The one who got away... Returns with an even more daring smile~.
DISCLAIMER: DxD doesn't belong to me!
Steamed vegetables sauted with butter to make them shine awith a healthy complex, fluffy and easy to chew to hide the usual dull flavour without making them mushy...
Ommelette rice with carrots and chicken strips and ketchup rice coming right from the oven, a nice lick of ketchup on top of it, a perfect mix of protein and carb intake without being too fat or oily...
Handmade steamed minced steaks with quick touches of salt, shiitake shrooms, pepper and condiments such as leeks cuts and mint leaves to absorb the saltiness and add some fresh taste to it...
A couple of strawberries with honey for a healthy dose of vitamins.
Everything here shines like a culinary rainbow, freshly made with care and love and carrying some sort of motherly vine, not to mention the perfect balance of nutrients and vitamins for a growing teenager such as myself. Truly, this meal...
"... IS SHIT! GIMME BURGERS!"
"YOU FUCKING UNGRATEFUL BITCH! AT LEAST TAKE A BITE BEFORE SAYING THAT!" And I feel Master Paul's knuckles descend upon my head in a violent fashion! Again, again I'll have to eat this... Healthy abomination with cute frills and touches with so much love it feels like a housewife's wet culinary dream! I can't stand this crap anymore, not after two whole days eating nothing but airport and airplane food! I want junk food that will rot me from the inside! "I tried to balance a good amount of vitamins and nutrients after all those trips; you can't live on junk food alone! If devils catch you lacking due to food poisoning, that'll be all on you!"
"Uuuuuuugh~... I'm sick tired of your cooking, Master Paul... Why don't you just pick some grass from the floor and put it on the plate... It's easier to cook..." And my little jest got another punch from him. Whatever, I'm hungry anyway, so instead of complaining any further, I pick a fork and stab a small piece of sauted cucumber to take a bite off. Crunchy and salty, not bad. Master's cooking is not bad at all, far from it, but between that and McDonalds, I rather the latter. "The sense of slaughter fast food gives me is not found in this healthy meal..."
"I really should stop pampering you if that's your answer for everything, Katarina..." And the older male sighs to himself, taking a sip out of his orange juice. What a sight, huh? A piece of hunk of a man, towering over 2m and broad as mountain drinking orange juice and sharing a healthy colourful meal with a highschool-age young lass like myself; sounds like a panel from a gag manga. Master Paul shifts his gaze outside the hotel window. "So, Japan huh? Who would've thought such a quiet and boring country hosted some of the most dire and epic events in supernatural history. Although, honestly, if it wasn't for the sekiryuutei and his lovely companions, the supernatural activity around here is otherwise lacking."
"Makes sense. People of these lands are not particularly religious, and even those who follow tend to be very diverse. Yaoyorozu-no-Kami(eight million Gods), as they say? With so many deities to worship, of course their domain or faith wouldn't be as strong as Monotheistic religions." I conclude, taking a sip but soon grimacing by tasting his natural orange juice. So natural, it tastes like cold sweat! I wish I was drinking some cola! "Plus, since youkai and other demons tend to target only humans and have no opposing factions, it is expected for them to be underwhelming until not long ago. Only a few of them are of any worry for an exorcist, anyway..."
"Look at you, reciting those like some kind of pro. Can't even pray an Ave Maria right yet talks like you're from here." Master Pauls laughs, scratching his goatee and taking another bite off his vegetables and ommelette. I mean, that's the purpose of an exorcist, right? Beat the shit of those supernatural beings until they surrender or perish. "Say, Katarina, are you an otaku for that kind of stuff? Gross."
"Shut yet trap! That's the least I should know coming to this place." I flip a carrot at his direction, him dodging like is noone's business. Youkai are the least one exorcist should kno coming to the land of the rising Sun. "Also, that's the reason as to why they used to send a lot of missionaries in order to convert them and combat ayakashi, like my..."
"...?"
"Y'know what, nevermind. At least I won't get caught with my guard down here, unlike you who should be studying this place instead of making this... Pretty wifey cooking!" I bite viciously that steak of leaves and mushrooms to drive the point across. Damn, he knows how to cook and shit, I'll give him that, but c'mon, a BigMac never killed anyone.
"Well, instead of talking about your backstory or insulting my cooking skills, let's discuss about the mission at hand." He breaks silence again, and from his leather jacket he picks and flicks at me a photo. A photo of an young woman of long and bright crimson hair, piercing purple eyes with slit pupils and a scandalous body, big breasts, big butt, the whole package. Just looking at her pisses me off, specially her resting bitch face; she looks like the type all high'n'mighty. "Well, not a mission per se. Because of the recent and ceaseless attacks around these bands, one more dire than the other in just half an year, our superiors sent us here to assist the current Kuoh overseer, Nemesis Gremory, and serve as a backup and church representatives. That job was suppose to be held by Father Maxmillian and his apprentice Clare, but... Uh, apparently, Clare got her ass kicked by a low-class and Maxmillian got promoted, so we kinda got their scraps..."
"What did you expect sending a brat like Clare here? I'm surprised she didn't get offed by that low-class..." I murmur, the silver body of my fork flicking up and down in my mouth. Seriously, father Maxmillian is a saint for putting up with a brat like that little angel-faced nun-exorcist-wannabe. "Besides, why didn't they send an angel or so here, if the situation has escalated that much? Sure, a pair of exorcists from the Protestant church don't emanate that much trust."
"Beats me. The Lord... I mean, Lord Israel works in mysterious ways. According to the high priest, he's conducting some research with his Brave Saints about 'someone', and thus better send exorcists like us..."
"Wow, we're not just getting the scraps, he's just feeding us with the edible remains he digged from the shit." I complain. Seriously, why even bother? Send a pair of exorcists from Greece all the way to Japan to do secondary chores, I was just fine fighting old demons back in Athens. Oh well, I'm already here anyway, better get some sightseeing and buy some souvenirs.
