NMHA Ch. 76 - An Apocalypse In Us All
A/N - So many new games to play... so little time to play them.
On with the show.
Two figures stood amidst the ruins of their newest battlefield, one garbed in fire and light, the other wrapped in a cloak of violet shadows. Though their faces were remarkably human, the eyes were not. The man in fire had eyes like sunlight, while the woman in darkness glowed red behind black sclera.
"What's the matter?" she spat, looking around with a sneer. "Not going to castigate me for killing Your little toys?"
"My Angels are not toys. They never were," The Biblical God replied evenly, holding out a hand as a staff appeared in it in a flash of fire.
"Oh? What brought this on? Do you really think I'd buy that load of shit?" Azrael scoffed. "After all, You don't give a flying fuck what we think. You just expect us to follow. The only reason You're here is because You see me as a threat."
Yahweh's eyes turned to the fallen forms of the heavenly host that Azrael had torn through before he arrived.
"Do you not see what you are doing? Do you not see what you have become, my friend?"
"I gave them what they deserved," she replied evenly, eyes narrowing as they traced the Creator God's gaze to one of their forms. Azrael's eyes closed momentarily. "They died painlessly, so that they may no longer be pawns for Your amusement."
"No. You killed them to spite me, Azrael. Do not deny it."
Her dark gaze reopened. "Of course I did. It's the least I can do after all that you demanded of me."
"I demanded so much because I believed you could withstand it."
"Sure. Maybe after the first tens of thousands of years. Maybe even the next couple tens after that. But You know what I've seen in that time."
His own eyes closed. "I do. And I regret not heeding your words back then."
Azrael smiled mirthlessly. "Only because You're scared of what I've become."
"Do you truly believe that I am afraid of you?"
In response, the Demon of Death lunged forward, wings slamming against the staff in the Biblical God's hands. The world around them shattered, the corpses of Angels and Devils alike dissolving into dust in the face of the pressure both exuded.
"Why else would you be here?" Azrael whispered, sybillant and sweet, as He pushed her away. Stars formed in His hands, unleashed upon the once-Angel, before they were devoured by the maw of a black hole. "You come down only to face me. Otherwise, You sit in Heaven, and let your Angels do all the dirty work. Just like you always have."
"I cannot be the one to guide them through all hardship."
"And why not!?" The Demon snapped back as the world around them warped, domains against domains, the black hole spewing out a devouring beam, which in turn was stopped in place by a holy barrier. "You have the power! You have the means! You have everything, and still you do NOTHING!"
Yahweh's normally blazing gaze, subdued and sad, met rage and hatred.
"Because I had Angels like you."
"Little wonder why Lucifer rebelled then. After all the death I've seen, after all that I've wrought, You've only grown more senile, old man."
"Perhaps I have," He admitted. "Which is why I would leave this world in the hands of My children."
"Then why haven't you just fucked off and died already!?"
He breathed in, breathed out, then met Azrael's gaze with renewed intensity. "Because I still see mistakes that must be righted before I do."
Azrael snarled and made to lunge, but in that exact moment a presence made itself known, and an energy pierced through the small of her back, punching through to her core. For someone like her, the pain meant little.
What that pain meant, however, was far more appalling.
She staggered, and though her legs weren't responding, she made to hover in place-
Only to find her face halfway in the mud as the river that was her power found itself dammed, unable to leave her body.
She twitched, her eyes flashing between the male before her and the one behind.
"What?!" Azrael could hardly believe it. "So that's why... Bael!? You two cut a deal?"
"You were a threat to us." Bael intoned, glancing over at the other standing figure in the wasteland, the one she knew he deemed a grim foe. "That is all."
That didn't mean there wasn't a glimmer of satisfaction emanating from the malevolent eyes behind the expressionless mask, hiding his more monstrous features from the world.
"Bastard..." she hissed. "Once this wears off and I escape, I'll-"
"But you won't." Bael's gaze continued to meet the God's, and the two exchanged short nods. "After all, Father has a knack for seals and bindings, does he not?"
"Indeed. As reluctant as I am to do so, you have become... far too dangerous to not broker a deal with my wayward son. After what happened to Valefor, I knew that enough was enough." Yahweh walked over to her, lifting up His staff as his voice grew amplified. "So I've come to bring you home, Azrael. It is a small comfort for what awaits you, but it is one of the few kindnesses I can grant in the face of your actions."
Her eyes widened as the implications struck home. If He was dragging her back into Heaven, then...
"You mean to...?!" Even the warping of her voice, suffused with malice, could not stifle the fear at the realization.
The brown-haired demoness rose to her feet, expression stuck in the rictus of a snarl, but found her arms bound by brands of searing holy light, binding her wrists and ankles to her sides, and burning when she tried to force her way out.
"Argh...! You'd... go that far...?!"
Despite her tolerance for pain, one could hear the groans emanating from her trembling form, filled with a loathing that bordered on the unnatural as she struggled to escape.
And yet she could not, weakened as she was from Bael's sneak attack.
"I will not heal the madness of one who does not wish to be healed. Nor will I insult the choices you have made by delaying the consequences of your actions." His own eyes closed, and he let out a sigh. For a long moment, one could see the age of Yahweh in his posture, slackened and hunched over his staff as he lowered it back to the ground. "I am sorry, old friend. But this is the crop you have sown."
"YOU...!" Azrael's mouth opened to scream, but the Creator God's eyes flashed, and the two were gone.
Lunarunn's forearm came to rest on the table as she processed Rizevim's words, light-headed and world-fuzzy. She could distantly hear the Super Devil idly eating something, but she was preoccupied with feeling faint.
So Azrael made Trihexa. Ulan was Azrael. Ulan made Trihexa. A plus B equal C.
But then... if she was Azrael's 'vessel', or 'recipient'... what did that make her?
A sibling to Trihexa? Also a recipient? What did it mean that Trihexa had marked her with its power?
Or had she always been marked, and it only came to fruition following the death of her parents?
She could hear Ulan - Azrael - saying something, but she couldn't make it out. Her surroundings were still so very fuzzy.
What did it mean?
What did it mean?
"Why?" she heard herself croak out. "Why are you telling me this?"
Was he trying to get her to off herself, or something? Was he trying to convince her to join the old regime? What was Rizevim's angle?
She heard the scrape of a chair, and footsteps, and stiffened when she felt a pair of hands come to rest on her shoulders. Her senses, dampened by her unwell state of mind, were blasted back into focus as the mere touch of the Super Devil struck her like a thunderbolt.
She knew how that felt firsthand. But still, that singular sense coming from Rizevim only served to heighten her alarm.
Power.
Power beyond compare.
Behind those unfathomable depths of existence, laid a weight of presence that she was sure was matched only by the same outer entities that Ulan had warned her about so long ago.
Not even Sirzechs, an avatar of Destruction, came close.
What... what was he? There was no way that Rizevim was just a Super Devil- this was something more. Something much, much more.
"Because you were brought into this world with a purpose." Rizevim's words, calm as they were, cut through the noise of her thoughts as though they weren't even there. It was like Phenex was uttering another Command, but Rizevim was just... speaking. "There is a reason I seduced the original you into performing that ritual, and it was not just because you are the spitting image of Azrael herself."
Wait- he seduced the original Lunarunn? What? Why?
"Don't expect that shit to work a second time," she tried, but stiffened when the grip on her shoulders tightened slightly, causing her to shudder... for more than one reason, as well.
'...Oh shit,' she realized grimly. 'That's right, power makes Devils-'
"Because you don't swing that way?" Rizevim chuckled. "Well. Power has a funny way of reducing one's resistance to the whims of others. Especially Devils. I don't plan on changing your mind- but don't tempt me. I'd much rather remain on cordial terms with you, especially given what you represent."
