Eating Your Weight: Clearing the Air

Bit of a delay with the latest chapter of Fire and Wind but it should be out relatively soon!

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The building behind the school itself looked somewhat like an old church, painted white and tiled black with a clock tower of all things sticking from the top of the three story building. It was nice at once point, that much was clear to see, but that niceness had long since dwindled as maintenance fell to the wayside. Now the building was covered in overgrown vines that crept towards the sky, using the building itself as a ladder to reach more sunlight.

As Akeno and I drew closer, a fuzzy, almost tingling energy passed over my skin, as if I was passing through a film of static. Constant exposure allowed me to identify the demonic energy in the air, lingering like a smog. They put up a barrier around the area just for me; how sweet of them. I couldn’t tell what it’s purpose was, only that it was there. I didn’t seem to be draining my magic or hurting me in any overt way though, so I decided to just leave the issue alone. I kept a mental note that it was there though, just in case things went south and I needed an energy boost.

As we got into the building itself, I found that it was much better maintained than the outside would make one believe. With Victorian style wood flooring and tasteful wallpaper and decorations, it was clear that an actual interior designer had a hand in it. Kind of weird for a school.

“What is this place?” I questioned as I looked around, “It’s decorated pretty differently than the rest of the school.”

My guide smiled lightly, “This is the old school house. It used to be used as a dormitory but barely anyone actually chose to live here that it was retired. Now it’s mostly used for gatherings and as a permanent club house for the Occult Research Club which I am a part of.”

“Occult Research Club, huh?” I smirked as I met her eyes, “Pretty good idea, hiding in plain sight like that. Do you guys have to submit reports on yourselves or do you have some of your buddies come up and snoop around a bit?”

“Most of the reports we make are entirely fabricated, but not all of them.” Akeno hummed, “Kuoh isn’t lacking in its fair share of supernatural activity, as I’m sure you know.”

I wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean so I just nodded, acting like I understood as she brought me deeper into the building. As we walked, my nose tingled as the scent of ash and brimstone steadily grew stronger and stronger. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but after a certain point, it was practically all I could smell. Their scent was all over this part of the building. We must have been close.

My theory was proven right a moment later as Akeno stopped in front of a nondescript door and knocked politely, “Rias? She is here if you are ready for her.”

A voice I didn’t recognize responded promptly, calm yet tinted with a hint of something else, “We are, Akeno. Please let her in.”

The door was opened and Akeno waved me inside the room that practically reeked with the scent of Devils. I glanced at her, meeting her eyes for a moment, before stepping forward and into the belly of the beast.

Inside was a large room that would look more at home in an actual house rather than a place where clubs happened to congregate. Paneled with dark wood and papered in cream, several comfortable looking chairs and couches sat along the walls, with a large table in the middle of the room to encourage gathering and socialization. It was the type of place I could see myself just lounging around with a couple of friends, if it wasn’t for the people currently occupying the seats.

I didn’t recognize most of the people who turned to look at me as I entered, but it was clear both from their appearance and demeanor that they weren’t human. For one, each and every single one of them was the kind of person you’d see on the fronts of modeling magazines, possessing an effortless beauty that most people could spend their lives trying and failing to replicate. Bathing in demonic magic must have been one hell of a skin care routine.

For another, there were… a lot of them. When Miyo told me two peerages, I was expecting quite a few, but even that expectation didn’t prepare me for so many.  The only person I actually recognized, Tsubaki, was standing behind the couch in the center of the room, hands folded neatly behind her back as she stared at me placidly. My gaze met hers for the barest moments before moving downwards, drawn almost automatically to the two girls on the couch she was standing behind.

The moment I entered the room it was like I was smacked in the face by a wall of demonic magic and it was clear to tell that these two were where it was coming from. The redhead, more than anyone else, seemed to be leaking it like a faucet, and I had to forcibly stop myself from activating Abyss Eater to suck up the free energy she was putting out. There was ten times as much as either of the Devils I killed combined just floating around in this room alone.

I swallowed the desire, knowing that if anyone was going to make a hostile move first, it wouldn’t be me. Miyo said these guys shouldn't be a threat and the woman hadn't steered me wrong yet

That being said, I still kept Abyss Eater ready and waiting to go, just in case.

I plastered an easy smile on my face, stuffing my hands in my pockets to hide the glow, “You know I was told that there were some Devils hanging around my hometown, but I didn't think there would be this many of you. You have me at a bit of a disadvantage here, don’t you? I didn’t realize I scared you that badly.”

