Bloodless

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for this story and the OCs in it.

Two hours, fifteen minutes and thirteen seconds has passed. I was now searching the final destination on my list: the abandoned mansion located on the outskirt town. It was far from the client's home, but there was a possibility of a clue being found here since this area is deserted of adult supervision. Children, no matter the age sought for adventure and independence meaning that isolated places like this mansion can serve as a secret base. The useless police force never considered searching this place due to the time and distance.

Inside the abandoned mansion the smell of death was apparent. Decaying wood and moist dust particles lingered the air, burying away the broken, scattered furniture. With every step I take, a fine footprint was left behind in the snow-like dust and the wooden surface groaned painfully, signifying that a trespasser has invaded this no man land. My gloved hands trailed the rough walls as I walked down the stairs, my senses strained with concentration, seeking out the foul smell of decomposing flesh. The smell got worse the further down I went and finally I reached the bottom.

The clue was found.

In the center of the basement living room human remains were scattered about. Bones of every size, some whole, some broken so cleanly that a butcher would envy the doer, were cluttered around in a maze like pattern. Bits and pieces of flesh melted onto the bones as they drowned in small puddles of crimson, silently rotting away. Intestines littered not only the ground, but also the nearby walls and ceiling in bloody masses, slowly sliding down, leaving behind a trail of wet gore. Blood and other bodily acids painted every inch of the room dripped down at a sluggish pace. With every fallen drip, an echo was left behind, producing a rich, calm melody in this tainted room of slaughter. Skulls ripped of its teeth were piled in a far corner in the form of a throne waiting for its maker. Maggots swarmed the ground in waves, wiggling away in the putrid flesh in utter joy while flies buzzed in the heavy air moving from flesh to flesh like a bee to flowers.

Carnage. That was the only word that could describe this scene of hunger. The thing that feasted here was clearly not human.

Carelessly swiping away a drop of blood that landed on my shirt, I picked up several bones and examined them. Multiple bite marks could be seen and hairline fractures decorated the bones with small amounts of torn flesh and blood buried in between. The level of decomposition was around one to three weeks old—around the time of the son's disappearance. Looking around the room once more, I calculated an estimate of eleven bodies, most which appears to be the size of humans between the age of fifteen and twenty. The client's son is most likely here, mixed with the other victims. He was most likely lured in by some kind of man eating yokai or beast and got shredded apart. It was a common case in large cities and averaged sized towns. My job was done.

Once I was outside, I busied myself with spells to clean my shirt and boots that had been bloodied. It was a job well done for I've searched ten locations previously that offered no hints of the missing teen. Like always, once I finished cleaning myself I then focused on erasing any evidence of my visit. It was a habit that has grown on me during my years as a mercenary due to the terrible experience of past mistakes involving the mafia, fun times. Grinning at my completed feat, I turned around and waltz out of the abandoned property like nothing happened while whistling a merry tune. Life was good at the moment.

While I leisurely strolled about the empty streets to return to the base, my hungered mind along with my empty stomach wandered into its own world. I was starving.

To endure the hunger, I silently preoccupied my mind with a game of chess. Knight takes bishop. Queen takes knight. Pawn to G5...check—

The game was never finished as a sudden bloodlust sent my instincts into a state of frenzy.

Danger was coming.

And it came moments later —in the form of a massive shock wave that demanded death.

Pulsing with inhuman might, quaking the once calmed air, it twisted up a vicious howl as it descended upon me.

A tenth of a second later, the shockwave was four feet away from me.

Then three feet.

Then two feet.

Until finally, one feet.

But by then I was already prepared.

I called out my most trusted partner.

"Shatter the sky and reign, Skymaster."

The soft whisper was never heard for the sky above roared.

A roar so thunderous and grand, it threatened to tear reality apart.

A blinding white light followed.

And in that single moment, I took a single step forward, lifting my right hand up.

In that hand, a glass particle about the size of a marble was swirling about.

Then, it shattered.

It shattered into countless smaller particles, but it continued to swirl at an even greater velocity.

With a single burst of energy, a long translucent blade, a dark blue hit and a violet handle materialized. With its emergence, the sky once again howled as the blade darkened a pale black, reflecting my aggravated mood.

Grasping the sword tightly with my right, I swung down vertically at the oncoming shockwave that would've cleanly cleaved my body in half.

An explosion was the result of the head on collision. Trees toppled. Buildings collapsed. Dust danced. The surrounding area soon became a ruin.

