Chapter Sixteen - Doctor Doctor
Hyoudou Residence
10:49 pm
"Asia, come quick; we have an emergency!"
The panicked tone of Issei's voice caused Asia to jump as the brown-haired boy bounded up the stairs, practically throwing himself into his bedroom where Asia stood.
Asia scrambled for her shirt, long since abandoned while trying to match Rias' advances on Issei. Pulling it over her head, quickly running a hand behind her head to untuck her long golden locks from her shirt, as she speed-walked for the stairs, nearly tripping over herself once on the way there.
Internally, Asia wondered what facilitated such a rapid shift in Issei's behavior. Not a moment ago, he was nearly the exact opposite. Grimly, Asia swallowed, preparing herself for whatever could mark such a grave end to the… special time they were sharing not a minute before.
Asia distinctly remembered walking into Issei's bedroom to wish him goodnight, only to see a naked Rias drawing Issei in a hypnotic-like trance. Asia knew that compared to Rias, she wasn't nearly as developed, but that just meant that she would have to work extra hard, right? She had thrown off her shirt, and was nearly about to follow along with her pajama bottoms, before Rias shot up in bed, completely abandoning her prior debauchery, before rushing out the room, coming down the stairs, zipping up her gym sweatshirt over her bare chest.
Issei had followed her not a second later, leaving Asia confused and admittedly, a little scared. Then, Issei had shown up, all previous jolly perversions drained from his face.
By the time Asia reached the bottom of the stairs and made her way to where Rias stood in the doorway, she made the horrifying discovery of exactly why Issei and Rias had suddenly shifted in demeanor so quickly.
Laying on the step before her was a wet, bleeding mess of… something. It took Asia another glance to see that the mass was actually a person. Torn and cut rags of black leather clothing clung tightly, soaked with water and blood, several places of the person's body covered in glinting crystals, which would have been a beautiful sight if not for the sickening red that was obviously being held behind it. Eventually, her eyes located a face, soaked bangs clung to their scalp and fell in their eyes. Their faces contorted in painful rest.
Asia wasted no time in summoning her Twilight Healing onto her fingers, crashing onto her knees right there in the doorway. A soft green glow enveloped the entirety of the boy's body, as Asia attempted to put as much of herself as possible into healing every point on the person in front of her. After a brief moment of healing, at least to try and get the man as far from the brink as possible, Asia tucked her locks behind her left ear, leaning her ear in close to his face.
"..."
"How's he doing?" Issei asked.
"He's breathing," Asia sighed in temporary relief, "It's shallow and faint, but he's not dead yet…"
Carefully avoiding the wrist encased in a shell of crystals, Asia pressed her index and middle fingers to the boy's swollen left wrist, trying to feel for a pulse.
The very first thing she noticed was how cold the boy's skin was to the touch. Not a good sign, he furrowed her brow, and continued to search for a pulse. She found one, and as slow as it was, it was still holding on.
"He's got a pulse, but he's super cold. We have to bring him inside."
"Right," Issei moved and looked over her shoulder as Asia stood up, "What room are we taking him into?"
"He can go in my room," Asia offered. Guiltily, a part of her almost appreciated how this would grant her an opportunity to sleep with Issei that night.
"Thank you, Asia," Rias offered a small smile, "You go strip your bed. Issei, how about you go find a set of clothes for him. Something warm, perhaps?"
"Aye-aye, Bucho!" Issei nodded, before spinning on his heel, heading up the stairs, Asia on his toes.
Rias held up her opened palm of her hand, a dark red magic circle appearing as a small cartoon-esk bat creature poofed into existence.
"Can you help gently carry him upstairs?"
The bat nodded as best as it could, before wrapping its wings around itself, and in another poof of smoke, the bat transformed into a fully grown woman with black hair. The bat-woman slowly knelt down to the injured boy, carefully scooping him into its arms, as it headed up the stairs.
That left Rias staring at the only other thing left on the front step of the house, a single copy of Dark Erasure, blade buried deep into the concrete of the step. With conflicting emotions, Rias gazed at the blade. She knew she felt Kiba's signature aura, she had been with him for so long that it would've been impossible for her to mistake it. It stung a lot when she opened the door, expecting to see her beloved knight, only to find his sword left behind, his aura fading into the night sky. Still, he had specifically overcome some of his animosity if it meant nearly approaching her again after running away in order to save someone…
The fact that Kiba was still retaining some semblance of his heroic spirit, his willingness to help others… It was comforting.
