"Holy crap! Dude, look at that!"
"Whoa, who's she?!"
"She's so fucking gorgeous!"
"I-is she holding Hyoudou's arm?!"
"No way!"
"You think it could be blackmail?"
"How despicable!"
Haru sighed, hanging his head low while Tamamo remained oblivious to the cries of slander the students were giving him while the rest ogled and practically fell in love with the sight of the woman who had declared herself as his wife. This was more or less the reaction he was expecting from everyone, but it still hurt like hell.
And then, of course, came Sona Shitori herself. A glare had hidden her eyes from view, but her posture spoke volumes of what she thought. The tension in the air was thick between the three. Tamamo glared at her as if she was a mild annoyance while Haru himself was shaking slightly. He could have sworn he saw what looked like the Yama standing behind Sona, mallet in hand with a leer placed upon him and ready to deliver judgement.
I feel like my soul got turned to ice. He thought, shaking in Tamamo's grasp. Damn, the prez is pissed!
"Hyoudou-san..." She spoke coolly. "... just who is this? Why have you brought a visitor on campus without permission?"
"T-this is Tama-chan." Haru said, sweating profusely. "She's my—"
"I don't think that concerns you." Tamamo interrupted sharply, startling Haru. Her tone, which should have been bubbly and cheerful, had become icy and threatening. "I think the better question is, who are you? You look human, but the smell on you says otherwise."
Smell?
Haru looked back and forth between the two women, seemingly locked in a glaring match. Sona's cool mask remained perfect as ever as she adjusted her glasses, revealing her beautiful eyes. "... I see." she spoke, voice even. "Would I be correct in assuming you are Tamamo-no-Mae-sama?"
"I am indeed. And you are?"
"Sona Sitri, heiress to the Pillar of Sitri. An honor, Tamamo-sama."
Haru blinked. Once, twice. Three times.
"... Eh?" Just what the hell was going on now? "Wait, um, what's going on?"
"Hyoudou-kun." Sona's voice cut him out of his confusion. "Before the First Period begins, please come to the Old School House."
The Old School House? If memory serves, that was the old main building before Kuoh underwent renovations a good few decades ago. It was also the subject of many ghost stories, and most importantly, it was the home of the Occult Research Club, home to the two of the Three Great Ladies: Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. That, of course, raised the question.
"Um… why?"
"Do you want to know why you were attacked? More importantly, who that woman was?"
His eyes widened in shock. "H-how do you...?"
Sona didn't give any further explanation. Tamamo, however, became more angered by her words. She looked ready to lunge at the Student Council President, but held back.
"Is this a jest, little girl?"
"No. I am simply offering an explanation." Sona replied curtly. "I can assure you, I have no hostile intentions, Tamamo-sama."
"I'm sorry… but I can't say I believe your words. Why should I put my faith in a woman who clearly hides behind a human facade?"
Haru looked back and forth between the two females, question marks dancing around his head. Seriously? What was going on? All he could get around this conversation was that Sona wasn't normal or something and Tamamo definitely wasn't happy.
That was hardly the point, though. She had answers. Answers he wanted. Why Yuma attacked him. He glanced at Tamamo, still glaring daggers at the girl in front of her.
She… probably isn't going to like this.
I
As it turned out, probably was a kind way of putting it. Tamamo had all but protested to the idea, clearly not wanting him anywhere near Sona or anyone else at the old school building. When Haru made it clear to her that he wanted answers, especially since he nearly got killed yesterday. Reluctantly, Tamamo agreed and chose to accompany him.
This led to where they were at now. Currently, the redhead and Tamamo were in a rather lavish room, sitting on a couch while surrounding them were various other students, each Haru recognized for different reasons. Two of the most easily recognizable were Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima, both of whom sported rather impressive busts much to his inner delight. Akeno had long black hair tied into a ponytail, kept in place with a green bow. Rias, true to her foreign heritage, was very well known for her crimson red hair and sapphire blue eyes. Sitting on the opposing side was Koneko Toujou, a first-year and the unofficial mascot of Kuoh Academy. Sitting off to the side was the enemy of all perverts: the bishounen Kiba Yuuto. Sona was also present among their number.
"Here you are." Akeno said kindly, handing him and Tamamo a small cup of tea. "Please enjoy."
"U-um, thanks." Haru said nervously, graciously bowing his head. Tamamo wrinkled her nose, as if smelling something repulsive.
Nonetheless, she wasn't one to be so rude when someone offered her something. She took a sip of her tea. As she did, her eyes widened. "This blend..." she muttered, staring at Akeno with uncertainty. "Are you, perhaps, a shrine maiden? The herbs in this are familiar to me."
"Hai, Tamamo-sama. I tend to the Himejima shrines."
"Himejima?" Tamamo frowned. "Hm. I don't recall a clan by that name. A newer one, perhaps?" She shrugged and went back to her tea.
