Prologue
Wings shrouded in darkness/RAVENS_OF_HERMON
"Uuh... I don't know what I just did, but I think it was something bad, really bad".
How had it come to this? Kamijou Touma went down to the basement of the old building just to look for a box where he could put Othinus during physical education class, he would leave the box somewhere hidden and the former magical goddess would use it normally as she had done on other occasions with other boxes or objects.
It was with that mentality that the unfortunate boy went down to the dingy basement of the current building where classes were held but it was emptier than his wallet and darker than his future so without any option that would not raise suspicions, he decided to ask for directions and venture into the old building now occupied by the ORC, the Occult Research Club led by Rias Gremory.
Once he got down there, he searched everywhere until he came to a room. When he tried to open the door, he felt something break and fell through a doorway and put up no resistance.
Now he was in front of a blonde "girl" with red eyes and pale skin who looked at him in fear.
"Ah... aaah..."
The "girl" let out a few small whimpers as a few tears formed at the edge of her eyes, Kamijou didn't understand why, maybe she was too shy?
"I'm sorry-...!", he tried, he really did. Touma searched within himself for the kindest and most sincere voice he could muster to apologize to the "girl" and despite that, he couldn't help the following anyway.
His eardrums were going to remember it for a long time.
"Buah!", he shouted with the terrified "girl" as he fell backwards in a clumsy attempt to escape.
At the moment of his scream, Touma began to feel everything around him slow down. However, he only needed to clench his right hand out of mere instinct to feel it break something again, as if an invisible layer of glass that was placed around him was shattered by a blunt force.
On the "girl's" side, she had stopped screaming and was looking at Touma with eyes of curiosity and fear, as if she had done something almost impossible.
"W-what?", she exclaimed in bewilderment. "W-what did you just do?"
"...I closed my right hand, no big deal"
'No! Kami-sama, don't let this Kamijou have to explain about Imagine Breaker again! I'm too tired for that...', Touma prayed with all his might to a G-d that always ignored him, just mercifully asking for some luck to get out of this situation well.
"Uhm, look, this... I didn't mean to cause trouble, I'm sorry. Can you accept this as a token of my repentance?", from the left pouch of his pants he took out a small keychain in the shape of a frog, it was something like an imitation of Gekota.
Kamijou didn't even know why he had bought it, what he was aware of was to never let Mikasa see it or she would be offended and in the worst case scenario, she would throw one of those railguns that he didn't miss at all.
With a little hesitation, the "girl" with short blonde hair, extravagant red eyes and exaggeratedly pale skin approached Touma and from her left hand she took the keychain, observing it with wonder and the unfortunate boy couldn't blame her because despite being an imitation, it was made with good materials.
"So... do you come here often or...?"
Kamijou's attempt to start a casual conversation was hindered by the abrupt interruption that followed.
"Who's there?!", exclaimed an angry female voice that for some reason sent shivers down Touma's spine.
His eyes widened in compression of the terrifying reality behind that voice.
Aogami had spoken to him about it, saying that his college thesis would be on this subject: man's primitive instinct to identify and flee from sadistic women.
"I knew this would not end well!"
Hearing an unusual cacophony of sparks like a live wire touching water, Touma turned his head, meeting a black-haired beauty with cold pale pink eyes. The said beauty had her right hand outstretched and right there, lightning was being produced.
Kamijou didn't have enough time to digest his surprise before his instincts screamed at him to jump aside and then run away at full speed. He did exactly that and soon realized it was the best course of action.
A devastating bolt of pure electricity shot out of his hand, burning a good portion of whatever was in its path.
With his heart rate and nerves at maximum, Touma soon found himself running for his life, trying to throw everything in the hallway to at least get in the way in case they decided to chase him. It was for this very reason that he didn't notice those who had just arrived; among them, a red-haired beauty who was causing a furor in the academy.
"Did he... break Gasper-kun's barrier?", Akeno was surprised and worried. It took time and power to break something like the seal they had in the basement but that guy had taken it down with the same ease that Sirzechs Lucifer would have when facing a Stray Demon.
Not at all content with this, Rias Gremory let her eyes roam over the place, letting out a sigh of relief at seeing Gasper in perfect condition. In fact, the vampire was hiding behind Kiba after contemplating Akeno's display of power. At all this, Koneko was muttering something like the red-haired girl was overreacting.
"It's a relief that this didn't escalate to something worse. Still, I need you to follow him Koneko, you have permission to act if the boy is hostile".
"Yes, buchou"
Without complaint Koneko crossed the hallway as if without any difficulty despite everything Touma had thrown on the floor.
"Gasper, I'll call Grayfia to put up another barrier and see how to act if the one who did this isn't someone hostile, okay?"
"Of course!", said the boy happily. Rias was a little surprised, Gasper was someone cheerful but very shy, so he couldn't help but wonder why he was like this at a time like this.
Akeno could only laugh silently, she had long since noticed the keychain the boy was still fascinated with and couldn't help but wonder.
Had the same person who broke the barrier given it to him?
'What a strange person, fu, fu~'.
... ... ...
... ... ...
After running to the entrance of the academy, Touma couldn't help but feel how his lungs were burning now that the adrenaline was gone, being replaced by a horrible physical pain that he would surely feel until tomorrow.
"... huh?"
In his daze, Touma hadn't noticed the stoic, petite-haired girl standing next to him. How long had she been there?
"Ah, you're that girl who gave Index a candy. Toujou Koneko, right?"
"... Yes, that's my name, senpai" ,she said with a tone of voice that completely hid her emotions, or at least that's what Touma thought.
'Talking like that reminds me so much of Misha... but much cuter', the Imagine Breaker wearer couldn't help but think.
"That's a cute name".
If Koneko felt embarrassed by that, she was strong enough not to let it show. Though it also wasn't going to matter if she blushed, got nervous, or whatever, after all Kamijou Touma was much denser than a neutron star.
Somewhere in Academy City, a certain Railgun with a temper problem and a Queen Bee from Tokiwadai High School felt irritated for no reason.
"... why were you running for your life, senpai? We're not in a slasher movie..."
