AN: So hello all, here I am back again with another chapter, and damn has it been a while! Unfortunately that's because this isn't one of my more popular stories, and there wasn't a huge demand for it. Still, a couple of people on my discord asked, and so here we go! Hopefully you enjoy!
But anyway, hope you enjoy, and please leave a review etc. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to PM me.
Another thing while I am at it, is this. I am a part of a discord group, there's tons of others there, plenty of writers, admittedly mainly PJO, but other stuff too. Feel free to pop along and say hi, I'm always happy to chat about the stuff I am writing. So if you fancy it please do to join by sticking this: discord .gg / elibrary into discord, with no spaces, or using the link on my bio.
Thanks for reading and please do leave a review, that or feel free to PM, I am usually much better at answering those!
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or Highschool DxD.
( - )
(Last Time)
Instead, he suspected it was just the start.
Whatever Kokabiel wanted the swords for, he had a pretty good idea it would involve the nearby town of Kuoh, the same town where the Gremory Heiress, and Sitri Heiress currently held court.
Percy could already sense that, whatever was to come, wouldn't be fun.
Especially not when it involved the younger sisters of not just one Satan, but two of them. With the older brother of the Gremory Heiress being Sirzechs Lucifer, the nominal leader of the Devil race, and one of the most powerful beings on the planet.
Shit was about to hit the fan, and unfortunately, Percy suspected he'd soon end up being knee deep in it.
( - )
Chapter 5
( - )
(With Percy)
It was currently nighttime.
An entire day had passed since he had met with Kokabiel in his camp and handed over the swords, and yet despite that, both he and Jeanne were still stuck in Kuoh.
Shifting the plastic bag from one hand to the other, Percy flexed his fingers absentmindedly, even as he continued his journey through the quiet and dimly lit public park.
For all that he was a monumental asshole, Kokabiel's demands were not as outrageous as he had at first though they would be.
Which is not to say that his demands weren't annoying all the same, as, after handing over the swords to the overgrown pigeon, he had then demanded that the pair of them stick around until his plan had been completed.
From what he could tell, Kokabiel wanted both of them to act as a safety net of sorts for him and his army should the worst come to pass.
They weren't allowed to directly interfere without his permission, nor were they expected to do any of the heavy lifting.
Which is to say he wanted them on hand just in case something went wrong, but to otherwise stay out of the way.
Effectively, Kokabiel wanted them as a trump card in case he got in over his head, and needed them to fight something.
Which he had agreed to do, or at least to a certain extent.
After all, considering the powerful toes Kokabiel was planning on treading on, he had needed to set the score so to speak, so Kokabiel knew where they all stood.
He would not be fight Sirzechs Lucifer or Serafall Leviathan.
If Kokabiel pissed either one of those two off enough to come to the surface, then he was on his own.
Ophis had already told him that both he and Jeanne were more important than Kokabiel and his army, which meant that if those two monsters arrived, both of them would be bailing out as fast as inhumanly possible.
But otherwise he was on hand, and would act in the way which best benefitted the Khaos Brigade.
Percy smile slightly to himself.
That was exactly how he had phrased it to Kokabiel.
Not that the egotistical Fallen had given it much thought, after all he equated the 'benefit of the Khaos Brigade' as being 'whatever it took to get Kokabiel and his legion to join'.
Suffice to say, Percy hadn't said any more on the matter, as he had instead boredly stood by and listened to Kokabiel as he relayed his orders.
It was annoying, but no worse than what he had to deal with back when he still served the gods.
Still, he did have one issue, as their 'orders' were annoyingly vague.
Moreover, they hadn't been given a timeframe for how long they would need to remain either.
Instead, they were both stuck in Kuoh until Kokabiel either implemented his plan, or until Ophis recalled them.
Which meant they could be stuck there for months, potentially.
It was irritating.
But still, orders were orders, even if the orders in question came from a shithead.
His lips quirked upwards at that thought.
Every time he met with the Fallen Angel, he had to constantly tamper down his desire to kick the crap out of him.
The only thing saving Kokabiel from a thrashing of his life, was the collateral damage their fight would cause, and the fact that Ophis had asked him to play ball.
For some reason she was dead-set on having Kokabiel and his traitorous legions join up, which meant he was stuck babysitting the Fallen ass clown, until he either succeeded in his plan, or until he failed and needed his feathery ass pulled out of the proverbial fire he was planning to start.
Shifting his gaze around the dimly lit park, Percy suddenly came to a stop beside the large fountain in the middle of the park as he felt a sudden shiver run down his spine.
The ominous feeling was a familiar one.
After having spent so much of his life around insanely powerful beings, he had developed an innate skill of sorts. A peculiar talent which allowed him to sense when 'one of those insanely powerful being that any sensible person would be terrified of' was near, and right now one such presence had entered his range.
Flexing the fingers of his free hand again, Percy mentally reached out to the nearby fountain.
He could feel the water pooling in the large stone basin, and could feel even more of it in the pipes below the structure.
More than that, as he spread his senses, he could feel the moisture trapped in the ground beneath his feet, and even more of it in the surrounding fauna and flora.
He could even feel the water in his own body.
Lowering his shopping bag to the ground, he narrowed his eyes, even as his free hand came to rest on his sword's wire bound hilt.
He could hear some footsteps coming from behind him.
They were light, but produced a slight 'tap tap'.
Twitching his fingers, he could also feel the aura emanating off the approaching being too.
It felt dark, and twisted.
Similar to Kokabiel's aura, but much stronger, and heavier.
It was also vaguely familiar.
Twisting on his heel, he turned and faced the newcomer.
"Hello Azazel," Percy forced a smile, his hand tightening slightly on the hilt of his sword.
