UO: *Sees the chaos at Avocado Incorporated* Let's move away from that.
NS: Alright, now that I've gone back and updated some of my other fics, it's time to return to this. By the way, if there's anyone in the market for a How Not to Summon a Demon Lord fic, I've got a new one on AO3: The Marvelous Silver-Tongue. Go check it out, along with my new To Love-Ru fic, Space Captain Yuuki Rito.
Soul: There's a lot more coming on our end too. XD
"Speech"
Text
Thoughts
Communication
Super Mode/Monster
Spell/Technique
Chapter 5: Fraying Noose
A red spear of light shimmered and splintered in Raynare's hands, cracking and shattering into pieces. As it did so, she thoughtlessly formed another one, twisting and bending it agitatedly. This was twice, now, that Freed Sellzen had royally fucked up what was supposed to be a standard elimination mission. Hell, the sociopathic fuckwit practically lived for killing and maiming, so how the hell had he managed to bring down even more trouble on her?!
Not only had he indirectly let the wielder of Annihilation Maker get away, he'd even managed to get that Gremory brat after him, meaning the other Sacred Gear boy was almost assuredly on the Devils' side now! Raynare was under no illusions that the boy was dead; Devils were too bullshit to let something like that happen. Now, she had to deal with that redheaded She-Devil's ire, and she had absolutely nothing to show for it!
Snap!
Another spear broke between her hands. It really fit how she felt right now, and there was really nothing else to take out her frustrations on. Everyone else from Freed's group was already dead.
The rest of the Stray Exorcists gave her a wide berth as she stood at the head of the main congregation chamber underground. Her eyes were wide, and she was staring off into the distance. Everyone could feel the aura of pure, frustrated rage rolling off her, but none of them noticed that underneath that was a deep-seated fear.
I need to do something. I have to salvage this…but what can I do? Isn't one of the head Devils related to the Maou? Even if we somehow manage to win, they'll crush me! But if I run away…!
Snap!
The light spear splinted messily, the shards fading away like sparks.
"Raynare…"
She twitched, before turning to see Mittelt standing beside her. The petite, lolita-wearing blonde gazed up at her with an uncomfortable look in her eyes.
"What?" she asked gruffly, crossing her arms self-consciously.
"What's happened?" asked Mittelt, "Have those mooks you sent out to nab the other guy come back yet?"
Raynare stared at her. "Is that a fucking joke?" she replied angrily, "No, they haven't come back. They're not going to either, because apparently I can't learn from my mistakes and keep thinking that Freed can actually do something RIGHT!"
Mittelt winced.
"Less than a week and that boy with the Annihilation Maker is already strong enough to slaughter our Exorcists…" Raynare began pacing back and forth jerkily, her wings spread wide; folding them felt stifling to her right now.
"Then…why don't we go kill him ourselves?" asked the smaller Fallen simply, "We're stronger than those dumbasses, aren't we?"
I'm not so sure. However, she couldn't just say that. She couldn't look weak in front of the others. She'd been assigned as the mission leader, and if she couldn't lead…
She had to come up with an excuse.
"It's because she's scared."
Raynare froze, slowly turning around to address Kalawarner. The taller, voluptuous Fallen Angel was leaning against a doorway, watching her with an inscrutable. The Exorcists, sensing trouble, made themselves scarce, scurrying out of the room to fulfill other tasks.
"...What. Did you say…?" Raynare started haltingly, trying to inject dangerous anger into her voice. It came out as a fragile croak.
Kalawarner rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, girl, who do you think you're fooling? Mittelt's right, we could have easily grabbed that Annihilation Maker boy when he escaped if that Shrine Warrior hadn't shown up. Hell, you could have just put a spear through his leg right there, but you had to stop and monologue at him."
"I-I was making sure that he couldn't make any more summons!" she protested, but even to her it sounded like a hollow excuse.
"And as for the latest fuckup, you could have just gone with that group and put a spear through both Sacred Gear users yourself, rather than foist it off on that idiot Sellzen." Kalawarner paused. "Well, okay, I can understand not wanting to hang around that creep anyway. But that wasn't the real reason, was it?"
Her voice was growing distant in Raynare's ears. She felt cold, trying not to squirm as the taller woman looked her in the eye and saw right through her.
No…no, no…!
"So what's it gonna be, girl? You want another shot at taking that Gear, or are you gonna report to Lord Azazel that you screwed up and are in over your head?"
Try as she might, Raynare couldn't stop the squeak of pure terror that leaked from her throat. "I…I can do this! I can…!" She had to stop trembling, she had to get control of the situation.
"Raynare…"
Mittelt's soft voice raked across her spirit like glass. She turned slowly back to the smaller girl and saw her looking back at her with…pity, in her eyes.
"Ah…!" Raynare whimpered as something cracked inside her, and hot tears welled up in her eyes. "N…No…" Without thinking, her wings swept down, and she launched herself into the air. She streaked out of the chamber and flew out through a hole in the church's roof, flying away. She took great, gasping breaths of the fresh air, mixed with sobs as she fled.
They knew that she was a failure of a leader.
ASM
Roy sat by his usual tree, tapping his finger against his bento box agitatedly.
Tap. Tap. Tap…!
A restless anger bubbled about inside him as the events of the previous evening played over and over again in his mind. Freed's absolute cockiness and arrogance, the fact that he'd managed to somehow escape him and the Peerage, him stabbing Issei, the boy nearly dying…
He wasn't used to feeling this angry, not one bit. He'd been annoyed, certainly, there was more than enough stupidity in life to irritate the crap out of him. But anger…it swept through him, filled him with energy, made him want to break something.
I don't like breaking things.
But we can't keep letting those Fallen bastards get away with attacking us.
Even though Issei lived, they crossed the line!
Hell, they crossed it when they kidnapped me!
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Roy thought back to the fight the previous evening, though slaughter would have been a more accurate term. His Knights had absolutely run roughshod over all the Exorcists, obliterating them with the assistance of Rias's Peerage. All he needed was something to fight the Fallen Angels themselves, as well as maybe something to nail that slippery prick Freed to a wall, and he felt confident that he could even take them on himself.
However, that way lay overconfidence, and a likelihood that the situation might backfire on him.
Nee-chan and Rias would probably have heart attacks if I went off on my own.
Remembering their scared, distraught faces after his kidnapping, Roy sighed heavily and ceased his drumming.
"S-Senpai!"
"Nn?" The boy glanced up to see Issei running towards him. "Ah…" A look of relief crossed his face as he stood up. "You're alright, Issei."
Issei pulled a face. "Geh. It feels weird to have you use my given name, Senpai." Then he shook his head. "Wait, no! That's not the point! What the hell is going on?! First I get snatched up off the street into some smelly van, then I get…" He grabbed at his shirt over his chest, a haunted, pained look flashing in his green eyes. "And then next thing I know, I'm waking up at home and Gremory-senpai is naked!"