"Ehm, I just saw something weird over there", he pointed towards the building occupied by the Rias nobility. Maybe it was just a mixture of my imagination and lack of sleep.
Rias may have told her to only react with violence in case the one who did this was someone openly hostile, but Koneko may have been driven, but she was suspicious and had plenty of reasons to do so.
So what she did next was decided.
Taking Kamijou's distraction as an opportunity, she threw a punch with just enough force to knock him unconscious, which was already quite a lot of force considering the role as [Tower] that the white-haired woman had in the Rias nobility.
Unfortunately for her, Touma was not as distracted as she expected and could notice the hostility almost instantly. Still it was by a small margin that he was able to avoid the blow and catch the girl's fist with his right hand.
Koneko's eyes widened in sheer terror. All her strength, all her demonic power and that which came from the "other" disappeared in an instant, as if they had never existed to begin with.
Drowning in this fear, she soon grasped two things: her power disappeared at the touch of that right hand and that the one responsible was speaking to her.
"Hey, are you all right? You turned pale, ah I mean, you don't look well, like when you have the flu and so... Wait a minute, what did this poor Kamijou do to earn a punch from such a pretty girl?!"
This time Koneko didn't have the willpower to avoid it and her face went completely red, worrying Touma about whether she was feeling sick.
I take it back, Kamijou Touma was not as dense as a neutron star. Its density was on par with that of a super massive black hole.
As if he had a danger sign hanging over him, Koneko backed away from Touma seeking to control her breathing and succeeding with relative ease as her mind worked on finding an excuse for the blow and a convincing excuse to get the hell out of there.
She was also hesitant, how was her going to explain this to Rias? What she felt was terrifying at first but... it didn't hurt, even if she felt like all her power was never there, she still felt like herself.
She couldn't find a way to express something like that.
"You know, it doesn't matter, I owe you one anyway for appeasing Index's appetite, no one likes to deal with that", said Touma downplaying what happened. It made some sense to him, who was constantly getting headbutted by the girl with Deluxe Forehead, electrocuted or bitten by a lazy nun.
Shrugging, he pulled out a small rectangular-shaped object from the jacket that went with the academy uniform and offered it to Koneko.
It was a chocolate bar.
"Do you like them? I know it's not enough, but please accept it as a token of gratitude for appeasing the bottomless pit Index has for a stomach"
"..."
Koneko's eyes became so bright that Touma had to look away before falling into the great temptation that was caressing her. As he did that he felt her snatch the chocolate from his hand.
Seeing that all was well now, they both decided it was time to leave.
"See you, Toujou-san".
"... Take care, Touma-senpai".
The unfortunate boy had a shiver that he tried to hide as he kept walking. Koneko made him think something that Touma would be sure to regret later.
'...Why do I feel like I'm betraying my devotion to onee-sans?'
"This...", Koneko was taking small bites of the bar while curiously watching Touma leave. "...it's not going to stay like this... but the chocolate is really good, so I'll have mercy on you... yum. yum..."
... ... ...
... ... ...
"Hmm, not what I expected".
With things being calmer, Rias called the members of hers and Sona's nobility to an urgent meeting.
Now with everyone in the main office of the ORC, a woman with a high degree of beauty and silver hair much more intense than that swallowing nun's was present to help handle the unexpected situation.
She was Grayfia Lucifuge, chief servant of House Gremory, wife and [Queen] of Sirzechs Lucifer and mother of Millicas Gremory. Her ruby red eyes only added to her much brighter image, one could say she even surpassed Rias.
In addition to the aforementioned, Grayfia also held the title of [Strongest Queen].
"Gasper's barrier is at the level of a High Class demon, and while it has its weaknesses, it takes a lot of time and different methods to exploit them", said Grayfia, maintaining a neutrality that, unlike Koneko's, was intimidating.
"And yet... whoever it was, they destroyed it in a single moment", said Sona whose frown had not disappeared at any time since she arrived.
A tense silence fell over the room when Grayfia said nothing.
Sona's nobility had been silent as a tomb, knowing that saying anything would just be extra to the tension that was long before the silence. Still, Saji could tell that Tsubaki was too quiet, he almost swore that even the [Queen] of Sona's breathing wasn't audible.
As for Rias, she herself was uncomfortable from the sweat running down her forehead, envious of Akeno who seemed to be keeping her cool. Luckily for the crimson-haired, sapphire-eyed heiress, Gasper and Kiba felt the same way.
It wasn't because they knew and agreed to inform her about the situation that Grayfia stopped being someone intimidating.
Just as the [Strongest Queen] was about to respond to the words of the most in [House Sitri], Rias' [Tower] made an appearance in the doorframe.
Everyone's concern went to infinity when they noticed the girl's doubt-filled eyes as well as the lingering blush on her face.
"... he's cheeky calling me pretty...", she muttered in such a way that the only person who could hear what she said was Grayfia.
"Koneko, did you find the person responsible for breaking Gasper's barrier?"
To everyone's surprise, the unchanging Akeno was the first to ask him about what happened. And that's when everyone's eyes widened in realization.
That calm face was just a cover for the multiple thoughts the [Queen] of Rias had for torturing the one responsible.
Somewhere in Kuoh, Kamijou Touma began to fear for his life and dignity.
"... I let him go, he was not a threat and it was not wise to hold a student"
"You're right, but...", Rias found herself speechless. She was very glad that Koneko was all right, she just didn't understand why she seemed to hesitate. "Did you find out who he was?".
With resignation, Koneko told how her encounter with Kamijou Touma, one of the 3 students transferred from Academy City, went.
The reactions were mixed: while Grayfia, Rias and the rest of her nobility were intrigued, Sona's group and Sona herself began to have a bad feeling, especially Tsubaki Shinrai.
During their talk she never noticed anything unusual about him beyond his fear of Index's bites or the nonsense he said when stressed.
Imagine her surprise and bewilderment when Koneko got to the part where the unfortunate spiky-haired student grabbed her fist.
"Did it absorb your power?", was the conclusion Kiba Yuuto wanted to believe.
"No, if so, Koneko would have fainted, I've seen similar effects in the past", Grayfia contradicted. It's more possible that she somehow suppressed her powers.
