Ichika groaned as she struggled to pay attention to what the Red-Headed Demon King of Ruin—also known as Rias Gremory—explained to the rest of the peerage.
This was starting to become a common daily routine for her. Listen to Rias's extremely long lectures then train with Shin. When Ichika was human, Shin would help her with Judo practice outside of school, which ended in a skewed victory-to-loss ratio between the two.
However, now that Ichika was a devil, she became acutely aware of just how much her friend had held back on her. There were times Ichika even wondered if he was human. She winced as she felt Koneko's elbow accidentally brush on her arm, grazing her bruise.
Koneko looked up at her and muttered a silent apology.
"And that brings us to today's topic. Ichi here will begin going on Devil Contracts!" Rias clapped her hands together. "So please if she has any questions about our clientele, do not hesitate to answer them. Ichi needs all the support she can get since she is new."
"Ichi-chan, don't hesitate to come to me for help. Even if the President didn't ask, I would gladly help you," Akeno said. Her inviting smile calmed Ichika's nerves.
"That's right, Hyoudou-san. Don't hesitate to ask us all for help," Yuuto reassured her.
"Hmph…"
Koneko's responses were always short and to the point. She looked up at Ichika warily before begrudgingly uttering a response. "Same for me…," she said before going back to her phone.
Ichika nodded. She didn't know why Koneko was so apprehensive around her. If she had to describe it, it was similar to how a cat was skittish around things that they didn't know.
"Thanks, guys," she said, smiling gratefully at their support.
At least she could add the entire club to the list of people she was genuinely now friends with.
"But do I really have to go? Rav and Shin said Devil Contracts are just dumb jobs," she said.
She remembered the words Shin and Ravel had hammered into her head.
Devil Contracts are just dumb jobs. You get weirdos and perverts summoning you to do weird shit for them or you get to learn about things you never wished you knew about someone else.
"That sounds… like something Lady Ravel would say, wouldn't it?" Akeno said, seemingly amused by her words.
Rias pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know… Ravel and Shin aren't wrong. Most of the time it is just a dumb job. Tell me, are you aware of what Shin does for a living? You know aside from work at Hatch Potch."
Ichika shook her head.
"Well, Shin and his family's field of work is similar to Devil Contracts except it's far… how should I put this," Rias began.
"Grittier? Bloody? Dirty?" Akeno suggested.
"That's it. Thanks, Akeno. The jobs we get summoned to do are far more… broad. I think that's the right word. Just basically think of it as wish-granting but not. People summon us for a variety of things but it's mostly almost always menial tasks or in my case, eliminating monsters or curse breaking," Rias explained.
"I see," Ichika said.
"Devils get stronger the more contracts they do. Think of it like a side quest. Except these side quests grant a lot of experience points you wouldn't normally gain on a main story quest," she said.
"Okay! So the more experience I get, the stronger I get or how does that work?" Ichika asked.
"Well, essentially, it's like Pokemon. The more exp points and levels you gain, you can jump from one evolution to another, or in a Devil's case, you can get promoted to higher Devil Classes like Mid Class, High Class, and eventually, Ultimate Class. Just imagine being a Devil as strong as a Demon Lord."
Ichika's eyes widened. To become an actual Demon Lord. The mere thought sent waves of excitement and anticipation through her. A wide smile spread across her face. "Okay! When do we get started?"
"Now's actually a good time. I've been holding off on it because… reasons, but now's a good time as ever to start. Our operating hours are actually until 3 AM but sometimes, I cut it short if we all have tests tomorrow. Since this is your first one, Koneko will go with you—"
"President!"
"—on this job. The last thing I want is for you to get lost, or worse, killed." Rias sent Koneko a look, forcing the smaller girl to go quiet.
Ichika looked over to Koneko, who had an apprehensive look on her face. She resembled a cat who had just encountered something it didn't understand. The skittish and anxious look in her yellow eyes unnerved Ichika. Just what had she done to earn such wariness from the younger girl?
"Er… if Koneko's not fine with it, then I can go by myself, Senpai," Ichika suggested.
Rias pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She turned to Koneko, but the girl had already scooted as far as she could from Ichika.
"Fine. Koneko, we need to have a talk about your attitude toward our new member," Rias said.
"She smells weird. Not... safe...," Koneko said.
Ichika raised an eyebrow at the last part of her statement. Did Koneko think she was going to do something to her? Ichika nodded hesitantly. She pulled her uniform and smelled it. Odd. She made sure to take a shower before coming here.
"Come on, Koneko. She's new. At least go easy on her," Yuuto said, coming to Ichika's defense.
