Chapter Twenty-Nine - Reunion
Issei yawned as he leaned up against the warm, sun-kissed pavement garden wall. The heat leaving him feeling woozy.
"What's taking Xenovia so long?" Issei mumbled to himself.
"I don't know, she said she was going to meet us out here," Asia said, "I'll go check up on her, you go on ahead, Issei."
"Right," Issei nodded, pushing off from the wall, "I'll see you at class, okay? Don't be late, mom and dad would be heartbroken."
"Of course, we'll both make it to class on time," Asia smiled, before shutting the door to the apartment's front lobby behind her.
With nothing better to do, Issei continued his walk down the peaceful streets of suburban Kuoh. Listening to the cicada's hum in the early summer air brought his mind at ease. How long had it been since he last enjoyed a walk like this all alone?
Undoubtedly, if Rias were here, and not out greeting the arrival of her father, she would be casually chatting to him the entire way, captivating him with that charming smile of hers. Yet, despite the fact that Issei would never turn down the chance to be closer to Buchou, a moment of peaceful solitude was surprisingly refreshing.
The soles of his shoes scraping and tapping against the asphalt hide of the sidewalk, Issei continued to walk, content to listen to the whistle of the wind rustling the trees as he did. Over the bridge he went, his eyes glancing down at the small fish that swam around in the crystal-clear waters underfoot. As his walk continued, Issei couldn't help his lips as they curled up into a satisfied, happy smile.
The gates of Kuoh Academy began to appear in the distance, and a chill crept through Issei's body…
Approaching the gate, Issei found himself face to face with another teenage boy. Their spiky silver hair shimmering dully in the light, creating a sharp contrast with the black-leather jacket and pants. As the teen opened his eyes, Issei nearly recoiled as he was assailed by the sensation of those hazel eyes piercing through him.
Whoever this person was… They were dangerous.
"So we finally get to meet face-to-face," The silver-haired teen remarked, "Sekiryuutei."
Issei clenched his fists as an intimately familiar, yet still foreign aura filled his senses.
A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Issei's head, "Who the hell are you?"
The teen raised a brow, "Oh, right, this is your first time seeing me outside of Balance Breaker."
It only took a single moment for Issei to connect the dots, "...You're the Vanishing Dragon… The Hakuryuukou…"
The Vanishing Dragon smiled, "That's right. My name's Vali."
Issei fought down the burning, blistering sensation that had begun to ravage his left hand, "Uh… Nice to meet you?"
Vali threw a glance over his shoulder, "Hm… It's a nice school, not that fitting of a battleground though."
Eyes widening at the insinuation, Issei ground his teeth together, and snarled, "If you think for even a moment that I'm going to let you endanger more people, you have another thing coming…"
Vali chuckled breathlessly, "And what would you be able to do to stop me? Face it, you're far too weak to even hold a candle to me. If I wanted to, all it would take to wipe everyone's precious Hyoudou Issei off this earth would be-"
*Shing!* *Ch-ting!*
Issei slowly opened his eyes, Vali's fingers stared him down in the characteristic hand sign of a finger gun, not an inch from his face. Eyes trailing up the Vanishing Dragon's arm, Issei's eyes eventually locked onto Vali's smirking face, still smug despite the fact that edges of two familiar swords were levelled at his neck, poised to end his life in a heartbeat.
"After all that we just dealt with, don't you think jokes like that are a little tasteless?" Kiba casually mentioned, yet his tone was devoid of any humor.
"Indeed, you should truly consider exactly who you're up against," Xenovia remarked, "It's not wise to poke the hornet's nest."
Despite the intensity of the encounter, Vali remained cool-headed, his gaze casually pivoting off of Issei, and flicking between the Gremory knights in an unimpressed fashion.
"You know, your threats would work better if your hands weren't shaking."
Issei watched as the expressions of both Xenovia and Kiba hardened, yet even with the subtle tremors making their blades rattle, they didn't make any moves to lower their either Durandal or the Holy-Demonic sword. Vali raised his brow for a moment, before closing his eyes, chuckling breathlessly.
Issei felt as if the universe was shrinking in on him when Vali's eyes locked back onto him, "Hyoudou Issei, let's perform a thought experiment for a bit: if we were to rank every being on this earth in terms of power, where do you think you would be?"
Caught off guard, Issei floundered. Truly, the boy wasn't able to discern what exactly Vali's motives were. Was he trying to kill him? Taunt him? Just hold a natural conversation? All of the above?
Sensing his hesitation, Vali continued, "If I had to say… with your incomplete Balance Breaker, maybe in the range of a thousand? A thousand five hundred, perhaps… Maybe lower…"
"...Wait… How do you know I have an incomplete Balance Breaker?" Issei asked hesitantly, "I only used it to save Buchou from marrying that Fried Chicken."
Hazel eyes twinkling with a mischievous gleam, Vali smiled, "I have my ways… After all, even if you're currently underwhelming, you're certainly an interesting individual to watch. Isn't that right, Rias Gremory?"
Issei glimpsed behind, and sure enough, there stood Rias, with Akeno, Asia, and Koneko tailing behind her - their expressions ranging from scared to positively venomous.
"On the cusp of a peace summit… Don't you think such actions like this would potentially jeopardize the very event that was called by the Grigori, who you choose to ally yourself with?" Rias replied, an unspoken threat in the air.
If they fought now, the conference was done, and retaliation would be all but guaranteed.
The two stared each other down for a while, hazel eyes clashing with azure. Before a smirk crossed Vali's lips once more. Everyone's eyes shot open in horror as the finger gun still levelled at Issei's face was suddenly flicked up. Immediately, Issei shut his eyes, preparing to brace for whatever grisly fate he was about to endure.
"Bang."
"..."
A beat of silence passed by. Issei didn't feel any different… Was his death truly that insignificant and quick? The first time, it was certainly more drawn out. But then again, Raynare and her little posse were significantly eclipsed by this guy. Tempting fate in order to sate his curiosity, Issei cracked open his eyes.
Nothing had changed. Everyone had varying levels of annoyance, fear, or anger on lacing their features, all the while Vali grinned like a schoolboy who just won a game of schoolyard tag. Issei's breaths came out heavy and labored, as he gasped to take in air after the scare he'd just experienced.
