Some of you might be pleased to know that I am, in fact, still alive. Apparently my workflow isn't strong enough to easily get back into things after a break, so I'll try to minimize those for now.
This chapter turned out surprisingly heavy in some places, but there's still some humor and light-hearted moments interspersed. Looking back, that mixture of cheer and trauma might just make it a normal chapter.
Kiba wasn't the only one who spent his night in a feverish agony.
At the same time Yuuji was enlisting Kalawarner's steady hands for help in a blood transfusion (with himself as the donor) a young, white-haired man laid sweating and thrashing on an improvised operating table.
"Fascinating, fascinating indeed. This is as much alchemy as it is a curse, to turn damaged tissue to this… truly fascinating."
Admittedly, the operation would have been progressing at a smoother rate if the paunchy old man, looming over him like some obscene scarecrow, wasn't busy taking notes and making observations.
"Sure… you're a GAH! Doctor…?"
"Doctor? Why would I limit myself so? No dear boy, I am a scientist… and I suppose you're lucky that your Affinity is artificial… oh but such a shame! I'll have to see if I can find something more natural… an Exorcist won't do unless they're a natural wielder… ah, but when the war… oh hoh! Is this premature rigor mortis…?"
Forceps dug a bit too deep, and a strangled scream tore the air.
A simple strap was forced into the patient's mouth, preventing him from biting his own tongue and mucking up the test- injuring himself further.
"...Truly wondrous, I must ask Kokabiel to allow me to keep dear Isaiah! That such a gentle boy could produce something so vicious! Truly wondrous!"
The muffled, gritted out noises sounded like words, clearly the boy was interested in his work.
Ah, the curiosity of the young was truly their greatest gift.
"Ah, what a wonderful thing it was! Angelic Howl, was it not? Well, you see my dear boy, your wounds, your blood, your torn flesh…"
The old man loomed closer, gleeful malice and academic fervor twisting his features.
"... Are all rusting. Little shards of that curse he calls a sword were buried in your body, and it's rusting your body like pig iron left in the rain. How beautiful! It's draining what little Holy energy you have to feed the curse…"
The self-proclaimed scientist threw back his head in ecstatic, joyous laughter.
"Why, if you were an Angel or something truly Holy, by now your blood would be poison and-! How delightful! How truly delightful! To think Isaiah's escape would bring such fortune!"
A thoughtful pause, the implement held within torn, oozing flesh left forgotten, or perhaps ignored.
"Ah, but having you die so ignominiously at this early stage simply won't do… but you're in luck boy! You can keep your arm…"
A saintly, beatific smile crossed his face, and for the first time, his white-haired patient shivered.
"At least... after I trim off the excess."
Kiba would never have the chance to know, but he wasn't the only one to scream himself awake with the dawn.
Wielding a Holy Sword was a matter of compatibility.
While it wasn't uncommon for them to allow more than one at a time, it was a viewed as an unshakeable fact that the Swords alone chose their wielders.
Naturally, such wielders were almost as scarce as the swords themselves, so the Church took it upon themselves to overcome that.
Thus, the Holy Sword Project.
Under the direction of Archbishop Valper Galilei, the Holy Sword Project was intended to artificially expand the number of people that could wield the Excalibur Fragments kept by the Church.
In the end, the project was deemed a failure, and Valper Galilei excommunicated from the Church with a brand-new title in honor of his achievements.
The Genocide Archbishop.
The 'fortunate' orphans that survived his cruel experiments were poisoned in their rooms, with only one child managing to escape the facility.
That child didn't make it far before the gas did its work, but before he could draw his last breath, a young red-headed Devil found him lying in the snow, offering him a new life, and a new name.
Kiba Yuuto.
It seems that the men of the Gremory household had far more in common than they thought.
"I still don't think you should be here for this."
"Buchou, I'm fine."
"-But I don't want us anymore separated than we have to be."
"Buchou, I'm fine."
"-You can stand there though, no the other side where Akeno is standing."
"Buchou…"
"-Yes, good idea Koneko, sit in front of him on the…"
"Rias."
For once, Kiba was the one to initiate contact, dropping both hands onto Rias' shoulders to lock eyes with her, cutting off her fretting before she worked herself up any further.
Right when she was about to speak up, Kiba cut her off by calmly drawing her into a firm hug, which was soon returned with a great deal more force.
"I'm okay, Nee-san. We're all okay."
Kiba began to rub calming circles on her lower back.
"Please, please don't start anything with them. I know you're not fully healed, so please don't get hurt again."
Rias couldn't quite keep the desperation out of her voice.
"... I'll do my best, Nee-san."
Rias only let him go when there was a knock at the door.
Rias was in her desk as if nothing had happened, the very picture of aloof elegance, and Kiba was behind Koneko, leaning against the wall just enough to appear relaxed without seeming disrespectful.
"We've been expecting you. You may enter."
Kiba's eyes narrowed as the door swung open, but his expression returned to watchful neutrality as two white cloaked figures entered the room with hoods pulled low.
They lowered their hoods, revealing a girl with blue hair, green highlights and a cold gaze, while her slightly shorter partner had light brown twintails and a smile as condescending as it was carefree.
The blue-haired girl had a large, bandaged object over one shoulder, while the other girl had nothing visible that could be viewed as a weapon.
Both immediately stiffened at seeing the two Fallen Angels standing rigid behind the couch, squared so that Raynare was behind Yuuji and Kalawarner behind Asia.
The bluenette's eyes narrowed towards Rias in accusation.
"You keep the company of the Grigori? An admission of guilt, Gremory?"
Unfazed, Rias took her time responding, indulging their outburst with a gracious air.
"There are no Grigori present. These ones have lost their rights to any privilege or protection beyond what I allow them to have."
Raynare and Kalawarner, of course, offered no reaction to the cold words of the Gremory heiress, much less a reaction to the Exorcists hostility at all.
Nothing outside the realm of expectation had occurred.
The blue-haired one looked like she wanted to say more, but a nudge from the brunette cut her off.
"Please, have a seat."
Taking the indicated chair at Rias' words, they offered terse nods as a softly smiling Akeno set down steaming teacups in front of them, ever the dutiful host.
Only those familiar with her noticed the not-so-gentle edge to that smile.
Rather than offer any sort of prompt, Rias smiled patiently, allowing them to introduce themselves in their own time.
As anticipated, the blue-haired, stern looking girl spoke up first.
"I am Xenovia Quarta, and this is my partner, Irina Shidou."
Oblivious or uncaring of the tension, Irina offered a cheerful smile and a wave before taking over.
"Recently, the Excalibur Fragments possessed by the Vatican, Protestant Church, and Eastern Orthodox Church have been stolen. Each of the Churches were in possession of two of the seven, with the seventh having been lost long ago. The thieves have been traced here, to Japan."
No one commented on the fact that Excalibur was in seven pieces.
As the only ones unaware had been in Kalawarner's class, it had been easy for her bring them up to speed during lunch break.
"And do you have a culprit?"
Xenovia nodded, taking the reins once more.
"The Grigori."
Accusing eyes turned once more to the Fallen Angels in the room, but they didn't react.
The Exorcists had yet to deviate from their projected course.
"Not just any Grigori, I expect. I trust you have something a bit more concrete?"
"The main culprit is Kokabiel."
This drew a sharp gasp from Raynare, which unfortunately caught the sharp gaze of Xenovia.
Before she could push the issue, Rias took control once more.
"Oh, a name from the Bible? My town must be a popular destination."
