AN: Wish I had a reason for why it took so long for this chapter to get out, but sadly it was mostly a matter of me telling myself almost everyday I'd get on it, only to realize at the end of the day that I had gotten to caught up in reading fanfiction to write it. Sorry guys. Anyway, Hanna really ran away from me with this chapter. This wasn't at all what I vaguely had planned for it when I started writing.

Review Responses:

monzepelmoon- (Technically you commented last chapter, and I meant to respond but it slipped my mind) Damn you Shade! Always adding new NW images to your favorites, and now you drag your poor sibling into the mess I've made?! Ya I see you over there, stalking, getting all up over my shit. monzepelmoon, I don't know what she's told you, but it's lies, all lies, and your sister is a terrible influence. But seriously, you people be crazy, enjoy the rambling mess I spew out. Glad you like it so much though. And Nerds rule. End of story.

Merlenyn-Marzanna has a bit of a struggle ahead of her when it comes to what she had to do. It was different when she killed the PKer that tried to kill Kirito before, he'd been trying to kill her mate, it had been in Kirito's defence, so she sorta has her soulmate instincts protecting her from that one. These ones though, weren't in Kirito's defence, they've hit her fully, it's worse seeing as not only did she kill people, but you also have to take into account the beliefs her family has taught her regarding humans. On that note, it won't be her family she finds comfort in, at least not yet. As for a meeting with Kikuoka, it just wasn't shown, and with the fact she and her mate just took a total of seven lives combined, so she wouldn't have given Kikuoka anything more than the vaguest details. So I don't think there would've been much of a scene there, either to write or to read.

It really does 'serve him right', and their next act of revenge will be even more deserved. Ya, the bad luck curse won't actually kill him, but that's about it. There's a big difference between 'kill' and 'permanent mutilation' after all... the loss of an arm for instance or maybe... Say, someone's manhood... You know just... throwing that out there...

Oh ya, Voldy's almost completely in the dark about the current state of Potter affairs. He and Dumbledore were seriously pissed at Mike for no longer being as predictable, at least to them.

Ooooohh no, she ain't getting out of it this time, not with Mike's new(er) Heir to Ancient and Royal family status backing him.

I love the twins, but you've gotta admit, they were a bit cocky about their surety their business would be successful. They really didn't leave themselves options, and that's always bothered me.

There was a reason for Mike's satisfied grin, and it wasn't just because he was glad she was getting what she deserved.

That's a very good assumption and quite correct on what he'd be feeling and thinking. It'll most like be mentioned at least in passing. Hanna isn't against people teasing Kirito, as long as it isn't malicious or go to far, the only problems she had with Asuna was when she was being a workaholic slave driver, or when she's being a bipolar bitch.

I just didn't have them call because of timezone differences. Besides, why bother figuring out those differences when you've got a owl whose mostly ok with making deliveries for you and can teleport?

fairygirl90- Ha! You're as crazy as Shade is! Glad you enjoy it though. I'll definitely go as far as the show does, but I'm still not sure about the novels. Though I've read some of them, I haven't read them all, so I'd have to do that if I'm going to continue past the anime.

DA Exodus- I'm glad that despite your misgivings you came to like it! I'm still working the scene that Marzanna tells Kazuto about her Nephilim heritage. As I've told Merlenyn, I keep getting inspiration for it, start to write it, then hate how it starts turning out. I can't even remember how many times I've rewritten it already, but I finally made some progress last time I worked in it, and finally started to like how it was turning out. Hopefully, it meets your expectations when we get there.

Biblio388- I'm really glad you like it! As for Laughing Coffin, to be honest, I'm usually of the same opinion. People who murder and torment innocents don't get any sympathy from me personally, but this is Marzanna who's dealing with it, not me or you. As a character, it wouldn't make sense for her to be ok with it at all. For the majority of her life, she's been taught that as someone who's physically superior to humans in basically every way, -speed, strength, durability, natural healing, you name it-, that it's wrong for her take advantage of her physical superiority and harm them. It would basically be bullying taken to extremes. So, as a character, I can't see her not having a problem with it. As I told Merlenyn, the only reason this didn't happen with the first PKer she killed, was because she was defending her mate, her instincts basically protect her from that one. This is not the case for the Laughing Coffin members she killed during the raid though. I hope this doesn't come off as rude or patronizing, that isn't my intention at all even though reading it back over it comes off like that to me, but I'm just trying to explain my reasoning behind this choice to you.

August 25th, 2024- 659 days since SAO launch:

Hanna sighed tiredly then took a sip of her tea. She and Kirito had been at Lizbeth's shop when Asuna came in and invited Lizbeth over for dinner. Then somehow, as they were talking while Lizbeth was finishing her maintenance on their weapons, she and Kirito had gotten roped into going as well. Asuna's place was a nice size, and rather cozy, if a bit impersonal for Hanna's liking. They'd had dinner, and Asuna had shown that unlike them she not only could cook but was amazing at it, to Kirito's delight. The conversation had been surprisingly lighthearted, given Asuna was involved. Then again, Hanna had noticed that she hadn't been as harsh as of late.

Two hours of astonishingly pleasant conversation later, they'd noticed that Kirito had fallen asleep on the couch. Realizing how late it was, Lizbeth left for the night. Asuna had kindly allowed her and Kirito to stay, since Kirito was already passed out on her couch anyway. She wasn't quite ready to attempt falling asleep, though, and it seemed Asuna wasn't either, as she'd offered her some tea, which led her back to now. She and Asuna quietly drinking tea while Kirito slept next to her on the couch.

Her gaze turned away from her tea to her mate, and she absently reached out to brush his bangs out of his face. She was a bit startled when Asuna quietly murmured, "I really don't know how he can fall asleep so easily. Especially after-" her grip on her tea cup tightened, "...After Laughing Coffin…"

Hanna turns her gaze back to Asuna, taking in the tired look that had been in her eyes since that day, "You've been having problems sleeping as well, huh?" It was more of a statement then a question, but Asuna nodded anyway. Hanna looked back at Kirito, then sighed again, "He's completely pushed it away. He's not dealing with it at all…. To be honest, I'm worried about him…. He may have pushed it out of his conscious mind, but I can guarantee you it's still eating at him, even if it's subconscious…. It will catch up with him, and it'll be so much worse when it does….."

