Chapter 2
"" - Speech
'' - Thought
"" - Distorted
{} – Metatron
[] - Albion
The majority of the island's residents were either those very demons, researchers, or those with special powers recognized by the city. The demons that were the object of research were of course included as well.
The demonic races cooperating with the management of the special district were in turn accorded residential rights, the same as human beings, and were permitted to study, work, and live their lives.
Itogami City was a model city of communal existence between demonic races and mankind— Or, perhaps, a giant, caged laboratory.
"—Crap, wish they'd at least do something about the heat." Ayato cursed as he Ayato couldn't suppress the smile on his face resisting as he walked back from the station with the Sun and it's scorching heat with all of his might.
On this hot, humid island, the body felt the heat more than the thermometer level indicated. In a certain sense, the wind heated by the midsummer ocean's surface was harder to deal with than hot desert winds. Never mind vampires being weak in the sun—this was a pretty harsh environment even for regular humans.
Ayato's home was about fifteen minutes away from the family restaurant by monorail. However, the small change in Ayato's wallet meant he had no choice but to hoof it. Bathed in the setting sun, feeling like his skin was going to burn to a crisp, he walked along the seaside shopping mall. And, checking behind him with a casual motion, he made an unamused snort.
"I'm being followed…aren't I?" A lone girl was walking about fifty meters behind Ayato. It was the girl with the bass guitar case over her shoulder that he'd seen when he left the family restaurant.
That she had a ribbon around her neck instead of a necktie marked her as a junior high school student.
He couldn't place the face. While she was pretty, she gave off an aura like that of a stray cat unused to having people around her.
Perhaps she wasn't used to the short skirt, but her movements threatened to leave her dangerously unguarded from time to time.
The girl was maintaining a constant distance from Ayato, walking at a pace that matched his own.
When Ayato stopped, she stopped, too, hiding behind a roadside tree.
All the same, she showed no sign of coming to speak to him. She was clearly tailing him. Furthermore, she had apparently not meant for Kojou to notice.
"…A friend of Keiko's maybe?" Ayato weighed various possibilities and came up with a conclusion. Keiko Hosokawa aka Hiryu, Ayato's Older sister by seven years, was a Nurse as well and A Attack Mage. A high school student he'd never seen before taking an interest in him was likeliest to have some relation to his big sister.
But he had no idea why she didn't just talk to him if that was the case. Tailing someone under this burning sun couldn't be a fun thing to do. No, to be frank, there was indeed one other reason why someone Kojou didn't know might be following him around. He just didn't want to think about the possibility.
"Guess I'd better check, at least…" This said, Ayato entered a shopping mall he'd noticed.
His destination was a video game arcade near the entrance to the mall. He didn't know why the girl with the guitar case was following him, but Ayato was wondering what she'd do if he went into a store. And as it turned out, the girl was clearly thrown off.
She forgot about hiding herself and stopped right outside the store, seemingly having lost her way. She didn't want to lose Ayato, but if she did go into the shop herself, the odds of coming face-to-face with him were fairly high.
That was no good, either. She was caught between two conflicting interests. No, more accurately, it was simpler than that; this strange and unfamiliar place called an "arcade" had her on her guard. That's what it looked like. The sight of the girl standing all alone in front of a beat-up shopping mall at sunset gave Ayato a vaguely miserable feeling. As he observed her from the other side of a crane game cabinet, Ayato was assaulted by guilt, as if he'd horribly wronged her.
"…"
Making a long sigh, Ayato reluctantly went back out on the street. It wasn't like he could remain in hiding forever, so he figured he'd try talking to her instead. But, unfortunately, it seemed that the guitar case girl had thought of the same thing herself. The instant Ayato tried to go outside, the girl entered the shop with a determined look on her face, encountering him right at the entrance. For a few moments, their gazes met without a word between them.
Somehow the guitar case girl was the one to react first. "Descendant of the Fifth Primogenitor or The Vanishing Dragon!" As the girl shouted in a nervous voice, she adopted a stance with a lower center of gravity. Up close she still looked like a pretty girl, but that only made Ayato feel even more dejected. With that one utterance just now, he knew very well the reason why she'd been following him. She was searching for the Hybrid known as the "Descendant of the Fifth Primogenitor!".
She didn't seem to be a demon after the life of a "Descendant of the Fifth Primogenitor! or The Vanishing Dragon!" or some kind of bounty hunter, but there was no doubt she was a troublesome opponent. No one sane was part of a group that would address Ayato as "the Descendant of the Fifith Primogenitor or The Vanishing Dragon!."
For only a moment, Ayato silently pondered what in the world to do. "Oh! Mi dispiace! Auguri!" And suddenly he spread both his arms in an exaggerated gesture. As Ayato recited foreign words he barely remembered, the guitar case girl looked up at him, dumbfounded.