Roy reeled, completely thrown by this last detail. "I'm sorry, what?"
"She said something about healing me or something I don't know! But she was in my bed, and naked, and I uh...I touched her. My bad. I thought it was a dream! But I know that you and she are a thing, so I apologized and-"
"Hyoudou, shut up for a moment," he said flatly, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "First off, we're not dating. Second, what happened last night was real, unfortunately."
Issei blanched. "Th-then…did you…?"
"I'm not dead," Roy denied simply, "And neither are you. Buchou was able to save you."
"Buchou…? Ah, that's right! All day, I've been feeling kinda weird! All day, everything feels really fragile; I kept nearly breaking stuff all over! Did Gremory-senpai have something to do with that? But why did it involve her getting in bed naked with me…?"
"Would you quit bringing that up?!" Snapped the older boy, his eye twitching.
"Ack! S-Sorry, just...I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it even if you tell me to…"
"I swear to god, Hyoudou…!"
"Ow!" Issei's hand suddenly jumped to his head with a wince.
Roy blinked. "Oh…oh yeah, that's a thing with you now. Right. Um…lemme bring you to the club. Buchou will be able to explain it better."
ASM
So saying, Roy dragged Issei to the old school building. Along the way, they passed by a boarded-up door, reminding him of that one girl he'd spotted a few days ago. Ah, right, better ask Rias about that.
Sliding open the door, he called out, "Yo, Buchou!" and strolled in, pulling Issei with him, "When were you planning on telling this doofus about the Peerage?"
There came a yelp and a loud splash at his yell, followed by Akeno giggling. The curvaceous dark-haired girl was standing off to the side of a folding partition, giving them a welcoming smile. Roy deadpanned. "Seriously? She's taking a bath now?"
"Akeno! C-Clothes!" Rias called out, a note of embarrassment in her voice.
"Of course, Buchou~" Akeno replied teasingly. A magic circle appeared between her hands and out popped a freshly folded uniform. Roy hid his blush behind a look of irritation, while Issei craned his neck as if trying to see beyond the partition. Both of them were keenly aware of the sounds of a body hauling itself out of a tub, feet slapping wetly on the floor. There was a faint glow of red light, before a slender arm reached out to snatch up the clothes.
"What was that light?"
Roy gave him a sidelong look. "What do you think, genius?"
"Um…magic?" Issei guessed cluelessly, shrugging.
"Yep."
"Eh? Eh?!" The brunette boy whipped around to stare at him, clearly expecting him to say 'just kidding.'
He just gave him a level stare right back. "That was magic. What, did you think I was gonna bring you to the Occult Club for the hell of it?"
"I take it you want me to explain it to him, Roy-kun?" sighed Rias, ambling out fully dressed. There was a light dusting of pink on her cheeks now, and she was trying not to look at him.
"Well, given that he's your responsibility now, you might as well tell him," Roy drawled, crossing his arms, "I'm surprised you didn't tell him this morning."
"I would have, but his parents decided to cause a commotion," she sighed, running a hand through her scarlet hair, "Ugh, the spell almost never gets all the water out of my hair…anyway, sit down."
Both boys did so, though Roy pulled out the book on Numismatomancy and started reading; he'd already heard this explanation before, after all. Even so, he kept half an ear on Rias as she covered up her embarrassment at being walked in on while bathing, in favor of explaining the world of the supernatural. Now that he thought about it, had he and Issei been the first human members to join her group? No...Yumi might have been human, at least.
"…The men who attacked you work for the Fallen Angels," she told Issei, "They were Exorcists working for the Church who ended up getting exiled for one reason or another."
"But, why do Fallen Angels hate humans?" asked the boy reasonably, "What'd we ever do to them?"
Rias leaned back with a sigh. "That's something that goes back to, well…pretty much the beginning. Lucifer, one of the Abrahamic God's favored Angels, resented the fact that He loved the imperfect humans over his own 'perfect' servants," she explained, with the bored tone of reciting something that she'd been forced to absorb from childhood education, "Thus, God kicked him out- oh, sorry, His name is quite painful to young Devils. It'll become less noticeable over time. Anyway, lots of Angels secretly felt similarly about humans, and Falling more or less allows them to act on these feelings. It doesn't help that only humans, or beings with human blood, can develop a Sacred Gear, a power that many Fallen Angels are thus paranoid about."
"Well, I guess it makes sense that they targeted me when my Gear first manifested."
"Eh? You have one of these Sacred Gear things, Senpai?"
"Sure do. Buchou wasn't able to turn me into a Devil like you, though."
Issei blinked, and looked at Rias in surprise. "Eh? Why not?
"Too much power for her to convert," Roy replied, shrugging, "Though it seems that she was strong enough to convert you." He considered commenting that Issei had been turned using the same pieces that Rias had tried using on him, but decided against it; he didn't want to come across as bitter.
"Hm…" the younger boy frowned at him, uncharacteristically shrewd. Then he nodded slowly. "Now that I think about it, Yatogami-senpai has always had the air of a guy who secretly possesses some kinda totally OP ability."
Roy snorted. "I'll take that as a compliment, thanks. Now then, Buchou, can you explain the piece system?"
"I was getting there…" the red head grumbled. "You see thanks to our unfortunately low birthrate, we had to come up with a way to bring our numbers back up after we fought Heaven and the Fallen Angels and then our own Civil War. The Evil Piece system was the result," she said, holding up a Pawn.
"Wait, chess? You brought me back with a chess piece? What am I?"
"You took both of my Rooks, which is the equivalent of ten Pawns," she answered, "In addition, a Devil that has been reincarnated using a Rook will have far more physical strength and durability than normal. Since I used both pieces, that goes double for you."
Issei looked down at his hands, eyes wide. "Is that why I've been nearly breaking stuff so much today…?" he wondered aloud, "And you're saying I've also got one of these Sacred Gears in me too?"
"Apparently," said Roy, "Though I don't think we know what it is yet." He glanced at Rias for confirmation, and she nodded. "Though given the odds, it probably isn't a Longinus, like mine."
"Longinus?"
"Yes. Named for the one who speared Jesus. There are 13 of these Sacred Gears, powerful enough to kill Gods. Unlike most of them, however, only one of each of these 13 can manifest at a time. That being said, even an ordinary Sacred Gear is considered a wildcard; something that can let humans, who have long since been considered a 'resource' to fight over, to stand on their level." Rias ran a hand through her thick hair, massaging her scalp tiredly, "I don't have a problem with that, of course, but there are those among all three factions who consider that unacceptable."
Issei winced. "They look down on humans, don't they?"
