Betaed by DarkLord331. Major thanks to him for his work, man's an absolute hero.
Beta note: I'm glad to be here
He saw her again, the eldar woman, listened to the sound of her voice, a hum that cascaded through the imagined surroundings of trees like a songbird through a mountain pass. It was dazzling and enchanting, a testament of the ages that took on a certain divinity as a thin outline of gold radiated around her. He guessed it was a reflection of the happiness within her, to be free of an unending nightmare but briefly.
To see him. The thought brought a smile to his face, an actual god delighted to spend time with some lowly mortal. If he were a bard, that would make one hell of a song.
Seizing his hand, she led him through the conjured scapes within their dream, her lithe grace a stark contrast to his left footed stumbling forward. She laughed as he tried to keep up the pace with her, a sound almost like that of a silver bell ringing.
In moments, they were before a pool amongst a crag of rocks, regarding its depths and the fish which swirled within. He knew none of them, they were distinctly alien and almost profound, and with her sage wisdom she identified each. With each pointed out, they seemed to glow and for her, she found new beauty in them through the eyes of the perplexed human.
He knew not how long he looked upon these things nor when he found himself resting with his head upon her lap and her hands running through his hair.
She continued to sing for him in a language he did not know. It was kind to the ears, enthralling him in an embrace as sweet as any physically experienced. With words a world could be created, with words, life promulgated.
In return, he told her of his life. His home and family, his friends, his life, everything he could till nothing left his lips and he only communed with her mentally. To feel her presence in his mind was a unique experience, feeling the warmth of her kindness as she gazed at him with those eternal eyes.
Her smiles filled his heart with courage, her tears the resolve to protect though he knew she far outclassed him.
The dream was ending, now, he knew it, and felt the edges of his conscience begin to fade from this place. He was returning to his time, the time before, but he did not want to leave, not yet. He desired a moment longer.
She watched him fade from her, grim acceptance written upon her face, reminded of the separation.
"One day," he spoke, his hand upon her cheek.
"One day," she answered back.
And then he was gone. The cruel laughter returned to his mind.
===line break===
Issei awoke groggily, feeling more tired than restored, staring into the nothingness of his ceiling as the gray early morning light streaked into his room. Sight was the only sense he currently had, and even that was extremely hampered. The vestiges of sleep still rested upon the edges of his vision and the ceiling remained as uninteresting as before, if not more blurry now. Maybe he should put a poster there from Battlemace 400k? Wait, he had too many of those as is, perhaps The Boys or Better Call Saul would be a better substitute. Tough choice though–Billy Butcher and his bundle of misfits or the smooth talking king Saul Goodman/Slippin Jimmy.
Sighing to himself, and resolved to go through his stuff later that day to fulfill this new goal, the Arch-Sorcerer's apprentice attempted to pry himself from his sheets and join the living only to be stopped by the feeling of a warm weight resting upon his chest.
Oh…
He had forgotten he had a new roommate. And that said roommate slept in the same bed as him, currently fully submerged beneath the sheets.
He pulled the covers up a tiny smidge as gently as he could, turning an all too common red as he came across Asia Argento using him as her pillow. Her head and disheveled blonde hair sprawled itself across his chest whilst the rest of her body was locked to his waist. Her grip was as strong as steel.
It was really cute, especially coupled with her light exhale of breath, which was a borderline moan.
The problem only got arguably worse (or better depending on perspective) when she nuzzled her head further into him, slightly readjusting her position so she was fully upon his lap.
Issei gulped, he needed to get out now before one thing led to another and the embarrassment levels went nuclear. What would Asia think if THAT sort of thing happened, like he saw in the occasional cringey anime?
But what was he actually supposed to do? Well, get out of bed, obviously, but how? It wasn't like he could just extract himself from her clutches and scramble away like a thief in the night. She would wake up and that was bad because…
He didn't have an actual reason why that was bad other than her being awake at his supposedly ungodly early hour (according to Gabriel at least).
He shook his head. He really needed to stop getting lost in the weeds of his mind, he had a very pressing matter on top of him currently and many things to do later that day, along the lines of training with one of his supernatural buddies, as well as dealing with the devil.
With no other alternative presenting itself, Issei had to bite the bullet and force his way from the bed and a sleeping's nun's grasp, practically crawling from her clutches onto the floor and towards freedom.
He only stopped when he heard her call his name.
"Issei-san. What are you doing?"
He cast a glance back at her, witnessing her slow rise from rest, blearily rubbing her eyes as the bedsheets draped themselves along her shoulders like a shawl. Her head tilted slightly to the side confused.
Too much…way too much innocence and cuteness embodied in her.
"Just getting on with my day…I like to uh…." he paused; how exactly should he describe his morning Enumerations without going into their metaphysical properties, "Meditate, yeah meditate in the mornings."
"Oh, that's nice" she smiled widely at him, "can I join you? I always do a morning prayer."
He thought about it for a moment. In all honesty, the company would be nice, given the whirlwind of happenings that was last night, from the revelation of the eventual Black Library heist to another dream with mysterious elf lady.
On a more self-aggrandizing side, he idly wondered how she would react the moment he started floating in the air after he began the first Enumeration. Only one way to find out.
"Sure, why not?" He offered her his hand.
Wait, why did he do that? It wasn't like he needed to do that, and that was just kind of weird to suddenly do like they were a couple or something.
Asia placed hers within his, smiling once more to him, brightly with a twinkle in her emerald eyes. Without any further words and doing his best not to do anything vaguely stupid, Issei led the way from his bedroom, trying his best not to note how closely his roommate held onto his arm.
===line break, flashback time===
"The Black Library? Umm…All I remember is that it's a library with a bunch of books in it and you can't get in because you don't have a library card. Other than that, nothing really, why do you ask?"
Ddraig chuckled at that. Ahriman, though his face remained hidden within his helmet, scowled. Issei could tell, years under his tutelage had taught him to pick up on the subtle signs of his magister's expression.
Setting aside your attempt at humor, you are relatively correct. It is the greatest collection of knowledge in existence with texts as old as the universe itself. The Arch-Sorcerer spoke, nodding to himself.
I ask you this because soon we shall attempt to enter once more.
"You failed last time, how are you, well, we going to do that? It's impossible with those psycho joker elves!"
