This is a fanfic. BUY THE FUCKING MERCHANDISE!
Vali Lucifer had lived through life with quite a few surprises. Some of them good, some of them bad.
There was the shock of when his mother had her memory erased and sent away from his life. That one time of finding out of the Khaos Brigades' existence and members that were banded together. The Phantom Thieves being a real group and that they were going to school at Kuoh Academy. Now in the present time…
"If I want to fight the Red Dragon Emperor… I have to defeat you first, Haru Okumura?" Vali asked, tilting his head in question at the declaration Haru yelled in his direction. He couldn't tell if this is a good or bad surprise. Folding his arms, he shook his head. "Really? Even if you are a Phantom Thief you believe that you can hold your ground and beat me? Hurt me… maybe. Defending the Red Dragon Emperor however and preventing our fight by beating me… that is quite a bold delusion."
"What's the matter, Vali-kun?" Haru brought her arms back closer while taking a defensive stance with her axe in hands. "Are you perhaps all bark and no bite?" Before any of them made a move though, a couple people stepped right in front of her.
"Noir, what you're trying to do is freaking insane!" Ryuji exclaimed, his back towards her while equipped with his shotgun. "One on one with this guy?" He pointed towards Vali, who was still floating in mid-air and just looking at them. "You've seen how this fast this guy can be!"
"Skull is right." Yusuke agreed with the blonde, slowly unsheathing his blade. "Holding our ground against Yaldabaoth, that was feasible. But, killing him was by Akira's hand, not ours."
She clapped her palms onto both males' shoulders. "There's no need to worry." Haru reassured them with closed eyes and a small smile of reassurance. "Even if I cannot beat Vali-kun, that just means I have helped I-kun witness a couple of his opponent's abilities. Besides, I think that Vali-kun needs to be reminded that nobody can always get what they want."
But both boys had their shoulders tense and chills run through their bodies when Haru's grip tightened. Turning to look at each other, it was as if a silent conversation was exchanged between the two of them. Th two of them then glanced towards the girl's face. After a couple of seconds, Ryuji indicated with his head that they should go to the sidelines and was followed reluctantly by Yusuke after a nod.
Issei however was one to object. "Wait a minute, Haru-senpai, it's me he wants to fight! That's it! What if I just-" He was cut off from his running into the fray due to Ryuji and Yusuke each putting one hand on the brunette's shoulders and pulling him back.
"Trust me dude, Noir's got to do this." Ryuji looked back; his lips twisted down into a frown.
"But people have been constantly making a big deal about this Red Dragon Emperor business with me!" Issei stated, trying to pry their hands off him but they kept their firm grips. "If this guy is harping on about being my rival due to his Sacred Gear containing the White Dragon Emperor-"
"As Skull stated," Yusuke shoved the brunette to throw his grip off the blue-haired Persona user. "This is something Noir has to do. She just needs some time to vent."
But plenty of other people shared Issei's worry as they approached. Even Azazel did not have much confidence. "I do hope your companion at least knows what she's getting into." He commented when Ryuji and Yusuke pushed Issei towards Rias. "Vali's no slouch when it comes to fighting. In fact, he's stronger than Kokabiel just for comparison."
"And Yaldabaoth was as well." Akira pointed out dryly, still sitting on the ground with Sona.
Sona however had to agree with the Fallen. "As repetitive as it sounds, are you sure that Haru-san can handle this?" She asked with a frown while looking at the boy.
To that, Akira huffed in amusement to his new girlfriend. "For pretty much every single fight you've seen Noir in, she's been mainly providing support with gunfire as well as grenades." He then snapped his fingers while pointing in the Phantom Thief's direction with a smirk. "Now you get to see her use all tools and abilities at her disposal."
"…All right, if you think she's capable of at least hurting Vali." Azazel eventually let up while shrugging his shoulders. "But you best be wary of his Sacred Gear's ability. It has the ability to divide the power of its opponent by half after coming into physical contact with them every 10 seconds."
"Sheesh, talk about overkill…" Ann commented.
"Pretty overpowered if you ask me." Futaba asked. "Only problem is there is no way to nerf it really…"
For the entire duration of the exchange, Vali listened in onto the worry that spread through the Devils. The Phantom Thieves… they too had their doubts. Yet there was faith and confidence that the fighter who had challenged him would claim victory. Vali had to admit though (among other things) he was looking forward to the upcoming battle.
