Hey there everyone! Tohka Yatogami here, and as you've already realized by now... the official Legend of the Heavenly Dragons reboot is finally happening!
With the skills and courage to do it now in my hand? I'm going back to the story of the original version that many have been asking to return for so long! Before anything else, I'd like to give my thanks to my kouhai, CrimCrom, for helping me finally take the steps in both my skills and courage that I needed and making this happen, as a part of me always wanted to redo the original story.
I'd also like to give thanks to my friend kingpariah, who offered to be my co-writer.
Now, for an important announcement I need to make about one thing everyone can expect from this rewrite? As a twist, instead of me adding a race into the mix by including Demons as a separate species... I'll be removing a race this time, and have chosen to take all of the Fallen Angels out of the picture!
Before anyone panics over that? This doesn't mean anyone who was a Fallen Angel won't be appearing, just that they'll be either an Angel or a Devil in this one to add in a little surprise factor, and because it fits with something from the original story that I'll be expanding on. For anyone that's curious over why I chose not to reuse the Demons for this rewrite?
Simple. It's because my old When Dawn meets Dusk fanfic, which was the LOHD reboot until recently, has since made the concept of Demons into its own.
The best part about this reboot following the original story is that, while I get my momentum for this new version going, both versions of the original over on Archive of Our Own will now be fully uploaded!
Expect this version of the story to also fix up a few issues, some I remember others talking about and ones that came into my own view, though I'll go into them more as they come up. Also, compared to not just the original, but all my DxD stories in general? The power scale will be more balanced and focus on giving everyone equal ground for all of the battle scenes in the story.
Now, let's not keep this story waiting and get this show on the road!
[Chapter 1 - Twilight Beginnings]
Silence filled the area, representing the calm before the storm, and then in the blink of an eye... it began.
*"BANG!"*
A grayish, visible burst of air was seen as two unseen objects collided. There was a pause, and then another was seen... then the number of them grew, increasing in their frequency and making so many different sounds that there was no way to know what they were beyond the initial bang that began this mysterious clash. Had anyone been within the vicinity to witness this clash, they would have noticed something.
The grayish bursts of air weren't all the same color, with some of them being lighter and some of them being darker, with no visible pattern beyond showing one side took the lead in their fight. Eventually, the heated clash was brought to a temporary pause as the two unknown forces stopped to recuperate, and became partially visible to the world.
On the leftmost area, a bright white began to form, lighting up the area.
("Will you truly not listen to reason? Please, take a look at what you've caused. It's not too late for us to stop fighting and end this nonsensical war!")
On the rightmost area, a dark black manifested as shadows enveloped the area, and emitted a strong pressure in its wake that, had anyone been nearby? Would have given them a sense of dread.
["There you go again, acting as high and mighty as always, while claiming to know what's best for everyone, and always refusing to open your eyes! We've already been fighting this long without end! If you don't have the resolve to finish this like I do, then when don't you do me a favor and let me slay you!?"]
As the two were left in their ceasefire, their visible forms came into view.
The one within the leftmost area was a silhouetted, humanoid figure enveloped by a bright white glow that let out slow, yet controlled wisps. This was contrasted by the one in the rightmost area, who was a silhouetted, humanoid figure enveloped by a pitch-black veil that released fast, yet erratic bursts like a thunderbolt drawn in a zig-zag form.
Hearing the being of darkness' response caused the being of light to sigh.
("I guess it was pointless for me to try. Why should I bother arguing with you when you've let your heart truly become one with the horrifying power that's infected you?")
After saying this, the being of light's unseen expression quickly turned serious, letting its full power slowly flow out of its body and make the wisps surrounding it move faster.
("But know this. I guided this world without issue long before you came to be, so I have every right to know what's best for everyone! You are the one who refuses to admit your errors, including how this all came because of the sinful actions you took over choosing to accept that horrifying power and to despise what no other being besides yourself stood against!")
["How dare you try to claim that! All of them are brainwashed by their so-called loyalty to you, and are unable to tell what's right and what's wrong because you've never given them the choice to see the wrong!"]
The being of darkness let its hidden power surge from its body, violently pushing against the flow of power being released from the light.
["And now... now, the time has come for me to give you the justice that you've deserved since the day you betrayed me!"]
("Then let us finish this.")
The being of darkness roared as it began to transform, taking a horrifying shape. When its transformation was over, the dark being had taken the form of a large black and red beast with characteristics coming from different animals like a lion, a leopard, a bear, a dragon, and etc.
It had seven necks, seven heads with ten horns, as well as seven long, thick tails of different shapes. It also has four stout arms and two legs that are even thicker than its arms. Its torso resembled that of a primate's, leaning forward and being covered by black fur and red scales all over its body. Its size was well over several hundred meters, making it significantly larger than almost anything that exists.
The being of light began to generate outline of light around its body, not as much transforming, but arming itself with a powerful weapons and sturdy armor. After it had fully equipping itself with both, the being of light's form had become that of an equally large white and blue Mecha-like machine.
It had six large leg-like appendages, with a seventh on its lower back area that was larger and lifted up like it was a tail for balancing reasons. The rest of its body from the upper torso and up was pretty much the same as one might expect from a humanoid looking form, aside from the helmet-like head that had a face without details, giving it an almost Eldritch feel to it, and the seven pairs of folded wings on its backside.
("Your end is here!")
["Your end is now!"]
Both of them immediately began gathering energy, no longer restraining their power, and intending to go all out as spirals of black and white spiraling around their respective forms. This caused the being of darkness' body to grow multiple spike-like extensions across its body, which glowed a dark iridescent color, and the being of light to unfold its seven pairs of wings, which resembled that of a dove's if mechanical and the feathers were glass-like, with a normal iridescent glow tinting the glass.
With their full charge completed, both beings unleashed powerful beams of light and darkness against the other, and once they beams made contact?
*"BOOM!"*
The landscape around them exploded where the beams clashed, erupted in a storm of debris if close to the vicinity, while for everywhere else that was out of range... both of the beams released a few flares of disrupted energy into the sky in the form of a meteor shower made of energy.
Far away from the battle, a village full of Humans could be seen, unaware of the battle due to their distance from it.
"Huh?" An old man blinked.
He turned around as the faintest of sounds reached his ears. When he did, his eyes widened in horror as the ranger of the energy meteors was revealed to be enough to near their village.
Despite attempting to scream of the danger, he was already too late.
*"CRASH!"*
It wasn't the first scar from the two beings' great battle, but it was the biggest, and also the one that would change their world's future... forever.
~ July 7th, 2008: Kuoh Town
The sounds of cicadas and birds were heard throughout a small town in Tokyo Prefecture, with the day being welcomed by a clear blue sky and a bright sun. Everyone who was currently outside looked happy and fully enjoying the day.
In one area of the neighborhood, a small two-story house came into view, and once it came into focus...
"No... no, no, no, no! Where did I put my sleeping bag!?"