With a limited view, I stood motionless in the cloud of dust, sword and body ready to bounce at a moment's notice. A moment passed and my senses picked up a presence handing softly on a still standing post up ahead-a familiar presence.

Audibly letting out a sigh, I slashed apart the cloud of dust with a flick of my wrist.

"That was not a nice greeting," I grumbled, slowly looking up at my attacker.

Her bloodthirsty narrowed grey eyes were the first features I took sight of, followed by a long, pale, white scar running down the right of her neck. Her once long, grey hair was now shortened in multiple layers, carelessly swayed in the wind. She was clad in the Disciplinary Squad uniform consisting of a tight leather top, and a black miniskirt with black stockings. A grey haori with a black Sekirei crest covered her shoulders like a cape. In her hand, she held an unsheathed nodachi.

Like a grim reaper, Sekirei No.4 Karasuba stood before me with a smile of lunacy spattered across her face.

Silence followed as we stared at each other. I looked up, she looked down. It was a deadly silence until finally, I decided to break it.

"Since Matsu never contacted me, I'm guessing she's either dead or that you left without that shit head's permission for some personal reasons," I lazily stated, lowering Skymaster. "So tell me Crow, why are you here? Did you want another makeover from me that badly?"

Her answer to my provocative questions was an amused sneer, but hidden anger flashed between her eyes. "That monkey mouth of yours is untamed like always. My reason for being here is simple; to finish our battle." She raised her sword. "And don't you dare think I will let you escape this time."

With that simple statement, she charged forth with blinding speed, her blade arced through the air, whistling as it traveled its path of death. But I was not there to greet it, instead I sidestepped her attack. I then swiftly swung down my blade at her unguarded back only to have her twist out of its way and counter with an upward slash of her own. Our blades clashed. Sparks flew and our bloodlust was let loose.

"Is that really the reason? I asked, slightly grinning at her crimson turned eyes as our blades locked. "I get the feeling the real reason why you're here is because of the souvenir I left you from our last battle. From the looks of it, even MBI's praiseworthy technology could only heal it to a small degree." I eyed the scar running down her neck. "That scar—the scar inflicted by Murasame will not disappear no matter what you do, Karasuba."

Karasuba's eyes narrowed murderously when those words were spoken. The reaction was enough to tell me that I've stabbed her sore spot; her pride. Karasuba, Sekirei No.4 was a prideful creature. She valued strength and held with high regards that the Sekirei race stood above the human race. To her humans are weak creatures with little to no value, yet she was defeated by one. That said human, me, left her on the brink of death and even marked her with a lifelong scar. A scar that will forever remind her of the humiliating defeat she experienced. It was enough to enrage her and it was enough to have her seek me out to finish the battle she lost. It was vengeance.

Growling, she pushed away my blade with a sudden burst of energy and aimed a kick at my abdomen. I dodged the kick with a small leap back, all while giving her a mocking grin.

"I admit that I underestimated you the first time but I won't make the same mistake twice, Monkey." She said those words calmly, but danger oozed from every syllable. "I'll end your miserable life painfully, but before that I hope you will entertain me with a proper battle."

Once again, she lunged forward towards me with a murderous battle cry. The madness of her smile as she stabbed her nodachi towards my neck was suitable for a nightmare.

The grey haori fluttered behind her majestically as her nodachi reached my neck within moments. Maneuvering my sword to block the critical strike, I swiftly threw out a leg, rendering her balance for just a moment. She recovered her stance in a split-second, but that small moment was all I needed.

"White Lightning."

With a roar, a massive lightning bolt dropped down from the sky directly at Karasuba.

The ground beneath shattered from the bolt's impact and a deafening explosion followed. It engulfed the Black Sekirei in white as I quickly retreated to a safer distance.

Dust particles blinded my vision and I held Skymaster close, already chanting away another spell. A stinging cut appeared on my right shoulder. It was a deep cut for the shirt sleeve did a poor job of absorbing the crimson liquid causing it to sluggishly drip down my arm. I paid it no heed as I could feel the cells in my body clotting up the wound.

The attack managed to hit her head on, but I was not out of Death's grip yet.

In the next movement Karasuba emerged from the dust cloud. Her sword was literally smoking, her clothes tattered, her body lightly bruised, yet a gleeful grin lit up her face. She looked like a child that has stumbled upon wonderland.

'She sliced apart the lightning...seems like elemental attacks are useless here-'

Our blades met again, but this time I was slammed back into a wall by her ferocious force.