He didn't have me last time, partner. My powers will bolster his own and those of the Rubricae he gathers. The Harlequins will not be able to handle what we will be able to dish out. The dragon spoke, solemnly with a tinge of regret in his voice, as Issei's thoughts came to a halt and whatever he was going to say died upon his lips.
"The Rubricae? But how?"
You forget that I cast the Rubric and the essence of it exists within all my brethren. They will heed my call and align themselves under our command.
"Our?"
That's right partner. Once we are done with the library, the Rubricae will be joining us permanently. They'll be yours, your guardians beyond myself and Mr. Blue Sky here.
You will not be able to hide your power forever, my apprentice. One day, people will discover it, and they will reel with fear and the notion of one so far beyond them. They will try to kill you, but to get you, they will first have to go through my brothers first.
"But, I mean, how are we even going to get there?"
That is what we shall be preparing to do in the next few months. A rift exists, connecting our realms, of which we shall exploit. Until then, your training shall go into overdrive in order to allow you to not only be capable of the journey but also capable of embodying the extraordinary amounts of power you will channel in the attack on the Library itself.
Issei was silent once more in the wake of these words, unsure how to respond to the information dump he just received. He knew from Ddraig that whatever Ahriman had to talk about would be big, but he never imagined that it would be this big.
It was unfathomable, really, and downright unbelievable, but all things considered, he supposed it was absolutely necessary what with the Chaos starting to rumble. All he could do was hope that what came next would be successful, for Lord have mercy what would happen if they failed.
"So, what's the plan, magister? How are we getting in?"
He could have sworn he heard a grim chuckle escape the space wizard, and that fact terrified him. Whatever he had planned, it could not be good, and as he came to learn, it most definitely was not.
===line break, flashback end===
Asia Argento had seen many things in her life, healed many and been a devout follower of God for as long as she could remember. She knew of the supernatural world and interacted with it; nothing she had seen so far came close to what she was witnessing.
A shimmering azure light swirled formlessly around her new friend, transparent almost to the point of being unseeable, yet bright enough to cloak him in a distinctive, magical hue.
He floated a foot off the ground in a meditative pose, his face at ease and as calm as could possibly be. In her mind, he looked like a teenage version of a Buddha statue, but easier on the eyes, and almost…kinder. She didn't know what it was that made her think that, but she knew it as fact from what she witnessed when she finished her morning prayer. There was something aethereal to it, something irrevocably true in it, like being able to see directly into the heart of a person.
Then Asia felt him, not literally but spiritually, like he was wrapping her in a spiritual hug, all encompassing down to her very core. It was mind boggling and provided a feeling of safety she had not known before. She could now literally feel the light within him, making her smile.
And he spoke to, inside her mind, a distinctive clarity to his voice that the human body could not produce.
"'Sup. You hungry, Asia-san?" was all he said, and she could sense the smile in his voice, together prompting a small giggle to escape her lips. Of all the things he could have said, that was his choice, not something philosophical or even an explanation of what he was doing. Just a simple, casual question. It was strange to say the least, but so very…him, and she had only known him for less than a day.
To answer his question, she nodded in response, feeling a little guilty as she felt his aura slowly fade and saw his body descend back to the ground. Like a lost pup, she followed him to the kitchen, awe sprawled across her face as mystical tendrils spread from his back and began to gather assorted kitchenware and ingredients for their meal.
"Ah, you began without us!" one of the fallen angels whined from behind, slinking to the dining table with her fellow roomie.
"Good morning, Raynare-san, Kalawarner-san," Asia greeted happily, waving at them, receiving only a curt nod and lowered gazes. They were the same way yesterday, nervous around her for reasons she knew not but was determined to uncover. Was it because of her previous ties to the church or something?
Regardless, she would still treat them kindly, even pray for them. She would…
Her thoughts froze as she smelled the heavenly scent of whatever Issei was cooking. The two fallen were of similar mind, staring at whatever their chef was cooking. She had heard from them of Issei's culinary talents, but to face the real thing surpassed all expectations. Asia was never one for fancy food, or even normal for that matter; the church was very ascetic in their approach to everything, ensuring no temptation of the sinful world could infect their members.
But, if this became common, she could only hope God would forgive her for treating herself…just a little bit. At least she fared better than whatever it was the fallen angels were doing.
When their meal arrived, a glorious continental breakfast, the exiled nun took great pride in the fact she did not devour it like a wild beast, savoring it bit by bit with each bite, refined and gracious. The same could not be said of the other two, however, who tore through it like a pack of hyenas, finishing before Issei had even sat down.
He had a horrified look on his face.
"That was worse than yesterday!"
The two did not speak, blushing profusely and avoiding the eyesight of their peers.
"Okay, guess I'll just have to prepare…more. Oh god, I'm going to go broke, aren't I?"
"We're sorry!" the two exclaimed simultaneously, practically having tears gush down the sides of their faces. Issei and her laughed at that. Quite the comedic duo Raynare and Kalawarner were.
"Issei-san" Asia began tentatively, "what do you have planned for today with all…this?"
Now, the former nun would never claim to be the smartest of people ever, nor the most perceptive, but she knew when something was up, and her current situation spoke to that. Afterall, she had been intercepted by this kind boy out of nowhere and informed that someone wanted the healing powers she possessed. That did not happen normally, not even by supernatural standards, and she wanted to know what was happening.
And she had the feeling that the fallen were involved somehow. All the factions–at least what she knew of them–kept to themselves, rarely associating so intimately with each other save when absolutely necessary, and she had been wondering why these two women were living with this…sorcerer? Cleric? She did not know exactly what Issei was.
He spent a moment in thought before replying.
"Well, Asia-san. I have some things to do today, so I'll be busy for most of it, and given the circumstances, you can't really leave my place until whatever is afoot is sorted out. Sorry about that," he replied, sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
That saddened her, she he had been wanting to explore Kuoh more, get to know her new home, and maybe, just maybe, spend some time with her host.
"However, we all have a meeting with the resident devil squad later today."
"Wait what?" Kalawarner interjected, followed shortly by Raynare.
"They'll kill us!"
She was lost about what was going on. Why would the devils kill the two? Wouldn't it start a war?
"No they won't. Lucky for you, I bargained for your lives, sort of. They want information, and well, I was supposed to give it, but I think they would be better served if it came directly from you two. Besides, I wasn't exactly the greatest interrogator."