Rias' offered a confident smirk, as if it was neither a particularly unexpected revelation, nor a particular concerning one.
She was bluffing of course, but the Exorcists present were a hundred years too early to see through that facade.
Rias wasn't a Pure-Blooded Devil for nothing.
"The exorcists and priests we've been sending to this town have all been killed."
Rias elegantly arched an eyebrow at that casual admittance.
"Ah, the Church is as honest as always, I see."
Xenovia seemed to have an inkling that she'd just been insulted, but didn't have a firm enough grasp on it to do more than scowl.
From here, it could go several ways.
No one was all that surprised when the direction the conversation took was one of the worst.
"Our request, no our order is for none of the Devils to intrude in our battle for the Excaliburs. In other words, we came here to tell you not to interfere in our business."
The temperature dropped.
With deliberate slowness, Rias took a sip of her tea before responding, any hint of strain vanished in the brief instant the cup concealed her lips.
"I have no issue with your request, beyond it being completely out of the question."
Rias answered, with a prim note of finality.
"What did you just say!?"
Both the Exorcists stiffened, Xenovia with a stormy scowl and Irina the picture of righteous indignation.
No one missed how Xenovia's hand twitched towards her bundled package, or Irina's right hand rose from her lap, reaching across ever so slightly.
Kiba was scowling openly, the Fallen were ready to push themselves off the wall, Koneko had tensed, and Akeno's smile brought with it the sudden scent of ozone.
Asia looked nervous, but Yuuji hadn't moved.
Unbeknownst to the Exorcists, his shadow had stretched itself towards them just a little, and had started to contort around the edges.
Rias' polite smile was tempered by a glacial chill in her blue eyes.
"You freely reveal your failures, and then expect us to believe that this attempt will be any different? What, precisely, grants you such confidence?"
"These."
Xenovia tugged the bandages off the wrapped object with one hand, revealing a huge sword of blue and gold with an hilt more reminiscent of a battle axe than anything else.
Irina swept her cloak aside to reveal a white ribbon around her bicep, that when pulled free straightened and shifted itself into the form of a katana.
Holy energy flooded the room as the Devils tensed further, and Yuuji's shadow grew closer.
"I am the wielder of Excalibur Destruction."
"And mine is Excalibur Mimic! I can change its shape into whatever I want!"
Xenovia sighed and put one hand to her head at her comrades cheery, and wholly unnecessary, explanation.
"Irina, what was the point of sharing that?"
"We're supposed to be building trustworthy relationships with the Devils here! Besides, it's not like knowing that would help them."
Rias simply took a sip of her tea, the Exorcists too focused on each other to notice how tight her grip of the cup was.
"Oh, so they sent Excaliburs to retrieve Excaliburs? I suppose it's nice to see the Church take things somewhat seriously. I trust the rest of your group has suitable preparations made?"
Rias blinked once as the Exorcists went silent.
"You can't be serious."
"The Church has decided that we alone will be enough."
Before Rias could respond to what seemed insanity to her, help came from an unexpected quarter.
A suspiciously wide-eyed Koneko turned to her with an uncharacteristically quavery tone of voice.
"Buchou… you wouldn't sacrifice us like that… w-would you?"
With her expression shielded from Exorcist eyes, Koneko's feigned distress had vanished behind a tiny smirk and twinkling golden eyes.
Akeno's smile widened just a touch, and Raynare bit her lip.
When had her darling Rook grown so cheeky?
It must be Yuuji's bad influence.
"No, I value all of you too much to send you to your deaths needlessly."
Rias gave her tiny Rook a warm smile.
She'd have to spoil her lots later for that little performance.
...Yuuji too.
Koneko relaxed in her seat with a shaky sigh of relief.
"Don't you think you're looking down on us too much!?"
Irina seemed offended.
Rias couldn't help but wonder why.
"Are you trying to die?"
What foolishness... it reminded her a bit too much of Yuuji.
"Yes."
Irina spoke with firm eyes.
"It's true our odds of surviving against Kokabiel aren't good. I would prefer to, however."
"Xen-chan!"
"We're confident we can at least destroy the Holy Swords though."
"A trump card then? Nothing changes. They've sent a pair of suicidal trainee Exorcists to take on a Cadre whose power is legendary amongst all three Factions, after all their other attempts have failed? Does the Church in fact wish those swords returned?"
"You intend to stand in our way then?"
"You're overestimating yourselves. I have no problem cooperating with serious efforts by the Church, but I'm not going to idly sit by while it blunders around with a blatant attempt to make things worse."
Rias rolled her eyes as she spoke.
"If you wish to see how serious we are, I don't mind a demonstration, with as many of you as you like."
"I think there's a limit to how fool-"
"I volunteer."
Dead silence… of course he would.
Dammit Yuuto, why couldn't you just keep silent a moment longer?
She couldn't even refuse his request, not without looking weak and hesitant in front of these Exorcists.
"Hoh, and who might you be?"
Fearless brown eyes regarded Kiba with a warriors interest.
"Kiba Yuuto. More importantly, your Senpai, though it seems I was deemed a failure."
As Kiba pushed off the wall, demonic steel rose behind him like wings.
"Failure?"
Wary eyes fixed on the hovering blades, which vanished with a teasing shimmer.
"Perhaps rather than 'failure', you could call me a 'leftover'? The Holy Sword Project didn't quite go as intended, it seems."
Kiba's smile had a self-mocking edge as he chuckled, a bitter, mirthless sound.
The Exorcists went pale.
"That-"
"Dibs, by the way."
Yuuji cut them off, one hand raised.
Several heads whipped his way in confusion, but it was Irina who found her voice first.
"Dibs?"
"Yeah, you'll be able to save a little face if the numbers are even."
"What did you just- huh, isn't that?"
Irina had sprung to her feet with an ugly sneer, one hand digging its fingers into her side.
She stopped dead, and her jaw dropped open as she finally got a view of the little blonde who'd been making herself as small as possible.
"It is! Xen-chan, it's Asia Argento!"
Irina pointed excitedly as Asia wilted against Yuuji.
Caught by surprise as well, Xenovia also failed to notice that the air in the room was slowly turning crimson.
"Umm... I-I"
"The witch? She's a Devil now?"
Xenovia rose to her seat, naked curiosity on her face.
Yuuji's beast-like shadow was beginning to move of its own accord.
"Xen-chan, she clearly doesn't believe in our God anymore. How could she?"
"Umm… well- a-actually…"
Asia's already quiet words were muffled a bit by how closely she was pressed to Yuuji.
"No, I can smell the belief on her. I'm good at sensing these kind of things."
"Really!? Well don't worry Asia-chan, I won't tell anyone! A lot people would be really shocked to see how far you've fallen!"
"I...I…"
Xenovia stepped forward.
"Do you really still believe in our God?"
They were far too focussed on their curiosity.
...Too focussed to realize that the air itself had taken on a crimson hue.
"I… I can't just forget it. I've believed in him my whole life."
Xenovia lifted her sword with an expression that looked an awful lot like pity.
"Then you should let me kill you now. I'm sure the Lord will forgive you if you ask."
She took a step forward-
A pink spear of light flew past her eyes, so closely that she nearly lost them both.
"You little bitch! Take one more step, I dare you!"
Raynare hissed in fury as she and Kalawarner pushed themselves from the wall with murderous eyes.
In a jagged line that started at the oaken desk and ran, the complete circumference of the room, the clubroom itself cracked.
The Exorcists noticed the crimson air just as the windows began to rattle.
Hair fluttering wildly in an unseen breeze, Rias rose from her ruined desk as the air about her began to seethe and snarl.
