Just the outcome Sona had suspected, Rias suffered a critical defeat in her ratings game against Riser. It was an absolutely crushing loss. She had no further plans and no other options to escape.
An underworld ballroom filled with guests dressed in only the most extravagant clothing money could buy was exactly the setting Riser intended to make the announcement after his victory.
A lone statue stood posed as the ballroom's centerpiece. It was an odd construct composed of broken glass arranged in the shape of a man. Sharp edges frayed out like frills at both the wrists and ankles. The hood and collar extended out into a beak-like visor that overtook the entirety of its face.
If you'd asked any of the attendees or staff, they would not be able to explain the statue's origin. No one paid it any mind, simply dismissing it as an avant garde statement Riser Phenex had set up ahead of time.
A young blonde woman with her hair done in pigtails ending in twin spirals chuckled into a pink hand fan. She wore a purple dress and bore a light familial resemblance to Riser.
"My incredibly talented brother won himself a bride by demolishing the Gremorys." She boasted. "Of course I had no doubt he was going to win from the beginning, really it's no surprise it was so one-sided."
Kiba, Akeno, and Koneko all stood present nearby, separated by only a meter or two and an odd statue. Kiba was suited in a three piece tuxedo, Akeno in a black yukata, and Koneko in a pink dress incidentally reminiscent of a flower girl.
"She's delightful." Kiba commented, in an attempt to lighten the dour mood they all felt.
"Yes, she's got quite a mouth on her." An approaching Sona Sitri concurred.
"Sona, what's up?" Kiba asked, surprised that she'd still strike conversation with them.
"All things considered, you put up an admirable match." Sona said. "Though I had hoped the end result would be different."
"Thanks for the support, but I promise this thing isn't even close to being over." Akeno asserted.
"We'll get another shot at them I'm sure." Kiba said. "Only this time we'll be ready."
"Yeah, screw those D-bags." Koneko eloquently added.
With a burst of flame and the call of a phoenix, Riser warped into the ballroom, drawing the eyes of every attendee.
"Greetings renowned devils of the underworld." Riser introduced himself, dressed in white suit pants and a white overcoat, buttoned down to expose his chest. "On behalf of the house of Phenex, Riser would like to thank each and every one of you for coming today. This is a historical moment for the world of devils and I want our dear guests to be the first to know. Two great dynasties are to become one."
The Gremory peerage trio looked on, none pleased at the aggrandizing speech spewing forth from Riser's smug mouth.
"And I thought I was flaming." Came a voice that went unnoticed among the crowd.
"Lord Riser of the distinguished house of Phenex shall wed Lady Rias of the illustrious house of Gremory." He continued his narration. "And now, I present to you my bride, Rias Gremory!"
Riser signaled and Rias materialized through a crimson magic circle, clad in a low cut wedding dress.
Just then an uninvited guest burst through the front entrance, knocking two unsuspecting guards out of commission in the process. It was Issei Hyoudou with his Boosted Gear active, and a look of sheer determination.
"Issei?" Rias called out.
"Rias!" Issei called back.
"Who do you think you are, boy?!" Riser demanded.
"Someone in far over his head." An unfamiliar voice from within the crowd answered.
"I'm Issei Hyoudou and I'm here to bring Rias Gremory back where she belongs!" Issei announced, paying no mind to the mystery voice. "No one is going to take anything from her she doesn't want to give!"
Rias let out a small gasp, cheeks going rosy.
"How dare you?!" Riser hissed.
"Seriously, is this guy mental?" Riser's sister questioned.
"Seize Him!" Riser demanded. His guards responded immediately, mobilizing to surround Issei.
"What, none for me? I'm hurt." The mystery voice spoke out again. This time catching attention.
The statue clicked and cracked as it began moving on its own. Guests backed away from it. An intentionally androgynous voice emanated from its beak.
"I went through all this trouble to cause a stir, only to be undercut by some strap-on."
Issei's eyes widened at the sight of the humanoid construct. Riser glared, entirely fed up with the unplanned interruptions. Sona on the other hand felt the side of her lips attempt to curl ever so slightly upward.
"I held that pose for so long only for everyone to look away when I was just starting to come to life."
"And what is the meaning of this?" Riser questioned incredulously. "What are you supposed to be, apart from an ugly centerpiece that has no business being in Riser's presence on Riser's day."
"Please, I'm far more tasteful than that outfit you chose for yourself." The statue shared, striding closer to Riser. "I am Heart of Stone, a stand user with one simple goal at the moment."
The sculpture brought its hand to the beak and pulled down the lower half, revealing a human jaw just past the glass shards that formed the locking teeth at the lips of the maw.
"To shatter the engagement of one Rias Gremory."
Riser let out a full bodied laugh.
"Riser was unaware somebody had hired a jester." He spoke. "And a human one no less! Not a flicker of power and it believes it can challenge Riser's wedding?"