Asia was definitely out of the loop. She hadn't been told that there was devil territory here. She only knew about the fallen angel enclave.
And, to add to her puzzlement, Issei had interrogated her fellow lodgers?
"When?" Raynare questioned grimly, unenthused about the thought of talking with people of that sort.
"At 5. Oh, and there might be a Seraph present."
The nun's eyes widened exponentially. One of the most holy of creations God had bestowed upon the world?
"How?" She couldn't help herself.
"Gabriel's a friend. You'll like her."
All three of Issei's lodgers were further dumbfounded.
"First you know Azazel, now Gabriel? What's next, a dragon?" Kalawarner was on her feet in surprise and exasperation. He chuckled at that.
"Funny you should say that…
"No!"
He continued to laugh.
"That's a conversation for later. Look, everything will sort itself out at the meeting, or maybe not. What can you do? Either way, we're going and all this sacred gear chicanery is getting solved. Until then, same as yesterday. TV, games, don't touch my minis."
Raynare instantly challenged that, "Or what?"
Issei glowered at them, the room's atmosphere suddenly shifting with his mood change. Violent beams of electricity cackled upon his arm and around his eyes whilst all light fled from the room, yielding to an ominous shadow.
His voice was cold, deeper, and terrifying.
"OR I WILL END YOU."
As if a switch had been flicked, all was back to normal in a matter of seconds.
"Except for Asia-san. She can do as she pleases."
She felt like she should feel honored about that, but the remnants of fear still existed within her mind.
"Oh and before you ask, lunch is in the freezer, so you're all good food wise. Don't break anything and don't" he pointed at Raynare and Kalawarner "do anything…"
"Vaguely evil" they finished for him, sighing. Asia guessed he had told them that before, but why? Again, she had more questions than answers.
"And with that, I take my leave. I'll be back later," he finished curtly, nodding to them all before exiting his home in a flash of light, leaving no trace in his wake.
Everything was silent in his absence, uncomfortably so.
The two fallen angels looked at each other, nodding, then turned their gaze towards her. From the way they regarded her she felt…concerned to say the least, perhaps even frightened.
"Have you ever played Super Smash Brothers before Asia-san?" one of them asked, both then grinning menacingly.
She could only shake her head, her voice failing and refusing to obey the commands of her brain. The cackling she heard to her reply was malicious and promised nothing but endless torment.
===line break, elsewhere, forest===
In a flash of light, Issei appeared at his location of choice, the smell of the forest invading his senses, prompting a relaxed exhale of satisfaction. This place was like a second home to him, many a day spent here in the company of a talking dragon, fighting trees and channeling some of the world's arcane mysticisms
And on one occasion being chased by a too enthused nekomata that wanted to do…things to him, things that weren't in the Bible, but that was unimportant and of zero relevance to what the place meant to him. This was a place of power and his training ground of choice, a place to let loose and cause as much property damage as he wanted.
You ready, partner, Ddraig announced in the halls of Issei's mind, his question being answered as the Arch-Sorcerer's apprentice summoned his gauntlet in a flash of light. He flexed his fingers briefly, muttering a small prayer to their armor spirit, before beginning his warm up.
Then, to complete the pre-training ritual, he formed his hands into the designated signs of sorcery, reaching into the enigma of reality and casting a simple enough enchantment around himself. Invisible to all save for Ddraig's partner himself, the entire forest and nearby mountain range were encompassed a sphere of crystalline brilliance that faded a second after forming.
No one would see what he was about to do.
No one would sense what he was about to do.
"Ready."
BOOST
The word exploded in his mind and as raw power coursed through him, his speed and strength heightened in a second. He had yet to do anything, but he knew of the increase, felt it. The world was slower to him now, like a youtube video on twenty-five percent speed, and he could feel a certain fire running through his veins, invading the muscle tissue. He was aware of each movement, every beat of his heart, inhale of his lungs, and flex of his muscles.
Let's go to work. The dragon spoke, a certain prideful, almost smug tone to his voice that promised a righteous beatdown to anything that would dare challenge them.
In this case, trees and mountains.
With a righteous yell, Issei took off at a bullet's speed, picking and weaving through the environment, not fighting yet, just powering up. The gauntlet glowed a hot rouge, tendrils of fire working their way up from the metallic hand, up the remnants of his arm and neck to his eyes.
Directly before him a boulder sat, untouched for the centuries and covered in moss.
BOOST!
With a leap, Issei directed himself face first towards this oversized rock, stretching out his armored hand and concentrating draconic might within his fist. Like Superman would, he breached the chosen obstruction, a resolute crack echoing throughout the forest as if a gun had been fired.
The boulder's remnants lay severed behind him, seared and melting from the heat of his speed and fiery attack.
He let loose now; nothing could be saved from the onslaught of the motivated apprentice. He struck at anything and everything around him, diverging his path with each pronouncement of
BOOST!
Red energy coalesced in his gauntleted fist, forming into a sphere of light and might.
A mountain stood before him.
He cocked back his hand as if to strike someone, envisioning the words of power within his mind. He did not need to say them, no, he was beyond such simplicity. He was something more than all these amateur devils, fallen angels, and church pricks.
He was a dragon and a Sorcerer.
He was the inheritor of a millennia of power and knowledge.
With a punch forth, the ever growing sphere of light exploded, a beam of colossal size shooting from his outstretched fist with the sound of thunder upon its heels. Dragon Shot had been unleashed, and the light was blinding, encompassing the forest in a crimson glow as a mountain was turned to ash.
He stopped, staring at the handiwork of burnt out remnants around him, a single bead of sweat dripping down his face. He had only just begun, but a pause was in order, a moment to clear his head from the avatar of battle and restore all that had been brought down in the firestorm of his warm up.
Ddraig always insisted on this as a necessary practice, a means to remember that with his hands he could destroy, and with those same hands he could create, rebuild.
So, as was the custom, he once more set about altering reality, setting it back moments in time, to before he had arrived. With the snap of a finger, the broken pieces of the forest built themselves anew, and peace returned.
Talk about a hell of a start, partner. You usually aren't this…destructive. Pent up frustration?
Leave it to the talking dragon to look for deeper meaning in his acts.
"I have a distinctive feeling that Raynare-san is going to mess with my minis."
Ddraig chuckled at that.
