Chapter 5
The introductions had been formal, or so they seemed. Victor stood at the front of the classroom, his frown etched deep into his features, a stark contrast to the bright atmosphere of Kuoh Academy. His mind, however, was far from his surroundings. The faint, veiled scent of something otherworldly hung in the air. It wasn't strong, but it was enough to keep his attention firmly rooted on one particular student: Issei Hyoudou.
Victor kept his thoughts composed, as his father's lessons rang in his ears. "A gentleman observes before acting. Patience is the shield of the wise."
Despite his stoic demeanor, Victor was aware of the slight tension in his posture. His eyes briefly flickered to the boy as introductions wrapped up. Issei seemed harmless enough—a typical teenager, albeit one with a reputation that preceded him. Still, Victor couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye. And then, there was the smell—faint, but undeniably supernatural.
After the bell rang and the class began, Victor resigned himself to observation. This wasn't the time to approach Issei. Not yet. There was protocol to follow, and rushing in would only complicate things. Besides, he had a secondary concern gnawing at the edges of his mind. Izaiah.
It had been years since Victor last saw the boy during the Excalibur Project. Though their interaction was brief—more like passing ships during his escape—he still felt a faint camaraderie toward him. Izaiah was a compatriot, another soul that had endured the madness of that experiment. For now, though, Victor tucked that concern away, reminding himself to focus on Issei. Time would tell if Izaiah was here for a reason.
The days passed uneventfully. Victor, ever the silent observer, kept a close eye on Issei. The boy was exactly what his reputation claimed him to be: a pervert with an almost supernatural fixation on women. Yet, something about him didn't sit right. The supernatural scent persisted, faint but ever-present.
Victor's suspicions reached their peak when he overheard the buzz of rumors in the hallways. Issei had been asked out on a date by a girl—clearly not a normal occurrence for someone of his reputation. Victor's instincts screamed at him that this wasn't a coincidence. Whether Issei was bait or the girl was a threat, he couldn't ignore the possibility of danger to civilians.
Thus, Victor resolved to tail them. Not because he particularly cared about Issei as an individual, but because the potential fallout of supernatural activity in a crowded city could not be ignored. His father's words echoed again: "The innocent must be protected, regardless of their flaws."
Saturday arrived, and Victor found himself trailing the pair from a distance. His large frame made stealth difficult, but he managed well enough. The date seemed... normal. Uneventful, even. Issei acted like the awkward teenager he appeared to be, and the girl, while suspiciously enthusiastic, gave no overt signs of malice.
But Victor knew better than to lower his guard.
As the day progressed, they eventually found themselves at a park. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground. Victor's senses sharpened as he kept to the edges, watching from behind a cluster of bushes.
It was then that the shift happened. The girl—Raynare, as Issei had called her—suddenly dropped her facade. A spear of light materialized in her hand, aimed directly at Issei. Time seemed to slow as Victor's mind raced.
"If this boy is a supernatural being, he should be able to deflect that attack," Victor thought. "If he has connections to powerful entities, there's no way they wouldn't leave safeguards. But if he's just a normal human..."
Victor's worst fears came true as the lance of light pierced Issei's chest. The boy's body jerked in shock, his face frozen in an expression of disbelief as blood sprayed into the air.
Victor's eyes widened. "A normal human...!"
Before Raynare could summon a second spear to finish the job, Victor burst from his hiding place. His adrenaline surged as his fists clenched, the incantation flowing from his lips with practiced precision.
"Nanajūyon-shiki - Kuroitsushiruto Untsea'burehirihi!"
In an instant, a massive cross-shaped shield materialized before him, its dark, crimson edges gleaming ominously. The second spear of light collided with the shield, shattering into harmless fragments of energy. The force of the impact rippled through the air, but Victor held firm, his towering frame a bulwark between Issei's limp body and the fallen angel.
