Chapter 30- Truths and Revelations

April 20th, 2057- That Afternoon

Frank and the rest of the Black Legion had gathered at Dicey Café, which Andrew had closed for the private party, partially to celebrate Seiji's defeat, and partially to get an explanation from Rias without worrying about being overheard by passerby. Speaking of Seiji, he had undergone a complete personality change after losing Brain Burst as he was actually being nice now. This was most likely because of his bad memories of his abusive brother that were tied with the mysterious program disappearing that caused the former acceleration user to go through such a change. For some reason, Seiji also lost his memories of Frank's identity as the Dark Swordsman, as well as the identities of the other former Alfheim Warriors, but it turns out that was Rias's doing as she is not taking any chances of that information getting leaked.

Despite having suspected Rias's true heritage thanks to Kazuto, it was still quite a shock to the Blade Eater that his adopted mother is actually a demon. Frank had always sensed something off about the older woman, even when he was young, but it never came off as threatening to him. Instead she ended up being like a second mother to him, always supporting and looking after him. That made Frank hesitate as he was initially worried that Rias would be like the other demons, thus making her an enemy, and wouldn't bring himself to fight her. Luckily, that isn't the case as the demoness promised that she was on his side. Granted she could be lying as demons in mythology are known to be liars and manipulators, but there was an honesty to Rias's words that made Frank push aside those stories.

The entire Nega Nebulus was gathered around a big table in the center of the café, with Rias sitting at the far end. Frank and Meg were sitting next to her, along with Kuroba and Kazuto. Rias had also put up a magic seal on the café to prevent eavesdroppers from listening in.

"I still can't believe Lisbeth is our enemy," Ayano said in sorrow, as she thought about the pinkette. "It just doesn't make any sense. There's no way she'd join the same beings who attacked Tokyo thirty years ago."

"Grief can change people," Andrew spoke up. "Liz took Celina's death pretty hard. Her desire for revenge is warping her judgement."

"Yeah, on Marth, who had nothing to do with Celina dying!" Klein said in outrage. He slammed his right fist into the table. "Marth and Kirito ordered them to stay behind to defend Tokyo with the rest of the United Forces, while the rest of us attacked Zarc's Shadow Fortress to end the war. Celina was killed by one of Zarc's attacks from Dark Siren, not Marth's Siren. Plus she died protecting Lisbeth. Talk about dishonoring someone's sacrifice."

"That may be true, Klein," Sinon replied slowly. "But it was Marth fusing with Fenrir's Core Crystal that was the catalyst for the Demon War even starting. So, in a way, Marth did cause Celina's death, even though it was never his intention."

Both Frank and Rias looked hesitant for a few moments, albeit for different reasons.

Eventually Kazuto cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Ah-hem. We'll discuss what to do about Lisbeth later," he said firmly. "Right now, let's focus on another matter, one we can get answers too easily." He turned his head to Rias. "Mrs. Hagino, tell us your story."

"Straight to the point, I see," the demoness commented. "You haven't changed, Kazuto, even after so many years. Very well, but my story is a long one and is connected to several people here. Once you hear this story, things might end up changing drastically for all of you."

"We can deal with that," Kuroba voiced. "Right now, we need answers, and you're our best shot at giving them. What are Twilight and Dawn Remnants? Why do they seem so important?"

Rias glanced at the Black King with an inquisitive look. "I'll tell you, but first I must establish who I am. As you know, Rias Hagino is not my real name. I am actually Rias Morningstar, one of the six demon lords. I was also one of the few demons who survived Zarc's revolt where he killed our king and cast our people's lot with Zeta, the God of Darkness during the War of Darkness, a war that took place near the beginning of time itself." As she spoke the man's name, her hands tightened in anger. She could still picture the screams of innocent demons and their families killed by the radical demons.

Frank's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, Zarc's not actually the Demon King? Then who was?"

"Our king was a man named Teranis Umbris, and he was an honorable person," Rias explained. "Unlike Zarc and Arcanos, who are also demon lords, Teranis actually cared about humans and saw the potential in them. When the Dark God came to our dimension, Eternus, he offered our people a place in his army for his war against all life. Teranis refused. But Zeta was cunning. He persuaded Zarc to kill the king and take the crown for himself. If he did this, Zeta would make him his second-in-command. Zarc didn't even hesitate to accept the offer. During a ceremony to honor our creator, the Shadow Goddess Sinestra, Zarc assassinated Teranis while his forces attacked the capital, killing any who did not share their beliefs. It took everything I had to escape with a handful of survivors."

Everyone was quiet for a few moments, as if in mourning of the loss of life that occurred ages ago.

"Damn, that's messed up," Klein said in shock. "It's hard to believe a demon would kill their own kind like that."

