Hello there!
I'm running out of ways to greet without turning to Google Translate, so I have to rehash a few.
Thank you once again for the continued support!
Gonna take another bit of a swing at the AU factor in this installment, so, just a fair warning.
Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, nor do I own Type Moon, any of its intellectual properties, or any other property used in this work.
Published: September 17, 2021
Updated: May 18, 2023
…
Chapter 10 – Work on the Side
The last week in May saw an end to the cherry blossoms, and the beginning of Japan's rainy season. Almost every week from then until late July would be peppered with at least one rain storm, keeping the foliage alive and green well into the summer months. The temperatures would also be exquisitely moderate, even with the steadily rising humidity that was to come.
This Saturday, a sunny break from Kuoh Town's most recent rainfall, Connor took the long way to the academy, enjoying the weather for what it was. Walking step for step beside him, clad in the Kuoh Academy girls' uniform and wearing the same bright smile she did every morning, was Asia Argento.
In the two weeks that passed following the Devil's attempt to abduct her, she had bounced back with remarkable enthusiasm. She had taken his words about this being a new start to heart, or so it appeared. Being able to properly communicate with the locals was a big boost to her confidence, too. The translation spell Connor taught her opened up a world of possibilities to the exiled nun, and she couldn't wait to see what else that world had to offer.
On a different note, Tobio provided him with his promised payment on Sunday for the investigation work. His bonus, as decided by Azazel, was an assortment of Black Keys picked out from the group that Tobio had killed at the church. By and large, Keys were even more top-heavy than his runic sword, and thus made for less than ideal melee weapons, but they were excellent templates to use in magecraft. With the right implementation, they could even be more effective than his runestones, yet with a limited supply, he had to be mindful of their conditions.
The very next Monday, Sona had presented him with a scholarship offer addressed to Asia. The girl wept with joy at him delivering the news that evening, calling it the best birthday present she'd ever gotten. She clarified by saying that her seventeenth birthday had been on the 11th of May, but the thought of being able to go to school more than made up for missing it.
As Connor had expected, Asia became an instant celebrity among the student populace once her name became known. The third-year and even second-year girls all gushed over her like one would gush over a little sister, and the people she came to speak with grew as protective of her as Connor was.
She even acquired a title and bodyguard detail on her first day without trying! Every time she ventured out into the hallway or to one of the school's club or lab rooms, Connor saw that there was always at least one or two members of the Kendo Club there with her. Like loyal retainers to the heir of a samurai warlord, they would act as a shield for the 'Principessa di Kuoh' (Princess of Kuoh) against any incoming boys, with him being the only exception they let through.
That was his biggest clue as to why he acted the way he did around her, and it was nice to know that it wasn't just him being his usual possessive self. He was simply the first victim of her innocent charisma. She could talk anybody into protecting her.
From there, a comfortable routine was found, for the first time in a long time. The two foreign students would depart for school, have an eventful day, or even just an average one, then return home with no trouble. At the end of every day, Asia would talk about the people she met and the new things she learned. Every day was a new adventure to her.
Of course, there was also the presence of other male students to contend with, particularly Dumb and Dumber (Matsuda and Motohama) trying futilely to score time with the "bodacious blonde babe." The two actually confronted Connor about his relationship with Asia, crying and moaning about how unfair it was that he got the new girl all to himself. He sent them packing with a friendly reminder that Bruiseball wasn't a passing craze.
Oddly enough, Issei was rarely seen with his fellow Stooges nowadays, hence the downgrade in their moniker. Most of his time was now either spent doing actual schoolwork, or business with the ORC, whatever that entailed. Connor still had his reservations about Rias, but it looked like she was actually straightening him out. A feat that many at the academy had deemed impossible.
Issei would sometimes come by the apartment between jobs during the week just to stop and chat. Insistent as he was about being Asia's friend, meeting her off-campus was the only way he could do that without getting in trouble from the nun's Secret Service agents. With Asia now a full-time student, Rias had given up on trying to stop him, according to Issei, and just advised him to practice caution around her. Caution which he threw to the wind the moment the nun spoke to him.
Connor could tell that Issei was torn between the crush he was beginning to foster for Asia, and his loyalty to his master. Sooner or later, he would have to make a decision, and the magus frankly didn't know if the kid would end up picking the latter.
Passing through the main gate, he looked up to the Student Council's window to see Sona watching students as they arrived. When her gaze turned to him and Asia, he gave a nod and waved.
Sona reciprocated the magus' greeting with her own wave and a smile.
Things were finally settling down in Kuoh, at least somewhat. The attack on Connor's apartment and the burning of the church were the last major incidents that had occurred in a while, something that she and everyone in hers and Rias' peerage were glad for.
It had been a… trying couple of weeks, starting with the morning after that night's events.
–––––
Tsubaki had only just closed the door to the office, and Sona continued to look down at the notepad, going back over everything Connor told her and weighing her options.
Sona hadn't said anything to Rias after Connor first informed her of Asia Argento's story. She knew fully well that Rias wouldn't believe it, or even entertain the thought. The Gremory heiress was of the mind that the magus was nothing but trouble, even when he hadn't done anything beyond decline their offers for reincarnation.
Regardless, Sona had to tell Rias about what was going on, now that things had escalated. This incident went beyond the scope of what either of the two could manage. Neither she nor Rias had the pull necessary to achieve what Connor was asking for.
But her sister did.
The Student Council President sighed and returned to her desk, picking up the handset to a single line corded telephone stationed on the corner. There was no real advantage to using it over her personal one, but it always just felt more... professional to do it this way. Much like Rias using those silly glasses of hers when she really didn't need them.
Fighting the very foreboding feeling of dread, she punched in the number for the one person in the world that had the power and the willingness to start a second ice age if Sona requested it. The second ring had barely started when she heard the recipient pick up.
"Onee-"
"SO-TAN! You finally called me!" Sona cringed and held the phone away from her ear for a few seconds. She knew to expect a loud response, but this was piercing! "Oh, this is so exciting! Are we finally going to have some girl-to-girl talk on the phone?!"
"Er... not exactly, Onee-sama. I need your help with something."
She heard nothing on the other end in response, not even the sound of a disconnect.
"Hello? Onee-sama?"
