Magical Trickster DxD (HS DxD Magician!OC-I with some X-overing)

[Akuma-Heika]

Personally though, I always figured the discrepancies of the dictionary are a result of the various monsters not wanting to share their specific traits for fear of exposing a weakness, leaving the dictionary reliant on general observation and rather vague on solid content.

Click to shrink...

Considering how close (read identical) most of them are to RL descriptions, I didn't believe there was any meta reasons, and that it was just the author forgetting to transition the myths themselves when writing the blurbs

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 30: Preparations and Her Bet

After spending a full day at the headquarters to recover from the little trip for the Yokai Gakuen, I decided to spend some time to do some proper training.

Huffing with a calm breathing, I pushed away Kunou's leg as she failed to land a kick through the openings on my guard, forcing her to take some steps back to avoid further retaliation. The blonde had a serious look of focus on her face, her tails and fox ears hidden as to not hinder her movements while moving swiftly to try and finally get through my basic defense.

Just as I had thought on an early analysis, her fighting style was terribly bland, the biggest issue lying over the fact Kitsune Yokais focused mostly on Youjutsu and Magical Arts rather than close-quarter fighting, so her capacity to deal with close encounters was quite non-existing as we started to spar.

The training room that was set a floor above the dorms was ample and offered quite the opportunities to go for numerous spars at the same time. And that was the current as we were all training in that exact circumstance.

While I focused on Kunou's development in physical strength, endurance and speed, Kuroka had decided to use the opportunity to 'bond' a little more with her sister.

A peculiar kind of reason to spend the day that left the usually-calm girl rather annoyed as Koneko would have preferred to spend the least time possible with the young woman and her infuriating tricks, but I ended up pointing out to the girl that her sister did genuinely want to train her without playing any kind of unpleasantness to her.

She was still skeptical for a while about my reasoning, whining in her own collected but decisive mannerism, but she ended up accepting the offer after Kunou promised to train with her after that, leaving me to focus solely on the kitsune.

As much as I would have wanted to have Koneko to give the 'basics' to the little blonde right now, I knew how the silver-haired girl needed to be trained too by someone that could really help her, especially with her Senjutsu form still raw and difficult to control on a normal occasion.

Akua refused to have Kahlua train with the others, since her sister had already enough problems in reining in her own emotions and could easily go for one of her usual frenzies.

Something that many forgets of the 'carefree' vampire was that she was quite the bipolar fighter and when her 'switch' was turned on, things would become blurry. Allies, enemies, none would matter to her 'childish murdery' phase.

The tanned girl was strong enough and didn't need to improve that, the oldest Shuzen had also motivated, it wasn't worth to have the emotionally-unstable vampire confuse her sparring partner for an enemy that needed to be killed quickly and brutally for no apparent reasons.

Good points that still needed to be considered properly as we all needed to train before Kokabiel was defeated by those in Kuoh Town.

Kahlua was strong, yes, but she was also naive and unfocused during fights just as Akua had mentioned.

Having someone that could easily go berserk during an important fight and attack her own comrades wasn't someone I wished to have around and thus further research on the matter was written down on my mental 'to-do' list.

Speaking about my 'to-do' list, I found myself mostly interested in the results my research yielded: While Japan was still filled with surprises, finding familiar names like Ranma Saotome, Kenichi Shirahama and… Harry Potter.

The supernatural side of the Internet had extra info about the 'Boy-Who-Lived', confirming that he was already married and with kids. It was interesting to know that here the ICW worked more as the European counterpart to the Mage Council rather than a completely independent organization.

Some rules were the same, but there were also some bits that differed from both groups. The pages I found hardly confirmed the major difference between European and Asian magicks, but I guess the need of making use of Wands to practice magic were one of the different topics between the two differently-based councils.

I blinked as I heard the girl yell her next attack and I dodged another quick punch. She had yet to put up enough strength to truly making me give my full attention to her attempt to hit me, something that was little by little making Kunou even more annoyed at me.

The blonde was hiding it well, but after living with her for some time now, I could recognize the little signs that hinted at a possible near outburst. Calm and cheerful she might be, the Kitsune was still young and very prone to get angry at being mocked this much.

"Stay still?" She asked/whined, her tone similar to the one a child would have while asking their parent to let them win a game against them.

And me, being the 'parent', giving her a happy smile and-

"Sorry, Ku-chan." I replied quietly, my smile matching up to her growing little pout. "But we both know that you wouldn't get stronger if I let you win without some hard-working." I added with a little teasing tone.

The girl huffed at my words and went to launch a flurry of kicks without any precise aim, all of these were deflected before I decided to take hold over her leg and pushed her away from close distance. A little 'eep' left her lips at the sudden action, but then kitsune landed moments later and she barred her teeth in challenge as she charged back at me once again, this time her bubbling anger adding further power behind her attacks.

My smile widened as her speed picked up too and soon I found myself forced to push my thoughts away to give more attention over the blonde. She was finally bringing out some of her hidden potential, I could see her testing it unconsciously as her attacks grew more complex but also more… imprecise.

The girl scowled with minor fury as one of her kicks slammed on my guard, her face contorted in a mix of silent fury and… pain?

Kunou backed away and I noticed that she was putting more weight on one of her legs rather than evenly-splitting the burden. My frown deepened as I finally noticed the issue.

I blinked calmly as I saw her legs looking redder than a few moments ago, a little swelling developing too, and I quickly dropped my stance the moment I saw her wobble a little while trying to find some balance.

She looked confused at my sudden approach, eyes going wide in surprise at being scooped up in my arms. "W-Wha-" The girl tried to ask, her mind still recovering from the intensive training session, failing spectacularly.

"You are barely standing." I interrupted with a worried tone, adjusting her a little more in my arms and proceeding to take her right in the small spot outside the area where we had left a medium-sized box containing numerous vials of Phoenix's Tears.

Right as I softly placed her on the floor to take one of the tiny bottles, I saw her staring down at her bruised legs with a dejected and disappointed look.

I didn't reply at first, my attention devolved to get the medical liquid prepared for the girl. Crouching down to offer her the bottle, she sighed and shook her head.

"I'm weak." She commented quietly much to my confusion and surprised

I blinked again. "What?" I found myself asking loudly enough to have her ears flinch at the pitch.

"I couldn't even come close to make some damage a-and you were also distracted." Kunou muttered with a sigh. "I- It felt like I was hardly making something with my efforts." She explained, her arms crossing as I sighed and took a seat near her.

"I think you did quite well for your first day of training-" I tried to remark but she let out a frustrated huff.

"But this wasn't the first day I trained in physical fighting." The girl retorted. "This isn't even the first time I noticed h-how weak I'm with close-quarters."

I tilted my head on the side, confusion plastered on my face. "You aren't that weak-" I tried to say but she interrupted me once more.

"But I can hardly put my strength on my hits." The kitsune pointed out with some annoyance. "I literally had to hurt my own legs to actually get your attention and-"

"Then you should try something different, Kunou-san." A new voice pointed out, causing our heads to turn and see… Baki entering the training room with a gym bag. He was now wearing some gym clothes as he approached us.

"Oh, Baki-san, good morning." He nodded grateful at my greeting but his attention was still turned on Kunou.

"Your fighting form is too stiff, too 'proper' and that renders you unable to use your full weight and strength to the maximum." The young Hanma continued to explain, dropping the bag and stopping right to take a seat in front of us. "You should work to find a comfortable stance before wrongfully call yourself truly weak." He pressed on the confused-looking girl.

"What kind of difference will another stance do?" She asked skeptically. "It will not change anything about my strength and-"

The young man sighed, causing the blonde to stop for a moment in confusion.

"Hoitsu-san, I suppose you know a little more about my 'particular' fighting style, correct?" The Hanma questioned and I nodded at his query.

"You are known to use stances that generally benefits a large difference of strength and weight between you and your opponent, Baki-san." I replied quickly enough, making him smile a little.

"Precisely, I make sure my opponent sees me as fairly-cocky and then capitalize on his relaxed form." He lifted a finger to gesture at me. "Hoitsu-san was distracted and you could have tried to gauge where he was going to be unable to defend himself in that situation." He hummed quietly and stared at the ceiling. "While it might seem like he had everything under control, he had some openings that he couldn't really defend if you had noticed them."

She frowned. "So… I should try and find them? But how?"

"Why, by probing his stance with some normal hits and carefully avoiding to waste your energy so quickly." He glanced my way with an interested glint in his eyes. "Hoitsu-san wasn't responding to your hits, so you can easily test out his defense while he is either distracted or giving you little attention."

Kunou nodded at the advice and stood up slowly, drinking the Phoenix's Tears and preparing and giving me another serious look. "Round two?" She asked with renewed giddiness.

I merely smiled and followed her right back to the spot we had previously used and the fight resumed with renewed energy, this time the girl hitting way harder than before and… I admit some of her punches started to sting on my arms.

All in all, a good sparring session for that morning.

One that would give Kunou some ideas about developing her style after the very individual that looked the strongest and bravest.

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This… this is annoying.

Could be getting worse. At least we know who are we dealing with.

But still-

"Aogiri Tree is allying with Kokabiel?" I asked back, phone pressed on my ear as Azazel sighed on the other side.

The call began just after we finished lunch, my attention swiftly caught by the facts it was the Governor-General himself and the tone he was even now having while dropping those news.

"Some of my contacts in Tokyo have taken notice of a sudden spike of Aogiri's presence in the Wards they live in and most of them have already evacuated before anything bad could happen to them." There was another loud sigh, bringing some pauses along the explanation. "This all started just four days ago when one of them spotted Valper Galilei being escorted by some grunts of Aogiri Tree towards an abandoned warehouse by the Edogawa Ward."

"That area is considered by many Ghouls as hell on Earth, why would they escort him there?"

The Ward was the home of the infamous Ghoul detention center, Cochlea. The place where monsters like Jason were born and harbored in atrocious conditions. There were tortures happening inside the structure, but nobody cared about the instability of some of the wardens capable of those horrible crimes to a living being.

Ghouls might still be considered some 'non-human' race, but they were still close enough that one should be worried about those jailers and the insanity they displayed in their work.

"And that is the main issue of this discovery." Azazel admitted with an annoyed tone. "With his indirect involvement in trying to capture the Shinso Vampires and his presence in Tokyo, I think he is trying to accomplish something… with what was left of the monster attacking the city a week ago."

He paused a little more, I could hear someone talking to the Governor-General on the other side of the call. I used this time to think properly about this and… I was incredibly confused by what was going on.

Alucard? This makes zero sense! I can understand trying to kidnap alive Shinso Vampires, but trying to get the remaining pieces of-

'Maybe the reason is different, Hoitsu. Maybe you are forgetting that this Valper is also allied to Kokabiel and… I think bringing back this abomination would give a serious edge to what the threat to this peace could cause.'

Resurrecting Alucard? That wouldn't be doable. His soul should have already passed through-

To a place where it could be quietly taken out and returned back.

W-What?

Think about it. While Alucard might have been dangerous to the world, he would hardly receive extra guarding from Hell and… we both know that there are disgruntled elements in the Underworld that are already cheering for some 'Khaos'.

This- No, Fuck!

"They are planning to resurrect Alucard, sir." I blurted quickly to Azazel as I heard him shifting his attention back to the call. "That would explain why the need of capturing more than a Shinso Vampire." I concluded with a frown, waiting for the man to reply with his own thoughts.

"A strong possibility that sadly fails before a single but important element." I deflated a little to these words. "Alucard couldn't be controlled-" There was some silence for a while then he continued. "Unless… Kokabiel wants to turn Alucard in his own Familiar. There is an old Blood Ritual but- That could actually happen and- This could be the reason-"

"Sir?" I tried to bring back the discussion but the man merely sighed.

"Until I'm sure that Alucard's soul is guarded by men trustworthy to the Satans, your current task is to train and be ready for any strange activity, you are to not take any initiatives before I give you the green-light." The Fallen Angel ordered with a stern tone, much to my surprise.

"S-Sir, maybe if we could intercept Valper-" I tried to propose but I was stopped by the man himself with a mere sigh.

"It would get Kokabiel suspicious if you actively hunted down that man and you were discovered as a new group working for me." The Governor-General pointed out with a slightly more serious voice. "For now, the best thing to do is quietly render any attempts of resurrecting that monster impossible and- seriously brat, you will not hunt down Valper. He is not part of the Khaos Brigade and it will be regular Grigori's matter." I blinked and then, he concluded with a heavy sigh. "It's an order, brat."

I sighed and nodded. "Fine- but I hope you will pass any news on the matter. If we can move-"

"I will call you if the opportunity is there, but for now just get stronger… things are getting quite weird and everyone needs to be prepared for whatever storm is approaching."

The call ended and I placed the phone on the table, staring at the tall roof and blinking.

'You are not planning to disobey his orders, are you?'

Actually not. I'm just-

Going around it and pursuit 'indirectly' the man with someone else's help.

I nodded to myself, standing up from the table and making my way back to my room to get some fresh clothes and my wallet for my little plan.

'Oh? And you know someone who isn't affiliated to Grigori but could still help?'

'Know' is a strong word. I would say that… I've 'heard' of him in the 'past' and… I don't even know if he will help us with what I need him to do. He is rather the pacifist, but maybe with the right words-

Hopefully we will not be attacked in approaching his group.

I sighed while opening the door to my room and… I paused at the sight I was bestowed with.

A certain dark-haired Nekoshou twitched and froze right when the door creaked, the noise telling her that someone was looking at her right now as she was nuzzling my pillow close to her face.

Head slowly turning as my eyes narrowed angrily at her, a nervous expression was plastered on her face as she finally got sight of my frame.

"H-Hoi-kun! I didn't expect you to…" Kuroka stopped herself on that sentence, her mind finally taking notice of the annoyed glint exuding from my eyes. "I-It's a beautiful day outsi-"

"Out of my room, you pervert!" I stated with a full-blush, a little angry at her stalker-like demeanor.

She jumped off the bed and pouted. "I-I'm not a pervert! I'm just a woman of culture and with peculiar tastes-"

"So a closet pervert." I stated without hesitation, making her deflate even more.

"T-That isn't true a-and-" She stopped and seemed to think about it. "I-I can prove it to you." The woman said with a confident voice and giving a challenging stare at me.

…What?

"What?" I repeated both in my thoughts and out-loud, causing the girl to smirk.

"Well, if you take me out today, I will show you that I'm not just a pervert." The young woman proclaimed proudly and-

"But you are still a pervert-" I pointed out once before being intercepted by her as she straddled on me.

"I-I meant, woman of culture!" Kuroka quickly had me to correct my 'wording'.

A funny and cultured pervert at that, you have to admit that she knows what buttons to press.

Please, I don't need 'part of me' supporting her in that endeavor. I've already enough problems dealing with her attitude...

"And what would be the penalty if you fail to keep a good attitude?" I asked out of curiosity and she… twitched a little.

"I would be willing to accept some spanking, my only request being that this specific case happens at night, on your bed and with the two of us without clo-"

I turned around and started to walk away, causing her to stop on herself. "O-Okay, I was just joking!" She tried to correct herself but-

I stopped and looked back with a skeptical frown.

"I will do any mean punishment you want me to suffer." The young woman crossed her arms close to her chest. "At least, I know that you will not abuse it in any way, shape or form."

I blinked and thought about this situation. I could get her to stop being this much… aggressive with her advances. I don't find her completely bad, but I found her pushy attitude rather… annoying and irking more than enough times.

"I..." My mouth closed, then I sighed and tried once more. "Get yourself ready then, we will be leaving soon."

A loud squeal of happiness left her mouth and she instantly tackled me on the ground. "Gah!"

Her face nuzzled on my chest and her cat ears tickled right on my nose, the fierce hug and the insane amount of affection at that minor victory was a testament of what would happen if I just ended up accepting her flirting and surrendered to her wishes.

Soon, she would let go of the hold to rush out of my room and leave me alone with some more than needed peace.

'She sure is quite a hassle to deal, Hoitsu.'

She is.

But you don't mind being glomped sometime. It's not like you are a pervert if you admit you like 'that kind' of affection.

S-Shut up!

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This wasn't a romantic date.

This was meant to be a friendly hang-out to get Kuroka to tone down her flirting and stop being perverted around me.

This very mantra repeated endlessly in my brain as I tried to hold up to the fact the Nekoshou had yet to show anything remotely perverted towards me. No groping, no 'coping a feel', no lecherous stares from her as we quietly walked through the busy streets of the Japanese Capital.

She was seriously upholding her promise, doing it 'happily so' as she hardly seemed to be minding being close around me and without going for any lecherous action. Not even a lewd comment

Still, picking a proper place where to go for a walk proved to be particularly difficult for some reason and I ended up picking the… least bad place we could have gone to.

Tokyo had some beautiful Wards, the Ueno Park being one of the most beautiful ones with its cherry blossoms.

It was a pity that it was Summer and that the trees bloomed mostly in Spring, but the current sight was still something quite unique for someone that had hardly gone to see rare places in Japan after getting Inserted in this dimension.

The young woman had her arms wrapped around mine, but she was minding the pressure of her hold to not push too much her bust onto it, rather preferring to keep the touch to an acceptable level.

Her golden eyes were darting around from trees to the fluttering leaves falling from them, child-like wonder exuding from these and… I guess she was surprised of seeing something like that.

With her childhood and her subsequent period as part of an abusive peerage, I could only assume that the Nekoshou had never got the chance of seeing a park like this one and this was the first time she saw the beauty of this kind of natural parks.

Our attention was collectively captured as we both spotted some mobile ice cream parlors by the entrance, but decided against approaching it to buy some delightful cups at the moment as we were still digesting from the recent lunch.

This is why we decided to spend some time by venturing deeper in the park while waiting for the ice cream.

After few minutes of walking, we ended up taking a seat in one of the various empty benches on the path, the trees all around obscuring most of the sun-light and offering some shade for us to enjoy in peace.

Kuroka stretched a little and right as I took a seat beside her, she let her head tilt and rest on my shoulder. I tensed a little, waiting for her to jump at the opportunity but… nothing.

The young woman merely sighing happily as she relaxed on that brief moment of calm, her eyelids were half-closed while she enjoyed the relative silence and the cool breeze keeping the summer's heat from becoming unbearable around us.

"It's truly a good day today to spend outside." The Nekoshou commented quietly, her tone calm and not as loud as usual.

I blinked and stared up at the few clouds in the light-blue sky. "It is."

Silence resumed for a little while, then she sighed.

"Do you think that I will ever be able to get close to Shirone?" She asked with a curious tone, eyes partly directed at my face. "I feel like I'm really not doing any progress with her." The dark-haired woman admitted with a perplexed tone, my eyes slowly turned to glance back at her with a tired look.

"She did accept your training offer-" I pointed out, only to be met with an annoyed glance from her.

"She accepted only because you said 'it was fine'." The dark-haired beauty remarked. "And then she proceeded to be a true pest even when I was genuinely trying to help her with meditation by ignoring the way I went with this stage of Senjutsu." She admitted with a huff, snuggling closer to my shoulder much to my… minor annoyance.

"Did you use your usual attitude or did you explain that to her with the tone you are using now?" I inquired quietly and for a moment her lips twitched, confusion painted in her face.

"Excuse me, but what?" There was confusion plastered on her face and… I sighed patiently.

"You know that when you speak overly-cheerful, especially regarding… Shirone, you seem like you are mocking her, right?" I asked with a serious tone, making her look… incredibly confused but thoughtful of that perception.

She blinked and then- "What?"

"Think about the situation from her perspective." I started to explain. "Until you decide to reveal the truth about your family and why you killed 'them', she will still think you went insane because of Senjutsu, you joined some shady groups and then, even though you bailed before doing anything terrible, you still were there in their ranks for a while."

"She thinks… I am making fun of her?" Her tone sported genuine surprise and then she sighed. "That I'm not helping her and-" She stopped mid-answer and groaned. "She thinks I am playing around with her, pranking her, rather than healing our relationship."

Her hands went to her face, eyes closing as she groaned in them. "I'm a moron..."

I let out a brief amused snort and she moved her palms just a little to show me the glare she was now directing at me.

"Laughing at an innocent maiden's plight? Are you perhaps a sadist, Hoi-kun?" The Nekoshou accused lightly and I hummed quietly about it.

"Maybe I enjoy seeing you without that childish mask of yours." I thought out-loud, causing her to blink in surprise. "You know, I do dislike a lot when people lie this blatantly in front of me. I can forgive white lies but..."

The young woman blinked at this and sighed with a small smile now appearing on her face. "You know, that is… somewhat admirable coming from someone, right."

"Uh?"

"While I do find the fact you are this much adamant to not do anything lewd, I find it an interesting trait to see after dealing with… quite the unpleasant bunch in the past." Her eyes stared at the muddy path, sadness painted over them and I felt a little… sad myself.

"Did they hurt you?" I asked with some concern. "Did they-" I paused as her index pressed my lips closed while the girl sighed.

"That is also another thing I do find… refreshing. To be coddled by someone that genuinely care." Kuroka smiled and then sighed. "But I do find myself sharing your idea of… hating liars."

I blinked as she moved away from my shoulder and her hands softly turned my head to stare right at her. Her golden eyes were showing a new level of compassion as she pronounced the following words.

"If you wish to bring happiness to everyone… then why do you look so sad when you are alone?" The Nekoshou inquired with small curiosity and some… worry?

My eyes widened at that question. "W-What?" I found my entire body tensing up at this sudden and unexpected development. "I-I don't know what you are talking abou-"

"One day either Shirone-chan or Kunou-chan will find out about this sadness of yours… and they will fault themselves for its existence." The young woman pointed out. "I know that you don't want people to be burdened by your own past, but bottling it up… will never work for you."

She was cutting very deep with her words and… I think she was doing all of this unconsciously. Maybe she expected a real answer for it, or maybe she was seeking some common ground for us to share in that singular moment.

But no matter the reasons behind this questioning, nothing mattered as I found myself unable to hold back the tears.

It's been just… so long since I last saw their faces. Their smiles. And then I wonder if she managed to finish High School by now, I wonder if she will find a good job and get her own family without being burdened by my disappearance.

In that brief moment of weakness, I didn't notice how Kuroka slowly put my head on her lap.

A lap pillow, I mused inwardly and then she was humming while she started to softly caress my hair and… I closed my eyes slowly, the nightmares that had haunted me until now surprisingly not there to hurt me during my rest.

But as I found my way to my happy place, I felt the young woman's voice whisper quite softly.

"You know, I think… I like this idea." She said, I could even 'hear' her smile. "Will you go out with me again, if I don't hide myself anymore?"

A strong promise, a beautiful gamble but my mind and heart shared a single answer and in my sleep, it unconsciously left my lips.

"Yes."

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AN

Today is truly a good Sunday, folks!

I've got some lasagna for lunch, maybe something even better for dinner and I actually felt like a weight had been lifted while writing this chapter.

Also, after having this requested for a long time now… here is the general character stat of Hoitsu:

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Basic Info
Name: Hoitsu Sakakibara
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Race: Human (+?)
Birthday: April 2nd 1992
Birthplace: Kuoh Town
Family: Shigeru Sakakibara (Father), Hisako Sakakibara (Mother), Kunou Sakakibara (Surrogate Younger Sister), Grayfia Gremory (Surrogate Older Sister)
Affiliation: Grigori (Member), Omega Initiative (Leader)

Physical Characteristics:
Height: 174cm
Weight: 62Kg
Skin Tone: Pale White (Hardly tans if he doesn't go to the beach)
Hair Style: Shoulder-length, Curly;
Hair Color: Light-Brown (Dark-Brown while using Senjustu)
Eye Color: Charcoal/Dark-Brown (Red while using Senjutsu)
Muscle Built: Athletic, Above Average Human

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Future milestone 1: 696 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Simonbob]

But as I found my way to my happy place, I felt the young woman's voice whisper quite softly.

"You know, I think… I like this idea." She said, I could even 'hear' her smile. "Will you go out with me again, if I don't hide myself anymore?"

A strong promise, a beautiful gamble but my mind and heart shared a single answer and in my sleep, it unconsciously left my lips.

"Yes."

Click to shrink...

...... DOOMED!

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 31: Deserved Punishment

"This is… frustrating."

With this quiet words, Akeno Himejima addressed the predicament she was currently facing.

Lying on her bed, sight directed at the ceiling and only her night clothes on, the young woman continued to contemplate what she should seriously do.

A full day had passed since her father had given her the proper phone number to contact Hoitsu, a full day to accept the idea that there wasn't any other excuse keeping her from calling her classmate and… a full day of procrastinating about the future.

Her first few days with her new situation at school had been dealt particular ease, Sona and her peerage being helpful and the workload wasn't as unfair as she first thought. The only issue that truly got her quite annoyed more than once was how she was supposed to deal with Yuuto, Issei and Gasper.

The former Dhampir was still as introverted and scared of people as when he was first left sealed by Rias, the feminine boy showing some surprise at seeing how 'empty' the Occult Research Club looked when he was led to the currently unused club-room and he was completely floored when the Queen told him the reasons of this whole predicament.

Surprise, fear, a little bit of anger and disappointment. The overall attitude being one of pity regarding the Gremory heiress, but also some logical acceptance of the situation and appreciation about the fact the situation hadn't escalated to a worse state.

The boy was obviously unwilling to join her with the cooperative stance with the Sitri's peerage about hunting down Strays, citing how he couldn't still control his power and how he wouldn't fare well with 'strangers'.

Something that Akeno knew well enough, his sheer panic at dealing with new people being one of the things that characterized most of Gasper's personality during the first time they had the chance to speak with each other.

Moving on to the second boy of the peerage and the only Knight, Yuuto Kiba was good in not showing how saddened and depressed he truly was about the situation happening to Rias. The redhead was like an older sister to him, having been there to take care for him and help him when he was still recovering from surviving the Holy Sword Project.

While he knew that the instance that led to Rias' forced stay at home was legitimate, the Himejima was keen about the few brief scowls appearing when Hoitsu and she knew very well that it was only a passing and momentary emotion from the blond. He would still help around with the Student Council, but his smile lost quite the brightness it once had.

Few students noticed his sudden mood-change and the rumor mill in Kuoh Academy started to offer several theories about what was going on. Some connected his sour state with Rias not being there, other even going as far to say that they were an item but those were quickly silenced by the large majority of girls crushing on the 'pretty boy', reminding how there was no proof of such relationship having happened and thus debunking the extreme theory swiftly.

But while Gasper and Yuuto were quite the problematic individuals to properly settle with the new situation, it was Issei that was the worst to deal around. Even though he had never showed open hostility towards her, the blatant attempts to rapidly conclude any chat she would try to commence would show how he was unhappy to be around her.

She had tried to approach Asia, to apologize about the situation, but he would always be there to stop her from interacting with the former nun.

Without any club assignment, nor mission keeping him away from the school or away from the Theater Club, the brunet spent most of his time after-school to watch the few works his newly-announced girlfriend.

The news of their engagement was proclaimed by the blonde, the girl motivating the fact she was the one confessing this revelation because of the reputation over her boyfriend's head.

Some thought that there was a context missing, some opposing to the former group going as far to say that there had been signs all over the place and nobody ever noticed, while the rest just was fine with the fact one of the Perverted Trio had found the kind of happiness that led him away from his lecherous way.

Akeno tried to intercept them while they were on their way back home but, much to her surprise, they would never walk back to the Hyoudou's residence. Visiting the boy's house, she found herself dealing with a wary and annoyed Miki Hyoudou barring her from truly entering her home.

The mother was adamant in not telling her where her son would go, saying that he was just doing some favors for a good friend of his and that it was also going to help with his adulthood.

Her strange explanation quite confusing, the Himejima returned home with a minor headache at dealing with someone far more experience in diverting a discussion to different, insignificant topics to her case.

Sleep came quickly, her mind filled to the brim with the need to rest and she was granted some of it moments after finishing dinner and going to her bed.

A new day and she had yet to truly decide how to approach both Issei and Hoitsu.

By calling Hoitsu and hopefully try to scavenge something out of the ruined relationship she had destroyed, maybe having the chance of apologize to both Asia and the young Hyoudou would become a possible thing.

But how should she approach the initial contact? Should she try to appear friendly, maybe… easy-going?

No, that would make it feel like she was just trying to exploit the situation to- Wait, was she exploiting him or-

Akeno screamed against her pillow, headbutting it and then nuzzled close to it trying to seek of comfort from it.

Speaking with someone and finding some way to redeem herself shouldn't feel this difficult and yet, because of the context relative to her behavior about the past events, she knew that forgiveness was several steps away from her reach and that only careful thinking and wording will get her to the road she wanted to commit herself into.

And thus, pushing away her dreadful nervousness, the Himejima picked her phone and called the number written down in the small piece of paper that had stayed idle for a whole day.

Pressing the last key, the phone vibrated a little, the familiar sounds of the line connecting properly giving her some minor relief. Hopefully she wasn't calling while he was busy, that would have been quite a damning situation to face with her current emotional fragility.

Then the receiver answered and…

"Hello?"

It was his voice. Her heart warmed up a little, her face reddening at hearing him after so much time.

"H-Hoitsu-kun?" She started, trying to not lose herself in the happy memories. "I-It's me, Akeno."

