DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
High School DxD, New, BorN, Hero and other products related to the DxD Series are all owned by Ichiei Ishibumi, Miyama-Zero, Fujimi Shobo and TNK.
Please support the official release.
Chapter 55: Guilty Price
The living room was quiet later that afternoon.
Tapping my fingers over the edge of the table, I waited patiently for Irina to finally speak.
She was a little nervous- scratch that, she was genuinely frightened by the irritated expression plastered on my face. Gulping nervously, the girl was fidgeting as if trying to delay whatever answer she had planned to give out.
'Do you want to be sent packing home?'
Harsh? A little, but it was necessary that she understood that the only reason the brunette was dodging anything close to an expulsion was only because of Michael's orders of having her study there.
Even though that saved her from dealing with any major punishment, the students in her classroom, all of those that heard of the fact she was given leniency over some heavy stuff she committed, were going to investigate about 'why she was untouchable'.
And any attention directed at the special situation at Kuoh Academy, the way some students were 'protected', wouldn't make life easier for anyone, especially for Sona and the administrative branch of the school.
Once I was back from my visit to the Academy, I decided to avoid any confrontation until late lunch-time, when most of the people had already gone away from the table and I had a chance of having some initial words with Irina.
"Irina, I need to borrow some of your time. We need to talk about something important." My voice was neutral, already a sign that something was off from my usual self.
Kunou noticed, same for Koneko and Asia. Kuroka and Akeno decided to not directly interest themselves to the situation as I wasn't that much angry at the human girl.
Issei paused a moment to glance my way but resumed his task of finishing eating the last bits of food in his plate the moment he saw me wave quickly his way.
Xenovia was the one that was the most interested on the matter and I decided to… try something about it.
With most of the group going to do their own things away from the room and Akeno deciding to start cleaning some of the dishes in exchange of an explanation about the matter after I was over with it, I found myself in the living room alone with Irina and… her former partner.
The blue-haired girl looked confused, curious and… wary of what was going to happen as I wasn't in a good mood.
And for good reasons too. I think it's time to address this issue before things escalate in a worse predicament.
"The bylaws of Kuoh Academy might be a hefty book to study, the length making it a rather dull read that no normal student would be eager to accomplish. It was because of this that some rules are presented by teachers for the first day of new students as to avoid any major issues early on during the year." I explained with a placid but stern tone. "Are you familiar with what I'm referring to?"
The question was left silent for a while, but then the girl nodded slowly, her face betraying none of the emotions channeling within her.
"Then do you know what is… rule fourteen?" I asked quickly and without hesitation, catching the brunette off-guard for a moment.
She seemed lost in her thoughts, trying to remember what exactly 'rule fourteen' was and then…
"I-I don't remember the precise rules- but I've been doing fine until now-"
"The rule states that 'Students, may they be boys or girls, have an essential duty in the form of representing a sense of self-decorum in keeping a proper set of clothes around. To never make use of revealing pieces and to remember the common sense regarding fashion and designs.'." I interjected with the full description of that specific rule. "You broke that rule-"
"T-That's- That's fake- I've been wearing proper clothes during school-time-" She tried to explain, but failed to notice that I wasn't in mood for interruptions today.
"Except when it was gym time, wearing extremely short clothes." My tone getting sterner and making her flinch a little. "A shirt that showed your mid-riff, do you think that is 'proper clothes'?"
Irina didn't reply to that one, a smart move finally coming from her about this matter.
"Xenovia, is it proper for an exorcist to wear something skimpy during training by the Church Standards?"
The Italian girl blinked and… shook her head. "It is… against the rules. The clothes are generally weighted ones to help augment the results of training and it is hardly condoned the showing of unnecessary skin with the training cloth."
I nodded at her reply. "Then I can say without hesitation that this isn't 'normal' by the Church Standard." I turned back to the guilty girl. "So may I ask why?"
"I-It's terribly hot here in Japan." She said, her excuse starting meek. "I tried to wear something a little more conservative but I've little that could help me to deal with the heat."