"That's right. It's unfortunate, and I think it's definitely a flaw among my kind, not to mention the Angels and Fallen, but it still exists." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Hyoudou-kun. If I'd just kept more of an eye out, I might have been able to stop them from trying to kill you…"
"E-Eh?!" The brunette boy quickly flailed his hands, flustered, "H-Hey, wait, of course I don't blame you, Senpai! It's that one white-haired bastard's fault!"
"I should have assumed that other people might have a Sacred Gear as well and kept an eye out!"
"You couldn't have known that would happen!"
"You're my kouhai and this is my territory!"
Roy groaned, letting his head loll back. "Hyoudou, let 'er have this, or she's gonna be unbearably guilty for days."
Rias looked around at him, startled, before blushing, "R-Roy-kun!"
"You haven't hung around her before, so you don't know, but she takes a lot of things personally, especially when it has to do with people getting dragged into her business," he continued, keeping a completely straight face even as her face grew redder.
She sputtered, while Issei looked between the two of them. "You say that like it's a bad thing!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her expansive bust.
"Um…" uttered Issei, looking back and forth between the two.
Rias blinked, before clearing her throat. "Ahem…anyway, although becoming a Devil was involuntary on your part, you are now bound to serve me as a…well, as my servant." She bowed again. "I'm sorry."
"E-eh?! Your servant…?" The boy looked dismayed, but only for a moment, before his eyes roamed up and down the redhead's curvaceous body. Roy couldn't blame him; he might not be as blatant an idiot as Issei, but even he couldn't help but give Rias a good twice-over look. Then Issei grinned. "That's fine by me!"
Roy rolled his eyes, but again, couldn't fault him, snorting instead.
Rias, on the other hand, looked taken aback. "You're…okay with becoming my servant?" she asked, bewildered.
"Yes!"
"That's probably the pervert in him," Roy commented. "But he's a good guy, so let's make him feel welcome, Buchou."
She smiled wryly. "But of course." She stood up, brushing her skirt to straighten it out, and held out her hand towards Issei. "I hope that you'll come to view us as an additional family, Hyoudou-kun."
"A-Ah, yeah," he replied, blushing himself as he took her hand, "Th-then, in that case, you can just call me Ise. It's what my friends call me, besides Yatogami-senpai."
Roy glanced away. "Anyway, we might as well try to bring it out, or at least get started on training you to make use of your strength." He looked at Rias. "Does that sound about right?"
"Training?"
The redhead nodded resolutely. "Yes…given how the Fallen have been getting especially trigger-happy, we need you up to speed."
"How much is this gonna hurt?" Issei whimpered.
The older boy shrugged, and snapped his fingers, causing Mr. Sandbag to rise up behind me. "As much as it'll take."
"...Damnit, why do you get to make that sound cool?!"
"Ahh, right?!" groaned Rias, "It's like he's got that Gamina charisma!"
Roy frowned, looking at her sharply. "Don't you mean Kamina?" Then he blinked. "Wait. No, it's Gamina. Right."
"Um what?" Issei asked.
"Eh, don't worry about it," he said, waving the boy off blithely, "I'll tell ya later."
Rias gave him an odd look as well, but nodded. "Yes…for now, let's get a handle on how much stronger you've become, as my Rook."
"And how much tougher," concurred Roy. At a mental instruction, Mr. Sandbag smacked a fist into its palm with a heavy sound.
Issei gulped.
ASM
*THWACK!*
Roy gave a small smile of approval at the sound of Issei's fist striking his living punching bag, even as he himself backpedalled away from Koneko. Of course, in the beginning, the boy had shown tremendous power, sending the Sandbag flying off its feet several times. But when he was pitted against Koneko, he was about as good as a newborn fighting Dio, and wound up floored in an instant.
"You're strong now," the white-haired shortstack had told him no-nonsensically, "So your whole body can do damage if you think about how to use it."
She had then demonstrated by using her power (which supposedly wasn't super strength but allowed her to use it anyway) to show Issei how to overpower an opponent, particularly a larger one. It made Roy glad that Mr. Sandbag lacked any sort of sense of pain or pride, plus, the beating, throws and grapples that the monster was subjected to were a good way of showing just how much punishment it could take.
Thinking about the Sandbag being beat up made him remember how the hell he'd got into this mess. The angels had nearly killed him twice, and now Issei was involved because of something he had no control over. When they stormed that run-down old church, he wanted his forces at the front, ripping them to pieces!
And yet…even through his simmering rage, he thought back to those Exorcists he'd killed back in the basement, the first time he'd been kidnapped. How his Shadows had gotten the drop on them and hacked them up in an instant. There had been no hesitation, not even the slightest twinge of regret that he could sense through his connection to those creatures.
I have an endless army of beings who would kill on command for me. None of them would bat an eye, or think twice, or even suggest that I might be going too far.
The prospect of wielding that much power did not feel as exciting as it had at first.
Even if I'm not holding the blade, lives are ending at my will.
I don't know about my past life, but…
He grimaced, the angry churning in his stomach mixing with the distaste he felt at the idea of ordering the deaths of others.
I hate it…but I can't let them get away with it!
His arms crossed, gripping himself tightly, and he gritted his teeth. So what do I do with these feelings…?
"Roy-kun?" Rias's voice cut through his dark thoughts. "Are you feeling alright?" She had crept up on him and was gazing up into his face, her brow furrowed lightly in concern.
"Yeah…just trying to…think about some stuff."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Roy shook his head jerkily. "...N-No. Not right now. Look, I need to clear my head. I'll leave my guys with you if you wanna keep going, and I'll take some more on standby, but I'd rather just…go for a walk, alone."
Class might start up again soon.
However, he shook his head at the stray thought; right now, he didn't really care about school. No, something like this, I might go nuts if I have to be at a desk for another...three hours!
"Is that a good idea?" asked the redhead urgently, taking his hand, "I mean, the last time you were alone…"
"I've learned from last time," Roy assured her, "Anyone who tries to get the jump on me is gonna regret it."
This did little to assuage Rias's worried expression, and now guilt was being tossed into the muddied mix of emotions in his gut.
"...I'll at least be back by the end of the day," he promised, turning and walking away.
"Senpai's really got a lot on his mind," Issei commented aloud.
"Yes," she murmured in reply, watching his retreating back. Holding out her hand, there was a flash of light, and a bat appeared, hanging from her sleeve, "Komoko, follow him and keep an eye on him for me, okay?"
It wasn't like she didn't trust him to keep an eye on himself, with all his own summons, particularly the multiple Sensor Birds flying about the area to keep an eye on him. However, Rias would be Blessed before she did nothing to prevent Roy from getting kidnapped again, even if he needed some space at the moment.
The bat squeaked, and she tossed it into the air.
"Now…" she began, pasting a smile onto her face as she turned back to her Peerage members, "Where were we? Oh yes, time to wake up that Sacred Gear!"
Issei groaned as several pairs of eyes turned to watch him. Ordinarily, when he was on the receiving end of so much female attention, he would've been overjoyed, but right now, his instincts were giving him nothing but the promise of pain.
