Ch 21: Ankam Waltz (Part 1)

Mittelt

(23 weeks 6 days after arrival in Kalichi)

"You know, I never would have expected you of all people to get all up in arms about making sure a bunch of kids are gonna be as best prepared as they can be to tackle the big bad world, Washboard."

I shoot Raynare my best glare and hiss back, "For the last fucking time, Bondage Bitch, these are B-cups! Use your damn eyeballs for a change!"

My 'partner' just snickers at my reaction and I bite back on a growl, realizing she was just trying to get a rise out of me.

Damn Hoe-Bag…

"Seriously though, this is the first time in decades I've seen you get invested in other people to such an extent. What's the deal with that Blondie?"

Ignoring her question I raise an eyebrow and fire back, "What about you? Don't try to pin this on me, you're just as worried as I am."

"Hmm? Me? Why, I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Fine, be that way."

We both fall silent as we walk out of the Church's back entrance, a recently expanded training field of dirt and high walls that's kinda necessary for the level of power that tends to get thrown these around these parts lately.

And in the middle of the thing is a sight that never ceases to be weird.

The Devil Twerp is currently doing one-armed handstands, alternating limbs so that he has to constantly adjust his balance, all the while 6 of those Shades of his are engaged in some complicated looking juggling routine, tossing around hunks of concrete larger than my head in a reverse-cascade motion except the direction and orientation of the circle seems to change on a dime, ensuring that there's never any real pattern to fall into.

It's pretty fucking bizarre.

And it's also made him ripped.

Seriously, the brats barely turned 11 and he's already standing at 154 centimeters, taller than me, and probably weighs in at 59 kilograms. Supernatural beings tend to have denser bodies, sure, but that's still pretty damn impressive.

"Like what we see?"

I almost jump at Raynare's amused tone and scowl as I realize I got caught staring.

"Get your mind out of the gutter Crow-Cunt, I have standards and child predation is not something I'm into. Seriously, I might as well be trying to seduce a toddler."

She snickers and casts an approving eye at the Brat's stomach.

"Suit yourself, but then again I've never heard of a 'toddler' with abs that could grate parmesan cheese…"

"What is your deal and trying to set me up with this twerp?!"

The condescending Bitch just quietly whistles to herself and thoroughly ignores me and I thoroughly stop giving a shit.

"Hey, Brat!"

He glances upwards, his heterochromatic eyes locking on mine for a moment, hair falling in ragged strands across his forehead, before he grunts and flips himself into a standing position and says, "Hey Grandma, what's up?"

…Y'know, I'm not sure who can piss me off the fastest. The overdeveloped slut next to me or the cocky little shit in front of me.

It's a real mystery.

Instead of planting my foot into his balls-which is what I really feel like doing-I get right to the point and state, "I heard from the cats and Dragon Girl that tomorrow you're planning on embarking on a little campaign to get all the gang people listening to you and only you. Pretty ambitious."

He cautiously nods and replies, "Maybe. Mind if I ask where said cats and Dragon Girl are right now?"

I let a completely fake smile come to my face as I cheerfully reply, "Oh, they're out of the Church for the next few hours! I might have suggested it to Vallia that you were looking for a new shirt and the girl, still having confidence issues up the wazoo, practically begged the Yokai to give her advice on what to get."

"Ok…mind if I ask why you sent them away, exactly?"

Both Raynare and I summon a single Lightspear and flare our wings, my smile fading and the jackass next to me neutrally replying, "Because otherwise the Lucifer Heir wouldn't have approved of our little vetting process."

Rather than look worried or on guard the Devil brat seems mostly curious and only mildly annoyed, asking, "Well I'm not averse to trial-by-fire practice…but why now of all times?"

I field that one with, "Because whether any of you know it or not, this little therapy group of yours has done wonders for the Dragon Girl. In between you, the Yokai and the Elf that girl is working through her issues and hangups faster than I ever would have figured. You marching off to get slaughtered by some random gangster would kinda put the breaks on that."

Which is putting it lightly. Factor in the not-so-subtle crush the Longinus Wielder has on him, never mind the emotional support he's been offering, and his untimely death would set her back to near catatonia at best…Juggernaut Drive insanity at the worst.

Raynare finishes with a flourish of her spear and sultrily concludes with, "So we're going to test you. We might not kill you, but if you're not good enough there's gonna be some serious injuries that'll keep you out of action for awhile. If you can't beat us, then forget even trying to start your little quest."