"C'mon, Nina..."
"Don't fucking call me Nina. Nobody calls me Nina."
"Okay... But seriously, Katarina. We're not going to do all the work here. Like I said, Nemesis Gremory is the overseer of this region, so we'll just need to be up in arms whenever she calls us, and I heard she's a real hardhead in asking for assistance." He laughs, and with a tint of metal against porcelain, I notice that he finished the grub he calls food, now cleaning his teeth with a toothpick. "The church is also backing all of our expenses, so face this as a glorified vacation. Besides, it's not like you were not here before, right? You won't get lost that much..."
"I... Guess so." And then, a small snap beats my heart, and I catch myself wondering to the window. Yeah, that's not the first time I've ever been here, not at all. I remember the fireworks, the food stands with delicious food, the colourful frilly kimonos, the scary bugs... And him. I wonder if he's doing well after all this time. Tch, I was so caught in my own thoughts, I didn't even realize I ate that entire set of healthy junk. A sigh escapes my lips as the silverware falls on the plate. "There, done. It doesn't beat a good KFC, but I guess it's enough."
"Good food is exactly like that, you won't even notice when you're done. Better than airport food, no? Since you ate it all, you can have your dessert..." He smiles, reaching for the refrigerator to pick something for me. Just hearing 'dessert' makes my spirits lift! Oooh, maybe that master of mine isn't so bad! I just want something covered in chocolate and syrup! Maybe a cake, or even ice-cream! Ah, but a petit gateau works so well and... "There. For dessert, have a fruit salad with melon slices, rainbow jelly cuts and a small dose of champagne syrup for a refreshing intake of sugar and collagen, good for the skin..."
"..."
"..."
*FLIP!*
"FUCK YOUR HEALTHY SHYEEEEEEEEET...!"
And we clashed fists inside our hotel room, the sheer brutality and violence coming from us beating the crap out of ourselves would make any passerby wonder if there was a pair of caged lions fighting each other... Or a healthy newbie couple getting a bit too excited in their honeymoon.
Seriously though, fuck his healthy food bullshit...
After that brawl, Master Paul said he was going out to meet miss Red-Boobs McGee to discuss some matters like our mission as church representatives and assistants, how to contact us and possible ways for us to work together with the devils here or some shit. Since I'm not needed for that and just have to present myself once the negotiations are done, he gave me a day off to wander around Kuoh and get 'better accostumated' with the enviroument... If only he knew I know this place a little too much...
Golly, this place hasn't changed in ten years, eh? I still remember the old hotel chains, the aquarium, the shopping plaza with the funny mini amusement parks, the game center and the likes, including the fountain park. I heard that Issei Hyoudou guy died right here on his first date, and unbeknownst to any human walking around here minding their own business, this place is basically a Mecca for the supernatural world. To think I used to play all the time with my sister in a place that is basically a crime scene... Also, is that a fucking 5-star hotel at the distance in a typical neighborhood? Something tells me the devils in here have something to do with it.
Suddenly, my nose picks a scent. Oh yeah, the scent of fat, calories and other unhealthy ingredients! The scent of finally some good fucking food! My eyes dart to a direction and land right on a junk food stand! As fast as my legs can, I ran to the stabilishment already choosing of what to eat! Jackpot! Oh man, besides lame stuff like yakissoba and bowl cutlets, they also have burgers and gyros(seriously, what's with Japan and greek food?).
"Hey mister, roll me a bacon cheeseburger, please!" I ordered. The young man at the counter turns to me with a curious and surprised look.
"[Oh, are you a foreigner? Sorry I don't understand much, but how can I help you?]" He asks in Japanese, and I soon realize his first reaction. Oh right, I'm not in France or Greece anymore, and since I'm not an angel, language barriers are still a thing. Shit, if there's one thing I envy about sis is that she can understand any language with no problems now. But, I think I got it, it has been a while, but I think I can handle it. Shaking my head a little, I turn to the counter once again.
"Caham... Uh, excuse, sir. I would like to order a burger. The cheeseburger with bacon one, please." I say, snapping my tongue a few times to get used to the intonation. The cashier blinks a few times,but then smiles with a nod, pressing some buttons on his counter and soon enough, my order came, a massive burger wrapped in paper, practically dripping with fat and juices. Yep, I still got it. I can read it too, no problem! "Mercí... I mean... Thank you very much."
"You're welcome, okyakostumer." I fumbled a little with his words, I guess I didn't get used to it just yet, but with my mind in the game, it's a lot easier to understand now. "Say, for a foreigner, your japanese is very nice. Is your first time here? If so, doesn't sound like."
"Nope, not my first time here. Thank you." I flip him a few coins and yen bills and go on my merry way to enjoy my junk food of the Gods!
I unwrap that pesky paper, hold those mushy, tender bums between my fingers and almost dislocate my jaw to insert that massive edible heartattack into my mouth, my teeth piercing through the bread, meat, vegetables and cheese with gusto. Hmmmmmmmmm~! So goooooooood~! The sweet bums with smooth and soft textures that practically melt within your mouth, the fat and thick slab of meat practically dripping with sauces and fat, the melting and salty cheese filling my taste buds with hot steamy delight~, not to mention the crunchy and juicy bacon with rocks of burnt meat spreading the delish sensation! Now that's a meal! I could die happy now~.
As master said, before I knew it, the bacon cheeseburger was already gone from my hand, and all that I can do now is to lick my lips, trying to find any remnants of that godly food~. All good things must come to an end anyway, no matter how much I wish otherwise, that's a lesson I know too much about. I can always go for seconds, sure, but... Shoving my hand into my pockets, I pick from there a measly amount of 215 yens, barely enough for a meat dumpling, let alone a cheeseburger, and my salary and allowance are a few weeks too late. That means I'll be a slave for master's lovey-dovey healthy shit, what a drag~. Maybe I can sell that and get some more money for a super special sized burger...
