Alexander sat on the table in the middle of Azazel's lab, his father and the aforementioned owner of the lab present, watching him carefully as he concentrated with his eyes closed. It had been a week since the Himejima residence had been attacked by enemies of Barakiel, since Shuri had slipped into a coma due to the horrible gash across her torso, coupled with the blunt force trauma of landing head-first. A week since Akeno had ran away, and hadn't been seen since.
It took a while, but Alexander was eventually able to calm down after what had happened. He's still shaken, he's traumatised at having to watch his mother being attacked, and having commanded three strange dogs to kill, and he's still hurt over his sister's leaving, but at least he's calm. It was mostly thanks to Penemue and his father, who held together much better than him, that he was recovering as he was.
Now that he had calmed down enough, he agreed to visit Azazel's lab so that the Fallen Angel Governor General could take a look at whatever those strange dogs were. He had already theorised that it was some kind of Sacred Gear, and Barakiel agreed. But, if he was right about this Sacred Gear, then Alexander may just one day be a real force to be reckoned with. But first thing's first; he needs to see these creatures. And that is why Alexander was currently trying to draw those dogs out, like he did last time.
It took a little while, as last time was just a spur of the moment thing, but he was eventually able to draw out his Sacred Gear, with a bit of concentration. On the table, three shadows appeared, having seeped out of Alexander's shadow, and stopped next to the boy. One on his right side, and two on his left. Small, dog-like figures emerged from the shadows, showing the dogs that had defended him; a wolf, dog, and coyote, just like last time. The wolf stood at his right, while the other two sat down at his left.
"Amazing…" Azazel whispered, approaching.
"What are they?" Alexander asked, staring at the beasts with unease. Despite being small pups of their respective species, they did have an unsettling air to them. Hearing his voice, the dog sitting next to him turned it's head to face him, it's eyes suddenly lighting up. It's tail started wagging, and it panted happily at the sight of it's new master. Without a care in the world, it strolled over to the boy and sat in his lap, wagging and panting happily. Alexander couldn't help but smile.
"That's adorable." Azazel gave a light laugh. "I bet Penemue would have loved to see this." He said with a small grin. Barakiel couldn't help but agree.
"So, do you know what they are?" Alexander asked.
"I do indeed." Azazel confirmed, excitement running through him. "There's no doubt about it, Barakiel." he said to his best friend. "Your son is this generation's Slash/Dog, the host of Canis Lykaon." he grinned, crossing his arms.
"The Longinus?" Barakiel asked, eyes wide in shock.
"Exactly." Azazel nodded. "Also known as the Inugami of the Black Blade, this little guy," he gave the dog a small pat on the head, something the creature enjoyed thoroughly. "Is crowned as a God. A fake God, but a God nonetheless."
"A fake God?" Alexander asked in confusion.
"The Heavenly Guard Dog who devoured the moon during a lunar eclipse, he's known as a Tiangou, or an Inugami in Japan." The Fallen Angel Governor General explained. "He's comprised of two main sources. First, the Ame-no-Ohabari, the most powerful Totsuka-no-Tsurugi sword ever created. The second, is the King of Arcadia, Lycaon. Also known as the first Werewolf." he continued.
"Wasn't Lycaon cursed with madness and Lycanthropy?" Alex asked, earning a grin from Azazel.
"Smart kid." He complimented. "Yes, he was cursed with madness." He confirmed, before his face turned serious. "And that madness is apart of your Sacred Gear, unfortunately." he said with a grimace. Alexander paled faintly.
"What?" He asked in a whisper.
"Azazel, what do you mean by that?" Barakiel borderline demanded of his best friend.
"Lycaon's consciousness and madness both exist within Canis Lykaon. If Alexander falls too deep into the power of his Longinus, he could go mad, albeit temporarily." He explained. The fact that the madness would be temporary was the only reason Barakiel and Alexander were not more scared than they already were.
"Does that mean that the voice I heard was Lycaon himself?" Barakiel asked, sending a look in the wolf's direction.
Azazel nodded. "Most likely."
"S-so, what can I do with these guys?" Alexander asked, slightly shaken. The prospect of losing one's sanity is a bit unsettling, even for a 10 year old.
