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Chapter 2: Evils for the Good
"Here I am."
These words were spoken by a young man at least at the age of sixteen. Standing at a height of 5'7", he had a deceptively lean build that hid away a trained body. This was accentuated by a long-sleeved black blazer hugging his arms with a silver-colored shirt beneath. His lower body was garbed in regular black pants stretchy enough for any aerobic movement without hindering him. As for his face, his cheeks were less round and more 'slim' to describe it, his skin pale with just a touch of pink. The boy's most notable look would be his smooth silver hair long enough that bangs hid away his right eye, leaving only his left golden eye visible to the world.
This young man was standing in the middle of the plaza bustling with people in their everyday lives. He was in the outskirts of the city known as Venice, just far enough that its famed rivers were not seen from his position. For most people, this city was a wonder in its exotic sights and experience its local culture. Issei on the other hand may as well be on death's door. Italy and most of southern Europe was the heart and center of the Vatican, and as a fallen angel he would be instantly targeted. His hybrid status allowed him to blend in, but only it will only work so far before he is found out. Not like they would care if he was a hybrid or full-blooded fallen angel.
Despite being considered the danger zone for Issei's kind and that of devils, he could not go away. His very presence in the country was because he was sent on a job directly from Azazel himself. The orders were to find a girl named Asia Argento and escort her to the Grigori while being her bodyguard. Any fallen angel would not find worth in such a high-risk mission, but Issei had both the skills and the motivation for this mission. He had a job to protect someone, and he was going to do it whether he liked it or not.
Sephiroth would not have it if Issei denied this sort of mission.
He stood leaning onto a lamp post holding a book to his face, but his eyes were scanning the crowd around him. His ears enhanced by his fallen angel physique from Sephiroth's blood cut through the chatter for specific spoken words that might lead to his 'target'. Issei was given a photo of Asia where it settled as a bookmark in the book he was using as a cover and as a good read. If there was one thing Sephiroth did right, it was publishing LOVELESS.
A high-pitched feminine cry reached his ears and his visible golden eye snapped in its direction. Across the street from himself to the far right was Asia Argento herself. Issei idly thought that the picture he was given understated her appearance. She was quite petite as a fifteen-year-old with long blonde hair, bright green eyes, and garbed in a traditional nun's outfit. At first glance, anyone would know she was completely harmless.
Which infuriated Issei when he read a report about Asia. This nun used to be the holy maiden that helped those with Twilight Healing. In a more forgiving world, this would seem quite the happy tale, but Issei knew better. He knew how the church took advantage of her gift, putting her in a position that seemed honorable but completely exploited her. It all came crashing down when Asia found a man injured in front of the church she stayed and, as the kind soul she was, healed him. Unfortunately, that man turned out to be a devil, and Asia's life turned for the worst when the same church cursed her as a witch simply due to the reason that her Sacred Gear could heal devils till she was ultimately banished.
Issei even suspected that higher-ups of the church knew of Twilight Healing's nondiscriminatory healing, but simply didn't care to enlighten the ignorant if it suited them. When it was discovered anyway, they washed their hands of Asia as if she never mattered to them at all. It made his blood boil over, almost making him slip in his control on suppressing his magical signature as a fallen angel. His mental training honed under Sephiroth quickly calmed him down and he proceeded with the mission by approaching the nun.
Asia was having the worst the world was offering her. She was left alone to fend for herself and was forced to avoid areas owned by the more supernatural side of the church to avoid their wrath. She didn't even have funds for herself, having gone hungry and slept in the streets for the past couple of days. The case holding her clothes, Bible, and a cross were all Asia left and here she was on her knees trying to pick it back up. It was a pitiful sight of the blonde girl kneeling on the pavement, reaching out for her Bible that was just out of reach. Imagine her surprise when another's hand reached down to pick it up.
"Are you alright?" Issei asked in concern, holding out Asia's copy of the Bible out for her.
Asia weakly stared up to meet the face of Issei, enraptured by his dull silver hair and his visible golden eye that wasn't hidden by his bangs. It took her back seeing the genuine kindness and concern for her well-being; the first she has seen in quite a while ever since she healed a devil. She tried to find her voice, but her throat was parched from the lack of water she hasn't had yet.
"Goodness, who left you like this?" Issei said, a bit of heat in his voice. "Here. Let me help you."
