Ch. 6: Confrontation
The sky had already gone dark by the time they arrived. The team of Izuku, Ochako, Yuuto, Kyoka, Momo, Dazai, and Kunikida stood across the street from where the only church in the city was. It gave off a very foreboding atmosphere, especially during the night which made it look even more creepy. It was making Izuku feel rather restless. Whether it was due to his devil physiology or simply because it was just that creepy, he wasn't sure. From the way most of the others reacted, it was likely the latter.
"What a cheery atmosphere…" Dazai whispered. "Think it's haunted?"
"Yeah right…"
"From this presence alone, there is definitely fallen angel activity going on," Yuuto announced. "And from the look of things, a group of rogue exorcists has also set up camp here, too."
"How so?" Izuku asked.
"See those decapitated statues?" Momo pointed. The others looked over to where she was pointing. There were ruined statues in that direction. "Rogue exorcists who have been abandoned by God destroy holy areas and commit acts of blasphemy for pleasure. If we cut through the entrance, we should be able to get to the sanctuary in one go. That's most likely where they're keeping Shiozaki-san. But…"
"It's possible the enemy will be waiting," Dazai finished.
"And getting through the church won't be a cakewalk," Yuuto added. "That means we only have one chance. Are you ready?"
Izuku took a deep breath. "I am." Izuku replied, "What about you guys?"
Kyoka and Ochako were both shaking. "W-we'll be fine," Kyoka stuttered.
"Yeah… Just still… trying to process all this is all…"
"Try to relax," said Kunikida. "Once we get inside, we can't afford to make any mistakes."
"Thanks again for coming, Kiba-san," said Izuku.
"Hey, you and I are buddies, right? Of course, I'll help," Yuuto smiled. In a 180 turn, his expression turned to one of anger, "And besides, priests aren't my favorite things in the world. In fact, you can say I hate them."
"Hate them?" Izuku blinked. He had never seen Yuuto put on such an intense expression before. He was always wearing a refreshing smile wherever he went. And Momo seemed just as angry with the fallen angels. Just what happened to them to make them hate priests and fallen angels like that?
"Questions for later," Koneko interrupted.
"Yeah…" Izuku nodded slowly, summoning his Sacred Gear.
"It's go time!" Kunikida announced.
"Right!" Everyone nodded.
The group quickly rushed through the broken gates and made their way up the steps. "We better hurry! By now it's likely they already know we're here!" Yuuto said. They reached the large doors that led to the inside of the church.
"I got this," Kyoka strode to the front, attaching her earphone jacks to it. Suddenly the large metal doors began to vibrate, shaking apart within seconds.
"Impressive!" said Dazai.
"So cool!" said Izuku, stars in his eyes.
"Thanks…" Kyoka blushed.
Jiro Kyoka, Quirk: Earphone Jack. She can use her plugs to amplify her heartbeat to deafeningly explosive levels! She can also hear really faint sounds.
Koneko then stepped up and, without much effort, moved what was left of the heavy metal door aside. "Wow, she's stronger than she looks," Ochako commented.
"No kidding," Izuku nodded. "Rias-san wasn't kidding about the monstrous strength thing."
The group entered the church and stepped inside the sanctuary. There was an altar and pews, which was what any church had. It looked like an ordinary sanctuary. The candle lights and the interior lamps lit the sanctuary. And something wasn't right here… The statue of Jesus on the cross had his head destroyed. What a creepy site. Who would want to desecrate such a sacred area?
"My, no wonder people stop going to church these days," Dazai quipped, looking around.
"Don't let your guard down," Yuuto warned, taking out a long sword. "Someone is here."
"…Over there," Koneko confirmed, pointing at a pillar.
Someone stepped out from behind the pillar and walked in front of the altar, standing before the group. "Yo, we meet again, devils," Freed greeted, clapping sarcastically, "Glad you could make it! Oh, and you brought friends? Fun~!"
Kunikida drew out a gun. "Is this the priest you told us about?"
"That's him," Izuku scowled.
"Here's the deal. I pride myself on the fact that I never had to fight any devil more than once! Not a single devil has escaped from me. I used to have a 100 percent perfect kill count before you came along! If there's one thing I hate it's being mocked by maggot devils in the house of God!" Freed pulled out a sword and a gun from his back, spinning them both in his hands. "You kids made my murder boner so hard… I'm gonna kill you… and stick my sword inside of you until I make so many murder holes."
"…Do you even hear yourself?" Izuku grimaced, Kyoka gagging behind him.
"I must say, aside from the vulgarity, I love what you've done with the place!" said Dazai, a cheery smile on his face.
"Hahaha, you like? Courtesy of every fallen angel and stray priest that comes through those doors."
"What else have you done?" Dazai asked. "I take it there's more wreckage than what we can see here?"
"Why yes! The altar has a trap door leading to a VIP worship center with an equally important party going on downstairs! We're in the process of-" Freed's brain then caught up to his mouth. "YOU TRICKED ME!" With that, Freed leaped at Dazai. The teens all moved away while Dazai, along with Kunikida, instantly rolled away from each other, perfectly in sync. Freed's downward thrust speared the ground where they had been, the blade sinking into the floor.
Yuuto took the chance to rush forward for a quick slash. Freed was forced to defend himself as both young men clashed blades at one another, sparks flying out from each furious blow. They were both evenly matched and they weren't backing down.
"You're not half bad!" sneered Freed as he drew his silver gun and aimed it at Yuuto's head, "Makes me wanna blow your brains out! KA-BOOM!" Yuuto tilted his head just as the gun fired, the silver bullet only cutting a few strands of his hair. He quickly backflipped to dodge another shot, leaping backward and landing on his laughed manically as he continued shooting silver bullet rounds at the Knight as he was literally running in circles. One of the bullets managed to graze Yuuto on the cheek, but he didn't stop running, even deflecting several bullets from hitting him. But Freed's bullet of bullets quickly ended when Kunikida used his gun to disarm Freed. "OW! Damnit!"
"If your opponent doesn't pay attention to their surroundings, then they lose what little advantage they have," said Kunikida.
"Midoriya, you and the others go on ahead! We'll handle this guy," Kiba said.
"Save the nun," Koneko added.
"I'll help them keep the priest busy. Dazai, you and the others save the girl!"
"Right!" Dazai said as he and the others made their way to the altar.
"Hey! Come back here! No one said you could leave!" Freed shouted, pissed off that the shitty devil got past him.
"You'll have to deal with us, first!" Kunikida tore out a page from his notebook. "Sacred Gear: Lone Poet! Flashbang!" The notebook page was engulfed by a light green light, transforming into a flashbang. Kunikida threw the flashbang to Freed before it exploded, filling the entire sanctuary with blinding light.
Kunikida Doppo, Sacred Gear: Lone Poet. He can create anything he needs by using the pages of his notebook, so long as it's no bigger than the notebook and he understands its basic form and function.
Izuku, Dazai, Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako made it into the stairwell beneath the altar when the flashbang went off. "Kunikida-san has a Sacred Gear too?!" Izuku asked, having overheard.
"Yep. Called Lone Poet," Dazai led the way down the stairs.
"That's crazy!" said Ochako. "Do you have one of those Sacred Gear things too, Dazai-san?"
"Of course!" he smirked, doing some kind of pose. "And it's perfect for stopping this ritual!" There was a door at the bottom of the stairway, but Dazai didn't even bother to look at it before kicking it down, blasting it off the hinges. He and the teens strode through the dust and found themselves in a chamber where a small army of masked priests had suddenly stood up with their swords drawn. At the very end of the room was Raynare standing before a large cross, where Ibara was chained up, both in very thin dresses and magic circles over their chests.
