Hope everyone's doing well.
The bulk of the training arc is covered in this chapter. Lot's of variation for how things go for various characters, and a lot of them get time in the spotlight.
In terms of tone though, this is probably one of the 'something for everyone' chapters.
He'd promised to be her knight.
But, he was keeping a secret from his best friend, from ( ).
He promised to be her knight, but in his dreams, he was never the knight, coming to rescue the princess.
No, he was the thing that guarded the tower.
In his dreams, he was always the dragon.
Maybe that's why he could tell that the woman before them was a monster.
Maybe that's why that red, heavy scent in the air told him it was time to take the princess and run, that scent came from Mama when she fell and didn't get up.
So he ran, and took the princess with him.
They ran, and the monster chased them.
Eventually, the monster caught them as monsters always do, and the princess fell, and once again, he could smell that smell that came from Mama when she fell, and didn't get up.
The princess got up because the monster let her get up, but it didn't matter.
Because the princess couldn't run anymore.
Even though the monster wanted them to run.
The monster wanted to chase them and make them fall down.
Run and fall, run and fall until they couldn't get up anymore.
Then the monster would… What did monsters do?
Oh yeah, the monster would eat them.
But he'd promised!
He'd promised to be her knight.
A promise he couldn't keep, because he could never be the knight.
It's starting.
Looks like it will start.
But the people he saw in his dreams were whispering a new promise into his ear right now.
It was always like this.
No, it was always this way.
Oh yeah, that made sense; If you can't be her knight…
It was always power.
It was always love.
Be her dragon instead.
"I, who am about to awaken…"
…. Yuuji awoke upon the forest floor with blood dripping from claws he didn't have, and a hope in his heart for a girl he couldn't remember.
Kiba was making his way to the guest room with a tray laden down with eggs, bacon and hashbrowns when the snarling of a great beast emerged from the slightly open door.
He burst into the room with four feet of Demonic Steel in his free hand, pointed towards the source of the noise when it, or rather her, clutched her stomach with both hands.
"So huuungry!" The woman moaned piteously from where she sat on the bed.
Kiba chuckled and let the blade vanish, deciding that the many questions he had could wait until after breakfast.
Akeno could freely admit that she deeply admired and respected Grayfia.
In fact, Akeno was of the opinion that her reputation at school was in part due to mannerisms she'd picked up from her mother when she was young, and emulated from Grayfia after that.
The other part of her reputation mostly involved her boobs.
… Which Grayfia was popular for too, come to think of it.
Okay, so she maybe had a little crush on Grayfia that had never gone away, or, if she was being honest, might have gotten a little stronger once she found out that sex with girls was a lot of fun, and threesomes with girls and Yuuji were even more fun-
Or, maybe she was just having a hard time staying on task because the miraculous vision of Grayfia in spandex on a hot day made it a teensy bit hard to focus.
It might not be as apparent with the skirt she wore as part of her day to day uniform, but Grayfia was toned enough to only be bouncy in all the best places, and that woman had legs for days.
Speaking of legs, her other theory was that she was feeling a little bit loopy from being skipped across the lake like a stone, but Akeno preferred the less boring theory if she was being honest.
After all, if she hadn't managed to partially dodge Grayfia's kick, Akeno was confident that she would probably be entertaining those thoughts in an entirely new timezone.
Well, since she couldn't unbury herself without the magic she wasn't allowed to use, Akeno instead busied herself with admiring the view of Grayfia slowly descending from the sky; while Akeno would never get tired of that maid uniform, Grayfia with a healthy amount of skin on display was a rare sight.
One that Akeno felt it was her solemn duty to appreciate as its sole witness.
As Grayfia landed, she became aware of a flushed Akeno wriggling in a manner that wasn't really helping her extricate herself, and, for some reason, seemed unable to maintain eye contact.
"... I am well aware of your… proclivities. Akeno." Ie. masochistic tendencies. "But if you're enjoying the wrong parts of the exercise, I really will have to hit you hard enough that you can't enjoy it."
… The admittedly empty threat seemed to serve its purpose, as Akeno promptly freed her arms.
Or it didn't, as those now free hands were used to cover the younger Queen's face, and muffle the whimper that escaped.
Privately, she could admit that having a gorgeous younger woman, especially one she was fond of, checking her out like that was rather flattering.
But Akeno was difficult to fluster unless Yuuji was involved, so the sight of her squirming about in embarrassment like an innocent maiden was a rare sight.
One that Grayfia felt was her solemn duty to appreciate as its sole witness.
He was very, very used to beautiful women, but, contrary to what some of them might worry, Yuuto Kiba wasn't actually numb to their charm; just well versed at not letting it visibly affect him.
The mysterious stranger he'd found passed out in what was essentially his backyard was making it difficult for him, though, he would have to admit.
Because she wasn't just a beautiful woman whose figure and attire drew a perfect line between war-like athleticism and elegant femininity, she was a beautiful swordswoman.
Though, her attitude was quite a bit more… lively than he'd expected, Kiba readily decided that the juxtaposition was a mark for, rather than against her.
"Ahhh I'm alive again!" The woman cheerfully exclaimed, having just finished tearing through her meal with a speed and enthusiasm that would have shocked anyone who had never lived with Koneko.
"Thanks for the meal, you really saved me!" She chirped at Kiba, and the bright, honest grin she graced him with had concerns like who she was and why she was here already on the backburner.
In the back of his mind, Kiba guessed that the woman was probably speaking Japanese, as her words weren;t matching the movement of her lips; paying attention to that was a habit he'd picked up from Yuuji.
His Gift of Tongues translated everything into Italian for him, he assumed, as Asia was the first person he'd met after being reincarnated whose lips completely matched her words.
It wasn't as if he actually remembered 'where' he was born, that had been before the Holy Sword Project, after all.
Brushing the though aside, Kiba said "You're welcome, I was a little concerned when you passed out like that, but it seems a good rest and a meal was just what you needed." Kiba told her, smiling gently.
His smile wavered just a bit when the woman stiffened, her steely blue eyes locked onto his, before they roamed down his neck, following the curve of his shoulder and all the way down to his hands.
Though he couldn't say he was any less confused, Kiba felt himself relaxing once more as the woman's eyes darted nervously back to his, and then her cheeks slowly began to redden as she averted her eyes.
Her whisper wasn't nearly quiet enough for his Devil hearing not to pick up 'should warn a girl before you smile like that'.
With a chuckle, he offered a small, polite bow.
"Where are my manners? Kiba Yuuto, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss-?"
"Ah!" The woman jumped a little in her seat, twisting back around and whipping her head down in a haphazard bow that nearly saw him losing an eye to her ponytail.
