Issei
...Why?
She's here. Behind that smug blonde playboy trying to touch my girlfriend in the ORC room is Karlamine.
Why is she here? Why now?
[Partner what's the deal with you and Mr Casanova's brunette Knight?]
'Karlamine was...welll...still is...'
[Still what?]
'no. I'm not going to tell you.'
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Chapter 6
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Issei
The atmosphere is tense as it is with Rias' peerage in a standoff with Riser's. The only one that does stand out is her, the lady brunette knight wearing a bandana over her head.
I look at her and she looks at me. Small as it is there was...still is something there.
"Fine! two weeks it is then!"
I've tuned out. Apparently Riser and Rias are going to have the long awaited fight, leaving us some time to prepare. By now I also notice an older yet still attractive silver haired devil dressed as a maid. I can tell by her presence that she is powerful since she seemed to have restrained both peerages from killing each other.
As Riser finally leaves, the silver haired woman I know now is named Grayfia looks at me with suspicion. She leaves.
I'm going to have to talk about this to Rias later.
(Week Later)
It is now one week after we started training. Currently we are in the forest outside the city in a little wooden cabin. Despite protests by Victor, Asia wants to tag along and help her new friends even though she can't participate. And no, I will not teach her the pledge. I don't want to talk about it. What pledge?
With Asia is her bodyguard consisting of Tsugumi and one of the new guys. Leon Dahl, spanish, orphan, thief, ninja. Never understood the ninja part.
At the moment I am observing Leon in his tall, brown haired, blue eyed glory fighting Kiba using Smelting Aura Kunai.
I have to say that they are evenly matched. Knight Pieces have their inbuilt speed but Leon could use his Aura or his faint wind and shadow magic. Though neither of them seem to be at their max speeds.
Leon continues to exchange blows with Kiba using his twin Kunai; at times throwing them before drawing more. Kiba meanwhile uses a sword style from what he told me was based of his sensei Mifune's combat style. Infinite One Sword Style as its called, relying on the use of numerous swords scattered across the battlefield, very effective with sword type Auras.
Not sure about Kiba's Sword Birth though.
In the clearing the Myrmidon and Devil take turns defending, one on static guard and protecting against attacks from his surroundings.
They clash one more time and are forced to jump back. Kiba activates his Sacred Gear, creating more Swords all over the forest clearing. The blond readies into a stance grabbing the handles of the swords to his side. Leon in turn draws out a ninjato all of sudden, ready to perform a blade dance.
By queue both of them lunge at each other like two dancing beams of light. With each clash I see another blade shatter only to be replaced. Then another. And another.
Soon enough I see slash marks and broken bits of swords and the occasional poor log/boulder caught in the mess.
[You better stop them]
Sigh.
Fine.
Channeling my Smelting Aura I jump between them throwing up two large tower shields that crumple from the sheer force.
"Both of you stop. Its getting out of hand."
Reluctantly they agree. I now notice that both of them seem a bit...unhinged.
"Nice style." pants Kiba, "never thought I'd see a western ninja."
Leon chuckles, "I'm a fan of ninja anime and manga."
"worth it?" I ask.
He shrugs, "Kinda…"
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Leon
yeah. I'm a white ninja. If it was an RPG i'd be classified as a Rogue while my Senior Issei was a warrior. Honestly I never thought i'd be in this position. Little Street Urchin Criminal of spain next thing you know I freeze my ass off training somewhere in the Himalayas while fighting off AK wielding Yeti Communazis and over zealous Shangri-la border patrols. Although considering I pickpocketed the Elder of Spain, 'el Río Rojo de Muerto'* I'm fortunate that I learned that Smelting Aura can regenerate certain key parts of the body.
Still it beats committing daily petty crime for a living.
Friends. Family. Got adopted by the Dahls, good Myrmidon family of europe and have something to live for.
I'm loyal and willing enough to get the job done. It could be a simple delivery to an assassination to the one I am on now: Guarding over the Goddess-to-be and her crush.
Though I feel like I want to be envious at times. Issei's mostly clean, hasn't gotten his hands dirty enough, still believing in Myrmidon's idealist image but is starting to waver. As friendly as I am with him I know orders. If anything goes rotten then the offending fruit gets disposed of. Factions are already forming; Argento-chan future is going to be either a good or bad thing for us all; and I definitely know that the mess thats coming is going to A LOT more preparations.
"Leon when where you going to tell me that Asia has a possible chance to become the next Sigmar?"
He found out. I don't like that.
While we wash ourselves at a nearby stream after training. He just looks at me.
"Issei…" I say to him, "its a secret."
"I'm not as naive and optimistic as people think I am," he answered, "in case you're wondering Ddraig decided to tell me after…"
"after what?"
"My own secrets." he stated, "back to the matter at hand, I need to understand why her very existence is causing a mess amongst us."
"Politics Issei. Politics. I know for certain that Victor and that Saeed guy are gathering supporters with some other person, an ex-elder I hear of it."
"and how did you gather all that from one fight?"
"I'm a ninja. A spy. Intelligence Agent. All the same. All that matters is that I know and I'm loyal enough to Myrmidia and Sigmar to say that your friend due to the evidence is on the good side. Elder Ryu i'm not sure about and I know that Elder Rio Rojo will be doing his own thing."
