– Rias –
"She skipped school again." The redhead said as she looked out of the window of the student council office, making Sona sigh. "I should be surprised that she doesn't give a crap about it, but I'm not. For how little I know of her personally, this does sound like her."
"All she has to do is show up," Sona muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It's not like she's having any trouble with the material. She's getting full marks across all tests."
"In her defense, I wouldn't bother showing up if I knew everything already." Rias shrugged. "Considering she has some project she's working on. What do you think?"
"I think she should grow up and drop these delinquent acts if she wants to be at the top."
"I meant the project." She clarified. "I've been thinking about it since she brought it up. Maybe something that could help with the training?"
"I don't know, and I don't care," Sona responded in frustration.
Rias paused for a moment.
"You know, Sona, not everyone is going to follow all the rules to the letter like you do." She said, a bit exasperated. "You're better off not letting it get to you. We had her school records before she got here, should've been obvious from the start."
"It's a miracle how she wasn't held back a single year. Her marks are always perfect, yes, but from a disciplinary standpoint…" Sona flipped through the pages of Akane's school record. "Missing thirty percent of school days? Getting in a fight nearly every single day throughout middle school?"
"Wow." Rias blinked. "That's impressive."
"It's infuriating." Sona huffed. "Having a temper is one thing, but zero respect for any kind of authority is something else entirely."
The redhead smiled in amusement at her childhood friend's complaints. Even Sona could get childish from time to time, and if there was one thing that truly provoked her, it was someone not caring about the rules.
She's always been like this from what Rias could remember. She didn't know what made her like this, but if she had to guess… She was going to blame Serafall. That woman was an absolute menace to everyone she knew, including poor Sona.
Honestly, Rias found this trait of Sona's absolutely adorable. She'd always been the cool, calm, and mature one out of the two, the redhead could admit that, but seeing her this close to throwing a tantrum because someone decided to follow their own rules…
Well, it was hilarious. But she wouldn't say that, not when Sona still had a significant power advantage over her. She could be scary when she was angry.
"Listen, it's very obvious that Akane couldn't care about it even if she tried," Rias said. "Like I said, you're better off just not caring about it either."
Sona put her glasses back on and sighed again.
"You're right." She admitted. "We have too many things to worry about, and Akane's terrible school record should not be one of them."
"That's the spirit." Rias grinned, walking towards the exit. "Anyway, my class is about to start now. See you on break. "
As soon as the redhead slid the door open, a phone on the table in front of Sona began to vibrate, making the two devils pause. Sona quickly took her device and answered the call, a frown of confusion on her face.
"Hello?" She blinked, frown deepening. "Mr. Majima? How did you get my number?"
Rias leaned backward, trying to pick up on what the Mad Dog might be saying to her childhood friend.
"...I see," Sona muttered after a moment. "Thank you for informing me. We'll meet up with them immediately."
Sona ended the call and looked at Rias, who immediately understood what had happened.
"A lot earlier than I thought." The redhead said.
"Indeed." Sona nodded, trying to call Akane. "...She's not answering her phone. We can't start the meeting without her."
"I'll fetch Ichiban," Rias responded.
Exiting the student council room, she quickly made her way to Akane's class, skipping a step in a hurry. As she opened the door, she quickly made eye contact with Ichiban, who blinked in surprise. She gestured for him to come out, and he did, looking a bit confused.
Once he closed the door behind him, Rias spoke.
"I need you to get Akane." She said.
He paused, still confused.
"Uh, okay?" He scratched the back of his head. "Bit of an abrupt thing to ask."
"It's important." She replied. "Bring her to the occult clubroom. Tell her the church is here."
"Wait, the church?" He frowned. "The hell are they doing here?"
"She'll explain everything to you," Rias said. "Just go get her, and please be quick about it."
"I'm going, I'm going," Ichiban said, jogging away.
Once he was out of sight, Rias turned back to Sona, who followed her.
"Let's meet them," Sona said.
Rias nodded seriously, not liking this situation one bit.
Why did they have to deal with the church of all factions, who were basically their arch-enemies? And now they'd be forced to help with retrieving holy weapons used to kill her own kind?
What a pain.
– Lucifer –
Seeing his extended arm slowly fading away made the deceased Demon King hum in interest. He pulled his limb back, looking back at the house as he quickly made the calculations. Around twenty meters away from Akane was his limit, then? Much bigger than he expected. Any more and he'd be forced into his fully formless self and back to Akane's side.
Still, it was about time he tested this. He'd been so distracted by the fascinating human-made technology, and who could blame him? They were still fighting with swords and bows when last he saw them, and now they had all these incredible tools that could do practically everything.
And it wasn't like those 'phones' or 'microwaves' were reserved for royalty. No, even the common folk were able to get their hands on them. Just how much had humanity thrived while he was stuck in that prison? How much had they advanced?
It was as mind-boggling as it was expected. He knew why his father was so intrigued with humanity, because while devils, angels, and the other pantheons were content with staying where they were, humans had one thing on their minds, and it was progress.
