Chapter 11: I.N.R.I.


A year has passed, and they'd become boyfriend and girlfriend respectively. The word, however, left a sour taste in his mouth. Not the meaning, the message was music to his ears. Perhaps it's the use of the word "friend" that ruined the moment every time she uttered the word "boyfriend." He'd never told her about the issue he had—he would just deal with it and address her as his significant other, now that left a refreshing sigh out of his lungs.

They'd dated for months and months, not getting tired of each other's personalities. They just embraced their weak and strong points tightly.

She would always find a way to drive him crazy. And he loves it.

They'd moved in. He'd bought a house that would make a Pillar Devil hiss in disgust. A simple one-story building that had a perfect view of a lake, where nature and silence lived in harmony with one another, ideal for himself and his other half.

Even then, she was beyond surprised when he'd shown her the abode which is far away from civilization. He had to admit, it's rather amazing, but his territory in the Underworld is better than this chunk of terrain.

She'd wanted to know how much money had left his wallet after spending it on this house, but he kept it as a personal secret and replied with a lie. He was grateful when she dropped the interrogation.

The pair drowned themselves with their favored drink on the deck. For the man a glass of wine, for the woman a can of beer.

"Life is good," she said after a long and tranquil silence, stretching slightly with a satisfied groan, "Especially when summer hit us like a truck."

"Hit us like a truck?" He parroted, facing her. "Is there a meaning behind that sentence?"

She sighed, "It came suddenly, we were unprepared," She took a sip, sending a side-glance to her boyfriend, "Really? Are you really that unaware? That expression is well-known around here."

"…" He didn't answer back, preferring to savor his wine while watching the scenery before them.

Her eyes suddenly wandered to her waist, softly stirring her drink, "Say, what do you think about kids?"

"Kids…?" He repeated, making sure he heard her right. Getting a dull hum from the gal, he smiled slightly, "I think children are sweet, funny, and smart."

"Huh, different mindsets I see…" She drawled, her eyesight shifting over the lake, "They're not smart. Or good at much. Just my two cents… But that's not the answer I was waiting for."

"Then what is it?"

"What I'm trying to say if you and I have some? A little Idiot. Or two little idiots."

There were delicious moments nowadays between these two where one of them would catch off guard the other, and today, it was glorious. His face went blank with a mix of turbulence like his brain gears couldn't whirl fast enough to suck the message from his wide eyes.

She mentally cursed herself for not carrying a camera, internally begging that a fugitive comet would pop-out from nowhere to fulfill her selfish dream.

Every muscle of his body just stiffened before a grin cracked onto his face, it soon extended from one side to the other, displaying every single tooth, "That sounds like a fantastic idea."

"Then it's obvious what our next step is," she returned the happy expression with a smirk of her own, "We should get married."

"Engaged…? Yes, I adore the sound of that word." He heard her laughing softly, "What is it?"

She just shook her head—her enticing smirk swapped with a small grin, "I just imagined the brats screwing up the damn house. Let's keep in mind the act of tying them up to something."

"Noted."

"Also, if we're going to tie the knot then I want something else too," She lifted her empty hand—a pinky lifted, "Let's make a vow that we won't hide anything important that could affect us, and be faithful to one another. Promise?"

"…" He stared at her raised finger for a decent amount of time. He obviously is going to stay loyal to her. In his eyes, she's the most beautiful woman to walk on earth, he didn't know why, nor did he care to find out, he let his heart do its part, and he's actually satisfied with the results.

But there was something that made him think. The part where she said to gift the truth and only the truth.

She doesn't know he's a Reincarnated Devil, and until now, he didn't even plan on telling her his true race, take his true identity to the grave. He can't do it. She's going to be frightened after knowing that she'd been dating a fictitious creature for a year now.

"Promise," He finally said, wrapping his pinky finger with hers, squeezing it softly.

She smiled, satisfied, "Good," snatching her pinky away, she sighed, contented, snickering after a few seconds of relaxing silence, "This is not how you have to propose me. You're supposed to get on your knees, grab my hand, and show me the ring, you know? With beautiful scenery and the scent of fresh roses filling our nostrils."

"I can do that if that if it would make you happy," he offered, "Just give me four or three days to have everything ready."

She rolled her eyes, blowing some air to push the hair away from her forehead, "Please don't, that's so cliché, and you're the cheesiest person I've met, Ruddy. Of all-time," she smiled after hearing his silent objection, "Just prepare the wedding, and I'll take care of the fabulous dress and the special guests."

"Your family, I presume?"

"And yours, too."

"They're not here—they're in another country," He lied.

She clicked her tongue, "Pity… I've never met your parents—meh, maybe they'll hate my guts," She chuckled, "Whatever, tomorrow let's start our respective quests and marry ASAP!"

"Of course."

...

...

...

"Holy shit. We're the weirdest pair of all times, Ruddy!"

"Do you regret it?"

"Nope. Not at all. I love it."


"I must say, your room truly is well-kept, Prince Danhauser," Rudiger complimented after making his way inside Belial's room, "The maids are performing their assignments smoothly!" He spun around, facing the teenager with a gentle smile, "Hopefully, you appreciate the deeds of these young damsels?"

"Of course," Danhauser bestowed a smile, "I don't know how, but every time they swap my bed sheets, it feels like I'm resting on a cloud. They're amazing."

"Hm. This is a wild guess, but is there a possibility that you love sleeping?" Seeing the gray-haired Devil nod, made the Magician chuckle, "Ah, it seems that we share a similar perspective. Sleeping is beautiful. Peaceful. Quiet. There are no obligations or deadlines. Only fluffy pillows, soft cotton sheets, and warm goose-down blankets."

"I'm glad we share something in common," Danhauser started, "But I don't think you came here to talk with me about sleeping under the sheets."

Just as the Belial predicted, Pater R.R.C. affirmed with a hum, "Unfortunately, yes—I came here for something completely different. I'm a man with a busy schedule nowadays. Plus being a participant in the Rating Games has just added more weight to my shoulders."

Danhauser let his tongue roll as he digested Rudiger's words. He doesn't know the man at all. Sure, he'd read about him in the Light Novel, but only after the part where multiple and powerful Gods of various Mythologies locked themselves with the Beast. The Upsetting Sorcerer did appear in the Novel, but as an Extra Character: the referee of the Match between Gremory and Bael. Other than that, he's just patrolling over unknown ground.

The only thing he knows is that Rudiger may be one of the strongest Reincarnated Devils that the Underworld has at its disposal. His status as a 7th place in the Rating Games board is a firm nod to Danhauser's statement. Grayfia doesn't count since even if she carries the Queen Piece, she's already a Devil, heart, and soul.

But the issue at hand is, what does Rudiger want from a teenager? Danhauser doesn't have anything useful in his pockets to aid the German on… Whatever his affair is with the young Belial. The Magician would also directly opt for Diehauser's help since they're friends, similar to Tannin.

