I didn't really keep track of the time. All I knew was that it was getting seriously dark out and it was still pouring outside when I arrived home with Yuuki. We were both soaked to the bone. I tried keeping us warm by creating a small fire in my palm using Demonic Power, but that was easily snuffed out by the torrent that rained down on top of us.
I unlocked the door as quietly as possible. Hopefully Mito-nee was gone or asleep because I literally had NO explanation for this.
There was a faint light on in the kitchen. I bit my tongue as I carefully carried Yuuki over to the couch and set her down. She just sat there, staring ahead. I knew she wasn't watching TV because not only was it off but it was also against the other wall.
"Yuuki…" I said in a soft whisper.
""Ruto-san/sama!""
From the kitchen appeared Asia, Ravel, and Isabela, all of them looking terribly worried.
"Onii-chan!" I caught my adorable familiar in my arms as she jumped, hugging me tightly. "Jack is happy you're okay!"
"Nyaaaa!"
I looked down at my leg at the familiar, furry creature who was nuzzling against me. I smiled.
"Hey there, Kuro. What are you doing out and about?" I asked, setting Jack down and kneeling so I could scratch my secret pet behind the ears. She let out a satisfied purr. Kuro had seemed suspicious of me at first, almost hostile, but she eventually came to be at ease around me as days passed. She was far from obedient. Sometimes I wake up to find the snack cabinets in complete disarray. I don't even know how Kuro got up there into the closed cabinets let alone how she got up into the boxes.
Asia covered her mouth, gasping when she saw our exhausted and beaten forms.
"It's a long story." I said in order to stall this conversation. I gestured to Yuuki. "For now let's get Yuuki something dry to wear and perhaps a blanket to keep her warm. Since everyone is probably tired, it would be best if we all got some rest for tonight. I'll explain what happened in the morning." Asia seemed uncertain and I noticed she stared at Yuuki with a great sense of sympathy, but she still nodded.
Isabela helped up Yuuki and she and Ravel brought her to go get changed. Asia wouldn't leave to go after me until I let her heal my minor injuries real quick. The only real damage was done by Yuuki in her violent attempts to escape my grasp, but even that was small. I managed to avoid a fatal cut at the hands of Excalibur.
I went to my own room to get a change of clothes. It had been such a long night.
Asia and Ravel desperately tried to convince me to tell them what had happened, but I once again informed them that it would have to wait for morning and sent them off to bed without me. I didn't want to chance them working together to work it out of me. Isabela was the least troublesome. She even managed to convince Jack to go to sleep without me. What a useful Rook I have.
After deciding to take a quick shower because I realized that, despite being dry, I stunk.
I dried my hair as I made my way to the living room. I had given Yuuki the couch. I offered any of the beds in the house, but Yuuki chose the couch. Her voice sounded empty and I didn't want to upset her again by saying the wrong thing.
I wanted to check if Yuuki had fallen asleep yet.
"You don't have to tiptoe. I'm still awake." I had taken one step before Yuuki noticed my presence. She was one perceptive Knight. I walked over to her.
Yuuki was now dressed in a black shirt with the words "Got Milk?" in white on her chest and small, black shorts.
"You alright?" I asked, worried.
Yuuki hung her head, placing her hands in her lap. "Yes." That sounded like a lie. I sat down next to Yuuki, my bath towel hanging around my neck and water dripping from my hair. "No." Now THAT was the truth. Yuuki looked so sad. There was no way she was okay after everything that just went down.
"Sorry… I was pretty useless during that fight." I admitted. I couldn't get close enough to Freed to do any serious damage because I was afraid of getting hit by his Excalibur sword.
Yuuki shook her head. "No. The priest still got away, but if you hadn't been there, he probably would have beaten me pretty badly before he got bored and left." She leaned her head on my shoulder, laying against me.
"Yuuki…" Her words were so empty. I bit my lower lip. After everything that just happened, I actually feared asking the question now. "What is the history between you and Excalibur?"
Yuuki tensed, her body becoming as rigid as a board. For a brief moment, I feared that I offended her and that she would shut me out again.
Then she started trembling again.
"OK…" Yuuki said. My heart welled up with sadness when I saw the tears streaking down the sides of her face.