"The doubt here is that Koneko has said that it was as if her demonic powers had never been there, destroyed without a trace and yet she remained safe and sound. Something doesn't add up here", Rias said what everyone found unusual about this.
Was it possible that Academy City developed a form of denial in the face of the supernatural? The question was answered by Grayfia with a resounding no. "Not even the president of that horrible city can do such a thing", was what she said explicitly, making it obvious that she did not have a favorable opinion of Science City. Rias was surprised to see her lose her usual expressionless face.
"The best thing to do at this point is for me to tell Sirzechs-sama about this development. As for you two, you should question Kamijou Touma".
Sona and Rias agreed with that.
Part 1
'Is Itsuwa talking in her dreams again? I should ask Kanzaki if we can do something, she said she is disturbed by what her says...', night fell and lying on his bed, a series of shivers kept running down Touma's spine.
Not even Index and he had time to explore their new home, both were too exhausted both physically and mentally.
"Ugh, my legs are a wreck. It really sucks to run without warming up".
As if the various kinds of pain in his body weren't enough, Touma knew that he was going to have nightmares about the red-haired girl he was so terrified of, both because she shot him with lightning out of a Zeus myth and because of the warning from his primal instinct.
At least he could find solace in what he saw at the end of class.
"Heh, that guy and his friends were reading porn behind a tree, they must be desperate to do that", Kamijou remembered hearing how he was so proud of his date with a young girl named Amano Yuuma. "... a date, huh? Yeah, I guess I'll never get involved in someone else's date again, not after what happened with Hamazura".
... ... ...
... ... ...
"Tsuchimikado... Where is Touma?"
It was a quiet night for almost everyone, without any inconvenience, so they had dawned in a good mood. Such was everyone's good mood, that Saturday they decided to go out to the center of the city, even of a Kamijou Touma very sleep deprived.
So they arrived at a local shopping mall by mere coincidence..
Kanzaki, Itsuwa and Index were amazed by the place and how varied the stores were. On the boys' side, Touma and Aogami were no exception to this amazement, that was Tsuchimikado. The latter felt depressed because Maika had not been able to come on the way out, she had a special class that she had to take compulsorily to fulfill the agreement that allowed her to transfer.
After noon, everyone agreed to watch a movie.
Trouble started when Itsuwa and Kanzaki secretly started a fight over who would sit next to Touma, which made Tsuchimikado think that Tatemiya was right. That earned him a few good punches in the ribs from an annoyed Itsuwa.
In the end neither girl won because Aogami soon finished buying popcorn and took the spot next to Touma much to the Imagine Breaker wearer's misfortune.
And so we came to the present, where upon leaving the movie theater, Kamijou was not with them.
"Ehh... I wouldn't know, Nee-chin"
"Maybe he was offended when I told him how funny he looked scared because he was a bit behind and that he would lose if he stopped following us, haha"
Aogami didn't notice that hostilities rose like foam when he said that, so he didn't even have time to react when Index knocked him down with a strong blow to the head.
Tsuchimikado could only hope that his friend with a fake accent from Kansai Prefecture would soon reach nirvana and thus soon get rid of the most terrifying thing in the world: the fury of a woman.
... ... ...
... ... ...
"Such misfortune".
Sitting on a bench near the food court was Touma, who looked totally lost and hopeless. He had made the sensible choice to stay in one place until one of his friends saw him because he knew well that if he started moving around trying to find them on his own, he would only get more lost and he didn't want to tempt his already non-existent luck.
"Just try to calm down Kamijou-san. Think with a cool head, what would Fukiyose do?", bad thought, one he instantly regretted.
"... I'd probably lose myself in the household goods section to satisfy my sick need to spend money... hehehehe".
Trying to brainstorm something to do, Touma held his chin like a statue of the thinker, only getting a pitiful imitation that brought no fresh ideas to his brain, only the memories of how painful Seiri's headbutts are.
"Hmmm, yep,. I've got nothing, my mind is still blank...", small tears formed at the edge of his eyes accompanied by a tone of voice that made it obvious how emotionally hurt he was.
In the distance, two girls who stole sighs from men and women alike looked at poor Kamijou with a certain skepticism, at least that was how Rias Gremory did it.
Akeno Himejima... it was no better to know what she was thinking at that moment, one can only say that the way she licked her lips was to start worrying.
"Is that the boy Koneko mentioned? He looks so... normal"
"Ara~, doesn't he look lost to you?", Akeno pointed out.
Looking at him more closely, Rias noticed that the black-haired girl who accompanied her was right.
"Hmm, maybe there is a way...", the Gremory heiress plunged into thought, trying to find a way to get closer to the boy. It didn't take long for an imaginary light bulb to go off in her head.
"Do you have something on your mind Rias?", Akeno asked.
The redhead came closer to whisper what came to her mind and she agreed with a nod.
So they both stood up and approached the boy who seemed to be lost staring into nothingness itself or maybe he was staring at a ghost, Rias thought amusedly.
She was not too far from reality.
To escape reality, Touma was remembering that time with Kanzaki and the "forbidden suit", after all it was a shocking enough memory to keep his mind occupied. Although he didn't want to provoke the Amakusa Church Saint's anger either, he wasn't looking for a repeat of the Ariel Hotel at all.
"Hey, uhm... Are you okay?"
Touma looked up and looked two girls face to face recognizing them almost immediately from the description Tsubaki gave him when he asked about the academy clubs.
Although he also recognized Akeno for being that girl who literally threw a lightning bolt at him.
Cold sweat ran down Kamijou's back as he could not take his eyes off the girl who had such a cold stare during the incident in the basement and put all his senses and instincts on high alert.
However seeing her smile so naturally without any degree of malice made Touma doubt what he had seen... It also dawned on him that they were still in a shopping mall where people kept coming and going so initiating a scene was not the most sensible thing in the world.
'When are wizards sensible?', he thought remembering Stiyl and some of his nonsensical actions.
"Oh... you are the president and vice-president of the club in the old building, right?"
"That's right. I'm the vice president, Akeno Himejima. Nice to meet you", she said with a serene smile on her face.
