Shin Megami Tensei: Apocrypha (Saber Arturia and Rhia)

It had been twenty years since the end of the world, and yet it was still turning. Man survived at a cost - cities ruined, nations undone, the wilds populated by demons and monsters. Demons existed, and somehow the apocalypse allowed them to thrive in world of man. Angels too – speaking of divine salvation and trusting in the will of the lord, opposing the seemingly chaotic nature of demons. Man was caught in the middle of a divine war, and many decided to pick a side. From demons, to angels, to themselves, no matter the case life found a way to survive.

Tokyo. Once the largest city in japan, half of it was a wreck now, the other half populated by various groups and organizations. The cults of Gaea worshiped the primal ideal of earth, and sought to return to it alongside their demonic masters and brethren. Angels controlled parts, seeking to lead man in their fight and worship. But if you were unallied, you were likely under the protection of the Hunters organization. Partially manned by the remnants of the japanese military force, it was only natural for people to find a way to fight back. Guns, swords, and the app on their phones that allowed them to deal with demons, the hunters guild was a sprawling organization, and just getting as many people as they could to hear important announcements like this was no easy task.

Akane Enomoto was one of these hunters, a relatively skilled one. Easily noticeable between her motorcycle gear, and shockingly pink hair, she stood a head taller than most women, and even some men only matched her height. Though, besides the pink hair, curvy silhouette, and confidence, one could see immediately that there was a difference about her. Her ears were not shaped like others, they were rather tipped slightly, a noticeable change. Akane was a half demon, her mother violated by one of many demons, with her keeping her halfbreed daughter. Akane could have easily been a revered figure in the Gaean cults, but instead sought to climb the ranks of the hunters, making a name and a living for herself. Tapping her boot impatiently against the floor, the crowds around her intermingled and talked between teaming up for hunts, getting the various supernaturals to fight for them, or even simpler matters, the makeshift conference hall was an eclectic group of all walks of life.

But as one figure began to approach, the chatter suddenly dimmed. Tapping against the microphone was an elder and distinguished man in military gear, this was commander Hidemi, one of the main people behind the effort of the hunters group in the city.

“Good morning, it’s good to see so many of you, though I am afraid I do not have good news. We have... A guest who has told us of something direly important.”

Hidemi stepped down from the makeshift podium set up behind the bar, and a tall blonde woman stepped forward from the sidelines to replace him, her tall, heeled boots clacking against the ground. A few scant murmurs were raised in the crowd--some recognized her, a hotshot upstart hunter operating out of Shinjuku named Rieko. Surname unknown. She stood there, still, for a dramatic moment, and even those hunters who'd paid precious little attention to their own leader turned their eyes to her--more than a few just to undress her in their minds. Not that it was particularly a stretch to imagine--the biggest article of clothing on her was a pair of fishnet stockings that stretched over her long legs and disappeared beneath a tiny black miniskirt that clung to every delicious curve of her hips, even threatening to wedge itself in the crack of her rear.

Some looked her in her heavily-shadowed eyes, but more fixated on the black tubetop that stretched over the sumptuously ample curves of her breasts, a size too small, laced up at her sides, the strings seemingly threatening to burst at any moment. More than a few hoped they would. She cleared her throat and dramatically tossed the tiny leather waist-jacket hanging over her shoulder to the side. "Most of you," she began, no time wasted with greetings and platitudes, "have heard of me, in one form or another. You know me as Rieko of Shinjuku, a prolific tamer and hunter. But that identity is a fiction. Before I warn you of the coming danger, I must dispel with it."

Unease filled the expressions of the crowd. The woman lifted her arms and held them aloft at her sides, and a bright yellow light immediately drowned the room. A great many hunters scrambled to cover their eyes; those that squinted through were treated to a brief glimpse of Rieko's naked form, glowing brightly as her clothing burst off before an equally skimpy white outfit took its place, only describable as lingerie--leaving the majority of her best assets on display and clinging to her form elsewhere. White feathered wings unfurled from her back, stretching halfway across the room.