Asuna shoots a worried look at Kirito, then turns her gaze down to her tea cup with a sigh, "There's nothing to be done about it though, is there?"

Hanna shakes her head. For a few minutes, silence settles over them. Hanna's mind goes back to the last time it had just been the three of them alone. It had been when they'd seen Griselda's ghost, hadn't it? Things hadn't been so bad back then, but she supposed that was just how time worked. You never knew what turn life would take you on next.

As she thought that day over, Hanna abruptly realized something. Straightening up, she eyed Asuna thoughtfully. She hadn't realized how long she'd been staring until Asuna shifted, "Err… Yes?"

Hanna glanced away, flushing lightly in embarrassment, "... I was thinking about when we saw Griselda…."

Asuna shifted nervously, "Oh? What about it?"

Hanna absently rubbed at her lower lip as she tried to figure out how to ask, "Err… This may seem like a strange question, it may even sound like complete nonsense to you if you don't know what I'm talking about but….. Are you- That is-" Oh, how was she supposed to say this? She supposed the best way would be to ask about an international affair, but the most recent one she could think of that Asuna would definitely know about if her suspicion was right was World War Two. She cleared her throat, "So, this will be confusing if you don't know what I'm talking about, and it's probably a strange way to ask what I'm trying to ask even if you do, but… Have you ever heard the name 'Grindelwald'?"

Asuna jerks at that staring at her wide eyed for a minute, "You're a magical too?" Then she glances at Kirito, "Is-"

"No. At least, not yet anyway. Sorry, that was probably a really weird way to ask, but I didn't know how else…" She sighs again, "I suppose it doesn't matter. So you are a magical?"

Asuna nods, "Yeah, I am." She shrugs, "And I suppose it was a weird way to ask, but it works. He may have been defeated in the 1940's, but as the most dangerous international terrorist in magical history, he's not about to be forgotten anytime soon. And what exactly do you mean, Kirito's not a magical yet?"

Hanna sighs, "Second dangerous now, actually. I… have a twin brother. Our bond lets us communicate, despite me being stuck here. I don't know how familiar you are with the British terrorist Voldemort, but he's back. He did some… incredibly foul black magic to make himself immortal. He's been labeled an international terrorist now, from my understanding…. As for Kirito…" She blushes and glances away, "I don't know how much you know about soulmates, but there's a portion of everyone's mind that's there from birth, it's basically where their mate's mind and your own connect. Anyone who can access their own mindscape can find it. At first it appears as a ghostly white mist, but over time it takes shape into… I don't know how to describe it, but that space is their mate. It's basically the sum of that person. About 10 months ago, I was in my mindscape waiting for my brother to arrive when I came across it again. That space that was once ghostly had been filled with computers, stray books and scraps of paper were everywhere, it was dominated by the largest bed I've ever seen, and a pitch black coat was prominently displayed at the foot of the bed. It's rather obvious who my mate is, and given that I'm not actually human…"

She trails off, not really needing to add anymore. Asuna started at her in astonishment for a few minutes. Then she turns her gaze to her lap, smiling with a touch of bitterness, murmuring to herself, "I guess I really never had a chance, huh…." After a moment she shakes her head, "No, that's not the proper way to react to soulmates finding each other. It's not fair to them, and if you really care about someone, you'll let them go. Especially if they were never yours to begin with." Asuna returns her gaze to her the bitterness draining from her smile, "I'm happy for you guys. To find your soulmate… It's an immense privilege and honor that should be celebrated joyously."

Hanna flushes, "Thanks Asuna… That… That actually means a surprisingly good deal to me…." She thinks that over for a minute. Her best guess is that with Asuna acting less and less like a slave driving bipolar bitch and actually lightening up, Hanna had started to think of her as a tentative friend. Pulling herself from her thoughts, she glances at Kirito, sadness filling her as she tells Asuna, "You can't say anything to him though. With no way to prove magic and the like is real I haven't… actually told him yet."

Returning her gaze to Asuna, she's surprised to find sympathy there, "That must be hard… Knowing you found your soulmate but being unable to say anything to them…. I can't even imagine…." She shakes her head, then gives Hanna an unsure look, "I'm going to be honest, I- I like Kirito. I wasn't going to make a move on him or anything because he's with you and I'm not that type of girl. It still hurts though, to know I never had a chance to begin with. It obviously hurts you too, being unable to tell him. So… Can we- Can we just agree not to talk about it, at least… At least until I come to terms with it? I- I know that's an extremely selfish thing for me to ask, but-"

Hanna shakes her head, cutting across her, "No, it's alright." At Asuna's startled look, she smiles gently, "I know most people would probably throw a fit at that, but I know where I stand with Kirito. The only time I've ever gotten jealous was when Sachi flirted with him before we got together. People develop crushes, even when they know they shouldn't. It's just how things are. I'm not going to get angry that you like my mate, at least, not as long as you don't try anything. As long as you respect the rather obvious boundaries, I don't have a problem with you having a crush, the only problem I'd have is if you acted on it. I may know where I stand with my mate and thus not be prone to jealousy, but that doesn't mean I'd just accept someone making moves on him. As long as your decent enough not to try and make a move on someone who's clearly in a relationship, I don't have a problem with it. If I did, I wouldn't like Lizbeth. She's got a crush on Kirito too."

That wasn't entirely true actually. She'd begun to question where she stood with Kirito lately…. She quickly shoved those thoughts away, and refocused as Asuna tilts her head, "Really? I hadn't noticed…." She falls silent, looking a bit troubled. Likely at the fact she hadn't noticed something like that about what Hanna was pretty sure was her best friend. After a few minutes, she shakes her head, "Well, anyway, we agreed not to talk about it so…" She trails off for a moment, then seems to recall something, "So, Voldemort's an international terrorist now? Have… Have things really gotten that bad?"

Hanna frowns, "Not exactly. From my understanding, it's starting to become rather bad over in the UK, but he hasn't… branched out, as it were, just yet. He's being called an international terrorist because of what he did to try and make himself immortal. It's going to make it a pain in the ass to get rid of him."

