Ch. 6: Skirmish in the Church
Night had arrived over the old abandoned church in Korusanto, making the ruined church appear even more ominous as the team of Izuku, Eijiro, Mina, Itsuka, Yumi, and Koneko stood across the street, looking out for any guards on standby.
Izuku himself was feeling on edge, both due to the typical Devil reaction to churches and the general creepy atmosphere. "Can you feel that?"
"No kidding, there must be a ton of priests inside," Yumi said.
"I think this is one of those situations where you can judge a book by its covers. I mean, that place practically screams 'Bad Guy Lair,'" Mina observed.
"Yeah," Eijiro said in agreement.
"Honestly, I'm glad you guys are here," Izuku said.
"Well, hey, you and I are friends, right?" Yumi smiled. But then, in a 180 turn, her expression turned to that of anger. "And besides, Fallen Angels and priests aren't exactly my favorite things in the world. The truth is, I hate them."
"Oh yeah?" Izuku blinked. It was unusual to see such a hate-filled expression on her face, contrasting her usual refreshing smile.
Yumi then returned to her usual expression as she addressed the group. "Asia is probably at the sanctuary, and we could get there in one go by cutting through the entrance. But…"
"It's probably heavily guarded," Koneko finished.
"Meaning once we go inside, we can't afford to slip up. Are you ready?" Yumi asked.
"I am," Izuku replied, taking a deep breath.
"I'll do what I can!" Eijiro said.
"You know it!" Itsuka said.
"Still can't believe this is all real, but y'know…" Mina said.
"Try to relax," Yumi advised. "It won't do you good to go in there all tense."
Izuku then summoned his Sacred Gear. "Better get ready."
"Guess it's time for me to show my own tricks," Itsuka revealed a golden key with the Capricorn symbol on it. "Dress Form: Capricorn!" She then brought the key to her chest, releasing a bright light.
When the light cleared, Itsuka's attire had completely changed. She now wore a black and purple dress slit at both sides with long detached sleeves and white boots; her hair was now tied into two braids at the back; there were two goat horns on top of her head, and lastly, she gained dark-colored shades.
"Whoa, Kendo! You have a Sacred Gear too?!" Izuku questioned.
"Celestia Regalia, and this is just one of its many forms," Itsuka replied. "The ideal form to stop the ritual."
"You have the same kind of thing that Midoriya does? Jealous!" Mina said.
"Okay, it's time to move!" Yumi said.
"Right!" Everyone nodded.
The group quickly rushed toward the dilapidated church and made their way up the steps.
"They already know we're here, so no need to be sneaky," Koneko said.
"Allow me!" Mina strode to the front door and secreted white liquid from her palms which she threw at the door's hinges, causing them to start corroding.
"So cool!" Izuku said with stars in his eyes.
"Thanks!" Mina flashed a thumbs-up.
[Mina Ashido. Her Quirk: Acid. She can secrete a corrosive liquid that melts its targets. She can also control the viscosity and pH levels.]
Koneko then stepped up and, without much effort, knocked the heavy metal door down with one kick.
"Whoa! Holy cow, she's strong!" Eijiro commented.
"No kidding," Izuku nodded. "Rias wasn't kidding about the unparalleled strength thing."
The group entered the church and stepped inside the sanctuary. While the altar and pews were still in good condition, the religious icons, such as the statues and the cross, were not. The way they were ruined did not seem to be the result of natural processes, but rather, deliberate acts of desecration.
"This place is creepy," Eijiro said.
"No wonder people aren't going to church anymore," Mina added, looking around.
Then, the sound of clapping was heard, and Freed stepped out from behind a ruined statue. "So, we meet again, Devils~!" Freed greeted, having a normal expression on his face for once. "Glad you could make it! I bet I'm a sight for sore eyes, huh? And what's this? More friends? This'll be fun~!"
"Freed…" Izuku scowled.
