"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear lady. How may we serve you today?"
As soon as Aigis stepped into the Velvet Room, she was greeted by its residents. As usual, Igor smiled impishly as he hid his grin behind his clasped, gloved hands. His two assistants were seen standing by his sides, their golden eyes focused on the guest of the room. Margaret, upon seeing the mechanical maiden entering the room, smiled and tilted her head in acknowledgement. Her younger brother, Theodore, bowed courteously as he smiled politely at the guest.
Wordlessly, Aigis held out a hand, and a card appeared on her hand, hovering two inches away from her palm. Tilting his head, Igor's grin widened.
"Ah, another bond. How fascinating..." he held out one of his gloved hands and made a gesture. The card immediately flew towards him before it diverted its path to go to one of his assistants. The card went to Margaret as she held out her hand. The empty, glowing card hovered a few inches away from her palm as she closed her golden eyes.
The velvet-clad beauty then reopened her eyes as she studied the card in her hand, her golden eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Oh my, another inquisitive soul this one is..." she began. "Such a gentle soul. Its core wafting with pleasant flagrance, and it radiates a calm warmth." Then, her eyes became downcast. "However, I can sense a faint trace of sadness and loneliness in this soul. How can such a gentle soul be alone, braving this cruel, merciless world without a company by its side? Is it because of its gentleness itself that prevents the others to reach out to its warmth?" The woman let out a soft sigh. "I see now. There is no such thing in the world such as unconditional kindness. Providing kindness unconditionally can be as destructive and harmful as unkindness itself."
Aigis listened to what Margaret said before she spoke. "No..." her word was clear and crisp, yet her voice was soft and subdued. "She is not wrong in showing unconditional kindness to everyone. She may have experienced enough grief due to the kindness that she shows to everyone unconditionally, but still..." she looked down, her hand on her chest. "She's not wrong. There's nothing wrong in showing kindness." The last part of her words sounded more like a murmur.
One eyebrow raised, Margaret eyed the guest of the Velvet Room before her rouged lips curled up into a smile. "Ah... is that so?" She held the card between her thumb and her forefinger. "Though I never said it is right or wrong to be kind unconditionally. Even so, it is still far too early to decide which one is the right answer - whether it is right or wrong to have such an unconditional kindness. It is up to you to explore what is beyond the surface of this gentle soul."
Margaret looked at her master, and nodded before the card flew to the small table in front of him.
"Now, let's see what shape this bond you have forged will take," Igor spoke, and the card on the table glowed majestically before some kind of symbol appeared on the table below the card. Then, the card broke and dispersed into particles of azure light. Both Margaret and Theodore opened their compendiums before a figure started manifesting itself on one unoccupied seat, not too far from where Aigis was seated on.
When the figure was fully materialized, Aigis could see a beautiful woman with eerily pale skin and ember eyes that shone like the fire of hearth, sitting on the previously unoccupied seat with both her hands on her lap. Clad in a rather revealing outfit which consisted of a black, cropped top and a black bikini bottom which exposed her midriff and rather well-proportioned and shapely thighs. She was also wearing an oversized hat, which was connected to the black drape that looked like a cloak. The footgear she was wearing also seemed to expose her toes, revealing her painted toenails, which were black in color.
Upon the woman's appearance, Theodore spoke. "From The Popess, it seems that the one who emerges from the sea of your soul is the great teacher of the great hero Cu Chulainn. The Shadow Ruler of Dún Scáith herself, Scathach of the Land of Shadows." He glanced at the woman he was currently introducing to Aigis, before he continued. "Well-versed in the arts of arm-to-arm combat and sorcery, she is a force to be reckoned in battle. It is also said that she is the original possessor of the cursed spear of Cu Chulainn, Gae Bolg."
Aigis looked at Scathach, who then nodded at the mechanical maiden and smiled kindly at her. Aigis could see her glowing eyes, flaring with hearth-like glow, making a deep contrast with the velvet light within the room.
"It is nice to meet you," Aigis spoke to Scathach. The great teacher nodded before she dissipated, turning into motes of blue light. Aigis could feel that she had joined the rest of her Personas within the sea of her soul.
Then, the air around them shimmered, and Igor raised one eyebrow, fascinated by this unexpected turn of event.
"Ah, it seems that some of the Personas that you have summoned during your time in your last ordeal have decided to manifest themselves yet again." Two small, female-shaped humanoid creatures appeared in a shower of blue light before they went to fly around Aigis' head. "Pixie and Sylph. These two mischievous little darlings have decided to lend you their strength once again in your journey. Consider yourself lucky, my lady..." Igor said with a smirk.
Aigis observed the mischievous creatures, as they flew around her head. One of them landed on her head, and the other on her left shoulder. The one that was rested on her head was Pixie, a small, red-haired winged humanoid creature, attired in dark blue leotard that exposed her thighs. She giggled as she played with Aigis' hair. She also seemed to wear thigh-high boots and opera gloves which had the same color as her leotard.
The other one who was seated on Aigis' shoulder seemed to resemble Pixie, with a few differences such as her hair color and the color of her attire. Like Pixie, Sylph, was also attired in a rather revealing leotard, as well as a pair of thigh-high boots and opera gloves, but unlike Pixie, they were trimmed with golden and were green in color. She adjusted her blond, curly hair as she was seated on Aigis' shoulder in relaxed manner.
