Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.
-Anais Nin, The Diary Of Anais Nin
Issei Hyoudou's having a problem.
When one of his friends said he had discovered the pathway to the holy land, a viewpoint into the forbidden palace, he assumed that he would bask in its glory just as much.
Unfortunately for him, however, he was merely greeted with the buttocks of his friends as they swayed back and forth.
"Ohhh! Murayama has a seriously big rack!"
"Ahhh, Katase has some nice legs."
The rear on the left with the shaved head is buddy number one, Matsuda. On first appearance he could be seen as an experienced sportsman. While he did set several records in the past, he continuously has a habit of saying comments that would be considered sexually harassing by anyone in earshot. In addition, he uses his camera from the photography club he's attending instead of attending any sports clubs to snap pictures of girls' panties at any and every opportunity. The rear on the right with the glasses is buddy number two, Motohama. He's very perceptive, and while he could see better then most people, glasses aside, in addition to his intellect, he prefers using his ability to calculate the measurements of the fairer sex based on what he sees. Issei himself had brown eyes and hair with a red shirt under the Kuoh Academy's male uniform, a black blazer with white accents, a black ribbon on the collar, matching black pants, and brown dress shoes. Issei, while lacking the analytical skills of Motohama or the physical prowess of Matsuda, had the drive and unbridled ambition for becoming a harem king!
Issei's eyes kept twitching. Matsuda had found the Kendo Club's changing room on the girl's side had holes large enough to see through. Issei, while all for it, had been seeing nothing but his friend's haunches wiggling with commentary. Despite all efforts, so far requests, bribery, begging, reasoning, or anything short of force has failed him. Taking a deep breath and steeling himself for what must be done, Issei Grabbed Matsuda's hips and started pulling. "Damn it, let me see too, don't keep it all to yourselves..." Unfortunately, It seems that his friend had planted himself firmly, and Issei began increasing his efforts to remove the obstacle.
He combined his physical assault with the pleas he had before with increasing vigor before suddenly, the door to the Storage shed for the Kendo club creaked open.
all three of them froze as if they were deer in headlights. A creeping despair descended upon them as the various punishments inflicted on previous occasions reared in the forefront of their minds. They slowly turned their heads in unison over to the shed, bracing for divine retribution to descend as they see...
...A slightly pale guy in a Kuoh Uniform and leather jacket with his left eyebrow raised at them.
Issei let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. a slight smile crossing his face before remembering his previous actions. His face started getting warmer as he noticed what his position currently was: his hand were still on Matsuda's flanks, and with Matsuda's strength rooting him to the ground and Issei's attempts to pull Matsuda away only pulled him closer until his pelvis was all but touching what he was attempting to pull away.
With a pair of strangled screams, Issei let go and Matsuda crab walking away from Issei before bumping against the wall. Motohama's eyes are going back and forth between the two, observing them pointing accusing fingers towards each other.
"It-It's not like that!"
"Like hell it wasn't! I don't swing that way!"
"I don't either! You wouldn't get out of the way!" It was when the words left Issei's mouth that it occurred to him that Matsuda had moved away from the viewpoints, albeit in a way neither one would speak of again. They both rushed over to the vacated view point, almost scrambling over each other, before Issei reached the peep hole first. Before declaring his victory, he looked inside to see...an empty locker room.
"...Hey, where'd all the girls go?" Issei asked his friends. However, when he received no response he pulled away, turned to his sides, seeing both Motohama and Matsuda with their backs to the wall. "...What's wrong?" Motohama meekly lifted his hand in response and pointed at something behind him. Something that, Issei just noticed, radiated a very, very strong intent to commit multiple crimes of passion.
"You guys again?"
The hairs on Issei's neck stood up. He turned around slowly, only to see the entirety of the Girls' Kendo Club behind them, their Shinais in hand and radiating an eldritch energy of darkness, death, and despair. "K-Katase...Murayama...Fancy seeing you girls here..."
The girls then began radiating the same energy that their Shinai had been, and to Issei's eyes, grew several feet in height with balls of fire for eyes. The Sun's rays seemed to die out as a sudden thunderstorm blackened the sky and thunder roared behind the kendo club. They stepped closer, the Shinais raised and eager to deliver swift and violent retribution.