Azazel was a tall man, standing at well over six foot, and from an initial observation physically looked to be in his mid to late twenties. He had a thin, build, and sported shaggy, dark black hair with dyed blonde bangs and a stupid goatee. His eyes were pink, and seemed to twinkle with amusement as they met his.
In Percy's opinion, he looked like a wannabe hipster.
Shifting his gaze downward, Percy took note of his garb too.
The older man was wearing a maroon three-piece suit with golden buttons, and a crisp white shirt, over the top of which he also wore a long red overcoat.
It was obnoxiously colourful and ostentatious, and very much fit Azazel's personality.
"Perseus, the Slayer of Titans, Bane of Giants, and the former Guardian and Hero of Olympus! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Azazel grinned, his eyes sparkling with delight.
He didn't look at all concerned that by Percy's scowl, or by the fact he was still gripping the hilt of his sword.
In fact, his animosity seemed to amuse Azazel more than anything.
"Not long enough, if you ask me." Percy shot back stiffly, even as he took in Azazel's easy demeanour, and relaxed posture.
He looked like he was only a few seconds away from pulling a chair out of nowhere, spinning it around, and sitting on it backwards, with is arms crossed over the back of the chair.
Like that one teacher at school that thought himself cool, and 'down with the kids'.
It was all a feeble act.
Azazel wasn't as dorky or as harmless as he looked.
No, he knew from past experience that he couldn't trust Azazel as far as he could throw him.
For all that he acted like a dim-witted, frivolous fuckboy, the half mad Fallen Archangel was as stone-cold, ruthless and deceitful as they came.
If he felt the ends justified the means, then he would happily slaughter an entire city of mortals, and not bat an eye.
He was the kind of being that could switch from amiable charm to unadulterated rage in the space of a moment.
Which made it all but impossible to tell what he was thinking or feeling behind his affable smile, and charming demeanour.
Of all the Fallen Angels he'd met, Azazel, the Leader of the Grigori and the former Archangel of Knowledge, was the most devilish and dangerous.
"Hey now, don't say that." Azazel grinned back, his eyes alight with boyish mischief. "But anyway, what a surprise to see you here in Kuoh of all places! Quite the coincidence, wouldn't you say?"
"Well, it is a small world. Coincidences do happen sometimes." Percy said shortly, his eyes narrowing.
Coincidence?
Bullshit.
When it came to beings like Azazel, coincidences just didn't happen.
The Grigori had eyes and ears everywhere.
They had minions in most towns and cities, and were constantly watching the human world, gathering information and plotting.
There was no chance that this meeting was a coincidence.
Azazel had been told that he was snooping around Kuoh, and so had decided to come confront him about it, or at least in a roundabout way.
Percy withheld a bitter smile at the thought.
A part of him almost felt honoured that he apparently ranked as important enough for Azazel himself to get involved.
A greater part of him, however, was annoyed.
Azazel was sly, cunning, and without a doubt far more intelligent then he acted.
He couldn't be intimidated nor could he be tricked, or at least not by him.
Percy liked to think of himself as smart.
But even he knew that he didn't hold a candle to Azazel when it came to pure intellect.
But then again, few did.
Which made bandying words with the intelligent, and marginally unstable powerhouse, all the more precarious.
That said, Azazel wasn't omniscient.
So whether he knew about Kokabiel and his plot was a whole other thing and completely dependent on just how loyal to him, Kokabiel's followers actually were.
After all, for all his ego, Kokabiel wasn't a complete idiot, and after having known Azazel for millennia he probably knew how to cover his tracks from his overly nosey superior.
"Oh, I'm sure, but Kuoh of all places?" Azazel pressed on, his hands now in his pockets as he whistled and shook his head. "I didn't think I would be seeing you in the Far East, let alone in a little, out of the way hick town like Kuoh."
"Everyone needs a vacation every now and then," Percy shrugged.
"Of course, of course, and who deserves a holiday more than you?" Azazel smiled. "Especially considering what you've probably been getting up to since you retired as the Guardian of Olympus…"
A short silence followed.
"What do you want, Azazel." Percy said bluntly. "You obviously tracked me down for a reason, so you might as well just tell me now."
He was tired of playing games.
It was late, and he was already in a bad enough mood after his meeting with Kokabiel, he didn't have time to play Azazel's games.
Azazel's lips twitched in response to his sharp retort.
"You're really no fun, you know that." Azazel sighed after a moment, a put-upon look now on his face. "Where is the banter and witty repartee? Where are the puns and pop culture references? There wasn't even a single monologue! Come on Perseus, you've been in this game a while now, you know how these things should go!"
"Yes, but I also don't care." Percy replied abruptly. "Either tell me what you want, or leave me in peace."
Silence followed, as Azazel cocked his head to the side.
Licking his lips, Percy's fingers twitched and caused ripples to form in the pool of water behind him.
He could summon the water in an instant if needed.
But would that be enough?
He honestly wasn't sure.
He'd never crossed blades with Azazel before.
He didn't know his capabilities, which left him at a disadvantage, as knowing Azazel, he'd probably done his due diligence and had an entire dossier on him and so knew his every strength and weakness.
In contrast, all Percy knew about his capabilities was what he had heard from the other Fallen in the Khaos Brigade, and what he had learned from the myths and legends attributed to the Fallen Archangel, and from the very little that he had seen the last few times the two of them had met.
This wouldn't be like fighting Kokabiel, who he was seventy percent sure he could take in a fight.
No, a fight with Azazel would be on a whole other level.
The silence stretched on for a few moments longer.
The tension between the two of them was thick.
Azazel's pink eyes narrowed a fraction.
Before, with a snort, the growing tension shattered, even as Azazel threw his head back and let loose a loud laugh.
"Oh you really are a paranoid little fucker aren't you, Perseus!" Azazel continued to laugh. "But then again, I guess I would too if I had to grow up as the Olympian's pet dog…, or would little bitch be a more apt description?"
