"This week has been nothing short of tiring..."
It was very rare for anyone in the Student Council to hear their King complain. In fact, the only time Tsubaki had ever seen her like this was usually when she had dealt with her troublesome and overly excitable older sister. Then again, she couldn't blame her. She had managed to avoid being reduced to ash when she and Rias had unknowingly stepped on a landmine and had Tamamo-no-Mae at their necks.
Even now, she could hardly believe it. The Avatar of Amaterasu was alive. And more importantly, she was somehow eloped with one of their school's resident perverts.
"Are you okay, Kaichou?" Saji, being the lovestruck idiot he was, asked kindly. Tsubaki smiled thinly. Boy had a puppy dog crush if she ever saw one. At first, she did have some reservations, but lately she had seen how well-mannered the blonde was.
Well, except for his dream of impregnating Sona and then marrying her. She wasn't quite sure what to think about that. In fact, she wanted to erase the thought from her mind. There were some things that were better left untouched.
Sona lifted her head, her eyes slightly faded. "I am fine, Saji." she told her Pawn. "Just… exhausted."
"I bet." Meguri remarked. "Still, to think that the strongest youkai ever is married to Namikaze Haru of all people..."
It was definitely a surprise for all of them when the news circulated. Especially since said declaration came after the fact that Tamamo was a hair's breadth away from killing all the Devils in the territory. Thankfully Haru was able to prevent her from doing anything rash.
It was something to be thankful of, that was for sure.
"I still don't get why someone so important is doing here." Saji said, scrunching his brow in thought. "I mean, the Shinto Faction, from what Kaichou told me when she inducted me into the Peerage, is backing the Youkai Faction, right?"
Sona nodded. "That's correct."
"And Amaterasu-no-Mikoto has been leading the Shinto Faction ever since Izanagi-no-Mikoto disappeared."
"Again, correct."
"And Tamamo-no-Mae is Amaterasu-sama's Avatar, right? So, why is she hanging around here and not in Kyoto?"
"That is the question that is perplexing all of us." Sona answered. "From what my sister informed me, Amaterasu has not left Kyoto at all within the past week, yet her avatar still exists right here."
It was certainly strange, as were her words. Though she would admit she didn't fully understand what it meant to be a deity's avatar and envoy, she did know that any knowledge the god pertained would be transferred over to the avatar. She would have been suspicious of Tamamo being an impostor, but the power she displayed shattered that theory to bits. There were also her mannerisms and threats against them for believing that they had taken a piece of Japan without permission.
Was it possible that Tamamo-no-Mae's revival into the world was more complicated? Was it even possible for her to be resurrected? Necromancy was possible, yes, but reviving the dead always came with some form of drawback. Loss of personality, deformity, inhibitions, weakened power, etc.
But was it possible to revive a god's avatar?
This would require further investigation...
"On the subject of one of the school's pervs, he was accepted because he got a letter of recommendation, right?" Saji asked out of the blue, making Sona blink. "Some big shot magician?"
The younger Sitri scoffed. "Lord Zelretch is hardly a magician." she said, adjusting her glasses. "He's one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. Not only that, but he's well-regarded in the supernatural world, particularly in western Europe. However, one reason for his fame is also his enigma."
"Enigma?" Tomoe asked curiously. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, no one knows where he came from. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Normally, someone with no background would be under heavy suspicion, but somehow, in a single meeting with the head of the Mephistopheles Head, he impressed the old man enough to the point where he named him Grandmaster of the Mage's Association."
"SERIOUSLY?! He was made into Grandmaster?! Just how powerful is this guy?!"
Ruruko shrugged. "No one really knows, just like how nobody knows where he comes from. In fact, hardly anybody's ever seen the man in person. No one in the Mage's Association has ever actually met the man in person."
"What?!" Saji felt his jaw become intimate with the floor. No one had ever seen what this Zelretch guy looked like? That was crazy! "Then what's the point of having a seat of power if he doesn't attend things like parties or meetings?! I've heard of hikkemoris, but this guy sounds like he's something else!"
"Achoo!"
"You okay there, old man?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Some brat is probably just talking about me again." Zelretch said, wiping the snot from his nose. "So, boyo, did you get all that?"
Honestly speaking, Haru didn't really understand most of what the guy had just said. Something he made clear to the man as he sheepishly scratched his cheek. "Sorry, ojii-san, but all I got out of that conversation is that I can apparently revive the dead with this Heaven's Feel thing you were talking about, and that it's apparently something that belongs to another world."
