Volume 1 - Chapter 2
Asia wakes up drenched despite the AC - that dream... A yawn bubbles out as she steps out of bed, more refreshed than a few hours ago. She glances at the darkness outside and her lips curve into a smile - just in time for her mobile alarm to go off. A short shower follows, accompanied by stretches, and she changes into something more presentable; a simple teal coat over a light shirt and dark pants. She looks in the mirror and smiles with sharp red eyes. A gasp and she's worn her contact lenses.
Can't forget them.
After brewing herself a coffee, she's on the laptop and eagerly looking through the news. She cycles through the past year or so, writing down what seems useful or interesting. Unfortunately, she doesn't find much as most information on the completely supernatural is hidden from the humans, and the public by extension, for their own protection. As for the few incidents that she does manage to find, that are possibly caused by supernatural factors, they have names and locations redacted for privacy. Of course, she knows not all events have supernatural backgrounds - humans may be blind, but they aren't stupid.
She takes a breath and leans back on the sofa, the warm beverage flows down her throat. She stares at the ceiling with pursed lips; separating supernatural-based events from the "normal" ones, one by one, it might take some time.
Asia hums, holds her chin, and thinks - better ask the devils for help rather than overthinking. Even minute details of past stray devil encounters would be enough. She glances at the leaflet on the table, but pockets it - best not to be lazy, she can meet them in person if she wants to. She's pulled out of her thoughts by her growling stomach and chuckles.
Can't be thinking on an empty stomach, after all.
She opens the fridge, and well… other than her few remaining pills, the blood bag's the only thing in the fridge. She lets out a groan and facepalms, realising she'd forgotten to buy groceries when she'd arrived. Her eyes and she searches her closet for her safe - it's not full, but it'll help for the next few weeks, at least. A sigh leaves her - stealing always leaves a bad taste in her mouth.
She shakes her head and retrieves enough cash for the night, now's as good of a time as any. Asia picks up her weapons in case they're needed, "There is no such thing as being overprepared." She tells herself. They vanish into the darkness of her sleeves - she doesn't know how it works or where they go, but it does its job.
Remembering the first time that happened brings a grimace to her face. Rest in peace, old coat.
The door is locked behind her and she steps away from the room and the memory. The walk down the street is calm and quiet, and the soft wind and moonlight only makes it better. It's familiar, but in a nice, nostalgic way - reminding her of the nights before-
A cute little girl looks up to her, an infectious and kind smile on her face. Her hands glow green and she feels fresh. Her healthy body is a contrast from her own and-
She shakes her head and drives those thoughts out with anger. "I haven't forgotten you, so stop bothering me." She whispers to herself and knows ignoring it will just affect her dreams. Streetlights flicker above her as she nears her destination - a small medical store.
A "24/7" is written next to the store's name and Asia enters. The store is reasonably stacked, and the man behind the counter seems old and competent. "How may I help you?" the man drawls as she enters. A frown marrs Asia's face at his attitude, but she greets him back and hands him a prescription.
The man peers at the paper before becoming more active, "Weekly supplements, hmm." He glances up at her, his eyes narrowed, "Porphyria and Anemia? May I see a medical report?" he asks, his tone much more serious.
Asia purses her lips and pulls out a piece of paper and all but slaps it on the counter. She's the one who wrote it and for a moment she's worried he'll deny her. "Can I please have my medicine now?" she asks, almost pouting. Fortunately, he doesn't look too closely.
He shoots her smile that holds more respect than anything else, "You're a tough kid, I'll give you that." He hands her the small brown packet of medicine and returns the medical report. "I've written your schedule. Just be sure to pick them up when you run out."
Asia barely gives him a nod and walks out. An irritated groan escapes her as she sees the distance from the hospital on her phone - an hour of her time, that leaves the groceries for later. Her stomach grumbles once more and she decides to sate it first. Unable to really think of anything to eat - she wanders into a commercial area.
It's an accident when she runs into Hyoudou and his friends from Kuoh Academy at the restaurant and sees that they are as, if not more, surprised to see her. She offers them a polite greeting and orders - later, she sits nearby. They keep to themselves, allowing her to eat in silence, to properly enjoy her breakfast, dinner? Whatever it is according to her biological clock. Soon, her ears lock on to their talk.
A faint blush covers her face the moment she discovers the subject of their talk. Luckily, they are too focused on their discussion to see her lean over a little - gossip helps, and well, she can't deny that they have good tastes. Asia waits for them to say something about rumours, about crimes and such but they don't. She's just about to leave when they start talking about something they bought.
"Can't you just download them for free?" she blurts out, unable to contain her curiosity.
They level her with horrified and venomous glares while ignoring the fact that she's been eavesdropping on their conversation. Their glares make Asia question if she's said anything unforgivable. until their mouths open. They all but shout, "It's for the respect/support/just in case!" Asia walks away before they cause a scene. After a few minutes, once she's out of the commercial district, she opens up Google Maps and smiles.
The hospital's not too far now.
