Last chapter was pretty explosive with all the reveals that came to light, almost like it was a stick of dynamite. *giggles* Anyways... welcome to the final chapter of the second arc! Since the action has ended, and last chapter was also an aftermath, this one is a breather to set up the next arc. Also, for all the veteran readers? This chapter is also partially based on a chapter from the first version's Third Season!
Before I get any further, there's one scene that may feel a little awkward, but... it's because I realized there was a goof I made with Ravel in Chapter 3, which this scene is meant to help correct. What's being fixed up isn't anything major, so no worries in that area, but I'll let the chapter say what it is due to it being something I'd give away if I even hinted it here, not to mention it somewhat relates to Valiana's character growth.
Now, back to the start notes? Even though it won't actually show until next arc, Issei will finally start updating his skill set beyond simple martial arts and his Meteor Shot, so anyone who felt he was lagging behind? Worry no longer. His skills will have some links to his canon abilities, like how his Meteor Shot is a fiery version of his Dragon Shot, but there's some original tricks he'll also gain.
This is also considered a special chapter, because today... is also my birthday! *chuckles* Yeah, I had to say it, as it's kind of my personal tradition to post a chapter on my birthday, but there's another reason that I can't really say here. The chapter itself will be the one that does this. Now, getting back on track? I'd like to thank everyone that's shown their support for these first two acts, it makes me confident of this version's success.
Taking all that support and this being my birthday into account... I'm going to ask something that I never have before. If you have the time when reading this story, please leave a review. After having to restart this story twice, I have a long road before I regain my former confidence from the first version, so hearing how you enjoy this story would really help. You don't have to, but I would appreciate it.
OK, with all of that out of the way? Let's get this chapter started!
() - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing
[] - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear
{} - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking
«» - Character Information
「」 - Insert Song Beginning or Ending
〖〗 - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle
【】 - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer
『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking
Chapter 7 - A New Era Begins
A few days had passed since the defeat of Zariska and Kaiser, and the rescue of Asia and all of the Sacred Gear users they had killed. Now, on the afternoon of April 8th, Kuoh City was no longer being threatened by them or the Fragmented they had drawn towards the city.
Having finally gone through all the rescued Sacred Gear users, Adam decided which races were best suited to help each individual, while also knowing who should stay on Earth to be trained at his gym due to family or other reasons. Knowing he had worked hard, Cleria and Masaomi had offered transport everyone who'd be leaving Kuoh to go train in Heaven, Hell, Paradise, and the Underworld.
For those who stayed in Kuoh, they were quickly brought into the inner circle of the Seven Stars Gym, where Adam was currently making an announcement to the members of the Supernatural Wing.
"This is only temporary, but to accommodate the ages of everyone we rescued? The minimum age to be a member in this side of the gym has been changed to 4 years old." He announced.
This caused some of the members before him to show surprise.
"Wait, really?" Issei asked.
"It's the best solution we have. Most children discover they have Sacred Gears around the age of 5, but now we have a small handful of 4-year olds among us. Having them all wait up to an entire year may do more harm than good." Adam explained.
Saji nodded his head, looking at the ground.
"I remember how stressful it was when I first awakened my powers, and how my parents reacted to it... that's nothing compared to how everyone here was either dead, if not simply hypnotized like those five over there." He mentioned.
Ruruko and the others who fought him, Sona, and Ravel all briefly flinched at that reminder. In response, Adam looked at Saji and Sona.
"Speaking of which? I'd like the two of you to be the ones who help Tsubasa, Momo, Reya, Tomoe, and Ruruko since you've seen their powers best as a result of fighting them directly." He requested.
"Understood." Both replied.
Ravel was surprised by that.
"Hold on. I was with them, so why am I not being asked to help train them?" She questioned.
Adam sighed, looking at her with a look that made her nervous.
"Let me ask you a question in response to your own... why did claim you were two years older than you actually are?" He inquired.
Her face widened in horror, sweating bullets with a closed mouth.
"Wait, what?" Issei asked in surprise.
"Ravel is only 4-" Valiana explained.
After saying that, it only just hit her that she shouldn't have been in the same school year as Rias, Sona, and herself.
"Eh!?" She exclaimed.
"Cleria made sure to send me all of your files once you joined the gym, and that's when I noticed your true date of birth, rather than the one on the forged ID you showed my staff." Adam revealed.
"Eh... heh, heh, heh..." Ravel laughed awkwardly, looking away from everyone.
Adam placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping his eyes closed as he did.
"It isn't good to lie about your age in the Human world, so you're lucky that I'm willing to push that fact aside and let you join my gym under the new conditions. However, at the same time? This also means Cleria has had to withdraw you from school, since you're still too old to even be in Kindergarten." He stated, some regret present in his voice.
Ravel's eyes briefly widened, but soon closed them and lowered her head slightly in acceptance.
"I... I understand..." She replied.
Valiana was confused by her reaction.
"Now, the last thing I have to do? Let me introduce all of our newest members who are here simply because my lower age requirement means they're able to join us now." Adam smiled, opening one eye as he did.
At that moment, Miku was seen speeding in before she jumped towards her two older siblings, nearly knocking them into the ground in a group hug.
"Issei! Chiemi! I'm finally here, I'm finally here!" She cheered.
"Saw that coming." Issei chuckled, petting his sister's head.
Shirone walked in, giving a deadpan look at her best friend's over-dramatic introduction.
"Do that to me, and I'll bite you." Shirone warned.
Miku flinched before replying with a nervous laugh, right as someone slid down the railings, who was revealed to be a girl with black hair that became a silvery color near the bottom/tips.
"Hey there everyone!" She greeted, waving her left hand.
"Those hair colors... are you-" Valiana asked, recognizing them.
Immediately noticing her, the twin-haired girl gasped happily and hugged Valiana around her waist, making her eyes lower to look at her.
"Mom and dad have told me about you, but I've really wanted to meet you since I heard you moved here!" She exclaimed happily.
And that confirmed Valiana's question before she even asked it.
