The sea of flames had consumed the room. The chess board floor had become the burning battlefield, with not a single thing left untouched by the fire. Collapsed pillars and columns littered the floor, sometimes getting in the way but also providing protection for Rias and Akira as they danced the dance of death with Riser.

And they were losing.

Gremory's magic was futile. Even if it was a Persona, Riser seemed to know the ins and outs of anything demonic. Flauros' flames were tiny embers compared to the inferno Riser caused whenever he flapped his wings, and they ended up only adding more fuel to Riser's fire. Archangel's attacks got through, but no matter which limb or wing was cut off by its holy blade, a new one was born out of the flames of the Phoenix body. Each time they broke through Riser's defenses, it was like the clock turned back. The unseen hand of fate dropped them back off at square one.

''Why do you try to run now? Were you not cocky a mere moment ago? DID YOU NOT THINK YOU COULD DEFY ME?!''

Riser's screams echoed through the room as his flames chased them like mad hounds at their heels. Akira pulled his gun out and shot Riser, hoping to slow him down. With each bullet he wasted, he got a mad cackle from Riser in return. They were being toyed with it. Riser was not flying after them at full speed either. He wanted to enjoy seeing them run for as long as he could.

''Rias, down to the left!''

A fiery explosion scorched the floor where they once stood. With his seasoned reflexes, Akira had managed to grab Rias and dive behind a pile of collapsed columns. They were both panting as they crawled through the shadows. The heat in the room was less of an issue now, and the flames had not reached this space yet, but how long would it last?

''And now you hide. I too was a fool to expect you to put your money where your mouth is. I'll let you rats of scurry for a little while though, that will make it a lot more better when I turn you to ashes.''

The fact that he was even giving them time made it clear it was all a game to Riser. The two of them leaned against the back of the rubble, making sure not to hit their heads. Rias let out a deep breath, and looked at Akira, sweat still dripping down her face.

''We can't stay here for long,'' she managed to get out, ''whatever he says, he could attack at any moment. What do we do?''

He remained silent. This was one of the moments he didn't want to admit that he didn't know. Their Personas were outmatched, using guns was a waste of time, and going in to fight hand to hand was asking to get burned. Would his quest end here? Was he going to fail a second time?

Any other thought was interrupted by the blast of flames that cut through the rubble, separating him from Rias. He had heard her scream his name, but it did not get through to him. The sizzling roars coming from the flames were muffled. His body refused to move an inch. The rubble above him was spread out and blasted away by a gust of wind, and Riser hovered above him. Even with a bird's face his expression was unmistakingly smug.

''Tell me, what was the point of all of this?'' Riser crooned. ''What would you gain from this? Don't tell me you were thinking you were just being the good guy. You don't belong here. Meddling with our affairs is like asking for a death wish. You stepped into the devil's den, and now you reap what you sowed. Remember this grand sight, my incandescent glory, as your last hopeless memory as I burn you into oblivion. Remember as I, Riser Phenex, turned everything you tried to protect into ash. REMEMBER THE MOMENT THE FLAMES OF A GOD SEALED YOUR FATE!"

And he remembered. Something else entirely.

A new presence flared up from his heart, bearing a grin that would bring warmth. Yet it was a cold presence, so cold it made the temperature in the room drop from its near volcanic levels. Riser halted his descent towards Akira, and looked around in confusion, seemingly not understanding why his flames were not burning as brightly anymore. A freezing sensation tingled along Akira's skin, before a voice finally spoke up in his head.

''Hee-ho! It seems my loyal subject is in some hee-trouble-ho!''

A giant snowball started manifesting behind Akira. A single snowball became two. Hands and arms popped out of the larger one, and with each added part the cold in the area grew harsher.

''I'll free-hee-ze all of those in our way solid, ho!''

A golden crown settled upon the creature's head, accentuating its royal features. A staff equally as gold appeared in its hand. Black eyes and a black mouth popped out on its face. The mouth was grinning and the eyes were wide open, giving the creature an uncanny mix of something adorable and something terrifying. Golden plates covered its torso, sealed with a giant lock. The cold that would otherwise leak out would be too much to handle.

