Life. 22: Moment of Truth

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"NOOO!" Connla almost dropped his drink at the uproar before him.

The Tifosi projected different levels of shock and anger. Few remained seated while others jumped to their feet. Some had their hands over their heads, others covered their mouths.

Despite the different reactions, what caused their agony was mutual.

[AND THEY TOUCHED! THEY CRASHED ON THE MAIN STRAIGHT!] the commentator cried out, his words felt like a stab to the heart for many fans. [HIS TEAMMATE'S TYRE BLEW OUT AND COLLIED INTO HIM! BOTH CARS ARE OUT OF THE RACE!]

The immense crash transmitted live on TV ruined the night of many, while others smiled discreetly in triumph.

With the standing crowd obstructing his sight, it was hard for Connla to locate his target.

Thankfully, he could still hear her tantrums. "Y-You moron! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! You should have-hic entered pits at lap 42! You had worn-out tires! YOU WERE DRIVING SLOW LAPS-hic! No way you'll finish the race on the same tire compound!"

The audience began falling back to their seats in defeat or left the establishment in fury. And little by little, he once again found himself sitting duck.

If her unparalleled beauty didn't stand out, then her pink hair stole the show.

All the girls and women inside the establishment looked plain compared to her.

According to the intel he received from higher-ups, he was before Roygun Belphegor. Georg's information mentioned that she had a pair of horns hidden with magic whenever she interacted with humans.

While he was on the furthest corner of the pub, the woman was accommodated on a tool besides the counter bar. At the moment, she was venting off all her boiling anger on the television.

She was smashed by the way. The small flush on her cheeks, the occasional hic that slipped from her mouth and the empty beer bottles lying across her spot on the counter were just a nod to his statement.

"They were fishing for a Safety Car caused by the low field drivers," a bald man told her, his muscular arms folded and full of tattoos—a biker perhaps, "They wanted that free pitstop."

"And they lost the race because of that!" The pink-haired barked at him, startling the taller person, "they could have done an undercut and caught up with-hic fresher tires! But nooooo! Let's choke hard and throw a 1-2 win! It's not like they're fighting for both-hic championships anyway. Right?!"

"C-Chill!" The buffered man brought his hands in front of him in self-defense, "I-I'm not looking for a fight!"

While aggressively sipping from her beer, Roygun kept her wary glare on her prey. "And what's with this race engineer anyway?" she returned the television with a scoff, the game with its new winners, "not a single warning to his driver since lap 35-hic! And this isn't the first time he stays quiet! Just fire him, already! Or better yet, driver out! Take a monkey, place it into the the-hic cockpit and it will drive for wins!"

Honestly, Connla had no idea what they were talking about.

"So, that's what you were up to," Connla whiplashed when someone sat beside him, "You could've at least ordered a cold one for me."

Connla's jaw almost dropped, "Heracles?!"

The Greek hero smirked at his reaction, "Easy, little guy," his rough slap on the back almost made Connla's sunglasses fall from his nose, "just checking on you."

Connla adjusted his shades, "You could have told me beforehand you were coming."

"I guess I could. Anyway," Heracles nodded at the television, "the hell are they watching? Everyone seems riled up over nothing. From the outside, I could even hear the crybabies."

"A race," Connla answered, "A motorsport."

"Ugh," Heracles rolled his eyes, "not a real sport."

Connla did not comment on that.

Not like he needed to as Heracles continued, "Leader dropped new orders," he said with a serious voice, something rare on him, "he told me that tomorrow we will leave our posts—Georg is extracting us from the area."

"Most likely he wants to hear our reports," Connla mused, "I spotted a few areas in this town that isn't monitored by Devils. Some of them feel like Stray Devils' hideouts, however. I will gladly share the coordinates in case he wants to use them."

"Forget about that," Heracles cut the chase, "We got bad news."

"What?"

"Before checking on you, I tried to hit Freed with a call while he was scouting Kyoto in response to the supernatural activity we saw a while ago—" Heracles rubbed his nose, "I tried to get in touch with the moron, but he never answered."

"Maybe he ignored your call? You two mix like water and oil."

"Nah, he eventually picks up," Heracles cleaned his ear with his pinky, "the first five minutes he always wastes them by threatening to blow my balls off in different ways. Ha! The piece of shit can't even hit a sleeping dragon and he's making those bluffs. But today and yesterday? Nothing."

Connla shuddered, "Y-You wouldn't think that…!"

"Yeah," Heracles clicked his tongue, "Belial got him tied like a pig."

Connla jumped off his chair, "W-We have to warn the leader immediately!"

"Sit down," Connla was forcefully brought back to the chair. "What are you doing?! You can't do that!"

"Why not?!" the black-haired imitated his hushed tone. "Leader must know this as soon as possible! He's at—!"

"I'd look like a fool!" Heracles interrupted him, "he's gonna get pissed!"

"B-But!"

"You won't be safe from his wrath either!" the gray-haired man cut him off. "You don't want leader to be disappointed in you, right?"

Connla gasped at the thought alone, "N-no! of course, I don't!"

"That's right. You want to make him proud, right?" the gray-haired man persuaded. "You want to show your value to the team, yeah?"

"I want to make him proud!" Connla took the bait, "I want to repay him for his kindness…! It's because of him that my life has any meaning, to begin with!"

"Good shit!" Heracles flashed him a thumbs up, "then stick to my plan."

"What plan?"

"Listen carefully. Belial took one of our men," Heracles' eyes shifted toward the pink-haired woman. He had a dangerous glint on his eyes, "we take another of his bitches. Simple."

"An eye for an eye," Connla nodded. "I'm in. Should we strike now?"

Heracles shook his head, "Nah. Too many witnesses," he leaned back on his seat, "We gotta wait for an opening."

"Opening? Like what?"

"Heeeeey!" They simultaneously turned over the drunk Devil, who was shaking her empty beer in the bartender's direction, "Bartender-hic! Another… another tall one on the counter…"

The bartender approached, and by his expression, he didn't want her here, "You're ready to pay?"

"Huh?" The pink-haired stared at his soul through half-lidded eyes, "Pay… wha…?"

"Your drinks," he replied calmly, not the first time he had this type of customer, "twenty beers—I kept the count," he gestured with his chin at the empty bottle in her grasp, "twenty-one."

