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Don't Fear the Reaper
〖Reason 3〗
|| He's Officially Homeless ||
"With each drop of blood we spill, we wash away the sins of our fathers.
There is so much sin... and we have so much more blood to spill."
-
It was thanks to her intelligence that she had survived this long in a world where her kin was widely despised, oftentimes hunted down like dogs and executed without a just hearing. But today, as she groggily woke up from her deep sleep, feeling the aching spreading through her entire body, her hazy vision slowly focusing at the stone bricks reflecting the orange glow of a candle situated next to the bed she was resting, Rias learned it wasn't her intelligence that saved her.
"You're finally awake," greeted her hunter-turned-rescuer, "That didn't take long…"
Rias managed to catch him checking his watch, leaning by a wall, hands crossed, both his hood and mask still up.
She grunted as she tried to sit up.
"Expected you'd be out until morning. You Devils are, as they say, 'built different', eh?"
"Some, not all," she corrected, clutching her stomach, wincing, hurting. Pain, pain, pain — their sting was all she felt as she forced herself to sit. Even getting up to sit felt like like someone stabbing her again. A sensation she wasn't keen of getting familiar with.
The thin blanket rolled off her chest, and catching sight of her bra and the fresh bandages around her stomach told her enough of what had happened when she was unconscious. She pulled the sheet to cover her chest out of dignity rather than embarrassment. She wouldn't mind showing a bit of skin to court favor, but her royal blood demanded her to retain a semblance of decency and consideration to her stature.
"Where… are we?"
"Florence. A mansion now a rickety shed. It'll be some time before the patrols start sniffing around old rickety sheds," he said lightly, nudging his hooded face towards the bedside table. "Though I wouldn't count on it."
"I see…"
"Drink up. You sound like you just swallowed a toad."
Her face frowned at that. "...A charmer, aren't you…?"
That must be the first time anyone outright told her that she had just swallowed an amphibian because of how hoarse her voice was. In her estate, the housekeepers would've run straight at her, ready with all sorts of medicine and a glass of the freshest water. Lately, however, Rias had learned to settle for less.
She drank from the water bottle anyway, screwing it shut and letting it sit on her lap.
And proceeded to groan as she held her head.
The stinging pain finally made themselves heard again. Her body was screaming. Her shoulder felt like it was being prodded by a blazing metal rod. Then the nausea, the headache, and all sorts of discomfort that made her regret waking up.
But even being in this pitiful state, a lady mustn't forget her manners.
"Thank you," she whispered, clearing her throat. "For helping me."
He glanced at her. "Hm?"
"I'm in your debt," she added. "...Nnh…I…hope you don't intend to ask for a settlement just yet…"
"Yeah. We agreed that it can wait," he told her, taking a seat at a chair across the bed, sitting backward. He slung his arms atop the headrest and rested his head there to stare at her.
He was inspecting her, she realized. Skimming over her body, making her feel even more fragile than she already was. Still, Rias had anticipated this outcome. No men, more so an established Devil Hunter, would willingly help a Devil pro bono. And after all, albeit jokingly, she did offer herself as a reward.
"What are you doing," was his immediate question the moment Rias let go of the blanket that was covering her bandaged body, unveiling her chest in all of its glory.
"No need to be coy with me," she sighed, leaning back against the thin pillows stacked together and closing her eyes. "I'm completely at your mercy. Do unto me as you wish… I won't resist."
If she didn't have her eyes closed then she would notice that he was giving her a weird look.
"It's funny that you think I'm after your body, signorina. I know you don't see us hunters in a favorable light, not a lot different to a hired killer except with a religious backing, but your assumption is outright insulting. How terribly demeaning of you."
She quickly saw the error in her ways. Sighed, and chuckled to herself at how stupid she was being.
"My apology," she admitted, smiling wryly.
"Hey I'm just teasing. Thank you for the offer but maybe another time, eh?"
