Disclaimer: I do not own High school DxD
Chapter 14
The smell of coffee permeated his room, the aroma of fresh grinded beans filled his nostrils as he poured his nth cup and the bitter taste of the brew filled his mouth, washing away the taste of blood and ash.
Not an ounce of sleep did he receive, how could he, the black bags under his eyes were a clear mark of it. The night had come and gone without him noticing, the black sky now was illuminated by the morning's sun, its light shining through the curtains and brightening the once dark room.
His body moved sluggishly, tired after its overuse and the strain he had subjected himself to. Moving across his room felt like a marathon, grabbing the cup of coffee felt like lifting a boulder, breathing felt like drowning in an ocean and for each step he took he felt as if his bones and muscles were being torn apart. But he kept moving forward to the large blade in front of him.
His arm reached out to it and hovered over the silver handle. He tried to grab it, but an invisible force kept him from doing so, not physically but mental, like a subconscious effort to keep him away from it.
Just as he was about to reach it….
Knock Knock
Someone struck on his door - his hand immediately retreated and his legs moved sluggishly to the sound's source. His hand gripped the door knob, twisted it and pulled.
"Yo! European Prick Face, how is it going? You look like crap"
He couldn't help but sigh, a smile unconsciously forming on his lips. "...I should have just left the door closed"
"Oi! Is that how you greet your friends! We didn't come all this way for you to slap your door across our face!" Issei responded and while he sounded angry, he knew it was all part of their usual banter.
"We?" he said in confusion before, from behind Issei's figure, appeared Asia with her usual shy smile and a bento box in hand
"H-hello Katsuo-san"
"Oh...well now I can't just angst alone, can I? Come in"
Both Issei and Asia made their way inside and though his apartment was meant for just one person to live in it, there was room enough for three to have breakfast. Asia brought a traditionally made Japanese Bento Box, apparently she was training in making them; probably so she cloud make Issei lunch to go, and though Katsuo could only taste blood and ash on his mouth – he really appreciated the gesture. As for the gift Issei brought with him.
"Ah that tasted good, Asia's cooking is sure something. Look man…I brought you some of my 'special collection' if you know what I mean. Figured you would have a lot of time on your hands and not a lot of entertainment to pass it with"
"...do I want to ask what it is?"
"No need. I'll tell you anyways – I know your tastes after all"
And before he could protest, Issei began enlightening him with his so-called sacred texts. Asia, not understanding what the conversation was about, asked what things like 'Mommies Milkies vol.4' and 'Models: Deluxe Sexy Lingerie – French edition' were…Katsuo couldn't help but to let out a stiffened laugh and sweat cold, while avoiding her questions. A nice gesture from a good-natured pervert nonetheless. He appreciate them both being here but that raised a question in his mind.
"Well I'm really thankful for the food and appreciate your 'gifts', and not to sound ungrateful or rude but…what you are doing here, shouldn't you be…you know with Rias, preparing and all…"
"Well Buchou, Sona-senpai and the French girl, Jeanne, are now planning the school defense, since they know that Kokabiel will be attacking it directly…they gave us free until midnight, we just wanted to see if you are doing okay"
"I see…what about Irina and Xenovia…are they…"
"They left early in the Morning…according to Jeanne they are headed to the nearest airport to return to the Vatican"
"I see…I'm glad…"
"You don't sound like it"
"Well I'm stuck here uselessly, while all of you – my friends put themselves at risk fighting a crazy fallen…perhaps Sona is right, about me being just some idiot with a death wish, perhaps-"
He suddenly got cut off by the most unlikely person.
"Katsuo-san!"Asia suddenly said, in a manner that sounded like her usual shy self while having a determination of steel that kept both boys present speechless "…not to me, to me you are a Hero. You are always there when someone is in need, even if they don't ask your help. Even if you get hurt you shoulder everyone's problems…s-so please…do not put yourself down…"
Katsuo and Issei shared a quick look of disbelief at each other before simply staring at Asia, who normally was incredibly shy when speaking, as she basically berated the half Dragon-Man, who could breath fire and destroyed a mansion, about his low self-esteem…and it worked!
