AN: Hey guys and welcome to the fifteenth chapter of "Switching Sides."
I want to thank everyone who has Followed, Favorited, and Reviewed! You guys are the best!
This chapter will shed some light on a few things some of the readers has found confusing as well as hints about future events in the story so if you're observant enough you could guess who will make an appearance soon and such.
This chapter will not have a heavy focus on Issei and Vali's emotional state or their relationship like the previous chapter, but it will have some development for Vali.
Also, I am very happy to let you know that the first Bleach story (I have two in plans) I am planning to publish is really close to getting the first chapter released so if you're a fan of Bleach look forward to seeing it in the next few days! The only thing I'll tell you is that the pairing in this story will be quite unusual.
I also have something I want to explain to you regarding the end of the chapter, but it applies to future events in the story as well so make sure to read it so you could get a better grasp/understanding on it.
Now, without further ado. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!
"..." Talking
'...' Thoughts
"..." Quotations
*...* Actions i.e., Yawning and Sighing
(...) Flashback and time skips
["..."] Talking through the Sacred Gear
['...'] Talking in the Host mind
[...] Sacred Gear Actions and modes
When Issei and his team came back around fifteen minutes later, they were met with the sight of Cao Cao, who seemed not to be moving much during his wait, and Jeanne who had a scowl on her face upon meeting her gaze with Issei and his team.
They didn't have much to prepare for the mission, so they took this time to go and say goodbye to Kunou who was alone due to her mother making another one of her occasional visits in Kyoto to maintain the peace there as well as to not severe Kyoto's leyline.
"Sir, what are... They doing here?" Jeanne maliciously asked as her eyes radiated anger mainly at Issei and Vali who seemed to be unfazed by it.
"Relax Jeanne. I have assigned them to the Holy Grail mission," Cao Cao told his subordinate; making her frown before looking at Cao Cao in a disapproving look.
"With all due respect sir, I think these personals are very unfitting for a mission which importance is very high," Jeanne told Cao Cao her opinion in hopes that the raven-haired leader will hear her advice.
But it seems that luck wasn't on her side because unlike she expected, instead of agreeing with her Cao Cao has tightened the grip he had on his spear while he glared at Jeanne.
"Jeanne. Do you know what is the difference between you and me?" His tone made Jeanne flinch due to the suppressed anger that managed to slip through and made itself known in his voice.
"N-No, sir. Would you please tell me?" Jeanne nervously gulped before she struggled to voice her answer.
"Well, as far as I recall I am the leader of the Hero Faction thus I make the decisions here. I don't need a member like you to doubt my decisions," He explanation caused Jeanne to pale as she understood the mistake she did.
"I'm very sorry sir! Please find it to forgive me!" She brought a barrage of apologies in fear of getting a piece of her leader's infamous wrath, not caring about humiliating herself in the process.
She wasn't the only one. Ever since Cao Cao's change in demeanor after the Yasaka incident it seemed like the rest of the Hero Faction was going on eggshells when they were around their leader.
They couldn't tell what would set him off and at this time they were too afraid to find out or else it will be the last thing they'll manage to do before being impaled by his spear.
But walking on eggshells around him didn't mean that people haven't made mistakes around him because they did.
Before they knew it, the frightened members of the Hero Faction have found themselves splurting out apologies with no fear of getting their respect diminished. No, in these moments their fear was focused on something much bigger, it was focused on their lives.
And much to their luck, it seemed to work because midway towards their fit of apologies Cao Cao would always react the same; he'll scoff and say that he do not wish to kill a weakling before going off to whoever knows where.
Jeanne never believed in this "method" her fellow members used mostly because she never had a chance to upset her dear Cao Cao. But when she found herself being the one who angered him then she saw no reason for not trying this method out, and this decision probably provided her with the chance to live another day.
But while Jeanne was struck with immense fright and Cao Cao was possessed by pure anger Issei and his team were the opposite.
They had a tough time to contain their laughter at the scene that unfolded before them, even the stoic Arthur had a very hard time to cover the snickers that escaped him, and their laugh only intensified when they saw the glare Jeanne had sent their way.
