Armored Hero: Hagane

by Mikatsuki Augus

By now you know how it goes right? You die, reincarnate and somehow turn into some kind of op character in a differnt world, much like in any other Isekai, excepet it wasn't the same for me! I was literally born without powers in a world where everyone (almost) has them, even the most useless! Well, I had to merge brain to find an alternative path and become a Hero.

6. The saint: Asia Argento

If she had to be really honest with herself, Rias really didn't know what to think about the situation she got herself into. Nothing about her plan to recruit Raiden had gone as planned. She had been rejected the first time and admonished by the principal; then she had ridiculed herself while putting on airs with an enemy not even worth remembering; and to top it off she had somehow managed to take the worst possible night to try to seduce him, throwing away her pride because she had been too accommodating with her time when it was at her throat. What's worse, she knew it was all her fault and she was pulling in someone who had nothing to do with her problems, but who nevertheless offered to help her anyway, after inadvertently confessing that she had drugged him because she was sure she would not persuade him to have a relationship with her, since she knew there was a lot left unsaid.

She allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief, remembering that Raiden is a very good engineer for super humans anyway, so his skills would still come in handy. The time for that sigh, and everything went to hell. Raiden drank the concoction he had put on the table to escape the arranged marriage.

So when now the boy she wanted to take her virginity approached to do exactly what she had wanted all along, she was actually nervous and definitely unsure of what to do. The hunger in his eyes made her shudder, shamefully, at the anticipation. She had never done this with a guy before, and she was very curious - plus, he's quite cute. He looks like some kind of Japanese prince, definitely her type...but she couldn't do that to him now, not after he offered to help her in spite of everything. She should have tried to calm him down, and hope that the aphrodisiacs she used have less effect than the package she bought said.

"R-Raiden calm-mphh?!" unceremoniously, before she could give or say anything, he grabbed her by the arm to activate her toward him and smacked his lips against hers.

She had somewhat underestimated the effects of aphrodisiacs evidently.

Her shock only increased when she felt his hand snake around her waist and then grab her ass and squeeze her to him, forcing her to tiptoe up because of the height difference as he continued to squeeze her right buttock. She felt his tongue quickly enter her mouth and twist around hers, eliciting a moan. It was rough and passionate, the way she likes it when she is nervous and has an incredibly sweet aftertaste.

She has lost control though. And she hates not having control in her territory, no matter how stupid the argument. It's a matter of pride.

Casting rationality aside for a few moments, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She clung to Raiden's shoulders for support to keep herself well balanced, determined to show who was in charge. She moved her tongue in rhythm in order to overpower him, but much to her shock, she could not stop him from invading her mouth. Their tongues continued to dance in a struggle of control, which she was losing, however, because the partner in that dance was pleasantly cheating.

As they kissed, he forced her back until she reached the desk. She was feeling something hard rubbing against her lacy panties, just above her slit, causing her to let out a stifled moan. Raiden did not stop his assault, however, as he moved just enough to move his free hand down to her cleavage. He grabbed the fabric and pulled it down, popping several buttons off her blouse and the front hook of her bra, freeing her breasts that moments earlier were pressed against the human's chest, resulting with a bounce from the force of the action. She grabbed her right breast by squeezing.

Rias shuddered as rough fingers from all the hours spent working in the lab or training sank into her sensitive flesh, kneading and trying to hold the full size of the soft sphere in his hand, even though it was impossible because of how big they were.

Groaning and not wanting to be outdone, the redhead brings her hands down from her shoulders to the hero's chest in training, stroking his pecs under his shirt, surprised at how hard and well-structured they were.

"Pfuaah" Rias breaks the kiss for air, leaving only a streak of saliva to connect their tongues. She looks stunned at Raiden's lust-filled eyes, and is undecided what to do. Honestly, she is incredibly aroused as well, but she can see that her partner was not lucid because of what she did, and she is finding her first experience with a boy less sweet than she initially thought despite her body saying otherwise. Is the candle concoction affecting her as well? "I don't think we should-mmh!"

She bites her lip when the hand that had been caressing her ass suddenly pulls up her lacy panties, rubbing harder against her vagina along with the noticeable bulge that looked like it was about to rip Raiden's black pants. Not that it was limited to that.

"MHNn!?" she let out a much louder moan when Raiden gave her a hickey on the left side of her neck as he pinched her nipple, twisting and pulling on it. She could feel her lower legions getting wetter, soaking her already wet panties and Raiden's pants.

She should have pushed him away. She really should have, as he nibbled the most sensitive spot on her neck, making her tremble. Yet part of her couldn't. She didn't want to. The temptation was incredibly enticing now.

Knowing Riser, even if she broke the contract like this he would still try to wed her to spite her and get his hands on the girls in revenge, however she was not sure she would get out of it by fighting him. There was still a chance that the contract would not be renewed. Perhaps her brother could have opposed their father's decision at that point. Would training now really have made a difference with the incredible disadvantage they had?

Rias's thoughts have been diverted to a topic other than self-pity when, perhaps because he is annoyed by her inactivity, Raiden brings her to her knees. Before she could say anything, he unzips his pants, causing her to gasp.

"M-but what-" the redhead looks shocked at her companion's manhood, not expecting its size. It is almost as thick as her wrist and slightly more or less twenty-five inches long "H-how does it fit in your pants?!"

She had used toys this size with Akeno before, but seeing this and a dildo was very different. Hesitantly she reached out to touch his dick, curious. The shaft of flesh was incredibly hot, and she could feel the veins on it could not close her hand around its width, even if only by a couple of inches.

"Suck it" orders Raiden, pushing his erection against her cheek, impatient and definitely with no room of argument.

"Y-you really are an impatient boy, aren't you?" she asks amusedly, trying to keep up the facade to hide her performance anxiety. Perhaps it was too late to turn back.

She begins to move her hand along its length, while with some hesitation she begins to lick the tip, but she is not limited to that area. She licks his erection from mid-length from multiple angles until she reaches the top again. She moves her tongue making circular motions a few times before wrapping her lips around it. She pushes her head up and down, trying to take in more inches in her mouth after each administration, continuing to roll her tongue around the penis, even though it was a bit given the size.

Raiden breathed a little heavily when the redhead started to blow him, but it was not enough. The almost painful pressure that seemed to burst from his cock, the dizzy feeling f arousal, and the almost overwhelming desire to take Rias were clouding his judgment, making him want more.

Without a hint of tact, he grabs Rias's head and pushes her against his pelvis, forcing her to take more of his manhood without concern for his partner.

"Gmnnn-!?" Rias' eyes widen as his cock invades her mouth and stretches it to its fullest, making her eyes water as it hits the deepest parts of her throat.

Unable to breathe, the redhead tried to pull her head back, failing easily, surprisingly. Her partner was stronger than he looked, but it was not a 'problem' since he followed the movement...only to push her back against him, sliding his penis back into her throat. He continued to use her mouth as an onahole for a little over a quarter of an hour before she felt Raiden's penis twitch a few times earlier during the thrusts. It was the only signal he gave before he thrust forward one last time, trying to go deeper before he came.

Rias gasps when she feels thick ropes of semen flood her throat, and she is forced to swallow to keep from choking. Her cheeks swell when she cannot drink it quickly, and it begins to spill from her lips, falling onto her breasts.

The engineer grunts as he retreats, visibly satisfied with the result but still very excited, causing her to cough.

"*coff* Did you have to*coff*b *coff* so roughly?" she asks as she spits out what she couldn't swallow, wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her jacket.

*Tok Tok*

"Rias, are you here?"

Akeno's voice makes her freeze, not expecting her arrival after she told her friend she could go home and take the night off.

So why was she here!

She saw Raiden's eye twitch from yet another unexpected situation, alarming the redhead because she had no idea what reaction the boy might have in that state.

"Y-your house is free?" whispers Rias at last, as moving was the only solution to avoid getting caught at that point.

"Yeah, let's go."

His room is soundproof, so Mai would not hear them.

The inheritor quickly clings to her victim, then a red circle flashes on the floor before everything turned bright for a few moments.

---

I felt my head spin and a sudden attack of nausea as my feet touched the ground after finding myself in the void for a few moments. My foggy mind cleared a little because of the discomfort caused by teleportation. Or maybe it was because the drugs Rias used were no longer there? I don't know, but I can still feel my cock throbbing painfully as the redhead in question leaves me, breathing a sigh of relief.

I -with immense pleasure- observed the state of the redhead as she stood up. My eyes, unfortunately-for luck-never left her figure as she stood up, especially her breasts, with anticipation.

I know I shouldn't -but I want her. I didn't particularly fancy the idea of starting a relationship while I wasn't in me, especially not with her in her current state of all people-but since Rias caused this problem, she will be the one to fix it. Besides, fucking Rias now would have brought me several unwanted attentions-but fuck if it won't be worth it.

"That was close..." she grumbles, letting out a sigh of relief.

I want her.

Before I could further question my situation or common sense, I draw closer toward the redhead, who was looking around curiously.

My room wasn't really who knows what. I used to come here only to sleep, since I spent all my time locked in the lab or training in the dojo, so there was really nothing to furnish it other than my two-and-a-half bed, clothing furniture, two desks, computer, TV, and air conditioner. It was rather empty and anonymous. The only reason it stands out from the rest of the house is because it is very modern rather than traditional, has soundproof walls, and is armored.

"Kya?" shedding my shirt, I pushed Rias onto the bed, who lets out a surprised squeak and looks at me a little nervous.