"I'm looking forward to work alongside you two once again, Pixie, Sylph," Aigis spoke to both fairies. Pixie responded by flying up from Aigis' head and floated right in front of the android's face before landing a quick kiss on her nose. She giggled excitedly before dissolving into motes of light. As for Sylph, she stood up and then hovered slightly from Aigis' shoulder before lightly kissing Aigis' cheek. Aigis noticed that Sylph seemed to have her cheeks reddened, as if in embarrassment, before she disappeared as well into particles of light.
"Now then, I look forward to see what else that power of yours may show us in the near future," Igor said right after Pixie and Sylph disappeared. "It is our pleasure to guide you throughout your journey, my esteemed lady. Until then, farewell."
Aigis opened her eyes only to find herself in her room. Through the entrance of the Velvet Room that somehow appeared in her apartment, she went inside to see what shape the bond that she forged with Asia Argento would take. She was still in her black suit, and she had yet to remove her shoes.
Sighing, the android bent down to remove her footgear and put the shoes aside. Then, she took off her red necktie and black suit, revealing her armored bodice underneath. Despite being humanoid in appearance, there was nothing human about her. While she took the shape of a beautiful maiden, it still didn't change the fact that her body was made of metal bits and wires. Once, the fact made her feel rather self-conscious, because there was no way she could compare herself with other female humans such as Mitsuru or Yukari. But then, she decided that there was no use brooding over it. All she had to do was to get over it and make the best out of it.
After running a diagnostic check upon herself and making sure that her system was running smoothly, she went to her capsule seat in order to put herself in 'sleep-mode'. After linking herself with a dozen wires that were attached to the seat, she disabled some of her functions before she closed her eyes. She had set the alarm clock that would allow her to wake up early by tomorrow morning.
As she slept, she dreamed of one particular blue-haired boy, whose gentle smile still didn't fail to make her butterfly-shaped heart to flutter. As she slept, something leaked out of one of her closed eyes, rolling down her cheek.
'I miss you, Minato-san. I really miss you.'
In her dream, the beautiful machine continued to weep as she watched a boy who was completely out of her reach. She wanted to keep that warm smile of his for herself. She wanted to hold the boy in loving embrace. She wanted to remain by his side, the end of the world be damned. And yet, she also knew that doing so would be dishonoring his sacrifice. And she also had to come to love and cherish the world that he had protected, and if she decided to be selfish, she would not only betray him, but also betraying herself.
She had already realized it. She had already accepted it. She had accepted the fact that his sacrifice was necessary for the sake of mankind. She had already accepted the truth of his sacrifice. She decided to get over it, and yet, the truth never failed to hurt her.
'My greatest wish...is to be with you, always.'
Heart of a Butterfly
Persona 3 and High School DxD Crossover
Chapter 08: Twilight Healing
The next day, after the end of the school session, both Issei and Aigis decided to walk home together. The boy seemed enthusiastic about his new job and status as a Devil. Being a Devil, he had learned about contracting with other people, and despite a few complications, the perverted boy seemed quite happy about this. He also told the android about the other members of the Occult Research Club and how fun it was to be with them. From what Aigis could hear from him, the members of the club seemed to be treating Issei well.
"But I don't like that Kiba guy." Issei said, huffing slightly as he mentioned the blond boy. Aigis frowned at this.
"Why do you not like Kiba-san?" Aigis asked. "Did he do something wrong to you?" By interacting with that sword-wielding reincarnated Devil, she could tell that Yuuto Kiba was quite a pleasant person to be around.
"No, it's not like that..." Issei said, scratching the back of his head. "It's just...he's a bishounen."
"Bishounen?" Aigis blinked a few times.
"Yeah! Chicks flock around him because of his good looks!" Issei exclaimed. "And he also knows how to treat ladies well! It's so easy for him to get a lot of girls for his harem! It's really unfair! A guy like him is a natural enemy for a pervert like me!"
Aigis frowned. "I see." she mused. "You dislike him due to those positive qualities of his. You dislike him because unlike you, he can easily reach out for a dream to get a harem. Is that correct?"
Issei looked aside, seemingly a little embarrassed. "W-well, if you put it that way, it makes me sound like I'm the one who's really bad, Ai-chan."
"No, I did not say that." Aigis said. "But does it not sound unfair for him to be hated by you just because of his positive qualities?" she asked.
"Umm...w-well..." Issei seemed nervous.
Noticing the agitated look on Issei's face, Aigis smiled and patted his shoulder. "Try to get along with him, okay? After all, he is also one of the Devils serving under Rias Gremory, is he not?" She looked at Issei as she spoke. "He is a nice person to talk to. And I'm sure he may have some tips on how to achieve your dream, Issei-san."
"R-really?" Issei said. "W-well..." he scratched the back of his head before he spoke, "If you say so, Ai-chan, I guess I'll try, then. I suppose it's petty of me to hate him."
Aigis nodded and smiled. And so, they continued walking down the street.
"So... Ai-chan, do you have someone you like?" Issei asked. "Just curious, is all..." he added.
"Hmm?" Aigis blinked upon hearing this sudden question. "Well... I had."
