Seventh, the Dragoon

by Arrixam

Part two of the Dragoon series.

10. Bromance

Sona stood at the door. Her legs had carried her here on their own volition ever since she stepped out of the teleportation circle. Her mind was on autopilot and she hadn't realized she had arrived until her legs stopped moving.

Her hands clutched her purse a little too hard. It was hurting her knuckles and it took a bit of effort for them to relax.

She had to be perfect for this evening. The fate of her peerage relied entirely on it.

It was why she asked her sister for… advice. She swallowed her pride and went to her sister's opinion on charm, appeal, and fashion. While Serafall Leviathan had questionable taste, she was the previous heir to House Sitri and had been taught everything in the art of seduction.

Of course, Sona didn't reveal her true intentions. She chose her words carefully and orchestrated a scapegoat. Her sister hadn't been fooled but she also didn't question it. The excuse was Sona wanted to reward Saji for his efforts as well as to welcome him back home.

She silently apologized to Saji. He was left in the hospital wards overseeing the recovery of his teammates while she went off on this errand. He hadn't been happy, almost furious, but his fury had been cold and calculating. It had been tamed. He could control it. He understood the importance of her mission and wished her the best of luck.

Saji… had grown. He was no longer a boy she fretted over. He couldn't even be called a man just yet. He was… a soldier. One who had been programmed to accept orders without opinion and carry them out dutifully and wholeheartedly.

She wanted to know what it was the Knight of the Round put him through within the past month.

But right now… she had to worry about her role as a King. She was responsible for every member of her peerage. And she needed to do anything to get them back.

…Anything.

"Oh hi there!" a chirpy voice squealed beside her. It made her jump. "You must be Sona! Junior's told us all about you!"

Sona's heart was hammering by the surprise. She reeled back her emotions and steadied herself. It only took a few heartbeats to get her mind back in order.

There was a man and a woman in the cramped hallway. Two normal humans as far as she could tell without anything special about them. The woman was a few inches taller than her with cascading chestnut hair and cocoa-colored eyes. She had a small noise and thin lips. And she was exerting a presence of absolute joy. There wasn't a single sad bone in her body and it shone through her smile and eyes.

The man… was bland. Boring even. He was a complete contrast to the woman. Other than his brown hair and green eyes… Sona didn't have any other reason to describe him.

When her eyes looked away from him, she completely forgot about his presence entirely.

The woman's eyes flashed with recognition as if what Sona had done had happened innumerable amount of times and knew it was going to happen another innumerable amount. Her eyes flicked to her company with sympathy before returning to Sona.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," the woman practically threw the box of wine and cake into the arms of the man suddenly. And the man caught them with expectancy.

Let it be known Sona wasn't a hugger. This woman had closed the distance in a blink and wrapped her thin arms into a tight grip around her.

"I'm Louise," the woman pulled away and stood back. "And this is my husband, Artemis. Say hello, honey."

The man said something as he shifted his balance with what Louise threw at him plus what he was already carrying. It could have been a greeting. It could have been a grunt. It could have been a curse. It could have been anything.

Sona couldn't hear it. She didn't assume anything. She wasn't sure if she returned the gesture all the same.

Once again, the man's presence was forgotten as she returned her attention to Louise.

"Junior?" questioned Sona. "Do you mean Mr. Arlington?"

Louise's smile shifted as she giggled. "Arlington? Yes, I think so. Anywho, I'm so glad we're not the only ones late. And knowing him he's probably running around getting things ready. Artemis, can you—"

The man replied with something, making Louise's smile brighten. He moved around Sona like a phantom… or, to be more specific, like the squiggly lines in her eyes. Whenever she tried to look his way was he out of her attention. And her mind told her it wasn't significant enough to pay attention to in the first place. She forgot about him in the span of two seconds.

…Until he kicked open the door, having it swing fast inside the complex and hitting into the wall. But the wall was cushioned with a piece of cut rubber matt. This was a common occurrence, apparently.

"The doors are falling apart…" whined Louise. "A lot keep complaining about them. A few years back they swung outwards— kept hitting people walking through! Mama and I finally got them fixed but the contractors didn't do a good job. Anyone like Artemis can break in. But it makes a lot of noise… But the tenants have also gotten used to it."

"…Perhaps I came at the wrong time," Sona said. "I did not take into consideration Mr. Arlington was about to have guests."

"You mean he didn't tell you?" Louise pouted as she put her hands on her hips. "That man. I thought he invited you. I mean, why bother telling us about you and tonight if the guest of honor doesn't know about it herself? Or… Oh my. Sweetheart, you're a little young to be doing things like this. And Junior is so old…"

She finally noticed Sona's attire. Sona was dressed in an elegant yet casual blue and white dress. It had a low cut to dip into the cleavage of her modest chest plus a slit at the side of the skirt to reveal her right thigh whenever she walked. She also wore heels, which added two inches to her height. Her makeup had been applied gently to draw out her eyes and the flush of her cheeks. And she wore some light jewelry such as a pair of earrings and a necklace.

Sona was dressed to impress. She wasn't sure what sort of character the Ruler of the World would take into consideration. After all, he was the Ruler of the World. She was sure he had seen just about every type of woman since the dawn of history. Trying too hard and she would look desperate, yet being too modest could insult him.

She found a balance and hoped it would work.

"I… had business with Mr. Arlington," she supplied.

"That man…" Louise sighed with a hand to her cheek. "When he said he liked younger women I didn't think he'd be such a predator. I should have paid closer attention when he talked about you. When he said he liked you I didn't think he liked you. Sona, quick, run before he realizes you're here!"

"…The relationship between Mr. Arlington and I is strictly professional," she didn't know why she was trying to convince this lady otherwise. "I am here to talk further about my role as his assistant. Please do not come to your own conclusion."

Louise stood there for a moment. Her eyes didn't believe her. Especially when she took another note of Sona's appearance.

"That's just what Louise does," Jay stepped into the walkway. He was dressed in a polo and some jeans. He didn't wear shoes. "She'll hear one part of a story and form a completely obscure fantasy on her own without hearing the rest. Hey, Louise, remember that one time when Caroline used to live here?"

"T-That was a very long time ago, Junior," Louise fidgeted where she stood. Her cheeks became red as she looked away. "Ms. Cloverfield was a very attractive and young girl. I remember being in high school at her age. H-How was I supposed to know—"

"Okay, okay," Jay put up his hand. He smiled in good humor at her. "No need to blow a circuit. Come in already. Dinner's almost ready."

He moved aside to allow Louise entry. But he put up a hand for Sona, looked behind him, stepped out into the walkway, and shut the door behind him.

"Hey, how's it going?" he asked without meeting her gaze. His lips twitched as he regretted what he asked.

"Mr. Arlington, I did not mean to intrude. I did not know you were having guests."

"…Every now and then I have dinner with friends," Jay said slowly as if drawing each individual word from every corner of his mind. "That means you as well, Sona. And, please, we talked about this. Call me Jay. You're making me feel old. I'm hardly in my thirties…"

He paused as he eyed her. A brow was raised as he took in her appearance.

"You… look nice," he said and meant it. "Like… wow. If you were a little older— A-Ah… Forget it. Excuse me. You didn't have to dress up so formally for me. I mean, you're making me feel embarrassed. If I knew you were coming in like this I would have dressed a bit better. Rent a tux or something. Instead, I'm in this…"

Formal? She wasn't wearing formal attire. But… perhaps in his eyes she was? The dress wasn't the most expensive piece she owned.

…Then again, her sister had dressed her with the intention (but not the expectancy) of impressing Saji. The Ruler had a different sense of value with his own opinion of interest.

"It would have been an insult to one of your station otherwise," she chose to say to both cover her mistake as well as to appeal to him.

His face soured. "You're such a stickler. But, alright, it's who you are. Why don't you come in and have a bite to eat. I'll even not tell if you wanna drink."

"Thank you, Mr. Arlington, but…" she eyed the door where Louise and her husband were behind. "I was hoping to talk to you in private. It is rather urgent. If I could have a little of your time—"

"Artemis works for me," Jay cut her off. "And his wife is in the know. Anything you have to say to me can be shared with them. They might even be able to help you in ways I can't."

"In such a way even the Ruler of the World can't?" she blinked.

He nodded, "I have a suspicion on why you're here. It has something to do with what happened in Kuoh a few days ago, yeah?"

Her lips thinned as she gave a slow single nod.

"Come in, kick your legs up, and relax," he said with one hand against the door. "I'll listen to you once dinner is over. Just… let me take care of you for a bit, 'kay?"

She didn't say anything.

He pushed against the door. It didn't budge. He gave her a nervous smile, put up a finger to wait, and slammed his shoulder against it a few times. It didn't budge any further.

He stepped back and tried to kick it. The door groaned but didn't move from its frame.

"You'd not believe how many times I've been locked out because of this," he shared while bending over to rub his shin. "Had to circle around and climb up to reach the window a few times."

She thought about doing it herself. A basic kinetic spell could have done it.

The door opened as someone jerked it free from the inside.

Sona's breath hitched in her throat. It was the man but… something about him had changed drastically. His hair wasn't just brown— it was copper. His eyes weren't just green— they shone like emeralds. And he was tall, oh so very tall, with at least a full foot in height above her. He was packed with muscle— completely useful muscle with purpose instead of the bulging nonsense of body builders.

He was also handsome in ways that made Devils envious and the Angels from Heaven Fall. He had the beauty they had tried and failed to replicate. He had all of their chiseled features without the over exaggeration. He was flawed, which added a new level of depth that couldn't be comprehended by any of the supernatural kind.

Their eyes met. His narrowed. He didn't hide the utmost loath and disgust he had when looking at her. It was as if she was a cockroach that needed to be exterminated… but was compelled from doing so. He wanted nothing to do with her.

"Thanks, Arty," Jay said with a smile.

"Don't call me that," Artemis breathed out. There was less disgust in his eyes when he looked at Jay. He tolerated Jay instead of outright loathe him in contrast with Sona. But the desire to stay away from him was still there.

He stepped away from the door, turned, and walked back into the walkway. Though his back was turned… he had this gaunt about him that said he was still watching them. His steps were silent and steady. There wasn't a single instant when he could have been caught off balance.

Sona realized she remembered this man's name. Everything about the man she could suddenly recall. Everything she had dismissed as unimportant came rushing back when she thought about him. Whatever had happened behind the closed door had released whatever mystery he had used to conceal himself.

His name was Artemis and he worked for the Ruler.

"That's…" her voice shook and could barely be heard. Her hands were clammy as a cold sweat started to surface. Her body recognized it before her mind could. This sense of dread. The acknowledgement of death looming around the corner.

"Yes, he is," Jay sighed as he scratched the ridge of his brow. "Artemis James Philips. The recently ranked Second Predator."

Now, more than ever, Sona didn't want to be here.

"He won't bite," Jay assured her as he put a hand on her shoulder. Her mind fought against him but her body moved forward with his gentle push. "Louise would kill him if he did. Hell hath no fury and all that."

Another thing that worried Sona was… as soon as she passed through the doorway. She felt something like spider webs brush past her. It felt like she walked through a layer of cold mist.

…And it had taken something from her. Her demonic energy was left outside the doorstep.

"It's a barrier I had Dick make," Jay explained as he shut the door. "Keeps all the baddies at bay. They can't enter unless I invite them. And even then, anything not mundane is left outside. You'll be able to pick it back up as soon as you leave. And don't worry about Artemis. You have my protection. I promise."

Now, Sona felt naked. No, she felt more than just naked. It felt like she had been stripped of her clothes and let out to the blizzard with a pack of hungry wolves on the prowl. She had no means to defend herself. Even if she knew her Devilry could never match against a Predator, it was still a comforting thing to have. It was like a small candle— too small to warm her and not enough light to see, but more than enough to grant the illusion of protection.

The Ruler's apartment was a small studio. A very small studio. It held a single room, a kitchen to the side, a closet, and a bathroom. Bookshelves filled with booklets too thin to even be magazines filled them with tabs sticking out to label them. In the corner was a raised desk and lamp— something used for sketching. There was a small couch that could only fit two pushed to the side to make room for the fold-out table at the direct center.

"Junior, I trust you, but you didn't do anything to Sona while you were alone, did you?" Louise accused from her spot on the couch as she flipped through one of the things from the bookshelf.

