"I'm… here."
Fuuka Yamagishi opened her eyes and found herself floating aimlessly in an empty space. The feeling of vertigo washed over her, and she didn't know whether she was floating upside down or in an upright position.
And embarrassingly, she was devoid of clothing. While the young woman knew where she actually was, she couldn't help but try to cover herself, thinking that she was in a rather indecent state due to the lack of clothes.
Even so, she knew why she was there, the place that she could call the realm of her subconscious, the sea of consciousness, a place that reflected the state of her soul. She had come to this place many times before, and whenever she showed up here, she would find herself in someone else's company.
[How cute. Even while alone, you are still rather concerned in keeping your own modesty.]
Fuuka let out a startled squeak when she heard the voice that suddenly spoke to her from behind, which somehow sounded like hers, albeit a pitch lower. She glanced over her shoulder and was greeted by the sight of a woman, attired in a rather elaborate and dark red low-cut dress, complemented with a pair of opera gloves which had the same color as the dress. A pair of wings which resembled the tails of a peacock could be seen on her back. Covering the entirety of her face was a white mask, which bore the images of many eyes on it.
"Juno…" Fuuka turned around to face the woman, who was her Persona. "D-don't scare me like that."
In response, the woman chuckled.
[You are me, and I am you. There has to be no reason for you to be scared of me, the one who was born from the sea of your soul.]
Fuuka sighed. "Can you do something about my current state? I-I…" Fuuka blushed. "I'd rather not talk when I'm naked."
Juno tilted her head before she raised one of her gloved hands, making a swaying gesture. In an instant, there was a shift of landscape. The empty space was replaced by a gazebo in the middle of a garden filled with flowers. And Fuuka was also fully clothed, but much to her dismay, she was clad in a rather revealing white, silky chiton that left nothing to the imagination. Still blushing, the young woman let out a huff as she gave Juno a dismayed look.
[Now, now, don't give me that look…] Juno made a placating gesture as she took her seat at the gazebo. She brought her slender hand to her masked face before she slowly removed the mask, revealing the face underneath. She set the mask aside and directed a smile at Fuuka. [Now, let's talk.]
The phrase 'I am thou, and thou art I' could never be truer as Fuuka looked at Juno's face that was usually hidden behind her white mask. Her face bore an uncanny resemblance to Fuuka's, except instead of having teal green eyes, Juno's were golden, with red outlines surrounding the irises.
"Those images that I have been seeing these last few days…" Fuuka began as she sat beside Juno. "Those images that I have been seeing ever since I met Aigis' friend, Issei Hyoudou," she paused before she continued, "do you know the significance behind those images?"
She could perfectly recall those images: the gargantuan, scaly monstrosity, whose roars could tear heaven and earth asunder. She could perfectly remember the image of a great saurian beast, expanding its wings before it took flight, and she couldn't help but be in awe.
Red Emperor.
Those two words lingered in her mind after witnessing such a great beast.
[My other self…] Juno smiled as she brought her gloved hand up to Fuuka's face, stroking her cheek tenderly. [Soon, you shall learn the true significance behind what you have seen. The moment will eventually come, and you will do your best to wait for it.] Her golden eyes flashed as she looked into her counterpart's teal green eyes. [After all, none can escape the sight of the All-Seeing Watcher…]
…
Fuuka opened her eyes, finding herself in her room. Currently, she was kneeling inside the protective sphere of her Persona, Juno. A while ago, she decided to submerge herself into the sea of consciousness so that she could interact with Juno directly. While Juno was her other self, she somehow retained the personality of her original counterpart, the goddess Juno. While Persona Juno might not be the real deal, due to the fact that she retained the original's memories and personality, Fuuka thought that it would be a good idea to consult her regarding the matter that had been troubling her recently.
It's just that she'd rather not get herself constantly teased by Juno. She was glad that the Persona didn't retain her sentience outside of the sea of consciousness while being summoned, or else she might end up getting teased by her whenever she summoned her.
Dismissing Juno, Fuuka got up, looking down. She was clad in a white, long-sleeved sundress, much to her relief. Being naked wasn't something that she'd get used to anytime soon.