Rias raised her hand, a small orb flowing with her famous Powers of Destruction writhing with energy in her spread palm. She let it fly forward, as it ate away at the sword, leaving nothing but a gash in the floor of the stone step.
Issei stared down at the unconscious and wounded boy spread out on top of Asia's bare mattress, several towels from the bathroom were laid out underneath in order to help absorb any blood and prevent the actual mattress from being stained. Issei found it hard to look at the brutalized teen, the patches of dark, bruised skin, the swollen muscles, the numerous lacerations that zig-zagged across his body… It was like something out of a horror movie, and somehow he managed to survive it.
Damn, if he wasn't so horrified, then Issei would admit he was very, very impressed.
Issei set down the bundle of clothing on top of Asia's dresser, looking down at the injured person they welcomed into their home.
"Issei… Isn't this the man that was with your parents when we came home tonight?"
Oh, so that's where the vague feelings of familiarity came from. He wasn't quite sure initially, since the three holy-sword wielders had been wearing cloaks overtop of any clothing they had. But now, looking closer, yeah, the hairstyle, even when matted down wet was enough to pin the identity of the boy at any time.
"The boy was one of those exorcists you two encountered earlier?"
Entering the room was none other than Rias herself, in her arms, she cradled two large bowls; one empty, and the other filled with warm water, a washcloth draped over the side.
"Yep, he was carrying one of those holy swords too," Issei answered.
"This evening, I was meeting with the Student Council president," Rias admitted, setting the bowls on a nightside table beside the bed, "We're supposed to be meeting these same exorcists to discuss something tomorrow after school."
What? They were going to be meeting up with those three again? If Issei had to be honest, it didn't seem that bad. Irina was a welcome surprise, he supposed, even if the amount of memories he could accurately recall about her could be counted on a single hand; the guy was scary, but… well he wasn't exactly intimidating when he was sprawled out wounded, essentially at their mercy. The last one gave him pause though…
He may have been a happy-go-lucky pervert, but he wasn't oblivious. He saw the way that the blue-haired girl's gaze lingered for a moment on Asia, how it hardened ever-so-slightly, like she was trying to stare through Asia to strike at a point of weakness.
Something about that gaze set off all the protective instincts within him, and he was pretty sure that wasn't the holy sword that was causing that feeling.
"So, shall we begin?" Rias clapped her hands together lightly, turning to the blonde next to her, "Let's get him out of these wet clothes and then clean him up so Asia can heal him."
Issei's thoughts screeched to a halt. They were going to strip him? His brain couldn't stop itself from running through all sorts of horrid hypotheticals. Issei felt disgust and jealousy well up within him, he couldn't have Buchou or Asia gaze upon another naked man. Issei turned towards the two girls with panicked eyes.
"Wait! Can't Asia heal through clothing? Why do we have to strip him?!"
"Issei, he's at risk of hypothermia in these things, plus we have to figure out where the injuries are," Rias reasoned, "You don't have to help take off his clothes if you want to. You can go out in the hall while me and Asia take care of things."
That was the exact opposite of what he wanted! Sure, Issei wasn't thrilled with the prospect of seeing another dude's junk, but it was infinitely preferable to sweet little Asia seeing it! Had she even seen a man's parts before? Oh god, was this guy going to be her first time seeing something like that? Issei's heart couldn't bear the thought...
Rias looked up at her bishop, "Alright, Asia, are you ready? We'll start with his shirt, and work our way down."
Apparently aware of what would be coming, Asia squirmed in place, her face matching the hair of her master. Although it was barely audible, Issei's enhanced hearing allowed him to pick up Asia's breathy mutterings.
"...A-a-a man's thingy… I-I-I'm going to see a real life thingy…" Asia quietly fretted, "B-but it's to help him. Y-you gotta do it, Asia."
Issei couldn't take it anymore; of course her desire to help people was going to outweigh her personal embarrassment. One part of Issei marvelled at how selfless she could be, to sacrifice her first exposure to such an… intimate experience, but the other, much, much larger part of him screamed out in pain at the imminent death of her innocence.
"Stop!" Issei shouted, as both women froze, Rias' hand already clasped around the base of the man's ruined shirt, "I'll do it. I'll handle undressing him and cleaning him."
"Issei…" Rias glanced over at him, a small, teasing smirk growing on her lips, "Are you… jealous of this guy?"