It's during times like these, as she walks through dark streets with the occasional flickering street lamps, that she loves her heritage. A human her age would've gotten tired by now and she doesn't even have to talk about their sight. Even with this dim light, she sees clearly (although she's fortunate this isn't complete darkness; people would freak out if they saw her eyes glowing).
Fortunately, the people on the streets lessen as time passes and she soon finds herself near the hospital. The lights are still on and she sees quite a few people in there - most of them civilians and staff members. She smiles once she realizes its size - it's probably big enough to have a separated lab. She licks her teeth, before stopping.
She shoves her thoughts to the back of her head - she still has blood at home.
The trip back home is largely uneventful - it's late enough that most people have gone to sleep and so, the streets are free for her to explore. She walks through the quiet streets relaxed and satisfied, even if it does get a little too quiet. Of course, she could fill the void with some music - yet… Well, letting go of a sense would just be a weakness.
That's what she knows. (That's what he's taught her)
Asia stills under a street lamp and shuts her eyes. A shaky breath leaves her as she clenches and unclenches her hands. 'No, he didn't teach you. It's something he forced you to learn.' she tells herself.
Her mood lightens at the buzz and slightly cheerful exterior of a convenience store. She smiles and walks into the largely dreary interior, it is the middle of the night after all. It's enough of a distraction as she pushes her dark thoughts away (They aren't important) and focuses on getting something for the next week or so. She pays for her groceries, pities the tired cashier and walks out.
The rest of the night is spent easier than before - most of it filled with her laptop and the occasional exercise. A part of her chastises her, that she could be doing far much more than this. That thought is pushed away as well, when her stomach growls. A glance at her windows and she sees them lighten bit by bit. She yawns and fixes up something for herself.
She's asleep by the time the sun rises.
Her dreams are filled with visions of that girl, of how she could've done anything else.
A little over a week passes by in a blink - most of it is spent organising reports and keeping up appearances. She narrows her eyes as she views a particular group of reports on her laptop screen, all of them focusing on missing people, all of them connected in some way or form. She opens up Google Maps and marks the respective areas and areas she guesses the next attack will happen.
Someone will die today. She won't try to stop it, money's running out after all.
She shakes her head, walks to the nearby convenience store and greets the tired cashier as usual. Issei Hyouduo greets her within the store and she smiles back at him. Figuring out his grocery/outing schedule wasn't that hard and she'd rather be up-to-date with gossip and rumours. Of course, she's helping him as well - his English needed some work.
"I can't believe they caught us. I mean-" Issei rambles on about his recent escapade with his friends, of ogling their female classmates and such. Asia's more or less gotten used to it. Any other day, she would've chastised him and told him to be more gentlemanly and such, but not today.
"Has your English improved?" Asia cuts him off in Japanese, not really in the mood to listen to him. He's been teaching her the language every other day and it's done wonders for her. Today, well, she doesn't have time.
Today's the day of her first attack, after all.
Issei stops for a moment before he gives her a wide smile, "Yeah! Today's test was a breeze!" He speaks in English, "Thank you, Asia-san!"
"Issei, you don't have to use honorifics in English." She speaks with a smile - she's a little proud. Her phone vibrates and her smile drops. "Sorry, but I have something to take care of." She gives him a light bow, "Need to sleep and all, goodnight." She heads to her apartment after hearing him wish her goodnight as well.
She's on the streets as soon as she drops off her groceries. A breath leaves her as the world starts to lose colour, as it becomes sharper. Being somewhat colourblind is a small price to pay when you can see clearly in darkness. Humans, they just don't see. Her mind goes back to her target, it's more a stray devil than anything else - they're chaotic, with murders like these. Most humans would of course label them as messed up serial killers, being as blind as they are. Well, at least most can live lives free of worry.
She stalks the streets and blends within the shadows, out of sight of any human on their midnight stroll. Explaining her glowing eyes would take too long and she'd rather not have an exorcist or, worse yet, a vampire hunter on her tail. She feels the buzz of her phone as her destination comes into view and is pulled out of her thoughts.
Her breath slows down to a crawl as she stares at the rundown house. Most of its windows are covered by blinds and the peeling paint tells her that it's in a dire need of renovation. Her senses sharpen the moment the smell of blood enters her nose, begging to be used to the fullest, to be used for what they were made for.
Asia pushes the door open with a loud creak and winces - it's even darker inside. Her vision adjusts as the world loses colour completely, as everything turns into a shade of grey, as everything becomes visible. Her nose and ears start working to their fullest as well; letting her smell the blood and hear the crunches. A breath leaves her as she runs her tongue over her teeth.
The inside isn't as messy as she imagined. Of course, there are signs of struggle - all of them leading to the living room. The doors barely hang on their hinges and are accompanied by a similar creek as they are opened.
There it stands, hunched over, enjoying its latest meal.
