The next night, Izuku, Ibara, Ochako, and Milia waited atop the rooftop of a warehouse, looking down upon the dark alleys below. "How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Ochako asked.
"Hard to say… All we know is that the deal taking place here will happen after midnight," Izuku pointed out. "That was about five minutes ago, so we need to keep an eye out."
And waited they did. Each of them took turns watching the road while the others took quick naps, changing shifts every ten minutes. It was currently Izuku's second turn at watch, the girls playing a game of 'I spy' to pass the time.
Eventually, Ibara walked up to him. "Izuku-san, your turn is over."
"Oh, right. Thanks, Ibara-san," getting up, Izuku walked over toward Milia and Ochako as Ibara took her turn to watch.
"Anything yet?" Milia asked.
"No, just some pigeons," Izuku sat down. "I wonder how everyone else is doing?"
"Hey, uh, Izu-kun?" Ochako spoke up. "Is there anything going on between you and… Shiozaki-san?" She asked, hoping she wasn't blushing as she said it. Izuku, however, did blush a little.
"W-What? M-Me and Ib-Ibara? N-No, th-there's nothing going on between us… Why?"
It was Ochako's turn to blush now, albeit lightly. "No reason!" She exclaimed.
Unnoticed by the two, Milia gave Ochako a jealous stare.
A middle-aged man leaned against a wooden crate near the center of the warehouse and took a drag from his cigarette. He watched as the front entrance opened and three figures walked in. "I was wonderin' when you'd show," he said in a slimy, casual voice. "I didn't know you were bringin' back-up. Should I be worried?" he coyly asked.
"All Might has been hanging out in the city more and more often," a woman wearing a white and black outfit said. "It's dangerous for groups like us to walk out in the streets alone."
He could tell instantly that her words were hollow. 'They aren't for her protection per se,' he reasoned. 'She can take care of herself easily. She's just being smart by having people watch her back.' He flicked his cigarette into a puddle of muddy water and approached his client.
"That's far enough," a young man wearing a bowler hat with a fringe sticking out from the side warned. The look in his eyes was like a snake's — he was being cautious, but ready for a fight at a moment's notice. "Don't get too close to the boss all casual-like."
"Down, boy," the woman said. "Sorry about Brandon. He… just hasn't had a good fight in a while."
"It's no problem," he assured her. "I can talk from here." His eyes drifted from the eager younger man to the armored man. His armor resembled medieval European knight armor. It looked to be some kind of carbon fiber titanium mix with yellow glowing lines and a dark raspberry-colored cape. "And who's he?"
"Who I am doesn't matter to you," the knight replied, his voice having an electronic tone, likely to disguise it. "What matters is if you have the information we need."
"All right. Then let's get down to business."
"That man…" Mizu whispered to herself. She, Yuuto, Koneko, Saji, and Alexandra were peering down from a window on the roof, making sure they were out of sight.
"You know him?" Saji asked.
"If I remember right, he's an underworld broker for support items," Mizu said. "I believe he's called Giran."
"You think he's here for those relics?" Alexandra asked.
"I doubt it. Even if he knew what the relics were, not many would buy them," Mizu stated. "Besides, you heard what they said. This isn't the deal we're looking for. We should leave, but first…" Mizu pulled out her phone and began texting someone.
"What are you doing?" Yuuto asked.
"Just telling an old police friend about a big fish," Mizu smiled as she put the phone away. "Let's get going. Maybe Chako and her boyfriend are having better luck."
"Do you mean Midoriya-senpai?" Koneko asked.
Mizu nodded. "Chako defiantly likes the guy."
"And so does Shiozaki-senpai," Koneko pointed out.
"Are you serious?!" Saji gasped. "Damnit! How the hell is that guy so lucky when all I ever get is a sore ass?!"
"Not being a pervert probably helps," Koneko deadpanned.
Ochako suddenly sneezed.
"Are you catching a cold, Uraraka-san?" Ibara asked.
"I'm fine," Ochako replied. "I just wish this deal would happen already."
