Interlude between trials

Well... this was probably the worst of the trials so far, Nico decided to himself.

After that discussion, neither of the two boys talked to each other for the rest of the trial, preferring to do what they wanted. Nico had no clue on what the Heir had been doing, but judging by the direction he had left, Nico guessed that he would have tried to find the wreckage of that beast. However, Nico knew that would be a wasted effort, he had subjugated that thing with so much Hellfire that there would simply be nothing left of it. The male had been so furious with the beast that he had just... he had lost all control. He pumped way too much power into that demonic element, and because of that whatever Castiel thought he would find there, he would be disappointed to find nothing.

Meanwhile, Nico himself had decided to see more, to see more of what he had done. No matter how much he tried to convince himself, or his other aspects, the sense of failure and defeat loomed over him like a cloak. Similar to that time where he had faced death itself, only a thousand times worse. It was a good thing that he did, though, as everything he had seen served to give him a much needed perspective on what his actions had lead to.

Moving throughout the carrier, Nico had seen the state of the men, the men whom tried their best to find any survivors amongst the wreckage. Men grieved, men cried, and they raged. Many raged at him, no longer able to keep their negative emotions in check when they saw him, the one they saw as responsible for the deaths of their comrades. The one that they saw as the one who could have saved them, if only he hadn't left them to rot in order to fight that monster. If it weren't for his Bikaku Kagune, then he would have had many punches to the face this day, but thanks to it remaining out, that hadn't happened.

This DID alert him to the oddity of his Kagune suddenly shifting between its normal state and to a state where it became harder than the hardest of steels though, which prompted him to query with Biko about it as a way to keep his mind sane. Turns out that Osiris was the answer, as according to Biko, the weapon's Soul, which they both recalled had something called the 'Hogyoku' inside it, had unconsciously (meaning it wasn't aware of it and neither had they) transferred some of the Techniques inside of its Soul into his mind, ready for him to learn about and master at his leisure. As such, Nico would have access to even more techniques for his arsenal, though with everything going on he didn't think he'd be able to focus on training. When Zelretch had explained it to them before, he mustn't have realized that this would have been how the abilities he'd mentioned Osiris would have had worked, which meant that whilst the weapon itself had physical ability on par with a Devil Arm, it didn't have that much power. Just a form and a Soul... a soul which housed an entire undead army.

Perhaps Nico could do something about that, since he was no fan of necromancy.

Even with this sense of defeat, Nico refused to leave himself defenseless. Nor would he allow himself to be hit right now. If he did, then not only would he lose what remained of his self control and composure, but a LOT more blood would be shed. That was just the way his Ghoul side worked, and these attacks on him weren't helping his composure any. Some had tried to stop their comrades from it, but Nico didn't let them. After all, it was their right, in his eyes, to try.

None of them got through his fortified Rinkaku and Bikaku's defenses, but the attacks felt like they hit his heart all the same...

Funny, it had seemed like he still had one, which surprised him. Guess that was one thing that kept his humanity from completely disappearing, since his body no longer had any.

Not all of them kept this mentality though, as some showed immense gratitude, even with their injuries, to him for ending the monster that plagued their hometown. Nico had asked them why they were grateful to the one who just left them to rot, to which they had replied that they didn't care, that they had already lost loved ones to this invasion and that they probably would have done something similar, since they had little left to lose anyways. That only served to hit him even harder than the punches thrown at him. The thought that these soldiers, whose lives he had practically ruined, didn't even care that they had such injuries thanks to him, all because they had nothing left to lose anyways.

It... hit him, more than he had thought possible.

Also, it had solidified a decision in his mind, although it also felt like an excuse. Still, he had to do something, he needed to, just so that he could feel somewhat better with himself after all this shit as selfish as it also felt inside. That decision, was to exhaust his supply of healing items in an effort to help them heal their injuries. Some of them would remain limbless for the rest of their lives, or be reminded of their injuries, but at least in this way, Nico could contribute himself somehow in their recovery. Not only did he use his healing items, but Nico also had his Kagune lift heavy debris, allowing him and what remained of his men to find what few survivors remained alive this long. There were barely more than a single digit's worth of survivors, and many more dead because of his actions, however those that they DID find alive Nico quickly gave his medical items to them, helping them heal enough that they would no longer be in critical condition.

By the end of the Trial, Nico had only 20% of his original supply of healing items, and about 30% of the food he got from the first trial, but he didn't care. Many of the men had expressed their gratitude to him for helping, but it only resulted in him having mixed feelings, most of them bad though. His actions DID wind up lessening SOME of the negative emotions directed at him, but Nico didn't let this convince him that he did nothing wrong. Nope, not even his other aspects could have let THAT happen.

This trial was a failure... in Nico's eyes, even when the 'MISSION SUCCESS' sign appeared before him and listed the amount of points he had achieved.

Because he had killed the boss himself, as well as killed an even amount of enemies with Castiel, neither of the two had more points than the other. Heck, the Heir had a few miscellaneous items given to him as an extra reward (probably Zelretch's doing, Nico figured), whilst he himself kept only points. That felt about right, he didn't deserve anything extra, anyways. That was what Nico thought, at least, and by the time that they returned to the sparring area, Nico and Castiel parted ways.

Neither giving each other a look.


Right now, Nico sat on his backside, leaning against the side of an equally exhausted Urthemiel who curled around him and kept him warm with its body heat. He did have a mental conversation with the Archdemon through emotions, when it sent him memories of what had happened to it. Apparently, it too had had a shitty time, as it had, in a desire to prove itself, exhausted a LOT of its powers in taking out the enemy horde. It had been never-ending, thanks to the boss monster (which Nico now knew as a Machinedramon thanks to the rewards menu), thus Urthemiel had to be saved by that Lion-like familiar of that blonde angel guy's. Didn't do Urthemiel's pride any favors, but when Nico heard it he couldn't help the bitter snort that escaped his lips.

If he was of a different mental state, Nico would note how Urthemiel 'did' get the 'experience' Nico intended for him.

'Looks like he and I are the same right now, we are both warriors whom have experienced 'defeat' in ways we'd have rather not otherwise...' the male remarked, smirking sardonically. Thanks to how Urthemiel curled around him whilst the two rested (apparently, they had 6 hours before the next trial, another thing Zelretch did for his godson's sake, Nico figured), his form would be concealed from the rest of the outside world. Urthemiel's size could count for that.

'BAH, I THINK YOU'RE JUST BEING SOFT KING, THAT OTHER GUY TOO! THOSE FUCKERS WERE NOTHING BUT WEAKLINGS, DEAD WEIGHT! IN OUR WORLD, THOSE IDIOTS WOULD HAVE MET THEIR END SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, AND WE WOULD NOT EVEN BAT AN EYE!'