It was a comic, Sona realized. The bookshelves were filled to the brim with comics.

"If I've ever heard of an oxymoron," Jay grumbled. He didn't answer Louise as he stepped back into the kitchen.

Predator Philips had his back leaning against the side wall near his wife. It was the utmost position that allowed him to see every corner of the studio, the door, and the single window. He kept his eyes focused on Sona the most.

"Oh, leave her alone," Louise scolded as she slapped his thigh. He let out a low grunt in response. "Sona, honey, are you hungry? Hopefully Junior doesn't make something too awful this time."

"I heard that!" Jay shouted from the kitchen.

"I know~" Louise called out with a playful smile. She turned back to Sona, "Don't just stand there. Make yourself at home! Go ahead and snoop wherever you like."

"Don't bother," Jay said as he carried several plates of food in each arm. "Dinner's ready."

"Already?" questioned Louise.

"I said it was almost done. Come get it while it's hot."

It was Artemis who reached the table first, pulling out a chair for his wife. She took it with a smile but her eyes shone as she read his intent like a book. Artemis' eyes locked onto Jay's briefly before taking a corner at Louise's left. Jay moved to the seat at Artemis' left, pulled it out, and gestured for Sona to approach.

She really didn't want to sit next to Predator Philips. Having a few inches further from him at the same table didn't make any more difference than being in opposite sides of the same room. It was another cold comfort. But… she had no choice.

She took the seat. Jay was a gentleman who pushed it in for her as she sat down.

She realized the arrangements had been made so Predator Philips could keep an eye on her while keeping her away from his wife. He sat rigid with one hand under the table. His eyes didn't look her way yet she could still feel him staring at her.

"Oh my God, you didn't cook!" Louise said with enthusiasm. She clasped her hands together and looked at her dish.

…Sona realized it was the same dish he had ordered at the restaurant they were last at. Spaghetti noodles with butter, garlic, bacon, and mushrooms.

"You make it sound like I can't cook at all!" Jay whined as he took his own seat, placing his apron on the corner of his chair.

Louise gave him a look.

"I wouldn't call that cooking," Artemis commented.

"Fuck off," Jay said with a bit of humor in his voice. "Hold on, I forgot the drinks. Louise, I'm going to guess you want the wine you brought?"

"You're not going to have any?" she asked with a tinge of hurt.

"Why can't you be normal and buy wine from a bottle? Who buys boxed wine? It's gross."

"It's just the same as boxed!"

"It tastes weird," retorted Artemis.

"You don't even drink!" snapped Louise.

Artemis shrugged, "Water. I'll have water."

"Philistines," Jay said to both of them. "Sona, beer or wine? Or would you like something harder?"

"Just water is fine, thank you," she said a little stiffly.

"Beer or wine?" he repeated in the same tone. "Or would you like something harder?"

"Sona, you have got to try this wine!" Louise pleaded. "I wouldn't want to finish it all by myself."

"Like last time," said Jay and Artemis in unison.

Louise flushed as she recalled something in the past.

"…Then, I'll have some wine, please," Sona relented.

Louise beamed at her.

A minute later, Jay returned with three glasses of wine and… a sippy cup of water.

Artemis stared at it for a long moment. He glared at it almost as hard as he did for Sona. He breathed with his nostrils flaring, twisted off the cap, and sipped from it.

"All that and you get a glass for yourself," Louise commented to Jay.

The wine was sweet. It wasn't something that belonged with a meal like this. It was something more of a desert wine. Then again… Louise had also brought a chocolate cake. This was probably what it was for.

"You can't even taste it," glowered Artemis.

"No, but I am a man," Jay said with a victorious smile. "And real men drink. Itty bitty babies suck on water."

He couldn't taste the wine? It certainly complimented their comments on his cooking. Sona noted it in the back of her mind and chose to say nothing.

"To those who wear the pants in the relationship!" Louise toasted, raising her glass over the table.

"To men!" Jay toasted and raised his glass.

They both looked at Sona with expectations.

"…To… adults?" she chose to say and lifted her glass slightly at eye level.

"Huzzah!" they both cheered and drank from their glasses.

Louise finished hers in a few short gulps.

Artemis didn't show any reaction as he sipped from his Red Blur cup. His eyes studied Louise as she downed her wine and took a few bites of her meal.

Sona blinked. Artemis, without her noticing, had finished his plate.

"Do you even taste it or just swallow?" Jay had noticed as well.

"It tastes better than your cooking," Artemis said without emotion. "Louise is the one who swallows without tasting."

Louise, in response, slapped his arm.

There was the briefest of smiles on Artemis. Nothing more than a twitch before he compelled his face to remain as neutral as it had been before.

"So, Sona," Louise's eyes flicked over the table towards her. Her cheeks were still pink from the wordplay. "Do you happen to have a boyfriend?"

Louise had been teasing her earlier. Had she been this frazzled to not have noticed the relationship between her and Jay was a joke?

The question had also thrown her off. Her love life was nonexistent. There wasn't any boy she could think of that had her interest. Especially with recent events. The idea of having a boyfriend was something she never considered. Perhaps in the past when she had little to worry about, but definitely not now.

For the past year and a half she had been taking care of Issei just as much as she was protecting herself. She didn't know how he would react around her when she discovered his secret and chose to become his ally rather than a potential threat. It was what got her one step into the disaster she was in currently.

Even when she washed her hands of Issei and shoved him away… did he bring carnage her way.

She couldn't blame him. It wasn't his fault and she knew it. He had no control over the actions of those around him. For simply being a Predator had him targeted by his peers and their enemies. And being near him guaranteed others would get sucked in.

Issei… had a kind heart. He was a good person who didn't deserve all of the negativity that had pursued him.

But she also couldn't forgive him. She was proud of him for vanquishing the Vampire. He had achieved a dream he believed would never happen. Even if it came at a heavy cost. The general populace of the planet had turned their back on him because of their battle. So many people had perished.

And the death of the Vampire brought the wrath of his family. His brothers invaded Kuoh, assaulted the students, and took many lives.

Including most of Sona's peerage.

"There's no one like that," she chose to say with a sharp voice. "I'm a little too occupied to be worrying about a boyfriend."

"That won't do at all," Louise wagged her finger.

"She's engaged to Chase," Jay commented with a mouth full of food.

Louise eyed him, blinked once, and had her brows furrow in confusion.

"That is a family affair, Mr. Arlington," Sona said urgently.

"She's also engaged to Issei," he went on, ignoring her. "The Dragoon Predator? They're going to be having a Rating Game— a duel of sorts— over it. Issei's really smitten over her."

"That sounds romantic," Louise gasped. "The Red Blur is going to fight, um, Chase over her hand in marriage? Wait. And you know him, Sona?! Oh, please tell me, what's he like?!"

"A manic pervert," she summed it up perfectly. "Everything he does is for the sake of seeing a pair of breasts. The only reason why he's engaged with me is because of a technicality. I can only marry someone who beat me in a game of chess. I play with him all the time to teach him strategy, I pushed him, and I foolishly dangled a prize over his head. He surprised me and beat me."

"Well…" Louise tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "The hero always seems to get the girl in the end. Maybe that's why he became one in the first place?"

Louise was, Sona mused, sharper than she looked. She was half-right about it. The other half of the story was something much darker than she wanted to share.

"Hyoudou is a good man," Artemis said. His voice had a level of respect that was a mix between praise, acknowledgement, and unwilling admittance. "But he isn't wise. Especially when he continues to claim Devils as his wives."

"Wives? Plural?" Louise blinked.

"His dream is to have a harem," Sona explained in a cold and distant tone. "He already has my best friend and one of her servants as his girlfriends."

"…And he's engaged to you?" she questioned.

"He didn't know what he was doing," Jay defended. "All he wanted was to see Sona's tatas. He didn't know about her condition for marriage. And, technically, it was the Leviathan who found the clause. She presented it after Chase became engaged."

"Then… this duel isn't to marry Sona but to have her not marry… Chase?" Louise struggled to say his name as if she had to think about it. She didn't look affected by the alcohol just yet.

…There was something going on here.

"A good man," Artemis repeated, "but not wise."

"Oh, you, hush!" Louise scolded. "I think it's absolutely romantic! He's not fighting for her love. This is the gallant hero swooping in to slay the dragon and save the princess!"

"…He's the dragon."

"You know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Predator Philips," Sona announced. "He isn't wise at all. All he's doing is causing more trouble than it is worth. The only reason why he's doing it is because he can't stand Sir Rolan at all. He's ruled by emotion and hasn't thought of the situation thoroughly."

"But you can't ignore he's fighting for you," Jay said next.

"Please, stop," she said sharply.

Jay chewed on his food for a moment while he looked around the table. He shared glances with Artemis and Louise. They both returned with some of their own.

"No, I don't think so," Jay said eventually. "I think you need to hear this."

"Mr. Arlington," she breathed out, mainly to reel back her frustrations.

"If you want me to listen to you, I am going to have you listen to me," he said in a hard voice. "That is my condition. You can take anything I have to say however you want. But you will listen to me. Do you understand?"

They stared at another; it was one of the few times his eyes had met hers. Emotions stirred inside her. It was such a sensitive topic to her. There was nothing to talk about it. She had heard just about everything from her sister and from Rias. They had told her Issei was stressing over the upcoming Rating Game. They told her how hurt he was since their latest conversation— if something so heated could be called such.

Things were as they were in order to teach him. She wanted him to step back and realize what was going on. She wanted him to see he was being irrational. She wanted him to see all of his reactions had been Rolan's intentions from the very beginning. Just as Rolan had orchestrated the events with the Vampire numerous times.

"You have a right to be angry," he said calmly but his eyes remained hardened. "Be angry as much as you want but only towards those who deserve it. To Chase. To the Vampire and his brothers. To yourself even. But do not blame Issei for anything. Not when he's the only ally you have at the moment. All the shit you throw in his face and yet he still tries for you. I would have told you to fuck off.

"It takes something really powerful to keep him from leaving you."

"None of this would have happened if he wasn't around," she snapped.

The Ruler gave out a very bitter, humorless laugh. His eyes flicked towards Artemis while he kept laughing. Artemis bowed his head slightly, only acknowledging the silent conversation they shared in their eyes.

"Kokabiel would have destroyed the academy if Manuel hadn't," the Predator shared. "He had plans to instigate a second Great War. He would have targeted you and Rias Gremory to get a reaction from your siblings. He would have succeeded if Hyoudou wasn't present, as you say."

"The only thing that changed was the enemy getting to him first," Jay explained. "There's also the other shit Issei drove away with his stunt at the Gremory-Phenex Game. Just about every Stray in Japan fled as well as every underground supernatural crook. It also got the attention of Hades and Odin and a few other figureheads. Hades went in his Reapers to scout the area, which caused others to stay clear. If anything, Issei made the entirety of Japan sterile."

Sona said nothing, quietly listening to the Ruler and his Predator leak information willingly. He knew things she didn't. He had shared in their previous meeting he was aware of what could have happened based on the choices of others. He knew what happened, what triggered it, and how to avoid it if needed.

She was reminded he was the Ruler of the World. He knew everything that happened within his domain.

"In regards to my peerage…" she said quietly. "Did you know about the brothers and what they would do?"

"That almost sounds like an accusation," Predator Philips leaned forward.

Louise pinched his arm and gave him a glare.

"I knew of them," Jay admitted. "I knew they would take revenge for the Vampire. What I didn't foresee was them dragging Saint Vice with them. Saint Vice went missing from my vision as soon as Chase announced his vendetta against the Church. It was only recent I discovered she worked for the enemy…"

"Their attack would have failed without her," Artemis continued. "Even with her, the damages would have been kept to a minimum. The Divine Beast would have won and could have brought those fallen back."

"But the enemy got to her instead," Jay growled. "Something forced her to use the Dolorous Stroke. I've never seen her use it since…"

His face hardened as he let the sentence die out.

"Something went horribly wrong, Sona," he said next. "Something that I didn't have the power to foresee or stop. Two of my Predators are gone and we've come against a force that can match them in fair game. Every now and then someone or something shows up that's superior to the previous generation but this… this is something different.

"They called themselves… Hunters," he finished with a sour expression.

