What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter to "The Heroic Hunter".
I'm starting to see some doubts and some likes. Hopefully, this chapter will help clear some of that up.
Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, the Fate series, High School DxD, or any material related. All rights go to their respective owners.
Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!
Chapter 5: Peerages, Saints, and Secrets
"…Eh?"
"Did I stutter?" Aaron said. "I said, you're a Devil now."
"Eh… heh… g-good one… but that can't be true. I can't be a Devil."
"You definitely are. Check your back." Aaron pointed at the brunette girl's back.
Miyuki raised a brow and when she looked over her shoulder, her eyes widened at the pair of… black wings on her back. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed.
"Miyuki?! Are you okay in there?!" The Hyoudou matriarch called out. "Are you losing your first time?"
"It's nothing like that Mrs. Hyoudou! She's just surprised that my boss is coming out with a new sweet for his shop!" Aaron quickly informed.
"Oh, I see. Well, try to be a little quieter. The neighbors will be angry at us."
"No worries. I'll be sure to remind her." The hunter said with a smile before he gave Miyuki a dry look, "Try to be a little quieter next time. The mundane world is not supposed to know about supernatural stuff. Trust me when I say that it gets annoying dealing with magical politics."
"No way… how… why?" Miyuki whimpered in horror as she fell to her knees, while holding her head. "This can't be happening… this can't be happening… I'm damned for eternity…"
She felt gentle hands on her arms and in the next second, she was forced to stare into stern crimson eyes. "Get a hold of yourself, Miyuki! You're not damned. At least, not in the way you think." Aaron stated. "You're still the same girl with her own choices. It doesn't matter if you're a Devil, you're still Miyuki Hyoudou!"
"But…"
"But nothing." Aaron said. "Look, the way that it happened, Rias did what she did to save your life. There was no other way."
Miyuki looked like she wanted to cry, "Why me? Why did this have to happen to me?"
"I'm really sorry. I'm sorry for everything." Aaron said as he brought the brunette into a hug.
"Aaron, I…"
"It's okay… let it out. I won't judge…" Aaron muttered. Miyuki finally felt the tears begin to fall as she grabbed hold of Aaron's shirt and cried into his chest, bawling like a child as she vented out her frustration and sadness at how unfair her current situation was now.
After getting over her crying fit, Miyuki released a few sniffles as she wiped her eyes, clearing it of any tears. "Sorry… I must look like a mess."
"Not at all. Believe me, I've had my fair share of moments like this." Aaron said with a smile.
"So… what now?" Miyuki sniffled.
"Well, if you want, I can take you to Sweeties Paradise to get something to calm your nerves then take you to meet Rias and her Peerage. She can explain everything about your situation better than me." Aaron offered.
"I'm… meeting with Rias-senpai?"
"Yeah. But don't worry. I'll stay with ya."
"…Okay."
The two were unaware that Hakuno had been listening in and was upset that something had happened to her beloved cousin.
"Praetor… should we do something?"
"As far as Miyuki's concerned, no…" She answered. "But I will have a little… 'chat' with that Devil…"
"Goshujin-sama, if you wish it, I can have a little fun with this Rias Gremory. Might even break the affliction on your relative." A second voice spoke to her.
"I need her alive. This Jaeger person knows this Devil. We'll speak with him first." Hakuno said.
"Very well, Praetor."
Sometime later, Miyuki was in Sweeties Paradise, a plate of chocolate cake sitting in front of her on the table as Aaron sat across from her with a cup of tea.
"Miyuki?" He said, looking at the girl, who stared at her treat. "You're not eating."
"Huh? Oh… sorry…" Miyuki murmured.
"Are you still upset about what happened?" Aaron asked quietly.
"A little…" She answered as she took her fork and gingerly ate some of her cake.
"Look, I know things are gonna be difficult for the first few weeks, but you'll eventually get used to it." Aaron replied as he sipped his drink. "Trust me, in my line of work, getting first-hand experience can be a bitch." He remembered all the countless times he had fought in battles against monsters that should've killed him but he managed to survive through sheer tenacity and willpower.
"Well, what can I expect from being… y'know." Miyuki gestured to her newly reincarnated status as a Devil.
"Well, you're definitely stronger than normal people. You'll age slower than them too by at least ten times the amount. You'll have magic as well. Durable as hell too."
"I can… really do that?"
"To my knowledge, yes. Like I said, I don't have all the answers. Rias can help you with that." Aaron replied.
"Right…" Miyuki muttered as she quietly ate her dessert. Aaron sighed softly. He knew that she had to come to terms with what she is now, but… he didn't think she would take it this badly.
"Listen, I know this isn't what you expected for yourself but this is reality." The crimson-eyed hunter remarked. "I wish it weren't but it is."
"I know…"
"Come on, cheer up. I don't like it when you're sad. I prefer you either smiling or getting angry at me." Aaron told her.
"I…" Miyuki trailed off, but sighed softly as she stood up from her seat. "I'm sorry… I just can't. I need to be alone… thanks for the dessert." She said, before leaving.
Aaron watched the brunette Devil girl go and sighed, "This is harder than I thought." He said to himself.
"Master? Is something wrong?" He heard Saber's voice.
Turning around, the young man was met with the sight of Saber… dressed in a maid outfit that hugged her curves quite well and left little to the imagination.
"I will never understand why Philip-san made you and Berserker wear those costumes." Aaron said as he stared at the Servant's attire.
"But aren't I cute, Master~?" Saber cooed, before leaning towards him with fluttering eyes.
"Well, uh…" The dark-haired teen involuntarily swallowed the saliva gathering in his throat as he took in the pale lilac-haired woman's cleavage in front of his face.
"Master, my eyes are up here~" Saber teased.
"I know! It's just-" He tried to speak but the words just wouldn't form in his mouth. All he could think about was how sexy Saber looked in that outfit. Granted, she was beautiful in her kimono but this was the first time he actually appreciated seeing her feminine charms. How the top gave her breasts a firm squeeze or how the skirt (small as it is) allowed him a good view of her… shall we say, unmentionables?
"Oho~ Master's a per~vert."
"I am not!" Aaron shouted, his face red as his eyes.
"Mhm?" Berserker grunted as she came over, dressed in a similar maid outfit to Saber. Though since she didn't have Saber's *ahem* proportions, she's gotten a bit of a cuter aspect, especially whenever she would tilt her head like a curious dog. Lot of guys (and some girls) enjoyed that.
