Here's our next chapter, delivered in a more timely fashion, just as I'd hoped.
Enjoy.
Also, the fact that guest reviews can't be responded to directly is messing with my policy of responding to reviews directly. But, you know, thanks for reviewing.
As an aside, I was pretty confident that I could break the 200 mark for followers by chapter 9 or 10, but well… You can see for yourself.
Thanks a lot to everyone who enjoyed this enough to stick around.
It would have been completely understandable if the morning after JB's visit was tense and awkward, as no-one had really expected things to get that emotional.
Yuuji was used to JB's uncanny ability to time her visits at the most awkward times, so he probably should have known better.
Still, when he had gotten out of bed the previous morning, dumping his issues on everyone hadn't exactly been part of the game plan.
He'd apologize, of course, but he wasn't exactly looking forward to it.
Apologies tended to fall flat when your normal tone sounds bored and unenthusiastic.
Yuuji had almost made it to the bottom of the staircase when he began to hear the soft humming, and the telltale sizzle of early morning cooking.
Quietly, he stepped off the staircase and rounded the corner, silently padding over to the open doorway of the communal kitchen.
The enticing aroma of sizzling bacon greeted him as he slowly reached one hand up and knocked on the wood of the entryway, not wanting to startle the cook.
Crimson hair flowed through the air in a warm cascade as radiant blue eyes turned his way, and Yuuji felt the corners of his lips tug upwards as those eyes lit up with recognition.
The girl he had pledged his life to offered him a tender, welcoming smile.
"Good morning, Yuuji, I hope you slept well?"
Even as she offered her greetings, Rias' hands never stopped moving, Yuuji doubly impressed that her work didn't seem to rely on something as trivial as sight.
"Surprisingly so, how about you, Rias?"
Yuuji returned her greeting with a slight nod.
"I haven't had cuddle time with both Akeno and Koneko in a while, I slept like a baby. They're still snuggled up together. They were way too cute for me to want to interrupt, so I let them be."
Rias had an adoring smile on her face as she spoke, one hand to her cheek.
Turning back to the skillet in front of her, the crimson-haired King angled her body so that Yuuji wasn't quite out of sight.
"We don't have school today anyways, so I thought it would be a perfect chance for me to spoil everyone."
"Yeah, I thought you were cooking for an army, but then I remembered Koneko lives here."
Rias conceded the point with a small, tinkling little laugh.
"Breakfast will be ready soon, though I'm planning keep it warm so everyone can join in at their own pace. A nice, relaxed breakfast should be just what everyone needs."
"I imagine I'll be saying this a lot, but… we really are lucky to have you, Rias."
The girls smile widened at the praise, but when she turned back to him, her gaze was carefully scrutinizing, and held just the faintest trace of concern.
"Are you really okay, Yuuji?"
The soft question left her Pawn standing in silence for a moment, leaning slightly against the entryway.
Yuuji let out a soft sigh before replying.
"I'm okay. Telling JB the truth was never going to be easy… though, I am sorry for dragging everyone into it like that. I wasn't thinking."
Yuuji had a small frown on his face as he spoke, staring absentmindedly at the wall.
Not replying, Rias carefully removed her apron before approaching Yuuji and wrapping her arms around him.
Hesitantly, Yuuji returned the hug, a bit confused by the gesture.
There was something faintly comforting about it, though, so he decided to enjoy it for what it was.
"Don't think like that, please. We're family, so don't feel like you're burdening us by letting us in. I want you to trust us, I want you to trust me."
Rias pushed herself to arms length, meeting dull black eyes with a firm, but warm stare.
"We'll have our joys, we'll have our sorrows, but we don't have to have them alone."
Rias watched him hopefully, patiently awaiting Yuuji's reply as he mulled over her words.
After a few moments, Yuuji found his voice again.
"Do you smell something burning?"
Yuuji raised one eyebrow and sniffed the air.
Rias let out a panicked little noise and whipped back to her cooking food, finding that…
Everything was just perfect.
Her sigh of relief was cut short when she figured out exactly what he-
A warm, dry chuckle drifted out behind and passed her.
Still chuckling, her smirking Pawn made his way into the kitchen, pulling out plates with which to set the table.
Belatedly realizing that her jaw was hanging open, Rias closed her mouth with a soft clack, and scowled at Yuuji.
Not fooled at all, Yuuji winked at her.
"And we were having a moment, too."
She mock pouted.
"We were, weren't we? My mistake, Buchou."
Rias' sigh managed to sound warm and exasperated at the same time.
"Well, I suppose we'll have more, so I can forgive you, just this once."
"That so? Thanks."
Rias beamed at Yuuji's words, but remained silent, sensing he wasn't quite done.
"... Yeah, thanks for everything, Rias."
The rest of breakfast preparations were completed in comfortable silence.
Rias had been in the mood for Western style food, so there were stacks of still sizzling bacon, farmer sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and freshly sliced melon
. Completing the meal were several tall stacks of pancakes, that had mysteriously found themselves shaped into cute little kitties.
There was freshly whipped cream and blueberries to go with those.
Battle was the only thing treated with greater urgency than meal times, in the Gremory household.
Not long after Yuuji and Rias had sat down to eat, Kiba came down the staircase with a cheerful smile, dressed, and showered, looking like he was ready to leave on a date.
This was Kiba's normal appearance on a weekend, however, so nobody paid any mind beyond the usual greetings.
Yuuji slipped in a short apology about the events of yesterday, but Kiba waved it away, not bothered in the least.
Of course, while the members of the Gremory household should have been going to school for the half-day, Rias had negotiated to with Sona to get them excused.
Just this once.
He had just joined Rias and Yuuji at the table, and finished serving himself a plate of eggs, bacon and fruit, when the door to the dorm supervisor's room swept open.
A procession of bodies came out one by one, in various states of wakefulness.
First was a cutely shuffling Asia who's sleepy eyes drooped, steered along by a yawning Raynare, neither of whom had made it out of their pajamas just yet.
With a cheerful, squishing march, Suu wandered out of the room next.
Humming a watery, nonsensical tune, Suu's naked, transparent body jiggled and rippled as she followed along.
A second later, a casually dressed and flustered Kalawarner bustled out of the room, catching Suu and helping her into her yellow rain jacket, necessary for the little Slime to sit on her chair rather than through it.
Kalawarner, being a teacher was the only one who would be attending school, but the group she'd be assigned to was to meet her at school once lessons ended for the day.
With a smile that only grew as she caught sight of the full breakfast table, Akeno came down the stairs with a tiny, white haired figure draped over her back.
Winking at Yuuji from across the table, Akeno put the mostly asleep Rook down in an empty seat, sat down beside her, and calmly served the younger girl up a very, very fully plate.
Like the world's most adorable zombie, Koneko started to stir sluggishly in her seat, blinking tired eyes and sniffing the air.
Akeno had just lifted a fork, with a square of pancake speared on the end, when Koneko exploded into motion.
There was a snapping noise like the jaws of a bear trap, and suddenly a blissfully chewing, joyfully smiling Koneko was sitting up perfectly straight in her seat.
At some point during this, Ruth had found his way to a seat beside Suu, in his human form so as to enjoy the benefits of having hands.
A giggling Akeno offered the little Rook the knife and fork, which Koneko accepted graciously.
In the end, breakfast was a noisy, chaotic affair.
They wouldn't have it any other way.
Today, Akeno, Yuuji and Koneko would be working with the Exorcist duo, while Rias took Kiba, Asia, and the Fallen Angels to search for any sign of Kokabiel and the Holy Swords.
It was only the second day since the Exorcists had arrived, but as today was a Saturday, Rias wanted them to spend as much time searching as possible.
While her and Akeno were in frequent contact through their phone's messaging, the plan was to have everyone meet for lunch, go over any hints they would hopefully find, and plan their search for the rest of the day.
Plans have a tendency to fall apart, and thus, Akeno, Yuuji, and Koneko were sitting in a diner, because they'd found the Exorcist duo on a street corner, seeking alms.
Apparently, most (absolutely all) of their budget had fallen victim to Irina, and a painting of 'Saint Peter'.
With some effort, Yuuji had refrained from asking if Saint Peter had a nose in real life.
