus one of me weren't the best of odds, considering there could more and I had no clue about the level of their power or skill. I may get cocky at some points, but I'm not stupid.
Regardless of my predilection to not using my full power at the moment, I also couldn't just allow my pride to be affronted by losing such a childish bout. Narrowing my eyes, I released a breath and began my counterattack. Slapping his bokken aside without preamble, I managed to surprise him with sudden counter. Not one to give up an opening, I stepped into his guard and swung the sword towards his open stomach. Kiba blocked it, but was focused to drastically adjust his stance to get a firm hold on the block. Seeing his weakened stance, I pressed my offense, tearing into his sloppy swordsmanship.
Casual, but powerful, swings of my bokken flew towards Kiba as he deflected every single one, but he failed to counterattack. His eyes widened as I was sure he realized that I wasn't allowing him to gather the momentum to regain his strength. My swings were fast and powerful, belying the fact that I was using a single hand. His sword was smacked away repeatedly, his guard crumbling more and more with every strike. His brow was furrowed as he tried to find a hole in my offense. He found none.
Deciding to end it then there, I flipped my wrist as soon as my bokken crashed into his. The sudden action wrenched the practice weapon from his hand and caused him to stumble back surprise. He landed in seated position with a look of shock on his face as he stared at me, perplexed. Holding my sword at his downed form, I remained still for a few seconds, meeting his eyes. Smiling lightly, I felt the rush of the battle leave me, slowly giving out to a relaxing beat of the heart.
I pulled my bokken from in front his face and offered a hand to pull him up. "Not bad, Kiba-san. It's been a long time since I dueled someone as skilled as you."
He gave me an incredulous look and remained still for a moment, no doubt shocked that a human had bested him. Then he quickly replaced it with a smile that mirrored mine. "Likewise, Shizuka-senpai." He grabbed my hand and we worked together to pull him up. "Though, I have to ask, where did you learn how fight like that?"
I chuckled as scratched the back of my head. "My, uh, kouhai fights using brute force, so I had to master parrying, otherwise she'd probably kill me in one of our many practice spars." At that, the two of us were mobbed by the girls of the kendo club, no doubt in awe of what we did.
"Shizuka-senpai! You're so good! We've never seen anyone beat Kiba-kun like that!" One of the girls proclaimed, followed by agreeing assents from the others.
I shook my head. "It was a close match. Kiba-san is a really well-trained swordsman."
"Aw, so humble!" They managed to cry out in unison, much to my well-concealed chagrin.
As they assaulted me questions pertaining to how awesome I was, Kiba was approached by the Devils that I know were watching. Unknown to the Knight, when I had help him up, I planted a small magical listening spell on his hand.
"Did you feel anything?" Rias inquired of him.
"Not much, Buchou. All I know is that he's good. Really good."
There was silence between them as it seemed he paused. Then Rias said, "How good?"
I could hear him grit his teeth. "Better than me, good. Plus…"
"What?" Sona cut in, curiosity evident in her tone.
"I could feel the presence of Holy Sword in the last time we locked swords…"
There was a pregnant silence that seemed to bleed over to the group pestering me.
I took that moment to ask the two girls who escorted me here to take me back to the classroom. As we strode out, I couldn't help but feel the penetrating gazes the Devils boring into my back. Holding my jacket in the crook of my arm, I looked over my shoulder at the five of them and smiled widely.
The rest of the day moved on rather painlessly, though I had the feeling of being watched like a hawk by the three Devils in the classroom. Feeling slightly annoyed at the understandable reaction, I wrote a note down in my notebook and discreetly tore it out. Folding it twice, I handed it to my neighbor, Shinra. Though she looked surprised at my action, she read the note and arched an eyebrow and passed it up to Sona.
Moments later, I was returned the note with an addendum.
Meet in the Student Council Room.
Smirking lightly, I crumbled the note and slid it into my breast pocket. This could get interesting.
I strode up to the Student Council room whistling a merry tune. While I wouldn't know where the room was under certain circumstances, Sona had drawn a small, concise map with directions written in. It was rather cute, in a serious sort of way, if I had to remark on it, though I know to keep stuff like that to myself. The stoic types can get so flustered if you push the right buttons.
Reaching the door that had the sign 'Student Council' resting on the wall next to it, I knocked firmly and waited for a response.
"You can come in."
I grabbed the knob and turned it, walking into the room without a care in the world. Shutting it after me, I was greeted with the sight of the very same five who were in the kendo dojo during my and Kiba's duel. "You have questions for little old me?" I stated more asked as I took the seat that Sona was pointing at for me to sit. "Ah, thank you." I took the seat, leaning back with putting my hands behind my head.
