"Oh, my head…" Shin sat up, holding his forehead in pain. "Ran, are you there?"
"I… I'm here… I'm here, Master," Ran said, panting. She was on all fours. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tear streaks marred her perfect doll-like features. She took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh as she sat down. Neither of them knew how much time had passed since they went into their respective trances and neither of them knew if what just happened was real.
"Let's go-" he stumbled forward trying to get up. His memories of the events prior were a jumbled mess and hard to interpret. All he could remember from that event was a face and a name.
Yaldabaoth.
The name echoed through his mind along with her ominous voice.
"Master," Ran said, helping him up. "What do we do?"
"I don't know. I can't even tell if what just happened was real or if it was all a fantasy," Shin said. His gait was unsteady and his attempts at balance were met with wobbly legs. His muscles felt as if they had atrophied.
Ran nodded. "Tsukuyomi's flying across the sky. We should head back before we're deemed missing by your older sister."
"Yeah," Shin said, clenching his fists.
That feeling was back. That overpowering feeling of helplessness. He sighed and supported Ran, who almost fell forward. The two ambled their way unsteadily out of the woods and back to Kuoh.
Shin mindlessly went about his duties that morning. His mind was still fixated on the events of the previous night. Yaldabaoth. Yaldabaoth. That name rang inside his mind. So foreign yet so familiar. Every time he thought of it, a mild headache occurred but it was nothing compared to his previous ones. Unbeknownst to him, his right eye flickered with a sanguine glow as he robotically cut onions for his breakfast.
"Shi…"
His chopping grew faster.
"Shin!"
The knife glowed slightly and cut right through the onions and cutting board.
"SHIN!"
His right eye faded back into brown and he turned around.
Akane had her arms crossed and she had a worried look on her face. "Jeez, if I didn't yell, you would have chopped the entire island in half," Akane said, pointing to the now split chopping board and the marks on their kitchen island.
"Oh, sorry. I was just deep in thought," Shin said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Uhuh. Anyway, finish breakfast and get ready. You're coming with me," Akane said.
"Huh? To where?" he asked.
"The Biblical Faction has asked us to find one of its members for tonight. She snuck out from the delegation's hotel suite and is now hiding from the senses of Michael and Yeshua," Akane answered.
"And they're asking us?"
"Of course. Besides, you wanted to go on a job with me. This is your chance. A search and rescue."
"Oh, yeah! Sure!" Shin said with much enthusiasm.
Akane and Shin stood outside their house, waiting for their company to arrive. This was a joint operation and Michael had offered a hefty sum to them in return. Of course, Akane had no need for the money but Shin thought it would be nice to get ahead on his university tuition. Unlike his older sister, Shin did not have the privilege of getting all the clout and royalties that came with being a world-class mercenary capable of bringing down an entire pantheon.
"Ah, you. You're our partner squad today," Akane said, pushing off the wall.
"You sound disappointed. Were you expecting someone else?" Tosca asked, walking over to her.
The two sized each other up before laughing.
"Ah, at least our company isn't incompetent," Akane said.
"Incompetent? A lot of exorcists I know fall under that word. Anyway, you don't mind me bringing along my student, do you? I would've brought Irina but Irina is following around Lord Michael," Tosca said.
"Rin is here?" Shin asked.
"Yes but she's stuck helping with paperwork. I heard you two are childhood friends so I kind of feel bad now not pulling her away. I hope you and Lisa get along for this mission," Tosca said.
She gestured to the brunette girl who had ordered the 50 plates of shrimp scampi.
Shin felt her sour gaze fall on him. He waved tentatively at her and she looked away in a huff. His eyebrow twitched. She had that holier-than-thou attitude. Or was it because he denied her alcohol?
"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Akane asked.
Tosca placed a hand on her chin. "I do but it's too obvious."
"Where is it?" Shin asked.
"By any chance, does Kuoh have Yaoi Conventions?" she asked.
"Yes," Shin answered immediately.
Akane shot him an incredulous look and Ran popped her head out of his hoodie.
"You could've worded that better there, Champ. Better start elaborating fast or else you'll be labeled a fudanshi," Vivi's voice echoed inside his head.