I watched the image with no small amount of anticipation. The crimson hair strewn across the bed almost too neatly to be normal, her slightly labored breathing, her red cheeks, her eyes that seem to glow in the dark, the way she clutches her blouse to her chest so as not to expose her breasts.

I want every inch of her. Now.

Smiling like a predator, I grabbed Rias's hand and lifted it, causing her to let go of the shirt with almost no resistance. I watched with no small amount of satisfaction as her breasts free themselves from the restraints again and as gravity does its effect as they bounce slightly, towering like mountains on the redhead's chest.

I kiss her, aggressively, entering her mouth as if I were the master of the house, immediately attacking her tongue. I see the insecurity make way for a degree of annoyance and respond in kind, as I twist my tongue around hers. I grab one of her breasts, squeezing and kneading it, eliciting a gasp in return. She wraps her long legs around me, trying to rub herself against my erection still wet from the residue of saliva and cum, making me breathe a little heavier while with my free hand I grasp her ass, incredibly soft and shapely, like the rest of her body. My fingers sink into her flesh smoothly, deforming her.

I break away to get some air and watch the redhead exhale heavily for the same reason. As I pull back slightly, she lets go, allowing me to get up to throw off the remaining clothes I had on. She watches me, still supine on the bed, not hiding in the slightest the fact that she was definitely enjoying the show despite at first wanting to stop me.

I climb onto the bed, on top of her and grab her breasts, wrapping them around my shaft, making Rias let out a moan that increased my arousal. Her breasts are the softest, most supple thing I have ever touched (born naturally and out of the lab, but still there was no comparison to the feeling). I've been with others before, but hers definitely give the best sensations to the touch, and it is incredibly satisfying to grope, squeeze and squirm them. I continued to ramm my penis between her tits smoothly since it was already wet, sliding easily through the soft mounds, tapping the tip against the redhead's lips, who decided to join in the fun more actively. She leaned forward just enough to start licking the tip of my cock, at least initially, swirling her tongue around what her breasts did not cover, before pushing her head further forward and starting to suck it, making me grunt.

Her mouth is incredibly welcoming, warm and wet.

I was still sensitive after coming in her mouth the first time, and the aphrodisiac was only increasing the pleasure I felt, so it wasn't long before with one last thrust I buried my cock between her tits and came again. After a few moments, having let out a satisfied sigh, even though I was far from finished, I pulled back to see what I had done with no small amount of satisfaction. Leaving Rias' cleavage, I observe with some degree the almost unnatural load of cum between her breasts. A few squirts had also landed on her chin and face.

Rias opens one eye to check the result, breathing heavily, causing my penis to contract again.

"Y-you still hard?!" She asks surprised, expecting that I had softened at least a little.

"Pff, I'm just getting started" I snort at the idea of lasting so short.

I moved to get some tissues with which she wiped herself, but she did first using water magic to wash away the semen and then disintegrating it with a small power ball of destruction.

However, there was one thing that bothered me: she still had no orgasm.

I don't know if it's a matter of pride or just a whim because of my high moment, but I need to see her squirm as she begs for an orgasm.

I reached back to her and pulled her to me, making her sit on my right leg as I kissed her again. After an initial moment of surprise, Rias reciprocated and moaned when I grabbed her right breast and pinched her nipple, pulling and twisting it between my fingers. Her tongue had begun to move in a schiatto fashion, so probably because she was approaching her climax after all. I ran my hand over her pale, flawless skin, sliding it under her completely soaked panties.

The redhead's eyes widen when my fingers graze her clit, and she breaks the kiss, grabbing my wrist, trying to pull it away much to my discomfort.

"W-wait, Grayfia-!"

"Have you ever masturbated?" I interrupt her annoyed by yet another setback. She looks at me wordlessly at the blunt question, but does not immediately answer "So?"

"Y-yes..." she replies stunned.

"Then it's okay as long as there is no penetration. I'll use your ass later."

"UMMM?!" without giving her time to reply, I kiss her again, and simultaneously plunge two fingers into her wet pussy.

She is tight, very wet, very hot and incredibly soft. I feel her spasming as I move my fingers inside her. Spreading her walls, pressing in places, making sure I don't get too close to her hymen to avoid being interrupted, and I feel her tighten more around my fingers as I stop.

"Do you want to come?" I whisper in her ear, slowing my hand movements, almost stopping them, causing her to let out a frustrated groan.

"Y-yes" she gasps, tightening her legs around my hand, breathing heavily.

"What exactly do you want me to do to you?" I ask amused, seeing how she was rubbing herself against my practically still hand.

"R-Raiden, stop playing-mmh!?" she tries to scold me, before letting out a surprised groan when I pulled my fingers out of her pussy.

"That's not the answer Rias" I whisper in her ear, making her cringe when I call her name "If you're not a good girl you won't get what you want, you know that, don't you?" I ask, still absentmindedly caressing her breasts as she bites her lips.

"I-I..."

I don't know if she did it to get a reaction from me, or just because she really had to come, but when she reached out to masturbate, I let go of her boob and grabbed both of her wrists locking them behind her back with one hand, leaving her on her stomach, confused and frustrated.

"Rias, you're a nice person considering you're a devil, but you're really spoiled" I say, pretending to be disappointed "Didn't I tell you that only good girls get what they ask for?"

*Slap*

"YAH?!" the redhead squeaks as I spank her, hard, leaving a red imprint on the perfectly smooth and pristine right buttock.

I felt my erection twitch as I saw how her plump ass deformed upon contact with my hand and then returned to normal, but I said nothing about it.

"So?" I ask again. I watch impassively as the redhead looks at me almost imploringly, evidently not wanting to participate in this little game.

"I-I want...I-AAH!?" I spank her again, causing her to let out another moan.

"I want, I want, I want...don't you know how to properly ask for something, Ojou-sama?" I ask amused, as the redhead looks at me breathing heavily.

I watched her try to wiggle in my grip, impassive, as she gave up almost too quickly to free herself.

"P...please...make me come...I want..." she tries to bury her mortified face in the mattress, much to my amusement.

Deciding to stop teasing her, partly because I honestly don't know which one of us wants this more, I move a little and pull up the redhead's too-short skirt, and move her lacy panties to the side, exposing her fractious pussy and anus. I grab a buttock and spread her anus with my thumb, making the redhead gasp as the tip of my penis and push in.

"MMMH-"

Rias groans loudly, and I grit my teeth. Despite the fact that she was so tight it seemed like I shouldn't be able to get in, I actually slide in with surprising ease. Her ass is tight and hot. Tighter than any girl I have ever been with. It is amazing that I was able to plunge my entire length inside her.

I am distracted from my thoughts when I feel something wet splash against my legs and on the mattress. She came for the first time tonight.

Deciding not to waste any time, I release Rias's wrists and grab her by the hips, before starting to thrust with quick, strong movements. The redhead continues to moan loudly, and her almost melodic voice only increases my desire to thrust with fervor. Rias's perfect ass deforms with each thrust as to make more force when I thrust, I pull her toward me. She arches her back, raising her ass upward a bit and continues to moan as she bites the bed covers. It wasn't long before I felt her ass contract, making it difficult to get in and out at the same pace, but I kept pushing, until she buried her face as much as she could in the covers and let out a stifled scream.

The walls of her ass seemed to squeeze my cock and the feeling of having to ejaculate grew stronger, but Rias seemed to want to take it as a challenge, so coming now would give her the upper hand. I pushed in as far as I could as she came, but managed to suppress the feeling of having to do it myself until moments later when the redhead loosened her grip.

She emits a disappointed whimper as I get off her, once she was relaxed enough for me to do it without too much trouble, and I turn her over. I stare rather smugly at a sweaty, uncovered Rias lying on her back on my bed. It was quite satisfying to see the daze from the sex, the labored breathing, and the somewhat lost look, along with whatever hentai someone might have wanted to say about the pitiful state the heir was currently in.

But I wanted more.

The feeling had subsided somewhat, but my body was definitely heated and my erection just didn't seem to want to soften.

So I grabbed one of Rias's meaty thighs and put one of her legs over my shoulder, ready to go again. Rias seemed to want to say something, but that something turned into a scream as I began to fuck her fervently again.

---

The light filtering through the window beats against my eyelids, making me groan in irritation. My head throbs. I emit an annoyed snort as I force myself to open my eyes. It is not dawn. I glanced at the alarm clock on the desk that read 6:49 a.m. I've been waking up at 5 a.m. for almost 13 years; I haven't used an alarm clock in years, but I left it there because it was a gift from baa-chan even though I didn't need it after a few months. My biological clock is used to having a certain rhythm, and so I always wake up at five o'clock every morning, no matter what day it is, unless something has happened to prevent me from doing so. My head throbs again, making me wince. I have slept almost two hours longer than expected and have an excruciating headache. Did I drink until I passed out as soon as I got home?

No, the smell in the room is not the smell of alcohol. I realize that something warm and soft is resting against my left side, and I look down to see Rias, naked as the day she was born, sleeping snuggled against me without a care in the world, and slowly the pieces have begun to fall back into place.

Yesterday she drugged me and I fucked her into unconsciousness, and I still used her like a blow-up doll for a couple more rounds before I got dumped enough to sleep soundly.