He just stares a us for a few seconds…before smiling of all things.

"You 2 really care for her, at least in your own special way, don't yah?"

An annoyed scowl that I'm pretty sure is mirrored by the Big-Boobed Bimbo next to me appears on my face.

"Save it, Twerp. Hope you're ready for this!"

I summon all 4 of my Lightspears and hold 2 in my hand, sending the remaining 2 pinwheeling towards the Brat, aiming to box him in as they're aimed at his arms.

Sure enough Caine merely ducks them-

-and allows for Raynare to take advantage of his distraction, sending a whip-like rope of corrupted Holy energy right at his face, the strand wrapped tightly around her arm.

Fallen Angels all tend to have a specialty when it comes to their Lightspear manipulation. Mine is effortless remote control of them, Raynare's is stretching and elongating them like strands of flexible rope, Dohnaseek can flatten his to make robust shields and Kalawarner is able to alter her spears to surround her arms and legs like improvised gauntlets and greaves.

So when the Brat is faced with a clean strike from Raynare's personalized Light manipulation, I fully expect the fight to be over or at least heavily tilted in our favor.

"[Frost Air!]

I'm pretty sure my eyes bulge out of my head when the Twerp, in the split-second he has before getting smacked with the Devil's poison of choice, freezes his own arm-

-and grabs the whip, his palm making a loud sizzling sound but that's about it.

Oh shi-

With a yank of surprising strength-that damn Senjutsu training of his obviously paying off-he pulls Raynare off her feet and she stumbles forward a good few meters-

-where the Brat darts forward to meet her stumble with a nasty looking push-kick to the face, his instep impacting on her skull with a resounding bonk and causing her body to flip heels-over-head and smack face-first into the concrete below.

Very, very out.

I curse under my breath and immediately take to the air, sending all 4 of my spears to strike him while he's still in the open. To my chagrin he manages to largely dodge the attacks, maneuvering carefully so that he never has to face more than 2 or 3 spears at a time, letting them land superficial wounds on his arms and legs so that nothing important gets hit.

Dammit shouldn't he be crippled at least somewhat from all the Light Element pouring through his body?!

I snarl and adjust my timing so that all 4 spears will hit him at the same time-

-and have to resist the urge to kick myself as he uses that brief second of freedom to jump backwards into a nearby shadow, effectively protecting himself from my bombardment tactics.

…Shit he's gotten good.

A small, pleased smirk makes its way onto my face and I slowly rotate in place, having my spears travel with me and keeping a watchful eye out for any sudden ambushes.

…There!

6 of the Devil's Shades lash out at me and while 4 are immediately dispelled by my spears 2 sneak by and head straight for me.

I've seen those things leave nasty bruises on the Dragon Girl and even the Yokai sisters with their Senjutsu defenses aren't immune to the force behind those strikes. Thankfully the Twerp can't make them into blade form yet, but still…

I grit my teeth and spin around, using my wings to deflect the attacks and having 2 of my spears dispel a Shade each.

"That the best you got loser?! At this rate you'll never have a prayer of beating me!"

A pretty lame attempt at goading him, but then again he's still a Brat so-

-out of the corner of my eye I see the Devil Boy jump out of the shadows, an angry snarl on his face and I can't help but smirk as a spear stabs into his side…and phases through it insubstantially.

What the fuck?! Since when can he use illusions?! I thought he sucked at those!

I'm stunned for all of half-a-second…but in that half-second the real Twerp gets all the time he needs to fly above me, give a powerful downward flap of his wings and crash into me-

-and slam me into the ground hard enough that my vision explodes into stars and all the air leaves my lungs in a rush, my body deciding that just lying there and doing nothing sounds like a fantastic idea.

After a second of near-unconsciousness I finally remember how to breathe and greedily suck in a lungful of air, forcing myself not to cough as I do so.

"So, do I pass?"

I re-focus my eyes-

-and have to work hard not to openly scowl.

The Kids straddling me, legs on either side of mine and the edge of one of those knuckle-duster knives of his pressed up against my throat, dual-colored eyes coldly staring at my own bright-blue ones.

I briefly try to move my limbs again, only to find that he's got his Shades restraining me there as well.

…He won.

Nobody said I had to make it an easy victory for him though.

