Life 3: Kiva Awakens.
"…Just set her right there."
Taiga and Gasper had returned to Café Mald'amour and were now in the storage room. The younger dhampir was holding the glass body of the woman who was previously drained by the Horse Fangire, placing her on a wide air mattress with two other women who were equally as opaque.
"This should keep them warm."
Mimi walked in with a blanket, laying it over the three victims.
"But seriously, three in one night?"
"I take it this isn't normal."
Kivat the Third asked.
"No, it is not my son. Usually, a Fangire would be satisfied with one or two people at most. Only the truly ravenous ones would go beyond that."
"You know, it reminds me of that old saying…"
Taiga remarked
"…To be so hungry that you could eat a horse, though in this case Its the other way around. Right Gasper?"
He turned to his blonde companion… only to find that he wasn't there.
"Oh, No! Master has disappeared!"
Everyone looked around the room for Gasper but were unable to find him, Until Taiga took notice of a single cardboard box in the corner. A box that was originally filled with blood oranges, but was now being used as a container for some of the extra junk in this room, Junk that was now suspiciously strewn about on the floor. Sure enough, he opened it to find his Kohai inside, crying in the fetal position.
"I'm sorry… This is all my fault… Maybe, I'm just not cut out for this after all."
"Hey, don't say that."
Taiga retorted.
"So, you messed up on your first mission, It's not the end of the world."
"But… Those women-"
"They'll be fine. It only takes about 30 hours for life energy to be digested. We still have plenty of time to save them."
…
"Maybe, you should give him some time."
Mimi suggested. Taiga simply nodded as he left with Kivat the Second to return to the Castle, the only sounds that could be heard were the continuous sobs of the young dhampir.
About an hour later, Mimi had returned Gasper to his room… along with the box since he had refused to leave it. He was no longer crying, but he wasn't working on his contracts either because they were already done. So, all he could do was just sit there in silence.
"I'm booooooooooooored."
Kivat the Third said as he was leaning against his master's box.
"You could just… Leave, you know."
"But you are my Master, I'm supposed to stick with you to the bitter end. That's what a good Familiar does, right."
"I guess…"
Familiars are a basic requirement for any devil to have, usually obtained by venturing into The Underworld's Familiar Forest. Something that Gasper never had the opportunity to do for… obvious reasons, making him the only Devil in his Peerage to lack a familiar up until now. He had only ever met Scarlet, Rias' Hell Bat, who bore a striking resemblance to both Kivats. and as far as he could tell, she never talked. In fact, now that he thought about it.
"How are you… able to talk if you were just born."
"I'm a part of you, remember. Though I don't have any of your episodic memories, I do hold a good portion of the semantic ones. For example…"
He flew up to the table and started typing on Gasper's laptop with his feet.
"a little of this… and little of that… and done."
"Y-You… Finished all of my Homework."
"I could even help with your contracts, if we had some available that is."
As luck would have it, a notification popped up with a ding sound.
"Well, that's convenient. Now let's what we have hear."
The request was from Susan, one of Gasper's repeat clients. She's an American college student who is studying abroad in Japan due to her fascination with the culture, how familiar. It seems she had broken one of her decorative samurai swords and wishes for it to be repaired.
"I believe a restoration spell would do the trick."
"On it."
Gasper Raised his right hand, summoning a red magic circle. This one looked more complex and at it bore a crest that resembled a rose. This was the symbol of the Gremory clan, his Master's family. and as a Devil, his magic would forever bear this symbol, marking the Dhampir's eternal servitude to Rias and her household. After imbuing the computer with enough Magic, the Circle reappeared on the screen.
"I'll take from hear then."
Kivat the Third went back to typing as he sent the spell to Susan and she in turn sent them her payment, which would be delivered by tomorrow.
Transaction Approved: Contract Completed.
"Thank you …I appreciate the help."
"Anytime Master. So, what does she usually pay you with anyway?"
"Mostly cute knickknacks, from oriental figures to miniature architectural models. I don't really have use for them though, so I just hand them over to the president."
"I see."
Before he could say anything else, Kivat the Third's ears began to twitch.
"Speak of the Devil and she shall appear."
"Huh?"
"I can hear someone approaching those double doors, probably your master."
"R-R-Really?"
A knock was heard, followed by her voice.
"Good morning Gasper, are you up?"
He took a second to compose himself.
"Yes, Good morning President."
"I brought you some breakfast, it's your favorite."
The Gremory Magic Circle appeared on the floor and a plate of food was summoned. It was ketchup omurice with a side of bacon, tomato slices, and a slice of toasted frenzela bread topped with zacuscă. A traditional Romanian spread made from roasted eggplant, sauteed onions, tomato paste, and roasted bell peppers. The plate of course came with the necessary silverware and a glass of orange juice.
"Thank you president. By the way, I completed another contract from miss Susan."
"That's wonderful, at least you're still doing well."
"Is there… something wrong?"