Asuna sighs, "That's terrible… My mom used to tell me and my brother about him you know? Even though we had nothing to do with the conflict. It was because my brother started thinking that magicals were better than non-magicals. My mom used stories of Grindelwald and that… man, if you can call him that, to teach him the consequences of holding such a belief. She set him straight eventually, but for a while she'd tell us the horror stories what those two did every day. I used to have terrible nightmares about them…. I can't begrudge her though. She was just trying to make my brother see the mistake he was beginning to make before it could ruin his life and be to late, and she told me to make sure I didn't follow in my brothers footsteps. For that… Thing to be back…" She shudders, "This is probably a terrible thing to say… but I'm glad I don't live in the UK."

Hanna tilts her head, "I don't see how that's a terrible thing to say. It's natural to be grateful to be far away from such a conflict."

Asuna frowns, "Well, it condemns those who do live there, doesn't it? Saying something like that, it implies a 'it's your problem, not mine, you get to deal with it' line of thought."

Hanna shakes her head. "Not necessarily, those who don't want to fight could leave if they wanted. I know you don't really have anything to do with the conflict, and I doubt you know anyone who lives there, but hypothetically, if people from the UK who were trying to get away from the conflict asked you for help, and you had the means to do so, would you?"

Asuna looked insulted, "Of course I would! I would never-" She suddenly seemed to realize what Hanna was trying to say, and her anger disappeared, "Oh. It's not a condemning thing to say because I'd help if I could."

Hanna nods, "Precisely Asuna. You're just a teenager, what are you supposed to do about something that's happening so far away from you? There's not much you can do. Just be grateful you and those you care about are away from it. Be kind to those in need. There's nothing much you can do other than that."

Asuna stares thoughtfully into her tea, "Not necessarily. My dad's family is extremely wealthy and rather prominent in the magical world as well as the non-magical world. When we get out of here, I could try convincing my dad to set up a relief fund. Not to mention, my mom loves galas and the like. If I could convince my dad to start the relief fund, it shouldn't be too much harder to convince her to throw a gala to raise funds for it."

Hanna smiles in bemusement, "The longer you talk the less sense your guilt makes." Asuna blushes. After a moment, Hanna tilts her head thoughtfully, "Do you suppose if someone from the UK, someone rather prominent in the conflict, came to talk at the gala that it would help?"

Asuna hums, "Probably." Then she sighs, "However, the British Ministry of Magic is rather notorious for being uncooperative when it comes to sending a representative for such things. Perhaps the event in question being to help the innocents in the war might change that, but I wouldn't count on it. The only other people I can think of would be Dumbledore and the Potters. Dumbledore isn't very well liked in Japan though, because the people here still feel it took him far too long to act against the threat of Grindelwald. The Potters, on the other hand, are known even here due to Mike surviving the Killing Curse, so that might work, but good luck getting that to happen."

Hanna smirks, "Actually, I could, in fact get Mike to go. Rather easily in fact."

Asuna's jaw drops, "How?!"

Hanna huffs a laugh at her reaction, then grows serious, "It's a bit complicated, and I don't really want to go into all of the details anyway as they're personal. That said, the former Lily Potter is now Lily Sparda and is my mother. James Potter, the foul bastard, dosed her with a love potion when they were 16. Just before they were supposed to get married, my mom's best friend managed to temporarily free her. She couldn't leave though, Dumbledore was in on it, and he wouldn't have let her get away. Mostly because James is his most loyal pawn, and he basically bought that loyalty by helping him ensnare my mother amongst other things. He'd have lost Potter if she got away. Anyway, my mother was free, but she knew she couldn't run. She wanted to do something that was her decision and her decision alone, so she purposely conceived me with a stranger in a bar. Potter, however, wasn't willing to wait until she'd had me to get his heir, which would've also tightened his hold on her via their marriage contract. He couldn't abort me magically though, my mother had taken precautions against it. He could've aborted me the non-magical way, but he was far too much of a Pure Blood for it to ever occur to him, which my mother knew. He ended up using a spell that allowed my mother to conceive even though she was already pregnant, with the way the spell works, because we were conceived so close together Mike and I were born as twins. This is the part I'm going to basically skip over because a lot of personal stuff happened. When I was six though, I ended up finding my way into my dad's care, and not long after that, we found out my dad was my mom's soulmate. Finding her soulmate was one of the few ways to get out of her marriage to Potter, and due to her not being on the love potion at the time, she quickly left Potter and moved in with me and my dad's family, getting married to my dad not long after. Sadly though, Potter and Dumbledore had already begun to corrupt my brother, so she had to leave him behind, even though it broke our hearts. Recently though, my brother had his eyes opened to the kind of people Dumbledore and Potter are. He's since cut ties to them and been blood adopted by my dad, making us true twins. Basically, all I'd have to do would be to inform him of your gala, should you convince your parents, and he'd be more than happy to go. I wouldn't even have to ask."

Asuna was wide eyed by the end of her explanation. For a few moments she just stared, then she released a huge breath in a rush, "That's- Wow…. That's a lot to take in..." She shakes her head, "Normally, I'd think you were lying, with such huge claims, but… You've never really been a liar, and I would know as soon as we got out anyway, so there wouldn't be a point to it….." She suddenly seemed to realize something, "Wait, hold on! Did you say Sparda? As in, the legendary Demon Hunters?! You're a Sparda?!"

Hanna tilts her head, amused by her reaction, "I am. Why do you think I was being vague about what my family did for a living after we saw Griselda? It was the best way I could think of to explain Demon Hunting in a non-magical way. Why, is it a problem?"

Asuna shakes her head, "No, at all! It's just… Mike Potter is your brother and you're a Sparda…."

Hanna purses her lips, "It's Mike Sparda now. Though he isn't here, my brother and I, along with the rest of my family for that matter, would appreciate it if you didn't associate him with Potter."

Asuna nods, "Right, of course you wouldn't want anything to do with him. My apologies."

Hanna shakes her head, "It's alright, I know it can take some getting used to, just try not to make that mistake. Given what Potter did to us, my family gets rather… irritated when my brother is associated with him."

