Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm thankful for everyone who's reading, reviewing, and following. It means the world to me.
Now, then, enjoy chapter 11 ;)
Chapter 11: Getting to Know Each Other, Part 2
Jiro and Irina sit next to each other on Jiro's bed as they begin to talk and catch up. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Irina asked, smiling at him.
Jiro looks at her thoughtfully for a second before speaking. "Well, when you grabbed my arm earlier, when we left the school, I sensed holy power from you. And then you confirmed that you were an angel at the cafe. So, can I see your wings?" Jiro asked curiously.
Irina looked at him, taken aback by his request, and remembered that he had figured out she was an angel earlier. "Oh, yeah, right. You did figure that out before. Okay, then." Irina said, nodding in agreement.
Irina repositions herself on the bed, now sitting in front of Jiro on her knees, her hands folded in front of her chest, and unfurls her shining white wings from her back. A golden halo appears over her head. "There you go, are you satisfied?" She asked, smiling at him.
Jiro looked at her, his eyes widening slightly, then muttered, "Beautiful..." without thinking. Upon hearing this, Irina's cheeks turned pink a little at the sudden compliment. "Y-You think so?" Irina asked, looking away.
It was rare for her to hear someone compliment her wings. Usually, humans would react badly, being scared by the sight. Even other angels would act aloof and serious. Hearing someone, Jiro of all people, compliment her on her appearance, especially her wings, which were the most important part of her physical appearance, made her happy and... weirdly embarrassed.
"Thank you... no one really compliments them usually." Irina said, trying to hide her happiness behind a shy smile. Jiro snapped out of it and realized what he had said out loud. "O-oh uh…no problem." Jiro said, looking away and blushing.
Irina giggles at his shy reaction. She decides not to push this subject any further, but she keeps her wings and halo unfurled a little longer. If he was surprised by it before, now she wants to see his reaction again every now and again.
"Thanks. I like seeing you this flustered. You should do that more often." Irina said in a cheerful, teasing tone. Jiro turned back to her, a tick mark appearing on his right cheek.
"Oh, shut it. Anyway, so when did you become an angel? I don't remember seeing you with wings when we were kids, other than on Halloween." Jiro said, raising an eyebrow.
Irina giggles as she retracts her wings and disperses her halo. "Oh yeah, you don't know. I'm actually half angel, half human." Irina said, with a knowing grin and sticking her index finger up.
Jiro looked at her wide-eyed, shocked by the revelation. "Wait, you're a human-angel hybrid? How?!" Jiro asked, in disbelief.
Irina giggled again at his reaction. "I'm sure you remember my mother and father, Felicity and Touji Shidou," Irina said, to which Jiro nodded.
"Of course I remember them. They were like a second family to me," Jiro said with a nostalgic smile.
Irina smiled, happy that he thought so highly of her. "Glad to hear it. As for my lineage, my father was a pure-blooded human exorcist and the former owner of the church in this town, while my mother was a pure-blooded angel he saved from being killed by a devil." Irina said, remembering them fondly.
Jiro looked at her, taken aback once again. "So Falicity-san was an angel the whole time? No wonder she was so kind." Jiro said, reminiscing.
Irina nodded with a smile, hinting at pride for her parents. "That's right. When they first met, my father, being an elite exorcist, sensed demonic power near the town and went to investigate. Upon arriving at the scene, he saw an exhausted, beaten-up devil standing over an even more injured woman. He immediately ran to help her, drawing his light sword to weaken him and exorcise him. The devil, upon noticing the unconscious woman lying on the ground, realized she had white wings and a halo, indicating she was an angel. Although initially shocked, as it was the first time he ever saw an angel, he picked her up and brought her back to his church to tend to her wounds. When she woke up, she was immensely grateful to him for saving her from the devil who was about to kill her. After that, they moved in together, began to fall in love, got married, and because of that...here I am." Irina said happily, recalling the story her parents told her when she was young.
Jiro listened intently to her story, happy to hear how they found happiness and that it led to the birth of his best friend. "I see. I'm happy to hear that. And here I thought humans and angels hooking up was forbidden, but it looks like the angels accepted, right?" Jiro said, smiling.