"and me?"
"My friend. A new one but someone I can tell is trustworthy and dependable."
After finishing up we walk back to the cabin where we stumble upon Tsugumi and a...caveman?
In front of me is a tall pale man with wild green hair and dark blue eyes. Given his Smelting Aura and his nonhuman hair and eye color I can tell that he isn't fully human. Part slime or Shoggoth to be politically correct. They like to live off the land and are immensely tribalist in culture and given the animal furs and his tribal outfit he seems to lean toward his inner Shoggoth.
"Steven Galie" he says, "Victor hired me.".
"Issei Hyoudou." replies Issei.
"Leon Dahl." I reply also.
"Nice to meet you," he nods, "Although I don't see why he needs all of us if Asia's boyfriend is here."
"I'm not her boyfriend." deadpanned Issei, "and we can never be to careful considering who she is."
"Fine." sighed Steven, "but I also came here with orders for you."
"and that'd be?"
"While we have our own problems it turns out that the whole Fallen Angel mess is part of something bigger. Seems though some of the supernaturals are itching for a fight. Something a lot of innocents are going to be caught in."
"And that's why we're here." I answer.
"Not if we're stuck fighting each other." added in Tsugumi, "we're going to need a deterrence."
"Deterrence?" I ask, "We have the largest number of Sacred Gear Users of any faction and the most magic users outside the Mage Association. I know since me and Issei are two of them."
"Artificial Sacred Gears," she emphasized.
When we were about to argue the half-slime intervenes, "there is nothing wrong with showing our stuff. That's why the Council wants you to humiliate Riser."
"I and Rias' peerage can beat his peerage if you're insisting." Issei defended.
"no they want something one sided. Riser is one of the rising stars of the underworld with a 4-2 win record in the Rating Games and two losses were forfeits due to kiss-ass politics. They want you to shove the fact that Humans can beat Supernaturals easily into their faces."
"And how am I supposed to do that?"
Steven glances at Tsugumi who nods and takes out a case.
"I may be knew to smelting aura." says Tsugumi, "but I know modern weapons and with Myrmidon tech, magic, and aura we manage to rig all of this in time."
"Its not my fighting style." Issei frowned.
Tsugumi smiled, "if you're allowed to use any weapon in a Rating Game then does that include military grade?"
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Issei
After that...interesting talk we go into the cabin. It seems as though Steve already introduced himself so we skip greetings and we prepare to sit down to eat. Everyone is here except for…
"Hey guys where's Akeno?"
Rias looks at me oddly, "shes...shes uh going through some things in the storage shed."
What kind of things?
"I'll go get her."
"No!"
She yells at me, everyone looks at her. She shuts herself up but that look says something is off about Akeno.
I decide to go check it out.
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Akeno
Before I was a devil I was a half-fallen angel. My Fallen Angel father married my human mother a Shrine Priestess. Then his enemies killed her. Then I was thrown out by my mother's family and nearly got killed by them in turn.
I owe Rias for my life and giving me a home. But even know I can't get over it. This stupid one black wing is something I can never forget. I even have to clean it every so often and-
"Akeno its time to...eat."
Issei saw me. Issei saw me!
I put my shirt back on and jump back. Only Rias and the Peerage was supposed to know!
Behind the shed I see our newest member look at me in surprise.
"I….I have to go," I say, trying to leave
"Akeno-senpai wait." he answers, catching my arm, "tell me. Why do you need to hide something like this?"
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?
"Mr. Himejima?"
"ye-URRRHHHHGGHHH!"
"For what you did to that poor girl..."
*SCCCCKKKRTTT!*
"...You die in hell with that bitch of sister of yours."
*Thud!*
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*The Red River of Death in (bad) spanish
A/N: Finishing Chapter 6 took a longer time as I had to keep rewriting constantly to get the OCs to fit in. Like I said I regrettably (or not) had to tweak them a bit for story's sake. Special thanks to Fallen Angel for Leon Dahl and Shadow1999boy11 for Steve Galie.
P.S. I got two Ideas I want your opinion on:
What do you think of an XCOM and Warhammer 40k Crossover? One set during the Golden Age of Man AKA the Dark Age of Technology where after the defeat of the Uber Ethereal they expanded using Ethereal Technology as well as power of the Gift and Meld.
I've also been considering doing a Naruto Fanfic where the people of Uzu and the Uzumaki seeked refuge in Konoha rather than scattering to the four corners of the globe. It bugged me how only the one Kushina Uzumaki was in Konoha despite Uzu and Konoha being so intimately linked.
Review or PM ideas and opinions
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Omake: Kiba's Training part 4
Kiba
An acquaintance of an acquaintance of mine is willing to test your abilities.
"Who is he?"
A red headed man known for sand attacks. He is...off kilter slightly but he is competent. Just follow these directions to find him.
(Sometime later)
WHY THE HELL IS THERE A DESERT IN THE MIDDLE OF JAPAN!?
"You.."
Huh?
"Prove your existence to me…"
Wait who is this-
SAND COFFIN!
*CRUNCH!*
...ow.