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FICTION

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Chapter 37: Killer Queen

I think I can say for certain that the current trip at the grocery store was taking a more surprising development compared to anything I had the chance of experiencing before that moment.

After a relatively calm day at school, with minimal issues with what was going on at the Academy, I just needed a break from problems. I talked with Issei about his current situation with Asia and Rias, and I was relieved to hear that things were partly fine. The redhead was still after him from the looks of it, but she seemed to have backed away a little bit to evaluate the disadvantage she is stuck with. The blonde just had an element that made her more appealing to Issei. She wasn't his boss, and he didn't feel overly threatened by being too forward with her. In fact, he was instinctively caring when it came to being nice with the kind and soft-spoken young woman.

Meanwhile I had to also keep watch over Maria's good efforts to stay at school. As expected and promised, the silver-haired girl put a good effort about the topic we spoke about, and she seemed to easily accept becoming part of the group Kunou had created with Koneko and Ravel. The only problem being that the young Succubus would still take moments to tease and poke fun at some awkward situation. I was the one that suffered the worst out of it due to her interest in pressing her tiny bond with me to test the current limits. No biggies, but still frustrating at times.

While at first I was engrossed in fishing out the products I had to buy so I could get back home as quickly as possible and lay down the plans for dinner, I soon discovered that other people had other plans for me. Humming quietly as I finished drawing the last of the three boxes of cereals I was set to pay for, I turned around and noticed that an individual was staring at me rather intensely from two ailes away. There was a small hole between the shelves as to where stuff should have covered, and it offered a perfect glimpse over me to the mysterious stalker that was clearly studying me from afar. Woman, shoulder-length brown hair. She was wearing a sleeveless black shirt with a modest opening to her abundant cleavage. She was also wearing dark-gray pants that ended with a pair of black heels. Her violet eyes were aimed at me and kept being so even as I noticed her and stared back at her. I wasn't sure if she was doing this on purpose or not… but I could definitely say she was stalking me from the fact she didn't seem annoyed by being discovered.

In fact, from the smile on her lipsticked lips, she looked incredibly… amused. Way too amused for this to be a normal situation for me to handle. I didn't waste time looking at her, ignoring her beauty and swiftly getting the things I bought paid. Once I was done with the shop-keeper I started to run as quickly as I could without catching attention to myself. I glanced back noticing that the woman had left the shop too but… her approach was quite clever when it came to chase me. She wasn't running, no- she was having a pleasant slow-paced stroll that was interrupted at bits by sudden teleportations forward that allowed her to keep up a good distance from me.

The worst thing? I couldn't feel the use of mana in her spells. It wasn't something impossible, but the degree of magical control and physical affinity had to be such that… that this individual had to be well beyond my current fighting prowess. Way above that and… I even doubted Baraqiel would have had a good time facing someone like her. I turned to the streets on the left once I crossed the block, expecting to find just enough time and possibility to dive into one of the available alleys in the city. I wasn't worrying about wasting time there, so I timed myself just enough to get the peak balance of speed, pacing, and maneuverability while I took shortcuts and other alternative ways to the main ones.

Glancing at people around, I could see all of those pausing with aloof looks on their faces and thus made sure that nobody was sure of what was going on there. Hypnotism wasn't a difficult skill for Devils but… to this range and with minimal usage of Mana- I was absolutely terrified by what was going on. Seriously, what was going on and who was this woman? And why did she feel so familiar for some reason?!

To my surprise, my efforts to lose her only prompted the stalker to intensify her pursuit and teleport even faster and closer to where I was. Sweating bullets at the dreadful instance, my luck delivered the final blow as I ended up stopping in front of a big wall. A dead end… of all places I could have ended up, this was definitely the worst. I could potentially climb the wall and keep the chase going through the rooftops. That is if the woman hadn't been patiently standing a few meters behind me when I finally stopped. Turning around, I stared back, unsure how I was supposed to get out of this without-

She is not a threat.

...What?

She is not a threat. At least, until you provoke her but… I think that is something that happens with many women. Just keep yourself polite and… don't ruin this for me.

