Chapter 01A: Trip Preparation – Ren's "Bad" Situation (Perspective: Ren)
"I'm sorry, Ren-san," Our class rep, Ryu Ikena-kun, says with a crestfallen expression. "I can't go due to family circumstances."
"Don't worry about it," I say with a reassuring smile and a light wave of my hand.
"Please feel free to invite me again if something else comes up." Ryu-kun says before walking out the classroom.
I give a light sigh. "I guess I'll give up on trying to find another guy to go with us." I had received multiple tickets as well as spending money as part of my reward from the last incident involving the Thanatos coup. With the holiday starting tomorrow Elizabeth and I decided we would go then, but Yuichi and Alicia-san are currently in the Underworld, meaning there are two free passes remaining.
Elizabeth, Sakura, Yuna, Shiori-senpai, Mizuno-san, and Ivana-san, have already agreed to go. Which means that I'll be the only guy with six girls. This indeed may look like a nice situation, but with the exception of Elizabeth and maybe Ivana-san, they're all Yuichi fan girls. Plus, when girls get talking there's no stopping them, and a lone guy just gets sidelined. That's why I wanted another guy to come with us, but that was an epic failure. Could it be that I'm actually really unpopular? The only guy I really hang around is Yuichi.
"No point thinking about it." I shrug my shoulders, "Best get home and start packing."
"Have you finished with your business, Ren-sama?" Elizabeth asks from the classroom's doorway.
"Yep, he turned me down. Well, everyone has their own circumstances."
"The nerve of that boy, refusing Ren-sama's kind invitation." A blood vessel looks ready to burst within Elizabeth's head. "I shall make him pay..."
"Let it go," I pat my fiancé, who is currently making a yandere face, on the shoulder.
"Yes, certainly," Elizabeth's bloodlust face transforms into an angelic one with a slight blush.
Note to self, never make Elizabeth angry. It could be the end of me.
As I walk past her, Elizabeth runs to my side and takes my hand. I turn to her and see her face dyed red, I return the grip and continue our trek home. Having a girlfriend is truly a good thing. We've been thrown into one incident after another, this trip will be a great chance to unwind and enjoy our youth.
"But honestly, why did Yuichi Shiro achieve a higher rank of nobility than Ren-sama?" Elizabeth curses, she still has the one sided rivalry with Alicia-san (and by extension Yuichi), even though she clearly likes her much more than she wishes to admit. Both Yuichi and I have become Underworld nobles thanks to our assistance in the previous conflict. But Yuichi became a noble that is a tier higher than me.
"It can't be helped. Yuichi took out two Hex Classes as well as Disturb. He performed much better than me. But you know Elizabeth..." I turn to my fiancé and look directly into her eyes. "Just because I'm lower at the moment, doesn't mean it will stay that way."
"YES!" She replies strongly, "I know you're much better than Alicia's man. The Cerberus family will not lose to the Pandemonium, and the Kirei family won't lose to the Shiro. Therefore Ren-sama..." Elizabeth shows a confident smile.
Oh god, whenever she shows that, something ridiculous usually follows.
"You must amass a harem that won't lose to Yuichi Shiro's!" Elizabeth declares.
How on Earth did she come to such a conclusion? I can't close my jaw at the ridiculous, but fabulous, proposal.
"There's no way the man I chose is inferior to Yuichi Shiro, and you will show the world this by creating the biggest colourful flower garden. Please be at ease Ren-sama, I shall personally maintain it and remove all weeds. Alicia will see that I'm better than her when Ren-sama defeats Yuichi Shiro, Oh-ho-ho-ho!"
Wait, so Elizabeth thinks I'll be better than Yuichi by creating a bigger harem than him? Has Elizabeth really thought this through properly? If I get more girls than Yuichi, won't Alicia-san just say something along the lines that Elizabeth is just one flower among many? Should I point out this flaw?
"I'll do my best to make you proud!" I declare enthusiastically.
"Yes please do!"
Elizabeth has stated she's okay with a harem. I don't want to throw a wet towel on her master plan. Ignorance is bliss as they say. I'm definitely not keeping it a secret for my own benefit, most definitely not!
Chapter 01B: Trip Preparation – Sister's Feelings (Perspective: Yuna)
I'm currently packing clothes into a suitcase preparing for our trip tomorrow. I've been feeling a little down with the thing about Ichiyu.
He said he was created from Onii-chan's soul fragments.
When I mentioned this to Onii-chan, he told me about the mysterious man who attacked him and our Senpai.
The man who most likely made Ichiyu, is our enemy. Then Ichiyu too is…
I shake my head to get rid of the thought.
If he's our enemy, then why did he save me from those twins?
My hands stop packing as I stand up and gaze out the window.