I smirk and archly ask, "Tying up a girl and holding her at knife-point? I didn't know you were that desperate for a good time…"

His face blazes scarlet, catching on to my innuendo, but he doesn't remove the knife and instead growls out, "Very funny…I won though, right?"

Shit, I was planning on catching him off guard with that and making it a lesson to not let yourself get distracted. Guess he's got a sharper head on his shoulders than I give him credit for…

"Yeah…yeah you won Brat. Now get off me already."

With one last searching gaze he does as I tell him and lets me go, Shades dissipating and knife being returned to it's sheathe.

"Is, uh…is Raynare gonna be ok?"

I don't even spare her a glance and scoff.

"I kinda wish you'd hit her harder, she'll stay unconscious for longer that way…we're done here Brat, get lost for awhile, will yah?"

He rolls his eyes at the dismissal but does what I tell him anyway, heading back on inside.

…

A tidal wave of emotions crashes through me and I ram my fist into the ground with a compulsive snarl, ignoring the pain that lances through my knuckles as the ground splinters around me.

Frustration is the predominant one, at being so easily beaten by little more than a child.

Professional pride is the runner up, that sort of pleased feeling you get when something you're responsible for surpasses all expectations.

And, by far the most worrying sensation, lust. Ever since the Twerp held me down at the end of the fight there I've been trying to keep my arousal down…but dammit if he didn't indirectly discover my kink.

I like being the submissive one. Ironic, given how I act most of the time, I know…but dammit if it isn't a turn on when my fuck-buddy is the alpha in bed...

"You look conflicted."

I glance over at a conscious Big-Tits McBitch and acidly retort, "Since when have you been awake?"

She groans and slowly sits up, holding a hand to her temples even as I smirk at the noticeable bruise on her forehead.

"Shortly after he smashed you into the ground. I was a bit woozy though, so I decided not to jump back into the swing of things…"

I'm about to start shit talking her when the not-so-insignificant amount of bruising on my back makes itself known and I decide not to be a hypocrite.

"…I'm not conflicted. I'm fucking pissed off."

My partner of 60 years and counting winces and sheepishly says, "So do you think the Kid is really that good, or have we been getting kinda lazy lately?"

I grind my teeth and grudgingly admit, "The former…"

She drops her head back to the concrete below and mutters, "Well at least there's no shame in losing to a Hêlêl-damned savant…"

I growl in annoyance but can't really refute her words, especially because she's right.

Three-and-a-half months. Three-and-a-half-fucking-months.

In that insanely short amount of time the Twerp went from getting kicked around by one of us with barely any effort to returning the favor against two 4-winged Fallen at the same time. Never mind the fact that glancing blows from Lightspears that before had raised visible injuries on his skin and greatly pained him didn't leave anything worse than sunburns this time around.

Then there's the more general stuff like his penchant for tactics, physical growth, Senjutsu, Weiji-Do and advancement of his weird Shadow powers…

That level of growth is abnormal.

"Hey Bimbo, you know the part that really pisses me off? He's that quick to learn and grow and he doesn't even fucking know it."

Raynare lazily waves an arm and airily replies, "Can't be helped. The clueless numbskull probably hasn't even realized that the standards he's measuring himself by are a descendant of Lucifer who also has Divine Dividing and 2 exceedingly rare and powerful subspecies of Yokai. He probably thinks what he's doing is normal."

I reflect on that for a second and then growl in frustration.

"Starting tomorrow I'm getting back into regular practice. There's no way I'm letting some little shit get the best of me without a fight!"

The other Fallen just sighs and mutters, "You're Boyfriend certainly has a way of riling you up…"

"For the last time I'm not-"

"Hey I didn't miss the way your tits lit up when he was on top of you."

Feeling a sudden surge of rage and embarrassment I shout back, "Get that fucking thought out of your head Bitch! I'm not-"

"Relax Mittelt. Believe it or not, I totally get why you're not into what I keep teasing you about. You tend to get pretty nostalgic when drunk and you babbled to me, Dohnaseek and Kalawarner one time about what you did before Azazel picked you up."

I feel my blood run cold at that.

"W-what? If you-"

"And we decided we pretty much didn't care. Like, at all. So when I egg you on about finally getting shacked up, it's not because I'm twisting the knife. It's because for the past few months, after you met Vallia and the other runts, you're not acting like nearly the snide little Bitch you have been for the past 60 years. Take that as you will."