"Huh?"
"I am…an Italian passing through. I do not…know Japanese very well. Ciao! Arrivederci! Grazie! Grazie!" Yelling such things rapid-fire, Kojou quickly made his escape. He slipped past the side of the dumbstruck Pink-eyes girl and left the store. A moment later…
"Wha…?! Wait, Ayato Hosokawa!" Suddenly regaining her senses, the girl called out Ayato's name loud and clear.
Annoyed, Ayato looked over his shoulder with a grimace. He'd inherited the title of the White Dragon Emperor a mere Six Years prior. Since he'd worked hard to conceal it, only a very small number of people knew of the fact. At the very least, here in Itogami City, only a single person besides Ayato himself should have known that Ayato Hiryu was the Dragon of Supermacy.
"Who the hell are you?" Ayato glared at the girl to display his wariness. The girl returned Ayato's gaze with serious eyes, replying with a hard, somewhat grown-up voice.
"I'm a Sword Shaman of The Lion King Agency . By the command of the Three Saints of The Lion King Agency, I have come on assignment to watch over the Vanishing Dragon."
Ha, thought Ayato, listening to the girl's words with a stale face. He had no idea what the girl was saying. Lion King Agency. Sword Shaman.
He'd never heard of those terms before. The only thing conveyed was that his premonition that this was trouble had been exceedingly prescient.
Utterly perplexed as to how to deal with this, Ayato finally decided to act like he hadn't heard any of it.
"Ah… Sorry. You've got the wrong guy. Go try someone else."
"Eh? Wrong guy? Eh…?"
Ayato had found himself embarrassed at the way his two friends had been ogling some of the girls who had been working at a cosplay café they had stopped at for lunch, having to hit both of them on the head so they would stop before the topic had been turned onto him and Stella as they had caught sight of the picture in his wallet from the previous day.
{Watch out Ayato-kun, there's a Fallen Angel about} Metatron spoke up; Ayato not bothering to look around as he prepared to send his bag to his pocket dimension so it wouldn't hinder him.
[He's right ahead of you now] Albion replied with a soft growl, Ayato mentally nodding back as he started to see the man wearing a suit waiting before him as he continued walking. Feeling the killing intent from him only made Ayato start to draw up his demonic energy in low levels to avoid alerting Dohnaseek who spoke
"This is rare. To meet someone like you in a place like this." The Fallen Angel started to walk forwards after Ayato came to a halt several feet away, hands still in his pockets as he continued
"What, not going to run away? Who is your Master? It must be a person with a very low rank or with a weird hobby to choose this place as a territory. So, who is your Master?" Ayato sent his bag to his pocket dimension as he slowly removed his hands from his pockets as he replied
"I have no master…"
"Oh so you are a Stray…? Well that makes things easier" Dohnaseek spoke amused, black feathered wings emerged from his back while holding his hand out at the side as light started to gather and form into a spear.
[Kick his ass]
{This Fallen One is nothing compared to you} Albion and Metatron spoke, Ayato smirking softly as he spoke
"Yeah…but it won't end like you think it will" Dohnaseek looked confused as he threw his light spear at Ayato, missing as the brunet sidestepped the attack much to the ire of the Fallen Angel who formed another spear in his hands and threw it quickly. Ayato covered both his hands in [Sky Flames] before making them flare as he used a burst of speed to dodge it and charge forwards too fast to be seen by the low level Fallen Angel before slamming a fist into Dohnaseek's stomach making him bend forwards and hissed in pain.
"A Knight…" He clutched his stomach with one hand while making a spear of light appear in the other as Ayato dodged with his flames again as he threw a fist into the small of Dohnaseek's back, making a loud crack echo as Ayato replied with a small smirk
"No…"Ayato jumped to dodge the wild swing Dohnaseek launched in an attempt to hit him with his light spear, Ayato summoning his Sirenia to his hand as he descended from the air and swung the blade, pale blue energy forming over it as he declared
"[Divider!]" Dohnaseek's eyes widened in disbelief as the sword easily cut through his body from shoulder to opposite hip, blood spurting out as Ayato swung the sword to the side to fling the blood off his weapon as the Fallen Angel collapsed face first onto the ground as Ayato make his black Katana disappear into nothingness.
Ayato took a relaxing breathe as he noticed the Fallen Angel's power disappear, a soft frown forming as Metatron spoke up {We should get going before Minamiya and Gremory shows up}
'Right' Ayato replied before flying home with his Divine Dividing to avoid running into Gremory and Natsuki.