Irina giggled and nodded. "Yes, they did, and I'm happy they did," Irina said tenderly, clutching the cross necklace around her neck. Then a voice came from nowhere, adding its two cents and startling her.
(Hmph, I must say even I'm surprised. In the past, if an angel had a child with a human, they would have fallen from grace, or been banished from heaven, and their offspring killed. It seems times really have changed.) said the deep, ancient voice, which freaked Irina out.
"W-who said that? W-where did that voice come from?" Irina asked, looking around in a panic. Jiro chuckled at her panicked state.
"Heh, heh, oh him, that's Ddraig. Say hi, Ddraig." Jiro said, lifting up his right hand as a glowing red circle showed from it, being the source of the voice.
(Greetings, Irina Shidou. It's been quite some time. Glad to see you two have finally reunited.) Said Ddraig, as Irina looks at Jiro's hand, eyes wide.
"Um, Jiro-kun, why is your hand talking? And why does it know my name? And why is it acting like it knows me well?" Irina asked, weirded out and confused.
Jiro chuckles as Ddraig elaborates. (That's because I do. While you didn't know it, I've known you from the moment you and Jiro first met as children. I've watched you through Jiro's eyes in the three years you two were together. You were the only child who wasn't afraid of him or tried to avoid him, likely due to my aura leaking out, which, because of your angel heritage, made you more resistant to it than full-blooded human kids. I must say I'm glad that's the case, because you're quite a sweet young lady.) Ddraig said fondly, recalling Jiro's childhood with Irina.
"Um, thank you. Jiro said your name was Ddraig, right? Why do I feel like I've heard that name before? Isn't he...a dragon?" Irina asked thoughtfully, looking at Jiro's hand.
Ddraig chuckled with pride that his name is still remembered in the modern day. Jiro looked at her in realization. "Oh right, I haven't told you about my powers yet. Well, you see, Ddraig here is the Welsh dragon, the Red Dragon Emperor, and one of the two Heavenly Dragons. He's also the dragon that was sealed within the sacred gear called the Boosted Gear after his death, which I happen to possess." Jiro said as he clenched his fists and summoned two red gauntlets on his hands and forearms.
Irina looked at Jiro's now gauntleted hands in shock and awe. "Yeah, I remember that name now! And the Boosted Gear? The gauntlets that double the wielder's power at will? That's a legendary weapon and one of the most powerful Sacred Gears out there! How can you have it?" Irina asked, leaning in to look at the gauntlet closer.
Both Jiro and Ddraig chuckled with pride at Irina's reaction. "This is my sacred gear. I awakened it years ago." Jiro moved his right hand closer to her for a closer look.
Irina reached out to touch the gauntlet. It felt warm and radiated power. She looked at it, admiring its design. It was crimson red, spiky, with a bright red glowing jewel on the back of it, and resembled that of a dragon's hand and claws. The other gauntlet was of the same shape and design.
Irina starts to think about all that she knows about Sacred Gears. She only knows a few things, since angels have almost no business with these weapons, as they are given only to humans. However, they are still legendary weapons created by the God of the Bible before his death. Only those chosen by the Gear receive it at a young age, and can even evolve it into a new, stronger form.
"Your Sacred Gear... So... You were chosen by Ddraig and the Boosted Gear? I'm so jealous." Irina said, still admiring the gauntlet while wondering what she could do with that kind of power.
Jiro laughed upon hearing that. "Heh, heh, heh, yeah, so that's my first reveal," Jiro said as he pulled his gauntleted hand back.
Irina looked at him in surprise. "Wait, there's more? You have more you want to show me?" Irina asked, looking back up at him.
"Yup, so tell me, Irina. What's your honest opinion on dragons in general?" Jiro asked, with a curious smirk.
The question seems strange, but she gives an honest answer. "I think dragons in general are really cool, strong, majestic, and beautiful. Why do you ask?" Irina said, looking at him curiously with a puzzled expression on her face, wondering what this has to do with his second reveal.
Ddraig chuckled with pride again within the boosted gear, upon hearing that. After hearing her answer, Jiro suddenly stood up from the bed and walked to the middle of the room, his back facing her. Irina watched him with anticipation and curiosity about his next action.