Frantic sounds quickly came from a room in the house, where the sight of a 5-year old boy could be seen as he flipped his room apart to find the mentioned sleeping bag he just spoke of. As he took a moment to rest his burning legs and catch his breath, he was shown to have short, chocolate brown hair with two long side tails framing his face that he had tied into a small, low ponytail in back, and golden-orange eyes that shined like the sun.
"If I don't find it soon, then I won't make it to camp in time for sign up and I'll miss it!" He realized.
He started crying after saying that.
Luckily for him, a savior chose to intervene at that moment, and walked into his room while he was still distracted by his crying.
"Oh Issei, what will I do with you?" A feminine voice playfully sighed.
That voice made his tears briefly stop as he turned around, seeing someone he was familiar with as they stood at his door. A young woman, specifically a teenage girl of high school age. She had long, silver colored hair with eyes of a matching color and light skin, who currently wore a dark blue sundress with short sleeves and light green sandals.
"Cleria!" Issei shouted happily.
He ran up to her and hugged her by the leg, still sniffling slightly as she kneeled down and rubbed his head.
"Thank goodness you're here! Please, I really need your help!" He begged.
"Sure thing, now tell me what's wrong?" She inquired, still rubbing his head.
"I... I can't find my sleeping bag anywhere, and... and I can't go to camp without it!" He said, sniffling as he did.
"Ah, so that's why you've been crying." Cleria realized.
Cleria walked around his room and began looking around.
"With how excited you've been for this Summer Camp, having to miss it because of this would be pretty upsetting. Lucky for you, if I remember right, then your sleeping bag should be..." She continued.
Issei watched as she knelt by his bed, then reached under to pull out his missing sleeping bag, making his eyes widen.
"Oh, under your bed? How did it get there!?" Cleria asked, giggling after she did.
"Because... you put it there the other day, knowing that I'd forget where it was." He remembered, blushing in embarrassment.
He scratched his cheek as Cleria walked up to him.
"Good thing I did, because now you don't have to worry about missing Summer Camp." She reassured him.
Issei's blush faded as she pat him on the head, making him smile.
"Now let's get you over there before you definitely miss it because we were too busy dilly dallying." Cleria suggested.
"Yeah, let's go!" Issei agreed, raising his arms up in excitement.
Cleria smiled and quickly pulled Issei into the air, then placed him on her shoulders and held onto his legs.
"What form of transport would you like today?" She inquired.
"I wanna rode a horse! Now, giddy up Cleria!" Issei answered.
"Alright, one horseback ride coming right up! Now buckle down and hang on!" Cleria cheerfully shouted, giving a playful version of a serious face.
She mimicked a horse sound before running out of his room and down the stairs, briefly stopping next to the kitchen, where Issei turned his head.
"Bye mom! Bye dad! See you in..."
He looked at Cleria for a reminder, who giggled in response.
"Two weeks." She clarified.
"See you in two weeks!" Issei shouted, waving them goodbye.
"Go get them Issei!" His did encouraged.
"And enjoy yourself!" His mom cheered on.
"OK! Bye!" He replied.
Having said his goodbyes, Cleria resumed her run to the camping grounds, with Issei laughing the whole time. Her run lasted 7 minutes, bringing her from the middle of town to a forest clearing that was within the town's borders.
Once he saw the camping grounds, Issei smiled as he saw a few adults working as chaperones and dozens of kids between his age or older by up to two years, already talking with one another. Cleria soon lowered Issei onto the ground.
"Remember Issei, if they won't let you choose what group you'll get to join, make sure you accept their decision." She warned, using a stern and gentle tone.
"OK!" He nodded.
"Then let's get you signed up!" Cleria exclaimed, pumping her fists as she got back on her feet.
She guided Issei to the registration stand.
"Hello there, are you here for the Summer Camp?" The chaperone inquired, smiling at Issei.
"I am, and I'm ready to have some fun!" Issei answered, barely able to contain his excitement.
The chaperone giggled as Cleria wrote down all his information.
"Let's see... Issei Hyoudou, is it? Would you like to be part of the Flower Group, the Leaf Group, or the Wood Group?" The chaperone asked.
"I want the Flower Group." He chose.
The chaperone soon grabbed a flower-shaped badge with six petals in the color of the rainbow from a box, and then placed a name tag onto it.
"Here you go." They replied, handing it to him.
Issei placed it on the left strap of his camping bag, then turned around to show Cleria.
"Ta dah!" He smiled.
"Well, don't you look dapper?" Cleria replied, clapping at the sight.
She soon kneeled down to Issei's level, rubbing his head as she did.
"I have to go back now. Remember, the adults here are trying to keep your safe, so make sure you listen to them and ask questions if you aren't sure about what you can or can't do." Cleria reminded him.
"OK, I promise." Issei replied.
"Pinkie promise?" She asked, holding out her pinkie and wiggling it.
"Pinkie promise!" He replied, holding out his pinkie and wiggling it.
They locked their pinkies together.
"Good luck Issei, and enjoy your time at camp!" She smiled.
As Cleria left, a chaperone began leading Issei to his group.
He had no idea what he'd be doing yet, but despite that he didn't know, and he had yet to do any camp activities? Issei already had a strong feeling that he'd find something special at this camp.
Time flew by until the sign-up period ended, and the remaining chaperones came with the materials they still needed. By then, the sun had set to reveal the night sky, which was illuminated by a full moon.
All of the kids were soon gathered in their groups, with a campfire already burning and each group's respective chaperones behind them.
*"WHISTLE!"*
The sound quickly caught everyone's attention as the head of the Summer Camp walked into view.
"Hello everyone! I'm Councilor Nakajima, and I welcome you to our Summer Camp." Nakajima greeted.
Everyone bowed in response.
"Good to meet you, Councilor Nakajima!" The kids greeted.
She smiled at that, and lightly clapped her hands together.
"Now, since today was just for everyone to sign-up and set things up, for our first night? We'll be enjoying S'mores, camp stories, and sing a few songs around the campfire." Nakajima explained.
Nakajima soon noticed a hand in the air, coming from a brunette-haired boy with glasses.
"Yes?" She said, pointing at him.
"Is there a limit to how many S'mores we can eat?" He asked.
Nakajima let out a playful laugh.
"There is, but lucky for all of you, we have enough that everyone can enjoy five. Just promise us not to take any extra marshmallows or chocolate." Nakajima answered.
Hearing that they would all get that many S'mores made the kids smile.
"Now, let's give you all sticks for your marshmallows. That way you can cook your S'mores whichever way you'd like. If you want your chocolate warmed up, please ask a chaperone so they can heat it by one of our lanterns." Nakajima added.
Everyone did just that, with Issei quickly getting his marshmallow cooked to a golden brown and having a chaperone get his chocolate melted into a really gooey state.
"Here goes!" He smiled.
He took a bite, making the marshmallow gush out the sides.
"Yummy!" Issei said, his voice a tad muffled by the chocolate.
As he savored the taste of his S'mores, the same boy with glasses and another with his hair in a buzz cut both bit into theirs at the same time. When they did, chocolate and marshmallow spilled onto their noses.
