Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

A/N: It's been quite a while since I last updated. Thankfully, now that I've finished college, and it's winter break, I should have more time to write and update. With that said, I've got a few chapters of this left in the backlog for a few more updates this month.

To make up for my disappearance these past few months, I'm going to give you guys a double update. Have fun!

Read/review/enjoy!

The Bloodstained Omamori

Chapter Thirty Six

Execution Is the Key

"Akeno looked pretty happy when she left for club." Sona said as we walked along the road to my house. Apparently, Serafall had called us for something pertaining to the upcoming Gremory-Astaroth Rating Game. "Was there anything you did that may have caused it?"

"Honestly? I genuinely still have no idea what I did. All I know is that I need to have Azazel examine this eye of mine. It's been acting up lately." I said with a grimace as I blinked my left eye a few times before pulling out my eye drops and leaning my head back to apply it.

"You have been using those drops regularly, haven't you?" Sona asked, concern clearly present in her tone.

"Twice a day, just as prescribed." I said to her as the drop fell into my eye and I blinked a few times, my vision clearing up instantly. The previous night passed without incident after the moment with Akeno, me escorting her to her room, then heading to mine for well-deserved sleep. After the incident with her, my eye didn't feel any different, but that didn't change the fact that I was concerned over the fact that it would act up without my go ahead. At the same time, I wrote the spell sequence I saw earlier for proper study at a later time, probably with Rin's help. This was something that a second pair of experienced eyes would only help.

Of course, in the midst of my explanation of las night's events, when I mentioned that I was drinking with Azazel, Sona's wasn't a very happy camper. Her silent, scolding glare was something that I found oddly attractive. When I made that thought known to her, she blushed and it promptly deepened. She managed to continue walking without trouble while maintaining it, something I found rather impressive. I chose to not voice that particular, else she find some other way to show her displeasure with my life choices.

Sona sighed heavily, "Next time, please think twice before you allow yourself to fall to your father's level."

"You're saying think about the situation, then do it anyway?" I gave her a wide-eyed unbelieving look. "I knew I hit the jackpot when I met you."

She sighed heavily and shook her head. "You know what I mean."

I grinned widely at her, "I think you love my stupid decisions. It's a part of my charm, after all."

"Yes." She drawled out, crossing her arms under her petite bust. "Because someone has to take care of you, as childish as you are." Sona gave me a dry look, her smile widening at my smirk.

"If it's any consolation, the only person I'd want to 'take care of me' would be you. I'd love to see you in a maid uniform." I smirked at her as I watched her cheeks darken and she gave me this look.

"We'll have to wait and see for the future." Sona said cryptically as we reached the door to my house. I stepped up to the door and unlocked it, opening it and letting Sona walk inside first. When we stepped inside, I was surprised to not only see Serafall, but also Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Azazel. They were all sitting or standing in the living room with a plate of tea and cakes sitting on the coffee table. "Onee-sama…what is everyone doing here?" Sona asked, looking quite confused as she looked to all the people in my living room.

I was just trying not to demand answers as to why all these people were freeloading in my house.

Serafall perked up, waving her free hand at us while holding a cup of tea in her other. "Hi, So-tan! Daisuke-chan! I called you both here so we could talk about Rias-chan's Rating Game."

I blinked as I closed the door behind me. "Not that the outcome isn't important, but what does Rias-san's Rating Game have to do with us. We're not fighting in this one."

"That's rather simple, Daisuke-kun." Sirzechs spoke up, taking a sip of tea. "It's because the Game has been compromised. It's a trap, made by those of the Old Maou Faction. But we've figured out how to turn it against them."

That caught my attention instantly. My eyes narrowed as I strode towards an open seat on the armchair. "You've got my attention." Sona's reaction was similar, as she took the space next to Serafall. "What are the specifics?"

Sirzechs smirked lightly at my reaction, sharing a glance with an amused Azazel. "We have reason to believe that Diodora Astaroth is a Khaos Brigade spy, a member of the aforementioned Old Maou Faction, and is using his Rating Game against my sister as an attempt to remove her and her Peerage. Permanently."

I narrowed my eyes as I considered this. A trap to remove Rias and her group? Seems a bit much for her and her group, all things considered. Yes, she's the younger sister of a Maou, but she shouldn't be that much of a high profile target in comparison to others in the Underworld. Although…she and the others' growth is noteworthy, what with their latest accomplishments. Yes, removing her and the others would be a hit against the current political stance of the Underworld. As well as piss off quite a few people, myself included.

Sirzechs nodded to me, as if reading my thoughts from my expression. "You can at least see that this has ramifications if it's allowed to pass without retaliation." He leaned forward and looked me straight in the eye. "We do not know how many of ours are working with Khaos Brigade, so we needed to keep this between us and only us. As such, we're limited in what we can do. So, I ask you this, Daisuke-kun: will you and your Peerage help us deal with the inevitable attack?"

I felt a thoughtful frown appear on my face as I crossed my arms. Closing my eyes, I considered as much as I could, the potential danger and threat to my Peerage, especially the least experienced members. After a few second of thought, I locked gazes with Sirzechs. "Are there are others who are helping the defensive? I want to get a clear idea as to how much pressure my friends will be under."

It was Serafall who spoke up. "We're limiting the amount of people we approach with this plan, in the hopes that the enemy doesn't learn that we know of their plans. Currently, the only others we've told are Sairaorg and Seekvaira. They've been briefed just as we're doing for you."

I nodded to that, letting everyone else speak before telling them my decision.

Azazel continued, "The plan we put together is that we send you and the geezer into the alternate dimension where the Rating Game is taking place. He'll fight the force that attacks the Gremory group, while you act as their personal escort as they continue." He paused and crossed his arms. "The chances of the Old Maou sending in a pinch hitter in case of outside interference are pretty high, so with your abilities, you'd be best able to adapt to whatever they throw in there."

"Essentially, my task would be to handle the most dangerous opponents, while letting Rias-san deal with Diodora without outside interference?" I was greeted with a round of nods at my deduction. "At the same time, my Peerage would be in different parts of the dimension, fighting alongside everyone else in defeating the Old Maou's forces?"

"Exactly that." Sirzechs said to me.

Honestly, I did not like this at all. My Peerage hasn't yet become a properly cohesive unit that I could implicitly trust to act without my presence to either lead them, or defend where they were weak. Fighting on my own wasn't an alien concept to me. Hell, I could honestly say that I preferred it. It was the idea of leaving them on their own, without a clear chain of command that I knew would work, was giving me some doubts.

Regardless, this was something that I had to do. I had to trust them as it was me who chose them to join me.

"I understand. When and where do you need us?" I said with conviction, focusing on Sirzechs with a determined gaze.