Now you and I both know that is not what's bothering you. What is it really?
He was silent, trying to figure out precisely what was messing with him for indeed there was some truth to the overgrown lizard's words.
"I guess it's that all of this, you know, being confronted with the reality of all that is about to happen. It was all fun and games until that damn dream. I mean, a part of me hoped it would stay that way but then…"
It all got too real all of a sudden.
"Yeah. I knew to a degree that someday I would have to fight…I didn't know what exactly, but I still hoped I wouldn't have to. Maybe it's just that part of me that wanted a sense of normalcy, to have awesome power, but not have to use it. Just lock myself away in my library with my books and minis."
You know you're being oddly forthcoming with all this.
"You're the only person I know for a fact won't judge me or call me a coward. You're literally in my head, you know me better than anyone."
I guess I do. I have to ask, you do know you are not a coward for wanting that, do you? Most men want peace in life.
"I know," Issei was quiet for a moment, thinking to himself what to continue with, "hey Ddraig, is it wrong that I feel absolutely terrified about facing them?"
No. Even have my…reservations.
"Scaredy lizard."
Oh shut it. We were having a moment.
Issei raised his hands in surrender, assuring the dragon of him stopping.
"I just don't know how the hell does Ahriman do it? The whole no fear thing?"
Simple. He's not human. Not since he joined his legion. They altered his mind along with his body.
"How come it hasn't affected me, then. He is a part of me, like you. I know I got some of the extra organs and powers and all that, but how come I still have my emotions?"
This was something he was genuinely curious about and had not had the courage to ask until now. In his mind, the question should have been simple really, but there was so much in it that, in its answer that scared him.
Long ago, he had accepted that he had ceased to be human in a strictly biological sense, but what scared him above all else was if it extended to him in other ways. He did not want to one day not…feel. Emotions, empathy, sensation. The potential loss of these frightened him. Sure, his magister would frame them as necessary sacrifices for his triumph over his foes, but he did not want the cost to be too much.
Maybe he was just selfish like that.
Partner, long ago I put my foot down with the space wizard about you being you. Nothing will change that. You, who you are, is my main concern, what I strive to protect. Call it my purpose. I will always fight for you, partner, always.
"From now until eternity?" Issei grinned. Where would he be without his partner in stupidity, crime, and awesomeness.
And well beyond it.
"Thanks Ddraig. That means a lot."
Don't mention it. Now then, as you know, your friend Mr. Blue Sky cannot help himself but meddle with the very foundations of your sacred gear.
"What did he do this time?" Issei sighed, tiredly. The sheer amount of augmentation that he had added to his loginus was downright filthy. In all honesty, he had practically rewritten everything God had done to it, negating damaging effects and tinkering with certain modes and abilities of it across the years of his tutelage.
Nothing major, just cracked the code of the Balance Breaker. The amount of sarcasm in that statement could have leveled the entire earth.
"I'm sorry what?"
Congratulations, partner, you have balance breaker on standby at your disposal. All we have to do is get you into it once, then we're golden for the rest of time.
Issei's grin was pure evil.
"This is where the fun begins."
Unbeknownst to him, lounging in a tree, a pair of hazel golden eyes watched him, cloaked in shadows with their sights, as they had always been, set upon him.
===line break===
"You can't tell me you're not in the least bit curious, Asia?"
"No. The door's locked, we would be poor guests if we tried that!"
"But it would be so much fun!"
"No."
"Yes!"
"No."
Raynare and Asia continued this back and forth for some time before Kalawarner's will broke and she screamed at them to shut the fuck up. She did not need this right now, not today with all that was about to happen later.
"But Kally! He never said we couldn't go in there!" Ray just couldn't help herself, ever the sinful little minx. However, why she was so fascinated with this single room made no sense to her. It wasn't anything special, well except maybe for the handle, which was intricately engraved in ivory with an ovular symbol with points coming off it (original Thousand Sons symbol, google it).
"But the door is locked, Raynare-san!"
"Oh please, Asia, I like to live my life by a simple motto, ask for forgiveness not permission."
Kalawarner could not help herself, "and that is why you fell, stupid."
"Shut it. For Azazel, you would too, come to think of it, you did!"
The blue haired fallen huffed indignantly. She was not having the conversation with her again. It had a dazzlingly spectacular tendency to turn into a discussion of what they would do if they had one night with their leader, and with the former nun in their midst it was best not to go there. She was so innocent there was practically a halo around her head.
And they would have killed her if not for the timely beatdown of their current host.
Were they guilty, yes, very much so. It was hard to be around Asia without remembering their plan. How they would have harmed this sweet girl for the sake of a moment of attention (which would have probably resulted in their execution).
They had not told her yet, but the truth would come out soon, most likely at the meeting with the devils they had later that day. Even with Issei's words, they still had a feeling they would not live through it.
But if they were executed, well, they deserved it. They had tried to kill two innocent people for no actual good reason and would have started a war if they succeeded. Actions had consequences, and theirs had yet to present themselves.
Wait, come to think of it, if they were most likely going to die, why not make the best of their last moments on earth?
"Fuck it! Ray, open the door!"
"What do you think I have been trying to do for the last hour? There's no lock, nothing, if we want to open it, we'll have to break it down."
"I can't be a part of this!" Asia exclaimed, quickly running from the mysterious room's door and to the stairs.
They then saw her head peak around the corner, watching them. The two fallen agreed to ignore her for the time being, they had more pressing matters at hand.
With a countdown from five, they tried ramming the door with their raw strength. It was just a door, there was no way they needed magic to get in.
They promptly crashed against it like ragdolls. The door held.
"What the hell is this thing made of!" Kalawarner shouted, robbing her pained shoulder which took the brunt of the punishment.
Raynare said nothing, determination etching itself across her features as she immediately distanced herself from their desired entry, lightning forming at her fingertips into a spear.
"Just break!"
She threw her weapon, its flailing bits of electricity screaming to break through the wood of its target.
It hit home and exploded in a flash of yellow brilliance which blinded all who saw it.
When their vision returned, lo and behold, the door was still there, untouched and undamaged. It felt like it was mocking them with its very existence.
They tried again.
And again.
And again.
All to no avail until all their energy was spent and they lay collapsed at the foot of the room, spent and sweating profusely. Still it held, as white as ever whilst the area around it was colored a distinctive black, soot and debris floating through the air.