Pain shook my entire body and vision went black for a single moment. A metallic taste filled my mouth and I found my teeth sinking into my lips to force down a grunt of pain. Pieces of cement buried themselves into the pierced flash of my back destroying my lovely shirt. Damn, talk about back pain.

"Looks like I don't have to force you to be serious, excellent," Karasuba purred, locking her sword with mine.

Narrowing my eyes at her I silently analyzed my situation.

The chances of victory was 50-50, I could win if I remove some seals but my body would not be able to handle it. I would die as a result. Another method was to catch her off guard and deliver a clean killing blow. Difficult but not impossible. The last method was to flee and get back up. Ideal as that plan may be Uzume and Raven cannot defeat Karasuba. Murasame certainly can, but the cost would be too great, the little town of Kuoh would be no more.

'Looks like plan two is the choice of the day.'

"Karasuba," I gave her a sinister grin, my mind refocused on the battle. "I wouldn't stand there if I were you."

Her eyes widened in alarm just as a thorn of ice shot out from the earth beneath her. She leaped out of its way just in time as it missed her throat by a few millimeters, but that was not the end of it for more and more ice thorns broke tore out from the ground all aiming to pierce her body apart.

She evaded each thorn skillfully, slicing and dicing away any thorns that got in her path, however I continued to summon more ice to meet her blade preventing her from reaching me. It was beginning to drain my magic, but I needed to wear her down and find a hole in her defense before my body reached its limit.

With sword in hand, I launched myself into the air and attacked from above. Enveloping Skymaster with a fine layer of dark mist, I swung it down vertically with all my might.

"Void Slash."

A pure black projectile was released from the blade, slicing away towards the occupied Karasuba with blinding speed, whistling freely while destroying everything in its path.

Another explosion took place and this time, nothing was spared of its destruction. Anything object that had a proper shape formerly was now just dust particles dancing away in the air, yet it was still not over.

"Yes! This is more like it!" Karasuba crackled with excitement as she surfaced from a pile of rubble. Small cuts covered her body entirely and a bigger cut marked her chest, bleeding heavily. Her blood painted the ground like a canvas, but she just laughed. It was a laugh that held a beastly hunger for blood. "I'm seriously excited now. So damn excited!"

She slowly straightened her trembling body whilst I prepared another assault to detach her head from her body.

The blade was just centimeters away from the side of her neck—it was close—victory was close.

However, the next moment became a blur.

Yes, just a blur.

I wasn't even able to make a sound when I felt coldness penetrate my abdomen.

There was no pain. No nothing until I saw my own reflection in a pair of red orbs belonging to a bruised, pale face.

Her face was inches from mine, so close that the warmth of her breaths were felt.

She grinned as my blood spattered her face, pushing her sword further into my stomach.

'Fast. She's faster than before. I couldn't even enforce a barrier in time, dammit...!'

Instincts took over next.

My foot slammed into her stomach sending her flying.

As she was forced back, her sword was ripped out of my flesh.

Pain—Intense pain.

Blood poured from the open wound rapidly and disorderly like a waterfall, forcing me to desperately clog it with a layer of ice.

My moment of weakness allowed my opponent to counter and counter she did.

"You let your guard down, monkey," she said sadistically, arching the long blade my way.

Grimacing, I swiftly backed away, parrying the blow intended for my chest.

"Not bad," I said with a glare. I could now feel the blood filling my lungs and dripping down my chin sluggishly. "You won't find a boyfriend at this rate if you're this aggressive though."

The Sekirei just smirked dangerously and readied her blade again. Another attack came and this time, I barely managed to block it.

My breaths were ragged now and the previous wounds that should've been long healed were opened and bleeding freely. My arms felt like lead and my legs trembled ever so slightly from my own weight. My speed too, has decreased noticeably.

It did not take much to know that my body has reached its limit.

My odds of surviving this battle has lowered to a great degree, all because I've failed to kill her quickly.

It was a losing battle now, but unsurprisingly, a smile formed on my bloodied lips.

I was excited. Excited not because I was in Death's reach, but because I was fighting Karasuba, a worthy warrior that could rival Miya.

Really, she was an opponent that I would love to fight freely...if only I was not hell bound by the time seal, if only.

Clenching the translucent blade with trembling hands, I raised it to a side, its tip tilted towards the ground. Magic channeled through the blade causing it to light up with an unholy white light. Soon, lightning pulsed from the blade, filling the air with the smell of ozone. My body arched forward, lowering slightly in a position ready for a burst dash.