Asuna sighs, "That's understandable just knowing what I know, and I get the feeling there's a lot you're not saying due to how personal it is. Anyway, we got a bit of topic. We'd have to mention the name change, but your brother attending would go a long ways, especially if he consents to making a speech about what's going on over there."

Asuna trails off, and Hanna just watches in amusement. She can almost see the gears in her head turning as she makes plans. After a few minutes, Asuna refocuses on her, "I suppose with Mike being your brother, your family is going to end up being drawn into the conflict, aren't they?"

Hanna nods, "Yes. Family is everything to a Sparda. Whether it's by blood or by choice. Though our longevity probably has a great deal to do with it. That and the fact we don't really… fit in anywhere else."

Asuna tilts her head in confusion, then seems to remember something, "That's right. Earlier you said you weren't human, didn't you?" Hanna nods, but Asuna just seems to grow confused, "I could understand not fitting in well with humans, but surely your own species-"

She cuts of as Hanna shakes her head, "We… We're basically the last, depending on how you look at it….." Seeing Asuna only grow more confused, she sighs, "Tell me, have you ever heard of the Nephilim?"

Asuna's eyes widen indicating she had, "But- But they died out thousands of years ago! They were slaughtered by the Demons!"

Hanna nods, "Yes, the original Nephilim were eradicated. However, as a species that is simply a natural hybrid between Demons and Angels, it's impossible for them to truly be gone unless Angels and/or Demons go extinct as well. My grandfather Sparda, from which we got our last name, was the last of his kind. He is a Devil, a species of Demon. When the previous king of hell died, fighting began to break out as many tried to take his place. Near the end of this conflict, only two Demons were vying for power, Malphas a young but powerful Demon, and Mundus the Demon who eventually won and became king. My kind, the Devils are natural fighters, a well trained Devil will be an elite even amongst elites, because of that they were often the personal guards of the king, and held a considerable sway over who would become the next king when the previous dies. The problem was, the Devil's sided with Malphas and were vehemently opposed to Mundus, whereas the majority of hell sided with Mundus. Eventually, Malphas was murdered and Mundus became king, but though they no longer actively fought him still the Devils refused to swear allegiance to him. At that point, they just wanted to be left alone. That put Mundus in a delicate position though, so he couldn't. Though now technically the king, his rule would remain opposed so long as the Devil's refused to recognize him as king. He only really had three options. Get their support, prove his power to the Demons of hell by forcing the Devils into submission, or prove that the Devils were too weak for their opinions to matter by wiping them out. After many unsuccessful attempts to gain their support, Mundus laid siege to the Bloody Palace. Nowadays it's falling apart and has been taken over by all types of Demons, but it used to be a near impenetrable fortress that the Devils called home. Despite the battle prowess of the Devils, and how fortified our home was, we were never numerous, only numbering a little over five thousand when Mundus attacked. Though superior in combat to nearly every Demon Mundus had at his disposal, against the billions of Demons under his command, my people fell, though they lasted more than seven hundred years. Eventually though, Mundus forced his way past the final line of defence the Bloody Palace had and into its innermost depths that the last of my people had fled to. My grandfather was only a child at the time, so his mother, a half succubus by the name of Syriel, hid him just before Mundus and his men broke through. He listened as the last of our kind, those few who weren't even fighters were slaughtered, watched from his hiding place as his mother was murdered. They found him though, but before the other Demons could kill him, Mundus intervened. He thought my grandfather was too young to really understand what had happened, and so thought he could mold him to follow Mundus without question. The last Devil as his most loyal servant. He took my grandfather as a trophy to prove his superiority, and raised him to be his enforcer. To bad for him, he was wrong. My grandfather did understand everything that happened that day. He loathed Mundus, and came to hate Demon kind itself."

She paused to let Asuna take that in, as with everything that Hanna had revealed over the course of the night she was beginning to look dazed. Not that Hanna could blame her. Seeing her lift her empty cup and absently try to take a drink, Hanna stood with a quiet sigh, "I'm not finished explaining just yet, but given how much I've revealed to you tonight, you're looking understandably dazed. I'll just go make some more tea while you let what I've explained about my grandfather sink in. You seem like you could do with another cup."

Asuna stared at her in confusion for a few moments as though she couldn't understand why Hanna wasn't continuing her tale, then suddenly seemed to realize what she said and glanced down at her cup and the pitcher, only just now seeming to realize they were empty, "Uh… Right! Thank you. The, uh, the stuff for the tea is on the top shelf in the middle cupboard to the left of the oven…."

Hanna nods, and collects the pitcher, taking it into the kitchen. Thankfully, tea was one of the few things you could make without risk of failing without the cooking skill. In no time at all, she'd finished making the tea and brought it back, refilling their cups in short order. Asuna absently accepted her cup back, barely waiting for her to sit back down before she leaned forward eagerly, "So what happened then?"

Hanna sighs, "My grandfather was in a very dark place, mentally speaking. The only thing he wanted was vengeance for his people, his family. You must realize, this took place a very long time ago. Six thousand years ago in fact, right around the time when civilizations began to develop in the Mesopotamia or Fertile crescent region in fact. Back when both Demons and Angels roamed the land freely. As such, when Mundus eventually began to trust him to come to earth, it was for the collection of souls or to fight Angels. Though initially wrapped up in thoughts of nothing but his own vengeance, over time he began to take notice of what was going on around him, of the suffering of humans at the hands of Demons, so similar to his own, yet so different as well. Eventually he began to feel empathy for the humans, and a strange kinship towards the Angels who despised the Demons and Mundus as he did. He began to do what he could to assist both the humans and Angels without Mundus catching on. It started out small, helping a human or two escape, purposely neglecting to mention there were Angels still alive after battles. In such battles against the Angels, he would often seek out the strongest opponent on the battlefield, purely so they could 'occupy' him, and thus he wouldn't be able to do as much damage. Eventually during a major battle, through this practice of seeking out the strong, he found himself fighting a young Seraphim by the name of Eva. She was fierce and beautiful. To my grandfather's surprise, by the end of the battle when the Demons were forced to retreat, she was still alive. Never before had one of his opponents managed to survive the entire battle, much less prove themselves his equal at she had. From then on, he purposely sought her out on the battlefield, as he knew she could not only occupy his time, but walk away alive from the conflict. They met and battled to a draw five more times before they ran into each other under more peaceful circumstances. Demons don't need to devour souls, but doing so makes them stronger, and humans were their favorite meal, for multiple reasons, though we won't get into that at the moment. It was because of this though, that it was rather common for humans to be captured, almost exclusively for the purpose of being eaten, though occasionally Demons used them for… Other sources of entertainment. My grandfather used this to his advantage often. The first time he and Eva met outside of battle, Sparda was smuggling a pregnant woman to safety, under the guise of taking her away for… well, to be blunt, under the guise of using her for sexual entrainment. He'd just gotten her close enough to Angel territory to let her flee the rest of the way on her own and told her to do just that when Eva approached. Unbeknownst to him, she'd been following them for a while. She'd spotted him escorting a human towards their territory, and grown curious as to what he was doing. She was baffled by why a Devil, Mundus' top enforcer no less, and someone who fought her so viciously over the control of Earth, would be helping a human. Eventually he told her a bit about himself, and confessed as to why he sought her out in battle. Eva was intrigued, and asked to meet him again, then escorted the woman to safety."