Koneko ignored Yuuto's words and put a cookie in her mouth.
Rias sighed in frustration. She was aware of Koneko's misgivings regarding Ichika. However, Rias had yet to see anything to substantiate her claims of "Ichika not smelling right" or "feeling weird". Except for one thing that bothered her but she assumed it was due to her normal human upbringing.
As she pondered this, the magic circle in the room began to pulsate. "Ah. Looks like it's our first client of the night. Step on the circle, Ichika."
Ichika nodded and stepped into the magic circle. Almost immediately, she felt a distinct tug as a bright red light appeared around her.
"Be careful, Ichi. If the client tries something, you have full permission to defend yourself. I'll wipe their memory later."
Ichika nodded before vanishing in a flash of red and white light.
"President, are you sure Ichika is going to be okay by herself?" Akeno asked.
Rias closed her eyes and let out a long-winded sigh. "Koneko. I'll let it slide this once but next time, when I say to go help her, you have to help her."
"But President—"
"I don't want to hear it."
"Why are you so jumpy around Ichika, Koneko?" Yuuto asked.
"She smells weird. Not right. Not like us. Dangerous," Koneko said.
Akeno shook her head at Koneko's words. "Do we know who summoned her?"
"No. Let me check." Rias held her hand out and a holographic map of Kuoh appeared above the palm of her hand. There were several red dots littered across the town, each one with names that they recognized. Rias's eyes focused on one particular dot that was a different color from the rest.
The dot was a flaming orange.
"Oh."
"What?" Akeno said.
"The client is him."
In all her life, Ichika had never been subject to such a dizzying sense of vertigo. Of course, she had been dizzy once or twice in her life but that was because she was naturally anemic. And now, as the location around them began to solidify, the first thing Ichika did was run to the nearest trash can and proceeded to vomit her dinner into it.
"You know. Lil Bro told me that tonight was your first night doing contracts. I was right to steal all the leaflets from Rias's familiar." A familiar voice called out to her.
She wearily looked up and saw a gangster-like man leaning against the gate of the now-familiar white house. Riser Phenex was a man whose appearance almost fooled people into believing that he was a former member of the Yakuza. His blonde hair and gruff looks often unnerved people who weren't familiar with the Phenex couple.
"P- Phoenix-niichan?" Ichika asked before vomiting again.
Riser smiled before walking over and patting her on the back.
"I… hate teleporting…," Ichika said.
"Ravel said the same thing when she first learned to use magic circles. You get used to it," Riser said.
"Right… I keep forgetting you're also a Devil." Ichika wiped her mouth and stood up.
"Come on." Riser beckoned for her to follow into the house.
"Is Shin-chan here?" Ichika asked.
"Yeah. He's inside. You know… why I summoned you, right?" Riser asked.
"Er… I can guess," Ichika said as the energetic laughter of a child filled their ears.
Riser nodded. "Well. As you can see… I think Shin's going to need some help tonight—"
"Momo! Wait! Get down from there! Ran, catch her!" Shin's voice echoed through the hallway.
A small amused smirk broke Riser's calm face. "Yeah, she's a lot more energetic than usual. I guess it's because she's 3 now."
"Wait.. wait! My rotation was last week! It's Ravel's turn now, isn't it?"
"No dice, kid. Rav is busy doing something in the Underworld and I have to get to a Mid-Class Promotion Test for the Queen of my Peerage. You remember her. She used to look after you and Shin whenever Akane and I were out," Riser said, adjusting his collar in the mirror.
"Eh? Yu-neechan?" Ichika asked.
"That's right. Yubelluna is getting promoted today." Riser sighed when he heard a crash in the other room. "I swear Kouyou gets all her energy from her Mom. I can't even last that long in bed with her mom—"
"Please stop. I didn't need that image in my head." A full-blown nuclear blush appeared on Ichika's face.
"Anyway, since you're a Devil now, I have to add a few extra rules to babysitting her. Kouyou has inherited her mother's arsonist tendencies and the Phenex family trait of Hellfire so please don't let her burn the neighborhood down—"
"Excuse me, burn?"
Riser continued his explanation without even stopping to listen. "And she has to be in bed by 9. But before that, she is only allowed 1 hour of TV. 1 hour, got it?"
Ichika nodded. "So basically, what me and Shin usually do?"
"Basically. And kid, I mixed her formula milk already so all you need to do is heat it up and give it to her before bed. I'll be back later so just watch and get her to bed and I'll handle the rest," Riser said, turning to her.
The door to the living room burst open and a red ball of flames flew straight into Riser. Riser chuckled and caught the flaming ball.