I felt even worse. "Y-You don't have to—"
"No." Yuuki declined, shaking her head. "You fought with me and I got you involved in my own personal grudge. You have a right to know."
Yuuki seemed to choke for a moment, but she overcame her fear.
That was when she told me an incredibly sad and tragic story.
She told me about the Holy Sword Project.
As the Holy Swords, like Excalibur, Kusanagi, and Durandal, were important weapons the Church used against the Devils, there began a certain project developed to allow people to wield Holy Swords despite not being born with the unique holy power needed to wield them.
Artificial Holy Sword wielders. They had recruited many children, mainly orphans who had nowhere else to go and who would not be noticed if they went missing. All for this project.
Yuuki had been one of those children. She had been given the same artificial treatment as the others in an attempt to become a Holy Sword Wielder.
At the time, Yuuki had been really excited. Some of the experiments hurt, but she, like the other children, had been happy and excited at the thought of being such great power and the thought of being able to serve the God whom they believed loved them enough to give them such a gift.
However, it was not to be…
"Why?" I asked, feeling stupid because I knew that I knew the most likely answer to that.
"I couldn't adapt to the Holy-Swords. Not only me, but it seemed like everyone who received a treatment similar to mine couldn't either…"
Even Yuuki, who is an expert at using swords and can handle all those Demonic-Swords couldn't use the Holy-Swords.
"The people of the Church decided to view the ones who couldn't adapt to the Holy-Swords as 'defective products' and disposed of them."
Dispose… Sounds like an unpleasant word. I can imagine what it means.
Yuuki hugged her legs to her chest, curled up into a ball as she continued leaning against me.
"Most of the people experimented on were killed including me. Only because they couldn't adapt to the Holy-Swords…" Yuuki had started crying again. "The only reason I survived… despite everyone dying… the reason I'm still alive right now is because—"
"Rias brought you back to life as her servant?" I guessed. Yuuki nodded, choking on a sob.
She covered her face with her hands. "I was so rude and harsh to her… I… I wanted to apologize, but I…" Yuuki stared at me with tear-filled eyes. "Ruto… you have to understand… I really care about Buchou. She gave me a new life. She took care of me. I—" I patted Yuuki on the head, silencing her.
"I know." Yuuki was mad, but she definitely loves Rias like her own sister. "And I'm positive that Rias knows, too." Yuuki managed the weakest of smiles, nodding while hugging my arm.
"I hope so…" So Yuuki had died because of Holy Swords like Excalibur and the horrible intentions of the Church. But that still left me troubled…
"Yuuki, you already have a new life. You're free of the Church and can live on your own." I said. "Why do you need to pursue this grudge? The Holy Swords can't bring you misfortune ever again since you now have the strength to fight back." I regretted my words the moment I felt Yuuki become cold to me again.
"Ruto… you know how it feels to lose someone you love." Yuuki spoke without hesitation or remorse, reminding me of… or Oka-san's death around ten years ago. "You were lucky in that you did not have to see it unfold… I was forced to watch my friends die one by one, killed by the ones we once idolized. I was holding one of them when I saw the light fade from his eyes. Even then… those who remained… they all saved me. So many of them… they all helped me escape. I was one of the youngest, but they all died helping me… How can I go on living without punishing the cause of their misfortune?"
"But Yuuki…" I tried figuring out the best way to word this without angering her. "... You're desiring punishment for an inanimate object." Yuuki's expression became dangerous for a moment. "What I'm saying is that even if you somehow managed to find the sword again, what would breaking it accomplish? There is no punishment or retribution. No suffering. It will just be a piece of metal broken in two. You're spending the new life you were given hating a hunk of holy metal."
"You don't know anything." Yuuki spat in a harsh tone. "That sword is the source of everything that happened to all of the people I cared about."
"I'm not denying that it played a major role in this. I'm saying that perhaps you're blaming the wrong thing." Part of Yuuki's anger changed to confusion. "I mean, a sword can only cause as much harm as the person holding intends. I'm saying you shouldn't blame Excalibur itself but rather the person who used that sword to cause harm to you. Whatever happened to those old scientists who ran the project? They hold a fair amount of the responsibility."
Yuuki considered my words before shaking her head. "I don't know. I didn't exactly keep up with them."
