Last Chapter had a lot of twists to it. We had Alicia and Mitsuya reach the main cities on Mu and Atlantis, and met with their respective Longinus partner's sibling, which will lead to some training they can't get anywhere else. Not only that, but thanks to the aid of Albion and Elsha, Valiana has regained a very important memory of hers. Now that she has it, she's finally regained the former self she lost that day, and is going to find Issei so she can finally confess.
However, despite that there aren't any antagonists in this arc... there's a problem brewing on the horizon, as Enseelyia has finished her stage of the planning for whatever Rizevim asked her and Creuserey to do. It serves as a terrifying reminder that while our heroes are currently having fun for now, the upcoming Rating Game might be the last moment of peace before trouble starts up again.
Anyways, before we begin today's chapter? I'd like to explain how Valiana realized her feelings for Issei so easily, since while they had no problems with it, one reviewer admitted they were a little surprised by it. The reason for this isn't actually that complicated. Issei began to love Valiana over time due to how they had natural chemistry with each other since they met on her 5th birthday.
Since Valiana had the same chemistry, her mind came to the same conclusion. The thing is... being unable to recall that one memory left her mind in a state where she literally couldn't properly translate her subconscious feelings, and therefore didn't consciously realize this. One could compare that memory to a long equation with the answer being love, and she was missing the first number. Basically, the moment she remembered? She finally knew she was in love.
I hope that cleared things up for anyone who didn't get it. So, without further ado? Let's get this chapter started!
[Chapter 19 - Setting the Stage]
Regalzerva led Alicia into Granbu, with Cain and Awan having returned to the others, having been promised by the Lluinae's leader that he'd bring her back to Chichigami's area of Lemuria once he had finished training her.
Looking around, she saw a lot of technology that didn't look like something she'd expect from even Adam's genius, and it seemed too complex for Mu's other sapient races.
"What kind of technology are you using for your people to be the only ones who understand it?" Alicia inquired.
"To answer that, let me give you my own question. How do you think us Lluinae expand our numbers when we're a species that's like, but also not like, machines?" He asked.
Alicia took a moment to think about that, soon finding an answer.
"Maybe... you have something that doesn't make you 100% like the machines most races make, and don't have to reproduce by artificial means?" She theorized.
Regalzerva smiled, being fairly impressed by how quickly she managed to give him an answer.
"That's correct. What makes us different is, while not in the same sense that most races are, that we're organic in a sense. To further clarify that, well... you know how having my brother's Longinus gives you the ability to various forms of metal?" He answered, asking her a question.
"I do... oh! Are you saying that you're like fictional races who didn't evolve from Silicon, or that you're similar to minerals?" Alicia realized.
"Sort of, for both. I think the best answer that I can give in a way you'd understand is the Lluinae's origins came from a combination of that and lightning, which created my brother when a huge reaction of metals and electricity manipulated particles to a new level that caused him to form like a machine... if it had made itself." Regalzerva replied.
Alicia blinked twice in confusion, making him sigh.
"Look, this is just as hard to explain as detailing the specifics behind alien biology in those fictional species you just used as an example." Regalzerva remarked.
"Fair point, so don't force yourself to try describing it to me. Just... go back to my original technology question and answer that the best you can." Alicia replied.
The Lluinae leader nodded, ignoring the laughing of his brother from the Unknown Dictator.
"OK, the best way to explain that? It's organic technology that reacts to the unique nature of us being living machines. The best way to explain just how complex it is, though in a simple way that you should be able to understand, would be it's the one form of technology that Adam hasn't and won't ever be able to create in any form." He answered.
Alicia nodded, understanding why the other Murian races didn't understand their tech.
"Yeah, that makes... wait a minute, what did you mean by it being the one form of technology Adam hasn't and won't ever be able to make?" She replied, raising an eye.
Regalzerva's eyes widened as she heard that.
("You idiot! How could you have let that slip out like that!?") Melvazoa screamed, clearly enraged.
'Oh boy, I've never seen Melvazoa get this pissed off before!' Alicia thought, feeling herself shaking in fear.
Hearing that, Regalzerva lowered his head.
"I... I guess that's something I can't take that back or fool you, so I guess-" He replied.
("Wrong answer! You already goofed this once, and I am not letting you goof this twice! You're not going to be talking about any-") Melvazoa interjected.
Alicia suddenly got a message from her tablet.
"Hmm? This is odd, Adam just texted me, saying something about... talking about just technology being safe?" She said, looking confused.
Melvazoa and Regalzerva showed surprise at that, especially the latter.
"May I see that message?" Regalzerva requested, holding out his hand.
Alicia gave her tablet to him, causing him to look closely, and see a hidden message that Alicia's eyes couldn't.
"From Adam: There's still a lot that can't be said until the 22 Longinus are united, with either three or two that haven't been found yet, and the Incinerate Anthem still without a new wielder. However, just talking about the origin of technology is safe enough... provided you don't reveal the source behind it."
Seeing this, Regalzerva's eyes looked at the Unknown Dictator and began glowing.
Alicia soon heard him emit a series of unique noises that her ears only heard as static, with Melvazoa soon replying with the same sounds for a while.
"Huh?" She blinked.
They needed only a minute before they were finished.
"What was all of that weird nose about?" Alicia asked.
("We Lluinae have our own unique language that no other race can understand. Think of it like Morse code, but if it was a kind of advanced binary code.") Melvazoa explained.