"You see, I recently got my hands on a new servant. He was doing well at first, passing out four boxes of flyers in only a few days."
"Th-That fast?"
In the old days, Humans would draw Magic Pentagrams to summon Devils and form their contracts. Nowadays, those with the talent and or patience to draw them have become practically extinct. So, to make it easier, Devils would pass out flyers with the Pentagrams predawn. Gasper would naturally distribute digital versions of these flyers via the Gremory website, which he made himself.
"Sadly, when the time came for him to be summoned, he couldn't go through the portal. He just didn't have enough Demonic Power to pass the threshold, so he had to take his bike."
Kivat could barely hold in his laughter as he covered his mouth, Gasper didn't pay any attention to it though.
"Did he at least get the contract?"
"I don't know. He has yet to return, and I'm very worried about him. He's already been killed by a Fallen Angel and the night after I reincarnated him, he was attacked by second one, I swear if a third shows up…"
"I-I-I'm sure there is nothing to worry about, President. Maybe the client held him up all night and he's sleeping in, o-o-or he could have failed to get the contract and is scared to admit it."
…
"Hmm… perhaps you're right, I'll give him some more time. And if he doesn't show up by dusk, I'll send Koneko after him. In any case, I have other matters to attend to. So, I shall leave you to your meal."
As soon as Rias walked away, Gasper eagerly went for his spoon and took a big scoop of his omurice. Before he could take a bite, he saw that his familiar was staring at him.
"You want some?"
"O-Oh um, Are you sure Master? It's your breakfast."
"Of course, You helped me so it's only Fair."
"Well, if you insist. Gabu!"
He bites cleanly through the spoon; Gasper could clearly hear the sound of the metal as Kivat continued to chew.
"This is pretty good; the metal gives it a nice kick."
"Yeah, could you… please spit that out?"
"Oh, sure. Peh"
The now mangled piece of spoon fell out of his mouth, thankfully keeping the actual food inside before swallowing.
"Good thing I have Restoration Magic."
Another knock was heard, this time from the other door.
"Come in."
The door opened to reveal Taiga, who was wearing casual clothes for once. He wore black jeans with black and white sneakers, and a salmon pink button-down shirt over a white T-shirt. He also wore a silver chain necklace with a red gem hanging from it.
"I can see you're feeling a bit better, Gasper."
"A little…"
"Regardless, I have a new training exercise for you that I want to try. Meet me at the café when you're ready."
And he left just as quickly as he came.
"How intriguing. What do you think he has in mind, master?
"Not sure, But I could use some training to get my mind off of… my screw up. I just hope it's not another physical endurance test; I'd rather do anything else, whatever it is."
"I take it back, this is worse."
The dhampir duo were now standing outside of the café… yes, outside. Much like Taiga, Gasper was also wearing a new set of casual clothes. He had red jeans with black leather boots and a white shirt with a black parka jacket. He also wore a red scarf and beany with all of his blonde hair tucket inside. Finally, his face was concealed with a white medical mask and a pair of sunglasses.
"C-C-Can't we just… go back to honing my Balor View, or maybe I could finally get around to my bug manipulation, or-"
"No can do, we've been putting this off for far too long."
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."
"I know how you feel, but this is necessary. You need to conquer your fears, Gasper."
"But-"
"It'll be fun, trust me. Now let's go!"
And so, the duo set forth, Taiga leading the way while Gasper was reluctantly dragged along by his arm. As they were walking, they passed by another pair of teens who were walking in the opposite direction. The first was a girl with long blonde hair and green eyes, she wore a dark teal nun outfit with light blue accents, a white veil over her head with light blue accents, a brown satchel slung on her right hip, and brown boots with black straps in an X-shaped pattern. She also wore a silver cross necklace around her neck. The other teen was a taller boy with brown eyes and spiky brown hair with two short locks of it hanging from behind his head, He also wore the Kuoh academy high school uniform despite it being a Saturday. It is also worth noting that both his blazer and dress shirt were open to reveal a red T-shirt underneath.
"Hyoudou-San, what a surprise."
Taiga said, having recognized his fellow student. When Hyoudou turned around, his face scrunched up in annoyance.
"What do you want?"
"Just wanted to say hi. who's your friend?"
"She's new in town, I'm just helping her get to the church."
"Oh, how chivalrous with you. It still doesn't make up for all of your past perverted antics, but it's a start."
"Grrr! Well, what about your weird friend over there?"
"He's… my little brother. I'm trying to get him out more."
"Is he a Neet or something?"
"You could say that."
…
…
"Whatever then, we should get going."
Hyoudou and the nun walked off, with the ladder politely waving goodbye.
"Senpai, is he…?"
"Yup, he's Issei Hyoudou. One of the most notorious perverts in Kuoh Academy and the newest member of your Master's Peerage."
"at least it wasn't the President or the others. Also, little brother?"
"It was quick and easy excuse. I've been pretty vague about my family with the school anyways, so I can easily lie about it when convenient."