"Will you blame me as well, Sona?" he asked. "If you are going to hate Issei for the death of your servants then you should turn that hatred against me as well. I knew about the brothers. I didn't tell any of you and because I didn't forewarn were people hurt. I am the one who installed the Predator system; I am the reason why Issei is such a danger to those around him."

"…Mr. Arlington, what would you do if you were in my situation?" Sona asked after a long pause.

His face shifted into something unrecognizable. "I have been in your situation."

She waited. He didn't respond so she pressed, "And…?"

He looked away, adjusted the rim of his glasses, and took a sip of the wine. She almost thought he wasn't going to answer her until he put up a finger to make her wait further. He took his time to finish the wine.

"The previous world," he began to explain with a distant voice. "Someone killed my brother. I wanted nothing but revenge. It drove me to survive through the war. But it also consumed my friends. Sarah and Ginger left after they called me a monster— they died a few days after because I didn't follow them. I killed Janice when she tried to get in my way. I left John to the enemy.

"And then when I come to the finale, when I face my brother's killer…"

Louise excused herself to get another glass. She took Jay's empty glass with her.

He put up another hand before Sona could speak.

"My brother was never dead. I had been gravely wrong. The one who I thought killed my brother was my brother all along. It had been a ruse— a masquerade for him. He had killed the one I sought after and took his identity. I didn't know it was him until… it was too late."

"I was young, arrogant, and outright pissed off beyond control. I killed a lot of people indiscriminately. I could tell you I did it to protect myself as we were in war but… I just hated them so much. I didn't just kill the soldiers. I killed everyone who got in my way. The mundane. The Acolytes. Even my own teammates.

"…Until I was the last one left.

"So, yes, Sona, I have been in your situation and I let my anger consume me. Everyone I loved wasn't killed by the enemy. They died because they believed in me and I failed them. They died because I betrayed them. They died because I sacrificed them.

"Will you also turn your back on Rias? On your sister? On Issei?"

"…I am not interested in revenge, Mr. Arlington," Sona spoke. Her voice had cracked. Her hands were shaking by the intensity of his voice. "I only want what's best for my peerage. I want to save them."

He leaned back in his chair, making the wood groan. It was thunderous compared to the silence the topic had demanded. "You once told me you had no interest in being the Ruler of the World. You said it was cheating."

"She said she found it to be unfair and unsatisfying," Artemis quoted. "She respects hard work and plans on achieving her dreams through her own merits. It's suffocating to have all of her things handed down from the Sitri House."

Sona's face paled. While it hadn't been an exact quote, they had still been the same words she used. Simply rearranged in a different order. They were the things she had said to the Ruler the last time they met in the shabby restaurant.

It meant Predator Philips had been there. Close enough to listen into the conversation and she hadn't noticed at all.

Jay nodded at him. "Being at the pinnacle of all things, wasn't it? Well, Sona, do you still believe what you said holds merit? I mean, look at it this way, you won't make things easier for you because you're a hard worker. Do you think what happened to your peerage still applies?"

She felt the blood drain from her face. "Does this mean you are unwilling to help me? That's hardly fair. You said you would at least listen to me."

"Fair enough," the Ruler placed one elbow on the table and leaned towards her. "Then tell me something I don't know. I'm listening."

…She didn't have anything to say. Her mind failed to respond to her. Desperation swam through her, making matters worse. Her thoughts became a jumbled mess as she tried to cling on to any idea to convince him.

"The dead should remain dead," Artemis said with disdain.

"It's not a question of charity, morality, or me taking pity on you, Sona," Jay said with a calmer voice. There was still a bit of an edge to it, however. "It's a matter of fairness. I am the Ruler of the World. I cannot make exceptions to a single person. If I devise a Rule in which will grant you a means to bring back the dead… then I must grant this to everyone. The Rule will be installed into the World for anyone to reach out for.

"Let's say I make it so only 'Sona Sitri' applies. There are still so many ways that can go wrong. People can assume the name, can trick the system directly, use a Defiant Work, blackmail you, and so on. Artemis here can tear out your eyes, turn you into one of his Blades, and have a field day starting the zombie apocalypse."

"The dead should remain dead," Artemis repeated.

"Both the Synthesis system and the Predator system are Rules that apply to all things existing within this World," Jay continued. "There are requirements to achieve them, yes. But they are public. There are no restrictions."

Sona slouched in her seat as her mind began to settle. The Ruler of the World was denying her request before she could make it. She felt so foolish for trying to deceive him by dressing up. He already knew what she came for. She should have picked it up when Louise commented on her being the guest of honor.

"Having that said…" Jay trailed off. "There are a lot of ways to cheat the system. There are the Originals who can practically do anything. And then there are the Primordials, who can be considered the masters of their one thousand different trades. There are also those damn hackers who hijack the system with their mods. Sorcerers and Gods and… Faeries."

His face scowled at the mention of the Fair Folk just as fiercely as Predator Philips did towards her.

"I want to make a contract with you, Sona," the Ruler said after a moment. "You will still be going with me to the meeting in Kyoto in the next coming days. You are still going to be my personal assistant. And I will still be answering any questions you may have for me.

"For this contract… I will do everything I can to bring back your peerage. I cannot guarantee anything. I might only be able to save one of them. I have a lot of resources but they are all external. I will be relying on others which means it will be out of my hands. I am doing this… because I am responsible. Your peerage would have survived if I didn't underestimate the enemy.

"In exchange, I only want one thing from you. Something only you can do. I believe you may save this world by doing so.

"I want you to talk to Issei. You don't have to forgive him. You don't have to be nice to him. You don't even have to like him. I'm only asking you to talk to him and listen to anything he might have to say. Five minutes, ten, an hour— however long you want. That's all."

Sona breathed out. The tightness in her chest slowly lessened. The constriction over her heart became less painful. There was a chance her peerage could be saved. Perhaps all of them. Perhaps only one. But the chance was still there and she swore she would take it no matter what.

But… she hesitated. It felt like she was about to jump off a bridge. She knew there was water down below to soften the landing. But the distance in height made her stumble at the last step.

She would have to confront Issei. That was his price.

It was almost as if he knew it was the last thing she wanted to do. It was something extremely expensive to her personally. But more than that…

"Why Issei?" she questioned. "Is it because he is one of your Predators? Why must it always come back to him?"

"What he said," Jay responded by pointing a finger at Artemis.

"But not wise," Artemis let out something of a groan below his breath.

Because he was a good man, had been Predator Philips' assessment of Issei.

"I'm going to guess the conversation is over," Louise came back into the room with a few paper plates with sliced cake. She also managed to balance two full glasses of wine in her other hand. "And if it isn't, I'm making it so. Give the girl a break. Let's play a game. Junior, where do you keep your cards?"

"Where I always put them," Jay said as he accepted his glass and cake. "Bottom drawer in the desk."

Louise went around the table placing plates down. She gave Sona a little wink before fetching the stack of playing cards.

"…Junior?" Sona questioned. It had gotten her interest as soon as Louise called him that.

Jay shrugged, "Think about it. This is the second version of the same world. I am the Ruler who copied and pasted the one I came from. There are a lot of irregularities but only because of the alterations I made here and there."

"We didn't have Devils," said Artemis. Unlike before, he took his time eating.

"No we didn't. And the Ruler of that world was named Jay Arlington. It's not my real name."

"Then what is?" Sona asked.

He eyed her and said carefully, "Everyone has their secrets, Sona. Some things are better left not knowing."

0-0-0

"Um… Hello, nee-san," Issei greeted.

Akeno looked over her shoulder while mindlessly stirring the pot. She didn't have her usual smile for him. "Hello, Ise-kun. Lunch will be ready shortly. Although, knowing your usual appetite I didn't believe you would be joining us."

"Nee-san, are you also mad at me?"

She stopped stirring. She let out a silent sigh with her shoulders slouching slightly. She put down her utensil, set the flame at a low, and turned to face him.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I want to be upset for what you've done with those two. But I should be upset at Rias. You don't know why she's acting like this. Nor will she tell you. She's keeping it to herself and it's only making matters worse. What you did made the flames bigger, but you didn't do it out of spite."

"…I thought it was because I kept something from her."

Akeno let out a dry chortle. She leaned against the counter away from the stove to fully face him. Her hands fiddled around while she thought. "That's part of it. I agree with her that things could have been different if you told us. We could have used them. Maybe not. I also understand the reasons why you kept it from us. What upsets me isn't your refusal to use them; it's the fact you didn't trust me enough to talk."

Trust me, she said. She had let it slip. She hadn't been talking about Rias or the rest of the peerage as a whole.

"Is it because of the people who died?" he asked next. "Sona's peerage? The students who were still there? Or because you were hurt?"

She didn't say anything for an agonizing long time. "Yes. No. Not entirely. Ise-kun, what happened there was because we were unprepared. We were overconfident of ourselves and we paid the price for it. Rias blames herself. She's the overseer of the city and was entrusted to protect it."

"But… that's not why she's so upset, is she?"

Akeno looked at him through saddened eyes. He was unfamiliar with the gaze coming from her. But, dare he say, it belonged on her. Or, rather, it was a look she was intimate with. It was almost as if she was always sad. She simply hid it well.

It was as if he was seeing the real Akeno for the first time.

"That's between you and her," she said eventually. "I'm sorry, Ise-kun. You deserve to know what's going on. But… all of us are under orders to keep silent."

Both worry and irritation sprang up to him in unison. He wanted to go to Rias. He wanted to talk to her, to plead with her to let him know what was wrong and how he could fix it. Yet an almost childish part of him was angry at her for being like this. He did deserve the right to know if he had done something and it was wrong keeping it from him.

What a hypocrite he was. It was hardly a few days when he did just this to her.

"She'll come to you when she's ready," Akeno said sharply as if reading his thoughts. "Right now, give her some space to calm down. She still loves you very much."

He chose to lean against the counter beside her. They didn't say anything to another for some time, simply grossing in another's company.

"Koneko-chan's mad at me," he breathed out.

"I know," Akeno nodded. "She was the one who told us about your affair."

"…You make it sound like I cheated on Rias."

"I do recall her giving you the okay…" she dragged out. "But, honestly Ise-kun, the timing of it all couldn't have been any worse. No, it's not just that. It's the fact you slept with them instead of…"

"…Instead of…?" he blinked and looked at her.

Her face was somber before it slowly shifted to mild irritation.

"Sometimes you can be so dense," she muttered too low for normal hearing to perceive. He did, however. Then, she said clearly, "If you had approached Koneko or I, or even both, I don't think either one of us would have denied you. Making a girl say something like that… Shame on you, Ise-kun."

She turned away to return to the stove, stirring the pot before any of the contents could burn.

He was left dumbfounded. "I-Is that… Eh… N-Nee-san… A, um, c-confession?"

More irritation surfaced as well as a slight tinge of pink to her cheeks. "I had hoped it to be a little more romantic. Something special to the man I fell for… But this is probably the only time I'll ever get. What with you having others before your nee-san."

A sharp pain went through his heart from the sheer bitterness of her words.

"Then… you really are mad at me…"

"…I can't be mad at you, Ise-kun. Believe me, I've tried. But I am still upset with you."

She wasn't mad… but she was still upset.

He didn't get women at all.

"Kiba wanted to talk to you," she said next while adding a few vegetables to the pot. "Do you need me to tell you where he is?"

He shook his head. The World was telling him the damn handsome was in the bottom floor, the training facility.

"Oh yeah… about the house…" he began while he looked around.

They did their best to keep things familiar. It was just like the kitchen of his old house with the way everything was arranged. It was his kitchen… only bigger. They kept the old decorations and knickknacks that belonged to his mother. They knew they couldn't throw those out.

"It was supposed to be a surprise for you when you returned home," Akeno explained. "Rias wanted to do this for you. The excuse was something about you being a Demon Lord and needing to prove your status… but I think she just wanted to spoil you. We made sure to keep things as familiar as possible. We didn't touch any of your parent's things."

"…It's nice," he chose to say. "A bit overwhelming. Kinda big. Like I need a tram to get from my room to the bathroom. But nice. I'll be sure to thank her when I can."

Honestly, he was perfectly fine with his old home. He was a little sad to see it go. But a part of him was also relieved. With this new place would come new memories. It felt like he was trapped in his old place, constantly living in the past. It felt like he could breathe in here.

He wondered about the neighbors, though. The house was freakishly huge that consumed most of the living spaces within his block. Did Rias summon this mansion from the Underworld and let it loose to feed on the other homes?