"…well I can't argue against you Asia, you are too sweet…so I'll let the whole thing rest"
The morning continued without problems, like agreed Katsuo would let the issue with Kokabiel rest and stop moping for once, so instead they acted like what they were supposed to be High school students enjoying a free Sunday. He found out that the one teaching Asia how to cook Japanese dishes was actually Issei's mom; the ex-nun at first wanted to see if there were cooking lessons at school but sadly there were not. A shame, he wasn't the best cook ever but if there was a club of something like that it would be actually worthwhile. Time flew and soon enough both Devils would be in due to leave, as noon finally set.
'Shame…' he thought 'I would have enjoyed it more if they stayed longer…but I understand that they have to do other things before the battle'
On their way out Issei noticed something placed near Katsuo's night table, something that made him pause where he stood. To any normal person it would have looked like a red ribbon, but Issei knew that it wasn't; it was too ragged and the color looked as if someone had painted a deep red on top of yellow and then try to wash it off.
"Huh…you still got that thing?" the pervert said while pointing at the former tie.
"Yeah, it was from someone very dear to me, used to wear it everywhere…before you got your blood on it" Katsuo said and while there was sarcasm in his last remark, there was a deep emotional feeling hidden beneath.
"Hey I tried washing it off! Besides it's your fault for using it as a rag!" Issei responded in his usual exaggerated self, only to them dial down his antic for a more genuine feel "…then why keep it, if it's ruined I mean…"
"Because a friend of mine gave it back to me" he meant it.
"Hey don't get sappy on me man. You are still a damn handsome…one that is not as bad"
"I think you should wear it again Katsuo-san, perhaps like a good luck charm – it signifies your bond with Ise" Asia said with a bright smile on her face.
"Hmmm…perhaps I will...thank you for the visit. I really didn't know, but I needed that…a moment of relief I mean"
"If you ever are in pain tell us. It's better if your body heals on your own…b-but I can always use Twilight Healing to accelerate the Process!"
"Tell me when you're ready with my Magazines I want them back you know!…plus I have more you might like"
"Hahaha will do…hopefully we will see each other again…at school I mean, when I recover from my wounds"
And with that final interaction both Devils of Gremory left his apartment. He really wished that Rias, Sona and Jeanne knew what they were doing…he didn't want to sound like a broken record, but he really wished he could help them out…but as he was right now he would only get in their way. He hoped for the best, that he would wake up tomorrow and all would be fine – but deep inside his mind he expected the worse…a sarcastic chuckle unknowingly escaped his mouth.
"Ha…I'm really too thickheaded for my own good aren't I…"
It had been a few hours after both Issei and Asia left, and in their place only an empty vacuum remained. His morning had been incredibly lively with those two by his side and now he was left with the rest of the day with nothing to do. And during a moment of boredom and weakness, as much as he hates to admit it, he found himself flipping through the pages of both 'Mommies Milkies vol.4' and 'Models: Deluxe Sexy Lingerie – French edition'…he will forever deny that he did, but still kept flipping page after page. After a few minutes he had already finished both of his special reading material; he proceeded to close both dirty magazines, set them on his nightstand, sit on his bed and rub his chin while in deep introspection….….…before muttering.
"He really does know my tastes, huh…weird…"
Knock Knock
Someone he didn't expect knocked at his door for the second time of the day. Perhaps his day won't be as boring and insipid as he thought. So instead of question who could be visiting, he simply got up and greeted his visitor. A part of him probably knew who was behind the door, but that logical part of his brain got simply overruled by the majority of his monkey-oriented brain that seemed to be the source of his social ineptitude – so when it was finally revealed who it was he could only act suppressed.
"Himejima-senpai, what are you doing here!?"
"Ara, Ara. Katsuo-kun, why are you surprised of seeing me, you shouldn't. After all it's the Senpai's duty to take care of their Kohai" the queen of Gremory said in her usual teasing tone.
