The Grim Herald

by AzureStoryTeller

Issei a supernatural being of unknown origins, has acted as a force of vengeance for centuries but has grown wary of the bloodshed and violence. Having dropped his old life, he opts to live a kinder life, now helping others. However, his past isn't done haunting him as the game of fate is cruel. AU. OOC. Issei x Harem. Rated M for Future Chapters. Immortal, non-cannon harem.

37. Chapter 37: One More Break

I have some news for everyone. I lied about the harem list. There's an eighth member. As to who she is, I'll let you guess. She's already appeared in the story, so that's one clue.

Oh, and in case the answer wasn't clear in the last chapter, the Abyssal Legion's members are all hand-picked by Issei, and trained to be able to keep up with his tactics.

Another question that I will answer, is the one concerning who Artemis, Brynhildr, Sylderia, Morrigan, and Camilla are based off of. Well, I didn't base them on anyone. For the ones that were in myth, I just applied their mythologies to give them background. As for their personalities, I made them up on my own.

And lastly, I wanted to post this early on Halloween but stuff came up so I decided to shove everything into one day and post it ASAP. So Happy Halloween everybody!

…Even though it's too late.

And there's also a double meaning to the title. Had to explain that, er, will explain that.

Also, this is NOT a filler chapter.

---

Chapter 37: One More Break

Issei had ensured that the incident with Ophis had remained secret. The only ones who knew were him and the latter. The Order couldn't watch either because they could only see within their own dimension, limiting itself to Earth's Solar System.

That aside, he decided that he needed to attend to another matter. Deciding to break the pace of all this constant fighting and death, he needed to check on Camilla, albeit discreetly. He was still worried about her emotional stability, given how she lost her old life and was thrown into a new one, unwillingly.

Much to his surprise, she was gone when he went to Lemuria. Without being seen, he looked around but found no trace of her. It was as if she suddenly vanished. That made him concerned. Then, he found out that Sylderia and Ilaira were gone too.

That only meant two things: they were out somewhere, or someone took them somewhere.

---

Ever since the women connected to Issei all agreed to find a way to break through the frozen wall of steel around Issei's heart, they'd been brainstorming up ideas. Sylderia was the centerpiece, as she knew him best. Unfortunately, she admitted that she didn't know Issei as well as she used to, but it was better than nothing.

"For starters, Issei automatically puts on emotional 'masks'. He'll pretend to be fine and happy, but deep down, he's suffering. I think you all have noticed, if you spent enough time with him." Sylderia started off.

"The one thing that's always affected him, is unconditional love and affection. It's the thing that he secretly craves, but he doesn't know that. It's what affects him the most. He's never had anyone to care for him since he was 5 years old. He's always been on his own and he only started to heal from his traumas when he turned 11. That's when others started to try and get to know him." The Princess recounted.

"That means we'll have to spill our guts." Brynhildr decided.

"It's the only way to get through to him. We all have things that affect us, especially if they're words. By giving him something that nobody else has ever bothered to, it might help him. Issei is in desperate need of gentle care. He's like this because he's never received enough of it, or because he lost it and was hit by a traumatizing event." Sylderia agreed.

She had told the others of his past, which was astonishing. Since his very early childhood, Issei had been embroiled in combat and had never left the battlefield. How horrible a life he lived.

"The problem is how stubborn he is now. He keeps putting up shields in front of him. It makes it damn near-impossible to get through." Artemis moaned.

"That just means we need to break through. We need to pick at thoughts that disturb his composure. I don't want to do it aggressively, but we need to challenge his logic. That's something that's always been something of a strong topic to him. A battle of philosophy. He doesn't have to push his killing intent to the front and we can keep his real mindset in the moment." Sylderia strategized.

"I know that he feels guilty. I could sense it just from watching him and especially after crossing blades. There's a lot of guilt and regret in his heart." Morrigan noted, distressed.

"I know that he just wants to help others, too. He has a selfless nature. That's most likely why he did this all in the first place." Amaterasu commented.

"This is all good, but we need to find him, first. Issei's tricky since he has no pattern with his movements. I would like to maintain a civil atmosphere, but Issei's been confrontational lately. After Sylderia's visit, he's refused to come back to Headquarters." Eldesa sadly spoke, feeling responsible.

"Then we need to sniff out his trail. The longer we wait, the longer Issei makes himself suffer." Grayfia decided.

"True. Still, I'm afraid that this matter will be forced to wait. As he is now, Issei isn't doing anything truly harmful to the world. Right now, we have bigger problems on the rise." Eldesa announced.

"What sort of problems?" Camilla asked.

"The Erenaux and the Invisilim are on the move again. I figured this would happen after the fall of Indra." The Chancellor grumbled.

"Fall of Indra?" Morrigan breathed.

Surely, she didn't mean the same Indra that she was thinking about?

"It's exactly as you fear. Sakra Indra has been executed." Eldesa confirmed, reluctantly.

"How?" Amaterasu asked.

"He was found providing secret passages to the Khaos Brigade, allowing them to do all that they did to other pantheons. The evidence against him was overwhelming. Most of all, Issei did the work. He gathered all of the evidence and then openly persecuted him. That allowed Issei the chance he needed to strike him and his entire army down. Not only that, but he threatened to do the same to Shiva if he dared to mimic Indra. Indra and his 2 million-strong army were completely destroyed by Issei." Eldesa summarized.

"I don't get it. Something that catastrophic, we should've seen and even felt it all." Brynhildr wondered.

"That's because Issei transported them into a different dimension. That allowed him to fight unrestrained and it prevented any casualties."

The entire room fell dead silent. They knew Issei was powerful beyond many, but to completely obliterate Indra and his army…it was a bone-freezing thought.

"I'm not concerned about Issei's duties and missions. What concerns me, is the fact that he's destroying his sense of self-worth and morality to do this." Eldesa declared.

"To be honest, Issei's not wrong for doing what he's doing. This world has been festering with people that've been doing whatever they wanted without consequence. Issei's the first to be fed up with it and to take action. However, it's killing him to do it." She continued.

It was dark and heavy in thought, but the others understood what she meant. A silent agreement passed through the room.

"What also bothers me is…what did Praegorn mean when he told me that Issei had returned to being what he was meant to be. Was it to become the Grim Herald again?"

---

While they were all deciding on what to do, Issei knew that somebody was up to something. He could already tell that Eldesa was plotting something, but whatever it was, he didn't care. He had work to do. As for Camilla, he could feel his intuition telling him that she was with Sylderia, so that meant that she was ok. If she were in any real danger, he would be able to sense it.

This meant that he needed to go back to focusing on his duties. He had already started searching for Praegorn but he was still lacking in information. That meant he had to go to someone that would have knowledge about him. Actual knowledge and not the half-assed information that the Order had.

The Abyss, itself.

The Abyss was omnipresent, and thus, he needed only use his mark to bring his mind in direct interface with it. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on finding the Abyss' essence. He felt himself get pulled somewhere, as if he were gently yanked above the ground with a sudden snap.

He opened his eyes and it was as if time had frozen. He looked around and found himself within a familiar vacuum. He stood in front of a dark swirl in space, colored mainly black, with a mixture of dark colors.

Standing at the center, was an ethereal figure, glowing, yet covered in darkness. It had a form that resembled that of a king in armor. This was the physical representation of the Abyss, which was capable of interacting with the world.

"Why have you chosen to appear before me again?" The figure asked.

Issei stepped forward.

"I came to learn the truth about the Corrupter. Who is he? Where did he come from and how did he come to be?"

"Patience, Herald. I shall answer, but know that the truth will be a bitter pill to swallow. You may even go mad. Are you prepared?" The Abyss raised a hand to stifle his incoming flow of curiosity.

"I understand. I have to know." Issei implored it to hurry up and answer.

---

After the women had finished their discussions, they returned home, deciding that they needed to deal with world matters before getting to Issei. As much as they all hated it, a death toll was placed on a higher priority in comparison to talking with Issei. At least with him, he wasn't hurting innocents, nor was he in mortal peril.

Sylderia returned home, eager to ask her parents about the missing pieces of information that they had. She wanted to know how they reacted towards Issei when he brought the bad news to them. Her parents loved her and her sister dearly and she knew that. When they were angered, they would fly into a silent rage and terminate what caused it, whether it be a lethal move or merely verbal.

She wanted to know about everything that hurt him, whether it be easy to hear or not.

She found her parents in a lounge, sharing a drink. That was already a bad sign. They only drank when they were feeling rather down. What was really bad, was that they were drinking 3,000-year-old Arshvimin. It was famous for being quite strong. In comparison to human drinks, it was around 35% alcohol to them.

The King and Queen sported grim expressions as they mulled on the alcohol.

They heard Sylderia enter the room and stood up but she stopped them, sitting next to them at the bar. She never liked alcohol, so she only drank some sparkling juice that her mother poured for her.

"I can tell that you want to talk about something important with us." Ishvar drearily spoke.

"Yeah."

"Ask away." Prisna reluctantly nodded, bracing herself.

"What was your reaction towards Issei when he told you about my apparent death?" The Princess asked.

Prisna bit her lip while Ishvar took a quick swig from his glass. He sighed, knowing that he was going to deserve what was coming.

