Japan. An abandoned shop on the outskirts of the city.
Monday. 5:00 PM.
The red-haired woman gave him one task for the whole day. Some kind of exiled demon was terrorising the surrounding area. They said he was very dangerous...
"Very interesting," Dodge thought sarcastically, wandering into another dead-end alley.
The abandoned shop turned out to be a pleasant place with working lights. You wouldn't think a demon lived here. But it was probably just a decoy.
"50% off, I should go in," Dodge shrugged, opening the glass doors.
Inside, everything looked a little different. Too empty, suspiciously quiet...
"[BAM!] — the doors closed. By themselves.
And the lights went out. Some kind of black substance formed on the windows, blocking the light from the street. In short:
"It's a bit dark.
"That's not the word, my dear friend," said a sweet voice with feigned politeness...
Dodge managed to notice one very important thing in this shop. Moving through the darkness, he listened to the ravings of this madman:
"You have entered my kingdom, the kingdom of darkness! This is extraordinary luck, my friend.
"[Thud]
"Today you will experience truly magnificent pleasure...
"[Squeak]
"Called pain...
"[Bam]
"What are you doing there?" he said angrily.
"[Sound of a soda can opening]
"What? Oh, never mind. Now you're going to die for my pleasure!
"Try it," Dodge grinned, taking another sip.
Darkness had never been an obstacle for him. The trickster couldn't see anything in it, but that didn't make him blind. Intuition. His whole life was based on intuition. It seemed that without it, his existence would be impossible.
"Little rat," the demon growled, circling quietly around his victim.
Another quick sip...
"BOO!" The demon tried to scare him by shouting loudly. What kind of kindergarten was this?"
The first blow, what a surprise, didn't hit Dojo. Neither did the second, third, or fourth...
"What is this?!"
Finishing his soda, Dodge slowly put his hands in his pockets and said:
"So, are we going to fight?
"Don't make me laugh!" the demon raged.
The madman changed tactics. Everything fell silent. The outcast decided to act silently.
"Try to dodge someone you can't feel," said a voice in Dodge's head.
"Oh, I can smell your stench a mile away," the protagonist teased.
Losing patience, the exiled demon rushed forward, intending to deliver a precise blow to the back of the head.
"Catch this," the guy said with a stony face.
The can flew straight at his head, completely disorienting his opponent. Changing course and crashing into an iron shelf, the demon fell and showed no signs of life. For a few seconds.
"Oh no...
The outcast wanted to get up, but something prevented him from doing so. Most likely, it was due to several fractures in several places. Approaching the wounded man, Dodge kicked him lightly on the head. The darkness suddenly dissipated, and all the blackness dissolved.
And then a question arose in Dodge's mind.
"Why should I kill him?"
On the one hand, the demon wanted him dead. But if he wasn't crazy, he definitely wouldn't have tried to hurt Dodge. After thinking it through, he came up with a perfect solution."Why not just bring him to Rias?"
But how to get him there?"
"Why drag him when he can walk?"
Fortunately, there was a half-empty can of expired soda on the empty counter. Going outside, he poured it on the demon's face.
"Come on, get up, I don't want to drag you," the protagonist thought indignantly, kicking the half-dead body with his foot.
It didn't work. There must have been some strong alcohol around here...
"Ha-ha-ha," the demon came to his senses in an instant.
"It worked," Dodge scratched himself, standing up to his full height.
"I'm still alive! Ha-ha-ha-ha.
"Get up, it's time to go.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!"
The attempt to escape ended with being caught by the scruff of the neck. The demon smiled foolishly.
"Don't hit me! I have a beautiful face!
"You've completely lost your mind...
Realising that it would be difficult to drag this carcass to the club without arousing suspicion, the trickster began to pound the demon on the head until he finally lost his mind or was incapable of coherent thought.
"Now I've tasted ice cream at the age of two!" said the demon after the third blow.
For the rest of the way, Lovkach just held on to the exile's sleeve, who didn't even try to run away.
Opening the door and shoving the demon inside, Dodge saw a very interesting sight.
"What the hell is the exile doing here?!" Rias trembled furiously, preparing to cast a spell.
"You look beautiful, Mrs. Red Hair!" the demon said sincerely.
"Should I have killed him?" Dodge asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes! Damn you! Yes!" Rias raged, watching the demon's movements closely.
"No, that's dirty work.
"What if that bastard had killed us all just now?
"We're still alive for now," Dodge said monotonously.
"Why? Why bring him here at all?
"Why not?
"There's not just one! There are two psychos!" Gremory screamed, and then the demon rose into the air.
"I'm flying! Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh!
"Go to hell," muttered the redhead with her usual dramatic flair.
