Still don't own DxD and K Project.
The train ride to Kyoto was relatively uneventful with Mikoto using the spare time to wrap his head around the finer aspects of the supernatural world. He did this by pestering Wakako with questions, when she grew tired of this Mikoto settled for Takemuras's insight on the matter.
They eventually made it to Wakako's residence in Kyoto, and it was even more lavish than her sons. It was a two-story penthouse suite, with a great view of Kyoto, however, unlike the previous apartment that he had dwelled in the night before, he noticed the addition of a bar. Upon entering, Takemura excused himself to go set up one of the guest rooms as Mikoto's dwelling for the time that he would be staying with them while Mikoto explored the rest of the extravagant house. Wakako went upstairs to her room presumably to change into something more comfortable, it was a long ride after all.
Once Takemura was done with Mikoto's room he worked on making dinner for the night. Mikoto sat by the bar, his eyes wandering across the many different drinks, noticing that a few of them bore a slight resemblance to some of the drinks in Izumo's bar.
"I trust I won't have to lock up the bar when Takemura and I aren't around." Wakako asked as she came down the stairs now dressed in loungewear.
"Naw, cigarettes were more of my poison… This just reminded me of a place I'm fond of." Mikoto replied.
"Right…HOMRA's base of operations." Wakako said remembering the discussion they had the first time they talked in the hospital as she walked over to the dining room. The smell of delicious food was beginning to permeate from the kitchen and if that was any indication of Takemura's cooking skills then he was now very eager for dinner.
The next day Mikoto found himself eating a late breakfast, at the dining table with Wakako and some fox-looking lady. Yasaka was her name if he remembered correctly. She had the appearance of a young woman with long flowing blonde hair and eyes to match, though it was currently tied in a loose ponytail at the moment. She was also wearing very ornate clothing which reminded him of a shrine maiden, but it somehow contributed very little to hiding how well endowed she was. Apparently, the meeting between her and Azazel was slated for today but the man was running significantly late. That was fine for a while, time seemed to fly by rather quickly, as when Yasaka first arrived at their dwelling she was accompanied by a small swarm of guards who refused to let her in unless they did a full sweep of the apartment. This threw Wakako off quite a bit because while sure Yasaka was an important figure she was also insanely powerful, previously, whenever they met up, the guards were a mere formality so upon seeing her step up security Wakako decided to question the change while her guards swept the perimeter. It was then that Wakako found out that Yasaka had recently gotten pregnant and that she wouldn't be able to stop her overprotective guards even if she tried. According to her, it was a miracle that they let her come to the meeting given who else was coming. After the guards' swept the apartment, the two used the time waiting on Azazel as an opportunity to catch up. He learned many things about how they ruled over different aspects of Kyoto, and how they worked together as they went over fond memories with Takemura occasionally bringing them snacks and beverages.
When Yasaka tried learning more about the boy sitting by them eating breakfast, he only gave her his name. He wasn't going to let some random fox lady interrupt him from enjoying Takemura's cooking, influential or not. While her bodyguards saw this as disrespectful, she at the very least appreciated his authenticity, especially after what felt like years of people walking on eggshells around her.
Eventually, Azazel made it to the meeting, and true to his word he didn't look like he wanted any trouble as he was only accompanied by what looked like an assistant. He looked like a man in his 20s with primarily black hair which contrasted with his golden bangs, he also had violet eyes and a black goatee. He wore a black coat with gold accents along the buttons and cuffs, along with a dark purple dress shirt he didn't button up all the way with some black dress pants and shoes. His assistant also appeared to be in her 20s and wore a black business suit which also showed off her curves. She overall had this air around her that said she didn't take shit from anyone, her boss withstanding though for some reason he found himself doubting that a little bit.
"So very sorry for being late ladies… something came up." He said walking up to the dining table and taking a seat for himself. His assistant took a nearby seat.
"For once, I don't mind you being late, We enjoyed having the chance to catch up." Wakako said to which Yasaka nodded in agreement.
"Would any of you like some snacks? Perhaps a beverage?" Takemura asked as he came from the kitchen.