Yet…
"…Last chance, Haru Okumura." He warned, floating down to the ground. "Step aside." Quickly spreading his wings, he then clawed the air. Spiraling like a drill a second later, the sound of metal scraping together pieced everyone's ears as Vali had then entered a battle stance with fingered talons pointing towards Haru.
But Haru stood her ground, grabbing her axe and swung it around in her arms a couple of time before getting ready for the fight herself. All the while a red, purple, and green light flashed around her.
Taking her non-verbal response as a challenge, Vali looped into the air before beginning to soar right towards Haru. As he continued to lunge towards her, the female raised her axe. Taking his head on attack by using her weapon as a shield, Haru careened backwards and through a school wall but her fall was softened thanks to Milady as the Persona also helped her get back up to her feet.
Since Vali had punched her a fair distance away, he began flying towards her once more. Throwing another punch, this time Haru skidded down a hall. Regaining her footing, she began to run towards her opponent as Milady provided covering fire. Jumping into the air, Haru tried to smash her axe right onto Vali, but her blocked the attack when the Persona stopped shooting to give its user the time to land the attack.
Vali began to try and hit Haru with clawed slashes. But the girl immediately went on the defence as she managed to block each slice with her heavy weapon. Spinning around due to momentum, Haru brought out the grenade launcher and shot Vali with it. With the force of the explosion and her being so close to it, Haru flew backwards from the blast.
But Vali didn't seem to be too bothered by the explosive as he burst from the smoke cloud and was right in Haru's face. But as soon as he spun around like a tornado midair to dice Haru like a blender, a pink fan had gotten in his way. Milady had appeared right next to the combatants and used its accessory to be a shield. During her ferocious slashing, Vali noticed that there was some energy surrounding the fan which explained why despite him feeling contact he wasn't damaging anything.
As soon as the two of them landed on the ground, Milady made a sweeping motion and pushed Vali away. As soon as the Persona disappeared into thin air, Haru had tossed a Megido Bomb towards Vali while shooting a grenade towards it. Being enveloped in another explosion, Vali took some more damage and couldn't see Haru charge right towards him.
As Haru was surrounded by a trinity of lights once more, she tried another overhead smash. But Vali raised his defences once again when he saw what was coming when the smoke cleared up. Shoving the attack back, he charged but Haru had recovered in time to block each attack. Hitting the axe with a powerful blow during his assault, Vali was too focused on attack when Haru used the momentum behind the one hit to spin around and knock him away with the sharp edges of her weapon.
But the girl continued to spin around for another blow and Vali blocked it. This time, the two had entered a deadlock, struggling for a moment of dominance in their fight. "I will admit, I underestimated you, Haru Okumura." Vali complimented, his heart pounding with mixed feelings in his chest. A small grin grew on his face with a disarray of emotions.
"You're not doing too bad yourself, Vali-kun." Haru replied through gritting teeth as she was keeping an eye out for any part of him touching her body.
"Unfortunately for you, this where things get interesting for me." Vali's words caused Haru to go through a moment of confusion.
But after that second, Haru suddenly felt the strength drop when the gems at the back of Vali's hands glowed. Vali easily took advantage of the change as soon as it started and shoved Haru far away as she landed on her bottom due to a surprised balance loss. Getting back up to her feet, she didn't have time to think as she brought her axe back up for defence. But the weapon seemed heavier than usual as when Vali threw a barrage of punches, she couldn't defend herself as well as before. Not only were his attacks stronger, but she felt weaker at the same time despite powering herself up.
Noticing that Vali paused for barely for a second before throwing a heavy fist towards her, Haru quickly thought that the next punch was going to be powerful to probably take her out.
From Vali's perspective, he was surprised at the amount of power that had been added to his own reserves when he used his Sacred Gear's ability. He knew that the Phantom Thieves were strong, but it still took him for a brief loop. It was still a good thing he had managed to graze her during their first bout. Even though he may have wanted to drag out the fight for a little longer, the Red Dragon Emperor was still at the top of his list.
Going in for a finishing blow, he noticed that Haru had dismissed her axe in favor of taking out her grenade launcher. Still following through with his attack, he wondered why she didn't bother trying to defend herself any further.
More questions grew when as soon as his fist was about to connect with her cheek. Three translucent barriers suddenly appear right in front of her body. As soon as he came into physical contact, it felt like he was the one who was punched in the face while being hurled back with great force. During his involuntary retreat, Haru had shot him with another grenade as the explosive contacted his body.
