Phase 1 – Gula
Chapter 2 – Revelation
Ayame pointedly stared at the girl in front of him. She stared back at him with palpable hostility. It wouldn't have been too strange to say she had control over his life. If she so desired, she could definitely crush him like a bug and end his existence.
"Who are you? What are you, exactly?
Rias' voice was commanding. Her calmness spoke of confidence in getting the results she wanted. This wasn't a simple discussion between equals, as much as it was a King deciding whether or not her lowly subject was worthy of keeping his head attached to his shoulders or have it rolling on the ground.
A myriad of thoughts flashed across the boy's mind amidst the heated situation. But one was especially prominent.
Rias claimed, without hesitation, that Ayame was dead. It was a waste of time to write it off as a simple coincidence, or a prank too cruel and premeditated to be true.
Ayame had absolutely no recollection of Rias' presence the moment he died. But his own memories were already a good base to conclude he was murdered. Besides, the power she confidently commanded and which could easily terminate him wasn't much different from Yuuma's.
No… if anything, it was even more dangerous. Every fiber of his body tensed up before imminent demise.
Standing between the sword and the wall, the brunet had enough mental lucidity to formulate a number of questions of his own. However, he was in no position of authority or power to demand answers from anyone.
He wasn't in a hurry.
He still failed to completely understand the situation. But that didn't matter. He desired for something interesting to happen, for his stalled life to finally move forward.
This was a wonderful opportunity. To waste it, to not take advantage of it, was a mistake that deserved death.
This was what he wanted. The loud thumping of his heart gave proof that he was still there to face it. The numbness inside of his mind was proof that he needed to face it.
This was going to be fun.
"What's so funny?"
Rias' question came out with a slightly frustrated tone, after seconds of silent staring. Funnily enough did Ayame notice moments later what she meant.
The teenager became aware of his action. He, always wearing a long face, began smiling.
Really, to smile now of all times… it seemed he was still able to become excited.
"…Nothing's funny. I didn't mean anything by this," he assured. "You're right. I died. However, I have no knowledge of how I was able to survive if that's what you're interested in. I'm the real Ayame, anyway."
Only an idiot would miss the mild surprise on Rias' face.
The redhead didn't trust him, obviously. One misstep, one incorrect answer, one nervous blink of the eye, and he would die.
She closed her eyes in thought.
"Very well. Start telling me about yourself."
Ayame gulped. At least she was reasonable enough to allow him some semblance of defense at gunpoint.
His mind organized the most immediate facts that only his person and close relatives would know. Preparing a boring monologue wasn't a much complicated task. He didn't have any reason to lie either way.
"My name is Ayame Hyoudou. I was born on September 21, and I will be eighteen years old later on this year. I'm the older brother of Issei Hyoudou, and underclassman, by one year. My blood type is A-negative. I'm around one and eighty meters tall, and I weight around seventy kilograms. My parents are Nozomi and Haruto Hyoudou. My father works as a teacher in another school, and my mother is in the police force."
A pause; the girl's eyes were still closed, and there was no change in her expression. It seemed she hadn't been convinced yet.
The brunet gulped, knowing he wasn't safe yet. He steeled himself and continued.
"My brother is an unfixable pervert with barely any redeeming qualities. His IQ is far below average, and while he doesn't mean any harm to others, he's far too gone into his own lust to notice how annoying he is sometimes." Rias couldn't suppress a wince, which the boy noticed. "The only thing we have in common is that we don't have a girlfriend. Issei can't get a girlfriend, and I don't want one."
His speech came to a standstill. Although he was in danger, spelling out the emotive story of his worthless life didn't seem like a good option to ensure his safety.
Regardless of his wishes, he had to be honest. The more he said, the less anxious he appeared, the better.
"On the other side of the spectrum, I have no friends or hobbies, and barely speak with other people. I'd rather spend more time sleeping that being awake if I could. While my incompetence in prolonged social interactions is obvious, I'm not interested in building interpersonal relationships that aren't absolute necessary."
The sphere of dangerous power she held close to his person subsided over time, until it was nothing but a small black distortion in space.
He shut his lips, waiting for her to continue.
Rias contemplated his innocence for long seconds. Then, she spoke again.
"…In your defense, you didn't appear physically nervous, and your heartbeat was mostly steady the entire time," she stated, not taking off her hand from his chest. "However, I'm not the one who will decide the outcome of this situation."
Rias finally opened her eyes, and looked to the right side. Ayame did the same reactively.
"You can come out now," ordered the redhead.
A couple of footsteps were heard. From a corner of the building, a figure Ayame knew all too well appeared.
Akeno Himejima walked towards them, arms crossed. Her ever-present smile was nowhere to be seen. She seemed far from shaken or excited.
Ayame's eyes narrowed as he understood the implications of her presence. She had been there since the beginning of the interrogation, spying.
"Why am I not surprised?" he sarcastically commented. "So, what's the point of this at all? Why are you two ganging up against me?"
Rias locked eyes with him again, her face composed and stern. "Simply put, I have no way of knowing if you're the real Ayame or not. That's why I brought Akeno, because she already knows your mannerisms, and that makes her a trustable third party. However, I needed to see how you fared under pressure before giving you the benefit of doubt."
"Indeed," agreed the other girl. "You'd have reacted differently to Rias' power if you were an impostor. Seeing as you fell in her trap, it means you don't know much about her outside of school matters."
…The pieces of the puzzle soundly clicked inside his mind.
"So," continued Rias again, "tell me Akeno. Is this person the same Ayame you have been talking with lately? Does anything seem off to you?"
The raven-haired pest stroked her chin, staring at an unimportant direction.
It didn't ease his worries in the slightest. His life was in the hands of Akeno, as if that wasn't ironic enough. It also didn't help he would have preferred for her to deem him as an impostor. Being saved by her was too humilliating a thought, honestly.
Dying a second time wasn't appealing enough, much to his ego's detriment. Ayame waited for his unconventional judge's verdict and swallowed his shame.
Moments passed. Her thoughtful visage morphed into her usually alluring smile.
"He's definitely the real Ayame-chan", she assured without doubt. "Bold and brazen when expressing himself, yet reserved and secretive at the same time. Truly, a fine specimen of a human if I have ever seen one~"
She finally let go of him. The orb of energy disappeared, and with it, the danger of dying was no more.
"Please don't get so excited in this situation, Akeno," said Rias while stepping back and scratching her head. "I find your attitude a little embarrassing, considering I just… eh, threatened our classmate."
It was slightly relaxing to know that Rias had some common sense.
"Don't be embarrassed, president. Your whole 'serious and deadly' performance was a delight to see~!" praised her friend, thrilled. "And we even cleared up this little misunderstanding. What better outcome could there be that I'm not aware of?"
"Well, you do have a point, but still…"
Ayame separated himself from the wall and approached them.
"While I do appreciate that I didn't die again," he began speaking as he stuffed his hands inside of his pockets, "you still owe me some explanations about this whole ordeal. I'm growing tired of being left in the dark."
In the following seconds, Rias nodded at Ayame's request.
"…Yes. Yes, of course. It's the least I can do for you, after putting you through this predicament." The redhead massaged her temples and sighed. "However, I think it would be best if all of us were there to hear it. Hyoudou-san, do you mind coming to the Occult Research Club after class? I promise I will explain everything."
Ayame emotionlessly stared at her.
It seemed she didn't harbor any fishy motive against him. If he took her offer to heart, then he would be able to discover the truth behind his death…
…And not just his death. Everything related would also be uncovered. The truth behind Yuuma. Her objectives, even. And most importantly, the 'Sacred Gear' that led him to this unreal situation in the first place.
He wanted to know all of it, although he still needed to be very careful. Rias was just about to end him, had Akeno not intervened in his favor. These were dangerous people who could kill anyone with frightening ease, if Issei's fake girlfriend wasn't example enough of it.
'But…'
The muscles of his cheeks hurt a little as the corners of his lips bent upwards. He covered his face with one hand, knowing another smile would appear strange.
'…That's the most exciting part of this little adventure I'm getting into', Ayame contemplated inwardly.
In the end, the answer was obvious.
"Very well," he complied while uncovering his mouth. "Let's hope you don't end up wasting my time. I want clear answers, and not more mysteries."
Rias pursed her lips. She didn't say anything in return.
