The world around seemed frozen in a half-slumber. Kuoh Town had sunk into a deceptive lull. For some, it was a long-awaited respite; for others, a return to dreary routine. And for me, Izayoi Jin… it was both.
Kuoh Academy. A Few Days Later
The school hallways buzzed with their usual, almost serene life. Patches of sunlight danced on the linoleum, filtering through the high windows and illuminating the bustling figures of students. Somewhere, girls laughed brightly, whispering about the latest school news; elsewhere, guys hotly debated yesterday's match. Exams were approaching, and the air was thick with a mix of mild academic panic and the sweet anticipation of summer vacation. Nothing, it seemed, betrayed the recent clashes with demons, mad exorcists, and the shadows of a forgotten past.
I, Izayoi Jin, ambled down the corridor, hands stuffed in my pockets. My light hair was slightly disheveled, and my violet eyes slid detachedly over the faces of my schoolmates. I felt like an outsider at this celebration of life.
'More classes, more of this empty chatter,' it flashed through my mind as I passed a classroom where the teacher was monotonously droning on about something from Heian-era Japanese poetry.
This silence was irritating. It wasn't that I craved blood or destruction, no. I just needed… a jolt. An event, a challenge, something that would force me to use this granted power for something other than swatting away school bullies or crushing boulders in training. I needed a goal worthy of my might, or at least some entertainment capable of scattering this encroaching apathy.
During the break, Hyoudou Issei caught me. He looked more cheerful than usual, though a shadow of the uncertainty left over from the run-in with Freed still lingered in his eyes.
"Hey, Izayoi!" Issei clapped me on the shoulder with an enthusiasm I found slightly tiresome. "How's life? Everything quiet?"
"Too quiet," I grumbled.
"Oh, come on!" Issei grinned his signature simple-minded smile. "Is it so bad that no one's trying to kill us? I, for one, am glad for the break. I'm training, little by little. Buchou says I'm making progress with my Boosted Gear. Soon, I might even be able to take on cooler contracts!"
'Contracts…' I recalled the system: demons granting human wishes in exchange for… something. Rias had offered to let me try, but I'd refused. Too much hassle for trivial matters.
"Good luck with that," I tossed out indifferently.
"Yeah!" Issei didn't seem to notice my lack of interest. "Actually, I've got my first 'serious' summons tonight! Some guy wants me to help him… well, like, deal with a ghost in an old house. Buchou said it's great practice for a rookie like me."
"A ghost?" I raised an eyebrow slightly. "Isn't that a bit banal for a world where fallen angels and dragons roam the streets?"
"Well, Buchou says it's probably just a poltergeist or some residual energy, nothing dangerous," Issei shrugged. "But it's experience! Maybe I'll even meet a cute girl who'll be head-over-heels grateful to her savior!" Issei's eyes glazed over dreamily at the thought of an imaginary beauty. Classic.
I just shook my head. 'Issei's horniness is an incurable diagnosis.' I was about to leave when he added, lowering his voice:
"Listen, you wanna come with me? You know, just as backup? In case it turns out to be something more serious than a ghost?"
"No, thanks," I cut him off. "Handle it yourself. I'm not interested in chasing poltergeists."
"Fine, whatever," Issei pouted slightly but recovered quickly. "I can handle it! You'll see!"
He dashed off, burning with the determination to prove his coolness, and I watched him go. 'Let him try. Maybe he'll learn something. Or get his ass kicked. That's also experience.'
...
In the old club building, the usual, special atmosphere hung in the air. Rias Gremory, my "temporary ally" and incidentally one of the most beautiful girls in school, was elegantly settled in her chair, sorting through some papers—likely new contract requests. Akeno Himejima, her loyal Queen with a priestess's smile and a sadist's tendencies, poured tea with an enigmatic look. Her movements were fluid and graceful, her ample chest swaying provocatively under her uniform. Kiba Yuuto, the local handsome Knight, stood by the window, gazing thoughtfully at the schoolyard, his light hair softly framing his face. Koneko Toujou, the petite Rook with the strength of a giant, sat curled up on the sofa, engrossed in a manga, occasionally popping a piece of chocolate cookie into her mouth. A typical club idyll.
I entered without knocking, habitually scanning the room. I wasn't a club member, but my presence here no longer surprised anyone. I was something of a… freelance cannon. A force that might show up if the situation became "interesting" enough.
"Oh, Izayoi," Rias looked up, her blue-green eyes meeting my violet ones. "Stopped by to visit? It's quiet today."
"Meaning we can relax?" I smirked.
"Not entirely," Akeno interjected, placing a cup of steaming tea in front of me. Her smile was soft, but the familiar sparks danced in her eyes. "Ara-ara, Izayoi-kun, surely you haven't forgotten what world we live in? A lull is often just the calm before the storm."