"My true name," the guest intoned, almost melodically, left bathing in her own subtle yellowish light, "is Rhaela. Originally, I was sent by the armies of Heaven to keep tabs on the Hunters' Association... A task I have long since abandoned, despite keeping up appearances with them, upon learning the motives of the Archangels." She paused and took stock of the crowd, many outright glaring at her or regarding her with clear suspicion. "In my last missive from them, they requested I leak the news of their upcoming invasion of Shibuya."

Eyes widened throughout the crowd. Some gasped. Others murmured amongst themselves. Rhaela only gave them a couple of seconds before she continued.

"The invasion of Shibuya is but a distraction. They intend to bog us down with a battle there in order to send an elite strike force to Ikebukuro, in the hopes of carving out more territory for themselves in the Northern dome. Their gambit relies on Ikebukuro being understaffed, and once they have claimed it as a foothold it will become their forward base for a full-scale assault on the Hunters in the East, who are already busy, as you know, with the demonic enclaves to the South and their allies in Ginza. In short, the Hunters are now considered a bigger threat to the angels' superiority than the demonic forces themselves. The only option..." As soon as she paused to draw breath, the crowd started up again in various states of disbelief. Rhaela snapped her fingers with all the sonic force of a thunderclap and continued after the startled crowds settled down once more. "A strike team must be sent to Ikebukuro to mount a covert defense. With their strike force defeated, they ought think twice before mounting further assaults."

Rhaela clasped her hand shut, and in an instant--with another brief flash of light and wonderful nudity--Rieko stood once again before the microphone, for only a moment before stepping down.

The guest speaker certainly drew a wide amount of attention, from looks alone to the portent of her potential message. Even Akane found herself looking to the woman, her green eyes a little soft at first, chest rising and falling a little more slowly as she took stock of the woman. Akane was no slouch herself in physical looks, she enjoyed wearing the almost skintight material of her motorcycle outfit and while she was mostly ‘clothed’, the way her hips visibly flared, the fact that her stomach appeared toned, smooth, and again hugged by the material, and even her full and ample breasts showed the most skin, the zipper usually partially undone unless she was actually on her bike. She kept up appearances, the bright and vibrant colors of her suit a stark contrast to dingy and battered armor, or repurposed and worn out military uniforms. For her, it was many things. A way to be proud of her body, and a good way to show that she wasn’t the usual.

And well – the way Rieko suddenly changed elicited a small gasp from even Akane as her eyes quickly shut, the radiance blinding for a few seconds. When she opened her eyes, infront of her was something Akane generally loathed. An Angel. Divine Emissaries of an unseen lord, yet normally slavishly devoted to him. Yet this one says she shucked off her chains, and sought to help humans. This could be a trap and something seemed off to her about the angel, yet she merely tightened her jaws and slowly felt her fingers tightening into a fist, her leather gloves crinkling from the strain.

Ikebukuro was their target, then? It was generally seen as safe, and a good target if she was being truthful. Such an assault would hit one of their largest population centers, and she was certain that Angels wouldn’t be kind, or seek to be merciful in avoiding collateral damage. Just the mere thought of it angered her. But... For now, she was a hunter – and was expected to obey orders.

With Rhaela’s message ended, and the podium open again, Hidemi stepped forward, clearing his throat. “We have sufficient reason to believe that she is correct. The Angels have been quiet, and such could easily mislead us into their trap if we’re not prepared. By day’s end, I’ll be contacting some of our best hunters about personally defending Ikebukuro, and the rest of you should continue your duties. Roppongi is still quite infested from demons after their last incursion, I’ll be sending out Bounties to the usual places for some of you to keep your skills sharp, and of course you will be rewarded upon proving the bounty is complete. For now, the conference is over. Take care, hunters.” Offering a salute, Hidemi moved to leave, and immediately the hunters were abuzz with discussion.