Upon realizing the same thing happened to the both of them at the same time, the two boys began pointing and laughing at each other, all in good fun.
"Our faces are a total mess!" The kid with the buzz cut laughed.
"I think you and I will be great friends." The kid in glasses smiled.
They shook hands.
"Matsuda Yasuaki." The kid with the buzz cut greeted.
"Motohama Takurou." The kid with glasses greeted back.
Likewise, two girls were shown to be roasting their marshmallows by spinning them, quickly noticing the way they were doing it was identical. One of the girls had short pink hair, and the other was a brunette wearing small twin tails.
"No way! You roast it that way too?" They asked at the same time, after turning to look and pointing at each other.
Both blinked at that before letting out embarrassed chuckles, with the pink-haired girl bowing slightly to be polite.
"My name's Katase Yui." She greeted.
"Hi there. My name is Murayama Kaori, it's nice to meet you." The brunette greeted back.
It didn't take long before they started gabbing like girls.
Issei watched as a lot of the kids were already showing signs of becoming fast friends, and as he was about to join in as well, only to notice something.
"Hmm?" He blinked.
Walking away from the campsite, a kid who was part of the Flowered Group headed towards a tree stump, making him curious to what they were doing.
"Is there something over there?" Issei wondered aloud.
He then followed them to wherever they were headed.
The kid in question sat down on the tree stump before they pulled out some binoculars from their camping bag. They began looking at the sky, but before they could make any real progress...
"Hey!" Issei greeted.
Hearing that, the kid jumped a little, turning around and giving Issei a clear view of their face. She was a girl that looked to be the same age as him, with silvery-white hair that had a smidge of curling and waviness to it and reaching a little below her shoulders, white skin, and lavender eyes.
Under the light of the moon, she had this kind of glow and sparkle that further highlighted her unique features even more.
"What are you doing wat out here by yourself?" Issei asked.
"Oh, uh... I just wanted to see the stars. That's all." She replied, a tad quietly due to how suddenly Issei had surprised her.
"Huh? But can't you do that from the campsite?" He asked.
"I can, though if you look up at the sky now, you'll understand why I came here." The girl explained.
Issei was confused, and decided to look up, making his eyes widen at how bright they now looked.
"Wow!" He exclaimed.
"The light from the campsite makes it harder to see them, so I wanted to step away for a moment. Promise you won't say anything?" She requested.
"Sure thing! Plus, now that I'm here? I wanna stay." Issei replied.
He looked at the stump with sparkling eyes, making the girl realize what he wanted and scoot over to give him room to sit.
The girl smiled as Issei started watching the stars with her, then put her binoculars back on to look for something specific.
"Hmm?" She blinked.
She rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was, and gasped once she confirmed it.
"There it is! There's Venus!" She shouted happily.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I thought Venus is a planet, not a star." Issei asked with a confused look.
"And you're right, but you can actually see the other planets if you know where to look." The girl explained.
Issei's eyes widened.
"Really!?" He asked.
"Here, I'll guide you towards it." She offered, handing him the binoculars.
Issei looked through them as she positioned his body to where Venus was.
"That big one with an orange hue?" He asked.
"Yeah, that's it. If we had a telescope, you'd be able to see the smaller details." The girl confirmed, smiling as she did.
"This is... wow. I had no idea you could see the planets among the stars." Issei said in awe, pulling the binoculars away.
He then turned his attention to the girl again.
"What is it?" She asked, feeling a little nervous.
"Hope you don't mind me asking, but... was there any special reason behind why you were looking for Venus?" Issei asked.
She scratched her cheek slightly.
"This might sound a little silly, but I was hoping that finding it would be a sign of good luck." The girl answered.
"Good luck? How?" He inquired, understandably confused.
"Well, the planet Venus can also be called the Morning Star, which means light bringer. That sounded like a form of good luck to me, so... I thought finding it would give me good luck." She explained.
"OK, and what do you need good luck for?" Issei inquired.
"Because..."
After being asked that, Issei saw her lower her head and begin rubbing her left arm, making him worry he asked something he shouldn't have.
"I just moved here." She said.
Issei gasped after hearing that.
"My dad does some kind of job that requires him to visit various places, so we've lived all across Japan, never having somewhere to really call our home. He told me that we might be able to stay this time, but... he doesn't seem sure just yet. I was hoping maybe if I saw Venus, then I could help make that true, and we could stay." She admitted.
"Does that mean... you have any-" Issei realized.
She lowered her head and looked away from him.
After hearing that, Issei took her hands in his, surprising her a little as she turned to look at him again.
"What are you-" She asked.
"Then... starting right now, the two of us are friends!" Issei smiled.
Her eyes widened at those words, thinking she was hearing things.
"What?" She whispered.
"I said that we're friends now, so I don't want to hear you say you don't have any friends here, because you do have one now! And that friend is me!" He exclaimed.
Her eyes widened at his words.
The girl continued staring at Issei for a moment, making him worry. That worry grew even more once he saw tears form in her eyes.
"A-Are you OK? Was it stupid of me to just say that we were friends out of nowhere? If it was, then I'm sorry for-" Issei apologized.
He was soon cut off by the girl giving him a big hug.
"Thank you... thank you!" She smiled, crying a little.
Issei paused for a moment, then smiled as he realized the girl was happy for what he said, prompting him to hug her in return.
"You're welcome. Also, your hair's really soft. Like a fluffy blanket." He replied.
She looked at him in surprise and confusion, which made Issei shrug in response.
"Not sure why I said that." He admitted.
After a few seconds, the two suddenly let out a laugh at how random his compliment about her hair had been.
"Oh yeah! Now that the two of us are friends, we should probably tell each other our names." Issei realized.
"Could you go first?" The girl requested.
"Sure thing. My name is Issei Hyoudou, and you?" Issei greeted, holding out his hand.
"My name is Valiana Himesaki." She soon greeted back, doing the same with her hand.
That made Issei blink a little.
"I don't think I'll be able to remember that. Do you mind if I give you a nickname?" Issei asked.
"No, go ahead." She permitted.
"OK, I pick... Vali!" He smiled.
Hearing her new nickname for the first time and loving how it sounded, Vali smiled in approval.
A nickname that cemented their new friendship.
Meanwhile, back in the residential areas of Kuoh Town, the scene moved an old building near a fancy school. However, the inside was a little misleading, looked a lot fancier and intact than the outside of the building implied.
Within what seemed to be the living room of the building, the sight of a tired looking Cleria sitting at a desk was seen, signing a few documents for some kind of business.
Her work eventually came to a pause as she noticed a gray magic circle with a crest shaped like multiple chains linked together, getting her attention as a familiar face began to manifest from it.
It was a man with a graceful face whose hair and eyes matched hers in both colors, wearing an open red jacket with golden lining that showed off his chiseled abs, along with long black pants and a belt with a symbol made from linked chains. He also wore brown boots with black gauntlets of a similar design. Upon seeing him, her eyes went wide.
"Diehauser!" She exclaimed.