*TING! TING! TING!*
And just look at that, thinking about it, and it started to ring on my strap on my belt. Since it caught up, it means supernatural affairs are going on around here, and not the good kind since the ringing is pretty loud. Oh~, time for some exploration and ass-kicking for a change! What is that all about? I don't think I can sense anything as of now...
*BUMP!*
"Watch where you are going, foreigner." And while I was trying to find the source of the signal, two tall and muscled men bumped into me, the one eyeing me with such disdain and disrespect, I didn't shove my foot between his eyes because suddenly the ringing got louder enough to shift my attention to it instead. What? It suddenly went awry? No, it means it picked something stronger and closer. I shift my gaze to the two muscular guys and notice that yes, they had a certain aura around them... Are they youkai? "What are you looking at?"
"Oh, nothing." I chuckled to myself, and once out of their interest, I started to stalk the two probably-youkai men deeper into the shopping plaza of Kuoh academy. Two sus dudes with supernatural auras going together into places, either something very fishy is going on or they're just looking for a love hotel. Hey, I might be a good christian(lol) girl, but I don't judge!
Presence consealment is a hell of a skill in stealth, of course. Without a step making any sound nor a single shadow, I pursue those two into the annals of Kuoh town, getting further and further away from the crowds and the common eye and the scenario darkening more and more until I was in a backalley of a shady side of town. Jackpot! I knew something fishy was going on!
Suddenly, they stop right at the front of an empty brick wall, a dead end. I mean, it would be if one of them didn't use a mandala-like rune to touch the wall and from it, a portal to open shaped like a sliding paper japanese door. No more signs, no more words, the doors slid themselves open alone, and they took their way downstairs into the darkness, the door closing and the disappearing without a trace. Cool~.
Seeing that no one else was there, I appeared from the shadows and took my way into said wall to try something myself. Knock-knock, as expected, it wasn't any fancy tricks or a portal, it just opened a passage to pass through a fake wall. Well, I might not be magically gifted or talented, but I have a hell of a punch! With that in mind, I opened a hole into the wall as well casting a spell known as 'fist' and took my wy downstairs as well. The smell is pretty nice despite the fact I feel like I'm descending into the sewers...
What follows now is a labyrinth of white graffited walls and screams and cheers at the distance, getting closer and closer as deeper I adventure into that place. In the end, the place I reach is a small white room with two buddhist monk-like fellas sitting on the opposite sides of a white from where all the noises were coming from. Is this some kind of rave or party? I also hear painful screams, so not everyone is having a good time I presume...
"Hey, stop right there. This place is not for little cute girls like yourself." The baldy with purple robes says, standing up from his chair and facing me with his monk staff, the khakkara, at hand and ringing its jewels. He's as tall as master Paul, which means he's at least 2m tall, but not as buff. "I suggest you leave before you get hurt."
"I'm just... Curious." I say with a chesire cat grin, tilting my head to a side to see if I could gather anything from here, but nope, just a door. The purple monk frowns as I shift my attention back to him. "And what do you mean 'before I get hurt'? Are you saying this place is like a fight club or...?"
*VUPT!*
"...!" And in a moment, before a blink, I see his fist close to my face. Under normal circunstances, that would be a no-brainer for me to dodge, but that hit didn't have any malicious intent nor any form of harm, hence why I just couldn't do a thing: he didn't want to hurt me. I turn to the monk in purple robes, the guy who faked a punch in my face, and blink a few times in confusion.
"The first rule about the Supernatural Fight club..." He recites, deadly serious. "... Is that you don't talk about the supernatural Fight Club."
From where that came from? I feel this is copyrighted or some shit...
"Asahi, if she came all the way down here, she must know at least some basic magic to not be a stranger to us. Let it go." The other baldy monk-like guy, who is wearing instead a magenta buddhist robe, stands up from his chair and walks right towards his buddy, they being so alike its hard to discern who-from-who aside from the colour of their robes. He turns to me and smiles. "And about you, little girl. I presume that you must've follow the leads reaching this place, yet does not know what goes on beyond those doors. Well then, you mind taking a stroll with us?"
"What in the world are you saying, Nagisa?! We shouldn't allow her to enter, it is against the rules!" The purple-robed monk, his name was Asahi wasn't it?, turns to his twin figure with an exasperated exclamation, receiving a quick and nonchalant glance back. "Besides, even if she does enter, then what? What if she is with that Gremory overseer bitch? The supernatural fight club will be disbanded!"
"We can always gather around and start a new anyway like we've been doing for months. I guess one more guest wouldn't hurt. Plus, she seems strong for a little girl, she has an aura that screams 'dangerous'." Now the magenta monk laughs nervously looking at me, and for the half-assed compliment, I smile smugly. Yes, I am strong, very much so. A minute or two of silence, and the purple one resigns from his statement and the magenta one signs me to the door. "Now, if you excuse me, young lady. Please follow me..."
And then I follow the orange monk into the white door, sticking my tongue out and flipping the bird for the other guy. The former knocks the door with his knuckles three times, and suddenly it opens without warning, revealing what was going on inside. Unlike the blank, quiet and claustrophobic corridors leading here, the other side shows an entire indoor stadium, rows after rows of betting youkais ranging from human-like to completely abstract, all turned to the center of that place, a plain, octagram-shaped arena where two other supernatural beings were fighting while surrounded by bloody sand, broken weapons, teeth and nails.
In one swift kick, an oni kicked a kappa right in the gut and with one final bloody vomit, the frog-like monster was down, the referee, a short and stubby Tanuki, counting til three to finally give the match to the latter as the crowd cheered, money flying everywhere! Holy crap, this is a fight club!