The nun tried to speak, but a strong hand gently grasped her left arm and pulled her to his feet. Asia watched her new savior collect her fallen possessions and put them back into her case. Snapping it shut, he then held out for Asia who took it in her right hand.
"Thank you, mister." Asia said weakly with a bright smile.
Issei took a moment to study Asia and frowned at her appearance. Her nun outfit and veil were dirty with grime and other filth from the streets, and her eyes had dark bags under them indicating she hasn't slept peacefully in a while. The frailty in her posture and sunken cheeks showed the girl was starving.
"Please come with me." Issei offered. "You are in no shape to go on like this."
"Uhm, that's okay." Asia said too quickly. "There's no need to bother yourself for me. I-I am perfectly fine."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Issei firmly denied, gently holding Asia's holding. "Please come with me so I can take care of you. I cannot in good conscience just leave you to suffer like this."
Even if Asia wanted to protest her body was in such a weak state it automatically obeyed. Her legs moved on their own weak accord led by Issei gently holding onto her hand leading her through the streets and crowds. She was so exhausted to resist that her sensations instead focused on how soft his hands were and the concerned, yet gentle smile he held. For the first time since she was banished, Asia graced her face with a bright smile. For all she knew, the girl had found her savior as only a saint would care for a 'witch'.
Time for Asia went too fast for her, like flashes of a slide presentation. There were lapses in her memory from giving in to the weakness of her body and falling unconscious. The next she knew, the former nun was surrounded by unknown walls and resting in the confines of a comfortable mattress. Issei was standing beside her having brought fresh food and water. She acted on her needs like a sinner of gluttony, but guilty feeling as though she was taking advantage of Issei's kindness. Her savior in response smiled and replied that it was no problem whatsoever. Still, she had her own questions despite the kindness Issei was giving her that the church denied her.
"Issei, why are you helping me?" Asia asked after having a second portion of food consisting of bread and cuts of beef. "Who are you?"
She grimaced in regret seeing Issei's kind smile crumble into a sad frown, almost afraid to say. On Issei's hand, he could very well lie, but it did not sit right with him to say anything but the truth to this innocent girl. He did not start with words rather from his back Issei summoned eight wings of a raven. A scared gasp made its way out of Asia's mouth seeing the black feathers of the fallen angels making Issei's heart clenched of the nun's fear of him. Yet Asia did not try to bolt away immediately.
"As you see, I am a fallen angel." Issei revealed, taking a knee before Asia. "I am here on a mission to escort you to our home away from both the church and the devils. But it was never my intention to see. I really could not stand to see you suffer like that in the streets, having no one to even give a damn about you when did no wrong. For that, I have made a promise. You have my word that I will protect you from all manner of harm towards you, no matter the cost."
"...I do believe you." Asia said, a warm smile blossoming on her face. "You've could have allowed me to wallow away, but you stood to care for me the best you can. You have my gratitude, even if you are a fallen angel. No, I guess it's like your my personal dark knight."
A chuckle of both amusement and relief escaped from Issei's lips and he went back to feed Asia still bedridden due to her frail body. She was too weak to properly move, so they had to stay for the rest of the day and leave before the break of dawn. Once dusk came with the orange glow of the setting sun, Asia's body chose to forcefully rest itself this time in peace in a warm bed with Issei acting as her guardian angel. He sat in one corner, his visible amber eye looking out of the window to the night added by a serious facade. The fallen angel was in a sense Asia was asleep so she wouldn't see this side of him; a persona forced into him by Sephiroth. Around the home spread across several blocks was a minor bounded field that will alert Issei for approaching intruders that had malicious intent towards Asia.
To his expectance yet at the same time disappointment, the bounded field alerted him of multiple signatures. A whole platoon's worth, perhaps more, with those at the forefront dashing their way towards his locations. Despite his presence, Issei's stealth skills made him undetectable so that left their target being Asia herself. It could not be devils as they would not dare trespass into Italy, so it only ruled to members of the church specifically those that were not satisfied with Asia's banishment and felt that a labeled heretic deserved death.
Cold fury surged through Issei's entire being at the thought of these ignorant fanatics and their false sense of 'duty' to kill Asia just because the church called her a witch, even if she was very much innocent in the whole scheme of it all. To them, a heretic was something that needed to be killed as dictated by their beliefs, be they old men, women, or even children. Issei absolutely loathed the fanatics of the church but steeled that rage to a focus. As a result, his serious expression became grimmer then stood up from his seat on the chair.