Stopping himself in the air and setting his feet back onto the ground, Vali raised his arms only to suddenly freeze on the spot. His entire body twitched but refused to move. Gritting his teeth, he did his best but couldn't budge an inch. He could feel an electric current tingle through him. It was as if his entire body was paralyzed.
Vali could only watch as Haru charged towards him and smashed her axe right against his armor. Feeling the heavy impact despite dividing her strength, he was helpless as she continuously swung her axe and used the weight to deal damage. After a few attacks, Haru wound up her next attack like a baseball star. Swinging the heavy weapon, Milady appeared and shot the back of the item with a large spiraling bullet.
The force behind the shot easily accelerated that axe swing so Vali was struck with both the blade and tip of the shot. Flying backwards, Vali twitched and felt that now he could suddenly move his body. Rotating in the air and landing on all fours, he saw that Haru had began running towards him.
Recovering back onto his feet, he lost his balance for a few seconds. But Vali didn't let it affect him too much as he crossed his arms and began to focus. Just before Haru could reach him, Vali swung his folded arms out while spreading his wings at full power. The mere force behind such movement created a massive shockwave that threw Haru back with surprise and destroyed the area around him.
Skidding backwards when she hit the ground, Haru's head eventually hit a wall. Groaning, she blinked a few times to regain her bearings. Climbing back up into a proper fighting position, she saw Vali charge right towards her once again. While she reached into her back pouch on her waist, she clumsily fired several grenades haphazardly towards the opposition.
Vali saw the incoming explosives and now had a good idea of what they did. Not even thinking about why he was slightly tripping with each step, he easily rushed past each grenade that flew his way. Stumbling his way through the barrage, he had almost reached Haru when she suddenly pulled out a smoke grenade from her pouch and threw it to the ground.
Skidding to a halt, Vali coughed when he accidentally inhaled a bit of the gas cloud. Still pushing through the vapor, he made it right through the substance only to find that Haru had disappeared. However he saw a set of stairs to his side. Not only that, a pair of footsteps were getting quieter with every passing second. Rolling his neck while popping it, he flew out of the building by smashing through a wall.
For Haru, she was too busy running up the stairs and away from Vali. Now, she was hoping to gain some distance and position herself for another axe attack. While she had a plan in mind, it was risky since it involved close combat at first and there was only a chance that it would work in the first place. But if she could pull it off, then she would achieve the possibility of winning. She didn't want to rely on reflecting attacks as she was sure that since Vali had a lot of experience with combat, he would figure out a way around it.
Hearing a wall crumbling, Haru had less than a second to look to her side to see that Vali had barged right through the surface and struck the girl's body. Due to the force, Haru flew right out of a window. But then Milady appeared, and the girl went right into its cannon. With a boom, Haru careened right out of the barrel while spinning like a sawblade with her axe out ready to chop. As Vali dodged out of the way, Haru took the landing opportunity to keep running up.
Huffing as she felt her strength drain some more, another trio of lights surrounded her as soon as she reached the door to the room. Bursting right through it, she dove over to the side. Rolling and getting back up to her feet, she put all she could into her next strike as she swung her axe. Fortunately for her, Vali had broken right through the door and ended up taking the axe blade to her body once more.
But Vali hardly flinched. Looking down, he saw that while the had struck him, it hardly moved him an inch. "…It looks like that's all the strength you can muster, Haru Okumura." He noted as Haru panted, her clothes covered with dirt and a slightly bruised face from fighting. "I will admit though, it was a pleasant fight. I would even go so far to say that you have wounded me to a great extent." Grabbing the heavy end of the axe, he pulled it out of his armor and dropped it to the ground. "Unfortunately, it wasn't enough."
Raising a fist, Vali was about to follow through when… there was something different about Haru…
There were suddenly multiples of her… and everything was blurry.
Haru stared curiously when Vali blinked and squinted a few times in confusion. Realizing what was up, Haru didn't waist any time to dive out of Vali's grip range as Milady showed up. With a wave of its fan, four large orbs that were a rainbow of colors appeared out of thin air. Spinning around in a clockwise pattern, the energy flew right towards Vali.
Even if she was not a full power, her psychic attacks should be extremely affective against people with mental ailments.
Right when it met his head though, Vali gritted his teeth as if took a tremendous amount of energy to not scream in pain. In his vision, the multiple images of Haru disappeared for a moment to only see black, white, pink and yellow spirals as if felt like those very images were drilling both in and out of his brain.