What are you even talking about? How do you even know this woman and… oh.

It took me one moment to spot a hint of restraint and awkwardness in Lucifer's voice. Something about this encounter was expected but it still caught him off-guard for some odd reasons. I glanced with more attention at the woman. And… finally I connected the dots and got a possible idea of who I was looking at.

"L-Lady, are you… Lilith?"

A blink, her amusement flared and almost doubled at that simple question. Her smile brightly glowed into the dark, shredding the shadows and revealing how much entertained she was in the current circumstances.

"Yep!"

Simple, cheerful and bubbly, but also incredibly confusing as she didn't advance.

"And you are Hoitsu Sakakibara, or is it Sakakibara Hoitsu?"

"B-Both are fine, Lady Lilith," I replied nervously, yet something about my answer seemed to make her change her mood at once. Her body tensed up, and an annoyed look appeared on her face. One moment she was just staring, and the next blink of an eye she was directly in front of me, looking at me with a serious look.

"I- Did I do something wrong?" I blurted out, really unsure of what was going on with her. Before Lucifer would have even had the chance to say anything to try and calm my panic down, I found myself engulfed in a tight hug. The proper concept of what was going on could easily be summarized in… motherly woman is rather intimate in handling 'cute' individuals. How did I feel this was the closest to the truth? Well…

"You're so adorable, young man. Little Hoitsu is so polite and reminds me of a shyer and cuter Lucifer," Lilith beamed happily, nuzzling onto my shoulder as she enjoyed the hug a little too much. "But look at you, a high schooler that is tall, handsome and clearly familiar with the world around you. Do you have a girlfriend? Can you introduce me to her?"

I guess that's what happens when you restrain a caring and doting mom like her away from her family.

W-What?!

"L-Lady Lilith-"

"Lilith is fine, dearie," The brunette commented mirthfully. "Or, considering the circumstances, I wouldn't mind if you called me… Grandma."

…AH!?

Just go with it. At this point, I don't have enough power to complain and stop her from going with her way.

Did you even have some to begin with even when you were alive?

Fuck you, grandson. Fuck you.

"I-I suppose I could… do that?"

She pulled away, still grasping at my arms as she gave me a caring smile. "Aw, is Lucifer frustrating you, grandchild of mine?"

"Partly. But… I can handle it."

"I'm sure you can," Lilith said while nodding. "But if it's not pretending too much from you… can we please talk?"

"Y-You mean you and… sure."

Get in.

I don't feel like it.

I frowned at that distracted refusal.

I wasn't asking.

I wasn't offering.

"Uhhh," I hummed nervously. "H-He doesn't want to-"

"To talk to his wife like a brave man would after so many years of silence and presumptions that he was deceased."

I didn't have anything bad to say about her reaction considering how true her claim was but… it made it particularly odd for me to just ignore the viciousness since her stare and voice was aimed at me… even though I wasn't the subject of that rebuttal. I flinched, and I could tell that her sharp tone had got to Lucifer himself as I heard the guy sigh and then finally 'step up' to face the situation himself.

"Here, here-" He muttered through my voice, taking over my body for this temporary instance. "I suppose you have many questions."

"Most of which I believe I've already solved on my own. How about we start with how you didn't die?"

"I did die, it's just that my soul didn't go the same place where others would usually go to," He flatly remarked, waving his index around and ending to boop her nose. If the gesture was meant to make her ease down the glare, it failed miserably as it got the complete opposite of that. "I had some help. Help of the obsessed kind."

She stared at him with a very dry look and sighed. "Azrael? You asked for her help?"

"Azrael was very forward about it, and I had to keep her company for several centuries of her crying and lamenting how my death was her fault and all of that." Lucifer confirmed with a nod, and I took this moment to internally frown at this tidbit.

Azrael? Wasn't that the Angel of… Death? How does Lucifer know her specifically? And… her fault? There were so many bits of information that I just couldn't process without some elaboration, but as I moved to ask him a few of those, Lilith decided to just press on.

"It wouldn't be wrong for her to think that. It was partly her fault it came to that entire situation."