"Welcome, dear, to the supernatural fighting club of Kuoh town." The orange monk smiles while waving a hand to the chaos that ensues down there. "As you know, we youkai have a knack in causing trouble and mayhem as our nature. However, since the devils took control over our territory and the overseer Nemesis Gremory prohibited any form of harm beyond pranking on humans on her turf, this is the answer we, the most violent and vicious youkai, found to control and tame our bloodlust that doesn't end in annihilation. It's not as the same as eating or killing humans for fun, but life is like that, anyway..."
"Uh-huh. Metal as fuck." I commented, now seeing a karasu-tengu beak an inugami until it was whining back to its owner, the crowd cheering and money raining again. I pick a small note from the rain and saw it was a legit 1,000 yen bill. "And this..."
"Of course, what is an youkai without sin beyond violence." he snaps his fingers and from inside the robes, this Nagisa-guy picks a blaxk tablet to show me the rankings of all the fighters so far, a small profile picture, silly names and... Numbers, lots of lots of numbers. "So just come here to get richer and bet on their best boy or girl. They fight, they bet, the winner gets some of the amount and the rest is used to pay the fighters and fund the club. Clean? No, but its a living..."
"..." I purse my lips a little. Indeed, that's what I wanted to see, I really just literally bumped into illegal supernatural activities going on. Either this Nemesis Gremory is dumber than I thought or this is a form of 'necessary evil' to put to savage youkais in line. Makes sense, but still, what is going on here is fucked up, and something tells me that the losers in this whole mess don't just go home leaving any human unscathed. This goes against all the protocoles involved, and as he said, if I were to step in and do something, they would disband and form anew... But I guess I can take them all on, anyway. I'm strong, after all. I reached for my pockets and turned to the orange monk. "Say... I have something to say... Mr. Nagisa..."
"Hm...?" And he turns to me, eyes blinking in surprise yet calm and serene, typical of a monk. Now, i can just surprise attack here, spread the chaos and stop this whole nonsense...
"So... Where do I sign up?"
"Hoooh~...?"
... But on the other hand, I really want another cheeseburger.
"Ladies and gentlemen, youkais of all ages, welcome back to the extraordinary clashes of the supernatural Fight Club! It is impressive how our little community has grown in the past week, but that's a good thing, for we have a new myriad of warriors and berserkers coming and going to keep us entertained, and maybe win a few bucks while at it! But you're not here to hear me ranting about shit! with that in mind, let us introduce this match's warriors!"
"[On this corner, a newbie with a daring emerald stare and hair of gold ready to tint everything in red when she is done! She might not be from these lands, but her ferocity and power can be compared to even the fiercest of Onis! Standing at 166cm and her measurements being B79-W53-H84, the western beauty... JULIA TSUKINO]!"
"[And coming from the other side, a known face wrapped in mystery and honour, his seemingly fragile appearance hides the keen swordsmanship and grace of a master! The old crow that is swift as a swallow and striking and powerful as an eagle! His sizes are 170cm and 15cm, the black-feathered blade... GEORGE CROWNEY! AND YES, WE'RE STILL MAKING THOSE JOKES, FUCK YOU]!"
Y'know, some things are just better off not knowing, but whatever...
The announcer's voice echoes through the whole stadium, and followed by it, cheers and boos coming from all directions, being in the epicentre of all of that, I can hear everything clearly, including the fact the majority of the latter are aimed at me. My shoes lightly touch the sandy ground and once or twice I step on a tooth or a broken knife, my walk leading me to the center of the arena where a tanuki fella wearing a referee getup and a grizzly old man wearing a white hakama and black haori were waiting for me.
So, my first fight is against an old man? Figures, I knew my first time in this sick place would be against someone who ain't all that intimidating, but hey, easy money for me and my junk food. unlike my unlady-like strout, he walks dignified and quiet, like a samurai from one of those old films, he even has his eyes closed. Those types really piss me off...
"Okay okay, you two. Gather around." The Tanuki referee waves at both of us to come closer, and we do so, reaching the middle of the stadium. The judge, who barely reaches out waists, claps his little paws a few times and nods. "Very well, the rules are simple and easy to understand: you have to make your enemy surrender or knock them unconscious. Other than that, there are pretty much no other rules, but remember: no killing, no crippling, and if you positively and completely needs to tell your backstory as to why you're fighting here, please keep it brief, total of a thousand words or two paragraphs..."
"Is... Is that a recurrent prob-..."
"Yes, it is a recurrent problem." He sighs, clearly annoyed and tired of this shit. I mean, that's only natural in a way, but I understand how it gets on someone's nerves fast. I nod, so does the old man in front of me. All set, the Tanuki referee takes his distance between us with a small jump, points at both of us and then claps his hands. "Very well then... Have a fair and square match! And BEGIN!"
With the bell ringing, my first course of action was to kick the sandy floor in front of him, lifting a curtain of dust that made me invisible for him and probably got some in his eyes! A nice distraction, something that old fart probably didn't see coming! Good, now I need to just sneak low on him and uppercut his wrinkled old face into oblivion and that's fin-...!
*SWING!*
"Yikes...!" But a flash of light cut through the golden particles, a blade I notice moving at the speed of light! So fast, I dodged that one for a nail and even cut some of my cuticles, and as fast as it came, it returned back to the other side, this time another flash in the shape of a stab reaching for my legs! I jumped away before that could take a nack out of me, but even so, it cut my thigh and my black pants with it! I gain some distance and coughed a bit. Holy shit, that was dangerous! "What the hell...!"
"Surprised? The way you stare at me makes me feel underestimated. By my appearance, you judge me? You shall regret your bias, young lady." I hear the air being cut, and with a swing of a sword, the old man reveals himself, the jewel on the middle of his forehead and black wings on his back indicating that he was a tengu of a sorts. Despite his joking tone, his espression was tighten in a frown. "It seems that I have nothing to fear, then."