"Your mother and I were severely distraught, to say the least. When he told us that you had died, we couldn't believe him. We refused to believe him. We had sent you away in hopes that you'd be safe from the underlying threats amongst the kingdom. You were the future of our kingdom and our precious daughter. You were bright and cheerful; a light to everyone around you." Ishvar fondly smiled.

"You and Ilaira are our pride and joy. When we lost you, we didn't know how to react. In that brief moment…we lost our senses and did the unthinkable." Prisna bitterly muttered.

---

Flashback

Prisna and Ishvar had finally learned of the horrid events that were happening in Atlantis. One of their court members had gone to Atlantis after hearing news of this revelation and came back with a stampeded of troubling information.

It had all gone together with the message that Sylderia had sent them. She had told them that she wouldn't be coming home for a long time, or for the foreseeable future. She expressed that she loved all of them and hoped to see them again. She had hinted that she was caught in a gigantic incident and that it was preventing her from returning home. Despite their protests and demands for her return, she had refused and abruptly ceased all contact.

Prisna and Ishvar were waiting in the Throne Room, with a young Ilaira sitting on Prisna's lap. The anxiety of her parents was making her feel the same way. Prisna silently trembled while Ishvar was sweating frozen bullets. Sylderia had sent the message a year ago and there had been no sort of contact from her since then.

"Count Aldegark has returned from his scouting, Your Majesty." A guard announced, bowing out of the room.

A man wearing green noble clothing, with a brown cloak and black leather boots walked inside. He looked middle-aged, and had a rather plain build with short brown hair sleeked back, accompanied by grey eyes.

"I have returned with grave news, Your Majesty." He kneeled.

"Tell us." Ishvar prompted.

"I have brought someone who knows of what happened. In fact, he had intended to tell you this information, himself. He was a disciple of Arkiline." Count Aldegark then turned to the doors.

"Enter." Ishvar called out.

The doors into the Throne Room opened to reveal Issei, who looked much younger than he currently did. It was natural, since Issei was around 17 years old when this happened. Not only that, but his hair had been black and his eyes were black.

He kneeled before Ishvar and Prisna, not uttering a single word, aside from the mandated greetings.

"I am humbled by my allowance before Your Majesties." Issei spoke up.

"No need for formalities. What truth do you have for us?" Ishvar did away with the unnecessary mannerisms.

Issei gulped before speaking up.

"Allow me to start with the beginning. The Revolution began when the residents of Atlantis decided to rebel against the dictatorship and amoral Empire, which began the Civil War. Lady Sylderia was one of the ones who spear-headed the movement. I was also one of them. For an entire year, we fought against the Empire. Around two weeks ago, we managed to win and have now reformed the government into a democracy. Unfortunately, Lady Sylderia had perished just before the end of the final battle." Issei breathed out.

(Star Wars OST: Padme's Destiny. Play Song.)

He was visibly shaking, but he hid it. It tore him apart to say those words aloud. The love of his life and the one who gave him the drive to be happy, was dead.

Prisna gasped as her hands fell flat, almost fainting, if not for Ishvar, she would've fallen over. She stared into the distance, shaking as tears welled up in her eyes.

"How?" She whimpered.

"It was during the final battle, just as I was about to land the death blow to the Emperor, he attacked me. I dodged and it hit Sylderia. Not only that, but she had been grievously wounded during the fight, having sustained countless injuries. It was all my fault. If I had done more and tried harder, she'd be alive." Issei hung his head in shame.

"What was your relationship to our daughter that you would know so much? Who are you?" Ishvar regarded him coldly.

"My name is Issei Hyoudou. I was one of Arkiline's students and student at the Academy. I fought alongside her since the Revolution began. It was because of me that she joined."

Ishvar leered at him, his grief quickly turned into denial and outrage, boiling in his heart as he tried to stop it from surfacing.

"Why did you join, then?" He asked, gritting his teeth.

"It was to bring down the Empire and deliver the people from their suffering."

"And just why did she choose to follow you?" Ishvar continue.

Issei's silence only confirmed Ishvar's fears.

This had been one of the fears that Ishvar had harbored. He had feared that the sympathetic Sylderia would fall in with the wrong crowd. She wasn't naïve, but she was too willing to help others. Ishvar and Prisna had encouraged her nature but now, it had cost her, her life. Their precious first-born child had been taken away because of the goodness in her heart.

Their turbulent emotions made them unfocused, unreasonable. Their lungs quaked as they struggled to remain able to think properly. The anger and loss that swelled in their hearts had risen to new heights.

They looked at Issei, hostility in their eyes. They could see that Issei had more than simple friendship with Sylderia. She had mentioned before that she had met someone that was bold, charming, and even heroic. They were happy, at first, until they feared that she was being taken advantage of. Now, they understood the reason for their fears. He was right in front of them.

"So, our daughter died because she chose to follow you, is that right?" Ishvar dangerously asked.

Count Aldegark's head moved up a little, sensing that something was wrong.

"Yes, Your Majesty. It was because I chose to join the Revolution, that she followed. Our friendship had swayed her to join."

"You were in a relationship, weren't you?" Prisna asked, weakly whimpering, her own sorrow turning into hate.

Her expression morphed sorrow into anger. Issei's silence confirmed their fears.

With that one moment, their anger was set loose like a rabid beast. Unrestrained and unburdened, the tears came forth, along with their aggression.

"You were the one responsible for taking away our daughter!" Prisna lashed out.

"You speak as if you had the power to stop it all and yet, you didn't do anything! Because of you, we lost our daughter! Our flesh and blood!" Ishvar roared.

"Why did she have to meet someone like you?! What did she do that you had to drag her along to war?! Why did you take away my baby?! How could you have allowed it to happen?!" Prisna sobbed as they mixed with bursts of anger.

"It would've been better if she'd never met you at all. Our kind and gentle daughter. How dare you?! It's because of monsters like you! Monsters that care nothing for others, who care nothing for the relations that they have, that cause this! You went to war, yet you didn't think about what would happen if your comrades died and left their families behind!" Ishvar roared again.

Issei couldn't move. He could only lose all feeling in his body as he was forced to endure the brutal questions directed at him.

"Your Majesty, please! It wasn't his fault!" Count Aldegark tried to speak up for him.

"SILENCE!" Ishvar bellowed. His voice was strong enough to extinguish all of the candles in the room.

"I never want to see your disgusting face again. Never come back here and never come near my family again. Begone!" Ishvar ordered as he turned away.

Count Aldegark gave the King and Queen a spiteful look, eyeing them with disappointment as he gently led Issei out of the room.

As the door gave a thunderous thud, Ishvar held his wife and only daughter left, close.

"Why did this happen?" He wept.

Flashback End

---

Sylderia was wide-eyed and shocked. The perfect recounting of their words resonated in her mind as she held her glass tightly, threatening to crack it.

"Not too long ago, right after the Wedding…Praegorn reappeared." Prisna whispered.

The two monarchs could remember everything as clear as day.

'It was because of you three; you and your eldest daughter, that things culminated to this point. I owe you three many thanks. While the Abyss created the mantle of the Grim Herald, you three formed him, shaped him, and destroyed him. A lonely boy who grew up without love, who suffered far more than you ever did, was subjected to cruel words and punishment by buffoons who knew nothing of him. You blamed him for what he didn't do and carved into his heart, dealing him another emotional blow. It was you three, who created the Grim Herald.' Praegorn had said to them.

It made them immensely guilty after learning the entire story of Issei after the malevolent spirit had revealed it all at the Wedding crash. Never before, had they felt so regretful. Now that they thought about it, what did they know?

They had misguided their rage and grief and made him a scapegoat to ventilate on. He had done nothing wrong and he fought for a just cause. Just like any war, Sylderia was a casualty. It had naturally been out of Issei's control, to begin with. The damage it must've done to his mind… Oh, how could they have been so wrong?

Sylderia struggled to contain her outrage.

"So…you blamed him?" Her tone was icy.

"Yes. It was mainly me, who lashed out at him." Ishvar confessed, as if he were speaking his final sentences before execution.

"But it was I, that started it." Prisna ended.

Slamming her glass onto the counter, she snapped to her parents, who jumped back. The sheer disbelief and incredulous rage on her face was entirely unseen before. Furrowed brows, grit teeth, and narrowed eyes, were the form of her indignance.

"How could you have done that to him?!" She roared.

The two were absolutely stunned in shock. They had never seen her get angry before. That made it much clearer that she had been deeply in love with Issei and pushed it even further that they were in the wrong.

"How could you have blamed him for something that he had tried so hard to prevent?! He ripped off his own left arm to try and save me! He sacrificed so much to rescue me! He did nothing wrong! He only joined because he wanted me to be safe! He only fought to deliver the Atlanteans from suffering! What did you two know?! What did he do to you to earn your hate?!" Sylderia demanded.

Prisna looked like she was ready to cry. The same could be said for Ishvar, who felt immensely regretful.

"He grew up without his parents! He was only 5 years old when they died! He was betrayed by people who didn't understand what 'different' was! He was persecuted since he was a child! He grew up alone with nobody to care for him!" Sylderia slammed her fist on the counter, breaking it apart.