''I am you, and you are me! I am King Frost, ho!''

Riser stared at King Frost and Akira, not saying a word. He soon burst out into a fit of maniacal laughter, the sound of it almost making the room shake.

''This is your last resort? What is that, your stuffed animal you cuddle in bed? Even in your last moments your idiocy does not fail to amuse me.''

Akira smiled. Riser was getting it all wrong, he was not the one about to be amused.

Thanks to Riser's comment, King Frost's cheerful expression morphed into a frown. A very angry frown.

''You ho-hold your horses. If you insult me and my subjects like that, I will be getting really really hee mad.''

Riser kept on laughing, unaware of what he was getting himself into. ''And what are you gonna do it about it, foolish creature?''

King Frost slammed his staff on the floor, and grinned once again.

''I am going to hee-ho kill you~''

The slightly milder temperature in the room dropped to an arctic freezing point. King Frost kept slamming his staff on the floor, and ice soon spread out from underneath. The power of Mabufudyne covered the room, dousing the flames in an instant and covering everything in ice. Rias looked around in awe as the fire that had split her from Akira disappeared in an instant. Riser however stuttered around in fear and confusion as his undefeatable flames vanished right in front of his eyes.

''No,'' Riser muttered, ''this can't be real…! A Phoenix's flames are always burning! They can't be extinguished!''

As Riser was lost in his insecurities, King Frost lifted his staff again, and issued his final decree. Riser's body slowly stopped moving, as tiny pieces of frost crept upon his wings. The tiny pieces soon turned into large chunks of ice that were covering up Riser's body at a rapid pace. The once so proud Riser could do nothing but scream as he was turning into an ice sculpture, hovering in the air. With a final tap of King Frost's staff on the floor, the frozen Phoenix exploded into tiny little fragments, making the real Riser emerge from within along with the treasure. Riser fell down onto the ground and skidded further away from them, while the scepter rolled towards them. Akira let the scepter pass by as it landed at Rias's feet. She stood up and grabbed hold of it, looking at Akira, who gave her a confirming nod.

Riser's flames were extinguished, and theirs were reignited.

They walked up towards Riser, who was struggling to get up to no avail. The sound of Rias smacking the scepter against her own hand alerted Riser, and he tried to crawl away from them along the frozen floor.

''No, please,'' Riser whimpered, ''I-I can give you anything you want! Money, power, Phoenix tears, whatever you desire!''

Rias's gaze turned into a stern glare as she looked down upon Riser's cowering form. ''You know damn well what I want,'' Rias said in a low tone, ''call of the marriage, Riser. Call it off and our business here is done.''

Riser slammed his fist on the icy floor, gritting his teeth. ''How many times do I have to tell you,'' he growled out, his voice a mix between fear and frustration, ''there is no other way! You think I want to follow the plans of this senile old bastards all the time?! I'm nothing more than a machine for some additional praise in the Rating Games. I live in the shadows of my brothers and their accomplishments, and I'm left as nothing but a tool to gather more fame for my house. Something as simple as a damn marriage doesn't mean anything.''

''Your own suffering isn't a reason to project the same onto others,'' Akira said, ''no one likes to be treated like they're an object that is just passed around, in order to fulfill the goals of whoever gets their hands on it.''

Riser laughed, irked and defeated. ''You wouldn't understand. But Rias,'' he addressed her, turning his head towards her, ''you would, right?''

''Don't think I do,'' she replied, ''we're both important in our respective families, Riser. We both get expectations forced upon us. The difference between us is that I don't indulge in my status and the power that comes along with it. My blood doesn't determine who I am.''

''You make it all seem so easy,'' Riser huffed, ''but that's what happens when your house is ran by softies. How many times do you think your brother and that Sitri woman wanted to interfere in all the affairs involving you? Yet their positions held them back,'' Riser chuckled. ''Funny, isn't it? We take the power from our leaders, to prevent another tyranny, yet we have them keep the names of the ones we supposedly despised the most. The higher ranking devils revive others like mad men, yet a stigma of elitism still lingers among them. It's like the whole Underworld is playing a game of pretend.''

