Alright, welcome to the first chapter of the second volume. I honestly have nothing to say other than this is more or less my first time writing fight scenes, so I apologize if anything seems out of place or seems too short.
Also, due to me having not written anything during the winter, I've decided to pre-release the first two chapters of this volume before releasing the other three chapters at a later date.
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Volume 2, Life 1
"Patches! KILL!"
Those were the words that had left her master's mouth, signifying to her that he indeed intended for her to be sentence to death in this pit. Had she nothing to live for, she may have well embraced death long ago, rather than to be some sort of gruesome spectacle for the devil masses.
The loud 'thumps' on the metallic floor grew closer and closer. Seeing the massive hulk of an abomination against God quickly gain distance on her, the Nekomata knew she had to think up of something quick in order to survive this fight, as well as learn how to defeat the beast in front of her. Not once in her entire life had she ever used magic, nor knew of any, and with no armor to protect herself, she chose the only choice she had in the situation. Running. Ripping the dress at the legs that she wore, she got ready to set her plan into motion.
Once the unholy creature made its way in front of Kuroka, it raised its right arm high above its head, tightly gripping the meat cleaver it had as it swung downward, hoping to end this fight in one swing.
It failed, as Kuroka used her feline heritage to jump out of danger at the last second, hoping the creature would realize too slowly that it had missed. The scent from the beast was more than enough to make the Nekomata nauseous to her stomach, but she forced the remains of her lunch back down as she slid across the bloody and rusty floor. She didn't have too much time to think about other things though, as Patches made its next move by swinging its left arm around, letting the meat-hook and chain fall out of its grasp. Nearly breaking her spine in half attempting to dodge the vile hook, time seemed to have slowed down for her, as she watched the stage lights above bounce off the pewter-coated curled metal.
Slipping on the blood below, Kuroka hit the back of her head hard on the cold ground, luckily only giving her a minor headache and slowing down her reaction time as she narrowly rolled out of the way of another strike from Patches, stomping down on the ground with its massive foot. Having felt like she put enough space between the two, she rolled onto her stomach and swiftly pushed herself off the ground, missing another swing of the meat-hook that had been sent her way. Having ignored the commentary that was being said throughout the beginning of the fight, Kuroka also pretended to not hear the crowd that had begun to boo after no blood was spilt.
Taking a single second to look up at the seats that the devils comfortably sat in, Kuroka spotted a timer, nine minutes slowly ticking away. Thinking that once it hit zero, and that this nightmare would perhaps end, Kuroka began to devise a plan. If she could get into one of the body piles, she could perhaps survive long enough to not have to fight. She ran towards the closest pile, making the fatal mistake of ignoring her surroundings.
The feeling of piercing cold metal, digging into her flesh, as she was suddenly lifted off her feet and thrown backwards, flying through the air as the hook carved out of her flesh and flew her into a pile on the other side of the arena. With having never even felt such a pain in her life, Kuroka let out a blood-curdling scream, only to be drown out by the cheers of joy coming from outside the ring.
The hot liquid that was her blood, the burning feeling of having her flesh ripped right from her body, she wanted it to end. She lowered her eye lids, not wanting to see the beast that would take her life, as she could hear the thumps of its feet drawing closer. If this was what she was going to suffer through, it this was what she was going have to do to become Azhul's Bishop, then she may have very well just give up right there.
'Onee-sama.'
With the sound of the upset audience not seeing what they paid to see, Kuroka felt her eyelids become heavy as the thumping of Patches came ever closer.
'Onee-sama, nyah~'
Each step of the abomination felt like a millennium, as the Nekomata counted the ticking seconds go by. If only she knew what to do.
'Onee-sama!'
Kuroka's eyes flew wide open, as she remembered the very reason why she lived. She did not live for herself, she did not live so others could toy with her, she lived so she could be with her sister. So long as her sister was there, she would never give up, and she would prove it, by winning this battle.
With Patches raising its right hand once more to deliver the final blow, Kuroka did the unexpected, and used the bodies around her as a spring to head-butt the creature in the chest. While it didn't do the job of knocking it of its feet, the beast stumbled backwards some, losing its concentration on the prize in front of it. Those few precious seconds were all she needed, as she jumped high in the air and came back down, hard, on Patches' right arm. Breaking the arm in two, the creature showed no signs of pain as it tried to swat the Nekomata away, not realizing that the grip it had on its meat-cleaver had loosened, and the blade went flying through the arena. With a metallic 'clang', metal hit metal as the cleaver bounced off the wall, and landed on the ground, with Kuroka going after it.
Running towards the cleaver, the Nekomata used her ears to single out the sound of the hook that had once again been thrown her away. Jumping in time to avoid another wound on the back, she landed again on all fours, pushing herself forward to dash a little faster as the adrenaline in her system ignored the searing pain in her shoulder. She slid across the ground, doing a one-eighty and facing the abomination again, as she reached down for the cleaver. Hoping that one would be enough, she wrapped her hand around the metal kitchen tool, only to find that it would require more than one hand to pick up.