Nico mentally sighed, sensing his Ghoulish Persona's distaste through their link. It looked like his aspects didn't really understand what had happened themselves, or rather, his Ghoul self didn't while Biko seemed to be mulling it over. Biko may not care much about others, and like him saw his men as weak, however their constant communication DID allow him to learn faster than his Ghoul side. Hopefully, with everything that would happen in the future, maybe that would change. That felt like wishful thinking on his part...

Fuck, this shit really got to him.

From within, an urge took form, and Nico followed it by holding his hand out in front of him. In a swirling vortex of flames, the imposing, intimidating form of Soul Edge appeared, the redhead grasping its handle before it could fall from the air. Holding the blade horizontally, Nico eyed the monstrous-looking weapon critically, his eyes showing nothing but the eyes of a dead man. The eye of Soul Edge looked back to him, its form simply coursing with unimaginable, unrelenting and savage bloodlust. The blade obviously hungered for blood, as did the rest of his Devil Arms. However, he dared not summon them at this time, as his chaotic emotional state may lead to him having difficulty controlling them. Of course, he'd be able to use them still, nothing would stop that, however this dilemma he faced would make controlling them harder than before.

Still, as Nico looked into the blade's eye, the male couldn't help but think to himself, along with the bitterness creeping up inside his gut. It honestly made him snicker at how pathetic this all was, how RIGHT Castiel had been about him. He wasn't meant to have passed that trial, he just knew it. That trial would have been better suited for just Castiel, it seemed obvious now that he thought about it, he shouldn't have been put in that position, he shouldn't have been made a leader. He wasn't fit for the role, heck Nico could hardly call himself a warrior whilst he looked upon the dark, savage appearance of this Devil Arm, a Devil Arm manifested from his very soul itself. The sinister growth the weapon had, the way its eye jutted about in madness, the pure BLOODLUST he could feel from it... It was a truly savage weapon, yet it was also a representation of Nico himself, a twisted beast with powers that make it all the deadlier. The way it has to have him transform for its full power to be revealed, it seemed almost symbolic, symbolic of the 'shackles' that hindered his Ghoul side for so long.

Yet, even with those shackles 'gone' Nico still felt chained, chained down to a moral coil.

Just then, Nico noticed something out the corner of his vision. Apparently, the menu screen for this Arena's shop had opened beside him whilst he had been too busy on his conflicts to notice it. 'Huh? What the hell...?' the male wondered, lowering Soul Edge onto his lap to bring the menu to the front so he could see it better. Curiosity filled him as he stared at the menu, his eyes narrowing at it. Something about this menu didn't feel right, there were only two items listed in the shop right now, and both had '?' in the names, plus the descriptions and an 'EXCLUSIVE' sign.

What the fuck?

Still, this could help him take his mind off it, he felt like this could be a much needed break from his current situation. His mind wouldn't focus on trying to find a solution like this, he needed a distraction. He looked at these items, and realized one of them had been that book he had bought earlier. Apparently, thanks to that trial, Nico had finally met the conditions to see what this book was, something which his mind formed mixed feelings about. Still, with the way that things were, it would be better to focus on this, plus even with everything he still wanted to learn more about this item. Thus, he pressed it and allowed the item to appear from his Void Storage into his waiting hand.

"Hmmm..."

Nico hummed thoughtfully as he stared at the Book in hand. The book itself didn't look all that special, and its title looked to be called 'Solitary World God'. Still, the title baffled him somewhat, as just by reading it he got the feeling that this purchase had been way more than what it had seemed. 'What the hell is THIS, I wonder...' he thought, sensing curiosity from his other Personas too.

Opening the tome, Nico found a contents page, then went straight to the introduction chapter:


[Solitary World God] is a high ranked Body Refinement Technique. Body Refinements focus on cultivating the body's physical properties, granting boons for the body's internal structure. Body Refining is, as recorded, a straining task, yet the rewards for it are just as worthwhile.

This Method has a series of stages to complete.

The first is the 'Houtian'. this is the initial foundation stage, which focus on preparing the body for the later stages. Any and all components the body possess will be refined by this method, their functionality improved. One's lifespan shall also increase by over 100 years.

The second level is called 'Xiantian'. Upon reaching the Xiantian level, one would be able to control water and fire, and also possess astonishing physical strength. One's body would be light and agile, and all six of the senses would be sharpened. Severed limbs would regrow. In addition, those who reach this stage gain a photographic memory alongside powerful souls.

The third level is called 'Zifu'. Upon reaching the Zifu level, one's regeneration powers would strengthen yet again: as they would be able to regenerate from merely a single drop of blood. Those who reach the 'Zifu' level will have souls powerful enough for them to split their mind in two and will gain the One with the World level of insight ability.

Fourth is called 'Wanxiang Adept' At this level, one will possess a soul powerful enough to utilize 'Divine will' (move things through the strength of their soul), Depending on the nature of the user, they can live for 800 years (human) or 10,000 (monster)

Fifth, is the 'Primal Daoist' Stage. Upon reaching this stage, one will cease aging, instead having an eternal lifespan. They can create clones due to, at this stage, their souls will be fused with their bodies. A primal daoist's soul will be powerful enough to open the eye of heaven and manifest 'Divine sense', a technique which allows them to see the karmic merit of an individual, whether they have done much good in their life or much evil.

Sixth is the 'Void Immortal Stage' Upon reaching this stage, one experiences a massive surge in physical ability.

Seventh is the 'Empyrean God' Stage. The Level of ability this stage has depends on how many Lightning strikes of the 81 strikes one can handle before succumbing. Even so, its physical abilities are superior to those of lower stages at it's base.

Eighth is the 'True God' Stage. Similar to the last Stage

Ninth is the 'Elder God' Stage. Similar to the last Stage.

Final stage is the 'World God' Stage. Upon reaching this stage and completing this Body Refining technique, one will be capable of destroying entire planets with their strength. At this level, only those of similar or higher power will be able to injure them as their bodies are sturdier than that of a world itself.


...

...

...

...

... Holy shit.

There, that summed up Nico's thoughts on the matter as he read about this Body Refinement thing, the more he learned the more excited he became all the while. The thought of having such power at his disposal, power he'd gained through hard work and excruciating effort. it filled him to the brim with excitement and joy. To Nico, power would feel the best when one earns it through blood, sweat and tears. If he could get stronger this way, then he'd certainly do so. Plus, he has his Inner World which gives him great boons in training capabilities. This would help him refine his body with this method, and gain the benefits from it. This thing would be GREAT! It also helped that the book described in great detail on how he should be able to advance through the stages, even if it mentions how it would be much harder to break into the later stages whilst the early ones would be fairly easy.

Now, for the SECOND exclusive item.