Asshole. She ignored the fact that her body was reacting to the stark difference in existential intensity between them, and continued to fish for information. "Represent?"
"Again, there was a reason I helped bring you into this world. As the vessel for Azrael's will, I'm certain you've had some... ideas, what that might be."
'So he knows I'm not-' She tried to move, but found herself unable to. Try as she might, her body refused to obey her desire to get away. She could only speak, not even able to look back at the Super Devil(?) holding her in place.
Emotions surged, and she felt something emerge behind her. Her eyes widened as the gleaming, obsidian-like tip of one of Cataclysm Eclipse's wings caught her attention.
She hadn't intended to manifest her Tainted Gear. So 'how did he-!'
"Fascinating," he whispered, running a hand down the twisted, murderous facsimile of a real wing. Though the feelings were dulled by the nature of the wing, Lunarunn couldn't help but shiver at the sensation. "So this is what Trihexa would look like as a Demon... I've seen it before, but up close?"
The white-haired being laughed, a hint of madness tinting the otherwise elated tone. "It's beautiful. I haven't seen something so novel in too long. Far, far too long."
Lunarunn and Ulan both exhaled shakily through grit teeth, the former attempting to keep her emotions in line, a task with amplified difficulty due to the forced manifestation of Trihexa's wings.
He leaned in close, breath hot against the side of Luna's face as he whispered. "Now you understand why I am so invested in your existence?"
"I think you've made your point clear, now get the fuck out of my face," she hissed out. She needed a moment to breathe, her head was spinning, it was just too much-
She felt far too much relief when Rizevim actually obliged, stepping away with a chuckle. He sat back down across the table, fingers clasped together as he rested his elbows on the surface.
"The Reincarnation Anomaly. The wearer of the Outsider's face. The inheritor of the Original Death's will. The one marked by the Embodiment of Erasure. The Worldweaver. The woman with the largest share of the Creator God's power since, well, the Big Guy himself." Rizevim's face split into a grin. "And already strong enough to kill Super Devils, even after only twenty-some years since the ritual that claimed the soul of the original Lunarunn Bael. You are an anomaly, my dear. I like anomalies. They stave off my ennui."
She withdrew Cataclysm Eclipse, the wings expiring into motes of dark mist. She could move again, as she noted as she rose to her feet. "So then why share all this with me? Why do... everything you've done so far?"
"Because I thought you might appreciate a little explanation. I'm sure things are getting confusing, what with you having three apparently different powers with largely differing capabilities, the origins of your own existence, and the fact that Demons are showing up again, whether in power or in full."
"By hijacking my best friend's body."
"By hijacking your best friend's body," Rizevim allowed, waving a hand to dismiss the point. "Now that's interesting enough. But compared to you, Phenex is just an interesting aside."
"..." Luna stared at Rizevim, mulling over her options. She was right not to antagonize him earlier, especially with that little display of power he gave her just a minute ago. Then there was the information he was offloading onto her. It made so much sense, but even so it left her with questions, questions better answered by a certain someone in the back of her mind.
"And how can I trust you?" she asked aloud.
"Is that how you speak to a friend?" Rizevim gasped, gripping his heart as though struck there by a dagger. After seeing the unimpressed glare he got in return, he dropped the act with a nonchalant shrug. "Believe it or not, I'm your ally in all this. You are the fulcrum for this world, whether it moves into a new chapter, or collapses altogether. Either is a perfectly fine scenario to me- I'm so bored of the same old song and dance that's been going on, I need a change of pace. As long as I have fun in the process, I honestly couldn't give a shit what happens- to anyone, really."
"If you're looking to die, I'd be willing to oblige."
"Luna, no, bad idea, don't even try."
"As you are now?" Rizevim shook his head. "I believe I made it clear how much higher you must be able to reach before you can even touch me. It's almost cute, how comical your 'offer' is. Still, if you need a reason to trust that my intentions are as I state... I can present a token offering."
He clapped his hands twice, and another servant appeared. Only, this one had red hair, and refused to meet either Luna nor Rizevim's eyes.
Which, given the tightly-leashed power the servant emanated, was extremely off-putting.
"Here, some proof that I mean to work with you. Red, play nice with the spawn of the Outsider now, okay?"
Luna's eyes shot over to Rizevim. "Wait, 'Red?!' you don't mean-?!"
The gaze of the servant snapped up, widened with alarm, before that power exploded outward, fear and fury in equal measure threatening to consume the entire building in an instant-
-only to be stifled as Rizevim appeared in front of the young man(?), gripping him by the throat and hoisting him off his feet.
"He does." Ulan confirmed grimly.
She could hear the redheaded 'servant' gurgling for breath, clawing at the hand so casually strangling him.
"I thought I made myself clear, didn't I?" He tilted his head, and though his tone was light Lunarunn could feel the danger behind it. "You belong to her now. You don't get a choice in the matter."
The gurgling intensified in response, the redhead swiping futilely at Rizevim's face. He shifted just enough to avoid them, and Luna could feel Rizevim's own presence suffocating the servant's.
Before long, the servant's arms fell slack, the same strangled defiance weakening, and-
Memories flashed through Lunarunn's head.
Old memories. Memories that weren't hers.
Memories of flight, of ferocity.
Memories of battles won, and battles drawn.
Never lost.
Not until It appeared.
That was the first time it felt fear.
Pain.
Grief.
A mask to hide it all, to stuff it all down and pretend it never existed.
And a mission, to prevent something like It from ever appearing again.
If she was seeing his memories, then-
She moved.
Death answered.
"STOP!"
The 'servant' fell to the ground as the hand gripping his throat slackened, the nerves deadened by the thin beam of necrotic energy that Luna just slashed between them.
Yet even though his hand refused to move, the white-haired Super Devil didn't seem put off in the slightest, shaking it as though it had merely fallen asleep, even as the conceptual presence severed by Luna's attack rejoined the rest of Rizevim's aura.
"Well, how about that? You belong to her twice now." He crouched down in front of the kneeling, hunched, and coughing form of the redhead, grabbing his hair with the other hand to yank his head up to eye level. The pure smile the Super Devil wore was anything but. "Once for the life I spared you, and once again for the life she just saved."
"What. The. Fuck?" her breaths came shallowly, hardly able to process what just happened. "Why the fuck is Great Red here?"
"Spoils of war," Rizevim responded, as though discussing the weather. "I challenged him. Then I thrashed him to within an inch of his draconic life."
What? That didn't make sense. Great Red was the Dragon of Dragons. The Dragon of Dreams. The number one strongest being in existence. Yet there he was, nearly strangled by the child of Lucifer, and Rizevim didn't even bat an eye!
"Keyword - 'was'." Even Ulan appeared put off by the realization. "It appears that sometime in the past, Rizevim surpassed him."
'You'd better have a damn good explanation for that.'
"I... I wish I knew." If even her patron seemed dumbfounded, Luna knew that she was in trouble. "I knew he was supremely dangerous, but I didn't know he was strong enough to toss Great Red around like a ragdoll. Even I had trouble with Great Red back when I was... her."
'So how the fuck do I beat that!?'
"..." Ulan didn't have an immediate response, stoking Luna's concerns further.
"Anyway, he's yours now." Casually, Rizevim tossed the human form of Great Red to Lunarunn's feet, the dragon in question landing sprawled out on the ground with a grunt. "Do with him what you want. Free him, fight him, fuck him, I don't care."