Cleria tossed her pen to the side before running up and hugging her older cousin, who smiled and hugged her back.
"What brings you here?" Cleria asked.
"Thought I'd see how my cousin was doing." Diehauser replied.
That made Cleria give him a deadpan look, making him flinch.
"I know you're lying. You never have enough time to come visit someone just because you want to see how they're doing. Now, tell me the real reason you're here." She stated, tapping her foot as she did.
"Alright, alright. You caught me. There's a document I was asked to give you since this is your territory, as it contains something too risky for public channels." Diehauser admitted as he pulled out the paper.
Cleria looked confused as she moved her arm to take it, but Diehauser pulled it away before she could.
"Hold on. Before that, I'm also here because of your relationship with that Church Exorcist." He added.
She let out a frustrated yell after hearing that.
"Seriously? Not you too! I've already said this a hundred times, and I'll say it a hundred more if I need to..." Cleria groaned, her normally happy face having gone sour.
Diehauser backed up as Cleria stomped forward a few steps and pointed her finger right at his forehead.
"I don't care what anyone says! I love Masaomi, and I'm not letting anyone tell me who I can and can't love because of some stupid ages old stigma our kind has!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Calm down, I didn't come here to tell you to break up with him or anything!" Diehauser defended, holding his hands out.
Cleria flinched as she heard that, blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh... sorry, I'll just let you finish talking first." She apologized.
He then let out a heavy breath.
"No, it's alright. I probably should have said that first." Diehauser apologized, taking a moment to rub his forehead.
They both let out an awkward laugh in response.
"As I was going to say, I want to make sure you've been careful. While this kind of relationship could help reinforce our current truce, you still need to make sure you're taking your time and look at everything the two of you are doing, because if anything goes south..." Diehauser explained.
Hearing his voice trail off, Cleria began to sweat a little.
"Why did you suddenly pause just now?" She questioned.
"Because... since you come from the Branch Family, the higher ups won't hesitate to execute the two of you." He revealed.
Cleria screamed as she heard that, immediately backing up into the wall as Diehauser saw the look of terror on her face.
"They murder people!?" She screamed.
"In your case? Yes, they would kill you without a second thought, whereas I'd just be blackmailed since I'm currently the Head, but lack an heir. So, if I were to change that by having any children -" He answered.
"Stop! I don't want to hear anymore!" Cleria interrupted, already knowing what he was going to say next.
She took a moment to hold a hand to her chest, needing to catch her breath from the shock of his revelation.
It had been that terrifying to hear.
"Sorry, but now you get what I'm talking about, right?" Diehauser asked.
"Yeah, I've gotcha. I'll make sure to watch what I'm doing." She promised.
He smiled at that.
"Thank you. Now that I've taken care of that, here's the document I was talking about." Diehauser continued, handing it to her.
Cleria read it over, and her eyes widened at its contents. She then began to her slowly lifting her head at Diehauser in disbelief.
"Here, really? And I have to watch over them!?" She asked.
"You and I are close, so she trusts you." Diehauser confirmed.
A nervous look soon appeared on Cleria's face, and Diehauser couldn't blame her for making it. The revelation on the document was something that had come out of left field.
"Why can't she...?" Cleria questioned.
"Because she can't. If it wasn't for my own position, and what their daughter doesn't know, I'd be watching over them. They live as Humans, so we need you to do this since you're here." Diehauser replied.
She sighed and nodded her head.
"Alright then. I don't know how good I'll do a job of this magnitude, but I'll at least try to do it." Cleria promised.
Diehauser smiled as he heard that, patting her head.
"And that's all we can ask to do." He reassured her.
Right as he was about to leave, Cleria managed to remember something important.
"Oh, one thing before you go!" She said.
Diehauser stopped and looked at Cleria.
"I learned of an interesting rumor a while back, and it's something I thought you'd want to hear because it's connected to the Rating Games." Cleria stated.
The last part caught his attention.
"What kind of rumor?" He asked.
"Have you ever heard of... the King Pieces?" She asked, whispering the last part in his ear.
Diehauser's eyes widened after hearing those words.
"I'm sorry, but did you just say... King Pieces?" Diehauser questioned, thinking he misheard her.
"Yeah, as in an actual Evil Piece based on the King in Chess, but much stronger." Cleria confirmed.
He turned around and gave a look that told her to continue.
"Apparently, it's a discontinued Evil Piece that was used at the beginning of the Rating Game era. It had a stronger boost than that of a Queen Piece, though it may have just been for one's natural demonic power, which was too erratic. I have no idea how much stronger, possibly something like people could get ten times the boost while others up to a hundred or even higher, but it risked Strays if it fell into the wrong hands, so Ajuka destroyed them all." She explained.
After saying that, Diehauser did something that Cleria would have never expected him to do after hearing that, or in general.
Laugh as if she had just told him a joke.
"Cleria, I know you love talking about gossip, but do you really believe a story like that?" He laughed.
"Diehauser... the reason I'm telling you this is because people need to believe its fake." She explained.
He stopped laughing at that.
"I would have thought this was just a rumor myself, but the other day? I had my Familiar surveying something that seemed unusual to me for totally unrelated reasons... and that's when it found the evidence near an abandoned building." Cleria continued.
She held up a photo to him, showing a broken Evil Piece that he didn't recognize.
He gasped.
"Then... this is genuine!?" He realized.
He grabbed her shoulders in a panic.
"Cleria, remember what we just talked about!? If this is really true, consider that these could have been so dangerous that they had to have all knowledge of their existence wiped out! You shouldn't dig any deeper into this or you'll-" Diehauser shouted.
"I know that, but would the Old Satan Faction agree with you!?" She countered.
"Huh?" He blinked.
"You know how they're still around, possibly hiding anywhere, right? I chose to tell you because I'm worried this building, regardless of if it is or isn't the rumored lab that's part of that one theory on how Ajuka made the Rating Game here in Japan during the Sengoku Period, might be something they could find... and use themselves." She said.
Diehauser's eyes widened in realization.
"Like with the document, you want me to tell Ajuka about this." He guessed.
"Exactly, and I can't do it myself because it'd be suspicious." Cleria confirmed.
He let out a sigh of relief.
"It seems your relationship with Masaomi has done you some good. If you had told me this before you met him, I'm certain you would have told me that you were planning to go search the building and prove this was true yourself." He said.
Cleria felt her face go scarlet at that claim, then looked to the side.
"Yeah..." She agreed.
"Anyways, I really do need to go now. I'll pass your message to Ajuka, so please, promise me that you won't stick your nose any further into this?" He requested.
"Promise." She swore, giving him a faux salute in response.
Diehauser waved her goodbye as he disappeared through a magic circle, and once he did... Cleria's expression turned serious.
'Sorry I had to lie to you, but... you'll understand why I'm doing this when the truth comes to light.' She thought, turning around.
She walked back to her desk and held the document near one of the room's lights.
It revealed the print visible to everyone was fake, and was actually a secret message.