"Then why didn't you go to buy something new in these few days?" I pressed on, feeling that something was off about her explanation. "I know that you did went out around Kuoh Town with Asia and Issei."
She blinked, lips parting and ready to offer a response when… she stopped, cheeks flushing a little some embarrassment and I didn't exactly need an explanation about the reasons why she 'did not think about it'.
"Could it be that you were interested by 'something' else?" A sigh promptly left my mouth as I saw her eyes widening even more. "Just say yes, Irina, we don't need to go through details and we can agree that next time you are going out you will buy some new clothes."
The brunette squirmed in her chair but managed a nod.
"Good, now that we finished with the least worrying concern, we can talk about the elephant in the room-" I turned my eyes at the confused look plastered in Xenovia's face. "A metaphor that means 'the issue at hand'."
She nodded in understanding and I focused back to her partner.
"Irina, do you know what is rule two?" My tone turned cold suddenly, causing the girl's eyes to widen once more, straying from the brief relief given by the idea of finally being left alone.
She blinked, her violet eyes widened before she looked away as realization struck. One of the most revered rules as it was particularly… distasteful to break.
"I-I'm unaware of anything about tha-"
"You broke Mayumi-sensei's hand, Irina." I replied flatly, gaining a twitch from the girl's body. "What is your excuse this time?"
…
Silence reigned for a full minute and I sighed in disappointment. "I'm trying to help you here, Irina, if you don't-"
"I-I don't need your help!" The brunette snapped quickly, sporting a defiant look. "While I did make some mistakes, I certainly will not accept the help of someone that is hardly connected to the Church, that lives with unbecoming people and-"
"Do you want to be sent packing home?" My voice cut through her little speech fairly easy, almost like a hot knife would with simple butter.
She froze, eyes going wide in shock at the sudden ultimatum.
Xenovia was alarmed by the unexpected escalation but didn't intervene just for now, giving me the chance to continue.
"Lord Michael has been kind enough to allow you to stay here in Kuoh Town so you wouldn't be taken away by Xenovia and by new friends there, he was kind enough to have you enlisted with some good recommendation and… this is your gratitude to him?"
She flinched once more but… I wasn't done yet.
Seriously, this girl wasn't going to like the following words.
"I might not be part of your little 'happy group', nor I follow some of the self-imposed rules you have, but I remind you that this is my house. I house you here, I give you free food, your laundry is made by expert people and… this is your gratitude for how many things have been done to you?"
"I-I didn't mean-"
"You meant every single word and what's worse is that you decided that 'because you were immune by most of the worst detentions' that you were going to exploit it whenever you wished."
I paused, blinking as I noticed that she was starting to shiver a little.
Am I going a little overboard?
I think the more you point out her faults, the more it will sound like this is beyond a mere case of lecturing.
'Get to the point already. Right now she is ready and listening to you.'
I nodded to myself and sighed. "But I am not a cruel monster and thus I will not force you to immediately leave Kuoh Town."
She froze, teary eyes looking up at my softened look. "W-What?"
"While your actions have been quite severe, I will allow to try and make amend of the mess you created." I sighed tiredly before continuing.
"Tomorrow morning you will be called by Sona to issue a formal apology directed to Mayumi-sensei and then Xenovia will take you to the hospital where you will apologize personally with the teacher in question." I concluded this bit of the redemption 'campaign'.
The brunette blinked in confusion and… her mouth betrayed her right where she thought she was left with such a simple punishment.
"N-Nothing else?" Her hands went to clap her lips shut, but it was already to late as I cracked a small smile at the reaction.
"Your hangouts with Issei and Asia will now happen on a weekly basis and tomorrow's will be the one for this week. It will be used for… that little clothes issue you have to deal with at once."
She groaned a little but nodded, keeping quiet this time.
"Good. Then I guess this discussion is done altogether, you both may go."
Irina nodded and stood up, walking towards the staircase and… stopping as she noticed that the blue-haired teen had yet to move.