"Oh, the old fart has teeth that are not fake." I mock him with a click of my tongue, his frown growing even tighter. My leg is bleeding a little, but fortunately the cut is only superficial. I give him a nasty look. "Listen, you old fart, I'm a good christian(lol) girl and was taught that I should respect the elders. They lived more than me, they have experiences gallore, shit like that. But! I was also taught that if anyone gets in my way, hands should be thrown. So what about it, old man? Why don't you give up, sit on your balancing chair and complain about the news like always? I'd seriously feel bad in hitting an elder..."
"Worry not. With your poise and stance, you should have no fear in even reaching me." I hear a chuckle, and a brow of mine twitches, the rage building up. This fucking old man, I'm gonna make him spit his dentadure. A battle pose, a deep breath and all eyes on him. He copies me with a hand on his katana, eyes now fierce as an eagle's. "Do not underestimate the elder, young lady. Allow me to teach you a few things only age will otherwise..."
"I know how to chew on my food and go to the bathroom, thank you very much."
"First stance: murder." And in another blink, I saw the smallest glimpse of a blade coming from the pearly-white shealth, so in response I jumped away to try to avoid any possible attack! But what came couldn't be dodged: instead of a singular slash, what came from his stance were smaller, rapid cuts coming from all directions! Like a murder of crows, they came onto me in high speed, and even with my reaction time, I couldn't keep up for long, some cuts do reached me and cut my jackets, my pants and shirt, also cutting the string of my braid and letting my hair loose! Once the onslaught ceased, I blinked and from a distance, the old man closed our differences in a flash. "Third stance: Migration!"
"Shit...!" I bend backwards as fast as I could, dodging his slash on my throat by another hairstring, but it wasn't over: still with the boost the slash gave him, he twirled and jump in the air, now descending on me for a painful thrust! My whole body is can't react in time, so instead I rolled to a side, his blade cutting my side and the impact of him landing creating a shockwave that pushed me away to the edge of the arena! I roll back, stand up, dust myself and grunt at him as the old fart shealthes his katana once more. "Fucking old man..."
"Don't use such strong words, young lady. They make you look weak." Fuck off, you oldfart. "Tell me, I have a suggestion for you now: how about you withdraw from this match, since you're obviously outmatched? That arrogance and façade won't do you any good, and the difference between us is clear. There is no honour is fighting a woman either, so I politely ask you to give up, think about your actions today and humble yourself. Mayhap one day, we shall spar under better circumstances."
"Hahahah..."
"...?"
"Oh,nothing. You... Just kinda sound like my father." I joke, laughing a little for his tone and voice, the voice of an old fart that resembles my old man's a lot. "And if I were, like, six or seven years-old, I would hear you like I used to hear him, bow my head and follow you like a good little christian(lol) girl... But now, I should do what I did to him when he crossed the line..."
"And that was...?"
"Heheh..." I stuck my tongue out. "I bit one of his fingers off and ran away from home."
There was a beat. I regret nothing, nothing at all, but just one thing: I should've bitten all of his fingers off, so that he won't punch little kids ever again. One... Was enough. One was one too much...
"I see... It seems that my assumptions were correct: to try to dialogue with someone like you is a waste of time and effort... However, beating you blunt and dry would leave a bad taste in my mouth, therefore..." The old tengu sighs, now letting go of his katana and straightening his stance, much for my surprise. "... I'll give you three chances. Nothing more and nothing less. I'll 'kill' you three times to truly show how outmatched and green you are, and then finally, I'll put an end to this match. No hard feelings for this 'old fart', now please."
"Yeah, same here: no hard feelings when I'm done kicking your ass." And I pull one my own sleeves up and sharpen my senses. This old fart really is asking for it now. But I'm in high spirits too today, so I'll try to avoid going all out at once. "Now then, time to walk you back to the asylum but the sheens, you old f-...!"
*ZOOM!*
*SHING!*
"...!" But then with one step to his direction, in a second he vanished, and in another, he appears right in front of me, katana unsealthed and its blade pointed at my neck, just one gasp away from cutting my flesh! How, when...! What?! "You...!"
"I can walk there myself, the offering is appreciated." He whispers, pulling the sword away and then slapping me away with the back of his hands, such force being enough to pull me a few meters away. "There, this is your first 'death', two more to go."
"Old man...!" I grit my teeth, and with a Jump I hurl myself at him in high speed! One punch that he blocks, another roundhouse kick that he dodges and when I try to face him, his blade was again at my face, just one string away from piercing my eyeball! No time to react, he pulls the blade again and kicks me in the face to gain distance!
"Second 'death', even faster than the first. There is still time to surrender, young lady." His tone, his words, they really are pissing me off! Who the hell does he think he is! I know, I should just get some distance from him, and whatever happens from here, I'll be able to predict it! I toss myself away, instead running away from him and now with my back turned to the wall! Now what, you old fart?! His response? Nothing... What? "Second stance: Flock!"
*PECK!*
"...?!"
*PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK! PECK!*
"..." And then... Nothing again. I couldn't say a thing, mainly for the pure shock of what just happened: without even leaving his place or position, the old tengu simply flicked his katana up and down in pure iaijutsu technique, and from each flick, a hole like a bullet's carves by my side, and another, and another until cornered me and drew my sillhoutte on the wall, a clear demonstration that distance wouldn't make a difference. I feel the taste of blood, and licking my lips, I noticed that I've bit them too much.
"Your third and final 'death'. Still not convinced?" The old man returns to his normal stance and turns to me, his black as night eyes shining a dreadful yet calm aura. That stare... I very much dislike it. "Distance matters not, neither does technique or strength. Against an unruly child like you, I have no difficulty in dealing with. Now that I've made clear the difference in strength between us, I beg of you once more: withdraw from this match, and I shall spare you from defeat."