I'm quiet for the longest time before I annoyedly sigh and grumble out, "You're the shittiest only friend I've ever had, you know that?"

"Love you too, Washboard."

Caine

…Today's the day.

Either I go down in flames, or I embark on the road to gangsterhood and likely go down in flames in a completely different fashion.

Choices choices…

"Caine, you should definitely try to eat something, you don't want to start off your day on an empty stomach."

I glance at Lisa who's staring at me with no small amount of worry and I try to reassuringly smile-

-that probably ends up looking like a constipated grimace.

Totally reassuring.

"Sorry Lisa, it's just a…rough morning, that's all."

She picks up the bowl of oatmeal I somehow managed to mostly force down and huffs an irritated sigh, rolling her eyes as she does so.

"A rough morning he says…fighting a gang leader to the death is just 'rough', sure…"

Her annoyed tone and puffed out cheek briefly causes me to chuckle and I sneakily reply, "If I didn't know any better I'd say you sound annoyed Lisa."

She flicks a spray of water at me from where she washed out the bowl and growls back, "Laugh it up, jerk. You better not get hurt too badly, I won't be there to heal you!"

I just smile and give the-now much smaller-Elf a hug and try my best to sound confidant as I reassure her with, "You worry too much! Since when have I ever gotten hurt before?"

Her dull stare is answer enough and I backtrack once I realize how dumb that sounded.

"…I'll try not to get hurt too badly?"

The blonde Elf merely sighs and wryly states, "Well, that's the most I think I can hope for…get going, everyone else is waiting for you outside. And if you think I'm worried you should see your 2 girlfriends and Shirone."

I inhale the rest of the orange juice I'd been drinking a bit too fast and sputter out, "W-what the heck?! Are you getting on my case with that noise too?!"

She just smirks deviously and pushes me out the door before shutting it in my face.

That girl has a surprisingly nasty mean streak…

Knives? Check.

Gloves? Check.

Phoenix Heart? Check.

Unceasing fear and nervousness? Check…unfortunately.

Taking a deep breath and running a hand through my hair I step out the front entrance of the Church to the early 'morning' sun of Kalichi, it's moon just beginning to wane in favor of the massive orb that'll dominate the city in it's bloodied hue.

"You doing all right Kid?"

I glance to the side and find Kuroka, Shirone, Vallia and the 4 Fallen all together in a group.

I'd been a bit surprised when Donhaseek and Kalawarner had shown up last night but they'd just shrugged and said a little extra security couldn't go awry.

They hadn't specifically mentioned who that security was for, and I didn't ask.

In response to Kuroka's question I just give a quick nod and flash back to the whole conversation we had 3 days ago…

"We're going with you."

I have to resist the immediate urge to sigh and instead meet Kuroka's gaze head on.

"I have several good reasons for you not to go. Care to hear them?"

"Honestly? No, I really freaking don't."

Shirone accentuates her Sister's point with a disapproving glare in my direction while Vallia looks conflicted about the whole situation.

I'd pulled these 3 aside to explain my plan to start taking on the Kalichi gangs and, like I'd predicted, the reception so far has been…frosty.

"Ok, first point," I begin with, ignoring the black cat's glare, "Your faces aren't well known, if at all, among the gutter scum of Kalichi. If you show up alongside me as I challenge all of these guys, you can bet your ass that people will start noticing you. And that means the Crocells will start noticing you. I can't afford to go easy on the gang leaders and I'm gonna have to use every single trick I can think of, that includes my Family's control over Shadows."

I see Vallia begin to understand what I'm driving at as I finish with, "The gang leaders are sure as Hell gonna recognize those powers, and once word gets around to the Crocells they're gonna realize that a Valefor heir is wandering around Kalichi, re-earning the loyalty of criminals all over the place. They're gonna devote the lion's share of resources to finding me and whoever associates with me. By extension that means you."

The cats look decidedly unimpressed.

"Well? You said you have several good reasons? Because just that one ain't cutting it Kid."

I grit my teeth as she calls my bluff.

I really only had that one…

Kuroka smirks at me and airily retorts, "Ok, here's my reasons we should go with you. Your plan is to just waltz into the middle of the gang's home, challenge their bosses to a fight, win, and then just stroll home? Get real. What's to stop them from jumping you, or getting waylaid after you're worn out just by the normal citizens of Kalichi? You need someone to watch your back Kid."

