The first thing Ichika had come to when she began to stir was the sound of yelling and the sensation of mind-numbing pain.
The sound of a screaming match happening around her was almost enough to make her brain ache in pain. Without opening her eyes, she knew who the two voices were just from the inflection alone.
"How can you even call yourself a Sitri!? I thought your family prided yourselves on the amount of information you can get! So-called successor of the Dantalion House my flaming ass!"
"Look, we didn't take into account any variables—!"
"Any variables? Sona, Ichika got stabbed by a light spear! The hell do you mean 'not take in any variables!'"
"Listen to me, Ravel. We only just found out about the Fallen Angels. We received this information from Rias two days ago. We don't even know where they're based out in the town. We only happened to know about them based on circumstantial evidence linking them to several murders across town—"
"Typical. You two are always too high-strung to be—"
"Ravel, that's enough."
This time it was Shin that spoke up. Ichika could hear him sigh.
"You two need to stop yelling. Ichika needs to rest. She's been through a lot."
Ravel's huffing could be heard. "If Shin hadn't sent Ran with Ichika, she might be dead for real, Sona."
It was then that Ichika had decided to make it known that she was awake. Her body had regained enough strength to stir— no, it was as if she had never been hurt in the first place. Yet, the pain still persisted. The events of what had just happened were like a fog in her mind. The only thing she could remember was…
"Yuuma!"
Ichika sat up, almost immediately.
Her sudden motion startled the two girls, silencing their bickering almost immediately. She regretted sitting up so fast. A sharp pain shot through her abdomen and she nearly passed out again. Ichika clutched her stomach, almost doubling over.
"Ichi!" Shin rushed over to her and knelt next to the bed, fussing over her as she held her gut. "You shouldn't move so suddenly."
Ichika nodded. She cracked open an eye and looked around. This wasn't her room. The haphazardly scattered random gunpla parts. The papers on the desk. Dust collecting on textbooks and the triple monitor screen. This was clearly Shin's room.
"Yeah… I… ow…," she winced.
"Ichika, how are you feeling?" he asked.
"Like I got stabbed…," Ichika replied.
Shin let out a sigh of relief. "At least… you're alive. Thank God." Shin pulled Ichika in and hugged her tightly as if she would disappear if he ever let go.
Ichika felt her cheeks heat up at the sudden contact. Her head began to spin and she grew light headed from the close contact.
"Y-You d-dare l- lay hands on a Dragon Empress so casually, you d-damn s-servant!" Ichika stuttered.
She struggled in futility for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and returning the embrace. Ichika smiled. "You idiot…," she muttered beneath her breath.
"Ahem."
Ichika looked up and saw Ravel and Sona standing in the room, looking at the two with amused smiles on their faces. Steam puffed out of her ears and her blush returned in full force. In one swift motion, she shoved Shin off her. It was an action she soon came to regret as the pain came back in full force.
"Sh- Shit! Shouldn't have done that… that hurt way more than I expected it to." Ichika grabbed her side.
"I told you to take it easy. And Onee calls you the responsible one," Shin said, rubbing his back. He had fallen on one of his stray textbooks.
"She calls me that because I don't eat weeds from the school garden after spending all my money on Gundams," Ichika fired back.
"Okay, okay." Ravel clapped her hand, snapping the two back down to reality. She walked over and looked Ichika up and down. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. It still hurts…," Ichika said. She swung her arm, moving it in circles. She winced slightly when a sharp stabbing pain shot through her side.
She nodded and sighed in relief when Ichika demonstrated her full range of motion. "The pain's going to be there for a while."
Ichika nodded and gripped her sheets.
"By the way," Sona chimed in, "Don't you want to cover up? Your blouse is torn up and you're… somewhat exposed."
She blinked and looked down at her body. Her blouse had been unbuttoned. There were bandages on her torso but no blood. Her white bra was exposed to the entire world, which explained the draft she felt on her skin when she sat up. "So? It's just us," Ichika said, tilting her head in confusion.
"Even with Shin here?" Sona asked.
"It's just Shin. Shin and I have seen each other naked tons of times." It was an innocent response but it was enough to make Sona blush slightly.
"Even still…"
"Right. Ichika," Shin interrupted. "How much do you remember about today?"
Ichika furrowed her brow.
"I…" Ichika's eyes widen as a flood of memories rush to the forefront of her mind. The friend date with Yuuma. Stopping at the park and Yuuma growing wings. And after that, she remembered a searing pain in her gut and then, darkness. "Yuuma… Where's Yuuma? She grew wings at the park and…"
"Shin, can you handle this?" Ravel asked.
