04/01/2012, Kuoh Woods, Evening.
The outskirts of Kuoh were cloaked in the soft, silvery light of a rising moon, its glow filtering through the dense forest of trees.
Elizabeth strolled along the winding path, her velvet-blue dress brushing against the tall grass that swayed gently in the evening breeze.
The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the distant chirping of owls and other night creatures created a soothing symphony.
Her gloved fingers absently traced the edges of the crimson flyer she had tucked into her compendium earlier, its strange message lingering in her thoughts like an unsolved riddle, exciting the woman incredibly so.
"An isolated place should suffice—a clearing, maybe, that would be lovely." she murmured to herself, her golden eyes scanning the shadowed woods to locate her desired destination.
The idea of experimenting with the flyer excited her—its cryptic message, the possibility of uncovering something new. She stepped off the path, her boots crunching softly on fallen leaves, and ventured deeper into the forest.
As she walked, something caught her eye—a faint shimmer in the air, a strange distortion, like heat rising from asphalt on a hot summer day.
Elizabeth paused, tilting her head. "What is this?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustling leaves.
Before her, the air seemed to ripple, forming a translucent veil that stretched across the forest like an invisible barrier. It glimmered faintly, almost imperceptibly, as if woven from moonlight and shadow. A normal person wouldn't have even noticed it, for how subtle and well-camouflaged it was.
Elizabeth reached out, her gloved hand hovering just above the surface. The veil felt chill to the touch, solid yet yielding, like a pane of glass starting to solidify—without the obvious heat.
She pressed gently, and the surface resisted, but only slightly. With a bit more force—a trivial effort for someone of her strength—her hand passed through, tearing open a gap of her size, the veil parting like a curtain.
Curiosity piqued, Elizabeth stepped through the barrier, the air on the other side tingling against her skin. The forest beyond was eerily silent, the usual sounds of nature muted, as if the veil had swallowed them whole.
Under the magic veil far from the Velvet Room Attendant, a battle raged on in a small clearing, the ground torn and scorched. The battle was between two teenagers—one a short girl with snow-white hair, the other a handsome blonde boy—and their opponent, a creature that normal humans would call a monster: a yokai.
The forest clearing was bathed in the eerie glow of moonlight filtering through the veil, casting jagged shadows across the torn earth.
The air reeked of blood, sweat, and burnt soil, each clash of steel ringing like a death knell. An oni, Sothillis was his name—a towering, purple-skinned humanoid with tar-black horns that curled like twisted branches and glowing red eyes that burned with malevolence—loomed over his opponents.
Kiba Yuuto danced backward, his twin swords—one silver, one obsidian—a blur as he deflected the oni's relentless strikes. Sweat dripped down his brow, his breath coming in sharp gasps.
Beside him, Koneko darted like a ghost, her small fists glowing with a pale light as she lunged at gaps in the oni's guard. Each punch landed with a crack of demonic energy, but Sothillis merely snarled, his crimson eyes flicking between them with predatory amusement.
His dao glinted wickedly in the dim moonlight, its edge humming with dark energy that rippled the air like heat haze.
"Koneko, now!" Kiba shouted, feinting left to draw the oni's blade wide. The girl pivoted, her white hair streaming behind her as she channeled power into her fist.
She struck the oni's ribcage, the impact echoing like a thunderclap. Sothillis staggered, a hairline fracture spiderwebbing across his purple hide, but his grin only widened.
"Annoying pests," he growled, his voice a rumble that shook the ground. In a blur, he lunged, his free hand snapping out to seize Koneko by the throat. Her feet kicked uselessly as he lifted her.
Kiba's heart lurched.
"Let her go!" He slashed wildly, but Sothillis parried with a casual flick of his dao, sending one sword spinning into the dirt. The oni's laughter boomed, cruel and resonant.
"Pathetic. You think your petty magic can save her?"
A magic circle flared beneath Kiba's palm, a desperate call for aid, but it dissolved into ash before completing.