I frown and retort, "Ferdinand is gonna be there so-"

"Oh yeah, because he'll be great in a fight!"

I frown and have to concede her point on this one. Ferdinand has made it a point to say that he's a negotiator, not a fighter.

At the end of my rope I say, "You can't expect me to-"

I'm caught 100% completely by surprise as Kuroka suddenly grabs the front of my shirt and hauls me across the table to no more than an inch away from her golden eyes.

And she is pissed.

"Caine! Pull your head out of your ass and get the shit out of your ears! Do I need to remind you again of what you did with Adder? It's the same damn thing as this! To me, it sounds like you're saying that you're the only one who can dive headlong into other people's problems and help them out, screw everybody else!"

"IT'S BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOU TO GET HURT!"

My aggravated shout echoes across the room while Kuroka and I glare at each other, neither of us blinking.

Slowly, she lets go of my collar and her hand travels up to my head, scratching it in a consoling gesture she hasn't used in a long time, her angry scowl relenting and instead turning into a sad smile.

"Kid…you can't expect us to just stay out of the line of fire forever. I know you want us to let you handle this stuff on your own…but that ain't happening. We're going with you."

Feeling thoroughly defeated all I can do is quietly mumble, "Can't you let me be a selfish prick this one time?"

The answer, surprisingly, comes from Albion.

[There's a marked difference in being selfish because you have the power to be selfish, and merely being overconfident. Trust me, if there's one being that knows all about greed and possessiveness, it's a Dragon. And I tell you now, you will be far better off letting your selfishness fall by the wayside in this circumstance.]

I resignedly sigh at his words, glancing in Vallia's direction only to find her meet my eyes with a small nod of agreement with her partner…before she shyly averts her gaze, granted, but her point was made.

And, as usual, it's Shirone who clinches the deal. She hops into my lap, me being tall enough now that it doesn't look totally ridiculous, and merely gazes up at me with her golden eyes, a slow blink of affirmation being all she needs to 'say'.

A long, resigned sigh is all I can give as I slowly pet her head, letting her quiet purrs and silky hair calm me down a bit.

Guess I'll have company in this suicidal venture then…

"We're expecting a good show, boy. Especially after you so handily…took care of Mittelt and Raynare."

I glance at Dohnaseek, the older Fallen shooting a smug smile at the 2 Fallen while Kalawarner just smirks and adds, "Indeed, it was quite the surprise to hear that they had been so thoroughly beaten in a competition they had thought of."

I sense a fight brewing as Mittelt and Raynare glare daggers at their 2 compatriots even as Vallia, Kuroka and Shirone cast suspicious looks of their own at the duo, still in the dark about our confrontation yesterday.

I should probably defuse this, or we'll have casualties before we even get to the main stage…

"As much fun as playing the 'who dun it' game would be, we have a schedule to keep. Let's go."

With a round of shrugs and pissed off grumbles they all follow suit, the 8 of us headed towards Ferdinand's place so that we can get the show on the road.

"Ok Kid listen up. First up is the Griffons. They're boss, Galeran, is probably the most level-headed and 'easygoing' of all the leaders and by that I mean he probably won't immediately dismiss you. When we get there let me do all the talking and setup, the Ankam Waltz isn't something a gang leader is just going to accept out of the blue, I need to sell him on the idea that you're a credible contender for him to take orders from."

I frown and ask, "I thought anyone could challenge them?"

He shakes his head in the negative.

"In theory that's the case, but the gang leaders haven't gotten and kept their positions by being anything less than both powerful and crafty. If someone potentially stronger than them, but just so happened to be a total idiot, wanted an Ankam Waltz they'd find a way to turn down the offer or have them quietly killed off in a back alley or something. Kalichi doesn't have time for those that aren't the toughest and brightest of the bunch."

…Makes sense to me.

"So what's my pitch gonna be?"

He simply hikes his thumb backwards at my little entourage that's a pace behind us and says, "It's walking with you. Fallen Angel representatives from the guy who's making sure we're not descending into total anarchy, a Devil Sacred Gear Wielder, 2 Yokai and me? Your credentials practically write themselves, you clearly know how to appeal to people."

He shrugs.

"All that's left is to prove yourself to Galeran in a straight up fight."

I nod…and frown before asking, "Is there a way you can keep from mentioning my full name until after the fight?"

He looks briefly confused before replying, "It'd be kinda weird, but I don't see why not. What are you thinking?"