"Dang it! Momiji!" Shin ran into the hallway and blinked when he saw Ichika. Behind him, a girl dressed in a dark school uniform rushed in, panting as she came to a stop. She had long dark hair and a pair of fluffy canine ears on her head. Her red-yellow eyes locked on to Momiji.
"Hey, little bro, I got you and Ran back up," Riser said, cradling Momiji in his arms.
"That's Ran!?" Ichika said in shock, staring at the girl.
"Huh? Shin never showed you Ran's human form?" Riser asked.
"No… Huh!?"
"Huh? Ichi? I thought you were at Rias's?" Shin said.
"Eh, well, Phoenix-niichan summoned me here," Ichika said.
"Anyway, I better go. Remember. 1 hour of TV and Kouyou has to be in bed by 9," Riser said.
"Got it," Ichika replied.
"Alright, you three. Don't let my kid set the neighborhood on fire," Riser imparted this last warning to them before vanishing in a swirl of orange flames.
Babysitting a Devil child was a lot calmer than Ichika had expected. Momiji was well-behaved for the most part. She looked over her shoulder at the comical sight of Ran being used as a pony for the young Phenex child. Momiji laughed as she tugged on Ran's hair, causing the older girl to wince in annoyance.
However, Riser's warnings continued to unnerve her at the thought of Momiji burning them all alive.
Sensing her apprehension, Shin placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't worry. Onee fireproofed the entire house. We'll be fine," Shin said.
Ichika nodded and returned back to the task at hand.
"It still bothers me that Ran can turn into a human girl," she mumbled.
Before her were several stacks of different colored (real) grimoires and scrolls of varying ages and origins. Some of them were in Japanese but the others were in languages she either didn't understand or thought were completely made up.
"I had Ran gather these for us. She'll be back with more. We'll try to keep the volume down since Asia is resting in her room and Momo is getting ready for bed. But… you'll need this. This. And this." Shin handed her three thick volumes.
Ichika held one of them up and raised an eyebrow when she read the title: So You Want To Be a Murderer? Vol. I by Caspian Emrys
"What kind of—"
"Oh! And this scroll and that one." Shin placed two scrolls on top of the three books on her lap.
"Hey, wait a second, isn't this a bit too—"
"That scroll right there is one written by Onibaba. It's a simple breakdown of the Furude Onmyou Arts but I think you'll be able to get through it. I was actually planning on teaching Kouyou some but Onee told me to hold off on it because neither of us are particularly good if Kouyou decides she wants to learn the Hyakki Yakou so we're just waiting for Kureha to—"
"Master, I think you should dial back the explanation," Ran said as she walked around the room with Momiji on her back.
"Ichika-sama is new to this so she might suffer an overload." Her fluffy tail—which somehow resembled a dog's, a wolf's, and a fox's all at once—swished lazily behind her back.
"Come on, Ran. Ichika can handle this much," Shin replied.
"I can handle it. I too have been researching the arcane arts for years! I'm sure my practical knowledge shall come in handy, Solar Priestess of the Setting Sun!" Ichika puffed out her chest.
Momiji giggled at Ichika's theatrics.
"Solar… Priestess of the Setting Sun?" Ran asked.
"Anyway, let's focus. Ran is kind of right. Magic that you see in anime isn't the same as magic in real life. I gave you all those books and scrolls to study for later. So for now, let me give you a rundown of magic. In this world, there are multiple types of phenomena but magic is by far the most commonly accessible. All species can use magic. Devils, Angels, Gods. But to focus on Magic, magic is using equations and formulas to manipulate energy and create phenomena," he explained.
Ichika nodded, scribbling furiously on a notepad.
"For example. Fire Magic." Shin held up his hands and began to make intricate motions. A circle appeared before him, filled with geometric shapes and various runes of foreign origin. In short, it looked like something she had imagined multiple times.
"This is a fire spell?" Ichika asked.
Shin nodded. He clapped his hands together, compressing the circle between the palms of his hand before parting them to reveal a small flickering flame. As quickly as it was conjured, the flame was snuffed out.
"Energy exchange is crucial to this. The less energy you put in, the weaker and short-lived the spell. And… for you, since you're a Devil, all your magic relies on Demonic Power," Shin said, leaning back.
"What about you?" she asked.
"Me?"
"That day you saved me from Yuuma. You moved super fast. I even saw you make swords out of nothing and shoot black fire," she said.
"Well, this is a bit of a side tangent but I guess this is a good a time as any to explain. I am what is called a Contractor," Shin said.