A man in a royal looking robe and ornate pauldrons stepped forward. His flowing red hair was a perfect match to Rias'. Heart of Stone couldn't judge whether he was someone of importance or simply dressed eccentric.
"It's just a little entertainment I prepared." He claimed, taking full advantage of the situation.
"Who's that?" Issei questioned.
"My brothers here?!" Rias questioned.
"It's the great devil, Sirzechs Lucifer." A bystander announced.
Okay, definitely someone important. And just like Sona said, another piece moved into place.
"What exactly do you mean by entertainment?" Riser questioned, clenching a fist in annoyance.
"I watched the game Riser, and honestly I was underwhelmed." Sirzechs spoke. "My sister lacks any gaming experience and was made to face your significantly larger forces."
"It's the victory that counts, my lord." Riser said, through gritted teeth.
"Perhaps in the past, but the games don't mean what they used to." Sirzechs said. "I can't imagine watching you slaughter one so novice brings pride to your family. I think there should be another chance."
Riser clearly took issue, but he couldn't protest the decision of the very top of the totem.
"Besides, this party could use some flair I believe."
"Well, I can say I've got you covered on that front." Heart of Stone bragged, stepping forward.
Sirzechs was unsure what to make of the strange intruder that spoke with no regard to his title.
"I don't believe I've been made aware of your identity." Sirzechs said. "What is your purpose for this challenge?"
"I am referred to as Heart of Stone." The individual within the construct spoke. "I am simply fulfilling the request of a client. They do not want this marriage coming to fruition."
"And what of the sacred gear you possess?" Sirzechs asked.
"Sacred Gear?" Heart of Stone repeated, sounding gravely insulted. "This wasn't some handout from a higher power. Shattered Glass is mine alone."
Sona Sitri approached, before things could escalate. "Heart of Stone appears to have an ability referred to as a stand. A psychic manifestation of a being's will and fighting spirit."
The onlookers began muttering among themselves, curious of Sona's connection to Heart of Stone and the concept of a stand.
"Interesting." Sirzechs said, bringing a hand to his chin. His original plan was simply to give Hyoudou a chance to rematch Riser, but now his curiosity was piqued. "How does this 'stand' fare compared to the likes of the legendary Boosted Gear?"
"A stand is beyond compare." Sona stated. "It does not matter how powerful a Sacred Gear becomes, it would not be able to lay a scratch on Shattered Glass."
"Ridiculous!" Riser spat. "Do you not see that you're being made a fool of, Great Sirzechs?"
"Perhaps, but I do believe there are many here that have taken interest in seeing Heart of Stone's abilities." Sirzechs said, before turning to face the stand user. "Would you be kind enough to show them what you're capable of?"
"Gladly." Heart of Stone said.
Rias couldn't help but feel suspicion. How on Earth was Sona able to convince Brandon to do this? But if it meant freedom, she wasn't going to interrupt. Worst case scenario she's still trapped, but Brandon is no longer in her hair.
Riser Phenex looked to Heart of Stone with barely controlled fury. He would pay for making a mockery of Riser's day.
Heart of Stone stood facing down Riser in an empty arena. Outside of the well lit ballroom, he was able to take in the underworld atmosphere for the first time. The sky was a mixture of crimsons and violets with starlight just barely shining through. If this was their natural environment it was no wonder devils evolved with photosensitivity.
"So tell me, Heart of Stone, if you're the victor what would you have as your reward?" Sirzechs' voice echoed throughout the battleground. "Wealth, a title, women, or perhaps a place in a top ranking devil's peerage. Ask and if you win you shall receive."
"Making a lot of presumptions that I really don't appreciate, Antichrist." Heart of Stone chastised. "I already said what I want, the official call to shut down this ridiculous wedding."
"All right." Sirzechs accepted. "It's time to get started."
Heart of Stone set his beak back into position to cover his face from harm, and began walking to meet Riser in the middle.
Heart of Stone reached out his hand. "To a fair fight."
"I don't shake hands with lowborns." Riser attempted to backhand the gesture away, but Heart of Stone's arm did not budge.
Heart of Stone chuckled, raising his palm to reveal a shard jutting out from the center. The shard fell loose and dissipated.
"It was worth a shot." He shrugged.
Furious, Riser summoned a searing maelstrom under Heart of Stone's feet. The flames enveloped the stand user in his entirety.
The rest of the Byrne household was still at the television with Azalea, blissfully unaware of the situation that the eldest son willfully stepped into.
"Blissfully unaware." The Lost Child clucked, able to observe the Byrne residence in spite of the fact that no windows gave a view of the family's living room from the forest. They shook Their head. "That just won't do."
The Lost Child pointed a finger to the cloudless sky. A multi-colored bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens onto the house's antenna.
Within the household the TV went to static, then flickered through several bizarre and alien locations before landing on an arena in the underworld.
"What's happening?" Azalea questioned.
