Hi everyone! It's been a while! New chapter and a new character! Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Reinforcements of the Army

Somehow, Judai had found himself at his old hangout spot, a place from his painfully isolated junior high school years, as he watched the evening lights shimmering over the bay. The warehouse appeared as if it was crumbling. At its entrance, warning signs and chain fences demanded that people steer clear of the old car factory. A rumor had been that multiple deaths haunted the place, their restless souls tormenting those who dared enter. Others claimed that the company that had once owned it had decided that, instead of renovating; a new, overseas factory would replace it. Therefore, no one would be bothering him. Like the warehouse, that section of the city had long since been abandoned.

Judai couldn't help but sigh, directing a small chuckle at how perfectly his melancholic mood mirrored the weather. His clairvoyance, or what was left of it, was telling him that his enemies would be much stronger from that point. If he didn't start taking his work seriously and attempt to master his powers, he'd be power-creeped out of relevance, or, worst case scenario, he'd be bidding goodbye to his home dimension. Raiser Phenex had merely been an inconvenient pest in his investigation, brought upon by the baggage of his new "Master". His newfound insecurities and doubts, discovered during the affair, were creating unpleasant setbacks on their own, both minor and major, and with each setback, his enemies grew one step closer. With each misstep, his goal fell farther and farther away. At that rate, it wouldn't have surprised him if they had already gotten ahead, despite his previously overwhelming lead. Perhaps it was time he obtained a co-conspirator that had an actual body of their own.

"It's rather like you to come to a place like this to get away, Judai," a voice echoed about the cement walls of the vast complex. He turned from the window and chuckled again, slowly moving his hand away from his gun. Rias smiled while noting his quick defensive reaction. For a brief second, she entertained the idea that he was expecting company. "I don't know where Kiba went, but you were quite easy to track."

"So you followed me here?" he asked calmly, noting that she was still in her gym uniform. Her red hair was dripping at its tips, her face flushed from the gale-level gusts that threatened to topple trees. Her clothes stuck to her body, contouring it almost sensually. She didn't have a bag or any of her school things, so it was likely that she'd rushed after him, fearing that he'd have done something rash. "I don't like uninvited guests, especially when they invite themselves in."

"How can I not when you left the door open? Are you really going to send a girl back into that hellish rainstorm," she asked casually, practically daring him. Judai cursed inwardly, unable to reply as the mental image of his mother nagging his ungentlemanly conduct played in his mind. Taking it as his unwilling permission to stay, she set herself on a black, leather couch. Her eyes darted about the large area. Rare artifacts of ancient origins: masks, flutes, weapons, and cultural cloths, clashed with modern computers, televisions, and appliances, all haphazardly and unexplainably arranged. There was a full kitchen and bathroom, climate controlled and separated by quickly erected, yet sturdy, partitions. "Is all of this yours?"

"That's none of your concern," he replied, handing her a dry, fluffy towel and sweats before moving toward the stove top. She eyed him curiously as he filled a pot with water, setting it on a burner. "This place really isn't designed for guests, so I hope that you'll be alright waiting for the tea to brew. It tastes pretty terrible, by the way. Did you want something to eat? I'm not quite sure what I have left, though."

She shook her head, staring down at the clothes before her and the bright "DA" and "YUKI" embossed on its breast. A faint red tinge dusted her cheeks. The material was definitely of better quality than hers, but was going to be small on her though since she was taller than he. There was definitely more body mass on her than his lean, toned body as well. She stared at it for a moment before realizing, "Where am I-"

"Don't worry, I won't look. It's not like I haven't seen everything before anyways," he interrupted blandly. He reached into a cupboard, pulling out a small, unmarked box of individually wrapped blends. "Just get out of those clothes before you get sick."Did she forget that there's a bathroom?

"And here I was thinking that you didn't care," she teased sarcastically, causing both of them to laugh awkwardly. A part of her was disappointed by his lack of interest. She had wanted to see if she could tempt him into peeking, yet his eyes remained trained on a small piece of paper. "Killjoy..."

"What was that?" he called out. She flinched at his tone, one that said that he knew exactly what she was doing.

The water had come to a boil rather quickly, before she had even finished changing. Even quicker, Judai dropped the herbal package into it. From the aroma, Rias had discerned that he was making a peppermint tea, the ingredients, of which, seemed to be extremely high-quality. Nothing but the finest, Yuki Judai? You don't seem to be the kind of person who cares about quality. Gifts, maybe? You don't seem like the person to drink tea either.

