Shin began to regret his choice of sneaking out. His body felt sluggish and heavy. His head throbbed. The bokken in his hands, which was previously weightless, now felt like it had the mass of the entire planet in its wooden frame. But he would not falter even if it killed him. He attempted to meet her swings halfway. His arms felt like it was moving through tar.
Thwack!
Akane had him on the defensive like she always did. No room. No holes. No openings. Everything about her stance and movements were flawless and perfect.
"Shin! Pay attention!" Akane thrust her bokken towards his chest.
In a last minute movement, Shin deflected it upwards. Even in his sleep-deprived mind, Shin could tell that his sister had been deliberately holding back so he could read her movements. In a normal spar, Shin would have never landed a single hit on his older sister yet here she was, allowing him to block, deflect, and dodge her strikes. It annoyed him greatly. She was babying him and she had been from the start.
He tightened his grip as best he could and slashed his sister.
Akane backstepped, easily evading the attack.
"..." Akane narrowed her eyes. Shin's movements were wasteful, sluggish, and beginning to weaken. She attempted to open her mouth to say something but bit back her words. This was a spar. She would give her brother the respect of a spar as a swordsman should.
"Haaah!" Shin charged furiously at Akane. His fast, powerful strikes had her dodging. But with each strike, Shin began to get winded. His muscles ached from the previous night and his body wanted to collapse right there but…
I can't stop until I get it down!
Shin planted his foot in the ground and widened his stance.
"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Shin'en Kogeki!"
A flurry of slashes exploded from Shin's sword.
The sound of wood hitting wood filled the forest.
A thwack here and a thwack there.
Akane methodically predicted and blocked each move.
She deflected the coup de grace of the technique, sending Shin stumbling back.
Out of the corner of his left eye, Shin saw the flash of brown wood heading straight towards him. In the position he was in now, there was no way he could block or deflect that attack. And so, it would end like this again. His back would be on the ground and his sister helping him up. The frustration began to overflow. Something inside of him snapped.
A pain erupted from inside him, starting from his head and spreading rapidly through his body.
The Earth between them erupted and ruptured.
Akane's senses had gone haywire and she jumped back unconsciously.
A spire of black and red crystals erupted from the Earth and tore apart the forest. Rocks and trees were shredded like paper as the tower continued to rise until it was the size of a five story building.
Shin huffed, standing at the base of the tower. He fell to one knee, trying to stay awake. His hearing began to fade and his vision swam. The last thing he saw in the swirl between unconsciousness and consciousness was his older sister running towards him.
The next thing Shin knew as he opened his eyes was the all-encompassing darkness around him. It was like a misty void. He looked up, down, left, and right. It was truly an omnipresent nothingness in all directions. He took one step forward and another.
And he walked amidst this blackness. For how far and for how long, he did not know but he instinctively knew where he was going.
And soon, the omnipresent nothing was no longer omnipresent. Darkness gave way to light and Shin found himself standing underneath an alien sky. To put it simply, Shin was in a world abandoned by God. Space and Time did not follow the rules. Life and Death were in constant flux. Lightning crackled across a shattered sky which bore witness to a land beyond the void.
Shin took a step forward, hearing the red sand crunch underneath his feet. In the distance, he saw a figure.
Her persona glitched and blurred like electrical static but when she turned Shin's eyes grew wide.
This person was…
She opened her mouth and spoke.
"So it was you…" the flickering figure stepped forward.
Shin felt an unfamiliar feeling of familiarity flooding his body.
"Hmmm, now is not the time for us to meet. But we will meet soon again, Child of Man."
Her right eye began to glow an ominous shade of red and Shin found himself losing consciousness once more.
"Once we meet again in the waking world, I will be expecting you here in Tehom, Shin. It seems that you were that child I saved all those years ago."
"Wait! Who are you!?" Shin asked as he felt darkness engulf him.
"My name. My name is ██████████."
"What!?"
The glitching figure smiled. "It seems that you cannot hear my name just yet, Child of Man."
Shin woke up with a start. He felt something soft underneath his head and he looked up. He saw his sister's face looking down at him. The molten crimson orbs were filled with worry.