"SO-TAAAAN!"
The heiress jumped as the same loud voice she'd heard on the phone just seconds ago was now right behind her, the owner of that voice jumping onto her back and latching on like a monkey to a tree. The handset went flying out of her grasp, clattering to the desk and stopping just short of the edge.
Sona didn't know how the woman did it. Ordinarily, when a Devil teleports to a location they've been to before, their magic circle appears at the destination in order to stabilize the connection. The same was also true for the Satans, since the circles helped to contain their latent magical energy until they made the transfer. For the life of her, she could never discover how her sister could just appear out of thin air the way she did.
She doubted she would get a straight answer from the Satan if she asked. Her sister's response would be something along the lines of "My love for my So-tan makes anything possible!"
"What happened? What's wrong? Are you okay? Did the Angels attack? It's Gabriel, isn't it? That bitch! Finally showing her tru-"
"Onee-sama!" Sona interrupted the woman's rapid-fire questions. She turned her head to make eye contact, thankful that Connor wasn't here to witness this. "The problem has been dealt with for the moment."
"Eh?" Her older sister blinked comically before hopping off her back. Now free to move, Sona turned around fully to take in the Serafall Leviathan's state of dress.
Her long black hair was done into twin tails, and her pink eyes curiously regarded her little sister. Dressed in a silly pink and white magical girl outfit, the kind that Sona wouldn't dare anyone to wear, she looked more like a cosplayer that routinely attended conventions of anime and manga than one of the four ruling figures of the Underworld. Her fully matured body reinforced the ludicrous image, with mountainous breasts almost too big to fit in the costume.
And judging by the silhouettes Sona noticed on those freely bouncing mountains, she was also not wearing a bra… again.
"Oh… Then, why did you say you needed your nee-chan's help? I'm really, really happy that you called, but you scared me with how serious you were. I mean, So-tan is always serious, but still, kinda scary."
Sona's eyebrows twitched at the unintentional jab. She placed the wayward phone back on its receiver, straightened her uniform, then turned to face the shorter Devil.
"I called you because I need to report a crime committed in Kuoh by another Devil."
"Another Devil? A Stray? Did you not get a notice from the Duke?" the Satan asked, tilting her head.
"It was not a Stray. It was another high-class Devil that brought his peerage with him."
Serafall stood up straight, almost like a switch had been flipped, and her expression began to lose the radiant joy it bore upon arriving. In its place, the Minister of Foreign Affairs surfaced, and her eyes took on the laser-like focus that Sona wished she used more often.
"What were they doing here?" she asked.
"They were looking for someone, and they were willing to kill to get them."
"If they didn't make themselves known to you, how did you find out they were here?"
"I received the information from a third party."
"Who gave you this information?"
"They… would like to try and remain anonymous on this matter," Sona said hesitantly.
"I can't accept that as an answer, So-tan. This is too important. Who, helped you?"
Sona swallowed the lump in her throat.
"It was… a-a magus that has been attending Kuoh-"
"A magus?!" Serafall suddenly gripped Sona by the shoulders, all the previous tension gone. "So-tan, are you serious?! I was three hundred fifty years old before I met my first magus, and you're going to school with one?! You are so lucky!"
Sona blinked. "I- Is it really that big of a deal?"
"So-tan, it's like a super secret society! They're not quite as hard to find as a real magical girl, but you pretty much need a Devil's lifespan in order to meet just one magus in your lifetime!"
Surely, her sister was exaggerating, she thought. They couldn't be that rare… could they?
"So, are they a boy or girl? Have you asked them to join your peerage? Because that would really awesome if they did!"
"I made the offer, but… he's not interested."
Serafall's expression, and the temperature of the room, suddenly dropped as her eyes began to glow. Sona could see her own breath become an icy haze in front of her face.
"What?" the Satan growled. "Some miserable little punk has the nerve to deny. My. SO-TAN?!"
Just as quickly as it appeared, the awful chill vanished, and Sona found herself subjected to another one of Serafall's hugs, her arms pinned to her sides as she was swung to and fro. While the Satan was certainly strong enough to break someone in half with this treatment, Sona found that her pride usually suffered more than her spine.
"Well, good! The less people that want to take my So-tan from me, the better. I get So-tan all to myself! Yay~!"
"Onee-sama, please let go. I need to call Rias," Sona protested, struggling to escape Serafall's grip.
The swinging stopped.
"Eh? You haven't talked to Ria-tan about this?"
"Not yet. I decided to call you first. I wanted to make sure that I had what I needed and that I wouldn't be wasting your time." That was only half true, as Sona didn't want her sister to embarrass her in front of Rias again.
Just as she had anticipated, her 'consideration' caused Serafall's face to light up like a Christmas tree. "D'aww! So-tan, you're so thoughtful!"
The hugging intensified, and Sona felt something in her back pop.
"Onee-sama, enough of that. I need to call Rias now."
"Okay!" The Satan released her sister and bounced on her feet, humming a tune of some kind in… celebration? It was so hard to know what really went on in her head.
Shaking her own head and rubbing her back, Sona picked up the phone's handset once again and dialed Rias' number. This time, the answer came after the third ring.
"Hello?"
"Rias, this is Sona. Come to my office, quickly, please. Alone."
"Huh? Umm… okay, I'll be right there."
Sona hung up the phone, and within seconds, the Gremory magic circle appeared in the teleportation corner. Rias appeared, and she stiffened upon seeing Serafall.
"Hiya, Ria-tan!"
The redhead blinked owlishly. "L-Leviathan-sama? What are you doing here?"
"I dunno, my So-tan hasn't told me yet, but she called me first and then called you," Serafall explained before childishly pointing and sticking out her tongue. "Ha! Take that, Ria-tan! She loves her nee-chan more than she loves you!"
Rias stared at her friend, understandably befuddled. "You… called her here? About what?"
"To show this." Sona raised her hand to the left and summoned the body to the floor directly in front of her desk.
Both Rias and Serafall gasped at the Knight's corpse.
"Sona! What is-" Rias was about to demand what this was all about, but did a double-take at the woman's face, then moved to get a closer look. "Wait a minute… I've seen her before! That's one of Diodora's servants! She was one of his escorts at last year's Young Devils Gathering!"