"Did…Teranis have any family?" Suguha asked nervously.

Rias nodded her head. "Yes. Her name was Altena. She was the heir to the throne and was the strongest of the six demon lords, as well as my dear friend. She wasn't present during Zarc's usurpation. He planned it to happen during a time where she wouldn't be able to stop him.

"You see, Altena had married Lambert, the King of Arcadia, who was a human. They first met when Lambert was young when he accidently entered Eternus while on trip with his parents. He was immediately attacked the beasts living there and would have died had Altena not appeared and saved him. He was immediately smitten with her and vowed to marry her when he became king. Eventually he became of age to inherit the throne and returned to Eternus to ask Teranis for Altena's hand. They were both amused by the offer, but didn't reject the offer. Teranis agreed to the offer, but only if Lambert was able to overcome several difficult trials, ranging from killing powerful dark beasts by himself or by helping the people of Eternus."

The demoness cracked a light smile as she fondly recalled the time the young king had entered the Obsidian Palace. Altena didn't forget who Lambert was, despite their previous encounter being eight years prior. Even then, her old friend was intrigued by his tenacity as he had managed to kill two weaker dark beasts, even at such a young age, before stronger ones threatened to attack. However, back then Rias believed that Lambert was insane for thinking that he could win the affections of the strongest demoness in Eternus.

Naturally, unlike humans, demons were essentially immortal. They age at around the same speed as a human does until, they reach twenty years of age, where their bodies practically stop aging. In fact, not counting the time between the Era of Beginnings and the current era, Rias was around 300 years old, which is actually considered young for her kind. In human standards, she could pass herself as a woman in her late twenties or early thirties.

"Lambert was able to pass all of Teranis's trials," Rias continued. "One of the most important was to earn Altena's trust, as even though she is a caring individual, she rarely opens up to other people about personal issues. Teranis gave Lambert his blessing and the young king returned to his kingdom with his bride-to-be. Naturally there were protests among Lambert's council as even though Altena was royalty, she wasn't human. A being that possesses dark blood. While demons weren't feared for corrupting individuals back then, the humans were very wary of the dark side of life. Despite this, Altena proved that she could be trusted by helping her new people and defending her fiancé's homeland. The two were then married and Altena eventually gave birth to two children, Zane and Lucia."

The Black Legion let out a gasp.

"Wait, did you say Zane?!" Asuna exclaimed in shock. "As in, Marth's other life?!"

"What does that mean for my brother?" Meg questioned. "And who is Lucia?"

Rias was aware that Zarc had given the Alfheim Warriors a brief summary of Zane's history thirty years ago on Temporal Tower in another world when Zarc plotted to use the Dark Swordsman's soul and the soul of the Dawn Remnant of that world to revive his master, Zeta. Now it is the time for her to fill in the blanks.

"Zane was Altena's first child," the demoness explained. "She would later bear Lucia, her daughter, a year and a half later. As for their identities, you all are already aware that Frank, otherwise known as Marth, is Zane's reincarnation, a Twilight Remnant. As for Lucia, her reincarnations are called Dusk Remnants, and her reincarnation is none other than," she glanced over at Meg, "you."

Once again, everyone was shocked by the revelation.

"No way," Kazuto said slowly, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Are you saying that both Frank and Meg are the reincarnations of half-demons?"

"Indeed. Out of the two siblings, Zane was the strongest and came close to rivaling Altena herself. Speaking of Frank and Meg, have you two noticed anything unusual with your blood recently?"

The Storm-Furuta siblings were silent for a few moments. It was natural for them to feel uncomfortable with this as what this could mean could drastically alter their lives.

"Back in Okinawa, I got into a fight with an orc named Blados," Frank explained slowly. He looked down at his hands, which cupped on the wooden table. "He managed to injure me a few times and when he did, I noticed that my blood had black streaks in it."

"I've noticed a similar thing with my blood too," Meg admitted. "The other day I was helping Sugu with dinner when I accidently cut myself with a kitchen knife. It wasn't very deep, but it did draw blood. Blood that has black streaks in it."

Klein shuddered in disgust. "Creepy. But weren't you two born as humans? So shouldn't your blood be fully human too?"

"You are only partially correct, Klein," Rias spoke up. "While Frank and Meg were indeed born human, their souls are not. Instead they are the souls of half-demons. The body is the vessel of the soul and is something the soul can manipulate to suit its needs. The very moment Frank and Meg were born, their souls began to slowly turn their bodies from that of humans, to half-demons. Those black streaks are demon blood and is a sign that the process is complete."

"No way." Meg leaned back in her chair as she processed what she just heard. "So…me and Frank…we're not human anymore?"