Everything around her, excluding the artifacts, were regularly used and maintained. Not a speck of dust could be found on the tabletops or in the upholstery. It seemed as if Judai retreated there often, or often enough to bother with buying a vacuum cleaner and broom. Her curiosity began to increase, yet she was afraid to touch. The expanse of the room was, by far, an archaeologist's playground. It was safe to hazard, by the magical trace on the scrolls laid neatly on a shelf, that they were artifacts from the lost library at Alexandria. The spears were definitely ancient Mayan. The stone statues guarding the entryway were almost lifelike, terracotta, a specialty of the ancient Chinese. The colorful, ritual-purposed masks were likely American Indian. A glass case was the final resting place for the fabled Ark of the Covenant, whose golden cherubim shone beautifully. Stone slabs depicting fearsome beasts were propped against the wall, the ancient Egyptian base for the phenomenally popular Duel Monsters card game.

However, there were odd artifacts as well. Two gorgeous swords with golden, ruby-encrusted hilts and an odd pendant were enshrined within a glass case. The three had intricate, black markings, most likely some sort of ancient language. It was painfully obvious that they weren't originally of that world. Their designs were completely outlandish. For some reason, she could practically see her ego inflating. Her underling possessed a horde treasure that would remain hidden from the world of the humans, demons, and angels. The treasure itself would, no doubt, be a fortune that museums and collectors alike would kill to obtain. Rias could hardly fathom the tales he had amassed in obtaining those artifacts. She wanted to learn everything about the enigma before her, but with every answered question, came ten more unanswered ones. "Is all of this yours, Judai?" she found herself asking again.

He set down two mugs on the coffee table before them. She began to fidget as he poured the tea gracefully; absently tugging at the hems of the clothes she'd been lent. For some reason, her nerves felt frayed. The pressure from his demeanor alone would make a decently aware person feel unease. "Yes," he nodded, taking a seat beside her. She wasn't sure if he was lying or answering truthfully. His performing skills were not something to scoff at. Her theories of him often failed to match his actual history. "The owners before me wanted to get rid of this, so I bought it for fairly cheap, if only to preserve some of my childhood. I use it as a storehouse, I suppose. Most of these are souvenirs from places I've been."

"You're unexpectedly sentimental, aren't you?" she asked open-endedly. There was no immediate answer. Instead, he reclined, his head swaying absently over the back of the couch. He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, slowly opening them once more. She knew her pawn wasn't going to answer. "I'd imagine you as the lone-wolf. A hangout like this definitely made you a delinquent like in those manga, huh? Or maybe even an awesome teenage spy! I can't even to begin to imagine the kinds of connections you'd need to have to know that this building was up for sale."

He laughed dryly, waving a hand in the air. His lack of response only served to intrigue her further as she noticed that the teapot itself was a Victorian antique. Her eyes narrowed. She was beginning to find it odd that some of the items there looked and felt as if they were brand new. They were all quite legitimate, or so they seemed. "I told you that stuff would only be revealed when it needs to be, didn't I? Besides, I heard it's more attractive when the guy has a mysterious past." She opened her mouth to retort when he placed the cup of piping tea in her hands, his warm touch heating her cold fingers. "Don't talk. Just drink. If you fall ill, my mother will have a fit. Something about me having no decency towards a lady, I suppose…"

Judai's eyes fell on his left hand, rested on the arm of the chair. The red bracelet on his wrist was glowing dully, flashing intermittently. There was a dull stinging from his arm, almost a droning numbness. Power was radiating from it like an exhaust, yet weak enough to be discreet. Slowly, he opened and closed his palm. So Ddraig is still trying to regulate my power, huh? I still can't control it very well… If I keep exerting too much, I'll definitely draw attention. His attention turned to the foreign beauty beside him. Her face was bright red and her aquamarine eyes suddenly found the antique Persian carpet interesting.

A small smile formed on his face, for a reason unknown to him. His breath felt hitched in his throat. It took every ounce of his free will not to throw his arm around her shoulders and enjoy the silence between them. Her reaction had been too cute for a woman like her. Cute? Where did that come from? he thought to himself. For the first time in a while, he felt afraid. After all, he wasn't quite sure what to expect. He wasn't quite sure of his feelings toward the girl either. Were you right, Yubel? Am I really falling for this girl? What would you say about this, old man?