It stands on four paws belonging to a panther and instead of a head, a woman's body sprouts from the neck. It turns around to face her, the pads of its feet almost dulling the sound as it smiles, holding a severed arm with one hand. A giggle escapes it, shrill and loud, as the appendage is thrown at her. Asia steps back, not willing to stain her clothes with blood, not yet at least. Her eyes shift towards the hand before meeting the stray's once more. The offer is clear:
"Take our gift, little one." the stray speaks, its voice dry and raspy - as if it hasn't been used in quite a while. Asia answers with silence, the stray starts frowning.
The world sharpens as Asia focuses on the stray, her target, her prey. A primal excitement runs up her spine as the stray catches on. Her revolver manifests from the darkness and into her hand - the stray snarls, warning her.
A bang echoes out and the bullet barrels through the stray's ear, its heightened perception saving it from a quick death. It shrieks and lunges - clearing most of the distance between them in a single jump. Its claws and nails sharpen as its demonic power causes them to grow - the stray almost tears into Asia.
The vampire jumps back and through the door, keeping her eyes glued to the stray. The doors are shut and she retreats further into the house as eye contract breaks. Her eyes lock on to a better location - distance helps after all.
The doors and the surrounding wall crumble beneath its feet as it searches. It looks around in a frenzy, nostrils flared to pick up any minute smell. A growl runs through its throat the moment it catches her scent and turns to the stairs, where the vampire stands on one of the lower steps.
Asia shoots - the stray screams out as the bullet digs into its shoulder. A self-satisfied smile appears on her face as the stray's arm almost hangs limp - her staring makes it angrier. It lunges, clearing half the distance with one jump but Asia's at the top when it reaches the bottom. The vampire aims for another shot but gasps as a magic circle alights on the stray's good hand.
The blast of pure, unrestrained demonic magic barely misses her and blows through the ceiling. The impact reverberates through the house as she feels the floor beneath her creak. She's given a moment to relax before its next attack breaks it beneath her feet.
She falls and by the time she can stand it's too late - the stray's far too close for comfort. Asia winces as the stray slams down its paws on her legs, pinning her to the ground. A cry leaves Asia as it buries its good arm into her, its claws gliding through muscle and bone alike. A crooked smile settles on its face, proud of what it's done. It morphs into a frown when it can't remove it, when Asia holds it in a vice grip.
She aims her gun and fires. Two bullets bury themselves within the stray's neck - it screams out and pulls its arm. One last bullet is shot into its open mouth and it falls, dead. Blood splatters on Asia and she can't help but lap it up.
She winces as she pushes the stray off of her and feels numb to the pain. She knows it's just the adrenaline doing its job and prepares herself for the pain soon to come. It hurts when she manages to finally push herself up - the pain almost makes her fall again.
Not here.
"Huh? you've gotten sloppy. Why did I-"
Not. Here.
She grimaces as she sees the stray on the ground, unmoving, as its blood freely spills out and onto the ground. Her mouth waters as she drags herself closer - she runs her tongue over her teeth.
'It'll be fresher than the body from the living room.' Her voice whispers. A shaky breath leaves her as she presses her lips against the stray's open wound, a thrill runs through her as the metallic liquid flows down her throat, as it stitches up her muscle and bone alike. She pulls back to breathe, observes the trail of blood connecting her lips to its throat, and dives in once more.
It's addictive. Almost better than a h-
She bites into her hand and winces as her mind refocuses. She sees her handiwork with a hint of pride before forcing herself to look away - she doesn't have time for this. She should have spent these countless moments searching the house for a safe or some savings, not-not greedily drinking some blood she could've gotten at home.
She'd lost control.
Asia buries her head in her arms and groans. Sure, the trip back would've been painful, but - she lets out a breath. 'You don't have a choice - either you or them.' She whispers to herself and winces as her voice slowly mixes with his. Asia shakes her head and forces herself to stand and wipes the blood off with her coat.
She can't be thinking like this, not now.
Her mind made up, she searches the house for anything worthwhile. Fortunately, whoever lived here had a decent amount of money saved up - his watch and ring could also be sold at the pawnshop. She smiles as she walks past the stray's corpse, her spoils safely tucked within a bag. She's barely managed to hide the bag within the darkness of her coat when light shines on her.
She hisses and closes her eyes - not really into flashlights during night mode. When they adjust to the warm orange glow, she sees Rias Gremory and her peerage behind her, a small magic circle on her hand.
Asia winces, Gremory narrows her eyes.
"Explain, now."
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AN: So, posting chapter 1 a few days before my Uni Exams was a mistake. I apologize for that - I hope you'll forgive me. Here's chapter 2 and you may notice, this fic now has volumes! These will be used to break up arcs and such. Also, this chapter was originally longer, but I've split it up.
Expect chapter 3 in less time it took me to post this. The AU will (probably, hopefully) start there. The AU isn't limited to Asia and Freed and includes their actions and their consequences. Also, certain species and objects will be treated differently.
Reviews:
Tyrant Overlord Killidia - As you can see, it's mostly a dream. What's it about? Well, I'll be hinting at her past in the future. Also, as for the pairing - no promises.
DarkLeonidas - Thanks for the review!