She took a step back, the corners of her eyes crinkling in discomfort. "I get the impression he'd kill me if I tried anything."
"If he so much as lays a finger on you, I'll make what Trihexa did look tame in comparison." Rizevim's smile went from unsettling to malevolent in an instant, as though daring the human-shaped dragon to try. "Do I make myself clear, Reddy-boy?"
Rising back to his knees and elbows, Great Red, coughing and hacking as though he really had just nearly been strangled to death... nodded his head.
Oh, the brunette could feel the loathing pouring off of the Dragon God, but the fact that he nodded all the same just poured more ice into her veins.
'What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck?' she stammered internally. 'This isn't canon! This is so fucking far from canon, what the fuck is going on!?'
Supposedly Rizevim was her ally. Theoretically. He thought so at least.
"Can I go now?" she asked, swallowing hard and taking another step back. "I- this is a lot to take in, like, a lot, so-"
"Hm?" His gaze shifted over to her, and he shrugged. "Oh, yeah, sure, I said my piece. You're free to go. I'm sure you need time to unpack everything. Don't forget to bring your souvenir, though!"
Souvenir? She wanted to laugh. He considered giving her Great Red a souvenir?!
Luna couldn't leave fast enough. As she broke into a run down the hall, she noticed that the red-headed human-shaped dragon had done the same.
Rizevim chuckled to himself as he watched Great Red and Azrael's vessel scamper away from his presence, shaking his head and resting it on a half-fist. Honestly, for all that she held herself up as a being beyond the ken of most mortal comprehension, she was still a Devil, all in all.
Plus, he wasn't exactly mortal by the same definition as most.
His eyes went down to his other hand, flexing it slowly, taking note of the slight pinpricks of pain, as though his hand had merely fallen asleep and was just waking up. Completely ignoring the fact that his nerves had been entirely separated from the rest of his body thanks to that slash of True Death that she had used.
And all to stop his strangling of the Ultimate Crimson Dragon God.
Or however Great Red was called. Honestly, he didn't care enough to remember. Still, it was a little bothersome that she was as annoyingly moral as her predecessor, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
To think that she could actually harm him. He wasn't even mad- the fact that she had come so far so quickly pleased him far more than the fleeting injury to his personage angered him.
He'd been begging for a change like her for much, much too long to truly care, anyway.
"Lord Lucifer?" Ah, and there was another of his servants, though one of notably higher import. "Was that-"
"Our youngest and most dynamic foe in ages?" His eyes rose to view the caramel-skinned Demon Child. "Yes."
"Oh." Katerea Leviathan blinked, staring down the hall that the woman and dragon had fled. "And was that...?"
"The forcefully-embodied Great Red fleeing alongside her? Yes."
"I... see." She didn't, but she didn't try to ask too many questions either. "So why did you just let them-"
"Oh, I gave him to her as a gift."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I gave him to her as a gift," he repeated himself, pursing his lips. "Honestly, what's so hard to understand about that?"
"The part where you gave one of the strongest beings in existence to our enemy like you had just done a Piece Trade."
"Hmm." Rizevim shifted, resting his head on both hands and looking forward again. "Well, she's just about the lynchpin to everything, so I wanted to ensure that she has the resources to survive."
"Milord, I-I don't understand."
"I don't expect you to," he waved her off. "Just know that her passing is off-limits. You can do just about anything else, but if you kill her, well..."
Rizevim trailed off, locking eyes with the Demon Child. She gulped, shivered, and nodded.
"M-message received, milord."
"Good!" he chirped, hopping back to his feet. "So, what's the status of all the fighting in this dreary Underworld?"
News traveled quickly
The 'Motohama Incident', they were calling it, barely even a day after it happened. A human managed to procure a vial of 'Evil' Essence, a material of such fell nature that mere contact with it was enough to cause malevolent transformations in the recipient. He proceeded to go on a rampage that ended with the deaths of two bystanders, the comas of two human civilians, the mutilation of a young Exorcist, and the violent demise of the aforementioned Motohama himself.
But apparently, there were reports of entire locales being lost to swarms of black shades as greater quantities of the material simultaneously breached containment.
According to Shalba, the laboratory that Ajuka once headed had to be sectioned off after the entire place became a necrotic ruin.
He'd heard from certain Youkai officials that even Grauzauberer's headquarters lost a large chunk of its territory to the encroaching darkness.
Motohama was a minor footnote in comparison, but since his name was the only one directly affiliated with the event beyond Hyoudou Issei, who went in to try and stop the transformed human, his name was branded as the title of the whole debacle.
The blond closed his eyes as he lowered his two blades, letting out a low sigh as he let his thoughts wander. The visions were always there. But recently, they were much more potent. The blood-red gaze whose very presence made his existence shudder felt like a constant glare at the back of his skull.
The timing was too specific. Trihexa was involved in both his visions and the Motohama Incident, he knew it.
Honestly, given how he felt just being a recipient of the Sephiroth Graal, Isaiah could only wonder at the force of will that his girlfriend possessed, to actually host it, especially these days.
Part of him wanted to go and help Issei, to offer a shoulder in his time of need. Issei was his friend, after all.
But more than that- the people that died, and the patients who had gone into a coma, he couldn't just leave them like that either.
It was time to start putting their resources into action.
He didn't need to turn around to know someone had appeared behind him. "Were you able to secure a path back into Kuoh?"
"I did," Gasper confirmed from where he had appeared, fingering the collar of his blouse nervously. "But, Isaiah, if we do this, then-"
"I know." He bowed his head, letting out a low sigh. "But unfortunately, I do not see any other option. While Diodora has treated us well, if we stay with the TSF any longer, there is no telling what we will become."
"Are you concerned about what he might do?"
"He's been... unstable, ever since Sairaorg drove him out of the city of Lilith." The hands clenching his twin swords tightened as he spoke haltingly. "And... I don't think I can reach him any more. I don't know what he'll do. And given his... predilections, I..." Isaiah trailed off, but Gasper nodded in understanding.
"What about the others?"
This he could speak with more confidence. "As much as I would wish to help them, none of us can resist a Mentalist of his caliber, and it'd take Valerie a while to deprogram his victims. Took half a day for just us, and we weren't even active targets for his powers. It took everything I had just to prevent him from noticing that I'd made the choice to leave." It galled him to say that, but Isaiah was well aware that the mind arts would never be his specialty. Even then, it was only because Diodora was distracted that the young Demon had failed to do so.
He couldn't risk that chance again.
"We need to look out for ourselves before we can look out for others, Gasper. You know that."
"I... I do. It's just..." the Dhampir trailed off, turning away. "This is... this was our home."
"I know." It wasn't an easy choice for Isaiah either, but given everything happening he didn't see any other option. His friends would be able to get by without him, especially since Gil ended up getting a solid position himself. "You can stay if you want."
"We're a team," Gasper denied, shaking his head from side to side. "I... I want to help Issei, too. What happened with his friends... he's probably really hurting right now."
"Right." Isaiah turned back and smiled. "Sorry for doubting you. So you're ready to get going?"
"Of course!" The effeminate Dhampir agreed. "Valerie is meeting up with us in Kuoh, right?"
"I would hope so. I doubt they'd be able to keep her for long if they decide to imprison her- and even if they did, that'd mean they're betraying their own message." Isaiah rubbed his chin, silently noting that he was developing a bit of stubble. He'd need to shave that later.
"Then let's get going." Gasper held out a hand, the shadows around him already swirling. Isaiah stepped into the shadows, and the two disappeared.
Two minds, now gone.
Not unexpected, but they certainly went about deserting quickly.