"Midoriya-san… Everyone…" Ibara moaned softly, looking up slowly, "You're… here…"
"What do you know?" Raynare smiled, looking over her shoulder to peer at Izuku and the others, "You actually came after all."
Izuku glared at the fallen angel. "Let Shiozaki-san go!"
"How sweet, but I can't do that," Raynare said, condescendingly, "The ritual… is almost complete." Ibara's body glowed in bright green light, and she screamed in agonizing pain. A small orb slowly appears on her chest.
"NO! Don't you dare!" Izuku snarled, firing a Dragon Shot at Raynare's back. The shot never had a chance to reach as one of the priests quickly deflected it with his sword.
"You will not interfere!" the priest shouted, lunging for the kill.
"I will have your head, devil!" Another shouted as more of them Zerg rushed them.
"You kids distract them!" Dazai jumped into the air and over the priests.
"'Distract'?! HOW!?" Kyoka didn't get her answer as a priest pounced on her. She instinctively used her earphone jacks to grab hold of the priest's arms and fling him onto his back.
"Here!" Momo, using her Quirk, made two swords, one for Kyoka and another for Ochako, who graciously took them.
Izuku, with some concentration, activated his Sacred Gear's main power. [Boost!]
"Yes!" With his strength now doubled, Izuku punched the nearest priest, sending them flying into the wall with enough force to indent it.
Ochako, avoiding the attacks from the priests, used her Quirk to make some of them float up to the ceiling. Kyoka used hers to stab two priests in the head, earning a cry of pain before they collapsed.
"Yes! YES!" Raynare exclaimed as the orb fully pulled itself out of Ibara's chest and began to approach Raynare's waiting hands. "It's almost here! Twilight Healing is now MINE!"
"Sorry, but I can't let you have that."
"What the?!" she gasped as Dazai patted her back. Immediately, Raynare felt the magic circle on her chest disappear. With its destination gone, the orb froze in midair. "NO!"
Dazai slammed his leg against her face, sending the angel flying across the room and out of the doorway, crashing loudly. "You blinked!"
"Dazai-san!" Izuku called out as he, Momo, Ochako, and Kyoka ran up to him. "Is Shiozaki-san okay?"
"She won't be if we don't return that orb," Dazai placed his hand on the cross. It lost all its color and the chains snapped, freeing Ibara. Izuku caught her, and he could already tell that she didn't have much time. Her face was pale and her eyes looked dull.
Momo grabbed the orb and handed it to Izuku. "If we put this thing back inside of her, she should be fine," she said. Then she blinked and blushed. "Maybe I should rephrase that?"
"No time," Izuku said, doing his best not to blush. He pressed the orb back into Ibara's chest. A bright glow covered the room as the Sacred Gear returned to Ibara's body, lasting only for a moment before dimming. As soon as the glow vanished, Ibara coughed and breathed loudly, her cheeks and eyes returning to life.
"…Midoriya-san…" Ibara smiled slowly.
"We're gonna get you outta here," Izuku smiled back. Ibara then hugged him tightly.
"You came for me…" Ibara whispered, tears welling in her eyes, "You came."
"Of course I did," Izuku replied, hugging her back.
"Dazai? How did you free Shiozaki? And how'd you stop the ritual?" Kyoka asked.
"With my Sacred Gear," Dazai answered. "No Longer Human."
Dazai Osamu, Sacred Gear: No Longer Human. It allows him to negate any magic with a simple touch, including other Sacred Gears!
"RAGH! You filthy vermin! You ruined everything!" One of the priests recovered quickly and tried to strike Dazai in the back. However, the sword of light instantly shattered upon connecting with Dazai. With a disappointed sigh, Dazai swiftly punched the priest in the face, sending him flying into several other priests. Looking around the room, he saw all the other priests quickly recovering and glaring murderously at them, looking none too pleased that the ritual was prematurely interrupted.
"Midoriya…?" Ibara squeaked, clinging to him fearfully.
"Midoriya, there's an exit over there! You and the others take Shiozaki and go," Dazai ordered. "I'll buy you some time."
"Wait, can you handle them all by yourself?!" Ochako asked.
"Don't worry about me, just go."
Izuku nodded. "Be careful!" Izuku took Ibara's hand and ran for the door, the other girls not far behind.
Back at the sanctuary, Yuuto, Koneko, and Kunikida were still fighting long and hard against Freed. The so-called holy man was grinning like a psycho as he swung his sword and fired a second gun he had hidden in his robes. Yuuto didn't look like he was tiring anytime soon despite the running around he did. Kunikida had run out of bullets several times, needing pages from his precious notebook to keep up. Freed rapidly fired at Kunikida, but Koneko quickly jumped in front of him and used herself as a shield- as much as she could due to her height anyway. It seemed to work as all the bullets were stopped from targeting Yuuto and hit her instead, but rather than turn her into bloody Swiss cheese, the bullets were crushed against her body, a few even tearing up her outfit. Freed seemed to realize that shooting wasn't going anywhere.
"Guns won't work on me," Koneko said boredly.
"Well, well," Freed smirked, his gun smoking, "You're tough for a puny little girl, aren't you?"
Koneko looked down at her chest. "Little…" Koneko suddenly began throwing anything and everything at Freed, who laughed madly and either dodged what was thrown or cut it in half.
"…I take it she's sensitive about her figure?" Kunikida asked Yuuto.
"…She's a little touchy on the subject," Yuuto confirmed.
Kunikida then began to scribble in his notebook. "Never, under any circumstances, intentional or not, make fun of a woman's breasts, no matter their age…" he said to himself as he wrote it down.
"So, I have a million euro question for you," Freed asked Yuuto once Koneko ran out of things to throw. "Why's your new buddy trying to save that shitty maiden?"
"Midoriya-kun? He's just like that, I guess," Yuuto replied. He leaped at Freed, their blades clashing several times before leaping away. "Says he wants to be a hero."
"Hero?! HA! Like that fucking devil shit stain can be a hero!" Kunikida aiming his gun was enough for Freed to jump back several meters. "You devils like tricks, right? Wanna see mine?" He threw a smoke bomb to the ground. Yuuto, Koneko, and Kunikida's visions were obstructed by the smoke. Once it subsided, Freed was gone.
"Got away again." Yuuto frowned.
"He won't have anywhere to hide," Kunikida said, writing in his notebook. "I'll give his description to the police."
"We need to check up on Midoriya-senpai and the others."
"You two head down the altar," Kunikida ordered. "I'll head outside and check for any other exits."
At the back of the church, a hidden door flew into the air before falling to the ground. Izuku walked out into the open, the girls close behind. "We should be fine out here for now," Momo said.
"How are you feeling?" Izuku asked.
"A bit better…" Ibara answered, slightly out of breath. "It really hurt to have my Sacred Gear taken out like that."
"It's gonna be fine. I won't let anyone get to you," Izuku promised.
Ibara smiled sadly, "Only my parents ever stood up for me like that before, not even when I was being banished from my village. Actually… I don't remember the last time anyone was talking to me like a friend."
"You never had any friends?" Ochako asked.
"No," Ibara shook her head, "If we get out of this… would it be all right for us to be friends?"
Each of them smiled, "Of course, we will," said Momo.
"Mhm," Ochako nodded.
"Damn straight," Kyoka affirmed.
"Right," Izuku grinned, "And we will get out of this! I promise!"
Ibara beamed brightly at their words, tears of happiness forming in her eyes.
"How sentimental…"
They all froze at the dreadfully familiar voice. Everyone instinctively surrounded Ibara like a shield as they all looked around the area outside the ruined church for the fallen angel, taking in every nook, cranny, and sound. Momo created a long pole as she put up her guard. Kyoka's earphone jacks twitched as she tried to track Raynare through sound. Ochako had her fists clenched tight. Izuku was preparing for a Dragon Shot, ready to fire the second he saw the fallen.