"Well, it's good to see that an Exorcist of the Church is polite, even to a supposed enemy." Rias stated with an amused smirk.
I shrugged it off with a wave of my hand. "My guardian taught me to polite others, regardless of whether they're human or not." I felt myself grinning as I noticed the imperceptible widening of their eyes. Catching the silent question they were directing at me, I shrugged once again. "It's kind of not difficult to see that you're all Devils. After all, it's not every day you see a human being as undeniably pretty as the four of you lovely ladies." I spoke easily, allowing the compliment to flow naturally.
The girl with the orange ribbon smiled as she placed a hand on her cheek. "Ufufu, how nice of you Shizuka-san."
I waved off her thanks. "It's nothing. You may see me as an enemy, but you really have nothing to fear from me."
That caused an arched eyebrow from Sona. "Really? What about you? Are you afraid? After all, you are in enemy territory."
"Nope." I answered bluntly, causing Sona and the others to narrow their eyes.
"Why is that, pray tell?" Rias asked, her voice curious.
I sighed, expecting to receive an interrogation, but still a little frustrated. "Because I'm not here for anything connected to the Devil Faction. As far as you're concerned, I should just be the fly on the wall: someone to ignore until they leave."
"That would be difficult. You are an Ex-"
"It shouldn't matter that I'm an Exorcist." I cut her off coldly, feeling my patience already fraying at the edges. A twelve hour flight, followed by boring lessons and a horde of obsessive high school girls that should be acting their age had worn my patience dangerously thin. I had wanted to meet the overseers for this area to make my intentions clear and go on my way. "There may be tension amongst the Three Factions, but I try not to let that affect my attitude and how I treat others. You don't know who I am, so I don't expect you to understand. I am not here for anything Devil-related. All I'm doing here is looking to take care of a Fallen Angel problem that has caught the attention of the Church. I have no bad intentions for the Devils here or at all; all I ask is the freedom to do my job and I won't interfere in any of your lives. My time at this school is simply a cover granted to me for the duration of my mission." I released a calming breath, trying to rein my already angrily fluctuating aura. The Devils in front of me were frozen in shock at my change in tone, no doubt surprised at my sudden cold manner. Also, I'm sure they would notice the temperature in the room dropping several degrees as my temper rose.
After a moment of silence, I managed to regain my composure and give them an apologetic smile. "Ah, I'm sorry about my outburst. Honestly, I am. This has been a trying day for me, for quite a few, unimportant reasons." I stood up slowly from my seat, trying to keep the others in the room from acting out. Though, I'm sure they were shocked enough to see my sudden shift in attitude. "Well, if there's nothing else…"
As I turned to leave, I paused for a moment and nodded, "Actually, I think I have an idea that would benefit both sides."
That brought Sona and Rias's attention to me. "That would be?" Sona replied carefully.
"It's more of a smaller truce between us. I'd allow you to have one of your servants shadow me during my stay here." That caused Sona to arch an eyebrow. "All you'd have to do is allow me to go about my day without problem and I'd let you have peace of mind in the form of having the 'big, bad Exorcist' under a watch." I paused and shrugged, "Granted, I could lose them easily, but I'm willing to negotiate."
"How…" Rias spoke up first, her voice sounding a bit confused. "…generous of you…"
I grinned widely and scratched the back of my head. "Hey, I'd like to think I'm a nice guy like that." I lifted my hand to say goodbye and turned to leave.
Unfortunately, I was stopped from leaving by the question from the fifth Devil occupant in the room. "Are you a Holy Sword wielder?" I felt myself stop in my tracks.
"Yuuto!" Rias's voice came out in a shocked whisper.
I turned my head to give the speaker, Yuuto Kiba, an empty look. "What if I was?"
He snarled and stepped forward. "Then fight me. If you're a Holy Sword wielder, then fight me."
"Yuuto, stop this!" Rias growled.
Cocking my head to the side, I gave him a cryptic look, my eyes searching his expression. After a moment, I released a breath and shook my head. "No." Returning my attention to the door as I went to leave.
Hearing a growl, followed by a gasp from a second individual, I acted on instinct beaten into me from the first I picked up the sword. Twisting quickly, I threw my left hand out and slapped the sword aside and threw my right forward, stopping it inches from Kiba's throat. The sound of clanging metal echoed in the room as the top half of his sword fell freely to the ground, then I slapped the remainder of his sword out of his hand and watched as sparks danced along the both of my hands. "I will not use my sword to satisfy whatever vengeance your yearning for, Kiba-kun. You may have been holding back in that duel earlier today, but remember this: so was I." To make a point, I allowed the lightning to spark off of my hand and gently dance onto his chin, making him flinch.