However, that apparently wasn't enough torment that the universe had thrown his way today, because it also decided that now was the right time to throw him for another loop, as the sounds of encroaching footsteps on the other side of the gate started to grow closer and closer, until finally…
"Hey Vali, sorry I took a bit, it was a pain in the ass to find one, but I found some grape soda for you."
The entire group did a spit take, as none other than Vin, the exorcist that most of them hadn't seen since the night where they fought Kokabiel, emerged from behind the school gate casually, two drinks clutched in his hands.
Vin's eyes widened as he began to take in the scene in front of him. Gaze darting from Vali, to the swords at the silver-haired teen's throat, to the terrified and very confused looks of everyone else.
"Okay, what the hell happened while I was gone?" Vin asked, "I take my eyes off of you for what, six minutes, and you get into a standoff?!"
"I don't know," Vali shrugged, "I just wanted to talk to the Sekiryuutei in the little bit of free time I had left today, since last time I was here, I never got the chance."
"Yeah, I know, you were pretty obstinate about it too…" Vin passed one of the drinks to Vali, and with his now-free hand, proceeded to pinch his nose in frustration, "And now, I get why Azazel wanted me to go with you, it's like you need a damn babysitter to keep you out of trouble."
Vali shrugged, stepping back, as the two swords at his neck harmlessly fell to their wielder's sides. Snapping the cap off the drink, Vali put it to his lips and took a swig.
"Anyway, I did what I wanted to do here," Vali said, "I'm going to leave you with something to think on, Hyoudou Issei. Throughout the long and storied history of the two Heavenly Dragons, there has always been one thing that's been consistent; those close to the wielders never got to live very long or satisfying lives… So I wonder, how will you and your friends end up?"
And with that, Vali simply walked right through the group of devils, sipping on his drink as he went; leaving Vin the only one remaining, as he coughed nervously.
"Look, I am so, so sorry about those guys," Vin apologized, "He's just like that, I guess. I've barely known him myself, but Azazel says he's been that way as long as he's known him."
"It's… alright, I suppose," Rias said, "Still, to think that the Grigori would find value in such a volatile presence is rather disheartening."
"Well, he's actually chill most of the time, he's just very passionate about this, I guess?" Vin scratched his head, as he looked on at the rapidly retreating figure of the Vanishing Dragon.
"Ah shit, c'mon Vali, wait up!" Vin yelled, before quickly turning, "I'm sorry to run as soon as I've arrived, but I have a dragon to go catch and give an earful to. I'll see you guys soon, yeah?"
And without another moment of wasted time, Vin jogged off after Vali, leaving Rias Gremory and her peerage stunned and reeling.
"Well, that was… certainly something," Rias commented, "Still, we have a long day ahead of us, so let's just try and put this behind us for now, alright?"
Asia clamped down on Issei's arm, "He didn't hurt you, did he?"
Asia's care prompted a smile out of Issei as he gently patted her head with his right hand, "No, I'm fine. I was just a bit spooked, that's all. But you're making me feel better already, so thank you, Asia."
"You're welcome!" The bishop smiled, "Now, like Buchou said, let's head to class."
And with that, the peerage began to file into the school gates, determined to make the most out of the day. Except… And it could have been a trick with the wind, but Issei almost swore that he heard Akeno mutter something under her breath.
Except it couldn't have been, he must have been hearing things, because the amount of venom laden into her tone was something that Issei had never heard before.
"Tch. So he's one of them…"
"Oi, Vali, what the hell was that?" Vin growled as he jogged up to Vali's side, "I thought you wanted to meet the Sekiryuutei, not threaten him."
Vali gave Vin a look, "Wow, you really have no idea about the legacy of the Twin Heavenly Dragons, do you?"
"The Red and White Dragons…" As he walked, Vali looked to the sky, a wistful look in his eyes, "Two legendary beings, their numerous battles shaping the flow of history… Even after they were sealed within Sacred Gears, their hosts are still destined to fight each other."
"Hosts never live very long," Vali continued, "Most die in battle with their counterpart, some even die before they get the chance."
Vin looked at his feet, "That seems… sad. Having your life defined by just fighting to the death."
Shrugging, Vali grinned, "To you, maybe. But to me, there's nothing like it. It's those moments, when all the cards are down, and you're up against all the odds… It's paradoxical, I know; but it's when I'm in the most danger of dying when I feel the most alive."
"But what does that have to do with threatening Issei? If anything, that's counter-intuitive to your goal, right?" Vin pointed out, "It's blatantly obvious you're stronger, so why threaten him? All you're doing is depriving yourself of your 'precious battle'."
"Because I won't kill him… Not yet, anyway. I suppose it's motivation. I want our fight to be legendary, out of everyone in the entire world, he's our rival. He's the one who had the greatest chance to rise to the top to face me."
"You know, that's something I've wanted to ask you about," Vin hummed, "I've been curious… But what'll happen when you reach the top? What will you have left when the thrill of battle is no longer there? I dunno, it all seems pointless to me…"
"..." Vali closed his eyes in deep thought.
"Am I not wrong? You can chase power and strength, sure. But you need a use for it."
Vali opened his mouth to speak, before a magical circle sprung to life over his left ear. Brow tightening, Vali began to speak.
"Hello?"
"..."
"Ah, this is about the new guy, right?"
"..."
"Yeah, I'll be there in a bit, I'm doing something for Azazel right now."
"..."
"Of course, we'll get that wrapped up quickly, and I'll be back in Kuoh before the summit even starts."
"..."
"Right, see you."
As the magic circle disappeared, Vali turned to his companion, "I'm going to take care of a few things. If Azazel asks where I am, just tell him that I'll be back before the summit."
Vin stumbled, "Hey, wait-!"
Without any regard, Divine Dividing sprung forth from Vali's back - the powerful wings flapping once, as Vali shot straight up into the atmosphere like an azure rocket. Vin watched him zip up and up, until he entered a cloud, fully disappearing from view.
Patting down his clothes, and fixing his hair that was messed up from the sudden burst of wind, Vin growled.
"... Dick."
Well, he guessed he had time to kill now, given that Vali was gone. What could he even do? Maybe he could hit up some of the shops around town? Azazel had been feeding him a decent amount of pocket money, plus, he was kinda hungry, so maybe some second breakfast was due.
