Non Serviam: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Pawn Takes Knight

I’d never been rich before.

“That’s it for class choices.” My advisor stood, pocketing her PA. “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

“That’s all, thank you.”

“Sure thing! I look forward to seeing you on campus next week!” She smiled. “Oh, and admissions sent your student starter packet with me, so I’ll just leave it here. Feel free, ah, I mean the office is ready to conduct your personal tour whenever you’re ready.”

I nodded. “Probably soon.”

I’d had fuck you money before, but it was in the bombed out hellscape of Brockton Bay. What did it matter that I had access to Coil’s millions? With all that and a Thinker 7, I could barely keep my people fed.

After one day throwing around Rias’s ‘big doner’ money, the college sent my advisor to my condo to fast track my class selection, waved first year mandatory dorm attendance, and set up my private tour of Kuoh University’s new facilities.

Oh, and Rias also bought a two-bedroom condo close to campus. I wouldn’t even be living in it; she’d just picked up a starter home because it made the paperwork easier. She’d also said that if I ‘behaved myself’ for a whole semester, then I could stay condo as much as I wanted. So, I guess it served double duty as a bribe, you know, if I wanted to get out of the Gremory manor, where the maids pressed my clothes and turned down my sheets.

The wealth was galling.

“Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss Hebert?” The advisor asked.

“No, thank you for the help.” I made to stand, but before I could, my minder for the day stepped forward.

“May I walk you to the door?” His smile nearly blinded me from across the room.

The advisor almost slipped from her chair. “Ah, uh, yes that would be lovely.” She gathered up her papers. “What a polite young man! How do you know Mrs. Hebert here…?”

Kiba laughed lightly at her confusion. “I’m her cousin, ma’am. I attend Kuoh Academy, so when Taylor decided to come live in Japan, it made perfect sense for her to apply to the new university.”

“Ah, getting called Ma’am by high schoolers…” She placed a melancholic hand on her face, before blushing. “Th-that is to say, it’s nice that you’re getting to spend time with your family.” She let Kiba lead her to the door, asking something about where the two of us were from.

California. I huffed out a laugh, imagine that.

After exchanging the proper pleasantries and getting his hair ruffled, Kiba walked back into the living room, expression noticeably cooler that before. It didn’t make him look any less angelic. If not for Gaspar, Kiba would have the title for most beautiful boy I’d ever seen.

Every devil I’d met so far, including Rias’ maids, had been utterly gorgeous. For my part, I’d outgrown two sets of jeans in as many weeks. Apparently, my magic had decided that I was tall.

Self-image my ass.

“Are you planning on heading out?” Kiba asked me.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat until the leather creaked. “I’ve never owned a chair this nice.”

He raised a blonde eyebrow.

“Does it bother you?” I waved towards the coffee table with the rest of the paperwork for my class selection. Mahagony, unless I missed my guess. “I’ve never seen a pure mahogany table before.”

“Is this a roundabout way of saying your surroundings make you uncomfortable?” He asked.

“Believe me, I’m very comfortable.” I patted the chair. “I’m just struggling to parse this. Rias has so much money, and as far as I can tell, she’s just using it to build me a fancy doll house so I have a nice place to keep my clothes.”

“That does sound like Rias.” Kiba chuckled. “It took me a while to get used to the excess as well, but in this respect, devils live up to their reputation.”

“I guess they do.” I ran a hand down my face. “It’s not about the price tag, it’s about the…contents? I’ve ordered fancy terrariums at considerable cost, but that was for something; this isn’t for anything.”

“Unless this is the terrarium.”

I clicked my tongue.

“Sorry.” Kiba smiled, tilting his head just so. “That was rude of me. I didn’t know you had an interest in insects.”

“Spiders mostly.” I turned my gaze to Kiba. He continued smiling, looking every bit the angel.

Like Akeno, he didn’t like me very much. Unlike Akeno, he seemed perfectly willing to be polite if I was. I wondered if Akeno had told him about me, or if he just didn’t like being away from Rias. He was her knight, after all. Rias seemed to draw in people’s loyalty like others drew breath.

Still, if Rias’ peerage was full of timid shut-ins and ardent zealots, I knew the camp to which I belonged.

“Sorry, am I boring you?” I pushed myself to my feet. “I can’t imagine watching someone you don’t even know sign up for classes is a good time.”

Kiba chuckled. “It was not my first choice.” That was the closest I’d get to an agreement. “But my task for the day is to accompany you, so accompany you I shall.”

“Babysit me, you mean.” I didn’t try to convince him to leave. “Is there anything you want to do around Kuoh? I barely know the place.”

His smile remained unchanged. “We could go sightseeing. There are several shrines, a dilapidated church as well. It would even fit in with your cover story.”

“A ringing endorsement,” I said.

Kiba laughed this time, a real one. “Then, no.” He shrugged. “I don’t have any business I want to take care of in the human world right now.”

I nodded, looking around the condo. The upholstery looked like it’d been plucked right from some posh magazine, so new it’d yet to acquire even a hint of dust. Despite what I’d told Kiba earlier, I didn’t like the decor one bit.