"N-No! I just… I don't want Buchou and Asia to see another man's parts."
"Alright Issei," Rias sighed fondly, "You can handle undressing him and cleaning him up. We'll be putting underwear back on him before going in to heal him, so when you clean, make sure to check to see if there are any injuries there."
The girls started to leave the room. Rias paused, looking back at Issei, her hand clutched on the doorknob.
"Don't forget to call us if anything seems wrong, alright? We'll be waiting in your room."
Issei threw out an enthusiastic salute, "Aye, aye, Buchou!"
Rias gave a fond smile, one that always left Issei melting inside, before she closed the door, the oak snapping shut with a click, marking the beginning of Issei's new undertaking…
Undressing another man naked, and scrubbing him carefully.
Being the heterosexual man he was, Issei was… not looking forward to this. But he had to do it, for Buchou, and most importantly, for Asia's innocence! Although he may have had reservations about doing this, in his heart-of-hearts, Issei knew this was the right call to make.
Filled with renewed vigor, Issei reached out, and carefully grasped the base of the teenage boy's shirt, and gave a slow, steady tug towards the boy's head. The cold, water-logged leathery fabric peeling off the boy's chest in a way that reminded Issei of taking the plastic peels off a new electronic device.
Shifting his hands around, helping the unconscious boy with sliding his arms and head through the holes of the clothing. After a minute of toiling away at freeing the boy of his clothing, Issei pulled the shirt off the boy, it crumbled up in a wet ball that Issei tossed to the floor, as he made his way over to the bedside table, wringing out the cloth out over the bowl.
Turning to face the teenager once again, Issei couldn't help but spare a roving glance across the boy's torso, all shockingly-hardened muscles and wounds, both new and old. Issei couldn't help the pain of envy when he gazed at the very solid looking abs and pectorals.
His arms were something that Issei found extreme intrigue in, his left arm was mostly normal, only dotted with the odd scar, and of course, the crystal-covered wrist. But it was the right forearm that proved the most curious; five distinct wounds dotted both the inside and outside of the arm. Issei made the sickening realization that the scars, with their symmetry, looked a lot like a bite mark from a massive, dangerous pair of jaws.
Moving upwards, Issei spied how the strange crystals that formed over certain wounds were flaking away, as if it were a scab that began to loosen. It was an odd sight, for sure.
It must have taken Issei ten minutes to wipe clean all of the boy's upper torso, arms, face, and hands; and now, as he trailed downward, Issei's apprehension began to grow. This was the part he was not looking forward to. Slowly, his eyes began to trail down from the teen's abs to the little bit of his exposed pelvis, before Issei's brown eyes caught something.
Right at the base of his abs, and leading across the top of his pelvis, the boy had a web of odd scars… If Issei had to guess, the straight-lined nature of the scars indicated they must have been surgical. Curious, to figure out the extent of it, Issei fueled that natural, slightly-morbid curiosity as a form of motivation that allowed him to sum up the willpower to slide the pant's off the boy's legs.
Even more wounds, but what shocked Issei was that the majority were scarred over. He knew from… personal experience that Twilight Healing wouldn't leave someone with scars, otherwise, he would have a massive on right across his stomach and back. So, what kind of life was this kid living if all these scars were this old? Too curious to bother himself with 'how weird it was', Issei gazed upon all of the scars that decorated the boy's legs while he worked to clean them of blood and grime. Carefully inspecting each and every one like they were hieroglyphics, his brain supplying theories about how each one could have been sustained.
Finally, Issei had cleaned everything, the boy lying on the bed in nothing but his boxers. Issei paused, he needed to do it, after all, it was either him, or Asia and Rias. He could do this, it was just like seeing a man's bits in videos, you just don't pay attention to it.
Issei grabbed the waistband, and yanked downward. Honestly, he expected a lot of things to happen. Obviously, he'd get a sight of the guy's junk, then he would simply check for any injuries, wipe the cloth over it once or twice, and then slap a new pair of boxers on him. Easy, done.
What Issei didn't expect was for the teenager to let out a small groan, and for his emerald eyes to flutter open. Issei froze like a deer caught in the headlights; the boxers in his hand already pulled down to the awakening male's thighs. Soon enough, the boy's goofy gaze titled down to meet Issei's.
"..."
"..."
"... Why are you pulling down my pants, dude?" The boy mumbled, deliriousness coating his words, the slurring thick like honey.