Shin sighed. "I only know of it because of the girls in my class. Ever since Yuuto and Issei became friends, they began this weird doujin circle at school called Prince x Beast, which is a yaoi doujin of… Issei and Yuuto," Shin said.
"I see. And do you by any chance know where this yaoi-con is taking place?" Akane asked.
"We can ask Yuki," Shin said.
"Yuki? Who the hell is… oh, Murayama. Right," Akane said.
"That's rude, Onee. The entire Kendo club looks up to you," he said.
"Meh. If they have time to idolize me, then they have time to sharpen their skills with a sword. Come on," Akane said.
The conversation with Murayama was difficult at the very least. He couldn't get through three sentences without having to calm her down. Unlike the other students at the school, Murayama idolized and adored his older sister, believing her to be the true pinnacle of women instead of the Great Ladies. Her opinions, however, were very much frowned upon and people would momentarily forget their fear of Akane for their adoration of Rias and Akeno.
"Murayama! Focus!" Shin said, snapping his fingers for the umpteenth time.
"Huh? Sorry, I was just…"
"Drooling over the fact that my sister is here. But why? You've known her since you were a kid," Shin said.
"Akane-sama is the true representation of the sword! As a member and practitioner of Kendo, I adore her more than I do the Great Ladies, and to have her here is-"
"Okay, focus. Where is yaoi-con?" he asked.
"Eh? Yaoi-con? You're asking me-"
"March 7th."
Murayama's mouth snapped shut. Her face grew pale at his words. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered.
"March 7th. I saw you reading Prince x Beast from the top of the stairs in secret even after you specifically told Katase how you despised the doujin. Should I go tell the others that-"
"Okay! Okay! Fine! Yaoi-con is located on the corner of 4th and Main! It's in a small trading card shop. You can't miss it!" Murayama said. "Now can you please not tell Katase that I'm reading it. She's already weird enough about this ship as it is."
"Fine. And thanks," Shin said.
"4th and Main. The only trading card shop there is…"
"Shinobi Wares, yeah," Shin said.
"I'm afraid to ask but what is Yaoi-con?" Lisa asked.
"Well, yaoi-con is a convention for people who like men x men or boy x boy ships. They go there to discuss their favorite BL couples and buy BL doujins," Shin explained.
"What the hell is BL?" she added.
"Boys' Love," Akane said. "Come on. I don't want to be there for as long as I have to."
Shinobi Wares was a small trading card store. Though small was not the word Shin would have used when describing it. He had been here a few times when his older sister went through her chuuni phase. It was a two-story building occupying the corner of Kuoh's 4th and Main Streets. It was a hop, skip, and a jump away from Hatch Potch and located in literal skipping distance of a Starbucks. On the window was a bright sign in all red with two of the symbols for male on it.
Yaoi-Convention
Open Hours: 8 AM - 8 PM
"Let's just get this over with," Akane said, pushing the door open.
The entire store's wares had been converted for the purpose of the convention. Women, and men, but mostly women, perused the store. Various tables, which were previously used for Magic: The Gathering Tournaments and Yugioh, had been converted to pseudo stands for the doujin artists. Shin hid his eyes when he saw a few of his classmates crowded around the table that clearly said Prince x Beast.
"Isaiah?" Tosca muttered under her breath. "They dare defile your innocent nature like this…"
Shin felt her bloodlust leaking in small amounts from her body. The bloodlust faded when Akane placed her hand on Tosca's shoulder. "Not here. Let's go find our runaway Fujoriel."
"Why would Lady Uriel come to this den of degeneracy?" Lisa asked.
"Lady Uriel is what one would call a fujoshi, meaning she loves the BL genre and Yaoi. Lady Uriel is not at all secretive about her likes. She likes to distribute BL around Heaven is the word on the grapevine. She also almost fell for trying to write yaoi of Lord Yeshua and Judas into the Bible," Tosca said.
"Wait what?" Shin asked.
"You heard right. Lady Uriel attempted to insert a yaoi scene between Lord Yeshua and Judas into the New Testament. Of course, Lord Michael and Lord Raphael put a stop to this and the Divine Mother grounded her," Tosca said. "Or at least, that's what Lord Michael told me when I was told to go get her."
