Author's Note: There are 2 arcs before the end. This one which ties up an important loose end, and then the final arc. This one is 3 chapters in length and I think you'll find it interesting.
Chapter 35: Matters of the Soul
Massive structures of steel and glass towered high into the sky. They blocked out the sun, casting their shadows upon the cramped, clustered streets below that, to the residents of the city, seemed to be in a perpetual state of construction. Cars, trucks, buses and even the odd transport tried to squeeze their way through streets much too narrow for the amount of traffic passing through.
Streets made even narrower by the constant digging and filling as the aging infrastructure was updated to handle the load that the ever-increasing number of high rise buildings demanded of the system.
It was a major city, one of the largest in North America. A shining beacon of freedom and prosperity steeped in enough corruption to make any politician feel right at home. The symbol of the city, a sky scrapping, free-standing structure with a round top and a pointed tip, towered over the rest of the city. A monument to architectural ingenuity when it was built in the 70's and still remains, to this day, one of the tallest structures in the world.
Toronto, an enormous melting pot of individuals containing people of every nationality in the world, and a few not of it.
The perfect place for those looking to hide, to do just that. There was always so much happening in the city, and so many strange and weird people out and about, that unless someone became visibly violent, no one cared. Few gave the small girl dressed in a black gothic lolita dress much more than a passing, cursory glance as she walked down the sidewalk in the heart of the business district, passing by the headquarters of enormous banks that could toss around enough money to buy a small country. Compared to the homeless woman streaking up the sidewalk cackling like a witch as she was chased by city police or the strange looking clown banging his head against an invisible wall, she was almost normal.
The people of Toronto might have paid that young girl a bit more attention had they known that she was the most powerful entity in existence, Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God. As it was, no one so much as batted an eyebrow as the young-looking girl turned off the sidewalk and stepped through the revolving glass door of the nearby TD tower. An enormous glass atrium opened up before her, spanning the breadth of the tower. People of all shapes and sizes travelled through here, some heading into the large TD bank building, others piling upon each other on the escalators and stairs as they squeezed their way down to the lower level.
Ophis joined the crowd, standing silent, still, upon an escalator step. The people around Ophis gave it some space. Whether it was out of respect, or fear of being accused as a pedophile, was anyone's guess.
It found the escalator fascinating in a way. Human technology was evolving ever more rapidly. It would not be long before this world could no longer confine them. What need would they have of Gods and Demons then? Perhaps it was a good thing that they came forward when they did. It wasn't just fear of being surpassed by human technology that the supernatural had to worry about.
Being forgotten entirely was far worse.
It was an idle though. Ophis might even return in the distant future to see how Humanity had progressed. But that would be long after it had reclaimed the silence it so desired. The dimensional gap was her home long before humanity started to dream. Great Red had no right to it.
The crowded escalator parted as it reached the lower level with most people angling to the left to join the ever swelling tide of human bodies meandering their way through The Path.
The Path, or PATH, was what this place was called. A giant network of underground pedestrian tunnels, elevated walkways and at-grade walkways connecting most of the downtown office towers. Every inch of the thirty-kilometre expanse was utilized in some way, whether that be lined with shops, elevators to office towers, lounging areas or subway terminals. While many major cities had underground networks, The PATH was the largest of its kind in the world.
It was impressive in some way, more so because it was built after the city above was already finished, than because it was a major architectural achievement. Maintaining the stability of the enormous office towers while digging tunnels beneath them was not something that could be done off-the-cuff.
Ophis wasn't here to explore the PATH, as interesting as it was, she didn't even need to go far in it. She had turned off the upper street at the Toronto Dominion Bank office tower for a reason. Just beneath the glass atrium was a large food court.
The soft, orange glow from the fluorescent lights shimmered off the polished, tile floors, providing a soft, gentle ambience to the place. Ophis' stomach rumbled ever so slightly as the smell of delicious food wafted from the various establishments the lined the court. Tables with chairs and benches around them filled the central portion of the food court, allowing the press of human bodies to stream by along either side without weaving between tables.
Her destination was here, the absolute last place anyone would ever think to look for a group of criminals wanted the world over by nearly all supernatural entities.
They were all there, all the leaders that Ophis hadn't purged from her Khaos Brigade because they had no intention of helping her. Esdeath sat comfortably on a cushioned seat, munching on a greasy burger without seemingly a care in the world. A half empty container of some sort of carbonated beverage rested next to the burger's wrapper, along with what humans called, frank's fries? Strange name but Ophis couldn't bring herself to care enough to raise an issue about it.
Another sat with Esdeath, a human turned devil that had proven very useful recently. Syura had a slightly lecherous look on his face as he leaned back in his chair, feet crossed atop the same table Esdeath was eating at. From his vantage point he could look up at the people ascending the escalator and see up their skirts and dresses.
Katerea was there as well, fidgeting with her hands as she stared suspiciously down at a pile of North American Chinese food that really just seemed like an excuse to drown perfectly good meat and vegetables in so much random sauce that it no longer had any of its original taste, texture, or consistency. She looked up and glanced about as if looking for a reason not to eat whatever it was she had in front of her. She jumped when her eyes fell on Ophis, a mixture of fear and relief darting across her eyes before she regained her composure.