Issei's face lit up like a Christmas tree, flinching back, as he waved his arms around, "Y-Y-You're awake! It's not what it looks like, I swear!"
A knock at the door cut the two off, as Rias' voice muffled it's way through the wood, "Issei, is everything alright in there? Me and Asia hear yelling. We're coming in."
"No no no no!" Issei threw his back against the door, leaning all his weight against it, as the door thumped behind him, "I'm all good, don't worry. Nothing's wrong! Not at all!"
The attempts to open the door ceased, "Alright then, just make sure to get it done soon. We don't want to leave his wounds open for too long."
"Yep, I'm nearly done! Let me just finish up, okay?"
After a moment of silence, as he could hear his master's footsteps pad back across the hall, Issei let out a sigh of relief. He'd done it, he preserved the sanctity of Asia and Buchou. Slowly, Issei returned his gaze to the functionally naked boy laying on the bed across from him, his open eyes taking in the scenery, before eventually locking with Issei's own.
"...You're the devil from earlier," The boy concluded, his eyes narrowing, but otherwise, he made no move to defend himself.
"How are you so casual when you're naked?" Issei sweat dropped.
The boy closed his eyes, deeply exhaling from his nostrils, "I don't know, maybe it's because I just got beat within an inch of my life. Plus, you were just cleaning my wounds."
The boy opened his eyes, fixing Issei with a stern glare, "So yeah, maybe I'm too damn tired to be embarrassed… Either way, don't make it weird."
"Easy for you to say," Issei grumbled inaudibly, "You're not the person who has to wipe the naked junk of someone when you don't even know their name…"
"Vin."
"Huh?"
The boy looked over to Issei as the devil approached his bedside, wringing out the washcloth, "My name. It's Vin, good to meet you."
"You know people don't usually make introductions when they're naked."
Vin cracked a sleepy, but wry smile, "Well I'm sorry. I thought you didn't like the idea of washing the junk of someone when you don't even know their name."
"... Screw you," Issei grumbled, red dusting his cheeks, "Are you able to do this yourself now that you're awake?"
"Hmmm," Vin seemed to try to shift his arms, but gave a deep groan, before his muscles relaxed once again, "Sorry, seems like I can't."
"...Kill me…" Issei grumbled as he put washcloth to pelvis, and produced to scrub downward.
"So…" Vin trailed off, "Your parents are really nice."
"What are you trying to pull here?" Issei glared, "My parents have nothing to do with this."
"Relax, relax, I'm just trying to distract you with some conversation. You know, get your mind off the task you're doing."
"..."
"Anyway, what I was saying," Vin continued, "Was that your parents are super kind folks. I didn't think that they would invite us all in when we came here earlier, let alone provide us with drinks, or even offer dinner, if Irina's translation is anything to go by."
"... They're like that," Issei shrugged, "They have more hospitality than brains sometimes."
"Hm, reminds me of my own folks…" Vin got a distant look in his eyes, "You got any siblings?"
Issei winced back, and Vin cocked an eyebrow, before his eyes widened.
"Oh, shit. Sorry if that was-"
"No no…" Issei reassured, "It's nothing like that, it's just… a sore subject in this house."
"Gotcha."
The two sat in silence for a moment, as Issei finished, dropping the washcloth in the empty bowl, before looping Vin's feet through a pair of boxers, pulling them up until they were properly covering his genitals.
"Hey…" Vin looked up at Issei, "Thanks. Seriously, I mean it."
"No problem," Issei replied, looking at the door, "We have a healer with us, I'll go get her."
Vin gave a hum, as Issei left the room. For a moment, Vin was left to his thoughts, however sloppy and viscous they were in his pain-addled brain. There he sat, his brain thankfully dissociated from the majority of his body, leaving the pain that surged through his nerves like a hive of wasps a simple buzz in the fog of his mind.
Moments passed, before a soft knock at the door was heard, and soon enough, three people poured into the room. The first was Issei himself, walking across the room to stand in the corner by his bedside. The next, was the same shy, blond-haired girl from before; her face was alight in embarrassment, most likely at his own state of undress, although it quickly sobered as she gazed at the extent of the injuries that covered his body, rushing to his side.
"Please hold still, I promise this will make you feel better," The girl declared, as she extended her open palms towards his body, a flash of light engulfing her fingers. Upon the light fizzling out, a pair of rings were left on her fingers.
"We'll need to have better access to your wounds," The girl declared, "Do you… know how to remove these crystals?"