"Here's the thing. I pride myself on the fact that I never have to battle any devil more than once! And yet, here you are. Just rubbing it in! If there's one thing I won't abide, it's being mocked by maggot Devils in the house of God! So whaddya say?" Freed pulled out his light sword and gun. "Let's finish this! The thought of tearing away your flesh and eating it piece by piece makes my mouth water!" Freed's expression then turned to his more typical maniacal one as he licked his gun to show his bloodlust.
"Tell us where Argento is!" Izuku demanded.
"Oh right… You mean that dirty Devil-loving whore of a Sister. All you have to do is go down to the basement, she's right beneath the altar we're currently standing on."
"Downstairs…" Yumi said.
"Right," Freed confirmed. "But first, you have to go through me!"
"Here." Koneko picked a pew and threw it at Freed, who easily sliced it in half with one swing of his blade.
"You're pretty strong for a runt, aren't you?!"
Koneko's eyes narrowed at being called a runt. "Suck it."
Freed was then forced to step aside as Koneko threw more pews. He then took his chances and began firing at Koneko once she threw all the pews in one row. However, the bullets all bounced off her harmlessly rather than piercing her body full of holes.
"That won't work on me," Koneko said boredly.
Seeing this, Izuku had an idea and charged right for Freed. "Time for a Promotion!" Then, the image of a red Rook piece entered Izuku's body. 'The Rook is a tank! Its power is an unparalleled defensive strength!'
Freed began firing at Izuku, but all the bullets bounced harmlessly off of Izuku now that he had the defense of a Rook.
"Yeah. I'm fucked," Freed deadpanned.
"SMAAASH!" Izuku smashed his fist into Freed's face, sending him flying backward. "That's for Argento! For what you did to her! Hey, that felt pretty good actually."
"Okay, let's keep moving!" Yumi said.
"Here!" Koneko said as she smashed a podium, revealing a hidden stairwell leading to a basement.
But right before the teens could head down, Freed recovered. "Don't think you lowlife Devil scum will get away from me!"
Koneko and Yumi took their fighting stances and stepped up. "Izuku, you and your friends go on ahead."
"But what about you two?" Izuku asked.
"We'll be fine. Have a little faith," Yumi told him.
"Save the nun," Koneko said.
"Okay, good luck!" Izuku said, heading down the stairs with Itsuka, Eijiro, and Mina right behind him.
"Hey! We're still fighting here!" Freed shouted, but Yumi quickly engaged him.
"What are we, chopped liver?" Yumi asked as she gripped her sword tight. "If you wanna fight, then try us on for size!"
Down below, the four teens heard the sound of Freed engaging Yumi and Koneko.
"Think they'll be okay?" Mina asked.
"Kiba said to trust her and Koneko, so we shouldn't worry," Izuku said.
"Right now, we have to focus on saving Argento!" Itsuka reminded.
At the bottom of the stairs was a large chamber; Rayanre stood at the end of the room and with her was Asia, dressed in a very thin white dress and chained to a large cross. Standing between them and the teens was a mob of masked priests, who were all armed with light swords.
"Ah, so you showed up. Welcome to the party," Raynare greeted. "Though I'm afraid you're too late. The ritual's almost over."
"Argento!" Izuku called out.
"Izuku… Everyone…" Asia whispered as she looked to see him and the others.
"Don't worry, I'm gonna save you!" Izuku held up his left hand with the Sacred Gear.
Raynare, after taking one look at Izuku, started laughing after a moment of shock. "Please, do you think you can beat me with that lame-ass Sacred Gear?"
"What?" Izuku asked, surprised by what she said.
"Don't tell me you don't even know what kind of Sacred Gear you have?!" Raynare asked. "That Sacred Gear is called Twice Critical, also known as the 'Dragon's Hand.' That thing only doubles your power temporarily. You might as well be fighting me with sticks and stones."
'That's all it does? But what about that energy shot against Freed… No, don't overthink things!' "Double my power! Come on, show me what you're made of, Gear!" With some concentration, Izuku managed to activate the Sacred Gear.
[Boost!]
"It's working! I feel the power!" Izuku said as he felt his strength increasing.
