As Ryuko headed out for her next contract summoning - another double-booking for Koneko that she was filling in for - she let what she'd seen and deduced about the 'Evil Piece' abilities from the fight turn over in her mind. Rias was the King, obviously, which made her the leader, and probably the linchpin of the powers. If something happened to her or her connection to her Peerage was somehow cut off, the Evil Pieces would probably stop working...which would explain how Devils turned into Stray Demons. Without their Masters to sustain their Devil forms, they had to find other sources of power until they were either strong enough to stabilize or focused enough to control the energy themselves. At least, that was what Satsuki had concluded, and it sounded right. They hadn't confirmed it with Rias yet, as that wouldn't be tactically sound in case of conflict between Satsuki and Rias that wasn't directly related to their 'Peerage'.
Rooks were the 'immovable objects' of the team, being able to both take and deal immense physical damage. Knights were the DPS specialists, focused entirely on speed strikes. Bishops had been mentioned but not demonstrated, and given the 'class setups' so far, process of elimination suggested they were primarily casters of one sort or another. Akeno had been referred to as the Queen, and given she always stayed near Rias and used complex magics, Ryuko assumed that Queens were a balance point, high power but not specialized.
And that left Ryuko, a Pawn. She knew Chess, and knew exactly what Pawns were related to other pieces. They simply marched forward like soldiers until they reached the other side of the board, at which point they could become any other piece except a King. Given the Pieces inside her had Mutated to have aspects of all the other Pieces in shape, she presumed that if certain conditions were met in battle, she would be able to focus her power in the manner of one of those four Classes.
Reaching her destination, she set aside her thoughts before looking for the best entrance...and found only the door. Sighing, she settled down, folded her wings, and rang the bell. She then noticed that no one was answering. Sighing, she leaned against the doorframe crossing her arms, only for the door to swing open from the impact, the lights out inside.
Her guard instantly went up. She'd been summoned here, and now no sign of anyone inside? She spread her awareness into her Fibers...and found two life signs in the building, no sign of Life Fiber energy, and...something that made her Fibers feel ill. Her body tensed as she remembered the sensation when she'd laid eyes on the Church.
Exorcist, she thought silently to herself as she stepped inside, feeling a much more intense surge of the ill feeling. She would be on guard. She was not about to give whoever was in here the opportunity to give her a repeat of her experience with Raynare. Seeing light coming from a room off the main hall, she braced herself as she made her way forward. She checked herself inside to be certain she was ready for anything.
I'm with you, partner! Ddraig said from her right hand, a faint pulse of green light on the back of her hand letting her see the focus.
Nodding, she made her way to the doorway as quietly as she could manage. As she stepped into the room, her nose twitched as she detected large amounts of spilled blood and something else that was even worse. She was used to blood from all her time wearing Senketsu, even her own, but that worst scent...
She staggered back as her eyes followed the practical lake of blood on the floor to the pile of corpses in the middle of the room, piled up as though meant to be shown off, their bellies cut open and the viscera - the scent she couldn't identify - scattered around like decorations. She stepped back away from the site, trying to swallow her bile-
Without thinking, she dove to the side, almost too late. The glowing blade cut a shallow gash on the back of her arm rather than slicing through her shoulder. Feeling the sting of holy power, she rolled away...only to feel something hard, metal, and holy shoot through her legs at several points accompanied by loud retorts, letting her realize she'd just been shot.
"Well well..." a rather creepy sounding male voice purred as she rolled to her feet, bracing herself against the couch from the pain in her legs, the wounds not yet healing because her Fibers were still fighting the lingering holy essence. "The boss lady said the one in black wasn't to be toyed with...but you are definitely going to be fun..."
As Ryuko raised her eyes, she took in the figure. The silver haired man might have been considered handsome, if his eyes weren't shrunk to insane pinpricks and his mouth drawn in a mad grin, his tongue sticking out tauntingly. He was dressed in a mockery of a priest's robes, hanging open to reveal the zip up shirt and black pants beneath as the silver cross glinted in the candle light. Feeling the intensity of the sacred energy surrounding him - obviously enhanced by the strength of his convictions - she bit back a curse. "Should have expected exorcists to be zealots," she growled as she pushed herself up.
