Chapter Fourteen - A Passage To Kuoh

Vin woke up only after getting a few hours of sleep. His dry emerald eyes cracking open to stare at a ceiling that most certainly wasn't his, because last time he checked, his room's ceiling was white, not grey.

The second thing Vin noticed in his hazy, somewhat delusional brain was the distinct weight and warmth of something pressed up against his side, something wrapped tightly around his right side, and his torso.

Bringing up his left hand was a challenge, as Vin found whatever bed he was in was covered in knots and bundles of all manner of blankets, sheets and pillows, all of them tossed and piled haphazardly along the bed and floor.

Eventually, Vin managed to get somewhat untangled, and was able to see what exactly was attached to him. Pulling back the blanket, Vin was met with a head of stark blue hair, and his breath caught in his throat.

Gazing down, Vin saw none other than Xenovia, her limbs entangled around his own. His right arm restrained in a one-arm hug, his right leg basically a pole that the sleeping swords woman clutched onto like a cat. And there, resting on his chest, his bare chest, was her head, cheek squished against his abs. A small puddle of drool had been formed on his abs, slowly trickling down, and making a section of the waistband of his pants exceedingly damp.

Vin's face lit on fire, as his mind regained coherence, and the memories came back. The kissing, the touches… God, what had they done? Vin let out an embarrassed groan, silently wondering if Bheithir had anything to do with the rampant emotions of the night before, or if that really was just teenage hormones taking its grip on both of their sanities.

But the guilt twisted like a knife in Vin's stomach. Did he enjoy what he got last night? Yes. Hell yes. In fact, he loved it, he craved it, even though it never escalated to sex, he couldn't get enough of it, it was like a drug… But with that, came the guilt.

Shifting slowly, Vin sat himself up against the headboard of the bed, and his eyes scanned the room, eventually freezing on the very personification of his current regret, Xenovia's rosary, hanging up proudly on a coat hook across the room.

Xenovia was a holy woman, simple as that. She could be as rough and brutal of a warrior as she wanted to be, but in the end, she would begin and end most days with a prayer, would always say grace at dinner, would always give thanks to the lord when necessary… While she may not have been as forthcoming or flamboyant about it as Irina, she was still, no doubt, a religious girl.

And therein lies the problem. Vin had known that, and still let them get that hot and steamy the previous night. He took advantage of her in her one moment of true emotional weakness; and the worst part, he didn't just let it happen, no, he and his stupid mouth were the instigator. He was the one who made the snide comment, he was the one with the smoking gun.

Vin felt revulsion bubble in the pits of his stomach. How would Xenovia react after all this? Vin knew that there was no premarital sex that last night, but still, he didn't know the nuances of the rule… Did they commit a taboo sin? For Vin, he couldn't care less, but if it was Xenovia…

Well, Vin wouldn't be able to live with himself if that was the reason why Xenovia was ripped away from Griselda… It wasn't impossible either, wasn't that Argento girl axed from the church for healing a devil? Was that a comparable metric? Vin didn't know…

"Mhnm~"

Vin's spiraling train of thought screeched to a halt as his gaze shot back to Xenovia, who had just let out a satisfied groan, and slowly began to stir once more.

Xenovia's face turned up towards Vin's own, and soon enough, eyes of amber met emerald.

It didn't take long for the two teens to immediately gape at each other like a pair of dead fish, before both lit up like Christmas trees, a bright red painting their features. Both of their eyes unknowingly roving up and down their similar states of undress.

Xenovia had long since lost her shirt that night, and now sat up in nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms. Despite the fact that she had covered herself slightly with a sheet, Vin could still vividly see the flawless skin of her mind-melting plump breasts decorated with a few faint, but nonetheless noticeable red marks. One in particular, right at the base of her beasts, under her collarbone, was a mark that was colored a slight purple.

Sweet fucking Jesus, had he given her a hickey?! Vin didn't remember that little detail…

The longer he stood there in the stunned silence with Xenovia, the more Vin felt like he was going to die. So he tried to shift out of the bed, to run out the door. Unfortunately, in line with his damned-to-hell luck, his left foot caught a sheet that must have been somewhat wrapped around Xenovia, which sent him tumbling onto the floor, smacking against it, and somehow missing all the cushions in the process.

Yep… Just his luck…

A split second later, a high-pitched yelp cried out from the top of the bed, as Xenovia, being dragged along by Vin's fall, also landed onto the floor.

In a heap.