The two weeks at Summer Camp passed by in a flash, and before any of the children realized it, their time at camp had come to an end.
As everyone was packing their stuff up, Issei and Vali could be seen talking to each other.
"While we weren't here that long? I'm glad that I came to this Summer Camp." Vali smiled.
"Me too." Issei agreed.
Through the two weeks they spent together, Issei and Vali had quickly become the best of friends, with latter being much happier now.
"And since you and I both live here, we'll get to see each other whenever we'd like!" Issei continued as he rose both his hands in the air.
Vali giggled at that.
"Somehow, I knew you'd say that." She remarked.
"It was that obvious?" Issei said, feigning surprise.
Both of them laughed.
"Although, one question... how do I find out where you live?" Issei wondered aloud.
"That's easy. I'll just ask around, and hopefully find where you live." Vali answered.
"Because once you find where I live... you can bring me to your house, and then we'll both know where to find each other!" He realized.
She nodded, holding out her pinkie.
"Pinkie promise that we'll find each other?" Vali requested.
"Pinkie promise that we'll find each other!" Issei shouted.
They locked their pinkies together, forming their promise as a familiar face arrived and saw the scene, giving a silent giggle as she waited till they were finished.
"Issei!" Cleria called.
Hearing his babysitter's voice, Issei turned around to see her, and then waved back as he noticed her waving to her.
"Be right there! Just give me a second!" He called back.
Looking at Vali one last time, they gave each other a hug.
"See you soon." Issei smiled.
"Same here." Vali smiled back.
Once they let go, Issei ran over to Cleria, who lifted him into the air and spun him around.
"Hey there sport, did you have fun at camp?" She asked him with a big smile on her face.
"Yeah, I even made a new friend!" He confirmed.
"The girl you just hugged goodbye, right?" Cleria assumed, taking a moment to look at her.
He nodded and hummed his reply.
"Unfortunately, I have to wait a bit to see her because we don't know how to find each other's houses." Issei mentioned, sighing a little.
Cleria raised an eye at his words.
"And why are you unable to find each other's houses?" Cleria asked.
"I don't even know how to find my house by myself." Issei replied.
"You mean the very same house that I know how to find and often take you both to and from on a near daily basis?" She mentioned, playfully smiling as she did.
Those words made Issei blink a few times, then turn red in embarrassment as he looked away.
"Oh, then... could you please tell her for me?" He requested, too embarrassed to look at her.
"Sure thing. Besides, unlike when I dropped you off, I'm here to bring you and another kid home, so I need to find them first." Cleria answered, smiling at him.
"Really?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, a girl by the name of Valiana Himesaki, if I remember right." She confirmed.
He gasped at that.
"That's my new friend's name!" Issei revealed.
"Oh?" Cleria said in surprise.
She took another look at Vali, then at Issei as she placed him on the ground.
"Wait here for a moment." She requested.
Issei nodded, and Cleria walked towards Vali.
"Excuse me."
Vali soon turned towards Cleria as she kneeled to her eye level.
"Yes?" She asked.
"By any chance, is your name Valiana Himesaki?" Cleria inquired.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Vali inquired.
"My name's Cleria Bella, and I'm your cousin. Your father's my uncle." She greeted.
Both she and Issei gasped.
"R-Really!?" Vali exclaimed.
"Really, and he asked me to come pick you up from camp in his place, which will be helpful in you finding out where Issei lives." Cleria confirmed, winking a little.
She smiled and let out an excited gasp as Issei looked at the two. As a result, he noticed Cleria's hair wasn't pure silver, but the same silvery-white color as Vali's.
Like, the exact same.
'If I didn't know any better, then I'd think these two were sisters!' He thought.
Cleria took Vali's hand and walked over to Issei, which reclaimed his attention.
"Come on you two, let's get you home." She smiled.
Issei smiled took her free hand, and they headed off.
Around 15 minutes after she picked Issei and Vali up, Cleria brought the duo to Issei's house.
"This is where I live." Issei said.
Vali took a good look at the two-story house with white walls, a red roof, and a balcony connected to one of the second story rooms.
"That part's my room." He added, pointing at the balcony.
"Wow, my house looks identical to this one." Vali remarked.
That surprised Issei.
"Really?" He asked.
Cleria let out a slight giggle in response, confusing the two.
"Houses in most neighborhoods often do." She mentioned.
"Really?" They both asked.
"Really, it makes it easier to manage the space if anyone has to fix, remove, and/or expand on them." Cleria confirmed.
She then brought the two to Vali's house, and to the surprise of the new best friends, she lived only a few minutes away.
"No way, we're neighbors!" Vali realized.
"Huh? But I thought neighbors had to live next to you?" Issei asked in confusion.
"Anyone within a 5-minute walking distance counts as a neighbor." Cleria replied.
"Oh, OK." He replied.
Vali soon turned to the two and bowed her head in gratitude.
"Thanks for walking me home. I'll see you soon!" She smiled.
She walked to her door, where a woman with blonde hair and lavender eyes like her own opened the door, which Issei assumed was her mother.
"Come on sport, we've gotta get you back home before we end up staying out too late and your parents decide to call the police." Cleria stated.
"Seriously!?" Issei asked worriedly.
"I'm kidding. We'd need to be gone for at least an hour before they considered doing that." She replied.
Issei smiled in relief as put him on top of her shoulders.
"Now, all aboard the Cleria Express!" Cleria announced.
Issei cheered as she jogged towards his house, briefly looking at Vali's place as he began to imagine what they'd do tomorrow.
~ November 20th, 2014: Kuoh Town
Time flew by until it had been six years since Issei and Vali's first meeting, and in this time, their friendship had only become stronger as they aged into their pre-teen years. As for their more personal growth...
"Wait, really? That actually happened?"
At that moment, the scene shifted to show a now 11-year old Issei and Vali as they walked home from school under the setting sun, both of them wearing the Sailor Fuku-style uniforms of their Elementary School and brown backpacks as the two of them headed home.
"Yeah, Matsuda broke a record without even trying. The teacher outright squealed." Issei confirmed.
The scene then focused on Issei.
He had already started showing the signs of becoming a handsome young man. His hair grew out slightly while still keeping the short ponytail he's had since he and Vali first met, and if one took a closer look at his arms, they would notice the signs of him being quite active, which made it easy to tell why he had a bandage on his right cheek. The only thing that reminded people he was still a child at this point was a missing baby tooth he just recently loss. Despite this, Issei was in puberty, with everything it entailed.
"Wow, that's impressive. Especially since with Murayama and Katase in kendo, only the two of us, Kiryuu, and Motohama aren't doing any sports." Vali said, giggling slightly.
And then the scene focused on Vali.
She hadn't started showing the signs of becoming a beautiful young lady, as unlike Issei, she had hit puberty much earlier and grown to already be one. Vali currently stood about three cm taller than Issei, while her hair was also longer, enough that it reached to the bottom of her shoulders.