"Is that the underworld?" Dohnaseek adjured.
"Is That Brandon?!" Aine exclaimed.
"Couldn't be..." Kalawarner said. "He's been gone for twenty minutes, max. There's no way that isn't just some costume."
"Is that all you've got, Flamer?!" Came the sound from the TV's speaker.
"It's Brandon." Aine deadpanned.
Azalea lightly shook Raynare's shoulder, rousing her awake.
"What, what I miss?" Raynare groggily mumbled.
Azalea simply pointed her to the TV.
"Is that, Brandon… in the underworld?" Raynare questioned, coming to full consciousness.
"Someone's totally in trouble." Mittelt giggled.
"That boy is going to have so much explaining to do." Aine stated.
Riser smirked as the flames began to subside; that game had gone on for far too long. When the embers and smoke cleared Heart of Stone stood untarnished.
"Is that all you've got, Flamer?!" Heart of Stone boasted.
"Your overconfidence will be the death of you." Riser announced, unleashing a pair of flaming wings.
"Overconfidence will be the death of someone here."
Heart of Stone produced a thorny spear from his stand's shards. With a swift arc he launched it at Riser.
A wall of flame rose between Riser and the projectile, just as the devil took to the air. Just like with his first attack the spear passed through his flames unblemished, something Riser found rather aggravating.
Before Riser could ruminate, Heart of Stone sent further projectiles flying his way. This time individual shards flanking clusters that took the shape of imperfect spheres, each no larger than the size of an egg. Riser circumvented them with ease. It was almost as if Heart of Stone didn't even attempt to connect.
The spheroids halted in the air, some had flown right past Riser, others not even in his direction. Scattered seemingly at random. One had even been tossed straight vertically.
"Is flinging baubles all you're capable of?" Riser taunted. "Rather disappointing, but rather expected from a lowborn ape such as yourself."
"And yet you keep running." Brandon retorted.
"As if Riser would grant you the satisfaction of striking him." Riser countered, tossing two balls of flame at Heart of Stone.
Heart of Stone smacked the first fireball to the side and allowed the second to hit.
"Meanwhile you can hit me all day long and still have nothing to show for it." Brandon bit back. "It is daytime right now, isn't it?"
"It's about to be."
Riser held his palm out toward Heart of Stone. Flame gathered before it, absorbing heat from its surroundings, growing in size, and increasing in temperature.
The fireball swelled in size and shifted from orange to white, looking more and more like a dwarf star before Riser finally launched it. The very air in its path was superheated into plasma. The miniature sun connected with Heart of Stone, creating an explosion on contact. The ground he once stood melted into slag.
Riser let himself smirk. The nuisance had been simply erased from his life, as was the fate of any lower class being that stood in his way. Riser assumed.
In a repeat of earlier events, Heart of Stone stepped out from the searing haze, still no worse for wear.
"Impossible!" Riser barked in disbelief. "That flame had the intensity of a supernova! What kind of trick are you playing on Riser?!"
"You really aren't keen on comprehension, are you?" Heart of Stone questioned. "You have no chance of winning."
The pushback from his own fireball put Riser right in position. Heart of Stone snapped his fingers. One of the spheres he had thrown cracked open. A greenish substance splattered onto Riser's wing.
The fiery appendage was extinguished, and Riser fell to the dirt. Heart of Stone was hoping to hit more, but at the very least Riser had been grounded.
The high class devil clenched his fists, igniting them as he stood back on his feet. He glared hatefully at his expressionless opponent. To think a mere human would have such gall.
Heart of Stone squared up.
In a burst of speed Riser was at Heart of Stone, unleashing flaming punch after flaming punch.
"It doesn't matter how strong you are, it doesn't matter how big your number is. You could train from now to the heat death of the universe, and you know why?" Heart of Stone spoke, taking each blow without so much as a flinch. "It's simple, really."
Heart of Stone pulled his arm back. Shards coalesced to form a spike pointing forward from the flat of his fist. Riser was too enraged to even notice as he continued his onslaught.
"With no stand, you can't touch me."
Heart of Stone arcked his fist in an uppercut. He caught Riser under the jaw. The skin was more difficult to pierce than Brandon expected, but with no small amount of force the spike dug deep. Riser stopped moving.
Heart of Stone reeled his free fist back, and drove it into Riser's chest, then he pulled himself free. Riser's carcass fell to the ground, but just as quickly flames enveloped his fatal wound.
"Riser is reborn." Riser announced, standing tall once more. Perhaps it was the fact that Heart of Stone put up an unexpected fight, or perhaps he was simply amused at the attempt on his life, but Riser's fury subsided.
"My client wasn't kidding about that regeneration of yours." Heart of Stone commented. "Not that I'm complaining, that just makes you all the better a guinea pig."
Riser chuckled.