"Some green tea would be nice, thank you. Anything for you Penemue?" To which his assistant said she wasn't hungry. The rest simply told the retainer that they were currently satisfied as Yasaka and Wakako had already been lightly snacking while Mikoto had a late breakfast, to begin with.
"So this is the child that saved you Wakako-san… doesn't look like much to me." Azazel said while leaning forward to get a closer look at Mikoto. Mikoto in response blew a small red puff of flame into Azazel's face. Thankfully the fallen angel was able to back out of the flame's reach in time.
"Take care of your little meeting first. I don't wanna get caught in the middle of your dealings." Mikoto declared as he made his way to what was now his room. A moment later, Takemura brought the fallen angel governor his tea.
"Geez, already that grumpy at his age? I feel bad for any kids he has to be around." Azazel joked trying to lighten the mood as he checked his clothes for any singes.
"Mhmm, besides his attitude though, I'd say you're cut from the same cloth." Wakako said in response.
"He is quite the free spirit from what I can see" added Yasaka with a light chuckle.
"He could definitely benefit from some of my charms…" Azazel said a bit disgruntled as he took his first sip of tea.
"Right, anyway let's get to business. Unlike me, Yasaka is quite the busy woman" Wakako said to get the ball rolling.
"Well, to avoid beating around the bush, I would like to propose an alliance with the Youkai of Kyoto." Azazel said.
"And what would we stand to gain from this proposal?" Yasaka prodded.
"I'll admit this alliance is more for the Grigori than it is for the Youkai, but I didn't come here expecting to give nothing in return, what are your terms?"
Wakako was the audience to quite the lengthy negotiation. The two leaders each brought forth their demands and Azazel, the sly bastard that he was, found a way around everything and anything Yasaka asked of him with Penemue finding ways to make it beneficial for the Grigori. She could see why Azazel kept her around. Wakako herself didn't have much to add or ask for as she already had enough to juggle from the various gangs in Kyoto. She would stand to gain regardless of the situation seeing as she would have to play mediator between the 2 factions. She would probably help them get through the growing pains of the alliance should it follow through.
"One more thing, while the Grigori, Angels, and Devils haven't been at war for quite some time the situation between you 3 has remained quite volatile. I don't want to endanger the Youkai of Kyoto by entering an alliance with you, however, it would be a shame to throw it away when you have found a way to work everything out. I guess what I'm trying to ask is what guarantee do you have that my people will not fall victim to your past baggage." Declared Yasaka.
At that Azazel released a long stressful sigh, before making eye contact with Penemue. They didn't speak but it's clear Azazel saw that Penemue didn't quite agree with what he was about to do but too much was at stake for her to speak out.
"I didn't think I would have to use this bargaining chip but it seems I have no choice…" Azazel said before he pulled out a small flask from his suit and took a long swig from it.
"While I do like to show up late to piss off some of my companions, I actually had a legitimate reason this time. A few nights ago I ran across a young boy, a runaway barely 6 years old. I don't quite know what I sensed in the boy at the time but I was willing to bet it was a sacred gear. Originally I planned on helping him fight his demons so to speak as I gave him a place to help awaken his sacred gear and get some research out of it in the process. He awakened it during training last night." Azazel explained.
"And what was so special about this sacred gear that you had to keep us waiting?" Wakako asked, not that she minded, she got to catch up with Yasaka for once.
"Oh well that's quite easy, the soul sealed within the sacred gear awoke earlier this morning and we had to make sure he wasn't going to have another mental breakdown. " Azazel finished causing most people in the room to raise an eyebrow at what he just said. He took another swing finishing off the small flask in preparation for what he would have to say.
"The boy didn't have the best reaction to meeting Albion."
That was quite the pill for Yasaka to swallow. Azazel had gotten his hands on the current White dragon emperor. While sacred gear were focused more around the Christian factions she was well aware of the power they could possess, let alone one said to be strong enough to kill God. The only problem was that he was only a boy.