"You do that," Akeno said to him softly. "Now, go on. I need to finish this. Will you be joining us?"

"…That depends on Kiba," he said.

Akeno looked at him and gave a slow nod, "I suppose it would."

0-0-0

The training facility was at the absolute bottom of the mansion several stories underground. It technically took up three stories by itself by the sheer volume. Rias had taken into consideration the magnitude of his presence and built it appropriately.

The walls had been reinforced with some sort of obsidian metallic glass, and then those were doubled over with traces of magic running through them. He would have to use his Balance Breaker in order to make a dent within them. And he'd have to use his Juggernaut Drive if he wanted to tear through them.

He wasn't sure how they would stand against his peers, however. He wondered if Amelia would be able to do anything against them. Probably make them rot.

There were several sections of the training room that was separated with yellow paint on the floors. Some housed weapons with practice dummies, others held books behind reinforced shelves, typical gym and workout equipment, four courts placed in a rectangle for different sports, and a wide open area that took the majority of the room.

Really, it felt more like an amusement park rather than a training facility. The place was bigger than the house above!

He saw Irina and Xenovia occupying the weapon's section. They were having a light spar with each other in their Exorcist leotards, switching weapons on occasion and giving the other advice. Asia was there with them, nervously watching and ready to jump as soon as one of them got hurt.

His eyes lingered on Asia for a long moment. She seemed okay right now. But he noticed the bags under her eyes. She tried to hide it with some makeup.

They spotted him. They waved.

He waved back and gestured towards the back of the room, where he will be.

They nodded and went back to their practice.

He underestimated the stamina of the former Exorcists. He thought they would still be out of commotion considering what happened last night. Maybe not in bed still but too tired to do anything else. And here they were going at it.

He went to the opposite end of the training room. It probably would have been faster if he flew there, instantly if he used his Gift of Flight or even significantly faster than walking if he used his Devil wings. But, he chose to walk, taking his time to prepare himself.

Yuuto had a practice sword in his hands, going through various motions with Excalibur instructing him. Her dress looked less bright than the last time he saw her and it wasn't an effect of the lighting. She looked less radiant, less peppy, and a little melancholy.

Tired. She looked tired.

At the moment, for reasons Issei couldn't comprehend, Yuuto wasn't a Predator. The World was telling Issei he wasn't anything more dangerous than how he had been as a regular Devil. The potential was there to do harm but only by the influence of Excalibur.

It also meant Yuuto didn't have the curse of the constant awareness. He didn't know when Issei had arrived nor when he was being observed.

Issei couldn't have been wrong when he saw Yuuto the other day. The World had told him Kiba Yuuto was another Predator. Yuuto never denied it. Everyone else acknowledged it, especially Ajuka Beelzebub, one of the remaining Candidates.

Yuuto stopped when Excalibur noticed his presence. The little girl had sharp instincts, most likely honed throughout the centuries in the hands of the original King Arthur as well as when she was split into other lesser swords. Her physical form was nothing more than a masque.

Yuuto moved towards the duffle bag a few meters away from him. From within he pulled out a towel to wipe away his sweat and a plastic container. He opened the container first, took out a pink pill, and swallowed it in one go.

…Issei recognized the pill. It had been something he asked Richard to make a very long time ago.

The pill took effect almost immediately. While Yuuto wiped his face, his body began to change. His body was still lean and full of useful muscle. Curves began to take shape. Distracting curves. Curves so ridiculous they began to stretch and lift the white shirt, threatening to tear through the fabric.

When the towel was removed, it was no longer the handsome Yuuto's face.

…It was the gorgeous Yumi.

A storm of emotions clashed within Issei. Fear, enticement, confusion, excitement, dread, delight, disgust, and… arousal.

Those breasts… no man should ever have a great pair of tits like that. It was an abomination to have them so perky. Look! He could see the nipples poke through the thin fabric. The size alone was ridiculous! They were almost as good as Rias'!

~Zoom, Zoom—~

"NO!" Issei shouted. "There is a line! He's a dude! A dude! I don't care what he looks like or how great his breasts might be! He's still a man!"

"Technically I'm all woman right now, Issei-kun," Yuuto, or Yumi, or whoever/whatever the fuck he/she was gave him a smile. "You should know the full effects of these pills. I don't fully understand what a Sorcery is— Royals-san described it differently than what we're familiar with. But his Sorcery has the World believing I'm a girl. And so I am."

"Where did you find those?!" Issei shouted again. "I've been looking everywhere for them! I thought I lost them or accidentally threw them away."

"In the medicine cabinet," Yumi explained nonchalantly. "Probably the last place you'll ever look considering you can't get sick. It happened after the Vampire. Buchou asked me to find anything that may keep your fever down. "

It was the last place he'd look. Not because of what he… she… ugh this was getting complicated— Not because of what she said about him never being sick. But because he repeatedly told himself 'there's no way I'd hide them somewhere so obvious'.

And look. There they were.

Yuuto had found them. Sampled them after reading Richard's scribble notes within. Became Yumi for a bit. And then nurtured (tortured) Issei when she dressed up as a nurse while he was still in bed.

…The sponge bath… Issei can never wash away his shame no matter how many times he scrubbed.

"Why… Why do you have those?" Issei groaned. His head was starting to hurt.

"I thought it would be easier to talk to you like this," Yumi explained with another smile. She put her hand to her chest, blinked as she realized her hand stopped on the top of her breasts instead, and smiled in both pride and delight at her figure. "You like them, don't you, Issei-kun? Breasts? I always see you catching glimpses at Buchou and Akeno."

"Yes, I do," Issei nodded. "I love breasts very much. I fantasize about them every waking second. But this and that are completely different! You're a man! A bro! If you wanted to talk, then talk. I'm completely weirded out by this."

"You don't think I'm pretty, Issei-kun?" Yumi put up a pouty face that stirred a new wave of emotions for Issei.

"I think you're hot and that's exactly the problem! You're messing with forces not meant to be messed with!"

Yumi's lips curved upwards slightly. She exchanged a look with Excalibur, who met her gaze with a few tired blinks. The little girl nodded and went to stand by her father's side.

The back of his mind told him Yumi was up to something. But he couldn't tell what. The World was telling him it wasn't important enough to warrant his attention. And his draconian senses were only telling him about Yumi's antagonistic intent. Combined together, they were no more a threat than a childish prank.

Still, he kept his eyes focused on the two of them. Nothing in his instincts was telling him otherwise but something else put him on edge when they were together. He couldn't give it a name. Maybe intuition. It was rather baseless though.

"I want to talk about those Predator Pieces," Yumi said straightforward.

Issei's eyes narrowed, "There's nothing to talk about."

"I have to argue against that, Issei-kun."

"There's nothing to talk about," Issei growled. "It's better off if no one else has them. No one should have to listen to that all the time. You heard it, didn't you? The beast at the end of all things. I thought you of all people would understand."

For a moment, Yumi's fortitude wilted. Cold fear swept through her at the recollection of the World's screams of the impending doom. She licked her lips and swallowed her emotions.

"I know," she said steadily. "You don't seem to get it. It's because I've heard what it sounds like do I have to argue against you."

She took a few steps forward. Her slender legs were elegant. Her legs were enticing and Issei couldn't help but glance down at them. He couldn't help but notice the way her hips swayed with each step. Or the… smell of her from a workout. It didn't smell like a man. It reminded him of Rias, Asia, and, most recently, Xenovia and Irina.

He had to shake his head. Feelings he didn't want for this genderbent thing were messing with his mind. He reeled back to think clearly.

"And you want Rias and the others to hear it?" Issei argued. "To never have a moment of rest? To constantly be aware of every little detail around them? It might sound great. But, Kiba, I haven't slept since I became a Predator."

"I know, Issei," her voice was… sultry. Soothing. It was a soft whisper so low he had to focus harder to hear. And the ringing in her voice… it made him want to listen to her voice more. "You've reminded us a few times. I've been there myself. I know what it's like. And, it's because I know do I have to make you listen to reason."

She was close. Too close to him. Just half a step away.

Warnings rang through Issei. Minor things. Yumi was going to do something that would harm her more than hurt him. He wouldn't even feel it. A slap, maybe. A part of Issei was irritated and wanted to stand there, take it, and let Yumi know it was pointless.

…But it was the more rational part of him that probably kept his head.

Yumi moved, her arm being a blur. The World kept telling Issei there was nothing to worry about.

Then, halfway in the swing, the World was screaming at him to move.

It was from his act of move prior that had him reacting in time. He had raised a hand to catch her wrist. It ended up becoming a parry as he slapped away the blade that burnt his skin.

Excalibur was in her hands. The golden blade gave a dull glow as she assumed positions.

Issei's hand throbbed where the blade had cut into him. The Faerie steel had been able to get through his draconian resistance while the divine blessings felt like acid against his Devil body. Together, they sent needles of pain through his arm with just a small nick. His regeneration was having difficulty stopping the bleeding.

All of a sudden, Yumi was no longer just a regular Devil. Right now, she was a Predator. The World was acknowledging her presence as an Ultimate Killer.

Her eyes were wide and crazed, intoxicated with the information the World was providing to her. It was telling her how to harm Issei, what to expect from him, where to best strike, how Issei would respond, how to defend, and any hazards or hindrances around them.

All the same, Issei could feel the same thing. A plethora of information was bombarding Issei's senses. This could only happen when two Predators were against another. He had felt this when he confronted Rolan for the first time. And this had happened in the final battle against the Vampire.

"I hear it," Yumi said.

She dove at him, Excalibur streaking through the air in a golden arch.

Issei dodged, kicking off his heels to the side. He knew where to move. But so did Yumi. She had been anticipating it and treated her first strike as a feint. She was already recovering and trying to adjust.

Issei, however, also knew what she was attempting.

He manifested one gauntlet and caught her blade. The metal cut through his Sacred Gear and burned fiercely. He gritted his teeth and held his ground, refusing to budge.

Again, Yumi knew this was going to happen prior to her first strike. The World was telling her everything.

She had another Excalibur at the ready and bringing it into an upwards swipe.

It went on like this for a few seconds. They moved around the other, easily anticipating each other's techniques and strategies. It wasn't a game of skill or overwhelming power. Not when the World was giving them the exact same information to read each other's moves.

Still, neither of them were going all out. Neither one of them were using the abilities that made them into Predators. Issei refused to access his Balance Breaker just as Yumi wasn't. They were using their lowest aptitude against another.

"Did you know I never really liked you?" Yumi spat. The venom in her voice was real.

"As if you were someone I looked up to," Issei spat back. "You have every girl in Kuoh falling over you and you don't even look their way. Why? Because you were too consumed with revenge."

"You took the words right out of my mouth!" she roared and went for another series of strikes, only to have to block when Issei retaliated with his fist. "You're so blind you can't see what's happening around you. Do you have any idea why everyone's so upset with you? Do you know why Koneko hates you so much right now?"

"I know…" he growled out. "Don't you dare blame me for it. Look at me! I'm a nobody! I was always a nobody! No girl ever looked my way! They were always looking at you!"

Sparks lit up as a white wave from Excalibur clashed against a crimson blast from the Boosted Gear.

They now had the attention of the girls on the other side.

"How was I supposed to know she had feelings for me?!" Issei roared out. "I barely heard about this not ten minutes ago! I'm still trying to get over the fact I actually have a girlfriend!"

"Not everything is about you!" Yumi snapped. "Everything has been about you from the very beginning. Issei, I'm sorry your parents are dead. I'm sorry Nakashima-san was killed. But the Vampire is dead. It's all in the past! Move on!"

"Says the guy who went AWOL when Amy first arrived!" Issei charged forward and went to tackle Yumi. She sidestepped him; he spun with his momentum to sweep her legs while she was still landing. She tucked her legs in at the last instant and rolled out of the way.

"Don't talk to me about the past when it drove you mad just the same! I heard about the Holy Sword Project. I heard what happened to you and your friends. So don't you dare tell me to move on when you haven't!"

"You're not listening!" Yumi screeched and sent another white wave at him. "We live in the present! You and I! Everyone you think you care about! Akeno, Koneko, Asia, Rias, everyone! They're here for you and yet you keep dragging us into your misery!"

"I've been doing everything I can to keep them safe!" Issei bellowed.

