[2] The Fool

Chapter 2: The Fool

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He was so foolish, the poor lad,

He made arrogant deities smile

Who knew not of the wings he had

Budding and growing all the while;

Nor that the laurel wreath was made

Already for his sinful head

Silly and childish in his ways;

They said: 'His future comes to naught.'

His future! In the dreadful days

When in a toil his feet were caught

He hacked his way to glory bright

Before his day went down in night.

Such was the man, a hero in the disguise he wore. Although, will that poor hero be able to overcome the dreadful adversity that awaits him? Or will he fall like those before him?

Only time will tell.

That is, if he has enough...

---

Kamijou Touma was in a state of severe perplexity. Not only was his mind wander back to Souna'a earlier question, but also because a certain brown-haired youth was moving and yapping his mouth in elation. Making the boy shake his head due to the constant noise.

However, that was elation was quite short-lived at the same time Touma shook his head.

"Motohama! Matsuda!" The hazel-eyed youth suddenly shouted out his friends' name gravely, a sharp contrast to the bubbling excitement he had shown a few seconds ago. Unsurprisingly, this had immediately picked up the attention of the boys who were passionately sharing a discussions on 'looks or personality'.

Motohama and Matsuda, seeing his sudden change in tone, rigidly postured themselves and looked at Issei with serious eyes. Begrudgingly, sepping aside their sights on the magazine that was spread widely open, displaying various inappropriate pictures that would have put a blush on a Saint. All that remained was lingering stillness that made the atmosphere even more tense.

Issei nodded gratefully at his dear comrades. Next, he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, which had indirectly broken the silence that was unknowingly enclosed around them.

Kamijou Touma watched what the brown-haired boy was going to state with keen interest, resting his head on his palm. A pen twirling on his hand as his blue eyes focused on the only three people inside the room.

"My dear...dear friends!" The spiky-brown haired youth clenched his fists and shouted, no - emotionally screamed aloud. Unexpectedly, stiffening the shoulders of his friends who looked at him with sudden calmness.

The brown haired boy, not seeing his friends actions and expressions, continued to speak outloud dramatically. His eyes fluttering as he spoke out words painfully. "I, Hyoudo Issei, a proud member of the Perverted Trio and devout believer of Breasts..." Motohama and Matsuda suddenly felt themselves to be quite anxious, wondering what their friend was about to say with such emotion. "...have finally found myself a...d-date!"

The boy - who's facial expressions displayed a mixture of emotion between pain and arousal - exclaimed proudly while patting his chest. Two loud thumps resounded across the classroom while his friends looked at Issei in shock, Kamijou in tow. All three of them comically raising their eyebrows.

"The pervert actually found...a girlfriend?" Kamijou Touma suddenly found his brain short-circuit at the sudden revelation while speaking aloud. One of the most, if not then most, perverted guy in the world managed to secure a date. While he was...he'd rather not think about this.

'Why does everyone, but me, have good luck?! What did I do to deserve this?' The youth lamented depressingly at his tragedy.

On the other hand, Motohama, who had quickly recovered from his shock and knew that Issei wasn't lying since they were childhood friends, straightened his glasses and spoke softly. A tint of anger and betrayal evident in his voice.

"Issei...go and jump of a cliff, you bastard! How did you get one first?!" The boy pointed a finger at the widely grinning Issei, making the former clench his jaw.

Matsuda, the black eyed youth with short gray hair, looked at his friend in sincere approval before vocalising his thoughts as well. "Yeah, you bastard! Why would you betray our promise?! The one were we all swore we would remain loyal, for those 'stars' sacrificing themselves for our pleasure! Our sake!"

As the two friends looked at their comrade-turned-enemy in betrayal, Issei just shook his head wistfully while gazing out the window. "I did what had to be done...for the greater good. I hope you won't hate me for this, but someone needs to become a villain in this world filled with dreams. Dreams meaning those bouncing bubbles of life, of course! Haha!"

With that said, the boy hurriedly picked up the magazine sprawled on the table with surprising precision and accuracy, before dashing out the door giggling with glee, leaving two shocked boys and another re-thinking his life.

'Such misfortune.' Kamijou stared at the leaving back of the brown-haired youth before gazing emotionally at the clock, brightly displaying [13:45] with its dainty little hands. One big, one small. 'Either way, Issei will need to come back in around 15 minutes or so for the last lecture. He'll have to deal...with his friends then.'

The spiky-haired youth thought with sympathy, resting his head against his arms before drifting to sleep until the lesson starts. After all, a bit of sleep can never be too much, right?