"Red… Emperor…" Fuuka muttered. Ever since that day, those two words remained in her mind. Ever since the day she encountered Issei Hyoudou, she had been thinking about those two words and those images more often than not. Sometimes, it was a little frustrating, because she'd like to learn the significance behind everything that happened to her after the encounter with the boy. "Red…" Fuuka said dazedly. "Heavenly Dragon…"
Still in daze, Fuuka continued muttering to herself.
"Ddraig…"
Heart of a Butterfly
Persona 3 and High School DxD Crossover
Chapter 17: Priestess and Dragon
"Umm… Issei-san, a-are you alright? D-do you need help?"
Asia Argento spoke to Issei Hyoudou as they walked down the street. The ex-nun seemed worried as she looked at the perverted boy, who was groaning in pain. Apparently, the boy subjected himself to some intense training regimen, which was arranged by his combat teacher, Pallas Athena. It could be said that the training was physically grueling. Even with his enhanced body as a reincarnated Devil, the training caused him to feel sore all over his body.
Considering that his personal teacher was the goddess of tactical warfare herself, it was already expected. Still, despite the pain, Issei continued with the training so that he could be stronger. By getting stronger, he could protect those who are precious to him. He wouldn't have to suffer losing those he loved, just like that one time, when Asia died.
Issei smiled at Asia. "Don't worry, Asia-chan. I'm strong, y'know?" Then, he winced again. "Ow!"
"I-Issei-san!"
Both reincarnated Devils continued walking down the street as they talked to each other about various things. Asia had been officially adopted by the Hyoudou family, much to the ex-nun's delight. Now she could spend more precious time with Issei.
However, there was one time when she blurted out that she'd like to have Aigis joining in as well. Issei didn't understand what she really meant when she said that. He was fully aware that Asia absolutely adored the robot girl, but considering that Aigis wasn't in the same circumstances as her, adopting her into his household would be hard.
"Say, Issei-san," Asia said. "Do you like Ai-san?"
"Hmm?" Issei glanced at Asia. "Of course. I like Ai-chan."
Asia beamed cheerfully. "I like Ai-san too! She's so kind and so strong!" Her expression turned dreamy as she let out a soft sigh. "And… she's so warm…"
Issei scratched his head. "It's kinda strange, though. I mean, she's a robot, but she feels warm too." He recalled the time when he hugged her together with Asia after he beat Raynare. While Issei would normally not think too much about it, he couldn't help but wonder about how Aigis managed to generate warmth which was rather unmistakable compared to a human's. "Well, maybe she's built like that. Who knows?"
"She's… built like that?" Asia said before she looked down. "Built… like that…" her voice sounded sad.
"Asia-chan?" Issei looked at the ex-nun worriedly.
"Ai-san's pretty, yet… why was she built like that?" Asia said. "The other day, she told me that she was designed as a weapon." She brought her hands together to her chest, clasping them together. She stopped walking and closed her eyes. "She's so gentle, yet… she was designed to be a weapon. Someone gentle… someone kind like Ai-san…" Asia shook her head. "She shouldn't be a weapon."
For Asia, she defined a weapon as a tool that can bring harm to others. A weapon is built to bring forth pain. No matter what terms were used to describe a weapon, Asia knew a weapon is built to destroy.
She couldn't imagine someone as kind and gentle as Aigis was willing to do such a thing to others. Asia acknowledged that she might be naïve for thinking like that, but after seeing what sort of person Aigis was, she simply couldn't help herself.
"Ai-san… she's so kind…" Asia said. "But she told me that her original purpose is to be a weapon. B-but… it's not right. I-it shouldn't be right…"
Issei looked at Asia, and judging from her look, she was on the verge of tears. The perverted boy immediately racked his brain, trying to remember what Aigis had told him before about herself. Then, he brought his hand to Asia's shoulder and looked into her green eyes.
"Asia-chan…" Issei said. "Listen to me. There's something that Ai-chan told me before." He smiled. "Once, there was a person she loved. And I'm sure she still loves that person, even now. And she's willing to do anything to protect that person."
