Music used in the chapter:

HEAVEN_Itou Kashitarou

Chapter 7:

Death is given equally but remember, die in vain is still a sin.

In the night, the abandoned church was being devoured by black flames. The accursed flames crackled, as if they were laughing at the sins they were burning and at the person stood in front of it.

His plan... His grand foolproof plan to get the blond Holy Maiden with her healing Sacred Gear had crumbled to dust.

Who?! Who dared to disrupt his plan?!

Despite his fury, the black flames just kept cakling tauntingly at the figure as the church was being gradually reduced to ashes in front of his eyes.

Tension.

This was the first time he could feel the heavy tension in his home since when his mother had passed away. A change in deed, though an unwelcome one if he might add.

The reason?

"W-what do you mean... by that?"

The black hair fallen angel now sat opposite him and a nervous looking Asia, her shoulders were visibly shaking as he could see that her eyes had a hint of fear even though she refused to look straight at his eyes.

He didn't blame her. Sitting in front of the very same person who had just taken down a whole den with a power they couldn't understand and blown off both of her arms with two shotgun shots wasn't exactly a... comfortable experience. And not to mention...

"I mean exactly what I said. You're now ours or more precisely, Asia's servant. That necklace, the brand marking you as Asia's servant, will follow you until Death deem you deserve to be free to make sure that you can't harm or betray her in whatever way you intend to do."

... knowing that Death had saved her only to have her freedom ripped away and became Asia's 'welcome gift' was anything but pleasant. It was rare to see Death personally deliver punishment but when he did... no one wanted to receive his punishment.

A fate worse than death. That was what they would receive.

"So now... I am her..." the tips of Raynare's fingers slightly touched the necklace as the black hair beauty cast a hateful look at Asia, who seemed ready to jump back and hide behind his back "... slave."

Hearing Raynare spat the last word as if it was poison nearly made him snort. The master now became the slave and vice versa. Oh the irony of the fate or karma or anything like that. Though to be honest, he did find the situation quite... fascinating. A twisted vile sadistic master now became the servant of an innocent pure slave girl. The incoming conflicts and bickers that he had read in books...

The fascination immediately vanished the moment he thought about it thoroughly. The situation wasn't fascinating, at all. The only thing he would receive from their conflicts and bickers wouldn't be amusement but only immense headaches. Something he had no desire to receive.

"... B-but... having someone as a slave to other... is wrong. Can I free her?" said Asia timidly only to receive a shake of his head. Even under the glare of Raynare, she still managed to hold her ground and hadn't hid behind his back, yet. This was quite a welcome change.

"Death will be the one decide, not you or her."

And speaking of the blond nun, he should start her training as soon as he could. Accidentally having some random people frozen in freeze-time-bubbles in the middle of daylight because she couldn't control her power wasn't something funny.

But more importantly, he had to tell his new co-worker 'the truth' . Ignorance was bliss. But only when the illusion was shattered by the truth, a person could move on and change. For better or for worse, no one knew but it would be better than forever trapped in the fog of lies and ignorance.

But the two important questions still remained. How would the blond nun react to the truth? And would she change for better or for worse? The truth could be very ugly.

"Don't you know any way to free me?" growled Raynare as she frustratingly directed her glare at him. For the first time since the start of the conversation, her eyes directly met his eyes.

Through a glare. But still, it was a progress nonetheless. The only drawback was it made her look less attractive, and the desperation in her eyes only made it worse.

And for her question, hadn't she heard what he had said earlier? Must he repeated that again?

"You will be free when Death deems you deserve to be free..."

Yes, he must. Or else this conversation would become longer than it should be or worse, went nowhere. And his patience currently was pretty thin now. For a few seconds, he was tempted to tell her that he prefered

Why would he have to go through this anyway?

"... but if it is any consolation, I recommend you not to do anything stupid."

The glare increased a little bit.

"That is not a fucking consolation." Snarled Raynare bitterly

Oh, it wasn't? Hmm, it did sound more like an advice than a consolation. His mistake then.

"It will help you in the long run." He said simply with a shrug. And he truly meant it.

That aside, with two more mouths to feed, the incoming financial problems might become a real pain in the ass even with the help he had asked from Amaterasu and in a brighter scenario, both the nun and the fallen angel managed to find a job. But given Asia's clumsiness and Raynare's current attitude, he seriously doubted it.

Also, since he had requested the sun goddess to enroll Asia in Kuoh Academy, there might be unwanted clashes between her and the devils due to their knowledge of her former alliance. While it wouldn't be bloody, it certainly could be unpleasant. In a different scenario, they might try to recruit/trick her into a peerage without Death's agreement and blessing. If that happen... things might become very ugly to the devils in Kuoh and Izanagi forbid, the devil faction. More reasons to tell the blond nun about 'the truth' then, for the sake of everyone. And there was the option to reveal his status as representation of Shinto faction, too...

Man, this was troublesome. But as he mulled over his options, something caught his attention. Blue rose petals gradually appeared before gathering and creating a small silver hourglass as it floated almost lazily in front of a very shocked and surprised Asia.