Raynare's eyes widened in shock as Victor stepped forward, the shield dissolving into mist behind him. His expression remained impassive, though his voice carried an undeniable weight of authority.
Victor knelt beside Issei, his crimson eyes narrowing as he assessed the boy's injuries. Blood pooled around the wound in his chest, but there was still a faint pulse—a fragile thread tethering Issei to life. Without hesitation, Victor placed his right hand over the wound, summoning the power that coursed through his very being. His voice, deep and composed, carried the weight of command as he incanted:
"Sixth-Level Cleric Spell: Regeneration."
A warm, golden glow enveloped his hand, spreading across Issei's chest. The wound began to mend, the torn flesh knitting together as the magic took effect. All the while, Victor's gaze remained fixed on the fallen angel before him. Raynare's expression was a mixture of confusion and disdain as she stared at him.
"You've made a mistake," Victor said finally, his tone like ice. "Stabbing a civillian in my presence? Unforgivable."
Yuuma snarled, her spear reforming in her hand. "Stay out of this, human, if you value your life."
Victor laughed at being called human as it has been a while since someone called him that, though his eyes remained cold. "Human huh?." His laughter stopped replaced by a determined look
Victor rose to his full height, his imposing frame casting a shadow over Issei's prone form. He adjusted his stance, his hands moving with deliberate precision as he spoke:
"Buren Gurīdo-ryū Kettō Jutsu... I humbly seek advice."
Raynare's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a smirk. "Advice? From me? You must be joking," she said, her wings spreading wide as she summoned five lances of light. "Fine. Here's my advice—die!"
With a sharp cry, she hurled the lances toward Victor in rapid succession, her confidence radiating from every movement. She didn't expect him to last more than a few seconds.
Victor reacted instantly. With a swift motion, he grabbed Issei and tossed him aside, ensuring the boy was out of harm's way. Then, with a powerful leap, he propelled himself fifteen meters into the air, effortlessly dodging the incoming projectiles. The lances of light struck the ground where he had stood moments before, exploding in a shower of sparks.
Raynare scoffed, her frustration masked by a veneer of superiority. "You're only delaying the inevitable," she said, summoning another volley of lances. This time, she launched them in rapid succession, her confidence unwavering. "There's nowhere left to run!"
Victor's response was calm and measured. He extended his hand, his voice steady as he called forth his next technique:
"Hyakujūichi-shiki - Kuroitsuverunikutorantse.(Pattern 111-Cross Annihilator Lance)"
The air around him crackled with energy as a massive cross-shaped lance of blood materialized, forming high above Raynare's head. Its sheer size was overwhelming—nearly twenty meters in length and wide enough to rival two cars placed side by side. The crimson construct pulsed with power, its edges shimmering with a menacing glow.
Victor punched forward, and the gigantic lance began its descent. The speed of its fall was astonishing, breaking the sound barrier as it plummeted at Mach 2. The force of the attack caused a deafening roar, the sheer momentum of the blood cross shaking the very ground beneath them.
Raynare's smirk faltered as the reality of the attack dawned on her. "Impossible!" she spat, her voice tinged with disbelief. She tried to dodge, but the immense size of the weapon left her with no room to maneuver. The lance struck with a thunderous impact, engulfing her in a blinding explosion of crimson energy. The shockwave from the strike rippled outward, scattering debris and leaving a massive crater in its wake.
When the light faded, Raynare lay battered and defeated, her wings singed and her pride shattered. She struggled to rise, but the fight had been decisively ended.
Victor descended gracefully, landing a short distance away from her. His expression remained impassive as he approached Issei once more. Crouching down, he helped the boy to his feet, his voice gentle despite the battle's intensity.
"Are you okay?" Victor asked, his crimson eyes meeting Issei's.
Issei, still dazed from the ordeal, nodded weakly. "Y-Yeah... I think so. What... what was that?"
Victor didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced back at Raynare, who was barely conscious, her arrogance and power extinguished. He sighed, his voice carrying a note of finality.