The last two hours and ten minutes were spent with the four teens taking turns keeping watch. "I hope they show up soon," Ibara said. "If Inko-obasan notices that we're gone, she's gonna be so worried."
"Yeah," Izuku nodded.
"I just got a message from Kudelia-sama," said Milia. "The deal she, Gremory-senpai, and Sitri-senpai watched over didn't have any of the relics."
Izuku nodded. "Counting the one Kiba-san and Koneko-chan watched, that's two. Now we just have to wait for ours," Izuku said.
Ochako looked out again and saw several vehicles approaching. "Guys! I think they're here."
They watched in silence as several black vans and a truck approached from the ports while some dark gray commercial humvees led by a dark red humvee approached from the city. They all stopped within feet of each other, their occupants stepping out. The drivers of the vans had old, ragged-looking clothing, while most of the humvee occupants wore black suits and sunglasses.
From the lead humvee, three people strode out. The first was a young man, likely not much older than them. He was shorter than most of them but taller than Ochako. His eyes were grey and he had striking orange hair that frames his face, with a longer section that falls just past his left shoulder. He wore a black hat with a red hatband and a thin silver chain that hangs over the brim.
His outfit consists of a white button-up shirt under a dark red vest, a black choker in the style of a pet collar, a black ribbon bolo tie held together with a small silver buckle, an open black cropped jacket with the sleeves rolled up at the elbows, black slacks, a black belt hanging off his right hip and black low-arch shoes, and black gloves. He also has a long black coat with light-colored lining and lapels with a light red undercoat, wearing it around his shoulders like a cape.
The other two were young women. One was tall and slender with cherry red eyes and red hair tied into a traditional Japanese bun that is held by three long golden clips and another hair clip on the right side of her head, composed of a light pink furry hair clip and red ribbon which forms a five-petal flower, and violet eyes. Her kimono is pink overlapped by a dark purple one with bellflower motifs, tied neatly with a maroon bow that has white borders, and a light pink mantle that goes darker in color from her elbow to her feet. She wore red eye shadow and light pink lipstick. She's also carrying a red Japanese umbrella.
The other had long, raven dark hair, violet eyes, fair skin, and a figure that could rival Rias'. She wore a black sleeveless jacket that has golden trimmings, a light gray-colored undershirt, dark-colored pants, and shoes. Izuku, Ibara, and Ochako recognized her right away.
"Raynare?!"
"You know her?" Milia asked.
Izuku nodded. "Yeah. She tried to kill me because of my Sacred Gear, and she tried to steal Ibara's. We would've been dead if it wasn't for Buchou."
Milia's eyes narrowed. "She tried that?"
As the teens looked over the scene from above, the kimono-wearing woman sighed as she pretended not to be aware of their presence. "Raynare, go take care of those spies. Chuuya, I know you're usually not the type to pass up a good fight, but can you do this? I'm going to make sure we don't get any other uninvited guests."
"Sure, Ane-nee," the man called Chuuya sighed. The older woman gave the fallen angel a nod as if to indicate what she intended. Understanding fully, Raynare casually walked behind a pillar alongside the waterfront and disappeared from sight while the kimono woman walked down an alley.
"Where'd she go?" Ochako asked.
"I don't know, but I got a bad feeling I know why," Izuku muttered.
"Show them," Chuuya ordered one of the suits, who was carrying a briefcase. He opens it, showing the smugglers a large amount of Japanese yen.
"Money's here," one smuggler, likely the leader, said to the others.
One nodded and opened the back of a van, carting out several wooden crates. They opened one of the crates, revealing items like staffs, necklaces, and other trinkets that looked like they belong in a museum.
"You think those are the relics Mizu-san talked about?" Ibara asked.
"What else could they be?" Ochako said.
"We need to tell the others," said Izuku.
"I'll notify Kudelia-sama and the others," Milia said, a small magic circle next to her ear.
"Yes, please do."
The teens all froze. Slowly, they turned around, seeing Raynare, with a wicked smile, standing some feet behind them.
"R-Raynare!" Izuku and Ibara both gasped.