Flashback:

Judai coughed, his body on the verge of collapse. He staggered backward, finding a pillar to use as support. It had been three days since he'd broken free of the Academia's clutches. They were still after him, the legendary Fusion King. They had tortured him, constantly pushing him to his human limits, all so that their invasion of other dimensions would be flawless.

Somehow, he had managed to escape back to the dimension to which they referred as the "Standard", his body losing pints of blood left and right from a fight of one hundred to one. Akaba Reiji's mass-creating Solid Vision made his power feel redundant in the damage it could make. Once it was all said and done, he would have a word with the man about releasing such a dangerous product.

"Are you alright, kid? You took the brunt of the damage as we got out of there," a man chuckled, slipping under Judai's arm. The brunette winced, clutching his abdomen with his disk arm. "I'd say taking on their entire army like this, and emerging victorious, is royally impressive. It was definitely entertaining."

"Entertaining good? Or entertaining bad?" he chuckled. He coughed, vomiting blood onto the sidewalk. The man seemed slightly panicked, tearing a piece of his sleeve, and used it to wipe Judai's mouth.

"A little of both. Truly terrifying for any normal duelist," the man continued. "So you're really from all that time ago, huh? Do you think that your other self is out there somewhere, waiting for you to finish up here? 'Cause that seems like something you'd do."

"He could be dead by now, knowing my luck," Judai replied weakly, swaying back and forth. His consciousness was beginning to fade."Anyways-"

"Hey, hey, kid, stop talking. You're gonna lose what little blood you have left," the man warned him. "Though, I really hope that my son grows up to be as reliable as you, Yuki."

Judai staggered backward, a bright light opening before his eyes. A low, primal growl escaped his lips as his duel disk went into Royale Standby mode. "Elemental Hero ...!"

Suddenly, he was pushed back, the man's imposing and powerful figure, blocking him from the portal. "You stay here. My son needs someone to make sure he's alright. If you ever talk to him, please tell him that I'm proud of him. He's going to blaze his own path and capture the hearts of millions," the man continued with a heavy, trusting smile. Judai instantly knew where the conversation was going. He'd failed again. He'd broken when it had mattered most. "Don't let him fall into the abyss. Don't let him get captured by the Academia. Yuki Judai, I'm trusting you, even though I know that you're not in charge of protecting the world this time. Please, protect Yuya until he can stand on his own. Please guide him, even if it means that you have to resort to destroying everything I've created. Protect him for me. He and Yoko are my most important things."

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Sakaki?" Judai wheezed desperately. His hero, Neos, flickered into existence. The sounds of the Academia's infantry could be heard through the portal. Their battle-cry echoed ominously through the serene spring breeze. The man chuckled.

"You told me once that you lost everything important to you, Yuki," he said. "You told me that it was your mistake, and they didn't fully accept your humanity, nor did they completely forgive you. Even though I've only known you for a little while, I can't forgive those people who called you their friend. I can't accept that they backed away from you at the last moment. You're too good of a kid to deserve the hell you've gone through. If anything, I hope you find someone you want to protect. I hope that, when you do, that person will accept all of you, not simply because they were pulled into your gravity, but because you're just as important to them as they are to you. When you find that person, cherish them. Make sure that you protect them with all your power. Make sure that you're ready to sacrifice everything for their happiness, but you're probably more of an expert in that field than me. So, I'll bid you farewell. I hope that you find that person, Yuki. I hope that you find that person who'll protect you as much as you they. And maybe, when all is said and done, bring them by so that my son has some more role-models to take after. You deserve that happiness, Yuki. I wish you the best."

"Hold on! There's no way in hell I'll let you go back there after I promised to get you home," he replied. "So don't talk like it's over!"

Sakaki Yuushou smiled again, tipping his hat over his eyes. His duel disk went into assault mode. "Yuki Judai, some things don't go as planned, but right now, I'm more at ease than ever," he laughed. "My son is in the most capable hands. With that, I can go back and fight."