"Miyamoto Musashi, at your service!" The woman blurted back, regaining her good cheer with bewildering speed. "Call me Musashi, nice to meet you too, Kiba-kun!"
"Musashi-san, is it?"
The woman nodded with a ready smile, and Kiba noted idly that the woman before him was awfully used to smiling, and…
"... Hold on a moment, please."
Musashi tilted her head slightly in curiosity, smiling still.
"You're… Miyamoto… Musashi?"
"Yep." Musashi agreed, before pausing, a thoughtful frown crossing her face in time with her arms crossing beneath her bust, which Kiba certainly hadn't noticed was of a respectable size and shape.
After a moment, Musashi bobbed her head several times, looking almost as serious as she had when they'd put their swords to one another's throats.
"Aha! I get why you're confused, you must be from one of the world's where Musashi's a man, right?" Musashi questioned confidently, as if she already knew the answer. "Say, is he famous here too?"
"... Yeah, you could say that." Kiba blinked, more confused by her answer, rather than less.
After all, 'this world' (putting aside that there was apparently more than one) already had a Miyamoto Musashi, though he was a Hero descended from the original, and not…
Well, the woman sitting in his guest bed.
"Yep, uh huh, I knew it!" Musashi said, and Kiba found his pulse pounding as the beautiful woman's playful exuberance bled away in an instant. "Anyways, now that I've had some food and a good sleep, I could really use some exercise, so what do you say?"
Kiba responded with a smile every bit as sharp as any of the dozens of blades he was ready to call to hand.
"I thought you'd never ask." Kiba whispered softly.
The rest of his questions could wait.
"You need to decide, beyond question, exactly what it is you're willing to Destroy."
"... You're wrong, Mother."
The sky was crimson, streaked with pulsing, angry veins of darkest black.
"I already know what I'm willing to Destroy."
Eventually, she couldn't hold the sky up any longer, and it shattered like glass, falling about her in fragments that hissed and burned, whether they fell on skin or soil.
"... What frightens me so is the answer I found."
Well, if it was holding her back, then…
She just had to Destroy that too, didn't she?
It was being hunted.
It stilled, senses straining, but when no pursuer revealed itself, it sprung forward, bolting in the instinctive hope that anywhere was better than here.
… To no avail, as the predatory shadow that haunted its tread fell upon it from above, becoming a gleam of white that slammed its body to the ground with strong limbs coiled about its neck.
The sounds of the forest fled in panicked silence as the chase ended with a mighty crack, and the hunter reared up above its prey and roared her triumph.
…
…
Okay, so Shirone wasn't really the type to roar, but it would have been adorable, so Kuroka felt like no one could blame that little daydream-
Oops!
Kuroka flattened herself against the tree limb she watched her little sister from as those cute little white ears went straight and Shirone stiffened.
Shirone's senses were sharpening enough that she was going to need a little bit more than some basic Senjutsu and light paws to keep herself concealed.
They'd spent the first two days of the week long training camp doing some basic Senjutsu training, and when she said basic, Kuroka really did mean basic; she hadn't touched a textbook in almost a decade,and that had been one stolen for a similar purpose; trying to figure out how to teach Shirone to read.
Kuroka had hoped that a more… academic approach to Senjutsu would help take a little bit of the wonder out of the art, though that was frankly a little counter-productive, wonder and fear often went hand-in-hand, and Shirone unfortunately had a bit too much of both when it came to Senjutsu.
Which was her fault, of course, and so Kuroka thought it only natural that she help ease the fear first before she tried anything else.
Shirone though, had bounced back faster than she'd expected, Kuroka still got all warm and fuzzy inside when she thought back to how Shirone had told her 'I'm still scared of Senjutsu but I'm not scared of Nee-sama', Shirone was such a good child!
Truthfully, they hadn't gone much farther than meditation and harmony with the environment, but she had honestly been a bit worried they'd never even make it that far.
So why then, was Shirone all alone (as if she'd actually let that happen), deep in the forest and killing her dinner with her cute little bare hands?
To help Shirone get in touch with the manner in which she should attune herself to the environment.
At the core of Senjutsu was harmony, and harmony meant every living thing had its proper place in the world. So if Shirone was to wield the power of a Nekoshou, she had to understand what it was to be a Nekoshou.
… After all, there was no action more 'proper' for a predator than the hunt.
The woman neatly sidestepped the spear that thrust at her throat, and without stopping her move, leapt right over the sweep of a dark furred tail.
Evading Ruth like that put the woman at the perfect angle to be batted like a baseball by the heavy iron club he swung at her, but dragons were bullshit even in human form, and so Yuuji wasn't all that surprised when she landed lightly on the head of the club and let the swing carry her behind him.
Yuuji had planned for that, though, because dragons were bullshit.
The second club, swung in Ruth's tanned hands as he leapt up behind her, struck Tiamat square in the lower back and hurtled her across the clearing.
She impacted a tree, and still had an expression of mild interest on her face when the tree snapped and gave way with a low groan, the top sixty feet or so falling squarely on the transformed dragon's head.
Dragons were bullshit though, and so the Primordial Waters surged with a swell of ancient hunger, and devoured the tree to its roots.
"My my, I'm impressed." Tiamat admitted as she rose with a smile, looking none the worse for wear. "It's been quite some time since I've had a tree fall on my head like that."
"And yet there you are, without even a leaf in your hair." Yuuji commented drily.
The dragoness chuckled.
"A woman should treasure her hair, no?"
Yuuji nodded after a moment, conceding the point, even if he was still a little annoyed.
"Now, now." Tiamat said, seeing his expression. "It was a good try, I certainly didn't expect to see Ruth wielding a weapon of the Memoir like that."
Ruth, still in his human form and wearing a black tracksuit of similar make to Yuuji's, looked back at the club over his shoulder with one eye.
"It's not bad, actually." He turned back to look at Tiamat. "And biting your scales hurts my teeth."
Tiamat laughed again, louder this time.
"Well, I believe that is enough of the 'no firearms' game." She told them. "Now, I believe it's past time for you to use that Balance Breaker of yours."
Yuuji did something rather un-Yuuji like in response.
… He hesitated.
"You've never once used it by choice, have you?" Tiamat whispered, her expression softening. "The crow has informed me of it's more… unpleasant aspect, but he is correct."
Tiamat's pink eyes hardened as they bored into his.
"If you do not master your Balance Breaker, it will master you."
Yuuji took a deep breath, and, heavy with grudge and regret, the swirling smoke whisked him away and left only a Soldier behind.
Rias grit her teeth at the sudden sensation of loss; reaching inward, she found her connection to her eight Pawns had dimmed.
Taking long, deep breaths Rias closed her eyes, waiting for her spiked heart rate to slow once again.