"Well, can't blame you for not getting it." Zelretch shrugged. "It is rather hard for someone so normal. Let me simplify it for you, then." Haru nodded gratefully. "As you now know, the Heaven's Feel is the power to resurrect any soul without a negative consequence. It isn't considered necromancy, either, as when you revive a soul, you do so in its whole entirety. Necromancy usually taints or corrupts the soul being revived, but the Heaven's Feel, or Third Magic, is different. The subject is revived in their fullest state, as pure and clean as they were when they were alive. The Third Magic is also one of the True Magics that were lost to Magus thousands of years ago."
"Magus? Not Magi or magician?"
Zelretch chuckled. "Magician, or Sorcerer, is usually restricted to Magus who have obtained the power of a True Magic. I myself am a holder of a True Magic. Specifically, the Second Magic: Kaleidoscope, the operation of parallel worlds. Of course, given my long years, I've managed to also sneak my way into other alternate realities as well. Yours being one of them."
"What's the difference between alternate and parallel?"
"Let me put it to you this way. In your world, all things mythological exist even in the present day, and irregularities such as the Sacred Gears also exist. In my world, the Gods have long since died or disappeared, and with it their influence. We do not have Sacred Gears, and magic is nowhere near as prominent as it once was. There are no devils or angels, but other supernatural creatures also exist. Some of them are classified as Phantasmal Beasts."
"Okay..." Haru said slowly, coming to an understanding.
"Parallel worlds, while different, share major characteristics. Alternate worlds, however, are radically different from each other. Sure, they may have some differences, but no two worlds are the same. Even if they're going through a apocalyptic event, they'll be different."
"Like, nuclear winter vs zombie apocalypse different?"
"Exactly that! In some cases, an alien invasion. But that's beside the point. The point is, the worlds you and I hail from are alternate. Even then, you possess the Third magic from my reality at your disposal."
Haru cocked his head. "Wait... If this Heaven's Feel thing is from your world, how'd I get it?"
"Occasionally, there are cracks in the walls, so to speak. Tiny holes between worldly boundaries. Not too long ago, there was an event in a parallel world from one of my own worlds that resulted in human history being burnt to ashes, and following that, the world being obliterated by an otherworldly force. If I were to guess, some properties from one of the parallel worlds I mentioned seeped into your world. As a result, rather than obtain a Sacred Gear, you were gifted with the Heaven's Feel. A rare feet, mind you. In order to obtain one of the True Magics, you'd have to resist being assimilated into the Root of Akasha."
"Root of what now?"
"A story for another time." Zelretch answered, making Haru frown. Then a thought occurred to him. Since he came from an alternate world, and he apparently had the power to look into other worlds, then does that mean—-"And before you ask, yes. There was a world where you became a Harem King."
"How the—?!"
The old man smirked. "Boy, it's written all over your face, plain as day." Haru blushed madly and turned away in embarrassment. Was he honestly that transparent? Wait, nevermind that! He just said in one world he accomplished his dream! Hell yes! Namikaze Haru had scored his childhood dream! No, wait. Now he felt jealous of himself. Dammit! Lucky bastard! "Speaking of harems... You haven't mentioned bringing that childhood dream of yours to Tamamo, have you?"
"N-No..."
"Good. Otherwise, you wouldn't have any opportunities to make children. She boasts quite the killer technique, that Polygamy Castration Fist of hers."
Haru immediately yelped and used his hands to shield his family jewels. She really had a technique like THAT?! Then it was a good thing he never told her! The last thing he wanted was to lose his "little brother"! Seeing his reaction, Zelretch laughed, much to his chagrin. "It ain't funny, you old goat!" he hissed. "Anyway, back to this Third Magic thing! If it lets me bring back the dead and the Tama-chan I brought back to life was apparently from your world, how'd I manage that?"
"Simple. Through the cracks I told you about earlier. You've more or less connected yourself to the Root of Akasha itself, boyo. In a way, you're far more than just a simple human." the old man answered. "Of course, even I don't know much about what you can do. You have the Heaven's Feel, but it belongs in my world, not this one. Who knows how it works here?"
"And the cracks on that statue over there by the door?" He pointed over to the cracks in the Caster statue.
"Oh, those? That just means that you forged a connection through your Caster servant, this case being Tamamo-no-Mae. Since you are now linked in a sense, you're much closer to The Root of Akasha than another else from my world has been in several centuries." he answered. "Though I say Servant, it'd be more accurate to call her a Heroic Spirit, since she's been revived in her whole entirety."
"A Heroic Spirit?"
Zelretch nodded. "The Throne of Heroes. Think of it as an alternate space, unreachable by any method. Not even the Second Magic is capable of perceiving it. It's a realm accessible to only those who have performed feats that are recognized as 'impossible' by the World. Greek heroes like Odysseus, Theseus and Herakles. Japanese figures like Higashikata, Okita and Nobunaga. There are many that would classify for the Throne. Those that do are known as Heroic Spirits. Servants are Vessels that act as bodies for these Heroic Spirits. If I were to make a guess, going by recent events, I'd say that Tamamo would be considered a Caster-class Heroic Spirit."