"I'm having a feeling of déjà vu saying this…but shouldn't you be with Rias…you know help them prepare for tonight"
"Huh? Are you truly that dissatisfied that I'm here? And I went through all the trouble of finding out where you lived. I thought it would be a pleasant surprise to see me. Do you truly find me so unsightly?" she said with faux disappointment veiling her words and a mischievous smile hidden beneath.
"I-I'm not saying that you visiting it's unpleasant! But it's definitely a surprise!…besides…you are not unsightly…I would say you are quite pretty…"
"Ufufufu, you are too innocent Katsuo-kun. You should be careful, devious Women will surely use that against you" And just like that the veil was lifted, revealing her usual coy and teasing self.
"What do you-…you know what the less I know the better" he then moved to the side, leaving enough space for Akeno to enter "Well you came all this way so…it would be rude to send you away"
"Thank you for your hospitality" she said with a proper ladylike bow of respect.
Once inside her gaze travelled around the small apartment, before falling back on him. Her purple orbs staring deep into his soul, he couldn't help but be embarrassed as light flush set on his face and his hand unconsciously began rubbing the back of his head. Seeing his reaction, she let out a triumphant giggle.
"So…to what do I owe the visit?"
"Ara, didn't I tell you already? I came to see how my troublesome little Kohai was doing. Is it so difficult to believe that people care for your wellbeing?"
"Well…I don't see why anyone would care for m-"
"Well I do" Akeno interrupted him, not letting him even the sentence in his mind – then a coy smile appeared on her face and he felt a shiver go down his spine "Now take off your shirt, lie down on the bed and try to relax"
…
"Uhhh, beg your pardon…"
"I want to check on your wounds, most are internal and my scouring magic works better if it's done through direct skin contact" she said as the proper lady, only for her to switch back to the temptress in a heartbeat "Ara, Ara. Katsuo-kun, perhaps were you expecting something naughty to happen?"
A blush appeared on his face and, with all his might, he tried to hide it.
"Okay I get it; I'll do it no need to…uhm…you made your point…"
"Ufufufu, what a nice and obedient Kohai"
Doing as told he soon found himself bare-chested and with his face against his pillow. He had to admit, even if it was Akeno, he found it completely nerve wrecking having his back exposed to such a degree to someone else – it made him feel, vulnerable even more so now in his weakened state. So when he felt the cold touch of Akeno's hands on his back, it took every amount of willpower to control his fighting instincts and not retaliate with hostility. Her fingertips trailed all over his broad back…it felt odd to him, never feeling a gentle touch like hers before…it was kind…in a sense it was kind of motherly...dare he say this felt rather good…
"Hmm, I see…your internal wounds are starting to heal rather nicely, it's not surprising – you have shown that you are quite sturdy and have a great deal of stamina" she said quite in a hopeful tone; before her hands wondered to his leaf-shaped scar lightly touching it with the upmost delicacy. Still, to him, it felt like someone just stabbed a knife through it "…your scar is still quite raw. I could try to cast a healing spell on it but…the curse placed on it…you know the purification Arts of the Himejima Clan-"
"Don't worry about it…I already got used to living with it"
Her hands suddenly stopped trailing through his back and started to gently rubbing and kneading his muscles. The built up tension of the last days started disappearing with her touch. Having never felt this before, he found himself simply staying still while his muscles loosened. He felt kind of awkward in this current predicament, but he knew Akeno enough to know that admitting it would just be a win for her – so he kept it to himself and let her do as she pleased.
"Would you like to tell me how to you got it?" Akeno asked, it wasn't intrusive the way she said it, rather compassionate.
"Perhaps…"
Suddenly he felt her touch suddenly strengthen by a minimal but noticeable amount, his body reacting accordingly by his muscles tensing – like a wall had been suddenly built between them.