"Oh." His tone showed confusion, a little bit of anger and annoyance, but she was glad the two negative traits were placed in minor quantity, hopes of managing through this discussion rising a little. "Hello, Akeno-san."

Akeno-chan! The girl wanted to scold him at first, but she bit her own lips to stop herself from screwing her current footing, knowing that he was right in being this formal. Still, it didn't make it any less annoying and painful to digest for her. At least he didn't chided her for the intimate honorific she used to address him.

"I-I'm sorry if I'm disturbing-" The Himejima tried to appear polite, to try and look like she was genuinely trying to-

"You are not." He interrupted coolly. "But I find myself waking up now from a tiring day, how may I help you?"

There wasn't the negative attitude that Issei turned at her, there wasn't anything.

There wasn't anything that could give her an insight of how he was feeling about it.

While his initial tone had let out some feelings about the matter, now he was trenching up, blocking any possible hint about his current mood and behavior regarding her.

It was like trying to drive a ship through the mist, unable to see where it was going and how to avoid any dangerous spots of the sea. And so Akeno knew that to avoid falling in the uncertainty that had ruled over her mind for the entire day of yesterday… she had to wing it and pray for the best.

"I wished to d-discuss about what had happened few days ago- I wish to apologize about-" Her lips rapid-fired, trying to gain as much ground as possible but…

"A moment." His voice interrupted once more, the order quickly complied by her mouth, closing down mid-speech and letting the boy solve whatever was going on by the other side of the call.

Silence interluded the sigh that would tell he was back as he spoke once more. "Sorry, Kunou needed some help with putting on some gloves, what were you saying?"

Hearing his input to continue, Akeno was ready to resume her determined speech but…

A moment passed, then two and finally her eyes widened as she realized what was going on. Gone was the momentum she had accumulated and gone was the fierce emotion driving her words out of her lips.

She froze, feeling her world graying once more before another sigh terribly reached the closest ear to the phone.

"From my understanding you wish to apologize to me, even though it was Asia and Issei that you betrayed the most, Akeno-san-" He seemed somewhat disappointed, almost like urging her to expose her case, to not choke on her own words any longer.

And so she did talk. "I-I tried to reach for them first- but they aren't- the reason I'm calling is because I have to apologize about- I should have told you and-"

"Akeno, stop a moment. You are-"

"N-No! I- I can't find peace in myself at the fact I can't apologize to you directly, how much of an idiot I've been. I tried to avoid a rightful confrontation and I- I betrayed you like this."

Tears started to stain her sheets, her chest twitching a sob or two as she let the waterfall come down for the second time after it happened in front of her father.

Moments of tense silence passed and then… a tired but moderated sigh reached her attentive ears.

"I can't currently leave Tokyo because of some unfinished important business here, but we could spend lunch together tomorrow if you are free and able to reach the city-"

"I-I can do that." She sniffled, her hopes lifting off once more. "But where e-exactly-"

"I will send a message later today, right now I'm busy and I can't actually give you anything precise."

"I-I understand." Akeno replied with a nod to herself. "T-Then, I shall s-see you soon?"

"Hopefully. Have a good day, Akeno."

"Bye..." The call ended and yet her eyes were fixed on the device's display a little while before she dropped back on her pillow and hugged it closely.

She did it! She managed to get a chance to ask for forgiveness and… to see him once more.

Cuddling the pillow closer, her head snuggled onto it with affection. A preparation, she explained to her mind, some 'training' for the hug she was going to give him when she will see Hoitsu after so much time.

A good hug, nothing perverted or forward, just something to see if everything was truly lost or not. A giggle left her lips at the thought of their last 'hug', how he looked so panicky when she was 'intrigued' by his dominance while he tickled her so mercilessly.

And while her logical side complained about the fact she shouldn't be this much hasty, her wild imagination cared little about the laws of the world, different dreams and visions filling her with renewed vigor and… determination!

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After finishing the early morning training session and eating some delicious lunch, I found myself wandering alone out of the apartment, giving a fake and boring reason as to not cause any unneeded interest from the others to join up with my plans for today.

While having someone around to support was nice, I needed to be alone to properly contact the manager of the Anteiku, mostly because the current tension of keeping identities secret would cause some issues if someone asked the wrong questions about Ghouls.

The walk was uneventful as usual, no Ghoul would try to attack in broad daylight without a massive reason and reaching the Nerima Ward was surprisingly easy. Still, I had to deal with some words about my current situation with a certain Himejima.

Maybe we should have been a little more stern about Akeno.

Uh? Why so? I think she got enough to face between regrets and her new situation-

But she will easily mistake a predicament for another without proper explanation.

'You invited her to lunch, I think that counts as a date.'

I blinked, eyes going wide for a brief moment and I was glad that there was no one around to notice my sudden mood swing. Most of the people were either working or still studying at the various Unis of the Capital.

She wouldn't- Actually she would. Dammit. Wait if you knew about this, why didn't you tell me before i-

Guilty pleasure of pranking you a little, I mean, I wanted to see that kind of reaction but… I don't think the costs will be worth it if she ends up stalking us once more.

I will make sure that she doesn't try anything of that sort. I will be blunt and precise with my wording and-

I turned the corner that led to the small section of the street where the Anteiku faced and jumped away as a two large light-blue tendrils smashed on the floor right where I once stood.

Those were connected to two semi-identical figures wearing blue cloaks and masks to cover their faces-

"Oh, the Bin Brothers." I muttered nonchalantly, my tone causing them to look surprised for a moment before turning furious at the meek way I addressed them.

"Oh, a dead human." One of the two, the younger one, returned with some poison. Both retracted their Bikakus, but I quickly rushed at them, catching them off-guard once more, this time capitalizing on the situation.

The one closest to the wall was slammed on it by my fist, the mask cracking and breaking as the first victim recoiled in pain and shock.

My free hand went to grasp the unscathed Bin and forced his head to bend towards my approaching knee and-

Crack!

I let go of the unconscious brother and focused on the recoiling one, in my hand a Light Spear as I forced the blade deep in his chest. He gawked, blood spurting from his mask but there was no strength in his hands and soon he turned limp.

Taking back the Spear out of him I proceeded to stab the unconscious one too right in his chest. Both individuals were brutal murderers, no matter how young they looked, and they had already killed more than enough to warrant the death penalty in Japan if they were humans.

Sighing I remembered the place I had to visit and… the fact two members of Aogiri Tree were there.

I huffed, my face darkening as I knew what was going on inside the cafe, my ears having picked the noise of trashing few moments before ending the Bin Brothers.

I walked and reached for the empty window that led inside the shop and… stared at the tall blond staring over a bloody Kaneki Ken. Yakumo Oomori, or Yamori, glanced my way with a thrilled smile, by the entrance doors Nico was looking with wide eyes and then… I noticed something strange in the scene.

While Kaneki and Touka were wounded and Banjo with his small group was cowering just like in the Canon, I could see the familiar face of one Ayato Kirishima kneeling as some blood trailed down his head as he stood between the Ghoul leading the 13th​ Ward cadre and… Hinami Fueguchi?

It would seem like the situation had escalated… immensely.

"You smell like a human." Yamori stated amused, taking a step towards me. "But also something else."

I frowned in mock-confusion. "Are you saying that I don't shower?"

His smile twitched, minor anger building up in his features. "Quite the opposite. I think you smell pristine, well-cared, but I find myself questioning how much Human you actually are."

I gave a mock-offended look and placed one of my palms on my chest. "Did you just assume my race, you jerk?" I asked, trying to not smile at this little joking around. It's Jason and he is weaker than me! "I might be a Battle-Tank or an Attack Helicopter and you would still label me a human, tsk."

He frowned, the smile dropping a little. "Are you mocking me?"

"I mean, I generally mock people that are dumber than me. Are you trying to confess about your lack of mental capacities or-" I ducked away from the Kagune coming my way, the spiky tendrils missing me but the owner already charging to compensate for the lack of any genuine hit.

I moved through his punches and, the moment he tried to land a kick, I proceeded to slam my own leg on his knee. I felt the bone snap and his while limb bent in a wrong way.

I flinched a little, it wasn't a nice sight at all and the yell filled with a mix of anger and pain told me he was starting to realize that shit had hit the fan.

He tried to deliver slam his fists onto my head but I ducked and headbutted his chin. I felt the bones of his jaw crack, forcing me to move out of the way to avoid getting my hair stained in blood.

Jason recoiled, one hand holding his destroyed jaw together while the other trying to grasp something to keep himself standing. His Kagune dissolved with his concentration missing, I decided that enough was enough and… I didn't want him to trash the place in his Half-Kakuja form.

Thus three Light Spears stabbed deep on his chest, one of the piercing deep enough to destroy his Kakuhou and shatter any chances for the sadist to get out of here alive.

He looked at Nico and Nico looked at me. "I advise you leave the place now that you can, Nico-san. I don't wish to incur in her wrath, but if you end up causing any trouble I will have no choice and put you down."

Threat delivered and face paling at the seriousness in my voice, the man nodded and swiftly rushed out of the damaged Anteiku, leaving me to deal with the dying Yamori.

He looked furious, incredibly angry and very akin to a rabid animal. A dangerous monster created by an imperfect society, the lance that pierced his head terminated his life instantly and put an end to his misery.

I sighed in relief at the fact the worst was over and I turned my attention to the others.

Everyone was staring at me, either in shock or fear or both. I blinked and looked at the bleeding Kaneki, looking ready for some tactical faint and thus intervened.

Crouching slowly, I helped him a little up, his eyepatch coming loose as his Kakugan was revealed to the world while I brought up one of the tiny bottles with Phoenix's Tears.

Right as I brought it up to his lips, I saw some people looking quite alarmed at what I was doing but then the liquid did its intended effect and healed the young man.

Kaneki blinked once, then twice before finally realizing that he was feeling better and that his wounds were gone. Eyes going wide at the lack of any of the injuries previously putting him in a world of pain, he slowly was pulled up by me as he stared at his unscathed body and… shredded clothes.

I turned towards the closer of the two Kirishima siblings and Touka narrowed her eyes as I approached and crouched near her. I sighed tiredly. "Look, it worked on your buddy, don't you think that the same content will actually help you too?"

She glared at me for a little while, before then letting her guard relax a little as I helped her to careful sit without paining her hurting leg and then offered the small vial.

Drinking it quickly, her Kakugan disappeared as her body made a rapid recovery and soon she could stand up on her own too like the brunet.

Finally my attention shifted to Ayato and he looked particularly… defensive about this all. He was protecting Hinami, I could see that but I think that was… excessive?

I didn't crouch as he seemed ready to make use of his Kagune against me if I got too close. He might be in the different side this time around, but he still had that edgy personality on him, didn't he.

"Look, kid, I know you're trying to be protective of your girlfriend, but I'm not here to hurt anyone. You could take the healing stuff now or suffer home and spend some days idle to recover from this situation." His eyes narrowed dangerously but he didn't reply, preferring the silence.

There was some silence and I waited for a response, looking at my watch and noticing it has been half an hour since I last looked at the time. Just as I got myself distracted on that, the little Fueguchi turned to the Kirishima and poked his shoulder, Ayato glanced back and at her worried look and, few moments later, he sighed in defeat. "F-Fine, I will take that blasted thing."

I smiled and nodded, handing him the vial as he consumed it without hesitation and… he stood up without any wounds. "Was that so difficult, kid?"

He frowned at the mocking way I was addressing him but I was looking elsewhere. As soon as he reacted to my words, I felt a new energetic pattern approaching and I turned towards the broken space where the window that gave off to the street once was and I saw a short figure jump inside the shop.

"Stop where you are, you evildoe- Uh?"

I was staring at none other than… Eto Yoshimura.

I can understand Ayato having never joined Aogiri Tree, but to see the Canon leader of the terrorist organization being part of Anteiku?

This is turning out to be a massive AU case.

The girl frowned, eyes fixing first to the dead Jason and then she looked back where I had left the Bin Brothers, confusion plastered on her face.

"Who exactly did all of this?"

I lifted my hand and she tilted her head on the side.

"That's impressive but… aren't you a human?"

I sighed. "I already had a discussion about this. Let's just say I'm a unique human."

"A unique human?" She repeated with a skeptical tone. "Should I call BS now or are you going to say 'sike'?"

I blinked in surprise. "What if I am telling the truth?"

"I would call you a fat liar, even if you are fairly slim."

"You are the one calling something like a 'unique human' BS when you are a 'unique Ghoul' yourself."

She lifted her finger before stopping on her own thoughts. "Touché, but how did you even know that?"

"Can feel your energy pattern is different from the others, it's kind of complicated."

She shrugged. "That sounds like my life." A small smile appeared on my face.

"Sounds quite rough." I chuckled and she nodded, showing a smile on her face to match my own.

Few moments later, a familiar elder arrived, followed by a silver-haired man. Yomo blinked in surprise at the sight while the manager looked particularly calm about the scene he was looking at.

Finally his sight landed on me and he frowned.

"I can explain." Eto and I stated at the same time, eyes turning to each other and then we burst in a chuckle.

For some reason the older Yoshimura shivered, muttering about 'two of them' as he entered inside while Yomo picked his phone to call someone to come and clean things up.

The following talk was surely going to be a funny one.

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AN

I think I forgot to say that, while Hoitsu ain't in Kuoh, he will still interact somehow with the people there. In fact, I've planned to have an alternative way to introduce Xenovia and Irina since both Issei and Asia are currently… living in Hoitsu's home.

It's not much of a big reveal but it will also serve as a good platform to launch their relationship even forward at the end of Volume 3.

Kiba has a minor grudge but… he will recover from it and get something interesting out of it.

Future milestone 1: 696 Followers and Favorites.

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 32: Deals and Bickering

Akua Shuzen was confused by the current situation.

The vampire had initially planned to spend her afternoon trying to further learn how to use the computer on her own, her limited knowledge proving to be even more problematic as the day before she was forced to ask for help in dealing with few viruses she had unconsciously let inside the PC.

The youngest of the two Nekoshou sisters, Koneko, had been quick to help and silent during her whole intervention. The minor embarrassment born from being helped by someone younger than her, which had been a surprise for the oldest Shuzen too, was somewhat lessened by the lack of comments regarding her blatant inability to make use of such common device.

It was a slow process, Akua reckoned, but she was starting to see the bountiful rewards of having such contraption in her room. She had also asked about the main purpose of the 'consoles' to the silver-haired girl, a shrug and 'amusement' were the only answers given at first but then she went on to explain curtly how those worked.

Nothing important or essential to have, but something entertaining to explore on a later date once she had the whole 'computer' thing dealt with.

Just as she finished learning how Microsoft Word fully worked, Akua heard someone knocking by her open door. Red eyes slowly moving to glance at the doorstep and she was greeted by the sight of Kuroka Toujou.

She knew little about the oldest of the two Nekoshou siblings part of the Omega Initiative, only that her younger sister seemed to have a negative opinion about her and that she seemed particularly interested in the current leader of the organization.

Hoitsu Sakakibara was a curious human, very resourceful and quite adept in the situations that fell on his lap. He was cautious to not be greedy but neither he was the most generous individual she had ever met.

He wasn't urged by materialistic needs as much as she had initially thought and his sheer interest in keeping everyone in the group he was leading safe and sound was somewhat… refreshing.

It was quite nostalgic, but not much close to what she had experienced back when Akasha Bloodriver had taken her in as her step-daughter. There was just a major difference regarding the tones and the approaches, possibly because the former head of the Dark Lords preferred to have a mother-daughter relationship rather than a friendly one.

There was also that strange 'embarrassment' that she would spot on him every time he would get particularly close to either her or the dark-haired Yokai. It wouldn't happen around Koneko and Kunou, neither with Kahlua, and that left the Shuzen with a perplexing note over the matter.

It certainly didn't help that the times she was the one close to him, she would feel quite… bashful, as if she knew that she was certainly doing something 'wrong' or behaving 'indecently'. She could remember little fragments of lessons from Akasha regarding womanly desires and how to act on them, but those were fuzzy pictures at best and she was unsure that this was truly the case with Hoitsu.

She wasn't certainly feeling 'lightened' by being around the young man, nor she felt her knee going weak. She was just glad to have someone that wasn't trying to kill nor backstab her after so much time.

This confusion was quickly met with the perfect resolution: Moka would surely know more on the matter and asking for advice would certainly prove to be a good decision from hers, especially since she learned that her relationship with Aono was beyond mere friendship.

That very detail was annoying, infuriating even for someone like Akua that loved and cherished the girl the most, as a good sister should. Something she had tried to refuse after the Alucard debacle, and yet it still was there to painfully remind her of her lack of reciprocity with her lovely sister.

"Kuroka-san?" She finally addressed, her mind shifting back to reality as the vampire noticed a curious glint within the golden orbs of the incredibly carefree Yokai.

"Forgive me if I am disturbing you with whatever you're doing, Akua-san." The Cat-girl replied with a simple and apologetic tone, then her whole demeanor turned back to her initial, mirthful glance. "But I wanted to ask if you would like to spar with me."

The Shuzen blinked. "A spar?" She repeated. "Any particular reason why?"

Kuroka shrugged. "Just felt like trying to gauge your skills." She explained curtly, the smile still there. "I wanted to know how strong you were and… maybe bond?"

An interesting proposition, the vampire agreed almost quickly, but then she found her mind sticking around the second section of her explanation, the uncertain reasoning leaving her perplexed for a moment.

Bonding?

The idea was good and all, but it seemed like something was missing about it as if the bonding was supposed to be on a more defined level. Could it be that she wanted to share a bond regarding their care for their siblings?

Difficult but possible, she ended up assessing.

Turning down the computer, she nodded towards the Nekoshou and the two left the room, directed at the training floor.

The area was vacant, an hour earlier being used by Baki alone with his Shadow-Fighting technique to train on his own and the young man had retired to his room. Kunou and Koneko were in the living room trying to keep up with the homework Hoitsu had started to leave for them to do after lunch, an attempt to have them still studying even though they were officially out of the school they previously studied in.

The two girls took the proper positions and waited a moment for each other to be truly ready for the fight.

"May the better fighter win~!" The Nekoshou said loudly before assuming her stance.

That sounded incredibly… strange.

Why would Kuroka proclaim that Akua was going to win this fight so eagerly?

And then… they charged against each other, an explosive clash ensuing.

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"S-Sakakibara-san, surely I heard wrong but- did you just say that you are a Magician?" Kaneki Ken asked, lone eye wide open as the other was safely hidden behind his usual eyepatch.

Sitting in one of the few couches offered by the manager of the Anteiku, I found myself explaining a little bit of everything to the group of Ghouls assembled and standing in front of me.

While it was only Yoshimura, his daughter, Arata Kirishima, Kaneki and Touka that were in that room, I saw some other people coming at the destroyed front of the cafe. I saw Irimi Kaya, Enji Kouma, Yomo Renji and… Rio Shikorae?

The main protagonist of Tokyo Ghoul: Jail looked particularly normal, possibly shy at being the subject of some staring from me but I was quick to return my attention to the group as a whole.

There was no need to cast senseless suspicions as of now that the situation required utter caution and tact.

They were all seeking answers about what just happened and why I decided to visit today.

"You heard me right, Kaneki-san." I replied with a small smile. "I'm a 'Freelancer' Magician, a magic-user that didn't study by the Mage Council's rules and currently works for some important factions."

"Forgive me if I sound too much blunt but..." Touka started, her tone showing some doubt about my credibility. "You don't look much different than a normal human, Sakakibara-san."

"I mean, 'a normal human' wouldn't have been able to kill Jason and the Bin Brothers." I pointed out, getting a brief embarrassed blush out of her. "But yes, I suppose I don't 'look different' from another innocent bystander-"

I lifted my open palm for them to see the small electric sparks visibly running around my fingers. There was some awe, some minor surprise but… the best reaction was possibly Eto's.

The girl blinked, eyes going wide, then she stood up and rushed to one of the corners of the room, crouching a moment to pick something from the floor and then walking in front of me.

"Can you hold this for a moment?" She held one of the ends of a phone charger up to me, causing me to frown before just accepting the small section of the wire.

She held her phone, eyes almost fixed on the display as- DING -the sound of the phone charging up notified it was truly working. A gasp rushed out of her throat, her eyes giving a dreamy look.

"Y-You are a living battery!" She exclaimed, then froze and… bowed down to the ground.

"Please teach me how to make that amazing stuff, Oh glorious being of Cool!" She begged loudly and I was floored by her… memestic personality.

"E-Eto-san, magic isn't certainly something you can learn out easily and… you don't have an affinity for electrokinesis." I think I heard the sound of something shattering as the girl rolled over to lie completely on the floor as she stared up to the ceiling.

"This… this is made today a bad one." She commented gloomily and I smirked at her eccentric reactions. I have to admit, that is the kind of relief that I don't think I will ever get bored of.

"You know, Eto-san, you are the weirdest and funniest individual I've ever met." I said with a sure tone. She blinked, eyes narrowing on me before she giggled.

"Really? That is the first time someone called me that." She said with a genuine smile. "I mean 'Funniest'. Weirdest is kind of a common word to hear when people talk about me."

I nodded and returned my attention once more to the group. "As I was saying, the reason why I decided to reach out for Anteiku is..." I looked right at the manager. "Because I know you have a good grasp of Tokyo, sir, and I need the help of Ghouls to kill an important target."

"I no longer deal with this kind of things-" He started to reply, clearly annoyed at these bits of his past resurfacing.

"Because you are retired. I know that, sir, and that is why I just need to know whom to contact to have this job done." I interrupted, getting a brief glare from the elder before resuming with my explanation. "I can pay with some important information. Information that I think you will find very useful."

Kuzen frowned. "There is hardly anything that could be 'useful' information for me, young man-"

"They are still alive," I interjected once more, keeping a cryptic tone as I wished only for him to know about what I was talking about. "And I know where they are hiding."

"A friend of mine and I make sure they were gone forever-"

"And yet you and your friend missed a small but incredibly damning detail about them. They had a backer, someone supporting them from behind the scene." I quickly said, stopping him in his tracks. He gave me a confused look and I sighed.

I knew that if I wasn't careful in getting something out of him before giving him that truth bomb, I was going to get screwed somehow.

"But first I need the name of someone that could do the job." I reminded and he sighed.

"Depends on the kind of job and the danger level." He replied, giving me a careful look as I decided to give the full extension of the mission.

"Kill a former Church scientist and bring back some of the material in his laboratory." I started to explain. "He is guarded by some members from Aogiri Tree and his death is of the utmost importance."

"What did this man exactly do to warrant his assassination?" He finally asked and I found myself contemplating which details I should offer and which not.

"He was the lead figure to a project of the Church to rebuild an old, powerful relic which required specific requirements from the user to be wielded. One of these was that the user had to have a massive amount of light energy and… that meant sacrificing someone for the young age of the various candidates."

He closed his eyes as he realized what I was talking about. "Enough. I… I will be able to get in contact with someone by the end of the day after tomorrow."

I nodded, standing up from my seat. "Then I will be visiting at that time."

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Koneko blinked tiredly as she woke up right where she had fallen asleep. The long couch both she and Kunou had used to have a proper nap after finishing today's homework was one of the comfiest ever, maybe close to her bed in terms of softness.

Her kohai was still snoring on her chest, fox ears and tails in full display as she cutely snuggled closer to the warmth coming off from her. It was an adorable sight for sure, but they both had things to do before Hoitsu-nii returned.

Yawning again, her golden eyes moved around the place, just to make sure that the young man hadn't returned yet and… she stopped right at the sight of a familiar tanned vampire smiling at her.

Kahlua Shuzen was someone that unnerved and intrigued the silver-haired Nekoshou at the same time. The girl was cheerful, even now her smile looked quite genuine and trustworthy… but Hoitsu-nii had been rather serious about being careful around her.

The blonde vampire lacked control over herself during fights, one of the worst traits one could deal with especially since the tanned female was much stronger than she was in every stats.

"Hi." Kahlua finally spoke, her tone soft and mindful of the still-sleeping Kunou. Maybe Koneko should have gotten her Kohai to wake up, maybe she should have been careful to not end up in this predicament at all.

"H-Hello." The silver-haired girl replied, causing the older female's smile to widen a little more.

There were a few moments of silence, then the older girl spoke. "Can I ask you a favor?"

A chill went down her spine at hearing this kind of words, her breathing manually forced to not hyper-ventilate as the Nekoshou evaluated her chances of running away from this encounter with Kunou straddling on her chest.

It was a suicidal plan, one that she didn't want to try to use as she knew that the kitsune would be hurt somehow if she failed.

Thus Koneko decided to nod calmly. "S-Sure."

Kahlua tilted her head on the side, almost childishly. Then she asked.

"Can… I pet you?"

… "W-What?" Her face paled a little at the request. She was well-aware of the Wealth of Power vampires were able to use, to twist their limbs and turn those in dangerous weapons. If she was too close to that kind of danger, nothing would stop the naive Shuzen from stabbing the cat-girl right in her head.

The blonde noticed the panicked look in Koneko's face and suddenly deflated, the smile dropped and her eyelids half-closing. "Sorry." She whispered. "D-Didn't mean to sound too… scary."

She looked away, red eyes showing uncertainty and distress. "I… I just wanted to see if it was like petting a cat or not and..." She sighed. "I- I promised Papa and Akua-nee that I wouldn't have hurt anyone anymore."

The young girl frowned at those words. "You mean that you… are putting an effort? I mean, to not hurt people."

And her eyes were back on the girl, mirthfulness replaced by sadness as she nodded. "I-I'm sorry for having been naughty with M-Moka-nee and her friends a-and I didn't want to- to-"

"C-Could you come a little closer?" Koneko asked calmly, causing the blonde to look surprised at the request but still complying as she was curious about what was going on. Then she crouched a little as the silver-haired cat-girl gestured her to do so and…

"U-Uh?"

At first, her mind failed to register the pair of soft arms wrapping around her, red eyes going wide in shock at the sudden embrace but… she sniffled and returned the kind action.

A few tears fell, her sadness slowly subsiding as she heard the distinct sound of purring coming from the younger female, causing the vampire to crack another genuine smile.

The warmth was nice and both enjoyed the hug until it came to an end. "I-I will try to be more mindful around you, K-Kahlua...-nee."

There was some silence, the happiness that was deprived from her was now blooming once more at the way she was addressed by the cute girl.

"T-Thank you, Koneko-chan."

Her hands were careful as the Nekoshou allowed her to caress her feline ears, eyes widening in awe at how soft and positively strange the texture of her ears was. It was like a cat, like that cat.

She paused a moment, the sad memory preventing her to continue. The brief hesitation was quickly caught by Koneko, the girl frowning in confusion.

"Something wrong, Kahlua-nee?" The question quickly brought her back from that sad part of her past as she shook her head.

"N-Nothing, just thinking..."

But the younger girl wasn't done with her questions. "So… you had a kitty, Kahlua-nee? You said that… you had one in the past?"

The blonde scolded the lack of tact with her own words but decided that a quick and curt reply would be enough.

"A little one with black fur with some white spots. But- But I kept him only for a week as he was sick and..."

Koneko nodded. "It's alright, Kahlua-nee. You don't have to hurt yourself by remembering that."

The kind words warmed her heart and she returned the nod with one of her owns. "T-Thank you."

"W-Would you like one?" The Nekoshou blurted quickly, causing the vampire to pause once more, this time in confusion.

"What?"

Golden eyes turned to stare at her. "A kitty. Would you like one now?"

Her mind turned black at that question. Having a new kitty now? Sure, she would accept it without hesitation and yet…

She could still remember her mother's words after she killed the little kitty before her.

"Weaklings shouldn't be cared for. They can't offer you anything and you would just waste time and resources for nothing in return."

And thus, instead of giving a positive response, Kahlua lowered her head and shook a negative.

"I-I don't want to waste people's time and-"

"You wouldn't waste time if you want a pet." Koneko interrupted with a frown. "I bet Hoitsu-nii would say 'yes' if you asked him."

Her eyes widened in surprise and curiosity. "Would he?" She asked at the younger girl.

The silver-haired girl nodded and the tanned vampire smiled widely. "T-Then I will have to see if it's true and..." She stopped there, her mind offering multiple good scenarios where she could get a little kitty. All the little plans she had when she was a mere child were now flashing back to her from her brain, things like responsibility and being kind just as Mama had told her.

Yes, that could work-

Ka-BOOM!

The sudden noise of an explosion woke up Kunou and made the two already awake girls jump in surprise.

"W-What was that?" Kunou asked, her tone wobbly and a little scared.

"I-I think it came from the training floor." Koneko replied, helping the kitsune out of her hold and to stand up from the couch.

Kahlia looked uncertain for a moment, then she nodded. "I-I will see what is going on." She said determinedly, walking towards the staircase and ready to deal with any intruder that wanted to attack the nice people here.

The two Yokais followed closely, keeping a safe distance as they let the tanned girl lead the way.

Soon they found themselves in the training room and… were given a confusing sight.

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The return back to the apartment was once more uneventful and yet I found myself disappointed a little how things had turned out to be.

Hopefully, the man Yoshimura promised to contact will be able to deal with Valper and his bodyguards.

He will offer someone strong enough to make the trip and survive it and who knows who will get the role. Still, I'm surprised to see so much divergence from Tokyo Ghoul's canon.