"Ridiculous. Deal with him and his friends," Raynare ordered the Stray priests before turning her attention back to Asia.
Asia screamed in agonizing pain as her body glowed in bright green light, with a small green orb of light, containing Twilight Healing, slowly emerging from her chest.
"Do not interfere, trespassers!" A priest shouted, holding up a light sword.
"Your head is mine, Devil!" Another shouted as more of them zerg-rushed the teens.
"Give me some cover! I can get to that Fallen Angel the quickest!" Itsuka said.
"Sure!" Izuku, with his Rook promotion still active and his strength doubled, easily punched a priest with enough force to send him flying through a wall. Another priest brought his sword down on him, but it was no match for his doubled Rook durability, allowing Izuku to grab the priest and flip him over his head.
Another priest tried to slash Eijiro, but he hardened his body like a rock, causing the light blade to shatter upon impact. As the priest looked on in shock, Eijiro punched them in the gut with his hardened fist, knocking him out cold.
Mina dodged a sword slash from a priest and threw a glob of acid at his weapon to melt it, then kicked the priest away. Another priest tried to charge at her, but she hit him with some weaker acid that merely stung a little, causing him to back off while screaming in pain.
"Yes! YES!" Raynare exclaimed as the light orb fully pulled itself out of Asia's chest and began to approach Raynare's waiting hands. "The power I've been lusting after for years, it's now mine!"
"Sorry, but you're gonna be waiting longer than that!"
"What?!" Raynare gasped as Itsuka patted her back.
"Tag, you're it!"
Immediately, Raynare felt the magic circle on her chest disappear. With its destination gone, the orb froze in midair. "NO!"
Itsuka then threw a fist forward, enlarging it right before impact with the Fallen Angel, sending her flying across the room and out of the doorway, crashing loudly. With Raynare down, Itsuka took the chance to claim the orb.
"Kendo!" Izuku called out as he, Eijiro, and Mina ran up to her. "Is Argento okay?"
"She won't be if we don't return this to her!" Itsuka answered, holding Twilight Healing in her hands.
Eijiro then slammed his fist into the cross, smashing it and freeing Asia. Izuku caught her, and he could already tell that she didn't have much time. Her face was pale and her eyes looked soulless.
Itsuka handed the orb to Izuku. "It was just removed from her, so she still has time."
"Okay!" Izuku said, then he pressed the orb back into Asia's chest. With a bright glow, the Sacred Gear reentered Asia's body, and soon, life started returning to her.
"Izuku…" Asia smiled.
"We're gonna get you outta here," Izuku smiled back. Asia then hugged him tightly.
"You came for me…" Asia whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "You all did."
"Of course we did," Izuku replied, hugging her back, while Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka smiled.
"So, how'd you stop the ritual anyway, Kendo?" Mina asked.
"The Capricorn form of Celestia Regalia has the power to nullify any magic with a simple touch," Itsuka replied.
[Itsuka Kendo. Her Sacred Gear: Celestia Regalia. It grants her access to twelve different battle outfits based on the zodiac, each granting her a unique set of powers.]
Meanwhile, the not-so-holy man Freed traded blow after blow with Yumi while Koneko continued to throw whatever she could get her hands on. Freed then took out his gun and began shooting, then Yumi used her speed to disappear from sight before reappearing above Freed, her sword ready as the two sword users clashed.
"Come on! Is that all you've got?!" Freed asked as he continuously parried Yumi's blows and made her dodge his bullet. "Show me something interesting!"
"You're quick," Yumi acknowledged.
"Well, you're not so bad yourself…" Freed acknowledged back. "Of course, that only makes me wanna kill you even more." He then brought his gun up to Yumi's face, but she managed to move her head out of the way in time, the shot only getting a few hair strands.
"Alright. If you wanna get serious about this, I can too," Yumi said, her sword turning dark once more.
Then, as their blades clashed, Freed's light blade was once again consumed by Yumi's sword of darkness like the last time.
"Fuck! Not this shit again!" Freed shouted.
"It's called the Holy Eraser," Yumi said. "As I said before, it devours light."