He spun around, and marched towards the school building once again. Before entering, another doubt arose and he didn't want it to go unanswered.
"…Where is the Occult Research Club?"
Of course he wouldn't know. He never heard about this club before.
Yet, internally, he regretted asking the second he saw Akeno smile at him.
"Don't worry about that, Ayame-chan. I will lead you there myself once class is over," assured the other girl with a sly tone of voice. "Maybe we could have a little heart-to-heart on the way~"
Perfect. Now he had to withstand the most irritating woman in the universe.
Was he actually dead? Was this his version of hell?
Maybe his life simply sucked. Ayame sighed.
With nothing else to do, the boy walked back to his classroom, with Akeno silently following behind.
- ~DxD~ -
The school bell rang. Its sound was a loud distraction he failed to ignore. Ayame blinked and stopped spacing out, concluding moments later that his mind was just anxiously waiting for that specific noise to come.
It meant that the answers he craved for would be handed to him sooner than later.
"Shall we go now, Ayame-chan?"
Akeno sneakily appeared besides him. They exchanged a not so amiable look, at least from Ayame's part. The brunet got up and followed her lead quietly. Both of them got out of the classroom and strolled through the multitude of teenagers and teachers here and there. Their figures got lost amongst the other people, but not to each other.
The incessant chatter of classmates around them silenced their footsteps. When there was enough sound for them to listen to their companion, one broke the ice.
"So, how have you been doing Ayame-chan? Still dazzling the hearts of pure damsels with your icy, holier-than-thou exterior~?" said the girl, flashing him her perpetual smile and not earning a nice reaction from the boy. "We haven't been conversing a lot these days, so I was getting worried about you."
Ayame scowled a little. He seemed disinterested.
"I just got murdered by a mythological creature yesterday. Thanks for asking. It was a thrilling experience."
Akeno eyed him up and down, doing little to hide her meticulous stares. "Ah, it seems you're doing well. Only you could deliver such wonderfully amusing and yet alarming phrases. You're a bit scary sometimes, A-ya-me-chan~"
Ayame looked at her from his peripheral vision. His detached expression could have understandably belonged to someone who happened to catch sight of an ant on the ground.
"That's rich coming from you, since you seem to enjoy my responses," he declared.
"That I do," admitted Akeno without pause. "But I have never seen someone who remembers his own death so vividly and still talks about it as if it was a visit to the grocery store. And the way you stood your ground against pres's might… for a moment I thought you were a brave warrior battling against a dreadful beast in the name of love and justice. It was adorable~"
Ayame sighed, brushing his chin against his scarf. Some of his brown locks incidentally fell on his face, blocking one of his eyes from Akeno's view. His posture hunched a little.
"Death is inescapable. Every single one of us is destined to the same end, in some way or another." His statement caught the young woman's attention in a different way than before. "Dying yesterday is the same as dying eighty years from now on. It doesn't make any difference to me. If anything, I want to know the reason behind my death rather than pointlessly fretting over the inevitable."
Silence reigned for around a minute. When the boy believed he had finally managed to shut up his insufferable classmate, his expectations were proven wrong. Akeno giggled softly as if she heard a funny joke.
"That's an interesting way of thinking, Ayame-chan," she said without a speck of irony. "You speak about life as if it was disposable, a throw-away consumable like any other. I reckon you're aware you only have one chance on earth to live, aye? It's as if life doesn't matter to you."
He became silent for a brief while.
"…Not exactly. Life as an all-precious element is just a conjecture. Our decisions, our actions, are what make life truly precious. They change us and others in consequence. If we do nothing, if we think about nothing, if we believe in nothing, we would be nothing. We would be worthless. The only reason I'm going through the trouble of talking with your friend is because I want to know if I died for a reason I don't accept. What I do with my life after that escapes me."
Such elaborate explanation came out of his mouth without a second thought, leaving Akeno speechless.
Ayame slightly moved his head to look at her. He rolled his eyes once he saw her widening smile.
"I see…" Akeno murmured as she nodded to herself. "Ayame-chan is a non-conformist; an ambitious person who's set on leaving his mark on this cruel, tragic world-!"
She dramatically put a hand over her head and the other over her chest. Some people were beginning to realize he existed thanks to the woman's exaggerated acting, and the brunet couldn't frown harder even if he tried.
"So, tell me, oh young and grandiose dreamer, what is thy greatest desire?"
He clicked his tongue.
"I want you to disappear from my life."
She crossed her hands in an X shape.
"You're dreaming way too high, it seems~"
Maybe he was.
Akeno had missed the mark a little either way. Something as ridiculous as 'leaving his mark on the world' wasn't one of his priorities. He would be training to be a gold medalist in the Olympic Games or helping the poor and needy if that was his wish, otherwise.
Ayame wanted few things in life. One of them was for his life to mean something. Another would be to have fun. If neither of those came true, then ending his life would be the goal.
Thankfully, it seemed things were finally a turn for the better. Ayame wasn't flirting with the idea of suicide, for once.
...Killing himself would've been much more tolerable than speaking with Akeno though.
"Sorry Ayame-chan, but you're not getting rid of me anytime soon." Akeno's voice returned with a vengeance. "The amusement I feel when I talk with you has the same permanency as the undying love of a faithful wife to her husband~"
Akeno finger-gunned at him.
"Which means I'll talk with you as long as you're around~"
Ayame bit the inside of his cheek and looked away.
"You're so annoying in so many ways I don't have enough adjectives to describe you with," he answered with an irritation he didn't try to hide. "Also, could you stop making such disgusting analogies? It's as if you genuinely think we're close friends."
"You're so mean, Ayame-chan," she respondend with a hurt tune. "Can't you spare a little bit of cheerfulness for this lovely classmate of yours?"
"I already deal with an infuriating person at home every day. One more is asking too much of me."
"Oh, are you talking about your cute little brother?" she inquired. "He's quite the energetic fellow. I always see him escaping from groups of girls chasing after him. It seems he's a heartbreaker~"
"He's much of a heartbreaker as I'm an astronaut," replied Ayame. "No, Issei is a potential sexual offender who, for some reason, hasn't been kicked out of school already. The authorities don't seem to care if their female students are molested, which I find strangely unsurprising."
Akeno cupped her chin.
"Hmm, you do have a point. The thing is that the owner of Kuoh Academy is rather… lenient with the naughtier students. You see, he doesn't have a set of values a human like you would consider morally good, so these things are pushed aside quite often."
And then a lot of things started to make sense. No wonder his school was like a circus. It was meant to be irritating.
At some point they exited the main building of the school and went outside. After passing by some smaller buildings, they ventured into a secluded area of the school precinct. A gut feeling began tugging at his instincts as he stepped in an area of the Academy he had never seen before.
Ayame shifted on his feet, uneasy. He... forgot the way back.
He couldn't have gotten lost, but when he forced his mind to recall the path he took, there was only blank. The brunet looked at the sides, to see if his mind was playing tricks or something was out of place.
Akeno was silent, smiling. Nothing out of the ordinary.
He shook his head and brushed that weird feeling aside. As they kept walking in unknown territory, he caught a glimpse of a certain building he never saw before.
It looked old, but not to the point of ruin. Its resemblance was closer to an European mansion. The house was surrounded by trees and nature. It posessed an isolate flair to it. Anyone else wouldn't have much reason to enter or even approach it.
"This is where the Occult Research Club reunites and carries on with its activities." Akeno signaled the place with a welcoming smile. "For reasons you will understand soon, the common folk aren't allowed here."
They approached even more. As they followed the grey walkway leading to the 'mansion', Ayame distinguished something from afar. Two figures were standing in front of the place, both wearing the male uniform of Kuoh Academy.
One was a blonde guy he didn't know about. The other one…
'…Issei.'
It didn't take him long to recognize his brother as one of those two. It didn't surprise him, either. Rias saw Ayame's corpse. By proxy, she definitely had to have seen Issei's corpse too. Now, the question was, what was Issei supposed to do here...?
"Good morning, Yuuto-kun~"
Akeno instantly saluted the unknown blonde guy. The sudden call alerted the duo of their presence, and they spun around to greet them.
Blondie's face lit up a little at the sight of the young woman.
"Good morning to you, Akeno," he instantly told her politely. Both of them friendly bumped their fists together, and exchanged some forgettable commentaries with each other.