"Shin! Thank God you're awake!" Akane said.
Shin sat up and was almost knocked down by the sudden hug from his older sister. He sighed and patted her back.
"What happened, Onee?" he asked.
Akane stiffened and pulled back. "Look behind you."
"What the hell… is that?" Shin asked, marveling at the now cut-in-half tower of red crystals.
"I cut it in half while you were out. At least enough so it wouldn't be seen from town," Akane said, getting up.
"Did I…?" Shin trailed off, already knowing the answer.
Akane's silence was all he needed to know.
"Don't worry. This is most likely your Contract going out of control though… I didn't know Vivi could make constructs that were red," Akane said, placing her hand on the crystals. The signature behind them was eerily familiar. It almost felt like…
"Onee!"
"Huh?" Akane turned around.
"Your phone's ringing," Shin said.
"Oh right." Akane walked over to their duffle bag and opened it. She pulled her phone out and began to talk.
Shin stretched and took deep breaths. He grabbed the bokken and did a few trial swings. His body felt oddly refreshed despite the sheer mental fatigue he was feeling. It would only be a matter of time before his body would catch up with his mind once again.
"What? Now?"
Shin looked up.
"Fine, I'll come pick you up. But seriously, why did you take a bus?" Akane asked.
"..."
"Okay fine. I'll come and pick-"
"..."
"Alright, alright," Akane said. She hung up and placed her phone back in the bag. "We need to stop here."
"Eh? We were just getting started," Shin protested.
"Ayaka-oba-san is coming here today and she wants me to pick her up at the bus terminal," Akane said.
"Eh? Oba-san? Why would she be coming here?" Shin asked.
"She's coming here in Mom and Dad's place for parent's day. Mom and Dad still aren't back from their extended trip. Kureha's parent's visitation day is done so she has time. Which means A. I have to cut this short and B. I have to leave you in charge of our catering," Akane said.
Right… wait, catering? Onee, we're a pub. We don't do catering," Shin said.
"Well, we do now. We got a really big order so I want you on top of it while I'm gone," Akane said, placing the bokken inside her bag.
Shin sighed and nodded.
Akane smiled sympathetically. Shin was making the same face she did all those years ago. She walked over to him and flicked his forehead.
Immediately, his hands flew up to his head and he covered it. "Ow, what the hell was that for?" Shin asked.
"Don't look so down. Remember? I promised. We'll do this another day. Onee will help you become strong," Akane said.
Shin sighed and allowed a smile to grace his face. No matter what the situation. His sister was always there for him.
"Leave the pub to me, Onee," Shin said.
Those words were something Shin regretted immediately. Today was one of the busiest days they have ever had at the pub and his sister had been called to retrieve their aunt. Normally, on days like these, Akane would kick the pub into overdrive and they would be able to get food out to their tables in a timely fashion while still maintaining the quality they so prided themselves in. But with Shin at the helm, he hesitated. Shin placed his hand on his chin while the team stood around, waiting for him to delegate how to survive the day.
"Alright, we are… full for the lack of better words. We're currently serving over 50 covers which is a lot for our size in addition to the 8 seats at the bar. Ran, Issei, you two are in charge of the kitchen. Make sure the food gets out in a timely manner while maintaining our quality. Asia, Sophia, Ravel, I want you two in the back today. Onee gave me a list of things I want you two to make sure we have," Shin said, handing them a paper.
Sophia took the slip from him and read it over.
"Are we doing an inventory check?" Issei asked.
"No, we've been hired to do catering," Shin said.
"We're a pub. We don't do catering," Issei said.
"We do now," Shin replied.
"Geez, whoever ordered this menu wants a lot. Rav and I will go back there," Sophia said.
"Don't call me Rav. My name is Ravel," Ravel protested.
"Whatever you say, Rav," Sophia replied.
"Riser, Vivi. I want you to go out and buy whatever we don't have. Look through the list with Sophia and Ravel to see what they need and head out to the grocery store and buy it," Shin said.
"What about us?" Akeno asked.