Danhauser sighed, "I see."

"Not a child of many words?" Rudiger asked, a tone of playfulness slipping from his lips. He cleared his throat. "Then let us make haste, then." He snapped his fingers, and just by that action alone, Danhauser felt a pulse of pure energy surrounding the place.

"Did he just make sure that no one can spy on our conversation?" Danhauser thought, his eyes moving in various directions, "A magic spell to make sure everything's muted outside of this room?"

Rudiger spun around and did a reverse arm-fold. He began exploring deeper into the room. "Let me start by asking you a simple question. Before I introduced myself, have you heard of me at all?"

"Not really," Danhauser admitted, seeing how Rudiger froze for a second, before resuming his adventure, "I mean, I'd heard of someone carrying the nickname of The Upsetting Sorcerer… I guess that's you?"

"Correct," Pater R.R.C. nodded, standing in front of the bed, "But I also have a lifestyle outside of the Rating Games, do you know about it?"

Danhauser curled an eyebrow, "No," he responded, spotting the smallest frown cracking his features, but it quickly disappeared.

"Are you sure?" Rudiger persisted, not facing Belial,"Not even a small hint of my private way of living?"

"I don't know how I'm supposed to know about your personal life," Danhauser scowled, "I haven't met you before."

"There it is!" Danhauser again saw it. Rudiger's face crumples againhe's missing something essential, isn't he?

"Well," The Magician harrumphed, "Perhaps I should give you some vital information to clean your mind…" He tilted his head, eyeing the ceiling, "In my previous life, as a human, I was a magician. Not a top class such as Lucifer's Bishop or Diehauser's Bishop. A mere High-Class sorcerer with no outstanding feats at all. As time went on, I became peerless thanks to the Rating Games, thus building my own Magic Association, Rosenkreutzer."

Danhauser whistled, "That's fantastic. Congratulations, your efforts truly had paid off."

Rudiger sulked a bit, sending a side-glance to the teenager, "Was that supposed to be sarcastic?"

Gasping, Danhauser brought a hand to his mouth, "N-no!" He flushed, "I mean it! Seriously! For a Reincarnated Devil to be successful at his goals is an amazing feat!"

"…" Rosenkreutz kept staring, making Belial tense at his gaze, before finally offering a radiant smile, "Ah, thank you for the compliment, Prince Danhauser."

The gray-haired Devil just sighed behind his hand, relieved, "So, can we continue?"

"Of course," The German chuckled, "My Magical Order concentrates on different paths of magic, but mostly, we follow the Arts of Alchemy. Just as any Magical Organization, each institution carries a 'motto' to keep a colorful and inspirational ambiance for our students," he spared a quick glance to his listener, "Do you know what Rosenkreutzer's motto is?"

"No, I don't," Danhauser shifted closer to his table, leaning his back on the furniture, "What's the motto?"

"…" He shot Belial a brief smile, before looking away from him, "I'm glad that you asked. Tell me, Prince Danhauser, what does I.N.R.I. stands for?"

"Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm," When a migraine struck, Danhauser was its prisoner, helpless in the cage of pain, "Shit! Fuck!" Pounding, throbbing, like a toothache in his brain. He massaged the side of his head, "N-no I don't know, what's that supposed to mean?" He lied, of course, he knows. Those were the initials for the Latin title that they'd written over the head of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

Thankfully, Rudiger didn't acknowledge Danhauser's excruciating pain, "Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm," he responded, grunting as he also passed through a soaring headache, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."

"Okay, why's your motto that Man's nickname?" Danhauser asked, making sure not to pronounce that name. He was perplexed why Rudiger selected the Epithet of a prominent figure of the Catholic Church. Could it be that he's like Asia? Is he Catholic, too? Hence the reasoning behind this? But then it wouldn't make sense for him to become a Reincarnated Devil unless the King found him in a lifeless state or near death's door.

"We could say it's a tribute," the Rosicrucian answered nonchalantly, "Since, in truth, that's not the motto of my Magical Association. I.N.R.I. has an acronym and alternate meaning that I've developed myself," he trailed off, "Igne Natura Renovatur Integra. Would you kindly translate it, please?"

"…" Danhauser furrowed his eyebrows, turning around and leaning over the table, glaring at the beautiful wall, focusing on the word that Rudiger pronounced, "…Through fire, nature is reborn whole." He responded, thanks to his passive ability called 'Language' it made it easier to understand multiple languages without toasting his brain.

"Eureka," Pater R.R.C. applauded, "That's the English version of the phrase. Many of my scholars have a diverse point of view—they regard that quote from distinct perspectives. Some of them argue, some of them shrug them off and follow their own instinct, minding their business."

"I'm not following," Danhauser admitted, scratching his scalp, "What does this have to do with me?"

"We're approaching the corner," Rudiger assured him, "Of course, it has an original definition, and so far, I'm the only one who knows it."

"And I'll be the second one?" Danhauser guessed, earning a firm nod, "But why?"

"…" The silver-haired ignored his question, slowly strolling to the other side of the room, passing a finger over the wall and scanning his digit, as if he was expecting dust coat his index, "… My I.N.R.I. implicates the anomaly of the ever-repeating cycle of death and life."

"… Care to specify?" Danhauser began to worry, gulping saliva, his heart suddenly thrumming faster, the veins under his skin began to flare living fire.

The surrounding atmosphere, it was one desolated and filled with the sound of Danhauser hesitantly tapping the floor. You could cut the ambiance with the cheapest knife sold at a flea market, heck—a wooden knife could handle the job, too.

The Magician still held his back to Belial, rubbing his thumb and index together, "You want prime examples?" His voice suddenly became serious and sullen when he hissed, "As you wish, rebirth, reanimation, resurrection, incarnation…" Bit by bit, he looked over his shoulder, a knowing glint burning in those deep, forest eyes, "…Reincarnation."

He could feel it. The cold sweat drenching over his skin, the throbbing of his tensed eyes, and the thumping of his heart against his chest. He knows. He fucking knows, "Interesting," Danhauser breathed out, his fingers suddenly treating the table as piano's keyboards.

"Indeed, Interesting," Since the starting point of the conversation, Rudiger finally faced the anxious Devil, "Months ago, I paid a visit to the hospital you were temporally bedridden in. I took the time to read your updated files correctly."

Danhauser gasped, "You can't do that!" He snapped, "Those are confidential files! Only someone from my family can read it!"

Rudiger's smile reappeared, eliciting a chill to run down on his spine, "And guess who lent me the documents?" He paused, waiting for a reaction. Seeing none, he resumed, "I'm a professional in the field of medicine, hence the reason why The Emperor had entrusted me your papers. It seems I forgot to tell you that. Whoops."

