"___" Text speech
'___' Internal thoughts
[___] status
(___) skills
(Great Sage:___)
{Author:___} author notes
Some things are subject to change depending on how I develop this story
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Grayfia's sharp eyes narrowed as she processed Meelis' words. Her hand still rested on his shoulder, and she felt the pulse of his demonic energy stabilizing, though her concern didn't fade completely. "A holy sword?" she repeated, her voice steady but laced with caution. "You were lucky, Meelis-sama. Most devils aren't as fortunate when facing exorcists equipped with such weapons."
Meelis let out a dry chuckle, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, luck, or maybe I just have some strange charm about me." He leaned back against the headboard, trying to shake off the lingering pain from the clone's death. His mind was working faster than ever now—everything was falling into place, but the incident had sparked an idea.
What he was going to do was petty, but that was who he was.
"Grayfia," Meelis began, shifting the subject slightly, "this exorcist was skilled. Very skilled. I think its best to head to Italy sooner than later. I'd rather not run into any more holy weapons, especially while we're still scouting for peerage members."
At that last comment Grayfia inwardly thought, 'Not run into holy swords, in Italy?' but did not say them since their trip was already decided.
Grayfia's gaze remained fixed on Meelis. She was still skeptical, but she knew better than to dismiss his words. "I agree," she said, her tone more formal now as she went back to her usual Maid Mode. "We need to remain cautious. But tell me, Meelis-sama, if this exorcist was so skilled, how did your clone get caught? I thought you were being careful."
Meelis grinned despite himself. Grayfia was perceptive, too perceptive, as expected of a centuries old Devil. "I was being careful. But the clone was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe I underestimated how many of them were patrolling the town." He chose his words carefully, keeping his knowledge of the DxD plot close to the chest. No need to reveal everything, even to someone as loyal as Grayfia.
She nodded slowly, though her sharp eyes lingered on his face. "This exorcist… do you have any information on him? Who exactly did you encounter?"
Meelis paused for a moment, contemplating how much to share. He didn't want to give too much away too soon, but withholding details might make Grayfia more suspicious. "From what I could tell, his name is Touji Shidou. He's strong, fast, and definitely no rookie. He had a holy sword, which explains the clone's unfortunate demise. But don't worry, I'm not going to make the same mistake again."
"Not to mention I especially disguised myself so that I wouldn't have any issues correlated with my identity, now it seems it both came in handy, and it probably was also the reason I got attacked." Meelis said with a wry look.
Grayfia's expression softened a bit at the name. "Touji Shidou..." she repeated. "That's someone we should keep a close eye on, but at the same time we should not worry about him for now. He's one of the most capable exorcists in this area. He has ties to the church, so he will not act out without any orders especially in this area since it is devil territory."
Grayfia stood up, her usual calm and controlled demeanor returning. "I'll begin preparations for our trip to Italy. But Meelis-sama, please exercise caution. You may have been attacked by accident, but you never know when something similar can happen again."
"Yes, you're right, I definitely don't want to be slashed again, Ill be more careful next time don't worry."
Meelis watched her as she left the room, her form graceful but imposing, as always, specially from behind. Once she was gone, he let out a long breath, his body still aching from the clone's experience.
'Touji Shidou, Masaomi Yaegaki, Cleria Belial.' Meelis thought to himself. 'Cleria's doomed lover should be here if Touji is here, the tragedy isn't far off now.'
He knew he needed to keep his distance, for now. If the characters from the plot were already here then too many eyes were currently watching Kuoh Town, and until he could secure more power and influence, he'd have to tread carefully and act from the shadows. But the fact that almost everyone from that event were here meant that the clock was ticking on Cleria's tragic fate.
As Meelis lay back in bed, he closed his eyes, mind racing with possibilities. Italy would offer new opportunities, but he couldn't let his guard down in Kuoh. The pieces on the board were shifting, and soon enough, he'd be ready to make his next move.
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-Scene Change-
The next morning, the group prepared to depart for Italy. Meelis, now recovered, was feeling more confident as he stood alongside Rias, Grayfia, and both of their peerages. Rias, ever the optimist, was eager for the journey, oblivious to the undercurrents of power plays that Meelis was calculating.
As Grayfia prepared the teleportation spell, Meelis caught one last glimpse of Kuoh Town from the window. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting long shadows across the familiar streets.
'This town,' Meelis thought, 'both now and in the future, is full of potential, and danger. I need to be ready.'
As the plane ascended, Meelis closed his eyes again, thoughts racing back to the young Issei and also Irina. They were still just children, unaware of the storms gathering around them. But soon, they'd be part of this grand game of fate, and Meelis intended to make sure he was the one pulling the strings.
As for that Idea that Meelis had, it was nothing too grand, he just made another clone without anyone knowing while he was resting, not even Grayfia knew he made another clone after she was gone.
The purpose? Well, Meelis left a clone to act on his behalf, its job was to meet three people, specifically, interact with Issei, and meet Irina, for that slash to his chest, Meelis would make sure to repay Touji. As for the last person, Meelis wanted to meet Odin, or at least try too, it might come in handy if he meets the top dog of Norse Mythology.
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LP: 500
Devil Nobility Class: Low, Mid, High, Ultimate, Special (these are the actual cannon rankings of DxD)
Devil Strength Rank: Low(F), Mid(E), High(D), Ultimate(C), Satan(B-), Maxed Longinus(B), Dragon Kings(B+), Heavenly Dragons/Super Devils(A), Indra/Shiva(A+), Ophis/Red(S+ to EX)