"Sorry I…never felt this helpless, you see," Rias said with lingering shame. "I'm a Devil, and you're one of the most notorious hunters alive. I can't say I'm not the least bit concerned about my safety around you and your motives for keeping me alive this long… No offense."
Brown-nosing him now? Well, Enzo didn't say a word because he didn't mind having his ego stroked now and then.
"I also hate carrying an unpaid debt as well, and… frankly, I can't wrap my head around as to why you saved me… I didn't expect to be alive, to be honest…"
He eyed her for a moment. He found noblewomen to be strange — like they were from some fantasy land or some sort of looney town where they had balls and drank wine and gossip about other noblewomen. While Rias didn't appear to belong in that category, he still found her a little bit strange. In a good way.
Maybe.
"Well I didn't help you just so I can fuck you, that much I can tell."
She flinched a little at his bluntness, surprised that the infamous, enigmatic Reaper would be so… well, ordinarily crass.
"...Why did you help me then? If I may ask…"
His reply came with a shrug. "It felt like something new. Something worth doing… Everything I've done up to now has been routine… minus the 'rescuing you' part. You showed me the ugly part of the Church and I guess I'm now holding you accountable for it."
"Accountable?"
"Yeah. I'm sticking around. See where you go and where it leads. You looked like someone that never ran out of a plan."
"I…see…" She had no plan at all though. Rias had expected death to finally come for her earlier night. She kept it to herself, cautious that it might disappoint him, and forge one on the spot in accordance to her current predicament. "...Well…my plan right now is to recover… If that's what you wanted to know."
He gave several light nods. "That's part of it, I guess. I want to know what comes after. Are you going to raid another monastery that endorses raising their own child soldiers?"
Rias held herself. "...That I do…"
"Why?"
She lifted her head to meet his curious gaze.
"If I say because it's the right thing to do, will you believe me?"
"Not completely."
A smile. "...It's not the entire truth, I must admit."
She took a deep breath, lifting up the covers up to her neck again as it was getting chilly, groaned a little from the aching, and sighed.
"I'm looking for someone. Someone… important to me…" she said, sounding as if she was uncertain if the feeling was mutual. "He flew here a couple of weeks ago. I believe he's doing all he can to put an end to the Church's madness, though not in the most peaceful of ways, I'm afraid."
He sensed that there were several key points in her story that she didn't share yet, but that was enough for now. He didn't need the specifics.
"Got any idea where he is now?"
"...No. I was looking for clues myself."
"Unfortunate," Zero hummed, before pensively staring out the window. "Do you care about them?"
"Hm?"
"The children, I mean. The unfortunate test subjects," he clarified. "Just curious."
"Of course!" she immediately retorted, wincing right after because she just hurt herself by moving. "N-nngh…! …It doesn't matter what they are to me. Devil I might be and human they are; they're still children… born to merely be indoctrinated into a twisted component to an already existing conflict…"
"You'd hate to be in Africa then. Or Syria," he pondered for a little moment. "Or the majority of the Middle East."
Rias frowned. Did he think it was all just a joke? "...Is there a point to this?"
"Not really," he replied blandly. "It just crossed my mind again that there are places out there that do this kind of messed up shit regularly — and frankly, I'm not that bothered. Does that bother you?"
That was unexpected. He was self-aware. Always a good trait to spot in someone else. It was difficult to try and guess his expression as he had most of his features hidden, but his eyes were actually quite expressive. Definitely not the eyes of a stone-cold killer as the rumors went.
"...Likely because this country is… not as conflict-riddled as those places you mentioned. Italy isn't a third world country where the only thing they know is constant conflict. The young have other options than to be more meat for the grinder. They don't need to be wary of a large-scale conflict… But the Church? They have more able-minded and willing bodies to die for their deity, and yet they chose to nurture the young how to hold a sword. So you have a country that raises child soldiers due to harsh living conditions, and the other raises them because… because of what…? What's their excuse?"
"Huh. Well aren't you a diplomat," he chuckled, completely taken aback by her response. "You didn't have to make me feel better about it, you know. I was just… randomly blabbering."