Shin sighed. "I can handle it. I think it's better that she hears it from me."
"Handle what? Is this about what happened at the park with Yuuma?" Ichika asked, looking between the three of them.
"Shin will explain everything. We'll wait outside." Ravel grabbed Sona's hand and dragged her out of Shin's room.
As soon as the door closed, the two were enveloped in a tense awkward silence. Shin tried to formulate words to explain what she had just experienced.
It was something he had been wanting to do for years. Yet for the sake of her safety, he refrained from doing so. Learning about what lay beyond the veil was not for everyone and knowing monsters existed alongside them did not make one safer. If anything, it made them more of a target, and Shin didn't want that for her.
However, now, there was no going back. He decided to just be honest with her and tell the truth. Shin looked Ichika straight in the eyes, meeting her curious yet apprehensive gaze with one of resolve.
"Ichika, there's something important I have to tell you. I need you to promise me that you'll stay calm because this kind of information is kind of… mind shattering," he said.
"Does it… have to do with Fallen Angels?" Ichika said hesitantly.
Shin blinked. Does she know?
"How do you…?"
"I woke up to Rav and the President shouting at each other. Prez said something about Fallen Angels. I assume that's what this talk was about," she said.
"Y- Yeah, it is. Sort of. It's so much more than that," Shin replied.
"So… Yuuma was one of these… Fallen Angels?" Ichika asked.
Shin nodded.
"And that means that…"
"Yeah. Magic. Devils. Gods. Dragons. It's all real. Everything is real. Er… well, except a few things—"
"That's… so cool! I can't believe it! It's all real! Magic is real right!"
"Eh?"
Shin was caught off-guard by her reaction. He expected denial. Her shouting that he was insane and that this was just a cruel attempt at taking advantage of her chuunibyou. Excitement and elation were not reactions he expected in the slightest.
"Er…"
"This is so cool. Magic is real. Dragons. Wait.. does that mean my connection to the Akashic Records is real? Me being the Red Dragon Empress of Dominion… are the 10,000 worlds I lord over real too? If so, then I've been a very bad empress. I haven't even visited my subjects once—"
"Ichi."
"I think I need to establish my reign over the school first. First, depose the Red-Headed Demon King of Ruin. Then, overthrow the Arch Demon Empress of Water and establish my rule as—"
"Ichi!"
Ichika snapped out of her tirade and looked at Shin.
"You're taking this way better than I expected. I thought you'd be mad or something," he said.
"Mad? Well, I guess I am sort of mad…," she replied.
Shin raised an eyebrow at her words.
"I'm mad because…," Ichika reached out and grabbed his ear.
"Ow! Ow! Ichi! It hurts!" Shin cried out.
"You never told me! We've been best friends since we've been born! How come you never told me this!?" Ichika demanded. "Your Empress demands a satisfactory answer or else I'll tear your ear off, Servant!"
"Okay! Okay! Just let go!"
Ichika narrowed her eyes. Shin shivered under the force of her fierce glare. She released his air and crossed her arms under her chest, emphasizing the size of her bust. She raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Well?" she said expectantly.
Shin rubbed his ear and looked at her. "Well, it has something to do with my family."
"Your family?"
"Yeah, and well, you too," Shin said.
"Me?" Ichika asked.
"Let me explain. My family… well, more my mom's but also my dad's, are descended from Exorcists from the era of Abe-no-Seimei. My ancestor, Akatsuki Furude, established her own clan of exorcists after a… well, let's call it a small conflict with the Tsuchimikado after the fall of her teacher. You remember going to Serikawa when we were little, right?" Shin asked.
"Yeah. I do… wait… that village is full of onmyouji?" Ichika asked.
"Yeah."
"So… you, Aka-nee, and Kureha are all…?"
"Yes and no. Kureha's really the only one who sticks to the whole thing since she's going to inherit the shrine. Aka-nee and I do more of our own thing like Mom and Dad do. We're more hired guns," Shin explained.
"So… your parents and your sister… and possibly you made a ton of enemies?" Ichika asked.
"I… don't think Onee has enemies," Shin smiled wryly.
Ichika furrowed her brow before realizing that he might be right.
There wasn't a soul in Kuoh, adult or otherwise, that would dare even raise their voice at her. She had seen Akane angry once. She saw her life and all lives she would be reborn as flash before her eyes just from experiencing Akane's anger second-hand.
"But yeah, that's the general gist of it."
"So you're like some sort of shadowy type!"
"Huh?"
"Since your family runs around doing dirty work for high-profile people, I assume you guys try to keep things discreet. It's like your family runs a shadowy organization that offers its services and controls the world from the background. I might need to change your nickname…"
"Ichika?"