"We are so dead," the two agreed with one another.
"Why did we do this again?"
"Because we are probably going to die. If not from the devils then from him after this," Kalawarner answered grimly, resigned to the truth of their situation.
"Oh right. What string of stupid decisions led us here?"
"One too long. That's for sure."
They shared a laugh, a dark one at that.
For reasons both could not comprehend, the nun decided to join them, laying herself beside them amidst the debris and signs of hubris. She placed her hands in both of theirs wordlessly, a minute green light emitting from them as a cool wave washed over them, restoring them.
"Thank you."
"Thanks."
She said nothing the whole time they were there, even after the healing, and did not move from the spot until Issei returned.
===Line break, Kuoh Academy, later===
Issei had always wondered what the inside of the Occult Research Club looked like, having heard the rumors and various speculations that had been tossed up regarding it. On the one hand, he felt like he shouldn't be surprised that it looked like it was straight out of the Victorian era, given how his school looked and the fact it was run by devils. On the other hand, he couldn't help but wonder just why oh why was that style the choice? Personally, he found it a bit too gaudy for his tastes, but he would not voice those sentiments, lest he anger his red-haired friend.
Personally, he was a fan of purpose and utility over ostentation.
Except when it came to his library. That was his baby, and he would spoil it all he wanted.
Pushing these thoughts aside, he presented his band of misfits to the resident head of the ORC and the rest of her club, along with that of the student council, Sona Sitri's group, greeting them all with a smile before retiring to the back of the room, waiting for Rias to begin her questioning.
Asia looked back at him nervously. He gave her a thumbs up in assurance, a gesture she reciprocated in kind with a small smile before returning her gaze to the devil heiress who continued to look at them.
"My, my, my, what do we have here?"
Issei's eyes widened. He knew that voice, that laidback emphasis, and deepness. How could he be here?
"Hey Issei, long time no see."
The man stepped into the light, dressed in a nice suit and tie with a cigarette in his mouth.
"Azazel. Finally got off your couch and your porn, ya lazy prick."
The room was silent, surprise writing itself across all the occupant's faces, save for the two currently conversing.
The leader of the fallen grinned in response strolling over like he had all the time in the world.
"My man!"
"Homie!"
Their hands met in a masculine embrace, firmly gripped like a certain meme, whilst a good natured chuckle was shared.
"Oh you know me, Issei, still looking to kick your butt in Marvel vs. Capcom. Dante will have his victory one of these days, no?"
"In your dreams. Not if the Punisher has anything to say about it. Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"Gabriel told me there was a meeting today that I simply could not miss, and so here I am."
"Umm…Azazel-sama," Rias interrupted them, gesturing towards the subject of this encounter and bringing the room back to its previous state of seriousness.
"Ah yes, right. Issei, you will have to forgive me for these two" his eyes narrowed at Raynare and Kalawarner, a distinctive, dark tone attached to their reference. The fallen in question locked their eyes with the ground firmly.
"No need to worry they will be dealt with after all this."
Issei had half a mind to let such a fate take its place, actions have consequences and all that, but he had made a promise even if it was technically null now. Death was all that awaited them now, and well, they had helped him, so he owed them that.
"That won't be necessary, Azazel. No harm, no foul. They were actually quite helpful recently with rescuing Asia-san, so as far as it stands, they're off the hook with me."
The mighty fallen angel was silent momentarily, taking in these words with a nod.
"You two are lucky, very lucky indeed. But don't think you have escaped penance."
His grin turned predatory.
"I have a plan, but that is for later."
He spoke no further, turning over control of the matter to the crimson devil, who motioned that they were awaiting one more, one of which Issei was fairly certain he knew.
Sure enough, his guess was proven right when in a beam of brilliant, holy gold light, the familiar divinity of Gabriel appeared, who immediately enveloped him in a running hug.
"Issei! I've missed you soooo much!"
Blushing profusely and attempting to retain any sense of poise, the man in question took the display of affection like a true man, lightly patting her on the back and greeting her as eloquently as possible.
"Hi."
Gabriel smiled at him, giggling at his embarrassment before separating, throwing a glance at Rias, and then stopping before a bewildered Asia, who rested upon her knees, her head lowered in reverence.
Gabriel lifted her up, embodying the humble heavenly host as she rested a hand upon the former nun's shoulder.
"Asia Argento, you do not need to kneel before me. I heard about your excommunication from my queen, my apologies on behalf of the Church. Those old men can be so…difficult sometimes."
"Th-thank you, my la-lady," she stuttered out in response, still reeling from being in the presence of such a holy being.
"But it seems you have found a place beyond us."
"G-God was mo-most kind."
Gabriel smiled at her.
"Indeed. Amen."
"Amen."
"If that is all," Rias was practically livid at this moment, "shall we begin?"
The crowd within voiced their agreement, taking seats where they could whilst the "leaders" of this group stood in front of the subjects of this meeting–Asia, Kalawarner, and Raynare.
The moment Rias separated herself from those around her, the questions began. They were quick, decisive, and to the point.
"Why did you target Issei-san and Asia-san?"
The fallen under interrogation answered directly. Their sacred gears would be a means of garnering Azazel's attention and furthering his studies. They of course made sure to explain that their leader knew nothing about such an unauthorized act.
"What was your plan with them?"
Similar to the previous one, extract the sacred gears by whatever means necessary.
"Who is involved?"
The crazed exorcist's name came up immediately, followed by some five other fallen angels that even Azazel did not know about. This little cadre was nothing more than an association of shady figures and a couple of power hungry traitors. None were of particular interest save for one. A name mentioned in passing, who had not involved himself with all that was going on, merely suggesting how best to acquire the man's attention.
Kokabiel.
"How interesting…" Azazel murmured to himself, refusing to elaborate. Issei could tell that something was going to happen between the two soon, not knowing what or when. But he did understand that he would be involved in it. While he had no evidence, intuition told him so.
"Most importantly, where are they hiding?"
This one, the Arch-Sorcerer's apprentice felt, should have been the easiest to deduce, but maybe that's why it worked, too obvious to be considered.
Kuoh's old abandoned church was where this dream team of misery made their base of operations, and it was with that revelation that the questions came to an end and the planning began.
"Now the question remains," the student council president, Sona Sitri, began, "how shall we deal with them?"