"Had?" Issei raised one of his eyebrows, noticing the tense that Aigis used.
Aigis nodded. "He passed away."
"Oh," Issei awkwardly looked aside and scratched his head. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to bring this up."
"It is alright, Issei-san." Aigis shook her head. "Even after he's gone, all the memories of him remain in my heart..." she smiled as he brought up her gloved hand on her chest. "All the good memories, all the bad memories, sad, happy... I have decided to cherish them all." She lowered her hand and looked at Issei, still smiling. "That is why I don't really mind anymore, Issei-san."
"Uh, w-well... if you say so, Ai-chan." Issei said. "So, what was he like?"
"He was quiet and calm most of the time. But he was also very kind, and also very brave." Aigis recalled the time when she was with him, the boy she loved the most. "He was very gentle, and he also accepted me for who I am. He accepted me despite the fact that I am different compared to the other girls." She looked up, gazing to the sky. "I am glad that I fell in love with him."
Issei who was listening to Aigis intently nodded several times. "He sounds like a pretty cool guy."
Aigis nodded. "Yes, he sure is. I'm sure you two would have gotten along well, Issei-san."
"W-well, if you say so, maybe you're right." Issei said, grinning.
Tactfully, Aigis avoided bringing up the fact that not only Minato was a bishounen - Issei's natural enemy - but also the fact that he had, in one way or another, caused plenty of women to fall in love with him. It somehow almost caused a catastrophic disaster among all the girls involved, but in the end of the day, the conflict was resolved without having anyone hurt. Aigis still remembered the dark look on Mitsuru's face while fiddling with the hilt of her rapier, however. Not to mention Yukari, muttering something while holding her bow and arrows, and Fuuka, cooking something suspicious in the kitchen of the dormitory. The peculiar scent wafting from the kitchen almost caused Akihiko to trigger the alarm, thinking that there might be a gas leak
Well, they were still friends, and after a few days, everything returned back to normal. Good end for everyone.
Alright, enough with the flashback. Let's focus on our favorite cute android and perverted reincarnated Devil. They continued to walk down the street before Aigis saw someone familiar out of the corner of her eye.
"Ah," Aigis said. That someone was a young girl with long, blond hair, wearing a long-skirted dark teal dress and a pair of brown old boots. The girl, Asia Argento, was the girl she met a day before, when she found her sitting alone on a bench, praying while hungry. "It's Asia-san."
"Asia?" Issei blinked.
Asia noticed Aigis and her expression brightened. "Ai-san!" Happily, she jogged towards the android girl, but she stumbled on her feet and fell down to the pavement. "Muu!" Sprawled on the paved ground, the young European girl whined as she tried to pick herself up. Due to her falling on her face, her nose was bleeding. "Oww... it hurts..."
"Asia-san, are you alright?" Aigis went to Asia's side, helping her to get up. "Your nose is bleeding."
"Whoa, you okay?!" Issei was also worried about this girl. "It's gotta hurt..." Well, if one's face hit the ground, of course it would hurt. "Wait, I think I've got a hanky somewhere here..." he rummaged into his pocket, and pulled out a small white cloth. "Here you go."
Asia smiled, despite the pain, before she took the hankerchief. "Thank you very much, mister..." Asia said as she wiped her bloodied nose.
"Ai-chan," Issei looked at Aigis. "Can't you... w-well, you know?"
"Hmm?" Aigis blinked, looking at him. "What is it, Issei-san?"
"Can't you use your power or something to heal her nose?" Issei asked, before he realized something. "Oh, that's supposed to be a secret, right?"
Asia blinked when she looked at them both, confused.
"W-well..." Issei looked at the blond girl. "Umm… Ai-chan here knows how to heal someone." he told the girl. "S-so... if you want to get your nose fixed, maybe you can ask for her help."
Issei looked at Aigis, seemingly apologetic for blurting out her 'secret'.
"You can heal someone, Ai-san?" Asia's green eyes focused on the mechanical maiden before her. "Do you have a Sacred Gear too?"
"Sacred Gear?" Aigis raised one eyebrow. From the look on Issei's face, he was just as surprised.
"W-wait, you mean you also have a Sacred Gear?" Issei asked the girl.
Asia nodded before she raised both her hands. A pair of silver rings appeared on her ring fingers before she placed one of her hands on her face. A while later, she lifted her hand, showing her uninjured face. There seemed to be no trace of her face hitting the floor, much to Issei's amazement. It seemed Asia had a Sacred Gear that could heal injuries.
"I see." Aigis mused. "Fascinating..." She could feel the aura radiated from the Sacred Gear. Judging from the look of it, the healing process was the same as Diarama. "Even so, it is not good for all of us to stand on other people's ways. I suppose we can go somewhere where we can talk without disturbing other people." She glanced at Issei. "Do you have somewhere you can suggest for three of us to sit down comfortably, Issei-san?"
"Ah, I know a place! You can count on me, Ai-chan!" Issei said, hitting his chest with his right hand. "It's over there. Let's go!"
And so, Issei led both Aigis and Asia to a nearby ice-cream shop.