"You bring Holy Swords into my home unannounced… admit to sneaking around my territory like thieves in the night... and then you threaten my Bishop? One more word Exorcists… and I'll sprinkle your ashes on the Vatican's doorstep."
Irina paled and took an unwitting step back. Xenovia, grit her teeth and glared sternly at Rias.
"Is that a threat against the Church, Gremory? That could be taken as a declaration of war."
A concerned Akeno stepped closer to Rias, but the thickening scent of ozone suggested she was torn between de-escalating her King and beating her on the draw.
"I got it!"
Everyone jumped a few inches as Yuuji snapped his fingers, eyes bright with an excitement that seemed blissfully unaware of the mounting hostilities around him.
The crimson light abruptly vanished.
"Y-Yuuji?"
Rias spoke up slowly as all eyes focussed on her Pawn.
Rather than answer her, Yuuji lifted the hand that wasn't shielding Asia to point in Xenovia's direction.
"You're an idiot."
Someone tried to muffle a mirthful snort, but most of them were still flabbergasted at how pleased Yuuji sounded from his little 'revelation'.
"Excuse me!? Don't talk to Xen-chan like that you dirty-"
"It would never come to war."
Yuuji's dull voice carried a note of absolute finality.
"Hoh, what gives you such confidence?"
Xenovia had lowered her sword, but her eyebrow was twitching a bit.
"Which is better for the health of the Church? A three-way war of mutual extinction, or discarding a pair of disobedient trainee's acting of their own accord?"
"B-but we're not! We're here on the Churches orders!"
Irina took a step forward, incensed, and Xenovia held out her arm to stop her.
"Says who? Who, exactly, will believe you if your superiors say otherwise?"
"I… t-that's."
Irina had begun to shake.
"I wonder, if a Holy-maiden could be so easily cast aside… how secure are the likes of you?"
"Bastard! That's enough!"
Xenovia pushed her shaking partner behind her, teeth bared in snarl.
"Is it? Then stop wasting time and get outside so we can get this demonstration, and you, out of our hair."
Pouring salt on the wound, Yuuji made a dismissive shooing gesture as he spoke.
Furious, Xenovia gripped a handful of Irina's cloak and all but dragged her from the room.
Yuuji turned back to the other occupants of the room as Rias stared at him, amused but expectant.
"Just doing my job as a Pawn?"
"And that is?"
"Antagonizing people?"
"I think you're missing a few details."
"Not the important ones, obviously."
The smattering of laughter abruptly withered when Kiba stormed from the room.
Yuuji watched him go, before turning back to Rias with an uplifted hand, snapping her out of it before she could fret after her Knight.
"Serious question Buchou."
"I can't wait."
Rias' voice positively dripped enthusiasm.
"How opposed are you to 'accidents'?"
The air quotes he made for emphasis probably weren't necessary.
... Nor were the giggles from several points in the room.
"Yuuji."
"Yes, Buchou?"
"No."
A secluded forest clearing not all that far from the school.
An innocent enough location, if one wasn't aware that this was the place where unwitting souls went to discover the true meaning of Hell.
In other words, this was the usual Gremory training ground.
Yuuji was the only one without unpleasant memories of this place, because Yuuji was too busy supplying them most of the time.
Today, they'd be using it for a 'demonstration' with the Church representatives.
In other words, sparring matches.
And the match-ups would be…
"Hey Kiba, can I talk to you for a second? I have an idea."
The brooding Knight grudgingly twisted his head towards the other man of the Gremory peerage.
Just far enough to give himself a clear view of the fist careening towards his face.
Kiba hit the dirt a moment later.
"Yuuji!? What the hell was that for!?"
Yuuji waved his hand dismissively at the blonde who was glaring up at him.
"Calm down idiot. Haven't you worried them enough?"
"Worried-!?"
Oh.
Kiba turned his head to the rest of the peerage.
Rias, Akeno, Koneko.
The women he'd grown up alongside, the girls who were his sisters in all but blood.
Struggling to keep their masks in place in front of their unwanted company.
Struggling to keep the worry from showing on their faces.
They couldn't fool him, but suddenly, he kind of wished they could.
... How stupid could he be?
"Yeah. So why don't you cool off, and I'll get the fight with the noisy one out of the way."
"The noisy one?"
Kiba's expression shifted from self-loathing to befuddled as Yuuji pulled him to his feet.
"Yeah, with the weird sword. I don't really want to deal with whatever kind of nonsense an 'Excalibur Mimic' can pull off, so I'm just going to squash her before she can use it."
"You really do have a mean streak, don't you?"
"I'll neither confirm nor deny."
Yuuji strode onto the field, beckoning Irina forward with one finger.
As she skipped her way onto the field, Yuuji realized his fatal error, realized how bad of a match-up this was for him.
He'd even called her the noisy one.
… Right before he'd volunteered to deal with her.
Yuuji turned to glare accusingly at Kiba.
Quickly cluing in, Kiba held up his hands in defence, as Asia bustled over to press an emerald glowing hand to his cheek.
Asia's reproachful (adorable) glare Yuuji's way was promptly ignored.
And then the Exorcist started talking and for the first time, Yuuji was made aware that he was truly among the legions of the damned.
"... I wonder where they go when they die? No Irina, you're just sparring. Oh but if he wants to repent, what should I do? Oh Lord…"
Irina had her hands, filled with the katana form of her Holy Sword, clasped together in prayer as she looked up to the sky and twisted back and forth.
Yuuji turned to Rias, his blank gaze suspiciously heavy, and, she could have sworn, more than a little desperate.
She cleared her throat, grabbing the fighters attention before despair could finish consuming her poor Pawn.
"Are you both ready?"
Both nodded.
"3...2...1… begin!"
Three deafening cracks snapped through the air, and a body fell to the ground.
The hand that wasn't holding a smoking gun was held up to Yuuji's lips.
"Shhhh…"
That was the cue for Irina started wailing in pain, curled up, clutching her stomach and rocking back and forth on the hard ground.
Yuuji cringed a little, having realized too late the insidious trap he had fallen into.
Pain would make anyone noisier.
Why was he dealing with this again?
Kiba better appreciate this.
Xenovia cried out and rushed over to her friend, sword pointed threateningly in Yuuji's direction as she went.
She was more than a little confused when her hand came away dripping a dull grey.
"Paint."
With a long suffering look, Yuuji wandered back to his comrades, attention on one particular person in particular.
Kiba regarded him with a wry chuckle.
"You really weren't fooling around, were you?"
Yuuji let out a dismissive snort at Kiba's question.
"Please, I know better than to steal the show when I'm just an extra. Don't you have some angst to work off?"
"It sounds silly when you say it that way."
Kiba wasn't the only one with a reproachful frown on his face.
"That's because it is."
"You really think my resentment is that easy to let go of?"
A bitter Kiba quickly found that his anger could find no purchase in the face of Kazami Yuuji's complete and utter confusion.
Now he was feeling more than a little silly.
"Let go of…? Why the hell would you do that?"
"I… I- uh… I really don't know where you're going with this, Yuuji-kun."
"I just wanted you in your right mind."
"My… right mind? For what?"
"The cathartic effects of vengeance by proxy?"
No one was quite sure how they felt about him phrasing that like a question that shouldn't have needed asking.
All except for one of them.
Kiba, observant as he was, gave a whimsical laugh.
"You can't just say things like that, Yuuji-kun."
An eyebrow arched.
"You don't agree?"