A minute passed in the silent street before two glowing crimson and Purple magic circles appeared, Rias Gremory and stepping out of it as she declared "Don't you dare-Oh…"
She stopped surprised as she looked at the dead Fallen Angel, her eyes looking around to see no sign of the Young man and only blood around the Fallen Angel. She had sensed him under attack but now that she had appeared to save him she found herself confused at why he wasn't there as she muttered what she believed was the only option for her, what she believed was, unknowing her. "Maybe someone knows how to protect himself then…"
She decided that tomorrow would be the best day to introduce Ayato to her group and Family, hoping to draw out whoever had protected him from the Fallen Angel and see if they were being a danger or not to her group.
…
"Young Lightning!" The girl's beautiful eyebrows raised high, she chanted a spell; the next moment, the body of the man who'd laid his hand on her skirt was blown away with enough force to flip a truck.
Probably an open palm strike, he thought. But whatever had actually occurred, there was no way Ayato had an accurate understanding of it. What he did understand was that with a single blow, the small girl's thrusting arms had blown a grown man away. He hadn't felt any flow of magic. He had not sensed the work of spirits. Of the remaining possibilities, some kind of qigong or arcane art perhaps. At any rate, there was no question the girl had considerable skill. Ayato surmised that the girl might be much older than she appeared to be, but he immediately corrected himself: No, couldn't be.
There wasn't— couldn't be—any long-lived species that would wear cute panties like that. The man who'd been blown away seemed to be some kind of anthropomorph; in other words, a werewolf or close cousin thereof. Though he didn't seem all that powerful, his physical strength and toughness still far surpassed that of a human being. Yet receiving a single blow from a delicate girl had sent him smashing into a wall, from which he did not move.
"This brat's an Attack Mage—?!" The other man had been in shock, and finally shouted once he regained his senses. Counter-Demon Attack Mage was a catchall term for human beings who possessed various skills, such as sorcery and spiritual power, to oppose demonkind. Be they employed by armies, police S.W.A.T. units, private security corporations, or yet other organizations, they belonged to many groups, and the skills they used came in numerous varieties, but whatever the case, there was no doubt they were the worst enemies of demonkind. No small number of Attack Mages made a living exclusively as demon hunters, much like assassins. Of course, in the Demon Sanctuary of Itogami City, the activities of Attack Mages were as strictly regulated as those of demons. At the very least, one didn't get attacked just for talking to a girl on the side of the road.
"Snowdrift Wolf—!" That said, Yukina drew something from the guitar case she carried over her back. It was no musical instrument, but a silver spear with an icy sparkle. In an instant, the spear's shaft slid longer, and at the same time, the main blade stored within thrust out as a spear tip. Side blades extended to the left and right of the main blade like the wings of a variable-geometry fighter plane. Its appearance was that of a weapon refined for modern times.
Yukina used it to kill some of the priests in the Church in 5 minutes.
"The upper echelon of the Lion King Agency has spoken. When this mission is over, you shall be Killed. But before that, I shall have you serve as Her vessel for but a short time."
"Her…?" Ting went the sharp reverberation ringing in Reynella's ear, making her expression freeze over. Kiriha's weapon was no simple spear.
It was an amplifier for concentrating and releasing ritual spells. But this can't be—! thought Reynella, bewildered. It was not Kiriha's ritual energy being released via the forked spear, but rather, something more distant. It was powerful demonic energy, an ancient power, one that probably rivaled a vampire primogenitor's—
"This power… Don't tell me it's…the Holy priestess?! You're saying Asia is Her vessel…?!" Realizing Reynella's true objective, Yukina swung Snowdrift Wolf upward. But that was where Reynella's movement came to a halt. The angelic energy unleashed by the silver spear had smashed the Fallen Angel's mental wall, seizing control of Reynella's mind. She had taken over Reynella's physical body.
"Why…are you…doing this…?!" Amid her paper-thin consciousness, Reynella desperately wove the words. Yukina faintly frowned and shook her head.
Ayato was walking by the church His eyebrows rose as he belatedly noticed something that had fallen onto the street. It was a simple wallet, with a red border around a white background. It was split into two parts, one for bills and one for small change. The part for bills held several one-thousand-yen bills, and one ten-thousand-yen bill. It was a large enough amount of money to make Ayato jealous, but not enough to make anyone's eyes dizzy. The card holder had a single credit card and a student ID inserted into it. The student ID had a photo of an beautiful girl's face, and a name inscribed—Yukina Himeragi.
…
Lessons had been fairly normal after Stella's entrance and introduction to the class which had caused a similar reaction from everyone as she had outside. Ayato had been surprised when she had taken the seat on his left by the window.
Currently the quartet,Yaze having never showed up, sat down in the classroom eating there lunches as they chatted with only a few others listening in. Stella had been swamped by questions during the introduction which had brought up how Ayato and Stella had met which they had both decided that the reason given to Ayato's Sister would work and had made several girls sigh dreamily as they looked at him.
