Life: 08
Two days have passed since Ravel and Koneko went missing and I'm nowhere close to finding them. I keep berating myself for losing sight of them again and again but Sairaorg tries to comfort me telling me that it wasn't my fault. If only that were true.
It was my fault for taking on this quest. If I hadn't accepted the quest then we'd never would have been here and they would never have gone missing. But I couldn't tell him that. I couldn't tell anyone that, not the truth it would open up another bag of worms that I just wasn't ready to unleash upon the world.
Instead I stewed in my pit of despair. Both Xenovia and Irina were nice enough to try and help us in locating my lost Peerage members, however I suspect it has more to do with the fact that they're more than likely with the missing stray then anything.
Just the thought of them being in harm's way was enough to get my blood to boil. I wanted to find the person who took them and then I wanted to hurt them badly.
"Barisol, the signal ends here again." Sairaorg says as we reach another clearing.
We were using the tracker we use to pinpoint evil pieces, in this case being Koneko and Ravel's pieces. However everytime we use the damn thing it leads us to a dead end. Sometimes it'll be a clearing like this one, others a patch of woodlands. It was irritating and I was beginning to wonder what it was we were missing.
"Nobody is here. What do you want us to do?" Xenovia asked and I bit my lip, drawing a bit of blood.
"We are missing something." It was the only thing I could think of saying at the moment.
"But what is it?" Irina chimed in.
"I wish I knew." I say looking up to the sky.
It was still snowing and I watched the snow fall from the sky and down onto the ground. I watched as one particular pile grew smaller than the rest given how it was covering our tracks.
Wait...covering ... ground ... cold…
"Shovel." I say suddenly gaining everyone's attention.
"What?" They all said in unison.
"We need shovels, we're going to dig a hole. A really big one at that." I say as I start marking the area with my feet by brushing some snow away.
"I'll get right on it!" Sairaorg exclaimed before taking off in a sprint.
"What exactly do you have in mind?" Xenovia questioned and I gave her a look that no doubt made her question my sanity.
"I just got to thinking, there has to be a reason why the trackers lead us here but we don't find anyone. There has to be a reason why the stray's scent ended where it did." I say before I start digging with my hands and fingers.
"Okay, but what is it?" Irina asked and I smiled in response.
"They're underground." At hearing that both exorcists looked between each other.
"You're certain?" The blue haired girl asked me.
"As certain as a heart attack." I reply.
Soon Sairaorg returns with the shovels and all four of us dig. I'm not sure how much time passes before one of our shovels hit something too hard and too big to dig or remove. I take a good look at the substance and recognize it almost immediately. Concrete.
"Looks like my hunch was right." I say while digging around the slab of concrete.
"And what is your hunch exactly?" Irina askes and I smirk.
"A bunker. During the Cold War it was very much a fear for most at the time that the world would end in nuclear Armageddon so the government set up a few emergency bunkers around the country just in case such a scenario arises so people would have a place to evacuate to. It took me some time to realize but there are bound to be one or two in the area. So this entire time while we've been searching up above ground, we should've been searching down below it." I explain to the best of my abilities and yet everyone gives me a look as if I've lost my mind, which hey I might've.
Mental Pollution has leveled up!
Bite me game.
"Okay so what do we do about finding the entrance?" Sairaorg asks and I chortle a bit.
"My dearest Sairaorg, we're going to make an entrance." I call out Killer Queen and it touches the the bunker wall.
"Killer Queen…" Sairaorg says in realization as Killer Queen pressed his right thumb onto his index finger's middle phalanx causing the wall to explode.
"What just happened?" Irina exclaimed, unlike Sairaorg and I the church duo wouldn't have seen the explosion so to them the wall just disappeared.
"He just used Killer Queen's first bomb." Was all Sairaorg had to say.
"Is that supposed to me something?" Xenovia asked and I just smirked.
"Not important, let's get a move on." I say before jumping into the hole my Pawn created.
Inside the bunker I was greeted by the sight of an alchemist lab. So, it looks like my hunch was right after all! Ah, here I thought I might've really lost it too!