"And you didn't have to help me, patch me up, and bring me either. I was merely dying randomly."
"Mhmm… Don't think you've settled the debt because you cheered me up."
Rias softly laughed. "Pity. I had my hopes up."
"Yeah… well. You should rest some more while you can," he said then, getting up from his seat. "The search parties are out and they're looking for scapegoats. The sooner we leave this place, the better."
Not ideal but could be worse. That proved he had been watching for those patrols then. How nice of him… Rias couldn't believe her luck this time, but couldn't help to wonder if it would run out.
But then she realized something about what he just said.
"...'We'…?"
"We," he resaid. "Don't get me wrong, signorina, I'll be branded a fugitive or a Stray in a week or less. I've got a funny feeling being around you would be more beneficial to me in the long run. Two heads are often better than one, no?"
Rias wasn't concerned about that. She had her own share of troubles and having him around was no doubt a huge asset for her.
That said… "But you're you. Will they hunt you? Eliminate you? The Knight Order, I mean."
"We have various Knight Orders and each Order has their own way of dealing with… erm… troublemakers among their ranks… Most will welcome these troublemakers like they were lost children that realized their faults and hoped to find a home should they go back... Few others aren't so… forgiving. Guess which one I belonged to."
"What will they do to you?" Rias cut the chase. "Should they find you?"
"They'll try to recapture me. There's a reason there's not many Templars around — even in this country. Unlike the normal case for the 'unnaturals' or the 'unholy miscretins that are insults to God's creation'... Should they capture me; I'll be brainwashed instead of being put to the sword. Be 'put back on the right path' as they prefer to call it..."
"Of course…" Rias muttered, unsure whether she should be bothered by the Church's usage of such an egregious, dehumanizing method, or his apparent lack of concern. You could determine someone's value from their reaction, and his apathy was, at the very least, disturbing. She'd rather be pitted against someone with black and white morality than someone like him. Someone that would draw and redraw the lines as they see fit.
"Besides, it's not everyday a Knight Templar gets to hang around a 'twisted creature of the darkest pits of Hell'," he continued as smoothly as he did earlier, "Figured I can learn a thing or two about the Devils from you."
"Your faith has a lot of names for us." Rias managed to let out a chuckle, though it did pain her chest a fair bit. Negligible, for the moment. "...You wish to understand your 'enemy'...? Need I remind you that tolerance is bred through understanding, and tolerance begets heresy in the eyes of your people."
He laughed at that. It wasn't exactly a pleasant sound. Had the tone of a sneer like he was mocking something. Specifically the Church.
"I was never seen as one of them. Sort of like that… street kid in a class of elites that is there because his parents have the right connections. Those that are out in the fields? Sure. They treat me as their own. If there's anyone I fought for, then it's for them. But those in the higher chain of commands…? Nah. They never accepted me as one of them."
"Oh. How come? You wear their colors and everything."
Her sarcasm wasn't missed. He appreciated it, rather. "Hah, sure I wear their brand logo and work for them, but I was never a 'True Templar'. I'm sure it's easy for you or anyone else, really, to see why," he spread his hands to present himself, guiltlessly shrugging.
Rias supposed he was a unique case even among those… elite enforcers of the Christian faith. Well, considering he labeled the reputable Templar insignia as a 'brand logo', she could understand why.
"You were tolerated," she surmised.
"Certamente. Yes. Yes indeed. They tolerated me because I was endorsed by a person with… well, someone with so much power that they don't even have to use it. Picture that."
Rias imagined just so. She found it to be a salivating position to be in; to not have to lift a finger for people to be acknowledged.
'Dulio…' she immediately guessed. It was either him or Vasco Strada, but it had to be Dulio Gesualdo. That Joker was Heaven's Blade renowned for his flippant and happy-go-lucky attitude.
"What separates a Templar from other Orders?"
"We are extremely good at killing without need of justification… Never ask, never worry, never fear. Because the Father will guide us… and so on."