The most noticeable thing was she had started to gain curves, already wearing a bra under her uniform, and having a few boys that weren't Issei either teasing her or seeing her differently, depending on who had and hadn't began puberty themselves. However, out of said curves... there was one thing that had made it hard for Issei to look at her on occasion, something that Vali had failed to notice for various reasons that included how Issei was being quiet about it.
"Y-Yeah..." He chuckled as he looked away, a slight blush on his face.
Vali gave a confused look at his reaction, though didn't give it much thought as her house came into view, making her stop.
"See you tomorrow Issei." She smiled.
At that moment, Issei's blush got wider as she moved to hug him. Issei didn't resist it, however, the moment she pulled him into the hug...
*"SQUISH!"*
His face went red as a pair of squishy orbs pressed against his chest, making his brain steam up as his hormones began screaming.
Vali had grown to be quite busty for a girl her age, as Motohama had kindly warned him after the first time this had happened to him.
'Damn it, puberty! You had to give me a fetish my best friend gained!?' Issei thought.
Issei struggled to take calming breaths, trying to do everything he could not to do something perverted and/or stupid. He was already afraid enough of trying to hug her back since he was worried that his hands might roam to low and grab her equally nice ass if he didn't keep himself calm, and it was a justified fear since he had nearly done once.
'Please, make it stop!' He begged, mentally crying.
Luckily, at that moment, Vali finally ended the hug.
"Yeah... see you tomorrow. Now, I better hurry home so I can do my homework and-" Issei said, quickly backing away as he kept his gaze on his best friend.
He nearly tripped over part of the sidewalk, letting out and embarrassed laugh.
"Oops! I better pay attention and rush home right now then!" Issei exclaimed.
Vali gave a confused look as she saw Issei run off, blinking a few times as she tried to process what just happened.
"Is it just me, or has he been weird lately?" Vali asked herself.
Deciding that it was best to talk to her parents about this, Vali opened the door and walked inside.
"I'm back!" She called out.
Hearing her daughter's voice, Vali's mother poked her head out of the kitchen as she saw her daughter toss her backpack onto the couch.
"Welcome home Vali, how was school today?" She greeted.
"It was the same as always, except for Issei." Vali answered.
Vali's mother blinked in confusion.
"Did he do something?" She asked.
"No, it's just that... well, lately, he's been acting kind of weird." Vali explained.
"How about you tell me and your father over dinner?" Her mother suggested.
"OK." She replied.
Walking into the kitchen, Vali saw her mother wearing the usual housewife attire as she put some panko fried shrimp onto a plate. Already sitting at the table was her father, who had spiky hair of the same silvery-white color as hers, golden eyes, and was wearing common business clothes since he had just gotten home from whatever job he did.
"Hi dad." She greeted.
"Welcome home Vali, I just overheard something about Issei being weird?" He greeted back.
"Like I told mom, I'll explain as we eat." Vali replied.
Her father let out a playful chuckle as her mother began setting the table, then sat down with them.
"So, you were saying?" He asked.
"Well... I gave him a goodbye hug, and after that he began talking about doing his homework as he walked backwards. Actually, that's just when it got really bad. Before that, he seems to occasionally avoid looking me in the eye every once in a while." Vali explained.
After they heard that, both of her parents suddenly laughed their heads off, to her confusion.
"Sweetie... that's a puberty thing." Her dad explained.
"But then why am I not acting weird?" Vali questioned.
"Eh... you'll understood once you turn 13." Her mother explained, waving her hand to the side.
Vali blinked twice before shrugging her shoulders, making her parents let out silent sighs of relief.
'Issei, you better treat her well.' Her mother thought.
After she was done with that, she nudged her elbow into her husband's side, getting his attention.
She motioned to their daughter with his eyes, making his widen as he nodded his head in response.
"Vali, I have some good news." Her father started.
That caught Vali's attention, making her look at him.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Well, I just found something out at work today... that can let me now say, with full confidence, that we won't have to move again!" He revealed.
The sound of a clang was heard as Vali dropped her fork onto her plate in shock.
"Did... did you just say that... we're staying here, for good? For real!?" She asked.
"Had to suffer a few death marches these last six years, but I endured them all for the sake of making sure you could stay with Issei, so congratulations. Kuoh Town is now truly our home." Her father confirmed, smiling as he did.
It took a moment for it to sink in, but after hearing everything her parents had said... tears of joy filled Vali's eyes as she covered her mouth.
"Mom... dad... thank you!" Vali said as the tears flowed out.
Both her parents smiled at how happy their daughter looked.
[Sonic the Hedgehog: Solaris Phase 1]
Unfortunately, that joy was short lived as her parents looked at the ceiling, letting out horrified gasps as they saw a magic circle had appeared. It didn't take long before Vali noticed it as well.
"Mom? Dad?" She asked, having no idea what was going on.
"Sarah! Vali! Get behind me!" Her father warned, glaring at it.
"Be careful..." Sarah begged.
Vali could only watch as all the lights in the house exploded, making her scream briefly as a figure hidden by the darkness that now enveloped the house descended from the ceiling through the magic circle.
"I have to commend you for managing to hide from us for so long. Unfortunately, I'm afraid your game of hide and seek won't work anymore." The shadowed figure stated.
He growled before holding his hands out, doing something that Vali couldn't see, but knew wasn't normal because of the glow that resulted from it. Unfortunately, it failed, and then...
*"SLASH!"*
*"SHRIEK!"*
Vali let out a horrified scream, with her mother holding her close and staring at what they saw.
Her father was lying on his back, grunting in pain as he laid in a pool made from his own blood.
"Game, set, and match."
The unknown figure opened his mouth, and before she could process it, Vali heard her father's screams as his silhouette was devoured by a purple light.
"Daddy!" She screamed.
"Get away from my daughter, you bastard!" Sarah shouted, her face looking enraged as she stretched both of her hands out.
She formed magic circles like the one the figure came in from, unleashing various things Vali was too traumatized to focus on.
"Vali, run! You need to get out of here!" Sarah ordered.
"No! I can't leave you!" She refused, shaking her head.
The shadowed figured laughed before throwing out their right hand, and before Sarah could even react, a hoarse shriek left her throat as her body was turned gray and broke apart like it was stone.
"Mom!" Vali screamed.
Laughing at his second kill, the shadowed figured began walking towards Vali, her eyes go blank as she struggled to process everything.
"And now, it's time for you to join your family, girlie." The shadowed figured stated, giving a sinister chuckle as revealed his clawed hands.
All Vali could do was stare and let out panicked breaths.
[Insert Song End]
The shadowed figure then rushed at her, going for the kill. However, before he could even get close?
*"SHREEN!"*
He screamed as something struck him in the face, creating a huge flash that shocked Vali so much, she fainted on the spot. The last thing she heard was the sound of footsteps hurrying across the floor.
After an unknown amount of time passed, Vali felt her senses return.
"Vali? Vali, are you OK!? Please say something!" A familiar voice begged.
She slowly began to open her eyes after that.
"Thank goodness, you're OK!" They exclaimed.
