Hey guys, Xager here welcoming you back to Chapter 2 of Persona DxD! This chapter is the start of where it starts to split off from ADAD. It'll be a fairly significant deviation, because it's going to mark the divide of Minato from the ORC's own major arcs until Raiser. So if you are here for Rias, don't bother. You'll see her briefly at Kokabiel, who is arriving earlier than planned, but that's all until the Raiser arc.
I sat calmly and watched as Rias Gremory and a group of other students burst into the church, only to stop stone cold and stare in shock at the devastation that I was presiding over. Kiba Yuuto, a boy that I had seen hanging around with Rias on a regular basis, whistled in appreciation as he studied the destruction that had been wrought in this place of worship. Casually, I flicked my headphones off from where I had been listening to my music while waiting and I looked at the group.
The church was near-obliterated. What pews had remained now lay in splinters and the walls, instead of being scorched and charred, were now sporting great holes and gouges that were dripping blood. The twisted forms of the Fallen Angels lay prostrated before me, contorted into a pathetic image of them bowing to me.
Kiba-san was the only male in the group, with the rest comprising of Akeno Himejima, a girl that I knew in passing as one of the two 'Great Nee-samas of Kuoh Academy', Koneko Toujou, a young-looking girl that was in the year below myself and the others, and of course Rias Gremory herself. Rias was looking around furiously, a panicked look on her face before Koneko pointed to the crucifix that I sat below, the unconscious girl and Issei flanking me. Instantly, her face relaxed before she registered that three people, not two, sat before the crucifix.
"Arisato-san!" Gremory-san cried out to me, running toward where I sat guarding her friends. 'Foolish,' I thought to myself as I stood to meet her. I nodded politely, making the entire group blink at my unexpected lack of greeting and prompting them to simply nod back. She nodded to Akeno-san and Kiba-san, and they ran to check on Issei and the girl while she and Koneko-san moved to meet me. I moved away to allow Akeno-san and Kiba-san more room to ensure their friends were in good health. When Gremory-san reached me, she glanced at my chest and shoulder, where the burn holes from Raynare's light spears were still visible. I quickly turned away from her, hiding the marks and letting her pass as she stormed toward her comrades.
Akeno-san looked up at Gremory-san from where she had been checking Issei, smiling slightly at the clearly worried expression on her face as she knelt next to her.
"He's okay, Rias. A bit bashed up, but he's still alive and won't have any permanent injuries." Akeno-san's voice was mild and calm, despite what she was saying. "He's lucky that Fallen like to take their time with their victims, and that Raynare was more sadistic than most."
I blinked at the revelation of Akeno-san, and presumably everyone else, knowing of the Fallen Angels, ignoring her as she continued to talk to Gremory-san. That was an unusual occurrence that I was not expecting. Gremory-san stood and looked at Kiba-san, who had busily been seeing to the girl while Koneko-san checked the crippled bodies of the Fallen Angels. Kiba-san looked back at Gremory-san with a look of confusion.
"She's perfectly healed, Buchou. As in, not a scratch on her." I smirked internally, of course there wasn't. Salvation is no mere healing spell, after all. Gremory-san nodded, though her face was a picture of confusion that made me look away briefly, before forcing myself to look at her again. No more hiding.
"And the Sacred Gear?" Gremory-san asked him, leaning forward slightly as Kiba-san looked confused.
"It's... there, but not there. It's like someone shattered it inside her."
Gremory-san frowned in confusion, her brow wrinkling as she tried to work out what was the problem.
"Shattered? Did the Fallen mess up the extraction?"
I knew the answer, but kept quiet as the two conversed.
"No, Buchou... It seems more like it was torn into pieces, like the extraction was interrupted, and then the pieces were forced back inside her. It's all that's keeping her alive."
The conclusion clearly stunned Gremory-san.
"How is that... is that even possible?"
Kiba-san shook his head, and gestured subtly (but not subtly enough for my eyes to miss it) toward me.
"Ask him."
Gremory-san turned to face me, looking at me as I leaned against one of the few standing pillars before looking at the Fallen Angels at my feet. She looked back at Kiba-san, and both Akeno-san and Koneko-san spoke.
"Buchou, whoever did this was ridiculously powerful with the Light."
"Very powerful. Maybe Seraphim."
I barely suppressed a grin. Sure, Helel could technically count as a Seraphim. Gremory-san looked at me, then back to her group. Akeno-san shook her head at Gremory-san slightly.
"He's covered in Light, just like everything else."