Diodora sat, closing his eyes and grunting as he mused over the fact, as well as the thoughts that went through the minds of the two younger males during their 'escape'.
Gasper and Isaiah seemed to honestly regret leaving.
Then again, he had made it clear that there was no longer a place for them in his halls.
It left an unpleasant feeling, the tightening around his chest. He hadn't felt it in a long time.
Ideally, he'd never do so again, but needs must, and for his contingencies to work he needed to cut the brats loose.
After Sairaorg made it clear that even with the world around him - even those he considered allies - as his enemies he would remain unbowed, Diodora had no choice but to flee. Sairaorg had been too strong.
No. That wasn't right. He could have had Sairaorg's Peerage turn their respective weapons on themselves. Force him to surrender his mind, or else they would kill themselves.
So why didn't he? Was he still too soft?
No, that wasn't the case. He respected Sairaorg, even as an enemy. The demon might turn his Peerage against them, but he wouldn't leverage them against the 'powerless' Bael.
What was the difference, though? One was plainly inefficient, and highlighted Sairaorg's own power, undercutting his own influence due to the Bael managing to overpower both his own Peerage and Diodora's.
The other involved robbing another Devil of his own close ones.
It would have been so easy.
He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't become like Zekram.
He had no problem rendering the Elder Devils braindead. What was the difference?
They were guilty of actively supporting evil activities.
So was Sairaorg, for defending them.
He was not an evil person.
That hardly mattered.
And yet he was stronger.
By eating the garbage they fed him, and becoming their dog. Besides, Sairaorg wasn't stronger, not really. Diodora was just too weak to do what he knew he had to.
Was Serafall not enough? He was able to get into the head of a Satan.
By walking the path of those who had already gone before him. If he was truly strong, he could have made her his own without so much as touching those old triggers.
Did it matter what his methods were?
Only if they didn't work. Like with Sairaorg.
Diodora's hand rose to his head, face breaking into a snarl as a spike of pain shot through it, the head at his lap pausing in its motions at the sudden, aggressive change.
"Milord?"
"Shut up," he spat, though he wasn't entirely sure if it was to his own thoughts or to his Knight's unspoken question. "It's nothing. Keep going."
He could feel the doubt through the strings he held in her mind, and the concern. It was well-intentioned, he knew. Yet still, his anger nearly boiled over.
He didn't need her pity. He didn't want it.
He was tempted to lash out physically, but instead, he reached out with his power, and crushed that doubt and concern instead.
It was so easy to do, after working with her for so long. And he felt better after doing so.
Perhaps not as much as if he'd hit her, but it was enough.
For now.
"...Yes milord." His first servant following the death of his fiancee replied dully, returning to her dutiful service between his legs.
That was better. That made more sense.
Failing to capture Lilith was a major roadblock in his plans, but despite taking a large number of soldiers under his own command and wasting them all trying to capture the Devil capital, Rizevim didn't even seem to care.
Oh, he could still feel the condescension that wafted off the Super Devil, the unspoken 'I told you so'.
But he still was accepted back into the fold all the same. Though perhaps that had to do with Creuserey being missing in action, Katerea being used elsewhere, and both Aesle and Shalba trapped in intensive care after one was severely burned and the other was nearly killed by the White Dragon Emperor.
Even so, it was less a failure and more a 'back to the drawing board'.
No, even if his gambit failed, all was still not lost. Rizevim still remained his patron, he still had allies, and he still had a number of individuals he could reach out to, and even reach through in the case of a few.
He let out a groan, this one pleased, as the Knight beneath him finally succeeded in the mission he tasked her to do, providing her with her due reward.
He just needed to be more decisive going forward.
Yes, that would suffice.
Luna was not a fan of being helpless. She'd certainly experienced it enough in her younger years, being at the mercy of those much larger than she. It was part of the reason why she gathered the components that had once made the Khaos Brigade and turned it into something more... noble? Altruistic?
She almost laughed. Sure, the goal was nobler, but ultimately the power struggles remained. Cao Cao remained a thorn in her side, pushing for more radical activities- some of which she had considered herself.
That had been a rough night.
Still, the point remained that though she was proud of what she'd made, she was well aware that the organization was flawed.
The mission into the Underworld had only been a partial success, with a large body count to show for it. Thirty percent of the forces dispatched had been wiped out. The TSF had been much more prepared than they'd expected.
It was a victory, she supposed. But it was a pyrrhic one for certain. Not a great showing.
Then there was Rizevim.
Luna shuddered, hands tightening around the side of the medical bed she sat over. Even now, she could feel his shadow. The impact of his involvement was no less worrying; half of the losses they'd experienced was from the Super Devil alone, after he chose to waltz into their forward base, slaughter nearly everyone but her Bishop, her Bishop's sister, and Asia, all to speak with the brunette.
It was honestly a miracle that Riser Phenex had been wounded enough to warrant an emergency extraction. How could she have looked Ruval in the eye if she'd gotten his brother and sister killed, much less so shortly after beginning to act against the establishment?
The infirmary was full of individuals of note. Riser was bedridden, Ravel by his side every moment she could be. Georg was in a coma - though the doctors said that was from activating Balance Breaker to escape whoever had destroyed the forward base (Rizevim, she knew now). Meanwhile, Vali had to be pumped full of enough sedatives to kill a herd of elephants just to stay in bed, especially after he heard about Luna's encounter with his grandfather.
And those were just a few of those harmed in the raid.
Jaspal had warned her there would be losses, but even the ruby-eyed Pawn had been taken aback at the severity of said casualties.
She was rarely surprised nowadays, which only made Rizevim's interference all the more poignant.
"Outsider. Someone wishes to speak with you. In Jaspal's office."
Luna glanced back at Kokabiel, currently unhooded, who met her gaze evenly. There weren't many these days that did. She appreciated that he was not one of those who didn't.
"I'm guessing it's someone important, if you're acting as a messenger."
"Perhaps it would be best to see for yourself," he deferred, head shifting slightly to take note of the bedbound individual Luna sat over as the Worldweaver rose to her feet.
"Fine," she sighed. "My free time's probably over by this point anyway." As much as she'd like to stay, there was work to do.
"You are angry."
Luna paused, fixing Kokabiel with an unimpressed look and a raised eyebrow before he rolled his eyes.
"Of course you are. You're your progenitor's scion." The raven-haired Fallen crossed his arms. "Then perhaps a better question is, who are you upset at?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"I did what I had to."
"I know that, and that's why you're not laid out on the next bed over," the brunette's lips thinned. "But you'll have to forgive me if I'm still curt."
"For rescuing a Satan?" The Watcher of the Star leaned forward, eyes burning. "You asked much of me to entertain the option, and even more so to follow through. And you are upset about it?"
Luna and Kokabiel glared at each other, before the younger of the two's glare cracked, expression softening - but not lightening - as she turned her head halfway from Kokabiel. "No. I'm... upset that it had to happen in the first place. I was worried about if something had happened, and then-"
"I know. I was there," he snarked.
She snapped back toward him, lips pulled back. "Gee, thanks for cutting to the point asshole," Luna snarked back. "Yeah, of course I'm fucking pissed. One of my closest friends was brainwashed and mind-raped by a dickwad that I had multiple opportunities to kill beforehand, she had to be beaten to the brink of death to stop, and I can't do anything to help her!"
Her chest heaved up and down, breathing heavily as the outburst fell upon only Kokabiel - just now that her head was slightly clearer she noticed the privacy ward around them.
"Better?" he asked, lifting a brow.
"...A little bit," she admitted, shoulders sagging. "Sorry for snapping at you. I'm just... frustrated."
"You blame yourself."
