Hey, UknownHero here! Well, actually, um, Past!UknownHero here and welcome to a prewritten chapter that I will put up some time in the future of A Simple Mission Rebirth. Maybe now after I'm done writing this or, like, next year or so. So... The reason I'm writing this is because I am bored and I wanna get these chapters out of my head. These prewritten chapters will not have your questions in the AN so... yeah. And basically, they are Part 2 and Part 3 of the Angel's Story. It may not be spaced out how I like but I just wanna write these down before convince myself that involving Devil May Cry is a bad idea.
...Oh yeah, um, to clarify, most anime and video games exist in this universe if it makes sense to me or is fun to include. Like Prototype or The Devil is a Part-Timer, that sort of thing. Just... this is a very confusing universe now that I think about it.
...Let's just get this chapter done.
Load Game... Start!
Chapter 27: No More Devils
Well... let's jump forward a couple of years. To when my life really started.
Five years. Yeah, that's how long it's been. Five years since I was revived as Nanako Bara, which I still refused to call myself. It was a legal name, nothing more. Somewhere inside me was my real name. I was 19 years old, recently finished up my last year in university. It was surprisingly shorter than I was expecting but I managed to pass with flying colours! A lot had happened during those five years, despite how long it felt during those times.
I actually decided that I wanted to be an English teacher during high school. Sure, not exactly shooting for the stars but it was that... After a while, after killing so many people, you want to... stop doing it. Sure, the massive amount of money I would make would be nice, but I felt like that being an assassin was just begging for me to fall one day or end with my body in a ditch somewhere. So, I sort of retired before during high school. Still kept, maintained, even improved /Shion but so far she hasn't been used to spill blood in a long time. Improved my helmet too. Added a mic and speakers so I could be understood as well as voice filters and the ability to mute myself and, of course, more memory for more music. All in all, I wanted to find the exit to my paradise, where I become an angel and live to serve God, then regaining my memories once I'm strong enough.
Makoto, however... well, she wanted to be just like her hero, the No More Hero. She kept training behind her mum's back, getting better and better while I studied. She even skipped out on uni and got herself a... "job", if you can put it like that. She moved out of the house once she turned 20 years old, living somewhere in the city. It was so sudden and it hurt to see her leave but... well, we promised to meet up when we got our... assignments. You know, before I quit. I haven't talked to her since then.
Nanako's mother was doing fine to say the least though. She was overseas, taking a vacation and enjoying herself last time I called. She missed Makoto dearly but was happy that she was happy, despite the fact that she doesn't know that she's a professional killer. That I was a professional killer as well.
Oh, I should probably mention that I moved out pretty recently. I should've started with that. I saved enough money to rent out an apartment for a year but... well... maybe I should've visited it before I spent the money...
Probably would've been smarter if I just moved into Heaven... but I kind of want the freedom and Earth... I just couldn't let it go for too long. It was my home, no matter what happened.
However, on the bright side... my other talents were being used in a more productive manner.
And that's where the next part of my life began.
I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes.
I've been training since my high school graduation, and this would be the result of all my training since then. Improving my swordsmanship and learning magic. After working so hard, I felt unstoppable.
To be honest, I was really nervous. I mean, Gabe was here watching to see how much I improved. I was blushing underneath my helmet the entire time we talked before this thing began. Oh... why do I keep wearing this stupid costume? Why haven't I outgrown it yet!?
Curse my eternally 15 year old body!
Oh right, the culmination of training. It was about to start.
Three. Two. One.
"BEGIN!" I heard the shout of my instructor as Heaven faded away around me, placing me within the hardlight arena. It was a special spell that created an arena that allowed angels can be tested and pushed to their extremes without dying.
That also means that they could pull out all the stops. And that was what I was hoping for.
I opened my eyes, finding myself surround by my opponents. I was psyched! I was ready to show Heaven everything I had! I was-
I was going to fight balls of light.
10,000 of them, mind you, but balls of light!? Really!? Couldn't they have made me face a couple dozen Angels at least?
I'm not that much of a newbie!
God, it almost made me wish I could fight humans again.
"I mean, what can balls of light can-" And that's when one blindsided me and exploded, blowing me up into the air.
Oh, so it was going to be that kind of fight.
I quickly brought out my wings to right before retracting them while pulling out my beam katana. Landing on one of the light balls, I slashed through another before leaping into the air to slash horizontally through 10 more.
Grabbing onto another one, I flipped over it destroy another light ball... completely unaware of the couple hundred rushing behind me.
I blacked out after that.
"AAHH!" I screamed out as I sat up. I frantically looked around before breathing a sigh relief. It was just in Gabe's room.
Wait a minute, why am I in Gabe's room!?