Thus, Nico pressed on this 'EXCLUSIVE' item, and when he did the menu vanished. Then, out of nowhere a flash of light appeared before him, vanishing seconds later. Once it did, the redhead lowered his other hand, and saw something that utterly surprised him.

'Huh?'

Seriously, he used that word a lot recently.

Anyways, floating in front of him, was what looked like a seed, a seed that had the same color as the blood that flowed through his veins. Crimson red, yet it didn't radiate any mystical power. No, this thing just felt... normal, unassuming and harmless as it floated before him. Yet, Nico couldn't help but be transfixed on it, his eyes glued to it and unable to look away even if he wanted to. This feeling felt so goddamn familiar to the Satanic Treasures he found on his travels. It felt like the Red Rage Ring, the other one, and the time he first summoned Soul Edge in human form. 'What the hell...? what is this?'

His thoughts reaching an unfavorable conclusion, Nico reached forth towards the seed, which was the size of a basket ball. His hand gently grasped the object, pulling it closer for a better look. For a moment, the male wondered what the hell this was, not the first time though. Seriously, this seed looked unusually strange, yet the next thing he knew, the male suddenly conked out, his mind falling unconscious whilst the seed released this red pulse from it. That pulse had been what knocked him out... as well as what would allow it to do what came next...


By the time Nico awoke, the male felt like he had a head-splitting headache, electing a huge groan from his lips. The teen cursed several times under his breath, placing a hand on his throbbing skull whilst he sat up. Since there had been little to no sound from him, Urthemiel hadn't been disturbed from its slumber, nor did anything else seem out of the ordinary. At least, that was what Nico first assumed, though. This headache felt way worse than that time he had his entire body in agonizing pain when he expelled Urthemiel, THAT moment felt like a mere prickle compared to this thundering headache.

When it eventually began to subside, and he managed to look down however...

'Okay, WHAT THE HELL?!'

Nico mentally shrieked, looking down and almost falling over when he looked himself over. His shouting woke Urthemiel from his rest as it's eyes shot wide open, raising its head to look for some unseen threat. It then looked to see if its creator was alright, and if it were capable of it, then it would DEFINITELY have its jaw dropping.

No idea how resting could do this, but when Nico looked down, the male saw that his body had underwent some... changes. Before, he distinctly recalled being 5 foot 8, NOW however he felt like he was at least 6 foot 9 (a full feet taller), with his form gaining slightly more muscle mass to compensate for the changes. Although he still had this slimness about him, the muscles he had felt much stronger, stronger than even when he had dipped himself in that pool back in the first trial. Not only that, but his body felt like it had been RADICALLY changed, not so much on the outside (aside from the height and slight visual muscle increase) but on the INSIDE. Hell, when he looked down and tried to see what his blood was like when he cut his hand with Soul Edge's blade, the male saw that his blood seemed to be a brighter shade of red than that of his blood before.

Furthermore, his eyes and ears felt unlike anything like they did before. With the former, Nico looked up and found that his sight seemed to have gained one HELL of an upgrade, cause he could make out details in the skies that he couldn't before. For example, he could clearly make out stars hidden behind the sunlight itself, well enough that the rays may as well have not been there at all. If that wasn't enough, then through the gaps between Urthemiel's embrace, the teen could see at a distance far superior than he had before.

As for his ears, the male heard the distinct sound of blood pumping, organs thumping, as well as sounds from incredibly far away. Sounds so distinct that Nico couldn't believe that he was hearing them like this. Feeling them both revealed that they didn't look any different, they remained the same size and shape of a normal ear.

Quickly, Nico chose to do a quick scan of his body using his right Bracer. It's Scanner had the ability to scan object, and he himself could count as such, so maybe it could find out what had happened to him. Now that he thought about it, didn't he have some form of seed before? Part of him wondered why the hell he hadn't scanned it earlier, making him palm his forehead. Though, in his defense, Nico wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind to be thinking logically at the moment. Hell, the only reason why he hadn't flipped out from all this stress was his curiosity to know more about his changes.

A few beeps broke him from his musings, as well as indicated to him that the scanning had been complete. Looking down at it, the male pulled up the results and looked them over. What he saw was well... a shock to the system.


SCAN RESULTS

22 NEW ORGANS/IMPLANTS DETECTED

NONE SHOW SIGNS OF DEFECT

ORGANS RESPONSIBLE FOR BODILY FUNCTION ALTERATIONS

LIST OR ORGANS/FUNCTIONS STATED BELOW:

Maintainer - A secondary heart, resembles a smaller version of the human heart - implanted in the chest cavity and connected to the rest of subject's circulatory and pulmonary systems near the original heart.

Function - To enhance the performance of subject by supplying more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles by increasing blood flow well-beyond that capable for even the most fit normal human being. The Secondary Heart can often save subject's life in combat. In the event of combat damage to or failure of original heart, the Secondary Heart is capable of pumping enough blood through the circulatory system to maintain survival until regeneration repairs the body.

Ossmodula - Second organ, placed alongside the subject's pituitary gland at the base of the brain, thus becoming a part of the subject's endocrine system.

Function - secretes a specially engineered form of human growth hormone. Synthesises the rapid growth of the skeletor-muscular system which results in an superhuman strength and massive size compared to a baseline male. Results, skeleton is larger and exponentially stronger than a normal man's with growth with an equivalent amount of skeleto-muscular mass. In addition, the rib cage has fused into a solid mass of bullet-proof, interlaced bone plates. The resulting structure protects the subjects organs from damage in a way the normal human skeleton never could.

Biscopea - This organ enhances subject's physical combat ability and survivability to superhuman levels. When formed inside chest cavity, scans show this to be at the same time as the Ossmodula's creation.

Function - This small, spherical implant bolsters skeleto-muscular development and density throughout the body and regulates the Ossmodula's synthetic human growth hormone secretion levels. This initiates a growth process that ultimately causes the adolescent human male implanted with the organ to reach the massive height and gain the superhuman strength and muscle density the subject now possesses.

Haemastamen - Implant located in subject's aorta.

Function - The Haemastamen alters subjects' blood's biochemical composition to carry oxygen and nutrients more efficiently. The actions of the Haemastamen turns subject's blood a brighter shade of red than that of normal humans because of its greatly increased oxygen-carrying capacity. It also acts to biochemically regulate the actions of the 2nd and 3rd gene-seed implants, the Ossmodula and Biscopea.

Healer - Shaped like the human liver but only the size of a golf ball, this gene-seed organ is placed within the chest cavity and manufactures the synthetic biological cells.