"Uh well, that is uh… ahem!" Aaron cleared his throat. "Look, you two should get back to work."
Saber continued to give her Master that sly smirk of hers while Berserker only looked confused, tilting her head cutely.
"Come now, girls!" Philip-san said as he poked his head out of the kitchen. The feminine man wearing a French chef's hat on his head. "You can play around with Aaron-kun later. We have orders to fulfill, toot sweet!"
"Hai, Philip-san!" Saber answered to her new boss.
Funny story, Aaron had brought his Servants into Sweeties Paradise (in casual clothing, mind you) after school and asked Philip-san if he could spare some openings for them. Naturally, the feminine man agreed, mostly because he found Saber and Berserker adorable, especially when he gave them their new 'work uniforms' and asked them to wait and serve the customers. Unexpectedly, their mere presence brought in several male customers that usually avoid the bakery. Aaron was thankful that his boss now had more workers and he had more money coming in thanks to his Servants. But what he didn't like was how some of the male customers would try to sneak peeks under their skirts or even be bold enough to grope them. That led to some… shall we say, visits to the hospital?
"Feed… Master… sweets… later…" Berserker mumbled, before going back to do her job.
"I'm gonna get sick later if she feeds me sweets." Aaron groaned. "She's like one of those dutiful Japanese wives. A nadeshiko, I think they're called." He then looked back out the window. "Still… what am I gonna do with Miyuki?"
Meanwhile…
The reincarnated Devil girl, Miyuki Hyoudou, was wandering the streets. Her destination unknown and her mind clouded with the revelation of her new life.
It wasn't farfetched to say that she was depressed about hearing how she was basically immortal. Not in the physical sense but in the age sense. That meant all of her relatives and friends would grow old and perish while she remained as young as ever. Her father, her mama, even her cousin. They would all be gone from her life."
She needed proper answers and the only one who would know more about this Devil business… was her senpai, Rias Gremory.
But… would she be able to talk to her? Given her situation, Rias could be understanding, but even if she was, there was no possible way that she could even reverse the effects. Her hopes of being human again were now a pipe dream.
Her thoughts drifted to Aaron. That same self-centered, idiotic jerk of a boy with a heart of gold. He accepted her like it was normal. In that moment, when she and him were alone as she cried her eyes out while his strong arms hugged and comforted her, she felt… warm. Like nothing could ruin how happy she felt that she still had someone who would accept her for who she is.
Now all she wanted were answers. Answers to questions that eluded her in her new reincarnated life.
"Miyuki?"
She turned around and saw a familiar red-head standing there. "Rias… senpai?"
"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Rias asked.
"I…" Miyuki trailed off, before looking down in sadness. "Is it true? Did you reincarnate me into a Devil?"
The redhead's blue-green eyes widened for a second before they settled, "I see Aaron already explained your new situation then. Yes, I was the one who reincarnated you."
"I see… I thought for sure that was all a dream… but now…" She choked as she hugged herself and tears streamed down her eyes. Rias immediately approached her and pulled Miyuki for an embrace.
"I'm so sorry, Miyuki. I never wished to have such a burden be placed on you. But it was the only way to save your life."
"Why me? Why did it have to be me?" Miyuki sobbed.
"You just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, that's all. It was never your fault." Rias said soothingly.
"No, that can't be right… I followed Aaron and that Fallen Angel that was disguised." Miyuki shook her head. "All because I was jealous that Aaron wasn't…"
Rias raised a delicate brow, "Wasn't what?" She inquired.
"I… I…"
"C'mon, you can tell me…"
"I… I was starting to like him… despite being a jerk… he wasn't… all that bad…" Miyuki sniffled.
"And because of that, when you saw that girl, he wasn't paying attention to you." Rias finished.
"See? I told you my jealousy got me killed…" Miyuki whimpered.
"No, it just means you didn't want anyone else to have him." Rias corrected.
"But still…"
"Come now, no more crying." Rias said, wiping Miyuki's eyes. "Look, I know things are going to be different from here on out. But you have Aaron, me, and the other members of my Peerage that will help you adjust. You just need to take things one at a time. One foot in front of the other."
Miyuki sniffled a few times as she wiped her tears. "Alright… thank you."
Rias smiled, "You're welcome." Then she clapped her hands together. "Now how about we go and introduce you to the rest of your Peerage mates?"
"Okay…"
"Haaaaaaaaaaa… still no answer…" Aaron said as he looked at his cell phone and had called Miyuki for the fifth time.
His Servants were busy working at Sweeties Paradise while he marched off and sat on a bench in the park; the same park that marked the end of Miyuki's human life. It was strange but the hunter had wandered into the site for no reason that could be considered coherent. Was it because he felt guilty for failing her? Or maybe it was because the scent of blood was still strong to his nose.
"Damn, why am I here guilt tripping myself? Miyuki's alive… so-to-speak… but why am I still here?" Aaron asked no one in particular. He sniffed the air before his face contorted in annoyance. "Che… I can still smell her blood… but why?"
"I wonder about that myself."
Aaron suddenly stood up and got in a fighting stance. But who he saw was someone he didn't expect. "Hakuno?"
The cousin of Miyuki Hyoudou stood before him. However, something felt different from her. Despite the impassive look on her face, Aaron recognized something in her eyes. They were hardened from trials of combat and laced with unmatched steel that few Hunters could ever possess.
"I have some questions to ask you, Jaeger-san." Hakuno said. It didn't sound like a question but a state of fact. She was going to get her answers. The method of how… that's what kept Aaron on guard.
"What are you-"
"Don't try to lie your way out of this one, Jaeger-san. I want the truth and nothing but the truth." She said sternly.
Aaron narrowed his eyes, his hand brushing against the grip of a hidden knife in his jacket sleeve. "And if I refuse?" He inquired.
"You don't have a choice. So I'm going to ask nicely and your answer better count. What exactly happened to my cousin?"
"Hm, you'll have to be a little clearer on that." He said coyly before he pulled out the knife and threw it at her. The small weapon sailed true towards its target and would've been a kill shot… if something bright red didn't appear out of nowhere and literally smashed the knife into tiny shards. "What the-!"
"Goodness, Praetor! I leave you alone for two minutes and here you are already causing trouble!"