The additional attention had made Stella declare that she was living at Ayato's, which had shocked the girls to no end and made them start to ask her more intimate questions in regards to him while the guys glared at him all the fiercer as if he'd done something wrong.
"So how are you enjoying your first day here?" Asagi asked friendly, Stella smiling as she answered with a slight blush
"It's great… I'm only use to having small classes with a handful of others so this is fun and I get to be near to Ayato-san as well… Just wish the guys wouldn't glare at Ayato-san" Yaze smirked to Ayato about to make a joke before another voice broke it
"Hello is Hosokawa Ayato-kun in here" A male voice asked as the blond haired Kiba Yuuto entered the classroom, half of the girls screaming in joy which made Seraphina frown annoyed as she watched him make his way over to Ayato before Yaze retorted in an annoyed tone
"He ain't got nothing you need to speak with him about Kiba so get back to dealing with your fangirls" Kiba smiled regardless as he came to a stop before the group as he spoke
"I need you to come with me…"
"Why…?" Ayato replied annoyed, eating his lunch calmly before Kiba added
"Gremory-sempai wants to talk to you…" Asagi and Yaze looking surprised as Ayato gave his friends an amused look as he retorted
"Geez… rumours spread fast if other girls are starting to come after me" He could see Stella blush and giggle at his comment while Yaze burst out in laughter, Kiba's smile faltered slightly before Ayato continued
"Fine…As long as it's not for some sort of nefarious ritual. I guess I can humour her" Kiba's smile faltered again at the joke while Stella looked concerned at him as he spoke soothingly
"I'll be fine, Stella-san… Don't worry about me" Ayato stood up, tugging on his blazer as he spared a glance to his friends as he added in a joking tone
"If I'm not back before lessons start, come after me with crosses and holy water" Kiba winced at the joke about devils even as Ayato gave him a small smirk while Takeshi nodded as he spoke
"Just make sure you don't lose your marbles before I can kick down the door" Ayato chuckled as he nodded while following Kiba out of the room as his face turned neutral.
…
Ayato slipped his hands into his pockets as he followed Kiba towards the old school building, Albion had been laughing his ass off at what he'd said back to Kiba and an uneasy silence had been left between the two boys as they walked towards there destination.
His eyes roamed over the old school building, taking in how creepy it looks as he heard Metatron speak up {It seems rather fitting for a devil's base from the outside}
'I guess so…I was just expecting the heiress of a Clan to have better taste then something that looks rundown from the outside' Ayato thought back unimpressed as Kiba spoke as he opened the door
"Buchou is here."
Ayato frowned as he followed Kiba inside heading up to the second floor before Kiba spoke again "Buchou, I have brought him"
"Come in." Rias' voice called through the wooden door, Kiba opening the door for Ayato who wandered in and quickly swept his gaze around the room and all the supernatural items and the fact it looked more like a murder scene then anything else as he muttered
"What a grim place you reside in Sempai" Rias frowned from where she stood before her desk, Akeno giggling as she replied
"It's not so bad once you get use to it" Koneko arched and eyebrow at Ayato as Kiba entered, closing the door behind him as Ayato retorted
"Then you obviously need your eyes checked Sempai" Akeno's smile faltered slightly as he continued to look around the room from where he stood near the doorway.
Can we just skip to the part about why you let a Fallen Angel try to kill me rather then try and convince me to be your servant with words before? Actually why let a group of Fallen Angels trespass onto your territory in the first place, Gremory?" Ayato replied with an angry tone, Rias backing up with a look of surprise as Kiba, Akeno and Koneko looked shocked at him as well before realising he was angry with Rias for what had happened to him.
"Y-You knew?" Rias stuttered in shock as Ayato answered in a loud angry tone "How the hell could I not notice it when I have all these new abilities appear overnight, you stupid tomato! And you left me for a bloody week to be what…? Bait for the Fallen Angels you let into your territory so you could appear as the hero and not the selfish bitch just protecting her stuff?" Ayato noticed Kiba getting into a ready stance from out of the side of his vision, Koneko setting down her plate of sweets as well while Ayato clenched both of his hands as he caught sight of Akeno giving him a wary look as well.
"…" Rias tried to speak only to find the words not coming, wondering if that was how she really came across to Ayato, who was taking a deep breathe to calm himself down before adding
"You almost let me get killed and then abandoned me after you try to revive me and if you expect me to be grateful then stop kidding yourself… this is entirely your fault. You may not have pulled the trigger but you certainly set it all up so you would gain from it, didn't you?" Rias felt pain lance her heart at Ayato's words, having originally thought it would be best to let him continue to live normally before she brought him into the supernatural as she spoke
"I-I'm sorry, Hosokawa-kun…" The fact that Ayato didn't look any less angry at her didn't help what she was feeling at the moment as she continued
"You were killed for the fact that you held a…"
"A Sacred Gear, I know that part as well and that's the only reason you even try to revive me isn't it…because I have power and you want it, you spoiled brat" Ayato interrupted in a venomous tone, Rias' face turned depressed even as Akeno spoke in a calming tone
"Hosokawa-kun, calm down…"
{Ayato-kun, please don't…} Metatron spoke soothingly and making Ayato stop drawing up his power.
