Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Naruto series. All credits go to the talented creator, Kishimoto.
Hello everyone.
When I first published Saigo, many people asked if I would also release a story focusing on a single pairing with Akeno or not. My answer has always been that I intend to, since she is my favorite character in DxD. That is why I have finally made the decision to write a single pairing story featuring Akeno. This is the first chapter.
The story will be a short story like Saigo, with a stronger focus on the romantic elements, mirroring the relationships depicted in Saigo with Rias and Naruto.
I hope this single pairing story with Akeno will be received as well as Saigo and bring a smile to your faces.
-xXx-
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a mystical glow on the city of Kuoh. The town and its surroundings were engulfed in the darkness of the night and the relentless downpour of the clouds. Everywhere you looked, all that could be seen was an engulfing darkness, accompanied by the serenity brought on by a gentle twilight rain. The streets, once bustling with people and their lively chatter, had transformed into breathtaking blank canvases, drenched by the delicate flow of water streaming through them.
The town was bathed in the breathtaking beauty of the night, resembling a place that one could only dream of finding within the enchanting pages of a fairy tale.
The darkness of the night shrouded in fog, the sweet and soulful chirping of countless insects, the gentle dance of trees in the wind, and the unique noises of nocturnal animals, accompanied by a soft drizzle, were all combining to make the already beautiful night even more special.
"Haa!"
Except for one desolate street in the town. Drenched in the scarlet hue of blood and the chilling downpour of rain, the street that led to the bustling market area of the town was filled with the footsteps of an enigmatic figure.
"Where am I?"
The soft yet powerful voice of the man echoed in the street as he scanned the surroundings with his sharp blue eyes, in search of something of importance, something that could tell him where he was.
"I'm sure this is not Konoha."
His eyes veered off in the opposite direction and narrowed ever so slightly when they caught sight of a distinctively carved wooden panel located in that direction. It was challenging to see through the rain and the fog, but after focusing for a moment, the man managed to decipher the initial words inscribed on the panel.
"K-Kuoh."
Drenched in blood and countless injuries, his lips twitched downward when he discovered that he was not in Konoha but in an unfamiliar place.
"Where am I?"
Hidden beneath the warmth of his skin, his heart began to beat faster at the mere mention of his home. He wanted to be there, to see them before it was too late.
'Where has that man sent me?'
The face of the individual burned in his mind, haunting his swollen eyes. It was the accursed face of a man who had likely changed his life forever.
"What am I going to do now?"
His eyes wrinkled in confusion as he continued to hobble in a random direction.
"What will happen to me?"
Fear crept into his voice and heart as he contemplated the potential outcome of the situation he was currently mired in.
"Is this where it all comes to an end?"
His lips quivered, not so much from the cold winds that were brushing against him, but rather from the overwhelming anxiety that consumed him. Enduring the chill was manageable, but the thought of his life ending here scared him.
"Or will it end in some other street?"
Feeling the burden of fatigue weighing heavily on his shoulders, he halted his stride momentarily and assessed his surroundings before gazing up at the somber skies to cleanse his worn-out face, washing away both the tears and the traces of blood.
"Whatever happens, I need to find someone first."
A single drop of blood trickled down his cheeks and splattered onto the damp ground, polluting the celestial water with its revolting crimson shade. It didn't take long for the blood to mix with the water and vanish into the overflowing trenches alongside the road.
"I'll think about everything else after that."
With that said, the man began to move again, his unsteady walk causing his damp blond tresses to sway in rhythm with the drizzle, his face still a mess of blood and water.
-xXx-
It was raining outside. The dark night was engulfed by a relentless downpour from the heavens, as if it was attempting to submerge everything in its path. Kuoh was filled with the melodious sound of water meandering through the streets and the soft whispers of leaves dancing in the cold breeze. The town was completely deserted, devoid of its usual hustle and bustle. The once lively streets now stood empty, with not a soul in sight.
Except for one person.
As Akeno Himejima strolled through the rain-soaked streets of her hometown, clutching an umbrella in her hand, she couldn't help but feel an increasingly intense sense of detachment from it. Once, this city held the title of her most beloved place on earth. However, it had now transformed into nothing more than an ordinary town inhabited by equally boring individuals.