"I should have trusted my gut about Diodora." She swallowed, shaking her head. "I knew he was bad news from the start, but I- I gave him the benefit of the doubt."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to believe he was better," Luna said softly. "I knew something was off. But he seemed so earnest that I..." Her mouth tightened and she looked away again. "I was a damn fool."
"You're a Devil. You're all damned anyway, so saying that about yourself is rather redundant, don't you think?"
Luna's gaze snapped back towards the Fallen, about to snark back before she realized something.
"...Did you crack a joke?"
Kokabiel stared back, expression completely flat. "I do not know what you're talking about."
"No, that was definitely a joke," she realized, lips twitching up. "You're a real piece of shit, making fun of me when I'm talking about my bedridden friend, y'know that?"
His neutral stare remained on the brunette for a handful of seconds longer before his head tilted down and his eyes closed, the faintest quirk of his own mouth belying the true nature of his comments.
"I am a Fallen," the former cadre said in response. "Breaking rules of normality is our forte."
"Okay, stop," Luna's smile grew teeth. "Now you're starting to sound like Azazel."
That immediately froze Kokabiel's own amusement, eyes bulging in horror. "Oh Father, that does sound like the donkey I call a brother, doesn't it?"
The brunette snickered at his reaction. "You sure you should be talking about stubbornness?"
He harrumphed. "Outsider, I literally deserted the Grigori and brought along thousands upon thousands of my brothers and sisters to hunt you down after being told point blank by Azazel to leave you alone. I think I'm more than qualified to talk about stubbornness."
The human-turned-Devil-turned-Demon shook her head, rubbing her brow. "Alright, alright, fine, I'm in a better mood now. Thanks for the laugh. I'll kick your ass for hurting Serafall later."
"It was a necessary evil," he replied neutrally.
"Yeah, I suppose it was." She turned back to the bedridden Devil in question, the Satan's brow drawn and her expression pinched, as though in pain. Though the physical wounds had since been repaired through the supply of Phenex Tears the Dawn Legion had accumulated over the years, those Tears could not heal the mind.
And Serafall had old scars ripped wide open.
She blew out a harsh breath, shaking her head to dispel the dark thoughts before they haunted her again, feet taking her past the Fallen and out of the patient room. "Alright. Do you plan to join me in Jaspal's office for whoever the visitor is?"
Kokabiel shook his head as the door clicked shut behind him. "Phi Squadron placed a request for aid in the Middle-East. Apparently, the Grand Imam doesn't take kindly to their presence there, so they are hoping that a high-ranked Fallen in the area would garner the attention of Heaven and send a mediator."
"If you put on a big enough show, I suppose I can see that working."
"There's a reason they're asking for a Fallen Cadre," he drawled. "Considering that Penemue is already preoccupied with talks in India, I am the only one who fits the bill."
"Point taken." She rubbed her chin. "Speaking of, how is that going?"
"Indra has mentioned that Shiva is concerned. Apparently, Karma has been altered, and drastically at that."
Did it have something to do with her? Given all the shit revolving around Azrael that seemed to be coming to a head, Luna wouldn't be too surprised.
Especially given the little bombshell that Ulan had given her the night after she fled Rizevim's domicile with Great Red in tow.
"And Ophis?"
"Still in an isolated patient room. Her... companion," he said slowly, a flash of incredulity crossing his face momentarily, "still refuses to leave her side. Not unlike how the Phenex girl is with her brother, or you with Leviathan."
"Huh." Luna lifted a brow. "Interesting. I thought their relationship was adversarial - Ophis wanted me to help her kill him, after all."
"Yes, and while he is bound he could still annihilate everything in the surrounding area if he so chose." Kokabiel fixed her with a look. "Though I am not easily fooled- you are not surprised at all about Great Red's insistence on watching over Ophis."
The brunette's expression closed off, features carefully schooled into a mask. "I've had a lot finally shared with me recently. Not even half of it was by Azazel and Shemhazai."
"And that includes history considered ancient even by Devilkind."
"Yep." She popped the 'p'. "It's a big pill to swallow. I'm still processing, y'know?"
"I can imagine," he replied drolly.
"If it's any consolation, knowing what I know now about the previous Outsider, I get why you were initially so hostile towards me." Luna glanced back, understanding clearly written on her face. "I would have been the same, were I in your shoes."
His head tilted slightly, brow drawing together. Did she understand, really? She thought she did, but if she knew the truth about her progenitor she was taking it rather well.
Luna shook her head. "But enough about me. You've got a squadron to render aid to, and I've already taken up enough of your time. I'll speak to this visitor you came to me about- you do what you have to."
She turned away, something almost imperceptible crossing her schooled features while she did, continuing down the pathway to her Pawn's office.
Kokabiel, however, drew his brow further.
"..." He breathed something out. Right. She wasn't her, after all.
So it made sense why, for just a moment, he caught a glimpse of disgust mixed with fear on the brunette's face.
She wasn't her, but they were both worried.
"Valerie Tepes." A surprise for sure, but she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a pleasant one. The doll-like dhampir sat primly in the seat before Jaspal's desk, the Pawn in question looking up from her papers to nod at her King.
"Thank you for stopping by, Luna," she smiled faintly, gesturing briefly to the white-haired young woman. "Valerie here requested to speak with you for a favor, in exchange for a favor rendered by the Sephiroth Graal. Given the potential that Longinus has for us, I figured it prudent to agree."
"Awfully bold to give us a blank check, don't you think?" the brunette asked aloud, pulling a face.
"Perhaps," Jaspal agreed, her smile showing a bit of teeth. "But I'm not complaining,"
"We needed some way to get your attention, Lady Luna," Valerie replied, bowing her head. "Given my capabilities, Isaiah presumed that mutual aid would be a good way to obtain your support. I happened to agree."
Luna snorted. "Well, you've certainly gotten my attention. One doesn't turn down a favor from a Longinus wielder out of hand. So, what did that fuckstick Diodora want from me this time?"
Valerie frowned. "That is partly why I am here, Lady Luna. We... recently made the choice to exit his employ."
The scion of Azrael raised a brow. "Really? What brought this on?"
A hand rose to her arm, rubbing it faintly. "Are you aware that he tried to stage a coup in the Assembly?"
"I thought I overheard something about that," Jaspal commented, glancing up and pressing a finger to her lips. "I believe Sairaiorg was given accolades by the Elders present for driving him off?"
"Yes." She nodded her head once. "I can confirm the veracity of those reports. However, they are tangential to my main point. After he was wounded and driven back, Diodora has become... increasingly unstable. More prone to bursts of temper, more irrational and overtly hostile. Even his... probing... has proven more and more aggressive."
"Has he been hurting anyone?" she asked.
"...I don't know." She shook her head. "His Peerage was always... demure, but now they look completely blank. Like he's stripping them of their minds. And his soul..."
"It's being consumed by the Demon's power he wields," she guessed. Valerie nodded.
"Yes. It is concerning- due to my nature and my Longinus, I am resistant to such effects, but I could feel his taint even starting to affect me. I had noticed my thoughts were much... quieter, and his suggestions much louder. It took time for me to shake it off." The dhampir seemed discomfited by the notion that her own mind had been infected by whatever was becoming of Diodora. "I made Isaiah and Gasper aware, and after cleansing them of the corruption that had already taken root, I convinced them we had to leave."
Jaspal and Luna shared a glance. If Diodora was getting to the point where his very presence was actively influencing others, then the danger he represented had reached a whole new level.