"Really…?" She blinked owlishly, "Hah… I swear I only drank like five or six…hmm. Maybe eight…"

The owner of the pub leaned forward, "Listen here, I won't be serving you anything else until you pay every cent on your bill," he jabbed at his palm, "I will not hesitate to pull the cops on you."

Roygun groaned, "Ugh, fine, asshole! Put it on his tab," she slurred, kneading away the growing headache, "The name's Danhauser, with a D."

The bartender looked at her deadpanly, and shouted, "Who?!"

"Dan-hau-ser. Stud in his twenties, grey hair, hooot-hic," she described him as best as she could, "That's him. Ring any-hic bells?"

"… Are you fucking with me?"

"Hah… you wish I was-hic!"

"Like that opening," Connla saw Heracles stand up, fixing his hair, "follow my lead."

"W-Wait!" Connla hurriedly followed from behind.

And once Heracles approached the worker and Roygun, he cleared his throat, "Hey," he deepened his voice and nonchalantly leaned on the counter bar, "We got a problem?"

"Huh?" Roygun looked up to Heracles curiously.

The bartender looked at the man and then at Roygun back and forth, finally spotted his grey mane, "… You must be Danhauser."

Scuffed Danhauser smirked, "That's my name, don't wear it out," he thumbed to the confused, drunk Devil, "She's with me."

Roygun squinted her eyes, trying to look behind the blurriness of her sight, "Dan? Is that-hic really you?"

"Don't worry baby, I got this," Heracles assured her. He pulled a credit card and shook it on the bartender's face, "So? Are you gonna take it or what, pal? I'm paying."

"… What's up with these people and their damn hair color." the bartender mumbled as he snatched the card and walked away.

"What happened to you," Roygun ogled him from head to toes, "You… you seem-hic taller!"

"All in the genes. Drink to your heart's content, and don't worry about money. I'll be leaving my credit card in your hands—the code is 2251," Heracles pointed to their empty table, "I'll be there in case you need me, alright? Peace."

Roygun hiccupped, waving seductively at them, "Later, boys~!"

Heracles shot her a wink before leaving with Connla.

"Where did you even get a credit card…" Connla mumbled.

"I stole it from an idiot," Heracles vaguely said.

Once they returned to their seats, Heracles whistled, "Damn, she's hot," he peeked over his shoulder to devour her curves, "those jeans make her legs look like a cake, but they are in the way…"

"Let's focus on the task, Heracles," Connla tried to keep his partner on track.

"Yeah, yeah," but the Greek dismissed the Irishman, "You know what? I'm gonna make some slight adjustments to our plan. After we kidnap her, we're gonna fuck her brains out."

"What?!" Connla hushed out, "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Huh?!" Heracles glanced at Connla incredulously, "have you seen her?! That's a top model right there! If the leader won't let us touch his new blonde toy, then she'll do!"

"She's supposed to be a hundred years old!" Connla hissed back.

"Even better! She's a damn cougar on the prowl!" Heracles deadpanned at the flat look of the brunet, "You do know what a cougar is, right?"

"…"

"Fuck's sake, not even Leo is this naive," Heracles dragged a hand across his face, "An older woman who scores with a much younger man!" he jabbed Connla's chest with a finger, "that's you!" And then thumbed himself, "that's me!"

"This is so damn stupid, Heracles! No way I will go to bed with someone I barely know!"

Connla reached for his drink and took a long sip.

What Heracles suddenly said caught him off-guard, "You're a virgin, aren't you?"

Connla did a spit take, coughing sharply, "W-what?!"

"You heard me," Heracles watched Connla massage his throat, "Am I wrong?"

Connla averted his gaze, adjusting his shades, "You'll… you'll make fun of me."

"I won't laugh!" Heracles traced an X on his chest, "Cross my heart and hope to die!"

"…"

"Whatever happens in Kuoh, stays in Kuoh!"

Connla hesitated, but eventually yielded with a sigh, "I am," his eyebrow twitched when a snicker slipped from Heracles. "I fucking knew it…"

"Hey, hey! There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a virgin," Heracles tried to cheer up the brunet, "being a virgin is cool too!"

Connla stared at him.

Heracles stared back.

Connla continued staring.

Heracles's lips started to twitch.

Connla deadpanned.

Heracles lost it and wheezed like a tea kettle.

"You're such a fucking idiot," Connla growled.

"S-Sorry…!" He held his stomach whilst trying to control his breathing, "Shit, man. I'm glad leader picked you up. I always get a good laugh when you're around!"

"I'm glad you find my situation amusing," Connla sarcastically said.

"Well, today that changes!" Heracles confidently declared, "Because you're gonna get your dick wet tonight!" he punched Connla on his shoulder, making him wince, "Your first time with a hot cougar! Lucky son of a bitch!"

"This still sounds bad—!" Connla was ready to argue, but noticed that Roygun was watching them intently, "She's..."

"Hmm?" Heracles looked over his shoulder and saw just in time the bartender giving her another drink.

Roygun smiled and lifted her beer in their direction.

"Enjoy," Heracles mouthed out before giving her a two-finger salute. He returned to Connla, "just cool your jets. She's piss drunk, nothing will happen to us. And you'll get to see what it feels to fuck a true woman!"

And suddenly, Connla saw Roygun finishing her full bottle in one go. She stood up, "Heracles," he shook the man's wrist, "she's coming."

This time Heracles didn't glance over his shoulder, using the reflection on Connla's sunglasses to observe behind him. He smirked triumphally, "I guess meat is on the menu today," he took the 'cool' and 'uninterested' pose, "Act natural, grasshopper."

"Danhauserrrrr," she ruffled Heracles hair, "you actually came-hic! I thought you couldn't… what-what happened?"

Heracles gave a casual shrug, "Change of plans," he told her, "No way I'll leave a beauty like you alone."

"Well said!" Roygun wrapped her arms around their necks and pulled them close for a hug. "Everyone's so mean to lil' oooold me, except you-hic two... You two are godsends~!"

"By the way," Connla started sweating bullets when her focus darted to him, "Who is he-hic!"

"Uh, Sétanta," he blurted out.

"A new student from overseas," Heracles quickly elaborated, "he was lost on the streets and I decided to give him a tour around the town."

"Hmmm," Roygun narrowed her eyes and Connla almost thought they were caught until she broke into a smile, "he's cute."

She then started rubbing her cheeks against theirs as she cracked up, the two young men eventually joined her, albeit forcefully.

"I like you two," the Devil still had them in her headlock, "Handsome names for handsome people."

