Shin had made many mistakes across the course of his short life. However, taking that job so readily from Sona might be up there as one of the worst mistakes he had ever made. He had completely forgotten that he had a math test next week. Investigating and doing school would split his time, not to mention Ichika had suddenly asked him to cover for her on Saturday because of some incident involving the Theater Club's costumes.
He leaned back in his computer chair and sighed aloud.
"Maybe I should ask Ichika for help on math—"
"Seriously, where would you be without that girl?"
A familiar voice echoed through his room.
Shin pursed his lips before sighing. "Vivi…"
As if on cue, soft blue light appeared, hovering in the middle of the air until its form shifted to that of a girl. She smiled mischievously as she lay in midair, dressed in a cerulean track suit with white stripes and a black pleated skirt. Her blue hair was tied in twin tails and her deep blue eyes looked down on him.
Despite her meager appearance, her very presence oozed divinity, filling up the room with a holy presence.
Vivi's eyes were filled with mirth, as if she had seen this song and dance a thousand times over.
"It's like every other week… maybe I should ask Ichika for the answers to the math homework," Vivi said.
"Ichika's good at math…"
"And you're lazy. You can pin a fly to a target from over a few kilometers away without killing it. You can do math homework by yourself," Vivi scolded.
"You sound like Mom… and Onee," Shin said.
"And I'm looking out for you. Remember, I sponsored you because you almost drowned."
"I did not!"
"Vivi is right, Shin."
A bark agreed.
Shin and Vivi turned to see Akane standing in his doorway. Ran trotted past her and hopped on his lap.
"Do your own homework and stop getting Ichika to do it for you. What would happen if Ichika got married or moved to another city for university?" Akane asked. She gauged his expression for any sort of response.
"I'd die."
Akane raised an eyebrow at such a blunt statement.
"Ichika is my best friend. I'd die without her," Shin said plainly.
"Master…," Ran said as she nudged his hand with her snout. "It's kinda scary that you can say that so easily."
"A scary level of dependence, I'd say."
Akane shook her head. "Shin-chan, by the way, you have a call. She called me because you weren't answering so pick up your damn phone."
"She?"
As if on cue, Shin's phone began to ring incessantly. A familiar ring tone played through the room. Akane and Vivi raised their eyebrows simultaneously before smiling teasingly at Shin.
"Ehhh? So this is your ringtone?" Akane asked.
"Our dear Ichika would be so flattered if she found out you never changed your ringtone," Vivi teased. She appeared next to Shin and playfully poked his cheek.
Shin rolled his eyes and answered the phone.
"Yeah?"
"You could have picked up your phone, you know. I called you like 10 times already!"
This voice. Shin furrowed his brow and let out a groan.
"Sophia? You're calling me in the middle of the night. What?" he said, leaning in his computer chair.
Akane crossed her arms before taking a seat on her younger brother's bed. She listened in on the conversation.
"Is it work related?" Shin asked.
"Work? You think I just call you because of work? You workaholic weirdo. What if I said I called you because I got that limited edition figurine you begged me to hunt down?" Sophia said.
"Is it? Because you know I've been looking for it," Shin said, leaning forward excitedly.
"You… Ugh, I should have expected this by now. Shin, this is serious."
Shin leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh.
"I'm all ears, Sophie. What's up?"
He heard Sophia pause for a few seconds over the line before talking.
"The Church recently excommunicated a prospective Saint."
Shin's eyes widened slightly.
"Excommunicated a Saint? The Church? Why?"
"It was a dumb reason. Well, I think it was a dumb reason. The girl unknowingly healed a Devil. You know how that looks for people in the Fundamentalist Faction," Sophia said.
Shin nodded gravely.
"Anyway, the Progressive Faction and the Inquisition saw that it was a good opportunity to snatch her out from the Fundamentalist Faction's nose. But…"
"But she skipped town. How did you guys lose one saint?" Shin asked.
"Don't ask me that. Ask the exorcists in charge of escorting her out of the Vatican. So… now, the Inquisition sent me to hunt her down and bring her back. So, I hope you have an extra room! All my sources tracked her to Kuoh Town!" Sophia chirped.