"You're definitely Cleria and Masaomi's daughter." She realized.
"Cecilia Belial, current Heiress of the Belial Clan, at your service!" Cecilia confirmed, saluting her in response.
Everyone blinked at that, aside from Miku who giggled, and Shirone who simply gave her a deadpan stare.
"Don't do that." Shirone bluntly stated.
"Ouch, that was harsh..." Cecilia chuckled.
If there was one thought everyone shared that morning? It was that this had been an interesting way to start the day.
Later that night, Valiana could be seen walking home as the setting sun began to disappear over the horizon.
"Valiana, wait up!"
"Hmm?" She blinked.
Looking behind her, Valiana saw Rias, Sona, and Ravel (who still looked down) behind her, all holding sleeping bags.
"One second." Valiana requested, holding a finger up.
She rubbed her eyes so she could verify what she saw.
"Uh... is there a reason all of you are holding those big... blankets, I think?" Valiana asked in confusion.
"You have no idea what a sleepover is, do you?" Sona asked.
"No, I've had a sleepover. I'm just..." Valiana answered.
It took her a few minutes before she managed to register what she assumed were blankets had really been sleeping bags.
"Oh, so that's why they look like bed covers." She realized.
"Not sure what context you had for your replies, but... we wanted to do this on the night of our first school day and never got to. It felt like a good time since Ravel's still a bit down after what happen-" Rias answered.
Sona covered her mouth, but it was too late as Ravel lowered her head, making Rias give an awkward laugh.
"My bad." She realized.
"I'm going to agree to this just because this is awkward, and I'd like to go inside now." Valiana replied, blinking as she felt a bead of sweat on her left cheek.
"Smart call there." Sona agreed.
Walking inside her house, Lilith could be seen readying some dinner as she saw them walk in.
"Is there a story here?" She inquired.
"Unexpected sleepover that was intended for three days ago, but never happened." Valiana answered.
Lilith nodded and pointed at her, right as Fenrir walked up to the girls, making Ravel jumping in reply.
"Relax, that's just Fenrir." Lilith reassured her.
"That story's true?" Rias said in surprise.
"You bet it is. Loki sent him to stir up trouble by trying to kill my husband, then I found his size and loyalty was due a magic spell... which is totally in character for that nut job of a God, and broke the spell. Fenrir was so grateful? He became part of the family." Lilith confirmed, sharing the story.
Sona blinked a bit.
"I kind of expected a longer story, but they do say some legends exaggerate over time." She remarked.
"True, though I can say that isn't the case for the story of how he killed Jormungandr." Lilith replied.
That made Sona go silent.
"Well, with extra mouths to feed, I'll need more time to finish dinner. Think you can all wait in Valiana's room?" Lilith requested.
"Sure." Rias nodded.
"Yep." Ravel replied.
"Not a problem." Sona confirmed.
Right at that moment, Lucifer began walking into the room, making Valiana and Lilith's eyes widen.
"Hey girls, I'm-" Lucifer greeted.
He suddenly saw darkness block off the door, leaving only his head visible as he blinked.
"Uh... OK? Strange way of saying hello?" He said, though more like a question.
"Lucifer! Ook-Lay at Ias-Ray!" Lilith whispered loudly through her teeth, her eyes glancing to a certain brunette in the room.
"Ice ray? Did Adam show you some kind of invent-"
Lucifer then noticed Rias, making his eyes widen.
"Oh! Rias, didn't know you were here." He exclaimed, moving something behind his back as Fenrir felt a magic circle drop it before him.
Smelling it, he used his tail like a hand to pull it away before said Devil Heiress could see it.
"Eh... hello Uncle Lucifer, why are you acting so weird?" Rias asked, raising an eye.
"Nothing weird. You don't visit me enough to know, I mean... you have habits you do in private. Like, don't Devil girls around your age-" He replied.
"Whoa, no! Lucifer? Don't say that, ever." Lilith warned.
He cleared his throat, nodding his head, while Rias just gave an uncomfortable stare.
"Come on, let's leave here and go into your room now." She suggested, looking at Valiana.
"I agree." Valiana replied.
All four of them left the room, making Lilith dispel the darkness as she and Lucifer let out sighs of relief as Fenrir returned and dropped the box in front of him.
"OK, new rule. Anyone that visits our house must tell us ahead of time." He decided.
Lilith nodded in agreement.
Inside her room's bathroom, Valiana could be seen as she pulled off her shirt and threw it in her laundry hamper, revealing a light blue bra and panties. Looking at the former, she blinked a few times at the undergarment her mother just recently told her to wear.
"I still don't get what this is, or why I need it?" Valiana asked herself, which was understandable for someone her age.
Pulling a violet nightgown over her head, she walked out of the bathroom to see everyone in their own respective PJs.
"Question, do I sleep in my bed because this is my room, or..." Valiana asked.
"I think the host can do that as long as they're in their rooms, otherwise no, so that would be a yes in this case." Sona replied, thinking for a moment.
Valiana simply shrugged and sat on her bed.
"Don't have much, so... I guess you guys help me figure out what to do? Especially since my first sleepover wasn't all girls." She replied.
"How about makeovers?" Rias suggested.
"No, I hate stuff like that." Valiana denied.
Rias showed surprise, having no idea she was such a tomboy after wearing that dress during her coronation... until she recalled how Lilith dressed during most events.
'I really need to pay more attention.' She realized.
Sona briefly paused to think of her own suggestion.
"Maybe it would be better if we all confessed a harmless secret we have, something like... if a celebrity admitted to thinking frogs were cute." She suggested.
Valiana paled at that.
"A-Absolutely not!" She denied, laughing nervously.
That caught everyone's attention, making her sweat.
"Why are all of you looking at me that way? There's nothing to see here... except my face, and related." Valiana asked, trying to change the subject.
"Is something bothering you? You've been acting weird ever since we first reunited in class." Rias inquired.
"No, you're being weird!" Valiana retorted.