Feeling the pain, Vali's instincts told him to move. To where though was the question that immediately followed up after since everything was so dizzy that he had lost his sense of direction. Hearing a small series of bangs, he felt three projectiles shoot his body and pushing him back a few inches. Shaking his head to try and rid himself of the blurry visions, Vali made out purple spirals before feeling another sharp pain inside of his mind.
Clutching his head, Vali balled up a fist. With some frustration, he punched himself on the cheek and there was enough force behind the attack that knocked him down. Feeling himself suddenly in the air, it occurred to him that he may have fallen off the room. In response to that feeling, he opened his wings and landed on all fours. Groaning, he gritted his teeth and slowly got back up to his feet. Now, everything was as clear as day. In his sights was Haru who had dropped down from the roof thanks to her Persona yet looked like the battle was finally getting to her.
For the spectators however, they had just suddenly saw Vali and Haru both fall down from the school building. Aside from a few sounds, none of the other Phantom Thieves, Devils, Angel, or Fallen really knew what was happening. But the result really did surprise most of them.
"…Wow…" Azazel managed to breath, impressed with what was displayed right before his very eyes. "I know all of you are strong… But to bring Vali down to at least all fours is impressive."
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji cheered, high fiving Ann. "There's the Noir that fought alongside us!"
"As I told you," Yusuke reminded Issei as well as Rias' Peerage. "She just needed some time to vent."
Hearing that one single word, the male brunette snapped his head over towards the blue-haired Persona user while pointing at Haru. "That was venting?" Seeing Yusuke nod, Issei jabbed over towards the building with smoke escaping from some windows with a couple of holes in the walls. "That was venting?!" He repeated himself.
"Incredible…" Ravel whispered aloud. "Being able to fight on par with the White Dragon Emperor… Does that mean all of the Phantom Thieves are capable of such feats?"
"I think it just depends on how the flow of the battle goes." Makoto supplied for the Phenex. "Sometimes, we can get lucky and use that luck to our advantage. Other times, we may not be so fortunate, and something may go wrong. Just like anyone, we just have to make do with what is available to us."
Vali may have looked beaten up, but there was still the power and energy that flowed through him from his Sacred Gear's ability. For that moment during his dizzy spell, he felt like he was backed into a corner. It was… exhilarating. A grin grew on his face when he realized the scene that had just occurred a few seconds ago. The grin did not last very long though as another thought struck him very soon. A thought about who he had been fighting despite being eager to at first.
"…That was pretty good, Haru Okumura." He complimented with a small nod of his head. "The power of a Persona is something I need to take better caution of. You Phantom Thieves, the Red Dragon Emperor, even the Sitri heiress will be fun later." Vali then balled up a fist and charged right towards Haru. "I advise that you clench your teeth, because this is where the fight ends."
Alarmed, Haru raised her arms up in order to prepare for Vali's strike.
"Yo, Vali, hold it!"
The male didn't land his powerful blow though as a voice interrupted the fight. Looking up, everyone saw a glowing circle in the sky and someone dropping down from it. At first, no one could really make out the figure properly. But as soon as they had descended to the ground, their features became known.
The one who had descended was a young man with short colored hair, wearing ancient Chinese armor and resting a staff on his shoulder. His landing was not soft though due to gravity forcing him down. But despite the contact to the ground, the male did not seem hurt by the fall at all.
Getting back up and dusting himself off, the stranger put his free hand right against his waist. "What you're doing can wait later." He stated. "I'm here to pick you up."
Vali was the only one out of a few of them to recognize the newcomer. "Bikou?" He asked the person in a small moment of confusion, lowering his fist as Haru slowly brought her arms down. "What's happening for a situation that calls for me so suddenly?"
"We're smack-dab in the middle of a fight with the Earth gods." The now named Bikou explained. "You got to come help us. The more the merrier." The man shrugged his shoulders. "Besides, it looks as if Katerea failed and you're just killing time."
Blinking, those last words certainly registered in Vali's mind as he glanced over towards Haru. "…Right." He slowly nodded his head while closing his eyes. "It's time to go then."
From the side though, some spectators didn't remain quiet. "Okay, I'm not the only one who's wondering who the hell this new guy is, am I?" Ryuji asked, hand and arm outstretched towards Bikou while looking at the supernatural entities for an explanation.
"No, it's not just you." Ann confirmed, with a scrunched up with a puzzled expression. "I'm kind of confused who this guy is as well."
"…Am I the only one out of all of us to kind of have an immediate guess just by his appearance alone?" Futaba asked. With no one responding for a second, she raised her left hand. "This person is a descendant of the victorious fighting Buddha, but generally known as the famous or infamous monkey from Journey to the West." Lowering it, she then brought up her right. "Who is Sun Wukong is the correct answer."
