# 25: Comparing Origin Stories.
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Today I have no classes during the afternoon and Rias said she will take Issei to "familiar forest" to get him one so I do not need to go to ORC neither.
They're going with Sona and her Peerage as well. They were going to have a match to decide who goes first but I pointed out how that Ash Ketchum wanna be is useless while looking for familiars.
I had a bad meeting with him a couple of years ago, it ended up with him losing his legs, I don't want to talk about it...
Since I have free time and money I decided to take Asia out and shop for cars. Not the best occasion to bring a girl with you but I am dumb so excuse me.
Asia didn't care where are we going as long as I said it's a date. I decided to drive her around afterward and finish it up with movies.
[AN: I do not know cars just assume he bought something cool.]
My research on phoenix tears bore fruit and I managed to find a way to turn the damn thing into a mutagenish thing that will give me some regeneration. It cost me all the tears I had including the ones I got back from Akeno after the Rating Game.
I set the distillery on but I have no idea how long this will take.
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The next day coming into the club I was greeted by a depressed Issei who told me Rias and Akeno objected to his choice and didn't let him get a slime as familiar.
Poor kids' dreams have been crushed to dust by his little harem.
"So what's cooking today?" I ask Rias.
"Standard it's pretty calm. I kinda wish something would happen."
*Boom*
A Stray devil has got thrown to the ORC and broke through the wall thanks to Sona but it's not dead and it jumped back out to resume fighting.
"You had to say it right." Rias can only laugh sheepishly.
*10 Minutes Later*
"Now! Sona, use 'water gun'."
"AM I A POKEMON!?"
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Today I and Asia were invited to Hyoudou residence, right across my house since the ORC needed to be cleaned and got its wall repaired.
Issei wasn't aware that I lived so close to him and he kinda had some training flashbacks before Asia brought him back.
She is slowly but surely conquering their PTSD.
Naturally by being here Issei's mother brought out his childhood photos to embarrass him more than he can manage by himself.
The atmosphere was rather jovial until Kiba saw a holy sword in one of the photos and he revealed his tragic background and how he became a devil.
He finished with his hatred for Excalibur and his desire to destroy it.
"So let me get this straight you guys got experimented on by some crazy church dude because of some inanimate and non-sentient swords and you want to destroy these swords" Seeing him nod I continued.
"Why destroy the swords when you should hunt down the people responsible for this tragedy."I conclude making Kiba angry.
"Jacob, you never told me about what happened in the orphanage after I left. Can you tell me?" Asia tries to change the topic seeing that Kiba is getting agitated but that topic is even worse.
Although considering the atmosphere I decided it was a great idea to tell them.
I was holding it back since Asia didn't feel stable to me in the beginning but I think she can take it now.
"Well, after you were taken by the church due to your Sacred Gear. The whole orphanage got abducted by a vampire.
Boys used as blood packs, women, and little girls used for worse. I was the only one that survived that mess.
I also want to wipe out pure vampires for being savages but I don't have the power for it yet." By the end Asia was hugging me, I was feeling sad as well.
Kiba is also looking at me like he found a comrade.
When Rias was about to continue the meeting to get over with it, Beth teleported into the house with Magari in her arms.
"Beth-chan did something happen?"
"Onii-chan! Magari-baa-chan wanted to speak with Koneko-nee." ORC has already met Beth during the training camp but this is the first time they are meeting with Magari.
Trusting Beth they sat down around Koneko to show support as Magari curled herself in a comfortable spot before speaking.
"I heard you were here little Koneko, I used to know your mother. I had promised your sister not to tell you but I decided against it after hearing about you from Beth." Seeing everyone is listening Magari explained the full backstory of Fujima, Koneko's mother.
She fell in love with a man that didn't love her back and got pregnant with him twice. The man was a scientist working for a devil family that's doing dangerous research. Magari didn't know the details of it at the time.
In the end, Fujima died with that man during an experiment leaving the two kittens homeless. Kuroka eventually got hired back in the same devil family as a bishop where she learned what that experiment was about.
They were researching the creation of Super Devils under a house that was dissatisfied with current satan's and secretly backed Old Satan Faction but knew they can't win without their own Super Devils.
Magari then explained how Kuroka pulled an Itachi to save Koneko from being experimented on and became a SS Class Stray.