"Ah, well, Canis Lykaon is an Independant Avatar-type Sacred Gear, meaning he has a will and a mind of his own." Azazel supplied, seeing that the boy need a change of topic. "He can attack through shadows, produce blades from his body, and even transform into a sword." That got Alex to look at the small dog in his lap.
"You turn into a sword?" he asked. The dog yipped in affirmation and suddenly glowed. In a small flash of red light, the dog was gone. In its place, Alexander held a katana. The blade was pitch black, as was the handle. The small gaurd and the buttcap were both red, the same red as the dog's eyes and forehead gem. "Whoa!" Alexander gasped, his eyes wide and sparkly.
"Alexander, put that down!" Barakiel ordered.
"Aaw…" The boy pouted, placing the sword on the table. The blade suddenly turned back into a dog, which decided to lie down and take a nap right there. The coyote and wolf seemed to have done the same some time ago.
"Considering these two…" Azazel trailed off, pointing at the wolf and the coyote. "The Sacred Gear seems to have taken on some new and unique characteristics due to Alexander's thoughts and feelings." he said, giving the wolf a thoughtful. "The proper term for this is a Subspecies Sacred Gear. A Sacred Gear that changed because of the wielders emotions."
"So, instead of just a dog…" Barakiel trailed off.
"He got three dogs of different canine families, yes." Azazel finished for him.
"And since it was the wolf that spoke to me last time, does that mean Lycaon exists inside the wolf?" Barakiel asked, the thought suddenly striking him. He knew these Subspecies Sacred Gears could be tricky. This explanation was mostly for Alexander's benefit.
"I don't think so." Azazel waved his concerns off, seeing the look Barakiel was sending the wolf. "He was probably using the wolf a a medium to talk. Under normal circumstances, he'd just use his wielder's shadow." he jabbed a thumb in Alexander's direction. The boy gave a nervous glance towards his own shadow. Hopefully he doesn't become the living incarnation of the popular phrase 'afraid of one's own shadow.' That would make him a laughingstock. "Don't worry kid." Azazel piped up, seeing this. "Lycaon won't likely speak again for a little while. He probably exhausted a lot of his energy just talking to your old man, since you're not strong enough to hear him yet." He explained. Alexander wasn't sure if he was relieved, or disappointed in himself after hearing that.
"Is there any way to avoid the madness that was mentioned earlier?" Barakiel asked, his fatherly instincts kicking in. No way does he want his son going insane.
"He just needs to train himself to use the Sacred Treasure. If he's proficient enough, then the madness shouldn't affect him. It's only really a problem in Balance Breaker state anyway." He assured the Lightning specialist, who let out a sigh of relief. "What I want to know, is what these other two mutts can do." Azazel said eagerly. The other two 'mutts,' as Azazel called them, opened their eyes and sent a glare in Azazel's direction. The dog even let out an indignant bark. Azazel ignored them all. "So, tell them to change." He said to the boy, who seemed nervous.
Looking at the coyote, he smiled nervously. "Uh, can you… transform for me?" He asked lamely. The coyote pup let out a small bark and glowed in a similar manner to what the puppy did earlier. When the glow died, in the coyote's place, there was a black, ornate Greek dagger. The guard had several rubies adorning it, and there was a large red gem attached to the handle as a pommel. "Awesome." Alexander grinned.
"It is beautiful." Barakiel admitted.
"And him?" Azazel eagerly pointed at the wolf.
"Is 'he' a him?" Alex wondered out of nowhere.
"They all are." Azazel answered, childlike excitement threatening to burst out. Having his question answered, Alexander faced the wolf. No words needed to be spoken. The wolf knew what its master wanted, and gave it to him. With the same process as the previous two canines, the wolf hd become a large, fierce looking scythe. The pole was made of a dark red metal, with the balde black as the starless midnight sky. A large black stone was embedded at the bottom of the pole, and there were several cerations at the top of the blade. The pole, as well s the blade, were both slightly curved. "Ok, forgive the tongue, but that's badass." Azazel said, staring at the polearm.
"Yeah, it is…" Alexander mumbled, his eyes starry as he ogled the scythe.
