Disclaimer : I own nothing
Chapter 23 : Exorcists, Angels and Devils, Oh My!
- Shin –
I was in a room with Merlin and Jibril, discussing the business avenues that I need to take. Jibril might not look like it but she is actually extremely smart and knowledgeable. Spending years studying and collecting knowledge has to do something, right?
"What were the reactions to the potions?" asked Merlin while taking a sip from the wine that I got from my last visit to Tannin.
The old dragon became a good friend in the last month.
"As expected. They want to conduct research for its safety concerns first. A neat way to say, try to reverse engineer it, and when they finally give up, I will get the OK for production." I explained as I took my seat. Sakuya then poured a cup of tea for me.
"It is not like they will be able to do it anyways. I have seen you producing them in front of me and I couldn't even try to replicate it. They are searching blind." said Merlin in equal parts annoyance and amusement.
She had not been pleased when she couldn't find a way to make the potions.
"Master, if I may ask a question?" Sakuya spoke up. It was actually very rare of her to speak in matters concerning my business but if she thinks I am doing something that can get me in trouble or harm me in any way, she always does. It is honestly nice to hear her contribute to it.
"Sure. What is it?" I ask intrigued.
"Is it really alright selling the training potions and the Physical and Magical Power Potions? Wouldn't it be harmful to you considering that many of the pillar houses still hold a bias against reincarnated devils? Making them stronger is something that I don't understand." she spoke in genuine confusion.
"True. I have a better fan base among the reincarnated devils as they see me as a role model even now. A new devil holding as much influence as I do makes them compare me to Rudiger Rosenkreutz or Tannin. So why is it that I am selling something that could make the pillar houses stronger and oppress the reincarnated devils more? Is that what you are thinking?" I asked looking at her and getting a nod in reply to my question. "You see it is a very simple reason. How many devils are lower than a century old and stronger than us?" I asked.
"None." she answered after a bit of a thought.
"Right. Now tell me how strong we could become in a century even without my special training realms or potions?"
This time Jibril answered. "Considering the rate of growth of this race, I would say, stronger than my current self, very easily."
Merlin then adds her own opinion to this, "I can design a training regime, which would push us to higher levels in one century. Nowhere near as effective as training in your realms but still stronger than almost all devils."
I looked at Sakuya. "Do you see where I am going with this?"
She still looked confused.
"Yet, how many Pure-Blooded devils below hundred years are Ultimate Class?" I asked again.
She thought for a while.
"Not any that I can think of except maybe Sairaorg-sama." she answered with her eyes widening a little in understanding.
"Exactly. It is because the Pillar devils or any High-Class devils in general are….Lazy. Offering training potions is not going to change it. If anything, it will only worsen it more. Do you honestly think that those spoiled brats will train more just because their strength is growing at a faster rate? Nope. Instead, they will train less. If they take the 10x Training Potion, they will train nine-tenth of the time less. If anything, this will give the low, middle class and reincarnated devils a chance to grow and become stronger. And they will know who it is that gave them this power. Also, once they get used to this, do you really think they will be able to go back to training normally? With lower returns? Please. Devils are creatures of sin. They will never be satisfied with less if they have a way to get anything more."
"And what is the end purpose of all this?" Sakuya asked again.
"To completely establish myself. Right now I am merely at the mercy of Zekram and the Satans. The few allies that I have are all on my side because of momentary profit but there are no eternal allies in this world, only profit. While I can make sure that it is profitable enough for them to keep me around, I wouldn't risk my and all my loved ones lives on their interest in me. I need more assurance that they cannot remove me if they think that I have become too powerful to control. I don't know what was in that letter Death gave me but I can hazard a guess and I have a feeling that it does not completely assure my safety or at the very least, my loved ones safety. Do you really think that I am just giving away all the artifacts without any consideration? No. All of them have a self-destruct switch in them. If I so desired, I could make any of them useless while sitting anywhere." I explained my reasons.
"But wouldn't your potions make you eternally useful?"
"No. In time it will become impossible for me to meet the demands of the potions all by myself and then I will have to teach my skill to others who will work for me. Once that time comes, I will lose that avenue. I will obviously make sure that they cannot betray me but that doesn't mean that I will not have any one against me."
"I take it that you will probably make them take an oath." Merlin asked joining in the talks.
"I have other ideas as well. I was planning to make my production workshop in a different world altogether. I am considering the viability of it. That said, I intend to rule and willing subjects are easier to rule than rebellious ones." I smiled.
"Indeed. If this plan of yours succeeds, I can see the general populace siding with you beyond any doubt at all in the time." she smiled and took another sip of her wine and then added, "Then again with you having their source of strength and their weapons in your control, anyone will think twice before going against you. Although, I have to ask what you will do about other factions getting a hold of your potions?"
"I am not going to make the Power Up potions in general. I have already supplied them with an excuse that I do not have proper raw materials to make them more often and I just need to keep holding on to that fact. If anything I can just provide them to the current Satans and my peerage. Although I will have to wait until you all reach the peak of your strengths before using that on you. The stronger you are, the stronger the effect of the potion. Anyways, I have news for everyone for tomorrow. We will be receiving some guests from Heaven."
"They are sending someone again?" asked Merlin a bit….amused.
"They are. This time an angel will accompany some exorcists to keep them in line. They intend to take this opportunity to pacify the situation. An Angel will be coming and has sworn on their honour that they do not intend to cause us any harm."
"Hmm. I want to see how strong the fakes are." Jibril commented for the first time.
"It depends on who is going to come. I still advise everyone to be cautious of them. No matter their intention, they are currently not our allies. Jibril, remain with Asia and protect her. The church idiots might try something stupid."
"As you wish, Master." answered Jibril bowing.
"Sakuya, inform everyone of this. We will have a meeting in the morning to decide what to do."
"Yes Master."
"How is the new apprentice coming along Merlin?" I asked the sorceress in front of me.
"She is quite talented. It is just that the stupidity that they teach in that sorry excuse of a school needs to be unlearned. That in itself is quite simple because she has grown to detest that place completely. Anything that I teach her to get away from it is welcome by her. She must have held high respect for authority but I can see that it was thoroughly crushed by what happened to her."
I nodded at it.
If I didn't know her affection and obedience scores, I would have thought that she was doubtful even of me.
"Is she coping well?" I asked then.
"Yes. In fact, she has taken to different forms of magic extremely well. It is always enjoyable to teach people who understand and have a passion to learn." said Merlin as a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"She has always been isolated due to her intelligence. It did make her a bit of a loner at first and then when she was recognized, people started using her. It does not do too well for someone's mind."
"It doesn't." said Merlin and silence descended for a while.
We discussed some progress of the peerage members and other important matters before Sakuya, Merlin and Jibril left for their rooms.
I shifted into a more comfortable position in the meeting room and talked to the seemingly empty room, "What are your thoughts about it?"
"Kufufufu, a truly devious plan my Master. Take control of their strengths, their people and their weapons that they will learn to rely on. A plan worthy of Great Shin." came a voice from the seemingly empty room.
That name made me cringe a little but HE has been calling me the same thing from the very start. I wasn't about to deny a simple thing like this from my peerage's Queen.
"Are the plans going well on your end?" I asked taking a glass of wine for myself.
"Yes. I have organized a basic spy network. It was quite easy to tempt a few people to see my way. They are gathering information as we speak. It will take a bit more time to get to the deeply entrenched members of the other factions. I apologise for the delay." answered the voice.
"No. It is already great considering that you have only been working for a month. What about the list of people that I asked you to find? Any information about them?" I asked once more.
"I did infiltrate the vampire factions. Both Carmilla and Tepes. The one you asked me about is the current ruler of the Tepes faction though she is merely a…."
"Puppet. Her half brother is the one pulling the strings." I completed.