''Then be the first one to make the change'', Akira said. ''Don't let your future be decided by your leaders, your family, or your heritage. Don't try to be Riser of the Phenex family, or Riser the Rating Game player. Just be Riser, the man you want to be.''

Riser looked down onto his reflection on the frozen floor.

''You're… right.''

Riser's body started glowing, and his form started fading. He looked at Riser and Akira, a small, sad smile on his lips.

''I'll reunite with my true self now. The marriage will be called off. Farewell.''

After a few seconds the shadow fully faded away. Rias let out a sigh as she sat down on the floor.

''You have no idea how glad I am this is over,'' she muttered.

It wasn't yet.

The frozen floor started shaking. The walls of the room started falling forward, adding onto the icy debris. Rias almost shot up from her sitting position. She sent Akira a questioning and panicked look. He gave a shrug in response.

''We still have to run.''


The darkness of the room was as unwelcoming as always. He fell into his routine of walking towards the desk in silence, waiting until the man behind the desk would addressed him. This time the man was tapping his fingers on the desk loudly, almost in an impatient fashion. His head soon turned towards Akira, and that grin Akira could never get a read on made itself known.

They had escaped Riser's palace without much trouble. Ten days were left until the engagement party, and Rias didn't bother with hiding her anxiety. At this point he didn't even doubt whether the change of heart would happen, so his mind was free of worry. He had been waiting to slip into this dark place again from his slumber, with the hopes of getting a push in the right direction, and after a few nights he had finally returned.

''The first one to be taken down was a flaming beast of lust, huh,'' the man started, ''blinded by his power, but could see all when it came to which woman he'd pick next. Amusing fellow.''

In comparison to Igor, or rather Yaldabaoth disguised as Igor, this man was rather direct with what he thought. No mindless droning about a meaningless rehabilitation or blatant dodging of questions. If he wanted to tell Akira something, he would. If he didn't want to, he wouldn't. Akira liked the straightforwardness, but it helped very little with understanding what the mysterious man actually wanted. He had been here a grand total of three times now, but the lack of information about the room itself and the person who ran it was quite a bother.

''So what's the plan now?'' the man asked. ''That girl seems to have gotten an understanding of how things work. I wonder what you two will get into next.''

''I… am considering to part ways with her.''

The man's grin faded and turned into a genuine look of surprise.

''Oh?''

What could he say? Rias had a lot to lose. He had shared a lot of common ground with his previous group, as they were all outcasts who didn't belong, but the similarities between him and Rias could be counted on one hand. After his little talk with Akeno he had realized that he did not want to put the lives of Rias and her group further at stake. Besides, what interest would she have in continuing?

"Wait, I think I get it now," the man smiled, "fear consumes your heart, doesn't it?"

Akira frowned. He wouldn't call it fear. It was more of an avoidance of unnecessary risks. His wildcard powers would already cause too much of a stir in the world if too many found out. Rias could deal with Flauros and Archangel, but there was no telling what she and other supernatural beings would do if the likes of Metatron and Satan came back to him.

"Now don't give me that look," the man cooed, "you know damn well that I'm right. You loved your previous compatriots. Some in different ways of course, but your bonds were unbreakable nonetheless. But they died. And now you fear forging bonds as strong as those you once had, because you are afraid of losing them again."

A sigh escaped Akira's lips. Even if people called him unresponsive and overly calm, he was apparently too easy to read for this guy.

"Is it so bad to not want to lose your friends over and over again?" Akira asked, more to himself than to the man.

"If you were so terrified of losing them, you wouldn't have made friends in the first place. You will either push everyone who gets close to you away, moving on alone with the pain of loneliness, or always carry the fear of losing your friends, but experience the joy and enrichment they bring to your life, even if you might lose it again."

The man chuckled, and tapped his fingers on his desk.

"It's a simple question, Akira. Would you rather go on alone and supported, or complete your task with the support of your bonds, even if it's just for a little while?"

A simple question indeed.

He had strayed from his path. It had always been his friends who had helped him through everything. From late night studying to confronting a god, nothing had been too much for the Phantom Thieves. Even in a new world, the same principle.