"Then let's find the person responsible." I suggested. Yuuki's eyes widened slightly. "I can't say whether or not pursuing your revenge is the best course of action, but it would be nice to find a safer alternative to you picking a fight with the Church over the Excalibur." Yuuki's eyes widened as she processed what I was saying.
"Ruto…"
"I want to help you get your revenge. I don't care about the danger I might get into. I just want to make sure that you're still with me by the time it's over. I'll stand by you for hundreds of years if that's what it takes to help you gain closure."
That was my declaration to her. I honestly didn't have the vaguest idea on how to track down the person responsible for the Holy Sword Project, but I knew where and how to get the guy's name.
*CHU*
Then Yuuki's lips were pressed against mine. She placed her hands on the side of my face as I returned her embrace. I didn't question it. I just wanted to enjoy the shocking bliss between us for a bit longer.
When Yuuki pulled away, she was crying again. But now she was genuinely smiling.
Relief, joy, exhaustion, bliss. All were amongst the many feelings in her expression.
"I won't say those words… but thank you, Ruto." She meant "I love you". If she was willing to joke about that just like in the good ol' days, then that meant I did put her at ease if not at least a little.
Yuuki leaned against my chest. After what seemed like hours, I could tell her breathing had become softer. She had fallen asleep.
I brushed the hair out of the face of the beautiful blonde bishoujo sleeping on me.
I meant what I said to her. At the very least, I wanted Yuuki to know she wasn't alone. I wanted to remind her she still has her comrades. I thought that would give her peace even if only for a moment.
I would like to say that night ended there, but here was one thing I had left to do.
Once I was positive Yuuki was asleep, I slipped out from under her and placed a pillow under her head. Afterwards, I covered her in a blanket.
Yuuki. No matter what, I will help you.
I made my way into the dining room, rearranging the chairs and the table so I had a large, open space right in the middle of the room. I made sure nobody was around. Nobody except for Kuro… but she's a cat so I don't really count her.
Then I pulled something out of my pocket. A miniature magic circle. This one had a specific purpose.
I threw it to the ground and it began to crackle with blue electricity, growing and expanding until it was a decent size, at least twice the size of my body. Just about the size of the average magic circle drawn in the Occult Research Club's clubroom.
It was a neat little device Serafall had made for me. Since I couldn't create magic circles worth a damn, she had this special magic circle made for me. Well, she had several made for me, but they all had different purposes. They were made portable and I could make them grow or shrink however I pleased so I didn't have to ask for more.
This magic circle was for communication purposes. In order to make it work, I just had to pour in a little bit of Demonic Power and…
"...llo?"
A voice came from the now-glowing magic circle. It sounded adorable yet tired.
"Am I coming in clear over there?" I asked to the person on the other side.
There was a loud yawn in response.
"Yeah… Ru-tan, I'm really happy you're… Zzzzzz… No wait! I'm awake…"
Serafall's magic-created image in the middle of the magic circle became visible. She was in the buff so I assumed that I had just woken her up from sleep. It was rather late.
I bowed my head. "Sorry if I disturbed you."
Serafall smiled softly.
"No… It's fine… If it's Ru-tan, then I don't mind at all."
"Thank you… coz there's something really important I need some information on." I said, a serious expression on my face. Sensing my honest feelings, Serafall's expression also became serious.
"What is this about?"
"... It's about the Excaliburs." Serafall's expression looked like how someone would look if they had just had their mother insulted. "... Er… well…" Under Serafall's gaze, my confidence began to wane.
"Ru-taaaan…what are you getting involved with? Why would you see fit to mention one of the most deadly weapons to our existence as Devils?"
Eep.
I let out a slight squeak at Serafall's reproving look. "W-Well…" Geez. Since when did Serafall become so scary? "... I… I need to help Yuuki. Please. I don't care what the punishment is for me, but I have to know. No matter how dark or scary the past is, I need to know about the Holy Sword Project. Please, Serafall…"
My master regarded me with those curious eyes of hers.
"Ru-tan… Very well. It'll take a moment to get the information together, but for now, I'll tell you what I know immediately."
And that was my first step into the whole complicated mess that would soon ensue.
The battle that began with the Holy Sword Project.