"Dear, I remind you that-"

"You love that girl as if it was your actual firstborn, but you have to admit that it was her own choices that lead to that war."

"I would prefer to discuss more about this, but I've made it a mission to keep the brat unaware of what happened there," The jerk decided to answer my own concerns like that, further fueling my hatred for him. Sadly for his attempt, that only gained a confused and suspicious look from Lilith as she decided to focus on this part of our 'relationship'.

"So you really harass the poor boy when he is in control. I assume there is a good enough reason to give him this much grief," The brunette demanded with a threatening voice. "And trust me, if the motivation isn't good enough, I will-"

"What? Hit me? Dear, if you failed to see, I'm currently in a body that will not leave me groaning in pain if you started to beat it. So go ahead and- and," He stopped, a shiver going through my entire body but… I didn't feel it. As if this reaction wasn't actually physical. As soon as I realized this, Lucifer's started to convulse and shiver, once more due to something that was influencing only him.

"O-Okay, I forgot magic can influence souls to this degree- sweetie, I'm sorry-"

"Apologize to the child. It's only courtesy at this point."

"He doesn't- He isn't ready for this kind of 'friendliness'," He reasoned, but he bent forward again. "F-Fine. Sorry for being a huge prick, brat. I promise I will give you tips to get to cookie jars easier than usual."

Lilith actually giggled at that comment, her seriousness cracking that cheeky remark. "I'm actually concerned by this, dear… you're not this antagonistic with people."

"I have my reasons to be this tough on me. If I get the chance of speaking with you in private I will be more than happy to provide you with the full explanation."

I would like to know-

Thing is that I don't owe you anything, especially this kind of reasoning.

I deserve to know!

Maybe, but I don't see why I should be fair on you. Grow a pair and find a way to answer yourself.

Despite how many times we butted heads over relevant matters, this was the one time I felt the most frustrated by this kind of response. And where was I supposed to find answers? He was one of the few pricks I could access to that had the truth at hand. So why shouldn't I be able to force him to be honest about it.

"Nonetheless, you shouldn't be this harsh. It's wrong and I will have to punish you again if you try to be too vicious about it."

…

"Are you kidding?"

"Did I give you a reason to believe that, my darling?"

He huffed. "This is annoying-"

"Not as annoying as handling the little goodbye party from Hades. You should have seen him crying like the poor dummy he is. Give him a good and nice garden, one that doesn't die at his touch, and he becomes putty in your hand."

"I suppose we're done-"

"For now, yes," She interrupted with a sigh. "But I expect to be granted more truths once we are both in a situation to have that conversation."

Before leaving back to his little corner inside my mind, Lucifer paused as Lilith leaned down to deliver a soft peck on his/my forehead. A giggle left her lips at the tired look appearing as soon as he realized what happened.

"Strong as you might feel after so long, don't forget that I'm the wife that you fought a lot to protect."

He didn't reply, but I returned to feel an entertained smirk on my face. A blink, then two. I was back in full control and I was once again pulled in a mighty embrace from the woman. She smiled and nuzzled at me as caringly as a mom being denied the chance of coddling her kids for too long.

"I'm so sorry that you have to deal with that grumpy moron. I can assure you that he isn't really a… big jerk. He is just really tense, and I can sense he is also nervous about something. I will get some answers out of him the moment we can chat without him having any reason to lie to me. And trust me, I will know if he lies to me."

For some reason, I saw her figure blur as it changed to something else. Her hair was longer and red, her violet gaze turning a little redder and unholy in nature and her clothes were rather… lacking. Her modesty was protected but it left a lot to the imagination. I blinked, seeing her back to normal as quickly as I saw her in that other form.

That's my wife, you brat.

I didn't ask her to do that!

"Still, I think it's time I leave. I've a lot to do here in Kuoh Town and I believe you too have your own things to sort out today. I believe we will have a chance to find each other… tomorrow," Lilith admitted quietly. "I feel like we'll meet again that soon so… beware, because now I will try and see if you got yourself a girlfriend or not, grandchild of mine~."