"Contractor? Like a warlock from DnD?" Ichika asked.
"Sort of. Contractors are humans that possess Stigmata. Stigmata are marks of Divinity on a human granted to them by their Sponsor. Sponsors are Gods or Divine Spirits that grant humans a portion of their Authority in the form of a Covenant. My Covenant is Reconstruction, which allows me to allows me to make anything based on my understanding of the object. It was given to me by the Lady of the Lake, Vivian. You'll meet her eventually."
To demonstrate, Shin gathered pixelated watery-blue light and created a pistol. The pistol then transforms into a revolver, then into a Desert Eagle before fading back into nothing.
"Woah… Can I get a Covenant from a God?" Ichika asked giddily.
"Sorry, Ichi. Only humans can become Contractors," he said.
"Oh…" her face fell at his words.
"You're not going to tell her about your other… Covenant?" Vivi's voice entered his mind.
No. She… I don't want to talk about her, Shin replied.
"And Ran?" Ichika asked, glancing at the other girl in the room.
"Ran is a Shikigami. A special type of Shikigami possessed by some Exorcists called an Enchanted Guardian. You could say Enchanted Guardians have a stronger bond than normal Shikigami with their partners," Shin explained. "Ran is sort of special because she's a Bunrei—"
"Ran is a God!?" Ichika said in surprise.
"No, Ran is a Spirit. A Low Tier Divine Spirit. All Gods are Divine Spirits but not all Divine Spirits are gods. I don't know what God made her but whoever must have made her in a hurry because she remembers almost nothing. I met her during that storm. Remember the one we almost got lost in?" Shin said.
"Oh… yeah. We took shelter in that old shinmei shrine," she said. "Maybe Ran's original self is Amaterasu," Ichika joked.
Their talk was interrupted by Momiji's tired yawn. Shin looked up from his spot and saw Momiji beginning to doze off in Ran's arms. "Ran, can you…?"
"Of course, Master. But please remember. Asia-sama and Momiji-sama are both going to sleep. Please refrain from making too much noise down here. I understand that you two are teenagers and that it's normal to explore—"
"R- Ran-chan! What are you saying!?" Ichika said, flustered.
"Ran," Shin said with a deadpan expression.
Ran smiled mischievously before leaving the room with Momiji.
After she left, Shin took a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart. He looked over to Ichika, who was red in the face and suddenly became self-conscious. However, Shin quickly brushed it off and coughed into his hand. "Now, let's continue."
Freed picked his ear as he eyed the house a distance away from them. He occasionally stole glances at the diminutive blonde fallen, who decided to accompany him just to watch. The very air around her unnerved even him of all people.
"Can you imagine how many people must be sleeping right now, blissfully unaware of what's going on?" Mittelt said as she gazed out over the suburban setting.
"Huh? What the hell's that all about? Anyway, are you sure this is where the Saint is?" Freed asked with a bored expression on his face.
Mittelt's blue eyes gleamed with a distinct dim red light.
"Ehh? You're just like Ray-Ray, doubting me." Mittelt held her hand out. A crow landed on her finger, cawing as it dissolved into a viscous red fluid. The fluid sank into her skin.
"My little crows have seen the Saint coming and going from this house with an Exorcist from the Progressive Faction. Though, I can confirm said Exorcist is currently out so you have the entire house to yourself," she said.
Freed chuckled as he swung his shoulder. "Maahhh, that's boring! I wanted to see how good Exorcists from the Progressive Faction were before stringing them up. Oh well…"
"Wait."
"What now?" Freed asked, annoyed.
"There's a barrier around that house. Might as well take this." Mittelt held her hand out. Blood-red swirls of energy and light coalesced around her hand before forming into a small shimmering pyramid.
"What's this?" Freed asked, taking the pyramid from her.
"Just a little insurance." There was a wide unnerving smile on Mittelt's face as she gazed down at him from her perch. "A little something for your troubles."
"Ehh? Ki is actually real?" Ichika said as she read the scroll.
"Yeah, a lot of Onmyou techniques actually rely on Ki," Shin said.
"Devils can use Ki right?" Ichika asked, imagining all the possibilities
"I think Sona mentioned a Devil in the Underworld being able to use Ki as a substitute for Demonic Power." Shin placed a hand on his chin.
"So I can? Khh! Witness me, Servant! Heed my order! I demand you to teach me every form of magic you have knowledge of!" Ichika said, placing a hand over her right eye and pointing at Shin with her other.