"Tch!" She scoffed at the empty dark street in front of her. Where had all the fun gone? This wasn't the Kuoh she had come to love in the past few years. No, this was some other town, filled with boring people and dull activities.
Kuoh, the town she used to adore, was a charming place filled with a wide variety of activities and diverse people. From exploring beautiful shrines to taking thrilling rides at amusement parks, there was no shortage of entertainment. However, it was the delightful cuisine and fascinating people, especially those who could be seen lingering around the market, that truly stole the show.
Everything had changed now. Kuoh was no longer interesting, at least not for her. And she was almost certain that her best friend, Rias, felt the same way. Perhaps she felt this way because she had lived here for a long time, and things often become tedious when you see them repeatedly over the course of several years. But how could such a beautiful place become so dull? This was a question she couldn't help but ask herself every day.
"But there must be something interesting left here..." Akeno silently wished as she strolled through the small yet beautiful roads of her home, hoping to stumble upon something or someone interesting.
"Who is that?"
Her stroll came to an abrupt halt when her eyes noticed a solitary figure moving slowly in the onslaught of wind and water.
"Hey!" She called out to him, but he ignored her and continued walking, leaving her feeling confused. 'Is he even able to hear me from this distance?' she thought to herself, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "Hey!" In an attempt to verify, she let out another shout, this time with even more force, only to be taken aback as she realized that there was nothing visible except water flooding the street.
He was gone.
"Where did he go?" she whispered, her eyes scanning the street as they darted through the curtain of raindrops in a desperate attempt to catch a glimpse of him, while wishing for a better view. "I was sure he was here a second ago..." Her gaze shifted to the spot where he had been standing just moments before and widened slightly as they saw a small pool of blood gradually making its way towards the drains.
"He is bleeding!" A small wave of panic swelled inside her heart as she stared at the crimson fluid, watching it dilute in the water before disappearing without a trace. "And he is losing blood rapidly." Her eyes widened more in concern as they traced the crimson path the boy had left behind him, a clear indication of the alarming rate at which his body was losing blood.
"I have to find him," Akeno whispered, tightly clutching the handle of the umbrella, as her mind started to grasp the severity of the situation. The boy was losing blood at an alarming rate, and if this continued, she was certain that he would succumb to his injuries. "No!" She vehemently shook her head, trying to banish all negative thoughts from her mind that were plaguing her mind. She couldn't let someone die like this, especially after seeing the blood-soaked condition of his body.
"I'll help him."
-xXx-
Akeno blinked as she entered the main entrance of the small train station in their town. The establishment was a quaint little station, featuring a small compartment designated for passengers to sit and a lengthy platform where travelers could patiently wait for their trains. The platform was adorned with stunning, multicolored trees on the left and a railway line on the right.
"The trail ends here..."
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the pool of blood inching its way towards the drains. It was a horrifying and alarming sight. She knew she had to act fast, or the man was going to die a slow and painful death. "Where is he?" she whispered, her eyes darting in all directions, desperately scanning for any hint of the man's location. As she cautiously moved forward, her senses heightened, she caught the faint sound of a groan coming from a few meters ahead.
"Hello?" Akeno shouted, but her voice was swallowed up by the howling wind that surrounded her, making it impossible for her call to be heard. "Hello, is anyone there?" she shouted once more, yet the outcome remained unchanged. The deafening downpour and the fierce gusts of wind once more muffled her voice, rendering it too feeble to be heard.
"It's freezing," she muttered, her fingers tightening around the umbrella handle, as she braced herself against the biting winds that relentlessly attacked her exposed skin. 'He must be feeling cold and weak too...' A somber thought echoed through her mind as she tried to get a hold of herself against the strong wind. 'Especially with his injuries.' Her gaze once again wandered forward, hoping to catch a fleeting glimpse of him amidst the darkness and rain of the night.
Unfortunately, Akeno couldn't see anything but water flowing freely with the wind before eventually landing on the damp ground. Her heart fluttered with worry once more as she started to walk ahead, doing her best to hold onto the umbrella and avoid getting wet in the rain. "Anyone here?" The echoes of her voice, amplified by the chattering of her teeth and the splattering sound of water, filled the darkness. "Hello!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, gasping as her voice reached its maximum volume.