My eye begins to twitch at the memory of how I suspected nothing until the end. If I had been completely lucid at that moment, I would have left earlier and resumed the conversation the next day, with a fresh mind and especially not on drugs. But it had been a stressful evening and I wasn't thinking straight before I even got to UA, which led me to make a number of questionable choices that would surely come back to bite me in the following days. There were several things I should have cleared up with Azazel before agreeing to help him, although I know I would have taken Asia with me anyway; I should have anticipated that Rias would try to seduce me when I realized she was alone at the ORC and I should have prepared accordingly, although logically I could not expect him to put in different kinds of unknown aphrodisiacs, with dosages that would probably kill a herd of elephants to make sure I did what he planned, even if not as he imagined. Fuck, if I had doubted Rias more, even in my numbed state, I could have asked Prophet to check my vitals, or I could have checked myself how my body was reacting to external agents rather than labeling it as something to 'check later,' precisely because I know my body better than anyone else. But of course I had picked the wrong day to give someone the benefit of the doubt, again...

I stared at the ceiling as I basked bitterly in the bed, rather...shaken, by how I suddenly lost control of my body. It was not the first time this had happened, but it never happened like this. I've had outbursts violent enough to send people to the hospital nearly dead, or panic attacks so severe that I couldn't calm down and needed outside help; but losing control over drugs? This is new and definitely...wrong feeling that I'm not used to honestly made me uncomfortable.

A part of me trembles at the thought that if I had kept my wits about me a few moments longer to ask Prophet for help in getting me home, I would surely have attracted Mai's attention by returning with the Astrey...

I should have been definitely very pissed off at Rias, maybe even freaking out considering the problems that are now sure to come, but considering how lazy I was feeling right now, the excitement I was feeling from whatever concoction he had made me drink had not yet been completely dampened, but was definitely dampened, influenced even by mild dehydration.

So in addition to being relatively unconcerned about the whole situation, I was only slightly annoyed that I could not slow down the blood flow to my groin. It wasn't the first time I had woken up with a morning erection, but usually I could control my body almost as much as I wanted to, for the most part, and simply hurry things along to lower it.

Rias moves, drawing my attention and squints as the light begins to bother her, too. She lies on her back as she opens her eyes, stunned and wincing.

"Ow..." she murmurs softly, as she settles back on her side. She notices that I'm looking at her with a frown, and she at least has the decency to look embarrassed "Um...good morning?"

"I wish I could say the same, but after yesterday today is definitely not a good day" I reply flatly, making her wince.

"I...I'm sorry" she says guiltily, looking away "I acted rashly because my family is pushing for marriage, but...I shouldn't have pulled my problems into you like that."

I looked at her, in silence, contemplating what to do. I didn't really feel anger toward her, although I don't know if it's because I'm not really pissed off at her or because the drug she used yesterday is still in her system, but now I know I can't trust Rias Gremory. In her recklessness, she had already demonstrated the lengths to which she was willing to go when a possible ally did not cooperate as she imagined, and there was nothing to stop her from trying again. Maybe it was my paranoia talking, but if there is even the smallest chance of a repeat, it is best to keep her at arm's length until she becomes responsible enough not to screw up like this.

"Take a shower, get dressed, get out of my house, and don't you dare show your face here again" my indifferent words make her gasp, and she jerks up to sit down.

"B-but Raiser-"

"I don't care" I interrupt her before she could give any more justification "I told you I would help you with him and I will. But after that? You might as well forget I exist, because you won't get a single minute of time from me again, even if it's to save your life."

My words sound like a stab at her, but I don't care, nor do I give her another look. The fact that I didn't feel the least bitter about what she did only worsens my growing distrust of the redhead, which will be felt as soon as the effects of the aphrodisiac wear off. I got up without speaking to her again to retrieve the discarded clothes to put in the laundry and a set of clean clothes to wear after the shower.

"I'm really sorry..."

I ignored the heir's whisper and walked out of my room. I still have to make breakfast for Mai and me before picking up Asia.

---

Sakurajima Mai had no doubt that the past 24 hours had been among the most stressful she had ever experienced in her life, even more so than her first audition or first time on a photo shoot. Although she had spent the morning before shopping for her much-needed meeting with her brother, confident that everything would go well, the afternoon instead was almost a nervous wreck ravaged by doubts and unanswered questions.

Would he have recognized her? How would she have looked to him? How would he have looked? Would he have been as happy as she was at the chance to see her after all these years? Was he angry with her because of their mother? Was he only coming here because their grandfather would have forced him?

Honestly, after the first four appointments with her grandfather after she asked to see him at which he was absent, however, she was scared. Despite his grandfather's reassurances that he was just busy with the final stages of an important project he has been working tirelessly on for more than 5 years. Although she wanted to believe that he, too, was eager to meet her without anyone to disturb them for once, part of her was always afraid that Grandpa was only saying this so he wouldn't tell him that Raiden hated her because she had a quirk. That he blamed her for all the problems he had been having ever since that damn pediatrician visit all those years ago.

That fear became terror when his gaze met hers that night at the Park Hyatt. It was probably the most tense four seconds of her life. The very idea of his rejection scared her so much that her mind almost blacked out.

"Yo"

The lazy greeting and the nod, which did not really show much emotion bring back some of her mental faculties.

"Ara, you finally decided to show up."

She wanted to bury himself in a hole and never come out. What the hell was she thinking! Why did she have to make such a comment during her very first interaction with him!

Fortunately, much to her embarrassment, her brother was incredibly self-conscious about normal social interactions unrelated to quirks, and after being yelled at by her grandfather for the barbs they were throwing at each other trying to attack conversation, things had calmed down almost too quickly to put her at ease. She screwed up the second time when she mentioned her status as quirkless, albeit out of sheer concern at the idea that she was participating in a dangerous course like the heroes at UA, of all places, and almost burned down the bridge she was trying to build to reconnect with her twin before she could even get close to him.

The situation went completely to hell when her, uh, father came in with Hank Pym. Really, she hates the man. He may have recognized her father as a loyal ally (or lapdog, depending on how you look at it) in his mission or whatever, but she really despises that person with all of herself. His presence had ruined the relationship she and Nodoka had with their father, and it had completely destroyed any hint of normalcy Raiden might have had when Gorou left for America, causing a ton of trouble for the younger twin.

The knots in her stomach got tighter and tighter when her brother actually needed medication and therapy since Hank Pym had ruined their lives, in addition to the fact that his grandfather never told him how sick Raiden really was during his childhood...or how he was really discriminated against wherever he went. A former classmate of his had committed suicide for not having a quirk after almost two years of constant bullying, and just the thought that it could happen to her brother as well...

The walk home was rather awkward though, after with little or no effort her brother had pointed out to him how many unnecessary problems he was making while thinking about his career, especially after he slapped him.

What was he thinking about? Of course he would know what he was talking about. He has lived for years having to remind everyone that he is a human being and as such he also had rights, which anyone seemed to forget when it came up that he is without a quirk, that he knew and could do his job better than anyone else, so his words really had merit. He would have liked to apologize to him, but halfway home he apologized by saying that a client called him about problems with his quirk and ran off. He didn't really question it, since his grandfather, among the many things she told him about him when he visited her, told him that in addition to making support equipment for pro heroes of all kinds he regularly worked with Best jeanists in his clinics and reformatories, so if he was called late at night it must have been something serious.

She was worried, but decided to keep her complaints and apologies for when he came home. She knew she would not be able to sleep if she did not apologize to him. The guilt would not let her sleep a wink.

So she was back home, greeted by the Prophet AI, her brother's faithful right-hand man for almost 10 years now, which shocked her a bit (because let's face it, who wouldn't have a heart attack when an inorganic voice suddenly speaks to you, welcoming you? She had seen Alexa or Siri before, but this one was completely different), but she quickly passed over it to go around the house. It had been too long since she had been at her grandfather's house.

Her bitch mother in order not to let her meet Raiden had filed for a restraining order, so for when she wanted to reconcile with him, she could not meet him without getting him in trouble. Fortunately, it had been cancelled by Benkei once she had taken his legal guardianship.

So, with nothing to do, she had looked around, talking to Prophet if she needed an explanation or simply to kill time while waiting for her brother to return, looking around as old pictures of when they were still happy together passed through her head from time to time. She had visited her grandmother after some years, seen old photo albums from when they were children and so on.

Among other things, she had seen her brother's bare room (although she wasn't sure if that had been a good idea, undecided whether it was an invasion of his privacy or not, but the AI said it was okay, so...) and then she had chosen the room next door. She wanted to make up for all the time lost with him, this included greeting him when they got up in the morning or waking him up if necessary. She also stowed her bags in the room since Raiden was still nowhere to be seen after more than an hour.

Then it happened...whatever happened.

After taking a shower she was returning to her room, decidedly tired from the late hour and the emotional roller coaster of that evening, she saw a red glow from Raiden's room. Intrigued, she peeked through the door she had left ajar, and was both surprised and confused to see a strange glowing crimson circle from which emerged her brother and a girl who was surely among the most beautiful she had ever seen. Along with everything that insued next.

She would not admit even under torture that the image of a naked Raiden is burned into her memory. Or that...she did things while her brother was having sex with that stranger in the next room.

What could she say! They were incredibly loud, she was too stressed about everything and wanted to relax! Yes, it wasn't because she saw Raiden naked...

Mai shakes her head and stares into the eyes of the redhead in question.

"So, do you want to tell me who you are and why my brother was so taken with you last night?" she asks with a stony expression.

While she was definitely not jerking off as she peered in, she had seen Raiden's eyes...glassy. Hollow, as if he was not himself. Moreover, the redhead had used too many quirks to be normal. Teleportation, water creation and manipulation, something black that obliterated things, plus bat wings had sprouted on her back, which Raiden then used to-

"I guess you are Rai-kun's sister, aren't you?" asks Rias, curious, diverting Mai from...thoughts.