The first part of his plan will be to draw their attention to them. If they were out here to kill a 'witch' like Asia, then they would not resist a fallen angel near the heart of their territory. Once confronted, Issei vowed to show no mercy to his enemies. By all accounts, they have already signed themselves to their death trying to kill their charge.
In a mess of black feathers, Issei disappeared via teleportation magic connected through his bounded field and reappeared just outside of the apartment complex where he was staying at his base of operations. He stood in the middle of a street made of laid stone several meters in width enough for tens of people to walk shoulder-to-shoulder comfortably. As well as paths of the street going right and left, there was also another street directly in front of him going forwards where it led to Venice. It was from that direction that Issei narrowed at the sight of men and women sprinting through the dimly lit streets in white cloaks, acting as if they were sneaky.
A part of him wanted to deny the fact that so many came here at all. The fact alone that almost fifty by his count were all here to kill Asia put him in the worst mood. He almost felt that 'itch' coming again, and the fact Issei did hate fanatics, in general, did not help things.
A thought occurred to him to parley to the exorcists and try to avoid this without bloodshed. That was the part of him of the child known as Issei Hyoudou before the fire that killed his parents and would have left him severely injured if it weren't for Sephiroth. The same savior that would then on forcefully mold Issei brutally imparting both skills and ideas. This mindset built upon Issei crushed the first thought and automatically put another per Sephiroth's indoctrination: give no mercy. After all, he had a mission to uphold.
Issei sprung into action before any of the exorcists spotted him by leaping to rooftops in one bound where he sensed more of the exorcists. He scanned the other rooftops instantly spotting more exorcists rushing across with snipers and other long-ranged rifles in hand. A few of them were already alerted by Issei's appearance and decided to instead dispose of them instead of leaving a witness if the leveling of their rifles on him were any indication.
'I suppose...' Issei thought, raising his left hand while his right hand angled to his lower left as if about to do a quick draw.
(Cue "Let the Battle Being" - Final Fantasy VII ost)
'...let the battle begin.'
Issei dashed away as soon as he saw the twitch of their fingers on the trigger. He was long gone disappearing into a black blur before the spray of bullets even came close to his previous position. The exorcists could not keep track of Issei due in part to his choice of dark clothing, the shadows of the night, and his impressive speed. In midair, right behind them, Issei reappeared with his left hand held near his right cheek. While the exorcists had yet to see or hear his presence behind them, Issei focused on his magics with the thoughts of a crackling lightning storm raging in his mind. As a result, his left hand cupped violet sparks of electricity surging between his fingers all the way to his elbow.
"Thundara."
Issei swiped his hand, letting the magic disperse into the air carrying the intent upon his chosen targets. There was a crackle of thunder and flash of light above their heads that served as their only warning. In half a second, fifteen of the fanatic exorcists on the roofs were struck down by bolts of ruthless lightning. Their guard was down, so they were unprepared for the violent shocks of magic-induced volts frying through their bodies and cooking at their insides. They dropped to the ground lifeless in the stench of charred meat.
The commotion from below drew Issei's attention from below where the exorcists below took notice of him. They had their rifles, equipped with suppressors, aimed down their sights and unleashed their payloads as soon as Issei's feet landed on the roof. Those bullets only met his afterimage when Issei sped away to the other side of the street, the wind whistling in his wake. As the soon-to-be-dead tried to find his position, the fallen hybrid focused his magic via the song of chill winds and the bite of unrelenting cold. His left hand cupped the magic producing a light cyan and a cold mist reaching up to his shoulder.
"Blizzarga."
He swiped his left hand out to disperse the magic spell into the air and in an instant, the whole street froze in solid ice six feet in height. Some were fortunate, or unfortunate in some perspective, having jumped in an attempt to get out the way only for their lower halves to get trapped and leave them screaming in agony from the potent frostbite. Issei's cheeks twitched before he stepped off to fall below. His right hand came forward in a grasping motion and in a burst of light a katana blade made of forest green hard light though one could mistake as a real forge of steel from the fine detail in it.
When Issei made his descent with the blade of light, he stabbed it into the ice sending a pulse of his power through it. Cracks spread through the icy ground glowing green from his power till it all shattered in diamond dust. This in effect reduced all the exorcists that were trapped in frozen bits of flesh. The unlucky few found their lower halves completely missing leaving them to crawl a few paces before the pain and blood loss left them to die.