"No, I do, it's just that blatant sadism will make Akeno-san too worked up to properly do her job, and Buchou will have to scold her."
The person in question whistled innocently, failing to draw attention away from her reddened cheeks and oddly twinkling eyes.
"Are you Devils done fooling around?"
Xenovia was scowling and drumming her fingers against the hilt of her sword impatiently, standing in the center of the field.
Kiba responded without looking at her.
"Ah, sorry to keep you waiting, Xenovia-san."
When he turned to face her, his face was schooled into the polite, welcoming smile…
Of a coiled serpent.
Kiba could almost feel the smug undercurrent in Yuuji's monotone.
"A bit of advice. This isn't a sword fight, and no, accidents aren't allowed. I checked."
"Got it, Yuuji-kun."
His tone was light, but Yuuji noticed that the original members of the ORC all shivered.
Kiba was whistling to himself as he strode out to the center of the field with his opponent.
The coils tightened.
"Are you both ready?"
At the nods, Rias began the countdown. Xenovia lifted her sword, Kiba did nothing at all.
The battle began.
The jaws opened.
Something cold and sharp was tickling the underside of her exposed chin.
The Devil just outside of arms length seemed to blink in surprise, looking vaguely apologetic, as if he'd just stumbled into a social faux-pas.
... She hadn't even seen him move.
"My apologies, were you not quite ready? Please, take your time."
The coils around her loosened and the fangs receded.
The Devil retreated back a few paces, a patient smile, laced with venom, gracing his handsome features.
The serpent coiled itself to spring once more.
Xenovia grit her teeth and swung, Excalibur Destruction sending out a roaring column of golden light that tore through the ground.
The Devil gracefully twirled aside, and Xenovia was forced to block as the same motion sent his sword hurtling pommel-first towards her like a javelin.
He closed the distance before the first blade hit the ground, a second sword already hissing toward her.
This time she was ready, and the unassuming demonic steel shattered before the might of the Holy Sword.
That might did her little good when the empty hand closed around her face, in a move identical to his earlier evasion, only this time it was her that flung through the air, hitting the ground with a bounce and a skid.
His impatient tapping of the foot was accompanied by thin blades erupting from the ground in her direction.
A frantic roll, and the Exorcist bounced back to her feet and glared, the Devil regarding her calmly.
The coils tightened.
But now she had distance, and she gathered the power of Excalibur Destruction.
He'd probably survive if she hit him head on, but he'd have no choice but to concede.
His eyes lit up with a strange intensity, and the sword that materialized in his hands was almost as long as he was tall, elongated like some twisted metal skewer.
"Head-to-head? Sounds fun. Let's see how your Holy Sword fares, hmm?"
Mouth set in a grim line, he lowered it like a spear and charged.
Xenovia allowed a small smile at a Devil giving in to Pride, before she swung Excalibur Destruction.
The space in front of her exploded, and the Devil vanished without a sound.
Xenovia shook her head in disappointment.
"What a shame. A blade like that negates your only advantage."
"Agreed, head-on against a weapon like that is foolish. "
The soft voice behind her led to Xenovia whirling about in time to receive a hilt to the gut.
As she gagged and crumbled, the Devil gave a deeply troubled sigh, the image of the serpent she'd seen receding, as if it had lost interest and returned to slumber.
"His lack of respect for swords is wearing off on me… I honestly can't believe I just used Sword Birth for pole-vaulting."
With her cheek resting in the dirt, Xenovia could see the shattered tip of his sword still embedded in the dirt, surrounded by all the shards that had fallen victim to Destruction's power.
"What a shame though… I don't even feel a little satisfied with this. Guess some desires aren't so easily appeased."
As the Knight wandered away, another figure came into view.
Asia Argento.
"Come to mock your fallen enemy?"
She was more than a little surprised when Asia smiled at her.
Without saying a word, Asia rolled her over and lifted her into a half-sitting position with an arm against her back.
Xenovia went to push her away, but the motion made her gut hitch, and she doubled up on herself instead.
Humming softly to herself, Asia let her hands take on the soft green glow of Twilight Healing.
As the warmth washed over her, a stunned Xenovia could only rasp out the obvious.
"W-why?"
Asia blinked at her, as if not quite understanding the question.
'You're in pain?"
"I offered to kill you."
Asia gave an understanding nod, smiling still.
"You're also in pain."
"I don't need your pity."
"That's nice."
From anyone else, that would have sounded incredibly patronizing.
Asia Argento was not anyone else, and thus Xenovia found herself feeling vaguely ashamed of her behavior.
She was too distracted by that unease to recoil as she should have when the little Devil (with some effort) pulled her to her feet.
Asia brushed herself off and smiled at her once more before turning her back to return to her group.
Xenovia's voice caught her halfway, and it was impossible to ignore how several of the watchers tensed in preparation.
"That… compassion of yours will get you into trouble one day."
Asia half-turned, and this time, her smile carried an edge both wistful and more than a little fragile.
"It already has. I just had to find people who would value it."
Asia stuck out her tongue playfully, and skipped back to her family without another word.
Her wounds had been healed, so why did it still-?
Careful so that Asia couldn't see her movements, Koneko offered an approving nod and thumbs-up towards the shadowed ground behind the Bishop.
The very much male outline at her feet rose its arm to the side, so that the return gesture could be clearly seen.
Yuuji smirked.
"We're getting excommunicated for sure."
"At least we have a better chance of being alive and successful when we are?"
"Xen-chan, I know that was supposed to be encouraging, but it really, really wasn't."
"It's fine Irina, we're not seeking aid from the Devils, we're 'assisting the locals'."
"And what, exactly, are we going to say when they ask who the locals were?"
"It was dark and we couldn't make out their faces?"
"..."
"How about, 'please have mercy'?"
"..."
"It'll be fine Irina, don't worry so much."
"THERE IS NO WAY THAT WON'T MAKE ME WORRY!"
The two Exorcists were currently sitting on one of the clubroom couches engaged in a heated(?) debate, while the members of the ORC watched with more amusement than anything else.
They'd made their point and gotten a little payback for the insults, so no one minded humoring the Exorcists a bit if they decided to behave.
As the only person with a relevant grudge, Kiba was currently paying as little attention as necessary, in a vain attempt to avoid enjoying their plight more than he should.
The apology certainly hadn't hurt the Church duo's case.
Both the girls had friends among the Exorcists assigned to guard the Excaliburs, and both hadn't had time to mourn the fact that said Exorcists had been used to paint the walls during the theft.
They'd been angry, and people they'd been trained their whole lives to hate were easy targets.
Rias had graciously accepted the apology, and had stated that while they would be conducting their own investigations, they didn't mind if the Exorcists tagged along as 'observers'.
Strictly speaking, this was a diplomatic incident, but as (joint) overseer of the territory, Rias had the authority to make a 'peace offering' such as this.
Mostly because the Underworld cared not a whit for the Holy Swords as long as they weren't being actively used against them.
Better they stay in their vaults than be deployed in any fashion.
Of course, not all of the Swords would be returned intact.
The condition for the Churchgoers continued presence in Kuoh was that Kiba would have the right to any one Excalibur retrieved, solely for the purpose of breaking it over his knee.
The Exorcists had agreed, on the condition that they bore witness, as returning the Swords destruction was deemed preferable in the event they couldn't be retrieved.
The current argument seemed to stem from a disagreement as to precisely how heretical the current negotiations were.
Now that she was feeling less belligerent, Xenovia seemed to have a somewhat erratic approach to her faith that appeared to carry ample space for pragmatism, bizarre though her logic could be.