He had met her on his way out of one of the bathrooms. Raiden had already left after leaving his breakfast ready, for another work engagement apparently, which she hoped would not include bringing home other girls to sleep with.

"I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Sakurajima Mai, Raiden's twin sister" she replies trying to sound impassive "Are you so close that you give each other nicknames? What is your relationship?"

Her skepticism is completely understandable considering what she saw yesterday.

"My name is Rias Gremory, and...we can say I am a new customer of his" the redhead replied vaguely, earning a suspicious look from Mai.

"A new client...taking her to bed?" she asked skeptically, causing the redhead to stiffen "Who on top of that he dumped at home before leaving without any regard?" that statement was decidedly uncomfortable for Rias, who looked increasingly uncomfortable. Normally she would have responded in kind, hiding her emotions better as she had been taught to do since childhood, but that particular morning she was feeling really down and not reacting as she would like to "I hope you'll forgive my skepticism when I say I don't believe you. What really happened?"

"...I'm a client of his. You can call him even now and ask him if you want" Rias replied after recomposing herself, going into business mode, although it took a little more effort than she would like.

Mai becomes more and more suspicious.

"I didn't question that you were a client of his with all the quirks you have" Mai stressed, confusing Rias, who barely showed her surprise "What I want to know is what relationship you really have with him."

"What are you talking about?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Last night...I...saw you" Mai says, trying to keep a straight face, without succeeding. Her discomfort unnerved Rias as well, causing her mask to slip as well.

"W-were you peeking?!" gasps the redhead, making Mai gasp in turn, who blushes in embarrassment at the accusation.

"N-no! I was coming back from the bathroom when I saw a light from his room, but her should have still been outside!" she immediately defends herself.

Rias feels her stomach twist in mortification at the idea of being seen by someone while she and Raiden...

"W-how much did you see?" she asks hesitantly, not knowing whether she wants to know.

"T-Teleportation, c-creation and water manipulation...that black thing to make things disappear...the bat wings..." confesses Mai, her face growing redder with each 'quirk' listed.

"..." whispers Rias, with a face that must have been somewhere between the greatest embarrassment of her life and the deadest look anyone had ever seen on her face.

There was an awkwardly tense silence as the two young women recomposed themselves.

"...So, what is your relationship with my brother?" she asks again, now definitely serious "There was something wrong with him last night, so what did you do to him?"

"...Yesterday's was an unscheduled impulse, there is nothing between us apart from the worker-client relationship" repeats Rias, almost annoyed.

She had made a mistake that had burned up the possible friendship (maybe something more) she could have had with Raiden, and she didn't feel like talking about it at all. It was just her own fault for getting carried away when she needed to keep a clear head and stop him, and that only made her feel worse. Mai had every reason in the world to be suspicious of her, and she was also right in accusing her of doing something to him, but she didn't want to face that mistake now, too, not after all the harsh truths she had come in contact with recently.

This only increases Mai's suspicion of the redhead.

"Prophet, did you notice anything strange about Raiden while he was with our guest?" seeing that she would not get an answer, the paused actress decided to ask the house AI at bay.

"It looks like my creator was drugged last night" Prophet confirmed, almost making Rias jump from her seat at the table.

"What!" asks shocked Mai, not expecting such a thing?

"W-who is he?!" the redhead almost shouts, not understanding who was speaking 'Why can't I sense his presence?! When did he arrive! Where is he!?'

Almost as if it could read her mind, the AI decides to introduce itself.

"Hello, I am Prophet, an artificial intelligence conceived and developed by Sakurajima Raiden during his third year at Tokyo University" the AI responds almost mechanically. "I perform numerous tasks, including monitoring the house and the vital parameters of the inhabitants and guests through various sensors and scanners."

"T-you drugged Raiden?!" blurts Mai, ignoring her brother's companion/assistant, absolutely furious at the news.

"I-I-"

"If we want to be precise, she used a set of gaseous and liquid aphrodisiacs of unknown composition, but the excessive dosage had a reaction similar to taking rather heavy narcotics" Prophet points out, before Rias could say anything "Mai-ojou-sama, the reason she was so excited at the sight of my creator last night is because of the fact that part having been in contact with such substances for a long time, the residual odor infected her as well, behaving in a similar way to pheromones."

"H-have you seen it?" she asks, horrified at the thought that someone had seen her masturbating while outside her brother's room, shamelessly spying on him while he was in bed having sex with another girl.

"I constantly monitor the house" Mai's face loses all color at the confirmation, momentarily forgetting anger in favor of the worst mortification she had ever felt "Normally I would ask Raiden-sama first, but this time I will make an exception and erase the data regarding what was going on in front of her bedroom door at that time"

"T-thanks" Mai murmurs, decidedly grateful that her brother will never learn of the incident.

Rias watched confusedly as Mai and AI exchanged jokes, now feeling even worse at the idea that in addition to Raiden, she ended up unknowingly drugging her twin sister as well. How come one thing wasn't going straight the last few days?

"Anyway...yes, things happened that led to...last night" the redhead vaguely confesses, deciding to give remain vague.

She could have wiped Mai's memory with hypnosis, but she has absolutely no idea how to deal with an artificial intelligence that constantly monitors her. Raiden would have noticed immediately that something was wrong and so would Prophet. She was already on thin ice as it is with the Sakurajima family; she did not want to throw gasoline on the fire.

"'Things' of what kind?" the actress presses the question again.

Perhaps it was a bit insensitive of Mai to press so hard on something that judging by the redhead's reaction was a sensitive subject, but if there was even the slightest chance that this could have gotten Raiden into trouble she wanted to know, and possibly help him if he needed it. After all, even if she is not as smart as her twin, she is the older sister, so it is her turn to help him.

"Arranged marriage" sighs Rias, seeing that Mai just wouldn't drop the bone. She didn't want to talk about it, but assumes that after what she did to the twins she owes him at least this "My family wants me to marry a pig I hate, and as part of the contract they made I wasn't supposed to have sex with any guy besides that pig. In theory I was supposed to have until the end of college, but he's pushing to marry me sooner, and... Raiden was the only boy I trusted enough for that. Kiba, the only boy in my club, would never agree to do it, while Raiden didn't trust me enough to have a relationship with me without asking, so..."

"Did you drug my brother to...blow the deal?" summarizes Mai confusedly, not understanding what kind of contract Rias's family signed and why "Is...it legal?" she honestly asks a little worried.

She is still angry, but she knows quite well what it feels like to be exploited by her parents, so she can somewhat relate to the redhead and understand, up to a point, how desperation can drive a person to do things she would not normally even consider. She had stopped acting after finding herself locked in a room with pedophiles, and she still has nightmares because of her mother's threats when she decided to cut herself off and drive her away (fortunately, Benkei seems to have a lot of connections everywhere and has taken her legal guardianship, having a restraining order put in place for the twins, making it impossible for him to contact and approach her again). If this is the case, was there really nothing else he could try before resorting to such a move?

"Unfortunately, yes" Rias confirms with a grimace "I'm still a minor, so my parents are responsible for me and can arrange marriages even if I don't agree. Besides, arranged marriages are particularly back in vogue with the advent of quirks..."

"Quirk marriage..." mutters Mai in disgust, having heard stories on the subject.

They were strictly regulated and controlled because there had been a flood of precedents on genetic experimentation and tampering with fetuses and its newborns, mainly at the beginning of the quirk era and during World War III, but they still existed.

That was not exactly the problem, since devils tend not to have quirk, but it was very similar. The two families wanted someone for a child to inherit the traits of the Bael and Phoenix clans, and combine resources, although the latter was more Zeoticus' greed than anything else. Not that Mai knew that, and Rias certainly did not want to correct her and introduce her to the supernatural.

"Is...is there anything I can do to help you?" the paused actress asked after a moment of silence, surprising Rias, who certainly did not expect words of comfort and concern.

"What? Why would you want to help me after what I did to you and your brother?" the redhead asks puzzled.

Mai sighs, understanding the younger girl's confusion.

"Don't misunderstand. I'm definitely angry about what you did to Raiden, but...you're not the first person to be in a bad situation like this. It...also happened to me to be put with a questionable group because my mother wanted to take advantage of me as much as possible" Mai bitterly admits, still honestly hurt by it.

Rias would have liked to admonish her by telling her that her family would never take advantage of her in that way, but she knew that was a lie, so she just nodded gratefully at Mai's willingness to help her with her problems.

"I...am really grateful for the offer and understanding, but I don't think there is anything you can do for now" cordially, the redhead rejects the offer.

Reincarnating Mai would not be as much of a problem as doing it with Raiden since the twin was unaware of the supernatural, and from the background she had seen researching the support engineer she had not even learned the family techniques since she could not get close without causing legal trouble to Benkei and Raiden. Unfortunately, this meant that not only did she have no combat experience and no training, but besides her invisibility quirk she did not know whether the older girl had sacred gear or not. Even if the Shinto faction decided to turn a blind eye to the fact that she reincarnated someone from an important clan even though she was on the verge of disappearing, she was sure that Raiden and Benkei would want her head for it anyway. Ergo, it was not a risk she wanted to take, especially since Raiden's help was the only thing she really had at the moment.

Another devil would still have tried to reincarnate her to make sure Raiden would not back down and 'abandon' his sister, but she was not stupid enough to believe that he would get away with it, as well as not even being so cruel as to have Mai taken hostage and used her as insurance.