Gremory-san nodded at this, before whispering to the group words that I could not hear. A quick whispered conversation took place, and I simply leaned against my pillar and waited. Doubtless, they were discussing how threatening I was, and if they could force an answer out of me. Finally, Gremory-san shook her head and whispered something else. Kiba-san bowed, a look of disappointment flickering across his face. Unexpected from the handsome boy. I hadn't expected him to have a violent streak. Gremory-san moved on, and approached the unconscious form of Raynare. A look of disgust crossed her face, and she seemed to drink in the suffering Raynare had been in until her passing into unconsciousness.
Raynare had suffered the worst of the four, her wings pinned to the floor with great boulders and clearly broken in multiple places, while her hands were bloody and her fingers worn away until they bled furiously, as if she had been trying to escape her fate, had fought to escape it with every inch of her power, and failed. Her body was naked aside from a pair of panties that covered her modesty, though the sight that was revealed could not be called arousing in the slightest. Great burns coated her back and breasts, tracing up to her cheeks which had twin matching burns, both seared into her flesh as if someone had branded her. And the brand said only one word: Trash.
Suddenly, I felt Gremory-san pulse with power, and I moved as she held one hand out toward the crippled Fallen Angel and a small black orb formed in her palm, almost like a black form of Zio. It would end Raynare, I knew. But it was not her place. Raynare had been judged as she had tried to judge me, and been found wanting by the greatest being that could have judged her.
"Enough, Gremory-san," I said as I placed my hand on her shoulder. "They have been judged, and found wanting. You have no right to continue this." My voice never raised above my normal, quiet voice. But it bore the same iron command that I used when Junpei was getting uppity with me, or when Akihiko occasionally started to take over the leadership role of the team.
Gremory-san turned and stared into my eyes, green orbs glaring into steel-grey. She continued to stare unwaveringly and I felt my Personas shift within me, each one filling me with their power in turn. I knew that she was no threat to me. And I am sure she realised that as well, as she looked away.
"I'm assuming you saved Asia and Issei."
It was a statement, not a question. One I felt no need to respond to, and I did just that. I turned and resumed ignoring her, smiling imperceptibly at the sound of her gritting her teeth. She assumed I would just hand her answers, and was confronted with a blank wall. I would not answer inane questions that were so clearly obvious. If she had something important to ask, I would reply.
"Then you must have questions, questions about what they are, what we are, and what happened in this church. I'll answer them, if you come and meet us in the Occult Research Club."
I tilted my head. Doubtless she would have numerous questions to ask me in return, and I quite frankly do not care enough to face her on her own ground. I will face her in my own time, in a meeting of my choosing.
"No thank you."
Those three words had a devastating effect on the girl, and I almost laughed at the shock and surprise on her face. But it quickly turned to determination.
"Okay, let me put it another way. You ARE going to be meeting us tomorrow, and you don't have a choice."
Was she threatening me? After what I (well, Helel) had done to these four Fallen Angels? How foolish. I turned and walked away from her, stopping at the entrance to the church.
"You may try and force me, Gremory-san. But I do not advise it. Raynare and her companions challenged me. Look at them. How well do you think YOU will fare?"
Not really my style, but I hoped that the threat of violence would dissuade her. It didn't. Instead, I was stopped, forcibly. Looking backward and down, I saw that Koneko-san had gripped my arm in a vice-like hold, her honey-coloured eyes staring up at me with cold fury.
"Meeting Buchou isn't optional."
I almost laughed at the concept of this adorable little girl threatening me. But I had learned from Ken that dangerous things can come from the smallest of people. I would not underestimate her. Casually, I moved my free hand to Lucifer's Blade, drawing it from its sheath and letting it hang beside me. If they want to challenge me, then let them.
"As I said. I do not advise it." With these words, I slashed at Koneko-san, forcing her to release my arm. Almost instantly, everyone else was up in arms, with what appeared to be... Devil wings? Yes, batlike wings appeared from their backs and each of them had readied themselves for battle. Akeno-san's hands crackled with electricity, and a grin none too dissimilar to the one Raynare had sported had worked its way onto her face. Kiba-san had a sword of his own in his hand. A swordsman. I looked forward to matching blades with him. Koneko-san had raised her hands in a style similar to Akihiko-senpai's boxing style. A hand to hand fighter. Interesting. Finally, Gremory-san was floating with black energy in her hands, every inch the succubus.
"If you won't listen to reason, then you give us no choice." Gremory-san said, and the battle began.
Koneko-san threw herself at me, but she was nowhere near as fast as Akihiko-senpai, nor was her technique as refined and sharp as his. I dodged her easily, smashing my free hand against her back and knocking her to the floor, grunting as I felt as though I had hit a wall. How could such a small girl be so tough?