This was it—my final stand.

It was do or die.

As if reading my mood, Karasuba herself also smirked and fell into another battle stance.

A tense silence followed as the two of us just stared into each other's eyes, crimson and red.

Our grins widened. An unspoken understanding sparked between us as our blood boiled with uncontained anticipation: only one of us will step out of this battle alive.

A second passed our breaths became even and synchronized.

The next second dust kicked up from our battle charge.

The third second swords collided and sparks flew.

Countless blows were exchanged. For every attack I executed, Karasuba countered them with a blow of her own. The momentum of our attacks were so quick that it became a blur of silver and white. Cuts of all sizes grazed my body, but I pushed on with my rain of attacks, unwilling to give in to defeat.

The deafening clashes of metal, the crackling white lightning and the small grunts of pain merged together becoming the melody of battle.

But it was all over too soon.

It felt as if time has slowed down when that single strike broke through my guard. I saw it coming, but my body was unwilling to comply with my mind's orders to move. It couldn't move. It was too exhausted to move to the point it just stood there waiting for the strike to come.

And it did.

The tip of her blade sank into my chest, piercing through my body. No pain was felt that moment, only coldness and reality.

I stared wide eyed at Karasuba and her red eyes stared back, smiling.

"Got you," she whispered sweetly.

Before I even noticed, my entire body came to a halt. Not a single muscle moved. Skymaster dropped soundlessly from my loose grip, no longer glowing.

A silent cough escaped my throat, followed by a mouthful of blood.

My vision blurred and when it refocused again, I found myself looking up at an extinguishing, fiery sunset. It was such a beautiful day's end that I vision myself fading into it.

'No...Can't give—yet...'

Her pale, bloodied white face came into my view moments later, grinning as she pushed the blade further in until it stabbed into the ground itself. Her foot found its place directly on my wounded stomach, pressuring the life liquid to ooze out to form a pool of blood around my body.

This time the pain was felt.

"Ugh..." I winced when she started to twist the hilt of the blade embalmed in my chest. I felt the hole in my chest widened and damn did it hurt.

It did not stop there though as the Sekirei standing above me let out a pleased laughter. Then, the blade was yanked out and as quickly as it was out, it returned into my flesh again, but this time slothfully right next to my heart. Again, it was pulled out and again it stabbed into me.

Involuntarily, an agonized groan leaked out of my lips and I felt a moment of life slip away with every attack that came down. My consciousness and senses could not keep the pain at bay.

"Did you think I will let you die so easily?" my torturer asked, ignoring my feeble attempt to pull her blade out.

'...N—not yet...'

My eyes no longer saw the sky, only her demonic grin.

The seal on my chest starting to burn on the twelfth strike, but I ignored it. Instead, I focused on swallowing down the cries of pain. I refused to bow down in defeat. Not to her. Not to anyone.

Grinning, I stared mockingly at the Black Sekirei. "You'll need to do better than that, little crow..." I wheezed, channeling what little magic I have left into the pool of blood around me.

Karasuba stopped her assaults for an instant and stared into my eyes in shock, but soon that shock was promptly replaced with great amusement and anger.

"You dare to make such remarks even during your last moments?" She mused as she pressed her boot heel into my stomach. "Really, your lowly species is truly pitiful, not even knowing when to admit defeat. Foolish!"

'Almost t-there...'

"Don't worry Monkey, I'll pay you back tenfold," she went on. "I'll dismember you piece by piece so slowly you would wished for death. You can only regret ever crossing paths with me!"

Again, her bloodied blade was raised into the air, it angled directly above my left arm ready to remove it from the shoulders. Time slowed down again while the blade sluggishly sailed down to my limb.

Inches by inches its came, until it was a mere inch away.

'NOW!'

The chance came, and I eagerly took it.

Even though my lungs was filled with blood, I let loose a war cry.

Then the sound of ripping flesh echoed in my time forgotten world.

The clacking of metal was next, then a cough.

Karasuba, the Black Sekirei stared down at my glowing crimson eyes, then at the blood lance that has pierced trough her heart with a stunned expression.

Silent came and went as we both stared into each other, glowing crimson and fading red.

Blood dripped from her punctured chest, running down my blood lance as it dripped to the ground like sand in an hour glass.

"A l-lowly human defeated...me?" she questioned, stumbling back, but still standing tall. "No...n-no...NO!"