No one quite knew how to react when Yuuji had casually offered to take the poorly made counterfeit off their hands, claiming 'he knew a guy' who could make use of it.
The very hungry Exorcists had been understandably grateful when Akeno offered to feed them, and understandably conflicted about taking charity from a Devil.
With a smile as mischievous as it was indulgent, Akeno had assured the two slightly younger girls that she would keep her wings hidden, and promised not to tell the Church if they didn't.
Any other moral dilemmas were cut off when the plates arrived for Irina, Xenovia and Koneko.
Yuuji just had coffee, and Akeno was sipping delicately on a cup of green tea.
Koneko had eaten more at breakfast than anyone with the possible exception of Suu, who dissolved her food so it was hard to tell, but she hadn't had dessert, and had thus had ordered a monstrously sized parfait.
As a girl, she had a second stomach for sweets, and Yuuji felt a little left out to be the only one not nodding along in agreement.
After the meal, Akeno had paid for the food and the drinks, waving off Yuuji's offer to take the bill.
Akeno was quite popular, in terms of requests and contracts, and, as Rias Gremory's oldest servant, was also quite well-off, even before you factored in that Gremory servants were actually paid, and being basically family, Akeno also had an allowance.
Yuuji was a bit surprised to find out that he was getting the same thing, all of Rias' servants were.
Even Raynare and Kalawarner were being provided for off the record by Rias, from her own pocket, though Kalawarner already had her salary as a teacher.
When questioned, Akeno had teasingly pointed out that not only did he never ask, but Rias would be genuinely surprised to know that he wasn't aware of something so obvious (to Rias anyways), that it didn't bear mentioning in the first place.
The common sense of the absurdly wealthy, he supposed.
Then again, Yuuji's 'part-time job' paid him well enough that money had never been an issue in the first place.
Such thoughts still occupied his mind as they left the diner and headed off, turning down a quiet residential street to-
An all-too familiar, coppery scent snapped him out of his musings, and Yuuji stopped in his tracks, senses straining for the source.
He turned his head quickly towards Akeno to see if she'd noticed, only to find her wide-eyed, with arms wrapped around a trembling, pale Koneko, whispering soothing words in her ears even as her eyes scanned the streets.
The Exorcists, Xenovia with her wrapped Holy Sword in hand and Irina with one hand on the ribbon wrapped around her arm, were shooting glances between the Devils and their surroundings, puzzled but alert.
They only had human senses after all, so it would take longer for them to pick up on-
"Is that… blood?"
Xenovia asked in a hesitant tone.
Before Yuuji could respond, a clattering from the alleyway filled the air, and everyone whirled to find the source of the noise, and the scent, slowly stagger out into view, leaning heavily against the wall.
In better circumstances, Yuuji might have been awfully curious about the woman's drooping, black-furred cat ears, and the twin tails dragging limply on the ground.
Or, perhaps, the fact that the ragged shreds of her elegant black kimono weren't concealing anything they should should.
At the moment, however, he was more focussed on the way her ruined, right arm was so twisted it resembled a cloth being wrung out, and not very well considering all the blood.
Or, that he could still see into the alleyway, by looking into the perfectly cauterized holes in her body, one through her right shoulder, one small one through her left leg, and one in her side, where several organs should be.
One of the woman's golden, cat-like eyes was sealed shut with a mask of dried blood, but the one that wasn't stared blearily past him with a glimmer of recognition.
Completing the grotesque picture, the young, trembling woman had a warm, nostalgic smile on her face.
As if looking at an old friend.
Or, perhaps-
"S-Shirone? That… you? S-stop playing w-with your… friends… school… day… g-get d-dressed…"
Yuuji felt an icy chill run down his spine as a soft whimper drifted out from behind him.
With growing dread, Yuuji slowly turned his head towards the source of the noise, just as the delirious woman ran out of wall to lean against.
She promptly collapsed onto her side with a wet, sickly crunch.
With a plaintive, heart-wrenching scream that would haunt Yuuji for years to come, Toujou Koneko tore herself from Akeno's grasp and rushed forward.
"NEE-SAMA!"
"I should have retired."
"You know, he's in school for less than a week, and not only does he get himself killed without telling me, but he comes back to life as some supernatural creature that shouldn't even exist!?"
"-Yeah, yeah, I know that Yuuji was basically a Devil in personality to begin with, but this is waaayyy too literal!"
"...Heey… are you even listening? You drink way too much, Asako!"
It dimly occurred to JB that she was being unreasonable, coming all this way to visit her oldest friend, only to get drunk during the middle of the day and whine about Yuuji.
But it's not like she had any other friends to get drunk with and complain about her ward to, and Asako was dead so it's not like she could complain.
Or respond, but JB wasn't in a mood to listen anyways.
That her hidden sanctuary from the stressful nature of Yuuji, and the world at large, was a gravestone and an old cabin, would probably look just about as pitiful as JB was currently feeling.
Julia Bardera was also six beers in, however, and considering that both the cabin and the grave were on private property up a small mountain, she felt justified in being as loud as she wanted to be.
"Man, I really screwed things up though."
Loosening the collar of her white shirt, and undoing one or three too many buttons, JB leaned up against the cold stone and stared up into the empty sky.
"He draws trouble like a magnet, but even I couldn't have imagined he'd draw the trouble of an entirely different world when I let him out of sight."
"Should I have moved with him? He wanted to be independent, he didn't need some lonely workaholic weighed down by bad memories hanging over his shoulder. B-but… I leave him alone and this... I'm going to lose him, too...?""
JB clutched a hand to her chest as the clear blue sky began to rain.
"I-I screwed up, I-I can't believe… god, I wish you were still here Asako. It hurts. It hurts so much, why won't it just stop?"
"Why won't it just stop!? Why won't it stop!? Why won't it-!?"
A frantic little white haired girl was on her knees, trying desperately to stem a river of red, with shaking hands.
The source of the river, an older, black haired woman, was sprawled limply on her side.
"Koneko, please! Calm down, we'll get her help! Rias and Asia are on their-!"
Akeno reached her a heartbeat later, and hissed in pain as her outstretched hand was swatted aside.
Biting her lip, the violet-eyed Queen threw both arms around the smaller girl, holding her tightly.
Koneko struggled for a minute and then went slack hanging against the older girls arms.
"Nee-sama Nee-sama Nee-sama please! Please wake up, please don't leave me!"
Koneko lifted her hands up to her face and screamed into them, a weeping Akeno embracing her as best she could.
Yuuji had just put his phone back in his pocket as red light erupted into the quiet street, and a frantic Rias dashing out of the summoning circle.
Panicked azure eyes sweeping over her servants, only to find them unharmed, she let out an audible sigh of relief and sagged.
… Before her hand snapped out to catch Asia, as she made to rush past her.
Shocked, the little blonde whirled on the red-head with eyes full of bewilderment, and more than a little fear.
"Buchou…?"
Gritting her teeth at Asia's words, Rias released her.
With one last nervous look towards Rias, the Bishop darted over to the prone woman's side, falling to her knees with hands already engulfed in a familiar emerald glow.
"Help her, Asia. Don't let her die."
Even as she spoke, Rias widened her stance, and the air around her began to redden as she watched the prone figure with narrowed eyes.
Beside her, Kiba, with sword at the ready, was shifting his gaze back and forth between the woman on the ground and Koneko, with a concerned grimace.
Unsure of what was happening, the two Fallen Angels stood at the ready just behind the duo, while the Exorcists positioned themselves farther down the road, Xenovia watching the street and a nervous Irina watching the Devils.
Slowly, Yuuji made his way over to his tensed up King, eyes never leaving the body on the ground.
"Buchou… what's going on?"
Rias let out a sharp exhale, eyes flickering briefly in his direction.
When she spoke, her words were pained and halting, hissed out through clenched teeth.
"Kuroka. That's Kuroka… an SS-Class Stray Devil… and Koneko's older sister."
White…?
Was that Shirone? No, that couldn't be, Shirone couldn't be here, here wasn't safe-
Ah, the white was gone. She must have just imagined it, Shirone couldn't be here, here wasn't safe.
Gold now, a halo? An Angel…?
Ah, someone must have finally caught her.