"So Lady Uriel is actually Lady Fujoshiriel," Lisa quipped.
"Hah, I get it," Shin said.
"Still, for her to be into this. I never expected a pure, noble Seraph like her to fall into the debauchery of human lust," Lisa said, picking up a BL doujin. She opened it and her face erupted in a nuclear blush. She snapped the book shut and put it down.
"Noble? Yes. Pure? Absolutely not. Lady Uriel is more Fallen than Azazel," Tosca said, walking through the crowd.
"Hey, Teacher, isn't that her?" Lisa asked, pointing to a woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She had a black mask and a black cap, dressed in a baggy black hoodie and black Adidas sweatpants. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she was flipping rapidly through a doujin.
"Let's go get her," Tosca said.
Shin and Akane gave each other a glance before following after the two.
"Lady Uriel, finally," Tosca said, grabbing the woman's shoulder.
Upon hearing Tosca's voice, the woman turned around, looking surprised. She removed her mask, revealing her delicate facial features. Shin grimaced. Uriel looked like Yaldabaoth but with a different color scheme. A throbbing pain shot through his skull momentarily and his right eye flashed red for the briefest of moments.
"Ehhh? I thought I got away this time," Uriel said.
Tosca was not amused in the slightest. "Well, maybe if you want to sneak off, you shouldn't choose a place as obvious as a yaoi-con," she said, crossing her arms.
"Aw, man. At least let me buy a few! I got some recommendations from a few locals here about this doujin called Prince x Beast!" Uriel said, looking at Tosca expectantly.
A vein popped in Tosca's forehead. She took a deep breath and smiled wryly at the Seraph before her.
Shin didn't know what to think of her. She was not at all what Shin expected of a Seraph. He expected someone uptight and noble, not this… perverted yaoi fan.
"Besides, this is good material for my future installment to the Bible. I'll call it Acts of Passion. I even have a scene. Wanna hear it?" Uriel asked.
"Lady Uriel, Lisa is here and she's far too young to-"
"Aw, there's no such thing as young when it comes to reading BL. Here, let me read you an excerpt," Uriel said, cutting her off. She pulled out a small notepad from her hoodie pocket and began to read.
"And Azazel caressed Michael's clavicle before leaning forward and biting down on it, leaving a visible bite mark.
"Michael's knees felt weak and he stumbled back, leaning on the countertop. He looked up at Azazel with begging and defiant eyes. 'Azazel, please… stop. This is wrong.'
"'If this is wrong, then I never want to be right,' Azazel said, whispering in a husky voice into Michael's ear. His hot breath tickled the ear of the Golden Archangel. He pushed his weight down on him and began to undo the rest of Michael's rob-"
Tosca snatched the notepad from her hand and ripped it to pieces.
"HEY! MY NOTES!" Uriel wailed, falling to her knees as the pieces of her work fell down around her like snowflakes. "TOSCA! WHY! WAAAAAAHHHH!" Tears began to flood from Uriel's face and she sat on the floor, bawling and attracting the attention of the other convention-goers.
"Are you alright, Ma'am?" one of the visitors asked.
"SHE TORE MY BL NOTES!" Uriel sobbed, pointing at Tosca.
Tosca took a step back, looking shocked.
Shin, Akane, and Lisa all watched as everyone turned their baleful eyes towards the white-haired woman.
"Lady Uriel, come on. Let's go back," Tosca said, trying to placate the Archangel.
"No! I don't wanna! I don't wanna! You tore my notes!" Uriel huffed, crossing her arms like a petulant child.
"Ugh, if I get you the entire Prince x Beast series, will you come back?" Tosca asked.
"*sniff* Promise?" Uriel asked.
Tosca's neck tightened. "I… I promise," she forced out. Her credit card bill was going to look extremely suspicious this month. Tosca sighed and helped the Archangel up to her feet. The two left the other three behind as they made their way to the Prince x Beast doujin circle.
"That's Uriel?" Lisa asked incredulously.