Function - These biosynthetic cells serve the same physiological purpose for subject as the normal human body's platelets, serving to clot the blood lost from wounds, but act faster, more efficiently and more effectively. When subject is wounded and incurs blood loss, such Cells are released by the circulatory system, attached to the body's normal leukocytes (white blood cells). At the site of the injury, they form scar tissue in a matter of seconds, effectively preventing massive blood loss and infection of the wound. These actions enhance regenerative capabilities to unknown degrees. Further scanning required.

Catalepsean Node - Organ, implanted into the back of the cerebrum, just above the brain stem.

Function - When deprived of sleep for a long period of time, the Catalepsean Node "cuts in" upon detecting a rise in stress and fatigue hormones. This allows the subject to consciously "switch off" sections of the brain sequentially, while remaining awake and alert. This ability comes at a price, as prolonged use of this ability is predicted hazardous, possibly inducing hallucinations or psychosis.

Preomnor - A second or "pre-stomach" spliced into the human digestive system above the original stomach.

Function - Allows subject to eat otherwise poisonous or completely indigestible materials. The Preomnor is capable of biochemically analyzing ingested materials and neutralizing most known biochemical and inorganic toxins, and many others that remain unknown save for their toxic effects. Deadly poisons are either neutralized or isolated from the digestive tract by the Preomnor. The Preomnor can also be isolated from the rest of the digestive tract to deal with particularly toxic substances that subject may expel via vomit. Often these extracted toxins are rerouted and then molecularly stored in the Betcher's Gland for future usage.

Omophagea - Organ that has been implanted into spinal cord, then wired into the central nervous system so that it is directly attached to the cerebral cortex, to the stomach. Four new nerve bundles are also implanted connecting the spine and the stomach wall.

Function - Allows subject to gain part of an individual person's or creature's memory by eating its flesh. This special organ is implanted between the thoracic vertebrae and the stomach wall and is designed to absorb information and any DNA, RNA or protein sequences related to experience or memory. This implant thus allows subject to literally "learn by eating.". The Omophagea transmits the gained information to the subject's brain as a set of memories or experiences. This enables subject to gain information, in a survival or tactical sense, simply by eating an animal indigenous to an alien world and then experiencing some of what that creature did before its death.

Multi-lung - A third lung implanted into subject's pulmonary/circulatory systems in chest cavity that absorbs oxygen from environments usually too poor in oxygen, allow normal human respiratory functioning. Breathing is accomplished through a sphincter implanted into the trachea, allowing all three lungs to be used at full capacity. In toxic environments, a similar muscle closes off the normal lungs, thus oxygen is absorbed exclusively by the Multi-lung, which then filters out the poisonous or toxic elements. The Multi-lung has highly efficient toxin dispersal systems.

Occulobe - An organ which sits at the base of the brain after being implanted along the optic nerve and connected to the retina.

Function - and provides hormonal and genetic stimuli which enable subjects' eyes to respond to bodily procedures created by subject's brain for regulation purposes. These procedures, in turn, allow the brain to make adjustments to the growth patterns of the eyes and their light-receptive retinal cells. The result is that subject has visual acuity that is far superior to that of baseline humans and they can see in low-light conditions and near-darkness almost as well as in bright daylight.

Sentinel - Organ that replaces both ears, indistinguishable to base human ear size and shapes.

Function - Not only does this implant's improved inner ear structure make subject immune to dizziness or motion sickness, but it also allows subject to consciously filter out and greatly enhance certain sounds over the capabilities of normal human hearing.

Sus-an Membrane - Initially implanted within the Neophyte's cranium, this membrane has merged with subject's cerebrum, becoming a full part of neural architecture.

Function - The organ's functions allow subject to use this implant to enter a state of suspended animation, consciously or as an automatic reaction to extreme trauma, keeping the subject alive for years, even if subject has suffered otherwise mortal wounds.

Melanochrome - Hormonal implant attached to the human lymphatic system and controls the amount of melanin in subeject's skin.

Function - Exposure to high levels of sunlight will result in subject's skin naturally darkening to compensate. It also protects the Space Marine from other forms of radiation.

Oolitic Kidney - The organ is implanted within subject's abdominal cavity, becoming part of excretory system.

Function - An emergency detoxification organ that allows subject to survive exposure through the respiration, tactile contact or ingestion of poisons, toxins and gases that are too powerful for even his rugged immune system to normally process without this organ's help. However, this detoxification process renders subject unconscious once it begins, thus very dangerous if required during combat. Under normal circumstances, the Oolitic Kidney also acts as a regulatory organ for Subject's physiology, maintaining the efficient action of subject's advanced circulatory system and the proper functioning of his other organs, implanted or natural.

Neuroglottis - The organ is implanted within subject's upper nasal passages.

Function - After it is functioning, chewing, tasting or smelling a substance allows Subject to biochemically test it for toxicity and nutritional content, essentially determining if the substance is edible or poisonous. The organ also allows subject to identify extremely subtle odors with the same fidelity as the average canine bred for tracking, allowing subject to even track quarry by smell or taste alone.

Mucranoid - This organ is implanted within the central nervous system and responds to specific chemical stimuli in the environment, causing Subject to secrete a waxy protein substance similar to mucus through his pores that seals his skin.

Function - The Subject is cocooned in this way before they enter suspended animation, and the process can even protect them from the harshness of the vacuum and other extremes of temperature, particularly deeply frigid environments.

Betcher's Gland - Consisting of two glands that are implanted into multiple locations inside subject's mouth, including the inside of the lower lip.

Function - In the salivary glands or in the hard palette, these two glands working in tandem transform subject's saliva into a corrosive, blinding acid when consciously triggered. This allows Subject's to spit a wad of corrosive acid with the effect of blinding, wounding or even killing an enemy outright. These implants' more common use is to aid in the digestion of unusually difficult or impossible things to digest, such as cellulose.

Progenoid Glands - Glands implanted in the neck and another in the chest.

Function - The organs hormonally respond to the presence of other implants in body by creating germ cells with DNA identical to that of those implants via cellular mitosis. These germ cells grow and are stored in the Progenoid organs, much like sperm cells or egg cells are stored in the testes and ovaries of normal men and women. When properly cultured, these germ cells can be gestated into each of the 19 gene-seed organs needed to recreate organ implants.

Black Carapace - Neuroreactive, black organic fibrous material that are implanted directly under the skin of the Neophyte's torso. After a few solar hours, the material hardens and invasive synthetic fiber bundles that will serve as connection points for neurons grow inward and interlink with subject's central nervous system.

Function - Black Carapace allows user to use Armour increasingly effectively, but the Armour itself does not need implant to function. It allows Armour to provide better protection, and increases connection to Armour's AI, along with other functions.

Sinew Coils - Subject's sinews are reinforced with durametallic coil-cables that can contract with incredible force, magnifying strength as well as giving subject's body another layer of defence. Subject can, along with crush a man's skull in his hand, break Flak Armour to flinders, or even bite through a metal cable should the need arise, will be able to endure severe deity-level trauma.