"Yes. She is a truly unfortunate soul. The amount of despair I sensed from her was truly….delicious. A soul on the verge of breaking is truly rare." answered the voice letting his primal instinct show for the first time.
"A broken soul is rare indeed but not something that we need right now. Moreover her soul is something that cannot be allowed to break. She is much too important for that to be allowed at all. I want you to start on phase two of the plans as soon as possible. I want you to keep a watch on her. If someone tries to extract her sacred gear….make sure that they believe she died in an accident before you hide her somewhere incognito. She cannot be allowed to fall into anyone else's hands."
"As you command Great Shin." The voice answered.
I let silence fall in the room for a while and then feel the presence leave the room when He felt that I had relayed all that I wanted.
Tomorrow is going to be a hectic day and I need some rest today.
With that thought in mind I left for my room.
- Next Day –
I woke up to the feeling of soft flesh on my chest that I have grown accustomed to. This time however, apart from the red hair sprawled on my chest, there was also a flow of silver grey.
Sakuya spent the night with us because I was a bit stressed from yesterday's meetings.
Let's say Rias and Sakuya's double team was too much for my stress to handle and it was thoroughly removed.
"Did you sleep well?" I asked when I sensed the change in the breathing patterns.
"Hmm. Wonderful sleep." Answered Rias as she caressed my chest and softly kissed my lips.
Sakuya woke up as well but I held her against me sensing that she wanted to get up.
She is always serious about her work.
Sensing my hold on her, she relaxed a little in my arms and I took time to relish in the feeling.
"Today is going to be a pain in the neck." I said thinking about the day ahead.
"I heard from Sakuya earlier. I do hope that they will send someone who can carry on a civil conversation. Those church people are too fanatic for my patience." replied Rias.
"They are. I really hate politics. Yesterday was too much for a month but now again I have to do it today. I do wonder which angel they will send our way."
"I think they will send a lower level angel to not intimidate us. We have hidden our power quite well and I don't think they will risk any high level angels with us." Sakuya answered.
"Hmm. That seems like the logical thing to do. The angels are too cautious to rock the boat too much. That said they will probably throw it on us to clear their mess and will probably just try to collect the Excalibur pieces when we are done fighting. I wouldn't put it past them to endanger us at the hands of the Fallen Angels and try to walk out as the winner." Rias also agreed but then added her own opinion.
"A gun on another's shoulders. A good line of thought indeed. On the contrary I think they will send someone higher up in the chain of command. Knowing who they are going to face but even if they don't care much about Kokabiel. They will still come here. For me." I said.
I could feel both of them getting a bit tense.
"Not in the sense to kill me or anything. If anything they will try to have Kokabiel do that. Hell, throw in the Excalibur fragments temporarily to give him an edge. That said this will cause the one being sent here to fall due to the oath that Serafall insisted. It was a truly genius move. If they had denied, it would have put them in suspicion and if they had agreed, which they actually did, it will give us leverage on them during their stay here. I think they will come here to see what kind of a person I am. Sakuya, have Meredith and Merlin keep a watch on the ones that enter the territory. I want information on their every move."
"Yes Master." She hummed in my chest tickling me a little.
"We will have to talk to Sona too." I mused more to myself.
"Did you really make Sona wear a Magical Girl costume?" Rias asked me with mirth in her voice.
"I did. How did you know?" I asked her, smiling a bit.
"She called me yesterday, swearing….which I have to tell you is exceptionally rare for Sona. I can barely recall her doing so one or two times in all her life, when she told me about what happened at the Stiri House." she giggled.
"Oh, it was well worth it. I am pretty sure Serafall has all of it in HD. The more interesting thing is that Lady Stiri proposed to me to marry Sona on the condition that I marry Serafall too. Apparently she had given up on having a grandchild from Serafall and looking at how close we were, she was all for it."
"Huh. And how did Lady Serafall react?" she asked, a little amused and a little thoughtful for some reason.
"That is the interesting thing. She was actually considering it. You should have seen the look on Sona's face. After the full Sailor Moon song and transformation and then me dodging attacks that more or less ruined the entire Stiri Training Grounds, she said and I quote her ' I-I sniff hate sniff you.' It was adorable."
"I want those videos." said Rias seriously.
"You will have to ask Serafall about it. I can probably give you the memory and take a few pictures from it."
"That will be alright. So what is this about marriage between Lady Serafall, Sona and you?" she asked again.
"No idea. It was probably to tease Sona, which I have to say got its desired result."
"I think you should take it seriously Master. Lady Serafall and Lady Sona are both excellent women. They will be great by your side. While right now Lady Serafall is a good friend, she is still a Satan and will without a doubt put the underworld above you but if she were to become your lover and wife in the future, I believe she will be more loyal to you." Sakuya suggested from beside me.
"….that does sound like a great idea. For how much Sona behaves that she wants an intellectual equal, which I might add that you surpass her, she does want a romantic love story of her own like many other devils. She is someone who will completely devote herself to you because you didn't make fun of her dream. I think she will even be useful with her idea of a Rating Game School for the low class, middle class and reincarnated devils, it will help you increase your influence over that portion of the devil society by association." Rias commented on it.
Rias has matured a….lot in this past month and a half. The major change that has come within her is her ability to think and plan.
Initially Rias was no more a schemer than Voldemort was a muggle lover. Oh, sure there were one or two incidents but they were practically basic childish level manipulations.
This past month and a half, under the tutelage of Merlin, who I might add was teaching Arthur in her own dimension how to be a King, has progressed immensely in terms of politics. Her ability to sway people her way was aided by the Gremory Trait of charisma.
Yes, apparently that is what the trait of the Gremory House is. Gremory was depicted as a red haired woman who was actually a man, who could charm and bend people towards their side. He was also associated with love which Zeoticus tries to keep the pretense of but it was mainly Charisma that he was famous for.
She can be a natural leader. It is where Sirzechs got that charisma from. Now with a focused and ongoing training under Merlin, her charisma trait is showing its true colours.
Traits like these lost their importance when Rating Games became a major part of the devil society otherwise, charisma to sway the people towards oneself is far more dangerous than the SSotE, Immortality or the PoD.
After all there are only so many people you can fight on your own.
She has also been serious about the girls around me. This advice for Sona and Serafall has not been the first one. She has also done her part in roping Akeno and Kuroka who didn't need much convincing and now Ingvild, who she thinks will be great for my image.
I for my part am quite happy with this, Politics is less of a headache for me if she can manage it herself. I was planning to get some people for this work but with the way Rias is turning out, I will be more than glad to let her manage this.
"Hmm. That is something to think about. Though, for today, I will prefer if you stay between me and Sona so she doesn't throw a SSotE at my face."
"Hehehehe, I don't think she would do that….after all she wouldn't want to use that artifact unless her life depends on it. If what I am thinking is correct, she will probably propose a deal to have the dress changed or something like that." she giggled a little.
I thought about it a little. "Yeah, that does seem more likely."
"I was thinking about the two of us visiting Sairaorg and Aunt Misla sometime soon. She has awoken from her sickness and I don't want to keep her waiting." she said softly to me.
"I was in a hurry yesterday as well and wanted to give them some time to catch up. Let's go there together then." I replied as well.
Sairaorg has been a great friend to me. A rarity actually and somehow the idiot has grown on me.
I do intend to cherish these bonds as much as I can in this life.
With a few more discussions, we got up to get ready for today.
The breakfast table had changed a lot compared to a month ago. Now there were more people sitting around it.
We even had a bunch of guests today. Sona and her whole peerage are a few more discussions, we got up and got ready for the day.
"How long will it take for you to stop glaring at me Sona? It was a simple request from Serafall and you never told me how to make your artifact. In fact you never told me anything about it. Serafall specifically got that magical girl costume made for you. I had to change the costume two times before she agreed to it."
I sighed a bit while everyone around us looked at us. Not even her peerage members know….well except Tsubaki. Akeno looks positively intrigued.