She knew what Ophis had done to the others of the Old Satan faction, had seen it first hand, and knew her continued existence depended entirely on her loyalty. Ophis had given her freedom outside of that, of course. She had even found an interesting partner high up in Devil Society to keep her company at night.
There was another there, two others in fact. They weren't directly part of the Khaos Brigade, but their interests aligned at the moment and both had more to gain by aiding the other than not.
The first was a tall, handsome gentleman wearing an elegant white robe over a suit of similar color. Long, beautiful light blue hair framed a delinquent face. The hair floated behind him, held aloft by a combination of magical power and sheer ego. A brilliant blue gem adorned his forehead and golden earrings dangled from his ears.
It was Loki, the Norse God of Mischief.
He wasn't the only one from Norse here. His faithful hound, Fenrir, was as well, although none would guess the tiny looking puppy was actually the god slaying hound feared from Norse Mythology. The little puppy sat on the table next to Esdeath's happily chomping away on the same type of mishmash of food Katerea was hesitant to even touch.
Fenrir, at least, seemed to be enjoying the food.
All of them being here together was a sight odd enough to rival the naked homeless woman that had streaked past Ophis on her way here. They would most certainly have drawn attention if not for the magical enchantments woven around their tables. It didn't do much more than misdirect a person's attention to somewhere else, but it was enough for regular humans.
Anything more would draw attention from eyes they didn't want on them.
[Where is he?] Ophis asked as she approached the group of powerful misfits. She had asked, ordered really, that all of them be here, and he wasn't.
"Just getting some food, Ophis," Cao Cao said as he sauntered up to them. There were two long packages in his hands, wrapped up in some sort of flimsy paper and branded with the name 'Sabway.' Strange name. "I bought you one as well. Chicken Teriyaki or some such thing. Didn't look much like chicken or teriyaki to me, and it still managed to look better than most of the garbage they serve here."
Cao Cao, a young man with short black hair and blue eyes, wearing a sort of bastardized combination between a Japanese school uniform and ancient Chinese attire. He was the leader of the Hero Faction, one of only two factions Ophis still let continue to exist under her rule. The other being the Nilrem, the magician faction. Of all of them Cao Cao could pass most easily amongst the city. He was, in fact, human. Super human, true, but still human. He wielded the strongest sacred gear in existence. The True Longinus. A spear capable of killing Gods.
A God killing spear. Ophis wasn't a God, but a dragon. Against her, the spear's unique property was useless. There was little reason to fear it, the same could be said for Great Red. When it came time to face that monster he wouldn't be of much use but that was fine. Ophis didn't need him to face Great Red.
Him and his faction existed to run interference so that the other mythologies couldn't move too openly against her. It was a role he took to most enthusiastically. Ophis knew of his desire to eventually kill her. She might even let him try, just so that he would know he was no match and wouldn't come looking for her in the Dimensional Gap after Great Red was dealt with.
"Convenience and speed is the name of the game down here," Esdeath interjected as she popped the last bite of her burger into her mouth. She chewed a few times and swallowed before continuing. "The humans here don't have time to waste, always so busy needing to be somewhere else. So long as it fills them and tastes better than the dirt on the ground, they're satisfied." She wiped a bit of ketchup off her mouth with a napkin. "It can be a nice change, to better appreciate real food when you have it once more."
Cao Cao simply rolled his eyes before offering one the 'Chicken Teriyaki' to Ophis. "Well?" He asked.
It was about to decline when it's stomach betrayed its hunger by rumbling. [I will let it pass.] Ophis said as she took the food from Cao Cao.
"Why thank you," Cao Cao said disingenuously as he stepped past her and grabbed a nearby table. "Don't take too long, Izou. We don't want to keep our benevolent leader waiting."
"I'm here," Izou said. The dark-haired samurai, descendent of Nobunaga, appeared almost from thin air at Cao Cao's side and took a seat next to him. He had a salad, a self-proclaimed vegetarian, which was a strange title to claim considering he loved letting his blade drink the blood of his enemies. As eccentric as any of them. "You wouldn't believe how difficult it is to convince these people that all you want is a salad when you can't speak English."
That was the issue with humans. Cao Cao knew multiple languages, including English, but not all members of the Hero Faction could speak all commonly spoken human languages.
[Enough, let's not waste time.] Ophis said as she knelt on a chair so she was tall enough to properly eat at one of the small round tables. She unwrapped the sub and took a small bite. It was surprisingly good, despite not looking like much. She gave Loki a glance. [What news of Mine? Did it go as suspected?]
"Why not use that precious eye you stole?" Cao Cao threw at her. "You can see all that there is, right?"
[Have seen most of what needs to be seen. Why waste effort forcing it when I can spend less forcing you?] Ophis returned just as easily. Returning to the Dimensional Gap utilizing as little effort as possible was her desire.
Loki looked annoyed briefly before regaining his composure. "It did go as you predicted," he said. "Tatsumi fed pieces of himself to that little fallen Angel, Mine, to keep her alive. In doing so he passed some of his draconic nature to her. In truth, she is now two-fifths human, two-fifths fallen, and one-fifth dragon."
[More than just healing?]
"Yes, going from a six-winged Fallen to a ten-winged Fallen is not something that can be achieved through natural means." A grin split Loki's face. "It seems eating Tatsumi can grant you the same evolutionary powers he posses. To… some extent at least. Enough to cause an explosive, exponential growth in a Fallen Angel that had already peaked."