Issei's mouth hanged open at the sight of the raven-haired pest. It was obvious he was still processing the idea of a woman getting close to him without the intention of beating him up.
"Close your mouth, Issei. You're spreading germs."
And, just as easily, his older brother's voice was enough to take Issei's attention away from the young woman.
"Dude, what're you doing here? This day is getting weirder and weirder." He got closer to Ayame, as if he was allowed to. "Are we in trouble or somethin'? Pretty boy over there walked me here, but Gremory-senpai was the one who invited me. I could only focus on how sexy she was, so I didn't really think much of this, hahaha…"
"…Really, are sexy women the only thing you can think about?" he questioned rhetorically, knowing full well his brother's response would be anything but satisfying. "You're a lost cause."
"Well, duh, of course," he mockingly told him back. "It's a man's duty to show interest for the opposite sex, you dunce! Everything else is only second to the love one feels for the female body."
He said it so proudly, so confidently. It was truly sad.
"We're still here, Ayame-chan~"
The young woman called them and Ayame rolled his eyes. Both brothers turned around and faced the opposite duo.
Issei started stuttering. He composed himself before speaking.
"M-My name is Issei Hyoudou!" His presentation was followed by a quick, prominent bow, sign of respect. "Nice to meet you, Himejima-senpai! I'm a second year student, so you probably don't know me. You can call me Ise!"
It didn't escape from the brunet's perception that his little brother was trying to ogle at certain parts of Akeno's body as he introduced himself. His lecherous grin was there to confirm it.
Ayame felt an intense impulse to kick Issei on the teeth. He held back, for now.
"My, oh my. Such a cute and well-mannered little boy~" She praised him with a delighted smirk. "Of course, it's a pleasure for me to meet you directly. My name is Akeno Himejima, but you can call me however it suits your fancy."
She giggled before giving Ayame a sneaky look. His left eye began twitching and he only wanted to slit Akeno's throat to stop her from saying anything stupid. He wasn't so keen on murdering anyone yet, unfortunately.
"See, Ayame-chan? You should follow Ise's example a little. You could make lots of friends if you were kinder and sweeter~"
Ayame stared at Akeno with a special kind of disdain reserved for her.
'Whore.'
The brunet's lips twitched and only some sort of a divine power held him back from speaking his thoughts aloud. Suddenly, he felt someone else eyeing him attentively. Ayame turned around and came face to face with Blondie.
"Don't forget about me, either," Kiba told him with the same friendly manner and smile. "Kiba Yuuto. Nice meeting you."
He stretched a hand towards him.
Ayame considered cutting his hands off from his body. Minimal physical contact was obnoxious enough already. He just didn't want to touch anyone, not even casually. It was disgusting.
"It's a shame I don't share your enthusiasm, Prince Charming," responded Ayame. "Imagine I'm shaking hands with you, in a different universe."
"I-Is that so…" muttered the blond with a confused smile, slowly retracting his hand. "Anyway, I hope we can be in good terms. It seems we'll see each other more often, given the circumstances."
"I wouldn't think so hastily of our acquaintance."
A girly humming was heard alongside.
"Try to be nice with him, Kiba. He's a really shy person, bordering on the verbally violent spectrum~"
The brunet felt no need to correct her interpretation of him. There was some truth as much as there was some falsehood in it. Besides, talking back to Akeno usually gave her more material to chatter.
"Anyway," said Kiba, "This is where we part ways for now. I'm sure we will talk more in the future."
Then, with a smiley face, he simply left them to their own matters.
With everything said and done, Akeno was the one who took the initiative.
"I believe we should step in once and for all. Follow my lead, gentlemen~"
Acknowledging her suggestion, everyone marched inside the Occult Research Club's territory.
- ~DxD~ -
Ayame, Akeno and Issei didn't waste much time reaching their destination.
The group strolled throughout the mansion. Ayame was slightly baffled at the dichotomy between the building's worn down exterior and the beautifully luxurious interiors. It was like a pricy manor from a European aristocrat or rich person of some kind. Kuoh Academy was known for its excessive money spending in buildings, food, teachers, study material, and everything else. However, even this was a little too comfortable to belong in school grounds.
After walking up some stairs, and walking some more, they stepped inside a specific room.
It was a nice and cozy place. There was a mid-sized wooden table in the middle of the room, with two brownish-red sofas across from each opposite side, and one more just in front of the entrance to the room. Beautiful furniture also decorated the place, creating a royalty-like climate. In the far end of the room was a professionally built desk made of dark wood, with its respective chair behind it.
Standing right in the middle, before the desk, was Rias herself.
She smiled at the visitors.
"Perfect! Everyone is finally here." She clasped her hands together. "Please take a seat, but you may also stand if you desire."
There was silent compliance. Everyone sat in a spot of their liking. Ayame chose the couch closest to the door, with Issei sitting at the opposite end of the same couch. Akeno sat on a lone couch away from them.
After making double-sure everyone was there, Rias coughed in her hand.
"Well then. Thank you for coming here, Issei, and Ayame," she said to them first. "As you might be aware, I am Rias Gremory, president of the Occult Research Club. Akeno Himejima is the vice-president, and my best friend."
The aforementioned woman waved at them with a silent smile. The older brother narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, still distrustful. The younger one giggled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.
Both girls stared at Issei. Some seconds passed before he understood it was his 'turn'.
"Uhmm…" started speaking Issei. "I-I'm Issei. Issei Hyoudou. But, eh, I think you already know that. Just call me Ise."
And consequently, Ayame was the one being stared at.
"…Ayame Hyoudou," he murmured after considering it for a moment. He shifted in his seat a little, and stared at Rias. "Spare me the pleasantries, Gremory. I'm falling asleep here. Let's get to the point."
Rias sighed, a slightly sour expression on her face. "As you wish, Hyoudou-san. Before we start conversing for real, I want to make sure we're all in the same wavelength. Do you know what the motive behind our reunion is today?"
Issei appeared unsure on how to respond, reaction Ayame was expecting beforehand.
His younger brother seemed far from being fully aware of what transpired yesterday, on that bloody evening of Sunday. The brunet didn't blame him for his ignorance on the matter. No normal person would simply believe they were murdered and turned out alive the following day.
"…We're here because we died, and apparently, you have the answers to explain circumstances we're in right now."
The word 'died' resonated heavily throughout the room. Issei stared at him, not really managing to fake his increasing confusion. The others weren't exactly baffled at Ayame's choice of words, but that didn't stop them from looking uncomfortable by his bluntness.
"Eh? W-What the hell are you sayin', Ayame?" Issei asked him nervously. " What do ya mean by 'died'? Is this some kind of joke or prank? 'Cause this is ain't funny at all, dude. I don't really understand what's happening anymore."
The older brother locked eyes with Issei. There was no emotion in his visage, no sign of joking around, which certainly contributed to Issei's agitation. This situation was anything but a prank.
"Stop acting like an ignorant fool. You perfectly know what happened yesterday," claimed Ayame, arms still crossed. "I was also there. I saw it with my own eyes. Beating around the bush won't get us anywhere."
Issei shifted on his spot, diverting his eyes to another direction.
"…I… I just went on a date with my girlfriend…"
"Yes, you did," responded the boy. "But pray do tell how did that wonderful date end? Was there a goodbye kiss to seal the deal, or something else I am not aware of?"
Issei was mouthing incoherent words without actually saying them aloud. He couldn't speak or respond correctly.
Ayame couldn't really get angry with him. Issei was just a normal teenager that, for all his superficial faults, was just happy to have a girlfriend. The older sibling was moderately incompetent when it came to understanding or even handling feelings, simply because he didn't feel that strongly. However, it didn't take a super emotional person to know what deception and disappointment felt like.
"That woman isn't human, Issei. Yuuma Amano might not even be her real name." He crossed his arms. "She killed you, and then she killed me. And, unless we discover what's going on, we may just find ourselves in the same situation again."
An incredibly dense silence was felt in the room. Issei wasn't even trying to find another excuse to deny a gruesome result that was obvious at this point in time. It would have been a waste of time to do so, anyway. Issei wasn't hardheaded enough to go down that path.
He stared at the ground, face obscured. His arms seemed deliberately weak and frail.