"It's over," he said. "You're safe now."
Victor's crimson gaze settled on Issei as the young man struggled with his decision. The weight of the moment pressed heavily on Issei, his breathing still labored from his near-death experience. Victor's question lingered in the air, demanding an answer:
"Should I grant her mercy, or give her a painless end?"
Issei's trembling fingers dug into the grass beneath him as he pushed himself into a sitting position. His heart wavered between anger and compassion, his mind replaying the events of the evening. Despite everything Raynare had done, the thought of condemning her outright didn't sit right with him.
"Mercy," Issei finally said, his voice shaky but resolute. "She deserves mercy."
Victor's stern expression softened, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. "Beneath the perverted exterior, there is a good heart," he remarked quietly. Straightening his posture, Victor turned and approached the crater where Raynare's broken body lay. Her wings were tattered, her limbs limp, and her once-arrogant expression was now replaced with one of fear and desperation.
Victor crouched beside her, his presence imposing as his shadow loomed over her. "Your real name," he demanded, his tone unyielding. "Tell me."
Raynare's eyes widened, her fear mounting as she realized there was no escape. She had heard whispers of techniques that required a true name, and the thought of being bound by such power terrified her. "Raynare," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Victor nodded. "Raynare," he repeated, the name carrying an almost tangible weight as he spoke it. His right hand rose, and a crimson cross guard gauntlet materialized over his arm, its surface etched with intricate runes. With deliberate precision, he placed his hand against her chest.
A torrent of blood erupted from Victor's gauntlet, flowing into Raynare's body. She screamed as the blood coursed through her, saturating her very being. The air around them grew heavy, and a palpable energy began to swirl as thousands upon thousands of thin blood threads burst forth from her body. The threads wrapped around her limbs, forcing her into a cruciform position as they wove an intricate web that shimmered with crimson light.
Victor's voice resonated with authority as he incanted:
"Buren Gurīdo-ryū Kettō Jutsu Kyūhyakukyūjūkyū-shiki - Ēvihikaito Gefengunisu! (Brain Grid Blood Battle Technique Pattern 999 - Eternity Prison!)"
The threads tightened, compressing Raynare's form as her screams echoed through the night. The web of blood shifted and condensed, reshaping her body into a small, crimson cross. The process was both terrifying and mesmerizing, the sheer power of the technique leaving Issei speechless. The cross floated gently into Victor's hand, its surface glowing faintly with runic symbols that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"I humbly grant you eternal rest"Victor stood, holding the sealed Raynare aloft. His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable finality. "This is Eternity Prison. As long as I have your true name, this seal cannot be broken. You will remain bound until I deem otherwise."
He turned and walked back to Issei, who stared at the cross in awe and fear. Kneeling beside the young man, Victor extended the cross toward him. "Take it," he said. "This is your burden now. If you remain as you are, many more like her will come for you. You must choose: grow stronger, or align yourself with a faction that can protect you."
Issei hesitated, his hands trembling as he reached for the cross. Its surface was warm to the touch, the faint pulse of the runes reminding him of the life still bound within. "Why are you giving this to me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Because it's your life she tried to take," Victor replied. "And your mercy that spared hers. This is a reminder of the responsibility you bear."
Issei nodded, clutching the cross tightly. The weight of the artifact felt symbolic of the choice he had made—a choice that would shape his path moving forward.
Victor stood and dusted off his gauntlets, his crimson eyes scanning the park for any remaining threats. Satisfied that none remained, he turned to leave. "Rest, Issei," he said without looking back. "The road ahead will be difficult, but you've taken your first step. Don't waste it."
As Victor's figure disappeared into the shadows, Issei sat in silence, his mind racing with thoughts of the night's events. The weight of the cross in his hands was both a reminder of his mortality and a testament to his resolve. He didn't know what lay ahead, but one thing was certain: his life would never be the same again.