End of Flashback:

Damn geezer, Judai chuckled inwardly, his hand unconsciously clutching his chest. There was a small case, hung around his neck by a lone string. In it was a memento of his fight in the future, of the dawn of the pendulum. Because of it, his deck was stronger than it ever was. His musings, however, were cut short as a surge of energy seared through his mind. Judai ground his teeth, attempting to mitigate the pain, an action that didn't go unnoticed. Way to ruin my mood, damn battle-maniacal lizard.

"Judai?" Rias called out. His eyes turned back to her, narrowed and serious. Suddenly, he stood up, ripping off the Kouh Uniform jacket and shirt, revealing his black turtle-necked shirt. She flinched as they landed on the couch with a soft thud. "Judai?"

"Stay here," he commanded, donning his red blazer. "And whatever you do, don't get up from that seat."

The rain beat heavily against his body. He stared into the gale force winds as the bracelet morphed into the legendary red gauntlet in a flash of red light. "You can come out now, Vali Lucifer. I know all about you and the Heroes. In fact, I'm hurt that you guys still think I'm dangerous," he chuckled, allowing his eyes to change color as well. "Well, I did kick your ass last time, didn't I?"

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Yuki?" a white haired man chuckled, stepping out from behind a protruding beam. His dress, a black jacket, forest green shirt, and red pants were almost the inverse of Judai's, as if the two were yin and yang. "That had been simply a test, our last encounter. I'm sure that you're fully aware of that."

It happened in a moment. Judai's fist came into contact with Lucifer's palm, creating a shockwave that blasted away the rain in pulses. Within a split second, the brunette was in the air, his two heels pounding violently on the white-haired man's right guard. "Neos!" he shouted, the cosmic-hero's powerful fist smashing into Lucifer's stomach. "Test my eternally damned ass!"

Lucifer coughed, staggering backward slightly before regaining his wind. He shot forward, his fist connecting with Judai's chin, a follow-up kick blocked by the brunette's knee. He then spun, expanding white, translucent wings that sliced at Judai's jacket, cutting it from the waist down. Blood trickled from his mouth and Judai's torso. Once more, they charged forward at each other. Judai dropped into a low stance, offering a sweeping low-kick while narrowly dodging a wide swing from a blade composed of pure energy.

The rain changed into hail as a white, caped warrior descended onto the ground, freezing the dirt its boots touched. "You wanted to be a hero!?" Judai shouted over the winds generated by Lucifer's wings. His heterochromia shone like bright gems of ancient amber and dazzling emerald as he sent his own energy to reinforce the Elemental Hero Absolute Zero's presence in that reality of existence. "Then eat this! Freezing Moment!"

The drops of rain stopped, suspended midair. Each droplet of water began gyrating, millions of sharp points taking aim at the winged man despite the howling winds. Lucifer watched as Judai's dominant hand closed. Each droplet shot toward him faster than the speed of sound, numbering in the hundreds of thousands per second. A loud explosion followed, dust and mud blown into the air around them, as the white-haired man emerged unscathed. Each tip of his wings began to glow before powerful beams of energy shot at Judai, who leapt into the air. Instead, the beams pierced the floor where he once stood, drilling bottomless holes.

Rias gasped, watching the fight from a window with awe. Their power could be felt clearly. Black and white, their auras lit up the sky around them as they clashed violently. Thunder cracked in the evening sky, lighting their silhouettes. Neither of them had an advantage over the other. She watched as the white-aura fell from the sky into the floor as Judai crashed into a crumbling wall, flying straight through it. She didn't have time to shout. A green beam of light descended to the debris that toppled over her Pawn. The figure that emerged felt almost angelic.

"Boost! Shining Flare Wingman!" she heard him shout as he emerged from the wreckage seemingly unscathed. The unknown man did the same, his aura condensing as Judai's expanded. "Illuminate the darkness, oh Light of Justice!"

"Divide!" the man countered. "Compression Universe!"

They clashed again, rays of light supporting Judai with its Area-of-Effect-like coverage as he darted in a zig-zag trajectory to avoid the beams erupting from translucent white wings. At the last second, he twisted, reappearing behind Lucifer, and unleashed a mass of powerful demonic, yet ironically angelic energy from his right hand, engulfing the white-winged man whole. Mid attack, with his balance breaker activated, white, metallic wings spread out from Judai's back, shining as brightly as the sun. The plates on his flamboyant, red armor were tattooed with black, ancient markings of unknown origin. Lucifer was in his final form, another balance breaker, equipped with two powers she'd never seen, constantly halving Judai's seemingly never-ending well of power.