Magnificat - A small, thumbnail-sized lobe that is inserted into the brain's cortex.

Function - The Magnificat secretes hormones that increase the body's growth functions whilst also intensifying the function of its other transhuman implants, especially those of the Biscopea and the Ossmodula. As a result, Subject's alternate form is much bigger than the human variant.

Belisarian Furnace - This is a dormant organ that connects to Subject's two hearts.

Function - In times of extreme stress, or should the warrior's body undergo violent, damaging trauma, it expels great blurts of self-synthesized chemicals - a hyper-cocktail that simulates the biological action of combat stimms while also aiding in the rapid regrowth of tissue, bone and muscle. The gland then falls dormant again, and takes some time to metabolically build itself up once more for the next usage.


Finally, the male finished his examination of the Scans, though that was simply thanks to him becoming too bewildered to continue, falling backwards onto the Urthemiel's side. A low sigh escaped his lips, his eyes closing as he put a hand over them. His mind couldn't even BEGIN to comprehend on what he had just heard. Never-mind the genetic implants that had been 'grown' inside of him according to this information, but the fact that aside from immense physical improvement, he now had night vision, acid spitting, poison immunity, increased regeneration to unknown levels (he'll have to see about that later), plus the ability to freaking LEARN by EATING. Not only that, but he now felt like a new person, and if this was accurate, even his DPU Form had improvements made to it, as well as his Armour (though he kinda already knew that thanks to absorbing that Power Armour).

'Holy shit...'

"Hey, this is the favorite dead apostle for everyone, Zelretch! How is everything going kido?"

Looking forwards, Nico noticed the old man that was Castiel's grandfather standing within the circle Urthemiel had made. The Archdemon remained asleep though, and he had a feeling that this man had been responsible for it. The way he looked right now, made Nico think back to what happened before. At that, his earlier depression returned, and the male fell onto his backside. "If you want to say you're disappointed in me, you don't need to. Its just adding salt to the wound, and I've already realized I messed up. Honestly, not even sure why you let me pass the trial in the first place, I royally screwed it up." he stated in a depressed manner, Soul Edge's gaze landing on the older man, its eye showing just how much it wanted to tear into the man. It WAS a personification of his being after all.

"Hmmmm, I wouldn't say disappointed. To feel disappointed with someone you had to trust him in the first place after all." Zelretch pointed out, making Nico feel even worse if that was even possible. "But you should forget all that, weren't you going to talk with Castiel? You know, the good old man to man talk to see why he is so angry?" he questioned him curiously, like he was simply watching a show when it started having technical issues.

Knowing this guy, that just might be true. "Hah, why should I bother? It is crystal clear that he is angry because I kept messing it up, what other reason could there be?" Nico countered self mockingly. He remembered Castiel's words, the angry face he sported throughout the second trial whilst he showed him what had happened thanks to Nico's own decisions. The male pushed those memories back for now though, not wanting to think about them lest he lose what composure he had regained.

Zelretch kept his eyes on Nico for a while before sighing. He then crossed his arms below his chest and proceeded to speak his mind. "You really are self-centered."

"...what?"

"I meant what I said. You don't really put yourself on the other person shoes, simply trying to put labels on others and believe your own decision about what others are like before even knowing the person right. If you decide by yourself who other persons are and why they act the way they do base only on your perspective and your opinions, how can I call you anything but self-centered." Zelretch explained.

This was just one more shock for Nico, especially since he remembered Yvoire all too well right now, thanks to those words. Memories flashed though his mind of their little talk, the talk that Nico and him had before the whole demonic invasion happened. Whilst he didn't like thinking about THAT either, it did present some things to him that seemed relevant to this conversation. Didn't Nico also put a 'label' on Yvoire and acted as if he was a senile old man that was blind to the world around him?

And what was the result back then? Reality slapped him in the face.

It was the same with the guild, with the military families, with who knows how many others. Heck, he even thought that the CPUs did not care about their nations at one point, only worried about themselves, a huge mistake on his part no doubt. "B-But what should I do? He won't talk to me and I can't use my powers to read his mind." Nico questioned, glancing down at Soul Edge. His hand gripped its handle, the blade not showing any signs of discomfort. Why should it, since it wouldn't break thanks to it existing on multiple planes of existence.

"And THAT is your other problem." Zelretch stated, gesturing to him with one hand before putting it back under the other one below his chest. "You want the easy way out, you unceremoniously read other's minds to understand them, but this is only the most superficial thoughts and not their feelings or reasons. You are just being a coward if your first thought when faced with this situation is to read the minds of the other people here." he stated.

THAT had been the final blow, the final blow to Nico's mind that shattered the barriers against the one thing that he wanted to ask all this time. The one thing he wanted to ask, yet did't. The reason? like he had said, Nico had unknowingly been acting like a coward, something he hugely frowned upon back home. He didn't cower when one of his comrades was in danger back on Gamindustri. An example of this was when he nearly got sent out of Gamindustri trying to save MAGES., this guy's student, from that very same fate. "T-Then how could I fix this?" Nico almost shouted, he hated being called a coward but with his flaws, again and again, being shoved down his throat he had little to no choice but to agree on some level.

The man's answer, his face now morphing to one of eager parental anticipation, was to point over to Castiel's direction. "Why don't you start by getting out of your comfort zone and talking to my godson? He is easier to get along then you think, but he TOO is going through some stuff right now, talk to him and he just might tell you." he told him.

At that, Nico shakily nodded, slowly getting to his feet. Urthemiel remained asleep, but Nico didn't mind that. The Archdemon deserved a good rest after what had happened. For comfort, he strapped Soul Edge to his back, tethering it to said body-part with Demonic Power. His mind, body and soul vehemently screamed against this, that this wasn't the way to solve this problem. Memories of his distrust with other people came to the forefront of his mind but Nico pushed past it. Not only because he didn't want to be called a coward, but he also wanted to prove that he could do something right for once. So many things happened that made him question his beliefs and ideals, so much that he had almost gone numb from it all. That couldn't be allowed to happen, thus despite being wholly uncomfortable with this idea, Nico mentally pushed his feelings aside and called on the resolve that he ALWAYS possessed when taking action.

Resolve was the very thing his mother taught him after all.


When he approached the Heir, Nico saw him intently choosing which item he would receive as a reward. Briefly, he felt a flash of fear fill his lungs, but he pushed it aside and strode towards him. Soul Edge's presence ca;med him at the least, so if he would be attacked he had means of defending himself.

On Castiel's end, the Heir looked at the menu with intense scrutiny, he knew that he needed to address his magic circuits soon but he had one item that he saw that he REALLY needed amongst the items to choose.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, approaching the male with his hands in his pockets. So far, so good. He managed to get a decent start to it, but this was only the beginning. Whether or not things would remain this way.