"So what should we do?" Irina questioned.
"I say we split up to cover more ground." I heard Xenovia say.
"I agree. I'll head down this way." I say pointing in the direction my Instinct was urging me to go down.
"I'll head down with you." To my surprise Xenovia was the one to say that.
"Alright." I nod and we head down that way leaving Sairaorg and Irina to cover the other way themselves.
"So is there any reason you decided to come along with me?" I asked to create some conversation between the two of us.
"I guess in a way I'm curious. I've heard that some devils tend to mistreat their servants yet you seem to be the opposite why is that?" She asked and I had to chuckle.
"Its true that there are some pretty bad masters out there but not all devils are as heartless as you might think. I happen to be one of many that actually treats their servants with care but I'm not the exception like you might believe. Look at the Gremory's, they're well known for treating their servants like family." I explain but I don't think she quite gets it.
"Look, according to what I've been told exorcists are terrible people that kill devils for fun. But clearly that's not true right?" She nods at what I have to say.
"So it stands to reason that the same could be said for some devils. Some are bad, some are good." Some are Rias Gremory others are Diodora Astroth, I add in my head.
"I suppose I get what you're trying to say. Still it's hard to imagine a good devil." Xenovia admits and I just shrug.
We eventually come to a room filled with various notes and books strewn out the place. There was even a door leading to a separate room. We decided that I'd stay behind and look through the documents and other things while she continues to explore further in and that I would just catch up with her later.
From what I could gather a vast majority of the documents were notes on creating a tool to extract an evil piece from someone's soul using a tool based off of the abilities of a grim reaper. It honestly sounded so crazy that it might just work and considering the missing stray it very well might've.
I'm however interrupted from my thoughts by a sudden click that makes me freeze in place. It wasn't the sort of click I really wanted to hear again so soon in this new life of mine. No it wasn't the clicking of high heels or shoes, nor the clicking of keys on a computer. It was the unmistakable click of someone turning the safety off a gun.
"Well, congratulations you're the first person to hold me at gunpoint. Would've hoped to have this moment come later." I say dryly in an attempt to make light of the situation.
"Who are you?" A light, masculine voice asked.
"My name is Barisol, Barisol Sallos. Let's-"
"Sallos? A devil." The voice cut me off,
"Yes, I know. I know very much what you are." His voice was laced with hatred and was bordering on trembling, almost like he was scared.
I try to turn around to take a peek and see what my captor looks like.
"Stop!" I hear him shout, yeah he's he's definitely scared.
"I just want to see what you look like." I say calmly trying to tap into my high charisma score to get me through this,
"I wouldn't give a monster like you the time of day." He said approaching me and placing the cold steel of the barrel against the back of my head.
"You don't want to do this." I try reasoning with him.
"If you kill me they'll never stop hunting you." I remain calm as I speak despite very much wanting to yell at the guy holding me at gunpoint.
"You're here to take her back aren't you? To infect her with that crooked disease." The killing intent this guy was exuding was palaple.
"I won't let you!" He yelled before pulling the trigger, luckily I managed to move my head out of the way before punching him in the stomach.
I created mana threads to try and restain him but he shot the gun two more times forcing me to use the threads to block the attack. A magic circle appeared on the ground and golems appeared from thin air.
"Protect me!" He ordered the rock based lifeforms.
One of them took a swing at me, but I managed to tangle it up before using my Berserk skill to punch it away.
"Killer Queen." I growl as the stand comes to my side.
"Shibobobobo!" Killer Queen cries as it punches away more golems that approached me.
The alchemist looks on in shock as he watches his golems get obliterated by an invisible force.
"What the hell?" He asked confused as to what he's watching.
"I'd get used to it if I were you." I say looking at him dead in the eyes.
"Now, where are they?" I growl filled with anger.
In response he points the gun at me again, however it's too late as Killer Queen has already touched the gun. It explodes damaging his hand but not killing him.
"Where are they?" I ask once more walking slowly and dangerously to the man.
"Like I'll ever tell you anything!" He shouted creating another magic circle.
