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cathedralofaudra · 3 months ago

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A Gift to my lovely Raishura shippers

Dancing With A Wolf (Or A Fox)

1/3 of Tragedy Comes In Threes

Warnings: Graphic Violence

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or below the cut

Raidou wakes with a start, jostling Gouto off his shoulder.

"Hey! Woah!"

Gouto's cries fall upon deaf ears. With his usual stony demeanor, Raidou assesses his surroundings. Vast sandy dunes and buildings in ruin grace his vision. He sighs heavily, closing his eyes for a moment.

Placing a paw on his leg, Gouto stares up at him worriedly, "Hey... You alright?'

He receives a nod in response, but it doesn't quell his worries. His student is non-expressive, but having accompanied him for so long, he can decrypt the little changes that give him away.

The desert wind snaps Raidou out of his thoughts and onto his feet. Gouto climbs onto his shoulder, tapping his cheek with his paw. Raidou nods, placing his hand on the hilt of his katana. The two head out to find their target.

---

Kilometers across the desert, a fiend opens his eyes. He feels a small weight on his chest. Looking down, Naoki finds Pixie curled into herself between his ribs. He smiles, placing his hand under her to catch her as he sits up. Pixie had been the first to accept Naoki and help him when he woke up in the hospital.

He remembers that instance vividly. He had woken in a daze, feeling everything through a thick fog. Seeing Hijiri hadn't helped, leaving him to continue stumbling through the halls until he made his way towards the annex. The demons and spirits he'd encountered were rude and confusing, somehow expecting him to be more knowledgeable then themselves.

By the time Naoki had found the annex, he was on the verge of a panic attack. Seeing what had happened outside the hospital set him off. He'd crouched into himself, sobbing violently as he mourned his world. Pixie had approached him and consoled him as he wept. She curled up in the curve of his neck and offered comforting words. By the time he had calmed, she had already decided to take it upon herself to stick by his side.

Pixie had picked him as her companion and he had no choice in the matter. She stayed no matter what he said or did. She saw how fragile his mental state had been and her 'motherly instinct' made it her life's purpose to help him in any way possible. Although Naoki wouldn't admit it aloud, he was eternally grateful for her. He would have died alone in the Vortex World, without knowing what happened to his friends.

Watching her sleeping form in his hand, feeling her tiny breaths against his chest, it made him feel safe. Naoki was ready to do anything to protect her, Pixie saved his life and he was indebted to her for it.

He slowly stands, extra careful not to jostle the precious being in his hand. Naoki maneuvers carefully, making his way out of the destroyed shop they'd deemed safe enough to rest in. Once Kagutsuchi veiled him in it's light, Pixie stirs. She stretches, yawning. She slowly lowers her arms, opening her eyes to look at him.

"Morning, Pixie," Naoki remarks softly.

"Morning!" She calls, her voice light like a bell's chime. She flutters her wings, warming them up. She does a little dance to wake her body up, wings increasing in speed the more feeling she awakens in her limbs. Pixie makes a little noise as she jumps, wings back to functioning. She flitters over to her place on Naoki's shoulder. She pokes his cheek in greeting and sits on the thick black line of his Magatama markings. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Today, we're headed back to Ikebukuro." Naoki states, heading off towards the aforementioned city.

Pixie claps, rising to grip onto his hair, "Yay! Ikebukuro! I've been needing to go shopping."

Naoki shakes his head with a chuckle, "Hold on tight!" He calls, starting off in jog, gaining speed.

---

Trekking across the desert on land that is always curved upward no matter which way you walk, while wearing all black with a leather harness and hip holster is no easy task. Even the great Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha XIV struggles to keep his vision from swimming. The cat on his shoulder doesn't help.

When prompted, Gouto argued, "My paws aren't made for the desert, it'll burn my claws off!"

Raidou had just sighed and continued walking. Thankfully, they reached Ikebukuro without incident. They made sure to visit the Lady of the Fountain briefly before making their way to the Mantra Headquarters.

Right outside the entrance, Raidou sends Mokoi as a distraction while he and Gouto step up behind their target- the Demi-Fiend.

---

Naoki sighs, trudging up the staircase to the Mantra Headquarters, he'd been sent on a wild string of fights until Pixie had to drag him out by his hair before he got himself killed. Now, she rests on his shoulder, pouting.

"Seriously, Naoki! You can't keep running into everything that looks at you funny!" She reprimands, hitting her fists against his collarbone.

He huffs, shaking his head, "I'm sorry. I'm trying, it's just so difficult."

Pixie's face softens, she presses her cheek into his, "I know, but I can't help worrying," she sighs, "I don't want you to pick a fight you can't win."