"Okay, that makes sense," Luna agreed, walking around behind the desk to peek at some of the reports Jaspal had on the counter - to the mild, pouting glare she got from her Pawn. "So why come to me, specifically? I'm not exactly in a position to stop Diodora- not the way I'm sure you and Isaiah would prefer, at least."
She'd do much more than 'stop' him too, if she had her way.
Valerie tilted her head. "He may be the reason I am here, but he is not who I wish to speak about. I am here to request your assistance in Kuoh."
The brunette paused, glancing back up. "How so?"
"While Isaiah was being cleansed, he saw... visions," she replied. "Apparently, the 'Motohama Incident' was caused by the Red Dragon Emperor's former friend."
"Hence the 'Motohama' moniker," Luna muttered. Masaomi had given her a basic run-down of what happened, and she did not like what she'd heard.
But it was probably best she stayed away; considering the reports she'd been getting from the Youkai and Grauzauberer were so similar, her being in Kuoh might make things worse. "Yeah, I'm aware of it. So what is it that you want me to help out with, exactly?"
"We do not have any friends in the realm of Devils," Valerie said simply before elaborating. "Our affiliation with Diodora Astaroth isolated us, and our departure from his shadow has closed our access to the True Satan Faction."
The leader of the Dawn Legion frowned. "So you need a Devil in Kuoh, and a strong one at that. What are you getting at?"
Valerie then rose from her seat, bowing her head slightly as she met Luna's eyes.
Issei's eyes remained locked on the ceiling of his room within the all-too-quiet house. He'd taken to counting the bumps, but his attention was currently to the phone at his ear.
An offer to help. Once again, Venelana was so willing to help him - help his family - but the cost of it was something Asia insisted he consider carefully. And a cost Irina was firmly against.
He wasn't an idiot. He knew that becoming a Devil might well change his life forever. And as a Pawn?
It was one thing to revive him after he died - though he did have questions about the timing in that vision - but to offer to heal his parents contingent on his accepting an Evil Piece? Something about that felt just a little slimy.
But every day that they were stuck in the hospital was one they'd never get back. Even if they got their lives back.
He grasped at his hair, fighting down the ugly snarl that threatened to escape him. Damn it. Damn Motohama. Damn Luna.
'...Damn it all...'
Ddraig was thankfully silent.
"I know it is a difficult choice to make, Issei," the older Devil sympathized on the other side of the phone. "But from the sounds of it, it is the only way. And the clock is ticking."
"It's still..." he trailed off, breathing out a rough sigh, and rubbing his aching eyes. The lack of sleep was starting to get to him. It already was, he knew, but he liked to at least pretend he wasn't already frayed further than the edges. "Damn it all, I'm just so tired of this shit."
He knew that such foul language had no place in Venelana's world, but if she was bothered by his choice of words she hadn't ever indicated as such.
"I wish I was unable to empathize," she admitted. "With the Elders attempting to re-establish order now that Lord Phenex has declared war against the Pillars, Rias and I were brought to the Assembly on suspicion of treasonous behavior." The flaxen-haired woman exhaled. "Preposterous, of course. We were friends of the Phenex Pillar, but now that they have taken such a violent turn under his rule we cannot in good faith continue to voice our support for his actions."
Something about that didn't sit quite right with Issei either, but he couldn't figure out why. It wasn't important, though. "Are you two okay?"
"It has been a trying time for us all." After a moment, perhaps to collect her thoughts, Venelana continued. "We no longer have the luxury for charity, Issei. I wish I could help - truly, I do - but unless you are willing to bind yourself to Rias and I then I am afraid we have no choice but to look after ourselves first."
"And my Pact with Rias isn't enough," he repeated dully, as he had in two previous calls with Venelana.
Yet she responded with nothing but patience. "A Pact is just that; a Pact. You may be tied to Rias, but unless you are a Devil, your word holds little weight in the Assembly. And with Sirzechs busy roping the Lords into line now that the True Satan Faction has returned, we are... exposed. After what happened with Diodora..." The older Devil exhaled again, this one a little shaky. "I hope you understand why I am so insistent on quid pro quo at this time."
He did. She didn't want to be taken advantage of again. Neither did he though, and his side of the bargain was a bit more... permanent.
"I get that, I do. And I hope the same is true for you."
"Which is why my offer shall remain open - as it has been," Venelana replied amicably, before changing the subject. "And what about you, Issei? How have you been, personally?"
He stopped counting the bumps in the ceiling, glancing at his phone. "Busy. I've been helping Irina get used to not having an arm - whatever Motohama became, he destroyed it before Asia could put it back on. She's been... having it rough too. I've been trying to be strong for her, but I think she knows I'm not in a great place myself."
The Devil on the other end sighed. "It's always hard, losing a friend. I thought that, with the end of the Civil War, I would not lose any more. Yet it seems ever since the Dawn Legion first stormed onto the scene, things have gone so awry. First the peace conference, and now people close to us are dying left and right... it's... difficult to put into words how I feel about it."
Really? He found it pretty easy. "I hate it." Issei rose to a sitting position, running a hand through his hair. "None of this was necessary. Maybe circumstances weren't the greatest for a lot of people- but if Lunarunn hadn't blown up Kuoh, then Matsuda wouldn't have died, and then I wouldn't have had to kill-"
He grit his teeth, hands tightening into bunched fists. It all came back to her. Her and her overblown ideal of 'justice'. "All she's doing is dragging everyone down to her level," he spat. "Her's, and all the idiots that bought into her stupid fucking sob story. Her parents died, okay fine. So she's going to destroy everything else? How does that even make sense?"
"You're considering selling your soul to heal yours," Ddraig commented offhandedly.
He wasn't killing anyone to try and 'avenge' his family like she was.
"And if your parents did die?"
...Issei didn't plan on having to answer that question.
"She's just doing what she thinks is right."
"But she doesn't even seem to consider that what she's doing is wrong!" he exclaimed, before catching himself. "S-sorry," the brunet muttered. "I shouldn't snap at you, it's just, I don't get her. How can she be so...?"
Venelana hummed thoughtfully. "I think she sees herself as some sort of hero."
He shook his head. "She's no hero."
"Of course not," the Devil agreed. "Which is why my son wants to bring the fight to her, after he restores order to the Assembly." She paused, as though hesitant to ask the next question - and her tone matched. "Issei... Sirzechs might be strong, but even he can only be in one place at a time. Even if you choose to stay human, can I count on your support? Even if your parents...?"
"W-wha?" He stared nonplussed at the phone, very glad that she didn't finish her sentence. They wouldn't. He'd figure something out. He would. "O-of course, Lady Venelana! You and Rias don't deserve to get taken advantage of again. If you need my help, then I'll help! It's as simple as that."
"Please, Issei- just call me Venelana." He could hear the weak smile in her voice. "We're friends... aren't we?"
He opened his mouth to agree wholeheartedly, but at that point someone knocked on his door. Only a couple people had done so in the past week, which meant-
"It's time for me to go," he said instead, clearing his throat. "It's been nice talking with you, La- Venelana," the Red Dragon Emperor caught himself. "I'll have a more concrete decision for you soon, I promise."
"I'll hold you to it," she teased lightly, before the phone clicked off and the girl who knocked entered the room.
Irina hadn't been doing so well over the past week. Losing her closest friend since Issei himself as well as her dominant arm
She was putting on a strong face. But he knew better. She probably blamed him for what happened, for not being strong enough.
She'd certainly clung to him hard enough during sleepless nights to suggest that.
...Issei really needed a better way to phrase that.
Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the phone, brow drawing together. "Was that the Devil matriarch again?"
Issei grimaced, but nodded. "Yeah, it was. I was talking to her about the offer she gave me before."