"His family, he never did mention his family to me before. Then again, neither have I."
After a few more minutes of walking, Taiga and Gasper would finally reach their destination. a large field of grass surrounded by trees and benches, with a water fountain in the center.
"This is the park, one of my favorite places to be in this town."
"Isn't this the same place Hyoudou-Senpai was killed?"
"Yes, but-"
"And where he was attacked a second time?"
"Ok, quit being a downer, it's still a nice place."
Taiga went over to one of the benches, beckoning Gasper to sit with him.
"Before I joined the music club, this was the one place in Kuoh where I could practice with Bloody Rose. Beautiful scenery with just the right amount of peace and quiet, it reminds me of the countryside where..."
"Where what?"
"… Never mind. You wanna hear me play again?"
"Sure."
Taiga reached into his shadow to pull out his trusty Violin, The Bloody Rose. He removed it from its case and got into position.
"I call this piece, Circle of Life."
Compared to the first piece he ever heard from Taiga, this one was more mellow and soothing. Gasper closed his eyes, allowing the melody to wash over him. His guilt at failing his first mission, his anxiety about being outside for the first time in two years. all of that had been forgotten. Right now, in this brief moment, the only thing that mattered to him was savoring the sweet melody. When the song reached its end, Taiga spoke.
"You can come out."
Gasper opened his eyes in confusion, only to realize that Taiga wasn't talking to him. Rather, he was speaking to a trio of girls hiding in the bushes, who were now stepping out to approach them. The first girl had sky blue eyes and Lime green hair in a short ponytail, she wore white sneakers, slim blue jeans and a white raglan shirt with long red sleeves. The second girl had magenta eyes and shoulder length orange hair with curved bangs, she wore a dress that consisted of a white button up shirt with long puffy sleeves, a long blue skirt with shoulder straps and brown leather sandals. The third and final girl had gold eyes and pinkish red hair in a pixie cut, she wore a pale-yellow hoodie with an orange shirt, white sneakers and black thigh high socks.
"Dang it, how did you know?"
Girl A asked while scratching the back of her head.
"I told you before, I got goods ears. So, what did you think by the way"
"Oh, it was wonderful, Taiga-San. Defiantly your best work yet."
Girl B proclaimed while Girl A nodded in agreement. As for Girl C, she just shrugged before saying…
"I mean, they don't call you the genius violinist for nothing… also, who's he?"
She pointed at Gasper, causing him to become nervous again. Taiga gave him a reassuring look and placed his hand on his shoulder before responding.
"This is Wataru, my little brother."
"Eh? You never mentioned having a brother before."
Girl B pointed out.
"I had no reason to, until now."
"Why is he covering his face?"
Girl A asked
"He has severe agoraphobia and a little bit of androphobia."
…
"The fear of going outside and the fear of people respectively."
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh."
All three girls said in unison.
"Wataru, these are my friends from the music club. My band mates if you will."
Knowing that this was her queue, Girl A stepped forward.
"My name is Kumi Kousaka, I'm in the brass section and I play the euphonium."
The now renamed Wataru tilted his head, as he was clearly unfamiliar with that instrument.
"it's kind of like a tuba, but smaller. I'm actually in Taiga-San's class, that's how I recruited him in the first place."
She said that last line with a prideful smirk. Girl B was the next to introduce herself.
"I am Kanae Umemiya of the Woodwind section, I play clarinet. You know what that is right."
Wataru Nodded.
"Good… listen."
Kanae leaned in closer to the boy.
"I used to be pretty shy when I first moved to Kuoh, being in a new town in a new school… It was scary for me."
"…Really?"
Wataru finally spoke and Kanae nodded.
"But that all changed when I joined the Music club. A place where I could work on my greatest passion in life alongside others who share that passion, others I've come to consider my friends."
"That was beautifully said."
Taiga complimented his friend with Kumi patting her on the shoulder, Wataru was especially moved by that mini speech. Now it was time for Girl C to step in.
"I'm Hitomi Kirishima, I'm in the String section with your big brother. I play Double Bass, which Is like a violin but bigger, and I mean like WAY BIGGER."
She spread her arms out to emphasize how large her instrument was.
"Wow. Y-Y-You must be really strong to lift something like that."
"Heh, heh, heh. It's not that heavy, only about 20-25 pounds"
"I'm pretty sure that's considered heavy, for normal humans at least."
"But you don't really carry it when you play, you just lean it against your arm while it's touching the floor."
"Ah… that makes more sense."
"So, what about you, Wataru?"
Kumi excitedly asked.
"Do you play any instruments?"
"Uh… well… no."
"He's more of a music enjoyer then an artist."
Taiga explained, much to her disappointment
"That's a shame… Wait, hang on a minute. If he's been cooped up inside, what about schooling."
"He's..."
"Don't tell me… is he a drop out?"
Hitomi Chimed in with a judging look.
…
"Taiga-San…"
Kanae spoke.
"…We're all friends here, you can tell us anything."