"Whoa…" Both Aigis and Issei could see Asia's green eyes glittering with anticipation, when the waitress placed a huge cup of parfait in front of her. With an assortment of various fruits such as cherries and bananas on the multicolored ice-cream, it was truly something that one would wish to have on their sunny weekends. "I-it's... so huge..." Asia muttered, studying the special deluxe parfait in front of her. She looked at both Aigis and Issei worriedly. "I-is it fine if I eat it?" She asked.
Issei grinned at the girl. "Of course it's fine! Nothing can beat this special deluxe parfait! And don't worry, it's my treat!" He gave the girl a thumb-up. "C'mon now, dig in!"
"A-alright..." Asia nodded before she used the spoon provided to dig into the parfait. Then she brought it into her mouth. After having the first taste of it, her eyes widened in amazement. "I-it's delicious!" She looked at both Issei and Aigis. "It's truly delicious!" She exclaimed happily.
Issei nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "Yep, yep. Of course you're gonna say that..." he said. "Say, your name is Asia Argento, right?" Issei asked the girl, who continued eating the parfait.
Asia nodded. "Yes."
"Then, you don't mind if I call you Asia-chan, right?" Issei asked.
"W-well..." Asia seemed troubled, before she looked at Aigis, who nodded and smiled gently at her. "I-I don't mind..." she answered.
"Awesome!" Issei said happily. "Oh, and by the way, name's Issei Hyoudou. Just call me Issei. My friends call me that. Nice to meet you, Asia-chan."
"Nice to meet you too, Issei-san." Asia replied, bowing slightly. "A-and... thanks for the parfait. W-what should I do to repay for your kindness, Issei-san?" She asked.
Issei tilted his head. "Nah, no worries. Like I said before, it's my treat." Both girls could see a lecherous grin on the pervert's face. "Unless if you insist on repaying me, then you can just allow me to grope your brea-" he immediately stopped himself when he saw Aigis' curious and innocent look. That pair of blue, innocent eyes was looking straight at him, as if boring straight into his very own soul. Issei might be a lecherous pervert who would let the world know about his dream of becoming a Harem King. However, he also knew that there was no way he could let the innocence projected by those blue eyes be crushed by his own perversity. Thinking the consequence of what might happen if he ended up disappointing the android girl, Issei coughed into his fist and spoke to Asia. "Umm… nah, it's nothing."
Both Aigis and Asia blinked several times.
"Thank you very much, Issei-san." Asia said to Issei.
"Like I said, no worries. After all, you're Ai-chan's friend. A friend of my friend is a friend of mine, y'know?" Issei grinned.
Aigis smiled when she heard that. It was a wonder what a friendship could do to people. Perhaps it was like what Minato had experienced before.
"Friend..." Asia spoke softly. Then, she looked aside. Sadness seemed apparent in her eyes, despite the smile on her face. "I...I don't have a friend."
Both Aigis and Issei looked at the girl.
"What?" Issei spoke. "What are you saying, Asia-chan?"
Aigis silently looked at Asia. Faintly, she could feel a soft tug deep within the sea of her soul. It seemed that The Popess had reacted to what Asia had told them. From what the mechanical maiden could hear from her, she somehow managed to understand the girl named Asia Argento much better.
"If that is the case…" Aigis said. "Why don't we become your friends, Asia-san?"
"Huh?" Asia blinked her eyes in confusion.
"Yeah! If you didn't have friends before, we're going to be your friends!" Issei exclaimed. "And after that, I'm going to introduce you some of my other friends. They're weird, but they're fun too. I'm sure you'll like it if you meet them, Asia-chan."
"Issei-san..." Asia looked Issei for a few moments before she smiled. "I'm glad. I-I'm...I'm really glad. Thank you, Ai-san, Issei-san. Thank you for being my friends."
In the end, they ended up talking about a lot of things. Asia told them that she was a nun assigned by the Church. Aigis could see Issei flinching a bit when the blond nun mentioned this. From Rias Gremory's explanation some days ago, Devils should never get close to a church or a shrine. Churches were under the domain of Angels and God, so it was natural that Devils should never set their foot into these places. Even so, Issei continued smiling, shrugging it off. She also told them about the Sacred Gear that she owned, Twilight Healing, which allowed her to heal all sorts of wounds.
Before they realized it, the sun was almost set. Both Issei and Aigis bid their farewell to Asia, but not before making a plan for the next day.
"So, tomorrow we're gonna have fun." Issei said to Asia. "We're gonna bring you around the town, Asia-chan. It's gonna be fun, I tell you." He grinned. "And Ai-chan will be joining us too."
Aigis nodded. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Asia smiled happily. "Yes! I'll see you two tomorrow!"
And so, the nun left.
"See you tomorrow too, Ai-chan. I guess I'm gonna go home now." Issei said to Aigis.
"I will see you tomorrow, Issei-san. Please have a safe journey." And so, both of them parted ways.
The next day, after school, Aigis went straight home to change her clothes. Folding her uniform neatly, she put on her black suit and red necktie as well as her black leather shoes. She had no other clothes to put on other than the suits and the school uniforms, so she decided to make use of it for the time being. After making sure that she looked presentable enough, she left the apartment and got on the bus to town.