"And dangerous." Barakiel frowned.
"Your boy's the son of a Fallen Angel leader." Azazel reminded him. "Best he learns how to use the weapons that exist inside him. In fact..." The Leader of the Grigori trailed of with a mysterious smile. "I have the perfect training partner for him." He said, turning to the door. "Hey Vali! Get your ass in my lab!" He yelled out.
"Alright!" A young, boyish voice yelled back. Barakiel and his son looked at Azazel, perplexed as he just stood there, nonchalant about the minor exchange that just transpired. Seconds later, a young boy, the same age as Alexander, walked into the lab. His hair was a bright shade of silver, and his eyes were a deep hazel. He wore a gray T-shirt with a black jacket over it, dark grey pants, and a pair of black sneakers. Around his neck was a red scarf, and small white dragon plushier on his shoulder. His face seemed to be set in a perpetual scowl. "What?" He asked, his hands in his pockets.
"This is Barakiel's son, Alexander Himejima." Azazel said as Alexander jumped off of the table. The Grigori leader put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "We just found out, he wields the Longinus, Canis Lykaon." The silver haired boy, Vali, gained a surprised look, which he quickly dropped, as he looked at the boy. "Alex, this Vali Lucifer. He's half-human, just like you." Azazel went on.
"Hi!" The boy greeted.
"You willing to fight me?" Vali asked bluntly, surprising Alexander.
"Now, now, Vali." Azazel sighed. "We just discovered this. He still needs to learn how to use it." he explained. Vali didn't bother to hide his disappointment.
"Then why am I here?" he asked boredly.
"You're going to help him get started." Azazel said simply. Vali gave Azazel a blank look, staring for a long moment before turning his gaze to Alexander. He held his stare there too for a moment.
"Fine." he said simply, turning around.
"Follow him Kiddo." Azazel said to the half Fallen child, pointing at the silver haired child. "He'll get you started on your Sacred Gear. we'll do the more complicated stuff at a later date." He shooed the child. Shrugging, Alexander followed Vali out of the room, towards Azazel's personal training room. That he never uses.
"It appears that Alexander has found his 'something else' on his own." Barakiel thought to himself wryly, his heart suddenly dipping as he remembered the conversation with his wife several months prior.
"So, you have a Sacred Gear too?" Alexander asked as he and Vali walked through the halls of the Grigori headquarters building.
"Yeah." Vali said simply.
"Which one?" The Fallen Angel hybrid asked curiously.
"Divine Dividing." The Devil hybrid answered simply, again. Clearly, he was not one of many words.
"That's one of the Long-thingies, right?" Alexander asked, scratching his head.
"Longinus, yes." Vali sighed.
"Sorry, still new to the whole 'Sacred Gear' thing." Alex said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I can tell." The White Dragon said dully, making Alexander pout.
"You're half-human, like me right?" he asked.
"You ask a lot of questions." Vali observed as the two children stopped at a door, opening it. Inside, was a huge room with a lot of space, training equipment, and practice weapons.
"Whoa…" Alex mumbled in awe at the huge room. Having lived in a small house in Japan all his life, he was not used to such big rooms and luxury. "Anyway, yeah." he turned his attention to Vali. "We're gonna be seeing each other a lot aren't we?" he asked with a small smile. "Might as well be friends." He said with a grin. Vali was intrigued by the boy before him.
"You know I'm a Devil right?" he asked.
"And I'm a Fallen Angel." Alexander shrugged. Vali narrowed his eyes in thought. The boy before him was a strange one, to say the least. Most Fallen Angels he met avoided him, at the very least, because of his heritage. As a descendant of Lucifer carrying one of the Heavenly Dragons, he could be considered the ultimate enemy of the Fallen Angels. Yet, here is a Fallen Angel child expressing a simple desire to be friends. Strange indeed.
"Show me you're Sacred Gear." Vali changed the topic, saving that conversation for later. Shrugging, Alexander complied. With little more than a thought from their Master, the three hounds emerged from the son of Barakiel's shadow, shocking the descendant of Lucifer, who did not expect what he saw. "Three?" he asked in a shocked whisper.