"I was trying the diplomatic approach, Saber." Hakuno said to the voice. "It's not my fault that they always react quite impulsively."
"Saber?" Aaron repeated before his eyes widened. "Oh fuck-!" He quickly reached for the hidden Grail in his jacket.
"Caster, restrain him!"
"WHAT?!" The hunter exclaimed before he suddenly found small slips of paper with strange writing on his body. "Oh fuck me!" The next thing he knew, he had lost all manner of feeling in his body. "Gh… can't… move…!" He gritted his teeth, trying to move his limbs then from out of nowhere, two Servants appeared.
One was a blond-haired young girl of short but curvy stature with pale skin, yellow-ish blonde hair in a complex bun with a cowlick and bright lime green eyes. She dresses in a revealing red and white dress with long poofy sleeves, a transparent front, leotard, and knee high golden armored boots.
The other was a therianthrope being, with the appearance of a human possessing fox characteristics such as the ears and tail. And she has yellow eyes and long pink hair that she keeps tied up. She wore a risqué blue-black kimono that looked similar to a Shrine Maiden but she also wore long, thin geta stockings and geta sandals.
"Ehe~ cutie captured, mikon~" Caster winked.
"Now then, are you going to make this harder than it is, or are you going to answer my question?" Hakuno glared at Aaron, crossing her arms.
"Uh… is this the part where we do the good cop, bad cop routine?" He asked, mainly because he was a little jumpy that there was another Master besides him.
"This is no routine. I just need my questions answered, and you're going to answer them whether you like it or not." Hakuno said. "So if I were you, I'd start talking now."
"Oh yeah? What're you gonna do? Kill me? Pretty shitty way to get answers."
"I have… other methods."
A cold shiver of fear crawled down his spine when she said those words and Aaron had a funny feeling that one of those methods involved maiming. But where on his body that particular method would be referring to… had him answer swiftly, "I'll tell you anything you want."
"Good."
"This… is where the Peerage hang out?" Miyuki asked as she and Rias were standing in front of the old school building.
"Well, where else did you expect us to be? The mall?" Rias asked with a coy smile.
"Well…"
"Too many humans with prying ears. Come on, let's meet the others and get you settled into your role as a Pawn."
"Right…"
With a snap of fingers, a magic circle appeared below their feet, much to Miyuki's surprise. She held onto Rias for dear life as it glowed brighter and they were suddenly transported to the inside of the old school building and inside, Akeno, Yuuto, and Koneko were there.
"Okay Miyuki, you can let go now. It's over." Rias giggled.
Miyuki opened one eye and realized she was still alive then glared at her senior, "Warn me next time when you do that! I'm still new to this magic crap!"
"Buchou, we didn't expect you to return so soon and with our newest member as well." The voice of Rias's Knight, Yuuto, said with his charming boyish smile.
'Oh my god, it's-'
*BZZZZZZT!*
"Ow!" Miyuki's head suddenly jolted in pain as she held her head with both hands. "What just happened?!"
"Let me guess, you thought of the Man Above, didn't you?" Yuuto asked, his smile still present. "That's a side effect of being a Devil. You say the G word, you get a migraine."
"Oh, now you tell me. Good God-"
*BZZZZZZZZZZZT!*
"ITAAAAAAI!"
"Baka…" Koneko mumbled.
"Ara, ara~, our adorable new Pawn just can't seem to help herself. Perhaps I should give her a big hug to help soothe the pain?" Akeno suggested in a way that sounded quite provocative and inappropriate.
"Da-me, Akeno." Rias pouted.
"Eh~? Why not?" Akeno complains childishly.
"You know exactly why."
Akeno pouted, "You never let me have any fun."
"Is there anything else I should know?" Miyuki sighed wearily.
Rias sat at her desk, folding her legs and crossing her fingers together, "Well, I suppose you already know the basics of being a Devil, yes?"
"Sort of, yeah." Miyuki nodded.
"Then allow me to explain the basis of being in a Peerage. Being in a Peerage is like being part of a chess set. I am the King, which means I control this Peerage. Akeno is my Queen, making her easily one of my most powerful pieces. Yuuto is a Knight, they're quick on their feet but have rather poor endurance. Koneko is a Rook, they're incredibly strong and durable but their agility and speed are quite low. Bishops are proficient with magic but their physical offense and defense are left to be desired."
"So then… What are the Pawns?" Miyuki asked.
"Well, to be frank, they're generally the weakest piece but they have the opportunity to advance their piece to any other piece, except for King. So even if they are considered weak, they're also wildcards." Rias finished her explanation.
"I see. So… where are the other Pawns?"
"Well, that's the thing. In order to save you, I used all eight Pawns." Rias said.
"All eight of them? Why?"
"Because we believe you have a Sacred Gear. I'm sure you're somewhat familiar with that?"
"Um… like Aaron's Grail gun thing?"
"Not exactly. He explained to us that it was… fake, in a sense. But in a conceptually reasonable way, yes. From what I was able to piece together from the amount of Evil Pieces I implanted in you, I think it might be a Twice Critical. A Sacred Gear that boosts your base power to double its strength. Granted, Twice Criticals are more of the common Sacred Gears."
"I see… so… I'm not anything special."
"Not like that. In a way, you are special to me." Rias emphasized. Miyuki blushed out of embarrassment but took comfort in knowing that she was still valued by the Gremory girl. "Well, now that we got that out of the way. I think it's time we get you acquainted with what a Peerage really does." The redheaded beauty said with a cheerful smile. "And that's taking requests from humans!"
"…eh?"
"So let me see if I have this right. You're telling me that my cousin is now a Devil reincarnated due to Rias Gremory making her one using her Evil Pieces, because of some Fallen Angel that tried to target and kill you." Hakuno summarized.
"Yes…" Aaron sighed.
"And you didn't know that would happen."
"Hey, a Hunter I may be but even I don't know everything there is about the supernatural."
"And you're sure it's the truth."
"Nothing but…"
…
…
…
"Caster, let him go."
"Ha~i, Goshujin-sama~!" Caster sang, before the talismans stopped glowing and disappeared, allowing Aaron to move freely again.
"Gahhhh, finally…" He said, popping his joints and neck after being stiff for a while.
"I suppose I should apologize for your treatment. I may not look like it but I care deeply about my cousin. She's like a sister to me." Hakuno told the crimson-eyed hunter.