Anger. Anger. Anger.

That was the sole emotion marred on her face as she let out a string of curses.

With every word she spoke her body trembled like a leaf.

I could only gaze at her tiredly while struggling to stand up again.

Picking up my sword with a shaking hand, I took one staggering step towards the half-dead, enraged Sekirei.

She was down on her knees now, failing to pull out the blood spear I created until I willed it to melt back into a pool of blood.

The Sekirei glared at me with absolute hate, but before she could verbalize another word my sword moved to her throat.

"Really...you need to stop with the monkey title Karasuba," I whispered, my voice breaking midsentence. A warrior like her deserved my respect, thus a quick death was sufficient. "My name is Rain...Remember it because we'll be seeing each other in hell one day."

Her eyes widened again just as I shoved the tip of my sword into her throat, severing the trachea.

Blood spurt into the air. A body collapsed onto the floor.

Before the life fade away in Karasuba's eyes, she whispered a single name, "Y-yume..."

Silence.

I stared at the Karasuba's body, drinking in her death features: lifeless grey eyes, pale white skin and a clenched fist.

It was finally over. Or so I thought.

Up head, the sound of a military copter razed the silence of death.

A copter with the letters MBI labeled on its side.

"Son of a bitch..." I painfully mumbled, leaning onto Skymaster for support. I was a bleeding mess and was close to fainting on the spot. I did not have the strength to deal with Minaka's men.

Urging my body to hold on, I leaped away from Karasuba's body and dragged my body eastwards, slowly and painfully. The sound of the copper slowly faded overtime.

With every step I take, a trail of crimson followed and a ragged breath was lost, but I moved on, one step at a time. There was no time to waste here-I want to return to the base and see her. I wanted to see Uzume. She would cry at my appearance, but she would forgive me at the end.

However the fates were cruel—the seal glowed beneath my tattered shirt.

A hot pulse ran through my body.

From a distance, the weak ticking of time echoed.

The end came when the midnight hour chimed.

Its melody warm and rich, like a pair of open arms beckoning to offer hope and comfort.

Blistering pain came next, a pain so great it brought me to my knees.

It was complete. The seal was complete.

I stared at my chest, witnessing the blasted seal glowing with power, sucking away the final drop of my life.

I felt every bit of magic drain away, everyone cell in the body shut now, one at a time.

One at a time.

'No, not yet.'

The voice deep inside screamed, yet my body continued to shut down. Cell by cell.

My vision was the victim to be lost. Everything in my eyes dimmed, but still I pushed on.

My arms reached out—arms I could no longer feel.

Death. It was moments away, but I won't let it reap me away.

Even if I want to see her again, even if I want to return to her side again, even if I want to ask her that question—I won't, not yet.

Not yet.

Not until I suffer enough. Not until I deemed myself worthy. Not until I forgive…not until then…

"Then suffer dammit! Suffer until the last moment before you die! Feelings like this—crying, suffering, hatred, happiness—these feelings can only be felt when you are alive! Dying is too damn easy, so fuckin live and suffer before you die!"

His words resonance in my numbing mind. Izayoi's words from that day. His cruel yet sky clearing words.

"—Yes, I still need to suffer, t-this is…hardly anything…!" I coughed out, clenching the sword handle desperately to stand again.

I could no longer see nor feel, but still I breathe and still I walked on.

I desperately staggered eastward, towards the base with my broken body.

I no longer see, feel or hear, but I walked/crawled on, one painful step after another.

"Even if you're down and smeared in mud, you must continue on, brat."

"Just like you sai-Eva...just like you said...I still have much...to do...right, Sieg?"

Another step forward and I was on my knees again, panting and bleeding.

I could no longer move.

I could no longer breathe.

"—KAICHOU, HE'S HERE!"

In that brief moment, I saw.

I saw a blue magic seal.

I saw blurs moving towards me.

And I saw her cold, violet eyes staring into mine.

Darkness reigned again and my body went limp.

A/N: Finished! This chapter has been a hurdle to write since I've never written a battle scene in my short life before and I'll apologize if it sucks. I know it is a bit long for a single battle, but it was good practice and I'll make sure to shorten it in future chapters.

Now to that unanswered question: Is it a huge cross-over?

The answer is yes! There will be many characters from other animes mingling in the DxD world.

Once again, if you have any questions ask away, I'll be more than happy to answer them.

Please read/enjoy/review! Your reviews is what keeps me going :D