At the sight of all this swift, merciless carnage, Issei felt nothing. Despite it all, he could never feel anything from taking a life. By all rights, he should have felt something ever since he made his first kill. He expected fear, terror, horror, and even morbidity satisfaction, but nothing at all. But the fact he felt nothing towards killing frightened him more than anything else, and it added to the many questions of how much Sephiroth changed him.
Looking at all the corpses, Issei only sighed in disappointment. "All this needless death. You all could have avoided this if you left Asia alone. Just one girl who was banished, but you were not satisfied over the single fact the church labeled her as a witch."
Issei's eyes sparked in alarm as his 'sixth' sense for danger alerted him by the pricks on his neck. His sword arm suddenly swung in a series of wide arcs behind him deflecting gunfire. Bullets turned into slag dropped to the ground or were deflected punching small craters into the surrounding area, but none made their mark on his body. Once the bullet fire paused, Issei turned around to what he hoped was the remainder of the exorcists reloading guns. Some would find it comical in a morbid sense seeing the exorcists desperately finding cover in the mostly open street.
"Is it really too hard for you to just run back and live another day?" Issei said dryly.
"Never!" Cried an exorcist, the feminine tone revealing to be a she. "It is our duty to our Lord to kill the witch and the heretic that protects her!"
Issei narrowed his eyes dangerously with a strange green glow from the one eye hidden by his silver locks. "Duty to the Lord? Only he knows how much of a disappointment you all are."
That seemed to have sent the remaining exorcists into a blind fury. It was a tactic taught by Sephiroth as a form of mental warfare playing on the beliefs of opponents to send them off their guard. In Issei's opinion, it was a terrible tactic, but an effective one. The female exorcist that spoke out took the words personally and charged Issei with a holy light sword ignited. With a blank look, Issei raised his left hand and waved the palm downward. Telekinesis took hold of the exorcist making her trip to the ground face-first till she was in front of Issei where he stabbed his light sword into her back. At best, she will never be able to walk again.
Another pulled out a grenade primed and threw it Issei praying to God for it to explode in its face. With a raise of Issei's left hand, the grenade stopped halfway to the fallen angel and a flick of his finger sent it skyward where it exploded harmlessly without waking up civilians. His show of being nonchalantly untouchable drove the remaining exorcists from their zealous fury to a shaky mess. They had dropped their guns to the floor but pulled out their light swords producing dull yellow glows.
"Really?" Issei deadpanned.
His response was a war cry that obviously carried the exorcists' war cry, all of the remaining five of them trying to gang up on him at once. The fallen hybrid's visible eye narrowed in focus before taking the first step, and in the next second blitzing the exorcists down before they knew what hit him. If any of them could perceive him, they would see Issei dance through them his green blade serving to cut at the tendons of their arms and legs till then finishing each of them off with a harsh chop to the back of the neck. Issei reappeared as if making his second step behind them and the exorcists fell like sacks of potatoes bleeding from where his light katana sliced through.
(End ost)
Issei sighed, relaxing his guard. "That should be - !"
His danger senses bristled through his body like a cold shiver and automatically tensing his body into a defensive stance. A holy signature that was hiding under his radar suddenly made itself known with grave effect by the incredible volume like an ocean trying to push on Issei's senses. Bringing out his green light katana and reinforcing it with more power in caution, he raised over his head from where his senses detected the signature from. In that instant, Issei perceived a white cloak of an exorcist bringing down something that almost made his summoned weapon shatter and made the ground crater at the fallen hybrid's feet.
Summoning more of his strength, Issei pushed back the attacker to give himself space and study the new adversary, who backflipped to right herself on her feet. It was indeed a woman by the more feminine stature the exorcist held herself and the hood was pulled back to reveal a fair face with golden eyes leering at him dangerously and a head of blue hair.
'Okay, what the fuck is this hunk of garbage?' Issei thought not so eloquently.
That was what can only go through Issei's mind at the butchering-design for a sword. It was far too massive to be remotely wielded, even if the user has the appropriate strength to swing it. The handle itself was too big for two-handed use, the size alone looking it much more fit for a giant than a regular human, and the golden guard on it taken from a rapier seemed so over the top. Completing the eyesore was the fact the slab of steel that made up the blade of the sword was colored a ridiculous blue with edges in bright gold.