"You and I are manning the front. Customers love you so we should be able to calm them down. I'll be in charge of the bar. Everyone got it? I know this isn't our usual places and all so…"
"Don't worry. I think we can pull through this night," Riser said.
Shin nodded. "Alright, everyone, go to your stations!" Shin called out.
Everyone left to go to work. The sound of the stove firing up and onions being chopped filled the kitchen. Sophia took the lead and opened the walk-in freezer, directing instructions to the other four she had been assigned to work with.
"Let's go," Shin said.
Akeno nodded and the two walked out onto the floor.
"Akeno-san! Can I have another drink over here?" a drunken customer asked.
"No, Akeno-san! Over here!" Another one called.
Akeno grimaced. It was one of those days.
"Don't worry. I'll be watching," Shin said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Akeno's body relaxed. "I'll be right over, dear customer!" Akeno called out. She immediately grabbed a tray and went to go fill it up with drinks.
Shin crossed his arms and smiled. He walked over to the bar to resume service, cleaning the glasses and preparing to serve drinks. His eyes drifted over to the guests sitting there. Some of them were of no note but four of them caught his eye. Not because of how they were dressed. However, their dress did look odd somewhat. Three of them were wearing rather religious paraphernalia while the fourth one looked too normal.
The first one, the one Shin thought dressed normally, was on the far right. He had long greenish-gray hair and his eyes were closed. He had a normal face with rather well-defined features. The man had a glass of ice on the rocks that he was calmly sipping while chatting animatedly to his companion. He wore a dark grey, almost black, polo uniform with golden embellishments on the collar. There was an odd white sash with embroidery in a language that vaguely resembled Hindi but looked far too old to be so.
The man caught his gaze and opened his eye, revealing an otherworldly shade of pink that seemed to contrast his otherwise inconspicuous appearance. But something about his gaze made Shin felt like he was staring at the entire universe. This man was dangerous, his senses told him. A man with boundless, omnipotent power from his point of view.
The man he was talking to was different. If he could describe it, it looked like a bonsai trying to talk to a sequoia. The vast difference in presence was just too obvious. The man was middle-eastern in origin with slightly darker skin. He had golden eyes that did not look normal in the slightest but Shin nearly had to avert his eyes. This man was a Contractor and the amount of divine power he had equaled that of a God.
He wore a black shirt with a crucifix wrapped around his neck. There was a white blazer-type sweater with Christian and Judaic symbols weaved into it with gold thread. Gold seemed to be a common theme with these people. His pants were stark white with black dress shoes. The man's aura contrasted his rather youthful appearance. If Shin had to guess, the man before him was in his late 20s to early 30s yet the man seemed like he was over 2000 years old.
"You know 'Josh' I never took you for a drinker," the gray-haired man said.
"Bah! I've been like this since Mom died. I'd drink more but…" the man glanced over to the woman accompanying him.
Shin knew there were two women there but he never even bothered to look due to being fixated on these extremely powerful entities. He wished he did. When he saw her, all the blood in his body turned to ice.
No fucking way, Shin thought.
The woman gave him a soft smile and waved. Her white hair had grown longer since he had last seen her. The woman his sister called best friend and rival. Her piercing blue eyes gazed into and through him and Shin immediately felt naked before her. She stretched slightly, displaying her toned yet curvaceous figure before leaning forward.
She wore white religious garments that were embellished with gold. There was a golden cross at the base of the collar, right where the chest window of her uniform began. Her uniform went down past her waist, producing a waist cape around her black skirt and black boots.
"Hello, Shin," the woman said with a pleasant voice.
"You know him?" the others asked. The smaller girl spoke up the loudest.
She had lightly tan skin befitting that of someone who appeared to be of Mediterranean origin. She had long brown hair reaching down to her midback with piercing green eyes. Her face was well-rounded with a cute expression that captured the hearts of men. She wore a black school uniform that did not belong to any local school in Kuoh. There was a large wrapped object resting at her side.
"Um, minors aren't supposed to drink," was all he could say.
The woman's greeting had stunned him into a stupor.