It was a good thing Shirone wasn't here.
It wasn't safe here.
It was much too dark, too dark for even her eyes to see.
But Shirone wasn't here.
Shirone was safe… wasn't she?
Asia had managed to stabilize the broken Devil lying on the ground, and shortly after had summoned Suu, with Ruth following through the circle to join them.
Suu had discarded her human-shape, partially engulfing Kuroka in a large, gooey mass that flowed along the ground, back through the portal with Asia and the Fallen in tow.
With the patient safely in motion, Kalawarner had gently scooped up the quivering, unresponsive Koneko to follow along behind.
Rias had sent Kiba along ahead as well, and had addressed the two Exorcists, giving them a vague cover story that they hadn't really believed, but had at least been willing to play along with for now.
The Church duo had then left, opting to continue the search on their own for now.
Pale, Rias had made to return to Akeno and Yuuji, only for Yuuji to subtly shoo her away with a small shake of his head.
Reluctantly conceding, Rias had disappeared in a swirl of red light, flashing her remaining servants concerned looks the whole time.
When they were alone again, Yuuji met Akeno's shaky, tear-stained smile with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm no Asia, but I can at least splint that for you."
Akeno blinked in surprise, unconsciously tucking her hands further behind her back.
Yuuji's raised eyebrow was soon accompanied by a firm scowl.
"Ara ara, w-whatever could Yuuji-kun mean?"
Akeno shifted guilty from one foot to the other, smiling unconvincingly.
"Don't 'ara ara' me, I can smell the ozone, idiot. Stop putting on airs and show me your hand."
As his glare intensified, Akeno slowly brought her hands back in front of her, wincing as her left hand briefly had to release its grip on her right wrist.
The flesh underneath was red and puffy, with an unnatural, almost angular lump on one side.
Akeno's first attempt to reach Koneko had been soundly rebuffed.
In her panic, the mighty little Rook hadn't held back at all, and when she smacked Akeno's hand aside, something in the raven-haired Queen's wrist had snapped.
After releasing Koneko from her awkward embrace, the black-haired Queen had hidden her hands behind her back, using a small current of electricity to numb (and mask) the pain.
Yuuji had been the only one able to hear when the bone gave way, so her attempts to conceal weren't entirely successful.
"Give me a sec."
Before Akeno could protest, Yuuji had slipped off his dark jacket and white collared shirt, leaving him in a dull grey undershirt.
Casually tearing off one sleeve of his shirt, Yuuji jerked his head towards the ground, prompting Akeno to quietly sit on the ground with her legs folded under her, and her wounded limb cradled in her lap.
She let out a soft hiss as he kneeled down beside her and calmly began to probe the wound with his fingers, before he gently grasped her wrist and began to tightly wrap it.
"It's fractured, but everything's lined back up, so you should be able to heal it on your own. Here, slip this on, no one will see it if you don't want them to."
Speaking in a low, calming tone, Yuuji offered Akeno his jacket, helping her slip her arms through the sleeves.
"Thank you, Yuuji."
Akeno offered a warm smile, tugging the jacket snugly around herself.
"No problem. Now, since no one else is here…"
Yuuji opened his arms wide.
Akeno nodded once and leaned forward, resting her head against his chest as Yuuji gently wrapped his arms around her.
Expression blank, Yuuji listened to the quiet, muffled sniffling for a while, occasionally offering a comforting rub of his hand.
Eventually, the sniffling died down, and a more composed Akeno pushed her head away from his chest, smiling up at the dark-eyed boy.
"Better?"
"Better. Wish we had more time to cuddle~."
"Me too, but we should probably head back before anything else crazy happens."
As he spoke, Yuuji rose to his feet, pulling Akeno up alongside him by her uninjured limb.
The two stood hand in hand as Yuuji drew the symbols in the air, the Gremory teleportation circle drawing itself on the ground beneath them in the lifeless grey of Yuuji's power.
Akeno leaned against his shoulder as he worked, content to let Yuuji do the work, even if they both knew she could do it faster.
The circle hummed with readiness, but before it could activate, Yuuji spoke up once more.
"We haven't really been able to talk alone. Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Akeno was silent for a moment, humming softly as she leaned against him.
After a moment, she gave her boyfriends hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Mhm, Rias needs you too. Just… don't forget about me, alright? Please, Yuuji?"
Yuuji leaned his head atop the shorter girl's.
"No chance. Sorry, Akeno-san, but you're stuck with me."
Her only response was to press more closely against him, but that was more than enough of an answer for Yuuji.
A heartbeat later, the street was empty.
Kuroka was currently lying on Asia's bed, and while her wounds had been extensive, they hadn't been nearly as difficult to heal as they'd feared.
As the Bishop did her work, Rias did an examination of her own, examining Kuroka's magical signature to find, that the Stray's mana, her magical energy, was almost completely depleted.
Given that she'd dragged herself an untold distance with broken bones and missing organs, most of it had probably been burned away keeping her body functioning and moving.
Kuroka would survive, but when she awoke, she'd barely have the strength of a normal human her size for the next several days at least.
The shockingly precise, cauterized holes in her body took the most work to fix, identified by Raynare and Kalawarner as the work of a light-wielder of incredible skill.
Given that an Angel was unlikely to take the time to rotate someone's arm past the breaking point, no less than four times, a Fallen Angel was the only logical culprit.
Yuuji had been the one to untwist Kuroka's arm, Asia had nearly passed out from watching, and Koneko, anchored at her sisters bedside, had in fact passed out.
Perhaps for the better.
When they factored in that an SS-Class Stray like Kuroka was easily a match for most High-class Devils, to crawl away from a fight in such a mangled state suggested one obvious, unpleasant explanation.
Kokabiel was in Kuoh.
The fleeting, irrational hope that maybe, just maybe he was acting through proxies, had been cruelly torn away.
Just to make the situation a little bit worse, Rias had been forced to admit that an opponent like Kuroka, under normal circumstances, was likely beyond them at this point.
And if this had been her fate against Kokabiel...
Once upon a time, there were two nekomata, one of white and a black.
Always together, when these two cats lost their parents and their home, they lived side-by-side, relying on only each other.
One day, a Devil offered these cats a new home.
The black one, the older one, eventually joined the Devil's family, and for a while, both cats wanted for nothing.
It didn't last.
Hidden deep within the black cat, it was found, was a great and terrible power, a power that soon burst free with her transformation into a Devil.
The black one went wild, butchering her master, and when a team was sent to bring her in, and make her answer for her crimes, they met the same fate.
She disappeared shortly after, and has been on the run ever since.
But what of the little white cat, the sister she left behind?
Shielded from the wrath of Hell by a Satan's mercy, the little lost cat was offered to another young Devil, the younger sister of that Satan.
That was how the little white cat, the little Shirone, met Rias Gremory.
That was the day the little white cat was given the name Toujou Koneko.
"... Somehow, the fact that Koneko is a cat makes the world seem like a more logical and rational place."
Yuuji had a small smirk on his face as he sat with crossed arms.
The smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Of course that would be the first thing you'd- Kalawarner, forgive me for asking, but why are your eyes glittering?"
Rias had been redirected from scolding Yuuji by the odd sight of Kalawarner looking like a kid at Christmas.
The blue-haired woman jerked out of her daze and went red, staring fixedly at the wall and away from everyone else.
Everyone but Asia, Koneko and the two Familiars were present in the common room, the rest still with Kuroka.
Asia was still healing her, Suu was acting as an extra pair of hands as well as temporary restraints, both for security and medical reasons, and Koneko wouldn't leave her sisters bedside.
Ruth was on guard duty.
Raynare giggled and gave Rias a conspiratorial wink.
"Kala-chan is really weak to cute things, why do you think she's so snuggly with Asia?"
"RAY!"
Kalawarner whipped her head back to the smaller girl at her side with a look of betrayal and an even brighter blush than before.
"Is Kuroka the reason none of us know about Koneko?"
Yuuji interrupted, catching the concerned look that Akeno and Kiba shared.
Rias let out a small sigh, buried sadness peeking through.