Still, it's a better setting than the one we were expecting… except for Aogiri Tree. Now we know that Eto isn't leading it but we are completely clueless who exactly is controlling it and it could be someone far worse than her.

Whoever they are, they are going to get quite the issues if Valper dies in their custody. Kokabiel would raise some hell about it and they would end up weakened.

True enough.

Before entering inside, I did remember that once I had changed in something a little more comfortable I had to send Akeno a message with the info for tomorrow's meeting and I was silently praying that it wouldn't end up being a reason for the girl to rekindle her pursuit.

I was too pissed about her attitude regarding Asia's situation to let her prioritize that before her genuine apology. I knew she was trying to do something good there, but I could allow her to keep playing around the problem like that.

Closing the door behind me, I turned to see Kunou poking her head from the living room. "Niichan! You need to go to the training room, it's serious!"

Uh?

Confusion rising at that worried edge in the kitsune's tone, I was quickly making my way to the staircase. As I was going up to the third floor, I could hear the noises of a quick-paced fight ongoing and then, the moment I walked inside the training room, I found myself staring at the strangest of sights.

Kuroka and Akua were breathing laboriously, sporting cuts both in their clothes and on their faces.

The zone around them was devastated with holes and craters, the various Youjutsu circles forming in front of the Nekoshou and dropping several explosive spells were responsible for such destructive power.

Are you sure that Kuroka is truly a Nekoshou and not a member of the Crimson Demon Clan?

I noticed Baki, Koneko, Kunou, and Kahlua all staring at the match, the Hanma glancing my way with an uneasy smile. I approached them first. "Ok, what is going on with them?"

"Baka-nee and Akua-san were fighting when we arrived there." Koneko replied quickly, still looking at the fierce fighting.

"And I tried to intervene..." The young man pointed at the burning spot on his shirt. "The ladies didn't appreciate my presence during their quarrel."

I frowned. "A quarrel?"

"It's in their viciousness." The Hanma explained. "If you look closely, they both are trying to hurt the other… without going overboard."

My eyes narrowed at the scene and I did see that both were somehow holding back in that furious sparring: Akua used her Jigen-Tou to become intangible while attacking Kuroka and the cat-girl was aiming precisely a little bit away from the Black Deva as to just push her out of her patterns.

"Does anyone know how long has this been going?"

Baki hummed. "I think for three hours now." He said with some doubts. "It's a guess, but I did saw Kuroka-san passing near the training room three hours ago and I did end up around that time."

"Well, whatever reasons got them both this much angry at each other, I think it's time to end it at once."

I snapped in my Senjutsu form and rushed right onto the two girls. They stopped a moment, tensing and turning to look at me as they felt my energy spiking. They gave both a wide-eyed look and I proceeded to use this occasion to make use of Silver Lining.

Strings of light appeared and started to restrain them from continuing 'bickering' around. They tried to fight back but a few moments later they were all tied up.

"So, which one of you two is going to explain to me what is going on here?"

They didn't look my way and kept quiet, causing me to sigh. "Look, I'm not angry but I want to know what is going on with your aggressive fighting and-"

"Kuroka-san used a foul word against me." The Shuzen interjected quickly, causing the Nekoshou to look angry once more.

"You said that I was behaving like a harlot with Hoitsu-kun, you bitch!"

Akua tried to move her hand to point at her. "There! See!"

Meanwhile, I was shaking my head utterly disappointed. "I'm dealing with two brats."

Of course, the ever-attentive dark-haired Yokai heard of it and smiled. "Oh? Is this a promise of something- Uh?" She stopped as I turned to glare at her.

"Never pull anything like that and… both of you will be punished in a very easy but just way for this very situation." I let out a smile and the two looked confused at what I could be talking about.

"S-Sure Hoitsu-kun- by the way, c-could you give us already the Phoenix's Tears and..."

I continued to smile sweetly and silence reigned for a while.

"Y-You aren't going to give us the Tears, aren't you?" Akua softly guessed and I nodded, causing her to deflate.

"That's correct. You both decided it was nice and fun to fight so childishly and so you will be treated as kids… by your very siblings." I turned to the group of spectators and at the surprised girls in particular. "Koneko-chan will take care of Kuroka while Kahlua with the help of Kunou will nurse Akua."

Both tried to protest but the other girls were on the move and I started to walk away.

Just as I was about to say that I was going to get some rest back in my room, I felt someone tugging at one of my sleeves and causing me to stop.

I turned around and saw Kahlua looking particularly shy and nervous for some reason. "Is there something you need, Kahlua-san?"

She nodded and, a few moments of silence later, she spoke. "I-I wanted to know if- if I could get a kitty."

I blinked. "A kitty?" I hummed, a little surprised by the request but then I nodded. "If your sister is alright, then I see no problem for you to get one. Still, it will be your responsibility and I expect that you will take care of it well."

She nodded, a wide smile appearing on her face before she gave me a bone-crushing hug.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" She let go and then rushed towards her sister, giggling childishly while I stared at her with a confused look.

What did just happen?!

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AN

Next chapter, Akeno's date and maybe another Omake.

I will not stretch too much the AN, but I will say that I've now plans for Kahlua, Koneko and Serafall pairings. Someone will be incredibly surprise and shocked by some decisions but I can say that the individuals I picked match oddly well with them.

Future milestone 1: 696 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

Kokabiel would raise some hell about it and they would end up weakened.

Click to shrink...

Considering his thoughts on Valper and Excalibur in canon...I could easily see him going, "eh." and that being all of the effort he is willing to put into it

They gave both a wide-eyed look and I proceeded to use this occasion to make use of Silver Lining.

Click to shrink...

FTFY

for Kahlua, Koneko and Serafall pairings

Click to shrink...

Serafall x Sona yuri FOREVER!

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 33: Heavenly Lunch

The small restaurant I found in the Chiyoda Ward was the perfect place to deal with Akeno. It was a little establishment that I picked out of the other more expensive alternatives mostly because I wanted to make it clear that this event was a mere friendly hangout.

No dating, no hints of anything even close to romantic approaches, this wasn't going to be the classic comedic relief situation where the real issue is suddenly skipped by her. She was going to apologize or return to Kuoh Town with a strong rejection for any attempt to make some reconciliation.

Convincing the group that I was going to talk with some Grigori contact proved to be far more difficult than the excuse used yesterday. Kuroka and Kunou were the most suspicious about the matter, but I managed to trick them with a stern mask and repeating that it was just some work for Azazel.

'There is also that Nekoshou, Koneko-san, she looked quite unconvinced too.'

She did promise to not follow me where I was going just like the others-

Better safe than sorry, she could think that you are going in some ambush with the crap going on in Tokyo.

I can't sense her and I will not snoop around just to make sure she isn't here.

I sighed as I saw some waiters passing around, some people already eating and chatting in the other tables as I waited for the Himejima to make an appearance. Eyes turned to the watch on my wrist, I blink at the fact it was still too early to say she was being late.

There were still only five minutes before the precise time for our planned meeting and the reason why I was being quite annoyed by this situation was… because I was feeling nervous.

As much as I could easily deal with Kuroka as we weren't dealing with any situation that could blow up on our faces, the situation with Akeno was completely different and terribly complicated.

While I knew from prior Canon knowledge that Akeno was and still is a good person, her mannerisms regarding normal instances and the way she decided to deal with what Rias did with Asia were still things that couldn't just be forgiven.

And even though I mightn't be the one that deserved the final apology, I was certainly embittered by the fact she just decided to ignore me and make it seem like a normal situation, which I shouldn't be worried about.

A behavior that infuriated me to the core and the only reason I didn't explode on her was that I deployed all of this frustration by smashing both magician forces and Diodora during the Rescue operation at the Gremory Mansion.

A few moments of relative thinking passed and then I saw her coming from the main entrance of the building.

Akeno was dressed in a simple pink dress with black, white and red decorations, a small skirt that reached near her knees and her hair were let free-

I had to blink to regain focus, for some reason the sight being actually… pleasant. It was the first time I saw 'personally' how she looked without her usual hairstyle and I was finding it a good change.

She was smiling a little, her lips twitching nervously as she stopped right by the table, waiting for confirmation before taking a seat. I nodded and she took a seat, silently picking up the small menu with the various dishes available.

I let her choose what she wanted to eat before truly tackling the problem, waiting even the waitress passed to pick the orders.

I decided on a plate of simple curry rice and some water, while the girl ordered some onigiris.

The worker nodded once she had both dishes written down and proceeded to walk towards the kitchen, leaving us once more alone.

The Himejima placed the menu down and glanced at me, violet eyes showing the same nervousness that she had early on the encounter. "Hoitsu-kun."

I nodded, showing that I was listening to her and the young woman sighed before showing a serious look.

"I wish to apologize." She started, her tone was tense but compact enough to convey her message. "I- I know that avoiding you when I learned about Asia's departure was a mistake and I know that I was terribly mistaken in assuming that doing so would have lessened your reactions on the matter."

She lowered her head a little, eyes turning at the table. "I know that doing so was a breach of the trust you had in me and that..." She stopped a moment, fidgeting just briefly. "I- I didn't know what to do at t-the time."

Her eyes closed. "I didn't want to go against Rias and break her trust, but I also didn't want to- to fully lie to you and-" She stopped, hands going near her face to cover a sob, failing as some tears trailed down.

I sighed tiredly, deciding to intervene before the situation escalated to an unsustainable level. Standing up from my seat, I picked a tissue from the small dispenser on the table and slowly went to reach for her face.

Akeno noticed my shadow looming over her and froze in her crying, hands moving away so she could see what was going on. Her eyes widened as the tissue touched near her right eye.

There was shock on her face, but soon I explained what I was doing. "Akeno, I might be very disappointed with what you did about that situation." Then I stopped to smile. "But I sure don't hate you and I think you know my perspective about seeing girls crying, right?"

The Himejima blinked, then her sadness twitched in minor comfort and… she nuzzled my hand. "I missed you." She whispered, her hands softly holding the one with the tissue.

Another accommodating sigh and soon she let go of my palm, taking the tissue in her own hold and helping herself with the tears.

Soon after, the waitress returned with the two plates containing our orders and the discussion shifted to less tense topics.

"Seriously? You caught Sona swearing?" I asked in utter shock at what I just heard.

Akeno giggled a little. "The president was quite… surprised by the amount of paperwork you would receive on a daily basis, Ruruko and Reya were almost overwhelmed by the number of requests they had to sign while filling your role."

I frowned. "But for it to be that bad?" I pressed a little more. "Surely there had to have been another reason for causing her to react that way."

"Sona-san was angry because it wasn't alright for a single individual to deal with that much work-load. In fact, she even went as far as to say that she wanted to apologize for this situation after giving you a lecture about asking for help." The girl continued to narrate while I facepalmed a little.

"I-I was alright with that much work." I tried to defend myself. "It wasn't unhealthy or-"

"Sona-san said that there were 126 papers in those daily stacks of paperwork, if you were still there I think she would go as far to give you a wage." The Himejima giggled as she interrupted me with that.

I sighed. "At least I will be able to return by the end of the month while also having this work continue."

At hearing about the mysterious reason keeping me there, Akeno raised an intrigued eyebrow.

"By the way, Hoitsu-kun, what are you exactly doing here in Tokyo?" Then she realized the phrasing of her question and shook her head. "I mean if it's possible to know."

I hummed, thinking if giving her that detail would or wouldn't truly be that harmful.

I think Azazel did say that the name and the function of the Omega Initiative had been already told to the Satans and Heaven, I don't think Akeno will genuinely cause any issue if she knows about this.

I nodded at that reasoning and started to explain to her about what had happened until that very day, excluding some of the secret situations like the one with Anteiku and Zerkram's words about my 'legitimacy as the heir of Lucifer'.

She showed surprise, curiosity, awe and… annoyance.

"I notice that you have many women in this group of yours." She pointed out with a suspicious tone, causing me to sigh tiredly.

"Excluding Koneko and Kunou that are little sisters to me, Kahlua doesn't feel anything but friendship for me, and Akua and Kuroka are very professional with their jobs-" I went to reason, but sadly the girl was far from done.

"And you didn't spend some special time with Kuroka-san and Akua-san?"

I frowned. "I did take a walk to the Ueno Park with Kuroka but that's it-"

"So you did go on a date with her." She affirmed with utter certainty.

"It was a friendly hangout." I corrected with a stern tone and the young woman narrowed her eyes at my face.

"And pray tell, what do you consider this little situation we are having?" Akeno asked with a strange tone, causing me to give her a confused frown.

"A… friendly hangout?" At my words, the Himejima lowered her gaze to her now empty plate and closed her eyes.

"So, it was a date."

What is she talking about?! I just said that it was a friendly hangout.

Anime logic: guys are generally too dense to understand the difference between a date and a friendly hangout, thus Akeno is thinking you don't see the flirting from Kuroka.

Which isn't true!-

Which isn't true.

Just as I was about to rebuke this misunderstanding and explain that I knew what was going on with Kuroka, I felt a sudden energy pattern appearing near the restaurant.

I felt my face paling, Akeno's eyes widening too as she felt the immense amount of energy slowly moving towards the entrance of the establishment and…

Blue eyes widened, a big smile appeared on the blonde walking through the open doors with her gaze fixed at me. She was incredibly gorgeous, heavenly so.

The woman stopped by our table and I frowned as I knew who she was but… why was she there?

She closed her eyes and let her smile turn bigger.

"Onii-san, I finally found you!"

And thus I ended up glomped by Gabriel, much to my surprise and Akeno's dread.

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After paying for the check, I decided it was best for us to get moving, the innocent and naive Seraph deciding to attach herself onto me, her arms wrapping around mine as I took the lead for some walking around the area.

"I'm not your 'Onii-san', Gabriel." I tried to reason but, much to my dismay, the girl refused to believe my words.

"It has to be you!" She shook her head childishly. "It's you, Oniichan!"

The Himejima frowned. "Hoitsu-kun is just a human, Gabriel-san." She tried to join on my side but… the Angel turned to bore a strange look at her.

"Who are you?" The blonde asked cautiously, tightening her hold over my poor limb as she protectively kept me from the hybrid girl.

"I'm Hoitsu-kun's friend, G-Gabriel-san," Akeno replied strongly. "A-And you are hurting him by squishing his arm that hard."

At hearing those words, the naive Seraph turned back to her hold as her eyes widened in surprise and embarrassment. "S-Sorry, Oniichan, I-I didn't w-want to hurt you a-and-" I sighed as she was starting to flinch a little, almost expecting some scolding.

It was instinctive but the moment I put my free hand over her head and patted it just once, the girl froze, eyes widening astronomically at the gesture and, for some reason, I felt danger approaching.

"I-It's just like when I was little!" The Angel squeaked before hugging me once more. "Oniichan remembers that!"

To think that Lucifer would… treat Gabriel as his little sister…

I think the real shocker is that she said 'when she was little'. Aren't Seraphs supposed to be created already in their maturity by God?

That should be the case… but maybe-

"Oh! Do you remember my nickname, Oniichan?" Gabriel asked out-of-the-blue. "The one you gave me saying that it was adorable and-"

"Gabriel." She stopped at hearing my tone, a surprised look on her face. "I'm not you 'Oniichan'."

She opened her mouth, ready to dismiss this but… I gave her a sad look, something that caused her to pause and reflect. The pause lasted several seconds and then… the woman frowned confused.

"B-But you- you have to be him." She pressed on. "You- You are like him a-and-" She stopped again, her face turning blank for a moment, causing me to tense a little as she smiled and started to laugh.

"Oniichan is joking! It's just like when you told me that Michael was actually a girl but he wasn't!"

...Okay, now I will have to check on that story from Azazel once I find some time to call him.

Nonetheless, Gabriel was in denial. There was no way for me to truly make her see reason about the matter and I decided to sigh tiredly.

Knowing that continuing this endeavor was as risky as fruitless, I passed at the following question. "Did you come here with Michael or are you alone?"

Surprisingly enough, the most innocent and naive Angel in Heaven gave me the fakest distracted look possible. "I-I went for a walk, yes!" She looked pleased by the flimsy reason offered but I gave her a suspicious look before pressing on.

"I think someone is lying~." She pouted at my words and looked away from me.

"T-That's not true." She replied with an unconvincing tone. "I- Michael said that I could go and take some rest-"

"But I bet he was referring still to Heaven." Her pout intensified and she flinched a little at being caught on that detail.

Still, I knew that the situation wasn't going to be resolved by dealing with Gabriel alone and thus, I turned to Akeno and stopped. "Gabriel, can you let go for a moment? I need to say something to Akeno."

The blonde squeezed a little. "It's important?"

I nodded. "Very important and, once I'm done, we will be going back to my home so you can get some rest."

The Angel frowned. "B-but I'm not sleepy-"

"But your Oniichan might need some rest or he might fall unconscious and you wouldn't that, would you?" At hearing my words she blinked, eyes going wide open and she nodded.

Moments later she let go of my arm so I could turn my attention to the Himejima.

The girl sighed at seeing my sad expression but nodded. "I guess that you will have to deal with this now, Hoitsu-kun." She had a disappointed look but still sighed, a small smile piercing through her gloomy mood. "I hope you could still offer some other hangouts in the future. I found this one to be… interesting."

I smiled and nodded. "I liked it too and I will organize others, yes." Yet I closed my eyes and nodded. "Also, I'm sorry for letting you go this early in the day, Akeno. I did enjoy spending time with you and- Uh?"

A brief giggle, two steps forward and I felt my left cheek conquered by her lips.

The girl stepped back, eyes closed as she gave a grateful and happy smile. "Thank you and… I don't mind. I understand the situation requires you and..." She nodded. "I shall see you soon, hopefully."

I blinked and nodded. "Y-Yes."

The Himejima turned around and started to slowly walk away, leaving me to look at her until she left my sight.

She knows how to press our buttons when she gets in her comfort zone.

'A beautiful and cunning woman. You have quite the following, Hoitsu.'

I sighed and nodded, turning around only to find a fuming Gabriel.

"Mou, why did you let that girl kiss you on the cheek?"

I blinked. "I think that's called being good friends, Gabi-chan."

The blonde froze for some moments, then her eyes widened once more. "Y-You remembered my nickname." A giggle left her lips as the Angel tackled me down to the floor. "Oniichan remembered my Nickname!"

I think that this is getting quite ridiculous. I can understand head-patting, hugging and the kind tone when addressing her but… getting the nickname Lucifer gave her?

You are failing to see a fatal flaw in this connection. Her words are slowly manipulating you to consider those coincidences into truthful proof of her words. While Lucifer could certainly have been someone considering her as his younger sibling, the connection between you and him is frail at best. You might share some 'energy' similarity and some personality that is actually very common, but I wouldn't go as far as calling yourself a true 'Second Coming' for Lucifer. Also, the nickname thing is kind of easy as the nickname for Gabrielle is Gabi for many families.

...Maybe you are right. I could be getting manipulated unconsciously by Gabriel's childish fanaticism and it's all a massive coincidence.

It is. Don't sweat it too much.

I nodded and, groaning at the giggling Seraph latching on my arm once more, I proceeded to walk back to the apartment, my free hand fishing out of the pocket my phone as I started to call Azazel.

This sure was going to be quite an interesting day for me, wasn't it?

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AN

Allergies caught me unaware! That is why the chapter is so terribly short and I promise some lengthy chapter tomorrow. It will be a chapter of stealth, of surprises and battles.

It will be EPIC GAMING TIME! And there will be a continuation of the Gabi's predicament. I bet no one will expect how I will mold Michael in this situation.

Fun Fact: I was baptized in a Church named after Arch-Angel Michael so… yeah.

Also, we reached the 696 Follows milestone- HUZZAH!

And now our newest milestone:

Future milestone 1: 717 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Grimmouse197]

Holy Gabriel toast.....love the fluff and chaos

 

[Akuma-Heika]

a small skirt that reached near her knees

Click to shrink...

Based on her legs, if it is near her knees, I do not think it could be called a short skirt. Akeno isn't a dwarf after all (and even then I do not think I would call it a short skirt).

: I was baptized in a Church named after Arch-Angel Michael so… yeah.

Click to shrink...

A lot of Churches (especially Catholic or Orthodox ones) are called St. Michael, so don't feel bad/embarrassed.


I didn't realize that his energy/essence signature was similar to Lucifer...did God pull a fast one at the end? Is the MC Lucifer reborn?

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 34: 'Sisterly' Rivalry

I should have seen this happening way before returning to the headquarters.

Smiling happily, Gabriel was resting her head on my shoulder as she continued to sit beside me by one of the couches in the living room. On the opposite couch sat a glaring Kunou, the Kitsune had her arms crossed near her chest, foxy tails waggling frustratingly as she tried to deal with the annoying sight before her.

I guess that it had to be fairly infuriating to see her surrogate big brother being 'taken as a hostage' by the innocent but possessive Angel latched at my arm.

A pout characterizing her face, the younger blonde looked ready to attack the Seraph any moments now, her eyes giving the fiercest and most hateful look the chibi could muster.

It was flattering to know that she was as protective of me as I was of her, but the main issue in that explosive predicament was that if the fight erupted I would end up caught in the crossfire between the two girls.

Kuroka was staring from afar as she prepared to intervene in case the situation escalated, her face showing caution, dread and… relief.

At least that was what I could gather after I explained to her the situation, the Nekoshou seemed to smile a little after I told her that Gabriel believed I was one of her brothers.

She is happy that she will not have to deal with a new love rival.

I thought that she and Akeno were the only ones giving chase, did I miss someone else?

Let's just say it will be a sudden surprise.

I sighed at the lack of a proper response, glancing at the kitchen area where Akua was finishing cleaning the plates and the cutlery and…

Why was she spending so much time on that knife? It's been ten minutes now and I think it was starting to bend at her unchecked strength. The vampire glanced my way just once or twice, returning quickly at her chores the moment she saw me looking back at her. Her face would gain some more red, but I guess it is quite embarrassing to have someone looking right at you when you are cleaning things.

Kahlua and Koneko were the most neutral over the matter. While the tanned girl was devoting her whole attention to the cartoon she was watching by one of the TVs, the younger Nekoshou would merely glance with some worry right at the hot zone. From her looks alone I could say she was really contemplating whether or not she should intervene in case things went down with a fight.

Gabriel was one of the strongest being in Heaven and, while her naivety and innocence would be easily mistaken as weakness, I was fairly sure that within her core there was also some sense of duty and mercilessness in case things turned dire.

Calling Azazel as soon as I could proved to be the right choice, the man was shocked by the news but also partly happy to see 'the most beautiful angel' after so much time. I was a little irked at the tone he used to address the woman but I was quick to shift the conversation to ask to have Michael pass by.

The Governor-General was a little hesitant, reasoning that contacting the Arch-Angel would bring quite the hassle as the current Regent of Heaven was very busy with how chaotic things had been in Heaven recently.

Nothing was said to expand on this but the Fallen Angel decided that calling was still worth 'the nag' he was going to get by the 'self-pretentious prick'.

The call ended abruptly and I was kind of surprised at the lack of agitations within Gabriel. The beautiful Angel was lost in her happiness at having 'found her Oniichan' and the fact she had started 'remind' me of the good times 'we' shared together in 'our childhood'.

From teaching her about the creations around the World just like an older sibling should to personal experiences like sharing baths when 'she was little and shy' and sleeping together in the same bed.

While the instances proposed were dreadful without giving the context that nothing remotely lewd happened during said events, I found two major worries regarding the description about those shared baths:

1) Gabriel seemed ecstatic about those moments and part of me was concerned that she might as well ask to do something like that with me… and that would be something embarrassing to go through. One would say that it would be dumb to refuse such offer if it was ever proposed, but I knew that by the time she learned that I wasn't Lucifer, I was going to be brutally murdered by Michael;

2) Kunou looked incredibly angry and confused at hearing about this situation. Back when she came to live with me, I did tell her that it was wrong for a male sibling to share the bathroom with his sister and this very situation dismantled that notion. She gave me a quick pout, but in her eyes instead of a glare, I found some planning in the making and… that was scary to know.

Azazel did say that it would take some time, from two to four hours to get Michael to come and pick up Gabriel, but I was already starting to pray for him to arrive much earlier.

Maybe it was the prayers or maybe it was pure luck, but just as I sighed for the umpteenth time, I heard the doorbell ringing.

I blinked as I saw Kunou standing up and quickly walking to the door, slowly opening it to peek.

"You are Gabi's older brother?" I could hear her ask with a curious tone, then there was a brief silence before she continued with an annoyed tone. "Can you please take her away? She is trying to steal my Niichan!"

She backed away as a feminine, tall man entered inside the apartment. He had long, blond hair left unrestrained, a big armor which golden elements jumped to the eye together with the glowing halo over his head.

Gabriel looked the same direction I was looking at and her eyes widened. "Michael?! I- I mean Good morning big brother-"

"Spare me the excuses, young lady." The man replied with a kind voice. "Skipping your duties so suddenly was quite irresponsible of you and-"

His blue eyes widened as he spotted me and he slowly approached the couch. I tensed up as he loomed over me and was ready to move away when I saw his open hand moving over my head and…

I blinked, frowning in surprise as some time passed and… the Arch-Angel continued to head-pat me. "Azazel was right." He said with a hint of surprise at the edge of his voice. "You do look like our late brother, Hoitsu Sakakibara."

The female Angel blinked in confusion at the older Seraph's words. "Silly Michael, he is our brother!"

The youthful man opened his mouth to retort that claim, but I quickly shook my head.

"She thinks it's a 'joke'." The quick answer was met with another wide-eyed moment but Michael nodded, sighing tiredly at the situation.

"I wish to apologize for this predicament, my sister was… really attached to him." He explained with a soft tone. "She… doesn't know how he went out."

I flinched just a moment, trying to not meet up Gabriel's confused gaze as she tried to make sense about what we were talking about but luckily enough she didn't press the situation other than mere staring.

Soon the blonde was yanked away from me as Michael's gloved fingers went to pinch and pull the woman's cheek to force her out of my proximity.

"Uhu, Maichul! Twhat hwurt!" She flailed to get out of his stern hold and he sighed a little annoyed.

"Gabriel, you need to show some decorum as a Seraph." He scolded lightly, then he turned to look at me, bowing briefly. "I wish to apologize for this mishap, she could be a handful about this."

"It wasn't terrible and she behaved well," I replied calmly. "It was more the fact she arrived while I was busy with something important."

"Shee! I was shuper-nice!" Gabriel butted in, only to have the pinching intensify. "Uhhhu!"

"You still disturbed Hoitsu-san and deserted your work today." He rebuked and, as he turned to reach for the entrance, he paused just a moment to turn towards me. "Also, there is something I wished to say to you, young man."

I frowned and nodded for him to continue.

"Azazel did stress more than enough that someone is plotting against the peace of the three Factions and I can assure you as I did with him that Heaven isn't interested in rekindling the War..." Michael stopped, looking doubtful for a moment.

"But?" I pressed him to continue and he sighed.

"Some Angels will not accept full neutrality." He finally said. "There would be another rebellion if we don't take a more aggressive stance before a good opportunity to… end all Evil."

I nodded and golden light started to concentrate on his palm, an object creating and… I narrowed my eyes at the familiar shape, still unable to discern what it was because of the light.

"Before betraying God, he left a curious object in his workshop. He said it was important in case of War, something to use against greater powers and… our researchers are clueless about its power, only determining its miraculous healing properties and perseverance against any attack."

The light faded slowly and I was bestowed with the most insane sight ever. Eyes going wide, a little twitch repeating by my left eye and my jaws dropping down to the floor, I continued to stare at the scabbard that wasn't supposed to be in this universe.

"I will entrust this to you in a show of trust we are building up with Grigori. I think you will have higher chances to understand its working and I know that it will not be a major loss for Heaven."

It will not be a major loss for Heaven- IS HE INSANE OR WHAT?!

I gulped nervously before nodding and accepting the golden-and-blue sheath with some hesitation and I decided to ask more about it.

"D-Did he mentions anything about the sword it contained?"

The Arch-Angel shook his head. "The last time he talked about this project, he said it was a preventive weapon for dangerous threats to humanity. But we did notice that the weight was… off."

Now that I was holding it, I did feel the object being heavier than it looked to be. Frowning I tried to reach for the empty inside and-

BZZT!

My hand dodged the strange electric sensation coming from the area around the opening, making me narrow at the phenomenon.

"There is also that. Nobody was able to understand why there was some sort of magical protection for this and… I think it's time for us to go." The Arch-Angel returned to look at the door and was about to go outside the apartment while dragging Gabriel but… I remembered something and moved to stop them.

"A-Actually Michael-san, I have a request for you." The blond stopped at my hasty words, turning his head to throw a confused look at me.

"A few weeks ago, a young girl named Asia Argento was excommunicated for having healed someone that falsely appeared as a Stray Devil. There is strong evidence that it was a set-up to try and get her expelled from the Church and..." I sighed tiredly and bowed a little. "I beg of you to at least look at her case and possibly consider lifting the excommunication."

The man looked surprised at the request, Gabriel looking interested but focusing mostly on the steel-like hold her brother's fingers were having over her suffering cheek.