So no, she was not willing to try her luck again, at least not before asking the former retired pro hero or twin for the go-ahead, although she was certain what answer she would get.

Mai looks at Rias a bit concerned seeing that the redhead was so conflicted, but decided not to press the issue further, knowing from personal experience that insisting on such issues was not something that could be done so easily.

"All right, but let me know if you need anything" she finally relents, although she was not happy "Anyway...what are you going to do with Raiden?"

"..." Rias really wanted to have an answer, but she didn't know what to say, so she just lowered her head slightly and clenched her fists in her lap "I...I really don't know what I'm supposed to do..." she admitted with a hint of a voice, definitely more vulnerable than she would like to show herself at the moment.

Mai, taking pity on her, moved to sit beside the redhead and comfort her a little. Did she deserve all the guilt that was eating away at her? Yes. But she was not so heartless as to leave her to drown in self-pity when she had to hold herself together to free herself from an unhappy marriage. She will have to make peace with her demons after Raiden helps her overcome her problem. After that she will have to make amends.

---

I took a fast train to get from Shizuka Prefecture to Tokyo in a little over an hour, then arrived by bus at Haneda Airport, the one that gets the most direct flights out of Milan and Rome. I arrived a little earlier than expected fortunately, but I came here without armor. I could have flown here without too much trouble, but after Nezu's warning and the fact that I felt I was being watched I decided to come without it. I didn't want to give HPSC reasons or data to come bother me ahead of time, but I came armed anyway.

I had brought with me an Hf blade with retractable blade, a plasma sword, two guns with non-lethal dendrotoxin bullets, and gloves equipped with repulsors, flash bangs and sound attacks.

I never trusted going out unarmed, especially now that everything was going too smoothly for my liking. Having arrived early (and strangely without incident or hiccup of any kind) I checked the perimeter where Asia was supposed to land, and had Prophet hooked up to all the security cameras in the airport, inbound and outbound communications, and nearby buildings to check for even a hint of suspicious people, finding no sign of anything. With my limited sensory abilities, I could not tell if there was imminent danger or not, and not knowing if there were attacks coming unnerved me.

It didn't help in the least that my gut was screaming that there was something incredibly wrong with the area. The reason I didn't take it directly to Musutafu is precisely because I've had this bad feeling ever since Azazel told me she was coming here.

I continued to observe the area until the flight landed the plane that was to carry the person I was to escort. Fortunately, through the glass window was the runway, and I could keep an eye on the landing area even near the gate. I lazily watched the passengers get off the plane until a nun with a trolley bag came out of the gate and down the stairs.

She is a beautiful girl with long blond hair and green eyes, 155 centimeters tall. Her hair goes down to her back, with a parted fringe on her forehead and a single strand sticking out from the top and falling back.

It took only a few minutes for her to pass through the checkpoints, and I wasted no time in approaching her, ignoring the civilians who were on their way to the belt to collect their luggage before leaving the area.

"Asia Argento?" I call to her, speaking Italian. She gasps in surprise, probably not expecting a stranger to approach her so suddenly.

"Y-yes?" she stammers, perhaps a little embarrassed that she needed a few long moments to respond.

"Azazel asked me to take care of you during your stay in Japan. My name is Sakurajima Raiden...or Raiden Sakurajima, since in Italy the first name comes before" I introduce myself.

Her face lights up and she smiles, for some reason.

"Yes! I really wanted to thank you in person for rescuing me!" she says cheerfully, confusing me "Oh, emh, if I hadn't caught the fallen angels who tricked me I would have arrived here completely unaware and would have surely died" she explains, after realizing that I didn't realize what she was initially referring to "I'm sure it was the lord who brought us together"

I bit my tongue not to make any comment to that. It wasn't really a secret that in my previous life I hated with all my being almost all religions and the crap related to them. I can understand the historical and artistic value they have had over the years; even believing that there is an entity (which I have met by the way) waiting for us and judging us after death; but in 2022 to have a book written more than 2,000 years before checked out as if the truth of the world was written in it? Of course, it certainly did not help my opinion that various organizations were taking advantage of believers, or terrorists were using it as a pretext for massacres in suicide bombings; but in this world where the supernatural is real it has proven even worse. Half the reason World War III started falls squarely on the Vatican. When I didn't know about the supernatural I was just confused by the persecution they instigated toward the masses to the first generation of people equipped with quirks, but now it made more sense. Surely they must have come up with an excuse like 'it's the fault of-insert into space whatever they don't approve of and brand as heretical-and we have to get rid of their progeny.' Despite how stupid it sounded, it made a lot of sense considering their track record.

Add in the fact that Asia's excommunication was not an order from the biblical god but from Michael because his creator has been dead for ten thousand years, and I think I have explained how sick to my stomach the idea of even being associated with the pile of crap that is the Bible.

"I understand" I say simply, knowing that the girl in front of me is one of the most innocent people in this world and has nothing to do with the problems I know "Do you have any other luggage?"

"No, I didn't have many things to take with me, plus I was told it was convenient to travel light, so..." she replied, a little embarrassed by the admission.

"It's not a problem-!"

I feel a tingling buzzing in my head, and that familiar feeling of danger warning me of an oncoming attack. The feeling has always been strange, but I have learned to listen to it without question by training for years with Benkei.

*cough*

"Kya?!"

I unceremoniously pull out the HF blade and cut three bullets aimed at Asia and me, which ricochet all over the place. Civilians start screaming in panic at the sudden gunfire, and the security guards did not even have time to draw their weapons before they were riddled with bullets. When the fire shifted toward us, I wasted no time in pulling Asia toward me and jumping away, just in time to avoid the light bullets making several holes on the former nun's suitcase, and hitting the scanner equipment and conveyor belts behind where we were, also hitting and killing civilians who were unfortunately also in the area. I backed off about 30 meters with a couple of quick backward shots to hide behind a pillar, then peeked out and watched as the translucent figure of the bomber slowly showed itself, revealing Freed Sellzen's deranged smile, along with a dozen gunmen disguised as civilians.

"You again?" I ask annoyed, laying a distraught Asia on the ground, looking in horror at the spot where she would surely have died if I had not waited for her and the civilians who got caught in the crossfire.

"Again? I really don't think we've met brat" he declares cheerfully, tapping his European sword with one hand on his shoulder in confusion.

A quick structural analysis revealed that it was Excalibur Transparency and a gun with light bullets. Does he already have a fragment? Of course, I didn't expect Kokabiel to steal four in one day, but still, it should still be more than a month before he arrives. Why is he here for Asia though? Does he want to prevent the devils from trying to recruit her for his sacred gear, kill her, and shift the blame to the Maou's little sisters to create friction between the factions, or does he want Twilight Healing for himself?

"Mn? Did I smash you so hard against the ceiling that night that you got amnesia?" I ask mockingly.

"Hah? The only one who threw a ceiling at me was...was..." he was about to respond in his usual scurrilous and provocative manner, but paused for a moment with a look of angry realization plastered on his face.

"Asia, stay here and don't move" I order as I pull the retractable katana from my belt.

"E-eh?"

"SON OF A BITCH IT WAS YOU THEN!"

Ignoring the confused blonde and Freed's angry roar, we collide halfway.

"Even Rapidly?" I mutter, seeing the long kris and the European sword press against the blade of my weapon, which crackles as the electricity makes it vibrate at a high frequency.

Merit of the fragment? The last time I left him in a puddle made with his blood he couldn't even react to my blows, but now he is faster than me. Without the enhanced vision and superhuman senses I would not have blocked him in time, perhaps.

"You blocked it? Well, well, don't die too fast scrap, I still have to pay you back for that night, kahaha!" he laughs maniacally and breaks the stalemate.

I breathed out, feeling my muscles swell slightly as the ki strengthens my body several times as Freed like a bloodthirsty madman tries to cut me in two.

Honō no kokyū: Ni no kata: Nobori En Ten

I swung the blade in an upward arc, leaving behind a sun-shaped trail of fire.

Yes, when I realized that what I was using was Touki and I was training with senjutsu I apparently unlocked the ability to convert my life force into flames, similar to Koneko and Kuroka's Kasha. According to Benkei, it is a trait inherited from our ancestor Yoriichi, although I have no idea how it works. When I use fire kata I use it unconsciously, and I cannot regulate the power of the flames, which are around 726.85 degrees celsius. An unregistered anomaly in my DNA, that I knew neither how to use on command nor how to hurt someone's life force...

"ATATATATE, it burns you bastard!?" shouts Freed when, caught off guard, he stops his movement and pulls back from the fire. My attack cut and cauterized a long line down his right arm, which now hangs limply from his shoulder. Unable to hold Transparency he falls to the ground with a metallic clang.

I thinned my gaze toward the priest staggering backward though. Not only did his clothes not catch fire, they were barely blackened, despite the cauterized cut evident beneath them.

"..."

"You asshole...without the salamander wool you would have fucking burned me for good" he snarls furiously "Do the rest of you want to make yourselves useful or not! The boss will be very pissed if we fail and I don't want to deal with his shit!"

Salamander wool? The way he said it sounds like a fireproof material common in the supernatural.

Shi no kata: Sei En no Uneri

I swung the blade in a circular motion and the flames took the shape of a fire flower, which easily melted incoming gun bullets. They were shocked, but I did not give any of them time to react.