"Aw, are you not going to greet me back, Shin-chan?" the woman said. Her tone chilled him down to the bones.
"Alabaster Star," Shin said.
"Aww, don't say my name like that. Call me by my real name. I'm one of your sister's best friends," she chided.
"T- Tosca," Shin stuttered out.
"Hey! Don't ignore me!" the girl who barely started puberty interjected.
"Now, now, Lisa. Be a dear and let me talk to an old friend," Tosca said, smiling brightly.
Onee… please hurry back! Shin thought.
Shin locked eyes with Akeno, who noted his discomfort and began to walk over. She opened the door to the bar and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Ara? Did you get a girlfriend since I last saw you?" Tosca asked.
Akeno eyed the woman and tried her best not to cave underneath the pressure she naturally radiated.
"Of course, right Shin-kun?" Akeno said, teasingly. She hugged Shin's arm, swallowing it in between her chest.
Shin gulped, feeling the soft and warm sensation of Akeno's massive mounds enveloping his arm.
"Aw, you two look so cute together. Anyway, Shin, where's Akane?" Tosca asked.
"She went to go get our aunt," Shin said, calming down.
Tosca wasn't here looking for a fight it seemed.
"Hmm? That's unfortunate. I wanted to catch up-" she paused when she saw Shin's doubting gaze.
"Come on, don't give me that look. I was honest to God going to catch up with her," Tosca said. She didn't react when Akeno flinched at the mention of God nor her increasingly visible discomfort. "Hey Lord 'Josh'. You mind reigning in your aura?"
The middle-eastern man turned to her and then to Shin and Akeno. "My bad. I didn't know there were some working here," 'Josh' said.
"Shin, who are these people?" Akeno said. The stinging air faded and her composure returned.
"I don't know who those three are but that woman is Tosca Cristaldi. Simply put, she is my sister's best friend," Shin said, "And she's also one of the only people in the world that can equal my sister in a fight."
Akeno froze. This white-haired exorcist before her was Akane's equal. She sensed Tosca's power and almost vomited. It felt like looking at a star.
"So what can I get you?" Shin asked, rubbing soothing circles on Akeno's back after noticing her uncomfortable look.
"I'll have another ice on the rocks," the grey-haired man said.
"Get me a Jack Daniels," 'Josh' said.
"Just a water for me. I shouldn't be drinking on the job," Tosca said.
"Ooh! Can I get a Modelo?" Lisa asked.
"We can't serve drinks to minors," Shin said.
"Oh come on! Old enough to kill, old enough to drink!" Lisa protested.
"The law's the law, Lisa-chan," Akeno said. She reached over and patted the girl on the head.
Tosca laughed, seeing Lisa's pout.
"So why are you here?" Shin asked, pouring Tosca a glass of water.
"Ah, didn't Akane tell you?" Tosca said.
"Er, no, Onee didn't tell me. She kind of had to run out," Shin said.
"Oh, did the Gremory's Queen tell you?" Tosca said.
"Akeno. You know why they're here?" Shin asked.
"No? I don't know who these people are so I can't tell you. But since they're exorcists, I can guess," Akeno said. "You guys are here for the Three Factions Summit at the school, right?"
"Three Factions Summit?" Shin asked.
"Ah yes! Michael's grand idea! Didn't even consult me!" 'Josh' said, leaning forward.
"Who are you?" Shin asked.
"Eh? What the hell? Are you sure he's the Vermillion Star's brother?" the man asked.
"Um, can't you just tell me your name instead of being a jackass?" Shin asked.
The man blinked before realizing that he had never properly introduced himself. He dusted his shirt off and slicked his black hair back. With a smile that could have put history's worst dictators to shame, the man spoke with the confidence of a leader. "I am Yeshua."
Akeno and Shin froze.
Yeshua.
The name had two meanings. One for Akeno and Two for Shin.
"W- Why is the right hand of God here?" Akeno asked.
"I'm here as part of the delegation from Heaven, kiddo," Yeshua said.