"Xenovia?" I asked quietly for an explanation and the girl blinked.
"I actually had to talk with you, Hoitsu. Something about Gasper that I… wanted to know about."
I nodded at the brunette, gesturing her to go for her way as I talked with her friend. "Sure."
The girl hesitated for a moment but complied and soon it was only me and Xenovia.
"So, what do you want to know about Gasper-kun, Xenovia?"
She blinked for a moment and then… sighed tiredly. "Gasper told me why he wears girly clothes and... I wanted to ask if there had been survivors at the Tepes massacre of a few days ago."
Now, that is a quick opening of himself.
Gasper needed someone to latch onto. Someone that isn't trying to possibly manipulate his Sacred Gear, of course Xenovia had her slack halved compared to Canon Issei.
"There is a survivor, yes. I suppose you are referring to Valerie Tepes, correct?"
Her eyes widened just a fraction, probably because the surprise was limited by the knowledge that I was aware of Gasper's origins.
"She is actually under the care of family, someone trustworthy." I paused a moment and frowned about a little thought about this very individual.
Azazel wanted to have her and the group she was currently keep safe in to join up with the Omega Initiative by tomorrow's reunion, thus I could… work something about it.
"I suppose you have Gasper's phone number." I guessed and at her nod I continued. "Then once this discussion is over, I want you to call him and tell him to ask Akeno to take him to 23 Sapporo Street around 4 and 5 PM. Valerie will come to Kuoh for an important reunion and I suppose it would work for him."
She blinked. "That sounds… like a trap."
"It's an official thing actually." I admitted with a genuine tone. "Azazel is making sure that the group I am leading has the proper manpower for the storm that is coming."
"And you… are recruiting Valerie Tepes?" The girl asked curiously.
"Her and someone else. Another teen that was present during the attack."
An unknown Belmont. The fact that he was named after the original name of the prime enemy of his family was fairly interesting but also legitimate.
There wasn't a major certainty over the knowledge the more recent generations of the vampire-slaying family had about Dracula and I guess the Inquisition burning up some of the archives might have messed things up in the process.
"So… 23 Sapporo… Street?"
I nodded and the Italian girl smiled. "Good and… thanks."
"You are growing attached to him." I commented as she stood up from her chair. "Do you return the affection he has for you, the fact he considers you an older sibling?"
"It's… strange." Xenovia admitted quietly but she still nodded. "Yet he is quite… refreshing to have around. Smart but not arrogant, I like his… taste in terms of games and his interesting knowledge over… anime?"
I nodded to confirm her wording and her smile widened a little.
"Also, he did show me a special technique, a support one that… I think I can show here without any chance of causing damage." She continued, taking a serious stance and making me tense up a little.
"What?" I tried to stand up, to have her to back off from any chance of fighting and then… I saw her turn around and rush towards the staircase.
"Nigerundayo~!"
She vanished while going upstairs, but I was temporary frozen by the word I just heard leaving her lips.
I flinched, I pressed my back on the chair and…
WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
Fragment of a Broken Cycle: Secundus Adventus Apocalypsis
Timeline: (Broken Trickster DxD)
The Trans-pacific flight was proceeding smoothly.
With my mind regaining lucidity, with my soul finally calmed and given new life, new determination, I was finally allowed to do something with my damaging existence.
It's been just hours since I defeated the task force sent to kill me, mere hours since I found out clarity over a lucky attempt against my life gone wrong. I now knew why everything was familiar and why I 'looked like Lucifer'.
A plan that was terribly efficient only in the infinity while failing in the present.
Everyone died, no one won and the endless cycle of pain continued without interruption.
The Ouroboros of Reality, something that defied mere comprehension and…
And it wasn't alright!
This is why an 'intervention' was needed, something to properly shatter the horrible loop and create a final time-based line.
But to achieve such a thing, he needed to… break some rules. Rules that were beyond any deities around.
Rules about space-time, rules about dimension.
Until now the timeline has been linear, never-changing just as planned by the forerunner of this devious plot, an atrocious and cruel being that will be dealt with in due time.