"Fine, I'll agree to a modified alliance for now, until the boy is strong enough, should we need anything from each other, we shall go through Wakako. I don't feel comfortable placing the safety of my people on the shoulders of a boy. Are those terms agreeable?" Yasaka offered.
"I'm glad we are of the same sentiment as far as the boy is concerned. Yes, those terms are agreeable, assuming our mediator doesn't mind." Azazel said, bringing Wakako back into the conversation.
"I don't mind, I have to handle back-door political dealings all the time not to mention gang politics. I doubt this will be much different." Wakako said.
"Excellent! This is cause for celebration! A toast perhaps? No one mixes drinks like good old Takemura." Azazel said, to which the retainer on standby flashed a small smile.
"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to decline. I'm eating for 2 now." Yasaka declared as she prepared to leave.
"we'll all have little brats running around soon enough!" Azazel said before breaking out into a small laugh. Yasaka politely hid her chuckle behind her sleeve.
"I'll simply have to drink twice as much in your honor." Azazel finished as he reigned in his laugh.
"Enjoy the rest of your visit to Kyoto Azazel." Yasaka said as she and her Entourage of guards left the building.
"If you don't mind sir, I will be heading back to base now that the meeting is over." Penemue said as she also readied herself to leave. She reached into her chest as a small notepad materialized from her cleavage, she then threw it towards Azazel.
"Those are the notes you had me make on Mikoto during the calls you had from Wakako. Just in case you need them."
"Thanks, Penemue, I'll be seeing you again soon enough." Azazel said after he caught the small notepad, Penemue vanished a second later, gone with the light from her teleportation spell.
"Takemura, do you mind retrieving Mikoto for our guest before starting on the drinks?" Wakako asked. Takemura simply nodded at the request before heading to fetch the boy. Azazel used the small opportunity to go over his assistant's notes.
"So you're the boy who saved Wakako huh? That's quite the story you have there." He said as he came to the end of Penemue's notes, she was quite thorough.
"What? Don't believe me?" Mikoto asked.
"No, it's not that, this shit is too well thought out to be fake, all though I do have a theory on what happened… Do you mind showing me those flames again?" Azazel asked. Mikoto complied, holding out his hand with, there-in which a red flame manifested.
Azazel paid close attention to the flame, it wasn't like any magic he had seen before, it could have been a genetic ability but as far as he could tell, Mikoto was 100% human. He thought of the possibility that it could have been a sacred gear, but nothing else manifested when he called forth the flame. He put his hand closer to the flame, he felt the warmth of the flame but unlike regular fire he would probably be in substantial pain should he be blasted with it. He tried to get a feel for the properties of the flame, letting his magic power flow from his hand and envelop the flame but no matter how much he tried the flame burned any and all magic that got close let alone surrounded it. He did feel some residual energy around his leg brace, but he couldn't really trace it to anything…
"Hmmm… hey Wakako? Just to confirm when you found him you said he had enough wounds to look like he survived a blender right?" Azazel asked as Takemura brought them both their first round of drinks.
"Sounds about right.." Wakako confirmed as she took her first sip.
"Well this is just my theory, I can't say I know the details around it but it seems that shortly after your rival made a Mikoto kebab, someone or someTHING saved you before dumping you into the dimensional gap." Azazel theorized.
"The what?" Mikoto asked, raising an eyebrow in skepticism. The two other humans in the room expressed an equal amount of confusion.
"Ah right, my bad… The dimension gap is a great infinite, timeless void that takes up the space between our realms. Nothing can survive there for long without adequate protection. I personally haven't bothered venturing into it but I have come into contact with people who have and they tend to have a residual energy similar to that currently on your leg." Azazel continued before indulging in one of Takemura's cocktails.
"You are one very lucky boy Mikoto, not only were your flames strong enough to keep you alive in the dimensional gap but you survived long enough to somehow end up in that park." Azazel finished.