She hated that thing.
Tiamat had warned her of course (and she had passed the warning around) that today would be the day that ( ) used his… that Yuuji used his Balance Breaker, and while she accepted the necessity, that in no way kept her from hating every second of it.
… Even the thankful reality that remembering… that remembering Yuuji while that thing was active had become less challenging was not enough to ease her worries.
Or her fury.
It was like grasping at smoke, the memories present but dancing just out of reach.
She hated that Sacred Gear, and she would never forgive that thing for creating it.
A world where even memories of a precious loved one where so ephemeral had no right to exist.
She would have never allowed such a world.
… Allowed… such a world?
… No, that was absurd.
… But so was her brother, and it worked for him.
Rias couldn't quite make sense of the way her body began to shake until the laughter was spilling from her lips, without any sign of stopping.
Rias Gremory laughed and laughed, and even though the sound was as beautiful as ever, something hideous and profane echoed in its wake.
Sparks flew as Musashi's twin blades slid along the edge of Kiba's longsword, and Kiba slipped beneath as he forced them high, twirling to face her back as his sword lashed out to hamstring her.
Musashi hopped over the swing without looking, spinning as she did to bring her swords sweeping horizontally, one to open his neck and the other to cut neatly below his ribcage.
Smiling, Kiba dropped into a low crouch, and brought his sword above his head as Musashi's strike was carried through, her swords brought down in a brutal overhead chop as her feet touched the ground.
Kiba took the blow on his sword with a grunt, and they remained there for a split second as Musashi's dual blades pressed against his one.
Then Musashi's grin turned into a smirk, and Kiba hesitated an entire half second too long as twin blades became nothing-
Musashi's twin swords were back, and at his throat, his own was sinking into the dirt a good ten feet away.
"... Huh." He said, rather succinctly summarizing his impressions. "Well, I concede."
Musashi withdrew her swords and sheathed them in one elegant motion, and then, with markedly less elegance, jumped into the air with one fist leading.
"Yay, I won!" The woman cheered, and Kiba couldn't find it in himself to mind the loss, since he was going to win their next match.
"Hehe, yes!" Musashi clenched her fist as she landed, grinning widely. "Now!"
She pointed her finger at him commandingly, the other hand on her hip.
"Since I won this fight, you're not allowed to hold back for the next! Use everything!" She demanded.
"... Only if you'll do the same." Kiba smiled.
Musashi chuckled, and the air between them turned lethal once more.
With his hands empty and a cold smile on his face, Kiba took one step back.
The wind howled in fury and gave chase as he vanished, his running feet leaving it far behind.
Musashi's eyes brightened and her smile widened as she found herself suddenly in the eye of the storm.
"This is gonna be awesome."
"Waa!" She cried out as the world flipped itself upside down, and herself with it.
With a puff of air, Asia landed on her back, though in the back of her mind she noted that the hands upon her collar had pulled upwards at the last second to reduce the impact.
Nightingale was kind like that, even when she was being scary and her pretty red eyes cut like pretty red scalpels.
But Nightingale had been very clear about why she shouldn't hesitate, and so Asia reached past the woman's wrists and slammed her hands into Nightingale's elbows, unbalancing the taller woman and pitching her forward, towards where Asia lay.
At the same time, Asia brought her feet up and planted them on Nightingale's surprisingly solid midsection, and in one almost smooth roll, flipped the nurse over top of her and into the air.
Continuing the roll, Asia twisted, ready to-
Nightingale bopped her gently on the nose with one finger, and chuckled as the little Bishop stared at said finger cross eyed.
"Much better, Asia." She said with a warm smile. "But remember that the distance you can throw someone is crossed all too quickly, so unless you're confident they'll land poorly, it's better to keep a grip on them if you can."
"O-okay!"
She froze as Nightingale's eyes turned cold without warning, and the woman barked out "injured patient, multiple fractures in right arm!"
While Asia was busy jumping out of her skin, the pink-haired woman gripped her own right arm with her left and squeezed.
A dull, wet crunch filled the air.
Tiamat ducked, actually ducked in her natural form as a sleek grey missile went sailing between her horns at a dreadful speed, trailing death and smoke in its wake.
Her ducking put her head in reach of the small phalanx of pikes that sprouted from the earth like iron weeds, and she winced and snorted as several impacted her snout, scraping awfully against her scales but thankfully not piercing.
Throughout that exchange, she hadn't even seen the Soldier, but she had seen enough to make her assessment.
She was not battling a single individual, she was battling an army.
A ruthless, faceless army, all moving in expert coordination using the body of a single boy as their medium.
This was no longer a sparring match, a training exercise, or even a duel.
This was a War.
Dancing upon a steel gale, Nothingness and Paradox clashed.
A Heavenly Flower, stepping in tune to the lullaby of Demons and the dirge of Angels.
Like stars falling from the sky, the swords of Paradox rained upon Nothingness again and again.
And forever did Nothingness remain just out of reach.
To reach Nothingness with simple blades is impossible.
But it is within impossibility that Paradox exists.
No matter how strong the breeze, every petal that dances upon it must one day fall to the earth.
And thus, the Heavenly Flower found herself pinned to the earth as Paradox crossed the blades in her very hands against her throat.
And the Paradox smiled his charming smile and whispered; "Caught you."
Nothingness slipped away, and left behind only Musashi in its place, and so she could only whisper in return;
"Yeah, yeah you did."
"Rematch?"
"Rematch."
They'd been separated.
Something about that scared her, but…
Azazel was right.
She fought because she had to, because she thought that's what was expected of her.
She'd struggled, bled, killed -murdered- because if she didn't, they would not need her.
If she didn't do what they wanted her to do, they would leave her all alone.
… She felt sick.
She should know better.
She did know better.
'Hey,( )?'
That it wasn't true.
'I really had a lot of fun today.'
That she was Loved.
'So could I ask you a little favor?'
That they would accept her, cherish her, protect her and even...
'Would you die for me?'
Even if she'd those words so many times that they'd turned into her scars.
'Well... too bad!'
But scars heal, and words you say again and again can change.
'Because I'll never give you that chance.'
Now, Raynare could say, with a smile upon her face;
'Because long before you could ever die for me, I'll have died for you.'
Of course, it wasn't as if she was planning on dying.
Raynare had fought and killed in the name of Fear.
She could fight far, far harder in the name of Love.
And if she had to kill for that Love, well…
Power surged, and he couldn't help but smile as one of the little fledglings spread new wings.
Power surged and washed over them in a wave, and he couldn't help but smile as the chill of the heavy rain became a distant memory.
It was a warm thing, the power of that little bird.
It was a gentle thing, better suited to protecting than harming.
