New story. Kind of a side project, more of a "free" story than my current SCP one, because of the way I wrote the SCP story, I haven't had much to fulfill my fantasies of Sylvia and...nevermind.

Anyways, the most of the original ORC will stay in the ORC, only select characters will be in Sylvia's peerage. Chapters will be shorter overall, but I do hope it is as good as my SCP story in terms of quality.

As with my SCP story, I will exclude characters from the story, as the focus isn't entirely DxD canon. I will admit I have no real goal for the story other than "Sylvia will found a new family branch." I'm writing more because I want to than anything.

Disclaimer: I don't own DxD, that is an undisputable fact.

Enjoy.

"Shirone," Ethan called, "Duck."

The tiny, cat-like woman dropped to the floor as he quickly drew his sword, the Iaijutsu slicing off a limb of the devil.

"You stupid fool!"

His eyes traced the remaining hand reaching out for him and with a torrent of slashes, shredded the arm into pulp.

"Wha-" The dead eyes widened in disbelief and it snarled before running at the man full speed.

Before he could do anything, a disembodied voice stoically said, "I'll do it."

He kept his hand still as the nekoshou ran in front of him, grabbing the chin of the devil and launching it forward.

Ethan jumped straight in, the teeth missing him by a hair. Grimacing at the stench at the throat of the stray, he drew his sword again and sliced through the robust body, severing the devil's spine.

Dropping atop of the corpse, Ethan swung his legs playfully. "How's the exercise?"

"...Fun."

The girl was watching him as she held the arm the size of nearly three buses. Though her face showed almost no emotion, Ethan knew it was of something bordering being upset, "Something up?"

"I wanted to be called Koneko."

Ethan tilted his head, "I did, didn't I?"

"...You called me Shirone," she answered.

"Ah," he responded, "My bad."

"Nya~" Koneko responded, almost as if a scoff, a noise of distaste.

He dialed a number and someone picked up on the fifth ring, waiting on the message."

"Ethan Sakamoto, Team Duo, we're done with our job. Cleanup crew on Yoshino Sector."

[Are you a hermit?]

"No, just a workaholic," he responded to the question, which promptly got the messenger on the other end to hang up.

Before long, a group of six appeared and began cleaning up the mess.

As Ethan watched, he noted that two were magicians and four were similar to him, in terms of physical ability and magic makeup.

Everyone in the organization were essentially contract killers, and the employees were the ones who reined in any exposure. Despite their civilian looks, Ethan knew they were contenders for 'strongest human' if they chose to, even stronger than Cao Cao, a well known champion of the Humanities Championship.

Rarely have they ever shown their abilities, but in the single time he did, Ethan felt compelled to stay in line.

Of course they had to be strong. The organization needed the manpower to keep things running smoothly, after all.

"Ethan," he turned around at the voice, a seventh man counting and calculating the 'bonus' for this job. "...In the end, you'll be rewarded seventy million yen."

A little more than six-hundred and forty thousand in United States dollars for them to split.

Ethan nodded, "Thanks, Hideki."

The man nodded and approached the team, waving his hand to dismiss Ethan as he did so.

Though he could have stayed, Ethan knew these men would have no trouble defending themselves.

If they encountered trouble, it is because they intentionally allowed themselves to.

They strolled silently beside each other, walking down an unfamiliar path before approaching one they knew, tracing their way to their 'home' at the World's End, a tavern in plain sight inside Kuoh, but visible only to certain people.

People with power, like them.

Those who could hold a candle to supernatural beings, allies or enemies.

They entered the tavern, getting quick glances from its occupants, but then were dismissed soon after. They were regulars, as the World's End is essentially the "hub" for the organization, very much like the Guild in every RPG game or story.

"Garo," Ethan addressed when the two of them sat down. "Could we order the usual?"

The red-skinned demon smiled, his tattoos shifting with the grin. Appearance-wise, he was very similar to that red-skinned Dathomirian Zabrak male who used a "staff" laser sword in the Galaxy far, far away.

But rather than having multiple horns around his head, he had simply two, and a mess of shaggy, black hair. His eyes, contrary to many written descriptions of Demons, he had white eyes, appearing yellow only because of his colored glasses.

"Why of course!" The Demon answered, and went to relay the order to his chefs. He returned shortly after and asked, "Drinks?"

"Just water this time for me," Ethan replied.

"...Water."

Garo nodded with a smile and poured them their beverages, placing a placard on the table as the two left their places to inspect the "mission board."