"Eh, no worries. I would've done the same thing in your shoes." Aaron replied. "Oh, sorry for throwing a knife at you."
"Do that again, and I'll make sure Saber cuts it…" Hakuno said, making Aaron pale considerably.
Figuring what she meant by it, Aaron instinctively held his manhood with both hands. "R-Right. Anyways, care to explain how you got two Servants following you?"
"Easy, I'm a Master."
"Besides the obvious…" Aaron deadpanned. "Does Miyuki even know?"
"Of course not. No one in the Hyoudou family knows. Though we're related by blood, the Kishinami family is still relatively new to Magecraft so we had to keep a tight lid of it from our relatives." Hakuno explained.
"That still doesn't explain why you have Heroic Spirits. The Heaven's Feel has been disbanded despite the proxy wars fought throughout the world."
"I can't exactly explain it myself. A year ago, I was training in my family's Magecraft then suddenly my Command Seals appeared on my hand. Next thing I knew, Saber and Caster were summoned."
Aaron raised a brow, "Just them?"
Hakuno went silent after that.
"You got a Servant from each Container?"
"In a manner of speaking." The impassive brunette replied.
"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose, pondering what form of deity he pissed off in this lifetime to give him such a headache-inducing predicament. "Great, just great… what else? They a part of your harem or something?"
…
…
…
"When did my life become a Japanese anime?" Aaron sighed heavily. "Not to mention, my friend back at Clock Tower is gonna be very pissed now…"
"You have friends?" Hakuno pondered.
"Well… not exactly friends. More like… acquaintances?" Aaron replied, a little unsure of his own answer since those he met not only at the Clock Tower but on his hunts throughout the world all tried to kill him at one point. "In any case, you might as well tell Miyuki everything once she gets back. Because she still needs to sort everything out."
"I'll tell her when I can." Hakuno stated.
The next day…
Miyuki slowly opened her eyes and upon doing so, she found herself in a bedroom, but it wasn't hers. Not only that, she was in her birthday suit. Before she could register what happened, she looked to her left and saw a naked Rias sleeping next to her. A blush slowly crept up on her face as she remembered what happened last night. After being shown the ropes of being a Devil reincarnated, handling all sorts of odd jobs in exchange for energy from their clients, she and Rias had a… passionate night. She remembered vividly of everything that happened.
"Rias… Rias! I'm about to cum! Cum inside me!"
'No way… did I really sleep with Rias?' she thought to herself.
A groan from the redhead beside her drew the brunette's attention as Rias sat up and stretched her body, not really caring that her impressive bust was left bare and nude for her Pawn to see.
"Rias… sen… pai?" Miyuki got out.
"Hm? Oh, good morning."
"Uh… morning…" Miyuki mumbled as she curled up and covered the bottom half of her face with the bed sheet as she blushed. "Did we um…"
"To answer that, yes. Don't worry, you're still a virgin… and so am I." Rias told her Pawn. "But you just seemed so stressed that you needed some fun in your life."
"I'm sorry…" She apologized.
"No, no, don't be." Rias smiled as she combed the brunette's hair gently. "I know everything was overwhelming, but… you're going to be okay, I promise."
"Really? You mean that?" Miyuki asked, looking up at her with a bit of a puppy eye look.
'Goodness, why is she so cute like that?' Rias squealed in her thoughts. She quickly collected herself and said, "Of course. You'll get used to this life soon enough. Everyone does."
"Well… okay. I trust you." Miyuki nodded.
"Good." Rias smiled before laying next to her. "So… how would you like to start the day off? Breakfast? Bath? Or… me?"
"Um…" Miyuki blushed a bit.
Rias giggled, "I'm just playing with you. Come on, we'll have a hot shower then grab a bite to eat."
"Um… actually…" Miyuki as she slowly uncovered the bed sheets to reveal her nude body and slowly spread her legs out. "I wouldn't mind you for a bit…" She said shyly.
The Devil heiress smirked, "Well, since you're willing…" She trailed as she crawled towards Miyuki. "Try not to scream."
"Ara, Miyuki-chan, you're glowing," Akeno blinked as she and the rest of the Peerage saw that she indeed was.
"Hm? Am I?" Miyuki asked, rather chipper.
"Yeah, and you're pretty chipper as well." Yuuto pointed out.
"Really?"
"Hentai…" Koneko deadpanned.
"Now, now, Koneko-chan, no need to be like that." Rias smiled… who was also glowing.
"Oh, Buchou is glowing too." Yuuto commented.
"Alright, everyone. It's time to make some requests for today!" Rias informed her Peerage. "My familiars have already gotten a few offers from some humans so I hope all of you work hard today."
"Hai!" Miyuki answered rather enthusiastically.
"Did something happen between those two?" Yuuto pondered.
"It's best you don't know." Akeno told the Knight.
Since his little talk with Hakuno, Aaron was cautious around the impassive brunette all day. Even at school and at his job, he couldn't stop feeling anxious around her. It was probably because she was a Master with who knows how many Servants at her command.
The young hunter figured that something was going to happen in Kuoh. He had no idea what it could be but it might be related to his current mission. Could there be a Holy Grail War approaching on the horizon? Or is Alaya concerned with something else?
"This is just great…" Aaron grumbled to himself. "I got another Master that's gonna practically stalk me everywhere I go and she's got all seven Containers of Servants to boot too…"
If the two Masters were to ever come to blows with their Servants included, it would be clear who the victor between them would be. Even worse, was that Kuoh will have an entire Grand Holy Grail War on their hands, something that he knows for sure that the Three Great Powers definitely won't like…
"And that's not counting the Mage's Association… and the repercussions of revealing Magecraft to the mundane." Aaron groaned. "I can already hear Lord El-Melloi II chewing out my ass already. Fuckin' A…"
But while the young crimson-eyed hunter was having troubling thoughts, his ears caught a rather interesting predicament.
"Why don't you assholes leave the girl alone already!" A familiar voice shouted.
"Was that Miyuki?" Aaron said to himself.
"Aw, come on, lady. We're just offering to give the foreigner a little tour of our fair town. Is that so wrong?" A sarcastic male voice with a hint of thuggish arrogance questioned.
"And she said no, why don't you fuck off and screw yourselves?!"