"Ichiyu...Just where do your loyalties lie?" I feel a tear escape my eye, I quickly wipe it clean and place my hand on top of my chest my heart's beating like crazy, I can't control my feelings.
"Yuna, are you finished packing?" Dad asks as he opens my door without knocking. I'm not in the frame of mind to openly curse him, I just quickly clean my face and turn to him.
"Yes, almost." I reply.
"It's going to feel a bit lonely with both you and Yuichi gone for a while. Apparently Yuichi has extended his visit to your cousin over on Jupiter. Although I still have no idea which cousin this is."
Jupiter!? Has Onii-chan completely broke our parents' minds? How can anyone believe such obvious B.S.?
"Well, have a good time," Dad says before closing my door again.
I place my hand over my heart again, my pulse has returned to normal. Listening to that stupid excuse has blown all tension out of my body.
Chapter 01C: Trip Preparation – Ley's Dilemma (Perspective: None)
"URGHH!" Grunts a short white haired girl. Her lilac eyes glare up at her foe.
"Are you sure you don't wish to become mine, Ley-Mistletoe?" Asked a girl in her late teens to early twenties, her height was approaching two metres. She had long scruffy black hair and wore an eye patch over one eye and a monocle over the other red eye. Below her eye was a tattoo of the kanji for "Salvation". A word that strictly contradicted her personality.
"I refuse comma I despise you inquisitors period" Ley answered, "I won't let you have your way comma TSUMI OHNE!" The small girl manifested an axe into her hand and charged at her adversary. But the tall girl, Tsumi, swung her red and blue blade unleashing a wave of water.
"GAHHH!" Ley was sent skidding across the ground from the shear force of the attack.
"Pathetic, I thought a sentient Soul Slayer like you would put up more of a fight. No wonder those Faux Anomalies screwed you over and you had to go crawling to the enemy." Tsumi shot a fireball from her blade – BOOM! - Ley swiftly dived out of the explosion's range.
"Don't worry though, I'll put you to good use. With both you, and Varunastra-Agneyastra, I'll become the Church's strongest weapon!"
"Varunastra-Agneyastra comma I see Period With the recent loss of so many Soul Slayers comma Zeus has relinquished more period"
"Correct, after you and your compatriots' betrayal by killing his holiness. We, the Inquisition, have been ordered to clean up your mess. We were even granted two more Soul Slayers to accomplish this." The girl before her knew only too well that the Slayers had no part in the late Pope's passing, yet she still referred to them as traitors.
That Sky God has probably started to see Ren Kirei and Yuichi Shiro as a threat. Gifting the Church two more Soul Slayers, he's making moves to eliminate them. Ley gritted her teeth. The thought that the Slayers were labelled traitors for such a reason annoyed her. No, that can't be the only reason. Iodine must have had a reason to be rid of the Slayers himself. I can't imagine him being anyone's pawn.
The church had many different sects within it, the Slayers being just one, their duty was to maintain the world's balance by eliminating Anomalies. Another was the Inquisition, a ruthless section headed by Cardinal Iodine that eliminated 'heresy'. A sect that had gained a reputation of extremism, burning entire villages for a single 'heretic', killing thousands for one was nothing out of the ordinary for them. Inciting and authorising the use of unfair witch trials and many other inhumane acts fell to this sect. After the Pope's death and the Slayer's confinement, their former duty, as well as their weapons, had fallen into the hands of the Inquisition.
"Now come, you allowed a Human Anomaly to wield you before didn't you? So you should have no problem with me."
Ley's face heated up and turned red from recalling that incident. Being held in that boy's hand, for some reason it felt extremely comfortable to her, just recalling the experience embarrassed her. Since that time Ley was unable to fight how she used to and her power had become a shadow of its former self. Somewhere deep in her mind she wished to be wielded by him once again. Tsumi, noticing Ley's expression, unleashed another fireball.
BOOM!
"GAHH!" Ley was thrown into the sky and landed roughly on her back. Being a sentient Soul Slayer and not human no blood came out of her, but her pain was undeniable.
"How low have you fallen?" Tsumi asked coldly as she raised her dual coloured blade. Both fire and water intermingled as they orbited the blade.
Ley, noticing the danger, with the last of her strength, quickly manifested a small dagger and threw it, aiming for Tsumi's single eye. Tsumi, caught off guard, swung her Soul Slayer in defence, releasing her attack prematurely. Ley dived to one side against Tsumi's misfire, Tsumi charged and sliced at Ley, but before her blade could reach, Ley's body had turned into particles of light and disappeared.
"Tch, she fled through a Ley line." Tsumi glanced at Varunastra-Agneyastra with a smile, "But I'm starting to get the hang of this. Burning some heretics might not be a bad time killer right now."
Tsumi's smile thinned as she walked through the darkness to another target.
