Riser POV
This is unprecedented…
I know she was getting abused but…
For it to go this far now.
There is one thing that I hate the most, even more than murder and that is acts that can affect the minds of the victim. Rap- Forcing someone to go through that affects someone mentally for years. And not just for women but also for men.
In murder, you don't torture someone for years relieving their trauma over and over again. You just end it and wherever they go, depends on the life they lived. At least that's what I believe.
Not to say that murder is any better but in my perspective, death is a natural part of nature. It will happen whether we like it or not. And anyone involved will gradually move on from the death of their loved ones. It may take a lot of strength but they will move on. For those who cannot…
Several paths open up for them to mourn; from revenge, avenge, or despair. And for some happiness.
Walking through the city we escorted the shaking Suzui through her home. I walked ahead while Rias stayed with her to comfort her. Something tells me that she will not appreciate any male company right now.
"It's okay you're safe."
"We won't let him near you."
"Don't worry we're here."
And other such things came from Rias as Suzui walked languidly. Like a puppet that was just going through the motions. Her eyes are even more empty than anyone I have seen in this life.
Rias was taking it in stride to comfort her though. I had to remember that she probably was pretty experienced in handling this kind of thing, what with her peerage being a bundle of trauma. Hell, she has every bad ending in her peerage.
When we finally reached her house. Suzui stopped and just stood there.
She stopped moving altogether.
With a whisper almost too soft. "I don't want to go home…" came out of her.
Rias looked at me clearly wanting to help the poor girl but we don't really have anywhere to go. I think going to a hotel would be a bad thing to actually do. She could remember some stuff or get the wrong impression from us.
Should I really just… Fuck it fine.
I turned to the wall and opened the entrance to my pocket apartment and walked on though while gesturing for Rias to follow.
Rias didn't say anything but nodded as she guided the traumatized girl to our home, who didn't even react to the seemingly impossible thing that was happening to her right now. Her thoughts must be swirling as the world is lost to her.
Rias proceeded to the bathroom with Suzui. "We're gonna clean up. Please get us some clothes prepared, Riser."
"Sure." I responded as I walked through our apartment going straight for the closet where several clothes that we bought while shopping were there.
While preparing the clothes, I contemplated on telling Ren and Ryuji about what just happened. It could be the push that they need to actually be the Phantom Thieves. But saying something this sensitive to those not involved is not ideal.
I could ask her later but… Haa, what to do?
~~~
Rias POV
"Can I wash your back for you?" I asked the girl who just stared listlessly until she finally nodded after what seemed to be a long time.
I lathered soap and used a towel to wash her back while she seemingly just stared at the mirror facing us. The bathroom we were in was a normal japanese style bathroom, I asked Riser once why we had something like this designed and he told me that he designed it like this because he thought it would make me happy.
I have to admit that it made my heart flutter when he said that. It really is the little things that you find out about someone that make you lo-lo-like them even more…
But this poor girl. Taking care of her like this reminds me of the time that I first met Koneko. She shielded herself to the world. She became closed off like this. And I want to do better than just letting the problem fester like what I did with Koneko.
I don't want her to not be able to trust someone, or not express herself after her horrible experience.
Finishing with her back, I asked her, "Can you wash your front by yourself?" and she only nodded once again.
As she started washing herself with a towel, I also washed myself. But eventually when I started finishing, I checked up on Suzui-san when I heard scrubbing sounds but…
"Suzui-san! Stop!" She scrubbed herself raw. I can see her pink skin being a raging red as she scrubbed her skin off. I-I was too complacent I should have paid better attention to her.
"Are you okay?" I checked her arms and stomach, the things that she actually focused on and I can see bruises starting to form from her scratching.
"I can still feel it… I can feel his hands dirtying me… crawling through my body… I… I… aaAAaAhhHhHHh~~~" She broke down crying and I could do nothing but hug and comfort her. Running circles in her back as I tried my best to comfort this traumatized girl in my arms.
I whispered sweet nothing to her ears and after crying her eyes out, she fell exhausted and passed out right in my arms.
After seeing the sorry sight of this girl I can do nothing but resolve myself. In the foggy frosted bathroom door I can see the silhouette of Riser. He must be putting our clothes there.
"Riser… Did you hear?"
"Yeah…" He didn't sound mad but just despondent.
"I don't care about the rules anymore, even without the others we're taking down this violator!" I made my voice loud and clear.
"I know… and I agree." His firm and resolved voice resounded through the room.
"By the way, I'm leaving the clothes here!"
"Ah yeah, Thanks!"
~~~
Riser POV
After we put Suzui to rest in a spare bedroom, that was originally supposed to be Rias' bedroom until she decided to sleep with me in my room. We went to the living room where we discussed what we are going to do from now on.
"So how are we going to do this?" Rias asked me out with the big question.