"Well if this does go sour and I end up kicking the bucket, as long as they don't know that I was a Valefor there's no reason the Crocells will have any clue that I was here. Henceforth, they won't try to track down anyone else that was with me on the possibility that any other members of my family survived."

Ferdinand just gives a small 'hmm' of consideration and when I glance over my shoulder I find the 4 Fallen giving approving nods at my caution…

…While the cats and Vallia are giving me looks of varying acidity.

Sorry girls, but you can't call me out on this one.

"We're here."

I snap out of my thoughts as Ferdinand points ahead of us, the crumbled buildings and dilapidated shacks of Kalichi suddenly giving way to a massive pavilion with a single banner hanging off of it, an eagle's talon and wing emblazoned on the fabric.

"The main entrance to the Griffon's home. Everyone be on your best behavior and remember, let me do the talking."

With that Ferdinand strides forward and what had looked like 2 beggars, all rags and crumpled forms, smoothly rise on either side of him, causing us all to tense-

"Charlie, Nissim, relax would yah? It's me."

The 2 figures sag slightly and pull back their hoods, revealing a Human face and what looks like an Inu Yokai, dog features on full display.

I'm not gonna hazard a guess which name belongs to which.

"Can't be too careful Ferdinand, you know how it is. Who're your guests?"

"Just some guys I want to introduce to Galeran. He in right now?"

Both of the newly revealed guards glance suspiciously at us before shrugging and replying to Ferdinand's question with, "Yah, he's in the Nest with Aino. No appointments or anything like that for awhile, just walk in and see him."

"Got it."

Our guide walks through the main doors and I get my first glimpse of the main base of the Griffons.

It appears vaguely circular, a design aspect that makes more sense once we walk around a supporting wall and see the rest of this 'Nest'.

It reminds me more than a little of one of those old gladiatorial arenas, almost 30 meters in diameter with a thick sand floor, the walls and stands overlooking the makeshift colisium made of a hodgepodge of materials ranging from rotting wood to rusted metal, tattered tarps blocking out some of the worst of the sun's bloody rays.

It's what's on the sand that draws my attention though. I'd expected all sorts of bloody competitions, or at least a bunch of gang members shooting up a bunch of drugs and other stuff.

Instead there's a few awnings scattered across the sanded floor, beneath said awnings scattered groups of various species and sexes all relaxing in patched together chairs, cooking food on grills or playing a variety of card games and the like, hardly a raised voice among them aside from the occasional laugh or annoyed curse at a bad hand.

…What the Hell? It's like a picnic down there…

Ferdinand must have seen the confusion on my face as he explains, "The Griffons take after their leader in that they're pretty easygoing people. Don't make the mistake of thinking they're soft, but I wouldn't worry about offending any of them easily, if you catch my drift."

I give a thoughtful nod and Ferdinand briefly nudges my arm and murmurs, "Game face on Caine. Galeran's right over here."

As we stroll around the edge of the arena a few of the gangsters below spare us brief glances, the Fallen ladies even getting a wolf whistle at one point, but for the most part ignore us.

And then we're at our destination.

"Long time no see Ferdinand, how's life been treating yah?"

"Eh, better than it used to. Unfortunately I've got business for you today, not purely a social call."

Ferdinand steps aside and I get my first full look at the leader of the Griffons.

He's moderately sized, 1.75 meters or so and fairly muscled, but not overly so. Plain brown hair that comes down to his neck and strangely pale skin, although not pallid in coloration. Clad in simple brown shorts and dark green t-shirt and lacking any shoes, he would seem thoroughly unremarkable, if a bit more handsome than most people.

It's his eyes that suggest there's more to his plain appearance than one would expect, however.

They're a pale yellow with pitch black pupils, but it's the unblinking manner in which they just seem to lock onto me that gives me a hint at why the gang was named the Griffons.

His body language is relaxed though, reclining on a beat-up old beach chair and I realize I missed a rather important detail in my initial observation of him.

On his lap is what looks like a Harpy about the size of Shirone, clad in a simple white dress while her bright pink hair and wings-in place of her arms-being almost painfully neon, the excessive preening she's doing as Galeran strokes her wings suggests that they're more than just friends. This must be the Aino person the 2 guys at the front were talking about.

The way her eyes carefully and calculatingly roam us clue me in that she's not just eye candy though.