"Huh? The crystals-" Vin cut himself off as realization dawned to the forefront of his mind, "Oh~ Yeah, I can deal with that. One sec…"
Concentrating as much as he could, Vin weakly managed to summon his Sacred Gear, which engulfed his feet. The three around him seemed taken aback; the blonde girl stumbling back in shock, while the crimson hairs of the woman who stood at the foot of the bed began to rise in an ominous fashion.
Said woman glared down at him, "You have a Sacred Gear."
"Mhm," Vin hummed, before weakly raising his arm, and with a snap of his fingers, the crystals that once covered his body shattered into shards of light.
Instantly, a new wave of pain darted into his subconscious as the air of the room irritated his wounds. Letting out a breathy wheeze, Vin slumped down further into the bed, the agony sapping the last of his strength as his Sacred Gear faded from his legs.
"Hang on, I'm going to start healing you," The blonde girl reassured, as she immediately got to work healing over the side of Vin's torso.
"...I… don't think I ever caught your names," Vin winces slowly faded from him as he could feel the wound on his side slowly stitch itself back together, as if it had never happened in the first place.
"Ah, yes, where are my manners," The red haired woman continued to adopt a look of pure business, something that Vin wouldn't find uncommon from his experience with either of the Quarta women in his life, "My name is Rias Gremory, and alongside my peerage, we look over this area as our territory, alongside the peerage of Sitri, who I believe you may already be acquainted with."
"Oh, yeah," Vin perked up, "Great people; made a good pot of tea too. Oh, and I'm Vin, by the way."
"Of course," Rias allowed herself a small smile, "And these two are my servants: my pawn, Issei Hyoudou, and my bishop Asia Argento."
Argento… Something about that name stirred a memory in the back of Vin's mind, and despite the mire that engulfed his brain, he still dove in, blindly rooting around until he could pull his recollection to the surface.
"Argento…" Vin mumbled, before turning to Asia, who had moved on from his torso, and was now healing his injured wrist, "...You look Italian… Weird question, but were you ever involved with the church?"
The mood shifted once again back to a frigid chill, as Asia froze, nervous sweat pouring down her temple as both Rias and Issei's glares sharpened onto Vin dangerously.
"And what if she was?" Issei asked.
"Uh, no, no…" Vin flinched back at the sudden hostility, "I… uh… I started working at the Vatican about… what, nine months back now… I think I remember hearing mention of a Sacred Gear user named Argento who could heal people, and that she left maybe a month or two before I arrived. That was it, honest."
Vin gazed at his wrist, seeing it bathed in soft emerald light, the pain slowly ebbing and flowing away like the settling tide, "That's some power you have… Frankly, it's beautiful…"
"Yes, I always thought of it as something nice," Asia smiled, yet there was a distinct sadness that Vin could catch behind her eyes, "It's too bad the church thought of it that way as well…"
Vin locked eyes with her for a moment, as if a look of understanding passed between them. Even delirious, he wasn't stupid.
Vin sighed a withering breath, "... From... personal experience, the church has more ambition than common sense… and more than a dozen excuses to try and fill the gap."
Asia looked a little put-out, "Um… I… I suppose."
"Sorry, I was just trying to say that I don't really care if you're a devil now," Vin chuckled breathlessly, "After all, if you weren't a devil, I suppose I'd be dead right about now."
Warmth seemed to return to the room, as the glares ceased. Asia shifted over to his shoulder, as Vin's gaze was drawn to the woman at the end of the bed, and her inquisitive gaze.
"You're a most unconventional exorcist, Vin," Rias mused, "You know that the lack of a rosary of any kind usually paints a… strange image for an exorcist?"
"I'm not rogue or anything, if that's what you're wondering."
"I know, Issei and Asia told me they saw you with the other two exorcists that we're supposed to be meeting tomorrow afternoon," Rias informed.
"But still, most exorcists wouldn't be so quick to invite the hospitality of devils… But what I'm most curious about is what you were doing with my knight?"
"Your knight?" Vin repeated, "I'm sorry, you're going to have to be more specific."
"I'm talking about the person who carried you here. They're also a devil who belongs to my peerage. Did they happen to say anything about what they might be up to?"
Vin traced back his memory, "Nope, we hardly spoke. The only thing he told me was to ask for Asia when I got here, and that Yuuto Kiba sent me here… That's his name, I suppose?"
Rias pinched her brow in frustration, "Yes, that's him… Asia, how are his wounds doing?"