"Oh, not all of them," he purred back as he leaned forward. "I'm a special case. My name is Freed Zelzan-"
"Don't care, kicking your ass."
Freed laughed madly. "Oh do please try, devil shit! I'm eager to see-oops!" He swayed back as Ryuko lunged in, just barely managing to avoid her assault as he opened fire. "Someone's eager to taste my sacred shaft!" As Ryuko skidded to a halt with holes smoking in her arms, he licked the barrel of his gun suggestively.
Ryuko spat derisively as she flexed her limbs. "Sorry, but unlike old computers, I don't accept 3 1/2 inch floppies!"
Freed laughed wickedly. "Whether devil shits like you or the no longer human shits that summon you, I so love the sound of your wails of despair, however they're couched!" Leveling his gun, he fired twice more.
Ryuko leapt over the the shots. "You mi-" Her instincts flared, and she rolled in the air before letting out a scream of pain. The two blessed silver knives - launched by Freed's shots - that had been aimed at her head and heart instead embedded themselves in her knees.
"You didn't really think a Soldier of God would play fair with a devil shit like you?" Freed taunted as Ryuko struggled to stand, the continuous burning of the daggers much harder to fight through than the holes left by the bullets. He raised his sword. "I think it's time to end this farce-"
A shocked scream drew attention to behind Freed, closer to the door. Ryuko's mind jerked to a halt as she - somehow - recognized Asia's voice.
"Oh...Asia-chan?" Freed asked in a purring voice as Asia stared in shocked horror at the grotesque sight of the bodies. "Are you done setting up the magical barrier?"
"Th...this is...?" Asia whispered, tears in her voice.
"Oh, that's right, you're a beginner!" Freed laughed as he turned away from Ryuko. "This is our job. We kill off the worthless people enchanted by demons."
"N-no way..." Asia stammered as she turned towards them...only to catch sight of Ryuko. "Ryuko-san?"
Ryuko hissed through her teeth as she pushed herself up on the coffee table, unable to get words out.
"What?" Freed asked in surprise. "You two know each other?"
Growling, Ryuko spread her wings to get the lift to help her stay upright. Asia gasped at the sight, but taking the weight off her legs let Ryuko speak. "It doesn't matter where power comes from..." she managed to growl out. "It's what you choose to do with it..." As she accidentally bumped one of the daggers against the table, she fell again, clutching at her leg as her wings gripped the table for extra balance.
Freed whispered something to Asia, but Ryuko wasn't able to make out more than 'Fallen Angels' towards the end. As her eyes narrowed, Freed stepped forward. "Well, it's time to get this done!" he declared eagerly, putting his glowing blade to Ryuko's throat.
She tensed up...and felt her Fibers writhing inside her. To her surprise, much like when her heart had shifted out of the way of the light spear back when she was human, now it was her brain shifting out of her skull so she could live even if her head was cut off. I did not know I could do that, she thought silently to herself.
Here's hoping it isn't useful too often, Ddraig added silently, waiting to be called on at the most opportune time.
"Are you ready?" Freed demanded coldly.
Ryuko smirked. "No regrets or doubts...which is more than you'll be able to say when it's your time."
Freed laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Then here it comes!" he declared as he drew it back, aiming to cut off her head.
Ryuko considered several exotic alternatives to getting her head cut off, but couldn't think of one that wouldn't terrify Asia. She decided her best bet would be to shift some Fibers around to catch her head just after the sword passed through her neck so she could make it look like the sword had failed to behead her. Then she could trigger Ddraig, and hope whatever he did would shift the balance of the match-
Asia suddenly threw herself between Ryuko and Freed, catching them both off guard as she stared defiantly at the exorcist.
Freed's gaze flattened. "Oy, are you serious?" he growled irritably.
Asia flinched a bit, then steeled herself. "Father Freed, I will not let you slay this one!"
Ryuko's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She made a quick check of her Fibers to ensure that was strictly metaphor, but she could tell Freed was nearly as shocked by what had been said. "Do you know what you're saying?" he demanded angrily.