Fun.
ASM
Roy continued to walk away from the school, disregarding his thoughts for the moment to take in the warm spring breeze.
Even with all kinds of supernatural faction bullshit going on, Spring will still be Spring, huh?
Going for a walk like it's normal is dangerous right now…
I don't care. I'm not going to let these Fallen scare me out of walking around my own town.
Even if his life was inexorably changing by the second, he refused to completely relinquish everything about his previous, normal life.
Ah, but Rias and Neesan are gonna be mad…
He sighed. Whatever. I'll deal with it when it comes.
As he walked, his shadow seemed to churn and roil subtly, packed full of Shadowkhan ready to burst out at the first sign of trouble. His Sensor Birds scanned the area around him from above, checking to see if anyone supernatural was trying to sneak up on him. Though I guess they still can't tell a Sacred Gear from a Devil, he thought to himself with a sigh. He sent a mental command to the monsters in his shadow. If anyone tries to attack me, stop them.
There was no outward change, but he felt the effect it had. He let out a breath before continuing on, leaving the school grounds and heading for the main town. There weren't all that many people walking about, since it was a school day and most others would likely be at work. Without all the noise, it was surprisingly peaceful, allowing his thoughts to wander.
Now that I think about it, I haven't come up with today's Monster yet. Well, it's not like I lose anything by not making one, but I'd rather not waste the new Medal that I'd get, he thought to himself, scratching his head. "Hm...maybe another bird or something like that." Casting his mind upwards, his point of view stretched out, giving him a sense of vertigo as he saw himself from above, in addition to his own eyesight. "Something to attack from the air? Though I suppose I could just make another Numerous creature for that…"
Just then, one of his birds spotted a flash of a supernatural aura, and his heart thudded particularly hard. No…
The birds swooped through the air, coming back around for another pass. Sure enough, there was a sign of someone out of the ordinary, lurking in an alleyway between two buildings just ahead of him.
He snapped his fingers, and Shadows poured forth, just beneath the ground and along the walls, filling up both sides of the alley as he approached. If someone's trying to ambush me, they're in for a rude awakening.
But then, he saw them through his Shadowkahn's eyes. A girl, possibly around his age and wearing an unfamiliar school uniform, was huddled up by the wall, her face buried in her arms.
...It's gotta be a trick.
Her shoulders shook.
I've never seen a uniform like that around here.
She sniffed.
She's crying.
I…no, I can't fall for that.
But she's sad.
Doesn't matter!
It matters. I don't like when people are sad.
He gritted his teeth, keeping an eye on her through his summons as he approached the alleyway, preparing to stroll past it.
It's not my business.
If she was faking it, she'd be doing it where I could hear it. She doesn't know that I'm watching.
If she jumps out and attacks me, they'll take her down.
That was right. His summons would strike without hesitation on his order. It didn't matter if this mystery person was appealing to his emotions.
Is that really alright?
He gritted his teeth. If she attacks…
What if she doesn't?
Roy passed in front of the alleyway.
ASM
Raynare curled in on herself, fingernails digging into her knees as she struggled to breathe. Get a grip! she tried to tell herself, Just because the last few attempts to acquire those Sacred Gears failed doesn't mean I can't do this. A Fallen Angel doesn't…a Fallen Angel doesn't give up! A Fallen Angel claws her way back up from the Earth to destroy all who wrong her! Right!?
So come on! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get up! I'm not gonna let it end here! Get up!
But her body wouldn't move. All she could do was draw in a great, shuddering breath, more tears burning in her eyes.
Why? I'm a Fallen, aren't I…?
"Hah…damnit," she heard, "I'm such an idiot…!"
Raynare jolted in shock and raised her head. Ah, I've been seen…! she realized, a brief blare of panic flashing through her. She relaxed a little when she remembered that she'd made sure to conceal her black-feathered wings and taken on a human form.
A man stood at the mouth of the alleyway where she'd sat down, looking down at her. He towered over Raynare, with dark, short hair that was growing a bit unkempt and curly, and his eyes were a bluish gray. His face was set in a disgruntled grimace. "Oi," he called out to her roughly, "Are you alright?"
It was a stupid question and they both knew it. She shook her head, wiping her face. "...No," she admitted, her voice thick and choked up.
There was something familiar about his voice, about his looks, but she was too frazzled to care right now
"You look like you've been here a while," he observed, eyeing the school uniform she'd changed into, "Skipping class too?"
Raynare blinked, realizing that the young man was wearing a school uniform as well, one for Kuoh Academy. She'd been observing them for too long not to recognize it. "Yeah, I…I couldn't take much more and needed…a break," she half-lied hoarsely.
Then, there came a deep, rumbling growl, and she bit her lip as her stomach ached.
Ah…with everything going on over the last few days, I couldn't bring myself to eat.
"Wanna grab something?" asked the young man dryly.
She blushed. "...No money," she mumbled. What did Fallen Angels need with dumb human currency anyway?
He shrugged. "Wanna grab it anyway?"
"...Yes."
He held out his hand, and after a moment of staring at it, she pushed herself upright, her legs trembling. "Easy there. Ah, right. The name's Yatogami Roy. What's yours?"
Raynare went very still, trying not to scream in absolute terror as she recognized the name of her target. The boy she'd tried to kill not even a week ago. "Ah…Amano Yuuma," she replied through numb lips.
"Hmm. Nice name. Suits you," he replied shortly. He turned and walked out of the alleyway, waving for her to follow him, and she strongly considered making a break for it.
No…if he recognized me, he would've killed me on the spot. He's probably strong enough to do it now. If I play along, I can make my excuses and run away without him knowing. She gulped down, wiping her tearstained face, and started after him.
ASM
Roy's first thought when he saw her face was that she looked pitiful. Her face looked almost gaunt, pale, her violet eyes dull and bloodshot, and her face was a mess of dried tears and snot. He resolved to get her a tissue soon, but right now, she needed something to calm her down; she looked like she was still trying to get over a severe meltdown.
I guess Fallen Angels have bad days like everyone else, Roy thought, sighing as he led her to a local ice cream shop. The man behind the counter paid them no mind as Roy ordered two cups of vanilla, with several toppings piled up high.
"Um…" uttered Yuuma, taking her ice cream quickly when he handed it over to her. Jeez! What a pushy human, giving me this without even asking if I wanted it! "Th-thank you," she murmured helplessly.
Why the hell am I buying ice cream for a Fallen Angel? wondered Roy. "Well, I guess it's not a great idea to start off with dessert before a proper lunch, but what the hell, you look like you need it."
She had nothing to say to that. Ah…I must really be at my lowest point, if the man I tried to kill is willing to take pity on me.
"If you're thinking I'm doing this to take pity on you…well, you're right," he admitted blithely.