"Yes, I thought I had seen her before, but I wasn't sure," Sona agreed evenly, eyes squinting as she finally remembered where it was she had met this servant. She and one of Diodora's Rooks had accompanied him to the annual celebration, where he had stayed relatively quiet compared to previous years.
"What happened? Did she go Stray?" Rias asked.
"No, her Knight piece is perfectly stable. I've already checked. You can, too, if you wish."
Rias did just that, stepping forward and activating a diagnostic spell to verify the Piece's integrity. Her eyes widened upon finding exactly what Sona had the night before; no corruption, no decay of the crystalline core, and no evidence of tampering. Just a single Evil Piece in perfect condition.
Canceling the spell, Rias stepped back and shook her head in confusion.
"I- I don't understand. Was Diodora here, in Kuoh? If so, why did he not tell us that he was coming?"
"Because he didn't want to be found. Not long ago, Diodora infiltrated the Vatican for the sole purpose of getting one Asia Argento excommunicated and away from the security of the Church, and then he followed her here. To what end, I don't know, but it no longer matters. He put our entire race at risk with his actions."
Rias' mouth dropped open, and her eyes expressed incredulous disbelief, roughly mirroring that of Sona's own once she learned the nun's side of the story.
"Wh-What?! Sona, that's insane! Where did you hear… Wait…" The Gremory heiress' expression turned sour. "Have you been talking to Connor? Is that what he told you? Did he do this?!"
"You're not listening to me, Rias."
"You can't trust him, Sona, and the Pillars are not going to believe any of that for one second!"
"Rias, will you just listen?!" Sona shouted, fed up with her friend's attitude. The redhead stopped, giving her the chance the speak. "Whatever we might think of Lochlainn-san is irrelevant. This body is proof enough to warrant an inquiry into Diodora's recent activity. If she was here without ours or the Satans' authorization, then he's been going behind everyone's back to do who-knows-what, for who-knows-how-long, and placing all of us in needless jeopardy. This cannot be ignored!"
The potential political fallout was twofold now, and Rias had to be made aware of it. Bad enough that the Church would cry for war, but the lease on Kuoh Town that the Devils held with the Shinto Pantheon was already strained thanks to the previous Governor's sudden disappearance. If this got out and the problem wasn't dealt with swiftly, the Devils as a whole could kiss this gateway to the human world, and any future relations with the yōkai, goodbye.
"Onee-sama, what do-"
Sona turned to Serafall, looking to get her input on the matter, but stopped when she saw the look on her sister's face. The elder Sitri hadn't spoken a word since the body was revealed. Her gaze remained fixated on the corpse, although the stare she was giving it told Sona that she had been listening to their conversation and having her own mental debate.
Finally, she spoke, more to herself than the two heiresses.
"Shit… Ajuka-chan's going to be pissed…"
–––––
And 'pissed' he certainly was.
From what Serafall told her later, Ajuka Beelzebub was so angry of the news that he destroyed all of the equipment in one of his laboratories, fixed it all with magic, then destroyed everything again. His furious screams could be heard from two rooms over, and everyone there could hear him cursing his younger brother to a fate worse than death.
For a man as calm and mild-mannered as the inventor of the Evil Piece system, it made Sona shudder at the thought of seeing him truly furious.
Sona never understood the family dynamic between Ajuka and Diodora, but it couldn't possibly have been a healthy one to begin with. Not once, in the time she had known Diodora, did she see him and Ajuka in the same room, even on special occasions that practically required it. Where one came in, the other left, and vice versa. It was almost as if they couldn't stand being around each other.
Comparatively speaking, she was glad that her sister didn't regard the law of Satans severing ties to their families with much reverence. No matter how much Serafall embarrassed her with childish antics, their relationship could have been much worse.
Since then, Serafall had kept Sona updated on the news through letters, in a rare but welcome turn in professional etiquette.
As it turned out, Diodora Astaroth had been gone from his estate for over a week and, just days before the attack, his peerage had disappeared as well. While Serafall told the truth of the matter to the other Satans, the story she gave to the Seventy-Two Pillars placed someone matching Diodora's description as being seen in Kuoh Town around the time of an arson attack on the church there, according to eyewitnesses.
Between Diodora's absence, his history of frequent trips to the human world, and the current inability to locate him, there wasn't any way to dispel any accusation of wrongdoing or even prove that he wasn't in Kuoh at all.
Its missing heir now a suspect in an investigation ordered by the Satans, House Astaroth was left scrambling for a way to keep from losing its standing in the Underworld and simultaneously distance itself from Diodora. Within three days, there was talk of Ajuka's niece in the branch family, Latia, being named the new heiress in order to fill the vacated position. Within seven days, it was done, and Latia was the new face of Astaroth.
Personally, Sona was all for it, having met the young woman before and found her to be a broad-minded and responsible Devil that valued the clan and her people above her own reputation. She was certainly much easier to talk to than Diodora had been. Once she gained enough influence in the high-class echelons, she could very well be a key ally for Sona in founding her school for reincarnated Devils in the Underworld.
Even so –Sona had to remind herself– that was still a ways into the future, and Latia would need time to acclimate to her new role.
"Kaichou?" The voice of her new secretary broke Sona from her thoughts.
"Yes, Saji?"
"We've got requests from some of the sports clubs that need your final approval."
For now, the Sitri heiress had other business to attend. With a nod, she turned and walked back to her desk, noting the stack of papers that Saji was carrying.
Lunchtime passed, classes were dismissed for the day, and students churned out of the front gate in their little packs and clans for the weekend, as per usual. Connor, on the other hand, walked down the corridor leading the the Student Council office, looking through the window and taking in the scenery of the wooded area behind the school.
Reya had said that Sona wanted him to come by and talk after classes. Whatever for, he had no idea, and neither did Reya when he asked her. She didn't seem concerned about it, though, so perhaps it was nothing serious. Due to this, he kept a reasonable pace, but saw no reason to hurry. Knowing Sona, she would be spending all afternoon at the office to prepare for the next week anyway.
Arriving at the door, Connor gave three knocks and waited for a reply.
"Come in."
Opening the door and peeking inside, he found Sona by herself at her desk. She was organizing paperwork that had been in its center, putting them aside in neat stacks.