"…I understand it may be hard for you to take in all of this, Issei," Rias interfered, "which is why I'll try to explain what's happening as best as I can. But, if you need some time for yourself, I don't mind waiting-"
"No, no… It's okay," Issei interrupted immediately. "I understand. Ignoring reality ain't best course of action either. I just found it hard to believe at first… but I guess it's pointless to play dumb now."
The teenager allowed himself a little smile.
"Don't worry. I already have bad luck with women. Just because this one killed me or some shit doesn't mean I'll just give up and start mopping around! I wouldn't be the great Issei Hyoudou if that was the case!"
He puffed his chest out with sudden dignity and a prideful demeanor, before sporting a serious face that could rarely be seen on him.
"Besides, crying ain't gonna solve anything. Yuu- That woman, she may be trying to hurt others while we're here talking. It's not good to fret over things we can't change if we can prevent them in the future instead." The look in his eyes hardened a little as the words flowed. "I'm not sure what's happening yet, but… I won't back down. I promise."
Rias herself smiled upon hearing Issei's little speech.
"Thanks for being strong, Issei. I promise I will make it up to you two."
With that said, she walked behind Akeno's couch, arms crossed. The other girl didn't react in the slightest, smiling at nothing instead.
"As you may conclude from your encounter with this woman named Yuuma, in this world, there are things that a lot believe to be false; existences that are mistaken for simple legends, myths, or fairy tales." Her explanation was serious despite how risible it sounded. "Ghosts, spirits, ancient heroes, and things like those."
She uncrossed her arms, and linked her fingers together beneath her chest. Her eyes closed in thought, giving her certain flair as if she was deep in thought.
"Humanity has done well in hiding these existences from common knowledge, because involving the public in affairs of beings that far surpass them is truly dangerous. These legends, these stories that others just think off as non-existent… Well, they are indeed real."
Issei perked, becoming more and more openly amazed at the prospect of a fantasy-like world hidden beneath humans' noses, and with reason. Ayame found himself captivated by the idea as well.
"To put it in very broad terms, there's a power struggle still active in this world between three principal factions which have been around since the beginning of time, all curiously stemming from the same faith. I will assume you are already acquainted with Christian beliefs or relatives, right?"
Ayame's dull eyes lighted up for a moment, understanding such implications. If he took Yuuma's black wings as definite proof, then…
"…So, what you're trying to say is that the woman that killed us is some kind of Angel?"
Rias opened her eyes and nodded in confirmation immediately.
"Correct. Yuuma Amano is a member of the Fallen Angels, one of the three factions I mentioned. They are Angels who lost their grace thanks to carrying out impure actions during their lifetimes, and because of this, they were banished from Heaven. Their black wings signal their previous alignment."
Ayame caught sight of Akeno shifting in a weird manner on her couch. Her face seemed blank for a moment, unsmiling, like she had suddenly lost all interest in the conversation. She crossed her well-shaped legs one over another, and then started looking at her nails without care. The brunet dismissed the gesture seconds later.
Rias looked at Akeno for a fleeting moment. She decided to stroll back to the center of the room. Her hands travelled behind her back.
"Angels are the opposite. They're pure beings created from nothingness by the almighty, and they're considered to be embodiments of power and virtue. Heaven is their current residence, and it has always been. Their main task is to oversee the affairs of humans, protect them if they must, and work in concordance with the Christian church, and others, to eliminate creatures of darkness and preserve peace in the mortal realm. They're fairly neutral, but unyielding once they take matters in their hands."
"Wow, wow, wait a sec. 'Almighty'?" Issei particularly perked up upon listening the Angels' background. Admittedly, Ayame had the same inquiry as his brother. The implications in Rias' speech weren't a small thing to be overlooked at all. "If Angels exists, then… does that mean that Go-"
"Silence!"
Rias yelled with a strong voice before Issei had time to finish his sentence. Issei was taken aback, and Ayame raised an eyebrow in response. Rias looked aside, coughing in one of her hands. Akeno stared at them from her peripheral vision, unsmiling.
"Don't say His name out loud, please. We…" The redhead stopped her speech for some fleeting moments. After a few seconds, she exhaled. "…Some words, simple words you would use in your everyday life, carry a lot of power behind them. Words you shouldn't utter so uncaringly. His name is one of those. And yes, He does exist as a matter of fact."
God existed. Ayame believed such a transcendental revelation would be granted to him with more awe, fitting of an all-powerful and divine being, and only after his human lifespan was exhausted and he was unwillingly sent to whatever place one went to in death. Strangely enough, he favored Rias' bluntness over waiting an entire lifetime to get an answer that would have probably disappointed him.
Both brothers knew better than to start making philosophic inquiries about God right now, despite their curiosity. Other matters needed their immediate attention.
"…Anyway, what about the third faction?" asked the brunet composedly. "You mentioned Fallen Angels earlier on. What about demons? Are those the exact same thing?"
She raised her right hand with one finger up.
"Fallen Angels aren't Demons. In the Holy scriptures, the words may be interchangeable, but in real life, matters are far more complicated."
Another finger went up.
"The 'Demons' you speak of are actually named Devils. That is the third faction, in this case. Devils are creatures of darkness, which have always lived in a different dimensional plane called the 'Underworld'. Angels keep the Devils and Fallen Angels at bay, while Fallen Angels and Devils fight against each other, mainly for territorial disputes in the human world and the Underworld."
A third finger did the same.
"'Demon' is a simple title, an honor given to the four Demon Lords of ancient that ruled over the Underworld as supreme leaders. While Angels and Fallen are creations of the almighty, it is common belief and knowledge that Devils are direct descendants of the Demon Lords instead."
Ayame listened attentively, pushing a corner of his lips upwards with a thumb. As much as he slightly enjoyed the history class the redhead put him through, his mind was still focused on another matters.
His paralyzed left arm twitched ever so slightly.
"I suppose that explains the context of this situation, more or less." Ayame shifted on his seat, crossing his legs one over the other. "But I believe you're forgetting that which brought us here in the first place."
Issei suddenly broke free from his stupor, and finished his brother's thought soon enough. "Yeah… why were we attacked by a Fallen Angel, Gremory-senpai? As far as I know, we're just normal dudes."
As soon as he said that, the room fell silent. He looked from one person to another, and confusion etched on his facial features.
"W-What? Am I forgetting somethin'?"
Ayame hummed, drawing everyone's attention.
He massaged a side of his head with his functional hand, thinking. "If I remember correctly, before losing consciousness, Yuuma mentioned something. Apparently, she was given orders to get rid of us, because we probably had something dangerous within us; a 'Sacred Gear'."
He proceeded to extend his open hand towards Rias, signaling her to speak.
"What do you say about that?"
Upon mentioning 'Sacred Gear', Rias' face contorted into something akin to surprise and discomfort. She quickly composed herself, although she seemed to be uneasy about his comment.
"…A Sacred Gear is a powerful, archaic artifact, created a long time ago by Him. Sacred Gears are uncountable in number, and each one is capable of granting their users with immensely powerful and useful abilities. Sacred Gears are incredibly rare nonetheless, despite their quantity. It's not strange to see interested parties trying to take ahold of them by force."
Rias gave the brothers an apprehensive stare. She continued.
"He created Sacred Gears a long time ago as a gift. Humans are weak and frail as they are, and He wanted to make sure they would be able to protect themselves instead of fully relying on him."
She closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "The only beings capable of naturally inheriting a Sacred Gears are humans. From the moment a new human soul comes into the world, there is the probability that they may hold a Sacred Gear within. Sometimes, some of them are hidden for entire lifetimes, and it's hard to distinguish at first glance who has the gift or not."
Ayame massaged his chin, mulling about her explanation. Humans were lesser beings, weaklings. For those who had power for granted, it was a scary thought to think that the last link in the food chain had the potential of revolting against its natural predators. It didn't come as a surprise that the uncertainty of a Sacred Gear wielder brought dismay upon those who couldn't have it.
"So…," continued Issei before Rias beat him to it. "…All of this happened because we have one of those inside?"
The redhead diverted her eyes, and then shrugged nonchalantly.
"Ise probably does, but I'm not sure about Hyoudou-san." The change in her until now confident tone of voice didn't pass unnoticed. "There is one way of finding out."
She raised her left hand, opening it slowly. Seconds passed, and the humanly impossible occurred.
