Chapter Text
Yuuto, as with others of his kind, knows about the afterlife creatures.
Often called 'the ascended', they consist of those who were raised to the heavens or thrown into the pits of hell after death. Winged beings with powers beyond a living human's comprehension, locked in eternal battle within themselves, the penultimate symbol of good against evil. The angels possess the power of lightning, while demons, fire. Working to sway humankind into their side, in hopes of bringing them back to their realm as recruits on their never-ending struggle.
He's heard of them when he was little, whispers between the members of his family, how dishonorable it is for their people to devote to such a new culture. Gossip between his fellows as they introduce friends to the stories of war between good and evil, pure and tainted. He's even howled songs of the clear paths angels show the virtued, of the fiery pits demons drag the sinful.
Perhaps, Yuuto wishes he were to be one of the just, to enjoy life in heaven. To escape the earth. Of course, he commits too late, not enough to escape his fate. What a shame that his family decided that the power they have wasn't enough. Such a pity that they chose him as a sacrifice.
And now, watching over the now imposing Goryou estate even hundreds of years later, he still hears whispers of powers beyond what his land knows. And yeah, having powers that are more direct than giving luck or possessing people when they want to might be cool, but come on, being a curse is pretty cool, isn't it? Especially since, even years down the line, he still has some descendants (can he really call them that, if they aren't his own?) that take care of him, giving him offerings and keeping his mini-shrine all nice and clean and cozied up.
Today is a bit different than usual, though. The head of the family says something about a big storm coming, assuming it to be some supernatural thing. They fill up his bowl with more food than usual, then go and fit themselves and their luggage to their van, before speeding off. For an impromptu vacation, Yuuto supposes. Their matriarch forgot her new earrings, Makoto's game console is still in the table (Yuuto swipes it for later), the TV still on. What kind of disaster is it, for them to leave so hurriedly…? Yuuto lays down on the couch, thinking about it as he boots up the TV.
And then Yuuto heard it. A faint sound of thunder, creeping closer and closer. He tenses.
For all he's heard of them, he's never seen a single ascended ever in his life, then nor now. He gently picks up the remote to turn off the TV before creeping near the window and peeking through to see the situation outside. And what a sight it was.
A flurry of pure white wings, launching lightning strike after lightning strike, and a congregation firing a continuous stream of fire, but not at each other. Yuuto had only ever been told that angel wings are pure white, and yet there the figure stands, their feathered wings a deep black, sharp contrast to their choppy white hair. Yuuto stares transfixed as the odd-colored angel avoids their attacks easily, sometimes deflecting with their worn sword. The ascended's movements are elegant and precise, as if they've spent their whole life fighting, like it's their sole purpose. It's like something out of those western knight movies Takashi likes to watch, but with more wings.
The angel seemingly had enough of the army against them, because the next thing Yuuto knows, they had moved with incredible speed, going full offense. His eyes are wide, taking in the way they take on every creature in their way. They are brutal, every victim severed in some way with the sword they carry, angels and demons alike hitting the floor as they continuously push the wave back. Even then, the angel moves fluidly between the bodies, tracing a pattern only they know.
An angel lands a hit on them. The lightning singes their cheek, and they are stunned. Long enough for a demon to shoot a pillar of fire and hit, the flames licking his thigh. The being cringes, Yuuto sees a flash of lightning around them, and then the entire horizon turns dark in comparison to the sheer intensity of the attack. The discharge fizzles this way and that, no particular target. The other ascended scream as lightning rains down on them, spreading out of the body-
Some of them towards the Goryou residence.
Oh no.
Oh hell no.
Yuuto growls, pupils shrinking as he utilizes his powers. One lightning bolt strikes a tree just in front of the residence. Another hits an overgrown patch of weeds next to the gates. Yuuto curses the land outside the fence, bringing utter destruction everywhere that isn't his own home.
There’s not much else to say. When the thunder subsides, Yuuto takes some time to recuperate before opening the door (hey, he never said he was smart ). What was once chaos is now barren, only a sole survivor left standing. The odd-colored angel. Yuuto watches as the being surveys the destruction they have brought onto the land. Well, he guesses it can be explained away as a pretty bad thunderstorm, though their intact house might bring up some questions. Or not, since some of them clearly believe in him. He can’t make that judgement.
The angel’s eyes widen in shock, taking in the destruction (or lack thereof) in the residence. He stakes out the location frantically, body tense, and the moment Yuuto catches their eyes, they widen even more. Their face is sharp and angular, and If his hair is like an angel’s wings, his sharp eyes are like a demon's fire, ready to burn down anything in its path. Yuuto finds he doesn’t mind that notion in the slightest.
The angelic being flutters closer to the estate, expression still filled with wonder. Yuuto has a lot of things he wants to tell the other. Like, “where do you learn to fight like that?’ or “what kind of angel are you?” or even “can you teach me how to be as badass as you?”. Instead, what comes out of his mouth is, “what the fuck, man?”
That earns him a grunt, and a snippy, “I had no choice, it was necessary.” His voice is rough, almost like a growl. His face is quickly schooled back to a neutral, rather grumpy, expression, only betrayed by his furrowed eyebrows as he takes him in, like he’s seeing Yuuto’s ears, face markings, and tail for the first time. "I’ve never seen something like you before. The hell are you?"
Yuuto blinks. "What am I," he deadpans.
The ascended nods.
The gall of this guy, just admitting his ignorance, and with an annoying tone too- "What am I," Yuuto growls, " What am I. I'm guessing wherever you've been never taught you about us, huh?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about-"
But the flame has already been lit. "Of course you don't, people at the high and mighty council probably thinks ascendeds are better than us filthy dwellers , isn't that right?" he spits out, eyes burning. "For you, we might as well don't exist. The only thing you care about is your own problems! We don't fucking matter to you! Never had! God, why do I even bother."
"Hold on-" but Yuuto's already had enough of the other, slamming the door in his face. Fury of the heavens be damned, Yuuto won't tolerate slander of his kind. His ears twitch agitatedly throughout the trip to his shrine, throwing himself on the cushion and taking some of the meat on the bowl and munching angrily. God, that guy pissed him off. He's gonna need to sleep it off. Yeah, sleeping it off sounds like a good idea. Yuuto makes himself comfortable, finishing the meat before settling and closing his eyes.
He can still see the other's face behind his eyelids. Yuuto makes a face. Fucking ascendeds.