On top of Vin.

Their blushes only intensified.

"A-Ah, g-g-good morning."

Xenovia flustered, "Uh, good morning…"

"..."

Awkward silence filled the air.

The two continued to stare at each other's faces, Vin soaking in every detail. Her cheeks more pink than he'd ever seen, amber eyes twinkling, her lips, swollen and juicy, separated ever-so-slightly in a way that lit the teen's mind on fire. It was like her lips were begging for the contact that they shared only a scant few hours ago.

He couldn't stay here. He knew what he'd done was wrong; it was so, so wrong… Yet here he was, underneath the girl he liked, no! A comrade, just a comrade… Here he was, under his comrade, guilt still coursing through him, and still, he could feel himself being hypnotized.

Vin grabbed Xenovia's shoulders, pushing her up, and off of him, as he untangled himself. Not wasting a second, lest he fail his attempt to escape before he really did something irredeemable; Vin grabbed his shirt that had been tossed across the floor, and yanked it over his head.

"I-I gotta go!"

Not sparing a glance at Xenovia, Vin walked out the door, and back to his own room. He needed to get clothes, and he needed to have a cold, cold shower.


Vin had spent the entire time under the water mentally berating himself.

What was he doing? He always imagined that he'd ask Xenovia out someday, they'd do things properly… Go on dates, eat dinner together, just be together, and then, years down the line, maybe they would reach a point where they could be more intimate.

The only thing that was colder than the icy water pelting down against his skin was the cold dread that sized Vin's mind, sucking all the air out of his lungs every second it remained latched to the front of his thoughts.

...Had… Had he forced himself on her?

Revulsion and anger were not a cocktail that Vin wanted to experience this morning, especially knowing what horrors awaited him; yet it was still one that Vin's mind couldn't help but indulge.

He had really done that, huh? His memory was still hazy, he didn't know who made the first move that night. But what he did know was that he was the one who opened the doors to that being a possibility. Was consent explicitly given that night, or had he pressured her into it? Vin's mind raced through scenarios, each one more guilt-inducing than the last; all while Vin's own mind berated him with names over and over again.

Scumbag.

Monster.

Molester.

Vin could feel his eyes burning with un-cried tears, as he grit his teeth. He could feel the last of his emotional walls breaking down.

Until suddenly, his Sacred Gear manifested on his legs, a dull light amber glow pulsing beneath the white crystal shin-guards.

[Calm yourself, child.]

A familiar, calming, deep voice echoed amongst the din of the shower. Vin's thoughts stalled as he flinched back in shock.

"What the-"

[Focus on my voice, child. You beat yourself for no reason; this sort of reaction will only lead you towards more hesitation over time.]

"But I-!"

[I know what I saw that night, child,] The voice of Bheithir cut him off, before explaining, [I see through your eyes. Your world is my world. What I saw wasn't what you believe, what I saw was two children seeking safety and comfort in one another, both equally desperate, may I add.]

"But I was in the wrong! I started something that shouldn't have been on the table in the first place!" Vin roared down at his legs.

[Child,] The tone of the crystal dragon went strict, distantly reminding Vin of his mother, [Do you truly think your partner is so weak that they wouldn't immediately stop you if they didn't want to continue?]

"I don't know! We were both in an emotionally compromised state!"

[I've seen through your eyes for nearly nine months now,] Bheithir admitted, [That child would have stopped you, and rather violently at that. Plus, was the reaction she gave this morning really one of violent regret?]

"Okay," Vin huffed, "But even if she did want to do that with me of all people, it doesn't change the fact that I'm in the wrong. I instigated the event. I knew that she was religious, and still skirted the line so incredibly close that-!"

[Do you really think so little of yourself, child?]

"What do you mean?" Vin's tone carried a defensive but dangerous edge.

[Do you really think that you are some sort of… pitiful creature? That no one would want to accept you? That anytime something happens, it's automatically your fault?]

Vin hung his head, his wet bangs shielding his eyes. Before reaching over and shutting off the shower.

"Bheithir… Are we going to tell anyone about… this?"

[You're ignoring my question, child.]

"..."

A sound that reminded Vin of a sigh echoed out from his Sacred Gear.

[No. I believe it would be best to simply pretend like I don't exist for now. The church would no doubt create even grander plans should they learn of my existence.]

"Are you sure they don't already know? I mean, Michael was here for a few days, and it's not like I've been able to avoid close contact with him or anything."