On foot, it should be around a forty minute walk. With some humor, Vin realized that only a mere ten or eleven months ago, the very concept of a forty minute walk would've been torture to him. But now, with both his trained stamina from his time training, combined with his naturally boosted attributes after his reincarnation, well, it might as well have been the same as taking a walk from his bedroom to the bathroom.
So, popping his earbuds in, Vin started up his playlist, and began to head off, letting the sounds of his tunes drown out the sounds of the world around him, as he baked in the warmth of the sun.
By the time Vin has entered the more urban section of Kuoh, he'd begun to realize how much of a mistake choosing to go downtown for food was. The streets bustled with people, suit-clad office workers attempting to arrive to their shifts on time, people out to do the daily shopping, their arm bags at their sides.
The reincarnated fallen was whisked into the crowds, fighting to maintain control in the flow of people… He just wanted to get a bowl of ramen or something, for Pete's sake! Vin silently thanked his height, at the very least. Being a clean six-foot, he towered over most of the other people, so at the very least, he could breath without being suffocated by the crowd.
Resigning himself to his current struggle, since he was into the crowd too deep to truly turn back, Vin just kept his eyes on a swivel for a good place to eat as he walked along.
… But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of someone strange. One outlier in the cascading waves of people. Their clothes almost looked like they had a cape of some sort. His natural curiosity forced him to have a double take. Eyes locking onto the same stranger, who seemed to sway around as if inhibited, the details quickly filled Vin's mind.
The short, black hair, the tacky, yet expensive-looking satin black and amethyst cape, secured to the person's back in an odd way that left it looking off-centered. To Vin, it was a look that was unmistakable, but at the same time, a part of him couldn't believe he was actually here… A person that he never thought he would be able to see again…
Throwing caution to the wind, Vin spoke up, "... Ezekiel?"
The figure perked up, turning around themselves, a familiar, yet very worn looking face that stared at Vin from across the street with widening amethyst eyes.
"...Vin..?"
*Gulg* *Glug* *Glug*
"Ahhhhhh~" Ezekiel exhaled in glee as he set his now-emptied cup of coffee on the table to his right.
Vin eyed the cup as it joined the two others that were emptied in the very same way, "I… I don't know if that can be considered healthy."
"That hit the spot…" Ezekiel sighed, "My revival at the hands of the gods of caffeination has proven successful!"
"That's great to hear," Vin smiled, cradling his own cup of coffee in his hands, "And even more so, it's great to see you again, Ezekiel. Honestly, after everything that's happened, I didn't even think I would see you again. Are you just… visiting over here, or..?"
"Ah yes, I, alongside Irina, were elected to come here on behest of the church to act as Lord Michael's bodyguards for the upcoming peace summit."
Ezekiel drummed his fingers along the table, "But I assume you already know that, given the fact that you're not quite human anymore."
Vin paled, a bead of sweat forming on his brow, "H-How do you know that?"
"Well for one, Irina told me. But also, you aren't exactly being subtle about concealing your nature, you have that subtle energy to you - and by 'subtle', I mean anyone who is experienced enough at detecting energy signatures can see you essentially have a massive neon sign pointing towards you."
Vin's face fell into the palm of his hands, "Dammit…"
Ezekiel reached over, his left hand patting against Vin's forearm, "Wait, Ezekiel, your-"
"A benefit of working at the church," Ezekiel interjected, wiggling the fingers of his prosthetic hand, "They're always quick to repair the things they find the most use in."
"..."
"But alas, that's not what I wanted to talk about," Ezekiel waved it off, yawning despite the caffeine pumping through his veins, "So, you're a fallen angel now? How'd that end up happening?"
"A variety of factors, honestly. But the main one was the fact that they gave me a reason to trust them. Azazel sought me out, not the other way around. He gave me vital information that helped us on the mission… Hell, in the end, the only reason we survived was because the help he called for arrived right in time."
"I see…"
"But I gotta ask, Ezekiel; you said you came here to accompany Michael along with Irina. So why were you wandering around the city nearly fainting with every step?"
"Ah, that was because he's not here yet," Ezekiel's words coming out slurred, "He's coming tomorrow at noon to give this Issei guy that Irina knows a sword as a gift."
"Wait, Issei?" Vin leaned forward.
"Yeah, he's that Red Dragon guy, right? So apparently Michael is giving him this sword, it's called Ascalon, and let me tell you Vin, I… I don't like that thing."
"What? Why?"
"It felt icky, Sinclair hated it… It's whole aura was rancid. Everything about it was bad news…" Ezekiel shook his head, continuing to rant and rave, "Maybe there's something about such a weapon that stirs something negative in me. Regardless, Irina is out as a messenger for Michael at the moment, I believe her instruction was to reach out to Rias Gremory in order to find a suitable location to bestow Ascalon to Issei. I know Michael was eyeing up a shrine in town that's apparently owned by one of the Gremory devils."
"Are you sure you should be telling me all this?" Vin asked hesitantly, "This sounds like something that shouldn't be told to an outsider."
The sleep-deprived chuunibyou coughed awkwardly, "... Yes, I suppose that would have been smart… I'm afraid that the caffeine and my general lack of rest has loosened my lips more than it should have. Thankfully, it was only to you, and not someone with more insidious intent."
As Ezekiel let out another loud, long yawn, Vin fixed him with a look.
"Dude, how long have you gone without sleep?"
The boy blinked sleepily, "Huh? Oh… Perhaps about twelve hours or more… I don't really know anymore."
"Holy shit, Ezekiel!" Vin slapped his palms against the table as he stood out of his seat, "How are you even up and about right now? Why in the hell did you think it would be a good idea to do that?"
"Because I have to adapt to the new time zone, obviously."
Vin pinched his nose in exasperation, "Oh my fuckin'... Dude, the summit is being held late at night, you don't have to get used to the time zone. And even then, you can just… sleep more to help offset that…"
"Yes, well I didn't…" Ezekiel paused to yawn, "...I didn't quite think of that."
"Of course you didn't, even with three cups of coffee in you, you're practically falling asleep on the spot," Vin walked over to Ezekiel's feet, and offered a hand, "C'mon, the only place you should be is back in bed. I'll help you back to your hotel."