Mikoto wasn't sure how to handle the news he was receiving, what the hell took him away from his friends? What the hell did it do to his friends, his clansmen... Why the hell did he end up in some freaky world where God existed and had somehow died when his friends could potentially be dead? He'd never be able to live it down if his clan had died at the hands of that and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Of all the fucking things that could happen…
Of all the fucking possibilities…
Of all the fucking bullshit…
His aura was already starting to bubble to the surface giving him an ominous red glow.
No… lashing out wouldn't solve anything at the moment. He took a deep breath to calm himself before reaching out for one of Takemura's drinks and downing it.
"I'm gonna sleep this off…" Mikoto finished as he set the glass down and headed to his room. The remaining adults let the silence settle, not really sure what to say. The fallen angel governor was the first to break the silence.
"He does know he slept for most of the day right..?"
Mikoto awoke the next day making his way to the lounge area to see Azazel asleep on one of the couches with a thick heavy blanket covering him though judging by the lone half-empty glass next to him, he doubted the angel chose to fall asleep there. He couldn't spot Wakako anywhere nearby but he could already smell Takemura busy in the kitchen.
He took a seat on one of the other open seats.
"Hey, old crow! Rise and shine." Mikoto said, rousing the governor from his slumber.
"Argh…did you have to be so loud?..." Azazel responded, slowly sitting up on the couch and nursing his headache. He had shed the coat he wore the day prior and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.
"I didn't think you were even capable of getting drunk let alone have a hangover given the crap I've heard about your kind.." Mikoto responded.
"Yeah well, Takemura knows how to make a mean drink…" Azazel responded. The two sat in silence after that.
"You know…after you went to bed, I came up with an idea in my drunken stupor." Azazel said as Takemura started setting up the table for breakfast.
"And what would that be, old crow?" Mikoto asked.
"I'm not that old ya know…" Azazel said.
"You've been around long enough to document humans inventing modern-day plumbing, as far as I'm concerned 'old' is an understatement.."
"Fine, but do you have to call me crow?" Azazel asked, to which Mikoto shrugged and flashed a small cheeky grin.
"If your idea is good enough I won't." Mikoto relented.
"Better than nothing, it's not like I'll have to deal with you for too much longer if you say no anyway…" Azazel said as Takemura started bringing in plates filled with food and placing them on the dining table.
"Essentially your flames are ridiculously strong for someone your 'age' for lack of a better term at the moment. They're bound to get stronger as you grow up and training them might bolster them even more. After you get them strong enough it's simply a matter of hopping and the dimensional gap and finding your way back home." Azazel explained, after which he stood up and made his way to the dining table.
Mikoto followed suit, taking his own seat at the table whilst Takemura went to fetch Wakako.
"I assume you already cooked a scheme to accomplish this?" Mikoto asked.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see where you would stack up against the current White dragon emperor." Azazel responded.
"The fucking what now?"
"Right…you slept through my meeting with Yasaka.. all you really need to know is that this person will be strong enough to handle fighting your flames, so strong in fact that quite a lot of people believe they would be able to kill God." Azazel explained.
"You want me to fight a being whose main claim to fame is being able to kill gods? I should call you old senile crow just for that." Mikoto spat back.
"Oh come on! Didn't you listen to me, I said 'will be,' he's around your age at this moment, and I highly doubt that he could survive the dimensional gap like you did at this age." Azazel countered.
"Still…that's quite the ceiling." Mikoto contemplated.
"If it means anything one doesn't just enter the dimensional gap without being at least on the lower end of that ballpark besides he's the only one I can think of at the moment strong enough to train with you that isn't tied down politically." Azazel elaborated.
"..."
"Come on…you sound like a person who enjoys a good brawl, I'm surprised you're so reluctant." Azazel goaded.
"Fine, we'll see about that after this damn boot off" he said, tapping his leg brace lightly against the hardwood floor.
Wakako and Takemura returned shortly after where the small group enjoyed an excellent breakfast.
"Mikoto.." Wakako called out to which the boy simply looked up.
"We will need to have a discussion about you going to school…" Wakako said as she started to gather up the dishes she used.
"Fuck."
Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. The next chapter is going to be something more akin to a time-lapse of Mikoto's middle school and early high school life. Lemme know what yall think.