She quickly covered her mouth, realizing she basically told them yes with that response. This was especially evident by Ravel finally shifting her expression to only show her focused on her odd reaction.
"Valiana..." Ravel stated, giving her a deadpan look.
"Nope." She denied.
"Valiana, talk." Sona ordered.
"That ain't happening." She refused.
"Please, just-" Rias requested.
Valiana finally had enough and screamed loudly, enough that both her parents heard it and nearly fell over in shock, prompting Lucifer to sneak towards her room and spy on them in shadow form.
「Sword Art Online: In Your Past」
Panting a bit, she pulled her covers over her head and began shaking, tears in her eyes.
"Stop it... please, stop it..." Valiana begged.
And with those words, the three realized they had pushed a bit too hard, with Sona and Ravel pushing Rias on the back slightly. She looked at them with a betrayed face, only to sigh as she realized it was only fair due to her reply being the one that made her screamed.
"Hey, hey, hey... calm down, it's OK. You don't have to talk if you're really that-" Rias tried reassuring her.
"I'm weird... and I know that." Valiana replied, sniffling.
Lucifer just watched at that, realizing that this was something he had to let his daughter overcome by herself.
'You can do this. You did it when you spoke with Issei that night, and you can do it again.' Lucifer thought.
Rias pulled her face into view, seeing her crying.
"What? Weird, what are you talking about?" Rias questioned, more confused by the question than shocked to see Valiana crying.
"Don't act like you don't know already..." She replied.
Rias looked at her in confusion, though she felt a nag.
"I've rarely ever been around to see you. Heck, until recently? I didn't know Cleria or Cecilia were my honorary aunt and cousin respectively. All I've ever done is do what was expected of me and what I expected as the Princess of Hell... nothing more." Valiana began.
Hearing that, all three of the stared in surprise, even Sona's usual collected aura had dropped from the weight of those words.
"My parents themselves even knew something about me didn't feel right, and I had no idea because they couldn't tell me. Not wouldn't, couldn't! It didn't hit me until a few days ago when I met Issei... and he beat me despite everything I knew and thought." She continued.
'That's how it happened? Issei just exploited that?' Ravel thought in surprise.
"Finally, I've gotten the message, but only the people I've met here know the me that's changing. How am I supposed to act to those who knew me before that? Tell me!?" Valiana demanded, her eyes showing she was mad and sad.
All three froze at that.
"It would be nice to solve all my problems and change all this in an instant, but I can't do that nor can anyone fix them for me! Not my parents or even my grandpa! While the people on Earth might think they're deities, they aren't omnipotent, nor are they truly gods! So, I ask you again... tell me how I'm supposed to act around the people that know who I was before?" Valiana asked, her anger fading as she cried.
She pulled her covers back over her, leaving the three to stare at her.
「Insert Song End」
There was quiet for a moment, which left Lucifer worried... until he heard Rias start to laugh, making Valiana pull the curtains up as she was about to give her an angry look for laughing at her.
However, to her surprise? Rias' laughter was accompanied by crying. If anything, she was laughing at herself.
Sona let out a sigh, almost sounding relieved, making Valiana look at her in response.
Ravel's troubled expression returned, but now a smile accompanied it, as if there was finally something that made the impact feel less painful than when she got the news from Adam.
"Huh? Guys, what are... what's going on here." Valiana questioned, understandably confused.
"Sorry Valiana, it's just..." Rias replied.
She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing, which include a deep inhale.
"You honestly think you're the only Devil Heir with problems?" She questioned.
Valiana's eyes widened.
"W-What are you..." Valiana questioned, feeling her eyes shake.
"Girls, I think we know what this sleepover's first activity is. We need to confess our biggest secrets just like Valiana has." Ravel decided.
They all nodded, right as Ravel took a deep breath, deciding she should start due to suggesting the idea.
"The only reason I tried skipping ahead like I did was... because I'm trying to live up to my family name. Ever since the time of the Rating Games... My mom? My uncles? My grandparents? They've all been highly ranked, especially my mom, who was second only to Diehauser before they both retired." She confessed.
Rias and Sona's eyes widened, while Valiana just stared in shock.
"When I fully understood that... it hit me what I had to live up to, and I felt the only way I could really show that at my age was to look like I had managed to be advanced for my age. Too bad in Japan, that's a lot harder to achieve, so I had to lie about my age." Ravel continued.
"Couldn't you just let your mom know about this?" Valiana asked.
"I'm sure she'd understand, but... I'm just too afraid of the possibility that while I'm sure she'd understand? She might hide how disappointed she is in me." Ravel admitted, lowering her head in shame.
Rias sighed and decided to go next.
"I ran away from home." She admitted.
"You did what now!?" Valiana exclaimed.
Rias gave an awkward laugh in reply, while Lucifer just stared in shock at what he heard.
"Valiana, isn't your mother firm when it comes to your studies?" She inquired.
"She is, but I've never had any trouble with it. I know she's just looking out for me and making sure I know everything I need to." Valiana answered.
Lowering her head, Rias gave an ashamed look.
"I have similar studies since the Bael Clan is for the 72 Pillars what the Lucifer Clan is for the Maou... however, unlike you? I couldn't handle them. When things got tough, I just left and came here because with how I love Japanese culture, I felt it would be the easy route." She confessed.
Her eyes closed as she remembered the battle from the other day.
"Boy was I stupid... my mom likely only let me leave because she knew I'd learn the hard way, but now I'm too much of a coward to go home and admit she was right." Rias quietly said.
"Rias..." Valiana breathed, a sad look in her eyes.
Sona paused for a moment, lowering her head enough that her hair covered her eyes.
"I've... completely avoided my sister and told her to stay away from me." She said.
This time, only Ravel and Rias showed surprise, as Valiana's lack of siblings made it harder for her to understand Sona and Serafall's relationship.
"Sona, what did you do?" Rias asked, wondering what she could have said to her older sibling.
