Chapter 2: Chapter two: Questions.
Chapter two: Questions.
''Wake up, buddy.'' I felt someone shaking me awake. I slowly opened my eyes in response, my vision still somewhat blurry. When I finally managed to focus, I found a pair of green eyes belonging to Daisuke as he gave me a knowing smirk, watching me drool on top of my desk.
''Good morning...'' I murmured groggily. It seemed like I had managed to fall asleep in the middle of our math class.
''It's afternoon.'' Daisuke corrected me, pointing to the other side of the classroom as I stared at the clock on the wall. ''You are lucky our teacher is a self-absorbed ass; she didn't even notice you sleeping on your desk. We still have time before our next lesson; wanna hit our spot near the forest? I could use a smoke right around now...''
''Sounds good to me. Let's go.'' I nodded, standing up from my seat and stretching my arms. We headed towards the door and stepped outside, Daisuke leading the way. He walked down the hallway and turned left, heading straight for the schoolyard.
The sun was bright and warm, and it was already afternoon. A faint breeze blew through the air, and the smell of flowers carried itself along. The sound of students chatting filled the air. It didn't take us long to reach the clearing in the small forest next to the old school building, so we sat down and chatted a bit.
''You know...'' I began; there had been something irking me for a while. ''Are we students allowed inside the old school building? I mean, I haven't seen anyone else around the place other than Rias.''
''Hm... As far as I know, no.'' Daisuke told him. ''I think she and her friends are allowed to be in there because of... Uh... What was it called, again? Occult Research Club? I don't know; it's some supernatural nonsense club; honestly, I'm surprised it's allowed to be called a club in the first place. Sounds like complete bullshit to me.''
''...'' An Occult Research Club? I couldn't help but feel a little interested in the thought; I had felt something strange coming from Rias and a handful of other students, an aura of sorts, but seeing as it was none of my business, I didn't give the situation much thought. Could they be unique, like me? Humans with strange powers? If so, I wouldn't mind meeting them...
I could use a little information about the supernatural world, after all. As a principle, I tend to avoid troublesome situations, but if I am going to get pursued by some unidentified supernatural beings like Mittelt from yesterday... I'd rather be well-informed about them.
''Don't tell me...'' Daisuke began, taking a puff of his cigarette. ''You are interested in joining the club? I know she's a hottie, but...''
''Nah,'' I told him, shaking my head. ''I mean, she's a hottie, but it's not that,'' I explained, staring at the building as I barely managed to spot it through the line of trees. ''Let's just say I could use someone with a little knowledge of the supernatural to answer my questions.''
''Hm... Well, I don't believe in all that stuff, but...'' Daisuke trailed off. ''Seeing as Rias isn't around, if it's all that urgent, you could try asking Akeno Himejima. You know, the black-haired girl from our class? The one with the massive breasts? I heard she's the Vice President of the Club.''
''The one with the cute orange ribbon? Yeah, I have seen her.'' I replied absentmindedly, memories of seeing that girl hanging around Rias Gremory flashing in my mind. ''So her name is Akeno, huh?''
''Yeah, that's her.'' Daisuke nodded. ''You can probably find her around the classroom. If not, then... Ugh... I suppose you could try asking Prince Charming about her; he's a member of the Occult Research Club as well.''
''Prince Charming?'' I asked, tilting my head. ''Who the hell is that?''
''Yuuto Kiba, that's Prince Charming. Blonde, blue eyes, mole underneath his left eye. Does that ring any bells?'' Daisuke answered my question, pointing back towards the schoolyard. ''If not, look around for some dude with around twenty girls chasing after him at all times; believe me, he's hard to miss.''
''Thanks, I'll do that then,'' I replied, nodding in understanding. I stood up from the ground, dusting myself off as I took a deep breath of the fresh air, the breeze seemingly increasing in intensity. ''I'll meet you in the classroom, okay?''
''Sure thing, buddy,'' Daisuke replied with a smile.