"Technically I stopped being human when I merged with Fenrir's Core Crystal," Frank spoke up as he held said crystal with one hand. "But that's not the point. What does this mean?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that you two are no longer considered humans," Rias confirmed slowly, her eyes looking sympathetic. "There are benefits to this transition, but I'll get into that at a later date. However, you are not the only ones here who have gone through such a change."

Kuroba's eyes widened as she recalled seeing her own blood that night in Okinawa. "Are you referring to me?" she questioned the demoness.

"Yes, Kuroba, but you are not a half-demon. You…are a fairy."

Morgan was sitting on her bed staring at the tiny chrome piece in her hand. While it was too soon to say that this could be her trump card, Chrome Disaster would still prove to be a useful tool for the sorceress. She had already set plans to revive the dark creature and set it loose upon the Accelerated World again, but not without a few enhancements. Only Blados knows she has the armor piece and she intends to keep it that way. If Arcanos or that girl learned about this, they would force Morgan to have the Dark Incarnate creature obey them.

"I despise them both, especially her," Morgan thought in disgust. "She may be in charge of the Research Society, but that doesn't mean she's my equal. Just once, I'd love to strike her with one of my strongest spells, but Arcanos will never allow it as her powers have been useful for him."

The blonde sorceress pocketed the chrome piece into her dress before moving over to her desk, where she summoned the image of Marth dual-wielding from her crystal ball. Unbeknownst to Arcanos, Morgan had learned of the battle between Dusk Taker and Nega Nebulus. She wasn't disheartened to hear of Seiji's defeat, quite the opposite in fact. He was way too egotistical for her liking as there were several times where she almost scorched him with her magic by bragging about his Demonic Commandeer ability. Similar to Arcanos, Morgan was present in the Unlimited Neutral Field for that battle, but unlike him, Morgan actually stayed hidden and stayed to watch Dusk Taker be eliminated by Kirito's Excalibur.

"Marth sure does have powerful allies, including that of Rias Morningstar," she mused to herself. "But does he possess the same tenacity that his previous life, Zane, possessed?" She smirked as she recalled seeing the dark aura that briefly surrounded the Black Wolf player. "He certainly has the same fury, the same anger."

However, Morgan was also aware that things weren't right with the Dark Swordsman. She's known this ever since she snuck into Arcanos's quarters when he wasn't there and stole a drop of the Twilight Remnant's blood. What she found out from analyzing it was both shocking and intriguing. There's no doubt in her mind that Rias will warn Marth of it, but that's all the full-blooded demoness can do.

Suddenly Morgan heard a knock on her door. She quickly dismissed the image of the boy that held her curiosity and turned around. "Come in," she said slowly.

The door opened, revealing none other than Lisbeth. Her armor was now fully repaired, largely because of Morgan's magic, and now that her identity has been revealed to her former friends, chose to discard her mask. Her face was impassive.

"Hello, Morgan," Lisbeth said emotionlessly. "What are you doing?"

Morgan brushed her left hand through her long hair. "Oh nothing," she said innocently. "Just trying to pass the time. Arcanos never lets me leave the base and it gets rather boring here."

Lisbeth scoffed. She could tell that the sorceress was hiding something, but chose not to question it. As long as she got her revenge on Marth, the demon-fairy could do whatever she pleased.

"Arcanos wanted an update on Zarc's location," Lisbeth spoke up. "Have you found him yet?"

"No, but I'm making progress. I'm starting to think we may have been looking in the wrong world this whole time."

The pinkette raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Morgan simply smirked as she reported her findings to her fellow half-demon.

"So, I was a fairy in my first life?" Kuroba questioned as she processed it in her head. "My life as Celine?"

Rias nodded her head in confirmation. "Yes. Her mother was Anthiese, their queen. Unlike Zane, however, Celine did not have a human parent. The fairies lived alongside the humans and had their own kingdom, which was called Arun. That kingdom has since become its own dimension now. The fairies were well respected, as was their progenitor, Celestia, the Goddess of Light. Some of the best sorcerers even came from the Kingdom of Arun." She looked the Black King in the eye. "Your, or should I say Celine's, mother was gifted sorceress. The elements and even the very light itself bent to her will. However, Anthiese was also known for her distaste in demons."

"Why's that? Did they do something to her or something?"

"Not exactly. Fairies and demons having disdain towards each other is actually very common. Even though Sinestra and Celestia were sisters, they didn't exactly get along and this was inherited by their children, the demons and the fairies. Though there are children who are born from the union between the two races, however, those children are shunned by both and forced to live as exiles."

"How awful," Ayano muttered. "The children are punished just for being born. Why would anyone think that's okay?"

"That's just how the world worked back then," Rias said simply.