We stayed in this one-sided deadlock for a few moments until Kiba relented and stepped back, his normally handsome face marred by a glare of hatred.
"I-I'm sorry for Yuuto's actions, Shizuka-san." Rias said to me, though I could tell it was difficult for her to say. "I'm also glad that you did not kill him."
I felt a small, rueful smile appear on my face. "You might not think so, as I'm an Exorcist, and you being a Devil, but I prefer peace above all. Whether it be through this truce, a peace between individuals or simply peace of mind, all I really want is to sit back and relax with a good book. Unfortunately, everyone thinks that just because you're strong, you love nothing more than to fight." I shook my head and waved my hand. "Just forget what I said." Returning to my walk towards the door, I continued, my normally carefree tone turning serious. "I hope we can work things out peacefully."
With that, I left the school, moving at a reasonable pace.
The next few days passed rather uneventfully. The human girls of the academy still gasped in reverence of me, annoyingly, and the Devils gave me a wide berth. I never saw Yuuto Kiba after our last scuffle that night and I was left to my own devices. Though the girls in the kendo club continued to try and get me to teach them some of my techniques, I kindly denied their requests.
It also seemed that the option I had given them was taken advantage of; I could tell I was being followed, though it could've been done better. The girl following me was a second year if my subtle information gathering was correct. Her name was Tsubasa Yura and she had shoulder length blue hair with pale blue eyes. Her boyish cute face had made her quite famous amongst the other girls, so figuring out her name and year was rather easy.
On my fifth day at Kuoh, it was after school that I was heading back to my safe house. Honestly, I didn't care if they knew where it was. I was strong enough to protect myself from them, with my skills in magic, my Holy Sword and Sacred Gear. Regardless, I guess my casual disregard of their possible danger could be seen as a cocky power play, but as I said earlier, I just didn't care.
Reaching my home for the next few weeks, I stood in front of a humble one story house with a small backyard. It wasn't the largest, but I'm a simple guy with simple needs: plumbing, lighting, a comfy bed and a fridge full of food and I'm comfortable. Stepping inside, I kicked my shoes off and shut/locked the door behind me. Walking into the house, I looked down to see a white blur fly towards my legs.
A pure white cat with light purple eyes rubbed affectionately against my legs, clearly glad that I returned home. I smiled down to her and said, "I'm home, Himari." Crouching down, I held out my arms and allowed her to leap into them. Standing back up, I casually let her rest on my left arm as petted her with my right hand. Walking into the small kitchen/dining room, I plopped on a chair and put the cat into my lap. Relaxing fully, I continued to pet the cat and listened to her calming purring. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to rest for a few moments before diving back into the dossiers given to me for the mission.
Leaning forward, I opened the manila folder on the table and spread out the five sheets of paper. Each had five different names, special skills they had, reasons they had to die and threat level. All of them were Fallen Angels and powerful at that.
Anduriel. Eight wings.
Ursiel. Four wings.
Saluriel. Four wings.
Namshiel. Eight wings.
Lasciel. Six wings.
Sometimes, it sucks being a badass.
On my best day, I can stand against a Cadre level Fallen Angel, but I have to be careful and stay focused. Thankfully, this mission wasn't like several of the others I, and others, would have to do. While this mission had come right from the top, the majority of the information came from an inside source. I.e. Grigori had a double agent in their ranks. And she was coming to meet me today.
I examined the dossiers and studied their contents, trying to commit them to memory as the sound of someone knocking at his door caught his attention. Himari leapt from my lap and sauntered over to the couch in my rather bare living room. Standing up, I ruffled my hair lightly as I strode towards my front door. Upon reaching it, I peered through the peep hole and smiled lightly. Stepping back, I opened to see someone who, surprisingly, has ended up being quite the close ally I've had as of late.
She appeared to be a young woman with long black hair that fell to the middle of her back and had dark purple eyes. The fact that she had a seductively curvaceous body only helped her case with me. The young woman currently wore what looked like a school uniform from a school in a neighboring city. "Come on in, Yuuma-chan." I said good-naturedly, careful not to say her real name with the door open.