"You are not bad-looking either," Heracles complimented back.

"Tell me something I don't know-hic!" Roygun giggled, "If there's anything I can do for two, good-looking young men like yourselves… let me know. M'kay?"

Heracles' attention shifted to her well-endowed bust. He fought the urge to motorboat them and played the patient wolf, "Anything?"

He felt a shiver on his spine as she whispered seductively—the smell of alcohol coming from her mouth, "Anything."

Again, she boomed a laugh and Heracles followed suit, more genuine than before.

His laughter came to an abrupt stop after she tightened her grip on their necks, "I know," she spoke lowly, "I know you're spying on us."

Their expressions dropped and Roygun squeezed Heracles's neck a bit tighter, "Don't you ever wear his name ever again," she growled dangerously on his ear, "You're not even a quarter of the man that he is."

…

The drunk Roygun returned with a giggle, but this time she laughed alone, "Later, boys~!" She ruffled their hairs before parting ways.

Frozen in his seat, Connla could only hopelessly watch Roygun sway back to the counter with that dumbfound smile, some of her steps a threat to fall over the floor.

The establishment continued running smoothly. Patrons, customers, and employees minded their own business—unaware of the brief exchange.

"H-how?" Connla whispered, glancing down at his shaky hands. "I-I made sure to never get caught! I-I swear! I even used my Sacred Gear to—!"

"… She thinks she's fucking funny, huh?" Heracles felt the veins on his forehead bulge out. He could only see red. "The audacity of that bitch."

"H-Heracles?"

The Greek left his seat, "Stay here kid, I'll be back in a sec."

Connla knew what Heracles was going to pull, "Heracles," he stood up and reached out for him, "Don't—!"

"Sit," Connla was pushed back to his chair. He could only watch his friend stomping after the woman.

"Hey!" Heracles roughly shoved a staff member aside. Being the tallest and most muscular person on the bar, everyone blocking his path immediately moved out of the way submissively. "You deaf?! I said hey!"

Once Heracles made it, he grabbed her shoulder and forcefully spun Roygun, "I. Said. HEY! You bit—!"

Unfortunately for Heracles, he never had the chance to do anything else. Without any warning, Roygun's right hand surged forward and gripped his neck, hoisting him up before slamming his bulky body into the counter bar, splintering the furniture in half.

Pieces of wood and glass flew from the impact.

"HOLY FUCK!" the bartender cried out.

And chaos soon erupted, faces started to flee from the scene while most stayed behind either frozen in shock or uploading it to their social media.

"H-Heracles?" Seeing the pure muscle of the Hero Faction unconscious from a single attack was something Connla never thought he'd witness.

Heracles' mouth was hanging open as his eyes rolled to the back of his skull. There was blood coming from his nose.

He was out.

"Well, that's disappointing," Roygun stretched her arms with a yawn, "I expected a big guy like you to last longer but oh well, it can't be helped! Maybe this 'student from overseas' can entertain this old lady."

Connla felt goosebumps at the innuendo of her words. Unconsciously, he backpaddled when Roygun lazily approached him. "Your voice…! It changed!" he pointed an accusing finger at her, "Y-you weren't drunk this whole time?!"

"You believed some cheap beer will get me stoned?" Roygun's steps never faltered as she snickered, "Oh, sweetheart..."

His back eventually touched the wall. "How…" Connla wanted to use his Sacred Gear but lost control over his body. "How did you know you were being followed…! I made sure to take precautions! This whole time I played it safe!"

"Who walks in the middle of the night wearing these?!" that's when Roygun confiscated Connla's sunglasses and wore them. She flashed him a confident smile, "they look better on me, right?"

Connla swallowed hard.

Roygun leaned a bit closer, eyes squinted behind her new shades, "Green eyes?" she noted, "Oh, how nice. We share the same eye color!"

"A-and…?"

"And that somehow lifted my mood." Roygun tapped a playful finger on her cheek, paying no mind to the whispers of the audience, "Hmm… You know what? Let's play a game."

"A… a game?"

"Yes," Roygun placed a hand on her hip, "The game is called: Tell Roygun what your type is!"

"M-my type…?"

"Your type," Roygun echoed with a toothy grin, "What do you seek in a woman?"

Despite the spectacle that happened moments ago, everyone stopped what they were doing to focus on them. Connla became the center of attention. The girls were looking at him intently—even some blushing girls pulled out their notebooks, waiting impatiently for his answer.

Shouldn't they be running away?!

…

Connla had many thoughts racing his mind. One of them was considering fighting back for his life and fleeing with Heracles.

But he wasn't going to win—even if he had Balance Breaker unlocked.

Plus, she had his ally as a hostage.

Even if Heracles was awake with his Balance Breaker, this fight tilted in her favor.

"This woman easily sits in Ultimate-Class in terms of power," Connla felt bids of sweat grow on his forehead, "If I play her game… maybe she won't knock me out? Think, Connla! Think! What would leader do in this situation…!"

"Tick-tock! Tick-tock!" Roygun imitated a clock, "your time is running out!"

… Here goes nothing.

"I...I...!"

"Sorry?" Roygun brought a hand behind her ear, "speak louder! Don't you dare to leave your fans in suspense~!"

"I-I don't ask for much," Connla spoke from the bottom of his heart, "but… vulnerability. All I want is a girl who has the willingness to let down their walls and let me inside. Not being afraid of crying on me and letting me be protective. To let her know I'm there for her. Always."

His genuine response was reciprocated with positive reactions.

"What a good answer!" A girl exclaimed.

"Kyaa! He's so cute!" Another girl gushed out.

"Way to go, man!" a man cheered.

"Next beer is on me, dude!"

Oddly enough, Connla felt a warmth on his chest as everyone praised his tastes.

Aside from his leader, other people finally accepted the man he is.

It made his confidence take such a leap that—!

"Sweetheart," his heartbeat stopped once Roygun took off the sunglasses that belonged to him. She was disappointed, "You have shit taste."

Connla grew pale, "Wait! Please, no—!"

Roygun punched Connla in the face. The impact of her hook was strong enough that his frame easily pierced the concrete wall and ended up at the back of the business.

His body stopped rolling on the floor. Connla coughed blood as he faced the moon from the ground. His jaw and nose were most likely broken by her strike.

His vision weakened. The last thing he saw was his assailant crouching down beside him with a devilish smile before darkness took over.

