Horned Devils
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Disclaimer: I still do not own HS DxD.
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Despite being busy with their duties as members of DxD, or perhaps because of them, both Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri found themselves not needing to perform as many requests as they did before their graduation from Kuoh Academy. However, they and their peerages still performed some requests, as their familiars and those of their peerages had passed out numerous flyers. Anyone who had one could summon any member of their peerage when they wanted, for whatever reason, within reason.
Koneko still went to various places even after leaving Kuoh Academy. Yuto Kiba had quite a few 'regulars' that would summon him from time to time for various reasons. Tsubasa Yura had several requests from young women wanting to either just talk about or practice martial arts. Even Reya Kusaka had the occasional request from those that wished to learn about magic. It was strange that something once vital had gradually become something to do to relax.
So it was that when Rias and Sona were summoned, they perhaps were eager to take a break from their duties. They were also curious, as summoning both of them simultaneously required considerable magic. After all, the sigils on the flyers that were handed out required either incredible need or plenty of power to even use. The more powerful the better to summon the higher ranked members of either peerage.
After some time to prepare, including leaving a note saying they were off on a request and would return when it was finished, Rias and Sona teleported.
When they arrived, they were mildly surprised at the location. Both knew that it was deep underground, but it was brightly lit. A quick glance told them that they were just outside of a shrine, and that it was also a training ground. They could also tell that this was the outer, or offering hall of the shrine, just outside the inner shrine, or main sanctuary.
"Ah. I was concerned that I would be turned down."
At the sound of a man's voice, both devils turned to see who was speaking. As both faced the speaker, he bowed in welcome and said, "I am thankful that both of you decided to reply to my request. I isolated myself from the world some time ago, and wish to learn of recent events."
The first thing Rias and Sona noticed was the shrine clothing he wore. While not extravagant, the traditional clothing of shrine attendants do not normally indicate any structure of hierarchy within those that reside there. But the golden rope that was tied around his waist suggested that this was the head of this shrine. The second thing that was unusual was the small horns upon his head. They looked much like the horns that are placed upon masks used to make the wearer appear as an oni.
"A not unreasonable request," Sona replied before asking, "But where are we? And who are you?"
"My apologies. My name is Toshio Subete, and this is a shrine long hidden under Mount Ōe. It was built many centuries ago, and I have tried to keep it in good condition."
"You seem to have done quite well in doing so," Rias said. Something nagged at her from the back of her mind. She asked carefully, "To what deity is this shrine dedicated to?"
Both heard Toshio sigh before replying in a quiet voice, "This shrine was and is dedicated to the dragon known as Yamata no Orochi." Before Rias or Sona could recover from the shock of hearing that name, Toshio held up his hands in a placating gesture before continuing, "This shrine was built after his death. If you wish to see more, I will gladly show you."
Sona nodded before saying, "Mount Ōe was where Yamata no Orochi lived was it not?"
Toshio smiled, "Indeed. You know your history."
Rias said carefully, "Well, I know more of that dragon than I want to know. Half of his soul was sealed inside a sword. I and my peerage have had to fight against that sword to protect those we care about."
As Sona nodded in remembering hearing about those events, Toshio nodded as well before saying, "I am sorry to hear of that. I know the stories of his death, but I had not heard of the sword. Please, come inside and share some tea with me, and tell me of the events that happened to you and your peerage."
After Sona and Rias nodded in agreement, Toshio turned and went inside the outer shrine. After leaving their shoes at the entrance, they followed.
Once inside, Toshio watched their expressions from the entrance to the inner shrine at the back or the room as both devils noticed the simplicity of the design, with each side being 12 meters, allowing for plenty of worshipers to enter and offer prayers. As both seemed to stare in surprise at the size of the room Toshio interrupted their thoughts. "Please come back here, and let me show you the full shrine."
Sona asked in a serious tone, "The main sanctuary? Isn't that reserved only for the priests of the shrine?"
Toshio nodded, "It is. But as I am the only priest here, I can allow both of you to see inside. This is, well, I suppose was is more accurate, the final resting place of Yamato no Orochi. I had planned on telling a story as we drank tea, but I am interested in what happened to you and your peerage." He nodded to Rias as he said that, gesturing both to enter.