Rias smiled somewhat, taking a seat cross from the two. "I apologize if Sona came off as a bit rude, Hyoudou-kun." the buxom beauty told him. He was a bit distracted by the way her breasts bounced as she sat down, though he was quick to return his attention to her face. He didn't want to get into trouble with Tamamo. As they say, hell hath no fury like a jealous wife. "However, we've been on edge since yesterday. I assume you have a great deal of questions?"
"You have no idea, Gremory-senpai."
"I see. Well, to begin, allow me to introduce ourselves properly." Rias' smile turned mischievous, a twinkle dancing in her iris. "I am Rias Gremory, heir to the Pillar of Gremory. We Devils welcome you and Tamamo-no-Mae-sama to the Occult Research Club."
Then, in tandem, every single person in the room underwent a change. It wasn't a drastic one, but it was still a major one, for behind all of their backs were a pair of leather, black pinions resembling the wings of bats.
Haru had dropped his cup and back pedaled in shock. Flashes of the incident the night before came back to him. Black wings. Bloodlust. Yuma with a spear.
Before he realized, he was hyperventilating.
The bloodcurdling smile Yuma gave him brought forth a chill. His hands shook uncontrollably. His heart was dancing in his chest, threatening to fall apart.
A hand wrapped around his. He nearly jumped out of his skin, his head snapping to see the concerned, yet gentle face of Tamamo. "It's okay." she told him. "This is different, Haru-kun."
"I apologize if we caused you some discomfort." Sona said, pushing up her glasses. "Would you like us to hide your wings?"
Haru nodded dumbly. Their faces turned sympathetic and their wings vanished from sight. The image of Yuma above him with feathery black wings was still fresh in his mind, but it was less prominent. He closed his eyes and took an intake of breath. This wasn't the park. This wasn't the date. He wasn't being threatened. Tamamo was right here.
"S-so… you're Devils." he said. "As in, fallen angels? Holy beings who sinned and got cast into hell?"
Kiba chuckled wryly. "Not quite." he said. "Devils and Fallen Angels are two entirely different species. I believe you understood that firsthand yesterday."
The image sharpened. Feathery black wings stretched out with pride, yet contrasting the sinister grin that fouled her beautiful face.
"Y-you mean...?"
Rias nodded, her eyes steely. "That is correct. The woman you know as Yuma Amano, who's true name is Raynare, is a Fallen Angel."
His hands became clammy. His date… was a Fallen Angel… and she wanted to kill him...? Why?
Tamamo furrowed her brow. "And why would that hag want to kill Haru-kun?" she asked (read: demanded). "And what does she stand to gain?"
"Of that, we don't know." Sona answered. "It would be understandable if Hyoudou-kun possessed magical capabilities, or perhaps a Sacred Gear, but..."
"Sacred Gear?"
This earned surprised looks from everyone. They each looked at one another, and then turned to Tamamo. "Tamamo-sama." Rias said slowly. "Do you… not know what Sacred Gears are?"
"No, I do not." the fox answered. "I have never heard of such a term before. Then again, today is a day of firsts. Until yesterday, I had never encountered Devils nor Fallen Angels before."
"Truly?" Sona inquired, now curious with an underlying suspicious tone in her voice. "Out of curiosity, and pardon me if I overstep my boundaries, but… how long have you been here?"
"Literally yesterday." Tamamo deadpanned. "The modern world is somewhat foreign to me. The last time I was here in the mortal realm was when I was but a consort to Toba."
"But how is that possible? Even if you weren't here on the physical plane, surely you must've been aware of Fallen Angels and Devils from the Shinto Realm."
Tamamo huffed. "Simply because I am an aspect of Amaterasu-sama does not mean I know what she knows." Her glare hardened. "Now, explain what Sacred Gears are. My patience has its limits, Devils."
Stiffly, Rias nodded. She knew better than to anger someone as powerful as this. "V-very well. But before that, I suppose we would have to go into some history. Hyoudou-kun, do you believe in myths and legends?"
The redhead shook his head. There really wasn't any need to believe that, since he never put much stock into it. Following his meeting with Tamamo, as well as everyone in the room, he knew that everyone in the room was not human. He pretty much could believe whatever was in the bible now.
"Well, in the past, there was a conflict between three biblical factions: the Devils, Angels and the Fallen Angels." Sona explained to him. "The Devils were led by the Maou, the strongest being the Devil King Lucifer. The Angels were led by the Archangels and the God of the Bible. And finally the Fallen, which were led by the Grigori and their governor Azazel. It was a long and terrible conflict, and eventually, other races were dragged into the mix. Spirits, youkai, fairies and such. Humans were the most prominent."
Haru swallowed the dry lump in his throat. "A-and… what happened? How did it end?"