'Basically, you two are keeping something from me, and making sure I can't figure out what it is.' She realized.
She had been suspicious about the Hidden Lands earlier today, and now she felt her earlier worries were right.
Only this time... it was about Adam and Eve.
"Well, it seems like Adam said you can tell me about how it's safe to talk about technology, so will you?" Alicia inquired, hoping it would leave some clues.
"He did give us permission, so... I guess it would rude to say no." Regalzerva sighed.
He crossed his arms as he looked at Alicia, making her feel nervous from his gaze.
"What I said was exactly how it sounds. Part of how Adam and Eve had guided Humanity for the past 2000 years is appear throughout history as many people, and on Adam's side of things, many of the contributions he's made... were done from disguising himself as famous inventors." He revealed.
Alicia's eyes widened.
"What? Are you serious!?" She exclaimed in disbelief.
"Think about it. Whenever Humanity does advance, it happens in strange intervals. Never in a straight line that's gradual, but slow. That's because Adam can only push all of Humanity forward if Elohim approves of the jump beforehand." Regalzerva explained, closing his eyes.
Alicia gasped as she started to notice the truth in his words.
"Basically, he's always inventing and then unveiling his work at the right time, which is how Humanity slowly connected to the point he and Eve successfully ended World War 2 in the way they managed to. Adam did eat the Fruit of Wisdom, so does it truly seem strange to you that he had a hand in developing Humanity's knowledge?" He inquired.
With that being said, Alicia suddenly felt less like Adam was keeping secret.
Humanity wasn't ready to regain knowledge of the supernatural just yet, and her suspicions were over what was how he and Eve had to hide the truth from them.
'I really need to stop prying into this. The whole supernatural world agreed to keep Humanity in the dark, so why am I thinking they-' Alicia realized, sighing slightly.
She paused for a moment.
'Wait, but what about what Regalzerva and Melvazoa were talking about through their machine language? They did it right after seeing Adam's message.' She realized.
At that point, she knew that while the fact about Adam invented what was implied to be all technology aside from the Lluinae's? They were still hiding another secret.
If she couldn't figure it out herself? Then maybe she should tell Fuyuka, and hope the History Breaker could find it.
Back at the training grounds, Adam was seen sighing as he sent the message to Alicia, briefly glancing at Fuyuka's tired form. While she was on the ground, panting, one of the History Breaker's gave him a warning note to do just that.
Keitekai was quick to notice his distress and tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to turn around and face her.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
"Half yes and half no. Zarathustra just sent me a warning through his Longinus, about Alicia starting to notice what she shouldn't be..." He replied.
Keitekai's eyes widened at that, knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"Is Alicia really that smart that she managed to figure it out!?" She whispered.
Adam looked away slightly.
"No, the warning says that Regalzerva... goofed a little, and blurted out something about me that he shouldn't have, which she unfortunately caught." Adam revealed.
"What?" She flatly replied, just staring at him.
He let out an awkward laugh, making Keitekai groan.
"Don't laugh at this! Chichigami said that these Longinus users have the best resonance yet, so if something like this can happen, then-" She whisper shouted in a panic.
"No, this just proves the time is nearing." Eve replied.
Keitekai jumped in surprise, turning around to see Eve walk up to them.
"None of the Longinus Spirits will give up the truth before it's ready to be unveiled. They haven't done that in years, and likewise, Melvazoa and Resetoras have never had any of their hosts meet their siblings. If Regalzerva did accidentally let something slip, then it's more than likely a sign the time is coming." She replied.
"But... why can you be so certain of that?" Keitekai questioned.
"Because we've found 17 Longinus wielders, most of which are standing near us right now. Not only that, but we have a currently inactive Incinerate Anthem on our side, and another Longinus user we have under watch until a relative of theirs allows us to talk with him." Eve revealed.
Hearing that, Keitekai let out a gasp.
The one downside for those among the Hidden Lands is they had less access to information, with even the Dragon Kings being able to see Issei and Valiana being due to the result of odd luck from Mitsuya's presence during the Innovate Incident.
As such, the last time anyone in the Hidden Lands got an update on how many Longinus were currently found? The number had been a mere 7.
"Which three Longinus are still out there?" She asked.
Eve opened her mouth to answer, with Keitekai feeling like something was off with the ones she was told.
The question was... why?
It took a while, but Azura and Seth were eventually able to get Seraselbes off of Mitsuya, and then explain everything to her. After that, both her and Mitsuya watched as they both said their goodbyes and returned like Cain and Awan had.
Once they were out of sight, Seraselbes looked at Mitsuya and gave a bow. Resetoras sighed in response.
"My apologizes for tackling you earlier. I've always been very fond of my older brother, so the moment I realized you were his host... I was unable to contain myself." She apologized out of embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it. Long ago, I had a little sister myself." He greeted back.
Hearing that caught Seraselbes' attention, so Resetoras quickly gave a reply.
("It was somewhat my fault...") He explained.
That left Seraselbes confused, though only for a moment, since she quickly covered her mouth as she put two and two together.
"Did someone murder her because they knew you had the Transcendental Arrival?" She asked.
"Yeah, one of the Anti-Maou Faction leaders. Though I made sure to pay him back." Mitsuya replied.
He motioned over both his arms with his fingers, making a cutting motion. After he did, Mitsuya's eyes widened as he saw Seraselbes shedding tears like a waterfall.
"Eh?" He blinked.