She paused again to let Asuna absorb the influx of information. Absently taking a sip of her tea as Asuna thought that over. A few moments later, Asuna tilted her head at her, "So, did they meet again as she asked?"

Hanna nods, "They did. Many times in fact. At first they just spoke of their pasts, slowly getting to know one another, but once my grandfather trusted Eva, he began to inform her of as many of Mundus' plans as he could without giving away that it was him revealing them. Over time, he and Eva began to fall in love. Eventually no longer able to put up with the Demons, and promised sanctuary by the Angels, he fled with her, but not before leaving the Demons with one final act of betrayal. Over the time that they'd been in contact, he and the Angels had come up with a way to seal hell so that Demons could no longer cross freely into earth. After that, it was merely a matter of wiping out the great Demons that had gotten stuck here when they erected the seal, and making sure to deal with the minor Demons that could cross the seal much easier. Eventually my grandfather married Eva, my grandmother, and a few thousand years later they had my dad and uncle, the first Nephilim in over five thousand years. They in turn had me, my cousin, and eventually through the blood adoption, my brother. Seeing as we were originally on this topic due to my heritage, to sum it up though there are other Seraphim alive, we're the last Devils and Nephilim. Well, I suppose technically we're part Succubus/Incubus, but we don't have any of their abilities. Devils were large and admittedly not that good looking. The only thing we get from that heritage is not looking like a pure Devil, and all of my family being considered rather short by Devil standards. Hell, I'd practically be a midget by their standards. But anyway, that's not the point."

Asuna smiles lightly at her little tirade at the end, then frowns, "Being the last of your kind…. That's terrible… Especially since I'm sure you've got enormous targets on your backs for not only being the last traitorous Devils, but also for being Nephilim."

Hanna sighs, "You have no idea."

Asuna shakes her head, "Well, at least with Hell sealed you don't have to worry about being overrun and you said that Devils have outstanding natural fighting ability, so you've got that too."

Hanna gives her a bitter smile, "That is true. Though I can't help but feel that that natural fighting ability is more of a curse than a blessing right now…"

Asuna gives her a baffled look, "How so?'

Hanna sighs, "When we fought Laughing Coffin, it was that very ability that allowed me to subdue more of them quicker, and thus, run into more of them unwilling to surrender faster…"

Understanding and sympathy washes over Asuna's face, "Oh…"

Hanna nods, there's a beat of silence, then she adds, "Well, at least I'm not nearly as good as the rest of my family. Actually I'm not only the weakest fighter in my family, barring my brother since he's rather new to all this, but I've also got the weakest natural fighting ability. I'm more of a scholar, and prefer my magical studies to be honest."

She receives a look of curiosity at that, "Oh? What do you study?"

Hanna smiles at her, "Well, my goal is to be a spell, ritual, and ward crafter. So I've studied quite a few things extensively. Spell crafting, Warding, and Magical Theory obviously, though you also need to study Arithmancy and Runes. I was doing fantastically well in my Magical Theory and Spell Crafting classes, decent in Arithmancy and Runes, and ok in Warding, at least by my standards. Actually being proficient in various languages isn't technically a necessity, but it helps as well, so I'm exceedingly grateful that languages are actually what I'm best at. What about you, what are you studying for, or were studying for I guess. Man, it's gonna be hell to get caught up in my classes..."

Asuna snorts, "Tell me about it. Especially since we've gotta get caught up on both magical and non-magical classes." Then she turns her gaze to her cup with a sigh, "My mother wants me to work in my father's business."

Hanna raises an eyebrow, "I didn't ask what your mother wants you to do. I asked what you want to do."

Asuna smiles at her, "I want to be a Healer. I have since I was a kid, ever since my mom told us those horror stories about Grindelwald and Voldemort actually." Then her smile turns proud, "In fact, since none of my magical classes would help me in my dad's business my mother never interfered with my class choices. I was already in the Advanced Healing class, even though I was only fourteen. Of course, the schools Healing class is just meant to be a precursor to an actual Healer's apprenticeship, but passing the advanced class can cut an apprenticeship in half, from six years to three, depending on how well you do. I was getting top marks in both Advanced Healing and Potions."

Hanna smiles warmly, "You certainly seem passionate about it." Asuna nods with a smile, and there's a beat of comfortable silence before Hanna realizes something, and sadness washes over her, "You shouldn't have been there." Asuna gives her a confused look, so she elaborates, "At the fight against Laughing Coffin. You shouldn't have been there. You may be a good fighter, but a Healer isn't meant to take a life…." She looks away with a sigh, "At least when it comes to me, battle is what I was born for, even if it's not my chosen proficiency, it's still what I'm meant to do….."