Reacting quickly, I crashed my blade against Kiba-san's as he suddenly moved across the church at a speed I hadn't seen since the middle floors of Tartarus, his sword slashing down in a mighty blow that I deflected with more luck than judgement. My free hand sank into my pocket, and I gripped something that I knew would be useful later.
Kiba-san reacted well to my block, spinning his blade and feinting to my left only to bring it sweeping in and under where my guard had been, cutting a thin line up my stomach to my ribcage. A scratch, compared to the wounds Raynare had inflicted on me not an hour previously. I replied with a swift barrage of strikes, left, right, left, right, sudden slash downward to catch him off-guard. Each strike was picked off by the swordsman, but he was forced on the defensive until I was knocked staggering by a sudden kick from the freshly-recovered Koneko-san. Faced with both opponents, I knew I was outmatched in the pure melee department. But I didn't only have melee on my side.
Whipping my hand out of my pocket, I crushed the Garula Gem I had snatched and snapped out my hand, a small hurricane bursting from it and smashing into Kiba-san, sending him flying into the wall where he slumped, unconscious. Obviously, he was lacking in endurance if he could not even take a Garula. Even Junpei could take a Garula (albeit ONLY one). Akeno-san sent lightning thundering through the air toward me, but I felt Odin's influence rise from the Sea of Souls, and the Lightning simply flowed around my body and flung itself back at the stunned sadist and dropping her to the floor, convulsing as the lightning coursed through her veins.
Gremory-san looked at her two fallen comrades with concern before barely dodging as I threw the surprised Koneko-san toward her. The two looked at each other, before attacking again. Determined girls. Another gem came from my pocket, one that ended the fight. A Trafuri Gem. A bright flash of light filled the area, blinding the pair while I could still see. Using this to my advantage, I sprinted for the door and dove through it to the outside, sheathing Lucifer's Blade and making good my escape.
The next day I walked to school as I always did, though my mind was still spinning with questions. While I would not confront Gremory-san yet, I knew I would eventually have to meet with her. But for now, I did not have to face her. Well, not until second class, but I doubted she would begin a row in the middle of class just to try and force me into the confrontation she desired. Her arrogance in daring to assume that she could force me irritated me, but again I drew parallels with Mitsuru-sama.
Mitsuru-sama. My leader. My commander. She gave me command of the team without hesitation, and allowed me to keep it even after Akihiko-senpai had recovered. She trusted me with her secrets, believed in me when nobody else would, allowed me to comfort her. How could I not adore her, idolise her? She was not without flaws, I recognise that. She could be arrogant, overly proud and even ignorant of the wider world due to her sheltered upbringing. But those flaws only made her more worthy of my respect as I saw her overcome them. And when I called her Mitsuru-sama, a simple slip of the tongue one day, she had flushed an adorable shade of red and spluttered cutely. From then on, I never call her anything other than Mitsuru-sama, constantly seeking that blush. She could not deal with my honest adoration for her, for I could not deceive her and nor did I ever try.
'No' I thought to myself, forcing myself from thoughts of her. Instead, I busied myself with thoughts of these Fallen Angels, of these Devils and presumably of the Angels that no doubt lurked unseen by me thus far. As I settled into my first class, I was interrupted from my thoughts by Souna Shitori-san, the head of the Student Council.
"Arisato-san, your presence is requested in the School Council room, immediately." I sighed as I packed away my book, not that I hadn't already finished the work. I would still have preferred to remain in the lesson, as you never know when you might learn something new but these things cannot be helped. Sitri-san stood outside the classroom, waiting for me. I bowed and departed following Shitori-san with my usual slouching walk, hands in my pockets and my bag on my back.
The moment she opened the door and I saw Gremory-san and her group, I knew I was trapped. I looked at Shitori-san with thinly-veiled anger and spoke softly, with my voice so cold it could freeze flames.
"You're like her, aren't you." It wasn't a question.
"Indeed. My true name is Sona Sitri." Sitri-san nodded as she closed the door behind us. In this closed room, in a busy school? I couldn't fight my way out. And it angered me intensely. Gremory-san smiled at me, and spoke.
"See, I told you we would meet." Her voice was like nails in my mind, but I simply closed my eyes in a long, slow blink and centred myself. Words may not have usually been my forte, (my talent when forming the bonds of Arcana usually lying in my ability to listen) but I still was more than capable of dodging questions. After all, to answer a question, one needed to speak. Gremory-san asked the first question, one that didn't surprise me in the slightest.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" She asked me only to be met with a cold stare, my eyes as hard as iron. She asked again, with an identical response. She sighed, pressing her forehead against her hand in a display of frustration. Good.