Instead of breaking the ice like I planned, my words were met with wary glances. The redhead and the girl beside her looked especially worried. The latter cleared her throat, speaking in a polite voice. 

“It's less of a show of force and more us laying all of our cards out on the table.” She explained, “We understand that you might have reservations about us taking up residence in Kuoh and we'd like for this to go as smoothly as it possibly can to avoid conflict between the two of us.”

Her tone was incredibly formal and diplomatic, almost carefully so. It was as if she thought that something she said was going to set me off which was… incredibly confusing. 

“What do you mean by ‘this’?” I asked, suddenly unsure what this meeting was even about, “I’ll admit I came in here with some expectations but if this whole shindig isn't your way of telling me to get lost then I'm not really sure what's going on here any more.”

The leading Devils exchanged glances, a flicker of confusion passing between the two of them, “We may have jumped ahead a bit here; perhaps we should start with introductions. I am Sona Sitri, heiress of House Sitri and younger sister to Serafall Leviathan.”

“And I am Rias Gremory,” The redhead spoke as her friend finished, “heiress to House Gremory and younger sister of Sirzechs Lucifer. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Their titles meant little to me but the names attached to them did. I didn't know much about supernatural politics apart from the big names, and those were some big names. Serafall Leviathan and Sirzechs Lucifer were two of the most powerful Devils in the Underworld, with the latter arguably being the most powerful Devil since the big man himself. And these two were their younger siblings.

If I wasn't worried before then I definitely was now, but I didn’t let it show on my face as the redhead continued.

“We weren’t under the impression that a member of your kind had taken up residence in the city.” She said, crossing one long leg over the other, “If we had, we certainly would have sought you out at the earliest opportunity. We know better than to deliberately intrude on a dragon’s territory without at least making ourselves known.”

“My… territory?” I parroted, “You mean Kuoh?”

Sona nodded, “Yes. While this city has been under the control of the Devil Faction for quite a while, there was a lapse in ownership after the last ruler was… deposed. It’s been long enough that it’s regrettably understandable that anyone would think we let the place simply slip through our fingers.” Sona’s fingers tapped against her thigh as she stared at me, “I’m not sure how we didn’t sense the presence of a Dagon in Kuoh, though. Even if you were away for a few years, traces of your power should be all over this place. Have you been away?"

All of the sudden, things were starting to make more sense. The way they were acting, the wariness they were treating me with and more importantly, the fact that every single one of them had been brought to what should have been a friendly meeting. They thought I was a dragon. They were scared of me.

I couldn’t help but laugh, a reaction that made my hosts frown visibly. I held a hand up, eyes crinkling with mirth at the misunderstanding, “Okay, I see what’s going on now. Man, you guys had me really worried there for a second. I thought this was some sort of mafia style meeting that was going to end with me getting two to the back of the head.”

The Devils were taken aback at my words, rendered confused by my sudden change in attitude and I decided to elaborate. I pulled my hands from my pockets, raising one in front of me for show. Abyss Eater appeared in a flash of light and the Devils flinched, some of them moving to stand as my aura grew more intense with the Sacred Gear’s appearance. Rias and Sona were the most surprised, staring at the jeweled gloves in shock.

“That's… That’s a Sacred Gear!” Rias was the first to speak, almost rising from the couch to get a closer look, “How in the world did you get that?”

“Same way as everyone else.” I replied,  “I was born with it.”

“But you’re not-” Sona’s eyes sharpened as she connected the dots, realizing what I was trying to tell them all, “This power… This is what we’ve been feeling, isn’t it? You’re not a dragon at all, or at least not completely.”

“Oh make no mistake, the power you’ve been feeling is mine, but you’re right that I’m not one-hundred percent lizard just yet.” I reached down to the hem of my shirt, pulling it up to allow them to see the glistening scales on my abdomen, “Let’s just say that awakening my Sacred Gear wasn’t the result of hard work or some sort of spiritual journey. It definitely left a mark in more ways than one.”

“How so, if you don’t mind my asking?” Sona’s wariness had been replaced with curiosity and her eyes bore into mine with the same intensity that Rias stared at my Sacred Gear.

“I died, for one.” I grinned at their shocked expressions, “On my trip over the summer, I ran into a Stray Devil. Walked right into her den without even realizing it. We fought, I lost, and she pumped me full of poison meant to liquify my organs so she could snack on me later. The only reason I’m alive right now is because Nidhogg used his own power to bring me back to life, changing me into the badass before you in the process.”