"Alright! Then, let's get started. First, we need to get some brushes in order. If I'm going to start teaching you our family's magic, we need to delve into the basics of omnyou techniques and calligraphy. Then go into runic magic from the Celtic druids. I might need to call Uncle Shay and Aunt Laeticia. I'm good but not that good.
"Maybe I can even get Vivi to join in. There's some Arthurian magic I can teach you that—"
Ichika's head began to spin as Shin began his passionate rant about different forms of magic. Her brain struggled to keep up as Shin explained concepts such as the flow of magical power, a concept called faith, and even leylines.
Her hand moved as fast as it could as she tried to desperately and pointlessly jot down every concept Shin had rattled out of his mouth.
"Wait… wait. Go back a few paragraphs! Calligraphy? Runes? Shin-chan, my head's going to explode!" Ichika protested.
"Ah, don't worry. This is just the basics. It'll start getting more complicated when—" Shin paused. His eyes narrowed and he reflexively created a black and blue revolver in his hand.
"Mmm? What's wrong?" Ichika asked.
"Onee's barrier's been cracked." Shin got up. A sense of trepidation filled his body as he extended his senses to pinpoint the intruder.
"What? The barrier around the house?" Ichika asked.
"Yeah, Onee set up a talisman barrier that's hard to crack even for an Ultimate Class Devil. We need to—"
The power suddenly cut out.
"Shin-chan? Shin-chan—"
"Shhh!" Shin covers her mouth as he hears the front door being kicked in.
The sound of heavy footsteps fills the house. Shin pulls a talisman out of his pocket and silently chants a prayer. Their bodies faded into the background as the intruder came walking in.
His religious vestments were the first thing the two could make out in the dark along with his white hair. The man rubbed the back of his head, looking around for any trace of life in the area.
"Hmmm… The Saint is here? Raynare and that washboard are cracked in the damn head. What kind of Saint would go to a heretic's house?" The man mused as he picked up the magic tome.
He gave it a once over before tossing it aside.
"Mmm… maybe, upstairs?" the man spoke to himself as he left the living room.
Ichika's heart jumped in her throat. "Upstairs? But… Momo and Ran… and Asia too!" she hissed quietly at Shin.
Shin placed a finger up to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. "Stay here. I'll go and—"
"No. I'm not going to let you fight alone!" Ichika whispered. She gripped the sleeve of his shirt tightly.
Despite her apparent bravado, Shin felt her fingers trembling as she clutched his shirt.
"Fine. But… stay quiet," he said.
The two followed the man as he ascended the stairs. The man hummed a psychotic tune with no rhythm or beat as he tapped his pistol along each doorknob.
"Eenie…," the man said in a sing-songy voice as he pushed each door open.
"Meenie…" A wave of anxiety began to wash over the two as he opened the next door.
"Miney…" the man kicked open the door to Shin's room, revealing nothing.
"Mo."
His eyes gleamed with psychotic glee before stopping outside a room
The plaque on the door almost made Shin's heart stop.
Momiji Phenex
"Ran!" Shin shouted mentally through their bond.
"Mmm?" the man looked down and noticed a shadow behind the door. A wide twisted smile appeared on his face, threatening to split it in half. "Looks like I hit the jack—"
A concussive force akin to a cannon blast shattered Momiji's door. Freed was suddenly thrown through the wall. He crashed violently into the ground below.
Ran stood behind the door, palm outstretched. Black fire swirled around her.
"Ichika! Stay here and look after Momiji! Ran and I got this," Shin yelled.
"Wait? What—?"
Ichika never finished her sentence as Ran and Shin rushed out through the hole in the wall. Ichika quickly ran over and comforted a crying Momiji.
"Oh? I never expected Freed to get done in this easily, even with that boost I gave him." A malicious yet almost child-like voice said behind her. The twisted rot she felt in the presence behind her sent shivers down her spine.
Ichika froze and turned around to see a girl much younger than she was standing behind her. Her blonde hair glinted in the rays of moonlight that sifted through the hole in the wall. Her blue eyes stared deep into Ichika's soul.
"So you're the little toy Raynare failed to kill that day," the girl said.
Despite the fear she felt, Ichika mustered enough strength to summon her Sacred Gear. "Don't worry, Kouyou. Ichika-oneechan will protect you."
"Oh? A Sacred Gear? Interesting but ultimately not that impressive in the end," the girl said. "Hmmm. I guess… I should finish Raynare's job then. She better thank me later." The girl held her hand out. A swirl of red light gathered and formed into a spear.
Freed was angry. No, angry wasn't even a good way to describe how he felt right now. He was absolutely livid. Being ambushed was his least favorite thing to ever encounter on a simple night of fun.