"We need to stop meeting like this, Madam President. You wanted to see me?" he asked, casually walking in and closing the door behind him.
She smiled at the deliberately English title.
"Yes, there's something that I believed you would want to know. This won't take long, so don't sit down if you don't wish to." She waited until he had approached her desk and propped himself against one of the chairs.
"I'll give you the basic rundown. Yesterday evening, Rias had an important meeting with another high-class Devil regarding business between hers and the latter's families. Just a few hours ago, she informed me that she and her peerage are going to be out of town for a little over a week, starting tomorrow. In that time, the responsibilities as dual Governors of Kuoh will rest solely with me and my own peerage. That includes matters like extra contracts and security of the town."
"So she goes on early vacation and dumps all her work on top of yours? Ouch."
"It's not a vacation," she clarified. "I'm not at liberty to tell the exact purpose for their leave of absence, that is strictly Gremory business. But it can be said that it is something that she can no longer leave for another time."
For a moment, Connor wondered what could be so important, but he quickly dismissed it. He wouldn't argue if it meant Rias being away for a while. Even with her backing off a bit after Asia's enrollment, that first impression made him realize how compatible he was with the redhead. Not at all.
Sona continued, "At any rate, with her group gone, that leaves myself and my peerage with added duties for the next ten days or so. Among those duties is to be on the lookout for Stray Devils that cross over from the Underworld to the human world. So, I wanted to ask you. What would you say if I offered for you to go with us on a Stray Devil hunt?"
The magus raised an eyebrow. Was that her way of saying, "I want to hire you?"
"Interesting offer… but, my answer notwithstanding, you make it sound like you're expecting trouble."
"Not necessarily. It's just that Kuoh has been a hive of supernatural activity of late. Last month, Rias' group killed one Stray and then captured another one just a week ago. It has me concerned that another one, or perhaps even more than one, will appear in her absence."
"The prosecution rests," Connor deadpanned. "You're expecting another Stray to pop up."
"I simply wish to be prepared for any unforeseen problems."
'She's just covering her bases, then.'
He could see where she was coming from now. If the necessity arose such that assistance was needed, she would rather have reached out to potential allies than stubbornly denied herself the chance.
"Well, color me cautious, but I'd like to know the details of a hunt before committing to one."
"Fair enough, but that works both ways, Connor-san. If indeed you agree to join us on a hunt, I need to know what you're capable of, so as to not misappropriate your skill set when the time for action comes."
In his mind, he let out a laugh.
'Well, that answers that question. Goodbye, subtlety! Hardly knew ya! She's not even trying to hide how much of a read she wants on me. Guess she's going for the 'two birds one stone' approach.'
"I hope you understand that I can't show you everything, Sona. This isn't like sharing and comparing notes for a math test, there are some things that I have to keep to myself. It's just part and parcel of being a magus."
She calmly held up a hand. "Not to worry, I'm not expecting you to go into detail about your magecraft now if you haven't already. As the saying goes, 'A magician never reveals his secrets.' This would be more of an assessment of your physical skills, how well you fare if a battle were to occur."
"Based on my track record, you already have an idea of that," he pointed out.
"I do, but only based on what others have told me. I haven't seen it with my own eyes, and I will not bring someone along on a hunt if I am unsure about their abilities."
'She's thought this through, at least. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight.'
"Alright. Just one more question: Is it paying work?"
"Not normally, but there are exceptions. Many times, the one posting the mark will simply give information of the Stray to the Archduke, who in turn leaves it to the assigned hunter to manage compensation of themselves and their allies. Any offered reward goes to the hunter upon completion of the contract, and what they do with it is up to their discretion, be it money or material possessions."
"Kind of like your normal contract work, huh?" Sona nodded. "Hmm… Well, if nothing else, it would be an interesting experience. When did you want to do this?"
"If it's not too sudden, then perhaps this same time tomorrow?"
He shrugged. "Barring the rain we're expecting, sure."
As it turned out, Sunday was a spectacular day for such an assessment. Not a cloud in the sky, the sun shining brightly, and a slight breeze that kept the temperature most pleasant.
'The weatherman lied. And here I had plans to study at home.'
Connor met with Sona and her peerage just outside the gymnasium, facing to the peerage members were standing at attention, all in uniform. Connor, meanwhile, was outfitted in a t-shirt with a light jacket, loose fitting sweat pants and tennis shoes. If this was going to be a physical exam, he would need to move freely.
Asia was currently meeting with some friends she had made in class 2-C and spending the day with them in town. More and more, the timid girl was breaking out of her shell. She might stand out in a crowd, but if she could fit in with a group, that was good enough for him.
Sona stepped forward from her position at the left hand side of the line.
"Before we begin, Connor-san, I would like for us to review a few things. You already know that the Evil Piece grants power based on what Piece is used in the reincarnation process, and that more than one of that kind of Piece might be needed if a person is strong enough. What we did not cover in the time since then were the specific powers granted upon reincarnation, so let us correct that oversight right now."
The Sitri heiress then began walk down the line one by one to introduce the Pieces.
"Rooks gain superhuman strength and durability, and are the powerhouses of the group. Tsubasa is my only Rook as of yet." The tallest girl of the Sitri peerage nodded to him.
"Knights are granted tremendous speed and agility, quite literally running circles around an adversary. Thus far, Tomoe is my sole Knight." She gave a wave.
"Bishops have enhanced magical power and can use a wide variety of spells as a result. Both Reya and Momo are my Bishops." A smile and a bow from the respective magic casters.
"The Queen possesses traits of all three aforementioned Pieces, making them the most balanced out of the entire set. Tsubaki holds the Queen." The Vice-President gave a polite bow.
"Pawns, much like in actual chess, are able to Promote themselves to become any of the other Pieces, except the King, when certain conditions are met. Saji has four pawns and Ruruko another one, so there is a chance of bringing in up to three more in the future." Saji nodded and Ruruko bowed.
"And lastly, the King maintains the flow of demonic energy to the Pieces." Finishing her lecture, Sona stood to the side of the Pawns, one hand clasped over the other. "Now then, Connor-san, I'm aware that you do not wish to become a Devil, and I will stand by my word to respect your decision. That said, if things were different and you agreed to reincarnation, what Piece could you see yourself as?"