The Fallen Angel in disguise flushed lightly as she nodded and strode inside. I closed the door and waited for her change into a pair of house shoes. "Just go take a seat on the couch, I'll get you some tea after I take care of a few things." Lifting my left hand, I closed my eyes and chanted lightly under my breath, moving my hand in practiced motions. After a few seconds of that, I released the pent up energy and felt the spell take hold. Now, nothing quieter than the sound of the explosion of a nuclear bomb would get out of my house. Walking into my kitchen, I put the tea on and grabbed a chair, placing it in front of her. "What do you have, Raynare?" I went right to business.
She cleared her throat, "Anduriel and his entourage are moving tonight to take the Academy. His group was ordered by Kokabiel-sam-" She paused and shook her head. "Kokabiel said to capture and destroy Kuoh Academy, in the hopes that it will reignite the war between the Three Factions." I took her moment of pause to palm my face with both of my hands, groaning at the audacity that asshole Kokabiel had just to get over boredom. I had heard of, and met, that sadistic son of a bitch once or twice in my time as one of the Church's top Exorcists, but he always shocked me with his continuous attempts to restart the war.
Shaking my head, I looked to her, "What of your group? Kalawarner, Dohnaseek and Mittelt. Along with your merry band of Rogue Exorcists."
Raynare took a moment to think, but nodded, "Our group was to locate, pull in and kill Issei Hyoudou."
I palmed my face, unable to hold back a groan at the name. I've had the displeasure, or hilarious pleasure if you're a sardonic bastard, to meet the de-facto leader of Kuoh Academy's infamous Perverted Trio. I had heard the three of them giggle perversely as they peeked on the girls of the kendo club; now, while I didn't like anyone at the academy, those girls shared one of my favorite interest, the art of the sword. So, I did the girls a favor and alerted them to the presence of the Trio. Honestly, I found the following beating to be Pay-Per-View worthy.
"Why, of all people, does it have to be that pervert?" I couldn't the incredulity I felt out of my tone.
Raynare simply shrugged, "I don't know. Azazel-sama just said to watch over the boy to make sure his Sacred Gear doesn't activate."
Now that caught my attention. He, of all people at the school, had a Sacred Gear rare enough to catch the attention of the leader of Grigori. If it that were the case, then it had to be one of the Longinus. I wonder which one it is…
I leaned back in my seat and released a breath. "Well, isn't this a shit storm we find ourselves in, eh?" I smiled softly at her as I chuckled and shook my head. Raynare smiled in response. "What did you tell the others?"
"I said I was scouting the area, so I won't be back until later."
I nodded and stood, "Good, stay here tonight. I'll take care of things this evening and return later."
Her eyes widened in shock as she stood up quickly. "Wait! You can't fight Anduriel and his team alone!"
I regarded her with a bemused smirk. "Do you want to help me fight them?"
That caused her flinch as she looked away from me, a sheepish frown on her already heavily blushing face.
"That's what I thought." I said with an understanding smile. "Look, I know you're worried about me and while I don't know why, I thank you. But I'm already having you take a huge risk telling me this information. I can't, in good conscience, let you fight with me." I grinned and crossed my arms with pride. "Besides, I fight best when on my own."
That brought forth a smile to Raynare's face. "Okay, then. I'll trust you to come back." She then told me the exact time they'd arrive.
I pursed my lips as I checked my clock. "That gives my two hours. I guess it's time to prep." I looked towards Himari and said, "Be good, you hear. I'm leaving Raynare in your care."
The Fallen Angel blinked. "What? You're leaving me in the care of your…cat?" She gave me a look that questioned my sanity.
I sighed and shook my head. "I don't understand it myself. But I get the feeling that she's the one who runs things and not me." I released a tired breath. "Must be a cat thing." Walking over to the teapot, I lifted the top just in time for it to finish.
"So, you're a cat person?" Raynare said with a flirtatious tone.
I cocked my head to the side. "I wouldn't say that I'm a cat person, per se. It's just that Himari is a 'Daisuke-cat'. She just sort latched onto me during my training at the Church." He mused as he poured a cup of tea for his house guest. Walking over to her, he handed it to her.
"Thanks." She took it and sipped lightly, releasing a sigh.
"I'm going to suit up." He strode out of the living room and towards his bedroom. It was a few minutes that I strode out of the room, clad in a black, short sleeve and unassuming dark blue plants. Over that, I wore the standard Exorcist whit cloak with blue lining along the edges. Sticking out over my right shoulder was the hilt of a katana. I sighed, feeling somewhat exasperated. "I refuse to wear that stupid leather bodysuit; not only is it embarrassing as hell, it chafes…" I muttered lightly to myself.