"That's not the point! That's not your job! We can take care of ourselves! We don't need you to constantly try to save us!"

"You almost died the other day!"

"We survived without you! Why won't you see that? Why can't you see how hard we've been training? Why can't you see how hard we've been struggling for you?!

"It's always been about you and I'm sick of it!"

She swung Excalibur down like a hammer. An eruption of white light consumed them both as Excalibur's holy radiance swept through the area.

Issei put up a guard and planted his feet into the ground. He let the white light strike at him and refused to let it budge. It peeled against his skin like facing the brunt of a flamethrower. Cooked meat hit his nostrils.

But this pain was nothing. It hardly felt anything compared to anything his enemies had thrown at him.

He roared, letting out his draconian aura in a full sweep. It blew away the energies of Excalibur and slammed against Yumi. She had no means of avoiding it. Her body flew back, bounced once against the floor, and she rolled until she could land on her knees.

Issei was breathing hard through anger and pain. Yumi was panting from the sheer excursion.

"You act like this is all my fault," Issei snarled. "I wanted nothing to do with this."

"Save it," she sneered and got up to her feet. "This is your fault. Don't say otherwise. If you really wanted to protect us, Issei, you would have left. Become a Stray. You're a Predator. Who the hell can go after you? You could have left and we would have all been safe.

"But no, you didn't. You're selfish. You want to stay near us. You can't bear to think about leaving us. So you hoard us all into a bundle to keep to yourself. You've never thought about protecting us. You only want to stop others from getting what you think is yours. How very much like a Dragon.

"Yet when we offer to help, you refuse. You throw it in our face. You refuse to trust us with your burdens. You don't let us come near you. You mope around when something bad happens to one of us. We're not your damn hatchlings, Issei. We're supposed to be your friends!

"Why won't you let us help you?!"

She lifted Excalibur. The grip along the hilt tightened. Her demonic energy coursed through it, converting into holy radiance, and letting Excalibur's glow brighten.

"I don't want it," Issei said with a hard voice. "I don't want anybody to go through what I have to. You should understand. If you're really a Predator then you should know—"

"YOU'RE STILL NOT LISTENING!"

She roared and came at him. Her speed as a Knight made her zip through the distance in a blink. She brought Excalibur around for a lethal strike at his chest.

He swatted it aside. A burst of white energy blasted against his gauntlet at the collision. It blew away fragments of his armor.

"This. Isn't. About. You!" Yumi screamed, bringing Excalibur around with every word. Every time, another concussion of holy radiance struck Issei. He struggled to keep his armor intact.

"Have you ever asked what Rias wants? How about Asia? Aren't they supposed to be your girlfriends? Do you know their hopes and dreams? Do you know what they like? Do you know anything about them?!

"Do you know why Akeno smiles? Or why Koneko is reclusive? Have you ever bothered to hold a conversation with any of them? Have you ever gone longer than five seconds without staring at either of their breasts?!

"Reality check, Issei, we are not doing this just for you! You may have opened our eyes with your existence as a Predator but you are not the center of our universe! We know there are bigger fish out there! We realize this! Do you think we'd just stay in school with our heads down and pretend they didn't exist?!

"You're not protecting us, Issei. You've been hindering us from the very beginning."

"Which is it?!" Issei bore his fangs. "Do you want to help me?! Do you want me to leave?! Do you want me to give you the Predator Pieces?! What you keep saying is all over the place!"

Yumi stopped her assaults. Excalibur's edge was burning brightly in her grip. Her steel-gray eyes were cold enough to pierce through Issei's emerald.

"You still can't figure it out, can you?" she sighed with disappointment and fury.

She slammed the tip of Excalibur into the ground, stepped around it, and approached Issei. He didn't move as she gripped his shirt and pulled him close. He didn't fight it. They stared at another, close enough to feel each other's breath. They both challenged the other to look away first.

"I do not want your protection," she said slowly and clearly as if instructing a child. "I do not want to be in your care. I am my own person. I can stand on my own. What I want, Issei, is a little respect. I want you to stop looking at us as if we're so helpless. I want you to trust us.

"So help me, Issei, if you ever do anything to hurt Rias again, I will take her away from you. I will drag her even against her will and fight you with everything I have. I swear it as her Knight."

A low growl rose from Issei.

It was the only thing he could do.

He didn't need the World to tell him how things would play out. Yumi would do it. It shone in her eyes. She wasn't going to bend in the slightest over it. She really would take Rias away. And if Issei tried to go after them…

One of them would wind up dead.

That wasn't the only thing that made Issei relent. It wasn't the fact such a threat would result in blood, in the loss of a vital fighting force, and in the grief of the woman they both cared about.

What really convinced Issei was hearing everything Yumi had to share. She spoke from the heart. These were all her feelings that she had pent up. She had kept silent the entire time, couldn't stand it any longer, and let everything out for Issei to bear.

"I… feel much better," Yumi let out a long sigh, released Issei, and stepped away. Excalibur was present in her human form to hand her another towel. Yumi wiped her brow with it. "It feels so good to let out some stress."

"You really didn't need to take the pill just to do this," Issei grumbled as his powers began to recede back into his core.

"It got you to lower your guard," Yumi commented. "Issei-kun, you have such a soft spot for women. You were always this spirit of vengeance both in the training camp and in the shooting for your show. I wouldn't have been able to talk to you if I didn't have these."

Issei did his best to not let the blood pour out of his nose. Yumi grabbed ahold of her knockers and began to play with them. She pulled and shifted them around as though they were a pair of water balloons. When she let go, they giggled until resting still at her chest.

"Is everything okay?" Xenovia asked when the group of three approached. "It sounded like you were fighting."

"Kiba," Asia's eyes watered as she looked at the Knight, "please don't be mad at Ise too! I'll be sad if you're mad at him! What should I do?"

Yumi offered her a gentle smile, "It's only a little argument, Asia-chan. Nothing you need to be worried about. I think Issei-kun and I came to an understanding. Isn't that right?"

With her smile, she glared at him.

"…As clear as can be," Issei was the one to look away while scratching his cheek.

"Then, everything's okay?" asked Irina. "You're both still friends?"

"You have nothing to worry about, Shidou-san," Yumi chose to say with her charming smile.

Her response had put everyone at ease.

…But Issei had caught the wording. Yumi didn't consider them friends. She never did. She had opened up the argument with her stating she never liked him.

For everything he didn't like about the Knight… Issei had always believed they were friends.

Apparently that was never the case.

"We still have some things we need to catch up on, though," Yumi lifted a hand at them. "Would you mind leaving us alone for a bit? I think lunch is about ready anyways. We'll be up shortly."

"Don't take too long," Irina said. "Ise-kun, you need to eat lunch. No ditching again! Skipping meals isn't healthy for you."

"Skipping meals is very bad," Xenovia agreed with a few wise nods. "It hinders the regaining of your stamina and vital nutrients. It would become a problem if your sperm count is low because of this."

If he wasn't standing perfectly still he would have tripped over and land flat on his face.

"X-Xenovia!" Irina blushed. "That's not the point!"

"…It wasn't?"

"Um… I-Ise…" Asia walked up to him and grabbed the hem of his shirt. She looked up at him with her large doe eyes that made him want to hold her close. "W-Will you… T-That is… T-T-T-Tonight? Can I s-stay with you tonight? It's been a while. Ise isn't bored of me… is he?"

It felt like a bolt of lightning from God Himself had torn through the several floors above to strike at Issei's cranium. Bored of Asia?! What sort of damnation?!

"NEVER!" he screamed to the high heavens to deny this most unholy blasphemy. "I LOVE ASIA! Of course you can stay with me tonight!"

Her smile filled him with such love. Time froze just so he could stare at her smile and bask in its brilliance. He would never forget her smile. He would cherish it until the end of time.

They left with their equipment in tow. He watched them go. The three of them were talking amongst their selves and he didn't put effort into prying into their conversation. Though he managed to catch a few words without meaning to.

The three of them were close friends. Asia could use some friends. And Irina and Xenovia deserved to be a part of their group. He was happy for them.

"So, you don't like me?" Issei opened up with when they were alone.

"Never have," Yumi said without shame or even dropping her smile. "I think you're gross. You have no respect for women with how you constantly peeped on them. Maybe if you worked on your social skills instead of stealth you would have acquired a girlfriend much earlier."

"Says the best looking guy at school," he argued. "If I did manage to get a girlfriend she'd have dumped me as soon as you walked by us."

She let out a small laugh that sounded like bells. "Is that how it looks to you? I suppose to someone who wants a harem it is a dream come true. But I'm not interested in a relationship. The girls adore me but never try to get to know me. Any who try is usually shot down by my fanatics. And the boys spurn me out of jealousy. I don't believe I've ever had a friend since becoming a Devil."

"…I don't feel sorry for you."

"I don't either," she remarked with a bitter smile. "I think we would have been much happier if our roles were reversed."

"You mean where you watch your parents murdered in front of you with some sicko carving out their faces and wearing them like masks?"

"At least you got to know your parents. I was an orphan taken in by the Church and experimented on. I wasn't a person, Issei-kun. I was a lab rat to be disposed of when my usefulness ran out. And it did."

Issei sighed to take a moment for himself. There was no point in this argument. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"You kept something hidden from us," Yumi said almost immediately. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. "I don't just mean the Predator Pieces. The Evensong. Trihexa. Adams McCain. These are all terms I should know. Not just as a Predator but as a person living on this planet. If the world is coming to an end then I think I deserve to know why.

"Tell me everything you know. Everything."

0-0-0

"Oh, you're finally here," Akeno greeted Yuuto when he entered the dining area. "Lunch is practically over. I can still get you something if you like."

"Please," Yuuto gave her an apologetic smile. "We're famished. I'm sorry for not arriving on time."

The table was full of the Occult Research Club but most of the girls had finished their meals. Only a few of them (Koneko) were still going.

"Is… Ise not joining us?" Rias asked with concern, curiosity, and nervousness. She eyed the door Yuuto had come through.

"Not unless he managed to come back from the Pacific Ocean in under an hour," Yuuto replied to her with a unique, almost Cheshire, smile. He pulled out his seat for Excalibur, who silently accepted it, and slammed her head flat on the table as soon as she was pushed in. The poor girl was exhausted. He shouldn't have used her default form while she was still recovering.

He pulled out a chair beside her, conveniently to his King's left, and took his seat in a relaxed fashion.

"He's skipping another meal?!" Irina gasped. "Have any of you seen him eat at all these past few days? He hasn't been to any breakfast, lunch, or dinner I've been to."

"Ise is a Dragon," Rias explained with a cheek resting against her knuckles. "He runs on a completely different metabolism than any of us. He doesn't require food the same way we do."

"But when he's hungry…" Koneko raised her head from her plate. "He eats."

Several heads nodded in unison. There was a reason why there were two fridges in the kitchen. The first was a large model found in professional kitchens. That was for the girls to use. The other was an entire room to walk through. There were even shopping carts tucked in the corner to carry large produce in mass quantities.

Irina glowered with disbelief but chose to not say anything. To her, Issei didn't look any different than she did. But, she pondered, so too did the Devils. They were far more durable than any human could without certain augmentations.

"What exactly is Ise doing in the Pacific Ocean?" Rias asked.

"Retrieving his discarded Predator Pieces," Yuuto answered with chipper attitude.

Everyone stared at him, expecting him to explain further. He said nothing, keeping his smile, completely unfazed with their staring, and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Is there something you want to fill us in on?" Rias asked with a raised brow.

"Oh, Issei-kun and I had a long talk," he began after taking a few sips. He didn't supply anything else until Akeno returned from the kitchen with a tray of food. Some stew, a bowl of rice, some fruit sandwiches.

"We talked about the responsibilities of being a Predator," he went on as soon as Akeno took her seat at Rias' right. "I wasn't very clear on them. So I asked him. He told me what he knew and his speculations."

"And he's not here because…?" Rias drawled out.

"It's something of a deal we made," he said after making them wait longer. He was hungry. He had to take a few bites before he could continue. "He doesn't believe we can handle the pressure. So I told him I would accept one of his Predator Pieces and give him my assessment once the transfer was complete. I would still be your Knight, Buchou. I don't think they interfere with the Knight Piece within me.

"I've gone through what he has. I understand where he's coming from but I don't agree with his decisions. If I can prove to him he's not entirely right then he won't have a base to keep his argument. He'd have no choice but to accept my logic."