"And now you glare at me."
"You knew about it." growled Sona.
"Obviously I knew I made the damn thing myself. Do you know how much demonic power it takes to change the outfit because Serafall thought that the colours were too dull, or because the glitters will bring out So-tan's eyes better? It takes five times the entire reserves of demonic power that Serafall has to change it even once. I had to do it a total of eight times. Hell I could have made a Longinus if I could control that much power at once. I had to boost myself with Morgiana's help and then had to be kept at that level with other magic while I worked on the artifact." I grumbled too.
"Then you shouldn't have done it. I never told you to do it?" she cried out indignantly.
"That is the problem. You never told me anything." I sighed again.
"Change it right now."
"You want me to use super devil level demonic powers to change your costume now?"
She did seem to hesitate a bit at it.
"Well get used to it for a while. I did say that I will upgrade it. I will change the costume during that. A couple of months at best." I placated her a bit.
"What is this about kaichou?" asked Momo if I remember her name correctly.
"Ara Ara just what kind of outfit did you make Sona wear Shin-kun? Was it a swimsuit, bondage gear or a dominatrix leather suit?" Akeno quipped in making Sona bristle at her. Rias seemed to be holding her laughter, albeit barely.
"Do you think Serafall will let me live if I tried something like that?" I deadpanned. "And I personally think Sona and Tsubaki will look better in the sexy librarian or secretary costume." I smiled at them causing Sona to glare at me and Tsubaki to blush. "Although, Sona will also look good in aTeacher's costume, right Sona-sensei~"
"I really hate you." she said before concentrating at the breakfast in front of her.
"So what costume was it?" Merlin asked, amused.
"It was one of the three costumes that Jibril showed us for the next secret upcoming Magical Girl."
"The blue one right?"
"Yup."
"The one with the star and feather on the ear?" it was Luna who spoke this time.
"Yup, the very same one."
"Okay, stop talking about it already." shouted Sona.
"I think it is pretty." Luna said dreamily.
"Me too." Oh I didn't know Ingvild had this fetish too.
"Anyways, back to the topic at hand. We will be meeting a delegate sent by Heaven and the Church today. I was told that they have decided that the place for the meeting will be the ORC meeting room. The one representing the devils will be me but I would like your advice and decision on this as well."
"I have no problems with it. You and Rias are more than enough to handle it. If you need me there just call me." Sona replied curtly.
"Sure."
"By the way how are the other artifacts working Sona?"
She glared at me a bit before sighing and answering my question, "The Sword Birth is working well. Tomoe is still working on different elements before she starts something more complicated. The Reflection Shield that you made for Tsubasa is working properly too. I want to see what you do for the surveillance artifact and ones for my bishops. On a side note, Tsubaki can now use seven forms of the Demonic Spear : Ten Commandments."
"That is quite good. You can ask Sakuya to help you regarding the Sword Birth and the Ten Commandment Spears will only get tougher to master after this. The last form can make Tsubaki an Ultimate Class for sure if she can hold it and continue fighting in that form." I nodded towards Tsubaki. "Anyways, I will inform you about the meeting after we are done. This Kokabiel business is a pain in the neck. I have a bad feeling about it so always be prepared. I would advise sending your peerage members in pairs and only to confirmed summonings for a while."
She looked at me a bit scrutinizing me a bit but then agreed.
I need to get through this one first.
"By the way, I have heard about a certain training room inside this home. Something about being an innovative idea."
"I would agree on the 'Innovative Idea' part as the original designer of the room got this idea after meeting the user of Innovate Clear. She being one of the most brilliant witches of her time made a room which used Transfiguration to conjure up anything that the user wished obviously within certain limits. I call it the Room of Requirement. If you want, Koneko and Morgiana can show you to the room. We practice and spar in there at times. The room is strong enough to hold a fight between Satan Class Devils without so much as a scratch."
It is something that was really surprising. Merlin was extremely interested in this and so was Hermione. Let's say that the books that I got from Serafall for the artifacts were so worth it. It contained the method to make artificial spaces and was restricted to only Ultimate Class devils and that too only after being permitted by the Satans.
We practically warded the boundaries to high heavens. Merlin even went as far as to add Infinity to it. If only I had a way to scan Innovate Clear, I could have done so much better. Rowena Ravenclaw was definitely a genius.
I found out that her lover was actually the wielder of Innovate Clear and while he was not a wizard, he could easily make himself pass off as one using his sacred gear. It did fool many people.
She was extremely fascinated by his sacred gear and did her best to try to replicate it which led to the creation of the Room of Requirement.
"If possible I would like to negotiate for some time to train in the room or a room like that for my peerage if possible." Sona asked.
She doesn't beat around the bush, does she?
"Sure. Just check the one in this place first." After taking a bite from my toast, I replied.
I can finally concentrate on my food.
This was not the first time Sona came to our house in the last month.
The constant stream of transfer and foreign exchange students that I keep sending to Sona had her visiting my house more often than not.
Hermione and Sona's peerage got along extremely well.
It was evident from the way they were talking even now. Wonder why, I snorted.
While Hermione does not share her love for strategies and chess with Sona, her past experience with chess lovers not having any less of a part for it, they did bond well on the matter of books. Sona likes to read. A lot, and let's leave it at that.
- Occult Research Club Building –
It was after school that I and Rias along with our peerages were waiting inside the Occult Research Club Building. It didn't take long as I felt the presence of the entourage outside the building.
Tsubaki was given the job of escorting them to the building.
A total of three presences with one of them being as strong as Serafall and Azazel if not slightly….just slightly stronger.
"I guess I wasn't off the mark though I didn't think they would send a Great Seraph of all angels." I commented lightly.
This did cause heads to turn towards me.
"Which one is it Shin?" Rias asked from beside me. Her voice showing no hints of hesitation and remaining firm even in this unexpected situation.
That training really did wonders for her.
"Let me check now." I said before using 'The Eyes of Darkness' to check the three delegates.
….
….
….
….
Huh, would you look at that. Some things really don't change while others change a lot.
The blue haired exorcist with a green streak of hair who looked like she had a stick shoved somewhere unpleasant? and a cheery twin tailed exorcist walking on the two sides of….wow, those are something alright.
Azazel was on the mark when talking about Gabriel. The most beautiful woman in heaven.
"They sent Archangel Gabriel along with two other exorcists, none of them are the ones from last time." I said before looking towards the door. "They have two fragments of Excalibur." I said as I looked towards Kiba who felt my gaze and nodded back towards me. I could see his hands clench a little but relaxed bit later.
It was a considerable improvement over the one a month and a half ago.
It also helped that I got him information about the real culprit of the Holy Sword Project.
The others who showed reaction were Jibril, who was eager to see her so-called fake or rival(depends on her mood) and Asia, who looked like she would shrink even smaller than she already is. She looked at me and I nodded at her and gave her a smile which resulted in her standing straighter.
We straightened up a bit when we heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." I said and the door was opened by Tsubaki who gave us a nod before bringing the guests inside.
I used observe almost instinctively on Gabriel.
Gabriel
The Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven, The Four Great Seraphs, Heaven.
Level – 108
Rank – Champion
Race – Angel
HP – 51,570
SP – 51,570
MP – 92,320
STR – 292
END – 278
DEX – 259
INT – 478
WIS – 482
CHA – 512
LCK – 592
Thoughts about you – Gratefulness, Wariness, Curiosity.
Affection – +10 (She is thankful that you didn't kill the exorcists last time.)
She is stronger than Serafall or rather was stronger than Serafall if Serafall has already taken that potion.
The two that accompanied her were not even Veteran Rank so I kinda ignored them. The weapons on them were a completely different story.
Although not even close to my Arondight, they are strong in their own right. It is more like they were made to kill devils. The buffs and Holy Energy are completely unfair against devils. The user's themselves are….average at best.