Ibara looked around as her friends continued trying to find the enemy. She too, was feeling a bit scared that none of them knew where she went. With the element of surprise in Raynare's control, there was no telling where she could strike. There was a small light coming out of the corner of her eye. It was faint, but it was enough for her to take notice. Looking up at the perch above them, she noticed the light slowly growing brighter. And then it happened. The flash shot from the perch and blasted straight toward Izuku.
"Izuku!" Ibara shouted as she pushed Izuku. He stumbled and turned only to watch in horror as Ibara took the shot in his place. Time seemed to slow down as the beam of light pierced through Ibara's chest. His eyes widened as blood burst out of the wound and the girl collapsed to the ground.
"IBARA!"
"Oh, too bad," Raynare said, condescendingly. With the element of surprise gone, she descended from her perch and glided to the ground. She smiled cruelly as she watched. Izuku was cradling Ibara as the blood rushed out of her wound deeply. She was breathing hard as she desperately clung to what little breath she had left. "That's a good look for someone as pathetic as you," she said. "I had considered going after the traitor, but you just piss me off more. So sad about Ibara, but if I can't have the Twilight Healing then there's no way I'm letting anyone else take it from me."
Momo growled, "Why you!" A bolt of lightning shot out of Momo's hand, coming dangerously close to striking Raynare had she not taken to the air.
"Hold on Ibara! Just hold on! Stay with me!" Izuku desperately screamed.
"Izuku…san…" Ibara gasped softly, tears in her eyes.
"Try not to talk!" Ochako said, kneeling next to her.
"Just use Twilight Healing and heal yourself!" Kyoka asked, trying her best not to lose consciousness from the sight.
"I…I can't…" She was too weak and losing blood. She was fading fast.
"Then just save your strength!" Momo said, kneeling and creating a med-kit. "We'll save you!"
"Save her? Ha!" Raynare laughed, a spear of light in hand. "How pathetic. You can't save her once you're all dead!"
*BANG! BANG!*
Raynare screamed as two bullets knocked the light spear out of her hand. "Kids! You all right?!"
Izuku turned to see Kunikida running toward them. "Kunikida-san! Ibara's hurt!"
Kunikida ran toward Ibara's side, nearly gagging at the sight of the gaping hole in her chest. "This is bad…" He silently cursed himself for not getting here sooner. "We need to stabilize her. But one of us needs to deal with that fallen angel."
Izuku, glaring at Raynare, stood up. "I'll do it."
"Wha- You can't!" Ochako said. "She'll kill you!"
"Maybe, but it'll give you guys time to get away and help Ibara." Saying nothing else, Izuku began walking towards Raynare.
"Be careful, kid. And good luck," said Kunikida.
The fallen angel had moved a few meters back, clenching her hand in pain. "Damnit, Freed! You couldn't deal with three fucking devils and their fucking friends?!" She then noticed that Izuku was walking toward her. "Oh, what's this? Does the little devil boy want to play?" Without hesitating, Raynare created another spear and threw it at Izuku.
"Promotion: Rook!" Immediately, Izuku felt a twinge in his chest as the Evil Piece responded to his command. He felt his body grow denser. The spear of light bounced off of Izuku's body, shattering in the process. Though it did leave a pretty bad gash on Izuku's side.
"So you're a Pawn," Raynare hissed.
"I may be a Pawn," Izuku growled, his Sacred Gear glowing green. "But that won't stop me from beating you!"
[Boost!]
Raynare smirked. "Please, don't get yourself worked up. There's nothing a shitty low-class devil like you that can-"
[Boost!]
Raynare's smirk disappeared, her eyes widening.
Izuku's entire body began to glow green. "I don't care what you say!"
[Boost!]
"I'm not going to let you hurt me, Ibara, or anyone else ever again!"
[Dragon Force!]
Both Izuku and his Sacred Gear changed. The bracer transformed into a clawed gauntlet with 2 golden spikes. Red scales now covered Izuku's right arm, the sides of his face, and his back, where two leathery wings emerged alongside his devil wings, giving him a more draconic look.
Raynare began to tremble. "That's… impossible! His Sacred Gear shouldn't be capable of any of this! It's just a Twice Critical!"
Terrified, Raynare tried to flee, but Izuku, with far more speed than a Rook should have, caught up to her. Grabbing her by the leg, he threw her into the ground. Raynare gagged as Izuku landed near her. As she tried to stand, she saw Izuku approaching her. "N-no! Stay back! Don't touch me!"
Izuku reared his fist back as it glowed with green energy, and then rammed it straight through her stomach. "Dragon… SMASH!" A burst of energy exploded around them as his fist made contact.
"Guah…!" Raynare coughed loudly from the blow. Her body bucked and arched into an awkward angle as she was sent flying. She crashed through the side of the church, landing in the sanctuary.
Izuku followed her into the sanctuary, finding Raynare on the floor, out cold. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. He won.
"Hey, Midoriya! Over here!"
Izuku turned around at the sound of the voice, finding Yuuto, Koneko, and Dazai casually sitting on a few smashed pews.
"Guys! You okay?"
"No biggie," Koneko shrugged, stuffing herself with a pack of gummies she had brought with her.
"Those priests were such disappointments…" Dazai huffed. "Couldn't one of them have used a real gun? By the way, I like your new look, Izuku-kun. Very hero-y."
Izuku checked himself over, now noticing the large leathery wings and scales. "Holy whoa, you're right! Guess I didn't notice until now."
"You're unbelievable," Koneko deadpanned.
"Nice job beating that fallen angel, Midoriya-kun." Yuuto smiled, holding his sword over his shoulder. "It sure was impressive."
"You guys saw that? Why didn't you come help?"
"Buchou told us not to get involved," Yuuto answered.
"Because I believed in you."
Izuku spun around quickly at the sound of Rias' voice. Sure enough, there she was smiling rather proudly at him. "Senpai?!"
"I knew you could do it on your own," Rias smiled, walking over to him and rubbing his hair, "As expected of my cute junior. You definitely pulled your weight."
"H… hai…" Izuku nodded slowly, blushing softly.
"Oh, your Sacred Gear."
Izuku looked at his newly changed Sacred Gear. "Yeah, I don't know what happened. Both it and I just changed."
"Red Dragon…" Rias muttered. "That explains a lot."
Then Izuku remembered, "Ibara!"
Izuku ran over to where he left Ibara and the others. But he didn't get very far as they soon walked into the sanctuary through the hole Izuku made, Shiozaki in Kunikida's arms, her eyes dull and lifeless. "Izu…ku…" she gasped for breath.
"I'm sorry, we did all we could," Kunikida said. "Even if we get her to the nearest hospital, I doubt she'll be able to survive."
Momo covered her mouth, Kyoka doing the same. Ochako was on the verge of tears.
Izuku went wide-eyed. "No… I won't let you die! You saved me, so I'll save you!" He looked desperately at Rias. "Is there a way to save her?"
"There is," Rias nodded quickly. She held up a small red piece in her fingers. "Do you know what this is?"
"That's… a bishop piece," Izuku recognized.
"This is my last one, too," Rias said. "Ibara, for saving my servant I will reward you with a second life. However, you will be reborn as a devil and will have to work under me for all eternity, and you can no longer serve God. Do you accept?"