"I am leaving… I will not allow you to control me or boss me around, Gremory, so deal with it." With that Ayato pushed Kiba out of the way and left, leaving the quartet of devils shaken at what had just happened before them. Rias shook slightly, what plans she had for introducing Ayato into Devil life destroyed with that single meeting as Akeno asked in a concerned tone, shooting a small look of concern at the open door
"Are you alright, Buchou?"
Finally, the sun set, and the night grew late. And morning approached. The bell continued to ring. The bell that he seemed to hear from far away in the past. The Vanishing Dragon dreamed. The moon peering from the broken sky was crimson.
The sky illuminated by the moon, as well. The flames of the ground that enveloped the old castle shone crimson as well. A small shadow stood against that crimson sky.
The shadow bore hair as scarlet as the surging flames, and blazing red eyes. Victory is yours, the shadow announced. White fangs drenched in blood peeked out from her lips. I shall fulfill my promise to your Mother and Aunt, the shadow announced. I shall grant thy wish.
Now it is your turn, the shadow announced. Her eyes were wet. Her shining crimson eyes were wet with tears. It was a nightmare seen many times over. Ayato Hosokawa had a dream. He passed the night in shallow sleep. And morning came.
…
Ayato panted as he held a bronze bladed scimitar with an orange cross-guard and hilt in each hand, the last of the small shadow creatures he'd been sent to destroy turning into dust at hands to the Angelic weapon [Israfel] which had came from his [Heavenly Judgement] Sacred Gear. Currently he was standing in a field somewhere in France, well out of range of being sensed by anyone who knew him as he turned to one of the three hulking eight foot monsters made out of shadow with glowing red eyes that was the leader of the group.
{You are doing great, Aya-kun…} Metatron spoke proudly, Ayato jumping back to avoid a giant fist slamming into the ground where he had been standing before Albion added
[Watch out about its shadow... It'd probably be better to hit it from range]
The blades shone in a mixture of bronze and silver-white as Ayato unleashed a cross shaped slash of holy aura which cut through the shadow giant before having to roll out of the way of several spikes of shadows where he had been standing.
"[Ramiel!]" Ayato called, both Scimitars disappearing in a burst of light particles which then started to gather around his right hand and forming into a curved bow made out of blue crystal with a gold grip and thin gold drawstring that was barely noticeable to others aside from him.
He drew back the drawstring with his left hand as he took aim, a bolt of white lightning forming into an arrow as he took a calming breathe to steady his aim on the torso of the second giant shadow monster as he let loose.
The bolt of lightning shot out, easily covering the distance to Ayato's opponent and make a large hole in there body while sparks of white lightning flew over the rest of its body before it collapsed backwards started to fall apart before firing a second arrow at the last and destroyed its head.
Taking a relaxed breathe, Ayato relaxed his stance as he looked around for any other shadow monsters, moving his free hand to press against the earpiece part of his mask as he spoke
"Matsu-san, I'm dealt with these things…Are there any others around? You did say this was only a quick job?"
(Hm... Oh you're cleared them out so come back now and I can give you the money for this job) Natsuki replied with an absentminded tone as if talking to Seraphina in the background at the same time.
"I get paid for this…?" Ayato asked surprised, Natsuki chuckling as she replied
(Well this is just like a Devil's contract but unofficial so you deserve a reward for helping out. Although I can help you get more points as a Devil to let them know your from the Sparda Clan so it would all link back to you) Ayato nodded in understanding to himself even as he winced as he noticed the injury to the inside of his right thigh where he had been stabbed by a shadow lance earlier.
[We can fix that up when we get back] Albion muttered, Ayato dismissing [Ramiel] from his hand and settling his aura back to be pure demonic before pulling out a piece of paper with a magic circle on it. Channelling a bit of magic into the circle, which soon formed underneath his feet before glowing brightly as he was transported back to Matsu's laboratory to see Seraphina and Matsu looking over magazines while the latter whispered things which made the former blush before turning to see him hobble over to a seat as she spoke shocked
"Ayato-san, you're injured?"