"It is. The two sisters aren't just Nekomata, they're Nekoshou, a rare and incredibly powerful subspecies that is nearly extinct. Koneko is so afraid of her heritage since Kuroka went wild, that she hasn't touched her abilities as a Nekoshou at all. She's been hiding her tail and ears from everyone, trying to forget. All of us who lived at the Gremory house are aware of the truth, but none of us have even seen her Nekoshou features in years."
Kiba and Akeno nodded in confirmation, the old worries clearly marked on their faces.
"Well, far be it for me to pry. We have a more immediate worry on our hands."
The room went dead as Yuuji locked his dark, probing gaze onto Rias.
"Buchou, what are we going to do with Kuroka?"
Rias winced, but Yuuji held his tongue, waiting patiently.
After a moment, Rias took a deep breath and spoke.
"As she is, Kuroka is no longer a threat. That will change drastically when her power recovers, but Akeno and I have a way to inhibit that, and give us more time."
"I can assist as well. I'm familiar with the rituals necessary, at least in theory."
Kalawarner interjected, her usual stoic expression returned.
"Thank you. We don't have any proper holding cells here in the dorm, but with time to prepare, we can keep her safely restrained for the immediate future."
"Suu-chan would make for a good back-up plan, ufufu. The little cuties techniques are awfully advanced~."
Akeno's grin was ear-to-ear.
Rias gave an embarrassed cough before continuing.
"Indeed, between our various resources we have ample ability to keep Kuroka, in her weakened state, restrained until a decision is made. I do not wish to subject Koneko to that, regardless of how dangerous Kuroka may be, but-"
"And if you're wrong?"
Yuuji's eyes bored into Rias with a frightful intensity, and Rias found that as much as she might want to, she couldn't look away.
"Y-Yuuji?"
Rias wasn't sure if it was her voice, or someone else's, that had broken the sudden, crushing silence.
"If she's still a threat, if she's as uncontrollable as your story suggests… what will you do, Buchou?"
At some point the room had fallen away, and for Rias, nothing was left but the cold black orbs that pierced through her, leaving her feeling naked and exposed.
"I-if Kuroka is still a threat… I can't choose her over any of you. No matter what Koneko might think, I won't, I can't make that choice. It doesn't matter how weak or injured Kuroka might be."
The black eyes narrowed, impatient.
Under their merciless scrutiny, and the demand they carried, Rias trembled and shook.
Say the words, Rias.
"If it comes down to it, if there is no other choice…"
Rias took a deep, shuddering breath, and stood up straight, the steel in her eyes concealing the wish that such a choice need never be made.
"If need be, I'll kill Kuroka."
The rest of the evening had passed in a tense, uneasy silence, and Kuroka had not awoken.
Koneko hadn't taken well, at first, to the restraints placed on her sister, but the effort to make her agree had been surprisingly little.
No one mentioned anything, but the reason was clear.
Even glued to her side as she was, Koneko was still afraid of Kuroka.
Yuuji had been indifferent to that revelation, because it made perfect sense to him.
Few things were more frightening than an older sister.
He was glad he'd never told his sister that.
They'd kept watch throughout the night, and in the morning, they'd reunited with the Church Exorcists to continue their search.
In the end, only Asia remained behind of the Devils.
Rias had wanted to leave more behind, but Ruth had bluntly told her that she had enough problems already, and that Suu and he were more than enough to handle one comatose feline.
Koneko wanted to stay, of course, but Rias put her foot down, refusing to let her Rook sit around and make herself sick with worry.
Surprisingly, the Exorcists hadn't pushed for an explanation, perhaps believing (and not incorrectly) that due to Koneko's reaction, whatever transpired was a family matter.
Xenovia had flatly asked if there was a problem that they should know about, and when Rias gave a firm no in response, said no more.
She had, however, been grateful when Rias admitted that the attack was strong evidence that something powerful was lurking in Kuoh.
Irina, it seemed, was trying hard not to think about it.
The girl had grown more and more tense, and the members of the ORC were more than a little puzzled to find that they couldn't quite place her reasons for being so.
Even more so that when give the circumstances, her reasons should be painfully obvious.
Thus, the two groups had resumed their search, with a great deal more caution, and even more frequent contact, now that it seemed more likely than ever that Kokabiel was in Kuoh.
It was a weekend, so they had planned to stay out searching well into the night.
Of course, such was the nature of things that while Rias and her companions moved about, others were moving as well.
The sun had just dipped below the horizon when the dorm was attacked.
He supposed the wards weren't badly made, for Devils anyways.
Nothing more than an alarm system, nothing to be alarmed about as long as the Devils were busy elsewhere.
It never occurred to him that just maybe, the wards didn't need to be strong.
But of all things, a dormitory?
These Devils were having too much fun pretending to be students.
Secretly laughing behind the backs of the pitiful human 'classmates' they played around with like dolls.
Disgusting.
They quietly opened the glass front doors, if the Stray was awake by now, she'd be expecting Fallen like them to come from up high, not deign to place their boots on the ground.
So of course, most of them had done just that.
It was that kind of self-assured arrogance that made Devils inferior, and it was that inferiority that would become the noose around her neck, just like it had for so many others of her kind.
Kokabiel had wished it so, and so it would be.
They hadn't even left anyone of 'significance' to guard the Stray, just the healer and her pets.
The healer was an added bonus, Twilight Healing was something even Lord Kokabiel considered to be of some small use.
The first floor of the building was dark, unsurprising that the Devils would shy away from the light like the vermin they were.
His squad had just started to advance out of the entryway when the boy walked down the stairs, blinking in mild surprise at the intruders.
Dressed all in black, the boy had dark, shaggy hair, tan skin, and blood red eyes.
His gaze was more curious and scrutinizing than afraid, and while he obviously wasn't human, he didn't seem to be-
"A Familiar? Just one of the Devils pets, where's your Master, beast?"
His voice was laden with condescension, as he called out imperiously to the thing wearing human shape.
If the 'boy' was offended by the rude treatment, he gave no indication, merely raising one eyebrow and tilting his head.
"Sorry, no one's home. Come back later?"
His voice was soft, calm.
His eyes narrowed at the plaything that thought it could lie to him.
Behind him, the rest of his comrades fanned out, into the dark common room.
"Don't play dumb, creature. We tracked the Stray cat all the way here, we'll leave once we have her head. Play along, and maybe we'll let you leave before we bring this place down on top of her."
The creature frowned softly.
"Mind if I make a suggestion of my own?"
The 'boy' offered, speaking still calm.
"You're in no position to negotiate."
The pets of Devils were just like the Devils themselves, weren't they?
Always trying to strike a deal.
He watched as the boy shrugged his shoulders carelessly, that flippant attitude of his beginning to wear on his nerves.
"Then it's a good thing I wasn't asking."
The Fallen scowled, and a dull yellow light-spear flared to life in his hands.
The rest of the squad followed suit, the light of the Fallen illuminating the darkness.
Unimpressed, the thing by the stairs continued on as if righteous and well-deserved death wasn't staring at it from every angle.
"Leave, and live. Stay, and die. I don't care either way, but you don't have a lot of time."
A hand was raised, slowly pointing towards the exit.
In spite of himself, the Fallen let his eyes follow the prompt, and found that the glass door had been blocked by some kind of watery, translucent blue film.
A barrier?
No, a chance to make the situation clear.
Turning away from it with a roll of his eyes and a derisive sneer, the leader gave his orders.
"You three at the back, tear that barrier down, show this Devil's pet exactly who it's dealing with. The rest of you, up the stairs and find the Stray and Twilight Healing. If it gets in your way, exterminate it like you would any other vermin."
For the first time, the Familiar showed shock on its face as several hurled light-spears destroyed the flimsy barrier with a hiss and a sizzle.
The rest of his squad moved forward and-
"Sir…?"
"What!?"
Whipping his head around, he fixed an irritated gaze on the trio that had been ordered to destroy the barrier.
A trio of light-spears had pierced the watery film, and now were slowly being -sucked in- and dissolved, tiny motes of light trickling downwards like stardust.
A bone-weary sigh drifted through the air.
"You idiots. I take back everything I said before. You're after Twilight Healing? Even if I stayed put, you're all going to die here."
The Familiar by the doorway shook his head in disgust, and the room fell away.