Motohama dry swallowed. "H-hold on a second!"
"YOU PERVS!"
In the seconds before oblivion greeted him, Issei thought he saw the Pale guy from earlier smiling and shaking his head.
Issei shivered, his face various shades of black and blue, separated by the patches of white apparently holding his face and body in some mockery of being in one piece. After the kendo club's "disciplinary action" again, they had been taken before the disciplinary committee again, before having Souna Shitori, the Student Council president and third most popular girl in the school, personally chiding him for indecency before getting sent to the nurse's office...again. Sometimes it makes him want to just throw his hands up into the air and yell out, It's not my fault I'm such a horny guy! He sighed. Issei initially thought that with the low amount of guys at the academy he thought he'd easily advance towards becoming a harem king and have at least two or three girlfriends by now. Much to his Chagrin, he has yet to even be friends with a member of the opposite sex.
Issei collapsed in his seat in homeroom. Most of the time he would have spent it talking to his two friends, but they're still in the nurse's office, having taken the brunt of the kendo club's wrath. Just thinking about their condition sent shivers up his spine. At least he can still admire the view of his classmates. Matsuda and Motohama's swelling is going to hamper their vision for some time.
His classmates slowly trickled in, with the majority of them laughing about something. In Issei's mind, there's no doubt it's about the debacle this morning. He began taking out the materials he expected for the day and going over the materials, surrounding by beautiful women, of course, when he heard something that caught his attention.
"Oh, did you hear? There's a new student transferring here from Tokyo."
"Ugh, do you think he's going to be like the perverted trio?"
At that, Issei deflated. A girl is a sacred idol that practically demands to be worshipped!
"Ah. I hope he'll be like Kiba!"
The girl's statement was punctuated by multiple sighs. Issei's despair turned into anger. His hand turned into a fist and started tightening. One blonde-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy like Kiba Yuuto is more than enough, Damnit! Kuoh doesn't need another!
His grip stayed strong even as the bell rung and everyone had taken their seats. The class's teacher came in followed by Tsubaki Shinra, the bespectacled fourth most popular girl in the school with her flowing knee-length black hair and violet left eye and light brown right eye, and vice-president of the student council. Issei's imagination had just gotten to popping the pretty boy new kid's head off after an extended session of strangling before seeing a unmemorable student walk in looking for all intents and purposes lost.
...Wait a minute, wasn't that the guy from earlier?
He was in the academy's uniform now, but he looked as if he was both out of place and immensely uncomfortable. He had more in common with Issei than any pretty-boy he can imagine. And Issei was going to strangle him!
Unbeknownst to Issei's inner turmoil, the new student wrote his name on the board, before rubbing his hands together and taking a deep breath before turning to face the class with his hands in his pocket. Issei idly looked over at his name before the teacher, after finishing speaking with Tsubaki, turned to address him and his classmates.
"Class, this is Naoki Kashima. He has recently transferred here from Tokyo."
The newly name Naoki Kashima's eyes danced from person to person, quick and seemed to be sizing up everyone in the room for a fight or something. Shivers ran under Issei's back when Naoki's gray eyes met his.
Naoki slightly tilted his head forward and mutter what could be construed as the customary greeting. Their teacher slightly frowned before looking at the class pointing at an empty chair. "Please take a seat at the open chair in the back. Now can everyone turn to page..."
As Issei went to follow with the class activity, Naoki sat and sank heavily into the desk he was assigned, next to Issei's, and let out a held breath before following suit. Huh. close up he doesn't seem that bad up close... Lacks any scars or muscle for that matter...maybe he's just got dropped here without a choice... An idea comes to his mind and a grin crosses his face.
That just means I have been appointed to show him the wonders of Kuoh Academy!
Tedious.
That one word sums up Naoki's approximation of his first impressions at Kuoh Academy.
It isn't the workload that the classes provided being difficult or boring; the topics covered enough familiar ground for him to be adept with it while having just enough new material for him to keep focus. It isn't the school facilities either, as they are all of high quality and well maintained while keeping the diversity for its international students to never lack a club, passion, or hobby on the premises. It isn't the students attending the school: the two who had assisted him get situated in properly were concise and answered his questions to the best of their ability despite a strange feeling he had around them, and the rest of the students seemed to be at the very least polite. He looked up as the bell rang and the other students prepared themselves for lunch before leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. Maybe I'm just thinking too much on how I ended up in this place...