The chuunibyou went to stand up, "I assure you, I can handle myself just-!"
As soon as he made his way out of his seat, Ezekiel's front foot buckled, causing him to topple forward towards the ground.
Thankfully, a study arm quickly swept under his front, grabbing onto his arm, Vin's forearm cradling Ezekiel's chest saving him from what could've possibly been a nasty fall.
Looking up, Ezekiel met the very unimpressed gaze of his former comrade.
"Yeah, you look real fit to be out on your own," Vin snarked, as he helped Ezekiel back to his feet, "You have a key to your hotel on you?"
Ezekiel patted his pockets, "I should, allow me to-"
Ezekiel froze as his face grew pale.
"Oh no."
"Alright, so you dropped your room key," Vin pulled out his phone, "Well, this is going to be… awkward at best."
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm texting Irina, she's got a key too, right?"
"For a separate room," Ezekiel pointed out.
"Well one room's better than no rooms, right?" Vin retorted, as he thumbed through his contacts, before opening up his text chain with Irina.
For a moment, Vin paused. The last time he'd ever communicated with Irina was when she learned that he'd become a fallen angel, which had gone… a lot worse than he thought it would have. He didn't know if Irina would really appreciate him texting her… Hell, he didn't know if she got rid of his contact, or even blocked his number… Still, now wasn't the time to be hesitant, and after all, it wasn't for him, it was for Ezekiel.
Hopefully Irina would see it the same way.
[Irina, it's me. I ran into Ezekiel practically half-asleep, and he's lost his hotel keys. Which hotel were you staying at? I can drop him off.]
With bated breath, Vin pressed send, watching the text bubble appear on his screen. As soon as the little bubble of ellipses appeared on the bottom of his screen to indicate someone was making a response, his breath caught in his throat… What would be her response? To tell him to get lost? To apologize? He really didn't know, and the anticipation was nearly killing him.
But at last, after a few seconds of waiting, Irina's full text finally appeared.
[Kuoh Grdn Hotl. Ill be waitng in the loby.]
With a sigh of relief, the tension left Vin's shoulders. Pocketing his phone, Vin turned to face the amethyst-eyed exorcist.
"Alrighty, grab your suitcase, we're heading out."
"What about paying?" Ezekiel asked weakly.
With a hum, Vin plunged his hands into his pockets, dredging up his wallet, and slapping a wad of yen bills on the counter, likely a good 10,000 yen more than was actually needed.
"There, that's taken care of," Vin handed Ezekiel his suitcase, "Now hold onto that, and let's go."
The walk to the hotel was mostly spent in silence. The odd time, Ezekiel would begin to take a little too long to finish blinking, so Vin would lightly jostle him, whispering words of encouragement to keep him awake.
All in all, it was a long two hours of walking through crowds. But thankfully for the two boys, by the time the afternoon sun fully set over their heads, they were heading into the refreshingly air-conditioned foyer of the Kuoh Garden Hotel.
Unfortunately, that relief would only last mere moments, before an all-too familiar voice graced Vin's ears.
"You're back."
The sight of strawberry blonde twin tails drew the boy's attention, as Irina walked up to them, her expression pensive.
Vin gulped when he and Irina locked eyes. The last time they had a conversation, she had all but yelled him out of the room, heartbroken about his choice to reincarnate as a fallen angel. Certainly not the best terms to have left out on. All at once, Vin was overcome with a sensation that he didn't belong here; that he should leave as soon as possible so as to not offend.
But at the same time, what hope did he have to possibly repair their relationship if he didn't take the first step…
"... It's been a while, Irina."
Irina smiled weakly, "Yeah… It feels like it has…"
"... Yeah…" Vin drawled as the two continued to stare at each other. Still, Vin knew that he had to at least say something to try and save this bridge before it was potentially burned away forever.
So, Vin took a deep breath…
"I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry!"
Both Vin and Irina stared at each other in surprise.
"You're sorry? Wait, what are you apologizing for?" Vin pointed at Irina.
"What are you apologizing for?!" Irina pointed back.
"Alright, I'll go first," Vin bowed his head.
"Irina, I'm sorry that I didn't consider how you would've felt when I made my choice to reincarnate. I should have explained the situation better to you, but for various reasons, I couldn't… I mean, I still can't, but just know… We tried everything we could to at least make sure that you could go home, because we both knew how much it means to you. It was the choice that I felt was the best to make, and while I still stand by it… I regret that it caused you so much pain in the process."
Vin kept his emerald eyes trained on the ground, until he jolted when he felt someone touching his arm. Looking up, he found Irina's hand latched around his forearm, her expression hesitant, but apologetic.
"I'm sorry for reacting the way I did, Vin. I was… I was just overwhelmed, and…" Irina sniffled, "You promised us that we would get through that mission together, right? And it just… It hurt a lot when I woke up, and for a brief moment, I thought we all won; only to have the rug pulled out from under me, when I learned that I was the only one going home."
Irina wiped the tears that began to glisten from her eyes, "I didn't react well at the time… I called you and Xenovia terrible things… And by the time I was on the plane back, I realized that maybe, that would've been the last time we ever saw each other. I'm glad I'm able to see you again, Vin. So, do you accept my apology?"
"Do you accept mine?" Vin asked.
"Yeah, I do."
"Then I'm the same," Vin smiled, opening up his arms, "Friendship hug?"
"Hehe~ Come here, you big goof," Irina smiled fondly, before wrapping her arms around Vin's torso as she stepped into the hug.
The two held each other for a moment, before Vin perked his gaze upward, "Hey, Ezekiel, you want to come and get in on this hug? It wouldn't be much of a friendship hug if there's a friend off to the side."
As Vin's eyes narrowed on his other friend, he began to crack up. Across the room, on one of the lobby's couches, rested Ezekiel. His case at his feet, his head tilted up at the ceiling as he snored quietly.
Curious about Vin's sudden reaction, Irina separated from the hug, before her gaze also fell to the slumbering chuunibyou.
"Aw, that's precious," Irina's eyes glistened in fondness, "Alrighty, I got to go put this big baby to bed properly."
Pulling out his phone, Vin checked the time, "Yeah, it's probably time I go back to my job as well, I'll see you another time, alright Irina?"