And oh, how that one little fact had eaten at her since that day. How it had torn at her to know that she'd done exactly what a Devil was born to do. She used to be proud of her heritage, now…. Now her pride wavered, doubt and self disgust beginning to creep in. Most terrifying of all, she'd begun to question her relationship with Kirito. Ever since the night before last when Kirito had fallen asleep before helping her achieve the same. That day as she lay awake thinking that terrible day over, she began to question if a monster such as herself deserved Kirito. There were few things that could cause someone to reject their soulmate, but it could happen, and honestly, at this point she wouldn't blame Kirito if he did. Especially since accepting her would make him like her. Honestly, no decent person would want that...

She was suddenly yanked from her thoughts by Asuna sighing, "Maybe. Maybe I didn't belong in that battle, maybe you did. It doesn't matter though. What doesn't belong is those ideas, at least not in the reality in which we live in now. Such ideas only hinder us here. I still think surviving and moving forward are the two most important things we need to do, even if I'll now acknowledge that focusing entirely on doing that only serves to make us miserable, I still stand by the fact we need to stay focused."

Hanna turns her gaze to Kirito and hums thoughtfully, "Perhaps we both suffer from focus issues, but whereas you were too focused on progress, perhaps I am too focused on personal pursuits. Perhaps, I grew to focused on my mate…"

She wouldn't say it, but perhaps she needed to stop focusing entirely on Kirito. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much when he inevitably decided he didn't want to be with the demonic monster, didn't want to be a demon, even if only partially. Asuna pins her with a calculating look. Her tone had been influenced by the depressing thoughts of losing her mate, and Asuna clearly picked up on it, even though couldn't seem to figure out what they were from.

Asuna eyed her thoughtfully, then her face softened, "Just focus on the here and now, and take it an hour at a time." Her gaze shifted to Kirito, "And trust in your mate. Kirito will keep you on track."

Hanna nods, though she can't help but wonder how much longer she'll have her mate for. Asuna suddenly put her teacup on the tray she'd originally used to bring it all out, "Anyway, we should probably try to get some sleep." Hanna nods quietly, and hands Asuna her own cup. Putting it next to the other cup, she picked up the tray and began to walk to the kitchen, then hesitated, before halfway turning towards her, "Thank you… For trusting me with all that."

Hanna watches her for a moment, then looks away, "While my family has never exactly advertised all of that, we've also never really tried to hide it either."

Asuna nods, "Still, I'm glad you told me all of that, somehow…. Somehow it puts Aincrad in perspective. Yes, it's not a great place, yes, we're separated from our loved ones, and yes we… We were forced to do something terrible when we fought Laughing Coffin, but…. It could be lot worse."

Hanna glances at her again, "... Yes. I suppose it can."

Asuna nods lightly, then leaves. She turns her gaze back to her mate. Trust in her mate, it could be a lot worse…. Hopefully, she could trust her mate, trust in him not to give her the worst case scenario and leave.

September 1st, 2024- 666 days since SAO launch:

Mike smiled faintly as Nero and his dad took in the Hogwarts Express with clear interest. His mom shared a grin with him, then he turned around and noticed that almost a third of the platform were staring at them. At first he figured it was because of his dad and Nero, after all they were 6'4" and 6' respectively, had silver hair, didn't wear anything remotely similar to British magical style of clothing, and to anyone who know even a bit about their family, they were clearly Sparda's. Then he realized that while they were getting stared at, the majority of the looks were directed at him. It took him a couple moments before he understood why, and immediately irritation flooded him.

The 'vision' he'd gotten at the end of last school year had turned out to be a trap. By the time all was said and done the next day, it was out in the open that Voldemort was back. The Ministry was no longer denying it. They were officially at war with Voldemort once again. And now, he was apparently 'The Chosen One', according to just about everybody. It pissed him off so much. He was a sixteen year old kid, what the hell was he supposed to do about a roughly seventy year old semi-immortal wizard who had been studying magic obsessively for the minority of his life. Yes, it was was true he was prophesied to defeat him, but none of these people knew that. Which meant they had no reason for their belief that he would be the one to deal with Voldemort.

He turns to his family with an irritated sigh, "I'm going to go find a seat before anyone decides they need to talk to me."

Dante eyes the crowd with a frown, "Can't blame you there, kiddo." Then he turns his gaze back to Mike and grins, "We'll see you later, alright? Try not to get up to too much trouble."

Mike nods, "I'll certainly try my best." Then he hugs them one by one. Pulling away he grabs his trunk, "I know it won't be that long til I see you, since I've gotta come back for Marzanna, but I'll miss you."

Lily presses a kiss to his forehead, "We'll miss you too, sweetheart." Then she straightens, turns him around, and lightly begins pushing him towards the train, murmuring lowly so only their enhanced hearing will be able to pick it up, "Now I suggest you get going. A few of those girls are beginning to look like they'd like to come over, and you wouldn't want to give your dear Hermione the wrong idea, now would you?"

He flushes, but shakes his head, and with one last wave, quickly makes his way towards the train. Quickly stepping on the train, and closing the door to ensure no one would follow him through that particular door on the train, he pauses. Towards the back was usually the better bet towards being left alone, but everyone knew that, so it would be the first place anyone with half a brain would look.

Before he can reach a decision, a familiar voice calls out to him, "Hi Mike!"

He turns with a grin, spotting Neville immediately, though his eyes widen when he notices Luna with him then swallows thickly in nervousness. Much as he'd grown to like Luna since the Tournament had opened his eyes, he'd still foolishly thought she was simply crazy. His grandmother had gone to great lengths to rectify that notion ever since she heard of Luna and realize what she was. Despite the onlookers from other compartments, he quickly bows to her, "My Lady, I wish to offer my sincerest apologies for the ignorant and rude way I have treated you in years past."

Luna's far away dreamy expression suddenly sharpens, and she studies his still bowed form, both of them ignoring the confused murmuring from the other students. After a few moments of study, she nods, "I accept your apology."

At that, he straightens, giving her a grateful nod before finally turning his attention to the clearly confused Neville, "Well shall we find a compartment? Preferably one where I won't constantly be stared at."

Neville nods hesitantly, still glancing between him and Luna in confusion. He'd explain what just happened to him later, Neville deserved to know what was going on at least. Not for the first time, he regretted not trying to be the shy by kind boy's friend sooner. He was a much better friend than Ronald ever was, which was terrible considering they weren't even a quarter as close as he and Ronald supposedly were.