"You do realize that 'Compression Divider' doesn't work on someone who has infinite power? And if you keep recklessly using 'Juggernaut Mode', your sanity and life will vanish, won't it?" Judai smirked, his hands charging with a beautiful white flare. Vali chuckled, his wings glowing brighter than before. "That's some pretty valuable info you gave me. You wouldn't last another ten minutes against me if you keep that up."

"If this were a game, your invincible powers are like those of a 'Last Boss,' no?" Lucifer replied light-heartedly, preparing his stance. The white glow from Judai's hands was intimidating. Against an opponent of that caliber, it was difficult to predict the damage a direct hit would cause. At that point, the only thing he could do was bluff his confidence, hoping that the Red Dragon would fall for it. "But, I suppose you could say the same thing about me."

"You're the only one who could keep up with me, pound for pound, or… then, at least" Judai agreed, unleashing his first charge on Lucifer's stomach. The man countered, piercing Judai's shoulder armor with a beam from his wing. The second charge unleashed as a counter, tearing away half the White Dragon's armor from Lucifer's body. They both retreated, the damage from both attacks repairing instantly. "Well, now that I've got the Red Dragon as an ally, that status quo might have tipped in my favor."

"Don't be so sure of yourself!" Lucifer shouted, appearing behind the brunette. His hand grappled one of Judai's wings, tearing it away from his body, forcing the other to disappear. The man's eyes widened as he felt a surge of energy stampede from the ground directly below him. The bastard had wanted him to do that! Fissures erupted from the ground, trapping Lucifer in a pillar of agonizing black flame. When it wore off, Divine Dividing's white wings were no longer glowing, scorched black by searing heat."You really know how to do a number on a person, don't you?"

"I could say the same thing about you," Judai huffed, blood dripping from the mouthpiece of his helmet. "My offer is still open, you know. You'll still be able to protect that girl."

Lucifer clicked his tongue, his armor dispersing from his body. His vision was beginning to blur from the sheer force of Judai's strike. In turn, Judai's followed suit, his eyes reverting to their normal pigmentation and Boosted Gear to its suppressed form. A small chuckle bubbled from Judai's lips as he fell onto the dirt in exaggerated exhaustion. The man turned in the other direction, his back facing Judai. "Sorry. I don't join my enemies," he replied calmly. "Don't mistake mutual respect with the want to ally with my opposite."

"Then there's nothing I can do, I suppose," Judai sighed, standing up on his own. Yubel emerged at his side in physical form, her arms crossed over her chest. Her psychic powers were scanning the area around them. "You don't have to worry about anyone from your group noticing our fight. There were barriers set up to hide all of that. In fifteen minutes, the area should revert to its state before we fought."

Lucifer clicked his tongue again, his lips turning downward into a frown. "The fact that you can hold up a barrier ten kilometers in radius and still overpower me means that I've still a lot to do to catch up again. Don't worry, I will slay you someday, heretic."

Judai grinned darkly, "Looking forward to it. I'll make sure you regret those words."

"By the way, that girl… Tenjoin Asuka… you should watch out for her safety, you know. When they find out that she was the person closest to you, the one you cared most for, they'll begin to target her. I've tried keeping the Heroes off her as long as I could, but I don't know how much longer I can keep it off. I know that the one after your target has already put a price on her head, dead or alive, but that's all. And some of the Grigori and their humans plan to move tonight. They've hired some people you'd be quite familiar with. I can't confirm this as fact, but that's what I've heard from the grapevine. So be aware, heretic. With this, my debt from the last time should be paid," Lucifer said with complete sincerity. And with that, the man was gone, his presence no more.

It was then that he noticed Rias standing at the large, metal door of the old warehouse, staring directly at him. His brightening mood had done a complete turnaround. "I thought I told you to stay put," he said as he passed her, pulling her back into the building by the wrist. His eyes were hollow, his expression like hardened stone, with water dripping from his hair and face. His teeth were showing, veins protruding from his forehead.

"W-Wait! What's going on!?" she exclaimed indignantly, forcefully digging her heels into the ground. He turned and glared at her. "Judai!"