Taiga took a moment to look at his now little brother before looking up to the sky.
"It started five years ago, when our parents died."
…
…
…
"Wait, What?!"
"It was a horrible car accident, Wataru and I barely made it out alive. We were adopted into a new family who've been treating us well, but Wataru… he's only just now starting to recover."
Tears, actual tears began to form.
"I still miss them too, Father taught me everything I know about the violin, and Mother… she made the Bloody Rose with her own hands. A symbol of their love that was passed on to me, I-"
He could not finish the story, as the trio of girls embraced the brothers in a vice grip hug.
"We… we didn't know… you had it that hard."
Hitomi blubbered out with her own tears flooding out like a dam had burst, the other two were in a similar state.
"You don't have to say anything else if you don't want to, just know that we're here for you"
Hearing those words of kindness from Kumi, Taiga whipped away his tears with a smile.
"Thank you, all of you. And… I would appreciate it if you kept this between us, at least… until I'm ready."
"We understand our lips are sealed."
Kanae said as she and the others let go, finally giving the two boys room the breath. They spent the next hour talking about other miscellaneous topics, from the music club to the new release of some manga called Vampire Knight, with Wataru chiming in every now and then. The afternoon came in the blink of an eye, and the boys had to return home for lunch, so as to not make a certain red-haired devil suspicious.
"Just a bit more…"
Several hours later, back in Castle Doran's training room, Taiga was using his Mod Gear on Gasper.
"… and done, now pull out your wings."
Gasper did as he was asked, his eyes widened upon seeing that he no longer bore the wings of a Devil, but rather his old black and pink Vampire wings.
"Now you won't risk exposing yourself as a Devil if you ever need to fly. I also gave you the ability to hear my Mosquitoes buzzing when they detect a Fangire."
"Oh, thanks…"
"You're still hung up about last time? It wasn't even your fault, you just lost control of that new form you took."
"That werewolf's power… why would you even make that a feature."
"That's the thing… I didn't. if I had to guess, it must be due to your Petra Plates."
…
"Your shoulder armor where I sealed away most of your Kiva power with the Catena Chains. I think the Garuru Saber was able to bypass those chains and grant you access to your full power, albeit a heavily distilled version of it. I wonder if the other arms monsters could do the same…"
"L-L-Let's talk about something else, like… what you told those girls back at the park."
"What about it?"
"I get you were trying to cover for me, but you didn't have make up such sad story. I kind of feel bad for manipulating them like that."
"In the world of the supernatural, you have to lie to protect yourself and the humans around you."
"I know that, but still-"
"Besides, it wasn't entirely a lie…"
"It… wasn't?"
"…I really did lose my parents five years ago, and I really do miss them still."
"I… I'm so sorry."
"It's fine. And before you ask, I had a human Father and a vampire Mother. Father was a violinist from Kyoto who wanted to travel the world and spread his music, while mother was the heiress to the Karnstein clan, but she gave that up... for the both of us."
"…My father is the lord of the Vladi clan and he's still alive, but… my mother died after she gave birth to me. I never even got to know her, while I was shunned by the rest of my family, even Father."
"Then I guess they're not your family."
"Wha-What are you talking about? Off course they-"
"Have you ever heard of the phrase; Blood is thicker the Water?"
"Yeah, it means family comes first."
"Well, that's actually a misquote. The real phrase goes like this, the Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the Water of the Womb."
"…What does that mean?"
"It means true family isn't determined by bonds of Genetics, but by the bonds you forge yourself in life. You may share blood with the Vladi Clan, but if they don't treat you like family, neither should you. My parents for example, I consider them family not because they birthed me, but because the raised and loved me… right until the bitter end."
"I see…"
Before Gasper could press further, the buzzing returned.
"Hear that?"
Taiga asked
"Yeah, a Fangire."
"Kivat!"
"You called, Master"
Kivat the Second once again appeared from nowhere.
"Let's get to work, Come on Gasper."
"Actually, maybe I should… sit this one out."
"You sure?"
Gasper nodded silently.
"Alright. But if you change your mind, Lady Doran will show you where to find us."
As Taiga walked to the café door with Kivat the Second in to, Gasper went to the living room where he was greeted by the castle keeper playing an unknown game with Goro while the rest of the monster quartet watched in curiosity. The game was a thick rectangle shaped board with a 30 square grid and tall pieces resembling the ones found in chess, the pieces on Goro's side had round tops, while Lady Doran's pieces had flat tops. There were also four half cylinder sticks laid to the side of the board.
"Yay, Gasper's Back!"
Ramon perked up.
"H-Hey everyone, Sorry if I interrupted your… what are you playing?"
"It's called Senet"
Goro explained as he took a sip of his Tanna leaf tea.
"It was one of my favorite games back In Egypt before I was mummified. Historians consider it to be the oldest board game in human history, I was quite fortunate to finally get my hands on one it's modern recreations."