"That is a bold request… but I suppose you have reasons to ask this." The Angel thought out-loud. He nodded. "I will look at the matter, but only if the circumstances prove your statement correct I will see to have this possible mistake corrected."

We shared a nod and I followed them by the door, a yellow portal forming in front of the entrance as the two Angels went through it. A few moments later, nothing of their presence was left… except for this scabbard.

'What is so special about this object? I can feel some of its hidden power, but I don't see why you would be so shocked to have it in your possession.'

Avalon was the scabbard of Excalibur… in another dimension. This isn't the scabbard of the Holy Sword created with Alchemy, Magic, and knowledge from God's territory, but the one that holds the legendary Divine Construct nicknamed 'the Sword of Promised Victory', the crystallization of the wishes of Mankind created by the Will of Planet Earth.

Either sealed or not, Excalibur could be classified as a nuke-level weapon with its raw power. It's kind of sad that Protection of Wind and the Protection of the Faes aren't accepting you like the new user.

The requirements are very high and, if I have to be honest, I don't think making use of swords can become a thing for me. Heck, my swordsmanship is rather meek compared to any of my other abilities.

Just as I turned around to return inside the apartment, I found a short individual proceeding to hug me tightly. I looked down and saw Kunou giving me the strongest pout yet.

"Niichan, you stink." The Kitsune judged blankly.

Ouch, really? I thought I was careful to shower properly for the hangout with Akeno-

"And I do too." She finished with a small smile. "So that means that we could-"

Oh no. Nononononononono-

"-bathe together?"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

This is a bad situation! I repeat this is a Defcon 2 situation!

I was about to protest when I felt someone wrap her arms around me from behind. "Oh? You do need some washing-"

"Finish that sentence and next time we are training you will be spending a full day recovering from your daily spars with Akua." She paled at the threat and backed away as I sighed at the little blonde.

"Ku-chan, what Gabriel said wasn't-"

"I-I d-don't want to try because G-Gabi-teme said that about her Oniichan!" She interrupted with a fiery outburst, her face turning red for some reason. "I-I know w-why you don't want to do that a-and I know that y-you wouldn't do that."

… "You… know why?"

Oh Gods, she has a Computer without Parent Control!

She nodded slowly. "I… I wanted to k-know how… babies are really made." Kunou's face exploded in a renewed blush, while my face went paler the more she spoke. "A-And I found this page i-in Wikipedia."

At least she went through a 'safe place' to search for this-

IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT SHE DID SEARCH FOR- Oh my Gods, now I see why Mom was so angry with me when-

I froze at the memory of the punishment I got after getting caught looking at some… non-descript stuff when I was a kid. Curiosity, Sex-Ed Class and even more curiosity were the causes for that small trip down the hellhole and… I was actually glad it happened how it did because I did so responsibly.

While I ended up with far too much knowledge over the matter, I was able to see that some actions weren't to be underestimated and that there were some major responsibilities about those.

And even though I wanted to scold Kunou for doing something like this at her age… I did learn about this stuff when I was way younger than her.

I sighed tiredly and patted her head, crouching down as I decided to check a few things before dealing with this issue.

"Did you delete your browser's history?" She blinked at my whispered question and looked confused, causing me to sigh once more. "I guess that we will have to do that before teaching you how to use Incognito."

Her eyes widened and she nodded. "N-Niichan, does that mean that you could-"

I closed my eyes and hoped that this wasn't going to become my worst mistake in my entire life. "I will wash your back and help you with your hair, but the rest has to be on you. Understood?"

She glowed at that reply and nodded at my small request with glee.

Without wasting any time the Kitsune broke the embrace and took my hand into hers and started to walk towards the bathroom area. I felt some stares on me and I narrowed my eyes at everyone in the Living Room.

And…

Things went actually uneventful. Kunou didn't ask for help with anything else but washing her back and some extra help in washing and fixing her hair once we were done with the bath. It was a strange experience, but I… was actually surprised that nothing weird happened.

But as I dealt with those silly shenanigans, something much more important was unfolding within Tokyo...

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Mio Naruse was unsure about what was going on before her eyes.

When her uncle Rizevim had decided to approach their small independent group to try and bring them to this newly-created Khaos Brigade, her father Wilbert had been hopeful in trying to bring some moderation at the ambitions this organization bought.

Sadly, the invitation proved to be nothing more than a trick from the man to try and absorb her father's powers. Before dying, the Demon Lord was quick to release his power and gift it to her. She didn't want to have such a burden… and yet the extreme situation had called for extreme measures.

With the death of her father, his clique assembled and started to make quick battles with this Khaos Brigade, losing day by day until the red-haired girl was forced to make a difficult choice. Picking her half-sister Maria with her, Mio knew from old intelligence that she had a cousin of sort that despised Rizevim. He was rumored to be strong enough to fend off powerful aggressors and was part of Grigori.

The organization had been helpful in those last few months, but the lack of proper intervention was one of the few things that caused the faction she was part of to lose more power against the Khaos Brigade.

Her enchanted sensor ability gave her two possible paths to follow, both sharing the same pattern but also… not. It had been a confusing situation but in the end, the eldest of the two siblings decided that Tokyo had to be the place where her cousin Vali was.

The trip was dangerous, the men under Rizevim giving strong chase through the various cities she had to go through before reaching the Japanese Capital and…

Sitting with her back on the bark of a tree and Maria crouching beside her to heal her wounds, her red eyes were wide open as the young man in front of them made quick work of the Devils sent to either capture or kill them.

He wasn't using magic, yet his speed and reaction time were impossibly high for him to be a normal human man. Precise punching and kicking led to an entire group of ten Devils to be utterly crushed by the merciless pace the boy was going with.

As the last member of the task force sent to attack them was dealt with, the human turned to stare at them, causing Maria to tense up at the sudden look of surprise directed at both of them.

"I… am not here to hurt you." He said with a calm tone, slowly approaching, his bulky body doing little to emphasize his genuine attempt.

The half-succubus looked ready to spring in action against this stranger when she saw a girl a little older than Mio approach the young man and slap the back of his head.

Both girls' eyes went wide, expecting the strong man to react violently at that sudden action but…

"K-Kozue-chan?" He looked embarrassed as he cowered before the angry look of the young woman.

"Baki-kun, you shouldn't be this hasty. Look at how terrified those two are, you should have been a little calmer with your approach."

'Baki' lowered his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Kozue-chan. I was just… taken by the moment."

'Kozue' sighed in exasperation before giving a smile at the two half-sisters. "I'm sorry for my boyfriend's lack of tact. My name is Kazue Matsumoto and he is Baki Hanma, may I ask what's your name?"

The silver-haired girl glanced briefly at her older sister, Mio blinking before nodding as Maria relaxed and nodded. "M-My name is Maria Naruse a-and this is my sister Mio." She gave a brief bow after introducing herself and her sister. "T-Thank you for helping us."

"It's the right thing to do," Kozue replied with a small smile. "You two were attacked by the thugs here and Baki-kun wanted to help you two quickly."

Mio slowly tried to get up but the gravity of her wounds left her without much strength on herself. Baki's frowned and without hesitation pulled out the small Phoenix's Tears vial Hoitsu had given to him, offering it to the redhead.

The two siblings eyed the tiny bottle in shock. "T-That- Where did you get that?" Mio managed to ask.

"My current boss gave us some of those vials. Those should be able to quickly heal your wounds without hesitation and-" The Hanma tried to explain, only to be stopped by the downed girl.

"Y-Your boss- I-Is he perhaps Vali Lucifer?" There was some hope in her voice but then she deflated when the boy shook his head.

"His name is Hoitsu Sakakibara." While Mio was confused by this name, Maria's eyes went wide open.

"T-THE Hoitsu Sakakibara!?" She asked giddily, making her older sister frown at her sudden excitement.

Baki nodded and the half-succubus turned to stare at the red-haired girl. "He is an important member at Grigori and- He. Is. Here!"

"Do you know him?" Kozue asked a little surprise, getting a nod from the silver-haired girl.

"He is one of the coolest and strongest members of Grigori." Then she turned to look at her sister. "Do you remember the Fan Club I joined a few days ago?"

Mio took some time to think before answering, nodding. "Was it the one that sent you the full-body pillow with that man with the green-mask?"

Maria blushed a little more but nodded. "That is Hoitsu-san! I can't believe he is here and-" Her eyes widened even more. "He was also a teammate to Vali-san, so he should be able to contact him."

The redhead nodded, drinking the content of the vial and letting the liquid to its rightful effects. "T-Then we will have to go and talk to this 'Hoitsu-san'." She said with some determination, causing her younger sister to squeak happily.

Baki blinked confused at the scene, his girlfriend giggling as she noticed the young man's clueless expression over the matter. A fighter he might be, but never did he have to deal with a Fan Club and, Kozue prayed, he will never have to deal with one until she was with him.

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AN

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha is now in the X-over Roster!

Mio and Maria Naruse will join the Initiative soon and… about the Fan Club.

Does anybody remember the former Queen of Diodora, Elea? Well, she didn't stay idle during her capture and might have made some interesting work and… a Fan Club for Hekishoku/Hoitsu was born!

Next time some real steal with the Ghoul hired for the Assassination attempt. It will be a surprise but not a big one as this character… isn't dead in this reality.

Lastly, a little explanation about Kunou's request: while some will say that I went a little over-board, I can assure you all that this is actually a genuine character development moment. Why? Kunou has only her mother as a family and it was customary for the two to be rather intimate towards each other, sharing baths was a thing to. So when she went to live with Hoitsu and she was denied the chance to have shared baths with him she felt also denied the chance of truly bonding with him as her Big Brother. Time has passed, their relationship is at its peak and this little event was the conclusion of their shared character development. It's a matter of trust to be only close siblings and to not go beyond that limit, the chance of being intimate without bleeding into something perverted. There will be a confirmation of this in the future but I just wanted to write this little explanation early as some might misunderstand the message I left in the chapter.

P.S. From this Monday I will resume my usual schedule. Yes, I didn't 'ditch' any stories, just felt overwhelmed by the insane amount of some. Still, some will remain in Hiatus until I get less workload on my back.

Current Hiatus Stories:
Fate Last Heaven;
Human King: Prepare to Die Edition;
American Century;
Angel of Death;
Partypooper;
The Consultant;

Once the currently updated stories are updated, I will start with those in Hiatus.

Magical Trickster DxD will still be a daily installation. There will not be any changes with our usual schedule about this fanfic.

Future milestone 1: 717 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

The redhead nodded, drinking the content of the vial and letting the liquid to its rightful effects. "T-Then we will have to go and talk to this 'Hoitsu-san'." She said with some determination, causing her younger sister to squeak happily.

Click to shrink...

FTFY

she was really contemplating whether or not she would intervene in case things went down with a fight.

Click to shrink...

FTFY

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 35: Family (but also Not)

Eons ago, Terra...

"You should be careful, this place isn't going to be kind to people like you."

The young woman, dressed in tattered robes stared wide-eyed at the gruesome results of the fight between the robed figure and the predators of this forest. Lying on the ground, her face red and tear-stricken as she shivered at the mess of blood and bones that once were her attackers.

The figure was giving her his back, showing little of his face, but she knew it was a male, a young man if she had to be precise. She blinked, a little courage making way through the endless shivers, her lips moving as words formed a simple question, the very one that was plaguing her mind.

"W-Who are you?"

There was silence, only the cool breeze and the shadows of the clouds above them breaking the illusion of total stillness of the world. His cape was fluttering ever so gently, his head turning to the sky as he sighed calmly, ignoring the horrible act he had committed.

"Today is a beautiful day, isn't it?" He asked, ignoring the woman's question, his tone so… carefree.

Red eyes narrowed on him, her mouth forming a brief pout at that cheeky deflection. "I-I asked you a question!"

Once more silence, but this one was far frailer and shorter.

"Indeed." He mused with a calm voice. "I was just trying to understand why your voice lulls so well with the nature around here."

A sudden compliment, something she had unexpected and that her vulnerable state was unable to resist. Her cheeks reddened, surprise building up within her core, her soul quivering just once at the genuine words meant to flatter her.

It reminded of her former husband, so kind and-

She stopped smiling, the memories of how things had devolved still fresh, the reasons for this escape burned in her brain as she remembered the delightful words her man reserved to her more beautiful lover.

A lover God said that was better than her in everything, that was submissive to any orders of the favorite of God.

A powerful and insulting jab at her that stung worse than anything she had tried on this world, as she was discarded as a tool born for the happiness of her husband.

Her tears were renewed almost too quickly as her head fell on her hands. She sobbed, uncaring of her surroundings, of the stench of death from the now-defunct animals, of the strange individual sitting nearby and-

There was a shadow over her. A blink, then two as the very cloaked man crouched in front of her, slowly and softly while bringing his hand over her face. His touch was sublime, she thought as she felt his thumb carefully removing the few tears-trails forming on her red face.

"Can… you do me a favor?"

His voice was kinder, she reckoned as her red eyes stared up to his very face, mesmerized by the features she could spot on him. Her heart paced quicker as her breathing felt secondary to the fixation she had developed over this youthful man's smile.

"Don't cry, pretty lady." He continued, his words going deep in her burning mind. "I will help you with whatever you need."

She blinked as she slowly accepted the helpful hand and was pulled up, standing right in front of the taller human-like figure. She could sense something different compared to Adam but… what could it be? A-And why she felt so compelled by this individual to fight back the sadness?

"I'm- God doesn't need me." The painful words left her aching throat. "I-I shouldn't be bothering you."

He hummed with a curious look, his eyes narrowing on her as he tried to understand what was going on. "Truly? I don't think He would deny someone like you His love, you are… innocent."

"Those are flattering words-" She didn't expect the sudden embrace, she didn't expect to have her red hair caressed so sweetly. She felt her heartbeat loudly, drumming madly at such compassion.

"It's the truth." He said so honestly. "I can see you are a simple but beautiful innocent creature."

Her red eyes were fixed on his warm brown eyes as she nodded absent-mindedly at his judgment.

"Let's see if we can get your wounds looked at, maybe also get you a fresh pair of clothes and..." His smile widened, a joyful development that left her breathless. "Please smile."

Lilith smiled happily, some tears forming once more at this encounter and… soon she was taken to safety, to be protected by the young Angel that decided to save her from the small pit of self-hatred she had fallen into.

God would end up questioning such a decision as Lilith was but a mere human, a sinful one to that. But the young man that was his middle son would only shrug at his words, saying that it was the right thing to do for her when he saw her in that agony.

Begrudgingly, the Lord allowed this situation and hoped his son knew what he was doing with this merciful but strange act.

Michael was confused too, but to Gabriel, it was something quite natural for her big brother.

After all, Helel was the kindest soul in Heaven to her eyes.

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Back to the Present, 23 July 2011…

Of all the characters I could encounter in this wide and expanded world, I wasn't certainly expecting to see Mio and Maria Naruse.

When Baki and Kozue visited by late afternoon with those two girls on tow, I was puzzled by their presence in this specific world, knowing full well that their father couldn't be the ruler of Hell as it was in their original series.

It turns out he was part of a small, independent group of Demons and Devils that decided to live away from the Underworld's administration and for the last thousands of years they had been keen to keep amiable and neutral terms with the Maous and the Bael Clan.

Rizevim decided to try and steal the power held by his younger brother, ending up to cause a minor war between the Khaos Brigade and this little group of independent Underworld's dwellers while also getting further infamy and notice on them.

Ophis has to be quite furious about this.

She surely is. She wouldn't certainly allow any risks to happen to her plans after Diodora's fiasco.

My Imouto better be scolding the bastard or I will have to teach her how to properly treat unruly minions.

You seem to have taken an active role as her brother after just an encounter.

She isn't truly 'evil'. I would say she has a greedy wish of being alone but… I don't know, maybe I might be seeing things but…

But what?

She might give us some surprises and I'm not referring to Power-Ups.

Not going to tell me?

Nope~!

I sighed as I returned to the discussion with the two sisters.

"You seek to have a safe path to join up with Vali?" They both nodded at my question, Mio looking particularly calm and formal while Maria was smiling weirdly. Kunou and Koneko had gone for their rooms, saying that they had things to do before dinner. Akua and Kahlua had gone out of the apartment, the tanned girl was going to get the kitty she asked permission to get.

Kuroka was yawning as I glanced at her last time, she was doing something in one of the PCs of the Living Room and, from my understanding of what I could see in her monitor, it wasn't something lewd. She looked very serious and… she was scribbling words down on her small notebook.

"I will have to contact Azazel-san to see if he can spare someone to escort you to where he currently is. It will take some time, but until you both are here, nobody will dare to attack."

The redhead nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, Sakakibara-san. Hopefully, our presence will not be a burden to you-"

"It will not, Naruse-san. And please, address me as Hoitsu."

It was in that exact that the silver-haired girl gave a quick proper bowing my way. "Thank you, Hoitsu-sama!"

...What was that?

Even Mio looked confused and embarrassed by her younger sibling's behavior in that situation. "I-I will only if you address me as Mio, Hoitsu-san."

"Understood, Mio-san. If there is anything I can do, any request-" I replied and was about to also offer more help when-

"A-Actually there is something that I wish to ask and… it's about your aura." She interrupted, her tone darting from nervous to serious and I frowned at her comment.

"Aura? Could you please elaborate about this or-"

"My sister means that your Aura was similar to Vali-san's and-" Maria interjected, stopping a moment as her eyes widened in realization and she nodded. "F-Forgive me, Hoitsu-sama, I shouldn't be this much uppity but-" She stared up giving me a starry-eyed sight. "I-I can't hold my excitement in front of someone as cool as you are!"

What the actual fuck?

I have some suspicion but… let's see how this devolves before jumping to conclusions.

"You… are forgiven?" She seemed to glow at my half-assed answer and I glanced at the redhead, Mio giving me a clueless look, her eyes giving a confused look as she tried to understand what was going on with the half-succubus.

"Returning to this 'Aura situation', you mean that my energy pattern is similar to Vali?" I questioned again, this time the oldest of the two girls sighing and nodding.

"What I think is Vali-san's had some strange difference with yours, but you have a… 'clear' energy pattern."

I blinked, my face lightening up as I did realize what was going on. "I think what you perceived as 'impurity' was his Sacred Gear."

She frowned. "Sacred… Gear?" Mio asked with a quizzical look and I gave a surprised look.

"I… suppose you don't know what Sacred Gears are..." I nodded to myself, a brief sigh leaving my lips as I started to explain what the Longinus and the Sacred Gears. Both were shocked to learn about those objects, the red-haired girl asking several questions mid-explanation as I kindly replied at every single of those.

Then it was Maria's turn to ask and… she ended up asking something quite interesting.

"That stronger form you used against the Astaroth's heir, was it the result of a Sacred Gear?"

I shook my head. "I don't have a Sacred Gear, the thing I used was Senjutsu."

"The capacity to use natural energy?" Mio asked with a frown. "Excuse me if I say that I find difficult to hear someone as young as you are telling such a thing."

"Well, I guess it's rather difficult for a Human to be able to achieve that state without many years of training but… I'm unique." With those last words leaving my mouth, I triggered the Senjutsu form, eyes turning a glowing red and dark smoke forming around me.

I was about to reply with a snarky remark but stopped myself the moment I found myself staring in two glowing red orbs.

Mio was giving me a wide-eyed look, her eyes glowing and her hair was softly fluttering as dark smoke appeared by her sides. Maria was shocked and awed by the scene, there was some silence at this development but soon… the redhead remembered how to blink.

"I-I-" She stopped eyes still wide open looking down on her body and seeing the smoke. "W-What is going on?"

"It's Papa's energy!" The Half-succubus replied loudly. "I-I can recognize it- but didn't you say that you couldn't access it?"

"I-I shouldn't- and-"

A soft giggle came from behind the redhead, the girl tensing suddenly as two arms wrapped from behind her and… groped her chest.

WHAT THE-

I-I think we have a big problem!

"Ara Ara~ To think that this situation would happen- and to finally be able to get some freedom out of your body, my lovely Queen~." The molester slowly revealed her head, her red hair barely hiding her eyes, dark-sclera with red, dark horns atop her head as the girl turned out to be…

Another Mio!?

"What?!"

She giggled again. "I'm sowwy! I didn't mean to appear so menacing and… Hello there, lovely hunk."

"I- You are Mio's darkness- but-"

"Oh, you know what I am, now that is surprising and… I bet I know why-" She squeezed the poor girl's chest, causing her to gasp in surprise at the lewd action. "But I will have a nice chat with my lovely Mio-hime~!"

"Bitch, you will not!" A familiar voice exclaimed from behind me and I found a white-gloved hand resting on my shoulder.

Shiranai was glaring at the now wide-eyed female darkness stared right at him.

"W-Who are you?" Dark Mio asked, the formal-dressed man sighing.

"I'm the one that knocks and you are behaving wrongly with your host, lady." He replied, getting a scowl from the demonic redhead.

"And you think some references and a stern tone will make me back down?" She then smiled. "If you want, you can try to convince me while we sit on some comfy bed and without clothes, you with your devilish charisma-AHK!"

Her perverted day-dreaming was ceased by a quick hit of cane from Shiranai.

"Begone… THOT!" The darkness yelped as she vanished in dark smoke, Mio's strange form snapped as the redhead returned to her normal self, wide-eyed and confused.

"W-What the f-frig was that!?" She exclaimed loudly and I blinked at Shiranai.

"Your sudden power-unlocking gave your darkness more autonomy within your soul. I would be careful to try and access that form without someone to keep her at bay and… she will not cause you any trouble until that happens-" He explained calmly only for the girl to yelp in surprise.

"S-She is talking in my head." She replied a little scared, face flushing red. "S-She is also using some f-foul words against you, Mr.-"

"Shiranai." He nodded her way as he introduced himself. "And sadly there isn't much to do about it. She will have the freedom of talking in your mind."

"B-But what is she?"

He sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Your darkness, Mio Naruse. That side of yourself that you try to suppress with your best effort, the thoughts you don't wish to even think of, the perspective opposite to yours and..." He shrugged mid-explanation. "Your best friend if you manage to strike a proper deal with her."

"Y-You mean that I can't remove her?" She questioned a little desperate, making Shiranai sigh, his new cane tapping on the floor.

"She is part of you, Mio-san. 'Removing' her would permanently scar your soul in the best of scenarios, death is the most common of affairs." The man chastised quietly. "But I guess that it's normal to be afraid of this kind of development, so I will forgive you for addressing her that way."

"Why do you- Why do you even care for her?" The Naruse huffed angrily. "S-She is a pervert and-"

"She is a living being now, an organism that depends on your existence." He stressed one last time before returning by my side. "She will hate you, say horrible things and even go as far to be an annoyance, but never lowers yourself to that dark morality of 'removing her'. She is going to be part of you forever, maybe just a little chatty from now on but please do respect her."

And with that, Shiranai disappeared in a cloud of smoke, a sigh echoing within my mind.

You alright, fam?

Just a little tired…

'Get some rest, I will keep an eye on Hoitsu from now on.'

Get some napping, Shiranai.

Sigh, to have these friends around… heh.

As I returned my attention to the real world, I found myself noticing Mio's deflated expression. Tears were forming as she sniffled uncomfortably.

"H-He didn't mean to be that cruel- Shiranai is just very sensitive over-"

"N-No, he is right." The girl sniffled again, eyes closing up. "She might sound mean- b-but I can feel like she is just… like I was." She finished as a trail of tears started to flood out.

"Mio-"

"M-Maria please, I know that n-nobody bullies me anymore a-about how weak I was but- but she doesn't have you, mom and d-dad." At remembering their deceased parents, the strong mask she had put on was slowly collapsing and the waterfalls intensified. I sighed, feeling suddenly saddened.

I stood up and walked up to the girl, she looked up as I started to pat her head. "You did a good job, Mio-san, and I think you both need some rest now more than ever." I offered her a hand. "I will lead you to your rooms."

The redhead blinked at the helping hand and… she smiled a little. "T-Thank you." Her hands slowly and softly grasped mine and the silver-haired half-succubus followed closely as I proceeded to show them their current rooms and-

"A-Actually, Hoitsu-san, I have a… small request." The eldest of the siblings said with a small sigh. "C-Can you hold from calling Azazel-san to tomorrow morning?"

I slowed down my pace just a little, glancing her way with a confused look. "May I ask why you need this… delay?"

She nodded. "I-I want to understand her, but I need help to do so." She started to explain, gulping a moment to create a minor pause. "I-I think I would like if it was Shiranai-san to tell me what to do."

I blinked. "Well, you will have to ask him personally. Right now he is resting… but I think he will accept that if you ask genuinely."

"B-But I was rude and-" She tried to rebuke but I was quicker than her.

"And he will be more than glad to help you up. He did say that he forgave you for that minor slight, so don't think about it."

She nodded, the smile returning once more.

The tour proceeded uneventfully or at least the weirdness was limited with just a few strange stares from Maria.

I wonder what's up with her.

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Deep in one of the abandoned warehouses in the Shibuya Ward, Valper Galilei sighed tiredly after putting away another wasted specimen of the tissue.

While Kokabiel had been quite smart to have him try and harvest Alucard's essence to advance his plans, the research and the labor he had to put forward to accomplish this task were painfully nerve-wracking.

It was far worse than anything he had ever done in the past, his hands working with the monstrous flesh of the abomination that struck Tokyo just a week ago, something that absorbed, assimilated the people, the animals, the things all around it. An endless hunger that consumed the sanity of whatever it once was.

The various experiments yielded way too little results, his work slowed down by the lack of Shinso Vampire's blood as the tissue was dying, the preservation runes doing little to halt the decomposition of the essence.

It didn't certainly help his mind to stay calm by being near at man-eating monsters 'guarding' him around. These people were specifically the more dangerous elements of their species, rendering the Genocide Bishop as much as a safe pawn to Kokabiel but also a hostage to Aogiri Tree.

His work was also essential as he presented new ways to preserve the limited 'food reserves' the organization needed to survive, his runes increasing the conservation of most of it and further giving time to the 'diplomats' to buy more flesh from the Ghoul Restaurant and other Pro-Ghouls groups.

Just as the man placed down the tool he had been using until now, he froze at hearing a sudden noise break his relative silence. He turned around and saw a pool of blood spread by the entrance of the room, the lone door that was once guarded by a tall and looming figure with a white mask and red cloak was now left unprotected.

His eyes widened, cold dread spreading as he heard a loud thud in the operating table he had been working on. Turning around slowly he was greeted by a small being, pink hood and short dress and, bandages covering all around them, sitting right on that table and giving him a carefree glance.

A giggle left her lips, the man recognized it was a feminine one. "You sure are a scary scientist, Valper-san."

He gave a strong but uneasy expression at the intruder, hoping that this was a quick attack that could be dealt with if he was careful enough. "I've b-been told that already. Could I inquire who I'm talking to?"

"You may." She giggled again, this time there was a dangerous edge to it that caused the former member of the Church to take a step back. "But I don't think giving my name will make the difference today, can you guess why, Valper-san?"

He could feel her smiling behind the bandages and the man gulped nervously. "Y-You will not risk angering Aogiri-Guh?"

The girl hadn't moved from her spot, she hadn't employed any Kagune to attack him and…

He could feel something painful stabbing him from behind. Valper tried to turn around and face his murderer but-

Squelch!

The tendril passed through him. A small mouth formed at the end of it as its teeth devoured part of his flesh that had stuck on it. His eyes widened, his jaws dropping as he felt his life fleeing from him.

"P-Please- I-I could be useful and-"

"Nope~!" The girl giggled, a sharp-like blade forming around over her arm and she took a quick swing over his head.

The effect was immediate, he felt flying as he was decapitated and… then nothing.

Moments of silence passed, the Genocide Bishop drawing his last breath as the mummy-like Ghoul sighed. "That was fairly disappointing." Eto pouted with some annoyance.

"He was protected by strong ghouls." A male voice interrupted her comment, the cloaked figure approaching calmly as the tendril connected to him retreated to his Kakuhou. "If you were expecting him to fight back, then you truly are delusional, niece of mine."

A scowl adorned her face. "You are a boring man, Noroi-jiisan."

"You shouldn't even be there, Eto. I told you that it was a solo mission-" The man failed to finish his speech as the young woman jumped off the operating table and started to walk towards the door.

"A very boring man." She mused loudly. "I will be out to take the gas cans, you should start gathering the stuff here."

A calm sigh, his face was unperturbed as he did comply with the girl's orders. It took them just half an hour to get rid of the guards around the perimeter and inside the place and another half to get the researcher's data and set up the various gas can inside the building.

The fire will become a major part of that Evening News report, the causes and the victims left unknown as the authority couldn't get anything to properly identify the rests of those that had died in it.

A mysterious case that would hound the minds of the people living in the Shibuya Ward for a week or two, only to disappear as one of the many accidents happening in Tokyo.

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AN

There is already a name for Mio's dark side, it will be a EE from another 'important' anime character and no, I didn't do it for giggles. I've set some plans for Mio, which aren't about pairings but focus more on her character development.

Some have asked about Basara or any others from Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha, if they are going to appear in this story. My reply is: if I can fit them with the plot and current disposition of things.

