"Why are we here again?" 15 year old Vali asked in annoyance as he and Alexander strolled through a forest in Fallen Angel territory. The two had changed in the past few years. They were still best friends, but were now significantly more grown up than they used to be. Both in maturity, and physically speaking. Enough of the latter that several Fallen Angels women of all ages lusted after them. The only thing stopping them was the fact that Vali was a Devil descended from Lucifer, and Alex was the son of one of their leaders.

Vali now wore a green V-neck shirt underneath a white collared shirt that was barely buttoned up and perhaps a size too small, a black leather jacket over those, a pair of burgundy jeans with a silver chain attached, black leather chaps over those jeans, and black shoes with black buckles. His hazel eyes scanned over everything around his, sharper than ever. He gave off an aura that suggested he was not one to be messed with.

As did the individual next to him, who was around the same age as Vali, perhaps a bit younger by a month or two. He wore black ripped jeans that fit him well, a white long sleeved collared shirt that had the upper two buttons undone, a pair of black combat boots that were steel tipped, and finally, a black leather hooded long coat that went down to his ankles. Around his neck, was a silver chain with a woman's wedding ring. It belonged to his mother before she was put into a coma. His violet eyes were a lot more relaxed than his silver haired friend, but they were no less sharp.

"Father and Azazel received reports of Devil activity in this area." Alexander answered his best friend's question as they continued to stroll through the forest. "We are to investigate, and intervene if necessary." He continued.

"But why us?" Vali asked with a sigh.

"We were available, and we were bored." Alexander answered with a cheeky smirk. "Tell me it doesn't feel good, getting out of Azazel's home, away from civilization." He challenged.

"I suppose you have me there." Vali deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

"Besides, a bit of action with someone that's not each other will do us good." Alexander smirked, cracking his knuckles. Vali couldn't help but agree. The win-loss ratio between the friends was around 667:521 in Vali's favour, though this was mainly due to the fact that Vali had a significant head start in the use of his Demonic Power and Sacred Gear. Alexander quickly caught up in terms of Power and proficiency with his own Longinus. However, Vali had a significant advantage since Alexander can't use his Balance Breaker.

"I suppose." Vali conceded. An opponent besides Alexander would be a welcome change. He loves fighting with his best friend, but it can get rather dull over time. The two of them know almost all of the other's tricks and techniques. Something they both had in common was a personal vow to not really on anything for strength except their own power, and their Sacred Gears. Some might say that that's a clutch use of Divine Dividing or Canis Lykaon, and in many ways, it is. However, the fact that both of them have come as far as they have with just those two things to rely is a testament to their resolve.

"Stop." Alexander suddenly spoke, stopping in his tracks. Vali followed suit, raising an eyebrow at his friend's sudden stop. His eyes narrowed as he saw what Alexander was looking. Kneeling, the Fallen Angel hybrid ran his fingers through a small puddle of red liquid; blood. "It's Devil blood." He confirmed to his best friend, who gave a thoughtful hum.

"There's a trail." Vali noticed, seeing more puddles, each around the size of a baseball, forming a trail deeper into the forest. "We should follow it." he said. Alexander nodded in agreement, standing up. He and his best friend quickly took off in the direction the trail of blood went. The blood was still fresh, so the owner could not be too far.

Sure enough, they came upon a small clearing in the forest. There was a squad of Devil guards, each wielding spears, fighting against a gorgeous young woman, who was about two years older than Vali and Alexander. She had a voluptuous figure, with her long black hair being tied back, with her bangs cupping her face. Her eyes were a similar, albeit darker, shade of hazel to Vali's. Sticking out of her head were two, parabolic, cat-like ears, and out of the small of her back there were two cat tails. She wore a slashed up black yukata, showing much of her body, which was quite beautiful, despite the many gashes and cuts she had. Clearly, it was her blood that had made the trail they were following.

"Just hold still sweetheart." One of the Devils said as the girl was pushed to the ground. She was panting heavily, her energy spent as the Devil that had spoken loomed over her. He grinned sickly, looking over her exposed body as he stuck his spear in the ground beside him. "Hold her down boys. These next few hours are going to be brilliant for us." He said, his voice thick as two soldiers did as they were told.

Horrified realisation dawned on the girl's face as she realised what they were implying. "No, stop!" She screamed as two of the men held her arms down, barely letting her move as she struggled to get away from the men.

"Struggle all you want Girlie." One of the men holding her down chuckled darkly. "It makes it better for us." He said, making the girl's fear spike as the leader walked closer to her.