She teleported away from sight and… and I groaned. Still, keeping hold of the bags with the stuff I had just bought, I made my way back home with many questions and many doubts within my mind. Now that Lilith was in town, even with her cover, I doubted people like Baraqiel or those that had the chance to meet her before were going to miss someone like her. And that meant I would have to confess a couple of things now that I could without having to handle the horrible repercussions of a late forced confession which could put me in a worse situation than I could imagine. I needed to set out my combat plan but I could feel I had a plan I could work on.

Something about Baraqiel. Something that hopefully didn't kill me.

"Do you understand that what you just said could potentially put you in a list that nobody in Grigori would want to be?" The big guy asked as I sat down with him by the table as soon as I was back.

Kunou was surprised when I asked her to wait in her room as I spoke with the Fallen Angel, with her reluctance minimal since she could see that it had to be something really serious and tied to Grigori itself. She was still annoyed, just as much as a young girl her age would feel at being excluded by something big enough to gain her interest. Thankfully she didn't come out and spy, and I was sure of that by the fact I could perceive her energy still wandering around within her room.

"Considering the trouble that this is going to present to the organization, I have to come out with this. Especially since this is going to be seen as a possible betrayal if I fail to be honest now that the situation just turned this critical," I admitted reluctantly and he groaned. It wasn't something that I would have normally let out, at least until I was completely certain about it.

There was a brief pause and the man regarded me with a genuinely disappointed look. "Why?"

"That's because I told him to, Barry-boy," My mouth spoke the words of Lucifer. I could feel him taking partial control at that moment. "Knowing how Azzie is serious about me, I worried about my wellbeing- I'm kidding, the brat is also relevant to a fair bit. Nothing too shady, I can assure you that much."

"You can't just… just do this, Lucifer. You know better to just… just let him lie like that."

"But I forced him to, that's the thing. You see, I might not have the cleanest of consciences, but I still have a degree of good heart in me after the big G kicked me off the clouds I was napping on," The first Devil lamented dryly, holding his joking mannerism to a minimum. "I've known Azzie even before his poor mind was fried by some mortal chick, and I know he would overreact in case he learned that one of his surrogate kids is harboring me in them. Now, I know you're a logical individual with an impeccable capacity to pick up what would happen next- If I told you, with the utmost truthfulness, that the kid is completely in control during these 'change of sides' from time to time, would you still allow this to happen to him or not?"

…

"No, but… not for what you might think about."

"Oh? Is it about your daughter- and no, I have no plans on her," Lucifer moved himself just in time to avoid getting a punch from the slightly annoyed Fallen Angel as the topic was brought up. "I will leave the brat on his own as I usually do when it comes to simple things in his life. I'm not an easy way out of trouble, at least not until the big trouble really comes about. You know, the kind of trouble that is tied with family and… well, big players."

…

Oh no, why is he so quiet?

He is thinking, give him a moment.

…

I-I don't think this is working.

It is. You're just too nervous and-

"Hoitsu."

I snapped back to reality, glancing at him with a tense look.

"Y-Yes, Sensei?"

…

"Tell me with all honesty… what is going on here?"

...AH!?

I am as clueless as you are right now.

"Sensei-"

"I understand that it's not an easy question to answer because of how vague it is but… just tell me that he is saying the truth. Is he this limited within you?"

…

"Yes. He is... been rather marginal and kept most of his interventions to comments and nothing more if it wasn't something really serious and concerning," I answered quietly, nodding about it. "I learned he was in me when I ended up fighting Rizevim. He was beating us with ease and… he helped push him away. I was too weak at the time and barely conscious, and that was enough for him to take over."

Baraqiel nodded slowly. "And did something else happen? To your body in particular."

"N-no. I'm mostly fine if not growing through training. I don't have anything to report about that," I admitted without hesitation.

"Understood… I will still have to bring this up to Azazel, but I doubt he is going to rush his judgment considering the circumstances and… I will stop him in case he gets too… antsy about this decision."