… But he just knew that it was only gentle, only kind, when allowed to be.
Azazel knew better than anyone realized, how cruel one could be in the name of Love.
And speaking of cruel, well…
"You can feel it, can't you?" He asked as she pulled herself once more from the ground. "Raynare has found her wings. Right now, she's stronger than you are."
He gave a careless shrug, but inwardly, he was all self-mocking humor; wondering when exactly faking had gotten so easy?
"Now, even I know well enough that it's not like you'll get abandoned, or even looked down upon if you can't do the same, if you can't push past what's holding you back."
She made it to her feet, and braced herself once more.
He'd lost count of how many times he'd smacked her into the dirt, but it was necessary, and Azazel could do far, far worse if he thought it was 'necessary'.
"But that's not the problem, now is it?" He whispered, and his voice carried over the sound of the rain, because there was Power in his voice. "The problem is that you're not strong enough to protect your students."
She sucked in her breath and went very, very still.
"So tell me, Kalawarner."
And so he said something should never be said, because it was necessary.
"How many more of your students will you let die before you stop holding back?"
It was faint, at first.
The dull patter of the rain gave way to a faint, steady hiss of steam, as even water itself burned and gave way before Light.
A deep, shuddering breath was taken in, and released as a scream of fury.
Then he was catching the fist that Kalawarner swung with all her Wrath behind it.
A single fist that left behind only silence in its wake.
He stared calmly as Wrath bled away into dry earth, leaving behind only a Sorrow that had never healed.
He released her fist as she sank to her knees, and watched in silence as six wings unfurled as if to shield her from that Sorrow, and the rain that once more fell from a sky without sympathy.
"... My job really sucks, sometimes."
The sky held no sympathy for him, either, and so the sound of his voice was lost amidst the rain.
Raynare was overjoyed.
She had done it, she had done it!
Her wings, her wings, Kala was gonna be so proud-!
… It didn't matter at all, Raynare decided.
It was meaningless, because Kala was sitting, no not sitting, huddled on the bed.
Kalawarner was hurting.
And nothing else had the tiniest bit of importance in the face of doing everything she possibly could to make that hurt go away.
Without saying a word, Raynare crawled up onto the bed, beside the huddling figure that, for probably the first time in her life, didn't notice Raynare at all.
Raynare crawled up beside her, and wrapped her arms around the shivering figure of the woman she loved.
Raynare's embracing arms were mirrored by the feathery pinions that sprouted from her back, and, within the comforting darkness of four pitch-black wings, Kalawarner let herself break apart the tender silence that followed.
Grayfia let out a quiet sigh, bracing herself.
"Akeno."
"Yes, Grayfia-san?" Inwardly, she cringed at the innocently curious look on the younger Queen's face.
"There is only one person who can teach you to wield the Holy Lightning that is your birthright, and that person is not me." She began, taking refuge behind a formal tone (which she did more often then she cared to admit). "I'm aware that it is a tall order, but if you wish to master it, then you must consider-"
She was not surprised to be cut off.
Calling her a relationship with her father a sore spot was a drastic understatement, where Akeno was involved.
Grayfia was prepared for anger, for that poisonous hatred that would sting anyone who got close.
Grayfia was prepared for the feeling of guilt that would follow the flicker of pain in those violet eyes.
She was not however, prepared for Akeno to flush with embarrassment, laugh awkwardly, and avert her eyes while rubbing her head.
"... Akeno?"
"W-well you see, I may have, well, Grayfia, you see I might have… a little?"
"... Pardon me? I didn't quite catch-"
Without meeting her eyes, Akeno snapped her fingers and flicked her wrist, and golden sparks danced around her hand.
Grayfia's eyes went wide as the instinctive part of her shivered, the kind of shiver that every Devil instinctively made in the presence of the divine, of the Holy.
Akeno gave another awkward little laugh and kept her eyes anywhere but Grayfia.
Their... how many? What day was it?
Their… current, he'd go with current… their current spar was interrupted by the growling of a beast, and the pretty blush upon her cheeks.
Kiba blinked at her, once, twice.
His vision began to shake, and she puffed out her cheeks at him.
Kiba Yuuto threw back his head and laughed and laughed because he was just overflowing with so much joy that he couldn't stand it.
He was just having so much fun!
"H-Hey! Don't laugh at me, getting hungry when you work hard is normal!" Musashi protested with a stomp of her foot, the blade in the shape of a woman vanishing in favor of an appetite in the shape of a woman. "See how much I wanna spar if you just bully me all the time!"
Between his laughter, the breathless Kiba managed to force out; "Will you forgive me if I make you lunch?"
"You bet I will- h-hey! That's not the point, d-don't laugh when I'm mad at you!"
It should come as no surprise how well he was able to obey that command.
Or that Musashi wasn't mad at him, because she couldn't be mad at anyone making so beautiful a sound.
"... Yuuji told me he didn't think he had any right to help." Akeno quietly admitted, splashing her bare feet in the cool waters of the lake.
Grayfia, sitting beside her with her own shapely bare legs dipped into the water, kept her silence, allowing the troubled girl to speak in her own time.
"He said that… it would be wrong of him to try and tell me to reconcile with my… with that man." Akeno muttered. "Not when he… he said, that if he had another chance with his father, if he had a hundred, a thousand extra chances that… that nothing would change. He said there were some things he would never forgive, no matter what. That sometimes, there's a line we cross that we can never step back across."
"... And have you and… that man, crossed that line?"
"... I don't know, Grayfia. I want… I just want Mother back. I just want my… my family back. But it's never going to happen, it's never going to go back to the way things were, no matter what I do." Akeno drew her legs up against herself and wrapped her arms around them. "And everytime I think about how I want my old family back, I feel like I'm trampling on the memories I've made with my new one. I just… I just don't know, Grayfia."
Quietly, the Gremory maid slid closer to the shivering figure at her side, and wrapped her arms around her.
Akeno leaned against her chest, and the poor girl had never quite seemed so small to Grayfia.
"It was easy, you know? I'd never, I'd never once tried to use that power, since the day that Mother… I just reached for it, and it was at my fingertips as if it had never left. A power I'd never used, a power I'd rejected, hated with all my heart just… welcomed me back like none of that had ever happened."
Grayfia's only response was to rub slow, calming circles against that slim back.
"And I… I couldn't help but wonder that, that if I… If I tried the same with…? Maybe, maybe it would be just the same… that maybe the problem all along was me."
She didn't know what to tell her. There were some questions with no easy answer.
"I… I wish I could tell you it gets easier, Akeno." Grayfia whispered. "That you are more than your pain. But that will never become true unless you're willing to believe it."
They were more than their pain.
Akeno was more than her pain.