"Oh, you've finally woken up." Gabriel said, sitting on her bed on my right.
"What the-Why am I in your..." I started to ask before groaning to myself. "Aw, don't tell me..."
"Um, at least you lasted longer than most first timers." Gabe tried to comfort me. It wasn't working at all.
"Yeah, from instant defeat to lightning fast take down!" I got out in frustration as I slammed my fist into the mattress. "Ugh, I'm sorry for acting this way."
"Don't say that. It's a perfectly normal reaction." Gabe said as she patted my back. God, her hands felt so nice even when it's through my costume. "You've been working very hard since you arrived. You may not be at the level Angels are expected to be, but that's only because you don't have the experience."
"Oh, then guess that's the reason why I can't use my angelic energy without getting a headache like other Angels? That can't even use my wings for more than three seconds before needing to recharge? That I blow myself up using almost any spell unless I have /Shion act as magical conductor?" I mumbled out sadly as I tried to create a ball of light. But, as usual, it petered out the instant it appeared. And it was really small too. "A defective Angel does not make a good Angel."
"Don't say that. You're just stressed." Gabriel said. "Maybe you should head back to Earth. Take a break from training and come back with a fresh mind and body."
"But I don't wanna!" I whined childishly. "I wanna stay here and be a super awesome angel and be a hero!"
"Well, as a Seraph I command you to go home and relax." Gabe ordered. "If you do not, you will receive a punishment chosen specifically by me."
"Being threatened into being lazy. Didn't think that would happen in my second life." I chuckled out, with Gabe soon joining it with her own cute laughter. We stayed and talked for a few more minutes before I decided that it was time to go. So I packed up my things, said good-bye to the couple of other angels I got know while I was here and left.
And in a flash, I was back on Earth, standing right in front of my dirthole that was my apartment.
Okay, maybe that was exaggerating but my apartment wasn't something you would call... clean.
"Come on, I know I have my key in this thing somewhere..." I grumbled out as I searched my costume's pockets. Eventually, I took off my helmet and found it. I also found out how bad it needed a wash on the inside. I completely forgot that I wore my helmet for my entire stay in Heaven, only lifting it up to eat. I don't even think I got out of my costume since I was so focused on training. I must reek. "Okay, better set a reminder to take regular showers." I mumbled out as I put that information into my phone while unlocking the door.
My apartment was a mess. And it was a mess when I moved here. Paint peeling off the walls, a leak in the ceiling and a sapient underwear rebellion. Now it was really dusty, with my futon still rolled out and a mess from when I rushed out to get to Heaven as quickly as possible along with the clothes I didn't bring with me to Heaven laying all over the floor from my frantic rush and, goddamnit, I forgot to turn off the TV before I left! My fridge was probably full of rotten food, probably have rats and cockroaches and I forgot so much before I left for Heaven didn't I!? Did my landlord not even check into my apartment while I was gone!? I even told him I'd be away for like a month or so, at least I didn't forget that!
Ugh... Don't get angry. Calm down. Calm down.
Don't let it get to you.
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Yeah!
Huh? That wasn't my mobile phone's ringtone and it isn't my home... phone...
"Damn it!" I swore to myself as I stomped over to my futon and pulled out the other phone I had and answered it. "Hello. If you haven't heard the news, I quit! Good-bye!" I shouted out before hanging up. I should really change that phone number. I could smash it but...
Why shouldn't I smash it? It was a cheap phone I used back in my assassin days. Maybe I should...
No. I shouldn't. It's nice to have a spare phone just in case my current one breaks for some reason. Yeah, that's a good reason.
After tossing my assassin phone onto the kitchen table and putting away my equipment, I started cleaning up. Threw away the rotten food, used some left over pest control spray from the previous tenant, cleaned up all the dust, threw all my clothes in the laundry, checked my budget and wrote down everything I needed to buy tomorrow. It was worryingly short. I hope mum won't mind dipping into the family savings. By the time I was done, it was getting really late.
I took a nice long shower before dressing myself in only a white bra and black panties. If Gabe was ordering me to be lazy, I was going to lazy and was going to do it with all my heart.
After that I looked at myself in the mirror. Pale skin from spending too much time in my costume and helmet, blemish-free skin and-
Huh.
I don't remember having highlights in my hair.
"Hm. I guess old me is bleeding into new me. Guess I had a different hair colour." I mumbled out before grabbing my helmet and putting it on, touching the left side to activate the music player.
[Now Playing... Welcome to the Future - Petri Alanko]
Next.
[Now Playing... A Lone Prayer - Shoji Meguro]
Next.
[Now Playing... Hitorigoto - ClariS]
Shuffle All.
[Now Playing... Soul - Ox]
Shuffle All.
[Now Playing... Now That We've Come So Far - Jeff Williams]
Eh... Erm... No. Shuffle All.