"Yeah," Irina called back, "Oh, and Vin?"
Pausing right before he stepped out the door, Vin threw his gaze over his shoulder.
"I'm glad we're friends again…"
"Heh," Vin chuckled, "When did we ever stop in the first place?"
And with that, Vin stepped out of the hotel, both his shoulders and heart noticeably lighter.
"Hey boss, I'm home!"
The door to the apartment swung open as Vin stepped through, his arms cradling two large paper bags stuffed to the gills with various produce and other foods that Vin had picked up from the store on Azazel's request.
From deeper within the flat, Vin heard Azazel's voice call out behind a door.
"Hey kid, just put the groceries down on the counter and come over here."
Following his instructions, Vin quickly ditched the food on the kitchen countertop, and padded along the apartment, until he reached the source of his boss' voice. The one room he'd not been allowed into yet, Azazel's workshop.
But that was all about to change, he supposed. Still, he didn't know what a so-called Sacred Gear researcher's lab would be like, so his expectations varied wildly.
Hand gripping to the doorknob, Vin quelled his hesitation, and opened the door.
Simultaneously, it was everything he expected, and nothing like he anticipated at the same time.
For one, the room was piled high with books, shelves fit to burst with literature of all types, towering over the room like obelisks. The floors, by contrast, were surprisingly clean, the dark hardwood gleaming dully in the light. Various tables and desks set about the room, including one massive dining room table set right in the center - all of which were piled high with various papers, blueprints, notebooks and more.
Azazel grinned when he saw Vin's awestruck expression, "It's the sight, huh? A bit small compared to my actual lab back at the Grigori, but it does the job nicely."
"Yeah, this is incredible," Vin spoke, his eyes darting around the various points of interest in the room.
The shining gleam of gold caught Vin's eyes, as his attention was pulled to an object that rested on a nearby shelf. It seemed to be some sort of odd dagger-like object, however, instead of a traditional edge, it seemed to have a sharp cone, akin more to a lance than anything. The pommel of the strange object's handle was adorned with an amethyst orb that seemed to ebb and flow with some unspoken power. Despite not knowing anything about it, something about the object was simply so captivating to Vin.
"What's this thing?" Vin asked, as his hand reached out to grab it off the shelf.
"Ho-ho-ho!" Azazel raced over and effortlessly snatched the object off the shelf before Vin could lay a single finger on it, "That is something you shouldn't be touching. First rule of being in here, don't touch anything before you ask me."
"Sorry…"
"Ah, it's no problem, kid. Now, let's get down to brass tax," Azazel walked over, setting down the golden spike on another table, before moving to one side of the room, where a standing whiteboard was parked. Roughly grabbing a rag that was draped over the side, Azazel quickly wiped away everything that was previously scribbled on the board. Grabbing a black marker, Azazel wrote a heading in big bold letters.
New Crystal Gear
"Now, I've done some digging into your Sacred Gear in my off time, and I've come to one conclusion," Azazel tapped the back-end of the marker against the board, "What you have, may be a never before seen evolution of a previous Sacred Gear."
Azazel wrote a new subheading on the board.
Midas' Rings
"Now, when you first awoke your Gear, you awoke a common Creation-Type Sacred Gear known as Midas' Rings, however, it contained minor differences in not only it's appearance, but also its abilities," Azazel explained, "A few months later, you undergo an evolution of sorts, where your Sacred Gear massively changes shape. Now, there are instances like this that would point to your current Sacred Gear being a Balance Breaker… However, that seems entirely unlikely, as you would be much more aware of such an occurrence happening. Simply put, if you achieved Balance Breaker, you would've known it already."
Writing down 'Balance Breaker?' Azazel took a red marker in his other hand, and drew a red 'X' over it.
"So what does that leave us with? An evolution, of course," Azazel concluded, "However, we can rule a few other things out. For one, you can't have a Longinus. A Longinus would be something entirely unique, and more so, more powerful than what you have now. No, what you have is still definitely within the realm of what Midas' Rings does, yet it's divorced from it enough so that I feel strong in classifying it as an evolution."
On the board, Azazel wrote 'Creation-Type Sacred Gear (Evolution of Midas' Rings)'.
"And that leads us to our main topic…" Azazel declared, "We've categorized the thing, now we have to actually name it."
"Name it?" Vin looked puzzled, "But it's already got a name, right? It's an evolution of Midas' Rings, so that's just it, right? It's Midas' Rings."
"I mean, sure. But be honest, kid: does your Sacred Gear look anything like rings anymore?" Azazel retorted, "No, and since the abilities are removed enough, it should get a new name."
"Fair enough," Vin conceded.
"Great, now's the fun part," Azazel smiled, "Time to brainstorm names to give this thing. C'mon, just shout 'em out!"
Vin hummed, as he put his hand to his chin, "Crystal Boots?"
Azazel grimaced, "Eh… Too literal, there's not enough clever wordplay in there, plus, it only tells you what the Sacred Gear looks like, not what it does. How about… Luminous Construct? Heh, pretty proud of that one…"
"I don't know about that one…" Vin replied, "It doesn't immediately tell me 'Crystal', right? It sounds more like something you would give a Gear that uses hard-light."
"Shit, you're right…" Azazel grumbled, before walking over to another desk, grabbing a pencil and scribbling down on a random piece of paper, "Still, I like that name… I'll keep that one in my back pocket for now."
"Geode Builder?" Vin proposed, only to be met with Azazel's shaking head.
"Something tells me we're going to be here for a while…" Vin mumbled.
"How about Lucent Erect?"
"Azazel, that sounds like a penis," Vin deadpanned, "Hmmm… Pellucid Craft?"
"Nah. Crystal… Crystals…" Azazel repeated under his breath, "Crystal make? Crystal build? Crystal forge? Crystal wea- THAT'S IT!"
Vin jolted back at the Governor General's sudden outburst, "What is it?!"
"I got the perfect name for it!" Azazel grinned as he uncapped his marker, "Check this out!"
Slowly but surely, Azazel wrote out a name on the whiteboard in big letters, enough that it eclipsed everything else written prior.
CRYSTAL WEAVER
Vin stared at the name, as he tried tasting it on his tongue, "Crystal Weaver… Crystal Weaver… I like it."