"Not purely a social call eh? I'm gonna hazard a guess and figure that the little tour group you have tagging along with yah has something to do with it?"

Ferdinand nods gravely and sighs before saying, "I'll cut right to the chase Galeran, they want to challenge you to an Ankam Waltz."

The Griffon's leader doesn't even bat an eye and continues stroking his girlfriend's (I'm assuming that's their relationship) plumage although she immediately tenses and her gaze turns cold, instantly searching us for any overt threat.

Galeran just chuckles and amusedly replies, "So it would seem. So who's the lucky contender? Is it the Devil boy? Or maybe one of the wonderful little girls? Or perhaps it's the Fallen group, your type do tend to get a little greedy now and again. A real riot at parties though…"

Ferdinand shrugs yet again.

"It's the Devil kid. And his credentials check out Galeran. Shit, he's the one who helped me get the backing of those Fallen."

"'Oh?", he says as he sends a far more interested look in my direction, "That the case Kiddo? Looks like I owe you one already. The Fallen taking over what the Valefors left behind saved us a lot of bloodshed and trouble. We woulda kicked the asses of all the other gangs, naturally, but it woulda been expensive. So yah, thanks for that."

I merely nod in response, finding his voice interesting to listen to. It's a light tenor, but has a slight warble to the underlying pitch, almost like birdsong. Strange…

"Well if he's managed to facilitate a deal between a high ranking Fallen and you, I'd say he fits the 'crafty' criteria just fine. How does his actual fighting skills stack up though Ferdinand? If I'm just gonna end up killing him in a few seconds there's no point to this other than an utterly bland bit of bloodsport."

A small smile crosses Ferdinand's face and he smugly states, "He was part of the group that killed Adder."

Now I have Galeran's full attention and he slowly eyes me before musing, "Now is that so…"

Both honesty and modesty compels me to add, "I did have help, I can't exactly claim I solo'd him."

To my surprise the gang leader merely shakes his add and rebuts, "I'm not above admitting Adder was one tough son of a bitch, surviving against him is pretty praiseworthy all on it's own. And Ferdinand wouldn't send some weakling to get killed by me anyway, he must think you have a chance to some degree or another."

After a few more seconds of silence he seriously asks, "Alright kiddo, let me ask you this. If you win, what's your plan for my gang? And why are you after this so badly in the first place?"

I meet his gaze without wavering and reply, "I don't plan to change a thing about the structure or activities of your group. And as for why I want this? Well…let's just say it's something important to my blood."

He stares at me for the longest stretch yet before suddenly standing, the Harpy fluttering off his lap and he turns to the gang members milling in the arena below.

"Pack it up guys, we've got an Ankam Waltz starting up on the pronto!"

The gang members below stop dead for a full second-

-before springing into motion, quickly collapsing tents and throwing plates and other tableware into nearby bins before clearing the floor and within a minute there's no further reason to delay.

Galeran turns toward me and nods toward my companions before advising, "Last chance to either back out or say goodbyes kid." and turning back towards the Harpy, who's looking up at him with clear worry in her eyes.

I take a deep breath and turn around, finding a variety of expressions.

Raynare, Kalawarner and Dohnaseek are all the picture perfect definition of cool confidence, the male Fallen even giving me a slight nod. Mittelt has her brow furrowed and can't seem to get rid of her frown as she stares at the arena below, but gives me a brief look and, similar to Dohnaseek, offers a confirming nod.

Vallia can't seem to hold still, constantly biting her lip and blinking frantically, shifting from foot-to-foot until I set a hand on her shoulder and quietly tell her, "Val, take it easy. I'll be fine."

She takes a deep breath and whispers, "Yeah…yeah of course you will."

Shirone predictably just gives me a quick hug and simply says, "Win."

"Count on it."

I take a steadying breath and face Kuroka, the 2 of us not entirely sure what to say…until she quietly chuckles and scratches my head, confidently stating, "Kick his ass Kid. I'll place my bets on you, so don't disappoint."

I merely wink and reply, "Will do. But you're buying the victory dinner then."

She looks like she wants to contest having to actually spend her winnings but I swiftly turn around, making sure I get the last word in.

Go figure my probable last actions are petty ones…

I stare at Galeran and find his girlfriend with her wings around his neck, face buried into his shoulder while he soothingly strokes her back.

I'm caught off guard by the sudden pang of melancholy that goes through my chest.

…I feel almost…remorseful?