They, as a collective species, only cared about knowledge. Yes, they were easy to kill. Yes, they were incredibly and hilariously easy to tempt into sin and self-destruction. But he'd be a fool to ignore just how baffling their achievements truly were once they banded together.
No magic to help in most of their endeavors and revolutionary discoveries and inventions. Only pure determination and trial by fire. This practically proved his father right, didn't it? Humanity truly had limitless potential.
I'll give you this one. Lucifer smirked as his anger simultaneously flared. You old bastard.
What a phenomenal race. Ah, if only he was there to witness it all, to see exactly how they got to this point. Unfortunately, Lucifer had a war to worry about. A pointless one, but a war all the same.
With the approximate limit of his range in mind, Lucifer simply walked back to the house, enjoying the warm air and sun. Well, he couldn't really feel either of those, but he imagined it felt nice.
He pursed his lips in mild annoyance as he phased through the door. Not having a physical body or being able to feel anything was a lot more depressing than he initially thought. The only things he could touch at the moment were that accursed sword and Akane whenever she held said sword.
…Perhaps he should've done more than just bind himself to Excelsis, and instead created an entirely new body. He sighed to himself. Well, no point in thinking about his past mistakes. Otherwise, he'd be too depressed to do anything.
Lucifer glanced at Akane's mother, who was lying on the couch in front of the 'Tee Vee', watching some sort of play with a bored look. He held off on telling the daughter this, but this woman here…
"Interesting…" He muttered to himself.
Disregarding the odd seal on her magic, she was unfathomably powerful, so much so that she far surpassed the original Yuki Onna. It was insane that she and her daughter were even related, seeing the unbelievably vast gap in their magic.
And this was not something you could cultivate with training. Lucifer could tell that she was born with this.
But unlike Akane's controlled and serene energy, her mother felt like it was on the verge of blowing up and freezing the continent, regardless of her emotional state. What an abnormal bloodline– one was born with an insane amount of magic that it was a miracle she survived at birth, and her daughter had none of the power, yet all the talent.
"Psshhh, they don't make good movies anymore." Mizuki snorted, talking to herself. "Should just stick to anime…"
"Mizuki-san, they're done." The nun said from behind the counter, holding a tray of unusual baked goods. "This is my first time baking brownies, so I hope you like them."
"Oooooh!" The older woman clasped her hands together as she sat up on the couch, looking quite excited. "They already smell real good! Bring 'em here!"
The blond girl's smile brightened as she put the 'brownies' on a plate, putting it on the table in front of the couch as she sat down next to Mizuki. In one swift movement, Mizuki snatched one and stuffed it in her face, seemingly enjoying the taste if her squeal of delight was anything to go by.
"Sho good~!" She moaned, swallowing the snack. "Is this really your first time?"
The younger girl blushed and looked away in response, loving the positive attention she was getting. Lucifer, on the other hand, was eying the snack with an almost sorrowful expression. He couldn't even smell them…
Pain.
As the two enjoyed each other's company, one of those annoying ringing tones sounded out, making Lucifer scrunch up his face in distaste. Mizuki paused and pulled her phone from her pocket, answering a call in a rather aggressive manner.
"The hell do you want, Majima?" She said.
Lucifer's eyebrow rose as he leaned forward, wanting to hear the conversation.
"...Ya still mad?" He questioned. "Sheesh, chill already, will ya? We're on the same side."
"Out with it, dipshit," Mizuki growled.
"Aight, fine, fine." The man known as 'Majima' sighed, then his tone changed significantly. "Electricity just cut off for us."
"What? How?"
"Dunno, but you know power randomly cutting off doesn't happen for us. " He responded, making Lucifer significantly more interested. "If I had to guess, it's the Amon."
Mizuki visibly froze as the Demon King rubbed his chin. Amon? Did he mean one of the devil's pillars? But they got extinct relatively quickly. Did one survive the war?
"What…?"
"Just thought I'd warn you." He continued. "I doubt they're attacking us, probably just an intimidation tactic or some shit."
Mizuki suddenly got off her seat and nearly rushed upstairs before being stopped by Majima.
"Calm down. She's safe." He said, stopping the mother in place. "Your home is the most guarded location in Kuoh. They're not getting through us that easily."
"Right… right…" Mizuki took a deep breath. "I can still sense her anyway. I just panicked."
"Mizuki-san?" Asia blinked, looking worried.
Mizuki paused for a moment before a strained smile made its way onto her face, her hand running through the nun's blond hair.
"It's fine, don't worry about it." She said to the younger girl quietly.
Asia, however, did not look one bit convinced, frowning and tearing her gaze away from Mizuki.
"Well, it's understandable," Majima replied. "Just wanted to keep you in the loop this time around. Guess the Chairman told you about the exorcists?"
"Yes, I got a call from him yesterday." She said, plopping back onto the couch.
"Good."
There was a pregnant pause after his short response, but as Mizuki was about to promptly end the call, he spoke once more.
"Break the seal, Mizuki-chan." He suddenly said. "Bad shit might happen soon, and we need your help."
"I'm working on it." She clicked her tongue. "Anything else?"