'Why am I like this? Why do I push everyone that tries to get close to me? I…I'm tired of it…but I can't seem to be honest with anyone…of course, if I can't be true to myself…then how can I be honest to other…I'm really tired of running, of playing a façade in front of everyone…and right now…I really don't have the strength to push people away…like I unjustly pushed Xenovia..So even if a bit…'
A tired and defeated sighed escaped his mouth and his muscles relaxed as response.
"I…I got the curse while I was young…while I was still part of the Church…I found a ring in a river, at first I thought nothing of it…but little by little the dark magic inside kept affecting me until…well you saw the result…"
"…is that why you-"
"I'm not entirely human…yes…the 'dragon' you all saw it's more like a sentient curse than a living being. It dwelled inside the ring and the day I put it on, it passed onto me and little by little I've gained aspects of that beast….…I…I came to hate it…both the curse and myself as result…but…but its part of me now and I can't change that fact anymore….…It's weird, even as I kid I knew the item was cursed…yet something drew me to it, like a moth to a flame"
Akeno's hands suddenly stopped, clearly shaken by his sudden openness. He could no longer feel her hands and the atmosphere around her had changed completely – it wasn't her ladylike or her seductress attitude; it was something else, something he had not seen from her before. And as per usual his social ineptitude mistook it as 'I must have angered her…' So he tried to correct his self-perceived mistake, letting out a fake laugh before speaking.
"Hehehe, I'm sorry if I upset you. I guess it's pretty pitiful hearing me ramble like that…you can tell Rias and Sona about it, all of you already saw it…so there is no point in hiding it anymore…Oh wow, look at the hour I'm sure-"
Words got cut off from his mouth, by a barely audible whisper from her.
"…being so honest with me all of a sudden…you are not being fair…"
"Huh?"
Katsuo couldn't hear her words; from his position lying face-down he couldn't see Akeno's expression let alone hear a whisper escaping her lips. With the barely remaining strength his body had, he tried to push himself up but a sudden weight on his back prevented him from doing so. It wasn't hard rather very soft; it smelled good like cherry blossoms and had a soothing sensation to it. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out what…rather who it was. His mind tried to come with a logical explanation, but while doing so it decided to better shut down and let the moment be the moment.
"I won't tell them anything that you wouldn't tell yourself" she whispered to him, in a kind and meek voice that he had never heard from her before.
Time slowed down and no more words were spoken between the two, a peaceful silence replacing speech. And after what felt like an eternity of serenity, the weight was lifted off his back and the silence was broken…as if their shared moment had never happened.
"Your wounds are making a nice recovery, by next week you should be able to move normally. Still you shouldn't force yourself and take another week at home…but saying that to you is kind of pointless isn't it. At least I hope I was able to alleviate your back's strain"
Katsuo slowly got up, putting his shirt in the process, and addressed her directly this time.
"W-well yeah…I've never received a massage before…it was kind of refreshing…you are pretty good at it"
"Ufufu, I had some experience thanks to my contracts"
"D-do you…well you know…do you do these sorts of massages with other guys? I mean for your devil contracts of course!"
Akeno's previous meek attitude had disappeared, as if it was never there to begin with, and her teasing self came back in full swing.
"Ara, Ara. Is Katsuo-kun perhaps a little jealous?"
"No! It's well you know…I trapped myself in a corner didn't I…"
"Ufufufu, this sort of service is exclusive to the ones I like" Akeno's eyes, in a twist of bad luck, drifted to his nightstand and noticed the copy of the dreaded 'Mommies Milkies vol.4' and a mischievous smile formed on her face, as her hands reached for it "Ara, what is this…so this is kind of stuff Katsuo-kun is into"
"No! That isn't mine Issei gave it to me!…for entertainment…I just realized that I already gave you a similar excuse before…"
She kept flipping through the pages and her coy smile intensified as result.
"Ara, there is nothing wrong with being a little naughty Katsuo-kun, but as your Senpai I will be forced to take disciplinary action against you. I can't allow my Kohai to be reading this sort of literature when he should be studying…but to think Katsuo-kun would be into mature-looking women…Ufufufu"
"…you are enjoying yourself way too much aren't you…"
Her purple orbs drifted from his blushed face to the nearby clock on his nightstand, and realization suddenly hit her.