"Wait…? What? The Saint is here?" Shin shot up from his chair, causing Ran to hop off his lap.
"Yup! I'll be there in a few days!" Sophia said. "Oh by the way, I have reports that she's in cahoots with Fallen Angels so keep an eye out!"
"Eh? Sophia? Sophia? She hung up on me," Shin said. He locked his phone and sat down.
"So?" Akane asked.
"There's a Saint here in Kuoh. Sophia's coming here to bring her back," Shin said.
"Mmmm, sounds fun. Though, it does sound odd. Why would Uriel go out of her way to send her here? Any old exorcist would have been fine as long as they can handle themselves against cannon fodder," Akane asked, getting up from his bed.
Shin shrugged, not wanting to even attempt to decipher the details behind Sophia's mission. "Onee, you think you can help us? Sophia said she might be with Fallen Angels and Sona hired me to clean up the Church. I think there might be a connection," he said.
Akane smiled before flicking his forehead. "Sorry, buddy. I told you when you got home. I have a job lined up. Yayi called me to tell me she needs help over in China to deal with something."
"I guess I have to deal with this one on my own. Sophia better pay me back," Shin said. He turned to Ran, who sat on the floor and scratched her ear with her rear paw. "Hey Ran, you think you can keep an eye on Ichi while she shows her friend around town? With the Fallen Angels and all roaming around…"
Ran looked up at him. "Sure, Master."
Saturday came around faster than any of them could have anticipated. Granted, when the request was put in, it was a Thursday afternoon. Ichika honestly thought she'd have more time to prepare a proper outing with someone she wasn't familiar with. She ran a finger through her ponytail, twirling and untwirling strands of hair as her eyes flitted around the plaza.
Ichika fidgeted with her bag. She had gone out of her way to look normal for this. Shin had told her to look normal. For once in their lives, he had a point.
Usually, it was her that had to reel him in. And so, she had opted to wear a simple white unbuttoned jacket with a red blouse underneath and black shorts. Her choker still sat around her neck.
She glanced at her watch. Thankfully, Shin had agreed to take on her shift at the restaurant for her and Akane had approved without much issue. She sighed once more as she waited at the central plaza.
Nervous couldn't even begin to describe the amount of anxiety she felt. It was the first time she had spent time with anyone other than Shin. And people referred to her as the more sociable of the two.
She felt someone tap on her shoulder. Ichika turned, thinking it was Yuuma. Instead, it was some random girl with a bob cut, clad in a red bat-themed dress. She held out a small flyer with a magic circle inscribed on it that said: "Your dreams will be granted".
"Thanks?" Ichika said.
The girl bowed and walked off to hand flyers to more people around.
She looked down at the flyer one more time before slipping it in her pocket.
"Why am I even here? Did I get pranked by someone at school?" Ichika mumbled.
It was a possibility. It wasn't like she had any enemies in particular. It was just something she had read about in manga with Shin.
She pulled her phone out of her bag and began to scroll through to try and call Yuuma.
"S- Sorry! Sorry, I'm late!"
Upon hearing that distinct voice, Ichika looked up and quickly composed herself. Yuuma came running up to her, a maroon purse in tow and wearing a pink short-sleeved jacket atop a black dress. If Ichika was even a shred of normal, even she would have found her attractive. However, her nerves prevented her from doing so. After all, the amount of friends she had was something she could count on one hand.
"You're not late! I have arrived here just now! My duties as the Dragon of Dominion kept me from arriving at the allotted time!" she said, quickly crafting an excuse.
Yuuma raised an eyebrow in confusion before shaking it off. She quickly fixed a practiced smile on her face and grabbed Ichika's hand.
"Come on! I'm not really familiar with where everything is so… I hope you escort me well, Ryu-chan!" Yuuma chirped.
"R- Ryu…?" Ichika asked as she felt herself being dragged along.
"Mmm! You call yourself Dragon of Dominion so I'll call you Ryu!" Yuuma said.