Ibara looked up at her and nodded weakly, "I want… to stay with… Izuku…"
Rias smiled, "Sir, set her down gently and back away. I need room to perform this ritual." Kunikida nodded before slowly lowering Ibara down on the ground gently and stepping away. Rias knelt down and placed the bishop piece just below her breasts. A magic circle glowed underneath Ibara in a crimson color as the bishop piece also glowed just as brightly. Rias stood up then stood up and began the ritual. "I, Rias Gremory, command by my name to thee, Shiozaki Ibara. To allow thy soul to descend to this Earth again, to become my servant. As your new master, I grant you a new life!" At Rias' command, the magic circle flashed brightly as the bishop piece sank into her body. The magic circle vanished once the ritual was complete. Ibara's eyes slowly blinked as she felt that the pain in her chest was no more. She sat up and removed the wrapping around her chest. There was no hole. It was all solid again.
"The power to bring the near dead back to a healthy state…" Dazai whispered in intrigue. "Looks like Yosano has some competition."
"Izuku-san!" Ibara smiled, leaping up and grabbing the dragon boy in a hug. Izuku happily returned the hug tightly as a small tear of joy rolled down his cheek.
"Ibara," he whispered, "Glad to have you back."
"Awesome…" Kyoka whispered. "Does that only work when someone's about to die?"
"No," Rias answered. "It's mostly done when both participants are healthy and alive."
"That's good to know…" Momo whispered. "I wonder if…" She shook her head, deciding to ask for that later.
"Damn you…" The heartwarming moment was interrupted by Raynare stomping forward, light swirling in her hands, looking absolutely livid. "You just had to turn Ibara into a devil, didn't you? How the fuck can I be beaten by a shitty Twice Critical?!"
"Izuku doesn't have a Twice Critical."
Raynare visibly flinched at what Dazai said. "What?"
"He's right," Rias confirmed. "I understand your confusion since you first saw it in its dormant state, but what Izu-kun has is the Boosted Gear, a mid-tier Longinus. It doubles his power every ten seconds, allowing him to transcend both God and Satan at will."
Izuku, flabbergasted, stared at his Boosted Gear. As did Raynare. "You- You mean this child is the Red Dragon Emperor?!" she took several steps back. "T-that won't matter! You haven't won in the slightest. I still have my comrades to-"
"Your comrades are dead," Rias interrupted coolly.
Raynare's face paled. "What?"
Rias reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out two black feathers, "Recognize these? I'm sure you've seen these feathers from somewhere before."
Raynare began to tremble. "You… you…"
"After you and your friend attacked Izu-kun and Ibara, I got word that a rogue squad of fallen angels was planning to attack this city, so I went and had a chat with your colleagues Dohnaseek and Kalawarner. But then they had the nerve to ridicule my precious servant…" Red and black energy enveloped the two feathers, vaporizing them.
"She… She killed them?!" Izuku gasped.
"Rias-san is the heir of the Duke-level Gremory Clan, which are famous for treating their servants as family, and she's no exception to that," Yuuto explained. "She's hailed as a genius among other young devils for her talent and Power of Destruction, a magical power handed down only to the members of her family. It can obliterate and erase anything it touches and can cause objects to decay. It's how she earned the nickname 'the Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin'."
'What scary names!' Izuku, Momo, Ibara, Ochako, and Kyoka all thought.
Rias then glared at Raynare. "Now, what to do about you?" The fallen angel began to shake and tremble in fear. "I could just simply purge you here and now, but I get the feeling that would be too light." Rias looked at Izuku and Ibara. "Of all of us, she's done the worst to you two. It's only fair that you choose what happens to her now."
"I…I don't want anyone else hurt because of me." Ibara squeaked. "Could… could you please let her go?"
Rias then glanced at Izuku for his answer. "Believe me, I want Raynare to pay for what she did, but if she did this without the other fallen angel's knowledge like you said, then I think it would be best to let them decide what to do with her."
Rias smiled. "Congratulations, Raynare. You're free to go, assuming the other fallen ever want to see you again."
Raynare looked surprised, hopeful, and terrified by what was happening and what would happen to her. When Rias made no further moves, she crawled backward and spread her damaged wings. The female fallen flapped her wings and flew off as fast as she could.
"And there she goes," Dazai commented. "I was really hoping she would be brave enough to commit a double suicide."
"…I think you need a psychiatrist," Izuku and the other teens all sweat-dropped.
"Unless it's a woman, he'll just scare them off," Kunikida muttered, putting away a flip phone. "You kids better leave, too. I just called the police. They'll be here in a few minutes."
Rias nodded, creating a magic circle next to her. "Izu-kun, Ibara, Koneko, Yuuto, let's go."
"Wait, what about us?!" Kyoka asked.
"Don't worry, I'll take you kids somewhere safe," said Dazai.
The three girls nodded. "See you tomorrow?" Ochako said to Izuku.
"Yeah."
The next morning, Izuku was in the Occult Research Club room with Rias drinking a cup of tea with her. Everyone else had yet to arrive. "So how's your injury?" she asked him.
"Great. Shiozaki-san really outdid herself," Izuku told her.
"Right… Ibara's power to heal devils, fallen angels, and perhaps other races is very valuable, so it's easy to see why the fallen angels were after it," Rias nodded, crossing her legs.
"So, I've been wondering," Izuku began twiddling his thumbs. "There are eight pawn pieces on a chessboard, right? Does that mean I'll be expecting more pawns just like me?"
"No. You're my only one," Rias told him.
"Huh?" Izuku blinked.
Rias took a sip of her drink before setting it down. "The amount of Evil Pieces used to turn someone into a devil depends on that person's overall potential. A devil's worth is whether or not they can utilize their powers efficiently. When I revived you, I had one knight, one rook, one bishop, a queen, and eight pawns. Since you used up all eight of my pawn pieces to recruit, I wouldn't have been able to revive you."
"ALL of them?!" Izuku gasped. "I'm worth eight pawns?!"
"That's right, but I didn't understand why until last night," Rias smiled. She leaned in and stroked his cheek gently, his face instantly reacting as it turned red, "I had intended to use my queen piece, but I decided to take the gamble and use my pawns. Now that we know you have the Boosted Gear, that means you can become the Ultimate Pawn, a hero that's never been seen before," her smile widened at the blush on his face. "The Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin and the Red Dragon Emperor make a good match, huh? I'll be rooting for you, got it?"
"R-right," Izuku nodded slowly. Rias smiled before she kissed him on the forehead, "S-senpai?!" Izuku gasped, his face turning into a bright shade of red from the unexpected display of affection.
Rias removed her lips from his forehead and stuck out her tongue playfully, "That's a good luck charm. The U.A. Entrance Exam is a little over five months away, so train hard. Oh, and call me 'Buchou' from now on. I can't show too much affection or else our new member will be jealous fufu…" she giggled as she turned her gaze at the door. Izuku followed her gaze and found a familiar crown of thorns standing there.
"Shiozaki-san?" Izuku saw the newly-turned devil's face was red as she fidgeted with her fingers nervously.
"U-um… it's obvious that Rias-buchou is beautiful, so of course, Izuku-san would be in love with her- No, no, no! I can't be thinking of such things! O Lord, please forgive my sinful heart- OW!" Ibara prayed before feeling a throbbing pain in her head.
Izuku chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "I know how that is, it happened to me once too. How are you adapting?"
"It will take time for me to get used to becoming a devil and I'm sad that I can't pray to God anymore, but I don't have any regrets," Ibara smiled with a pink tint on her cheeks.
"Glad to hear that," Izuku said to her.
"Ibara-chan will be applying for the U.A. Entrance Exam too, so she'll be training with us for the next few months," Rias explained.
"Oh, okay," Izuku replied. "Guess we'll be training together then, Shiozaki-san."
"Y-you can just call me Ibara if that's all right?" Ibara told him, smiling.