Touma thought her skin look like porcelain.
"Rias Gremory, president of the Occult Research Club", contrary to Akeno, Rias maintained a professional attitude as if she were a real estate saleswoman. "It's nice to meet you here, Kamijou Touma-san".
'Uhm, she's also a foreigner ehh... her hair is much redder than Agnes' '.
"This, yeah, hehe, well I'm Kamijou Touma, I transferred from Academy City along with the other three and the three girls from London... Nice to meet you, Himejima-senpai, Gremory-senpai", an awkward attempt to shake his hand was what he offered to Rias.
She looked at him cautiously but gave in and offered her hand as well.
Nothing happened to the young Gremory's surprise and this was because Touma was cautious after his encounter with Koneko.
Now he made sure to greet only with his left hand.
"Hey senpais, it's good that we met because I... wanted to apologize".
Both Rias and Akeno raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"You see, in my first day of school I went into the basement of the building where your club is to look for a cardboard box that I was asked for and I accidentally scared someone, it was... now that I think about it, it was a blond boy, kind of short and with red eyes"
"Yes, Gasper. He doesn't like to be around people so he often hangs out in the basement", was the alibi Rias came up with to explain the vampire's presence to Kamijou.
"I see... uh, so that's why... I want to apologize, I didn't mean to barge in or make you angry, Himejima-senpai"
'So he remembers that he was there? Why doesn't he say anything about how I attacked him?', the long dark-haired priestess thought quizzically.
The boy's gaze fell even more, it was such that more girls could do nothing but just feel overwhelmed by the show of guilt he was giving.
At least now they knew that Kamijou Touma was someone who easily blamed himself for things out of his control or so it seemed since he only knew that he had broken into a place that was itself publicly accessible and had scared someone, in this case Gasper Vladi.
'And all because I wanted a box for Othinus... Ugh, I'm so stupid'.
The act of apologizing not for breaking a magical barrier but for scaring the timid vampire made both girls fall silent for a few minutes not knowing how to proceed, it was something they hadn't anticipated.
"We accept your apology, Kamijou-san", said Akeno with a completely sincere smile, one that made Touma let his guard down.
Perhaps everything he had thought was just his paranoia at work.
"Thank you... It's a comfort after losing myself over a silly thing..."
"How did you get lost in the first place?"
"A friend told me that if I got even a little bit separated from them then I was going to get lost in this place, so when we left the movie theater I decided to prove to him that I wouldn't... Now I'm alone and lost".
"Eeh...", once again, the imaginary light went on over Rias' head and childish mischief invaded her eyes.
She couldn't help but see this as a win-win: Akeno and she would help Touma get back to his friends as well as give him directions. In the meantime, they could get to know the boy better in order to be more tactful in their interrogation scheduled for Monday, which is when all their nobility as well as Sona's would be gathered in one place.
"Kamijou-san, how does the idea of Akeno and I helping you with this problem sound to you? It wouldn't be responsible of us to leave our kouhai here suffering"
"... ...", the boy had to meditate a little on that idea, it's not every day that your superiors offer you their help and even less when both were beauties. If it wasn't for his past interactions with the princesses of England or the one he had with Lola Stuart on January 6th, he would be blushing right now. "Uhm, I guess there's nothing wrong with that..."
Rias and Akeno smiled triumphantly.
Sooner rather than later Touma was already swallowed by regret. He knew something as cliché as this was going to happen, why didn't he see it coming?
By the way, that cliché was that both girls had chosen to visit a clothing store. All normal at the time, it's something you usually do when you go shopping. The bad part was when he saw both girls heading to the lingerie section.
He knew it was just them and him but still Kamijou Touma felt the weight of a thousand eyes staring at him, judging him and reaching a verdict; he was doomed to feel the agony of an unrequited woman multiplied several times.
"Luckily they are tactful and didn't do something if like asking for my opinion..."
"Kamijou-san, can you come?"
'Damn universe and its eagerness to contradict my words!', the boy thought.
It was with a gentleness that made him feel like he was approaching a minefield that Touma found himself in front of the dressing room that Akeno had entered. The [Queen] of Rias Gremory smiled mischievously to herself, the boy had fallen unchecked into her ruse.
"Yes? What's up Himejima-senpai?"
"How do I look in this?"
Using a trick with the lights, Akeno made it possible for her figure to be visible through the curtain of the fitting room.
A female figure wearing nothing but lacy lingerie.
"... ...", Touma's eyes widened and bloodshot, his breath hitched as he tried with all his mustered will to maintain his composure.
Too bad for Akeno that Kamijou Touya and Kamijou Shiina had raised a white knight.
".. I think it brings out your figure".
Akeno did nothing but laugh, the nervousness in his voice was more than obvious. If she didn't press him further it was because she was grateful for one thing, another thing that her detected very easily in him.
Honesty.
Soon the girls were done with their shopping and returned to the food court for a drink, all three were thirsty. Rias pointed to a milkshake stand which made Touma twist his lips into a grimace, he didn't have enough money. Akeno played it down when he said it and she offered to pay for the milkshake and although he tried again and again to convince her that it wasn't necessary, he couldn't get her to budge.
To assuage some of the boy's guilt, Akeno told her that as payment, he would tell some of the stories he had during the time he lived in Academy City to Rias and she.
Touma gladly agreed.
"As you heard, I met Index when she was hanging on my balcony".
'Or so she said'.
"But what was she doing there?"
"I don't know, maybe she smelled food and jumped up there. Yeah, that's the best I can think of".
"Ara~, Academy City is very strange but fascinating. Rumors don't do it honor", said Akeno sincerely, it was interesting to hear about the city of science but it also made her imagination run wild on a certain topic which earned hers a discreet blush.
The poor student just stared blankly into the void while Rias tried not to laugh to hide the sorrow that invaded him. She was aware of her [Queen]'s tendencies and was gnawed with remorse that her could do little about it.
Touma had told them everything he had experienced (or at least what he remembered) of his time in Academy City. Of course, leaving out details about the ESpers' powers and eliminating anything to do with his encounters with the magic side.