"You say Riser's strength holds no meaning because you are weak. You are a coward hiding under a shell." Riser came to the conclusion. "But Riser knows you are simply human, and unlike Riser a human cannot keep running forever."
"Care to test that hypothesis, Flamer?" Heart of Stone queried.
"Riser, would love to." Riser replied.
Riser and Heart of Stone exchanged blows. Each punch Riser landed on Heart of Stone, in search of a weak point, simply glanced off the glass casing. Every bruise and negligible cut left by Heart of Stone's fists was just as quickly erased. Neither side made any clear headway.
Riser had become wise enough to actively avoid any blows to more vulnerable areas. Heart of Stone could not activate Shattered Glass: Touch without properly embedding a shard. And loath to admit it, he couldn't pierce deep enough with his opponent taking him seriously.
Riser was right about one thing. If the fight continued at its current rate Heart of Stone would sooner or later wear out. Shattered Glass: Hold Me would fade.
The stand user observed his opponent. The way he wound back for each punch, the angles he'd swing. They were actually somewhat amateurish; he'd clearly spent his entire life relying on innate power rather than building skill. But more importantly, they were predictable.
The spear Heart of Stone manifested had yet to fade. Riser's attention was squarely focused ahead of him. He had a plan.
The glass spear rotated in the air, then floated in Riser's direction. It couldn't move too fast. Couldn't risk it being noticed. Moving the spear while maintaining Shattered Glass: Hold Me, and boxing Riser, was a mentally straining feat.
Eventually the spear made it into position without being noticed.
As Riser would his arm back Heart of Stone leapt onto him, gripping both shoulders and shoving him full force. The spear pierced just slightly into Riser's skin before he could slip free.
"Finally." Heart of Stone sighed out.
"Finally what?" Riser questioned, unaware that a sliver from the tip of the spear remained inside him.
"Looks like I finally got under your skin." Heart of Stone answered, before snapping his fingers. "Shattered Glass: Touch."
The miniscule shard that found its way under the skin of Riser's back fractalized more from its edges. The shards spread, digging through flesh and fissuring bone. Riser's body and limbs were pinned in place in a grotesque display. Within moments the shards spread throughout Riser's body, twisting him like a bloody bramble.
"Really had me work up a sweat there, Flamer." Heart of Stone spoke. "But I doubt that immorality of yours has a counter for this many incombustible foreign objects."
"How wrong you are." Riser managed to hiss out despite the countless punctures to his throat and lungs.
A column of intense flame rose from under Riser's feet. It expanded into a pillar that envelope the devil in his entirety. After growing to a circumference of three meters it shrunk into nothing.
The shards that riddled Riser's body remained floating in place, but Riser was free of them. He stood beside the modern art piece, once again no worse for wear. His expression grew even more self assured.
"Did you just incinerate yourself to escape?!" Heart of Stone questioned.
"Was that the last of your tricks?" Riser queried.
"What's the matter, afraid of what I'll pull next?" Heart of Stone countered, taking a step backward.
"Does Riser look frightened?"
"Riser looks like he should take a step back and assess the situation." Heart of Stone punctuated with another step back.
"A simple stalling tactic from a coward soon to die." Riser scoffed, taking a single step closer.
A substance that sparked with hamon ran down the side of Riser's head and neck. His left ear sloughed down onto his shoulder. Skull became visible.
"AAAHH!" Riser shrieked and collapsed.
Now that the bile had a physical surface to cling to, Riser suffered its full effect. He could no longer feel anything but an intense burning sensation throughout the left side of his body. A pain he'd never felt in his life. There was no defense for the hamon nullifying his regeneration.
"Rule number one, always pay attention to your surroundings." Heart of Stone shared, pointing up. A cracked Shattered Glass capsule hung empty in the air. "Nephilim bile. Eats through practically anything. Don't ask who I got it from."
The remainder of the shards and capsules that had been left floating over the arena fell to the ground and dissipated. Heart of Stone no longer needed to tax himself holding them aloft.
The bile left behind ate through the scenery.
Riser frantically searched his person. Phoenix tears. He needed his phoenix tears!
"Looking for this?" Heart of Stone enquired, producing a small ornate bottle between his fingers. "I managed to snag it during our little slug fest."
Riser lunged forward in a vain attempt to reclaim his lifeline. Heart of Stone kicked him in the chest, knocking him onto his back a meter away.
Riser defiantly forced himself back into an upright position. He couldn't stand, but he refused to lie on his back.
"This is just sad." Heart of Stone sighed, pulling the lower half of his helmet's beak down to speak from his own mouth. "You lost. Accept it."
The look Riser gave made it clear he never would.
"You fool. This engagement is important to the future of all devils!" Riser snarled. "A mere lowborn human like you had no business getting involved in the affairs of your betters!"
Heart of Stone detached the lower beak and reattached it to the end of his arm. It looked like he was going to have to finish this. Oh well. He'd have no trouble piercing through now.