Percy felt a spark of angry flicker to life with him at Azazel's words.
He really wanted to punch Azazel right in his smug hipster face.
At the same time, though, he suspected that that was what he was after.
Azazel was probably trying to provoke just that response from him.
"Alright, if that's all, I'll see you around." Percy said after a moment, his heart beating faster in his chest as he stiffly made to turn around and walk away from the laughing Angel.
He wasn't worried about turning his back on him.
Not now that he had managed to spread his senses across the entire area.
If Azazel made a move, he would know in an instant.
"Wait, wait," Azazel sighed again. "Since I happened to stumble across you…."
Percy gave him a flat looked.
"… There is one thing I wouldn't mind getting your opinion on?" Azazel said cheerfully.
"Oh?" He questioned.
"Yeah, see the thing is over the last few years there has been this rogue group of sorts that has begun to form, and which has already started expanding rapidly."
Percy's brow furrowed, as he tried to mask his inner thoughts.
He had a pretty good idea of just which group he was talking about.
"This group is bad news Perseus, it could very easily pose a threat to not just the Human World but to the Underworld, Heaven, and Olympus as well. I am not talking about just a little scuffle either, I am talking about a full blown war, reminiscent of the Great War. It'll make that Titanomachy you fought in a few years back look like little more than a skirmish in comparison. This group is something different, it's not just a few renegade outcasts trying to act big, this group is no joke." Azazel said, his smiling fading, and tone turning serious.
"What do you mean Azazel, what is different with this group?" Percy asked with restrained calm.
"The group is made up of not just one species, but multiple. Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, Strays, Magicians, Sacred Gear Users, Youkai, and even Demigods…, this group has them all. And what's worse is that they aren't a rabble, they're organised." Azazel replied, his tone no longer light, and his pink eyes intense as they bored into his sea green ones.
"Hmm, it seems like you're describing the Khaos Brigade…." Percy said after a moment of thought.
He couldn't bluff with Azazel, the man was too sharp.
But as Annabeth had once told him, the best lies were those masked by truth.
He probably couldn't directly lie to the Angel without being caught, but he could misdirect and omit details.
"You already know about them?" Azazel asked, his lips twitching up into a knowing smirk.
He only looked mildly surprised
"Of course I know, they asked me to join them." Percy pressed on blandly.
For a single moment, he saw a flicker of slight concern enter Azazel's pink eyes.
"Don't worry, I know where my true loyalties lie." Percy said, his lips quirking up into a smile of his own as he took note of that momentary lapse in Azazel's façade.
He wasn't prepared to clarify just what that statement meant.
But nor did Azazel seem to be looking for clarification, as he instead smirked.
"Ah yes, your near legendary loyalty." Azazel chuckled dryly. "How could I forget about your Fatal Flaw…."
"Well, you are getting on in years." Percy grimaced at Azazel's words. He had always hated the term 'Fatal Flaw' and everything that it implied.
Azazel smirked again, his pink eyes flicking up to meet his gaze. "That I am, but you know what they say. With age, comes wisdom."
Azazel looked more relaxed and laid back now.
Not that that put him at ease.
The Fallen were far too unpredictable to ever relax around.
"Well, as fascinating as this little chat had been, I have somewhere to be. I will see you again, I am sure…." Percy said, reaching down and picking up his bag of shopping once more, before slowly beginning to walk away.
"Oh I am sure we will see each other again much sooner than you think, Perseus. You are not the only one who has realised that big things are on the horizon here in Kuoh." Azazel called after him. "And about the Khaos Brigade! I would stay away from them if I was you. Their organisation is far more insidious and dangerous than you know."
Percy didn't turn around or acknowledge his words as he instead continued walking.
Instead, he kept concentrating on the surrounding area as he continued to scan for any sign that he was being watched or followed.
With a click of his fingers, he manipulated the Mist to hide him from sight.
It wouldn't work on everyone, but should do the trick if Azazel decided to send some of his underlings to stalk him.
The meeting with Azazel had unnerved him, and had only made his current job more complicated.
( - )
(A short while later)
He looked around disinterestedly as he pushed open one of the heavy wooden doors to the abandoned church, and entered.
The Church's nave was large, musty and poorly lit.
Some light from nearby street lights came in through the rows of dirty and broken windows lining the wall, but not much.
The entire place smelt of decay and neglect.
Then again, from what he had learned, the church had been abandoned for several years.
The exact reasons behind why closure were not known to the general public, but from he could infer from only a day it probably had a big thing to do with the enclave of devils that now resided in the town.
The devil's from what he had been told all lived in large, expensive houses on the west side of the town, and strangely, were all teenagers and attended the local private school, Kuoh Academy.
Allowing the door to slam shut behind him with a loud 'bang', Percy glanced around at the cavernous room cautiously as he started making his way deeper into the abandoned place of worship.
Everything from the altar, the pews and the framed scriptures and pictures of Jesus and different saints, dotting the wall, were covered in a thick layer of dust.
Some of the stained glass windows that lined the walls had been smashed – probably by local kids – and coloured glass now littered the floor.
In terms of accommodation, it was not the kind of place he would have chosen to stay in if given an option.
Instead, he would have preferred a hotel or a bed and breakfast. Somewhere with clean linen sheets, warm running water, central heating and a kitchen.
But unfortunately, needs must.
After all, they were supposed to be lying low.
Initially, this was to avoid detection by the devil heiresses and their minions. Or rather, it was so the cadre of angels he was supposed to be keeping an eye on could lie in wait for further orders without drawing much attention. But now they also had Azazel and his followers to deal with too.
It was far from ideal.
But he'd stayed in worse.