Rias suddenly snapped out of whatever trance that Abyss Eater had put her in. She tilted her head at the name, turning to her friend, “Nidhogg went missing a long time ago, didn’t he? I remember my brother telling me about it causing a big stir in the Three Factions because nobody knew where he was. We speculated he was hibernating, but if he died and was put into a Sacred Gear…”

“It would be an extremely powerful one. Probably bordering or even surpassing the strength of one of the thirteen Longinus.” Sona finished her thoughts, “That much power in one place would be like a signal flare if you were anywhere near it. That explains why her aura is so powerful as well as why her signature itself feels almost exactly like a dragon’s.”

“His prideful ass would love to hear you say that.” I snorted as they praised the dragon’s strength, “I’d ask him if he wanted to talk, but I feel like he’d either ignore me or insult the lot of you so I think it’s probably better we keep him on snooze for now.”

My gear disappeared with another flash and the energy with it. The Devils seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and I momentarily wondered what it was like to be on the end of my own aura if they were that happy to be rid of it.

Now that my origins had been made apparent, the air had cleared substantially. The Devils around the room were looking at me with curiosity instead of borderline hostility and now that it was all out in the open, I could relax as well.

Just in time to. As everyone got settled a loud, shrill ring broke through the silence. Everyone looked towards the clock on the wall and Rias hummed as she saw the time, “We've been here for quite a while. It's time for class change but we still have quite a few questions for you  Naomi.”

“I'll email the principal with an excuse after the meeting is over,” Sona said, “but most of us should still go back to class so it doesn't look too suspicious.”

A few minutes later, the room was much less crowded as most of the Devils went about their day. Pretty much the entire Student Council sans Tsubaki left and the only guy in the room, a piece from Rias's peerage, left as well. Akeno disappeared into another part of the clubhouse and came back only a few minutes later holding a tray of drinks which she set gracefully on the table in the center of the room.

“Thank you, Akeno.” Rias smiled at the girl as she sipped her drink.

“Yeah, thanks. This is really good, and I don't even really like tea.” I agreed as I held my own cup.

Akeno smiled at the praises, “Fufufu, maybe you just haven't had a good brew yet. I've spent quite a long time practicing to prepare the perfect cup of tea for my King. I dare say it's what I'm best at.”

Now that any pretenses of hostility had disappeared, the mood of the room had shifted to something decidedly more friendly. Since they were worried about whether or not I was an actual threat, we were pretty much just having a normal meeting. As normal as a conversation about the supernatural could be at least.

“So Nidhogg changed you into a dragon so that you could handle his power?” Sona asked as I sat my cup down, “That's interesting. Most Sacred Gears don't have living beings residing in them, but even among those who do, I can't think of a single one who would help their user in such a way. They'd normally just let them die and be on to the next one, especially if the user was newly awakened.”

“I'm Nidhogg's first user. Nobody inherited Abyss Eater before I did. He just didn't want to go back to sleep for another millenia or two so he helped me out.” I clicked my tongue, “It was a pain in the ass convincing him though. He's very broody about being stuck in a teenager's arms.”

“Well dragons are very prideful creatures. I bet it stings even more for one as powerful as him to be humiliated like that.”

I nodded, “We're working through it though. I can even get him to call me by name sometimes instead of just ‘Human’ so that's progress. Soon enough we're gonna be best buddies and kick all the other dragons’ asses. Or well, just a certain red one.”

“You’re looking for other dragons to fight?” Rias's tone was mystified, “Why would you do that? You seem pretty strong, but most of them are in a league of their own.”

“Not dragons, just one. Part of the conditions Nidhogg gave me before he even revived me in the first place was that I'd inherit his Vendetta. Another dragon humiliated him before he died and he wants revenge.  My job is to find the guy and beat him, preferably to death.”

“Do you know where this dragon is?” Sona asked as I took another sip of my surprisingly good tea, “Nidhogg’s strength was well known. He regularly fought gods when he still roamed the earth. Whoever humiliated him must be pretty well-known so they shouldn't be too hard to find. Maybe we can help.”

I snorted, “Alright then, sure. If you guys managed to get the current Red Dragon Emperor's number then could you send him my way so I can shove a foot up his ass? Doesn't have to be any time soon. I'm planning on procrastinating as long as physically possible on that part of the deal.”