No answer.
The overwhelming feeling of worry doubled within her heart. The absence of a response only meant one thing. 'He's dead.' She shook her head, refusing to entertain such grim possibilities. "Hey!" she shouted again, her eyes fixed on the darkness in front of her, hoping to catch a glimpse of life within it.
As she advanced, her footing started to falter as the chilling cold seeped into her feet. Concentrating was becoming increasingly difficult as the wind changed direction once more. Now, the raindrops were falling directly onto her face and body, thoroughly drenching her with cold water.
"Haa!"
Akeno's eyes widened as her ears caught the sound of someone gasping. "Hey!" She shouted and started sprinting towards the sound, her umbrella abandoned and her hair billowing wildly in the wind. "Can you hear me?" Her eyes started to sting as the icy winds penetrated them, yet she refused to shut them. Her top priority at that moment was to see that man alive.
After running for a few seconds, her stride abruptly came to a halt as her gaze finally settled on the bruised face of the stranger, the very man she had been relentlessly searching for. He was sitting in a chair, trembling and struggling to breathe, while the blood continued to flow from his wounds.
'Woah...' A brilliant flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and the speed of wind intensified as she gazed into the boy's fascinating facial features. Despite being drenched in blood and covered in countless injuries, the boy's face appeared hauntingly charming amidst the rain and darkness of the night.
Akeno shook her head once more. Now was not the moment to indulge in admiring his facial features. She had to focus on rescuing him and healing his wounds. "Hey," she whispered this time, knowing that there was no need to startle him since he could hear her well. "Hello?" Her lips quivered with disappointment as the boy maintained his silence, sitting motionless on the seat without uttering a single word.
"Can you hear me?" Akeno whispered again, hoping for a response from him, but her efforts proved to be in vain. Sighing to herself, she shifted her gaze from his face to his torn orange and black attire. They were stained with blood and mud, giving the impression that he had just barely survived a war. 'His wounds are still open and bleeding…' She winced as she took notice of the multiple injuries that adorned the boy's body, some gaping wounds causing profuse bleeding while others mere punctures oozing drops of blood.
The boy was losing a dangerous amount of blood, and Akeno knew that she had to stop it immediately. So, she raised her hand and placed it on his chest, her eyes battling to stay open amidst the pouring rain pelting directly onto her face. "I need to stop the bleeding first," she murmured with her mouth half-closed to prevent the rainwater from entering. It was bitterly cold, and she couldn't help but feel even more sympathy for the boy, knowing that the water was probably making his injuries feel even worse.
A sudden deafening clap of thunder echoed through the darkened skies once more as Akeno's hand became enveloped in a mesmerizing, ethereal glow of magic. "His heartbeats are irregular, and he is struggling to breathe," Akeno concentrated even more of her power into her hands, giving her all to halt the flow of that deadly red liquid from the gashes. "Come on..." Her lips began to tremble, and her body began to shiver when an icy gust swept across her, making her teeth chatter uncontrollably.
"Haa!"
Akeno's eyes snapped open in an instant when she heard an audible gasp escape the boy's parched, cracked lips. "He is reacting to it," she whispered hopefully. If the boy was responding to her magic, it meant he was being healed. This was excellent news for both him and her.
So, with a newfound vigor, she channeled even more magic into her palms and started to heal his injuries. 'It's getting better,' she thought to herself as she watched the flow of blood from the gashes slow down, filling her with hope. She just needed to hold on a little longer, and she was certain that he would be out of death's grasp, at least for now.
For a few minutes, she continued to heal his injuries, all the while shivering and gasping due to the relentless cold rain assaulting her exposed skin. "His breathing is becoming regular," she stammered with a feeble voice before focusing on the boy again. "Who are you?" She couldn't help but ask herself that question. The state the boy was in was too much for a normal human to handle. Akeno was certain that the boy wasn't normal by any means. The numerous injuries and the amount of blood he had lost by now would have killed an ordinary person.