Ichika felt her cheeks heat up. No one had ever bothered to play along and give her a nickname. A small smile crept onto her lips. "Y-Yeah…"
"So where do we go to first?" Yuuma asked.
"Well, I have an entire itinerary of places we can hit before the sun sets. Though, now that I look at it…" Ichika pulled up her phone and winced when she saw the schedule. "I don't think we can hit all of it—"
"We can." Yuuma snatched the phone from her hand and began scrolling. "Plus it's not a lot. How about we go here first!" Yuuma pointed to an item second on Ichika's schedule.
"Eh? This place? Sure… I mean, of course, we can go! I, as your guide, through this city of decadence shall allow you to partake of the sweet ambrosia that is served at this divine establishment!" Ichika said.
Yuuma giggled when Ichika began roleplaying once more.
As the pair ran off, Ran stepped out from the bushes. Her snout sniffed the air curiously. In an instant that made her seem more human than dog, a glare flashed across her canine features. Her body stiffened and her fangs bared. A low growl escaped her mouth along with one word.
"Fallen angel…"
Saturdays were always a busy day at the pub. People from the local area of the town came here to escape from the hustle and bustle of the weekday to either drink, eat, or ogle at the waitresses. That last part was done discreetly out of fear for the manager, however.
Shin wiped some sweat from his brow as he stood in the kitchen. His brother-in-law's voice echoed in the background.
Working without Ichika by his side was a lot harder than he initially made it out to be. While their work days didn't always overlap, Shin always forgot how good Ichika's people skills were. It seemed that for all her delusional roleplaying, Ichika's acting ability allowed her to remain sane under the pressure of preparing and bringing orders out to the people that frequented the eatery. And now, he was all alone. It had been a few hours since Ichika had left to go show her new friend around the town.
"Shin! I need that order for table 5!"
"Got it!" Shin said as he began to make Table 5's order.
A girl walked into the kitchen, dressed in a black uniform. She held a tray in her hand before setting it down for the other workers to take and wash. Her blue eyes scrutinized his every movement. And even though her blonde hair was not tied in its usual drills, it still retained some level of elegance when it was in a bun.
"You really are useless without Ichika," she said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Shut up. You know Ichika does 60% of the server work outside, Ravel," Shin said.
Ravel rolled her eyes and pointed to the ticket in front of him.
"Ugh… fine." Shin groaned as he fired up the stove and began working on Table 5's order.
"I don't understand how you can be so serious when dealing with cases but whenever you're out of it, you're a leech who spends your paycheck on weapon catalogs or figurines," Ravel commented.
"Hey, if you do what we do, you start developing weird hobbies. Even Onee had a phase at some point," he said as he began putting the finishing touches on the order.
"Akane-oneesama didn't resort to eating grass because she ran out of money to buy herself lunch from the school cafeteria," she said.
"Er… semantics," he replied as he finished making the order.
Ravel sighed before grabbing the order from the line and walking out of the kitchen. Shin let out a breath as he relaxed for a few seconds. At least, less orders were coming in. There was always a lull in the afternoon before the night rolled around.
"Master, we have a problem."
Shin stiffened when a voice entered his head. He looked to his brother-in-law, who noticed the hardened expression on Shin's face. Upon seeing him nod, Shin retreated out the back of the pub.
"Ran. What's wrong?" Shin asked.
"Fallen Angel. Ichika's new friend is a Fallen Angel," she said.
"Eh? Are you sure?" he asked.
"She smells like a crow. There's no mistaking it."
He clenched his fists tightly. The Fallen Angels were going after Ichika. Was this what Sona meant when they were stalking the school?
"Ran, keep your eye on them. And tell me where they're headed. I'll be there shortly," Shin said as he removed his apron.
"Got it. They're not doing anything for now. It seems like the Fallen is purposely taking her to crowded areas," Ran informed.
"Shit. Got it. Stay put. I'll meet up with you shortly!" Shin said as he took off in a sprint out the back of the pub.
It was quite apparent to anyone who had known her for a long time that Ichika had a sense of fashion. Twisted as it might be, her choices fit the personalities of the people she recommended clothing to. And now, she rifled through some clothes as Yuuma changed in the dressing room. Their outing had lasted over a few hours now. They had gone to get some brunch, went to an arcade, and even frequented different places around Kuoh that were considered to be "power spots".