It was either that or the absolutely stifling clothes he was wearing. Damn uniforms.
He spent most of the time between his awakening and present state, aside from his new classes, running over exactly what happened. He can recall everything from going to the Shinjuku medical center with his friends to visit their teacher, the one real mother figure they all had. The following Conception, which annihilated the world in preparation for a new one, to the following war within the world that resulted in him having to kill his friends who have been warped into something completely unlike them in addition to the one who ended the world in the first place, to his attempt at bringing world he knew back from oblivion unshackled from the whims of Gods.
And nothing he saw or heard so far helped him find out if it was all restored. He groaned and put his head on the desk. He was stumbling about in the dark yet again with no idea what's going on. The moment he reveals his power to creation he figures there's more likely than not going to be angels and demons scheming to either kill or recruit him again, and the world he's in will probably end up being destroyed. Naoki eventually came to the same conclusion he had earlier: I can deal with it when the time comes.
He laid there until he thought the person next to him say something. The second time he heard it he thought he misheard and ignored it. The third time he continued ignoring it, tensing up slightly. When he heard his neighbor call out to him again, he was flabbergasted. Huh. Usually right about now whoever's trying to talk to me would either leave me alone or try to rip my throat out. Naoki then lifted his head up and looked next to him, arising and eyebrow when he faced the brown haired boy who addressed him with a lecherous grin on his face.
"Boobs or butt?"
Naoki blinked Once. Then twice. Than three times. Then having to use more discipline than should be necessary to stifle a groan. He briefly entertained the thought that if he buried his head again and ignored the question it would be as if it never existed, but he figured the question would continue to be asked, or this guy continued bugging him, until some semblance of a response was made. So he settled for answering a question with a question: "Is this how you greet everyone?"
The boy, Brown haired and with a goofy smile put one hand behind his head and chuckled. "Well, when I first came here, I didn't really know anybody. When I first met my friends Motohama and Matsuda that's the first thing they said to me, so I thought that since it seems you don't really know anyone here, I figured I'd say hi and well, show you around."
Huh.
Naoki stared at his classmate. Scrutinizing him. Trying to find whatever ulterior motive he may or may not have before brainstorming exactly what he would get from this relationship, friendship aside. He then began sizing him up exactly for what may happen if they should come to blows. It was when the previous thought process started he realized he's spent way too much time interacting with demons, angels, spirits, fiends, and fallen that were all attempting to either mark, manipulate, mooch, mock, mug, maul, maim, mash, murder, or massacre him and his allies. Sometimes even in that order.
He sighed. At least this guy's human, even if there's something a bit off about him. "Naoki Kashima. But you knew that already."
"Issei Hyoudo. How do you do?" The newly named Issei chuckled, before standing and putting his backpack on. "Let's go find somewhere to eat. We've only got so much time before class starts back up again and the treasures of Kuoh Academy only stay in one place for so long." He smiled, making way towards the door as Naoki, albeit hesitantly, followed with his backpack slung over his shoulder. As he did, Naoki absently observed some of the other classmates eyeing him strangely.
It took all of Naoki's willpower to prevent himself from falling to his knees and lament the state of humanity. And even then, he wasn't sure he entirely succeeded.
He soon found out why he was viewed with disdain by a majority of the female body by his association with his new...Friend? Acquaintance? Naoki wasn't sure anymore. Issei was a good person, honest and friendly, that he was sure of. He was willing to help in addition to going out of his way to help Naoki.
It's just that...
Well...
As it turns out, what he originally thought was Issei's one-time attempt at perversion by way of peeping into the girl's locker room earlier in the day was moreso an obsession. Not helped at all by Issei's admittedly bad case of the 'male gaze'. Or his 'friends'.
"Sick brats!"
"Filthy beasts!"
The bald one that appeared to be a blue, bruised mummy faced the girls that screamed at them with a fist raised. "Silence! Shut up or I'll rape ALL of you in my imagination!"