"Well… you got part of the answer right." Azazel corrected the ginger. "That guy really is just a monkey spirit who inherited Sun Wukong's power."
"Oh, we got more people here. Where are my manners?" The monkey chuckled before waving to the audience. "The name's Bikou, nice to meet each one of you. Especially the Phantom Thieves." Looking between Vali and Haru, his gaze finally settled on the former. "Damn," He whistled. "She must be pretty strong to reduce you to a state like that."
Vali eyed Haru for a second. "…She is." He confirmed for his comrade while approaching. "Now get us out of here. There's an issue that needs to be resolved elsewhere."
As Bikou nodded his head and slammed the tip of his staff onto the ground, Haru finally spoke out from her moment of silence. "…Vali-kun…" She saw the white-haired male react to her words so she knew he could hear her.
But whether she had more to say, it remained unknown to the white-haired boy. But that silence caused him to stare at the female whom he had just finished combat with. As a circle began to etch itself onto the ground a glow, Vali opened his mouth. "…Haru Okumura…" He found himself saying much to his surprise. "Thank you… for being who you are…"
Within a flash of light, both Vali and Bikou disappeared into thin air.
Sirzechs sighed, being the one to initiate words. "This meeting has certainly been anything but peaceful."
"First the sorcerer raid, second Katerea Leviathan and then that Vali boy revealing that he is the descendant of Lucifer." Michael added in. "I suppose things could have gone worse."
"At least So-tan got a Persona and a boyfriend from all of this, so that's a positive!" Serafall remarked, causing her little sister to groan and hide her face in embarrassment into Akira's body. That action alone caught the boy off guard slightly.
"I know the Khaos Brigade has all sorts of members, but to think that they have not only the Old Satan faction, but also Vali and that monkey." Azazel frowned while crossing his arms. "That display alone shows that this group should be treated like how we treated each other during the war."
"Unfortunately, I have to agree with your level of caution." Michael said. "Such members of high power should not be considered lightly. We will have to discuss our peace terms and counter strategies against the Khaos Brigade."
While the adults had their discussions, all of the teenagers all gathered together. "That was some pretty good results, Noir." Akira complimented while Ann healed Haru right up. "Considering how one on one combat is not your speciality it is very impressive."
"Thank you." Noir nodded her head. "But I doubt I will be able to bring Vali down like that again if I would have to fight him a second time." She kept her gaze down to the ground.
"…" Akira was the only one to notice this as the rest of them had moved the conversation over towards Issei.
"Speaking of impressive, that was some real gunslinging you showed off when rescuing Gasper-san." Morgana stated towards Issei. "You're getting used to fighting which as well is another good sign."
"I mean… I think those sorcerers were kind of weak honestly." Issei said, unsure of himself. "It took a lot of bullets and explosions to bring Kokabiel down. Here, it only took one bullet per sorcerer. So I'm not sure if that's an improvement."
"You kidding?" Futaba asked. "You showed your moves like a pro! Not only that," She then turned to where Gasper was standing. "Gasper-chan, you were pretty cool as well when stopping that sp- and he's gone…" Her statement was followed by everyone staring at an empty spot right next to them.
"He's probably just gone back to the clubroom." Rias shook her head but had on a smile. "At least I know that he's safe because of you guys. Thanks."
"Just going what we do." Morgana stated with a shrug.
"Which suddenly reminds me," Rias looked over towards Sona with a grin. "How does it feel to have a boyfriend?"
Once again, Sona's face became slightly red as she glared at her childhood friend for asking such a question in front of everybody. "Not you too…" She sighed. "I would at least think that me having a Persona would be more of the subject on hand…
"..." Akira looked towards Sona before staring at Rias. "I think it's nice."
"For what?" Rias teased. "The Persona, or the girlfriend?"
"Both." He answered immediately.
TakeABreak
"Are you sure this is something you want to try, Sitri-san?"
"I mean... I have never given it much thought. But now that the opportunity has risen, it is a good time to try it out…"
Turning his head, Akira gave the girl a rather bewildered expression in response to her answer. Feeling that pair of eyes were watching her, she turned her head and saw his face. That just made her go on the defensive. "What?! It's true!" Sona stated while diverting her gaze and readjusting her glasses. "In fact, I don't think anyone has given karaoke any thought until it is even mentioned!"
Hearing her explanation, Akira blinked a couple of times. "Ah, you're right… Sorry about that." He mumbled sheepishly while looking down to the ground.