"How about Lord Shadow?"
"You're having way too much fun with this."
Ichika shrugged before giving him a small smile. "But there was one thing that was bothering me," Ichika gripped the sheets tightly, "You said… there was a reason that it had something to do with me too, right?"
Shin paused for a few seconds before nodding. He took a deep breath and began to explain. "There are… humans that are born with a special power known as a Sacred Gear. It's a power bestowed on humans by God."
"A power… given to me by God?" Ichika asked.
"Yeah, Sacred Gears are special powers bestowed on humans by God. These figures have used their Sacred Gears to engrave their name in human history. But there are some Sacred Gears that have the potential to threaten… certain beings out there, Fallen Angels being one of them," Shin said.
"So you're saying that… I have divine providence?" Ichika's eyes began to glimmer.
"Eh… if you want to look at it that way—"
"How do I use it?" Ichika grabbed Shin by the shoulders. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I- Ichika…?"
"Your Empress demands you to explain how you invoke this divine power!"
"Er… from what I know, usually it's first brought out by imagining the strongest thing that comes to mind."
"The strongest thing that comes to mind?" she asked. Ichika furrowed her brow before her eyes lit up. She hopped off the bed, almost knocking Shin aside.
"What are you—?" His eyes widened when he saw Ichika spread her legs apart. She lowered her core and rested her hand at her side, making it look as if she were assuming a quickdraw stance.
That's Onee's Musou Onigari-Ryu…
"Weak."
Ichika's deepened tone sent shivers down Shin's spine.
A red light with a tinge of white envelops the room. The light begins to take form around Ichika's arms and legs. When the light died down, two red clawed gauntlets and taloned greaves formed around Ichika's arms and legs.
"Woah! WOAH! This is so cool!" Ichika bounced giddily. She threw a few practice punches before kicking the air. "Truly weapons worthy of a Dragon Empress! I don't know why you never told me about this! This is amazing!" Ichika marveled at the gauntlets on her arms.
"Because of what just happened."
Ichika stopped for a few seconds. She turned to Shin with an indiscernible look in her eyes. "Shin-chan… you said that Fallen Angels target people with Sacred Gears that can threaten them… is that why Yuuma…," Ichika trailed off. The sensation of phantom pain pierced her side.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Then, how am I here? Did you do something?"
Shin stiffened. Of course she knew. She was his best friend. It was easy for her to read him like a book. However, this was a delicate topic. There had to be ways he could smooth this over without freaking her out. However, judging by her initial reaction, he might not need to worry about that. In the end, he took a deep breath and decided to just take the jump.
"You… sort of died."
Ichika froze. So that pain, that abyss she found herself trapped in, it wasn't just some nightmare. She subconsciously brought a hand to her abdomen. "I… see…"
"In order to bring you back, I had to ask Rias-senpai to—"
"The Red-Headed Demon King of Ruin?"
"Yeah, sorry, I had no choice. You were…"
"Yeah. I get it but what does this have to do with Rias? Did she heal me or something?" Ichika asked.
"No. Ichika, you're a Devil now," Shin said.
"Eh? I'm a what now?"
Explaining to Ichika that she was a Devil now was the hardest thing Shin had to do in his entire life. Well, not the hardest, but to Shin, it was up there. The look of shell shock, then despair on the girl's face when she realized she had not, in fact, become a Dragon but rather, in her words "filthy scum of the Underworld".
Of course, her words were heard by Ravel and Sona, who burst into the room and kicked Shin out to give her the rundown on what Devils were. In the end, Shin had no idea what was said but she walked out with a smug smile on her face, all the while declaring she would become the new Demon Lord.
Shin rapped his fingers against his desk. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Ichika furiously scribbling in her notebook. Instead of calculus notes, it was different designs of what appeared to be outfits. He grimaced. Ichika wasn't going to make him wear a costume, was she?
Well, it is Ichika…
The bell rang and the teacher dismissed them for the day. As Shin was about to go grab Ichika, the sound of girls going rabid filled his ears. Ichika and Shin exchanged quick glances before turning to the front of the classroom.
A handsome man with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a mole under his left eye walked in. The girls swooned as he made his way through the classroom before stopping at Ichika's desk. Ichika looked up inquisitively. Everyone began to whisper about how the Prince of Kuoh was going for Ichika.
"Yuuto," Shin said.
Yuuto Kiba turned to Shin and smiled. The Prince of Kuoh Academy had his reputation for having a knightly and chivalrous attitude. "Yes, what is it?"