Irina sighed. "Ise-kun... I know it's not my place to say, but I really don't think considering that offer is a good idea."
"I know that," he agreed softly. "But what other choice do I have? Every day that goes by is another day that they won't get back- and a less likely chance that they'll be all... there, when-"
"That's the point, Ise-kun!" Irina insisted. "I don't want that! I don't want them to be-" She looked down. "I just... I'm worried about what they'd become."
Issei looked away. Venelana had warned him early on that the longer he waited, the less likely it would be that they'd be restored to the same people they were before death. Missing memories, loss of emotions, or even just outright becoming husks of what they were before, all of those and more were common symptoms of Reincarnated Devils who were Reincarnated too late after death.
She hadn't specified the time frame in which this happened, but based on the insistent nature with which the Gremory matriarch called, he was either toeing the line or already crossing it.
He didn't want to become a Devil - he wasn't against Devils themselves, but there was something about giving over his then-eternal life to someone else in that way which just didn't... sit right with him.
Being given a second chance as a Devil was one thing, but to give away what you already have?
But if it meant giving Raynare and Xenovia another lease on life- and if it meant waking his parents up out of their coma...
"Ise-kun," Irina warned. "I know that look. You're thinking of doing something reckless again, aren't you?"
"I-it's my fault," he replied. "I wasn't strong enough to stop Motohama before he started killing. I... I should have been. But if I do this, then-"
"Then there's the chance that they wouldn't be the same people anymore!"
"But I have to try!" Issei blurted out, throwing his arms to the side. "For God's sake Irina, your best friend is dead because of me! My parents are comatose because I wasn't there when I needed to be! Even Raynare, for all her baggage - she didn't deserve to be killed off like chaff! And then there's your arm, and everything you've got to deal with now because of it-"
"Trying to help was my choice to make, Ise-kun," she countered, but Issei wasn't having any of it.
"Because I wasn't strong enough for you to trust me to handle him on my own!"
He turned away, missing the way her eyes widened. "I could have been stronger - I should have been. I shouldn't have tried to talk Motohama down. I should have just stopped him, then and there. Then Xenovia wouldn't have died, then you wouldn't have had your arm torn off because of my mistake!"
"You can't expect to take the blame for everything that happened there." Her voice was far too neutral now. Detached.
"No. I promise you, I'll make sure the Dark Moon answers for the effects of her influence on Motohama," he promised. "But I had the power to make a difference there- I could have protected you all. If I'd just been..."
Stronger. Faster. Smarter. More ruthless. More perceptive.
All things that Devils were superior at - on average - compared to humans. If he became a Devil, that would go a long way in making sure more tragedies like the Motohama Incident didn't happen again - even if he did have a sinking feeling that his magical potential would (yet again) be laughably pathetic.
That was fine. He didn't need Devil magic, not like that anyway.
But he would need all the help he could get if he was going to take on Lunarunn. The resources at the Gremorys' disposal- the wealth they had, even in their current state, boggled the mind. If he sold himself into Venelana's service, he could leverage that to even get Irina a prosthetic or something, to replace the arm she lost because of him.
"Fine." The chill in Irina's voice stung - but at least she was being honest about her feelings toward him now. "If you want to throw your soul away too, I'm not going to stop you. I'll pray that it turns out as well as you hope... though I doubt you'll appreciate prayer for too much longer."
Issei sighed, turning briefly so she could see the faint smile on his face, even though he chose to not look at her.
"I know you'll mean well anyway, Irina," he replied softly. "Thank you."
There was a pause before the brunette responded, and even then it wasn't with words, but rather with footsteps, and an arm wrapping around his midsection for a long moment.
"...Goodbye, Issei," she murmured, before releasing him and exiting his room.
He ignored the way her footsteps sped up after they crossed the boundary.
He knew it was a bad idea. Irina was against it. Asia was supportive, but still personally against it. Masaomi was much the same.
Fuck, he'd even scrolled through the many messages that he'd left unread from Rias, ranging from trying to explain herself, becoming apologetic over time. In the past couple days, he got a single message from her.
"I know Mother has been talking with you. Be careful around her."
He'd been angry at first - she knew about the tragedy, and her only message was to send a warning? But then he'd wondered if she was trying to help how she thought she best could in the light of their strained relationship.
It was only because everyone - and it really did seem like everyone - around him was so wary of the idea that he hadn't taken Venelana's offer already.
But... he had to do something. Even if it meant forsaking his humanity, he couldn't just sit by and let the people around him get hurt.
He'd done it before against Georg. He'd given up his arm to Ddraig for a short boost of power.
He'd just have to do it again.
He was supposed to be a guardian, wasn't he? It was in his name.
"Issei." Now another young woman was in his room. Asia's face was downcast. "Why was Irina crying when she ran by?"
"She was?" That took him aback. He thought that she was angry with him for choosing to take the Devil's path. Asia blinked, then sighed.
"I forget sometimes that you can be just a little dense," she replied, smiling apologetically. "Please see it from her perspective, Ise-kun. Her career is effectively over, her best friend was killed in front of her, and now she's watching her next closest friend prepare to sell his soul to a Devil to try and fix all the damage that was done. Her world is falling apart, and now you're leaving too."
"It's not like I'm gonna die," he argued, shaking his head. "I'm just - giving up the life I have now." Yeah, that sounded right. "If I have to deal with a new world to fix hers, and what's left of mine now, then that's a price I'm willing to pay." His hand clenched into a fist. "Besides, didn't the old man offer her the guest room at your place?"
"That's not the same, and you know it," she chided, and Issei immediately looked away. "She cares about you too, Ise-kun. She knows that if she asked you to try and fix things, you'd do it in a heartbeat."
He grimaced. "Because I messed up. I couldn't do enough, so now I have to make things right."
"That's just Ise-kun. That's why I lo-" Asia shook her head and cut herself off with exasperated fondness, stepping forward and taking his hand in hers. "Look, Issei. You don't have to do it alone. I've been looking as well, and I think I may have found another solution."
Another solution? What other solutions were there? Devils were some of the only beings who could outright revive the dead. Even Einherjar could only be created at the moment of a person's passing.
He wasn't entirely sure how he knew that, but Ddraig had confirmed it when he asked.
Unless... "What are you getting at?"
"I... may have called a couple friends," she started slowly, looking down and poking her fingers together. "And they may be almost here right now."
He stared at her. Friends. The word almost sounded ominous. "For what reason, exactly?"
"W-well..." She looked almost embarrassed to say it, given the way she hunched over, pressing her fingers further, glancing to the side. Before she answered, however, the chirping of her phone got her attention, and she pulled it out to see what the notification was about. "A-ah, perhaps it would be better to see for yourself. Just, ah- please keep in mind that they're here to help."
Ddraig rumbled a low growl, though Issei didn't do the same. He wanted to, though. Who else had a vested interest in him?
"I don't like the sound of that," he said slowly, but allowed himself to be led out by the blonde.
He didn't see Irina as they made their way through the silent residence. She'd probably run back to Masaomi's house. Probably for the best- he didn't want to get her hopes up with whatever Asia's plan was.
So when he recognized the four people present outside the house - one fidgeting Dhampir, one even-gazed beauty, one handsome bastard, and a certain someone else, he realized that Asia had managed to pull some serious strings.
But if his temper was frayed before, now it flared outright.
"You!"
The target of his hostilities gave him a smile, but with the discomfort radiating off of her, it was more like a grimace.
"Me."
"I wish to enlist your assistance in reviving that which Hyoudou Issei holds dear."
The declaration hung in the air as Luna processed Valerie's words.