("My sister is a Goddess of Empathy, and has always been sensitive to emotions as a result. Back when she was just a child, seeing something even slightly sad would bring her to tears.") Resetoras explained.
"Ah, so she's just a little sensitive." Mitsuya realized.
Taking a moment to sniffle and wipe her eyes, Seraselbes soon gave him a smile.
"Sorry about that, it was just so sad! Though I'm better now." She reassured him.
'Whoa! That was fast.' Mitsuya thought.
('Her sensitivity depends on how much of an emotion she feels. For that reason, I always stayed away from her if I was angry, as otherwise... well, despite I'm technically more powerful? She and I have equal physical strength, and I didn't want her acting on it due to someone else's anger.') Resetoras mentioned.
'Noted!' Mitsuya thought worriedly.
He cleared his throat, confusing Seraselbes for a moment.
"So, do you think you'll be able to help train me?" He asked.
"Sure thing!" She replied, smiling.
Before Mitsuya could properly react, she grabbed his hand and flew (or swam since they were underwater) to another location.
The scene opened to the group of Lemuria as they ate all their food. As they all devoured the meals before them, Cain and Awan, along with Seth and Azura, finally returned after bringing Alicia and Mitsuya to their destinations.
"Hey there. I see everyone's taking a moment to pig out." Cain greeted, grabbing a slice of meat.
"And I assume you got Alicia to Mu without her getting altitude sickness?" Adam asked.
Cain just chuckled before gobbling down the meat, though in a somewhat messy way that caused a few of the Seven Stars Athletes to look at him strangely.
"No need to have any kind of deep thoughts about it. Cain has always eaten without manners, hence his image as the one who killed Abel." Keitekai remarked.
Hearing that, Cain briefly gave her a deadpan look.
"Ike ooh won to tall!" He said with a full mouth.
"Actually finish chewing first. That's not just disgusting, but vomit inducing." Balberith glared.
Cain just growled before swallowing the food in his mouth.
"OK, changing the topic... I've been curious about something since we met you all, and that's how you know Issei's parents as you do. With how people know you in legends, just what kind of real relationship do you have with them?" Saji inquired.
"I'd like to know as well, especially since Adam said you were the first six among the second wave of Humanity." Sona agreed.
Luluwa stood up in response to that.
"Fair enough. After all, it isn't that big a secret to talk about." She agreed.
She walked away and then stood in place for a few seconds.
"As you know, among the 10 continents, the majority of Humanity that has no supernatural knowledge lives on six of them. Antarctica and the continents of the Hidden Lands having none of them on it for the sake of holding the illusion. For the latter, the harsh environment of the cold and the animals there are hiding secrets in the ice." She began.
Then she turned her head.
"Here, while the various creatures that people would call prehistoric? The strange environment that ignores normal physics? Even the people living here? All of them are minor compared to what we truly have to hide from them." Luluwa continued, making a magic circle.
Once the image inside it had fully formed, everyone aside from the adults ended up seeing something they didn't expect. The image... of a giant skeleton.
A skeleton with six heads.
"No way, is... is that thing-" Fubuki realized, feeling her eyes shake.
"A Lemurian monument known as the End's End." Luluwa revealed.
She paused for a moment.
"Or as most people would probably call it? Trihexa's remains, besides the Fragmented born of his surviving power... his skeleton." She added.
The sight of it nearly made Chiemi puke, somehow finding the willpower to hold her lunch in.
"It makes sense to hide this, wouldn't it? If Humanity saw a monster like this left a skeleton, they would surely ask questions, and search for an answer." Abel mentioned.
"If it's not this, then what's Antarctic hiding?" Verrine questioned.
"An even bigger secret than Trihexa's remains, and something we won't tell you about. Partially because we don't have the right to." Abel continued.
While no one was looking, Fuyuka formed her Longinus under the table, and opened its pages as she put her head close to them.
"What is the secret hiding in Antarctica." She whispered.
She smiled in excitement as words formed instantly on the pages... only for it to fade as her answer was not what she wanted or expected.
I refuse to answer this question, and you better not ask me again.
Not once since she became aware of being the History Breaker's wielder had it ever answered her this way. Sure, there were times it told her it couldn't answer a question or simply didn't understand enough to give a proper answer, but outright refusing to answer? That had never happened to her before.
'Just what kind of secret is hiding there for even you to deny me an answer?' Fuyuka thought.
Adam didn't say anything, but he had noticed how Zarathustra had refused to answer her, and wondered to himself how much longer before the truth came out.
In one year, or maybe two?
"We're starting to get a little off-track now, so to continue where I left off? How do you think Adam and Eve could watch over the Humans developing on six continents all at once?" Luluwa inquired.
"They couldn't have done that. It would be impossible." Homura stated.
After saying that, her eyes widened.
"Wait... there are six continents with Humans unaware of the supernatural, and... there are six of you!" She realized.
Luluwa smiled at that.
"Exactly. Before anyone else, we were born to each watch a different continent and relay everything to both of them. We acted as their eyes and ears across the world. Cain and Abel watched over North and South America, for Australia it was Azura, all of Africa had Awan, the countries of Europe had Seth, and I watched Asia." Luluwa confirmed.
Seth chuckled in response.
"Our names make a little more sense when you think of that, don't you think? Awan's does sound like it comes from Africa." He remarked.
"My continent is alone in the water like a large island. Of course I ended up being named after the color blue!" Azura added, laughing at herself.