"I understand," Akira said, "I have to use the power of my bonds to get through all of this."

"Good," the man nodded, "I was almost thinking I'd have to give you an actual wake up call. Good thing it didn't get to that point…" the man coughed to regain his composure. "Anyway, back to the business. Still no signs of ruin in sight, so you're pretty much free to operate however you want. Keep in mind you will gain notoriety among the supernatural groups at some point though. There is also something that can be considered… bad news."

Oh no.

"There's a wildcard out there," the man said in a surprisingly serious tone, "whether it's with the same purpose as that wretched Demiurge had planned last time is unknown. But it's very much a thing. So if you see someone blasting out multiple Personas out there, be careful."

Somewhere deep down inside Akira hoped it was Akechi. They had formed a very strange degree of respect and trust in each other in Akechi's final moments in Shido's Palace. Maybe his repayment for his sacrifice could be another shot at the life the teenage detective had wasted? The chance of that was very slim, however, if existent at all.

"How do you even know all of this?" Akira asked with narrowed eyes, growing a tad suspicious, "You don't look like you came from my world."

The man let out a sinister chuckle. "The Dimensional Gap is a wonderful place. Let's just say I've seen plenty, even when stuck in one place for a long time. Also, there was something else I wanted to show you…"

Akira was about to protest, this was a subject he wouldn't let the man dodge. But then the man pointed towards something off in the corner of the room, and Akira forgot of all the accusations he was about to make.

There stood two large guillotines. Their blades gleamed even in the darkness of the room. Two large holes ready to fit beings three times the size of Akira were carved into the machines. And of course above each hole, a shining magical emblem, ready to fuse whatever was offered together. Even though he already had his Personas — they simply weren't all accessible — the guillotines felt different. Like they could do more than they did in the Velvet Room. Akira looked back at the man, whose grin was threatening to split his face.

"Seems familiar?"

Akira couldn't help but let his lips curve upwards. He liked this place a lot more now.


"I've barely been sleeping lately. Only nine days left until we find out if it worked. Do you know how anxious I am?"

"Yes Rias, you've been sending me these texts from seven in the morning until midnight almost every day."

He smiled as he put his phone back in his pocket. Rias wouldn't shut up about their little adventure. Her happiness and excitement would practically radiate off the screen whenever she texted him. He could not deny that some good vibes welled up in his stomach because of that too; being able to make others feel better just did something to his psyche.

The two of them had once again stopped seeing each other for some time, but they kept in contact through texts at all times. They had both simultaneously suggested to lay low for a while, which at that moment had resulted in some laughs from her side and a couple chuckles from his. It was for the better though. With a bit of downtime Rias's peerage would most likely grow less suspicious, which would both take some stress off Rias's shoulders and he would not have to deal with any more confrontations. A win-win situation, he thought. The only problem was that there was no telling when their next target would pop up, so their time of peace could either last for months or days.

His Phantom Thief business aside, today fate had decreed him to take another route back home. An not so tactically placed construction site had blocked his usual and shortest path back from school, so he was forced to take another way around. The longer walk did give him a better view of Kuoh thought. The only locations he ever visited were school and the grocery store near his apartment. It was a good chance for him to get a better look at the town. For example, he had never seen the church before he was just passing by now, and neither the girl in rags that was sitting on the steps leading to it.

He stopped walking.

The girl looked young, perhaps a year or two his junior. She was shaking, clutching to the remnant of a blue robe wrapped around her. Her long blonde hair was dirty and her green eyes were teary. He slowly approached her, hoping not to scare her.

''Are you okay…?'' he asked in a soft tone. The girl looked up at him, giving him a thin smile, before she fell forward. Akira managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

Girls used to fall for him, but not in this way.


Asia Argento was her name.

She had been surprisingly calm about the situation. Currently she laid in his bed, patched up and in fresh clothes. Taking her to a hospital was not a viable option, so he had to do with home care. His level of medical treatment was nothing out of the ordinary, but his time spent in Palaces had taught him a thing or two.

But she was in bad shape. No band aids would help her for long. The damage to her body was treatable, but he felt that there was something off with her that went past the level of physical treatment.