"Sure," Izuku smiled. "I was calling you by your name last night, after all."
"Now ain't this cute?"
Looking at the door, Izuku saw Kyoka, Momo, and Ochako standing there. "Oh, you guys made it," Izuku said.
"Thanks for inviting us," said Ochako. She then looked over to Rias. "We never really introduced ourselves. I'm Uraraka Ochako."
"I'm Yaoyorozu Momo."
"Jiro Kyoka."
"I'm Rias Gremory," she said as the three girls sat down. "I take it you're here to check on Ibara?"
"Yeah. We wanted to see if she and Midoriya were okay," Kyoka told her. "And before you ask, we promise not to tell anyone about you guys being devils. Not like they'd believe us…"
Rias giggled. "That's good to know. Since Izu-kun trusted you to help last night, I think I can trust you as well."
"Uh, Rias-san…" Momo hesitantly looked up. "Can I… ask you something? In private?"
"Sure," Rias replied. "You can ask after the party is over."
"Party?"
A door to an adjacent room then opened, where Yuuto wheeled in a trolley holding a cake and various other sweets, with Koneko close behind. "A little cake to welcome our new member," he then noticed the three girls on the sofa. "And guests, it seems."
"By the way, where's Dazai-san and Kunikida-san?" Ochako asked.
"They went back to Yokohama earlier today," Rias answered. "Though Kunikida did leave a note with the ADA's number if we ever need their help. But enough about that." Rias took a glass of soda and held it over her head, "Let's welcome our newest member to the Occult Research Club! Kampai!"
"Kampai!" the others cheered.
As the party continued, Rias suddenly felt a presence watching from out of the window. Turning around, she saw a very exotic bird gazing directly at her. She swallowed hard, recognizing the bird quickly. She stared at the bird until Izuku snapped her out.
"Buchou? What's wrong?"
"Oh, Izu-kun, it's…" she turned back to the window where the bird was, only to find the bird was gone. "It's nothing, Izuku…" she told him with a smile on her face, though the sudden turmoil in her heart spoke otherwise.
Raynare flew as far and as fast as she could. She tried returning to the Underworld but found that Mittelt beat her there. Turns out the brat was a spy sent by Azazel to keep tabs on her and the others. She realized that if she went back to Grigori, she'd be considered a traitor. Hell, she probably already had a bounty on her head by now. Not that surprising, as she both directly disobeyed Azazel's orders and made sure the devils brought the Red Dragon Emperor to their side!
By the time she arrived in Yokohama, a couple of days had passed since her humiliating defeat. She could never face Kokabiel ever again after her massive screwup. The warmonger would surely use her for cannon fodder or target practice if she did. She was on her own, just like before…
Finding an alleyway to rest, Raynare sat down and put away her wings. "Red Dragon Emperor…" she hissed. "Gremory Princess… I swear, I will make you all pay, even if it's the last thing I do!"
"My, what have we here?"
Instinctively, Raynare created a spear of light and aimed it at the voice's source. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"
"Very well," stepping out of the shadows was a man in his early 40s. He was fairly tall and had a slender physique. His eyes seem red and have a strange pattern on their pupils. His medium black hair was swept back, leaving only two bangs to the front on each side. He was wearing a dark-colored open shirt with a loose black tie under a white coat, white pants, and black shoes.
"Who are you?" Raynare demanded.
"Just a back alley doctor," he said with a reassuring smile. "I happened to see you land and thought I could help."
"Help? I don't need your help!" Raynare snapped. "If you're planning to rape me, then forget it!"
"Sorry to disappoint, but I prefer girls under twelve."
Raynare's eye began to twitch. "That's it! I've had a couple of really bad days, and I think I'll take out my frustrations on you!"
The doctor simply smiled and said, "Why don't you try?"
Raynare suddenly began shaking uncontrollably. 'Wha… What?!' she dropped the spear, which shattered upon hitting the ground. Raynare fell to the ground next, frozen in fear. 'My body won't listen. This murderous intent, it's suffocating! It rivals Kokabiel's!' "Who are you!?"
"As I said, a back alley doctor. Well, at least that's what I used to be," he began to walk closer to her. "Now I have a new job, and I'm willing to hire you, Raynare."
The irises in Raynare's fear-stricken eyes shrunk. "How-"
"News travels fast, especially if you have informants in the Underworld," he was now standing directly over her. "It would be such a waste for someone of your talents to be sent to prison, so I'm here to make you a deal. Work for me, or I hand you over to Azazel in body bags. Well?"
Raynare could only nod her head, not having any other choice.
"Excellent!" the killing intent subsided. "Welcome to the Port Mafia." He lent out his hand, which Raynare took.
Ch. 7: Friendly Competition
A few days had passed since the fight against Raynare, and Ibara was adjusting well to her new life as a devil. Like Izuku, she was tasked with handing out pamphlets and flyers, and she managed to get her first contact. Unlike Izuku, due to being a bishop, Ibara was well adapted in magical ability next to Rias.
But Izuku didn't mind. He was just happy he was finally able to use his Boosted Gear. Izuku did tell his mother about his newly developed 'power' to which she spent the whole day hugging her son and crying tears of joy, much to Rias' amusement.
Then there was the case of Ibara's living arrangements. Izuku knew that given her new circumstances she would need somewhere to stay. But he wasn't expecting to see stacks of boxes in front of his apartment, with both Rias and Ibara standing right next to them. Rather than answering what the boxes were for, which she said she would do later, Rias only told him to bring them inside. Fortunately for them, or rather unfortunately for Izuku, the matriarch of the Midoriya household was home.
"Let me get this straight…" Inko said slowly, making sure that she had heard it right the first time, "You want Ibara-chan to board in with us?"
The woman in question was sitting at the dining room table apart from Izuku, Rias, and Ibara, still trying to wrap her head around what was just said. It was one of the last things a mother expected to hear. A pretty girl staying with her teenage son… was one of the many things a boy his age would dream of happening to them. Even Izuku was looking flabbergasted at Rias request. A lovely-looking young girl suddenly staying with them? Something was telling her that a lot more was going to follow very soon.
"I know it's inconvenient but please hear me out," Rias said, playing spokeswoman, "Ibara comes from a small village and she doesn't have any known relatives. After she arrived in the city, Izu-kun was the first and only one who helped her and showed her around, so she mostly feels at ease when she is around him. It would only make sense to be around someone who makes you feel at ease, don't you think so?"
"Well, that is true," Inko nodded, rubbing her chin, "And I can say for a fact that Izuku wouldn't even dream of doing anything shameful to a girl. Still, this is a lot for me to think about."
"In that case," Rias continued, moving in for argument #2, "What would you say if Ibara became your adopted daughter?"
"Adopted…?" Inko blinked, "What do you mean?"
"Ibara trusts Izu-kun greatly so," Rias explained, "While it is true that his main problems lie in his social awkwardness, he is also straightforward and confronts any problem without hesitation. I, as well as Ibara, were both charmed by that quality of his."
"T-that's right!" Ibara pipped up timidly, "Izuku-san risked his life for mine without care for his own safety!"
"Is that right…?" Inko hummed, "It certainly sounds like Izuku. But still…"
"Then let me offer you this," Rias replied, laying down her trump card, "We can use the time Ibara lives here as bridal training." The room stayed silent only for a short while as Rias' words sank in.
"H-HAH?!" Inko exclaimed, eyes widening.
"BRIDAL TRAINING?!" Izuku, Inko, and Ibara all gasped, the two teens blushing brightly.
"Think of it this way. If Izuku interacts with Ibara as much as possible, it could make him grow out of his social anxiety shell," Rias reasoned. "And it would give him an easier time to interact with girls his age."