For Irina's part, it seemed that whatever was really troubling her had little to do with the Holy Swords, but those gathered had no intention of prying.
Regardless of what the Exorcists were here for, they'd still spent their lives on opposing sides.
"If I may… isn't something like a mutual non-aggression pact sufficient? You're not working with us, we're merely doing our best to stay out of each other's way. Kuoh really isn't all that big, so it couldn't be helped if our operations happened in almost identical locations."
Rias, feeling they'd had enough fun watching the Exorcist's flounder, decided to throw them a bone and interrupt.
Xenovia seemed to pick up on it easily enough.
"Yes, it would be detrimental to the Church's interests if we spent all our time tripping over each other. Any particular areas we should stay away from?"
"Hmm, well there are several abandoned churches within my territory, and it's common knowledge that Fallen Angels tend to enjoy such places, so I certainly couldn't recommend starting your investigation at the closest of them. Certainly not, under any circumstances, in say, an hours time?"
"We'll go the other direction then. Abandoned churches seem too obvious."
"That would be best."
"..."
"Satisfactory?"
Rias' smile carried a hint of mischief.
"Yep, I think we're covered."
Xenovia's expression was just a touch less subtle.
"So is an hour enough time for your preparations or do you need longer?"
"We have all we need with us, no sense dawdling."
"Perfect, may I offer some refreshments? Accepting the offerings of your host would fall under proper manners I imagine."
"Yeah, I worked up an appetite."
"Xen-chan."
Finally, Irina spoke up, an odd kind of half-frown on her face.
"Yes, Irina?"
That her expression was genuinely curious spoke volumes of Xenovia's personality.
"I'm pretty sure this is cheating."
"I'll sit with you in confession."
Xenovia offered her partner a consoling pat on the shoulder, eyes devoid of even the faintest hint of guile, or sarcasm.
"That… I… I give up."
The twin-tailed girl visibility deflated, with a long suffering sigh.
Akeno, who had slipped out of the room when Xenovia accepted Rias' offer, was balancing a laden tea tray on one hand as she swept lightly back into the room.
"Is that a yes to refreshments then?"
Of course it was a yes.
Irina might have refused if she hadn't caught wind of Akeno's offerings.
But she had, and Akeno really was that good.
Ignoring the exchange, Yuuji let his eyes wander towards the dark shape outside the window.
Just a stray cat.
He wished he could get away with napping on a tree branch like that during a school day.
Perhaps the stray felt his jealousy, because moments later, it opened its eyes with a long yawn, stretched itself luxuriously, and hopped out of sight.
She was here.
She knew that, of course.
Normally that wouldn't have meant anything, but now he was here too.
And that changed everything.
… So much for not meddling.
The first day of searching for any hint of the stolen Excaliburs was spent in vain, but it did allow the ORC to accustom themselves with their 'observers' to a degree.
They'd divided themselves into two groups for the day, Rias taking Kiba, Koneko and the two Exorcists, while Akeno led Yuuji, Asia, Raynare and Kalawarner.
Suu could be masked as human with magic, but she couldn't quite act human just yet, and so Ruth had stayed home to keep her company.
It had gotten dark about half an hour ago, and so as Rias and her group had escorted the two Exorcists to the church they were staying at, Akeno's group had headed home.
They had just rounded the corner when they spotted the wavy-haired blonde leaning up against her fancy yellow sports car, parked in front of the dorm.
The girls in his group hung back a bit in hesitant curiosity as the blonde waved, while Yuuji kept walking, secretly hoping that the problem would go away if he avoided eye contact.
"Hi hi Yuuji-kun~."
His efforts were wasted.
"Oh hello JB, I didn't see you there."
"At least try to sound surprised."
"I'll work harder."
JB stared at him in silence.
Yuuji stared back in silence.
The girls fidgeted in the background, also in silence.
"So, Yuuji-kun, when were you going to tell your legal guardian that you'd moved?"
"When I moved?"
"Oh, well I seem to recall you lived in a single bedroom flat. Especially since I seem to recall being the one to sign the papers. So where, pray tell, is your house?"
JB's voice was pleasant, and for reasons they couldn't quite explain, that was making the girls very, very nervous.
"I haven't checked the basement."
"The basement."
"Yeah, you know I don't own a lot, so no need to go into storage."
JB put a hand on her face and sighed into it.
"Of course there's underground storage. Next you're going to tell me there's an underground pool."
"..."
"Yuuji…"
The girls in the background felt the sudden urge to become a more distant part of the background.
"I wasn't planning to?"
"..."
"..."
"Yuuji."
"Yes, JB?"
"Explain."
A command, not a request.
As the dorm supervisor, Kalawarner was just beginning to determine how she'd play this off to an unexpected relative (?) when salvation came calling.
"Pardon the intrusion, but perhaps I could shed light on the situation?"
Yuuji may have been stalling for Rias.
He could neither confirm nor deny.
JB turned to face the source of the voice, still smiling pleasantly.
Out of her line of sight, Yuuji's companions sagged in relief.
" I don't mind, Miss….?"
"Rias Gremory, pleased to make your acquaintance. Judging by the conversation, might you be Harudera-san?"
Rias gave a polite bow, a welcoming smile on her face.
Yuuji grinned internally at having foisted one boss of on another.
"That would be me! You wouldn't happen to be the same Gremory as the family funding Yuuji's school, would you?"
JB's voice was syrupy sweet.
Rias offered a pleased nod.
"Indeed, that would be me. Yuuji is my junior, and I'm pleased to be able to call him a friend. I'm also the president of the extracurricular club he's joined, the Occult Research Club."
"Friends, extracurricular? Yuuji, how come I don't know any of this!?"
JB whirled on Yuuji, genuine surprise on her face mixing with irritation.
"You never asked?"
"I ASK FOR UPDATES ALL THE TIME!"
She bit back a groan when Yuuji tilted his head in puzzlement.
"Are… these the sort of things I'm supposed to update you on?"
Yuuji's monotone carried with it just a trace of hesitation, as if he realized he might have done something wrong but wasn't sure what.
This time, JB didn't try to keep in the groan, and several female voices echoed it.
"Has… Yuuji always been this... shy, Harudera-san?"
Rias slowly posed the question.
"You mean dense to a worrying degree? Yes, yes he has."
"Oy."
Rias gave a sigh that made it sound like she was talking more about a mischievous child than an underclassman, artfully ignoring Yuuji's glare.
Her eyes held a suspicious little twinkle as Rias began to offer an explanation.
"I was afraid that might be case, so that makes explanations easier. You see, Harudera-san, I try my best to cultivate genuine friendships between members of my club, both within and without school. I'm not sure if that's the norm or not, but it's the only way I know how to run things. It's not precisely open knowledge, but several of our members are actually my adopted siblings."
Rias paused for a moment and squirmed a bit, ducking her head bashfully.
Yuuji was interested to note that she wasn't actually putting on a performance for JB's benefit, even if she wasn't exactly sharing everything.
Rias' voice dropped slightly in volume as she continued, twiddling her fingers together.
"So, well… I found out Yuuji was living on his own, and he seemed slow to make friends and I was worried about him spending all his time alone… and well we had a few newcomers looking for a place to stay, including our new teacher and... a-and I've always wanted to live in a dormitory and so…"
Rias' sentences were starting to run on a little bit.
"So you had an entire dormitory built?"
JB's tone was wavering between skepticism and wonder, but her smile this time was genuine as Rias nodded, still a little red in the cheeks.