"Are you an angel?" Even the cold rain water and the unforgiving strong wind around her couldn't stop her from flashing a small smile to the boy as she whispered those words with a twinkle in her violet eyes. "You do look like one too," she said, her eyes shifting back to his face as her pupils dilated, enchanted by his fascinating facial features.
The boy in front of her was unusual. Akeno couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something strange and intriguing about him. Was it his hair, soaked in blood, that was swaying in the wind, or were it those adorable whiskers that he sported on his injured cheeks? She couldn't tell. The more she gazed at him, the more she found herself being pulled into the mystery that surrounded the boy in front of her.
"You are requiring a lot of energy to heal..." Akeno whispered before gasping slightly, feeling the strain the entire process was causing on her body. "But it's nothing serious," her voice became even weaker as a gust of cold wind brushed against her skin. "I can handle-" she would have finished her words, had she not been startled by a sudden bolt of thunder that struck the ground a few miles away, its resounding echo still ringing in her ears.
"Haa!"
Akeno, who was lying on the ground, looked up and gasped when she realized that her healing had been abruptly halted by her negligence. "No..." she whispered, her eyes widening in horror. The wounds on the boy's body were reopening, and the blood was once again seeping out of them, flowing uncontrollably.
"Stupid me!" she berated herself, pushing her legs to stand up and begin the healing process once more. Unfortunately, just as she was getting up, the boy abruptly decided to plummet from the seat. This sudden movement caused her to topple backward, crashing with the ground as their bodies collided with one another.
"Ahh..." Akeno moaned slightly in pain as she gathered herself from the ground, carefully moving the boy's body aside. "His hand landed on my face," she whispered, and started to massage her cheeks and jaw, which were struck by the boy's hand. "I-" She was about to say something more, but stopped when she saw the blood on her hands. It was his blood, now staining her face. In an instant, she looked at the boy and fell speechless as she watched his body grow pale.
'No...' She thought, panic rising within her, as she immediately positioned herself around the body, her hands already working with magic to heal his wounds. 'Can't let him die...' Her mind kept repeating those words as she continued to do her best to heal his most grave injuries first. 'Wake up...' Her lips began to tremble as the boy's body continued to steadily ooze blood.
"I can do this," Akeno whispered to herself, reassuring herself that she wouldn't let him die. "I am not weak." Her eyes dilated as memories of the past began to flash before her, tormenting her with the weight of her previous inadequacy.
It was an identical scene, just like this one. Blood soaked every corner, and she could do nothing but watch as everything unfolded. The only thing she could do was cry and plead to the heavens above. Why? Simply, because she was weak.
'Weak.'
-oOo-
"A-Akeno…"
A pair of terrified violet eyes dilated in fear as they gazed at the scene before them.
Blood.
The intense crimson liquid was splattered everywhere: on the sheets of her bed, on her favorite tatami mat, on her beloved wooden table, and, most importantly, on her mother's injured body.
'Mother!'
"Mama!" She whispered, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at the lifeless, blood-covered body of her mother.
This was not how it was supposed to happen. Her mother and she were meant to escape from here unharmed. So, what went wrong?
"Akeno…"
Her senses were overwhelmed and tears brimmed in her eyes as she gazed at her mother. "Mama," Akeno's voice trembled with a myriad of emotions as she tried to speak, only to stifle a wail when her mother smiled at her.
"Are you alright?"
Akeno immediately nodded and gently placed her fingers over her mother's moist lips. "I'm fine, Mama, but you—"
Shuri placed a finger on her daughter's lips, hushing her. "Shhh... I'm perfectly okay," she whispered, blood seeping from the corners of her lips.
"No you-"
Akeno..." her mock glare would have silenced the girl on any other ordinary day but today, Akeno wasn't going to let her words silence her.
"You are dying…"
Shuri's eyes gleamed with tears. "I-I know, Akeno-"
"Why are you still smiling?" murmured the frightened girl.
"Because y-you are safe."
Akeno's heart sank, engulfed in a vale of sorrow, as she gazed at her mother. "But what will I do without you?" She was nothing without her mother. Her mother was her identity, she was her everything.