However, during the entire trip, she had the distinct feeling that she was being followed. She sighed and banished the thought from her head.
"Mmm?" her eyes flicked over to a black T-shirt with a design that she quite particularly liked.
Hmm, this would fit her well. She snatched it and walked over to Yuuma, who was perusing a different aisle.
"Yuuma!" Ichika called out.
"Hmm? Ryu? What is it?" she asked.
"Try this." Ichika held up the black shirt she had grabbed. It was a simple shirt, though the imagery on the back was quite gothic. A pair of black raven wings were emblazoned on the back with a raven's skull sitting at the center. At the bottom, it read "Dark Angel" in katakana.
"Err…," Yuuma took the shirt and eyed it for a few seconds. "This is… good?"
"Obviously! My dragon's sight does not deceive me! The garments I pick for the mortals who ask me for advice always match to fit the person! And the aura you give off. You fancy yourself a maiden yet I sense the anima of men you've left broken in your wake! Like an angel who hath fallen from Heaven due to her overwhelming lust!" Ichika declared.
She nodded to herself, proud of her word choice and fashion sense. "So, do you like… it? Huh?" she raised an eyebrow when she saw the look on Yuuma's face.
"Are you… alright? You look a little pale," Ichika asked.
She blinked and quickly regained her composure. "N- No, I think this is great! I'll make sure to treasure it," Yuuma thanked.
"Great! Then let us make haste to the merchant at the front and purchase these clothes!" Ichika said.
A little after paying for the clothing, the pair had left the venue. As they made their way out of the mall, Ichika felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She discreetly glanced over her shoulder and saw a familiar mop of black hair quickly dart into an alleyway.
Her eyes narrowed in response.
"Geez…," she muttered under her breath.
"Mmm? Ichika, is something wrong?" Yuuma asked.
"No time to explain. Just follow me."
"H- Huh!? What's going on—!"
Without warning, Ichika grabbed her wrist and the two sprinted out of the mall.
Shin stepped out from behind the corner. Ran followed him out from behind the corner and looked up at her master.
"Master, what now? We'll lose Ichika in the crowd," Ran said. She scratched her ear for a few seconds.
"We won't. I slipped a tracking talisman on her when she wasn't looking. But we can't do much right now," he said, crossing his arms.
"The crowd?" Ran asked.
"Mmm, fallen angels can be crafty. With this many people, I wouldn't be surprised if she used the crowd as human shields," he said.
"I guess we should… take a step back and let them think they lost us," Ran said, sniffing Shin's shoe.
"Ichika will think she lost us in a few seconds. All we have to do is keep a distance," he said.
"Ichika! Wait, slow down!" Yuuma said.
"S- Sorry!" Ichika panted.
The two had run a considerable distance from the mall. Ichika had taken some streets to make sure that they had lost him.
"What's going on?" Yuuma asked.
"Sorry, it's just. My childhood friend— I mean, my faithful servant was following me! The cur seems to think his divine mistress cannot handle an outing with a mortal girl on her own," Ichika said.
Yuuma's eyebrow twitched.
"At least we've evaded his sights," Ichika continued.
"Yeah…"
A light breeze blew between the two. The soft light of the setting sun began to settle over Kuoh, bathing the pair in an amber glow.
"Hey, Ichika. There's actually one more place I want to visit with you. It's not on your itinerary but some kids I've met in my class said it was a good place to go relax at," Yuuma said.
"Good place to relax? Sure, where at?" Ichika asked.
Yuuma giggled as she grabbed Ichika's hand, interlacing her fingers in Ichika's own.
Ichika just looked at her hand, slightly confused but eager as she followed Yuuma down the road. The pair walked in silence until they arrived at the local park.
There was nothing special about it. It was simple and nondescript, resembling any park that one might find in any town across the planet. Yet, its unique charm could not be replicated anywhere else. The two walked along the winding path. Its residents had long since left for the day with only a few stragglers left behind that were either basking in their newfound privacy or simply relaxing as Yuuma had put it.