That said, I really didn't think they would send Gabriel herself. The fact that she is grateful to me for sparing the previous exorcists is a plus that I can use in my favour now.
I could feel Jibril's gaze on her. I am sure that others in the room can as well. The one on whom the gaze is focused is blissfully unaware or rather completely ignoring it though.
I got up from my seat along with Rias and greeted the arrivals.
"Welcome to Kuoh town. I hope the trip was not tiring." I smiled politely at them.
Gabriel smiled in return and so did Irina while Xenovia frowned. She has a -30 Affection against me just because I am a devil.
They wash them up good at the church, dem brains I mean.
"If you were so concerned about our comfort, you could have let the exorcists carry on their investigation." snorted Xenovia.
"Xenovia, you cannot say that, even if they are devils. We are here to work not fight them" Irina chided.
"If they have anything to do with the disappearance of the Excalibur Fragments, I will fight them." Xenovia replied completely unrepentant.
Gabriel frowned a little at it.
"I apologise for the misconduct of my subordinate. She is a bit too dedicated to her work." Gabriel bowed.
At least someone has a bit of sense in their head.
"No, I have seen enough of them already. As long as she doesn't attack any of us, I don't really mind whatever nonsense they say." I waved their comments off.
"What do you mean nonsense?" Xenovia shouted.
Wow.
This girl is completely dumb isn't she?
I just smiled brightly at her.
"Think. Take your time."
It seems that Gabriel got the hint and took the chance to diffuse the situation herself but I waved her off.
"Please take a seat. Let us discuss the matter at hand. If I am not prying too much, can you give us some information about the case from your side? While we had an encounter with the Fallen in this territory, it was taken care of immediately. Azazel himself came and took care of the strays." I opened the conversation finally.
"Heaven and The Church side had six Excalibur fragments in their possession. Three pieces were stolen after their holding place and the current wielders were killed by Fallen Angels. It was only due to the timely arrival of Cardinal Vasco Strada in one of those locations that we found that it was the Fallen Angels and Kokabiel himself that was involved. Since then we have been trying to find the whereabouts of the Excalibur Fragments." She gave us the overview of their side.
"May I ask when this happened?"
"The first piece was stolen about two months ago." she answered after a slight pause.
"I take it that you were not informed about this soon enough."
"….yes. Heaven was informed about two weeks ago after the investigating party was sent back." she sighed a bit.
The church taking action on its own and Heaven turning its face towards the other side and avoiding any blame.
"The attacks in this town happened a month ago and I got their motives from the ones we captured. They wanted to cause a war by attacking and killing the three High Class Devils in this town. Based on this fact alone, I can make a guess of Kokabiel's plans. Nothing concrete obviously but if I had to take a guess, I would say that he wants to kill us using the Excalibur Fragments. I mean killing the relatives of the current Satans using the Holy Swords from the Church, if that does not cause a war, I have no idea what will."
"That…." Gabriel probably realized it too as her face turned completely ashen.
"I take it that you can get the point as well."
"I do….I will not let that happen. We want the peace to continue as much as you do. I just cannot believe why anyone would want to cause another war after how horrible the last one was. Why would someone purposely try something like that?" she said completely shaken.
"Some people are just allergic to peace or completely insane. I cannot think of any other reason except that."
"We would like to cooperate regarding this matter. This is something that can threaten the existence of the three factions. Another Great War is completely unacceptable for us. The number of lives that will be lost is immense. It simply cannot be allowed." she vehemently stated her point.
I can somehow understand why.
The Angels are the weakest side right now.
If there is a war, the chances are that Devils will win it.
Second, the other pantheons will no doubt use this chance to attack them at their weakest.
The devils have not made many friends with the Evil Piece system. I can only imagine the number of people who will be after the position that is emptied by the Church, Fallen and Heaven and even the devils themselves.
As much as they know that they are the strongest faction among the three. The divisions among the devil race is the most. The reincarnated devils are treated almost as trash. The number of devils that are forcefully reincarnated are more than one can count. If a war does happen, the chances that they will revolt are extremely high. It will simply result in another civil war on top of the Great War.
"I agree. I would like to give you all the control of the church where the Fallen were making a base. We can have it repaired for you or if you prefer to stay anywhere else, I will leave it to your discretion. Our only wish is that you relay any important information regarding this situation that you discover. We will obviously do the same."
"That is acceptable to us. We thank you for your assistance." she replied.
We took some time to discuss the finer details of the agreement before ending the discussion for today.
It was after that the muscle headed exorcist spoke something.
Looking at Asia who was standing behind me, she commented "You are Asia Argento aren't you? The Holy Maiden turned witch. Now you are a devil and people thought that you couldn't fall any lower."
It raised the tension of the room suddenly.
Asia for her part seemed to shrink a little on hearing it.
"I guess the rumors are true. You have truly forsaken the teachings of God." Xenovia continued without noticing the change in the room.
"No Xenovia. It is not like that. I can tell that she still believes in God. It is in her eyes." Irina commented from behind her.
"That cannot be." she then turned towards Asia again, "tell me Asia Argento, do you truly still believe in God."
Asia for her part resolved herself before looking at me. I gave her an encouraging smile in return as she faced Xenovia and answered with determination, "I do. Even if I am a devil right now, I still believe in God."
"Then I will give you a chance to redeem yourself as I cut you and purify your soul right now." she said and brought the bandaged Excalibur down in a single strike on Asia.
"NO XENOVIA…." Gabriel shouted a little late though, probably still stunned by the sudden turn of events.
It was at that instant that the entire Occult Research Club, no the entire town of Kuoh was drowned in a suffocating pressure.
The sword never reached its intended target as it was stopped by a hand covered in magic.
Two huge white wings completely shielding Asia as the one exuding the enormous pressure that made even Gabriel hesitate for an instant glared down at Xenovia. Golden eyes with cross marks stated with utter apathy which promised untold amounts of pain to the one in front of it.
Asia Argento's Guardian Angel had intervened.
And Jibril was PISSED.
- Jibril –
Rage.
That was the only feeling coursing through Jibril right now.
Asia Argento was not someone she had initially cared about. Sure, her healing powers were good. It was the artifact though. The girl herself was too weak for her to actually care.
If anything, it was her faith and dedication to her Master made her bearable to Jibril.
Then her Master being as gracious as he is assigned Jibril to be her Guardian Angel. To protect her from any danger because she had quite a few people behind her. Her Master had plans for her and had told Jibril that the girl possessed a very rare talent.
To serve their Master is the basic instinct of every Flügel. It is the very reason for their living. First her creator Artosh and now her new Master, Shin.
But now.
This insignificant bug wanted to kill the person her Master had asked her to protect.
How Dare She?
"My my. An insignificant bug thinks she can attack someone protected by me."
Gripping her sword tighter and forcing her on further down from her knees as her other hand touches the ground barely holding her sword with one hand.
"Who gave you the right to judge others? What makes you think YOU are good enough to judge her? WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO JUDGE HER?"
"Y-you, what a-are you?" stuttered Xenovia who was at this point barely clutching at her sword to keep herself up.
"I am the Guardian Angel of Asia Argento and the servant of my Master and your soon to be executioner, Jibril."
The faces of the other girl and the fake paled.
She could care less about them anyways.
"J-jibril-sama. Please don't hurt her." a voice behind her pleaded.
Turning her hear towards the speaker, she started with incredulity.
"She was trying to kill you."
"I-I forgive her. God has taught us to forgive others. P-please don't hurt her." answered Asia.
She was completely baffled by the sheer naivety of this girl. Forgive the one trying to kill her? Is she really that stupid?
Her thoughts were interrupted by another voice.
"Jibril. Let her go. I will handle this." her Master spoke as he smiled at her and Asia.
Well if it was her Master's orders.
At least he seemed satisfied with her work.