Luna abruptly spoke up, "Then let's go this way."

With that, she began to lead them towards the front of the train, the very front, in fact, which confused Mike, as surely all off these compartments would be full. Just as they reached the first car, they caught the tail end of a couple clearly arguing, the girl whirled around, collecting her trunk from a compartment, then stormed off. The boy floundered for a moment, then quickly grabbed his own trunk before chasing after her. Once the two had passed, Luna calmly made her way towards their now empty compartment.

Once inside they quickly stowed their trunks away, then Neville hesitantly spoke up, "Err, won't people find us here rather easily?"

Luna hummed, "They shouldn't. Mike is known to sit closer to the back of the train, so they should be to busy looking there. Besides, here Mike, and you for that matter, won't have to go as far once you get your invitations."

He only seemed to grow more confused, "Err, what invitations?"

Luna simply hummed, "You'll know soon enough."

Neville gave him a confused look, as though hoping he could explain. Which he could, kinda, but he wasn't sure if Luna would have a problem with it. Glancing at her, she shrugged before he could even say a word, so he turned to his other friend, "Neville, Luna's a Seer."

Neville tilted his head, then glanced at Luna before hesitantly saying, "Err, but, I thought that was just a rumor last year, and it was debunked because she doesn't seem able to actually predict the future, just anticipate what would happen soon."

Mike shakes his head, "A Seer isn't just someone who can see into the distant future, it's anyone who can see time itself. Seers are rare enough as is, but Luna is the most rare type of Seer. The farthest into the future a Seer like Luna has ever been recorded to See is only an hour and most can only see half that, but they can See what's happening now almost anywhere in the world, though from my understanding they have little control over it even if their powers are far more consistent than that of conventional Seers. All that being said, the most impressive part about Seers like Luna, is that even an average one, if there is such a thing for people like that, can see hundreds of years into the past. The more powerful they are, the farther back they can See. Luna is a bit strange, I'll give you that, but can you blame her when her mind is constantly Seeing the distant past, things going on in entirely different countries, or even other planes of existence?"

Movement out the window makes Mike realize that at some point during his explication, the train began to move, then he refocuses on Neville. Neville's eyes had slowly gone wide as Mike talked, and when he was done he turned with incredulous gaze to Luna, who smiled serenely at him. Abruptly he stood and bowed to her, just as Mike head done previously, "Forgive me, My Lady. I had no idea, but that's no excuse for the fact I have not been treating you with the respect you deserve."

Luna tilts her head, "You have never acted rudely towards me. At least, not on purpose."

With his keen hearing, he picks up on it when Neville swallows thickly, "Perhaps not, My Lady, but my grandmother has always had a healthy respect for Seers, and she made sure I shared that respect. The distaste most think she has is merely at the many frauds, so if she knew how I'd been treating a true Seer… I'm sure she would be ashamed of me."

Luna reaches out and gently lifts his face so he's looking at her, "Perhaps. Perhaps not. If it will make you feel better, I will accept you apology, though I don't think it necessary." She suddenly smiles lightly, "That said, while I appreciate Mike and your own respect, I'd rather just continue being your friend, so no more if this 'My Lady' stuff, ok?"

Neville hesitates a moment, then straightens with a smile, "Of course, Luna."

Her smile widens, and Neville sits back down. He'd barely resettled before the door opens to allow a slightly confused Hermione in. Upon spotting them, she gives Luna a bemused smile, then dragged her trunk in and closed the door, "When you told me on the platform that I could find you guys at the front of the train, I thought you were kidding. Everyone knows Mike prefers the back of the train."

Neville suddenly dives under one of the seats, with a cry of, "No! Trevor, get back here!"

Idly stepping around Neville, Mike helps Hermione store her trunk away with a huff of irritation, "Precisely. I don't want to get stared at, which almost everyone has been doing since I arrived at the platform."

Hermione rolls her eyes as they take their seats, "I'd believe it, with all this 'Chosen One' nonsense the Daily Prophet has been printing. Apparently, it really is too much to ask the average Witch or Wizard to have just a bit of common sense." Then she suddenly flushes, "Um, no offence Mike, I know you've been getting a lot stronger with the training you've been going through, but I mean, he's got so much more experience, and-"

Mike shakes his head with a bemused smile, "No, it's alright Hermione. It is completely ridiculous, especially since most of those people don't know that. They're just heaping everything on me without even a thought about-"

He's suddenly cut off by giggling from the door of their compartment, and female voices arguing lightly, "You ask him!"

"No, you!"

"I'll do it!"

At that final proclamation, the door is opened by a bold fourth year with large dark eyes, a prominent chin, and long dark hair. She smiles sweetly at him, loudly and confidently saying, "Hi Mike! I'm Romilda, Romilda Vane. Why don't you join us in our compartment?" Then she indicated Neville's butt sticking out from under the seat as he tried to catch Trevor, and Luna who at some point had put on strange glasses that made her look like some sort of demented multicolored owl, and added in a stage whisper, "You don't have to sit with them,"

He bristles, giving her a light glare as he coldly informed her, "They're friends of mine."

Clearly surprised, she shifted unsurely, "Oh. Okay. Well, err, see you around then."

With that she quickly closed the door. Mike shakes his head with an irritated scowl. Hearing Neville cry out, he glanced down to see Trevor coming out from under the seat and trying to hop to the other one. Quickly reaching down, he caught him before returning him to Neville when he popped back up. He gives Mike a quick smile in thanks, then retakes his seat. Mike sighs, "Honestly, that girl was so rude."

Luna shrugs bluntly informing him, "People expect you to have cooler friends than us."

Mike scowls, "What's wrong with you guys? Your way cooler than they are."

Luna smiles at him, "That's sweet of you to say, but let's be honest, to them you're hanging out with the crazy chick, the shy loser who's always forgetting things and losing his toad, and a bossy bookworm."

Mike scowl deepens, "If that's what they see, they're clearly blind. Obviously, I'm hanging out with someone far wiser than her years, one of the most loyal and kind people I know, and one of the most intelligent geniuses in recent years. Really, if anything, I'm the loser of the group."