His fingers curled into trembling fists, nails digging into his palm. He couldn't believe it. Rosenkreutz had planned this since the moment Danhauser was hospitalized! The moment Tannin brought Bova to Belial Territory is when Rudiger put his plan into action!

And unfortunately for him, the Upsetting Sorcerer's plans ran smoothly.

"It must be that day!" Danhauser's orbs began wandering around the room, landing on everything except the Reincarnated Devil, "Bova's father said something about Rudiger participating in a Rating Game. He'd invited Diehauser to be the referee, either on the start or end of the match was when he approached my brother…"

"And you know what furtherly peeked my curiosity?" Rudiger continued, not giving a damn about the environment, "Your symptom—Lazarus Syndrome. The excuse the doctors used to explain why you once again started breathing."

"It's not an excuse!" The gray-haired devil shot back, "That's how I left my coffin!"

Rudiger exhaled from his nose, "Of course you'd believe that," he waved his hand, almost dramatically, as if he was guiding an orchestra, "I'll admit. I was going to also be deceived and believe in the written notes, but that soon took a hastened stop when I spotted your second syndrome: Amnesia," He laughed, somewhat loudly, "Unbelievable! The cat in the bag did an atrocious job of hiding!"

"Yeah, I lost my memories, so what?" Danhauser glared daggers, "I don't understand where's the fun in that."

"I remember how you burst out from the building with The Emperor, and the rest chasing after you. Indeed, I was there when you started your show," He commenced with another mighty swing of his hand. "Diehauser told me how you'd began listening after he pinned you to the ground. But you had amnesia, or not? Weren't you still afraid? Screaming for help? Or was the first theory to strike your mind was: 'He's my older brother so I should believe his premises'?"

Danhauser listened to his—somewhat—confident chuckle, "Right now, you have two entities within you. The spirit of young Belial and the soul of a human. Two personalities are colliding with one another, but one of them has the high ground, while the other is slowly succumbing to a profound and saddening slumber."

"What?" Danhauser scoffed, even if he was in a state of shock, he has the capacity to retaliate, "There's no way I could have two personas within me. I only have one. The spirit of myself, Danhauser Belial, the Devil. You're just making this up."

"For how long are you going to keep up your deficient mask?" Rudiger asked with an eye roll, "I have inscribed three books that hold over a thousand of pages! All of them speaking about the subject at hand! All the pens I've dried off in my grasp have an important purpose. Plus, I have proof, one of them involves the reports of your brother and mother. Your personality has changed drastically, but in the right way," he looked at Danhauser dead in the eye, "It's over. Tangled in the webs you are, Prince Danhauser… Or should I start addressing you by your true name?"

"You're already calling me by my real name, Rudiger," He countered with a hiss, "I am Danhauser! Proud member and heir of the House of Belial!" He pointed a sharp finger at the exit, "And I want you to get the hell away from me, now."

There was no softness in Rudiger's gaze—the Rosicrucian merely looked down at him as if he was a child begging for pity. He wasn't. Instead of lowering his head, he lifted it—a glare etched from his gray eyes. Two emotions are swimming inside his system, blurry anger, and chilling fear. The latter being the dominant of the two.

But he clenched his teeth in an effort to keep his trembling jaw still, staring at those deep emerald eyes feels like he was standing at the entrance of a dark forest. Someone should name a crayon after him.

"Is this how you felt, Tobio?" Danhauser held himself from laughing loudly, "Defenseless after encountering something that knows your secrets?" It's like Karma decided to finally yank him from the hair. Rosenkreutz did the same thing as Belial did to Ikuse, patiently scheme everything up before going for the attack, and lo and behold, it worked with flying colors.

Belial wasn't ready for this—he'd never expected the Magician to fish out his deepest secret.

"But still…!" The gray-haired devil fumbled internally, "That's not enough proof to state that I'm reincarnated… he's hiding something. That must be it. Something that I don't know… that no one knows…"

"… admit it—you're not Belial. Formerly, you were a human," Rudiger said through clenched teeth, not breaking eye contact, "just give me your name, and I'll calmly take my leave."

"How many times do I have to repeat myself? My name is Danhauser."

A muscle twitched involuntarily at the corner of his right eye—his mouth formed a rigid grimace. Rudiger snapped his fingers, and once again a small wave of arcane magic flowed throughout the room before vanishing, "I'm pretty sure you knew that I'd make sure no one could eavesdrop on our conversation?" He saw Danhauser's steady nod, "Very well. I won't tell Diehauser a word about this nor anyone from your family. The last thing I ever want to do is shatter their happiness when they discover the unfortunate truth."

"…" He'd expected a 'thank you' for keeping the cat once again inside the bag, but the only thing he'd got was the same old sharp glare. Grunting, he made his way to the door, "Don't push your luck, our business is far from over."

Danhauser pursed his lips, holding back fits of curses, all of them directed to the root of his anger. Suddenly his eyes widened slightly. A small thought of their conversation, clashing with his head, "Hold on a second!"

The silver-haired obeyed, leaving the door hanging open, his eyes jumped to the Devil, "What now?"

"You… you read my updated files?" Danhauser said, "The ones that speak about Lazarus Syndrome, right?"

Rudiger stared with half-lidded eyes, "… What of it?"

"You'd seen the outdated version, too, isn't?" Danhauser asked, "You know, the reason why I died the first time?"

"…" The Upsetting Sorcerer kept his sight fixed on Belial's small stature for a while. Finally, he spoke, "Yes, I'm informed about your lamentable departure. But I won't talk unless I receive something valuable in return."

Danhauser growled, "I see. Goodbye, then."

"…" The silver-haired man remained in place, his hand still resting on the door's border, clenching the chunk of wood, his eyes softened and trembled ever so slightly, his lips quivered as he tried to open his mouth to say something, but only a dry gasp left his throat. He quieted down instantly, "…Farewell."

Danhauser focused on the floor, waiting impatiently for the German to close the exit, seeing the door getting closed followed by tender steps slowly fading away from the corridor was when Danhauser shakily sighed and laid both palms on the table.

"Motherfucker!" He slammed both fists on the table. Hard, "He knows. He fucking knows!"

He winced, sparing a look behind his shoulder, seeing the door still locked and not hearing a single sound outside made him sigh with relief, "For starters, I should stop screeching, Rudiger already wiped out the mute spell, and I doubt these walls are soundproofed…" He took deep breaths, trying to calm down, but his breathing came out rapid and shallow, "This is not working… I'll have to team up with my anxiety it seems. Great."

He carefully took a seat on his chair, relieved upon doing so, because the way his legs are trembling, there's a possibility for him to accidentally trip, "R-right. Rudiger knows that I died? How? He already tossed his answers, but there must be more. There has to be…!" He fumbled, pulling his gray strands, "The good thing is that he thinks that in my previous life, I'm from this universe, meaning that he doesn't know about my true identity. He doesn't know this is an Ecchi Anime."