"High born, low born, creation. It doesn't make any difference." Heart of stone said. "You'll all fall apart, like shattered glass."
The stand user took one step forward.
"Don't hurt him!"
The blond devil Heart of Stone had to endure bragging over her brother's victory warped into the arena. She stood between Riser and Heart of Stone with her arms spread, shielding the older devil.
"Is that an admission of defeat, little Canary?" Heart of Stone asked.
The younger devil gave a nod as a light blush colored her cheeks. For what reason, Heart of Stone hadn't the slightest idea.
"He did it." Sona said to herself, giving a rare smile.
"This battle is done." Sirzechs announced.
The arena on which Heart of Stone stood began to deteriorate. The younger Phenex carefully grabbed her older brother and flew him to safety. Heart of Stone remained in place, reaffixing the lower part of his helmet, even as the battleground completely broke apart and dissipated.
Glass shards gathered, forming a platform under Heart of Stone's feet. Further shards collected at the edge of the platform at ninety degrees. They created a path straight downward.
Heart of Stone strolled along his vertical walkway nonchalantly as one would on a walk through a park. As shards continued to converge into a trail before him, the shards behind him separated and faded. It was a monotonous journey, but eventually he would reach the ground.
"That's one way to congratulate your victor." Heart of Stone griped, stepping off onto terra firma.
"You have my apologies." Sirzechs said. "That arena was created with the assumption that both combatants would be capable of flight."
Thankfully, Heart of Stone's helmet obscured his current expression. He saw a perfectly usable field on the estate on his pilgrimage to the ground. He concluded devil high society valued theatrics far over practicality.
"If I recall correctly, your wish was to hold power of veto over the engagement of Riser and my sister." Sirzechs adjured.
"You would be correct." Heart of Stone stated, matter-of-factly. "Now let's make it official."
Heart of Stone opened the casing over his chest like a medicine cabinet and produced a rolled up document. He promptly unrolled it and presented it to Sirzechs.
"Simply sign here." Heart of Stone instructed, pointing his claw to a line at the bottom. "A drop of blood is also acceptable."
Sirzechs gave the paper before him a thorough examination. Nothing visible seemed to push the contract's boundaries, but for some reason he felt as though he was about to make the world's most ironic Faustian bargain. Regardless, Heart of Stone had won the battle; He earned this. And his sister's freedom would need to be guaranteed.
Wordlessly, Sirzechs manifested a red feather quill and signed the contract. Heart of Stone rolled the document back into a tube and placed it safely within his exoskeleton.
"I'd say it was nice, but I'm not in a lying mood right now." Heart of Stone said. "Now if you excuse me."
Heart of Stone re-entered the ballroom through the front of the estate. Under normal circumstances he would've kicked the door open, but frankly he was spent. The eyes of every guest were trained on him.
He pulled down the lower beak of his mask.
"The Wedding Is Off." Heart of Stone announced, to the disappointment of some noble devils, the indifference of others, and the major relief of a select few.
Eyes remained on Heart of Stone as he continued walking toward a bespectacled devil sporting a bob cut. While the surrounding devils were curious, they all maintained a healthy distance. None were brave enough for a closer look.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Specs." Heart of Stone said, de-manifesting the shards that covered his hand.
"Likewise." Sona said, reciprocating the handshake.
Sona knew this little stunt would put an excess of attention on her, and she'd receive far too many questions she would not be able to answer. Not to mention the gossip and her sister's reaction. But freeing Rias and seeing the devil nobility up in arms over a "lowborn" trouncing a high class devil made it all so worth it.
"Would you kindly send me back?" Heart of Stone requested, after re-encasing his hand.
"Certainly."
Under Heart of Stone's feet appeared a blue magical circle. The circle raised itself, passing through Heart of Stone's body. It seemed as though he'd been unaffected.
Heart of Stone stood motionless, to the bewilderment of the onlookers. A glass shard fell and faded, then another, and another. Heart of Stone crumbled apart revealing a hollow inside, then leaving nothing but a pile of broken glass that shortly evaporated into non-existence.
Brandon spawned directly in front of his home. Even though his work was not yet over he felt a massive sense of accomplishment. Hopefully his family wouldn't be too suspicious.
Looking himself down he found the contract, and the bottle he stole off of Riser still on his person. Operation: Heart of Stone was a total success.
Shattered Glass: Hold Me worked perfect defensively. He now had total protection when facing off against powerful supernatural entities. However there were two issues; mobility was limited–he'd have to adapt to that–and he'd sweat like a sauna in there.
The barely ventilated glass suit was a terrible mix with the rising temperature of the battlefield. He had no idea how to handwave his appearance when he stepped inside. Maybe he could sneak past and take a quick shower.
Brandon unlocked the door and slowly turned the knob. He pulled the door open as gently as possible, only to be greeted by Aine already standing at the other side. The mother Byrne had her arms crossed and her foot tapping.