Ichi no kata: Shiranui

Charging forward in my enhanced state, none of them were able to defend or dodge; this time, however, I tried not to kill them all. Both because I can't just kill everyone I meet since I'm trying to become a hero, although on some occasions it will be unavoidable; and because they might know something about Kokabiel's next actions, although I'm not holding my breath. They are too weak to be more than disposable pawns.

I cut off the barrels of the stray exorcists' guns and the flames burned the rest, along with the hands with which they held their weapons. They didn't even have time to scream, because I pulled out my gun and shot all ten, who fell to the ground helpless as blue veins spread over their bodies.

12 tranquilizer rounds per magazine. Nonlethal projectiles that contain 0.1 microliter of dendrotoxin and break down on contact with subcutaneous tissue. Ideal for capturing criminals, as they remain paralyzed long enough to be captured with all the peace of mind in the world and without lethal or debilitating side effects.

"What the...? Did you guys really get your asses kicked so fast?!" cries Freed shocked "Fucking idiots, why the fuck did I bring you guys with me in the first place-?! Ah, right, meat shields!" he realizes after a moment "Fuck you, I always have to do everything myself!"

I turned my full attention to Freed, who was still tapping his foot on the ground and cursing.

"..." I didn't even try to tell him to give up, he was too crazy to listen to reason.

Go no kata: Enko.

I throw myself at him again and we start exchanging blows. Freed with Rapidly is fast, but predictable. I can see how his bones, muscles, joints and blood flow move and predict several seconds in advance what he will do even before he completes his movements. It didn't take long before cuts started piling up on him, just about everywhere, although I mainly targeted joints and tendons. His fighting style is...violent, messy, vicious but that makes him at best a momentary annoyance to me. Without the enhanced vision it would have been harder to predict his strikes since he just seems to randomly swing the blade at first glance, and he seems to notice very early on when I strike him in the side, leaving yet another cauterized wound. He staggers backward.

"You piece of shit, you are really persistent..." he growls, falling to his knees.

It was at that moment that something happens that probably no one had anticipated. A yellow ball falls from his torn clothes and explodes.

"Kuh?!" unprepared, I am blinded.

My ears ring loudly, while my vision flashes white. I grit my teeth and balance back, placing myself next to Asia in a defensive position, expecting an attack, but one that never came.

After about twenty seconds, my vision returns to normal, although I can still hear muffled sounds. Freed was nowhere to be seen, and there was no attack coming. Rapidly was on the ground, but Transparency was nowhere to be seen. I checked the surroundings, but there was nothing but the...corpses of the stray exorcists.

"Prophet?"

"Freed Sellzen took advantage of the flashbang to retrieve the sword previously used to camouflage and conceal himself again. Through the security cameras I am unable to determine his location or detect him, but I have seen the throats of the previously captured bombers open, so I assume this is his doing." without me saying more words than I should, my AI makes a quick report, which, unfortunately, is not helpful.

I glanced at Asia, still curled up with her hands over her ears, probably from the din of gunfire.

"Asia, we should be safe now" I warn her, making retract the katana blade.

She hesitantly opens her eyes and looks at me, still frightened.

"No one...none of them approached. Are they...?"

"Dead" I confirm softly "I had captured them, but Freed silenced them all after that sudden explosion."

Honestly, I didn't particularly care about them since they were not innocent civilians but goons sent to kill a target, nor what whoever caught them would do to them, but that didn't stop Asia from praying for their demise. It had been my mistake to have them killed, and it was a little frustrating honestly to have lost the same assassin twice in a row.

There had also been civilian casualties this time, and I had not even gotten a shred of information about any possible location of the hiding places they have used so far, the way they communicate with each other, and their next moves.

I had to prepare better to avoid other such situations.

---

After the airport attack, we were questioned by the police about our version of events. They had camera footage and testimony from survivors in that area, but they had to follow procedure. They were a little skeptical when they read on my papers that I did not have a quirk, but I quickly explained the flames as part of the functionality of the retractable sword. They weren't engineers, so they didn't question it too much since I had things like a lightsaber on me, and there were weirder quirks around, they just warned me to be careful.

That and they saw my credentials, so they really had no leverage to admonish me or anything. My inventions were all duly certified and I was licensed to carry and use them in civilian settings, even in combat if it's for self-defense. Since the events had unfolded in just a handful of minutes and there was no one to defend us (although I didn't need to) I would have no repercussions or marks of any kind on my record.

It was just...frustrating how much it mattered to people that I had one less gene than they did. Even without the supernatural context, they had seen that I could fight someone who they thought had two quirks. Hell, they'd seen me deflect bullets with a katana fired just 50 feet away. That, and the fact that it was lunchtime and we had just arrived in Musutafu. We had lost half a day because of two fucking minutes. I had no plans for today, but I was annoyed nonetheless that I had lost half a day that I could have used to let Asia settle in, and then move on to any projects I could start developing before school started.

Just in case, I ordered Prophet to bring me the Astrey and a case where I can contain Rapidly. It would be annoying if Kiba found out that I have a fragment of Excalibur, so I put it in a container that blocks radiation. Asia confirmed that you can't feel the sacred aura of the weapon, and since that's the only reference I have, I decided to take her opinion at face value since I didn't have a way to verify it other than a radiation scanner.

Honestly, how did Rias and Sona cover up the incidents with the supernatural until now? I mean, if it was during the early 2000s I could understand, but with all the superhumans in this century? By now the medical machines you find in almost every hospital are developed enough to sense alterations in brain function to identify mental checks. Police officers, pro heroes, civil servants and the like have to get checked periodically for this. Even with an electroencephalogram you can see signs of it now, although medicine has been one of the fields that has had the most trouble adapting to evolution.

So I wonder if they have contacts with the government, or at least the police. Are they the ones who help cover the tracks and keep those who shouldn't talk at bay?

*Grrrrm*

I glanced at Asia, who blushes when her stomach rumbles.

"Are you hungry?" I ask when the nun lowers her head in embarrassment and touches her stomach, which rumbles again.

"S-sorry...because of me we were attacked, people died and now this..."

I frown as Asia looks like she is about to cry again.

"It's not your fault. We were attacked and you are the victim, so you have nothing to apologize for" I admonish her good-naturedly, trying to sound tough and comfortable at the same time "That said, do you want to eat something? We're a little far from the city center, but there should be some fast food places nearby."

"Fast food? Those places where they sell hamburgers?!" she asks excitedly, momentarily forgetting about the depressing topics, giving way to a genuine curiosity and cuteness that would crack a smile even from a brick "I had only seen them on television before!"

"Burgers it is then" I confirm, then wave her to follow me "There should be a McDonald's a couple of blocks away."

"Si-Ow!"

Then Asia stumbles. As we were above the sidewalk completely flat, with no obstacles or cracks, and no one who could in any way knock her over nearby. For some reason I cannot explain, her long skirt to just above her ankles falls over her butt, exposing her white panties to the world.

I looked at the scene in front of me in confusion for a moment, not understanding how it had happened, but as much as Asia's ass was a beautiful sight to behold, this was not the time or place for that, so I quickly lowered her robe and helped her up.

"Are you all right?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, trying not to show my amusement at the former nun's awkwardness.

"Awuu...I'm sorry for the embarrassing sight Raiden-san, I'm very clumsy..." she replies mortified, but I shrug.

"Don't worry, that's still a nice part of you" I reply casually, trying to give Asia more compliments. She needs more affection and self-esteem. And she was really cute in more ways than one.

"C-cute!?" she gasps with a nuclear blush on her face.

My lips curve upward slightly at the reaction. It's so easy to tease her that I almost feel guilty though.

"Let's go" I say, pretending to ignore her reaction.

Then we did just that. I took her to eat junk food at a fast food restaurant, and to her embarrassment, when I had to show her how to eat a hamburger or fries I deliberately did it by feeding her the first few bites. It was like feeding a puppy. She was really super cute. I even took pictures to put then an album of 'fun moments with Asia'.

Needless to say, I took more pictures when I told her.

We subsequently set out to get to the main shopping center in Musutafu. We took a train and then walked there. Asia had never been on the subway, so I wanted to show her how we usually get around on public transportation here in Japan. She was ecstatic. Her eyes sparkled at every little thing, and her positivity was definitely infectious, to the point of putting a chronic pessimist like me in a good mood. I guess that's her charm at work. Everyone on the train also had a similar reaction to mine. She was incredibly eager to know and learn new things, so I answered all her questions, no matter how trivial or strange they seemed, regardless of whether it was about school, local dishes, or tourist attractions.

However, there was always something missing. A piece out of place that I didn't know how to fix. I've never been good at making people comfortable, and it wasn't hard to see that something was still bothering Asia. Something that she didn't confide in me and that I didn't know how to bring up without being too invasive.

So since we had to go shopping to replace her wardrobe, I called for backup, hoping that female solidarity would help.

"Sakurajima-kun, this way!"

Going up the escalator, I hear Izumi's voice calling to me from a nearby bar. She is sitting at a table with Aika. I hope they can help me.

"Sorry for the unexpected call, but I needed some help with shopping" I say as I approach them, then turn to Asia, who looked rather shy, probably not understanding what I had said in Japanese "Asia, this is Midoriya Izumi, a future classmate of mine, while the other girl is Aika Kiryuu, Izumi's friend" I turned to the two confused girls "Girls, this is Asia Argento, I was asked by a client to take care of her while she is in Japan. Her suitcase was destroyed in an airport bombing this morning, so we have to get her a new wardrobe."

"Airport bombing? Wait, that was you at Haneda!?" the sekiryuutei asks shocked, with a look full of concern "Are you okay?"