As soon as they reached the fountain, Yuuma let go of her hand and took a few steps forward.
"Say, Ichika, I really want to thank you for showing me around town," she said. She turned and faced her with her hands behind her back.
"It is of no concern. As the Red Dragon connected to the Akashic Records, it is my job to guide those who have not attained true sight," Ichika replied.
"Right… anyway, I have—"
"Of course, if you want to go on such an outing again, you need only ask! Even though mine dragon's eyes have seen thy wings, Dark Angel, I believe that a friendship between us can serve us better in the future!" Ichika said. Despite her grandiose way of talking, she fidgeted with her ponytail nervously.
"R- Huh? Friends…," Yuuma faltered a bit.
"Yeah… I actually don't have many friends outside of Shin-chan… I'd really like it if you accepted. So please… pledge eternal companionship to your Divine Red Dragon of Dominion," Ichika said.
Yuuma paused for a few seconds. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "Ichika, then as your friend, will you do something for me?"
"Yes, what is it?" Ichika said.
"Will you... drop dead?" Yuuma asked.
"Y- Yuuma?" Ichika said.
"You know... it was really annoying just listening to you talk all day long about dragons, grimoires, the Akashic Records. I was constantly tempted to skewer you in that crowd back there just to shut that annoying mouth of yours but that'll ruin my MO." Yuuma's smile twisted into one of pure malice.
Ichika took a slight step back. "Y- Yuuma, this isn't funny. You're scaring me."
"But, alas, as your friend, I'll let you see just how spot-on your delusions were. Bear witness, human." Yuuma's eyes glowed. Her body glowed as she transformed. If Ichika could have words to describe it, it was something out of a nightmare. Not even in her wildest imagination had she ever believed her delusions to ever be real.
A single pair of pitch black, raven wings unfurled from her back. A rain of perpetual black molted feathers slowly fluttered down from the sky.
"H- Hey, those wings aren't real, right? Someone from the theater club is just pranking me," Ichika said.
Yuuma smiled. "What's wrong, Ryu-chan? Now that you see a real Dark Angel in the flesh, you're tongue-tied," she taunted. Her wings fluttered as she hovered into the air.
The amber twilight sky was replaced with a kaleidoscope of dizzying colors. Yuuma's eyes glinted with a sort of madness to them. She raised her hand into the air. Pink light gathered within the palm of her hand and condensed into a twisted spear of light.
"Let's see how the Red Dragon Empress of Dominion Who Lords Over 10,000 Worlds fares against the Dark Angel!" Yuuma mocked as she threw the light spear.
It took all of her years of experience in the Judo Club to roll out of the way. Her eyes widened in shock when the spear pierced the concrete easily. A trickle of blood flowed down her cheek. "This… This is real…," she whispered as the light spear shattered into a shower of pink lights.
"Ryu-chan~! Stay still for me. I wouldn't want to miss and make a hot mess out of you," Yuuma laughed.
She formed two spears of pink light and threw them at her with blinding speed.
Ichika raised her arms in a futile attempt to shield herself. As she waited for the agonizing pain of death to embrace her, a clang echoed through the fountain clearing. Her eyes slowly opened when she saw a familiar figure standing before her.
"S- Shin-chan?" Ichika said weakly.
Shin stood in front of her, holding a black katana. His eyes flashed blue and sliced the light spear in two, causing its two halves to shatter. "Damn, I knew someone was gonna murder you for being chuuni but I didn't think it'd be today."
"Hah? Me annoy someone! That's you! You're the weirdo who's gonna annoy someone into murdering you, not me!" Ichika protested, momentarily forgetting the situation unfolding before her.
"Another human?"
The pair looked up and saw Yuuma hovering in the sky. There was a look of frustration on her face. "It doesn't matter…"
She raised her hand and formed another spear of light. "If there are two or ten of you, I'll kill you here and now!"
"Go." Shin stepped forward.
"What?" Ichika asked. "N- No! I'm not leaving you here!"
"You can't do anything! Go!" Shin yelled. "You'll only get in the way."