Holding back a sigh, he crossed the quiet room and walked through a door towards the back, his spine tingling uncomfortably as he passed beneath the large crucifix set in the back wall.
Shoving open the door, he quickly descended the stairs and made it to their temporary living quarter in the bowels of the church.
"Who goes there?" A sharp voice rang out.
"Easy there little crow, it's just me." Percy replied as he paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he eyed the speaker.
Through the gloom he could see a dark eyed, violet haired Fallen Angel, Kalawarner, looking back at him curiously. The woman was attractive, voluptuous and dressed in a smart business suit, all of which contrasted quite sharply with their surroundings. She looked more like she should be attended a high-class board meeting than lurking around in the basement of a church.
"Took you long enough," Kalawarner muttered, her gaze shifting away from him as he passed her by.
She was currently leaning against the wall, buffing her nails.
"Uh huh," Percy replied, unimpressed.
She wasn't the most pleasant of company. Instead, she was rude, condescending, and clearly disgusted with her current surroundings.
The purple haired woman turned and followed him as he continued walking.
Entering a larger subterranean chamber, Percy glanced around at the occupants.
Jeanne, was sat on a battered looking sofa at the side of the room, a bored look on her face, as she idly read what looked like a Japanese Manga – he didn't recognise the title.
Dohnaseek – one of the fallen he had dealt with when he first entered Kokabiel's camp – was off to one side with another fallen, a short, blonde girl in a lolita dress called Mittelt.
The both of them were playing cards in an attempt to stave off the boredom.
As for the last person….
Looking around, he frowned.
"Where is Raynare?" Percy asked, as he looked around for the snarky, violet eyed angel, and the nominal leader of the small squad of Fallen.
"Out scouting," Kalawarner shrugged, her lips curving up into a smirk as she sashayed past him, trailing her hand along his shoulder as she did so.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Jeanne stiffen, her gaze sharpening as she looked up and glared at the purple haired angel, even as she waltzed over to where her fellow angels were sitting. Only now their card game had been abandoned, as they instead eyed him like a carrion bird might a freshly fallen corpse.
"I thought Kokabiel ordered you all to stay put for the moment?" Percy asked, as he crossed the room and dumped his shopping bag on the table, spilling the contents across the surface, as ready meals, snacks, and packets of dried ramen scattered in all directions.
"No, he ordered you to stay put and await further orders." Mittelt shot back snottily. "We've been given other orders."
Percy's eyes narrowed a fraction, both at her tone, and at the implications behind her words.
They weren't being given the full picture.
It was annoying, and also stupid, after all they were supposed to be allies of a sort.
"Yeah… fuck off…" Jeanne replied coldly from her position on the sofa, her manga now forgotten. "We don't follow Kokabiel's orders like you."
"Oh, then why are you stuck here living in a basement?" Mittelt replied, her lips curving up into a mocking smile.
"Because Lady Ophis requested that we assist Kokabiel to accomplish his asinine goals." Jeanne shot back, sitting up now, her hand flexing.
Mittelt looked up from her cards, a wicked smile now on her lips, as she opened her mouth to let loose another taunt.
"Yeah, I think that's enough," Percy sighed as he crossed the room and sank into the seat next to Jeanne.
As he did so, the blonde swordswoman relaxed, her posture loosening slightly, even as she 'accidentally' bumped into him as the sofa sagged under his weight.
"Oh?" Mittelt asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Yes," Dohnaseek answered, gathering up the scattered cards on the table and shuffling them. "You shouldn't provoke those stronger than you Mittelt, and especially don't provoke those that you may one day come to rely on. I would have thought that you were old enough and smart enough to know that by now…."
Mittelt's childish face twisted into a scowl.
"So Raynare?" Percy pressed, as he looked over at Dohnaseek the slyest yet still the most amiable of the Fallen Angels he was currently staying with.
"Just trust that she's acting on Lord Kokabiel's orders." The hard-faced angel replied dismissively. "The scouts picked up on Lord Azazel's presence nearby. From what they relayed, he's been snooping around, and so Lord Kokabiel has entrusted us with a task to satiate Lord Azazel's… curiosity."
"Oh, and how does sending Raynare out help Kokabiel avoid detection?" Percy asked, his eyes narrowing a fraction.
He wasn't going to advertise his meeting with Azazel, not yet.
Especially not until he knew just what Kokabiel's grand scheme was, and what just what Azazel was up too.
But at the same time, he did find Kokabiel's response to Azazel's presence interesting. The arrival of his superior obviously had the so called 'angel of the stars' rattled.
It only raised more questions.
Then again, that was not surprisingly, especially considering how unpredictable and untrustworthy Fallen Angels tended to be
They were all slaves to their passions, and to the sins they had initially fallen for.
Unlike humans, who had grown up making mistakes, committing sins, redeeming themselves and learning right from wrong, the fallen did not.
No, they didn't even know the meaning of the word moderation or self-control, as it was not something they had ever learned.
Instead, they did everything to excess.
The way he saw it, it was their way of overcorrecting for their past mistakes.
A lot of the fallen were probably unable to accept the fact that they had fallen from their god's grace, and so continued to sin and act out, all in an attempt to prove to themselves that they hadn't fucked up, and that they didn't want to return to his light. Others, meanwhile, they had been repressed for so long that the moment they fell, they steered into it wholeheartedly, and went on centuries long benders in order to overcompensate for their past behaviour.
It was a twisted logic, but one he thought did apply to a lot of the fallen he had had the misfortune of meeting.
Effectively, they were all superpowered sociopaths.
Or was that psychopaths?
He wasn't sure which one best described the average Fallen Angel.
What he did know, however, was that they were all fucked up, fuck ups.
Which made predicting just what they would do and why they were doing it all but impossible for any rational minded person to do.