With one last look at the bug that is now sprawled on the floor breathing heavily, she let go of the sword.
- Shin –
That was something I unexpected. It is still nice to see Asia being so unwavering in her faith. She might not have raw strength as the others in my peerage but in terms of sheer willpower and mental resilience, she far surpasses many.
To maintain this purity and innocence even after all this.
I swear Diodora Astaroth will rue the day he set his sights on Asia.
I walked upto the now kneeling Xenovia and offered her a hand to help her get up.
She merely glared at me as she forced herself up with her sword.
Feisty.
I am so gonna make her a devil.
Maybe not in my peerage but definitely under someone of my own.
"So, tell me why do you call Asia a witch. I mean I am not really against witches or anything. One of my best friends is a witch. Why is it that you condemn Asia like a criminal? As far as I can tell, she is not a witch. She was never a witch. She was just a human with a Sacred Gear." I questioned Xenovia in a perfectly calm tone.
Being angry against the fanatics like her will only make her belief stronger.
I will tear apart that belief of her, one point at a time.
"Because she colluded with the devils." growled the girl.
Yup, feisty indeed.
"But that was after she was excommunicated for the church. You people kept her and used her powers almost her entire life and then threw her away. What right do you have to question who she meets and 'colludes' with as you say?"
"It was before she was excommunicated. She healed a devil. Her powers are not holy because she can even heal devils. She has no place in the church." at this point Xenovia was practically shouting.
"So she is a witch simply because she can heal devils?"
"YES."
"If I remember correctly, her healing powers come from her Sacred Gear. The same artifacts that were made by the very God you worship and given off to people at RANDOM. Do you mean to say that God is throwing powers that make people heretic at people, newborn innocent babies, if I may add, on a whim?"
"GOD will never do that. He is all giving and the kindest of all." Irina commented from behind her.
Apparently I caught the attention of the others as well.
"So then why is she guilty of having the very power that was given to her by God?" I asked Irina.
"Because she healed a devil." shouted Xenovia getting frustrated.
"Let me frame the question this way. If God didn't want devils to be healed, why did he put that function in the Sacred Gear in the first place?"
"He must have put that as a test." argued a stubborn Xenovia again.
"Really? You seem quite familiar with God's Modus Operandi. You have a hotline to him or what?" I smiled.
"YOU…."
"Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, Atoms or systems into ruin hurled, And now a bubble burst, and now a world." I quoted.
Seeing that they quieted a bit, I continued.
"God has preached equality to all if what I remember is correct. Isn't that right Lady Gabriel." I looked at her who was showing a different expression on her face right now. She nodded in agreement. "Then why does it not apply to the devils. When Asia healed the devil, she did not know his race or background. All she knew was that there was a person hurt in front of her. She followed the teachings of God and healed the one in need. What I find ridiculous is that how a devil even got inside that place to begin with. Surely a place housing a Holy Maiden would have been secured. Secondly, Asia was never taught how to identify other races. A glaring negligence on the church's part but then again they have always been a bunch of hypocrites, using someone till they can and washing their hands off of them as soon as they find it inconvenient just to keep their own image clean."
"HOW DARE YOU?" shouted Xenovia.
"How dare I?" I asked absolutely unperturbed by her outburst.
"The church people do human experimentation to make enhanced exorcists and holy sword wielders. The Holy Sword Project, surely you have heard of it. The number of children killed all in the name of God. I sure as hell do not believe that it was done on God's orders. I am pretty darn sure that God would have slit his own throat and painted the wings of all his angels than order such a thing. It was the church doing them on their own. Hell, they are even doing these things now. The Holy Sword Project was probably one of the few that were 'found'."
"The Holy Sword Project was a taint on the church Devil-san." Irina said. I could see that she was hurt by my comments but I am done holding back at least my words right now. These idiots deserve it. I could simply state that Big G is dead and be done with it but that would probably upset Gabriel and cause unnecessary tensions before an important fight. I would rather not take such idiotic actions right now. That doesn't however mean that I cannot rip them apart with my words alone. I do intend to do that in every way I can. "The church took action and is searching of Valper Galilei even now. We assure you that the deaths of those children was not on purpose."
I scoffed at this.
"Do you know my profession miss?" I asked her name as I am not supposed to know.
"Irina Shidou and she is Xenovia Quarta." she replied.
"Miss Irina? Do you know why I have even my name known in the underworld?"
"We were informed of it. It is said that you are the fiancé of Rias Gremory and the future brother-in-law of the current Lucifer." she replied.
I looked at Gabriel to ask if she wanted to add something else.
She seemed almost resigned right now but still answered.
"You are also known as the only person apart from father who has created artifacts rivaling the Sacred Gears and even a Longinus." she stated as the other two gasped at the information.
"I am an inventor. I know how certain things work. The deaths of those children is the very reason that the church are able to make those 'blessings' for their chosen Holy Sword wielders. You see, everyone has a certain amount of holy sword wielding element within them. Holy Swords need above a certain amount of it to accept the user. What they did in the Holy Sword Project is….extract the Holy Sword Element from the children after killing them. Tell me did you take that 'blessing' too? Can you still say that the death of those children weren't on purpose?" I questioned a pale looking Irina and Gabriel.
I saw from the corner of my eyes Kiba looking absolutely devastated. He was probably trying to catch up with the reality of the situation right now.
"Shin-san. I assure you that Valper Galilei had taken his crystalized Holy Sword Element with him. The church uses voluntarily donated elements right now." Gabriel tried to calm the situation. I can see in the observe that she is obviously devastated and also guilty.
"Are you seriously trying to tell me that the church hasn't used any of those of didn't have any idea about the research."
"That….I don't know." she sighed a bit.
"Exactly. You don't know. They can conduct inhumane experiments on children all in name of God and don't even bother denying it. We have a survivor of The Holy Sword Project right in this room. And then you people come around parading into this room and claiming the church to be innocent. PLEASE HAVE SOME SHAME."
Gabriel was actually shocked at the revelation about the survivor of the Holy Sword Project.
"The nightmares that he has faced due to the negligence and corruption of you people is beyond words. Now after all this you dare come here and claim to be all righteous. IT IS NOT I WHO DARES XENOVIA QUARTA. IT IS YOU WHO DARES." I complete my point.
She looked completely stunned for a moment.
I continued before she could say something else and dig her grave deeper. "And before you say something ludicrous like they sacrificed themselves for God. Nope they didn't do any such thing. Their living chambers were flooded with poisonous gasses, where they all died while giving chance to their friend to live. THAT IS NOT SACRIFICE. IT IS SIMPLE MURDER." I glared at her as she shirked back a little, "But let's not go that far shall we, the very fact that YOU think you are good enough to JUDGE someone like Asia, a soul so pure that even Angels will fall from envy, shows how utterly ARROGANT and DUMB you actually are."
"Shin-san. P-please." Asia tugged at my sleeves a little. I could see tears at the corner of her eyes. She really is too kind for her own good.
I sighed a little as I patted her head.
I turned towards Gabriel this time, "I know about the….circumstances in Heaven." I saw her eyes widening a bit. "I do understand your reasons for not being able to protect her although I won't condone it. The least you can do is not cause her anymore pain now that she has found a place she can call her own."
Gabriel for her part was actually feeling guilty because of it already which made my work easier.
+10 Affection with Gabriel(20/100) for not revealing the secret.
"I apologise for the actions of my subordinates. We really didn't mean to cause any pain to your peerage member. I heard from Serafall that the last investigators left less than pleasant impression of the church and Heaven's side to you. I would like to apologise for that as well as swear on my Honour and Light that I Gabriel, Archangel of Innocence have come here with no intention of harming the devils as long as they are not collaborating with the thieves of Excalibur or do us harm first." she quickly intervened before Xenovia could say anything else. She then turned to Asia and bowed to her.