Without even looking at him (something that made Nico mentally grimace), he got a response from the Heir. "Choosing an item as a reward, it is quite a bit harder than I expected." Castiel replied plainly, cupping his chin while placing a hand under his elbow.

"Which ones are you in doubt amongst?" Nico asked, from what he could tell, the guy seemed fairly relaxed now. He could hardly sense much negative emotion in him aside from emotions pertaining to lack of surety, though he made sure not to delve too deeply into those. Zelretch's words rung through his mind, when he used that ability almost like it was second nature to him.

He got a response quicker this time, which made Nico feel a little less uneasy. "Well, I am between Buddha Heart Lotus of Nine Resurrections to fix my damaged magic circuits, or an Aromatic Silky Beauty that can suppress poisons to help one of my girlfriends." Castiel explained.

At that, Nico paused and frowned, not having the clue on what it was that he was talking about. However, his old habits kicked in, and he began deciphering what Castiel had said. So far, it seemed that he had found himself torn between two objects, one that could help himself and the other tat would help one of his 'girlfriends' (part of him realized that Castiel had a Harem, he didn't know or want to know more about that right now). Though, all of that in of itself proved quite intriguing to the male.

Still, there was something else that he wanted to bring up, something more important. "Hey, you keep saying magic circuits and magic circuits, but what are those?" Nico asked, simply because in his own universe people did not have these circuits. Instead, they had SP, Mana etc for magic users. Practices that came from the next Nation he and his Party would be going to after this, Lowee.

"Magic circuits are a pseudo nervous system that allows for the use of Magecraft in my universe. They reside in both the body and the soul of a person, the greater the quality the more energy they can use at once and the longer they can use and produce. To be honest, I need something to fix this damage and another one in my body and soul because of some of the stuff that happened to me, but I don't know if I should take this chance or not." Castiel explained.

Well, Nico could somewhat see what he was talking about, but a thought entered his mind that was related to something he had told the redhead back in the second trial. "But don't you already have that method to suppress poison? Why should you put this flower above your own health?" For Nico this did not make much sense, growing stronger was something that was primordial in importance for him and if he had these problems he would grab whatever chance to grow stronger than he could grasp.

Fortunately though, it didn't seem to piss the heir off, instead it made him merely snort to himself. Better than yelling at him, Nico would say. "Heh, I suppose it might seem like this at first glance, but I don't want to let even a small chance of one of my girlfriends to suffer one more day with what she is going through." Castiel commented. "In the end, I have to put those that depend on me above myself sometimes. It may sound weird to you, but this is a necessary aspect for a leader and king."

Putting others before yourself... Nico furrowed his brows, his mind flashing back to Yvoire and his words to him. They indeed sounded somewhat similar to that, actually. These two boy say that Leaders hep their underlings before themselves, which reminded him of the original Nobles of Leanbox. They, along with a rare few figures down the line of Leanbox's history, had such mindsets. This had led to them having many enemies, but also an equal number of allies in their times. They commanded the honor and respect of many under their service, and had been loved by their people.

But, it didn't really make sense to him. As someone who believed that the stronger you are, the more chance of survival you get, it felt pretty hard to understand the concept of a Leader's role in society. To him, a Leader needed strength to keep the battle going, a Leader had to be stronger than the rest. Strength had to be place first if you truly wanted to enjoy life. This philosophy however, wasn't unique to just him, as that kind of thinking had been pretty much ingrained onto the Spec Ops lifestyle where they have to fight against insane odds just to live another day.

However, with these constant realities that Nico had now been discovering, the scale of life had just gotten all the bigger. Not to mention how grey his worldview had been slowly becoming. He didn't know what to think anymore, and thus his idealism hadn't been as strong as it once was.

"Hah, I will choose the flower. Even if I may not be able to solve my own problems I can deal with them myself, later on, she is more important than just this small damage."

Nico ponce again felt surprise hit him at the roots of his being, it was... well, rare seeing someone who was yelling at him for being a failure not long ago now only thinking about others. Actually, if he thought deep enough,was THIS the reason why Castiel had been so mad with him before? Not because he was NECESSARILY messing with the mission, but more because he was endangering others?

'He is selfless, far too selfless.'

Biko commented to Nico after he too realized this point. Selflessness... this wasn't something Nico saw very often, not even in himself. Coming from a lifestyle where one has to be strong to survive gave one a hell of a selfish viewpoint. It was simply human nature to be selfish, yet there were some exceptions to this rule it seemed. Exceptions that Nico hadn't seen before, until now. Practically every leader of every major organisation back in his world didn't have the same mindsets as Castiel did. Thinking about it, the CPUs had their Nations' backs too.

So... could this...?

'You guys, could this be... what we've been looking for this whole time? The answers we seek for the Yvoire problem?' the redhead male questioned.

'BAH, WEAKLINGS! THE LOT OF EM! THE STRONG DEVOUR THE WEAK, THAT'S THE WAY THINGS ARE AND WILL ALWAYS BE! JUST LOOK AT THOSE KHORNE FUCKS, LOOK AT THEIR STRUCTURE IF WE CAN CALL IT THAT AT ALL, KING! THOSE GUYS ARE TRUE WARRIORS, SAVAGE ONES, BUT HECK THE FUN IS ALL IN THE SLAUGHTER!'

Well, Nico could tell that would have been his Ghoul Persona's response from a mile away. That guy was Ghoul traits personified, so it would make sense for him not to care about others, rather he'd prefer to prioritize his own survival. To a Ghoul, a creature that eats other people or monsters to survive, even its own kin, there would be little fucks for it to give if a life is extinguished. In the world of Ghouls, that is pretty much the norm, every man or woman for themselves as well as survival of the fittest. Not even their own kind are spared from this, in fact racial cannibalism was pretty much encouraged. Often resulting in powerful Ghouls that could easily take on A to S rank Abnormals.

'Perhaps you could be correct, the answer to our recent dilemma could be right in front of us. However, it would be unwise to question him without at first learning more about him. Considering our usual methods are out of the question at this moment, I believe that conversation would be the most ideal solution.'

'You sure?' Nico questioned, uncertainly. This step could have severe repercussions if it went south, but with the things that were going on, the ideals he held for so long coming into questions when new realities were being shoved into his face, perhaps a risk may need to be taken. After everything he had seen thus far in Leanbox, concerning his Ghoul Side, Yvoire, the revelations about his DPU powers plus the rest of his kind, as well as just how BIG the upcoming war between the divine and the demonic would be, Nico may as well question everything he had come to learn was fact.

After all, if there had been anything he had learned so far, it would be that being a leader meant so much more than what he had initially assumed.