"I'm sorry, I don't know how else to survive anymore," he slumps, downtrodden.

Turning her head, she peppers motherly kisses to his cheek, "You'll find out soon, I know it. You've grown so much since we met."

Naoki nods, reaching the top of the staircase, "Thanks, Pixie. I'd probably be dead if you hadn't decided to help me."

She smiles, wings buzzing to lift her over to look him in the eyes. She grabs his cheeks, pressing her nose to his. "I know," she teases, "I'm glad."

He smiles at her, bringing his hand up for her to sit on. Naoki's smile drops suddenly, his ears catching the sound of footsteps. He brings Pixie closer to his chest, eyes darting to his right. His eyes narrow at the sight of a green tree-like head poking around the corner.

The head disappears for a moment, before revealing itself to be a Mokoi. It does a somersault, wielding it's boomerang and striking a pose once it's back on it's feet.

The Mokoi does a little shimmy before balancing on one leg, "Ta-daaaah! It's my Vortex World debut! ...Is it dark out or is it just me?"

Naoki holds Pixie closer to his chest, who pokes her head out from his fingers to stare in confusion.

The Mokoi continues, doing yet another little shimmy, "Heehee. Anyway, it's time for Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha versus the Demi-fiend!" It sways on it's feet before continuing, "Does that sound cool or what!?"

Following the Mokoi's gaze, Naoki glares down the stairs he had just ascended. There stand two beings, a human, presumably this 'Raidou Kuzunoha' the Mokoi mentioned, and a cat. What shouldn't, but still surprises Naoki, is the cat talking in place of the human.

"...And there we have our Demi-fiend." The cat starts, voice oddly echoey, "First order of business: let's see what he's really made of!"

Naoki changes his stance, knuckles white where they press against his chest to keep Pixie protected. 'Raidou' darts forward, racing up the stairs at a speed that makes him envious of his legs. Naoki bares his teeth as his opponent draws his sword and slashes at him.

He jumps back, releasing Pixie from his grasp and shouting, "Pixie, stay back!"

Pixie halts, eyes flickering from Naoki to 'Raidou' and back. She nods, flying back towards the doors to the Mantra HQ and hiding high up on a pillar.

Keeping his eyes trained on this 'Raidou' guy, Naoki charges. He crouches low, thrusting his arms forward in attempt to strike the Summoner's hip. 'Raidou' dodges, slashing vertically towards him, clipping his side. His Magatama markings flash orange, before returning to blue. Naoki swipes his clawed hands to his legs, managing to catch his ankle as he rolls away.

Having gained a bit of distance, he circles his opponent.

---

Raidou is pleasantly matched in combat. His footwork is nearly matched by the fiend's nearly animalistic fighting style. However, the Demi-fiend's instinctual attack patterns are no match for his training as a Summoner of the Kuzunoha clan.

"Go easy on the opening salvo, Raidou." Gouto chides, "Wouldn't want to bump him off on accident."

They circle, and Raidou draws his revolver. He shoots three quick-shots to the fiend's legs, one catching his thigh and the others skinning his shins. Holstering his gun and drawing his sword with practiced efficiency, the Summoner lunges forward, closing in on him with his blade thrusted out.

To his chagrin, the fiend dodges, swiping at his face. Raidou surges backward, landing in a low offensive position.

"Hey, Raidou. Maybe it's time you started using the sharp end of your sword," Gouto remarks, receiving a side glare from his student. "Seems like our Demi-fiend's no pushover."

Gritting his teeth, Raidou spins his blade from his right hand to his left, launching a combo of slashes on his opponent's torso. As the last hit makes contact, Raidou launches a tube at the ground beneath the fiend, summoning Yoshitsune to attack as well.

In return, the Demi-fiend lands a deep slash across his chest, sending him recoiling a couple steps. Raidou pulls his revolver. He aims at the fiend, then sweeps his arm up, shooting at the top of the pillar where he saw the Demi-fiend's Pixie hide. This action sends the fiend into a rage, lunging at Raidou and tackling him. The force behind his attack sends them tumbling down the steps, past Gouto.

Crashing to the ground, Raidou finds himself pinned under the fiend, his weapons clattered out of his reach. Raidou's lip curls in distaste, sending fists flying to hit him. The fiend catches his arms, pinning them beside his head.

His voice is low, dangerous, as he growls at the summoner pinned beneath him, "Don't you ever fucking touch her."

Raidou's eyes widen, the only sign of acknowledgement. Naoki tightens his grip on his arms, making him wince.