"I know, right? It's simple, but also a little more sophisticated than just saying 'build' or something," Azazel clapped his hands, pulling out his phone, "Okay, on that note- Holy shit, it's already twenty past eight. Did we really throw around ideas for that long?"
"We must have," Vin stretched and yawned, "What do you think we should have for dinner tonight?"
"Eh, nothing major, I'll probably just order take-out, that alright with you?"
"Yeah, that sounds fine to me," Vin smiled, "Y'know what? All that Sacred Gear talk was actually kinda interesting."
"Really?!" Azazel's face lit up in joy, "Well that's great. Y'know, I have the perfect book for you then, kid. Let me just… Find it here… I swore it was somewhere around here… Oh! There it is!"
Pulling out a thick book from one of the many shelves, Azazel dusted it off and passed it to Vin. Gazing at the cover, Vin was immediately greeted by the printed visage of his boss/flatmate smiling at him, displaying a thumbs up. Just above it was the title of the book printed in bold letters, Sacred Gear Compendium: Research, Mechanics and Theory Fifth Edition.
"That's a little something I've put together myself a hundred or so years ago. It's chock full of all the public knowledge and research I and several other scientists have done into Sacred Gears," Azazel explained, "Although, with all of these new Sacred Gears, evolution, sub-species and the like running around, it's probably due time to make a new revision… Either way, that's probably the best place to start if you want to read up about Sacred Gears."
"Thanks," Vin tucked the book under his arm.
"You're welcome kiddo," Azazel patted Vin's back, "Now, let's get on ordering some dinner. I was thinking burgers, does that sound good for you?"
With dinner sitting well in his stomach, Vin retired to the couch for the night. Content to lay down on the couch for the night and eventually pass off into sleep, Vin decided to satiate his curiosity a bit, and cracked open the textbook Azazel had loaned him, flipping through glossary of terms at the back idly, eyes gazing over the various subjects in an attempt to find one that interested him.
"...Type Classification… Sacred Gear Passivity Theory… Ethics of Sacred Gear Removal…" Vin muttered to himself, before his eyes froze on a particular title, "Hm? Object Assimilation? What's that one? Page 143…"
Turning over the book, Vin began to flip rapidly through the pages, closing in more and more on his page of interest. Eventually, he found his goal, a page with the large subject heading of 'Object Assimilation'.
Eyes scaling down the page to the opening line, Vin began to read to himself in a hushed whisper.
"Object Assimilation refers to the process in which a Sacred Gear may assimilate or house forign objects of elements. It should be important to note that a variety of factors affect how an object may assimilate with a Sacred Gear. Typically, objects that share common traits, magical signatures, or elements as the Sacred Gear will provide the least strain on both the Sacred Gear and the user," Vin read, "Alright, that makes sense so far…"
Vin continued, "However, the same is possible for objects that do not share common traits, or for an object that shares contrasting traits with a Sacred Gear. In this case, the user's inner strength, or 'willpower' is used as the catalyst to allow for such an assimilation to occur. While it is possible to perform Object Assimilation this way, it is highly discouraged and considered very dangerous to the health of the user. For more information, see section 20.65.12."
Immediately, Vin flipped through several pages of diagrams, until he found the proper section, "Risks… Risks of Object Assimilation with contrastive elements to a Sacred Gear often can result in either permanent mental damage, an increased strain felt by the user when using a Sacred Gear, or in more severe cases, the death of the user. It is stated as a common Sacred Gear safety procedure to consult a licensed and practicing Sacred Gear researcher before undergoing any procedure of Object Assimilation."
"Geez, that's some scary stuff right there," Vin set the open book on his lap.
As he sat alone in the quiet and dark apartment, a memory of the day earlier began to stir within his head.
"He's coming tomorrow at noon to give this Issei guy that Irina knows a sword as a gift."
Vin's eyes widened a bit, "Michael's coming by tomorrow to give Issei a sword… And if it's coming from an Archangel, then it has to be holy, right?"
Vin turned down to the textbook once again, flipping through pages in the chapter on Object Assimilation, "Here, common misconceptions… It is common for people to be concerned about assimilation with objects that would naturally harm their race. Most commonly, this is a fear exhibited in reincarnated devils. However, substantial testing has concluded that the race of the user is irrelevant, as it's the matter of the Gear being compatible with the object in question that proves the most important."
"Oh, thank fuck…" Vin sighed in relief, before pulling out his phone, "What did Ezekiel say that sword was called again? Ascalon? Huh, never heard of it before…"
On a whim, Vin decided to consult the ultimate resource, Google.
"...Ascalon, Ascalon… Oh, there it is," Vin smiled, pulling up a Wikipedia page, "Let's see, holy sword that was once used by Saint George to slay a dragon… Huh, that's some irony, give the Red Dragon the sword that was used to kill a dragon."
Vin's eyes continued to scan over the page, before his blood turned to ice, "It became a dragon-slaying sword after bathing in the blood of the dragon slain by Saint George…"
Vin's mind quickly connected the dots. The Sekiryuutei was allied with the devils, and an archangel of all people was giving him a sword… A dragon-slaying sword…
Vin's eyes drifted to the textbook in his lap, emerald irises transfixed onto the heading titled 'Risks'. Now, Vin wasn't sure, but giving a dragon-slaying sword to the person with a dragon Sacred Gear certainly sounded like contrasting elements…
He had to do something. He had to warn Issei in some way. Yet, he wasn't sure where Issei would even be tomorrow, or when he would be meeting up with Michael at all.
Vin stared up at the ceiling, "Where did Ezekiel say they were meeting again? A shrine owned by… Akeno, I think?"
The cool breeze of night filtered in through the windows, "I guess… I got my work cut out for me tomorrow, huh?"
The Next Day…
Ezekiel leaned against the sun-kissed stone that made up the narrow passageway of stairs that divided the two large gardens. While he would never dream of cursing his sense of fashion, the sun certainly made his black uniform a tad warm for his liking. Thankfully, mother nature seemed to spare him with the occasional breeze that swept through the leaves of the trees and brushed his black locks with a refreshing hand.
"Excuse me, may I ask why you're on my property?"