"Enough!" Cao Cao bellowed, making everyone to stop and looking at him.
"I believe I made my point so Issei and Vali, please take your time and go to retrieve the grail as I asked," He commanded the team who nodded before bolting out of the room to avoid spending more time than necessary with their leader, who they weren't fond of.
When Issei and his team has left the room, Jeanne quickly reverted her gaze from the closed doors back towards Cao Cao, who still had his gaze narrowed at her.
"Jeanne, the reason I called you here was to give you a mission of your own," Jeanne's interest rose upon hearing this.
"Sure, sir! What is the mission?" She asked with unhidden excitement, hoping that the mission was good.
"Your mission is to follow Issei and his team without them noticing you. Make sure they are not to repeat the same mistake they did with the Fox Youkai,"
"Y-Yes sir!" She spent no time thinking about it and quickly voiced her approval vigorously.
"I wasn't finished... In the case that Issei and his team does repeat the same mistake, you are to retrieve the Grail by yourself by any means necessary. Am I clear?"
Jeanne only nodded before leaving the room so she could go and get ready for the mission when she got Cao Cao's dismissal.
It didn't take long for Issei and his team to reach Romania and since it was early noon they didn't see the point in renting a room in a local inn.
So, after arriving at Romania, they quickly started their trek towards the location where the Tepes clan should reside in.
The walk to the Tepes residence wasn't long to which they were grateful for, but the road was.
It was such a mess; intersections were everywhere and foliage constantly blocking their path. Even the ground has been sodden, and it only brought for more frustration for the team.
But, after nearly twenty minutes of suffering, they had finally arrived at the residence place of the Tepes clan and widened their eyes when they saw it.
The place reminiscent the medieval period; the buildings were a combination of wattle and daub huts and stone villas.
They didn't need to think much to guess which person lived in what house and they clearly understood that the quality of its citizens was not something the Tepes clan excelled at.
They also didn't need to spend much time in thinking where Valerie, the leader of the Tepes clan, would be when they saw the castle that looked to be standing proud above the simple buildings of the ordinary citizens.
As they made their way to the glorious white castle, they noticed the many stares the residents has given them.
They saw hate, confusion, desperation, and even envy in the stares they received and it made them realize that life in the Tepes clan is not something anyone would be jealous at.
"State your purpose!" A guard demanded from the new strangers that now stood in front of the castle entrance.
"We seek to have an audience with your leader," Arthur took the liberty of speaking with the guards, hoping that the nobility he radiated won't be missed by the guards.
"May I ask what is the purpose behind your intentions to have an audience with Mrs. Valerie?" One of the guards asked in suspicious as he examined the people in front of him.
He knew that they weren't for here, and he also knew that these weren't ordinary humans; each of them possessed a unique energy of his own.
The combinations of different auras made it difficult for the guards to determine from which faction they came from and the intentions they had.
"We seek to talk to her about the valuable information we have, information that only she is allowed to see," Arthur said with a voice void of any emotions.
The guards thought about it for a few seconds and upon coming to a decision they nodded at the new arrivals and permitted them access to the castle; causing Issei and his team to be quite surprised from the lax security the castle had.
"I can't believe we actually made it through," Bikou said as he snickered at the dumb guards who let them pass so easily.
"Yeah, I actually can't believe it myself, to be honest," Vali replied with more disbelief than mockery.
"It seems that her room is right ahead," Arthur said while fixing his glasses after spotting what seemed to be the room of their target.
"Ok, let's try to do this as quietly as we can," Issei told his team who equally nodded in agreement.
*knock knock*
"Come in!" Issei and his team flinched upon hearing the voice from the other side of the door.
It was so... Hollow, like the person on the other side, was nothing more than an empty shell with human skin on it. It made them fear what they'll find on the other side of the door.
They knew that this is the room of Valerie Tepes, the possessor of the Holy Grail and the object of their mission. But when they heard this voice they weren't sure if they were standing at the door to the right room.
No one could sound so... emotionless. Even those whose been broken beyond repair have some hint of anguish, despair, or even desperation in their voice. But this voice had none, like the owner of it has been stripped of any known emotion.