"When Big Sis Kouyou asked me to take care of some spies, I never expected one of them to be you, Welsh Dragon," she formed a spear of light. "I've been looking forward to paying you back. And you even brought Ibara and that one girl too, and some devil friend as well. And here I thought this was gonna be a dull night!"
"Guess we don't have any other choice," Izuku summoned his Boosted Gear, activating Dragon Force.
"Do you have a plan, Midoriya-kun?" Ochako asked.
"Not yet, I'm afraid."
Raynare began to laugh. "Good! Once I'll kill you, your friends and masters will be next!"
"Like hell, we'll let you!" Milia fired off a dark beam of magic.
Raynare caught off guard, could only rain her spear in an attempt to block the attack. The attack shattered her spear, leaving her open to Izuku landing a forward punch into Raynare's chest. The force of the blow sent her skidding several feet back. She started to cough from the blow and little flecks of saliva came up from the force of the blow. Sucking up the hit, she glared at Izuku with an angry look.
"Why the hell are you trying to cop a feel for?!" she snapped, trying to go for head games. "Who do you think you are fondling me anyway?!"
The devils and witch all had different reactions. Izuku began stammering like an idiot trying to apologize. Ibara blushed a furious red. Milia looked almost jealous. And Ochako looked mortified.
"H-hey! Don't accuse Midoriya-san of being a pervert! Besides, those two balls are probably fakes," Milia retorted. 'Oh shit!' Milia sweat-dropped inwardly, having now realized what she said, 'I think I made a mistake.'
Ibara and Ochako all began to blush bright red, while Izuku could only stare at Milia in shock.
"Oh, you're gonna get it now kid," Raynare hissed dangerously as two swords of light appeared in her hands, her feminine pride screaming for retribution.
Having just received Milia's message, Mizu created a portal. "Let's get going!" Mizu yelled. Before anyone could react, an explosion cracked the roof.
"Oh shit!" Saji yelped.
Mizu wasn't able to react in time, the explosion forcing her through the portal as it closed. From below, the armory man jumped up and landed on the roof, Brandon next to it. "Kids?" Brandon blinked. "And here I thought it was a pro hero. How disappointing."
"You're not much older than us, pal," Alexandra shot back.
"Oh, shut it flat chest."
Alexandra's eye twitched. "That's it!" She drew out a rapier.
Brandon smiled and drew a gun that had a long blade attached to the underside of the barrel. "Let's dance!"
"Remember to keep focus, Brandon," the knight warned, a yellow globing shield appearing on his left arm. In his left hand was something that made the devil's skin crawl.
"That's a sword of light!" Yuuto gaped.
Somewhere else in the city, three figures with a pair of bat-like wings flew through the cityscape, just high enough that they could easily be mistaken for birds.
In reality, they were Rias, Sona, and Kudelia, laying as fast as they could to where Izuku and the others were fighting. "I should've finished that fallen angel off when I had the chance," Rias hissed.
"It's not your fault, Rias," Sona said. "You showed that low-ranked fallen angel mercy at the request of your servants. There was always a risk involved."
"And Mizu already went ahead to help," Kudelia added. "We just need to make sure this Raynare doesn't cause any more trouble for us."
Rias nodded. "Right. Hopefully, Izu and the others are all right."
However, as they neared the site, a phantom of some sort, looking like a gold glowing mix between a samurai and a geisha, appears before them.
"A Demon Phantom!?" Rias gasped as the phantom approached, blade ready. She was barely able to avoid the blade, a few strands of her red hair not as lucky. The phantom then went after Kudelia and Sona, eventually forcing the three devil heirs to a rooftop.
"What the hell was that?!" Kudelia demanded.
"That would've been me," the devil heirs turned and saw the phantom had landed next to a woman wearing a pink kimono. "I must say, I never expected devils to appear here tonight."
"Who are you?" Rias demanded.
"I'm Ozaki Kouyou, an Executive of the Port Mafia, and you and your servants are interfering in our business," she said. "Golden Demon! Rid me of these devils!"