Abel playfully rolled his eyes at their words.
"We would continue to do this until the 20th century, and the first World War broke out. By then, Adam and Eve took over, because Humanity was now following a single path that led us to today." He stated, letting out a slight sigh.
"Why'd you say that like it was a bad thing?" Rui asked, looking confused.
"Oh no, it isn't. The sigh was because it reminded us that despite being 2000 years old, Adam and Eve had lived much longer than us, and had actually lived through the time when Trihexa threatened the world. More than anyone, they knew the best solution... wasn't the same as one with no casualties. Especially if there wasn't one." Abel replied.
Fubuki nodded her head in response, remembering her recent essay.
"Sometimes for us to make progress... we have to leave something behind, otherwise we can't move forward. It could be as small as giving away an old toy of yours because someone needs it more, or because an eventually child needs to become an adult. Either for their sake, or for the sake of a family they begin." She stated.
Awan was surprised by that before smiling.
"You're pretty mature for someone of your age, aren't you?" She praised.
Fubuki blushed at that.
"She definitely is, which is exactly why I want her to be the adviser for Valiana's team during her upcoming Rating Game." Adam mentioned.
That surprised everyone, Fubuki especially.
"M-Me!?" Fubuki asked, pointing at herself.
"Of course. During a Rating Game, each side is allowed to have someone as an adviser that supports them by recommending decisions based on what they're seeing and the potential they see from the team itself. If it wasn't for the fact I'm banned from the position due to my intelligence, I'd have offered to take that role." Adam confirmed.
"Yeah, considering how smart you are? I can see why it'd be unfair if you acted as anyone's adviser." Ashir realized.
Adam let out a laugh before looking at his youngest child again, who seemed nervous.
"A-Are you really sure that I could really take such a role? I mean, no offense to your wisdom or anything, b-but I'm not completely sure that I could..." Fubuki stuttered.
"I said that same exact thing to Elohim once, when he asked me to be his tactician during the Dissension War." He replied.
That caught everyone's attention.
"Now, don't misunderstand me when I say this, especially since Alicia is the one who seems to be inheriting my inventive talent, but when I was doubting my knowledge could be used to help others in a combat situation? It was Elohim that encouraged me to try. Like he did, I'm certain that you can aid Valiana's team in doing their best." He smiled.
Fubuki blushed, rubbing her arm.
"Well, I should probably ask Valiana first, but... if you really think I can do it? Then I'll give it a try." She decided.
Adam smiled and then walked over to pet Fubuki's head, causing her to blush a little. Everyone smiled at the sight.
"Wait, what about Ruihi's team? Is their adviser mentioned on the info we got?" Katase asked.
"Afraid not. Not that I'm surprised, since telling us that would be the one piece of info that turns evening the odds into showing us how to beat her." Adam replied.
"Fair point. The main point of her challenge was to be able to give it her best, not to overpower her at every turn." Sona agreed.
That being said, it was that very truth that made Sona curious to who the adviser of Ruihi's team would be.
A huge explosion went off in the Satan Territory as two attacks launched by Asuka and Airi, unseen to anyone but Ruihi's team, collided with incredibly force. The resulting smoke caused Ruihi to cough as she swung her hand around.
"OK, that could have gone better! Let's take a break, clear this smoke, and then make sure to clear the gunk from our lungs!" She suggested.
"Yeah, good idea!" Le Fay agreed.
Everyone ran out of the smokey veil they had created, sitting down as they took deep breathes of the clean air.
As this was happening, a woman who was carrying a tray of food and drinks walked into view, seeing the smoke.
"What happened here?" She inquired.
Everyone looked at the familiar face, especially to Arthur and Le Fay, while Ruihi tried to give her a proper answer.
The maid in question had blue eyes and long black hair tied in a ponytail with a pair of loops that caused it to, if looking from the back, resemble a Butterfly with just the bottom half of its wings.
She had a simple attire, wearing a white dress that somewhat resembled a negligee paired with simple and soft brown boots.
"Eh... hey there Elaine, this was... well, it was definitely unplanned. That much I can promise." Ruihi answered.
Elaine looked at the smoke again.
"Training misfire?" She assumed.
"Yeah, I guess you could call it that... kind of." Ruihi confirmed, scratching her cheek.
She sighed at that.
"The things I see you do would make me question this job if you hadn't given me, Arthur, and Le Fay a better option than what the Pendragon Family did." She muttered.
Ruihi didn't hear what she said, but let out a nervous laugh.
"Anyways, I guess this is a good time for your lunch break, seeing as I was already on the way with these." Elaine suggested, holding up the tray.
"Ooh, food!" Bennia cheered.
She was quick to grab a few of some odd snack and a glass of a juice that looked gross to most people, but delicious to a Grim Reaper like herself. Ruihi was thankful that despite what she ate, Bennia at least showed manners when eating it.
Everyone quickly grabbed their respective snacks and drink, and as Ruihi took a bite of hers, she looked at Elaine.
"So, have you been looking over Valiana's current choices for her team?" She asked.
"I have." Elaine confirmed.
Elaine pulled out a notepad containing her notes, and looked over the first page, getting Ruihi's attention.
"Issei is the oldest of Adam and Eve's ten children, and the one with the most potential, which seems to be a signature word for him. This is best shown by how he somehow managed to evolve a Balance Breaker in a way that even Adam and Elohim don't have an answer to. He prefers to attack and evade fast, and mostly uses fire." She revealed.