No. Most definitely not helped by his other friends.
Well. Now I see who Issei got the idea to ask the question he asked me earlier. I wonder when baldy said that he meant the boys as well... Shortly after leaving the classroom, Issei proceeded to, aside from commenting to him about the attractiveness of the opposite sex, explain how he dreamed of having a 'Harem of the most beautiful girls in the world.' Issei followed up with his proclamation of his dream to explain exactly what he was going to do with said harem in vast and unnecessary detail. It almost made Naoki dive out the closest window.
Almost.
Issei broke off when they left the school house, and Naoki slightly narrowed his eyes at the argument by a few benches from where one could get a clear view of the track field. Issei made his way over to the pair of what Naoki first thought were either demons from the Vortex World or aliens from another planet. On second glance, and with much scrutiny, it seemed that they weren't either of the former and more liked to be the pair peeping with Issei. They had enough black and blue lumps crisscrossed with bandages to make Naoki's first assumption something anyone would mistake for.
He hoped. That's what he told himself, anyways.
When he considered going to talk with Issei on where to eat, the one that prompted the reactions from the student body pulled out what appeared to be a pornographic DVD that fulfilled a very, very, very niche fetish that would more likely then not offend most of society's sensibilities by its very existence stood up and made the ridiculous statement.
Naoki then came to the conclusion Issei has had some very bad influence on him from these two when Issei proceeded to pick up the DVD and call it a flawless gem as loud as his lungs could yell before he asked where it came from and if he could pester for more like it. He didn't bother letting Issei know when he decided to go eat somewhere else. At least in the Vortex World it was simple: fight or die. He can deal with the Chancellor of Heaven personally finding him to make an attempt to unmake him with the fires of Sinai. He can deal with the Fourth Kalpa's twelve meters of eternity and the Death Flies of Beelzebub again. The Succubus and Incubus he had with him at least resisted their natures most of the time...more so due to a lack of appropriate targets than any real self-restraint. He's never dealt with this much perversity before, and he hoped that the situation would stay the same.
However when he sat in the shade of a nearby tree that just so happens to be the farthest away from the group and just started on his meal, his hopes were quickly dashed. Issei waved at him and pointed him out with his two friends having ear to ear grins. Naoki sighed as they got up and started heading in their direction. He briefly considered fleeing, but he'd rather not leave his first real meal in a long time. Naoki took a few bites, closing his eyes and trying to savor every bite, but it tasted…bland. He opened his eyes and frowned and looked at the pickled radish slices. Naoki could clearly see the spices he added to it. He closed his eyes again and tried to specifically savor the taste, but he still tasted nothing. When he heard Issei's voice closer he opened his eyes and noted that his lunch is missing. As were his chopsticks. He blinked a few times as he stared at his empty hand before he noticed something was wrong with his tongue.
Ah. That explains the last few bites being a bit dry.
"Wow, Issei... you didn't say that he was a big eater too..."
He turned to the bigger bruise mummy, the one without the glasses, and swallowed the last bite, chasing it down with the last of his beverage and looked at him. After confirming that yes, that thing is a human being, Naoki looking at Issei, smiling sheepishly.
"Ah, well, Naoki, this is Matsuda. He's a member of the photography club." The newly named large linen monster, Matsuda, gave a thumbs up. "And this here is Motohama. Probably the sharpest guy I know." The second gauze imp with glasses adjusted his glasses. He was about to respond with his name until a strangely familiar question came out of the two wrapped walkers almost at the same time.
"Are you a butt man or a boob baron?"
It was at this point Naoki was sorely, sorely tempted to bury his head, or their heads, someone's head, into the dirt in a vain attempt to have reality erase what he heard. Wishful thinking aside, he instead opted to not answer the question and search the bag that he woke up with for more then just school materials to find a very familiar item.
Huh. Ayakashi Monthly.
As he opened the occult magazine he was never given the opportunity to read in peace; the two bound perverts started arguing over which body part of the opposite gender was superior from an erotic standpoint with Issei trying to play peacemaker, stating that both had their merits. Naoki kept reading regardless of the background noise, focused specifically on an article about summoning circles until the background noise stopped. He lowered the magazine expecting him to have lost track of time and be late to class only to see the trio staring at a pair of girls, one a prime example of Japanese beauty with long, black hair bound together in a massive pony tail. The other an alluring foreign goddess with striking red hair.