Ezekiel cracked open his eyes, as he took in the figures before him. The first was a woman around the same age as him, although he still took a slight double-take, since as far as he knew, girls his age didn't come that… well endowed. Regardless, her strict, no-nonsense demeanor conveyed some level of hostility… Perhaps that was because of his appearance, after all, he was wearing Falchiden, Judgement Sabre and all.
The boy who stood behind her looked like nothing special, on the surface. His frame was pretty average, his arms left exposed by his t-shirt only slightly sturdier than twigs. A normal, if slightly handsome boyish face, a large spiky heap of chestnut hair.
Ezekiel may have been ashamed to admit it, but a part of him reveled in the discovery. If this was who he thought it was… Well, this so-called Issei had nothing on him.
Everything about the teen was pathetically average, yet there was something that stirred just beneath the surface that seemed to captivate. Sinclair purred from within his mind, a sign that there was a sense of kinship there, which must have meant…
"You must be Ms. Himejima," Ezekiel bowed, before turning to the other boy, "And you must be the Sekiryuutei, Issei Hyoudou."
"You still haven't answered my question," Akeno's eyes narrowed, "How are you, and why are you on my property."
Ezekiel raised his right hand in order to placate the girl, "Calm yourself, Ms. Himejima. My name is Ezekiel Rêver, I serve under Lord Michael as one of his bodyguards. I was instructed to await your arrival out here as a form of security."
"Is that why you cast a massive barrier around my home?" Akeno raised a brow dangerously.
"Indeed, Lord Michael had constructed that barrier himself, since he deemed it fit to have the utmost privacy during this exchange," Ezekiel replied, "Now, I mustn't keep you both, proceed onward to meet Lord Michael, I shall remain here on guard."
As the two stepped past him, Ezekiel closed his eyes and pretended not to feel the odd stares at the back of his head. Eventually, the doors to the shrine shut, and Ezekiel released a breath deeper and more withering than he thought.
While waiting out in the hot summer sun wasn't exactly his favorite thing to do, it certainly was more preferable than remaining inside the shrine. After all, that meant he was far away from…
The tiniest pin-pricks of sickness tickled against Ezekiel.
… That.
Ezekiel screwed his eyes shut even more, as he attempted to focus on his surroundings more and more in an attempt to distract himself from the invasive sensation of Ascalon's aura.
Truth be told, there was one more reason why Ezekiel opted to be positioned outside. Because he had one loose end that he had created himself in his sleepy daze the day before… One that he was determined to fix.
The sound of shoes scraping along the asphalt drew Ezekiel's attention. Speak of the fallen…
"So you came after all." Ezekiel opened his eyes, gazing at the person at the bottom of the stairs.
Vin glared right back, "Yeah, I did."
Ezekiel sighed, and pushed off the garden wall, standing tall as he blocked the stairs.
"You know I can't let you pass."
Vin nodded, "You know that's not going to stop me."
Ezekiel's right hand fell to the grip of the Judgement Sabre, "I'll make sure it does."
For a brief moment, there was nothing but the serene quiet. Both boys standing perfectly still…
The next, absolute chaos.
Ezekiel leaped off of the stairs, blade drawn in a beautiful flurry of black and purple flames as he arced through the sky, right overtop of Vin's head, right before levelling the glowing barrel of Falchiden right at Vin's back.
The emerald-eyed teen turned just too late, as the blast collided into him, sending him hurtling into the side of the stone garden wall, with a crash.
Getting his wits about him, Vin summoned Crystal Weaver to his feet, rolling into a dodge right as the fiery blade of the Judgement Sabre buried itself nearly six inches deep into the stone where he once stood.
Forming a crystal blade on his right hand, Vin began to take up the assault, swiping at Ezekiel, forcing the chuunibyou to abandon his weapon in favor of backing up.
Vin continued to press the attack, swiping left and right with his blade, as Ezekiel used the now-empty sheath affixed to Falchiden in order to parry and deflect whenever he could. Vin went for another swing, but Ezekiel caught the crystal blade right in the gap between the sheath and Falchiden's main body, trapping the weapon as the caped-exorcist swung up his leg in a devastating kick that found purchase right in Vin's cheek.
The striking amount of power behind the kick shattered the trapped crystal blade as Vin went flying back, skidding ungracefully along the ground. As soon as Vin found his footing, he spread his wings and with a swoop took off into the air.
Ezekiel held out his right-palm, as the Judgement Sabre reappeared in his hand in a plume of flames. Sheathing it back into Falchiden, the arm-cannon began to glow a hazy purple as Ezekiel aimed it to the sky, firing off shot after shot with the weapon in an attempt to bring Vin down.
Thoroughly deterred thanks to the sudden bombardment from the ground, Vin dive-bombed down to the ground in a devistaning axe-kick. Holding out the Judgement Sabre half-drawn, the sharp edge of the weapon grinded against the tough hide of Crystal Weaver, picking up sparks from the friction.
As both fighters locked eyes, Vin broke into a mischievous smile, as he swung downward, using his blocked foot as an axis. As he did so, he shot his knee into the bottom of Ezekiel's chin, and with an audible *clack*, the chuunibyou went flying backward.
As soon as he got a moment to breathe, Vin began to swing his arms every which way, sending wave after wave of crystal arcing Ezekiel's direction. However, with a boom, Ezekiel rocketed out of range, then again, then again.
Ezekiel continued to strafe around Vin as he narrowly avoided bombardment from the razor-tipped geodes. Until finally, he blasted himself right into Vin's blind-spot. Turning the arm-cannon behind him, Ezekiel blasted forward…
Right as Vin swept his right hand behind him, light coalescing in his palm, pointed right at Ezekiel's face.
Amethyst eyes widened in shock and fear, as Ezekiel braced for impact.
The blast of light came out less as a single formed projectile, but more as a messy blast of unfocused light energy. Still, the sudden blast proved effective, as it gave all the time Vin needed to dodge out of the way as Ezekiel crashed to the ground, his clothes now noticeably singed from the heat.
As soon as Ezekiel looked up, he was instantly greeted with the sight of a veritable avalanche of crystal approaching him at the speed of a bullet train. Steeling his nerves, and slowing his breath, Ezekiel heightened his focus, hand hovering by the sheathed form of the Judgement Sabre; tensing up, all in preparation for the one moment when he could…
NOW!