Then she flipped the page to show her notes for Asia.
"Asia is an artificially born human by an in vitro method as the daughter of Jesus, which was done by the Anti-Maou Faction in a successful attempt to make her the host of the Sephiroth Graal, and possesses the power of Holy Light as a result. She has no direct fighting records, but her Longinus means she likely favors stamina." She continued.
"I see." Ruihi replied, nodding slightly.
She thought about this information for a moment as she took a bite of her food, comparing that to Valiana's fighting style.
"Basically, from what you can tell? Valiana can take a hit, Issei's adaptable and flexible, while Asia can outlast her opponents while fighting back with strong attacks." Ruihi summarized.
"Most likely." Elaine replied.
"Then I think Asuka should focus on defeating Issei, while Airi does the same with Asia." Ruihi decided.
"My sword won't lose to his flames." Asuka promised.
"So, it's speed against speed, eh? Sounds fun." Airi smiled.
Elaine looked at the two.
"Airi, try to avoid attacking her in a long-ranged manner if she can see you do it and isn't attacking. Having the power of light means she could use it to blind you during such times and leave you wide open." Elaine advised.
"Got it." Airi replied.
"And Asuka, make sure you use your sword whenever you defend against him. If you defend with your body? There's a risk that after he boosts enough times, such a blow could break your arms or reduce your strength." She continued.
"Right, I need to be more guarded against his strength amplification." Asuka nodded, understanding the danger.
Ruihi finished her snack and drink at that moment.
"Is there anything else, or is that is?" She inquired.
"Well, there is one thing. Some people have talked about a rumor that the reason we've never seen Valiana in her Balance Breaker may not be because she can't use it, but because she's never needed to use it, and might surprise you with it as a result." Elaine mentioned.
"But you can't confirm or deny this rumor, right?" Ruihi asked, wanting to be certain.
"No, but I see the legitimacy of this rumor being very possible. After all, Valiana is stronger than Issei, and therefore has less instances where she'd need to use it." Elaine replied.
Hearing that, the Satan Heiress nodded her head.
"Got it. I'll keep an eye out for that." She promised.
The smoke soon cleared up, which Elaine noticed, pointing behind Ruihi to show her that.
"Oh, looks like training can resume now." Ruihi realized.
She stood up, noticing everyone finish their respective snacks and drinks around that time, with Elaine using magic to send the empty plates and glasses away.
"Alright everyone, let's get back to work!" She announced.
Elaine sat down on a rock, watching as her lover, his sister, and everyone else on Ruihi's team resumed their intense workout.
Back on Mu, a curious Alicia was watching as Regalzerva was doing something to her backpack and Exo-Pad, only telling her that it was something that would benefit both her and Melvazoa in the long run.
His slowing speed implied he was close to being finished, though she couldn't see to verify that fact due to how his back and the doorway were position.
'I wonder what the end result of this will be?' She wondered, feeling excited.
"And, just about... finished!" Regalzerva announced, throwing his arms up.
The sudden action surprised Alicia, causing her to fall on her butt, making Regalzerva notice what happened.
"Oops." He apologized.
Walking up to her, he helped her up before showing Alicia what he had done.
Alicia gasped as her originally normal backpack had been transformed into a high-tech equivalent that looked almost identical beyond the few features that distinguished it as the device it now was.
"Wow, this is..." She breathed.
"Considering how your Longinus works, I thought that I should merge your backpack and that unique tablet of yours into something you could use and fight with. Even better, you won't see the best part until you put it on." He explained.
Alicia wasted no time in wearing it after hearing that last part, and when she did? That's when she saw mechanical arms come out of her backpacks side pockets, followed by her Exo-Pad coming out of its main storage area like a head.
"Hey, what's up with this backpack?" Melvazoa questioned, speaking through the tablet.
It took him a moment to realize his voice didn't project via the Unknown Dictator.
"Wait, hold on a second... am I actually linked to your tablet, like it's a secondary body!?" He questioned, looking side to side.
Alicia looked behind her as she saw Melvazoa move the mechanical arms, with the tablet moving left to right like it was a face.
"Don't say I never did you anything." Regalzerva replied.
Melvazoa quickly began swing his arms up and down, the tablet spinning in circles from its connective joint, which was likely meant to reflect his good mood.
"How did you do this?" Alicia asked.
"Remember the organic technology I told you about earlier? The reason Adam can't use or make it is because we Lluinae are machines born in a natural way, so it wouldn't be wrong to say we're the same organic technology we use in a sense, but you can because of your Longinus." He explained.
"OK, but... couldn't he just use a machine, or create a robot? Maybe even a removal cyborg enhancement?" Alicia asked, trying to understand why Adam couldn't use it.
Regalzerva shook his head.
"Doing any of those would result in a man-made machine, so they don't have the right link to this technology since they aren't truly alive like a flower is living compared to a pair of shoes, which aren't." He explained.
"So, the difference is..." She inquired.
"Flowers come from nature, so they're considered alive, but shoes are just man-made. We ourselves aren't made by an outfit force, and naturally form in a way that makes us alive in a manner not unlike a flower would." Regalzerva clarified.
Alicia gasped, finally getting his earlier explanation.
"I get it. Because you're born of metal and electricity in a natural process not unlike a Caterpillar undergoing a metamorphosis into a butterfly, that makes you alive because of the same spark of live that any animal or plant is made alive by nature!" She realized.