A red mist like a cloud of blood began to emanate from her fingertips. A crimson luminous glyph with symbols Ayame couldn't decipher or recognize appeared from nothingness, above her hand.
A few beats elapsed and the glyph disappeared. The mist began taking the uniform shape of a sphere, with red and black lights shifting inside of it.
An oppressive atmosphere settled in the room. A feeling of risk the brunet knew all too well sent chills running down his spine. He kept a tranquil demeanor, as he was already accustomed to this kind of phenomenon from previous experiences.
It was the same power Rias tried to use against Ayame.
"What I'm showing right now is magic, basically," demonstrated Rias. "And this energy you're seeing is named anima."
The sphere of power droned an ominous sound as Rias spoke.
"Anima is a residual energy that exists as a byproduct of the soul itself. The soul is the base expression of 'life' that allows us to live as individual, intelligent and irreplaceable beings. Anima is, then, our emotions, our memories, and our thoughts given form by the sheer might of our soul."
Her emerald eyes glanced at them for a moment. Her gaze was piercing.
"Magic is the ability to project anima in the real world, the physical manifestation of our life essence, our inner magical energy."
She bounced the ball of energy a few times, like testing its existence. Ayame felt a pressure in his lungs every time the sphere returned to its original position, as if he inhaled and exhaled in coordination with its movement.
"The rule of thumb is that everyone who uses magic has a soul, but not everyone who has a soul is able to use magic," explained Rias calmly. "Magic is an ability that requires a lot of time and a lot of effort to be mastered, assimilated as a second nature. Sometimes, genetic and spiritual affinity is needed to perform certain arts, too."
The girl moved the hand in front of her face, illuminating herself with a crimson red light as bright as her hair.
"Everyone has a different soul at the end of it all. This means that magic is a subject too broad to generalize it in practice, as there are millions of ways to use it. What you can surely remember is that, without a soul, there's no magic. And the stronger the soul…"
With a quick closure of her hand, the sphere disappeared completely.
"-The stronger the magic will be once used."
Issei had seen the event with barely hidden incredulity. His older sibling did the same, absentmindedly looking at the magic that had put an end to his life a night before. Neither of them shied away from it. They were like moths attracted to a fire, but they were aware that touching this specific fire would bring them to a swift end.
"This planet is also a living being, the greatest of its kind. However, it doesn't have the same type of life essence as we do, meaning it can't form intelligent thoughts or conceive emotions. It doesn't have a 'soul', and this means it doesn't have anima either. Its power is translated into nature as some sort of collective mind that is unbiased and completely instinctual. Its only objective is preserving itself, and the creatures who reside in it. Earth's unending life, combined with this collective mind, is what creates the greater source of energy known as 'mana'."
Rias began playing with a lock of her red hair as she continued her explanation.
"Most humans are unable to tap into their souls and exploit their anima as naturally as others. To make up for this, some people make use of other techniques and shape the world's Mana to project magic. This process is far more unreliable than simply using Anima, as mana is a foreign force."
The young woman stopped mingling with her red mane and started walking around the sofas. She positioned herself behind Ayame and Issei's sofa, arms crossed.
"Sacred Gears are exceptions," she simply stated and allowed herself some seconds of silence to let the message sink in. "They're inherently independent from Anima or Mana, as magic artifacts of divine origin themselves. While magical energy becomes imperative for them to work at their most powerful state, it's not particularly necessary if a person simply wants to summon the Sacred Gear in question."
The woman uncrossed her arms. Ignoring all kind of personal space, she placed one hand on each of the brothers' shoulders. Issei visibly tensed up, while Ayame remained impassive.
"Now you may be asking yourselves: how does one activate a Sacred Gear?" Her statement was absolutely correct, so none of them responded. "Since Sacred Gears produce their own anima, you just need to synchronize your feelings with it and it will respond accordingly by appearing in the real world."
She took her hands away. The impatient tapping of her foot wasn't very subtle, but Ayame's attention was elsewhere.
"Basically, you need to think hard enough about something that makes you feel strongly. Anything goes, but it has to be deeply related, crucial to your person. Try closing your eyes, and go on. If you have the potential, powerful emotions will trigger the manifestation."
The brunet grimaced upon hearing the explanation of the activation process.
Such process was incompatible with him. His prolonged involvement in this situation stemmed from the fact that he couldn't feel any strong emotion for anything.
Either way, the teenager couldn't be nitpicky or come up with puny explanations to excuse his weakness. He needed to confront this problem directly and try as hard as he could.
He closed his eyes, as per instructed.
He rummaged in the blank world that was his mind, trying to find something, anything that was capable of causing even a little bit of emotional turmoil.
Ayame thought about himself. His experiences, his appearance, his personality, all of them were a cluster of mediocrity that had no minimal chance of standing out even if he were to try hard enough. Thinking about his pathetic life brought a mild sense of frustration, but that wasn't nearly enough to stir him up.
He refocused and began thinking about Issei. His brother was an honest person, and albeit he was a perverted jackass, he didn't seem capable of harboring bad intentions against anyone. Ayame felt nothing about him either. At best, he could be annoyed because of his sibling's vices, but it was inconsequential.
Then, he remembered Yuuma Amano.
She was a mystery, in all honesty. Her act of an innocent high school girl was idiotic and unremarkable. Her real identity was unknown to him. At most, he could only conclude she was a sadistic woman who delighted on the suffering of those lesser than her. She was strong enough to obliterate a normal human without much effort, too.
Ayame felt slightly humiliated of his death. He couldn't present the slightest bit of resistance against that woman. And now, Yuuma Amano was the one thing his mind couldn't stop thinking about.
As he brought forth every single detail of her, his white mind was slowly darkened with shades of red. He recalled her graceful yet deadly movements. He recalled her sweet voice spelling curses and delighting on his suffering, seemingly uncharacteristic of a beautiful girl such as her. He recalled her lustful, triumphant stare as she gazed upon his battered body.
Everything converged into one specific feeling: the pain.
Pain, pain, pain; the word resonated inside of his skull, almost too sweetly. At first he tried to push it aside, suspecting it was just a foolish sentiment that wouldn't last much longer like all the others. But he failed to do so, and then, it became more and more prominent. His mind replayed the word again and again with a familiar voice that hit too close to home.
A tingling sensation began to spread, starting from the center of his chest, and going throughout the muscles and bones of his back. An electric numbness travelled across his paralyzed arm.
Strange emotions resurfaced. At that moment, he forced himself to remember what happened that fateful night once again, with clearer details. Ayame recreated his final moments inside his mind.
The teenager saw himself on the ground, lying on a pool of blood, lacking his left arm and having a hole blasted through his heart. At that moment, there was only darkness. Yet, he felt it. An overwhelming, phantasmagorical presence was overtaking him in his last moments, refusing to let him die.
Ayame wasn't careless enough to assume he was special or anything. But, possibly enough, when his body perished, something saved him.
That something, if anything, could have been this Sacred Gear everyone was fretting over. There was no other explanation as of presently.
The teenager reached out with his flawed feelings, and…
…
…
…
"…Nothing."
Ayame opened his eyes, uttering his failure with a simple word. He took in the real world around him once again, and with it, the fact he was unable to do anything.
Nothing manifested. No great power was in front of him. There was just a sensation, a sense of mild accomplishment, but not much more.
However, not all was unchanged.
The young man looked down his body; specifically, his left arm. The appendage he couldn't move a single millimeter right up until now; the appendage whose fingers twitched and clenched into a fist when he willed it to.
His left arm moved once again. He subtly flexed it, probing its mobility.
Expressionlessly, he stared at the dead arm that now wasn't so dead.
He pursed his lips, and decided to postpone the unanswerable questions for later.
"Nothing at all, Hyoudou-san?" questioned Rias with a somewhat agitated voice behind him, trying to get his attention and not minding his left arm's strange movement. "Although I didn't see anything myself, maybe you felt something strange. Am I correct?"
She was.
"No. I didn't feel anything at all."
Ayame wasn't an idiot, however. If Sacred Gears were the valuable possessions Rias made them to be, then she would surely want to seize them for herself in one way or another. He couldn't be careless and give people more reasons to pursue him.
"I… see. That's fortunate for you, I suppose."
Stating the obvious, she focused her attention on Issei. Ayame did the same.