"Those are… some very convincing arguments," Inko responded, calming down from her shock. "Now that I think about it, with Hisashi working so much now, it would be nice to have some extra company. And on that note…" she trailed off as she looked at Ibara. "I wouldn't mind if she bore me grandchildren."
Izuku and Ibara both stared at Inko with wide eyes as her words sank in, "EEHHH!" Rias simply couldn't help but giggle at Inko's statement.
"MOM!" Izuku exclaimed, his head steaming. "PLEASE DON'T JOKE LIKE THAT!"
"Who said I was joking?" Then she smiled brightly, "At any rate, I look forward to you staying with us Ibara-chan. Please take care of my son."
"W… well," Ibara bowed shyly, "I may be inexperienced, but I'll be under your care from now on, Izuku-san's kaa-sama. I hope we get along."
Rias smiled as she watched Inko rub Ibara's head, gushing about how cute and adorable she was as Izuku was facepalming over his mother's antics. Turning to the side, her smile dropped as a weary look appeared in her eyes.
'A bride, huh…?'
The very next day, Izuku and Ibara left home and made their way to school. As expected from what happened the last time, the various boys and girls who were among the crowd to school were staring both oddly and enviously with a hint of suspicion at Izuku and Ibara. Once again, Izuku was walking to school with a very attractive beauty. Izuku did his best to ignore the stares, settling for the company Ibara gave him.
"Hau~…" Ibara whispered nervously, twisting the handle of her schoolbag with both hands. "My first day at a school in years… I'm really nervous about this…"
"What was school like back in your old village?" Izuku asked her.
"I don't remember much, just a single small elementary school," Ibara told him. "But after my Twilight Healing was discovered, I was made to stop going to school altogether and given a private tutor. They told me that the Holy Maiden was far too prestigious to learn 'menial lessons'." Izuku could hear some hint of loneliness in her voice as she said it.
Izuku cringed sadly. Ibara really did feel lonely after becoming a Holy Maiden. She was adored and admired, but never loved for the person she was. The fact that she was quickly kicked to the curb after healing a devil only further reinforced the point of how the people there were selfish and ignored the needs of a girl still in her adolescence. "Don't worry. We'll be in neighboring classes along with Kiba-kun, so we'll be there for you."
"Thank you, Izuku-san," Ibara smiled, a light blush on her face.
Later on in the day, Izuku and Ibara were in the Occult Research Club room lounging around with Rias, Yuuto, Koneko, Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako. Even without anything to do, Ibara enjoyed the company. It was warm and welcoming. Quite unlike the loneliness she felt back in her home village. Izuku was sitting on one of the sofas with Ibara right beside him, enjoying the mochi Ochako had brought. Kyoka and Momo were sitting on the couch across from them, enjoying the mochi also. Koneko had gotten hold of the bag and had already eaten half of it, much to Ochako's dismay. Yuuto was sitting in a chair nearby, reading a book. Rias sat at her desk, fulfilling paperwork.
Each of them chatted among themselves, having fun. At least, that was the case until Ibara explained where she'll be staying. "Oh, you're living together now, eh?" Kyoka asked, a sly smile on her face. "So, when can we expect a wedding?"
"J-J-J-Jiro-san!" Izuku stuttered, his whole head glowing red from embarrassment.
Ibara, though equally as embarrassed, silently liked the idea.
Ochako nearly choked, either from trying not to laugh or from a small amount of jealousy she felt. Maybe both.
"Kyoka, please show some respect," Momo hissed.
Kyoka playfully stuck out her tongue and winked in response.
Deciding to change the subject, Rias spoke up. "So Yaoyorozu-san, how's your training coming along?"
"Great," Momo answered. "We're almost done, with plenty of time left until the recommendation tests, so you better keep your end of the deal."
"Of course," Rias said with a smile, "Assuming you finish in time."
Not long after Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako left.
Once they were gone, Ibara spoke up. "Uh, Buchou. What was that deal Yaoyorozu-san talked about?"
Rias sighed. "A pretty bold and unexpected request. She wants to become a devil."
"What?!" Izuku and Ibara gasped.
Yuuto simply chuckled. "Well, that's unexpected to say the very least."
Koneko simply munched on the mochi.
"Why would she want that?" Izuku asked.
"She didn't say, but we made a deal: If she can finish cleaning Dagoba Beach at least a month before the recommendations tests, then I'll make her a devil," Rias then smiled. "But enough about that, here's why we're really here," Rias got up from her desk and pointed at Izuku and Ibara. "It's time we got you two familiars."
"Familiars?" Izuku asked.
"What are they?" Ibara asked.
"Familiars are very essential in devil society. Think of them as sidekicks. They can back you up with various tasks and can assist in battle." Rias snapped her fingers. In a puff of smoke, a small cartoony bat with dark red fur appeared next to her. "This is my familiar, Moka. You actually already met her, Izu-kun."
"I did?" Right as Izuku said that, Moka changed into a young woman wearing a vampire-style outfit. Izuku recognized her right away. "You're that girl who gave me the flyer!"
"And it was a lucky thing you kept the flyer," Rias nodded as Moka turned back into a bat.
"This is Shiro, he's mine," Koneko said, showing a small white kitten in her arms.
"Aw, he's cute!" Ibara cooed at the total adorableness of Koneko's familiar, leaning forward to scratch the feline on the ears. The little cat gave a small purr, enjoying the scratches.
"And this is mine," Izuku looked over at Yuuto, showing a small bird on his forearm.
"So Ibara-san and I are going to get familiars now?" Izuku asked, admiring the bird.
"Well, about that…" Rias was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. "Oh, we have visitors. The door's opened!"
The young devils stood up as the door opened, and stepping into the room was a group led by a girl the same age as Rias. She was slender and a little shorter than Rias. She had short, bob-cut styled hair being held together by a single clip. Her eyes were strangely pinkish and were behind a set of red glasses with oval frames that gave her a cute and professional look.
Next to her was a slender woman with split bangs, long black hair that freely fell to her knees, and blue rectangular glasses behind heterochromatic eyes, the left being violet and the other one brown. The rest of the teens behind them consisted of five girls and one boy, some wearing U.A. uniforms. "Sorry to interrupt," the bob-cut greeted the group with a small smile.
"Who are they?" Ibara whispered.
"They're mostly U.A. students currently running for positions in the Student Council," Yuuto answered, having overheard. "The one in front is Shitori Sona and the other one next to her is Shinra Tsubaki."
Rias then smiled at Sona. "Good to see you again, Sona," Rias greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you on increasing the number of your servants," Sona replied. She then smiled slyly. "It took you long enough."
"Wait, how does she know?" Izuku asked.
"Because her real name is Sona Sitri," Yuuto told them. "And just like Buchou, she's a high-class devil and next in line to lead the House of Sitri."
"Huh? So then, other students at U.A. are devils just like us?" Izuku blinked.
"It's pretty surprising you haven't told the newbie about us, Buchou," the sole male of the Sitri group said. He was somewhat average-looking with gray eyes and shaggy light brown hair. He wasn't wearing a school uniform. "But if you can't trust him with inside info then I guess he isn't worth much."
"It's considered bad form for devils from other households to interfere with one another, Saji," Sona reprimanded him, causing Saji to look at her in surprise, "It isn't all that surprising that Rias hasn't told him anything about us yet. And that's the point of this visit anyway." Sona then turned to the others. "This is Saji Genshirou, my second and newest Pawn," Sona introduced, smiling.
"This is Midoriya Izuku, my new Pawn. And this is my second Bishop, Shiozaki Ibara," Rias smiled, gesturing at the two of them.