"Well, around the time I was 4, the relationship I had with my sister was closer. However, I decided to start taking things more seriously by then. My sister being, well... my sister? She didn't take it well, and felt that I wasn't acting like myself, which led to me taking things to far and... basically saying she was never my sister if she only cared about me that way." She confessed.
Lucifer winced at that, realizing that was the last thing anyone should say to their family.
'Not that I can't blame Serafall for over smothering her, but... that was cruel.' He thought.
Sona sighed and turned her head.
"Just to add to that sting? You introduced me as a temporary Heiress until my sister had a child, but... truth be told? She's already had one for three years." She admitted.
"Whoa..." Valiana replied, having no other words.
"Yeah, and by now? I'm sure my niece is aware of my existance. I don't even know her name, so am I supposed to do if she asks my sister about meeting with me? What will she be able to do when... I can't even bother to apologize to her?" Sona replied.
Hearing that, Valiana suddenly started to notice how she and Saji managed to get along like they did. It was almost as if... she saw who she could have been had the fight with her sister been avoided.
"I can't believe this. All this time... you've had your own problems, and I had no idea." Valiana said to herself.
"Everyone has some kind of problem, not everyone's willing to admit it. Even us Devil Heirs." Ravel remarked.
"We can feel like we have to grow up fast, forgetting we're still kids." Rias agreed.
"The irony? Out of all four of us, you're the only one that's been trying to overcome those issues, while we've just been hiding them all. Guess the three of us are hypocrites, huh?" Sona mentioned, shaking her head slightly.
Lucifer smiled at them admitting that, right as he noticed what time it was.
Hearing that, Valiana felt another weight, albeit a more recent one that she only had for a short time, lift of her shoulders. Looking at the three before her... she pulled the covers off and took a deep breath.
"Isn't... isn't admitting it the first step in doing just that?" She asked.
That made all three of them look at her.
「Love Live: Muse's no Hajimari」
Noticing their stares, Valiana became a little nervous, but swallowed as if to pull it away and looked forward with a sweaty face.
"You know, the first step is always the hardest? You didn't have to tell me anything... though you did, just to help me feel better because I thought the me you know now was something you'd be ashamed of." Valiana explained.
"What, we..." Ravel replied.
She paused, realizing she was right, and right as that happened? Lilith could be seen walking into the room.
"All stopped running from the truth, simply because you were willing to share it." She finished.
Everyone saw her.
"Lucifer and I had our own fair share of them in our time. However, having regrets or making mistakes is something to run or hide from, because accepting your troubles... is how we grow stronger." Lilith stated.
"No way, you too?" Sona said in surprise.
She giggled a bit, leaving Sona shocked.
"Then maybe, if I'm already striving to do that... all of us should grow together." Valiana decided.
Everyone looked at her.
"The power of the Divine Dividing is now in my hands, and that's another weight I'll have to carry. I'm sure you can all grow stronger too. Rias, you can become the best Bael Heir in your own way. Ravel, you can shine in a way all of your own. And Sona, you and your sister can make amends... because I think Saji will be to you what Issei became for me." Valiana encouraged as she held a handout.
Hearing that, Lilith put her hands on Rias and Ravel's shoulders, then looked at Sona.
With that, all of them smiled before putting their hands on Valiana's, sealing the deal.
'I think these four will grow into amazing Devils.' Lilith thought.
She walked out of the room, certain that she had witnessed a good sign for the potential of the Devils of Valiana's generation, even if it was merely a strong feeling in her gut.
「Insert Song End」
Lucifer quickly took her place, knocking on the door to get the girls' attention.
"Valiana, just thought I'd let you know that it's midnight now?" He mentioned.
Her eyes widened at that.
"Excuse me for a moment." Valiana requested.
She walked to her father, who gave her the box.
"Rias?" Valiana smiled.
She held out the box, which had been wrapped like a present, making Rias' eyes widen.
"Happy birthday!" She cheered.
"Really? For me?" Rias asked.
Ravel and Sona blinked before laughing slightly, now understanding why Lucifer and Lilith had been acting so strangely when the former walked into view.
Handing the present to her, Rias quickly ripped off the paper before opening it, revealing a small spherical bat inside. The moment she saw it, she gasped.
"T-This is... is it my-" Rias asked.
Valiana rubbed her nose slightly.
"Since my birthday is tomorrow, and you'd be waiting until the 15th to get your Familiar... I asked my dad to pick yours up after he went to ask about mine." She replied, a bashful blush on her face.
Rias quickly hugged her, making Valiana smile as Rias' Familiar flew circles around them.
As sunrise began approaching, the sight of Valiana and Issei sleeping in their beds could be seen... followed by a glow.
Specifically, a glow on their left and right hands respectively.
["Finally, this meeting has been delayed long enough."]
Feeling his eyes shoot open, Issei saw himself in what looked to be a field of flames, making him scream as he looked around. However, that quickly ended when a green glow appeared before him in the shape of a large eye.
"W-What the!?" Issei questioned, feeling himself shaking.
["Calm down, your life isn't in danger. I'm merely here to talk since you're the partner I'll now be fighting with in the days to come."]
Hearing that, Issei suddenly stopped shaking as his eyes widened.
"Wait a second... a field of flames? A giant green eye? You calling me partner? Does that mean you're..." He asked, even though he was sure of the answer.
Slamming against the ground came two clawed feet, revealing a red Dragon that so big, Issei was two feet smaller than his fingernails. Looking into his eyes, Issei knew.
"It's you, you're the one Valiana told me about... Y Ddraig Goch!" He exclaimed.
["I prefer to simply be called Ddraig out of convenience, but you are correct, Issei Hyoudou."] Ddraig verified, moving his head closer to his partner.
Upon looking into the giant green orb of the Heavenly Dragon, Issei found himself speechless.
*"STATIC!"*
Meanwhile, in Valiana's mind, she went through the same thing.
She stood in a white realm, but rather than clouds of poison? It was more like a realm of water and foam to fit her respective Dragon's appearance being closer to the Eastern Dragons, which had a closer association to water.
