Chapter 6: Ichaival vs. The Fallen Angel (R&E)

Song: Makyū Ichaival

Issei was completely bewildered. He couldn't grasp how absurd the situation had become. The first girl who had asked him out, Yuuma Amano, had sprouted black wings from her back at the end of their date and ordered him to die on the spot. Before she could kill him, however, she revealed that his childhood friend, Chris Yukine, had been secretly following them throughout the entire date. Then, without hesitation, Yuuma had thrown a spear of light at her to finish her off.

Somehow, Chris had dodged the attack with an epic display of agility, and to top it all off, she had transformed into a superheroine... with her own background music! The two girls were glaring at each other fiercely. When Yuuma raised her hand to strike again, Chris grabbed Issei by the waist and pulled him out of the attack's path, appearing instantly behind the explosion.

Issei lay on the ground, still unable to process what had just happened, as Chris watched the battle intently before glancing at him.

—Issei. —That voice that had protected him before was calling his name. It had been so long since he'd heard her call him that... since they were kids. They hadn't spoken since...

—I-Issei!

—Y-Yes? —he stammered, looking at Chris, who gazed at him with a slight expression of pity.

—Cover yourself if you can, hide if you must, but stay out of the crossfire. I can't protect you like this.

Without waiting for a response, Chris turned her attention back to Yuuma, who was floating above the pond with glowing lights swirling around her. After a breath, Issei heard Chris speak a verse as she advanced.

Every time Yuuma raised her hand to strike, Chris would jump and roll, dodging mini-explosions and spears that couldn't hit her as she moved toward the center of the battle. When she saw an opening, she fired projectiles from her crossbows, but Yuuma dodged them with ease, laughing mockingly as she continued her attacks.

—Oh, Ichaival… Is that your Sacred Gear? I've never heard of it from Azazel-sama. Tell me: how did you manage to conceal it? Do you work for the demons? Are you their pet or something?

—I don't understand any of those questions, but don't expect me to answer. Only an idiot reveals their cards. And as for you… you're about to taste some lead.

Finally reaching the source, below where Yuuma was attacking, Chris's crossbows suddenly changed, transforming into massive double-barrel machine guns.

"That so cool!" thought Issei, his eyes wide with astonishment.

'BILLION MAIDEN'

The cannons spun with a mechanical roar, unleashing a rain of bullets into the sky. Yuuma shielded herself with her wings, and though the bullets didn't seem to pierce her defense, the sheer force of the attack pushed her higher into the air, almost as if it were plucking her feathers. Without those wings, she would've been reduced to a swiss cheese.

—Bitch! You're going to die for this!

—Sure. —Chris's tone was calm as the pieces of her armor at her hips opened, revealing what appeared to be missile launchers. —Eat this!

'MEGA DETH PARTY'

The missiles were launched in different trajectories, all aimed at Yuuma as the target. Desperate, Yuuma stopped dodging the minigun fire and focused on firing light spears in every direction, each explosion intercepting an incoming missile, but they were many.

The air filled with deafening bursts and smoke as Chris continued her relentless assault. The fallen angel desperately spun through the air.

After the largest explosion the village had ever seen, Chris appeared breathless, barely able to stay on her feet. "My body... my body feels so heavy." Her hand began to tremble, and her throat felt dry. Despite the music playing, Ichaival looked fragile. No, it wasn't her Gear, it was her. "Right... this isn't my body. I don't have the training of the old man or Fine. My body wasn't prepared for this kind of effort. It was reckless of me to go all out like I always do."

—You fool! —Yuuma, covered in dust and furious, revealed herself once again. —You want to expose the supernatural world with all that? You'd cause chaos in the factions.

"More nonsense." Chris weakly smiled, trying to maintain the illusion that she had the upper hand. Better to make Yuuma believe she was in control.

—Duh. What do you expect me to say? That's exactly what a missile does: it explodes.

—You're little... —Yuuma gritted her teeth, looking away before activating something in her hand that glowed in a circular pattern. —Damn it, so close to kill him.

Yuuma looked down, seeing Chris standing protectively in front of Issei, with Ichaival's massive miniguns ready to fire. From a distance, the Symphogear seemed imposing and indestructible, but Issei could see the price his friend was paying. With each passing second in the armor, she appeared more exhausted and fragile, with sparks flying from the armor. Yuuma's expression twisted with rage.

—I'll let you live for now. But the next time we meet, brat, I'll rip that Sacred Gear off your body, tear off your limbs, and make you watch as my priests kill your little friend while they rape you. I swear, as the fallen angel Raynare. Remember that name, it's the name of your future executioner.

With that sinister and graphic threat, the fallen angel left.

Issei tried to approach Chris to thank her, but she suddenly glowed and reverted to her normal form, wearing the clothes she had on when she was spying on him. Blood dripped from her mouth and eyes, and she was breathing heavily. Issei grew worried when she coughed violently before managing to stabilize herself. When she looked at him, she appeared to wear a brave face.

—Y-Yukine-san. Are you okay?

—Do you have a handkerchief?