"Yep, that's her…" Aaron deadpanned. "Okay, better go save her ass again…" He followed the source of the argument, which grew louder with every curse word that Miyuki threw with enough venom to make a sailor blush.
When he turned the corner, he spotted Miyuki surrounded by a group of men dressed in thuggish clothing. If he were honest, they looked like stereotypical American hooligans. He even spotted two of them with bleach blonde hair.
"The fuck is this? 2005?" Aaron said to himself with a disappointing shake of his head. His crimson gaze landed on the figure behind Miyuki, looking both confused yet frightened at once.
It was a pretty young girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. Her hair flows all the way down to her back, with split bangs over her forehead and a single strand sticking out from the top and sloping backward. Her attire consisted of a dark teal nun outfit with light blue accents, a white veil over her head with light blue accents, a brown satchel slung on her right hip (where she holds her Bible), and brown boots with black straps in an X-shaped pattern. She also wore a silver cross necklace around her neck.
"A nun?" Aaron said to himself. 'And a cute one at that… no, no, no, get that thought out of your head.' He thought, shaking his head furiously. The last time he dealt with a nun, it led to a rather… painful revelation.
"Damn you, Caren…" He muttered under his breath. A phantom pain pulsed on his back and a ghostly sensation chilled his lower legs. "Well, nothing like the present. HEY! ASSHOLES!"
"Huh?" The thugs turned around, looking at the approaching American who had his hands in his pants pockets.
"The lady told you to leave." He told them, giving each of the thugs a scowling glare. "So why don't you make like a tree and leave."
"Hey, look at this prick, he thinks he's tough." One of them scoffed.
"This ain't none of your business anyway." The second one added. "So why don't you follow your own advice."
"Hm, let me think about that…" Aaron adopted a thoughtful posture then he placed a hand on the second thug's shoulder… and gave him a powerful headbutt that broke the man's nose.
"Gah!"
"You son of a-"
*WHACK! POW!*
The first thug was quickly silenced by two distinct punches that struck his jaw and cheekbone. He didn't even have time to cry out as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Blood from his broken nostrils pooling around his face.
"Hey ugly!"
"W-Wha-"
*WHABAM!*
The second thug didn't get a chance to utter a sound as he was kicked right between the legs, courtesy of Miyuki, before falling over.
"Ice this gaijin fuck!" One of the remaining thugs shouted, pointing at Aaron, who was menacingly cracking his knuckles before adopting a fighting stance.
"This will be over quick." He said with a cocky smirk on his face.
The third thug went in with a wild haymaker but Aaron quickly ducked below the punch then sent out a kick to the man's side, knocking him onto the ground. The hunter grabbed the man's bleach blonde hair then delivered a vicious punch that broke the thug's nose and knocked him out.
The next thug that came at him used a lead pipe. Swinging it for his skull, Aaron quickly caught it with one hand then used his other one to backhand the thug across the face. The thug tried to retaliate with an uppercut but the crimson-eyed hunter brought down his elbow. A resounding crack echoed when Aaron's joint made contact with his opponent's fist, shattering and breaking the fingers in misshapen angles. The thug cried out in pain as he held his broken hand before his mewling was silenced by a boot across his head.
"Fucking gaijin!" One of the thugs growled.
"You people really need to get a life." Aaron sighed, before tilting his neck from side-to-side, cracking it in the process. "Now, do you all wanna keep going or are you gonna do as I say and get out of here?"
Seeing as how they were outmatched, the remaining thugs gathered their unconscious and wounded friends before leaving.
"We won't forget this!"
"Watch yourself, asshole!" They warned as the thugs faded from view.
"Buncha pricks…" Aaron groaned, before dusting his hands off and looking at Miyuki and the nun. "You two alright?"
"Yeah, thanks, Aaron," Miyuki said with a nod before she looked back at the nun. "How about you, Asia-chan?"
"Asia?" Aaron raised a brow in confusion.
"I-I'm okay." The nun answered timidly in broken Japanese.
"What exactly happened?" Aaron inquired about the two girls.
"I met Asia a while ago when she was…" Miyuki trailed off as she looked at the nun as if asking for permission.
"It's okay." Asia said, nodding in understanding.
"I saw her healing a kid's scrape." The brunette answered.
"Wait what?" Aaron blinked.
"Yeah, not kidding. Healing, as in White Magic RPG, healing." Miyuki clarified.
Aaron blinked once… twice… three times. Then he said, "Oh."
"That's it? That's all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say? I hunt supernatural stuff for a living. Magic doesn't really surprise me."
"Mmmmmm…" Miyuki pouted with a sweat drop.
"But I digress. At least you two are okay." Aaron said, before looking to the nun. "So your name's Asia, right?"
"Y-Yes. Asia Argento." The blonde nun bowed to him. "It's nice to meet you, Mr…"
"Aaron. Aaron Jaeger." He greeted with a smile. "You just arrive into town?"
"Oh yes, I was trying to locate the church here but I…" Asia paused with an embarrassed blush.
"You got lost, huh?" Aaron said with a look of bemusement. "And those thugs just happened to prey on ya like a lost sheep, so-to-speak."
*STOMP!*
"Ow!" Aaron shouted, after Miyuki stepped on his foot.
"Baka! Don't be rude to Asia-chan!" Miyuki snapped.
"I didn't mean to." Aaron groaned, holding his aching foot.
"Are you hurt? Let me help." Asia said as she dropped to her knees and held her hands over Aaron's aching foot. What came next was a soft glow that emanated from her hands.
"Whoa…" Aaron muttered in slight awe. He could feel the ache slowly turn into a dull throb before it vanished altogether. "What was that?"
Asia retracted her hands and was about to answer before a growling noise came… from her stomach.
"I guess you forgot to eat lunch, huh?" Miyuki asked.
"Mmmm…" Asia blushed in embarrassment.
"Don't worry. I know a good burger joint not far from here." Aaron chuckled as he stood up. "It will fill you right up."
"Burger joint?" Asia repeated as she looked at him confused.
Aaron and Miyuki looked at one another before looking at Asia.
"You… don't know about burgers?" The latter asked.
The nun shook her head.
Aaron and Miyuki looked at each other before comically huddling a few feet away from Asia, confusing her even more. "This is bad… she's a sheltered nun…" Miyuki hissed.
"Whaddya expect? Nuns were disciplined to reject things of the material world." Aaron hissed back.