[Now Playing... Jojo Sono Chi No Sadame - Hiroaki Tommy Tominaga]
There we go. Now it was time to go to sleep.
After that it was mostly just me lazing about, not going out much and surfing the internet, training or watching TV. It was nice to relax but I was kinda getting boring after a while. I didn't make any friends on Earth, I put my studies over my social life, promising myself that I will only focus on that aspect as soon as I have a stable job.
...
...
...
Okay, I have to admit that I broke down crying in the middle of the day, lamenting the fact that I don't have friends, but I got over it soon enough.
Soon means 25, right?
Uh... ignoring that little tangent. About two weeks later my phone, my personal phone mind you, started ringing.
"Ugh... who's calling at something AM?" I grumbled as I took off my helmet, which was playing N.M.H. (Action Mix), before answering. "Hello? Grumpy girl who wants to go back to sleep speaking, how may I help you?"
"NANAKO!" the voice on the other side of the conversation yelled out, causing me to pull my ear away. "Thank God, you finally answered for once! Where have you been!?"
"M-Makoto!?" I exclaimed in surprise. "H-Huh? What? I-I mean... how are you?"
"Nanako it's been, what, two years since we've even seen each other! You just stopped answering my calls. What happened to you?" Makoto asked. She sounded really worried and sad.
"S-Sorry, but I was busy with stuff." I answered, wincing at my vague answer before deciding to correct it. "You know, studies and... yeah, just studies."
"You do know being a teacher pays like shit, right?" Makoto pointed out.
"Hey, I want to be more than... than an assassin." I replied in a serious tone. "I... I just wanna stop killing people."
"I understand but come on, do you ever think about jumping back and doing a few jobs? Come on, the Angels of Death aren't dead yet." Makoto said, trying to coax me back into the professional killer lifestyle. "Come on. One last job."
"...My last job was two years ago." I sighed out. "Sorry, Makoto, but if you called just to get me back into murder, I'm gonna hang up."
"Wait! Hold on, just give me a sec." Makoto said, causing to keep her on just a little longer. I bit my lip as I remembered just how... exhilarating our assassin missions were back in the day. They were...
No! NO! Don't take joy in killing. It will cause you to turn into a Fallen Angel. The fact that I had to remind myself of that really worries me.
But... I had to admit that I wanted to see Makoto again.
"Oh, sorry about that. Um, had to do something real quick." Makoto apologized. "...Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Hm? Yeah, sure." I answered casually. I should probably start making breakfast now. I put my phone on speaker and put on a table while I started grabbing ingredients. Strawberry pancakes would be heavenly right now.
"So, I... er... Well... do you think about the future?" Makoto asked. "That... What do you want to happen in the future? Your perfect future."
"Well, easy. I want to be a teacher, preferably in English." I started as I started mixing the ingredients. "And, you know, find the right person and settle down. Have children. That's what I imagine my perfect future."
"Would you still be an assassin if you have all that?" Makoto questioned.
"Oh heck no! That would be stupid!" I automatically replied as I poured the batter into the pan. "Being an assassin would only ruin that future." I then added seriously.
"Really? Is that why you stopped?" Makoto guessed.
"And more." I said as I placed the finished pancake onto a plate. "So, why are you asking me this stuff? Please don't tell me you got a boyfriend or something." There was silence. "...Sis, please tell me you don't have a boyfriend."
"I don't! Just... thinking about it." Makoto replied. She was thinking about giving up being an assassin. It would be nice not to be nagged into picking up an assassination gig, but I knew how much she loved being one and I wasn't going to stop her.
But, I am afraid that one day I'd have to put her down. I didn't want that to happen.
"Sorry about that just... I'm going to be in the US for a really high-paying job soon and... I just wanted to let you know." Makoto said. "So, I'll call you as soon as I get to Red Grave City."
"Hey, why don't we meet up in person afterwards?" I suggested between bites of my breakfast. "I don't think we gave each other our addresses."
"...It would be best if we didn't. Not yet." Makoto mumbled out. "Good-bye, Nanako."
"Yeah. Nice talking to you, Makoto. See you." I replied as I finished my plate while hanging up. "Oh that hit the spot." I breathed out, patting my stomach. I don't know how I'm such a good cook but I'm not complaining.
After that, nothing. Didn't get as much as a text. However, it was only a week later when...
I really don't wanna think about it, but that day was absolutely terrible.
You'll see in a second.
"...Coming up next, six small-time criminals in critical condition in a convenience store robbery gone horribly wrong. And man accepts a million dollars but must be tackled by linebackers." The new reporter said. What was her name? Lindsay... Joannis? Meh, I actually don't care. It was early in the morning and I just finished my shower and was brushing my teeth, listening to the news. Nothing too out there.