Yuuma let out a bitter laugh. "Aha, I thought so…"
He eyed her shrewdly. "You'd better not throw that away outta pride or whatever."
"Ah, um…n-no," Eek! D-Don't make him mad! "Th-then, itadakimasu…"
She spooned up a heaping helping of chocolate chips and a cherry, eyeing it warily in case it decided to spill, and quickly snapped it up, chewing thoroughly. A shudder ran through her as the flavors hit her tongue, chocolate mixing with cherry to send a sweet tang radiating out through her mouth, so intense it made her jaw hurt.
She swallowed. "...It's good," she said faintly, a note of bewilderment in her voice.
Roy couldn't help but smile at her expression. "Glad ya like it," he said shortly, taking a bite of his own chocolate covered cone-chunks. What am I doing?
It's not like I'm losing anything.
Except my money!
But, as he watched her slowly eat her ice cream, a little bit of life coming back to her eyes, it became just a little harder to hold onto his anger and hatred. Fuck…I'm such an idiot. "Let's sit down."
"Mm…"
And so it was that Roy found himself sitting down on a bench with a Fallen Angel, cheering her up with ice cream. Despite his misgivings, watching her expression grow happier lightened his heart just a little.
It's always been like this. People being sad makes me sad.
He couldn't deny that. Still, he couldn't just change his own nature; that just screamed 'bad idea,' even if he could do it. "You look like this is the first time you've ever had ice cream," he commented dryly, taking in her almost childish delight.
Yuuma froze, jolted out of her quietly joyful reverie, and blushed, before swallowing the chocolate-encrusted cream. "Of-Of course it isn't! It's just been…" Her protests faded away as she thought for a moment. "It's been a long time," she said quietly, and Roy shifted uncomfortably as he felt the weight of years in her words.
Oh god, this Fallen Angel has issues too. I think I'd rather have her try to kill me.
He sighed, setting his ice cream to the side as he leaned back. "So, what's your story? I imagine that you wouldn't just be sitting in an alleyway if you just wanted to ditch class today."
The girl flinched. "I…um…" She looked down at her ice cream, curling up on herself. "It's just…everything."
"Yeah," Roy sighed, "Things sure can suck in high school." He gave her a sidelong look. "You got anyone to talk to about it?" Eh, what the hell. Let's see what kinda bullshit she'll pull.
Assuming the worst of people sucks.
She's a Fallen Angel disguised as a human. It's gonna be some kinda lie!
I know.
"I don't…no. The others, they wouldn't understand…" she said slowly, jerkily. She took another spoonful of ice cream to take her mind off her shaking hands. "There's no one to tell."
"Tell me, then."
Surprised, Yuuma looked up at Roy, who was leaning on a hand and giving her a neutral look. Then she glanced away again, unable to meet his gray-blue eyes. "There's nothing that you can do to help," she said dully.
"Probably not," he agreed readily, "I'm not great at helping people with their problems apart from talking to them or giving trite advice."
She gave a small huff of laughter.
"But I can at least promise to listen. Sometimes voicing your burdens can make them feel a little lighter."
A small giggle issued from her, unwittingly. "Is that some trite advice?"
"Sure is."
Ah, if he's asking about this, then he must not suspect what I am! she realized, I can't tell him too much, but…
She fell silent, focusing on finishing her ice cream, savoring its flavor while she could. Roy decided to do the same, before his melted. Then, once they'd finished, she began, twining her fingers together and squeezing agitatedly. "I…I was assigned to lead a…a project. For class. It…it's really major. Big part of my grade. I d-dunno what I'm gonna do if I can't…e-everyone I relied on to do the parts they needed…it all fell apart so easily, and…I-I'm all outta ch-chances…!" She shook, feeling cold, clammy and dizzy, her breath coming in shallow bursts.
Her words are vague, thought Roy, watching her tremble and collapse in on herself, But that panic is real. I've felt stress like that myself.
"I…!" She shuddered. "I didn't even want this…but, I…I can't…!"
Roy's eyes narrowed. What the hell could that mean? However, he only asked, "You can't ask to switch out?"
"N-n-no! If, if I fail, I'll be kicked out! I…" Yuuma gulped, tears spilling from her wide, desperate eyes, "It...it…it f-feels like I can only keep climbing this rope. But, it's fraying, and rotting, and my hands are slipping, and it's a noose!" She buried her face in her hands with a sob, her body heaving.
Roy didn't know what came over him, but he reached out his hand and squeezed Yuuma's shoulder, gently. She didn't respond, except to blubber messily and double over. I really am bad at dealing with problems like this, he thought morosely. Of course, he couldn't help but realize that her referring to her project 'falling apart' was her failing to kill him and Issei. If he was a stronger, or at least more ruthless person, her story would have meant absolutely nothing to him.
Damnit…!
He patted her on the back, and let her cry herself out until finally she fell silent. Giving her one last pat, he stood up and wandered back into the ice cream shop, picking up some napkins, which he brought back and offered to her. She blew her nose messily, and wiped her face clean, looking dazed and glassy eyed.
"S-Sorry," Yuuma mumbled, her voice hoarse, "This all must sound like really…really petty stuff. I-I'm probably being overdramatic, it's not like I'll really d-die…" But deep down, even she couldn't believe her own words.
"...It's okay," he told her, rubbing her shoulder again. She leaned into the feeling.
"No, it isn't," she said quietly.
"But it's okay to feel that way," he affirmed, "Being stressed the fuck out and feeling like there's no one you can rely on…that's a normal thing to feel for a human."
But I'm not a human, she thought miserably, I'm a Fallen Angel…not even a proper one.
Simultaneously, Roy thought to himself, She's not a human…but neither is Rias, and she's just as human as I am. Could it be that these supernatural beings are all just humans with extra bits attached?
The raw, hot anger that had burned inside him was still present, but now it seemed to be shrinking, curdling into a heavy ball of resentment. I'm still gonna be making them pay. I owe Hyoudou that much.
Yes.
Doesn't mean I can just…leave her like this.
It's not who I am.
Even if it will bite me in the ass later.
"Look...your classmates sound like…well dicks, letting you down like that and getting you so worked up," he told her, thinking about Freed. It wouldn't surprise him if he was as disliked on his own team as he was by Roy himself. "But you got to where you are on your own merits, didn't you? You've made it this far, haven't you? Just keep on keeping on, then. You'll make it out the other side."
There was a moment of silence. Then she gave another hollow laugh. "You really are bad at this." Trying to cheer up your sworn enemy…I almost wish…
"Didn't I tell you?" he agreed, sighing.
"Mm…but, thank you. I'll try and do what you suggest," murmured Yuuma, "I'll try and make it to the other side."
"Yeah. Who knows? Maybe what you'll find there wasn't what you were expecting."
"Maybe…"
Finally, Roy stood up. "Well, I'd better get back to school. Cutting class is making me feel more guilty than I thought."