"I believe my peerage should be the ones to go. We have strong attack capabilities and the church is close enough to my territory to warrant such action," Rias interjected, her pieces nodding behind her and moving all the closer to her.
"I'll go too."
Several heads turned towards Issei after his first comment since this all began.
"Why? You have done enough as is with these two, Issei. You don't need to put yourself in danger." Gabriel said, unenthused at the idea of her closest friend going off to fight.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry. I want to go; I have a certain score to settle with Freed Sellzen."
"We would much appreciate the help," Rias nodded in thanks, a devilish smile on her lips as she cast a look at the Seraph beside her, who minutely narrowed her eyes back at her.
Azazel chuckled suddenly, walking back over to him and patting him on the shoulder as he whispered in his ear, "Impressive work. I envy you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The fallen angel just smiled wryly and glanced back at his two friends, now arguing about something he did not know about or care to discover.
"You'll see. You'll see, one day real soon, my friend. I know it."
Azazel refused to elaborate further, lighting another cigarette beside his sorcerous acquaintance and tuning out the rest of the meeting.
"Rias, Gabriel-sama, that is enough. Some class if you please," Sona said resolutely, adjusting her glasses and turning the flow of conversation back towards planning, "Issei-san goes and that is that. The question remains, what is our plan of attack? We cannot simply knock on the front door now can we?"
All things considered, that wasn't that bad of an idea. Issei knew if played right, it would work perfectly.
"Actually, kaichou, that's exactly what we are going to do."
"I'm sorry, come again?"
"A little bit of infiltration, you know. Raynare-san and Kalawarner-san can use me as bait, pretend that they captured me and bring me inside. Once there, boom, I'll start the fight and distract them long enough for Rias and her peerage to get in and take them out."
Sona was naturally skeptical, narrowing her eyes at him.
"And how will you do that with an exorcist and five fallen angels trying to kill you? Numbers are not in your favor."
"Well, those two over there," he gestured towards his informants, "they owe me big time for trying to kill me. My way of thinking, they help me in the opening skirmish."
"Can you trust them not to turn on you?"
"No, but what choice do they have? Their help will naturally make Azazel's punishment of them less…severe right?"
The man in question shrugged in response, "Sure why not?"
"That still makes it six against three for at least a few minutes."
"Let's just say I got a few tricks up my sleeves. This is afterall not my first battle, not even my second. I somewhat know what I am doing."
Sona said nothing when he finished, inevitably taking time to consider the possibilities of success. With a sigh, she acquiesced, much to the joy of Rias who seemed just happy to know her peerage would get some combat experience beyond the occasional stray devil hunt. All was resolved to go ahead, the showdown was about to begin and all were ready to leave when a shout erupted within the room.
"Wait!" Asia exclaimed, causing the room to go silent. She instantly turned red as all eyes fell upon her.
"If Issei-san is going, then, so am I."
===line break, abandoned church===
The night air was cold as Issei and Asia walked towards the church, their fallen angel "captors" close behind and pushing them on. Having already begun his Enumerations, Issei's state of mind was a perfect calm, his senses heightened and prepared for what was about to happen.
His hand held the nun's in an iron grip, hopefully providing reassurance that no matter what happened next, she would not come to harm. He would not let that happen, not while he was still breathing.
"Well, well, well, look who showed up again? With friends too. And here I thought you were dead," a voice spoke to them from within the church, deep and uninspired.
"Dohnaseek." Raynare greeted tersely, summoning the person in question from the shadow.
"What do you have for me, and it better be worth it."
"The red dragon emperor himself," Kalwarner supplied, kicking him in the back so he was on his face before what he guessed was the leader.
"And her?"
"Twilight healing."
"Oh, what a shame they found you," Dohnaseek leered, a single finger coming to slide down the side of the ex-nun's face.
"Don't you touch her," Issei whispered, glaring at the pitiful being before him.
He was immediately kicked in the face.
"Leave him alone!"
The fallen ignored the pleading, merely gesturing for the sacred gear users to be brought inside. Unceremoniously, they were dragged within the decrepit building, made to kneel before the remains of a wooden cross.
He took a moment to look around at what remained of the place of worship, now nothing more than an empty building save for its single religious icon, and its occupants. True to Raynare and Kalawarner's word, five fallen angels resided within, Dohnaseek included, but he was left to wonder where was the priest.
He did not have to wait long for within moments, he heard a door open and the sound of someone descending the aisle of pews as another voice spoke to them.
"Ooh, I like the looks of that one…Might need to have some alone time before the fun begins," he cackled insanely, moving closer behind them.
"Over my dead body."
The man's face came directly before him, appearing over his shoulder, his hot, disgusting breath blowing into the apprentice's face. Sure enough, it was the exact man Issei had been looking for.
"And who do you think you are, you little shitty, crippled beast?"
It was a sight to finally see the greatest object of his ire for the time, he was more beast than man and cackled as his eyes practically bulged out of sockets. His garments were that of a typical man of the cloth, yet unkempt, inevitably from the years on the run from the church. Nonetheless, it was good to finally see him, to put a face to the abomination.
"I am the one who is going to kill you, Freed Sellzen."
The exorcist smacked him across the side of the face; Issei didn't even move, absorbing the blow wordlessly.
"You will treat me with the respect I am due, shitty beast! Or I will gut you like a fish and play around with your blood."
He continued to laugh like the madman it was, prancing around like a deranged paraplegic.
"Nothing could be more painful than having to listen to you talk."
Freed stopped, all mirth vanishing from him in an instant as he drew a pistol and put it to Issei's head, cocking it in the process and ignoring the pleading of Asia.
"Freed! We had a deal! We get the sacred gears and that's it! We can't get his if he's dead!"
"Shut it, shitty angel! I will do whatever the fuck I want! And someone shut her the hell up!"
All was silent as Issei and the exorcist stared each other down, a female fallen angel having taped the ex-nun's mouth closed and Dohnaseek having sat himself in a pew.
"How do you know my name?"
"A couple years ago you tried to kill a friend of mine. A devil, a nekomata."
"Ha! You're something else, shitty beast. Do you honestly expect to remember everyone I kill? It's like trying to remember how many ants I have squashed under my boot, shitty beast, and you will be no…"
Whatever he was going to say died before it could leave his mouth as a blast of crimson light erupted within the abandoned church, and Issei stood free before them, the gauntlet of his power activated and already swirling with violet energies.