Then I heard it.
"In breaking news, a giant tree has sprouted out in Red Grave City last night and demons are roaming the ruins. The situation is contained but all flights to the US have been cancelled. For those in Red Grave or have loved ones in Red Grave, stay hopeful. The military and the President of the United States Michael Wilson are on their way to help." Lindsay announced.
'That section of Hell's invading the US again, huh? I'm sure that division of Heaven can take care of it.' I thought. You see, there are many different sections of Heaven and Hell, each one of them involved with their own problems and such. Some work with each other, some... not so much. We usually don't interact with each other. We'd rather stay out of each other's business since we're usually worrying about our own world-ending problems.
Anyways, I continued brushing my teeth before something in the back of mind was yelling at me for forgetting something.
Something really important.
But I ignored it and continued brushing my teeth.
'You know, I actually haven't gone outside the entire time I've returned. I... should continue doing that.' I thought before spitting out some excess foam before continuing.
...
...
...
"...MAKOTO'S IN RED GRAVE!" I yelled out suddenly before spitting out my toothbrush. Before I knew it, I was in my full costume, /Shion strapped to my thigh as I ran out the door and teleported to Heaven. I can't just fly over to Red Grave from the UK, I wasn't anywhere close to fast enough, but I could seriously shorten my travel time if I use Heaven.
By leaping off it.
Didn't know I could've just looked up the coordinates to Red Grave City and use my teleport spell but I wasn't exactly in the calmest mindset.
Which was how I discovered that I was afraid of heights.
"WWWWAAAAAHHHHH!" I cried out, tears filling my helmet as I flailed around fruitlessly trying to grab something to slow down my fall. Now, you may be wondering why I wasn't using my wings to slow down my fall. Well... here's the thing.
I am an idiot.
SLAM!
Yep, total idiot.
"Argh... I think I hit a few gargoyles on the way down." I groaned out as I slowly stood up...
CRASH!
...Right before a gargoyle head fell onto the back of my head, forcing me back to the ground.
Super. Total. Idiot.
After picking myself off the concrete and shaking my head, I looked around and studied where I just landed. "It looks like the apocalypse ran through here." I mumbled to myself. I was surrounded by ruined buildings and what seemed to be roots from the demon tree growing around the city, which I could see far off in the distance, looming over the destruction. "I better find Makoto fast. I hope she's not hurt too badly." I muttered to myself as I turned on my HUD.
Okay, didn't get hurt too much. Thank you, my angelic side. I have more than enough magic to take care of anything that can't fall easily to /Shion. Speaking of which, battery life isn't at max but it should be fine for now. After a bit of tweaking, I managed to find Makoto's phone so that's on my map now. And music?
[Now Playing... Tooth Paste - Tomohiro Shirai, NEUTRINO]
Alright, all set. Let's rock.
Igniting /Shion, I started making my way through the ruins of Red Grave City.
May God guide me and my beam katana to my sis-Nanako! Nakako's older sister!
Ugh, remember who you are Whatever-My-Real-Name-Is and focus on the mission: Save Makoto as well as any human still alive.
Which I very much doubt. Th-The human thing, I mean. Wait, hold on, I mean... argh...
"Keep talking to yourself. You will seem sane eventually." I muttered out as I started running, climbing through the ruins of the city.
My first landmark should be the building that wasn't that far away. It was better that I go through it rather than go around it. Every second counted in places like this and anyone and anything I run into and don't recognise is going to be hostile, no questions asked.
Speaking of hostiles...
Just when I was in the vicinity of the building, some sort of red barrier appeared in front of me. "What the!? No!" I exclaimed before turning around.
Rising from wherever they came from, these skinny zombie-like monsters wielding scythes spawned, ready to kill anything in their path.
This was actually my first time fighting anything demonic, but from the looks of it these guys were cannon fodder.
At least, to people like me.
I leapt into action. Devils were a little more resilient than the thugs I used to kill. They couldn't be cut through like butter, so I had to soften them up before I could kill them.
I slashed one upwards, staggering it before I pulled off a quick four-hit combo. Seeing that it was weak, I went for the deathblow! "Hey, check this out!" I shouted out, twirling around /Shion before slashing diagonally down the demon's body. Unfortunately, none of its friends were close by so I still have nine to go.
Rolling to the side, I stepped towards the next demon with a slice before guarding against an attack from behind. I backflipped over the other demon, slash down its back before jumping upwards, bisecting both of them in half.
I then spun around, decapitating another all the while, before tackling another one to the ground. Quickly standing up, I repeatedly slammed my beam katana into its face(?) before finishing it off with a stab to the heart.
