That's right I'm alive! Listen everyone, I am going to be honest, I have been completely and utterly burnt out for the longest time. On top of tons of real life issues that I won't get into here. But I am back, and I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. Hopefully I will be able to put out more chapters soon. Till then, thank you to everyone who has faved and followed me and my stories.
It really means a lot. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.
"How did we end up in this situation?" I ask as confusion racks my brain.
"I told you already if we are going to work together, we must see how strong you are." Xenovia sets her canvas bag down and tosses off her cloak to reveal-
"Uh… Why are you dressed like a stripper?" The blue-haired girl is wearing a black skin-tight leotard with pauldrons, fingerless gloves that go up to her biceps, and thigh-high boots with various straps all over the outfit.
Irina frowns as she removes her cloak. "These are our battle outfits; we don't look like strippers." My old friend's outfit was slightly different, her gloves completely covered her fingers, and she lacked pauldrons and longer sleeves than Xenovia's. "Now, are you ready?"
"Almost," Koneko grunts as she touches her toes; the more petite girl is now wearing her P.E. clothes instead of her uniform.
Standing off to the side along with Rias and Akeno, Asia looks at us with a mixture of confusion and worry. "Are we sure this is okay? Also, why aren't we fighting?"
"It will be fine. As long as we do not say anything to our superiors." Irina answers with a smile.
Rias nods. "She is right as to why we aren't fighting. You are primarily a healer, and Akeno and I are magic users. We will stay in the back during most combat situations, but Magnus, Kiba, and Koneko are on the front lines. Xenovia just wants to make sure they can hold their own. Now, have you finished preparing the barrier, Akeno?" The redhead asks her fellow devil.
"I have the president; we won't have to worry about anyone finding out about this." Akeno smiles helpfully.
"Good. Then begin."
Irina pulled at the ribbon around her left bicep, and in a shimmer of light, it changed into a two-handed katana. "I hope you're ready for this, Magnus."
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." The Boosted Gear appears as I drop into a fighting stance.
Xenovia reaches into a large canvas bag and pulls out an enormous sword. The sword is a two-handed blade with a cross in the pommel, and the guard is in the shape of an axe with a secondary grip. A golden chain connects the guard to the wide blade, which ends in three points. "We'll try to take it easy on you."
"That's our line." Koneko snorts as she walks toward Xenovia.
Kiba didn't say anything. Instead, the ground around him erupted as dozens of swords appeared.
"Is that… Sword Birth?" Xenovia's mouth hangs open in shock; shaking her head, the blue-haired girl grips her sword tightly. "Now I see. You are a survivor of the Holy Sword Project."
The blonde knight pulls one of his swords free and charges toward Xenovia, with Koneko hot on his heels. As the knight and rook duked it out with Xenovia, I focused on Irina as she began to circle around me.
I shake my head and charge toward the holy sword user; Irina swings her weapon toward my arm. "You're going to have to-Hells bells!" The sword's blade suddenly shot out, wrapped around my body, and began to constrict. "Ga… How?"
The chestnut-haired girl grins at my reaction as she walks closer. "My Excalibur is called Mimic. It can transform itself into a variety of objects and do things like this." Struggling against my restraints, I try to break free but to no avail. "Struggle all you like, but it won't work-Ow!" Finally, when Irina was close enough, I slammed my head into hers. As she stumbled back, I felt Mimic's grip on me loosen.
Pulling myself free, I rub my forehead with a pained grunt. "And I thought I was hardheaded…."
Irina recovered quickly and glared in my direction. "You headbutted me?"
"Boost!"
A sudden burst of power courses through my veins. "You were planning on juicing me with that 'sword' of yours. So, we're even." Irina grumbles but doesn't say anything else as she starts to swing Mimic at me. Flipping backward, I narrowly avoided the holy weapon's blade. I hope Kiba and Koneko have an easier time than I am.
(Third Person POV:)
Kiba swung his magical weapon at the church warrior, only to find his blade shattering before his very eyes. "What- "Kiba didn't have time to wonder what happened to his sword as Xenovia pressed the attack. Creating another blade, the blonde tries to block an attack only for his weapon to be destroyed again. "-Now I see…. You possess the Excalibur of Destruction."
"Correct-." Xenovia was going to say more but quickly turned around and sliced through a tree. "-Impressive strength."
"Thanks." Koneko uproots another tree and tosses it. Slicing through the second tree, Xenovia dashes toward Koneko, slamming the blade of Destruction into the ground. Causing a fifteen-foot-wide crater to appear underneath the white-haired girl.