"Ryuko-san may be a Devil, but she is a good person!" Asia insisted firmly. "God will not forgive the events of this night-"
"Don't give me that crap!" Freed snapped out angrily, swinging his light blade at her.
To Ryuko's - and likely Freed's - surprise, Asia did not flinch as the blade came within millimeters of cutting her open, instead managing to slash her habit open, leaving her only covered by her pure white bra and panties...only for her bra to pop open as the last thread parted. Asia quickly moved her outstretched arms to cover her breasts, but remained defiant.
Freed's eyes narrowed, filled with wrath. "Have you lost your mind, you fucking bitch?" he snarled as he stomped over to her, seizing her by one wrist and her face as she cried in pain and fear. "The Fallen Angel woman said I wasn't to hurt you, but I think you need to be punished." With a sudden move, he slammed her against the wall, pinning her arms over her head by his light blade through her sleeves.
"Asia!" Ryuko gasped out as she struggled to get upright...only for the world to slow as she saw the Sister flinching away as Freed's hand roughly seized her exposed breast.
...the touch of Ragyo and Nui on her skin...
...the feeling of their 'love' in her deepest parts...
...the threads piercing her body that bound Junketsu to her...
...Mako...Ryuko felt her blood boiling as a scream of rage and pain erupted from her.
Ddraig flinched back as he felt the heat in Ryuko's blood as her Fibers twisted upon themselves. He attempted to manifest, only to feel him sealed within as the coffee table was batted aside, flying past Freed's head before spattering against the wall as sludge, the energy within it leeched away by Ryuko's touch. She stood upright, the carpet beneath her feet withering as her skin darkened. The silver knives in her legs corroded and crumbled, falling away as dust.
"Oh ho!" Freed purred as he turned away from Asia. "So the Devil shows its true face!" Pulling his sword from the wall, he thrust out at Ryuko.
Ryuko's arm parted around the light blade as her arm thrust forward, not touching it until the two halves of her hand came together to crush the hilt and Freed's hand. Freed let out a cry of pain and pulled back...only to stare as his hand was left in Ryuko's grip as it dissolved into a pile of black sludge. Ryuko's face twisted and distorted as her jaw stretched far too wide, revealing far too many teeth.
Ryuko stalked forward. Freed attempted to shoot her, but the bullets fell short, the motive force within them leeched away before they could impact. Ryuko's left hand expanded to immense size and batted Freed into a wall. He screamed in agony as the impact crushed several bones, leaving him barely able to move. She stomped forward and raised her fist to deliver a final blow-
"R-ryuko-san..." Asia whimpered.
Ryuko's head rotated on her shoulders, her blank white eyes staring at Asia. Ddraig held his metaphorical breath.
Fibers lashed out from Ryuko's body, knitting Asia's garments back together. As they finished, they gently stroked her cheek, flicking away tears without doing any harm.
Ryuko's head turned back towards Freed...and switched to lifting her right arm. Her hand narrowed to a point, and she drove it into Freed's crotch. Even as she did so and Freed wailed in pain, her transformation began to reverse itself as she tumbled over.
"Ryuko-san!" Asia cried out as she struggled to get to her feet.
Ddraig thought to say something, but sensed someone approaching.
Asia stared in shock as the window shattered and a man dressed in white wearing a green eye mask and carrying a wooden sword dove in, scooping up Ryuko as she shrank incompletely in on herself, the transformation remaining but lacking motive force. He glanced from Ryuko to Freed to Asia. "...you're not one of Rias's...or one of Satsuki-sama's..." he commented thoughtfully.
"I...I'm a friend of Ryuko's..." Asia managed to say.
"Ah." The man was silent for a time, then lifted his head. "More incoming, and I can only carry one fast enough-"
"Get Ryuko to safety," Asia insisted. "I...I'll be okay."
The man raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Heh, you just might be tough enough to keep up with her." With that, he seemed to blur and vanish.
Asia managed to get to her feet as the Fallen Angels arrived to collect them. As Lady Raynare arrived, she took in the scene before turning to Asia for an explanation.
Asia managed to gather her wits...and her nerve. If she needed to be tough to keep up with Ryuko and be her friend, then she would start now. She pointed at Freed's crotch. "I'm not healing that one," she stated firmly.