Cold sweat glimmered on his furrowed brow, a glass of water would be demanding right now, "That's… pretty much it. He knows that I've been reincarnated, something that I made sure to keep hidden but other than that, nothing else. It's unknown if Rudiger knows about Danhauser's childhood. He knows about his death, though."

He lifted his arm, washing his forehead of the accumulated sweat, "… What I want to know is how he knew about this?"

The question kept repeating over his brain, like an old recorder playing a song. Unfortunately, not a single coherent answer made sense in his mind, immediately tossing it to the imaginary trash can as he kept pursuing the appropriate explanation.

But every time he took hold of a rope—he would eventually fall.

"… Nothing," Danhauser cursed, massaging his scalp to cease his current headache, "I'm just slowly turning myself into a mess, but I can't stop thinking about it, this is something I can't just ignore. I need to focus more."

"Who the hell are you, Rudiger?"


"How did this happen?" For the fifth time, Rosicrucian kept the question spinning over his head, like a merry-go-round, "Everything should have run according to my plans! I even predicted multiple routes for this, and all of them had taken me to the same ending! What went wrong?!"

He folded his arms tightly across his broad chest, furiously walking on the long and elegant corridor and all while staring down at the gray carpet, lost in his inner world, "Could it be true? That's he's, without a doubt, Danhauser Belial? Were all my calculations incorrect from the beginning…?"

He clenched his teeth, firmly shaking his head, "No, no, no! It can't be… he's just dishonest!" He paused, "If so… then why is he in denial?"

"Because he has amnesia," Rudiger gasped at the new voice, quickly turning around to face Lord Belial with his Queen, "Didn't you already know of that?"

"Dear Maou, Diehauser, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" The German brought a hand to his chest, calming his cardiac organ.

"Sorry," The Emperor apologized, his mouth fighting a smirk, "So, found the answers you needed?"

Lowering his hand, Rudiger smiled a little, "All my answers have been answered," He pursed his lips, "Unfortunately, new ones came out from a new light."

"That's troublesome," Diehauser sighed, apparently expecting the outcome, "I'll be honest, I doubt that you'll find more than that since, you know, memory loss."

Pater R.R.C. frowned, "If you only knew the truth, but I can't say it. Forgive me, friend," His scowl dissolved, swapped by one of his friendly smiles, "You may be right, but I can't yield now, don't you agree?"

The Emperor shrugged a single shoulder, "If you say so, however," He raised a finger, a warning, "This week it's going to be impossible. I'm taking Dan to visit dad—I'll send you a call when he's free for another visit."

"Ah," Rudiger nodded, "Understandable. Well then, I have important matters to attend. My agenda is beginning to weigh me down by the second. It was a pleasure to be here, Diehauser."

"You really have to leave now?" Diehauser pointed a thumb behind his shoulder, "Mom is helping the maids the put the plates on the table, and uncle is excited to share his 'amazing' adventures."

Rudiger rose his hands up, an apologetic smile blooming on his face, "I don't wish to burden your family with my presence, Diehauser."

"You're not," Lord Belial assured him, "You know that you're always welcome in my territory, right?"

"Thank you," Rudiger voiced out his gratitude, "But unfortunately, I have to decline your offer still, I hope you understand."

Diehauser sighed, pocketing his hands, "That's sad to hear, but I understand. You need someone to take you to the exit? Or have you already memorized the route?"

The Rosicrucian chuckled, "Like the palm of my hand, friend. Don't fret—I can handle this alone."

"What are you babbling about?" Finally, Gilles de Rais, blended in the conversation, much to the German's chagrin, "It would give a wrong impression to the House of Belial to let our distinguished visitor wander around! Here, let me guide you!"

"I appreciate the cordial gesture, Gilles," Rudiger's mouth twitched, "But I rather wish not to drain your time on helping me open a door."

"Nonsense!" Gilles exclaimed stubbornly, smiling, "My duty is to treat our guests like they are in their own humble home. I cannot look the other way while you are here without someone aiding you. Who knows? Maybe you will accidentally trip over the stairs and fall unconscious or bleed to death, and no one would be there to help you out, heh."

"…" Rudiger kept his eyes on those curled lips. The Frenchman would put on a fake smile to hide his true nature from those close to him, such as Diehauser and Calcabrina. But Rosenkreutz knows better, the poor mask he's wearing doesn't hide his inner demon perfectly, it's even in the air, he could take a sniff and shudder at the disgusting aroma.

"…. Don't slow me down, Gilles," Rudiger faced the gray-haired Devil, bowing his head, "I'll take my leave, enjoy your food."

"…" Diehauser slowly nodded, "Thank you. Good day to you, too," The Emperor spun around and took his leave, leaving the Reincarnated Devil duo alone in the corridor.

"Heh," Gilles chuckled, mockingly bowing at him while pointing the exit's location, "After you, your eminence."

"How shocking, and here I thought that all your manners perished along with your dignity, Bluebeard," The Bishop growled, brushing past him.

"Ah!" The Queen followed after him, gasping while pressing the back of his palm over his forehead, "So malicious! I am gifting my assistance, and this is the treatment I receive!? Ungrateful!"

"Get to the point, Bluebeard," Rudiger snapped, knowing full well that the former Marshall wouldn't take his words to heart, "I awfully doubt you decided to do your good deed of the day by twisting the knob for me."

A pregnant silence fell like a wall of bricks, the fake and devilish smile that Gilles had worn disappeared, replaced by a thin line, "What were you talking about with the Young Master?"

"That's none of your business," Rudiger responded harshly, "This is between Prince Danhauser and me, stick your nose where it belongs."

"Ah, but one of my many tasks is to keep an eye out for the members of this household," Gilles stated, "And I will admit that I find it bizarre that you would find any interest over Young Master."

"The toddler is fine," Rudiger answered, not sparing him a look, "And I wanted to know more about his strange case. That's all you need to hear."

"I see," Gilles caressed his blue beard, humming, "Then what was that troubled look you had when you left his room?"

"…"

"What is wrong? Cat got your tongue?" He cackled, "You are not speaking, are you not? Perhaps I should try and seek the answers from him myself? I have received daring comments about my immense skills in making children spit the truth, heh."

Rosenkreutz halted, "Don't you dare," he spun around, coming face to face with de Rais, facing his deep blue orbs with his green pools, "Don't you dare lay a finger on that child!"

The blue-haired man chuckled, shrugging off his glare, "Now, now, why the sudden rage? You are acting as if he was your own son, Rudiger," A sudden grin emerged from the Queen, following from behind, "Speaking of which! How is he doing? Last time I heard he was so sick! I hope he is healthy once again!"

"…" fists began to clench, and his jaw rooted, "…You, you know what'd happened, Bluebeard."