I looked over to Raynare and said, "Get comfortable and don't worry. I'll finish in no time." Getting a smile and nod from her, I adjusted my cloak to fully conceal my body as I walked towards the door. "Heading out!" I called out as I switched to my shoes and left the house. Racing towards the park, I weaved my left back and forth, releasing the magic for a spell to bend the light around my body, effectively making me invisible.
Upon reaching the park that Raynare informed me of, I began to lay the groundwork down for my best hidden, magic-based traps that would run the gamut of trip up to outright cripple, depending on which of my targets hit the first. Spending as long as I could to fortify and conceal them, I felt a small wave of fatigue rush over me as I went over to a nearby tree. Leaning against it, I closed my eyes and waited for my energy to replenish itself.
It felt like several hours, instead of two, after the five Fallen Angels arrived at the park.
Anduriel landed first, his four pairs of wings fluttering lightly as his feet touched the ground. He was clad in a crisp suit that showed how great he thought he was. His hair was short and as black as the night. Narrowed eyes looked down his nose as he took in his surroundings.
Namshiel took the earth next, walking bulk of muscle covered by a leather jacket and dark blue jeans. His head a mop of blonde hair.
Saluriel was the third to touch, also wearing a suit, though his was much more casual. There was no tie, but his collar was still buttoned. Atop his head rested a black fedora, covering his pale red hair.
Ursiel dropped down after him, looking around slowly with his dark grey eyes. The Fallen Angel wore a casual of set clothes and had a bored look about him. Ruffling his own hair, he yawned and waited for his boss to speak.
The last Fallen Angel to touch down was Lasciel. She was a black dress that showed off quite a bit while leaving very little to the imagination. Her long pale blonde hair hung down her back as she waited for her leader.
"This is where we begin our assault. Kuoh will fall before our collective might." Anduriel began his no doubt rousing bad guy speech. Of course, I didn't have patience for things like that, so I decided to make myself known with a bang.
Snapping my fingers, I triggered my first trap. A concussive blast shot outwards as it sent shrapnel of rock and steel into the bodies of Namshiel and Saluriel, while Ursiel and Lasciel escaped at the moment by using their wings to protect themselves. Anduriel was nowhere to be seen. The first two roared in pain and anger as they looked around feverishly.
Ursiel cocked his head to the side as he opened his wing shield. "I think we have company…"
The sole female in the group gave him a tired glare. "Really? I had no idea." She rolled her eyes and said, "Anduriel-sama, have you located the interloper?"
"No, I have not." His voice seemed to echo from every spot that held shadow. Which gave me an idea of what his true power was.
These five were more dangerous Fallen Angel's due to their unique abilities with the Light Spear. They could manipulate them in ways that no other Fallen could do. Sadly, what those skills were, were not in his dossiers. I narrowed my eyes and waited once more for them to act.
Anduriel made himself known again, seemingly stepping out of a shadow by a tree. "I could locate the interloper. He or she seems to be hiding using some sort of spell."
Namshiel growled out, "The coward is probably miles away, leaving these traps for us before he left."
Lasciel cocked her head to the side. "I do not believe that is case. Otherwise, it was activated as soon as Anduriel-sama landed."
I felt a smile appear on my face. It seemed like one of them actually had brains. I may have to reveal myself early if that's the case. Lifting my hand, I snapped my fingers again. Spikes of pure rock shot from under them, attempting to skewer them as they stood in their places. Of course, they all evaded with relative ease. However, that was only the first wave. Several more spikes shot out from the spikes themselves, as if in an attempt to tear into their prey.
Caught by surprise, Namshiel cried in sudden pain as one of them ripped into his leg, near the upper thigh.
Lasciel narrowed his eyes. "The person is definitely still here. That was too well timed."
Saluriel, who was currently perched precariously atop one of the spiked spikes, opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a sudden bolt of lightning tearing into his shoulder and removing his arm. That attack was quickly followed up by a slash of wind removing the wings on his left side. He cried out as he fell to the ground, blood pooling around his body.
Every Fallen Angel left standing turned to source of the two attacks, yours truly. Sitting on one of the benches, I had my left hand held up, my two lead fingers smoking theatrically. "You know, you guys are bunch of idiots. Who the hell stays in a place where it's trapped? I mean, seriously, how old are all of you?"
Namshiel roared and charged towards me. I sighed lightly at the predictable charge and snapped my fingers again.
Moments before I did, however, Lasciel cried out to her comrades, "Take to sky!"
When she said, I felt a smile appear on my face. As soon as they took to the skies, a cylinder of wind magic shot up from the ground and encased them. Blades of wind then began to shoot inward, in an attempt to act like a blender and make Fallen Angel smoothie.