"Now! Attack!"
Thus, all hell broke loose, lightning spears suddenly forming and being flung in seconds, far too slow to catch the Arch-Sorcerer's apprentice, who instantly seized Asia by the waist and ushered her away from her position. Before any of the spears could even hit the floor, he had her safely placed within what little cover he could find behind the altar of this church.
"Don't just stand there you two! Fight!" Issei heard one of the fallen shout to the turncloaks of their ranks, who would now face the moment of truth, of whether or not they would live to see the end of this night.
"You alright?" he briefly asked his friend, as he readied his first attack, summoning a swirling sphere of crimson payback in his fist.
She nodded, breathing heavily and reaching a hand out to touch the growing bruise on the side of his face. He caught her hand and shook his head.
"Later."
And with that he was back in the fight, diving from his spot out into the open, prone on the floor but with a clear line of sight on four of three targets.
Raynare and Kalawarner still had yet to move, but mercifully were out of his way.
BOOST!
With that extra bump in power, he unleashed his first return of fire, a minute, controlled dragon shot to open up the field and push back the fallen, preparing to strike him again. In the back of his mind, through the workings of his Enumerations, he sensed Freed in hiding behind him.
Beneath the shattered bits of an altarpiece, the prick cowered and raved, safe at the moment, but that would not last. The next attack would be for him. It would shred through him one strike at a time, but first the target at hand needed to be dealt with immediately.
With a punch of his fist, there was a thunderous boom and another explosion of rouge as a massive gap was made in the direction of where the door was. Most of the pews were eviscerated in the blast and half the building turned to ash in a single second. One casualtie unfortunately, but the skirmish had only just begun. There would be more time to distribute death later.
Not wasting time, Issei was back on his feet raising his arm in a tried and tested backhand motion to summon the crystalline magics of the first sorcerous attack he ever learned from Ahriman. Sure enough the arc of might appeared just as the priest made his first appearance since the battle began.
His sword was up and approaching, pistol letting loose. The magister's student dodged accordingly, shifting to his right whilst his arm snapped forth in a shower of psyker blades that whistled on like singing birds.
They sang their lethal song to no avail, the exorcist cleaving through two with a swing of his sword, three missed entirely, but one managed to find its mark, embedding itself deep within the gun wielding hand, which dropped its weapon in spurt of blood.
"Motherfucker! I'll kill you for that."
Issei said nothing, charging forward as another attack readied itself.
===line break===
Raynare's ears rang in the aftermath of the opening explosion, her body remaining glued to its spot and not even trying to avoid any of the blast.
What was she doing?
She had to do something, but what?
Stay with the group that she had helped to found or throw her lot in with the boy who currently was going toe to toe with a psychotic padre.
"Dammit, Raynare! I said fight! What are you, a coward?!" Dohnaseek was screaming at her again, now right beside her and shaking her.
She stared him straight in the eye.
"If you don't fucking start fighting, I will hand you over to that priest and let him do as he wants with you! Now, fucking fi…"
She had acted on instinct, her action not even registering with her conscious thought as she summoned a spear of lightning and buried it within her former associate's belly.
He coughed blood all over her, staring into her eyes with that look only the betrayed could have.
"You…bitch…" he wheezed, wrapping his hand around her neck, squeezing as tightly as possible.
She didn't move, dared not to!
What was she doing? She was going to die!
Losing all sense, she tried to force his hands off her to no avail, his greater strength beating hers as slowly the world became blurry and dark.
She really was dying? Well good riddance, she had deserved it probably. She had…
Suddenly she could breathe again, taking in lumps of oxygen as much as she could as she found herself collapsed on the floor.
She looked up to see Kalawarner standing over her, a bloodied hand offered.
"Thank you," she rasped through the pain, clutching her throat tenderly.
"We have to stick together you and me, Ray. Now then, I do believe we have some bad guys to fight, no?"
She nodded, finding her feet and summoning yet another weapon for war. Her wings spread out behind her gloriously and with Kally by her side, they sprung into battle.
===Line break===
Issei wanted Freed in the ground, and there was nothing that would stop him from that goal. Usually, he would have problems with death and killing and all that, but all those reservations vanished with him. This was a moment he had desired for a very long time, and he would make the most of it.
When he struck, he struck with precision. When he dodged, he always counterattacked. But most of all, when he hit true, his hits hurt. They burned. Freed would not be able to keep this up for much longer, not as bit by bit he picked away at the man's ability to fight, methodically and mercilessly.
The loss of the gun had been the first in his symphony of tactical brutality. Nothing major, more so a means of gauging how powerful of an opponent he had. It had proven that Freed, while skilled, was arrogant and sloppy, and not nearly strong enough to face him. Issei had yet to even begin to dig into his deep bag of sorcerous tricks yet. Jesus, he hadn't even had to summon his heqa staff, a replica of the original one wielded by Ahriman before it was destroyed in the flames of Prospero.
His gauntlet was all he needed, along with a mixture of boosting, Dragon shot, and some minor offensive spells. Sure, he could have ended it easily, but he wanted to make the man bleed, to know that it was hopeless.
This was not business, it was strictly personal. The Arch-sorcerer's apprentice wanted Freed to feel the weight of his sins crashing down upon him and the gravity of hurting someone he cared about.
So he did, chiseling away at him piece by piece, his current target, the man's sword.
Feigning a strike to the left with his normal arm, the Prosperan runes upon the skin lighting up pine green as wisps of the same color trailed behind it, Issei provided his opponent with the opportune moment to strike at his unarmored limb. The man was a sadist, and he knew that he would not pass up the opportunity to get some blood in the game, to further cripply him, even if it meant opening his flank to a well timed blast.
Sure enough, the scenario played out as envisioned, the openings were created and both combatants struck, only Issei was faster and with a well placed Dragon Shot the priest was sent flying across the remains of the church.
No respite could be allowed, no time to recover, Issei teleported above the downed man, slamming his fist into the ground as he barely managed to dodge.
He pursued his own strike, swinging his sword at the armored fist, watching helplessly as it clanged off harmlessly.
With his normal hand, once more charged with sorcery and now fully encompassed in a brilliant turquoise crystal, he brought it to bear point blank into the swords, relishing in the sound of it shattering under the weight of its power.