"Is that what you think? I've got to say, I'm flattered." Jiro still turned away from her, to which Irina responded with a "huh?". "Well, you see, that's what I am. Not a human... but a dragon." Jiro said as he slowly turned around to her, grinning as his appearance changed into his true form.
Jiro's red eyes changed shape to that of dragon eyes with vertical black slits in the middle. His teeth sharpened into fangs, revealed by his grin. A red mark resembling a red flame formed on the left side of his forehead, going over his left eye. Red streaks appeared on parts of his upper back length, spiky, black hair. Large red dragon wings, and a red spiky, pointed tail sprouted from his upper and lower back. The Boosted gear gauntlets he still had equipped, acted as dragon claws, completing the draconic look.
Irina looked at him with wide eyes and a shocked expression, her mouth open in astonishment. Her heart raced in her chest as she looked at Jiro's now draconic appearance, standing there in front of her with his hands/claws raised and outstretched slightly, presenting his form to her. Irina could feel the sheer heat, pressure, and power of Jiro's radiating aura. Not just Irina, but all those in Kuoh town involved with the supernatural, from Rias and her peerage in the old school building getting ready for bed, the fallen angels hiding out in town, and even a certain blonde nun hiding in an alleyway at the moment, all shuddered uncontrollably upon feeling Jiro's powerful aura while the humans felt the temperature of the air around town increase drastically.
Irina continued to stare at him, but after several seconds, she regained some composure, but was still looking at him with a wide-eyed look of surprise. "You're... a dragon...? Jiro-kun... you are... you look... so cool..." Irina said in shock and astonishment.
Jiro chuckles at her expression. "Heh, heh, thanks. This is how I really look, my true form, 'Dragon Force'. The look you've seen me with until now was how I used to look when I was human, but this is the real me now. I mainly use that look to conceal my presence and walk amongst humans."
Irina listened, still wide-eyed. "I can't believe it. You're no longer human? 'Dragon Force,' you say. I understand you being the host of the Boosted Gear and the dragon inside it, but this is ridiculous. I didn't expect you to actually be a dragon. How did that even happen?" Irina asked, trying to wrap her head around things.
"I had Ddraig do it for me a few years ago," Jiro said, holding up his claw/gauntleted hand. "Wait, Ddraig and the Boosted Gear did that to you? How?" Irina asked curiously. Then Ddraig chimed in.
(Yes, that's correct. I assimilated Jiro into one of my kind a few years back. Simply put, those who wield the power of mythical creatures, like dragons for instance, have the ability to evolve and become the species of said creature. Whether through rigorous training to achieve it, or awakening by some means, that form becomes the person's new true form, giving them the abilities and attributes of the species to use at will. Since my consciousness is active within Jiro's body I was able to manually assimilate him.) Ddraig said as Irina listened intently to his explanation.
"I see, it makes sense now. That sounds amazing," Irina said, understanding but still in awe. Jiro reverted to his human-looking appearance, dispelled the Boosted Gear, and went back to sit on the bed as Irina grew more curious.
"Wait... If you are a dragon... how come I haven't sensed it? I have the ability to sense the supernatural presence of beings... like ghosts, vampires... and of course, devils... How come I didn't sense that you are a dragon?" Irina asked, looking into his eyes with a confused expression, unable to grasp the whole concept.
"Because I mastered being able to almost conceal my presence completely, but it does leak out from time to time, thus repelling most humans. And on top of that, dragons aren't exactly enemies or contradictory existences to angels like devils vampires and ghosts are." Jiro said, to which Irina nods slowly, understanding what he is saying.
Irina continues to question him, wanting to learn more. "So, you said you've been through a lot of fights over the last decade, right? What kind of beings have you fought?" Irina asked, intrigued.
"Well, first, just so you know, I don't just go around picking fights; most times, they come to me. And this power I have, the power of the Boosted Gear, I use it to defend the country and everyone in it from supernatural threats." Jiro said proudly, to which Irina smiled.
"That's good to hear. That you're using your power responsibly and for the sake of others. You're just as kind as I remember, Jiro-kun." Irina said, smiling approvingly.