"A person…" Asia tilted her head. "Was this person a boy?"
"Yeah, I guess…" Issei nodded.
"What happened to him?" Asia asked.
Issei averted his eyes. "He… well, he died." He looked at Asia's surprised face. Her eyes widened in realization as she brought her hands to her mouth, covering it.
"P-poor Ai-san…" Asia immediately brought her hands together, trying to make a prayer. "Oww!" She yelped in pain immediately after doing that. As a Devil, even a reincarnated one, doing prayers would result in something like that. Rubbing the sides of her head with her hands, she spoke, "S-so, what happened next?"
"She became sad…" Issei said. "But, she overcame her sadness and made a vow." He smiled as he looked up. "She vowed to protect everyone for the sake of the boy she loved. Even though she's built as a weapon, she wanted to use it as a means to protect others. She wants to be a shield that can protect those behind it from harm. A shield can be considered as a weapon, right? But its purpose is for protection." Then, he awkwardly brought his hand to the back of his head, sheepishly scratching it. "Or at least that's what she told me, hehe…"
"To protect… others…" Asia said. "H-how admirable…" Issei could see the ex-nun's green eyes glittering with admiration for the android girl. "For the sake of the one she loves, she's willing to dedicate herself for the sake of others." She let out a dreamy sigh. "Alright! I've decided! I'll do my best to assist Ai-san too!"
Issei grinned. "That's the spirit! Ai-chan's a superhero! But even superheroes need assistance! She can't do this alone all the time! And we're going to help her!"
Asia smiled delightfully. "Yeah!"
Issei was glad that Asia was in high spirits again. One thing that he had promised to himself was to make sure that Asia would become the happiest girl in the world. And this time, he would not fail ever again. Now that Asia was alive and healthy again, thanks to being reincarnated as a Devil, Issei considered this as his greatest second chance.
To make Asia the happiest girl in the world would be his long-term goal in life. Besides becoming the Harem King, of course.
Both of them continued walking down the street before the boy spotted someone walking towards their direction. He recognized this someone, a young woman with teal-blue hair, attired in a white, long-sleeved sundress, black tights and brown leather boots. Her long, teal-blue hair was braided to the front, and she seemed to be carrying a handbag.
"Ah," the young woman also saw Issei, recognizing him. She smiled at the boy as she spoke, "It's been a while, hasn't it, Issei-san?"
When the young woman approached them, Issei noted that she's pretty cute. He didn't really notice it the first time he met her, because he was in a hurry at that time.
"Y-yeah, it's been a while too…" Issei said, rubbing the back of his head.
Asia blinked a few times as she looked at the cute young woman before she looked at Issei. "Issei-san, do you know her?"
The young woman smiled at the ex-nun before she spoke, "Oh my, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself to you." She bowed slightly. "My name is Fuuka Yamagishi. I've heard about you from Aigis, Argento-san."
Asia looked at the young woman who introduced herself as Fuuka Yamagishi. "Y-you know Ai-san? A-are you her friend?"
Fuuka nodded. "Yes, I'm her friend. And she already told me many things about you too, Argento-san. This is the first time I've met you, so it's nice to finally meet you, Argento-san."
"N-nice to meet you too!" Asia dipped into a bow. "A-and please call me Asia. My friends call me that."
"Asia-san, then…" Fuuka said. "In return, will you call me Fuuka?"
"Y-yes, Fuuka-san," Asia said.
"S-so, umm…" Issei said to Fuuka. "How are you, Fuuka-san?" Due to her being one of Aigis' friends, it would be rude to say some inappropriate things to her. One thing he noticed about the young woman was that she shared the same body type as Asia.
"Ah, I was just on my way to the library…" Fuuka said. "I'm thinking about finding some books there. And probably studying too, I suppose."
"You're a college student, aren't you?" Issei asked.
Fuuka nodded. "Yes." The real reason why she was enrolled in the college department of Kuoh Academy was to be Aigis' technician, but there was no need for Fuuka to tell both Issei and Asia about that. "And, by the way, Aigis will be back the day after tomorrow. She told me to tell you two about that."