"I think it's time that you left. Mother and Father will be worried if you're any later," he replied flippantly, shedding his wrecked jacket and shirt before tossing them to the side. She watched as he practically flew toward the locker on the far side of the living area, pulling out an identical outfit. Quickly, he made his way toward a hidden array of military weapons, purposefully grabbing two pistols, as well as extra magazines. He loaded his left arm with his duel disk for the first time in months, switching the red bracelet to his right wrist.

"What's happening, Ju-"

"SHUT UP AND GO HOME!" he shouted, his voice reverberating about the cement walls. She stood there, stunned. "If you dare get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill-"

A slap as loud as his shout resounded. It was like déjà vu to him. Judai staggered backward, seemingly stunned as his hand reached for his stinging left cheek. "What the hell is going through your goddamn mind, you moron!?" she countered, pushing him into the table, pinning his arms. "Don't you realize that your problems are now MY problems too? What about your family, huh? Don't you realize that your actions have an effect on the people around you, be it positive or negative? DO YOU?"

"What the hell do you care!?" he snapped. "You've never had to sacrifice a thing in your privileged life, have you? You're just some stupid girl whose power's gone to her head! Unlike your goddamn pride, I have things I need to protect!"

"AND YOU THINK I DON'T?" she screamed, slapping him again. His cheek was searing with the heat of the strike, only serving to fuel his rage. "Who the hell are you to say that power's gone to MY head, mister I-won't-hesitate-to-pull-the-trigger-on-anyone-who-gets-in-my-way!?"

"NO! All you have to do is sit and look pretty and people will wait on you hand and foot! You have minions to do your bidding! You don't even need to get your hands dirty! I'm an outcast everywhere I go! I've got to do everything on my own, however best I can! And even then, it's not good enough! Even then-"

"Don't you think you're doing that on your own, stupid!? All you do is isolate yourself and wallow in self-pity! You're just a shell of your former self! You intentionally isolate yourself! And what's that for? To save the world that hates you? That calls you a heretic? Don't try to be a hero, because you aren't one! You're far from it!"

"Shut up! What the hell do you know about my circumstances!? If you don't like it, then you should just release me from this goddamn contract!"

"I already told you, I'm not going to do that! For once in your pathetic existence, you have a purpose! Now tell me what's going on before I force it out of you in the worst way possible," she threatened, the Gremory magic seal looming above their heads. "I swear! I'll do it! I don't care if I end up hurting myself! If it'll finally get through your thick skull, then so be it, Yuki Judai!"

Judai seemed to snap out of his trance, his eyes softening. Sakaki's words came rushing back into his consciousness. His struggle against her lessened when he noticed tears welling in the corners of her eyes. His expression softened. His will to fight diminished as the magic circle above him vanished. Rias Gremory fell into his chest, sobbing angrily, pounding against his shoulder with a weak fist. "You stupid idiot," she cried. "Accept help sometimes, you idiot… I'll help you… Don't go off suffering on your own. Even if the world hates you, I don't."

Guilt washed over him, threatening to rend him as the girl cried into his bare chest. "I'm sorry, Rias…" he whispered, stroking the back of her head gently. "I'm so sorry…"

"Do you really think that this is for the best?" Yubel asked as she watched her partner pack supplies into a duffle bag. Rias had fallen asleep on the couch, her arms wrapped around him as if she knew he would try to escape while she slept. When he was sure she was out, he'd slowly untangled himself and began to pack. "That girl isn't going to deal very well when she finds out she's been dragged into another of your fights."

"Someone has to protect her," he replied seriously. "Someone has to make sure that she's alright. If they're really sending fallen angels to capture her, then I'm the only one who can protect her. Fubuki and Ryo won't make it in time. She does have a name, by the way."

"Then what about the one over there?" she asked, pointing at his master while ignoring his remark. "Someone has to make sure she's alright too, right? And that airheaded nun who's so helplessly attached to you?"

"I'll figure something out." He turned to Rias's sleeping form, his face softening. She was beautiful, a fact he couldn't deny. Perhaps more so than Asuka, a girl who'd been his closest friend for so long, the only one who had accepted him after his bout with his sanity and supported him to the end. In a month of unfortunate encounters and mishaps, Rias Gremory had become an important part of his life, whether he could have accepted it or not. Somehow, she managed to break him down, piece by piece. Somehow, he could feel his frozen fortress begin to melt only around her fiery personality.