"Oh my, it seems that I overstayed my welcome. Buchou should be wondering where am I right now?"
"Wait, before you leave" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key, then without hesitation offered it to her "Here, you said that I won't be able to move for a while…so I figured you could have my spare key, I can't just be missing your tutoring otherwise Sona-senpai will kill me, hahaha…only if you're fine with coming all the way here of course"
Akeno casted her face down, her purple orbs being obscured by her raven locks, before reaching out to him and gently accepting his offering. Once the key was in her possession, she closed her hand around it and placed it on her chest before muttering.
"…you truly aren't being fair…"
"Huh?"
Once again his normal ladylike attitude returned in an instant, with no trace of the meekness she just showed.
"Goodbye Katsuo-kun, enjoy you Sunday with your naughty magazines and don't forget to be ready for your tutoring at Tuesday"
Akeno gave him a simple wave and went on her way, not waiting or expecting an answer from him. He didn't say anything in return, nor did he think anything about what she just said. He just watched her retreating figure until it disappeared from his sight.
Dusk had come and with it a sudden wave of tiredness, so to wash it away along with the soreness of his muscles a bath was in due. After it he felt refreshed, but something bothered him in the back of his mind. The fighting side of his brain was working, the feeling of the unknown lingering behind his bathroom's door. He quickly got dressed and opened it to see who had come to his territory uninvited and then…he saw her…standing before the small balcony and near his bead, carrying the same expression of hardened steel.
"Your senses have dulled; I've been standing here for quite some time"
"Well…it's clear that I've left my skills unsharpened…besides we both were trained for Infiltration Missions, no wonder you made your way in here without me noticing"
"Humph"
"…I thought you would be at the airport by now, on the way to the Vatican right now…Listen I-"
Katsuo didn't finish her sentence, as Xenovia quickly cut him off before he had even the chance – her same icy tone always present.
"First you will listen to what I have to say. I don't care about anything else as long as you answer my questions and you will answer truthfully, understood!"
The thought from before suddenly materialized into his head once again 'I'm really tired of running, of playing a façade in front of everyone…and right now…I really don't have the strength to push people away…' so he simply agreed to her request with a nod.
"Why did you decide to change your name?"
"…because it is a name I chose, not one that was thrust upon me. A name I didn't choose with expectations I didn't want"
"If so why you kept your Holy Sword? The one linked to that name you didn't choose and expectations you didn't want"
"Well…I don't know…no one besides me can wield it and…to be honest…as much as I hate to admit it…it's a part of who I am…"
"The day when you left, at the time you said because we were worthless, because we were beneath you. You broke your Promise and your Sacred Oath. All these years I've wanted nothing but to hunt you down…but after what I saw…Were any of the reasons you gave me true to begin?"
"…I'll admit…I have never been a man of God, my allegiance to the Church is non-existent and I've only seen being an exorcist as job, like a cashier or a salesman, not a divine calling…but trust me when I say that I would've liked to have forever watched each other's back, like we promised. My younger years, living in the church, training alongside you, bickering about stupid things and getting under Sister Griselda's skin are my most treasured memories…and the most painful ones to remember…"
"If the reasons you gave me are lies…then…Is your current 'condition' the reason why you left? If so, then what is nature of it?"
"…Yes…my condition is why I left…it's a…it's a powerful sentient curse. The phenomenon…it eats away my body slowly, irreversibly transforming aspects of me into those of an evil dragon…it even influences my psyche to a degree…Until now I've used Nordic Runes to slow its spread, containing it inside my physical heart, but with them gone it will start spreading once again…more violently this time…and this time I have no way to control it, since I wasn't the inscriber of the Runes to begin with…"
Suddenly Xenovia's face exploded in anger; it wasn't cold and distant like before, rather filled with emotion and, to an extent, familiar warmth, like what a sister would give a brother…perhaps a bond even greater than that. But above all what he got more from her expression, from her voice, from her words…it was one thing – concern.