Issei grinned. "Yeah, that's cool. Thanks for telling us, Fuuka-san."
"You're welcome," Fuuka said, smiling at the boy. "I shall be on my way, then."
"Alright, have a safe trip, Fuuka-san," Issei said to Fuuka.
"Let's meet again soon, Fuuka-san," Asia said, bowing politely to Fuuka.
Nodding, Fuuka walked past both of them, going down the street before she arrived at an intersection. She was unaware of an incoming, speeding car that came towards her direction as she walked.
And Issei, who wasn't still too far from her, took a glance behind, and saw that Fuuka was in danger. Without even thinking, he turned behind and dashed over her direction.
As for Fuuka, she finally noticed the incoming car, but it was already too late. She had no time to avoid being hit, and all she could do was brace herself, closing her eyes. She felt like a deer in the headlights, unable to move as the car approached her without any signs of slowing down.
"Fuuka-san!"
She didn't expect having a pair of arms wrapping around her. She opened her eyes and saw Issei grabbing her after leaping towards her, bringing her out of harm's way. Issei had leaped away after grabbing her, and both of them were in midair.
"Eh?"
Fuuka was too stunned to respond to this turn of events, and she didn't even realize that one of Issei's hands was pressed against her chest. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a pair of leathery wings on Issei's back, thus explaining why both of them were in midair. The speeding car went past them, and they were out of harm's way. Once they landed, she would be safe and all problems would be solved.
Unfortunately for both of them, especially to Issei, he wasn't really that skilled in flight, due to him being a recently-reincarnated Devil. He was unable to maneuver properly with his wings as both of them descended down, thanks to the law of gravity. And to make thing even worse, the momentum of his leap earlier brought both of them closer and closer to a lamp post.
"W-watch out!"
Crash!
"Urgh!"
"Eek!"
"Issei-san!"
Issei ended up hitting his head against the lamp post, leaving a noticeable dent on it. His arms were still wrapped around Fuuka so that she wouldn't get hurt due to the collision. Fuuka was on top of him, and she was too confused to even try to make sense to any of the things that happened to them.
Squish!
"Kya!"
Then, Fuuka finally realized that Issei's hand was still on her chest, and as a result, her cheeks turned red.
As for Issei, despite his bleeding head, he displayed a lecherous grin before he spoke, "S-soft…"
And then he passed out.
"I-Issei-san!" Asia's cry resounded through the area.
"Where… where am I?"
When I came back to my senses, I noticed that I was in a dark place. I was unable to see everything around me other than myself. Strangely, despite the lack of lighting, I was able to see myself just fine.
And for some reason, I was naked. How the hell did I end up being naked?!
Still, the nakedness wasn't my primary concern, as I looked down to see my left arm. I saw the familiar, jeweled red gauntlet with glowing green outlines that covered my left arm. Instead of a normal, human hand, the fingers of my hand were jagged and claw-like. I clenched my draconic-looking hand into a fist.
Boosted Gear.
From what others had told me, Boosted Gear is one of the thirteen Longinus, the top-tier Sacred Gears that are capable of killing gods. From Buchou's explanation, Boosted Gear is capable of amplifying and doubling its user's power every ten seconds. Give it enough time, Boosted Gear could be used to vanquish a god-like opponent.
Still, how did I end up here? When I tried to recall the last thing that happened to me before I came back to my senses, I saved Fuuka-san from being hit by an incoming car, but I ended up hitting my head against a lamp post. Man, that was kinda embarrassing!
At least I got to grope Fuuka-san's breasts. They weren't too big like Buchou's or Akeno-san, but they were soft and squishy, just like Asia-chan's.
Damn, focus! Instead of daydreaming about someone's breasts, it was important for me to focus on why I was here, in this place.
Then, I noticed two green, glowing orbs before me. I looked up to see them before they moved. After that, I heard the sounds of rough, ragged breathing. I began to see the silhouette of a gargantuan creature; its outline could be clearly seen despite the darkness.