"Every year! When celebrations and holidays came, he was the boy who'd just sit in his empty house and watch everyone else go home to their families or to have their relatives visit! He was the only child who had nobody to go home to! He was the little boy that cried alone by that tree on that hill! He was the boy…" Sylderia panted, stopping herself. Her own tears began to fall from her eyes as she sputtered.

She could recall everything as if it had happened yesterday. Every holiday, whenever her parents visited her residence in Atlantis, she'd hear cries escape from the hill that was near the cottage that Issei lived in. It was so silent yet haunting that only those with the sharpest ears could hear. People thought it was a ghost, but she knew better. Someone was crying. It was a little boy who could only watch others live happily while he only had the sad memories of his dead adoptive parents. A boy who didn't know who or what he was.

"He was the boy that grew up being called a 'freak' and a 'monster'. You two only drove the pain deeper. He was the one who sacrificed everything he had for others. He didn't even have anything to sacrifice to begin with! He always bled for me and he always put his life on the line for me. You two didn't understand that! You just decided to blame him for my decisions! You all thought you knew what pain was?! Think again! He knows nothing but agony! He never had anyone to love him! He deserves love the most! Instead of helping him, you helped him dig the pit that he's in right now!" Sylderia wailed.

She glared at her parents. Ishvar was groaning in grief and self-disappointment as Prisna turned around, crying silently to herself.

"He was never a monster. He's just someone that's trying to make the world a better place. It's because he cares about others so much that he's like this. That's why I love him so much. He's the most selfless person in existence and he's killing himself every damn day because none of you wretched immortals are trying to make a difference. I had hoped that you two would help give him the love that he secretly craves, but I was wrong." Sylderia heaved.

She ran out of the room, leaving Prisna and Ishvar to silently process everything that just happened. Sylderia had every right to rage out on them. It was indeed true that they were in the wrong for venting their anger and disbelief upon Issei and they had no way of defending that.

Count Aldegark had been greatly upset with them, having contemplated a very open debate with the King and Queen about their actions. In contrast to many others, Count Aldegark had a strong sense of honor and reasoning. Even grief didn't deter his righteous judgement.

Since that day, Count Aldegark had refrained from placing too much trust in their judgement. He knew of Issei's struggles, having been a friend to Issei before the Revolution closed off Atlantis. He had taught Issei about the outside world and had instilled a desire for learning within him when he was a boy.

It hurt, but they understood his reasons. Now, they might've pushed the eldest daughter away because of their lack of common sense. Issei had only done what he could but that hadn't been good enough. Eldesa even chewed them out for it.

Now, they saw the damage they had done to him. Just one look into his eyes and they saw the broken man he was. He lacked the drive to live and a had an unhealthy amount of coldness in him. They had failed to see that his grief had been greater than their own.

It was now too late. The damage had been done. The worst part about all this was that the victim was the one that now paid the price, not the perpetrators.

(Star Wars OST: Padme's Destiny. End Song.)

---

Sylderia had quickly changed into traveling clothes and was scrambling to find Issei. Just hearing those words, she just had to find him and comfort him. She knew that he bottled up his pain and kept silent about it. He never shared his agony with others unless he snapped. That would only serve to poison his mind and spirit.

She immediately contacted Eldesa, hoping that she had found him. Much to her dismay, he was nowhere to be found or even seen. Still, there was hope. It was Halloween and that meant that there was a strong chance for Issei to visit headquarters. It was around this time that he personally delivered payment to his warriors and gave them time off.

Her only hope now was to go back there and search for him. To hell with waiting. She gathered the others and immediately headed there.

---

Issei stared at the clock in the town he was currently in, deciding that he'd take some time to check on Yaegaki and Cleria. It had suddenly occurred to him that he had left them to live in his home in Kuoh. Anywhere else was probably compromised so there was indeed, justification for that.

(Kingdom Hearts 1.5 OST: Musique Pour La Tristesse de Xion [Xion's Theme]. Play Song.)

When he came back home, he found Halloween decorations all over Kuoh. Was it that time already? That was odd. Time really did flow by quickly. To add to that, he had failed to notice that the climate had changed. It was chillier and the nights were longer. Perhaps he'd been so embroiled in his work, that he had forgotten about it.

That meant he had to make a call to the Legion. He had to remind everyone that they had the day off. He didn't want their kids to miss out on Halloween, after all.

"Yes, My Lord?" Arsyla's voice echoed from her hologram.

"Hey, Arsyla, remind everyone that they have the day off from all duties. I just found out that today was Halloween." Issei flatly told her, disappointed in himself.

"Understood, My Lord." She chuckled.

Despite his completely different demeanor when on the job, Issei was largely similar to his regular self, being casual, albeit, a bit more cynical and cold. Passive could even be used to describe him.

Issei then cut off the connection as he stopped in front of his house. Cleria and Yaegaki had been given permission to use it as a place for a party after they called him about it. At first, he wondered why they wanted to do this, but then he figured that they wanted to savor their newfound freedom. They'd been living in isolation for almost two decades. He understood their reasoning after some thought. Not only that, but others had been expressing the desire to see them again.

When the Four Satans wanted to visit, Issei barred them until Cleria and Yaegaki wanted them on the guest list. However, he made it clear that any conflict within his home was forbidden. It was understandable, as he knew they were trying to put bad blood behind them.

He entered his home and found the house decorated to the brim. He wasn't exactly surprised, even though he should've been. He just took it with indifference. Cobwebs, fake bats, jack-o-lanterns, fog, and several other Halloween decorations were hung from the ceiling.

Much to his amazement, his holographic projectors were used to simulate fake ghosts and moving shadows. A giant bowl of candy was by the door, full of chocolates and other treats. He smelled swirling clouds of sweetness from the kitchen and followed it.

He found Cleria stirring away at a pot, which was full of red liquid.

"Ah, welcome home, Issei. I'm sorry about putting so many things up. I ended up getting carried away." She sheepishly apologized.

"It's fine. I haven't been home in a long time, anyways. Where's Yaegaki?" He asked.

"He's in the backyard. He's putting up the last touches on the decorations." Cleria gestured to the doors outside.

"I see. Have you all been able to go out lately? I mean, without anyone eyeing you two suspiciously." Issei crossed his arms.

"No one. We even enjoyed a date the other day. We're finally able to enjoy our lives, thanks to your sacrifices." Cleria sadly smiled.

It was extremely difficult to determine whether or not Issei was stressing himself out, in Cleria's eyes. He was almost machine-like in gaze, unless he was angry. He looked cold and his tone was much deeper and a tad-bit flatter.

"It's fine. I just wanted to help." Issei said as he noticed a large tray of pies on the kitchen table. They were all shaped into bats, spiders, and pumpkins, with different fillings for each.

"Go ahead and take however many you like. I actually made some for you to say thanks. Yaegaki helped too." Cleria delightfully pepped up, proud of her own cooking. At first, she was dreadful, but after a few years of practice, she had it down.

Issei bit into it and grinned. It tasted like pumpkin with cinnamon spice mixed into it.

"It tastes great." He picked up another before walking outside.

The content chuckle he made was enough to show that his emotions weren't dead. They were merely suppressed.

Yaegaki was taping down the last lights for the exterior of the mansion before noticing Issei.

"Ah, welcome back, Issei."

"It's good to see you too. I just wanted to swing by and check up on you two."

"Well, thanks to you, we're feeling pretty reassured about going out now. We haven't felt this safe in a long time." Yaegaki looked up at the sky, as if finally tasting some of the freedom that it offered.

"It's my fault that the both of you were locked up for so long. I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. We're not. It's only because of you that we're still alive. Even if we were alone in that house, we lived happily. Every day is like bliss. I get to wake up next to the love of my life every day and I get to spend every day with her. I can't be happier. We owe our lives to you." Yaegaki gave Issei a grateful smile.

"You owe me nothing." Issei gave a nod to him before walking back inside.

After checking that everything was in order and his mail was dealt with, he prepared to depart again. There was still so much to do.

When he went back into the kitchen, Cleria was greeting her guests as she had changed into her costume. She had donned a Japanese princess's kimono, complete with hair ornaments and a fan. Yaegaki was dressed in samurai armor, his long hair tied into a ponytail. Even in costume, they were a couple. Issei couldn't help but chuckle at that.

He took a quick look at the guests and found the young devils to be present, along with the Four Satans and some individuals from Heaven and Grigori. Satisfied that they were trustworthy people, Issei was about to exit the house until a voice called over.

"Won't you stay for the party?" Cleria walked over, with Yaegaki next to her.

"I can't. I have other matters to attend to." Issei shook his head.

Unlike before, his tone softened, going back to how it was when before he returned to being the Grim Herald. If he were to be completely honest, he wished he could. However, the world was currently full of suffering. Indeed, he had wiped out a massive portion of the cause, but that wasn't enough. It would never be enough. No matter what was done, evil and corruption would worm its way back into the world. Despite others' protests, he didn't believe his suffering to be as great as others. The reason was because he had the power to fight back and overpower all that came at him. Countless others didn't have that power and could only suffer it.

"You can take one night off, can't you? I mean, even you are entitled to a break." Yaegaki softly spoke.