"Ah, oui, of course," The Frenchman glanced down at his nails, suddenly worried about his 'manicure,' "A tragic tale, I dare to say. I am tempted to ask, but, what are your objectives now?"

"Move on. Simple as that."

"Hmm," Satisfied with his fingernails, he spared the Magician a look, "Move on? How so? Neglecting the catastrophe of your world is a challenging task. Knowing you, you would plan ahead," his grin once again appeared, a mischievous one, "Now? How is the dame, eh? Months? Weeks until your new child leaves your significant other's womb?"

"I'm not betrothed, and I don't plan to pass through that event again."

"Ah, so you shall stay on the first step?" Gilles giggled, placing a hand on his chest, "If you so desire, it would be my honor to give some advice, free of charge, of course, heh."

The German shot him a hard look, "Why of all people—would I accept the advice of a child murderer?"

The Frenchman groaned, "Still sticking to the past I see. I am reformed, you know? Your words wound my fragile heart."

Rudiger suppressed a scoff, "A murderer is always a murderer, Bluebeard."

"Giving me the cold shoulder, now?" The silence was his response, "You do not have to follow my piece of advice."

The silver-haired tightened his jaw and ceased his movements, facing the butler, "With all due respect, Bluebeard. You came here seeking an answer—I already gave you one. Now kindly leave and stop wasting our sacred time."

"…"

"Stare or don't, you won't get anything."

Glare and spit, it was all the blue-haired man would do towards him. The only thing that moved was his firm jaw, camouflaged by his facial hair. His eyes were hard-rimmed and sharp as if he lost the ability to move his eyeballs, as if they'd rusted into place.

Gilles flashed a smile. While the curled lips looked convincing—welcoming even—his cheeks were not so compromising. It was a requirement of de Rais' job as Head Butler. Mostly behind the scenes, he would let his face fall into stoic mode, allow his mouth to morph into a thin line while slowly healing his cheeks from soreness—or mostly when Rudiger visits the Housecarl.

He adores this family. He loathes the visitors. Simple as that. Just a few made a leakage from Gilles' "wants to kill" list.

The Upsetting Sorcerer—unfortunately—lists at the top five.

"I apologize then," Gilles bowed one last time, "I shall take my leave. Good day to you."

Finally, the German broke eye contact—not another glance spared to the Frenchman. He has important things to address—such as Danhauser's(?) strange conversation—then starting a childish quarrel with a serial killer.

He reached the exit of the manor, twisting the knob softly and—

"Oh! If you are considerate, do kiss the forehead of your son for me! I will be so grateful!"

—with a popped vein followed by a silent snarl, he roughly opened the door, and with the same sentiment, he closed it.


"How was your day, Ravel?"

"Great!" The Phenex chirped, "Today I've learned a lot! We had to memorize a lot of weird things, but it was fun nonetheless. Do you know why they're showing this to us?"

Danhauser tilted his head, as he kept walking towards the route of the school gates. "Perhaps to mold your mentality to reach levels similar to that of a Tacticians? School's purpose is to help us become good Kings for our Peerage."

"Oh," Ravel looked down, "I see…"

"Something wrong, Ravel?"

She began fidgeting, her eyes wandering from left to right, "I-I don't want to be a King…"

Belial glanced down at her, "Why? I think you'd be a good leader."

Phenex kept her blue orbs on the ground, "Thank you, but, I don't see myself becoming a King—I was thinking about joining my brother's peerage," she suddenly looked up, beaming, "And you, Prince Danhauser? How was your class?"

"Changing the subject, eh?" Dahauser broke eye contact, scratching his ear, "It was nice, the same thing, but good."

Honestly? Since the day Diehauser enrolled his younger brother into this school, he was screwed up. The reason behind all this mess was that, here in the Underworld, and the slight chance of Heaven and Grigori to share the same tradition, too, is that they write in Hebrew, the same mother tongue that was used to write the Holy Bible with a feather quill.

Danhauser doesn't know shit about Hebrew. Well, now he does, thanks to his family, mostly Cleria and Diehauser, who lent him a hand to translate the books. He'd tried to ask his Uncle and Mother, too, but the former openly admitted that he doesn't know how to read or write, while the latter immediately neglected the assistance, ending the conversation with a tight knot.

But damn. It was boring as hell! Learning a different language is something that Danhauser wouldn't mind the least, but having an ability that lets you speak all of them fluently, he has tried to ignore the issue of the writing part. Unfortunately, Cleria and Diehauser decided to team up and force him to learn the alphabet. It's like Hebrew, and Belial didn't share a mutual spark of understanding. He'd immediately fall asleep in each class, easily scoring a hard look from his cousin and a deadpan stare from his brother. Oh, the joy.

He'd walked with the wrong foot at the beginning of the semester, but slowly, he began improving his calligraphy. Mostly when Sairaorg aided him up in some parts. It seems that the ability of 'Language' only helped him speak any language, but read them? Yeah, good luck on that one.

It was still fun, though.

"How does he know?" He felt how the memories of the last conversation with Rudiger flashed over his mind, like an old movie tinted in black and white. He remembers the smug look the German had worn in that scene, like the face of a cocky detective that discovered the true identity of the infamous Jack the Ripper. He only needed a brown trench coat and chewing tobacco to complete the costume.

"Through fire, nature is reborn whole," Danhauser rubbed his chin, frowning, "Weird."

"Excuse me?" Ravel tilted her head, "Did you say something?"

"Not at all, Ravel," Danhauser smiled down at her, "Just thinking about some things."

"Oh. Okay!" Once again, she closed her eyes and hummed a song.

Seeing how he wore off Ravel's attention, Belial focused once again, frowning, making sure the blonde didn't crash with a student passing by, "Is he really not going to tell my family?" He sank deeper, his brows drawn together, "Bullshit, he already has something to blackmail me, and he already stated that he's going to pay me another visit. I need more information about him—two can play that game, Rudiger."

Danhauser suddenly crashed, nearly taking the air out of his lungs, rubbing his stomach, he spared a glance downwards, quickly spotting a head full of golden strands.

"Ravel? What's wrong?" He took a deep breath, seeing how the blonde didn't answer back, "Ravel? What's—"

The girl tugged on his shirt, raising her arm to point something from far away, struggling to keep her arm from shaking.

"Oh," Danhauser froze, finally locating the place where Ravel was signaling. A group of boys—sharing the similar age as Belial—surrounded one that was older than them, his back plastered on the wall as his hair blocked his eyes. All of them sharing a laugh that made Ravel's skin crawl.

They weren't helping the teenager to stand up, either. In fact, they were making sure he stayed on the floor, like a dog begging for petting.