She flinched at Shin suddenly raising his voice at her. Ichika anxiously bit her lip. Her hands tightened into a fist. "Don't die on me, you hear! Your Red Dragon Empress demands that you survive my faithful Servant!"
She turned on her heels and ran away from the scene.
"Have some faith in me, Ichi," he chuckled as he sheathed his katana at his side.
"How cute. Run all you want, Ryu-chan~!" Yuuma smirked and raised her hand. A light spear began to form within it as she aimed it at the retreating Ichika's back.
"Hey!"
Yuuma's eyes widened as an intense force slammed into her. She rocketed toward the ground and slammed through several trees. Intense pain wracked her entire body. She curled up in pain on the ground.
"Wha-?" she gasped.
Shin appeared in front of her instantly. His eyes looked down at her coldly. His eyes glowed with an ominous blue color. "..." he turned on his heel and blocked an incoming spear of light without looking.
The light spear shattered instantly. A blue swirl of pixelated water gathered into his hand and condensed into a black long-barreled revolver.
"Woah, Raynare. I didn't think you'd have much trouble with one human."
A man wearing a grey trench coat and matching fedora landed behind him. He had an arrogant smirk on his face as he tipped his hat to Shin. A blue light gathered in his hands and condensed into a spear.
"Two crows? Looks like I'm getting Sona's job done early," Shin commented.
Yuuma— no, Raynare, growled at Shin's words. "You think you can kill us human—"
Shin trained his gun and fired into her abdomen. The gunshot resounded through the park, sending the newly arrived man into a stupor. Raynare shrieked in pain as she writhed and curled up in intense agony. Blood flowed freely down her abdomen, staining her pink jacket. "Ahh… Ahhh… Dohnaseek, kill this fucker!"
The man named Dohnaseek snapped out of his stupor. "Kalawarna!"
"I heard. Tch, this human…"
A woman with blue hair and a curvaceous figure descended from the skies. She glared fiercely at Shin.
"Raynare, go. Kill that bitch with the Sacred Gear. We'll take care of this kid," Kalwarna said.
"What makes you think she's escaping?" Shin asked. Black flames wrapped around his katana. He raised it and brought it down onto Raynare's chest. However, Kalawarna's quick attack forced him to block at the last minute.
Raynare quickly got to her feet, placing her hand on her abdomen to cauterize her bleeding wound with white-hot light.
"You—!" Shin flashed in front of her and brought his sword down. However, an aimed spear from Dohnaseek caused him to dodge.
Raynare's wings flapped as she took to the air.
"You idiots just keep coming."
He needed to finish this before Raynare got to Ichika. He closed his eyes and sheathed his blade. A hazy blue aura surrounded his body. The ground cracked beneath him.
"Oi, oi, Dohnaseek! This kid…" Kalawarna took a step back when she felt a blast of wind blow her back.
"I know. We need to finish this before—"
"Onigari-Ryu: Setsuna."
"—he finishes…?"
The world became hazy for Dohnaseek. Redness filled his vision and he gurgled. His head slowly slid off his neck and hit the ground with a wet slap. Blood sprayed in a red shower into the air.
"D- Dohna- Urk!" Kalawarna gasped in pain. She looked down and saw Shin's katana stabbed into her.
Shin pulled it out of her with a wet squelch, causing her to fall to her knees.
"Now there's one left," he said coldly.
"She's… gonna kill that girl…," Kalawarna rasped.
"She won't get the chance."
Before darkness finally claimed her into the embrace of unconsciousness, Kalawarna watched as Shin vanished before her very eyes.
Ichika ran. It was all she could do. It was all she could ever do. Now, and back then. Shin always had to protect her. People might have viewed her as the responsible one but Shin was the one who always kept her safe. Tears pricked at the edge of her eyes.
Stay safe you idiot! Don't die and leave me alone! She prayed silently as she neared the exit of the park.
However, before she could step foot outside the gate, a white-hot pain seared through her abdomen. Ichika gasped in pain and fell forward, falling face-first on the ground. She whimpered in pain as she felt her blood flow onto the pavement.