"If anything happens to her while she's there, I'm hunting you— all of you down," Shin said. It was a thinly veiled threat.
"No need to worry about her—"
"Shin-chan, I'll be fine," Ichika said. She squeezed his arm comfortingly.
Shin let out a sigh and nodded.
"I'll see you later, Shin-chan," Ichika said.
Shin watched with mixed feelings as she left the room with Kiba. Without wasting another second, Shin packed his things and left the classroom. He walked aimlessly down the hallways until he left the campus.
"You're not going to go with her?"
Shin turned and saw Vivi's translucent form hovering next to him.
"No. I need to get ahead on this job. If Sona and Rias aren't going to scout out the location, then I'll have to do it myself," Shin replied. "Besides, Sophia's arriving today. I have to pick her up from the airport. She forgot to book a ride to our house when she touched down in Tokyo for her layover."
He stopped at the sidewalk and stared off into space for a few seconds.
"What? What's wrong? You're not calling a cab yet?" Vivi said.
"Um… can you lend me some money for the cab fare?" Shin asked.
Ichika yawned as she left campus. Even though she had told Shin to go ahead of her, part of her wish he'd wait for her outside the Old School House. Nevertheless, her time with the Occult Research Club—Rias Gremory's Club and apparently something called a Peerage—was a learning experience. She had met her seniors there and realized there was some sort of conspiracy going on since the school's most popular individuals were all Devils.
Her impression of them was brief and somewhat lasting.
Yuuto Kiba, the school's Prince and her escort there, was kind. A bit soft-spoken but she ultimately thought he was genuinely a good guy and not the playboy she envisioned.
The school's mascot, Koneko Toujou, was quiet. The white-haired girl had stared at her the whole time, making her uncomfortable and periodically saying things such as "she smells unnatural".
The Yamato Nadeshiko, Akeno Himejima, had major "Onee-sama" vibes to her. She made note to keep Shin away from Akeno especially as her long black locks, seductive violet eyes, and alluring body would no doubt tempt her servant.
And finally, Rias Gremory. Her so-called master. Even with that title, Ichika felt accepted and acknowledged. All her concerns were addressed and explained to her patiently by Rias and the girl even played along with her. She felt warm. "Maybe… the Red-Headed Demon King isn't so bad… No wait…"
Ichika shook her head as she remembered the torturous lecture about Devils and Devil Society that she had to sit through. "Too… much information."
"Ichika!"
"Mmm?" Ichika turned to see Rias running toward her. Koneko trailed closely behind. "You forgot this!"
"Ah! My arcane spellbook (math textbook)!" Ichika said, taking it. "Thanks… er… what do I call you? Young Miss?"
Rias shook her head and smiled. "No, please. Feel free to drop all formalities with me. We're friends now, aren't we?"
Koneko eyed her warily.
"Oh! Friends… um…" Ichika felt her cheeks heat up. If she smiled at her so warmly like that, she might melt out of sheer happiness. "Yeah, friends," she mumbled.
"Aww, you're blushing. That's so cute! Anyway, don't let me keep you. I'm sure Shin has more he wants to say about this," Rias said, patting her head.
"Yeah. Thanks for this, Prez," Ichika said.
She bowed and walked away from the two.
"Prez…," Koneko spoke up once she was out of earshot. "She doesn't feel right."
"Mmm? How do you mean? I know Ichika can be a bit eccentric but that's a bit mean, don't you think?" Rias said, looking down at her Rook.
"No. Not like that. Not right. Feels like… a Devil but not right. Like… she's imitating it? No, that doesn't sound right. She just smells weird. I can't explain it," Koneko said.
"Mmm. I'll look into it. Anyway, I think it's time for me to end club activities for today. Sona wants to see me about that intel you gathered," Rias said.
"You really need to arrange your ride before coming here." Shin dragged out several large carry-ons from the airport exit. "Jeez, how long are you staying? You brought so many things!"
"Well, excuse me for needing a change of clothes. The last time I forgot to bring a change, I had to sit naked in my hotel room after explaining to the staff that the blood wasn't mine. Made them… freak out even more so I had to use a Miracle to make them forget," the girl who followed him said.
Her features made her stand out, even for a foreigner. Her snow-white hair with red streaks styled in a bob cut, a face with sharply defined features, and blue-violet eyes were all odd to say the least. She was sharply dressed in a black and red suit with a white top underneath and cut-off black sleeves.
She drank in her surroundings. "Humid. Warm. I haven't been to Japan in a while. When was the last time we had a job here?"
"Hmm," Shin thought as he packed her bags in the taxi. "Um, I think it was in Osaka. That akkorokamui."