"I wish I could. However, I can't. Not while the world is as it is." Issei refuted.

"Now you're just being stubborn." Cleria pouted.

"Maybe." Issei chortled.

"Look, we don't exactly know what you do now, but we know that it means a lot to the world. However, you were born with every right to happiness like everyone else. You shouldn't deny yourself that." Cleria sighed.

"I'm not. I'm going to work and work and work, and then take my long, well-deserved break. One Halloween missed won't kill me." Issei chuckled.

He appreciated their desire to include him, he really did. However, this wasn't the time to just relax. Praegorn was out there doing who-knows-what.

"Well, if you won't listen to us, then at least take this. You can have it all to yourself or share it. At least don't waste my wife's cooking." Yaegaki groaned.

Issei looked behind him and found Cleria holding up a gigantic box of sweets and baked goods.

"Here. They're pies, cakes, and handmade sweets. It's not much, but it's a thank-you for letting us free-load off you." Cleria smiled brightly along with Yaegaki.

Issei gingerly took the package, grinning lightly just as the doorbell rang.

Cleria opened it and smiled as she cheerfully greeted the children that came knocking for sweets.

"Trick-or-treat!" Some of them held up their buckets.

"Hi! Happy Halloween!" Cleria giggled.

"Thank you, pretty lady." One of the kids then turned around, excited with the big haul they just got.

"And another thing. We've been talking about this for a very long time and we wanted to run this by you before we did it." Cleria said as she closed the door.

"Go ahead."

"Would you be the godfather of our future children?" Yaegaki asked.

Issei was stunned, his eyes widening a bit. This was the absolute last thing he'd have ever expected them to say to him.

"Wait…what?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"We don't know anyone that's done more for us, than you. You've stood by us when we needed you and you've never asked for anything in return. You're the most trustworthy person we know and we can't place our hopes in anyone better than you. Would you be willing to grant us that honor?" Cleria timidly asked.

She hoped Issei wouldn't have a negative reaction.

Issei bit his lip as he fervently nodded.

"I should be the one that's honored." He softly admitted.

His demeanor had changed drastically at that point. It was rather surprising to the couple.

"I really should get going now." Issei softly declared.

"Okay. Take care out there. We'll take care of the house till you come back home." Yaegaki confirmed.

"I will."

With that said, Issei decided to check up on Headquarters. He doubted he could eat all of the food by himself before it went bad. He opened the box and was touched by the delicate work put into it. There was even a little not attached.

Dear Issei,

I hope you like the treats we made. I made you 100 pies, 50 cakes, 50 cookies, and 100 chocolates. It's a lot but I know you're also a big eater. You can even share it with others, if you'd like. Anyways, we know about the things you do and we knew that you'd get stubborn and start an argument so we're gonna convey these words to you in writing. That way, you can't argue back. Yaegaki and I know that you threw away a lot of your credibility when you confronted the Elders. Yes, we found out. We couldn't believe that you did that for us. It wasn't necessary and yet…you went the extra mile for us. We can't ever thank you enough for that. Because of you, we can walk free again. Despite what others say, you'll always be a hero to us. Just because you do some dark things, doesn't make you evil or a monster. It just means that your heart is strong enough to do what is necessary. With that said, we've got another bit of news.

While I'm not pregnant yet, we've decided to pick out a name. We're going to name our first son after you. Issei Alazar Masaomi, will be the official name. I know we didn't ask for permission but we knew you'd try to deter us. We would consider it an honor if you'd allow it.

Sincerely,

Cleria & Yaegaki

Issei bit his lip, despite his cold exterior, his heart just couldn't lie. He was touched on a very deep level. Their words rang strongly through his heart and it gave the warm touches that it so desperately needed to remind him of his true self.

(Kingdom Hearts 1.5 OST: Musique Pour La Tristesse de Xion [Xion's Theme]. End Song.)

---

He decided to go back to Headquarters and share his sweets with the Abyssal Legion. He was sure that Cleria had used his compacted boxes to store all of the sugary treats, so that made it simple. The box had four drawers, one for each kind of confection.

When he got there, he was surprised to see that the entire place was decorated. The holiday spirit was certainly infectious.

(Final Fantasy XV OST: Somnus – Instrumental Version. Play Song.)

The thing about Headquarters, which was also called the Stardust Citadel, was that it could be changed to look however the Order wanted.

The sky was dark blue, with a full moon and a sea of stars twinkling in the sky. The landscape around the Citadel, was a massive city that stood to one side, while on the other side, was a massive forest with various lakes amongst its contents. That was how it was, most of the time.

Right now, there were statues of hovering ghosts, skeletons, and grim-looking knights standing on pillars that were erected across a pathway towards the Citadel. Jack-o-lanterns floated in the air with black trees that were shaped to look alive, standing behind them. There were even crows perched on their branches. Not only that, but dense fog was slithering across the ground, giving a slight chill to the air.

Issei knew that the Citadel had exotic creatures, courtesy of himself, so he was sure that they were employed to do whatever it is the Order needed them to do for the Holiday.

He entered the main building to find Eldesa dressed up. She was wearing cop outfit, complete with a blue skirt and a light-blue shirt and a hat. Her hair was tied into a ponytail with a hold ribbon, which was a fresh look for her. It made her seem much more strict. To add to her grief, she was wearing black high-heels, though Issei assumed she was fine with it.

He looked at her belt and found pepper spray, handcuffs, and a…was that a whip?

Eldesa noticed his expression and chuckled.

"You like? I decided to go with this since I thought it would be fitting. This is our first Halloween festival so I thought that if I had to keep the peace, I'd wear this." She pepped up.

Issei couldn't help but notice that her shirt was struggling to keep her bust in check. Her breasts were basically about to pop off the buttons of her shirt. Not only that, but her skirt only accentuated the curves of her rear. He had her pegged as more modest, but he let the matter pass over him.

"I just came by to sort out some business and to check up on the Legion." He sighed.

"You're not gonna comment on my costume?" Eldesa pouted.

"No." Issei curtly retorted, walking past her.

The Chancellor pouted her cheeks.

"You look really good in it, Officer." Issei grinned a little.

Perhaps he'd take a page out of another book and cut himself some slack for a day.

Eldesa smirked, knowing it was his way of messing with others. She turned around to see Ilkynos walk up to her. Much to her surprise, he was dressed as a scarecrow. He wore a pointed hat with a green shirt and black overalls, complete with pieces of hay sticking out of his clothes.

"Aren't you uncomfortable?" She asked.

"Nah, it's just fabric made to look like straw." Ilkynos shrugged.

"He seems different today." The Chancellor noted.

"For once in a long time, Issei's decided to be more lax. I don't know how long he'll stay like this, but I can tell that it won't be long. By tomorrow, I expect that he'll be back to behaving like a machine, as sad as I find it." The Leader of the Order foreshadowed.

"Why can't he just enjoy a peaceful life?" Eldesa wondered.

"If he could, that would be swell, but the world is just too twisted for him to stay still. Someone like him…is far too vital to our world, as shameful as we are to prevent it." Ilkynos lamented.

---

Issei found the Abyssal Legion gathered in a massive Hall, which was supposedly where the party that the Order was hosting was supposed to take place. Of course, many of the parents had opted to leave the party aside to take their children trick-or-treating within the City.

This recent tradition had been introduced by Eldesa in order to get rid of the militaristic way things were before and to bring some joy and life here.

He found that everyone present had dressed up into costumes, much to his amusement.

"Ara, Lord Issei, are you not participating in the Party?" Alrysa asked.

She was wearing a white dress, which was ice-blue from the hem of her dress, fading upwards into white at the top of her sleeved dress. It sparkled like snowflakes in light, with sequins sewn into them. She had silver hair ornaments in her hair, which were shaped like snowflakes. For the occasion, she had used temporary coloring to make her hair white.

"So you're the Snow Queen?" Issei wondered.

"Yep. My husband's the Fire King."

"I see. Well, I came to see how things were running and to make sure that our scanners were up to speed." Issei shrugged.

"You're not just staying for the few minutes, are you?" Arsyla raised a brow.

"I'll stick around for a short while." Issei sighed.

"I see. You best get a costume then."

"I doubt I'll do that." Issei deadpanned.

"Come on, where's your holiday spirit?" Arsyla asked

"And when did elves enjoy such a dark holiday?" Issei raised a brow.

"The day we opened our eyes." The costumed elf crossed her arms.

Issei pursed his lips, unsure of how to respond to that.

"Come on, everybody's been dying to see our leader dress up."

"I'll pass, thanks for trying." Issei stepped back.

"Clearly, she doesn't take no for an answer." Eldesa walked up, pointing behind him.

He snapped around and found that a strong arm had wrapped around his left limb.

"Sylderia? Why are you still here?" He asked.

"Come with me." She dragged him away.

She didn't even allow him any chances to protest or argue. She used her newfound strength to simply drag him away. In principle, as the Champion of Light, she had similar rights afforded to her like Issei, given how he was the Chosen One of the Abyss. That meant her strength was substantial in comparison to other immortals.

"Wait! Hold on!" Issei protested as she dragged him off.

"No arguments! You've been stubborn for too damn long." She cut him off.