"Oof." The ground on which Xenovia was standing erupted as various swords appeared; the church warrior rolled out of the way and ran toward the devil knight.
As the swordsmen fought, Rias did her best to contain her nervousness. While she had faith in her fellow club members, she believed that Xenovia and Irina would not seriously harm them… Nevertheless, the pure-blooded devil couldn't help but worry. Holy swords were extremely dangerous to devils; just one touch could be fatal.
"Relax, they'll be fine," Akeno says, trying to alleviate her best friend's anxiety.
"I know that, but I still worry."
Asia touches the older girl's shoulder. "If anything happens, I'll heal them right away!"
"Thank you, Asia, you too, Akeno." Rias nods her thanks and turns her attention back to the fight.
Koneko had climbed out of the crater and tried to keep Xenovia off balance by tossing things at her. Whether clumps of dirt, small trees, or even some of Kiba's swords. Kiba kept his distance, using his Sacred Gear to keep her contained. After a couple of hiccups, it seems they have things well in hand, Excalibur can destroy anything it touches, but it's still limited by its user.
Magnus and Irina's fight, however, was more of a stalemate. The Excalibur Mimic's power is incredibly versatile; its power to change form, shape, and size kept Magnus from ever getting close. However, his ability to Boost his overall abilities kept the chestnut-haired girl from landing a solid hit on him.
"Irina, I think it's time we changed tactics!" Xenovia shouts to her partner. "Switch out!"
"Agreed!" Irina had used her sword like a bladed whip, recalled the weapon to its normal state, and ran over to her comrade. Then, changing her holy weapon into a large shield, she blocked the incoming debris thrown by Koneko.
Xenovia dashes toward the devil knight but finds her path blocked by the Red Dragon Emperor. Magnus takes a large breath and breathes a gout of flame toward the sword user.
The flames, however, didn't deter the swordswoman; she swung her blade through the fire and extinguished them. Then, as Xenovia advanced on the bronze-haired boy, he jumped back, held out his left arm, and shouted. "Balance Break!"
"Welsh Dragon: Balance Breaker!"
Red armor encompasses Magnus's body, and for a moment, Xenovia hesitated, spinning around the bronze-haired teen kicks the sword wielder in the stomach. Then, Xenovia lets out a grunt of pain as she crashes into the ground.
"Oof… So, that is the famous armor of the Red Dragon. I've heard stories, but I never thought I would actually see it." Using her sword as a crutch, the warrior slowly stands up and aims the holy weapon at Magnus. "Let's see if the tales of its power are true."
A fiery aura surrounds the Red Dragon Emperor. "Trust me, they are." The two rush at one another, Xenovia swings the Excalibur of Destruction as Magnus's left arm begins to glow.
"Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!"
An explosion of light between the two forces the combatants off their feet. Grunting in pain, the teens shakily up; pieces of Xenovia's uniform were torn up while Magnus's armor was gone. Across the field, the other three combatants stopped their fight to watch what was happening.
"That… was rough…." Magnus pants as smoke curls off his body. "That sword of yours backs more of a wallop than Riser."
Xenovia's eyes widen at that. "You faced the Third son of the House of Phenex in combat and lived?"
"It's a long story." The bronze-haired teen mutters. "Now let's- "Magnus collapses. "-That was… Odd…"
"Magnus, are you alright!?" Asia shouts.
(First Person POV: Magnus)
"I… Think so?" With a grunt of effort, I try to stand again, only to land on my butt.
"I thought that this would be a problem."
"What was that voice?" Irina asks as she runs over.
"That, I believe, is the Red Dragon." Rias calmly states with her arms crossed. "What is the problem?"
"The ritual from the previous night has had more lasting effects than I first realized. It seems to have drained your strength; previously, you could maintain the Balance Breaker for several hours daily. Now? You can barely use it once per day."
"That is… Problematic." Rias bites her bottom lip.
"What is this ritual the Red Dragon mentioned?" Xenovia asks, completely ignoring Ddraig's explanation.
Crap… I don't know if telling a church agent what happened to me is a good idea. If Xenovia and Irina's bosses find out about what happened… It could go bad for the Underworld.
"House business, I'm afraid." Akeno quickly steps in. "It has to do with our dealings with the Red Dragon Emperor; it would be impolite to pry any further."
Xenovia and Irina glare at the older girl but give in after a few seconds. "Very well, we won't pry."
"Thank you. Now despite the lackluster way the fight ended, I trust this demonstration will suffice?" Rias asks with a raised eyebrow.