Some may say it was cool, but Issei however would call those people stupid. The scheme of the sword looked like it came from a child's fantasy rather than be an actual sword, regular or mythical. Why did it look so damn stupid!? Who in their right mind would think that piece of trash can be considered a proper weapon?
Why could Issei hear Sephiroth snickering in the back of his head?
"That has to be the most stupid piece of shit I have ever seen," Issei commented, calm breaking into some heat in his voice. "No, seriously, where did you get that piece of junk?!"
The blue-haired female exorcist made an infuriated scowl. "Don't talk so high, heretic! This is the legendary sword, Durandal!"
'...What?' Issei thought, outwardly blinking while his mind short-circuited. 'That oversized child's toy is supposed to be Durandal!?'
That was ridiculous! No, Issei refused to believe that was Durandal. He had studied the 'myths' of legendary swords in his time in the Grigori, giving him access that no human source possessed any more. Issei did not believe this was the same Durandal owned by Roland of the Holy Roman Empire who used it to take on an army of a thousand by himself. It could not be the same holy blade once the almighty spear of Hector.
While the church may have fooled themselves to think they have created legendary holy swords through alchemy and magic, it could be farther from the truth. If that were so from the depictions as both Roland's Durandal and the spear Durindana, it should have a significantly greater aura to it. He's even seen pictures taken by Azazel himself of Durandal during Roland's final battle, and this was not it! The blade this 'Durandal' the exorcist was wielding was indeed powerful in its aura, but it was so lackluster in Issei's opinion. Certainly not something to overcome the mystical defense of the shield Rho Aias, one of the few artifacts Azazel had in his collection and one of the few things Issei has seen Sephiroth himself have trouble overcoming.
Yeah, he was calling fucking bullshit this was Durandal! Reaching out with his sensory abilities, Issei noted the full aura of the blade and its destructive capabilities. Impressive to some, but Issei could copy whatever power it can unleash with his own holy abilities, excluding the fact he was far above average to the normal fallen angel. Looking over the blade again, Issei's eyes trailed down the blade to the overly massive guard between where a thick crest of the church lay. For some reason, looking at it caused a sudden migraine to erupt in his head. That crest did not feel right at all.
Issei's eyes widened sensing an incoming attack and his body reacted automatically raising his sword arm up to hold off Durandal from cleaving him down horizontally. During his mental rant, Xenovia took that chance to charge Issei to deliver an overhead with the massive slab of metal and had gone as far as to jump into the air for maximum power. It was more out of frustration for insulting Durandal rather than out of duty. Yet to her shock the hard light katana did not shatter under the force of the proper holy sword.
'That should be impossible.' Xenovia thought in shock. 'How strong is this fallen to block a blow from Durandal with a simple
For a small second, the two were locked there in that clash. Xenovia's feet were not even touching the ground, but the force of her immeasurable strike did not make Issei budge. At best, her attack caused a crater to form almost big enough to reach the buildings. A sudden flick of Issei's wrist sent Xenovia sprawling through midair. She barely managed to control herself and anchor Durandal into the ground, albeit down on her knees. Her golden eyes stared back at Issei, who in return delivered a look of cold indifference and disappointment.
"Is charging in blindly all you can do?" Issei said dryly and to Xenovia's shock started to walk away from her. "Go home, girl. Unlike your senior fools, you have room to mature and not become a bigot. Forget whatever delusions of hate you have for the nun. Fight another day, hopefully for less than petty reasons."
"Petty!?" Xenovia exclaimed in fury. "I serve the will of the Lord. There is nothing petty about my duty."
"Then why hunt down Asia Argento?" Issei argued. "She has already been banished. Is that not enough to sate you people? She won't bother you again."
"She's a witch!" Xenovia bit back, forcing herself back on her feet with Durandal poised forward. "The same witch who dared posed as a sacred maiden. A witch that dared to have a power that can heal a devil! If she really believed in the Lord, then she should be executed for having that power taint her!"
CRACK!
(Cue "Those Chosen by the Planet")
A sudden chink in the concrete pavement made Xenovia startle but was then followed by foreboding sending metaphorical icicles through Xenovia's body. More cracks appeared at Issei's feet and the air around him distorted as if gravity was increasing exponentially. Eight wings arrayed with black feathers popped out his back to their full wingspan. At this point, Xenovia was finding it hard to stand straight, her knees buckling at some unseen pressure. The most terrifying that made Xenovia's bravado crumble into fear was the 'wind' having 'decided' to part the locks of hair at the right side of his face, revealing not the same golden eye but an orb of dark forest green with a cat-like pupil. And its gaze was solely on Xenovia containing untold malice.