'Indeed. Think of this as that time when you convinced Noire to talk to Neptune back in Lastation, look at the results of that. This should be no different, its just a different gender than you're used to. Even if you have had problems with this gender in the past, we have started seeing select individuals whom are an exception to those prejudices.'

'Well... alright, I'll take a shot in the dark for once. Hopefully I won't regret this later...'

"Hey, could you tell me more about yourself? Not just your powers but about, well, the rest too? I want to know you a bit better." Nico asked, the words being so unnatural for him that it was almost as if they were scraping his throat.

Castiel thought about it for a while, on the end this might be a good idea as he could just talk to someone else about what was going on with him, and honestly speaking Nico was the only other option (repetition, yay!) since Zelretch would be prone to sleep in the middle of it or just throw him to face giant monsters instead, case in point, where he was right now. "Fine, I will talk to you about myself." He relented, sighing as he dismissed the menu and began walking to a nearby bonfire. Zelretch had set the Arena to Night time, so that was why he had set it up with some fire magic, putting some logs on opposite sides for sitting on.

Both boys sat on opposite ends, Nico on one and Castiel on another. The Heir took a moment to gather his thoughts, staring deeply into the flames with a melancholic look in his eyes. Nico remained quiet, waiting patiently even though he had little patience. The desire to not be a coward however, proved to be stronger than his impatience, though, and for good reason.

Eventually, the Heir began to speak, his tone level and civil. "Now, where to start? Well, I suppose explaining how I grew up would be good. You see, my dimension is what could be called a mess. There are far too many powerful beings there, too many organizations too, and one of those organizations is the one I was born into: the Tohsaka Tower, or just the Tower. Not long after I was born it was decided that I should be the next head of the organization, probably because I was the first one to be born amongst all those who created it."

A few seconds passed with silence, before Castiel continued. "My infancy was packed full of impossibly hard training, but it was overall quite fun. Being with so many kids my age, growing stronger with them, it was invigorating. I wanted to help them all, to make sure that we would all grow up strong and that I would be able to protect them all. For that I put myself on more rigorous training than anyone else, experiencing more pressure than anyone else, I don't even know how much blood sweat and tears I spilled in hopes of getting strong enough to protect those I cared about."

Thoughts began circling through Nico's mind, but he didn't think on them since the story was still going. "But, when I reached 10 years old, and went on my first mission to exterminate a stray devil, we failed to get there in time. I failed in saving an innocent girl, her family dead in front of her and her arms gone too. The guilt I felt was heavier than you can believe, so, after she told me she wanted to fight for justice and to be a hero I put everything I could to make this a reality. I bowed and pleaded for my Aniki to get her a pair of arms that could allow her to fight, and he did just that. Seeing her happy face when she had her arms back made all the lashes I received for bowing to someone else more than worth it. At least, I believe that it was worth it and it was not like there were any marks left after the lashes as they did heal me back to full health, it was more for the pain that they did that but considering how I was sometimes used like a golf club by one of my teachers back then I didn't really mind that level of pain."

Briefly, Castiel noticed Nico wince, as if he recalled something similar to that event, but paid it no mind for the time being."Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. I was ten by that point, and after realizing my weakness I put even more effort in my training and on the missions. I HAD to get stronger, otherwise, the damage the others could go through was something I could and will NEVER accept. But, the reality was cruel. MY magic circuits are just too weak and damaged to get that strong, I simply could not grow even one millimeter after I reached 12 years old."

'Wait, is he talking about his growth being possibly STUNTED?!' Nico mentally exclaimed, shock and horror filling him up inside. As someone who constantly trained to improve himself, something like that sounded worse than a DEATH SENTENCE! If you couldn't get any stronger in his world, chances were you would likely die the next battle you were sent into. Not easily, either.

His other Aspects agreed with him there.

"No matter what I did, it was as far as I could go. I could not grow at all, and so after some time, I decided to leave for a while. Go out there, live more and maybe discover a chance to get better. There were a few girls that wanted to come with me, but I did not let them. They still had room to get stronger, they didn't have to limit themselves for me. The only one that came with me was my friend Emily, she too had hit a 'road block' and wasn't capable of growing stronger, but now that I think about it she probably did not want to go pass that point just to be together with me for a while more. You can laugh if you want, great leader I am making those I care about worry about me like that." Castiel said, but Nico could not laugh. Not. One. Bit. "Anyway, after that we spent one year by ourselves on the most part, it was quite relaxing and I had the chance to discover two of the best things in the whole wide world: anime and pudding! The perfect dessert, snack, or, to be honest, meal! It is just SOOO good." Nico had to sweat-drop hearing this, and the more he heard more he noticed something.

Castiel was like a strange mix between Neptune (love for anime and pudding), Noire (on the worry over those under him), IF (on his desire to get stronger and prove himself), and Compa (with his 'mother hem' like actions and worry for others).

Was THIS person he was afraid to talk too before?

Seriously?

The sense of being an idiot filled his being. Not the first time he'd felt it, either. "Anyway, not long ago we were on our latest mission. Stop a warmonger that wanted to restart a stupid war that would probably damage the world at large. It wasn't so complex of a mission, we just had to stop him from completing a ritual and that would be enough, but, but I failed to predict his moves. He went after US, and after he threatened to kill one of those under my protection, the same girl I am buying this flower for, unless I turn myself into him. To let him do as he pleases. If I was strong enough, if I wasn't damaged from the start, I would be more than his match, I wouldn't have to have put others or myself on that position, but it was not to be. I even had to cut my own arm off just for him to let every one of my companions go."

A part of him told him that he could tell where that would be going, but Nico remained silent. "I turn myself in, was put into a strange ritual where all my blood was drained from my body while I felt more pain than anyone should EVER feel, and ended up helping him complete his ritual. Luckily, he was an arrogant prick so he let me fight him one more time. And surprise surprise, I lost again. My body was burned to a crisp, my eye melted while IN the socket, and I let the others put themselves in danger. But, surprisingly, my mom, the woman who had NEVER talked to me, that I have never met and abandoned me on my birth, came to my 'rescue'."

At this point, Castiel made quotation marks before continuing his tale. "And by rescue, I mean that she kidnapped me after dealing with Kokabiel, I had NO control over myself or my destiny at that point. It was also then that I discovered that I was a half fallen half pure angel, that I was an abomination from the very start and that my own mother sealed those powers from me. All because I was born with part of an evil power that I had not choose to have, that I had part of All the World's Evil in me."