This time a blast of magic power was blown my way. I wasn't fast enough to dodge and my threads were too weak to deflect. Luckily however I didn't need to worry as a large sword was drawn and used as a shield.
"Took you long enough. Would've thought the gunshots were a tip off that something was wrong." I grumble to my savoir.
"Sorry but this place is a lot bigger than I originally thought it would be." Xenovia apologized.
"It doesn't matter." I say turning away from her and turning back to him-
"Where did he go?" I question as the alchemist seemed to have disappeared.
"He couldn't have gotten far." Xenovia said.
"Damn it all!" I growl before taking off in a direction that my sense where flaring at.
It took me all of ten seconds before I came across a door. I slammed it open to reveal Ravel. She was bound in a chair with a contropation over her eyes. Upon freeing her she jumped into my arms and hugged me for dear life.
"You came! You finally came!" Her eyes where red from crying, a sigh that made my blood run cold.
The bastard made her cry….
I'll kill...I'll fucking kill him myself if I have to.
"Did he hurt you?" I asked kissing the top of her head.
She shook her head which filled me with some relief but still I was livid.
"Do you know where Koneko is?" I asked and once again she shook her head.
"I didn't even know he captured her too." Ravel admitted, I held her tight to console her.
"It's alright." I reassure her the best that I can.
"Barisol!" I hear Sairaorg call.
"Over here!" I call back and sure enough my first Rook appears around the corner.
"You have to come see this." He said and I immediately feel worry.
"Is it Koneko? Is she alright?" I ask and he just smiles.
"Don't worry I found her and she's fine. This involves a different matter." He says and I calm down slightly.
"Alright then." I say before following him to another room.
There lying on a bed is a girl with long brown hair and blue eyes next to her is Koneko and the others. Upon seeing the white haired nekoshou I run to her and embrace her.
"Oh thank satan your both alright." I say in much relief.
"Now can someone tell me what's going on here?" I ask only to see a flash of light from behind me.
Turning around I saw the same man from before clutching his injured hand which is bleeding profusely, another army of golems at his side.
"Stay away from her." He says in a dangerous voice.
"So… this must be the stray that went missing then." I say out loud walking towards her prone form.
"Back away from her devil!" He shouts creating another magic circle to threaten me.
"I see so is she your girlfriend?" I look at his face and notice the reaction he makes.
"Sister then. I think I see what is happening here. She strayed from her master and you thought it was a good idea to turn her back into a human. Smart thinking by the way, using a tool based on grim reapers I can't think of many people that would think to do that." I complement.
"Back off!" He barks out.
"You know you've lost right? You have no control over the situation." I say and he doesn't seem to take to kindly to that.
"No control? You think I have no fucking control over the situation huh? Fuck you!" Fired off a bullet of magic energy.
"I suggest not antagonizing the man." Sairaorg suggested.
"Why because he can fire off a few magic bullets? Create a few hollow men? I'm not worried in the slightest." I say taking a step towards the man's sister.
"Stay away from her! I won't let you infect her with that disgusting disease again!" He prepares another shot in response I create a single thread and have Killer Queen touch it.
"By disease you mean the evil piece right?" I say readying the thread for a moments notice.
"What else would I mean? She came to me one day begging me to turn her back. Saying that her master was a horrible person that forced her to commit acts she never wanted to in the first place. What was I supposed to do? Turn her down? Knowing that by leaving her masters side she'd be hunted down like an animal for the rest of her life? What sort of brother would I be if I didn't try to do something for her?" There were tears in his eyes as he spoke.
"Well it worked. So congratulations, you managed to do the impossible. I commend you for that, and for doing it to save the life of a loved one no less, truly you have my respect." I say in a soothing tone of voice, the same that my father was so fond of using.
"Oh yeah it worked alright. It also left her in a degenerating state." He said and that's when it clicked.
"So that why you took Ravel, for phoenix tears." I say truly impressed by the thought that went into this.
"Not quite, the regular tears didn't work. So I needed something different, something that would work over time with multiple dosages. I formulated a new serum that held off the effects much better as the degeneration was at odds with the constant regenerating effect from the solution." He exposited and I had to give him credit where credit was due.