It had been a week since the meeting of the Three (technically Four due to the Phantom Thieves) Factions. That Khaos Brigade scheme that the group tried to pull off was a great way to motivate all groups to join forces so an attack like that would never happen again or they would be well prepared for it. While that day was a dark one, it also brought a spectacular moment that would go down in history.
Unfortunately for all the teenagers (excluding Gasper since he didn't really attend Kuoh Academy), there were still exams they all had to participate in. But luckily, they all had been studying diligently while keeping each other on track. But even after writing their tests, it takes time for the teachers to mark them.
As for why Akira and Sona were standing in front of a karaoke joint… it was a place that was suggested and then surprisingly agreed upon as celebration for three things. The first event was the treaty between the Three (Four) Factions. Next was Sona obtaining a Persona. Third was final exams being over.
Sona sighed when she heard and saw Akira respond apologetically. "You don't have to be." She stated as she rubbed the side of her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. Bringing her vision in that direction, she saw the new arrivals. "Right on time." She noted.
"And you guys are early." Rias remarked, folding her arms underneath her chest as her Peerage, the Phantom Thieves, and Ravel all were around her.
"We had a set a scheduled time and nobody has arrived late." Ravel pointed out. "Why even bother making such statements?"
"Hell if I know." Ryuji shrugged his shoulders. "But who cares? I just want to unwind and forget about those tests." He groaned after, closing his eyes and slapping a hand onto his forehead.
"So does that mean we should expect another fail from you?" Morgana asked as he wriggled out of Akira's bag. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Shut up!" Ryuji snapped, bending his back over to level his eyes with the cat. "You keep saying stuff like that and yet I managed to get my way into third-year no problem!"
"Without a problem he says…" Ann muttered to herself, diverting her gaze towards the ground.
"Without a problem you say…" Yusuke said aloud, directing his stare towards the blonde.
Ryuji let out a frustrated sigh. "You know what, forget it." He threw his arms up in defeat. "It's just going to be a running gag throughout this group if we don't stop it now."
"Ryuji is right though." Akira commented. "Exams are over… Let's have some fun!" He pumped his arms up in excitement.
"…It's good to see at least one of us is visibly excited for this." Sona noted as Akira grabbed the door and held it open for her.
"I'm not sure if I'll sing much." Issei sheepishly informed everyone as they passed the black-haired human. "Trust me, I don't think anybody here wants to hear this voice sing." He degraded while pointing at his own throat.
"Oh please," Futaba waved her hand. "Karaoke is not about sounding good. Karaoke is all about sounding bad and having fun with it."
"I thought there was a point system that judges how well you sing." Yusuke wondered verbally.
"I always thought it was all about sounding bad together with friends and family." Akira added as he closed the door and they all approached the counter to book a room.
Soon enough, all participants were having a lot of fun. Some of them performed solo acts. Others participated in duets. Apparently, this exact company incorporated all sorts of songs into their library so tunes ranging from America to Russia were also included. Not only that, they even decided among themselves to each try a song when hitting the randomize button to see what they would get.
Long story short, it led to a lot of funny moments for the humans as they didn't have the translating power of Devils.
But while everyone else was laughing, Haru decided that she needed some air. Slipping out of the room without anyone noticing, she closed the door behind her and took in a small breath. The room was slightly stuffy due to al of the body heat, but it could have been easily fixed with air conditioning.
Yet that was not the main issue on her mind. What still concerned her to this day was Vali. For the previous week, the man was still on her mind due to his actions. Vali was a smart person. She believed there was no way he would risk another war just for his own selfishness… Would he?
"…Ahem…"
Hearing a quiet cough, Haru looked over and couldn't hide the surprise on her face.
Right next to her stood Vali, not fully meeting her eyes. Behind him, she recognized Bikou. But there were three other people she did not recognize. The first one was a black-haired female that was wearing a kimono. Next was another female who had a sorceress-like dress with a huge blue hat with a black bow, yellow stars and matching cape with pink flowers and white interior. Third was another blonde this them they were a bespectacled young man that was dressed in a business suit.
"…This is unlike you, Vali-san." The blonde man noted the scene before him. "You are acting as if you have a reason to be embarrassed about this situation."
The blonde girl however turned over. "You really have no idea do you, Arthur?" She questioned the boy.
The one known as Arthur eyed the girl. "No idea about what, Le Fay?" He asked curiously with a small tilt of his head.
The black-haired female snickered. "Vali-kun has a crush, nya."