Regalzerva sighed in relief.
"Good, I managed to kill two birds with one stone." He smiled.
His expression was soon replaced with a serious one.
"Now, it's time for me to get you started on your training, so are you ready to be put through the ringer?" Regalzerva asked, cracking his knuckles excitedly.
Alicia paled as she heard that, with Melvazoa's movements freezing to represent the same.
"During your brief attack against me, I was able to easily gauge how much of my brother's power you can actually use. You can clearly do nothing but manipulate lightning and likely influence metal. That's not the kind of power a Longinus should possess." Regalzerva continued.
"Uh... to be fair, I'm mainly an inventor and mechanic for Grigori, so-" Alicia replied, twiddling her fingers slightly.
"So, you haven't developed many combat skills?" He guessed.
Alicia nodded her head.
*"STOMP!"*
Right as Regalzerva glared at her, having knocked her onto her butt with a mighty stomp to the ground.
"That's no excuse! Especially when that limits your full potential for creating itself!" Regalzerva shouted.
'Holy shit! He really is the God of Fierceness!' She panicked.
Melvazoa said nothing as her Exo-Pad tilted back and force, the movement of its joints seemingly showing he had become dazed by Regalzerva's sudden volume.
"Now, let me show you the real power one should show when commanding both!" He announced.
Holding out his hands, he gripped the air as a powerful surge of energy came out of it, which was intensified and controlled lightning. He then held out his hand, sending that energy flying through the sky like a rocket before making it turn and evade everything.
It was so fast, Alicia barely saw it, and somehow... no one else noticed the lightning that easily evaded them.
'That power... I don't think it's simply lightning! It's almost as if he's manipulating raw energy to a point it fuses with electrical force into some greater form of lightning which normally wouldn't exist!' She thought, watching it in amazement.
Regalzerva shot the energy into the air, where it dispersed and disappeared, then looked at Alicia with a smirk.
"Now, here's how you truly control metal!" He announced.
Floating some steel towards him, he began shaping its solid state like it was nearly hardened play dough, shaping it from weird shapes into more definite ones. After that, the shapes became more like sculptures or statues in form.
'Such malleability from what I'm sure is an incredibly strong form of steel...' She thought.
He then spread out his hands as the steel became more of a liquid, almost like it was mercury, and then made it stretch and spiral in ways Alicia would have never expected it to. Before long, it spiraled around her, twisting like a double helix before capturing electrical energy within it.
The demonstration ended as the metal contracted, then dissolved into a gaseous state... only to reform into the same solid shape it started with!
"No way..." Alicia breathed.
"Admittedly, there's no way you could match the raw power I can use, but what you saw is possible. Not to mention, you saw only what I can do. There are powers only my brother is in possession of that you could one day wield yourself." Regalzerva added.
Alicia's eyes widened at that.
"Melvazoa, is that truth?" She asked.
"Well, I never really thought to mention it since none of my previous wielders had the same bond you and I have, but... I can say that's true. One example of a power that my brother lacks is power of technokinesis." He confirmed.
She felt her eyes widen slightly.
"Technokinesis? Is that related to why Regalzerva says I could use organic technology?" Alicia asked.
"More than likely, since that's not an ability anyone other than me possesses." Melvazoa assumed.
Her eye twitched at that.
"Don't you think you should have told me during the Innovate Incident!?" She questioned.
"I didn't need to. After all, you've already technically been using it somewhat." Melvazoa replied.
"Huh?" Alicia blinked.
"Think about it. Even if their quality is lesser, how else could you successfully make so many artificial Sacred Gears, which are something that only Elohim or nature itself can make?" He answered with a question.
Hearing that, Alicia let out a slight gasp, remembering how she created them.
She felt like she should know what to do. No, it was almost as if her creations were telling her to make them before she had even done so herself!
"Hmm... so, your resonance is strong enough that you're unknowingly tapping into a power you don't fully understand or know how to use? I wonder if that's the reason you ended up coming here?" Regalzerva remarked.
"Resonance?" Alicia repeated in confusion.
"Oh, did Chichigami and Keitekai not tell you about it? That's what we call the connection between someone and their Sacred Gear." He replied.
He then began explaining everything that Chichigami had told the others earlier, making her eyes widen for a moment.
"Really?" She said in surprise.
"Yes, but in return? Having a low resonance can actually lead to some Sacred Gears being completely unable to generate a Balance Breaker or draw their greater power. I'm not sure how else to say it beyond they know their wielders shouldn't have their power, but it's definitely rare." He confirmed, adding in another detail.
"Could that be why some Sacred Gears are harmful to people?" Alicia asked.
"I'm... not sure that's actually related to resonance. That might just be bad luck in the same way a lottery roll could suddenly go bad." Regalzerva admitted, looking unsure.
Alicia frowned a bit, knowing that many people who were like Rudiger's son used to be were still suffering from such Sacred Gears.
If only she had some kind of answer.
"Let me guess, you feel like they're a type of glitch you can stop if you just knew where to find it?" Regalzerva assumed.
"Yeah..." She confirmed, nodding her head slightly.
"Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen, at least in the sense of solving it through the source. After all, the Sacred Gear system fused with the True Longinus when it and the rest of the Longinus scattered across the world." He revealed.
Alicia's eyes widened before she groaned.
"I know, it's as annoying to all of us Lluinae that my brother is trapped within the Unknown Dictator." Regalzerva remarked.