“Let’s go back to the manor.”

“Oh?” Kiba asked.

“You’re Rias’ knight, aren’t you? I’ve been dying for a real spar; the maids all handle me with kid gloves.”

Kiba nodded, more genuine now. “They are a bit beyond us. Even with my sacred gear, I’ve yet to make Miss Ardesa break a sweat.” At that he paused, looking at me directly for the first time. “I would not peg her as the type to treat anyone with ‘kid gloves’.”

“I don’t need someone to force me to exercise.” I rolled my eyes. The last two years of my human life had been nothing but training, broken up by patrols and Cuff’s weekly game nights. “I want a real spar, and Rias still won’t let Akeno and me go anywhere unsupervised.”

He paused at that. “…I think she’s trying to stop you from two killing each other.”

I shrugged. “What’s a few broken limbs between friends.”

“Perhaps if you were friends, that would hold more weight.”

“Do you want to spar or not?” I huffed. “Because otherwise I’m just going to lie on that couch for the rest of the day practicing magic.”

“Magic? You shouldn’t…” He raised an eyebrow. “Well, I suppose a spar is better than sitting here all day. You are aware that Knight is more than just my title, though?”

I nodded. “You’re a speedster, because of how Rias reincarnated you.”

“Each Evil Piece gives certain qualities: speed for knights, strength for rooks, magic for bishops, and a bit of everything for Queens,” Kiba said.

“Leaving nothing for pawns like me.”

“Pawns gain the promote ability, making them the most versatile piece.” Kiba shrugged. “But that won’t help you much against my speed.”

“I’m used to it.” When was the last time I had a one-on-one fight against someone who didn’t have some kind of brute or mover rating? I thought about it.

Was it really that guy with the katana, all the way back during my first real gang war? Surely not.

“I’ll call for a pickup then.” Kiba pulled a smartphone out of his pocket. Naturally, Rias offered to buy one for me, but I still had trouble parsing the rectangular screens. An entire lifetime of using DragOS, and all I had to show for it was a now useless proficiency with circular menus.

A quick phone conversation later and one of the Gremory maids teleported directly into my living room. Her heels clicked as she landed on the ground and dropped into a flawless curtsey. “Are sir and miss ready to return to the estate?” she asked.

“We are.” I paused, brow furrowing. “It’s Letycia, right?”

“It is, miss.”

“Thank you, Letycia.”

She curtsied once more. “It is my pleasure, miss.”

With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a larger magic circle. The red lines bathed the entire room for a moment, before depositing us back on the summoning pad in the Gremory manor. Letycia held open the door for the two of us, before vanishing after ensuring that neither Kiba and I wanted refreshments or any other type of service.

I shook my head when she vanished into an empty hallway the moment I glanced away. A few strangers I’d known would have struggled to replicate that feat.

“Trying to get on the good side of the maids?” Kiba asked. “Earn their loyalty by respecting them?”

“As if I could ever steal them from Rias,” I replied. “I just don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t know their names. If Lord and Lady Gremory are anything like their daughter…”

Kiba laughed as he started walking. “It’s a rare fool, who thinks he can part a scion of Gremory from their retainers.”

“Undying loyalty and devotion?”

“I won’t speak for anyone else,” Kiba replied. “But I would gladly lay down my life for Rias.”

“I appreciate the candor.” And the warning.

He smiled his angelic smile.

The training room that Rias had shown me was in fact even more impressive than I’d first thought. On top of weapon racks and spell books in shielded shelves, the sparring ring in the center of the chamber had enchantments built into it to protect from injury. The white and black tiles felt almost springy beneath my feet, and I knew from experience that hitting the chess-themed floor hurt far less than it should.

Likewise, my favorite sparring dagger wouldn’t leave a lasting wound, but it still had a wicked sting.

“I’ve heard that you’ve set about learning all manner of spells, and even made some of your own.” Kiba took up a position at the far side of the sparing ring. He’d taken a blunt sword off the walls, rather than one created by his own power, or Sacred Gear, rather.

“It’s what made the most sense to me.” I shook out my arms. “Want to see a new one?” I raised my hand and planted my feet.

My circles came with a deeper red, tightly compacted things as I tried to pare away ever extraneous element. With a flash of light, tight exercise clothes replaced my casual wear.

“Transformation sequence,” I told Kiba the name of the spell. “Designed for any aspiring magical girl.”

He blinked. “Is it really?”

I nodded. “The spell forms and step by step tutorial is available on devil net, and it’s the most efficient spell I’ve ever seen one of you make. Barely takes a spark of magic.” I was less sure about the whole ‘chant’ that was supposed to go with it, but devil magic didn’t even have verbal components, so that was just for the role players.

Kiba’s expression went flat after my explanation. “I’m sure…that the spell’s creator will be happy you found a use for it.”

I raised any eyebrow at him. “Why?”

“Oh, no reason.” He shook his head. “Shall we begin? I’ll limit myself to your speed to start with, and slowly increase the difficulty.”