"Yeah, she's nothing like what I expected. She looks like a spoiled brat. Are all the Seraphs like this?" Shin asked.
"Er… all the Seraphs have their eccentricities. Lady Uriel is just into Boys' Love. I heard Lord Michael is into Fortnite and watching Ninja Streams and Lord Raphael donates regularly to Twitch Streamers. Lady Gabriel, I heard, is an airhead of epic proportions and we all know Lord Yeshua is a drunk," Akane explained as they began to walk towards the two.
"Heaven is doomed," Lisa said.
"For once, I agree with scampi girl," Shin said.
"Ehh, I wouldn't judge a book by its cover. Lady Uriel is extremely powerful and could have wiped out Kokabiel with a single attack. She's known as the Vainglorious Heavenly Female and the Archangel of Power. Needless to say, she's on par with the Four Great Satans in power," Akane said.
"But… that…?" Shin pointed towards the extremely happy Uriel and the very tired Tosca.
"Like I said… everyone has their quirks," Akane replied.
"So Lady Uriel," Shin said. "What do you think of that… doujin?"
Uriel was nose deep in the Prince x Beast doujin. It was a miracle she didn't bump into anyone while walking. Shin chalked it up to her Seraphim senses telling her there were people in her way. Her green eyes moved rapidly as she drank every raunchy scene between Issei and Yuuto with them. There was a very visible blush on her face and she was muttering something under her breath with each panel.
"Lady Uriel?" Shin asked.
"Oh hi! Sorry, I was too engrossed in this. What's your name?" Uriel asked, looking up from her doujin.
"Um, I'm Shin. I'm the Vermillion Star's brother," he said.
"Oh! Ohhhh! Nice to meet you. I am Uriel," she said.
"So what do you think of that doujin?" Shin asked.
"Hmmm? Wanna read it?" she offered him the comic.
"Er, no thanks," he refused politely.
"Ehh? Really? It's good I promise! I didn't know that the Red Dragon Emperor could be this passionate in bed. The romance between these two is top notch and I can feel the passion with each panel. Especially when the Red Dragon pushes the Prince down on the bed and mounts him like a-"
"Okay, okay! I gotta stop you right there. That's too much information," Shin said.
"Aw, come on! Look at it! LOOK AT IT!" Uriel shoved the doujin in his face.
In the background, Akane and Tosca watched as the Seraph tormented Shin with the BL doujin. Lisa followed after the two with an amused smile on her face. Akane smiled at the sight. Ever since she got back, she hadn't Shin act this carefree. It seemed that the smile on his face hadn't appeared for a very long time.
"It's a good thing we got her back," Tosca said, pulling out a box of pocky from her pocket.
"Did you buy that at the Yaoi Convention?" Akane asked.
"Yeah. It was for cheap so I decided to buy it alongside Lady Uriel's doujins," Tosca replied. "Anyway, we should bring her back. We got reports from Lord Azazel's various surveillance drones. There's movement from neither faction happening in Kuoh."
"At this time? Why am I not surprised," Akane said, sighing.
"We think it's them but I'm not sure," Tosca said, biting down on her pocky.
"Them as in Khaos Brigade or them as in… him," Akane clarified.
"They believe it's Khaos Brigade which is why I want to get her back to the Hotel with the others," Tosca said. Her eyes drifted over to Akane, who just kept staring ahead. "You look distracted. Is everything alright?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind recently," Akane said.
"Is it Riser?" Tosca asked.
"Eh? No, our relationship is going great. It's my brother," she replied.
"Shin? Shin looks fine to me. What's wrong?"
"I think… I think he's pushing himself too much," Akane said.
"Pushing like how?"
"He sneaks out at night when he thinks I can't see and goes to train in the woods. Ever since I said yes to teaching him the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu, that's all he's been doing and it's beginning to take a toll on him," Akane said.
"Ahhh. So that's what those clunky movements were," Tosca said.
"Clunky?"
"Back at the pub, Shin's movements reminded me of yours but worse. I'm not his older sister but as your friend, I can tell you this. For that moment I saw him fighting, I felt like I was looking at… a cheap imitation of you," Tosca said.