"Let's... let's just get back to training me now..." She sighed.
Regalzerva silently nodded, realizing Alicia needed to be distracted from the recent revelation he gave her.
Back in Atlantis, the Transcendental Arrival's host soon found himself being pulled through to an area of what looked to be glowing underwater trees that took the shape of seaweed/coral hybrids if they were jellyfish.
"Wow, are all of these indigenous to the ocean zones that comprise Atlantis?" Mitsuya asked.
"Indige-what now?" Seraselbes asked.
Resetoras laughed at how his sister didn't know that word, making her blush in embarrassment, while Mitsuya sighed and decided to do what his partner currently wasn't.
"Basically, it means specific or exclusive to a certain area, in a general sense." He clarified.
"Ah, you mean only seen in Atlantis? Pretty much. The good part is unlike the Mariana Trench, you can actually look around this area like a tourist." Seraselbes answered.
"That does sound fun." Mitsuya admitted.
Eventually, they came to a large open field full of large bubbles not unlike the ones made for kids to blow.
"What is this place?" He asked.
"Nothing too special. It's just a place my people use as a training grounds, as the bubbles reduce widespread damage, and they're actually quite tough." Seraselbas replied.
Just to emphasize this, she punched a nearby bubble, and the large sphere didn't pop, simply bouncing away from her fist.
"It's like one of those toy balls that are made to be super bouncy." Mitsuya remarked.
Seraselbes didn't know what Mitsuya was talking about, but figured it was a Human thing.
"Now, let me see how you can use your Sacred Gear right now. That way, I can see where your current level is, and know how to train you." She requested.
"Alright." He replied.
He walked ahead, equipping his Balance Breaker in response.
'Wow, so that's how my brother's Longinus works.' She thought.
"Watch closely!" Mitsuya announced.
He formed his signature hand blade and attacked the same bubble that Seraselbes had earlier, expecting it to pop easily... only for his attack's strength to disperse and do nothing to the large bubble before him.
"Impossible!" He exclaimed.
Seraselbes suddenly looked less impressed than before, having expected more than what she was seeing.
And she wasn't thinking about Mitsuya's failure to pop the bubble.
"Alright, let me see an area-wide attack." She sighed, looking disappointed.
"Uh... I can't do that?" Mitsuya replied in confusion.
She face palmed herself and shook her head, which really seemed to throw a stake into Mitsuya's confidence.
"I'll be honest with you here. Despite what you think, and how strong you might be by terms of a normal human? Your skill with this Longinus is weak and very uneducated on multiple levels." She revealed, closing her eyes.
Mitsuya felt a metaphorical arrow labeled disappointment spear through him as he heard those words.
"So, watch how a real Spirit uses those powers firsthand." Seraselbes stated, putting on a serious face.
Holding her hand up, a powerful surge of ether shot out of her hand like a ripple wave in the shape of a flaring fire, which she then held out. As he watched, Mitsuya suddenly saw it joined by large pillar-sized strands.
They all struck the bubble in a few seconds, and the moment they made contact?
*"POP!"*
Every bubble in the area popped at once!
Mitsuya let out a silent gasp as his eyes went white, leaving Resetoras to give an impressed whistle. Seraselbes smiled before turning around to look at him.
"How did you-" He asked.
"Look around and you'll see how I used that attack." She replied.
Mitsuya did just that, and saw a few spots with mists of ether retreating back into place.
It was as if... no, it definitely had been the result of Seraselbes using the power of the ether in the area around her, whereas he only used the power of his own ether for any of his Longinus attacks.
"You can draw ether from beyond yourself?" Mitsuya asked.
"Me and my brother, who I'm certain should have explained this to you by now?" Seraselbas answered, raising an eye.
("I've tried. He never listens to how I'd advise him to draw out power because of what everyone else knows about the Transcendental Arrival.") Resetoras replied, his tone implying his glare towards his partner.
Mitsuya blushed in embarrassment, while Seraselbes face palmed at what she heard.
"OK, I'll admit that I probably should have listened to you there..." He apologized.
("Yes, you should have.") Resetoras emphasized.
Mitsuya let out a sigh, knowing he had deserved that snarky remark, right before Seraselbes walked up to him.
"We Spirits are ether that became alive by taking a solid form. This unique feature of our existence means we have easier access to it than others, but also means we can feel and tap into the ether surrounding us, not like how a certain color could draw in a certain animal. The full strength of our races manifests when we unite with the environment around us." Seraselbes explained.
"Basically, the reason I couldn't pop that bubble is because using just my power was restricting myself." Mitsuya realized.
"That, and your body only has so much ether. Even if no Spirit or your Longinus can deplete it, the amount of power you can unleash is limited by how much it can contain." She added.
Hearing that caused Mitsuya to think for a moment, eventually thinking of a good comparison.
"It would be like comparing a cup holding sea water in comparison to the actual sea." He realized.
("Exactly, which is likely why we Spirits evolved here in the ocean. To understand such a flow, it makes sense you need to truly experience and understand how a flow works, something easy to do if you evolved in it.") Resetoras confirmed.
"Because the water pressure is more like a cup holding you." Mitsuya added.
Seraselbes smiled at that, glad that despite his accidental limiting of his full potential from ignoring her brother's advice, he was quickly able to understand it now.
("And while my sister's skill is good, the way I can use it goes to an even higher level.") He added.