"I'll be fine in a moment, just have to sit down and fix this wound" Ayato spoke as he slumped back into a seat before starting to pull the leg of his slacks up so he could see the stab wound. In a few moments it was fixed with the help of a modest dose of [Sun Flames, Stella checking him over for any other damage to the battle clothes he was wearing before Matsu spoke with a teasing smile
"He'll be fine. Ayat-tan's important parts are protecting in those clothes so it's only a minor injuries you need to look out for… Here this is your pay" Ayato was surprised as she handed him a roll of bills, blinking for a moment as Natsuki explained
"I have a few friends who run guilds and so for a small fee I can link into there systems and get you jobs they have posted there. Those shadow beasts were let lose by some stray magician and had been attacking villages and killing farm stock. The magician hasn't been seen since those beasts showed up so no one is sure what happened yet"
"Wow…Thanks" Ayato spoke as he accepted it, changing back to his school uniform before handing Matsu the slacks only for her to give him a look as she spoke
"You can fix those easily with [Cloud Flames] right?"
"Oh yeah… There [Propagation] factor would increase the number of strands and as long as I manage to fix it right"
"No… I mean you can just cut the pant leg off above the hole and grow the rest of the leg back undamaged" Natsuki spoke amused, Ayato scratching the back of his head at how he was overcomplicated things as he started to work on it as he asked
"How did you know what happened between me and Gremory?"
"I have numerous camera bots flying around the town so I know if there's any danger around, also you wouldn't believe some of the stuff you manage to see. Nice job on the Fallen Angel yesterday evening, Gremory didn't even know that it was you."
"How are you doing with messing with the [Evil Pieces] and seal data from inside me?" Ayato asked, Matsu sighing annoyed as she answered
"They are so complicated and Beelzebub made them with so many other features trying to break the limitation of your [Promotion] is hard to find let alone change. The seals on the other hand I've already cracked so once I give the info to your spirits they can release your power when your body can handle it"
"How's our guest?" Ayato asked fixing up what other scuffs that was on his clothes as Matsu shrugged as she replied
"No changes on that front but her injuries are pretty much healed. So now we just have to wait for her to wake up"
"Right" Ayato spoke as he stood up, rolling his shoulders as Matsu held out a pair of thick silver bangles, the inside of each was covered in runes and had a simple press lock at part of the ring, explaining as she noticed his confused look
"Figured it was time to give them a rest so those will suppress your aura so not even a Maou can figure out your nothing more then just a normal Devil but you might have some trouble accessing your non demonic powers"
"More then a Devil like…?" Stella asked confused and shocked, Matsu looking to her before glancing to Ayato as she asked
"You haven't told her yet?"
"I can't just casually bring up my… you know… in conversation, Naruto-san" Ayato spoke annoyed, Matsu rolling her eyes as she retorted
"You trust her enough to let her meet with me and live with you so I thought you would, plus there shouldn't be any secrets between bed mates" Ayato blushed at the perverted demigod's words, Seraphina looking embarrassed and confused as Albion spoke amused
[I worry some times how much Matsu finds out about us] Ayato mentally nodded in agreement to the white dragon, noticing Seraphina was looking confused as he asked Matsu annoyed
"Have you been watching me at home?"
"Maybe~" Matsu spoke with a cat like grin, Ayato chewing his bottom lip before sighing as he retorted seriously
"Don't put cameras inside my home…! Otherwise I'll trash that satellite cannon thing you are working on"
"Alright… spoilsport…" Matsu replied with a depressed air, Stella tapping Ayato on the shoulder as she asked
"What did Matsu-san mean about being more then a devil?"
"If I tell you, you've got to promise me that no one will find out without my consent, Stella-san… and please don't treat me any different" Ayato spoke nervously, surprising the Crimson haired Princess who nodded seriously as she replied
"Of course, Ayato-san, I won't tell a soul" Ayato smiled then, leaning to whisper what his true nature was and source of it into her ear. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in what the brunet had told her, Ayato taking a step back from her only to be surprised as she hugged his head tightly to her chest as she spoke in a caring tone
"I understand why you wanted to hide that, Ayato-san… and I won't tell anyone unless you say so" Natsuki giggled, breaking the pair apart with embarrassed looks as Ayato turned to take the first bangle and placed it on his wrist before pressing both ends together as a loud click was heard as it locked around his wrist, quickly doing the same on his other wrist as he muttered
"You based these on Shadow's didn't you?" Stella nodded with an amused smile, watching Ayato moved them slightly on his wrists till they were comfortable and then mentally asked
'Are they working, Metatron, Albion?'