"It should. Yes. Thank you." Xenovia bows her head. "When should we meet up for our search tonight?"
Rias cups her chin in thought. "Could I convince you to hold off searching for one night? Then, I may be able to gather reinforcements, the Sitri house."
Irina raises an eyebrow. "I don't know if involving more devils would be a good idea- "
"If you can't trust them, Irina, can you trust me?" I asked my friend.
The chestnut-haired girl frowns before nodding. "Okay. I'll trust you."
"Having more allies would be good. Are you sure you can convince the Sitri heiress?" Xenovia gathers her cloak along with Irina's.
"It shouldn't be a problem. Sona may not act like it, but she loves this town like the rest of us." My former master laughs good-naturedly. "Let us meet here tomorrow after school. Does same time work for the both of you?" The church agents nodded in agreement. "Good, let us repair the terrain and remove the barrier. Asia, mind lending me a hand?"
"Oh, of course."
As the magic casters began their work, I could finally stand again. "Hey, Kiba! Could we talk for a moment?"
The only knight of Rias Gremory turns in my direction. "I'm not really in the mood to talk- "
"I get that, but this is kind of important- "
"Miss President- "Kiba calls to his master. "If there is nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"There isn't, but I- "The blonde quickly bows and vanishes from sight; the redhead stares at her shoes with a frown. "Oh, Kiba… I am sorry."
(Third Person POV: Rias)
"… And that's the situation, Sona; I know I am asking a lot, but- "
"Don't worry about its Rias; this town is our home. So, we'll gladly help. However, I do have some concerns."
"As do I. If Kokabiel is involved, we may have to contact them."
"I know." Sona sighs into the phone. "However, until we know more it would be best to hold off. You know how my sister gets."
Despite the situation, Rias couldn't help but smile. "That may be a good idea, but I will at least alert Grayfia."
"Smart. Lady Grayfia won't overreact. So, when should we meet?"
"After school in front of the clubhouse, we can coordinate our plans with the Church agents then."
"Good. We'll see you then."
As the call ends, Rias drops her phone and starts to rub the bridge of her nose. "How do I even begin to explain this situation to Grayfia?"
"Aside from the truth? No idea."
Standing in the doorway to her room is Magnus. "The truth?" Rias smiles at the boy's words. "Easier said than done."
Magnus walks into her room and sits on the bed with a shrug. "Well, if you want to workshop it, I'm here to help."
"I know and thank you." Rias softly touches Magnus's face, which causes him to blush; with a laugh, the redhead leans in and kisses his cheek. "I think, for now, I will just have some tea. Care to join me?"
"Sure." Together they made their way to the kitchen and found Asia sitting at the table doing homework.
"Oh, hello you two." Asia greets with a smile.
"Hey, Asia."
"I was about to make some tea; would you care for some?" Rias asks.
The former nun stands immediately and starts to grab the kettle. "Let me help you."
"I'll get something to snack on." Magnus opens a cupboard and pulls out some cookies and some other goodies. After a few minutes, the three sat at the table, drinking and eating. Enjoying the peace and quiet that they knew by tomorrow it would come to an end.
(First Person POV: Magnus, the following day)
"What do you mean you can't join us for karaoke?" Aika practically shouts.
"Ow, my ears." I stick a finger into my ear with a grunt.
"We're sorry, Aika-san, but we have club activates." Asia looks crestfallen.
"You guys always have club activities," Matsudo grumbles.
Motohama pushes his glasses up with a snort. "What does an Occult Research Club do anyway?"
"Oh, you know, this and that. And that and this." I shrug my shoulders noncommittally, and my fellow human's huff at my half-assed answer. "Maybe we can do it later?"
"It's always later with you, both of you." Aika stares pointedly at Asia and me. "What is really going on? If you're dating, just say so."
"D-D-D-Dating!?" Asia and I turned to beat red, but I recovered faster than the blonde.
"We're not dating. But listen, if we have some time, we'll try to meet up this weekend, okay? Just text me the details."
Aika stares at me with a scrutinizing look before nodding. "Fine. This Saturday."
"Works for me, you?" I ask, shaking the blond-haired girl from her stupor.
"I… Yes. It does." Asia answers quickly. Our human friends found our answers acceptable and waved goodbye as Asia and I made our way to the clubhouse. On the way, I decided to go to karaoke this weekend and told Asia to do the same. After a few minutes, we found ourselves in front of the clubhouse and saw that Sona and her peerage were waiting. Alongside are Koneko and Kiba, but Rias and Akeno are nowhere to be seen.