Rias decided to slam him into the floor with all her strength, but changed her mind at the last moment.
"You know what? You brought this plague here, so you get it out of here!" After that, the demon flew into the doorway.
"I'm flying-oo-oo-oo...
Murder was the last thing Dodge wanted to do. Killing was easy, but it was definitely wrong. He had seen so many people who solved problems in other ways. Some said there were always two options, others said there was only one. Dodge didn't believe either of them.
"It's a coin toss."
In any case, he was now standing over a demon who was trying to imitate a bird while lying on the ground. Waving his arms, he banged them on the ground and clucked sadly.
"Come on! Decide his fate!" The voice spun in his head. Dodge couldn't tell if it was Rias shouting or something else...
The school grounds were surprisingly empty. But he could see lights burning in the windows of the clubs. The outcast was too pitiful to die by his hands. And anyway, every living creature was priceless.
"Oh, I'm tired," Dodge spat, heading back to the club.
"Either you do your job, or you're out of here, just like him!" she stood in his way.
"Hey, get out of the way, I did my job.
"Kill the damn demon!
"Well, he's dead," said the trickster, shrugging his shoulders and deftly dodging the beast.
"What? He's still twitching!
"Those are death throes.
Dodge knew that if Gremory hadn't accidentally killed that lunatic, he would have had to do it. Could he have killed him? No, no way. Dodge considered life to be something... something disproportionately important. There was nothing more valuable than life.
"Akeno, take care of the cleanup," the president ordered.
"Yes, ma'am.
"And you!" She stared intently into his grey, stony eyes. "Don't ever play with me again! Do you hear me?"
"The vending machine should be over there," Dodge pointed to the corner as he lay down on the sofa.
"I think you've completely lost your mind...
But he wasn't listening to her anymore. He wasn't interested in her nonsense about discipline and conscience.
"...got it? Where's Kiba?
"He's already gone home," Koneko said quietly, not wanting to get on the redhead's bad side.
"What kind of day is this?! I almost killed Issei, and now this! Everyone, you're free to go!" she shouted, then quickly headed for the exit.
She would have to change her attitude towards Dojo a little. If she continued to be so nervous, there would definitely be problems. For her.
"Do you mind if I lock you in here?" Akeno came in from the street a couple of minutes later.
"I don't think the redhead will like it if I break the door down again.
"Okay, you guard it. All right?
"Yeah, not even a fly will get past.
"It's a deal!" smiled the girl as she left the club with the little girl.
"I'll have to go back to the beach and cross off the third item."
***
School. Occult Sciences Club.
Tuesday. 3:00 PM
It seemed like he had overslept today. Getting up from the sofa and shaking himself off, Dodge began to remember what he had wanted to do today.
"There was something important..."
An imaginary light bulb lit up above his head. Pulling up his jeans, he headed for the beach. Apparently, classes were still in session.There were no signs at the spot. Everything had been washed away by the rain. Dodge didn't know if that was good or bad.
"On the one hand, I've already done everything."
Turning around, he took a deep breath. The street was empty again. Suspiciously empty...
"What now?" he muttered, knowing she could hear him.
A few metres away, the fallen woman materialised. She didn't want to fight, but she was holding something in her right hand...
"...
Throwing it to Dojo, she left. It turned out to be a crumpled piece of paper. Unfolding it, he read:
[letters]
"Do I look like someone who can read the language of the fallen?"
Shrugging his shoulders, he put the piece of paper in his jeans pocket and went on his way. He intended to take a walk. The weather was favourable for it.
"Are you okay?" Issei asked, helping the girl to her feet.
"Thank you very much.
Running into Issei with some nun wasn't part of his plan.
"Sweetheart... I'm sorry!
"Thank you very much.
"That's a lot of 'thank you's for one square mile."
"You're welcome. What wonderful weather we're having today!" — if you don't know how to start a conversation with a girl, talk about the weather. That's exactly what the pervert was doing.
"I think... I think I'm lost.
"Are you on holiday?
"Not at all. I've been transferred to the local church.
"A nun, then? That explains why you're dressed like that.
"How wonderful that I met such a kind young man. It must be God's will.
At the mention of "God," Issey grimaced. Another point against the demon team.
"This is interesting," thought Dodge, standing around the corner. The couple moved forward. He followed them.
"Is something wrong?" asked the nun, noticing the demon's grim expression.
"Everything's fine...
"Kid, don't cry over such a tiny scratch," she smiled sweetly, then ran her hand over his wound.
"Ouch...
"There, the wound is gone.
The nun, it turned out, had the skills of a healer.
"Heal people with magic? What else don't I know?"