"But we can't let this go on." Miyuki said.
Aaron nodded, "Then let's take care of this by exposing her to the joys of fast food."
"Right!"
Asia Argento never expected Japan to be so… strange.
Growing up in the Vatican, Asia was taught that God was the only thing she should know. And over the years, those ideals stuck with her. But this also cut her off from the outside world. So imagine her surprise that after she left Italy due to… circumstances, she would travel to the Far East to arrive at a church in Japan. She barely knew the language and had to remember her lessons from her teachers.
She also had a chance to meet new people such as Miyuki Hyoudou, a kind girl who helped her in her hour of need like one of God's angels. Then there was the young man that stopped the dangerous rabble that threatened her, Aaron Jaeger. Though his way of dealing with the thugs was rather… violent, she knew he had a good heart.
But she still couldn't fathom what this strange thing was in front of her. Apparently it was food. A 'burger'. That's what the crimson-eyed boy said it was. Here she was, inside a fast food restaurant, sitting across Miyuki and Aaron. In front of her was a hamburger, with a juicy square patty of cooked beef and a slice of cheese on top. Its condiments consisted of mayonnaise, ketchup, three slices of pickle, two rings of onions, a slice of tomato, and a leaf of lettuce. Off to the side was a basket of french fries and to the right of that was a small cookies 'n creme milkshake.
"You, uh, gonna just stare at that?" Aaron asked her as he ate his French fries.
"I… really don't know how to… eat this." Asia blinked.
"Just pick it up and take a bite. Like this." Miyuki said, picking up her burger with both hands and taking a bite out of it.
Asia contemplated what to do as she timidly picked up the burger, noting how greasy it felt on her fingers before she took a small, experimental bite. Her eyes widened when she tasted the sandwich for the first time. "O-Oh my, this is… this taste… it's… it's…!"
"Good?" Aaron supplied with a smirk.
"Y-Yes," The blonde nun nodded. "My goodness, I never expected this to taste so good. The Lord has graced me with such an exquisite meal."
"Well, don't be shy. Eat as much as you want!" Miyuki smiled.
"Thank you very much." Asia said as she ate her lunch at a slow yet eager pace.
"I call that a mission success." Aaron grinned as he and Miyuki high-fived.
"If you don't mind me asking," Asia said, getting their attention. "Do you know where I may find the local church?"
"That, I can't really help you with." Aaron answered with a shrug.
"Well, I know where it is but…" Miyuki paused. "It's a little… worn?" She tried to say.
"Well, could you show me there? I must get there as soon as possible." Asia said.
"Sure, we can take you there. We'll even take in the sights as we go." Aaron replied.
"Really? You would?" Asia asked.
"Of course. It's your first time here in Kuoh, right? I may be a foreigner myself, but I'll do everything I can to help someone."
"You truly are a messenger of God. Thank you so much." Asia smiled.
"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but… sure~" Aaron smiled sheepishly, scratching his cheek with a finger. "So uh… if you don't mind me asking, what exactly brings you out here to Kuoh?"
"Oh, I…" Asia tried to say but paused. "All I know is that I need to get to the church."
Miyuki didn't seem to think much of it but Aaron's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Well, if you think it might help."
"Thank you. I really appreciate it." The nun said with a smile.
"Well, let's not let this food go to waste." Miyuki said as she went back to eating her burger with Asia following close behind.
However, Aaron continued to have a look of suspicion on the girl.
After lunch, Miyuki took it upon herself to guide her newest friend, Asia, around the town while Aaron followed behind, merely acting as an observer.
Though the girls seemed to be having the time of their lives, the hunter that followed remained suspicious of the nun. It wasn't that he didn't trust her but rather it was how she avoided answering her true reasons in coming to Japan. The Vatican had always been rather fishy to Aaron, especially the Church. They claimed to follow the beliefs of God but it was still an organization made by men. And humans were flawed creatures. There's no telling what sort of motive might be behind Asia's arrival but Aaron kept his guard up all the same.
*BZZZZZZT*
Or at least he was until his phone began to buzz in his pocket. Aaron swiftly took it out and answered, "Hello?"
"Aaron-chan~! Sorry to call you on your day off but I need your help at the store." The voice of his boss, Philip-san, came from the receiver.
Aaron winced but answered all the same, "Alright, I'll be there as soon as possible."
"Who was that?" Miyuki asked.
"That was Philip-san. Apparently, he needs my help at the bakery." Aaron answered as he clapped his hands together. "So sorry. As much as I don't wanna leave two lovely ladies alone, I do need the job after all."
"Oh no, I understand." Asia smiled easily. "You go ahead and make peace with that. Ms. Miyuki here will keep me company." Aaron nodded and gave both girls a farewell salute before he took off to his part-time job to assist his boss. "What a strange man."
"Yeah, be lucky you don't know everything about him." Miyuki said dryly.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Asia pondered, tilting her head cutely.
"It's nothing. Come on, you still needed to go to that church, right?" The brunette told her new friend.
"Oh, yes. Please, lead on." Asia said with a bright smile.
Miyuki nodded with a smile as she led the nun through the town, stopping every once and a while to explain to her what different buildings were present.
Eventually, after traversing the town, they came upon the outskirts of the town… and the 'church' as well.
"This place… is broken down." Miyuki said in surprise.
"This is where I'm supposed to go." Asia stated.
"You can't be serious!? This church is a dump!" The brunette exclaimed.
"Please do not say such things." Asia glared lightly at Miyuki. The brunette couldn't help but feel a bit shocked that she would have this… new attitude. "It doesn't matter what state it is in. It is God's house regardless."
"Uh, sorry?" Miyuki said in surprise. "I'll… keep my comments to myself."
"Regardless, I appreciate what you've done for me, Miyuki-san." Asia told the Devil girl. She bowed politely, "Thank you for your help. May God's love be with you." She opened the door and entered the wrecked church.
"Well… guess… I'll go home now…" Miyuki said, before turning around to leave. "Great, I made a bitch of myself towards Asia… what am I doing?" Suddenly, her cell phone began to ring. "Hello?" She answered. "Aaron? Yes, I dropped off-" She paused when she heard her friend talk over the phone. "Wait, what did Philip-san want me to do?"
"I told you she'd be pissed." Aaron told his boss.
"But doesn't she look adorable in that outfit?" Philip-san told his employee while placing both his hands on his cheeks.