"Right, this is Lord Yeshua, the one Christians call the Son of God. A belief that hasn't taken hold in the Supernatural World but there's more truth to it than fiction. He is Her son yet not at the same time. It's hard to explain but just roll with that explanation," Tosca said. "He's also the biggest headache I have right now."
"Are you assigned as his bodyguard?" Shin asked.
"God's Contractor and Son is the most annoying person to guard. He's nothing like how the Bible depicts him," Tosca said, eyeing the man from the corner of her gaze.
"The Bible is written by humans, Tosca. Nothing in it is remotely close to what actually happened. As it's said, Truth belongs to the times and Ideals belong to man. Are you disappointed that I'm not a bible-thumping pastor?" Yeshua asked.
"Er… I'm not Christian," Shin said.
"I'm Shinto," Akeno said.
"Bahaha! That's fine too. Another glass please," Yeshua said.
"Sure, another-"
"AKENOO-CHAAAN!" an older man stumbled his way to the bar. He slammed his mug down in between Yeshua and the grey-haired man. His breath reeked of alcohol and his movements were sluggish.
Shin sighed. He was not about to have a bar fight in the middle of the day. Especially with other people just coming here to relax.
"GET ME ANOTHER DRINK! I DEMAND ANOTHER DRINK!" the man slurred.
"Sir, please go back to your seat. I'll be over there with a dri-"
"NO! I WANT AKENO-CHWAN TO GIVE ME MY DRI- *hic* NK! *Buurrp!*" The man nearly stumbled over.
"Sir, I'll be over there. Just please let me finish serving these-" Akeno was cut off when the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.
"No. Come with me," the man slurred.
Shin moved and grabbed the man's wrist, squeezing it tightly. "Let her go," he said. His eyes began to glow and the man stumbled back a little in pain.
"HEY! THASH BAD CUSHTOMER SHERVICE!" he said.
"Sir, please kindly return to your seat," Yeshua said. "I'm trying to enjoy my Jack Daniels and I can't with your disgusting breath and loud voice."
"What did you say hippy ass bitch?" the drunk asked. He neared Yeshua's face and burped into it.
A vein throbbed on Yeshua's forehead and a strained smile appeared on his face. "Hey Barkeep, did you ever read that passage in the Bible where I destroyed an entire market that was set up outside of a synagogue?"
"No?" Shin said.
"Then you don't mind if I teach this guy a lesson?" Yeshua asked.
"Um, I'm afraid to ask what you mean by less…"
Shin didn't even finish his question when Yeshua grabbed his shot glass and slammed it into the guy's temple.
Shin and Akeno's eyes went as wide as saucers.
The drunk almost fell over but managed to stay conscious. And that was what triggered it all. His buddies had seen the whole thing and they all ran towards Yeshua.
Yeshua smiled as they neared him. A white blur knocked them all back.
Tosca stood in front of Yeshua with her leg outstretched. She had a frustrated look on her face and she relaxed herself.
"I promise I'll pay for the damages," Tosca said.
"H-Hey! Wait! If Onee finds out, she's going to be super pissed!" Shin protested.
"I'll handle Akane. Just uh… watch out for this chair," Tosca said. She lazily moved out of the way.
Shin tackled Akeno to the floor as a chair smashed into the wall above them.
"You okay?" Shin asked while looking over the bar counter.
Akeno's face was slowly turning red from the proximity. She could feel the heat radiating off Shin's body. His hands were roughly holding her wrists and he had her pinned underneath. If she had to say anything about this situation, she would most likely tease him to cover her embarrassment. Unfortunately for her, Shin got up and hopped over the counter before she could say anything.
"Hey! Everyone, just stop!" Shin yelled, trying to get their attention. Jesus! This is starting to look like an Irish bar fight! Shin dodged underneath a drunken punch. "Sir, please stop before I'm forced to take more drastic measures." He raised his hand trying to placate the drunkard.
The drunkard merely laughed and threw another heavy slug at him.
Shin grabbed the arm and flipped the man over his shoulder.
"Damnit! Tosca! Don't cripple them!" Shin yelled.