Basara will sadly not appear for some good reasons:
1)As many stated, he is one of the good harem protagonists and putting him here would remove that quality from him as he wouldn't have a reason to get closer to Maria and Mio (Excluding the fact they are all first-grade cousins and I draw a line to that.);
2) He was part of the Hero Clan, which isn't the Hero Faction of Khaos Brigade, thus altering his story even more if he was integrated within the story;
3)If I put him in, I would have to put another roster of characters from the series because he is connected to them. I would have to deal with more people from a single series and I wish to actually keep the X-over to few people from a series each.

So before anyone say that 'You are doing this for pairings' purposes' then I will have to object and remind you that I can bring people that I know I can genuinely integrate with the plot, give them a sense to be there while not breaking the current balance I'm setting up.

P.S. Yes, Noroi is Alive!Noro. He didn't die because he hunted V with Kuzen and wasn't ambushed during an attack.

Lastly, one Follows to current Milestone, so I'm setting a new one:

Future milestone 1: 717 Followers and Favorites.

Future milestone 2: 777 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

God would end up questioning such a decision as Lilith was but a mere human, a sinful one to that. But the young man that was his middle son would only shrug at his words, saying that it was the right thing to do to him when she saw her in that agony.

Begrudgingly, the Lord allowed this situation and hoped his son knew what he was doing with this merciful but strange act.

Click to shrink...

Guessing Lilith has some (read 'a lot of') AU elements.

Maria and Mio (Excluding the fact they are all first-grade cousins and I draw a line to that.);

Click to shrink...

Considering that the massive difference in genetics, while they are technically 1st cousins, I think that in some ways, it would be closer to 2nd cousins (maybe further), but I understand the principle. Will Yuki (I think that is her name) appear? She was part of the Hero Clan, but with how the Hero Faction works could exist in DxD even apart from it.

 

[Simonbob]

God would end up questioning such a decision as Lilith was but a mere human, a sinful one to that. But the young man that was his middle son would only shrug at his words, saying that it was the right thing to do to him when she saw her in that agony.

Click to shrink...

to do for her when he saw her in that agony.

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 36: Right and Wrong

The early morning was surprisingly tenser than I had expected.

While I was preparing some breakfast with the help of a very supporting Akua, I felt an odd sensation, as if something was happening right by the table.

Looking the way the others were sitting, I saw quick fragments of a rather big, explosive situation that was silently and slowly escalating in something quite… dangerous.

Mio had decided to stay there, accepting to first contact her cousin and then speak personally with Azazel.

The Governor-General was partially surprised by learning about Mio and Maria, the man reasoning that the attack on the 'Wilbert Faction' caused many to suspect that even the two girls had been killed in that first battle where the Demon Lord was eliminated.

There was some relief at this good news, but there was also some dread at learning about the situation with the redhead.

The Fallen Angel was quick to remind me how dangerous that form was, especially without proper guidance, and showed instant relief at learning that the girl wanted to stay here to learn how to make use of this new power.

Vali was more surprised than anything to learn about Mio and Maria, maybe also a little intrigued by the concept of having a family he had no reason to hunt down and kill. There were some allusions to possibly visiting to personally meet them, but nothing concrete or properly planned.

Still, it did offer the host of the Divine Dividing another reason to stick around Azazel's camp and not join Ophis' organization.

Once I had everything done by the kitchen, I was swiftly serving the various plates and cups to the people reunited all around.

Baki had taken a simple cup of coffee and an entire plate of chocolate cookies; Akua and Kahlua were curiously trying pancakes; The rest of the girls decided to settle with cups of chocolate milk, Mio being the most receptive as 'it was the first time she tried something so good and sweet'.

Blasphemous! Who would deprive someone of the chance of enjoying such a treat!

Maria was actually… very awkward about it. Her comments contained some heavy… double entendre.

Now that I was sitting down to enjoy my share of the breakfast, my eyes could see better what was going on within this little space.

Mio looked nervous, eyes hardly moving away from her hands and cup, some fidgeting happening as she tried to proceed with the breakfast without catching anyone's attention. Her younger sister was doing something similar… but also different.

Eyes fixed on me and a strange smile plastered on her face, the girl decided to try and chat with me. It was painfully awkward of course, the young Succubus being as sheltered as her older sibling but she wasn't shy from giving her 100% even with some topics that were less acceptable to discuss so early in the… ever.

And while she continued with her confident attempt, once in a while she would glance by my side and frown briefly at Kunou.

The Kitsune had her eyes locked onto the girl with long, silver hair, golden orbs narrowed in an annoyed and slightly infuriated manner.

From this very chit-chatting I managed to finally get an idea of what was her deal and what Shiranai was talking about when studying her strange behavior.

She is a fangirl! You're quite screwed.

I wanted to deny that this situation wasn't that bad… but it was that bad.

"By the way, Hoitsu-sama, can I ask you a favor?" The half-succubus ended up giving this question, causing me to blink suspiciously at the strange tone her grin had gained at the end of the query.

"Sure?" I replied unsure what she was trying to go with this line of questions and-

She stood up from her chair, showing a small black pen. "Can you sign me an autograph?"

I frowned, she slowly moved to reach closer to me and I nodded. "Okay..." I blinked, accepting the pen in my right hand and waiting for the object I had to sign the autograph-

Without hesitation, the girl's hands went to the upper portion of her dress and she started to pull it down. "I would like you to sign it in my bo-UH!?"

Just as she was about to flash me this closely, several dark-colored strings wrapped around the silver-haired succubus, making her 'eep' in surprise as she was completely tied up by those magical strings.

A familiar giggle came from behind her as a pair of cat ears revealed that the one responsible for this quick-reaction was none other but Kuroka. In her face there was a smile, a normal one… a normal one.

"What are you doing?" She asked quickly, poking the girl's sides and causing her to reply quickly.

"What am I doing?" Maria reiterated the question.

"What are you doing, nyah?" The Nekoshou pressed on her for some straight answer.

"N-Nothing much."

"Lewding the Human?"

"Lewding the Human?" The half-Succubus parroted again.

"Are nyah?!" There was some edge in Kuroka's voice and the girl blinked, keeping quiet for a while and then… she opened her mouth.

"Yes."

"Then I will punish you!" The dark-haired young woman exclaimed loudly while picking up the tied up girl and walking out of the living room but not before stopping to smile our way. "I will make sure she will learn some 'manners', nyah~."

There were some loud stomping and cries for help from the youngest of the two half-Devil siblings, but one thing caught our collective attention. Mio sipped calmly from her cup, eyes closed and her head shaking in disappointment.

"It's not the… first time she tries something like this." She explained calmly, her eyes opening to show a defeated look. "Let's just say that she was banned from several events and concerts…"

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Meanwhile, somewhere else…

This wasn't the place he had exactly expected to go to find his possible newest recruit.

Azazel sighed tiredly as he continued to slowly walk through the halls of the school. Salt Middle School was a normal school in Seasoning City if not for the presence of a particular individual studying there.

The Fallen Angel sighed as he took another turn at the corner of the hallway and…

Thud

"D-Damn." The man paused, eyes fixed on the fallen young student. Short blond hair, dark-blue eyes and… the wrong uniform for this school.

He stretched his hand, helping the youth up. "I'm sorry, should have been careful before turning."

The boy nodded. "It was nothing, si-" He froze the moment his eyes fell on the man's face, sudden realization taking over his face as shock filtered out. The blond took a step back. "W-What?"

"I suppose you can perceive part of my power." Azazel mused loudly enough for the boy to pick up. "You are one of those Espers."

There was a careful nod to confirm this guess and the Fallen Angel's smile widened. "Good, then I think you can be helpful about something."

Teruki Hanazawa was utterly terrified by the man before him, the pure raw power that he exuded was chaotic and irrational, something far too different from anything he had ever seen. But since the man wasn't trying to attack him… he will give him the benefit of the doubt.

"There is a young man that studies in this school, he should also be an Esper and-" He tried to formulate the question, but Teru interjected quickly.

"I'm sorry sir, but Mob-kun will not accept any wacky offer from people wanting to use his powers for some greedy mission." The student from the Black Vinegar Middle School replied quickly but also politely.

This sudden response caused Azazel to blink in surprise at the adamant tone but he pressed on. "Even though such 'greedy mission' is to protect and save humanity as a whole?"

The blond raised a confused eyebrow and the man nodded. "There is some group that wants the utter destruction of mankind by starting a war way bigger any of the World Wars."

"Espers?" The student asked far too quickly.

"Much worse," Azazel replied cryptically. "And that is why I need to speak with your friend, Shigeo Kageyama."

Just as Teru prepared to ask for some more about this 'group', footsteps started to approach from the hallway behind him. Both turned to look who was approaching and the young Esper's eyes widened in surprise as he was here.

A 15-years old student at the Salt Middle School, his dark-hair styled in a bowl-shaped style and with a neutral and blank expression as his most common look, Shigeo Kageyama, known to many individuals between friends and acquaintances as Mob, was calmly walking towards them, and standing by his side was the now-trustworthy Evil Spirit Dimple.

The green fire-like being was the first to notice the man's presence, a terrified expression forming on his face as he comically hid behind the frame of the young boy.

"I-I can't believe it! He is here!" The brunet frowned at the yells from the Spirit but continued to walk towards Teru and the stranger, eyes showing confusion and… caution.

"So I've finally found you, Kageyama-san." Azazel nodded while addressing this arrival.

Mob finally stopped, head tilting on the side. "Do I know you, sir?"

"You shouldn't for good reasons, but I do know who you are and what you are capable of, young man." His smile almost doubled at the blank-looking student. "I would like to know if you have some time to spare to listen to an interesting story."

Dimple peeked from Mob's shoulder with a confused look. "A-Azazel-sama, wh-what are you doing here of all places?"

The Fallen Angel turned his attention to the low-level spirit, causing it to retreat in his 'safe spot'. "I think I've seen you before..." The Governor-General of Grigori thought out-loud, before letting his eyes going wide in realization. "You are Pebble? No… Wait, I remember! You are Dimple, right?"

The green evil spirit nodded, some annoyance from the previous guess still etched in his face. "T-That is me, Azazel-sama."

Shigeo glanced at the spiritual presence with a frown. "You know him, Dimple?"

A nod and Dimple explained. "Azazel-sama is the leader of Grigori, an organization that holds Fallen Angels, Stray Devils, and powerful humans together. He is one of the most-known figures in Christian Mythology."

Teru frowned at this explanation about… mythology of all things, while Mob merely nodded at it.

"You mean to tell me that he is some Angel or-" The blond commented skeptically.

"I was an Angel, young man." The man corrected the boy. "After sinning because I fell in love with a human woman, I lost my place in Heaven and I'm now confined to Earth."

"I'm sorry if I sound too blunt, but can you please explain why you are here, Azazel-san?" The Kageyama asked politely. "I understand that you are important, so may I ask you why did you search for me?"

The Fallen Angel nodded, a little surprised at the boy's humble and apologetic mannerism. "No, you are being fairly correct in asking about the reasons for my presence here and today, but I think this should be explained in a more… private setting."

The blond nodded suspiciously. "I can see that there might be some big reason for a 'Fallen Angel' to seek Mob, but I think some minor summary could be given here," He glanced around. "Since there is no one here to overhear."

"I guess I can say a few things… let's see..." The Governor-General turned to look at Dimple and nodded. "Ophis is amassing forces."

The green spirit… almost fainted at those words causing the man to groan. "Of course he would be terrified by that… hmmm…."

Another nod. "Someone very dangerous is creating a group that wants to create another War similar to the Great War between Angels, Devils, and Grigori." Azazel explained. "This is why it was in the common interests of the Three Factions of Christianity to form a group to fight this Khaos Brigade before they can spark this new War."

"And that group… is made by Espers?" Teru asked again, getting a groan from the man.

"It's not made just by Espers." Azazel continued. "Magicians, Devils, Demons and powerful humans."

"Powerful… humans?" Mob asked confused. "You mean like physically strong?"

The man nodded. "Indeed. One of the members is one of the strongest humans in the world."

The brunet's eyes glowed a little. "D-Do you think he would agree to teach me how to… get stronger?"

"It's everyone's interest that all members train and, if you feel the need to train yourself physically, they will help you with that." The Fallen Angel replied, gaining a small hopeful smile from the scrawny boy. "Now that I gave you some info about the situation, I hope you understand that for me to give you the rest of the story, we need to be in a good place where to have these private discussions."

"But what about-" The blond seemed ready to formulate another question but-

"Teru-kun, you shouldn't be asking for more where we are." Dimple interrupted, the spirit having recovered from that scare. "A-Azazel-sama is correct in requesting some privacy. If Ophis is truly creating an army out of the disgruntled elements of the Underworld, Earth, and Heaven, the situation is bigger than anything we have dealt with so far."

"Should I ask Master for some advice on the matter, Dimple?" Shigeo asked the spirit and before it could answer, Azazel replied instead.

"If by 'Master' you mean Arataka Reigen, I've already discussed this to him." As he said those words, Mob's eyes widened a little. "He was skeptical about the whole Mythology topic, but he was quite positive about this whole situation. If you want to contact him about the matter, I will give you any issue about it."

"B-But why contact a human?! Why risk the secrecy to-" Teruki paused just a moment, his shoulders sagging a little at the dull realization striking him. "You bribed him, didn't you?"

"He was fine with a small 'gift' to not reveal anything to anyone, but he was positively stern about refusing any other 'offers' to ease the recruitment of young Mob." The man mused loudly enough for the two boys to hear, the brunet nodding happily at the proof that his Master was a good man after all.

Without asking more questions the small group walked away from the main school building and… to the former club-room of the Telepathy Club, now left unoccupied after Tome Kurata had finished her studies at Salt Middle School.

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Mio Naruse POV – Two hours after Breakfast…

After dressing up with some training gear that I had left back in my new room, I proceeded to reach for the second floor of the apartment. To think that the headquarters was so well-expanded! It was nice to know that Maria's and my new home was going to be big enough to house them all without making it feel cramped up. It paled compared to the mansion back home but-

Oh? Oh my-

This… was the place where they were supposed to train? It was so massive!

Aha! That's what she said!

Bitch! And I don't need your commentary right now. We are going to fight-

A very handsome piece of meat that I wouldn't mind to-

E-Enough, you pervert! We need to focus- this is important because-

We can both learn to cooperate and be friends, yadda yadda- Do you really think that this will work? That you can 'control' me or-

I-If you didn't believe that when Shiranai-san said it, then why did you keep quiet?

I-I was trying to elaborate the fact I was 'Begone-Thot'd so quickly and mercilessly. That fucking cane can make some nasty bumps too, I tell you.

I felt a little smile forming on my face at that little stuttering, knowing full-well that I did hit the right spot much to the darkness' chagrin.

"Are you ready, Mio-san?" I blinked as Hoitsu addressed me loudly, bringing me out from the brief moment I spaced out from the real world. I took a basic fighting stance and nodded.

"I-I'm ready!"

We were alone in that humongous room, the simple spar was meant to gauge my capacity to fight in stressful situations and receive constructive critics regarding it.

My mind was focused on the soon-to-begin fight, patterns of Gravity Magic flashing in my brain as-

'He started by removing your shirt-'

The plans on how to keep the man away from me were quickly-

'Eyes lingering around, hungrily as he-'

S-Shut up!

I had to make sure he kept away from closing the gap between me and him, my physical prowess being rather-

Shitty!

We are going to lose…

Darn right, we are!

"Okay then, here I come!" The young man roared as he charged towards me, fear suddenly gripping my heart and forcing me stuck still and unable to move-

I wonder if he would scoop us up for a French Kiss-

N-No!

Embarrassment trumped dread, my mind forcing me to away from the early rush, my face burning red in shame at the lewd commentary I was being subjected with.

Aw, and I wanted him to take us out 'without mercy'~!

L-Look, can we agree to-

Incoming!

U-Uh!

I had barely enough time to bring my arms up to block the kick reaching for me. A yelp left my lips as I was sent flying several meters away. I groaned at the insane strength behind the attack, my legs wobbly at trying to block such an immense-

'Power'.

CAN YOU NOT!? It's not funny anymore!

What are you talking about? This is fucking hilarious, my Queen.

"Mio-san!" I snapped my attention away from the darkness and right to Hoitsu, the young man was glaring at me. "Tell your darkness that she is a dull cliché!"

Bah! What a weak insult! Is this his attempt to anger me to-

You are a cliché.

What? I'm not! I'm original and-

We literally copied Hoitsu-san's form and you exist as a copy of-

I'M NOT THE COPY OF THAT PRIM AND PROPER BASTARD!

Sore?

Incredibly so! But you know what? Fine, let's give them something to worry about.

W-What are you talking about-

My body burned with energy, I could feel my spirit heightened, my mind sharpened and my determination… redoubled.

By the way, my lovely queen, my name… my name is Nanika~!

"Let's do this!" She rushed forward, palms lifting forward as powerful gusts compressed by my Gravity Magic managed to restrain the young man from moving.

The human looked surprised but he was still quick enough to react as I jumped up to deliver a dropkick on him. His arms held against the hit, but my enchanted ears could feel the floor beneath cracking at the power I was generating.

It was so unrealistic but… so freaking good!

I shifted back on the ground and punched through his defense and right on his stomach. He was surprised but… he didn't budge. Smoke just like mine filling my vision momentarily as he glared at me with his two endearing blazes of his.

My own eyes widened in glee, my heart skipping a beat or two as we started to exchange hit after hit, punches and kicks, Silver Linings shredded by Wind-based Spells and Gravity Barriers breached by Lightning-based Spells.

A flurry of emotions and attacks, a joyous carousel of ours that brought out from the deepest corner of my core a need, a thirst that needed to be satisfied.

The genuine happiness at seeing another punch pass through, this one slamming decisively on his face as he recoiled in sheer surprise. I almost squealed, I could feel my legs burning at the labor, but I knew it was almost over.

I spotted just a few strands of my hair, the red locks glowing an unholy light, similar to the very shade my eyes had. I grinned, I pressed forward as I tore through his defenses without hesitation, without mercy and then…

Thud

He collapsed as the second punch hitting his face got him unconscious, the impact leaving him unable to move, to think as I crouched down and pressed my chest onto him. My face slowly worming nearer to his own and… I smiled in delight at his sleepy, tired expression.

I breathed, my heartbeat going crazy at such sight and then… my eyes widened.

His arms unconsciously wrapped around me, panic surging at the idea he had faked his unconsciousness, that he had tricked me in his arms and… nothing else happened. My dread subsided, confusion and curiosity replacing it in equal measure as I finally felt something grasping at my heart.

It wasn't the need to prove my love, it was my own tiredness fighting through my current state.

I- You need to seriously-

SHUT UP! YOU NEED TO-

W-What is- What is going on!?

HE- HE IS-

But my mind couldn't any longer compute, my thoughts shattering as I felt it flooding back to me. Gone was the ghost of the past, now only the memories of Papa, how he used to- to hug me like this and-

Thud

I felt consciousness fading, my mind restored to me as the frenzy that took me vanished without a trace.

I would have questioned this even more, asked for advice but-

My eyes closed, the fatigue finally depriving me of the chance to study the case and… fall in the embrace of the kind young man under her.

Such is the tragedy of Old Love.

--------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d-----

AN

No, it wasn't Lilith 'possessing' Mio. What just happened was… primal love at work. What does this mean? Well, Mio is part of the 'Lilith' Branch of the Lucifer's family while Hoitsu is the poor lad with strong similarities with Lucifer himself.

There are some wrong theories being given to this situation and I think many will be shocked how things are going to unfold. It will be a masterful plot-twist I've never considering using in any of my stories and I bet everyone will be mind-blown by this.

Also, before anyone asks, I know that many are going to question the pacing of this Volume and I can assure you that I am going slow just now that I need some early characterization. I will not do a day-by-day kind of chapter-pacing, but I need to give substance to the newcomers.

Lastly, Mob-kun, Teru-kun and 'Mysterious candidate' joins the party! They will be the backbone, together with Baki, to fill the male's quota and, before anyone says that Mob is too strong as he is a multi-city destroyer level of strong, I will remind you that beings like Trihexa, Ophis and other planet-busting threats are going to appear in this story.

P.S. Maria is a pervy girl, nothing much to say about it… except that she meets her match in Kuroka… maybe even more now that I consider it a little bit… hmmm…

Future milestone 1: 777 Followers and Favorites.

 

[JBukharin]

This post will be edited everytime a new character is introduced.


DXD:
-Hoitsu Sakakibara (Human/Leader);
-Kuroka Toujou (Nekoshou/Second in Command);
-Kunou Sakakibara (Yokai Kitsune/Member);
-Koneko (Shirone) Toujou (Nekoshou/Member);
-Valerie Tepes (Dhampire/Member)


Rosario + Vampire:
-Akua Shuzen (Vampire/Member);
-Kahlua Shuzen (Shinso Vampire/Member);


Baki the Grappler:
-Baki Hanma (Human/Member);


Shinmai no Maou no Keiyakusha:
-Mio 'Lilith' Naruse (Devil-Human Hybrid/Member);
-Maria 'Eisheth' Naruse (Devil-Succubus Hybrid/Member);


Mob Psycho 100:
-Shigeo 'Mob' Kageyama (Human-Esper/Member);
-Teruki 'Teru' Hanazawa (Human-Esper/Member);
-Sho Suzuki (Human-Esper/Member);
-Dimple (Evil Spirit);

Castlevania:
-Mathias Belmont (Human-Slayer/Member);

 

[Akuma-Heika]

P.S. Maria is a pervy girl, nothing much to say about it… except that she meets her match in Kuroka… maybe even more now that I consider it a little bit… hmmm…

Click to shrink...

Kuroka never recorded Koneko's bedroom and bath actions, so Maria still takes 1st place in my books

-Koneko (Shirone) Toujou (Nekoshou Reincarnated Devil/Member);

Click to shrink...

FTFY

 

[JBukharin]

IMPORTANT NOTICE:


Today I will be completely busy with some RL project and I will be unable to write anything about Magical Trickster DxD. The situation is just for today, and tomorrow there will be the regular update.

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 37: Rondo of Justice

Eons ago, Terra…

Lilith's eyes were fixed over the groups of flying armored Angels protecting the beautiful palace she was taken in. It's been a few days since she met Helel and things have changed a lot ever since that brief but eventful day.

No longer her dress was made by ragged clothes, but by fine and soft cloth. It was nice to the touch and she enjoyed the sense of 'clean' that it bestowed her every time she donned it.

Baths were also a new element in her routines, the warm and limpid water that she was granted to cleanse herself of sweat or any other filth staining her hair and body. It was such a nice development, a pleasant moment to spend alone and think about everything that was now around her.

Angels were odd creatures, blessed with glowing a gold halo floating right above their heads and a pair of pure-white wings.

But it wasn't only the bathroom that gave her the chance to reflect upon her new life, away from Earth.

The large balcony that gave to the entrance of this gorgeous home was a good spot to look over the world around her. The new world, she corrected herself quickly.

This wasn't Earth, this was a completely new way of living that Lilith felt endeared to.

"Is there something wrong, Lils?"

Lilith almost jumped at the sudden question, turning around to find Helel looking calmly at her. There was curiosity as usual but also some minor concern which was… nice. It gave her a sense of self-worth that… she needed.

Sighing, the redhead pouted. "You scared me, Hel," Her arms crossed close to her chest as she walked right to stand in front of him. "You are a mean man."

He frowned, yet his lips twitched in amusement. "Oh? I'm mean, lovely?"

A blush spread on her cheeks, a groan leaving her mouth as she turned to look away as a brief but restrained chuckle fled the silver-haired young man.

"Forgive me. I just can't help but find you-"

"'A-Adorable'. You h-have already said that more than enough." She interrupted with a small stutter and huff.

"I don't think there is 'enough' to that, sweetie." The Angel pressed smoothly.

The redhead groaned in her own hands. "Y-You are insufferable."

"I sure can be..." And here it was! The kind and warm smile that would always get her legs all wobbly and jelly-like. He would be to swoop her up in some embrace, keeping her close-

"Are you alright, Lils?" She huffed in his chest, softly headbutting it and closing her eyes before speaking up.

"Why do you have guards?" The question sounded so small because of the following silence, a moment of regret swelling in her heart as she prepared herself to handle an apology.

But then Helel replied, starting with a tired sigh. "Most of the good things that you can see and try in this house… are my inventions." We slowly left the balcony, back to the 'living room' as he gestured all around. He pointed at the chandeliers, the couches and the curious transparent 'windows'.

"I created commodities, objects that aren't truly needed by people, but that could give anyone the chance to find relief during their work-time." He continued to explain. "But by doing so, I created an image for myself."

"An… image?" Lilith asked, confused by how the word would fit in that particular predicament.

"By doing something good for everyone, I made myself appear as 'someone trustworthy and caring'." He said calmly. "And those that believe in this 'image' starts to worship me as someone beyond them, abstractedly better than any of them because I did something they didn't do."

"That's…" She blinked, trying to get the proper words out. "But aren't you… better than them?"

He shook his head. "I'm more creative but never I will be better than the other Angels." His voice sounded as if drawing near an unpleasant edge. "I'm but a mere being that seeks a normal and good life."

Lilith nodded, finding the idea of a quiet life to be a good one. "So… how does this connect to the guards?"

He sighed. "I was going to reach that." He hummed calmly. "While guards are usually to defend people from external threats, sometimes these men and women can be used… against internal threats."

The redhead frowned. "You?" She asked dumbfounded. "Why would God consider you a threat?"

"I'm 'Above many Angels', I'm loved and worshiped." He mused tiredly, the hug starting to get a little less… one-sided. She could feel the need to press a little more in the embrace and she was surprised at the stronger warmth she got from that. "I'm not a threat to God himself. I'm a threat to the image He has over Himself."

The young woman looked confused. "W-What? What do you mean-"

"Too early." He interrupted without hesitation. "I think you are not ready for the revelation."

She pouted but nodded, eyes closing once more as Helel accepted the deepening of that intimate moment.

It was that very moment that reminded her that… she was lucky to have him.

The hugs, the genuine concern and the idea he considered her his equal.

It was all something that left her warm inside, that made her fall more and more for this confusing, annoying but somewhat lovely Angel.

-------------d-d-d------------d-d-d-----------d-d-d------------d-d-d-d--------------

Nerima Ward, Anteiku 2nd floor...

My head hurts…

Next time you will follow my warnings when I say to get serious. We are lucky that Mio's punches weren't powerful enough to cause any brain-damage.

'The little girl knows how to use Gravity Magic. I wonder if she can get to the point of reverting someone's gravity pull.'

It could be done, technically speaking, but I think it's best to go slow with her, especially with that 'Berserk' button we discovered.

I sighed and nodded, my attention half-taken by the epic narration a certain green-haired girl was giving of the previous evening.

"-And that is how I single-handedly killed the bad guy, took his stuff and ended things with a bang!"

I nodded slowly as Eto finished her retelling of her 'solo' mission, the fact Yoshimura green-lighted the whole thing way before I could have given them the right address was both a good thing but also a very uneasy one.

With Valper gone and with his research safely taken by Grigori, Kokabiel's efforts were all rendered useless even if he managed to get Alucard's soul. Yet I was still surprised at how extensive the manager's spy-network was, proving how well-established in the capital the man was.

"A bang that was took most of the first parts of the news-networks of the city." I commented calmly, a little sigh at the big proud smile she had on her face. "Yet someone told me that you weren't alone in that warehouse."

She froze, twitching just once before scowling. "It was dad?"

I nodded and the girl groaned in her hands. "Trying to appear cool and-" She moved away from her palms. "Getting my own image screwed in the process."

I chuckled and Eto narrowed her on me. "That's not funny."

"Just because you are the butt of the joke." I teased once more. "Still, I don't understand why relying me this in your ro-oom!"

A giggle left her lips as she tackled me down on her bed. "Just feeling like it had to be a super-secret place, away from distractions and all." She sat on my chest, a smug smile adorning her face. "Why? Were you thinking about another reason?"

"I've been dealing with some women trying to 'conquer' me, forgive me if I have certain thoughts."

"True enough." She agreed but then sighed. "But I don't want a boyfriend, or better, I don't consider you a good candidate for a boyfriend."

Ouch!

I blinked. "Can I ask why do you think so?"

She shifted, her expression turning perplexed, then thoughtful. "It's… it's not that you would be a bad boyfriend. Heck, I think I would have wanted to date you… until you said things about your mini-harem."

"I don't have a-"

"It doesn't change the fact you have what? Two-Three girls giving chase? That sounds competition I wouldn't want to deal." The Ghoul shrugged. "Sorry dude, you aren't worth that effort."

Double Ouch! I think I felt that one myself.

I nodded. "I can live with that but then… why are you straddling onto my chest?"

"Assessing your strength and… capacity to serve as a..." She slowly slouched over me and stopped with her head snuggling on my chest, eyes half-closed with a silly smile present on her pretty face. "Cuddle- and Snuggle-buddy."

Woah, that is an… improvement? Or did you just get downgraded?

I think it's a mix of the former and the latter…

"So… why did your father accept the fact I'm in your room." The young Yoshimura huffed, possibly because she wanted to enjoy the hug rather than talking, but she still replied.