Kiba nodded, turning from the window.
"Akeno-senpai is right. We need to stay on alert. Especially since strange spikes of… holy energy... have been detected in the city recently. Not very strong, but unusual for our territory."
"Holy energy?" I repeated. That caught my attention. I remembered the unpleasant burning sensation from Freed's "holy" weapon. "Exorcists?"
"Possibly," Rias frowned, her beautiful eyebrows knitting. "But the signature is weak. Maybe someone from the Church is conducting secret purification rituals… or it's something else. We're observing for now."
Koneko, without looking up from her manga, murmured quietly:
"Fallen angels also dabble in fake holy power sometimes."
"True," Rias agreed. "After the incident with Freed, I can't rule out that other agents of the fallen, or even renegades from the Church, might have remained in the city."
"Issei-kun went out on his first contract today," Akeno changed the subject, smiling slyly. "I hope he doesn't mess things up."
"He went alone?" Kiba asked with a hint of concern.
"Yes, Rias decided it was time for him to learn some independence," Akeno replied. "The job is trivial; it's unlikely anything will happen."
I said nothing. I didn't much care whether Issei succeeded or not. And the club's business was of little concern to me. But the mention of holy energy and fallen angels stuck in my head. Something about it was… familiar. And definitely unpleasant.
...
I left the club before the others. I couldn't sit still. The feeling of encroaching boredom was mixing with a vague anxiety sparked by the talk of holy energy. I decided to take a walk, striding aimlessly through the streets as they sank into the evening twilight.
I wandered past parks and residential areas until I found myself on the outskirts, in a district where old, abandoned buildings neighbored quiet private homes. The air here was cooler, smelling of damp and decaying leaves. It was here, if Issei was to be believed, that the "haunted house" was located.
'I wonder how he's doing?' a fleeting thought crossed my mind. I hadn't planned on checking, but my feet were carrying me in that direction on their own. Coincidence? Unlikely. Something was pulling me to this place. Perhaps that very "holy energy" they mentioned in the club?
I turned onto a quiet street leading to a hill, topped by the silhouette of an old, dilapidated church. Not the one where Issei was supposed to be doing his contract, but still… A church. A haven of holy power.
And then I felt it. A sharp, unpleasant spike of energy. Not as powerful as Freed's, but distinctly… hostile. And nearby—another spike, weak, but pure, filled with light and… warmth? A strange, contradictory combination.
'What the hell?' I stopped, listening with my superhuman senses. I caught the sounds of a struggle somewhere nearby. Not here, at the church, but slightly lower, closer to the area Issei had trudged off to.
I changed direction instantly. Not out of a desire to save Issei, probably. More out of curiosity and rising irritation. Someone was once again disturbing this city's fragile peace. And if it was fallen angels, they might just be "interesting" enough opponents to chase away my gloom.
I quickened my pace, breaking into a run. My speed was such that to a normal eye, I was just a blur. I tore through the alleys, vaulting fences, cutting corners. The sounds of the fight grew louder: the clang of something like metal, muffled cries, a vicious hissing…
And there I was. A small, two-story house, clearly abandoned. The windows gaped like empty sockets; the door hung on one hinge. And in front of the house—a familiar, almost comically predictable scene.
Hyoudou Issei, his Boosted Gear glowing faintly on his arm, was desperately fending off… a woman. A beautiful woman with long blue-black hair and… blue-black wings flapping behind her. A fallen angel. A spear of light, exactly like the one that guy used on me, blazed in her hand.
"Die, worthless demon!" the woman hissed, her eyes flashing. "Your power will be mine!"
Issei was retreating, his defense cracking under the assault. He was wounded—a burn from the holy energy reddened his shoulder. He tried to counter-attack, shouting "Boost!" hoarsely, but his boost clearly wasn't enough against an experienced opponent.
"Dammit… Buchou…" he whispered, realizing he was in deep trouble.
The woman reared back for a final blow. The spear of light flared blindingly.
I froze at the edge of the street, observing. Part of me wanted to turn and leave—this was Issei's problem. But the other part… the part that craved action, the part that despised boredom, the part... that valued its friendship with this idiot... it saw an opponent. And that strange, pure energy I'd sensed earlier… it was coming from somewhere behind the house.
'Curious,' it flashed through my mind. 'I suppose I should intervene. If only to figure out what the hell is going on here.'
I didn't shout or give a warning. I just took a step forward, my figure emerging from the alley's shadow. The fallen angel, already raising her spear over the defeated Issei, spun around sharply, sensing a new, incredibly powerful aura. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"And who are you?.." she hissed, instinctively taking a step back from Issei.