Hearing this, Freed looked like he was about to have a temper tantrum. "You bitch! GRAAAAH!" Fred discarded the drained sword and jumped into the air with two guns. However, this just made him an easy target for Koneko to hit with a pew. "OUCHIE!" Freed cried out like a little kid.
He then barely recovered in time to dodge a sword slash from Yumi and retreated to higher ground. "I'll be damned if a bunch of Devils are gonna get the best of Freed Sellzen! You won the battle, but not the war, scum! HA!" Freed threw a flashbang to provide cover for his escape.
"He got away," Yumi lamented.
"RAGH! How dare you disrupt our plans!" One of the priests had recovered quickly and tried to strike Itsuka. However, he only ended up giving himself away by yelling, and Itsuka held out a hand. When the blade made contact, it shattered, and the priest was sent flying back by a giant fist. Around the room, the other priests started recovering, all of them showing rage in their eyes at having their plans ruined.
"Izuku...?" Asia squeaked, clinging onto him fearfully.
"Don't worry. We're gonna get out of this!" Izuku promised, getting in front of Asia.
"Mind if we crash the party?" Koneko asked as she and Yumi teleported into the room.
"Koneko! Kiba!" Izuku said.
"Go. We'll handle this," Yumi said.
"Are you sure? There's way more of them compared to Freed!"
"They're just mooks compared to that guy," Koneko said.
"Okay. Thanks again, you guys," Izuku said, then he, Asia, Mina, Itsuka, and Eijiro headed out of the chamber, eventually making it back up to the sanctuary.
"How are you feeling?" Izuku asked.
"A lot better now. It really hurt when my Sacred Gear got taken out, but I'm okay thanks to all of you," Asia replied. "No one ever really stood up to me before, not even when I was banished from the church. Is this what it's like to have friends?"
"You never had friends before?" Mina asked.
"No. That's why I'm happy to have met you all."
"Just wait. After we get outta here, we can do so many other fun stuff together, you'll be sick of it!" Eijiro grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.
"Sure. I'm looking forward to it!" Asia said.
"Yes, that does sound nice… assuming you even live to see tomorrow!"
Raynare's voice instantly had everyone on guard again. Eijiro hardened his body once more; Mina prepared globs of acid; Itsuka clamped her hands into fists; Izuku raised his left arm with the Sacred Gear, getting ready to fire another energy shot.
Asia stood in the center of the four, helping to keep an eye out for the Fallen. Even with all five of them looking, it was no use as they couldn't spot Raynare, as she held the element of surprise. But then, Asia caught a faint glimpse of red light coming, and as the light slowly grew brighter, she realized what it was.
"Izuku! NO!" Her body just moving on its own, Asia pushed Izuku aside as the light spear came down toward him.
*SHINK!*
For a moment, things seemed to move in slow motion as the sound of flesh being pierced was heard. Izuku, Mina, Eijiro, and Itsuka all watched in horror as Asia was impaled by the spear of light, blood gushing from the wound. As Asia collapsed onto the ground, the light spear fizzled out of existence and a pool of blood formed below her.
"ASIA!"
"Oh, darn. I wasn't planning on killing Asia. But I guess if I can't have Twilight Healing, then I'd rather make it so no one can," Raynare, with her position compromised, decided to reveal herself, mocking Asia's sacrifice as she did.
"RAYNARE!" Izuku, filled with righteous fury, fired an energy shot at Raynare, but she took to the air to dodge. "Asia! Hold on! Stay with me!" Izuku desperately screamed.
"Izuku…" Asia gasped softly, tears in her eyes.
"Don't talk! Save your strength!" Eijiro said, kneeling next to her.
"Can't you use that Twilight Healing thingy to heal yourself?!" Mina pleaded.
"I… can't…" With the amount of blood she lost, she was in no condition to use her Sacred Gear on herself.
"Then just stay still. We'll try and save you!" Itsuka said. "Dress Form: Aries!"