"Dad thinks I should 'fly away and build my own nest'. I mean, I am 23 years old but I don't see why hanging around my old fool of a dad counts as being unable to fly." The green-haired girl explained, ending by planting her face on my shirt. "Can't I just have… my own freedom to choose when to go?"

"I think he was referring… to have a family."

She sighed. "Creating a family is easy but… there isn't much potential with our generations. Not many can be considered individuals worth of spending the rest of my life with."

"Have you actually tried?" I asked, causing her to scoff and glare at me.

"You mean that I've to actually search around for someone? Can't it just be someone from places I know? What if I end up tricked and-"

I patted her head and she paused just a moment. "Y-You can't just silence me with that!"

"I just did." I blinked calmly, letting out a tired sigh. "You know, you should seriously contemplate finding a boyfriend."

"Rude and mean." She commented with some annoyance. "But I will have you know that I find my 'freedom' quite endearing compared to being hounded down by guys."

"You are exaggerating-"

"How much trouble did you have trying to shower nowadays?" Eto pressed on. "How many girls are usually waiting by its entrance?"

Kuroka and now even Maria are waiting there-

You are not helping!

Sorry?

"And how many guys asked you out yesterday?" I fired back, only to be dismayed by her smug look.

"Five, two of them being stalkers and the rest jocks trying to get the 'hot nerdy chick'."

"You sure are fine with two stalkers?"

"They are careful right now, but if they try anything I will end up with two fresh snacks-" I glared her way and she waved her hands in an appeasing way. "Okay, okay… I was just joking. But I will make sure they lose some teeth if they get handy."

I nodded slowly and the topic shifted to another interesting situation.

"Did you know that Ayato wanted to talk to you?" The girl mentioned. "Something that I can only describe as a 'pulling a Sasuke' on you."

"Try to kill me to prove he is strong?" I looked confused, why would he even want that?

"I mean..." She sighed. "There are just so many references with those three words but… he wants you to train him."

"So he can… kill me?" I asked once more.

"Probably." The young Yoshimura replied honestly. "He is at that stage of his growth where being 'edgy' is fine."

"That… sucks?" I was unsure of what to do about it and the girl pressed her face even harder on the shirt.

"He doesn't like his Oneesama's hugs anymore." Eto commented with a whiny voice. "Why can't he just let if happen?"

And while the girl lightly kicked my shins with her moving feet, I groaned inwardly as I now realized something very annoying.

While I was certain the more important things were dealt with, I was being currently restrained by the girl lying above my chest.

I was immobilized and… turned on an unwilling shoulder to cry to for Eto.

She might not be insane, but she sure does know how to make people do what she wants.

Thus I spent two more hours before I was finally freed by a tired Eto and having to explain to the manager that nothing had happened proved to be a difficult task, especially when he had such a happy stare at the prospect of having settled his daughter with someone.

This sure was going to cause some problems in the future...

--------------d-d-dd-----------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d--------d-d-d-d---------d-d-d-d-

Meanwhile, Florence, Italy…

Darkness has long fallen over the city, the inhabitants having safely returned back to their homes and enjoying the evening together. The few ones that had yet to go back were either working late shifts or completing unique businesses.

It seemed a normal day in the Tuscan province, one that a certain young man would have loved to enjoy either napping or training.

Sadly there was a group planning a 'surprise' for him.

Mathias Belmont was one of the last members of the ancient family that long devoted itself in dealing with monsters and anything even remotely connected to Dracula. It's been 13 years since the Vampiric Count tried to return to life, but the efforts of his uncle Julius Belmont proved to be crucial in permanently banishing the hellish creature from the world of the living.

And while there had been close to no threats from the monster-kind ailing from Transylvania, some strange accidents happened: People disappearing and dying in mysterious circumstances, thieves trying to get the prized Morning Star from the Holy Archives and… curious sights during the daylight.

The young heir of the Belmont Clan was trained in the usage of blessed battle-whips, swords and basic magic, something that would have mattered in most of the worst cases that could have happened.

Sadly, his luck proved to be much more terrible than expected when the attack started.

The gates exploded without notice, the fire consuming the two guards by the entrance as several monsters of various kind rushed inside the building. His father was quick to gather his own weapons and Mathias himself joined the battle at some point but… it was all for naught.

The powerful punch sent him careening to the wall behind me, the impact cracking the old style decorations. The boy fell on the ground, blood hindering the sight from his left eye but… he could see him pretty well in the distance.

The silver-haired tall man took hold of his father's neck lifting off the ground. Even the old Belmont looked worse to wear, having taken the brunt of most of the attack on himself.

"You could have just accepted our kind offers and avoided this situations, Eugenius Belmont. It was just a silly weapon-" The leader of this monsters stated, but he stopped the moment bloodied spit splatted on his face, forcing him to bring his free hand to clean the filth.

"W-We shall never surrender to any of yo-GUH!" The spit-stained hand slashed at the man's neck, cutting open the throat and causing a large amount of blood to spurt out like a fountain.

Mathias tried to stand up, his voice fading at the horrifying scene. Face paling, his hands closed in fists as his knuckles turned white.

T-That was unforgivable.

A shriek broke him out from his anger-filled vision, his eyes shifting to the door nearby the entrance as a body fell on the ground, sporting a big wound in her chest. His mother was staring at him, motionless as life rushed out of her.

W-What was going on!

He was crying, kneeling on the ground as the tall man, a vampire for sure, picked the Morning Star whip out of his dead father's hold.

"And with that we will be moving on the next objective of our long night shift." He chuckled as he took a brief glanced of the weapon. "To think I will need you of all weapons. What a drag."

Strength slowly returned to him, the monsters having long-deserted the large entrance lounge and leaving him with the head of the attackers.

He was distracted, Mathias had to strike now!

His own whip, a basic leather one that has been blessed with some sacraments, was already soaring through the air and reaching for… the Morning Star.

Dark smoke started to cover the figure, soon spreading through his whip and reaching for him.

Darkness claimed him just momentarily as he shifted away from his house, the young Belmont looked up at the full moon above him and he suddenly noticed that he was free-falling towards some unknown forest.

His whip returned back with the Morning Star and the brief relief at reacquiring the relic was squashed the moment he spotted somebody rushing towards him.

Panic rose within his chest, breathing labored as he seemed ready to catch him any seconds now. A barrier formed near the man, causing him to unexpectedly slam at it and make it groan at the impact.

The magical shield cracked severely before it all came down in mere moments, like a building being demolished.

Seeing the silver-haired bastard recoil at the attack, Mathias' shifted his attention back to the fact he was still falling to his death.

Panicking, the boy channeled what was left of his magical reserves to a strong feather-fall spell and… Thud

…

…

He… he was alive. A sigh left his lips and the young Belmont rolled away from the bush he had fallen into. A soft groan later and he found himself looking at his current equipment.

His simple whip had broken down, the powerful teleportation spell having possibly broken its resilience seals and rendered it unable to deal with the snap of dragging the heavier object.

Without hesitation, the young man picked from his pouch a small vial, the Phoenix's Tears his father had gifted him for his birthday two years earlier.

It was a gift that he kept close to him in case of emergencies… like now.

The effects were immediate, just as he has read about and he felt like it was time to turn his attention to a more important, pressing matter. Where was he?

He looked around and… he saw it. It was a tall and massive building in the close distance. A castle.

The silver-haired man that had given chase to him started to fly towards it and Mathias knew… that this didn't bode well for him.

Wounds healed, mind scarred and soul determined, the newest wielder of the Morning Star started to make way towards the immense building, ready to face the killer of his parents once more.

But as he made his way towards the castle, he could feel like he was being watched. A pair of red eyes blinked as the feminine being which those belonged to continued to gaze curiously at the strangers approaching the castle, the boy… seeming the most interesting of the two.

----------d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d----------d-d-d-d---------d-d-d-d---------

AN

STAGE 1!

The story moves forward somewhere far away from Tokyo, the Khaos Brigade making some quick strikes and attempting to score a victory once for all. Rizevim attacked the Belmont, leaving but just the heir to the family.

Quick reminder for those that don't know the series: While in the original game 'Vampire Killer' and 'Morning Star' were one and the same, since the publication of the Netflix series the two weapons are two different things.

Vampire Killer is in the hands of Julius, one of the main characters in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow.

Did it felt a little rushed as a chapter? Let's just say that I wasted some time in other stuff. Nothing worrying, but I think I caught the flu. Drat!

Lastly no, Mathias isn't named after the MC from Aegean Holidays but after Mathias Conqvist, the original name of Dracula in the Castlevania Series.

Note for the FF readers: I will be posting a Characters Masterlist in the profile bio's so, if you need to have somewhere to check the current size of the Omega Initiative, you will have a place to confirm stuff.

Future milestone 1: 777 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

turned into an unwilling shoulder to cry to for Eto.

Click to shrink...

FTFY. Currently has a very different meaning then what you intended.

motely connected to Dracula. It's been 13 years since the Vampiric Count tried to return to life, but the efforts of his late uncle Julius Belmont proved to be crucial in permanently banishing the hellish creature from the world of the living.

Click to shrink...

Guessing Castlevania Drac and RV Drac are different beings.

Lastly no, Mathias isn't named after the MC from Aegean Holidays but after Mathias Conqvist, the original name of Dracula in the Castlevania Series

Click to shrink...

A little confused why they would name their kid after the family's sworn enemy.

While in the original game 'Vampire Killer' and 'Morning Star' were one and the same, since the publication of the Netflix series the two weapons are two different things

Click to shrink...

Wasn't that a localization issue?

Thanks for the chapter!

Who is the third girl aiming for MC? Kuroka and Akeno are the only two I can name.

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 38: Warpath

The eerie silence that preceded his steps towards the castle was starting to get unnerving.

The torches back at the gates were still burning, illuminating the path in front of the young Belmont as he stepped over thought the broken steel.

A myriad of monsters wandering around the massive courtyard that preceded the proper entrance of the building, their attention mostly taken by the carcasses of their former enemies. Guards, the piece of dark-blue armor shattered by the strength and numbers of the beasts.

The moment Mathias noticed the hellspawns festering on the corpses, he took a quick battle stance as some of the weaker creatures rushed towards him.

The youth saw their wings flapping madly, a devilish grin in their ugly mugs. Imps, he remembered his uncle telling him about those creatures when he fought in the Demon Castle War a decade or so ago.

Those tiny beasts were dangerous with their intense attacking rate and their attitude of picking opponents in large quantities.

The Morning Star cracked as its spiked end slammed on the Imp leading the big charge, the holy weapon rejecting the demonic flesh and creating a magical explosion that devoured a good amount of the group.

The rest was pushed several feet away by the blast, horror-filled glances turned at the lone human advancing towards them. Just as Uncle Julius told him, the monsters were keen to run away when a threat far bigger than they could deal with presented before them.

A sigh left his lips as he rushed forward, knowing that trying to take on the horde right now was going to be a draining and difficult task, especially with the lack of essential tools that would ease his slaying job.

The entire area has been taken over by the monsters and the indoors looked safer to him, thus he pushed part of his magical energy through his legs, the sudden boost helping him to gain a good pace to overcome the other beasts attacking him. There were… so many of them, few he could recognize at first sight while a small part actually eluding his mind.

Harpies tried to catch up with their stronger wings, winged skeletons following their example but none was able to reach the quick young man. He jumped over a crushed bench and he was about to reach for the broken glass doors when-

His ears twitched as he picked up the feral roar by his side, causing him to instinctively dodge the claws of the monster that had managed to catch up to him. The humanoid creature had feline features, its uniform fur was a dark yellow.

A blink to its appearance was enough to recognize the growling were-creature.

Werejaguars are beings much stronger and faster than Werewolves, their prowess in a fight compared to their close family which they had a deep rivalry to, the Weretigers.

It jumped, exploiting the broken momentum to try and hit the recoiling Belmont. The boy rolled away once more, forced to make a hasty retreat away from the line of monsters still giving pursuit.

The tip of the holy whip was sent flying once more, the Werejaguar now considered the most dangerous threat at the moment.

The beast dodged the attack with its inhuman reflexes but the whip still slammed on the hide of a gargoyle flying behind it. The resulting explosion sent the surprised werebeast flying towards the near wall, giving Mathias the time he needed to resume his rush toward the entrance.

This time he did it, jumping forward as he turned to once more make use of the Morning Star.

The Werejaguar roared, ready to fight him in close-quarters but it stopped, eyes going wide as he found itself staring at the ball-tip of the powerful weapon. The resulting blast instantly obliterated the monster while also forcing the entire structure and arcs of the entrance to collapse, barring the entrance to anyone outside…

"T-That was close." His magical reserves were dwindling and Mathias knew that he needed some breathing time to recover from the recent ordeal. His eyes turned to see if there was any dangerous issues within the room, the large lounge having been desecrated by the attacking force, the corpses of several other knights lying there lifeless.

He approached one of the bodies and grouched to pick the steel sword in the individual's hands when he saw his face. The man was pale, paler than a normal human being… and his fangs and red, dead eyes.

T-This is a vampire!

Or was.

Mathias tripped and fell on his back as he continued to stare at the deceased creature with a shocked and confused look.

W-weren't the monsters commanded by the vampires? Wh-Why would they-

The Belmont stopped, eyes snapping away from the corpse at the sound of footsteps approaching by the twin staircase.

Rushing down one of these, the young man stared at the blonde rushing towards him. Red-eyes wide open, fangs visible and a fear-stricken expression. The young woman was wearing some ruined, red-black dress, and… she was running towards him.

He prepared for a fight but he soon noticed that she wasn't aiming for him but…

The vampire passed him and then turned around, straddling behind him and pressing her head over his shirt. She started to whimper and cower.

He glanced back, spotting only the trembling top of her hair, his confusion increasing immensely.

More footsteps, this time the individual decided to jump from the small balcony atop the staircases.

He was wearing pure-white formal clothes, crouching to reduce the fall damage and then he stood up. A youthful face, akin to the woman behind the human, but in those eyes instead of panic was cold resolution and his lips were fixed in an emotionless thin line.

The male vampire blinked. "A stranger managing to reach this place?" He mused loudly and cockily, his tone just resembling those only nobles were keen to show. "I'm impressed that a human was able to run through the monsters ruining our courtyard, but I don't think it's the proper time to play with a-" He stopped without notice, eyes widening as the arrogant man spotted the glimmering whips the young human was holding in one hand.

His stare snapped up and back to the boy's face. "A Belmont!? What are you doing here, mongrel?"

Mathias was about to reply with the same vehemency when he noticed the girl's hold tightening, her shivering increasing. What was going on with her?

"What have you done to her?"

The blond man snarled at the question and advanced slowly, a blade appearing by his right hand.

"You seriously think that I will let you go after what your family has caused to our glorious ancestor? And what about her, she is my dearest sister."

Yet the tone sounded off about the way he was addressing her, the human's eyes narrowing on the approaching monster as he readied himself for the soon-to-begin fight. "Then I will have to disappoint you twice, bastard. I will not let you go without having gotten any answers about what is going on here."

The vampire jumped and descended upon the Belmont, his saber cutting through the air and ready to pierce the flesh of the monster slayer. Gritting his teeth, Mathias glanced back and sighed. "Duck!"

The girl tensed at his loud order but complied and ducked as the boy used what magical power he managed to recover until now to use a blinding spell. Just as planned, the male vampire snarled at the sudden light, eyes closing as he still dashed forward.

The blond's swing missed… and the Belmont's newly-acquired sword cut forward, creating a large wound in the vampire's chest. The monster slammed on the floor nearby them, trembling as he started to get up.

"A-A coward m-move." The man spat blood, hatred exuding from his eyes. "I-I will make you pay, you cur!" He rushed once more and this time Mathias didn't have anything to use against him. His hands was burning and his entire body was aching because of the magical exhaustion.

Don't stop.

The stern voice resonated within his soul and the Belmont tightened his hold over the bloodied sword and-
The vampire's eyes widened, his own sword pushed away as the stained turned its course towards his head and silently decapitated him. Terror filling his stare, the headless body crashed instantly down while the head rolled away as both Mathias and the girl fell on the ground.

Tired from the intense fighting he was forced to face, the young human closed his eyes, tiredness overwriting his worries as he came falling down face-first on the floor.

Valerie gasped at the situation and was suddenly by the stranger's side.

Her brother's corpse forgotten momentarily as her fear from the obsessed sibling was replaced by simple worry for the one that protected her. She turned him around and grimaced at how weak he looked right now.

Should she do something to help? Maybe giving him some of her blood- No, even her father told her that it wasn't something good to do to humans. But what she could do?

The young vampire wanted to find help around, maybe one of the guards would help her and knew what to do- but what if they try to kill the human, he was after all a possible threat to them.

The name Belmont resonated something in her memory, but everything was just so fuzzy… it's been a while since she had to think so much. Her brain was hurting… she stopped thinking too much about it and turned her attention once more to the unconscious protector.

But just as she returned to think how she was supposed to help him, her heightened ears caught something or someone approaching.

She shifted around and saw someone approaching by the… collapsed entrance? Eyes widening in surprise as the dark-haired man wearing some formal clothes approached the duo and stopped mere steps away. He looked curious, partly confused but incredibly intrigued by the boy behind her.

"Now isn't that a… curious sight?" He mused softly, his tone directed at the two. "A Tepes defending a Belmont."

The man didn't show any aggressive behavior, yet Valerie kept staring at him attentively. There was something about him that struck familiar to her and she felt an impressive amount of power in him.

"While I am genuinely warmed by such a scene, I need you to let me take care of him. I can help him-"

He tried to approach, causing the young woman to tense up and snarl at him.

The strange man blinked and sighed. "I guess I will have to let go of some restrains to avoid to waste time."

Red eyes were suddenly meet with golden ones and a quick suggestion forced her to not only back down but to… feel sleepy. She wobbled confused, feeling her whole mind stolen in that exact instant and…

Thud

Moments of silence passed, the dark-haired figure crouching to pick both teens up in his arms. "To think that this maddening and yet hopeful event would happen now of all times possible." He shrugged. "I guess I will have take care of both of you before dealing with this new threat..."

And with those words, Alucard, son of the Prince of the Darkness Dracula, proceeded to bring the two youths away from harm's way.

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Tokyo, Omega Initiative's Headquarters…

I groaned as I lied on my bed, head resting on the pillow. "What do you mean we are not going?"

"'I mean' that you will not try to involve yourself, directly and indirectly about this situation." Azazel replied tiredly. "I allowed that you decided to take out Valper carefully and cleanly, with the perspective that you weren't going to dip your hands in any other affairs out of your jurisdiction. Don't make me come over Tokyo to spank you, brat!"

I sighed tiredly and nodded. "Fine, but can you at least tell me why I can't come with you and help?"

"The Tepes Faction is a very difficult group, I did have to use some favors I have with the Vladi and the Manthar families to join in their rescue operations. If I was to bring a human with me they wouldn't have accepted it and..." He stopped to speak just a moment, causing me to frown at the ceiling.

"And what?"

"Rivezim Lucifer and Euclid Lucifuge were seen leading the assault force." He dropped, my eyes widening in surprise.

"Then I-"

"Will stay back to the headquarters, integrate the three new members to your group and avoid causing any spank-worthy issues." Another sigh and he continued. "I swear, there are times I prefer Vali's indifference to things like this-"

"I bet he will flip to learn his grandfather is trying to pull something-"

"And he will not learn about it. I understand the need to intervene because of the whole Lucifer stuff but don't make it your life-goal. Enjoy some rest and please get the third brat a little less annoying to deal with."

"...Roger that." I nodded absently. "By the way, how is the Kokabiel situation?"

"I think he know something is off about Valper's death, but he still needs to punish his 'allies'. Did you read the most recent news?"

I blinked. "You mean the ones literally saying 'Multiple cloaked Ghouls found dead by the Shibuya Ward'? The CCG is going insane with the lack of any clues that could give anything about the one that is causing this mess." I described.

"Some Fallen Angels under his command have been assigned to long shifts over Tokyo. I wouldn't be surprised if they are responsible for the 'purge' of Aogiri Tree but I think this event will force Kokabiel to speed-up his plans."

"Why so?" I asked, surprised by his shift of tone.

"It would be dumb of me if I didn't take notice of strange deaths in Tokyo when one of the Cadres is operating in the city."

"I guess only time will tell..."

"Indeed, have fun with your new kids, brat."

The call ended and I sighed at the phone in my hand before returning it back to my pants' pocket.

We need to train.

I nodded in agreement, silently gazing at the ceiling as I thought what could be best to try and develop. I could return to my roots and develop Light-type magic… but it was particularly weak and difficult to access to, maybe if I called Baraqiel and asked for new books? It could be a good thing.

Remember to not neglect your Dark-type spells. With the Senjutsu mode you should be able to use them and… there is also something else you need to try.

..That is? And please, don't drag this too much.

'Seeing how your Senjutsu mode came to be quite stable and without any bad aftereffects, we've been thinking of… trying a 'Triple Synchronization.'

You mean… adding your power to the Senjutsu mode?

Correct! It will be twice as stronger and make use of both yours and Apophis' magical reserves to keep going and make use of Shadow-type spells.

'I think my reserves are finally filled and I know I can make use of them if you allow it through the seals.'

I… guess we could try that one out.

My walk to reach the training floor was a brief one. There were few people training, the first two that I saw were Baki and… Mob.

Shigeo Kageyama was someone I didn't think that would be in this universe… because of the events he has been part of. Fighting strong Spirits and Espers, dealing with Mogami and Toichiro Suzuki… and then becoming the pariah after the final arc of the Manga.

A tragic individual that was currently listening to the older male looking at him doing exercises.

"You need to aim higher, Shigeo-kun. Your determination is on point but you still aren't there yet physically."

The boy nodded, sweating and trembling a little but still smiling through the labor. "U-Understood, Baki-sensei."

From the sides another boy the same age of Mob continued to stare at the scene in silence. Orange-haired, Esper Sho Suzuki looked rather bored by the sight but seemed to be quite interested by the individual that was responsible for taking down his father as he suffered through the older and bulkier male's regiment.

The young Hanma nodded happily at that reply and merely glanced at me to greet me.

Kunou and Koneko were playing somewhere while having Teru keeping company with them, Kuroka was keeping an eye over Mio and, mostly, Maria, while the two vampire siblings were going for a… shopping spree. While Kahlua had been delighted by the tiny and adorable Bombay cat, I was starting to deal with the issues that such a playful kitty would cause.

Both Nekoshous were incredibly annoyed by being nearby the cute furball, going so far to literally avoid being in the same room as it. The kitty was incredibly eager to take down things off the table, scratching the table's legs and marking its territory in everyone's bed.

Obviously a visit to the vet but it wasn't going to happen until few weeks from now, so we would all have to deal with that until then.

I reached a particularly far spot of the large room and sat down in meditation.

So, how does this exactly works?

Go directly in the Senjutsu Mode, we will take the work from there.

I nodded and closed my eyes as I felt the energy flow through my magical coils.

Good… now, let's see…

I waited patiently for something to happen and… I felt my entire body tensing up as the energy started to build faster, much more faster than usual. I blinked my eyes open and I saw something form around my body. Something dark but transparent and moments later, I found myself inside something that looked like an armor.

First question, is this by any chance similar to a dragon-like armor?

Nope! First thing we wanted to avoid was giving that kind of impressions. I think there are 'enough' Dragon-powered Sacred Gears nowadays and- we look like something even cooler!

'I am- I mean, we dragons are cool.'

But not as cool as a Reaper!

...Say what?!

A little image was filtered to my mind and I blinked at what I was seeing. It was a black-white armor with a skull-like mask covering my head. I noticed only now that I was holding a fucking scythe made of shadows in my left hand.

That is…

Cool? Amazing? Shocking or-

I blinked just once and I found myself back in my normal form, falling on my knees.

Terribly draining.

Y-Yeah, about that-

'While we can help in forming this form and keep it going, your body is not ready for it just yet. You need to train and manage to get the habit of using it.'

You could have… told me that a little earlier.

Sorry but I was… giddy. This is a super-cool bust and-

How am I supposed to train with it if I can't hold it up for more than a few seconds?

That is actually simple. We are going to learn another technique that will help us with that.

...And that… is?

Oh, this one you will actually like.

I was skeptical that this was going to be a let-down training session but… I found myself eating those words the moment I stared at the red aura covering my body and giving new energy to my muscle.

The Kaioken works. The energy input was impressive, I could feel a similar drain to the new armored form but this time I could manage it without having to drop it instantly. It was a nice thing to know that broadened the opportunities to learn beyond what was currently available to this world.

Especially with techniques that could easily turn the tide in my favor, like the Kaioken itself, the Kamehameha and…

The fusion dance.

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AN

Recovering a little from the flu, tomorrow I will be top-shape and… it's not over yet!

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Omake 2: Love is a powerful instrument.
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If someone asked one Asia Argento how she managed to deal with her usual day, the ever-so-cheerful blonde would reply smiling with only one word. "Love."

To many this answer would appear as something of an abstract response rather than a genuine thing, mostly because the girl was quite devoted to God and the spiritual world.

But to keen observer, this word would explain much of what happens during her everyday.

Early in the morning, the lovely girl would grace the world with a smile as she would tip-toe out of the warm bed of her room and reach for the big kitchen of the house she was currently tending off with her boyfriend. It was a nice experience, one that her creative imagination envisioned as how things would end up to be with Issei.

A lovely home for a lovely couple.

The brunet would be getting just an hour or two of extra sleep, just so he would be able to help her along her day when she needed to.

With breakfast served, consumed and then completed by cleaning the dishes, the two would take turns to use the bathroom, with Asia being always the first to enter and quickly do her own things.

Issei would be swift too in that room and then, all proper and dressed, would be kind enough to hold the blonde's schoolbag until they reached Kuoh Academy. From there their path diverged for a good amount of time, being in two different school years and classes.

Yet the brief pauses in-between lessons would be taken as an opportunity by the boy to visit the usually lonely girl, to bring some food or chat about the things they liked, like cartoons and TV series.

There were also times when smug jocks would try and approach the former nun, badmouthing her boyfriend and try to get too close to her. Issei would be there to quickly deal with them.

It's been few days now that the newest Golden Rule has been accepted by the entire school: If someone tries to hurt the kind blonde, they would be in for a world of pain with the formerly frail Hyoudou.

This very rule was respected by everyone in the school, students, teachers and even perverts. This last category had adopted an effective but acceptable attitude for Issei about this very situation: They wouldn't dare peep in the changing room of girls when Asia was around or making use of it.

The helpfulness stretched even during her Club's work as the brunet would be quite keen to offer some support and help when needed during the making of some spectacles, even going so far to offer himself as a replacement for a sick member of the club.

With the school day concluded, the two would make their way back to Hoitsu's currently vacant house and prepare themselves to deal with the homework for the following day.

At this point the poor Issei would be incredibly tired and the instances of him falling asleep while finishing some exercises were relatively frequent. The moment her eyes would find him snoring softly over some unfinished paper, she would giggle quietly and put something to cover him and keep him warm as she completed his share of homework.

It was more difficult than her own workload, but for some reasons the sudden improvement of grades from the boy suggested that it wasn't as difficult as she initially thought.

And, finishing the arduous papers, she would silently tilt her head over his and plant a quick kiss on his forehead, her mind shifting once more to the kitchen where the girl had to prepare their dinner.

Night would then arrive and the two would go to their respective rooms. As much as the two loved each other, sharing the same bed as a permanent thing was still off from happening anytime soon.

It was going to happen, the blonde was sure of that but… she just enjoyed this beautiful peace.

Indeed, the few observers would finally say, love is the best answer to that simple question.

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AN

Quick info before passing to other things:

Dracula Tepes is not Alucard (Rosario + Vampire). Dracula was a human called Mathias Conqvist that was driven by the grief of losing his first wife to take the powers of one of the most powerful Vampires in Valachia, Walter Bernhard, at the cost of sacrificing Leon Belmont's fiance, Sara Trantoul (1094 AD), then spending almost four centuries in exile, away from most of mankind while recruiting those that scorned God like he did. In early 1400, 'Alucard' was a prince of the region that revealed to be a Vampire, his wish to create a Utopia for monsters by making everything part of himself, absorbing everything that lived. The Belmont would have intervened about the situation, but until later that century they would be hunted down by the Church as heretics. The Dark Lords (Akasha Bloodriver, Tenmei Mikogami and Touhou Fouhai) went to face the Shinso Vampire and managed to seal it away. In 1476 the Church Inquisition puts on trial Lisa Tepes, local doctor in Targoviste, for Witchcraft, and was executed by being burned alive. A year later, Dracula declared war on Humanity and assembled the Army of Darkness. Four heroes in the form of Trevor C. Belmont, Sylva Bernandes, Adrian Tepes (Alucard) and Grant Danasty stormed the Count's castle and put an end to his attempt to destroy the world.

Summarized: Alucard (R+V), Dracula and Alucard (Castlevania) are separate entities in this series.

Last explanation (this one is short): Until now the only OC is Mathias Belmont, some people thinks that I've been putting OC and I'm sorry to say that those are actually characters from the various series I've been bringing up.

Future milestone 1: 777 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

The Kaioken works. The energy input was impressive, I could feel a similar drain to the new armored form but this time I could manage it without having to drop it instantly. It was a nice thing to know that broadened the opportunities to learn beyond what was currently available to this world.