"W-what?" she was taken aback. Bring people back to life? Why was Valerie - the individual with the Holy Grail, which could bring people back to life on their own - asking for her assistance? "Did I hear that right?"
"...When Motohama attacked, he captured several of Issei's close ones to lure him in," Valerie explained. "And then... I don't know the details, but I do know things went south."
That was an understatement. People had died. People close to Issei, in an attempt to get at him.
Reviving the dead wasn't her thing though. She was a Devil. Not only was she a Devil, but a Demon, the Scion of the Angel of Death. She could heal, sure, but she wasn't a healer. Certainly, she couldn't bring back the dead-
Or could she?
She froze, memories of an earlier life flashing before her eyes.
Valerie wasn't asking for her, specifically. She was asking for the strongest Devil in the Dawn Legion.
And what did Devils have that others didn't?
Luna held out her hand, slipping into a small crack of space before she felt something cool and smooth against her fingers. She gently grasped it and pulled the chess piece - a Rook - free from its confines in her storage within the Dimensional Gap.
"Oh." Her voice was small as realization flooded her mind.
'I could have...'
"Hah." Luna lifted her metallic hand to her lips as the exhale forced its way out of her lungs, followed by more. "Ha ha ha ha ha...! Ahahahahaha!"
"Luna?" Jaspal stood, concerned, as the laughter of her King took a manic tone.
She drew in a gasping breath, holding up her metal arm, hand splayed outward. She held that breath, then exhaled. "Just... realizing how much of a fucking idiot I've been."
She'd underestimated Ajuka. She could have sworn she'd have remembered everything about her prior life, but a detail had flown under the radar, and she realized now that it had for ages.
Evil Pieces could revive the dead.
Ajuka had literally subverted the laws of the universe, and Luna hadn't even considered the very same application that began the story of DxD in earnest.
Rias had revived Issei before, after Raynare killed him.
But another thought occurred.
"Valerie- you can revive the dead too, right?" she looked back at the Dhampir, whose scarlet gaze slid shut.
"I can... but not without great cost."
Of course, nothing could be quite that easy. "Define cost. Are we talking mana? Are we talking blood? Life energy?"
"Not life energy. Lives." Valerie's eyes reopened. "I can revive the dead, but it takes the lives of three other creatures to resurrect the one. Even then, there's still the risk of things going... awry. Particularly if they are unwilling sacrifices."
Luna wasn't going to ask how Valerie knew about the 'unwilling sacrifices' part, but that didn't sound good. It also put Ajuka's own research on more dubious grounds. And perhaps partially explained why Evil Pieces were so sparingly given even before she killed their creator, but that wasn't the point.
It also brought up another point.
"Evil Pieces can only revive the recently-deceased too," she pointed out. "If I had to take a guess, Evil Pieces bind the departing soul to the Devil body that the Piece created, so if no soul is there to accept the Piece then they can't work."
Oh. Now there was a thought. What if the Evil Pieces literally used the original body of the recipient and used them as fuel to create the Devil form, and then bound the soul to that body?
It would certainly explain the physical changes that Reincarnated Devils go through, such as how Rooks were so much tougher on average than the other Pieces save perhaps the Queen. Or how Strays, particularly those who lost themselves to their urges, developed a more 'corrupted' form.
Hm. Curiouser and curiouser, and more dubious still. Now she wanted to see Ajuka's notes on Evil Pieces. Maybe she wasn't so wrong about killing him after all.
"But they're long-gone at this point. It's been nearly a week," Luna continued. "Even if the bodies are in good enough condition for me to restore with an Evil Piece, even if I can bypass the time limit, I'd basically be bringing back empty husks. The lights would be on, but nobody would be home."
To say nothing of how Issei would react if they came in and basically defiled his friends.
"I can help with that," Valerie offered. "I may not be able to revive the dead without great cost, but I can summon souls - I would simply need to know who to look for. A few memories, some description as to the 'color' of their soul-"
"You're gonna have to elaborate," Luna interrupted, but the Dhampir just smiled and continued.
"-then I can find them and call them back, if for a short time. But a short time should be enough to circumvent the weaknesses of both our resurrection methods."
With that, Valerie fell silent, allowing the brunette to mull over her words.
His friends were a major part of why Issei strove and eventually became as strong as he had. And if he lost them, she had little doubt he'd do what he could to set things straight - or avenge them if he couldn't. She wasn't sure which ones were gone, but if it was any of the girls then she was surprised he hadn't already used Juggernaut Drive.
If his parents were among that number... she bit down a sense of revulsion and nausea.
Luna's mother and father didn't deserve to become victims because of her. Absolutely not.
But she couldn't play favorites. Not in her position; if she helped him, then what did that mean for everyone else who died and she had the potential to help? The resulting backlash could have a serious detrimental effect on the morale of the soldiers recruited into the Dawn Legion.
Yet like it or not, Issei was a crucial player on the world stage thanks to his Longinus, a more pragmatic part of her whispered. And her coming in to save the day would give him a reason to actually believe that she wasn't an enemy.
If he didn't think it was a setup of some sort, another part of her mind warned. She was a Devil, after all, a Demon even, and not afraid of getting her hands dirty to see a job done. He might rightfully be suspicious that this was some sort of manipulative tactic on her part. Devils were Devils were Devils, and Demons were the worst of the worst. Maybe she was just considering it for the clout.
But wasn't it her duty to help those she could? How could she leave someone grieving when, like it or not, she at least indirectly caused the Motohama Incident? How could she say with a straight face that she wanted to make things right if she stood by and did nothing?
How could she say she wanted to make the world a fairer place if she went and played favorites?
How could she say she was doing what was best for her and her own if she didn't?
How could she say that going out of her way, to spit in the face of God's natural order, was the right thing to do? How could she say she was doing it for the right reasons?
How could she say that she was trying to be a good person if she didn't?
Luna gazed ahead into space, the conflicting thoughts raging in her head. Though only two pairs of eyes stared at her, it felt like she was being judged by so many more in that exact moment.
She opened her mouth, but for a long moment no sound left it.
She closed it. Opened again. Grimaced, shook her head, breathed out through her nose.
"Power," the brunette quietly said, "makes hypocrites of us all, it seems."
She supposed she was no different.
Jaspal blinked. "Luna?"
"Reschedule my meeting with Lord Hades if he is willing," she told her Pawn, turning her gaze back to the Dhampir that had requested her assistance. "And cancel if he is not. It appears I have a time-sensitive matter to attend to."
"You realize he will not take being brushed off on an official diplomatic overture so lightly, correct?" the ruby-eyed Devil warned. "Hades is among the top ten in the world, and we have enough enemies on that list already."
Luna shook her head again. "If he's really that petty, then maybe he's someone we should confront as enemies anyway,"
"Luna, I have to insist on at least scheduling the visit to Kuoh for another time-"
"We don't have time to reschedule, Jaspal," she interrupted. "If my own thoughts are any indication, any Devil worth their salt that knows him would be trying to get in Issei's good graces right now. He's guaranteed to be distraught, vulnerable, and all but primed for manipulation. He might be young, but you saw the diamond behind the rough, didn't you?"
That cut her Pawn off. "You think this was premeditated?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I have a few ideas about who might be behind Kuoh's portion of the Motohama Incident if it is."
First and foremost being the very same bastard that took her under his wing before tossing her aside when she served her purpose.
Not again.
Not if she could help it.
A/N:
Big chapter, particularly in length, with some moves going on behind the scenes. Asia, seeing the conundrum Issei was in, decided to call up some friends.
The results? Well, you'll see in due time.
Tempura Wizard, out.