Then the creature opened its mouth, unleashing a loud, beastly roar that shook everything around me. The beast before me was a creature of pure rage, pure power. And then it expanded its large, leathery wings, as those two glowing green orbs, which were evidently its eyes, looked straight at me, as if staring deep into me.
Only one word could describe the great beast before me.
Magnificent.
"Uh…"
"H-he's waking up!" Asia let out a cry of relief when Issei finally stirred from his state of unconsciousness. She was using her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, to heal Issei's injury that he got after hitting his head against a lamp post. Beside the ex-nun, Fuuka was also looking at Issei, looking worried.
There were at a bench, and Issei was lying on it. Asia used her lap as a pillow to put Issei's head on while healing his head injury.
"A-Asia-chan?" Issei said groggily, blinking a few times as he saw Asia's teary eyes. Then he looked at Fuuka's face, whose cheeks were red, due to some reasons. Perhaps she's just worried about him. And shaken too, as well, because she almost got herself hit by a car just a while ago. After a while, he got up and looked at Fuuka. "Fuuka-san, are you alright?! Are you hurt?!"
He definitely wouldn't forgive himself if Fuuka ended up being hurt at that time. He didn't want Fuuka, Aigis' friend, to be hurt while in his presence. He simply couldn't allow it.
"I-I'm alright," Fuuka stuttered, looking away in embarrassment. "I didn't see the car coming…" Fuuka brought her hand to her face, feeling a little ashamed because she didn't see the car, despite her power that allowed her to see everything. Then, she lowered her hand before she gave Issei a bashful smile. "Anyways, thank you, Issei-san. I… I really appreciate the help."
Issei grinned. "Don't mention it! I'm glad you're safe!" Then, he winced. "Oww! My head!"
"I-Issei-san, your head isn't fully healed yet! Don't move too much!" Asia told Issei as she continued pouring the healing aura onto Issei's head so that the wound could be fully healed. Despite the lowered effectiveness of the Sacred Gear after being extracted by Raynare, it still could function properly to heal others.
"Well, let's bring you home," Issei said after Asia was done healing his head. He figured that after a close brush with death earlier, Fuuka was probably shaken up and she probably needed some rest at her place. He got up and held out his hand to Fuuka. "Let's go now, Fuuka-san. We'll walk you home."
"Umm…" Fuuka hesitantly took Issei's hand.
"Alright, let's go!" Issei said.
"Let's go!" Asia repeated what Issei said.
So, both Issei and Asia escorted Fuuka back to her place. She didn't say anything on their way back to her apartment, and both Issei and Asia thought that she definitely needed some rest.
Issei seemed to be blissfully unaware of the bashful look Fuuka gave him.
"This feeling…"
Fuuka could hear Juno snickering inside her head. She chose to ignore her. She didn't want to make her embarrassment seem apparent due to the constant teasing from her Persona, who somehow chose to be self-aware this time around.
"Issei… Issei Hyoudou…"
"And that's everything that I can give you right now…"
Azazel leaned back after he listened to the strange, robed man before him. They were at a café, and while the robed man seemed to catch the interest of passersby, thanks to the barrier that Azazel created earlier. No one seemed to do more than just spare a glance at him.
"Ah, thank you for the info, old friend," Azazel said. "As expected from the legendary Persona-user himself, Swami Chandraputra…"
The strange man, Swami Chandraputra lowered his head. "You will be surprised how much a man can learn after encountering something that exceeds human comprehension, Azazel." He lifted one of his ceramic arms. "Even my current condition has something to do with my encounter with something that should never be comprehended."
Azazel shifted his seat as he looked at the surface of the limb. "The Faceless King, you mean?"
Chandraputra nodded. "It will be only a matter of time before he fully emerges. He was defeated once, and now, he is prepared to continue what he started." He lowered his hand. "Humanity has no shortage of champions to fight him, but… this time, there is no guarantee whether humanity's champions can emerge victorious again or not."
"And we, the supernatural beings, have to stay at the sidelines as humanity struggles for their survival?" Azazel asked.
"It depends," Chandraputra replied. "If he chooses the same method as before, you may as well not get yourselves involved. But, I am sure that he will not use the same method that had failed him. The possibility of him trying to get you and the rest of the supernatural factions involved is there."
