- You try to go in there, and I'll tear you apart. Do you understand me, cat? Mizuki's voice carried a beastly note of growl.
- Step back. Koneko said softly, narrowing her eyes. – He's been sitting there for the third day. It's bad. Neo needs to leave this house. Otherwise it will break.
A little more than a week has passed since the famous "terrorist attack", which people called a terrible massacre. The demons had to cover their tracks in a hurry, and Ke itself turned into a cold war zone. There were literally everything in it: three factions, representatives of Ayakashi, vampires, the holy church and several "observers" from other mythologies.
Events of this magnitude have not happened for a long time, since the great fire in London, one thousand six hundred and sixty-six. That year, tens of thousands of people and many otherworldly beings died, unleashing a "small" war for faith.
This time, the quiet town came as a surprise to everyone. No one expected such madness, especially in the third millennium.
It was lucky that the "Masquerade" was not violated, if it had been otherwise, the war would have been already blazing with might and main. You can find the reason, but there was already an excuse.
Humanity.
Humanity is a bargaining chip. Product. Naive people do not even realize that they have been used since their appearance. Souls, blood, body, everything that a person is made of, his very Essence – all this is the material that otherworldly beings use.
Who knows what would happen if humanity found out that the powerful of this world consider them just cattle. Useful and funny.
And even if humanity found out that the Gods are not fiction, that they are the true lords of this world, then... nothing would have changed.
Humans wouldn't be able to fight creatures of this level. Neither bacterial, nor thermal or climatic, nor atomic toys. Technologies of this level would not be able to defeat the magic of the ancients. Perhaps, give humanity a thousand years of development and something would have changed, but time is a strange thing. And during this time, people would again try to destroy themselves, which the Gods could not allow.
And it would have started all over again. A vicious circle of infinity that cannot be broken.
Or is it possible?
- He needs to be alone. Kitsune frowned, crossing her arms under her chest. "Do you have any idea what he's been through?" Although how do you know about it, a Nekomata who has taken the side of demons. A corrupt cat sold her race for the sake of service.
- I perfectly understand how he feels. Koneko ignored the lunge in her direction, clenching her fists until they crunched. – That's why I won't let him close himself in.
- Ho? Is that what you're saying, girl? – Mizuki was slowly starting to get angry at the words of this demonic mutt. Or cats, it doesn't matter! "There's more of a demon in you right now than the ayakashi hypostasis. When was the last time you used our magic? When did you awaken your spirit? Pf, how are you at all-...
"My abilities are dangerous. The white–haired girl lowered her head dejectedly. – They only do harm. I'm not going to use something that can hurt my friends.
Kitsune looked at Koneko for a couple of seconds, after which she sighed wearily and dejectedly pressed her fox ears to her head, realizing that relieving tension on a demoness is not the most appropriate act, especially for the heiress of an ancient and very respected Ayakashi family.
But, on the other hand, the girl could not forgive these demons. To forgive them so many deaths and, most importantly, the death of her lover's parents.
This territory is controlled by the Gremori and Sitri clans, the girl learned about it from her grandfather, and Neo told her who he was friends with, which surprised the young Kitsune as much as her grandfather.
And two heiresses of such ancient and respected families could not cope with a small town?
This terribly infuriated the fox, and the pain delivered to her beloved infuriated the girl.
- I also lost my family. – after a few minutes of silence, the tense silence was broken by the voice of the half-demon. – Neo... he will close himself in. Like me. I can't allow it. – the girl said in chopped phrases, raising a serious look at her interlocutor. – Step back.
Mizuki chewed her lip as she looked at Nekomata's serious face.
On the one hand, she understood that the white-haired half-demon was right, but on the other, she believed that Neo needed to be alone. The girl saw the condition of her lover, but... she could only guess what he was feeling.
Mizuki's parents help the main branch of Kitsune, located in Kyoto, and Mizuki herself, according to ancient custom, is now being trained by her grandfather and, concurrently, the current head of the clan. She has never lost relatives, friends or acquaintances. Until this moment, she had not even thought that such a thing was possible.
Mizuki believed that there is no place for wars and troubles in the modern world. She sincerely believed that this was a peaceful time in which there was no place for hostility.
And here's how it all turned out...
Kitsune cracked her fists and sighed heavily, nodding her head:
- Okay, I admit that you're great...
- Greetings. - Mizuki was interrupted by the cold, imperious voice of a girl with glasses who quickly entered the hall. – Please do not start a showdown in this house and do not incite a war on the basis of racial affiliation, Miss Koneko, Miss Mizuki.
- You? Kitsune snorted and winced, recognizing the face of one of the heiresses of the seventy–two Pillars. – You're just missing here. Forgot what?