The high-ranking devil took notice of us first and nodded in greeting. "Argento. Maverick."
"Madam President."
"Sup Sona? Where is the rest of our group?"
Sona gestures to the clubhouse. "Rias and Akeno are in there with the church agents."
"What are they doing in there?" Asia asks.
One of the student council members shrugs. "Something about disguises."
"Disguises?" The door to the clubhouse opens, and my mouth drops in realization. "Oh, disguises." Xenovia and Irina exited the building, with Rias and Akeno following behind them, the church agents were wearing our school's uniform.
"I do not see the point in us wearing this. Our normal clothing should suffice." Xenovia grunts as she pulls at her skirt. "Why is this so short?"
Irina shakes her head. "Do not pull at it so much; luckily, we can move easily in it. Oh, hello, Magnus."
"Hey, you two." I wave at the church agents with a slight smirk.
"Why must I wear these again?" Xenovia grumbles in annoyance.
Rias shakes her head. "I told you before; it helps you blend in." The blue-haired girl grunts in acceptance but she keeps trying to lower the skirt. "Now, since we are all here, let us begin. Sona, would you like to begin?"
"I would, thank you Rias. Now to start this mission is a recon only; if you spot Freed or a fallen angel, then you are to get away-"
Xenovia's eye twitches. "Just recon? Our mission is- "
"-Would you let me finish?" Sona shoots the blue-haired girl with an irritated glare; when Xenovia nods, Sona continues. "Good. As I said, you are to get away and inform the rest of the group. Have your familiars covertly follow them to their hideout." The council president pushes her glasses up as she looks around at the assembled group. "Once we have their location, we will reconvene here, and plan our attack accordingly."
Irina lifts her hand into the air. "Excuse me! I have a question!"
"Yes, Shidou-san?"
"Why would we come back here? Wouldn't it be better to stake out the place ourselves?" Irina asks earnestly.
Sona holds up three fingers. "Three reasons. One, it would look suspicious if we hung around all day, and even if we used an invisibility spell, Freed or one of his allies may be able to sense it. Two, we will need time to prepare and confirm if one of the Grigori leaders is there, and three, if Kokabiel is deeply involved, we will need to call backup."
"That makes sense-Wait by backup, do you mean- "
Sona just nods. "Yes them."
"Who are they talking about?" Asia whispers in confusion.
I shrug. "Possibly Rias's big brother and Grayfia."
Sona clears her throat. "Since there are sixteen of us, we'll split into four groups of four- "
"Why did I get stuck with you!?"
I grunt in annoyance; he has been whining for hours. "Really, Saji, I am not that bad. Also, keep it down; we are just normal high school students, remember?"
"I know that, but why did I get stuck with you, of all people?"
Koneko rolls her eyes. "Get over it already."
"Your president decided our skills complimented one another," Kiba says tersely. "Now, eyes front."
Saji bows his head in defeat. "I know, but- "
"Stop complaining." Koneko jabs her elbow into the blonde's stomach.
"Oof."
As Saji rubs his stomach in complaint, my eyes go to the other blonde in our group. Walking alongside the knight, I lean closely and whisper harshly. "Kiba, I know this mission is serious, but you may want to chill out." I can't believe I'm the one saying this! "If looks could kill, everyone in the park would be dead." Then, as if to prove my point, a couple was walking by, but the moment Kiba looked at them, they went pale and ran as fast as they could.
"I'm fine, Magnus."
"Uh, no, you're not- "
"I am!" Kiba glares at me before walking faster.
Koneko quietly jogs past me with a worried look. "I'll talk to him." She says before talking to her fellow devil.
"I'm worried," I mutter with my hands behind my head.
"I am, too," Saji said, doing his best not to shudder. "Holy swords… Church agents… The Grigori."
"Not what I was talking about."
The devil pawn raises an eyebrow. "What are you worried about then?"
I jut my chin out to the two in front of us. "Kiba, he's been… Different, and now with all that's going on, it's gotten worse."
"Maybe's he worried about this too?" Saji suggests.
"No, it is not that… He is angry. Like murderously so."
Saji shrugs unhelpfully. "I don't know Yuuto-san that well; maybe it has something to do with his past?"
"Maybe." Hopefully, Koneko will have some luck talking to Kiba.
(Third Person POV:)
The two peerage members silently walked as Magnus and Saji chatted amongst themselves. Finally, Kiba broke the silence with a huff. "I'll apologize to Magnus later."
