Not Playing With A Full Deck (Highschool DxD/Fate),AU SI

[Xanothos]

Not Playing With A Full Deck
Draw For Turn 2.10​

Rias Gremory

Rias raised her brows. She hadn't been expecting that request. She regarded their eccentric English teacher, and said, "I have no issue with such a request, as long as Kiba and Koneko are willing, of course."

"…Don't mind. Might be fun." Her adorable Rook replied emotionlessly. Her Knight offered his agreement with a smile that held a tinge of competitiveness.

Rias smiled, then stood. "Well, there's a place behind the building that you three could practice. If you'll follow me?"


Johan Blair

Once we'd arrived at the clearing where we'd be sparring, I asked if it was alright for me to ask Asia to come here in case of injuries. Rias had no objections, so I texted Freed.

During the half hour it took for the excommunicated duo to arrive, Isaiah, Shirone, and I all did some stretches. Once they arrived, Isaiah stepped forwards, a bokken created by Sword Birth in his hand.

I flipped Onyx so that his sheath pointed at Isaiah in a fencing-style grip. At Rias' signal, he darted towards me.

The Runic arrays on my clothes flashed to life even as I poured Prana into Reinforcement. I met his first blow with the back of my cane, my left hand supporting the block. Over the next few seconds, our weapons clashed no less than five times as we blurred back and forth.

Isaiah's skill with a blade was art in motion; truly, the Knight of the Lucifer had taught him well. However, Hassan hadn't held back on my own instruction in the slightest. While my own bladework was certainly of lesser quality than my foe's, and his speed exceeded mine by a fair margin, the force of my blows were at least twice Isaiah's.

After a few more clashes, Isaiah blurred backwards. We were both breathing heavily, and had each taken some hits. I had a peppering of at least a dozen bruises on my torso, individually minor irritants, but they added up to a carpet of soreness that made breathing a bit harder.

My opponent, however, had only taken two hits, but they were much more solid hits than the ones he'd inflicted on me. The first was a savage stroke to his left leg, which based on how it was shaking, made it harder for him to keep up his speed. The second had been a thrust for his solar plexus, but he'd managed to deflect it enough that it hit his lower ribs instead. Judging by the noise that I'd heard when I'd connected, a rib was probably cracked.

Overall, though we were both battered, Isaiah was in rather worse shape than me. The Knight of Gremory acknowledged this by pointing his bokken downward.
"It's my loss, teacher." Isaiah said with a weary smile.
"However!" Here his grin became a smirk. "If you think that you'll beat Koneko the way you beat me…" The Knight trailed off, the implication of his words clear: his Peer wouldn't be felled by the level of strength I possessed.

I was well aware of that fact; truthfully the Rook was the opponent I was more wary of. In gaming terms, I was a Glass Cannon/Pure Aggro build, while she was an Agile Tank build. Her Rook durability and nekoshou agility made her a potent foe for me, even though she refused to touch the yokai abilities she could use.

After both Isaiah and I had our wounds healed by Asia, Shirone and I stood opposite each other. The petite Rook raised a brow when I tossed Onyx aside, pulled my heavily Runes gloves on, and took a loose aikido stance, but she did not react more than that.

Neither of us moved immediately when Rias started the spar, instead sizing each other up. I shuffled forward slowly, remaining just outside of the white-haired bruiser's immediate reach, then began to circle.

She tracked me with her eyes, and as I reached a position to her side, her hand blurred out in a vicious jab at my chin. Thankfully, my Thought Acceleration, which I had running practically perpetually, allowed me to react in time when combined with instinct and my own fortifications.

My hand came up and enveloped her tiny wrist, reminding me that, in spite of her extreme durability and skill, the girl was still just that: a girl, just barely in her teens. Nonetheless, I knew that it would be an insult to her as a person, a martial artist, and a student to not give her my best (nonlethal) efforts.

With that in mind, I yanked her off her feet and spun her over my head. The expression on her face as I slung her through the air reminded me nothing so much as a startled cat, fittingly enough. At the apex of my spin, I slammed the tiny bruiser into the ground with enough force to cause a dent in the ground. Her breath exploded from her lungs on impact, and she was clearly stunned in spite of her impressive durability.

The white-haired Rook regain her senses in a few scant moments, but those moments were a sufficient amount of time for me to position myself for a debilitating strike. Even as she flipped to her feet, my hand crashed into her abdomen, releasing a burst of Prana from the Runes on the palm of my glove. She doubled over, then sank to her knees, the foreign energy doing its duty disrupting her nervous system. At that point, Rias called the match, as Shirone remained incapacitated for more than five seconds.

After Asia healed Shirone, and I thanked Rias and her Peerage, Freed, Asia, and I all left the school campus. The two lovebirds-in-denial parted ways with me a short distance from my house, and I returned in short order. Once again, both Onyx and I failed to detect the two pairs of golden eyes that watched us intently, one with curiosity, the other with amused anticipation.

AN: Well, there's the spars! I hope you all enjoyed them, and that Johan's performance didn't strain your suspension of disbelief. Now, some basic statistics, to show how Johan's speed, strength, and durability match up with Isaiah/Kiba and Shirone/Koneko. These numbers are not indicative of anything aside from providing a scale.

Isaiah
Speed: 300
Durability: 100
Strength: 100

Shirone
Speed: 200
Durability:225
Strength:225

Johan (Fortified)
Speed: 200
Durability:200
Strength:200

In short, he's stronger and more durable than Kiba, but slower. He's about as fast as Koneko, but a bit weaker and less durable. However, aikido is a counter-based style, and he had a few tricks up his glove, so he managed to defeat her as well.
Well, the rather lengthy explanation aside, I once again thank Mecraphone for assisting me, and I encourage you all to leave a review. Enjoy!

 

[Xanothos]

Not Playing With A Full Deck
Draw For Turn 2.11​

When I woke the next morning, Onyx floated over to me and said, [You have a visitor, one Perverted Dragon.]
I made a face. "Yeesh! I haven't even had breakfast yet, why's the kid here so early?"
In spite of my grumbling, I quickly dressed myself and let Issei in. I'd given him my address, in case more trouble came calling, but I had a feeling that this wasn't the sort of trouble I'd had in mind.

I offered Issei a bagel, which he declined, so I asked him what he needed.
"Well… I'm considering asking Rias to take me into her Peerage. I wanted to ask your opinion on that."

I rested my chin on my hand, and exhaled. "Well, I suppose I shall be frank; your best shot at surviving long term that I can see is to join with her. However, if you do so, you will not be permitted to enter Heaven upon death should you perish. Granted, Devils have incredible lifespans, but you'd be sacrificing the opportunity to earn Eternity."

Issei winced. "I… didn't think of that. I'm unsure what I should do…"
I tented my hands. "Well, you could always do what I did: ensure that you have an amicable relationship with the Gremory and Sitri groups, but remain independent. It may seem a bit… indecisive, but I believe it is best to not rush into decisions like these."

Issei nodded. "Umm… can you help me unlock my Sacred Gear, Mr Blair?"
"I can offer you what advice I've heard offered to other Gear holders: Sacred Gears respond to the will and emotions of their bearers. Now, do as I say."

Issei nodded. "First, close your eyes. Look within yourself, and think of the most powerful image you can imagine. Allow that image to engulf your very being. I'm told that taking a stance an help."

Issei did as he was asked, and thrust his arm skyward. "My Gear will be the one that creates the Heavens!" He shouted, causing me to choke on my bagel. To my shock and amusement, Red energy spiraled around his hand, eventually solidifying into a crimson gauntlet studded with green gems.

Interestingly enough, it was neither the dormant 'Twice Critical' bracer nor the fully awakened 'Boosted Gear' clawed gauntlet. Instead, it seemed to be a sort of fingerless glove style gauntlet. The deep voice of Ddraig called out from the largest gem. {Boosted Gear-Incomplete Manifestation!}

The both of us could only gape at the declaration.