"This is what you get for Straying." The other guy holding her down said. "And this is what we deserve for working those arrogant Nobles." he added, loving the sight of her struggling. "Good to know this job pays off every now and again." he added.

Alexander felt cold fury run through his veins, whilst Vali looked on with a disgusted scowl. They may be a Fallen Angel and Devil, respectively, creatures of lust, but they had lines, they wouldn't cross. Vali, admittedly, wasn't as interested in pursuing women or their bodies as much as most boys his age were. Alexander on the other hand was different. He was a lot like his Uncle Azazel, he loved women, and their bodies, only he wasn't so blatant about it. However, he detested the very concept of rape, and anyone who would commit such an act deserved the most painful death imaginable in his mind.

"This is going to be delightful!" The leader of the squad said as he started undoing his pants.

"Yeah, it is." Alexander agreed, his voice dark as he announced his presence. All of the Devils stopped at the new voice, seeing the new arrivals. Alex's eyes were glowing a deep crimson, his fists clenched as fury coursed through him. Vali stood at his side, ready to fight at a moment's notice. Before any of the Devils could speak, three black figures shot out of Alexander's shadow, and promptly tore out the throats of three of the Devils. It was Shade, Jin, and Kadmus. Even after five years, they hadn't grown bigger. They still looked like puppies. "Time to die." Alexander said darkly holding his hand up. Shade got the message. The wolf jumped towards his master, his body encased with a red glow. When the glow faded, Alex was holding his scythe, ready for a fight.

"ATTACK!" The leader of the Devils squad yelled. The entire squad forgot about about the trembling woman on the ground and readied themselves for a fight.

Well, 'fight' is too generous of a term. It was more like a slaughter. Vali, Alexander, Jin, and Kadmus all charged at the Devils in an instant. Within seconds, half of the group was dead, five had their throats torn out by a dog, three had holes blasted through their chests by Vali, two were decapitated by Alexander's scythe, and another two were obliterated by Alexander's Holy Lightning. The leader of the squad saw all of it happen, and was shell shocked. His men were killed off so easily!

"Not even worth using my Sacred Gear." Vali said with a scoff as he disintegrated another Devil with his Demonic Power.

"Indeed." Alexander agreed. He could have just used his Holy Lightning here. Canis Lykaon wasn't necessary at all. These grunts were pathetic, but that didn't stop him from enjoying the screams they let out as he attacked. Within minutes, the entire squad, save for the captain, was dead. The girl had long since passed out, and the two teens turned their attention to the leader of the now dead group of Devils.

"S-stop right there!" He yelled, pointing his spear at the teens as Alex dismissed his Sacred Gear, the scythe disappearing and the two remaining dogs jumping into his shadow. "I-I'm w-warning you!" He snapped, stuttering as Holy Lightning gathered around Alexander's hand.

"Men like you disgust me." The Fallen Angel hybrid spat. "Thinking you can defile a girl simply because you don't get a good pay from your boss?" he snarled, pointing two fingers at the terrified Devil. "You are the worst of the worst." he growled. "Resound, Thunder." He bit out, the blue lightning shooting towards the man. He didn't even have time to dodge.

For the next hour, the leader of the Devil squad was screaming in utter agony as Alexander's Holy Lightning coursed through his body. The pain of lightning was one thing, but the Holy element that accompanied it made it all the more agonising. It didn't stop there though. Alex also allowed the three Avatars of his Sacred Gear to maul the man, and he even added a few spears of light into the mix. Not once did he allow the man to pass out. Eventually, he grew bored and decided to just end him with a swift Light Spear to the head.

"Well!" Alexander spun around to face his friend, who was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. "That was fun." He said with a refreshed smile, dismissing his Sacred Gear.

"You terrify me sometimes Alex." Vali said with a sigh. His only response was a bright smile from his best friend, making him sigh once more. "What do we do with her?" He asked, pointing to the girl, who was still passed out.

"Not sure." Alex said, crouching beside the girl. "Hm, definitely a Nekoshou." he said with a small hum as he examined her wounds. "She's got a few gashes and bruises, but nothing two serious. Aside from this that is." he lifted up a small tear in her yukata, showing a stab wound in her side. "The wound closed by itself, but she'll probably get an infection if we don't get her out of here." He said, picking the girl up, gingerly as he could, and holding her bridal style. "Let's go." He said, allowing his six Fallen Angel wings to extrude from his back. Vali nodded, his Sacred Gear appearing from his own back. Together, the two teenagers took off, towards Grigori Headquarters, where they'd be able to get help for the girl.