Itsuka's outfit changed into a two-toned pink, short woolen hoop dress that left her shoulders and arms bare. She had pink woolen arm warmers and a woolen scarf wrapped around her arms and neck, she wore pink and black striped leggings; her hair was now styled into twintails at the side, and on her head were two ram horns.
"This is inferior to Twilight Healing, but beggars can't be choosers!" Itsuka said as she formed a puff of pink wool in her hands and covered Asia's wound.
"Hah! Good luck with that!" Raynare laughed. "By the looks of it, she's already lost a lot of blood. But don't think I'm just gonna stand by idle and watch!"
Raynare then threw another light spear, aiming at Itsuka. Luckily, Izuku got in front to intercept the spear, causing it to shatter, though it did leave him with a slight gash.
"I'll handle her. Keep Asia safe."
"Wait, alone?!" Mina asked. "What if she kills you!?"
"If you guys can help Asia, then that's okay." Saying nothing else, Izuku began walking towards Raynare.
"Okay. Be careful, and good luck," Itsuka said, turning her attention back to Asia.
"You really wanna die so quickly? Well, that's fine by me!" Raynare created another spear and threw it at Izuku.
[Boost!]
"Promotion: Knight!" Immediately, Izuku felt a change in his Evil Piece as he felt his body becoming lighter. He vanished from sight, dodging the spear, and appeared right in front of Raynare, who had to move to the side to avoid a punch.
"Trading strength for speed? Like that matters when you can't even hit me!" Raynare taunted.
[Boost!]
"So what? I'll just keep trying until I do… I'm not going to let you hurt me, Asia, or anyone else ever again!" Izuku declared, unfazed.
Then, Izuku's Sacred Gear changed, with the bracer transforming into a clawed gauntlet with 2 golden spikes.
[Explosion!]
Raynare began to tremble. "That's… impossible! His Sacred Gear should be nowhere this strong! It's just a Twice Critical!"
Intimidated, Raynare threw another light spear at Izuku, who rather than dodging it, knocked it aside with the gauntlet on his arm, showing more strength than what should be capable for a Knight.
As she saw the wrathful expression on Izuku's face, fear overtook her, and she tried to flee, but Izuku caught up to her with his speed and grabbed her by the arm. "No! Stay back!"
Izuku reared his fist back as it glowed with green energy, and then rammed it straight through her stomach. "This one's for Asia! SMAAASH!" A burst of energy exploded around them as his fist made contact.
Raynare screamed as she was sent flying through the window, shattering the glass.
Izuku followed her outside where she lay unconscious on the ground. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. He won.
"Look at you handling that on your own. It sure was impressive."
Izuku turned around at the sound of the voice, finding Yumi and Koneko. "Guys! You okay?"
"No biggie," Koneko shrugged, stuffing herself with a pack of gummies she had brought with her.
"You guys saw that? Why didn't you come help?"
"We were instructed to stay back. Rias's orders, sorry," Yumi answered.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously," Rias repeated, having arrived with Akeno. "I believed in you. I knew you would defeat her."
"You did?" Izuku asked.
"Oh, your Sacred Gear…" Akeno said, noting the change.
"Huh?" Izuku looked at his newly changed Sacred Gear. "Oh, I guess I didn't notice in the heat of the moment."
"Red Dragon…" Rias muttered. "That explains a lot."
Then Izuku remembered. "Asia!"
Izuku headed back inside where the others were with Asia. When he got there, his worst fears were confirmed. Asia was in Kendo's arms, her eyes dull and lifeless. "Izu…ku…" she gasped for breath.
"I… I'm sorry…" Itsuka said. "I'm doing all I can, but it's not enough."
Asia's wound had shrunken quite a bit, but the blood loss she had already suffered would make it meaningless.
Mina was on the verge of tears; Eijiro closed his eyes in lamentation.
Izuku went wide-eyed. "No… I won't let you die! You saved me, so I'll save you!" He looked desperately at Rias. "Is there a way to save her?"
"There is," Rias nodded quickly. She held up a small white piece in her fingers. "Do you know what this is?"