She didn't have time to worry about that though, as she dodged another attack from the beast. Looking up again to see the timer, she saw that the time had gone from nine minutes down to six. It was all she needed to know, as from what she had seen, the abomination did not have a lot of attacks. With the cleaver having been its short-range attack, she assumed that the meat-hook it used was only for long-range attacks. If that was the case, then all she needed to do was stick close to Patches and not let his hook fly.
Narrowly missing another swing of the chained hook, she took both hands and grabbed the kitchen tool, charging at the hulking beast and dodging the swinging hook. Shifting all her might into her arms, she swung with the best of her ability, knocking the hook off course and making it get embedded in the corpses around. Quickly dropping the cleaver, she grabbed hold of the chain, grasping with all her life as she could feel the beast swing it around once more in an attempt to throw the bodies off the metal links. More booing ensued from the crowd, as Patches was unable to remove the Nekomata from his weapon. With it not being the most intelligent creature, it didn't do well to respond to Kuroka's movement, as she moved up the chain once it was brought closer, and climbed up on the beast's shoulders, digging her claws into the beast's flesh to undo the stitching that had been there, and separating the arm from its body.
She could feel some angry glares coming from the crowd as she pulled on the chain that had still been in her hands, while others began cheering for her as she wrapped the chain around Patches' neck and made it into a lead as the confused beast flailed around, the metal digging into the rotten flesh. Though it hadn't exactly been the plan she had initially thought of, she tried to hurry and end this fight as soon as possible, as the lead quickly began to grind its way into the monster's exposed tongue, nearly cutting it off in the process. With the feeling of being light-headed and woozy, she tried her best in steering the massive hulk into the walls.
For seconds, the beast continued to flail around, trying its best to swat away the Nekomata, but all in vain. She twisted and turned the neck of the beast, kicking it in the back of the head to push it forward. Nearly two minutes later, the beast managed to be lured near the walls, and with a kick off its head and another swift kick in the center of its back, the abomination was pushed forward. The sickening sound of flesh and bone being pierced as Patches was stabbed through the chest, head, and stomach. The beast was no more.
With the entire crowd cheering at the end, finally seeing what they had come for, Kuroka couldn't help but smile at the small victory she had achieved. What had started as a death sentence for her, ended up being the first victory of many, as the world around began to grow darker. The Nekomata collapsed forward, her eyelids feeling heavy as the amount of blood she had lost was too much. Trying her best to keep her eyes open, she thought of her sister as her name was being announced as the winner…
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Kuroka woke up several hours later in a groggy state. Having no memory of what happened to her, and her head and back in too much pain to remember, the Nekomata slowly opened her eyes, hoping to get some clue of where she was. Unfortunately for her, the idea of opening her eyes backfired on her, as the blinding light that was above her burned into her retinas, forcing her to immediately close her eyelids. Letting out a moan of pain, she tried to lift her entire body, only to find it was quite possibly the hardest thing she could do. She had almost no energy left, and even raising her head a single centimeter off of the plush pillow she seemed to be sleeping on took all the effort she could muster.
When she finally managed to start the journey of getting out of bed, barely raising her upper body a mere five centimeters, she felt her whole buddy be pushed down by some unknown force, with a voice that accompanied it.
"Whoa there, you're in no condition to get out of bed just yet, young lady."
Feeling the warmth of the blinding light being shone away from her face, Kuroka tried once again, and opened a single eyelid to see her surroundings.
While everything was incredibly blurry at first, she slowly started to make out various lines and shapes. Shortly afterwards, her brain was able to register that she was in some type of hospital room, completely white and completely sterile. Looking all over the room, she made note of every little thing, before her eye finally found the source of the voice that had talked to her.
A tall, sporty-type man, somewhere between his late twenties and early thirties, chestnut hair and dazzling blue eyes that seemed to shine, a warm smile that accompanied his smooth baby-like face.
"Who… are you…?" She asked weakly. Having no water to satisfy her dying thirst, she couldn't help but cough a few times after trying so hard to speak. Seeing her discomfort, the man quickly took a cup on a nearby counter that seemed to be waiting for her, gently guiding the water down her throat as she drank the soothing liquid greedily.
After some moments of her drinking the water, she felt the cup be pulled away from her. With a cloth to wipe away any remaining droplets on her face, the man spoke once more. "Better?" He asked, to which the Nekomata answered with a small and weak nod. Continuing to smile warmly, the man chose to answer the poor girl. "I'm the one who will be ending your suffering, of course." He answered, his warm smile now gone as he seemed to look down at the girl with cold eyes.
Comprehending what the man meant, Kuroka couldn't happen to be paralyzed from fear. If someone really did want to kill her, now would be the most opportune moment to do so. Fortunately for her though, what was once fear, quickly turned into confusion, as the man couldn't keep his façade going. He quickly burst into laughter, the bright smile that suited him better returning once more as he apologized to the Nekomata. "Apologies, apologies, I apologize Ms. Kuroka, I simply joke. A bit of a bad doctor's joke, I'm afraid. No, who I am is of no concern for right now, nor will I be doing any of the sort. All you need to know is that you did well in surviving The Pit, and that in doing so, the master seems to have great plans stored for you. The bad news is that while you may be all patched up now, and have a few healing spells running for you, you might be in bed for a little while longer as your body gets adjusted to everything. Still, I must admit, it was quite an entertaining show you put on out there, especially with no magic or fighting experience to back you up."