3ͬ̈́ͩ͐͘͢҉̮̻̯̗̥͚̗̗̩|̧̲̩̜͙̤̯ͧ̋ͨͭ͜)̖͕͖͍͖͚̌̌̒̓ͪ̈́̽͐̐ͯ͆̄̿̌̀͠͠m̴̸̧̻̩̝̤̤͇̳͈͎̣͔͈͐̈́ͫ̆ͥͬͭ̈́̇̽̂̐ͪͬͭ͛̆͐̚͘͢ͅ0̷̢̧̡͍̠̯̙̀̎ͪ̆̇̊̊͗_ͨͦ̒͑͗̑̏ͮ̈́ͫ̈́̓̋ͩ҉̦̤̤̯̤̦̩̜͚̥̠͇̻͞|̴̶̰̣̜͔̱͕̩̫̓͊ͯ͑̎̔ͮ͊̊͞͠͞)̷̭̫̭̮̳͖̪̳̩̊̾͛̌̂ͧ̆̔ͯ͑ͪ̉̾ͯ́ͩ͂̒͋́̕͜͟ ̜̺̪̰̠̦̙ͨ͗̄ͩ̍ͩ̃̐̎̉̓̆̏ͪͮ̓̄́̚͟͟|̴̶̵̶͔͉͕̲̐͑͂̈ͯ̏́͆)̹͖̜̘̦̝̗̠͔̜̎̽ͥ̆͛̽ͭ́ͫͣͦ́́͟͞ͅ4̸̝͓̖͖̳̣̣͍̯͔͉̤̦̫̫̻͂ͣͩ̓̋̀͞n̷̨ͧ͑̇̅̂ͩ̄̓ͣ͂ͬͤ͂̄̊̌̇̅̄͢҉̤̩̺̺̲͔͙̼̮̗͟ͅ_̡͚̪̰͚͖̮̩̤͔̦̖̮̠̘͇̞̻ͩ̉̉ͩ͆̉͑̃̈́̀ͬ͟3̴̴͚͔̮̩̟͕͈͎̲̤̬̻̟̣̫͙̯͋ͫ̊̓_̸ͩ͗ͭ͐̓̈́̈̈́̚͟͝҉̶̦̬̪̳̹̪͓̣ PoV




I watched as the dragon-child addressed the medium. I listened as the medium dispensed wisdom, advised caution. He was wise, that bearer of spirits, but his wisdom dictated that he gain strength before he risked himself.
As such, I took it upon myself to hunt the beasts that were drawn to this town, these 'Stray Devils'. The medium had set out his paper dolls to find me, but few can evade as I can.
Speaking of which, it was about time for my hunt.

I crouched in the rafters of an old building, looming over another unsuspecting creature. I activated my power and dropped down, the World still and grey around me. My corrosive flames of grudge engulfed the lanky monster, and I perceived the World's motion once more, just in time to hear the Stray's howl of agony.

I grinned savagely, only to freeze as I saw a flickering paper figure out of the corner of my eye. I burnt the Shikigami to ash, but I knew the damage was done: the medium would be coming for me. The question was, would he be willing to welcome one such as I? Would he accept an Avenger?!

AN: So, you get to know the identity of one of the mysterious watchers (or his/her Class, at least.) I apologize for not getting this out last night; I was at Friday Night Magic. This time, my UB Ingest Deck got me a win, a loss, and a draw. It was pretty fun, all the same.
On that note, is there anyone willing to beta for an upcoming Planeswalker SI that I'm planning on writing? Mecraphone doesn't have any experience with MTG, apparently, and I'd like someone with either knowledge of the lore or experience with another Planeswalker SI (looking at you Grey Rook).
If so, please let me know! As always, enjoy!

CM: Good to see another chapter up and about and yah, my experience with MTG is limited to a childhood trauma involving A-hole siblings and believing that the creepy monsters in the card would come to life.
Good times.

Xanothos: That sounds like my average Tuesday. But then, my life lacks any semblance of sanity.

 

[Xanothos]

Not Playing With A Full Deck
Draw For Turn 2.12​

I sat at my workdesk, contemplating the information one of my shikigami had just transmitted to me. I now knew the identity of the being that had been hunting Stay Devils in Kuoh: a Heroic Spirit, the Avenger Class Edmond Dantes.

His clothing was unmistakable, as was his utilization of his Noble Phantasm, Enfer Château d'If. He seemed to just appear and vanish, but I knew from reading up on Fate/Grand Order's lore that it was not teleportation or time manipulation; rather, it was an expression of his ability to escape any prison, even an abstract confine like space-time.

Naturally, this both intrigued and alarmed me. Intrigued, because that ability was nuts, plain and simple. Alarmed, because I hadn't the foggiest idea as to what his disposition was. To be fair, there wasn't any evidence that he was killing anyone or anything other than Strays, but he was still an Avenger Class. All of the other members of his Class… weren't exactly the most stable of people.

Regardless, this discovery meant that I would need to meet with Sona and Rias as soon as possible, so I dialed the number that the bespectacled King had given me for just this sort of occasion.

Sona Sitri

Sona's cell rang, drawing her attention from the report she was writing to her sister. Upon seeing that it was Mr. Blair, she answered promptly. "How may I help you, Mr. Blair?"

"Ah…Miss Sitri. Could you and Miss Gremory come to my home? I have discovered the identity of our mystery Stray hunter, and the results are… troubling. I must discuss this with both of you, and possibly call upon your Peerages for aid."

He sounded quite concerned, Sona noted with some trepidation. "We will be over momentarily." She snapped her phone shut with nary a word, and texted Rias. The crimson-haired Heiress appeared in her office a few moments later, and the two Kings of Kuoh vanished in two Magic Circles.

Johan Blair

Rias and Sona appeared in my foyer, where I was waiting for them. Without preamble, I spoke. "The being that has been hunting Strays is a Heroic Spirit. This normally wouldn't trouble me nearly as much as it is, were it not for one thing. The Spirit is of an Irregular Class: Avenger."
I began to pace. "Overall, Avenger Class Spirits are rare. The only ones I know of are a personification of all mankind's evils, a version of Jeanne D'Arc that had her virtue inverted into hatred, the headless horseman, and the one in question: Edmond Dantes, the Count of Monte Cristo."

I ceased wearing a trench in my front carpet and faced my students, hands clasped behind my back. "Frankly, I have no clue what his disposition is, nor do I know more than a trite bit about his abilities. However, I do know this: he has an ability that allows him to escape any prison, including the shackles of space and time. In other words, he can move between moments as though he has enacted a universal time-stop."

The way Rias and Sona's faces paled would have been comedic if I weren't as worried as they.

AN: So, I apologize for my lack of updates the past few days. As those following me on Sufficient Velocity know, life has been conspiring to make the week leading up to my birthday as difficult as possible; migraines, schedule mess-ups, exhaustion…you name it, it probably happened.
On the bright side, today in Bloodborne I beat both Darkbeast Paarl and the Witch of Hemwick! As always, many thanks to Mecraphone for being my beta! Anyhow, enjoy, and review!

 

[Xanothos]

Not Playing With A Full Deck
Draw For Turn- Finale​

After the duo of Heiresses left to inform their respective Peerages of the situation, I retreated into my workshop. If I was to have any measure of safety in an encounter with Avenger, then I needed to make like the (Goddamn) Batman and prepare.

To be frank, I wasn't nervous; I was fucking terrified. I had very little knowledge of the Count of Monte Cristo's disposition, so I had almost no idea what to expect from a meeting. However, I also knew that if I approached the situation expecting conflict, it would make the breakdown of peaceful negotiations far more likely. On the other hand, if I came completely unarmed, I'd be all but asking for something bad to happen. Moderation, I decided, was the word of the day.


After about 40 minutes, I had something resembling a plan, and had secreted a middling number of ofuda about my person. I called up a few shikigami and had them lead me towards where Dantes had been detected. Naturally, he had already vacated the premises, so I had my shikigami spread out and begin combing the city for any sign of the reborn King of the Cavern. Thankfully, his energy was so potent that my shikigami had no trouble attuning to it, then tracking it.

What followed was an exhausting chase back and forth across Kuoh. Every time I'd approach his location, he would vanish and reappear across town. Clearly, he was putting Enfer Château d'If to good use. However, as an unbound Heroic Spirit, he couldn't keep such a pace up forever, even if he had been eating the souls of Strays he'd been hunting. Eventually, the distances of his "leaps" began to shorten, and then, abruptly, he stopped running.

I strode into the warehouse, Onyx tapping on the ground with every other step. A man in a dark green suit and hat sagged against the far wall, his scarf twitching erratically as the glowing orbs of light on it dimmed with every breath. His skin was a sickly pale, the grayish tan of a mannequin, and his pale hair drooped into his yellow-gold eyes.

He regarded me dully, and spoke in a quiet voice. "Well, you caught me. Not an easy task, Magus. I suppose I should be impressed." He then closed his eyes wearily. "Very well, do what you came to do. Cleanse me, kill me; whatever you will call eliminating the stain of my existence on the world."