Tosca dodged a broken bottle and kicked it into the air out of the man's hand. She grabbed the man's head and smashed it into the table, knocking him unconscious.
"Don't worry. They're fine. I'm trained to subdue," she kicked another man into the ceiling, "people!"
Yeshua laughed boisterously as he slammed two people's heads together. "I haven't had this much fun since the Great War!"
"Now's not the time! For fuck's sake, Lord Yeshua! Calm down before I report this to Lord Michael!" Tosca yelled.
"Aw, don't be such a party pooper, Tosca," Yeshua said, knocking another man unconscious.
"Akeno! Can you knock them all out without killing them?" Shin asked. He blocked a poorly thrown punch and pushed the man back.
"I can… probably," Akeno replied. She moved her head out of the way of an errant bottle. She prepared a magic circle in her hand and was about to fire when the door to the kitchen opened.
"No one's taking the orders. What the hell is going on out… there? Woah!" Issei dodged a rather large drunk man. "What the hell happened?" Issei asked. The man went in for another punch that Issei caught in his hand.
The drunken man was surprised and yelped in an effeminate manner when Issei began to squeeze his fist.
"How am I supposed to know? Did you know Jesus Christ was a nut who starts bar fights?" Shin yelled over the noise of the brawl.
"He started it!" Yeshua said. He grabbed a man in a headlock and was about to throw him when he sensed someone from behind.
The man Tosca kicked back got up and pulled out a knife and charged toward them.
Yeshua pulled the man up and shoved him in the direction of the knife wielder.
The knife-wielder brought his knife down just in time to stab his friend in the shoulder.
The man screamed and Yeshua kicked him in the back, sending the two to the floor.
Shin ducked under a punch, going back to back with Issei as they stood amidst a mob of drunken customers. All of a sudden, Shin's phone rang.
"Oh… shit," Shin sighed. "Cover me?"
"Sure. Who is it?" Issei asked, pushing a man back.
"It's Onee."
Issei lost several shades of color at that moment. Shin nodded and jumped over the counter. "Akeno. Keep them off the bar."
Akeno nodded and fired stun shots at the bar patrons that began getting back up.
"Hi….! Onee! What's up?" Shin said.
"They're at the pub, aren't they?" Akane's voice came through the phone.
"Err… who's at the pub?" Shin said, glancing over the counter. He grabbed one of the shot glasses and threw it at the larger man who attempted to sneak up on Issei.
"I just dropped Oba-san at home. I'm coming over there right now."
"Fuck," Shin cursed, hearing his sister hang up.
Almost immediately, the bar was engulfed in an intense pressure that grew stronger by the second.
The fighters too caught up in their alcohol-fueled, adrenaline-induced frenzy, did not notice the sudden increase in atmospheric pressure.
But Tosca certainly did. She stopped fighting and glanced out the window.
"Akane's coming, isn't she?" Tosca asked. She held her hand out and grabbed the primary offender by the throat. She lifted him into the air and threw him into the counter, denting the metal.
"Oh?" the greenish-grey-haired man finally spoke up. He opened one of his eyes and every bar patron froze in their spots.
Shin, Issei, and Akeno immediately felt the entire weight of the Universe hit them at once. The man merely opened one eye and the power he radiated was so vast that they couldn't even sense the bottom or the top. They were at the very center of it.
"Hmm, I'll wait," the man said. He reigned in his power and resumed sipping his ice on the rocks.
The bar patrons snapped out of their stupor and continued fighting amongst each other.
"She's here," Shin muttered.
The door slammed open and everyone stopped once more.
Akane stood at the door with her hands on her hips. She raised a hand and snapped her fingers. The sound of her snap stunned everyone in the bar, even Tosca and Yeshua as they all turned to face her.
Akane stood at the door with her eyes glowing brightly.
"Leave. Now. All of you," she said in a low tone.
One of the bar patrons limped over to her and scoffed in her face. He had never seen her before. Was she a patron? Behind him, he heard his fellow customers whimpering, he guessed she was some sort of delinquent.