Sirzechs nodded with a thankful smile. "Since she already has a room here, Serafall will stay until it is time for us to prepare. She'll lead you and your Peerage to the meeting point."

Serafall beamed, lifting her hand and making a 'V' sign with her two lead fingers. "Count on me, Daisuke-chan!"

"Now, Sona, as for your place in this." Sirzechs turned to my King.

"Yes, Sirzechs-sama?"

"You and your Peerage will focus on safely evacuating the civilians and defending them from harm. Along with Seekvaira and her Peerage, this is your only duty. When you arrive at your destination, rendezvous with her as soon as possible and coordinate a group effort."

Sona nodded, but frowned in contemplation. "If we know of a potential terrorist attack, then why would we allow civilians anywhere close to ground zero?"

Sirzechs scowled in distaste, "As much as I wish we could keep everyone away, we need to keep the façade up that we're ignorant about the Khaos Brigade's activities. If we want to take the chance to hit them where it hurts then we need to take this risk." He then looked to Sona, a serious expression. "It's up to you and Seekvaira to defend the civilians. Can I trust you to do this, Sona Sitri?"

Sona was about to reply, but Serafall jumped in and cut her off. "Of course So-tan can! She's my adorable little sister and can do anything she set her mind to!"

That got an amused look from Sirzechs and an exasperated one from Grayfia. Azazel snorted and crossed his arms.

My King gave her a tired look, with a hint of fondness hidden in her heavily exasperated glare. "Onee-sama, please…" Serafall simply smiled widely at her. Then she sighed and looked to Sirzechs. "You can trust me, Sirzechs-sama, I will get it done well."

Sirzechs nodded to her. "Good. Thank you. Grayfia will be the one to take you to the meeting point by teleportation seal." The aforementioned woman pulled out a small sheet of paper and handed it to her. The Maou stood and brushed himself off. "With that done, I need to meet with Odin-dono to hash out the specifics on his part of the plan." He looked to Azazel. "You've got tasks of your own to fulfill, yes?"

He nodded to him. "Yeah. I'm meeting up with Odin later to go to some breast clubs." His grin widened as he crossed his arms. "The old geezer wanted to see the best sights in town, so I've decided to give him a personalized tour." Sirzechs let out a small laugh as he shook his head; behind him, Grayfia scowled at the Fallen Angel.

"You know, there are times when I want nothing more than to kick you." I deadpanned to my father, getting him to laugh out loud.

"There'll be a terrorist attack in the Underworld in two days during Gremory's Rating Game and you'll be placed right in the center of it? Why am I not surprised?" Moka deadpanned as she gave me a dry look.

Currently, after everyone but Serafall left, she, my Peerage and I were in the sitting room, each person taking their spot and listening to Serafall and me intently as we explained the plan of attack. The Leviathan Maou was at my immediate right while everyone else sat across from the two of us. When we finished, Moka and Fate looked resolute, ready to act when necessary. Things like this were technically par for the course for us, so we didn't have much to worry over. Kuroka looked intrigued at the prospect of combat, but seemed to be focusing on me intently. Ravel looked a little hesitant at this, but seemed to steel herself noticeably, clenching her hand tightly. Himari was a cross between contemplative and eager, clearly wanting a chance to cut loose after so long without combat. Ena appeared to be wholly unconcerned or simply confident, if her half-lidded gaze and the quirk of her lips were any consideration. Rin was taking it all in with a stoic expression, but I could see her thinking through it from the look in her eye. It was Kunou's expression that struck me the most: she seemed to be hesitant, with a sliver of fear racing through her eyes, before she steeled herself, giving me a resolute look.

"Basically." I answered Moka without levity. "We've got two days till this goes down, which means all extra-curricular activities will be cut off in favor of some last minute scenario training. Am I understood?" I got a round of nods from everyone and cleared my throat. "Before we do anything, I want to set up impromptu pairs. Think 'Buddy System' if you want to get technical."

"The 'Buddy System'?" Fate asked with a small smile, clearly trying to lighten the mood with her playfully skeptical tone.

"Yes. There are only three of you I know won't be overwhelmed on the off chance things go bad: Fate, Moka and Kuroka."

Moka and Fate nodded, knowing that I came to this conclusion due to our history together. Kuroka, however, looked immensely amused. "Oh, I'm honored you believe in me that much, nya."

Rin looked a hint insulted by that. "Why only the three of them?" She scowled at the lightheartedly smug look that Kuroka threw her way.

"It's because I've seen what the three of them do first hand. In addition, Fate and Moka were among the Church's top Exorcists and Kuroka is infamous for evading capture as a Stray Devil until I got her a pardon. Against all but the strongest opponents on the Khaos Brigade's side, I know they'll come out on top even if they're by themselves." I motioned to everyone else. "The rest of you, I haven't seen enough of your combat skills to not worry over you in the midst of a fight. That's where the 'Buddy System' comes into play."

I paused and regarded all of them carefully, mentally compiling several different partner layouts in the span of a few moments. Nodding once, I started, "Fate, since you're too fast for anyone to safely keep up with, you'll be universal back-up. Anyone needs your help and you're not otherwise engaged, your duty is to aid them as soon as possible." She nodded to me. I turned to Moka. "Moka, you'll be working with Himari. You're already familiar with one another, so get used to covering one another." The two shared a look and nodded in unison. "Seishuuin-san, Kuroka, you two will be disrupting enemy lines. Move quickly and be as annoying as possible, got it?" Kuroka gave me a very catlike smile as she shared a look with Ena, who seemed to be smiling in a similar manner.

"Rin-san, do you know any clairvoyance magic?"

Rin paused and thought for a moment, then nodded confidently. "Yes, but I'd need a medium to do it effectively. A calm surface of water, whether it be a puddle, bowl or body of water. Especially if I can get some crafted Familiars into the air."

"Does it cost anything to make them?"

"They're relatively cheap if done right. Why?"

"Because, I'm teaming you with Ravel and Kunou. The three of you will be mission control, essentially." They straightened their posture and appeared to listen closer to my next words. "Rin, using your Familiars, scope out as much of the battlefield where all of you will be fighting and project it on a reflective surface. Mirror or water, it doesn't matter. To facilitate this, I'll have all of you connected with an advanced version of my Telepathy spell and three of you will be giving out information on any changes you witness on the battlefield." They nodded at me. "Most importantly, though, is to make sure you defend each other."

Rin nodded and crossed her arms, releasing a faint breath. "I guess I better brush up on my Familiar creation and the clairvoyance spell then. I'll be putting them to use, extensively…"

"Before you do that, though, there's something I need to talk with you about… Privately." I said to her, getting her to look to me in surprise.

Kuroka hummed impishly. "Daisuke-chin is looking for some private time with Twin Tail ojou-chan, nya. I wonder what he wants to talk about, nya~?" She gave me a sly look and I retorted with a deadpan arch of my brow.