"She's out hunting a Sacred Gear user," Kalawarner sighed impatiently. "Lord Azazel obviously knows that there are Fallen Angels in the area, and so Kokabiel has ordered Raynare to draw attention to herself by making it seem like she is acting under Lord Azazel's standing orders to capture if possible, and kill if necessary, any Sacred Gear users we find. Which is exactly what she's doing now. Apparently she has already identified one, a real pervy little creep too. "
From beside him, he felt Jeanne tense up.
He could almost feel her anger, and he could understand why.
The whole reason behind the Hero Faction's existence, was to both protect mortals from the supernatural, and to empower them at the same time by finding Sacred Gear users, keeping them out of the hands of the other Pantheons and Factions, and then giving them the choice of what to do with the rest of their lives.
What Kalawarner had just described was what had prompted the very reason behind the Hero Faction's existence.
It was a mistake, one that she didn't seem to have noticed, and probably one of the reasons behind Kokabiel's vague orders.
Keeping a lid on his temper, he reached out and placed a steadying hand on Jeanne's. His hand encompassing her much smaller one.
They needed to be careful.
Ophis would be irritated by their failure, but not unduly concerned in the grand scheme of things. It would be a temporary setback, but not an unassailable one, and considering her agelessness, time didn't have much meaning to her, which meant that she could afford to be patient.
The other Factions within the Khaos Brigade would have more of an issue, though.
All of them would leap on their failure, and use it as a bludgeon to beat the Hero Faction down so that they could raise their own standing.
Ophis, for all that she was their leader, was more of a figurehead than anything.
So long as her end goal was achieved, she cared for little else.
She gave the occasional wide-ranging order that all had to obey, but otherwise, apart from the occasional bout of 'trolling' when she was bored, left them to their own devices.
She didn't come up with the strategies, or the grand plans. Nor did she involve herself in the minutiae of running the organisation. Instead, that was left to the different leaders of the factions within the Khaos Brigade to sort out between themselves. Which usually meant a lot of squabbling, debating, jockeying for position, and the occasional duel, murder or assassination.
After all, every faction had their own goals, and things they wanted to get out of their association with Ophis and the Khaos Brigade.
None of them had joined up out of the goodness of their hearts, they all had a reason, or in his case several of them.
In reality, they were not a united group at all, but were instead all allies of convenience at best.
Fortunately, the internal hierarchy within the Khaos Brigade was currently finely balanced.
No one faction had an overhwleming advantage, which meant they all had to work together for the moment, meaning that there was a lot of quid pro quo going on.
But the issue with the balance being so fine was that a single mistake, or a single win, could change the balance between the seven main factions.
It was not the most productive way of running an organisation, but considering the number of diverging and opposing groups that made it up, it was the best one they had.
Which of course meant that both he and Jeanne needed to play their cards right.
If they failed to recruit Kokabiel because of his own idiocy, that was one thing.
Their reputation would take a hit, but they could likely salvage something from that failure.
But if they failed because of their own actions… the other factions would fall upon them like vultures picking clean a freshly fallen corpse.
"I don't think that's the best of ideas," Percy said carefully. "With Azazel in town, I think the best thing to do, would be to hunker down and wait for him to pass on."
He wasn't sure he could take Azazel in a fight, or at least not one on one, inland, and in a fair fight, or at least not without a lot of luck on his side.
Which meant the chances of Kokabiel and his legion being able to do the same… well, it was unlikely.
Through sheer numbers alone, they might be able to overwhelm him. But that would only be the case if he had indeed come alone. Which, considering what little he knew of the conniving Governor General of the Grigori, he very much doubted was the case.
"Well that's all well and nice, but you're not the one calling the shots here, demigod." Mittelt sneered.
Percy forced a smile.
"So you say, but you also forget that my primary orders do not come from Kokabiel," He replied softly, rising to his feet. "And if something comes into the conflict with those orders… well, then I would have no choice but to act…."
Dohanseek's face turned blank as he paused in shuffling his cards.
Kalawarner's smirk faded, her eyes widening for a moment as she unconsciously tensed up.
Mittelt's smile slipped off her face, her blue eyes narrowing as she licked her lips nervously.
"Jeanne, I think I'm going to get some air. Would you like to join?" Percy asked, his eyes flicking down to Jeanne.
"Yes, it has gotten a bit… stifling in here," Jeanne nodded curtly, her blue eyes cold as she shifted her attention to the fallen.
"We'll be back in a bit," Percy smiled.
"Lord Kokabiel will no-" Kalawarner started to stay.
"He can go fuck himself for all I care," Percy replied bluntly. "I will see his plan through, but don't mistake our assistance for subservience. Kokabiel has bought our assistance, but he doesn't possess our loyalty nor our respect."
Without another word, he swept from the room, Jeanne following after him, leaving a tense silence in their wake.
"What are we going to do?" Jeanne asked him tensely as they re-entered the nave. "Targeting devils is one thing, even if those devils are practically royalty in the Underworld. It's dangerous, but we can at least mitigate the worst of the fall out and drag Kokabiel's feathery arse out of danger if we have too. It might involve sacrificing a good chunk of his army, but it's possible and so long as we have him, we have a chance of using him to rebuild his forces. But targeting Sacred Gear users. We can't just stand by and let that happen."
"No, we can't." Percy muttered, leading the way as the both of them headed outside and into the darkness.
The church grounds were wild and overgrown, and the entire area was bounded by a set of black, wrought iron railings.
"But we also have to be careful," Percy continued. "We have a fine balancing act ahead of us. As much as I would love to gut Kokabiel, he is more useful to us alive, either as a symbol, or as a scapegoat. Without him, the other factions will start causing trouble. The Fallen, the Devils, Fenrir's Chosen, the Black and Iron Cross, the Medjai, the Order of the Red Lotus, the Youkai, all the different mage factions; them and all the other lesser factions, they are all just waiting for the Hero Faction to falter, so they can strike."