It took a moment for them to realize.
The common room was pitch black, illuminated only by the dim light of their spears.
As if they'd reached the edge of the world itself, and found not a single glimmer of light remaining.
… Every single one of them had near flawless vision in the dark.
No shadows could, should be able to hide from the watchful eyes of the Fallen.
Everyone should have clear view of the common room, with its couches and table.
Or down the hall, to the staircase or the kitchen.
Despite that, they could see each other clearly, as if each of them was standing up in front of some midnight canvas.
Ahead of them, were the Familiar should be, were twin orbs of crimson that flickered like candles, before wafting away in an unseen breeze.
Behind them, the translucent blue barrier faded to an opaque black, lingering pinpricks of lights from the hurled spears twinkling dimly like stars in a moonless sky.
From somewhere in the darkness between their tense formation, feminine, rippling laughter sounded.
The twin red candles appeared once more, this time lower to the ground.
A low, rumbling growl drifted out from somewhere very, very close.
As if that was the appointed signal, the darkness thrashed and the world went mad.
Then the dying started.
To his left, the sound of snarling, snapping jaws accompanied the sudden theft of one of his comrades light-spears.
The man started screaming when he discovered his entire arm stolen as well.
Hot, dark liquid sprayed wildly in every direction as he flailed.
The darkness to his front wriggled, and something wrapped around one of the female Fallen's waists, whipping her deeper into the room.
Abruptly, a dull, wet snap heralded a sudden reverse of momentum, and she collided with another Fallen with a terrible, sickly crunch.
They collapsed in a broken, boneless heap in the failing light and the darkness took them.
Another low growl, and the red lights reappeared in a flickering trail, weaving around a thrusting light-spear to bear the wielder to the floor.
Screams turned to gurgles as something closed around the victims throat with a wet tearing noise.
The warrior that moved to aid his stricken ally collapsed, as the floor heaved and engulfed his legs, before he was sucked out of sight.
A pair of tan hands reached out from the shadows towards a Fallen neck, and a dull snap told him all he needed to know.
A woman screamed as unseen fangs sunk into her calf, pulling her off her feet, to bounce and flail of walls and floors that couldn't be seen, but certainly could be felt.
She stopped screaming on the third impact.
One of the men's last nerves broke, and he screamed and threw himself where the barrier should have been.
The blackness he hurled himself towards stretched out to embrace him with a cry full of childlike exuberance.
A split second view of him, as his form began to give way around the edges, and then he too was gone.
There was tearing, and screaming, and snarling, and that infernal, watery giggle.
Their leader wasn't quite sure when he started running, but suddenly he found himself tripping out of the darkness, onto a still unlit, but easily visible staircase.
Pulling himself to his feet, he had just made it to the first landing when the growling started once more, from the top of the next flight of stairs.
The dark shadow on the wall rippled like still water, and a great black hound stepped out of the wall itself.
Eyes blazing red, and its tail winding and fluttering around it like some living banner.
Dark crimson liquid dripped from its jaws as it slowly lifted its blood-drenched muzzle to regard him.
He summoned his spear with a yell, and the hound was already in the air.
The air was crushed from his lungs, and his light-spear shattered as the hound smashed him into the floor, great paws pinning both his shoulders.
Fallen Angel and Black Grim locked eyes.
{"You made the wrong choice."}
He didn't get the chance to respond.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Were they okay?
Ruth had heard a noise from downstairs, and he and Suu had gone to investigate.
Since then, it had been dead silent and they hadn't come back yet and Asia was starting to get worried that something might have-
Asia screamed and fell back as the glass door of her balcony shattered, a figure with black feathered wings crashing through it to skid to a halt in front of her.
The Fallen Angel loomed over the terrified Bishop, his cruel smirk widening when he noticed the bandaged patient lying on her bed.
That smirk vanished when the supposedly unconscious patient exploded into motion, and pounced on him with a feral, feline hiss.
Pinning him to the ground with one delicate hand digging into his shoulder, the other lifted itself high into the air.
With a jolt, long, elegant nails extended into long, elegant claws,and the Fallen's panicked screams becoming wet, choking gurgles as they flashed in the fading light of dawn.
Breathing hard, Kuroka rose from the twitching corpse with a drunken sway, crimson dipped hand dripping onto the carpeted floor.
Asia, from her seat on the floor, shuffled back just a touch as piercing, slitted eyes trained themselves on her.
She was both relieved and confused when the predator's glare melted into an easy, welcoming smile.
"Thanks for the help nyaa~."
The dangerous Stray gave the bewildered little Bishop a conspiratorial wink.
"But as you can see, I'm all fine after my little cat nap, so I'll just see myself out~."
She managed a single step before she staggered and caught herself on the bedpost, one hand pressed to her forehead.
"What did they… tell me they didn't…"
In a panic, Asia scrambled to her feet and rushed past the slumped Nekoshou, throwing her arms wide to block her exit.
The Stray's welcoming expression shifted back into a cold glare.
"N-no! You can't! You're still hurt, you'll die if you go out there! I-I won't let you!"
Kuroka let out a long, tired sigh as she pushed herself off the bedpost, grunting softly from the exertion.
Instead of hostility, her gaze was filled with a weary resignation.
"Please, please don't make me go through you."
Kuroka whispered softly, eyes pleading with the fearful Bishop.
She was a little taken aback when in response, the trembling little blonde scrunched her eyes shut and covered them with both her hands.
"I'm sorry Kuroka-san."
Too distracted by Asia's inexplicable behavior, and too injured to be fully aware, Kuroka didn't notice someone joining them, slipping into the room under the door, until it was too late.
Gooey, ropey tendrils coiled their way up her legs, sending a strange current through her body as they wound higher and higher.
At the same time, another pair of tendrils coiled around her wrists, hoisting her into the air.
Before she even knew what was happening, the weakened Stray found herself helplessly hung and immobilized.
"W-what is- nyaa~ w-where are you t-t-touching!?"
Asia's voice was faintly apologetic, but firm as she gave the grim command.
"Suu. Do the thing."
Kuroka shivered as a wet-sounding, girlish giggle rippled out, inches from her ear.
Leaning on the wall outside Asia's door, in his two-legged form, Ruth heard Suu's laughter, and rolled his eyes, knowing things were well in hand.
Pushing himself off the wall, Ruth made his way downstairs, stopping briefly to fling the last Fallen he'd killed, sprawled unceremoniously across the landing, over his shoulder.
Suu could have her fun and keep an eye on the patient, and Asia.
Meanwhile, he'd at least pull the corpses from the common room before Yuuji and the rest returned.
At least none of them had made it to the kitchen.
It was times like these when one should focus on the little blessings-
From back up the stairs, a wail of ecstasy resounded.
… Little blessings, like how Suu preferred women.
It was moments before the attack on the dorm, and Rias' group were encountering troubles of their own.
She, with Yuuji, Koneko, and Kiba in tow, had made another pass of an old chapel on the western side of town, one of the few that while defunct, was still being maintained.
Earlier searches of the building and its surroundings had proven fruitless, but today brought with it one key difference.
Namely, lounging on the rooftop, over top the open doorway, was a slender figure in a dark green clothing vaguely reminiscent of a priest's garments.
White hair framed a bone white mask, and precariously balancing on one finger, by the sharp point, was a short sword with a strangely twisted blade.
The Holy aura that pulsed off it in waves made its nature clear.
"How do you do, Stray Exorcist-san?"
Rias' voice was unfailingly polite, even as her eyes narrowed slightly.
Kiba stepped up beside her with blade at the ready.
"That one's Nightmare, Buchou."
He explained quietly.
"Hoh, the little Devil Knight is still kicking? Well, it would have been boring if you died, that gross sword of yours did a real number on me."
Despite the playful words, the masked boys words were dull, almost mechanical.
Yuuji and Koneko took Rias' other flank, some distance behind her.
The air had begun to redden as Rias put two and two together with a murderous hiss.
Before she could say anything, heavy footsteps and a new voice joined the mix.
"Now, now, show some manners to our guests. After all, Isaiah has come to greet us, and he even brought his King and her other pets along."
The knowing voice was laden with a warm cheer, as a paunchy old man in priestly raiment strode out the open door with a genial smile on his face.