“Holy shit, an angel on our side? Why?”

“Did you see her body? Maybe angel’s aren’t so bad afterall...”

“I got a son in Ikebukuro, if these angels attack i’ll give ‘em hell.”

Akane meandered through the crowd, silent. Despite her skills, despite proving herself many times over... For the most part, she worked solo. And not always by choice. Still, she returned to her residence in the area, looking over her gear.

First, a machete – while demons were stronger than humans in general, that didn’t stop skill and weaponry to help even the odds somewhat. A revolver, special rounds meant to burn and blister the target. Again, tech was certainly an advantage for humans, and with demons and angels came the reason to look into alternative ammunition.

And then her cellphone which was... buzzing? Picking it up, the alert was certainly one she didn’t expect. A missive to go to the higher floors, where the leaders of the association worked and kept watch on things.

Hopefully this was a good sign. Grabbing her saddlebag, and her other gear – she was soon off to the designated room.

Rhaela--back in her disguise as Rieko--was immediately escorted out of the Hunters' pub, under strict surveillance. Two guards flanked her from the front, and another pair from the rear. She rolled her eyes; humans were always so unnecessarily distrustful. Or maybe living with demons threatening to crawl up the ass of every settlement they put together had changed them? She didn't particularly care either way, as long as they believed her about the attack, which they certainly seemed to, at least for now.

The guards escorted her to a waiting room, where she sat silently, legs crossed, until Hidemi entered and motioned for the guards to follow. One of them jabbed Rieko in the side with his elbow as she moved to stand up; she just frowned and muttered something under her breath, but followed along regardless.

She got a few glances from passing Hunters on the way to the elevator--a few suspicious, but far more lingering, dragging up and down her body, likely recreating in their minds the brief glimpse they got of her nude form during her announcement. If she cared about that sort of thing, though, she wouldn't show off her body like she did. She even winked at one Hunter she noticed staring--causing the woman next to him to jab him with her arm. Rieko chuckled, and even one of the guards surrounding her cracked a smirk.

The elevator took her along with Hidemi to the upper floors of the Hunters' association, where few Hunters had ever even set foot. She didn't really have time to take in the sights--not that they were much, just a half-ruined office building--before she was escorted off to a small conference room to the left.

"Wait here," Hidemi instructed, "I'll be back with information on your upcoming mission as soon as your partner arrives."

Akane was fully geared, and as began to head into the waiting room, a hand briefly ran across the grooved handle of her blade as if it were a familiar friend – something comforting whenever she felt a little nervous. Angels becoming more active – even duplicitous in the war? What happened to Angels being logical, cold, predictable? Maybe they were more like demons than Akane wanted to admit, but for now that was a moot point as the door slid open, and a familiar face was sitting in the conference room she was guided to.

The angel from before, the speaker. Was she going to be partnered with her? The half demon lingered in the hall for a few long moments, her hand almost wanting to reach for her machete once more, but she consciously stopped herself as she instead kept her head held high and soon strode into the room. “Good afternoon.” She spoke, closing the door behind her while using a more formal, direct tone to talk. “I assume since you’re here, we’re going to be working together?” Of course – partner the freak with the angel. That made sense, get the two unwanted to work together and hope they may both die or at least be out of anyone elses hands. “If so, I am looking forward to it and hoping that whatever happens, we can get through it and work alongside one another to our best abiliites. If I may ask though, why did you decide to tell us about this attack? It is a little surprising – most angels well... I’m sure you know how most angels see humanity.” Not that she’d directly state it, but most angels were honestly cunts, in her point of view. So seeing one that more or less backed humanity? A little curious, a little hopeful even... But still, something out of the norm and she was still not entirely certain as to the truths of the angels words, or if this was all part of an elaborate feint, a scheme meant to weaken the hunter forces before moving in to fully wipe humanity out or into subservience.

She hoped she was wrong on that, and for now a witch hunt or acting without thinking did no one favors.