"What? That's crazy. Shin's not trying to become me. He's trying to be like me. He said he wants to be strong like I am," Akane said, laughing off Tosca's words.
"Akane, your brother idolizes you right?" Tosca said.
"Y-Yeah, what's wrong with that?" she asked.
"Akane, there's a difference between healthy and unhealthy admiration for someone. The Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu should've been the first sign that something's wrong. Why would he keep learning a martial arts that doesn't work for him?" Tosca asked.
"Maybe he wants to see how far he can take it before adapting a style for himself. He's not trying to become me. Shin is Shin and he knows that," Akane argued.
"Okay, you got me there but you live with him. Why do you think Shin is working so hard to become strong in such a short period of time? You're his goal and you showed him just how vast the gap is between you two. Even if you treat him normally, it's clear that the boy has trapped himself in your shadow and is desperately trying to break free by becoming the only thing that he knows is strong enough to stand on their own. You," Tosca said before biting into another pocky.
"I… I still think you're seeing things," Akane said softly.
"Are you refusing to see it because of what happened four years ago?" she asked.
"... That event has nothing to do with it," Akane said bitterly.
"I'm saying this because I'm your friend but… every time I look into Shin's eyes, beyond the fatigue, there's desperation there that shouldn't be in someone like him. The only explanation I can come up with is that… event that you don't like talking about and you don't want to see it because by helping him, you think it'll make up for what happened-"
"Tosca, stop," Akane said.
Tosca frowned and looked at Akane, who had her gaze glued to the pavement. It was uncharacteristic of her to show weakness. The girl had always smiled, even in the face of overwhelming danger.
"I… If… I know I can help Shin defend himself, then I don't mind him becoming me. I just don't want something like that to ever happen again. You're right but so what? Even on our first day of training, when I realized he'll never be able to get the style I kept going because… I don't want him to get hurt," Akane said.
"This will only increase the chances of him getting harmed. You have to know that at least," Tosca said.
"Look, let's talk about this later. I need to get ready for tonight and you need to get Lady Uriel back to the hotel," Akane said, walking on ahead.
Tosca sighed and silently followed after her best friend.
Shin stood at the entrance of the school. The sun had dipped over the horizon and as Ran would put it "Tsukuyomi was out in full". Said dog was in her human form, standing next to him like a prim and proper maid. Her form was impeccable and there was an air of perfection around her.
Vivi floated next to him, mashing buttons on her phone. Her blue hair was still as messy as ever, having forgone a proper appearance in lieu of comfort. Her blue eyes stole glances from Shin every so often before continuing to play her game.
"Haaah. Where's Onee?" Shin asked. "And Asia for that matter."
"Just be patient. Your sister is getting the Third Party Witness ready," Vivi said.
"We are the Third Party Witness. We're the neutral party of this town," Shin corrected.
"Well, I don't know. That's what your older sister said before she left us here to run out of battery on our phones. Crap, shit! I'm almost at pity! Come on… Alpha!" Vivi said, leaning forward.
"There you guys are. I thought I told you to wait at the gate not at the door."
The three looked up and saw Akane and Asia walking in their direction with a guest in tow. Shin and Vivi's eyes widened significantly before they bowed in reverence to the powerful God in front of them.
"Now, now. Please don't do that. I never really felt comfortable with all this God stuff," Brahma said, raising his hand to placate the two in front of him.
Shin and Vivi looked at each other before straightening themselves.
"So, Onee. Lord Brahma is the second Third Party Witness?" Shin asked.
"Mmm. As one of the Seven Great Gods, he has enough political backing to oversee this Treaty Signing as the neutral third party. I'm coming on because I live here and I want to be involved in whatever shit they put up in this town. It's like voting for a mayor. You gotta get involved in the political process," Akane said.
"Um, our town is fine so far. I don't think Rias or Sona-senpai made any changes to the place," Shin said.
"Not that. Anyway, are we ready to go in? I bet the others are inside," Akane said.
"What about the food?" Vivi said.
"Ah yes, did you get my order for burgers down and tri tip?" Brahma asked.
"Um, yeah, we did. We bought out all the beef in the supermarket for it," Shin answered.