"A Bishop piece?"
"Yes, and my last one. The Bishop's position of power is to protect and heal the other Devils in the household," Rias explained. "Asia, for saving my servant I will reward you with a second life. However, it means you will be reborn as my Devil servant, meaning you can no longer serve God. Do you accept?"
Asia looked up at her and nodded weakly. "I want… to stay with… Izuku…"
Rias smiled. "Everyone, back up, please. I need space." Eijiro, Mina, and Itsuka stepped back to allow Rias to work her magic. Rias placed the Bishop piece below Asia's breasts, and a crimson magic circle appeared underneath Asia. "In the name of Rias Gremory, I call to Asia Argento. Hear my command. Rise once more as my demon servant. Rejoice! For you have been given new life!" Under Rias's command, the magic circle flashed brightly and the Bishop piece glowed bright crimson before sinking into Asia's body, causing it to glow as well.
With the ritual completed, the magic circle vanished. Asia's eyes slowly blinked as she looked at her chest to see no hole, nor was there any pain,
"Izuku!" Asia smiled, grabbing the Devil boy in a hug. Izuku happily returned the hug tightly as a small tear of joy rolled down his cheek.
"Asia…" he whispered. "Glad to have you back."
Eijiro and Mina were shocked at how Asia was on the verge of death a moment ago, but now, she was fine. Itsuka heard about the Devils' Evil Pieces, but this was her first time seeing them in use.
"Awesome…" Mina said, happy to see Asia well. "So like, what else can that do?"
"They can go as far as to bring back the recently deceased," Rias answered.
"Wow, that sounds so unreal. Then again, nothing surprises me at this point," Eijiro said.
Then, Koneko entered the room, dragging Raynare along. "Did someone order this?" She then tossed Raynare forward, causing her to regain consciousness. When Raynare looked up, she saw Asia, alive and well, as she stuck to Izuku.
"Impossible?! How are you still alive?!" Raynare asked.
"We meet again, Raynare," Rias said, getting her attention.
"Gremory… Don't tell me you reincarnated Asia into a Devil, too?! How the fuck was I beaten by a shitty Twice Critical?!"
"Izuku doesn't have a Twice Critical."
Raynare visibly flinched at what Rias said. "What?"
"The one Izuku uses automatically doubles its owner's power every ten seconds, allowing him to transcend both God and Satan at will. It's one of the thirteen varieties of Longinus, the Boosted Gear!"
Izuku, flabbergasted, stared at his Boosted Gear. As did Raynare.
'So this sacred tool with the ability to destroy God is in the hands of a child?' She took several steps back. "S-So what? This fight's just begun! My comrades-"
"Dohnaseek and Kalawarner, I believe? They're gone," Rias interrupted bluntly before taking out two black feathers from her pocket. "These should suffice as proof, yes?"
Raynare began to tremble. "You… you…"
"You killed them?!" Izuku gasped.
"Rias's fuse is long, but when pushed, she lives up to her title as 'Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin,' all thanks to her Power of Destruction, the magic ability she inherited from her mother. It has the power to destroy anything it touches," Yumi explained.
'Sounds scary!' Izuku, Itsuka, Asia, Mina, and Eijiro all thought.
"After Dohnaseek and Kalawarner attacked Izuku and Asia, I discovered multiple renegade Fallen Angels had plans to attack this city. So, I went to have a chat with your two colleagues. But they were rather rude to me…" Red and black energy enveloped the two feathers, vaporizing them. "Now then. What to do about you?"
Raynare shook in fear as the Power of Destruction lit up in Rias's hand. "I should purge you right here and now, but I think that would be the easy way out." Rias then turned to Izuku and Asia. "You two suffered the worst at her hands. So I think you two should be the ones to decide her fate."
"I… I don't want to be the cause of anyone's suffering." Asia squeaked. "Could… you let her go this one time?"
"Well, I think that Raynare should be punished for her crimes. But if she is a rogue as you said, then I believe her former superiors should be the ones to punish her." Izuku gave his answer.