Recognizing that voice, Vali felt her vision properly return to her as the sight of Cleria smiling at her with tears in her eyes entered her view. Once they were fully open, Vali felt Cleria hug her tightly.
"I almost thought you'd never wake up!" Cleria cried with shaky arms.
"Cleria? Is... is that really you?" Vali asked, struggling a little to sit up.
She pulled away from the hug and nodded her head, unable to say anything. It was a few seconds after that when Vali recalled what she just lived through.
"Please, tell me where my mom and dad are? Tell me that I was just having a bad dream... that they're still alive." She begged, her eyes shaking as she did.
Cleria went silent after hearing that question.
"No, it wasn't a dream... and you were completely sane during all of it. Everything you saw was real." Cleria answered.
Those words made Vali's eyes shake in horror.
However, the shock quickly faded when she recalled the things that shadowed figure had done, and that Cleria must know why her parents were killed.
"Wait, who was that man that broke into my house? Why'd they kill my mom and dad!? Please, tell my all of this is happening!" She asked all at once.
Cleria shook her head in response.
"Forgive me Vali, but right now we don't have the time for questions. You're still in great danger! We have to run away before it's too late, and there's a possibility... we won't return to Kuoh Town ever again." She explained, lowering her head as she said it.
Hearing that, Vali's eyes shook, followed by her feeling a surge of anger bubble out.
"Leave? Leave my... my home?" She questioned.
At that moment, Vali ran forward and pushed Cleria to the ground, staring at her with complete fury as tears continued to fall from her eyes.
"No! My father... my father said I could finally stay! This was finally my home! I won't leave it! You can't make me! I won't-" Vali screamed.
She suddenly felt Cleria push her off her.
Before Vali could continue her angry rant, what happened next made sure to silence her.
*"SLAP!"*
A faint whimper left her mouth as she felt her cheek, which was now red from Cleria slapping her.
"You aren't the only one suffering here!" Cleria screamed.
Turning her head, Vali felt her eyes widen as she saw tears dripping down her eyes. The kind of tears that came from loss, from guilt, from... from letting everyone down.
"Cleria?" She said in surprise.
"I really didn't want to waste time, but I doubt you'd listen otherwise. The truth is... I'm not your cousin like I said I was." Cleria revealed, closing her eyes.
Vali's eyes widened.
"In actuality, your family moved here to Kuoh Town because it was my job to watch over it and protect you all. However, despite I had succeeded for the past six years, that all fell apart today when someone caught wind of you without my notice. I didn't even realize what was going on until someone alerted me, and at that point I wasn't going to make it in time to save any of you. Despite that, they told me to get up head over anyways, so I did. Sure enough, I arrived to see that you were still alive." Cleria continued.
She then covered her eyes with her hands, and Vali saw more tears flow out.
"But it was only because the one who warned me and told me to come, my own boyfriend, noticed what had been going on and... and..."
Cleria immediately fell on her knees and broke down, sobbing so loudly that it left no doubt of what happened. Vali's eyes shook in response.
'Oh my god...' She realized.
Vali had assumed the footsteps she heard before blacking out were Cleria's, since she was the first person she saw after waking up, but based on what she just said? They were actually Masaomi's footsteps. Vali had only met him once, but she knew what kind of man he was.
'He rushed in to save me, knowing that he'd be trading his life for mine!' Vali realized, starting to tear up.
She immediately hugged Cleria as her tears fell out.
"I... I'm sorry, I didn't... I thought..." She apologized.
"No, don't be. You're only 11 years old and yet you just saw your parents killed before your eyes. No one your age should have to go through that, much less when it was my job to stop it from happening and I didn't. However, know this much..." Cleria replied, briefly hugging her back.
She backed away from Vali and kneeled on her left leg.
"I made a vow to protect your family, and as long as you're alive? I will die before letting anything happen to you. I also swear to you, no matter how impossible it seems? I will fight for a future where you can return here! So please, even though it will be painful, and it will force you have to be separated from Issei for a long time..." She began.
Cleria moved until she was in a dogeza stance
This surprised Vali, by the mere fact she did it.
"Please, trust me..."
Vali could only stare at what Cleria had just done and said, leaving her speechless for a moment, but then everything sunk in. Vali realized the warning hidden in her words.
"Tell me something." She asked.
Cleria raised her head in response.
"If I didn't go... if I stayed here in Kuoh Town, would... would that man even take Issei's life?" Vali questioned.
"Not just his. All of your friends, and their family? He would kill anyone to break your spirit." Cleria confirmed.
That answer was all she needed to hear.
"OK... I'll leave with you, but can I at least say goodbye to Issei before we go?" Vali requested.
"Yes, but only if you promise me to do the following before you go see him." Cleria permitted.
Vali lightly nodded her head.
"Like I said before, we don't have a lot of time. Rush over there as fast as you can, and once you arrive, don't stay for any longer than 5 minutes. Also, you can't tell him the truth of why you're leaving, so just tell him it's your dad's job that's the reason." She continued.
Despite how much it hurt, Vali slowly nodded her head as she silently cried, feeling Cleria hug her.
"I'm scared..." Vali admitted.
"So am I, but no matter what? We will find a way through this." She promised her.
One last sniffle left Vali's throat as she hugged her back, and Cleria cried as well.
The scene changed to Issei's room, where he was shown scratching his head before slamming it onto his desk, frustrated over one of the problems on his homework.
"I need a distraction!" He screamed.
"Issei, are you home!?" Vali shouted.
His eyes widened as he heard that, shocked that wish had actually come true, and opened up his window. Unfortunately, the happy face he expected from her... was the one thing he didn't see.
"Issei, can you come down for a moment? I... I need to tell you something important." Vali quietly asked.
'Oh boy... I already hate how that sounds.' Issei thought.
It barely took even a minute for Issei to close the window, rush downstairs, and then meet Vali in his front yard. Once he saw her up close, his eyes widened as he saw the clear signs that she had been crying, making him nervous.
"What's wrong?" Issei asked.
For a moment, Vali tried to speak up, but struggled to get the words out. Tears fell out of her eyes as they did, and only served to make Issei increasingly worried for every second of silence that followed.
"Issei, I... I have to move away because of my father's job!" She lied.
His eyes widened as he froze up, hearing glass shattering in his head.
[My Hero Academia: Nighteye's Farewell]
Vali saw his body start to shake, followed by him starting to hyperventilate, and quickly grabbed his shoulders.
"Issei? Issei, are you OK?" She questioned.
He soon blinked as he held his chest, starting to breathe normally again.
"Y-You're... moving away!?" He questioned.
Vali sniffled as she nodded, closing her eyes.
"Believe me, I don't wanna leave... and even my parents tried to stop it this time, but we couldn't do it. My dad can't afford to quit his job and find another one here. This is my home! I hate it... I hate it so much, but we're powerless to do anything!" She replied as the tears began to cascade down her face.
Seeing her tears, it became clear to Issei that nothing could be done, and it was breaking Vali as much as this reveal was hurting him.
"Oh, Vali..." He teared up.
"I just... I had to say goodbye. I don't want to have any regrets." She continued.