"Um, I'm pleased to you," Ibara bowed, "I hope we'll get along."
"Sure! I'm all for it! Let's be great friends!" Saji greeted back with a friendly tone as he shook her hand. Izuku was slightly unsettled by Saji's forwardness. He simply let it slide as he introduced himself next.
"Pleased to meet you, Saji-kun. I'm looking forward to working with another Pawn," Izuku smiled, extending his hand.
Saji, on the other hand, snorted as he cooly smirked at Izuku. "Yeah, yeah, sure," he scoffed arrogantly. "Dude, you might be nice and all, but you're nowhere on my level. I took up four Pawns on my own!" the braggart continued after a breath for dramatic effect, "Maybe someday you'll be able to meet me on equal footing and we'll see who's the better Servant."
"Midoriya took up eight pieces. It's always better to get your facts straight before you make a complete fool of yourself," Sona quickly spoke.
Saji's eyes widened at Izuku's Evil Piece worth, "What? Eight pieces? This guy? How did he manage that?!"
"My apologies for my Pawn's naivety," Sona told them. "He's young and eager, but he still has a lot to learn and needs to appreciate the finer points of civility."
"Y-yeah," Saji frowned apologetically as he rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry about that."
"It's okay," Izuku said.
"That reminds me, you're planning on getting your two recruits familiars soon, right?" Sona asked Rias.
"Yes, what of it?" Rias asked.
"Then it looks like we've got ourselves a deadlock," Sona frowned worriedly. "I planned on getting Saji a familiar for him around the same time. And only one of us can enter the Forest of Familiars."
"In that case," Rias smiled, "How about a friendly little contest to sort this whole thing out."
"A contest?" Sona repeated, looking surprised.
"Whoever wins earns the right to find a familiar first," Rias challenged, "Does that sound fair?"
Sona arched an eyebrow, "Surely you aren't talking about a Rating Game."
Rias chuckled humorously, "Oh, no. We'd never get permission to do something like that."
Sona gave a relaxed smile, "You have a point about that. Besides, this isn't the time to call attention to yourself, now is it?"
Rias suddenly frowned as her eyes flashed slightly. "Don't go there." Izuku looked at Rias worriedly at the sudden unpleasant look on her face. His worries were eased somewhat as she gave a smile, "I know, let's settle this the old-fashioned high school way with sports."
"Oh? Sounds interesting. I'm game," Sona smiled back. From the way the presidents were looking at each other, sparks seemed to fly between them.
"Uh, Yuuto-kun," Izuku whispered. "Is this going to be okay?"
"Don't worry so much," Yuuto answered with a smile. "Buchou and Sona-senpai are childhood friends and they've been competing with each other since they were in diapers. They always challenge each other when they get the chance."
"Healthy competition? If you say so…" Izuku nodded.
The sun was shining brightly the very next day, a perfect day for a tennis match. Saji and a few of the other girls from the Student Council were cheering on Sona as they stood on one end of the caged tennis court, while Izuku, Ibara, and Yuuto rooted for Rias as they stood on the other end. The two girls had rackets at the sides and were dressed in white sleeveless shirts with mini-skirts that gave a small peep show as the wind blew in the air, not that they seemed to mind as they focused on the match at hand.
Izuku sat on the front bleachers close to the match when his phone rang. He'd received a text from Ochako.
Uraraka: Hey! We're in the clubroom. Where are you guys?
Izuku chuckled nervously, realizing he and Ibara forgot to tell them about the tennis match.
Midoriya: We're at a tennis club in town. Buchou is having a match with a friend.
Jiro: Whoa! Seriously!? Right now?!
Kyoka suddenly jumped in. Followed by Momo.
Yaoyorozu: Can we come watch?
"Sona, I'm in it to win it," Rias said to her friend, dribbling the tennis ball. "So don't expect me to go easy."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. May the best devil win," Sona smirked, the flames of challenge in her eyes.
Izuku sweat-dropped as he sent a reply.
Midoriya: Sure, I'll send the address. But you might want to hurry.
Rias served up the ball into the air and struck it forward. Quickly, Sona received the ball and returned it. The two young women batted the ball intensely, defending their sides and trying to get it over the other court. With how they were moving, their skirts were getting dragged in the air, flashing their bright white panties.
"Holy whoa, those two are into it," Izuku said, watching the game play out. "They're bouncing that ball like crazy."
Yuuto nodded in agreement. "I've never seen Buchou get so into a contest like this before," he said.
"Is it just me, or is this starting to get a bit out of hand?" Koneko questioned rhetorically.
"I… think you may be right," said Ibara.
Back on the court, Sona smiled confidently as she twirled the ball in her hand, "This game is starting to get repetitive, so how about we make things interesting?" She threw the ball up into the air as she reared back her racket, the tool glowing in dim blue energy. "Eat this! Sitri Spin Attack!" She slammed the ball against the racket and the now-glowing orb zoomed across the stage.
"Oh really? Can you handle the Gremory Counter-Strike?" Rias dared. She reared back her racket as the ball approached her. To her surprise, the ball suddenly changed trajectory before she could make a counter, causing her to miss completely, "Whoah!"
"One point to Sona-san!" A brown-haired girl with twin pigtails and green eyes, Nimura Ruruko, Sona's other Pawn, serving as the referee announced.
"No way! She's using magic!?" Izuku gasped.
"Haha! Suck on that, Midoriya!" Saji laughed, waving a flag with the words 'Student Council' written on it.
Izuku sweatdropped upon seeing the display. "I thought only a few were U.A. students, let alone running the student council…"
"Didn't they agree not to use magic?" Ibara asked.
"I don't think that's gonna stop them," Koneko sighed.
"So much for rules, huh?" Yuuto shrugged, shaking his head.
"Well, Sona, you can cheat all you want to, but in the end, it won't make a bit of a difference," Rias smirked. "You want a magic show? I've got a few tricks myself," she boasted with a dramatic pose.
"Do your worst, Rias. Do you think I'm afraid of you? Bring it on!" Sona shot back, pointing her racket in an equally dramatic stance.
And so, the high-octane tennis battle between Gremory and Sitri raged on throughout the afternoon, until…
"It's too bad. With the rackets destroyed we had no choice but to end it there," Rias frowned, looking at the broken racket in her hand. She sighed as she carelessly dropped it.
"But you won, didn't you?" Ibara asked, tilting her head.
Nearby, Momo, Ochako, and Kyoka were being given the play-by-back of the match by Izuku. Kyoka especially seemed disappointed, though Momo suspected she was disappointed to not see Rias in a tennis outfit.
After the match, the Occult Research Club returned to the clubroom to plan out what to do next. The sun had already set and the candles lit up the room. "I may have won, but only technically. But I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth now, can I? We'll head out for the Forest of Familiars tomorrow."
"So uh, what is the Forest of Familiars?" Izuku asked.
"The Forest of Familiars is where new devils can find a familiar for themselves," Rias told him. "The main problem is that it only appears during the night of the full moon and only one devil peerage can go there at a time. That's what the contest was about."
The next day, Rias conjured one of her magic circles, and the club room was filled with gentle white light rather than the usual warm red. All devils present filed through, leaving the human world behind.
The group of young devils found themselves in a dark forest. The sky was reflective of the underworld's bizarre night cycle, being a bluish-purple than the black of the human world. As a result, their surroundings were more of a purple shadow than anything else, though it didn't matter to them as devils possessed above-normal night vision.
At some unspoken signal, Rias, Koneko, and Kiba summoned their familiars; the familiars in question nodded to their summoners before scampering off to who knew where. "Where are they going?" Ibara asked.