[Indeed, but you didn't summon your Sacred Gear around him either,] Bheithir chuckled humorlessly, [Even if you did, I'm not sure he would have even recognized me… I'm not exactly much of a dragon anymore.]

"I assume there's a story behind this?" Vin asked, as he began to towel off his upper body.

[Another time, child,] Bheithir soothed, [For now, you have to get dressed. You have a flight to catch, don't you?]


The airport was surprisingly clear, which was something Vin really wasn't expecting. Usually, the place was crowded, people roaming everywhere, yet here, there was really no one. Huh, there must have been some more religious, secret society bullshit in play…

Vin shifted around in his boots nervously. The outfit he wore now was a little more removed from what he traditionally wore for missions, but he guessed that had something to do with either the importance of the mission, or the international nature of it all.

The three of them all were wearing their usual battle costumes, but in addition, all three were draped in long hooded cloaks, colored in white and mint-green. Their hoods were pulled over their heads, the edges nearly cloaking the teen's emerald eyes. Vin awkwardly shifted a weight on his shoulder, a long bundle wrapped in bandages, the crest of the Vatican pinned to the mass. Vin could feel the rhythmic thumps of holy energy pervading off the blade against his back like a heartbeat.

"It seems like you all boarded in five minutes," Vin's gaze shot up from the floor, looking over at his mentor, Griselda, who was checking her watch, "Do you all remember the mission details?"

"Yes," Xenovia stepped up, "Arrive in Kuoh, establish contact with the peerages of Sitri and Gremory, convince them to not interfere, track down Kokabiel, and retrieve the Excalibur's."

"Good, good…" Griselda approached the three teens, before pulling them into a hug, "Be safe, you three. Do whatever you can to get those Excalibur's out of Kokabiel hands. If all else fails, destroy them; they're better unusable than in his hands."

Vin could feel himself on the edge of tears, he was really doing this, huh? Was this what it felt like to be heading off to war, not knowing if you'd ever see the people in front of you again?

In that case, he was going to make the most of it.

Vin looped his right arm around Griselda, and gently patted her on the back, "Thank you, Griselda. For everything."

"Of course," Griselda gave the three one last squeeze, before letting them go.

Vin looked ahead to the other two people who had accompanied them to the airport along with Griselda. On the woman's left stood Lint, her usual hoodie zipped up, and her expression morose.

And on the right, stood the last member of the little family Vin had found himself over these past nine months. Ezekiel stood there, his signature cape pinned to his shoulders, the barest hints of remorse and sadness reflecting in his eyes.

Vin stepped towards his chuunibyou friend, "Zeke… Thanks for being a great friend all this time."

Ezekiel paused for a moment, before pulling Vin into a one-arm hug. Although his head was tilted towards the floor, Vin could tell that Ezekiel had started crying from the shaking of the boy's frame.

"...Just… Just come back alive, alright? I don't want to see another comrade, nay, another family member gone."

"Yeah, you can count on it," Vin pledged, "I'm going to live, we're going to live. I'll make sure of it…"

That's what he had to do… He would play this smart, he would play this tough, he would use every dirty, disgraceful trick in the book. He was going to make sure that all three of them made it out of this alive.

[Last call for flight 254, bound for Japan. I repeat, last call for flight 254, bound for Japan. All passengers, please board immediately.]

"That sounds like our call," Irina chimed in, "We'll see you all!"

The three turned, and began to walk towards the gate, each footstep heavy, as if each one represented a step further and further from a life that they could never return to.

"Irina, wait!"

The three froze, as they turned around, gazing at Ezekiel, who stood there, looking up with an apprehensive expression.

The twin-tailed girl tilted her head, "What's the matter, Zeke?"

"I.. Um…" Ezekiel's face grew red, "Just... Come back to me, alright?"

Irina nodded, her smile radiant in the early afternoon sunshine, "Yep! Will do!"

And with that, Irina, Xenovia, and Vin turned around, and marched on through the boarding gate, and onto the plane.


The three had settled in their seats, a special class near the front that oddly enough featured a closed-off cabin space, reserved only for them. Again, it probably had something to do with the fact that they were on a vital church mission.

Vin had long since fallen asleep in his seat, head leaning against the cabin wall of the aircraft. The time they had till they reached Japan was twelve hours and thirty minutes on average, and even though she was distracted by… things that morning, Xenovia didn't miss the fact that Vin had looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep.

Xenovia's cheeks faintly lit up as she recalled the memories of the previous night.