"The Pit…?" She asked again, not sure what the man meant. Without him answering, her mind began to work on what happened in the past twenty-four hours. She gritted her teeth, grinding them as she restrained what energy she had left to curse Azhul for doing something so horrid to her.
Seeing the distress on the girl's face, the doctor couldn't help but sympathize, having seen that reaction many-a-time in the place he worked. It was, unfortunately, simply one of the many perks of being the caretaker of the victors. "I apologize." He said, trying to break the girl's frustration as he brought forth a bowl from the nearby counter that had been next to the water, containing a yellowish, watery substance inside. "You must be hungry after your victory. Come, eat."
Motioning for her to take the spoon in her mouth that had been holding a small amount of the substance, Kuroka pursed her lips as she glared towards the doctor, not trusting him for a bit. If he worked under Azhul, it also meant that he was just as guilty for the atrocities that seemed to go on in secret.
When the cat wouldn't budge, the doctor sighed in defeat, putting the bowl away as he watched the young girl intently. He was interested after all, as not only was she one of the remaining Nekomata within the realm of mystics, but according to what his master had said, she was also a special being capable of out-performing even some of the biggest heavy hitters in their world, should she ever be trained properly. A part of him felt sad that someone so young had to go something absolutely terrible, but another part of him, a louder part of him, was eager to see just how powerful this cat could become.
"… Shirone, nya…"
"Hmm…?"
"Where is my sister?" Kuroka asked, worried for her only family member. If she knew what was going to happen to her, she would have fled the castle a long time ago, the white kitten with her, and hopefully a better home.
The doctor smiled a bit. "You need not worry about your sister, Ms. Kuroka. She is being taken care of, as she was put to bed a few hours ago. Besides, you should grateful for the moment being. You had taken a pretty nasty fall in the arena. You're lucky you didn't end up with a concussion."
"I want to see her." Kuroka demanded, trying her best to sit up, only to be pushed back down by the doctor gently.
"That might not be such a good idea. You may rip your back wound open again trying to sit up." The doctor said, his voice becoming sterner as the cat wriggled around, trying to run away.
"I don't care. I want to see her!"
When she became more aggressive, the doctor had to get on top of her, trying his best to hold the cat down as she struggled against his might, using whatever energy she had regained when waking up to do it. "Calm down, Ms. Kuroka! I understand you're worried about her, but you're in no condition to be with her right now! When tomorrow morning comes, I'll be sure that she'll be sent for and be brought here for you to see. Is that acceptable?" He proposed as he finally pushed both his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to lie in bed.
With the proposition given, the Nekomata couldn't help but feel helpless. It was true that her body was in no condition, having been exhausted with the fight, and now an aching pain in the spot where she was caught by the hook, tears welled up in her eyes. "… Why?"
The doctor didn't respond, simply staring at her as the salty liquid in her eyes began to run down the sides of her face. He sighed, knowing full well that this was simply the beginning of what would be the rest of her life.
With a broken promise and an enraged Nekomata, Kuroka was forced to heal up over the next several days in that hospital room, with the only company being the doctor. As she was told, while the promise of keeping Shirone safe was true, it seemed that the Baron had other plans in store. Kuroka was told that she would have to prove herself to the Baron in order to see her beloved sister. She was, after all, a weakness, or so the Baron would say.
This was something she obviously would not take.
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Outside in the fresh air, a small grassy area for those to train in, with equipment set up in one corner. It ranged from simple enhanced weightlifting equipment and punching bags made specifically for devils, to more advanced and otherworldly creations meant for enhancing one's magical capabilities. Upon reaching the place that she was to train in, she was quick to notice that despite being told to train with fellow Evil Pieces, the only other one in Kuroka's presence was the same doctor that had taken care of her when she had been in the infirmary.
Sweat going down his face and being too focused on sparring an automated yet intelligent shadowy figure, most likely used as sparring partners for those who wanted them, the doctor did not notice the existence of the cat slowly walking up behind him. Dodging a kick from the shadow dummy, he let out a groan at someone delivering a quick jab to his exposed kidney, falling to his knees and covering the bruise that was sure to be made. Looking back, he caught the person responsible for inflicting the pain, grimacing at him.
"That wasn't very nice." He said, wincing at the pain and getting up, as the shadow dummy that he had been fighting backed off.
"That's for threatening to kill me right after I woke up, nya."
The doctor smirked a bit, nodding in understanding as he looked back at where the figure once stood, not evaporated as it was no longer needed. "Fair enough. I suppose that warrants a bit of revenge."
Taking a few steps away from the doctor, Kuroka crossed her arms, still not pleased with the situation she was in. "… Who are you?"
"Me?" The doctor proclaimed, pointing one of his fingers to his face. "I thought I told you? I'm someone not importa- AH!" He sentence was cut short though as Kuroka delivered another blow to his body, this time being his other kidney via kick. "Alright, alright! I give…!" He said as he threw his arms in the air, turning around on the ground and properly sitting down cross legged, looking towards Kuroka who still had her arms crossed.