Connor's eyes coasted from one side of the lineup to the other, every one of the Devils curiously awaiting his answer in their own ways. Except for Saji, whose focus seemed to be more on Sona instead.
"First pick? I would say that I'd be better suited as a Bishop or a Rook. One of the two, if the Bishop was still open."
Sona nodded, Reya and Tsubasa smiled, and Tomoe pouted.
"Hey, what's wrong with being a Pawn?" Saji asked and Ruruko nodded beside him.
"I never said Pawn was bad. I just said that Rook and Bishop would've been my first choice."
"And why is that?" Tsubaki inquired, shifting and placing her right hand on her hip.
"Well, I'll level with you, speed isn't exactly my forte. I'm better suited for stacking the deck in my favor before a fight actually begins, if it ever does. Whether that's just boosting myself or sabotaging the enemy depends on the situation. That goes for both my use of magecraft and my close combat style." He had already done just that before coming, having applied Reinforcement to his whole body and invoked the first tier of the strengthening runes on his arms as a 'just in case.'
"I see," Sona hummed in understanding before turning to the bluenette. "Tsubasa, would you do the honors?"
The Rook nodded and strode forward confidently, removing her school uniform in the process to reveal the academy standard gym uniform underneath. The expression on her face was one of excitement and anticipation.
"So you think you could make it as a Rook, huh? You wanna see what the real deal is like?"
"If you're offering." He took one step back and sank down, putting his center of gravity into his hips while keeping his body angled toward her. He brought his left arm up against his body and extended the right arm forward, keeping both hands slightly open.
Tsubasa stopped in her tracks the moment he did so, then put her right foot forward and stomped the ground. Following this, she assumed a stance that made Connor raise a curious eyebrow: Legs spread, body facing to her left, elbows angled outward and fists tilted toward herself. This spar was supposed to be all in good fun, but if she was really going to use that style, she was looking to make it hurt.
The Rook inched forward, bit by bit, a move reciprocated by the American, until the two were in arm's length of each other. Neither said nor did anything for about five seconds. Connor could see from behind his opponent that their spectators were starting to get anxious.
Finally, Tsubasa struck first, throwing a right punch followed by an elbow to his chin. He deflected the first blow and barely avoided the second before backing up. She tried again, this time using her arms to open up his guard and throw an open-handed strike to his chest. Once again, he deflected and backed up.
With her first few strikes, he had a rough estimate of what he was up against. She was obviously holding back, but even then, her strength was not at all dissimilar from what he felt in the hooded Devil's attacks two weeks ago. In comparison, Tsubasa seemed much more in tune with and in control of her strength.
"C'mon, show some grit! Lemme see whatcha got!" Tsubasa taunted with a cheeky smile.
Connor's only response was to give his own smile and turn his right hand for a 'bring it' gesture.
She did just that, sliding forward and making another attempt at his head.
'Raidho.'
This time, he met her halfway, moving into her guard quicker than she had expected using the rune of freedom and travel to enhance his speed. She defended with her left arm and tried for a counterattack, but he blocked that as well.
The two traded blows left to right, dodging and blocking without landing much of a hit on either. For a while, he was keeping up with her, but as the spar went on, she began steadily increasing the power behind her strikes. She was gauging him just as he had with her, but was playing the long game, which spoke of her experience.
She pulled back slightly and launched her right arm for a punch to his chest.
'Gebo!'
Opening his left hand to receive the attack, her punch landed squarely in his open palm. He grit his teeth from the impact, but held firm.
'Thurisaz!'
The runes of equal exchange and directed force did their work, sending the kinetic energy through his arms and into his right hand. He launched a right straight punch to deliver her attack right back at her, but her own left hand shot up and intercepted his strike, just as he did with hers.
The two were now locked for a brief moment until Tsubasa grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm toward her, then struck with her right shoulder aiming squarely into his left clavicle. He twisted his body just in time to deflect the blow, then shifted his body weight to pull her back into his range. She didn't stumble forward like he'd hoped, but he did wrench his right arm out of her grasp.
Bringing his right arm under her own, he stepped behind her and levered her arm against his to twist it behind her and push her down for a submission hold.
Just as he was about to put his foot in her knee to help with that, she stomped the ground with tremendous force and caused a miniature earthquake right where they stood. He lurched forward from the surprising move, allowing her to push him away with another shoulder check. The magus now off balance and vulnerable, she pressed the attack by going for a straight punch to his solar plexus.
It would have landed, had Connor not caught her fist again, then dropped to the ground on his back, using his entire body weight to yank her forward. Grabbing her shirt with his right hand and planting his foot into her abdomen, he rolled backward and pushed her off and over him.
He pushed himself back onto his feet just in time for Tsubasa to get up and come again with another punch to his face. He dropped back down and braced for more punishment when-
"Cease!"
Sona's authoritative shout brought the spar to an end.
Both combatants stopped and stared at one another, before standing up straight and bowing. Several members of the peerage applauded the display.
From start to finish, only sixty seconds had passed.
"Not bad at all, Connor-san." Sona congratulated. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?"
Connor took several deep breaths. "One of my dad's best friends in the States did martial arts after retiring from the Army. He taught my dad and I some pretty interesting stuff about CQC." Of course, neither Connor nor his father were nearly as buff as the man had been, so they had to improvise with techniques derived from several different martial arts and discreet use of magecraft.
"That was more than just CQC," Tsubasa added, approaching him. As expected of a Rook, she didn't even look winded. "Your opening stance is a basic form in traditional karate, and your movements and locks feel like jujitsu."
"Yeah, that's how I was taught. As for you… That footwork and those strikes? I remember my sensei telling me how lethal bajiquan can be without restraint."
"So you did recognize it? Well, no wonder you were playing so defensively. Yeah, I did a lot of fighting before I was reincarnated, and becoming a Rook only made it better." The Rook gave a satisfied smile. "That was fun. We should go again sometime."
"Maybe. What say you, Sona? Do I pass inspection?"
"Tsubasa?" The heiress deferred to her Rook, who gave a firm nod.
"You said it yourself, Kaichou; not bad at all. I think he'll be alright."