As they flew, the girl managed to regain some modicum of consciousness. She could barely register the fact that she was being held. What she could register was a head of inky black hair that was darker than anything she'd ever seen, and a pair of beautiful violet eyes that pierced her soul.

"She going to be OK?" Alexander asked as he, Barakiel, and Penemue stood in a hospital room, where the Nekoshou was resting after Tamiel worked his magic. She was pretty much all healed up, but she was still unconscious.

"Yeah. Her injuries weren't extensive, but there were a lot of them." Penemue confirmed with a nod. "However, I think you two will find this little tidbit of information interesting." She said as she handed a sheet of paper over to Alexander and Barakiel. Curious, they read over the sheets, their eyes widening as they read.

"This is Kuroka, the Black Cat?" Barakiel asked in shock, looking at the girl. Penemue nodded.

"Isn't Kuroka that Stray Devil that went insane from Senjutsu and killed her Master?" Alex asked, vaguely recalling the day he received the news from Azazel.

"She is, but Tamiel did a complete magic analysis of her health, physically and mentally. Whilst her body is not exactly in peak physical condition, it will take time to heal. Her mind, however, is perfectly fine." Penemue told them, surprising the two.

"But, if she's not insane…" Barakiel trailed off.

"Why would she kill her Master?" Alex finished for him.

"That's what I want to find out." Penemue said with a thoughtful frown.

A few hours later, that day, Vali and Alexander were training in their in their training room, exchanging blows with their natural powers and their Sacred Gears. Alexander threw a spear of light, bright blue in colour, at Vali, who, clad in his Scale Mail, whacked it away with his armored hand.

(Divide!)

The voice of Albion, the Heavenly dragon residing in the Sacred Gear, called out as Vali activated the signature ability of his Sacred Gear. Alexander grunted in strain as he felt half of his power drain out of him. If that wasn't annoying, he didn't know what was.

"Hold!" He called out as a thought came to him.

"What is it?" Vali asked as he halted his attack. His voice echoed behind the armour of his Scale Mail.

"I'm going to use Balance Breaker." Alex said, allowing his sword to turn to Jin.

Vali raised an eyebrow under his helmet. "Are you certain?" He asked. "Barakiel and Azazel both strictly forbade you from using Balance Breaker. The madness of Lycaon is a heavy risk." He warned, though he wasn't telling him not to.

"Five years Vali." Alexander sighed in annoyance. "Five fucking years, and these dogs are still pups, I haven't spoken to Lycaon, and you continue to trounce my ass any time you use the Scale Mail." The Fallen Angel reminded his best friend. "I'm not going to grow with Canis Lykaon unless I actually start to use Balance Breaker. With you here, you can drain my power if the madness gets to me." He said with conviction. Vali didn't say anything else. He gave a simple nod and provided his best friend the space he needed.

Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, and sang softly.

"Behowlest the slaying of one thousand mortals." He whispered. The three canines around him stiffened as they heard the words. "Besingest the slaying of ten thousand goblins." Black mist started to extrude from Alexander's body, as well as that of the three dogs. "Mine name, immersed in deep darkness, tis the Imitation God traversing the Polar Night." The black haze started surrounding him, as well as the dogs, until no part of them could be seen. "Oh ye, perishest by mine own black blade!" His voice became deeper, a mix between speech and growling. "Fools ye art, oh deformed Creator Gods!" He howled. The black haze exploded.

[Balance Breaker!] A new voice roared as the entire room was tinted in darkness. Vali let out a yelp as an innumerable amount of blades spouted from everywhere, the walls, the ceiling, the floor. Everything was covered in darkness, with all kinds of warped, misshapen blades spouting out of it. The darkness had spread across the room like a river, and the only reason Vali could see anything at all was because of his Devil's Night Vision.

Standing before him were four figures. Three of them, were four-legged hound-like creatures, all huge and fierce-looking. They looked ready to punce at anytime, their eyes gleaming red. Vali wasn't certain if their coat was made of fur or darkness. However, that wasn't the most disturbing most disturbing part, was the being that stood before the three hounds. It was a two-legged hound, a Werewolf, with six tails protruding from the small of it's back. Sharp claws could be seen at the tip of the creatures hands and feet. It let out soft, slow breaths as it stood in place, it's eyes closed.