I arched an eyebrow. "What makes you think that I wish to kill you? As far as I am aware, all you have done is hunt down threats to Kuoh and dispose of them with no collateral damage whatsoever. The fact that you probably consumed their souls to fuel your existence in this world is of no concern to me; you were likely doing them a mercy." As I spoke, I approached Avenger. "No, I have not come to kill you, Avenger; no, Edmond Dantes. I would have you join me, if you are willing."

The pale man looked at me incredulously, then gave a short, barking laugh. "Hah! I suppose all of this running was pointless, then." I shrugged. "Meh. It was good exercise, and it was good to test the limits of my shikigami at tracking, which are startlingly few." I offered him my hand, which he took. His form was engulfed in light as he entered my soul. I texted Sona and Rias, informing them of my success, and returned to my home to speak with the voices in my head (and wasn't that an amusing turn of phrase).


??? PoV

A pair of golden eyes tracked the man as he approached his home. The owner of these eyes had been observing Johan during their massive amount of free time. Seriously, their leader was strong and all, and the observer was quite… fond of this fact, for personal reasons, but their headquarters was so unbelievably boring! "Hehehehe… you are quite the interesting specimen, Johan Blair~"

Dohnaseek PoV

Dohnaseek was sweating bullets. He stood before the Cadre who'd put the idea of killing the Hyoudou boy into Raynare's twisted little head. Kokabiel, the Fallen Watcher of the Stars. He was not nearly as familiar with the Cadre as he'd have liked, in spite of his former position in Heaven's Archives. Regardless, the being sitting before him was incredibly intimidating, and he wasn't even doing anything!
"So, Raynare failed, at the hands of some mortal mage, and the boy did not become a Devil, again due to the actions of this mage? Interesting… This Johan has piqued my interest." Kokabiel broke out into a grin that stopped just shy of being terrifying. Little did he know, Azazel had uttered the exact same words, with the exact same expression on his face. Dohnaseek shivered. 'Why do all of the powerful people have to be bugfuck crazy?!' The Fallen lamented silently.


AN: Boy, it sure has been a while since I last updated!
*Hides behind Tamamo's Mirror as Noble Phantasms rain down upon him*
Now, now. I have a perfectly reasonable explanation, if you'd all put away your Gates of Babylon. One word: College. It's a major energy siphon, especially for someone like me, who is perpetually in search of actual, restful sleep. The sheer lack of energy I've had, combined with my muse dancing off to Zelretch knows where, has had me stuck for a while. Seriously, I had just the first paragraph typed for like three weeks. Hopefully, now that I seem to have gotten back in the swing of things, I'll be able to actually keep a semi-regular update schedule.
Also, I'll be joining the Creative Writing Club at my college, so they might help.
Beta Note: (Error: Beta Note not found. Recommend seeking new beta, as previous beta has apparently died of old age while awaiting update)

…I kid
Amen on the College deal being a big energy sucker, my Surveying class has outdoor lab sessions for 3 hours and it's been like a 100 bloody degrees in Chico the past few weeks.
…
On the plus side I now have a skin tone appropriate to one of 50% Peruvian descent, rather than my previous shade of Gringo-ass, state puff marshmallow man.

Anyway, welcome back Xano!
(Question, is Johan pronounced JO-HAN or YO-HAN? And yes, I'm only asking this after tens of thousands of words)

AN: Ah, yes! A funny story with that one! It's Yo-han, after Johan Anderson from Yugioh GX. The reason for my character name is as follows: Johan Anderson's English Dub name is changed to Jesse Anderson, and my real name is Jesse, so… Psuedonym get!
Anyhow, as always, enjoy, leave a review, and pwease don't kill meeeee~

 

[Xanothos]

Not Playing With A Full Deck
Combat Step 3.1​

Johan PoV
After the incident with Avenger, things were quiet for a couple of weeks. During that time, I practiced more with my Magecraft, and got to the point where I could Include Assassin, Rider, and Avenger for 30 minutes at a time, and could maintain Install with Caster for a similar period. Additionally, I could keep Caster Included for a near-indefinite period of time.

Assassin continued to train me, both at stealth and at swordsmanship. He would instruct me from within my soul, correcting any flaws that would develop in my fighting style before they even had a chance to develop.

Caster offered more advice on developing my own Witchcraft style and new types of ofuda for me to use, while Rider gave advice on being more charismatic, as well as offering training in wide-scale tactics. More importantly, he taught me how to pilot Mesektet, the holy sky-ship that was said to carry Ra across the sky. He had yet to teach me about any of his other Noble Phantasms, however.

Avenger was pretty quiet overall, not speaking to me much, aside from when he taught me how to use his Noble Phantasms. The easiest of his three Noble Phantasms was Monte Cristo Mythologie, for good reason. It was, simply put, his existence as a fictional avenger shaped into how his body interacted with the World. This was what allowed him to use his flames.

The second one was a bit harder, but I had it pretty well in hand: Attendre, Espérer. This was the crystallization of his unceasing hope for escape in his story, and this became the means to bring anyone or anything back to prime health, even crossing the boundaries of death. I didn't think I could resurrect people yet, but I could heal mortal wounds on myself and others quite swiftly, so that was supremely useful.

Now, his last Noble Phantasm was significantly more Prana-intensive to use. Enfer Château d'If was a thoroughly terrifying ability, formed of the crystallization of Dantes' escape from his prison in "The Count of Monte Cristo". It allows the user to escape any confine. The most widely useful use is to move outside of the confines of spacetime to attack a foe relentlessly, or escape swiftly. As I was, my Circuits could not handle me using it for longer than about five seconds at a time. However, as both DIO and Jotaro would attest, 5 seconds of "time stop" in the middle of a fight is hugely significant.

Regardless, I made good progress in using the abilities of the Spirits sharing my soul, and finished the enchanted items that I had offered Sona as payment. She was exceptionally pleased with them, and Rias was incredibly jealous.

The redhead began pestering me for such items of her own, so I offered her a trade: ask her brother to get me in contact with Ajuka Beelzebub, and I'd make one for her and one for Akeno. She immediately agreed, of course, and returned in a few days with a package from the Scholarly Satan. It contained a brief and efficiently worded letter, inquiring as to what I wished to discuss with him, as well as a small medallion that would apparently allow me to teleconference with him when he was in his workshop in the Underworld.



That evening, I did just that. The amulet projected a holographic screen above it, depicting the green haired Satan jotting something down on some scrap paper. He looked up, a bemused expression on his face, before a look of recognition appeared.

"You must be Johan. As you may know, my name is Ajuka Beelzebub, one of the Four Great Satans of the Underworld. I understand you are something of an artificer?"

I nodded. "I am indeed. In fact, that very detail is related to one of the two reasons I wished to contact you." Ajuka gestured for me to continue, so I did. "As you can tell, I am missing an important part of my sensory suite, so to speak. While I have allies capable of healing my wounds, I thought that I might take the opportunity to… add to my arsenal."

I retrieved the object that I'd spent many long hours carving from ametrine. It was a sphere, with each of the 24 Futhark Runes carved into its surface. It was set in a socket that, by utilizing a subtle form of Thaumaturgy I barely understood, allowed it to rotate 360 degrees in every direction. I held up the sphere so that Ajuka could observe it more directly.

"Hmmm. Now what do we have here? Those are Elder Futhark Runes, that much I can tell easily, but what is that stone for?" Ajuka mused aloud, attempting to decipher the nature of my creation. "It rotates in the socket, and you are short one eye. A Mystic Eye of some sort?"

I nodded happily. "Yes indeed! This will eventually become my Mystic Eye of Runecraft, if I have my way. I just wanted your input regarding the implementation of it into my body. You see, I don't think it would be advisable to perform a surgical graft of a magical object onto my own body."

Ajuka nodded sagely. "Indeed. You aren't Azazel; you can't really get away with self-surgery." I snorted, recalling the fact that, in canon, the eccentric Grigori Governor would craft a prosthetic arm that had magical rocket boosters. "However," Ajuka continued, "It would likely be a better idea for you to ask him about this, rather than me."

I nodded, acknowledging the wisdom of the advice. "Indeed. However, I have another project that I would beg your assistance with, though of course I would offer my services, such as they are, in exchange for your expertise."

Ajuka cupped his chin. "Well, considering the apparent ease with which you produced those augmentation talismans, I am sure that we can work something out.

"By the way, the efficiency of those talismans impressed me. Of course, I could make something of the sort, but it would be made of much rarer and more expensive materials, as well as take longer to create, if I wished to match your efficiency."

At this point, an almost manic grin spread across the Beelzebub's face. "I practically salivate at the thought of what you could do with materials of the quality I could provide."