Ozaki Kouyou, Sacred Gear: Golden Demon. A subspecies of Demon Phantom, Golden Demon is an avatar-type Gear that follows the commands of Kouyou.
Izuku was hoping left and right, avoiding the swings of the light blades. Having already Promoted himself to Knight, Izuku had to stay on the defensive, as Raynare used her swords of light to attack viciously. Suddenly, Ibara's vines raced down and encircled Raynare, holding one of her arms to her sides. Raynare grunted as she tried to free herself. "You think these can hold me?!"
"No," a voice from above answered. "Just long enough for me to do this."
Above her, Milia was floating with her devil wings, lightning sparking out from her hands. A tower of lightning shined. The shockwave forced Izuku back. Milia shielded herself as the force almost knocked her out of the air.
Raynare, chard from the attack, some of her clothes torn and burnt, glared at the teenage devils. "Damn you!" She tried to move, but Ibara's vines prevented her from doing so.
"Raynare, just stop," Izuku sighed. "This has gone off long enough. Just leave."
"Don't you dare look down on me!" Raynare hissed, concentrated light glowing in her hands, "You can take that pity of yours, and shove it right up your-!"
Suddenly, ice froze over nearly every part of the roof, except for the area Izuku and the others were standing on. Raynare, ice encasing half of her body, could only shiver in shock. "What…?"
"So you're Raynare," stepping out from behind the fallen angel, Mizu walked to her side. "For a fallen angel, you sure aren't that pretty."
Raynare, despite being half-frozen, gave a terse growl.
"Mizu-san!"
"We don't have much time, so I'll make this quick," Mizu stood in front of the half-frozen fallen angel. "I'm sure you know why I'm here," showing Raynare a necklace with the Kamar-Taj symbol. "So tell me what I want to know, and-"
Before Mizu could continue, something slammed into her torso, sending her crashing into an adjacent building. "Mizu-oneechan!" Ochako cried out.
Before anyone else could go check on the sorcerer, a new voice called out. "You just have a knack for finding trouble, huh Raynare?" Chuuya now stood where Mizu was.
"Mister Chuuya!" Raynare gasped. "Why are you here, sir?"
"Well, since most of the items disappeared into portals not long before I saw that gigantic light show, I went to investigate. And what do I find?" The man identified as Chuuya looked at the group, his focus on Izuku. "This fun little scene." He tossed his coat aside, cracking his knuckles.
"Wait, Chuuya sir! That's-"
"Yes, I'm aware of your grudge against the Welsh Dragon," Chuuya began to glow a faint red. "But the Port Mafia's needs come first. You and the grunts get the remaining items and fall back." In a swift move, Chuuya kicked the ice holding Raynare, destroying it while keeping her unharmed. "I'll deal with them."
Raynare nodded. Spreading her wings, she flew off toward where the deal was taking place.
"I don't suppose you have it in your heart to just give up?" Ochako said to the Port Mafia executive.
"No, I don't," Chuuya responded, his eyes betraying an eager look. "I've been having a hard time trying to reign in Raynare's disobeying habit, so I need to let off the steam. And I intend to finish this in a single blow." Charging forward, Chuuya flew with incredible speed at Izuku, who instinctively lifted his Boosted Gear in an attempt to block the hit…
[DON'T LET HIM TOUCH YOU!]
Only to duck at the last second, delivering a kick into Chuuya's gut.
"You call that a kick!?" Chuuya retaliated by grabbing Izuku's arm and throwing him at the girls. Izuku's body glowed red. He felt his weight increase as he crashed into the roof, going through it and falling into the warehouse below.
"IZUKU-SAN/MIDORIYA-KUN!" The girls cried.
"Izuku-san! Are you okay?!" Ibara called out.
"I'm fine… But I… Can't move… My body… So heavy…" he grunted.
"That would be my Sacred Gear at work," Chuuya clarified, a smile on his face. "Now then, who's next?"
AN: Sorry if this is shorter than you were expecting. I've been having trouble with this and the next chapter. I can't guarantee Ch. 11 will be ready next week either.
If any of you have suggestions, then please let me know.