Sothillis's grin turned feral. "This barrier drinks your spells, devil. Scream all you want—no one will hear."
"Senpai…!" choked Koneko, clawing at his fingers, her face flushing crimson, before Sothillis launched her far away like a baseball.
Kiba's remaining sword trembled in his grip. "I don't need help to end you," he snarled, his voice raw with anger.
With a roar, he charged, blades materializing anew—a flurry of steel and desperation. Koneko crashed against the bark of a tree with a loud noise as Sothillis' attention returned to the blonde.
"Sword Birth!" A barbed silver sword erupted from his grip, its edge serrated and glowing faintly blue.
The oni's eyes narrowed. "A Sacred Gear… how quaint." He raised his dao, its surface now pulsing with inky darkness. "I am Sothillis, Blade of Izanami. Remember that name as you die, knight."
"Kiba Yuuto," the blonde retorted, his stance widening. "And I don't plan on dying tonight."
Koneko was getting back on her feet, severely injured after being thrown away like a rock.
She coughed up some blood and looked around. 'I have to call for help... fast!' She stood back up, holding her injured arm, barely able to hold herself steady.
"Oh my, a lost girl! Are you okay, dear?" Suddenly, Koneko heard a stranger's voice and immediately turned toward it, startled.
"Who are you?" she asked, alert and ready to fight back, she expected another foe—someone in cahoots with the oni.
However, Koneko saw a woman in blue clothes with yellow eyes walking through the forest as if nothing was happening.
"Good evening," said the woman, staring at the girl with curious eyes.
"What do you want?" Koneko asked, analyzing the new arrival.
'She smells strange. Is she a devil?' she thought, furrowing her brows. With a quick glance Koneko noticed the woman casted no shadow from the moonlight.
"I was looking for an empty space," the woman replied. Koneko didn't detect any lie—not with her devil senses nor with her nekomata's.
"You have to go away from here, miss! This place is dangerous!" Koneko warned, worry in her voice.
Elizabeth looked at the girl she had just found. "I like dangerous situations—it's my job, after all. But first, let me handle your injuries," the attendant said, confusing the girl.
"This isn't something normal! You have to run away!" The girl's plea was useless as Elizabeth crouched near her, patting her head.
"Calm down, don't worry," she said with a smile.
Koneko wanted to protest. She had to go call Rias or Akeno—she couldn't leave Kiba behind or let a civilian get hurt.
'I must go and bring this woman with—' While Koneko planned her next moves, she felt a refreshing and cozy sensation spread across her body.
"Diarahan," she heard the woman say, opening a... magic book? Soon, green light enveloped Koneko's wounds, healing all her injuries and making the girl sigh in relief.
'Is this woman a wizard? But then why don't they know she's here in Kuoh? Never mind,' Koneko thought, as she didn't have enough time to think about this right now. She would ask her later.
"Thanks," Koneko hummed softly, hiding her gaze from the woman's eyes as she got back on her feet.
"Well, see you, girl," Elizabeth said, making to leave.
"Wait! What's your name?" Koneko asked.
"Elizabeth," the woman answered, heading toward the core of the forest.
"Wait—don't go there! Please—" Before Koneko could finish, a loud boom was heard coming from the direction where Kiba was fighting.
"Senpai!" Koneko screamed, rushing toward the source of the explosion.
Back to the fight between Sothillis and Kiba, the air crackled with the acrid stench of blood. Kiba's chest heaved, each ragged breath searing his lungs as he staggered backward, his boots slipping in the churned mud.
Sothillis loomed before him, the oni's dao gleaming like a shard of midnight, its edge dripping with a viscous, tar-like substance that hissed when it struck the earth.
The blonde knight's once-pristine uniform hung in tatters, his arms trembling as he raised his sword—a battered silver steel now notched and dull.
"Defensive? How dull," Sothillis crooned, his voice a graveled purr. He stepped forward, deliberately slow, as if enjoying a meal, his clawed feet sinking into the soil with each thunderous stride. "I hoped for a dance, not this… puppet show."