"Magician stuff." I answered brusquely, getting Kuroka to pout at me.

"Killjoy, nya." She crossed her arms huffily.

I rolled my eyes with a faint smirk, looking to everyone else in my Peerage. "Okay, everyone, that's a rap. Get to work with either training or preparing yourself in some way. If you need help with anything, just come find me. I'll be here all night." I looked to Rin and said, "Go on ahead to your workshop, I'll meet you there." Reaching into my pocket, I held out a small book. "New grimoire for shared spell work, read through the first few pages and tell me what you think when I find you." Rin hesitated when she reached to take it, but took it nonetheless, holding it carefully as she nodded to me.

"I'll see you in a bit then…" Rin then quickly left the room, heading out the door to the basement.

Moka caught my attention. "After you're done with Tohsaka, I want to talk to you about this op in more detail. Alright?" She then looked to Himari, who was already on her way to us, "You and I should do some drills to become familiar with each other's fighting styles."

Himari nodded to her, "That sounds great." She then turned to me. "By your leave, Daisuke-sama."

"Hurry up and get started. I'll meet you in a bit." I waved them off with a small smirk, watching them leave the living room. Dropping onto the couch next to Ravel, I sighed heavily, "I can understand perfectly why you chose to join Peerage, rather have your own. It's already exhausting and I haven't even done anything yet."

Ravel let out a small laugh. "There is a reason they're normally restricted to High Class Devils." She clasped her hands in front of her, placing them on her lap as she smiled haughtily. "We are prepared to lead thanks to our upbringing, after all."

Kunou giggled from her space next her. "Kaa-sama did tell me that leading people is tiring." She gave me a kind smile. "I think you're doing pretty well so far, Daisuke-nii-sama."

I gave her a grateful look. "Thank you, Kunou-chan. At least you give me good news." Then I threw Ravel the stink eye. "At least you didn't make fun of me, like some people." I hid the wide smile that threatened to come forward at Ravel's frantic stuttering as she tried to come up with a proper retort. Her face turned a bright red when I finally grinned. "You're so easy to tease, Ravel. Now I have two people I can mess with now."

Ravel pouted at me and crossed her arms at me. "Idiot."

I nudged her side with an elbow, smirking playfully. "Kidding, kidding. Have a little fun, Ravel. I was just joking." She still pouted at me, to which I leaned in close, getting her face to turn an even darker red; I could swear that I saw steam rising from her ears. "Or am I?"

She quickly turned away from me, getting to her feet and walking a few feet away, softly slapping her cheeks and whispering to herself.

"You're mean, Daisuke-nii-sama…" Kunou said to me, an amused smile on her face.

I threw a lively grin at her. "I'm not mean, I just like getting a reaction."

"Some would say that's the definition of mean…" Kunou deadpanned at me, getting me to look at her in surprise. She squeaked in shock when I suddenly swept her into a hug. "W-What are y-you doing!?"

"Oh! You're falling into place so quickly! I can already tell you're going fit perfectly!" I let out a soft laugh and put her down, watching in amusement as she fixed her skirt with a lightly flushed expression. She pouted up at me. I simply grinned at her and looked around to see that Kuroka and Ena had made off somewhere, seemingly with Fate. Ravel was currently talking with Serafall, though it seemed to Maou was teasing the poor girl, getting her flush and stutter in embarrassment. Motioning for Kunou to follow, I said, "Come on, let's get the other two and head downstairs."

"Okay." She nodded to me and followed after me.

I approached Serafall and Ravel, speaking up to catch their attention. "Sera, while I speak with Rin, can you keep these two, and anyone else who's in the training room, occupied with team training? I want to get everyone comfortable with their team as much as possible."

"I can do that! Let's go!" Serafall jumped up and raced towards the door, heading down the steps a few at a time.

I turned to Ravel and Kunou, pointing to the retreating Maou. "See that? I want the two of you to have that same enthusiasm for training." I very nearly bust out laughing at the heavily exhausted expressions the youngest members of my Peerage gave at my words.

I walked into the workshop after having left what was left of my Peerage in Serafall's capable hands. Though, I did feel a little sorry for them after seeing the Maou's rather frightening grin and the mischievous glint in her eye, but I decided that with Fate, Moka and Kuroka, they'd be fine. So, with that hopeful thought, I stepped up to Rin's side as she read through the few written in pages of the grimoire.

"This…this has to be something you've worked on for years, five at the least." Rin started off, not taking her wide eyes off the page. "It's far too expertly put together, too flawless in its execution." When she turned to me, I could see the hunger in her gaze. "How in the name of all that is magic were capable of making something this grand!? What does it even do?!"

I felt the corner of my lips curl into a highly amused smile. If only she knew…

Looking to the door, I pushed it shut and turned to her with a serious look. "Before I say anything else, I need you to promise me that what I tell you in here does not leave this room. Can you do that?"

Rin looked a little taken aback by my seriousness. "Of course." She answered nonetheless, her own expression turning serious.

I paused and lifted my hand, motioning to my left eye. "You know I lost this eye in the fight with Perseus, right?" Rin nodded and I let out an aggrieved sigh. "My Father, in all of his infinite 'wisdom', decided to not only give me an artificial eye, but one with a special function. When I catch sight of a spell being cast, this eye directly copies and memorizes the specific sequences within the spell."

Rin practically froze after her I said, the book falling from her still fingers. Her aqua eyes focusing intently on me. She remained perfectly frozen for a few more seconds before she narrowed her eyes at me, her shoulder stiffening in anger. "You haven't copied any of my spells have you?"

"Not yet." I answered truthfully, which caused a fury unlike any other alight in her gaze. "Before you say anything else, know that anything can happen in the heat of the moment. I will not close my eye in the middle of a battle when you cast a spell, just so I won't copy your magic. I refuse to cripple myself like that." My voice was hard and unyielding, which seemed to vindicate me just a bit, only a bit, but she still looked pissed. "However, I will promise you that if I happen to see you cast a spell, I will tell you when it happens and not use it unless I get your express permission."

Her anger dimmed slightly more, but her shoulders remained staunched. "You didn't ask for it?"

"No." I replied instantly. "If I knew that the eye he was going to give me had this ability… I probably would've still let him give it to me." Rin gritted her teeth and glared harshly at me. I locked gazes with her, not giving an inch in spite of her anger. "The tactical advantage this offers me is too valuable to brush aside. The chances of running into an enemy Magician are too high to ignore. If I can surprise them by not only hitting them with their own spells, but also steal them for my, our, personal repertoire of spells, then I'm more than willing to take advantage of this gift my Father gave me."