"This is not good," Danhauser pursed his lips, "The only people getting bullied nowadays either are Low-Class devils, or Sairaorg…"

Once again, Phenex tugged on his shirt with an unsteady smile, "I-I know another route to reach the gates," she said in a whisper, "It's a long one, but at least we're going to reach it safely…"

Danhauser winced after listening to the word 'defected' directed to the bullied Devil, "It's Sairaorg." It has to be—there's not another Devil whose Demonic Power is variable visible.

He glanced at the young girl, her blue pools begging him to leave it and walk to another direction. Her lower lip quivered after hearing the hyenas' endlessly laugh at their prey.

Once again, fear found her. It spoke to her in its cackling voice. It told her legs to go wobbly, her stomach to wobble and her heart to throb. Ravel's mother always told her that there was nothing to fear but fear itself, but still, she couldn't silence its voice.

Danhauser couldn't blame her. She didn't want to be assaulted by them in the future. He also did the same trick when he was a mere toddler, afraid of slowly turning into the next punching bag—he'd just walked away and acted as if nothing happened. Not even telling the teachers.

That was when he was a single-minded child, though.

"Ravel, take my bag and leave," The gray-haired Devil said, lending her his school bag, "I'll catch up to you when I'm done."

Before Danhauser could walk away, the girl grabbed him by his sleeve, "W-wait! You can't!" The Phenex hissed, yanking him, "It's dangerous! They could hurt you!"

"Maybe," Danhauser sighed, biting his cheek, "But I can't ignore the fact that Sairaorg is getting punched," He offered the girl a smile, "It was nice knowing you."

Ravel blinked,"Eh?"

"Who knows what's going to happen when I go there? Maybe I'll turn into another victim to satisfy their pride," he explained, the laughter in the background not fading away, "It's better if you just stopped talking to me, they're going to use you as bait because of my actions. If they don't know about you and me being friends, then you'll be safe."

"B-but—!"

"Leave my bag on the gates, if they steal it, well…" Danhauser winked at her, "Now I'll have an excuse for not doing homework. Don't be like them, yeah?"

Danhauser grabbed her soft hand and broke away from the girl's grip, followed by a pat on her golden mane. Nothing else to address he started walking toward the group of Devils.

"…" Ravel stood in place, hugging his bag, cursing herself for not following him and lending a hand, after all, she still owes him for helping her on practicing her magic. "Maybe… I can do something…!" The girl nodded firmly, spinning on her heels and rushing to another direction.

And he walked. He walked as he kept taking deep breaths, the hysterical laughter slowly becoming louder for each step he'd offered. He clenched his fists as determination drove him on. He's not good at talking with people—he doesn't know how to handle this or negotiate with them. Even when they're humans, but we are talking about Devils. Creatures whose point of view are far more different than a human.

"Just let the conversation flow, I guess." Danhauser sighed, standing behind the one who's supposed to be the leader, he harrumphed. Seeing how they didn't hear him, he repeated the action, this time louder.

"Huh?" He spun around, coming face to face with Belial, frowning, "What?"

"…" Danhauser's eyes wandered to the child on the floor—he regretted looking. It was Sairaorg—his eyes were downcast, but he could easily spot a black eye on the right side, followed by bruises and his ebony hair disordered. Deeply he wished there wasn't blood staining his skin or clothes. If Misla found him in this state, she would faint on the spot or worse, fall into a coma.

Suddenly, he heard someone snapping his fingers, "Wait. I know you! Danhauser Belial, right?"

"Right."

"We finally found you!" He grinned, his herd turning around to address Belial correctly. Seeing Danhauser's curled brow, made him go further, "To keep it brief, our father's work with your brother."

This time, the gray-haired Devil frowned, "Really now?" All of them nodded, enthusiastically, "So, they're also involved in politics?"

"Yeah, that!" The boy nodded, moving to Belial's side and wrapping an arm around his shoulder, startling him, "Or how I prefer to call us, the future heroes of the Underworld…!" Everyone cheered, except from two Devils.

"…" Danhauser pursed his lips, Bael was defiantly listening to the conversation, but the defected Devil decided to stay silent, who knows what he's thinking about his first friend. "I see," He muttered, gently pushing his arm away, "From what House do you belong?"

"House of Purson!" The boy answered proudly, "A pleasure meeting you!"

"…" Belial nodded at Sairaorg, "Why are you attacking Sairaorg?" He obviously knew the reason behind this, but maybe, if he distracts them from Bael it'd be enough for Misla to appear after noticing his son not standing outside the school gates.

He doesn't want to fight. Similar to Sairaorg, the two of them can kick their asses with a single swipe, but…

Purson blinked, before sending him a smirk, "Ah, so you know the name of the trash?" Pocking Bael with the tip of his shoe, he chuckled, "Well, we heard a few rumors, which involved you and trash over here. They were saying you were talking with him!" He shot Sairaorg a glare, "We couldn't believe it, they were obviously fake words spread by idiots. So, we made sure no one teaches him a lesson anymore."

Sairsorg gasped, finally looking up, "That's not true! You damn liar!"

"Shut up!" He snapped with a kick, "Just lay there and don't—!"

"Stop that."

"Huh?" Purson addressed Belial, surprised, "Sorry, what?"

"Stop kicking Sairaorg," Danhauser repeated while cursing in his inner world for failing on protecting Bael, "And never do that, again."

Purson's heir stayed quiet, his squad parroting his actions. He chuckled, "… You're joking, right?" He pointed a sharp finger at the bruised boy, "Have you forgotten who he is? Our parents told us to either stay away from him to make sure we didn't catch his disease or show him a lesson!" He moved closer to Belial, glaring, "Are you telling me those rumors are true, then? Are you friends with the trash?"

"…" Danhauser walked away from him, and stood in front of Sairaorg, kneeling, "Do they sting?"

Sairaorg managed a small grin, rubbing his arm, "No. They don't punch that hard."

Belial returned the gesture, offering a hand, "Yeah, let's get out of here, I think I have a Phoenix Tear in my bag that we can use to—!"

Danhauser 's reaction was subconscious, automatic. He used his palm to parry the punch of the brawler, pinning him in place.

"That was cool, I guess," Danhauser hummed, digging his fingers deeper into Purson's skin, "Seems my training is blooming fruits. Woohoo."

He felt how the child tried to reclaim his hand once again, cursing, "L-Let go!"

"You shouldn't have done that," Belial faced Purson's Heir, standing up with his grip still intact, "What should I do to you?" A part of him was ordering him to punch him, to show a lesson and scare the gang, and for an odd reason, he also wanted to see how strong he is, by fighting the group of brats.

The band froze in place, shocked after witnessing the bold move of their leader, their eyes just widened even more after seeing the outcome. They didn't move.

"I think the answer is obvious," Danhauser sighed, shaking his head. He Stretched his fingers, thus freeing the child from the strong grip. "Damn, I didn't want this to turn into a fight, how unlucky."

"W-What?" Son of Purson muttered, looking around his hand to spot any injuries, his group immediately moving to his side, concerned.