I could only nod at this and soon he was out of the house and Kuoh through a magic seal that directly led to Azazel's office. I was nervous and I didn't whine over the fact I wasn't coming with him. It was only for the best that he took care of the Governor-General in such a way that he wouldn't have to act too hurriedly when it came to my case. I wasn't a believer in general, but I felt the need to pray to pretty much all Gods in existence for mercy to be given to me. I knew I was risking big time and I was as tense as I could get on the case.

It didn't help that Lucifer kept oddly quiet about this, and I found myself dealing with the stress alone and… in my own home. I shouldn't be feeling this unsafe in the very place that was meant to be my prime shelter. And yet I was, and for good reasons as far as I could tell. After mostly an hour had gone since I last saw Baraqiel, another seal opened right at the entrance of the room, the marking very familiar as I quickly recognized it as Azazel's. The big boss in person decided to come in and stormed towards me with a serious look. I stood out by sheer fright, feeling my instincts screaming for me to run… but before I knew it, I was suddenly pulled in a hug. A tight one that suddenly lifted me off the ground.

"My boy! You make me proud!" He barked loudly and almost cried joyfully. "Getting the chance of feeling a pair of true milkers while being blessed by Lilith's hugs not only once but twice- you slick dog, you!"

My mouth opened and closed multiple times as I tried to reorganize my scrambling thoughts at what just happened and what I just heard. I heard Lucifer cussing like he was on fire, the bastard threatening to come out and choke the ever-living perviness out of Azazel at what he had just heard. I saw Baraqiel come out of the circle soon after, still facepalming from what I could only assume being a plan he had disagreed on but that the Governor-General had still gone through with.

"S-Shouldn't you be concerned about-"

"I was concerned for a moment," The Fallen Angel admitted. "About you trying to keep this story about yourself. But if you mean about Heli being stuck in you, then I think there is something that you should know about."

…

"And that… is?"

He smiled, grinning widely. "I already knew."

What?

AHHH!?

"W-What?" I could only parrot and the man chuckled.

"Come on, sonny. Don't you think I would have had the best chances to check on this myself when I first started to train you?" Azazel pointed out with a mirthful grin. "I did find some oddities that I studied while sparring, some of which tied with your little angry devil problem. Trust me, I am not one that would miss something that big."

"B-But then why didn't Baraqiel-sensei notice it too?"

By that logic, that should have been the case alright, and yet the burly Fallen Angel sighed.

"That's because I was told by Azazel to not check on anything vaguely weird about your magic and your body. He mentioned he had checked for himself and found nothing of true concern in you and so I rolled with it," Baraqiel groaned. "Which is why I was this surprised and he isn't!"

"Guilty as charged, my big friend. But still, I have to say that I'm actually surprised you are actually hugging me back, Hoitsu."

Was I? I wasn't even paying attention to my own actions that I ended up returning the embrace. It was my instincts doing their job, in this case putting myself in a position where, ideally speaking, the presumed attacker wasn't going to be able to kill me on the spot. Of course that didn't protect me from getting squished but… instincts. They don't have to be outright smart and correct when the threat is that troublesome.

"Panic. Nervousness. I thought I was… yeah."

He chuckled, reaching up and ruffling my hair. "As if I would ever kill someone as loyal and effective as you. Heck, I don't think I would be able to mend the horrible fracture your possible early departure would cause between me and Vali. He would probably hate me for life for killing off his rival."

Ah…

I pulled away, he allowed me back on the ground and… I sighed. "So I literally panicked for-"

"Something. Which was being honest since Lilith is in town. Because, beyond rejoicing for her glorious return, there are many things we should still be wary about. She wasn't a passive spectator when the war was still raging on," Azazel commented truthfully. "In fact, I believe there is a reason why Sapphire was allowed to train and become a warrior."

That's because Lilith was an active fighter. One that was feared so much that even Heaven and Grigori were celebrating the times she remained pregnant and thus couldn't fight for a few months each time.

It's because she wasn't in the field to fight, not because she was with children, right?

Yes.