Rin didn't back down immediately, instead she took in my argument and seemed to carefully consider my words. Her severe frown lightened as she straightened her posture and seemed to think even more deeply, considering even more. At the mentioning of taking other Magician's spells, I caught a curious gleam in her eyes, much to her immediate flinch. She crossed her arms in front of her petite chest and cocked her head in thought. After a moments of thought, Rin nodded curtly. "You have made quite a few good points, Shizuka-kun… Though I still don't like the idea of you memorizing my spells…"

"As I said earlier, to make up for the accidental theft of your personal spells, I'll both not use yours without permission and share other spells that I copy with you." I negotiated with her, crossing my arms as I focused intently on her.

Rin seemed to chew the inside of her cheek as she met my gaze. She was clearly unhappy with me being able to copy her spells, but understood the futility of preventing it. After a few moments, she sighed heavily, her cheeks dusting a light pink from the intensity of my gaze. "Alright, fine. You win. I'll agree to your terms. Just keep your word and we'll have no problems."

I smirked lightly and nodded to her. "Glad to see we can agree on this." I then leaned down and picked up the book. "Now, what did you think the function of the spell was?"

She was clearly glad for the change in subject, because she replied instantly. "I was unable to decipher it's exact function, but it seemed to be a…bridge of sorts." She paused and hesitated, shaking her head suddenly, twin tails flapping over her shoulders. "Bridge is too literal. More like a…connection. It forms a link between two subjects and…does something." She crossed her arms, confusion through her eyes as she stared at the book. With an amused smile, I opened it and showed the seal to her. "I can't figure out what it does without casting it, but I can surmise that it joins two subjects in some form of communication, but… It's far too deep of a connection than what I can put into words."

That…sounded somewhat like what happened between Akeno and I, though far too wordy and unclear.

"Who did you copy it from?" Rin suddenly asked me. "The person who created this must have some form of talent of bonding sequences, because this seal clearly links two individuals together. Maybe genius level, possibly." She placed a hand on her chin, narrowing her eyes at the book, taking it from my hand.

I felt a laugh bubble up from my chest, as a grin forced its way onto my face. "Genius level, huh? I'd love to tell Issei you said that about him."

Rin froze at my words. Her expression slowly turning unbelieving, before becoming downright hilarious in its pure defiance. Then it morphed into disgust, before her shoulders fell and she glared at me. "What are you talking about?" She sounded completely defeated, as though the world itself was against her.

A smirk appeared on my face as I pointed to the seal on the book. "The spell itself is essentially Issei's newest spell; Bilingual, I think he calls. I'd rather not repeat its intended function, as I'm sure you heard him explain it." Rin nodded fiercely, fury etching itself on her features as she glared at the seal, then at me for copying it. "As luck would have it, I happened to be looking in his direction when he first cast it." I tapped the left side of my head, close to my eye.

My Pawn paused, her rather expressive face falling into a confused frown. "I thought…that Devil's don't use sequencing equations? That their spells are based solely on imagination."

I nodded to that, "That is true, but this artificial eye was created with the ability to memorize and copy spell sequences. However, I don't think it discriminates between magic used by Magicians and Devils. To compensate for the difference, I believe it used the equivalent to create a…similar effect." I trailed off at the end of the statement, glancing to the side sheepishly.

Rin peered at me through narrowed eyes. "You act like you've used the spell before."

"Not intentionally."

Her eyes widened unbelieving. "How do you use a spell unintentionally?!" Rin demanded of me, her incredulity clearly obvious even for the most obtuse of individuals. "Magic requires intent, even in that of Devil magic! How do you use a spell 'not intentionally'?!"

I paused and crossed my arms. "I believe…the spell activated because of a subconscious desire, an immutable need to resolve a persistent problem."

"And you spoke to a pair of…breasts?"

I snorted at her disbelieving look and incredulous tone. "That's the thing. No, I didn't. I inadvertently forced her to relive a traumatic moment in her past in order to make her accept what she was really feeling deep in her subconscious." My tone was soft and unwavering, but that did nothing to take away the awe I felt.

Rin's eyes widened at that. "That's… That sounds painful…" She muttered faintly as she looked to the ground.

"I still have no idea what it was that exactly happened. One moment, my eye was throbbing and tearing up, the next I'm frozen in place the instant we look into each other's eyes. I could hear everything, but it seemed as if she was seeing it all again…" I slid a thumb across my closed left eye, still a little breathless from the events of last night.

"And you didn't have any control over it?" I shook my head at her question. "So, you just happened to look whoever it was in the eye and boom, instant heartfelt revelation." I nodded to that, feeling a smile growing on my face at her deadpan delivery. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Your entire life is slowly devolving into one extreme situation after another. It's like your living a Light Novel or a manga."

I gave her a wide grin. "What does that make you, then?"

"The only sane person."

"I'm sure Moka would fight you for that position."

"She'd have the fight of her life."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "I figure I should ask this now, rather than later: do you want to continue talking through the seal or try again later? After letting everything I just told you sink in?"

Rin paused, letting out an aggrieved sigh. "Later. You've dropped too many bombs and I'm mentally exhausted."

I let out a small laugh, getting her to glare at me once more. "Well, let's meet with the others then. I'm sure Serafall has given them some effective training." She nodded and followed me out of the workshop, shutting the door behind her. We walked around the bend and stepped right into the pathway towards the training area. As we neared it, I couldn't help but notice, and feel, the subtle chill of ice magic decorating the air. I arched an eyebrow and stepped into the training area proper, feeling my brows rise at the sight in front of me, vaguely hearing Rin let out a small snort of laughter.

Standing with her hands on her hips and grinning widely, Serafall had clearly defeated my Peerage, apparently with hilarious ease.

Fate and Moka were lying on the ground, their legs entwined with each other and haphazardly splayed apart. Ice decorated the two of them, practically sticking them to the ground.

Ena was attached to the ceiling by several sheets of ice, with her sword sticking out of the ground below and an arm hanging listlessly.

Himari was stuck to the far wall, hanging sideways as her legs dangled languidly.

Kuroka was sitting against the back wall, her head lolled to the side and face covered by her long hair.

Ravel and Kunou were only two who didn't look hilarious defeated. The Phenex was on her knees and regarding Serafall with wide, fearful eyes, hands holding fistfuls of her skirt. Kunou was behind her, peeking from around her shoulder and regarding Serafall with a look of fearful respect.

I blinked a few times as I looked from Serafall to my Peerage, then back to Serafall. "I don't know whether to feel disappointed, or just bust out laughing…"

"I'm leaning towards laughter myself." Rin said with glee as she crossed her arms.

I threw her a deadpan look. "The fact that you're willing to laugh at your comrades severely concerns me."

She simply shrugged at me, wholly unconcerned with my words.