As she gazed into the blue orb that was Albion Gwiber's eye, or Albion as she preferred to be called, she finally found the words she was looking for.
"Uh... nice to meet you then, Albion." She greeted.
("Forgive the late introduction on my end. Ddraig was already awake beforehand, but being without a host for 10 years left me groggy. Imagine my surprise over my new host being the daughter of Lucifer, though I suppose that's no stranger than my brother being born in a child of Eve's.") Albion greeted in return.
Valiana gave a slight giggle as her reply.
"That's because of Adam, he made a bet on me becoming your wielder as part of a plan to stop the one who murdered your previous host." She mentioned.
Albion nodded, having already been told of such.
("He always knew how to make complex plans that were simple enough for others to understand, so I can believe that.") Albion replied.
Valiana looked at her in surprise.
("Why is that surprising? I did fight alongside him and the others of your faction two millennia ago, so the fact I knowing who he and your parents are isn't that strange.") She mentioned.
"Oh, that's right." Valiana recalled.
*"STATIC!"*
Before Valiana knew it, the fiery realm Ddraig was in invaded half of hers, causing the Red Dragon Emperor and Issei to appear besides Albion and herself respectively.
"Issei!?" She exclaimed in surprise.
"Valiana!? How'd you get here?" He asked.
Ddraig chuckled at the two, only to stop when Albion lightly hit him in the face with her wing, taking that as a sign he was overdoing it.
["Anyways, for now? Consider this our way of saying high. There isn't exactly much for us to do right now."] Ddraig stated.
("We do hope you'll talk to us, and we don't mean here in your minds.") Albion requested.
Before they could ask what they meant by that, both of them suddenly found themselves awake in their respective rooms, with Valiana in particular panting as she awoke from her fairly intense dream of sorts.
"Dang it, why'd I have to wake up right then? Now I have no idea how I'm supposed to talk to her." She sighed.
("I'm over here.") Albion replied.
She jumped up before looking around.
("Oh dear... could you look at your left hand, please?") She sighed, shaking her head.
"Eh?" Valiana blinked, doing just that.
The back of her left hand released a blue glow like the gem of the Divine Dividing, which served as Albion's link to Valiana.
("Let's work together from now on, Valiana Lucifer.") Albion stated.
As she and Issei gave the same expression, someone was seen outside.
Floating in front of the moon, the silhouette of someone hidden by the moonlight could be seen, with the only clue to who they were being a feminine figure that confirmed it was a woman.
But not just any female. It was the same person who would be on the rooftop of Kuoh Academy once they began their first day as High School Seniors.
"So, these are the 100th wielders. The current Red Dragon is one who holds great possibility, and the current White Dragon is one that holds natural talent, while both being the children of legendary figures." She stated.
Turning to face the moon directly, the shadow over her silhouette faded as the light shone on it, revealing her identity.
Her black hair was long, silky, and looked divine enough to belong to a Goddess as it reached down to her waist. She had eyes of an ash gray color, which barely reflected any light in them, and had slitted reptilian pupils that matched those of Ddraig and Albion's eyes. She was incredibly tall, and had a curvaceous figure that seemed to be a living example of perfection due to lacking any traces of fat while emphasizing the beauty of her behemoth bust.
Her choice of attire consisted of a revealing Gothic Lolita outfit with purple, white, and black as the 3 main colors. The three areas that best showed this was the top that left her shoulders bare, the front that showed some of her impressive cleavage, and the bottom where one could see her legs with large black sock-like stockings and black boots.
"I can see it, these two will bring a change to this world." She said to herself.
Holding her hand out, a magic circle appeared before vanishing, appearing on the hands of Valiana and Issei their Dragons didn't inhabit.
"Let's hope they'll keep an eye on you two, until you're ready to know the full truth of the weight you now bear." She said optimistically.
Flying into the sky, she quickly raced towards Heaven.
Elohim suddenly found himself in a strange dark area, confused to his surroundings due to having been in Heaven from what he could last recall, and scared due to where he was now.
"What's going on... where am I?" He questioned.
"This era is our time!" A dark voice announced.
Suddenly, he looked up as the dark area morphed to resemble a darkened area of land on Earth, scaring him even more.
"No... this can't be real, can it?" Elohim asked.
His answer came as dark mist covered the area.
*"STOMP!"*
Feeling the shock wave, he turned around... only for his body to be frozen by some kind of magic that surrounded him like a glowing outline.
Suddenly, he was forced to turn, making his eyes shrink as he saw the shapes of various unknown beings he couldn't identity.
"Oh god..." He breathed.
A few humanoid shapes soon walked in the front, but only one could be seen, that being Zariska's.
He wanted to scream, but his voice didn't project, and as all of the shadowy creatures neared him?
"We'll never give up!" Valiana announced.
The darkness faded, being replaced by light as only the shadowy humanoids remained. Elohim turned around, seeing his granddaughter as an 18-year old, wielding the Divine Dividing on her left hand.
'Hold on! That's-' Elohim gasped, feeling his eyes shake.
"All together!" Issei announced.
He turned to see Eve's oldest child, holding up the Boosted Gear into the air. Right as that occurred, the image of him and Valiana being enveloped in red and white light could be seen before they shot forward, with the present-day version of their friends being shown alongside many silhouettes.
Watching in awe, they all retaliated against Zariska and the other unknowns, even as the same shadowy being from Issei's dream appeared and unleashed its horrifying roar.
"This is..." He breathed as he understood the sights before him.
The scene quickly changed to show Valiana and Issei in Kuoh City.
"As long as you're by my side... I know there's nothing I can't do!" Valiana exclaimed, smiling with misty eyes.
Finally, the scene switched to two people he didn't recognize.
That's when he saw the roof of his bedroom, his eyes widen.
"I don't believe this... that dream, it was the same horrible feeling I've had for a while, but now it's changed. The question is... how?" Elohim realized.
"Because until now, a vital piece had been missing." A female voice answered.
Recognizing that voice, Elohim turned to see the same black-haired girl that had been watching Issei and Valiana earlier, surprising him at the sight of what was an old friend.