The Judgement Sabre exploded out of its sheath, right into his awaiting palm. Using the massive force of the weapon, Ezekiel spun, and parried the crystals, sending himself spinning along the side of the construct, well out of harm's way. Racing along the length, Ezekiel closed in more and more onto Vin, who barely had time to put back up his guard, so instead sent a devastating kick at Ezekiel instead.
*CLANG!*
Crystal Weaver and the Judgement Sabre struck together. As Ezekiel went to riposte, Vin shifted his balance to his right foot when it returned to the ground, and quickly brought his left foot up to deflect the arcing blade.
*CLANG!*
Both combatants locking narrowed eyes full of fire and intensity, they both recovered from their respective attacks, before each spinning around in place against each other in an attempt to pivot into the other's blind spot.
Vin quickly formed a crystal blade over his hand, Ezekiel poised his sword to strike…
Each swung their weapons…
*WHOOOOOOOSSSSHHHH*
The air around them whipped up as both teens stood tall across from each other. The jagged edge of Vin's impromptu crystal weapon poised not an inch from Ezekiel's throat, while the flickering blade of the Judgement Sabre hummed with power against Vin's throat. Both teens stood and stared unflinchingly at each other.
Ezekiel smiled, "You've certainly improved drastically… Has your reincarnation proved immensely helpful in closing the distance, or was it simply the fanning of conflict that caused you to burn ever more fiercely?"
"You've gotten stronger too," Vin retorted, "The way you move about now… It's almost unreal."
"Thank you, but I believe without a shadow of a doubt, that if this duel were to continue, you might have very well bested me."
Vin quirked a brow, "Really, because it's looking a lot more like a draw from where I'm standing…"
Ezekiel chuckled humorlessly, "Yes, you fought with a strength I hadn't seen from you before… Too bad I managed to hold you off long enough."
Vin's eyes widened, before closing with remorse, arms dropped helplessly to his sides, "... No… DAMMIT!"
Ezekiel screwed his eyes shut as he sighed, "Oh for the love of… Vin, he's alive. I can still feel his aura, as a matter of fact, it's stronger than ever."
Vin opened his eyes as he deadpanned, "Wait, what?"
"Yes, he's alive, which means my job here is done," Ezekiel lowered the Judgement Sabre, sheathing it into Falchiden, "You should clean up all these crystals and make your exit post haste. I don't believe that Lord Michael finding out a fallen angel attempted to intervene in this matter would paint a very good picture when the peace summit is so soon."
"Right, right," Vin snapped his fingers, as every crystal construct that once littered the open area out by the shrine evaporated into particles of shimmering light, "I'll go run now, see you, Ezekiel!"
Ezekiel pinched his nose, "Just go, Vin."
The chuunibyou watched as the reincarnated fallen angel ran off into the distance, slowly shrinking out of view, until finally vanishing, allowing Ezekiel to breathe a sigh of relief.
"What troubles you, Ezekiel?"
It took every fiber in his being for Ezekiel to not immediately flinch back when the voice of the Archangel himself sounded out from only a few scant feet behind him.
I couldn't even… Sense him approaching…
"How did the ceremony go, Lord Michael?" Ezekiel questioned.
"Hmmm… It went alright," Michael hummed, almost as if… disappointed? "The Sekiryuutei proved to be quite the hearty individual this time around - both in mind and in spirit."
"He must be a powerful ally to have," Ezekiel commented.
"Indeed," Michael looked on, "And we have just made him stronger…"
"Are you… Disappointed in the result, my Lord?" Ezekiel hesitantly asked.
"Hm?" Michael titled his head, before a string of light chuckles erupted from his sudden smile, "Oh no no… It was quite the fruitful opportunity, and with any luck, it shall be a great show of goodwill when approaching the Peace Summit. I consider it an absolute win."
"I see…"
"You seemed to be rather occupied while I was in the shrine conducting the ceremony," Michael idly observed, "Had a reunion, perhaps?"
Ezekiel froze, "... No, my Lord… It was just some unruly troublemakers, I dealt with them accordingly."
Michael's eyes narrowed for a split second before returning to normal, "Of course, now, I have a rather busy day ahead of me, so I shall depart for now."
"Understood, farewell Lord Michael."
A split second later, the figure of the Archangel dissipated into light, leaving Ezekiel to slump over as he panted, his nerves shot from the overwhelming pressure he had just experienced.
Never before had he felt so discomforted by the presence of a supernatural figure, so off put, so creeped out… And only adding to that fact… Was that the entire time they talked…
Michael never looked at him once.
Hey guys… It's been a while…
So funny story, I have been trying to get this chapter out for a while now, not for a lack of trying on my part, this chapter's been utterly massive, and was quite the effort to write. Stack midterms and whatnot on top of that, and you got a recipe for a long development cycle for a chapter.
Just for future reference everyone, whenever I'm taking a hiatus, I'll be sure to post an update chapter just to let you all know. Otherwise, assume it's a case like this, where the chapter's taking some extra time in the oven to come out.
But hey, hopefully it's all worth it, right? I felt like it all came together in the end, and honestly, it spans so much that the thought of splitting it into two chapters crossed my mind more than once while writing. But hey, I thought I'd treat you all to something pretty substantial.
In the interest of getting this chapter out before I pass out (I'm joking… Sorta), I'm going to keep this section brief.
So, Vin's finally got his Sacred Gear named! I've had the name since before the ending of the first story arc, and I've been waiting/forgetting to include it ever since! I finally found a time for that part to be included, so hello Crystal Weaver! I'm still proud of myself for managing not to accidentally write that name during any of the chapters prior to now.
This chapter's also special since it has the distinction of pushing the word count for this story over 200,000, which is around two whole light novel's worth of content! It was a massive goal for me in the past when I reached 100,000 words on this story, and to see myself hit 200,000 is super surreal to me. Thank you everyone who's stuck around and read all 200,000+ of those words, you all make every moment worth it!
I hope that you guys all enjoyed this new chapter, and if you want to show your support, let me know what you thought of the story, or anything of the like, please leave a follow, favorite, and especially review. I say this all the time but I really do read, appreciate, and cherish every single review I get, so please, don't hesitate to let me know what you thought.
Until next time everyone… Rock on!