"Ryu-chan… did you forget about me?"
Ichika's eyes widened in terror. She looked up and saw Raynare landing on the ground. "Y- Yuuma…," she said.
"Even that name sounds annoying coming out of your mouth, Ryu-chan," Raynare said, squatting in front of her. "I have to admit… maybe if the circumstances were different, it wouldn't have turned out the way it did. Sadly, it didn't. I had fun playing around with you, Ichika. Now—!"
Raynare felt something slice into her shoulder. She stumbled, splattering blood on Ichika's leg. She bit her cheek to keep herself from screaming.
"Ichika!"
Raynare glanced over her shoulder and saw Shin running toward them. Acting quickly, Raynare unfurled her wings and took to the air. "It's too late! She's going to bleed out!" Raynare said, gripping her torn arm.
Shin tightened his grip on his katana and swung it, launching several condensed blades of air at Raynare. The blade waves travelled at nearly imperceptible speeds.
Adrenaline flooded Raynare's body as her death rapidly approached. Acting purely on instinct, she flexed her fingers, causing a string of symbols to manifest in the palm of her hand. "Oh God, Oh Heaven...," she chanted.
A flash of light engulfed her body, leaving nothing behind but air.
"No! Damn it!" Shin raged as he slowed to a stop.
"S- Shin…"
Ichika's cries of pain snapped him out of his frustration. Shin dropped his katana on the ground. He turned and quickly kneeled, placing his hand over her wounds. "Ichi, you have to stay with me!" Shin urged.
"Shin, it hurts…," she rasped.
"I know, I know. You just gotta hang on. Ran!"
Black flames swirled and swallowed his katana. The flames condensed until it formed the body of a dog. Ran barked as she walked out of the fire.
"Go! Go get Ravel! Now!" Shin urged.
Ran barked in response and vanished in a swirl of black flames.
"Ichi… Ichi? Hey! Ichi! Stay with me!" Shin turned back and saw her eyes were losing their light. "No, no, no! Not again! Please, not again!" He squeezed her hand. His breathing hitched as distant memories echoed in his brain. Ichika's face flickered slightly to that of a terrified young girl.
Shin bit his lip hard, causing blood to trickle down his mouth.
"Fuck! Fuck! There's gotta be something. Hang on, Ichika!" Shin begged.
He searched through his pockets for anything that could help. Healing talismans. Coagulants. Phenex Tears. Anything that can heal her fatal injury. "Come on, come on, come on!" Shin's desperation began to grow when he saw her eyes beginning to close.
"Damn it! Stay with me, Ichi!" Shin begged. "Damn it! Ran! Ravel! Where are you!?"
Her breathing was growing weaker. The rising and falling of her chest grew slower with each passing minute. As he wracked his brain on how he could save her until Ran got back with Ravel, he spotted something sticking out of Ichika's bloodied white jacket.
"Magic… circle?" he said.
Acting quickly, Shin pulled the slip of paper out of Ichika's pocket. "This circle, Rias… Damn it! Come on! Come on! Oh demon of Gremory, grant me my deepest desires!" Shin chanted as he channeled power into the slip. "Come on, come on, come on! Come on, Rias!"
A crimson light emanated from the paper in Shin's hand. A red magic circle manifested on the ground next to the pair. A pillar of red light burst from the circle, lighting up the entire park in a brilliant sanguine glow.
The pillar of red light dispersed in a shower of particles to reveal an inhumanly beautiful woman around his age. Her crimson red hair shone in the light of the rising moon, reflecting a soft red light. Her voluptuous body was hugged snugly by a familiar school uniform. She opened her blue eyes.
"Hmm? This is unexpected. I didn't think you'd be the one to summon me…. Huh?" Rias blinked in shock. Before her lay the last thing she expected when being summoned; Shin sat there, putting pressure on the profusely bleeding wound of a dying Ichika.
"Rias! Help us!" Shin said.
"E- Eh? What happened?" Rias rushed forward and knelt on the ground next to Ichika. She placed two fingers on Ichika's neck. "She's barely alive! What happened?"