"Or what? I'm an adult kid. You're supposed to respect your elder-"
He never finished his sentence. Akane grabbed him by the collar and stared into his eyes. Her killing intent focused all onto him and the man's eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out, frothing at the mouth.
"Leave."
Her simple one-word command incited all the customers to run out of the restaurant. The man who scoffed in her face was dragged out by his friends.
Akane pinched the bridge of her nose and closed the doors. She turned the sign to closed and turned to face Shin.
"What the hell happened?" she asked.
"Ask them." Shin pointed at the four that remained in the bar.
"Ask who…" Akane's words died when she saw them.
"Hey. Sorry for wrecking your bar," Tosca said, smiling sheepishly.
"Really? You and the Son of God wreck my parents' pub and all you have to say is hey?" Akane asked.
"Yes?"
Akane sighed. "Don't change Tosca," she chuckled. "And you." Akane walked over to Yeshua and prodded his chest with her finger. "I get that you're a foreign diplomat but know that you don't have diplomatic immunity inside my bar, Son of God or not, I will kick your ass out of here if you don't follow the rules, got it?"
Yeshua raised his hands up in surrender.
Akane narrowed her eyes before walking over to the grey-haired man. She reached over and grabbed his ponytail, causing the man to cry out.
"You! Why didn't you stop the fight!?" Akane asked.
"I thought they had it handled," the man said.
"Handled? Look at this place! There's at least thousands of yen in property damage here!" Akane barked.
"Ok! Ok! I'll fix it," he said.
Akane let go of his ponytail and huffed.
"Jeez." The man snapped his fingers and everything in the bar began to reconstruct itself. After a few minutes, the bar looked as if nothing had ever happened. "Better?"
"Yeah. Thank you, Lord Brahma," Akane said.
L-Lord WHAT!
Brahma caught Shin's shocked expression and smiled. "Hey kid," Brahma said.
"Should we move this meeting to somewhere else?" Akane asked.
"I believe that's better. Wouldn't want the bar to get leveled," Tosca replied.
"Are you looking for a fight?" Akane asked. Her eyes glowed.
"No but I'm ready for one if you are," Tosca said. A white aura surrounded her body.
"Okay! Okay!" Shin appeared between the two. "Go to your meeting. We'll handle the catering."
The two stopped and nodded.
"Let's go. Come on, Lord Brahma, Lord Yeshua. I have a spot prepared for us at Kuoh Academy where no one will bother us," Akane said. "Shin-chan, I'll see you at home. Don't overwork yourself."
"Onee, you know that we have an order to fill. I'll probably be overworking myself trying to fill it. You see this. Someone ordered this many orders of shrimp scampi! I don't even know how to make shrimp scampi! And this one right here, 15 orders of Shepherd's pie! Who the hell wants 50 orders of Shepherd's pie!" Shin said, showing her a picture of the catering order.
Akane stood there with a blank expression on her face as Shin continued to yell at her.
"Oh, did someone say shrimp scampi? I ordered that," Lisa said, raising her hand.
Shin whirled on her with the fury of a thousand suns. "You idiot! We're not an Italian restaurant!"
"So what? Just make the damn dish and deliver on the order!" Lisa barked back.
"Okay, you two. Calm down. Akeno, take Shin and Issei back into the kitchen to work on the order. I'll stay out here and entertain these idiots," Akane said.
"You know in Christianity, calling me an idiot is a heresy right?" Yeshua said.
"I'm not Christian and neither are you. You're Jewish. Did you forget that?" Akane replied.
"So cruel," Yeshua lamented. "Geez, Brahma, where'd you find her?"
"In China, elbow-deep in a dragon's chest," Brahma said.
"And she's our hostess. The cold, cruel, blunt Akane," Tosca said, shrugging.
"Come on you three. What are you still doing here? Head back there. I'll meet you after I deal with them," Akane said.
Akeno nodded and used her Rook-Enhanced strength to drag Shin and Issei by the collars back into the kitchen.
"What happened out there?" Sophia asked as she was chopping onions.
"The Three Factions Delegation Members are outside talking to Aka-nee," Issei said, returning to his post.