"P-please r-raise your head Lady Gabriel. I-I am not…." stuttered a flustered Asia.
"I am glad we could come to an understanding." I replied the totally gaping looks of the two exorcists at the oath of Gabriel.
"If you don't mind me asking" she continued this time looking at Jibril. "I haven't heard of another Angel with your name or your power. A two winged angel is not supposed to be so strong. Who are you exactly? I can sense that you are a part devil so why are your wings still white? Just what kind of angel are you?"
Jibril for her part puffed her chest a bit and looked extremely proud.
"I am Jibril. The reason why I have white wings is because My Lord and Master who created me didn't want me to fall. As for what kind of Angel I am, I guess you can call me the Angel of Imperfection for that was the concept my creator had in mind when creating me."
"Imperfection? How is that a concept fit for an Angel? Isn't a concept for an angel generally a virtue or similar concept? Imperfection sounds like a curse if anything." asked a truly curious Irina.
I could hear someone literally facepalming at this. She is arguing Jibril even after seeing her power.
Let's resolve it before Jibril snaps for real.
"A curse you say?"
She looked at me and nodded.
"So you think perfection is a blessing?"
A nod was again what I got in return.
"Being perfect means that you are at the height of growth where nothing about you can improve. You will be stuck in that form forever. Perfection cannot be improved. It also means that you have permanently stagnated. Never to grow ever again. No matter how much effort you put, no matter how much sweat and blood you shed, you are doomed to stay the same, never improving a single bit. Tell me how does that sound? Does that sound like a blessing to you?" I asked a now completely stunned Irina.
"That…."
"On the other hand Imperfection also means that there is still hope for you. It motivates us to work harder to improve upon our flaws, a hope that we will be rewarded for our hard work in from of improvements in ourselves." I was basically shitting out of my mouth at this point but yeah, whatever to keep Jibri happy right now. "It means that you can always improve, always keep growing stronger because you don't have the stigma of perfection branded on you. If anything that in itself is a blessing in my eyes."
You know, for a while I thought that you suddenly used your upgrade tokens on your Bullshitting Skill when I wasn't looking.
I try. Especially when not doing so can result in the accidental destruction of my house.
I looked at the stunned looks in everyone's eyes and a particular stare boring into my side almost physically, not need to even guess that Jibril was practically worshipping me right now.
+10 Affection with Jibril(80/100) for the bullshit that you just spewed.
"I couldn't have said it better myself Master. As expected of my Lord and Master." Jibril kneeled in front of me and bowed.
….
I would find out the true extent of misunderstandings that this scene caused in Heavens and church a few months later.
"Get up Jibril. No need to kneel." I sighed a bit.
Gabriel on the other had needed a few seconds to pick up her dropped jaw. "H-he is your Lord and Master?" she asked Jibril.
"Yes."
I for my part replied as gracefully as I could.
….
By shrugging my shoulders.
- Scene Change –
We were back at our home as soon as the meeting ended.
Sona was waiting there completely tensed.
I had the foresight to send her the message that we were alright after Jibril's outburst even then I can understand her tension regarding this matter.
Tsubaki was there after all.
"What the hell was that Shin? Just what happened in that meeting?" shouted Sona as soon as we took our seat.
"Well things were going great and then the exorcist had to show her zealous side in front of us. She tried to 'purify' Asia's soul by cutting her in two with an Excalibur Fragment. Jibril caught her blade and well everyone felt what happened after that." I explained.
"That was Jibril-san? I haven't felt such pressure even when my sister fights. How?" she said completely bewildered.
"Your sister should have become much stronger after using that potion though. Jibril is still a bit stronger if my estimates are correct."
The dropped jaws are something that I have to deal with right now.
"What happened there is Gabriel has decided to stay here till this matter is over. They will be coordinating with us to clear this case. Any information we find about this case will be shared between our groups. We will not attack them and they will not attack us in return. These are the basic points of today's meeting."
Sona for her part showed why she was considered one of the smartest devils of her generation and collected herself soon enough.
"Very well Shin, I will collaborate with everyone as well." she answered in a serious tone of voice. She looked at her peerage and nodded.
"Tsubaki and tell you the rest of the information. Honestly, why can't everyone just peacefully stay at their homes? Causing wars is so damn tiring." I sighed.
I honestly thought so.
Am I becoming lazy?
Probably not.
The mental exhaustion of the meeting is settling in now.
"In that case we will take our leave Shin, Rias." she nodded towards us as she stood up. "Oh, by the way, I would like to have a room like that made for myself. I will tell you the final date after discussing it with my parents." she said as she left along with her peerage.
"It was tiring wasn't it?" Rias said as she slid into my side.
I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in.
"It was. Are you alright Asia?"
The one in question looked a little shaken even now but it was easier to notice the resolve in her eyes.
"Y-yes. I am fine."
I smiled. "Great. If you have any trouble, just tell me."
It was at that moment that we heard a new voice from behind us.
"Why is there a fucking Great Seraph in town nyaa? Did you do something to the church people or Heaven?" asked Kuroka as she changed from her cat form.
"They are here to investigate the disappearance of the holy sword Excalibur Fragments. The last investigators were a bunch of pricks so we threw them out. This time Gabriel herself came in peace though that almost ended as soon as it had started." I sighed as she sat on my other side.
I caught Koneko's lips twitching a little before she tried to drag Kuroka away.
"Onee-sama have some shame. Sit properly. Don't lean on Shin-sama nyaa." and then she blushed at her verbal slip.
This adorable creature has been making her appearance since Koneko started breaking out of her shell after making up with Kuroka.
"I am sure Shin doesn't mind. Do you nyaa~~" she whispered into my ears as she stole a lick, making me shiver in the process. This naughty cat needs to be punished properly.
"Onee-sama."
This small distraction was necessary for everyone to ease our tense nerves.
"Kuroka, have you heard anything about Kokabiel or any news about any Fallen with the stolen Excalibur Fragments?" asked Rias.
"Hmm. I don't know nyaa. There are some rumors that Kokabiel and a number of Fallen have gone missing for a few weeks now. Some were saying that they are planning something big but nothing concrete yet. I did hear something from Azazel's side though. It seems like Slash Dog has disappeared. He was assigned to trail Kokabiel but there hasn't been any news of him for a while. Azazel and the Slash Dog Team have been worried for a while. Even his girlfriend, Sae Toujou went missing. They are probably related somehow."
"The Slash Dog, Tobio Ikuse has gone missing?" I asked in surprise.
This hadn't happened in canon.
Then again, if butterflies can cause hurricanes, I must have completely changed the flow of events just by being present myself.
In canon Gabriel had not come to Kuoh along with Xenovia and Irina.
This is something I will have to keep in mind. That person is considered in line for the title of 'The Strongest Human'. If he was really taken out, I have no idea what we might face this time.
"Shin, we will need to make contingencies against him as well. Kuroka, do you think that he has changed sides?" asked Rias, getting serious for once.
"I don't think so. Tobio is not the type to cause wars so it is highly unlikely that he will side with Kokabiel." answered Kuroka equally seriously. The absence of nyaa was evident of this fact.
"I am not saying that he might have willingly joined Kokabiel. As you already said now, his girlfriend also went missing. If Kokabiel is somehow blackmailing him to fight for them, we might be in trouble." concluded Rias.
"That is quite sharp thinking Rias. What can you tell me about this Tobio person and the Slash Dog team?" asked Merlin joining in.
The rest of the members were listening carefully to the discussion.
"Tobio Ikuse is the wielder of Canis Lykaon, one of the thirteen known Longinus's. His grandmother had sealed away the Sacred Gear because he was supposedly born with a Balance Breaker state. His Sacred Gear gives him the power to control shadows….even stronger than my own right now." I let that sink in. My legendary Umbrakinesis while strong is still a bit behind The Mythical Umbrakinesis of the Abyss Side Balance Breaker of Canis Lykaon. I can probably match his strength even then because of my greater Mana Reserves, but in terms of efficiency, I still need a little time to get to that level, maybe in a couple of months.