As I made my way back down the path to the school building, the wind around me began shifting ever so slightly, bringing with itself far away sounds into my ears, some girls screaming, then soon after, three boys screaming for help -for whatever reason-, some mindless quarrelling between some other students. At long last, I heard it.
I'd guess around ten or so, a group of girls whispering stuff about some handsome male student in a corner. I could sense their presence, though I couldn't see them.
''He's so hot, I just want to throw myself at him and go wild...'' I heard one of them whisper.
''Well, I want to fuck hi-...'' Alright, that's enough of that. Why is everyone so damn promiscuous in this fucking school? In any case, what's important here is I have successfully located the location of Yuuto Kiba, so I can finally ask him about Akeno Himejima.
How did I do that? Well, in simple terms... An acoustic wave, as you know, is a mechanical wave travelling through a medium. Sound is most often carried through the air as a medium. Where that sound goes depends on the wind, so if I shift the winds slightly in my favour, I can listen to all sorts of exciting things.
''It should be around... Here?'' I took a right turn and then headed straight towards the school's dojo; I could hear some agitated panting from there; I'd wager Kiba had managed to lose his fangirls and was now hiding from them to the best of his abilities. Once I reached the back of the dojo and looked around, I noticed a single boy resting his back against the building's outside walls.
''Yuuto Kiba, right?'' I called out to him, waving at him with a smile.
''...?'' Kiba turned to look at me. His expression showed me that he was confused; he had the 'how did I not hear him get so close to me?' look drawn across his face. Again, I'm using wind to my advantage here; I have never encountered someone who could hear my steps. ''Forgive me, but I don't believe we've met before...''
''Oh, uh, right... I'm Tokinada Hayashi, a third-year student.'' I introduced myself, bowing politely.
''Tokinada-senpai, is it?'' Yuuto stood up from the ground, his breathing now even. ''I'm Yuuto Kiba, a second-year student. You were looking for me, Tokinada-senpai?''
''Well...'' I trailed off. ''Yes and no? I'm looking for Akeno, but I can't seem to be able to track her... I mean, find her, so I was told to ask you.''
''Akeno-senpai?'' Kiba inquired, scratching the back of his head. ''Oh, if this is about asking her for a date, I don't think...''
''What? No, it's not!'' I cut him off. ''I'm actually looking for Rias, but since she wasn't around, I was told to look for Akeno, but then she wasn't around, so I was told to...''
''You want a date with the President, then?'' Kiba tilted his head to the side, a little confused.
''No!'' I told him. ''I mean, uh-... Yes? Is that possible? Wait, no, that's not why I'm looking for her.'' I rubbed my temples, my brain starting to hurt with our weird discussion. ''I just need to ask her something, so please help me out here.''
''Hmm... And it's not about a date?''
''No, listen... Uh... This might sound a bit weird, but I have some questions about some supernatural stuff.'' I replied somewhat vaguely.
Kiba stared at me for a second as if weighing inside his mind whether to believe me or not. I could understand how he might doubt me, considering the number of male students that must come to him with ulterior motives. ''You'll find them both in the Student Council Room. I'm afraid both of them are in an important meeti-...''
[ . . . . . . . . . . . . . ]
I never got to hear his last few words as I left the area before he finished his sentence, I had a rough idea of where the Student Council Room was located, -around the end of the main hall on the second floor-, so with that in mind I headed up the hallways until I found what I believed to be the correct room, knocking on the door.
''...'' No response. I knocked once more. This time, there was a small click and the door opened. I looked up, and standing in front of the door was a girl with long straight black hair that extended all the way down to her knees, with split bangs and, interestingly enough, heterochromatic eyes.
''Yes?'' The girl asked, crossing her arms as she waited for me to speak.
''... I'm looking for Rias Gremory or Akeno Himejima,'' I spoke; the moment I mentioned them, her brows furrowed. ''Yuuto Kiba told me I would find them here, so I...''
Before I could finish my sentence, the girl held a hand out, stopped me, and closed the door. I sighed, tapping my foot on the ground as I waited outside. After a long wait, she opened the door and stepped aside to allow me entry. ''Come in.''