- I came for Neo Mori. – the girl calmly replied, adjusting her glasses. – The Sitri clan takes official custody of-...
- What?! – now Kitsune interrupted Sonu, opening her eyes wide and quickly getting closer to the demoness. – What kind of custody?! He's a man! And, for that matter, the Ando clan also takes custody of him!
Koneko stupidly looked from one girl to the other. Both representatives of the "weaker sex" wrapped themselves in multicolored auras and tried to burn a hole in the head of the "rival" with their eyes.
- It's too late. – Sona calmly replied, looking condescendingly at the fox. – Lucifer himself confirmed my-... – Sitri hesitated for a moment, – ahem, our right to this guy.
- I don't care who confirmed it, I don't agree! Mizuki stamped her foot in indignation. – And stop talking so imperiously about Neo, is he an animal?! Why are you even so worried about him?!
"He belongs to me. – Sona was confused for a moment by her own words, but she didn't show it. But Kitsune noticed everything perfectly, opening her eyes even wider.
- Yes, it can't be... you? Into a person? Great Amaterasu, tell this to someone from-...
"It doesn't matter. Sitri interrupted her, pointing to the door behind the girl. – I'm taking him out of this house. His parents died here, even though people... cleaned everything, but death and the smell of blood are still felt on the ground floor. Mizuki Ando, I do not forbid you to communicate with him in any way, if you want, you can come with me. The Sitri clan is always happy to have guests. You are his girlfriend, he has talked a lot about you, and your concern only proves that you are not an outsider Neo... ayakashi. But I'm taking him to the Underworld, it's safer there now than in the human world. Did I make myself clear?
- ... Mizuki stared at Sona's cold eyes for a couple of moments, then nodded. She saw something in the demoness's eyes that she absolutely did not expect to see there. What she was afraid of... and, at the same time, it threw off a stone of anxiety from her heart. After all, this girl will definitely take care of Neo, and everything she said is true. – So be it. I graciously accept your invitation, Miss Sitri, and I'm going with you.
Koneko nodded to herself, realizing that the beginning of a possible war between demons and Ayakashi was over, and went to the room for the two girls who had stopped projecting auras.
In a dark room without light and with curtained windows, a guy was sitting on the bed. Dark bags from lack of sleep formed under his eyes, empty reddened eyes looked sadly at a family photo of three happy people, through the frame of which a black ribbon passed.
Neo turned his head listlessly to the guests, after which he smiled wryly and tucked his legs under him, continuing to look at the photo again.
Mizuki gasped faintly and tears of pain spurted from her eyes. The girl wanted to run up to the guy right now and hug him tightly, feel sorry for him and return the lights of life to his dark eyes, but she couldn't.
She was afraid that this would only aggravate her lover's condition, she was afraid that from such an action the guy would hate her and much more.
Kitsune shook her head, suppressing her fear, and seriously went to the guy, immediately pressing his face into her chest and began gently stroking unwashed hair, mourning his loss.
She didn't care what her companions thought, the girl understood one thing – she had to do it.
- Neo, m-we... we're taking you out of here. Sitri said, holding back her trembling voice. – Okay?
-= Office of the occult club. =-
- Well, this... that explains a lot. Sazex said slowly, looking at the six–winged creature with the face of a pretty girl. – A lot of things. Yes, very, very much.
Up to this point, Eve refused to show her wings. She said she was shy. But after she was given a watermelon, she generously showed the audience three pairs of wings.
- We have to investigate it. An aura flared up around Azazel, causing the space to ring, but Mikhail restrained it with his holy power. – Do you even understand what this is?! THIS IS THE FUTURE! FUU-TTUUU-RREE! HA-HA-HA-HA!
- No way. The archangel said calmly, closing his eyes. – Eva is important, we have to protect her. This is His sign. A sign that we did the right thing by signing the truce. And the name given to her speaks for itself. We will follow His plan. Eva stays with the Red Welsh.
The eyes of all the reasonable people in the office were directed at the brown-haired boy hugging a white-haired girl trembling with fear.
She glanced at Mikhail from time to time and from this pressed herself even more into Issei, starting to cry.
Issei, with an unreadable expression on his face, looked at the three beings of inconceivable power gathered in this room. The pervert did not quite understand what they were talking about, but Ddraig warned him that the guy should listen carefully to their conversations and wind up with a mustache. He'll need them again.
Issei squinted at his mistress. The girl lowered her head dejectedly, hiding her face behind a shock of crimson hair.
Young demons expected a lot of things when Rias summoned her brother, but after the appearance of a tall, stately man, who immediately fixed his gaze on Eve, two more powerful beings and, concurrently, the leaders of the other two factions appeared...