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The usefulness of her thoughts evaporated some time ago, yet her mind kept kicking like a runaway motor.

Being unable to sleep and having Georg working on brainwashing her was sucking an immense toll on her body.

She was human after all—no supernatural ancestry.

She isn't Tobio whose stamina increased after selling his humanity or Danhauser, a natural-born Devil.

Lavinia is Lavinia.

This sleeplessness felt like torture—Georg getting inside her brain was the cherry on top. While the rest of the world embraces their dreams, she was forced to stay awake throughout the procedure.

She was weaponless as well. Lavinia couldn't weave magic—she couldn't summon her Sacred Gear either. All thanks to the small orb that nullified all her powers and equipment.

It belonged to the Balance Breaker of the True Longinus. The orb beside her is named Itthiratana.

If Vali boasted that he could stay in his Balance Breaker for a month, what stopped this man from doing the same?

Lavinia lay on the floor and was locked inside the purple mist. The sweat was all over her skin, ruined clothes, and damped, blonde hair. It felt like she ran a marathon as she hyperventilated. Her alluring sapphire eyes locked on the back of his surgeon—wishing that she could turn him into dust with a glare alone.

And he could feel the daggers digging on his back, "It's useless. You won't get anything by staring at me like that, Lavinia."

Lavinia huffed and puffed gently, "What is taking you so… so long? You were the ace of Grauzauberer, but you seem to struggle now. Maybe it was only your name that took you this far, Georg."

The Mist User returned the withering stare before returning to his notes, "You have a dangerous type of Sacred Gear," he explained, "you possess an Independent Avatar type Sacred Gear. Although the brainwashing proved to be successful on you, your Longinus could act on its own and attack us—even downright disobey your orders. Avatar Sacred Gears have the highest death rate of killing their owners."

"… You're trying to submit Angel too," the blonde realized.

Lavinia watched him proceed to ramble on, "This is hard unless you can summon her physically, meaning that leader must take his Itthiratana orb from you so you're able to manifest her, but that will give you the chance to sneak your Balance Breaker."

Georg continued flipping on the pages, "… "Trying to hack through the mind of a Longinus—to try to change it and no progress whatsoever," he let that sink in until eventually, the answer naturally came to him, "Unless Glinda's notes are right… Absolute Demise is genderless, meaning leader's Balance Breaker wouldn't work against it. I see. The only way to make your Sacred Gear obey us is by invading the Seventh Heaven—where the Sacred Gear System resides—and making the changes from there or by completely wiping all the memory of Absolute Demise."

Lavinia balled her fists. "How… how dare you grab her reports with your treacherous hands…"

Georg felt his eyebrow twitch, "Do you put Glinda in the same light?"

And suddenly, Lavinia felt something boiling up inside her, "What did you say?"

"She abandoned you and hasn't come back after eight years," he stood in front of his prisoner, "she didn't even say goodbye to you."

Lavinia's hair shadowing her eyes, "Shut your mouth."

"You, who had known only hate in her childhood, confuses it with love," Georg continued stabbing her with words as he dismissed the book, "Glinda's agenda feels like love to you even though they weren't."

Lavinia snapped. She picked the nullifying orb and threw it at him—but it bounced back to her after it struck her prison.

"That's enough, Georg," they heard steps approaching them, "Remember, we must treat her and her Longinus lightly—we cannot risk a Breakdown the Beast inside Dimension Lost's Balance Breaker."

Georg bowed his head, "Of course."

"You!" Lavinia's eyes flared once she saw the leader of the organization.

"Lavinia Reni," Cao Cao greeted back.

"I still don't even know your name…"

"And we will keep it that way," the Longinus User tapped True Longinus on his shoulder. "However, if you show that you are an outstanding member of the Hero Faction, I may reveal it to you. You are ahead of the curve so far."

Lavinia took, shaky long breaths before she spoke, "… You were holding back, weren't you?" she interrogated him, "back when we fought… you were—!"

"Absolutely," the other six orbs of his Balance Breaker floated around Cao Cao like flies, "Our main goal was recruiting you—we didn't want to leave any permanent damage on your body."

"You could have waited until I ran out of stamina," Lavinia muttered to herself, "summoning those monsters until I hit my limit… but you decided to endanger yourself."

"You never summoned your Longinus," the spearman pointed out, "while it was a delight seeing your finesse over the arcane, my objective was to relish in your mastery over Absolute Demise. You have my respects, Lavinia Reni. When I realized that your polished skills allowed you to be able to perform Balance Breaker… you to be able to stand your ground against three high-tier Longinuses… I knew you were ideal for the Hero Faction."

"I refuse to become your tool!"

"You are in no position to make decisions."

Lavinia felt her face wrinkle in disgust, but her features eventually deflated, "… please kill me," she bit her lip, "extract my Sacred Gear and give it to someone else… I refuse to hurt them."

Cao Cao shook his head in amusement, "I don't want anyone else," he told her, "I want you, Lavinia Reni. You who have the potential to unlock your Abyss Side or even a Sub-Species Balance Breaker. But most importantly, your loyalty is what stole my breath."

"… Loyalty?" Lavinia weakly echoed.

"Loyalty. The virtue that a leader expects from their subordinates. Despite being cornered and yielding, you refused to betray them. Even if you were afraid, you were willing to pay with your life to protect an empty house. It was beautiful to see."

"…"

"Unfortunately, yours is misplaced," Cao Cao lamented, "But there is still hope—it can be fixed. Eventually, we will open your eyes and make you see the truth… even if we must do it the hard way."

"… Fighting for humanity," Lavinia whispered, "that's the motto of the Hero Faction… the hook you use to snare humans… it's a lie. All of this is a lie."

"Oh?"

"It's just a front you use to disguise your true motives," she breathed out, "You could have helped expand the world, with an iron body and an iron will—but you chose instead to become another problem. You cast aside your humanity, working only to fulfill your personal goal."

"Don't be ridiculous," Cao Cao rebuked her, "My humanity has not been tainted. I still and will always be, a man."

"Are you sure? Because I only see an animal," Lavinia sneered, "a deranged rabid dog that needs to be put down."

"… Are you finished?" Cao Cao asked, mildly annoyed, "Your lecture was so bizarre that I couldn't help but listen. You accuse me of betraying my humanity, but have you looked yourself in the mirror, Lavinia Reni? You are the only human that interacts with these creatures, who stays close to them."

"And I will be with them! Always!" Lavinia snapped back, "After this is over, once you are defeated, I will go back to them."