"Did I surprise you?" she asked, a little embarrassed.
"No! I think you have amazing power.
"It's a miraculous power given by God.
A couple of minutes of useless chatter and boring walking.
"Is that her?" Issey pointed. "You mentioned a church, and there's only one in our town."
"Thank God! You really are a saviour.
"But I didn't do anything.
"I want to thank you. Will you walk me to the church?
"No, thanks, I've got a lot to do," said Issei, scratching his head.
"Lots to do. Yeah, right. I wonder if a demon would burst into flames if you put it in a church?" thought Lovkach, asking himself strange questions.
"I see... By the way, I'm Asya Ardzento. You can call me Asya.
"I'm Hyodo Issei, but you can just call me Issei.
"I'm very glad that I met such a nice person as soon as I arrived in Japan. If you have a free moment, come visit me at the church. Promise!
"I promise. See you soon.
"Yes, see you soon.
Asya left for the church, and Issei sighed and turned away.
"She really is nice," he muttered.
"Who knows," Dodge shrugged, putting on an indifferent expression.
"Damn it! Hey, what the hell? Don't scare me like that!
"I didn't even think about it.
"How long have you been following us?
"Since the beginning.
"Dodge, right? Thanks for saving me from that spear back then.
"I didn't save you, I saved what you were holding..."
"Don't count on me next time," said the trickster seriously.
"I'll try to get out of it on my own. So, shall we head to the club?
"Let's go.
Ise was surprisingly friendly. He didn't reproach me, didn't ask any unnecessary questions, and didn't bother me the whole way there. It smelled like the beginning of some kind of stupid friendship...
"And don't go near the church. That's enemy territory for us," said Rias as soon as they entered the club. "I think there's something in that corner."
"I love it when people keep their promises," Dodger said, a little pleased.
Dodger immediately moved away from the crowd and headed for the vending machine.
"Wait!" Rias snapped, putting up an invisible wall in front of him.
"Three thousand soldiers tried to stop me. As if your wall of magic foam is going to stop me."
Easily passing through the "wall," he chose the drink he wanted.
"So there you have it. If we get close to her, the question of angels and demons will become a much bigger problem. You never know when a light archer will pierce you," Rias continued, ignoring the protagonist.
"Seriously? Then... that creepy feeling I had near the church was...
"I think your demon instincts were awakened. Communicating with a servant of the Lord is like being friends with an exorcist. There are also exorcists who wield the Holy Mechanism, just like you. Issei.
"D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d
"If a demon is killed by a servant of God, it dies forever. And the death is very painful. Do you understand how serious this is?"
The first bank was just a warm-up. Here comes the second...
"Sorry... I got carried away. Anyway, be careful from now on.
"Okay...
"Ise, the president is just worried about your safety," Akeno interjected, seeing the slightly upset face of the schoolboy. "By the way, we just got a message from Taiko," she continued.
"From Taiko?" Rias frowned.
"It seems there's a Lost Demon in the city.
"A Lost Demon? Or an Outcast?" Dodge asked, finishing his third serving.
"It doesn't matter," Gremory waved him off.
"They were originally servants of the Demons," added Kiba, "there is a clan that betrayed their masters and now lives as it pleases. They are called 'Lost Demons'.
"We have learned that one of the Lost Demons feeds on lost humans," continued Akeno.
"Eats?" Issei asked timidly.
"Our task is to deal with him," said Gremory. "Without a master, he can use his powers to their fullest. Issei!" Rias shouted. "What do you know about chess?"
"Is that a board game?"
"I'm the queen. There's also a rook, a bishop, a knight, and pawns. The demon master can grant his servants special powers.
"Special powers?
"We call this technique 'the Realm of Darkness'.
"But why all this?
"Take note — today is a wonderful opportunity to watch demons battle. Is everyone ready?
"Yes!" everyone shouted. Except for Dodge.
"Damn, is this the sixth or seventh can?" he lost count, rubbing his eyes. His vision seemed a little blurry. Oh, no. Sweet soda had splashed into his eye.
"Dodge... hey, I told you to wait!
"I earned it honestly.
"Get away from the machine! You'll get a certain amount per day. Clean up after yourself and get going!
"Oh, am I a slave or something...
"Did you say something?
"Coming, coming...
***
Japan. An abandoned building.
"Why are they all hiding in abandoned buildings? Outcasts, damn it."
Tuesday. 6:00 PM.
"He's here," Koneko muttered as the group approached the entrance.
"Let's go. Stay together, don't split up," Rias commanded.
"I smell something wild... but I also smell something delicious! Are you sweet? Or not?" came a voice from the darkness.
"It's a demon, but it looks more like some kind of horrible monster," Akeno said warily, staring at the monster.