The blonde girl raised her hands off of Vin's legs, "All of the wounds have been healed up. He's going to need to recover his stamina, though."
"Right," Rias turned to Vin, "Since you're in no condition to go anywhere at the moment, you may stay with us for the evening. We can bring you to the meeting spot for tomorrow, and then at our little appointment, you can return to your teammates, does that sound good?"
"That sounds wonderful. Thank you, thank you so much…" Vin smiled.
"You're welcome," Rias returned the gesture, even if the smile was slightly forced, "Consider it an act of good faith; hopefully it'll make the proceedings tomorrow more… bearable."
"We'll come wake you up when it's morning, for now, you should get some sleep," Asia explained, "Twilight Healing may have been able to heal your wounds, but you still have a lot of stamina to recover."
"Right…" Vin laid his head back against the bed, the lack of blankets or a pillow doing nothing to stop the sensation of sleep's enthralling talons seizing around his body.
"Uh, one last thing though," Vin forced himself awake for a while longer, as the three devils turned around in confusion, already nearly out of the room themselves, "Did you guys happen to salvage my phone?"
Issei walked over to the foot of the bed, scooping up the waterlogged and ruined clothing, poking around with a grimace until finally uncovering the black and silver slab, "Where do you want me to put this?"
"Just leave it by my hand, I'll handle it from there."
With a brief volley of 'thank-you's' and 'good nights' , Issei set the phone down on the bed, picking back up the clothes, as he, flanked by Asia and Rias, walked out the door, the lock clicking shut behind them.
And that left Vin, who, while fighting the mounting urge to pass out, managed to click on his phone. Yeesh, already a bit past midnight. He should… probably let the girls know that he's alright, and that he'll meet up with them at the meeting tomorrow. Even though his vision was cloudy at this point, Vin still tried to sift through the list of old message chains, thinking he found the one he was looking for.
Vin tapped on it, only to find that no, it wasn't Irina's contact info, it was a contact that he hadn't sent a message to in months. A short text message chain between himself and 'Al Zael'. If he could remember, was the owner of that one electronics shop back in Italy where he bought Xenovia her iPod. Vin really didn't know why he did it, but he ended up following through on his promise to the enigmatic store owner, letting him know the next day that Xenovia loved the gift.
The memory brought some fond feelings of comfort to Vin. He… He really fucked things up with Xenovia, didn't he? Did he truly love her? While it was obvious to say she was gorgeous, in a dangerous sort-of-way, Vin never truly began to develop any feelings for her until… after she saved his life. Were… Were all of his feelings just stemming from a sense of thankfulness?
Maybe… But, at the same time, it wasn't just admiration that fueled his desire; it was at least love in a more surface-level, traditional sense. Subconsciously, his eyes had always found their way to her in every moment. On more than one occasion he could recall the bluenette doing some minute action: a full-body stretch before training, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, or even just the sight of the light hitting her amber eyes at just the right angle, so that those irises glistened like the most brilliant set of stars… Good lord, those moments would set his mind alight.
It was also true that he also felt this drive to break through the walls that she always seemed to put up. Was that because of some pity towards the traditionally anti-social, loner of a swordswoman that he felt deep down in his being? Yet, anytime he was able to chip away at that ice, what he was left with was someone who he desired nothing more than to protect and cherish. That night, that night before this whole mission started, when he finally got to witness her true self; not just the exorcist-in-training, but the genuine, terrified girl named Xenovia Quarta, Vin could admit that he wanted nothing more than to make sure she wasn't alone in that moment; that she was cherished, that she was loved, that even though everything wasn't perfect, they could find peace in that small microcosm called her room.
Vin's cheeks burned, yeah, he had it bad. And he wanted to say everything that he just admitted to himself directly to Xenovia, yet… he couldn't. Was it because of the awkward tension between them? Sure, but that wouldn't be a hard obstacle to overcome realistically. Vin's gaze idly turned to the floor beside the bed, eyes pacing over the worn wooden floorboards, until his eyes locked onto a watery, diluted, bloodstain on the floor; and then his mind made the connection.
He was scared of admitting his feelings to her, only to lose her on this mission. He wouldn't be able to bear that amount of grief… Whoever said it was better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all certainly didn't know what they were talking about.
Vin could feel small pinpricks of tears welling up behind his eyes. He needed to sleep, get these thoughts out of his head… Remembering his original goal, Vin backed out of those messages with Al, and finally found Irina's contact, and his shaky hands, he haphazardly typed.