I felt an equally manic grin spread across my own face. "You know exactly how to sweet talk me, Lord Beelzebub. I find myself as giddy as you at the thought."



After the two of us had finished bonding over mutually beneficial maniacal cackling, I got around to actually asking about my project; namely, Tamamo's Incarnation into a physical body. Clearly, this puzzle was one Ajuka would revel in; the olive-haired Satan adored solving difficult problems.

"Well," Ajuka mused, "You would do well to acquire some manner of anchor; something with both physical and metaphysical significance to the spirit.

"Beyond that, you would need to have the appropriate amount of biomaterial to shape into a body; One option would be poltergeist ectoplasm. The stuff is tied closely enough to life that your spirit would not be sterile, but she would still be able to take a spiritual form."

I blushed faintly at the reminder of one of the biggest reasons Tamamo wanted her own body. Verily, the voluptuous, vivacious vixen was vehemently voracious. However, I would never complain; I would be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to such an experience.

I thanked Ajuka for his advice, then inquired the price of such a reagent. He informed me that he'd send me a sufficient quantity of ectoplasm, in the best possible quality, if I made him one of my charms from higher quality materials, that he would provide at-cost. I happily agreed, and my doorbell rang.

On my doorstep stood a brown-haired man with a familiar face. He introduced himself as one of Ajuka's bishops, Archimedes. However, for the sake of simplicity, he bade me call him "Archie".
In one hand, he held a box, the other clutched a notepad. He offered it to me, and I saw that it was a receipt for materials. The cost of the materials was high, but not unaffordable. I'd have to eat cup ramen more than usual this month, however.



Once I'd shelled out the required cash, I returned to my workshop and began work on the charm. As usual, by the time I'd finished several hours had passed. After a latedinner, I packed up my latest creation, sent a message to Ajuka informing him of my success, and left my house. I set the wards of the house to permit one-time only passage for one member of the Beelzebub household into my foyer, where the package was waiting.



After a short walk, I arrived at a bus station, and waited for the next bus to Kyoto. As I sat, I noticed a black cat in my peripheral vision. As soon as it saw that I'd noticed it, the cat darted into some bushes, but now that I was actively looking for it, I could sense the Demonic and Yokai energies emanating from the cat.

Of course, I had my suspicions as to who it was, considering where I was, but I could not for the life of me think of a reason for Kuroka of all people would be following me! I muttered an instruction for Onyx to keep a figurative eye out for her energy signature, and then boarded the bus to Kyoto. My mission? Wheedle Yasaka, the Nine Tailed Queen of Shadow Kyoto, into allowing me to use a shard of the Sesshōseki, the Killing Stone that had formed from Tamamo's corpse in this world.



? PoV

Three cloaked figures paused on the side of the road, having felt an odd sensation pass them by. To two of them, it felt familiar. After a pause, the trio made their way to a church that sat on a hill…


AN: *Bursts from the ground* I LIVE! *Dodges thrown objects* KYAAA!
*Ahem* I do apologize for my incredible lateness in posting this; College, and life in general, have been hell on my muse. On the bright side, I've made some new writing buddies, and four of us are planning a four-person RWBY SI collaboration. It's going to be a fucking trainwreck, and it will be GLORIOUS.
Speaking of which, one of the four, Teninshigen, graciously looked over this chapter, as he did my newest story, Persona 4 Amber: Hermit's Fortune. I thank him for his assistance, and hope that he updates his Fairy Tail SI soon. As always, review if you like; it helps!
Cheers,
Xanothos

 

[Xanothos]

Combat Step 3.2​

Johan PoV

I arrived in Kyoto with a few minutes left before midnight and immediately picked up on the myriad Yokai energies inundating the old capital. The greatest of the signatures was coming from the direction of the Yasaka Shrine, fittingly enough, so I made my way in that direction.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, I found myself being tailed by two powerful signatures. Onyx spoke up quietly. [The two following us are frighteningly powerful Yokai. I cannot say who they are for certain, but I can tell you this: they are each more than a match for you with Assassin Included, and that's your best physical option.]

I nodded soberly, and made my way to a small park. Taking a seat at a bench, I withdrew a three-tiered bento lunchbox from my satchel. I sat one on my lap, and one to either side of me, then spoke aloud. "I extend my hospitality to you both, o' Yokai. Should you accept, I give my oath that no harm shall come to you and yours by my hand, so long as none is inflicted on me and mine. Should my words ring false, may my magic be forfeit, and my flesh be cloven from my bones."

I heard a snort in response to my words, and a pair of figures materialized from the trees behind me, moving on silent feet in spite of their impressive size. The two could've been twins, were it not for the fact that one's head was that of an ox, and the other had a horse's face.

"Gozu and Mezu…" I breathed in awe, realizing the identity of the two Yokai I had offered dinner to. They were the direct subordinates of King Enma, the Yokai said to rule Hell, and the duo before me were allegedly Hell's gate guards. Now, I had no clue how this meshed with the Underworld, where the Devils and Fallen Angels resided, but I knew that the two before me were strong.

The duo grinned, a mildly intimidating sight, and by mildly intimidating, I mean pants-shittingly terrifying. "It's good to know our names are known even in foreign lands." Said Gozu, the one with the head of an ox.

"Don't be daft, Gozu." Sighed Mezu, the horse-faced one. "This one's clearly a… what was the phrase? Ah, right. Japanophile."

I rolled my eyes. "That's one way of putting it, yes. I would simply say that I have a healthy respect for other cultures, and a fervent love of mythology."

Gozu and Mezu had finished their tiers of the bento by that time, and offered their gratitude for the meal. "Now, mortal mage. We have shared sustenance with you, but still we must ask: what brings you to the borders of Shadow Kyoto?"

"I seek an audience with Lady Yasaka. I would ask a boon of her, though I am quite aware that what I seek is not exactly a small favor." I replied.

Mezu glanced at Gozu, then spoke. "Well fortunately for you, mage, Lady Yasaka is holding court at this time. You should be able to petition her fairly promptly. Just know this: if you cause her trouble or, Kami-forbid, attack her...you will regret it."

I snorted. "You don't need to tell me that. I'd be a fool to antagonize you all, anyways. I may have some degree of skill, but I know damn well that I'm not currently a match for either of you, to say nothing of a Nine Tailed Kitsune backed by the Sun Goddess Amaterasu."

I could hear Tamamo chuckling at the similarities between her and Yasaka as we set off.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached a pair of ostentatious doors, ringed by ornate carvings of dragons covered in gold filigree. The duo of guardian Yokai stood at either side of the door, then motioned for me to enter. I did so cautiously, treading slowly into the antechamber in which Yasaka waited. I had been able to sense her power from nearly five hundred meters away and now that I was in the same room as her, a scant handful of meters away, her power made me feel quite small indeed.

If this was her level of strength, and the Khaos Brigade had still been able to steal her away, I shuddered to think of how powerful the True Longinus was.

I sank to my knees before the powerful woman before me, then bowed into dogeza, pressing my forehead to the ground. "Lady Yasaka. This one's name is Johan Blair. Pray, permit this humble Magus to treat with thee."

A tinkling laugh rang throughout the antechamber, and the most powerful entity in Shadow Kyoto spoke. "Raise your head, Johan Blair. There is no need for such formality."

I rose from my prostration, shifting into the kneeling seiza as I did so, and folded my hands in my lap. Before I could speak, Yasaka descended the stairs to stand before me, giving me an up-close view of her. Now, I can say this much: while between my beloved Tamamo and her there is no contest, Yasaka was gorgeous.

Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back, smooth and straight except where her fox ears interrupted it. She had a shapely figure, which was only accentuated by the ornate kimono she wore. Unlike some of the Devils and Fallen I'd met in the past few months, her clothing wasn't revealing in the slightest which only added to her allure. Her nine, fluffy fox tails spread behind her like a fan and her almond-shaped amber eyes regarded me with equal parts amusement and curiosity.

Yasaka called for a servant and a table was placed between us. She gracefully sank into seiza across from me and had us each poured a cup of green tea. I nodded my thanks; it had been a bit chilly out, now that autumn had been underway for a while. I sipped at the tea. It was bitter, with a faint hint of lemon and ginger, as well as something else I couldn't identify. When I questioned her, Yasaka merely smiled mysteriously and informed me, "That's a family secret."

The two of us nursed our tea and made relatively meaningless small talk for a while. Eventually, however, Yasaka returned her cup to the table with a quiet clink. "So, Johan. What did you wish to ask of me?"

