Chapter Forty – Bats and the Crow
8:30 pm
One Hour until the Main Event
"So, from exorcists-in-training to the two bodyguards for Lord Michael." Vin let off a low whistle, "That's one hell of a step up."
Vin, Irina and Ezekiel all sat about one of the numerous balconies that shot off from the gala's main ballroom. Several stories below laid an endless expanse of trees that made up the large gardens that surrounded the entire venue on all sides.
Leaning his back against the marble banister, Vin relished in the sensation of the gentle summer breeze wafting through the air, lifting his long brown hair, free from its usual ponytailed-prison.
"Indeed it is." Ezekiel nodded his head. "At first, we were chosen to accompany Lord Michael at the Kuoh Peace Summit due in-part to Irina's knowledge of the area, but apparently Lord Michael was impressed enough with our capabilities during the assault on the Summit that he requested our services once more."
"Well good for you guys!" Vin congratulated once more. "Oh, how's Griselda doing, by the way?"
"Last time I saw her, pretty alright." Irina chimed in, before smirking, "Though Zeke could probably tell you more about that."
The fallen angel raised a brow.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well…" Irina closed her eyes, and…
*Flap!*
A pair of snow-white wings burst forth from Irina's back, with a glowing halo of golden light slowly humming into existence above her head. Irina's eyes slowly opened once more, sparkling and shining like fireworks as a big smile played across her face.
"Surprise!" Irina exclaimed.
Vin's own eyes went wide as he took in the sight of his friend. The ethereal glow blanketing her fit so perfectly; like a manifestation of Irina's very own sunshine, bubbly personality. From the corner of his eye, Vin briefly registered that Ezekiel seemed even more enraptured by the sight than he did.
"Holy crap…" Vin muttered, "How did…"
"If you recall, the Governor General of the Grigori had proposed sharing his research into replicating the Devil's Evil Piece System during the Peace Summit Negotiations." Ezekiel supplied, slowly regaining his composure. "As soon as the technology became available, Lord Michael extended to us the honor of joining his own group – his 'deck' – as they've coined it."
"Yep! They use a deck of cards, since that gives us the most possible opportunities to reincarnate people into Angels!" Irina puffed out her chest proudly. "You're looking at the new Ace of Lord Michael!"
"Damn, that's insane!" Vin exclaimed, "And what about you, Zeke?"
The exorcist shook his head. "While I was honored by Lord Michael's offer, me and Sinclair ultimately decided to turn down the opportunity. I still believe that I still have much to learn, both from Griselda and as an individual."
"Really?" Vin raised a brow. "Alright then…"
Vin trailed off as he briefly spotted a certain blue head of hair amidst the crowds indoors. Vin cupped his hands to his mouth. "Xenovia! Over here, on the balcony!"
Vin spotted Xenovia's head stop in its tracks, before quickly pivoting around as it began to head straight towards them. Soon enough, Xenovia broke through the crowds of people; which marked the exact moment Vin's breath was robbed from him.
As if time slowed down, Vin watched Xenovia slowly make her way towards the balcony. It was as though everything else around him melted away as every facet of his very being took in the bluenette swordswoman in her totality.
Deep blue hair flowing down to her shoulders in a manner that Vin could tell took considerably more styling to achieve than Xenovia's typical 'wherever my hair falls' method of hair-style, now sculpted to perfectly frame every contour of her face. Her dark, golden-amber eyes bursting forth spectacularly as a dusting of a smokey-eye beckoned Vin to get lost in her eyes like a siren's call.
The tasteful snowfleek-red hue of her lipstick caused her lips to faintly glisten in the soft lighting of the gala. Her toned and defined body filled out every section of a dark blue Halter dress that wrapped her body in a way that left his mouth watering.
Despite the presence of the literal angel right next to him; the sheer radiance of the bluenette outshone the Ace completely in Vin's eyes.
Meeting those beautiful eyes for a moment, Xenovia's typical stoic expression softened into a gorgeous smile which threatened to rob Vin of his ability to stand; provoking an equally-sincere, but no less goofy smile to erupt on Vin's face.
However, it wasn't for long, because as soon as Xenovia made her way out to the balcony, her focus quickly gave way to shock.
"Xenovia!" Irina bounced forward, beaming. "It's great to see you!"
"I-Irina!" Xenovia gasped in awe, looking over the silky wingspan of her long-time ally. "Are these..?"
"Yep!" Irina twirled around. "Say hello to heaven's newest reincarnated Angel!"
"Wow…" Xenovia remained stunned. "It suits you – you look wonderful."
"Thank you~!" Irina cooed. "You look so amazing!"
Irina tugged Xenovia into a hug.
"I missed you so much." Irina confessed.
Xenovia closed her eyes and patted her friend's back. "Yeah. It's been too long."
After a moment, the two separated from one another. Ezekiel stepped ahead, holding his hand out to Xenovia.
"An honor to see you once again, Xenovia." Ezekiel introduced. "You've been well since we last met?"
"More than well, thanks." Xenovia smiled and shook his hand. "Have you been training since last time?"
"Daily." Ezekiel nodded. "Griselda has seen fit to go all out in my training now that I'm her sole pupil. Don't you forget our sparring record."
"Last I recalled, I was in the lead." Xenovia smirked playfully. "Fifty-three to fifty-one, right?"
"Indeed; but I'll make sure to close the gap next time." Ezekiel challenged. "Me and Sinclair are far from the fighters you sparred with last time."
"I look forward to it, then." Xenovia smiled.
"Okay~!" Irina butted in. "It was super great to see you, but man-oh-man, am I parched! Zeke, let's go get some drinks, shall we?"
Ezekiel scratched his head. "I fail to see how that-"
"Oh, c'mon~!" Irina pouted. "I bet that after a drink, I'll want to dance. Buuuut, if you want to stay and chat with Xenovia, then I guess I'll just find Issei and ask him to dance with me…"
Ezekiel's face exploded into a blush. "I-I'll accompany you!"
"Great!" Irina looped her arm around Ezekiel's, and started to drag the poor, flustered Chuuni back to the ballroom.
"We'll see you two later, okay?" Irina winked over her shoulder. "You two have fun, now~!"
A moment later, the two exorcists faded into the crowds indoors; leaving Vin and Xenovia standing in silence. Both shamelessly taking in the sight of one another with a dusting of pink across their cheeks.
"Hey…" Vin coughed, trying to compose himself. "You… Damn, you look… gorgeous."
"T-thanks." Xenovia shuffled. "I haven't seen your hair down in a while."
"Hm? Oh-! Yeah, I mean, the stylists were insistent on it being down tonight, so I mean…"
Vin's speech trailed off as Xenovia stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck.
"I like it." Xenovia whispered. "I like it a lot."