"Understand?" He enforces, leaning closer to his face.

Raidou turns his head to the side, rotating and bucking his hips and lifting his leg over the fiend's, flipping their positions. Raidou punches Naoki hard, right in the jaw, before twisting off of him and gathering his weapons. He keeps his blade pointed at him as he rises, gaze sharper than his blade. His brow is drawn tense, his stance rigid.

Naoki bares his fangs as he rises, keeping his stance low and animalistic. He dashes toward Raidou, swiping low and fast. The summoner dodges, dancing out of range before delivering a swift kick to the side of the Demi-fiend's head. The hit barely stalls him, Naoki being far too enraged to register pain. He dives at Raidou, clawed fingers aimed for the throat.

His attack is halted by Raidou's blade through his shoulder. From her perch, Pixie gasps. Disregarding her safety, she zooms across the hall, crashing into Raidou's hand with a high screech. Her velocity pushes his hand from the hilt of his katana, giving Naoki time to stagger backwards.

He falls to his knees, hands wrapped around the blade. With a pained roar, he drags the sword up out of his shoulder. The muscle and flesh tear horrifically, spraying blood. Dark red floods his shoulder, gushing down his side and staining his shorts. Splintered bone stands out among the burgundy gore of meat. His shoulder hangs, the blade having split far enough to sever the tendons holding it in place.

Pixie rushes towards him, her strongest healing spell tearing from her chest. She holds his face, keeping his attention on her.

"Naoki, come on. You're okay. I'm here. You're alright." She repeats, speaking it into truth. She looks over to his wound, gritting her teeth at the sight of it. "I need to push it back together so I can heal it, okay? Focus on my voice. You're not passing out on me."

Raidou stands, shocked at the Pixie's immediate reaction. His eyes flicker to Gouto, who looks just as shocked as he is. His mentor approaches, eyes glued to the sight before them.

Pixie keeps talking as she slowly pushes his shoulder back into his body. "C'mon Naoki, I've got you. It's almost there, I know it hurts but you'll be back in one piece in no time, I swear." She grunts as she finally presses his detached shoulder back to his chest. She repeatedly murmurs healing spells, until she hears his breathing calm and his muscles relax. Once the muscles reattach, she floats up to his face, rubbing the crease from his brow. "There we go, you're back in one piece," She leans to glance at his shoulder, grimacing at the gnarly scar. His Magatama markings had already adapted to the scar tissue, filling the dip with black, outlining it with blue.

Off to the side, Gouto glances up at his student, noting the intrigue in his eyes as he gathers his fallen katana. He turns to the pair, "Not bad, kid. You've gotta be one tough customer to get his seal of approval," he sweeps his gaze over the fiend and his Pixie, "A guy who's not human, yet not quite demon... Yeah, I'd say the Demi-fiend moniker fits. Anyway, the one you just sparred with is Raidou. And I'm Gouto. We're simply a pair of detectives."

Raidou looks up, meeting Naoki's gaze. Gouto continues, "Now, an elderly gentleman had asked us to keep an eye on you..." He looks over to his companion, "And Raidou, you were right on the money. I think it's high time we dug a little deeper... Find out what the old man's playing at." Gouto returns his gaze to the fiend, "Depending on how that goes, you two might get a rematch. Now wouldn't that be amusing? Until that happens, if it happens... Don't bite the big one."

With that, they turn and head off. Gouto addresses his pupil, "Okay, Raidou. It seems that the plot has thickened. Ready to crank this investigation up a few notches?" Raidou nods.

"Excuse me!?" Pixie screeches, "No apology!?"

She prepares to chase after them, but is stopped by Naoki's voice. "I won't lose next time!" He calls, rising to his feet. Turning, Pixie finds determination in her fiend's eyes.

"We'll see about that." Gouto returns from Raidou's shoulder.

Pixie sighs, dropping her face into her hands. She floats toward Naoki, pinching his nose. "Next time!? You almost lost your arm! If there ever is a next time, you'd better let me get some hits in, too! Nobody hurts my Demi-fiend and gets away alive!"

Her Demi-fiend chuckles, gently pulling her away from his now-red nose. "Yeah, yeah."

"I'm serious!"

"I know you are! That just means that you have to get stronger, too."

In the midst of their arguing, they miss the glance Raidou sends them from over his shoulder. Gouto taps his cheek with his paw, silently reprimanding him as they turn out of sight.

#raishura #demifiend #raidou #raidou kuzunoha #raidou kuzunoha xiv #shin megami tensei #smt #smt nocturne #raidou x demifiend #devil summoner #megaten #atlus #fanfic #cross posted on ao3

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