Night Celestial Slash Dogs, right in front of his eyes. It was breath taking.

"Alex?" Vali asked softly. The Werewolf immediately opened its eyes, the piercing crimson orbs glowing brightly, glaring into Vali's golden lenses from his helmet. As Alexander let out a loud howl, Vali couldn't help a small surge of anticipation coursing through him. "The King of Wolves." he whispered as the four creatures faced him, ready to fight. "Let's do this." he grinned as they attacked ferociously.

~~Alexander's Mind~~

Alexander's eyes shot open as soon as he finished the chant of Canis Lykaon's Balance Breaker, finding himself in a black void. It was made clear to him some time ago that he was capable of activating the Forbidden Technique, but both Barakiel and Azazel had expressly forbidden him from using it. He knew why, and he understood, but he just couldn't stay as he was. He was growing stronger, he wasn't using his Sacred Gear properly, so he decided to just say 'screw it' and take a leap of faith.

That may have been a mistake.

[Quite the understatement, young one.] An eerily familiar voice suddenly spoke. Frantically, Alex looked around, trying to find the owner of the voice. There was no one to be seen.

"Where are you?!" He demanded. That was the same voice he heard all those years ago, telling him and his father that Shuri had minutes to live. "Lycaon!" he called out.

[You know who we are… good…] The voice said as a part of the distorted in front of him. Shadows shifted and twisted together to form a vaguely humanoid figure, with a long snout, and six tails behind it. A Werewolf. [Hello Alexander.] The voice said as two red eyes appeared on the shadow's face.

"Lycaon." Alex greeted wearily.

[You are unsettled.] Lycaon observed.

"Of course I am!" The boy snapped. "I'm deep inside my own head talking to the King of Wolves!" He reminded, breathing heavily. Part of him was really scared that Lycaon would attack at any moment, and he doesn't want to know what happens in outside world if he dies in his head.

[You have no reason to fear us.] Lycaon assured him.

"Forgive me for not having full confidence." Alex scoffed, crossing his arms.

[Why wouldn't you?]

"Because you're fucking insane?"

[Untrue.]

"Right, feeding your own son to the King of Olympus." Alexander snarked. "That's not insane at all." Sarcasm dripped through his teeth.

[A harmless prank that Zeus took a little too seriously.] Alex could have sworn he saw the shadow shrug. [Besides that, Zeus resurrected our son afterwards. All's well that ends well.] He pointed out before changing the subject. [It is interesting though.] He said. [This is the first time a Fallen One has hosted us.] He mused. [Not to mention the evolution our vessel went through when you manifested him… Or rather, them.]

"If I'm so interesting, why did you not speak to me sooner?" Alex asked, his eyes narrow.

[You refused to use our power.] Was the answer he got.

"Power? As in, the Balance Breaker?" Alex was confused.

[Yeah.] Lycaon nodded. [You submitted to the other Fallen forbidding you from using the Prohibited Technique. We have no interest in a Master that will kneel so easily.] Alexander wasn't sure about how to respond to that. [Our time grows short.] The Wolf King suddenly said. [We will speak again soon, Alexander. Don't disappoint us.] He said a bright light enveloped them. Alex shielded his eyes from the light as it became brighter with each passing second.

"He's waking up." A familiar voice said as Alexander opened his eyes. As his eyelids fluttered open, he was greeted to the sight of his frowning father, who did not look impressed at all. "Alexander." The Cadre said, his tone calm, but clearly upset.

"Dad?" he asked groaning as he managed to sit up. "What happened?" He asked his memory was rather hazy. "How long was I out?" he asked, finding himself sitting in a hospital bed.

"Three days." Came the answer from a voice beside. Looking to the right, he saw that Vali was also in a hospital bed, covered in bandages. There was an uncannily satisfied smirk on his face.

"You fell unconscious after you thoroughly thrashed Vali." Azazel spoke up, looking like he didn't know whether to be excited or disappointed. "In Balance Breaker state." he added. He really wanted to grin right now, and be really excited about the possibilities. However, Alex had disobeyed direct instructions from both him and Barakiel, putting Vali and himself in danger. Even he knew that there was a time and place for everything.

"I…" Alexander trailed off, not sure how to respond.

"You what, Alexander?" Barakiel demanded. It was clear to everyone present that the Lightning of God was NOT happy. "Canis Lykaon's Balance Breaker is dangerous! Not just to everyone around you, but to YOU too!" He reprimanded. "You were unconscious for three days! I was worried you would end up like your mother!" he yelled. Alexander could only hang his head in shame. He hadn't thought of that.