Blood-covered fingers trailed down Akeno's cheeks as Shuri tried her best to brush away the tears. "E-evrything. You can do everything without me, Akeno. You are incredibly talented."
"I'm not!" Akeno exclaimed, restraining herself before her voice could escalate any further. "I feel so powerless, mama. Everyone ridicules me. No one has faith in me."
"I believe in you."
Violet eyes widened in surprise.
"I-I always did and will always believe in you, Akeno."
"Ma-"
A deafening clap of thunder echoed through the heavens as Shuri closed her eyes for the final time.
"Mama!"
-oOo-
"I am stronger now, mother," Akeno whispered, tears streaming down her face, mingling with the blood of the boy resting on her cheeks. "I'll save him," her eyes gazed at the boy, shimmering with unwavering resolve as she channeled even more magic into her trembling hands.
A surge of electricity illuminated the dark skies once more, but instead of instilling fear in her heart, it only fueled her unwavering resolve.
She was going to save him.
"Him?"
Akeno blinked at the boy, a smile tugging at her lips as she realized she didn't even know the name of the boy.
"Who are you?"
The relentless deluge intensified around her, making trees around the platform sway with the force of the wind and water.
-xXx-
Enigma.
The boy in front of her was an enigma. No matter how diligently she tried to delve into his being or his strange energy, she struggled to discover any shred of information that could unveil the secrets of his lineage. Hello, Akeno couldn't even determine whether the boy was a supernatural being or not. The only thing she was certain about was that he wasn't human. He was far from being one.
"He has cute whiskers though."
A mischievous grin adorned her face as she gently traced the intricate dark lines etched on his cheeks with her fingertips. They were real, and she was surprised to find that when she first traced her finger along his skin.
"Maybe he is a youkai?"
Her mind began to conjure up the array of youkai images she had encountered over the course of her life, and a part of her couldn't help but speculate that perhaps it was the truth. Maybe, the boy lying in front of her was a youkai.
"Then why can't I detect any resemblance in their energies?"
Akeno was familiar with the distinctive energy of a youkai. Her past experiences had honed her ability to sense them easily. However, the boy was an entirely different case. His energy was not even remotely similar to that of a youkai. It was distinctively different. It felt like a scorching pool of molten lava, poised to consume you the moment you even tried to approach it.
"Who is he, then?" she wondered, gazing at the peacefully slumbering boy, her curiosity piqued.
Right now, they were both resting in her house, far away from the cold and damp train station that seemed determined to kill her along with the boy. As soon as Akeno sensed that the boy was able to breathe normally, she teleported them to her house using the last of her magic.
"That was the best decision I have made in a year or two," she told herself. If she hadn't teleported them to her shrine, she was certain that they both would have died there, at that train station.
"Aheh..."
Akeno's eyes snapped open and moved towards the boy in a blazing speed as she heard him utter a painful groan. "He's moving," she whispered to herself, her gaze fixed on him, searching for any signs of additional injuries. Although she had done her best to patch him up, there was still a chance that she might have overlooked an internal injury. Therefore, she could never be completely certain.
"W-who are you?"
Lost in her thoughts, Akeno didn't even realize that the boy had opened up his eyes and was now staring at her with a puzzled expression.
"He-ey..."
Akeno's ears perked up as the sound of an unfamiliar voice softly caressed them, dissipating like a fleeting whisper. "Huh?" She blinked and snapped out of her daze. Slowly, she raised her eyes to focus on his face, only to find herself frozen in place when her gaze met his.
His eyes were a mesmerizing blend of the ocean and the sky, flickering with an enigmatic spark that seemed to hold a universe of secrets. Akeno's mind briefly ceased to function as she found herself entranced by his deep blue eyes. She attempted to speak, but her mouth refused to open. Meanwhile, her heart was consumed by a blend of fascination and uncertainty.
This was what she had been searching for.
An interesting individual.
As the silence lingered, she found herself getting more lost in his electric blue gaze. Every glimmer of emotion in his eyes felt like a whispered secret, enticing her deeper into his enigmatic world.
"Who are you?"
-xXx-
I hope you liked the start.
If you have any suggestion or question, feel free to DM me or leave a review about it.
Stay safe.
See ya!