"Tell Mother and Father that I'm sorry. Tell them that I'll be home soon," he whispered, brushing away stray hair from her pale, flawless face. Unconsciously, he placed a light kiss on her forehead. As he turned away, she grabbed his wrist, her eyes wide open. "P-President…"

"Did you think I would let it just slide like that, Judai?" she asked pointedly, her cheeks bright red. He tried to respond, but she pulled him back onto the couch, straddling him from the waist down once more. He tried to look away, but her eyes found his anyways. "I heard you talking with that demon. If you want to save this friend of yours, I'm coming with you. There's nothing you can do to stop me when I set my mind to it anyways."

"And what's in it for me? Wouldn't you just be a liability?" he asked flatly, hoping that she'd falter. She grinned knowingly.

"Don't worry; I won't get in your way. If you let me come with you, I won't tell the world that you snuck a kiss on me, playboy," she replied cheekily. Yubel snorted amusedly.

Judai sputtered, his face exploding with a crimson hue that matched his jacket. Rias smiled triumphantly as her face drew closer to his. It felt as if his breath was hitched in his throat as he stared into her eyes. His entire body was unwilling to respond, his limbs acting like putty. His face was burning. His entire body felt hot. At that moment, despite the angry red of the girl's face, she had complete advantage over him.

"F-Fine," Judai mumbled, defeated. Her grip loosened, but remained firm. "But make sure that you stay out of harm's way. There'll be fallen angels and humans as our enemies. If they realize that the younger sister of the Demon King is involving herself, we might have more than just a small diplomatic trouble on our hands."

She nodded, slowly standing up from her position on top of him. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. It took a full moment for her to realize what she'd done, and another moment for her face to grow even redder than she thought possible. What did I just do!?

Rias did her best to hold in a scream as she found her cheek pressed against the cold window. He had gotten into one out of many of the expensive looking vehicles hidden in another room of the factory. The slowest looking one out of low, two door supercars and large, American trucks. Tires squealed as bright headlights flooded her vision, a high pitched whistle resonating through the cabin. "Alright, O'Brien, route me there right now. I need a cutoff point," Judai shouted over the engine noise.

"Fubuki's got his bodyguards on this too, Judai," the deep, unfamiliar voice known as O'Brien said through the car's stereo system. "Are you seriously trying to get through traffic worse than New York rush hour in a luxury saloon car? Couldn't you have chosen something cheaper to wreck? This isn't Top Gear."

Now that the voice had mentioned it, the car in question, rather luxurious and comfortable, looked like the one her father had employed to bring her to school before she'd met Judai. As far as she was concerned, it didn't seem at all dangerous. On the dash and the floor panels, "M" livery was everywhere. His driving, however, rapidly changed her impression.

"Give me communication to them. I'm taking over this rescue operation, got it?" he commanded, tearing down the expressway.

"Fine," O'Brien conceded with what seemed like an exasperated sigh. It seemed Judai was hard to handle for them as well. "Boss has given you two objectives. Take two hostages alive and retrieve the target with as few casualties as possible. Routing location to your Sat-Nav system now."

"Just that?" Judai smirked ending the call with a push of a button. She saw his eyes flash, the tell-tale dual colored iris. He was serious now.

The brand new BMW M5's Switzer-packaged, twin-turbocharged V8 screamed menacingly, scaring smaller cars out of its path with its fire-breathing front fascia. Its Alpine White paint was spotted with road dirt and dust, several scratches streaking across the rear bumper. Its high-intensity discharge headlights temporarily blinded anyone who dared look directly at it. Everything in the windows had blurred together in an intangible mess of neon colored lines. She saw his snarl as the entire car jolted forward, as ready to fight as he. Some of the gauges in the cluster jumped.

"Bravo One, this is Haou. Do you copy?" he continued to radio static. A faint voice came on. "Bravo One, you and your crew are to stand down. This is now a Kaiba Corporation operation. If you get in the way, you will become a target for elimination."

Kaiba Corporation!? The gaming company? Rias thought to herself.

A convoy of cars came into view. Judai didn't let off the throttle, intentionally slamming his front corner into a black Audi's rear quarter panel, spinning it until it rolled over. The other cars moved into a defensive position, barricading the van with a rolling road block. It didn't matter. The BMW roared, rear ending a silver Mercedes when a truck tore out beside him, temporarily breaking the formation blocking them and the van with its massive steel push bar.