"I just wanted go further with my Sacred Gear…" he murmured under his breath. Speaking of Canis Lykaon, the three canines were also present in the room. Instead of their pup forms though, they were no much larger. Jin was fully grown and fierce looking, standing up to Barakiel's waist, the tips of his coal black fur now grey, as well as his paws. The same could be said about Kadmus, who was also now fully grown. Shade, however, was larger than the other two, around the size of a horse, his fur having not a hint of anything that wasn't pitch black.

"Alex, the madness of Lycaon is a dangerous thing. The Night Celestial Slash Dogs is not something you should be playing around with." Azazel chided.

"That's what I said." Vali spoke up, amused. He was ignored.

"I just wanted to get better at using my Sacred Gear." Alex sighed in depression. "It's been five years since I awakened Canis Lycaon, and I had no contact with Lycaon, and they hadn't grown so much as a millimetre." He pointed to the now grown canines. "Now that I used the Night Celestial Slash Dogs, not only are they fully grown, but I've actually spoken with Lycaon!" he said, shocking everyone.

"You spoke to him?" Barakiel asked in a whisper, his eyes wide. Alex nodded.

"What was he like?" Vali asked, almost hesitant. Talking to a sane Dragon in one's head is one thing, but a crazy Werewolf King in one's head? The prospect is unsettling, even for him.

"Not at all what I expected." Alexander admitted. "He didn't even seem all that insane. He was calm, chilled, casual even." he let out a sigh. "I honestly feel kinda cheated. I spent five years thinking he was bat crap crazy." he said.

"Hard to believe, given his past, but I suppose it's not out of the question." Azazel admitted.

"He could be putting up an act." Barakiel frowned.

[We're not.] Lycaon's irritated grumble echoed in Alexander's ears, making the boy shake his head. Boy, that was strange.

"Well, I suppose there's no use dwelling on it now." Azazel concluded with a sigh. "The Avatar's are fully grown, Lycaon is speaking to him, and he got a small taste of the Balance Breaker." He listed. "Despite the circumstances, it is a step forward with the Sacred Gear." He said.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're thoroughly grounded for the next two weeks." Barakiel told his son with crossed arms. Said son could only groan in response.

"Oh yeah!" Azazel snapped his fingers as something occurred to him. "By the way, the Black Cat woke up. She's at Penemue's. She wants to see Alex." he said, surprising the Cadre and his son. Nobody noticed Vali snickering in his bed.

"Why would she want to see me?" Alex asked in confusion.

"Maybe the damsel in distress wants to give her hero a 'reward' of some kind." Azazel grinned, making Alexander glare at him with a light blush.

"Shut it." he grumbled, crossing his arms. Vali's snickering did not subside. He so hoped Barakiel had a camera when he and Alexander got to Penemue's.

Since Alexander's injuries weren't as extensive as Vali's, which wasn't all that surprising considering what the Lucifer descendant fought against, he was discharged just a few hours after waking up. Now, he and Barakiel were approaching Penemue's home. After Alex finds out what the Black Cat wants with him, he'll have to endure two weeks of being grounded, much to his chagrin. When he's grounded, there's no training with Vali, none of his favorite books, shows, or video games, and throughout the grounding, he has to take care of ALL the cooking.

Fantastic.

The only thing that can occupy his time is the small gym room he and Barakiel have in their home, and the porno magazines he has under his mattress. What? He's a healthy fifteen year old Fallen Angel kid. Of course he had pornos!

Digression aside, Alexander was wondering what Kuroka wanted with him. From what Azazel had told him, she was being hunted because she killed her Master, having gone insane. But these were just allegations. Even back during the fight with the Devils that had cornered her, she didn't seem insane. From what Penemue told him, Kuroka apparently killed her Master because the man decided to hurt her sister for whatever. She was able to stop him, killing him in the process, but that resulted in her being branded a Stray.

Such an incident made Alexander nervous about what might happen to his sister, but took solace in the fact that the Gremory House was renowned for treating their servants like family. That calmed him at least. Still he wasn't sure what to expect when he met Kuroka as he walked through the door. A shy, timid, innocent teenager? A quiet, monotone, stoic girl? Maybe a carefree, ditzy, dumb girl? Well, he certainly didn't expect what he found.

"My hero!" The teenaged girl said happily, pouncing towards Alex. She was about a head taller than him, and easily locked his head between her generous bust, which was almost bare due to the girl's loose kimono.