"So…?"
"I'm…" He paused for a bit though, making the cat more irritated by the second. Without another thought about it though, he looked at her, smiling as he got up on his feet. "Tell you what, you obviously lack training. How about you and I go one round? Manage to win, and I'll tell you."
Kuroka groaned under her breath. "And if I lose?"
"Then the pretty lady will have to give me a kiss." He said, pointing one finger to his cheek.
Rather than the expected blush though, the Nekomata simply smiled. With the way she managed to sneak up on him, even though she hadn't really been trying to, and managing to strike him twice in both his kidneys, she was sure to win the challenge.
With an outreached hand, she nodded once. "Deal."
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
She couldn't have been more wrong in her life.
Laying on her back on the grass, Kuroka was breathing heavily as finally admitted defeat at the hands of the doctor. In less than thirty seconds her pride had been given a crushing blow as she felt the world around her begin to spin. Moaning in pain and cursing the man for his deceiving looks, Kuroka began to get back up to fight once more. That would prove fruitless though, as the doctor did a swift leg seep from underneath her, making her fall back onto her bum, making her swear more loudly and glare towards the offending person.
"The first rule of fighting is to always be aware of your surroundings." The man said calmly, reaching a hand out to help her up. "And before you ask, yes, I did let you hit me those two times before we started this little match."
"Why?" She asked through a protesting tone, obviously beginning to feel the pain from her newly entitled 'training'.
"To lure you into a false sense of security. If you thought I was easy to defeat with the way you hit me, then chances are, you would lower your defenses and become an easier target." He explained, allowing her to brush herself off of any dirt that was on her. "I should also mention that despite you having both the Bishop pieces, I've yet to see you use one spell or summon up any type of magic."
Kuroka paused her brushing as she looked up at the man, annoyed at his insinuation. "And so what if I don't know magic?"
"Then you're useless as a piece, and as one of master's servants." He explained, crossing his arms as he looked over her, trying to find any and all criticisms he could.
Upon hearing that, Kuroka clenched her fists together. "I didn't ask to become this. He forced it upon me!" She declared.
"Because of your sister?"
Rather than answer the man's question, Kuroka lashed out at him, swiping one of her hands at him, Nekomata claws out. The man stepped back once on the ball of his heel, dodging the swipe with arms behind his back. Once she tried to swipe again, he would step back again. And again. And again.
A swipe to his knees, he would jump.
A swipe to his head, he would duck.
A fist to his stomach, he would step to the side and allow her to follow through missing.
With each miss, the Nekomata became more and more infuriated, wanting to lay her hands on the man, not realizing that it had been the man's plan the entire time. Within a few minutes, Kuroka was breathing heavily once more as she ran out of stamina, having not controlled it at all. The fight ended with a simple strike to the back of Kuroka's neck, knocking her to the ground face first.
"Rule number two of fighting. Don't let your opponent antagonize you. If you lose control of your emotions, you begin to act erratically, which your opponent can use to defeat you."
Instead of accepting defeat, Kuroka got back onto her knees, continuing to glare towards the man, still trying to catch her breath. "Don't… tell me… what to do!"
Before she could attack once more, she felt a large pressure hit her on the back, forcing her to fall to the ground again. Looking up, she could see that the man was using a single foot to hold her entire body down. It was obvious he wasn't going to allow her to get up, not without a fight.
As she began to struggle underneath his foot, the man continued his speech. "Rule number three. It's sometimes better to accept defeat and to learn from it, than to not learn at all." He said, before leaning in to whisper to her one last thing. "Remember this, Ms. Kuroka, and one day, you'll perhaps be able to defeat me."
Lifting his foot off of the cat, he began to walk away, reminding her of the promise they had made before the fight. Leaving her to cry in frustration and to realize the mistakes she had made, she knew she would have to begin the training she would need to become a powerful Bishop, and to get back to her sister once and for all.
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Inside his gothic castle, Lord Azhul looked down upon the training grounds, satisfied for what would surely be the simple beginning of a fine devil. Though he knew cutting her off from the only thing that had been worth living for, he needed for her to have motivation to fight for him. If he were to get rid of the little one completely, the consequences from the Nekomata would far outweigh the benefits of such an idea.
Ignoring the echoing footsteps inside the hall, he continued to look down, a smile plastered on his face. As the footsteps stopped only a few feet away from him, the smile faded away, presenting the more lordly and strict being that he was.
"You're late."
The being that had walked up to the Baron was the doctor himself, who respectfully bowed towards the devil. "I apologize, master. The girl had come later than I anticipated, but I have done what you asked."
"So I see." The Baron stated as he made a sideway glance towards the person, before turning his eyes back towards the training grounds below. After a few uncomfortable seconds of silence, the doctor coughed once to get the attention of his lord. "Speak."
"If I may be so bold, master. Why?" He asked, standing upright once more as he tried to smooth out any wrinkles in his clothes that may have dirtied his look.
"You already know the answer."