[Good, then we shall proceed with the next phase,] Ophis said. [Loki, you're free to fight Odin with Fenrir. The Khaos Brigade shall support you by making sure those that would come to his defense, can't.]
"Why thank you for letting me do what I was already going to do."
"My people are already tied up, don't expect help from my end," Cao Cao interjected.
"'tied up' is it?" Syura asked, tilting his head to stare at Cao Cao, "Aren't you just throwing them by the hundreds at impossible situations to force a Balance Breaker evolution?"
"It amounts to the same thing," Cao Cao said and shrugged lightly, not denying it in the slightest. "Many of the world's mythologies can't move about carelessly because of it."
[Vali's status?] Ophis asked, expecting to hear what she had already seen through the eye.
"Off doing his own thing of course. I'm surprised he stuck around to play with the Norse Gods as long as he did. Anyone could see from the start the Gods had no intention of leaving their little sanctuary," Cao Cao said while unwrapping his sub. He took a bite before continuing. "That man does his own thing, which revolves entirely around fighting whatever next big battle arrives." There was a speculative look on his face as he glanced over at Loki. "I imagine he has you in his sights now. He split about the time he learned you were going to pick a fight with Odin."
"He's welcome to die trying," Loki said, unperturbed by the thought of the White Dragon Emperor coming after him.
[Vali won't be a concern,] Ophis said. Vali was one of the few she could count on for support, if that was what she desired. The chance of fighting Great Red would be too great for him to want to pass up. Before that though, he would be useful keeping certain elements distracted so she could do what needed to be done with Tatsumi. [He will return when he finds out he will have an opportunity to face the Sekiryuutei. Esdeath?]
The blue haired sadist grinned at her, already knowing what was going to be asked of her. "I've been ready for months. I've been waiting for this opportunity for centuries. To teach Serafall a lesson. The look on her face as I tear her little sister apart piece by piece and carve up Tatsumi before her eyes… Oh, I can't wait to see the look on her face when I break them into pieces!" The smile on Esdeath's face was truly terrifying. Enough that even Syura shivered in fear. "What will she choose? Revenge or salvation? I can't wait to see."
[Be sure to give Michael the message.]
"I will, he'll make sure my onee-sama, and that little one, Xenovia-san, are no where near the conflict when it occurs." She paused and threw a look over at Syura. "I should make sure the other angels are far away as well."
Even Ophis didn't know what would happen after that point. How would Gabriel react to Michael's supposed betrayal? The eye wouldn't show her that.
"Tsk, you take all the fun out of this," Syura muttered. "I was looking forward to making another angel fall."
The temperature of the air dipped several degrees as Esdeath gave Syura a chilling smile. "I suppose you were looking forward to dying then."
Syura's face became guarded. "What does it matter to you? They're just angels."
"I couldn't care less what you do to humans, devils or the other Fallen, but touch another Angel and I'll flay the flesh from your bones," Esdeath promised.
Syura tsked loudly as he looked away.
[Then we're settled on our next course of action,] Ophis said, cutting into their little argument. They couldn't remain here for too long. Even if Canada was far removed from the centers of any major religious power, there was still an active, on-going search for them. She finished her sub before continuing. [Cao Cao and his faction will continue to keep the various pantheons and factions busy. When Loki is ready to strike Odin, Esdeath will get Michael to redirect Tatsumi's angelic allies elsewhere and then we'll strike together. Loki, Fenrir and the Midgardsormr will keep the important pieces in place while the rest of us deal with the nuisances that could potentially interfere.]
She'd already seen parts of the future. But even if she hadn't, with the way things were moving in the Underworld, there truly was only one place Tatsumi could be in the near future.
Then Ophis would strike and she would have her solution.
Ophis and Great Red were equals. To break that equality, Ophis needed to become more. Power alone wouldn't serve her. She needed to grow in a different way. Something beyond what she currently was. Consuming Tatsumi was the key to that. Even if it was only a tiny, miniscule sliver of a growth. Any growth would be enough to tip the balance between her and Great Red in her direction.
"It won't be too long now," Loki said. "Ragnarok is nearly upon us! I can't wait to see the look on that old man's face when—"
Loki collapsed to the ground in a heap in mid sentence, knocking chairs all about him in a noisy clatter. A loud commotion picked up all around her. Glass shattered. Metal squealed. Chairs and tables were knocked over and shifted. Fenrir flopped over into his pile of chow. Esdeath's face smacked off the table she was sitting at. Syura's chair tipped all the way back and he collapsed to the floor in a heap. Both Izou and Cao Cao were asleep too. Katerea as well.
They weren't the only ones. Every human in the PATH had collapsed to the ground. The escalators had ground to a halt and everyone, everywhere, had fallen unconscious. Unconscious, not dead. Ophis stretched her senses to the max, reached out across the entire city.
Everything had ground to a halt. Cars and trains had been brought to a stop and even planes were aimlessly circling in the sky.
There was only one person that could do this, that would do this. Even knowing who it was didn't make it any less confusing as she walked into view, seemingly appearing out of thin air. Well, she was wont to do that whenever she appeared.
They all had their quirks. He, Ymir, Ophis, Great Red. Even Tatsumi, in time, would develop his own if he didn't already have them.