When she arrived, she saw both Issei and Asia, who were already waiting for her. Both of them were talking with each other, and from the look of it, Issei seemed to be a little embarrassed when Asia's attention was on him. It was clear that despite his perverted tendency, he was not used to female attention.
"Please excuse me for my lateness," Aigis approached the pair, bowing her head a bit. "It took some time before the bus could arrive."
"Ah, Ai-chan," Issei said. "Umm..." he looked at the suit Aigis was wearing. "Is it just me, or are you wearing a suit or something?" He asked.
"Yes, I am wearing a suit." Aigis nodded. "More precisely, this is called a Chesterfield coat. It is specifically tailor-made for me, and has Kevlar fiber just beneath the fabric - for extra protection. It is also designed to enable me to move freely."
"Oh..." Asia looked at the suit Aigis was wearing. "So, why are you wearing a suit, Ai-san?"
"It's..." the mechanical maiden averted her eyes. "M-my preference, I suppose."
Both Issei and Asia just blinked as they stared at the mechanical maiden.
"Putting that aside, let's get started," Issei said. "We're going to have fun today. So, Asia-chan, what do you want to do first?" He asked the blond nun beside him.
"Oh, umm..." Asia brought her hand to her chin, seemingly thinking hard about it.
"We're gonna make today the best day of your life, Asia-chan." Issei told the nun. "So, tell us where you'd like to go."
"I...I want to go to the zoo..." Asia said, shyly.
Both Issei and Aigis nodded to each other, smiling.
"Very well." Aigis said. "Let us go to the zoo now. Right, Issei-san?"
"Yes! Let's go!" Issei grinned as he pumped his fist.
And so, both Issei and Aigis brought Asia to the recently opened zoo. Upon entering, Asia's eyes were glittering with fascination. There were a wide variety of animals to behold, from all over the world.
"Whoa…" Asia went over a large cage, where there were a couple of lions. "I-it's wonderful! It's my first time seeing lions in front of my eyes!" She looked to her side to see Issei, who was standing beside her. "I only saw lions in books before!"
"They're awesome, aren't they?!" Issei spoke excitedly. "Man, if only I could be a shounen hero! Then I could jump into the cage to fight these lions barehanded. That gotta be awesome!" He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, seemingly thrilled over the thought.
"T-that sounds dangerous, Issei-san!" Asia exclaimed worriedly. Then, she saw another animal not too far from the lion's cage. "Look! I think I see an ostrich!"
"Where?! Man, I wanna see 'em burying their heads into the ground!" Issei rushed over to where Asia was pointing at.
"W-wait for me, Issei-san! Not too fast!" Asia whined, following after the excited boy.
Aigis, who was just leisurely following the two of them, smiled. She was glad that both of them, especially Asia, were having fun. For Issei, it was in order to cheer him up after a series of unlucky occasions - such as being killed by his girlfriend, being resurrected as a Devil and getting himself attacked by a group of Fallen Angels. For Asia, it was to give her a semblance of happiness, by giving her a chance to have fun with her friends.
She placed her gloved hand on her chest and closed her eyes. The Popess was stirring deep inside her, and from her understanding in the girl named Asia Argento, she could tell that despite the happiness the girl projected and the kindness she displayed to others, deep inside, the girl was crying. She was a kind girl, living in an unkind world. She recalled the words that Margaret said back in the Velvet Room as she assessed the bond that Aigis had forged with the girl.
'There is no such thing in the world such as unconditional kindness. Providing kindness unconditionally can be as destructive and harmful as unkindness itself.'
Aigis wanted to deny it. How could unconditional kindness be as destructive as unkindness itself? Shouldn't kindness be rewarded with kindness too?
Or perhaps Margaret was right all along. Sometimes, people took comfort in unkindness and would rather scoff at any display of goodwill or compassion. Worse, they might even detest it. For a while, the mechanical maiden started to think that there might be a mistake somewhere. Why would this ugliness exist within the hearts of men? To think that he sacrificed himself to protect this festering tumor that could only lead to self-destruction. There had to be some kind of mistake.
Aigis shook her head, as if in denial. She didn't want to think that his decision to protect humanity was wrong, just because there were a few bad apples among mankind. Just thinking about it made her resolve waver. She silently chastised herself over her weakness.
"Ai-san!" Asia suddenly came to Aigis, panicking. She was in tears as she looked at the mechanical maiden. "Issei-san somehow got himself kidnapped by the monkeys! We have to help him!"
"Monkeys?" Aigis blinked, before she followed Asia to the commotion. Inside a cage where the monkeys were displayed, Issei was seen being surrounded by a group of monkeys. "Oh my."
"W-wait! No! Someone save me!" Issei cried from inside the cage. "H-hey, don't look at me like that, you damn monkey! W-wait, what's up with those hearts in your eyes?! Dammit, no! Ai-chan, Asia-chan, help me!" The pervert screamed for help as some of the monkeys started to tug on his pants, as if trying to remove them forcefully.
A moment later, Issei was safely rescued. Thanks to this particular incident, however, he would always be afraid of monkeys.
"Aaand... done!" Freed announced. There was a lecherous grin on the excommunicated exorcist's face, as he looked at the promiscuous, naked body of Raynare. "Phew, it's been a while since the last time I did that! How do ya feel, Raynare~?"