"Speaking of which," Andrew spoke up, his arms folded across his chest. "How long have you been in this world, Rias, at least since after war against Zeta?"

"I was one of the few survivors of the conflict. After Zeta's defeat, I returned to Eternus. I had exhausted much of my power and needed to recuperate. However, there was a promise I needed to keep and to do that, I had to seal myself away so that I could fulfill it. That seal broke during the Demon War, however by then, the war was practically over so I simply wandered across Japan until I finally settled down here in Tokyo about eleven years ago."

"Eleven years?" Frank questioned. "That was around when you and Dad found me in the park."

Rias nodded her head as she smiled warmly. "Yes. While I may have appeared shocked back then, I was actually very relieved that I had found you. Ever since then, I've done my best to protect you."

Kazuto then remembered his conversation with the demoness from yesterday, mainly where she mentioned a promise. "Hey, Mrs.—"

"You can call me, Rias, Kazuto. I don't mind."

The Black Swordsman was taken aback a little, but simply nodded. "Um, Rias… Yesterday you told me you had made a promise to an old friend to protect her son. Was that friend Altena?"

Rias's smile disappeared as she lowered her head. "Yes," she said slowly, sorrow etched in her tone. "When Zeta began his war on humanity, it was when Zane was around five years old. Arcadia was one of Zeta's first targets and it fell overnight. Lambert and thousands of his soldiers sacrificed their lives so that the civilians and his family could escape. Altena wanted to stay and fight, but Lambert refused as she was the only one he could trust to ensure their children's safety. Unfortunately, during the evacuation, Zane and his best friend, Kirito, were separated from Altena, who was forced to abandon them to ensure the safety of her daughter and the civilians in her care. Luckily Scathach, the wielder of lance, Gae Bolg, rescued them and took them under her care.

"But that all is a story for another day. Near the end of the War of Shadows, me, Altena, Zane and his friends fought a major battle against Zeta and his forces on the Tailtein Plains. We suffered many casualties, but we managed to force Zeta to retreat. However, it was on that field where Altena lost her life."

"What?" Frank said in disbelief. "From the way you described her, Altena doesn't look like she could ever fall."

"Even she had her limits. Altena was able to cut down a large part of Zeta's forces by herself before Zarc interfered. Zarc had been empowered by Zeta, if it wasn't for that, there's no way Altena would have lost. Their battle raged on for over an hour before Altena's wounds became too much for her and she finally fell."

Rias cupped her hands tightly as she recalled the memory. Altena, her clothes stained with her black blood, slain by the sword of her father's murderer and usurper. The red-haired demon had become enraged by the sight during that battle and slaughtered any enemy that dared approach her while she made her way to her oldest friend.

"Altena's…last words to me…were to look after her children," Rias choked out as tears leaked from her eyes. "I gave her my word that I would protect them as she died in my arms."

Silence filled the room once more as everyone found themselves at a loss for words.

"Did my, no Celine's, mother, die there too?" Kuroba spoke up after a few minutes. She had no memories of the Fairy Queen, or any memories from her life as Celine, but she still felt concerned.

"No, Anthiese survived that terrible battle. In fact, she's most likely still alive now, ruling Arun."

"I see," Kuroba mused. "I…wouldn't mind meeting her someday." She brought up her open palm and stared at it. "She could probably help me understand my…transition…and coach me through it."

Rias simply smiled. "I'm sure she would be happy to help. Anthiese was very strict, but she cared deeply for Celine. I wish I had a way to contact her but I don't. I can try to help you through it though."

"Can you help me out too, Rias?" Meg added.

"Of course. I would be honored to help." The demoness jerked her head towards her son. "What about you, Frank?"

Frank leaned back in his chair as he held the back of his head in his hands. "Yeah, I could use some pointers. I practically had to figure things out as I went when I became a Blade Eater. It wasn't fun. I'd rather not go through such an experience again."

"Hold on a second," Shino said suddenly, catching everyone's attention. "Earlier you said Zane and Kirito were separated from Altena. Does that mean our Kirito is a Remnant too?"

"I was wondering when someone would ask that," Rias commented. "Yes. Kazuto Kirigaya is a Night Remnant, the reincarnation of Kirito, the Black Swordsman, who fought at Zane's side. Kirito was the son of a noble who was close to the royal family. He was rarely seen apart from Zane. Since their hair colors were so similar, many people believed that they were brothers, and in a way, they were."

"Boy that sounds familiar," Kazuto said a smile as he leaned into the table.

"It sure does," Frank added, also with a grin.

Rias also explained that Asuna is a Flash Remnant, with her previous life sharing the same name as her. She was a noble from another kingdom that Zeta destroyed during the War of Shadows and had joined a resistance army before she eventually joined Zane's group.