Click to shrink...

Wouldn't this shorten the time even further? THe Kaioken drains energy quickly after all. If memory serves, it was explained that it effectively increases the 'pressure' the user's ki operates at (similar to turning a spray of water into a water blade that is able to cut through steel).

take the powers of one of the most powerful Vampires in Valachia, Walter Bernhard,

Click to shrink...

Did he only take Walter's power, or did he use his soul and power to alchemically create the Crimson Stone (the dark/evil parody of the Philosopher's Stone that gives him his immortality [aka his death and resurrection power up mechanic])?

Going to ask again, but why did the Belmont's name one of their children after their sworn enemy?

Thanks for these quick updates!

 

[Simonbob]

I groaned as I lied on my bed,

Click to shrink...

Lay.

Early in the morning, the lovely girl would grace the world with a smile as she would tip-toe out of the warm bed of her room and reach for the big kitchen of the house she was currently tending off with her boyfriend.

Click to shrink...

Tending to, or housesitting.

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 39: Null Waiting and Heated Development

The throne room of the large castle was a shadow of its former self. Regal drapes and paintings of important family members had been either shredded or burned by the devastating battle that preceded this horrible desolation.

Numerous craters littered the once pristine floor, bleeding limbs and armored torsos were scattered all over as the grand group of guards deployed to deal with the intruders proved to be useless in the end.

Mihai Tepes, the Fourth King of the Tepes Faction, breathed tiredly as he tried to get up from the pool of his own blood. His arms shredded with wounds and cuts, his legs scorched and his face completely bruised as he tried to make a last stand against the smiling Devil in front of him.

Rizevim Lucifer's smile was an empty one, something that resembled the current situation the old vampire was facing. So hopeless and humiliation.

"I'm kind of disappointed." The spawn of Lucifer mourned with a bored tone. "I was expecting a little more of a fight… or that you would have been smart enough to give us your daughter and spare yourself this silly and deadly encounter."

The Vampiric King snarled at those words. "Y-You think you could truly order me to do such a thing?! I'm the head of this proud family and-"

"Your heir betrayed you." Another individual interrupted, standing close to the still-smiling Rizevim. "It's a shame that this once-glorious clan is forced to give up its freedom and survival for two useless fools."

"S-Spare me your politene-ness, L-Lucifuge." Mihai spat vehemently. "I-I wonder if you a-are still sore for your sister's betra-GUH!"

A raging scowl flashed in Euclid Lucifuge's face, his hands glowed red as a scarlet string appeared and wrapped around the fallen vampire's neck, starting to pressure his throat.

"You seem to be forgetting that you are below us, blood sucker." The younger man pressed with some annoyance. "While Lord Rizevim has allowed you to speak until now he-"

"Oh please! We both know that the reason you are chiding him is because you are what you are." The Super Devil reasoned with some amusement. "And that is a Siscon."

"M-My lord, I beg you to at least restrain these comments while we aren't dealing with anyone of this man's ilk." The Lucifuge replied, blushing profusely at the way his Lord called the love he still proved for his sister Grayfia.

Wasn't it the duty of a brother to be so caring and genuinely in love with their sister? Especially with someone so gorgeous, so intelligent and so sinfully se-

"Euclid! Stop with your perverted thinking, I can see you blushing and grinning like a pervert there." The Lucifer snapped with a whine. "And people say that I'm sick in the mind..." He concluded while shaking his head in disappointment.

"T-Thousands of apologies, milord! I will see to have this cur dealt with swiftly!" Without hesitation, the strings tightened even more and the once-proud leader of the of the Tepes Clan was decapitated before their eyes.

Moments of silence passed and… "This is surprisingly more boring than I was expecting." Rizevim mused loudly enough for his loyal follower to sigh.

"We have to wait for young Marius to return. It was your order to have him recover the missing holder of the Sephiroth Graal." The Lucifuge answered, getting a sheepish look from his lord.

"Yeah… about that..." The oldest of the two looked particularly nervous so suddenly. "You remember the Belmont brat that followed us here… right?"

Euclid blinked and then nodded. "The mongrel has to have perished before even entering at this point-"

"Technically he is still alive." Rivezim interjected with some embarrassment. "But I'm sure the currently non-existing energy pattern that is Marius will deal with our intruder, which is currently in the proximity of a powerful individual, and return with his sister."

…

"Lord Rizevim, did you just say non-existing-"

"I don't know how a 'proud and strong' vampire was unable to kill an idiot with some explosive whip." The man admitted bluntly. "Nor do I know how that brat got killed in the process."

"Maybe the Belmont was much stronger than we initially thought-"

"Or maybe the vampire tripped on some blood and… landed on some swords." Rizevim blinked thoughtfully, noticing the strange look the Lucifuge was giving him just instants after proposing that idea.
"What? The Internet taught me to be expecting even the unexpected. Or maybe ruined my sanity even more but…" He shrugged calmly. "Who knows, maybe it is a sillier situation."

Euclid shook his head, his mind mostly accustomed with the brand of madness the Lucifer's spawn was known for and decided to ask the important question. "Then why are we not going to capture the girl ourselves? Is the 'powerful entity' stronger than even you-"

"Oh no!" The man waved his hands negatively at that suggestion. "He is stronger than you, but he pales compared to me. It's just that… I'm waiting for something, or better, someone-"

"If you mean the young man that you say resembles your father, I fail to see why he would ever come here." The former leader of Nilrem remarked with an odd tone.

"Hope is the last thing to die and..." A smug look appeared on his boss' face. "Pray tell, are you perhaps still miffed about his 'closeness' with your sister?"

Euclid scoffed. "Grayfia has to have done it to establish a connection, to spy upon him and-"

"I think that is how you motivated her relationship with Sirzechs Gremory. I also remember that's how she ended up married and-"

"Milord!" The loyal minion pressed with some annoyance. "C-Could we avoid this delicate and senseless topics."

The smile adorning the Lucifer's lips widened but the man nodded. "Sure but… we are still waiting for him to come."

"And what if he doesn't-"

"Then we will take the girl and return back to the HQ. No pressure or anything, I can assure you."

The Lucifuge nodded and they proceeded to wait for something to happen and… nothing really did.

In the end, Rizevim decided to pass the following half an hour by poking fun at his 'simple' weakness, mocking his rightful love for his sister and his intention of dealing with that disgusting Gremory that stole her from him!

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Finding an unscathed room in this maze of hallways proved to be an irritating task for Alucard, the Castle having suffered much from the attack led by Rizevim Lucifer and the monsters banding behind him and sparing just few small rooms to the onslaught.

The little bedroom contained just a bed and a small window that led to the back-side of the humongous building. Placing both youths on the bed, the Dhampir contemplated the whole situation, from the reasons behind the attack on the family's castle to the presence of a Belmont that wasn't Julius in this event.

While the reasoning could be easily found in the secret power hidden well-within the young woman softly snoring near the sleeping human, the fact those that led this assault had yet to sent against him any dangerous threat was proof that there was much more than the Sephiroth Graal little Valerie had.

His knowledge of his distant family started to expand by the time he had finished to deal with Magnus and his attempts to turn him to the side of Evil. After dealing personally with his father, the need to make sure that there was no mean to bring him back to life once again made him encounter a section of the Tepes family he was completely unaware of. While Dracula loved only two women in his life, he did provide grand rewards to his staunchest supporters, awarding them a place within his closer family.

The Tepes Faction in Transylvania was initially formed by these loyal servants of the Count, then expanding and creating the core family that owned this castle. A reference to Dracula's moving home, but smaller and… less domineering.

The first contact was brief but left a hopeful chance of connecting with the group. Then Alucard learned about how the vampire's society in the region had changed drastically, to the point where new families had joined the Tepes and formed the faction the former minions of Dracula led even now.

But to think that this attack would happen without notice, to think that the young woman that was softly shivering in her sleep and calming down just by being in the proximity of the young Belmont was actually a victim of abuse?

He was careful to attach himself to people, but to see part of his 'kin' hurt to this degree made his blood boil in hatred. Deep memories of his past, of wise words from his mother as she told him of the lack of kindness she experienced during her childhood.

Blood red eyes closed, the Dhampir spent some moments to recover from that moment of pure fury as to avoid waking up the two youths. The Belmont required rest, his Magical core suffering from minor magical exhaustion and slight physical tiredness.

He was surprisingly young, younger than Trevor, Richter or Julius. Far too young to have been sent to deal with this disturbance and the presence of some tear-lines still fresh on his face proved that something had to have forced the young man to take the task at hand.

Wielding the whip Trevor used to help Alucard in his crusade against his father, he was skeptical he knew how to make use of it. The weapon drawn upon the user's magical energy, a further strain that Trevor managed to deal with thanks to Sylva's help centuries ago.

He was a Belmont, there was no doubt about it, but the discovery of a branch of the Vampire Slaying family that he was unaware until now proved how detached he was with Julius. Both men shared a sense of camaraderie, but it wasn't as strong or genuine as the one he shared with his first human companions. They fought in the Demon Castle War, united by the need to destroy Dracula once and for all, but they then grew apart after the end of the battle.

Julius became a simple monster hunter, traveling mostly through the United States, while Alucard preferred to wander in Easter Europe and Japan, the later place receiving major importance as the place where the Count's castle was sealed within.

To think that the Belmont clan was now as big as it was centuries ago… proved how his lack of attachment to humanity has led him away from important details about the world. He nodded to himself that in this occasion he would have at least tried to know more about this young man, not because of the possibility itself, but by the fact he was incredibly younger than anyone taking on the mantle of Dracula's bane.

It was right in that moment that the boy shifted in his sleep, the sudden action in his slumber caused by the umpteenth shivering of the girl nearby. He turned silently and his arms wrapped around her and bringing her closer, the blonde stiffening just a moment at the embrace but moments later accepting almost too delightfully the invitation and planting her face on his ruined shirt.

The sight was intriguing as nostalgic, bringing back a lone moment of his childhood where his father decided to skip the usual paperwork the castle required, spending the day with his wife back to their bedroom.

Silent glances, quiet words and pure comfort from being together in that precious moment. It was awing, it was intriguing and-

Adrian shook his head, his face adopting a grimace at being reminded of those precious times when life was optimal and when he could still trust his family.

A little chance, a minor hope to bridge the gap of the two families, to correct the mistakes of one Mathias Conqvist and make up with the descendants of Leon Belmont.

It was the dream his mother would cherish for, an attempt to end the hostilities, to conclude that painful chapter for both families and… finish the foolish plan of a young and suffering idiot.

The hope of permanently remove from the world the only thing left of Dracula. His dark presence in his enemies' minds.

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I proceeded to yawn as I glanced at the newest set of homework Koneko was trying to finish before lunch. Kunou was already done with it and had taken an early leave for the bathroom.

The others were… nowhere near the kitchen. While I was the leader of this growing group I certainly wasn't all-knowing of their general locations without being told or notice it beforehand. Thus I was there, with the silver-haired Nekoshou as she struggled a little with more difficult exercises of Math.

She was improving quickly, but she was far from mastering the new topic of the subject. I think the strangest detail was the fact the girl decided to take a seat on my lap. Nothing remotely lewd or perverted, but quite… cute.

Her ears tickled my chin, twitching happily the times she managed to get some exercises done correctly but going flat the moment I had to correct some of her mistakes. The purring and the vibration that followed were somewhat amusing and her tail slapping softly on my chest reminded me how much happy she was at the moment.

It was a nice moment that we were spending after so much time has passed ever since we left Kuoh Town.

I was quite distracted by some corrections when the first signs that something was wrong with her started to manifest.

Her tail started to waggle faster, her purring slowly intensifying as her ears twitched with more emotion. Her face was starting to get red for some reason and her warmth increased.

Then I noticed her stopping, initially thinking that she was trying to elaborate something in her head before doing anything and then… she placed her pen on the table, slowly turned to glance around.

Her golden eyes fixed on my chest, my shirt as she pressed her nose and sniffed for few moments, her breathing itching on my skin as four familiar and dreadful words left her trembling lips.

"Y-Your scent..." Koneko straddled on the shirt. "S-So good!"

Fuck, it's happening again!

Nuclear alarms boomed within my brain and I was suddenly trying to stand up. She pressed her butt down, trying to force me to sit but… I was stronger and managed to stand up.

While the girl had her hands tightly holding onto my shirt, she was quick to lose her balance and forced to take a standing over the table, desperation flashing through her features. "N-Nii, j-just once! I-I need this!"

"Y-You don't, Koneko-chan." I started to try and wrestle myself away from her hands, finding my life rendered difficult by her strength. "W-We can go to the training room and-"

"N-No! I wan- want to do that a-and I trust you."

"It's not a matter of trust, sweetie!" I finally managed to get out of her hold and I focused on rushing away from the area and back to my room. The door's lock should be strong enough to keep her out.

"P-Please, d-don't leave me!" My heart clenched at those words, reminding me far too much when she was positively scared I was going to abandon her when I had to go and save Asia, but I still persisted as I knew the context in this case was far different.

The chase was a long one, the path through the stairs difficult as the girl's boosted speed was perfectly synchronized with her reaction time, giving her several opportunities to get close to catch me. I ran swiftly through the hallway and had my eyes fixed on my room and- I found myself pushed inside by the silver-haired missile.

Slamming face-first on my head, Koneko scrambled to try and position herself on a comfortable place but I was quick to turn around and put her in a forced embrace. "P-Please! Just once."

Of all times this could have happened… wasn't her heat supposed to happen much later?

I think it has to do with the fact she awakened her Nekoshou form much earlier. I think her instincts returned quicker than in Canon.

"I-I can't do that with you, sweetheart." I struggled a little to keep her from breaking away and return to her 'attack'. Moments of active resistance passed but then she stopped moving at once.

Her face was pressing on my chest and I felt my shirt wetting up a little because of tears, she was trembling and then she started to sob loudly. Gone was the fire that moments before was driving her to demand 'that' kind of attention. The emotion settling down as sadness took over in that heart-aching display.

"I-I'm sorry!" She bawled in my chest and I sighed tiredly at the scene, hand moving to softly pat her head.

"Shh, everything will be alright." The Nekoshou straddled tightly onto me but didn't do anything else but cry.

We are lucky enough her mood swing got her in a more acceptable predicament, but I think we need to do something before the next one get us in trouble.

I nodded to myself and decided to try something. "Koneko-chan, look up." I ordered softly.

The girl hesitated to follow the command, but moments later she was staring up, puffy eyes staring at mine, my heart clenching once more at the sorrowful sight.

"I want you to try and achieve your Senjutsu form right now. I know that it generally require help but-" I didn't get to finish my sentence as I felt natural energy reaching for Koneko, the silver-haired girl initiating this without hesitation and far too eagerly.

The input was impressive, showing that she has been working on this situation for a while now and the results were as intriguing as worrisome. Eyes closing, she started to focus on keeping the energy from taking over her sanity and perception, to let the toxicity that was attached to the natural energy out of her body and mind.

My own Magical coils flared as I joined the efforts to stabilize the form and reduce her burden. The result was… awing.

The girl's eyes opened slowly but I could see a confident smile in her face. "Hoi-nii, this is so… nice~!"

Her head softly rested on my chest, cheek pressed on the shirt as she gave a delighted smile. "C-Can you pet me?"

I blinked in surprise at the request but complied, her head suddenly accepting eagerly the warm head-patting.

"I-I can see your energy a-and it's so amazing." Her amazed tone took me by surprise and I nodded.

"It's quite an interesting sight, to see everyone's energy so closely and-" I stopped as I felt her press even more on my chest.

It was in that moving that I felt the presence of something that wasn't there before. The first thing that preceded the ultimate proof was the presence of two tails instead of one and… then I saw how tight her simple shirt was.

Her bust was bigger than before and it took me just a moment to realize that, even through I was mostly focusing on the Senjutsu part, Koneko had somehow integrated Touki in her form. I remember perceiving some of it few weeks ago when she tried to stop me from going home but…

Her smile widened, content at being bestowed by the caring petting, while basking in the power coming from her Shirone form.

An older Koneko, a stronger Koneko and… a Koneko more carefree than usual. It was an odd sight for sure but… my plan was working.

I could feel the excesses of her core consumed by the form as it was slowly draining her and she finally fell asleep two minutes later. Her content smile was still there as she returned back to normal but she also kept latching on my chest.

Sighing tiredly and knowing that lunch was nigh, I decided that just for today some minor help was allowed.

Most of the people by the table blinked in surprise at the sight of me holding Koneko in my arms, some merely confused and fine with the legitimate explanation given, some showing some looked perplexed like Akua, Teru and Sho, while the small group that remained was completely fine with it.

In this last group I counted few 'strange' members, Kuroka and her smug look weirdly enough dread-inducing. It was at the sight of a familiar device in her lap as she ate that I knew what was going on.

I could recognize a camera from that short distance and my eyes narrowed at the Nekoshou.

"Why?" I asked with a serious tone.

"Blackmail." She cited calmly. "Some family memory and… you both look so cute~!"

I sighed tiredly and nodded. "It would seem like your stash will be burned today."

Her fork fell off her hold, her face paling in shock at my words. "W-What?"

I merely smiled, deflecting the questioning from the dark-haired Yokai with silence.

So, this is my new peace now?

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AN

"You better not give him the chance to-"

Y-You know that I can't control him-

"Then give me a Lemon already!"

But you have yet to-

Pulls Author up and glares Him right in the eyes.

"Either you preserve the status quo or I will get my strong kittens." Pulls mouth close to Author's ear. "One way or another."

S-Sure thing then! I will see for him to stop razing you stash, lovely Kuroka.

"Sexy Kuroka-chan, don't forget the proper adjectives~!"

Walks away with a relieved smile.

Authors look at readers.

This is escalating way too quickly…

But let us focus on serious matters!

The Tepes Arc continues and we have yet to see Azazel. First impressions for Euclid and Rizevim? I think I made the latter a little less Canon because of some pseudo-memey attitude while also pointing out Euclid's obsession for Grayfia much more than in Canon.

Koneko's heat is canon but this one is far more violent than Kunou's. Why? Kunou has her emotions showing almost everywhere, staying with Hoitsu making her more relaxed and more socially-adept with people around her. Koneko has been bottling up her feelings for years and… that is the explosive result. Shirone form too early? Technically no as this isn't yet achieved by her efforts alone. Hoitsu had to intervene to allow it to happen and… yeah, her Shirone form is also wiser than her usual self, the sudden growth isn't only physical.

Future milestone 1: 777 Followers and Favorites.

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 40: Insanity Ensues

The process of waking up was a quick one. Eyes snapping open widely as he started to take notice of everything in the unfamiliar room, Mathias restrained himself from yawning as he felt his body constricted by a pair of arms.

A blink, then two, finally he glanced on the side and he was greeted by warm breath reaching his nostrils. The sight was shocking, not because of the relative danger, but by the closeness the vampire's face was to his own. She was sleeping, eyes closed and features relaxed as the girl looked really engaged with her calm sleep.

The Belmont felt confusion slowly replace his shock, several the questions regarding the happening during his unconsciousness and soon… he saw him.

Like a shadow bothering nobody but itself, a youthful man continued to polish the thin sword in his possession.

Long white hair left uncombed, the clothes were old-styled, similar to the ones used during the medieval ages with dark cape and boots. His skin was pale, a sign of his unholy nature, and his golden eyes were fixed on the task at hand.

His posture didn't change as Mathias looked at him, yet the boy knew that the vampire had to have perceived a sudden change nearby. The young man was about to address the figure, realizing almost too quickly who he was looking at.

Alucard had been a known friend to the Belmont family, an ally in the fight against Count Dracula and cults trying to bring him back to life. His uncle mentioned how detached the Dhampir was during the Demon Castle War.

Helpful, but very distrustful of those around him. A silent figure, a lone wolf.

But as Mathias' lips parted and his breath built behind his teeth to properly call the familiar being, he stopped as he noticed something has changed during his silent thinking. Gone was the snoring, the warm breath of the young lady sleeping beside him subsiding and the boy directed his sight once more at the girl.

Blue eyes meet red orbs. There wasn't much emotion coming out from these inhuman eyes if only for surprise and… relief?

Why would a lady be relieved of sleeping beside someone of the opposite gender?

New confusion but mostly surprise when the girl proceeded to put her head closer to him, resting on his chest and nuzzling lovingly. She looked like a small kitty trying to get his attention, the only thing missing being the 'purring' cats were known for when showing affection.

It was an odd sight and… he blinked.

What was he supposed to do with this young woman? Was this a trick from her- but then why would Alucard allow this predicament to even happen?

Her eyes were still staring silently at him, waiting for him to do something about the situation and… he winged it.

It was a small gamble, but as he moved his left hand over her head and started to cautiously play with her locks, something curious happened. Her smile widened at his touch and soon her own hands shifted out from their previous location and took hold of the hand petting her head.

Eyes closing in comfort, she blissfully hummed at the boy's ministration.

"Dhampirs are known to have a liking for warm individuals, mostly humans." The regal voice broke through the Belmont's surprise and caused the young man to stare once more at Alucard. The spawn of Dracula now staring directly at him, his blade already sheathed back, a curious glance directed at the scene the human was part of.

A blush spread through his face, the embarrassment playing a big role in keeping him quiet while the man continued to stare at the predicament with a curious glint in his eyes.

"I admit that to see a dhampir to be this close to a human… It's quite the abnormality, indeed." He concluded with a nod, drawing a frown from the Belmont.

"A-And why would she do this? Why she decided to be this close when-"

"She is supposed to be your enemy?" The silver-haired man interrupted quietly. "I can only think of one reason and… that is because she thinks you are her protector."

Mathias blinked. "P-Protector? I- But I killed her brother-"

"Did you notice how… she reacts so childishly to everything? How she has yet to speak?"

Strong questions that rekindled new interest over the currently humming girl resting on my chest. She seemed to have completely forgotten about the world, as if the comfort was the only thing left for her to grasp from reality itself.

"Young Valerie has a gift since she was born. A powerful instrument that can allow so many impressive miracles… but it weakens the user the more it's used." The older Dhampir explained calmly. "Her mind and heart are fragmented much like the gift within her soul, this kind of damage could be healed… but she needs time and help."

The human nodded at his words, a bit at ease at the knowledge that the blonde wasn't as dangerous as he initially thought. His lips twitched as he took a step forward.

"V-Valerie?"

While Alucard was explaining the boy her story, the Belmont noticed her ears twitching at her name being said loudly and her reaction at being called by the closer male was… much different.

Eyes opening and looking raptly at the boy, Valerie Tepes waited for whatever he was going to say and… the young man nodded at her.

"I-I'm Mathias." He pointed his free index finger at his face, the girl glancing at it before staring once more at him. Moments of silence passed and then… she smiled.

"M-Mathias?" Her voice was hesitant, 'tasting' the new name.

"T-That is my name. Yes." At the positive response, the girl smiled a little more.

"Mathias." She repeated. "Maaathias." A giggle was building in her throat and she nuzzled even more.

The boy blinked in surprise at the enthusiastic reaction of the girl, shocked that she would act to happily at learning just his name.

A strange sight, one that lasted very little as Alucard stood up from his chair and looked at the Belmont. "You've rested more than enough." He commented placidly. "Your reserves have recovered and… the faster we deal with the intruders the least we will have to deal with those waiting to enter."

"Good or bad people?"

The man sighed as he stared out of the window. "Annoying ones."

But it was at that moment that Mathias noticed something carefully placed in a chair near the bed. It was… the Morning Star?

"Your weapon of choice is a powerful relic of the past," Alucard commented. "But may I ask how you gained it and… why are you here, young Belmont?"

The human was ready to answer, the matter still fresh in his mind but… he froze.

The fragmented assault suddenly storming his brain and he felt his entire body cooling down in dreadful rediscovery.

"My parents… we were attacked back at home and..."

"My condolences, young Mathias." The Dhampir replied quickly. "It's a tragedy that shouldn't have happened and… why."

The Belmont blinked. "I- their leader wanted the Morning Star. I don't know why or-"

"They wanted the Morning Star." The man interrupted again, his pale stare directed at the weapon. "And they are here for Valerie's Sacred Gear."

There was a strange look plastered on the powerful being and then a scowl appeared.

"We need to deal with them before they can obtain even for an instant any of those." He continued with a stern edge. "If they accomplish their plans..."

It sounded ominous and… somewhat scary. What could Alucard be talking about and… why did he feel the need to shiver?

A few minutes later and after reinforcing his arsenal with some bottles of Holy Water, another Steel Sword and some pieces of a Steel Armor Alucard brought with him, Mathias was the first one to walk out of the room, followed by Valerie and the older Dhampir.

But as he walked out of it and turned to look at the entire hallway-

"Oh, how do you do fellow kids?" A familiar and dreadful voice asked with a mirthful tone.

"What?!"

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Rizevim yawned as he continued to walk slowly through the hallways of the massive castle, Euclid close behind as the Lucifuge gave a narrow-eyed stare at his Lord.

The Lucifer having finally decided to personally deal with the 'resistance' hiding in the lower area of the castle but also enforcing the need to 'walk' to reach it as… 'he wanted to take it slow'.

The entire building was mostly under their control and the chances of getting ambushed were nigh-impossible, thus the younger Devil saw no issue in accepting his leader's request with a positive note.

Nothing weird with wanting to stroll through the recently-captured place… but soon the acceptance for this request he had initially shown to the man decayed away to make space to utter annoyance at how slowly they were walking.

And it certainly didn't help that his lord didn't know anything about the place and it's been several times now that they had to return on their steps because they would end up in dead-ends.

A full hour passed and Euclid felt one of the veins showing in his head close to bursting if he found himself dealing with the umpteenth dead-end.

It happened without notice, the only warning being just a bigger smile from the Super-Devil as they turned the corner only to see one of the doors on the side of the hallway opening and… revealing the three individuals they were searching for.

The human stared with wide eyes and Rizevim spoke.

"Oh, how do you do fellow kids?"

The boy's jaws dropped the floor at the strange question. "What?!"

Indeed, what kind of insane scheme was his lord speaking off but the Lucifer merely chuckled in response, it sounded strangely empty. "Oh, to know someone helped me complete a reference… without even knowing what's up."

A sigh left his lips. "Such a terrible shame."

Alucard took a step forward, covering for both the Belmont and the Tepes in a strange turn of events. Why would a young girl devoted to her family betray her rightfully-protective brother to join with her enemy-

He felt cold at the parallels between this case and the one that saw him losing his older sister to that wretched Gremory. A scowl appeared on his face as he prepared to deal with the two treacherous brats and avoid the second-coming of-

"Euclid, how many times do I have to tell you to not make everything inspired to your drama." Rizevim sighed tiredly. "You are literally staring creepily at our enemies and even I feel out-creeped by your current stance."

The Lucifuge blinked and let his eyes widen just a moment. "A-Apologies, milord-"

"Don't apologize if you don't mean it." He chided with some annoyance in his voice. "But please, do focus on the brats while I entertain myself with the broody guy over there-"

But before they could proceed with the simple plan, the castle started to shake momentarily. A minor earthquake? Some assault from the outer walls-

Before Euclid could conclude the several guesses born from his logical mind, the wind rushed their way, pressure started to build up and… Rizevim jumped in front of him.

A crater formed underneath the Ultimate-Class Devil the magnitude of power being held back by the Lucifer's hands was outstanding and… scary. The two-pronged spear was pushed back and its owner looked visibly surprised through his armor.

"Fancy seeing you there, Azazel." The silver-haired man snarled as he punched away the long weapon. "Thought you would have wasted some more time before coming knocking."

"Let's just say that someone wants this dealt rather quickly." The Governor-General admitted with some amusement.

Rizevim was forced to duck as a metallic whip cracked just above his head. The current user of the blessed weapon stood few steps behind Azazel, quickly retracting the weapon and glaring at the Super-Devil.

"So you are the one responsible for the destruction of my home." Slowly approaching the group, Julius Belmont looked to be ready to maul the Lucifer, knuckles turning white at how tight he was holding the Vampire Killer.

"I may have walked around the area. Don't know precisely and- Oh right, doesn't work if there is a witness around." Rizevim looked back with a gloomy expression at the younger human. "Seriously kid, why didn't you just perish-Uh?!"

The Lucifer ducked away, this time to dodge the clawed hand of Alucard's wolf for.

"Now that is quite unfair! Let me bring some balance to things and- Euclid, you deal with the kids and Fabio over here." A smile formed on his face. "I pick Azzie and Daddy Issue."

Without hesitation both attackers started the battle, the Lucifuge rushing towards Julius as he considered him the strongest threats while Rizevim engaged in a close-fight with Alucard.

The Dhampir deployed his sword, the precious heirloom left to him by his mother causing sparks as it impacted against the gauntlets conjured by the Super-Devil. "Let's see how strong you are, Dracula's spawn."

A snarl appeared on the Dhampir's face and the pure pressure exercised by the brawling Devil was lessened only a few moments later as Azazel joined the fight too.

"You better not forgetting about me, oldie." The lance slammed on the silver-haired Devil's elbow. "Don't want to be left disappointed her."

Rizevim smiled madly, seemingly ignoring the damage sustained. "Good for me. Two dead morons in a single fight? Now that is a nice discount." He cackled as he returned the hit by kicking Azazel on his thigh.