Yuuji was more than his pain.
She was…
Well, she knew that she was never going to be willing to admit it.
But maybe, just maybe... they could succeed where she had failed.
"Neh, Shirone, you know that Onee-chan would rather die than hurt you, right?"
"Yes, Nee-sama, I know."
"So, with that in mind, please, please don't make any sudden movements, and no matter how scared you might get, don't run away, okay?"
"... Okay, Nee-sama, I trust you."
"... Otherwise, no matter how much Onee-chan swears she'd never want to hurt you… I won't be able to stop myself if you do."
The last words were not the words of the loving sister, in fact, what Koneko heard weren't really words at all.
She heard a cage door being unlocked, and her precious older sister...
Throwing away the key to that cage.
"... This is it, Shirone…"
Koneko held very, very still.
"This is what makes us Nekoshou."
But…
"This is the power your Onee-chan used to kill our master… and everyone else who chased her."
But it wasn't fear that kept Toujou Koneko anchored in place, even as her sister gave a half-hearted smile and turned her back.
No, she wasn't staying still because the space between them had turned into hungry jaws and eager claws.
Not even when, with a single swipe of her dainty white arm, Kuroka clawed the forest in half.
No, what kept Koneko in place certainly wasn't fear.
"Yeah, it's just like I thought."
"... Shirone?"
It was wonder, it was adoration, because…
"Nee-sama is the prettiest, most amazing Nee-sama in the whole wide world."
...
"Nee-sama, I thought you said no sudden movements."
"Nyaa, but your Onee-chan is a selfish Onee-chan, so she's removing that rule as long as it's for Shirone-cuddles."
"Oh, that's fine then."
After all, her Nee-sama was the gentlest Nee-sama in the whole wide world, too.
And there was no such thing as too many Nee-sama cuddles.
Night fell, and the quiet light of a subterranean moon fell upon a lonely battlefield, and the strange figures that remained at its center.
There, a dragon in the shape of a woman sat calmly upon the scarred earth, and with one hand, calmed and comforted the slumbering shadows in the shape of a beast.
With her other, she gently ran her fingers through the hair of the shape slumbering upon her lap; the war that had taken the shape of a boy.
Heard by only the night wind, simple words of comfort chased away the lingering violence upon the breeze.
"Rest well, brave ones. Even if only for one night, know peace beneath the shadow of my wings."
It was dark when Kalawarner opened her eyes.
Well, it was less that it was dark, so much as Raynare had fallen asleep with her wings wrapped around the two of them, like some feathery cocoon.
She… didn't remember much, other than-
failedthemfailedthemDIEDBECAUSEOFYOU-!
Her hand clasped itself over her mouth to muffle the sharp gasp that tore from her lips, but it was too late.
Raynare heard, but of course she did.
She never could hide from her pain from Raynare, not unless she buried it deep beneath the surface.
"... Kala?" Raynare blinked sleepily.
"... Sorry, Raynare. I'm alright now."
"No you're not." The half-asleep Raynare bluntly refuted, before hugging her more tightly, one slender hand tangled gently into a river of deep blue hair.
"But that's fine… I'm here for you, Kalawarner…" A yawn. "I won't let you be alone."
"... Thank you, Raynare."
"S'no problem… after all you…" The yawn was bigger this time, rippling through that slender body and making her wings rustle. "Saved… me."
Drifting once more into slumber, a smile still stretched across Raynare's lips as the figure in her arms chuckled.
"Is that so?" And the smile widened further when a pair of warm lips pressed briefly against it.
"Funny, I remember it being the other way around."
This time, when her eyelids grew heavy and sleep found Kalawarner once more…
The nightmares didn't.
A bright morning sun fell upon one of the numerous sites of carnage that had spread across Gremory lands over the last several days.
Though, just because it was a site of carnage didn't mean that said carnage was still in progress.
"No no, Kiba-chi! Not like that, you need more 'fwoosh'!"
"... More 'fwoosh'?"
"Yeah, you know what I mean!"
"Actually I do… The madness must be spreading."
"Yep, yep, the madness is- Hey! Kiba-chi! What's that supposed to mean!?"
"Nothing, nothing hehe!"
"... That's no fair, Kiba-chi."
"... What isn't?"
"I can't stay mad at you when you, you know… laugh like..."
"... No? Sorry, I don't know what you mean at all?"
"... Agh! Cute oblivious boys are the worst!"
"..."
"... Shut up, stupid handsome. I'll fight you."
"I was hoping for that, actually."
"... Me too."
"How are your studies coming along, Suu-san? Any questions?" Nightingale asked after entering the small shed she'd appropriated as a classroom.
… It was a small shed by Gremory standards, meaning that it was a little larger than an actual Japanese classroom.
"No, I think I understand, now… solid creatures are needlessly complicated, aren't they?" Suu remarked from the desk she was sitting in.
Well, had been sitting in, even though she had enough mana to be Kalawarner sized, if her attention wandered, Suu could end up in her current situation if she was too focused elsewhere;
Sitting around her seat rather than on top of it.
"Yes, I suppose we are." Nightingale allowed with a smile. "But the better you understand a patient, the better you will be able to help them."
"Yeah, I think I'll be able to at least point out what part of a person isn't working properly. It's convenient that Devil, Angel and human anatomy is almost identical, save for the wings and the mana circuits."
"Indeed. Oh, and before you ask, Asia is performing field surgery on one of the Anatomy Dolls."
"Surgery? Is that really necessary with Twilight Healing?" Suu couldn't help but wonder.
"Twilight Healing can shortcut many processes, but the better she understands a treatment, the more efficiently she can utilize her Sacred Gear." Nightingale explained. "If you think of the energy required as 'material', then it's the difference between using stitches for a wound, rather than wrapping bandages around it."
"Oh, that makes sense."
"Of course, even if I can improve her information retention, it isn't as if I can turn Asia into a licensed medical practitioner in under a week, especially with combat training involved. There aren't enough hours in a week for much more than a basic first aid certification. I can, however, teach her to more efficiently scan a body for abnormalities with magic, and the strictly physical aspect of applying stitches is not especially complicated."
Nightingale chuckled.
"After all, Twilight Healing alone means that her ability to address bodily trauma already outstrips my own in ease of application." Nightingale admitted frankly. "At this point, it's more important for Asia to be able to apply her power under duress. So in all honesty, the most practical aspect of her current lesson is that it's less stressful an exercise than some of what I've put her through."
Suu considered the Hero's words for a moment, before smiling happily and nodding.
"I understand."
"Good." Nightingale nodded back, missing the air of mischief about the Mana-slime.
"Yep, it's no wonder Asia has such a massive crush on you."
"... That's what you got out of that?"