Soon Klein looked out the window and noticed that the sun was setting. "Hey it's starting to get late. Why don't we start wrapping this up?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Andrew added with a nod after taking a bite of the meal that Asuna had prepared for the group. "I feel like I'm gonna need a break to process Rias's story."

"It is weird how there's no records of Zane's story," Ayano brought up. "It's kind of sad really."

"That's just the flow of time, Silica," Kazuto replied. "There are countless stories that are lost across the ages. Though if you really look, you can find fragments of the stories, but it's impossible to get the full picture. For Zane's story, the only way we can hear the whole thing is by hearing it from people who were actually there."

"I'm guessing you're referring to me," Rias said with a small grin. "It's not a very happy story, but if you ever want me to tell you it, all you have to do is ask."

There were still somethings that Frank wanted answered but he decided to hold off for now. He and his friends then spent the rest of the meeting eating the last of the food before deciding to go their separate ways.

Later

Frank, Rias, Kuroba, Kazuto and Meg (who had decided to join them because she wanted to hear more about her past life from the demoness), were back in the former's apartment building, heading for the Hagino apartment.

"Hey, Mom, does Dad know you're a demon?" Frank questioned.

"No, but I think he's always suspected it. I may tell him eventually, but now isn't the time."

The group soon entered the Hagino apartment. However, right as Frank began walking through the hallway to the living room, his chest suddenly flared with excruciating pain.

"Gaaah!" he cried out as he felt his legs give out.

The pain seemed to be coming from his chest and just like before, it was so intense that he could hardly think. His whole body was fighting against itself.

"Frank!" Kuroba shouted in worry as she knelt beside her boyfriend.

"Brother!" Meg exclaimed as she did the same.

The two girls tried to comfort the ailing boy and it seemed to work as the pain slowly stopped.

The Blade Eater let out several pants as he brought his sweaty palm to his Core Crystal. "That's the second time today this has happened," he said slowly, his body still aching slightly. "What's happening to me?"

Kazuto turned around and noticed that Rias had a pained expression on her face. "You know something, don't you?" he questioned intently. "What are you hiding?!"

"Kazuto!" Meg retorted. "You can't just accuse her like that."

The Black Swordsman sent a glare at the brunette, shutting her up. "Look, Rias clearly knows what's happening to your brother, my best friend. If she knows something, then she needs to tell us."

Kuroba turned her gaze at the red-haired woman, her eyes filled with concern. "Please, tell us what's happening to Frank," she begged. "Something is clearly wrong with him and we need to know how to fix it."

The demoness was silent for a few moments before finally making her way over to the teens. "As you know, Frank is a half-demon and a Blade Eater," Rias explained. "However such a combination is taboo."

"What are you talking about?" the Dark Swordsman questioned.

"Demons were born from darkness and while ether did not exist back then, from watching over you for so long, I can tell that ether, at least in another world, makes up the fabric of reality. Those two sources…don't mix and it's causing your body to deteriorate."

The teens all gasped in shock.

"What?" Meg said in disbelief. "Are you saying that my brother is dying?"

Rias could only nod grimly.

Kazuto gritted his teeth in anger. "But why is this happening now?" he questioned. "Frank's been fine for over eleven years. Why have a problem now?"

"I think I know why," Kuroba said slowly. "Ever since Okinawa, Frank's body has been generating more ether than before. Plus during the battle with Gandora, he had that surge of ether energy that likely came from Fenrir."

"She's right," Rias said in despair. "While I'm sure Fenrir didn't mean any harm with that, he clearly didn't know the damage he would be causing by doing that. The more ether energy Frank uses, the faster the deterioration becomes."

"No way," Meg muttered.

It was such a shock to the brunette. She knew that something was wrong with her brother for days now. She had prayed desperately that it was nothing major, but those prayers had been quashed just like that. Frank, her only family left, was dying from the very power he acquired to help his friends in the world of Alrest.

"Is there a way we can stop it?" Kazuto questioned fiercely. "You're a master sorceress. Surely you can conjure up a cure or something."

Rias simply shook her head. "There isn't a cure. The only way to save Frank is to remove his Core Crystal, but it's a part of his body now. If we remove it, his body shuts down and he dies."

"Damn it!" Kazuto stomped his foot on the hardwood floor. "There's got to be something we can do. I refuse to let Frank die from this."

"Let it go, Kazuto," Frank said softly, catching everyone's attention. He rose to his feet, but kept his head low. "Rias herself said that there's no cure. She doesn't have any reason to lie." He turned his head towards his adopted mother. "How long do I have?"

"It depends on how much ether you use," Rias explained. "Ideally, if you stop using ether forever, you can last about ten years, give or take. However, that's not very likely because of whatever Arcanos is planning. If you keep using ether at the rate you're going now, I'd say about nine months, maybe slightly longer."