"Then that's all I need to hear." Sona turned to Connor and smiled lightly. "We'll let you know if something comes up, Connor-san."
"Looking forward to it."
Or so he said.
That Wednesday, just before he was getting ready to call it a night, he got a text from Sona asking him to call her. When he did, she filled him in on the situation.
True to Sona's suspicions, another Stray Devil had appeared in Kuoh. They had tracked it to the abandoned Ishikawa textile factory on the north side of town. Luckily for him, the factory wasn't very far from his apartment, so he'd told them to get started while he would meet them there. When she asked if he wanted for someone to come pick him up via teleportation, he declined, telling her that he needed a few minutes to get ready.
For freedom of movement, he decided to vest himself in tennis shoes, loose-fitting pants, a t-shirt and a light jacket, all of which were modified with runes to mask his presence and resist physical damage. Grabbing all the equipment he believed he would need to kill a monstrous demon, he set out to the factory at a brisk pace, aided by Ehwaz etched on the soles of his shoes to give a light boost to his step.
About five minutes into his 'run,' he arrived at the designated location. Sona and her peerage were all together, standing a good distance away from the building their mark was allegedly inhabiting. It was a large brick building settled next to a warehouse and, although the former was in better shape than the latter, both structures looked to be in as similar a condition as the old church had been. Namely, very poor condition.
He didn't understand why the Devils seemed to insist on wearing the school uniform outside of school.
"There you are, Connor-san. I'm glad you could make it," the Sitri heiress greeted.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were even coming," Tsubasa added, who seemed especially excited to see him there.
"Why'd you guys wait for me? You're not worried this Stray'll get away?"
"We've set up a barrier around the factory that's confirmed the presence of the Stray, but so far, he hasn't moved since we got here," Reya answered.
'Doesn't mean he's not preparing for you.'
"Alright," he started slowly, "so what've we got?"
Sona fixed her glasses as she began. "The Stray's name is Carlisle, and he's a Bishop in service to House Shax. No Sacred Gear, but he is extremely dangerous nonetheless. According to the report we received, Carlisle murdered three of his fellow peerage members, drained their bodies completely dry of blood and then gouged their eyes out."
Connor wrinkled his nose. "Ugh, geez, sounds like such a swell guy."
"There's more. It seems that a maid in service to House Shax also went missing shortly after Carlisle's killing spree. It is believed that she was abducted during his escape."
He blinked. "So this is a rescue mission, too? Then–"
"It's unlikely that she is still alive," Tsubaki denied grimly, "with how violent his other crimes are. It's unfortunate but, in cases like this, we must assume the worst and prioritize our own survival."
"That's right, which is why I don't want anyone to be caught alone tonight."
Having made her stance clear, Sona then outlined her plan of attack: Tsubaki would lead Reya, Tsubasa, Tomoe, Saji and Connor inside and split up once in to root out the Stray, while Sona, Momo and Ruruko would stay outside to maintain the barrier around the building and keep the group apprised of any activity.
"Stay together, and watch each other's backs. Understood?"
"Yes, Kaichou," the Student Council sounded off in unison. Connor simply nodded.
"And Connor-san, take this."
Sona handed him a device no larger than the palm of his hand.
"A wireless headset?"
"The Underworld's equivalent. Pushing the button will open the microphone and allow you to speak with the rest of us through the Sitri family's magic circle."
He pressed the button and watched the Sitri magic circle manifest at the end.
"Testing, testing," he spoke into the circle, looking around the group and receiving nods and thumbs-ups. He nodded, then fit the plastic loop over his left ear. "If this thing fries my brain, I'm coming back to haunt you."
"It has no such function, I assure you." Sona flatly replied, expecting such a quip.
With everyone in the group now prepared, Tsubaki's team took point while Connor and the others followed close. Stopping at the door, Tsubaki slowly pushed it open. When the heavy door let out the air from inside, all six were greeted with an odor so foul that it made everyone take a few steps back and cover their nose and mouth with whatever was available.
Saji retched. "Agh, what is that smell?!"
"I'm guessing that's the stench of really old and rancid blood," Connor coughed into his sleeve. "Wow, it's enough to make a man sick."
"Is everything okay?" Ruruko called out from her point on the barrier.
"We're fine, it's all good," Tsubasa reassured the youngest of the Devils.
"Fukukaichou," Tomoe addressed Tsubaki, "Not to undermine Kaichou's orders, but I don't think splitting up tonight is a good idea. We should probably all stick together."
"All in favor?" the magus called for a quick vote. Not that he was ungrateful for the like-minded option, but he'd figured that sights or smells like this would be something that they were better used to and well prepared for. If they were reacting this strongly to it, however, it had to have unsettled them.
Hands raised across the group in a unanimous vote.
"Don't worry, I agree." Tsubaki acquiesced. "Kaichou, we'll all be staying in one group."
The Sitri heiress nodded, sensing the unease. "Very well. Be careful."
Connor stuck to the rear of the pack. Since Devils could see at night better than him on a natural level, they made for better leads into a dark enclosed space. Once out of sight from Sona and the others outside, he stayed back enough to quickly apply the Kenaz runes to his eyes without drawing attention. Keeping pace with the group as his eyes adjusted, a world within the metal walls opened up.
The cavernous old factory held many relics of a once prosperous business: dye presses, weaving machines, thread winders, and several others that Connor couldn't guess what they did, some of which was undoubtedly more high-tech than others here, yet all of it was left forgotten. After the company went bankrupt years ago during a market crash, everything inside was simply abandoned. Even the once perfectly usable parts and metal that made these machines was seemingly of little value to anyone.
It would be piteous, if the weighty stink of blood didn't make it so unnerving.
They hadn't gone very far when Connor heard the earpiece activate.
"Heads up, guys, you're coming up on Carlisle's signature," Momo warned over the magic link.
"Has he not moved at all?" Tomoe asked.
"No, he's still right where he has been."
'That's odd,' Connor thought to himself. Was the Stray that confident in his chances?
Tsubaki suddenly called for a halt, her posture tense. Looking forward, he saw why.