"Hello son, you were gone for quite a bit. Care to explain where you just got back from?" Aine enquired.
Brandon's confidence fell apart, like shattered glass. He opened his mouth, then closed his mouth before he could utter a sound.
"Oh, not right here. In front of everyone." Aine specified before turning to lead Brandon to the living room.
The entire household had eyes on him. They couldn't possibly know. How could they have found out? Did his mum place a tracking device on him?
Aine sat down, leaving Brandon standing in the middle of the room to explain himself. Right in front of everyone.
The pipsqueak bane of his existence was grinning. Never a good sign.
"Sooo, I had to run to go help Sona with some, extracurricular activities." Brandon explained on the spot.
"And why, praytell, did these extracurricular activities involve a trip to the underworld?" Aine posited, having none of Brandon's testimony.
"That's how you used the contract you had me help you with?!" Dohnaseek questioned. "I thought that it was for Sona!"
"That's why you wanted to train with me?" Azalea accused, sounding disproportionately offended.
"It was great watching that devil prick getting knocked down a peg." Raynare said. "You may have earned my respect."
"How?" Brandon uttered.
"The TV switched to some underworld channel." Raynare answered.
"How?!" Brandon reiterated.
"We're not really sure." Azalea replied. "Mom tried investigating the TV, and made a bunch of phone calls after the fight. Couldn't figure it out."
"I just have to say you are very lucky you stayed in disguise, because if you weren't, and that broadcast played to more than just our house, we'd be moving to the Arctic." The look on Aine's face told Brandon she was making no exaggeration. "Why on Earth would you do something like that?"
Brandon let out a sigh. "Let me explain everything."
"Oh..." Azalea said. "That sounds like it would've been bad."
"Okay, I see why that wedding needed prevention." Aine spoke in a level tone. "I still don't understand why you kept this a secret. I could've resolved it on my own."
"Sona came to me." Brandon justified himself. "I didn't want to put that pressure on any of you. And how would you get to the underworld anyway?"
"Ehem." Dohnaseek cleared his throat.
"Oh, yeah." Brandon realised. "Well how would you get past the regeneration?"
"I have my ways." Aine claimed. Somehow Brandon didn't need proof to trust that. "More importantly, with that stunt your face is now known across the supernatural world!"
"Well, Heart of Stone's face." Brandon corrected.
Aine narrowed her eyes. It was clear she wasn't having it.
"Brandon. Kadmon. Byrne." Aine spoke with stone cold austerity. "You went to literal Hell, To fight a near immortal devil, In quite possibly the biggest spectacle they've had in decades. So much could've gone wrong."
"And it worked out didn't it?" Brandon maintained.
"You Could Have Gotten Yourself Killed."
It was rare for Aine to raise her voice with her children. More often than not it was entirely unnecessary. But in this instance she couldn't help her concern leaking through her volume.
"Better me than either of you." Brandon said under his breath, avoiding eye contact.
Azalea gasped.
Aine grabbed Brandon by the shoulders. Her knuckles went white.
"AND WHAT THEN?" Aine demanded, eyes wettening. "Do you honestly think Azalea and I wouldn't Tear the underworld a new hellhole after we found out what happened?"
Brandon had no response.
"You might think you can handle it all, but you won't get far on your own." Aine let go of her son's shoulders. "Don't you trust us?"
Brandon let out a sigh, knowing he couldn't win. There was no point in arguing back. Continuing the way he had been would just cause more damage.
"You win." Brandon conceded. "So… what's the verdict?"
"First off you are going to tell us before you set out on some dangerous mission. Second, you will not turn away our help. Third, grounded." Aine stipulated. "One month."
"Okay. That's fair." Brandon accepted his mother's terms. "But can the grounding start tomorrow? There's one more step I need to take care of."
"Which would be?" Aine enquired.
Rias Gremory had no idea what to make of that night. She was undeniably relieved that she no longer had to spend even another second of her life at the side of Riser Phenex. But there was still the gnawing concern of Brandon's angle.
Why would he do anything to benefit her of his own volition? They hated each other. It just didn't make sense. She didn't even get the chance to question Sona.
"You look like you have some questions." Spoke an undisguised voice.
And there he was. The man of the hour was inside her home, right before her. Him cloaked in the shards of his stand, her in her nightgown.
"'How and why are you in my estate?' Is at the top of them." Rias said, knowing that she wouldn't like either answer.
"How, I got some help from my mom. And why, a civil talk between us is long overdue." Brandon answered. "Now that those are out of the way, why don't you ask what we both know you really want to?"
"Why did you save me from my arrangement?" Rias questioned. "What was your goal in all of this?"
"Is it so hard to believe that I did a favor for an old friend out of the kindness of my own heart?" Brandon asked, placing a clawed hand over his chest and doing his best to put on an offended air that just came off as mocking.
Rias didn't even dignify him with a response. But she did cross her arms awaiting an actual answer.