Koneko just shrugs. "I'm not your mother, do what you want."
The taller boy suddenly found his shoes to be interesting. "Koneko, you know what this means for me. Why… Why I am- "The small girl touches the knight's arm in a familial way.
"You should tell Magnus what happened. It's the only way he'll understand." Koneko removes her hand.
"I- "Before he could say anything, the smaller girl stopped suddenly and held up her hand. "What is it?"
Sniffing the air, Koneko bristles as she looks around fervently. "He's nearby, but I can't see him."
"Magnus, Saji-san, stay alert," Kiba whispers harshly. "Koneko found him." The pawn and former pawn both start to scan the trees for any sign of the mad priest.
"What is with psycho murderers hiding out in parks," Magnus mutters. "First Raynare, now Freed, what's next?"
"Focus." Kiba snaps his fingers, twitching in anticipation of a coming fight.
Saji shakes as he looks around. "Uh… I thought he would not attack if we were in public."
"Haven't you noticed?" Koneko says as she forms a fist.
"Noticed what?"
A dark sword suddenly appears in Kiba's hand. "We're all alone."
As if summoned by those words, a figure descended from above us. "Surprise!" Rolling out of the way, the four hunters jump to their feet, ready to face the former exorcist. Seeing that his 'surprise' attack did not hit anyone, Freed huffs in disappointment. "Aww… I was hoping to kill at least one of you!"
"You know… Yelling surprise defeats the whole point of a sneak attack." Magnus mutters as the Boosted Gear appears around his arm.
(First Person POV, Magnus:)
"I'll try to remember for next time," Freed mutters darkly.
"There won't be a next time for you!" Kiba swings his sword, only for Freed to block it with a smile.
"Hey! Good to see you again!" Reaching inside of his jacket, Freed pulls out a gun and pulls the trigger; jumping back, Kiba summons a wide blade from the ground to block the bullet.
"Balance Breaker." As the armor incases my body, I rocket toward Freed and slam my foot in his stomach. "Boost! Boost! Boost!" As my opponent flies into a tree, I turn back to Koneko and Saji. "Call the others; we'll keep him busy until you're ready." Without waiting for confirmation from the others, I rush toward the silver-haired man to find Kiba blocking my path.
"He's mine!" With two swords now in his hands, Kiba swings down on Freed.
Blocking once again, Freed grins manically as he pushes back against Kiba. "Aw, you want some one-on-one time with me b- "Three massive swords erupt from the earth, nearly impaling Freed if he had not jumped at the last minute. Landing on a nearby tree branch, the madman breathes a sigh of relief. "I almost became an exorcist kebab."
"Okay, what? How is he so fast?"
Freed, hearing the question, starts laughing. "The sword I possess is called the Excalibur Rapidly, or the Heavenly Flash. I prefer to call it The Super-Fast Sword!" Then, lunging toward me with a scream, Freed looked like a blender of death and Destruction.
"Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!" Raising my defenses, I guard my face as the holy weapon strikes my armor in several places, destroying it.
"Absorption Line!" A blue line flies out and wraps itself around Freed's body ending his assault. "Sorry about that," Saji said with a grin. "Took longer than I thought to get through to the others."
"No worries," I reply, dismissing my armor, extremely grateful that Saji. "Is that a Sacred Gear?" I ask as the devil pawn walks into view; on Saji's left arm is a black bracer in the form of a black chameleon lizard with violet gems for eyes and gold markings. From the mouth, a long blue line acts as the tongue, which is currently wrapped around the ex-priest struggling to get out.
"I'm not into bondage!"
The blonde smiles at the bracer. "Absorption Line. It's not as flashy as yours or Yuuto-san's, but it gets the job done. You better hold still; this thing will absorb your energy if it's connected to you."
"So, you can do more than whine," Koneko smirks as she walks up.
"Hey!"
I roll my eyes. "I think that is her way of saying a good job, so did you get ahold of the others?"
"They'll be here shortly," Koneko informs us. "They're having some trouble teleporting in."
That is weird, the last time that happened-
"Good, then let's finish this now." Kiba walks into view with a venomous look.
"Whoa, hey we can't just kill him," I say, stepping in between my friend and the madman, Kiba opens his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. "The others will want to question him first; can you hold off till then?"
The knight snorts but nods. "Fine."
I sigh in relief. "Thank you."
"So, what are you going to do to me? Torture me for information? How are you going to do it? I've always been partial to using a knife; it's always much more fun. Plus, you can get really personal-Oof!" Freed instantly shut up as Koneko slammed her fist into his stomach.