He grabbed the four sticks and dropped them back on the table. One of the sticks landed round side up, while the rest landed flat side up. The mummy smirked to himself, moving his piece on the right row forward three spaces, landing on one of Lady Doran's pieces and switching places with it.
"Beat that"
It was her turn now; she grabbed and dropped the sticks. All four landed round side up, allowing her to move her swapped piece forward six spaces, ultimately exiting the board.
"Oooooooooo."
Ramon snickered with Goro scoffing.
"Beginners luck."
Even though Gasper had no idea what the rules were, even he could tell that Lady Doran was winning, as three of her five pieces were already off the board while Goro only had one piece off.
"So, where's the boss."
Jiro asked while leaning back as usual.
"H-He went to fight another Fangire."
"And you didn't go with? I thought you wanted to be a Kamen Rider, and now you're backing out."
"Gee, I wonder whose fault is that."
Ramon sarcastically said.
"…Ok, I'll admit that it was technically my fault he went berserk, and I'm sorry for that. But that doesn't give you the right to be a pussy about it and quit all together."
…
"How about we check in on Taiga, in case he does need backup."
Lady Doran said as she threw a ball of her magic at the tv, turning it on to show footage of Dark Kiva fighting a feminine Fangire who resembled a humanoid octopus.
"Looks like an Aqua Class, I really hope I get summoned for this one"
Ramon excitedly stated as Gasper looked towards Goro for clarification
"As you know, the Fangires tend to bear animal motifs. It was Taiga's decision to categorize them into classes based on those animals. Aside from the Aqua Class, there are also the Insect Class, Lizard Class and Beast Class, the latter of which is where that Horse Fangire from yesterday would fall under."
"Of course it's not entirely accurate."
Lady Doran gave her input.
"Take that Spider Fangire from six months back, Taiga filed him under the Insect class despite spiders being arachnids. He just didn't think Arthropod Class was a catchy name."
"It is harder to say."
Riki commented, causing Gasper to chuckle a little… until he heard it again.
"More buzzing, but Taiga-senpai is already fighting the Fangire. There shouldn't be any more buzzing, Unless…"
"Guys, I think we have another Fangire on the lose."
Everyone in the room immediately stiffened with worry, this was clearly not a usual occurrence.
"That is not good, I'll shall pinpoint them at once."
The lavender-haired Beauty swiped her hand several times, switching the camera view to various other points in Kuoh, ultimately stopping at one that showed a fierce battle. Gasper eyes widened, as he recognized everyone on the screen.
"T-T-That's… my Peerage."
In the dead of night on the outskirts of Kuoh Town, there was a large, abandoned home surrounded by trees. A red Magic Circle appeared on the grass, one barring the crest of the Gremory clan. From it, five figures emerged who all wore Kuoh Academy high school uniforms, this was the Occult Research Club. Among them was Issei Hyoudou and the Club President, Rias Gremory herself. As for the other three, they consisted of a boy and two girls. The boy had short blonde hair with blue eyes and a tiny mole underneath his left eye. The first girl had violet eyes and jet-black hair that was tied in a long ponytail with an orange ribbon tied in a bow. The second girl had golden eyes and short white hair with black cat-shaped hair clips on both sides of her head. She was also the shortest of the group, about as short as Gasper.
"So, who are we going after again?"
Issei asked, the blonde boy stepping up to answer.
"Someone who used to be a Servant to another Devil."
"Like us?"
"Sometimes, Devils betray or even kill their Masters, so they can live doing whatever they please. That's what we call a Stray Devil."
"We are heading to that deserted house over there."
The black-haired girl pointed onwards.
"The stray is said to lure humans in there so she can eat them."
"E-Eat them!?"
"That is why tonight's mission is to bring her down."
"I hope your prepared…"
The blonde boy spoke again.
"…For you shall see the utter monstrosity stemming from the abuse of Demonic Power and being without a Master."
With the objective now made clear, the quintet of Devils ventured into the manor, opening its doors to find a disheveled interior. As they entered, Rias decided this would be the perfect opportunity for a lesson.
"Issei."
"Y-Yes President."
"Do you know Chess?"
"The board game? Yeah, why?"
"As the Master I am King, there is also my empress the Queen, my cavalier the Knight, my tank the Rook, my clergy the Bishop, and my foot soldier the Pawn. Devils with titles of nobility like myself grant the attributes of these pieces to each one of our servants."
"That sounds pretty cool."
"We call them Evil Pieces, those are the items that we use to Reincarnated others, like I did with you."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"For tonight, I want you to watch closely and see how we Devils fight."
"Y-Yes ma'am."
"She's here."
The white-haired girl alerted everyone as they felt another presence enter the room.
"I smell something bad…"
A soft yet menacing voice spoke from within the darkness.
"…but at the same time, I also smell something Delicious. I wonder if it will be sweet, or bitter."
The stray had finally shown herself; she was a woman with spiky white hair and eyes that lacked irises. She was also completely naked, something that Issei took notice of
"I SEEE BIG BOOBIES!"