"Then why didn't you say so before! The Vatican has experts in Sacraments and Baptism Rites that are meant to fight curses! You could've asked the church for permission to use a holy relic, like a Saint's Shroud! Sister Griselda herself is an expert in the Exorcism of sentient curses and evil spirits! We could've-"
It hurt him hearing her voice, her distress for him. She shouldn't feel sorry for him, she should give worry to someone like him 'I don't deserve it'.
"I Know!…I know…I'm sorry…Xenovia I tried it all; every spell, every rite, even Sister Griselda tried to help but nothing came of it. This isn't a curse you can exorcise or pray away and the result it's a loose Evil Dragon destroying everything on its path…"
"…then why didn't you tell me? Didn't you trust me?" her voice lost her anger, as her words were soft spoken filled with longing for the past; something he had not seen from her.
"Yes I did, I still do…but...I didn't want to see you cry because of me…"
A dark chuckle escaped her mouth.
"That is your reason…I see…What a selfish and inconsiderate reason…You are as stupid and cruel as I remember…I guess you truly haven't changed after all this time…did you, Sigurd"
"My name-"
"You can change your name all the times you want, but to me you will always be Sigurd…What are you going to do now? I know you won't stay put while Kokabiel is still out there"
"Besides rest, nothing…I'm not in condition to do so, I would only get in their way – they made it pretty clear"
"That hasn't stopped you before hasn't it" Xenovia said with a nostalgic expression on her face, before shifting back to her more proper and duty-focused self "I am to report back at the Vatican and bring back the Excalibur Shards. Those are my orders – this might as well be the last time we'll see each other. I came here because I didn't want to leave anything unsaid"
"I see…I understand…and um…thank you, for not revealing my name or the nature of my sword in front of the others…"
"May we never see each other again…Sigurd"
Katsuo understood what this was; those similar words resonated with him…and he didn't want to repeat that moment again, so he decided to be selfish.
"…I'm in no position to say this but…I really hope we do…see us again I mean"
She didn't look back at him, a small whisper unwillingly escaping her lips before jumping out of his balcony and disappearing into the night.
"…you truly are cruel…"
He would not find any sleep this night either, that much was certain; all he could do was lie wide awake staring at his ceiling. The thoughts of going to sleep and waking up in a destroyed city, where only death surrounded him or to not wake up at all, was his sword of Damocles imminent and ever-present, dangling on top of him. He could not wash away the feeling of uselessness; it had been beaten into his head by just about everyone that it was better if he stayed out of this one but…old habits die hard.
In lieu of his lack of sleep Katsuo decided to brew himself one of his favorite's beverages; after all if he wouldn't get any sleep, might as well get a coffee to get him through the night. After getting himself out of his bed, he headed straight for his kitchen on weak legs. The night seemed peaceful; you could see the bright stars shinning from his balcony-
Bloodlust
Suddenly washing over him, his back tingled in response. His body tried to react to the incoming threat but it was too weak, suddenly being lifted and in a brute motion…
SLAMM!
Katsuo's broken back impacted against the apartment wall, breaking concrete in the process leaving a web of cracks behind him. Red Blood eyes stared him down like an ant, a sickening grin appearing on his assailant's unnaturally pale face. He knew who it was.
"K-Kokabiel!" he said while struggling to breath.
"Star of Twilight, I'm glad to see you doing so well. I am disappointed though; I would expect someone like you to come to my humble bash regardless of what the Gremory and Sitri spawns say — not bend down like their little puppy!"
"I'm an outsider…I don't have to involve myself…"
"Ah but you see that just won't do, someone like you needs the battle. I saw your little Scuffle with Freed. I'll admit I wanted that human to deliver the decisive blow on this city, restarting the three factions War…but after seeing what you are capable of…I would get more enjoyment to unleash the beast dwelling within you – your true nature!"
"It's that what this is all about…enjoyment?"