"Nah, that's about it really." He chuckled. "Say hi to Akane-chan for–"
That's when Mizuki ended the call and threw the phone away with a frustrated huff, stuffing her face with more brownies. Lucifer leaned forward as he absorbed the information. The 'Amons' have somehow cut off the power?
Frankly, Lucifer did not know what that phrase truly meant, but that didn't sound like a positive thing, and if Mizuki's reaction when their name was spoken was anything to go by… She had some history with them.
So they were still alive, weren't they? He saw their clan head get torn apart by Uriel piece by piece before being incinerated into ashes, and last he checked, he didn't have any descendants. Unless one of his concubines had his child without him knowing.
Lucifer's eyes narrowed in thought. Is it truly the Amon pillar, or was it something else?
Regardless, this was some good information he could share with Akane. Perhaps he'd be able to gain her favor and get answers to some of his questions, like her strange proficiency with spatial and dimensional magic. That certainly wasn't part of a Yokai's arsenal.
As the warm mood from before slowly returned, a knock on the front door was heard, prompting all three to look in that direction. Asia acted first and opened the door, revealing the boy with the draconic presence.
Lucifer hummed, still not being able to put his finger on it. Why did it feel so familiar?
"Oh, Icchan!" Mizuki greeted warmly, waving at him. "What a surprise! Here to say hello to your favorite aunty?"
"Wish it was the case." He smiled. "Is Akane here? She's not answering my calls."
"Yup, she's sleeping." She pointed at the ceiling. "You can go wake her up if you want to. I think she had enough sleep. Her room is the second door on the right from across the hallway."
"Uh…" Ichiban blinked as he saw her get up. "Can't you do it? You're her mother…"
"Nu-uh." She took her jacket. "Come on, Asia, we're going shopping."
"Huh? O-okay." Asia looked just as confused, complying with the older woman's demands.
"Wait, where are you going?!" The boy questioned, looking flustered as Mizuki walked past him. "You can't expect me to go knocking on her door!"
"You can't expect me to do that either."
"You're her mom!"
"And she is going to murder me because I didn't wake her up earlier." She countered as she put on her sunglasses, making Lucifer chuckle in amusement. "She's your problem now."
"Wait– but I–"
That was when she closed the door on him, leaving him inside. Ichiban looked at the door, then at the stairway, then sighed deeply.
"She's going to kill me…"
Lucifer knew this was going to be incredibly entertaining.
– Akane –
Where… exactly am I right now? It's pitch black in here, and this scene feels very familiar for some reason. What was I doing before this? I was working on something. Something very important, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was.
I can't…. really think properly. Every thought in my head feels like a haze. I don't know what's going on, or where I am, but it's weirdly calm. I should be afraid right now. I think. Maybe. But all I can feel right now is… recognition…?
That's when a bright flash of golden light shatters the darkness I'm in as I feel several emotions at once. I still can't think well enough to know what is going on, nor am I able to see anything substantial because of this blinding light, but alongside recognition, I feel…
Childlike joy, wonder, excitement, and so much more. I don't know what this is, I don't know what's causing it, but it's very pleasant. I want to feel more of it. I need more of it.
"...eni…."
I can hear something. No, someone. I can't make out what they're saying, and it feels important, but I don't really care. I just want more of what I'm feeling.
More lights flash in front of me, making everything blurrier. Blue, yellow, and red explode in every corner of my vision. Strange and inexplicable but loud noises make it impossible to hear anything else.
This is when I feel something make contact with my fist, prompting those emotions to burst forth even more. Something else touches my face to push me away, and once again, that greatly heightens those emotions.
"St….Mon…."
The ethereal voices continue calling for something, but I still can't understand what they're trying to say. As I try to force myself to feel nice again, a lot of things push me somewhere. I've yet to comprehend what the hell is going on, but all I know is that it feels incredible.
Again, I try to feel it again, extending and finally seeing my arm for the first time as my vision slowly begins to clear. I can see… three figures, one in orange, one in blue, and one in black. Looking at them makes my heart swell with excitement and happiness.
"...Ki….ou….."
I recognize them. I know I do, but I… also don't?
One of them sounded angry, and another was almost pleading.
"...nd….ine…."
Who are they? Why do I know them?
…I'm very fond of them. Whoever they are.
"...op….leas…."
Why do they invoke such emotions from me?
"...ve….is…."
…It hurts. My head hurts so much. It's painful, so unbelievably agonizing that I'm almost begging to be put out of my misery, but those positive feelings still persist regardless, growing stronger by the second. The dissonance between pain and pleasure feels like it's tearing my very soul apart.
It's maddening. Make it stop. Please.
That was when a clear voice speaks, nearly instantly soothing the pain.
Now is not the time.
Not yet.
Sleep.
…Yeah, you're right.
I need rest if I want to kill him. I'm nowhere near powerful to do it.
Just a few more minutes wouldn't–
The sudden knock on my door makes me flinch, eyes opening widely as I look around my room frantically. I wipe my drool off my mouth as I quickly process what the hell is going on. I scramble around for my phone and check the time, paling at what I see and barely contain myself from screaming, calming myself with a deep breath.