[You won't see me this morning. I'm alright, and will see you guys at the meeting with Gremory.]
Giving it a once over, Vin hummed to himself as he shut down his phone, carefully placing it on the nightstand to his right, before closing his eyes, letting sleep reclaim him once more…
Despite never invading his dreams, the dragon of crystals still swam through the murky depths of Vin's cognitive haze. Never ceasing, it moved throughout, until suddenly, a splash of light cast upon it's reflective, quartz body.
Turning its head quizzically, the dragon turned its head to face the light that dared pierce into the realm of the detestable Sacred Gear that served both as it's savior and it's prison. Eye widening, Bheithir took in the sight before her; in the midst of a sea of black, was a single pyre of flames, remaining strong as it burned brightly.
Flowing over to it, Bheithir lowered her massive head, the flame dancing right in front of her snout as her eyes narrowed. She knew this fire, it smelt of days long past, of better days, of days when she was of flash, scale and blood, rather than minerals.
In a deep, booming growl, a noise that emanated from her despite no movements of her jaw, Bheithir spoke a single name; a name she had not encountered properly in hundreds upon hundreds of years.
[...Ddraig…]
That's right, I'm finally back everyone! Actually, fun fact, I wrote this chapter in advance of the expected return here today on the 12th, because I had exams for university on the 9th, 10th, and 11th, so I couldn't easily write a full chapter then. Still, this chapter took me around five days to write, taking chunks on and off to write bits and pieces. Overall though, I love how it turned out!
By the time I'm writing this chapter, we're currently at 297 followers on this story, so, pardon me, but I'm going to be so bold as to say that when this chapter goes live, we'll have hit the 300 milestone. So, thank you so much everyone for getting me to 300 followers on this story. This is my first fic I've ever posted online, and my god, it's like a dream come true everytime I check my story stats, and see a new follow, a new favorite, a new review to check out. You all are the best motivators out there, seriously. It's only because of people like you all leaving follows, favorites, and especially reviews, that I'm able to keep up this consistent pace with writing this story! You all are the BEST!
Now, without further ado, let's jump into the chapter notes!
Chapter Notes
Doctor, Doctor:
So, the title of this chapter is another music reference, this time directly lifted from the song Doctor Doctor by UFO. It's a great song by the way, probably in my top fifteen favorite songs of all time. Given the name of the song, it's not so hard to imagine why I picked it for the title of this chapter.
Issei's Reactions to Vin:
What I mean here is the reactions that Issei gives to having to strip down Vin. Yes, I am of the opinion that Issei is, to at least some extent, closeted bi. It probably won't be explored a lot in this story, just with a few little hints at it here and there. So, if you really don't like that head-canon… well, it'll probably be infrequent enough or out of the way enough that you can probably ignore it, or read it in a different context.
"It's a sore subject in this house…"
Some of you may have already picked up on this, but Issei's reaction to Vin asking him if he has any siblings is a reference to the fact that Issei was the only born child of Miki and Gorou Hyoudou after a string of miscarriages. It's a dark subject, to be sure, so I hope that the way I handled it was respectful, especially since it didn't shove that fact right in your face; it was just an offhanded reference to it, and then moving on.
Recognizing the name Argento:
Remember when I made an effort early on to name drop Asia? Well, here's part of the payoff of that. For those who aren't aware of what I'm doing, I'm basically making the headcanon that when Asia worked under the church, she had off-handed interactions once or twice with the main cast of the first story arc, like just healing them up a bit from time to time; not with much actual interaction, mind you. She then heals Deliora and gets excommunicated about two months prior to Vin joining the church. Since her name was dropped a few times in front of Vin in that first arc, he can recognize the name when it's brought up. This same logic is how I'm also going to help contextualize Xenovia' sudden deduction skills at identifying Asia; she recognizes her face from her past, and when she's given the name, she makes the connection.
If you want to really check out what I mean, then go back and read chapter four, the majority of Asia references are in there.
REVIEW ROUNDUP!
RokenDarkly Says:
"Bruuuuuuuuh new chap ahead of schedule and a fight?!
Love to see that Vin isn't a straight devil hater just because he got picked up by the church. While him fucking up in the fight was a little annoying, I'm glad you used it to show off his and Kiba's similarities.
Looking forward to the Asia fluff *nudge nudge wink wink*"
Hey, great to see reviews from you again! How have you been? Now, shall we get into your review?