"None of you, especially Kuroka, are helping out with the situation. Nor was it necessary for you all to be here." Vali rubbed his eyes while sighing.
"Hey, we all just wanted to see you embarrass yourself in front of your crush." Bikou added, getting a small glare from Vali. "No big deal."
Looking back towards Haru, Vali saw that the female had taken a step back from her original position. But that change of stances made him sigh once more. "…I guess you didn't expect to see me again so soon, Haru Okumura. I will admit neither did I."
Haru however kept a wary eye out. "What do you want?" She asked curtly.
The tone she provided made Vali stay silent for a couple of seconds before answering. "As Azazel has already said, the Khaos Brigade is some sort of terrorist organization." He began. "But the current leader of the group doesn't care about what is going on between all of the factions. She is too busy focusing on a private issue and is using the Khaos Brigade as her own army to solve it."
"…Current leader?" Her question came with a small shake of the head. "You still have yet to answer my question, Vali-kun."
"As I said, our leader is focusing on something else." Vali continued. "But since that is the case, why did member of the group suddenly attack? I am certain that Ophis did not give an order or command for that attack at all. It was the Old Satan members that decided to pull off a stunt like that."
Haru, beginning to feel that Vali didn't come for a fight, at least lowered her guard a bit. "But you were the one to help let them into the barrier."
"While that is the case, it was planned that only a single member of the Old Satan group were to lead as they arrogantly thought they could win like that. Obviously, the combination of the Three Faction leaders and the Phantom Thieves would be more than too much for Katerea Leviathan." Vali explained. "Though it did provide me an opportunity to reveal myself and give reason for the Red Dragon Emperor to fight me. Azazel was going to find out about my positioning sooner rather than later after all." He pointed a finger towards Haru. "However, your leader's report about Cao Cao and the human part of the Khaos Brigade… that is news to me and is very concerning…"
"So this is you providing a warning that the Khaos Brigade is and is not what it seems. Meanwhile, there is something fishy going on internally…" Haru summarized up, allowing Vali to nod in confirmation. "Well – if that is all – thank you, and good day." Nodding farewell, Haru reached for the knob to the door.
"Wait."
Vali watched Haru pause at the sudden raise of volume that even he was surprised at. Now that Haru turned her attention back to him, he took in a deep breath. "…" Letting out a frustrated sigh, he felt an itch on top of his head and scratched it frustratingly. "You are… mad at me… I can tell. You do have a right to be as well. I… put everyone in danger just for my own selfish reasoning… Not only that, but I also hurt you in the process… For that – even though it will not mean or solve anything – I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you and your friends…"
The one known as Kuroka opened her mouth, probably to tease Vali, but Arthur clapped a hand on her shoulder to keep the female quiet. "Was…" Haru slowly worded out, causing Vali to twitch. "Was that your attempt at apologizing to me?"
"You're the only one whom I have had any interactions with, so I do not see myself being taken well with the others." Vali admitted as he shifted under her gaze.
Haru stared at the body language that Vali was producing. Despite always presenting himself as a strong, capable man, he had a hidden side. A side that so far as she was aware, Vali presented only to her. "…I am still displeased with the events of last week… But at least you apologized for what you have done."
That must have not been a response Vali expected due to his surprised reaction. "Wait, seriously? You're accepting my apology? Just like that?"
"I accept your apology, but I don't completely forgive you for your actions." Haru stated.
"Still, you say this despite what I have done?" Vali questioned. "I basically allowed the Old Satan Faction to attack a peace meeting!"
"Even you said that the attack was guaranteed to fail." Haru replied. "Plus, it allowed the Three Factions to realize the situation and all agree to band together."
"Even so, I did that to basically fight the Red Dragon Emperor!" Vali reminded her. "Katerea Leviathan losing was just a benefit!"
"But you didn't get what you wanted."
Vali was about to respond. But when he realized what he was about to say next, he almost choked on his words. Swallowing, it hit him like those powerful blows from Haru and her Persona. "…I could have killed you during our fight…" He said quietly.
Haru blinked. A few seconds later, she understood why he sounded like that. He was still a decently good person in the end after all. Spreading her arms out to present her entire body, Haru pivoted around once. "I'm not dead." She said with a reassuring smile on her face.