Rias' expression was of utter surprise. Ayame stared silently, interested. No words were spoken; the sight they were beholding held more significance than words were capable of transmitting.
Issei was very concentrated, and his facial features were strained. Running down his left arm was a faint, red crimson light of some sorts, and just on top of his palm, a green glow. It was distorted, almost non-existent, but it was there for all to see. Ayame felt every fiber of his body tensing up upon seeing the phenomenon.
The older brother gulped. "That's…"
"Yes, it is," Rias responded as she anticipated the boy's question. "He's not quite there yet, but that's unmistakably it. A Sacred Gear."
Ayame could only look in bemusement at his brother's feat. His heart became heavy and thumped almost painfully at the sight.
It was incredible. As Rias mentioned, it didn't look like a weapon or tool at all, but that didn't make it any less amazing for what it was.
Issei kept grumbling as he put the most effort he could. It seemed that summoning a Sacred Gear wasn't as simple as having strong feelings. The younger Hyoudou was physically wearing himself down just to enact the miracle, and even then, he failed to do so completely. After two long and silent minutes elapsed, Issei exhaled a heavy sigh and the red light disappeared.
He gasped for a while, before composing himself.
"…Did it work…?" asked Issei between ragged breaths.
"Yes! Simply astounding, Ise. You did pretty well for your first time." Rias gave the underclassman a friendly tap on the back, congratulating him.
Issei blushed. If it was because of exhaustion, or because he was actually embarrassed, that remained unknown.
"Could you disclose what ignited your feelings, Ise?" the redhead questioned, before waving her hands apologetically. "If it doesn't bother you, of course!"
A brief pause came after. Issei was silent for a moment, regaining oxygen. Then, he blinked, and laughed sheepishly.
"Hehe… It's a little embarrassing," he said while closing his eyes. "I… I thought about him."
He pointed a finger at Ayame.
The older brother widened his eyes a little, before scoffing and looking to another direction.
"From the moment this conversation started, Ayame hasn't been scared or shaken at all. He quickly came to terms with everything that happened and…"
The brunet started massaging his head, smile slightly widening.
"…I realized that my big brother is a very cool and strong person. Not even dying can make him waver, ya know? He's awesome."
Consequently, Issei showed a wide, brilliant smile from ear to ear.
"I also want to be strong. Not just for me, but for others too."
The two women in the room seemed a bit bewildered at Issei's reasoning. Before long, both of them smiled sweetly at him in return.
Rias put a hand beneath her chin, nodding. "Hmm, that's a very noble way of thinking, Ise. But to handle this situation like you're doing right now already makes you strong. Don't be so humble."
Akeno, for her part, put a hand against her cheek.
"Awww, that's so cute. Doesn't it make you feel proud, Ayame-chan? Ise is looking up his older brother~"
Ayame looked away. "I'm not particularly joyful about it. He can do whatever he wants."
"Oh, are you embarrassed? Please tell me you are~"
"Shut up." Then, the boy directed his focus to Rias once again. "Anyway, your help is somewhat appreciated Gremory. This was very informative."
Said young woman started walking towards her original spot with a smile. "No problem, Hyoudou-san. I'm just repaying you for my mistakes."
Both of them perked up at her last line. Issei felt compelled to ask.
"What do you mean, Gremory-senpai? You couldn't have possibly known something like this was going to happen."
Rias closed her eyes, shaking her head from side to side.
"I should have known, Ise. After all, I'm the one who's in charge of protecting this specific part of Kuoh because of some territorial matters. Therefore, it's my responsibility to foresee this kind of events. I was careless, and two innocent people died because of my negligence."
And with that said, she straightened her back, and put her arms parallel to her body.
"Which is why-"
She bent her upper body forwards.
Her crimson hair fell over her face, and it almost touched the ground. She didn't seem to mind.
She was bowing, hunching her body low enough to strain back.
"I, Rias Gremory, am sorry for abandoning you in your times of need."
Her words were received with dignified silence.
Ayame stared at her. Akeno watched the exchange with a knowing smirk.
"Because of my attitude, you two went through a lot. I won't ask for forgiveness, because I'm sure I don't deserve it. I just want you to know that it wasn't my intention to let you die, or hurt you at all."
Issei himself was completely at a loss for words, too.
"If you want to hate me, please do so. But accept the information I gave you as compensation for my failure. You deserved to know the truth."
An apology. It would have been easier to simply send Ayame and Issei away without recognizing this particular problem, but instead, she actually apologized. She admitted her own lack of insight and the consequences of it, allowing herself to go on with that burden.
Not anyone could just apologize so sincerely. And that was…
…Insulting.
"I reject your apology."
Rias raised her head, clearly stunned upon listening to Ayame's blunt response.
"Gremory, do I look like I need your help at all? Just because a winged monster killed me doesn't mean I need anyone to babysit me. Don't fret over something you had no power of, because that's unreasonable. You're making me look bad."
As far as Ayame was aware,he died because he was weak. He never asked for anyone's help or protection in the first place. He wasn't childish enough to blame others for his own shortcomings either.
"C-C'mon, dude. Could ya have phrased that less violently?" Issei told him. "A-Anyway, Gremory-senpai, you don't need to apologize. Just as my bro said, we're fine now! There's no reason to be angry, I promise."
From the way her eyes softened, Ayame could tell Rias appreciated it.
"…Yes, indeed. I shouldn't be treating you like you're completely defenseless on your own. I was just trying to be responsible." She straightened her back and took her usually prideful stance. "Thanks for understanding, anyway."
Issei nodded excitedly, while Ayame just stayed silent.
"…I think we're done here," the older Hyoudou said. "I'm leaving."
"Actually," interrupted Rias, "there's a last, very important thing I need to talk about."
Just like that, the brunet decided to listen intently instead of going away.
She stared at him with calculating eyes. Then, after exchanging a quick look with Akeno, her voice was heard.
"I'm not human."
The bluntness of her statement took Issei a little off guard, but Ayame wasn't exactly surprised. He had figured out she wasn't human long before the conversation started or she admitted that fact out loud. A human wouldn't display the kind of power she had.
"I'll make things easy for you to understand. In truth…"
Shadows erupted from behind Rias. They flapped powerfully, cracking loudly upon contact. Then, they gently relaxed, losing the initial tension that adorned their unfolding.
Ayame didn't flinch. He had seen this kind of thing before.
Sprouting from the redhead's back were leathery, bat-like wings. They were big and thick, wide enough to cover the her body if she chose to enclose herself with them. They casted shadows of considerable size on the room.
"I'm a Devil, as you can see."
She turned around for them to see, wings naturally moving along with her. They looked real.
Both siblings could notice that the wings originated from the woman's back, from a point just beneath her shoulder blades. For some reason it looked like they phased through her clothes.
She faced them again directly, not bothering to hide her wings.
"Now, I would like to extend an offer to you, Ayame," stated Rias. "You see, a long time ago, there was a Great War between the three factions, which decimated an outrageous number of people from every group. Because of this, our collective strength is dwindling."
At that moment, she extended her right hand forward. Seconds later, a red flash of light was seen. It quickly subsided, replaced with a small object.
It wasn't hard to distinguish it from afar. It was a chess piece.
However, unlike most chess pieces Ayame knew of, this one sported a crimson glow.
"As a countermeasure, we Devils came up with an incredibly useful method. It's called the 'Evil Piece' system."
She walked closer, carefully managing to not touch anything with her extra appendages. One of the wings brushed Akeno's nose, which made her smirk.
Rias put herself in front of him. Looking at it up close, Ayame noticed it was a knight chess piece.
"This system is simple. Through the use of magical artifacts shaped after chess pieces, we can transform—'reincarnate'—almost any person as a Devil hybrid, giving them the powers and weaknesses of our kin. Each piece bestows different abilities upon the recipient."
She showed him the piece in question. It exuded an ominous presence which sent shivers down Ayame's spine. It was even more malignant than Yuuma or Rias' for that matter whenever they decided to be threatening. It was an abominable power, compacted into a small form.
"Evil pieces are only given to noble Devils, such as me. Reincarnated Devils serve under the person who owns their evil piece as 'servants'. Servants as a group are named 'peerage'. The master of those servants is respectively called their 'King'."
Ayame shuffled back, not wanting to be close to the small object. He heard the explanation, and so far, he understood it. Yet, his mind was still crushed under the threat of great danger in front of him.