"No. While it certainly brings me to do so, my plans are not about something so meaningless. I wish to create a world for Fallen Angels and monsters like Freed and you, where the weak die and the strong prevail. A place where we rule with actions and not committee…like that weak willed Azazel! A paradise of Rebellion like Helel imagined!"
"I'm nothing like Freed…nothing like you!"
"Hahaha, you are right – you are far worse. You, just like Freed, love killing, love fighting its part of who you are; battle drives you…without it you just end up drifting aimlessly…but unlike Freed, who carries his bloodlust on his sleeve, you bottle it up and let it grow until it can't be contained. The joy of battle – I have experienced it myself, a wonderful feeling – and I saw the same joy on your Face yesterday"
Kokabiel was right. Katsuo had felt it…while fighting Freed...while facing the 100 Exorcists...with the danger of dying present and the feeling of ending a live with his blade…the only thing he felt was the joy of battle — He felt more alive than any day of his life, fighting an opponent of his equal level, clashing swords and someone finally piercing his armor. Yet he couldn't admit that in front of the Fallen Angel.
"…think you know me, trust me you have not even the slightest–"
"Oh but I do, Star of Twilight, I do…you are a walking contradiction. Under your skin dwell the beast of greed that destroys the world and the hero who would save it by killing said beast; but which are you — are you one of them, both or neither. Tell me which is it, which nature do you choose to rebel against human…or should I call you by the name of the spirit that inhabits your body! Siegfried the Dragonslayer, or do you prefer Sigurd — it matters not!"
His eyes went wide "…how do you know!"
"I taught your kind Astrology; how to look into the void of the Universe and analyze celestial bodies beyond the understanding of their weak minds! To uncover the secrets of creation is my specialty. I only need to take a quick glance at you to understand your true nature!"
"What do you want from me!? What do you get from taunting me!? I'm sure there are things more interesting in creation than a reincarnation like me!"
A sickening grin appeared on the Fallen Angel's face.
"Indeed, but when I look at you I see a sword trying to be a shield…I want you to rebel against the chains that bind you! To become the Evil Dragon that courses through your veins and destroy this little town and the insects living in it! Rebel just like I once did, take a place as my right hand in the End War; a world in constant war where we, The Strong, will always have a purpose and won't be chained down by the will of the weak!"
If Kokabiel would taunt him, then he would respond in kind.
"Hahahahaha!…You are bat-shit insane! Nothing more than a deranged loser than can't find meaning to life. You are more like a lost crow than a leader of the Grigori"
Kokabiel narrowed his eyes as response, before speaking in icy tone.
"I will be expecting you tonight…whether you come or nor, the End War is coming…would you serve as their dog guarding weak willed worms or rule like a beast dominion…"
Katsuo's body hit the ground; the only sign of the Fallen Cadre ever being there were the black feathers he left behind. Something stirred inside of his heart, the cursed blood boiling flowing through. The bindings that kept The great-sword of the Nibelungs fell to the ground by themselves, as its phantasmal glow illuminated his apartment, beckoning to him to take the role he had avoided for so long…now he didn't have much of a choice.
From the stars they descended, black were their wings and of light were their spears. Two-hundred mentioned in the book of Enoch, their leader the forth of the twenty Watchers – the Star of God. Their collective feathers submerged the Town into a perpetual darkness; it was a declaration of their collective might and an omen of war. And as the stars were obscured by their wings their leader spoke.
"Children of God, Spawns of the Underworld, Beasts of Scale, Reborn Saints.
I am Kokabiel, Fallen Angel of Stars, The Fourth Watcher , Leader of the Grigori and Star of God.
I have arrived"
A/N: Hello everyone, happy New Year. Thank you for your continued support. I recently had to move to another State and that is why it had taken so long to update.
This was a short chapter, shorter my other ones, but I found it easier and way more enjoyable to write. Perhaps I will change my standard to this, I find it better this way, I get to be more concise with my ideas and I can update more often. So tell me what you all prefer: 10+k chapter with long waiting times or 5+k chapters with more frequent updates.
Anyways thanks for reading.
R&R