I then rolled my eyes, looking over to Serafall. "I'm almost scared to ask but…how did they do? You know, before…this." I motioned to my fallen friends, feeling an amused smile slowly appear on my face.

"They were pretty good. Not much coordination as a group, aside from Tess-chan and Akashiya-chan." Serafall placed a finger on her chin in thought. "They took the longest to beat. Seisshu-chan and Himari-chan ended up getting in each other's way so I blasted the two of them." She grinned playfully.

I blinked at that and sighed into my hand, shaking my head. "Definitely going to work on teamwork… Sera-chan, want to help with that?" At Serafall's exuberant affirmative, I couldn't help but grin as I quite literally felt the angry gazes of everyone who was beaten.

Lemony Stuffs Ahead!

Having changed into a pair of shorts for bed, I pushed a hand through my still wet hair after my brief bath. I stood next to my bed and stretched, lifting my hands high above my head as I let out a small grunt at the exertion. Letting my arms fall, I released a breath and climbed onto my bed. I lied back and put my hands behind my head. Waving my hand, I cast a spell to summon my personal grimoire to me, then silently cast one more spell. It appeared in my hand and I began to read it closely. My eyes trailed along my hasty scrawl, the results of writing after several hours of sword training. Still, even with the difficult to read the writing, I knew exactly what it is I wrote, because I knew it. I spent hours studying, writing, reading, memorizing every aspect of these sequences and equations.

These past few days I've had in my life so far, I've been thrust into all new circumstances and situations. There were times I felt lost, that I had no time to prepare and was forced to just fight. I took everything in stride, doing everything I could to remain on top of the game, but…there was only so much one could do when a sword carves a gash into your side and destroys your left eye. That…showed me that I needed to find another way to move forward. I needed to go back to how I was. I needed to retake the control I lost over my life.

I closed the book with a clap and sat up suddenly, narrowing my eyes in resolution. The day of the Rating Game, I'll show everyone how much I've changed. How much I've grown stronger.

"Nya~. Don't you look determined, Daisuke-chin, nya." Looking to my side, I caught sight of Kuroka in a white yukata, something she normally wears after taking a bath. Her long black hair seemed to glisten as she pushed a hand through its still wet tresses.

"Just…thinking." I smirked mysteriously as I motioned to Kuroka to come forward. She did so, crawling along the bed towards me, not bothering to fix her yukata after it fell off her left shoulder. The moment she came close enough, I placed a hand on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. She froze for a split second, before I felt her smile into the kiss, returning it with a fervor. Our lips moved in heated tandem as she slid herself closer to me, pressing her chest against mine as she situated her body next to mine. Lips occasionally broke apart so we could breathe, but that did little to slow either of us.

We fought dominance in the kiss, grabbing and pushing against each other, hands traveling all over our bodies. Kuroka climbed onto my lap, straddling me and situated her body so that she kissing downwards. As her hands slid along my shoulders and arms, I was rubbing her soft, supple legs. Sliding them up and down roughly, I squeezed and pulled her body closer against mine. Her arms rested on my shoulders as she wrapped them around my neck, pushing her fingers through my still wet hair. She purred into the kiss as I squeezed her ass, digging my fingers into her wondrous thighs.

A faint growl escaped me as I suddenly lifted Kuroka and pinned her to the bed, pushing my hands further up her thigh until I reached her waist. As I did this, I vaguely felt her tails possessively wrap around my waist as she squirmed under me, purring affectionately in the midst of our heavy petting. I hesitated for an instant at the obi, before simply pushing through it and opening her yukata. We continued our heavy petting for a few more moments until we came to a slow stop. I breathed heavily, but silently as I regarded Kuroka with heavily lidded eyes. Her own face flushed heavily as she looked up to me with a faint smirk.

"What brought this on, nya~?" Kuroka asked with a voice filled with lust, her hand absently touching my bare chest.

"You." I said, my voice thick. "No matter what I do or think, you always seem to distract me. Always seem to pull me in." I leaned in and kissed her neck, listening as she purred faintly. "I'll be blunt, Kuroka: you turn me on something fierce and I want to fuck you. Hard."

Kuroka let out a breathy laugh, sending chills down my spine. "Then my plan worked, nya." She whispered, her full lips pressing against my cheek. "I've been trying to drive you crazy with lust, nya. All so I can have you all to myself, nya~." I felt her shiver beneath me as I slid my hand along her bare side, capturing her lips once more in a kiss. Cupping her bare breast, I felt her hand grasp mine and guide it in kneading it. She moaned into the kiss, her lips practically intoxicating as our tongues caressed one another. Kuroka moved in near-perfect coordination with me, her hands stroking my body with a frightening amount of care. Everywhere her skin touched me, a spike of desire shot through my body. Her lips, her hands, her tail, her very body was like a livewire, sending sparks of want, or need, through me…

I breathlessly broke the kiss and gave her a wide-eyed look. "You're using Senjutsu?"

Kuroka purred as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling my face closer to hers. I slowly began to lose myself in her slitted hazel orbs. "Nekoshou are infamous as mistresses and lovers, you know, nya." Her soft purr sent shivers down my spine. "Skilled Senjutsu users can stimulate their partners to an entirely different plateau of pleasure, nya."

I studied her carefully, my eyes flickering from her hazel orbs, to her lips, back to her eyes. "I want you, Kuroka." She smiled widely and narrowed her eyes with glee.

"Then take me, nya~."

I captured her lips once more, but slid my free hand down her body and on her inner thigh. As we hungrily devoured one another, my hand slowly moved along her thigh and upwards. When I reached her womanhood, I gently slid my thumb along her slit, getting her to shiver under me and kiss more earnestly. Lifting my middle finger, I teased her lips lightly and reveled in the faint whine in her kiss. Her tail tightened around my waist as I rubbed her slit with more intent. She dug her nails into my arms, silently beckoning me to continue. Then, without so much as a warning, I pushed my finger inside of her.

Kuroka shivered ever so lightly as I slid my finger back and forth, rubbing and prodding her insides without mercy. She rolled her hips in response to my hand; my second hand slid from her breast to her face, cupping it as I deepened the kiss. Entwining my fingers in her hair, I continued to toy with her most private place. Her sensual moans, as well the subtle use of Senjutsu, drove me absolutely crazy; she apparently felt the same as her walls seemed to wrap tightly around my finger. Rubbing a certain spot, she jerked lightly and broke the kiss as she let a sudden gasp. Hazel eyes honed in on my brown and narrowed mischievously.

I smirked lightly at her and moved downwards, causing her tail to come loose as I situated my body between her legs. Sliding my hands along the length of her legs, I lied down and began to trail kisses along her thigh before reaching her most special place. Leaning towards it, I kissed and prodded the lips with my tongue. Kuroka shuddered as I did so, her fingers entwining into and gently pulling my hair. Carefully rubbing and licking her clit, I reveled in Kuroka's moans. Adding in the sensation of sliding my finger back inside of her and continued to tease her. Kuroka bucked at the sensation and purred affectionately, digging her fingers into my scalp.