"..." I bite my lips again, and a nervous chuckle escapes my lips. Yeah yeah, there's a clear abyss between us, and honestly, if I were like 6 or 7 even, I would've shat my pants and begged for forgiveness, like a good christian(lol) girl. Even if I rather not, if what he says its true, the next attack will be the decisive one. What to do, what to do? One, two seconds, and I wink at him, a blasé pose now. "You talk big for someone who probably doesn't even chew his food. C'mon old man, I'll buy you some chowder when we're done."
"Very well then..." He sighs and closes his eyes, clearly disappointed by my response, as I chuckle again. One, two seconds, and then his eyes open and the aura around him grows tenfold, the amount of energy oozing from him being enough to blow air away from his stance, and it started to gather around his sword as he picks it to unshealth it and adopts a fierce battle stance. I simply curve and prepare myself for the upcoming attack! The ultimate attack! "I shall show you my ultimate technique, and once you're done, think about this match and humble thyself, young lady. This is... A world you're still not prepare for!"
"Bring it on, old man!"
"Ultimate technique: Swallow Reversal Strik-...!"
*BANG!*
"...!"
"Ah..."
...
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH...!" And a second before he could unleash his ultimate attack, the old man now kneels to the ground and holds his wounded leg, specifically the bullet hole carved in it. How do I know it was a bullet hole? I was the one who carve it with my exorcist pistol. "YOU FUCKING CHEATING C-...!"
*BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!*
...
...
"[AND IN A TURN OF EVENTS, THE NEWBIE FIGHTER PULLS A PISTOL AND DEFEATS THE INVINCIBLE CROW SWORDSMAN! WHAT A SHOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! THE MATCH IS SET, AND THE WINNER ISSSSSS... JULIA!]"
"Jackpot..." I pumped an arm in victory as a pair of kappas nurse and stretch the old fart away from the pool of his own blood. Fortunately, I didn't aim at any of his vitals so after a quick rest he should be fine in the long run. I hear the crowd around me cheer and boo my codename in this club(apparently, you can't use your real name because youkai are sore losers like that) as money starts to rain again, but all that I was focused on was the fat stack of cash the tanuki referee gave me as a reward for my victory. "Huhuhuh... I can buy like ten back burgers with this money~... Plus some large fries and a XL soda~..."
"Nice fight, miss Julia. Would you like to take a break?" The small youkai asks me as he flicks his fingers on his table, seeing the numbers rise and fall for the fighters. I simply shook my head negatively, feeling the adrenaline rush! I feel like I can fight the world like that! "Very well then, let me inform the announcer that you'll have two consecutive fights. Best of luck."
"Thank you." I nod. The food will have to wait a little, the bloodlust is getting the best of me and, honestly, I'm not feeling all that hungry anymore. "So, who am I suppose to fight n-...?"
*WHACK!*
"Bwagh...!" I feel an intense pain in the side of my body, and the dull sensation numbs me to the feeling of flying all across the stadium and crash on the wall of the arena, rolling on the ground a little dizzy. What the hell~, that wasn't nice at all, dipshit! I blink once, regain consciouness, and jump myself up to the figure next to the referee, a tall individual wearing robes and with wild and long violet hair where to horn sprouts. Is he my new challenger?! "Hey dipshit, I didn't hear any bells!"
"Shut up." He simply exclaims.
"[AND AS FAST AS HE GOES, HERE STARTS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MATCH FOR OUR NEWBIE! AND, OH NO, IN HER FIRST DAY, SHE HAD TO BUMP INTO ONE OF OUR PROMISING NEWBIES AS WELL! QUIET AND STURDY AS A MOUNTAIN, THIS ONI WRECKS THE LAND LIKE A HURRICANE YET IS AS SILENT AS A FOREST! EACH OF HIS STEPS CAUSES EARTHQUAKES, AND THE MIGHT OF HIS KANABOU SPLITS OCEANS! STANDING 2M TALL AND MEASURING ALMOST 20CM, THE QUIET ABOMINATION... ROBERT DOWNEY JU-ONI]!"
"Second match, huh? Whatever, I can take it. Bring it on, then." I say with a small against that massive oni guy, his black kanabou hanging from his shoulder and his stance being quite intimidating. Unlike the old crow, this guy is massive and dangerous-looking, despite the pretty face. Oh well, I can always pull the trigger and then finish this one in a bl-... Where's my gun? "A-Ah...? What the...?"
"Looking for this?" I turn back to the Oni guy by the other side, and gasped seeing my exorcist pistol in his possession, his massive fingers holding it like it was a toy of a sorts. No response from me, he picks the pistol, aims at his own head and pulls the trigger. Bang! The bullet goes, and there was reaction from his stoic face. He pulls the trigger again, and again the gun shots, and again no reaction. He shots and shots until the reserve chamber was emptied, and removing the barrel from his face, six bullets fall from his unscathed cheek, all compressed like tin cans. To put salt into the wound, the oni crushes the pistol with his bare fingers and tosses the remains away. "Child's play."
"Tch..." I clench my teeth. Iron skin, eh? I swear, those supernatural creatures are starting to get annoying fast! The oni guy then swats his kanabou and prepares himself for a clash. With nothing else at my hands, I simply adopt a battle stance.
"I'm sorry, but I'm really pissed at what you did in your first match. And trust me, when I'm pissed, I can be really shitty..." He comments, his tone is stoic but every word coming from his mouth just emanates hatred. "I'm not as honourable as master Uzasaki(George Crowney's real name), so even if you apologize, I won't hear any of it. Face this as a just desserts..."
And I try to take some distance from us, but in another leap, he closes it in a blink and lifts his metal weapon at me, ready for a strike! No weapon to protect myself with, I can only dodge!
"... And get wrecked, punk." He says, swinging his weapon down. "This massacre won't last... Even two seconds."
*DOOOOOOOOON...!*
*VOOSH!*
"Dodging won't do you any good, you little...!"
*SOCK!*
"Gh...!" First, dodge the attack, and as he recovers for a counter, sock him right in the jaw to make his brain pinball all over the place in his skull.
