Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.
Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Time*
Chapter 73: The First Members
A few seconds later*
"Come back here, you fucker!" I yelled at Alucard as he fled, Integra cradled in his arms. My finger tightened on the trigger, but he was already pulling out of range just beyond where I could unload the enhanced Demon Hunting Bullets into him.
Honestly, with how Alucard acted throughout the Hellsing series, you'd expect the bastard to be practically begging to die at the hands of a human.
Oh, wait... I wasn't completely human.
Either way, he was moving far too fast for me to land a clean hit. Normally that would've irritated the hell out of me, watching him pull farther away with every second that passed… but I wasn't trying to kill him, to begin with.
"You can't run away forever, Alucard!" I shouted after him, my voice cutting through the wind at the very last second before he vanished from sight.
I stood at the shattered windows of the upper floors of the skyscraper, broken glass crunching beneath my shoes. I didn't chase him, not yet. For now, I simply watched the empty skyline where he'd disappeared.
"Well, that confirms it. Alucard or maybe this reality's Integra, the one I was supposed to form a contract with, but I reject it." My voice was steady, leaving no room for doubt. "As a Sequence 9: Broker, my role is to establish and maintain connections without the needs of relying on binding contracts. Especially with Gray Perception: the sense that lets me feel the Gray Domain that exists between white and black. White embodies Order. Black embodies Disorder."
I let out a slow breath, eyes narrowing at the empty horizon.
"And for Alucard… I will never be a memory."
I paused for a second.
"Huh… I didn't expect to drop an iconic line at the end." I muttered to myself, a faint mix of disbelief and dry amusement slipping into my voice.
I shook my head slightly before pulling out a Teleportation Charm. With a quiet pulse of Spirituality, I slipped into the Spirit World, the air thinning around me for a brief, weightless instant, then reappeared inside a familiar stone well.
"In I go…" I muttered under my breath as I repeated the necessary steps, sending myself into the alternative past before aligning everything back to the original present.
A second Teleportation Charm flared in my hand, and I departed once more without hesitation.
I allowed the 22 Cards of Blasphemy to manifest around me, their presence lingering for only a few seconds before several of them drifted together, aligning with conscious intent. As they converged, I switched over to the Condenser Pathway.
Instantly, new knowledge began crystallizing in my mind, unfamiliar formulas, refined control methods, and abilities knitting themselves into place as though they had always belonged there.
Condenser - Sequence 9: Astronomy Aficionado
Physical Enhancement: An Astronomy Aficionado will obtain an enhanced physique.
Knowledge (Astronomy): An Astronomy Aficionado will gain an initial perception of reality. They focus on acquiring knowledge of the Cosmos and its related information.
I frowned, having expected this Pathway to offer more. Still, I shouldn't let disappointment take root so quickly. Power, after all, often revealed its depth only after proper understanding.
I blinked as I lifted my gaze to the clear night sky. My mind began mapping the stars almost instinctively, tracing invisible lines between distant points of light as the array assembled itself in my thoughts. Calculations unfolded in silence, yielding the results of an Astrological Divination.
It was far faster than Dream Divination or even Computational Divination; immediate, fluid, and extraordinary in its execution.
The drawback, however, was obvious. I required a clear view of the celestial bodies. Without the clear night sky, during the day, beneath heavy clouds, or underground, this method was useless.
"It should have only been a few days since I left." I muttered to myself.
My eyes remained fixed on the night sky as the stars slowly shifted overhead. I continued observing them, letting the patterns settle into my mind while the Astrological Divination ran its course for a little while longer.
I quickly made my way to a more secluded spot, ensuring there were no prying eyes nearby. Only then did I begin the familiar sequence of steps required to enter the Sefirah Castle, focusing my mind as the ritual quietly took hold.
Upon entering the Sefirah Castle, I settled into my seat and lifted my gaze toward the numerous crimson stars suspended high above me. Their dim, ominous glow cast faint reflections across the vast, silent hall.
Before doing anything further, I brought out the Visionary's Uniqueness along with the Error's Uniqueness, letting their presence manifest before me within the silent expanse of the Sefirah Castle.
With a calculated thought, I formed an avatar of myself and guided it toward the seat of the Visionary Pathway, where it calmly took its place. The figure settled there without hesitation, perfectly mirroring my will while the Uniqueness resonated faintly around it.
With a quiet thought, I guided a few of them to descend slightly, bringing forward the ones that represented the individuals I had turned into Boon Recipients.
Soon, figures began to take shape before me as the corresponding crimson stars responded to my will. One by one, Mai, Osaragi, Kyoka, and Ciel manifested, each seated upon the seat of the Pathway of which the Boon they have been given.
Mai - Demoness Pathway.
Osaragi - Hanged Man Pathway.
Kyoka - Tyrant Pathway.
Ciel - Sun Pathway.
I tapped the table once.