The only sound being made was the clattering of utensils used by Yuuto. He ate away while everyone spared glances at another.

"Thank you, Kiba," Rias said with a distant voice. "But I think it's too late for that."

Yuuto chewed as he looked at her. He leaned back in his chair, placed his spoon down, and wiped his lips with a napkin. Even after he finished did he stare at her in silence.

"What happened… can't be undone," he said after a long while. "And I don't think Issei-kun knows what he's done either. I didn't tell him. You should, Buchou."

Rias looked away with her hands resting on her lap. Her arms moved gradually until they wrapped around her waist.

"Um…" Asia' voice was as quiet as a mouse. "Are you and Ise fighting? Did something happen?"

No one had told Asia about what happened. She, Irina, and Xenovia were the only ones not aware. They weren't in the room when Richard Royals diagnosed Rias. No one had told them.

"We're not fighting," Rias said, though she couldn't look at Asia in the eyes. "It's… complicated, Asia."

Nobody said anything else. The room was full of mixed feelings that none were willing to share. They kept quiet.

"Oh…" Asia said. Bless her heart, she didn't think anything was amiss. "I hope everything's okay. Ah, Rias, I'm going to be with Ise tonight! Why don't you join us? I think he would like that. I don't mind sharing him with you…"

A healthy and adorable shade of pink sprouted on her cheeks.

But Rias' face turned ashen white. She shook her head and forced a smile, "No, that's okay. I wouldn't want to ruin your alone time with him."

It was then Asia noticed something was wrong. After all, Rias fought with her all the time over his affections. They had a sort of innocent rivalry over who could get more of his attention. If Rias was willing to step aside in Asia's favor… then surely something was wrong.

"O-Okay…" Asia said, unsure of herself. Her voice cracked and she looked at Rias with pleading eyes. She wanted the King to open up and tell her what was wrong but wasn't willing to pry.

Rias never looked her way.

To break the tension, while creating a new set of its own, the doorbell rang.

Yuuto was out of his seat immediately. Nobody moved as everyone stiffened, still on edge due to recent events. He took command, putting up a hand to keep everyone in their seats while he headed towards the door.

Excalibur let out a groan of complaint while she latched on to his wrist. She let him drag her across the floor as he entered the hallway.

Akeno was at his side. Her smile was gone as she prepared her mystic defenses. He could physically feel the demonic energy flow through her body, ready to be unleashed at the first thing that presented itself as a threat.

They nodded to each other. Yuuto picked up Excalibur and let her rest at his hip like the little girl that she was. If needed, he would have her turn into a sword.

Akeno stepped forward with a magic circle at the ready in her palm, hidden behind the door as she opened it.

…There were two things wrong with this picture. The one who had rang the doorbell had been a man in a brown uniform. He wore a brown cap, a brown shirt with a company logo on the right chest, and brown shorts. Yuuto recognized it as the infamous public uniform worn by the couriers to the American Union Postal Service.

The second thing wrong with him was his appearance. He had flowing white hair that couldn't really be hair. It looked more like strands of silver thread. His face was blank; nothing like Serene's constant expression of tranquility but blank. No emotion. No life. He was as dead as a statue. And his eyes held no color. They were as clear as glass and Yuuto had no problem being able to see the interior of the organs.

"Hello," the man said as soon as those lifeless eyes looked at Akeno.

"Oh," Excalibur seemed to snap out of her daze. "Papa, it's okay. I—" she yawned, "I know this man. He's okay…"

And then she fell asleep in his arms without any further explanation.

"Hello, Excalibur," the man nodded once. His eyes then flicked towards Yuuto's and then at Akeno. "Hello, Siege Perilous Yuuto Kiba. Hello, Akeno Himejima. I, am the Warden. I, am here on business. I, wish an audience with, Rias Gremory."

He also spoke strangely. It was as if he was taking out clips of prerecorded text and inserting them where it was needed. Not necessarily like an automatic machine. But in the unique way a human would when they suddenly forgot something and suddenly recalled what it was on the spot.

"Who are you exactly?" Akeno questioned. She didn't lower her guard to this person.

"I, am the Warden, of the Well," he said in the same tone he had before. His expression never changed.

The Warden of the Well.

The Well was the ultimate prison currently being controlled by the Observatory of the Acolyte Faction. It was a pit of pure darkness where legend says the laws of nature do not apply. Things do not die. Magic does not work. Time does not exist. Reality is a completely different concept. Anyone and anything shoved into the Well is forced into an endless loop of limbo.

Supposedly, it was once the prison Heaven had made before the Great War to seal away the Grigori.

This man was its keeper. He was the only one capable of navigating through it, able to fight off against any of the things kept within, and is rumored to wander the world in search of new things warranting to be restrained.

"What business do you have with my master?" Yuuto stepped forward.

The Warden turned his gaze to him and answered without hesitation, "I, am to deliver, a bounty, for, the elimination of, six, Accusers, by decree of, the Council of Head Orders, and, the Inquisition ordained by Inquisitor Melodic, of the Observatory."

"…You're talking about the brothers of the Vampire…" Akeno sighed.

The Warden nodded once.

"You'll have to forgive us if we ask you something," Yuuto said. "We're not very trusting of new company because of the incident. How do we know you won't harm my master?"

The Warden did not move. It wasn't something a human could achieve. He did not blink, did not breathe, did not sway where he stood or make any such reaction that would indicate he was thinking. He went completely still in the way only corpses could.

"I, will not, attack, one, of my own, Predator Kiba," the Warden said suddenly. "I, am a, Zero Predator."

…A… what? A Zero Predator? What in the world was that?

"Swear it," Yuuto demanded, pushing the information for another time. "So far everyone from the Acolyte faction has been our enemy. From the Vampire, his brothers, and Rolan. I see no reason to trust you, let alone let you in this house."

"I swear," the Warden said without hesitation. And without pause, as if it was one of the preordained responses he had set up long in advance and used repeatedly. "I, am to deliver, a package. Nothing more."

He tapped a finger on the insignia at his chest. He was on duty for his daytime job, apparently.

It wasn't the words that made Yuuto step back. It was a sense of comradery even when he had never met this man before.

"The World," said the Warden, answering Yuuto's unasked question. "You, are not, linked. But, the World, knows of you. It, guides us."

He wanted to argue. He wanted to find a fault in this. His mind came up with several counters to this accusation. But all of them were shot down. They all just seemed to fade to the back of his mind until they were forgotten.

He had a sense of loyalty towards his King suddenly. A strong throbbing to fulfill her every desire and to serve her to the best of his abilities. The World, he could not deny, was force-feeding him this. It was telling him this man was going to be a great asset and would regret not allowing him an audience with his King.

Even when he wasn't recognized as a Predator at the moment did the World continue to speak to him. He didn't realize how deep it went or how complex it really was until now.

They led him through the hallways and into the main dining room, where Rias and the others had been waiting on bated breath for their return. Their eyes snapped immediately towards the Warden who had followed them.

"Buchou," Yuuto stepped forward and turned on his heels. He gestured a hand towards the man, "This is the Warden of the Well. He's come here to deliver a bounty for the elimination of wanted criminals of the Observatory. Nothing more."

He said the last part to the Warden, who did not react in any way to indicate he had noticed.

Rias frowned, glanced at her servants, but stood. She assumed her role as the King and spoke with the charisma and authority required for her station. "Good afternoon, Warden. You will have to excuse our unpreparedness to properly greet you. We were not aware of your arrival and you caught us in the midst of our lunch. Is there anything I can get for you?"

The Warden shook his head once and produced, out of seemingly nowhere, a rolled scroll sealed in wax and a bright red ribbon. He presented it to Akeno, the Queen, with the intention of delivering it to her King.

"Rias Gremory," he spoke in his dead tone that, somehow, presented itself with matching authority equal to hers. "The Observatory, has recognized, your valor, in, eliminating, six, Accusers. The Observatory, has rewarded you, the bounty, of each head, plus, gratuity. Within, contains, the list of, deeds and grants, and treasures, the Observatory, shall be delivering, at the earliest convenience."

Rias accepted the scroll and asked the Warden with her eyes if she could examine it. He nodded once. She removed the ribbon and undid the seal. Her eyes didn't shine with excitement. She was only following protocol and paying her respects.

Her expression didn't change when she read the contents of the scroll.

"Thank you, Warden. I gladly accept the bounty. But I cannot accept the gratuity. I was only acting my part as overseer and King. I was merely protecting my territory and my servants. And let it be known Sona Sitri deserves a part of the reward. She and her servants had a part to play."

"Noted," the Warden said blandly. "But gratuity, is, gratuity. What you do, with it, is your decision. Second, I have, something for you."

He reached into his pants pocket and produced a key.

Rias' eyes widened. The key was something old fashioned but made within the past few years. It belonged in the old world but was as pristine as the silver keys they used to enter this house. She recognized it for what it was.

"Why do you have that?" she asked in a low whisper.

"I, am the Warden," he said matter-of-factly. He turned, handed the key to Akeno, and turned back towards Rias. "Third, would you happen, to know if, I may find, the location of, Ludwig von Siegfried? He, requires my, personal bounty, for the elimination of, one, of my prisoners."

Rias accepted the key and stared at it. She didn't hear the Warden's inquiry.

"There is that name again," Yuuto spoke up. "Who was he? Archmage Royals says he was once a Predator. Do you know anything about him?"

The Warden turned and addressed Yuuto, "Ludwig von Siegfried, was, Second Predator, the Dragon Slayer. He, was claimed by, the Abyss, due to, his use of, [BALMUNG]. He, was last seen, fighting alongside, you, and, Issei Hyoudou, against, Candidate Manuel. Ludwig von Siegfried, no longer, exists."

Yuuto stood still as he soaked in this information. It didn't fill in all the gaps in his memory but it did enough to satisfy him. There was another Predator. And now he at least had a name for the final brother nobody could remember.

The Warden leaned in, surprising Yuuto and almost making him jump back. The soulless eyes of the man bore into his as he said clear and loud enough to not be mistaken for anything else. They were also the only words he said with emotion. Urgency. Importance. Terror.

"Adams McCain walks amongst us once more."

There had been no pause in his words. No chance for him to correct himself. He had spoken it as clearly as possible.

"Fourth," the Warden stood up straight and returned to Rias. "I, have a package for, Issei Hyoudou. Will you sign for, him?"

From nowhere he pulled out a small box in Red Blur birthday wrapping and a sheet of paper attached to a clipboard.

…Suddenly the uniform he wore made sense.

"Um… sure?" Rias blinked a few times, took the clipboard, and signed for it. She placed the pen back into the holster and handed it back to the Warden, trading it for the box.

"Do not open it," he instructed while checking the signature. The clipboard vanished when everything was clear.

"Archibald Lolifor?" Rias questioned as she read the return address on the box. "That name sounds familiar. Isn't that the director of the American Union Postal Service?"

"First Predator," the Warden responded.

The box almost fell out of her hands.

"That, is all," he announced and gave a very Eastern bow. "Good day, Rias Gremory. I, will excuse myself."

"Wait," Yuuto called out before the man could leave. "What did you mean when you said you were a Zero Predator?"

The Warden turned his head and answered, "I, chose, to not be, a Predator. I, know how, the World, and the Ruler, work. The title of Zero, means, I am one of you, but do not, have direct access to, the World's support. You, Yuuto Kiba, are a Zero Predator, until, you fuse with, Excalibur."

"I didn't know people like you existed," he said slowly. "Then, will you help us? Will you help us fight? The beast at the end is starting to wake up."

"I, Kringle, and Cottontail, will be there," the Warden said with a single nod. He clicked on his heels, turned, and walked out of the room. Akeno was right on his heels to escort him.

"…Did he just say Santa and the Easter Bunny are going to fight?" Koneko asked about the elephant in the room.

"And Tannfeen…" mumbled Excalibur in her sleep as she nuzzled her face deeper into Yuuto's chest.

"…The Tooth Fairy too?" Koneko's eyes narrowed with extreme disbelief.

Rias paid them little to no mind. Her attention was locked elsewhere. In one hand was the small box sent by the First Predator. In the other was the key that could unlock the seal to her other Bishop.