Forgoing any sense of holding back, I slid my tongue inside of her and began to lap up her inner walls. She released a ragged breath and arched her head back. Methodically licking her, I teased her incessantly and searched for her sweet spot. Her breathless voice begged me to keep going, fingers rubbing my scalp and pulling my hair. Her hips rolled ever so lightly as I delved into her core. I obliged her and more; pulling my tongue out I slid my entire finger inside of her, rubbing and prodding her as deeply as I could. Kuroka gasped suddenly, her eyes widening as she bit her lip.

Her walls tightened around my finger and I quickly pulled it out, diving back in with my tongue and feverishly attacking her sweet spots. Kuroka climaxed with a cry, coming into my mouth as I slowly pulled out. I licked my lips with a smirk. Climbing back up to Kuroka, I smirked up to the panting Nekoshou. "It seems like someone enjoyed themselves so far."

She smiled ever so lightly. "Oh, you have no idea, nya. But, you do know that we're not done, right, nya?" Kuroka's eyes glinted with lust.

"Definitely not, but I will say this, no kids yet." Kuroka pouted at me, but it didn't shake me. "Things are far too uncertain and dangerous for children, let alone you pregnant. I need you combat capable for when shit gets dangerous."

Kuroka continued to pout, but nodded to me. Her eyes suddenly glinted as she licked her lips. "Now, hurry up and show me what had Sadist-chan limping the next day, nya~."

I rolled my eyes at her, but complied regardless. Reaching down, I slid a thumb under the waist band of my shorts and started to push them off. Kuroka, with a show of sensual flexibility, lifting a leg and hooked her toe under the waist band as well, sliding them off without preamble. Her gaze honed in on my manhood and her eyes widened lightly, before narrowed as she gave me a catlike grin. Lining myself up with her wet slit, I held myself still as I lied over her. "Brace yourself." Then, without any more warning, I slid my entire length into her, breaking her maidenhead in a single movement.

Kuroka nearly broke skin as she bit her lip, squeezing my arm tightly as she grasped it. A whine escaped her as she let out a ragged breath. I had to close my eyes and keep focus in order to prevent myself from orgasming instantly, it felt so damn good. The tightness coupled with the smooth wetness and her use of ki manipulating Senjutsu was driving me absolutely crazy. Placing a hand on her hip, I slid my length out of her and thrust back into her. Her back arched and her hips bucked in response, a moan escaping her. Capturing her lips, I was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her arms my neck and deepened it immediately.

Sliding a hand affectionately along her hips, I felt her rock them in time with mine. She leaned her forwards and captured my lips as I began to thrust in earnest. Kuroka moaned into the kiss, driving her hips in time with mine and reveling in our mutual lust. Her Senjutsu flooded me with an ecstasy that only fueled me, causing me to pull away from the kiss and sit up, not letting up at all with the continuous thrusts. Looking down at her with a half-lidded regard, I pounded into her with my entire length time and time again, the sounds of her moans and whines pushing me to even higher heights of desire.

Kuroka's hands grabbed my wrists as I held her waist, pushing more of her power into me. I scrunched my eyes tightly as I groaned through gritted teeth, squeezing her hips tighter as she enthusiastically bucked her hips. Her hands slid up my arms, trailing more and more of her ki manipulating Senjutsu. A ragged breath escaped me as I opened my eyes and looked into her hazel eyes. A pleasantly flushed expression and continuously gasping breaths greeted me once more as I focused solely on the girl in my hands.

"M-more!" Kuroka gasped out, her nails digging into my arms as she squeezed them. "Harder! Faster! Fuck me!" She bit her lip as she breathlessly begged me, her walls squeezing even tighter. I could do nothing but enthusiastically oblige her. A faint growl escaped me as I did as she asked, moving my hips as fast as I could, pushing my length even deeper into her. Her walls held tight, as if not wanting to let go. She arched her back as I leaned forward and upwards for easier entry. Her hands slid farther up my arm.

In the midst of our feverish passion, I hooked an arm under her waist and lifted her up so that she was bouncing up and down on my lap. Her long, silky black hair was thrown forward, falling back down onto my shoulder as she regarded me with an enthusiastic grin. She wrapped her arms around my neck and braced her knees on the bed at the same time, allowing me to thrust directly up into her. Kuroka leaned forward and kissed me full on the mouth, her tongue already caressing mine. Euphoric sensations rocketed through my body, from both from our joining and from the kiss, her Senjutsu damn near making me orgasm in that very instant.

Feeling my limit nearing, I began to drive into her more earnestly. She whined the kiss and bobbed her hips with just as much fervor, her lips breaking from mine so that she lean her head back and pant audibly. Leaning forward, I began to kiss and lick her neck, my teeth gently nicking at the soft, supple skin. Her arms slid back against my shoulder before her hands rested on them, pushing and pulling to aid in our joining. Then, with a sudden cry, Kuroka jerked against me, sheathing my entire her as she climaxed. Her walls wrapped tightly around my member, immediately causing me to orgasm inside of her.

I fell back and sat down on the bed, feeling my legs give out from under me. I panted softly as I put a hand behind me to keep me from falling back as Kuroka lied against my bare chest, her long, wavy black hair falling her bare back.

She purred ever so lightly as her fingers traced meaningless shapes on my chest. "Nya~. I never knew you could be so…rough, Daisuke-chin, nya. You're always so gentle, nya." Kuroka said just loud enough to be heard as she lifted her head to regard me with a hint of playfulness. "Where did this side of you come from, nya~?"

I let out a rumbling chuckle. "You can be quite the flirt, Kuroka. I only gave you what you what made grow."

Kuroka's lips curved in a way that made me want to…do more questionable things with her. "Here I thought you were capable of weathering anything, nya. It seems that even you have your limits, nya." She leaned forward, giving me a quick lick on the nose. "If I get sex like this more often, then I guess we'll have no problem rebuilding the Nekoshou race, nya." Her following smile was a cross between affectionate and seductive. "Especially since you have Shirone and Mari-chan in this harem of yours, nya."

"I'm still not ready to be a father." I started off, my voice cracking ever so lightly as I focused intently on Kuroka. The weight of her generous bust pressing against my chest, along with the fact that I was still inside of her, was throwing me off kilter. Her casual pillow talk was only making it worse. "Though…I'm up for practicing."

Kuroka's smile widened. "I can accept that, nya." She tapped her chin with a finger, thinking to herself. Then her eyes widened with a look of realization, followed by a mischievous glint in her gaze. "I take it you like my Senjutsu even more now, nya?"