"Alright, you've got me." Brandon held his hands up in mock surrender. "Part of it is because I owed Sona a favor, but I wasn't going to jump to your rescue on that alone."
"So what was your true end goal?" Rias asked, beginning to lose patience.
"When I beat Riser, I had your brother sign a contract giving me the power of veto over your marriage." Brandon explained. "But if he noticed the fine print he would've realized that power of veto doesn't just apply to your marriage to riser. It applies to any and all future marriages you might attend."
"What benefit does that bring you?!" Rias questioned.
"I would like to make a trade. Not only would you retain the right to marry, but you would also have power to deny advances should your family decide to arrange you with some other noble." Brandon explained. "In exchange for your share of this territory."
Rias couldn't say she was surprised. She went silent in contemplation.
"Where does that place my peerage and I?" Rias questioned.
"As amusing as having you all pack your bags and leave would be, you're free to stay." Brandon said. "You don't like me and I don't like you, but the sad fact of the matter is we have to coexist. So that's my olive branch."
Rias let out a sigh. "I can work with that." She said. "I assume you have a contract for this exchange as well."
Brandon opened the chest compartment to Shattered Glass: Hold Me, and produced a document.
"This one doesn't include fine print. If you have a microscope you can double check for yourself." Brandon said. "No tricks this time."
Rias grabbed the contract from Brandon's claw and looked it over from front to back. Afterward she twirled her finger before it, creating a small magical circle, about the size of an eyeglass. Upon closer inspection Rias determined Brandon was for once telling the truth.
Was Rias really going to give up the territory her family gifted her? She felt conflicted, but her freedom was more important. The answer was yes.
"Would you prefer a signed or blood contract?" Rias asked.
"Either is fine so long as it's your signature or your blood." Brandon said.
Rias produced a needle, pricked her finger, and pressed it against the signature line.
"Excellent choice." Brandon said, carefully rolling the document so the blood wouldn't smear. "The transaction is complete."
"Are you sure you're human? You would have made an excellent devil." Rias commented.
"You have no idea the depths human beings are capable of sinking." Brandon replied, almost on instinct.
There was a momentary silence between the two. Rias had no idea what brought a reply like that on or how to respond to it.
"Also would you point me to the door? You already know I'm here so breaking out doesn't feel necessary."
"Get out of my house." Rias grumbled.
After Brandon returned to his home the second time he'd planned on retiring for the night, but Azalea still had her own concern.
The nephilim stared down her older brother with a look of incredulous disappointment. "Heart of Stone?" She questioned.
"What of it?" Brandon shot back, raising an eyebrow.
"That's the name you chose?"
"Something wrong with it?"
"Nothing, if you were going for the 'Saturday morning cartoon villain' vibe." Azalea derided. "Could you be any more of an edgelord?"
"Sis." Brandon spoke. "Are you, of all people, saying I'm lame?"
"Heart. Of. Stone." Azalea reiterated, with emphasis.
"Oh, I am not hearing this from the girl who jumped from the second story to hide from her crush." Brandon countered.
"You literally covered yourself in edges!"
"You jumped through a fucking window!" Brandon reiterated.
"It worked didn't it?!" Azalea countered.
"I Guess?" Brandon conceded, throwing his arms up.
"So, how was Hell?" Azalea asked, immediately shifting the mood of the conversation.
"You know, not what I was expecting." Brandon answered, resting his chin on his knuckle. "I'm not really sure what I was expecting, but a posh mid century estate definitely wasn't it."
"Any weird creatures?" Azalea asked.
"None that I saw. After Sona warped me I was posed like a statue, indoors, surrounded by aristocrats for the majority of my stay." Brandon answered. "It was strange how all of them spoke English, though. I was half expecting latin."
Dohnaseek passed by just in the right moment to catch Brandon's last two sentences.
"You are aware of the universal tongue, right?" Dohnaseek stopped to question.
"I beg your pardon?" Brandon and Azalea turned and adjured in unison.
Dohnaseek shifted to a look that begged the question: were they for real?
"The universal tongue. The ability all abrahamic supernatural beings have to automatically perceive other languages as their native tongue and be perceived as speaking such to any listeners." Dohnaseek explained.
The Byrne siblings let the new information set in, hoping that any second Dohnaseek was going to pull a 'got ya' and laugh at their expense. That second would not arrive.
"... So, every time Azalea and I switched to English, everyone could understand her half." Brandon surmised. "And any devils nearby could eavesdrop on the whole thing."
"How did you not realise this?" Dohnaseek questioned. The kids were reckless, sure, but he knew they were intelligent. Azalea's grades and Brandon's ingenuity were testament to that. "Wouldn't you notice that you already understood any language you tried learning."
"I Just thought I was smart!" Azalea exclaimed.
"Wait, if all of this is true, then why do I hear her speaking Japanese at school?" Brandon questioned.