*DON!*
"KH...!" And as his senses goes awry, an uppercut to bumo his brain back and forth and shut down his nervous system, giving him the feeling of a concussion. And then...
*KICK!*
"Bwah...!" Just to make sure, a roundhouse kick to simply stop the chaos and turn his head into mush. He gasps, he trembles, and he falls down with his kanabou, unconcious, a vicious knockout.
It really lasted two seconds.
...
"[AND SHE IS UNBEATABLE, SHE IS UNSTOPPABLE! THE NEWBIE JUST KNOCKED ANOTHER ONE IN THE SPAM OF LESS THAN A MINUTE! I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MUCH BLOODSHED AND SAVAGERY IN ALL OF MY CAREER AS AN ANNOUNCER! Although I'm in this gig for like a week or so, BUT ANYWAY! THE SECOND MATCH GOES TO THE NEWBIE JULIA!]"
"Jackpot." I laugh, again receiving praises, another fat stack of cash and dreams of a junk food paradise, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
I accept another chance at the arena, but this time I prepare myself for any upcoming attack! Only to receive none. Instead, I hear steps coming from the corridor leading to the centre of the arena. Suddenly, the lights die down and the only source of illumination is the one above the stadium, making a puddle of shadows at my feet.
I turn to the approaching steps, and from the shadows emerged another figure: this time, a feminine figure just a bit taller than I am, wearing someone I can only describe as a red bellydancer attire, black shoes and wearing a veil concealing the lower part of her face and part of her head, only showing a pair of purple eyes. Oh, a girl~... I actually don't like fighting chicks...
"[And now, silence for the newest yet most vicious fighter we had so far. Her body and charm might be attractive, but beware young lads and lasses, she has shown no mercy for her opponents, burning everything with her curves and flames. Is the fluttering in your chest a sign of love in the air or the late sign that she already got you?! Coming for the third assault, standing 174cm and measuring B90-W54-H83, the burning dancer, SCATHACH SKYE]!"
Seriously, how they know this kinda stuff?!
"Very well, miss Julia, miss Bina. Same old rules, make the opponent surrender or knock them out. No killing or maiming, and backstories short of 1K words." The Tanuki recalls the rules once again after gathering us around, but all I can do is stare at my opponent: big boobs, scandalous outfit, resting bitch face. It pisses me off a little. Once that was over, he claps his hands and walks away. "Okay okay, fight fair and square! Good luck and begin!"
*VOOSH!*
"Oh." And I waste no time: in order to avoid her pulling any tricks, I start the match with a swift kick to try to dislocate her jaw. Her reaction was faster, and she dodged my foot if just for a little. Still, I can't stop, losing no beat to release a barrage of kicks against her. "Fierce, rabid. Don't dislike it though."
"You don't know half of it!" I say, stomping hard now to try to punch her! Her movements are swift and gracious, looks like she's dancing, dodging all off my moves! In one final jump, she skips away and makes a pose, clearly a way to piss me off. I mimic her to mock her instead. "Feeling lucky yet, punk? Truth be told, I dislike fighting chicks. No sexism or prejudice on it, it just doesn't feel right to throw hands with them. But... If you wanna, I will do it just for you."
"Gladly." She whistles, and with a snap of her fingers, a magic rune appears on her hand and from it came a crimson fireball! Fast, but not fast enough! I jump to a side to dodge the flamming sphere and dashed at her for another kick! I leap, I aim at her throat and one hit in it to end this! As I was about to hit her most vulnerable and soft spot... Suddenly, my foot stops in midair, and then I can see it: she created a barrier around her body, which expanded and pushed me away! "Brute."
"Whoa! Not bad! Seems that I can go all out as well, huh? Just a warning: I don't wanna hear any complains or whining when I'm done!" I joke, a finger lifted and a wink to lecture her. Instead, she clapped her hands together and started to gesture some weird hand signs. It didn't take long for me to realize what those were! "Wait, Ninjits-...?"
"Ninja art: Burning plum!" And she lifts her veil to blow from her mouth a true inferno of pink flames, this time spreading like a wildfire on the floor and reaching for me like a flood! Shit, think fast! I turn to a side, saw the kanabou that oni guy left and without losing a second, I picked it up and buried on the floor, now standing on the upper half to avoid the flames! Soon enough, it stopped, and she coughed one last breath of fire before putting her veil again. Holy shit, not just standard magic, but ninjitsu as well? "Ufuuu~. Not good enough. Needs more practice."
*DON!*
"Ugh...!" And I can't lose any more time. It's all cool and stuff, but if this goes on, I have the feeling I might regret playing with her! So I return to the ground, pick the oni metal bat and toss it at her direction, missing her for a few centimeters! However, that was just a distraction, as while she was dazed by the massive weapon clash, I ran towards her and sock her right on the cheek, seeing how she winces in pain! Get some! "You..."
"Squishy much? You mages need to put more points in endurance!" I laugh, punching her again and this time drawing some blood. Before her body could touch the ground though, one of her hands reach for me and grab me by the wrist, not to just pull herself back standing, but also to come closer and punch me right on the chest! Hah, it didn't even hurt! "... And maybe some more in strength as well! Maybe it's my time to say that you need to get a bit more humb-...!"
*TING!*
"Huh...?" But then, as she removes herself from me, I notice a small drawing glowing from where she hit me. Wait, no, that's no ordinary drawing, that's a magic rune! She lets go off me, steps away and then snaps her fingers. The moment she did so, the rune locked on me started to glow brighter and brighter, and it got hot for some reason. "No good...!"
"Kauna: Ignation." She recites, but I'm not going to stay here and watch whatever the hell she has stored for me! I discard my jacket it and throw it in the air, right on time for it to simply glow and then explode in a show of lights, fire spreading through it from the rune into the landed on the floor as nothing but ashes. Fucking metal, so she's a mage of a sorts, makes sense I guess. I prepare a pose and ready myself to continue this brawl, but then she lifts a hand. "Hm... Say, you. Wanna be partners? Be part of my peerage."