"Ophis..." He breathed.
"Good to see you Elohim, it's been too long." Ophis greeted, giving him a light wave.
«Ophis»
Age: 10,000+
Height: 180 cm
B/W/H: 120/60/90
She descended onto the floor, giving the First Angel some time to regain his bearings, which took about 5 minutes.
"I... I didn't expect you to visit like this, though what do you mean by missing piece?" Elohim inquired, still shocked.
"Your dream told you." Ophis replied.
He blinked a few times, leaving the black-haired woman to playfully smile at him before tapping his nose.
"Didn't your granddaughter have something new?" She mentioned.
Elohim gasped as he recalled seeing the Divine Dividing, which he knew had been lost for the past 10 years, so if she had it in that dream when Ophis said a vital piece was no longer missing...
"Are you saying my granddaughter is now Albion's partner?" He asked.
"And the eldest son of Adam and Eve was born as Ddraig's." She replied.
He froze at that.
"Before now, that bad feeling you had was because of why it was missing, but I believe your son should tell you that story. After all, isn't your granddaughter having her 7th birthday tomorrow?" Ophis continued.
Elohim chose to sit down on his bed after hearing the first part.
"There are now 14 Longinus you have found, and I'm fairly certain in the days to come? This will be the era all of them will finally be reunited in one group like they were on the day our worlds were saved." She smiled.
"And... what about you? Since the Heavenly Dragons have resurfaced, what are your-" He inquired.
She shook her head.
"It's still too early for them to know, especially since I'm certain Ddraig and Albion haven't told them anything, so I'll let them develop before I reveal myself to them." Ophis answered.
He nodded his head.
"Don't worry, I won't say a word." Elohim promised, holding out his pinkie.
"Glad to see you still pinkie swear." Ophis replied, holding out her own.
Wrapping them together, they sealed their promise before Ophis vanished in a magic circle, leaving Elohim to release a deep breath to exhale the shock from all the reveals he just received.
'I'll tell Shekhinah about this when we wake up.' He decided, writing a sticky note to remind himself.
And with that, he went back to sleep as an arrow pointed at his wife who slept through the whole thing.
The scene opened to Kuoh City, where it was now April 10th, where a new face could be seen walking in the direction of the Seven Stars Gym.
The person it belonged to was revealed to be a girl who looked slightly older than any of the Devils who were members at the gym, one with long and messy black and white hair, with two tuffs bending in a way that resembled droopy dog ears.
Her attire consisted of a blue shirt, a red vest, green shorts with yellow spots near the bottom, and purple shoes.
"Let's see..." She said to herself.
Stopping for a moment, she laid her eyes on her location and smiled.
"Here we are." The girl stated.
She walked inside the building, forming a magic circle that made a picnic basket appear in her right hand to prepare her upcoming delivery.
Meanwhile, inside the gym's Supernatural Wing, the sight of Issei leading a blindfolded Valiana into the arena area that had all its lights off.
"Uh... can I take this off now? It's getting itchy." She asked.
"Sure you can, because we've finally made it." Issei smiled.
Valiana felt him release her hand, and reached behind her head to unwrap the headband as Issei quickly ran to the light switch.
Once she could finally see again?
"SURPRISE!"
She jumped as she saw everyone pop into view, along with how the entire gym had been decorated for a party, or more specifically? Her birthday party!
"T-This is..." Valiana gasped.
"I've been planning this for a while, and I knew the one place we could sneak the party without getting you suspicious was the one place we couldn't immediately go onto on a school day." Issei answered.
Feeling tears in her eyes, Valiana immediately hugged him tightly, making his eyes widen as he puffed his cheeks.
"Thank you!" She screamed happily.
"Valiana... my ribs... can't breathe..." He gasped, tapping her back.
She blinked before realizing this, letting go of Issei as took in some air.
"Sorry..." She apologized, blushing slightly.
Holding up a finger as he fully replenished his lungs, Issei turned to her and gave a circle sign with his one hand to show her it was OK.
"Now, let's start things off in a fun way." Eve decided.
Clapping her hands, Asia came in with a giant cake.
"What flavor is that? I'll still eat it, but I'd still like to know if one of my faves is in there." Irina asked.
"Every kind, each layer is a different flavor, so everyone has something." Lilith revealed.
Irina gasped.
"Where's the vanilla layer!?" She asked, trying to spot it via eye.
Gabriel giggled at her daughter's zeal over vanilla flavored cake.
"Alright, candle's lit!" Lucifer shouted.
Hearing that, Valiana flew up to the top of the cake, where a single candle in the shape of a light blue 7 was seen.
Taking a deep breath, she blew it out as everyone cheered.
"OK, let me know what flavor you want, then me and Lilith will get it for you!" Eve called out, smiling as she did.
"Chocolate!" Miku shouted.
Fubuki clapped her hands after she said that, despite having no idea why. It was around this time when the girl carrying the basket walked into the room, clearing her throat. This got everyone's attention as they looked her way.
"Hi." She greeted, wiggling the fingers on her free hand.
Seeing her, Ravel quickly ran over and hugged her.
"Reimei! Good to see you!" She smiled.
"Is she a Devil?" Issei asked.
"Yep, that's Reimei Marchosias, the current Heiress of the Marchosias Clan." Sona confirmed.
Ravel released the hug as Reimei walked to Valiana, holding the basket out to her.
"As part of the tradition of the Marchosias Clan to deliver all Familiars in the Familiar Forest, and the special exception to those of the Maou Clans who created our kind? I, Reimei Marchosias, have your Familiar to mark your official recognition as the Lucifer Clan's Heir." She smiled.
"Thank you." Valiana replied, taking the basket.
Placing it on the nearest surface, everyone watched as she opened the basket... then saw her gasp as she saw the Familiar inside.
"It was quite the amazing surprise to my family as well." Reimei replied, smiling with closed eyes.
Reaching into the basket, everyone finally saw what her Familiar was for her to make such a surprised reaction and cause Reimei to make the comment she just did.