A pair of girls that immediately set of alarm bells in his head.
They were exotic, picturesque beauties.
They also weren't human.
He thought he was merely imagining things at first. When he had that strange feeling when visiting the student council about his apparent transfer and paperwork, he dismissed it, thinking that the instinct was merely paranoia carried over, even when it spiked when he was led by the Heterochromic vice-president to his home room. He didn't even notice any real demonic effects on the students here.
Yet, the feeling radiating from the two as they walked away from a trail that lead into the woods behind the school was unmistakably similar to the demons he had fought. He remembered reading somewhere that once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. And that three times is typically enemy action.
And then he saw the one with red hair looking at him as well.
Her blue eyes met his gray eyes.
She frowned. He blinked.
Naoki was the one who broke contact upon hearing a large intake of breath from the only non-bandaged male nearby, noticing Issei shaking and staring at him with eyes as if Issei was looking at him in a new light. Making him immensely uncomfortable, he asked the question he hoped would at least inform him what was wrong with Issei:
"What?"
The trio made various victory poses as Issei pointed at him accusingly and declared as loud as he could, "So you are a boob man! You can be saved!"
Naoki sighed as the students of the opposite gender muttered insults towards him and his company, giving into the temptation of having his head sink into his hands to alleviate a growing headache, wondering why he bothered asking at all.
The next couple of months went by quick for Issei. Although he continued to spend time with his two buddies, Naoki never really seemed to talk to anyone, really. Anyone except him, that is. Even then, it's usually short replies to whatever Issei talked to him about. At times he wondered if he annoyed him, but whether he's quiet or not, Naoki seemed to enjoy having him around.
He seemed interested in the foreign beauties, the two great ladies of Kuoh, although he wouldn't admit it.
Time went by and although it seems nothing major has changed, he's noticed the same people, most notably the popular blonde Kiba Yuuto, in the same spot whenever he and Naoki go to any of their usual places to hang out, and if not, Naoki occasionally glares at a bird or two sitting on nearby trees. Issei was frustrated at how all the girls flocked to Kiba. At first he thought Naoki thought the same when he first noticed a flash of annoyance every so often wading through the tide, but when he asked Naoki what he thought about it when he saw it, he claimed he's more annoyed about the traffic it caused than anything else.
The first time Issei heard that, he gripped a trembling fist in front of himself. I'll awaken you to your manly desires eventually, don't worry my friend!
They fell into a routine of sorts: meeting up before class at a bus stop nearby before walking to homeroom together, meeting again during lunch hours, him finding Naoki in either the library reading big books or one of the quieter areas meditating, or Naoki finding him with Matsuda and Motohama amidst their attempts to find the fairer sex in the outfits that they came into the world with and watching what the targets of their affection inflicting on them what was called "righteous retribution" for the trio's actions.
Usually after classes ended on days Issei isn't hanging out with Matsuda and Motohama, they tended to walk with each other go their separate ways except for when Naoki wants to go to the library discussing events of the day. Meaning Issei usually spoke of what caught his interest that day, usually those whom Issei proclaimed the 'treasures of Kuoh' and incidents that annoyed him, while Naoki nodded occasionally.
On this specific day, however, Issei had been noticeably more quiet then usual on the walk back home.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he saw his companion wasn't by his side. Issei turned to his right, then his left. When he looked behind him, Naoki was standing back a bit, his head tilted and an eyebrow raised, an unasked question in his eyes.
Issei sighed, slightly jerking his head towards a couple they had just passed by. "I've just been thinking, we're supposed to be in the 'prime of our youth' or something like that, right? And I've been seeing a lot of couples lately. I mean look at us!" He declared, arms outstretched. "We're great examples of energetic youth! You would think that at least a few pretty girls would at least show some interest!" He sighed, dropping his arms and looking at the ground. "I mean... I guess I'd just like someone to show some interest in me."
He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Naoki ĺooked him in the eye. "Stop thinking like that and take action. People in general follow those who act..." His voice got quieter, still speaking under his breath. Issei cleaned his right ear out.