"Seriously, what the hell?!" Miyuki snapped, as she was dressed in a maid uniform. "Why do I have to wear this?"
"Philip-san wanted more customers so he thought the shop needed more cuteness." Aaron told her. "Plus, Musashi and Fran are on break." He gestured behind him.
Sitting at a table while sipping on some tea with Saber greeting the brunette Devil girl with a wave, "Hey." She said.
"For the record, I didn't agree to it." The crimson-eyed teen added.
"Still… why me?" Miyuki pouted.
"Because you're the cutest girl around here that I know." Philip-san told her. "Plus, it was to see if Aaron-chan would admit that you looked cute in that outfit."
"Haaaaaah?!" Miyuki gawked.
"So that's your reason, huh?" Aaron deadpanned, with a sweatdrop, while twitching an eyebrow.
"Can you really fault me for that?" The feminine man giggled.
"Yes/Yeah." Aaron and Miyuki said in unison.
Philip-san pouted. "You two are such spoiled sports."
"And who's fault is that?" Aaron retorted.
"…Don't make me dock more of your pay than it already is." Philip-san 'smiled', making Aaron shudder.
"Why must you make my life difficult?"
The following day, Miyuki was answering a job request that Rias had sent her on. She decided to keep her meeting with Asia a secret since she figured her King would be in an unpleasant mood if she knew her new friend was from the Church.
Thankfully, once she was finished with this job, she could go home and also forget that embarrassing day dressed as a maid.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Miyuki called out as she entered the lonely guy's apartment after finding that the door was opened. However, upon entering, she scrunched her nose after smelling something foul. "Ugh… what the hell…" She muttered in disgust. "Is this guy a huge NEET or-" She stopped mid-sentence when she picked up another scent off her nose.
Blood.
The trail from that blood led to something equally horrifying.
It was a man's body, strung up like Jesus Christ himself, if Jesus had his innards dropping from a wide cut in his gut along with a few lacerations and holes on his skin. He looked to have been recently killed but he smelled like charbroiled meat.
Miyuki almost screamed her head off, if not for her falling on her butt.
"Oh? Another shitty Devil worshipper?" A mockingly sociopathic voice ringed in Miyuki's ear canal. "I was getting tired of waiting for their devil contract to show up." A voice called out. As sitting on the chair nearby was what looked to be a priest. He had on the usual black robes with a cross around his neck, short, pale blonde hair and piercing dark blue eyes, but in his hand was a bloody blade.
"Y-You did this?" Miyuki got out, before noticing his attire. "Y-You're a priest… how could you-"
"This piece of shit…" The priest unceremoniously kicks the dangling corpse. "Was a sinner to God," He told her with a crazed smile on his face. "So I decided to put him out of his misery for calling upon a shitty Devil."
"You bastard…!"
"How dare you! My father was great! Well… he was before I had to put him down. He just wouldn't say no to retirement." The priest shrugged.
"What!?" Miyuki exclaimed in horror.
"But enough talk." The mad priest said with a shrug as he pulled out a silver handle then pressed a button and a blade of light sprung out. "Think you can handle facing an Exorcist?"
"Exorcist…?" Miyuki gasped.
"That's right!" He said before bowing, "The name's Freed Sellzen, at your service. And it's my job to get rid of you pests!" The crazed priest looked at Miyuki hungrily. "Now let's hear your screams, my cute shitty Devil!"
The Exorcist lunged at Miyuki, slashing his sword of light at the Devil girl.
The girl had no choice but to spread her Devil Wings and dodge the incoming attack. "Hahahahahaha! I fucking knew you were a shitty Devil!"
"Shut up! I didn't do shit when I showed up here!"
"It don't fucking matter! My job involves you dying! But don't worry, seeing how cute you look, I might have a little fun with you first." Freed said as he gave the brunette a once over.
"Ugh, go fuck yourself!" Miyuki shouted before lunging forward and punched him square in the face, sending him flying and crashing into the wall.
"Oooh, that felt good. Now it's your turn." Freed smirked as he kicked off the wall and landed a cut on Miyuki's stomach. The light from the blade actually hurt as in it burnt like magma.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
"Hahahahahahaha! Yes! That's it! Scream! It's music to my ears!" Freed laughed insanely.
"AAAHHHH!" A new shriek cried out, causing the teen to turn his head to see… Asia?!
"A-Asia?" Miyuki got out.
"Ugh… Asia. I thought I told you to set up the barrier." Freed sighed.
"W-What are you doing?" Asia stuttered.
"What does it look like? I took care of these devil lovers and the devil they summoned."
"H-How could you!" Asia cried out. "They were innocent people!"
"Innocent? Girl, they summoned a devil. They lost all rights to be called 'innocent' and even 'people'." He rolled his eyes. "Sides, I still get to kill this ant and have some fun too!" He claimed, pointing his blade at the brunette.
"M-Miyuki?"
"Ho~? You know this devil?" Freed questioned.
"What?" Asia gasped again.
"I'm sorry Asia…" Miyuki muttered as she struggled to get up. "I never told you… I lost my life to a Fallen Angel and was reincarnated as a Devil after…"
"Hehe… HAHAHAHA!" Freed cackled loudly, "Oh this is rich!" He said, looking to the teen, "You two met, and you didn't tell her? Oh, how rich this is! Talk about the false ideals of 'friendship'. You're just like any other devil. A being who lies for their own gain."
"Shut the hell up! Asia is my friend! The hell would you know?!"
He soon smirked as he walked over to Asia, "Asia, my dear. I think you should be the one to end this devil." He said, handing her the light blade.
"W-What?" Asia gasped.
"You were brought to me to fulfill the Church's wishes to be an Exorcist. So, what better way to prove your faith by slaying this devil."
"Don't listen to him, Asia…" Miyuki said. "He's just using you!"
"Asia. Don't you want God to love you? Don't you want him to forgive you for the sin you did?"
"What are you talking about?" Miyuki demanded.
"Why, she didn't tell you either? Oh this is just wonderful!" He cackled before placing his hands on Asia, "You want to know why she was sent here from the Church? To be an exorcist than a nun?"
"Please… don't…" Asia pleaded.
"Why, it's because she healed a Devil." Freed answered with a grin. "Think about it. A nun, a member of the Church healed a Devil. Why, that should be impossible. Yet she did and made a grave sin… no thanks to her Sacred Gear…"
"Sacred Gear…?" Miyuki gasped.