{Yes…They seem to be holding back your Angel and Vampire and most of the Dragon's aura and there seems to be a mental switch to change it to hold back your Devil side instead} Metatron spoke with a relaxed tone, Ayato wondering if that was alright as Albion soon adding
[Of course some Dragon aura is normal for those who has Dragon based Sacred Gears so that's fine]
"Looks like they are working, I can't pick up the minor levels of Angelic aura you use to release now. You need both to hide it all otherwise just one would've screw up yours and there sensing ability" Natsuki spoke with an approving nod, glancing to Stella who was looking him over embarrassed as Matsu added
"I've also added a perception filter spell so they won't be easily noticed by others unless you point them out or pop them off"
"Right…" Ayato nodded understandingly, tugging down the sleeves of his shirt and blazer to conceal the bangles from view as Natsuki grinned at seeing something amusing on the screen and speaking
"Looks like I've got a customer so just relax down here for now"
Ayato sighed as he lay on his bed and staring at the ceiling. Matsu had given Metatron and Albion the details to undoing the seal that Rias had placed on him and they had chosen to release some more power for him to control meaning he was channelling two normal [Pawns] worth of power rather then just one. He'd quickly concluded that his whole body had felt lighter and stronger before the gravity seals and Heavenly Dragon ice Armour adjusted themselves to his new power and reasserted itself on his body and he had noticed an huge increase in his magic reserves.
"Are you alright, Ayato-san?" Stella asked with concerned from where she lied next to him, her hand brushing against the sealing bangle on his wrist as Ayato gave her a smile as he answered
"Yeah… Thanks for not treating me any differently after I told you about that" Stella smiled brightly as she moved up against him before speaking softly
"Ayat-san, I don't care what you are… You're still the kind, helpful and Strong person who defeated me. Even if you are an Angel, Devil, Vampire, Soul Reaper Blazer or Human it doesn't change who you are here" She rested her hand over his heart, making Ayato blush as he found himself staring into her eyes as he swallowed what saliva was in his mouth. It took him a moment to realise he'd moved closer to her and that his hands were resting gently on her hips while Stella's free hand had reached up to cup his cheek.
"Stella -san…" Ayato spoke with a soft nervousness. Stella blushed cutely as she subconsciously licked her lips as she drew closer. There lips were about to meet before the sound of a phone ringing broke the silence. Ayato sighed annoyed as he moved to grab his phone, missing Stella pouting as he arched an eyebrow at the message he got from Matsu as he groaned
"What wrong…?" Stella asked curious, Ayato shaking his head as he replied embarrassed
"Matsu-san has the worst timing in the world and she put 'Just kiss her already!'" Seraphina blushed as she covered her face with her hands as she asked shocked and embarrassed
"Wha? B-But how…? The curtains are shut"
"I have no idea…" Ayato replied embarrassed, putting his phone on the bedside table before lying back down and rubbing the bridge of his nose while Stella Vermillion bael phenex settled to hug Ayato's side.
…
"Why did you ask me to come up here, Kiba?" Ayato spoke annoyed as he stepped out onto the roof the next day. It was currently lunch and he'd been wary to go with the blonde devil until he found out that he just wanted to talk. Seraphina had wanted to come along to make sure Kiba wasn't up to something but Ayato had told her he would be fine before kissing her on the cheek and sending the class into shock and gossips again.
"You know I hated devils when I first became one. I was taught to believe they were evil beings and it took Buchou and her family to show me I was wrong" Kiba spoke as he stood atop of the roof of the school, Ayato leaning against the railings as he looked out over the grounds, remembering the short time he spent with Misaki as he replied seriously
"I don't hate devils, Kiba… I hate Gremory for what she allowed to happen to me just to get a another servant against my will" Kiba looked at him surprised before nodding to himself for a moment as he replied
"Would you have believed her if she'd approached you before you were attacked?"
"Of course not, you idiot… I was an A Rank who training for the Seven star Sword art Festival now I can't even share my problems with them or my Tou-san without drawing them into something that could get them killed." Ayato retorted angrily, shooting a glare at Kiba before taking a moment to calm down as he added
"Sera-san is one of the few people I can trust with my new life…"
'…And Matsu, Misaki and of course you two Metatron, Albion' Ayato added mentally, getting happy responses from the two spirits as he saw Kiba's worried look
"We…" Kiba started only to be interrupted by Ayato as he glared at him as he spoke angrily
"Don't say something like 'We're your family now so trust us' or 'We'll help you' cause I wouldn't be a part of your group if it wasn't for Gremory not making sure her territory was secure from potential threats and don't go onto saying 'Buchou saved you from them' cause she hasn't, she made me even more of a target for them and has done nothing to deal with them herself"
"We are in a precariously thin peace with the two other factions… We can't attack them unless they make the first move" Kiba explained, hoping to make Ayato understand only to see the Silvernet snort.