The sharp sound echoed through the vast hall of the Sefirah Castle, cutting off any further conversation before it could begin. Silence immediately followed.
"You five are the ones chosen from among the rest to attend this meeting. There will be more additions in the future, provided they meet the necessary requirements." My gaze swept across them before I began assigning their places. "Now, I'll assign each of you a number based on who survived first and will be recognized by me accordingly."
I pointed in order: first at my avatar, then Mai, Osaragi, Kyoka, and finally Ciel.
"From 1 to 5. Those are your numbers. From now on, you will be referred to as such during this meeting and any future gatherings." I rested my hand back on the table. "You may now ask your questions."
I mentally sigh in relief. The gray fog of the Sefirah Castle ensured that everyone's faces remained hidden, their features completely hidden beneath its shifting veil. No one here could see what the others truly looked like.
Well… at least that applied to everyone else. With me being the sole exception for obvious reasons.
"Yes, Mr. Lord of Mysteries." Mai spoke up first, immediately drawing everyone's attention as their gazes shifted toward her. "What is the main purpose of us being here? Or, to be more precise… why create us at all, when you alone should be powerful enough to deal with whatever threats exist out there?"
These 2 questions immediately captured everyone's attention. One by one, their gazes shifted toward me, their interest unmistakable as they waited for my response.
Fortunately, the answers are simple enough. These are easy questions to address.
"Experiments. Trials. Tests." I said slowly.
"Oh yeah… you did mention that before… hehe!" Mai said sheepishly. She stuck out her tongue and lightly bonked the side of her head with her left fist.
Of course, no one could actually see her sticking her tongue out through the gray fog, but the gesture alone made her meaning obvious enough.
"Are there any restrictions we should be aware of?" Ciel asked, his calm voice cutting through the moment and drawing everyone's attention away from Mai.
"Do not reveal exactly what you are to the world until I grant you permission." I paused briefly, letting the weight of the words settle before continuing. "For those I have not yet explained it to, you 5 are Boon Recipients: individuals who receive power directly from a deity."
My gaze moved across them, ensuring they understood the gravity of what I was saying.
"There is also a warning you must remember. Avoid becoming trapped in a sealed or isolated dimension that I cannot reach. If that happens, the powers of the Boon I granted you will begin to deplete with use." I tapped the table lightly. "As things currently stand, you are able to use those powers freely as you please."
"Does that also mean you could take this... Boon from us?" Osaragi asks stoically.
"That's correct." I replied without the slightest hesitation.
"Would you force us to take on life-threatening jobs or whatever tasks you might need done?" Kyoko spoke up next, crossing her arms beneath her chest as she regarded me carefully.
"Yes." I replied.
"Would we be rewarded for completing these tasks?" My avatar asked immediately, speaking before anyone else could start reconsidering whether they wanted to remain members.
"Of course. All of you will grow stronger and gain new abilities beyond what you currently possess." I explained calmly.
The moment the words left my mouth, the atmosphere shifted. Even through the gray fog, it was obvious their interest had been ignited, their attention sharpening as excitement began to stir among them.
"Now, moving on." I tapped the table again, the echo spreading through the chamber and silencing everyone at once. "I will bring all of you here from time to time without warning. However, you don't need to worry about being pulled into this place during a critical moment in the outside world. That said, it's time for your first task, one that could allow you to become much, much more than what you are now… or die trying."
That was enough to make everyone sit up straight in their seats. Their backs stiffened as they focused on me, their attention sharpening. The determination in their eyes was unmistakable as they waited for what would come next.
"This will be a group task. Therefore, all of you should cooperate as much as possible… without somehow ending up killing each other along the way." I suppressed the urge to snort at the thought before continuing. "Your task is simple: find and identify every faction, organization, or interested party currently watching Ishiyama High School, including those observing the students attending there."
"Easy enough." Kyoko said with a confident smirk. "Shouldn't even take me much effort to finish this task alone." She ignored the looks the others were giving her, seemingly unconcerned by their reactions.
"Do we need to operate in the background, or is it acceptable if others discover what we're doing?" Ciel asked, raising his right hand slightly as he spoke. He cast Kyoko a brief glance before turning his attention back toward me, waiting for my answer.
"And is it possible for us to kill a couple of people to get answers out of the stubborn ones?!" Mai shouted excitedly.
Several heads slowly turned toward her, their attention sharpening as they stared at Mai far more intensely than before.
"Keep it in the background." I answered Ciel's question first. Then my gaze shifted toward Mai. "Yes—if it helps erase any evidence of what you're doing and prevents your actions from being traced back to you."
"By the way… what's the name of this group?" My avatar asked.
The question made everyone blink in brief surprise. It was such a simple thing, yet none of them had thought to ask it until now.
"The Heretic." I said after a brief moment, the name coming to mind almost immediately.
"Ah… so we are a cult." Osaragi said slowly, giving a small nod as she spoke, her expression completely serious.