"I can't attack him," Danhauser clicked his tongue, returning the boy's glare, "If I fill them with bruises maybe they're going to tell their parents and do something to affect my Housecarl politically. Plus, they're brats. I'm a grown-up man inside the body of a child… It wouldn't feel great to punch a bunch of kids—I don't see where's the pride in that, but if I have to, then I'm sorry."

"Luck! Dumb luck!" The boy snapped, "Don't you understand what mess you just jumped in? You're not getting out of here. Should have just stayed quiet."

"Time to look cringy," Belial took a deep breath and tried to look taller than the group, a cheap method of intimidation, "I won't take pleasure in taking each one of you down. None. But it seems it is necessary. You guys love hurting him, and I can't allow that anymore."

"… Y-you can't fight all of us!" The boy said after a brief silence, "He deserves it—he's at our mercy, you know? Because of us, the rest are no longer sparing him a single glare!"

"Giving mercy is good until it is proven to hurt the innocent, then see me come out fighting. I'll take each one of you out without breaking a sweat," Belial studied them, chuckling, "I haven't even swung a punch yet, and I see you shaking. How weak you are."

"Danhauser…" Sairaorg stood beside him, a hesitant hand on his shoulder, "I think that's enough…"

"Shut your trap bastard!" The group took a step backward, feeling as if they were getting choked, "Just… shut it!"

"I see you cannot control yourself. Fine then, I'll control you instead," Danhauser frowned at their reactions, "Don't look at me as if I am a monster. This isn't cruelty—this is mercy and justice in one dish. Fight me and you know I'll triumph, or maybe you like betting? It's a sin, you know, as is greed."

"There's no need for that, Prince Belial," Everyone followed the strict voice, the teacher stood behind the group with Ravel behind his legs, glaring at Purson, "Prince Purson, would you and your group kindly follow me? The headmaster would like to have a word with each one of you."

His bottom lip trembled, clenching his fist, "…Yes," The group forcefully followed the steps of the older Devil, leaving the two quiet boys and the fidgeting girl alone.

"You overdid it," Sairaorg commented, facing him with a hard look, "Perhaps harsher than they were with me."

"Harsher? Should I remind you who gave you a black eye?"

"I was talking about the comments. In all honesty, I thought that you were about to punch them back."

"I wasn't."

"I know, but still, just don't be like them, alright?"

Danhauser groaned, rubbing his temple, "Fine, sorry, next time I'll let them punch you more."

"I appreciate your help, deeply," Sairaorg shook his head, "But I think it's time for that to stop. I can no longer hide on someone else's back. I need to do something. It's time for a change."

"What're you going to do?"

Bael's eyes sharpened, "I'll reclaim my status as an Heir back," declared the teenager, "I'm going to challenge my brother, Magdaran, for my title. I wish you will be there when that happens."

"So, it has begun, the tale of the Strongest Youth begins," Danhauser smiled, "Sure, looking forward to it." He nodded at his bruises, "In my bag, I have a Phoenix Tear, we can use it to heal your—"

Ravel joined the conversation, a potion wrapped around her delicate fingers, "I-I'm Ravel Phenex, it's an honor meeting you, Prince Bael," She bowed her head, offering her Phoenix Tear, "Please, take this, it'll heal your wounds fast."

Sairaorg blinked, shooting a glance at Danhauser who shrugged, slowly taking the vial from her hands, "Thank you, but please, call me just by my name."

Ravel looked up and beamed, "Okay."

"Ah, you call him by his name, yet you add an honorific to mine? I'm jealous."

She stuck her tongue out, before smiling, "That was amazing what you did there. I wish I could do the same thing, but I was scared…"

"You brought a teacher, that was far better than what I did, smart move, too," He complimented her, patting her head, "You do understand that maybe they'll go after you, right?"

The blonde turned dangerous, crossing her arms, "I don't care, I'll tell Papa if they try anything!"

"If you say so," Danhauser chuckled, seeing her hands are empty he began looking around, "Ravel, where are our school bags?"

The girl tilted her head, "They're at the gates, we should go before something bad happens to them. Maybe our parents are waiting for us."

"Sounds like a plan," Belial turned to Bael, ignoring the vibration coming from his right pocket, "Coming?"

Sairaorg nodded, "Gladly, mom must be worried sick by now."

"Lead the way, Ravel," the girl nodded before walking away, followed by Danhauser and Sairaorg. Meanwhile, the former fished a hand inside his pocket, taking the newish device, he'd bought in Kuoh: a phone.

Writing the password successfully a message immediately popped on the screen—he knew who it was. He only had one contact, after all, the messenger was there when he'd purchased the two phones.

[Thank you.]

Danhauser's mouth twitched, holding back a smile, it was brief, but the sentiment was evident, especially when that person has you on her black list, humming he pocketed the device back when the blonde called out his name—with honorific included—entrancing him in the conversation between teenagers.

"No problem, Sae."


[Rudiger, are you sure about this?] The blond said, behind a crystal ball, a mix of emotions emerging inside his stomach.

"It's him! It has to be him!" The German insisted, walking in circles around the dark room, the Oracle barely lighting up the place, "The clues keep taking me there! This is amazing, we finally found him!"

[…] He let Rudiger's words sink in, watching how he moved around the darkened room like a caged tiger, [… Allow me to repeat everything,] he began, catching the Bishop's attention, [The news of a child getting up from the grave has spread around the Underworld, you were there, you saw it with your own eyes.]

"With my very own eyes!" Rudiger parroted, inching closer to the crystal ball with a huge grin.

[… And the reason why he once again breathes life is because the soul of Ludwig made it inside the child's body?] He concluded, seeing the eager nod of the Rosicrucian, [This is the 'reincarnation' you keep talking about?]

"Indeed, it is!" Pater R.R.C. laughed, he could feel his green eyes getting wet, "Heavens! Today is a good day!"

[Then where is he, Rudiger?] The teenager said in a whisper, [Why Isn't Ludwig in the room too?]

"…" Rudiger remained quiet, slowly taking a seat and lying his elbows on the table and fingers interlocked, "… It's strange. When I introduced myself to him, he had the wildest shocked expression I had ever seen, meaning he recognized me. But when I socialized with him, asked him if he knew something about my private way of living," Rudiger balled his fists, "He said no."

[… Are you sure it's Ludwig, then?] He wished to withdraw his words after meeting Rudiger's cold gaze, [What if… he isn't?]

"He is!" Rudiger hissed with a faint growl, "It has been a year since Ludwig died! Followed by Prince Danhauser, thus the soul of my son made it inside Belial's body, triggering the body once again! It makes sense—he's my son after all!"

[But he was acting different,] The Longinus User countered, [His attitude, his personality, is different, right?]

"…Right," Rosenkreutz rested his head in his hands, "He acted in denial."