Well, if someone asks Issei about his opinion about these three men, he will say that he liked them all. How reasonable.
The pervert's sensitive intuition felt a connection with Sazex and Azazel, and he liked Mikhail with his strange aura and kind, forgiving look. And I wanted to immediately trust this archangel, well, that's why he is an archangel.
And here's the news...
The guy gently stroked Asia's head, whispering various nonsense in her ear.
Issei decided that he would protect the exiled nun, as they later learned, at any cost. She's been through a lot.
The attack of Nosferatu, who forced the poor girl to look at all those horrors, expulsion from her beloved church because of the stupidest reason - she healed a demon. Asia Argento's sacred mechanism could heal anyone. And these stupid priests expelled such a kind girl from the church? She didn't even know that the injured guy would turn out to be a demon!
And yet, these damned vampires... as the leaders of the three factions decided, they were sent by someone from the "enemies". They purposely left this nun as the only survivor, as a message that they "know about God," whatever that means. They wanted to blacken His name, slander Him.
And they did it perfectly, as can be seen from the poor girl.
Issei swore that he would protect her. He will try to restore her confidence and remove her fear. But it takes time.
And he also swore that he would definitely take revenge on those involved for all those horrors. For the death of his friend's parents, for the murder of so many residents from his city. For Asia...
The guy didn't like the second news even more – Rias-senpai were going to marry some "Riser Fenex*". And she couldn't refuse! Well, she refused, to which Sazex said that even he could not terminate the contract. The pervert did not understand how Lucifer himself could not terminate the contract!
When Rias started saying again that she would never marry Fenex, her brother simply waved his hand and said that, in that case, he allowed her to challenge Riser to a rating game bypassing the rules. If he agrees, of course, otherwise the wedding will not be avoided.
All the recent events have hit the young demoness very hard and Issei did not know at all how to help her. He didn't even know what this "rating game" was, what to talk about?
- Mikhail, we need to find out how He managed to mix us. – Azazel said seriously, calming the flared excitement of the researcher. He, like Sazex, stopped doubting that He was resurrected. Only He could create this cute little girl who was stroking a watermelon with such interest, as if not noticing the faction leaders and the dispute that has been going on for a week. After all, only He could create such a cutie. Azazel will know His taste anywhere, what is his "ex-sister" Gabriel worth? "It won't just end the feud. No... this will open a new road! Can you feel her aura? She has a strong immunity to demonic and holy energies. Yes, she can even use these two energies at the same time... mix them. Do you understand?
- I understand. And I also remember your "experiments" and how they sometimes ended, so we will not rush. Look at her, Azazel. She's clean. It is not necessary to denigrate her with your experiments.
- Are you completely crazy? So that I, yes, such a cutie?! – Azazel was justifiably indignant, looking at his brother as if he were an idiot. – Yes, I'll tear off my own wings! She is beautiful, and I am not going to spoil this beauty!
The watermelon in Eva's hands crunched loudly, attracting the attention of everyone present. He splashed the girl with his juice, forcing Nefalem to look stupidly at the remains of a once beautiful berry.
Azazel, Issey and Sazex looked at each other and nodded at the same time, starting to smile vulgarly, only Mikhail looked with awe at the tears of the "pure" being created by His Father.
- God, thank you! Azazel said sincerely, making Sazex and the demons present wince, but the leader of the demons did not pay attention to it. The man was completely in solidarity with his new comrade. – Okay, Mikhail, I understand your point of view and agree with it, but then, when everything settles down, we will conduct a medical examination of Welsh and Eva, if they don't mind, of course.
- I don't mind. Issei shrugged, glancing at Eve. –And you, Eva-chan?"
- I killed him... – the girl whispered, looking at the remains of the watermelon and starting to roar even louder.
- She doesn't mind. – the guy said calmly, barely audibly sighing. – Look, you're strong, right? You can help... Asii-chan? The pervert looked seriously into the eyes of the faction leaders. – She didn't deserve such a fate. Therefore... please help her.
- It's difficult. – Mikhail honestly admitted. It was painful for him to see with what fear this poor girl looks at the archangel. "I don't have mental magic, and neither do any of the other angels or archangels. Only demons or the fallen can help her, but they will have to rewrite her identity. Do you understand, Issei? It's not as difficult as it sounds, but if her identity is rewritten, then the poor child will cease to be herself. She will be a different person.
The guy nodded glumly, accepting Mikhail's words.
Issei's temples ached slightly, and he remembered that, it seemed, he had already communicated on a similar topic. That's just with whom and when?
"Issei, you can help her without magic. – Sazex said seriously. - Just be there and support her. No magic is necessary for this. Trust my experience, it will help.
- OK.
* This is not a mistake.