"I get that, I do. But we also need to abide by the very tenants our faction is built upon." Jeanne scowled. "We can't just stand by and allow either the devils or the fallen to kill or recruit Sacred Gears users. Those Sacred Gears were given to humanity, they were given to us, so we could protect ourselves, and to provide balance. We can't just let them be usurped and corrupted."
"I know," Percy scowled.
She had a point, and he knew it.
Humanity were among the weakest of all sentient beings.
They were physically fragile, short-lived, divided, mostly ignorant of all things supernatural, and only a rare few had a natural talent for magic.
Yes, they had technology and innovation, but when compared to the raw might of the other factions, that meant very little.
An S-Class supernatural being had the equivalent power of an atom bomb.
A bit of a ludicrous comparison?
Maybe.
But not an incorrect one, either.
Kokabiel wasn't even S-Class, and he had enough raw power to wipe out a small city, and unlike a bomb he wasn't relegated to only one explosive attack, he could quickly recharge and keep on going.
Add into that the power of magic and all it entailed, including its ability to beguile the mind, manipulate the senses, and cause death or eternal servitude with just a single touch, and humans were vastly out of their depths when it came to combatting the other factions let alone standing on an equal footing with them.
In fact, the only reason humanity had lasted as long as they had, among other things, was the fact that they were both more useful alive than dead. That, and they were so unthreatening that they were easily ignored and overlooked by more powerful beings.
That was one of the prime reasons for their continued existence.
But another, was the innate power of the few that protected the many.
Demigods.
Sacred Gears users.
Magic users and artefact wielders.
These were the champions of humanity, and the other reason that humanity had survived as long as it had.
Heroes.
Be they stray demigods, demi-humans, magic weapon wielders, or mages, they were humanities greatest defence against the rest of the supernatural world. Even pieces of shit like Heracles had their value.
Without them, and without the aid of the heavens and the other benevolent deities that aided them, humanity would have been wiped out or enslaved long ago, and to that end the Hero Faction had been formed. The group had been forged with so as to gather humanities protectors into a single group, one that could work together to shield the vulnerable from the predations of supernatural beings.
It was a nigh impossible task, one made all the more difficult in the modern age by the devils preying on and usurping humanities champions, and the fallen hunting and murdering them.
With every year that passed, their task only became more daunting as the Underworld, the Fallen, and the so called 'heretic gods' and their followers grew stronger, while the Heaven's weakened, the benevolent gods faded or grew bored, and humanities champions retired, died, turned traitor or just quit.
They were fighting a losing battle, and they all knew it.
Unless something big happened and soon, humanity was doomed to either extinction or eternal slavery.
"I know," Percy repeated tiredly. "We'll step in if we have too. But first I need to find Raynare, and find out just who she is targeting. Once we know that, then we can spoil her plans."
"And get the Sacred Gear user out of town and away from the clutches of both the fallen and the devils." Jeanne added.
Percy clicked his tongue and nodded.
"I'll make a call," He said. "I'll have Le Fay on standby. We can use the fallen to mask her use of teleportation magic."
Jeanne nodded, her posturing relaxing. "Good."
Percy smiled. "How are you doing, anyway?"
"Persevering," Jeanne's smile turned into a grimace. "Just about anyway. But I swear, if that little bitch Mittelt makes one more snide comment…."
"Yeah, let's try and avoid impaling our allies." Percy said dryly.
"Urgh, please don't refer to them as allies." Jeanne shivered. "Like, don't get me wrong. I know not all supernatural beings are monsters. They're pretty much the same as humanity in that some are decent while some are complete shitheels. But when it comes to most of them, or at least by human standards, the vast majority are complete cunts."
Percy couldn't help by smile at Jeanne's crass language. For all that she looked like a prim and proper aristocrat and tried to act like her saint-like ancestor, she could curse with the best of them, and more often than not had her mind well and truly in the gutter.
The contradiction between her angelic exterior and bawdy personality, although jarring at times, was also pretty funny.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Percy smiled. "I grew up as the Olympian's whipping boy. I know better than most what the supernatural beings are like."
"I know," Jeanne sighed, leaning against him now, her head resting on his shoulder and her long, silky blonde hair trailing down his chest, "I'm just venting really."
"Already regretting tagging along?" Percy asked with a smirk.
"Hardly," Jeanne scoffed. "Someone needs to watch your taut, perfectly sculpted arse."
"Don't you 'watch my back'?" Percy asked dryly.
"I know what I said," Jeanne sniffed primly, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
He laughed in response.
( - )
(Elsewhere in Kuoh)
Winging her way through the air and back towards their temporary base, Raynare couldn't help the gleeful smile that spread across her face as she swooped through the cold night sky.
Even after twelve hundred years of life, the feeling of flight still captivated her.
The weightlessness and freedom she felt while flying was beyond words.
It was where she was at her happiest.
Up in the air she didn't need to worry over the backstabbing and plotting from her associates, not friends, never friends.
Nor did she have to worry about those stronger than her pushing her around.
While soaring through the air, she felt free of both Kokabiel and Azazel's control. The threats she'd been given, both spoken and unspoken lacked the weight they usually did. Kokabiel's promises of extreme violence and retribution were like confetti in the wind, and Azazel's easy charm and unspoken insinuations seemed thin and flimsy as she swooped through the clouds.
Perhaps ironically, she didn't even feel the judgemental gaze from the heavens, even as she flew through the 'heavens'.
All of her earthly concerns meant nothing in the face of her joy.
Instead, all that mattered was herself and the wide open sky.
She loved it.
Smiling, she twirled through the air, her single set of wings tucked close to her body as she suddenly dove towards the earth.