Why did the Warden give it to her? Did her brother decide she was capable enough to handle her Bishop? Or had it been because of his personal evaluation for defeating so many Accusers of the Acolyte faction? What's more, why and how did he have a key to her Bishop?

His answer wasn't good enough.

"Buchou?" Yuuto spoke up. "You alright?"

"I'm not sure…" she exhaled and placed the box down onto the table. She did, however, pocketed the key. "Kiba, I need a favor from you. Please make sure Ise received his package when he returns."

Yuuto studied her briefly, "Buchou… if I may… I think this would be a good chance for you to approach him. You can give it to him and say—"

"Not yet," she shook her head. She crossed her arms again and looked away. "I promise I will. He needs to know. Just… not yet. I will tell him. I will…"

It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

Yuuto said nothing. He nodded in acceptance of his duty. "If you'll excuse me, then. I'm going to put Cali-chan to bed. I'll be back when she awakens or when Issei-kun returns."

0-0-0

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this…" Issei grumbled to himself.

Of course, all it came out as was garbling.

That's what happens when he tried to talk underwater.

It had been almost an hour since he left through the underground passage of his house. Yumi could be frighteningly convincing if given the right operandi. It had nothing to do with her enormous breast. No! Yumi was still a man. Just because she had a large rack, a great ass, a lean waist, a gorgeous face, and full lips didn't mean she was attractive. Not at all. And he wasn't distracted by the way her boobs swayed around hypnotically whenever she talked.

They bounced whenever she shifted her posture. He had difficulty looking from her lips to her breasts. He couldn't recall a single instance in the conversation when he looked at her directly in the eyes.

In the end, here he was, scouring through the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to where he thinks was the place he dumped the Predator Pieces. He never expected to located them again unless to destroy them. He didn't bother to mark it on a map or pinpoint it in the World's system as a savepoint. Sure, he could fast-travel to his last known location but he still had to look for it the hard way.

His vision was limited in the dark abyss. Though a Dragon he might be, he wasn't one fit for underwater exploration. He wasn't that kind of Dragon. He could hardly see a few inches in front of him. Some parts of the water were freezing due to the lack of sunlight and others were boiling thanks to the volcanic cracks.

He was somewhat sure this general area— give or take a mile radius— was where he buried the Predator Pieces. Like… nine, maybe eight percent sure.

He had half a mind to say fuck it and say it was a lost cause. But then he remembered what Yumi said. He couldn't go back to her empty handed. Guilt would eat away at him. Besides, he needed to prove that genderly confusing he-she wrong!

It was fortunate the Scale Mail armor could store air. He could survive the deep vacuum of space for half an hour. Underwater pressure was nothing compared to cosmic radiation. He only had to return to the surface a few times for fresh air before diving back down.

It was searching inch by inch that frustrated him the most. The World didn't offer him any advice either. It wouldn't tell him where exactly to be. It didn't work that way. He had to look for it based on his shitty memory, his gut instinct, and sheer dumb luck.

Two hours into his search and he felt the ground beneath him shake.

Something large came out of the volcanic sulfur. Something with a lot of tentacles and organic lights pulsing through its limbs. Two massive eyes glowed with a maw full of needle-thin teeth was at the direct center of the ginormous blob.

"Wuahahahahaha!" cackled a humanoid figure standing on top of the… cephalopod (he wasn't sure what exactly the thing was).

He also used the term humanoid very loosely.

"I am Oceanus! King of the Sea!" the thing said. It had the body and head of a shark, the arms and legs of a human, and a crown made out of coral bits. "At long last I have awakened the primordial kraken! Now I can wage war against the surface world and reclaim the dry land for we merfolk!"

…Issei just stared. He wasted precious oxygen just standing there at the bottom of the ocean staring at the strange creature.

The World was fucking with him. He knew it. He could feel it tugging at the back of his mind about this. It didn't demand his presence as a Predator immediately, but this was a threat that needed to be taken out at some point. Maybe not now, but sometime in the future.

THAT'S WHY HE WAS HERE! No wonder he had been looking around endlessly for the stupid box! The World was fucking with him! It had silently pulled him here instead of where he wanted to be!

Damn it all to hell!

"…I'm really not in the mood for this," he grumbled.

"WHO GOES THERE?!" Oceanus, the King of the Sea (which was stupid because the nearest sea was on the opposite side of Japan), twitched. He jerked his body around in search of Issei. "Where are you?! Show yourself! Or do you cower before the King of the Sea?! Bwahahaha!"

Issei tapped a few times against his helmet. With the recent upgrades in his armor did it feel like a part of him. It did well to quell the headache growing.

"Hmm…" Oceanus' eyes narrowed as he looked around. "Must have been my imagination. Now where was I… Ah yes! Bow before me! For I have uncovered a source of power that will make me the dominant force of the planet!"

…Maybe the World wasn't fucking with him after all.

Oceanus raised something over his head. It was a dark wooden box covered in a veil of magic. Somehow in some way did it manage to remain dry despite being several leagues underwater. Leave it up to Richard to create something as convenient as an absolutely waterproof box.

"Hey! That's mine!" Issei shouted and pointed an accusing finger at Oceanus.

"So someone is there!" the shark-man jumped again. He looked around until he spotted Issei. "There you are! Cretin, bow before me or suffer my wrath! Wait… You're not a fish-folk. You… You're a surface dweller. What are you doing underwater?"

He sounded so genuine about his concern too.

"I'm here looking for the box in your hands!" Issei shouted. "Give it back or—"

"What?" Oceanus leaned forward and put a hand to his ear. Or where an ear should have been. "Speak up. It's hard to hear you."

"I said—"

"What?"

"I said—"

"WHAT?!"

"…I—"

"SPEAK UP BOY!"

Issei's shoulder slouched. The water between them was blocking his voice. He could hear himself perfectly fine but that was only within his helmet. The acoustics didn't travel well underwater, however. Oceanus was only getting enough to hear what was probably white noise.

There might have been a better solution for this. But Issei wasn't in the mood.

Draconian essence coursed through his veins and reverberated through his armor. The water began to boil around him.

He spread his arms apart. The water separated as his impossible strength made it part.

"I SAID—" Issei tried to speak now that a pocket of open space allowed him to speak freely.

"Air!" cursed Oceanus as his hand shot to his throat. "My one weakness! How did you know?! Curse you land dweller!"

…This was seriously a threat the World wanted him to deal with? Like, for real? How could he have conquered the surface world if he couldn't breathe?!

The kraken Oceanus stood upon let out a dying shriek as it shriveled up and turned into dust. It exploded into a burst of dust, letting Oceanus fall onto the volcanic soil beneath.

He began to flop around like a fish on dry land, which wasn't too far from the truth. He cursed in an unknown language, probably his own to where Issei's Devil tongue couldn't translate. A few more flops later and he went still.

Issei's little trick had lost its strength shortly after. The water came crashing back towards him. It crushed Oceanus like a car through a junk compactor. But it did nothing to Issei. He remained perfectly still where he stood.

"Finally," Issei groaned as he caught the box drifting towards him thanks to the currents. Richard's magic had protected it from the annihilating forces. "Now I can show that damn handsome that—"

"He's dead!" someone cried out.

It was a heavenly voice full of cheer and rejoice. It made Issei swivel his head around in search of this voice. Only the likes of an adorable underclassman who looked up to her sempai carried a voice like that. He had to find that voice!

…He regretted it.

It was a chorus of voices, actually. Several other figures sprouted out of the ground after the first one, chanting the same line over and over again. They were more merfolk.

Merfolk. Oh how he wanted to find a dark corner and kill himself. He always imagined the merfolk to be half-human and half-fish. Oh how he fantasized about being carried away by a mermaid, suckling on her oppai and being kissed to keep air in his lungs.

Reality was a cold mistress. These merfolk had the bodies of fish and the limbs of humans.

"Glory to our savior!" they cheered and circled around him.

"Hey! Wait! Let me go!" he cried out.

They picked him up and began to fling him around in their cheer. He had lost his sense of direction a few seconds in and was becoming nauseous. He clutched onto the box tightly while trying to keep himself from puking. It wouldn't do well to puke. It would all come out inside his helmet.

"What's he saying?" questioned one of them.

"He wants our children!" answered another.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!" he shrieked in an almost (he wasn't ashamed to admit it) girlish voice.

"We will gladly bear the children to the slayer of the Seaking!" they cheered.

"NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID!" he tried again.

"He wants it! He wants it!"

"NO! I DON'T! LET ME GO! PLEASE!"

"To the harem chambers!" another said. They all cheered in excitement.

"My gods demand I only sleep with girls with oppaaaaiiiiiiii!" he cried out.

"What did he say?"

"He demands more women!"

"NONE OF YOU ARE WOMEN!"

They carried him off until they reached a great chasm, where the faint lights of an underwater city glowed.

He screamed for someone to save him as they dragged him under.

0-0-0

"Did you misplace them or something?" Yuuto asked. It was a blessing he was back to being a guy again. "Issei-kun, you were gone for five hours—"

"I don't want to talk about it," he snapped and slammed the box down onto the dresser.

It was almost sundown by the time Issei returned. He didn't say a word to anyone. He simply marched straight to where Yuuto was (his room), kicked open the door, and glared daggers at the Knight.

Yuuto's nose crinkled slightly, "What's that smell? It smells like old tuna and… shame?"

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!" Issei roared loud enough to shake the walls.

"Okay, okay," Yuuto winced and covered his ears.

"Huh, wha…?" Excalibur shot up from the bed while looking around. She was still half-asleep when she saw Issei. She groaned, stretched with a yawn, and climbed out of bed until she stood beside her father.

"A deal's a deal," Issei grumbled as he began to fiddle with the lock. "One Piece. I'm giving you a Knight just so you can try it out. This will make you into a permanent Predator with all the perks. You can't turn it off even with that weird trick you use. How do you do that by the way?"

"Both Excalibur and I need to be together as one," he answered.

Issei didn't fully get it but accepted the answer. "Right… Kiba, I don' think you'll be able to remove it just like the Evil Pieces. Richard-san wasn't very specific about it because I didn't plan on using them at all. It might also change you from being a Devil. You might be a Dragon instead like me."

Yuuto was silent for a moment. It only lasted a few seconds before he said, "It changes nothing. I am still Rias' Knight. I will always be her Knight. If anything, this will only make me more valuable to her. I understand Issei-kun. Carry on."

Issei shrugged and undid the lock. He opened it up…

And blinked. One of the Pieces were already missing.

He lifted the box to show Yuuto. "You, uh, didn't happen to already take a Piece, did you?"

Yuuto squinted his eyes and peered within.

He suddenly understood Issei's accusation. One of the Knight Pieces was missing from the collection.

He shook his head, "I didn't otherwise I would have used it immediately. Are you sure you didn't lose it? Maybe it fell out wherever you hid it? Or… someone took it?"

"The lock wasn't messed with," Issei drew the box back and peered within. "Richard-san designed it so only I could open it. I'm sure he could too but I don't think he has it. I'll ask him anyways when I can. I also don't want to go back there if it was lost. Please don't make me go back there. I want nothing to do with those mermaids…"

"Mermaids—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Issei spat, snapping his teeth at Yuuto.

Yuuto put up his hands in defense.

"Right, well…" Issei lifted one of the organic-feeling Pieces between two fingers. It was in the shape of a horse… or, rather, a horse with its genes spliced with dragon. It pulsed in his grip. "Let's get this over with. Kiba, are you sure about this? I'm not just asking because—"

"I'm sure, Issei-kun," Yuuto said without his smile faltering. "We talked about this. Regardless if I can convince you or not, I can't ignore something like this. I'm already a Predator and I know on my own I wouldn't be able to stand up against you. I feel like I'm the most lacking of the group. Without Excalibur, I'm nothing. With this, I will be able to stand a better chance. We do need all the help we can get in the Evensong."

It was a part of the conversation they had earlier. Issei couldn't deny him. True, they were doing this as a part of their argument to see which one of them were in the right. But another part of this was to abuse the boost the Predator Piece provided to grant Yuuto full privilege. He needed to be at the top of his game just like Issei if he was going to be a defender of the planet.

Issei was reluctant… but he had decided to go along with this hours ago.

Yuuto unbuttoned the upper half of his shirt, pulled his shirt apart, and exposed his chest. He stood perfectly still as Issei pressed the Piece against his skin. Immediately, the Piece began to glow and warm in his grip. Gradually, as if passing through the surface of water without trying to make ripples, it seeped through his skin.