"Fallen. Damn it! I wasn't fast enough!" Shin slammed his fist on the ground, sending spiderweb cracks spreading across the concrete.
"Stay calm. She's still alive… but she won't be for long," Rias said, glancing at the gaping wound in Ichika's torso.
"So help her! Don't you know healing magic or something?" Shin asked.
"Idiot, if it were that easy, I'd have done it by now! You know how my healing works!" Rias hissed.
Shin's face fell at her words. She was right. By the time Rias started the process, with Ichika this close to death, Ichika might die before the magic even takes effect.
"We need to stabilize her," she said. "I hope you know what that means…"
Shin's body stiffened when he heard the words leave her mouth. He clenched his bloodied fists and looked down at Ichika.
Even though she had passed out, she was still letting out shallow breaths. However, in her condition, she wouldn't be breathing for much longer.
"Do it."
Rias eyed Shin carefully for a few seconds before nodding gravely. "I didn't want it to go like this. I would have much preferred to slowly introduce her to it and then ask her. But…"
"Just do it." Shin's words cut through the air like a knife.
Rias opened her palm. A red ring of light appeared above it before manifesting into an array of floating chess pieces. Rias pressed her finger against Ichika's neck. Her breathing quickened. "I lost her pulse…"
"What!?"
"Quiet! Let me concentrate!" Rias barked. She flicked her hand, causing the pieces to hover over Ichika's body. Rias gently placed a single pawn piece on Ichika's chest. Her eyebrow furrowed when she saw no reaction. She quickly cycled through, putting a second pawn piece, then a 3rd, then a 4th until she placed all 8 pieces on Ichika's chest.
"She used… all 8?" Rias mumbled. The pieces began to glow brightly as a red magic circle appeared beneath Ichika.
"Stand back," Rias said. She got to her feet and dusted her skirt off. "By my name as [Rias Gremory], I order you to be reborn as my servant upon this mortal world! Be glad and rejoice in your renewed existence."
The entire park was engulfed in a bright red light. Shin watched with bated breath as the red pieces began to sink into Ichika's body. However, for a brief second, the pieces turned a stark white. The red light that emanated from Ichika's body soon became overwritten by an alabaster shine that devoured the crimson light of the Evil Pieces.
"That's not…"
"That's not what?" Shin asked upon hearing Rias's words.
"Why did it turn white?" Rias said.
However, as quickly as it came, the light quickly died down, revealing an unconscious, weakly breathing Ichika. The wound on her torso was completely gone.
Shin let out a sigh of relief. He walked over to her unconscious form and gently picked her up.
"You know what this means for her now, don't you?"
Shin looked over his shoulder and saw Rias standing with her arms crossed. Her eyes softened when she saw the dismal expression on his face. She let out a sigh before smiling sympathetically.
"I know…," he finally said after several minutes of silence.
"I'll visit her later. I'll… leave you two alone. I trust you can ease her into it," Rias said.
Shin nodded mutely as Rias vanished in a flash of red light, leaving the pair alone in the park.
Two things to note here:
1. Ichika "dying" here was always something I had planned. It's a catalyst for something else that'll be important later down the arc and for the entire story. Also, if you read Shin's dialogue, you'll know Ichika's "death" also served to trigger something. Don't worry about her being Rias's Pawn for now. The story drives her in the direction where that'll no longer be an issue but it needs to happen for now to help her get her bearings and to save her life.
2. Rias. I know since Ichika became Rias's pawn, you're all expecting Rias to be some grand main character who is going to be part of some Shin harem but sadly, that's not the case. Pairings wise, I think it's pretty obvious who the main ship is here so I don't have to say anything. Back to Rias. Rias's purpose here is going to be somewhat similar to canon with some major differences—i.e. not being an Issei love interest—especially since I cut out the Phenex Rating Game arc from the fanfic... since Riser is married. Her role will become more obvious as the story goes along but she won't be a major love interest for Shin. Neither will any girl from Rias's peerage.
A response to if Ichika is going to be a pervert or not. Yes. Yes, she is but she won't gain her power from horny like Issei. She's too chuunibyou for that. She'll be... a different breed of horny.