"...Do you… believe in it?"
"I believe that in essence, they're doing it for the betterment of people. While you are certainly an upstanding Unnatural being that respects our cultures and rules— there are admittedly those that aren't too concerned about it and do as they please, thinking they can always get away with it."
He paused, before continuing with a smirk under his cloth mask. "But mainly I stuck around because I'm damn good at what I do and I do enjoy being good at it…"
Rias bristled. Her entire body was washed by a sense of fear and trepidation and slammed with uncertainty as she saw a glimpse of his true self; an unapologetic executioner. He might not be the most powerful man she'd met, but if the stories were right, the rumors weren't baseless rumors, then there stood in the same room as her, a man who was capable of doing many terrible things she couldn't even begin to imagine.
"But in their eyes I'm just some punk that got lucky and a disrespectful heretic that never participated in singing the hymn chant. Just happened to be an untouchable one. But I guess that toleration did beget heresy, because here I am, fraternizing with our sworn enemy. Homeless yet again."
"You had so much," Rias said, regaining her composure. "Aren't you… at least, a little bit concerned of the kind of life you're about to sentence yourself into…? I've heard of how they treated their own so-called Holy Maiden for helping a Devil."
"Eh well… Riding someone's coattails isn't really my thing… easy living even more so," Zero stated with a glimmer in his eyes. The dangerous kind of an adventurer that thought he'd seen it all. He was determined to take this road; she could tell. This wasn't something he decided over a night — this was an opportunity he'd waited for who knows how long.
Despite all the danger signs practically screaming at her, Rias did not have the luxury of rejecting help, no matter where it might come from. Even if it came from one of her deadliest enemies. She needed time to recuperate, and being stuck in likely the hottest zone in all of Italy, the country where Exorcists roamed the streets dressed as normal civilians and seen as defender of the faith against the Underworld's ilk, was not the most ideal of situation she could be trapped in without any sort of help.
"...I suppose, that leaves me in your care for the moment."
Zero gave her a nod, smiling behind his mask.
"Likewise!" he said chipperly. "Now get some sleep. I'll wake you up if there's a need."
Break
That 'need' arrived before dawn cracked.
Rias was woken up by a light joy to her side and a rather urgent "We gotta go," coming from a familiar voice of an unknown face. She hastily - but gingerly as to not make too many unnecessary movements - raised from the bed. She noticed he had positioned himself next to a door, setting up an ambush as rushed footsteps and clattering could be heard coming from the floor below, followed by several barks.
Hounds.
Rias frowned. She'd rather not hurt an animal.
She also preferred to not escape the town topless — a fact that the Reaper took notice with a quick glance, and promptly pointed his gloved finger at the chair, where her bloodied dress shirt was set.
Hurriedly donning her shirt, not yet bothering with the buttons just yet, Rias tossed him a questioning look, wondering what he was planning to do next. He responded by nudging at the window, to which she responded back with reluctance and hesitation, clutching her stomach, as if already feeling it opening again.
But he insisted; by nudging his head harder. Rias knew she didn't have another choice and obeyed, standing by the window as she anxiously stared at him. Despite their previous interaction, she still couldn't shrug off the chance that he might abandon her to her pursuers and that this was all just a cruel ruse to completely shatter her hope. But he was her only hope of leaving this place alive.
Meanwhile, unaware of her distrust, Zero scooped up a tiny ball out of his satchel, opened the door a tiny bit, and let it roll outside before slamming the door hard. The noise he made quickly alerted the patrols and they stampeded upstairs, heading towards their room just as a flash erupted from the gaps of the door.
Rias saw misty blue smoke spilling in their bedroom, followed by several thuds and whines of the canines. Whatever that gas was, she could only hope it was nothing lethal as he walked up next to her.
"...Did you…?"
"Anesthetics," he told her assuredly, waggling his eyebrows up and down as if to brag of his non-lethal takedowns despite the shock in her face.