The wind whipped around her, mussing up her long dark air, and whipping at her clothing.
She didn't care though
All that mattered was the fluttering she could feel in her stomach as she hurtled towards the ground.
Getting closer.
And closer.
And closer.
Before with a sudden inhale, her wings snapped open, and she changed her dive into a smooth glide, the tips of her sandaled toes brushing against the rustling leaves of a nearby tree, even as she once again hurtled up, up, up into the sky.
The feeling she got while flying was far greater than any of the sins she had committed while on the earth, and even sweeter than the first sin she had committed, the very reason behind her fall from grace.
It was a glorious feeling.
Spinning once more through the air, she levelled off.
The abandoned church was now in sight, and with it she could feel her mood souring slightly.
Soon enough she would have to touch back down and once more descend into the grotty basement she was forced to share with her three repulsive, two-faced colleagues, and the two judgemental, arrogant 'heroes'.
The only thing that still brightened her mood, was the fact that at least she wouldn't be returning empty handed.
Dohanseek would have no ammunition to use to humiliate or undermine her.
Mittelt would have nothing she could use to vent her spite and spleen on.
Kalawarner… well, Kalawarner was the most tolerable of the trio, as she at least cared more about her own appearance and wellbeing, than she did scoring points against her fellow fallen.
As for Perseus and Jeanne, well she already knew to expect passive aggression from the insecure blonde bitch, and a toxic mix of sarcasm and braggadocio from the arrogant demigod.
For all their vaunted posturing, the two 'heroes' were both far more judgemental than even her fellow fallen.
At least when it came to her and her fellow Fallen Angels, there was no judgement, as they all already knew they were irredeemable sinners.
Still, thankfully she had good news to report, and so could easily slap down the other three before they could even start in on her, and as for the other two… well nothing she did would shut them up, but hopefully she could at least avoid an argument.
Her mood soured further at the thought of the catty conversation that was to come.
Admittedly they hadn't gotten off to a good start, but that had mainly been Perseus's fault as he was the one that had been an arsehole from the outset.
Sure, she had challenged him when he approached the camp. But that had been because she was doing her job.
Only for him in turn to jump straight to the insults.
The arrogant little, brat.
But such was the way with all powerful beings.
The stronger they were, the bigger the arsehole they became.
The same applied to her own kind.
The most powerful of her kind didn't even feel like the same species any more.
Instead, they came across as alien, distant, and so beyond her comprehension, that she couldn't even begin to understand the way their minds worked.
Both Azazel and Kokabiel were like that.
Azazel put on a veneer of charm and geniality, but beneath that he was cold, manipulative and dead inside. She had seen it in the few moments he let his guard slip. She had seen the remoteness in his eyes, the way his expression became emotionless. In those unguarded instances, she had seen him for what he truly was, passionless, cold, and calculating.
Kokabiel was the same, though to a lesser degree. On the surface, he was an angry rabble-rouser, and a charismatic rebel and leader. But beneath that, there was nothing but cold fury, and iron-hearted determination. They were all tools in his eyes, all of them, from those he took as lovers, to those he had known since before they fell. None of them meant anything to him, they were just disposable assets.
But such was the way of things.
The more powerful a being became, the more removed they seemed to become from the world.
Once they no longer felt fear, or pain, or experienced loss, love, anguish or hate…., then what else was there?
But the same didn't ring true for her, as she was on one of the lowest tiers.
Among the Fallen Angels, she was one of those with only one set of wings, just one among the majority of her kin.
Which meant that she was at the bottom of the food chained, and was one of those that was constantly being pushed around and bullied by those stronger than her.
It was grating, and required being quick-witted, sly and subservient when necessary.
Still, at least she was able to still enjoy the little things in life.
Azazel, Baraqiel, Amenadiel, Azrael, Kokabiel and those like them, they probably didn't even understand let alone enjoy the simple pleasures in life, or at least not any more.
No, they had too much responsibility, and were far too disconnected from everyday life.
She didn't want to be like them.
Power for the sake of power was stupid.
She just wanted enough power and strength to be able to stand up for herself without being intimidated or instantly murdered.
Eight pairs of wings would suffice.
That would be enough to give her a reputation and clout with the faction, but not enough to become like the top tier beings; cold, joyless and remote.
She wanted power, but not the responsibilities that came with it.
Her lips curved into a smile at the thought of growing stronger, even as she finally touched down once more.
If all it took to keep her comrades and superiors off her back was the life of an annoying little perv…., well, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
As for the whole getting stronger thing, well she had a plan for that too.
Sometimes being an unobserved grunt was useful.
It was certainly useful the last time she had had to stand guard outside Azazel's laboratory.
Her smile widened at that thought, even as she shed her mortal disguise.
No more was she the coy, shy, demure, mortal girl called Amane.
Instead, she had once more become, Raynare of the Guardian of the Eastern Gate.
The Mist was truly a useful resource.
She might not have the same connection to it that the Greco-Roman Pantheon had, but the thing with a world encompassing magical veil that hid the supernatural from the mortal, was that with enough time and patience it was a resource that anyone could learn to use.
Not that she had needed to use it to do much more than change her appearance.
No, that Issei brat, the one with the Sacred Gear, had been so desperate and so perverted, that she hadn't even needed to do a thing, before he happily agreed to go on a 'date' with a complete stranger.
Her lips dipped downwards at that thought.
She didn't like humans at the best of times, they were foul, greedy, grasping little creatures, and the thought of spending the better part of a day in one's company… well it wasn't something she was looking forward too.
Still, needs must.
Holding back a grimace at that thought, she headed for the church.
"Raynare, you're back…?" A familiar voice rang out a few moments later, making her pause mid-step.
She hadn't even made it inside before she was being confronted.