"Ah…" Yuuma looked up at him, some confusion in her eyes. "O-Oh. Yes. Goodbye."
The two looked at each other. The Human gazed at the Fallen Angel, and knew that they would fight soon enough. The Fallen gazed back at him, unsure of what to feel about her target.
"Seeya around," he said, before turning and walking away.
Yuuma remained silent, sitting on the bench with her empty ice cream cup, watching him retreat from her sight, until finally he was gone.
Only then did she realize that she'd had a prime opportunity to kill her target, and had wasted it. No, rather…she just didn't have the heart to take it. A Fallen Angel does whatever it takes to get the job done…a proper Fallen Angel. But then, I've never been a proper one, have I?
It wasn't as if she hadn't killed before. In the heat of battle, where everything was chaos and there was no time to think, her hurled spears had ended a number of lives, even before-
She flinched, and stood up, heading down another alley to let out her wings and wrap herself in them. I don't want to remember 'before…'
With a flap, she floated gently up into the air, out of sight from the humans.
In battle, it's different. It was different. Now, I'm the one ordering people to die. And oh how that responsibility made her sick. This isn't right. This isn't the role I was born for. She laughed, putting a hand to her face and stifling another tear. My role…a Fallen Angel would have cast off such thoughts a long time ago, but I'm still-
"There you are!"
She started in surprise as Kalawarna came gliding in towards her.
"Kalawarna…"
"I was beginning to worry you'd left town," sighed the more voluptuous woman.
Raynare glanced away; today it was especially difficult to meet anyone's eyes. Not after the look Mittelt had given her… "I'm sorry. I needed to cool my head off." And I ended up talking to the wielder of Annihilation Maker, and didn't kill him.
Kalawarna grunted. "Yeah, well…that was at least partly my fault. Sorry for calling you out in front of everyone and embarrassing you like that. I shoulda voiced my concerns in private."
She gave a weak smile. "That would have only helped a little. And it's too late, now. Mittelt has probably realized how much of a garbage team leader I am."
"Pfft, you think Mittelt cares about something like that?" scoffed the older Fallen, "She's just worried about you."
Raynare didn't know what to think of that, and thus kept silent, except to say, "I'm sorry."
"You said that already, but for what now?"
"Kala…you were the one who brought me to the Grigori. For me to screw up this bad just reflects badly on you…"
Kalawarner stared at her, eyes wide for a moment, before sighing. "Oh jeez, you've really gotten it bad, haven't you."
"Yeah…I think I'll step down from team leader. You or Dohnaseek can take over."
She grimaced. "Ugh, I'll let him handle it, then. He'll be annoying about it, but, if you're really not feeling up for it, it's fine. Knowing when to take a step back is a good skill too."
"Mm."
As they flew back towards the church, Raynare thought back to meeting one of the Targets, and thought about bringing up their meeting. No…not even Kala would understand. She would've inevitably asked why she hadn't just killed him.
I can't say that…it just didn't occur to me.
ASM
*WHAM! BAM! POW!*
Issei had to admit, even if he didn't know the first thing about fighting, swinging away at the freaky sandbag monster was hella satisfying. After Koneko-chan had told him about twisting his hips and putting his shoulder into his blows, he was lifting the thing damn near off its feet with every blow!
He was only disappointed that the white-haired shortstack had not seen fit to demonstrate herself. The resultant jiggling of those knockers would have been wonderful!
As he punched harder and harder, he couldn't help but think of the people that killed him. Luring him in by appealing to his better nature, snatching him up, only to kill him like trash. That one white-haired asshole hadn't even looked at him when he stabbed him! And to think it was because of all of the supernatural world wanting to remove a superpower he was born with.
A superpower I can't even use! he complained internally as he kept punching the living sandbag, I mean, senpai can summon those ninjas, Kiba-chan can apparently make swords out of nothing- so cool! -and Koneko-chan knows a ton about how to fight people! Well, it's not like being super strong is all that bad, but that's not what they tried to kill me over!
As he punched away his frustrations, Mr. Sandbag occasionally shifting to deflect the blows, he could feel a sort of pressure beginning to build in his left arm. The others had left him to his own devices, so no one was really watching.
Senpai probably feels guilty about me getting attacked.
"Calling you by your first name feels weird."
"ISSEI!"
To him, I'm probably someone that needs protecting. Issei grimaced. I don't want that! His arm burned with heat as he punched.
*WHAM!*
I don't want to be a burden on anyone, let alone one of my few friends!
*WHAM!*
"DAMNIT, IF I'M GONNA BE FUSSED OVER BY SOMEONE, AT LEAST LET IT BE A BUSTY BABE!" he roared in frustration, putting his shoulder into another punch.
This time, as it slammed home, something in his fist burst.
*THOOM!*
A blast of green light suddenly blasted forth from his hand on impact, throwing the dummy off its feet and making Issei stumble back in shock. As it fell back, the boy realized that there was now a six inch-diameter hole running straight through the thing's torso. "W-what?" he gasped, looking down at his arm. Now, the back of his hand was covered in a thick, crimson plate, set with a giant round emerald, which flared briefly with light. "I…I did it!" he cheered. "Look, Buchou! I got my Sacred Gear!"
"Oh my!" praised the redhead as she came jogging over, drawing his eye unfailingly to her jiggling bust. "So you have! Congratulations, Ise-kun!" But then she frowned. "How curious…you appear to have gained Twice Critical."
"Twice Critical?" asked Kiba, who had likewise wandered over, leaving behind a group of Knights who seemed almost annoyed to have been forgotten, "Well, for a Rook, I suppose there are few that don't fit as neatly."
Issei flushed at being the focus of so much female attention. "Um…so, you can tell what it does?"
"Twice Critical is a rather common Sacred Gear," explained Akeno, putting a hand to her cheek in thought, "Its power is extremely simple; the user may double their power once per battle."
He couldn't lie: that was a major letdown next to summoning shadowy knights. His disappointment must have shown on his face, because Rias gave him a smile. "Remember, Ise-kun, you are now FAR stronger than the average human; more than a newly reincarnated Devil, even. Imagine doubling that strength further."
Well, when she put it that way, Issei felt a lot better.
He missed her frowning minutely. That doesn't explain why he required so many Pawns' worth of my pieces to convert, however. Something like that should only be two or three Pawns.
"What, did I miss it?" Roy spoke up as he sauntered towards them.
"Ah, Senpai, you're back! And yeah, you totally did!" complained Issei, "It was awesome! I totally blew a hole through your…uh, through your sandbag thing. Er, sorry." The boy rubbed the back of his head, looking guilty.
The older boy shrugged. "Eh, no big deal. That's what it was made for, after all." With a jerk of his head, the chunky monster stood up, unbothered by its injury. Wisps of shadow streamed from the edges of the hole in its torso and swirled together, sealing over the opening and leaving behind unmarked…flesh? Leather? Whatever it was made of.