I regarded her warily, my lips curving in a faint smile. "This application of it? Definitely." She smiled widely, dragging her finger along my chest and getting me to shiver ever so lightly.

"I was planning on teaching it to Shirone, and maybe Mari-chan, soon, but since you like it this much, we'll begin as soon as possible, nya. That way you'll have three Nekoshou that can drive you crazy, nya!" Kuroka said excitedly, pressing her chest even more against me as she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me again.

After she had broken the kiss, I sighed lightly. "I've said it before and say it now, you will be the death of me, woman." I couldn't hide the fond smile on my face, though.

Kuroka simply grinned naughtily, "I wouldn't say that, nya~. Just keep little old me satisfied and you'll be fine, nya. Exhausted, but really fine, nya."

"That doesn't reassure me at all!"

All she did was kiss me again.

In the end, neither of us went to sleep until late, very late, that night.

I strode into the arena stands with Fate at my side, walking through the milling, excited crowd in order to find our special booth. Seeing that the crowd was rather thick, I reached back and gently took Fate's hand. "Hold onto me so we don't get separated."

She blushed ever so lightly at the contact, but nodded to my words anyway. "Where is our seat anyway?"

"We're in the Eastern booth. Odin-dono, my Father, Sera and Sirzechs-sama are all there. It's a VIP area." In other words, the perfect place to go over the plan one last time before it began. Pushing our way through the crowd, I kept my eyes open for the others, just in case they either needed help or something last minute came to mind that I needed to tell them.

Looking to the side, I caught sight of Moka and Himari already at their seats. Himari was clad in a light blue kimono with a white and red floral pattern, her sheathed Yasutsuna resting on her left side, hands clasped on her lap. She had her hair done into her normal ponytail, though she had a red ribbon tying it. Moka was wearing a long black skirt, a pair of dark blue slip on shoes and a blue blouse. Her hair was tied into a loose braid that hung down her side.

There was the occasional person who tried to speak with them, but Himari's ignoring them and Moka's icy looks shut them all but the most persistent of attempted suitors. I felt little worry for them as the two could defend themselves perfectly fine.

Upon subtler searching, I noticed Kuroka and Ena of to the side, paying no mind to the dumbstruck citizens as they strode to their seats. Kuroka, clad in her loose kimono, strode confidently and elegantly while talking animatedly with Ena. Ena was clad in the school uniform, as she didn't have much in the way of clothes and our current schedule didn't give her time to go shopping. In her hand, she carried the wrapped sword.

I had no reason to worry for them, so I resumed my search for the last group.

Near the entrance, I took notice of Rin, Ravel and Kunou, along with a last minute addition I made, Melusine. The four were dressed modestly and seemed to meld into the crowd, though I assumed that that was probably Rin's or Melusine's doing. Their jobs were the most important after all.

"We've arrived, Daisuke." Fate's voice caught my attention before I ran face first into the door. I came to a stop and blinked once, then twice. She let out a small laugh. "It seems you weren't remaining aware. For shame." She gently, and playfully, rebuked me, her tone light.

"That's why I have you, to keep me ready." I smirked at her, as I reached for the door. A small pulse of magic caught my attention and I focused intently on the door. There was a magical signature on the door, one that specially distinguished between specific individuals. As I focused on it, I felt my eye separating it into several smaller, more easily decipherable sequences. Security? Appears to be a low level alarm trigger, but in truth it conceals a powerful restrictive concussive blast. It'd lock the intruder in place fire off a blast that would shatter the bones of anyone weaker than a High class Devil. At the same time, it'd alert the security to pick up the pieces. If that didn't hold the intruder, then it had several more contingencies. Like a blast of concentra-

I forcefully closed my left eye as I placed my hand on the door proper, allowing it to recognize my signature. Such an influx of information was disorienting if I didn't prepare myself. Granted, I now knew this specific security function just as well as its creator, but I'd rather not have the information unraveled before my very eyes.

The magic gave way and I was able to walk inside, followed by Fate. The moment Fate stepped inside, the door shut behind her with the magic reactivating itself.

The VIP room was spacious and air-conditioned to a pleasant chill. There was a long table along the back wall, covered with a small bar of drinks alongside several assortments of foodstuffs.

"It's about time you got time here." My Father said with a smirk. "I was about to think you and Fate-chan were having some alone time."

I gave him a deadpan glare while Fate flushed heavily, giving him a look similar to mine, though out of embarrassment rather than exasperation. Deciding to ignore him, I turned my attention to the others in the room. Serafall, Sirzechs and Odin were there, as I assumed, but Rossweisse was as well. The Maou and god were all dressed in regular clothing, though she was clad in a set of Valkyrie armor, which consists of a white breastplate with gold and pale blue accents and matching, fingerless gauntlets, boots, hip guards, and wing-shaped hair clips. She also wears a black leotard underneath her breastplate, black thigh-high stockings, and a pale blue cloth wrapped underneath her hip guards, all of which are clad with pink lacing along with her hair clips.

Sirzechs spoke up, smiling lightly at Azazel's quip. "It's good to see you here, Daisuke-kun. Is your Peerage in place?"

I nodded to him, crossing my arms. "In a manner of speaking. They're either already in place or extremely close. We're all ready to move as soon as we get our cue."

He nodded in approval. "Good. Our information tells us that Diodora's allies have already affected, and infiltrated, the artificial dimension. Rias and her group will be surrounded the moment they enter it, so you'll have to be prepared almost immediately." His gaze flickered along Fate and I, then nodded once again. "Even better, the two of you seem to be dressed for battle."

I let my arms fall and spread them apart to better show my attire. I was clad in a set of loose, but still fitting jeans, along with a tight, flexible short-sleeve shirt that hugged my chest. Over that, I wore a loose jacket that fell a little over my waist. All along my pants and jacket, there were magically implanted shields that would block attacks on my person; this was in addition to the lightweight, highly flexible metal plates that lined my pants and jacket. The color scheme was a combination of blue, silver and black. Personally, I found it to be rather silly, since I didn't really care what I wore when I fought, but the outfit was a gift from Sona to wear during this skirmish.

Fate was dressed in an outfit similar to her former Exorcist uniform. A black hip length leotard with a short attached skirt that fell to her upper thigh with a white and black jacket over it that had a cloak like over skirt hanging to her ankles. Around her waist, she had a black belt with a silver, rectangular buckle. On her legs, she wore a set of black and red stockings that reached mid-thigh. Her feet were covered by a set of silver greaves with a golden strip going over it; her left hand wore a silver gauntlet, while her right was covered by a black glove with an upside down golden triangle on the back. Finally, hanging over her shoulders was a white overcoat, hanging onto her shoulders by a golden chain.