Ophis didn't recognize the form. The long black hair, the ruby eyes. The elegant purple dress that cascaded about her body. But then, form was irrelevant to them. Ophis, herself, was only female because she felt like being female.
[Why are you here?] Then was no need to ask how. It was an irrelevant question with an irrelevant answer for the likes of them.
{Keep things leashed for a few weeks.}
[Why?]
The woman tilted her head and smiled. {There's a… lose string I need to tie up. Not long. Need two weeks. The opportunity I need will occur by then.}
[Not impossible. Issue is delaying the games.]
{Convince Azazel. He's always been good for that sort of thing.} She turned ever so slightly and walked up to Esdeath. {It's so nice seeing children work so faithfully to please their parents.}
[Wouldn't know, have no children.]
{Have you ever thought about changing that?}
[I had the chance.] Lilith had been a possible future. It was not an unpleasant future by any means, but not the one she desired most. [Silence is desired. Children bring the opposite.]
{They bring a lot more than just noise.}
[Have had enough noise for now. Need silence. Maybe next millennium.]
{Your loss} The being shrugged. A gentle hand reached out and touched Esdeath's hair, stroking it ever so softly. She brought her lips to her ears and whispered. Words to low, to soft, to directed, for any to hear. Ophis didn't so much hear, as she felt the vibrations in the air.
Esdeath murmured softly in her sleep. Too softly for even Ophis to make out, but whatever Esdeath murmured brought a smile to the other person's lips.
[Are you certain?] Ophis asked. [Could cause a strain.]
{That is what I want. Sometimes a change of perspective is needed. Perhaps then she will understand.} A soft, gentle smile came to the being's lips. {Enough Angels have fallen.} The being turned and gave Ophis one last smile. {Azazel has grown fat and lazy. Teach him a lesson for me, will you? It's time… time for a change.} It paused again. {Two weeks. All I ask.}
[I can do two weeks.]
With a nod she turned on her heel and left. Ophis stared after her and when she blinked, the other was gone. Instantly everything went into motion once more. Planes continued on their flight, trains and cars continued their course. Humans awoke and continued like nothing had happened.
Even the powerful individuals around her didn't seem to have noticed that they'd all just been asleep not moments past.
[Small change of plan,] Ophis said, turning to everyone. [Plan delayed two weeks. Esdeath, go find Azazel for me. I need to convince him of a few things.]
She ignored the confused looks on their faces. What they thought was irrelevant. They would obey or they would be replaced. She wasn't the only one moving. Something was going to happen soon, and Ophis had to admit, she was a little curious.
x~X~x
Being famous made school a chore. The second day had almost been as bad as the first. He hadn't been swarmed the moment he set foot inside the main building and he'd managed to make it to his class without having to resort to one of the Tyrants greatest abilities, invisibility, but that was about it. The girls still drooled at his passing, the boys all wanted to be like him, and the stares of adoration followed him everywhere. It'd been unnerving, more so than usual.
At least they gave him some room. Most likely due to Bennia's threat to stay away from him. Unfortunately, she'd never specified how far and everyone was testing just where that line was.
Kendo practice had been especially bad. Introducing Hikaru to the female team had sent them to the moon. They had been just as excited to have such a powerful and capable kendo practitioner on their side as they were to have Tatsumi there.
Hikaru had all but begged him with her eyes to save her. He hadn't. It was refreshing to have so much attention diverted away from him.
She'd made sure he regretted that decision later when the two had faced off. She was well and truly the better sword fighter, and she now had the speed to keep up with him. Despite the humiliating losses to her, it had been refreshing to fight someone that could actually push him. Ieyasu was the only one there that had been even remotely challenging.
He was also the only one aside from Hikaru even willing to take up a stance against him. No one else wanted to fight the Hero of Japan.
But things did eventually die down. Now, a week and a half later, things had almost settled into their usual rhythm. People still stared and whispered whenever he came around, but for the most part people kept to themselves.
Today was the first time he'd been able to eat outside without getting chased away by the stares. He leaned back against the rough bark of the large tree behind him, eyes closed. His features relaxed as a gentle breeze washed across his face. The heat from the midday sun was muted here beneath the boughs of the large tree. It was nice, refreshing, and made even better by the company he kept.
"I didn't understand how you could like school so much at the end of the last semester," Ieyasu said to his right. Tatsumi cracked an eye open and glanced over at his friend. He sat cross legged on the grass beside Tatsumi, a half-eaten bento box prepared by Sayo sitting open in his lap. He was only giving Tatsumi half his attention as he dug into the food. "But after everything you've been through over the summer, I guess I can understand now. School may be bad, but I'd take that any day of the week over getting trapped in Niflheim."
"There was a lot of things going on back then," Tatsumi said simply. "Not on the same level as the summer, but enough."
"I can only imagine." He paused, chopsticks halfway to his lips, and turned to regard Tatsumi. "Actually, I take that back. I don't want to imagine it."
Tatsumi could only chuckle in response.
"…eat Tatsumi-senpai. It's good, nyan," Koneko said as she captured a portion of seasoned rice between her chopsticks. The little nekomata shifted around in his lap as she brought the food up to his mouth. "…say, ahhhh."
"H-Hey! What are you doing?" Another pair of chopsticks, this one grasping a piece of fish, quickly pushed the seasoned rice out of the way. Ravel glared at her rival, Koneko. "He just had some rice! He needs a balance to properly appreciate the varied flavors of his cooking!"