Sona's jaw went slack and Rias nearly spit out her tea as the two of them gaped in shock, “You're looking for the Sekiryūtei!? You signed a contract to fight one of the Heavenly Dragons!?”

“Like I said, not really planning to put a rush on that any time soon.” I laughed at their shock, “Since I'm gonna live basically forever, I figured I'd put that on the backburner until I feel confident enough to fight them without getting my ass kicked. Besides, it's not like anyone even knows where they are. Or at least I don't.

I figured I'd finish my education and get stronger before focusing on that. I told Tsubaki that I came here to experience school and that's what I intend to do. I'm not gonna drop out to go wander the world looking for a guy who might not even exist right now.”

“That's… a reasonable way of looking at things.” Sona smiled, “As far as I know, the identity of the current Sekiryūtei is a mystery. When they awaken, it isn't long before they start making waves so they're probably still dormant.”

“Exactly. So until they pop up somewhere, I'm gonna sit nice and comfy right here, making friends and filling my little head with knowledge.” I leaned back in my seat, “I mean, I'm more than happy to help you guys with any Strays or other bad guys that appear around here, but I've got enough on my plate right now with that cult. There's no telling when they'll show up again.”

“I could talk to my sister about bringing the topic up to the Norse Pantheon. If there's a cult centered around Ragnarok, then they probably have at least some idea on who's responsible.”

I nodded, “Sure, I’d appreciate the info. But if and when they show up, I want you to leave them to me alright?”

Sona blinked and even Rias looked confused, “You want to handle them on your own? I was under the impression that you barely survived your fight with the last one.”

“Yeah, and that's why I want you to leave it to me.” I nodded, “They’re after me and mine; that means it's personal. Next time they show up, I'm gonna make sure to send a message and that only works if I do it alone.”

Sona and Rias shared a look, before the latter shrugged, “Alright, if that's what you want. But if they try to start something with us or disrupt things in Kuoh, then we'll have to step in.”

“That's cool. I wouldn't expect you to stop protecting your people just because I asked you to butt out.” I said with a shrug, “Now how about we wrap this meeting up? I've already missed enough school on my first day. I need to get back to class.”

They all looked at the clock and Sona nodded, “That's more than fine. I'll escort you to your next class since I doubt you know where it is.”

As we stood, and headed to the door, Rias spoke up just before we could leave, “Oh, before you leave, I think Koneko has a question for you, Naomi.”

I paused at the door, turning back to look at the little, white-haired devil sitting beside Rias, “Oh yeah? What is it?”

“Why do you smell like a dude?”

The words were blunt and almost accusatory as she glared at me. The others all turned to look at me with faces mixed with confusion, and I blinked at the question before laughing.

“You know, you're the second person to find out today and I haven't even been here for more than two hours.” I said, patting down my skirt almost subconsciously, “Your nose must be pretty good. I even wore perfume today in case something like this happened.”

“You smell like one of the perverts.” Her tone held an undercurrent of danger, “It’s not as strong, but I can still smell it all over you.”

One of the perverts? She must have meant Issei and his buddies. What was she smelling on me that was also on the? Rampant horniness, maybe? I didn't know about the others, but that guy was one hundred percent a virgin so there was no way it was sex she was smelling.

Sona's eyes narrowed as she realized what the other girl was getting at, “That is curious. Do you have an explanation, Naomi?”

I looked around the room before shrugging, “Well I don't know why I smell like Issei or his friends, but the dude thing is pretty simple. See, Nidhogg, in all of his infinite, elderly wisdom, saw that I was a lesbian, decided that what I had to offer wouldn’t be enough when it came to pleasing a woman, and took it upon himself to change that along with the rest of my biology.” 

Silence, absolute and all-consuming, followed my little explanation as the Devils still present stared at me with varying degrees of shock and curiously for one purple-eyed girl, amusement, “So that means… He gave you a-”

“A penis, yeah.” I finished Rias’s thoughts without hesitation, “A pretty big one too. Honestly it’s been pretty sweet, all things considered. Definitely can’t complain much. If I smell like a dude then its definitely because of that.”

“Oh my!” Akeno giggled, holding a hand in front of her mouth to hide her mirth, “The best of both worlds, is that it?”

“That’s what my maid said. I think she enjoys the change even more than I do.” I chuckled, eliciting more laughter from the girl and a disgusted scoff from Koneko.

 I turned away from the Devils, leaving them alone with that information and whatever feelings it elicited. I glanced at Sona, grinning at her red face and embarrassed expression, “Now then, where’s that class you were showing me to?”