A flash of blackness filled his eyes. As if on autopilot, Freed drew a sword's hilt from his pocket. A blade of light erupted from the hilt, intercepting the blade.
The sound of metal clashing filled the yard as Freed held back a pitch-black sword.
"You… fucking brat!" Freed growled.
Shin said nothing as he pressed against Freed's glowing blade. He swiped the sword, sending Freed back.
Freed glared, catching his breath before straightening his form. "Hehehe… that wasn't fucking nice, Mister. I guess you're the one keeping the Saint safe?" Freed said, taking a few steps forward. He twirled his sword around nonchalantly as he continued to size Shin up.
"..."
"Not going to say anything?" Freed taunted.
Shin narrowed his eyes and shifted his foot.
"Well, if you're not going to say anything, then…" Freed rushed forward in a blurry burst of speed.
Shin swiped his sword, parrying Freed's thrust.
"Oh? Maybe you're not as bad as I thought," Freed cackled before rushing back in.
Shin threw his sword at Freed.
The Mad Priest laughed as he side-stepped the flying blade. "Throwing away your weapon! Are you that fucking—"
He brought his blade down atop a seemingly defenseless Shin.
However, a flash of blue light gathered in Shin's hands. The same black blade appeared and easily blocked Freed's attack.
"Stupid…? Huh?" He blinked, seeing the same weapon in Shin's hand.
"You were saying?" Shin asked.
Shin's leg suddenly connected with Freed's arm. A sickening crunch echoed across the yard as Freed was sent flying through the wall with immense physical force. He flew at breakneck speeds before crashing into a parked car outside.
He crumpled like a sack of potatoes to the ground. Blood poured down his forehead.
Freed looked up from his spot.
Shin walked out of the dust cloud. His eyes shone with an eerie blue shade. A small gear rotated in Shin's right eye, encircled by a white ring with two horizontal lines extending from the ring.
"You… Stigmata… You're a Contractor," Freed coughed as he shakily got to his feet.
"And knowing that changes what exactly?" Shin asked. He held his hand out. A series of blue lights appeared behind him. Weapons of different kinds began to manifest in the air, seemingly conjured from nothing.
"Ahaha… Ahahahaha! Contractors… are the biggest monsters ever born from humans! I can't believe I get to try my hand at killing one!" Freed said. An insane giggle escaped his lips.
"I'll finish this in 90 seconds," Shin said as he held the black sword up.
"Hahaha… as if I'd let you…," Freed said. He pulled out a small glowing pyramid from his pocket. He popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened. Red lines began to trace itself on his body. "Kekeke… Ahahaha! Ahahaha!" He laughed psychotically as a blood-red aura exploded from his body.
"Master. Be careful. His power has increased exponentially," Ran advised as she watched the battle unfold from atop the house.
"Just focus on reinforcing the barrier. I promise he won't make me use anything greater than Clarent," Shin said.
Blue lightning coated his body. He took a deep breath. A familiar sensation flooded his entire body. An aura of ki surrounded Shin as he prepared for Freed to make a move.
With an incoherent, insane scream, Freed rushed forward. His speed had increased considerably, however, his movements had dulled.
Shin's eyes tracked the blur and stepped out of the way. He danced around Freed's furious, frenzied strikes.
He switched Clarent into a reverse grip and shot past Freed.
"Onigari-Ryu - Gotamashiki."
Five cuts suddenly appeared on Freed's body, spraying blood all over the pavement.
However, Freed's frenzied state did not permit him to feel pain.
He rushed back in, attempting to hack Shin to pieces. "Hehehe! More! More! Let me feel more!" Freed laughed.
"What the hell is wrong with him?" Shin asked as he parried another sword strike.
Freed jumped back, gaining space between the two. "Oh Lord… O' Heaven!" Freed chanted. He raised his arm into the air. A series of esoteric characters swirled around him.
"A Miracle?" Shin's eyes widened.
Lightning, fire, and ice swirled around Freed. "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, deliver justice upon this sinner!"
"Ran! Protect the house! This man can use the Seventh Plague of Egypt!" Shin yelled. He created a blue orb in his hand.
[Perfect Cube]
A violet cubic barrier appeared around Shin. A storm of fire, lightning, and hail battered the cube.
"Ahahahah! Ahahahaha!" Freed cackled. "Die! Die! Dieee!"
A flash of blue light pierced through the storm. A sword speared Freed's shoulder. The man stumbled back, surprised by the sudden attack. The storm dispersed due to the disruption in Freed's focus.