"Perfect, perfect," Brahma replied.
"Lady Jingwei has all the food stored in one of her feathers," Akane said, patting the white bird on her shoulder.
Jingwei puffed out her chest in pride.
"Let's go inside. The food is for after the meeting and the dimensional storage will keep it fresh," Akane said, walking past them.
The room being used for the Three Factions meeting was that of the Student Council. The room was rearranged specifically for this purpose. Outside the window, a red barrier could be seen enveloping the school and the sky was dyed in an iridescent crimson red. At the center of the room was a circular table where Shin noted that the Three Faction Leaders and Lord Brahma sat at.
"Psst! Shin! Issei!"
He looked over and saw Irina waving at him and Issei. His eyes drifted over to Tosca, who reached over and pinched Irina's cheek. He stifled a laugh. Shin felt a cold gaze on him and saw Akeno and Sophia looking at him with dull eyes. Shin quieted down and sighed, preferring to see if he could recognize the Faction Leaders from memory alone.
A lot of them he recognized from earlier in the day or from his past. A black haired woman with pink eyes waved at him. This woman was Serafall Leviathan. She was the woman he had met four years ago when he was fatally injured. She sat next to Sirzechs Lucifer, the man Shin had met during Yaldabaoth's attack on the church.
The white haired man next to her smirked at him with a faint glint of approval in his eyes. He wore the same business suit he wore the other day. This man, Shin deduced, was Lucifer, Sophia's father.
His eyes flitted about the room and locked gazes briefly with Uriel and Yeshua. The two waved at him.
The last two people were people that Shin didn't recognize at all.
On the Angels' side, there was a rather tall man with blonde hair. His hair was fairly long and he had bright emerald green eyes. There was a halo situated above his head that hummed and glowed with an intensity that rivaled the Sun and his power far eclipse that of Kokabiel's. He had golden pauldrons that were a tad bit too massive for him and he wore red robes with a white sash that had religious symbols etched into them.
On the Fallen Angels' side, there was another man. Like the male Seraph on the Angels' side, the man was tall with a lean build. He had black hair that faded to blonde and a goatee on his chin. Despite his youthful appearance, his aura gave off the impression of someone wizened beyond his years. He wore a violet, high collar long coat that parted in the chest, partially revealing his well-defined pectorals to all the occupants of the room.
"So," Lucifer said. His voice caused the air to pulsate with raw power.
"Hmmm," the Fallen Angel representative hummed in agreement.
"Let's begin, shall we. Azazel's getting rather impatient after all," Yeshua said. "Michael, don't you agree?"
"Yes, I believe so. Let's not delay the proceedings any longer," Michael said, his emerald eyes twinkling in anticipation.
"Then, I hereby declare this Peace Conference is now in session," Sirzechs said.
A distance away from Kuoh Academy, a wet squelch shattered the silence of the night. A corpse fell down, choking on their own blood. The corpse was dressed in all black robes and had an odd symbol on the hood. She sighed and ground her foot into the back of the corpse.
"You lot can't stay silent, can't you? Though, I should thank you," Yaldabaoth said to the corpse. She turned her gaze to the crimson barrier in the distance. "You'll make my job far easier."
[]
Uriel
The Angel of Power and the Vainglorious Heavenly Existence.
Chosen to be Heaven's representative, Uriel descends upon the human world with much optimism.
Her fire is bright. The Darkness of the Adversary has failed to dim it.
The icy void of her Mother's death has failed to extinguish it.
The flame is a culmination of her progress and now, she seeks to become a flaming star for others.
And with the advent of the struggle for peace, she shall light the hopes of tomorrow ablaze.
Here we are. Part I of the end of this arc. For those not familiar with BL terms... don't question why I know this. Fujoshi is a woman who likes BL (Boys' Love) and yaoi. Therefore, this is where Uriel's nickname comes from. Fujoriel. Fujoshiriel. Fudanshi is a guy who likes BL and yaoi. Shin happens to know where the yaoi convention is, therefore, Akane thinks her younger brother is a fudanshi. Remember to leave a review and see you all at the end of this.