At some point in the story, Akeno felt a bit uncomfortable when Touma very ambiguously mentioned his fight against Accelerator during World War III, mentioning "the black wings". Everything returned to normal when he took the trouble to explain that they were an "illusion".
Another thing he had made sure to tell them about as a way of venting was all his complaints about Misaka and how the girl used to constantly attack him. Rias called her a "tsundere" comparing her to the protagonist of the anime Toradora. When the redhead was aware that she did that she pretended not to have said something, which increased Touma's suspicions.
'I think Rias-senpai is an otaku'.
"I found you!", a girl intervened, interrupting the conversation while pointing an accusing finger at Touma.
She was a bit taller than Touma, her hair was very long and ended in a ponytail that was also very long to the point that it reached her hips.
"Kanzakiiii!"
In the boy's eyes, Kanzaki was his usual savior who could always get him out of a dead end. If they weren't in a public place, he would have knelt down on his knees and sworn allegiance to her.
"I've been looking for you all this time, you have to come back! Something serious happened with one of your friends!", Kanzaki looked genuinely worried, the calm she kept while trying to find Touma was gone just the moment she arrived.
"What's wrong? You look more agitated than when you fell off my roof at Christmas".
"Itsuwa and Index won't stop kicking your friend that Aogami! And Tsuchimikado started broadcasting it live as 'the cremation of the degenerate'! ".
Kamijou froze for a few seconds trying to process what Kanzaki said.
Index and Itsuwa torturing Aogami.
'...Why am I not enjoying that sight! Tsuchimikado bastard! And I bet Fukiyose is seeing it too!'
"Excuse me Gremory-senpai, Himejima-senpai, I have to settle a matter. Thank you very much for letting me stay with you".
"Don't get lost again, and you do, we'll charge you for acting as guides again", said Akeno with a flirtatious wink.
"See you Monday, Kamijou-san. Have a good rest".
"See you senpais!"
Touma and Kanzaki ran off while the former pulled out his cell phone with a slight malice visible in his eyes.
Rias and Akeno stood watching until they disappeared around the corner. It was brief, but the two's guard went up as they sensed the passive aura of that girl. Something about her was too... pure.
"Akeno, what is your opinion of Kamijou-san?"
"... Honestly, I don't see anything weird or bad about him. He's kind and his reactions are funny, fu, fu~", she said remembering what happened in the clothing store. "And he's open about his life in Academy City, quite a surprise".
"I'm thinking the same thing. Maybe Monday's interrogation can tell us something more about him... though if it doesn't have any effect and he starts behaving suspiciously, there's always the other method".
Akeno licked her lips knowing what Rias was referring to. Once again, her imagination went wild, a pity she was unaware of the high threshold of resistance Kamijou Touma had.
Part 2
This morning looked like it would be just another ordinary day in the paradise city for those devoted to science.
No one could have predicted that just after noon, a live broadcast would go viral because of the shocking topic it dealt with.
The punishment of one of the famous out-of-town transfer students.
This was also going to drastically affect the lifestyle of a person who didn't like surprises and was easily irritable.
"Hey Accel, have you seen this?"
"I told you not to call me Accel!"
"Yes, yes, whatever you say Accel", the girl played down the importance while she moved her right hand from one side to the other. "What I want to know is if you have seen the transmission".
Misaka Worst was trying her best not to burst out laughing as she handed the cell phone to Accelerator. It had been random, but she ended up finding a live video where she recognized a couple of the people in it.
《You saw it Academy City people, this bastard confessed to having started a cult towards a teacher beloved by his students!》
《Komoe-sensei deserves to be worshipped and much more! Even the little girls deserve it!》
《Shut up already Aogami! For saying such things you lost your job! Besides, everyone knows that the best thing in the world is the onee-san who attends dormitories!》
Accelerator just stared in bewilderment at what was being shown on the live feed.
He could see Tsuchimikado talking in front of a guy with blue hair while he himself was tied to a pole like a tasteless reenactment of the Passion of Christ. Elsewhere, there was Kamijou Touma slapping the back of that silver-haired nun while looking dizzy, behind them were two girls he had never seen before. Or so I thought.
"What the hell is with those bastards?"
"That's Aogami Pierce?!", Yomikawa Aiho shouted as she was walking into the room after getting out of her shower wrapped in nothing but a towel. "I knew it was rare not to see him doing something stupid the last few days!"
... ... ...
... ... ...
"Those idiots..."
Fukiyose Seiri looked at what those guys were doing and couldn't help but feel like every blood vessel in her body was going to burst with rage. Yes, it was just that, not at all the fact that seeing them having so much fun without her and watching Kamijou comfort the nun who lived with him on the basis of pats on the back.
She wouldn't be envious of something like that, would she?
"... At least they're having a good time. Although it's a pity we're not there" ,commented Himegami Aisa with a slightly bored expression as she comforted Komoe-sensei who hadn't stopped crying since she saw Aogami tied up and Motoharu's nonsensical spiel.
The teacher regretted having facilitated the transfer to the rarest member of the Delta Force. And by weird it was in a bad way.
Hearing that he had initiated a cult towards her made her swoon, it was then that Seiri and Aisa silently vowed to break his teeth and castrate him.
... ... ...
... ... ...
"So... Are those bastards like this all the time?"
While looking for something interesting to watch while enjoying her meal, Uiharu Kazari had also been a poor victim of finding Tsuchimikado Motoharu's live video feed.
To the further embarrassment of the girl with her iconic flower headband, it was just at the time that her friends Misaka Mikoto, Kuroko Shirai and Saten Ruiko, who forced themselves to keep watching the live feed and not die from the alien grief it conveyed. Even Ruiko felt it, and she was someone with a very open mind.
"How come Judgement never stopped them for something like this...?", wondered Misaka, also angry at Touma and Index's closeness.
"The one with blue hair and a fake accent has been arrested several times for harassing some elementary school girls. Also the Anti-Skill did it... on second thought, it would be better if they arrested him in that city", Kuroko said roughly.
Part 3
'This is turning out great! I never thought someone like me could have such a wonderful opportunity like this. Just you wait grandpa, I'll make you proud'.
Hyodou Issei was having the best day of his young life as today was his date with the beautiful girl named Amano Yuuma.