"Correct. So, in fear of her power, they sent her to me so I can cleanse her of her sin and let her continue to be with the Church." Freed smirked, "Now Asia. Kill this devil and all of your sins and transgressions will be wiped clean."
"Don't do it, Asia! He's just manipulating you for his own agenda!"
"Do it. You want to be with the Church and a Nun, right? Then this is the only way." Freed said.
"I… I…" Asia got out.
"It's what God would want, Asia."
"Like Hell that's what He wants!" Miyuki snapped. "You think killing people here is what God wants?!"
"It's for the greater good. To keep people safe from you devils."
"Bullshit!"
"Come on Asia. The quicker you end this devil's life, the quicker you can be a Nun. Maybe even the next Pope?" Freed said, offering her that idea.
"Asia, no!"
"Keep quiet." Freed kicked Miyuki in the stomach.
"I… I…" Asia got out, only to close her eyes, as she raised the sword… But soon dropped it and dropped to the ground on her knees, "I can't…"
"Tch…" Freed scoffed.
"She was so kind to me… She helped me when I arrived and was so nice… I couldn't kill someone with such a kind heart…" Asia said.
"Asia…" Miyuki muttered.
"You filthy wench." Freed frowned in disgust, smacking her across the face.
"Kyah!"
"Asia!"
"I knew it was going to be trouble when I heard about you. So I thought by making you into an Exorcist, I could use you. But no…" Freed frowned, hitting her again, "You had to have a 'good heart'. Ugh… this is why I left the stupid Church. Too many goodie two-shoes. And you're nothing but a burden. Heh, no wonder why you're abandoned. Your parents knew how worthless you were." He insulted.
*BANG!*
"Eh?" Freed blinked, before looking to see that there was a large gunshot wound to his left arm. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
"It's one thing that you're a hypocritical priest." A familiar voice said, as a familiar person stepped into the room. "But it's another when you go spouting that kind of shit from your mouth. Especially when you're talking about a sweet innocent nun."
"Aaron!" Miyuki gasped. "How did you-"
"Got a call from the Vatican. Gave me info that a rogue Exorcist was loose around here." Aaron replied as he spun a SIG Sauer .45 handgun in his hand. "So now here I am cleaning up their mess."
"You son of a-"
*BANG!*
"GAHHHHHHHH!"
"Shut up." Aaron cut off before pointing the weapon at the rogue priest's head. "Because you pissed me off in a very bad way, I'm gonna give you the biggest ass-whuppin' of a lifetime."
"You fucker! Who the hell do you think you are?!" Freed snarled, holding his bleeding wound.
"Uh, I'm the guy hired to kill you. What part of the Vatican gave me a call did you not understand, dumbass?"
"Why you-!"
"Miyuki, get Asia out of here. I'll handle this prick."
"Are you… sure?"
"Yeah. I can take him. Go."
Miyuki was hesitant at first, but nodded, before going over to the nun, "C'mon, we have to go."
"But what about…" Asia tried to say as she looked at Aaron with worry.
"Don't worry. He's a tough nut to crack." Miyuki said, before carrying her bridal style and spreading her wings. Asia couldn't help but blush a little bit seeing how she was being carried, before they flew off.
"Get back-"
*BANG!*
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGH!"
"Just shut up and die already, will ya?" Aaron groaned. "I wanna go home and eat my dinner."
Not long after escaping from that hellhole, Miyuki decided to take Asia back to her place. With a quick explanation to her parents and using her powers to make sure they stay convinced, Asia was taken into the home and in Miyuki's bedroom and Asia used her Sacred Gear to heal Miyuki's wounds. During the process, Asia stayed silent throughout the whole thing.
"Is it true…?" Miyuki finally asked.
"…"
"Is what that priest said true?"
"…yes," The blonde nun answered timidly.
"Did you even know that person was a Devil?"
"No…"
Miyuki was silent for a while, before hugging the nun. "I'm sorry… I never knew…"
"How could you? I didn't exactly talk about myself." Asia replied.
"No, but… I could tell there was a part of you that didn't want to. Call it a gut feeling…" Miyuki said, before breaking the hug to look at her. "You, having to carry that burden all this time, I can't imagine what you're going through. Well… actually maybe a little bit."
"Huh?"
"I mean like… it's hard to explain, but… that feeling when everything doesn't feel right and try all you can to make it right… when you're trying to come to terms with what you have… it eats away at you. The longer you can't accept it, the more you're unsure of yourself. In a way, you're kinda like me."
"Eh?"
"When I was reincarnated into a Devil… My whole life turned upside down. I didn't know what to do. I was so overwhelmed by what I am and I… for a while, I couldn't accept what I was. But… Aaron and someone else, helped me come to terms with that. The more I accepted, the more it became easier for me and… things eventually turned out okay. Meeting you is one of the positives."
Asia smiled despite how embarrassed she felt, "I'm glad, Miyuki-san."
"Hm?"
"I'm glad to have met you as well." Asia said, before holding Miyuki's hands with her own. "Ever since I met you and Mr. Aaron, I've been exposed to many new and wonderful things that I have been sheltered to. Surely it must've been God's will for us to meet. Because of you two, I made wonderful memories. Something I will always cherish."
"Asia… are you… confessing your love to me?" Miyuki teased.
"Huh? Uh, well, I love things about you." Asia replied, a bit unsure.
'Yeah, she's really sheltered…' Miyuki thought with a sweat drop. 'Well, nothing a little more exposure can't fix.' She then shook her head. "Never mind. Uhh… why don't I show you to the bathroom? You definitely could use a bath. And… so do I."
"Oh yes, thank you." Asia said with a smile. And with that, the two of them made their way to freshen up. Little did they know, tomorrow was going to be something to not look forward to.
A/N: And that's the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
And before you say anything, I had nothing to do with the adult stuff. That was my co-writer who assisted me.
Hakuno has revealed herself as a Master and apparently, she has all seven main classes of Servants. We already know who Saber and Caster are but what about the remaining five? You'll have to take a guess, my faithful readers.
So now we have everyone's favorite nun and everyone's hated priest. What will happen in the next chapter? Nobody knows… or do you?
Review and comment on this chapter. Like it, hate it, but just know that you've read it.
Peace out, everyone!