"I didn't catch that last part-"
Naoki sighed. "…Nevermind. Just Go for it. Things won't come to you without someone making it happen."
Issei just nodded at that. The rest of the walk was quiet, with them bidding each other farewell when they came across the split in their paths home.
"Just go for it...what kind of crap is that? It isn't as easy as he says…" Issei sighed, leaning on the bridge going over a busy street he crosses going to and from Kuoh. He spent a few minutes listening to the passing cars, watching the coming and going traffic and listening to the people in the nearby park. The noise had blended together, voices becoming engines and horns becoming laughter. He buried his head into his arms, attempting to tune out the rest of the world.
Then he had realized he heard someone. Someone looking for him.
"Um...excuse me..."
Issei looked over his shoulder to see a raven-haired girl fidgeting with her school bag in front of her.
"You're Issei Hyoudou...right? From Kuoh Academy?"
Issei straightened up and stopped leaning on the railing, looking at how low the sun is then onto the girl. On closer inspection of the uniform he started thinking what school she might be from but something clicked in his head that it didn't really matter: She's really cute... And then the words Naoki said from earlier came to his mind.
Just go for it.
Issei took a deep breath and smiled. "Yeah. I am. What can I help you with, cutie?"
She giggled at this, his smile grew larger at that. "I've seen you pass through here a lot and you're so...handsome and...well...gentle...and I was just wondering...if...you're seeing anyone right now?"
He almost lost his composure. Is...is this for real? "No, I'm single."
She smiled. "That's wonderful...in that case, since you're single...would you like to go out with me?"
This is not happening right now...well, as they say, fortune favors the bold! "Sure, I'll be your boyfriend, Miss..." He braced for the worst, but she seemed to radiate light, almost as if the sun illuminated her form.
She seemed at a loss for words for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Yuuma...Yuuma Amano...So, do you think we can go out next Sunday afternoon?"
He nodded, "Sure, I'm available whenever. want to meet up across the Cl Alfa store? The strip mall near there has some nice places to go to."
"I know the place. I'll see you there!" She turned around and skipped to the furthest end of the bridge from him before stopping and turning around, yelling over the traffic, "I'm glad you're my boyfriend!" before turning back and continuing out of sight.
As she went out of sight, Issei stood there for a few minutes, letting what had just happened process before he let go of the last of his restraint and yelled out in celebration. "A date! A date! This is so awesome! I'm totally gonna see lady parts!" Needless to say, but Issei slept very well that night.
Naoki sighed, lazily watching people come and go from the small restaurant he sat opposite of as he mindlessly fiddled with the corner of a small pamphlet that was being handed out that he ordinarily would have glanced at and tossed if it wasn't for one small fact: It is similar in nature to the business card he woke up with. An object with a small amount of latent energy primed within ready to do…something. He hadn't tried to figure out what it does yet because of the reason why he's at a strip mall instead of taking a trip to Tokyo he had been putting off for a while: Issei's new girlfriend.
Naoki was a bit confused when Issei came to him the morning after acting for all intents and purposes that Christmas, his birthday, and Hanukkah had come early to him while also finding the winning lottery ticket for the local prefecture on his way over. He was even more confused when Issei said that he wanted him to meet someone after school while simultaneously withholding any information about this person. He didn't really care either way, just content that the glum that followed Issei around was gone. Of course, his opinion about the solution of said opinion dropped when he met the dark-haired girl that Issei declared as his girlfriend. She isn't human either, nor is she similar to the other non-humans he sensed at Kuoh: Those seemed to keep to themselves and only react when approached by other members of the student body with the notice exceptions of the student council and the two girls Issei explained as the "two great ladies of Kuoh", but even then they seemed at least benign, and thus not something to be overtly worried about.
He didn't trust the girl named Yuma Amano. And he let her know it.
She is a complete unknown to him. The demeanor she has doesn't entirely align with the actions she took in taking the initiative in starting the relationship, much less with someone only observed from afar. It just didn't add up in his mind. So, mainly for his own peace of mind than any real belief that Issei is in danger, he figures he would follow them around for the day until their date ended. The sun was already starting to descend over the horizon at this point, The golden sky beginning to recede To the oncoming darkness when he saw the pair he was keeping an eye out for leaving the restaurant. Naoki folded the pamphlet up and put it in the black and blue leather jacket he was wearing and followed them from a distance through the sparse crowds.