"...So that's it then." Issei said lowly, but the tone as he spoke was so unnaturally calm like he was talking about the weather. "If you have so much faith, let us see how your Lord shall judge when I relieve you of this world."
His right green eye glowed unnaturally as he sent a fireball via casting Fira. Xenovia blocked at the last second holding Durandal in front of her with the flat facing forward. The intense flames were parted, but not so much when Xenovia cried in pain from her legs receiving burns. They soon died off a second later, but Issei did not show mercy following with another spell of Thunder launching a dark purple bolt. Xenovia blocked the magic with Durandal, but the force of the lightning sent knocked her off her feet till she crashed into a lamp post bending it on impact. A trail of blood came from her forehead as a sign of a concussion.
Dazed from the impact, Xenovia could only see Issei as a bunch of fuzz in the night. He held his katana horizontal to the ground with the point aimed at Xenovia. Then the hard light blade started to extend forth with the speed of the bullet. So fast that Xenovia felt the cut on her cheek rather than see the flash of green light of the blade extending past her face. As suddenly as it did, it shrunk back faster than the blink of an eye.
The process repeated again and this time Xenovia held Durandal while making her body as small of a target as possible. She was just in time for the flat of the holy sword to block the 'shot' of the extending hard light blade. Sparks ground off on contact as the blade persisted to extend still. Despite Xenovia's hardy constitution, the force of Issei's blade made her fly off again. Carried by the extending blade, Xenovia was dragged through the sides of buildings, carving a swathe through the stone and making her suffer from the pain of her body forcing itself through the infrastructure of the buildings.
Issei reeled back the blade to its normal size, allowing Xenovia to flop down to the ground. He saw her attire cut up and skin awfully bruised from the rough treatment of being shoved into stone. Despite the pain, Xenovia still got to her feet ready to continue the fight if the zealous rage in her eyes were anything to go by. That was fine with Issei; it meant he had to move on to maim her appealing to a now awakened dark part of his mind.
He positioned his sword arm as if preparing to thrust the hard light blade. When his arm did move, it was in a blurry storm of motion that fooled the eye in seeing tens of his right forearms with tens of green katanas. Each and every thrust had the blade extend at speeds so fast like a laser shot, and each one of them was dealt with acute precision. On the receiving end, Xenovia only saw flashes of green light around her, then all the exorcist knew was pain. Her body erupted in spouts of blood from fresh gashes all over her body including her ankles, thighs, biceps, elbows, and collar.
Xenovia's body stood there in shock before it gave out and collapsed to her knees. She under so much pain it made speaking near impossible with the exception of groans and gargles. Touch was overwhelmed by the feeling of her flesh sliced apart in so many places. The only sense available to Xenovia was her hearing, and amongst the silence of the night she could only hear the soft thud of boots coming closer. Out of the corner of her vision Xenovia saw the face of Issei looking down upon her.
Instead of cold indifference from earlier, his gaze was a calm malice Xenovia had never seen before. It baffled how such a simple expression punched fear into her heart, but it worked wonderfully for Issei. His left golden-amber eye had lost its light while the right green eye seemed to have all the glow and more so.
Without a word, he raised the green hard light blade over Xenovia to finish it off. No matter how much Xenovia glared, she had to accept the inevitable death upon her. The world held still as the two combatants met their gaze. Xenovia knew in those mismatched eyes without a doubt he was going to kill her.
(End ost)
However, Issei was stopped from doing so when the ruffle of feathers coming at high speeds reached his ears. He dodged out of the immediate area by taking to the air above Xenovia. Right on time as an arrow made of gold hard light impacted in the spot Issei was previously in. Issei's sixth sense was detecting the new flood of power carrying a potent holy signature that could only belong to a pure angel.
"You will leave that exorcist be."
Golden-amber and dark green narrowed dangerously at newcomer tending to the wounded Xenovia. An outside observer would agree that she was angelic both in nature and looks complete with locks of golden blonde hair, green eyes, and voluptuous figure hidden under a black cloak and white garments of an elite exorcist. From her back stretched an array of six white wings of an angel, a deep contrast to Issei's black wings of a raven.
"Another to forfeit their life." Issei muttered darkly.
