DXD: Catalyst of Legends

"…I see. One more question: Why are you looking at me like that?''

"Trying to figure something out. "

"I… see… Okay, well, it was nice to meet you, Koneko, but I need to go. "

"See ya. "

Connor walked away briskly, going back through the assembly hall, wanting to be anywhere but there at the moment. Koneko's eyes continued to follow him, still giving that same blank look.

–––––

Hands down, the most awkward and cringeworthy conversation he had ever experienced in Kuoh. One that he did not relish the thought of revisiting.

It wasn't her appearance or the way she talked, he didn't mind those at all. It was funny seeing how much taller he was compared to her.

The problem was the way she just… stared at him… that blank stare that made it seem like she wasn't really looking at him. He wondered if this was how people felt trying to talk to him when he was younger.

He had a bad habit then of not looking people in the eye.

And what was it that she was 'trying to figure out,' exactly?

Sunday evening finally came around and Connor arrived with time to spare at the front of the larger of Kuoh's two privately-owned izakaya. A cluster of runestones stood by in his pocket and with Tobio nowhere to be seen, he took that extra time to survey his new surroundings.

Nomura's Bar and Grill was actually closer to home than he thought; a mere two blocks away from where he normally made the turnoff out of the market district to walk home. It was a very simple-looking establishment, nestled into the first floor a two-story building with the kanji for Nomura (野村) displayed above the entrance on a large canvas.

He stood outside for a few minutes at a nearby magazine stand along the street, browsing through the selections and just killing time waiting for his contact. When the contact in question emerged from the izakaya's entrance with a leather bag in hand, Connor set the magazine in his hands back in its slot and made his presence known.

"Tobio!" he called with a false grin.

"Hey, Connor! Long time no see!" Tobio held out his hand to shake, to which Connor obliged. "Come on in, let's get you something while you're here.

We can talk inside. " His words were friendly, but the way he said them sounded like a command.

Slipping in just as the dinner rush was beginning to approach, the two stopped at the far end of a bar on the left hand side of the restaurant's interior. Tables of various sizes were arranged neatly across the center of the floor and against the right hand wall.

Spaces along the bar were preset for dining at about one meter apart from each other, and available foods were on display behind a glass counter. Connor had to admit: some of the things there looked pretty appetizing.

"'Oyaji', got a live one for ya!" Tobio called toward the kitchen.

"What are ya doing back, boy? I thought ya clocked out already," a raspy voice resounded from the back before a man in his late fifties or early sixties shuffled out to greet Tobio. His full head of white hair was neatly held within a hair net, and the wrinkles on his face softened upon seeing Tobio standing with someone new.

"Oh. Friend of yours?"

"Yep. Connor, this is Hideo Nomura, but everyone just calls him 'Oyaji.

' 'Oyaji', Connor Lochlainn. "

"Good to meet you," Connor greeted with a light bow.

"Yeah. " The old man only nodded, not seeming to care about formalities.

"So, what'll it be?"

"We'll have the karaage, boss. Make it two.

" Tobio interjected, not even giving Connor time to browse the selection. (1)

"Gotcha," 'Oyaji' grunted, walking back to the kitchen without another word.

"Quite the talker, isn't he?" The magus remarked as the two took their seats, with Tobio to his left.

"Yeah, but some of the things 'Oyaji' makes here can't be beat. By the way, you healed pretty fast.

Got tired of it and fixed yourself up?"

"You could say that," Connor dismissed before his tone and expression turning serious. "So, how do we do this? And how secure are we?"

"I've got countermeasures in place," Tobio assured. "People who hear us will think we're talking about a game.

We'll start simple. My name is Tobio Ikuse, leader of Slash/Dog Team, the only human-exclusive special ops group under the jurisdiction of the Grigori.

"

"Human-exclusive? How'd you get caught up with them?"

"Let me answer that question with another: Have you ever heard of the Heavenly Aloha?"

"Yeah. That was the cruise liner that took off from Japan several years ago, but never came back.

No emergency broadcast, no wreckage, not even a clue as to where it went. News media said a whole school full of students was on board for a special trip.

Every country along the Pacific and then some pitched in for the search effort, but nothing came of it for weeks. " The better question would have been: 'Who hadn't heard of it?' It was the worst maritime disaster the world had seen that year.

"I was originally supposed to be one of the students in that group, but I couldn't make it because I was sick. Over two hundred fifty people, a vast majority of them kids, vanished without a trace.

At least, until several of my classmates who were on board reappeared in Japan a month later. "

Connor's eyes widened. "How did that not make the news?"

"It was covered up. One thing led to another, on and on again for another month or so, I awakened my Sacred Gear in the middle of it all, and I eventually found out that all those people on the ship were used as test subjects for experiments into Sacred Gears.

The people responsible for it, the Utsusemi Agency, were trying to get revenge on the Shinto clans that rejected them for simply not being talented enough to carry on the family practices. After my best friend almost died trying to save me, I lost control and unlocked my Balance Breaker.