"I see," Frank said simply, his bangs covering his eyes.

"We need to tell the others this," Meg added. "They need to know."

"No, this stays between us," Frank said emotionlessly. "Telling them will only cause them to worry and we have enough on our plate already."

"But, Frank," Kazuto voiced. "We can't just keep quiet about this. What if this happens out in public? What then?"

"Then we'll deal with it then. We'll tell them eventually, but now's not a good time."

Kazuto gritted his teeth in frustration. "You're being an idiot, Frank! You're freaking dying and you're choosing to keep it a secret from the others. I thought we were moving passed this."

"Like I said, we'll tell them eventually," Frank said coldly. It reminded the Graphite Edge player of the emotionless tone his friend would talk in when he fully became the Dark Swordsman. "Mom says I have at least nine months, so we'll tell them about this at around July or August."

Kazuto looked ready to say something, only for Rias to grab his shoulder and shake her head. The teen finally relented with an irritated sigh. It was clear the Dark Swordsman had his mind made up.

"Frank, because of your bond with Lunara and Solaris, you can probably summon them without using ether," Rias explained. "However, any other powers will be risky to use, especially the Fenrir Effect. I might know an alternate way for you to access your powers, and that's to awaken your demon blood. While you have fully changed into a half-demon, you don't know how harness your newfound powers. If you can use your demon blood to access your other powers, minus the Fenrir Effect, it could slow the deterioration down."

"Alright," the Blade Eater said slowly. "I'll work that training around Kuroba's Dual Blades training. She should be able to use Sword Skills without using ether." He then turned towards the front door. "I'm going out for a bit."

He didn't wait for anyone to speak up before walking to the front door and exiting the apartment.

"Um, I'm going after him," Kuroba spoke up. "I'm worried about him. Kazuto, do you want to come?"

She turned towards her other partner to see that he was comforting a weeping Meg. It seems that the brunette had been holding it in this entire time. He looked her in the eyes which said, "I've got this. Go after our partner."

Kuroba simply nodded before hurrying out the door. Frank was nowhere to be seen, but Kuroba wasn't worried about tracking him down thanks to their resonance. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She found that the Blade Eater was standing on top of a bridge, which was a block away from the apartment building. She didn't question how he got there so fast as physical things like running or strength, doesn't require ether energy as those are tied to regular stamina. The only exception are the Lightspeed Bursts, which do require an immense ether energy for the Blade Eater to access.

The Black King hurried to the elevator to get to the ground floor before hurrying to her boyfriend. It took her less than two minutes to reach the bridge by running, but it felt a lot longer to her. When she arrived, she saw Frank staring at the setting sun, which lit the sky with its orange light.

"Frank," she said slowly, her hand close to her chest.

Without even turning around, Frank said, "I want to be alone, Kuroba."

The half-demon's voice was full of sorrow and pain. It made her heart ache to hear him talk like that.

"I'm not leaving," Kuroba replied calmly. "You're hurting and being alone is the last thing you need. We can fix this—"

"No, we can't!" Frank suddenly shouted, his fist slamming into the metal railing. The Black King was taken aback by his raised voice. "You heard what Rias said. There's no cure. I'm doomed if I keep Fenrir's Core and doomed if I remove it. Honestly," Frank lowered his head in despair, "it really does seem like my life is cursed. No matter what I do, I always do something wrong. I pushed my sister away when our birth parents died, I ditched Klein at the Town of Beginnings, I killed five members of Laughing Coffin, I caused the Demon War by merging with this stupid Core Crystal, and now I find out that this thing is slowly killing me. What is wrong with me? Why can't I move on with my life? Why is this world so set on making me suffer?! What did I ever do to deserve this? Tell me!"

Kuroba was stumped on what she could say. She knew it was a fool's errand to believe that they could find a way to save her love's life, it was as if destiny itself was against them. But if that was the case, then destiny could burn in Hell for all she cared. Frank is her first love, and she wants him to be her only love. A world without him, is a world she refused to live in.

"We'll fight it," Kuroba said simply.

"Huh?" Finally Frank turned around, facing her in confusion. His eyes were red from crying as tears stained his face.

"If there's some destiny saying that you have die either by ether poisoning or from your core's removal, then we'll fight it," Kuroba said slowly, her voice slowly gaining more confidence as she spoke. "I'm a fairy now, and Rias herself said that some of the best sorcerers of her time were fairies. I'm sure there's a spell that can save you."

"But—"

"No buts!" Kuroba shouted, tears leaking from her eyes. "You saved me when my life was in danger, now it's my turn to save you! I don't care what Rias said, I refuse to just give up and let you die. I love you, Frank, and I don't want to lose you!"