They opened the door slowly, using this time to prepare themselves for the sight they'll behold upon fully opening it.
When they completely opened the door, they all gasped in astonishment.
A beautiful blonde girl with crimson eyes sat on her bed; she looked to be a tad older than the brunette emperor.
Her looked solidified her title as a Dhampir; it had elements from both human and vampire alike which only proved to contribute to her beauty.
So how... how can a girl like her sound so Hollow? It just didn't make sense to Issei and his team.
"M-Mrs. Valerie?" Issei's whispered tenderly as not to startle the blonde.
"Y-Yes? Who are you?" She asked, her voice retaining its Hollowness.
Nothing, not even a hint of alarm from seeing strangers, no curiosity for their intentions. Nothing, just the same empty voice they heard moments before.
"Well, my name is Vali, this is Issei, Arthur, Le Fay, and Kuroka. We came to talk to you," Vali introduced them as she pointed at each of her comrades respectively.
"Nice to meet you. So, what is it that you want to talk to me about?"
"W-Well, we came to know of your Longinus, and we wanted to ask if you can tell us about it," Vali asked, hoping that the girl won't get suspicious of their intentions.
"Ah, I see. Well, I don't mind telling you about it but why do you want to know?" Valerie question caught the team off-guard; making them nervous as they tried to think of what to answer.
"W-Well... I guess I can't lie to you..." Vali said, seeing no other option than just telling the poor girl about their intentions.
Seeing how emotionless the Tepes leader was made Vali pity her. And she couldn't explain it but seeing her like that made her want to protect the girl like a mother protected her child from all the cruelty the world possess.
But not only pity brought for this weird feeling within Vali. She wanted to make sure that she'll be able to protect the girl from any harm, she wanted to be there for her because she knew how it was like to survive through all the malice in the world by yourself; she experienced it first-handed during her childhood, but she'll never tell it to anyone from her team. She didn't need pity, especially from the one she loved.
"We are a part of an organization called "The Hero Faction." Our mission was to capture you because of your Longinus... But we're not going to do this," Vali spoke with disdain of the very idea of capturing Valerie; her team shocked from what their comrade has said.
"Vali! I understand what you think, we all are, but we can't allow ourselves to mess up again," Issei told Vali in bewilderment.
"I know Issei, but I just can't bring myself to bring any harm to her," Vali replied with determination.
*sigh*
"I hope you know what you're doing because the consequences for that will be severe," Issei told Vali as he relented his efforts to convince the girl against her decision; he knew Vali well enough to know that once she decides something, she won't waver even for a second.
"I see," Was the only reaction Valerie has given to Vali's words.
"Why are you so emotionless Valerie? A girl's your age should be full of life, but you look like you've been broken," Vali asked Valerie in brute honesty, not bothering to be polite.
"My Longinus. I overused it, and it made me like this," Valerie's brief explanation caused the entire team to gasp in shock.
"Y-Your Longinus caused this?! I didn't know a Longinus could bring to such a severe effect on its possessor," Vali said in astonishment as she gazed at the blonde Dhampir in sorrow before rushing at her to envelop her in a tight embrace.
"Is there any way to reverse the effect?" Vali asked while maintaining her embrace of Valerie.
"Yes,"
"So tell us and we'll do everything we can to help you!" Vali told Valerie as she ended the embrace and looked intently into the crimson eyes of Valerie while maintaining a tight grasp on her shoulder with a voice that showed both the blonde Dhampir and her team that there wasn't any place for arguments.
"Ok," Valerie reply caused Vali to widen her eyes but not because of the answer, but from what appeared to be faint happiness that the girl radiated.
The leader of the Tepes clan then told Vali and her team how for her to recover from the effects of the Sephiroth Grail she needed to have the original Holy Grail. But even then, she couldn't exactly tell them if the recovery will be complete or not, but every sort of recovery make it half or whole was good progress for the girl.
She then told them that she knows nothing of the Grail's location and for all, she knows it might be lying at the bottom of the sea.
Sure, this news made Vali a bit scared, but even if it required to dive to the bottom of the sea she would do it for this girl. She didn't want her to have the same life as her, and she would do anything to ensure that.