Dohnaseek paused for a moment. "It could be that since you already know Japanese, and you were expecting to hear Japanese, that's how you perceived her voice."
Brandon was sure this information would come back to bite him someday. For now all he could do was bring his hands to his head and mutter, "Son of a bitch."
Two more items were added to the trophy case that night, the contract signed by Rias Gremory surrendering her territory, and the bottle Brandon had stolen from Riser Phenex.
With his mission done and his trophies secured, the stand user retired to his room. Or his and his pseudo step sister's shared room.
"Heart of Stone?" Mittelt questioned.
"Don't even start." Brandon replied, promptly collapsing onto his bed.
Brandon slept soundly that night, knowing he had achieved two milestones for the safety of his family and household.
It was a struggle. Even before the supernatural has been introduced to it his life has always been an uphill battle.
Brandon had come to accept that he would never lead a quiet life. Admittedly, even aside from external complications, his own eccentricities have caused issues in that pursuit. No his life was bound to be a pothole filled road.
He'd gotten so used to doing the dirty work on his own, even at times where it had nearly killed him. And now he couldn't continue to keep his family separate from it.
So why didn't he feel like he'd totally failed?
What had keeping them out of the loop all these years accomplished? He couldn't even say peace of mind.
Maybe it was time to accept the aid of more than just confidants. Maybe having his family as allies wouldn't be so dreadful. He wasn't under any delusion that they were less competent than him.
He'd faced fallen angels, a disturbed stray devil, a homicidal ex-priest, the town's very owner, and her former fiance, after less than two months in Japan. Who's to say it won't escalate to a threat he'd have no way to handle on his own? Who's to say he wouldn't have a run in with another stand user?
Hopefully he won't still be locked in his room by the time the next shakeup clocks him in the face.
At the other edge of Kuoh lied an abandoned warehouse district. The area was large, unmaintained, and most importantly unpopulated. It was the perfect place for reincarnated devils who'd broken the shackles that bound them in servitude to seek shelter.
Inside one of these warehouses, a young woman with medium length white hair sobbed into her hands. A shoddy tarp draped over her was the only preservation of her modesty. Her one solace was that no one was present to see what she was becoming, what she had become.
The sound of an empty can clanking on the ground echoed throughout the warehouse.
Her neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Her face once soft and sorrowful twisted into a Glasgow grin. Her hair grew ragged, her pupils expanded to near completely take over her bug-like eyes, and a sharpened horn sprouted from her forehead.
The stray devil spotted the culprit that disturbed her solitude, a black rat scurrying atop a wooden crate. She rushed at the warm blooded rodent with an open jaw.
Heart of Stone says "F**k power scaling."
You may be wondering where "Heart of Stone" comes from. It's taken from a lyric in the Laura Branigan song "Shattered Glass." The lyric is as follows: "you can shatter glass with your heart of stone, but you won't get far on your own." At one point in development I was planning to have Brandon mockingly recite those lyrics (both in the Raynare and Riser arc), but I couldn't find a spot that felt natural.
Bet you were thinking I forgot (or purposely omitted) the universal tongue, didn't you? Nope.
A fan over PMs wanted to know why I hate the main DXD cast. The truth is, I don't really hate them, not that I'd blame anyone for thinking otherwise. I find half of them grating, and the other half exist. If I'm being honest, I feel I could've handled the animosity between my cast and the Gremory gang better, and it feels like baggage at this point.
I'm going to make an effort to lighten that baggage moving into the kokabiel arc. They aren't going to just magically get along or anything, Brandon still openly dislikes them, but their treatment shouldn't reach the levels of say Draco from Monster Musume again.
Brandon's bargain with Rias was originally planned to be far less amiable. Given the above paragraph you can probably guess why that changed. That, and it's probably best not to continue acting actively antagonistic towards someone you now know has direct ties to the top brass and who knows your identity.
And thus with this chapter's release, season one is covered. I've been working on 'Black Feathers and Shattered Glass' daily for three years now (and I still only get five chapters out a year). I want to thank each and every one of you who's followed the story up to this point, anyone who's left PMs/reviews (positive or negative), and anyone just silently reading in the background. I appreciate all of you.
It almost sounds like I'm putting this fic down for good. I can assure you that is not the case, but it will temporarily be going into hiatus. I have partially completed one-shots that have been sitting on the back burner for quite some time now and I would like to give them my primary focus for a bit. (Fallen Rhea receiving therapy from a woefully under qualified Kiran, and Manda vs Godzilla Aquatilis will be high priority.)
What you can expect when Black Feathers continues to the holy swords arc: Aine playing a more active role, Brandon finding some common ground with Kiba, Azalea facing a threat bigger than her, the relevance of that stray devil I ended this chapter with, and perhaps some clues to the identity of The Lost Child.
Side note: My sister said my writing reminded her of Strawberry Panic. I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not.