Rias didn't have the time to process why this so-called Knight Order had this sort of weapons in their arsenal as she heard more people climbing up the stairs, yelling orders in Italian.
"Prego— can you fly?"
"I can glide."
"Good enough," he decided for the two of them, and exited out the window.
"Huh?"
Dumbfounded, Rias peered over to look just in time to watch him scale down with ease and an impressive show of athleticism, using the tiniest of ledges as his stepping stone or break his fall, pausing only momentarily to observe his surroundings as he agilely descended as if he'd climbed this building a thousand times. A shadowy figure easefully scales down the side of a large building, nimbly avoiding obstacles as they go. Her fellow nobles would be concerned with their security if they saw this man in action.
He landed safely down below, jogged a little further away before gesturing to what she could interpret as her to jump over.
So she leapt. Her wings sprouted and carried her across the air, feeling the chill of the young morning breeze, and the sting of her unhealed wound. Her landing was clumsier than she'd liked to admit. The sudden jolt of pain caused her to wince and lose her balance. Lucky he was there to catch her, otherwise her body might have to meet the concrete.
There was an odd sense of warmth and safety as she landed right into his arms. She found it funny that someone all Devils wanted to avoid the most had become her unlikely ally. Temporary or not, she couldn't care that far yet.
"Thanks," she managed to say.
"Uh huh," he nodded plainly, "Can you ride a horse?"
She shook her head as she placed her hand over her stomach. "At the moment? Not without the risk of tipping and falling over."
"Capito," with another nod, a quicker one this time, as he skimped over to hug the corner of the building, motioning her to follow him. And once she did, he panned towards her again. "Wait here."
Rias obeyed, curious of his plan while he set forth towards the front of the building, pace-crouching under the window sills. She would not shy away from action, but due to her injury; she didn't mind standing at the sideline and contributing as little as she should in fear of bungling this escape.
Not ten seconds later, he came back on top of a chestnut-furred horse armored in black kevlar with the 'POLIZIA' in big white letters engraved at its front.
Their 'vehicle' of escape, she assumed.
Now, to see how daring of an escape this would be…
.
.
.
Never in her life had Rias ever felt as humiliated. Their daring escape came in the event of her pretending to be unconscious, flopped over on the horseback while the Templar handled all the talking. One thing she learned was that he was concerningly adept at lying and making things up on the spot that she was starting to believe he really did catch her trying to run away and had been knocked out.
"She was a feisty one," she heard him say with a light chuckle, signifying his confidence that things were all cleared up. "Are all your men alright? "
"Sì messere. Some of my men are… unconscious. That strega cast a spell on them," one of the policemen stated vehemently, complete with an accusatory finger pointing at her. "...The monastery… is she the one that did it?"
"I suppose we'll see," the Templar said, donning a menacing glare as he glanced at his back. "Were there any survivors, Capitan?"
"None so far, messere. It doesn't seem likely."
"Ah… well… Let me worry about that one; that's what I'm here for. You best bring your men the help they need. I hope you won't mind me borrowing your ride, will you?"
"Not at all," the police adjusted his black cap. "The sooner you get rid of her, the better."
"Many thanks for making my work easier, capitan."
"Much obliged, messere Templare." The police nodded with a curtsy, an expression of relief mixed with worry fell over him as he wondered about the fate of his men. Before heading back into the house, he didn't forget to spit at the dirt as he glared at the crimson locks of the 'caught' demoness.
Break
They rode for good hours before they were out of Florence, heading westward.
Pisa was their destination, as he'd told her earlier. A day long ride. He said he knew someone there that could help, adding in a remark about how tasteful the wine there was. As long as he wasn't going to introduce her to someone from the Inquisition, Rias could think of a worse option.
It would have been a half an hour trip had they taken the train, but it was unlikely to fetch one as the alarm had been raised in Florence. Soon that place was festering with Exorcists and ambitious Knights from various Orders, eager to prove their worth, or simply spill some demonic blood. And with their earlier encounter with the search party, it was only a matter of time before they realized this Templar never reported back to the region's Chapter House.