Azazel sighed. "And we will have to fight again, then."
Chandraputra studied the Fallen Angel's expression before he shifted his seat. "Then, we are done, for now." He looked at the person who was standing beside Azazel the whole time when they were talking. "Ah, you have yet to introduce the boy to me, old friend."
"Yes, I almost forgot," Azazel said as he gestured to the white-haired young man beside him. "This is Vali. He's under my charge. Do forgive him for his lack of participation in our discussion, old friend. He's not the most talkative person out there."
"I see…" Chandraputra mused before he looked at Vali again. "Still, your eyes remind me of someone. And the aura you radiate…" He stroked his beard as he studied Vali. "Are you perhaps related to-"
"I know what you are going to say, and you better not say it if you know what is good for you," Vali said bluntly, cutting Chandraputra off. Despite his mask-like visage, the strange robed man seemed visibly startled, but he soon composed himself.
"Ah, I see…" Chandraputra tipped his head. "Do forgive me, then. An old man like me has no way to know when to shut up, I suppose."
As for Azazel, he sighed. He knew well why Vali acted like that, and he was wise about not saying anything related to it also.
Then, Chandraputra got up from his seat. "Please excuse me, then. Till we meet again, old friend." He walked out of the café, ignoring the curious looks from the other people around him.
The robed man decided to go back where he resided, a place where only the selected ones could enter. But, as he walked, he noticed that he was being followed by someone. After a while, he stopped walking.
"Boy…" Chandraputra spoke without looking back. Vali was seen standing behind him, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he looked at the back of the robed man. "Are you perhaps interested in an old man like me?" Chandraputra then chuckled. "You sure have quite a peculiar taste, boy."
"Cut the shit right now, old man…" Vali said. His lips curled up into a grin as he continued, "Azazel called you 'the legendary Persona-user'." His grin turned manic. "Does that mean you're strong?"
Chandraputra was silent for a few moments before he let out a soft sigh. He turned around to look at the white-haired young man directly. "It is true that I am legendary. Still, legendary does not equal strong, boy." Then he shook his head. "And even if I am strong, I do not wish to fight you, the one who carries the spirit of the white dragon." After a few seconds of silence, he continued, "So, is that why the Grigori took an interest in you? Because of your Sacred Gear?"
"Tch…" Vali seemed rather disappointed. Then, he spoke, "About what Azazel said earlier, about humanity's greatest champions… are they strong?"
"It depends…" Chandraputra said. "Sometimes, they do not wish to be given the strength to become humanity's greatest champions. If anything, they are nothing more than just puppets of fate, moving according to the strings attached on them. But in any case, if the strings are no longer attached to them, they will become a force beyond reckoning."
"Hmph…" Vali then turned around and started to leave. Chandraputra just looked as the white-haired young man left him, disappearing into the crowd.
"Such an unpredictable young man…" Chandraputra muttered. "Still, it is a wonder that Azazel managed to get a hold on him."
The robed man looked up.
"Let us hope that the boy does not catch the interest of the chaos that crawls within the darkness, or else the incoming conflict may end up becoming more chaotic and more unpredictable than before…"
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Note: Hello, it's me, Prince Arjuna. Finally, I managed to update this story, Heart of a Butterfly, after having problem with this chapter. I admit that it's kind of hard to write this chapter due to writer's block. I had to rewrite this chapter at least three times. So, this chapter, as you can see, is kind of filler-ish and a little short than the usual chapters, and Aigis didn't even appear, even though her name is mentioned many times. So, I'd like to return to the main plot for the next chapter, and perhaps it will be time for me to deal with Riser arc. It's going to be hard, considering many things that I don't feel like mentioning here, but... well, wish me luck, I guess?
Also, special thanks to Sorata Shioya for beta-reading this chapter. It is so nice working alongside you, partner.
So, I hope you guys like this chapter, and please stay tuned and look forward for the next chapter, Chapter 18: Rising Phoenix. Until then, farewell.
Prince Arjuna (2015)