"Okay first, we need the others, even not just to fight but to actually open the metaverse for us…"
"What? Why do we need the metaverse? Can't we just hypnotize or even just kill that teacher?" Ah, I forgot that even like this Rias has no mercy for her opponents, even killing is just an everyday thing for her.
"Sadly no, we need to do this over the metaverse. This whole situation, everything that is happening right now is just the game of two gods. Yaldabaoth and Philemon. Think of it like chess. We are all just pieces on the game board but if one of us, the pieces, did an illegal move…"
"They would notice us and remove us." Rias now has a thinking face on, as she unconsciously tried to move something in her face.
"Yes, and as much as I would love to say that both of us are a match for a god, we are sadly not strong enough for that. Even with my cheating powers." I mean they use conceptual powers… I think. The thing that killed Yaldabaoth was the culmination of the seven deadly sins in one bullet. As a devil I actually want to see that.
"So we have to move through the metaverse…" She blushed as she realized that something wasn't there.
"Yes, now the second problem…" I showed my phone to hers. "We are not registered to enter the metaverse. If I can guess, it's because we are not humans. After all, this entire game was a test for humanity after all. And us being demons is already unprecedented. It's a miracle we haven't been noticed before." Or maybe we have been noticed but it was interesting for Yaldabaoth so he decided to see where it goes.
That's actually fucking terrifying…
"So we have to get the others to open the metaverse for us and we can go ahead and do what we have to do." Rias interrupted me before I spiraled into terrifying consequences again.
"Now a decision, do we kill him or not?"
"Of course we do, he's a menace to society."
"I was thinking, what if we just let Suzui decide. She can be the representative of all those who he hurt and it should be cathartic to let her see us beat him the hell up. Then she can decide if she wants us to kill him."
"Well, it's not a bad idea, wait. Does that mean we have to bring her with us to the metaverse?" Rias had an incredulous expression on her face.
"I mean, yeah we're strong enough to protect her anyways right?" I tried to convince her.
"Well, I guess that's true…"
"It's gonna be fine, trust me." And now I have to tell the others about what happened, don't I?
~~~
"Hey, did you see that card that was posted all over the school?" Student A gossiped with her generic female friend.
"Yeah, I read one of them and it talks all about getting revenge from Kamoshida. Do you think the rumors that he beats his students are true?" Student B spread her talks to other cliques in the classroom by her loud voice.
"Do you think it was one of the volleyball club members who did this?" Yeah, I spread calling cards all over the school.
Calling cards are the thing that makes the phantom thieves iconic in their world. It is a symbol that an individual has a corrupted heart and that the phantom thieves are going to steal your heart.
But why are calling cards needed to steal your heart? The canon explanation is that the desires of a person are immaterial but they are generally not aware of it. Like the desire for food or sleep. You are not aware of it during your day but then you get hungry and you become aware that you are hungry and you want and need food.
Basically that, because it is so natural for some people to be bad people, they sometimes don't even realize that they are bad people, it comes natural for them after all. But when you send a calling card dissing them, basically, they become aware that they may be caught by people that they are doing some crime.
Basically you call them out on their crimes and they become defensive about it, but because they become aware of it, their desires manifest into something physical in the metaverse. Well, that's the canon explanation anyways but…
Frankly I think they just did it because it was cool.
I mean Persona 5 was all about the coolness factor of everything really. Persona 3 was all about 'memento mori' basically accepting death and is actually depressing. Then Persona 4 was all about the truth and how social media spouts lies to cover it up but was overall a more happy go lucky kind of game.
Then Persona 5 hit like a truck that said you feel like a badass, living a double life as a rebel of society who will upturn all the corruption in the world from a school teacher all the way to prime ministers. Hell, you turn into a demon lord that is loved by the people, what is this isekai shit that happened in Persona 5 bro?
Okay enough harping on about that godlike "ow…" game that got delayed for like years. It was supposed to come out in 2014, then 2015, then 2016, and finally 2017 and everyone was like WHOOOOOO!!! While holy music plays.
BAM!!!
Just how in the world did I get into a situation where the main protagonist is currently doing a kabedon on me… If I was a girl I would totally blush and fall in love with this hot piece of ass, because goddamn "ow." those piercing grey eyes are looking so coldly at me right now and I am turning gay right now…
If only he wasn't so gay with the ace detective, I mean ace defective, Akechi…
"Just who are you and what the hell are you doing?" The silky and threatening voice of the main character came out of him as he glared at me with suspicion and hate…
How am I gonna get out of this one now…
A/N:
Back with a new episode of HS DXD fanfic… a lot of people may have been put off by the previous chapters… I got into a weird mindset and tried being dark in this fic when it was supposed to be a little bit of a crack fic hahaha… sorry about that, I was in a bad bad place, you know how these youtuber apologies go hahaha!!.
But good news, we're almost done with the Persona world so yeah, for those wanting to go back to DxD good news. I actually didn't think we would be here for so long too hahaha!
See you next chapter!!!
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