"Oh yeah, Azazel said I have a Sub-thing Sacred Gear." Alexander remembered.
"Subspecies." Vali told him, his eyes wide. He hadn't been told of this. A Subspecies Sacred Gear is often stronger than the original. That in mind, the boy before him had the potential to become a very powerful opponent. Raw excitement coursed through Vali's body. Even at the age of 10, he was a complete battle maniac. The prospect of facing the child in front of him in the future was an exciting one. His outer facial expression never changed though.
"What about you?" Alexander asked, snapping Vali out of his thoughts.
"What?" he asked.
"Let me see your Sacred Gear." Alexander elaborated, crossing his arms. "It's only fair." he added. Not really seeing any reason not to oblige, Vali allowed his white and blue, mecha-like dragon wings emerge from his back. The crystal membranes shone a beautiful shade of blue. "Awesome." The Fallen Angel boy grinned.
"Now, here's the key thing to remember about Sacred Gears." Vali began the basic rundown of how Sacred Gears work. "They respond to the will and desires of the wielder. The stronger your feelings, the stronger your Sacred Gear becomes." he explained.
"Cool." Alex said simply, with a shrug.
"You're proficient in Holy Lightning, yes?" Vali asked. Alexander nodded. "We're going to have a small spar. Use that and the dogs." The descendant of Lucifer instructed, taking a nonchalant leap back using his wings.
"I really should name these guys." Alex said out loud, frowning in thought as he looked at the three Avatars of his Sacred Gear. "Whoa!" he yelped as he was just barely able to dodge an orb of Vali's silver Demonic Power. "Hey! I wasn't ready!" He snapped in the silver haired boy's direction.
"I said we were going to have a spar." Vali monotoned in response, throwing another orb.
"I've never had a spar before!" Alexander shouted, dodging the attack.
"Then be glad I'm not using my Sacred Gear." Vali responded, prepping more orbs. Alexander clearly had experience dodging and evading attacks, something his father taught him along the line no doubt, but actual fighting was a different story. "I'm waiting." The young Lucifer said boredly, throwing his attacks.
Growling, Alexander pointed at Vali. "G-get him!" He ordered the three hounds. Growling, the three Avatars charged Vali. Smirking, the boy sidestepped the wolf pouncing on him and threw another attack at Alex. The Fallen Angel sidestepped that attack and charged up a ball of thunder, throwing it. Vali responded in kind. The two attacks collided, creating an explosion of power.
"Interesting." Vali thought with a smirk. Though his attacks were not all that powerful, given he's fighting a significantly fresher opponent, they were still made from the Demonic Power of a descendant of Lucifer. The fact that an attack from Barakiel's son colliding with his own could cause such an explosion implies that Alexander is incredibly powerful too. "He will make a brilliant opponent. One day." Vali decided.
The three Avatars of Canis Lykaon all pounced towards Vali in unison. The boy's only option was to jump, which he did. Using his mecha-like wings, he hovered above the ground, watching as the dogs landed, growling up at him. He wasn't focussing on the attack the was coming his way. A ball of thunder slammed into his back, sending him towards the ground. However, he was able to use his wings to stabilise himself before he hit the floor, and managed to land on his feet. Smirking, he looked up and saw Alexander hovering in the air, his wings out, and a grin on his face.
"Lucky shot." He smirked, charging up another attack. Alexander did the same, while the three Avatars of Canis Lykaon got ready to charge at their Master's command. Vali unleashed his attack as a beam of pure white Demonic Power, whilst Alexander's came out as a bolt of lightning from his finger. The two attacks collided, pushing against one another as the respective owners pushed their power into their attacks.
Both boys grinned.
This was going to be an awesome fight.
"I wonder how the kids are doing?" Azazel wondered out loud as he and Barakiel walked towards the training room.
"I only hope Alexander hasn't destroyed the training room." Barakiel said with a small sigh.
"He's a 10 year old boy with incredible power and a Longinus, sparring with a kid of the description. What could he possibly do?" Azazel asked optimistically. However, as he said that, he paused, looking at his best friend. They both shared a worried. "Maybe we should hurry up." he suggested, sweating slightly.