"Oh~ I know that look!" Irina teased, from her seat in the middle, "Something very un-Xenovia is on your mind!"

Xenovia huffed, turning her head away, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Irina snorted, before exploding into a barrage of high-pitched giggles.

"Oh my god, you two are so alike, it's ridiculous!"

"What do you mean?"

"You and Vin. You both react the exact same way to anything romantic."

"I don't think this is the time to focus on something like that, Irina," Xenovia shot down her strawberry-blonde friend.

Irina's amused expression soon faded into a sad little smile, "Yeah, I know…"

"Sorry, I dampened your mood-"

Irina held up her hands, "It's okay, it's okay, Xenovia. It's just been… It's been a lot these past two weeks, huh?"

Xenovia looked down to the floor, the images of Ethan's death flashing through her mind, souring her mood further, "You're right. It has been."

"You know, sometimes I thought how long we were all going to last together, you know? I knew, deep down, that of course we wouldn't all be together for the rest of our lives, that's just not realistic, but at the same time…"

Irina looked up at Xenovia, her eyes closed, and her smile wide, despite the tears rolling down her cheeks, "I guess I just wished everything lasted a little longer."

"Me too, Irina… Me too…"

"Right," Irina wiped her eyes, before reaching into a small carry-on bag she brought with her, and pulling out a handheld game system.

Xenovia, deciding to do the same, reached into her bag, pulling out her green IPod. Popping the earbuds in, and flipping through the music downloaded on it, mostly a combination of stuff Vin threw onto it from his laptop one day, Xenovia hit the option to shuffle, and closed her eyes, letting the sounds of music assuage her anxieties.


I know, I know, I said that I was taking a hiatus until around December 8th-12th, but I've been making good progress on my work, and I managed to find little pockets of time here and there to make this chapter! Just don't expect any more uploads anytime soon. This is probably going to be the only one that breaks the rule.

So yeah, hiatus is still in effect.

I'm also choosing to post this now to say thank you! Seriously, thank you guys so much! As of yesterday, we surpassed 20,000 views on this story, which is so goddamn insane.

Also, you may have noticed the new story cover and description! That's right, the commission I ordered from my artist friend is finally done, and it looks so fucking good! I love the fact that I can say, "Yeah, Vin looks hot."

Alright, I don't have much time, so let's get straight into the chapter notes!

CHAPTER NOTES

[The Aftermath of the Pillow Fort Scene:]

This one was a big, and very delicate issue I want to tackle. I'm trying to approach this with the most sincerity I can, because one wrong move could really fuck things up here. Vin is currently experiencing a large amount of deep-seated regret, mainly stemming from his low self-image, and as such, Vin is struggling to rationalize that Xenovia would… you know, actually want to be with him in a romantic capacity. He's essentially getting in his own head, and inventing scenarios that don't actually exist. Bheithir basically tells him as much in the shower, but he ultimately just brushes it off. Put down 'develop a healthy self-image' as part of Vin's character growth goals.

[The Goodbye to the Church Group:]

Yeah, sorry to admit, but this is the last time we're going to be seeing these three for a while. Lint and Griselda especially so. The last part with Ezekiel, where he tries to tell Irina something, only to fold at the last second is supposed to be building off of the little hints I've dropped about their dynamic in previous chapters. It's not hard to piece together what's happening there…

[The Titles of Chapters:]

Some of you may have picked up on a few of these, but there are a few chapters that have names which are direct references to different songs! All of these songs are ones that I really enjoy, and I think it's a cute way to sprinkle in some of my personal taste. I'll explain them so far:

Chapter Eight - Back in Business: A combination of 'Back in Black' by ACDC, and 'Taking Care of Business' by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Chapter Eleven - Bloody Destiny: 'Bloody Destiny' from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

Chapter Fourteen - A Passage to Kuoh: 'A Passage to Bangkok' by Rush (Probably my favorite Rush song by the way)

REVIEW ROUNDUP!

Doge The Last Says:

"Amazing story so far, It's gonna be interesting to see how Vin develops as the story goes on. I hope he doesn't become allies with the devils as that happens in most fics I've seen.

But either way this story is better than the majority of DxD on this site, I hope to see more."

I'm super happy to hear that you're enjoying the story so much! It's always amazing to see more people checking the story and engaging it enough to leave a review.

Vin's development is something I'm trying to prioritize in this story. I want Vin to reach a point, perhaps a few story arcs from now, you can look back to these first chapters, and see a progression in character. I don't want him to be static, you know?