…
"Viser you wretch!"
Having Ignored that outburst, Rias began her speech.
"You have betrayed your Master and ran away to fulfill your own desires that have consumed you, your sins are worthy of a thousand hells. In the name of the Gremory Clan, you shall meet your death."
"Such an insolent girl. I shall stain you with blood to match your red hair, Ha Ha Ha Ha Haaaaa!"
"a line as witty as I'd expect from a small fry."
"Is this really a Stray Devil…"
Issei said to himself.
"…She seems more like a sexy exhibitionist to me."
However, as soon as Viser fully stepped out of the shadows, Issei's lecherous expression turned to that of horror. Although her upper half was that of a woman, her lower half was that of a giant beast. She was like a Centaur, except her legs had sharp claws like a lion, and her tail like a lizard. She also held two giant lances as her weapons.
"Let me show you what I'm made off."
Viser charged at the young devils, but Rias was undeterred.
"Yuuto!"
"On it!"
The blonde answered his Masters call, appearing before Viser to block her lances with his magical swords that he summoned from his hands.
"Yuuto Kiba is my Knight, and his attribute is super speed."
The Stray tried to strike Yuuto, but she missed every time. And before she knew it, both of here arms were sliced off.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"
She raised her front legs to stomp on the swordmen, only for her foot to be caught by the white-haired girl.
"Koneko Toujou is my Rook, and her attribute is super strength."
She pushed Viser's foot off of her, causing the stray to stumble.
"You little pest!"
She swiped at Koneko with her tail, knocking her into the wall, which cracked upon impact.
"KONEKO-CHAN!"
Issei shouted in worry as Viser smirked, believing she now had the upper hand. However, the Rook effortlessly got back up on her feet, with not even a scratch on her.
"Of course, strength isn't just about offence, it also applies to defense."
Rias explained as Koneko rushed underneath the monstrous woman.
"Be Gone."
With a powerful uppercut, she struck Viser in the stomach, sending her crashing through the opposite wall.
"How can this be… you're just a bunch of brats."
Viser proclaimed as she emerged from the rubble covered in blood and bruises. Koneko simply scrubbed her hands with the same blank expression she had since the start of this mission.
"And last but not least, Akeno Himejima my Queen."
"Oh, is it my turn now? How exiting."
The ponytailed girl slowly walked towards the struggling stray with a bright smile on her face. Viser was not as happy, however.
"You won't… get away with this."
"Ara ara. it looks like you still got some fight left in you…"
Akeno's hand began to spark with golden lightning.
"…That being the case, how about we try this?"
She fired a single bolt into the air which multiplied into a cluster of lightning that struck Viser all at once.
"GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!"
"Super speed, super strength, and enhanced magical power. All of these attributes are wielded by our unrivaled Vice President."
Once the lightning let up, Viser was shown to be groveling in pain, her body charred grey with steam coming out.
"You're still standing, I wonder how much more you can take?"
The smiling devil charged up her lightning once more.
"Akeno exceptionally skilled with magic attacks in particular, but more than anything… she's also the ultimate sadist."
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Another lightning storm struck the stray, much to Akeno's enjoyment.
"Oh, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho!"
"Scary"
That's all Issei could say as he witnessed the display of voltaic power, Yuuto shuffled next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, the Vice President is really kind to her allies."
"I-If you say so, man."
Viser was now completely charred black. Unable to bear the pain anymore, she collapsed to the floor with a thud. And yet, she was still breathing.
"Doesn't look like that was enough, but I'll leave the finishing blow to you, President."
Akeno moved to the side, allowing her master to step forward.
"Any last words?"
"… Just… kill me already"
"As you wish."
Rias raised her right hand, generating a ball of black energy.
"Checkmate."
The ball turned into a giant laser beam that blasted Viser to kingdom come. Her body was completely vaporized, all that was left was a single black chess piece, a pawn. Rias picked up the piece before turning towards her servants.
"It's over, good work everyone."
"I could not agree more."
Another voice followed by the sound of clapping was heard from the corner of the room. It was a man who had short blue hair and grey eyes, he wore red sneakers and turquoise jeans with a blue sweater and grey jacket.
"Who are you?"
Rias Asked.
"You can call me, Mustang. I saw the whole fight and I got to say, I was really impressed. Tour powers and coordination, truly a marvelous display."
"Ara ara, you have such a way with words Mr. Mustang"
Akeno complimented the newcomer.
"But… somethings off about you."
"I agree."
Rias said while folded her arms.
"Your aura isn't that of a human, yet I can't tell what you are specifically."
"How intuitive…"
Blue stained-glass markings appeared on Mustangs face.
"… then let me show you my real face."
The light around his body distorted until his true form was revealed, he was the Horse Fangire all along.
"Crap, another Monster."
"This is… I've never seen anything like this before."
Issei and Rias exclaimed respectively.
"So, you really don't know about us?"
The Horse Fangire inquired, as his four fangs emerged from behind.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter at this point."