"Wha—"
"Let those who turn their back on the divine blessing be pierced by the arrow of the Gods." Shin's voice echoed from the smoke cloud.
"Rekku Madan. Kyu-Kyu Nyo Ritsu Ryo," Shin chanted.
A series of high-speed blue energy bullets peppered Freed's body, piercing small holes in non-lethal areas purposely. To Freed, it seemed as his opponent's intentions were to maximize the pain without inflicting lethal injuries.
If Freed could read Shin's mind, he'd have been somewhat correct. After all, such brutal and sadistic methods were inherited by Shin from his older sister.
"You… motherfu…" Freed stumbled, feeling dizzy from the blood loss. His initial high had worn off, being replaced by a combined sensation of being ripped apart from the inside and the numerous bullet wounds and cuts that now littered his body.
"I told you. 90 seconds." Shin walked toward him.
A black blade stopped inches from his eye. "Who sent you? The Traditionalist Faction? The Grigori?" Shin asked.
"Hehe… Heheh… as if I'd tell you… Besides, you think I came alone?" Freed rasped.
"Wha— Ichika, Momiji! Ran! Handle this!" Shin yelled.
"Got it." Ran hopped down from her perch. Shin nodded gratefully and ran back toward the house.
Freed felt a sense of rage, watching as Shin turned his back on the fight. He gripped his pistol and aimed it at his back. "You fuck! Don't turn your back on me—"
He felt his gun being knocked out of his hand. Ran's leg was outstretched. In one fluid motion, Ran kicked Freed in the side of the head, sending him down to the ground.
"You bi—"
Black flaming chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around Freed's body, pinning him. Freed thrashed uselessly against the searing chains.
"Hah… what a dirty mouth." Ran's eyes glowed as the chains began to constrict tightly around Freed.
Ichika panted. Blood poured down small cuts on her arm.
While she had managed to push the fight out of Momiji's room and into the hallway, Ichika could tell that the girl was not taking this fight seriously.
Ichika eyed her relaxed form carefully. Rushing in was going to do nothing in this situation. She needed to fight differently.
"Come on, you. Do something," she muttered, glancing down at her gauntlets and greaves.
"You don't know how to use it, do you?" the girl asked. She slowly walked forward, dragging her bloodied red spear across the floor.
Ichika's body stiffened as she raised her arms. A cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
"What a waste. Now. Time to get what I came here for." The girl twirled her spear and rushed forward.
Ichika ducked in the nick of time. A cut appeared on her cheek. She swept the smaller girl's legs out from under her.
While she was surprised, she quickly recovered by unfurling her wings. She flapped them, blasting a disorienting gust of wind in Ichika's face.
"Not bad. Not bad but it's not enough!" the girl said.
Ichika got up as the girl rushed at her again. Death stared her in the face once again. An overwhelming need to survive rushed through her. She needed to be fast enough to dodge, and then strong enough to strike back. Just one hit. One good hit was all she needed to escape her predicament.
"Wha—?"
[Boost]
An announcement echoed through the hallway.
Ichika felt a surge of strength and power fill her body. At the last second, she weaved her way out of the girl's path.
"Haaaah!" Ichika let out a battle cry.
Her punch successfully landed, striking the smaller girl's torso. The girl let out a soundless gasp as she flew down the hallway and crashed into the stairs.
Ichika panted, her fist held out. "Heh… that all you got, crow? You are facing a Dragon Empress after all."
The girl slowly sat up. She winced as she tentatively touched her torso. "Doubling stats… I would call it a Twice Critical but it feels off. Hehe… what a wonderful prize. It'd be such a shame to kill you now!"
Ichika narrowed her eyes. "You can try. However, my Dragon's eye sees through you. You can't win."
"Oh…? Really? Well then, Miss Dragon Emperor." A red light began to glow within Mittelt's eyes. A blood-red crimson shroud enveloped the girl's body. A horde of whispers assaulted her mind. Hands that had the texture of TV static began to emerge from the ground. "Let's see how you handle this."
The crimson shroud around the girl swirled and formed into an ornate scarlet spear. "I never thought I'd have to use it on you of all people."
Ichika's eyes widened as she called upon whatever power she gained earlier again. However, it was too late. The girl had already moved.
She moved faster than she previously had, disappearing and reappearing in front of Ichika in the blink of an eye.
"Goodbye, Miss Dragon Empress," the girl said playfully as she thrust her spear forward.
However, her spear was stopped mere inches from Ichika's face. Ichika had her hand held up, gripping the spear's blade tightly. The color of her eyes changed, revealing deep pools of shimmering silver.