"Y-Yodaka-san? What is this?" asked Asia as she hesistantly reached toward the floating hourglass. On the other side of the table, Raynare quirked an eyebrow, proving that she couldn't see the floating hourglass.

"Just what the hell are you talking?" asked Raynare with irritation only to meet ignorance

"Your new job, Asia." Came his dry reply as he couldn't help but wonder. Just what kind of mercy would the blond nun would deliver? Though one thing he knew for sure it might affect the girl, very much. The mercy of Death might not be the same mercy Asia thought they would give or receive.

"Don't you dare ignore me!"

Oh, she wanted to be noticed? Okay.

"Asia-san, please order Raynare to behave and watch the house." He nodded his head toward the infuriated black hair fallen angel

"I am not a pet! And why the hell should I listen to her ord-Urgh!"

A rather large lump appeared on her forehead, courtesy by the butt of his handgun, as Raynare fell on the floor, totally out cold.

"Why did you do that, Yodaka-san? That wasn't necessary..." asked the blond nun as he started tying the black hair fallen angel before he stuck a piece of duct tape on her mouth.

And about her questions? No, it wasn't necessary. But he had done a favor for both of him and the fallen angel. And it solved the problem quickly. That was what counted.

"Let's go, Asia-san." He inclined his head after he had finished tying the fallen angel. But before he could move his muscle, a small black drift opened as three black cases drop down with three loud 'thud' before the drift closed itself.

'Happy birthday early, Yodaka-kun. Amaterasu.' Were written on a note stuck on the first two cases.

For the first time, he felt a little annoyed with the Shinto sun goddess's tendency to confuse his birthday. Why didn't she mistake it with an earlier date this time? He would have more options to deal with those cannon-fodders back then, not just relying on his shotgun and his power. Time Blast wasn't something could be cast continuously without backlash.

A sigh escaped his lips. What done was done, no use in chewing it. He could check these things later as there was a more important matter now.

*Play music: HEAVEN_Itou Kashitarou*

Broken. Hopeless. Despair.

It was all the girl she could feel as she stood on the rooftop floor of the hospital, looking at the shining stars. Their gentle light now could only give her more pains instead of the comfort.

Why?

Just why?

Why did he have to suffer such fate? Was it the price for the recovery of her eyes?

Her eyes turned to the ring he had put on her left ring finger, the line 'Always with you' inscribed on it now felt more like a taunt of fate than a promise. Clutching the rail of the balcony, she leaned forward...

Suddenly, a pair of arms hugged her from behind and pulled her back from the rail.

'Don't.' A too familiar voice reached her ears

She turned back and the moment the owner of the pair of arms met her eyes...

"Kazuya-kun!"

'... In a world when we're allowed to search for the meaning of our lives, isn't it a bit early bit to say good bye?'

She tried to reach toward him as he stepped back.

She tried to say but she just couldn't find her voice.

'Live, Mizuki-chan. For both you and me. And I'm always with you.'

With a final sad smile, the young man started dissipating into petals of blue rose and flew toward the sky.

Unable to hold back anymore, her knees shook before they met the floor as she broke down and cried her heart out.

"Mizuki-chan! Mizuki-chan!" The door of the rooftop opened forcefully as her mother emerged from behind "The operation is success! Kayuza-kun will live!"

"Wha-what do you mean, kaa-san?" she just couldn't believe her ears anymore as she desperately prayed what her mother said wasn't a lie

"The operation is success! Kayuza-kun will live! Come on, Mizuki-chan!"

"Good job on your first 'client', Asia-san."

"Ehehe..." the blond nun smile with a small amount of bashfulness "It's nothing Yodaka-san."

She was really lucky. The 'mercy' she had to deliver was the mercy of a new beginning, a second chance. And it really suited her. He had worried that the 'mercy' she had to deliver would affect her negatively given his first impression of his first delivery but now, that worry had vanished into the air.

But he couldn't help but wonder, how many people would receive the mercy Asia would deliver? He had been an Agent of Mercy for six years yet the number of his 'clients' so far was no more than a hundred, and not to mention that Asia's mercy was way more precious than his...

"Umm, Yodaka-san. If you don't mind me asking... why do you have to wear that mask?" the question coming from the blond nun snapped him out of his train of thought

"My mask... is a gift from Death... " he said absently "... and because I feel oddly familiar with it."

"Auu?" Asia seemed very confused after hearing his question and he didn't blame her. If even him couldn't understand why he felt oddly familiar with his mask, how could he explain it to her?

Shaking his head slightly as he decided to drop the matter, he took a glance at the screen of a cellphone in his hand

'From: Kiriyama Kazuya

To: Kawahara Mizuki

I love you.'

This thing wasn't necessary anymore.

'Delete message? Yes/No'

'Yes.'

'Deleted.'

With a light sigh, he gently tossed the cellphone into the air as the cellphone dissolved into blue rose petals and rode the night wind toward the shining stars in the sky.

*Music end*

(Chapter end)