Suspended above the floor by way of chains was a large iron ring, with broken lengths of even more chain dangling from several places on it and piled on the ground underneath it. In no way could it be called an industrial crane due to the chains being attached to the ceiling at a singular spot, its only capable movement being to swing like a crude pendulum. More to the point, a magic circle was drawn underneath the fixture, hard to really make out due to the low light, but highly contrasted against the concrete floor.
A short distance away from there was a body. A horrifically mutilated body.
The arms were mangled nearly beyond recognition, and everything from the shoulders up was gone, with a chunk of the upper torso torn and broken in multiple places. Jagged edges of bone and torn bits of meat were strewn about in every direction left available by the empty space.
To say the least, not a combination one would expect to find in a textile factory.
"You're right on top of him, where is he?" Sona asked.
'Oh… That's why.'
"Kaichou… somebody beat us here. Carlisle is already dead."
"Must've been a barber with a bear trap; they took way too much off the top." Connor morbidly joked while keying the microphone, earning an groan from Tsubaki and an awkward chuckle from several others.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that, Connor-san. Tsubaki, did this killer leave a trail?"
The Vice-President knelt down to inspect the body, being careful not to touch it. "Not really. It looks like most of Carlisle's blood was drained as well, even from the floor. What we're looking at should be an absolute mess, but there's hardly any blood around it. Fresh blood, rather."
Connor looked closer as well. Sure enough, there was barely any blood for such a brutal animal mauling. Something had made a chew toy out of him before taking his head off in one big bite, and the streaks the magus could see looked like something had tried to lap as much blood from the floor as possible once Carlisle was dead.
"How strange… It had to have been recent, because the Evil Piece is still giving off power… Stay on your guard, whatever killed him might still be inside. We're expanding the barrier's parameters to watch for any kind of movement."
"Understood. Everyone, look around but stay within visual range of each other," Tsubaki ordered. "Something did our job for us, but we cannot leave until we find out what."
"Hai!"
While she and Reya began inspecting the ritual circle and the iron ring, the others started searching around them, remaining alert to any change. By now, everyone had gotten somewhat accustomed to the smell of the factory enough to leave their faces uncovered, unpleasant though it remained.
Connor was near Saji and Tsubasa, working along what he believed to be the north wall of the factory. He glanced back to the ring several times out of curiosity. As much as he wanted to study it himself, this wasn't his operation; he was just a hired hand.
After a short while of poking around, he caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye, next to a divot in the concrete.
"Hel~lo, what are you?" he mumbled to himself. Cautiously, he walked toward it, watching every step and glancing around to make sure nothing moved while he did.
Once within reach, he discerned the object to be a small book of some kind. He dug out his assortment of runestones from his left pants pocket and sifted through them until finding the right one for what he had in mind.
'Perthro.'
Returning the others to his pocket, he then channeled magical energy into the stone and dropped it directly over the book.
Perthro was the rune pertaining to fate, fortune, or, in the way Connor used it, mystery. Essentially a litmus test for magic enchantments and safeguards, the rune was designed to light up when the stone came in contact with something that bore foreign magic. The stone was already alight due to the barrier outside, but purging it with his magical energy had the effect of 'refreshing the sensor,' so to speak.
Landing squarely in the center of the cover, the stone sat and remained unchanged. He nodded and picked up the book, stashing the stone. The lack of security measures would make for a much easier read. He then walked back to the circle and stood over Reya and Tsubaki, thumbing through the pages.
"You found something?" Tsubaki asked over her shoulder.
"It's a journal, and it's all written in English. Give me a minute, I'll see if he left a clue or two in here."
The first half of the written pages, Connor found to be largely forgettable; Carlisle's reincarnation, contracts he'd made with humans, rating game critiques and strategies. Pretty meaningless things, at this point. It was only during the last dozen or so pages that the magus found something of note.
"Monday, May 10: Been having trouble sleeping lately. I started having this bizarre dream that's happened every night since Friday. The sky is completely blotted out by dark clouds, not a speck of blue or purple to be found anywhere."
Connor paused to ask himself, 'Why purple?' before brushing it off and continuing to read.
"I'm standing on rippling water, but there's no breeze. I try to walk forward, but I can't tell if I'm actually moving or standing still. I haven't told Lord Shax about it, but I'm going to talk with Matthias soon. Maybe he can help with whatever this is.
"Wednesday, May 12: Matthias' remedies and spells aren't working. It's the same dream, over and over again. I've gotten to the point where I'm shouting and singing until my voice is hoarse as I go forward, just to hear myself talk, just to hear anything. The ripples my feet make on the water don't change, no matter what I do. I've come to hate sleeping now, and I'm jealous of others that can do it so peacefully.
"Saturday, May 15: The dream changed. There was something there with me in that place. It looked like a giant, hideous bug, or a spider or something. It had this bulbous body covered in things that look like glowing plants, tiny legs that look too small to hold it up, and its head had craters and indents all over it. Beady, black eyes filled each one of those pits, and a round maw at the bottom of the head lined with slimy teeth twitched and flexed, as if it were chewing on something. I felt like vomiting when I first saw it. It started scuttling toward me, so I tried to run, but I couldn't go anywhere, I was just running in place. It kept getting closer. Then it caught up to me, and I woke up screaming."
The magus was impressed by how vividly this guy could remember every detail of what happened in his own subconscious. Then again, he was being subjected to it repeatedly, so he might well recollect this form of solitary confinement. But why didn't he try fighting the monster with magic like any Bishop was supposedly able to? It was just a dream, after all. He could do anything in there.
After that, Carlisle had stopped putting dates, and the writing got progressively more sloppy.
"I can't go to sleep anymore. That disgusting spider just keeps coming back. Every time I nod off, I see it staring at me with those horrid eyes. Stop staring at me! Stop it! Leave me alone! Shax doesn't believe me, thinks I'm just being 'dramatic.' He doesn't understand, none of them do!"
The next few pages were covered in maddened scribbles, unintelligible words and highly detailed pictures of eyes in all shapes and sizes. It felt like the journal was watching him as he read from it.
"I figured it out! I know how to beat it! I have to gouge out its eyes! It came back last night, but I struck at it this time. I punched one of its eyes, popped it like a grape, and the thing shrieked and finally backed off. I tried again, but it wasn't enough. The damned thing bit off my leg and started eating me alive! Curse Shax for making me a Bishop! I can't do anything more than strike it. I want to tear it apart! I want to destroy it! I want to feast on its blood! I want it to die! DIE, DIE, DIE!"