(Final Fantasy XV OST: Somnus – Instrumental Version. End Song.)

---

When the two came back, Issei's brow was twitching in irritation.

"You acted like I molested you. I swear, it's because you act like this that I have to get forceful. Besides, you and I have gone way farther than just unclothing each other." Sylderia bashfully admitted, trying to turn Issei's mood around.

'Just because I take one day off from being the Grim Herald, I get cornered.' Issei growled.

"I'll have you know that you jumped my bones." Issei looked at his clothes.

She had stripped him down and threw him into an outfit that she believed was fitting for him. A king's raiment. He had a navy coat over a blue shirt that came with black pants and a vest of the same color. They were all outlined with silver lining to give a flair of royalty. His jacket was black with silver lining as well, with pauldrons around the shoulders and fancy shoes that didn't look too tacky.

Issei didn't understand it. If he had his mental guard up, he'd have resisted and warped out of it. Yet, he didn't. If he were to be completely honest, he enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere a bit.

"Ufufufu. You look just as good as I imagined." Sylderia giggled.

"Hmph." Issei groaned.

"Now, let's get to the party. I think you need it." She immediately dragged his hand along as she led them back to the Hall.

"Enough of this, Sylderia. I'm no child." He protested, stopping dead in his tracks.

"No, but you're stubborn like one." She huffed.

"Why are you here again?"

"I can't come see you?" She asked.

"It's not good for you." He retorted.

"Maybe I want what's not good for me." She grumbled.

Issei merely narrowed his eyes. Why was he wasting his time with this? Pushing the matter aside, he was going to get the matter over with, even if he had to put up with this foolery.

Sylderia only sighed. This was going to be quite arduous.

---

To add to Issei's exasperation, the other members of his unwanted harem were present. All of them were even in costumes to join with the festive atmosphere.

Grayfia was a yuki-onna. She had her silver hair tied into a bun, with a golden pin with a snowflake tip, piercing through it. Her yukata was white, with icy-blue coloring rising from the bottom. Snowflake designs were sewn into her attire, sparkling from the silk used for them. To complete the attire, she had a white and blue sash around her waist.

Brynhildr was a cow-girl. She had the generic outfit, though it was quite bold. She had a tight black shirt on, which pushed her chest up, with a black vest over her clothes. She wore a jean skirt with black leggings on her legs and tall black boots. Lastly, she had a black hat from the Wild West or her blonde hair.

Morrigan was a witch. She wore a black dress with see-through sleeves. Golden bands were around her biceps, with a black pointed hat on her head. Her dress reached above her ankles, with black high-heels on her feet. She had black eye-liner on her, with red lipstick on her supple lips. The v-neck of her outfit was absurdly low for her tastes, reaching just past her cleavage.

Amaterasu was a nurse. Issei was most surprised with her, given how she seemed the most modest. Her hair had two locks of braids tied behind her head to give her a more reserved look. Her outfit was white, with short sleeves and the hem was dreadfully short, reaching mid-thigh. Izanagi would butcher him if he saw this. Still, he had to admit that he found her really darn cute because of her strong blush. It was almost as red as her hair.

Camilla was a dark queen. She had a golden crown on her head with dark gems of obsidian and amethyst. Her attire was purple with a black cloak around her arms. The dress was rather long, but it split around the knee-area. Her sleeves were a bit long, with hems of gold. She wore a golden necklace, which was also full of precious gems. She wore a subtle amount of make-up that was enough to make her look like a true queen. To add to her charm, she had braided the end of her hair and set it over her shoulder.

Artemis was a knight. A surprisingly revealing knight. She had her hair tied in a ponytail with a sapphire ribbon, with a moon hair-clip on her bangs. She wore pauldrons on her shoulders, with a chest plate and metal skirt armor at the sides. The thing was that she had a red skirt that was barely mid-thigh. To further entice others, she had black stockings and armored boots. It wasn't exactly seductive, but when thrown onto Artemis, it was enough to make others drool, regardless of the modesty level.

Last, was Sylderia, who was a vampire/succubus. Of all people. Of. All. People. She was a vampire. She had a black and red cloak around her, with a black dress with red highlights. The attire reached her lower calves, with red shoes on her feet. The sleeves were long, but split midway down her arms. A zipper went down the front of her dress, which allowed her to conceal herself if need be. At the moment, her cleavage was on display for him and him only.

To mess with him a bit, their versions of the costumes were a bit more revealing. It was to unsettle Issei to tease him a bit, for one. There wasn't much of a problem as this event was also something that had become popular for forming couples through visual appeal. They had dangerous and long work, so finding a partner made things easier. It was courtesy of Issei that the anti-fraternization policies were abolished. Life could be short for anyone, so why bother with such a thing. In its place, he placed an age restriction. To openly date amongst comrades, you had to be at least 22. If family were amongst members, then they were to never be placed within the same group to avoid favoritism and unfair treatment and advantages.

Issei instantly zeroed in on Eldesa, who jumped back from his glare, trying to look innocent. He knew she was the mastermind behind the whole thing, no matter what she said.

Ilkynos walked up to the stage of the Hall, which was a large square with three doors: two led to the gardens, and one led into the hallway. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and pillars were around the room, supporting the ceiling.

(Final Fantasy XV OST: Valse di Fantastica. Play Song.)

"Welcome to all of our members of the Order and our esteemed guests. Tonight is our 5th Halloween Ball and as required, costumes are necessary for attendance. Again, I would like to thank Chancellor Eldesa for introducing this activity. Thanks to her, things are lively and much more enjoyable than before. Unfortunately, as you all noticed, I had to check everyone before they entered. The reason is because last year, we had an incident where someone spiked the all of the beverages with alcohol." Ilkynos glared around, knowing the perpetrators.

"Aside from that, us, leaders, wish to thank you for yet another year of hard work and thus, please enjoy all that we have to offer and to party the night away. You all earned it. Whatever mess comes, just ignore it. Oh, and another thing. For the first! Time! Ever! We got our very own Grim Herald into a costume!" Ilkynos announced.

Several people gasped, darting to look at him.

As soon as the spotlights centered on Issei, he glared at the leaders of the Order.

'I'm going to kill you.' He seemed to signal at Ilkynos.

Several claps echoed as everyone noted how majestic he looked. Indeed, he fitted the kingly image that his costume thrust upon him. One could even mistake him for royalty.

"Well now, I never had you pegged for someone to rock a costume. I actually thought you'd wear something like a knight or businessman." Eldesa chuckled.

Despite many expectations, a lot of people gave Issei some genuine compliments, much to his slight surprise.

"Now that we've ribbed him enough, I would also like to announce that sexual harassment is forbidden, whether men or women commit it. I'll personally sic the guards on anyone who does it. I've even got some people dressed as bouncers for that." Ilkynos chuckled at his little joke, joined by a select few others.

With that said, everyone broke off to enjoy the food and drinks and to socialize. Issei looked at the clock and wondered what to do. He did say he'd take the night off but he'd been the Grim Herald for the last few weeks that he was out of routine again.

Suddenly, a hand pulled him aside, and onto the dance floor.

To his expectations, Brynhildr had dragged him out. Much to his relief, the slow dances would happen before the more…wild dances took place. Issei was never fond of that type of dancing, being too rambunctious for his taste.

"I know what you're going to say, so say it." She challenged him.

"So why are you all here?" He asked, coyly.

"Because the man we love is by himself. We thought we'd come see him."

"And who would this man be?" Issei shrugged.

"Well, he's strong, handsome, patient, hard-working, and selfless. He also underestimates himself and overestimates others. I guess we needed to up the ante to give him a decent reward." Brynhildr chuckled.

Issei's locked-up sense of humor emerged for a slight moment.

"Eh, not good enough." He shrugged.

"Oh? So, he wants more than some fanservice? Would be required in the bedroom?" She asked.

"I'm hard to please." Issei flatly chuckled.

"Clearly." Brynhildr grumbled.

Much to Issei's surprise, Brynhildr was quite graceful in dance, keeping up with him without a problem.

"So, what have you been up to? It's been a while since we saw each other." She asked.

"Been going around, slaying people." Issei deadpanned.

"So it would seem. Meet anyone interesting?" She continued.

She decided to start chipping at his mask, hoping to dig deeper.

"Nope. Bunch of old enemies, but no more than that. What about you?" The Grim Herald asked.

"I've been doing the same old thing. Training the Valkyries and fighting off threats to Asgard. The Erenaux have been pressuring us, but it's not something we can't handle." Brynhildr summarized.

"I'd expected as much."

"So, how'd Sylderia get you into this kingly raiment?"

"Kidnapping." Issei gloomily snitched.

"Rather extreme for someone of her demeanor." Brynhildr couldn't help but laugh.

"You all just don't know. When she wants something to happen, she makes it happen." Issei twitched.

"Well, it's your fault for being so stubborn." The Valkyrie huffed.

"Can't help it. Grew up that way." Issei sheepishly admitted.

The two continued to dance until Brynhildr spotted Grayfia looking over. Ceasing her motions at the end of the song, she let him go.

"Well, I can't hog you all night, even though I'd like to. So, I'll settle for this." She immediately grabbed his face and dived forward, planting her lips over his.