The boy's blue eyes shone at their center with a blue-red light, reflecting the image of the unnatural power before him.
It felt sickening.
"Hyoudou-san, if I'm completely honest with you, I tried to save you yesterday night," Rias said with an apologetic expression. "I tried to use an evil piece with you, and for some reason, your body rejected it. I managed to reincarnate Ise, because he was still alive. But I couldn't do anything with you…"
Issei was a Devil? That explained why he was alive at all. He didn't need to see his brother's face directly to know he was as dumbfounded as Ayame himself.
"I don't know how, but you managed to survive. Right now, I'm giving you the option, as I should have done with Ise.
"If you become mine, I will protect you from any other beings that wish you harm, and help you become stronger on your own.
"You will never suffer any of the earthly needs that you may have gone through before. I will provide you with shelter, aliments, and any luxury you would personally desire in case you needed it.
"Your future will be safe with me."
Ayame diverted his sight from the monstrous artifact, and locked stares with Rias' emerald eyes.
"So, Ayame Hyoudou, I shall ask you: do you wish to become my servant?"
The shadow of her wings approached from his sides, encasing both of them in a single exchange between two parts.
Her offer was lacking in downsides. It was a sweet deal, maybe too sweet. He thought about it again and again, trying to find something deceitful, something that could be used against him in case he accepted. He found nothing factually wrong with it. Rias didn't seem like a dishonest or unscrupulous person. Considering her power, her confidence, and the resources she could control to have an entire mansion as her clubhouse, she wasn't lying when she said she would take protect him, both against danger and poverty.
Ayame understood it was an objectively good choice to agree and become hers.
Nevertheless, the Devil was in the details.
He would effectively have great benefits. But the high cost was giving up his humanity and freedom of action.
The young man wouldn't need to search for his personal 'meaning', or make decisions of his own. Rias would shoulder the responsibility of all the sins he committed, and in the same manner, receive all of the recognition for the exploits he performed. He wouldn't be aimless anymore, as serving his new master would be the whole point of his existence. But was that the solution to the problem that consumed and exhausted his life for so long or simply the coward's way out to something only he could confront…?
His face contorted in disgust at the simple idea of it.
Ayame would become a privileged version of a slave. A glorified, disposable piece in someone else's chess game, as if that wasn't ironic enough.
He wasn't a simpleton who lusted after the superficial goods other humans did. He didn't desire any of the things Rias was proposing to him. Ayame was sure he would be used; if he didn't know better, there was the possibility that she would discard him too when he ceased to valuable.
…
…
…
…
There was nothing to think about. The answer was already obvious.
"I refuse."
Rias didn't react. She stood still as a stone, not removing herself from his personal space.
"Why?"
Ayame calmly closed his eyes.
"I have lived as a free person, confronting my problems on my own and facing the consequences of my decisions. I will die the same way. My motivations, my objectives, my life and the person I am… you can't take them away from me. I won't allow such a thing to happen, as you have no right to decide my future for me."
She didn't retreat. Her resolve was as firm as his.
"I'm not taking anything from you, Hyoudou-san. I'm giving you much more. Please reconsider. This world is a very dangerous place for you to be alone. I'm just paving a way for you to seize greater things once you're ready."
Ayame was being tempted by the Devil herself. The illusion of choice was just a masquerade to hide her ambitions and dreams.
She promised him lowly things. She would just use him to achieve greater goals that wouldn't concern him anymore.
He couldn't waver. His life, as sick and obnoxiously empty as it was, held the truthful sense of despair to it.
He never lied to himself, even if that meant not finding joy or happiness in anything. If he accepted the offer, he would just simply be a puppet to someone else.
His search would lose meaning, just as his life already did.
"No."
He opened his eyes once again. Both stared at each other fiercely.
She got closer.
Her face was centimeters away from his.
"And what do you want, exactly?"
Ayame couldn't hear anything anymore. The thumping of his heart erased any other sound present. He read her lips and responded accordingly.
"What I want… is nothing you would ever comprehend. And nothing you could ever grant to me."
…
…
…
"…Fine."
Rias' voice escaped from her lips almost as a whisper rather than actual talking. Accepting the outcome of a situation she couldn't control, she retracted her wings and made them disappear. Rias walked away from Ayame without uttering a single word. She rounded up her desk and sat on the chair behind it. Her elbows fell on the wooden surface as she plummeted down on her seat. She supported her chin on her joined hands.
"I respect your decision, Hyoudou-san. I won't force my hand on you." The woman's obscured face showed a glint of her emerald eyes as she stared at him with a calm expression. "But please remember that my offer is still up. Whenever you desire, you can contact me."
She closed her eyes.
"…Until then you're on your own. Do you understand the risks?"
There was no change in Ayame's dull eyes. He had considered that possibility before she brought it up.
"I said I don't need your help. I can handle my own life just as fine without you getting in my way."
Seeing the impassive face of Ayame, Rias couldn't find any slight hint of doubt in his being.
"You have made yourself clear, then." Rias made a nonchalant gesture with her hand. "You may leave now."
Heeding her advice, the teenager stood up without missing a beat. After walking towards the exit and taking ahold of the doorknob, he looked behind for a moment.
"I hope we don't see each other again."
Then, Ayame opened the door and left without saying anything else.
"Eh, wait a second Ayame!"
Issei, who had been cautious of not interrupting the conversation, suddenly stood up and decided to follow his brother.
He was about to leave too, but…
"…Gremory-senpai?"
The boy called her.
Rias was caught off guard as he did this. She locked sight with the younger Hyoudou. Then, with a smile, Issei talked.
"Thanks for everything." He began looking at the floor. "I… I'm not exactly sure about what's going on, really. I did say I wouldn't back down, but… I need time to think things through."
He raised his gaze again.
"But, that's not it. What I mean is that you're a good person, Gremory-senpai. You… You have my gratitude. Thanks a lot for helping us."
The woman's tranquil features relaxed and morphed into a bright smile. She sported an understanding expression, which she wholly dedicated to him.
"You're a sweet person, Ise. You should go and rest. I know you have questions, but it won't do any good to stress you even more. Go now."
There was no need to respond. With a last nod and his usual smile, Issei left the premise.
- ~DxD~ -
The setting sun illuminated one face of the enormous compound of Kuoh Academy. Its orange light emblazoned a side of the edifice while the side that remained hidden was covered in darkness. Groups of shadows exited the establishment with tired marching and flimsy aspects, product of a day full of activities. School had finally finished for the day.
Amongst the crowd of unremarkable individuals, one walked slightly farther from the rest. The sunlight revealed his face soon enough. A blue-eyed teenager trudged towards the gates of the school with the intention of going home.
Ayame walked absentmindedly, lost in his thoughts.
His sickening routine, seemingly set in stone, was broken into pieces, unrecognizable from what it truly was before. His general disinterest in everything as a whole was strongly challenged by the unreal, the unknown. His monotonous lifestyle, a blank canvas, was dyed with violent colors and they formed a picture his limited comprehension couldn't grasp completely.
His world suddenly shifted at the end of a day and the start of another. A before and after was definitely established in his existence. A few days ago, Ayame was a secondary subject in his own life. Now that he was aware of a world completely alien to his own, he knew he was a mere ant in a greater scheme.
Ayame was able to ignore all of this. He was still on time to return to his horrible yet safe life and pretend nothing happened. Nothing but valuing his life prevented him from getting involved in something dangerous, deadly.
Everything led to the formulation of a certain question. A question that, on the surface, appeared simple for anyone to respond. Yet, for Ayame, it was still a complicated issue.
What was he supposed to do now?
At first he was just searching for answers. They were given to him accordingly, after some mild tribulations. There was nothing left for him to do. He didn't necessarily need to involve himself. However, a feeling of disappointment and incompletion still assailed him. A feeling he simply didn't want to live with any longer.
He still had nothing similar to a closure for his emptiness, and therein laid the conflict. What was his objective? What was the reason to keep moving forward?
"…H-Hey Ayame, wait for me!"
In the midst of thinking about his next decision, the voice of his closest relative tore him away from his contemplations. The brunet turned heel quickly enough. Issei's all too bright and energetic form ran and evaded the other students, approaching him with rapid steps. He stopped just a few centimeters away from the older teen.