"Oh and attacking her new servant while he was adjusting doesn't count as that, come on Kiba your just being an idiot now for Gremory." Ayato retorted, turning to go back down stairs and missing Kiba's surprised look at hearing he'd already been attacked once before frowning as he materialized a sword into his hand and getting into a ready stance
"Buchou gave me a new reason to live and freed me from my old life. I won't let you disrespect her over her choices since you were brought back by her…"
"What did she give me, Kiba? A new reason to live…? I didn't need one in the first place, nor did I need to be reborn as it was her mistakes that caused my death in the first place. A chance to get closer to her…? I didn't like her while I was human so that won't change now. To gain power…? I prefer not to fight unless there's a good reason behind it." Ayato explained in a level angry tone, glancing back to see Kiba lower his sword with an understanding look on his face as the blonde spoke
"Then live for those around you that you care about, Hosokawa-kun"
"That is what I intent to do as long as Gremory doesn't get in my way. So make sure she knows that Kiba" Ayato muttered annoyed before leaving.
…
Ayato took a steady breathe as he held the bokken in his left hand, pointed towards the ground as he watched his opponent, Kiba. The pair was currently standing in the Kendo hall while its members, Seraphina and the ORC were sitting on benches around the edge. The idea had come about after Kiba had seen him asking for a spar with Murayama and offered to spar with him instead, sending most of the kendo girls into squealing messes at the idea of watching there prince get sweaty with Ayato.
"Are you ready, Hosokawa-kun?" Kiba asked, Ayato smirking softly as he bent his knees and holding his right arm over his chest as he answered
"Yeah, ready to kick your ass" Kiba looked confused at the stance before smiling as he took his own, Ayato taking another calming breathe as he waited for the starting call. He was looking forwards to see how he would fair against someone who could use a sword, Albion could swing a sword but didn't have any particular style despite the numerous past hosts he had had so the spars usually was just a mixture of swings and blocks. Ayato has been Training with his sword for 10 years since he's been missing.
"Start!" One of the Kendo girls called, Ayato waited as Kiba made the first move, charging forwards and bringing his swinging his sword down. Ayato swung upwards; his free hand gripping the bokken as well as it blocked the strike before stepping into his opponent's guard as he swung the sword down parallel to Kiba's bokken, aiming to strike the blond's chest. Kiba stepped back dodging the attack before swinging at Ayato who ducked under the horizontal strike and stabbing out with the hilt of his as if drawing it from a sheathe and striking Kiba in the chest.
"Oof!" Kiba grunted as the air was knocked from his lungs, Ayato continuing with an upwards slash which was parried away before having to block a strike at his side. Cheering filled both of combatants' ears as they continued to fight, Kiba getting the upper hand from his superior speed while Ayato still managed to deflect and block his attacks from his experience and training.
When they ended both were trying to regain there breathes, Ayato from having to keep up with Kiba while Kiba's was from having to hold back to human accepted levels. Kiba smiled victoriously as he tapped the sword against Ayato's shoulder and spoke "Looks like I win this one, Hosokawa-kun"
Ayato smirked, tapping his bokken against the inside of Kiba's thigh as he replied "Check again, Kiba"
Kiba paled as he looked down, noticing that Ayato bokken was positioned between his legs, hearing the girls let out panicked cries at seeing there prince nearly get hit in the groin. Seraphina was smiling at seeing how Ayato had managed a draw while Rias, Akeno and Koneko shared varying surprised looks.
"I guess that means it's a draw" Kiba spoke as he stepped back, both relaxing there stances as Ay started towards Murayama and returned the bokken with a smile as he thanked her for letting him use it.
"Where did you learn to use a sword?" She asked curiously, Stella walking over with a smile as Ayato sheepishly scratched the back of his head as he answered her
"Oh, I had any formal training as a Student with the Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryū. Murayama looked shocked at him as did several other girls in the room as Stella and Ayato made to leave the room.
[Good work against the blond. He underestimated you and paid for it] Albion spoke up amused, Metatron nodding as she added
{You did really well to keep up with him and even manage to end the spar in a draw}
"You were really cool in that spar, Ayat-san" Stella spoke with a blush, Ayato scratching the back of his head embarrassed as he replied
"Thanks… I'm just surprised that I could keep up with him myself. Although I'm glad I managed to stop my last swing, the girls would've killed me if I've hurt there 'Prince' there"
"The guys might have claimed you a hero when they found out about it" Stella spoke with a giggle, Ayato chuckling himself nervously as he nodded in agreement.
"Hosokawa-kun …" Rias spoke nervously, drawing the pair's attention to see her, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko approaching them as the rest of the students made there way homes.
"I'm sorry for what I let happen to you and forcing you to join my group…So please lets get along" Rias started apologetically as Ayato frowned as he replied
"Really…? You think that an apology is gong to fix everything, Gremory, well it doesn't. You will have to make up for what you did and just because I'm not going to be a Stray, don't mean that I will blindly follow your orders"
"Right Hosokawa-kun" Rias nodded understandingly before frowning slightly at seeing Stella smile as she hugged Ayato as she spoke
"I'll see you later then" Kissing him on his cheek, Seraphina blushed as she received one back from him as he gave her a quick squeeze of a hug as he replied with a smile
"Alright..."
…