As the golden light of the rising sun illuminated the horizon, the sharp clip-clop of horseshoes trotting softly through the winding trails of the Tuscany region filled the air. Galloping through the lush countryside with a determined stride.
Everything was pleasantly pretty, she'd realize. The beautiful Italian countryside vistas, the sense of freedom permeating from riding atop this majestic beast, the rolling green hills, the delightful freshness of the air — it would've been perfect if her stomach wasn't trying to rip itself apart.
A pained groan escaped her as her shoulder wound decided to nip at her sanity.
The Templar glanced back to see Rias Gremory clinging to his back with her pale arms, wincing every time the horse leapt over a rock or sunk into a pothole. He felt her breath on his neck as the horse galloped, and he could sense the pain she was in.
"You doing good back there?"
"Nnh… I've been better…" she wheezed, clutching her chest as she coughed.
Her fever had worsened. It did mean her body was trying to recover as best as it could, however. Her consciousness was swimming, and it was so terribly tempting to simply fall asleep — but her pride forbade her from doing so. He had done all the work. The least she could do was to accompany him until he decided to take rest.
"I'd get you some meds, but, you know why I can't."
"I know." It was too risky to leave her behind so he could fetch medicines. All local pharmacies were on full alert that each store had an Exorcist stationed nearby; being trained to handle these sorts of unprecedented events. Had they lingered any longer in that city, then she might have never gotten out and ended up in an oblique or worse.
"Don't die on me," he said, only half-jokingly.
"I wouldn't dream of it," she managed, forcing a chuckle, in spite of her hazy mind. "...Hey… why don't you tell me more about your… Templar business."
"I regaled you with my tale enough for one day. Let's listen to yours instead. A noble turned pauper tends to have a lot of stories to share, I've found."
"What do you want to know?" Rias replied. "Or rather, what don't you know already?"
"How can anyone answer that kind of question?" he asked back.
"In that case…" she breathed, completely silent for several seconds, before continuing. "Tell me what you know instead."
He glanced back at her again. She was courageous and strong considering the circumstances. She had an aura about her that was both intriguing and intriguingly familiar. He remembered stories of Rias, the fugitive devil who had fled both Hell and Earth. He had never met her, yet somehow he felt a strange connection to her – that of a kindred spirit. He had a feeling he'd find the grandest of adventures if he stuck alongside her. Perhaps even his death — but even death itself is an adventure. Peter Pan said so.
Though, he'd rather save that one for the last.
"Well," he began, assembling his thoughts then words. "Let's see… I know you're a fugitive in both Hell and Earth. Likely Heaven too. Don't know how or why it happened though. We don't get Hell's news broadcasted around here."
"It's a long story."
He sensed her hesitancy, but pressed on. "Longer than the road?"
"..." Point taken. Rias exhaled deeply, grunting softly as she clutched her stomach. "...To put it simply; there are currently two factions in the Underworld. There's the Old Satan Faction. They cling to tradition and the old ways like the relics they are… they're the Devils that would go out of their way to this world in order to abduct anyone to serve as their thralls. I'm certain you clash often with them. They gave birth to your reputation as the Reaper."
"I'm assuming you're part of the other one."
"The New Satans, yes. We're young and determined to find compromise with our former enemies. Unfortunately, it's rather easy to label such an idea as treachery and an insult to our ancestors. …Too easy, perhaps… It was as if they were planning for it."
There was a bump in the road — but the horse simply stepped over it because it did not have wheels.
"Were they?"
"Who knows… I know it's executed so perfectly that it's impossible it hadn't been pre-planned. …Though, I do admit it was foreseen. My brother was campaigning to be a Satan. Everything was going well, you know… He was charming. A war hero of the Brothers Wars. He had the right power and the right connection to be a Satan."
"What's your brother like? Just like you? Same hair but a man?"
"Yes, actually," Rias chuckled. "He's a bit taller."
"Just a bit."