"Kuroba," Frank said in shock before the girl tackled him into a hug. Her tears left damp spots on his school jacket.

"Not even reaching level 10 and solving the mystery of Brain Burst is more important to me than you," she continued as she held the boy tightly, as if afraid he would vanish if she let go for even a second. "If I had to choose between Brain Burst and you, I would choose you every time. So please, don't give up on yourself, Frank. Please."

The Dark Swordsman was at a loss for words. It was rare to see the Black King in this emotional state. Her words were also a fanciful dream. There was no guarantee that they would even find a cure to save him. And yet, those words echoed throughout his entire being, refusing to die out. Kuroba was right. If it seems like his fate is die by like this, then he'll fight to change it. He's always believed that he chooses his own destiny. Why should this be any different?

"Alright," Frank said as he embraced the girl. Kuroba found herself looking up and seeing a warm smile on her boyfriend's face. "We'll find a cure, together."

Kuroba's eyes widened before smiling, her cheeks tinged with red. "Together," she repeated.

They stayed like that for several minutes before finally separating and watching the sunset together.

"By the way, you looked pretty cool with Fuko's Gale Thruster," Kuroba commented. "When I watched you summon it, my heart skipped a beat."

Frank let out a light chuckle as he scratched his head sheepishly. "I was impressed by the power it had, especially when I combined it with my wings. I don't think I've ever flown that fast before. As much as I wouldn't mind doing that again, Gale Thruster isn't mine to use. It already has a master."

"I see. It's so unexpected that Fuko would be the one to teach you and Kazuto about the Incarnate System."

"Should we have gotten your permission or something?"

"No." Kuroba shook her head gently. "Out of all the high-level burst linkers who have mastered Incarnation, Fuko is probably the one who most believes in the possibilities of that system. And…I have no doubt that I could not be that complete of a demon towards you. No offense."

"None taken," Frank said with a light smile. "She certainly is like a demon. She managed to stop me and Cerberus from fighting each other with just words. She's definitely not someone I want to cross."

"I see she hasn't changed much. So she knows Dark Cerberus?"

"Looks that way. I don't know how close they are or how they met but from what I can tell, she's still loyal to you."

"That's reassuring to hear. I don't know if I could bring myself to fight her. Not after what I did to her."

Kuroba still felt guilty for severing the legs of Sky Raker as Black Lotus. While it was at Raker's request, it did cause the two friends to part ways. If she didn't do it, would she have thrown herself into battle against the other kings?

As day turned to night, the streetlights turning on, Kuroba found herself staring at the starry sky.

"The Incarnate System is extremely enormous," she said slowly. "Thus, it enthralls everyone who touches it. They master the depths of the power, charging forward to make it their own. But, well…this is what I think. If it were a simple program bug, the creators wouldn't have left it in. They would have done something about it. This means that Incarnation isn't an irregular system that was accidently generated but instead a part of Brain Burst's design. Maybe it's a trap to lure us in and draw us into that world."

"I'm not so sure," Frank spoke up.

Kuroba turned to face him, her amber eyes meeting his sapphire-blue eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Years ago, when Kirito and I fought Sugou in Alfheim Online, Brandon Lowell appeared before me, while Kayaba did the same for Kirito. It was thanks to them that we were able to stand up to Sugou. One thing that I'll always remember is that Brandon said that we showed him and Kayaba the power the human will has over the system, how it showed them the possibilities of the future. The Incarnate System may not be a trap at all. Instead it might be based off of those words, to make a person's will manifest and overwrite the system to create miracles. Or I could just be overthinking it."

"No," Kuroba said with a shake of her head. "I don't think you are. Hey, is it possible that Kayaba and Brandon are the ones who created Brain Burst? They were the creators of Sword Art Online and the World Seed, the source of all VRMMOs, after all. I know that they're dead, but you did say that they copied their souls onto the Internet."

"No, it couldn't be them," Frank said simply. "After SAO was cleared, Kayaba and Brandon took a more observation role. They wouldn't create an entirely new world again. Instead they'd probably just watch someone else do it just to see where that person will go with that world. There's no doubt in my mind that they're both still out there, but making a game like Brain Burst doesn't really suit their style."

"I see," Kuroba replied. "By the way, how do you plan on returning Fuko's wings? You did manage to get her contact info, right?"

"Of course, I did. Right after the transfer was made, we exchanged our contact information so that I could message her after we dealt with Seiji. I actually messaged her before we left for Dicey's and scheduled a meeting place and time."

"And when's that?" Kuroba questioned slowly.

Frank checked his peripheral vision and saw that it was 7:15 PM before smiling. "Right about…"

"Good evening, Marth," a new voice spoke up. "Good evening, Kuroba."