Ignoring the lustful stare of the stray exorcist, Raynare looked at her right arm that was completely wrapped in red bandage. She was unable to feel this new arm, and yet she was able to move it just like normal. A few rosaries were hanging on this new limb. Usually, those holy symbols were harmful for a Fallen Angel like her, but due to Freed's alteration, the rosaries did nothing to her - besides a negligible pricking sensation.
"How long before I can adapt to this new arm?" Raynare asked.
"Well~" Freed tilted his head, poking his cheek with his finger. "Just give it a couple hours, then you'll feel peachy in no time~" he said cheerfully. "Besides, this new arm of yours is gonna give you a boost. Normal humans ain't gonna be able to use it if I attach it on 'em. There was one time when I tried it on a human woman, and she died a few hours after I put it on her. So, I raped her corpse! I raped her fucking corpse!" The excommunicated exorcist laughed. "That was fucking awesome! It's a pity though I didn't get to hear her while I was fucking her. Of course, corpses don't make sounds when you do that to 'em, right? Right?!"
Raynare ignored Freed's distasteful recount on his experience as she moved the fingers of her new arm. She hated to admit it, but Freed was a genius if he was able to craft something like this. The principles of the formation of this fake arm were similar to the creation of her light spears - and he managed it despite being a human. A physically and mentally advanced human, but a human nonetheless. Even so, it still didn't make him earn her respect, because genius or not, he was still a sadistic asshole.
"So, you finally get back your arm, and I got to fuck a Fallen Angel," Freed said, still eyeing Raynare's naked flesh. "And everyone wins! Good end for everyone!"
"Not enough..." Raynare spoke. "It's not enough..."
"Hmm? 'Sup, Raynare? You ain't satisfied with your new arm?" Freed asked.
"Still not enough..." the Fallen Angel growled as she recalled the time when her arm was cut by that woman. "That bitch... she's going to pay for what she had done to me. I'm going to rip her throat and pluck out her eyeballs. Then I'm going to cut her tongue and force her to eat it." Her newly-made arm made a sizzling sound. "After that, I'm going to violate her repeatedly and make her beg for me to stop. I'll make her act like the bitch she really is, before I crush her skull and eat her heart. Then, I'll hang her naked corpse for all to see." The hand of her newly-made arm was balled into a fist. "Not only that, I'm going to hunt down all people who are associated with her, and do the same to them, including Issei and that damned robot girl. Only after that I can finally be satisfied..."
Freed's grin widened to the edge of what would be humanly possible for someone like him. "Oho~? Now you're talkin' in my language, Raynare. I feel like joining you too. After all, I'm up for raping some bitches. But before that, what are you gonna do?" He asked.
"To do that..." Raynare's lips curled up into a malignant grin. "I'm going to get her Sacred Gear first." Her violet eyes flashed. "I'm going to extract Twilight Healing from that girl. That way, I will be unstoppable."
After going around the zoo, Asia, Aigis and Issei went to a shopping mall. They visited an arcade center to play some arcade games. The nun seemed to be enjoying the game of whack-a-mole, while Issei seemed to like a game which involved stripping some girls in the screen to earn some points. The reason why such an indecent game existed was beyond Aigis, as she saw Issei earning the highest mark for the game.
"That was fun!" Asia said excitedly as she went to Aigis' side. "Though I feel bad for hitting all those mister moles. I hope they're alright..."
"They are not real moles, Asia-san." Aigis informed the nun helpfully.
"Thank goodness..." Asia let out a sigh of relief. "By the way, Ai-san," she tilted her head, looking at the suit-clad android girl beside her. "Are you having fun too?"
"Yes." Aigis nodded, smiling. While both Asia and Issei went to play their preferred games, Aigis decided to give a shooting game a try. As a result, she managed to break the old record as she flawlessly shot down all the enemies in the screen without being hit. Being an android who was specifically designed to use firearms effectively, she would excel at this game effortlessly. "It's been a while since I had this much fun."
"I see..." Asia mused before she noticed the absence of one particular boy. "Umm... where is Issei-san?" She asked.
"He went to the bathroom," Aigis informed.
"Oh," Asia nodded. "Umm...Ai-san, w-what do you think about Issei-san?"
"What do I think about Issei-san?" Aigis parroted Asia's question. "Hmm... I suppose he is a very decent young man. He may display a few quirks such as his obsession in female's body parts, but that doesn't stop him from being kind and considerate." She smiled at Asia. "And how about you, Asia-san? What do you think about him?" She asked.
"W-well... at first, I was a little scared with him, but then, umm..." the nun's cheeks flushed slightly. "Let's just say I got used to his... antics after a while. And he's also very kind and very helpful. It is nice talking with Issei-san. And I'm glad that he wants to be my friend." She smiled at Aigis. "And for you too, Ai-san. I'm very glad that both of you are willing to be my friends. I..." she brought up her hands to her chest. "I'm very happy!"
Aigis could see that as Asia smiled, those green eyes of hers were filled with tears. Happy tears, but tears still. Aigis just smiled gently at Asia as she watched her happy tears roll down her flushed cheeks.
"Oh!" When Asia realized that she was crying, she frantically brought up her hands to wipe the tears. "I-I... I'm going to bathroom! P-please wait for me, Ai-san!" And so, she left to go to the bathroom. A while later, Issei returned.