Just as it died, two more demons entered the battlefield, much more different than the cannon fodder. They looked like giant metal lizards. They were going to be a pain to kill.
"Ugh! You know what, screw this!" I growled before tapping into my magic and angelic energy. Channelling both into /Shion, I raised her into the air. "Thunder!" I shouted out, raining thunderbolts onto all of them. Paralysed, I knew could end this with one more move. "This is it!" I called out, charging up my beam katana before swinging, letting out an area-clearing sonic wave.
And in the blink of an eye, they exploded into nothing.
"Okay, used a little too much magic than I liked but I better get going." I muttered to myself as the barrier that blocked my path shattered.
Then I noticed /Shion was out of charge.
"...After I charge this." I said before activating its Charge Mode. God, if you're watching, please stop. It's really embarrassing and dumb that this weapon can only be charged this way. And I can't use my Thunder spells to charge it because it would damage the focusing crystal in the beam katana and those were not cheap.
I still love /Shion though, despite its faults.
After /Shion was 100%, I continued my way through the ruins and into the building, destroying roots that blocked my way and killing more Devils. It wasn't that hard to be honest, fighting them. It was just getting through all this destruction in a timely manner. And I haven't seen a single human soul in a while.
Which really worried me.
"Makoto! Makoto! It's me! Nanako!" I called out, just hoping for a response from this lifeless city.
Nothing.
"Well, I'm nowhere near Makoto's signal yet. I better keep going." I muttered out before kicking some robot arm away somewhere. "Serious, whose been leaving these things around the place!? How many amputees are in this city!?"
Wait, hold on...
I ran up and grabbed the arm I kicked away and studied it. This... This wasn't a normal prosthetic. Playing around with it a little, I found out that it was pretty easy to break with my strength but had this large battery, much more than this arm needed. I think this arm was designed to discharge the excess energy from the arm with a shockwave. This wasn't an arm for just regaining functionality, this was an arm made for combat.
I could work with this.
Without any tools, this was going to take a bit but with a little ingenuity I managed to turn prosthetic arm into an arm-mounted charge... blasty... thing. It uses electricity to blow people up, alright? And with the left over parts and some nearby fallen powerlines, I was able to fashion a pretty decent grappling hook.
I put it on my right arm and gave it a quick test fire at a nearby wall. I thrust my arm forward, creating a palm-shaped blast of power. Okay, that works.
Now I have new move in my arsenal... um... Treble. Boom!
Grappling hook time. I fire my grappling hook and it hit the wall at a decent velocity, just fast enough to embed itself into the bricks. The wire was tight and I could easily fire it and retract it with just flicks of my wrist. It wasn't perfect, but it'll do for now. Definitely need better material but if I can't rely on my wings, I could always use this to get through Red Grave. Besides, I wasn't going to use it outside of this city.
At least, that's what I thought at the time...
Not a complete waste of time, but I had to get going. Firing the wire, I pulled myself up a building and towards Makoto's signal. It was actually easier travelling using the wire to zip around, swinging from ruined building to ruined building, occasionally using my wings to glide across gaps. It was oddly relaxing and kinda fun.
I shook my head mid-swing. No, I had to find Makoto. That was why I was here in the first place.
...I didn't eat breakfast before coming here, did I?
Must. Ignore. Hunger. Find. Not. Sister.
Oh, I'm getting near her. Finally! Looks like the signal's in that... adult... video... store.
"Real classy, Makoto." I sighed out before retracting the wire, landing in front of said store. Smashed windows, cracks in walls and, yes! Scorch marks from a beam katana! Makoto might be here.
Entering the store and I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. Urgh... This place is a house of sin! It feels like I'm deeper in enemy territory than I already am! Even when everyone's probably dead, I could still feel their lust emanating from this place. I had to find the signal and get out fast.
It could be that Makoto's phone is just here and she's on the other side of Red Grave City but at least give me hope she's not dead.
And stop thinking she's dead before you even see her!
Okay, if I'm right, there's probably a place in the back where people can go to uh... take care of themselves. And that's where Makoto's signal is. Thankfully, I was seeing more and more scorch marks as I approached the back.
However, I could smell blood. A lot of it. And it definitely wasn't Devil blood.
"Oh Lord, Makoto!" I shouted out as I ran up to the door Makoto's signal was coming from and kicked it down.
It was a horror show.
Blood. So much blood. It covered the walls, the ceiling, the floor. There was so much viscera everywhere. And for sure, there were the telltale signs of a beam katana being used in here as well as gunshots. There was also a hole in the wall. Really large. Like... someone or something burst through it.
"Oh God..." I whispered out, resisting the urge to gag. Makoto... she couldn't be among the bodies... could she?
I need to investigate.