It was so sudden that at first he thought it was a dream, but when one morning Yuuma waited for him on the same bridge where they met to accompany him to the entrance of Kuoh Academy and kissed him goodbye on the cheek to the envy of Matsuda and Motohama, he knew that this was real, that at last his popular stage had begun.
At the academy, rumors that the woman-scarer Hyodou Issei, honorary member of the Pervert Trio, had a girlfriend spread like fire in a dead forest mingling with the furor that was the transfer of students from Academy City. Needless to say, these rumors were spread by Aika Kiriyuu, a friend of Issei's who was just short of being labeled as the fourth member of the perverted group.
All this mattered little to the excited Issei who spent the whole week preparing for this date, going so far as to discard his pride as a teenager and ask his parents for advice. Hyodou Miki and Gorou were more than happy to help their beloved son.
'Alright Issei, do this perfectly and at the end of the day you'll have a beautiful girlfriend!'
With a look full of determination, the poor pervert set off.
Issei watched in ecstasy as all the girls passed by, he had counted already a minimum of 30 but saw no sign of Yuuma.
When he turned to look in another direction, a woman in a peculiar costume crossed his line of sight. She was offering him a piece of paper resembling a promotional brochure.
"Ahh... Thank you?"
Issei reluctantly accepted that paper, and right after that the strange person started to leave.
"Your wish will be granted", he could read on the flyer. Under the text, a strange circle formed by a pentagram and the figure of a flower was visible, having crimson as the dominant color. For a moment he wanted to throw it away but better put it in his pocket.
Who knows, maybe it would bring him luck.
... ... ...
... ... ...
"Issei-kun!"
The boy watched as that black-haired beauty approached the place where they had agreed to start their date. He felt as if something was squeezing his heart more and more, was this what they called love? He couldn't help but think to himself.
"Issei-kun, have you been waiting for me for a long time?"
"Hehe, no. I just arrived earlier but... I didn't know what to wear, sorry", that was a blatant lie, Hyodou Issei had been in that place for 3 hours practicing lines and asking for advice from a friend of her mother's who had a small restaurant nearby.
The best thing her mother's friend told him? That he wasn't an idiot who only thought with his lower head.
"Don't worry, I just got here too. It's just that... it's my first date".
Another wave of emotions hit the brown man, he always wanted to hear that. Now he was more than sure that Amano Yuuma was the person his Red Thread was tied to.
Their date began. They both started walking down the sidewalk when, to Issei's surprise, Yuuma clasped her porcelain hand with his. It only made the young Hyodou's passionate heart beat faster.
They passed by several stores window-shopping, with Issei more than willing to squander his money on whatever Yuuma wanted.
After 2 o'clock in the afternoon, they chose a somewhat empty cafeteria to order their food. Yuuma ordered a chocolate parfait and Issei the same, both enjoyed it very much. They left the place with a promise to come back on their next date.
Both he and the girl seemed excited about the idea of a second date.
Issei did nothing but thank his father and mother, everything was going better than he had imagined. Maybe he would get lucky and this date could close with a first kiss for both of them.
As evening was beginning to fall in Kuoh, Yuuma led him to a nearby park that Issei recognized. He thought it was a bit strange to find it so empty but he played it down and sat down next to his date.
Expectation began to play with Issei's thoughts, would the date end here? Would they say goodbye with a hug and a kiss on the cheek? Or was this the day he would get past first base?
"Today was a lot of fun, wasn't it?", she said with an innocent smile to the boy.
"Heh, you betcha. I've never had such a wonderful day, Amano-chan".
"Come on Issei, I told you that you can call me Yuuma, hehe".
"Uhm, that's right, I forgot. Yuuma-chan... that doesn't sound bad at all".
They both took care of maintaining a pleasant atmosphere as the sun continued to set.
It was when the last rays of sunlight were about to disappear that it happened.
"Hey Issei-kun".
"Is something wrong Yuuma-chan?"
"There's something I'd like to do to celebrate our first date".
From then on, Hyoudou Issei's mind started racing at 1,000km/h trying to guess what it would be. His longed-for moment was coming, what he had prepared for 3 days and 2 nights was finally here.
"Uh, what is Yuuma-chan?", he asked with some nerves but sure of what was to come.
"Would you die for me?"
"... ..."
...
...
"... huh? ... I'm sorry... can you repeat that... I-I think I misheard..."
"Would you die for me?", she said, having turned his personality completely around, looking and speaking to Issei with an icy tone of voice, devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
"Amano Yuuma" no longer existed.
Did she exist in the first place?
"Heh... hehe... what a thing to say...".
A strong draft hit Hyodou Issei knocking him down. When he looked up he found a completely different person.
Unruly black hair, evil violet eyes and leather clothes that were not incorrect to say that they were only straps to maintain a minimum of neatness.
And the most terrifying thing, that which almost made Issei go mad... wings as dark as night.
Raven wings were coming out of "Yuuma's" back.
He refused to believe that this was real. Where did the pretty girl from a moment ago go? Who was this terrifying woman? Was this a bad joke? He struggled to believe the latter, but stopped when he saw that honeyed look replaced by coldness and hostility against his being.
"It was a lot of fun, you know? The little time I spent with you. It was like playing boyfriends with a little boy but... it would be a vile lie to say I didn't have fun. Despite your status as a hopeless pervert, I have to give you something; you know how to entertain a lady... Too bad you won't be able to do it anymore".
A deafening buzz began to echo through the place, followed by a large flash that momentarily blinded Issei who was still unable to articulate at least one word. By the time he regained his vision, he saw what manifested in "Yuuma's" hands.
A spear of light.
Light that should be pure and angelic.
But it was not that. It was contaminated light, fallen in disgrace.
Only a few seconds were enough to make this scenario worse.
Something piercing the air at an inhuman speed.
The unpleasant sound of pierced flesh.
An unusual warmth running down his chest.
The dripping of precious hemoglobin.
Issei forced himself to look at the source of all these sensations.
The spear of light was piercing his chest leaving the space between his ribs empty.