"Roy!" exclaimed Rias, rushing over to him, "Are you alright?"
"Yep."
"You didn't run into any more Fallen, did you?!"
Roy's eyebrow twitched, but he fought to keep his face blank. "...Nah, no trouble," he said casually.
"Hah…honestly, you worried me so much, I had to send Komoko to keep an eye on you! Did you at least clear your head?" she asked him exasperatedly.
He grimaced, looking up at the sky as he rubbed his neck. "Man, I don't even know," he admitted.
Rias sighed. "It's alright to feel nervous, of course. In a few days, we will make our assault." Her gaze softened. "If you feel like you don't want to join in, then-"
"Of course I am," retorted Roy, lightly chopping her head with a squeak, "It's in the contract, isn't it? I'll be the one to decide what to do with those bastards." Only now, I'm not so sure what I wanna do with 'em, he thought to himself.
ASM
"Hey, Neesan."
Roy was walking home with Chiaki, as usual.
"What's up?" she asked casually.
He bit his lip, wondering how best to approach this topic. "...You said that you fight Youkai and stuff, right?"
"Mm, yeah," agreed the older girl, glancing around furtively to make sure no one was listening.
"When you…when you deal with them, do you consider it 'exorcism,' or 'killing?'" he asked carefully.
She paused, blinking in consternation. "I…well, exorcism. They tend to be the more spiritual kind of Youkai. There're also physical ones, who are more organized, and we don't really deal with them much. I mean, that's not our shrine's job, but…"
"But sometimes you have to deal with them?"
Chiaki sighed, looking away shamefully. "Y-yeah. I guess your nee-chan is a killer."
Quickly, he reached out and squeezed her hand, making her look around at him with a wan smile.
"In…in a few days, we're gonna be hitting the Fallen Angels," he told her, to which she nodded; he and Rias had informed her previously, "It probably would've been sooner, but now that Hyoudou is on-board, we gotta train him up. He'll wanna come along, and Buchou and I wouldn't want him to get himself killed again." His fists clenched as he remembered the boy's near death experience. "Devils and Fallen Angels are at odds anyway, so I thought that Rias might not be eager to hear about this, but…I ran into one today. A Fallen Angel."
Chiaki's eyes widened. "What?! When? Where? How?! Why?! Are you okay?!"
"Of course I'm okay!" Roy snapped at her irritably, "She didn't do a thing to me, and I was more than ready to take her out if she tried." The birds above them cawed loudly. "But that ain't my point. I found her shaking like a leaf, ready to snap at anyone and it sounded like she needed something. So I took her for ice cream, calmed her down and she spun some story about a school project. "
His sister said nothing, only gazing at him.
"Yeah, I know it was stupid," he continued, heading off any admonishment as he ran his fingers through his hair, "But it's just…it wasn't all bullshit. She genuinely felt like she was gonna die…and, I dunno if I have it in me to follow through and kill her."
For a long moment, Chiaki's silence continued. Then, sighing, she slung an arm around his shoulder and drew him close, making him yelp and stumble. "Oh, Roy…you really have always been a softie," she said gently, ruffling his hair, "Let me guess, you saw her crying, and that made you wanna cry too?"
Roy flushed; it was true. His sister knew him too well. "When it was just thinking about fighting some faceless enemy, I could commit to it," he mumbled, trying to keep a tremor out of his voice, "But, now that I've met her…she's just as much of a person as I am. As much as Rias is. I don't…I can't…I-I need to know, Onee-chan. I gotta make sure that it wasn't all just an act."
"That's a lot to ask for," she pointed out. She didn't tell him that he was wrong to feel this way, or foolish. That would only be rubbing in what he already knew, and she knew that he hated that. "You're gonna be fighting, and fighting not to kill is extremely difficult."
He nodded, biting his lip, his eyes burning. "Th-then…I'll come up with a way," he said, palming the Annihilation Maker Medal that he'd been granted that morning, "I'll make something that can do it."
"I bet you will," Chiaki told him, "And if that She-Devil has a problem with it, I'll make sure she doesn't complain."
"No, I'll deal with her," he said, "She's my friend, and she's as involved in this as I am."
The taller woman huffed, but acquiesced.
"I know that this is really naive, and that one day I'll have to kill, no matter what. I've killed already. It's just…" He struggled to find the right words. "I want to be the kind of guy who, when begged for mercy, gives it."
Chiaki smiled sadly. "Well, I hope that you can become that kind of man. But whether it's today, tomorrow, or some day in the future, I'll believe that you can do it. It's a big sister's duty to support her little bro's dream."
They spent the rest of the walk back home in relative silence. When they got in, their parents inevitably asked about their day, (which was fine (a lie)), and the siblings once more guiltily thought that they would soon need to tell them the truth of the supernatural.
Roy made his way up to his room, and sat down on his bed, turning his Medal over in his hand. Alright, he thought, There's got to be a creature I can make who can ascertain the truth about that Fallen girl's words, and also allow me to subdue her. Two birds with one stone.
Perhaps…that one.
The boy's eyebrows lifted as a clear memory from his past life drifted to the surface. A fictional…well, perhaps creature was a strong word for it, but he could feel his power responding to the mental image, the Medal growing warm in his hand.
Well I'll be damned. For once these confusing memories of mine are coming in handy!
However, just as soon as he felt a bit of hope, the power suddenly faded, and he was left with an instinctive feeling; the monster he wanted to create was beyond what could be achieved with a single Medal.
Come on! he thought, gritting his teeth and focusing inward, closing his eyes. The pool of darkness that let him create more Shadows and heal them sat in his gut, unresponsive. You think I'm going to let it go with just 'I'm not strong enough yet?' I don't care how unrealistic my expectations are! He thought about the despairing sobs that had wracked Yuuma's body. If there's a chance that she's not totally evil, I don't want to just kill her! If this supernatural world is full of cruelty, then I refuse to add to that more than I have to!
Suddenly, there came a strong pull of darkness, and he let out a gasp of surprise and effort as he opened his eyes. Sitting in his palm, on top of the Medal, was a second one. However, unlike the silver Medal he received every day, this one was pitch black, its surface worn and scarred.
It would do the job, but it was imperfect.
"If that's what it takes, then fine," he grunted, wiping the sweat from his brow. He fixed the mental image in his mind, and threw the Medals into the air. They burst with a flash, and he felt his new Template form, flawed as it was. Finally, he allowed himself a small, grim smile. "Alright…now, I can punish those guys for trying to kill me and Hyoudou without any worries."
ASM
Raynare sat on her bed, feeling drained. It was certainly an improvement from the constant, suffocating, nauseating pressure that had been squeezing in on her over the past few days.