"Always? So naïve," Cao Cao chuckled, "The greatest enemy of mankind is time. You will grow old. They will discard you once your heart gives its last beating. Their lifespan surpasses ours—they will never grasp the beauty of dying from old age."

Lavinia felt a tight knot around her throat, "N-No…!" she croaked, comforting herself, "They won't do that! Tobi… Va… Da… they will never…!"

"… Such a delusional person. I pity you," and suddenly, Cao Cao felt something tugging his sleeve and looked down, "Yes? What is it, Leonardo?"

"A… child?" Lavinia felt her heartstrings being pulled, "You brought a child into this…?"

Her disapproval fell on empty ears. The youngest member of his group beckoned him to bend down.

"Very well," Cao Cao bent a knee, barely reaching Leonardo's stature.

The Annihilation Maker User had to stand on his toes to whisper in his leader's ear.

As Cao Cao's continued listening to Leonardo's report, there was a part of his story that made his eyes widen in horror, "They what?!"

.

.

"Ugggh," Jeanne looked up at the groan coming from one of their captives. The gray-haired man tried to comfort his jaw with a hand but realized he was tied to a chair. "Ah, fuck me. She got me good."

Jeanne approached carefully.

Her footsteps didn't go unnoticed, "Uh?" He groggily blinked in her direction, "Who the fuck are you…?"

"You should know," Jeanne commented, "I was on your watchlist after all."

Leisurely, his sight started to unblurry, and saw her familiar face, "Ah, the French girl—Jeanne."

"… And you must be the Heracles dude I've been hearing about," Jeanne nodded over his shoulder. "And your friend Connla."

Their prisoners were at the center of the room. They were back-to-back and tied with Pitch Resin fused with Worthlessness. So far, only one of them appeared to be conscious, wounded but awake. Connla was still out.

After Danhauser heard the news, he immediately teleported everyone to Roygun's location and began throwing orders.

Everyone received a different task.

But Jeanne volunteered to guard their prisoners of war. Danhauser didn't support the idea, but he allowed it after some convincing.

She needed answers.

"Ha!" Heracles had a pained laugh before spitting on the floor a mix of blood and saliva, "I think after that bitch knocked me out, all my rights to keep that name are dust now."

"So… it is true," Jeanne thought to herself, "He holds the spirit of the famous hero—Heracles. Like I have Joan…"

"Just as how you lost the privilege to be called Jeanne," Heracles had a taunting grin, "The girl that carries the spirit of the Maiden of Orleans woke up suddenly with the urge to betray the Church and sell her humanity to a Devil. Makes for a good story."

"We are not the same person," Jeanne shot back, "We share the same name, but our identities are vastly different."

"Oh, you're that type of person, alright, alright," Heracles was amused, "… the one that does not like being seen as Joan of Arc but Jeanne. Got it. And yet, don't ya feel bad for throwing her under the bus? All your actions have severely damaged the divine image of the Holy Saint… doesn't the Church picture Joan of Arc as a concubine of Belial nowadays? Kinky, if you ask me."

"… I will fix her reputation," Jeanne averted her gaze, "I will find a way."

Heracles cocked his head to express his amusement, "Don't make me laugh! The moment you let that Evil Piece enter your body, all hopes to clean her name are gone! What comes after that will go downhill."

Her fists clenched as she took a deep breath to control the urge to blow one of his teeth. Jeanne wasn't a rookie—she knew he was trying to get under her skin to make her do something regrettable.

But she hated to admit it, Heracles had a point.

How can a Reincarnated Devil change the views of the Church?

They were as stubborn as her current master.

She made a promise to find a way to clean her fame. Her ward—Vasco Strada—was there as a witness.

And even after four years, nothing. Nada. Zero.

Maybe she should have sat down and thought more of this thoroughly.

But emotions, have a way to make you blurt things out of the blue.

"You are on the wrong side of history, blondie," His voice brought her back to reality, "your place was with the Hero Faction alongside Siegfried. With us, you would have your chance to not do her name dirty."

Jeanne glared daggers at him, "I know what you're plotting," she growled, "and it ain't working. So, shove a sock there."

"Ooh! You got some strong bite there!" despite being bound, Heracles slipped a snicker, "If you're at your wit's end, how about asking her how she feels? Aren't ya curious what Joan has to say about your screwups?"

"… Is that even possible?"

"From what I heard, yeah."

The blonde narrowed her eyes, "How do I know you aren't making up crap?"

"Trust me or not, could give less of a fuck," Heracles shrugged, "but this is the best answer you'll get from someone with similar circumstances as you."

Jeanne pursed her lips. "Have you… tried it?"

"Never done it before. Back then I wanted to fist pump the Original Heracles. Wanted to see his looks… although I knew from the get-go. Now? With the predicament, I am currently in?" He gestured with a chin at the Pitch Resin wrapped around him, "Heh, I rather avoid him at any cost."

"…"

"Hmm? What's with that look? Falling in love?" Heracles slowly broke into a smirk of realization, "Hang on. You still got no clue what I'm talking about, do you? Hah. You are in for a rude awakening then, blondie."

The door suddenly opened. It was Roygun wearing her new shades, "Oh my. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

Heracles' smirk fell off, "Great. It smells like bitch in here now."

"And good morning to you too!" Roygun greeted back enthusiastically, sunglasses now secured on her head, "I never got the chance to thank you for paying for my drinks yesterday. The next round is on me, alright sweetheart?"

"Fuck off."

"It's a date, then," The older Devil grinned tauntingly.

"Roygun?" Jeanne called, "Something wrong?"

Roygun turned to her and thumbed to the exit behind her, "I hope you have your luggage prepared because you are moving in a few minutes."

The blonde had to tilt her head at that one, "To where?"

"Tobio's bar," Roygun gestured to Heracles and Connla, "Your King wants to move them there."

"Is Dan still here?" the former saint wondered.

"He's still here," the Cherry Blossom confirmed, "He's just waiting for Mephisto to teleport him to Grauzauberer. Do you want to talk with him? This is your last chance."

Jeanne shook her head, "Just wondering," she replied, "And you? Will you come with us?"

"I won't be able to, dear. Danhauser told me to stay vigilant in Kuoh," Roygun feigned sadness, "Can you believe it? I'll be all alone over here~! Make it quick, okay?"

.

.

"And that sums it up," Danhauser finished telling his report to the older people in the room.