When both entered, both were surprised at the contents of the room. It was as large as the outer shrine, but it was obviously meant as a final resting place for the eight-headed menace that Yamato no Orochi was. Each wall had two large skulls mounted to the wall. A small basin rested below each skull. Upon closer inspection, both girls realized that each skull was still somehow dripping poison from the jaws. It may not have been much, but the reason for the basins was obvious.
Toshio indicated the basins and said, "I know that the soul of Yamato No Orochi is active. This is how I know. This poison still drips slowly from the skulls, and it is very deadly to those that come into contact with it."
Rias shuddered at the memory of the fight against Masaomi Yaegaki, as he tried to use the sword for his revenge. When she regained her composure, she saw Toshio setting up a small table with teacups and a teakettle. When he noticed Rias was looking at him about to say something, he asked, "Please, both of you, come and sit? If the memory of what happened to you is too disturbing to talk about, then perhaps I could tell you my story?
Rias nodded easily, as both her and Sona moved to the table to sit. When both were seated, Toshio took the kettle and poured tea for everyone. All of them waited for the tea to cool a moment before taking a sip. After Toshio sipped his tea, he waited until the others had done so before asking, "Do you like it?"
Both devils nodded. Rias said, "You have brought out your best leaves. I realized we are honored guests to even be here in this sanctuary, much less this shrine, but even this is a bit much.
Sona agreed, adding, "While this is the best tea I have drank in some time, surely you must have a reason for this extravagance?"
Toshio nodded, "I do indeed." He took another sip of the tea and started by asking, "Do you know the legend of how Yamato no Orochi was killed?"
Both devils nodded, with Rias saying, "I believe he was killed by Susanoo as a request from two earth deities. It was something to do with him taking their daughters, but I am not entirely certain of the details."
Toshio nodded to Rias, "That is the legend. It was said that Yamato no Orochi took from them a daughter each year, and ate them. That is not really what happened."
Toshio paused to take another sip of tea. As Rias and Sona did the same, he resumed, "Each year, after meeting the daughter, he would bring them to his lair, and mate with them." When Rias and Sona expressed their surprise, he again held up his hands to forestall any replies. "Each year," he said, "they would die in childbirth. Shortly after grieving, he would go back to those deities and meet with another daughter, and repeat the process."
Once again, Toshio took a deep sip of his tea. When both devils had taken a deep sip of their own, he continued, "Eventually, it came time to meet with the last daughter. When he went to meet with her, Susanoo had already met with them before. They had told him that Yamato no Orochi had eaten their daughters, one each year, and that he would be coming to claim the last daughter. Susanoo had instructed them to build a fenced area, with eight gates, eight platforms at each gate, and a vat of eight-fold refined liquor on the platforms. When Yamato no Orochi entered the fenced area, he stuck his heads through the gates and drank the liquor. When he passed out, Susanoo came and cut my father into pieces."
Rias's mind was slow to react to the words of Toshio's last sentence. She felt like something had dropped a shadow on her mind. Sona tried to react, saying, "Wait. You're the son of Yamato no Orochi?" Rias barely noticed that Sona's speech was slowed, but she turned to Toshio questioningly.
Before she could react, Toshio grinned, "I said that the daughters each died in childbirth, but I never said that the children died as well. I am the child from the first daughter, therefore, I am the eldest son of Yamato no Orochi. My father was killed by drinking himself into a stupor, so I have decided to convert others to my cause by a strong drink as well. Although this is tea and not eight-fold refined liquor, it is effective enough. Through careful distillation I have refined the original poison to not physically injure those that imbibe it, but it still has the effect of corrupting the souls of those that consume it. Your souls and minds will be forever altered, and will become eager to serve both me and my desires. Soon, those you love will become nothing more than those you wish to convert and subvert, as you are now."
Rias growled at him, "We would never become like that." However, when she tried to stand to confront him, she nearly toppled over from the effort. Sona was having the same difficulty, finally managing to stand after needing to use the table to balance herself enough to get up.