Vin won't directly ally himself with the devils… No spoilers though, but I think it'll be fun when we reach that point in the story.

Thanks for the compliments, and I hope that this chapter helps tide you over until the hiatus is properly over, and the real force of this arc begins. This one is going to be a lot shorter, but more action-packed, so consider this like the rising of the roller coaster, so to speak.

RokenDarkly Says:

"Just finished bingeing this and all I can say is that its amazing. I can't wait to see how Vin handles Kuoh, I mean we all know by the end of it Xenovia becomes a devil, but with Vin in the mix that could possibly change or he becomes one as well with a potential church revenge/hatred plot. There are so many ways this can turn out and I can't wait to see!"

Thank you so much! Vin's involvement in the holy sword crisis is going to be a pretty big impact, especially in the impacts that it has on people outside of the primary DxD cast in that arc of canon.

Xenovia will end up a devil, yes, but Vin will not.

Vin will end up having reservations towards the church, but unlike someone like, say, Vanessa, he doesn't hate the people behind it, he hates the way that it functions, and by extension, the current state of hostility between the factions. Let's just say that he's going to have some choice words during the Peace Summit…

I hope that you enjoy this first chapter of the new arc, and I hope to see some reviews by you again. Rock on!

TobiasPereyra86 Says:

"I really like this story please continue like this

Sorry I don't speak English and I use the Google Xd translator

I read all the chapters in one day and I am quite glad the day to find something to read.

Will the OC have a harem? I suppose that if it is a story of dxd there must almost necessarily be at least one small harem and that is the essence of DxD"

Again, there's no need to apologize for not being fluent in English. It's really flattering to have an audience that doesn't even speak the language!

This story will continue, don't worry. I just have to take 2 weeks off to get all my school work finished.

Vin will not have a harem, but Issei will still have one, and Issei will serve as almost a secondary main character in the story. Vin's just more of a one-girl type of guy.

Anyhow, thanks so much for leaving a review! Rock on!

NewOtaku Says: (I'm combining the two comments)

"I truly love your story man! I am also excited on the possibilities of Vin's gear especially that there is not many Earth/Crystal abilities showcased in Anime like Genshin Impact and Avatar! I do like the parallels of Vin and Issei truly awakening their gears in a church due to a friends death in the hands of a Rogue Fallen... I don't know if it was intentional or coincidental."

Hey! Glad as always to see more new people leaving reviews and getting so engaged with the story!

I really liked how Vin's Sacred Gear turned out, I actually have an entire multi-page google doc filled with just a variety of unique Sacred Gears I made for fun. Most of them aren't even Longinus, but just common Gears. It's a lot of fun, and a great way to get creative! Who knows, maybe I'll share them with you guys, because I really don't care if people want to use them in their fanfics.

From the very beginning, Vin was designed to have a dichotomy between Issei. Now that we have art from Vin, you can see it better, but Vin's designed to share visual similarities to Issei, while being fundamentally different in other areas of his design. From a characterization standpoint, they are like parallels of each other as well. Issei is a human who awakens a Sacred Gear, and has a 'mostly' peaceful, happy group to foster strength within. Meanwhile, Vin is the same, except he's thrown into this life against his will, and faces a lot more struggle due to his surroundings. Vin's in a group which by definition, values strength to a much higher degree than the Gremory peerage. The proper awakening of Vin's Sacred Gear is, by design, a parallel to Issei, except it ends with a much grimmer result, Ethan stays dead. I initially caught onto that fact when writing that chapter, but decided that it worked well from a storytelling standpoint to show that these two boys are similar in a lot of ways, and can share camaraderie, but also hold fundamental differences in both mentality and personality.

Thanks for leaving two reviews, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I look forward to reading more reviews by you in the future!


Thanks to everyone who left a review, it really means a lot! And thank you for bearing with me through this hiatus!

If you enjoyed what you read, then please consider leaving a follow or a favorite. And if you have any comment, question, or critique about this story you'd like to ask me, then please leave a review. Even if it's just to tell me what you thought of the chapter, I make sure to read through each and every one I get.

Also, please consider following my Instagram page for this fic, it's called dxd_alternate_official, and on there I post memes, behind the scenes stuff from this fic, chat with you guys more, and even give updates and sneak peeks at new chapters!

Once again, thank you for over 20,000 views on this story! It's like a dream come true! Rock on, everyone, and I'll see you in December!