Rage began to bubble inside Castiel when he remembered that WOMAN, the woman who had caused him so much pain. The utter bullshit that escaped her mouth felt more like venom to the Heir every second he remembered it, but he pushed on regardless. "She said she wanted the best for me, but in her haste SHE was the one to damage my magic circuits. If not for those actions of hers, I would be strong enough to protect my loved ones, and now, now after suffering more than ANYONE should suffer, she came to me to ask for forgiveness. Can you even imagine? To see the one person that should love you do that to me, and then just say 'I am sorry'. That was why I coming here was good for me because I need somewhere to vent all this frustration, and that was why I was so stressed on this mission.

"This was my chance, the chance to prove to myself that all I did was NOT a waste, that I truly am capable of making the right calls and that I am capable of leading others on the best way possible. That I am capable of not failing those who will be putting their LIVES on my hand, and that I am more than just an heir to the organization and child of my parents. That I am a good leader, that I can too make the difference and that I can save others despite the evil I was born carrying. So, is this enough or do you want more?"

Baffled, Nico could only shake his head. This guy, he seemed like he had went through a great deal, a whole lot more shit than Nico had expected. Not even his other aspects disagreed with them there. The first thing was the guy's childhood, it seemed that the kid didn't have it easy from the very beginning, the way he spoke about being made heir to a large organisation from birth, pretty much sealing his path through life, reminded him eerily of his own linage. How he was, despite the circumstances around it, descended from Leanbox Nobility. How would his life have been if he had been raised as a Noble? Well, it wouldn't have been nearly as grand as the other children, he'd be labelled a bastard for being of mixed blood. His father wasn't a noble, but his mother was you see. No matter how much he tried to think about it Nico felt like he would have been meant for discrimination.

Nobles were such simple-minded creatures, that way.

Unlike him though, it would seem that Castiel had a LOT more help in that department.

Second, the thing about him getting harsher training seemed quite appealing to the male, Nico could understand the need to get stronger. At least, that was the concept he COULD get, but the reasoning behind it befuddled him. Getting stronger he could get, but to do so to protect strangers? People you may not even consider friends? It sounded like he DID consider them as such, and it DID sound like some form of military boot camp. Nico wasn't that well versed with the way militaries outside the Spec Ops operated aside from bits and pieces, however the redhead teen knew for a fact that men and women in boot amp tend to form bonds with each other. If it were in that sense, Nico could somewhat get it...

Thirdly was the stunting, and by the goddess that sounded like utter hell (BOTH his aspects agreed with each other there). He did NOT want to imagine the kind of pain that would have been like, if he had been stunted like that back in his world then chances were that he would NOT have lived long. The best time he could think of that was somewhat similar would be the time when his Demonic Powers were stunted by his Berserker Mode shortly after his arrival into Leanbox with his Party. The sheer frustration of not being able to train in his powers, to not even be able to use his DEVIL ARMS felt like hell on earth. Fortunately he had to deal with it only for a short time compared to Castiel.

The fact that he had comrades who could still grow all around him probably added salt to the wound.

Everything else, Nico could somewhat find relation to throughout his own past, a past that he didn't feel like he could share at the moment. Not with this sense of shame and guilt gnawing at his being. "I see... then that was why you seemed so stressed. I can sense negative emotions because of my powers, and during that trial the level yours had been at had me concerned."

"Yeah well, that's my story." Castiel stated, sighing as he leaned backwards. Wow, he didn't realize it, but talking to Nico about his problems felt better than he thought it was. He was in no state of mind to ask about his past yet, plus according to his calculations they only had about 4 hours left to train/ relax before the next Trial. Whatever that may be.

That was when he noticed something, something on Nico's face that hinted that he wanted to ask something, but his body language hinted that he didn't know how. "What is it? I'd rather you speak your mind than just hide your thoughts." he questioned him, much of his previous anger leaving him. By no means did he forgive Nico for his conduct, he couldn't do that unless the guy showed SERIOUS change. But thanks to that talk, he felt marginally better. Better than he had felt in a while, at least.

"... Alright, look. You're right about me, i'm an idiot, I utterly screwed up on the second trial. To be frank you have every right to refuse what I'm about to ask, but i'd appreciate it of you could..." At this point, the next set of words struggled to leave his lips with how discomforting they felt. However, Nico would NOT allow this to continue, he would NOT allow himself to remain this way. Leadership seemed like one of his weaknesses, but the male found himself willing to do what it took to change that. Didn't make this easy, but hey when was life ever easy? "Could you teach me how to be a better leader?"

"Huh, you? Wanting me to teach you?" Castiel asked without understanding the abruptness of the talk. For him, this was just way too sudden and out of nowhere, after all, Nico was the one saying that he should never have been a leader and Castiel just told him about how he failed. Why would Nico even WANT to learn with him?

Nico looked down, his persona's being silent, sensing the resolve burning within the redhead male. Despite his pride, Nico willingly chose to throw that away from knowledge, knowledge, and understanding. Regret filled his being, regret at his conduct, disgust with his actions, and the desire to b better. He wanted to prove to himself and these two ales (Castiel and Zelretch) that he could change, that he could be a good person and not a pathetic coward. Not to mention, now that he thought about it, that his Soul Edge may be a personification of his soul, expressing his true nature as a savage beast. However, its shapeshifting abilities symbolized his adaptability, his power to change people.

All that was shown on both his face and his eyes.

"If you really want me to teach you, I don't mind. But I must tell you, your mentality is all wrong for a leader." Castiel said.

"Huh?"

"You are always focused on yourself, on how YOU can win the fight, on how YOU can survive, on how YOU can become stronger. A good way of thinking for a lone wolf, for a warrior, fighting by himself, but not for a group and especially not for a leader. A leader should first and foremost think about how to make the ALL win the fight, the ALL to survive, the ALL to get stronger. This is the first thing you should work upon." Castiel said, already entering in 'teacher-mode' so to say.

With this Castiel started discussing and explaining many things to Nico. About the importance of allocating and managing the group to how a nation works, how to read in the lines, he even entered in theories of leadership from his dimension and taught many miscellaneous facts to Nico.

Nico heard it all, he mulled over what he was presented and understood how badly he dealt with so many things now, with Yvoire, and even with the party he is on. Heck, he didn't even THINK about seeing anything that could work for the others yet, just looking at how to make himself stronger. How he really was WAY over his head when he confronted Yvoire that night. And how his actions throughout the last mission were terrible decisions, all were shown to him clearly when he heard Castiel explain more and more about leaders.

They were almost a whole other species to Nico, one that he never really understood at all until now.

But, even after he heard it all Nico still could not find an answer for his own question on what to do to his situation back in his dimension. He could have asked then and there for the answer, as he felt Castiel could provide a perfect answer for him as he seemed to be a genius on the subject, and yet he choose not to.

They could not waste too much time here, they had a limited time frame to deal with all these missions and to ask his question Nico would have to explain a lot of things that would take quite some time.

It was best to go to the mission already.