"Wha..? That rat bastard! He never told me that it was here!" the girl snarled, trying to pull the spear back.
"Arrogant shard. I'll show you the consequences of attempting to lay a hand on my supreme form." Ichika's voice sent shivers down the Fallen Angel's spine.
The girl coughed as she weakly tried to stand. "That rat bastard… he didn't say she was here…" She coughed. "You'll pay for that… huh?"
The girl raised an eyebrow when she saw the silvery-white in Ichika's eyes fade back to hazel. Ichika's eyes fluttered as she fell to her hands and knees, panting. An overwhelming sense of fatigue had suddenly gripped her.
"You can't control it. Hmph, I'd love to kill you but that would be against her orders." The girl straightened herself.
"Ichika!"
She suddenly jumped back as Shin brought Clarent's dark blade down on top of her. "Another one? Did Freed lose…? Oh? You—" The girl's eyes widened.
Shin stood protectively in front of Ichika. His hand gripped Clarent tightly as he stared the Fallen Angel down fiercely.
"This sensation... you're her Contractor, aren't you?" the girl said.
"I don't know who you are but… if you think you can escape from here. Think again, Crow," Shin said. Ki and divine energy swirled around him, forming an intense shroud of energy.
The girl shivered, feeling the massive pressure bearing down on her shoulders. "Hah… you're turning into just as bad a monster as she is. What a shame. I guess I have to cut our meeting here short."
"What? If you think I'll let you run, think again—!"
"Unfortunately, you have no choice in the matter," the girl said. She jumped out the window and spread her wings.
"You—!"
The girl flicked her wrist, launching a light blade at the downed and tired Ichika.
Shin backstepped and deflected the blade before it could hit her.
"By the way, Mister Knight. Name's Mittelt. I have a distinct feeling…" Mittelt's eyes hovered over the pair, "...We'll be seeing more of each other in the future."
A red vortex appeared behind her, swallowing her before Shin could retaliate.
"Tch, Ichi. You okay?" Shin turned and knelt in front of her.
"My Servant… I did it," Ichika said wearily.
"Huh?"
"I used my Sacred Gear!" Ichika gave him a thumbs up. With those words, her eyes closed and she passed out on the floor.
"Huh…? Ichika? Ichika!" Panic gripped Shin when he saw Ichika's body go limp. However, when he heard her faint breathing, he sighed in relief. He conjured a blue casting circle. "Come on. Pick up."
"It's… 11:30 PM. This better be good," Sona's voice came out from the circle.
"Yeah, it is good. My house got attacked and half of it blew up."
"... I'll be there."
Shin sat by Ichika's bedside, holding her hand tightly.
They were having too many close calls in such a short time. He couldn't even begin to think about what he would do if he lost her.
"Master, you need to get some rest."
Shin looked over his shoulder. Ran stood behind him with a sleeping Momiji in her arms. "Asia healed Ichika-sama completely. She'll wake up soon and Sona-sama is already repairing the house."
"I know… I just—"
"Mmm. Ughh… did we win?"
Shin whirled around and saw Ichika groaning as she sat up. Her features twisted as phantom pain wracked her body where her cuts and bruises used to be.
"Ichi, how are you feeling?" Shin asked.
"Like I just went toe to toe with God," she said, rubbing her arm. Ichika's vision settled and she realized she was in her room. A look of worry suddenly overtook her features as she tried to stand up.
"Momo! We need to get back before that winged psycho—"
"Wait. Ichi! It's fine. Everything's fine! Kouyou's right here."
"H- Huh?" she looked to see Momiji sleeping soundly in Ran's arms. "Thank God." She collapsed back into her bed. "And Asia?"
"Asia's downstairs with your mom, making some food. You've been out for almost 2 hours now," he said.
A soft smile appeared on Ichika's face. "I'm... glad."
"Well, congrats on surviving your first actual fight with a Fallen Angel. Maybe next time, we can go to the forests of Mount Benizakura to—"
"Master, I recommend you don't encourage your usual brand of suicidal training to Ichika-sama," Ran cut him off.
Shin rolled his eyes. "But really, I'm glad you're okay, Ichi."
"So… what now?" Ichika asked.
"Well, for now, you need to get some rest. Sophia's going to be back from her little scouting trip. After that, she and I will go and handle everything," Shin said, getting up.
"Handle everything...?"
"Yeah, Sophia and I are going to do some pest control."
Momiji Phenex
The young daughter of Riser and Akane Phenex.
Despite her young age, her demonic power is potent and rapidly growing.
Due to her lack of control, she is often privy to temper tantrum outbursts that result in massive fire damage.