That bitch said she's going to wake me up after eight hours. It's been double that. What fucking possessed me to believe her? I should've known she was going to pull this kind of shit– that's all she ever does.
…How the fuck did I not wake up to any of the alarms?
"Oi, Akane. Wake up!" Ichiban, whom I didn't expect, calls out to me. "Sona says she needs you right now."
And now this is happening.
I cover my face and let out a groan, though it came out as a whimper. What the hell was that all about? Am I seriously gonna be dreaming every time I get some shuteye? I'm going to fucking lose it if that's the case.
I try to remember what I saw in that dream and frown. Well, at the very least it was kind of good? It certainly wasn't a nightmare like that other time. Something about it feels familiar, though, and I know you're involved, you asshole.
…
Yeah, I'm not stupid, Game. This better not happen again.
…You're quite bold to be warning me.
You have zero hold on me, especially when our lives are tied. If you knew any better, you would've not shared that little nugget with me, but look who decided to overshare for once. Wish you kept that attitude instead of trying to hide shit from me because this isn't earning you any points.
If you want me to trust you, then stop being sketchy as fuck.
He doesn't respond anymore, making me scoff. Prove my point, won't you? Whatever, I have more important shit to take care of than to continue whining about you.
I slowly walk toward the door and open it, flinching at the bright light from the hallway. I rub my eyes tiredly as I brace myself for the incoming headache.
"Where's Kaa-san?" I immediately ask threateningly.
As I make eye contact with Ichiban, I notice that his face is all red as he tries his hardest not to look at me. I tilt my head at his behavior and the occasional glances he steals, prompting me to look down at my attire.
I finally realize that I'm only wearing an oversized unbuttoned shirt that barely covers my tits and panties. Ah, makes sense why he'd react this way.
"My bad," I say, not really giving a fuck that he's seen me in this state.
"I–it's fine…" He says. "...I'm gonna… wait for you downstairs."
I glance over at Lucifer, who is laughing at Ichi jogging away. I close the door on him and sigh deeply.
Please just fucking kill me.
– Ichiban –
Silently watching his friend taking her sweet time to accept the hot cup of coffee from the cashier, Ichiban rubbed his neck in nervousness mixed with exasperation. He followed Akane outside of the cafe, glancing back at the building before addressing her.
"I'm not sure how you're taking this so casually." He said. "You just said that there are church emissaries waiting for us."
"I did." She responded blankly, still visibly groggy.
"Aren't we pressed for time, then?" Ichiban asked. "Dunno, I'm not exactly good at politics, but I don't think it's a good idea to keep them waiting this long."
"We're already late." Akane snorted. "Five more minutes won't hurt."
"Yeah, but still…" He scratched his cheek. "Kind of disrespectful, isn't it?"
Well, she was right. She also took her time showering back at her house, which he could understand if she didn't spend more than fifteen minutes in there, but he digressed. Of course, Ichi spent the time alone and internally agonizing over what he saw when she opened the door of her room.
Seeing her in a bikini was one thing, but seeing her bare chest was something he knew he was never going to forget. He was thanking his lucky stars that Akane was reasonable enough to not kick his ass for it. He didn't know she slept half-naked, but he almost wished he never knew.
Almost. There was no denying he was eternally grateful for what he saw, of course. Longinus Wielder or not, he was still a hot-blooded teenager, damn it. Now to hope she doesn't use this against him and just forgets about it. She didn't seem bothered that he saw anything at all, which was a good sign.
"Since when did you care about respecting others?" She tilted her head, looking somewhat amused.
"I don't disrespect people until I'm disrespected first." He replied. "And as I said, I don't think it's smart to keep emissaries of a different faction waiting this long."
"Mhm…" She sipped from her coffee. "It's gonna be fine, don't worry about it."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because they're not here for anything that concerns us specifically. Technically, they dragged their problems into our territory, so we don't owe them any respect." She responded casually. "So while yes, it's not exactly proper etiquette, I really doubt it'd have any lasting consequences."
"Is that so?" Ichiban scratched his head in thought.
"I mean unless they sent the Pope or Michael, which is also very doubtful." She shrugged. "Stop worrying about these kinds of things, Ichi. Politics clearly aren't your thing."
He frowned.
"You do this a lot, but I feel like you're belittling me again."
"I'm not. Not this time at least. I'm almost jealous of you really." She rolled her eyes. "Politics fucking suck, but you know, being a bonafide princess to the Yakuza means I gotta know how to handle it. Can't do much about it."
"I see…" Ichiban hummed. "I'll leave it to you, then. I know you're dealing with it for our sake, so I appreciate what you're doing. I'm sure everyone else does, too."
Akane paused and looked at him, somewhat surprised at his sincerity. Ichi didn't exactly know why he blurted that out and almost regretted it because it was just more ammo for her to use against him in her relentless crusade of teasing. However, Akane only smiled softly at him, a far cry from her signature smirk.