He was in the office of Grauzauberer's headmaster along with Mephisto Pheles in person, and, surprisingly, the hologram of Azazel was here as well.

Then again, they go way back. Perhaps the Pure Devil that Azazel gets along with the most had to be Mephisto.

It was the first time he visited the Magician School where Lavinia enrolled. Disregarding the books that flew around like butterflies, it gave him the same vibes as when he's around Kuoh Academy.

"Great," Mephisto rolled his eyes, "Just what this world needed, another supremacist group begging to get shit on. Whoopie fucking doo."

[Yeah. Quite the tale,] Azazel brought a hand under his chin, [A lot of faces are entangled in this pandora box. This Hero Faction moves fast.]

"That's what happens when you have Dimension Lost in your pocket," then Mephisto muttered under his breath, "If only his ancestor pulled out at the last minute…"

[Add Annihilation Maker on that list,] Azazel chuckled in disbelief, [Makes you reflect why they wanted Demise Girl on their ranks with that Longinus in their possession. In the end, replicas can't outmatch the original.]

"What are the chances they have other Longinus in their closets?" Danhauser pondered.

[Exactly my thoughts,] Azazel scratched his goatee, [If we look back at the confirmed number of Longinus Users, three haven't shown up yet.]

"Innovate Clear, Telos Karma, and True Longinus," Belial counted them off. "Some of these could be in their hands already."

[Let's hope that's not the case,] the blond grimaced, [this group is already sending bad signals as it is.]

"The possibility still lingers there," Mephisto pointed out.

[Yeah, I know,] Azazel eventually sighed, [Didn't want to resort to this, but it's time to overwork Penemue again. I'll get her to write everything I heard just right now to the Entente.]

Mephisto squinted his eyes, "Entente? The fuck did I just miss?"

[Ever tried to leave your school once in a time, Mephisto?] Azazel joked, [All Pantheons allied to combat terrorists that joined under the leader of the Khaos Brigade organization—the Ouroboros Dragon.]

"Ouroboros Dragon?" Mephisto echoed, looking to the ceiling, "Ouroboros Dragon… Ophis?"

Azazel raised an eyebrow, [Only a few numbers of people know their first name—didn't expect you to be one of them.]

"Yeah, Tannin told me everything he knew. I was there with him. It happened way before he became my Queen," his eyes then darted to Danhauser, "At that time, you weren't even born. Hell, your father was still learning how to swim inside your grandfather's ballsack."

Danhauser blew air from his nose humorously, "That's a way to put it."

"Dunno why Ophis showed up, but Tannin believes it's because he once challenged Great Red to a fight," Mephisto explained, "Maybe they wanted to know who's braindead enough to go after the Red Dragon? Also, they looked like a girl."

[And?] Azazel hurried him, [And how they looked in the breast department?]

"You're doomed to disappointment," Mephisto smirked, "they were flatter than a fucking pancake."

[Oof,] despite wincing, Azazel tried to look on the bright side, [at least they stuck with a feminine look this time. The last time I saw them they looked like an old man.]

"Years have passed after your last meeting with them, maybe Ophis will have a more mature body the next time," while Danhauser was digging the goodhearted atmosphere, he wanted to focus on, "What information does the Entente have now from the Hero Faction?"

[Pretty much everything you told to Slash Dog and some stuff Baraqiel got from Freed,] the Governor-General responded, [once they heard about Annihilation Maker and the possibility of other Longinus in their group, it will raise alarm to most of the other pantheons.]

"That's good," Danhauser nodded to the heterochromatic devil, "Are you in?"

"Take Tannin with you," Mephisto offered.

Danhauser whistled, "The Hero Faction won't know what hit them."

[You already have Fafnir, but I'll see what else I can sneak in your way,] Azazel folded his arms, [I do have some candidates in mind...]

"Hopefully one of them is Penemue," the heir joked.

Azazel had a short laugh, [Ha! Sorry to break your bubble, but she's out of the picture. I'll keep her busy the whole week.]

"Worth a shot," Danhauser chuckled. "Tobio told you about my answer?"

[Yeah, Slash Dog told me a while ago,] the Governor-General had a grin, [started to make calls as soon as I got the answer, some of the Pantheons may be aware of our new recruits already. You better write an apology letter and buy a box of chocolates for Penemue.]

"I'll get into it once this is over," Danhauser vowed.

[With that aside, I can confidently say that you, your peerage, and Demise Girl joined the anti-terrorist cell representing Grigori days ago!] Danhauser saw the hologram of the Fallen Angel flash a thumbs up, [Good to work alongside you once again, kid! Looking forward to kicking ass.]

"Lavinia is in too?" Danhauser felt relief wash over him, "That's great news."

[Just abusing the system in our favor,] Azazel winked, [Now that the Hero Faction holds hostage a member of the Entente, this is considered as an act of aggression against us.]

The gray-haired nodded at Mephisto, "What do you think?"

"It's for the best," Mephisto shrugged, "And besides, Lavinia is supposed to be your Magician. She will join you no matter what."

"Then I'll get back to work," Danhauser moved toward the exit, "What's the fastest way to return to Japan, Mephisto? The same way I got here?"

"Yeah. The same way as you appeared here," he heard the Chairman's instructions, "just head to the teleportation room—there's a magic circle ready to send you back."

"Alright, see you."

"Wait," Danhauser stopped with a hand on the doorbell. He loved over his shoulder, "What are the chances that you can spare Georg?"

"… You're asking the wrong person, Mephisto," Danhauser said, "That's up to Lavinia."

"… Yeah. I thought so," Mephisto pinched his nose, "Give me the signal, and I'll send Tannin to you."

The heir finally left.

.

.

[You ooze in like a panther and then you try to sneak out like a rat,] Danhauser froze on his steps. [Who are you, Belial? Why are you everywhere?]

He activated his Senjutsu to scan the whole school corridor and saw no signs of life, but the person speaking to him sounded so close.

"… You're the one that kidnapped Lavinia," Danhauser was still on earth—the lack of purple color and mist was the only proof he needed. "I could ask you the same thing."

[I have plausible reasons,] his foe countered, [But you? Nonsense. You were in Kyoto speaking with the High Priestess of the Sun, then I find out you stopped at the territory of Five Principal Clans to casually converse with Lord Ouryuu and Lady Himejima… and now you are here, in Grauzauberer. In Germany.]

"Tell you what," Danhauser awakened his business persona, "give me your name and I'll share my secret."