"What's the difference?"
"Servants only possess a fraction of a Heroic Spirit's power, limited to a very specific skillset. Heroic Spirits possess all the powers they had when they were alive. For example, the Hound of Chulainn. As a Caster, his magical prowess is unquestionable, but his true power lies as a Lancer, where he is virtually unmatched with a spear."
Haru nodded. "Okay, so... Tamamo, rather than being limited to a small power level, is at her strongest?" Zelretch nodded. Haru then sighed and ran a hand through his head. "Urgh, I don't get this at all! This is way too confusing! At this point, I can't tell if I'm going crazy from all the stress or this is just one super weird dream!
"Personally, I would say a little bit of both, given how taxing the past few days have been. But make no mistake, what I have told you is the truth. And you boy… you have the power to make a difference in this realm. Even if you don't know it yet, you will in time… is what I would say if I actually knew what difference that would be. But you get the idea."
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." Haru muttered sarcastically. "How do I know you're not some crazy hallucination my subconscious devised for this dream?"
"Oh, don't worry. You and I will be seeing one another again soon."
"By the way, you might want to wake up. You're about to find your house on fire."
"Wait, what?!"
In the next second, Haru suddenly found himself falling into smoke. His body jolted, snapping wide awake and alert when he suddenly found himself coughing haphazardly while he felt his body being dragged away. "W-What—" he choked, something disgusting flooding his mouth and nostrils. It smelled like something was burning. He couldn't see anything. "What's going—"
"Get your hands off my husband!"
A blast of cold air washed over him and he found himself knocked to his feet. He heard a cry of pain close by. He shook his head, trying to clear up the fog in his head. When his vision cleared up, he learned that Zelretch had not been kidding.
His house really was on fire! "Holy shit!"
"Haru-san!" "Darling!" Haru looked to the side, finding Asia standing behind a protective and royally pissed off Tamamo-no-Mae. The source behind such anger was a black-cloaked stranger holding a gun and honest-to-god light saber, skewered by several thick shards of ice.
"What the hell? What the fuck's happening?!"
"E-Exorcists!" Asia cried. "Stray Exorcists! They-they just attacked us!"
"What?! Why?! Wait, where's Aika?!"
"I'm here!" The bespectacled girl cried as she made her way around the corner with a broken lamp in her hand. "Sorry about the lamp, but I kinda knocked one of them out with it."
His house was on fire and they were being attacked by Stray Exorcists, and she was worried about a broken lamp? Haru would have marveled at the girl's strange sense of priorities, but instead he shook his head. "Everybody out!" he shouted. Tamamo nodded and brought out a paper talisman, throwing it at the front entrance. In seconds, a chilly wind wiped out the flames lapping away, snuffing them out instantly and allowing the four of them to escape.
Haru soon stopped dead, however, when he realized that they had walked out of the frying pan and into the oven. "Ah, shit..."
Exorcists. Dozens of them, all standing in front of his house and armed to the teeth. Asia whimpered and clung to Aika and Tamamo, the latter of whom released a portion of killing intent. Not enough to induce the same effects as when she met the Devils, but enough to intimidate the poor sons of bitches in front of her. Standing at the head of the group was a young girl with black-and-silver hair and pale red eyes, wearing a black trench coat with yellow trims and dark slacks and knee-high boots. In one hand was a simple ornate blade with a pure silver edge that almost seemed as if it were glowing, and in the other hand was a simple handgun.
"Who the hell are you people?!" Aika angrily demanded. "If you're with those stupid crows, you—"
"Please be quiet." the girl cut her off, oddly polite in spite of the fact that she had them all dead to rights. "I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't make this any harder than it must be." She then directed her attention to the male redhead. "You are Namikaze Haru, correct?"
"Wh-Who wants to know?!" Haru yelled, trying to put on a brave face against likely death.
"Greetings, Namikaze-san." the woman greeted politely as if she didn't have them dead to rights. "My name is Lint Sellzan. If you would be so kind, could you maybe hand us over Asia Argento-chan before we're forced to kill you?"
She gave him an ultimatum with such an even expression as if she were commenting on the weather. Even so, it still shocked him. But he hardened his expression. There was no way he was going to give up Asia to save his own skin!
"Over my dead body!"
Lint stared at him, then sighed. "I see... That is a shame." she said before she pointed her blade at him. "I'm sorry for what is about to happen."
"Well, I'm not." Tamamo cut in, bearing her fangs. "Burn to ashes!"