Rias smiled. "Well Raynare, it looks like mercy is on your side. Though try not to mistake kindness for pity."
Rayanare hesitated, thinking that it was a trick, but when Rias made a motion to go, she spread her wings and flew off as fast as she could with the intention of getting as far away as she could.
Rias then created a magic circle next to her. "Izu, Asia, Koneko, Yumi, let's go. Akeno, can you help our other friends get back safely?"
"Of course," Akeno replied. "Now then, right this way."
"So, meet up tomorrow?" Eijiro asked Izuku.
"Sure."
The next morning, Izuku arrived at the ORC room where Rias was drinking tea by herself. "Hi! How you feeling?" Rias greeted.
"Great! Thanks to Asia's power, it's like it never happened."
"Fantastic. She's already proving how useful she can be. It's no wonder all those Fallen Angels were so threatened by her power," Rias nodded.
"So, question. If you don't mind," Izuku began. "Since there are eight Pawns on a chessboard, does that mean you have or can have, like, seven more of me on your board?"
"You're the only Pawn I'll need, Izuku," Rias told him.
"Huh?" Izuku blinked.
Rias set down her teacup and stood up. "When a human becomes a Devil, the number of Evil Pieces they consume varies. It just depends on what special abilities that person has to contribute. For you, the pieces I had remaining were one Knight, one Rook, one Bishop, and eight Pawns. So that's what I had to choose from. When I was reviving you, you took up all eight of my Pawns."
"So I'm worth eight Pawns?!" Izuku gasped.
"That's right, though I didn't understand why until last night. Humans with that potential are hard to find, which makes it even more impressive coming from a Quirkless one." She leaned in and stroked his cheek gently, his face instantly reacting as it turned red. "Now that we know you possess the Boosted Gear of Longinus, you can become a Hero like no one's ever seen before, the Mightiest Pawn." Her smile widened at the blush on his face. "The Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin and the user of the Red Dragon… We make a good match, huh? I'll be rooting for you, got it?"
"Y-Yeah…" Izuku nodded slowly. Rias smiled before she kissed him on the forehead. "R-Rias?!" Izuku gasped, his face turning into a bright shade of red from the unexpected display of affection.
Rias removed her lips from his forehead and stuck out her tongue playfully. "Consider it a good luck charm for the Entrance Exam. Train hard, it's a little over five months away. Oh, and call me 'Buchou' from now on. I need to stop coddling you or else our new member will be jealous…" she giggled as she turned her gaze at the door. Izuku followed her gaze and found a familiar blonde standing there.
"Asia?" Izuku saw the newly-turned Devil's face was red as she fidgeted with her fingers nervously.
"It's okay, I know she's prettier than me, so it makes sense you like her more… Oh! I shouldn't say things like that! Dear Lord, please forgive my sins of lust and envy- OW!" Asia prayed before feeling a throbbing pain in her head.
"Yeah, I felt your pain, literally," Izuku chuckled. "How are you adapting?"
"He's probably angry that I became a Devil, but I don't have any regrets at all," Asia replied. "The best part is that you and I can be together, and that's all I really need."
"I-I'm happy to hear that," Izuku blushed.
"Asia's applying for the Hero Course as well, so she'll be training with us for the next few months," Rias added.
"So you want to be a Hero too?"
"Yes. Seeing you and everyone risk yourselves to save me inspired me. I can't continue helping people as a Holy Maiden, but there's still another way I can: as a Hero!"
Izuku smiled at her reasons. "Okay, let's train and get into the Hero Course together, Asia."
"Aw, isn't that cute?"
Looking at the door, Izuku saw Mina, Eijiro, and Itsuka standing there. "Oh, you guys made it."
"Thanks for inviting us," Itsuka said. She then looked over to Rias. "We never really introduced ourselves. I'm Itsuka Kendo."
"I'm Mina Ashido."
"Eijiro Kirishima."
"I'm Rias Gremory," Rias said as the three teens sat down. "I take it you're here to check on Asia?"
"Yeah. We wanted to see if she and Midoriya were okay," Mina told her.