So, this guy lost his mind to a recurring nightmare that made him an insomniac. The magus now had… something… of a motivation for the killing spree and the state of Carlisle's first three victims, but where did that leave him now? Why drain the bodies of blood? And what about his fourth victim? Where was she?
Connor glanced around, then up to the ring, wondering why it was even needed in the first place. Tsubaki and Reya were cataloging the circle's symbols while the others kept searching. Over to the side, it seemed Saji and Tomoe found something interesting. He could see the Knight holding some papers in her left hand. Continuing his reading, the magus found more and more of the ramblings up until the last entry, which was surprisingly coherent.
"I had an epiphany yesterday. In order to be free of the spider, I don't actually need to kill it. I simply need to never sleep again. It can't find me if I don't go to sleep.
"I also remembered that Matthias fought and killed a necromancer some time ago after a deal went sour. I don't know what it was about, but old Mattie ended up with some good reading material once the deed was done. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I borrowed his notes for a while, him being dead and all.
"From what I've read so far, every one of these rituals requires high volumes of blood, both for drawing the circles, and for injecting into the subject. I need more than what a single body can give to fill that quota, as well as a living host with which these 'blood ministrations' can be used on. As much as I want to try it on myself and get results fast, I can't be reckless. I don't want to gloss over any important details.
"The subject I've acquired for my experiment is such a pitiful creature, always crying and pleading to let her go, whining of how much her stomach hurts. If she only realized what a service she was doing for me with this. If I'm right, then the result of this ritual should provide me with enough data on how to produce a serum that can keep one awake for days, or even weeks, on end. If that doesn't work, then perhaps something that will at least keep me from dreaming. I'm on a time crunch, now that I'm Stray. With any luck, this third ministration should–"
The page ended abruptly with what looked like a blood splatter in the bottom right corner.
Connor's eyes widened, now knowing what they were dealing with.
A necromancer was a magus whose craft presided exclusively over death; reanimating the dead, making tools out of human remains, creating life from assembled parts, nothing was off-limits to those lunatics. The notoriously risky actions they often took to acquire their material made them pariahs, even among other magi, for how boldly they tread the line between secrecy and exposure. The nickname 'vulture' was truly synonymous with the practice.
If Carlisle followed notes that originated from one such magus and evidently botched the ritual…
Just as he was about to tell the group his findings, the earpiece activated.
"Everyone, listen."Sona announced, her tone worrisome. "We've detected movement in your area. Something large is heading your way, but I don't know what it is. Get out of there, now."
The Devils all looked to each other. The lone human, on the other hand, felt his stomach drop.
Suddenly, an inhuman screech rang out. Everyone tensed, looking around to try and find the source. That proved impossible, since the echo caused by the walls of the factory made it sound like it was coming from everywhere at once. Following that was a repetitive thumping. Connor could feel it in his feet, with every rumble akin to the angry stomping of a huge animal.
The walls of the factory started to feel much farther away than they had before, which only made the sounds seem that much louder.
Then the smell came. That same disgusting odor akin to pus and old blood that almost bowled them over when they walked in. Only this time, it was stronger, much more pervasive.
Finally, they saw… something come skulking around the corner of a large weaving machine several meters away. Nobody said a word or even uttered a sound, too shocked by what they were seeing.
This… creature trudged forward on two arms and two legs, hunched over and walking with the gait of a person imitating a quadruped. Each of its limbs were longer than its body, shaped vaguely like those of a human, and massive claws jutted from elongated fingers and toes. If it were rear up on its back legs, it could easily stand five meters in height.
Its whole body, from head to foot, was covered in matted strips of fur and torn, sickly gray skin that exposed most of the creature's skeleton and connective tissues. Tendons, ligaments and loosely dangling blood vessels were all visible. Both its torso and abdomen looked completely devoid of vital organs, the skin having been receded until it was stretched over the monster's spindly, emaciated frame. Two large folds of skin apparently peeled from its own back were draped over its shoulders and obscuring its head, giving the appearance of a fleshy veil.
And the smell only seemed to magnify once the source came into view. It smelled like death.
This abomination could barely be considered alive, yet somehow it moved without shedding a drop of blood from its decayed form. Something was oozing from the multitude of crevices in its skin, but it wasn't blood.
The creature waved its upper body back and forth through the air, as if tasting it for a peculiar scent, until it snapped its head to face the group, uttering a raspy growl.
Connor got a look at its face, or what barely qualified as such, and the sight was haunting. Like the rest of its body, the gray skin across its head was drawn in to grotesque levels, outlining bone and cartilage to only just resemble something humanoid. Large, curved fangs lined its mouth from left to right, some at the corners angled down and concealing the sides of its lower jaw.
Within the sunken eye sockets sat… nothing but empty, soulless pits. There were no eyes, and yet Connor could simply feel that this thing was staring right back at him.
The monster's mouth opened to an impossible angle as it let out an ear-piercing shriek. Turning toward them, it loped forward in strides longer than Connor was tall, closing the distance in a fraction of a second.
Screaming again and raising its massive right hand with claws fully splayed, the beast struck.
"MOVE!"
…
Boom! Surprise boss fight!
Call me an evil bastard for the cliffhanger if you want, I totally deserve it, but I honestly couldn't find a better place to end the chapter without dragging it out.
I have to admit, I surprised myself with what I finally decided to put in the gap between the canon revival of Asia and the Gremory/Phenex Game. Lots of room for creativity, regarding what Sona and her peerage do while Red Team is gone, so here was my answer.
To my great regret, I've never played Bloodborne (hint hint), but having watched footage of it on YouTube, everything about it is artistically terrifying: the setting, the atmosphere, the music, the monsters and the lore surrounding them. By no means is my attempt at written horror on the caliber of Stephen King or Michael Crichton, but it has been an incredible learning experience.
If you enjoyed what you read, leave a favorite, a follow or a review to let me know. Any advice or support that you could give would be greatly appreciated. If you'd like to take a shot at the challenge, send me a PM, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Thank you for reading!