"It's tradition," Rias explained as Moka simply flew up to the branch above them, where she slept upside down. "While they spend their time with us in the human world, when we return for any time it's expected to let them have time off, so to speak. This is their home after all." Kiba's hawk flew off, while Koneko's white kitten climbed up a tree and disappeared from sight.
"This place sure is spooky," Izuku commented. It kinda looked like the setting of a horror movie.
"AHOY THERE!" An obnoxiously eager voice called from above and behind. The group turned to find a man standing like an over-eager cub scout on a mission, in a hero pose, up on one of the lower branches of the trees. "WELCOME TO THE FAMILIAR FOREST!"
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Master Zatouji," Rias inclined her head. "You have my thanks for accommodating us tonight."
"No thanks are necessary!" The familiar master leaped down to land in front of them, thankfully for his sake, he was speaking at a volume that didn't grate any of their ears. "Now, how many familiars are we looking for tonight!"
"Two for my new servants."
The man nodded in understanding, "I see. Well then, can I interest you in an adolescent dragon?" The man blurred, and was suddenly next to Izuku, behaving as if the Pawn was a potential familiar. "Good fighting potential, with a Longinus Gear included in the package. Physical condition and performance may be currently pitiful, but with enough time and practice can exceed in all areas. Any takers?"
"Huh?" Izuku and the others stared blankly at the familiar master, somewhat alarmed that he was being described so well, as well as unnerved about apparently being offered like an art piece at an auction. To his dismay, Ibara raised her hand. "I'm not a dragon. What gave you that idea?" Izuku muttered.
"He's right," Rias said, glaring at Ibara as she lowered her hand. "Izu-kun is already one of my precious servants, and he may have a dragon-type Sacred Gear, but he's no dragon."
"Really? I could've sworn…" Zatouji shrugged as he looked Izuku over. "Oh well. Now then, what types of familiars are you looking for? A strong type? A fast type? Or a poison type?"
'I feel like I've seen this somewhere before…' Izuku said to himself. "Uh, I'm not sure. What would you recommend?"
Zatouji smiled at Izuku's question, taking out a catalog from his bag. Flipping through the pages, he stopped and pointed at a drawing of a dragon that took up the whole page. The drawing radiated great ferocity.
"This is what I would recommend! One of the Dragon Kings! Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat! She's a legendary dragon, and also the only female among the Dragon Kings! Even now, there hasn't been a devil who has caught her yet! That would be obvious! Since she's said to be as strong as the Four Satans!"
Izuku flinched upon hearing Tiamat's name. For some reason, the name alone filled him with dread. "N-no thanks, I'm good!"
"Then how about a Hydra?"
As Zatouji explained all the abilities of a Hydra in great detail, particularly how it could easily kill its master, Izuku could only watch in silence. 'Am I ever like this?'
"I just want a familiar that's cute is all," Ibara said, but Zatouji didn't seem to hear.
For about half an hour (which felt like several years), Zatouji led the group through the dimly lit forest, talking about a wide variety of familiars that could easily kill their master. Nothing eventful happened, except for a strange slime that attacked. But the worst it did was… dissolve the girl's clothes, to their embarrassment and the boys' shock. Yuuto, the gentleman he was, looked away the second the slime was dealt with, while Izuku blushed and covered his face, doing his best to ignore the fact he saw the bare breasts of Rias (again), Ibara, and Koneko. Zatouji seemed unfazed by the slime's attack, stating he's seen this sort of thing several times before. He received a punch to the gut from a vengeful Koneko for not warning them.
Once the girls acquired new clothing and Zatouji recovered, the group continued. Eventually, they happened upon a large grass-filled clearing. There, resting on a fallen tree, was a tiny reptilian dragon the size of a kitten. Blue scales, white spikes along its spine, and a triangular head. "It's so cute!" Ibara beamed.
"That is a Sprite Dragon!" said Zatouji.
"Sprite Dragon?" Izuku repeated.
"Yeah, a Sprite Dragon. A baby if I had to guess. Just like its name, it's a dragon that uses blue lightning. If you are going to catch it, now is the time. You would not be able to catch it once it matures. It won't be as strong as a Dragon King, but it's placed in the top-tier normal class for dragons."
"Well, Izu-kun? What do you think?" Rias asked.
Izuku lowers his head in thought. The fact it was a baby meant that it won't kill him right away. Then he noticed that Ibara was eyeing the little drake. Smiling, Izuku said, "I think we should let Ibara catch it."
Ibara looked generally surprised, then smiled. She looked to Rias with pleading eyes. Rias smiled. "Very well," she nodded.
Slowly, Ibara approached the little drake. The Sprite Dragon woke upon hearing Ibara's approach, but it didn't flee. Rather, it looked at her with curiosity. "Uh, hello," she said hesitantly. "Can you understand me?" The little drake nodded before jumping onto her shoulder. "Does this mean you want to be my familiar?" It answered by rubbing its head against hers.
"Now that ain't something you see every day," Zatouji quipped
"…In the name of S-Shiozaki I-Ibara, I order you! Y-You shall become my familiar and respond to my contract!"
At the entrance of the forest, Ibara had opened a green magic circle, the Sprite Dragon sitting in the middle, the contract ceremony between Ibara and the familiar taking place.
Of course, since Ibara is a beginner, Rias was supporting her. But it seemed like the ceremony was progressing very well.
"Normally the Sprite Dragon is a dragon who won't pledge to a devil, but it seems that girl has a very pure heart. Something like this has never happened before, but it seems like the contract ceremony will finish safely." Zatouji said.
"Well, she was a Holy Maiden before becoming a devil, so that might have something to do with it," Yuuto noted.
The light from the magic circle starts to gradually lose its light. Because the contract was finished, the baby dragon flew to Ibara and started to play with her.
"Ahaha! That tickles, Raiku."
Izuku blinked. "Raiku?"
Ibara blushed. "Yes. He is a dragon who uses 'Raikō'* and I also used part of your name, Izuku-san. Is that okay?"
"It's all right," Izuku replied, walking up to them. "It's nice to meet you, Raiku-"
Raiku's body started to glow blue…
*BUZZ! SHOCK!*
"Agaaaaaaaaaaah, Gggggggggga!"
Izuku, black and smoking from the electric attack, collapsed to the ground, to Ibara's shock. "What happened?" he asked.
"I forgot to mention, but male Sprite Dragons hate males from other races," Zatouji said, also burnt black. Behind him, Yuuto was also charred black, doing his best to put on a refreshing smile.
"What a naughty boy, fufu…" Rias giggled.
"I'm afraid that time has run out for today," Zatouji shook off the black. "Apologies for not being able to acquire you a familiar as well."
"It's okay," Izuku muttered, getting up. "I can wait."
"Are you sure?" Rias asked. "I kinda like the idea of you having a Dragon King as a familiar…"
"Buchou, please, just don't."
Two thousand kilometers away in the human world, a lone figure scanned the damaged building she was in. All around her, glass cases were either broken or melted, their contents missing. A couple of cases were still intact, but the items within were missing too. The only things that were left were simple decor and a silver coffin that was chained and bolted to the floor.
"How in the world did this happen?" she said to herself. "There was no sign of any forced entry, and Zelma…" she stopped, taking a moment to mourn the loss of the Sanctum's master.
She walked over to one of the broken cases, noting a small amount of liquid inside. She then noticed something: a single, small strand of black hair.
She smiled. "Not much of a lead, but it is one." Taking the hair in hand, she walked over to one of the few intact pieces on the entire floor: a world map. Making several gestures with her hands, she created a magic circle with fiery energy. She placed the hair in the circle. Sparks from the circle rained down all over the map, but they all mostly disappeared. Except for one that landed on Japan. "Hm. Looks like I'm going home."