"Plus, we had something of hers," Eijiro said as he took out the mouse plushie Asia had dropped.
"Oh, that's right! Thank you so much!" Asia shouted as she gleefully took the stuffed Pokémon back.
"Also, we're not gonna go around telling anyone about last night. I mean, who's gonna believe us?" Mina added.
Rias giggled. "I appreciate it. Since Izuku put his trust in you, I'll put mine in as well. Also, you arrived just in time for the party."
"Party?"
Then, a door to an adjacent room opened, and Akeno came in, wheeling in a trolley holding a cake and various other sweets, along with Yumi and Koneko right behind her. "I brought cake so we could officially welcome our new member," She then noticed the familiar faces on the sofa. "And I see we have other guests, too."
Rias took a glass of soda and held it over her head. "Alright! It's time to celebrate! Cheers!"
"Cheers!" the others cheered.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by everyone, there was an exotic red bird outside the clubroom, peeking inside through the window, its gaze particularly focused on one Rias Gremory.
Raynare flew as far and as fast as she could. She tried returning to the Underworld, only to find out that Mittelt made it there first. Furthermore, she learned that the brat was really a spy for Azazel, sent to keep tabs on her and the others. If she returned to Grigori now, she would only end up labeled as a traitor. Hell, she might even end up executed for daring to show her face again. She was on her own now.
Fate worse than death… that's what Rias intended for her, and it was working.
A couple of days past her humiliating defeat, she eventually arrived at Kamino ward, where she found an alleyway to rest. "Damn you…" Raynare hissed as she sat down and put away her wings, thinking back to the ones responsible for her current situation. "All of you… I swear to make you pay, no matter the cost!"
"My, what have we here?"
Instinctively, Raynare created a spear of light and aimed it at the voice's source. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"
"Very well…" A man stepped out of the shadows. He was fairly tall and had a well-built physique. He was wearing a dark suit over a white shirt. Lastly, his face was hidden by a navy-blue skull-like mask with pipes protruding from it.
"Who are you?" Raynare demanded.
"Just someone with an eye out for talent," he said. "I happened to see you land and thought you might need some help."
"Help? Please, I know where this is going!" Raynare snapped. "Don't even try it, you wannabe rapist!"
"Please, don't lump me in with lowlifes like them. I merely wish to lend a helping hand to a damsel in distress. Won't you give me a chance?"
Raynare was starting to get irritated by this man. "On second thought, maybe you can help. See, I've had a bad past couple of days, so I could use something to take out my frustrations… LIKE YOU!"
The man simply smiled under his mask and said, "You can try."
Raynare suddenly began shaking uncontrollably. 'Wh-What?!' She dropped the spear, which shattered upon hitting the ground. Raynare then fell back on her butt, frozen in fear. 'My body won't move. This murderous aura, it rivals Kokabiel's! No, it's even greater! What's going on?!' "Wh-Who are you!?"
"As I said, someone with an eye out for talent," He began to walk closer to her. "And I believe you meet my standards, Fallen Angel Raynare."
The irises in Raynare's fear-stricken eyes shrunk. "How-"
"Having informants in the Underworld helps to get news fast," He was now standing directly over her. "You may be a low-class Fallen Angel, but I see potential to grow. And imprisonment would be quite a waste for you. So I'm offering a deal. Work for me, or I could just turn you over to the Fallen Angels, without guarantee you'll be in one piece. What do you say?"
Raynare could only nod her head, her self-preservation instincts on high alert.
"Excellent. I'm glad you accepted," the killing intent subsided. He then lent out his hand, which Raynare took.
And so, we're done with the first arc of the story.
Itsuka's Sacred Gear is based on Star Dress from Fairy Tail. Right now, we've got Capricorn and Aries, and the remaining 10 will appear as well, not all at once though.
Also, if you find any spelling or grammatical errors, feel free to let me know so I can correct them.
EDIT: I added in Asia's plushie to the chapter, I was planning on adding it to begin with, but forgot.
See you next time. Go beyond! Plus Ultra!