"That's a very sweet thing to say, Ichi." She said, his heart skipping a beat at the uncharacteristic response. "Thanks."
Ichiban, not knowing how to react, simply remained quiet, his face glowing red as he tried, but failed, to rationalize what just happened. What the hell was that? Who was this and what had she done to the Akane he knew? That was completely out of left field for someone like her.
He gave her a quick glance, seeing how very deep in thought she was. He didn't know what was going on in her mind, but this wasn't a trap, surprisingly enough. Was she sick or something? She did have way too many energy drinks yesterday…
"So uh…" Ichiban decided to change the subject. "Do you think we're ready for this Kokabiel guy?"
He saw her expression twitch at that.
"Honestly?" Akane frowned. "...I don't know. He feels way too confident and it's making me pretty worried."
"So that's a no." He clicked his tongue. "What do you think we should do, then?"
"Right now, there aren't a lot of options." She sighed, sounding frustrated. "Our best bet is ambushing him and catching him by surprise, which is a tall fucking order."
Ichiban hummed thoughtfully at that.
"Our second best bet–" Akane gave him a sideway glance. "–is you unlocking your Balance Breaker."
"I… don't know how to do that." He admitted.
"Well, figure it out, then." She said bluntly. "You're probably the most powerful guy around if you unlock it. Well, excluding the big guys like Majima and Oji-san."
…Huh, he liked being called the strongest, even though she beat him in their last fight. He should probably work on it if she's saying that.
Any ideas on what I should be doing to get that, Ddraig?
Can't help you there, partner. Ddraig snorted. Balance Breakers can't be given so easily. You must need that power for it to respond.
Well, shit, I need it right now, don't I?
Emotions play a part in that. The dragon within him clarified. …I am able to temporarily give you this power, however, you'll need to sacrifice a part of you.
That… doesn't sound good.
Well, that was a bust. Can't do much there, so the best he can do is continue working on his mastery of the Boosted Gear. Maybe going over five boosts as a limit would be a start.
Ichi turned his gaze to his friend, who he just realized had been looking at him weirdly. He looked behind him and then back at her, becoming very curious.
"What?"
She paused for a moment, then spoke.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Ichi." Akane smiled. "But I kind of miss the afro."
"Fuck you." He scowled.
"I'm serious." She insisted. "I don't know how to say it, but it kinda gave you this distinct look, you know?"
His glare softened somewhat.
"I know I made fun of you for it, calling it 'birdnest' or whatever." She continued. "But now that it's gone, I can't help but feel like it actually suited you."
"...You're saying that just to mock me."
"I promise I'm not."
"I don't trust you."
"After everything I've done for you?"
"My life's been going downhill since meeting you.'
She pouted, trying to act cute.
"Do you feel better about yourself hurting a maiden's feelings like this?"
"What maiden?" He fired back. "I must be blind because I don't see any maidens here."
She snorted, not one bit offended.
"I must've woken up to a different universe." His best friend grinned. "Seeing you have the balls to actually talk back."
They continued going back and forth while walking to their destination, through the woods surrounding the old school building until they stopped at the door. Ichiban looked at the building and then at Akane.
"Well, we're here." He said, frowning slightly. "...Is it me, or am I sensing something powerful in there?"
"No, there's strong holy energy in there. Several, actually," Akane confirmed, then smiled in amusement. "Poor devils, having to stay in a room with whatever that is. Come on, let's cut them some slack and deal with it."
Ichi, not knowing why she wanted him there, followed without protest.
Well, he was curious to see what was going on and who those representatives were…
– David Cerro –
He wasn't sure what to expect from the mission he'd been given by the higher-ups. Yes, he was told that he was going to have to step into Tojo territory, and he was also told that he might end up cooperating with devils.
He gave the two quiet but visibly bothered girls a blank look, silently studying them.
Said devils being much more powerful than what the reports had told him. It said high class, but the Sitri devil was ultimate while the Gremory was scratching that ceiling and all of their peerages were high class individually.
That wasn't really an issue to be frank– they weren't enemies at the moment. And even if they were, David was confident he could take them on seeing the extreme advantage over them known as Galatine that was strapped on his back. But he digressed.
As for the yakuza…
His gaze moved to the eye-patch-wearing man leaning on the wall at the other side of the room they were in, staring at him from behind the devils. David's eyes narrowed slightly as the Mad Dog grinned menacingly, not bothering to hide the heavy aura surrounding him.
That man was a massive threat. He heard of Goro Majima, but seeing him in the flesh made David understand why he was one of the most renowned and feared humans around. He wasn't sure he could defeat the Mad Dog in a fight, even with the support of the two sitting next to him.
And this is with no Sacred Gear or artifact. He thought to himself. Just how did they cultivate such a formidable warrior?
And last he heard, Goro Majima wasn't even the strongest. No, that title was reserved for Taiga Saejima, who wielded the White Tiger of Power Sacred Gear. To think there were other human factions that could rival the church in power…
He was grateful they weren't enemies. The Tojo Clan and Church held enough respect for each other to not start any senseless war between them. Now if only Ms. Yakuza Princess was here early…
"How long will we have to wait?" Xenovia suddenly spoke, looking quite irate. "Can we not begin this meeting without her?"