"But to have her fighting already? The girl barely knows anything! It had been a miracle that she survived against your creature! And had I actually tried to fight her-"
"She would have surely died. Is that what you're trying to tell me, Dominik?" The Lord asked in a gruff voice.
The doctor, or as his name was, Dominik, the Queen of Baron Azhul, wished to argue. He had been serving under the Lord for nearly a hundred years, once a simple peddler from Europe, his powers unknown at the time. Resurrected as a devil having tried to escape the bloody revolutionaries in his area, he would grow up learning the history of his master, and the disdain he had for the system in place. Especially, for those in charge of it.
But while he may have questioned his master from time to time, he believed that ultimately that his master was correct. The countless bodies that had come and gone, trying to find the perfect soldiers to fulfill his master's goal, it would all be worth it in the end.
"I came prepared knowing the risks, Dominik. I have not kept that girl ignorant these past four years simply to waste my chance at undoing the tragedies that have been put onto my family's name. That girl, while lacking the power now, will one day become far more powerful than I could ask for."
"And the sister?"
"… A backup should I need it." The Lord answered grimly. Finally turning away from watching Kuroka below, he looked at his Queen directly, giving him his full attention. "After your duties tonight, I wish for you to begin training her in a more detailed way in The Pit. Have more of the monsters ready should she need them. Is that understood?"
Hesitantly speaking, the Queen nodded, understanding his role as being the one in charge of said monsters along with being the caretaker of those who would survive the fights. With one arm across his chest and bowed. "Yes, my master…"
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Back in the physical realm of present time, Issei continued to watch his future Queen sleep silently in his bed, hands clamped tight as he rested his elbows on his knees, staring at the two sleeping forms in front of him.
Having been tired from staying up all night, Koneko had fallen asleep in her chair. Issei, being the gentleman he was, managed to pick her up without waking her, placing her next to her sister where she got in more comfortable position, wrapping one arm around her sister's waist and hugging her closer.
Meanwhile, it had been obvious that Issei had stayed up all night. Bags had begun to form underneath his eyes, and the first rays of the morning sun were beginning to come through the windows. It wouldn't be long until the time that he should have originally woken up. The time that would have signal the start of a most important day.
The sound of a door creaking slowly opening went unnoticed by the Crimson Dragon, not causing him to flinch or even blink as the sound of footsteps slowly approached him from behind. Having been lost in his own little world, unsure of what he should do with the cats in front of him, his body reacted with a small jump out of his seat when he felt the softness of his future wife lay against his head, still dressed in her nightly negligee. Realizing who it had been though, his body was quick to calm down.
"How is she?" Rias asked in a quiet but concerned tone, wrapping her arms around the chest of her fiancée, if only to show him that she was there for him.
Issei shook his head once. "She hasn't woken up since the incident last night." He responded, his voice cracked from a dry throat, having forgotten to swallow at all last night as he watched his Queen. Making sure that his throat was adequately lathered up with saliva and even coughing a few times to get any dry air out, he grabbed Rias' hand that had been wrapped around onto his chest, squeezing it gently. "Is there any way to delay the court hearing?" He asked, hoping for even the smallest glimmer of luck on his side as he looked up at her, eyes pleading for that hope. As it would have though, luck would not be on his side. Rias sighed and shook her head.
"It had been hard enough to get them to make this hearing in the first place, without outright arresting her and charging us with aiding a wanted criminal. The fact remains, because you want to become her King, and her, your Queen, you are the one that will be forced to represent her, regardless if she shows up or not."
"And if I do not know the reason for her decision to kill her previous master and all those other devils, then-"
"You do not have the evidence you need to help convince the court that it was for the right reasons."
Issei felt like absolute crap at that moment. He had no plan, no evidence, no witnesses. He was no lawyer, and he knew that even though the Underworld court system was far different than the one in Japan, it also meant that he could not win his case simply because he wanted to. He looked out the window of his room, watching the sun slowly begin to climb higher into the sky over the horizon. It was a marvelous sight, and something that he wished that he didn't have to feel so sad and wounded over.
The door to his room clicked open once more to reveal that Ravel had woken up shortly before the sun had begun to rise, and already dressed and ready to go for the important date. The look on her face revealed to Issei all he needed to know how she felt as he turned to face her, seeing the lack of confidence she once held two weeks ago. She opened her mouth once she saw her own master sitting in that chair, ready to tell him that it would be time soon, only to see him looking at her with his own lack of self-confidence. The look on his face caused her to bite her lip, forcing her to keep quiet as she entered the room silently, closing the door behind her.
"Any good news, Ravel?" Issei asked, a hopeful smirk on his face, only to have both girls watch it slowly fade away as he realized that it was not what the Phenex sibling came for. "… I see."
"Forgive me Lord Issei, but I could not find any evidence last night that could help with Lady Kuroka's case today."
Rias' brow raised a bit as she became a bit shocked at what the Bishop had said. Hoping to lighten up the mood a bit, she questioned Ravel's wording in a teasing manner. "Lady Kuroka?"