"Valerie, do you wish to remain here in the castle or do you want to come with us back so we could always keep an eye on you?" Vali asked the girl in a tender voice, hoping that she will agree so she could remain by her side.
Valerie timidly nodded as Vali flashed her a smile.
"Vali, you do remember what Cao Cao said right?" Arthur asked the silver-haired emperor.
"Yes, but screw Cao Cao! I won't let her be in harm's way," Vali retorted, her voice devoid of any fear of the "severe consequences" Cao Cao has mentioned that this action will bring.
"I'm afraid that I cannot allow this to happen Vali," A new presence made itself known in the room; making Issei and the rest to gasp.
"Jeanne! What are you doing here?" Issei demanded to know while he and the rest assumed their battle stances.
"Cao Cao has issued me a mission to follow you in case you'll attempt to do the same thing you did with that Youkai girl. I guess he was right in giving me this mission because it appears that you cannot be trusted at all!" Jeanne bellowed in contempt toward her fellow members while she glared at them.
"I'm here to accomplish what you failed to do. I am going to capture this girl and bring her to Cao Cao!" Jeanne said as she readied her rapier before lunging at Vali shortly after.
Fighting against a sword was Vali's weakness.
She had no sword of herself, and even her Longinus couldn't help to protect her due to its form. So when Jeanne lunged at her she didn't know what to do; she had no time to activate her Scale Mail nor could she use any magic to block it in time and her fists were useless.
Against any ordinary sworded opponent Vali would manage to easily win against him, but against Jeanne, she couldn't; the girl was known as a prodigy when it came to rapiers.
She moved so gracefully, so flawlessly that for a second the silver-haired has thought that it wasn't a human who stood in front of her, rather a well-oiled machine.
But when Jeanne was mere centimeters from her she was alarmed. Not by the short distance, the girl had from her, rather from the sound of metal clanging.
She blinked and to her surprise she saw Issei standing in front of her with his Gauntlet released as he used it to deflect Jeanne's rapier.
"Issei..."
"Pff Vali, I thought you were better than this," Issei scoffed while flashing her a smug smile.
"Don't think you're better just because you saved me Hyoudou, I can still kick your ass if I want too," Vali rebutted; her hands crossed beneath her chest as she huffed in exasperation while turning her sight away from the brunette.
Jeanne jumped back so she could regain her grounds before dashing at the brunette again.
But for her dismay, Issei was no fool when it came to fighting with his hands.
He managed to grab her rapier most of the times she came at him and used the other hand to deliver either a punch to her face, her stomach as well as using kicks aimed at her abdomen.
"Y-You bastard!" Jeanne loathingly bellowed as she glared at the smug brunette in front of her.
While Issei obviously had the upper hand in this fight, it didn't mean that he didn't get few cuts from his opponent as well; his clothes were ripped in some spots, and his hands had shallow cuts on them in various places.
"I guess that whoever called you a prodigy didn't see you fight," Issei teased, hoping to provoke Jeanne enough for her to make a fatal mistake that will bring to his victory.
Jeanne just lets out a loud battle cry before rushing at Issei once again.
But like the times before it, her rapier has been blocked again.
While the both of them struggled for the upper hand in this clash, none of them saw the door being opened and the new arrivals that entered the room.
But they managed to hear the surprised gasps that resounded through the room; causing them to end their struggle and look at the source of the gasps before gasping on their own when they saw who stood there.
"Damn," Issei cursed under his breath as he looked at the source of all his recent sorrow; the Gremory peerage.
AN: I hope you liked the chapter! Don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review!
Now, for what I wanted to explain. Some of you may think that this chapter may be a tad repetitive when compared to the Yasaka arc, but this explanation here is to show you why it's not.
Issei and the ORC will meet each other few times during the story but each time there will be a different emotion that will fuel Issei.
For example, The emotion Issei has experienced when he saw them during their mission to retrieve Yasaka was anger, but in the next chapter it will be a different emotion.
And the reactions of the ORC will also diverse with each different time they meet with each other.
This goes to show how Issei is progressing in his recovery from what happened to him. Like I said, I always have a purpose for whatever I write so worry not :)