"Phew, thanks for the wait, Ai-chan," Issei said to Aigis before he noticed the lack of a certain blond nun. "Huh? Where's Asia-chan?"
"She went to the bathroom," Aigis informed. "You just missed her a few seconds ago, Issei-san."
"Ah," Issei nodded. "Uh, Ai-chan, if you don't mind, can I ask you something?"
"Yes? What is it, Issei-san?" Aigis' blue eyes focused on the perverted boy.
"Umm..." Scratching the back of his head, Issei spoke, "W-what do you think about Asia-chan?"
"What do I think about Asia-san?" Aigis blinked. It seemed that both Asia and Issei asked the same kind of questions to her. "I suppose she is a very nice girl. Maybe a little shy, but when she is with people she knows, she can be pretty energetic. Why do you ask, Issei-san?"
"W-well... you see, it's just that, umm..." Issei seemed to be struggling to come up with better words to say to her. "I'm going to be honest to you, okay? Ever since that day, after Yuuma-chan killed me, I... I somehow feel afraid," he admitted. "I should have already moved on, and yet..." he pressed his right hand on his chest, right on his heart. There was a pained expression on his face as he did that. "Her words... Yuuma-chan's words… kinda hurt more than that spear of hers. When she said that I'm a boring guy, I... I'm worried that Asia-chan will think the same too."
Aigis looked into the boy's eyes, and she could see anguish and fear in them. The poor boy's heart was still broken, and was afraid to have it broken even more.
"Don't worry..." Aigis placed her hand on Issei's shoulder. "Asia-san will never think of such thing about you."
"R-really?" Issei blinked.
"Yes, I am positive. Asia-san is a very nice girl, I am very sure of that." Aigis nodded.
"Ai-chan…" Aigis could feel Issei's shoulder shaking a bit. Then, the boy grinned. "You sure know how to make me feel better, do you?" He clenched his fists. "Alright! This time, there's no way I can screw things up! I'm gonna make Asia-chan the happiest girl in the world! Mark my words, Ai-chan! I'm betting my reputation as the future Harem King for this, you hear me?!"
Aigis blinked several times. Well, at least he returned back to his cheerful self. "I hear you loud and clear, Issei-san." She smiled.
After a while, Asia returned.
"S-sorry it took me a while!" She said, bowing apologetically. Then, she smiled radiantly. "So, what are we going to do next?" She asked.
Issei crossed his arms, seemingly pondering over it before he went to move his hands, hitting his palm with his fist. "I think I got an idea!" He grinned at Asia. "Let's get you something to remember about today!"
"Something to remember?" Aigis looked at Issei. "Do you mean some kind of memento?"
"Yeah!" Issei nodded. "We'll buy something that reminds us of today! With that, we can remember all the fun we had!" He looked at Asia. "What do you think, Asia-chan?" He asked the nun about her opinion.
"W-well...I think that's a good idea, Issei-san!" Asia replied, beaming happily. "I'll make sure to cherish the memories of today forever! I..." she brought one hand to her chest as she closed her eyes. "I will make sure to remember all these precious moments, all the fun moments with you two, Ai-san, Issei-san."
Aigis nodded. "I will make sure to remember all these precious moments that we had together too," she said. "Today, we had fun."
"Of course! Now, let's get something to buy! Onward!"
"Roger!"
Asia went to hook her arm around Issei's, much to the latter's surprise. But then, he smiled before he laughed. Asia also grabbed Aigis' arm and did the same. Blinking, she looked at the blond girl for a while before she smiled and let herself be pulled alongside Issei by Asia.
With their hands linked together, with Asia being in the middle, three of them walked together, smiling brightly as they did so. As for Aigis, deep within the sea of her soul, both The Magician and The Popess stirred, providing her with warmth like no other.
In the end, each of them decided to buy a penguin-shaped keychain. Issei got himself a red one, fitting for a boisterous boy like him. Asia got a green one - and both Issei and Aigis cited that it matched the color of her eyes. As for Aigis, she got a blue one. Both Issei and Asia mentioned that the keychain matched with the color of the sky, which was also the color of her eyes.
"I'm going to take care of this..." Asia said, holding the keychain against her chest. "Thank you, Issei-san, Aigis-san. Thank you for being my friends."
"Nah, don't mention it," Issei grinned. "As long as you're happy, I'm fine with it..." then, he muttered. "If only the date with Yuuma-chan could end up like this, then-"
"Do you say something, Issei-san?" Asia asked.
"N-no, it's nothing. Don't worry about it," Issei said before he laughed.
Three of them walked down the street, and there were people around them. It was already evening.
"It was fun today," Asia said. "Maybe we can have something like this again next time."
"You bet'cha!" Issei said, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Yes, next time, then." Aigis nodded.
"Until then, good bye!" And so, the nun left, humming a happy tune as she did so.
"Look how happy she is..." Issei said, smiling. "So, see you tomorrow, Ai-san." He looked at the android beside him, grinning. "Let's work hard together, neighbor."
"Indeed," Aigis nodded. "I shall see you tomorrow, Issei-san."
After exchanging farewells, both mechanical maiden and the reincarnated Devil parted ways, smiles etched on their visages.