"What level is that?" Mitsuya asked.
("I won't be direct to help you try to learn it easier, but depending on where I drew ether from? I could manifest added properties to aid me in battle, which gave me versatility during many of my ancient battles with Melvazoa.") Resetoras replied.
"You mean like, if that ether came from the ocean, you could match something about the water? At least, I think that's what you're saying." He asked.
("How about you find out while my sister tries teaching you how to expand your power set? I think actually using it will benefit you more than if I directly told you about it.") Resetoras replied.
"Alright, if you think it do me better, then I'll try it." Mitsuya decided, agreeing to his suggestion.
Seraselbes soon rose a hand up, making a smaller version of the strands she popped the bubbles with.
"I've noticed you mainly attack by having your aura act as a small extension of yourself, but that only works so much, especially since your aura can be more. I want you to try branching it out into an attack like this one. After that, we'll start broadening your aura's reach into something bigger." She requested.
Around that moment, Mitsuya noticed new bubbles had formed, soon noticing one being created by what looked like geyser holes that were scattered across the ground.
He readied himself as he focused on the first bubble he'd hopefully pop.
Enseelyia walked into an area that was set up as her and Creuserey's rendezvous point, slowly sneaking around anywhere where a few of the right people could notice her. After a few minutes, she got through the area, and made it the safe zone she needed to reach.
"Man, that was too much work for simple hiding." She sighed.
"It makes sense you'd always find a way to complain about something." Creuserey remarked, coming out of his hiding spot.
Enseelyia turned as he walked into view.
"Says the guy with a girly ponytail." Enseelyia countered.
He growled at her.
"Looks like I called that right." She replied, smirking at him.
"I'll have you know that this is the hairstyle of a great-" He retorted.
"I don't care." Enseelyia interjected.
He fumed at how easily she ignored him, causing Enseelyia to glance at his glaring form.
"Aren't we meeting with Kaiser, or do you just want to whine?" She inquired.
"Grr... fine!" Creuserey replied.
Both of them formed a magic circle together, causing them to be transported to an area on the outskirts of Kyoto, where the masked man known as Kaiser Vortex could be seen looking at a TV screen while over a table of various chemicals and ingredients.
As he wrote down some information he saw, the magic circle containing Creuserey and Enseelyia appeared behind him.
"Hmm?" Kaiser blinked, turning around.
He smirked as he saw that they had arrived.
"Took you long enough. I can't believe you needed six years to prepare." Kaiser remarked.
"Correction, she needed-" Creuserey stated, pointing at her.
He didn't finish his sentence as Enseelyia elbowed him in the gut, making him wheeze as he held it. Kaiser Vortex actually shook in fear at the action.
"You have any comments to make?" She warned.
Seeing Creuserey fall on the floor, still holding his stomach in pain, Kaiser quickly shook his head.
"Anyways, here's what you needed." She replied.
Tossing him the briefcase, he smirked as he looked inside of it.
"Perfect, and now? We simply need to guide these two into the right circumstance." Kaiser stated.
He pulled out a picture showing a boy and girl around Issei and Valiana's age.
"Who are these two?" Enseelyia asked.
"The boy is the current wielder of the Canis Lykaon, a boy named Tobio Ikuse, who the Fallen have been aware of by his identity and wielder of a Longinus for a while now." Kaiser revealed.
"And the girl?" Creuserey asked, weakly getting back on his feet.
"A girl with a strong connection to him, who I think may also be a Longinus user, but that's mere speculation." He continued.
Enseelyia looked at the girl's picture.
"Hold on, I've seen that girl before. I think her name is... Sae Toujou?" She recalled.
With the mention of that name, Kaiser's eyes widened before he let out a dark grin.
That's it for this chapter, and since some of you are probably wondering why Issei and Valiana never showed up, especially when the previous chapter was implying you'd see them confess here? All I can say is... this chapter was never going to have it! *giggles* I've always wanted to do a chapter where neither of them made an appearance, and this was it. The other reason is Ch 20 is next, and since 2020 is coming soon, having them confess then seems perfect.
We're also starting to learn more about some of the bigger mysteries that have been implied for a while, especially since Alicia started to notice a few things that felt off in the prior chapter. Just what do Adam and Eve, the ExE Gods, and the Longinus Spirits know about that they need to keep secret while some of the Longinus are still missing? Even more, what will their reunion lead to?
At the same time, we've gained at least one answer to the story behind Adam and Eve being able to end World War 2, and it's because Adam has been their sole reason for technological advancements. He and Eve had been hiding among Humanity as various individuals who have had big influences, and once the time of World War 2 came? They had finally finished their main job, with the six who were their children in actual religion simply being their info network.
The fact that he alone made all of the world's technology might seem like a stretch, but there's a reason for this, and you'll eventually learn what it is as the story gets closer to unveiling the full truths of the Dissension War. Speaking of which, I guess it's a good time to say this arc's name isn't just about Valiana and Ruihi's Rating game, but the heavy focus on Melvazoa and Resetoras.
Now, for one last thing before we end today's chapter? Despite how I'm a fan of Date A Live, the only connection between Elaine Westcott to the big bad she shares a last name with is they have the same ancestor, not unlike how Sirzechs Bishop has the same last name as Ellen, who is likely her ancestor in in the DAL world. This is meant to show how Elaine was able to be Le Fay's instructor in magic, as she's related to one of the greatest magicians in the DxD world.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^