"No." The Sitri devil said tonelessly. "She'll be here soon. Please be patient."
His companion scoffed.
"Of course a heretic associated with devils would lack proper respect for others."
David's expression twitched in annoyance at the girl's hot-headedness. He did not need her to open her big mouth right now. Last thing they needed was them being kicked out of Kuoh, where the thief was most likely hiding according to their sources.
"Xenovia." David called her name coldly, making her flinch. "Be silent."
The atmosphere got a tad more heavy after this, seeing how the devils didn't quite appreciate the insult to the yakuza girl for unknown reasons, but they didn't respond in any way. Irina, unlike her blue-haired partner, was far less annoyed and more intimidated, shuffling nervously whenever the Mad Dog would glance at her.
Thankfully, that was when a knock on the door was heard before it opened. David glanced at the girl as she walked forward with a neutral expression, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. She did pause for a moment as she met his gaze but he thought nothing of it. So this was the daughter of the legendary Tatsu Amamiya?
David frowned at how strange her power felt. She didn't have a lot of magic like the devils in front of him, but hers felt unreasonably heavy and sharp for someone her age, like she'd been refining it for decades, even though she wasn't even twenty yet. Very unusual.
And the boy beside her… He had a Sacred Gear. A very powerful one, in fact. A longinus?
"You're late." The Sitri devil said, not one bit impressed.
"Mhm, yeah." She responded, turning to look at him and his companions nonplussed. "My bad."
The boy, the two devils, and their queens all shared an exasperated look as the Mad Dog snorted in amusement. Xenovia, however, did not take it lightly as she scowled at the girl, visibly angered.
"Do you not have any shame?"
"Pardon?" She blinked.
"I said be silent." David shut her down immediately.
"But Father David–"
His stern glare was enough to make her drop it, prompting her to look away to stew in her own annoyance. David looked at the red-eyed girl and bowed his head slightly in an apologetic manner.
"Apologies, Miss. I hope you'll forgive her." He said respectfully. "She's quite… brash."
"Don't worry about it. I'm the one who's late." She shrugged as she made her way forward, sitting next to the Sitri devil as the boy stood behind them. "I'm Akane Amamiya, and this is Ichiban Kasuga, my personal bodyguard. Nice to meet you."
"Eh?" The 'bodyguard' uttered, looing at her in confusion.
"Pleasure's mine." David nodded. "I'm sure you've already been informed of what's been going on."
"The Excalibur Thief, yes." Sona Sitri confirmed.
"Indeed." The veteran exorcist said. "We have good reason to believe that the thief is hiding in Japan, and in this town specifically, and so we were sent to deal with him personally."
"Go on." The Gremory devil nodded slowly.
"And we'd like to ask of you a few things." He continued. "Firstly, we'd like to know if you've noticed anything strange lately. Have you perhaps sensed a spike of intense holy energy around?"
"Not that we know of," Akane responded, sipping from her coffee. "Everything's been quiet, relatively speaking. Though, I doubt you'd find anything even if you tried."
David frowned and leaned forward.
"Could you elaborate?"
"Hm, well, not long ago, we were attacked by a couple of rogue Fallen Angels." She revealed. "But they had some sort of artifacts that completely hid their presence no matter what. We managed to take them out, though. We're lucky that they weren't particularly powerful"
David nodded silently.
"If this thief is in Kuoh, one of the most guarded territories in Japan, then it's more than likely that they have this same artifact. It's too much of a coincidence." Sona continued for her. "Explaining why the Tojo hasn't found them yet."
"It's all tech." Majima quipped. "Ain't no artifact or spell. Pure technology."
This seemed to have caught the three girls off guard as well, with Akane being the first to recover as she seemed deep in thought right after. He didn't know any other faction that produced high-tier technology other than the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, but David kept it in mind.
"I see. Sounds reasonable." He agreed. "Do you have any more information about this thief?"
"Well… We have good reason to believe that the thief is Cadre Kokabiel of the Grigori." Gremory said, making his eyes widen. "According to one of the Fallen that's been captured, he's the one who issued the order for them to infiltrate Kuoh."
"So we're against a Cadre, huh…" David narrowed his eyes. "This is good information to keep in mind. Thank you for sharing, though I'd like to ask one last thing of you."
"Sure." Sona gestured for him to do so.
"I would like for none of you to interfere with this." He said, trying to keep it as polite as possible.
Before anyone else could respond, Akane did so first, as soon as he finished his last sentence.
"No."
David paused, then tried to argue.
"This is our responsibility, and I do not want you to suffer the consequences of our shortcomings–"
"I don't care." She cut him off, casually sipping from her coffee once again.
"Show some respect, you heretic!" Xenovia's glare sharpened.
"Whose territory are you in?" She asked rhetorically in a calm tone, ignoring Xenovia's outburst. "Whose grounds are you going to be fighting on?"
David frowned.