A small blue Dragon.
"That's... no way, her familiar is a Sprite Dragon!?" Lucifer exclaimed.
"That's not just a rare Familiar... it's a rare among the rare!" Lilith shouted with glee.
Looking at Valiana, the young Dragon started nuzzling her chest, making her smile before it jumped up to lick her face. Feeling his tongue on her cheek, she began to laugh.
"Wow, is it really that rare?" Issei asked.
"It is, because wild Sprite Dragons normally don't like being tamed, so the forest birth one is almost completely unheard of. Doesn't help they don't like the men of any races besides their own." Rias explained.
"Eh!?" He exclaimed, sweating nervously.
Sniffing a bit, Rassei noticed a scent from Issei and flew over to him, making him flinch and Valiana similarly panic as he got a whiff... only to suddenly nuzzle against him as well.
"Huh?" Issei blinked, surprised he was being friendly after what he heard.
"It's only a random guess, but he might think you're Ddraig." Eve giggled.
Valiana sighed in relief before petting the young Sprite Dragon, who curled his tail around her arm. If one didn't know better? They might think Valiana and Issei were a pair, and the Dragon was their baby.
After all, their parents were clearly looking at that based on their smiles.
"Glad to officially meet you Rassei." Valiana smiled.
"Rassei?" Issei repeated.
"Uh... well, since he already likes you and he's a Sprite Dragon, it felt like a fitting name." She replied, blushing slightly.
Issei blushed and scratched his head.
"Why the Ra part? I don't get it-" Saji asked, getting fairly close.
Rassei's eyes shot open before blasting blue-colored lightning at him.
Everyone gasped as he fell over.
"Sprite Dragons can use blue lightning, so... the Ra is likely due to a Japanese word related to lightning, thunder, or electricity." Adam answered with a sweat drop.
"Could have said that sooner..." Saji wheezed.
Reimei whistled using her fingers, causing a small puppy (her own familiar) to appear. His fur had shades of red and black, while he had four eyes instead of two, showing this was a kind of Dog from Hell instead of Earth.
He dragged Saji to a chair so he could rest on it as Asia began healing him.
"Thank you." He wheezed out.
"My pleasure." Asia replied.
A few hours into the party, and after everyone saw Valiana and Issei devour 85% of the cake, a knock could be heard by the wall. This got everyone's attention as a familiar duo walked into view.
"Sorry, hope we aren't too late." Shekhinah greeted, waving her hand.
"Mom! Dad! Welcome!" Lucifer greeted, chuckling at his mother's words.
Hearing that, Asia gasped loudly at seeing the man she knew as the Biblical God, and the woman she knew as the Holy Mother. It wasn't just her, as Irina was trembling with excitement, while Xenovia stared in awe with a frozen face.
Compared to time before the Dissension War, both of their appearances had changed somewhat. Elohim still had his open white jacket with a yellow shirt and light gray shorts he usually wore, but added white boots and sweatbands.
For Shekhinah, she still had her tribal clothing, though it had been updated into a more modern form by having them look more like a combo of a jacket, tank top, making her skirt shorter (all of which was a mixture of white, purple, and brown), and wearing a pink lily above her right ear.
Following from behind, a third person appeared to Xenovia's surprise, seeing as that person was...
"Mom?" She said.
"Hey there Xenovia." Metatron waved.
She walked up to her, petting her on the head as they just let the silence flow, though strangely enough? No one felt an awkward atmosphere. It almost seemed more like this was a natural thing between them.
"Have you behaving for Griselda?" She asked.
"Eh... most of the time." Xenovia replied.
"Well, at least that honesty is refreshing compared to my usual line of work. The same line of work that let me visit today." Metatron chuckled.
Realizing what she was talking about, she pointed to Issei, Valiana, and Asia. This happened right as Asia bowed towards the leaders of Heaven.
"H-Hello God and Holy Mother, I'm Asia Argento, a-and..." She tried to greet, shaking heavily.
"You can relax. I may appear to be a God to most, but I'm just a powerful Angel." Elohim reassured her.
That made her blink.
"Wait, he isn't an actual God?" Katase asked.
"The records we left may have given Humanity the wrong implication about him. Besides, I'm not a deity either. If I were? Then Valiana would be a Devil/God hybrid." Lucifer explained.
"Yeah, that makes sense. Though how does that explain the miracles he-" Murayama agreed, still partially confused.
Shekhinah noticed this and coughed.
"Here, drink this." Lilith quickly offered.
Murayama blinked at that, right as she saw Lucifer kneel by her, using his family's ability to smile with an angry aura ebbing off to make her shut up.
Elohim sighed in relief, then looked at Asia.
"So, you're Asia Argento? The one who can use our Holy Light?" He inquired, smiling to keep her at ease.
"U-Uh... yes, that's me." She confirmed.
At that moment, Asia felt Shekhinah place her forehead on hers, causing her to blink until she pulled back.
"Yes, I feel it. Jesus' DNA is definitely lingering through her. Since it is, she should have..." She confirmed.
Poking Asia's back, making her laugh.
Nothing else happened from the act.
"Hmm... I guess the bit of it she has isn't enough to give her Angel wings." Shekhinah realized.
"Say what?" Saji asked.
"Jesus was kind of unique. He wasn't a Human/Angel hybrid, but both purely Human and Angel at the same time, which is the reason for the Messiah status he got." Adam explained.
Saji's eyes widened before he looked back at the scene.
"Asia Argento, I have a question for you." Elohim asked.
"Y-Yes?" She replied.
Standing back on his feet, he and Shekhinah stood side by side, right as Lucifer noticed a certain look in his eyes.
"Would you like to become our granddaughter?" He inquired.
Everyone let out a huge gasp, while Touji immediately spit out his drink on Balberith, which he didn't react to because of his usual indifference.
The gem reaction was Asia, who seemed to be frozen.
"Asia?" Irina called out, blinking a few times.
She poked her lightly, and she fell over, making Irina cover her mouth once she landed.