"Agreed." Barakiel nodded. With that, the two Fallen Angel Leaders ran through the halls, towards the training room where Alex and Vali were. When they arrived, they shot through the door, hoping that they would not find a destroyed room. Whilst the room was damaged, it was hardly destroyed. The damage was about on par for what Vali usually does. That wasn't what shocked them though. Neither was it the three hounds lying down in the corner, asleep.
No, what shocked them was the state in which Vali and Alex were sparring. They were rolling across the ground, growling and snarling, wrestling like, well, like children. Vali had one hand grabbing Alexander's hair, and another pushing against his face. Alexander had two fingers hooked in Vali's mouth, pulling on his cheek, and his other hand pushing on the Devil child's shoulder. They weren't sparring, or training anymore. They were fighting like a couple of children. Even throwing insults.
"Dragon fart!"
"Dog breath!"
"Lizard lips!"
"Mangy mutt!"
"Hey!" Barakiel called out to the boys. Instantly, they froze in their position, looking towards the two adults. "What's going on here?" he asked, crossing his arms with a frown. "You're supposed to be learning how to use your Sacred Gear, not wrestling like a couple animals." he said as the two separated and got to their feet. Azazel, in the meantime, was struggling to hold in his laughter. "How did this come to pass?" Barakiel asked. Vali and Alexander looked at each other before looking at their respective parental figures.
"I… am not certain."
"Yeah, I don't know."
At their respective answers, Barakiel sighed again. This happened with Shuri often in the past. She would get mad at him for whatever reason, punish him with the silent treatment, and halfway through the laboriously long silent treatment, she would have forgotten why she was punishing him in the first place. Once she started, she just wouldn't be able to stop until he did something big for her. It seemed Alexander was truly a his mother's child.
"Relax Barakiel." Azazel gave a chuckle, his hands behind his head. "The training room is intact, and neither of them have any broken bones. Plus, I'm sure Alex got some use of his Sacred Gear in, right Kiddo?" he asked of his best friend's son, who nodded."There!" he said cheerfully. "All in all, I'd say a successful day." He gave a stretch. "Now, why don't you two hit the showers before heading home, eh?" he suggested. Both of the kids nodded and left the room.
"Bat." Alex whispered under his breath.
"Crow." Vali responded in kind.
"Lizard."
"Mutt."
"They're going to be best friends, aren't they?" Azazel asked in a deadpanned tone, watching the children walk off, their hands in their pockets, throwing stupid names in the other's direction.
"Most likely." Barakiel sighed.
After Alexander got the hang of summoning his Sacred Gear, he got to work on learning how to wield the sword, the dagger, and the scythe. Of the three, his go-to weapon was the scythe. The range, the cutting power, and the durability of the weapon worked well for him. The wolf, which he'd named Shade, usually came out of Alex's shadow in his scythe form whenever Alex called on him. He was rather lazy, truth be told. He prefered to be wielded as a scythe rather than running around as a wolf. And even when in his wolf form, Shade usually just slept or stayed in Alex's shadow. The dog, Jin, was easily the most energetic and playful of the three, like a little child. He also really enjoyed being Alexander's support, at his Master's side, rather than a weapon in his Master's hands. The coyote, whom Alexander had named Kadmus, was neither lazy or energetic. He was quiet most of the time, bored almost. Still, he was fiercely loyal to his Master, just like the other two. Unlike the other two, he didn't care of he was in his coyote form or his dagger form. If he could serve his Master, he was satisfied.
It was clear that each one of the three canines had their own, strange personalities. Jin was energetic and playful, ready to fight at his Master's side. Shade was lazy and passive, though he'd always jump when his Master had need of him. Kadmus was quiet and broody, but he'd do whatever it took to see his Master's desires fulfilled. All three had their preferences on how to fight for or with their Master, but they would all take whatever course of action Alexander deemed necessary.