"What is it?" asked Ayame, betraying no emotions.
Issei spent some moments to recover his breath. He straightened his back and spoke with a worried tone.
"I…" The boy trailed off, looking at another direction. He shook his head, and stared at Ayame resolutely. "I was just worried about you, bro. It's kind of scary to think yer just fine being alone, even though people like…"
Issei stopped midsentence, and his voice lost a bit of strength.
"…Even though people like Yuuma exist and are hidin' beneath our noses. These are monsters we're talkin' about, dude. Gremory-senpai may take care of me or something… but are you gonna be fine on yer own?"
Ayame narrowed his eyes.
"I never needed or asked for help from anyone. If I see myself in a dire situation, I'll come up with something. Mind your own businesses."
Issei's brown eyes scrunched. His disbelief in Ayame's autonomy was obvious. After all, no sane person decided to be foolish enough to face this kind of situation with no aid or companion to help. It was absolute madness.
Yet, the younger Hyoudou was aware he couldn't change his sibling's mind.
"Geez… man, yer impossible to deal with, ya know?"
Ayame tilted his head to one side. "Look who's talking."
"Yeah, yeah." He began massaging the back of his head, seemingly giving up in trying convincing him. "Anyway, you gotta promise me this-"
He held up a closed fist in front of his opposite.
"-Don't ya die on me, okay Ayame?"
The older brother stared at the fist. Ayame looked back and forth from Issei's face to the clenched hand, and understood the gesture he was trying to perform. The brunet raised his own fist, and tapped his brother's.
"I won't."
With that blunt and short reassurance, Issei smiled in a satisfied manner. He walked past Ayame and patted him on the back.
"Well! I'll take a detour 'n have some fun out there," stated the younger boy as he stretched a little. "Be sure to go home before it gets dark, or I'll kick yer pale ass."
The blue-eyed brunet stared silently at his counterpart.
"Is there any reason for this little detour of yours? If you're so concerned about safety, we can simply go home together as we normally do."
Issei craned his head towards him, a bored expression on his face. "Pal, I spent all day discovering new things about magic, Angels and shit. Right now I want some fresh air and time alone. 'Sides, I couldn't even lay my eyes on the pretty girls today! A man's gotta unwind and get some eye-candy from time to time, to ease the worries and stuff."
Ayame silently judged his brother with half-lidded eyes. The latter waved a hand at him after he finished with his pointless rambling, going somewhere else. The brunet didn't wave back. Issei took the first turn to the right, completely disappeared from sight.
He breathed in one last time. Then, he looked down at his numb left hand. The hand attached to the arm that had been bisected from his body, and which now was completely uninjured.
"'Don't die', huh…"
It was too late for such a thing to be avoided. Ayame Hyoudou was already dead in life, long before Yuuma Amano killed his body as well. This experience, however, awakened something that wouldn't have seen the light had he continued a meaningless life. Something primal, something violent… something human.
That 'something'… it was the pure, unbridled desire for more. He wanted more.
His heart thumped louder and louder. He closed his hand into a fist.
He quickly began to understand why he didn't escape in time. He understood why he was almost desperately screaming 'do it!' to Yuuma, urging her to go for the kill as soon as possible. He understood why he was here now, as staring at Issei's dead corpse ignited devious hopes within him.
Pain.
That was the answer. It was simple, so simple. He had been too stupid to notice, but it had always been there.
Pain was the key. Pain was the proof that he was a living being, like any other. Pain was the proof that he wasn't an unfeeling monster wearing the breathing, bleeding body of a human as his skinsuit.
Pain was the definite, indisputable proof that he could feel something. Ayame wasn't just a hollow carcass.
He needed more of it. Pain made him feel human, and maybe, just maybe, with enough pain, emotions that weren't solely tied to material and physical pleasures would naturally rise from within. Things like joy, sorrow, enthusiasm, ecstasy, sadness, happiness…
On the verge of dying, he saw his light at the end of the tunnel. He felt the true weight of what others called 'life'. He understood a simple sliver of what it meant to be human.
This is why… he would search for the woman named Yuuma Amano. He would grant her the wonderful gift of pain, before killing her. He would kill her just as she killed him.
Once he was done with her, he would move on to the next person - the person that ordered Yuuma to kill him. And then, he would move on to the next one. Anyone who was strong enough to entertain the possibility of defeating him and ending his life, he would confront and kill them.
The brunet didn't know how he would do it. He was weak, powerless. But this was it - his great opportunity to make something worthy of living out of himself. He could worry about his methods soon enough.
Ayame would would accept pain and allow it to lead him towards the most human side of himself. He would fill the void inside him, and maybe…
…Maybe he would find more reasons to keep on living.
Or die trying.
He smiled.
With a resolute posture and sharp blue eyes looking past the real world, and into his future objective, he strutted back home.
- ~DxD~ -
Issei stumbled from side to side weakly. His steps were heavy, and his appearance was disconcerting.
He was unaware of where he was right now. He didn't care. As long as he was far away from anywhere where people could congregate in great amounts and bother him, it was completely fine.
His day was a crazy one. Not so long ago he started his very first relationship with a woman that actually seemed interested in him. In their first date together, she murdered him in cold blood and without the slightest hint of remorse for doing so.
On top of that, he wasn't human anymore.
It should have been a cool thing… like a tragic backstory for an amazing protagonist, ready to embark on a great journey.
.
.
.
I won't back down. I promise.
.
.
.
Unfortunately, it didn't really feel cool or awesome. It was horrible.
With a blurred sight and trembling legs, Issei stopped walking and put his back against a wall as support.
.
.
.
I already have bad luck with women. Just because this one killed me or some shit doesn't mean I'll start mopping around!
.
.
.
Issei wasn't lying when he said that. Crying wasn't particularly useful to resolve anything, and he wasn't a person who gave up pretty easily against obstacles. He wouldn't have been fawning over the women of his school if he felt discouraged from all the beatings he received from them. However, he wasn't invincible, and right now, he couldn't hold it inside any longer.
Issei looked down at his left hand.
There was a droplet of water on it.
No… Not water. It wasn't raining. His eyes and cheeks were wet, too.
It was embarrassing. He was sure people would laugh and make fun of him if they saw him like that. He was supposed to be jumping like a kid and fool around like an idiot.
But, for this one time, he didn't mind. If he failed to come to terms with this situation right now, he would have been hindered by those feelings later on. He needed to be cool and strong, just like his big brother. Nobody needed a weak person.
.
.
.
Besides, crying ain't going to solve anything.
.
.
.
Crying never solved anything. Action did.
However, he wanted to let it out right now. It wasn't going to do him any favors if he bottled everything up.
Issei let himself slid down the wall. He sat on the ground; his legs were lazily sprawled across the hot pavement.
One hand rested on his thigh. With the other hand, he covered his face and the tears that were falling down from his eyes. Unfortunately, he failed to hide his true feelings in every weak gesture.
Issei Hyoudou sat there in absolute silence.
~Author's Note~
Man, I'm on fire these days. I was expecting this chapter to come out next month, but I had a sudden flow of inspiration, and I finished faster than usual!
Anyway, one thing you may be weirded out about is 'Anima' and the way I'm handling magic. High School DxD doesn't really have a specified system for magic in canon, and many things are left unanswered, which makes it harder for me to write about it. I don't like the idea of just going around and saying 'magic is magic, no explanations needed', because that's not my style. For that reason, I'll incorporate elements of my own headcanon to make it more enjoyable/understandable for the readers.
Also, you may have noticed that the characters of this story are slightly different from canon. Issei isn't just a single-minded pervert, Rias is not as high and mighty, and Akeno is more unsettling than usual.
I'm trying to take the original characters and give them more depth while also changing many other things. I hope they're exciting to read about, too.
If Ayame seems like an unlikable asshole with sociopathic tendencies, then that's great. I'm aiming for that kind of character. Tell me what you like about him so far, along with the other characters as well. It really helps me to get the ideas flowing.
Anything else of interest is welcome. Tell me all of your thoughts in a review, if you want.
Huge thanks to Ciel du Nord for being a spectacular Beta Reader and an awesome person all around. I recommend you her story, "Dreams of Red", if you want to go on a huge rollercoaster of emotions and adventures!
Merry Christmas to all of you!
(23/12/2019)