Afterward, she found shelter under Magari until she got strong enough to fend for herself before leaving.
In the end, the whole house was comforting Koneko while I was looking straight into Magari's eyes.
'What's your end game hag?' Seeing my expression Magari clicked her tongue drawing attention back to herself.
"Well, Fujima used to keep her backups in her hairpins, that hairpin you have is the last evidence of that family's crimes. I was wondering if you could..." Koneko gave the hairpin before Magari stopped talking.
"Will this bring onee-sama back?"
"I will do my best kitten but don't count on it, devils generally are too proud to accept their fault." With that Magari left the building.
I can only send a prayer to Sirzechs because this is going to be a scandal and strain the relations between Devils and Nurarihyon Faction.
Wait wouldn't that actually give him a headache? I need to ask Rias later.
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Seeing the mood getting worse by the second Rias decided to get on with the ORC meeting and disperse.
That evening I saw three hooded figures going into Hyoudou's house while I was throwing out trash.
One of them is Jeanne the exorcist I ran into back in Romania but I don't know the other two.
It seems Issei's mother recognized the one with chestnut brown hair... Wait isn't that Issei's childhood friend from the photo?
I have no idea what businesses the church has in devil territory but, it can wait until I go to school tomorrow.
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The next day I was making my way to ORC exams are coming up so I was a bit late than usual.
"Rias I saw some church people yesterday do you know anything... ah hello ladies, Jeanne."
"Hello Jacob, I didn't know you lived here..." Jeanne greets me with a wry smile while the other two share a confused look between them.
"Well, being a teacher has more life expectancy." I joke.
"I see, well I know you're neutral so I don't mind you being here take a seat."
"Right what seemed to be the problem?" Seeing I got the lead on the conversation Rias kept quiet and sipped her tea.
They explained that the Excaliburs got stolen by Kokabiel and he hopes to merge them with the help of Valper the guy who killed Kiba's friends (OF COURSE!) they have tracked them here.
Also, they don't want devils to get
involved in something that's happening in their territory.
"Sigh, I kept telling Michael that it wasn't a good idea to keep those swords at church. I am going to enjoy rubbing it to his face next time I see him." I mutter to myself but everyone heard it.
*Cough*
"While the church doesn't want devil involvement, we can request some help from you withcer what do you say?" Xenovia offers me a job after coughing.
"Sorry I am retired, also exams are coming up. I don't know about you guys but I am more afraid of my deadline than some useless cadre." I say my piece and go back to my tea.
I will naturally help if someone is about to die but to be honest the current ORC is strong enough to slaughter Kokabiel.
They didn't stop training after the rating game, they keep getting flashbacks whenever they get lazy.
Asia concluded that it was their survival instincts flaring up whenever they get lazy. So the team strength has been on a steep rise.
Seeing me going quiet church trio went back to talking Rias but that was a bit bumpy because Xenovia has no common sense.
Thankfully matter was resolved without any fighting. It also helped that Asia wasn't here due to doing a chore I sent her to do.
I don't know how they would have reacted to her presence.
"Sensei are we really going to sit back and let that bastard go?" Kiba asks after seeing them go. His fists are bleeding from clenching them.
Getting up from my seat I walk up to him and pat his shoulder. "Sigh, you youngsters naturally don't see the big picture. Kokabiel is not here just because he likes the scenery of this country or the ley lines are suited for the ritual.
His target is Rias and Sona. That warmongering shit stain has been dissatisfied with the cease-fire ever since it was signed up.
So, my avenger student, we're not going to let them go because they will come to us, let the church trio try and fail. Meanwhile ready some meat because we're having a BBQ after taking Kokabiel down."
Rias immediately called Sona. Then she grudgingly called Grayfia to inform her brother after I pulled out a toy Camel.
"Asao-sama, it would be seen as a declaration of war if we were to mobilize troops.
That's something we rather avoid. Can I trust you with the safety of our people?" Grayfia asked me after getting the gists of the situation.
"No student of mine will be injured don't worry." I can already imagine Akeno plucking Kokabiel's wings.
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AN: While I was writing, I thought to myself that I already introduced Magari and Beth already met Koneko. Also knowing that the yokai faction Magari belongs to has a special hatred for devils so she would totally use this to get back at them.