"Yo! Judai! How ya doin'?" a loud shout echoed over the roar of a straight-piped American pick-up truck.

"You!" Judai exclaimed, riding the clutch as he drifted around a bend in third gear. The truck's supercharged V8 whirred as it cut the bend, managing to keep up with Judai's seven hundred horsepower and six hundred forty pound feet of torque. "What the hell are you doing here!? Weren't you doing something in Russia?"

"O'Brien needed a guy to make sure that you wouldn't get into trouble. Besides, I sealed that about a week ago," the unknown person replied casually, causing Judai to snap the wire on his radio. The onboard phone rang. "You've really got some anger issues, huh?"

"Hold on, that's my car, isn't it!?" he shouted. A weak laugh was his answer. "I swear to god…"

"Judai, who is that?" Rias demanded, bracing herself as the BMW rear-ended yet another sedan. Taking it as a cue, she shot out the rear tires with her magic.

"Hello there, Miss, Johan Anderson, at your service," the voice replied. "My god, Judai, what's with the beauties that you work with? Are you like a magnet for bombshells? Have you done this one yet?" Judai had become silent. "Wow, he's pissed."

"Get back to work if you're going to cover me," Judai barked angrily. "Our target's the black van two hundred meters from our position. Break through the defense long enough for me to get through, got it?"

"But-"

"Do it!"

Rias saw the man in the pick-up sigh. It began to pull ahead of them as her pawn pulled behind it, tailing the rear end closely. Then, with the sound of crunching metal, she saw it spin two cars in the rolling road block, allowing for them to tear through in pursuit of the van. "You're driving."

She paused, "Repeat that, Judai."

He turned to her, "You're driving. Get over here."

"What!?"

Quickly and smoothly, he pulled off her seat belt and put her in his lap, placing her hands on the wheel as he guided her foot to the pedal. Just as quickly, the car swerved, nearly throwing him out the open window as he gripped the roof for dear life. "Keep the damn thing straight, got it?" Before she could reply, he'd slipped out from under her and escaped through the window, planting himself on the roof.

As soon as he was within distance, he jumped grappling the rear end of the van, firing a gun directly into the rear window. A man collapsed against the door with pained screams. The ones who reacted received the same fate until it was only the driver left. Judai slipped through the interior with practiced agility and strangled the driver until he was sure the man had passed out before pulling the car off to the side. The ungracefully shaky BMW and pick-up followed suit. The wrecks that had once been the escort team wouldn't be moving any time soon. Well, looks like a trip to the body shop for me… spectacular!

Rias staggered weakly as she climbed out the saloon car's bucket racing seats. Johan chuckled hopping out of the Hennessey Raptor. Judai opened the rear trunk of the van, revealing Asuka, who was sound asleep, likely due to some sort of drug. At least she's alright…

"It's been a few months since we've last seen each other, Judai," Johan laughed casually. His teal hair and matching eyes were certainly exotic to Rias. It was even more exotic that the two seemed to be almost mirror images of each other, where this Johan person looked like the light half and Judai was the dark one. However, Johan Anderson looked nowhere near the same age as Judai, who looked considerably younger. "You seem to be doing well."

"Cut the crap, Johan," Judai growled as he placed Asuka into the back seat of the BMW. Rias watched as he pulled the hanging front bumper off the car, tossing it onto the shoulder of the expressway. "I never asked for backup. I certainly don't need it."

"Well, yeah," the teal-haired man smirked, eyeing Rias. "I know that already, but President Pegasus said that I was going to be damage control. Speaking of damage control, what happened to the Italian beauty you were working with last time? Or even that British Secret Service girl who ended up accompanying you?" Rias eyed Judai jealously. She found it hard to believe that a boy like him, who had no interest in her, or any girl she knew, was anything like the person Johan was making him out to be. Then again, she hardly knew him. "What's with you and White girls?"

"Shut the hell-"

"Who are you?" Rias interrupted, much to Judai's chagrin. Johan bowed.

"Ah, the name's Anderson. Johan Anderson, Judai's bloke from his years when he was actually in high school," he replied chirpily. "You must be his newest Bond girl."

And that's it for now!

-Transparentchaos signing out