I give a furious shake of my head and take a quick breath.

Now isn't the time to have second or distracting thoughts.

The Griffon's leader gently peels Aino off and places a quick kiss on her lips before letting go, the Harpy floating over to the railings watching over the pit and perching there like a bird, steely gaze never leaving me for an instant.

I'll admit it relieves me that my companions take up positions next to her, just in case.

"Kid, you carrying any weapons on you?"

"Yeah, a knife. That against the rules or something?"

"Nope, suits me just fine."

And with that he hops down into the ring before striding forward, exuding nothing but total confidence.

I grimace before following suit, my boots making a soft crunch as they dig into the sediment. Ferdinand had filled me in on what Galeran can do and he wasn't joking when he said me having one knife suited him fine.

Crap, I should have brought more…too late now.

We stop once we're separated by 10 meters and he faces me before calling out, "Hey Kid, I never got your name!"

"Does it matter? Either you kill me and it doesn't matter what my name was, or I kill you and you're not gonna be bothered about it at all."

The Griffon's leader snorts and amusedly retorts, "Gotta hand it to yah Kid, most people can't resist mouthing off who they are…"

"I'm shy."

"Sure you are."

With that he suddenly crouches and with a roar his body starts to change. He grows taller, almost 2 meters once he's done, and his skin is suddenly covered by soft brown feathers of varying shades while his hands and feet morph into bipedal bird talons.

Perhaps most startling is his face, which transforms into that of an eagle's, beak and all.

The whole look is completed by a massive pair of feathered wings that spread from his back, the appendages slowly and smoothly flexing.

It's easy to see why the gang was named after the mythological bird after this display.

"So, you ready to begin?"

His voice now has a much more lyrical tint to it, sounding a lot like birdsong and I can't help but curiously ask, "Don't suppose you could tell me how you're able to change into that form? Are you part Yokai or something?"

He gives me a curious look, as if he can't possibly fathom why I'm asking such a question, before shrugging and replying with, "Wish I knew myself. I never knew my parents, so all I have to go on is theory. I've never heard of any Yokai that resembles a Griffon so more than likely I'm a half-breed. Chances are good my mother was raped by some sexually deviant Griffon and abandoned me as a kid."

His gaze turns thoughtful before he calmly muses, "Or who knows? Maybe my mom was into some freaky shit and willingly fucked a bird. Or maybe my mom was the Griffon. Who can guess? Either way,it's not important."

With that he settles into a crouch and suddenly gusts of wind surround his body, whipping up the sand into small clouds around him.

"This is! Let's do this, Devil!"

The crowd around us lets loose a few cheers and I feel the adrenaline pumping throughout my body so strongly that I feel like I could jump halfway to the moon just on pure leg strength alone, a smile I have no control over making it's way onto my face.

…Huh.

Can you be so nervous and terrified that it makes you happy?

I merely chuckle and adopt a crouched position of my own, BC-41 in my right hand and left hand hanging loosely by my side.

"Alright Birdy, let's dance."

CUT! Cliffhanger time!

While I admittedly wanted the fight between Galeran and Caine to be in this chapter I decided to hold off on it until next time, since it would flow a bit better and give me time to really make it awesome, so stay tuned for that, unfortunately :D

HelpfulNudge: I went back and realized I totally forgot to also specify them as well (because I'm an idiot XD) but Shirone is 10 years old as of the prologue and Kuroka is 14.

OshiroNai: Yah, I can see why it would seem like a really long time, but there's a lot that's gonna happen in those years, stuff that'll change the landscape of 'canon' evetns pretty significantly. Also, I've always wanted to play around with the passage of time and how it affects the people involved, that'll play a pretty significant part. Appreciate das feedback!

flamingsword108: A few characters (the ones I mentioned in the previous chapter's AN) will be much older than they were in canon, and will correspondingly have different attitudes and skillsets.

Ddastan: This chapter did a little bit of diving into the culture of one of the gangs, the other 2 will also start being explored in coming chapters as well as the extent of their operations. And yah, I envisioned Caine not really feeling much grief over the people he killed, rather about the sheer brutality and callousness he employed in doing so. It was one thing when he killed Adder under duress and desperation, another thing entirely to coldly and emotionally decide to end the lives of 6 others, even if they 100% deserved it.

Next chapter is the big showdown! And a certain Black Cat deciding that maybe she wants to make a move a bit earlier than she thought she would...