They had talked for a while after Asia had woken up. He didn't want to pry into what could have happened while she was in such a fragile state, so it had just been small talk. He had made her some food, which she had accepted with a smile, but she didn't end up eating much. She more than likely couldn't eat much. Now they were sitting there in silence, with Asia staring at her lap and Akira sitting besides her.

''Do you know, Akira-san?'' she asked quietly, ''Do you know about the other things that live around here?''

He remained silent for a while before nodding. ''Are you referring to the supernatural beings?''

''Yes. The people who… kept me in that church were like that.''

Akira frowned. ''Were you kept against your will?''

''Well, I didn't come there on my own accord, but,'' a sad smile adorned Asia's face, ''they were not much different from me. They were fallen angels, I was a priestess excommunicated from the church. All miserable but with no place to go. But now they're gone too.''

His worried frown deepened. Things were starting to click together in a fashion he didn't like. First a possibly targeted mental shutdown on a highschool student, then some fallen angels were attacked. He'd have to talk with Rias about this.

''I don't think that's all,'' Asia continued in a soft voice,'' I don't think I'll be around for much longer.''

It was a big dilemma. He did not know her, yet she had pretty much spilled her guts in front of him. And it brought him to another realization.

He was powerless outside of the Metaverse.

In his old world, all the commotion was in the Palaces. He could fight with his Personas, weaponry, and whatever, but in the real world he lacked all of those. Without the Metaverse, what could he have possibly done against Shido? Even Yaldabaoth, a god, needed the alternate world to set his plans in action.

''But, wilt Thou stay helpless forever?''

He did not expect a voice to ring out at this very moment.

A warm, golden presence flowed out from his heart. Light started forming around him, and Asia could only watch with wide eyes and an open mouth.

''Believe in Thyself. For My power and that of many others rests within your heart.''

Bright, golden armor took shape behind him. Feathers danced around him and merged together into wings that were almost as bright as the surrounded him.

''I am Thou. Thou art I.''

A golden mask looked down upon Asia's frail body. He could swear he saw the lips of the mask twitch into a smile, be it only for a brief second.

''I am Sandalphon. I have come to answer Thy prayers.''

Asia's eyes remained wide in awe, but her open mouth morphed into a very large smile. Something fluttered in Akira's heart as he saw her expression radiate happiness at the sight of the angel.

''Uh, Mr. Angel-sama Sir?'' Asia stuttered. She shook, probably in excitement but maybe in fear too, and clutched the sheets of his bed tightly with her small hands.

Sandalphon nodded. ''What bothers thee, young one?''

Asia swallowed a lump in her throat.

''A-are you real?''

Sandalphon let out a hearty chuckle in response. ''This must be quite the shock for you. But I exist in this moment. I have come to answer the prayers of Thee and my Contractor.''

Akira remembered the countless times Sandalphon's powers had helped him in the Metaverse. While he could heal many wounds and make his friends stand up to fight once more, he could still pack a punch. Not as much as his brother though. If Sandalphon was the kind doctor on the battlefield, Metatron was the steeled veteran.

It looked like Asia's day was made. Though after a while, she looked down, refusing to meet Sandalphon's gaze. ''But, the church excommunicated me. They said God would never accept me after what I did…'' she muttered.

That brought something up in Akira's mind. Why did she get excommunicated?

Sandalphon's gaze remained fixated on Asia. ''Men have no say in who stands before the Golden Gates. Men are bound by their mortality, and decide nothing once their time on this earth ends.''

The apartment shook slightly, making some of the furniture fall over. The windows burst open, and a harsh wind blew through the room.

''Men have no right to deny you of anything.''

Asia bit her lip, and nodded at the angel's words. Akira looked at her, worried once again. Sandalphon was most likely right, but that still didn't change the reality that she had been banished.

Sandalphon placed a hand on Asia's head, and she let out a small yelp. ''Do not fear the future. Many waste their lives in hopes of ascending to a better place. But if you do not live your life on earth like you would want in Heaven, where would you get the virtue and kindness to be able to get up the stairway?''