Why couldn't she just be left alone?
"Perseus?" She drawled back, forcing a cocky and seductive smirk on her face, even as she spun around to confront the demigod, one of her hips cocked to one side and her revealing outfit on full show.
She didn't know what he wanted, but she knew she'd have to play it cool.
Eyeing the legendary son of Poseidon up and down, she couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear running through her wings and down her spine.
His short black hair faded into the night, and the shadows hid his handsome angular features.
But despite that, she knew it was him.
His intense, sea green eyes were very visible, even through the darkness, and they were currently locked unerringly on her.
She felt her stomach clench as she locked gazes with him, and a sudden heat began to build up in her loins.
He had a dark, menacing presence.
The aura he gave off was one of imminent danger.
It was wild, unpredictable, almost suffocating.
Clenching her hands into fists at her side, she shot him a cold look.
She could see why the bitchy blonde was so enamoured with him.
But that didn't mean she was about to seriously try it on with him.
She preferred her head attached, after all.
"Have you been waiting out here for me all night?" She forced herself to take a sultry step forwards.
As she moved, she noted the glowing golden of his sword on his right hip, and the way his tan coat seemed to shimmer slightly in the dim light from the moon.
Everything about him was unnatural.
"Not quite all night," Perseus replied with a tight smile.
The smile was so obviously fake that it didn't even look like he was bothering to make it appear real.
A part of her almost felt insulted by the lack of effort.
At least with Kokabiel, he had pretended not to hate his guts.
"But I have been waiting," Perseus continued, his tone calm and measured, as he took a step forward.
Suppressing her panic, she fought the urge not to take a step back.
She couldn't show weakness.
That was something she had learned early on, and she still had the scars to prove it.
"Oh? Well, I'm not sure what kind of girl you think I am, but just know that I expect to be wined and dined before anything else… happens…." She shot back coyly, laying it on thick now.
A part of her desperately hoped he would shoot her down in flames, just like he had with Kalawarner.
A smaller, traitorous part of her, however, was curious about what would happen if he didn't.
Tamping down on that thought, she instead widened her smile. "So should we say eight o'clock tomorrow evening, you pick the place? I'd suggested earlier, but I'm afraid I have other plans…."
"Do those other plans involve hunting a Sacred Gear user?" Perseus replied bluntly, brushing aside her flirtations with almost brutal disregard. He obviously knew what she had been up too, and from what she could see he obviously didn't like it.
Almost at once, she felt a leaden weight form in her stomach, even as the sudden aura he was giving off became a shade more dangerous.
"I don't know what you mean?" She replied softly, sensually, forcing herself to calm down now, even as her eyes flitted back to his sword.
This aura of danger, it was like dealing with Kokabiel at his worst, only at least with Kokabiel you could predict what he'd do next, after all his go to response to anything that displeased him was excessive violence.
Perseus in comparison was an unknown.
"Cut the crap, your friends have already told me what you've been up to." Perseus cut in.
His expression remained cool, but his tone had hardened substantially.
The air of danger he was now giving off was almost suffocating.
As for his gaze, it was like looking into the eyes of an apex predator.
It chilled her to the bone.
'Those backstabbing arseholes'
"Oh, well in that case, yes, it is. I hope you don't think badly of me, but a girl's got to have options." She drawled, taking a measured step back.
"Uh huh, and what's your victim's name?" Perseus asked.
"Now that would be telling," She shrugged idly.
"Yes, now spill." Perseus said bluntly.
"Oh, so demanding." She once again forced a smile. "But if you insist. His name is Shino Hayate, a nineteen year old waiter at a local restaurant. But don't worry, it's not the one you were probably thinking of taking me too. It's not really that high class, more of a cheap hole in the wall diner than anything. Besides, not even I would be that gauche."
"Uh huh," Perseus muttered, his eyes narrowing.
'Please buy it.'
"Well, have fun on your date tomorrow." He replied tonelessly after a few moments of excruciating silence.
"Oh, don't be jealous," She cooed back.
"No need to worry about that." Perseus shot back, taking another step forward.
Her heart beat faster in her chest and she could feel her pupils dilating, even as she took another step backwards, only to find her back hitting the door.
He continued forward though, getting closer and closer.
Her heart was now beating so loud, that she could barely hear what he said next.
"Excuse me, I need to get past you." He said softly.
"Err, what?" She replied, confused.
"You're in the way…" He said calmly.
"Oh, sorry," She stuttered back awkwardly, her heart still thundering away in her chest, even as she scampered out of the way.
Stepping past her, she felt his eyes on her once more, boring into the very soul. "Have a good night, Raynare."
"Y-yeah, you too." She replied, trying to play her response off as cool and flirty, even as he stepped past her and entered the church.
'You might be a judgmental dick, dad, but thanks.' She thought to herself, her gaze momentarily flicking to the heavens once more.
She could only hope that he had bought the bullshit she had spun him.
( - )
(Inside the church)
"So, do you believe her?" Jeanne asked as the two of them walked through the nave.
"Fuck no," Percy replied.
"So, what do you want to do?" She pressed.
"Keep an eye on her, and act when necessary." He shrugged.
"Sounds like a plan."
( - )
AN: So I didn't get as far as I wanted, but we are now up to canon. As you might have noticed though, things will be very different with Percy around. They'll start off small, but then escalate in a ripple effect, by the time the Excalibur arc occurs canon will be shattered to pieces.
So yeah, I hope you enjoyed the chapter as there is more to come.
Also I am on a discord with a load of other writers, so if you fancy popping over to ask questions or offer suggestions about this story, or any of my other ones, or to find new authors you might not have come across yet, please feel free to use the link in my bio.
Thanks for reading and if you have any suggestions or questions feel free to PM me or find me on Discord.
Catch you later.
Greed720.