"You know, Asia has met actual Angels." Suu continued, as if she hadn't heard. "She's even met Seraphs like Gabriel and Michael, and she still compares you to an Angel all the time. Talk about Hero worship."
"... An Angel? What a silly thing to say." Nightingale muttered. "Would an Angel put her through exercises deliberately designed to traumatize her?"
"Asia seems to think you were preparing her for if things got really bad."
"That's…"
"That's why she calls you an Angel." Suu said firmly.
"... Honestly, what a silly thing to say." Nightingale whispered. "Such a silly girl."
Suu smiled, because the tender expression on the woman's face told her that she meant that in the best possible way.
"Yeah… Asia's silly like that… such a silly, wonderful girl."
After all, she...
"Asia."
"Hmm? Yes, Suu what is it?"
"Can we talk, please?"
"Of course."
"Mana first please. Need to be… smarter."
…
"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?"
"Well, you know… what I am, right?"
"A Mana-slime?"
"And you know I need to… 'eat' magic to live, right?"
"Yep!"
"W-well, you know how a lot of supernatural… you know how Devils, and Fallen Angels and the like, they're kind of all magic?"
"Yes?"
"... What would you say if you found out that I… well, I…"
Asia gave a knowing nod.
"Oh I get it!" She declared, and Suu gave a rippling flinch at the sudden outburst. "Basically, you're nervous because you think I don't know that sometimes you eat people."
"Yes! That's exactly it, I-"
Suu went completely, utterly still.
"You… know?"
"Ever since the Fallen Angels attacked the dorm, yes." Asia confirmed.
"... How?"
"The Familiar Bond?" Asia pointed out, as if it were completely normal. "I feel what you feel, Suu. I can feel hunger growing and then vanishing, and I dream of things you dream about."
"... Then, did you… did you see?" Suu knew very well that she could be cruel.
But not to Asia.
Never to Asia.
"Kind of, yeah."
"... And it… doesn't bother you?"
"Well, do you go out and murder and eat innocent people?"
"N-no! Of course not, I've only ever eaten those we've-"
"Fought, right?"
"... Yes? W-well I mean, I ambushed a couple witches-"
"Witches who attacked the peace conference, and on your way to rescue Gasper."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes, but… Asia, why doesn't it...? I mean, I eat people."
"Suu." Asia cut her off firmly.
"Y-yes!?"
"You know that I'm weak, right?"
"You're not weak, Asia!" Suu protested. "You're just kind, and gentle, and-"
"Incapable of defending myself."
"..."
Asia smiled.
"I know I can be a burden, Suu." Asia cut her off with an outstretched hand when Suu made to protest. "It's true, in a fight I'm just a liability. I know I'm useful after a fight, but not nearly as much during one."
"... But, but that's…"
"Which means that I'm not going to judge you for your methods." Asia told her. "Honestly, the thing I worry about most about you is if you'll get sick from eating too many nasty feelings."
"..."
There were arms around her.
Warm and kind and accepting.
… Asia really wasn't fair at all, was she?
"And well, I think I'd try to stop you from doing anything really nasty… but only because I don't want to see you like that."
… She didn't understand.
Asia was kind, and gentle, and accepting, while she wasn't kind, nor gentle, nor accepting.
And yet…
"You're really, not afraid of me?"
"Never, Suu."
"... You really are too good for me, Asia."
"Funny, I was going to say the same, Suu."
… What had she really expected? Asia was the kindest, most gentle girl in all the world.
Even if she didn't know it.
"She's stronger than she thinks she is, you know?"
"I've seen it, yes."
"Not only that, but she's far more used to the ugly side of the world than she lets on."
"But isn't that part of what makes her so special, Suu-san?"
"Yeah, it is." Suu smiled fondly. " It means Asia's kindness isn't a fragile thing."
It was the middle of the day when they woke up, she'd have to guess.
Seems Azazel was giving them a break.
… She'd have to apologize to him.
He had been cruel, it was true, but she was certain that he hadn't been cruel without reason.
He had forced her to confront what held her back by playing the victim.
Well, it wasn't as if she wasn't angry at him anyways, she wasn't that magnanimous, but it wouldn't serve to cause any friction between them.
More importantly, though…
A cute little yawn drifted from Raynare's lips as her long eyelashes fluttered open.
Their eyes met, carefully, warmly assuring themselves of the other's well-being.
Kalawarner gave a throaty chuckle as Raynare's eyes opened fully, accompanied by a luminous flush upon her cheeks, and a sensual wriggle of her slender body.
"K-Kala… don't laugh, it's totally not my fault!"
"You mean it's not your fault that you woke up horny?" Kalawarner guessed innocently.
"Right! I've got extra wings so there's more of me, and you know it's hard to tell the two apart!"
Kalawarner gave a slow blink, a teasing smile on her face as she kept up the act.
"Tell what apart?"
"Kalaaa! You know what I mean!" Raynare whined. "If there's Love and Lust, they get all tangled up!"
As an Angel of Love who fell due to Lust, those emotions were often heavily intertwined; in Raynare's case, if she'd shared both love and lust with someone, the emotions became practically synonymous.
And her and Raynare had shared a lot of both with one another.
Not wanting to take the teasing too far, even if Raynare was adorable when she was pouty, Kalawarner responded by pressing her lips strongly against Raynare's. Those lovely violet eyes shot wide open with surprise, but soon grew heavy-lidded with bliss as she deepened the kiss with a pleased moan.
A rustle of feathers as… someone's wings receded out of the way, and Kalawarner rolled on top of her giddy lover as she took control of the kiss; gently forcing Raynare's lips open with her tongue and slipping inside her mouth to explore.
A shared jolt of pleasure coursed through them as Raynare rocked her body against her own, hooking one of her long legs around the wide curve of Kalawarner's hip and forcing them closer together.
In response, Kalawarner broke the kiss, Raynare's noise of protest turning into a sweet gasp as Kalawarner's lips latched onto the side of her slim neck in a wet, sucking kiss that sent a shudder coursing through the girl's body.
As she did that, her hands slid beneath the short hem of Raynare's nightie, whispering along the supple curves of Raynare's body as she pushed the garment higher and higher, Raynare eagerly moving with her to facilitate being stripped.
Left in nothing but clinging pink panties, the heave and jiggle of Raynare's perky breasts was on full display as the taller woman sat up, straddling her and gazing down upon her with a warm, sultry smirk.
Gently, Kalawarner took Raynare's hands in her own, pulling her into a sitting position before guiding her hands beneath the hem of the sheer fabric that barely concealed her own shapely form, playfully swaying her hips in slow circles as Raynare undressed her.