A green light danced around Asia's body. Her bruises and cuts vanished, her pale skin regained its color and her eyes became filled with life once more. She moved her hands and fingers, in shock at the fact her body seemed to be functioning like normal again. Sandalphon removed his hand from her head and crossed his arms. His head turned towards the ceiling, almost as if he was trying to look for the heavens themselves.

''You are not abandoned by the Light until you've strayed from it. But still. The Light in this world is strange. It shines not as bright as it should. Perhaps this is an issue that will require a more detailed look at it in the future.''

Sandalphon turned his head towards Akira.

''Be wary, Contractor. Thy fate and that of many others in all worlds may collide sooner or later.''

The angel vanished, and as soon he did, a sharp pain ran through Akira's body. He clutched his head, not used to the sudden taxation. Asia almost jumped out of bed, but he already seemed to have recovered. Perhaps this was a side effect of summoning a Persona in the real world, which was something he did not know he could do before.

''That…'' Asia started. She looked at Akira, seemingly in distress, but then burst out in a fit of cheering.

''Was so cool! Are you a special member of the church? A saint? No,'' Asia gasped, ''maybe you're an angel yourself!''

He smiled as Asia bounced around him, shouting strange questions and remarks every other second. Even in his tired state, the happiness he brought others could keep him going. He was brought out of his happy stupor when his phone suddenly buzzed.

A text. From Rias.

''Are you okay? I sensed a massive holy energy signature around the area where you live. I'm coming right over!''

Uh oh.


Her heart was trembling.

Rias sat in the dressing room. In a few minutes she'd have to come out, and see whether all the effort she and Akira had put in had worked. Riser was to hold a grand speech in front of various high-class devils, his peerage and her own. She had overheard some small talk of Riser not leaving his room until today, and it gave her a bit of hope. But in the end, she could only wait and see, even with all the other things going on.

There was still Akira himself to worry about. A few days earlier she had rushed over to his place, fearing some kind of angel had assaulted him. All she found was him nursing some unknown girl. Her suspicions were growing, but he had played everything off. ''You must have made a mistake with your sensing,'' he had told her. As if she would. Kuoh was her territory. She'd know if something was wrong.

The girl in question had turned out to be a banished nun. Rias wanted to argue that it would not be safe for Akira to keep her around, and that they should relocate her to a safer place, but Akira was dead set on taking care of her. She did not go against it, and now Asia Argento was enrolled into Kuoh Academy as a second year student. Conveniently, she ended up in Yuuto's class, so they could keep an eye out for her if the situation called for it. It turned out she had a rare Sacred Gear, and having that on her side would be very handy in the future. Perhaps she would offer the girl a spot in her peerage once this was over.

And then there was Akira.

The travelling between worlds and changing of hearts seemed like almost a hobby to him. His face rarely showed a lot of expression, but the words that came out of his mouth formed a myriad of emotion. He always made sense, even if he did it. He never lost his cool, but his words always lit a fire in her heart. In the brief two and a half weeks that had passed, they had been through a lot together, but yet she knew very little about him. Who he was, where he came from, how he got his strange powers in the first place… He was a true enigma.

Even with his mysterious powers of calling forth angels and devils, she was worried about him too. Many devils would kill to have someone with an ability like that on their side. And she figured some would act on it once they found out about Akira's existence. It was a hidden danger. He might not realize now, but if his existence were to be revealed, peerage offers would pop up left and right. If he was with her, that risk would be eliminated. But would it be worth it? Could they keep up their secret about the Metaverse if he was part of her peerage? Would he want to be part of her peerage?

''You seem nervous.''

At this point, Rias wouldn't even get startled anymore. She watched as Grayfia entered the room and waited until Grayfia stood in front of her.

''Not at all,'' Rias answered, her voice void of any hostility, ''how is he?''

She could not hide the venom in her tone at the end of her sentence. Grayfia did not react, as always. ''Riser is doing fine,'' Grayfia answered, ''that little card that was passed on did cause a slight security spike around the Phenix estate, but nothing ended up happening. It was probably a poorly timed prank.''

Rias hoped it wasn't.