Kiba's vision blurred at the edges.
Every parry sent jolts of agony through his arms; every dodge felt like wading through molasses.
The oni's strikes grew more theatrical—a swipe aimed at his throat that stopped millimeters shy, the dao's chill kiss raising goosebumps on Kiba's skin before Sothillis withdrew it with a mocking chuckle.
"Look at you, bat!" the oni sneered, circling him like a jackal. "A knight reduced to a stumbling whelp. Where's that pride now? That noble resolve you prided yoursel so much?"
Kiba gritted his teeth, a trickle of blood seeping from his split lip. 'Just a little longer. Koneko needs time,' he thought grimly.
Sothillis' blade flashed. Kiba barely twisted away, but not fast enough. The dao's tip sliced through his sleeve, carving a shallow gash across his bicep. He stifled a cry, the wound burning as if doused in acid.
"Tsk. Sloppy," Sothillis chided, licking the blackened edge of his blade. "Your fear reeks, devil. It's… delicious."
The oni leaped back suddenly, his massive frame coiled like a spring. The air around his dao warped, darkness coalescing into a swirling vortex.
"Enough games. It's time for Mother Izanami to witness a grand show!" Sothillis declared with fanatical zeal.
Kiba's heart pounded. He braced, but the attack wasn't aimed at him—not directly, at least.
Sothillis slammed the dao into the earth, and the ground ruptured. A shockwave of black fire erupted, swallowing the clearing. Kiba's sword shattered on impact; the force hurled him backward, his body skidding through dirt and roots until he crashed against a tree.
When the smoke cleared, Kiba laid crumpled in a crater, his left arm bent at a grotesque angle. Blood pooled beneath him, seeping into the soil like ink. His remaining sword was buried hilt-deep in the ground, the only thing keeping him upright. His breath came in wet, shuddering gasps.
"Be honored," Sothillis intoned, emerging from the haze. The oni's eyes now blazed with rings of black fire, their light casting writhing shadows across his scarred face.
"Your death will be the first offering to Izanami in this wretched town. A masterpiece of suffering."
Kiba's vision swam. Through the ringing in his ears, he heard footsteps—light, frantic. Koneko.
"Senpai!"
When Koneko arrived at the scene, she saw a bleeding Kiba desperately leaning on his sword planted in the ground.
"Oh, it looks like your friend wants to join you," Sothillis remarked. Hearing this, Kiba turned his head, looking at Koneko.
"Go away…" he tried to say before crumbling under his own weight.
Koneko ran to him, protecting the boy with her own body.
"Such good comradeship for two devils," the oni said, walking closer to Koneko, a sadistic smile on his lips, his sword ready to strike her down.
Sothillis aimed directly at Koneko's legs, not wanting to kill her before the sacrifice, but his sword was stopped by a woman's gloved hand.
"Such good comradeship indeed, I have to say. They remind me of my dear guest and his friends," Elizabeth said, stepping between Koneko and the monster.
"What do you think you're doing, woman!?" Sothillis barked, looking at Elizabeth, disgusted and annoyed by her presence.
"It doesn't matter. You will die too!" But as the oni prepared to strike another swing of his dao, Elizabeth hit him with the Persona Compendium's cover, sending Sothillis flying away in an almost comical manner.
"My guest wouldn't like me to kill you, but I warn you, oni. Try again to kill someone, and I'll handle you myself," she said, her eyes glimmering with light.
Elizabeth's threat sent shivers down Koneko's spine, making her want to make herself smaller, like prey in front of a predator.
Sothillis grabbed his sword, ignoring the pain. "You dare threaten me!?" He ran at Elizabeth, both hands on his sword, not caring about defense—just pure, ruthless force.
With a powerful blow, Sothillis struck Elizabeth.