With a snarl, Kiba took one look at the man and exploded into motion.
"Sword Birth!"
The ornate barrier of light rebuffed the trio of swords that hurtled through the air, but through it, they could see the old man's eyes widen in surprise.
He had nearly been too slow, and the first blade hurled by the Gremory Knight, rather than bounce off the barrier, had been caught halfway through it.
Kiba flashed a feral grin full of a serpent's venom.
"Careful Valper, wouldn't want to lose that smug smile of yours."
Kiba's gleeful tone suggested he wouldn't have been put out if he had.
Valper Galilei blinked once, and gave a hearty chuckle as the barrier dissolved, Kiba's embedded blade falling to the ground with a clatter.
"You're not nearly as uncontrolled as I expected, dear Isaiah. A change of heart, perhaps?"
"No such luck, I just want to keep my head clear. I intend to cherish the memory of your fat face after I fill it with sharp pointy things."
"Yuuto!"
In spite of the situation, Rias found herself gaping at her well-mannered Knight's sudden burst of vicious trash-talking.
It must be Yuuji's bad influence, she had raised Yuuto better than-
Smack
She sighed the sigh of the damned at the sound that echoed out from behind her, which certainly hadn't been her Pawn and Rook taking the opportunity to high-five.
Eerie, discordant laughter filled the air.
The masked swordsman, still reclining on the edge of the roof, had his head tilted upwards as he laughed, sword now firmly in hand.
The mask tilted at an odd angle to regard the Devils below.
"Man, I've been wasting time, who knew the Gremory's were this much fun?"
In stark contrast to the eager laughter and even more eager words, the voice, slightly muffled behind the mask, sounded almost bored.
Lifeless and dull.
"For some reason, he kinda pisses me off."
A lifeless, dull, but vaguely irritated voice came from behind her, her Pawn regarding the Exorcist with a narrowed gaze.
Koneko nodded empathetically.
The Exorcist rolled off the roof and landed beside Valper with a dull thud, and that's when Rias tore off the thin veil concealing all the rage and stress she'd accumulated as of late.
Like the jaws of some hellish beast, the wave of black and red Destruction that surged forth opened wide to embrace its targets.
When the smoke and dust cleared, Stray Exorcist and Stray Bishop were hunkered down behind a fortress wall of Holy light.
Speaking of walls, a hefty chunk of the chapel behind them had simply vanished, the barest traces of ash drifting away on the wind.
Any traces of the doorway had vanished entirely.
The Exorcist gave a low whistle as he poked his head out from behind the barrier, and that was right about when the flash-bang from Yuuji's Sacred Gear blew up in his face.
The masked boy jerked away and fell with a sharp cry, but Valper's barrier served its purpose, leaving him only blinking rapidly rather than temporarily blinded.
Rias sent stream after stream of her Power of Destruction howling against the shimmering shield, alternating between straight, narrow lines and looping arcs, keeping Valper pinned down.
It turned into a firefight when glowing, lantern-like shapes rose up behind the Archbishop, firing what looked like small light-spears at the Gremory King.
Rias weaved around the searing bolts, or when that didn't work, slashed them out of the air with short waves of Destruction.
Focussed on defense, it seemed like the grinning Valper had regained his footing.
So of course, that's when Yuuji and Kiba hit from either side.
The recovered Exorcist met Kiba blade to blade from the right side, engaging him in a back and forth, high speed sword duel.
Valper's barrier cut its way through the ground with absurd speed to catch Yuuji's spray of bullets, but not quickly enough.
A single bullet from the M16 slipped through, and went right through Valper, just above the collarbone and barely an inch from his throat.
Even as the Archbishop howled his agony, Yuuji clicked his tongue at the failure.
And then rolled his eyes with a smirk, as the final member of their search party completed her task.
A midnight blur swept up Valper from the side, right before Koneko's stomping heel could bring the roof down on his head.
The sky darkened as well over a dozen Fallen Angels appeared in the sky, above the ruined chapel.
Their leader was made readily apparent by the fact he had eight more wings than everyone else in the clearing.
He also had a dangling old man, hanging by the scruff of his neck, like some wrinkly, unruly kitten.
Bone-white skin, and red and gold eyes stared down at the Devil's below with the air of an indulgent father.
"Kokabiel."
Rias spoke his name like an accusation, as Kiba broke away from the Stray Exorcist and Yuuji and Koneko returned to her side.
"Oh? To think my humble self would be recognized by the esteemed Gremory heiress, I suppose I must have done something right."
Kokabiel let out a rich chuckle as he spoke, but the way he smiled and spoke politely was setting off every warning bell the Devils could ever hear.
Rias stood proudly, crimson locks fluttering in the breeze as her icy blue eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as she smiled up at the Cadre.
"Indeed, I hear you've been causing quite a bit of commotion. Tell me, why have you brought yourself to my city unannounced? The proper channels exist for a reason, perhaps their use was warranted?"
"Ah, forgive me, in my excitement I seem to have forgotten my manners."
Kokabiel chuckled again, looking genuinely apologetic.
No one was fooled.
"Pray tell, what has a Cadre so excited that he would personally bring himself to my home?"
Rias put her hands on her hips as she made her inquiry.
"Why, dear little Gremory, the only thing that ever gets me excited these days."
Kokabiel leaned forward in midair, and his polite facade slipped away like oil.
"The prospect of War."
The clearing froze as Rias jerked back with a sharp hiss.
"War!? ... Are you mad? War would kill us all, there would be no winners!"
Kokabiel's grin turned shark-like.
"You are wrong, little Gremory. We will be the winners. After all, how could we not?"
Kokabiel swept his arms wide, as if making a grand speech.
The Fallen at his back listened with hushed breaths and eager eyes, while the Devils below listened with mounting horror.
"We have the Light of Heaven without its chains, we indulge in all the pleasures the Underworld can offer, without being slaves to our passions! As our brethren rot in their gilded cages up above, you Devils wallow in the dark of the earth like beasts! Tell me, how does that make we, the Grigori, anything but superior?"
A brief instance of shock flickered across the the Cadre's face, as if his words were as much a surprise to him as anyone else.
"Ah, don't misunderstand, it's not as if I plan to eradicate all of you-"
"Kind of you."
Came Yuuji's dry murmur.
"- I just want to trim off the excess, until there's a manageable number."
Kokabiel continued on, as if he hadn't heard.
"A manageable number? Dare I ask?"
Rias spoke with an even tone, as if nothing he'd said had fazed her at all.
"Indeed, you see, our numbers are small, and so if we're going to teach you anything of value without stretching ourselves thin, we'll have to do away with a handful or so of the less than worthy."
"T-teach us?"
Rias' balked at the bizarre statement.
"Precisely! You see, Miss Gremory, we Fallen are the only faction of the Great Three who possess true freedom. Whether it is to the rules of Heaven, or the rampant desires of Hell, you poor souls are all nothing more than slaves! And as such, it is my duty, nay, my pleasure to set you free!"
Kokabiel placed one hand on his heart as he continued his impassioned speech.
"You're… you're insane."
The Gremory heiress spoke in little more than a whisper, eyes wide with shock.
"Oh, but I must beg your forgiveness once more. The other leaders among the factions cling so desperately to the sinking ship of this false peace, and to loosen their grips, I must do something truly… drastic."
The Devils stiffened at the unsettling realization that Kokabiel seemed genuinely regretful.
"For example, laying claim to several of the Church's precious Holy Swords… and using them to lay claim to the lives of two of Hell's most promising heirs."
Rias took as step back as her peerage took a step forward.
"That's your plan!? Sona and I!? That will never-"
Wide-eyed, she shook her head in denial.
"Lying is unbecoming, Devil or not."
Kokabiel shook his finger chidingly.
"Tell me, how will Lucifer react when the head of his precious little sister finds it way to his doorstep? And if he isn't enough, how will Leviathan react when she finds the same?"
Rias' retort died in her throat.
"My thoughts exactly. It would not be inaccurate to say that the... doting nature of those two Satans has spread… far and wide."
Kokabiel looked like he wanted to say more, but suddenly snapped his fingers as if recalling an important detail.
More than one Devil flinched at the sound.