The Upgrade Quest for that has been running for a while now.
I have been progressing at a decent speed but the gap between the legendary and mythical level is extremely high.
It is the highest level that a non-divine being can possibly reach so the quest is hard too.
I need to Kill 10 000 Elite Monsters, 1 000 Champion Monsters, 100 Ultimate Champion Monsters and 10 Divine Champion Monsters.
That is an extremely tall order.
I have to remind myself that even Gabriel and Serafall are only Champion Rank. Though the champion rank monsters in the IDs are no match for them, they are still reasonably strong.
I need to team up with one more stronger member of my Peerage to fight against an Ultimate Champion Monster of a normal level and I haven't met anyone of the Divine Champion Rank except Ophis, and that is saying something.
I could always use that Token from the quest to raise that level but I am saving it for the Artificer. I cannot imagine where I will collect enough ingredients for 100 Legendary Rank Artifacts let alone the lower rank ones which were more numerous. This will have to work somehow.
The same case as for Umbrakinesis is true for the FGSM and the PoD. Both are already in the Upgrade quest taking all three of my Upgrade Slots already.
"I would also like to add that his grandmother was an exiled member of the Himejima Clan because she didn't inherit their family's magic. She however was extremely proficient in Buddhist Rituals which she used to bind the Sacred Gear, a Longinus at that." I said looking towards Akeno who had her eyes widened at the revelation. "Yes. He is kinda your cousin Akeno. Similar situation too."
This would probably take her something to deal with.
It is better to sort out this information outside the battle so as to not be caught unaware and leave an opening during the fights.
"What else do you know about them?" asked Merlin.
"Not much. The Slash Dog team is more or less an unknown for me except the fact that the current head of the Himejima Clan, Suzaku Himejima is also a part of the team. She is the host of the Divine Beast Suzaku. Then there is Lavinia Reni, the wielder of Absolute Demise. I know that they also have the users of the Four Fiend Sacred Gears but I don't know much about them except that all of them are top tier Sacred Gears." It is true. I don't remember much of the Slash Dog series. "That said, all the members are Ultimate Class or above with Tobio himself being a contender for the position of 'The Strongest Human' right now."
I let others catch up with the information.
"How do you even know this nyaa? I thought you didn't know much about the supernatural world until recently." asked Kuroka a little surprised.
"I made it a point to know about the three factions. Any hidden information I could get my hands on, any secrets I could find. Dead people are more than likely to talk because of how bored they generally get in the afterlife."
"Is that how you found out about the information on the 'blessing' of the church?" asked Kiba who finally got a chance.
"Yes. I am sorry for not telling you but I needed to confirm it with a member of their side for real. I was actually baiting Gabriel to speak." Not true but he doesn't need to know that. I also gained the information that Valper Galilei is currently working for Kokabiel and probably is involved behind this attack.``
….
"Thank You." sighed Kiba as he sat down and sunk into the couch.
"No problem."
With that a period of silence fell over the room.
"What does Azazel have to say about this?" asked Merlin.
"I don't really know. Maybe I should give him a call. I mean he did try to keep an eye on Kokabiel through Tobio. If that did fail, I don't know what else he could have done. If anything he must be under an even greater amount of stress. I guess I will give him a call and see what he is up to."
"That will be a good idea." Rias agreed.
We then discussed a bit more about what needed to be done and what steps were going to be taken for the security in the coming days and then left for our rooms.
Today was too tiring.
- Akeno –
Akeno looked at the empty corridors as she slowly walked towards Shin's room. He seemed very exhausted today. It was a tiring day after all.
Akeno decided that she was going to take some of Shin's stress away.
And what is a better way of stress relief than some hot and steamy sex.
Oh, she has been trying to find a moment like this for the last two weeks.
An opportunity to catch Shin alone and jump his bones.
Just as she neared his room, she saw another figure trying to sneak in.
She knew for sure that Rias and Sakuya were not going to come to the room for a while with Rias being in the bath and Sakuya preparing food.
That means it can only be…."Kuroka, what are you doing here?" she bit back the bite in her tone.
"Ah, would you look at that, it is the mama's girl nyaa~. How are you Akeno nyaa~" said the cat barely hiding her mocking tone.
"YOU…."
This is another thing that always happened.
Kuroka somehow wanted to take that third place in Shin's bedroom after Rias and Sakuya.
It was her dream to revive her race after all.
That….needed some serious work.
Not that Akeno had something against it but it turns out that the person Kuroka had chosen to revive her clan was….Shin.
She understood it after all. Shin was the one who trusted her even when her own sister was unwilling to trust her for so long, gave her a chance to prove herself, and made her relationship with Koneko good again. It was not a big surprise that Kuroka had fallen head over heels for Shin.
Her talks about having a strong mate to produce strong 'kitties' were also viable with Shin's strength.
OH THAT POWER.
Even now she could feel herself get wet when she remembered Shin's power wash over her during training.
It was like drowning in an ocean of never-ending demonic power. Every bit of it trying to dominate her, to make her kneel and beg in submission.
She did understand Kuroka's reasons BUT that didn't mean she was willing to back down and let her have Shin first. Nope. She was here first.
She wanted that hot piece of meat for herself.
It is just that every time she had tried to do so for the last two weeks, something or the other interrupts her.
It is always one reason or another.
And to think she was so happy when she made up with Shin.
Now though….
"Akeno."
She heard a distant voice from the end of the corridor, from her own room.
"Ah there you go Akeno, your mama is calling you nyaa~" mocked the thieving cat again.
Yes.
Unfortunately, it was her own Mother that was the major cause of her blue balls.
Shin had somehow brought back her Mother.
Not just as a soul this time but as a complete living breathing human.
It was apparently his power from Death that allowed him to do so.
He did say that he cannot just bring back anyone willy-nilly.
She didn't care either.
She had been over the moon when he had done so.
Her mother on the other hand was extremely grateful as well.
The happier thing was that her mother had chosen to stay with her.
She did hear how 'that man' had let her wander alone for over a year chased by the Himejima clan. She had stated in not so kind words that she will have a 'TALK' with Barakiel when she meets him next time. That said she was not going to forgive him easily if at all.
Shin had simply given her a room to stay but both she and her mother decided that they wanted to stay in the same room and try to catch up on the lost time.
It was all looking really great until….
Her mother stated that she must not lose her virginity till marriage.
Unlike what others might believe.
Her mother had not just fallen in love and simply gotten pregnant.
It was true that she had fallen for 'that man' but they had also had a proper marriage albeit hidden. Her mother was in line for the position of the Clan head and the host of the divine beast Suzaku herself. She followed the traditions and customs very ardently.
She did support her and Shin's relationship, even the polygamous part but….they were not to lose Akeno's virginity before marriage.
She was currently 17 years old and will be turning 18 in a month.
Even then it will be Rias who gets married to Shin first in a few months when she comes of age. And that was the earliest.
Oh how she wanted to enter the room and join Rias and Sakuya many times in these past two weeks when she heard their cries of pleasure.
How she spent extended time in her bathroom calming herself because her mother was in the room.
It was almost unbearable.
It was for all these reasons that when Kuroka tried to take the third place, Akeno had been at the forefront to block her.
It was selfish obviously but then again who cares. Devils could be selfish.
This has now resulted in her war of words and blueballs with Kuroka who knew her situation and was extremely amused to play along.
"Now now, shouldn't you hurry back to your room Akeno? I think it is your milk time nyaa~" mocked Kuroka.
"You Bitch."
"Tsk Tsk, a female dog is called a bitch, Akeno. Do you know what a female cat is called?" said Kuroka as she turned around and sashayed towards Shin's room.