The exorcist struck back as best he could, launching himself onto his attacker with as much weight as he could throw behind himself, sinking his teeth deep into his neck and pulling. That was the first blow Issei suffered, the pain barely registering in his mind as his rage fought on.
BOOST!
He punched the man in his stomach with all the force he could, propelling him once more through the air and back to earth with a tumbling crash.
The host of Ddraig took a moment to examine the damage, bringing a hand to the spot of the bite, feeling the torn layer of skin dangling over a gushing wound. His fingers came back soaked red.
With a shake of his head, setting aside the minor discomfort of his bleeding neck, Issei moved forward towards where Freed had landed, watching as he slowly pulled himself back to his feet. Blood poured from his stomach soaking his clothing and pooling onto the ground in front of him. A single hand kept his intestines from falling out.
The man backed up, muttering incoherently to himself.
"You shitty angels…" he coughed, gore trailing down his chin, "help me!"
One of the fallen who had been absent for the battle heeded his call, charging head first at Issei's back.
He dodged easily the moment he felt its presence nearing him, gripping it by the wing and flinging it into a wall.
Another, which had cowered beneath what remained of the wreckage, followed a similar path, charging head first at his flank.
He bitch slapped it away with not so much as a glance.
The two tried again in tandem, using what light weaponry they could summon to lead their assault.
Issei stopped both projectiles in midair, grabbing them before they could strike him, and throwing them aside like a child would its toys.
"Do not come between me and my target," he spoke grimly for the first time since the battle began.
They did not listen, preparing their next batch of projectiles. Still, before any blows could be exchanged, reinforcements arrived in the form of Rias and her peerage suddenly descending to the battlefield.
They went in guns blazing, hazardously and without any sense of cohesion or tactic, easily dispatching with what remained of the enemy force that was present here, finishing off those that Raynare and Kalawarner had been fighting for most of the skirmish, and charging head first into the fallen Issei was prepared to delete from existence.
He could not help but watch the final mess he saw, an affront to the very notion of tactics and a clusterfuck of flung attacks at two already beaten foes. They did not even take notice that he was in the line of fire, forcing him to dodge his way out of the oncoming flurry of lightning and destructive spells, taking him away from his chosen foe.
Unsurprisingly, when the dust settled, and the already beaten enemy lay dead, Freed was gone, vanished in thin air and one breath away from death. The apprentice had been robbed of his kill.
He was livid. His retribution had been so close, until…
His rage vanished the moment he felt the cool hands of Asia upon his neck, already set to work, and saw her relieved smile, the picture of innocence that was like water to a flame.
She cleared his battle haze as the healing began in the remnants of death.
There will always be another time, young Hyoudou. His magister whispered to him, his first words that whole day. Blood will have blood, but that day is not today.
Issei reluctantly accepted those words, looking towards the peerage before him, who wandered lost and confused around what little was left of the old, abandoned church.
They did not expect this to be so easy, nor so one sided. They will have questions. Do not answer them. Let the remains speak for themselves.
And as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished from the mental link, enigmatic as ever. He did his best to obey his magister's wishes, leading Asia by the hand back to the land of the living to share in the celebrations of victory.
A victory that felt hollow to him. Freed still lived, but he would do his best to not think about that, to bide his time for the next meeting. Next time, he was not wasting time. Next time, he was finishing him before he even had the chance to fight back.
This was his vow, and it was sealed in the blood of combat.
===line break, Issei's home===
In all fairness, despite his slightly sour mood, Issei should not have been surprised that a celebration would occur, and that naturally, as these things tended to go, his home would be the venue of choice.
Point in case, he currently found himself sandwiched between two fallen angels upon his couch, acting as the buffer between their rapidly increasing argument over the video game they were playing.
Well, at least it was funny, so that was worth something, seeing Raynare and Kalawarner continue to hate on each other over such small, unimportant stuff. All the while, Asia and Gabriel talked about a wide variety of things, from God to him…and, most specifically the whole situation of living WITH him.
Which Asia was apparently doing from now on. To be fair, she had nowhere to stay, so he gladly opened his home up to her.
And the fallen angels apparently. Yeah, in the aftermath of their great victory, Azazel had decided to drop his decreed punishment before vanishing without a trace. Raynare and Kalawarner were to be maids of his as penance for trying to kill him.
He rubbed his head exasperatedly; that was a can of worms he did not have the mental capacity right now to deal with, given the fact maid costumes were provided, which the two were wearing now.
Yeah, Issei needed to distress from all this, and what better way to do that than some alone time in his library, walking the racks of books and scrolls to his heart's content and meditating upon the sites of Tizca. That always served to clear his overcrowded brain, and so he resolved to do that immediately, leaving his spot with zero words given and ascending his stairs.
He got out of there without a hassle, mercifully. His library was his place of calm, and for obvious reasons, he did not want anyone knowing about it, or at least what was inside–altered reality and all that.
Given that his home was crowded with people, and Asia could not help recounting how he almost killed Freed Sellzen by himself, he should not have been surprised that he was followed.
She did not make her presence known until he was at the door, moments from opening the door and entering.
"Hey Issei, can I talk to you for a second?"
It was Rias, and while he normally would welcome any time with her, now was not normal.
And he was still pissed that her little entrance into the fight had caused the exorcist to escape, but he would not hold that against her. It was his own damn fault for not unloading his absolute best against the bastard from the start.
Either way, he would talk to her. She had tried to help, and he owed her that much.
"Hi, Rias, what can I do for you?"
She was squeamish, refusing to meet his eyesight and fiddling with her hair. Something was up.
"I need your help with my engagement."
Issei said nothing, only blinking and attempting to process the words that just came out of her mouth.
"I'm sorry what?"
Finito. Ominous music. Umm, nothing really to say about this other than the plot keeps chugging along, and next time we will have the Raiser battle, so yee ha.
Right now, I feel a little bit about the Black Library should be given, how I am going to handle it. See, as it stands, that will not come about until after Kokabiel gets his shit stomped, so we have to wait a bit. Why am I having it there? Because I feel it fits there best, since I really want Xenovia and Irina to show up first and for Issei to have his first true test of his abilities. Also, I think canonically, those events followed relatively quickly one after the other, but don't quote me on that.
Anywho, that was that, we finished, I will see you in the next one. We bringing back Prospero with this one, homies!