"Speaking of siblings… which one of you is the cat?"
Rias let out a frustrated hiss, as before she or Kiba could stop themselves, they had closed protectively in front of the trembling Koneko.
Kokabiel's unpleasant grin stretched wide.
"So sad to see one who conceals their heritage… but I imagine she's not the only one among your servants, no? Now, on to the matter at hand, I hope that you didn't leave the Stray anywhere too important? I had planned to let her go, initially, but my men were growing restless."
Kokabiel winked at the horrified Devils.
"So I sent a few of them to finish the job."
Rias stood up ramrod straight as a familiar chill washed down her spine.
The wards had been broken.
Someone was trespassing in her domain.
"ASIA!"
"NEE-SAMA!"
Koneko at her side.
Rias froze, throwing out one arm to keep Koneko in place, with an anguished snarl as she glared up at the Cadre.
Meanwhile, the men of the Gremory household stood in silent watch against the floating Fallen.
Kokabiel tilted his head in curiosity, as if noticing them for the first time.
Valper had been passed off to one of his men at some point, and the Exorcist had slipped away while no one was watching.
"The blonde must be the Isaiah Galilei keeps raving about… and the other…"
Kokabiel examined Yuuji with a soft frown, before his eyes lit up in excitement.
"A Devil that smells of gun-smoke? It couldn't… no, it is, it must be…! No, no, I mustn't spoil the surprise. It seems they are still asleep. Run along now, little Soldier, your Master seems like she's in a hurry."
Kokabiel made a shooing gesture.
"Sunrise, little Gremory. Make your peace by then, for it will be the last you'll see. Your precious little toy-box of a school will be our stage, face your fate with honor and I'll offer a swift end. It is the one small mercy I have left to offer."
With a swirl of black feathers, Kokabiel and his forces vanished.
The last of her restraint vanished, Rias led her servants charging through the transportation circle a second later, one hand drawing a symbol beside her ear to summon Akeno and her group.
Rias came bursting off the Gremory teleportation circle, another golden Gremory symbol announcing the arrival of Akeno's group, sans the Exorcist duo.
Arriving directly in front of the dormitory, ready for the worst, they found…
Nothing at all.
The glass doors were closed, the wards were intact…
Rias breathed an audible sigh of relief.
Striding forward, she swung open the door, smiling indulgently as Koneko made to dash past, the worry finally too much.
She caught the little Rook a second later with a sharp hiss.
"Buchou."
Speaking quietly, Kiba pointed past her.
"I see it, Yuuto."
An odd shaped depression where something had slammed hard into the wall.
A faint splattering of red in the carpet.
An unnaturally neat hole stabbed into the floor.
And a great black hound, lying prone on the floor…
In a warm patch of sunlight.
A single blood red eye cracked open to look at the dumbstruck arrivals.
{"Back so soon?"}
Rias let out a shuddering sigh of relief, before straightening, eyes hard, and striding forward.
"Ruth, did they… did anyone…?"
{"Do you mean did any Fallen visit?"}
Rias stumbled.
"... Yes?"
{"Oh, I told them you weren't home. Had you been expecting guests?"}
Ruth's dull voice had an uncanny similarity to Yuuji's.
Perhaps the real reason they'd bonded so readily.
"You… told them we weren't home?"
Rias' disbelieving tone was slow and stuttering.
{"Yep."}
Akeno's strained, nervous giggle slipped out from behind her.
"Did they… leave?"
{"No, they're still here."}
"What do you mean they're still here!?"
Rias cast her gaze about wildly, as if expecting Fallen Angels to jump out at any moment.
{"I didn't really have anywhere else to dump the bodies."}
"Bodies?"
This time the hesitant question came from Raynare.
{"Bodies. Obviously, Suu and I killed them all."}
Ruth gave a lazy yawn as he spoke, the sun hitting his fur just right.
Silence reigned, but one lone figure, unfazed by the revelation, walked forward, leaning down to…
Pet his faithful dog for a job well done.
"Good work, Ruth."
{"Yeah."}
"Any injuries? How're the other two?"
{"Nah, nothing to report… oh, I take that back, the cat woke up for a little bit. She's not so bad, you know, for a cat."}
Ignoring the panicked noise that came from the background, Yuuji tilted his head, even as he rubbed behind his Familiar's ears.
{"Yeah, one of them was feeling clever and broke through Asia's window- which needs fixed by the way- but the cat woke up long enough to leap to Asia's defence before she tried to escape."}
Ruth continued in a conversational sort of tone.
"What do you mean, tried to escape!? Her magic should be too weak for her to try anything!"
Bewildered, this time Rias managed to interject successfully.
A worried Koneko was at her side, looking like she was barely keeping herself from dashing off.
{"Cats have claws, Buchou. Still, she didn't seem to want to hurt Asia to escape, and, well… Suu exists. I'm sure you of all people understand, Buchou."}
Rias, and Akeno, both shivered.
As was sometimes the case, their reasons for doing so weren't quite the same.
{"Suu and Asia are still with the cat upstairs, who's probably back asleep. Fighting in her weakened state took a lot out of her, and no, don't worry Koneko, your sister wasn't hurt."}
The little Rook let out an explosive sigh of relief and hurried her way up the staircase and out of sight without a word, not willing to be away from her sister any longer.
{"We should get upstairs as well, Asia needs to get some proper rest now that Kuroka is stable, and Suu isn't feeling well."}
"I thought you said no one got hurt!"
Raynare spoke up first.
{"I did, but she also ate at least half a dozen light-spears. Remember what Satooji said in the forest, about how Magi-Slimes try to make people feel good? Magic is affected by emotion, and Suu feels those emotions in turn from the magic she consumes."}
Ruth explained calmly.
"So… what happens when the magic she eats was used to attack her?"
{"She's essentially absorbing all their hostility and bloodlust. Suu is a kind soul, though, so mostly it just makes her feel grumpy and irritable. Let her soak in one of the tubs for the night and she'll be fine. Diluting her body dilutes the effects."}
"Oh, that makes sense! Thanks for explaining, Ruth!"
Raynare gave an grateful nod at the explanation, smiling cheerfully at the Grim before twirling away.
"Just like that, Ray-chan?"
Akeno was giving her a bemused smile.
"Yeah, Ru-kun is really good at explaining things!"
Ruth, who had just risen to his feet, stumbled, all four legs suddenly very necessary.
{"... Ru-kun?"}
"Do you… not like it? Suu calls you Ru, so I thought that was your nickname?"
Raynare leaned towards him hesitantly, arms tucked behind her back.
{"No… just surprised?"}
Ruth relented, and the Fallen Angel's smile immediately returned.
"Mkay!"
Raynare flounced away and up the staircase, the others following suit, leaving the bewildered Familiar standing there.
Yuuji sympathetically placed a hand on his fur.
"I'd tell you you get used to it, but I'd be lying."
Upstairs in Asia's room, it was found that Suu was the only one still completely awake, sitting on the floor with her raincoat open, beside the shattered porch window.
The broken glass that should have been on the floor had already been swept up by her and dissolved.
Asia and Koneko were both sitting with their legs folded beneath them. beside the bed, the tired blonde having finally succumbed to her exhaustion, and Koneko's head was already starting to droop, one of her hands entwined with Kuroka's, who lay passed out on the bed.
Asia had a blanket draped over her shoulders.
Suu had lifted one translucent finger to her lips in a shushing gesture as they came in, and that motion had also drawn everyone's eyes towards her.
Two things were immediately apparent.
One, her pale blue body had become a murky, midnight blue, and two, there was, well, more of her.
Normally the Slime's height and proportions were similar to Asia's, but now she had filled out, and grown in height, to become more in line with Raynare.
At her wordless beckon, Kalawarner had entered the room and gently scooped up Asia (who's response to being moved was to snuggle into Kalawarner's chest) in her arms, blanket and all, bringing the blonde downstairs to the room they typically shared with Raynare.
Raynare followed behind, hands tucked behind her as she walked with an adoring smile on her face.
When Rias had stared indecisively at the two sleeping Nekoshou, Suu had slipped quietly over to her, and offered an explanation in a surprisingly eloquent fashion.