He tried to scream, to call for help, but all that came out with a painful gurgling sound was blood,
With no energy to sustain himself, he fell to the ground in a futile attempt to conserve all his strength and stay alive while waiting for help despite his fatal wounds. It was the human instinct to survive in full action.
"Yuuma" approached him and with her heel stomped on his stomach, forcing the air that was in his shattered lungs to come out along with another large amount of blood.
"I'm sorry, but you're nothing but a threat to us and our goal. But~ if you want to get angry at someone, do it with that God who put a Sacred Gear in you".
The boy felt his mind leaving him, everything becoming simple static.
It wouldn't be long before Issei passed to the other world. He couldn't even cry even if he wanted to, the thought of never seeing his parents again, eating his mother's food, arguing with Kiriyuu, Motohama and Matsuda filled him with dread.
Feeling his sight fade away, to a dark silhouette looming behind the "monster" that had ended his life
'I'm sorry, everyone... if I could be reborn, I would only wish...', that thought was validating to her.
Now she would enter the stage.
"You were the one who summoned me, weren't you?", a silhouette spoke to her. A blurred silhouette that glowed in deep crimson, as if it were the goddess who was going to claim his soul.
"From now on, I will take care of you, yes. Live for you, for me, for my whishes and yours, Hyodou Issei".
... ... ...
... ... ...
"At least the weather is nice and I can get to know the area better... Who am I kidding? There's nothing nice about this", those words ran through Kamijou Touma's mind before he sat down at the edge of the fountain that stood in the park.
While he had a good day yesterday, this one was turning out to be anything but.
When he woke up, he looked at an annoyed Sphinx biting the fingers of his left hand and hurting him with its raspy tongue.
Having lost sleep, he tried to wake Index only earning a growl from a Kanzaki in big sister mode. It was terrifying just remembering it.
Yes, that Saint with serious problems with technology had had a kind of sleepover with Index, Itsuwa had accompanied them. Touma was not going to deny that his heart was moved by what he saw as he entered the room to wish them a good night.
Only Itsuwa was still awake, Index sleeping peacefully in Kaori's arms.
She did not see a force of nature called Santa nor a living library with 103,000 grimoires in its possession, but two great friends who were recovering a bond so intimate that not even the dark threshold that was a forgotten memory could take away.
Not wanting to disturb them, Touma left the house discreetly that same morning.
Tsuchimikado and Aogami left very early to look for merchandise of their favorite anime, things they did not want to buy the day they went to the mall because they were in the presence of innocent girls, or at least that was what Pierce said.
Kamijou thought he was alone on his way out until two blocks past where his house was a small stowaway with blonde hair, an eyepatch and clothes that left a lot of her exposed came out of his pocket. In the end she decided to spend the day touring Kuoh with Othinus.
The former magical goddess struck a victory pose when Touma wasn't looking, she was going to consider this the preview to a first date. That was more than other girls could say.
"Aagghh, I'm still very tired".
"Everyone is, human. It's been non-stop these days but look on the bright side, after all we arrived shortly before the vacations"-
"Don't tell me you want me to take you to the beach?"
"It would be nice if you did that".
"The last time I went to the beach, I ended up being attacked by an angel and having the vision of Aogami in the clothes of... ugh, forget it, I don't need to relive that trauma".
Touma and Othinus continued walking for a few more hours. The boy didn't plan to return until after dark, only then would he be sure not to run into Index. He wanted to give her his space for the rest of the day, Kanzaki, Itsuwa and she deserved it.
"Today was a quiet day... maybe watching Hamazura being chased by the laser beam madwoman would be more entertaining".
Memories of the mad chase of Leivina Birdway, Takitsubo Riko and Mugino Shizuri came to her mind. Such a chase had occurred on December 23, all because the aforementioned delinquent had failed to find the right gifts, although the reason Leivina was involved was still a mystery.
Touma was happy to remember what happened during that winter, but among all that there was something not so happy, something that happened in February.
What was it? Well, after some trouble with a certain Saint German, Touma ended up being chased by a Magic God who called himself the High Priest.
With Touma's mind wandering in memories of winter and the High Priest's words, Othinus concentrated on what he heard last night when Itsuwa initiated a phone call, something about "what were the best methods" or something like that, however, Othinus already knew what the girl was referring to.
They both continued to be lost in their minds until...
A shattering of glass rang out.
Instinctively, Touma looked at his right hand and realized, Imagine Breaker had broken something.
"Human, that was magic barrier to keep the civilians away. Someone didn't want us to go near this area".
Before he could ask a buzzing sound echoed. Touma held still until another sound rang out, one he recognized as that of flesh being pierced.
"Now what?!", it only took him a sprint to get to the center of all this commotion.
Touma was running, but what his eyes were seeing was very clear and strange.
The same boy he had seen reading porn behind a tree was lying in a pool of his own blood, pierced in the chest by a spear of nauseating light. Over the being hovered a excuse for a dominatrix with raven wings coming out of her back. She seemed to be saying something, but Touma didn't ask to hear her clearly.
'And I thought it was a quiet day. Whatever!', Kamijou thought as he prepared to launch himself with full body momentum, readying his right fist so hard it would be as hard as a rock.
For her part, "Yuuma" was enjoying the last moments of Hyodou Issei's life with a cruel smile etched on her face, now totally sure that Azazel would promote her for this and perhaps, she could finally declare her love for the Grigori leader.
She hadn't noticed Kamijou Touma's arrival because she was so sure that her barrier would keep whoever it was away.
A moment was enough, just one, for the boy's silhouette to rise behind the Fallen Angel and smash his fist against her cheek.
"Yuuma" had no time to react.
She didn't fall unconscious, but her touched with hers thumb the place of the impact and felt pain, she had a bruise that made her face burn.
"What was it?!", her words were silenced by two things.
One, was that figure in front of her clenching his right fist as hard as he could, even until his bones creaked.
The other was the blinding crimson light that appeared in front of Issei's nearly lifeless body.
"Hey, what the hell happened?!", asked the porcupine-haired boy in front of the Fallen Angel.
"No one was supposed to come! Arrgggh!", another spear of light formed in "Yuuma's" hands as he lunged to impale his newly arrived attacker.