It was when he had followed the pair to a crossroad that he felt a presence. He thought it was another one of the beings from Kuoh Academy that had been following him ever since the crimson-haired beauty became aware of him: it kept its distance, discrete, and in this crowded place blended in well, and didn't approach him, which he was fine with. When he noted another, similar being dressed in a gray trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat moving in the path he had set up in his mind to catch up to Issei and Yuuma, and the presence behind him is coming closer he couldn't stop the muted grin on his face from showing up as he changed directions to get himself, and his pursuers, away from the crowds.
Naoki eventually made his way into a nearby parking garage conspicuously empty. If that wasn't enough of an indicator something was wrong, the feeling something changed in the environment when he crossed the threshold into the structure did. It didn't matter. If it is in the way, it will fall. He made his way across the empty asphalt when the being, now revealed to be appearing as a Middle-aged man, moved into his way earlier stepped into view, blocking his way again. Naoki stopped walking and loosely balled his right hand as he took a few backward steps, putting his back next to a concrete pillar as a blonde girl in a Gothic dress stepped in from the direction he came in from. A part of him grew annoyed at these interruptions, but another wanted to celebrate: It feels like he hasn't had a real fight in centuries and a few show up to give him one.
But even so, he wasn't willing to risk ripping his clothes because it restricts his movement. He had taken his jacket and shirt off and setting it to the side when he saw a third voluptuous, dark blue-haired figure in a fetishistic mauve open-collared suit with a miniskirt just shy of being decent laughing. "This is the stray that has Raynare scared? He doesn't look all that dangerous. Scrawny would be more accurate."
Naoki was tempted roll his eyes. Seems like he can't get any respect without pummeling something to a pulp when it comes to Angels, Demons, and Gods no matter the time or the place. The man took a step forward. "I can't feel his devilish power, however little it is. A shame, really…" He started laughing. "I was looking for a fight."
Naoki's left eye started twitching. No respect.
The one that had tailed him took a few steps forward, a small bounce in her step and an insincere smile as a greeting. "Don't worry, we just wanted to say hi." She extended her left hand as a pink spear of light manifested in her hands as the smile turned cruel. "Isn't that right, Donaseek?" In response, a blue spear and a yellow spear appeared in the man and woman's hands, respectively.
"Indeed, Mittelt. Let's show this stray why the Fallen are the true inheritors of the Underworld."
Naoki closed his eyes and breathed in before breathing out, wincing as he accompanied his breath with a painful black spike of a horn erupting out of the nape of his neck. From the base of the horn, iridescent, pulsing patterns crawled across his skin as a familiar thrum resonated within himself and a euphoric feeling flooded his veins. When he opened his eyes, the three in front of him took a step back and brandished their spears. Although instead of projecting an aura of superiority, they radiated desperation.
The corner of his mouth twitched before he cracked his knuckles.
They wanted a fight, and so shall he give them one.
Issei was having the best time of his life.
He had left early that morning after making sure that he is at his best, although it took more then a few minutes under a shower head for him to fully comprehend what was going on. He spent a better part of an hour arguing with himself on clothing choices before settling on a collared black shirt and a gray jacket with jeans. By the time he decided, he thought he'd be late. He need not have worried as it turned out: had he bothered to check the clock before leaving instead of checking his watch after driving himself near the point of exhaustion he would have noticed he had an extra hour before the agreed upon time.
On arrival and after finding out that he was, in fact, early, Issei went to a nearby occult store that Naoki brought him to one day. On his way out a cute girl dressed as a succubus, a costume Issei could recognize after looking through some of the magazines Naoki reads, handed him a flyer with a prominent…elaborate circle on it with the words, "We will make your dreams come true!" forming a semicircle on top of it? Issei shrugged and put it into his pocket, figured Naoki could figure out what it actually is.
He didn't wait too long until Yuma showed up dressed in a black dress with a light pink cardigan with a beaming smile greeting him.