Much to his surprise, and various others, Brynhildr boldly savored his taste before parting. Issei glanced to the side nervously, seeing that Sylderia was sporting a dark smile, her bangs overshadowing her eyes and a twitching smile on her lips.

---

Grayfia led him over to a party game, which was meant for adults. Much to Issei's chagrin, it was a drinking game. On a table, sat six cauldrons, all with different liquids that were blocked from sight with fog. It was the task of the players to determine what drink was what and if they were wrong, they had to drink two samples from the cauldron that they guessed wrong on.

She brought Issei along, hoping to get some time alone, though she made up the excuse that she wanted him to stop her if she got out of control.

They stopped in front of the first cauldron, where Issei took a small scoop of alcohol from the pot, ladling it into Grayfia's cup, albeit, gingerly.

"Hmph. Why so little?" She inquired.

"Why ask for so much?" Issei raised a brow.

"It's Halloween. Why waste it?" Grayfia tried to reason.

"No." Issei responded as if speaking to a child that persisted for a cookie before dinner.

"You're no fun." She sadly pouted.

"Puppy dog eyes don't work on me." Issei declared.

"You act as if I can't get it myself." Grayfia pouted.

Issei raised the ladle in his hands, holding high enough that she couldn't reach it.

"Don't spill that drink. People worked hard on that." He warned.

"Fine." Grayfia drank the green concoction.

"Is it Green Wisp?" She guessed.

"Nope, but reasonable guess. Still, you need to take another drink. Lord Issei, do put the ladle down. You're going to hold up the others."

Issei only sighed.

"If she goes out of control, then don't blame me."

Grayfia took another drink before guessing again.

"Emerald Lush." She guessed again.

"Correct. On to the next." The Barkeep gestured to the second cauldron.

She ladled a generous amount of red liquid into her cup, sipping it carefully.

"Red Rum." Grayfia shrugged.

"Guess again." Issei answered.

That meant another drink.

"Crimson Petals." Grayfia tried once more.

"Correct." The Barkeep rung his little bell to signify that she was right.

Issei groaned.

'This isn't going to end well.'

The third cauldron had clear liquid. When Grayfia sipped it, she smiled.

"Glass Blast."

"Correct!"

The fourth cauldron was what got Grayfia tipsy. It even had purple liquid. How could anyone want to drink that? When Issei smelled it, he wanted to gag. It was like smelling tar that had been mixed with gasoline. He resisted the urge to stop Grayfia since he didn't want to hurt the barkeep's feelings.

Grayfia coughed when she drank it, feeling the very strong burn.

"This?! This is Mauve Shroud!" She choked out as Issei gave her some water.

"Indeed!"

"How did you get Ilkynos to authorize this?" Issei asked.

"I just had to beg Eldesa." The Barkeep shrugged.

That alone answered everything.

Unfortunately, the last cauldron was what did her in. It had a distinctly strong taste to it and the same could be said for its smell.

"Ah, Lord Issei, I hope that you can partake in that particular one." The Barkeep passed him a cup.

The cauldron had a blue color, being close to cobalt in shade. It smelled of very strong alcohol, but when Issei drank it, it tasted like chocolate that burned. It was oddly pleasant and was quite smooth when swallowed.

"That's a bonus for clearing the other drinks, which are very strong. That drink would hit at 45% alcohol in content. It's my own creation. I call it the 'Herald's Rain'. It's inspired by our very dear Grim Herald." The Barkeep chuckled enthusiastically.

"I like it. It's pretty sweet and smooth." Issei smiled.

When he looked at Grayfia, he saw that she looked at it very much too. She had sneaked a third serving.

"Okay, enough." He took the cup out of her hands as she dived for it.

"Noooooooo…" She pouted.

"You're already drunk. Look at how red you are." Issei pointed out.

"It's only because you're here." She slurred.

"What?" Issei looked at her, genuinely confused.

"It's because Issei's so close that my heart keeps pounding." Grayfia muttered, poking her fingers together.

"Nice try. You're not getting more alcohol." Issei grumbled.

"Hmph…" Grayfia grew impatient as she dove forward and planted a deep and long kiss on his lips.

For once, Issei was caught off-guard, having expected her to dive for the cauldron instead.

"Issei's a meanie for making me take the initiative. You tease." She huffed as she nuzzled his neck.

"I think it's time we sat you down." Issei sighed.

Thankfully, there were reclining seats for drunk people. The reason behind it, was that last year, a ton of partygoers got drunk and couldn't be trusted to sit, thus, reclining chairs were needed.

---

When Grayfia was settled in, he saw Amaterasu wave at him, urging him to go over.

Sitting down at a table with her, he found a selection of foods.

"I'm pretty sure you haven't eaten a proper meal in a long time, considering what I've been told about your exploits." She guessed.

"I assure you, I'm fine." Issei tried to dissuade her.

He was soon cut off when a piece of steak went in his mouth. He looked to see that Amaterasu had fed him some food with a scolding look.

"That's no good. You need to take care of yourself." She reprimanded him softly.

"Yes, nurse." Issei surrendered.

At this point, he wasn't going to even argue with the women. They'd win, anyways. He'd allow himself a break for the night and just let things be.

"Here, ah~" Amaterasu smiled as she held up some bread.

"I can feed myself, Amaterasu-hime." Issei protested.

"It's no fun if you don't play along. I'm your nurse for the night." She pouted.

"Regardless, I'm a grown man. I can do this without your help."

"So, that's a no?" She whimpered.

Isse stared at her blankly. Her face was red the entire time and she had tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. He glanced around and everybody was giving him detesting glares, as if questioning how he had the audacity to make her cry.

Relenting, he opened his mouth.

"Ufufufufu." Amaterasu fed him another bit of food, giggling happily as he allowed her to do so.

When she finished feeding him, Camilla waved at him.

He walked over to her, already knowing what to expect.

"I've been meaning to talk to you." Issei folded his arms.

"About what?" She asked.

"About how you've been adjusting to life in Lemuria? Anything you want to tell me?" He asked.

"Not really. Things have been rather pleasant. Work doesn't feel like work since I get to play with music. Everyone in the orchestra that I joined are quite professional but deep down, we all share the love of music. Every day is fulfilling and I'm grateful for that." Camilla pepped up.

"I'm glad." Issei smiled.

(Final Fantasy XV OST: Valse di Fantastica. End Song.)

"By the way, a little birdy told me that you used to have a thing for music." Camilla mischievously snickered.

"No, I didn't." Issei lied.

"Is that so? I doubt it. There's been an overwhelming number of opinions stating that you were quite a musician." She chuckled.

Several knowing looks turned toward him when they realized that he was standing near the stage.

"Ah, Lord Issei, would you do us the favor of playing us a song?" Someone asked.

"Yes, please do. It's been too long since my children and I heard you play."

"Please?"

With an overwhelming number of requests, Issei had no choice but to play. He looked at the devious instigator and decided to make her pay for it.

"Only if Camilla performs with me." He smirked.

"That's fine." She shrugged.

Issei's smirk immediately disappeared. Camilla didn't have a problem as she knew that Issei needed to relax and have some fun. Sylderia had told her that music had been a way for Issei to vent his frustrations in the past, so she figured it still might work for him.

He sighed and sat at the black piano in front of him. He took a deep breath and cracked his knuckles before playing.

(D Gray Man OST: Tsunaida Te Ni Kiss Wo/Musician's Song. Play Song.)

As soon as Issei's finger pressed the first note, it was as if magic had been cast. The entire party calmed down, growing quiet as everyone listened to him play. The way his fingers moved was similar to how a sculpture quickly and masterfully formed his work.

The song was soft and mellow, even dreamy.

Soon enough, Camilla began to sing.

Her voice was surprising. She had yet to perform with vocals, having only played the violin while employed in Lemuria. It was like listening to a goddess sing. Her tone was soft and the words rang from her voice so smoothly that it was enchanting.

Issei had realized why the Hero Faction had abducted her the moment he heard her sing. She had two Sacred Gears. The first, were the [Dancer's Echoes], which were boots that allowed one to move as fast as lightning while treading on any surface, whether it be water, air, fire, or light. The other was a spiritual Sacred Gear, the [Melodious Emissary]. It was a sound Sacred Gear that created different effects depending on the singer's whims.

Of course, he only knew this because of his run-ins with past possessors.

While Camilla sang, Sylderia paid attention to Issei, noting his slight change in demeanor. He had certainly softened up, but she was trying to determine what caused it. Was this simply how he was when he wasn't in 'duty' mode? Or did the night simply bring out a different side of him?

He certainly wasn't like his old fun-loving self, but this kind of him was very pleasant too. She didn't care though. No matter what, Issei was Issei to her.

The same could be said for the others. Even if he was extremely brutal now, they understood his reasons and accepted it. He didn't harm anyone else, aside from the evil bastards that festered on the earth. They just wanted him to stop hurting himself with his self-hating thoughts.

He needed to stop or there'd be nothing left of him to heal. When Sylderia recounted his life story to the others, she had determined that they all cared about him on a genuine level. That led her to one conclusion.

She was willing to share him with the others, so long as Issei was accepting of it all. She realized that she couldn't be the only one for him and it would deprive the others of true love. She also knew that only her love might not be enough. The others probably had ways that only they could pull off.