Jiro smiled back, appreciating the compliment. "Heh, thanks. Now, as for my opponents, I've fought werewolves, cultists, wizards, goblins, even Olympians, Asgardians, and their creatures, as well as stray devils, rogue fallen angels, and many more." Jiro said, looking up thoughtfully.
Irina looked on with wide eyes in admiration, but with a hint of concern. "Wow, that's amazing! Even members of the Greek and Norse factions were involved, but you came out okay in the end, right?" Irina asked, putting her hands up in concern, making Jiro chuckle.
"Heh, well some didn't go down as easy as others, and I got a few scars like you saw in the bath. But in the end, yeah, I came out on top." Jiro said, making Irina sigh in relief slightly.
"Hell, I even fought the nine-tailed fox spirit in Kyoto once." Jiro said, making Irina look back at him in surprise and awe. "Wait, you fought the nine-tailed fox from the Shinto legends? I thought it was just a myth." Irina asked, her eyes almost twinkling.
Jiro chuckled again at her expression. "Yeah, I have. She definitely didn't go down easily. Her real name is Yasaka, and it turns out she's actually really nice. She even has a daughter, and they live peacefully in Kyoto. She just happened to lose control of her power at the time when I fought her, but I straightened her out." Jiro said, surprising Irina.
"Seriously, the legendary nine-tailed fox spirit is a mother and leads a quiet life? Now that's unexpected, but I'm happy for them. And wow, you actually fought guys like those; I'm impressed, but please be careful." Irina said, in admiration, but still her usual concern.
Jiro smiled while nodding, and then his demeanor changed. "Yeah, I've fought many people, but there's one person even I couldn't beat," Jiro said, smiling wistfully.
Irina noticed his change in demeanor and turned slightly concerned. "Huh? Who was it?" Irina asked, her curiosity now peaked.
"His name is Acnologia, one of the three dragon gods," Jiro said, surprising Irina. "W-wait, Acnologia, the third dragon god? I've never heard of him. I thought there were only two of them." Irina said, taken aback by there being a third dragon god.
"It makes sense you've never heard of him. You see, his name was being erased from history." Jiro said, surprising Irina further, as Ddraig chimed in from Jiro's hand.
(Indeed, he was one of the most powerful dragons to ever exist. Strong enough to even match me and the white one individually, in our prime before our deaths. He's not like Great Red, the dragon of dreams, or Orphis, the dragon of infinity. Acnologia was known as the dragon of magic. Unlike other dragons, who saw other members of our kind as rivals to test our strength against, he had a pure hatred for us and wanted nothing but to see our extinction. The only thing he believed stood in his way was me and the white one, the two heavenly dragons, and Great Red and Orphis, the two dragon gods, who he knew could potentially overpower him. However, he mostly feared us because the dragon gods mostly resided within the dimensional gap and rarely entered other worlds.) Ddraig said as Irina listened intently.
"I see. So, what happened to him? What led to his need to be erased from history?" Irina asked, wanting to learn more as Ddraig continued.
(When the Great War between the three biblical factions ended, and I and the white one were killed, the news that the two heavenly dragons were slain spread like wildfire across the many factions. It eventually reached Acnologia, much to his delight, and he immediately took action, starting to purge many dragon territories, aiming to wipe them all out. As he fought, he grew immensely more powerful, eventually earning the title of the third dragon god. During his dragon hunts, he clearly showed no care for the lives of other races, and millions of innocent lives were caught in the crossfire and lost during his rampage, earning him his other title 'The Black Dragon of Apocalypse'. Since the Great War had devastated the three factions' armies, and other pantheons were in a state of fear and panic at the thought of having to face a dragon god, there was no force strong enough to stop him. Soon enough, Great Red and Orphis began to sense Acnologia's growing power and saw the chaos he was causing among the dragons and other races, so choosing to step in, overpowered him, and sealed him within the dimensional gap since he was too powerful to kill at that point. After he was sealed away, there was a mutual decision among all factions and pantheons not to antagonize the dragons any further, knowing the destruction they could cause, and to never again speak of Acnologia, instead letting the name of such a threat fade from history.) Ddraig said, finishing.