In the past two years, since Alexander first awakened his Sacred Gear, his proficiency with the artifact grew quickly. His swordsmanship was largely unrivaled, and his skill in the use of a scythe and/or dagger were just as impressive, though he was hardly a master in any of those fields. He trained almost daily alongside his best friend and trusted colleague, Vali Lucifer. His father continued to train him in the use of Holy Lightning, and while the progress was slower in that area, he was more than adept at it. Alexander's power was growing fast. It wasn't long before he could go toe to toe with Vali, and they continued to grow together.
Nine days out of ten, Alexander would train with his best friend. They would fight with their fists, their Sacred Gears, their inherited abilities, and any manner of styles of combat. Sometimes they used their Sacred Gears only, other times they'd forgo Canis Lykaon and Divine Dividing, and use their own power instead. Sometimes they didn't even use power at ll, just their own two hands. And every so often, they'd go all out, using everything they have at their disposal. However, today was a special day.
There was no training, fighting, or sparring today. Alexander just didn't have the heart for it, something Vali understood completely. Why? Well, this particular day of the year was one of several that had been reserved throughout every year for both Alexander, and Barakiel. Birthdays, holidays, mother's day, father's day, Valentines day, etc. All of these days were set aside for Barakiel and his son to visit the still-comatose form of Shuri Himejima.
For today, it was the anniversary of the day Barakiel's enemies had broken into their home.
Alexander, now 12 years old, sat beside his mother's hospital bed, Barakiel on the other side, and they quietly stared at the almost peaceful look on Shuri's face. He injuries from the attack had healed long ago. There was now a scar across her torso, from her right shoulder to her left hip, and the injury on the side of her head was gone too. However, she was still comatose. Why? Because the blade that was used to cut her was lined with Hydra venom. Heavily diluted, mainly to make it safer for humans to handle, but it was still Hydra venom.
Hydra Venom was incredibly toxic to almost any living thing. Even Pure-Blooded Devils fear the bite of a hydra, as it was rumored to be an instant kill. Fallen Angels too, would stand no chance. How Barakiel's enemies were able to get their hands some was a mystery, but they were persistent in their crusade to kill him. Diluting it probably made it easier and safer for them to use, and it would probably slow a Cadre like him down significantly if he was cut. As a human, however, Shuri was much more susceptible to the substance. She was truly lucky that she was only in a coma, not dead from the venom. Although, Alexander and Barakiel often wondered if death a better alternative. Would she be better of resting in peace? Or is it better this way, having a slither of hope that she'll wake up?
"I have news, about Akeno." Barakiel spoke for the first time since he and his son sat in Shuri's hospital room. Alexander looked up from his mother's peaceful face and at his father. "She was found by the Heiress of the Gremory Clan. Suou Himejima struck a deal with them." Both Fallen Angels felt a wave of anger course through them at the mention of the name.
"A deal?" Alexander asked, ignoring his desire to murder the bastard who was ultimately responsible for his mother's condition.
"So long as she never enters Himejima territory again, and stays beside Rias Gremory, she gets to live." Barakiel said simply, his gaze turning back to his wife.
"So, when the time comes, she'd probably have to join Rias Gremory's group of Chess Pieces." Alexander concluded. His father only nodded in response. "Will she be safe with them?" He asked.
"I believe so, yes." Was Barakiel's only answer.
"That's good…" Alexander whispered.
And chapter three is done! Next chapter, some awesome shit will go down, Alexander and Vali will go on a small mission together, and maybe make a new friend! Who is that friend? Take a wild guess, nya~
Now, I just want to get this out of the way, Alexander will be forming his own team, much like Vali did. Spoiler alert, he will not be joining the Khaos Brigade like Vali will. Concerning the members of his team, you'll just have to wait and find out.
Now, quick question, what do you all think of the Canis Lykaon Subspecies so far? I checked on the Slash Dog wikia site, and everything mentioned in this chapter was legit. The King of Arcadia, Lycaon, really does reside in the Sacred Gear like Ddraig and Albion. He really was mixed with a sword of Japanese mythology, and the end result was Jin. In my opinion, adding in the wolf and the coyote is not a huge stretch.
Also, ideas and suggestions are always welcome. Yes, there will be a harem.
And hey! Happy Valentines Day ya'll! Not that it's a particularly happy holiday for me, but whatever. To those of us who are single on this day, I salute you! We must hang in there!