It was saddening, but for her love, she'd sacrifice the time she could have to herself, and give it to others. There could be no selfishness with him, as he was needed to be repaid for all his sacrifices.

(D. Gray Man OST: Tsunaida Te Ni Kiss Wo/Musician's Song. End Song.)

With that said, the song finished and everyone clapped in a unanimous opinion. Even after several decades, Issei hadn't lost his touch. He was actually a bit proud that he hadn't blundered at the end of the song. It had been so long since he had touched an instrument that he wasn't sure if he could perform right.

Regardless, Camilla smiled brightly, walking up to him.

"Well now, that was certainly unexpected. I didn't ever think you were at a professional level." She giggled.

"It was a hobby. I just had time to practice." Issei shrugged, though he was smiling.

Music really did have a way with making him feel better.

"I was never able to do much, but I'm a little satisfied that I could do this much." Camilla perked up.

"Yeah, thank you." Issei gave her a heart-felt response.

"Don't mention it. I want to see you smiling, so stop being so gloomy or I might get like that too." Camilla ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am." Issei gave a mock-salute.

"Sassy mocker." Camilla groaned.

"Sly singer." Issei returned the tone, with a joking expression.

Camilla glared at him until she broke out into a laugh.

'He really is still a wonderful man. No wonder I still love him. He's not the monster that others make him out to be.' She noted to herself.

That said, Morrigan's turn came up.

---

This time, it was another game. The premise of this game, was to find the target of the game, which required an adventure around the Citadel.

'Here we go. A pairing game again. Leave it to Eldesa to try and make couples.' Issei groaned.

(Kingdom Hearts 2.5 OST: This is Halloween. Play Song.)

"Now then, let's start our next game. This one is a treasure hunt. The goal of this game is to find the body of the victim and to find the murderer with the clues left behind. This game will be played by having a group of people pair up to work together. The first group to do this wins a prize. In order to determine the who has what role, you will be given a slip of paper. Each group will have three detectives and one murderer. The murderer has to mislead everyone while hunting for the body and must do everything they can to avoid detection. If the murderer is deduced, then one of the detectives must 'execute' them. The 'execution' can be done in any way desired but it cannot be lethal. To find the clues to catching them, there will be maps handed out to each group. Each map has different locations to check, so there'll be no criss-crossin between groups." Eldesa chuckled deviously.

'She's planning something. I know she is. I don't trust her. I don't trust this game. At. All.' Issei leered at the stage.

With that said, Sylderia, Artemis, and Morrigan grouped together with Issei. While they did so, Amaterasu, Brynhildr, Grayfia, and Camilla made another group, choosing to let the others have some time with him.

Without further ado, Issei and his group left the Hall to start the game. He looked at his paper and paled.

You're the 'Murderer'.

'Craaaaaaaap.' He groaned in his mind.

This meant that if he got busted, he'd get 'executed', whatever that meant. Just his luck.

"We got a map, where we're supposed to check certain spots for the 'body', so we'll start with the Baths." Sylderia noted.

The others didn't see the problem but he sure did. It was the Women's Bath.

"I hate you, Eldesa." He hissed.

"Don't you dare go in." Artemis warned.

"I'll be staying out here, so no worries." Issei flatly responded.

The first out of the three clues was fairly obvious. It was a bloody message that had appeared in the water as soon Morrigan touched it. She yelped when she accidentally touched one of the showers, which sprayed red liquid onto the wall.

"Iyaaa!" She screamed, causing the others to rush over to find out what she saw.

One amongst you is true but false. By blood she/he walks and by blood she/he spilled; don't forget that murderer is chilled. If you wish to proceed with these ills, only forward should you go, down the halls.

"That was trippy." Issei remarked.

"Indeed." Morrigan sheepishly chuckled.

---

The next location was basically as the first clue said, which was very far down the hall, where the Museum was. It was like any other museum, being a gigantic, multi-level room with glass displays and replicas of ancient locations and relics.

As Morrigan passed by a portrait, she could've sworn that she saw it move out of the corner of her eye. She snapped to it and found that it was still in its default position. She shrugged it off and proceeded to walk away.

Suddenly, she felt something touch her. She yelped, turning around.

"Hya!"

"Something wrong?" Issei asked.

"I thought something touched me." Morrigan quivered.

"Might be your imagination." He shrugged.

"Right."

Much to her dismay, she kind of wished that Issei would've shown more concern. Morrigan was also sheltered, in a sense, having fallen out of touch with the world since her confinement to Hy-Brasil. She had forgotten a few things and didn't know about many modern things that the others did. Ghosts weren't foreign to her, but they weren't a common thing either. Even ghosts could harm gods and goddesses.

Finally, the second clue was discovered, but it came at the expense of Morrigan, yet again.

"Uwaaah!" She screamed when a hologram came to life and roared at her, moving so quickly and sounding so real that it freaked her out.

Issei had to stifle his laughter when she did that, but she at least noticed that the hologram pushed her towards a dragon statue that dropped a note into her lap.

Halfway through are you

To the Gardens you shall go, and in water and fright will you find you last hint

Be warned, dread and tears will fly when the clock strikes at two

A monsters eye will glint

---

Thus, they went to the Gardens. It was a prettier place than anyone had anticipated. Aside from grass and flowers, there were statues of crystal and shimmering streams of water running through the landscape, enhancing the natural sparkle that it had.

Following the water, Issei decided that he'd play along and mislead everyone. It also gave him the chance to be mischievous.

"I think we should go this way." He pointed left at the fork in the road.

"Yeah, let's check that place first." Sylderia agreed.

"Actually, I think we should split up." Artemis mused.

"That could work too, but what if the murderer tries to get away." Issei wondered.

"Then we'll just call for each other." Artemis shrugged.

"Then it's decided. I'll go with Morrigan." Sylderia decided.

"Doesn't matter to me." Issei sighed.

Thus, the group split into pairs.

'Just as planned.' Issei grinned evilly to himself, his red eyes glowing.

He had been gambling on Artemis' mindset working up. In an attempt to create more efficiency, she would obviously suggest splitting up. Sylderia wouldn't argue since she was most likely on the same wavelength. Artemis had a competitive streak and Sylderia had a helpful mind.

With those two separated from him, he'd have an easier time with the more sheltered Morrigan.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

The two walked along the path, which was a dirt road with a running creak next to it, heading into a forest clearing.

"Say, you're not really scared of this stuff, are you?" Morrigan asked.

"It's because I've seen it before." Issei quipped.

"So you know what happens?" Morrigan asked.

"No, they change it up every year. Eldesa makes sure to do it." Issei shrugged.

'Just a little further.' He smirked.

"Like how?" Morrigan quivered.

"Like this." Issei pointed to the left of the road, into the grass.

The truth was, he was willing a rock to move to distract her.

"What's that?" Morrigan innocently asked.

"UWAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Issei screamed, distorting his voice with magic into a demonic version of itself as he whipped around, booming his voice so loud that the ground shook.

He had manipulated his aura to form a demonic mask with leering red eyes and a fanged mouth. He even added illusion magic to simulate fake blood covering his face.

"IIIIYAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Morrigan wailed as she shook in shock and surprise.

At that moment, she fainted, being weak to horror.

'For a goddess of omen, she's awfully vulnerable to scares like this.' Issei chuckled.

He could sense Artemis and Sylderia coming up from behind, deciding to warp, hiding his presence from them while in the bushes.

"Morrigan?! I heard screaming!" Sylderia looked around until she found the unconscious goddess on the ground.

"What happened?!" Artemis looked at her, ensuring that she was fine.

"She's merely unconscious. She'll be okay. What's more, where's Issei?! I can't sense him." Sylderia darted around, starting to grow frantic.

"Issei?! Where are you?!" Artemis called out.

"This isn't funny anymore, Issei. Get back here so we can get back." Sylderia called out.

They froze when they only heard silence. It was as if Issei had really disappeared.

"He's nowhere near here. I can't sense him in the vicinity. He's not one to run away from this stuff so that means only one thing." Sylderia started to sweat in panic.

"He got attacked." Artemis bit her lip before joining Sylderia in her nervous behavior.

"Issei?! Where are you?!" Sylderia called out one last time, hoping that he'd hear and respond.

"RIGHT HEREEEEEEEEEE!" He roared, laughing maniacally.

The sudden response and surprise shocked Sylderia so bad that her tears spilled out as she slapped him.

"KYAAAA!" Both Sylderia and Artemis screamed.

"Nuhwaaaaaaaa!" Issei cried out in pain as his left and right cheeks received giant red marks.

(Kingdom Hearts 2.5 OST: This is Halloween. End Song.)

---

Five minutes later…

Issei was contemplating about his timing. He should've just went ahead and ended the game, but nope; he had to scare them.

Suddenly, a timer rang out, with everyone hearing it.

"Attention, everyone! The game has ended and the winners have been decided. With that said, we will proceed to the final course of the evening. A trial of courage. In exactly 5 minutes, the groups will be split in half and teleported to different locations. Your objective is to get back to the Ceremonial Hall while going through several tribulations and scares. I hope that you're ready. Then again, all the adults have seen worse, so this'll be boring. Just don't sue us when you teens get nightmares." Eldesa spoke in a sing-song voice.