"You want an easier mission, this time?" Ethan asked, "I've been picking the high priority ones, but we can relax a bit with escorting a convoy."

"...That one," Koneko pointed at one ranked only for A-ranked and higher Reputation, requiring even Garo's specific say so before the mission could be undertaken.

Ethan raised an eyebrow as he read the message:

Ordered on May 8th

Objective: Kill Sylvia Lyyneheym/(Also known as Sylvia Gremory)

Rank: A-Ranked Reputation minimum, SSS-Ranked Reputation Recommended

Details: Rescinded, confer with Garo

The Provost Captain, Garo, must give approval before this job can be taken.

-Curie

Gremory...I know that name somewhere.

He had his doubts about this job, if he were honest, and voice his concern to Koneko, who shook her head solemnly, "We must take it."

"Why?" He returned to reading the vague page, seeing that it was shifted to the very right of the mission board. This meant that this was the oldest mission available. Hell, the posted date showed that nobody had accepted it(or Garo refused to approve of it) for at least a week. It shows one of two things:

1. The details, or lack thereof, scared off many Hunters.

2. The mission itself put the Hunter at a high risk, and Garo's scary judge of talent meant nobody was up for the job.

"Good things will come."

"If I refuse?" he asked.

"I will ask Garo myself."

He scowled, it wasn't often that Koneko was adamant in her decision. And she could take the mission alone, they weren't tied by blood or a sworn promise, much less a party system, she just chose to join him once he found her abandoned and hunted by poachers.

"Alright," Ethan tore down the notice and brought it to his place, which now had a plate of steak seasoned and rare, covered in the house's one of many secret sauces, along with a baked potato, steaming hot with a bit of sour cream and onion slipped into a cut wedge.

Ethan had a pizza one foot in diameter, coming in with the classic Supreme ingredients, along with onions, garlic, and more pepperoni. Asiago cheese was put on the top as a light layer, in addition to the parmesan on top of the tomato sauce.

Garo smiled and nodded as Ethan slid the page over to him, frowning when he saw the page on the right side empty.

He knew exactly what mission was being requested and didn't like it.

"Ethan, I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline that. You're not entirely ready for this, and yes, I have declined stronger people than you."

Ethan pursed his lips and glanced at Koneko, "It's been almost two weeks. I though the Sicar doesn't do missions."

Garo shook his head, "Incorrect. They do, but only after missions like these have been up for over a month. This was gone for at least two already."

"What?"

He nodded, "It was originally posted in the Underworld, but brought up here, we even arranged Sicar members to resolve the issue, but that was not what the client wanted."

"The client?" Garo grimaced at the question.

"It's...complicated."

"...Please?" Koneko spoke up, "Can we do this?"

"I'm sorry," Garo replied. Koneko seemed to float a strange magic over the room, not threatening, nor persuading magically, but it seemed to show Garo something. He sighed and shook his head, "I think I'll regret this."

He turned to Ethan, "Do you want me to call the client now?"

Ethan looked at Koneko, who was somehow halfway done through the steak during the conversation, "No...I want Koneko to finish her meal and then stay hidden with her Senjutsu."

"What?...No," Koneko argued, "I want to talk to her."

"Absolutely not," Ethan replied, "Not tonight. When I meet her, I want the advantage of her believing I am alone."

She paused, considering the options. Koneko was clearly unhappy, but she seemed to understand the reasoning, "...Okay, fine. I will move there."

Koneko pointed to a table nearby. Ethan looked at the seat then at her, "If we go somewhere else?"

She smiled, "...I follow, then. Besides, I know she might be able to sense me, better to chance eavesdropping here than suspicious off the bat."

Ethan nodded, "Got it."

Koneko hopped off the seat and began moving as Garo made the call to Curie, the Administrator of the entire Sicar.

"Oh, Koneko." She turned, "Remind me to get you some treats of your choice once this mission is done."

She brightened, but it was replaced almost instantly with her stoic expression, "...Nya~"

Ethan had just begun his second slice when someone slid into the seat beside him.

"Mind if I get a slice?"

Ethan turned to see a girl with mauve hair, sporting a frilly, sleeveless maroon blouse with a v-neck that ended just around the curve of her breasts, giving any male a good view of them if they peered down. Her black skirt was pleated, accompanied with a teal inside, the front dropping just below mid-thigh while the back ended at her ankles.

Her violet eyes met his and as he took in the hair and sharp, observing gaze, he realized why everything was so complicated.

Sylvia Lyyneheym, former heiress to the renowned Gremory family, was hiring someone to kill herself.