"I hope nothing weird happens after this..." The boy, who had found his reality shatter, grumbled

moodily in hopes of something good happening. However - unknown to him - the future doesn't always go as planned.

---

[15:15]

"-that's all for class today. Dismissed!" With the teacher's awaiting exclamation, the horde of students that were nested on their seat impatiently, sprang up eagerly while running out the classroom. Similar to a stampede of bulls chasing a red flag. As predicted, a certain brown-haired youth was among them.

"See you later guys! I'm gonna go and enjoy my date with my, girl-friend~" Although the youth took the time to turn his head around, and give an arrogant filled grin aimed towards his friends, emphasising the word 'girlfriend' - causing Motohama and Matsuda to clatter their teeth at the unfairness of the world.

Touma saw all this from the corner of his eyes, and gave a resigned sigh. He quickly packed up his stuff and left the classroom whilst saying his goodbye to the teacher. Picking up the pace as he walked outside.

"I want to go home and eat some rame- wait, I don't have any ramen left at home..." The boy spoke out his grievances and walked slowly out the school, grumbling from time to time during the way. "I guess I'll have to buy some later...after I get a good night's sleep of course."

While speaking to himself in hopes of raising his spirit, the boy took one last glance behind to appreciate the setting sun behind the school. Its everglowing light seemingly unquenchable by the darkness.

The boy released a slight smile before walking away, joy clearly seen with the swagger he walked. However, his steps quickly halted midway the moment he felt a slither of shivers slowly crawl down his spine. A premonition, or warning, of something bad occurring.

The boy quickly snapped his around cautiously and gently moved his hand to hold his neck warmly. Occasionally rubbing it, in attempts of easing the goosebumps on his skin.

'What was that?'

The youth continued to gaze implicitly at the few remaining students outside, caution seen evident in his eyes. Seconds had rapidly passed, quickly turning into minutes - numbering in the few. After a few minutes of observing, Kamjou concluded that it must've been the cold irritating his skin. After all, the chill has been getting colder and colder lately.

With nothing else to do, the boy left the towering school with quick, but small, steps - occasionally turning to look around him with sharp eyes. Just in case something out of the norm happens. 'Out of the norm, eh?' Touma thought while returning to look ahead of himself.

Unaware for the reasons behind it, Kamijou Touma had found himself feeling quite superstitious today.

---

For Hyoudou Issei, today could be considered one of the most perfect ones he had during the last couple of years. The past few hours, feeling almost as if they were years, were wonderful. 'Today was amazing!'

The boy gave a bright wave to anyone who moving by as he walked behind his lovely girlfriend with a goofy smile.

Amano Yūma. That was the name of the woman in front of him.

She had beautiful, silky black hair cascaded ever so elegantly down her cerluean cardigan that fitted her stunning body perfectly. While her face looked as if it was sculptured by Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, herself. A slightly playful smirk was etched deeply on her face as she cheekily glanced at Issei with those mischievous violet eyes, almost as if she was planning something he didn't know.

The poor youth felt his heartbeat quicken with each look he took at her. His hand darted to his chest as he tried to calm his stampeding feelings, something he had never felt before. It was so strong that he couldn't bare to look at anything but her face, and eyes, something the breast lover a few hours ago would have scoffed at.

For some reason, the woman in front of him have him a strange feeling of beauty. If he was to describe it into words, he would say 'something out of this world'.

Issei felt as if he was dancing on Cloud 9. He couldn't believe that this woman, actually asked him - Kuoh's most lecherous pervert - out for a date! Even while holding the belief of making a harem, filled with beautiful women.

The boys steps lightened and quickened as he felt his mood soar, joyful to be in the presence of the angel looking at his visage fondly. He almost wanted to discard his dream of being the harem king each time she smiled at him. Key word, 'almost'.

'I hope this moment...lasts forever.' The youth kept his thoughts to himself while striding to Yūma with a bright grin, following her as she went to their final destination of the date that she had decided on: the park.

As they botj walked closer, and closer to the fountain that stood majestically in the middle, Yūma suddenly turned her lithe body to look at him. Her hair moving like gentle waves behind her, a smile finding itself into her face.

Issei immediately felt his heart skip a beat. Or two. As he stared at her sincere smile. 'Man, if I can't handle one woman how on earth can I handle more? Gramps, help me wherever you are'

On the other hand, the woman - seeing his lost look - gave him a light giggle before beginnning to fidget for a while, almost as if she was thinking of something.