Morrigan stood up immediately.

"I think it's clear who the 'killer' is." She glared at Issei, pouting.

"Guilty." Issei chuckled.

"Then it's time you got executed." Morrigan marched forward.

At first, she hesitated to consider him the 'killer' as she was afraid that it would have a more serious effect on him if he was called a murderer. However, she had quickly figured it out when she noticed that Issei only stood around, not commenting on much. If he didn't care, he'd have just solved the entire puzzle already with mind games and words, instead of being passive. What solidified her suspicions, was that he had been distracting her as soon as the group split.

She grabbed Issei by the collar and locked lips.

'I hope I don't catch anything.' Issei mused.

He was still extremely surprised, as the kiss was quite tender and affectionate. It was warm and alluring, despite who it was that was giving the kiss.

Morrigan finally released him, panting a little.

"There; the kiss of death." She bashfully stepped back.

Artemis was grumbling in jealousy as she watched her do that. Sylderia was sporting her 'dark smile' again, her aura flaring slightly.

Before anyone could say anything, a magic circle appeared underneath them, signaling the start of the Test.

---

When the light disappeared, Issei found himself alone with Artemis, in the City. Oddly, it was quiet and looked utterly disturbing. Well, actually, it was only disturbing with the fact that it was dead silent. Everyone looked as if they had turned in for the night. He looked at the time and found that it was 11:00 pm. No wonder it seemed this way. There was no curfew, but people generally went to bed around that time here.

Without further ado, Issei and Artemis start walking as if they were taking a stroll in the park. Now that they thought about it, it was just like when they had been in a relationship. Time seemed insignificant around them. They could go where they wished and did as they wanted, however, that wasn't what is was like now. There was a strict air of professionalism between them, courtesy of Issei.

Artemis had been harboring a question that she had been dying to ask him. She wanted to desperately be embraced by him again and to apologize but he made it clear that he would have none of it. He had burned the bridge back there. That didn't mean she couldn't try to build a new one, or even repair it.

"Issei, can I ask you a question?" She asked.

"Shoot." He responded, not even sparing her a glance.

"Do you hate me?" She timidly and slowly asked.

"Of course I don't. Why would I?" He honestly declared, even wondering for the reason to detest her.

"I denounced you and said so many hurtful things to you. When we were together, you only showered me with love and did anything for me. Yet I took it all for granted and lashed out at you because of my pride and insecurities. You should have every reason to hate me." Artemis whimpered.

"I don't blame you for anything that happened. It was Praegorn's fault in the first place. He manipulated us both in order to simply harm our emotions. It's also my fault for not seeing through it and allowing so much to happen. Regardless, apologies are no longer necessary, as it's all in the past." Issei turned around to give her a reassuring smile.

"Even if we can't go back to the way we were, it doesn't mean we have to hate each other."

Artemis nodded in agreement, seeing some hope of redemption.

"You grew up in dark times, where filth stewed around you. I don't blame your bias, even if it was misguided and rather broad." Issei admitted.

Those words pierced Artemis like arrows.

"Your father was someone to be feared, not for his power, but for his mindset. The same could be said about the other Olympians. It was only natural that you'd be jaded. Even though we were both taken advantage of, I know that our time together was pleasant and fun, so just in that, I'd say we managed to get something out of it." Issei quietly spoke the last part to himself, not allowing Artemis to hear him.

"Yes, but just once more…I'm so sorry for what I did to you." Artemis bowed.

"And I accept." Issei coolly responded, burying the hatchet once and for all.

---

The jump scares weren't that great, in Issei's opinion, then again, he'd seen worse just as Eldesa said. Artemis wasn't scared of them either, given how she was battle-hardened. She knew what was coming, so she wasn't disturbed. The only reason why Issei managed to scare her, was because he upset her composure and immediately exploited the right moment.

They had a bloody zombie rip out of the ground, a ghost wail into their ears, and a headless horseman chased them near the end. All of that, was met with plain expressions, though Artemis marveled at the hard work put into everything, which was just as rewarding as any scare could be.

And so, the long night was at an end, with Ilkynos and Eldesa having given their final words before closing the end of the Party. As sad as it was, several people were drunk and unable to move, so the next day was a free day.

Unfortunately for Issei, the next day meant that it was time to go back to being the Grim Herald. He would have to suppress his emotions and become a cold-blooded executioner again.

He snapped his fingers and made all of the party decorations tidy themselves up, setting them in boxes as he finished tidying everything up. He sensed someone behind him, though he already knew who it was.

She had already begun to put the rest of the food and decorations away alongside him.

"Don't you want to turn in early?" He asked.

"I'll go to sleep when we're done." Sylderia responded.

(Kingdom Hearts 2.5 OST: The Other Promise. Play Song.)

"I know that you want to get serious." Issei immediately shifted the conversation.

"If I did?" She inquired for his next action.

"I'd get into it." He challenged her.

"I'm not giving up on you." Sylderia declared.

"I'm not quitting." Issei fired back.

"I know you won't. I'm not making you. Nobody said that you're in the wrong for doing all this."

"I certainly think I'm wrong." Issei snorted.

"It's time you stopped with these thoughts." Sylderia walked over to him, her arms crossed.

Issei stood up, looking her in the eyes.

"I'm a monster of vengeance. What good is there in following me around? I won't detract from this path, nor do I want anyone else to follow me on this bloody road." He made his intentions clear.

"My parents told me about what they said to you. I know about what happened."

"And they were right to say that to me. Everywhere I go, somebody dies. Everyone around me, always dies. Everyone I love, died. My home in Japan is gone. My home in Atlantis was perverted and destroyed and I shattered the continent with my own hands. Even if I love something, I end up wrecking it. Look at what happened to you! You lost 2,600 years of your life." Issei gestured at her.

"It wasn't your fault. That blow was meant for you and I took it willingly. It was because I loved you that I wanted to protect you." Sylderia tried to justify the whole situation.

"Yeah? Well, what good did that do? We both moved on." Issei scoffed.

"It did us both a lot of good." Sylderia countered.

"I can't have anyone go down this hell hole with me, Sylderia. It's a long and bloody road that'll never end. It'll only destroy you and anyone else that dares to jump in with me. You need to let this disappear." Issei tried once more to dissuade her.

"I know. Even so, I'll follow you. I followed you down the bloody road of the revolution and I'll follow you now, as well. I love you. The others love you. Why won't you see that?"

"I see it, but I can't accept it." Issei turned around.

Sylderia's heart sank. His words really did wound her. A lot.

"Why?"

"Because of my own reasons. They're secrets that must never be known and until I accomplish my goals, I will stay this way." Issei decided.

"Then let us help you finish them." Slyderia walked forward.

"NO!" Issei's reaction was sudden and intimidating, being so loud that it echoed, causing the walls to shudder.

"Why are you so scared?"

"Because I can't lose anyone else. I can't take away any more people from their families. I've done enough damage to the people that I care about. I need to be alone. I was born alone. I lived alone. I fought alone. And I will die alone."

"Issei, stop." Sylderia's voice shook.

"I won't stop. Not now…not ever." He darkly growled.

"Why do you want to suffer so much?!" Sylderia wailed.

"Because I deserve it!" Issei roared.

"If you knew what I know…you'd hate me too. You'd all hate me. I can't forgive myself for what I've done. Nor should you. I…" He paused, unable to form his next sentence.

Sylderia was stunned. For the first time since their reunion, Issei had lost all of his composure. He was shaking violently, he looked pale, and he was panting.

Unknown to her, he was having another painful episode that was being caused by his cursed mark.

"I've committed the worst crimes imaginable. Soon, I'll pay for it and I will have deserved it. So please, for the final time, let me go so that you all can live better lives. Or my past will kill you all too." Issei, for once in his life, begged.

Sylderia's face of pain contorted into an expression of dilemma and loss.

"I can't. I love you too much. We all love you too much." She shook her head.

"Then that love will remain unrequited." Issei sadly muttered.

For the final time that night, Issei warped away. Leaving Sylderia to agonize over her inability to communicate with him again.

Issei laughed at himself as he reappeared in some unknown dark place.

"This is what I deserve. I can't love nor should I be loved. Not after the things I did."

The Abyss had told him so many things that his mind was overloading to the point that he could barely process anything. Most of all, it told him the truth.

He learned the horrific truth about himself, the Fortium, Praegorn, and his own connection to him.

How was he to remain sane now?

(Kingdom Hearts 2.5 OST: The Other Promise. End Song.)

---

And holy crap, this chapter was super long. I had originally had it done as Chapter 37 and a separate Halloween Special but I decided to just put everything together. I was going to split it in half but I forgot about it. Maybe I'll do that if I feel like it but I doubt that.

I also got some reviews where people stated that they wanted the Grim Herald to appear in the 'Akame Ga Kill' universe. I'm sorry to say the chances of that are highly unlikely. I don't really like doing crossovers between universes that have nothing to do with each other, when I do it myself. Even though Issei would have a field day in there, I don't think I'd write it.

Anyways, let me know what you all thought and I'll see you in the next chapter.