I clicked my tongue. "Truth be told, I haven't the foggiest idea where to begin with my mad tale, so I shall come right out and say it. I need a fragment of the Killing Stone."

Yasaka's face morphed into an expressionless mask. Suddenly, her incandescent power, which had faded to the background during our tea, blazed to prominence once more. It stopped just shy of a suffocating pressure, but I very much felt like I was being pressed against heated stone. She spoke quietly, but it did nothing to detract from the force of her words.

"Generally, those who would ask such a thing of me fall into two categories: those who are permitted to take some for their selves, but are being courteous to me, the custodian - and those who are not, who are executed by the power of very thing they sought. The Sesshōseki is not like any of our other relics, as its name should imply." Yasaka took a deep, measured breath.
"However, you have been nothing but courteous, not only to me, but to Gozu and Mezu as well. Furthermore, there is something… familiar about you. I cannot place it, but I get the impression of… kin from you." My host fixed me with a measured stare.

"Tell me, Johan Blair. What use have you for a shard of the Sesshōseki? What purpose would you put its foul power to?"

"Frankly, I don't intend to use the Stone as anything more than an anchor." I said tiredly. "You see, through a series of unlikely and bizarre events set in motion by a millennium-old, dimension-hopping vampire archmagus with entirely too much time on his hands, an echo of the soul of Tamamo-no-Mae lives within my own. The shards of the Sesshōseki are the best possible catalyst to anchor her soul into a new body."

Yasaka simply stared at me. She continued to do so for an uncomfortably long time, and just when I was about to inquire after her health, she palmed her face. "I'm not nearly drunk enough for this. Koppa! Bring the special sake! I need to get hammered."

As startled as I was by the abrupt shift in her behavior, I still managed to ask if she required proof. Yasaka raised a weary eyebrow, then waved her hand lackadaisically. "Go for it, kid."

Ignoring the spike of irritation at being referred to as a kid, I swiftly Included Tamamo's Card, offering for display the physical form of the Suiten Nikkō Amaterasu Yano Shizu-Ishi (Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu on the Weight Stone Under the Sunlit Watery Heavens).

Yasaka gasped in surprise. "That's the Yata-no-Kagami!" Blinking, she leaned in a bit. "Except...it isn't? Lady Amaterasu's mirror looks precious little like that one, but I can sense the same energy from it."

At that moment, a young Tengu arrived with a sizable gourd of sake approached our table. Yasaka snatched the gourd from his hands, tipped it back, and downed the whole thing in one go.

I blinked, impressed in spite of myself. Yasaka slammed the bottle down on the table, a healthy flush to her cheeks. "That's better." She said cheerfully. "Now. I'm going to need to observe the process of giving Lady Tamamo a body, so that I can justify giving a relic of the Yokai to a human, mage or not."

I nodded. "I figured that you might. Now, here's what I'll need to begin the ritual…"

AN: Sorry about the wait, guys, gals, and other individuals of indeterminate gender. I had two papers to write for college, and other personal stuff to deal with. Anyhow, I'll be posting the next chapter of my Persona Fic soon, and hopefully my co-authors will be ready for the RWBY collab soon (Looking at you, TheLonelyWillow and PSIness11! Finish your character shorts, or you get the corner!) As always, I thank the ever-reliable and eloquent Teninshigen for his work.

 

[Xanothos]

Combat Step 3.x

Interlude: Mahō Yokō! Kiseki Tamamo-chan!

(Magical Fox Spirit! Miracle Tamamo-chan!)​

The first time I met my goshujin, I was elated. Even though he'd known who I was from the start, he did not see me as monstrous. Indeed, my lovely husband informed me that, in his eyes, the only monsters in my story were the people who hunted and killed me like I wAs SoMe CoMmOn BeAsT!

…Sorry, dear reader~ I can get a bit… distressed sometimes~

Anyways, Johan dearest has been a wonderful partner, and when he asked me to be his, I couldn't have been happier! Immediately after his confession, I messaged my penpal, Kiyo-chan, and we talked for hours about it.

Ah, silly me. You don't care about that, reader. You want to know about the ritual!

Well… I can't detail what we did after the ritual, due to certain restrictions…Huhuhuhu~
However, the bits prior to that are perfectly acceptable to detail, so I, Tamamo, shall tell you!
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It started with Johan drawing an incredibly complex Formalcraft circle, that copycat harlot Lady Yasaka looking on in interest. Next, the conniving hussy Queen of Shadow Kyoto brought forth the only thing that remained of this world's version of my divine personage, the Sesshōseki, and set it in the center of the massive runic circle.

My beloved then poured out the pseudo-spiritual, pseudo-physical matter that he had traded with the Devil King for and the Formalcraft flared to life, gathering the thrumming ooze about the Killing Stone. The ectoplasm began to reform itself into a relatively humanoid shape, with the Stone where my heart should be, and Johan pulled the Caster Card from within himself. He thrust his hand into the very spot that the Stone had settled, the Card almost instantly beginning to merge with the Stone.

Light bloomed into existence, and I could see.

The vaguely humanoid shape of the ectoplasm shaped itself to match my body in the span of a single breath, and in the next instant, I had tackled my goshujin. He readily embraced me, though I could feel his face heating rapidly; the ectoplasm had only created my body, nothing more. The only things protecting my modesty were Johan from the front, and my twin tails from behind.

(This is the part where you exclaim "Twin tails?!" in shock, dear reader.)

The husband-thieving wench Our host then broke her silence, interrupting our time together. "As adorable as this all is, I would be remiss not to offer you something to protect your modesty, Lady Tamamo." Well, at least she was respectful.

As I was a gracious ruler, I accepted her offer without complaint (and to be fair, there was little enough to complain about; the kimono was quite soft). We were shown to a room within the shrine, our host winking at me and giving me a thumbs-up.

(Hmm, Perhaps I've been too hard on her. Looking back, she was a perfect wing-fox.)

Anyways, once we were alone in the room… I'll leave that to your imagination~

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Several hours later, the two of us were back in Kuoh - and as I clung to my beloved's arm, I smelled a cat. However, this was not just any cat; this was that Nekoshō that had been stalking my hubby! I could feel my hackles rise into a snarl, and I let out a pulse of Yōki asserting my claim.

I hate to admit it, but that damn cat has guts. She paused only for a moment before following us once more. Unfortunately for her, I was more than prepared to fulfil that old American saying - and no amount of Satisfaction would bring this cat back, if she was a threat to my goshujin.

A growl rose from the depths of my throat when we arrived at our love-nest. It was unladylike of me, but that dAmN cAt WaS tHeRe! Johan, my sweet, wonderful, Johan, sensed my distress, and squeezed my shoulder.

He opened his mouth, presumably to drive off the FiLtHy FeLiNe, and…

Miko!​

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I bet you didn't expect that, dear reader! I, Tamamo, would not be living up to my title of "One of the Three Great Monsters of Japan" if I didn't do commit some manner of dastardly deed, and all readers know that there are few deeds more dastardly than the dreaded cliffhanger! With this, I, Tamamo, bid thee mata yoroshiku onegaishimasu~

AN: Well, this chapter is shorter than usual, and departs rather greatly from my normal style of writing, but that was rather the point. I wanted the chapter to feel like it was written by dear Tamamo, and I hope I succeeded. As always, I thank the wonderful Teninshigen for his assistance. Enjoy!

 

[Xanothos]

Combat Step 3.3​

Johan PoV

I stood before my home, Tamamo clinging to my arm and growling. The reason? Kuroka was laying smugly on my doorstep in her cat form. I narrowed my eye. "Kuroka. The infamous 'Stray Cat'. What business have you with a humble Magus such as I?"

The cat rose, and in the space between motions, became human… or at least humanoid. Kuroka had a sort of visceral beauty, and she knew damn well how to flaunt it. Her long black hair cascaded down her back and two large cat ears twitched expressively on her head. The only other visible sign of her race were the twin tails that poked out from beneath her rather revealing kimono.

Kuroka smirked. "Humble Magus my perfect ass. You've got a hell of a lot of power hiding in you, nya." She shook her head. "Anyway, you have an annoying intruder, nyahaha. I thought I'd give you a bit of a head's up. Toodles, nya!" With that ominous statement, the precocious Nekoshō melted back into cat form and darted into the bushes.

I approached my front door cautiously, noting that none of my bounded fields had been triggered or fiddled with. This could indicate one of a few things: the intruder was capable of slipping through my Bounded Fields undetected, the intruder was powerful enough that they could retroactively appear within my Bounded Fields as though they'd been invited, or they were in possession of a powerful spatio-temporal transportation ability.