For now… I had some minor obstacles to take out of my way.
Magical clouds, powerful concentrations of magic and… a divine army standing between me and the gateway to success.
I could recognize the wrinkled face of Sun Wukong standing by Indra's side. The Hindu God of War was glaring my way, few meters away another familiar deity gracing me with a… sad frown.
Shiva looked younger than Indra, yet the power he had was much much much! STRONGER!
It was chilling how a single entity could contain that raw power, a living testament that this was truly one of the top ten strongest gods of this dimension. Awing, shocking and… still disappointing.
Was this supposed to truly poise a threat? This was just a little stronger than what I 'faced' back in New York and… I blinked.
I registered something, my body being squished forcefully down onto… the ground?
Water had bent, blinding light consuming and burning but… doing little against me. I frowned, slowly standing up as I realized how… sluggish I was feeling.
My attention was suddenly taken by Shiva, the God of Destruction rushing through the light, his power flaring determinedly to try and stop me and… I felt pain.
The punch actually hurt, surprising me as I was sent careening away, the light following me during my flight and…
Oh.
I… I should have expected this trickery from Michael, that sneaky bastard was using Heaven's Secret Weapon against me.
The powerful beam should have erased a normal non-divine, corrupt monster like me but… I was just too strong and Michael wasn't God. The beam was rather shy and hardly made the difference as it only… weakened me for a while.
Yet it was still costing me previous time.
Quite the annoying trick if I have to be honest but… a very good plan that was proving to be terribly angering.
I could hardly move with the light hitting me, my sudden weakness offering a chance to actually stall me until other divine forces could reach and join the battle.
More people, meant more obstacles and… more obstacles was going to hurt him the worst.
Now, that wouldn't do, he was working with a limited timer and… it was time to make use of the infamous power of Lucifer.
[RESET!]
The Trans-pacific flight was proceeding smoothly… and I started to fly up above and ready to invade Heaven first.
I had the means to access the gates of the highest reign and breaching proved to be easy as eating cake. The guards were silly and inferior Angels that hardly put any resistance against me, rendering the invasion fairly quick.
Gabriel descended, other Seraphs joining. She was crying…
I could see memories from Azrael's perspective, the few times were the girl smiled widely and craved for brotherly affection. Lucifer… was a lucky bastard when he was in Heaven.
She has… grown so much.
I paused just a moment, tears hindering my sight while I tried to find a way to get her out of the way without causing her death but… it was too late.
She spearheaded the assault, brandishing a mighty halberd that broke upon impact. The blonde didn't stop, she slammed her entire body, trying to cause a reaction and…
I hugged her softly.
She stiffened at the action, stiffening and shivering at the contact and then… I whispered her.
"My little Gabi, so… so much strong." My hands rose to her cheeks, she looked… like back then.
I smiled, yet tears couldn't stop flooding.
Crack!
Her body fell graciously to the floor and I stopped for a few moments to mourn her passing.
She died protecting what she loved, a proud action her big brother would cherish her for, forever.
The only soul that would receive a merciful death in my warpath.
Heaven was swiftly decimated as I rushed through the meat-walls of minor Angels and crushed them without hesitation, my mind set to a goal beyond the fake lives in there. The Godly Army easily slain by the presence of something that domineered upon the end of Order, the finalization of Chaos and…
The manifestation of Apocalypse itself.
The First Heaven was… the quietest domain compared to the previous ones.
A place that looked like an… endless sky trapped in a large cage of mirrors. It was a strange sight but… it was also… A refreshing experience.
It saddened me that it had to perish along side the rest of the domains but… it had to happen.
The end had to come to this world so the chance of saving everything could be reachable.
Michael was there, his wings flickering between golden and dark, a clear sign that he was causing a sin right now and coming close to Fall from his divine state. A pity that someone this strong, this… merciful was turning because of me.
It was… painful, but there was no other way around this time.