Ravel's cheeks felt a bit flushed as the Gremory heiress had caught her in a moment of sincerity. Not wanting to fall into the King's trap, she cleared her throat, making sure she wasn't stuttering when she spoke and stood with back straight. "Y-Yes. Lord Issei has proclaimed that she is to become his Queen, s-so-"
"So you thought you would begin addressing her with respect. Is that it?" Rias asked with a smug smirk. It wasn't often she got to tease the littlest Phenex, and she was going to have fun with it whenever possible. She didn't get a vocal answer from the young Phenex, she instead got an embarrassed Bishop who began to look away from the female King with her cheeks still flushed and puffed out. Rias couldn't help but begin to gently laugh, forgetting the two sleeping cats in the room. Luckily for her, her laughter wasn't loud enough to rudely rouse them from their slumber. Eventually Rias' laughter did die down though, and the friendly atmosphere that had begun to appear suddenly went back to the gloomy aura that had been there before.
The silence that had begun to take over was abruptly interrupted as the sound of something buzzing began to hum from Issei's pocket. Ignoring the two beauties who were looking at him with distress, he pulled out his phone to look at the alarm he had set the night before, before any of this had happened. Not even thinking about it, he turned the alarm off, and got off the chair he had been sitting in the entire time, making his way to the door.
"Issei…" Rias called out softly as she looked at him, his shoulders relaxed and a small smile across his face, as if this entire event never occurred in the first place. She wanted to reach out, to make sure he was alright, but was cut off by the boy as he turned to her, nothing seeming to trouble him.
"Rias."
"Y-Yes, Issei?"
Flexing one arm, he patted it with his other hand, showing a bright smile to his love. "I will free Kuroka. Somehow, some way, I will find a way. After all, how can I call myself the Oppai Dragon, savior of children, if I can't even save my Queen?"
Rias, and Ravel for the matter, were shocked for lack of a better word. Whatever had happened in the few short moments that they had been silent, Issei had managed to steel himself the upcoming battle, even if it had been one that he wasn't quite used to. Nevertheless, his easy-going and can-do attitude was what they all needed, as it was what they always relied on for getting through even the darkest of times.
Rias was the first to break out of her shocked manner as a smile grew on her face, knowing exactly what her Pawn meant. He was never one to give up, and she would be damned if he did so at this very moment. Looking back at the sleeping cats on the bed, she spoke. "You have the appropriate clothes meant for you in my room. I will be in there shortly to help you if you need it."
Issei nodded, signaling he understood, and promptly left the room, having his Bishop follow him out. Rias sat down on the edge of the bed, her smile never fading away as she began to stroke one hand through the hair of Koneko, who had still been quietly and comfortably snuggled up next to her sister. It was going to be a long day, and it had only just been the beginning.
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Back in the Nekomata's mind, several more years had passed. Four years of fighting for the amusement of other nobles, or using her newfound abilities to sneak out of her room and visit her beloved sister, or even become closer to the Queen whom she had come to admire in some ways. But no longer was she obligated to go in that god-forsaken pit, forced to fight against ungodly abominations of devil-kind, simply for the sick enjoyment of the few who knew of the sport, as she had finally been contacted about her first assignment. At least, that was what she was hoping for, as all she had been told was that she was to be going to the human realm.
Apparently the leather armor she had become accustomed to in her training would be required for this particular mission. The armor in question was black in color, in order to blend in with the darkness of the night. Rugged pauldrons sat upon her shoulders, connected by leather strap to the armored corset made of hides. Bracers, sabatons and greaves, all dressing her up in the full suit she wore to avoid damage, with gauntlets to accompany them, the tips of the fingers sliced off for her nails to come out. The only thing underneath it all, had been some black underwear to fit with the set, to help her from exposing herself in an improper manner. The less on, the lighter the weight, and therefore, the more agile she could become and quicker she could move.
"I must say, even after all these years, you end up looking more and more dazzling each time you put that on my dear Kuroka."
Kuroka turned her head from tightening her left bracer on to face the person she would be working with. Though she had known him for four years, having been shortly introduced to him after becoming the Baron's Bishop, she couldn't help but feel annoyed and revolted each time the man decided to talk to her.
A short, pot-bellied fellow, not even reaching a solid five-foot-five, began to waddle over towards her in the attire of an aristocrat. His shaggy and greasy brown hair swayed back and forth with each step he took, lust escaping his emerald eyes as he stared towards her in her outfit, his rounded nose with snot dribbling out of it, and licking his fat and reddened lips as if he was about to devour a meal.
"Porin Azhul, son of Baron Azhul." She spat in disgust. Putting on a gauntlet, she couldn't help but have the temptation of using her nails, or better yet her magic, to teach him a thing or two about personal space. Though the man in question didn't live in the castle itself, his notoriety did not go unnoticed by both her and the other female residents whenever he had come to visit.
Brought up in this household, thinking he could do no wrong, the Baron's son had gotten a nasty streak when it came to the opposite sex. Viewing them to be toys, he thought them to be abused or broken by him, having done so before to already many countless women. While the household was pure-blooded, it was simply a minor one, and not one of the seventy-two pillars that made up the Underworld. That, however, still meant that they were nobles to an extent, and could get away with more than the usual devil. This was the only thing holding Kuroka back from murdering the pudgy little man before he heard word of her sister deeper in the castle.