Asia Argento was so happy. She finally made a few friends for herself! Both Ai and Issei were nice people, and they treated her kindly. It's been a while since the last time she got this kind of treatment.
"I'm going to cherish this forever..." Asia muttered, holding the keychain that they bought, the memento of the precious memories that she made together with both Ai and Issei. As she walked through the crowd of people, she noticed someone who was standing still in the middle of the crowd, and upon recognizing the figure standing within the crowd, her eyes widened. It was a young man, garbed in black, clerical clothing, a wide, malicious grin etched on his face.
"F-Father...Sellzen..." Asia gasped out the name of the young man, who then stepped forward, approaching the nun.
There was someone standing beside the young man, whose bodily shape seemed unmistakably female, had a black cloak covering the entirety of her body. She walked alongside the white-haired young man before she pulled down her hood, revealing the hateful glare of one particular Fallen Angel. Asia brought her hand to her mouth, suppressing the urge to let out a loud gasp upon seeing those glaring violet eyes.
"M-miss Raynare..." Asia spoke the name of the female Fallen Angel. Fear seemed to be evident in those green eyes of hers.
"Well, well, well... what do we have here~?" The priestly-looking young man spoke in a rather high-pitched voice. "Hey there, you little girl," he spoke to Asia. "Come here," his tone shifted into a fatherly one. This didn't seem to be very effective, considering that his wide grin on his face seemed to be anything but fatherly. "Why didn't you show up at the church? Don't feel like living with Fallen Angels, do you?"
Asia flinched when the priestly young man spoke. "I..." She tried to speak, but was unable to say anything.
As for Raynare, she was scanning the surroundings to see one particular person, and then clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Tch... she's not here..." Asia was confused. "You," Raynare spoke to Asia. "Come here. We need your Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing."
"M-my Sacred Gear..." Asia looked at Raynare, feeling conflicted.
"What~? Why do you hesitate, huh~?" The priestly young man spoke to Asia. "The Church doesn't want you anymore, so the only place where you can return to is to be among the Fallen Angels, you see~?" He made an exaggerated shrug.
"I..." Asia clutched the keychain tighter against her chest.
The joy that she had experienced together with both Ai and Issei had instantly vanished upon seeing both this priestly young man and Raynare.
"So, ya don't wanna come, huh?" The priestly young man asked, tilting his head. "That's okay too, but I guess I can cut 'em down to pieces if you don't wanna come," he spread his arms, gesturing to the crowd around them. "These people, I mean. Ya don't wanna anyone get hurt, don'tcha?" The grin on the young man's face widened, and Asia could feel the repulsiveness of such grin.
"NO!" Asia cried out. "P-please don't do that, F-Father Sellzen!" The nun begged to the young man.
"Then, ya know what to do, right?" The priestly young man asked, his cruel grin still remained on his face.
Asia let out a whimper as she lowered her head in shame. Choking back a sob, she stepped forward, walking over to both Raynare and the priestly man.
"P-please don't hurt them," Asia told the young man. "I'll come with you, so please don't hurt them..." she begged.
As Asia became closer to him, he held out his hand, stroking the nun's cheek. She shuddered upon being touched by him.
"What a good girl..." The man said. "Come on, then. We've got lots and lots of stuff to do. Time's a-wastin', y'know?"
Both the young man and Raynare turned around, starting to walk away from the crowd. Wordlessly, Asia followed after them, holding back her tears as the warmth that she experienced together with Ai and Issei started to fade away, replaced by this cruel coldness. She prayed silently to the God above to save her as she walked behind both of them. She didn't care how, as long as she was saved from what cruel fate that awaited her at the end of the line.
But she also knew that her prayer would go unheeded. He didn't hear all her desperate prayers before, so why would He listen now?
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Note: Prince Arjuna strikes again! I am very thankful for all the reviews you have given to me, you know that?! Alright, I'll tell you this. The part about Freed being able to craft a fake arm for Raynare is just me bullshitting myself, I have to admit, but since in the original source materials, that psychotic exorcist has no personality other than being batshit insane, so I think I'm going to give him a few minor tweaking. I'm not saying that I'm going to turn him into a good guy. In fact, I like him better as a bad guy. And since he is considered a genius as an exorcist, him being able to craft a fake arm won't be way off the mark, right? The thing about Raynare's new arm will be elaborated in the next chapter, so please wait and see.
In the meantime, special thanks for Sraosha, the beta-reader of this chapter! It's so nice working alongside you!
Hope you guys like this chapter, and don't forget to leave some reviews. After all, the author needs it to keep himself alive and well. And I also made a discussion forum to discuss about this story's plot. The link can be found in my profile. See you guys in the next chapter, Chapter 09: Doll's Resolve.
What I have planned: I ship (insert DxD character) and (insert Persona character). And I regret nothing.
Edit: Just for clarification. I am totally aware that Aigis has already gotten over the fact that she is not human, but this is her first time someone calling her a monster. Geez, it's so hard to clarify this to anonymous readers via PM, you know?
Edit(2): Fixed the part when Aigis reacted to Freed's words. Hope it's acceptable enough.
Edit(3): Fixed the last part completely. I hope you guys like this version more.
Prince Arjuna (2014)