—Y-Yes... —Issei stammered, remembering that he always carried one in case he sweat, lucky that he hadn't used it. He handed it to her, and she started wiping the blood away. Thankfully, it had stopped flowing and now looked more like smeared paint around her eyes and lips.

—Thank you, —Chris said as her breathing slowly returned to normal. She also handed back his handkerchief.

—Y-You're welcome... I mean, it's the least I can do after all this.

—Yeah... I think so too. But it's enough now... —Chris stared at the destruction around them for a moment before making a decision. —We should get out of here.

—B-But...

The area was a mess, with cracks in the ground and the smell of gunpowder in the air. The police or paramedics would surely arrive soon. "Maybe they can help us."

—Issei. —Chris looked at him with a calm but serious voice. —What stopped that fight, maybe it was some kind of secret rule that lunatic and her types... maybe they have to follow it. I still don't know, but it means they have influence, and we can't trust the adults yet. I'd rather not be interrogated by the police, especially if they can't help us with this. Unless you want to explain why your exhausted friend was firing missiles and fighting with your date, I suppose? —Chris smiled at him ironically.

—N-No, not really.

The two began to walk away, but Chris, still weak, stumbled and nearly fell. Issei caught her, placing his arm around her neck and supporting her waist to keep her steady.

—Thank you... —Despite feeling her body pressing against his, Issei didn't let his thoughts wander to that. He just kept her upright. He heard a faint whisper from the tired Chris.

—I'm glad you're safe.

With that, Issei and Chris left the scene behind. There was a lot to think about—the revelation that his first date had been with a crazy person who wanted to kill him, and reconnecting with a friend in a very fantastic way, worthy of a Shonen.

Meanwhile...

A red magic circle and a blue one appeared on the ceiling of a building near the park where the police officers were examining the cracks caused by the explosions and the lingering smell of gunpowder. The media reported the incident as a possible missile attack or a gang-related act, occurring right where Issei Hyoudou's date had begun… and ended.

Rias Gremory watched the scene with curiosity. Could Issei have done that to confront a fallen angel? That destructive power could be useful in the future, especially with a certain fiancé. It would also be a valuable addition to her peerage. Fortunately, she already had a claim on him. Now, his value had risen even more.

However, Sona Sitri observed with a more serious expression. If Issei was capable of such destruction and managed to disappear so quickly, it meant he was either prepared for the attack or had external help. Either way, it implied that if such incidents happened again, they would need a more efficient way to keep the supernatural world's secret when he was deployed in combat.

—Well, Rias, letting that fallen angel carry out his plan cost us. Just the paperwork to cover up this incident, which almost exposed the supernatural, will be a nightmare. Even if it was just speculation about her intention, we should have taken this more seriously.

—I don't think it could have been resolved any other way, Sona. That fallen angel is just as responsible as we are. This could escalate into a bigger conflict. But they're still here in Kuoh, which means they haven't finished whatever they're doing in secret. We still haven't located them. Why take such a risk here in Kuoh? And why were they attacking Issei?

—It's clear they were after the power of his Sacred Gear. Judging by the destruction, it's extremely potent. If he joins our side, it would be a tremendous gain. They probably wanted to eliminate him because he's a threat, or kidnap him to recruit him by force.

Suddenly, Koneko Toujou, Rias's Rook, arrived, looking nervous.

—Buchou.

—Koneko, you were the closest to the area, right?

Koneko nodded, her usual calm attitude returning a little, though her hands were still behind her.

—Did you see anything else up close?

Koneko shook her head.

—No. I only saw from afar when the fallen angel was attacked by missiles. By the time the police were notified, the battle was already over. I couldn't see anything else before they arrived, Buchou.

—Then we have nothing,—said Sona, frustrated.

—But it doesn't seem like it was Hyoudou-senpai. —Koneko added, confusing the two heiresses.

—What?

—Before the battle was discovered, I heard singing and rock music coming from the park. It sounded like a concert.

—Singing, music, and a concert?

—Yes, and it wasn't Hyoudou-senpai's voice. It was a girl's—aggressive and strong. She's probably the one who protected senpai.

—So, we have a mysterious figure in Kuoh playing the hero. —Rias mused.

—I also have this...—Koneko showed what she had behind her hands, a white hat. —I don't know if it belonged to the fallen angel or the girl.—Koneko brought the hat close to her nose and began sniffing. —I don't smell anything blessed, just violets.

Koneko handed the hat to Sona, who analyzed it thoroughly.

—Violets. It must be foreign perfume. Possibly from Europe. A fallen angel wouldn't go there and then to Japan.

—The church might be planning something else if it's involved.

—This will escalate even further if that's true. The three factions would be at risk of reigniting conflicts.

—All this because of this heroine. We first need to discover her.

—The best thing is to wait until tomorrow and get the truth from Hyoudou-san,—declared Sona, stepping into her magic circle and preparing to disappear.

—Alright... For now, I have a talk to prepare for my new lovely pawn. I hope she's as impressive as your 'friend' who saved you. Let's go, Koneko.

With that, the Occult Research Club left the area, preparing for their plan of a long conversation with the leader of the Perverted Trio and to uncover the identity of this mysterious girl.