"Y-You dare to show his face, desecrating even further his legacy." His shouts echoed strongly all over the First Heaven, causing me to blink in surprise and annoyance.
He was such a good person, his heart of iron in the rightful place but…
Sanity was declining for everyone nearby me. The more I wandered nearby, the more people would lose their capacity to think, to feel and… to act.
"There isn't much of a legacy to begin with." I admitted with an empty tone. "Except the fake existence we were bestowed by that ridiculous bastard's idea of salvation."
The eternal condemnation, the end of what was fine and rightful.
The real sin of Lucifer.
He attacked, Ascalon crackling in magical power and I felt some fear in dealing with the highly dangerous blade.
To think that it was this sword and not the Longinus that could actually kill me…
"You are an abomination!" He snarled fiercely. "A monster beyond humanity and morality-"
"Enough." I ordered with the sternest tone I could muster and...
Michael completely stopped moving, his eyes going wide open in shock and his lips letting out some drops of blood.
My arm had blurred, piercing the Archangel's armor and chest, bursting his ribcage and destroying some of his organs already.
It was over for him, there was never a chance.
There isn't a chance for anybody in this world.
My smile was a sad one. I wasn't enjoying any of this but… it had to happen for this nightmare to end.
We need to end this cycle!
The chained fate… it needed to be broken free from the whims of an old fool.
"M-May you be cursed eternally." The Regent of Heaven breathed raggedly, his blood already staining the limpid floor underneath us. He was close to his last breath, yet he looked as determined as when he started to fight.
It was over.
"I'm already cursed, brother. Cursed to live in a world of fake and absolute dishonesty." I sighed, calm swelling once more. "But my curse grants me a chance to avoid this from happening again. I will be the one to bring everlasting peace." I replied resolutely, trying to ignore the guilt increasing because of my new victims.
A difficult task, one that easily topped the end of Heaven and everything of similar magnitude.
But my sins will at least die with me. I will take them to my grave and… make them my coffin.
"A chance to save reality itself, to break away from a stupid cycle that left us restarting in an endless loop and..." I paused, my face losing the determined expression as a somber mask appeared. "And you're already dead."
Life was gone from the limp body that once was Michael's. I sighed, feeling disheartened by this development and… by what I had to do now to avoid any other dangerous threats between me and… it.
Placing the Archangel's corpse down, I proceeded to lift my fist up and felt warmth shifting all into the closed palm.
Then I slammed it down on the mirror-like ground and the surface… broke.
The glass-like texture broke instantly all around, but the purpose behind my attack… beyond mere destruction.
I felt light-weighted, oddly so, but the main purpose of this action was… complete.
Heaven was rumbling, its floating state,. granted by divine seals, shattered by the continent-busting attack as it started to free fall right… towards the Pacific Ocean.
The detachment of Hindu Gods stared in utter shock as the monumental size of land collapsed all towards them, some of their troops panicking and almost ready to break their ranks.
Yet one rose to the challenge and I waited for him.
Shiva roared a battle-cry, crashing his mighty lance upon my chest and… getting instantly vaporized by the wave of heat I created.
The rest of the deities tried to protect their armies and themselves but…
The Hindu Religion fell as the first 'defenders' of the Last Great War.
And now? Japan was just a few 'steps' away and…
I'm back Kuoh Town, my home, my prime sin and… my last stop before ending this madness once and for all!
AN
Some of the readers asks in my recent works why I sound this much… depressed.
It's not about RL, worry not! (LeSmile!) It's more that I've been reading some Marvel Dark-Themed comics. Marvel Zombie is coming back, ya fools and… I still have PTSD for what Sandman did.
Future milestone 1: 870 Followers and Favorites.
P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin
REVIEW Q&A!
NexusPrime42: Nope! Same timeline, a very vicious cycle tho.
Darkmaster10000000: Something far worse… :)
Br9k3n: Who said it was oneshot? Two or three more glimpses and… then back to the 'main plot'? Who knows!
Obliumm: That is sad.
Scumblenut: Inspired to a certain point, but… things will get terribly worse than that story.