Unbeknownst to her, several of her family were smiling fondly at their King.
"My family is quite… well-off and many of the houses in this neighborhood were soon to be vacant or getting old… and well, Yuuji seemed like he'd be hesitant to move so…"
"You had it done without telling him?"
A sheepish nod.
"Good, he never would have gone for it."
"I apologize, I know it was out-of-line... sorry, say that again?"
"Yep, Yuuji doesn't let anyone look after him so you have to bully him a bit."
JB turned her head to grin slyly at him.
Rias let the tension slip from her shoulders with an explosive sigh before giggling.
"Indeed, I may have noticed that little fact as well."
"I bet you did. And I bet his girlfriend did too?"
Akeno let out a surprised little squeak and stiffened like a board.
"Wait, you have a girlfriend and you didn't tell me!?"
JB jerked back from Yuuji in genuine shock.
"Why the hell would you say that if you didn't know, woman!?"
"It was just a guess! You're surrounded by women! Again!"
"Wait, again!?"
Akeno had found her voice, and, it seemed, an echo.
JB let out a sound that was halfway between a sigh and a frustrated scream.
Then she stiffened, and turned slowly towards Yuuji.
"Yuuji."
"Yes, JB?"
"Have you two…?"
"About as much as normal, yes."
JB's went pale as a sheet and, before anyone knew what she was doing, she was next to Akeno, checking her over frantically while the poor girl went rigid.
"He did WHAT !? Oh my god, are you okay!?"
"Oy."
Yuuji was glaring again.
Bewildered and more than a little frightened, Akeno could only nod.
JB stopped dead, stared searchingly into Akeno's eyes for a moment before turning to Yuuji with a profoundly, deeply skeptical gaze.
"Are you sure?"
"How would I not be sure, idiot?"
JB slowly turned her head towards Akeno, looking her slowly up and down before turning back to him.
"Huh, I guess you have mellowed out."
"Mellowed… out?"
Akeno hesitantly reclaimed her voice.
JB was nodding her head knowingly as she turned back to the raven-haired girl.
"Mhm, mhm, the first time we did it, we went at it so long I thought I was going to die. He really didn't hold back at all."
"You were being annoying, and Asako told me not to hold back on you. I didn't realize you were such a big baby when it came to sex- Akeno, no."
Akeno turned her head away a bit too quickly for his taste, but he still caught the twinkle in her eyes and the excited flush in her cheeks.
So did JB, it seemed, from the resigned tone she used.
"It was my first… you're dating a masochist, aren't you?"
Akeno made a pleased noise at what sounded suspiciously like an accusation.
Then her head whipped back to Yuuji as she processed all of what had been said.
"Yep. Hey wait, should we really be having this conversation around…"
Koneko couldn't hear the conversation, because an awkward looking Kiba had his hands over her ears, and she couldn't see him, because she had her hands over her eyes.
Behind him, a confused looking Asia had Kalawarner's hands over her ears and Raynare's hand in front of her eyes.
Both the Fallen Angels, and Rias, were blushing heavily.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me, Yuuji!?"
JB's eyes were beginning to look a little wild, and Yuuji was wondering when Rias would notice the subtle hypnosis she had been using wasn't working in the slightest.
"I have a dog."
JB stopped short, and there was a glimmer of sadness in her eyes before she offered a tired smile.
"A dog, eh? That's good. I'm sure you're taking good care of it."
Before things could get any more awkward, Yuuji suddenly decided to rip the band-aid off and get it out of the way.
Before anyone could realize his intentions, Yuuji unfurled his wings.
"I'm also a Devil."
JB reacted much in the manner Yuuji predicted.
So when she blinked rapidly several times and showed the whites of her eyes, Yuuji caught her well before she could hit the ground.
As Yuuji shifted to scoop her up in a princess carry, he noticed that for some reason, he was the center of attention again.
"What?"
"What were you thinking!?"
Rias and Yuuji were the only ones outside, having stepped back out, and further down the road, after Yuuji carried JB to one of the common room couches.
Yuuji gave a long, heavy sigh.
"It wasn't working, Rias."
"What do you mean, what wasn't working?"
"The hypnosis. JB could tell something was off and she was getting more and more antsy. She would have pressed for some real answers the second we were alone, so I took the initiative."
Yuuji gave a small frown.
"How was the… isn't she a normal human?"
"As far as I know? Doesn't hypnosis not work on the strong-willed?"
"There's a limit to how strong-willed you can be. That would make her practically super-human."
"I could believe that. It probably didn't help you were trying to be subtle, I bet something more blatant would have worked."
"I was trying to be considerate."
"And I appreciate that. But more importantly, I don't like hiding things from her. Before all this Devil nonsense happened, she was all I had left."
Rias stared searchingly at him for a moment, before relaxing with a smile and a sigh.
"I understand, Yuuji but, some warning would be nice? There are supposed to be rules about this sort of thing, suddenly revealing the supernatural like that can become quite the serious problem… but if you trust her as much as I think you do, I doubt it will become an issue."
Rias went silent for a moment, and Yuuji mirrored her, realizing she had more to say.
"But… why now?"
"You know why, Rias. This isn't some Stray Devil, and there's not going to be a Rating Game. If ten wings is any indication, Kokabiel isn't someone we'll walk away from unscathed. I just… I can't just disappear on her, Rias. She needs to know, if the worst happens."
Yuuji had let his eyes drift as he spoke, but when he brought his gaze back to the crimson-haired girl, he found Rias staring at the ground with shaking shoulders, arms wrapped tightly around herself as if warding off an unseen chill.
"... Rias?"
She flinched when she heard her name, head shooting up to find Yuuji's blank expression tinged with just a hint of concern.
She dropped her head once again, bangs covering her face as if to hide from Yuuji's gaze.
"I… I-I'm scared, Yuuji. Scared that we're in over our heads, scared we can't handle this, scared I'm going to lose all of you, scared that-"
Scared that I'm going to be left all alone.
A pair of strong arms pulled her in, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist as the other hand reached up to rest gently on the back of her head, rubbing it gently.
The trembling girl lifted up her hands to grip fistfuls of his shirt.
"I know. This isn't going to be easy but… maybe it's time to ask your brother for help?"
The grip on his shirt tightened in response.
"I can't. It's… It's not that I don't want to, but… he has to be a Satan first. At this point, it's just a rumor that Kokabiel is in Kuoh, and he can't mobilize any proper response without risking the attentions of the other Factions. If we can't offer anything concrete, his hands are tied."
"Even with Kiba…?"
Rias gave a bitter, shaky laugh.
"The word of one Low-class, Reincarnated Devil? It might be more than enough for Onii-san, Yuuji, but there are still Pillar Families that think people like you, and Yuuto, are little more than expensive pets. It's considered 'improper' to say it in polite company, but the most consistent way for a Reincarnated Devil to be recognized is to be amusing."
"We're… well damn. We're lucky to have you, aren't we?"
The girl in his arms froze, so Yuuji pulled her in closer.
"Rias, we're going to make it through this. We're going to live, and we're going to keep living together and keep going to school together. I'm going to keep troubling you, and you're going to keep scolding me. There is no what-if, there is no 'but maybe', we're going to make it through."
Rias was silent, but the trembling seemed to have died down.
"Why…"
"Why what, Rias?"
Her grip tightened further still.
"Why does this keep happening!? I'm your King, I'm supposed to be the one comforting you, I'm supposed to be the one you can rely on. Why am I so… why are you so strong?"
Yuuji let his gaze drift upwards, towards an empty sky, that, somewhere along the way, had dyed itself a lifeless, dreary grey.