"…rice, rice, fish, combination better than rice, fish, rice, fish, nyan," Koneko returned. Her soft voice carrying a hint of steel in it. She batted away Ravel's chopsticks with her own, sending little grains of rice scattering in the breeze.
The fish returned with a vengeance, smacking the rice away. "You wouldn't know good taste if it was spelled out in front of you! You just shovel everything down your throat without tasting it!"
"…do too!"
"Do not!"
"Ah, don't fight please," Tatsumi begged, leaning back as best he could with a tree behind him, eying the waving chopsticks like they were implements of mass destruction. "If you're not careful—"
Too late. With a vicious clash the chopsticks snapped in half, dumping a spoonful of seasoned rice and fish all over the front of Tatsumi's uniform. The world seemed to freeze as everyone stared at the front of Tatsumi's shirt. Bits of rice stuck to his shirt as the piece of fish slowly slid down the front, leaving a long and painfully obvious grease stain behind.
The two of them looked absolutely horrified. At least, Ravel did. Tatsumi was assuming Koneko was horrified at dumping rice in his lap and on his shirt and wasn't just mournful over the waste of perfectly good food.
"I-I'm so sorry, Tatsumi-san!" Ravel blurted out quickly as she grabbed the chunks of rice and the fish. She dabbed at his chest with the sleeve of her uniform in a vain attempt to clean up the grease stain but managed to do little more than make it worse. "Ah!"
"…silly yakitori can't do anything right," Koneko said as she pushed Ravel away. Before Tatsumi could even begin to process what Koneko was going to do to make the situation she bent down and started licking his shirt.
To the side Ieyasu let out a strangled choke. Yup. That was enough of that.
"Ok, you're both just making it worse," Tatsumi said as he pushed the both of them away. "I don't need help eating, and I don't need help cleaning up." He was touched by how much they cared but really, there was a limit. Especially in public like this.
The two small girls were suddenly lifted into the air as Hikaru came to his rescue. "Let Tatsumi-san finish his lunch in peace," Hikaru said, giving each girl held in her outstretched hands a long, even look.
"Yes, Hikaru-san," "…ok…" The two girls said in unison.
The both of them looked like little kittens that'd just been kicked. Tatsumi held firm and simply gave Hikaru a thankful smile. The two of them had to learn and he had to admit that he was probably too soft hearted. Hikaru sat them both down on the grass across from Tatsumi before settling down beside him, opposite of Ieyasu and Sayo.
"And that's why I never want a harem," Ieyasu said, "way too much trouble."
"You think I'd let you have one?" Sayo asked, elbowing Ieyasu in the ribs.
"I don't need anyone else if I have you," Ieyasu said quickly, too quickly.
"I hope you remember those words," Sayo said, smiling sweetly.
Tatsumi couldn't help but smile at the friendly banter tossed between the two. Sayo had definitely been doing some training when Tatsumi hadn't been looking.
"I didn't aim for a harem," Tatsumi pointed out. "It just kind of happened."
Ieyasu let out a loud snort, a disbelieving look on his face. "That's what they all say. I'm sure you just so 'happened' to capture the hearts of most of the beautiful women here at Kuoh Academy." There was a sharp whap as Sayo smacked him across the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Ahem," Sayo coughed delicately and gave Ieyasu a long stare.
"Ah-ha… I wasn't including you?" She whapped him a second time. "Ow!" Ieyasu rubbed the back of his head and grumbled beneath his breath before giving Tatsumi a sidelong glance. "Your girls at least don't seem to hit you."
"No, they've just suffocated me a few times," Tatsumi said. Koneko and Ravel both looked away guiltily.
"We both got problems it seems." Ieyasu turned to the school yard. There were a number of students out and about, some alone, others in pairs or groups. A few, like them, sat together in various shady parts of the front yard having their lunch. Tatsumi caught more than a few looks being tossed his way. "You don't have Akeno tucked away in your back pocket either, do you?" his friend asked.
A certain perverted boy came to Tatsumi's mind causing him to let out a short chuckle. "No, and thankfully that won't ever happen. That's one girl that has no need of me." He glanced over at Sayo. "So how was your summer break? All I've heard is Ieyasu moaning and complaining he wasn't able to see you."
"You didn't need to say that," Ieyasu bit out under his breath.
Sayo just laughed. "I didn't mean to disappear like that. Things just turned out that way. I accidentally dropped my phone while training with Natsume-sensei in the mountains and it broke. I couldn't get a new one until I finished my training." There was a sheepish look on her face. "Oka-san and oto-san were so mad."
"But I apparently don't matter," Ieyasu said bitterly.
Sayo gently rubbed his arm. "Oh, don't be like that. I apologized, remember?"
Ieyasu swallowed hard and flushed a little, "I-I suppose so."
"Do I want to know what form that apology took?" Tatsumi asked archly. Sayo flushed a little and Ieyasu started spluttering incoherently. "Uh huh, I think I'm good."
"You're bad," Sayo said, glaring at him. The effect was somewhat diminished by the heat in her cheeks.
"Changing the subject a little," Tatsumi said before Sayo could get too upset at him. She had a temper if you pushed her too far. "Did you learn anything interesting from your immortal sensei?"