[I have no obligation to answer.] the mysterious man declined his request, [Just remember me as the man that leads the Hero Faction.]

"It's him," Danhauser thought, "No name, no deal."

[It is in the best interest for you to follow my instructions,] Cao Cao argued back, [Georg!]

Danhauser took a stance. If Georg decided to trap him with Dimension Lost, then he will respond with Belial Form.

But they did something worse. [Da! It's me, Da!] his gut wretched after hearing her familiar cries. He forced himself to keep it within as she continued, [He was right! Pops was right! I-If only I listened… if I only I was stronger! Any of this could have been avoided! I'm so sorry, I-I am…!]

Danhauser could only hopelessly stand there and listen to her laments knowing he was miles away. He felt powerless.

It incremented his inner rage.

[Ahem. As you noticed, we still have your associate,] another male voice—Georg most likely, [You will listen to our demands.]

"No."

[Excuse me?]

"I said 'no'."

[She will suffer,] Cao Cao warned him.

"No. No, she won't. This is what's going to happen," Danhauser growled out, "I'm going to rescue her. I'm going to bring Lavinia Reni back to me, and then just to cap it off, I'll finish off your faction until there's nothing left of it!"

[Ridiculous. You don't have an army, I do. You don't have the upper hand, I do. You don't even have a plan, but I do.]

"I have captives. I have Freed. I have Heracles. I have Connla. In days, I captured the officers of your group so don't make comments like that," Danhauser warned him, "I know who you are—more than you know about me. Don't play stupid with me because it insults my intelligence. It makes me angrier."

[There's more to you than I thought,] Cao Cao acknowledged, [But my faction will keep growing. My faction will continue striving. And, when that day comes, we'll use your tombstone for paving tiles, and blow your ashes during our parade.]

"Lavi?" Danhauser called.

[Da?]

"I'm coming to get you. Hero Faction?"

[…]

"I'm coming to get you."

[… Good luck, then.]

.

.

"End the call," Cao Cao ordered.

"Yes," Georg immediately acted.

Cao Cao scoffed, "Quite the tongue this Devil has."

"Hah…" Georg chuckled nervously, "he said worrying things. What did he mean by 'I know about you'?"

"Ignore him. Don't think too much of his words," Cao Cao dismissed his worries with a wave of his hand, "just cheap attempts to make us overthink."

"Yes, of course," Georg nodded, "Will he be a problem?"

"Absolutely," the spearman tapped his Longinus on his shoulder, "the fact that Belial has spoken with both the High Priestess of the Sun and Nakagami shows that they have some truce with the Devil."

"Even when Kyoto Youkai and the Five Principal Clans are at each other's throat, they…" Georg stopped from finishing his sentence, "What should we do? If we were to expect resistance coming from Belial, then our intentions to capture either the High Priestess or Ouryuu…"

"We will still stick with our plans," Cao Cao cut him off, "Belial will just be an obstruction to our goals. If he dares to get in our way, we will simply eliminate him."

"You will lose."

Both Longinus Users glanced at their prisoner through the corner of their eyes.

Her chest heaved as she struggled to control her breathing, "He's strong. His peerage is strong too. As sad as it is to say this, they are veterans when it comes to fighting terrorists. You are no different from the people the Belial Peerage triumphed against."

"It's astonishing how you keep putting Belial on a pedestal after he refused to listen for your safety," Cao Cao was bemused, "You are blinded."

Lavinia grit her teeth, "Da is not a fool, he won't fall for your tricks!"

"Lavinia Reni. If he rescues you, do you believe he will care for you in the next sixty years?" Cao Cao watched her swallow, "Devils are like children—once their toy breaks, they will replace it for something better."

"No…" Lavinia lowered her head, enough for her blonde locks to shadow her sapphire eyes, "Da is not like them… he's not like them!"

"… What did Belial offer you? Knowledge? Power? Immortality? Mark my words: your only reward was a knife in the back," Cao Cao massaged his temple, "I'm losing this argument by lowering myself to your level—this exchange is over. Georg. Is she ready?"

"We're on a good pace," Georg shared the good news, "Her Longinus, on the other hand…"

Co Cao knitted his eyebrows, "What?"

"Absolute Demise has a conscience of its own, we have to brainwash it as well," the magician cleaned his glasses on his shirt, "… but it isn't easy as it sounds, to be able to tweak a Sacred Gear we must operate the Sacred Gear System located in Heaven. However, with the Biblical God gone, there may be some bugs in the system that we can use in our favor and avoid complicated situations."

"Grigori being well-known for imitating the artifacts of Heaven, they may have something similar to a system," Cao Cao mused, "And how long will it take you to track and crack these exploits?"

Georg only pursed his lips.

"Does that impede her from manipulating the ice-based abilities of her Longinus and her Balance Breaker?"

"She should be able to," Georg stated.

"Good, that's all we need. Magicians never stand a chance against Worthlessness," Lavinia felt her stomach turn under his intense gaze, "let's not waste any more time then. Do it, Georg."

Her eyes grew wide, "No…" two magic circles appeared on both sides of her head she tried to grab them, but her hands merely passed through them.

The same gas that made her lose consciousness was ejected from these magic circles. Lavinia immediately covered her nose and held her breath. Tears threatened to pour as she unwillingly accepted her fate.

Futile. Her eyes grew heavier and fought back, but eventually, her body fell with a thud.

Cao Cao walked away, "This Devil… Belial is moving fast," he tapped his weapon on his shoulder, "Even with Dimension Lost on our side, we are losing this race…! This can still be salvageable, but we have a lot of work to do."

It was obvious that they were going to face resistance against the Belial Peerage.

At this point, Kyoto Youkai and maybe the Five Principal Clans were also going to get involved in some way.

But he knew about them. While they still were wondering who lead the Hero Faction behind the mist.

A name is something vital to battle, as it can reveal much about them.

A name could reveal certain traits about their abilities, equipment, and connections, allowing for specific countermeasures to turn the tables at a very drastic moment. A sucker punch that could change the tides of war.

It's an Achilles' heel.

That is why he made sure no one on the Hero Faction—aside from Georg—knew about his identity. The last thing he needed was either Heracles, Connla, or even Freed to blow out his cover.

When the horn of war roars, he will have the high ground.

And yet this… Devil. He underestimated him.