Whatever. Maybe now that this op is being run by someone who knows what they're doing it won't go so horribly wrong, she thought dully to herself. She thought back to Roy, and a small smile tugged at her lips. At least, if we get our asses kicked, Donahseek can be the one to fuck up and feel like garbage this time. He probably would've thought to attack that human at the first opportunity.
Ah, but…that ice cream tasted nice.
"Ray-chan!" called out Mittelt, sweeping into the room, "Hey, there you are!"
"...Mittelt." She greeted her listlessly. She didn't look her in the eye; she couldn't bear to see that pity again. Especially after snapping at her earlier.
"Jeez, you look terrible!" the smaller Fallen told her cheerfully, "What, did you go sit in a crummy alleyway or something?"
"Yes."
She blinked. "...Oh. Well that's kinda awkward. I thought you liked flying and staying up high?"
It felt like Raynare had to struggle to get her words out. "I…It would have been too easy to be spotted," she said lamely, "And I wanted to be…alone." But she had ended up very much not alone.
"Hm...well, that seems like a bad idea for a leader."
She shrugged woodenly. "Then it's a good thing that I'm not the leader anymore. Donahseek is."
Mittelt's eyes widened. "Donahseek? Why?!"
"Because I suck at it!" Raynare snapped, "I can't strategize or plan for a single thing going wrong, and I can't just…bounce back from it like Kalawarna or you can! I'm not-!" I'm not a real Fallen Angel like you. "I…" She swept her wings around herself, hiding her face. "I d-don't wanna talk about it."
Mittelt sat on the edge of the bed, watching her and for once keeping silent. Raynare had never seemed the type to have friends, but it was clear that the older Fallen (only by 70 years!) desperately needed some sort of support. Of course, being a flighty, airheaded girl, Mittelt had no idea how to deal with sad stuff. Scooting closer, she planted her hands on Raynare's thigh and leaned in, gazing at her as if she could see through the wall of feathers she'd put up. "Hey!" she said brightly, "Why don't I go into town and steal something for ya? Want some ice cream?"
Raynare stirred, blushing at being scrutinized so suddenly, but the mention of ice cream gave her a tiny flare of excitement. "...Okay. Don't cause a ruckus, though."
"Huh~? I thought you weren't the leader anymore~" Mittelt cackled, before flying back out the open door and gliding down the hallway, rolling to avoid clipping Donahseek as she went.
Huffing, Raynare lay down on the bed, burying her face in her pillow. Maybe now that she didn't have to worry about waiting for underlings to report to her, she could take a nap…
Roy's face passed through her mind again.
...The ice cream really was nice.
ASM
Donahseek eyed Mittelt as she flew past, giggling to herself about something inane. Really, aside from Kalawarna, the 'teammates' he'd been saddled with were scraping the bottom of the barrel. Mittelt seemed completely incapable of adhering to a given plan, or even listening to it, and Raynare was a flat-out disgrace. Running away when confronted…what a coward, he thought, sneering, At least she had the sense to step down as leader.
Glancing around, he pulled out a folded message, delivered to him discreetly just a few hours ago, and read it over carefully.
In light of the information you have provided, reinforcements are en route to help deal with Annihilation Maker. The Longinus must be destroyed before its host can pose a threat to the Grigori.
Insubordination is unacceptable. Incompetents are to be disposed of if they will not fall in line.
It was signed with a symbol of an eye, surrounded by stars.
He nodded; the message's contents were to be expected. A flash of light burst from his palms, shredding the paper into ashy bits.
Raynare…acknowledging your weakness is the only thing saving you for now. When the time comes, you will fight, or you will die.
ASM
AN: And with that, we are back! It's been a while, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait! I will probably switch back to Silver-Tongue for my next update, but I don't plan on taking another hiatus for this anytime soon!
Notes time!
1: Ray-chan does not deal with stress well. It doesn't help that she is fully aware of how utterly fucked she is.
2: Understandably, Roy is fucking pissed. He doesn't stop being pissed over the course of the chapter either. Anger is an emotion that he doesn't enjoy feeling.
3: If I woke up with super strength and a smoking hot redhead in my bed I'd either freak out or thank my lucky stars. Probably both.
4: Ah, Gasper...don't worry, Roy will remember to ask about you one day.
5: For the dozenth time: I KNOW THAT KONEKO IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DAMN ROOK! However, she isn't one in this fic. End of story.
6: Boosted Gear plus two Rooks equals ISSEI SMASH!
7: Sometimes a guy just needs to be alone. That's what it means to be an introvert.
8: Of course, he's not stupid enough to not keep an eye out for suspicious shit…but he's also a sympathetic crier, so he just can't leave a crying girl alone. It would've been so much easier if she'd just attacked him.
9: And here we have two more or less mortal enemies who are aware of each other, but pretending not to be.
10: Raynare is so wound up that she hasn't had ice cream in so long. Plus, who hasn't wanted to eat ice cream to take the stress away?
11: I'd say that having to climb a slippery noose is a pretty good metaphor for crippling stress, wouldn't you?
12: Kalawarna ain't that much of a bitch. It's just that most Fallen Angels give very few fucks, and can speak without thinking a lot. Raynare, unfortunately, never learned how to not care.
13: And Issei unlocks 'Twice Critical!' In the most Issei fashion possible, of course.
14: I mean, how would you tell your best friend that you're having second thoughts about slaughtering some assholes that her race has been at war with for fuck knows how long?
15: Big sis Chiaki bein' a good big sis.
16: Roy isn't so naive as to think that he can avoid bloodshed altogether, especially in the longterm. However, if they are willing to be saved, then he will want to try. Under no circumstances does he wish to be cruel.
17: And thus, we get a new function of Annihilation Maker: Black Medals. To be explained below.
18: Mittelt is a dumbass, but a well-meaning one.
19: Donahseek, meanwhile, is a DAMN RAT. I don't actually hate him, lol, but this is the route I ended up going with for this story. XD
New Annihilation Maker function!
Black Medals: These imperfect Medals can be created at will by the user, and can take the place of normal Medals to create Templates of a higher level than the user might normally have access to. In exchange, however, the Template will be Flawed.
New monster…to be revealed.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave a review or send me a PM.
North South Out.
Omake: High Percentage
"DAMNIT, IF I'M GONNA BE FUSSED OVER BY SOMEONE, AT LEAST LET IT BE A BUSTY BABE!" Issei roared in frustration, putting his shoulder into another punch.
*THOOM!*
A blast of green light suddenly blasted forth from his hand on impact, sending the dummy flying into the air.
Roy, who had just wandered back into the area, let out a yelp and dived out of the way before Mr. Sandbag could flatten him. The thing flipped through the air, someandhow flying perfectly horizontally. By the time it landed, Roy could tell that it had flown over four hundred meters. His eye twitched, heart pounding from the near miss.
"Homerun!" drawled Koneko.
A Sandbag was still a Sandbag, after all.