"Whoa... that was just... whoa." Lucifer breathed.
Irina quickly got Asia back to her feet, who was now awake and breathing heavily after the fall.
"Y-You? A-Adopt? M-Me?" She said, crying a bit.
"Lucifer told us how you don't have parents because you were made, and since you have Jesus' DNA, your kind of his daughter? That makes you our grandchild, just like Valiana." Shekhinah replied, smiling at her.
"So, do you accept? We'll understand if you don't." Elohim asked.
It took a moment, but Asia soon began shedding tears of joy.
Following that, she ran up to the two and hugged them, which was enough for everyone to start crying as well. Asia may have not said a word, but she clearly answered with a big yes.
"It looks like your grandparents' birthday present was to give you a new family member." Lilith smiled, looking at her daughter.
"And I'm glad to welcome her into it." Valiana smiled, wiping her eyes.
It had only been a week since she began living in Kuoh City, but after what she had seen up to today? Valiana was glad her parents had brought her here.
However, this was only the beginning of the adventure she would be taking with Issei by her side.
The day had neared its end, and Asia was standing by Elohim and Shekhinah as they stood before the friends who rescued her from Zariska, wearing her habit and holding her bag as her eyes got a little misty.
"So, you're heading up to Heaven?" Irina asked.
"Yeah, now that I have all of these amazing powers? I want to learn how they can be used to help everyone I can." Asia nodded.
Irina hugged her, making Asia return the hug.
"Don't be too sad. Once her training's complete, we'll all come back, so... don't treat this like a goodbye." Elohim reassured everyone.
Valiana nodded her head.
"Right, this isn't goodbye. Just until next time." She agreed.
She held out her hand to Asia, who accepted and shook it.
"Good luck up there, cousin." Valiana smiled.
"Good luck to you as well, Valiana." Asia smiled back.
Taking a step back, Elohim and Shekhinah turned into crosses of light, rising back up to Heaven as everyone watched.
"And so, Valiana became the next wielder of the Divine Dividing, while also gaining a new member in her small family. It wasn't anything she expected, but that was proof of the small growth she had achieved since coming to Kuoh City. Needless to say, she had no idea this would be a small stage in everything, and most of all... just how much her friendship with Issei would evolve."
Issei walked by Valiana's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. Before she knew it? She had done the same, with neither of them noticing what they had done.
'Something tells me the future's in good hands.' Elohim thought, looking at the two.
With that, their light sparkled away, marking they and Asia had finally reached Heaven.
~ Unknown Date, 2011: Denpachi Town
Somewhere within Kanto Prefecture, a group of twins were seen sitting on a blanket selling items that they had created themselves. Both of them had brunette hair of a bronze shade and purple eyes, skin of a healthy pale tone, and fairly gifted figures for 10-year olds.
However, what made the two different was the older of the two had long hair that reached to her elbows, with a more energetic spark in her expression. The items she made were ones that had carvings or elaborate architecture to them.
For the younger twin, her hair was short and only reached her ears besides two long strands framing her face, and an expression that seemed calm and focused. The items she made seemed to be objects she enhanced, or rare items she found.
*"GRUMBLE!"*
Both of them blushed as they felt their empty stomachs roar.
"Hey sis, do we have enough for a meal?" The older sister asked.
"We could split one, but getting a second won't be happening, and I'm not sure we should gamble on snacks filling us up for the difference we have." The younger sister answered.
And that answer made both of them sigh.
"I can't stand this is all we can do to keep going. Especially since when we do it, it just reminds of what we lost..." The older sister whispered.
Her younger twin's eyes lowered upon hearing that, holding a pendant she wore, and opening it to show the two as children with their parents.
Both of them had been on their own since their parents died 3 years ago, and they've had to work hard for a living since Denpachi Town didn't have an orphanage. While they did get inheritance? Neither of them trusted in using it beyond paying for their living expenses and bills, so things like nourishment and clothes were things they had to earn.
"I finally caved yesterday and tried selling my pendant, but to my surprise? It had no selling value." She revealed.
"Same with my bracelet. I don't get how they can look so expensive, yet be worth nothing." Her older sister replied.
Both of them went back to trying to earn more money before attempting to get any food. As they did this, they suddenly got an alert on their phones, and both looked to see what message they had got.
"What's this?" The older sister asked.
"Not sure, but looks like some kind of mobile MMORPG, I think?" The younger sister guessed, looking at its name.
Its name was... Innovate.
That's it for the V1 adaption, and with the last scene? We've begun the third arc! Right now, the story is in what I'm calling the "Past Saga", so every arc is going to feature a time skip until we return to the present day. As for those twins? I can't say much, besides the scene making it obvious they're important in the next arc, and that both of them were in one of the story's prior versions.
As for the goof with Ravel? Like the chapter mentioned, she wasn't supposed to be in the same grade as our main duo, as she's Miku's age. *chuckles* Still can't believe I did that. Luckily, I think this was one of those accidents that became a blessing in disguise, since it gave her context for a story like Rias' and Sona's, since this version of her won't be a tsundere.
And then there's a debut from none other than Ophis, who just happens to be an old buddy of Elohim's! (And Lucifer, despite the chapter didn't say it) While I can't say much for now? She's one of the more important characters in this story, and her outfit is based on Kurumi's Astral Dress as of V20 of Date A Live, which felt fitting in its a Gothic Lolita, but more oriented to the adult body this version has due to her actually aging.
With this chapter, at least until the Past Saga ends, characters are going through a rotation. This basically means if a character isn't Valiana or Issei? I may have some arcs either give them little presence if not exclude them entirely, with Asia being the prime example. Issei's siblings are included in this, since Chiemi and Miku were the only two that had any kind of presence in these first two arcs.
Since this first part of the story has come to an end? I'd like to thank everyone for a second time, as your support has been a big help. I hope the next arc is just as great, as will everything leading up to its present-day events and beyond. I know having rebooted twice has probably annoyed some people, which includes myself, but... I'm glad that many of you are still here and reading it.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^