The blond's expression softened, seeing the Magician sink on his chair made him regret his words. He wished he was there to comfort him, [You don't know how much I miss seeing your son. I really do, but we must embrace the truth, he's now in a better place. I am so sorry.]

"…" His shoulders slumped, and his eyes cast down in a mournful gaze, his fingers slowly yanking his silver strands, "…I."

[Rudiger, are you alright?] The teenager tensed, [You want me to go there? I'm taking a rest from a mission, but I can visit you right—!]

"No, no, no!" The Upsetting Sorcerer's eyes shifted away from the crystal ball and became glazed with a glossy layer of wetness, "You don't have to. I'm completely fine, really!" He laughed, rubbing the corner of his eyes.

The human wasn't convinced, [… Stop lying, please…]

He bit his lip tightly in an attempt to conceal any sound that wanted to escape from his mouth, "… Just give me a second to think."

His heart sank, but reluctantly he nodded, [Of course. Take your time.]

"…" The Magician began wandering in the library closed in his head, a vast ocean to many wanderers. For him, an angry train with no intention of stopping for passengers, "It has to be my son! That perplexed expression he'd worn back then is enough proves!" He glared at the desk under his hands, teeth gritted, "But out of nowhere, he began acting hostile when I'd caught him red-handed, but why would he do that? Doesn't he remember our time together?"

"Unless…" For a second, his grief was halted, replaced by recognition, eyes wide as dinner plates, those green pools focused on the wall. He understands now.

[Oh no…] He bit his tongue, watching how the silver-haired man slowly began rising from his seat, mouth agape, [Rudiger, look, you need to—!]

He was interrupted by the harsh sound of the drawer, Rudiger immediately pulled out a piece of chalk. He turned to the sphere, "Come here."

Before the blond could speak his mind, Rudiger placed him under his armpit—the German hastened his speed to the nearest blackboard inside the room.

He stabbed his chalk on the blackboard, "Reincarnation! The ability to survive and flight from death by having their soul transported into another body, possessing it..." He continued, each word he uttered, it appeared on the board. There was nothing that could stop him from writing.

The Longinus User was confused, while his handwriting is similar to a professional doctor, he could understand a few letters. He was writing in Hebrew, [Rudiger…]

"Just a second, please!" Rudiger had his legs bent, writing on the last space he had on the board, clicking his tongue, he grabbed it by the frame and pushed it away, ignoring the sound of objects falling to the ground. He began scrawling the wall, "… However, it seems the shell carries the soul of Ludwig and the spirit of Prince Danhauser, the spirit and soul merged into one, thus meshing their personalities, their ambitions, their memories, their… everything!" He took a step backward, taking deep breaths, admiring his art, "Eureka. This is why Ludwig was acting that way!"

[…] He squinted his eyes, trying to decipher the horrible handwriting of Rudiger, […The two of them fused and formed a new person?]

"Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" Pater R.R.C. snatched the sphere from his armpit, "Now do you comprehend, Dulio? My appearance was enough to propel a few memories of Ludwig and myself. I just needed to give more intel! Bah! Foolish on my part!"

[Rudiger… you're just making this up,] Gesualdo sighed, rubbing his nose, [Please, just stop. You're just hurting yourself.]

"What?! I'm not a liar, Dulio!" The Magician snapped, lifting the crystal ball, "It's written there! Meaning it's the truth!"

[Just because you wrote it doesn't mean it's a fact,] The Exorcist responded, [This is just a theory of yours. No one can make a soul or a spirit. You should know this.]

"We were incorrect back then," The German waved off the Italian's words, "Now this," He gestured to the wall, "This is the answer to our problems!" He paused taking a deep breath, chest puffed. He brought the crystal ball closer to his face, smiling, "Now, I need your assistance on this, would you join me in rescuing my son from his body?"

[Send another letter to the Underworld's headquarters. We need to talk face to face, Rudiger,] Rosenkreutz's eye quivered, [You need immediate help. You are not thinking straight right now—I can guarantee that you don't even know what you're saying, your theory has multiple holes on it and…]

Every time his mouth moved, the German grew angrier. White knuckles from clenching his fist too hard, and gritted teeth from the struggle to remain silent, his hunched form manifested an enmity that was like acid —burning, slicing, potent. And suddenly he didn't know what happened, Dulio's voice disappeared after hearing something shattering around his palm.

He glanced down, startled after seeing the crystal ball gone from his grasp, replaced by shards of different sizes buried around his hand. Something wet began coming from his skin. It began to sting after keeping his eyes locked over his digits for an amount of time.

"Ah, looks like I lost signal, pitiful," Rudiger shrugged, swaying his hand in an attempt to dispose of the fragments, "I apologize, Dulio, but I can't let your pessimistic words contaminate my will. I won't give up like you," He spared a longing look to the wall, "It seems I'm alone in this quest, the attempt is risky, but the reward is worth it."

He moved closer to his exhausting work, hands behind the back, wincing, "Before I go further, I think the best idea is to seek more data about Prince Danhauser," he frowned, "Unfortunately, I have talked with all his relatives," he paused, smiling, "I misspoke. It seems someone was away from my radar. I think it's time to pay this 'Kuoh Town' a visit."


Guest Reviews:

Yano – Thank you.

Guest – Honestly? I was thinking about this, but I prefer if Sairaorg had it. I like the guy; I don't want to take the thing that makes him badass.


Well, that took longer than I thought. Sorry, readers but life sucks. School truly slowed me down. Hopefully, next chapter's going to be uploaded sooner. Honestly, this chapter left a bad taste in my mouth; I don't know why, maybe because the scene of Sairaorg felt somewhat forced in my eyes, I hope you guys found pleasant the chapter either way.

There we have it. Rudiger Rosenkreutz knows, in my eyes, he's like Ajuka the difference being strength and race. I honestly had fun writing him, since we don't know much about his past, I can mold him however I wish. This is one of them, it's canon that Rudiger had a son, and he died, the name, however, is made-up. I also changed his eyes colors from blue to green, it's stated on the wikia.

There's actually a reason of why Rudiger knows about Danhauser being reincarnated, more proof, something kept in the dark. You'll see.

Dulio also did a brief appearance, in canon, he knows about Rudiger, but don't fret. He's not going to appear until canon.

I was also thinking about familiars. And one of them came to my mind, Tiamat. Yes, yes. Overused the dragon she is. But I don't want to make an OC Familiar. We're going to see Oc's in the future (Diehauser's Peerage), I prefer not to drown you guys with a shit ton of Oc's. But honestly, while she's overused, she's strong and defiantly someone that Danhauser would pick up, better be ready for the future nuff said.

Or maybe I won't give him a familiar. Jin's already on the Peerage, maybe with him is more than enough.

Thanks for the reviews and your patience, guys. See you later.


Next Chapter: Dis.