The first and second ideas were discarded as I could sense them from without, which would be unlikely if it were the first, and they weren't all that exceptionally powerful, which ruled out the second. Finally, since the energy I could sense from the intruder was all too human, I had a fairly good idea who it was.

An idea that was proven correct once Tamamo kicked the front door open dramatically with a cry of, "Foul trespasser! I warn you this once, if you are here to harm my dearest hubby, I'll rip you to shreds!"

As I stepped in behind my exceptionally protective girlfriend, I was treated to the sight of a bespectacled, spiky-haired youth leaping about a foot off of the ground unassisted. Unless I missed my guess, the boy was none other than Georg, descendant of Johann Georg Faust, a high ranking member of the Hero Faction and the bearer of the Longinus Class Sacred Gear, Dimension Lost.

If this version of Georg's Dimension Lost was a Subspecies, it could certainly explain his entry into my home failing to activate my Bounded Fields. It would also complicate matters immensely, but that was something to consider when I didn't have a potentially hostile individual in my home.

"Though I would perhaps phrase it a bit more diplomatically, I would concur with Tama dearest. You have a very short window to explain your presence in my home before I forcibly eject you." I didn't quite snarl, but my voice was filled with significantly more wrath than I would normally be comfortable with.

The bespectacled lad swallowed thickly, then began to speak rapidly. "My name is Georg. I am a descendant of Johann Georg Faust, the famous magician. I have come to meet with you, Johan Blair, on behalf of the Hero Faction. Our purpose is to take back the world from the other Factions, and return it to the hands of humanity. Its rightful owners." As he spoke, he seemed to gain confidence, and by the time he'd finished his last sentence, he'd almost completely regained his composure. "What do you say, Johan? Surely a Magician as powerful as yourself can appreciate such a grand goal, can see the value in working together?" Georg smirked slightly, seeming to think that his argument would win me over.

I sighed. "I've heard of your little group. 'Take back the world', you say? You know, there was another man who said similar things. He told his subordinates that they would be doing the world a service; that they would be putting the reins of the world in the hands of its rightful owners. Though he was a bit more specific about just who that was. You're probably quite familiar with the term Aryans, aren't you?"

My grip tightened on Onyx's hilt. "You want your own little Holocaust, just with Angels, Devils, and Yokai instead of Jews, Blacks, and the mentally ill." I moved to one side, and gestured to the door. "Genocide… is not an idea I am willing to entertain. You need to leave."

"You've got us all wrong-" Georg began to protest, but I cut him off.

"I am giving you one last chance." I snapped. "Leave this instant, or I shall rescind the option of you doing so under your own power."

Georg noticed me shifting my grip on Oynx, and vanished in a ripple of fog. I exhaled, tossed my coat on a nearby chair, then flopped down on the couch. Tamamo joined me, and we were both asleep in moments.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3rd Person PoV (Freed)

In Kuoh Town's only church, Freed Selzen and Asia Argento were entertaining three guests, two of them familiar. Griselda Quarta and her adopted daughter Xenovia had come to Kuoh, along with another young Exorcist - one Irina Shidou.

Freed had paled when the trio explained that three of the Church's six Excalibur Fragments had been stolen. Griselda and Irina each bore one more, Griselda holding Excalibur Rapidly and Irina holding Excalibur Mimic. Xenovia was content to bear the blade she was born to wield: the sword of Roland, Durendal.

The only remaining Fragment, Excalibur Blessing, was being held in a secure location by the Pope's own guard, the Manus Dei, or Hand of God. The other three, the Excaliburs Destruction, Nightmare, and Transparency, had been tracked to Kuoh.

Of course, the seventh Excalibur Fragment, Ruler, had been lost for centuries, but Freed had a feeling that the Vatican knew damn well where it was and just didn't feel like picking a fight with the Pendragon family.

"So, that's the situation. I know we have no right to ask this of either of you, but can we count on your cooperation?" Griselda asked, head bowed. Freed realized that he must have spaced out. The unstable priest looked at Asia, who had an adorable approximation of a "game face" on, and sighed.

'Nothing for it, then.' Freed rose. "Well, if those damn Fragments are in this town, there's bound to be trouble. There's no way I'll be able to have my quiet life unless we fix this issue, so I suppose I'll help."


Griselda smiled, Xenovia inclined her head seriously, and Irina scrunched up her face in thought. After a moment, she spoke up, her peppy voice a drastic contrast to the somber air that had been present until that very moment. "Hey, Teacher? Can we visit my friend on the way to meet the Devils? I haven't seen Issei in ages!"

Freed began to chuckle in a sinister manner. "Issei is your friend? Oh, I do look forward to your face when you see him."

In spite of her incessant demands, Freed did not explain himself on the way to Issei's house.

(Issei)

In his home, Issei felt a chill...


AN: Well, another week gone, another pitifully short chapter written. On the bright side, I finished the second chapter of another story that's in the works. It's a Jojo/RWBY SI, and the memes will be GLORIOUS.

Other than that, I created a wonderful, horrible Crack character for Pokemon, if anyone's interested. The guy's based off of Old Man Henderson and Old Joseph Joestar. Yeah, it's that sort of crack.

Anyhow, all that's left to do is thank dear Teninshigen for his amazing work once again, especially since the guy did it all at 1:00 am, since he's in another time zone. Enjoy!

 

[Xanothos]

Combat Step 3.4​

Johan PoV

I awoke to the sensation of a pair of fluffy fox tails tickling my nose. I blinked the sleep out of my eye, then scratched my couch-mate's fluffy ear. Tamamo's eyes snapped open and she shot me a sultry grin.

Much to our regret however we had no time for carnal activities this morning, as a message from Freed informed me that there were three Exorcists in town searching for the Excalibur Fragments. Griselda Quarta, one of the biggest names in the Vatican's combat branch, with her student Xenovia Quarta - along with Issei's childhood friend Irina Shidou.

I had known this was coming but I was still nervous. This meant that, unless other changes were present in this timeline, a ten-winged Fallen - a cadre of the Grigori whose name was recorded in the Book of Enoch - was coming to Kuoh.

I knew that I technically had the means to kill Kokabiel - to kill anything, really, due to Assassin's Noble Phantasm - but I was not nearly as skilled with a blade as was the first Old Man of the Mountain. Add to that the fact that I could only Include his Card rather than Install it, and I was nervous. Thankfully, Onyx had mentioned that I was approaching the point where I'd be able to Install Avenger. So there was that a small comfort.

In any case, once Tamamo and I had readied ourselves we left the house. It did take a moment though - Tamamo was being her usual affectionate self and clinging to me like an adorable, fluffy leech. I enjoyed it a great deal - it just made fitting through doorways a bit of a challenge.

A quick look around to make sure nobody was observing me later, I used an ofuda that I'd been practicing with for the first time. A storm of shikigami swirled into the air around Tamamo and I, obscuring our forms completely within a paper tornado.

By the time the paper familiars blew away, we were no longer there.

3rd Person PoV (Issei)

Issei Hyoudou had had an...interesting morning. His mother had called him down from his room saying that they had guests, and when he entered the living room he'd been met with a sight that stopped him cold. The first two of his guests were familiar: the silver-haired youth pastor and the cute blonde nun that were Mr. Blair's friends sat side-by-side on a loveseat.

The other three guests were unfamiliar, however. There were two girls about his age - one brunette and one bluenette with an odd green streak in her hair - and a stern-faced woman who looked to be in her early thirties. Issei's mother easily picked up on the way he froze up and spoke into the somewhat tense silence that ensued. "Issei, you remember Irina Shidou, don't you?" She asked cheerfully. "You used to play 'Heroes' in the park." Hana smirked slyly, chuckling behind her palm. "Of course, she was a bit of a tomboy back then."

Issei took a closer look at the brunette and suddenly realised why the shape of her face was so familar. "Irina! It's been ages; you've certainly grown up!" His mouth spouted pleasantries on autopilot, as he grasped for something to say. 'Ddraig, what do I do?! Is she an Exorcist?'

A deep voice boomed inside of Issei's consciousness. {Undoubtedly. However, you are asking the wrong questions. Why is she in Kuoh? Why is a powerful Exorcist like that woman in Kuoh? Finally, why do they all stink of powerful Holy Swords?}

Issei paled slightly. 'You don't think that they're here to fight Rias and Sona, do you?!'

Ddraig snorted. {Doubtful, especially considering that it was the sinner priest who brought them here. He's rather smitten with the bespectacled one.}

'What? I thought he and the nun were together?'