First off, yeah, Vin's not really a devil hater, and part of that could be attributed to how he hasn't been in the church for all that long, so he's not super connected to the values and lessons that they teach. Also, Vin being agnostic might have something to do with it. Basically, he just sees and judges all 'humanoid' beings on the same scale as a human.
Vin fucking up the fight is supposed to be annoying. It's essentially me, and by extension, the story telling you guys just how badly Vin needs to properly address his issues that he's been keeping bottled up for a long while now. He'll get better, trust me, but for now, he's in a state of limbo, torn between two ideals. He had to draw a line in the sand soon, and choose if he's going to never kill, or be alright with killing.
I really did like how Kiba's interactions worked out with Vin. I knew it would be hard to do, given Vin's status as a member of the church, but I think the way it ended up turning out was great. I mean, Vin doesn't wear any crosses, so he's not immediately tied to the church in terms of visual identity. Plus, a little cool detail, Vin weakly calling up at Kiba while the rain pours down on him is supposed to be a direct parallel to how Kiba first met Rias, on death's door, lying down in the falling snow.
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and the Asia fluff that was within it. There will be more 'fluffy' moments with her later, but for right now, this was what was best for the tone of the chapter. I did enjoy writing Issei freaking out over Asia losing her innocence if she were to strip Vin, that was fun.
Anyway, I hope to hear from you again, and rock on!
Sakiv Says:
"Loved the chapter this time like usual. The Kiba interaction was really nice and I'm glad he was able to put aside his hatred temporarily to help Vin since they are quite similar with what the church has done to them. One thing I'm wondering is if you're giving Vin a pretty normal growth speed So I'm wondering how he's gonna keep up with issei's bullshit hax. Don't want the main character to play second fiddle every fight forever after all. I'm also wondering how the fight with Kokabiel is gonna change from canon. I'm also assuming vin is gonna go rogue after this after all everyone he cares about besides griselda is no longer in the church so I can't wait to see what faction he's gonna join since you said he's not gonna make his own team. Can't wait for the next chapter!"
Hey once again! It's also awesome to hear from you again!
Issei's insane growth is… well, insane, yes. But Vin does have one triumph over him: in terms of formal combat, Vin has notably more formal experience and training. If Issei and Vin fought without powers, undoubtedly, Vin would win. Vin will get stronger and stronger soon, but for right now, his powers are limited on purpose. He'll eventually grow stronger and stronger, don't worry. The secret is in using that creativity he's known for.
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well, I can't wait to hear about what you've thought of it! Have a great day, and rock on!
pairogerio512 Says:
"What would be the opening song for the second season of highschool dxd alternate?
a detail is that it has to be an agitated song because this season has a lot of action."
Hmmmm…. Let me think for a moment. A song that's more aggressive and intense to reflect the more action heavy nature of this story arc…
For a hypothetical opening theme, I would say that it has to be Breaking Free from NEO: The World Ends With You. It's lyrics have some decent amount of application to Vin as a character, his hidden nuances such as his self-loathing. All while being loud, aggressive, and adrenaline-pulsing. Especially since the very last lyrics of the song perfectly fit what's going to happen at the end of this arc, he's taking back control, the world ends with him.
For a hypothetical ending theme, I can't think of another song other than the infamous Burn My Dread from Persona 3, specifically, the 'spring of birth' version. It's got that more chill, laid-back energy of an EP, while still having those moments of punchy, aggressive tone that characterise this arc. Also, this arc's themes line up pretty well with the lyrics too.
There you go, I hope that you're satisfied with these song choices, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! Rock on!
Alright, that's all the reviews for now, thanks once more to everyone who's followed, favorited, and left a review on this story. Thanks so much for waiting for a while as I worked through this hiatus. We're on the other side now, so expect much more frequent uploads soon! As a matter of fact, I might end up working on another chapter as soon as this one is uploaded on the 12th. Thanks so much for the remarkable support everyone, and I'm back!
Follow my instagram (dxd_alternate_official_) for extra memes about the story, look at fan art for the story, and updates when new chapters come out!
And if you enjoyed what you read, make sure to leave a follow, a favorite, and a review. They all really help motivate me, and some people who've been with this story a while will tell you what I can accomplish with free time and a lot of motivation.
Have a great day everyone, I'll see you again really soon. Thanks once again for 300+ followers on this story. And remember to rock on!