"Nonetheless, I believe you are not going to lose control in normal circumstances, even just emotional-driven ones, to Heli. Even then, he isn't someone that likes the spotlight and I can't blame him," The Governor-General added with a tired sigh. "I can already feel a headache coming at imagining what kind of reaction Zekram would have at hearing his 'supreme leader' is back and ready to 'return to its rightful place'."

"Are we talking about-"

"Zekram Bael," Baraqiel interjected. "The former leader of the Bael Clan."

I nodded at the quick answer, but I was still confused about a couple of things. Before I could ask, Azazel was back to speak up about a new topic.

"Also, now that I think about it, I believe I was planning to send you and your other teammates a message about your next mission," The Fallen Angel explained with a hum. "It's going to be a simple one, but it will take some time. Two kidnapping cases we believe we should investigate with a closer approach."

"How long is that going to be?"

"A couple of days. And don't worry, I made it so that you will start working on it once you're done with the date with Baraqiel's daughter. Speaking of which, I assume you're not having trouble with one of my surrogate children ending up bedding your daughter."

I felt the tension, and I felt immense fright. Azazel? He was grinning like the bastard he really was.

"Thought so. Still, don't forget the big heart this kid has. Imagine a future where you're a grandpapa and you get the chance of spoiling numerous children."

I couldn't exactly tell if this was just a joke or a careful jab from Azazel back to his friend but… I could sense something different from Baraqiel as he brought up that curious argument. I was confused as to how a father of an only child, a daughter, was genuinely relieved to imagine the numerous children that could potentially come out of a stable union with her and another individual. I was as confused as frightened by the smile Baraqiel was giving me. The kind of smile that just accepted this reality, but also wanted this to be done 'his ways' rather than differently.

Azazel didn't bother staying around for dinner, mentioning that he was going to run late for some TV programs he was planning to see, and he blatantly ignored when I brought up the fact he was supposed to have paperwork duty right now. With the worst situation ever solved, it didn't take long for me to find a way to get in the kitchen and start working on the dinner. While I was busy with the preparation, I felt Kunou's soft footsteps stop by the entrance of that room.

"Ne, niichan- is everything alright?"

I hummed quietly, holding back any joy as I still couldn't believe how things turned for me. "Yep. By the way, Imouto, do you want pizza for dinner?"

I heard her squeal. "EXTRA BIG!"

A chuckle left my lips. "Fine, fine. Now, let's get all preparation going so I can get you an 'EXTRA BIG' pizza."

She ran back in the living room while giggling at the delicious treat that was soon to come and… and I sighed as I found a certain familiar had decided to pop out from my shirt and crave for some of the ingredients that I had to use for the meal. Kimiko eventually managed to bribe me with more than enough cuteness to get a few unused sausages and a small glass of tomato juice, giving some help when possible in the preparation of the food for tonight.

And as I enjoyed a simple calm late afternoon away from grand troubles after what happened mere hours ago, I still couldn't help but wonder about the case Azazel brought up. Kidnappings… could those be tied to those news I have heard a little while ago? But it's been long enough since I first heard of this matter that I would have expected that it should have been solved by now.

I hummed the notes of a relaxing tune, distracting myself in the present as I really needed to take a big nap and prepare for the upcoming date with Akeno. And right now, I was as nervous as I could possibly get about it.

Let's hope I can avoid the worst from happening.

AN

Kidnappings! What is going on and why I feel the need to remind a warning I've already given about this kind of stuff. Expect to see a couple of new characters… that will not have any relevance in the plot after their specific arcs.

Because yes, I expect people to actually ask me to keep a couple due to what I've planned to do. Expect epicness from a plot that is seen with mixed opinions as I plan to rewrite part of an entire anime's story. It will be a mystery that waits to unfold, it will be a drama that will need its closure and… Hoitsu might end up getting another 'little sister' out of this.

Also, I wish to say something a little more serious: If you spot any grammar mistakes, please bring those up so I can correct them. I don't believe myself to be a perfect writer, and I know I leave mistakes around because I'm busy getting focused on the plot and the characters. I would be immensely thankful if any issue is brought up about this. Thank you.

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