Irina was shocked by the story and understood its magnitude. "Wow. I can't believe it. Such a monster actually existed?" Irina said, almost covering her mouth in disbelief, to which Jiro nodded.
"Yeah, I don't know how he managed to escape, but he's back now. Although he's mostly lying low now, not knowing what kind of forces may have emerged in the eons he was sealed, that could pose a threat to him." Jiro said, making Irina look at him, her face turning from shock to concern and anger.
"And you got into a fight with him?! Knowing how powerful he is?! What if he killed you?!" Irina yelled at him slightly in worry and irritation.
Jiro sighed as he closed his eyes. "Yeah, I did about three years ago. I knew how strong he was, but I couldn't just ignore a major threat like him and tried to deal with it right away before he could cause any chaos. But I vastly underestimated him and overestimated myself. I couldn't even put a scratch on him, and he knocked me around like a toy. I barely managed to retreat and escape, though not without serious injuries. Hell, he even left me something to remember him by." Jiro said, recalling his near-lethal encounter and defeat by Acnologia as he lifted his red shirt and pointed to a four-clawed slash scar going diagonally from the top of his stomach to his right hip.
Irina gasped in horror and covered her mouth with her hands when she saw the scar, which was the largest scar he had on his body. "Jiro-kun, this scar. What were you thinking challenging him like that?! Oh my god." Irina said as she reached forward and caressed his scar with her fingers.
Before Jiro could respond Irina then hugged him, wrapping her arms around him as they sat on his bed. "You could've been killed! And I could've lost you before we even got to see each other again!" Irina said, burying her face in his chest.
Jiro felt a pang of guilt upon hearing her words, realizing she was right. "Yeah, I shouldn't have done that. Things could've been far worse," Jiro said as he hugged her back.
Irina looked up at him, a mixture of worry and pleading. "You may be quite strong now, and I know you have good intentions, but promise me that you won't just rush into things you're not well equipped for. Promise me." Irina said, looking into his red eyes.
"I promise. I don't want to worry you and leave you behind, Irina." Jiro said reassuringly. Irina smiled and said, "Thank you."
They sit there in each other's arms for a while until Jiro glanced at the clock, which said 10:07 pm. "Well, damn. It looks like it's getting late," Jiro said as they reluctantly pulled apart.
Irina sighed as she also glanced at the clock, disappointed that their chat had to be cut short. "Yeah, it's getting late, and we do have school tomorrow. But on the bright side, tomorrow is Friday." Irina said, smiling, trying to feel better.
Jiro chuckled at her response. "Yeah, that is a good thing. But before we go to sleep... let's have one last chat," Jiro said, getting more serious at the end.
Irina, caught off guard by his sudden seriousness, nods in agreement. "S-sure. About what?" she asked, slightly nervous, her curiosity piqued, but happy to talk with him more.
Jiro looked at Irina for a second and took a deep breath. "I know you expected me to ask this at some point... And I have to know... What happened that night...when we were attacked by those men in trench coats...and after that bright yellow light appeared... What happened after I was knocked out?" Jiro asked, looking at her seriously.
Irina looked back at him, eyes wide, taken aback by his question. She did in fact expect him to ask that, but didn't expect him to do so soon. "...Yeah, I knew you would ask that at some point. And...I'm sure you've wanted to know for the past decade...so I'll tell you what happened."
To Be Continued
Well, this was a long one, wasn't it?
Now, one of this chapter's main purposes was to properly delve into Jiro and Irina's characters, reveal what they can do/are, and reveal what they've been up to in their time apart, especially Jiro, along with exploring Irina's family and angel lineage.
Another purpose was to introduce some lore with the reveal of Jiro's true dragon appearance, known as "dragon force". The fact that those with the abilities of mythical creatures, like Jiro, can assimilate into that creature's species in a similar manner to Jiro, along with this, the history of Acnologia in this world, all of this sets up future plot lines and moments.
Oh yeah, with the introduction of Jiro's Dragon Force and the history of Acnologia in the world, you can see why I called this a Fairy Tail crossover. It doesn't stop there; I think the DxD world and Fairy Tail world could fit together, both being worlds full of magic.
Anyway, I hope you're ready for Irina's story time next chapter. See you there :)
Again Happy Thanksgiving ;)