Luna giggles, teasingly saying, "So glad you finally realized it. We were all too nice to say anything."

Neville ducks his head with a grin, and Hermione laughs. He rolls his eyes, "Yes, yes. Laugh at the loser. I guess we get to see you three's true colors now, huh? It-"

He was interrupted yet again by the door being opened by a younger girl, though this time it was a third year, she glanced around the compartment hesitantly, then held out two small scrolls of parchment tied off with violet ribbons, "I- I'm supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Mike P-Pot- Uhh, that is, Mike Sparda…"

Perplexed, he and Neville shared a glance, then hesitantly accepted the scrolls. Before they could thank her, or say anything for that matter, she quickly left. Or tried to anyway. She was so busy staring at Mike that she ran right into the door frame. Turning bright red in embarrassment, she whirled around and ran out.

Mike sighs with a shake of his head, then opens the scroll. Inside was an invitation, likely the very one Luna had mentioned earlier. It read:

"Dear Mike,

I would be delighted if you would join me for an early lunch in compartment C.
Sincerely,
Professor H. E. F. Slughorn"

Mike tilted his head, "Anyone know who Slughorn is?"

Hermione leans over, and quickly read the note, "He's likely Horace Eugene Flaccus Slughorn. One of the best Potion Masters of the Twentieth and Twenty-First century. He was the Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin before Professor Snape."

Neville and he both turn to Hermione and stare at her. After a moment of staring back at them, she blushes, "...What?"

Mike shakes his head, "How do you even know that?"

Hermione huffs, "Hogwarts a History goes over a lot of things, ok? That includes some of its more recent history, including a bit about the past few teachers for each post."

Mike shakes his head, "Well… Anyway! It would be rude to turn an invitation from a teacher down, and I'm not particularly interested in getting on his bad side before we even get to Hogwarts. Shall we Neville?"

He nods hesitantly, so they quickly leave the compartment, and headed up to compartment C. Luna's choice of seating proved to be a blessing, as with their destination only a few compartments down, he only got stared at by a handful of people. Entering the compartment, he quickly took in those inside, Slughorn was immediately noticeable as the only adult. He was rather old, more than a bit fat, and bald, between his girth and the velvet waistcoat, it was rather clear he was used to a lavish lifestyle.

It was also clear, that he and Neville weren't his only invitees, though the enthusiastic way he greeted Mike made it obvious he was his most eagerly anticipated, "Mike m'boy! And you must be Neville! Come in, come in! Take a seat! I've been wanting to meet you for quite a while now. How's your mother doing, I haven't heard from her in years."

Mike tilted his head, "You knew my mother?"

Slughorn's smile dimmed a tiny bit, "Ah, she's never mentioned me? That's… A shame. She was one of my favorite students ever."

Mike tilted his head, slowly telling him, "Well, to be fair, a lot happened to my mother here, more bad than good sadly. From my understanding, she was quite glad to move out of the country. So she never really says much about her past here anyway…"

It wasn't entirely true. She spoke rather freely most of the time, it was just certain subjects she was sensitive about. However, until he'd spoken to his mother about Slughorn, it was best to give him a neutral response. Not that he seemed to take it that way, he perked up immediately, nodding in an understanding matter, "Ah yes, of course, she lost her parents and had a falling out with her sister towards the tail end of her time at Hogwarts, if I remember correctly. How insensitive of me to forget, my sincerest apologies." Suddenly he clapped loudly, "Well, anyway! Do all of you know each other?" Not waiting for a response, he began to introduce the students in the compartment to him and Neville, "Blaise Zabini is in your year, of course —" Zabini made no sign of recognition or greeting, so they ignored him in return, "This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps you've come across each other? No?" A large blond boy raised his hand in greeting, so they nodded back to him, "-and this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether you're familiar with each other?" Belby, who was thin and nervous-looking, gave a strained smile. "— and this charming young lady tells me she knows you!"

The charming young lady turned out to be none other than Ginny, who grimaced at them behind Slughorn's back as he finished his introductions. He smiled at all of them, "Well now, this is most pleasant. A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch, the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on licorice wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things. . . . Pheasant, Belby?"

Belby started and accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant. Slughorn turned to Mike and Neville as he absently passed around a basket of rolls, "I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles. Outstanding wizard, out-standing, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?"

In his haste to answer Slughorn, Belby, having just taken a large mouthful of pheasant, swallowed a bit too quickly, and began to choke. Slughorn, apparently used to such things, calmly pointed his wand at Belby, "Anapneo."

Whatever the spell was, it seemed to clear Belby's airway instantly, and once he'd caught his breath he hesitantly informed the Professor, "Not- Not much of him, no."

Slughorn gave Belby a questioning look at that, "Well, of course, I daresay he's busy. I doubt he invented the Wolfsbane Potion without considerable hard work!"

Belby seemed afraid to take another bite of pheasant until he was certain Slughorn was finished with him, "I suppose…. Err, he and my dad don't get on very well, you see, so I don't really know much about..."

He trailed off as Slughorn seemed to lose all interest in him, and turned to McLaggen, "Now, you, Cormac! I happen to know you see a lot of your Uncle Tiberius-"

Mike tuned him out at that point, having finally realized what was going on. Except for Ginny, everyone Slughorn invited was connected to someone well-known or influential. They ended up spending the majority of the train ride with Slughorn, as he spoke about the many famous Witches and Wizards he taught, often claiming to be rather close to them still.

Hours later as the sky began to turn red with Sunset, Mike was itching to leave already, but hadn't so far found a polite reason to do so. Just as he was contemplating abandoning his good manners and leaving, Slughorn glanced out the window and finally noticed that it was twilight, "Good gracious, it's getting dark already! I didn't notice that they'd lit the lamps! You'd better go and change into your robes, all of you. McLaggen, you must drop by and borrow that book on nogtails. Mike, Blaise- any time you're passing. Same goes for you, Miss Weasley!" He winked at Ginny, "Well, off you go, off you go!"

Mike left with a sigh of relief and a vow to try and avoid Slughorn's little get togethers from now on, as he'd made it rather clear there would be more. Perhaps his mother had some advice for dealing with the man. He'd have to write her as soon as possible.