Breaking her out of her thoughts, and with the sound of smacking lips, Kuroka felt a fatty, repulsive hand begin to caress her bare bottom.
"Scrumptious, simply scrumptious." The Baron's son uttered as he felt the Nekomata's rear up, uncaring for any type of consent from her.
Quickly pulling away, Kuroka glared at the poor excuse of a person and hissed at him. Het two tails that had been making up her belt unwrapped from her waist and shot straight up as she continued to give Porin a threatening look, restraining her arm with all her might from lashing out and ending his pathetic life.
"Don't you dare touch me!" She lashed out, taking a swipe at him when he tried to step closer to her.
"Now, now, you wouldn't wish to harm your future partner, would you?" He asked, putting on a disgusting grin as he ignored her threats and continued to walk up to her. Grabbing the hand that lashed out at him, Kuroka could feel the pungent stench of his breath almost burning through the leather of her gauntlet like corrosive acid as he kissed it like a gentlemen he wasn't. She pulled her hand away quickly, making a mental note to scrub the filth away at a later date, before continuing to glare at him.
"What are you doing here, Porin? Did the pigs in the pen you mate with finally wise up and leave you? I suppose even they would get tired of a walking pile of excrement, nya."
The Baron's son did not seem to be bothered at the Nekomata's words, as he continued to smile, showing off his yellowed teeth in disregard to Kuroka's attempt to belittle him. "I simply thought I'd come by to see how my future concubine is doing before her first big mission. After all, it would be a shame if the elegant piece I've already set my eyes on had accidentally gotten hurt." He said without a hint of shame.
Kuroka could already feel her stomach becoming upset at the mere thought of serving this low-life insect, and would stand with her feet firm on the ground against such a ludicrous idea, if only to protect her precious sanity. "I do not know where ever got such an idea, Porin, but I would gladly end my life in a raging fire, if only so there would be no remains left for you to defile, before I ever got the idea of servicing you." She said, before ending it with her signature meow and spitting at the midget's face. As much as she despised what her life had become sometimes, she was always grateful that the Baron and his son were two very different people, if only more so that the Baron did not seem to care much for his only blood.
Wiping away the spit that had landed on his cheek with his hand, Porin showed no emotion of anger or hatred towards the Nekomata for daring the desecrate him. Instead, he continued to smile, staring at the foreign saliva, before indulging in the vile act of sniffing it as if it was a fine cheese ready to be admired, before stuffing it in his repulsive mouth, savoring the taste. Kuroka, understandably, couldn't help but feel like covering her own mouth in an attempt to restrain the bile that was building up in her own throat.
After finally swallowing his little treat, Porin casually continued the conversation as if nothing ever happened, whilst Kuroka couldn't even bare to look at the devil at the moment. "You say that now, but it won't be long before I convince my father to hand you over. After that, I'll be sure to train you enough that you'll be hungering after my body, happily using your mouth to pleasure me before begging me to stick it in you, if only to end the suffering of your heated body." He commented, before his grin turned into an even more sinister one, saying something that would have ended his life under normal circumstances. "Of course, we could always bring in that kitten you're always thinking about if you ever ended up feeling lonely."
"You little shit-!"
Something broke in Kuroka as the insect in front of her dared to insult not only her, but had learned of the existence of her sister as well. As her nails lengthened themselves, and as she was about to jump forward in an attempt to impale the slug's eyes out, someone called out her name, snapping her well-deserved bloodlust.
"Kuroka!"
Right before her nails managed to forever end the midget's vision of this world, her hand froze in place, hovering mere millimeters away from his face. They both (Kuroka reluctantly so) looked towards where her name was being called from. There, standing in the doorway to the room they stood in, had been the Baron himself, his blazing green eyes behind his monocle glaring not towards Kuroka like one would expect, but towards his son.
With a cheeky little smile, Porin turned and bowed towards his father, showing respect towards the elder gentleman. "Good evening, father."
Without even giving his son a show of respect back, the Baron's scowl showed no love for the devil in front of him. "What are you doing here, Porin? I have not sent for you."
Porin waved his hand dismissively as he stood back up straight. "Small details, father. I came of my own accord, and under the influence of wanting to strike a deal with you. If you would please, allow me to-"
"Absolutely not."
Kuroka couldn't help but find herself smiling at how quickly the tubby little hellspawn in front of her had been shot down by his own father, but quickly hid her glee when his glare began to focus on her. Returning his glower to his son again, Porin began to stutter in shock when he had been denied his fantasy so quickly, his face written in emotional suffering. For as spoiled as he was, he could never take being denied something too well.
"B-But father-!"
"No, Porin. I have no time to deal with your petty little games. Now go, before I decide to sic the sphinxes on you for daring to intrude on my property without my permission."
If there had been one thing that Kuroka had learned about the Baron during her time living in the castle, it had been that he definitely acted far different during his time within the castle, being absolutely strict and harsh against those that would defy him. Other time would be during the times that he watched the 'games' he put on for the enjoyment of other nobles, to which she would more than likely become the main entertainment for, where he would end up becoming almost as disturbing as his son, basking in the delight of the blood and gore of the arena.