''...'' I followed her inside, looking around the room as I spotted three beautiful girls inside; I recognized two of them, namely Rias and Akeno, the one I didn't recognize was a petite girl sitting behind a desk. All eyes turned to me.
''Do you have any business with us?'' The girl sitting behind the desk asked me, breaking the silence.
''I mean, with them, yes.'' I pointed at Rias and Akeno, I had no idea who the girl speaking to me was, but I could make a guess. The Student Council President, perhaps? ''I wanted to ask them some questions in private, if possible at all.''
''You are...'' Rias seemed to recognize me at long last, her face illuminating with a soft smile. ''You're Tokinada Hayashi, the new student in our class, right?''
''The very same,'' I replied, matching her smile. It did feel a little good to know I was at least memorable enough for her to remember my name. ''I wanted to ask you some questions about some uh...'' I stared back at the girl sitting behind her desk; it felt a little awkward mentioning such a topic in front of the possible Student Council President. ''... supernatural stuff...''
Even though I had whispered, they all seemed to have heard me loud and clear, given their expressions. Rias and Akeno exchanged glances, and then Rias turned to face me. She placed a finger on her lips while giving me a long look up and down.
''Supernatural stuff?'' She repeated. ''And what 'supernatural stuff' would you like to ask me about, Tokinada-san?''
''...'' I stared at them, all of a sudden feeling a little self-conscious. Yes, I had come here to ask them several questions regarding some supernatural terms because they studied supernatural stuff, and each had a strange aura surrounding them. But what if I was wrong and these were just ordinary people?
''Well.'' I began, attempting to find the sanest way to phrase my thoughts. Ultimately, I decided to go for a direct approach; worst case scenario, I say I was messing around so I could talk with them. ''I wanted to ask about Fallen Angels.''
The moment those words left my mouth, the atmosphere around the room changed significantly; Akeno and Rias, in particular, failed to mask their reactions, their eyes growing wide.
''...'' Rias and I stared at each other in silence for a second. Well, at least now I know for sure she knows something. Still, before I could come up with an answer, someone else spoke.
''A blonde girl wearing a gothic suit, her left arm, chest and head were all covered in injuries, with holes almost five centimetres in size in each place.'' The girl behind the desk blurted out, catching me off guard. ''Does that sound familiar?''
''...'' I couldn't help but react to that, failing to mask my reaction much the same as Rias and Akeno had done before. Perhaps approaching them without knowing a thing about them wasn't a good idea after all. I had not considered that the girl I killed could be one of their friends. ''It doesn't.''
''For some reason, I find that hard to believe.'' The girl replied, a strange expression present across her face. ''You came to ask us about Fallen Angels; believe it or not, that is the cause of our meeting here.''
''Tokinada-san,'' Rias spoke up; it seemed she had overcome her initial shock. ''I will be more than willing to answer whatever questions you may have, but I won't able to do so until we clear this matter up first.''
''Man...'' I whispered; I can't exactly admit to murder just like that. Then again, it's not like I murdered a human, she was just some monster who wanted to kill me, and besides, from their reactions, I could guess none of them was that fond of the girl I had killed. ''It might sound a little familiar, yes.''
''You mean to say...'' The girl behind the desk spoke again. ''... You killed it?''
''If I answer that,'' I said, scratching the back of my head. ''Then I'll get to ask some questions myself. Deal?''
''We are not negotiating...'' The Student Council President began, but she was interrupted mid-sentence before she got the chance to deny my request.
''Deal,'' Rias replied immediately, stepping closer to me.
''I killed her, yes,'' I replied instantly; if she was willing to answer my questions, I had no problem answering some of hers. ''It was in self-defence, though; not sure what was up with her, but she seemed intent on killing me.''
''You, a human, killed a Fallen Angel without help?'' Rias cocked her head to the side as she listened to my story. Her gaze was intense, and it made me feel uncomfortable. ''How, exactly?''
''I mean, I dunno... It's a bit difficult to explain.'' I shifted around uncomfortably, I had never met another human aware of the supernatural world, so I had never explained this power of mine to anyone. ''Oh, I know... The girl, Mittelt, I think? She mentioned a Sacred Gear; I'm assuming I used one.''