The only one I saw that didn't get caught in it was Namshiel, who was currently charging me like a bat out of hell. "Ole." I said with a wide smile as I leapt off of the bench and over the Angel's head. Drawing my sword as I reached the ground, I slashed towards his back. My slash flew true as it removed the wings on the right side of his body. "Have to knock you off balance. Gotta keep things fair after all." Ducking down, I ducked a back-handed slap, which shockingly enough was augmented with what looked like a demented Light Spear. "Nice knuckles you've got there. Mind if I take them for myself?" I quipped as I swung my sword upward, in the hopes to remove his hand.
Unfortunately, however, I felt my instincts scream for me to move. Stopping my slash, I dived to the side, throwing a hand out to grab hold of one of my spikes. Spinning quickly so that I again faced the direction Namshiel stood, I saw green Light Spear curling and slithering towards me at a frightening speed. "The hell…" I dove away again, dodging it a second time.
"My mastery…" A coughing sound caught my attention as I turned my head to the source. Saluriel was standing on his own two feet, leaning against one of my spikes. "…over my Light Spears allows me control their trajectory. You'll never escape them once released."
I grinned and charged towards him. "Then I guess…" I started as I jumped up and over another Light Spear, this one thrown by Namshiel, and landed a few feet from Saluriel. "…you're dying first." I lunged towards him, swinging my sword to remove his head.
Once again, instincts born from years of training and combat screamed for me to 'get the hell out of the way'. Leaping back, I watched as an inky black Light Spear shot from the shadow of the spike front of me. Glancing to the side, I noticed that my vortex died earlier than expected. Cursing under my breath, I jumped back and readied myself for their onslaught.
All three of the Fallen Angels that were trapped in the vortex had various wounds scattered amongst their bodies, from cuts, to bleeding gashes. All of them had one similarity that brought a sardonic grin to my face: looks of uncontrolled hatred.
Anduriel regarded me with unhidden disgust. "You little Exorcist. You dare strike out against us! What gives you the right to stand agai-" He was interrupted by a snapping sound. Regarding me angrily, he asked, "You set another trap, didn't you?"
I grinned widely and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Namshiel roared with abandon and charged towards, breaking through my spikes.
"Namshiel! Stop!" Lasciel cried out to him, but it fell onto deaf ears.
I crouched and leapt back, holding my left hand in front of me. "Detonate, now."
In an instant, all of the spikes that stuck out of the ground began to flicker, then shine brightly. An echoing explosion shot outwards, engulfing the entire area in light and a painful force.
I grimaced as I felt the force push against my barrier, hoping it would hold.
Moments later, the light died down, revealing Namshiel, Saluriel and Ursiel even more injured than before. If looks could kill, I'd have died right when the vortex died down, but even more so now.
"Well, well, looks like you three are that's left. What do say we get this going?" I lunged forward and jumped up, leaping over Namshiel's enraged charge. Flipping midair, I spun and allowed my sword to tear into the large Angel's back with every rotation. Blood fell unbidden onto the ground as the beast in the shape of man roared in agony.
Turning quickly, I slashed with my sword to destroy the slithering Light Spear that failed to sneak up on. Extending my free hand, I pointed it at him. Lightning gathered and coalesced at his fingertip. "Lightning Cannon." The sound equivalent to a shotgun echoed into the night as a beam of lightning as wide as a coin shot towards Saluriel.
Fortunately for him, it was intercepted by another Light Spear, which was followed by another one flying right towards me. Swinging my sword towards the spear, I couldn't help but feel as though I was missing something when I noticed the dark grin on Ursiel's face. The moment my sword made contact, the spear exploded violently.
Thrown off my feet, I was sent skidding and bouncing back by the force. My body finally stopped when it collided with a tree and I felt something tear into my flesh. Already feeling blood poor from the fresh wound, I grimaced and pulled myself forward and off the tree. Sparing a glance behind me, I noticed a rather thick branch covered in what I assumed to be my blood.
"Well, this isn't good." I clicked my tongue as I flinched lightly.
Hearing another roar, I turned to face forward only see a Light Spear augmented fist only inches from pancaking my face. Ducking down, I felt a portion of the spear branch out and nick my cheek. In addition to that, Namshiel slammed his second fist into my gut, lifting me from the ground and throwing my body violently to the side. I coughed out violently as I was once again thrown away from the fight and sent skidding and bouncing to the side.