He's somebody to watch. Once, he was just a menace, to be stabbed by True Longinus and become dust. But he managed to follow in his footsteps. He was able to speak privately with the High Priestess and Lord Nakiri.

He was someone worth keeping an eye out for.

"… There are only two ways to deal with mysteries, Belial," Cao Cao observed the blade of his spear hum with a god-slaying aura, "Uncover it or eliminate it."

.

.

Danhauser fumed with the collar of his shirt as he felt his head boil up. "Piece of shit!"

He almost said it. His tongue almost slipped.

There was a flash when he didn't care if he exploited his metaknowledge right there.

To make all these efforts to stay incognito, to take his name to the very grave… go to the drain in a mere conversation that lasted less than two minutes.

To savor Cao Cao's reaction.

But as much Danhauser wanted to, he had to bite his tongue. They still had Lavinia, they would do worse things to her if he proved that he knew absolutely everything about Cao Cao.

Because no matter if he complied with Cao Cao or not—Lavinia was destined to be brainwashed on both routes.

It left a sour taste in his mouth.

His trance broke once a unique magic circle rotated beside his ear. Danhauser exhaled through his nose, "Now fucking what?"

[Prince Belial? Is that you?]

Danhauser had to blink twice once he heard her familiar voice, "High Priestess?"

[It's really you,] he heard her sigh deeply, [You are in Grauzauberer, correct? I need you to come as swiftly as possible to my private shrine. You do know where to find it, correct?]

"Um. On the western outskirts of Kyoto, if I recall," there was something that worried Danhauser, however. "High Priestess, who told you my current location?"

[He told me you were here,] Yasaka revealed. [He wants to speak with you.]

Danhauser narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Who is he?"

[…]

"High Priestess?" Danhauser insisted when she didn't answer, "Yasaka, talk to me."

[I need you to come over—it's urgent,] Danhauser never imagined he'd heard her of all people pull a pleading tone, [Please.]

"… I'll be on my way," Danhauser ended the call. He looked up to the ceiling. "It's happening, isn't it?"

[Yeah,] Fafnir answered.

He took a moment before sighing, "Welp, no going back now."

[You want to give up?]

"Since my first day in this world, I haven't given up," Danhauser retorted, "I always fought. A day will come when I throw the towel, but it won't be this day."

[Then let's go.]

Danhauser resumed his walk, "Azazel should still be with the Chairman. Tell him that before Georg betrayed Mephisto, he sneaked a few magic circles around Grauzauberer."

[Ok.]

.

.

Danhauser was able to return to Japan safely. Instead of returning to Kuoh or Tobio's bar, however, he changed his route to Kyoto, flapping his wings to follow the coordinates of Yasaka's shrine which was somewhere deep in the bamboo forest.

Something Danhauser immediately noted was the divine energy—one he even dared to deem as familiar. So powerful.

The rest of his journey he spent on the ground, using the sight of the beautiful Bamboo Grove as means to keep his mind clear.

As he hurried on the dirt road, the divine energy became stronger—almost suffocating.

The sight of the High Priestess and her guest became clearer.

Realizing who it was made Danhauser freeze. He felt the heat coming from greyish skin deplete away from his body. He could only hear his heartbeat echo in his eardrums.

[Move,] Fafnir's boomed in his head, [don't stop.]

"Right," Danhauser swallowed the lump stuck in his throat and continued onward. "You're right."

Yasaka's fox ears twitched at the sound of footsteps. The beautiful Daiyoukai faced the Devil, and relief washed her features, "Thank the kami… you made it."

The heir nodded to her, "High Priestess."

"Finally! Look who decided to show up late to the party!" the visitor beside her mocked the Devil, "Didn't your mother teach you basic, social behavior? Is parenting THAT terrible in the Underworld? Keeping a Deva waiting is a sign of bad manners and rudeness, Danny-boy."

The High Priestess grimaced at his haughty tone. Keeping her company was a familiar albino elephant with gleaming red eyes and its rider sitting cross-legged atop its head.

"Śakra," Danhauser greeted half-heartedly.

Indra cocked his head back to bark loudly, "HAHAHA! What's with that half-baked greeting? Are you not overjoyed to see Heaven stand before you?"

"…"

"I warned you after you defeated Lucifer's spoiled sister, didn't I?" Indra pressed on with his verbal assault, "Or did you just forget? Loss of memory at your age is worrisome, you know? You should get that checked!"

"…"

"Then I guess the obligation falls to me to refresh your memory, hooray me," Indra looked imposing atop his elephant as he harrumphed, "Expect us. Ring any bells?"

"I… suppose I didn't expect to see you this soon," the Devil finally spoke.

"And who should take the blame for that, Danny-boy? Hmm~?" the god folded his arms, and his smirk rested in place. "But you can't start complaining now, because this is what you were looking for, did I or did I not hit right in the mark?"

This is it.

"If nothing else, I praise your tenacity. The lengths and risks you took to get this far rewarded you with an audition with the Emperor of Heaven."

The moment of truth.

"Now you will say…" the God of War lifted his sunglasses enough to reveal the dangerous thunderstorm brewing in his lavender eyes, "Alright, let's talk'."

Of all the characters involved in this string of events, Indra's the most troublesome.

The Hero Faction was, after all, subordinates of Indra.

The power behind the throne.

At last, Danhauser stared death in the face, "Alright, let's talk."

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Guest-Questioner: Dunno how much you've been here in DxD Fanfiction, but I come from the era where Akeno was always the main girl of the OC's harem, especially if the OC was the older/younger of Ise with the third Heavenly Dragon or some shit like that. Most of the time Ise kept Asia and Rias as his main girls in these fics. Even tho I don't have the right to say this, they weren't great fics, and yet, I miss those simple times.

Guest: They won't join Dan or Ise. Giving other characters a harem is just making my life harder for me. Cuz, I will have to write their interactions.

Guest: Poe's Law at its finest. Adding more women, when they were never considered harem candidates, to begin with, is just another good way to furtherly butcher this fic. I won't take suggestions either, the harem has been officially confirmed a while ago.

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The next chapter is gonna be a long one, if I see that it reaches 20k words or maybe the 15k words, then I'll cut the chapters in half and turn it into a double update.

Also, quick question. Why does everyone think Kuroka is gonna be the Queen Piece? She got reincarnated by two Bishops lmao.

And to begin with, if it were Kuroka, I'd give her the animal motif of a black panther, suits her more.

Take care, everyone.

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Next Life: Trials and Tribulations