"Yeah. I cast a small illusion over us to make us look more normal. So there's no worries of us ruining the surprise." I said to him as I walked over to the viewing window.

Odin snorted, "With all the ruckus going on, I doubt that anyone would've paid you two any mind." He lazily waved a hand in my direction. "Everyone's too curious about Sirzechs' brat's little sister."

I allowed a smirk to appear on my face. "I guess you're right Odin-dono."

Fate stepped over to the table, getting a small cup of water. "How much longer until the Rating Game starts?"

"A few minutes." Sirzechs answered calmly as he looked out the viewing area, watching the different people scrambling to their seats in anticipation. "Everyone is eagerly awaiting the Rating Game." He smiled wryly. "Issei is slowly rising in fame in certain circles, especially among children. Plus, there is my sister. People are curious about him."

"I will admit; the Scale Mail does look really cool." I said, not bothering to hide the wide grin that appeared on my face.

Sirzechs let out a laugh at my inner child becoming more noticeable. "You also haven't escaped the public eye, Daisuke-kun." At my questioning look, he nodded to me. "You're the Underworld's newest Heir. You always seem to carry yourself with confidence and follow through without trouble."

"I'm also the son of their natural enemy." I deadpanned and jerked a thumb at Azazel, who waved with an ironic grin.

"It adds to your image, Daisuke-chan." Serafall spoke up with a wide grin. "To the denizens of the Underworld, you're someone who turned from a Devil's enemy into one of their most stalwart defenders." Her grin shrunk into a sly, playful one. "Plus, your relationship with So-tan is common knowledge, especially amongst the young female teen demographic."

I paused and blinked a few times, before I turned to regard Serafall and Sirzechs with a look of dejection. "Are you saying…what I think you're saying?"

Azazel snorted, catching my attention. "Yes, Daisuke. You are now regarded as the current dream guy for preteen girls." He deadpanned to me. "How does that make you feel?" He asked me mockingly, clearly holding back laughter.

"Disillusioned." I said as I stared out the window, devastated. Is this really the state of the world? Then I gave Sirzechs a dry look. "I will riot if I'm followed by Devil paparazzi. Or paparazzi in general."

That got him to let out a small laugh, a wide grin appearing on his face. "No worries, Daisuke-kun. Your affiliation with Serafall with prevent that from ever happen."

The aforementioned Maou gave me a thumbs up and a grin. "All you have to do is meet with me in two days, Daisuke-chan! There's something I want to talk with you and So-tan about."

I nodded to her, a little curious as to what she wanted to talk with me about.

Odin released a breath. "You brats and your prattle. I'll never understand the nonsense you young ones come up with in your spare time." He looked to me, "Susanoo's Heir, how prepared are your people?"

I arched an eyebrow at him, but answered nonetheless. "They're all still unfamiliar with one another in some ways, but each of them are capable of protecting themselves. Why?"

He smirked lightly, "Are they capable of fighting you to a standstill?"

I nodded without hesitation. "In some ways, my Peerage outstrips me."

"Even when you call upon your Divine power?"

I opened my mouth to retort, but paused. Could they? I mean, Fate is still far faster than me, even when I used my Sacred Gear to close the gap. Moka was still physically stronger than me when I don't use magic to supplement my body. Rin is more theoretically inclined to magic, so she could come up with more spells with more flexible applicability. Kuroka's natural grace and skill surpassed anything that I could do with the sword. I didn't know the skills of the rest of my Peerage members well enough to make comparisons, yet I'm sure they all have something that surpasses what I can do.

Nonetheless, all of that meant very little in the face of my powers as an Heir. Using Susanoo's power, I could rend the air itself to prevent Fate from blitzing me with her speed. I could make Moka's physical strength moot with Divine strength supplementing my body. I could bring the very elements themselves to bear and overpower anything Rin could ever create. Kuroka could conjure as much Senjutsu as she wanted, but it meant little when I could turn the Weather itself against her with nary more than a thought.

In that instant, I realized that in spite of their affiliation with me, my Peerage, my friends, my comrades, would be sorely lacking if they faced an Heir of considerable strength. I didn't want to use my Heir abilities against them because I was afraid I would hurt them irrevocably. In that very instant, I realized that my compassion could very well get one, or more, of them severely injured, or, at the very worst, killed.

My thoughts must have showed on my face, because Odin simply nodded. "With the Khaos Brigade here, we may have to assume that they may have more than the Heir that defeated you." At the indirect mention to Perseus, I felt my jaw clench, a surge of anger rising through me. "The chances of more Heirs appearing are very likely, considering the amount of people within that terrorist organization. You must keep that in mind, boy."

Well, that's rather foreboding… I couldn't help but think with a scowl.

Odin paused for a few moments, before allowing a grin to appear on his face. "Ah! However, I'm a senile old man who's been around longer than all of the brats in this room. All I care about is ogling a nice pair of tits and feeling up a firm ass; giving advice to young warriors is something I stopped doing centuries ago!"

I blinked at his words, all tenseness leaving my body at final, ridiculous statement. Then a snort escaped me, oddly enough around the same time Azazel did. We shared a glance, and he nodded to me, silently offering his support.

Sirzechs let a small laugh at Odin, but simply shook his head.

Serafall giggled as she grinned at me.

Fate placed a hand on my arm, seemingly calming me.

"It's started." Sirzechs said as he looked to a large television screen descending from a hidden compartment in the ceiling. "Odin-dono, Daisuke-kun, get ready. I'll teleport you momentarily.

Odin let out a grunt as he stood and with no more effort than a simple look, a seal appeared between us. "C'mon, boy. You had the time to make kissy face with your blonde friend while waiting for this game to start. We have a job to do."

Fate flushed at his words, but froze when I grasped her hand one last time. She met my gaze and her eyes widened at the serious expression I had. "Fate. I won't be holding back this time around."

My Queen paused for a moment, as if considering my words, then her eyes widened at them. Her gaze then turned serious, eyes sharpening. "Then I won't be either. Be safe, you hear me."

I nodded to her. "Tell the others to take no prisoners. I will not allow any casualties. We're all coming out of this alive. Do you hear me?"

Fate smiled fiercely. "Yes. Don't worry about us. I'll take care of everything on the outside." She squeezed my hand and paused, before suddenly leaning forward and catching my lips in a chaste kiss. Pulling away, she blushed heavily and called up her Bardiche. "Show the Khaos Brigade why they should fear you, Daisuke. Why they should fear all of us."

Though I was a little surprised by her kiss, I matched her smile with a fierce one of my own. "You got it." Taking my spot next to Odin, I called up a sheathed Kusanagi and held it in my left hand. "Only you are allowed free rein in my skies, Fate. Don't forget that." Then my vision was engulfed by a bright light as Odin and I were teleported away.