"Dammit. I guess this is karma. Yep. Mm-hm, definitely for being a smartass…" I got to my knees with a grunt as I pushed myself to my feet. It was just in time as the slithering Light Spear was directly in front of me. Swinging my sword, I destroyed it and looked up again to see another one of Ursiel's spears. Lifting up my left hand, I called up a shield and felt the tremor as it exploded upon contact. "Shit!" I grunted as I saw Namshiel charging towards me again.
I managed to get away from him once more and leaned against a tree. "I really did get cocky. I guess I'll use this last trap, then." I lifted my left hand again and grinned, tasting the coppery flavor of my blood. "I hope you three like being lightning rods." Snapping my fingers, I watched as the three of them froze in place. The sky roared as thunder struck.
"Today's forecast: cloudy skies with a chance of thunder and lightning." I grinned even wider. "Try not to be out when lightning strikes." As if on cue, five bolts of lightning shot downwards to the earth. Three struck their mark. Namshiel, Saluriel and Ursiel all cried out in agony as their bodies took every single volt. The fourth crashed into a nearby collection of trees and my ears were treated to the sound of a feminine scream.
Which is definitely not what I like hearing, just FYI.
The fifth struck the ground where the shadow of a tree rested.
The bolts remained in place for several seconds before dispersing. I pulled away from the tree just in time to see Namshiel crash onto the ground, dead. Saluriel was nothing a crispy, smoking corpse. Ursiel was twitching ever so lightly, clearly still alive. Grunting painfully, I managed to walk over to him and plunge my sword into the back of his neck, stopping his spasms and ending the Angel's life.
Releasing a breath, I turned to locate the remaining two, but I was restrained by an unknown force. I tried to move, but stopped when I felt something tearing into my legs and stomach. Looking down, I noticed several, several, threads of light wrapped tightly around my body, holding my arms against my sides.
"I've captured a meddling Exorcist~! Anduriel-sama!" Lasciel came limping slightly out of the trees, looking a little scorched. I swear I could see steam rising from the top of her head and bits of her hair sticking out every which way.
I watched with bated breath as Anduriel rose from the shadow by the tree. His suit was scuffed and torn, the side of his head covered in blood. He regarded me with a look of unrestrained hatred, and I swear I could see his left eye twitching. "You have ruined everything." He said simply, shaking in anger.
I smiled at the enraged Fallen Angel. "I live to please."
His eyes widened as I could see his anger rising even more. "I will enjoy destroying you, boy." He looked to his remaining companion and nodded.
In response, Lasciel grinned and flicked her right forefinger up.
I felt the wire wrap tightly around my neck even tighter than the rest wrapped around my body.
"Have you any last words, boy?"
You know, the smartest thing to do in life is never to piss off the people who hold the better hand. It's best to be as accommodating as possible when dealing with those who hold power over you, who can hurt you. But, if there's anything I've learned about myself, it's this: I don't give a fuck what you can do to me, because the storm always come out on top.
In spite of common sense telling me to play nice, I felt a mocking grin appear on my face. "Welcome to the eye of the storm."
Anduriel arched an eyebrow, confused at my statement.
Lasciel narrowed her eyes, as if trying to figure something out. Then her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Anduriel-sama! Get back!"
It was too late. Using my body as the focal point, I released a sudden burst of power and my body was quickly engulfed in a large tornado, augmented by lightning. The tornado expanded outward and caused the Light threads wrapped around my body to break. It struck Anduriel right in the front of his body, causing the lightning-infused wind to tear into his flesh. Blood splattered everywhere as he was unable to move from the sudden buffeting of the winds and shock of lightning to the nervous system. I limped towards him, feeling every cut on my body open just a bit more with each step I took. The grin never left my face as I lifted my Holy Sword and stabbed forward.
The Fallen Angel's eyes widened as he watched me. He gritted his teeth and saw him extend his hand in spite of his restricted movements. He flexed his hand, releasing a bit of his magic.
We struck at the very same moment. Our attacks hit the other at the same. Blood painted the ground between us as we released an oddly synchronized hacking cough. He matched my grin with one equal fervor, only his carried more merit than mine.
A Light Spear shot out from my shadow and pierced me in the chest, whether it hit me in the heart I had no idea, but I'm pretty damn sure it was in the vicinity.
My Holy Sword pierced him just below the ribcage. I heard a snap, then a tear and saw his hand drop suddenly.
"How do you like half a spine?" I asked him conversationally.
"How do you like half a heart?" He retorted with a triumphant smirk.
I coughed again as I felt my knees beginning to buckle. "Not half bad." I flinched at my horrendously bad joke and fell into coughing fit, sending blood everywhere.