"Do you really expect us to not do anything about a threat in MY home? Don't patronize me." Akane snorted. "I don't care if this is your responsibility, because it became mine the moment it set foot in Kuoh. I don't care who you are and what your position is, but you won't stop me from defending my own territory. Otherwise, I don't deserve to be my father's daughter."
The veteran exorcist studied her face, his eyes boring into her red ones. She did not shy away one bit, easily meeting his stern gaze with her cold one. There was a moment of pure silence with an atmosphere so thick, not even Galatine could cut through it.
She was completely serious about this, and he very much doubted he could convince her otherwise. Seeing the unmoving smirk on the Mad Dog's face after giving him a quick glance told him he approved of her decision.
Well, she did sound very convincing, that much he would admit. He could feel his respect for her grow, as small as it was.
Eventually, David leaned back and exhaled through his nose.
"Very well."
"B-but Father–"
"Enough, Xenovia." David shut her down. "They have every right to fight for their territory. This was their responsibility long before the Excalibur pieces were stolen. We will not deny them said right."
Xenovia clenched her fists as her scowl deepened. David ignored it for now, used to her brash nature, and stood up from his seat.
"I suppose we'll continue our investigation, then." He said, looking at the three girls. "We'll contact you if we found anything interesting. Please do so as well if you've turned up with anything on your side."
"We will." Sona Sitri replied.
David gave a nod of acknowledgment and gestured for his two companions to follow. Irina quickly followed him, but Xenovia didn't as she glared directly at Akane, who raised a brow at her.
"I cannot accept this." She declared, pointing at the Yakuza Princess. "Not when she's shown us nothing but disrespect since coming here."
"Xenovia, stop." Irina almost pleaded.
"No, I am not convinced by her empty words." She scoffed. "This is not something that can be decided with mere words. Real warriors speak with their blades, not mouths."
"Stand down." David ordered.
"..You wanna spar?" Akane blinked, then shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."
"What?" The older exorcist looked at her in bewilderment, not expecting her to take this so casually.
"Hah!" The Mad Dog, however, looked like he loved her response.
"Are you sure about this?" The Sitri devil asked, looking a bit concerned.
"I'm in a good mood, and I haven't really exercised in a while," Akane said. "So why not? Plus, knowing our allies' strengths and weaknesses might help us on the real battlefield."
David… somewhat agreed with this, actually. It would be beneficial to know their capabilities, especially seeing who they're up against.
"Hmph, you're braver than you look." Xenovia crossed her arms. "But I doubt your sword skills can compare to mine. I've been training my whole life, you know."
"I'm sure you have." Akane rolled her eyes, getting up from the couch and walking toward the door. "I know a place. Follow me."
Everyone was unsure at first, but they did just that, with David not sure if he should let Xenovia do this. The blue-haired swordswoman could get a bit… overboard in her training, usually leaving her opponents with multiple broken bones.
And while Akane's magic did feel quite powerful, he didn't know if she was skillful in sword fighting. He heard she used to fight a lot on the streets, but David knew that wasn't going to help her a lot in a match like this.
David nearly flinched when the hand of the Mad Dog landed on his shoulder, Majima's grin being as menacing as ever.
"Ya don't gotta be all tense." He said. "Live a little, will ya?"
That said, he walked past David, leaving him alone for a few seconds. The exorcist followed them after a moment of contemplation, determined to see this through to the end. If Xenovia went too far, he was going to punish her accordingly once they were back in Italy.
He hoped to god that she'd hold back and settle for a knockdown.
– Akane –
Maybe I shouldn't beat my mother senseless when I see her again, because I never really realized just how much I needed that long 'nap'. After the initial annoyance evaporated, I was able to think so much more clearly than before.
Of course, I do think I wasted a lot of time since I only needed five hours to be fully rested, but that eighteen hours of deep sleep felt good, so maybe it's not all that terrible. I'm still going to kick her in the head at least once though, just for the fact that she lied.
I didn't think I'd see someone else coming with Irina and Xenovia, but that should've been expected. Who in their right mind would send two kids with Excalibur pieces to go after a Cadre? Obviously, they're gonna send an expert instead.
And this David guy was strong. Much stronger than I thought someone of his caliber would be. Checking his stats told me that he's a few hundred points higher than my uncle, which is nothing to scoff at. Wielder of Galatine, huh? That's another powerful sword…
Good. We have a higher chance of taking down Kokabiel now. Let's just hope that's enough to take him down because I still don't like how confident he is, considering who actually protects Kuoh.
I'm still not sure why they decided to bring the two girls along with David, though. They're… less than impressive. They're not weak by any means, and in hindsight, them not knowing about Kokabiel explains why they'd send those two, but ehh…
I twirl the wooden blade in my hand, standing at the opposite side of the open yard in front of the building where we trained for Rias' Rating Game. Took us a while to get there, but it's a big empty place where we can afford to go a little hard on each other. You need something like this if you're superhuman.
Still, why would they give Excalibur pieces to complete amateurs? Does the church like giving out random legendary weapons like they're candy? Especially her. They gave her Excalibur Destruction and Durandal.