He sniffled as he nodded his head, feeling it was the only good news he would get.
"Then... take this." Issei begged.
Vali looked at Issei as he reached into his pocket and took out a pair of necklaces, which were black strings of carbon fiber tied around a metal charm. One was a circle with an outline and a dot in the center, and the other was a crescent moon.
They were the astronomical symbols used for the Sun and Moon, which Issei said represented him and Vali respectively.
"Are these-" Vali realized.
"I... I wanted to give you this on Christmas as a symbol of our friendship. However, if you're not going to be here, then... I want you to have it now. That way, no matter how far apart we are or where we end up? The two of us will always have something invaluable connecting us, like how these symbols form the Platinum symbol." Issei said softly.
"And how the Sun and Moon share one sky." Vali continued, feeling new tears form.
The two of them tightly hugged each other in response, letting their cries go silent.
Once they broke off their hug, Vali turned to let Issei put on her necklace, giving it a heartful look before she turned around and saw him holding out his hand.
"Vali..." Issei said, starting to tremble.
He held out his pinkie, with his hand shaking every second he held it out, before looking giving Vali a begging look.
"One last pinkie promise, alright?" He requested.
"Sure, but... what kind of promise?" She asked.
"Promise me that, one day, no matter how long it takes... that we'll see each other again!" Issei begged, a determined look on his face.
Those words made her eyes widen.
'We may never see each other again... that's what Cleria told me, and yet...' Vali thought.
She recalled some of the words Cleria had said to her recently, and felt her eyes widen.
"I also swear to you, no matter how impossible it seems? I will fight for a future where you can return here!" Cleria's voice echoed through her mind.
Remembering that, Vali held out her pinkie.
"I promise, no matter how long it takes, that one day... I will see you again!" She promised.
Their pinkies locked around each other.
After they let go, Vali took a few steps back, and then gave Issei one last look.
"Goodbye Issei, and... thank you, for everything!" She sniffled, her voice cracking.
With those words, she ran off.
Ran before she could completely breakdown in front of Issei, who, as he watched her leave, continued to stand in place until she was completely out of view. Once he knew she was out of sight, and therefore out of his reach... Issei ran off.
He said nothing as he kept running, tightening his fists and he barely held back most of his tears. Eventually, he made it to the forest where he and Vali first met during their Summer Camp, until he found the stump where he first spoke to her.
"Vali..." He said with a shaky voice, taking a deep breath after he did.
On that fateful day, everyone heard Issei release a loud scream of anguish from the forest, and it wouldn't be until the week afterwards that everyone learned what happened.
[Insert Song End]
That was the day... he lost his smile.
~ December 25th, 2017: Kuoh Town
Silence filled the building that was once owned by Cleria Belial, only for it to suddenly be broken as the door opened for the first time in 3 years.
"Alright, there we go."
The one who opened the door was revealed to be a middle-aged looking man with black hair and peaceful violet eyes, who was wearing an expensive looking suit and exuded a strong aura of dignity.
Standing at his side was a tall, beautiful young woman with white skin, blue eyes, a buxom figure, and long, beautiful, thigh-length crimson hair that was considered her most distinctive feature. Said hair also had a single strand sticking out from the top, loose bangs covering her forehead, and side bangs framing her face. She was wearing a white button-down shirt with short sleeves, a black ribbon on her shirt collar worn under a black shoulder cape and matching buttoned-down corset, a magenta skirt decorated with white accents, and brown dress shoes over white crew-length socks.
Her outfit was none other than the female uniform for the High School division of Kuoh Academy, which she was set to start attending in April.
"What is this place?" She asked.
"Since you've been the acting Head of Kuoh Town for half a year, I've decided to give you, as both a reward and your Christmas present..." The man replied, looking at the redhead to emphasize his words.
Upon hearing that last part, the redheaded girl rolled her eyes and let out an expectant sigh.
"The former base used by your predecessor, the old school building, as your own." He finished.
"This was really Cleria's?" She said in surprise.
She soon walked inside to take a look around.
"Well, at the very least, this place looks incredible despite its implied age. Though, won't it seem strange for me to start regularly coming here?" She inquired, turning around to face the unnamed man.
"Not to worry Rias, your father has taken care of that by having the current Student Council President make this into a new club, which we've named the Occult Research Club as a safety measure. That way, if someone does come inside at a bad time? You should be able to pass it off." The man explained.
"That's actually pretty clever. After all, this building's outside already looks like something related to the occult." Rias replied, assuming that he had noticed that as well.
The man chuckled at that, walking her over to Cleria's old desk.
"Now, see this desk here? While you're free to use it however you like, that left drawer was used a lot by Cleria, so don't open it." He stated.
He winked his left eye at Rias, which made her raise an eye.
"We want to respect her legacy, so you really shouldn't open up that drawer to see what's inside." He continued.
He winked his left eye again, making Rias notice a pattern.
"It isn't going to look good if you really dug into the secrets she may have hid there, considering what led to you replacing her in the first place." He finished, chuckling a bit.
This time he winked his right eye, which left Rias confused.
'What exactly are you trying to tell me?' She wondered, unable to figure out what his message was.
"Now, if you'll excuse me? I need to go back home and deal with a small situation." The man stated.
He gave Rias a slight bow before disappearing through a magic circle.
Once he was gone, Rias looked left and right to make sure no one was watching her, then opened up the left drawer. In doing so, she found a sealed letter.
"This is..."
It was a letter from Cleria, addressed to her potential successor, along with a broken Queen piece.
And that's all, for now.
Right from the start, I've made the tone for this story's beginning a little more bittersweet than before, as Issei and Vali's separation happens because of something beyond her control, rather than her own choice.
However, don't mistake this as the tone for the entirety of the story. Like with the original, the overall theme is meant to be idealistic, and you'll see this starting from the next chapter. The main difference is this time, I'm not shying away from adding the occasional sadder scene to help build everything up.
I think the best way I can explain it is...
Well, it feels like this was the best way to set up the momentum for everything that will follow in the same way that V1 took a while to go from a depressing to its more hopeful ending, which I think will help this story's original message show itself better than it originally did. Sometimes, one gets a better look at hope after things initially seem hopeless.
This helps set up Rias to be more involved than she was during the first arc, as after reading it again? I realized she was kind of just... there for the earlier chapters, simply getting dragged into everything. As such, her role in the beginning, and her eventual friendship with Issei and Vali, is going to be formed through her own actions. That way, it doesn't feel like she became their friend out of nowhere.
I'm also working to set up a stronger connection to all the events in the story, as while it did exist before, there were a few blind spots and times where I felt thing could have been better built up. This is a big reason behind why Cleria has a bigger role than she did before. As for her relationship with Issei? She was nothing more than his baby sister, so don't look much deeper into that.
Another thing is that this time, I'm going to make both Issei and Vali have equal importance to the story, as Vali had unintentionally taken the spotlight at a certain point. There will still be occasions where the story may lean towards one of them, but both of them will be equally important to the overall storyline.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^