…They waited for minutes while nothing happened.

"Do… you feel any different?" Issei asked.

Yuuto lifted his hands, examined them, and clenched them. He looked at Excalibur, who tilted her head. "I… don't feel any different. A little warm but… nothing special."

Other than Yuuto licking his lips, there was no other change to him.

"You don't feel stronger or anything?" Issei asked. "Can you at least hear the World?"

Yuuto shook his head, "No, nothing like that. And I know what it sounds like. It's just… hot. And my heart is starting to race. Maybe it takes a while to activate?"

He fanned his shirt a little bit. Sweat was starting to sprout on him. His face was also starting to redden.

"Maybe I should call Richard-san," Issei pondered.

Yuuto let out a small noise from his throat. He shuddered and said, "Y-Your voice…"

"Kiba!"

Yuuto almost lost his balance as he fell forward. Issei was there to catch him. Yuuto struggled to remain standing upright as he put his hands to Issei's chest. His face was beat-red. And his breathing was hitched. Issei could hear his heart pulse without any of his draconian enhancements.

"Issei-kun…" Yuuto breathed out. "It's… This is… I can't… You look…"

"Hey, come on!" Issei almost grew frantic. "Stay with me now. Don't go passing out on me! Just hold on while I call Rich—"

"I can't… I… need!"

Issei's eyes widened as Yuuto did the unspeakable. He pulled himself upwards and pressed his lips upon his. Worse, he pried his mouth open with his tongue and began to suck out the saliva. A moan of ecstasy escaped through the back of Yuuto's throat. He craved more and pressed himself harder, sucking out more juices hungrily.

…Excalibur watched. Her sleepiness wasn't a burden to witness the show.

It took Issei precious seconds for his mind to reboot.

He didn't so much as push Yuuto away as he picked him up and flung him across the room. The Knight flew through the air and landed on his bed hard enough to have the mattress implode and the frame crack.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Issei shouted at the top of his lungs. He spat several times on to the floor. The taste of Yuuto was still in his mouth. He felt sick. He wanted to gag.

…At least he forgot about the merfolk.

"DUDES DON'T DO THAT TO OTHER DUDES!" Issei bellowed some more. "We talked about this! Being Yumi is bad enough! There are some lines you can't cross!"

"Issei-kun… I… don't…" Yuuto panted. He flopped onto his stomach on the bed and tried to rise. But he fell back down.

There was a drunken look in his eyes with his face going as red as a tomato.

Issei… had only seen such a look in doujinshi. On women. And, at that one moment, with Rias the last time they made love.

Hunger. Nothing but pure hunger remained in Yuuto's eyes.

"Please… help me…" Yuuto pleaded. "I can't… I need… you…"

…His hips began to squirm. One hand went between his legs while the other tried to reach for Issei.

Issei, however, had enough.

He went to the trashcan at the corner of the room and threw up what little he had in his stomach.

0-0-0

The Evensong

The Earth Mother

They were born together. They shall die together.

Their children shall follow through their trepidation.

She was first, the mother of all things. She nurtured us, grew us from nothing, and yet we abandoned her. We fed off of her. We thrived off of her, abused her, stole from her, and will use her carcass as our shelter. The beasts she bred shall feed our bellies and build our homes.

We loved her. We always did and always shall. We will never forget her. I found her, deceived her, and led her to her death. She cried out 'But, I am the Earth!'

I found her. I grieved for her. She was our mother. Our nurturer and our patron. Our lover. Our provider.

And before I smote her where she wept I so declared, 'Yes! But I am Elsewhere!"

The Heavenly Father

He was second, the father of wishes. He came from our dreams, our wishes, our innermost desires. He raised us. He separated us from the beasts. He declared what was righteous, what was just, what was wicked, and what was impossible.

He learned prayer from us. He prayed to a Nothingness he knew would never answer. He prayed we will not find him. And Nothing answered him.

I found him. He cried out in hopelessness, in petty desperation— a last resort and weep for an age of old. He cried, 'But, I am God!'

We looked at him in pity. In sadness. For he was our teacher, our father, our protector. But it passed.

And before I smote him where he knelt I so declared, 'Yes! But I am Man!'

Leviathan, the Storm King

It was the ocean. It was the darkness. It was the wicked, the damned, the evil, the vile, the corrupt, the infected. It was the swarm of wrong that fed on our joy.

We revered it. We feared it. We respected it. We learned from its purging storms and desolate plagues. It hardened us.

I found it. It thrashed in anger and desperation. It cried out in defiance, 'But, I am the Origin of Sin!'

We awed at its destruction. But it only threw the tantrum of a child. It clung onto its helplessness like a babe unable to walk.

And before I smote it did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Light!'

Behemoth, the Gentle Giant

It was the land. It was gentle, nurturing like the mother, warm when needed, cold when needed, and full of life. It embraced all. It loved all. It protected all from the hunters and the predators.

We respected it. We adored it. We learned to embrace another through its actions. We learned unity and prosperity.

I found it. It wept at our arrival. It knew what was to come and yet pleaded with us to prolong the inevitable.

It begged at us. It so said, 'But! I am Peace!'

We clung onto it, never wanting to let go. We did not want to let go. It was the veil. It hid us from the ugly truth of the world. It kept us safe and promised us long lives.

And before I smote it did I declare, 'Yes! But I am War!'

Ziz, no title

It was the sky. It was the astral plane. It was the stars that guided us, that taught us mathematics, that taught us how to farm and how to build. It was the essence of knowledge. It was the seeker of truth. It was the archetype of discovery.

We worshiped it. We learned from it more than any other. We amassed great civilizations with its guidance. We rejected the impossible and devised methods to prolong our lives.

I found it. It tried to reason with me. It tried to convince me to turn back and tell me of all the wrong I would bring at my arrival.

I almost listened.

And before I smote it did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Corruption!'

[Texts 6-12 missing]

13. Hydra, no title

It was the taint. It was cleverness. It was senile. It slithered in the muck and devoured the unfortunate within its reach. It was never in the same place. It was seven placed in one.

It was immortal. Nine must defeat the nine. One cannot defeat the nine. Only nine against nine at a ninth time.

We learned cunning through it. We learned to ignore the gods. We learned to fear the gods. We learned persuasion and philosophy through its hunting.

I found it. It tried to entrap us. It writhed and wriggled in its territory. It did not recognize us for what we were and sought to hunt us just as all the others. It cried out in glee, 'But! I am Everlasting!'

I met its gaze. I felt nothing for the creature lacking intelligence.

And before I smote it did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Causality!'

[Texts 14-16 missing]

17. Scathatch, the Witch

She was the impossible. She was the living defiance to an age of old. Witch, they called her. Heretic, they cursed. She was so much more. She was the envy of all living things. She was of flesh and bone yet had managed to reach out to the gods and steal their authority.

We learned rebellion from her. We learned nothing lasts forever. She taught us even the impossible may be achieved. She showed us the untouchable can be reached.

I found her. She looked at me and said nothing. She so declared through tears, 'But! I am the Last One!'

We pitied her. We could have brought her out. Instead, we left her where she remained.

And before I smote her did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Isolation!'

[Texts 17-21 missing]

22. Archibald, no title

He was Man. He was us. We were him.

He taught us everything thus far just as we taught him all that we were. He kept us alive. He let us thrive. He was our potential. He was the dominant species. He controlled the planet and drank from its resources.

I found him. We looked at a mirror and saw our reflection. We realized what we were doing. It made us hesitate when we approached him. He said to us, 'But! I am you!'

We rejected this notion immediately. His words couldn't be further from the truth.

And before I smote him did I declare, 'Yes! But I am He!'

23. Ludwig, the Dragon Slayer

He was the Knight. He was the servant to the Queen of Ancients Great than Man. He hailed from the dragons, had served the dragons, had lived through the dragons, and drew blood from the dragons.

We learned weakness through him. He taught us how to conquer that which couldn't. He taught us how to ascend beyond the reach of limitation. He showed us there was more to the world than the world itself. He showed us the sky was not the limit.

I found him. He stood to shield his master. But long had he not known his master was gone. Her crown stolen. Her regalia lost. And her purpose skewed. He shouted with all his might, 'But! I am the True Herald!'

We comforted him. We spoke of the truth.

And before I smote him did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Denial!'

[Text 24 missing]

25. Amelia, the Divine Beast

She was a husk. She was forgotten, abandoned, and abused. She was the zest pool for all things wicked and vile. No joy could exist in her. No good would come of her. She drank the woe and misery of all around her.

We learned ignorance through her. She taught us how to ignore our pain, to tolerate the wrongs wrought by others, and how to cope with tragedy. She brought us to bliss in a world of hate and blood.

I found her. She clung on to us and begged us not to leave her. She wept at our feet and asked us to show her the light. She cried when denied and said, 'But! I am the Whore of Babylon!'

We longed for her. We wanted to comfort her. We wanted to love her and grant her the child she desired. But the moment passed.

And before I smote her did I declare, 'Yes! But I am the Dragon!'

26. [Unknown], the Vampire

He was never meant to be. He was an abomination. He was the blood and shadow from elsewhere. He was the horrors that lurked within the dark. He was the fear always at Man's blindness.

We learned nothing from him.

I found him. He laughed at us. He mocked us. He thought nothing of us and continued his charades. He cackled, 'But! I am Four!'

We could say nothing to this thing.

27. Artemis, no title

He was the wrong choice. He was the burns of the great light. He was the creation of shadows and of the night. He was the day and the sun.

We learned presence through him. We learned the value of another in ways the past could not. We learned how to enter and fade through grandeur and concealment.

I found him. He could not see us. He searched for us and accused others for our arrival. When we surprised him did he declare, 'But! I am Man!'

We mocked him and his untruth. We knew what he was. We questioned his existence and demanded to know what became of his real self.

And before I smote him did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Presence!'

28. Chase, no title

He came from elsewhere. He was the Dream. He was reality. He was all that was and more. He was the origin as well as the fault.

We learned how to dream from him. We learned how to create and how to destroy. We learned about slumber and how to awaken. He showed us what it meant to imagine and how to accomplish.

I found him. He cursed at us. He moved into a corner and bore his fangs. He screamed at us through fear, 'But! I am the Black Sun!'

He reminded us of our father. Our real father. But the similarities were too few. We let the nostalgia pass.

And before I smote him did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Betrayal!'

29. Li Qin, the Valkyrie

She was innocence. She was a trickster. She was always changing, never the same thing twice, always shifting around like the wind on a whim. She was passionate. She was destructive. She was untamable.

She taught us freedom. She showed us what we could do with our power. There was no limit for her. She could reach for the cosmos and hold them in her hands. She could reach for the microverse and rework our foundations. She was the conqueror for nothing could stand in her way.

I found her. She questioned us. She tried to change us. She found we could not be changed. She cried out in outrage, 'But! I am the Champion of Mars!'

We treated her for the child she was. We looked down at her. We scolded her.

And before I smote her did I declare, 'Yes! But I am the Usurper!'

30. Issei, the Dragoon

He was the hero. He was vengeance. He was the three-faced angel. He was Justice. He was Mercy. He was Wrath. He was the dragon. He was the star splitting the heavens in a crimson flash.

We learned greed through him. We learned to savor our possessions and to hold them close. He showed us how to never let go. He told us the truth of all existence through his coveting.

I found him. He roared and rampaged. He stood between us and his possessions. He bore his fangs and challenged us, 'But! I am Potential!'

We hesitated at him. We respected him for what he was doing. We felt a loss for what he was protecting.

And before I smote him did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Love!'

31. Yuuto, the Siege Perilous

He was the commoner. He was born of nothing, lived as nothing, and was discarded as nothing. He was recovered and renewed. He became the father of victory, for he overcame his past and never looked back.

We learned loyalty from him. We learned what it meant to hold something over ourselves. We were reminded of what we were before arriving here. He showed us what it meant to serve something greater.

Never before have we wanted to return home as strongly.

I found him. He defied us. He greeted us, speaking politely, and threatened us through his charming smile. He said onto us when we refused to be gone, 'But! I am Perseverance!'

We did not deny him. But we did not respect him. Nor did we look down at him. We met him where he stood.

And before I smote him did I declare, 'Yes! But I am Separation!'