Issei watched her with a he felt his chest flutter. After a few seconds, seeming like hours to him, she made up her mind and looked straight into his eyes.

"Hey, Ise-kun." Her voice, which sang like countless melodious chimes, spoke ever so clearly to the boy swimming around his thoughts. The brown-haird youth quickly realised that she had called out his name, and hurriedly gave her an apology before staring to speak. His hand lightly scratching his cheek as he averted his gaze.

"Yes, Yūma-chan? Is there anything wrong?" The boy saw her twiddle gently with her fingers for a while, something he noted her doing often when she was nervous. Issei let outba gentle smile while looking at her, waiting for the woman to take her time.

"S-since this is our first date, I was wondering if I could make a small request. Would you mind?" Yūma suddenly spoke out while thinking for while, a smile plastered on her lips.

'Huh?'

Issei, who was intently staring at her face, instantly caught a slight change in her smile.

The boy blinked his eyes and looked at her face once again, seeing that exact same smile before it quickly disappeared.

It was there. It wasn't much, but a slight change happened nevertheless. It was something that could have been easily misunderstood by the imagination, but for him it seemed like her smile seemed just a bit less sincere.

Not that sincerity mattered for him in the first place.

"I'd b-be happy to, Yūma-chan!" The boy shook off his idiotic thoughts, and smiled joyfully at Yūma, dismissing his earlier ideas. However, what happened next had caused that overflowing river of joy to drench dry with the words that flowed straight out of her mouth.

"Will you die for me?"

...Silence grasped the area around them, time seeming to stop ever so slightly for the boy who had his eyes widened in shock and confusion. Perplexity in his eyes as he gazed upon her.

"I-I'm sorry, but could you repeat that? I think I've mishea-" Issei started to stutter and stumble on his words as he looked at the beautiful woman in denial. However, his request was quickly cut short with Amano Yūma's next words.

"Will you, Hyoudou Issei, die for me?" The smile etched gracefully on her face, seemed to brighten a tad-bit more as she repeated her question. Black, tall wings sprouting from her back, as stygian feathers landed swiftly around them. "You know, Ise-kun. I really had fun, playing around with you like a toy. It made me feel quite entertained as you did your best to please me, fufu. It's almost as if I had played around with a little child."

Issei's expression morphed into a mixture of myriad emotions. Anger. Sadness. Awe. Bewilderment. And most of all, disbelief: almost as if rejecting the reality of the situation before him. Like all the other fools who were blinded by love.

The boy could do nothing but stare. Stare as she changed from that beautiful woman he held dear in his heart, to a woman wearing nothing but black leather that gave barely any semblance to cover her. A cruel, sadistic smile plastered on her face as she spoke to him, wanting to shatter his mind. Make him lifeless. Like all the other humans she had done to before.

A spear of light started gathering in her hand, as she coldly looked down upon the boy paralysed by the sudden shift in behaviour. He gaped at her openly, her words losing all warmth while she shredded his heart into little, bitter pieces. Trampling on it as it was already broken as pain reflected itself in his eyes.

"You stupid fool, did you really think I, Raynare, a proud fallen angel would date a pitiful human like you? Fufu, remember this clearly Hyoudo Issei. I have never loved you, never enjoyed your presence, and never will be! The least you could do to help me recover an inch of my pride is for you to...die!" With each word Raynare spoke, Issei could feel himself lose a part of himself, insufferable pain caused him to lay a hand on his chest which he happily did a few minutes ago.

Whilst the boy lost all hope, the spear of light that was initially gathered tightly on her dainty hand, moved like thunder. Blasting straight into the direction of Issei, wanting to pierce and bathe in the blood of the idiotic fool that fell for the clutches of an fallen angel. 'Yes~ Die for me Hyoudo Issei, help me achieve a higher position in Grigori!' Raynare thought as she giggled at the aimless puppet beneath her.

As expected, the light of spear rumbled and stormed toward Issei with unmatched ferocity, to the point Raynare could imagine the lifeless eyes of her victim. Just as it was about to reach the body of the boy - ...it dissapeared. Vanished. As if it was never there.

The only hint that showed the existence and remains of the soul-taking weapon, was the resounding echo of shattered glass.

---

Slight heads-up about update schedule. I will be updating this fic when I have enough time (2-3 days perhaps) due to me currently having exams for the past week. It should be ending by next week which means I should be able to provide at least daily chapters or chapters every 2 days.

Will be deleting this note by next week.