Kalawarner tilted her head back slightly, a heady gasp spilling from her lips as soft palms rubbed against the stiffening crowns of her breasts, lifting her swaying arms above her head as her clothing was slipped over her head, abundant cleavage bouncing free of its confines.
Now both clad in nothing but the small bits of lace that concealed their already wet and eager womanhoods, the two Fallen Angels wrapped their arms lovingly about one another, naked tits squishing and contorting delightfully as they molded together and melted into another sloppy, passionate lip-lock.
A note of surprise rippled through their joint lips as Raynare pushed against Kalawarner, tipping her onto her back and draping herself across the taller woman, and, gliding her hands around the toned, soft lengths of Kalawarner's arms, Raynare pinned her wrists to the bed.
Raynare broke the kiss with a playful smirk at the way Kalawarner's cheeks colored from the surprising but arousing act of dominance, and slowly brought her lips back down.
This time, rather than kiss Kalawarner on the lips, Raynare began to slowly work her way down her blissfully writhing body; leaving a tingling trail of kisses across the slender curve of her throat, tracing a delicate collarbone, before Raynar came to a stop, warm breath washing across the expanse of her pillowy tits as they gently rose and fell with each ragged, husky breath.
Hazy with lust, Kalawarner lifted her gaze from the bed to meet Raynare's intent stare, and that's when Raynare lowered her head once again, circling one nipple at a time with her pink tongue, eyes never leaving those of her lover's.
With a low moan, Kalawarner arched her back, pushing her breasts upwards towards her lover's nimble tongue, and Raynare indulged her with a low giggle, lapping at each nipple a few times before offering each a quick, sucking kiss that caused Kalawarner's legs to jerk beneath her.
Raynare's warm saliva cooling slowly against her quivering breasts, Kalawarner gasped as warm lips moved down to her toned midriff, and rather than work her way down, Raynare pushed her body further down the bed and then brought her tongue up, tracing the center crease of Kalawarner's abs.
By the time she'd moved on and reached her intended destination, those sexy long legs had fallen open defenselessly, leaving Kalawarner's drenched slit very much exposed. Despite being supposedly covered by a bit of lacy blue string, Kala was so wet that it stuck to her closely enough to look painted on.
Even better, the string ties meant they were easily removed, and Kala jerked a little as she suddenly found herself fully revealed to the bedroom air.
Gently pressing her hands onto Kalawarner's toned inner thighs and leaning in, Raynare offered another deep, wet kiss, and Kalawarner gave an incoherent moan as said kiss led to Raynare's tongue probing inside her, eagerly caressing her slick vaginal folds.
Gasping as her young lover explored her inner walls, Kalawarner reached down between her legs, gently gripping the back of Raynare's head as if to keep her in place.
This ended with Raynare's name bursting from her lips in a stuttering scream; the dark-haired Fallen had giggled, and Kalawarner in turn had felt more than heard the playful sound.
Grinding her hips gently against Raynare's lovely face that was becoming rapidly stained with her juices, Kalawarner shamelessly surrendered control of her voice as her walls began to clench and shudder around that hot, teasing tongue.
As the heat began to build, Kalawarner's hands moved to her sides, gripping tight fistfuls of the sheets as her lover deftly led her on towards ecstasy.
Knowing exactly where her partner was at, Raynare replaced her tongue with two fingers pumping in and out, and gently moved her lips towards Kalawarner's now exposed clit.
Carefully clasping the sensitive little nub between her lips, Raynare sucked lightly on it, humming happily as Kalawarner was brought to completion with a delirious scream of bliss.
Raynare lapped happily at the flood of nectar that accompanied that shuddering orgasm, and soon crawled on top of her quivering, breathless partner.
Kalawarner readily wrapped her arms around the slender form atop her, and their lips met and their tongues entwined, moaning into each other's mouths as they shared the taste of Kalawarner's arousal.
When they broke for air, a giggling Raynare playful touched noses with a silly little grin on her face, prompting a cheery chuckle from her blue-haired lover.
Without a single word exchanged, the control of the love-making is passed over, and Raynare soon found herself with her butt on the edge of the bed, her legs hooked over strong but slim shoulders, and her own nether lips being kissed and suckled at with the same skill and affection she had previously demonstrated.
She'd been wet enough before her turn; Kalawarner peeling her panties off without using her hands had Raynare nearly panting with anticipation.
That was where events began to diverge, though; reaching around the thighs currently framing her head, Kalawarner held out her hands towards Raynare, even as her tongue continued to vigorously thrust in and out of her lover's tight slit.
Raynare managed to reach out and take Kalawarner's hands with only a hint of a tremble to her limbs, but couldn't contain the enthusiastic shriek of surprise as Kalawarner pulled her up into a sitting position.
… Because in that same motion, Kalawarner had risen from her knees and stood up straight without the slightest hint of effort; meaning that Raynare's current perch was high atop Kalawarner's shoulders.
Kalawarner turning from the bed and walking blindly into the room didn't make Raynare nervous in the slightest; she trusted Kala, and knew full well that Kalawarner could maneuver a familiar room blindfolded, even without an obvious landmark to start from like the bed.
Releasing Raynare's hands, Kalawarner gripped her thighs and pressed her back gently against the wall.
Raynare rocked her body against it as Kalawarner's tongue mapped out her womanhood, not the slightest bit of fear that any sudden movements would destabilize Kalawarner's firm grip.
Raynare liked to keep her touches light and teasing; sweeping up her partner in a playful sort of rhythm that they couldn't help but enjoy. Kalawarner on the other hands was more firm and methodical; forceful at times, but gently so, one could always feel that no matter what she did, the utmost care and attentiveness would follow.
… In other words, Raynare could and would wax romantic about comparing her and Kala's techniques when they ate each other out.
That was what it meant to be a Fallen Angel of Love…
Kinky romance and-
"K-Kala!?" Her next words came out in an undignified half-shriek, Kalawarner had shifted her hands yet again, cupping her ass from below and slowly, languidly squeezing and loosening her grip, finger sinking into Raynare's pert rear.
At the same time, Kalawarner's tongue hovered just above her clit, allowing little dribbles of warm saliva to drip onto the twitching nub.
Raynare's trembling thighs had clamped onto the side of her head, and so Kalawarner loosened the grip just a bit by giving another firm squeeze of that cute butt, and lifted her smoldering hazel eyes to meet those hazy violet orbs.
Creating just a bit of space between them, Kalawarner wet her lips and planted a sloppy, sucking kiss against Raynare's clit, moaning in delight as Raynare came unwound with a strangled gasp and hot, womanly nectar splattered down onto her tits.
Kalawarner deftly lowered Raynare to the ground, and supported her still quivering legs by molding against the smaller woman and pressing her firmly to the wall.