The fangs flew forward as Yuuto immediately ran up to block them with his swords. However, only two of them ended up clashing with the blades, the other ones flew past the knight and when straight towards his King.
"Look Out!"
Until Issei pushed Rias out of the way, causing him to be punctured instead.
"ISSEI!"
She yelled out for him, but it was too late. His life energy was drained before her vary eyes.
"Oops… Oh well."
The Fangire retracted his fangs, the glass body of his latest victim falling into Rias' arms.
"I don't really go for dudes, but whatever, Food is Foo-"
When the fangs reentered his body, he felt… different. This wasn't like his previous meals; this one was more potent. So potent that he actually started to glow.
"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY-HIIIIII-HIII-HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN! So, this is what a Devil's life energy tastes like. No… this aftertaste is telling me that something else is at play here. A Sacred Gear wilder perhaps? Maybe even a longin-"
"HOW DARE YOU!"
Rias Gremory was beyond pissed, having lost her newest servant. The remaining Devils were just as enraged, even Koneko was showing some emotion.
"You… have not only breached my territory… but you have the gall to take my precious Pawn from me. This shall not stand; you will pay for this with your life!"
"HA, HA, HA!"
The horseman laughed as he smacks himself in the arm. Breaking off the stained-glass which then reformed into his sword.
"Then go ahead, I'll take all of you on."
It really was him. The same Fangire who had escaped them yesterday was now fighting Gasper's Peerage, and he was winning. That power boost from Issei's life energy had made him faster and stronger than before, he may actually kill them.
"What the hell are you still doing here"
Jiro Yelled.
"Those are your friends, right? You should be out there helping them."
"But… I don't know if I'm strong enough to-"
"Don't give me that crap! What happened to the boy who wanted to become stronger for the sake of his Pack, cause all I see is a Damn Coward!"
"… he's right, I am a coward. that's why I let them seal me away, why I never even bother stepping outside… that's why I went with Taiga Senpai in the first place."
Gasper looked back at the screen.
"I was a coward, a week and useless coward who was only good for making contracts. I hated myself from that, I wanted to be a better servant, but my uncontrollable Balor View held me back. Now that I can control it, I don't have any excuses. This was what I've been training for."
Yuuto Kiba and the Horse Fangire were engaged in a fierce sword battle, clashing their blades while zipping back in forth at blinding speeds, almost as if they were teleporting.
"Not bad, kid."
The stallion complemented as they reached a standstill.
"But let's see how you handle this."
He spat out a cloud of white mist which temporarily blinded Yuuto. This was his moment to strike, only for Koneko to intercept him, blocking his sword with one foot and kicking him in the face with the other. Though he staggered backwards, he remained composed.
"Didn't feel a thing."
He stabbed his sword into the ground and raised his fists in a boxing formation.
"Come on, put em up."
Koneko took the challenge, delivering a few quick jabs that were blocked easily. The Fangire responded with a right hook, and the left hook. But she swerved around them which led to an uppercut. He was put in a daze, so she took the opportunity to finish him off with a right hook. But it was a trick, as he immediately swerved into his own right hook, sending the poor girl flying.
"Can't believe you fell for that one."
He picked his sword back up, casually leaning it on his shoulder.
"Anything else you wanna try?"
Koneko returned to her feet, whipping away the blood from her nose just as Yuuto swiped away the last of the mist, the two looked at each other for a brief moment before nodding. They charged forward with a team attack, the Fangire blocking Yuuto's sword and Koneko's fist, all according to plan. With both of his arms occupied, Yuuto summoned a second sword to strike the monster… only for the blade to break off.
"My turn."
Gripping the Rook's fist, he flung her onto the Knight sending them both into the ruble of the destroyed wall from earlier.
"So close, and yet so fa-AAAAHHHH!"
Lightning rained onto the Fangire, courtesy of Akeno.
"And how was that, did it hurt?"
Though his body was steaming, and he did stumble a little getting back up, he remained composed.
"Only a slight tingle."
"Then try this!"
Rias, having placed isseis body in the corner of the room, unleashed her Power of Destruction towards the Fangire. Obviously, he chose to dodge this attack. This led to a game of chase with Rias and Akeno firing their respective attacks at the Horse who kept on dodging them all. Eventually, Akeno would strike him with her lighting again.
"Bullseye."
Only for him to absorb the lightning and redirect it towards the girls.
"AAAGGGHHHH!"
"AAUUUUUHHH!"
"HA, HA, HA! This power is truly AMAZING! I could only Imaging what I'd get from eating you, Rias Gremory"
Rias could barely raise her head as the Horse Fangire summoned his Life Sucking Fangs.
"It's been fun, but all games must come to an end. As they say in Japan, Itadakimasu."
The fangs flew forward, ready to finally pierce the intended target this time… but then they slowed down. In fact, everyone and everything in the room began to slow down while glowing violet, except for one. That one person ran into the room and grabbed all four of the fangs, just as time resumed.