"Yeah," Rias insisted, moving on. "...The moment my brother proposed to the public to renew the non-aggression pact we had with the other Major Factions, the public had a… terribly reception to it. I think that was the first domino to fall."
"Miscalculation?"
"...Partly," Rias gritted her teeth. "Most of it was due to the limited time window and urgency. It was my brother's last speech before the new Satans would be elected."
"I see."
Rias exhaled. The air was fresh. She only wished her body was just as fresh. She hadn't bathed in four days now, and although there were other significantly more pressing matters for her to worry about, a lady like her could not find it in her to disregard her hygiene.
"And then?"
"Oh," she cleared her throat. "Well. It went south from then on. We… lost faith and support from our allies as they believe the Underworld wasn't ready for that big of a change, and… as you told me before, preventing change is what those in control desire in the first place."
He let the steady clip-clopping of the horse and its occasional whinny fill in the silence before he spoke, "Is it completely lost? It's over?"
She smirked at that. "No. It will take a considerable amount of time and effort for us to rebuild our following, and the Old Satan can only keep up their harmless facade for so long before the public realize they're living under the rules of a dictator, not a leader."
"You sound like you're going to start a revolution, Signorina."
"...If it must come to it… we Devils do acknowledge strength over charm after all. We're a rather barbaric nation, to be honest, and that's not to mention the Demons," she giggled. "…Though I don't fear their rule will ever escalate into a war between the Major Factions, I do worry about other factions' disposition towards the Underworld. We haven't been in a good light since… well, the start of everything."
"Couldn't be that bad."
"You don't know those people"
That upset her, he noticed. Therefore he swiftly moved to another topic. "So how did you get here anyway? And why?"
"I told you I'm here to look for my… Servant, for lack of better word. Right now we need all the able hands we can get. And he's… important to me."
"Oh, your boyfriend."
"A brother, rather," Rias clutched her chest. "..."
"You didn't answer how you got here and how you knew he'd be here."
"Oh. Through a magic circle. I know he'd be here because of the history he had with the Roman Catholics. He's never yet able to burn down that bridge… and now that we're… crippled, he perceived it was his opportunity to abandon my side and pursue his own…story, I suppose."
"Sounds to me he has all the right to do so," he said bluntly. "I don't really get it with Devils and their Servants. Sounds demeaning, don't you think?"
"We weren't the one that came up with that word either," Rias defended. "Like I said, back then, back when the Evil Pieces were created, the Underworld wasn't ready to welcome humans as equals, even if we do rely on them for a part."
"And still you used it despite all of that."
Rias pouted. "I don't need to deal with this playground jibes."
To which he chuckled. "Mi dispiace. It's rather easy to kick a woman when she's down."
"Sadist," she quipped.
"Ah, guilty as charged," he laughed. "So what's your plan going forward, signorina? Let's say you find the guy, won't resist and tag along with you."
"...Frankly, I thought of staying here. In your World, I mean. There are other supernaturals out there, some that haven't completely shut their doors to our kind."
"You're gonna play diplomat?"
"Attempt, at the very least… That's what I studied."
"Hmm… Well, theory can only get you so far, but I guess we'll see soon enough."
"...What do you mean?"
"My contacts over at Pisa," he said. "She's a Dhampir nobility. Former nobility."
To be continued…
Yes my friends, it is Valerie Tepes time
Next chapter I'll show a glimpse of the aftermath of Issei/Enzo's embarkment to glorious adventure in the POV of the church gals and of course, Freed frickin Sellzen. Everyone's favorite psycho
Really wish he didn't have to be rapey at Asia because he's already depicted unhinged enough from his introduction, but what easier way to paint someone as a major d-bag in a series if not through an attempt at rape!
what a boring fucking method
I like my villains unhinged. They don't always have to have a reason why they're evil, just like some people don't need reason to be good. Idk why i'm blabbering about this, i guess it's because i'm hungry. Hungry for reviews, so feed me goddammit or i will start a revolution that even the french will cower from awe