"Look... I'm sorry I had to do this, but you have to understand where I stand. An unknown quantity defeats four Fallen Angels and rescues one of my Peerage, defeats two of my own Peerage when I attempt to question him and then vanishes in a burst of light. You've avoided me ever since day one, and I just want to know why. I'll answer your questions, but you have to answer mine."
Gremory-san then looked up, and met my gaze.
"In a show of good faith, I spared the Fallen Angels after you left. I could have killed them, but I did not at your request. All I ask is that you give me this meeting. Twenty minutes. That's all I ask."
When she phrased it like that, I couldn't help but agree.
"Very well. I avoid you because I cannot stand the sight of you, Gremory-san."
Gremory-san flinched, but her mouth seemed to open on reflex.
"Call me Rias."
Akeno-san then spoke up, her presence up to this point relegated to preparing us all tea. I like tea. It is far better than sugary drinks.
"Why does she repulse you so, Minato-kun?"
Such familiarity, without permission.
"She reminds me of someone I once loved, someone that I will never see again. And it is Arisato-san, Akeno-san."
Akeno-san paled and turned away, bowing her head in wordless horror. Clearly she had not known she was on dangerous territory, but it did not stop her feeling distraught at the pain she had caused me. Issei's eyes widened as he looked ashamed. Clearly he was troubled about his constant shouting about harems and breasts when he thought all it did was remind me of my lost love. But it was Rias-san's response that offended me the most. She looked at me with pity and sadness, something that I despised almost as much as being judged. Pity is a useless emotion, one that hinders actual helpful interactions. I don't care if you ask "are you okay?". I would rather hear "what can we do to fix this?"
I was done with them. I turned to the door, and was most of the way through it when I was stopped. Looking down, I saw an almost identical sight to last night. Koneko-san held my arm, looking up at me. But instead of anger or pity, I saw understanding. She had lost someone she deeply cared for as well.
"Please stay."
I could not deny her. Such understanding is rare, and I would not disrespect her by ignoring her. Rias-san opened her mouth, but I held up one hand.
"Do not speak. I will talk to Koneko-san, not you."
Koneko-san looked at me with surprise but moved to sit down, letting my arm go. I walked back to my seat, and I looked at Koneko-san.
"So Koneko-san. What are you?"
My question was short, and the answer was equally so.
"Devils. The Peerage of Rias Gremory."
A Peerage. Servants. How interesting.
"A Peerage, you say?"
"Yes. Buchou is the King. Issei-san is a Pawn. Akeno is the Queen. Kiba is the Knight. I am the Rook."
Ah. Based off of chess. A fascinating system, one I couldn't help but be curious about. But now was not the time for those questions, and so I did not ask them. Instead, I sat quietly as Rias-san spoke to Koneko-san, whispering in her ear before Koneko-san asked her own question.
"What did you do last night?"
A question that I was expecting, and one that I knew exactly how to answer.
"I triumphed."
Rias-san sighed, and spoke again.
"Look, I just want to know how you beat four Fallen Angels without a scratch!"
Issei then jumped into the conversation, much to my displeasure.
"But Buchou, he wasn't uninjured! He got hit in the chest and arm!"
Dammit Issei. Helel had repaired the worst of the damage, but there were still scars where the wounds had been, and they still hurt. Rias-san picked up on my displeasure, and fortunately assumed it to be pain.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were uninjured when you were there! I had no idea you were hurt, I just wanted answers!" She immediately bowed her head in apology and her Peerage bowed with her, with Issei's bow being the deepest.
"Stand up." I had no time for pathetic prostrations. Sitri-san seemed to pick up on this, and resumed the interrogation.
"So how DID you beat four Fallen Angels, then?"
I deliberated on my answer for some time, my eyes closing slightly as I considered how to answer. In the end, however... There was only one answer.
"Persona."
I stubbornly refused to answer any further questions on the matter. Not when Rias-san asked, not when Sitri-san asked, and not even when Koneko-san asked. After the twenty minutes ran out, I stood from where I had been seated and walked out, only to feel another hand on my arm. Looking back, I saw the face of Akeno-san before me, her eyes calm and serious.
"I'm sorry for what I said. I had only wondered why you seemed to hate my King so much." Such ignorance could be forgiven. She did not know, and so it was in the past.
"Don't worry about it. Just never bring her up again. And for the record, I do not hate her." If she never mentioned her again, she could never bring me the pain of remembering the fact that I'd never see her again. I shook off her hand and walked away, finding my way up to the roof. I missed the angry expression that crossed her face as I turned away. I missed Sitri-san following me.