I sighed. “Kiba, I know Rias probably told you to be gently with her new toy, but I want to cut loose.”

He coughed. “Rias would never refer to you as a ‘toy’.”

“The affectation is my own. It doesn’t change the sentiment.” I spun the dagger in my hand. “I…”

Kiba tilted his head, waiting for me to continue.

“Forget about it. Just really come at me.” I needed an enemy to fight, and all I had was allies.

Maybe that was the reason I had so much trouble handling Rias.

He nodded, folding his offhand behind his back. “I’ll begin at twice your speed then.” Implying he could go faster.

I’d just have to make him use it.

“Fine.”

He raised his sword once in a half salute. “First strike to the challenger.”

If that was how he wanted to play.

I threw myself across the room.

Brute powers always came easiest.

My knife hissed through the space where Kiba’s eye had just been. He lived up to his speed. I chased for three steps before he outpaced me.

I stomped on the ground so hard the mats creaked. Blocking his counterstrike left my hand stinging and arm numb.

“Ha-!”

The second blow lifted me off my feet and sent me tumbling.

I jackknifed back up, breathing heavy. Using magic to mimic a brute rating was easy as an exercise, but moving that fast and hitting that hard made my muscles scream.

“Not bad.” Kiba shifted his stance. Light glinted off the blade as he leveled it at me. “You attack well, for such a new devil, now let’s see how well you dodge.”

I grinned. “Let’s.”

Kiba was faster than me.

But I wasn’t limited to just physical abilities.

I dug deep into the well of power I’d discovered since becoming a demon. The space between us shifted: a weak, bastardized version of Vista’s power. Just enough to make Kiba miss six inches to the right.

I clotheslined him so hard I dislocated my shoulder. The scream slipped out before I could stop it.

Kiba’s flipped wildly through the air. A blind sword stroke caught the back of my knee. All I could do was fall on top of him.

We hit the ground, jarring pain rushing up my arm. Somehow, Kiba caught my wrist right below the dagger.

I got a knee on his sword arm, bearing down as I burned mana into strength. His fist hit my side. Then again.

I grunted. Slowly the knife inched closer to his too pretty face, but I was running out of energy quickly. If he bucked me off—

“What are you two doing?!”

Kiba and I froze.

Rias stormed across the room, Akeno at her side. For her part, the dark-haired girl looked positively happy to see me, lightning sparking between her fingertips.

“I heard a scream.” Rias planted her hands on her hips. “Taylor—”

“We were sparring,” I bit out. Now that the fight had stopped, the pain in my shoulder washed over me in constant waves.  “I hit him too hard, screamed.”

Rias turned her gaze to her knight. “Kiba?”

He cleared his throat, releasing my hand. I set the dagger to side as gingerly as I could.

“We might have gotten a bit carried away?” He managed.

Rias frowned. “What happened to your voice?”

“Indeed.” Akeno leaned forward. “It sounds like your throat has taken quite the pounding.”

Kiba let out a raspy cough, cheeks reddening.

I shifted, biting back a groan as I lowered myself to the ground on my one good arm. My heart still pounded rapidly in my chest, but all the pent-up energy and aggression had nowhere to go. I took deep breaths as Kiba reluctantly explained how I’d taken him to the mat.

“Still, you should know better than to do something like this.” Rias shook her head. “Especially without supervision! I’ve half a mind to let you heal on your own.”

Kiba pushed himself up into a sitting position, rubbing his collar bone where a livid bruise had started to form. “It would be no less than what I deserve, for letting a fresh pawn get the jump on me like that.” He flicked a glance towards me. “That was quite a trick you pulled.”

I gave a pained nod. “Thanks.”

Rias gave me a look I didn’t care to parse, before her eyes snapped wide open. “Taylor, your shoulder!”

I grunted. “Kiba ran into me pretty fast.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t do things like that!” She sank to her knees next to me, hands fretting. “You’re more durable than a normal human but your body still has limits, you know. Oh, I—normal healing won’t be good for something like this. Uh, uh Akeno, can you fetch Letty? I’ve never—I don’t know how to set a dislocated shoulder.”

I huffed. “It’s not hard, Rias. Just—”

Akeno took hold of my arm in two places, and with a twist and a shove, popped my joint back into place.

I bit back a grunt of pain.

“It is no great, difficulty, Prez. Why, I would volunteer to handle all of Taylor’s ills, if you so desire.”

“For little old me?” I caught her wrist as she straightened. “Would you like to be my sparring partner as well?”

Rias sighed. “Enough you too. It’d bad enough that Kiba and Taylor both got hurt.” She placed her hands on my shoulders. “I told you that you could train, not that you could tear yourself to shreds.”

I examined her for a few seconds, but found only naked concern in her eyes.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I flexed my shoulder. “Not that I did to poorly, did I Kiba?”

He gave a raspy chuckle. “You truly took me off guard with that dodge. You’ll have to teach me the trick to it.”

“Maybe if our ‘king’ ever lets us spar again,” I replied.