''Anyway, it's not something you should be worrying about,'' Grayfia said as she knelt down to fiddle with Rias's dress, ''especially not at this time. Your brother would be very disappointed if he sees you walking out with a frown.

''Oh, I'm expected to come out cheering and grinning now? How about I do a little dance while we're at it?'' Rias scoffed, only half serious. Grayfia let a small smile form on her face.

''Don't be so negative. I'm sure you'll be fine,'' Grayfia said softly, ''you know your brother is-''

''A Satan and can't do anything about the situation. Yeah, I've heard that a couple of times now,'' Rias remarked, ''I can handle it, Grayfia. This whole thing was accepted a while ago.''

Rias stood up from her chair and brushed off her dress. ''Well, shall we go then?'' she asked Grayfia, who nodded in response. The two of them left the dressing room and entered the large hall.

Hundreds of devils stood around the decorated tables. Drinks and food were passed around, and every single posh looking aristocrat looked like they were having a great time. She caught a glimpse of her peerage as she walked up the platform, and they all stared at her with worried eyes and compassionate smiles. Her brother was present too, standing on a little platform of his own, but he refused to meet her gaze. Even though she was still angry about it, she knew this was very hard for him too. If he was still just the heir to their family, a couple bodies would've already vanished by this point. The fact that he was an absolute siscon didn't help either.

The moment Rias stepped onto the centre stage, all the attention turned towards her. Whistles and cheers greeted her, which she chose to ignore. The audience clapped and muttered amongst itself as she stood there, waiting.

Riser was not there.

Minutes passed, and the excited muttering among the crowd turned into frustrated whispering. The attendants started stressing as chaos started brewing because of the missing groom.

Then the doors opened. And the sight was rather pitiful.

Riser did not follow the dress code of the party very well. His suit was sloppy, his hair was a mess and the look in his eyes indicated he hadn't slept for a while. He shuffled over towards the centre stage at a snail's pace, a wave of silence washing over the crowd as they looked at Riser. He climbed up on the stage, almost slipping a couple times. He didn't dare to look at Rias. As he stood in position, he looked over the crowd.

''Ladies and gentlemen,'' Riser choked out. His voice cracked and it looked like he was about to break down. ''Today is a most cheerful day. Or at least, it was supposed to be.''

More whispers erupted along the crowd. Confusion, surprise, panic from certain sides. Riser did not seem to mind, as he continued his speech.

''What was supposed to be a union for people that harbored special feelings for each other, became an agreement between two Pillars in order to gain power,'' Riser continued, now sobbing halfway through, ''I was blinded by my desire for a woman's flesh, so blinded that if this marriage would go on, I would do things most unbecoming of a high-class devil…''

Now Riser had fallen onto his knees, and the crowd erupted in chaos. He bawled as he slammed his fists on the ground, angry with himself.

''We've been trying our best to move on from the shadows our predecessors cast upon us,'' Riser sobbed, ''but I've lived with Lucifer's pride and Asmodeus' lust. I don't wish to continue like this or make anyone else suffer because of my outrageous behaviour! That's why the marriage will be called off!''

Rias could only stare as the attendants rushed over to get the bawling Riser out of here. The crowd was now the embodiment of gossip, and she caught her brother staring with a mixed expression of relief and confusion. Rias knew one thing for sure though.

She would never doubt Akira again.


Well, well, well. I wanted to get this chapter out earlier, but I really wanted to get the two Riser scenes done properly. And here's the finished product. I unfortunately did not get much time to proofread this, so if you see a couple spelling errors (more than usual at least haha), I apologize.

Things are starting to pick up a bit. Akira is starting to manifest his Persona powers into the real world, and now Asia is getting mixed up into all this business as well. Canon starts taking a real shift from this point on, so don't go expecting any holy sword or Kokabiel related business next chapter.

So far, I'm really content with this story and from the feedback I've gotten from you guys (thanks a lot from that btw), you all seem to be having a great time too. I graduated from college and have a long, free summer ahead of me, so lots of chapters can be expected. I hope you all stick with me until the end of this wild ride.

That's all for this author's note. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter a lot. Please leave me a review with your thoughts, have an amazing day and I'll see you guys next time.