Did you know that? I mean, in a way where everything is digital, it's not a surprise, but I would think there would be other news in the forefront of major social media, rather than an attack on an airport...

"Yes, Midoriya-san, I lost my suitcase, but..." Asia replies still sad about the lives lost a few hours ago.

"Well, it's a little more complicated than what the news says, but yes" I confirm, confusing Aika.

"Doesn't Asia understand Japanese?" the bespectacled girl asks confusedly, receiving a nod from me "Then why does Izumi speak to her in Japanese and she seems to understand her?"

Asia was confused, not understanding the language, while Izumi did not seem to notice anything until her friend pointed it out to her.

"Huh? Yet I hear her speaking Japanese..." the sekiryuutei states equally confused.

"It is because you are a devil" I reply to the two "Devils, like many other supernatural races, can hear and speak any language. I suppose the reason you hear words in different languages is because you perceive them with the one you are most familiar with. In your case Japanese" I stroked my chin, curious about the phenomenon "However, I wonder how exactly it works...does it have to do with wings? Devils can move their wings, so they have bones, muscles and nerve endings, maybe even something that allows them to sense vibrations caused by sounds? Or has DNA alteration changed the functionality of the eardrum? If so-"

"And I'll stop you before you leave for the beltway" Aika says suddenly, looking strangely tired and exasperated at the idea of me starting to examine the phenomenon "Damn, you and Zuzu are so similar in some ways it's creepy" grumbles the brunette, ignoring Izumi's indignation "Anyway, I can't talk to Argento-san. You didn't need to make a thesis to tell me that."

I looked at her with a grimace. This could be a problem. If Aika can't communicate with Asia then it will be difficult to get them close and the blonde will be more likely to keep quiet about anything that bothers her, since she is convinced that she is a burden and causes us more headaches than anything else. I had called her because in DxD their counterparts were good friends and they bonded almost immediately.

I also noticed that Asia did not even wince or have any reaction when I casually mentioned that Izumi is a devil. Is she so innocent that she doesn't even have the slightest bit of prejudice toward them?

I pulled out of my pocket a small base I have to keep my earbuds in and handed the two spare ones I usually carry to the two. I normally use them to talk and give instructions to Prophet, and I honestly don't think I've ever had anyone else use them before.

"Put this on. They also have a translation function, so you won't have trouble communicating. It is already set to translate from Italian to Japanese" I tell Aika in Japanese, before repeating it to Asia.

The brunette simply shrugged her shoulders without asking too many questions, before putting on the earpiece that went into his ear, while the former nun looked on confused, evidently not having used or perhaps ever seen one before. I put it on her, since she had taken the wrong direction trying to imitate Aika.

"S-sorry, I can't even put it on myself" she murmurs mortified, almost making me sigh in exasperation because of her nonexistent self-esteem.

"And it's not your fault. Things like this aren't exactly normal even by the standards of ordinary people" I try to reassure her, but it doesn't really seem to be working.

"She's right you know? I don't think I've ever seen or heard of earbuds that can translate words so fluently in real time and in the speaker's voice, Argento-san," Aika confirms, a bit confused "However, it is incredibly strange to hear you speaking Japanese and Italian at the same time, without the voices overlapping too much or sounding overly strange."

Asia's brief depression gives way to surprise when she actually understands what the other girl is saying.

"C-do you understand what I'm saying? It's unbelievable!" says the blonde, her eyes almost sparkling at the idea of being able to communicate with something without a mediator "You can call me Asia if you want, Kiryuu-san!"

Mn, it seems that the translator works so well that it even puts honorific titles. Or is it just Asia? Better leave it for later.

"Asia it is. In that case call me whatever you prefer, Asia-chan!" chirps the bespectacled girl "And now, let's start shopping!"

The more cynical part of me twitched at the idea of shopping (for something not related to my lab or work) and, judging by the grimace Izumi made upon seeing Aika drag Asia toward a random women's clothing store, she seemed to have sensed something she didn't like as well.

That feeling was very accurate when, after nearly three hours of touring the various floors, I was dragged into a lingerie store. At first there was nothing too strange, except Izumi's obvious discomfort at being with me in such a place and Asia's embarrassment when Aika would ask me which models looked best on the former nun, or when she would occasionally tell me to find 'cute' models for her to try on. Honestly, imagining her definition of 'cute' I purposely chose mainly comfortable and 'innocent' models that made the blonde more comfortable. My obvious attempts to ignore her 'requests' must have annoyed her to no end, because at some point she dragged us toward the dressing rooms. Aika somehow convinced Asia, who apparently felt indebted to me, to show me how the models I picked out looked on her, telling me that it would make Asia happy according to her, so that she would feel less guilty. Somehow, she even convinced Izumi to try on some models, because she wanted me to share my opinion.

Or at least that was Prophet's translation of his mumbling so low that it could not be heard even with enhanced hearing.

The most absurd thing? My opinion on the matter was completely ignored. Aika had obviously pushed the overly gullible former nun into thinking that this was 'normal,' but I can't really tell if she was really trying to help Asia with her personal crisis or was just trying to embarrass her because she found her reactions funny (not that I could blame her).

Moreover, I was beginning to wonder whether the bespectacled girl was bisexual or not. In that case, I could definitely understand her attraction to the two beauties in the dressing rooms, however, the way she was practically almost drooling with anticipation was making me feel guilty about being turned on honestly.

That, and the strange buzzing in my head was slowly getting louder. Prophet had reported that testosterone levels were slowly but steadily rising since Izumi approached me today. My hormone levels were starting to get high again. It had not happened (fortunately) with Mai and Asia, but after taking a cold shower when I woke up this morning with Rias I thought the effects had worn off. Apparently I had been too optimistic, and does it tend to happen if I have devils nearby?

"So, are you ready? You've been in there for a while now" Aika comments casually, impatiently, sitting on the bench in front of the dressing rooms.

"It's...is a little embarrassing..." murmurs Asia shyly from behind the curtain.

"Come on Asia, you can do it!" replied the brunette cheering "You wanted to repay Raiden, didn't you? This is the perfect way."

With a stifled grumble, the blonde shyly moves aside the curtain to be seen, even though she was visibly struggling not to cover herself. She wears a snow-white pink underwear set with trimmings of a lighter pink. Not too daring, rather simple overall, but no less pretty on her.

To her credit, she lasted 15 seconds before locking herself in the dressing room again.

"S-sorry, this is too embarrassing!" cries Asia mortified.

"It's okay, you tried, it's the first step to the next level!" the bespectacled girl encourages her, causing the blonde to let out a squeak.

"Oi, you really need to stop filling her head with your idea of modesty" I say annoyed by Aika's behavior.

"Tch, you're no fun, relax a little!" she complains, before looking at the other dressing room "Izumi, are you done or should I help you change?"

I heard a gasp from the dressing room, before a hand timidly pulled aside the curtain. Izumi comes out wearing emerald green lingerie with a black floral pattern, with a sheer nightgown of the same shade of green on top, which did nothing to hide her shape.

I'll be honest, I've been staring at her. Her pale skin devoid of blemishes is quite mesmerizing. She is not as muscular as Mirko, but her body is toned enough to be erotic. For some reason it fits Izumi perfectly.

"Wow, that's sexy" Aika comments with a whistle "Probably the sexiest thing I could get you to wear. Lucky stud."

I agreed with her, but I wasn't going to say it out loud. I was too focused on observing every detail about her-until she covered her breasts, when she noticed I was looking at them. She was staring at me too, expectantly.

"S...how...?" she asks in a barely audible voice, looking away with her face on fire.

"Great..." I admitted. I said nothing more as I felt my pants stiffen. Maybe it was time to get out of here, because it's getting really hard to look away, and I really don't want to end up like I did yesterday with Rias "Well, I'm going to go pay the bill, then I'm going to pop to the bathroom. Meet me in 20 minutes at the bar nearby."

I didn't really give any of the girls time to say anything before I withdrew, trying not to give away that anything was wrong. Maybe Aika would make some joke about me being 'shy' or something later, but I seriously needed to get out of here and get some fresh air. Being indoors with Izumi was becoming difficult.

---

"Uwaaa-"

On the way to the bus station we had come to an unexpected stop near a park, where a child and his friends were playing without a care in the world until one had fallen off the slide, rubbing his forearm.

Before we could say anything, Asia walked toward him, while friends curiously watched the nun kneel and move her hands over the abrasion.

"A little man shouldn't have to cry over a scratch like this" her hands glisten as two rings wrap around his fingers and the wounds heal in seconds. She strokes his head as he stops crying "It's all right now, isn't it?"

"The scratches..." whispers Izumi surprised, as Aika looks at her curiously.

Realizing what she has done, Asia turns around looking at us with an embarrassed expression.

"Sorry, it's a habit."

"N-never mind" says Izumi, coming out of her stupor, "Rather, your power is incredible! How it works-"

"Izumi" Aika interrupted her before she could begin with her storm of questions, seeing that despite the praise, Asia's expression had become saddened.

"Thank you Onee-chan!" said the child, completely unaware of what had just happened, as he walked off with his peers toward the park exit, with his parents watching.

The former nun just waved with a hand and a small smile, trying not to let her discomfort show.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask after a moment of uncomfortable silence. She looks at me indecisively for a moment, but then nods hesitantly. I don't know if it's because she feels compelled to or because she wants to, but she'd better get this pebble off her shoe now.