In another section of the hallway, Julius found himself sweating a little more than usual.

Euclid summoned several red spheres and threw them at him, forcing the 31-years old Belmont to dodge the attacks with magical after-images.

The pacing of the fight seemed to be on par with the one he had with Dracula back in 1999, the Devil being rather fond of using Explosive magic to keep the distance with him. A clear weakness to close-quarter.

Once he got close enough, he proceeded to send the tip of the whip flying once more towards the Magic-user and he was graced with a powerful blow that forced the Lucifuge to drop his spells just for a moment.

A hole through his clothes was burning, right above his stomach and the rekindled snarl was enough to convince him that he had dealt some serious damage. The number of explosive spheres intensified and the Belmont proceeded to throw some Crosses against the still-recoiling Devil, the projectile weapons soaring rapidly towards the injured Lucifuge.

Euclide sighed as two magical barriers appeared in front of him, stopping mid-air the holy weapons and proceeding to create some magical strings to throw them back at his opponent.

Julius dodged most of them, but one still managed to reach him and crash on his leg. It was the impact that did most of the damage, but the pain surging from below his knee was enough to make him understand his mobility was reduced by that hit.

The attacks weren't even showing any sign of stopping, quite the contrary as the Devil sent more explosive spells against him as his enemy was aware of the new weakness he had created.

With his speed halved by the attack and with the intensity of the explosion not faltering for just a moment, Julius growled as he focused most of his attention in dodging the attacks, knowing that if one managed to hit him it was going to be the end of him.

But just as he was too focused on avoiding the spells coming his way, Euclid was also quite distracted by the intense task to notice the danger approaching from behind.

Eyes widening in surprise, he barely turned around to see the one attacker that managed through, the Morning Star currently slamming on his back with its blessed, spiked tip and the current owner, the younger Belmont, glaring his way while the holy explosion sent him flying away.

His brief flight was interrupted by the wall nearby, his body breaching part of it before being halted, his bones groaning at the pressure and the Lucifuge felt his ribs bruising at the sudden impact.

Falling on the floor and blood slowly falling from the corner of his mouth, the Devil stared up as the two Belmont approached him, whips ready to crack one last time to end his life-

Rizevim grinned as he found the battle he was facing to be one of the funniest ever. While Azazel's little toy was giving him a hard time in terms of raw strength, he was immensely happy to deal with a highly-versatile opponent as Alucard.

Deadly blows were either dodged with his bat form or his mist form, magic was employed when the Devil didn't show any sign of magical barriers and his sword was capable of cutting through his armor and skin.

It's been so long since he had the pleasure to face someone this well-versed in adaptable fighting and for a few moments he found himself intrigued by his battle-lust.

The Governor-General tried to impale him once again but just like before the Lucifer merely deflected the two-pronged spear and slammed a kick on the Fallen Angel's armored ribs. Alucard went to use his shield to halt a punch coming his way but was forced to take some steps back at the vibration going through his entire arm after the impact.

The fight intensified to a point were Rizevim found himself constantly giggling at the unique styles of both his opponents synchronizing harmoniously against him. It was so pure, uncensored and terribly addicting!

But while he wanted this little 'warm-up' to continue a little longer, his ears were keen to pick up the distressed yelp coming from Euclid. Eyes turning towards his minion and he saw the younger Devil ready to be turned in mincemeat by the two Belmonts.

Now, that wasn't something alright.

Without missing a moment, the Lucifer slammed his fist right on Azazel's armored chest, his little trump card entering in action as the Sacred Gear boosting the man faded away to reveal a surprised Fallen Angel.

A kick right on his teeth was enough to send Azazel flying, leaving just Alucard to face at that moment. A kick pushed the shield away as magic condensed within Rizevim's right hand and…

KA-Boom!

The blast was mostly absorbed by the shield, but the sudden kick-back sent the Dhampir to slam in the wall behind him.

Now that the road was open, the Super-Devil rushed by his minion's side and picked him up.

"M-Milord-"

"Can it, Euclid. You were certainly out-played by the fact you shouldn't focus on a single threat but to every single one of them." The Lucifer sighed tiredly as he stared at the two Belmont and the other Dhampir, safely hiding behind the two.

"I would be more than happy to continue this lovely meeting, but sadly the time has fleeted my mind and we have a date with… Infinity." The man exclaimed loudly at the two humans.

"You aren't going nowhere-" Juste tried to stop him, but the Devil cackled once more.

"Oh? But I'm going to use my super technique right now. Please don't blink!" Both tensed at this warning and the Devil's grin widened eagerly.

Tensing his leg a little as magic flooded the two lower limbs-

Rizevim turned towards the hallway that led to the exit and started to run away while chuckling maniacally.

"NIGERUNDAYO!"

The mad Lucifer dodged the two whips coming his way and the pace he took was quick enough to out-speed the weapons and leave their range of actions. The two humans stared wide-eyed at the scene, unable to elaborate what kind of insanity they had just seen.

But as the two looked shocked and Valerie giggled at the scene, Azazel was the first to recover from the brief beating he received.

"T-There are two of them now!"

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AN

Oh My GOD! Slaps both hands on my cheeks

The Jojo references are intensifying and… things escalated fairly quickly.

Quick explanation why this was short (as I planned it to be): This Castle wasn't Dracula's and the enemies were interested in taking their objectives quickly rather than waiting for them to present themselves by the Throne Room. Mathias has a very marginal role as… he isn't truly trained to use Morning Star and he wanted to avoid creating issues to his more-experienced Uncle. Euclid is an expert in Magic, especially explosive ones but his mind is very limited to one target at the time, making him vulnerable to attacks from support. Rizevim thrashed both Azazel and Alucard… because he could. Even with Down Fall Dragon Spear, Azazel is slightly weaker than Rizevim and the Sacred Gear Canceller was enough to put him in utter difficulty. Alucard represented someone that could have seriously contested him, but no matter how many years he has spent fighting Dracula, Rizevim was just a step above him. Also yes, Rizevim is a Jojo Fan.

This chapter was a little slow, tomorrow I will fix things by bringing some super-fluff. The reason it was so short is because I wanted this event to be wrapped up quickly… so we can return to the main cast.

Now the X-overing will be tuned down a little, just enough to give some chance for the new members to 'introduce' themselves in this 'new world'. So yeah, next chapter will be extra-fluffy and filled with some pairing ideas put forward.

So… I've a pairing idea for Ophis and-

To be Continued!

Future milestone 1: 777 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

Have to ask, but is Mathias, the Soma of this fic? I was trying to figure out why the Belmonts would name one of their children after their most hated enemy, and got nothing, but if he is Dracula reborn, then it makes since to give him Dracula's human name.

his sword, the precious heirloom left to him by his mother

Click to shrink...

Was Alucard's mother a blacksmith in this?

Mathias dodged most of them,

Click to shrink...

FTFY. According to you Julius died before this fic started, so I assume you meant Mathias.

Julius growled as he focused

Click to shrink...

Same.

The two humans stared wide-eyed at the scene, unable to elaborate what kind of insanity they had just seen.

Click to shrink...

Who is the second human? Valerie, Alucard, and Azazel are not humans, so shouldn't it only be one?

Even with Down Fall Dragon Spear, Azazel is slightly weaker than Rizevim

Click to shrink...

Rizevim was a Super Devil (and thus likely ~10x his father's power), so how is Azazel only slightly weaker?

Thanks for the update.

 

[JBukharin]

Have to ask, but is Mathias, the Soma of this fic? I was trying to figure out why the Belmonts would name one of their children after their most hated enemy, and got nothing, but if he is Dracula reborn, then it makes since to give him Dracula's human name.

Click to shrink...

He is not Soma. The whole naming 'Mathias' is because the Belmonts actually don't know that Dracula wass Mathias Conqvist. Leon wrote little about him and detached Dracula from Mathias and... they still think he was a good friend, that is why he was named as such.

Was Alucard's mother a blacksmith in this?

Click to shrink...

The sword is from his mother even in Canon. She was an alchemist and some objects she did create for her son. Sword, Shield and Armor were her legacy to him.

FTFY. According to you Julius died before this fic started, so I assume you meant Mathias.

Click to shrink...

Julius didn't die 'according to me'. I mistakenly added 'late' in a sentence, but he is alive and well. The second human is Julius Belmont with Vampire Killer.

Rizevim was a Super Devil (and thus likely ~10x his father's power), so how is Azazel only slightly weaker?

Click to shrink...

The Sacred Gear Azazel is using is connected to Dragon King Fafnir. In his state of Outrage (Dragon Berserk), the Dragon was able to deal moderate wounds on Rizevim and... mixing his normal self with the dragon power, I'm fairly sure the boost was good enough to get close. Maybe I'm wrong but... *LeShrug*

 

[Akuma-Heika]

He is not Soma. The whole naming 'Mathias' is because the Belmonts actually don't know that Dracula wass Mathias Conqvist. Leon wrote little about him and detached Dracula from Mathias and... they still think he was a good friend, that is why he was named as such.

Julius didn't die 'according to me'. I mistakenly added 'late' in a sentence, but he is alive and well. The second human is Julius Belmont with Vampire Killer.

The Sacred Gear Azazel is using is connected to Dragon King Fafnir. In his state of Outrage (Dragon Berserk), the Dragon was able to deal moderate wounds on Rizevim and... mixing his normal self with the dragon power, I'm fairly sure the boost was good enough to get close. Maybe I'm wrong but... *LeShrug*

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the corrections. I am guessing you fixed your typo after I read that chapter.

I thought you said Vampire Killer and Morning Star are the same weapon in the older Castlevania games (I might be mixing this up with what Vergil said in his new quest, in which case, apologies).

I thought you were saying Rizevim was only a little stronger than vanilla Azazel. My bad.

 

[JBukharin]

Chapter 41: Bluffing and Crushing

Kuoh Town, Hoitsu Sakakibara's House

Breakfast was surprisingly a calm affair, much different than the previous days.

It's been three days now since Akeno was officially invited to join Issei and Asia to share the first meal of the day at Hoitsu's home.

At first both the blonde and the brunet were hesitant if not adamantly opposed to have the young woman in their proximity. Time might have passed but redemption has been a fleeting thought during the period they finally settled in their new living quarters.

Yet the Himejima proved to be very accepting of the doubtful stance, actually keeping the distances when the former nun requested or properly avoiding discussing about the matter during school-time.

Issei was the one that staunchly opposed to an early process of receiving forgiveness, even the genuine words from Baraqiel vouching for his daughter seemed to do little as he trained under the Fallen Angel.

Speaking of training, it's been just a week but Asia decided to finally join some of the training session. It wasn't a daily occurrence as it was for Issei, but the astonishing affinity to Light-type energy and the surprisingly big magical core she has made things quite easier for her.

Her sessions were easier than his, but the host of the Welsh Dragon knew that it was because the girl was but just a simple human. Differently from Hoitsu, the girl wasn't trained in anything physical and thus the part of the training that should be entertained by sparring sessions were actually spent doing some little exercise to build-up some muscles on her.

Magic made it possible to speed up a process that would have taken a month or two as the blonde now sported a more refined frame and her body's curves were now smoothed to a delightful way.

It didn't lessen anything about her beauty, quite the contrary as she now looked… sexier.

Odd thoughts have been wandering for a while now in Issei's mind but seeing his girlfriend showing some more skin while also doing some hard-working tasks? For some reason the scenes that presented before him left him more flustered than anything had back when he was still addicted to 'magazines'.

It felt a little wrong to ogle at the gorgeous girl, but it was also something that couldn't help himself with. She was just that much good.

It also didn't help that Ddraig was keen to comment on her positive changes, sometime commenting really slowly over her physique and causing the boy to turn to look at her.

Both were perverts, but where Issei drew the line that he wanted to step over only when their relationship was much more developed, the Red Dragon was unrestrained and limitless in his distracting commentaries.

...And the Balance Breaker made things worse than usual.

After harshly training over the potential of the Boosted Gear, gaining more control over the Boost, the Reset and the Burst abilities, Baraqiel explained to the boy about the incredible potential Sacred Gears all shared.

The Balance Breaker was the full-power of a Sacred Gear, the quintessential final form that made the user capable of using the entire potential of their inner gift and… it also meant that the connection with Ddraig was expanded and… deepened.

Emotions and thoughts were shared and so the more lecherous ideas the Dragon has over Issei's mate left a massive blush in the youth's face behind that armor.

It was worse when the girl was in the training room, Ddraig's creative mind being rather experienced with the… knowledge of mating.

Oddly enough, even through the subject was something intriguing for someone like Issei, the fact it was directed at Asia of all people left him with a weird sourness in his mouth.

But while the distracting thoughts made his life very difficult, the raw strength the form contained was undeniable. While he was far from being able to go on par with Baraqiel, the sudden boost reduced the distance between him and the older man.

Returning to that curious breakfast, Issei munched calmly and cautiously through the pancakes that both his girlfriend and Akeno prepared together, his paranoia peaking when a possible 'threat' was nearby the kind blonde.

Just as he was about to finish the third of his set, the door bell rang and caught everyone's attention.

Out of habit, it was Issei that stood up and went to check who was visiting at that hour of the day.

He checked from the door's peephole, but the only thing he got were a… light-brown Ahoge?

It twitched once, then twice and the Hyoudou decided to open a little to see who it truly was.

The moment the door was slightly opened so he could peek outside, the boy found himself assaulted by a pair of slender arms and… two soft cushions pushing on his face.

He fell on the floor, a giggle keeping him from reacting aggressively at such an unexpected tackle.

"Seems like you are still a slug with your reaction, Ise!"

He struggled a little to not drown in that heavenly bosom and his eyes were quick to take sight of the owner of the cushions.

A smiling face, eyes closed, the girl looked familiar but… nobody that he could exactly pinpoint in that exact moment. Where did he saw her? Maybe at elementary or middle school?

Her light-brown were tied in twintails, her eyes opened to show a particular violet shade and…

Nope, couldn't remember anyone like her.

The smile faded a little, then a little pout appeared instead of the pleased line. "Y-You remember me, right Ise?"

He didn't reply and while he felt he made the right choice, the dreadful sensation of having done something wrong didn't vanish. Her eyes narrowed and she looked ready to say something else, maybe scolding him for something he was completely unable to answer to but he felt footsteps and he looked at the corner that led to the living room to see Asia peeking at the scene with wide-eyes.

"I-Ise-kun?"

While he expected some jealousy from the former young, the brunet was once more surprised by the girl as the most he could get from her eyes was worry and concern rather than something… selfish.

It was the same look she would have when he happened to clumsily trip on someone during their time at school, her understanding over his 'bad luck' was summarized in few words.

"I know that you were trying to avoid that from happening."

And that genuine trust he felt bestowed by the girl was more than enough to finalize his love for her. He could remember his mother saying how it was learning about his father's soft-heart that got her to fall in love with him, nothing of the perverted nature he was known to his son.

The stranger blinked in surprise at the new girl, standing up as she helped him by pulling him up.

"S-Sorry, I almost forgot- Your mom did say that you were living there with someone else..."

The boy nodded at the apology but still was confused over the identity of this familiar individual.

He was about to ask when someone else spoke up over him.

"I understand that you are enjoying your friend, Irina, but I remind you that we aren't here for pleasantries."

The brunette flashed a blush and a scowl at the blunt comment from the blue-haired girl standing right behind her.

'How did I miss her?'

"My name is Xenovia Quarta and she is my partner, Irina Shidou." The serious-looking girl introduced herself and the other girl. "Irina and I are Exorcists from the Holy See and we seek to speak with the Devils' representative of this region."

A blink, then two. Finally some sweat rolled of his head as he remembered few words from Sona before deciding to not be part of her group.

Since his Master wasn't allowed to rule over the territory, he could easily be mistaken as a Stray Devil and-

"I-I can call him." Asia replied quickly, phone in her hands and number composed much to the surprise of the three people in front of her.

"Him? I thought that both controllers from the Devils' side were female."

"T-Things changed few weeks ago." The Blonde explained quickly and a little embarrassed. "Hoitsu-Nii can explain this better than I can."

The two girls nodded slowly, eyes narrowing on the former nun much to her surprise and… dread.

"I think I've seen you before..." Xenovia commented with a suspicious tone. "Were you perhaps part of the Church?"

The fellow Italian girl blinked in surprise at the question but… she smiled and decided it was time to employ Hoitsu-nii's tactic for this specific case.

"I may have visited at a certain point of my life." She muttered slowly.

The blue-haired young woman tilted her head on the side with a confused expression. "So you haven't lived there?"

"It's been an extensive point of my life." Asia continued with a calm but restrained tone. "One could easily mistake living there with merely visiting."

Irina huffed. "So you were part of Church or not?"

"I'm quite devoted to the Lord, one could say… I could have been close to be a Nun because how much I loved the Church's teachings." She felt victory getting closer…

"What are you even saying here?" Xenovia broke her composure right in that moment, eyes widening for the sheer confusion torturing her mind. "Were you or not part of the Church?!"

Asia's mouth opened again to deliver another confusing round of words but then the receiver of the call answered.

"Hello?" The familiar voice of the owner of the house started the conversation.

"Hoitsu-nii, we have a situation here and-" The blonde started to speak but soon she was interrupted.

"Before you continue, could you put on speaker? I think I know who it is- or better, who they are."

The girl complied and soon his voice could be heard by everyone else.

"Hello, am I perhaps speaking with Shidou-san and Quarta-san?"

The Japanese girl blinked in surprise and nodded. "That's us-"

But before she could continue, she found herself interrupted by her partner.

"You're Italian, aren't you?" She asked without hesitation. "You said well my surname and-"

"I speak Italian, yes." Hoitsu replied over her following explanation. "But I think there is something called manners, signorina, and I think your warden was good enough to teach you those."

"You don't know anything about me," Xenovia fired back with an annoyed tone. "Plus, I don't think I need lessons of manners from a Devil-"

"I'm a member of Grigori and I know that you are making some heavy steps with the way you're tackling this case, signorina Quarta." The young man responded in kind. "And I'm fairly sure the Church isn't keen to rekindle the Great War, so if I was you I would be keeping my mouth from ruining the chances of peace."

That seemed to silence her, but Asia could see that the girl was seething at that little exchange.

But the moment the blue-haired girl bailed from the discussion, Irina decided to replace her on the chat. "So you are part of Grigori, sir? I thought we were talking with the current representative for the Devils in Kuoh Town."

"That would be Sona Sitri, you will find her at Kuoh Academy during school hours." The young man on the other side of the call answered. "By the way, I'm Hoitsu Sakakibara-"

"T-The 'Hoitsu Sakakibara' Lord Michael spoke about?" The blunt exorcist butted in with a surprised expression, her eyes moving to Asia. "S-So that means you are the Blessed Maiden that was unjustly banished from the Church."

Asia's eyes widened at the words and Hoitsu sighed. "I kind of forgot to say but… I spent some words with Michael and he said he would have given a look at your case and, from Xenovia-san's words, I can say he pardoned you already."

"S-So that means-" The blonde vibrated in pure cheerfulness.

"You can pray to God without having to be hunt down as a Heretic."

She squealed in victory and went to hug Issei much to the brunet's surprise and genuine happiness.

In that exact moment Irina pouted at the scene but, much to her shock, her anonymous reaction was shredded by the man's following words.

"By the way, Ise, that girl with chestnut hair is your childhood friend," Hoitsu said calmly. "You mightn't recognize her because you confused her as a boy-"

"W-What?!-"

"Because she looked like one at that age. Irina, I do remind you that you had short hair and you preferred boyish clothes than feminine ones, I wouldn't be doing any ruckus over it if I was you."

"B-But-"

"No butts, you are smart enough to not fall in that silly mistake."

"L-Lord Hoitsu, can I ask why the Blessed Maiden lives together with a… Devil?" Xenovia finally blurted out, causing the owner of the house to sigh at the phone.

"Simple answer would be: They are boyfriend and girlfriend."

The Exorcists' eyes widened at the truth bomb.

"The full context is: Issei was almost killed by Stray Fallen Angel and was reincarnated by the former controller of Kuoh Town. He is currently on a 'free stay' and no, he isn't a Stray. He took care of Asia from the very day she arrived in Kuoh Town and they decided to step up their relationship."

"Oh." Irina replied with a simple but sad note. "So… I think we should be going." Her tone somber as she turned around and started to walk towards the door.

"I-It was nice seeing you once more, Ise-"

"I don't think I'm done with you, Irina." The little command got her to stop from leaving, eyes going wide as she stared at the phone.

"W-What?"

"Issei's mom did tell me some things about you and I have this as an advice for your new… plight." The young man started to say, his tone surprisingly kind and very wise. "If you care for someone, the real objective is to make them happy while being yourself happy. Don't beat yourself over it and… it doesn't mean making any competition. Compromises exist too-"

"H-Hoitsu-nii!" Asia interrupted with eyes narrowed at the phone in shock at his words. "W-What are you talking about?"

"Something that I will explain to you once your guests are out and you aren't at school. It's nothing meaningless, but something I forgot to explain to Issei and I think it's best you are around for that."

She sighed but nodded softly. "I… I trust you on that."

"And I love you for that, piccolina."

Xenovia snorted at the nickname and Hoitsu sighed.

"Something funny to say, signorina Quarta?" He replied with an amused tone. "By the way, I do hope you remember to call your 'warden' before going to bed. I can only think how much angry she would be at her apprentice not answering her phone calls-"

"H-How do you know that?!" She blurted in shock.

"I know many things and one about you is very, very important."

"A-And that is?"

"You lack common sense, signorina, and you should call your 'mom' right now."

She blushed a little, appearing suddenly nervous while nodding. "I- I will once the mission is over-"

"Do it before the end of the day and spare yourself some punishment from hers, would you?"

The girl conceded a defeated nod and the call ended the moment the two girls decided to take their leave, bidding a polite goodbye before leaving the two teens' sight.

"They are…" Issei started with a placid tone.

"Interesting." Asia hummed with some happiness. "I still can't believe Hoitsu-nii managed to contact Lord Michael."

The brunet nodded too. "Yeah… unbelievable."

The girl stopped at seeing the boy's somber look. "Something's wrong?"

"I-I don't want to ruin the mood or anything… but it's been a while now that we see Senpai and-"

"He said he will be back in less than two weeks from now." The blonde interrupted with a pretty smile. "So he will be back by that time."

Issei nodded, accepting the optimistic point of view pushed by Asia as… he had nothing to worry about with Senpai.

If he promised something, he would always maintain it.

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Ophis was incredibly annoyed.

Frustration has turned out to be a common emotion every time she had to deal with the affairs of the very organization she created.

The Hero Faction was filled with young humans craving for action, ignoring the importance of subtlety and preferring to strong-arm situations rather than being smart with their opportunities. Cao Cao was powerful, the possession of the Longinus and the outstanding capacity to use it to the very best made him a strong warrior but sadly those very abilities hardly influenced his poor leadership and sheer incapacity to calm the hot blood of the youths under his care.

The Old Satan Faction was the one that barked annoyingly and did the least for the Khaos Brigade as a whole, trying to get their ambitions settled the quickest possible even at the cost of sacrificing the other factions. Rightful claims, they pranced around by imposing some 'undeniable' rights that Ophis was starting to get annoyed to hear about.

The Qlippoth under Rizevim Lucifer was possibly the calmest but also the most confusing of the factions. While the son of the original Lucifer was polite while she was around, the Infinity Dragon wasn't blind enough to ignore the pure madness he was so keen to promote with those under his command.

It wasn't damaging as the other factions were with their personal motivations but something about him felt 'weird'. Familiar but also twisted, annoying but also not.

With a sigh, she found herself shifting out from the KB's headquarters and… in an unfamiliar big room.

It was the first time she decided to visit Hoitsu and Shiranai-nii after the Diodora's fail and she was ready to show to both how much well she has behaved in those days. Maybe a naughty act or two in allowing some generally chaotic actions, but she was hopeful in believing in apologies for those little cases.

The moment her eyes adjusted to the new place, she noticed almost too quickly that… there was no Hoitsu, nor the shadow part of his around.

Ophis gave another look and… her eyes locked onto the floating green spirit staring back at her with a shell-shocked expression. It looked funny but… also kind of depressing at how frozen it looked at her sight.

How odd, she mused silently and then her eyes moved to the second occupant of the room.

He was a young teen, much younger than Hoitsu and Vali, and he was suffering a little while trying to lift some weights. A blink, then two and… her confusion increased as the activity continued.

The boy was clearly strong enough, the power visible to her magically-enchanted sight and… yet she was unable to fathom why would he commit himself to the task without making use of his powers.

She slowly walked towards him and stopped to see more attentively at his actions. He was genuinely putting his physical best in the exercise, forfeiting in that moment the use of his immense energy for… no reason.

It was illogical and… she decided to do what she knew would work best. She spoke.

"Why?"

32%

The boy tensed, stopping just a moment mid-lifting to turn around and look at her. Dark eyes meet dark eyes, there was curiosity well-hidden in the boy's and maybe some surprise too if she considered the brief confused twitch appearing in his face.

35%

"Uh? What?"

An elaboration? Did he need for details? The Infinity Dragon merely nodded.

"Why aren't you using your power?"

43%
He blinked. "O-Oh." His eyes turned to the floor and he nodded. "I-I don't want to cheat."

Cheat? Why would using powers that are his own be considered cheating?

"But why? Why is it… cheating?" She pressed on, now that sounded like something… curious that she needed to know.

48%

"Well..." The boy said calmly stopping his exercises.

54%

"I want to have some muscles?" He replied with some uncertainty. "M-My former Sensei said that women loves muscles."

Muscles as in the bulky form of some men? Why would they be important to woman? Does those help with mating or-

"Why are muscles good?" The goth girl asked once more and the boy frowned.

59%

"Well, if I have muscles then… I would appear cooler and… I would be able to do things without my powers."

62%

"Why?" Her voice was blank, unbreakable and she took a step forward.

81%

"Why?" She continued to ask, drawing a confused look from the boy.

96%

She leaned forward, hands carefully straddling on his sweaty shirt.

99%

Her face was close to his and she noticed a strange difference from before.

99,6%

There were… pretty colors around his and his hair was now floating to an invisible wind.

100% Confusion

His eyes were wide open at the embarrassing intimacy they were sharing, one of her fingers pressing on her lips as she softly nodded.

"You are interesting." She said before backing away calmly and walking towards the stairs. "See you later, Pretty Colors."

Moments of silence passed as the girl silently left the room and… Dimple recovered.

"M-Mob, we need to stop her before-" The spirit's eyes widened in shock at seeing the boy's face. "M-Mob?!"

Eyes wide open and trembling a little, the teen's face was sporting a full-face blush at the embarrassed moment. To have a girl to not only show interests on him but to also ignore his powers while he let those out?

His lips twitched and Dimple narrowed his eyes in confusion at what seemed to have been a… fleeting smile?

---------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d---------d-d-d-d-

AN

Poor Mob is crushing on someone.

One would question me why it has to be Ophis and… the reason is that they match actually pretty-well.

Both share the same affinity which is Infinity itself: In Mob Psycho 100, Mogami proved that powerful espers gain immense power by ascending their mortality after death. Abandoning his human body, Mob would be easily matching Ophis in pure power and capacities.

About Ophis being genderless: after re-reading some entries in the Wikia and re-watching, re-reading some of the material, I can say for sure that while Ophis is genderless, she prefers to be female. There is only an instance where he was a man and that was revealed by Azazel, but it was just that, a single instance. Her preference to being female could stem from the fact that girls are better-received by people around compared to boys, her childish demeanor requesting affection as a replacement to her 'Silence' once in a while.

So yeah, this might be a pairing after all.

Irina and Xenovia are here… their timing precisely the same as in Canon and I have some words to say about them:

1) Irina: I've plans about her, Issei and Asia. I know people want to preserve AsiaXIssei purity, but I will have to do that just this once. It's not a full harem but Issei will be getting her as a second girlfriend… with my powerful Magic! (I will not pair her directly, I will make several chapters pass before focusing on this spot so… right now it's only Issei and Asia.);

2) Xenovia: She will not be part of any Harems but she will be a very important character in the story. I've a detailed storyline dedicated to her and it will culminate in her growth and peak.

Also new Milestone!

Future milestone 1: 796 Followers and Favorites.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

Mogami proved that powerful espers gain immense power by ascending their mortality after death. Abandoning his human body, Mob would be easily matching Ophis in pure power and capacities.

Click to shrink...

This seems like quite a stretch. His power growing with his death I could see, but it growing to eclipse entire pantheons of gods? Whose strongest members can literally destroy planets by sneezing (or for the strongest ones, flexing would likely be enough )? Yeah, not seeing it.

There is only an instance where he was a man and that was revealed by Azazel, but it was just that, a single instance. Her preference to being female could stem from the fact that girls are better-received by people around compared to boys, her childish demeanor requesting affection as a replacement to her 'Silence' once in a while.

Click to shrink...

On that same point, we have only seen her take a female form in a single instance as well. Her older form is just that; the older form of that same instance, so your point falls a little flat considering it is 1:1 on the male to female ratio.

2) Xenovia: She will not be part of any Harems but she will be a very important character in the story.

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