I found Makoto's phone, which was difficult since it was stained with blood. She must've dropped it during the fight. I also checked what little remains of the people here. None of them looked like Makoto, thank God, but I noticed weapons and other illegal items littering the place. Guns, swords... drugs, money... pictures of dirty looking women.
This must be the assassination Makoto was hired for. A drug and human trafficking ring. That's actually pretty big, dismantling an entire criminal racket. Must've paid really well. There's not much I can do, I checked Makoto's phone for info but the only thing really related to Red Grave City was the job offer over an email.
Huh, weekly calls to someone named Allison Crutch. Weekends mostly. Probably a friend or more.
"Good for her." I bitterly muttered out as I pocketed her phone before pushing it down. No time to be jealous. You can ask Makoto yourself when you find her.
Time to study the hole in the wall. Studying the damage, I was able to deduce that whatever put that hole was already in the store, rather than outside. The blood was dry but I had a good guess that this event might have happened at the start of the invasion.
There was a crater on the wall right across from the hole. There was also more blood, going from that to down the alleyway. A blood trail.
"This looks really bad..." I mumbled out as I followed the trail. I got really worried when I saw more beam katana scorch marks and signs of several fights.
I really hope it wasn't true but... Makoto was fighting Devils while bleeding out. This really didn't look good at all.
But she isn't dead until I find her.
She's alive! I know she is!
I kept following the trail, which really started to thin out as it went on. I also had to fight a couple of Devils on the way, which I barely remembered. I was so focused on Makoto's trail that I just cut through them like it was nothing. I was on autopilot the entire way!
Then it stopped.
And I collapsed to my knees.
She was there. I found her.
Half of her.
She was in her costume, maybe a little different but... she didn't have a lower half. Her organs had spilled out from her stomach. Her legs and right arm, I don't know where. Next to her was her beam katana, CallaLilly, laying right next to her.
But I found her.
Dead.
I just... stayed there. Staring, letting my heart feel every spear that pierced it.
Whoever did this... was going to die the most painful death I can give them!
[Now Playing... The One Star - Takeharu Ishimoto]
Devils started to surround me.
My anger... my hatred... they were all going to feel it!
Every single one.
It was only through sheer willpower that I wasn't becoming a Fallen Angel right now.
God, please know that this can't be forgiven. That my wrath is well deserved. That this would be justice.
I activated /Shion and decapitated the first of the cannon fodder before ducking down from an attack from the right side and killing another by stabbing it through the stomach then flicking it off.
I charged my beam katana before dashing forwards, stabbing another through the head before swinging /Shion around, bashing away anyone and everyone around me before finally killing it.
I used my wire to drag in a far-off Devil, slashing it to pieces before kicking them, hitting the heads of its friends. Then, in a flash I cut them all in two and blast them away with Treble.
I didn't want to stop. Even through hunger and exhaustion, I will hunt down and kill every Devil in the world if I had to!
Slice off the Devil's legs then stab it in the heart while it's on the ground. That was 25.
Rip off my foe's head then beat it to death with it. That was 79.
Steal one of the cannon fodder's scythe and going to town on it before using to kill the others, pumping as much holy energy that I could before it disintegrated. That 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 252... to 391.
Using the wire to garrotte a Devil, using it as a shield as I ran its allies over. That was 1820.
It was not enough. It was never enough! Every single demon will die before this day is done!
Eventually, they stopped throwing themselves at me. Not after I stood on top of the pile of dead Devils in my tattered costume, /Shion still ready for more and covered in so much demonic blood that I was pretty sure it was considered a demon slaying weapon now.
Final count: 6659.
Wait. One of them was still alive.
SLASH!
Final count: 6660.
I then slid off the corpse pile and right next to Makoto, the last of my adrenaline leaving my body and the massive headache from using too much holy power hitting me like a truck. I was bleeding pretty badly, though my healing factor was already kicking in. I didn't even notice taking any damage. I was just killing and killing... nothing really mattered other than the death of everything around me.
I didn't cry. I had been crying throughout the entire slaughter. I just... didn't have anything else to use as tears.
I just... I just wanted to bring her home.
I took off her helmet, put away her golden beam katana and checked her pockets. Didn't want to leave behind anything when I put her to rest. I don't think the church will help with a body this mutilated.
That's when I noticed something. Something incredibly stupid.
"You brought your wallet with you!?" I exclaimed as I pulled it out. "Why did you do th-"
Oh.
Oh no.
No no no no no no no!
The wallet fell open and I...
I saw it.
Why...? Why didn't she tell me...?
I... I need to take care of that after this.
I did my best to keep Makoto together using the remains of my white hoodie, praying to God and just hoping she ended up in Heaven with the real Nanako, before using a teleport spell to flash home to in front of my apartment.