"Halt, fallen." The angel exclaimed gesturing an open palm to cease hostilities. "I am not here to fight nor to kill Asia Argento. My mission is only to retrieve the exorcists here. Though it seems you took care of most of them anyway."
"Gr-Griselda..." Xenovia managed to force out.
"Be quiet." The identified angel cut in at Xenovia while leveling the blue-haired exorcist a stern glare.
"Explain." Issei said sharply, the gaze in his eyes lessening the slightest amount.
Griselda sighed before replying. "It was never the church's intention to ever go after Asia. She was convicted and sentenced to be banished. That was it, yet certain parties in our hierarchy wanted to level more extreme punishments. It would seem after the holy maiden's banishment they were not so satisfied. As you can guess, these exorcists were a part of these parties and had gone as far as to defy direct orders to come here."
"So this operation against Asia was unsanctioned?" Issei inquired.
"Precisely." Griselda clarified. "She is no active target of the church, much less Heaven. What Asia does with her life is all on her own?"
Issei could not help but release the relieving sigh from his lips. The locks of silver hair returned to hide away his green eye, and the malice within his gaze disappeared to a neutral disposition. There was a hint of anger in his golden eye when glancing at Xenovia. He curtly turned his back to them but kept the angel at the very corner of his view.
"Leave." Issei said curtly. "And keep your rabid dog on a short leash."
Xenovia actively bristled with a snarl etched at her lips, but Griselda merely frowned in response to Issei's words. The angel and the exorcist finally met eye-to-eye, the latter giving a pleading look to attack the enemy. Her fiery spirit at that moment was ultimately crushed when she was met by Griselda giving an expression of disappointment, almost freezing from the intensity of it.
"Words cannot express how deeply displeased I am with your actions tonight." Griselda spoke to Xenovia, her voice lacking any of the calm her appearance spoke of. "Did you forget what I taught you? Were all the values that I raised you to uphold so useless to throw away so callously? Did I warrant something to have you act in such a horrendous manner as far as to go after the life of one girl that has no quarrel with you?"
Griselda knew Xenovia could not speak, but her temper was wasted on this situation. She had raised Xenovia since she was a girl, taught her the teachings of God, and raised her to be a worthy exorcist. It was a practical nightmare for Griselda to find out her surrogate daughter went to such extremes for ridiculous reasons. As for Xenovia, even if she could speak she could not find her voice. Instead, the harsh tone in which Griselda spoke elicited tears to build up and it took the last of her willpower to not cry here and there.
Eventually, Griselda kneeled down to Xenovia's level and laid a hand on the exorcist's back. A magic circle brightened to life below them where they and Durandal disappeared. Issei stayed there for a moment before his body was shrouded in by his own wings in his own teleportation. Reappearing in his hideout, a smile broke on his face seeing Asia sleeping so peacefully in her bed. To ensure Asia's privacy Issei had erected silencing wards into the Bounded Field so her sleep was never disturbed by the sounds of the battle if it got too close.
Issei knelt down beside Asia's sleeping frame, brushing away a stray lock of blonde hair tickling her eyes. The momentary skin contact brought a smile to Asia's face, further growing Issei's own. As he continued his watchful gaze on the kind nun, he thought to himself that she was one of the few bright gems in this world, and he promised to protect the innocence she still held.
He could not fathom how those at the church could treat her so horribly. Asia did not deserve the evil she had to endure. In the short time they have become acquainted, Issei knew the former nun wanted nothing more to do than help other people. Twilight Healing made that wish come true, yet those at the church took advantage of her kindness to make her into a symbol to rally on. It all came crashing down when Asia healed a devil. They didn't even question if Asia knew if the devil was not a human; they didn't hesitate to convict and banish Asia from what she knew as her home for all her life. Rage bubbled in Issei's blood and dark thoughts assaulted him to kill them all.
For all of her selfless kindness, Asia still suffered the greatest evil in this world. The evils of humanity. To Issei's head, there was no such thing as the world's evil, and what was labeled as such was attributed only to be humans' evil. Earth itself was another of that evil's suffering. This world simply gave for life to continue, but humanity just takes and takes and takes and takes so selfishly she cries and rages. War, corruption, and destruction born of humanity make everyone suffer, and she continues to cry for someone to save her.
"I will not let you suffer anymore, Asia." Issei vowed, pressing his hand into his knuckles resting on Asia's mattress. "Even if I become a monster you may despise."