"Hah?" I stop. Wait, what did she say? Be part of her peerage? Isn't that what they call the members of a devil's round of subordinates, reincarnated as devils by the Evil Piece system? I remember a quick lecture about it, how high-class devils would receive magic items to reincarnate other beings into devils as their servants and lackeys, an idea to counter the ever growing natality and population problems in the devil society that someone turned into a gladiator game. That doesn't matter now, but she did say she wants me to be part of her peerage? Her famiglia? So that means she's a devil, I guess.
"You, strong, reliable, quick and smart. Good candidate for a piece. Wanna be partners?" She repeats, lifting a hand to hand it to me. Me, a devil? I don't think so. "Came here, to find possible pieces. Strong people, turn into devils, have lots of fun. You seem nice. Wanna be part of my peerage?"
"Tempting... But I'll have to say 'no'." I shrug. "Despite my behaviour, I'm still a good christian(lol) girl, so literally dealing with a devil is not my thing at all. I already have a pretty swell master, I do what I want as an exorcist, and honestly, being someone else's lackey is not my forte, sorry to say that."
"Aw~." She whines. Despite the veil covering her mouth, I can imagine she's pouting to my answer. How sad, but I won't give in for that either. Nothing wrong in being a devil but doesn't sit well with me.
"Aw, don't do that face. I know how it feels." I sigh. "After all, I'm looking for someone too."
Yes, even all this time... I'm still looking for a certain someone...
"Oh well. Tried. Seems I can go. All out." She murmurs. I didn't understand much at the beginning, but the moment she snapped her fingers again and several runes appeared behind her, plus a small string of flames she held like a sword, I notice that she is now getting serious! Oh well, time to get serious as well, then!
"You wanna go? I can go! Bring it on!" I laughed, and from my back houster, I picked the thing I was just going to sell to pay for some more burgers! A golden and silver hilt with a cross-shaped pommel and just the small fragment of a silver blade by the other side! A broken sword's hilt! That's... That's all I got, really. "Come at me, bro!"
"Gladly." She says, and with a command, all of her runes fire at the same time missiles and pillars of flames, so massive and strong, I could feel the heat even from this distance. In a moment, she reached and engulfed me in their burning, revolving and turning around me to surround me in a pillar of crimson fire! But still... It's not enough! I slash the flames with the broken sword and then it all cleaned in a moment, leaving no traces, not even the heat. The dancer by the other side gasps. "Whaaaaat~...?"
"Have at thee, too!" I exclaim, and before she could try anything again, I swing my weapon at her, and from the broken blade, small particles of light gurl towards her, reaching for he runes and breaking them like glass without any effort! Yeah, get some!
"You... This thing... A holy object. No?" She deduces, correctly I say, and for that, I nod. It doesn't need a genius to figure what I hold is not a normal broken hilt, but its not just a special broken hilt either...
Everybody knows what happened to the fragments of the Excalibur sword, the strongest holy sword in existence, shattered in several pieces and turned into their own set of holy swords; everybody knows what happened what happened to the scabbard of Excalibur, the shield of absolute defense and healing, secured in the church before a true wielder could be born to claim it...
However, whatever happened to the Hilt, the one thing that held the massive power of the holiest of holy swords? Well, let's just say that, even with all the bullshit fights between the protestant and catholic church, they agreed that each one should hold at least a part of one of their most sacred weapon as a treat of peace and brotherhood. So while the catholic had the scabbard and fragments, the protestant got hold of the hilt... The hilt that it is mine now!
Yes, I am Katarina Adams, the wielder of the Holy hilt that carries the blade of heavens!
Did I just spend a chapter talking about a new character? Yes, yes I did. hahahah! It didn't even feel like a dxd fic, now, did it?
Hello, DxD fandom! How's it going? Well, I guess. And now, we have a small pause from Kyoto to see what the hell is going on back in Kuoh, specifically, the two troublemakers who just landed on our dear city and are already finding trouble around while our Ichijou and friends just laze around and sightsee in dear Kyoto and get closer to cute foxes! What a change, plus, getting to know a new face, the dear childhoodfriend... Who took almost 100 chapters to make a proper appearance, wth.
Oh well, thanks for reading up to this point. Don't worry, we'll be back to the Kyoto arc soon enough, and in the meantime, we won't forget about Berolina's half either. So I hope you had a good read, stay safe and don't forget to R&R!
THE MAJO: Natalia "Tasha" Campbell.
- Berolina Gremory's dear first Bishop. She's 17-y/o and her anniversary is June 6th. She's also irish and the second bustiest member of Berolina's peerage.
- A troublemaking witch who had an arrogant spark during her travels, she was traveling around the world in order to broad her magical knowledge and test her strengths. It was during those moments she bumped into Kuoh and the red dragon and the rest is history.
- She's part of thr Campbell clan of bookmen. Bookmen are magical historians whose main objectives is to broad the concept of magical and their intricacies. The Campbell are bookmen specialized in fire magic, therefore she's able to learn any form of fire spells.
- The oldest amoung a large number of siblings, none of them are related by blood since everyone, including Tasha herself, are adopted. They still love their parents and each other very much, and once or twice she writes for them. And they know she's a devil now.
- Has a beautiful singing voice, but the bad habit of biting her tongue, which is dangerous for a spellcaster. Her broken speech is the result of that.
- She really loves her peerage and sees them as their little siblings... Without blood boundaries of course. She wears ichijou's underwear and shirts when she can.
- Her name, Natalia, is specifically written and chosen to optimize her fire affinity. She can use other kinds of spells, but compare to her mastery over flames, they'll be infinitely weaker.
- A nice cute witch girl, she wears her hat still. Good to protect her against UV lights and the heat of the flames.