"Akeno, are you there?" came her Mother's voice again.
Gritting her teeth she looked at the thieving cat and the back at her own room.
"….a Queen." finished Kuroka as she entered the room.
….
….
….
….
OH IT WAS ON.
It was time for emergency measures.
She will show that cat that Akeno Himejima is not to be messed with.
With that thought in mind, she walked towards Koneko and Morgiana's room.
Kuroka will soon know her suffering as well.
- Asia –
Asia Argento entered the room that she shared with her best friend Luna.
She was given her own room at first but then she had a sleepover with Luna and they got along so well that they decided to stay in the same room.
She enjoyed Luna's company even if she didn't understand what Luna said most of the time anyways.
Shin-sama has been kind enough to give her this opportunity.
She now has friends that she can talk to, school where she can study to become a doctor as has always been her dream. She even has Jirbil-sama as, her own Guardian Angel.
And it was all due to Shin-sama.
Today, he even stood in front of her and defended her. It was Jibril-sama who stopped the blade but it was on Shin-sama's order.
He backed her up and praised her in front of Lady Gabriel herself.
"Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, Atoms or systems into ruin hurled, And now a bubble burst, and now a world."
Everyone was the same in God's eyes. She did nothing wrong in healing a devil.
It was so nice to finally hear that from someone, let alone Shin-sama.
The Shin-sama who can make artifacts like the Longinus. The Shin-sama who can make Angels like Jibril-sama.
God works in mysterious ways.
She had read that in the church.
Never in her life had she thought that she would see it in action herself.
Her heart filled with happiness when she remembered his words in her defense today. Tears flowed out of her eyes in happiness as she thought about today.
"The wrackspurt infestation around you has cleared. Did something good happen today?" asked Luna.
She still didn't know what wrackspurts were but she understood the following question.
She wiped her eyes as she nodded at Luna who was sitting near the window doing her homework.
"Yes, it was good."
"Then you shouldn't hold back and let those feelings out." came a voice from behind her.
She turned back abruptly.
"Shin-san."
He walked up to and then he….hugged her.
She could hear his heartbeat as it sung to her almost as a lullaby.
"You were wonderful today Asia. To have so much faith and be so forgiving. You had kindness even for those who attacked you. I am proud of you."
Each word filled her with more happiness as she let herself melt in his embrace.
"I am proud to have a person like you in my peerage….in my family. Thank you Asia Argento."
"N-no, it is I who should…." her words stopped in her mouth as she felt a soft feeling on her forehead.
Shin-sama had his lips pressed against her.
Tears welled up again in her eyes despite her best efforts to contain it.
She had been so desperate, kicked out of the church, mistrusted by the people around her and even had to follow the Fallen Angels.
So much pain and in all of that she only had God's teachings to grab onto as she faced her life.
She was given her will to live in those trying times by the words from the bible.
Always believing that she will be saved, that she will find happiness.
Today, she finally felt it.
All those times, all her patience was finally rewarded.
It was alright to feel happy right.
Did she really deserve it?
And almost as if reading her mind, his next words quelled her worries.
"If there is anyone in this world who deserves happiness, it is you. Let it all out. I will stay with you all you want today."
And she did just that.
She grabbed onto Shin-sama's shirt and buried her face into his chest and let it all out.
All those tears that she had left unshed in her times of difficulties, all those times she had choked back the sobs when she woke up from nightmares after her excommunication, everything was let out as Asia Argento, for the first time in a long while cried. She cried like the day she was born.
- Shin –
Watching the now sleeping Asia in the bed, I walked back towards my room.
It is nice to see her letting all her pain out. She had the habit of holding back her pain so as to not trouble anyone else. Always thinking about others.
I am glad that she was able to take a step to deal with her demons this time.
+5 Affection with Asia Argento(100/100) for accepting her.
Affection maxed and locked with Asia Argento(100/100). Obedience with Asia Argento increased to 100.
Reward Gained – 100 Affection Asia Argento
Skill Gained
[Dragon Tamer](Passive)
Dragons and Draconic beings will be more prone to follow your command and will be subservient to you when tamed.
A great addition to my skill list.
In a world where Dragons are literally at the top, this is a skill that will always be appreciated.
I wonder how effective it is.
I will try it sometime later. Right now I need some rest.
_x_x_
Beta Reader : LuluViBritania(FF.N, SB and QQ)/-LuluViB|99th Britannian Emperor(Discord)
Author's Note :
So, the chapter was delayed more than I thought.
It is just that I was stuck at a point and not getting time to write due to some work. And when I did start writing, I was not satisfied to let it end in the middle.
It just resulted in me writing more which finally led to this….my longest chapter yet.
I tried to show Shin's direction and future plans in this chapter. Some people might think that he is wasting his time with this.
I on the other hand think that the canon world was BS. There is no way that the entire devil race will let someone rule over them so easily. They have been plotting for centuries. It is highly unlikely that they will simply lie over and let someone walk over them.
This world has a bit more serious tone. I for one do not believe that someone like Kokabiel who has fought in the Great War and has lived for thousands of years will be so stupid to attack Kuoh on his own and then so easily lose to Vali. I know that Vali was strong but even then Kokabiel's level of intelligence was shown to be lower than a middle school student.
The same was the case with Loki and generally all the other villains.
(I personally think that the author had to make all the characters faulty so that the protagonist pfft, could look decent in comparison.)
Then again, I am taking a slightly more serious approach towards this story.
Villains will have IQ's befitting their lores.
I know I have used many clichés till now. But hey, clichés are as such because they work.
Shin's plans for the underworld is slow but far more effective and likely than any other approach.
I mean I know people think that Shin can just dish out let's say fertility potion and have the entire devil race along with others eating out of his hands….but.
Do you really think the devils will lie down and let that happen?
NOPE.
They will kidnap him and force him to make potions for them if he denied their demands.
There is only so much he can get away with.
The deterrent to impact ratio must be perfectly maintained.
Well it is just my thoughts and I am going to go with it.
If someone has any complaints….PISS OFF.
I am not going to change my story on the whims of others.
Secondly, for those who think I was a bit too much on Xenovia.
I would just like to tell you that I didn't like Xenovia's initial attitude in canon both in LN and anime alike.
I am not going to bash her or anything.
It is just that I always wanted someone to give her a piece of their mind.
Now that I myself have had that chance, I took it happily.
Now, Akeno and Kuroka's relationship was a comic relief.
I do plan to use that for other plans as well but nothing bad.
Who knows, Shin might get to eat that Oyakodon because of this. Wink wink.
The last part with Asia is something that needed to be.
It just needed to be done.
Nuff said.
I hated how all her troubles were forgotten in the anime in just a couple of episodes and she became a mindless harem member good for only fan-service. I hated that and just had to do it.
Asia has shown more mental strength than any other dxd girl and that needed to be acknowledged.
She is much more than the tragic nun to fill up that fetish slot in the story and harem clique. I hope to develop her character into something worthy in the later chapters.
Finally, I did observe that my story's pacing was having issues. I kinda gave in to reviews that the story was becoming slow. I wanted to develop the characters a little more but I just gave it.
I REGRET THAT A LOT.
I know that the starting chapters were horrible.
Infact chapters 3-12 haven't been beta-read yet but are still in progress.
I hope that you have seen the improvement in my story from chapter one till now.
I am learning okay. I don't claim nor do I expect to become a perfect writer in an instant. I know my limits.
That said I at least want to write my story in the way I want.
There have been some reviewers who were let's say less than pleasant.
I am fine with others giving advice but when people just comment and I quote here 'Update you little shit' I lose the motivation to write.
If you want to stop reading the story, feel free to do so. I am not stopping you. I don't take any payment for this so I don't owe anyone anything.
Keep that in mind.
….
Phew. I needed to get that out for some time now.
Enjoy the new chapter.
Good Day, Peace out.