"Quiet."
"Finally, someone you can shut you up, Freed."
"Who said that!?" The three of us looked around for the voice while Kiba froze.
"Gr… Is that you, old man?" The ex-priest asks with hope.
Stepping out from the shadows of the trees is an elderly man dressed in a priest's cassock. The man looked to be from anywhere in his late fifties to early sixties, with a thin mustache and glasses. "Indeed, it is Freed. Good evening young devils, I am- "
"Valper Galilei." Kiba spits out.
Blinking owlishly at the blond-haired person, Valper nods before a smile appears. "My, my, I did not expect to see you again Isaiah, especially not in a place like this. You've grown up, and by the looks of it, you have better control of your Sacred Gear. What a pleasant surprise."
Wait, Isaiah?
"I'm going to kill you." Kiba rushes Valper.
"Freed, stop playing and free yourself already."
The Excalibur Rapidly begins to glow as the absorption line snaps in half, Freed intercepts Kiba with ease. "Sorry, kiddo, but I cannot let you kill the old guy. The boss needs him, but maybe we can play again later!" Pushing the younger swordsman back, Freed wraps an arm around Valper and pulls out a both vanish in a flash.
"No!" Kiba angrily shouts as he chases after them.
"Kiba, wait!" Koneko tried to follow, but it was too late; they were gone.
"-and that's what happened," I explained to Rias. It has been an hour since our confrontation with Freed, and since then, the entire group, minus Xenovia, Irina and Kiba, has come to our location. After combing the area for any sign of the wayward knight, and our targets, most of the group teleported themselves home to rest up. The remaining ones were Saji, Koneko, Rias, Sona, and me.
The crimson-haired girl sighs. "I see. Thank you, Magnus, and I am sorry we could not get here sooner. But, unfortunately, a barrier had been set up, preventing us from teleporting in. Valper must have set it up just before Freed confronted you."
"I kind of thought that was the case," I grumble angrily.
Koneko bows her head with a despondent look. "I'm sorry; I tried to stop Kiba from leaving."
Rias lays her hand on the younger girl's shoulders, a sisterly smile on her face. "You did what you could, and I am proud of you. Both of you." The smile she flashed me was far from sisterly, making me blush. As we talked, Saji gave his report to Sona, who looked mildly annoyed.
"So, the Excalibur cut through your line?"
"Yes, president! I'm sorry!" Saji bows deeply.
Sona dismisses the apology with a wave. "It was an unforeseen possibility; we did not know what would happen. But you did what you could, and I am satisfied."
"President!" The blonde boy's eyes fill with stars at the… Praise?
Sona smiles at Saji's reaction before schooling her features and turning her attention to Rias. "We should regroup with the others and try to track Freed and Valper."
"The most likely went to ground." Akeno points out. "I doubt we will find them now."
Frowning at that, Rias cups her chin in thought. "That is the most likely outcome… Has anyone heard from Xenovia or Irina?" Everyone shook their heads at that. "I'm quite concerned about that."
Sona clinches her jaw. "Perhaps, for the time being, we should send our familiars out as the rest of us return home for some rest?"
"I agree." Despite agreeing, the redhead looked upset about leaving. "If you find something out, however-"
"You'll be the first to know, same goes for you, yes?"
"Of course."
With that said our two groups went their separate ways.
"Are you sure it's a good idea for everyone to stay at my place again?"
"It's better than being separated."
Akeno loops her arm through mine and pulls me close. "What's the matter, Magnus? Don't you want to be close to us?"
Blushing brightly, I tried to answer but found nothing came out. Luckily, I didn't have to say a word as we reached my place. Saved by the bell. "Oh, would you look at that, home already-" I stop mid-sentence as I stare at the door… It's open. "Look alive everyone."
Akeno pulls away from me as lightning starts to crackle between her fingers. "A burglar?"
"Doesn't matter." Koneko cracks her knuckles. "They came to the wrong house."
"Take it easy. We don't know what we're dealing with." Rias says. "Magnus, take point; Akeno follows behind him; Koneko, you next. Asia, you'll be next to me."
We all nodded and made our way into the house; as I looked around, a feeling of dread crept into my stomach. Has Freed found my place? Is he waiting in here for us? As I look around, the feeling of dread vanishes as one of unease replaces it. Inside the entryway is a pair of suitcases… "Oh no… Oh no."
"What's with the luggage?" Koneko whispers.
"My parents are here."
"Your parents!?"
"Magnus is that you?"