The duo turned around, though Kuroba slightly paused before moving. Under the starry night sky, she was there, smiling. Her long, soft hair fluttered in the breeze. The hem of her uniform skirt flickered up, and she held it down with a pale hand. It was none other than Fuko Kurasaki, otherwise known as the level 8 burst linker, Sky Raker and one of the original members of Nega Nebulus.

Kuroba couldn't help but share the same smile as she saw her old friend. "It's been a while, Fuko. About three years in the real world. Was this bridge the meeting point for you two?"

"No, we were going to meet at Frank's apartment. He was planning on having you over so we could see each other again."

The Black King couldn't help but gaze in wonder at the boy, who simply had a mischievous smile on his face.

Fuko was also gazing at Frank, although for slightly different reasons. "Well, shall we do the exchange here then? I brought a spare cable just in case." True to her word, she brought out an XSB cable from her bag.

"Sure," Frank replied. "Thanks for lending your wings to me. They really came in handy."

"I'm glad to hear that."

The two of them inserted the cable into their Neurolinkers and in less than a real world second, made the exchange to return Gale Thruster to its rightful owner. After they returned to the real world, they disconnected the cable.

"I have it now," Fuko said with a smile. "I guess I should get going." She turned to Kuroba and bowed lightly.

After taking two steps, servo motors whining faintly, Fuko moved her lips slightly. "Marth. I know that for you, flying is just another tool in your arsenal but I feel like you will be able to reach heights that I never could. I'll be rooting for you… Good luck." She grinned and turned around, leaving a quick wink in her wake. She walked off with a sure step.

But Frank definitely saw it. A small drop of light spilling from her quickly blinking eyes, tracing out a silver trajectory in the air. Frank turned to Kuroba, who had taken several small steps toward Fuko, but stopped, as if she was trying to endure something.

The Blade Eater simply chuckled as it reminded him of himself not being able to reach out to the Black King to find healing. He gave the black-haired girl a slight nudge on the back, causing her to briefly face him. His eyes said one thing to the girl, "Go to her. She's waiting."

Kuroba turned back to the former Nega Nebulus member and cried out, "Fuko!"

The Sky Raker player, who was almost off of the bridge, halted in her tracks.

"Fuko. Please come back. I need you."

Fuko dropped her head deeply. Her left leg started to take another step forward, only to suddenly stop. Almost as if the CPU controlling the artificial leg was fighting against its owner's orders. As if it had a soul and was following its own heart. Bit by small bit, the leg was pulled back.

Ever so slowly, Fuko turned around. She moved her lips and uttered in the faintest voice, "Kuroba." And then a silent question. Are you sure?

Kuroba nodded firmly and shouted again, "Fuko!"

The girls began to run toward each other, with Fuko tossing her bag to the side. Kuroba was slightly faster of the two, but Fuko had her arms out to catch her. She embraced the slightly shorter girl with black hair, large tears spilling over her cheeks. The brunette glanced over at Frank with the biggest smile he had ever seen on her. The message was clear. Thank you.

Frank could only smile back as the two girls released three years' worth of buried emotions onto each other as they sobbed while in each other's arms. The Dark Swordsman then looked up at the night sky and stared directly at the half-moon in the sky.

"No matter what happens, I'll always protect Kuroba, Fuko and the others," he vowed. "I'll find a cure for my deterioration so that I can stay here with them. I swear this on my honor as a swordsman."

For a brief second, Frank could have sworn he heard the sound of a girl giggling. He first turned towards Kuroba and Fuko, but they were still crying their eyes out so the sound couldn't have come from them. He then turned in the other direction and under a streetlight, he saw her.

She had long light green hair, almost reaching her waist, and piercing gold eyes. She wore a white straitjacket that had multiple unhooked black straps on her arms and legs, as well as long high-heeled boots that went up to her thighs (which were hidden by the jacket itself). The jacket also had a high collar that could shield her mouth. She looked like an ordinary girl, but she had this abnormal presence around her, like she wasn't human, demon or monster.

Her lips moved slightly and somehow, despite the distance, he could hear her clearly. "We'll meet again soon, Marth. I look forward to seeing your true face."

"What?" Frank muttered in bewilderment.

The girl didn't respond. Instead she turned and disappeared into the night.

To be continued

And so Kuroba and Fuko finally reunite. Sorry that this was mainly just an exposition chapter but there were a lot of things I needed to cover regarding Remnants and Rias's backstory (though there are still things I can expand upon but I'm saving those for later chapters) plus create some setup for the next arc. And with this, the Seiji arc is finally finished and officially has made Black Wolf my longest story yet in terms of word count. The next chapter is one I've been looking forward to for months now. Why that is, you'll have to wait and see. See you guys next time!