Her sentence left Vali speechless. Jaw dropping down, he could only breath. During his conversations with Haru before the reveal of his heritage, he will admit that he had grown accustomed to the woman and her personality. But now, it was as if he had discovered it all over again but this time in a new light…
Bikou and Kuroka both laughed at Vali's face while Le Fay giggled. Arthur, while amused, managed to keep his composure. "Is that all you have to say, Vali?" Arthur asked the Sacred Gear wielder. "If so, then we best be off then."
"Aww, but I wanted to try this karaoke activity." Le Fay pouted while folding her arms. "It's not everyday that one just walks into an establishment as entertaining as this only to do nothing and walk back out."
"I want to hear Arthur-kun sing as well!" Kuroka joined sides with the female blonde. "It would be funny listening to him and Vali-kun embarrass themselves, nya."
"Oh man, we totally have to do this now!" Bikou added.
Not even facing them, Vali sighed while making a face that Haru laughed at. "Come on, Vali-kun, it may be a good idea to give it a try. You never know if you may end up finding something else you like besides fighting." She attempted to persuade the man.
"…Fine."
After cheers erupted from the two females of Vali's group, the leader went over to the counter to pay for a room. Arthur however tried to protest but was easily distracted by Bikou. While this happened, Haru felt the door open behind her. Turning around, she saw Akira poking his head out. It appeared that he noticed that she had left the room.
But when the boy saw Vali and a few other people, his gaze went straight towards her. All she had to do was smile. "Don't worry, it's fine." She told her leader. "Although there are a couple of things I will have to tell you later that Vali-kun has revealed."
Looking back and forth one final time, all Akira did was offer a nod of his head of acceptance before closing the door with some hesitation.
"There, we have a room to ourselves." Vali voice caught Haru's attention as he walked back towards them. "Happy?"
Le Fay cheered with clenched fists. "Thank you so much!" She then clapped her hands together. "So, what are we supposed to do next?"
Everyone in the halls turned their heads over. "…You don't know?" Arthur asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It's my first time in an establishment like this! What do you expect?" Le Fay exclaimed in defence.
Haru shook her head with an amused look. "Come on, I'll show you all what to do."
When Vali nodded his head and told her which room number they had, she opened the door to help each of them in. But the one named Kuroka however was near the door to where the Devils and Phantom Thieves were celebrating. Her entire head was turned towards the barrier, looking as if she wanted to look inside.
"…Kuroka-san, was it?" Haru asked, getting the black-haired female's attention. "Is everything all right?"
Blinking, Kuroka put on a smile a second later. "Don't worry, everything is fine, nya." She waved her hand as she walked over and entered the room with her group.
Vali watched as Haru entered the room with them and helped them set everything up. While keeping an eye on her actions, many thoughts went through his head. It just was not making any sense to him.
He developed a form of trust with Haru, that he did not doubt. Especially with how she treated him. That was all before the peace treaty last week until he basically allowed the Khaos Brigade attack them all. With his actions, all of the trust should be gone.
Why did she act how she did despite having all the reason to hate him for it? The Devils and Phantom thieves were in the room right next to her and could have easily grabbed their attention.
He didn't know how long he had been thinking, but when he had stopped thinking Haru was in the middle of a song. She was probably giving everyone in the room an example as how everything worked.
Before he could dismiss it and go back to thinking about something else, he registered the words that the human girl was singing into his brain.
…He recognized the song.
"When those voices deep within bring you down to your knees again," Her voice was a gentle melody, like a lullaby soothing a crying baby to sleep. "Redemption calls onto all of those who persist with the strength of the few."
"…Don't come to question all that you've known." Vali sang quietly to himself so that no one else could hear him. "Remember, you are not alone. I will be here, standing beside you."
"There is no mountain too tall to overcome. We will be as one." Haru continued with the melody, creating an awed audience. "You will rise again…"
"This is your legacy…"
Vali then remembered what he had said as parting words last week. He shook his head as he felt humiliated that he had forgotten.
Haru Okumura was right. He ended up finding something else he liked besides fighting.
Well… someone to be more specific…
Yes! Season 2 is done!
As for people arguing who would win between Vali and Haru... Honestly I think it could go either way in my opinion. Remember that Vali has the power of his Sacred Gear to divide power in half every 10 seconds and add it to his own. Also, he has more combat experience than Haru along with more mobility. However, not only do I think that he would be weak or vulnerable to psychic attacks, but we need to take Haru's arsenal into account as well. A grenade launcher that can paralyze and an axe that has the chance to inflict the dizzy ailment. Not only that, but she also has the spells to reflect physical or magical attacks. Though whether or not Divine Dividing could be considered a magical attack that can be reflected is something I am completely unsure of.
No flames please.