"Oh! I learned quite a lot from Natsume-sensei—" she let out a sharp gasp but quickly regained her composure. "W-What do you mean—"
"Immortal?" Ieyasu cut in, sounding rather confused. He glanced back and forth between him and Sayo. "What do you mean immortal?"
"I, well, you see—she's not immortal!" Sayo said far to quickly to be believable in the slightest. She knew right away that no one believed her. Ieyasu wasn't the only one staring at her. Hikaru, Koneko and Ravel all were as well. "Really!"
"You don't need to hide it," Tatsumi said gently, hoping to coax his friend into opening up. "I was worried at the end of last semester when a random stranger whose been technically dead for twenty years suddenly showed up, unannounced and uninvited, and showed an unusual amount of interest in one of my friends." He picked at his lunch, letting his words sink in a bit as he ate a few mouthfuls of food. Swallowing he continued. "Didn't find anything too out-of-the-ordinary though, only that Natsume has showed up several times throughout history." He gave Sayo a wide smile. "So, learn anything interesting."
"I… well…" She threw a hurried look at Koneko, Ravel and Hikaru. "I can't."
"Can't because you think those three are human or can't because she asked you not to say anything?" Tatsumi asked.
"I'm a devil," Ravel said unexpectedly. "So don't worry about me."
"…nekomata…" Koneko added. "Better than stupid yakitori."
"I am not a fried chicken!" Ravel snapped at Koneko angrily.
"I was human," Hikaru said, shrugging lightly. "I'm not anymore. I wasn't given much choice in the matter."
"Wait, how many devils and strange creatures are out our school?" Ieyasu asked, gaping at the three of them.
"I know of at least thirty," Tatsumi said. There were those in Night Raid, Sona's Peerage, Rias' Peerage, much of the faculty and a great number of others.
"More than that I suspect," Ravel said. "This place has become a major meeting ground between the three great factions."
"You don't need to worry about any of the one's at this school." He added, noting the wariness in his friend. That time in the park still got to him, it would get to most. "Trust me, if they were someone to be fearful of, I'd have already killed them."
"That's true," Ieyasu said, relaxing noticeably. He blinked a couple times as if he remembered something and quickly turned to Sayo again. "Are you something different too?"
"No," Sayo said quickly, almost too quickly. "I was born human, just like you. Don't worry." She gave him a reassuring smile. Tatsumi kept his features schooled at her odd choice of words. No one else seemed to notice so he kept it to himself for now.
Ieyasu let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know. Man, don't know what I'd do if I was like the only normal one here."
"Eh, I'm not sure I'd call you normal," Tatsumi pointed out.
"Hey! You know what I mean!"
"Anyways, we sort of got off track here," Tatsumi said, glancing over at Sayo.
"Can we stay off-track?" She asked.
"Oh! I want to know!" Ravel said as she crawled over to Sayo.
Koneko was quick to follow suite. Peering intently up at Sayo with soft, kitten like eyes. "…me too. Want to know, nyan."
The effect of two of the most adorable and cutesy girls at Kuoh Academy peering up at you with the most adorable heartfelt looks they could muster was absolutely devastating. Sayo stood no chance of surviving the onslaught.
"Gah! No! Stop! Anything but those eyes!" Sayo cried as she tried to shield the sight from view. "Gah! Please… too adorable… guck! Fine! I give up! I give up, please just stop! I'll tell you everything!"
Tatsumi hid his smile behind his chopsticks as he stuffed the last of his lunch into his mouth. Whether those two girls did it for his sake, or their own, it didn't matter. Their devastating looks had obliterated Sayo's defenses and got Tatsumi the information he ultimately wanted.
"Natsume-sensei isn't human like you all suspected," Sayo said. She started slowly, words carefully picked but as she continued they came faster and clearer. "She's an angel, a virtue to be precise. The Virtue of Courage. She said she was drawn to me, to my courage. To how I was so full of fear and despair but struggled on despite that…" her voice dropped into a mumble and she looked away embarrassed. "I don't know much about all that. I just didn't want to be helpless if a fallen angel ever tried to—" her hand shook for a moment before she gripped the wrist tightly with her other, stopping the shaking. Her eyes were resolute as she stared Tatsumi straight in the eyes. "I won't be a helpless bystander ever again. I won't just sit here quietly while the powers that be dance about us uncaringly. Just like you protect us Tatsumi, I want to be able to protect you and my parents and…" she glanced over at Ieyasu and flushed a little. The meaning was clear. "I can't do that if I'm weak but what scares me most… is not being able to draw my bow when it matters most. Natsume-sensei helped me. She taught me what I needed to know." Her hands went to the buttons of her shirt and she undid the top two, revealing the tanned skin beneath. There, emblazoned in the center of her chest just above her breasts and between the chain of her cross, was a crest.
A familiar crest.
Tatsumi's smile cracked in half as he stared at it in disbelief. Something was very wrong here. There was a critical part of her story that did not add up with an earlier conversation.
He needed to talk to Gabriel.
In the mean time though, Tatsumi was determined to be supportive of her. She was still the same Sayo he'd always known and what he fought to protect was humanity's choice to choose their future. This was quite obviously her choice. It's exactly what he knew she'd do if given the chance, what she would have jumped at in the old world as well.
Ieyasu wasn't much different.
"So you learned a lot of special techniques?" Ravel asked eagerly.
"…fire off a caladbolg?" Koneko asked right after her.