The girls sat on a bench while I watched them stand, already knowing which direction the conversation would go. For a few moments we were silent while she thought about what to say. I gave her an encouraging look, which she seemed to need to convince herself to start.

"I...was abandoned when I was still in diapers by my parents," hers words makes the two girls, who were guessing that this had something to do with her arrival here, frown "They told me I was found crying in front of a church in a small European town. That's where I was raised" she recounts nostalgically. "When I was eight years old I found an injured puppy dog near death in the vicinity of the church, and I prayed as hard as I could that something would save him, but then...a miracle happened. His wounds healed and the puppy returned to full health" then her expression became sadder as she spoke "Shortly afterwards I was taken to a large church, where I was ordered to heal diseases and the wounds of Christians who came from all over the world. I was really happy that my power could help anyone who needed it."

The colossal 'but' was so wrong that Izumi and Aika, took one hand each from Asia and looked at her to comfort her.

"Some time ago I saw a severely injured man on the ground and cured him. However, he turned out to be a devil" was very conflicted about that statement, confusing the two girls a bit, not understanding what the connection was between healing a devil and his presence here.

"Then the church that had always flaunted the image of your sacred gear as a 'gift from God,' or something like that, they couldn't explain this and pinned the blame on you, labeling you a witch and branding you a heretic instead of admitting you were wrong" I summarize the next part of her story, making the blonde gasp "So you were kicked out of the church and ended up here."

"D-did you know...?" asks as a voice thread Asia, not expecting me to summarize her story.

"No, but considering their reputation after World War III, even someone like me just getting into the supernatural would be able to predict how shit like this would end" I say with a grimace. I actually knew that, but it still didn't take a genius to guess how her story would end.

We are talking about the biggest bullshit that has ever existed on the face of the earth, after all. Even the plotters are more credible than they are now.

"I...I just wanted to help people" Asia continues sadly, "I was ordered to treat those in need, and I always did it with joy because I thought it was the right thing to do...so why did they throw me away?"

"Because they are idiots" I reply without really mincing words, "They raised you with the sole purpose of getting the faithful to heal you and increase their reputation by selling your image as something 'holy,' when for all intents and purposes the only thing that makes Twilight healing work so well is not the system created by their beloved 'God' but your desire to heal others. They threw you away like it was nothing because it was easier than admitting you were wrong, again, and they didn't want to lose what little credibility the church had left."

My sudden outburst surprised the girls, but Izumi decides to add her two cents.

"Sakurajima-kun is right, you did nothing wrong!" the sudden show of courage from the timid pawn made Asia gasp, who did not expect such conviction from someone as meek and shy as Izumi "Wanting to help others is not a mistake, so no matter what random idiots say about you, you should never feel sorry for doing something you thought was right!"

She was moved. Anyone who could look at Asia could see that she was moved that someone held her in such high esteem, but this still did not seem to completely free her from the thought that she was worthless.

"I...I'm just an awkward girl who's easy to fool" she murmurs, very conflicted about how to feel "I'll probably just be a burden from now on...I can't speak your language, I'm not very smart or anything...I'm not even that useful without my sacred gear."

"Then we will teach you how to speak Japanese" Aika replied, waving a hand as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "If anyone tries to take advantage of you we will teach them a lesson they will never forget!"

"Also, you don't have to be helpful. I would help you regardless of what others would say or think about you, so you are not a burden. You just need to tell me how to make it easier for you to stay with me and the ones you want to do. Everything else doesn't matter to me" I add, trying to be supportive. Making people comfortable is not really my forte, but I suppose it's a problem I have to solve at some point "So what do you want right now?"

"I..." at which point she was struggling to hold back tears "I...would like to have friends to buy flowers and talk to..."

"A-then it's okay, because we're your friends, Asia!" says Izumi, trying not to stutter and keep a strong face.

"Huh?" the blonde makes a confused sound, not expecting that answer.

"Yes, we are already friends" agrees Aika, trying not to laugh at the way Izumi tried to imitate All Might "We went out shipping, we di talked about boys while Raiden was away, we ate together, and now we are going to the station to go home together. These are things that friends do together."

"Huh?" she says stunned, still not believing her ears.

"Well, I have a garden where baa-chan used to grow flowers and other things, but neither Jiji nor I really can take care of it, so I don't think he would mind if you use it," I say, thinking about how I could contribute to the conversation. I really need to find books with pointers on how to better interact with others "Most of the books I have at home are on various sciences and theories of physics and engineering, but it would take me a moment to assemble bookshelves in your room with whatever you want to read."

"See?" says Aika, spreading her arms wide, as if to indicate how obvious the whole thing was "Let's keep hanging out Asia, there are a lot of things we still want to show you that you need to catch up on."

Asia had stood there, stunned, for a few moments before she gave the brightest, purest smile I had ever seen.

"Yes!"

---

The girls stayed for dinner with us. Benkei had not reacted to the fact that Asia had moved in with us, making me wonder if he knew before I did, which is quite plausible actually since he knows the supernatural and is my guardian. It would not be so absurd if Azazel had informed him before he met me, or after I had accepted the assignment. Besides, he had been a hero when he had not yet become Main stream, nor was it a paid job, and he was only doing it because he wanted to help people who needed a hand, despite the fact that from his gruff demeanor I could not tell.

Mai was surprised, she had been staring at me strangely for a while, but she accepted Asia immediately and acted like a reliable big sister, immediately putting the blonde at ease. Sure, she had yelled at me for a good 15 minutes when I told them why we were so late getting back, but she calmed down pretty quickly since I fought to protect Asia when there was no one around who could. Any details of the supernatural had been jealously guarded since no one wanted to make her worry more.

All in all, the evening was...good. For once, it felt like we were at a normal family dinner, without any drama or problems. Asia's arrival seemed to have really brightened up the atmosphere of the Sakurajima estate.

"So, back to us" I looked at the sword in front of me with a frown.

After everyone had gone to bed, I went down to my lab to examine Rapidly. My lab had been built and armored to prevent explosions or radiation from getting out, so, in theory, no one should be able to sense its presence down here. Theory that seemed right since no one came to question me about the presence of one of the seven Excalibur fragments in my house.

However, analyzing it, I discovered several things. Starting with the sword thing: the church was literally chock full of fucking idiots. Not great news, but after what I saw I just can't explain how it survived for so long. It is probably because of the stupidity of people in general. The reason I'm so bitter? It is because I found out how the original Excalibur broke. The motivation was so stupid that I had to double-check a dozen times to figure out whether I was doing something wrong in the structural analysis or had misinterpreted something, or what I saw was real. Unfortunately, it was the latter.

It happened during a confrontation following the death of the biblical God, so initially the cause was attributed, like many anomalies, to his death, but it was actually the fault of the user at that time. When it was a single sword and had a single core, all of Excalibur's abilities were much more powerful than the current fragments, and that was also true for Mimic. Why that particular ability? Because it was powerful enough not only to change the physical form, but also its atomic structure. At first it was made of Oricalc, the same material from which Hector's Durandine was later made, later renamed Durandal after being wielded by Roland. I don't know if anyone knew about it at that time, but the fact remains that the user at that time, seeing a magnificent ceremonial sword not forged for combat, the desire to have an identical one was great to the point of modifying Excalibur's structure to match the target. That same day, when the exorcist attacked the devil he had gone after, it broke and unarmed he was killed. The pieces were later recovered by his companions and brought back to the church.

I think anyone can understand my shock once they hear this.

Now to the more technical side of the sword on my table. I could not retrieve the formula for recreating Oricalc because the memories of the sword were damaged from the breakage, probably because they were divided among the various fragments, but I still examined what the actual fragments are made of. Mainly titanium and mithril.

It took me a while to figure it out because the structure of the material was unlike any I had ever seen before. Almost all minerals have a crystal structure, that is, a regular and ordered scaffolding of atoms. From this invisible structure originates the outer form of the mineral, which is instead clearly visible and equally regular and is called a crystalline habit or crystal. A crystal, then, is a geometric solid with faces, edges and vertices that originate by the progressive growth, atom by atom over billions of times, of an elemental three-dimensional structure of infinitesimal size. Whenever a mineral can grow unhindered it develops into perfectly formed single crystals. If, on the other hand, growth is hindered by the simultaneous development of other crystals, the result is a mass of densely aggregated individuals, in which the crystalline habit cannot be recognized without appropriate instruments, which I fortunately have.

The internal structure of a crystal of any mineral is thus characterized by an arrangement of atoms in space that is repeated at regular intervals along several directions. The three-dimensional structure thus created is generically called a crystal lattice and occurs as regular alignments of atoms.

Without getting further lost in the argument, there are 32 possible distributions of atoms in space to form a mineral, and Mithril does not fall into any of them because each of them is characterized by one or more simple crystal forms (cubes, prisms, pyramids). Mithril does not even have a geometric shape to begin with. It fuses with the crystal lattice present in the metal used to create the alloy, blending perfectly without altering it.

Apparently, while it is possible to create a sword made entirely of mithril, it is not recommended because once treated it becomes extremely heavy. Basically, it is a very strong magical conductor, probably the most reactive in nature, which is very resistant to blows and also light, capable of absorbing and containing large amounts of magical power, but if can be easily deformed by mana as if it were clay if untreated. It is therefore put into the alloys of magic swords to make it maintain a solid and light structure.

Or at least that is what I understood from examining Rapidly. I cannot test or confirm my observations without having some Mithril to test.

"And I really wanted to work on it" I grumble listlessly, leaning back in my chair.