The day flew after their initial meeting: they had went to clothing stores to try on clothes, gone out to eat at a nice hole-in-a-wall restaurant, and even had the opportunity to try some arcade games involving hitting targets for prizes, which Yuuma was surprisingly good at. But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end eventually.
The sun was setting. The golden rays shining on the center of the park they found themselves in after the day's fun settle on them like a warm, welcoming blanket from God himself. A stone Fountain served as a centerpiece of the park with benches and foliage at the edges of the cobblestone pathways. Yuuma let go of Issei's hand and went ahead a few feet and faced him with her hands behind her back, a radiant smile on her face.
"Hey… I'd like you to do something for me."
Issei swallowed his knee-jerk reaction to celebrate. A mental image of her giving him a goodbye kiss came to the front the of his mind. It took all of his self control not to burst out in song and dance.
"S-sure, what can I do for you?"
Yuuma had a serene smile on her face. And now, the moment of truth…! "will you-"
Issei couldn't hear the last of her request when he heard a loud boom followed by a plethora of car alarms. The sudden earthquake did not help either when it threw him off-balance and on to the asphalt. When the shaking stopped, he looked towards the epicenter of the apparent earthquake to see the remains of a building that could have vaguely passed for something akin to a parking structure at one time. He struggled to his feet, his legs feeling like jelly. When he finally stood without risking having to fall over, Issei looked around, seeing Yuuma on the ground not far from him, he scrambled over to here, shouting, "Yuuma?! Yuuma are you okay?!"
His sprint toward her slowed as she stood. Her previous demeanor completely changed, as if the Yuuma he knew was erased from existence. Dark, leathery wings sprouted from her back. A javelin of light poised to take flight from her hands. Her face was twisted in anger. Issei stood there dumbfounded, whispering, "Yuuma…?"
The next thing Issei knew was a massive spike of pain as he flew back a few feet and into the ground. He screwed his eyes shut in pain before forcing them open to see a disappearing pink shaft of light protruding out of his body. He raised his head a bit higher to see Yuuma with a pink spear in her hand poised over his heart, a few inches away from the first hole she put in him Issei feebly attempting to stem the bleeding.
He gripped his hands as his face flushed with fire, only to quickly be doused. What feels like A thousand questions flashed through his mind, but only one left his mouth with a painful gasp: "Why?"
The only response he received was another spike of pain as the Lance was driven into him. Issei screwed shut his eyes and clamped his jaws shut in a failing attempt to block out the pain, but a spreading numbness from his chest seemed to be doing that job rather poorly, and the dizziness did not help at all. He loosened his eyelids and opened them slightly when he heard something slamming into the fountain. A figure with blackened wings wearing a trench coat stumbled out of the powdered remains, one arm supporting a broken bag of flesh where an arm should be. Yuuma looked over at it as it yelled, "We need to go, NOW."
They spread their wings and took flight. The reason why was soon made apparent.
At that point he felt an unnatural shiver run down his spine. A figure that radiated something he could only describe as power stood staring in the sky in the direction that Yuuma and the other one flew in. Even though the person standing there seemed about as tall as he was, he never felt so…small.
And then it looked at him with golden, piercing eyes.
Issei held his breath, one hand on the hole in his chest. The other in his pocket tightly grasping whatever he had to stop the tremors his body insisted on. The cold creeping into the depths of his being. It felt as though an ice age had descended upon the Earth.
And then it abruptly ended, the things eyes looked skyward and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Issei let go of the breath he held. He closed his eyes, and he couldn't help but laugh. If one could Interpret a small series of coughing as laughter.
Where did it all go so horribly wrong? He met a beautiful girl that seemed to have come out of his dreams that wanted to become his girlfriend. The weather was great, she laughed at his jokes, he didn't make himself look like an idiot, it was his day!
Damn it…I... I don't want to die…
He tightened his grip on a long forgotten piece of paper in his pocket, lessening the pressure on the hole, his life seeping away. He stopped his laughter before he lifted his hand, seeing perhaps a most peculiar shade of red.
Beautiful. A crimson color staining his hands. A darkened cherry red that ferried his life seeping from his shell. A shade more brilliant then strawberry-blonde.
The same color as her...
Even as the cold made his corpse it's own he had thought he had heard someone...
"You will live…for my sake."