"Caladbolg…" Sayo gave them both a strange look. "What's that?"
"Awww…"
Hikaru sighed and palmed her face. "This isn't Destiny/Chaotic Day, it's the real world. There's not going to be a Anti-Counter Guardian firing off swords as arrows in this world." She paused for a moment. "That was a very good manga though. I'm glad you recommended it to me."
So they hadn't asked for his sake… For some reason Tatsumi was feeling a little disappointed about that.
"Did you learn how to fire arrows of light with your bow?" Tatsumi asked, thinking of a more reasonable and logical possibility.
Sayo seemed startled by that but quickly smiled and nodded. "Yes, and a bow to go with it. I broke my old bow trying to fire one."
"…disappointing."
"Aww, just regular arrows of light." Ravel was pouting too!
Sayo gave them an apologetic smile. "Natsume-sensei says that bow isn't necessary, but you can get more distance with less effort by using one. The bow takes care of the distance so you can just focus on making the arrow as powerful as possible."
"It'd be slower though, wouldn't it?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes," Sayo said. "But she told me if they're close enough that I don't have time to fire an arrow using my bow, they're close enough I probably don't need it."
Against the level of enemies Sayo stood any chance of fighting against, this sensei of hers was probably correct.
"You so have to show me later," Ieyasu chimed in. "I wonder if I can make a sword of light."
Ieyasu wasn't really the sort of person Tatsumi would peg for angelic. He wasn't all that religious, not like Sayo was. Tatsumi opened his mouth to say just that—
DING DONG
The lunch bell rang clear across the school yard, cutting through their conversation.
Sayo launched to her feet so quickly her skirt billowed out, briefly exposing her panties to the world. "Oh! Would you look at that! The bell! We need to return to class!" She abruptly turned on her heel and shot away as quickly as she could without breaking out into a full run.
They all just stared as she left. Then Ieyasu started to laugh. "I haven't seen her run away from a conversation so quickly since that time her mother talked about her wetting the—"
Like an arrow a bento box snapped across the front lawn of the schoolyard and smacked Ieyasu in the face before he could finish. The box impacted with a brief flash of white light and Ieyasu was knocked flat on his back. In the distance Sayo was hastily hiding a bow up her skirt.
Tatsumi didn't even want to know how she managed to do that.
"Hikaru, mind taking him to—"
"Come along, Ravel, Koneko, time to go to class." She wasn't listening to him. Instead she was herding the other two younger girls away. All three of them were doing their utmost to pretend Ieyasu didn't exist.
"A simple no would have sufficed," Tatsumi said under his breath. He glanced over at his friend unconscious friend. "Looks like you're going to get yelled at by the teacher for being late. I need to try and clean up this stain as much as possible before class starts."
Standing, Tatsumi smooth his pant legs and brushed some grass and dirt from it before starting for the front doors. Everyone was heading back inside and thankfully they were all too preoccupied with getting to class on time to bother Tatsumi. More than a few did send little smiles and awed looks his way, but Tatsumi ignored them. To do any less would only invite more and worse.
He made it to the wash room without being accosted, which in and of itself was probably a miracle. Ignoring the stalls and urinals on the right and made his way over to the sinks and grimaced. It was bad. The stain hadn't appeared that bad when looking down at it from above, but now that he was staring at it full on in the mirror…
"This is going to be embarrassing," he muttered as he ran the water, waiting for it to go warm, before dampening some paper towel. "I'm going to have to start bringing degreasers to school if this is going to be a daily thing," he mused as he futilely dabbed at the stain.
There was just no dealing with this. He might as well go back to class.
"Hmm, no class for you today, Tatsumi-san," a familiar voice came from behind.
A familiar, feminine, voice.
Tatsumi whirled around and stared as she waltzed out of the stall seemingly without a care in the world that she was in the men's washroom.
"You! What are you doing here. I thought the—"
BZZZT
He blinked and she was gone. What was that? It looked and felt as if the world just went out. Like a television show became all static and fragmented when a large storm interfered with satellite TV.
"We all have a place we need to be."
Tatsumi turned around. There she stood, standing at the sink next to his, admiring herself in the mirror. Her ruby eyes in her reflection shimmered with a strange light the original did not have.
"Aren't you defying the Satan's—" His words died in his throat as the image in the mirror turned to smile at him while the one standing beside him remained motionless.
BZZZT
He blinked to get rid of the fragmented world and she was gone again.
"Satans… interesting choice of words for them to use." Tatsumi turned again, this time unsurprised to see her on his other side. She sat on the edge of the sink, her hands gripping the edges and her legs swinging back and forth beneath the porcelain bowl like a child eagerly awaiting a new toy from their parent. She turned to him and smiled. "Did you know the first amongst those that fell was Lucifer? Aren't you curious how the first devils came to be? Has anyone questioned their origins? Why is it that 'Lucifer' is passed down amongst Devils and not the Fallen? The Lesser Key of Solomon is not a Christian tale. It is heathen. So why?"
"I don't know."
BZZZZZZZT
Tatsumi violently shook his head, gripping the edge of the sink to steady himself as he fought against the massive bout of vertigo that threatened to overwhelm him. He rapidly blinked his eyes to get rid of the fragmentation of the world. When the world settled down and he didn't feel like he was going to throw up, he glanced over to find her gone. He wasn't surprised. He didn't bother looking either. He just turned back to the mirror and found her smiling at him from the other side. His own reflection was gone.