His spear was suddenly ripped from my chest and I swayed dangerously on the spot. My hand, strangely, was still holding tightly onto the Holy Sword as it was suddenly ripped from his body and I fell backwards with a crash and a splash of blood.
"Lasciel, we need to retreat immediately. The nun should be able to heal this." Anduriel commanded his last subordinate as she replied. They traded more words, but my awareness was slipping from all the blood I was losing.
I looked to night sky above me, vaguely hearing the sound of flapping wings in the distance.
So…is this the end…? I thought to no one in particular. Smiling lightly, I found that I oddly had only a few regrets. I did my duty, for the most part. I saved a school of students and a group of Devils, ironically enough. I managed to remove some of stronger Fallen Angels and severely injured their leader.
Griselda-sama…thank you for…everything…
Xenovia, I'm sorry…for not coming back…
I guess I wasn't able to… meet your… childhood friend, Irina… Whatever the…hell…his name was…
With the last bit of strength I had, I reached down and grasped the omamori in my shaking hand. Trying to lift it, I felt my hand falling back to the ground. Looking to the side, I finally caught sight of the omamori. Blood drenched it, whether if it was all mine or the Fallen Angels were there, I didn't know fully know, but, at the moment, I couldn't bring myself to care.
Neh…kaa-chan…I did good…right?
Looking back to the sky, I found it blocked by something…someone…
"How…pieces…take…Kaichou?"
Only one word reached my ears before I lost consciousness.
"Seven."
The feeling of sunlight smacking me in the face pulled me from a restful slumber. I grumbled as I rolled over in the bed. Only to gasp out in pain at the sudden pressure on my chest. Gasping painfully, I went back to lying on my back and narrowed my eyes, looking around slowly. My mind was instantly in overdrive as I examined the bare room I was currently resting in.
"This…is not my room." I said to no one in particular. Narrowing my eyes, I continued to speak, "And I'm pretty sure that this is not my house."
"You would be right about that." A voice came from the other side of the door. It was soon pushed open, revealing one of the Devils from earlier. "This would be my home." Sona stood in the doorway in front of me, arms crossed and a cup of…something in her right hand. I saw a smug smirk on her face as she looked at my prone form.
I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again, thinking of what I should say. Then I nodded resolutely, saying the question that came to mind.
"If said I'm sorry for being a smartass, would you go easy on me?"
A/N: Normally, I'd put my note at the beginning of the chapter, but I decided to change my mind for this one.
I know I have other stories I should writing, but they're on a small rehaul. Hopes is getting a rewrite, as I've found that I'm no longer happy with the path it's taking. Alpha is slow-going because I'm stuck in a literature rut. In Crimson Feather I have the mother of all forms of writer's block.
As for this story, I've been meaning to write a High school DxD fanfic, it just took me a while to think of a premise that I would like writing, wasn't too overdone and stepped a little out of my comfort zone.
So he's joining Sona's peerage in the place of Saji. Not my first time replacing a character and I was torn on what to do. Should I actually replace him, or should just create an entirely new peerage, so I went with the road less traveled, but still traveled. Daisuke Shizuka will primarily be the only regular OC I'm going to use in this fic; other non-canon characters I'm going to use will be from other places of fiction that I feel comfortable pulling from.
As for pairing, I've narrowed it down a bit from my first time brainstorming. Only five at the immediate moment. As it's still in the beginning, I won't say, so good luck guessing and/or requesting.
Also, Daisuke is an Exorcist, but he's also a Magician. I looked at the wiki and it didn't explain it all that well in my opinion. All I got was that the caster had to use complex formula's in order to utilize their magic, so if that's fell free to tell me and I'll fix it. Also, I tried to make him strong, obviously, but not infallible, from his fight with the Fallen Angels. If you guys have any recommendations on what I could do, feel free to tell me. I'm open to anything constructive.
His Sacred Gear. I made it pretty obvious, I think. In addition, I know another character has it, but this is fanfiction. In the world of fanfiction, the writer is god. And unlike in the DxDverse, this 'god' is very much alive and kicking.
His Holy Sword. Go ahead, I'm sure you readers know it.
Any thorough reader will also notice the description I gave for his appearance, it was intentional. Daisuke knows of his mother, who was a Magician and killed when he was rather young. His father, on the other hand, is a mystery to him. Feel free to take three guesses. The first two don't count.
One last thing before I sign off, try to guess from where I pulled my 'OC's' from.
Thanks for reading and I hoped you liked it.
Read/relax/reivew
But mostly, enjoy!