"Buchou, the Stray cat thrashes around in her sleep like she's having some horrible nightmare, but she calmed the second Koneko took her hand. Look at the two of them… They're the most honest about their feelings, it seems, when they're asleep."
The gently smiling Slime then stepped past them, her normal squishing steps making hardly a sound.
Akeno passed her heading into the room, pulled back the blanket over Kuroka and carefully lifted Koneko on the bed, without straining the two sisters grip.
She then tucked them back in with a pleased smile as they nestled up against each other.
Suu twisted back to the group, just before she stepped onto the stairs.
"I need to borrow one of the pools downstairs, all this Light is giving me a headache. Leave me be for a while, please, and don't let Asia come downstairs under any circumstances."
She still smiled as she spoke, but there was a clear strain to it.
"Oh, and Buchou, is there a procedure here, or shall I dispose of the bodies? If I use the magic I've absorbed, I should be able to return to normal more quickly. I don't want Asia to worry when she wakes up."
Rias scrutinized the Slime carefully for a moment before replying.
"No, they're considered Strays, so their disposal is entirely our decision… are you sure you're alright, Suu?"
The Slime nodded her head slowly, the weary, aged expression so out of place on a face that was normally soft and child-like.
"I just need to get the poison out of my system. Please, just let me be alone for a while. Controlling myself is hard like this."
"Okay then, if you're sure. Just remember, you're part of this family too."
Rias offered a warm smile, dismissing the Slime girl.
Suu offered one last, grateful nod, and then locked eyes briefly with Ruth before slipping away.
Only when the Slime was well out of sight, on her way to the basement floor, did she stop trying to fake things, stop trying to keep things contained.
Each soft footfall made a faint hiss as it contacted the floor.
Cold.
The first thing she noticed when she awoke was the cold.
It was dark, it was cold, where was she?
… It hurt.
Everything hurt.
Where was she?
… It was dark, and the wall she was sitting up against was cold and hard, like stone.
She couldn't seem to do much more than turn her head, so she strained about to catch glimpse of her surroundings.
...Her wings ached.
Why did her wings ache?
It was so cold.
As her vision slowly returned to normal, she caught glimpse of a dark shape, crouched and turned slightly away from her, some distance away.
"Ara? One of you is still awake? You poor dear."
The voice that drifted out was soft and serene.
The figure turned her head to regard her, and she caught sight of warm, shining pink eyes.
The figure, the woman, rose to her feet, and it became clear why she was so difficult to see.
The elegant, womanly curves of her body were a translucent black, with a watery sheen to it, the tendrils that passed for hair turning pink near the ends.
Full lips curled in a mysterious, sultry smile, as if indulging in some secret amusement that only a woman like her could ever be privy to.
Swirling about in between what little space was provided by her tight, flat stomach, just visible in the gloom…
Pitch-black feathers, slowly melting away.
The memories came back in violent, nauseating flashes.
An easy mission.
Finish the Stray, find the former Holy Maiden.
Their progress halted by that bizarre, nonchalant young man who passed for a guardian.
Darkness and water and teeth around her ankle and then-
She tried to push herself away, push herself up to her feet, but her body just wouldn't obey.
It was then that she realized what was lying on the floor around her.
Her comrades.
What was left of her comrades.
Slowly melting into the watery abyss that submerged them.
Just like her.
The woman, the Slime watching her, tilted her head and watched, still with that faint, secretive smile as she choked back a terrified sob.
"Oh, you remember now, do you?"
With all the grace and poise of an empress descending from her throne, the Slime began her advance.
Hips swaying as her body rippled slightly with every slow, measured step.
"I couldn't care less about the cat."
In her desperation, she managed just the barest of movements, but there was nowhere she could go.
"But you naughty crows tried to prey on my sweet little Asia."
The Slime sauntered closer.
"But now, surely you understand…"
Standing over her, the Slime stared down at her with a triumphant smile.
"That the only prey here is you."
Straddling her, the Slime sat in her lap and squished their chests together with a wet, muted sizzle.
A pained hiss died into a panicked whimper as the line between two bodies began to blur.
"And so of course…"
Cold, damp hands gently, firmly held her head in place, forcing the terror-stricken Fallen to stare deeply into warm, glittering pink eyes, and full, pursed lips, drawing ever closer.
"You have no right to complain..."
"P-please… don't… please- NOOOO!"
"When I eat you instead."
Standing tall and proud in her perfectly fit school uniform, Rias Gremory stood before her family with her hands on her wide hips.
Sunrise was almost upon them, so they had mustered in the dorm common room.
Standing off to one side and slightly behind her was her Queen, Akeno, smiling softly as she watched the younger members of their group.
Unlike most of the group, she'd chosen her red and white shrine maiden's outfit over her school uniform, a picture of traditional Japanese elegance.
Kiba, his usual, fresh smile in place as he adjusted his metal bracers.
Koneko standing casually beside him, gloved hands locked above her as she stretched herself out.
She would twist from time to time, to shoot an ever so slightly worried glance back upstairs.
Leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, Kazami Yuuji, idly running one hand through his Familiars fur.
A nervous Asia, with the arms of a smiling Raynare draped around her shoulders from behind, and a raincoat and galoshes clad Suu- back to Asia's size and her normal color- rocking from side to side with a watery hum.
Standing dutifully beside them was Kalawarner, and as the only one among them who wasn't a student, she had opted for the outfit she typically wore in the classroom.
A tight-fitting, maroon turtleneck sweater, white suit jacket, and short black skirt with nylons and glossy black heels.
No one questioned why she would wear heels, because they were all well-aware of the fact that she was more than capable of piercing boulders with them, when strengthened by her Light.
Finishing her examination with a proud smile, Rias turned slightly towards her Queen with one eyebrow raised slightly.
Her oldest friend answered before she even needed to ask.
"Lucifer-sama will have his forces here within the hour. I'm not sure our dear Cadre will wait that long, however."
Rias shook her head.
"As expected, how are things on Sona's end?"
"The Student Council can keep the fighting contained within school grounds to a degree, though she requests that we try not to have too much fun."
Akeno's smile was cheery, doing her best to keep the younger members at ease.
"We'll have to do our best."
The two girls shared a brief chuckle, before Rias schooled her expression into a more serious one.
With that, Rias turned her attention back to her peerage, and their Fallen Angel comrades.
"We'll be making our way to the school, in order to confront Kokabiel. We need to hold him at bay long enough for Lucifer's forces to arrive, we can't run the risk of him getting any dangerous ideas, if sunrise comes and goes without us making an appearance."
She turned her head to regard the two Fallen next.
"Are you sure that you're okay with this? These are your former comrades."
Raynare and Kalawarner shared an uneasy silence as Asia watched them with concern glittering in her bright green eyes.
Rias waited patiently, content to give them the time they needed.
After a moment, they nodded to each other and met her gaze firmly.
"It's not going to be easy, fighting our old allies."
Raynare began.
"But if a choice must be made…"
Kalawarner continued.
Their serious expressions melted into warm smiles, and they made their choice known in perfect unison.
"Then we would much rather fight for our family instead."
This time, the silence was a much warmer thing.
This time, the silence was broken by soft sniffling.
Raynare, who still had her arms around the source of the sniffling, craned her head around in alarm.
"A-Asia?"
"I'm just so *sniff* happy… and I don't want anyone getting hurt."
Raynare tightened her grip comfortingly, and Kalawarner stepped over to wrap her arms around them both.
Rias watched them fondly for a moment before speaking up.
"Indeed, I'm the same. It's my wish… no, my order! Survive this ordeal, together at my side! No matter the opponent, I won't forgive any of you if you die!"
Swept up in her fervor, grins blossomed around the room, one after another.
[YES, BUCHOU!]
This chapter would have kept growing and growing if I didn't end it there, so the ORC will be facing off with Kokabiel next chapter.
Had a lot of fun letting Ruth and Suu bear their fangs/feelers, and now you have an idea of where they stand. Rias had been set on getting Yuuji and Asia good familiars, after all.
JB is just like Yuuji, and deals with stress in a healthy manner. I've never tried it, but the next time I feel overwhelmed maybe I'll try yelling at the dead.
… That sounds like a good way to find yourself haunted.