"You could join my Peerage, you know." Sitri-san had followed me for a reason, and now she posed that reason to me in a way that I did not want to answer to. But answer it I had to.
"I could. But why should I?" I asked in response, making her blink in surprise as if she hadn't expected me to entertain the notion.
"I can protect you from Stray Devils, Fallen Angels and Angels. I am the sister of the current Leviathan, and I can guarantee her protection as well." A good reason, but with my Personas by my side, I doubted that there would be much that could threaten my life so utterly that this girl and her own Peerage could not protect me from, though this 'Leviathan' sounded powerful.
"A good reason, but I must decline. I will not bind myself to a master just yet." A half-truth. Indeed, I had no intention of ever allowing someone mastery over me. Sitri-san smiled faintly, a stunning change to her usually stern face. Calmly, she held out a chess piece. A Pawn. This was no ordinary Pawn, however. It was strange, twisted.
"This is a Mutated Piece. Its value is unknown. I would use this piece on you. A Mutated Piece only occurs in perhaps one in ten Devils, so I am lucky to have one. That I would use it on you is a show of how high I would value you. I do not ask that you accept now, only that you give it some consideration. Hold on to it for me." With that, she placed the piece on the ground, and left. I picked up the piece and rolled it between my fingers before putting it in my pocket.
As I made my way home from school, I found myself stumbling across Rias-san once again. However, she was far different from before.
"What is wrong, Rias-san?" I asked, unable to bear any non-enemy in pain. A weakness of mine. And while I did not like Rias-san, she was not an enemy despite our little... scuffle that we had at the church. The crimson-haired girl looked up at me with tear-streaked eyes, pain and sadness welling up in equal amounts.
"I was worried that you would hurt Issei and my family... That is why I attacked you. Then I find out that you came to help him against the Fallen Angels and took two serious wounds in doing so... And then, to show my 'gratitude' I interrogate you and bring up memories that I have no right to know about!" Rias-san sobbed, and I sighed. I always was a sucker for a crying girl.
"Rias-san... Don't cry about it. No severe damage was done. I am already healed. And despite your similarities to Mitsuru-sama, I can honestly say that you no longer arouse such thoughts in me. Not after this." It was true. Seeing her breaking down over a simple mistake, over nothing more than a scuffle, made me realise something. She was not Mitsuru-sama. She was Rias Gremory-san. And Rias Gremory-san looked at me and smiled through the tears.
"Good... at least I'm not causing you any more pain." A bitter statement came from the girl. It was then I knew that something much more radical was needed. I held out my hand, and forced a small smile.
"My name is Minato Arisato. It is a pleasure to meet you." Rias-san's eyes met mine, and were warmed by the honest attempt at reconciliation that I was making.
"I am Rias Gremory. Just call me Rias." She took my hand and shook it lightly, before laughing.
"Heh, I'll see you later, Minato-kun." Ugh, familiarity. But I couldn't bring myself to deny her it.
"I'll see you later... Rias."
It was only afterwards that I felt the familiar throbbing. The snap of a bond being formed. And then I heard the words in my mind.
'Thou art I, and I am Thou. An old bond hath been awakened. You have reawakened the Devil Arcana.'
A Social Link. How unexpected. And one that I suppose I could see coming.
And that's the end of the chapter! Yes, Minato is very forgiving when it comes to people attacking him. He's got a bit of a temper at times, but only if he's being manipulated. But even then, it's quick to flare and quick to vanish. This isn't the end of a rocky road for Rias and Minato, though. After all, there are ten ranks to a Social link, after all!
On a side note, there will be at least three other Persona users in this story. If anyone can guess who it is and PM me the correct answer, then I will give them THREE questions that they may ask about the arc that these three will be involved in. The only hints I am giving are that they are from the Persona series, and we have met one of them already.
Now, for Review Time!
Paijo (guest): Yes, yes it is.
Guest: Yes, Mitsuru-sama. Hopefully it was covered in this chapter.
Crazie194: I appreciate that, thank you for giving me the chance!
thunder dragon (guest): Please make an account in future so that I can reply in PMs to your many queries, but in order: No, he won't. While he will be getting a pairing, it's not any of the well-known girls (Rias, Akeno, Kuroka, Ophis, etc). Not purely for those reasons. It won't be those Personas, but he will know his place. Who says that Minato will get involved? Afraid I must decline your request due to the fact that another arc will be occurring in the place of the Young Devil Contest, related to my little question above.
And Finally... Happy Halloween, for those of you out there who celebrate it. If, like me, you don't... have a good day anyway!
Xager out.