{...For a hatchling who claims to be in search of a harem, you are alarmingly unaware of others who are unintentionally gathering the same.}

'Oh. Ooooooooh. I see.'

Issei snapped back to reality and scratched his head in embarrassment upon seeing his guests staring at him quizzically. Noticing that his parents were nowhere nearby, he chuckled nervously. "Ahaha… My bad. I was talking to Ddraig." The hand scratching his head rippled as a glamour was dispelled, revealing the Boosted Gear. He lowered the crimson gauntlet to his side slowly.

Freed and Asia didn't react, as they'd already known, but the two Exorcists who'd yet to introduce themselves tensed. For her part Irina simply smiled brightly. "Issei! I didn't know you had a Sacred Gear...and the Boosted Gear at that!" Her smile became a cute pout, causing Issei's heart to skip a beat. "You should've told me sooner~"

Issei shot her a flat look. "I literally haven't had contact with you in years, and I showed it to you the first time I saw you since then." He deadpanned. "What more do you want from me?"

Irina let out a moue of disgruntlement even as Freed stifled a chuckle and Asia covered a smile with her hand. The remaining two Exorcists seemed to relax at the amicable atmosphere and so proceeded to introduce themselves.

Irina's peer was Xenovia Quarta, while the woman was Xenovia's adoptive grandmother Griselda Quarta. Apparently they'd been sent to Kuoh to recover the stolen Excaliburs (and wasn't that a shock; the famous sword had apparently been shattered into seven parts in the aftermath of the Battle of Camlann), and Griselda admitted that they'd need all the help they could get. A Longinus wielder, even a largely untrained one, wasn't the kind of asset they'd be able to just ignore.

That was the proper description too, because Issei really was quite untrained. In fact, the only reason he'd even progressed as far as he had was due to nigh-daily lessons on a wide spread of subjects sort from Sona, Sona's Queen Tsubaki Shinra, Rias and the other members of the Gremory Peerage.

Kiba helped him with his speed and reflexes, Koneko helped him with his endurance and hand-to-hand (while pursuing her side-mission of "beating his perversion into submission", as she acknowledged that beating it out of him was impossible), and Akeno, Rias, Sona, and Tsubaki helped him learn how to effectively and efficiently channel magic energy as well as how to cast a few useful cantrips (which was all he could handle, considering his currently pitiful magic reserves).

Issei was no fool...or, rather, he wasn't all that unintelligent. He knew that Rias was helping him just as much out of a desire to help a classmate as she was out of a desire to charm him into joining her Peerage. Yet he didn't mind. The crimson-haired beauty was nothing if not upfront with him, and while he was no socialite, he knew enough about relationships to know that it was impossible to interact with people without manipulating them. Consciously or unconsciously.

In any case, what Issei had learned most of all was that he was no prodigy in any particular skill - but he managed to make up for his lack of exceptional abilities through sheer, dogged determination. Long after most others would've given up, Issei dragged himself up off of the ground and said "Again!"

Mr. Blair had come by now and again to see what progress he was making, and had left each time muttering things under his breath. Issei had only been able to pick out a word here and there, but from those few words he suspected that Mr. Blair had a lesson or two he wanted to try and impart. Issei didn't have a problem with that. He wanted to have as many tricks up his sleeve as possible the next time (and he knew there would be a next time) some supernatural baddie came to claim his head.

His musings were interrupted when the doorbell rang. A few moments and a greeting muffled by the dividing wall later, Mr. Blair entered the room with an auburn-haired woman clinging tightly to his side. Issei's senses weren't the best, particularly when it came to the supernatural - but even he could sense the power within the woman.

Johan PoV

I stood in Issei's living room, Tamamo an ever-present comfort at my side, and regarded the Exorcist trio thoughtfully.

Griselda had part-way risen from her seat as I entered the room, her hand drifting barely an inch closer to the cane propped against the sofa beside her. Excalibur Rapidly, no doubt. It must have had some kind of illusion or seal put on it so Griselda could carry it in public. "And who might you be?" She asked me warily.

I snapped my fingers and my über-chuuni longcoat appeared on my body. "You may recall one 'Keeper', who met you in Italy recently. That was me. However, my given name is Johan. Johan Blair."

Irina arched an eyebrow as my coat's weight settled around my shoulders, causing the hem to wave slightly around my ankles. "That has to be the most chuunibyo outfit I've seen in my life."

I nodded cheerfully. "Naturally. To be a Magus is to walk among the fantastic and the flamboyant. Appropriately, one must be as unforgivably chuunibyō as possible; otherwise, what's the point?" I twirled in place, causing my coat to flare dramatically to emphasise my point.

The slap of Freed's palm vigorously finding a new home in his face almost echoed off the walls, a counterpoint to the suppressed giggles from Asia and Irina.

I cleared my throat. "In any case, allow me to introduce my girlfriend."

Tamamo stepped forward, unlatching herself from me in the process. "Hello~!" She greeted the room in general with a cheery smile and her eyes closed. "My name is Miku, and Johan-dearest…" Her cheerful smile underwent a subtle, almost impossible-to-detect shift that edged it away from happy and into terrifying. Despite the lighting in the room remaining static a momentary shadow flitted across her visage as crimson light flashed from the thin slivers of her eyes that were visible beneath their closed lids. "Is MiNe."

Her predatory grin remained in place as she turned her head to each person in the room, male or female, as if daring them to dispute her claim. When there was no response but dead silence as the room's occupants barely dared to breath, the dangerous pall lifted from her form and her smile became a smug smirk. Even without her tails being visible I could almost see them waving contentedly behind her.

For his part, Issei walked up to me, clapped me on the shoulder and said, tears in his eyes, "You are an inspiration to me. Please, teach me your ways master."

I chuckled, then stifled it quickly and sobered my expression. This was the kind of opening I could capitalise on. "Well, first things first. Treat women like people, not objects. Koneko seems to have begun instilling this in you, but in the end it'll be up to you to take the next steps.

"Next, just be considerate. Really think about your partner's wants and needs." I waved a hand. "Beyond that, you're on your own. Plus, I doubt you want to continue this conversation in front of all your guests, hmm?" Issei, realizing his blunder, flushed red. Taking pity on the poor lad, I spoke again. "Anyways, I believe it's about time for us to go and meet with Rias and Sona?"

Griselda nodded her agreement. "Come, girls. Father Freed and Sister Asia will lead us there." The elder Exorcist then regarded me. "Will you be accompanying us, Mr. Blair? You and your..." She turned to Tamamo, whose smile revealed a hint of fang. "...Girlfriend?"

I shook my head. "I thank you for the offer, but I have my own means of transportation. Come along, Issei, Miku." Issei walked to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my left side, while Tamamo claimed my right arm and once more latched on with all the immovability of a neutron star. Shikigami poured from my sleeves like water from a brook as I focussed, and somewhere within the flurry of rustling paper as they swirled around the three of us, we vanished into thin air.

AN: So, this is a couple of days late, but I had some other things I needed to do, such as finally getting that RWBY Collab posted. If you are on ffnet, it's on the profile of my ever-helpful beta, Teninshigen. If you are on SV, it's in my signature, under my account. If you are on SB, it's in my signature, under PSIness11's profile.

Shameless advertising aside, I hope you all enjoy, and I as always thank Teninshigen for his wonderful work.

Edited 12/8/17: Added bolding and italicization that the website removed when I first posted.

 

[Xanothos]

Combat Step 3.5​

Johan PoV

When the outside world became visible from within the swirl of shikigami, the paper figures fading out of sight as their power was spent, the three of us stood outside the Occult Research Clubroom. I knocked sharply on the door and it was answered promptly by Isaiah. Rias looked up from her desk. "Mr. Blair, Issei. It's good to see you both." She smiled and, taking the unspoken invitation, the three of us entered the room. When Tamamo stepped forward, Rias blinked. "And who might this be?"

Tamamo smirked from where she clung to me then dispelled her illusion, revealing her fluffy ears and tails. "I am Johan dearest's lover and girlfriend. You might recall that Johan had several Legendary Spirits in his soul; well, I was the Caster Class Spirit that lived within him for a while. You may call me Miku, Rias Gremory of the Goetian Houses."

Tamamo's eyes narrowed slightly and a subconscious warning of danger filled the room...though not nearly as much of one as she'd released at Issei's house. "By the way… I dOn'T sHaRe."