"A stalemate." Kiba said with sorrow. "Many lives were lost. Included were the Great Maou and many gods. Following that was a ceasefire between all the sides. Since then, the supernatural world has been in a state of peace and recovery, however small and little. In that same time, a system was created by God, bestowed upon the humans."
Tamamo fuddled her brow. "A system?"
"Yes. The Sacred Gear system." Akeno nodded. "Miracles of various feats, and each harbors a special power. They're quite numerous, but only humans can wield such powers. Among them are the 13 Longinus, said to be able to kill gods."
"I see..."
Haru frowned heavily. "A-and Yu… no, Raynare tried to kill me because I had one or because I have magic?" he asked, both in confusion and in anger. "I don't know any magic. And I think I would remember if I had something like that!"
"You are correct." the Student Council President nodded. "You showed no signs of possessing a Sacred Gear. Moreover, you hold no magical potential whatsoever. By all rights, you are an ordinary human." Creases marred her forehead as she adjusted her spectacles, crossing her legs. Were it not for the tense atmosphere, Haru would most definitely be admiring those slender, thin legs of hers and wondering what sort of forbidden sight they could be connected to. "And that is our concern. Hyoudou-kun, do you have any reason as to why Raynare would target you?"
The Redhead closed his eyes. He thought back to that horrible day. It hurt just thinking how Raynare had belittled and toyed with him, calling their date, which he thought so much, a mere way to pass the time. He didn't want to think anymore about that and instead focused on what she had said.
"She mentioned how… someone called Azazel took an interest in me."
The Devils' eyes widened considerably. "Azazel?" Rias asked, jaw agape. "The Governor of the Grigori? Why on Earth would he be interested in you?"
"How the hell should I know?!" Haru raised his arms in exasperation. "I didn't even know who the guy was until you told me about him!"
Rias sat back in her chair. Things simply were not adding up. The boy before her had no Sacred Gear nor any magical aptitude. By all rights, he should've been an ordinary human. Yet one of the Grigori members attacked him last night.
Moreover, there is the presence of Tamamo-no-Mae to consider. Based on current speculation, she arrived because of Haru, yet why? Koneko claimed he had summoned her, but what did that mean exactly? Could it have been a possible reverse summoning? There was just too little they didn't know.
Additionally, there was a much more serious matter to attend to. One that she needed to ascertain. "If I may ask… what exactly is your intention here, Tamamo-sama?" The incarnation of the Shinto Sun Deity turned her attention to Rias, face stoic. "Kuoh is a part of the territories shared by both the houses of Sitri and Gremory. The fact that a youkai, on top of an avatar of a shinto goddess, raises quite a few concerns. Why have you come here? Why now of all times?"
Tamamo closed her eyes, as if to ponder her answer. Haru was rather curious about that as well. All she told him was that he called for her, but never explained why she had answered, if she had actually accepted the call by will. He had read a few novels and played enough games to know that some summons were forced and the other party was not particularly happy. What if he had somehow forcibly brought Tamamo here?
Then—
"... and just what do you have, claiming a part of the Land of the Rising Sun as your own?"
The temperature of the room dropped in seconds, yet somehow rising at the same time. It became unbearable, almost as if he were in a 100 degree weather for several days without cooling off. Yet somehow, at the same time, he felt as if he were in his house naked with the AC on at full blast if it could push out cold air equal to below zero temperatures.
The source behind it was none other than Tamamo, who's face had lost any and all pretenses of the lovely and adorable wife she had claimed herself to be. Her cheery smile was replaced by a thin line that looked to be more akin to a scowl. Her eyes were ice cold. A deadly aura exuded out from her, asserting her power and authority.
To the Devils in the room, it was suffocating. It felt like hands were wrapped around their necks and refused to let go. Koneko, due to her sensitive nature with senjutsu, could only shake from the power Tamamo released. Kiba tensed, hands twitching and reaching for his side as if ready to pull something. Akeno's face looked to be a cross between arousal and discomfort, tugging at the collar of her shirt. Sona and Rias were composed, but even they were reeling from the killing intent this one woman was releasing. If there had been any doubt whether or not the fox before them was truly Tamamo-no-Mae, it was erased at this very moment.
"This land was created by Izanagi-no-Mikoto-sama." Tamamo spoke, her voice as cold as ice with a tone as fiery as the depths of a volcano ready to explode at any moment. "With Izanami-no-Mikoto-sama, they forged this land as a haven for the humans and the youkai who sought to live in peace. What right do you have to invade and claim a part of these sacred lands as your own?"
A dangerous smile, one that promised pain and suffering, touched her lips. It disturbingly reminded Haru of the smile Raynare had on her face when she revealed her true nature to him. Only a thousand times worse.
"You had best hope your answer satisfies Us, otherwise..." A tongue lipped her lips as her pupils sharpened into slits, gazing upon the Devils as if they were praying to the slaughter. "We will show you what it means to touch the sun."