I wasted no time getting ready. I ran upstairs and to the rooftop before carefully placing Makoto's body on the ground. Hm, she closed her eyes when she died. She would look so peaceful if it wasn't for the fact that she was missing half of her body.
I clasped my hands together. "O Lord... this woman may not have been the purist of souls... but give her mercy. She died not knowing the truth, alone and... and with people left behind on this cruel Earth. I... love her so much... just her rest in peace for all eternity. I will not seek revenge... but I will continue her memory on Earth. And... if you're listening, Makoto, I'm sorry. I'll see you in Heaven so we can talk about this. Amen." I whispered out before pulling out /Shion, aiming it at her body before taking a deep breath.
"Fire."
FWOOSH!
There was going to be a serious complaint about the smell for a few weeks but... I didn't care. Makoto deserved at least something like this.
After a while, Makoto was nothing but ashes, which I put into her helmet. I then ran back downstairs, searched and grabbed some duct tape and closed off the openings.
Yes, I used her helmet as a makeshift urn. I was going to release her ashes later when mum was back from overseas.
But right now... I had Makoto's address and a really bad idea.
"Oh, this is going to suck." I groaned out as I placed Makoto and CallaLilly on the kitchen table for now. Took a quick shower, dumped my costume in the laundry, put my helmet on recharge, threw /Shion on the couch, put on a white blouse and a black skirt, combed my hair, put on my sneakers before heading off to Makoto's apartment.
It wasn't very far but I was feeling a little woozy. But I had to keep going. I had to do this.
I... really needed a car because why did Makoto have to live so far away...!?
But I got there! Before midnight.
Oh God, I think my stomach is starting to eat itself and my legs are starting to feel numb.
I eventually dragged myself to Makoto's apartment, forced myself to climb several flights of stairs because the elevator was out before finally ending up at Makoto's apartment.
"I... want... to die again..." I panted out, the floor looking really inviting right now. "I feel so out of shape. Ugh... I wish I gone outside more." Fighting off the urge to faint, I knocked on the door.
A few seconds later, a young redhead opened the door, no older than 16. This must be Allison. "Um, can I help you?" She asked.
"Er... yeah... um... I... I..." I stuttered out, feeling really nervous. Or maybe it was the hunger pains. "I... I'm M-Makoto's younger sister. Nanako Bara. Can I come in?"
"Wait a second..." Allison said as she narrowed her eyes. "Are you that religious nut sister who has an actual future Miss Bara mentions when she's crying?"
"...Yep. Totally sisters." I deadpanned. "So... can I come in...?"
"Um, sure. I guess." Allison replied with a shrug as she stepped aside.
"Thank you." I kindly told her... before blacking out when I took a step inside.
Yeah, future ultimate Angel right here.
When woke up, it was morning. The bed I was on felt so soft, which automatically told me that this was not my futon. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and looked around. This must've been Makoto's bedroom. Posters of the No More Hero and some weapon designs covered her walls, a few statues of some anime characters on top of a bookshelf, filled with manga and... hentai. Classy. There was also a workbench with some unfinished tech on it she must've been working on.
Oh, and the crib right next to the bed.
And the kid that looks like a 3 year old version of Makoto, staring at me with a curious look.
...Yeah... Turns out, Makoto moved out because she got pregnant and didn't tell anyone...
So... this little girl is my niece: Katana Bara.
Don't say anything about her name.
"H-Hey..." I shyly got out, a blush on my face. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Katana replied. "...You look like mummy. A little."
"That's because... I'm her sister." I said as I got out of bed. "I'm... I'm your Aunt Nanako."
"Hm..." Katana hummed as she puffed out her cheeks. It looked like she was thinking really hard. "...Too... hard. Can I just call you mummy?"
"I... er..." I stuttered out before sighing. "S-Sure... And you are?"
"K-Ka-Ka... Mummy just calls me Kaka-chan so you should call me that too." Katana said. Oh my gosh, she's so cute! And smarter than I was expecting. Then again I'm not too experienced with kids but... I have the feeling I could make this work.
But... I needed to make sure of something. "Hey, what does your father call you?" I asked in a kind voice. She looked at me with a confused expression on her face.
"What's a father?" Katana questioned. Okay, that's worrying but expected.
"Okay, Kaka-chan. Um... is your babysitter here?" I nervously asked before clutching my stomach as it growled. It demanded food right now and I was happy to oblige.
"Yeah. I think she's cooking food right now." Katana answered and wouldn't you know it, Allison came in at that moment with bacon and eggs. "Thank you." She said in a polite tone.
"Hey, it's the least I can do." Allison replied with a smile before giving me my plate. "And here. I was really worried when you fainted yesterday."