Flipping off the supernatural intimidation like a light switch, Tamamo gave Rias a smile that contained all the dangerous sweetness of a belladonna flower. "Understand?" The redhead gave a slightly shaky nod. She was actually quite composed for having been faced with impending doom...though with a family like hers she was quite possibly used to it. "Good~"

Issei stared openmouthed at Tamamo, then looked over at me. 'A foxgirl?!' He mouthed incredulously, envy warring with respect in his eyes. I responded with a grin that contained levels of smug dangerous to human beings, hugging Tamamo a bit closer to my side.

"SO!" Rias declared, clapping her hands. Apparently she wanted to move on from Tamamo's blatant threat. Smart girl. "Mr. Blair, what brings you to the school on a holiday such as today?" I'd almost believe she was completely over Tamamo's performance if it wasn't for the bead of sweat that ran down the side of her face.

My grin vanished instantly. "Bad news." I replied. "You aren't gonna like it, but better you hear it from me than from them." I blew out a sigh. "Three Exorcists are in town. Two of them bear Excalibur Fragments while the third is the wielder of Durandal. They have come because three of the other Excalibur Fragments have been stolen and tracked here to Kuoh."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the incandescent hate that crossed Isaiah's face in an instant. Then the Knight of Gremory forced the emotion down with what seemed like an almost physical effort, his face becoming a blank mask. Issei shivered beside me; clearly the fledgling Red Dragon Emperor had not missed his classmate's rage.

For her part, Rias blew out a lengthy sigh. When she next spoke, there was a tone of weariness in her voice as she massaged the bridge of her nose. "You weren't wrong; I didn't want to hear that. However, I thank you for informing me. At least this way Sona and I can confer before the Exorcists come here."

I chuckled nervously. "They're on there way here now, actually. I can text Freed to see if he can stall them a bit, but it's unlikely that it'll work for long; Griselda Quarta is with them."

Rias' complexion was normally fairly pale. When I spoke the Exorcist's name however, she paled to a degree normally found in milk and fabric. The blood drained out of Isaiah's face in much the same way as shock and possibly a touch of fear shattered the brooding shell he'd trapped his anger in.

"Griselda Quarta?!" Rias all but shrieked. "The woman who graduated from the Vatican's Scuola di San Michele per le Mani di Dio at the age of eight? The woman who left both the Manus Dei and the Thirty Pieces because their skills didn't measure up to her standards? The woman known as the DeusXiphos, 'God's Blade'? That Griselda Quarta?!"

I blinked, taken aback. Certainly I'd known that Griselda had been a particularly skilled Exorcist; she'd have to be to become the Queen of Gabriel's Brave Saints Deck. To be this infamous, though, she'd have to be a similar level of threat as Dulio Gesualdo - and he had the advantage of possessing the second strongest Longinus Sacred Gear, Zenith Tempest. Griselda, as far as I knew, had no Sacred Gear at all. This meant that her martial skill was so transcendent that she could compare to someone who could control the fucking weather.

"That's the one." I replied carefully. At the same time I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Freed, imploring him to buy Rias, Sona and I some time.

It took Rias a minute to calm down. Once she did though she quickly sent a message to Sona via her familiar and, shortly thereafter, the six of us began to plot.

3rd Person PoV (Tamamo)

While Johan helped Sona and Rias plan for their meeting with the Exorcists, Tamamo - having grown bored very quickly - decided to explore. A minute or two of wandering aimlessly brought her to a door covered in seals and caution tape. Tamamo being Tamamo, she took the pesky mortal warnings as a sign that there was something interesting inside. So with a wave of her hand the seals dispersed and the foxy lady entered the room.

Her jaw dropped.

The room was the most violently pink and frilly thing that she'd ever seen. 'Not even the Grail could have prepared me for this abomination.' She thought faintly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tamamo saw a pair of red eyes glinting. A moment later she felt some sort of odd magic flow over her. She flexed her Prana and the effect that was attempting to hold her in place shattered. Quicker than a striking serpent, Tamamo's hand shot out and wrapped around the collar of her assailant.

As she pulled them into the light, the unknown individual wailed, "I'm sorryyyyyyy! I can't control my power! Forgive meeee!"

Tamamo examined the tiny figure that she'd extracted from a pillow fort. He was male, in spite of his effeminate figure and female Kuoh uniform. Tamamo could tell by both scent and sensing his energy. 'This must be the rare and exotic "trap" that I've heard about.' She mused.

Now that she took a proper look at the boy, she let out a small squee. 'He's adorable~ That's it.' Tamamo decided. 'I'm adopting him. Johan dearest won't mind, I'm sure of it.'

Johan PoV

I paused in the middle of speaking as every hair on my neck and arms abruptly stood to attention with all the force of a US Marine. A crackling wave of one part fondness and nine parts dread danced along my hindbrain. A not-at-all panicky sweep of the room revealed that Tamamo had vanished at some point, and I swallowed nervously as I pinched the bridge of my nose. 'Oh by the corpse of the dead God, what chaos has Tamamo gotten into now?'

Somehow I just knew that Tamamo was up to something. I also knew that, inevitably, that 'something' would cause complications in all of our lives. Whether those complications would be good or bad, however, remained to be seen.

In any case, Rias, Sona, Issei and I were as prepared as we could be for the arrival of the Exorcists. Unfortunately for us, Isaiah had left as soon as Sona had arrived, so I knew that we had to be on alert for him having an outburst. Rias had admitted that Isaiah had "some unpleasant history with the Church and the Excaliburs." after a bit of prodding, which meant I had at least a partial excuse for letting slip any knowledge I had. I could write off anything she hadn't told me as either speculation or deduction.

Though the exasperation Sona was emanating was rather close to my own feelings. 'Some unpleasant history'...that might have been the understatement of the year.

Before anything more could come of it, there was a knock at the door. A moment of traded glances later, Rias composed herself behind her desk and called for her guests to enter. The trio of Exorcists stepped inside almost immediately, followed closely by Freed and Asia.

Issei and I both stood and moved to the side as the delegation walked towards the two Kings. I almost tripped, however, when Rider spoke up from out of nowhere. [Allow me to advise you on these matters of diplomacy, Vassal. You have done well up to now; avoiding fights with diplomacy and ending those that you could not avoid as swiftly and effectively as possible. However, there is always room to learn. Additionally, since Sister is out doing Thoth-knows-what, she won't interrupt me like she usually does.]

My lips twitched as I suppressed a smile. 'Yes, she does have a habit of monopolizing my time, doesn't she?'

{You're damn right she does!} Avenger chimed in with a coughing cackle. The Count then sobered. {I can't really hold it against her; she was fucked over as much as I was and all she ever wanted was love. Still, she could let us spend more time with ya' outside of training.}

Assassin, for his part, was quiet. I figured that he was either uninterested in the conversation or was still irritated that I was "fornicating with a heathen divinity."

...Come to think of it, other than showing disapproval or irritation, the First Assassin hadn't done anything that I'd have expected, considering his rather fanatical devotion to his religion. Hopefully that meant that he was tempering his usual stance and becoming more accepting as he spent time in my soul, but there was no way to be certain. In fact, it was just as possible that he was just preventing me from noticing such things and plotting to take all of our heads.

It's not paranoia when you've got a zealous peer to Death himself living in your soul. At that point, it's just good sense.

I shook myself from my thoughts and returned the fullness of my attention to the conversation at hand. I'd devoted one of my Thought Partitions to paying attention so far, but it was only polite to give the others in the room my full focus.

In contrast to how the scene had gone in canon there were no barbed remarks. Likely because Griselda was doing the talking, though Asia remaining human was probably a part of it. Rias and Sona affirmed that they had no intention of aiding Kokabiel in the slightest and outright stated that they would step in on the Exorcists' side if the town was in real danger.

Griselda was very clearly not pleased by the idea, but she accepted it; after all, even with her own skill, Kokabiel was a huge threat. I was sure that she would welcome any aid - out of pragmatism if nothing else.

After that, the negotiations were smooth sailing. An agreement was reached, Freed, Asia and I all offered our assistance, and Isaiah had yet to burst into the room and make a scene. Of course, that meant we were long overdue for an interruption.

Just as we were wrapping up, Tamamo burst into the club room with a tiny blond tucked under her arm in a football carry. "Johan~! I found our first child!~"

It only took a moment to recognise the female uniform, red eyes and pointed ears. It took much less time than that for my palm to rise and make a spirited effort to reach the back of my head via my face.

...What the fuck is my life?

AN: Well, another week, another chapter. We grow ever-closer to the big battle of the arc, and Tamamo is being as adorable as ever.

In any event, many thanks to Teninshigen, as always.

Finally, a translation: Scuola di San Michele per le Mani di Dio translates to "Saint Michael's School for the Hands of God".

Enjoy!