"Tits!" It was easy to guess who had exclaimed.
"Lost Demon Vais! You escaped from your master, and your power has increased many times over. But now you will pay for your sins. In the name of the noble Gremory family... I will destroy you!
"Less talk, more action," whispered Dodge, scanning the room.
"What a pompous little goat. Without the slightest hesitation, I will paint you red with blood!
"It's going to get hot in here," Kiba grunted.
"Is that the Lost Demon? She looks like a lewd poser!" remarked Issei.
"That won't save her," muttered Kiba, then suddenly lunged at the monster.
"Gone?" exclaimed the pervert.
Maybe the blond guy disappeared for Issei, but for Dodge, he was slowly walking towards his goal. It seemed that the Trickster could see his every move.
"Yuto — Horse," Gremory stated.
"Yuto? What kind of surname is that?"
"His strength is speed. And his weapon is a sword.
"Be careful, Koneko!" Issa shouted when the stray demon tried to pounce on the former cat.
The monster moved towards the girl. It looked terrifying.
"Don't worry. Koneko is a rook. Her strength is an absolute shield.
The monster struck several times with its tentacles. It hit her, but did no damage.
"See, she's not hurt.
"Take that," Kiba said dryly, beginning to cut the demon into pieces.
A loud roar erupted from her mouth.
"Akeno.
"Yes, President. I wonder what I should do?
"Watch out!" Issei shouted as one of the tentacles moved towards Rias.
"Holy Mechanism!"
Dodge prepared to lunge. If his employer was dead, he would most likely no longer be allowed to drink soda for free.
"Thank you," said the red-haired woman. The tentacle was beautifully smeared by Issei's glove. "Akeno, finish her off.
"Those who try to harm the president... will be punished!"
"How 'cool' they are, it makes me want to vomit. Or is it the soda? No, definitely not the soda."
"She is the Queen. My vice president, possessing unimaginable power.
Lightning struck the monster. And again. And again.
"Well, well, you're still alive? How about this?" Akene entered into a frenzy.
"Magic is her thing. She's... persistent..." explained Rias.
"Wow. You're still moving.
"You're a sadist.
"Let's see how long you can last...
"Enough, Akene.
"Already? What a pity," the vice president paused, stopping to kill what was already, in essence, dead.
"Your last words?" Rias asked in the spirit of a melodramatic film.
"Bitch..." the monster hissed.
"Yes? Then goodbye.
The finishing blow was... the finishing blow. The monster became a corpse. Cute.
"Checkmate.
"Could have stayed at the club..." yawned Dodge.
"Does the blood make you sick?" Rias smiled, remembering the previous evening. "Well, shall we go home?"
"Yes, President.
The group headed home. Rias was talking to Issei about something, but Dodge didn't really care. Halfway there, Issei turned off the road. Rias must have sent him on another contract. Dodge had a bad feeling about this...
"Demons who carry out contracts, killing monsters... Do you have enemies?" Dodge asked.
"Angels," said one.
"Fallen angels," said the second."It depends on how you look at it," replied Rias. "You were someone's horse, weren't you?"
"Do I look like a demon?"
"No.
"Then stop asking me stupid questions.
"The president can't ask stupid questions..." muttered Kiba.
"I never liked this 'master-servant' system from the start. What does it lead to? Obedience.
"Of course not," the president snorted sarcastically.
"Of course. Nothing else...
"Without the president, we wouldn't be as strong as we are now!" Akeno argued.
"At what cost? At the cost of humanity.
"Well, being a demon isn't so bad," Koneko shrugged.
"Heh, I think only demons say that," Dodge grinned.
"But you're not human either," Rias pointed out.
"Nevertheless, I'm not afraid of churches or the Lord Almighty.
"Hey, don't say that so loud!
"Of course not.
"Stop it! Dodge, you ungrateful brute, you don't even know what it means to be a servant of Gremory!" Kiba asserted.
"You like being dependent on someone, don't you?" Dodge spun around and stood face to face with the blond. "I can spell out the advantages of a free life for you on my fingers. I wouldn't even need all my fingers."
"Stop it," Gremory muttered emotionlessly, "let's not have any silly fights over female attention today, okay, boys?"
"Yeah," they both grunted, stepping back a couple of paces.
The group had almost reached the club when Akeno announced:
"Issa has a problem!
"What happened?
"He's been trapped by exorcists!
"Quick! Everyone, form a circle!"
The whole group formed a circle in the middle of the room.
"I hope at least today will be a good fight."
"I'll let you show off your skills," whispered Rias.
Steam poured out of his nostrils.
***
patreon.com/posts/7-text-files-7-151893491