"Yeah, I hadn't eaten at all yesterday so thanks for bringing me in." I said. Such a nice person to babysit my sister's daughter while she was away. Then my mood dropped.
Right... Makoto wasn't going to come back here.
"...Hey, do you mind if I talk to you in private?" I asked Allison. She must've noticed how my expression changed and nodded. "Okay, Kaka-chan, me and Allison here are gonna talk. Just sit on the bed and enjoy your breakfast. It won't take too long." I told my niece. She nodded and ate her breakfast while I downed mine before leading Allison out into the living room.
"Okay, what do you want to talk about? Why are you here now?" Allison questioned, looking at me with suspicion in her green eyes.
"I-I'm sorry for coming out of the blue. Makoto and I just... went on different paths." I answered before sighing. "Hey, how long was Makoto going to be away for?"
"Well, a week ago. She's supposed to come back from her business trip to Santa Destroy tonight." Allison replied. Makoto lied about where she was really going, huh? She probably doesn't know about her real occupation. "Wait, you just said 'was'. What do you mean by that?"
I sniffled a little before sighing again. "M-Makoto... she... she didn't go to Santa Destroy. She was in Red Grave." I revealed in a regretful tone.
"Wait, where the demon tree is?" Allison got out in confusion before it dawned on her. "...No. No! That... Oh God, Miss Bara. She..."
"Yeah... she's not coming back." I whispered out. I let Allison cry into my shoulder, letting out all her emotions. Why do I have to be the bearer of bad news? I'm supposed to be an Angel.
Why did God let this happen...?
...No. Not everything is determined by God. That God can help no matter how impossible the situation. Sometimes God can't do anything.
Sometimes you can only believe in yourself.
Eventually Allison calmed down and we sat down on the couch. "What's going to happen to Katana?" She whispered out.
"Well... I'm not sure. Let me Google this real quick." I said before pulling out my phone.
How... to be... a legal guardian... in the UK...
No, wait. What? Can take care of child during school holidays or weekends? That's probably not it.
Child adoption... from relatives... UK...
Oh, here we go. Social worker must create a report... both birth... parents must... agree.
Okay, maybe just search adoption...
Nope. 21 years old.
The legal system sucks!
...I don't want to call mum! I wanna...
I want to take care of Katana... I just... want a...
Um... ah... screw it!
"So, what did you find out?" Allison asked. I have no idea how I managed to keep a calm face throughout my searching.
"Mum's overseas, I'm not old enough to take care of her... but I'm gonna do it anyway." I answered with a sigh. "God, it's gonna be a pain to move my stuff here."
"Um... that doesn't sound legal." Allison pointed out.
"Well, I can't do anything until I'm 21 so..." I tried to think of a reason... only to give up and just tell her what I wanted. "Look, I just met my niece and she just got orphaned. I am going to use everything in my power to make sure she isn't miserable or unloved. She... She deserves a family."
"...You're on your own when social services come over, right?" Allison stated.
"Well... Makoto isn't classified as dead yet. I can probably hide it for the next two years." I replied with a smirk. "So... how much do you want?"
"...Nothing. Katana needs a family, right? That's all I need." Allison said with a smile. Huh, she must've babysat Katana for a while. Guess she loves her.
"Thank you. Um... I'm gotta go and start packing. You mind babysitting for a little longer?" I asked as I stood up.
"Yeah. Sure. I have nothing to do today." Allison replied as she stood up as well. "It was nice meeting you finally. I wish it was under better circumstances."
"You too. Thanks for taking care of Makoto's daughter." I said before leaving.
And as soon as I arrived in my garbage pile of an apartment, I curled up into the fetal position on the floor and cried.
I am a super, mega, colossal, monumental idiot.
I wasn't even twenty and I was barely out of uni! I didn't even have job! Why didn't I go find one during my break from training!? I can't pay for when she goes to school! I can't be her mother no matter how hard I try!
There's no way I can support her unless-
Unless...
No. No no no no no! No!
I don't want to! I don't want to!
I can still see the exit! I can still see paradise!
I'm so close but...
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Yeah~!
...I went over and picked up the phone.
"Hello. I have a job offer for you."
There is no exit, is there?
"Hello? Are you there?"
I can't escape, can I?
"Miss, it is a very important job. Are you an assassin?"
There is no paradise for me is there?
"I'm hanging up."
"Wait, hold on! No!" I quickly exclaimed before sighing to myself. "...Yes. I am an assassin. What do you need me to do?"
No more paradise. No more exit. No more angels. No more devils. No more villains. No more heroes.
I'm sorry Makoto. I'm gonna make it up to you eventually.
Save Game... Quit!
Whew! Done! Um... don't know what to say other than the next part is gonna be a big one: How the Angel fits into A Simple Mission Rebirth.
UknownHero signing off, my friends!