"Mmmmmmph!" Alex gave a shocked yelp as his face buried in the soft flesh. He did indeed enjoy the feeling of a bust that wasn't his mother's or Penemue's, but he couldn't breathe!

"Kuroka." Penemue sighed from her position on her couch. The Nekoshou giggled and pulled back, allowing the boy to breathe, but still keeping his head in between her assets.

"I heard that you and your silver haired friend saved me from the Devil guards." She told him with a smirk. "I wanted to meet you personally so that I could… thank you." She gave a sultry whisper, making Alexander's ears go red. Normally, he's not one to get embarrassed so easily, but the sexy older girl that was currently smothering him was more than just hot. She was knockout. Her cat ears and tails only added to her appeal.

Kuroka, meanwhile, was beside herself with delight as she took in the boy's reaction and appearance. Not only did he have a cute face, but he was absolutely adorable when he lit up red like that. With her species currently at the brink of extinction, she had been searching for someone with strong genes. After she'd woken up and explained her situation to Fallen Angels, she'd offered herself to the White Dragon, who was not only a Dragon, but a descendant of Lucifer himself, but she'd been shot down almost instantly. Then the silver haired boy mentioned that his best friend, who was the son of Barakiel and also wielded a Longinus, would probably be more than willing to take her up on her offer. That was all she needed to hear.

Son of a Cadre, host of a Longinus, cute, and powerful, Alexander was the full package for her. He inherited the Holy Lightning of God, and he's the host to the King of Wolves. He might technically be a dog, but she certainly wouldn't mind having children with that kind of strength.

"Kuroka." Penemue repeated, a little more firmly. Pouting, the Nekoshou let the boy go, smirking as she saw his face red as an apple. Walking off with a sway of her hips, she sat beside Penemue on the couch, crossing one leg over the other, showing off her endowed legs to the boy, who was still red. She couldn't help smirking happily at that. Getting this boy to knock her up will be sinch.

"Now, why are we here?" Barakiel asked with his arms crossed. "Alexander has two weeks of grounding to get to." he said, making the boy huff. "What did you want?" he asked of the Stray Devil. He was weary around her, but Penemue assured him that she was at least safe to be around. He wasn't completely trusting about what she wanted with his son though.

"Can I speak with your son alone please?" Kuroka asked with a sweet smile, one that reminded him of his wife. Glancing at his son, then at the Nekoshou, Barakiel got a small idea of what was about to transpire. With a small smirk, he nodded and left the room, followed by Penemue, who gave the boy a lascivious smile before leaving.

"The fuck?" Alexander asked with a raised eyebrow as he sat on the other side of the couch that Kuroka sat on. "So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked of the girl, who was looking him up and down. Apparently, she liked what she saw.

She smiled sweetly. "You know my species is almost extinct, right?" She asked, getting a weary nod from Alex. He didn't like that expression one bit. "Well, I'd rather that not happen, so I've been looking for someone strong to give me some neko-babies." She said, her lips curling up into a sultry grin. "You wanna be my baby-daddy?" She asked, pulling her kimono down, showing off almost her entire bust.

Let's just say that in the years to come, Kuroka did not let Alexander live his reaction down.

I am so sorry that this took so long. Seriously, I took about three days to write up until Alex says 'The fuck' and left it there ever since the last update. I don't what happened. Then wrote in those last two paragraphs and the last line, and boom. New chapter. I could have updated and moved on with this story sooner. I really feel like an idiot for that.

Anyways, I'm hoping to carry on with this fic sooner rather than later, as well as Prince of Lightning and Will the Storm Come. I'll more than likely be working on the latter more often than others, but only time will tell.

Now, people have been asking if I'll be pairing Rias with Alexander here, and I just don't know if I want to. I'm still considering if Rias will be with the OC in Fire and Blood, and I'd rather not do the same with both. Thing is, Alexander is going to meet up with the Peerage during the fight with Kokabiel. By then, Rias would have already started falling for Issei. No way is she just going to drop him and go for Alexander afterwards. If anyone has a reason why I should pair Alex and Rias, and how I should do so, I'm all ears.

Also, should I keep Raynare and her posse alive here? I'm already doing that in FIre and Blood, so maybe I could just kill them off in here. Or I could add Raynare and Kalawarner into Alexander's harem too, like I intend to do in Fire and Blood. I really do like them, but I feel that they might make this story a little more complicated than it needs to be. Thoughts anyone?