Touma saw it coming even at the speed it was speared and did not stand idly by. He jumped to the side letting the spear graze his shoulder, but having the chance to smash it with his right hand.
After crushing the spear, he approached the Fallen Angel and she feeling all her strength disappear, she was grabbed by the boy's chest straps. Touma preceded to headbutt her so hard that both foreheads began to bleed,
She fell with a bruise on her cheek and another on her head, as well as a strong dizziness and no control of her wings. To say she was bewildered, strangled, was a lie.
"Yuuma" was terrified.
Touma had not come out of the quick confrontation unscathed. He was breathing hard now that the adrenaline was wearing off and his right shoulder had a slightly deep cut.
"But what do we have here? A Fallen Angel that sneaked into the territory overseen by the heiresses of Gremory and Sitri", said the female figure that emerged from the crimson light.
Crimson hair as intense as the light from which she emerged, eyes as blue as sapphires or the purest waters that existed in the world, a harmonious voice and a figure enviable even for a Miss Universe.
She was Rias Gremory.
The boy with a bit of special power called Imagine Breaker was stunned. Rias was also involved with the magical side, what happened in that basement was not his imagination. Then Akeno was in on it too.
Touma, being the type of person he was, didn't let this affect his perspective on who Rias and Akeno were; his beautiful senpais who had helped him and with whom he had had a pleasant outing at the mall.
But that Fallen Angel had a very different perspective on the woman who lay before them.
Raynare knew that [The Princess of Destruction] was a person to be feared.
"You...you!", the Fallen Angel forced himself to take flight, not wanting to deal with someone from the [Gremory Clan] or the mysterious boy he was now beginning to identify.
It was bad, really really bad that he was here, all their plans could come crashing down with his presence.
"Get back here!"
"Leave it at that, she doesn't matter right now", commented Rias sighing wearily.
Touma looked at her angrily and searched for something to say and contradict her, but he had nothing. Instead, he focused on Issei and was pleasantly surprised to see him in perfect condition. Sure, the boy's clothes were still stained with blood, but that was little to pay for seeing him recovered.
"Thank you for healing his wounds, when I arrived... was too late", he said, feeling a lump forming in his throat.
Like a broken tape recorder, he repeated to himself a disturbing number of times that if he had arrived earlier, it would have spared him all the pain he must have felt.
"Kamijou Touma, tell me...", Rias looked at him sympathetically, getting an idea of his personality from their past interaction. "What are you... How could you harm a Fallen Angel? Are you a Sagred Gear user?"
"Fallen Angel...? So that explains the black wings and why its light feels wrong, a cold light...? So, what's a Sacred Gear?"
"Heh, I can see we both have questions with long answers that will lead to more complicated questions, or am I wrong?"
"Not at all Gremory-senpai, and we both know it's not the place or the time", Touma's eyes focused on Issei and how he seemed to be sleeping peacefully,
It was the least he deserved after what had happened to him.
"You want answers and so do I. So, tomorrow stop by the Occult Research Club, I'll send one of the members to pick you up".
"... Sounds reasonable to me, Gremory-senpai".
Conclusion
The Imagine Breaker_LEFT
When the red-haired heiress left taking Hyodou Issei with her, Touma knew it was time for him to take his way back home as well. He just wanted to get there and lie down on his bed to process what just happened.
"Human, are you okay?", asked the former magical goddess who was hiding in the pockets of the jacket the boy was wearing.
"...yeah, just a little tired of all this. I know at this point I shouldn't be surprised anymore to find things like this everywhere I go, but something tells me this is a thing completely different".
Othinus felt bad to hear the obvious pessimism Touma had in his tone of voice and as much as she wanted help, she wasn't quite sure what had just happened either.
"... Maybe i have a slight suspicion".
"What kind of suspicion?"
"That circle where the tomato-haired girl appeared from, the sigils she had in it? I'm beginning to believe that her last name is not a coincidence".
Touma stopped his walk and looked at Othinus in confusion, she could only sigh and grab the bridge of her nose to make her annoyance known.
"At the risk of sounding like Index; Gremory is the 56th Duchess invoked by King Solomon, forming part of the Ars Goetia. In a nutshell...", Kamijou Touma did not like where this was going"... a demon".
"...Gremory-senpai is a demon...?"
... ... ...
... ... ...
Panic-stricken, the fallen angel flew out of sight until she lost sight of where she was supposed to go, but she couldn't be blamed, her mind was a jumble of thoughts that when she tried to express, only whimpers came out of her mouth. And if it wasn't that, it was the uncomfortable feeling of his stomach churning.
With the help of deep breaths, she felt himself coming back to his senses. Sadly for "Amano Yuuma", the fear she felt now would be engraved in her heart for quite some time and she had no choice but to acknowledge it, a hard blow to her pride as a fallen angel.
"What was that... What the fucking hell was that?!", Raynare leaned against a tree as she struggled to contain the nausea that threatened to resurface.
It was too much of a shock to see her wings being denied by a mere human. And beyond that, the fact that he had touched her took away all her strength, that sacred power she had boasted so much about when facing demons and humans.
It made her feel... vulnerable. She hated that, dreaded feeling that way.
"The rumors that the Exorcists spread were true, there is a boy who can deny supernatural beings... and he was the one who took down the Star of Bethlehem and that Fiamma of the Right...
... ... ...
... ... ...
"If Rias is intelligent, then she may gain an ally of great value", Lucifer said in a serene voice that was only a curtain for his excitement. He couldn't wait to tell Serafall Leviathan what he had found. Knowing her, it wouldn't be long before he tried to meet the boy on his own.
As for the other 2 high demons, Sirzechs couldn't predict how they would react. At least he was certain of one thing, and that was that they would not react negatively.
"To think that such an opportunity was in front of her... Curious".
Grayfia reread the markers on the papers in the folder she was holding just to confirm that it was not a hallucination.
[La Regina del Mare Adriatico]
[Academy City Operation in Avignon, France]
[World War III]
[Hawaii]
[Sargasso siege in Tokyo Bay].
And at the end, behind all these reports, was the most disturbing one.
[GREMLIN]