"Miss!" Koneko shouted, shocked at seeing Elizabeth being hit. But instead of blood or a corpse, Koneko saw Elizabeth completely unscathed.
"Luckily, I brought the Omnipotent Orb, or that knife might have scratched me," the Velvet Room attendant said nonchalantly, glad of her choice of items.
Sothillis roared in rage, grinding his fangs as he attacked the woman again and again and again, each blow moving the air around them, breaking the branches of nearby trees.
Yet the attacks left Elizabeth unfazed. The oni breathed heavily, looking at the woman in blue with pure rage.
"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!? THIS BLADE HAS BEEN BLESSED BY THE DARKNESS OF YOMI ITSELF!" Sothillis tried to strike another blow, but Elizabeth stopped him.
"Bufudyne," she said, summoning Jack Frost. The Demon Doll spun around himself, casting the ice spell and freezing the oni in a sturdy block of ice.
"You shouldn't fight without the Universe's permission, Attendant, hee hoo! What would he say, hee hoo?" Jack Frost exclaimed, his hands on his round, cartoonish hips, assuming an admonishing yet funny pose.
"You even scared a little girl, hee hoo!"
Koneko looked at the woman with a mixture of awe and fear. Then she glanced at Jack Frost, who tried to reassure her with a thumbs-up and a wide smile before vanishing.
Koneko gulped down her fear and rushed to Kiba's side, hoping to help him.
"Please… heal him," the little girl begged.
"Of course," the woman said. Elizabeth then took a bead from one of her pockets and broke it above Kiba, healing the boy completely.
When Kiba woke up, he saw Koneko looking at him with relief and a mysterious woman standing before them.
"Koneko? What happened? Where's the enemy? And who is this woman?" the boy asked, noticing he wasn't injured at all—in contrast to what he remembered.
"I'm Elizabeth. I helped you against that oni and healed you," the woman said.
"Thanks… but I don't understand… Miss Elizabeth, are you a wizard?" the boy asked, his ears still ringing.
"No, no—please don't call me that. I'm a ruler of power."
Kiba wanted to ask more questions, but a communication circle appeared on his hand.
"Yuuto! Are you and Koneko fine?! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I thought it was just a stray devil, but then I lost contact with you. I'm so sorry—please tell me you're okay!" He heard his president and king's concerned voice.
"We're fine, President," Kiba answered.
Just after Kiba replied, a crimson magic circle formed on the ground, and from it, two tall girls appeared.
The red-haired one rushed to Koneko and Kiba, hugging them tightly.
"Sorry, sorry! You're okay—thank Satan!" She then looked up, seeing Elizabeth.
Without thinking, the red-haired girl casted a bolt of destruction at the attendant, but the woman simply blocked it with her hand.
"President! Please—she saved our lives!" Kiba grabbed his king's arm, and Koneko stood up, going to Elizabeth.
"I'm sorry for my president's behavior," Kiba apologized, bowing to Elizabeth, making the red-haired girl look down in shame.
"There's no need to apologize," Elizabeth said.
"Now, I'm sorry, but it's getting late. I need to head home." Before Elizabeth could depart, the red-haired girl ran over to her.
"Please, let me thank you for saving my servants! I don't know what I would have done without you helping them." Tears formed in her eyes.
"I'll be forever in your debt!" The girl bowed her head, embarrassed for having just attacked her peerage's savior.
"There's no need to thank me, really," Elizabeth answered.
"Please, let me at least apologize for attacking you. If you come to Kuoh Academy tomorrow, I promise you won't regret it."
"That sounds lovely. I've never had a 'school meeting,' as they call them." Elizabeth smiled, accepting the offer, and headed away.
"Rias, I think you scared our friend there," the other girl teased her friend.
"Come on, Akeno—she saved Kiba and Koneko, and I attacked her with my Power of Destruction. I was dying of embarrassment!" Rias complained to her vice-president.
"President, what do we do with him?" Koneko asked, pointing at the frozen oni.
"Let's interrogate him when we're done here."