She quickly flung two of her talismans at the girl. But Lint moved quickly and sliced them to pieces mid air, rendering them useless. Or at least, that was what she thought. The remains of the talismans caught fire and exploded into the crowd of exorcists, dispersing them or burning them severely. Lint dodged the incoming flames easily, leaping away. Rather than try and attack Tamamo, as she knew doing so would be dangerous, she instead decided to go for the next best thing.
Her summoner.
"Very sorry!"
"Whoa! Shit!"
Haru hastily jumped backwards to avoid the blade that would've bisected him. He dodged it, but just barely, evident by the tear in his shirt. He fell on his rear as he crawled away. But Lint immediately followed up for a stab through the head. He pulled his head to the left, letting it stab the ground next to his skull. Before she could use her gun to shoot him at this range, she suddenly found the wind kicked straight out of her lungs as a powerful strike plowed into her abdomen, sending her flying away.
Tamamo lowered her extended leg and growled. "Get away from my husband you tramp!" She then threw more talismans at the mob of Exorcists to either freeze them solid or burn them to a crisp.
It was amazing how, despite the vixen practically bombarding the road, no one seemed to notice a damned thing as the exorcists scrambled to evade. What really amazed and horrified Haru was the fact that they still kept coming at them. Surely, they should have realized the difference right now, right? They should know that they had no chance of winning against her, so why were they even trying? Were they that confident?
No, that's not it! he realized. They're coming at us, knowing full well they can't win! They're just throwing themselves at her like lambs to the slaughter! But why?! Why throw their lives away?! What are they—
Realization dawned on him.
They were after Asia!
"Kyaaah!"
The redhead turned to find Aika being kicked away while another exorcist grabbed Asia roughly by the shoulder. When she struggled, they slammed the butt of their gun into the back of her head, knocking her out instantly.
"Get away from her!" Haru roared, finding himself on his feet and charging at the exorcists. They whirled on him, weapons drawn. But for some reason, they found themselves suddenly frozen. To a bystander, Haru would have looked like a raging lunatic, going up against several people who had weapons that could kill him.
キル キル キル キル キル キル キル キル キル
But to the exorcists, at this moment, Haru looked like a demon out for blood, golden eyes bleeding bloodlust and rage. They had no idea why though. This was just a normal human! Well, a human with powers that he barely even understands! They were warriors who lived on the battlefield and tempered through combat in life or death situations. Why were they hesitating?!
But the more they focused on the boy, they felt the compulsion to turn and flee.
Their instincts detected something from this boy… something primal .
They returned to their senses, but only after Haru had delivered a brutal haymaker to the one who knocked out Asia, breaking his nose and knocking him out in a single hit. Haru followed up with an uppercut to the closest exorcist, making them stumble back. An exorcist lunged at Haru, swinging his sword. The blade cut across his back, making him scream. The exorcist smirked, but it soon faded when Haru looked over his shoulder, glaring at him.
"I-I'm sor—"
That was as far as he got before Haru broke his jaw with a roundhouse kick. He then grabbed the one next to him by the shoulders and slammed him into the ground. Following that, he grabbed another by the legs and swung him around like a rag doll before throwing him into another group.
Haru wasn't entirely sure what was happening. It felt like he suddenly left the driver seat and his brain went on auto pilot. He was moving on instinct.
Not that he cared right now. All he cared about was protecting Asia and Aika!
Which was precisely why he grabbed two exorcists by the skulls and smashed them against each other. As he readied himself for the next exorcists, a burning hot pain erupted across his shoulder, followed by something cutting into his leg. He screamed, collapsing to his knees. "Whew... Gotta say, I have a raging hard on, watching you go ape shit!" Haru looked over his shoulder. A man was standing over him, having the same face as Lint, only more sharp and narrow. Unlike Lint, his hair was fully silver, and his red eyes far more pronounced. Across his lips was a wicked grin. "I think I'm in love~!"
"Fuck..." Haru hissed. "You!"
"Oooh! He's got a mouth, too! Man, it's such a shame we gotta kill ya. I think we would've gotten along!" The man chuckled before he raised his gun. "Well, them's the breaks I guess." He pulled the hammer back. Even with the gun leveled at his forehead, Haru glared at him in defiance, daring him to pull the trigger.
"Haru!"
That was the last thing Haru heard before his hearing went to shit and the gun went off, sending him into a world of black…
{{Error. Connection lost.}}
{{Attempting reconnection...}}
{{Error! Reconnection impossible. Cause: Severe Brain Injury.}}
{{Odds of survival: zero.}}
{{Opening Circuit Pathways...}}
{{Circuit Connection Established.}}
{{Beginning Reconstruction.}}