"I've never thought of myself as strong."
"But you are. You're strong, so strong that you don't need a weak, naive little girl to-"
Rias was cut off as she was pushed roughly to arms length, and any words died in her throat as black eyes pierced her with a glare of pure fury.
"You're an idiot."
His tone carried a weight of finality to it.
Rias flinched as if slapped, and her mouth opened to-
"You really have no idea how much we need you, do you?"
Her lips closed with meek little whimper.
Wide, shimmering blue eyes stared into his dull black.
She let out a tiny squeak as Yuuji's arms pulled her back in, pulling her head down just enough to rest against his chest.
"Rias, more than anything, we, I, need something to return to. You gave us, gave me, a home, and it seems you're forgetting how much that means. Ever since I was reborn as your servant, I've always been relying on you."
Rias' hands had found her way to his back once more, grip almost crushingly, desperately tight.
The two teens remained silent for a long while as the wind began to softly blow.
"Okay, Yuuji… thank you."
Her voice was soft, but this time carried a warmth to it that had been absent before.
With a soft exhale, Rias relaxed in his arms, pressing more closely against him.
"Any time, Rias."
"Can… can we stay like this a little longer?"
"If that's what you want. Seems JB is still passed out."
"Yeah, this enough."
"No, I don't think it is."
"Well… actually…"
"After we're done with all this mess, I think you deserve a little reward."
"W-well, now that you mention it…"
"Which is why when things quiet down, Yuuji-kun should take you out on a date."
"Yeah, that sounds good- WAIT WHAT!?"
Rias jerked away from Yuuji's chest, eyes wide and face flushed when she realized that he had stopped talking a little while ago.
Yuuji seemed puzzled, and a pair of soft hands had found their way to his shoulders.
Leaning out from behind him, grinning widely with bright violet eyes, was the source of the voice.
"A-Akeno!? How long have you- when did you-!?"
"Ufufu, you two were too wrapped up in your little world to notice, pretty rare for me to sneak up on Yuuji-kun like that."
Hands still on his shoulders, Akeno twisted Yuuji's body towards her so she could smile mischievously up at him.
Yuuji raised a skeptical eyebrow and spoke what was on his mind.
"I think I just got dumped."
Predictably, Akeno panicked, hopping back as if burnt and waving her hands around wildly in front of her as if to fend off his words.
"N-no! I just- you know, I…!"
"Spit it out."
Akeno stopped dead and looked at him sheepishly, as if bracing herself.
"We've had a stressful couple of months, and as Buchou, Rias has borne the brunt of a lot of it. So I thought that maybe it would help ease her burden a bit if she had something to look forward to? I mean, she's pretty and smart and kind and I totally understand if you're interested. And I really don't mind as long I'm still first and well it's kind of… normal?"
Yuuji tilted his head.
"Normal to date other people when you're in a relationship, or normal to be attracted to Rias?"
"The first... both. It's definitely both."
Akeno nodded along firmly as Rias flushed and ducked her head.
"So you're trying to tell me its a normal thing for Devils to be with multiple people, and you're putting forth Rias as a candidate?"
"... Yes?"
Akeno suggested hesitantly, while Rias tried not to look hopeful.
"I see."
"Do you… not want to?"
Rias asked in a low voice, shyly peeking out from behind her bangs at him.
"I'm surprised more than anything. Is this an Akeno thing or were you in on this to start with?"
"... Both?"
Yuuji nodded his head, looking like everything had fallen into place as the girls watched him nervously.
"Akeno."
The girl jumped a bit as he spoke.
"Y-yes?"
"If you wanted a threesome with Rias, you should have just led with that."
When he received only incoherent stammering in response, Yuuji decided to be a gentleman, and give his furiously blushing seniors a little privacy.
The girls were still reeling and frantically looking anywhere but at him or each other when he reached the door and called back.
"If you're sure, then I don't mind, by the way."
Both girls snapped their heads towards him with a mixture of shy excitement and embarrassed mortification, so Yuuji turned his head towards them with a teasing smirk.
"On both counts."
JB awoke with a groan to find the little blonde hovering over her with a face full of concern and a cool cloth on her forehead, just as Yuuji walked into the common room to join the others.
Sitting up with one hand on the cloth, she offered the blonde a grateful smile and a nod, before handing it back.
"Thanks, I'm okay now-"
And noticed Yuuji, in the center of the room.
JB screamed and leapt off the couch, a surprised Asia falling on her butt with a squeak.
Eyes wild, JB pressed her back up into the corner, up against the wall.
Asia slowly made her way to the couch where the two Fallen Angels sat.
"Oh good, you're awake."
"THAT'S THE FIRST THING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!?"
Yuuji put a hand to his chin thoughtfully before he replied.
"Sorry for startling you?"
"That's- uggh… should have known better."
JB sagged against the wall with an aura of deep-seated exhaustion as Yuuji nodded his agreement.
As the rest of the room watched in tense silence, Yuuji patiently waited for JB to gather her thoughts.
Though he didn't turn to look, Yuuji listened as Akeno and Rias re-entered the building, quietly, slowly taking their places on the couches behind him.
"How… how long, Yuuji?"
Several people cringed at how exhausted the woman's voice sounded.
"Since the first week."
JB flinched.
"How…?"
"Kuoh is active in ways we couldn't have known. I had something another faction wanted, and I died."
JB jerked back with a strangled noise, eyes wide, legs shaking as she slid slowly down the wall, dropping to sit heavily on the floor.
"Rias saved me, but she had to reincarnate me as her servant Devil to do so. I've been working with her and the others ever since."
Yuuji continued on, as if unaware of her distress, still in that low, matter-of-fact tone.
... Nobody missed how stiff he was.
Tears beginning to well up in her eyes, JB snapped her eyes towards Rias.
"Thank you… thank you so much."
Rias flinched as if slapped.
"Don't thank me. Please… don't thank me. It's all my fault, I'm supposed to protect this city and I failed and I'm so, so sorry."
Tears had begun to stream down the shaking redheads face, and a glistening-eyed Akeno drew her arms around her and pulled her in close.
"I don't care."
At JB's flat response, Rias flinched once again and went pale.
"He's alive, and that's what matters. That's all that matters. Thank you so much, Rias Gremory."
Akeno pulled Rias tighter against her, her King's sobs muffled as she buried her face in Akeno's chest.
JB slowly turned her head to regard the other one who had reacted the most strongly, and Raynare cringed away from her gaze with her eyes tightly shut and her shaking hands pressed hard against her knees.
Kalawarner wrapped her arms around the smaller girls shoulders, regarding JB with a mixture of wariness and guilt.
After a moment, JB let out a trembling sigh and lifted her head to Yuuji with one eyebrow raised.
"Just business?"
Her voice had just the slightest tremor.
"Nothing personal."
Yuuji gave a firm nod.
JB returned a weak little chuckle.
"And let me guess, you still being here means they were disavowed? Are they Devils like you?"
The two Fallen sank lower against each other, Raynare having opened her bleary eyes just enough to nervously peer towards JB.
"You got it. And no, they have feathers. Fallen Angels."
Face tear-streaked and eyes red and puffy, JB looked to the pair of Fallen, looked to Yuuji, then back to the Fallen.
"Of course there's Fallen Angels, which means there's normal Angels-"
JB stopped dead, and dropped her face into her hands.
When her eyes slowly lifted once more to Yuuji, everyone jumped a little as JB abruptly burst into laughter.