Name: Xenovia Quarta
Title: Blade-Obsessed Swordswoman
HP – 33,000
MP – 5000
SP – 40,000
Race – Human
LVL - 132
STR - 501
END - 395
DEX - 532
INT - 200
WIS - 101
CHA - 307
LUK - 100
Thoughts about you – Filthy Heretic. Wants to put you in your place.
Reputation - -20
Affection - 0
Obedience - -10
Loyalty - -100
Her thoughts are actually hilarious considering the difference between us. Only reason I even accepted this duel was because it prompted a quest, and I need all the power I can get. Also I'm in a really good mood, and a bit of exercise never hurts anybody.
[A Humbling Lesson] - Quest
Objective: Defeat Xenovia Quarta in a sword duel.
Bonus Objective: Defeat Xenovia Quarta without taking a single hit.
Rewards: Moderate EXP, +50 for DEX, END, and STR, Increase Reputation with everyone watching
Bonus Rewards: Major EXP, +100 for DEX, Greatly Increase Reputation with everyone watching. Xenovia's Reputation is set to 15, 1 Rare Gacha Token
Finishing the objective will get me a perk for strength and a perk for dexterity, and I desperately need the latter. I need speed to be able to evade getting hit by Kokabiel if he ever decides to target me specifically. Convenient quest, really, but you're not doing yourself any favors, Game. I still don't trust you one bit.
I'm twice as fast as her, but I don't want to get arrogant and lose out on the bonus objective. More speed is very welcome. Plus, a new token with a good tier, so I'll take it. I hope it's armor or a defensive spell.
Xenovia glares and points the wooden sword at me in her black bodysuit that looked a lot less revealing than I expected, getting into a stance I don't quite recognize. Do they have their own type of sword fighting, or is this the Western kind in general? Not sure, but I still have the advantage in physical stats anyway. I should be able to defeat her with relative ease if I don't hold back.
First one to get knocked down or incapacitated loses. Simple rules that work in my favor.
I wait for her to make the first move, and soon enough, she rushes toward me with a low stance, aiming for a quick strike that I very easily anticipate, parrying before smacking her in the face, making her flinch.
She clicks her tongue as she tries again, swinging her sword with commendable skill. Unfortunately for her, due to the difference in speed, I read her every movement, blocking and dodging every single attack she throws my way.
I take this moment to understand and analyze her movement and style, quickly figuring out an easy counter that I put to good use afterward. Once I parry another swing, I begin my assault, hitting her a dozen times in the span of a few seconds.
Eventually, though, and to my surprise, Xenovia actually manages to keep up, getting used to my speed fairly quickly. She still struggles a lot of course, but it's a noticeable improvement compared to the beginning of the match.
She almost surprises me with a counterattack that nearly hits me, but I see it coming and lean to the side, dodging it by a hair's breadth. She's trying to get me on the defensive again, but that was easy to figure out, so instead, I double down on my assault, using a bit more strength in my attacks.
I didn't judge my strength correctly, though, as my swing sends her flying backward. Xenovia manages to plant her feet on the ground, gritting her teeth at me as she realizes that I'm no pushover.
The girl takes a deep breath, calming her nerves as she slowly approaches me. I keep my focus on her, though. She's a lot more careful now, so I'm not gonna take any chances. If I want a good sparring match, I'd ask Ichi or Sona for it. I won't underestimate her and get hit for it. I'm getting that bonus objective.
Without wasting another movement, I charge at her as fast as I can, creating a sonic boom and breaking the sound barrier from my sheer speed. Xenovia couldn't even comprehend what I just did until the tip of my sword was an inch away from her throat.
Xenovia's eyes are wide open once she realizes what had happened, frozen and looking at me in fear and awe. She slowly drops her sword to the ground, taking the loss surprisingly well considering her attitude earlier.
"It seems I've underestimated you…" She mutters. "You're a lot more skilled than I thought…"
Hearing this makes me pull my sword back. I don't give her a verbal response, but instead, look at David, who looked unperturbed by the show in front of him, even though I know I surprised him there.
That's what Observe says anyway.
"You can investigate all you want," I tell him. "Just be careful. The tech they're using to hide their presence is dangerous."
Quest complete
Perks added
I'll check and test them out soon.
"We will." He nodded, glancing at his companion. "Let's go, Xenovia."
Xenovia's gaze on me doesn't move as she responds to him.
"Yes, Father David."
Eventually, she follows him and Irina, giving me one final determined glance of respect. Conveniently, that's when my phone vibrates, prompting me to check a picture attached to a message sent by my mother.
It was her squatting and giving a peace sign next to a car in the garage, with the message that said 'I have a peace offering. Please don't kill me.' Took her long enough. Fucking finally.
"I'm going back home now," I tell everyone, specifically Rias and Sona. "Call me if you need anything else."
"Can you not?" Sona frowned. "School hasn't ended yet."
"Don't feel like it," I reply to her as I walk away.
I wasted enough time. I need to finish my armor right now.
The idea to make Xenovia 'when you played, I studied the blade' type of character was one of my beta's, and so far, I like writing her.