It wasn't long before Raynare's legs were hooked around her hips and her slender fingers tangled in her hair as they gasped and purred into each other's mouths, grinding their naked bodies against one another as their joined bodies melted into ecstasy.
Demonic Steel tore the air asunder as it howled in towards its target, and twin nameless blades rose and crossed to intercept.
Kiba stumbled and staggered, bewilderment giving way to a flash of panic as his blade cleaved through without the slightest hint of resistance.
He whirled, to find Musashi still in her blocking position, and-
Flickering and stuttering at the edges, like static on a tv screen.
"... Musashi-san?" He called out hesitantly.
Musashi lowered her blades and sheathed them with a sigh, and the flickering stopped.
"Damn, I was hoping I'd get to stay longer." She complained softly as she turned his way.
Musashi had explained that, according to a 'Magus' she'd met during her travels, that she was 'unanchored'; she was born in a time and place that no longer existed, and rather than vanishing with it, she'd been ejected from it.
This meant that she constantly found herself wandering through timelines not her own, with no guarantee of where or even when she'd turn up next.
She'd insisted her luck was pretty good though; the odds weren't bad for her to pop out somewhere that she couldn't survive, like the bottom of the ocean or on an Earth no longer able to sustain life.
"... So this is goodbye, huh?" Kiba said, letting his sword disperse upon the wind.
"W-well, only maybe?" Musashi said, fidgeting a bit as her form flickered once more.
Kiba raised an eyebrow.
"I've been to some places more than once, just need to… y'know… have something to draw me back?"
"Like a memento?" Kiba asked, more eagerly than he'd meant to.
"Yeah! Like a memento!" Musashi said, just as eagerly.
"... Does it still work if you're the one carrying it?" He asked, slowly.
"... Yeah." Musashi said. "At least, that's what those guys at Chaldea said."
Mentally filing away the unfamiliar word, Kiba pressed a hand against his chest.
He didn't know he could do this, until he'd wanted to give her something to hold onto.
… Hehe, she was flickering again.
Not even enough time to tell her anything, beyond that it was one of the things that had made Kiba Yuuto.
A little dull blue crystal, slightly jagged and faintly warm.
He dropped it into her palm, and closed that dainty hand of hers around it.
Musashi stared down at her tightly closed fist with wonder in her eyes.
A hint of color came to her pale and lovely cheeks, and she muttered;
"Y-yeah… that will… that will work." She lifted her head and gave him a bright, beaming smile that forcefully shoved away the melancholy in her eyes. "See you when I see you, Kiba-chi!"
He didn't answer with words, and that strange, beautiful flower wilted in his arms as he pressed his lips against her own.
She lifted her arms to return the embrace, and then she was gone, leaving a lone Knight standing amidst the torn earth that marked their time together.
A bitter, languid sigh was lost upon the wind.
"Yeah, see you when I see you, Musashi."
A quiet knock at the study door, before it was gently eased open.
Putting her book down, Rias turned, one eyebrow quirked in curiosity.
There, timidly peering around the door, was Koneko.
"Oh, hello there Koneko." She smiled fondly, beckoning her into the room with one hand. "Would you like to come in?"
"... Sure I'm not bothering you?"
"You never do." Came the immediate reply and, somewhat reassured, Koneko slipped into the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
Pushing her chair out from the desk, Rias turned to face her cute little Rook fully, giving her her full attention.
"Would you like to come sit?"
After a brief pause, Koneko shook her head.
"... It's okay, Koneko." Rias said softly, after a while. "Whatever it is you want to say, take your time. There's no rush, okay?"
A pang of concern flashed through her as, rather than be reassured, Koneko fidgeted guiltily, looking down at her feet.
"... Even if I've been keeping… keeping secrets?"
"As long as you're okay."
When Koneko tried, and failed several times to speak up, Rias shifted the topic and gently asked;
"Has it been nice, spending almost an entire week with your sister?"
Koneko stiffened for the briefest of instants, but Rias found herself both internally sighing in relief and jumping for joy as a shy, happy smile bloomed across the small girl's face.
"Yeah, it's been… yeah."
"... I'm happy for you, Koneko." Rias warmly replied, reading between the lines with the ease of long practice. "How has the training gone? While I'm sure your sister would have firm words about it if you did, I hope you're not pushing yourself too hard."
"I'm fine, Rias-nee-san." Koneko rolled her eyes, a tiny grin on her lips.
Rias chuckled easily, genuinely happy, and knowing that, any second now-
Koneko took a deep breath, and it was Rias' turn to inhale sharply as, for the first time in two years and… eight months, Koneko put her heritage on full display.
Her small human-like ears were replaced with the furry white ears of a cat, and a slim, soft furred tail swished in the air behind her as Koneko revealed her Nekoshou features.
Except that…
The black patterns, no, the stripes were new.
Tracing vertically in her hair, and horizontally in the fur of her ears and tails.
Rias could say with absolute confidence that the last time Koneko had showed her true appearance…
It hadn't been that of a white tiger.
And it hadn't made the air around them feel like fangs at her neck.
… But it wasn't important.
Rias strode through the hungry air as if on a garden stroll, and knelt before the little figure before her, utterly still save for nervously swishing tail.
Koneko shivered a bit, but didn't pull away as Rias wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close.
"You've been working hard, haven't you?" And that soft whisper melted the tension from the air. "Well done, Koneko."
Slowly, those thin arms, so little, yet so strong, lifted and returned the hug.
"... Sorry for not telling you sooner."
"I forgive you." Rias replied. "And more importantly…"
One hand raised itself and began to gently stroke that black-striped hair.
"I'm so very proud of you, Koneko."
Seems like a good place to end off for now, start the chapter with the mother-fucking Juggernaut Drive and end with proud Mama Rias.
Told you it was a busy chapter.
Wasn't planning to have any lemons in this chapter, but the last time Raynare was involved in a lemon that wasn't planned either, so you know how that worked out.
Next chapter will be more of the 'why' behind Raynare and Kalawarner moving up in the ranks, didn't want to bog things down too much with exposition.
And, you know, why Kalawarner can punch hard enough to change weather patterns.
That, and I needed space in the word count for sword fights.
Speaking of sword fights, now that the reveal is out, yes, that's Musashi from Fate Grand Order, joining Nightingale from the same series.
Because Type/Moon characters are hella easy to borrow, and I love that shit to begin with.
I suppose I'll eventually get into details about the whole Nekoshou thing, but I imagine a few of you have figured out what mythic source I'm drawing the supernatural white tiger from.
Friendly reminder that I appreciate every review and make it a habit to reply as quickly as possible, but the notifications never seem to work, so if you've sent me a review, check your inbox!