"What, You!?"
Kamen Rider New Kiva had finally arrived.
"Why are you here? You're supposed to be on the other side of town."
"You thought wrong."
The Rider exclaimed as he crushed the glass fangs in his hands.
"JJJSHSHJDJHKDSFUJHIOKFSADJHKAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The stallion fell to the ground with a seizure of pain.
"This is as far as you go, I won't let you hurt them."
"You… YOU… have MEDDLED for the last TIME!"
Using his sword to prop himself up, the Stallion went into a battle stance.
"You will die tonight! And I'm sure as hell not running away this time."
"Neither will I."
Kiva charged his foe, uncaring of the fact that fact he had no weapon of his own. The Fangire slashed his sword, only for Kiva to dodge by transforming intro a swarm of bats, reforming behind him. Before he could turn around, Kiva activated his Balor view again, slowing him and the devil girls who were watching the battle, better safe than sorry. The Rider threw a few punches and smacked him to the side as his power wore off. He charged again as the Horse man recovered, who spat out another blast of white mist. With the Rider stunned, he proceeded two slash him twice before finishing him off with a stab to the gut…
"AAAHH!"
"Game over… huh?"
…but the blade did not pierce, for it was caught in the mouth of a certain talking bat
"Heh, heh heeeeh, To bad."
Kiva sent him flying back with a punch to the nose. He then took the sword from Kivat's mouth, and broke it over his knee, turning it back into shards of glass.
"Ok, fisticuffs it is then."
As the battle raged on, Yuuto and Koneko emerged from the rubble with Akeno and Rias approaching them.
"Are you two alright?"
Rias asked, the Rook and Knight nodded before turning their attention to the fist fight in front of them.
"Another new guy?"
"He seems to be on our side, thankfully enough?"
Yuuto and Akeno commented respectively
"He smells … Like a vampire."
"Vampire? He certainly does look the part"
Rias replied to Koneko's analysis. Back to the fight at hand, the Fangire fired another blast of his mist. In response, Kiva released his own mist, blood red mist that covered the whole area. Not even the devils could see what was going on.
"Where did you go? What happened to not running awa-"
Kiva struck him in the back, before disappearing into the mist. He then struck again, hitting his leg, then disappeared. The pattern repeated for the next minute until the Fangire was grabbed by the mouth and thrown into the wall.
"Master, now is our chance."
"Right."
Kiva reached for the left side of his belt, pulling out the wake up Fuestle and putting it in Kivat's mouth.
"Wake Up!"
He blew the Fuestle, which played the same tune as Dark Kiva's, but it sounded like a flute rather than a pipe organ. After this, the chains around his left leg broke off, causing the armor to open up. His leg was now red with two large bat wings sticking out that were red on the front and silver on the back, there was also two large green gems on the shin with a third on the foot, all three being connected with a gold vein.
"Wow, so this was for the Hissastu all along."
"Hurry Master, The Hell Gate will close if you're not quick enough."
"O-Oh, sorry."
Kiva leaped into the air, yelling from the top of his lungs.
"Hissatsu: Darkness Moon Break!"
The Horse Fangire returned to his feet, only to be slammed back into the wall by the Rider Kick.
"This… This isn't fair…Damn You Kamen Rider…"
The orbs on Kivas leg began to glow one by one, from top to bottom like the starting lights for a race. And once it reached the bottom…
"…KIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
…The Horse Fangire immediately exploded into shards of glass, which left an indent on the wall shaped like Kiva's crest. The force of the blast sent Kiva backwards but barely managed to stay on his feet as the chain reappeared on his leg, closing the Hell gate. Upon his demise, four balls of life energy were released, three of them escaping through the hole in the other wall and into the streets of Kuoh. As for the fourth one, it flew over to the glass body of Issei Hyoudou, entering and restoring him.
"He should be fine now."
Kiva addressed his peerage as Issei started to open his eyes.
"Ugh… did I fall out of bed again…wait, no"
"ISSEI!"
Rias ran to her pawn at full speed, gripping him in a tight embrace. The others soon came to his side as well, relieved to see their comrade was still alive.
"You really scared me back there, I thought…"
She was about to cry, but she managed to compose herself and push back her tears.
"I'm just glad you're ok."
"…Th-Thank you, President."
Issei's face had been pressed against his master's bosom, something that he was clearly enjoying.
"Um, guys."
Koneko pointed to where Kiva was standing, emphasis on was.
"He's gone?"
"Ara ara, and we didn't even get to thank him, whoever he was."
This had definitely been a confusing night for the Occult Research Club, with a lot of questions left unanswered. And for Rias, there was one particular question she had to ask herself as she remembered the final words of that monster.
"Could he Really have been… a Kamen Rider?"
Next Time on Kiva DxD.
"Apparently they call him Kiva."
"Welcome to the Music Clubroom."
"Finally, it's my time to shine."
"So, you were after them all along?"
"This is goodbye."
Wake Up and break the chains of fate!