''You have a Sacred Gear?'' Rias took another step closer, and I instinctively stepped back to distance myself from her. The air around the room had changed again, from suspicious to... I don't know; all of them seemed curious, excited even. ''What does it...''
''Nu-uh,'' I replied, cutting her off. ''You got to ask some questions. I get to ask some now, remember?''
''I... You are right; I got a little excited.'' Rias admitted, averting her eyes. Akeno chuckled from behind her; she had chosen to remain silent throughout our entire exchange. ''Very well, ask me your questions. I'll answer them to the best of my abilities.''
''First question, then... I came here because I sensed something, a special aura around all of you.'' I explained, pointing a finger at each of the four girls in the room; all had that distinct feeling surrounding them; it felt a little dark, powerful and foreign. ''You are like me, then? You have, uh... Sacred Gears, as well?''
''...'' Rias cleared her throat. ''First, I am amazed you somehow detected something strange about us. Regarding your question, we don't possess Sacred Gears, but you are right about us being different from the rest of the students around here. We are...'' Rias turned to face the girl behind the desk for a second, and she just offered a short nod in response. ''Devils.''
I had heard that term once before; one of the monsters I killed in the past claimed to be one. He called himself a Stray Devil, though. I decided it was better not to mention it to them, seeing as I also ended up killing that one. ''You are all Devils? I'm assuming Fallen Angels aren't exactly on good terms with you guys, then?''
''You picked that up from how we spoke about that Fallen Angel; I take it? You are quite perceptive.'' The girl behind the desk said, standing up from her seat. ''I'm Sona Shitori, President of the Student Council.''
''A pleasure, I'm Tokinada,'' I nodded at her but didn't stare too long at her. I asked Rias another question, the one that interested me the most. ''Then what am I? I'm not a normal human; I know that much, but...''
''You are a Sacred Gear user.'' Akeno jumped in. ''Sacred Gears are powerful items bestowed upon certain humans by God.''
''God?'' I frowned at that. ''Which God? Fūjin?'' The God of the Wind himself had granted me this power? If so, that would shed some light on the nature of my abilities.
''Fufu...'' Akeno chuckled again, sounding rather amused. ''The God of the Bible, that one.''
''Oh.'' I paused, pouting a little. That doesn't sound as cool as the God of Wind granting me his blessing. ''I guess that's cool as well...'' I muttered, causing Akeno to tilt her head cutely to the side.
''Anyway, you have a Sacred Gear, so you are a Sacred Gear user.'' Rias decided to put the conversation back on track. ''You are still a human, but one who has been gifted with amazing power. Is that a satisfactory answer?''
''It is,'' I told her, smiling a little. Rias was not what I expected at all, she seemed quite approachable for someone with her status. ''I'm done with asking questions, but feel free to ask away, if you have any.''
''...'' Rias smiled back at me, her eyes flickering slightly. ''I have several questions, way too many to ask right now.'' Rias pointed at a clock hanging on the wall; it was already well past our break time. She had probably kept up with the time while I was busy explaining things. ''The break is over. ''I would like to talk some more later, if that's possible?''
''Of course.'' I grinned, taking her up on her offer. As I just said, I had no more questions in mind, but another conversation with someone like her didn't sound all that bad. Besides, who knows, maybe I could get some more useful information from her.
End of chapter two.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
KindaWeirdChampBro
KindaWeirdChampBro Much slower-paced chapter, and perhaps a little rushed, funnily enough, but I wanted to get their introductions out of the way.
I mentioned in the last chapter he had felt something strange about them, so to me, it felt like a natural step to approach them; it just so happened that he did so after killing a Fallen Angel.
And so the Devils were able to connect the dots relatively easily. Next chapter, Issei will make his first appearance! He made a little cameo in this one, lol.
Oh, before I forget. You have questions about Tokinada's Sacred Gear? Feel free to ask, because I have some REALLY creative stuff planned for him.
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