"L-let me guess, after the fight you spouted some pompous sounding line and then decided to take them in? Is this- ahaha- the real reason you needed a bigger house?"
Yuuji let out a dry chuckle of his own, the other occupants of the room only able to look on in confusion.
"Rias really did want to live in a dorm, though."
"Ahaha- I bet she did! Okay, okay, if you're satisfied with that then … hahaha…"
The laughing woman wiped away a tear.
"Then tell me, Yuuji-kun~."
Her laughter abruptly gave way to a sickly sweet tone.
"Why now?"
The room froze as Yuuji slowly closed his eyes.
Tense seconds ticked by before Yuuji let out a soft exhale and spoke.
"It's bad, JB. Someone is gathering Holy Swords in Kuoh, and I'm not sure how we're going to win. I'll make sure everyone here survives, but that's probably going to take everything I've got."
"Can't you just leave…?"
Yuuji shook his head.
"And I… I can't help at all, can I? It's not a human, is it?"
JB's response slipped out in little more than a whisper.
"It's a Cadre. A Fallen Angel with 10 wings, Kokabiel."
Yuuji still had his eyes closed, so he didn't see JB until she crashed into him, pressing tightly into him and grabbing fistfuls of his shirt as her head slammed against his chest.
"DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT DAMMIT WHY!? WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING!? I promised her, I promised her I'd keep you safe! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AND WHY CAN'T I DO A DAMN THING ABOUT IT!? FUCK!"
Each curse was compounded with a fist pounding against his chest.
Soon, the words she screamed against his chest gave way to an inarticulate wail of despair, so Yuuji pulled her in tightly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Koneko stagger over to Kiba, curling up in his lap in a trembling, sniffling ball.
Kiba watched him in silence with sad eyes and grit teeth.
"Julia."
The screams faltered.
She pushed him to arm's length with wild eyes, frantically scanning his face for something only she could know.
Yuuji offered a simple, warm smile.
"I have a home again."
Everyone watched JB recoil.
Without warning her legs gave a violent quiver, and when everyone thought she would faint once more, Yuuji had caught her and drawn her back into his embrace.
… Barring the occasional sniffle, the room was silent for a long while.
When JB finally spoke, everyone leaned in closer to catch what was little more than a whisper.
"Okay… if you'll say that much then… I guess I'm w-worrying too much."
There was an air of desperation about her as the woman lifted her tear-stained eyes to meet Yuuji's.
"J-just please, don't be a hero... home doesn't mean anything if you don't return to it."
"Yeah… I think I'm starting to learn that. It's strange… I'm really excited to introduce you to everyone…?"
Yuuji's tone was laced with confusion, as if he was learning the meaning to the words as he spoke them.
JB relaxed against him, and the urgency seemed to flee from her embrace, along with the tension from the room.
"I think we should wait on that, Yuuji-kun. After all, we've got plenty of time, don't we? It would be really nice to sit around the dinner table with all your new family. If… you'll save me a seat?"
She tilted her head back to look at him, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, her gaze carried just the faintest hint of hope.
Far be it from him to deny that.
"Always, Julia, always."
They were still a little shaky, but slowly, hesitantly, smiles began to blossom around the room.
For the first time since the dorm had been built, Yuuji was alone in his bed.
After JB had left, everyone had sat quietly for a while before Rias had taken a deep breath, and sent them off to bed early with a smile.
Akeno had looked incredibly conflicted once the group of them (sans Asia and the Fallen Angels) had reached the second story landing, worryingly looking between him and Rias.
Yuuji had given her a nod and a small smile, jerking his head in the direction of their King.
Thus, Akeno, Rias, and Koneko had all gone in the exact same direction, and only one door could be heard closing.
That left Yuuji and Kiba to head to the top floor, and when they had reached the top of the staircase, they'd turned their heads briefly towards each other.
"Good?"
"Good."
And with that, they had gone their separate ways, leaving Yuuji in his current predicament.
His bed really was too big.
There was no way he was going to manage to fall asleep like-
The pale sliver of the moon had hidden itself behind the clouds.
But just as the great halls of Heaven, the city was never truly dark.
And just like the pale ruin that Heaven now was, the city far below was a wretched, pathetic place.
But then again, the city had been that way all along.
Had Heaven?
Well, Kokabiel couldn't quite remember.
But he was sure that Heaven didn't have anything quite like her.
"Ah, the Strays always seem to find their way to the alleys and the sewers. Tell me, cat, did the White One send you, or did you just happen to spy a mouse?"
Kokabiel casually tilted his head up and back, a single red orb casually regarding the figure above.
Reclining on the rooftop above him was a svelte, feminine shape, a silhouette with beast-like ears and two long, slender tails, weaving restlessly behind her.
The moonlight just beginning to re-emerge illuminated a pair of crossed, white, and shapely legs, peeking out from a short, loose, but elegant black kimono.
And lit a fire in golden, smiling eyes.
"Hmm, I wonder why so many crows are cluttering up the skyline? You might make the bats nervous, nyaa~."
"Nervous? Well I suppose nervousness is an understandable response, but I'm hoping for just a little more."
A rich, indulgent chuckle filled the air, and a playful titter echoed in response.
"Nyaa, Crow-san must have something exciting planned if he's here in person~."
"Oh, indeed he does."
"Nyaa, well, I'll leave you to it, but before I go, mind letting a pretty girl on in the joke?"
"Oh, I suppose I can indulge you just this once."
"Too kind~."
"Things have been quiet, too quiet. The bats are complacent, the crows are complacent, and the doves are complacent as well."
As he spoke, Kokabiel made sweeping gestures of his arm, raising his voice as if the city below was his audience.
His eyes never left hers, however, and judged with eager anticipation.
It wasn't often he had the chance to share his dreams to a willing audience. Her appropriately widening eyes brought a pleased grin to his face.
"Let's see them stay asleep... when one of their precious little roosts is on fire."
Silence reigned.
Tilting his head up just a little more, the Cadre could hardly contain his eagerness when the sky above was swallowed by an ominous shadow, centered around twin slits of furious gold.
Naked, reckless malice stained the air.
... Perhaps, he wouldn't be so dreadfully bored after all.
"I asked the wrong question, Kokabiel."
The teasing whispers vanished in favor of a vicious, throaty hiss.
"Tell me, crrrow… what the hell are you planning with my sister!?"
Cliff-hangers for everyone! It really was a good place to end off though.
By now, our golden-eyed observer should be easily apparent, so mostly I'm just teasing you guys by not actually dropping a name. If you didn't figure it out well…
The next chapter will be your friend. Probably.
This one took some work, I wasn't expecting to amp up the emotional tension that far by introducing JB to the cast. These feels are too heavy sometimes. This is a set-up chapter, so lots of things needed to be introduced, and I wrestled a bit with which things needed to be introduced now.
I had an inappropriate amount of fun introducing Xenovia and Irina to the story, and for those concerned, no, I'm not bashing them, I like them both. That's just not any reason to play nice with them in a story like this. And yes, Kiba really was that much better than Xenovia, she's going to have a lot more work to do than in canon. Still, I'll encourage you to share your thoughts on them.
If you're wondering why Rias was decidedly less friendly than in canon, Kiba came out of his run-in with the Holy Sword in a significantly worse state. She wasn't joking when she considered pre-emptive murder in the previous chapter. Someone though holding down the Berserk Button would be a good idea.
Oh wait, that was me.
Next chapter should be out in a more normal time frame, but I ended up writing a second story so I'm still figuring out how to juggle them a bit. Pawn will remain the priority, however.