"That is a smart solution, but you screwed up majorly." I say and he looks at me as if wanting to know what I meant.
"You took my Ravel and then my Koneko. The moment you did that the gig was up." I say and he laughs, he actually laughed.
"Maybe you're right. But a girl from the Phenex family shows up and alongside a nekomata that likely knows senjutsu, how was I not supposed to nab the opportunity." He questioned.
"You could've just asked." Was my simple reply and everyone gave me a curious look.
"What?" He sounded perplexed.
"Had you just asked I would've gladly helped you. Considering that your sister is now a human again I fail to see how she'd count as a stray devil. Which means I have no reason to hunt her. Hell I only came in the first place because I wanted to know the reason behind how a stray just went and disappeared." At my words he looked at me anger clear in his orbs.
"You...you're trying to trick me aren't you!" He bared his teeth at me and I just shook my head.
"Not at all. I mean every word that I say. You can ask just about anyone I hate liars." I say and he relaxes briefly.
"I see." He looks at his sister who stirs awake.
"Leo?" I hear her say.
"I'm so sorry Michella. Looks like this is the end for me." He then did the one thing I didn't see coming, he fell over dead due to blood loss.
"No!" The girl screams in despair.
I click my tongue.
"Well, there was no need for that." I say to no one in particular.
"Help him! Please help him!" I Michella begs and I look between the two.
"There's only one way I can." I say letting the unspoken part of my statement to set in.
"Do it…" She says tears falling down her face.
I decided to use my remaining Bishop piece given his affinity for magic, what with being an alchemist and what not. Leo's eyes open, he looks confused at first before he settles on his sister then to me. Anger flashes for a moment.
"What did you do to me?" He demands to know and I gesture to his sister.
"She was the one to ask that I save you. When it came to having to live as a devil or die as a human she much rather had you live then you know the other thing." I say clumsily.
"Michella why? I thought you hated devils." He asked her and she just gave him a weak smile.
"Because I don't want you to die stupid. I might hate devils but I hate not having you around more." She bemoaned.
"You know when I said it was over, that wasn't supposed to be your cue to die, you know that right?" My statement was met with a glare.
"It's your fault I died to begin with so don't go acting all high and mighty." He shot at me.
"My fault?" I asked and he stood and walked over to me.
"Yeah, it was your attack that damaged my hand so badly." Leo pointed out.
"You were the one holding the gun at me pal. I say all is fair in love and war." I say and he rolls his eyes.
"Oh sure, you'd say that now when your cause of the problem." Man he really wasn't a fan of mine.
"I'm sorry and who was it that saved your life? Oh right me. How about a thank you?" I asked and he gave me a deadpan stare.
"Oh yes thank you massa, you so kind and generous." I do a double take at what he says.
"Okay there is no need for that!" I shout out.
"I beg to differ!" We start butting heads.
"Okay can you both just stop, your giving me a headache!" Irina cried.
We both looked at each other with glares on our faces, a silent agreement that this was not over just yet.
(5/15)
AN: Okay so as it turns out I'm a liar afterall. So here is an end to this little quest which I would like to thank Dr. Gale for suggesting to me, it was a big help. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and the introduction to Leo who I'm debating on giving a certain item I pulled from the gacha a while back. It would be suiting given his name but I don't know.
Remzal Von Enili: No its not, but I have no idea how I'd implement it just yet but when I do oh boy or we gonna have some fun times.
Mathias gabriel dracula: Maybe
FbItracking: I never said the stray was SS-class just that they went completely missing. But keep in mind these are the same child that would be sent to retrieve the excalibur fragments on their own.
FinalKingdomHearts: Its a stand from Part 4 of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, I suggest looking it up if you want to know its finer details.
Dr. Gale: Glad it got the stomp of approval, hopefully the rest did as well, if not then I apologize.
So, I guess I might as well ask this here and now, who would you guys like to see in Barisol's Peerage or Harem for that matter? What shenanigans would you like to read this dysfunctional group go on? I ask you the audience mostly because who else would I ask.