But like the pampered brat of a son Porin was, he was, after all, his son.
"I refuse, father! I did not come all this way simply to be booted out without so much as having an audience with you! Besides, you would not dare harm your only blood!"
The Baron's brow twitched at the insolence of his son. But rather than continuing to threaten him with idle threats, he began to hum in consideration. What it was, Kuroka wouldn't find out until a later date.
"Perhaps there is something you can have, after all, Porin… Kuroka? Go to the castle's entrance. Dominik is waiting for you with a summoning circle to the human world, where he will instruct you with your assignment. All the training you've done up to this point will be worth it, all for this one mission."
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Or so the Baron said. Truth be told, Kuroka had no clue what exactly she was getting into. Not only that, but it had been a long eight years since she had last entered the human realm. A realm she considered never going back to.
As the Baron had also said, Dominik was waiting for Kuroka within the candlelit entrance hall of the massive castle. The sight of the Baron's Queen had made the Nekomata a bit at ease, knowing she would not be alone in her assignment. The Queen had seemed to feel the same way, as he had his own bright smile to show her as she came closer. "All ready?" He asked, as the Nekomata stopped just a few feet away from him, hands on hips as she nodded once.
"The Baron told me you would explain what I'm supposed to do, nya."
"True, but I've been told to tell you once we enter the human realm. Now come, let us be on our way." He said, stepping off to the side as he revealed the massive summoning circle behind him.
Kuroka nodded once more as she began her approach to the summoning circle, taking her place to the right of the Queen.
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Having closed her eyes momentarily due to the glaring light that surrounded her, Kuroka opened them back up slowly, and saw that she had indeed been transported to somewhere that she hadn't been before.
"Are you alright?" she heard from her left, making her rest easy that at least she hadn't been stranded somewhere, alone. "I'm afraid that it might take a while for you to get used to summoning circles, having never really used them before." Dominik stated as he placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to help her.
"I'll be fine." Kuroka said as she swatted his hand away, getting a bearing of where they were. From what she could tell, she and Dominik had been transported somewhere in the middle of a forest, a thick layer of white on the ground. While it was dense, and she wasn't able to see very far in front of her due to the density of the trees that were clumped close together, she was at the very least able to make a faint glow coming from the west. The fact there was snow on the ground signaled to her that she would have to be extra careful if she were sneak behind her enemies that night, lest they heard the crunching sound of the flaky substance beneath her feet. A chill went up her spine as she realized she forgot to put on any type of leggings to keep her warm, cursing Porin under her breath for interrupting her in the middle of dressing. "Let's hurry this up." She said as she began to rub her arms in an attempt to warm herself up.
Seeing her distress, Dominik reached into his chestplate. "You must be cold. Here."
Pulling out a tiny pouch, he dumped some of the contents into his free hand. Emerging from the pouch were two tiny red pills that Kuroka had never seen before, and as he put the pouch back into his chestplate, he handed one of the two pills to her.
When he plopped it into her free hand, Kuroka looked at him with a skeptical look. "What is it?"
"An insulation pill." Dominik answered as he popped his own pill into his mouth, swallowing it before continuing to give her details about it. "It's meant for missions like these, where the temperature isn't kind to us warm-blooded creatures. I'm afraid it only works when the sun has gone down, so we only have until sunrise to do this."
"… Is it safe?"
"Have I ever lied to you?" He asked with a smile.
"The first time we met." She immediately shot back with, plopping the pill into her own mouth, and swallowing it right after. Almost instantly she could feel the pill work its magic, as the cold that once surrounded her felt as though it was melting away. "So what are we supposed to be doing?" She asked, getting annoyed with how long she had been kept in the dark.
Dominik answered by motioning with his head in front of him. "To the north, about three kilometers away from here, is a village of humans. It's taken some time to find the village from where they originate, and the master had wanted you to become more experienced before letting you do this." he ignored the low growl Kuroka gave at the mention of her master. "We will be exterminating some humans from this realm. It's… They killed the master's wife, shortly before you had come along. She had been summoned for a request, and was tricked in the process. He wants revenge for it."
"So why didn't he do it when he first got the chance? Why have us do it now?" Kuroka questioned. She honestly didn't think Dominik was telling the whole truth about everything. She got no answer though, as he began to walk away, ignoring any attempt from the cat for communication.
Again, Kuroka felt that something was off, but did not comment on it aloud when it became obvious she would get nowhere with it. Then again, as much as she did not want to seem bloodthirsty, she felt an itch that could only be satisfied by fighting something that wasn't as repetitive as the monsters in the Pit.
With a single step forward, Kuroka had accepted her role, and began her journey that would ultimately lead to damnation.
~~*Oppai-Dragon*~~
Alright, and that's Life 1 of Volume 2.
Yes, if you were wondering and most likely figured it out, the creature at the beginning was inspired, if not entirely ripped-off, from the "Abominations" from the WarCraft universe, as I'm a huge fan of Blizzard games. No, this will not turn into a crossover with it, simply a reference/lack of imagination.