From across the world where another mind connected to Issei's, a pair of green slit eyes looked through his vision and took in the scene with amusement and mirth.
(Omake: Sephiroth's Little Helper)
The all-powerful terror that is Sephiroth was taking an enthusiastic walk under the pale moon through a dark forest straight out of fantasy. This very forest encompassed the remaining wilderness of the Underworld housing all sorts of mystical creatures from dragons, beasts, and monsters. Devils have termed the wilds of the Underworld as the Familiar Forest and the location gained a reputation as one of the most terrifying places. However, Sephiroth was even more so.
The twelve-winged angel had grown an interest in what was basically a place to recruit a magical partner of sorts. Unfortunately for Sephiroth, every beast and creature fled away from him, leaving the Familiar Forest eerily quiet. No matter how terrifying the creatures were, they are still animals, and as animals have survival instincts that were screaming at them to get away from the walking calamity. Even dangerous beasts like nine-headed hydras and adult dragons were shitting themselves as fled to the mountains and then some. Because of this dilemma, Sephiroth had grown disappointed, both at the fear of these so-called fearsome creatures and the fact them fleeing was preventing him from attempting to make a familiar pact.
"Pi~"
All but one apparently. One brow raised in interest and turned his gaze to the source of the sound. He also had to look the only creature brave enough to be in his presence was apparently quite small. The first thing that caught his eyes was the bright yellow fur that covered its body, with the exception of red spots on each side of its round cheeks. It had wide black eyes staring back at Sephiroth in curiosity and had large pointed ears that were colored black at the edges. A common way to describe the small creature would be adorable complete with that small smile it had plastered on its face.
"Hello, little one." Sephiroth greeted kindly, getting down on one knee to examine the creature closer. "I wonder what makes unafraid of me unlike all the others in this place."
"Pichu~ pi~." The creature squeaked as it ran up to Sephiroth and started sniffing at his boot.
"Hmm, what an odd thing you are." Sephiroth mused. "Tell me little one, have you lost your way?"
"Pichu~, pi." While the creature gave its usual cry, Sephiroth did pick up a somber tone to it.
"I see." Sephiroth said, holding out his right arm to the ground to the small creature. "How about this? For having the courage to stand in my presence, how would you like the honor of being my familiar."
"Pi~!" The creature chirped excitedly.
Once the familiar contract was formed, the yellow creature then climbed up Sephiroth's outstretched arm and perched at his right shoulder. There the creature began ruffling at Sephiroth's cheek, even having the audacity to nibble on a strand of his hair. Sephiroth took this in with amusement and even gave the creature a scratch on its cheek in return, which it loved dearly.
"You do need a name." Sephiroth said. "Why not Pichu?"
"Pichu!" Chirped the now named Pichu in enthusiasm.
"Then you shall know me as Sephiroth." The twelve-winged angel replied. "And you and I will have quite a bit of fun together."
Chuckling under his breath, Sephiroth took to the skies of the Underworld with Pichu in tow. From that day, a strange pair had been formed. The terrifying Sephiroth and his cute companion Pichu, and the world did not know what hit it.
There we have it. The second chapter to Angel of Despair. Here we have the new Issei featured as the scion to Sephiroth himself. As you can tell Issei's a lot different than his counterpart, especially mentally. That is to be expected when being raised by the calamity of Gaia. At his base, he is still canon Issei - kind and caring; but layered over are more harsh personalties and some inherited or forced onto from Sephiroth. He can best be described as professional to go along with his base personality, yet in a fight he is both professional and merciless sort of like Ulquiorra from Bleach. Azazel, Shemhazai, and Penumue as active forces in raising Issei in the Grigori have prevented the bad personalities from becoming dominant. Think of canon Issei without his open perversion, mixed with Angeal, Ulquiorra, Genesis, and Sephiroth.
And when it comes to Xenovia, I just never liked the bitch. I mean, seriously what was her deal with Asia? I get that she was convicted of a witch, but it wasn't like she was tried to be executed. Xenovia had no business in butting into Asia's life, whether or not she became a devil. Even when the show went on with Xenovia becoming a devil, I still did not like her because it seemed too easy how she was forgiven when she did blatantly promise to kill Asia because she was still a believer. And I also hated the design of Durandal, and that clashes with my likeness to the Type-Moon franchise.
Up next is Chapter 3.
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