"You're not a normal devil, are you?" Tatsumi asked the reflection in the mirror.
She reached through the mirror and gently placed her hands on either side of his face. For some reason he couldn't resist. He could do nothing as she drew his face to the mirror.
"One final thing, before you disappear, Tyrant." He frowned at her. Disappear, what was she talking about… he suddenly realized he couldn't feel the rest of his body. He knew he should be concerned, worried, but his emotions were muted. Like they belonged to someone else. As if he was just a participant. "If Angels were never meant to have children, they wouldn't have genders."
With the sound of breaking glass, the world shattered around him. There was no pain, no pleasure, no sensations at all. No sight, no sound, nothing. Just a strange sense of nothingness. A familiar feeling almost. He remembered it despite it being years ago. Seventeen years to be precise. When he'd died that second time and had floated in the vast emptiness. When he had struggled against that human and his soul and found, for the first time, something he could not overcome.
There was no anger this time though. No need to struggle. While it felt the same, it also felt different. There was a sense of being guided. There was no fear of being lost to a vast emptiness for all eternity.
Sensations suddenly came rushing back with all the force of an avalanche. It slammed into him from all directions. Touch was first, tiny, miniscule vibrations in the ground crawled across his scales, shaking him to his core bringing with it the next sense.
Sound. It is amazing just how much sound there is in the world, and how much the mind actively blocks out so that one is capable of making sense of their surroundings. For a brief, few moments as he came to, that filter wasn't there. The beat of his heart, the rush of his blood, the tiny noises from countless tiny little insects shifting more dirt in a single moment than industrial movers would in their entire life time.
Taste and smell came next, together. A foul, coppery taste in his mouth. His own blood, carved from his flesh with his own razor sharp teeth. More than just that. Dirt and insects, countless little things that had crawled inside and through while he had laid there, untouched and unmoved for years. They screamed with his awakening, their tiny little feet, claws, and wings beating hastily in their attempt to flee from him.
Sight was last, and with it came nothing. There was no light to perceive down here. It took only a moment to process where he was.
Underground. He'd been buried. But, why had he been buried alive and why did it feel like it had been ages since he'd last moved? His entire body burned, itched, as it healed old wounds and decay. The earthen life that had found its way into his body to feast in turn became sustenance for him as his body crushed all within and absorbed it in its search for nutrients from which to obtain energy to heal.
A new sound appeared, one distant or muffled. It came from above, the surface. A voice, although he couldn't make out the words, he could make out the general feel. A female. it was soft and filled with regret, sorrow, yet there was a hint of strength behind each word as well. It sounded as if it was coming from directly above him.
Was there someone mourning his death at a grave?
He had absolutely no idea what was going on. One moment he was in the washroom trying to clean the stain off his school uniform and the next he is buried underground with no explanation as to how he got here.
One thing for sure though, he couldn't stay here. There was too much that needed to be done still. He had to get back to school before people worried. The end of summer was bad enough. A second disappearance in so short a time? No one would let him leave the house after that!
Tatsumi tried to move his arm and was relived when it moved. The soil, while pressing down upon him, wasn't packed in particularly hard. He shifted some more, use his claws to tear away at the dirt around him, pushing it to the side, making room for himself as he packed it in about him. He ripped at the soil above, forcing himself through it. There were muffled gasps and a shout from above. Clearer now, and filled with shock.
He didn't stop. He needed to get free.
It wasn't long before his hand punched through the surface. He hadn't been buried very deep. Six or seven feet at most. His grave was longer than it was deep. He gripped the ground above. The feel of soft grass tickled the edges of his scales.
With a powerful heave he pulled himself up through the ground, shifting large mounds of dirt and soil to the side as he erupted from the earth.
Sight came to him now. A blinding, piercing light from the blazing sun above. It burned his eyes, sending slivers of pain shooting into his brain. With a growl he rubbed his eyes and squinted blearily down at the ground. It took time for his eyes to heal and adjust to the light, but gradually it did. At first just a green and brown blurry mess, then he could start picking out clumps of dirt and blades of grass. Then came finer details such as tiny little insects, veins in the plant life, and tiny little differences in the soil.
"No… how?"
Tatsumi froze at the sound of that voice. Slowly he lifted his head and found himself staring into the eyes of someone he never thought he would again.
The years weighed upon her just as they did upon Akame and Najenda. Her pink hair and eyes were still as vibrant as always, but the faint lines of grief and worry now marred a face that had once been absolutely flawless.
It was Mine.
His Mine.
Tatsumi didn't even notice the memories of his new life drift away like so much smoke on the wind.
Note on Ophis meeting place: I choose Toronto for a very specific reason… it's where I live. That's it, only reason. And yes the place I described does in fact exist, I've been there myself. I walk through there whenever I'm downtown for training. In fact I think you can actually use google street view to look at the very place I described. Anyways, as a Torontonian, I did input some of my own bias views of my current place of residence. And yes, I've seen the stuff I described there in person. I have seen a woman streak naked through the business section of downtown Toronto. There are some weird people here.
Author's Note: There! Chapter done! What do you think of how it ended? There are a couple things I want to accomplish with it before I jump into what'll be the last one.
Leave a review and let me know what you think!