Vin gazed deeply into Xenovia's eyes, his hands subconsciously coming to rest at the small of her back. "... Hey, can I-"
Xenovia's lips crashed against his own, the bluenette kissing him with a passion he hadn't felt since that fateful night in the Exorcist dormitories. Opening his mouth, he matched her passion, tugging her into him tighter. Carefully, Vin tipped her back a bit, allowing himself the purchase to kiss her even deeper than before.
Butterflies fluttered around his stomach to the percussion of fireworks blasting through his nervous system. Pure, unadulterated euphoria coursing through both of their minds, their bodies, their hearts, their souls…
Finally, the ingrained sting from a lack of oxygen won over, temporarily forcing the two to part. Flushed faces inches away from one another, each huffing and puffing for all the oxygen they could get their hands on. Vin's gaze was utterly captivated by the sheer look of need etched into the very grain of his partner's features.
"...W-Whoa…" Vin whispered out huskily. "What brought that on?"
"..." Xenovia buried her head into his chest.
"Xenovia?" Vin tilted his head, "Is everything alright?"
"..."
"Xenovia, please." Vin begged. "You can talk to me, I'm not going to judge you. Let me be here for you, okay? I owe you that, for all the times you've been here for me."
"...I-I was so scared, Vin." Xenovia peered up at him with those big, warm eyes. "How many times has this happened now? How many times am I going to need to see you barely clinging to life in front of me?"
"I-I mean, I almost lost you again!" Xenovia buried her face into his chest once more. "F-fuck, and every single time it happens, I have to wonder if… i-if this is the one where I lose you…"
"Do you even realize how much you mean to me?" Xenovia hiccupped. "You're the first man to ever try to love me for who I was. You're the first one to really make me consider being Xenovia, the person; not Xenovia, the exorcist…"
"You've done so much for me, but damn it, you drive me crazy Vin." Xenovia hissed.
"Xenovia…" Vin set a hand on Xenovia's chin, gently tilting it up to face him.
Tears slowly started to bud up in those golden eyes.
"Look what you do to me…" Xenovia's lip quivered..
"Xenovia… I-" Vin gently rubbed his thumbs across Xenovia's face, wiping away any tears that threatened to spill over. "I'm still here, okay? I swear to you, I'm not going anywhere. I won't die; I swear. I'll go to the ends of the earth to ensure that, okay?"
"You better." Xenovia whined and she squeezed Vin tight once more.
"I promise." Vin hugged her back. "No matter how bad it might seem, no matter how unlikely; I'll fight fuckin' tooth and nail to make sure I can make it back to you."
"Good." Xenovia breathed into his ear.
The two remained that way for a while, simply holding each other close as the summer night's air swept through the balcony. Both of them simply indulging in the presence of the other, the true embrace of the moment.
They were alive.
They were together.
They were here. That was enough.
"Are you feeling a little better now?" Vin patted Xenovia's back.
"Mhm…" Xenovia hummed.
Slowly, the two began to separate. Vin resting his forearms on the banister to lean over the edge and embrace the soft breeze. "Man, it's a nice night out, huh?"
"It is." Xenovia agreed, looking around at the gardens below.
"Vin. Do you feel anything off right now?" Xenovia furrowed her brow.
"Huh?" Vin scanned the area, but aside from a bunch of trees, nothing seemed all too out of the ordinary. Except… No, there definitely was something. He could feel like, like a super subtle itch under his skin.
"I can feel something a bit odd, now that you mention it." Vin narrowed his eyes.
Straining his ears, Vin attempted to listen for something amiss, but the sounds of chatter and orchestral music did more than enough to put a solid damper on everything.
But no, there was something. A noise, a sound carried on the wind. Like a whistling, or a… a roar.
"I think something's going on." Vin got up and turned around to face Xenovia.
Xenovia continued to scan the area, until her eyes focused on something. "Vin, over there!"
Following her pointing finger, Vin turned to see a bright cyan glow emanating out like a mist from a clearing in the garden barely in their view.
"What the hell is that?" Vin gazed down at the energy flowing out from the glade in thick waves, wafting over the treetops and rising into the air. "Xenovia, go alert Azazel or Sirzechs or someone that there's something going on in the gardens. But be discreet, we can't have a panic."
"Right." Xenovia turned to make off, before pausing for a moment. "Vin… stay safe."
"Of course." Vin smiled. "I'm not leaving this balcony, I'll keep an eye out from here."
Xenovia gave a satisfied nod, before speed-walking back into the ballroom. Once she was gone, Vin returned to the banister, leaning over the edge to get the best view he could.
"What the hell is this stuff..?" Vin peered at the mist as it pulsed a ghostly cyan.
*Bi-Shaan!*
"Huh!?" Vin peered down to his legs, baffled when he found Crystal Weaver manifested on his legs. "Bheithir? What gives?"
The dragon gave no response, aside from a pulse of amber light. Slowly but surely, the mist slowly wafting up into the air began to change course, and began to swirl towards the venue… Towards Vin.
"Oi! Bheithir!" Vin called out fruitlessly to his Sacred Gear once more. "What's going on?! C'mon, answer me!"
Once more, nothing but silence met Vin's cries. The mist soon reached the floor of the balcony; beginning to pool in thick clumps as it swirled around his feet, pulsing it's ghostly blue in time with the amber pulsing of Crystal Weaver.
Vin made to run inside, but to his horror, he found himself unable to take a single step – as if his very body betrayed him. Vin froze up, gazing down in horror; his ears still acutely hearing the pained howls of whatever thing was down there in the garden. Crystal Weaver continued to pulse in time with the gathering mist, before the mist began to suddenly flow into the pair of crystal greaves. Crystal Weaver pulsing with each intake of the mist like it was drinking in the foreign mist.
The howls continued, and so did the mist as a seemingly endless flow stemmed from the garden. As the mist flowed into him through Crystal Weaver, Vin could feel something inside of him change, however subtle. It was like he felt… too full of energy – like someone at the height of a sugar rush.
Surely enough, the mist finally finished seeping into the Sacred Gear, leaving Vin standing alone on the balcony in stunned silence. Unable to keep his hands steady, Vin smothered them by shoving them as deep into his pockets as he could. Leaning against the cool marble of the banister, Vin took in greedy gulps of air as he watched his Sacred Gear dematerialize.
"Bheithir, what's going on?" Vin breathed.
No response.
Still heaving, Vin scrunched his eyes closed; trying his best to stamp down the unnerving feeling that buzzed and bounced around his chest, like a horde of butterflies eager to escape their newfound cage. "...What the fuck are you doing to me..?"
Vin struggled to write his spiraling train of thought, until he happened to recall a certain piece of advice he'd received almost an entire year ago.
Breathe in… Breathe out…
Breathe in… Breathe out…
Vin kept breathing for a while, closing his eyes and focusing on his own breaths with as much attention he could muster. It was an old meditation technique that he picked up from Jafar during the first few months of his training at the Vatican; a little something you could do to help ground yourself if you ever felt like you were beginning to lose yourself in the field.
Vin wished he could thank Jafar again for teaching him about it, because slowly but surely, his panic, the buzzing, it all began to settle itself. He had no idea how long he'd spent engrossed in his own breathing; the world around him was tuned out while the static buildup within himself began to slowly but surely settle down; eventually soothing out into a constant hum. A hum which Vin could possibly say felt… good?
"I need to talk to Azazel about this. Hopefully he'll have some answers if Bheithir's leaving me high and dry."
Vin's train of thought was soon cut short, as the sounds of chatter and music from inside the ballroom began to simmer down. Sweeping himself off, Vin went back inside to see Sirzechs and the others atop a small stage at the front of the ballroom.
"Greetings everyone," Sirzechs began, "I trust that you've all been well. I'd like to start by first thanking our esteemed guests on behalf of our people; Allfather Odin, Governor-General Azazel, Cadre Baraqiel and Lord Micheal, we are honored to have you all in attendance for our bi-annual Young Devils Gala. The faces that you see in this room will make up the promising future of our society, a society no longer divided by ancient grudges or conflicts."
"As the devils within the room know, this gala usually signifies the beginning of our bi-annual youth Rating Game tournament, and the unveiling of our tournament bracket." Serafall Leviathan stepped forward. "However, as the King's in the audience already know, we have decided to also hold a special exhibition match for our guests so that we may show them the promise of our next generation of devils!"
"The function of tonight's gala will be to determine the two peerages which shall participate in this exhibition Rating Game." Falbium Asmodeus took over. "The rule set and participants for the Rating Game will be determined randomly in a moment, while the Rating Game itself shall be held here twenty four hours from now.
Falbium turned to the Devil king to his right, "Ajuka, would you be so kind as to take it away?"
"Of course." Ajuka nodded. With a flick of his hand, Ajuka Beelzebub manifested a large magical interface into the air before the crowd. In the center of the magical circle, several different sentences in devil script flashed in and out at blazing speed.
"The rule set for this Rating Game shall be…" Ajuka snapped his fingers. "... THIS!"
The cycling devil script finally froze, clearly displaying a single phrase which spurred excited rumors from the crowd.
"That's correct, the format for this exhibition Rating Game shall be a 'Crown Capture' Rating Game!" Ajuka reiterated. "Next, we shall determine who the defending peerage shall be…"
A new Magical circle spread across the air, flickering through various headshots of figures. Briefly, Vin spotted the iconic shock of Rias's red hair amongst the flashing portraits.
The cycling of images began to slow down and down. It began to stall for a moment on the headshot of who Vin could recall was the Student Council President he met during his last exorcist mission. "Sora or Sona, something like that…"
However, at the last second, the image of the student council president switched away, leaving the visage of a dashingly-handsome young man with soft, lilac hair.
"The defending team shall be Percival Forneus and his peerage!" Ajuka announced, "Percival, may you come forward?"
Soon the crowds parted, allowing the young scion of the Forneus family to make his way to the front, standing by Ajuka's side.
"Now, we shall determine the attacking peerage," The cycle of headshots began to cycle again. "Which shall be…"
Even from all the way across the room, Vin could easily recognize the candid photograph of Rias Gremory gracefully smiling back at the entire room.
"The attackers shall be made up of Rias Gremory and her peerage! May I have Rias come to the stage?"
"..."
"..."
Vin raised an eyebrow as he looked around. A quiet rumbling of hushed whispers drifted throughout the crowd, carrying mutterings of confusion and gossip.
"Rias Gremory, may you come to the front?" Ajuka reiterated, only to be met by silence.
Before Ajuka could open his mouth a third time, the crowds parted to allow a certain raven-haired beauty to the front.
"Miss Himejima." Ajuka addressed the queen. "May I ask where your master might be?
"My utmost apologies, Ajuka Beelzebub." Akeno bowed deeply. "I'm currently unable to locate my master, so in lieu of her temporary disappearance, I shall act in her stead."
"Most unbecoming of her…" Falbium muttered. "Especially in the company of such esteemed guests."
"Oh, don't worry, we're not taking any offense." Azazel piped up. "They're kids, this kind of thing is bound to happen. Let's just continue on, shall we?"
"Very well." Ajuka cleared his throat. "Now, I'd like to invite our two representatives to share their thoughts on this upcoming Rating Game…
"Have you managed to get in contact with Rias yet?" Akeno walked up to the table the Gremory peerage had begun to occupy.
"Unfortunately not, but I'm sure that she'll see your message." Kiba shook his head with a smile.
"Oh my goodness, I feel like I'm going to die…" Akeno rubbed her eyes, before taking a seat next to Kiba and Asia.
"...I think you did good! I wouldn't be able to do that, that's for sure!" Gasper chimed in.
"Thank you, Gasper." Akeno gave them a smile. "I just can't believe that Rias stood us up like that!"
"Wait, so you guys all have no idea where she went?" Vin pulled over an open seat and sat down next to Xenovia. "Did you check the washrooms out in the halls?"
"Already did." Akeno shot back in between a swig of red wine.
"Damn…" Vin muttered.
"Oh, there you guys are!" Irina and Ezekiel made their way over carrying small plates of snacks.
"How was the dancing?" Xenovia asked.
"Pretty good! Turns out Zeke isn't all left-feet~" Irina smirked as she playfully nudged the Chuunibyou with her elbow.
"Swordsmanship tends to rely on the strong foundation of one's footwork." Ezekiel sat himself down. "Dancing is much the same, so some elements do translate rather fluidly."
"Sorry, we're all acquainted with Irina by now, but I don't believe I ever caught your name." Kiba remarked.
"Ah, that's what I forgot." Xenovia stood up. "Everyone, this is Ezekiel; he's an exorcist who Irina, Vin and I lived and worked with." Xenovia gestured to the others. "Ezekiel, this is Kiba, my fellow Knight, Akeno, our Queen, Asia and Gasper, our Bishops, and… er… I don't actually know who you are, my apologies."
"No worries." Ravel put a hand to her chest. "My name is Ravel Phenex, the youngest of the three Phenex scions and current free Bishop under my Mother."
"Oh, and I'm Irina Shidou!" The twin tailed angel jumped in. "Like Xenovia said, I've been trained as an exorcist for a long time now, and I've known Xenovia and Zeke for about five years now, and Vinny for one. I used to live in Kyoh when I was really young, and I was super close to Issei! It's nice to meet you guys properly this time!"
"Indeed, I relish the opportunity to exchange pleasantries." Ezekiel bowed gracefully. "Especially considering how the Khaos Brigade had robbed our chances at doing so at the Peace Summit."
Ezekiel turned to face Kiba, "Particularly you, good sir. Your abilities with the blade were most spectacular to behold. Sinclair and I would be most honored to spar with you."
"Sinclair?" Kiba raised a brow.
"Go along with it." Vin silently mouthed.
"Regardless, I'd love to take you up on that when we get some free time." Kiba smiled. "Your own style of swordplay seemed very unorthodox."
"Ah yes, well that's been a recent change. I lost my left hand around five months ago, so I've had to rebuild by swordplay around that."
"Oh no, what happened?" Asia chimed in.
"Kokabiel." Vin butted in. "That was why he wasn't with us when we all came to Kyoh."
"Oh…" Asia looked down at the table in shame, "I-I'm sorry for bringing that up."
"Rest assured Ms. Argento, I take no offense to your inquiries." Ezekiel reassured. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well for yourself nowadays."
"Ah, thank you!"
"Azazel." Kiba nodded in greeting. "How're you enjoying the gala?"
"Oh, it's alright. Not the biggest rager I've ever been to, but at least the drinks are good." Azazel took a sip of wine. "How's your little pow-wow going here?"
"Aside from the critical lack of our master, it's fine." Akeno flatly replied.
"Fair. You didn't do a bad job though." Azazel encouraged Akeno; to which she only huffed and took another sip of her drink.
"Anyway," Azazel leaned down between Xenovia and Vin, "I just wanted to let you two know that we got some security sent down to the garden. I don't know the situation, but the others would let me know if something was up."
"Did you guys find any sign of Rias?"
"Again, if they did, then they haven't told me." Azazel shrugged.
"What about Issei?" Irina chimed in. "I wanted to see him so bad, but he apparently vanished right before I got here!"
"Yes…" Ezekiel clenched his jaw. "I've wanted to meet Hyoudou Issei face-to-face myself."
"Well, last time I saw them, they were heading over to check on her rook." Ravel supplied. "She looked very unwell, so perhaps they're both busy trying to take care of her."
"Well, you might not need to look for much longer…" Azazel gestured at the elevators a scant distance from the table as they slid open.
"Oh shit…" Vin hissed under his breath, looking over the ragged appearance of his friends as the members of the table all clammered to their feet.
Rias's hair had been tossed, and was sporting an ugly purple bruise on her right shoulder. Issei, for his part, had lost his blazer, now walking into the ballroom in a dirt-scuffed red dress shirt, a layer of sweat glistening across his face and down his chest which peeked out from his loosened tie and shirt collar. An black eye began to form on Issei's face as blood slowly pooled from a split lip, which Rias quickly dabbed away from his face with a handkerchief.
But by far, the worst for wear was Koneko. The Rook laid unconscious in Issei's arms; her body flush with sweat, face etched with exhaustion as she let off soft labored breaths.
"What happened?!" Asia immediately rushed over, Twilight Healing at the ready. "Where does it hurt the most?!"
"I'm alright, Asia-" Issei began as he shifted slightly, causing his face to curl up in pain. "Okay, nevermind, I'm not okay. But take care of Koneko first."
Issei extended his arms out as Asia immediately got to work.
"You guys look like you've been through it." Vin walked over, dragging a chair behind him. "Here, take a seat, dude."
"Thanks Vin." Issei collapsed into his seat, letting Koneko lay across his lap as he let out a long breath.
"I got your message, Akeno." Rias bowed. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't here."
"It doesn't matter right now." Akeno brushed it off. "Come sit down while we wait for Asia to get to you."
"Right, thank you." Rias nodded. "Do you think you could fill me in on any details that I missed while I was gone?"
"Of course, Rias." Akeno smiled as the two headed back to the table.
"Umm…" Irina looked down at the floor. "Oh geez, this is awkward now, huh? Anyway, how's it going, Issei?"
Issei looked up from the Rook slumber in his lap, his eyes lighting up in recognition. "Ah, Irina! It's great to see you again! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know, just acting as Lord Micheal's bodyguard." Irina scratched at her cheek. "I feel bad that I didn't come sooner though. I would've liked to dance with you…"
"Heh, yeah, I'm sorry about that." Issei chuckled. "If I'm up to dancing a bit later, I'll let you know, okay?"
"I'll hold you to it~!" Irina beamed.
"Hyoudou Issei, I presume?" Ezekiel stepped forth, extending his left hand out in greeting.
"Yeah, that's me." Issei awkwardly reached over to take the unorthodox handshake.
"Ezekiel." The Chuunibyou curtly replied. "An exorcist training under Griselda Quarta, alongside Irina, Xenovia and Vin. I've lived and trained under Griselda's guidance for the past few years; and lived for even longer as a ward of the Shidou family."
"... Um… That's cool, man…" Issei awkwardly replied. "Well, it's nice to meet you."
"Indeed. It's an honor to meet thee as well." Ezekiel stared down Issei. "Perhaps another time we may spar with one another. But alas, that must wait."
Ezekiel broke the handshake, and quickly spun on his heels. "I'm leaving to refresh myself. I shall return later."
"Okie-Dokie~!" Irina smiled. "See you in a bit, Zeke!"
With a nod, the Chuunibyou began to walk away. Issei's gaze trailed behind him until Ezekiel finally vanished into the crowd.
Issei let out a breath. "Man… So, who's that guy?"
"That's Zeke!" Irina replied. "He acts kinda funny at times, but he's a super sweet guy! Trust me, once you spend enough time with him, you start to understand him better."
"He said that he was your family's ward, right?"
"Oh, yeah, he lived with our family for a while." Irina put a finger to her lips in thought. "Maybe… seven or eight years ago, Dad was sent to investigate an apparent disappearance of the exorcists in Ezekiel's family, and…"
Irina made a face, before shaking her head. "That part isn't really my story to tell. But anyway, Ezekiel needed somewhere to stay, so Dad – being Dad – offered to take him in. I think he felt I was lonely after moving away from Kyoh a year prior. But yeah, I've known Zeke for years now, he's a great guy!"
"I see…" Issei trailed off. "Hey Asia, how's Koneko looking?"
"She's pretty much all healed up physically, but it seems like she's super exhausted." Asia stood up and stretched. "She'll need a lot of rest, but that's about it."
"Thank you Asia." Issei gently smiled. "You're the best, seriously."
"A-Ah, thank you~" Asia blushed.
"What ended up happening?" Xenovia inquired. "Me and Vin heard some sort of noise from the garden. Did that have anything to do with you, Issei? After all, trouble seems to follow you rather closely."
"Maybe we should put a pin in this for later." Azazel advised. "For now, let's enjoy the rest of this party, shall we?"
Gremory Estate
11:45 pm
"Alright, so let's go over our scenario from the top." Rias sighed and rubbed her eyes.
Shortly after the end of the gala, the group – sans Micheal's bodyguards – made their way back to the Gremory Estate. Now changed into more casual clothing, the group spread out across a few sectional couches around a large coffee table, with Rias sitting at the foot of the table, a whiteboard wheeled in to her side.
After taking a quick sip of tea, Rias took out a red marker and began to write onto the whiteboard.
"So we're going up against Percival Forneus and his peerage for this Crown Capture Rating Game." Rias wrote their opponent's name in big lettering at the top of the board, followed by the title of the rule set.
"Buchou, do you mind explaining Crown Capture really quick?" Issei raised his hand.
"Of course, Issei." Rias smiled, "It's been such a long day, I nearly forgot some of you aren't familiar with the rules."
"While we've had very basic Rating Games so far, more quote-en-quote 'proper' Rating Games feature a variety of special rules and conditions for players to follow." Rias explained. "Crown Capture is a rule set where one peerage gets chosen as the defenders, and the other is chosen as the attackers. In this case, Percival's peerage was chosen as the defenders, and we're the attackers."
Rias continued to write brief bullet points on the board as she continued. "In Crown Capture Rating Games, the defending peerage are provided with an object that they must defend from the attacking peerage. Usually it's a small statue, a flag, or another basic object. The attacker's goal is to take this object from the defenders and return it to a checkpoint across the field. Meanwhile, the defenders win if they're able to keep the object from reaching that checkpoint in a time limit of 90 minutes."
"So we have an hour and a half to take an object from them?" Xenovia shook her head, "It sounds almost too easy for us…"
"Because that's not the full story." Rias replied. "Before the game begins, the defenders are given twenty minutes to plan and assemble their defenses. Usually in Crown Capture, the defending team is provided with a large structure or building to operate within, and they are also given a number of special magical items to use for their defense plans."
"There are two ways for us to win." Rias reiterated. "One, we get the object from Percival's peerage and deliver it to the checkpoint in an hour and a half; and two, like all Rating Games, if all members of their peerage retire, then we win."
"Either way, it won't be easy." Akeno mused. "Percival's all-too suited for this type of Rating Game, no?"
"All too true, Akeno." Rias frowned. "The Forneus Scripture is going to make any sort of approach a nightmare."
"What do you mean, Forneus Scripture?" Issei piped up.
"It's their families' magic, kid." Azazel leaned in from his position behind the couches. "Your little girlfriend here has the Bael family's signature [Powers of Destruction], and the Forneus brat has access to their own unique magic."
"Exactly like Azazel said, Percival is a master of his own family's [Absolute Scripture]." Rias began to write on the board. "It's a form of hexing magic, where Percival can influence the physical properties of objects based on the words he writes on them."
"Hold on," Vin leaned forward, cradling the coffee in his hands. "You mean to tell me this guy can just do anything to an object if he writes on it. Like, anything-anything?"
"Within reason." Rias replied. "It takes magical energy to use and also maintain. But it's still extremely dangerous… If we let our guards down, he alone could easily subdue us."
"Not to mention he's sporting a full peerage himself." Azazel brought up. "Some of whom are making pretty big waves, especially at the gala."
Azazel walked over to the coffee table and reached into the inside of his suit's blazer. Deftly, he yanked out a file folder and set it down on the coffee table.
"Ajuka introduced me to this kid at the party." Azazel explained. "His name's Oliver Collins, he's one of your little friend's Rooks."
"I see, but why exactly are you telling me this?" Rias picked up the folder. "I didn't ask for you to gather intel on my opponents."
"Kid, look, half of any battle is intel. Until you get old enough to start doing that sort of stuff yourself, it's gonna be my job as your sensei to provide you with at least a bit of info." Azazel chucked. "Plus, when you actually read what I found out about this kid, you might just thank me."
"And why's that?" Rias flipped open the folder and began to read.
"Well because your little childhood friend never told you that he got his hands on a mutation piece, did he?" Azazel smirked.
"Azazel, are you sure what's written here is true?" Rias looked up from the file, her expression grave.
"As far as I'm aware, it is." Azazel nodded. "Your buddy may be holding a super powerful Sacred Gear in his peerage. One that, as far as I'm aware, didn't exist prior."
"Azazel, I thought that Sacred Gears were created through GOD." Vin followed up, before cringing as he watched the group wincing in pain. "Sorry 'bout that. But anyway, what do you mean it didn't exist prior? GO- I mean, that guy isn't around anymore to create new Sacred Gears."
"Yeah, that's the thing kid, you're right: there shouldn't be more Sacred Gears, especially unique ones." Azazel stroked his chin. "But by all accounts, it's a new one. I obviously didn't have the tools or space necessary to test; but both Ajuka and this Oliver kid's testimonies didn't lend themselves to any Sacred Gears that I've looked into before."
"Could it just be a sub-species then?" Vin argued. "Like, [Crystal Weaver] is a sub-species of [Midas' Rings]; couldn't this just be a similar situation?"
"Maybe. But again, there's no existing records that could trace this Sacred Gear to any existing Gear as a point of origin." Azazel furrowed his brow.
"It says here that this Sacred Gear grants the user the capability to shift or grow parts of various creatures." Rias read off. "So it appears to be some sort of State-Change Sacred Gear."
"So this Rook is capable of transforming his body into that of creatures." Kiba mused. "Is there a limit to that, or any sort of restriction on what kinds of creatures the Gear can emulate?"
Azazel shook his head. "I'm not sure. That's why I'm proposing that it could possibly be Longinus-Class. I don't know if its ability lets you turn into a puppy, or take on the God-Slaying characteristics of a creature like Fenrir. It's totally up in the air."
"That's just great." Rias set the folder down and rubbed her eyes. "And here I thought not having Koneko for this Rating Game would be the biggest hurdle…"
"That's true." Akeno agreed. "Not having access to a Rook is going to limit a lot of the strategies we can employ."
The room turned silent as the group mulled over the reality setting in before them. If Percival had nearly an entirely filled peerage – setting aside the possibility of a Longinus-Wielder – then without any Rook to their name, their peerage was outnumbered at best, and nearly dead-in-the-water at worst.
Vin took a deep sip from his coffee as he tossed around ideas in his head. As he understood it, Koneko acted as the 'wall' of the team, providing a constant form of stability to their formations. With Koneko's iron-wall defenses, she could direct enemies' attention away from the Knights and help protect the Bishops in the back.
Without her, how exactly could they even adapt? For a moment, Vin seriously wondered if he made the right choice heading to Azazel and being reincarnated as a fallen angel…
Wait. Reincarnated…
"Hey Azazel, I've got a question." Vin gently twirled his coffee. "When you reincarnated me as a fallen angel, you did so by using your own version of the Evil Pieces, right?"
"Yeah, I did."
"To what extent did you make them your own?" Vin inquired. "Did you design them from the ground up to function similar to the Pieces, or…"
"No, I designed the prototypes by modifying an already existing set of Evil Pieces." Azazel replied. "Then I tweaked the magical coding to them a bit to iron-out a few key issues and then used that code to fashion the ones that we have now."
"But they're nearly identical from a coding-perspective, right?" Vin took another sip of his coffee. "They share the same general coding-language as the Evil Pieces; they aren't a proprietary technology."
"No, no they aren't, but what are you-" Azazel paused, before a smile slowly made his way to his face. "Well, well, well, kid~ If I get what you're implying, then you're a real crafty bastard."
"What are you two talking about?" Rias finally asked.
"If the Fallen Angel's version of the Evil Pieces are modeled the same as the originals, then that means they should be capable of interfacing with the same systems." Vin explained.
"In other words…" Vin stood up. "I could substitute for your Rook and the Rating Game System would still acknowledge me as a valid participant."
Akeno grimaced, before opening her mouth to reply.
"While that's appreciated, it's not like we can just bring someone else in with our peerage into a Rating Game."
"If we get in contact with whoever's organizing it, we can probably get it to work." Vin argued. "Like I said, I should be able to interface with the same system you guys do for these Rating Games."
Vin turned back to Rias, who held a pensive expression on her face.
"Rias, c'mon, think about it for a second. I'm the best- well, the only option you have. I trained just like the rest of you, I already have experience fighting alongside you guys a few times by now…" Vin looked over to the Dhampir sitting on one end of the couch. "Okay, maybe not all of you, but still."
"I'd like to vouch for him as well, Buchou." Xenovia stood up. "Vin and I have been training partners and teammates ever since he started."
"Xenovia…" Vin turned.
"And while he's still relatively green," Xenovia smiled back, "He's been trained rigorously for nearly a whole year now, and the results show. He's just as capable as the rest of us."
"In the end, the decision's up to you, Buchou. But if he's been training even longer than me, then hey, why not, right?"
"If it's between having Vin or no one at all…" Rias slowly got to her feet and walked over to Vin. "Can I ask you to fight for us, then?"
Vin smiled and shook her hand. "Of course, Rias."
"Thank you." Rias smiled back.
"That's all well and good, but if we can't get approval to substitute, then this is all for nothing." Akeno remarked.
"True." Rias nodded her head, "We might as well try and organize some sort of agreement now then."
Snapping her fingers, Rias summoned a magical circle across the coffee table. The circle pulsed with crimson light for a few moments, before the visage of one Percival Forneus became visible to the room.
"Hello Percival, I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time."
"Goodness Rias, you could never!" Percival sounded scandalized. "My peerage and I have just taken a break from working on our plans for our Rating Game, what might you be up to?"
"The same thing as you, actually." Rias chuckled. "No, I'm actually calling to propose something to you about said Rating Game."
"Oh? Do tell."
Rias sighed. "I'm afraid that my Rook sustained some serious injuries during the Gala."
"Koneko? Oh Rias darling, I'm so sorry!" Percival cooed.
"Thank you, Percy." Rias smiled. "Physically, she's fine. My bishop managed to heal up all of her wounds, but in terms of her actual energy, she's in no shape to participate in the Rating Game we have. Peer thing can't even keep herself awake right now."
"Hmmm, I see." Percival scratched his chin. "Could we postpone the game?"
"Not likely." Rias shook her head. "After all, this Rating Game is an exhibition match. As you say 'the show must go on.'"
"Naturally, but how..? That is a conundrum."
"Well, we do have a solution to propose." Rias offered. "If you're open to the idea, we have an ally who could substitute for Koneko's position in the Rating Game."
"Really?" Percival blinked. "Who might that be?"
"A recently reincarnated Fallen Angel by the name of Vincenzo." Rias supplied.
"A Fallen Angel?"
"We have reason to believe that he'll be supported by the Rating Game system without any issues."
"I see… But a Fallen Angel in a Rating Game full of Devils is a rather serious advantage."
"I'm fully aware, but our hands are tied on our end." Rias admitted. "We'd be more than willing to come to an agreement that you believe would be fair for his participation."
"Of course…" Percival thought for a moment. "Then how about…"
23 Hours Later
"In compliance with the agreement proposed by Rias Gremory, the position of Rook occupied by Koneko Toujou shall be filled by the Grigori's own Vincenzo Corsetti." Ajuka Beelzebub read aloud. "In exchange, the peerage of Percival Forneus shall be provided with a detailed report on Mr. Corsetti's abilities no later than twelve hours prior to the start of the Rating Game; and will also be granted a total of twenty additional minutes to prepare their defenses before the Rating Game begins."
Ajuka looked up from the paper in his lap and gazed at the two kings standing before him. "Do you trust that such a substitution is even possible?"
"Considering the nature of the Grigori's method of reincarnation, yes, we believe that Vin might be able to participate without issue." Rias nodded.
"Of course they could…" Ajuka grumbled, muttering some inaudible remark about 'knockoffs'.
Clearing his throat, Ajuka turned. "Percival Forneus, did you receive your report on Mr. Corsetti in line with this signed agreement?"
"Of course, Lord Beelzebub." Percival nodded.
"Very well. For the purposes of an exhibition Rating Game, such a substitution may be dismissed." Ajuka confirmed. "It shall be interesting to see how Azazel's pieces interface with the system regardless. You may both return to your respective green-rooms and prepare for the Rating Game."
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Beelzebub." Rias bowed as she and Percival stepped outside into the hallway.
"Rias." Percival's voice jolted Rias from her silence.
"Yes Percival?" Rias looked up to see the unflinching expression of her childhood friend.
"No matter who you substitute, I will assure you. My family and I shall win." Percival declared. "Prepare yourself, I'll show you how much we've grown since we last met."
"Good, because me and my family will show you just how much we've grown as well." Rias smiled with confidence.
"I thought these Rating Games were like sports events…" Irina sweat-dropped.
Irina and Ezekiel stood side-by-side in the viewing box, each flanking Lord Micheal's chair as he sat around a large glass table.
"It's because this is for the suits like us, kiddo." Azazel spoke up from the other side of the table. "The cheap beer and hot dogs are reserved for the actual tournament matches."
"Don't suppose that means the cheerleaders are off the table too?" Odin added in with a chuckle, only to be met with the indignant squawk of his valkyrie bodyguard.
"Lord Odin, please! Try to remain respectful, we're guests here!" Rossweisse pleaded.
Ezekiel leaned over. "So that's Lord Odin?"
Irina smiled "...Yep."
Ezekiel made a face, but otherwise remained silent. Just as well, because right then, the door to the viewing chamber clicked open, as Ajuka Beelzebub made his way into the room, quickly finding his seat next to Sirzechs Lucifer.
"Ah, did their terms go through alright?" Azazel asked.
"They did. After all, if you're confident that he can participate without any issues, then who am I to say anything?" Ajuka shot Azazel a pointed look, before taking a sip of red wine.
Azazel turned to face Ezekiel and Irina. "Are you two excited to watch your first proper Rating Game?"
"I trust my former comrade's abilities to secure victory for her new master." Ezekiel simply remarked.
Irina, however, proved to be far more enthusiastic. "Yes! Oh man, Xenovia's totally going to kick butt out there, I can't wait! Oh, and Issei, oh man, I can't wait!"
"Ah, that's right, you and the Dragon Brat are close, huh?" Azazel gave a knowing smile. "Anything juicy going on there?"
Irina blushed darkly. "Ah, well, um…"
"No. No there is not." Ezekiel firmly stepped in.
"Right…" Azazel subtly raised a brow, "Anyway, we had to make a little substitution in the Gremory roster for this game, so you two ought to get a kick out of this…"
"What do you imply?" Ezekiel narrowed his eyes.
Azazel gestured to the large screen affixed to the wall with his head. The screen quickly flickered to life as a devil woman stepped into frame with a microphone in her hands.
"Good evening everyone! My name is Monica, and we're here to bring you all the coverage for a Rating Game unlike anything you've seen before!" The woman cheered. "Tonight, we have two of the youth's finest Familia duking it out for the Underworld to see. Tonight's match is a Crown Capture Rating Game, and without further ado, let's introduce our contestants."
"Taking on the role of the Defenders, we have the Scion of House Forneus, Percival Forneus and his familia!"
Footage of Percival and his peerage teleporting into the arena played across the screen, before freezing on a wide, group-shot of the peerage.
"Percival Forneus is making his first real Rating Game debut with this match, but don't let that fool you into thinking he's anything less than an absolute threat! Just look at what we have here!" Monica gestured to the crowd shot on her right. "He's filled five Pawns, Two Knights, a mutation piece for a Rook, one Bishop and a Queen? This may be Percival Forneus' first real Rating Game, but he's nearly sporting a full peerage!"
A quick graphic of names appeared below the group shot.
Percival Forneus – King
Anastasia Heinstavtch – Queen
Oliver Collins – Rook (Mutate)
Angelo Hierall – Knight
Carmelita Edwards – Knight
Serval Dovin – Bishop
Rio Ali – Pawn (Two Pieces)
Mio Ali – Pawn (Two Pieces)
Hiyashi Mizura – Pawn
"It looks like in terms of sheer numbers, Percival Forneus has the advantage! But perhaps our attackers can make up the difference; it's the Crimson Princess and the Sister of our Beloved King Lucifer, Rias Gremory!"
Quickly, the shot on screen changed, showing a group shot of the Gremory household.
"Rias and her peerage are also relatively new to the Rating Game circuit, and while she might not have brought numbers with her, she's made sure to bring some real talent!"
"I mean, just look at what we've got!" Monica flung her hand to the picture. "She's brought along Holy Swords, and Sacred Gears galore! If she's looking to take the advantage right from Forneus, well then she might be doing it!"
Suddenly, a magical circle appeared next to Monica's ear, causing the caster to freeze for a moment before turning away from the camera to listen.
"Huh?"
"..."
"What do you mean, substitute?"
"..."
"They approved that? How?"
"... Okay, okay…"
Monica quickly turned to face the camera once more.
"This just in! According to the administration, Rias Gremory and Percival Forneus have come to an agreement before the Rating Game! In the wake of health concerns surrounding Rias Gremory's rook, Koneko Toujou, her position on Rias Gremory's peerage has been substituted by… a Fallen Angel! That's right folks, we're about to see a bonafide Fallen Angel in a Rating Game for the first time!"
"Percival Forneus has agreed to this in exchange for a detailed report on this fallen angel's abilities and an additional twenty minutes during defense preparation." Monica reported. So get ready, because according to our sources, this Fallen Angel is anything but a frail bird!"
An image of a certain former-exorcist during the gala was brought up onto the screen, which promptly made Irina stagger backwards and Ezekiel conceal his surprise behind a cough.
"VINNY!?" Irina spit out. "What's he doing there?!"
"Ah~ There it is." Azazel smirked. "Like she said, Rias' Rook is in no shape to fight, so instead, we figured that Vin could substitute. Especially considering that he trained alongside them already."
"That's the Dragon brat you were with?" Odin asked.
"Yep."
"Hmmm… I see." Odin turned back to the screen. "Well, let's see if he's got more bite than when I last met him."
"I think you'll be like what you see." Azazel took a sip of wine. "The kid's after my own heart, a real tricky bastard, through and through."
"Oh-ho~" Odin chuckled. "Don't you start now, you're going to set the bar too high for the poor lad!"
"A-CHOO!"
"You okay, Vin?" Xenovia asked as she fixed her exorcist-issue gloves.
"Please don't tell me you're coming down with something." Issei walked over, slowly stretching his arms as he did.
"Nah, I'm feeling fine." Vin brushed off. "Must've been someone talking about me…"
"Azazel?" Issei threw out.
Vin shrugged.
"Probably."
"It's about time for us to enter the arena," Rias peered up at the clock affixed to the wall. "Is everyone ready?"
"Just about, Buchou." Issei replied back, quickly tossing on the blazer of his school uniform.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Vin chimed in.
"Oh, Vin, I nearly forgot." Xenovia stepped forward, a bumble of grey cloth in her hands.
"Your coat." Xenovia explained, holding the bundle up.
Vin put a hand up.
"You hold onto it, okay?" Vin smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's all good." Vin reassured. "I want you to have it, seriously."
"Very well then." Xenovia grasped onto the folded bundle, before deftly shaking the coat loose and tossing it over her exorcist uniform.
"It's a good look on you."
Xenovia softly smiled. "Thank you."
"Alright everyone, it's time." Rias announced. "Gather around, I'll warp us in."
The peerage quickly huddled up around their King.
"Let's fight hard everyone." Rias encouraged. "Percival may have a tough peerage, but I know for a fact that you all are more than capable of winning. Let's go prove to everyone that our family shouldn't be taken lightly!"
The group reciprocated with a uniform shout, before Rias held up a card and the group disappeared from the locker room in a flash of light.
As soon as Vin opened his eyes, the sudden appearance of the bright artificial sunlight made him nearly draw back. Squinting his eyes, he slowly gazed at his surroundings.
All around the group was a large garden courtyard, complete with fountains, hedges, and a gravel path leading up to…
"I-Is that what we're going through?" Issei balked.
At the end of the courtyard stood an utterly massive tower. Easily rivaling the likes of the tallest skyscrapers, the fortress cut itself through the artificial sunlight like a great obelisk.
"So they hid their object somewhere in this tower?" Vin looked to Rias, who nodded. "Great… So where do we even begin?"
"Can't we just fly up there?" Issei suggested. "There might be an entrance on the roof."
"If there is one, I doubt Percival left it unguarded." Akeno shook her head. "His magical traps likely were put right there to deter us."
"It's likely the same with the windows there." Rias pointed to the ornate stained glass that stretched along the tower's otherwise solid stone exterior about nine stories up.
"So that means we only have one real option, no?" Kiba gestured to the tower's entryway.
"So it seems." Rias walked forward a step, only to pause.
*Fhwee!*
*THUNK!*
The group looked down as a crimson feather rocketed out of nowhere, burying itself into the gravel right before Rias.
The Gremory's eyes went wide. "Everyone, scatter!"
Quickly, everyone tossed themselves to the sides, as the feather began to glow a more volatile reddish-orange before…
*KA-BLOOM!*
The feather exploded into a burst of fiery magical energy, leaving a patch of flames licking away at the ground where the projectile once stood.
"Well, well, well~! You've got even more ladies with you than the last time we met, Dragon Boy!"
The group looked up to find none other than Carmelita perched elegantly atop the fountain's statue.
"Carmelita!" Asia replied in shock.
"That's my name, gorgeous!" The redhead replied. "Glad to see you remember it, it means the world."
Issei glanced at Asia's slightly flustered complexion before snapping his gaze back to the Knight.
"You-!" Issei snarled as he pointed a finger at the enemy.
"What's got you pressed, Dragon Boy?" Carmelita taunted. "Afraid I might sweep that little beauty of yours off her feet~?"
"Buchou." Issei clenched his fist. "You and the others go on ahead, I'll catch up."
"Issei, wait-!"
"We don't have time, Buchou!" Issei shouted. "Trust me…"
The Sekiryuutei stepped forward, the Boosted Gear appearing on his left arm.
"... I don't plan on losing here."
[BOOST!]
"Oh-ho~! You plan on showing me what you can really do, Macho-Man?" Carmelita taunted. "Then come on: you better be less of a wet noodle than you seemed last night!"
[BOOST!]
"Come at me, then!" Issei shouted, taking off into a sprint towards the smug Knight.
"Issei!" Asia cried out, before looking back to her King. "Buchou, what do we do?"
"There's no stopping him now." Rias watched as her Pawn ducked and weaved through a hailfire of magical feathers tossed around by Carmelita. "We just have to have faith in him, and after all he's right, we're wasting time here."
"Right!" The group nodded, as they all sprinted past the dueling Devils and towards the sealed double-doors that made up the tower's entryway.
"Buchou, care to do the honors?" Akeno gestured to the massive gateway.
"Of course." Rias flexed her fingers, as energy began to coalesce in the palms of her hands.
*BI-SHOON!*
Seamlessly, Rias blasted a massive hole through the thick layers of solid wood and steel.
"Come on, let's keep going."
The group quickly stepped on into the massive, echoing atrium that made up the tower's ground floor. Scanning their surroundings for enemies, the peerage slowly made their way further into the lair.
*SHAAA-!*
The sound of something forming quickly rattled the group to high alert, but it was already too late. A massive magical circle quickly spread out across the entire floorspace of the chamber, leaving the group with nowhere to run.
"!"
Before anyone could open their mouths, the chamber filled with a bright light. As the light faded, not a single one of them remained.
"Ugh…" Vin groaned as he slowly came to. The nausea of his body being ripped through space grumbling through the pits of his stomach.
Opening his eyes, Vin scanned his surroundings. Where a moment prior, he was standing in a large, ornate atrium, he now stood inside of some sort of warehouse. Crates and boxes littered the floor, and various industrial workstations and items were scattered all around.
The sudden movement of something inside Vin's peripheral vision quickly sent him on guard, summoning Crystal Weaver as he sent a torrent of crystals towards his right, causing a figure to leap out of the way.
Hearing something to his left, Vin swung around with a roundhouse kick, his shin connecting with that of a white-haired woman's sword. Flapping his wings, Vin propelled himself backwards, far away from his attackers as he assessed the situation.
A woman stepped into his field of view; right as the two other women who attacked him leapt down to flank her on either side.
"Greetings Mr. Corsetti." The woman in the center put a hand to her chest. "My name is Anastasia Heinstavtch, Queen of Percival Forneus; and these two are Rio and Mio Ali."
"We've heard much about you, Fallen Angel." The white-haired Ali sister – Rio – announced. "Yours' is an uncontrollable element to our King's plans."
"As such, under the orders of our master, Percival Forneus," Mio Ali declared. "We shall ensure your swift retirement from this Rating Game."
"You are alone, with no hope for help. The rest of your allies are being dealt with by the rest of us elsewhere." Anastasia and her two allies dropped into their stances. "Prepare yourself for your imminent termination…"
Hey guys, I'm back!
While it's not as long of a gap between chapters as the last few times, I feel a bit disappointed this one didn't get finished a bit sooner. But hey, I'm doing a bunch of stuff for both University and for work during this summer, so I got a decently full plate right now.
Anyway, chapter forty was originally going to be the first part of the Gremory vs. Forneus Rating Game, but – of course – there was some setup I had to get through first for everything to flow properly. Then, I had to keep adding context and whatnot until this 'prelude to the Rating Game' became a nearly 10,000 word chapter that's totaling 30+ pages in my Google Docs as I type this. Writing, I tell ya…
But there's a lot of super fun stuff I got to do in this chapter! Honestly, I don't feel like I'm the strongest when it comes to writing actual romantic relationships, so I've been trying to be more deliberate when it comes to writing the pairings in this story.
The one pairing I've started to hint at, but really, really want to expand even more on is Ezekiel and Irina; or more accurately, the semi-love triangle with Zeke, Irina and Issei. Hopefully, you guys can see how – when outside of a professional context like the summit – Ezekiel and Issei have this… strained relationship, where Zeke is not-so-subtly trying to gauge and outcompete Issei. Right now, Irina still has a thing for Issei and she still thinks of Ezekiel as basically a little brother (or at least she tells herself that), but it'll hopefully be interesting to see how that evolves down the line.
Also, Crystal Weaver! Yeah, Bheithir's been actin' up a little over these last few chapters. Seems to be very keen on absorbing energy and getting stronger no matter what… Eh, it's probably nothing. Surely absorbing years worth of built-up Ki energy won't lead to anything… right?
Anyway, Vin's in quite the pickle now! Staring down Percival's Queen, and two of his Pawns all at once, all the while, he's on his own! Get ready, because next chapter, all hell is going to break loose!
Before I sign off, I also just want to give a big thank you to each and every one of you. Forty chapters of a single thing is easily the most I've ever written for any one particular idea, and this is the first actual published fanfiction I've ever released. So, seeing the insane amount of support you all have given has just meant the world to me. To have this much support and love for a fanfiction series that doesn't want to be cheap wish-fulfillment or play into the same tired, but popular DxD fanfic tropes is something I never thought I'd get to see. Honestly, I thought this fanfic would be pretty underground at best, but the support has been insane.
You all are the absolute best. You guys helped make DxD: Alternate what it is far. Here's to the next forty chapters, eh? I got some absolute crazy shit cooking up for the future, so strap in!
As always, if you enjoyed the chapter and want to get notified when I upload, consider hitting this story with a follow and if you really love it so far, a favorite goes a long way! If you want to share your impressions of the chapters, or any questions, feel free to leave a review; I go through each and every one, so whatever you write, I will end up reading!
Thank you so much everyone; you're all the best!
Until next time, ROCK ON!