Toshio laughed and pulled two items from under the table. "Perhaps these would be of use to you?" he said, tossing each of them a weapon. "Maybe these can hurt me. They did come from the tails of my father after all. Susanoo only found one weapon when he carved my father's body up. There were seven more that he didn't bother to search for."
Rias caught the club that Toshio had thrown to her like a child trying to catch a baseball bat thrown at him for the first time, clumsily and with both arms. But she managed to get a proper grip on the club before trying to charge at Toshio. Sona had managed to catch the sheathed nodachi in much the same way, but had quickly pulled it from the scabbard and tried to charge Toshio as well.
As Toshio dodged their awkward attacks, neither noticed that both weapons began to glow faintly. All they understood was that they needed to strike him down. Yet both began to have different thoughts as they tried to fight. Instead of combat, this was a spar for training. Instead of Toshio poisoning them, they began to see him as their instructor and teacher. Their clothing began to change as well, under the magic of the weapons they held. Yet the most subtle change was the horns beginning to grow on both.
"You can do better than this," Toshio taunted them. "Come at me with everything you have."
Both charged at him, Rias swinging high with her club and Sona trying to strike low with the nodachi. Toshio simply weaved his way around both strikes and tapped Rias on the back of her head as she passed by him. She hit the floor unceremoniously and lay there. As Sona turned to try to swing the long sword at Toshio, he stepped into her swing and chopped her neck. She fell to the ground as well, almost kneeling on the ground before falling sideways.
Toshio watched both Rias and Sona lying on the floor for several seconds, smiling as he watched the final changes happen. "Both of you get up. We are finished for today, but you need to train more so that when others come here, you will be ready for them."
When Rias stood up it was as a full Oni. Two horns curved upward from above her eyes where her hair met her forehead. Her eyes had turned from blue into the color of gold. The most noticeable change was that her expression was now firmly set to one Westerners called 'resting bitch face.' Her Kuoh Academy uniform had changed to the traditional garments of a miko: a pair of white tabi on her feet, a red hakama tied around the waist with a rope, with a white sleeveless kosode with red trip covering her upper body, black sleeves with trim the same color as Rias's eyes somehow clung to her upper arms yet hung loose around the wrists, attached only by a small strip of red cloth to the kosode.
Sona stood up and faced Toshio also fully changed into an Oni. Two horns curved upward from her skull, their origin just in front of the temple. Her eyes had changed from violet to a violent red. The smile on her face was a happy smile; happy that others would soon be in pain and agony and looking eager to help put them into that state of misery. Sona's clothing had also undergone the same transformation that Rias's had, with red trim matching her new eye color on the detached sleeves.
Both held the weapons that completed their transformation as if they were extensions of themselves. Rias held the giant spiked club in her right hand as easily as a human would hold a baseball bat. Sona idly bounced the nodachi in her hands as if testing the weight of her new weapon.
Toshio smiled at his new followers, "Are both of you ready? I need to recruit more for our cause."
Rias hefted the club up to rest it upon her shoulder. "Ready," she said.
"As am I," Sona replied while sliding the nodcachi into its scabbard after picking it up from the shrine floor.
Toshio nodded, "Waiting is the hardest part, and I have waited for a long time for this. But I believe we will not have too long to wait for more to arrive."
Sona smiled eagerly as Rias allowed a faint smile to appear. Both nodded to their leader. More would come, and quickly. They would not wait long.
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Nimrod Notes
Yes, this is not the story you were hoping for.
Crossposted on DeviantArt as this was inspired by more artwork. Sadly, as it is on Pinterest, I can't find it to link to it.
I tried to write this as a one-shot. I might have succeeded, but there is room for another chapter in this tale.
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Subete Toshio - Toshio Subete - Genius Leader Supreme. At least according to the translations.
Child of Yamata no Orochi and the first daughter of the earthly deities Foot-Stroking-Elder and Hand-Stroking-Elder. Oni that is technically an older half-brother to Shuten Doji. At least he would be if the HS DxD universe was mine. :)
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Now, for some real news.
I am currently in the hospital. For those wondering why, I went to the ER for a serious infection in my foot. I have had all 5 toes on my right foot amputated. So, I am recovering and receiving therapy and lots of antibiotics. Not fun for me at all, but it allowed me to have the time to finish this story.