"Right, Akane had to save both of us from it. Good times," she said.
"Yeah, I kind of wish Onee was here. She's in China with Yayi for a job or something," Shin said.
"Her too? Bea left the Vatican a few days ago to head to China too," Sophia said.
Shin raised an eyebrow. "Bea too? You think something's going on?"
"Not sure. The last time two or more Stars moved. A new one was found. I think Selene and Cas are in Romania right now," she said.
"So maybe there's a new Star? Anyway, why did you bring up Osaka earlier? Did you want to go back or something?" he said, changing the subject.
Sophia smiled and nodded. "Mmm! It'll be nice to take a vacation there now that the damned octopus is dead." She ducked her head as she got in the taxi with Shin. She let out a tired sigh as she stretched her neck. "By the way, how far are you into the job? I know you just got it when I called but how much progress have you made?"
"None," was his blunt reply.
"None? That's not like you," Sophia commented.
"Well, a few things happened here and there that I needed to handle first. I've been poring over it while on the way over. I can think of a few locations they might be holed up," Shin said, sending her a few files through email.
Sophia pulled her phone out and scrolled through the email. "Hmm, that's a lot. And I thought Sona was detail-oriented."
"This was gathered by Rias's Rook apparently."
"Nevermind then. I thought Rias prided quality over quantity. This is such shitty intel," she said as she looked at the map. "Well, the sooner we find it, the sooner we can finish the job and I can drag the Saint back to the Vatican."
"Oh, right, I meant to ask before you hung up on me. What does the Saint look like exactly?" Shin asked.
"Oh, right. Let me pull up the picture." Sophia clicked through her phone and showed him a photo.
Maybe it was how plain she looked that made her look so endearing but Shin had to admit that she was rather cute. The Saint in question looked every part the role. She was a girl around Shin's age with long blonde hair that had an ahoge dressed in a teal nun's habit.
"She's… young," Shin commented. "I expected some old crone or a pervert or something."
"You need to get your head checked. Anyway, my sources all say she was heading here. She and I are only apart by 2 days so she'll probably still be here. She can't speak Japanese so I doubt she'd have found the Fallen."
"And if the Fallen found her?" Shin asked.
"Well, then, that's a possibility we'll have to handle," Sophia said. "Besides, I think the odds of us finding her wandering the street are greater than some Fallen Angels finding her. Especially after what you did to them."
"Onee told you?"
"Yup! So after we eat dinner! We can go find that Saint~!" Sophia said.
Ichika walked home, happily humming the opening song of her favorite anime. She walked with a bounce in her step. She had stopped by the grocery store to buy some meat and eggs that were on sale.
"Maybe I should make Shin-chan some salisbury steak tonight." She smiled at the thought. As Ichika began planning their night, she didn't notice someone walking toward her. "Hmm, hmmm! Prepare yourself, my Servant. Your Empress shall show off her natural cooking skills. You better appreciate me taking time off my schedule to— oof!"
Ichika stumbled back as she felt a weight slam into her. She would have tripped and dropped her groceries had she not caught herself. A feeling of annoyance crept into her. "Hey! Watch it, you… asshole? Huh?"
In front of Ichika stood a very nervous girl. Anyone could easily tell that this quivering bundle of nerves was not local. Her long blonde, sun-kissed locks and green eyes were far too striking and distinct to be Japanese. She had an anxious look in her eyes as she stared at Ichika fearfully.
This girl must have… had it rough. Ichika took note of some of the stains on the girl's peculiar choice of clothing. A nun? No, she must be from one of those weird doujin circles and she's cosplaying as a nun for some fetish doujin.
"A- Ahh! S- Sorry! I… I can't say anything else! Um… name! Name! My name is… Asia— er! Argento Asia!" the girl stuttered, occasionally speaking in what sounded like Italian.
"O- Oh! I'm Ichika. Hyoudou Ichika," Ichika greeted.
"Er… um… p-please…"
"Hmm?"
"I… Come on Asia! Ask her for help! You've slept in the park and haven't had food in 2 days! Ask her! U- Umm, help… no… place to sleep," she said quietly.
"Huh? Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you," Ichika asked, pointing to her ear.
Asia bit her lip and looked at her with begging green eyes.
"P-Please help me! I… No place to stay!" Asia pleaded before bowing to Ichika deeply.
"E- Eh?"
Yeah, I changed Sophia's appearance around. I figured she should be a bit more snappy a dresser if she's in a different faction of a Church. Also, this conversation has been brewing in my head for like 2 days. Ichika reacting like that to the existence of the supernatural is pretty on par with her character, considering what just happened.