"Really? That's it? It sounded like a fight was going on so we had Issei check," Sophia said.
"There was a fight," Akeno replied. "Though, Shin-kun handled it like a professional and Akane is chewing them out."
Shin rubbed the back of his head. "Well…err, not a professional. I just tried to stop the fight and I got involved in it," he said, smiling sheepishly. "Let's just finish this order so we can go home."
"You didn't have to walk me home," Akeno said as they turned the corner.
Thanks to their combined efforts, they managed to finish most of the order. The only thing they needed to finish was the shrimp scampi. Unfortunately, none of them had the know-how to cook Italian food, not even Asia.
"Nah, it's fine. Besides, since the Three Factions are here, things will get more hectic," Shin said.
"Oh? Are you perhaps worried about little ol' me?" Akeno asked.
"I mean…" Shin looked away, feeling embarrassed.
"Aw, if you keep acting like that, you'll give a girl the wrong idea," Akeno said, giggling behind her hand.
"O-Oi! I'm just worried, okay! Ever since the fight with Kokabiel, something's been off," Shin admitted.
"Off?" Akeno raised an eyebrow.
"Just… hah, never mind. I think it's just lack of sleep," Shin said, rubbing the sides of his temples.
"Shin, are you alright?" Akeno asked.
"Yeah, just… stress." He winced. The headaches were coming back.
"Come on, let's get you something to drink at my place," Akeno said, supporting his arm.
Shin looked at her gratefully. "Thanks, Akeno. I can always count on…"
A chill went down his spine. He yanked himself from her arm and began looking around frantically.
"Shin?"
"Did you feel that?" Shin asked.
"Feel what?" Akeno tilted her head in worry and confusion.
"Nothing… I just…" he sighed. "Yeah, I'd like some of that tea please."
Akeno frowned but nodded nonetheless. "Come on. Maybe some ginseng tea will help calm your nerves."
The two continued down the street, never knowing that a pair of mismatched eyes were watching them keenly.
Tosca Cristaldi
The Alabaster Star and rival to the Vermillion Star.
Originally designated as D-4:4, she was rescued and made the ward of one of the two Cardinal Priests of the Vatican.
Her pleasant, nonchalant demeanor belies her hidden personality beneath.
Thus, one should not be fooled when dealing with her.
Those who expect a fragile nun of the church, are more than surprised to find a blade impaled in their pleural cavity.
Yes, this is the future of the Church.
A girl refined by the Elites of the Church into a refined weapon of mass destruction.
[]
Yeshua
The Messiah, the Alpha and the Omega, and the Christ.
He is believed by humans to be the Son of God while the Supernatural believes otherwise.
Yet there is more to this tale than originally thought.
A man whose persona has been twisted by the horrors of war, he displays an air of ease and relaxation.
His favorite pastimes are drinking and reading old classics.
However, underneath his seeming pacifist persona, he wields the Laws of the World at his fingertips.
Here we are getting somewhere with the Peace Treaty Arc. Let me tell you, writing this chapter was sort of a chore but it was relaxing. It let me escape the dreary reality that is my life. For anyone who reads this and sees Jesus written as Yeshua, that is his Hebrew name. Trust me and Wikipedia. And yes, that is were the "Josh" nickname came from. Yeshua directly translates to Joshua in English. It's just his name went through Greek, then through Latin and finally English, that's how it ended up being Jesus.
And then we have Tosca. I've mentioned Tosca a couple of times in the previous chapters and here she finally is! But enough about her, let's talk about Shin.
Shin's been having a rough time lately. Lack of sleep. Weird dreams. Akane's beating his ass into the ground. He can't get a break and he never will. Let's see how much I can torture Shin, yeah? If anyone's wondering why he's working so hard, it's that he's trying to "stand by his sister's side". Why I put that in quotes, I'll leave you to guess but people can clearly see the effect it's taking on him. So far in this story, we've all noticed Shin's complete lack of... self. That's the best I can describe it as and I'm sure a lot of you have caught on as well.
Well, that's all I can say for now without... spoiling everything. Leave a review and remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours.