Chapter 18: One Thing After Another
Danhauser Belial felt the air within him puff up his chest slightly. Slowly releasing a soft and gentle sigh—almost lost in the deepest parts of his brain. Sitting leg crossed in the middle of the couch, hands clutching tightly at his knees as he kept squinting his eyes tightly in search of something, jaw firmly locked.
It had been estimated a week since his fight against the Walpurgis, mostly the strongest member, Walburga. A fight that Belial barely survived if it wasn't for the element of surprise. Out of all the Sacred Gear users, it had to be the one manipulating the purple flames.
Soon after that, he and his peerage wasted time at the Arcade Store with Siegfried constantly gloating about his victory against Tobio in a racing game, much to the brunet's dismay. Danhauser knew deep inside that from all of his teammates, the former exorcist was the one who had fun the most.
After that, his mother, Calcabrina Belial, thought it'd be a great idea to cling on his back by training him with a spear and over the Malebranche Trait, something he noted is that between his brother and mother, the latter doesn't hold back, at all.
Sometimes, the thought of Calcabrina trying to blow off some anger during their sparrings has crossed his mind a few times, he wouldn't be surprised, after all, he'd never told his mother the relationship between him and the Agency.
Luckily, he has the time to pay some attention to the Sage Arts, speaking of which, his mastery over Senjutsu is perhaps…
Hmm.
He was having so much trouble. He never discovered the main issue from the book that Sae Toujou had translated for him. The worst part is that whenever he focused on releasing his supposed ki, he felt something leaking from his body, an aura of sorts, but it was just his demonic power responding. It's like his devilish aura is trying to impede him from progressing, a warning or worse, a threat.
Danhauser, of course, paid it no mind.
Invoking Demonic Energy was far easier than invoking Senjutsu. Since a Devil is already born with his abilities because of the parental genes. Meanwhile, Senjutsu is fighting to make a connection with the earth and hoping for the best.
The worst part is that sometimes he would just fall asleep on the spot, worsening his hopes of attaining it.
"Patience," Danhauser furrowed deeper his clenched eyes. "Focus and Patience…!"
"So, are you going to stick like that for another hour?" A feminine, familiar voice asked whilst poking his cheek. "Y'know, you've been in that position for one or two."
Danhauser's eyelids unwillingly pulled themselves open, instantly identifying the culprit's finger playfully tracing circles in the air. He closed them again. "Maybe."
He felt the stare of his cousin trying to make her way inside his head. She stuck with a neutral hum, taking a seat beside him. "Wanna share it with the world?"
"I'm trying to learn Senjutsu," he replied after taking a deep breath. "That's why I bought a flowerpot, to make a plant grow."
Cleria Belial fought the urge to sigh. "Ah." She bobbed her head. "So now you want to become a Buddha? Super."
The tone of her voice wasn't unheard, he chose to ignore it. "No, I'm mostly learning it to have a better control, in the future. Of my True Form."
Her eyebrow arched slightly. "How is Sage Arts gonna help you out?"
Danhauser slowly opened his eyes, taking a distant look at his flowerpot, he clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "I should stop and take a small rest, it's no use doing the same thing and expecting nothing in return."
"No progress at all. Unlucky." Slowly he let his feet descend on the floor, stretching his sore toes as he did so. "It's just a small theory of mine. Senjutsu, in a nutshell, allows you to handle energy spirit. True Form is practically our spirit. So, if I manipulate Senjutsu excellently I can have a greater control over my True Form and who knows? Maybe it'll last longer."
"So, you're just making that up?"
Danhauser spared a quick glance at her alluring gray eyes, scratching the side of his face with a digit. "Well, in a way, yes—but!" He brought a finger up. "… It makes sense… sort of...?"
If Sairaorg Bael in the future can trigger Breakdown the Beast, without endangering his life-span, because of Touki. The why can't True Form work in the same way?
Heck, even Koneko Toujou with her Shirone Mode!
Cleria could notice in his eyes how unsure he was."What if it doesn't?" she asked.
"I won't be mad, just disappointed," Danhauser hesitated on shrugging. "I mean, I'll have Senjutsu as a second method to defend myself. There's Touki, too."
She stared at him for a long moment. It was honestly really unnerving. He tried to meet it, but he knew he wasn't going to win a staring contest with her.
Finally, Cleria shook her head away with a laugh. "I can't believe it. Someone from your age already fighting a bunch of terrorists… not even Diehauser faced the same consequences as you, must be difficult for you, huh?"
Danhauser frowned, her words didn't carry any negative nor positive emotions, but deep inside he knew she was as concerned as the House of Belial.
He shifted like he wanted to cross his arms, but failed, so in place of looking defensive looked stiffly and vulnerable. "... Yep. A pain in the ass to be honest."
Cleria yanked his ear, pouting. "No swear words!"
The Heir massaged his redden earlobe, wincing. "Sorry, it slipped out."
Her gaze softened. "It's fine…" She faced the television, glaring at their reflections. "Your calendar is already filled with a lot of stuff, right?"
Danhauser just nodded, careful on casting a quick glance at the slumping beauty. He pursed his lips, awkwardly rubbing a single shoulder. "But… I think I have time to stay here with you if you want..."
The look of joy on her face was kind of heartbreaking.
"Awesome!" Cleria declared as she leaped out of the sofa, now standing in front the shelf, where most of her books are.
Danhauser blew out a refreshing sigh and moved his arms behind the sofa, watching the bewitching beautiful woman swap from book to book.
That was until a thought clouded his mind. He opened his mouth. "Hey, Cleria?"
She never looked back but answered regardless. "What is it, Danny?"
"How's your personal life in Kuoh going?" Danhauser asked, noticing her freezing just a millisecond. "Like, making new friends, doing sports…" he lowered his voice. "… Finding a boyfriend…?"
Cleria spun and planted her hands on her hips, grinning. "Is my little Danny getting jelly-jealous that I may find my other half~?"
Danhauser rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a no then."
Cleria stuck her tongue out with a wink. "Let's begin!" She hopped back on the sofa, legs crossed. "You better get ready! This will be the best day of your life!"
Danhauser forced a smile and laid deeper on his seat. "…Where are you, Masaomi?" He bit back a growl. He never had the chance to keep an eye on the Exorcists around Kuoh Town. Just as his cousin had said, his agenda is already filled with problems, the biggest issue being the Utsusemi.
"When I'm done with that Agency, I'll find him," He vowed whilst shaking his head and focusing on the TV'S screen.
"Hey, Danny, where's your Peerage?" Cleria asked, searching through the pages of her small book. "Are they delivering flyers?"
"No," Danhauser replied. "Since we're facing off against the Agency and Hexennacht, and we don't know much of their members at all, I don't want them to sign up contracts until we stop them."
"You're afraid of them getting ambushed by just being summoned inside their quarters… Huh, I get it now." Cleria trailed off, coughing behind a fist. "Okay! Let's lighten the mood! Shall we?"
Danhauser blinked. "Wait, what?"
"How many tickles does it take to tickle a squid?" She read aloud, grinning childishly. "TenTickles."
"… What is that?"
"A joke book!" Cleria replied cheerfully, resuming her reading. "Volume two. I always talk to snakes when I need help with social studies. They're experts at ancient hisssssstory."
"… Can we play video games?"
"Why did the vampire cross the road?" Cleria asked. "They didn't! Vampires are afraid of crosses! Ha! Hahahaha!"
"Mmm-hmm."
"A book just fell on my head, I only have myself to blame—!" She facepalmed with a nervous laugh. "No, crap, I read that wrong! A book just fell on my head—I only have my shelf to blame. Hahaha… I screwed up."
"…"
"Ooh, you'll love this one!" She ignored her cousin's groans. "I used to be a carpenter, but I accidentally put a wooden post in the wrong place. It was my first miss stake!"
"That's cringy."
"You're cringy." She shot back, closing her book, much to his relief. "Alright, alright. I'm done… for now."
Not a single word was spoken after that. Danhauser fought to find a comfortable position. It was quiet, but not in a bad way. Cleria seemed happy with the companionable silence.
Danhauser Belial gaped when his body cut in half a tree, rolling roughly on the grass as he fought the pain licking his spine.
His eyes, however, widened when a roar that shook the skies pierced his ears, instantly crawling aside just in time to dodge the claws.
The gray youth quickly stood up, paying little attention to the injury over his back. With a finger's snap, multiple demonic ripples responded to his will, launching his spells over the gargantuan creature.
The purple Dragon grunted, lifting both arms up and blocking most of the incoming projectiles with ease. Some of them, however, inflicted damage.
The dragon's tail flashes out of nowhere, coming at Belial like a falling tree from the snow.
Danhauser obliged tanking the blow right to the chest, sending him hurling back through the air. When he landed, he's left gasping for breath, feeling like his chest has been completely crushed by the impact.
Staggering on his feet, Danhauser spotted the beast rushing at him in all fours, like a bull seeing red.
He took a vicious swing at Bova with the strength behind his knuckles, smacking him upside the head and sending him reeling in agony.
Now that the tables temporally turned around, Danhauser lunged forward and took a firm grip over Bova's horns, lifting his aching head before smashing him down. Hard and twice.
Danhauser took a step back and dropped on the grass, resting his back against a tree.
He filled his lungs as much as he could. "A-are you done?" He breathed out.
Still lying on the floor, Bova Tannin snarled. "… Never!"
"You stubborn dragon," The Heir fought back a groan, watching Tannin's son shakily pulling himself off the ground, only to land harshly on it once more.
"D-Damn…! W-Why I can't stand up?!" Bova angrily snapped. "Stupid legs! Come on!"
"Maybe because you've reached your limit." Bova heard from behind, too drained to turn his neck around. "I mean, you guys punched one another for two and a half hours!"
Unlike the winged reptilian, Danhauser had the perfect view of the Japanese boy as he weakly ran a palm over his sweaty temple. "Y-yeah, you're right, Tobio… I think we overdid it, don't you think, Bova?"
The dragon puffed his cheeks out. "No."
Belial just slipped a pained chuckle. "Expected that answer miles away." He tried to stand up, only to be stopped by a pale hand over his shoulder, pushing him down.
Danhauser looked up at the quiet hybrid, the girl getting on her knees. "Truly, I should start following my father's wise words from now on."
He sighed contently when his muscles relaxed. "Care to share them with the class?"
Valerie Tepes met his gaze. "If you're good at something, never ever do it for free."
Danhauser snorted. "What? Shelter and resources aren't good enough for the young lady?" He countered, teasingly. "Or maybe she has something else in mind?"
"Let me see," she paused on her work to fiddle with her light-blonde, pigtail. "I would expect a favor. Perhaps you would be willing to pay gratitude and a compliment? Is that too much, hmm?"
Danhauser curved an eyebrow albeit with a smile. "Thank you, Valerie. Your abilities are beyond this world."
She rolled her eyes in return, a small, wry smirk on display. "I suppose stating the obvious will have to do. Ehehehe…"
Finally, the Romanian went after the wounded dragon who grunted his gratitude.
"I honestly cannot understand," Siegfried sighed, offering a hand. "Wouldn't it be wise to at least fight him when he wasn't reincarnated as your Rook?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Danhauser accepted the hand, the Knight lifting him up. "Besides, I did promise Bova that I would fight him or not, big guy?"
"Yeah," Bova agreed, stretching his recovered muscles. He grinned at Danhauser. "I wanted it to last longer to the point of losing consciousness, but you've proved yourself worthy of following. Plus I smell thousands of battles coming—we'd better not run out of enemies."
"Don't worry about that," Danhauser patted the Third Son of Tannin. "They're practically lining up for the job."
"Everyone gets a turn. Heh! Wouldn't want it any other way!" The dragon boomed a laugh after flexing his arms out. He sent a small glare. "Since now I'm on your team, I think it's time to share my goal with each one of you." He took a deep breath. "I want to become a Heavenly Dragon!"
Danhauser frowned. "I just made you a reincarnated Devil."
The beast slammed a fist into his palm. "Damn, you're right." He pondered for a bit before shattering into a huge grin. "Then in terms of power, I'll reach Heavenly Dragon Class!"
"Heavenly Dragon?" Tobio Ikuse parroted confusedly.
"The highest rank of a Dragon," Siegfried answered. "So far, if history serves right, two Dragons have attained such strength. Ddraig and Albion. They're the strongest dragons so far."
"Ophis and Great Red disapprove," Danhauser held back spitting the words out. He doesn't know if the existence of the Dragon of Infinite and Dragon of Dreams are known by those who discovered the Supernatural World.
If Danhauser wasn't incorrect, only the leaders of their respective factions and members of Khaos Brigade so far knows about such entities.
"Heh! It'll take time, alright? My old man's bones will be in a museum before I could reach it!" Bova's fists trembled enthusiastically. "First I'll help you claim your title as Champion of the Rating Game, and then we'll fight with everything we have in us!" He flapped his wings excitedly. "Heh-heh-heh! That day will become glorious!"
Danhauser never had the chance to respond when a magical circle uncloaked beside his ear, startling everyone. [Good afternoon, Danhauser. Hopefully, you're having a great day.]
The heir broke into a smile after recalling the old, gruff voice. "Director, it's nice to hear from you."
Mephisto Pheles scoffed. [Don't call me like that, boy. We're not in a meeting between higher Magicians.]
"As you wish," Danhauser shrugged, carefully pushing the magic circle close to his ear. "Huh, you need to show me this trick."
[When this stupid war is over, maybe I will.] Mephisto jokingly replied, before sighing tiredly. [While I would love to rant how shitty my morning was, I'm here because of the Agency.]
Danhauser's smile dropped. "Of course. Just give me a second," he turned to his Peerage. "Keep training guys while I speak with Mephisto."
"Are you going to fill us in when you're done?" Tobio asked.
"Of course I am," The gray Devil responded. "This is about the Utsusemi and Hexennacht. I need you all to be informed."
Tobio never had the chance to reply back, too busy on dropping to the floor just to save his head from the gigantic tail.
"What the hell!" Tobio shouted, rolling backward to dodge the crushing feet of Bova. "W-what are you doing you, idiot?!"
Bova just grinned goofily. "Heh-heh-heh! What? You forgot what Danhauser said? It's training time!" He saw movement coming under him, flying backward just in time to evade the huge blade that came from the shadow of his feet!
Bova looked up, Jin stood between him and Tobio, a blade slowly sprouting from its forehead and the Fake God took a fighting stance, growling.
"You just literally were restored by Valerie and you still want to spar," Siegfried plainly pointed out, invoking his Sacred Gear and standing beside Canis Lykaon. "… Even so, I'm tempted to see how many swings you can withstand after absorbing the Rook Piece."
Bova opened his mouth and fired a torrent of fire in the sky. He was deliriously happy, giddy even, his tail dancing around was a dead giveaway. He never spoke, just copying the posture of an angry gorilla and rushing at them without hesitation.
"…" Valerie watched how they faded deeper into the woodland. "Ah, phenomenal. Forest again. And here I thought we left the wilds for good… apparently, I was mistaken."
Danhauser held back a chuckle when her shoulders slumped, the girl calmly chasing after them. He focused on the old geezer again. "Sorry for the long absence."
[Everything's fine, boy.] Mephisto assured him. [I'll make it fast. The Agency finally made their move, again.]
It took a while for Danhauser's brain finally spark in understanding. He scowled. "You think?"
[…] A long silence came from the Grauzauberer's Chairman on the other end, Belial would've thought he already lost signal if it wasn't for the cold response. [Danhauser, the bereaved families of the missing students are leaving Ryuukou Town.]
They both fell silent.
"…What?" Danhauser finally regained some of his senses. "No, no. Maybe… maybe they're trying to start anew somewhere safe? Leave their past behind? Right…? Right?"
[We both know what's really happening.] Mephisto remarked sharply. [It's so convenient that only the deprived families are mysteriously changing from residences.]
"I haven't seen or at least heard from my cousin about new people mixing themselves in with Kuoh Town," Danhauser pointed out. "So Kuoh Town is out of the map on this." He balled his trembling fists. "But how…? I made sure to keep an eye out on the town!"
[One by one.] The blue-red-haired devil dryly replied. [They made sure to keep a low profile although they slowly fished them out of the town.] Danhauser heard him growl. [Shockingly enough, since the Luxury Case Incident, this outrageous story of mass dispersal has not been perceived by the media.]
Danhauser sucked his breath and ran his hand through his grayish hair. "I-I..." he was lost for words. "I don't know what to do, I'm so sorry."
[Good thing I've formulated a plan.]
Danhauser sighed as relief washed over his body. "Thank Maou…" he coughed behind his fist, nodding. "Alright, let's hear it."
The heterochromatic Devil harrumphed, Danhauser could easily picture Mephisto's proud smirk on his mind. [Are you ready to meet a Faustus?]
An intersection branches off from the long, main road of the town, heading west towards the gubernatorial hub. A few parked vehicles throughout the road, going from the gates southward to the bigger residential buildings to the north.
A small alley leads down from the street and to a door on a small brown building with a neon sign out front announcing it as the town's Mead Hall.
There are several groups of people on the porch that surrounds the building, some of them leaning against the exterior wall, many sitting in chairs organized next to barrels that upon convenient examination are revealed to have games of Poker or Blackjack.
How quaint.
"Is it here?" Tobio Ikuse broke the silence.
"…" Danhauser spared a brief glance at the paper in his hand. "… It has to be, Mephisto Pheles assured me this was her location."
Slash Dog hummed in response, arms folded. "Huh, never expected a Mead Hall in Japan."
"I would do a similar thing," Siegfried idly commented. "The inn shines among the others, maybe because of the Germanic-esque architecture. It could sprout the attention of many tourists and Japanese alike, excellent for business."
"Alright, makes sense to me," the brunet responded with a shrug. "It's just the place caught me by surprise. That's all."
"…" Valerie Tepes adjusted the bag across her shoulder whilst studying the exterior of the bar. "Hmm. So this is the place where most people drunkenly share their laments with strangers?"
"Pretty much," replied Danhauser.
"Lovely." She remarked. "There's no fool like a drunken fool. My father told me that once, I think it's time to see if his words carried wisdom."
Valerie's bag began shaking until a reptilic, purple face poked out from it. "I smell another Devil around here, they're not here, but maybe not so far away."
"Perhaps spying on us?" Siegfried suggested, red eyes flying from corner to corner.
"Whatever, we'll break their bones when we find them," Bova grunted. "Can we move already? I'm starting to get bored."
"Sure. If that Devil appears, we'll fight him. We outnumber him, stay sharp." The Heir ordered. "Alright, let's move inside, and please, don't do anything stupid."
Everyone nodded.
Live piano music and the chatter of patrons filled their ears the moment Danhauser Belial twisted the knob open.
The bar has a much calmer, friendlier atmosphere than Danhauser ever thought, he was even imagining a bar fight exploding the moment they entered. Luckily, they're able to find an empty table thanks to the help of the beautiful hostess on the door. Surprisingly, all the staff seems to have the appearance of actors and actresses. The benefits of an Anime world.
Further inside, he saw dozens of circular wooden tables with matching wooden chairs arranged around them, most of them occupied by happy bar-goers. He also noted a staircase for a subfloor, where workers of the building were seen constantly going down.
For an unknown the reason, he felt warmer than before, not to the brisk of sweating bullets, but he wouldn't be too surprised if he'd already reached that stage.
"We're in." Tobio Ikuse relaxed in his seat. "This place looks better than I expected."
"You can repeat that again, Mr. Ikuse," Valerie's dark, red eyes wandered all around the furniture. "I was expecting to see one or two corpses spread on the floor. Maybe human cultures are really that diverse, after all."
"What," Tobio flatly asked.
"The parties in the Tepes Castle. The host always dies. Naturally, it happens at the end, maybe we need to remain patient."
"It also happens with my race," Bova Tannin's muffled voice came from the bag. "Good times."
"That sounds quite interesting, actually," Siegfried nodded at Tobio. "Wasn't Jin beside you?"
Slash Dog lazily pointed at his own shadow. "Jin's in there." His light-gray eyes instinctively wandered over the bar with a glint of interest. "I wonder if they have sake…?"
Danhauser frowned at him. "You are fifteen years old, you can't drink."
The brunet scoffed. "You're not my dad."
"Correct. I'm your King." Danhauser shot back.
Tobio groaned out. "Come on! I wasn't going to drink it right now! We're on a mission after all!" His lips pursed, scratching his neck. "… But you know, buying a bottle wouldn't affect anybody… and I'm willing to share it."
"No thanks, but I prefer beer. German beer."
"I appreciate the gesture, Mr. Ikuse, but I am a devotee of wine."
"Am I the only one who doesn't drink alcohol?" Danhauser mumbled to himself.
"I don't," Bova confirmed, carefully poking his head out from the bag. "I prefer apple juice. Taste's good."
"I see," finally, Belial stood up, "I'll go search for Mephisto's student, be right back."
Just mere steps were enough for Danhauser to stand in front the bartender, catching the man by surprise, his mug-cleaning hand going still as an eyebrow perk upward, curiously.
The gray youth took a seat and began awkwardly rapping his fingers along the bartop. "Uh, hello there. Have you seen a foreign girl with long blonde hair? They told me I could find her here."
The barkeeper broke into a knowing smirk, focusing on the mug between his hands once more. "I think I have an idea who you're talking about." He placed the cleaned mug away, his smirk evolving into a grin. "After all, the place is full because of her."
Danhauser blinked. "Really now?" He saw him nod. "Why?"
The man chuckled and gestured behind the Devil. "Why don't you see for yourself?"
Conveniently the piano in the background suddenly stopped and changed into a softer tune, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
The Devil looked over his shoulder, mostly at the stage where a girl with the body of a supermodel and an age similar to his became the center of attention, and to his amazement, she began singing.
"We don't know her name," the bartender continued, also enjoying the show. "However, she told us to call her Demise Girl. An unfitting nickname for such a cute face."
"…" Danhauser never answered back, focused on the girl whom Mephisto Pheles has spoken highly about. "…So this is what she looks like. She's beautiful."
Looking up, the lovely young lady met his gaze with warm, sapphire-colored eyes and shot him a welcoming smile before addressing her audience.
"Thank you for your time," Danhauser hopped off his seat and moved back to his distracted Peerage.
Siegfried was the first one to welcome him. "Ah, Master you're back." He waited for his King to take a seat. "I hope you come with good news?"
"I do, actually," Danhauser smiled, waving his hand to call a waiter. "Our Magician is the exclusive singer. Let's leave her to do her job whilst we eat something and watch the show, shall we?"
Tobio sighed in satisfaction. "Now that's something I can do with no problem!"
Valerie and Siegfried merely nodded meanwhile Bova grunted inside the bag.
A subfloor to the tavern-proper, this part of the room served to house a giant, circular firepit with hardy seating set all around a roaring fire.
The heat of awful, gigantic flames constantly kissed at their faces as the barely-controlled fire keeps the interior of the tavern pleasantly warm at a radius, but the inferno residing here couldn't be compared to the Purple Flames of a Longinus, pyromaniac user.
"I apologize for its appearance," the Magician gestured to the area, her voice as mature and warm as the nearby fire. "I understand how your race has high standards, but this is the only place I could find to speak privately."
"Everything's fine," Danhauser Belial assured her.
He saw her rigid stance dropping a little, relief washing over her body. Finally, she gently took a seat on a box, motioning to the crates across from her. "Please, sit with me."
Danhauser clashed curious stares with each member of his Peerage before obliging by taking their seats.
"Let's start with some introductions," She sat very ladylike in her box and extended a fair-skinned hand. "My name's Lavinia Reni, Magician of Grauzauberer," her tone was cordial. "But you may call me by my Magical Motto, Soror Demise… but I would prefer Lavinia, if you want, of course."
The Heir looked at the hand for a few moments. "Danhauser Belial," he introduced himself. "A pleasure to meet you, Lavinia."
Lavinia giggled. "My, how nice to speak with such a polite Devil." She shook his hand. Her skin is cool to the touch, and her grip is tame, yet firm. "Yet again, I heard quite a bit from you thanks to Pops."
The gray-haired lifted an eyebrow but chose to ignore it. He gestured to each Peerage member. "These are my teammates. Bova Tannin, Siegfried, Tobio Ikuse and Valerie."
Her eyes darted from one face to the next, until she clashed stares with the former Exorcist and Dhampir. "Don't you two have a last name?"
Taken back, the silver-haired hesitantly shook his head. "… No?"
Valerie weakly shrugged, after all, she doesn't speak Italian.
She hummed thoughtfully before sparing quick glances at the rest of them, breaking into her warm, approachable smile. "I hope we can get along." She chuckled, turning back to Belial. "It's refreshing to finally have someone to sit with after a stressful day."
"Stressful?" Danhauser parroted.
The Magician bit her lip. "The Agency has been a nuisance for us these past days."
Danhauser folded his arms. "So you also fought against them…"
"That we did," Lavinia made a face. "What's worse is that we had never expected the ambush led by Mater Ozma."
"Augusta," Danhauser spat.
"The one and only," She nodded, one could tell the forsaken name dropped her mood. "We were forced to retreat."
"But you're still in one piece," Siegfried pointed out. "I'm baffled you're here with us."
"So am I," said Lavinia, her expression softened up and became blank. "… But in exchange for something else."
That's when it hit him. Danhauser frowned at her choice of words. "We?"
Her gaze went downwards. "… You're not the only one who has fellow members, Danhauser," she breathed out. "… One of them is a cute boy with silver hair, currently, he's searching another teammate… her name is Natsume Minagawa."
"Okay, the silver one must be Vali, yes or yes," Danhauser almost laughed, but backed up. "It seems Mephisto wasn't lying about outside forces joining in… who's the girl, though..."
"… Natsume Minagawa…" Tobio repeated with a frown, scratching his head. "I don't know when I've heard that name before…"
"The name does ring a lot of bells," Danhauser clicked his tongue, strongly searching within his mind. "Perhaps another character of the Slash Dog Light Novels?"
While Danhauser kept squeezing his brain juices out, Lavinia faced the brunet with a grim look. "That'd be because she was also a survivor of the Luxury Liner incident."
Slash Dog finally perked up, eyes wide as dinner plates. "What?! I thought Sae and I were the only ones!"
The sapphire-eyed Magician shook her head, gloomily. "She also missed the school trip months ago." She trailed off with a lower voice. "… Unfortunately, she was captured by Augusta and delivered to the Agency."
Tobio could only stare in horror. "No way…"
Valerie scowled in utter annoyance. "Mr. Belial, would you kindly explain to me what she is saying?"
Soror Demise blinked in return. "Excuse me?"
"Oh right, Valerie can't translate like us," Danhauser harrumphed. "What Lavinia just said is that a member of her team was kidnapped."
"Ah, I see," The Romanian nonchalantly hummed.
Tobio folded his arms. "As stupid as it sounds… do you have any idea why your friend was captured?"
"…" Lavinia kept her orbs over the Devil and the Dhampir, whatever she was going to ask soon disappeared at the back of her mind. She sighed. "… The Agency is trying to locate the Four Fiends... Natsume has one."
Everyone remained quiet.
"Well, shit," Bova said bluntly.
Siegfried frowned. "They're making progress now…"
"... Interesting." Danhauser felt his collar getting tighter and began pulling it.
Valerie lifted an eyebrow. "Mr. Belial are you alright?"
"… Just give me a second." Danhauser muttered, strongly biting his thumb. "I fucked up… I've forgotten about her, she was one of the protagonists of Slash Dog… she was supposed to appear by saving Tobio from an Utsusemi! Then that means they also have the other kid? The one with a white cat? Because I took Tobio with me their fates have changed… Fuck me!"
Danhauser jumped slightly at the hand laced on his shoulder, he immediately perked up.
Lavinia smiled sadly. "This isn't your fault," her squeeze brought comfort. "It's all mine. I shouldn't lower my guard when doing a mission on an unknown ground."
"Correction: this is my damn fault," Danhauser took a deep breath. "Everyone makes mistakes. Don't worry, Lavinia."
Lavinia smile was like plastic, false and hard. Nonetheless, she broke her grasp and floated slightly away.
"Yeah!" Tobio kept his optimism up. "I bet there's still a chance that they haven't done anything with her, cheer up!"
Valerie scoffed. "Most unlikely. The moment they'd laid their hands on her, her new life as a puppet began."
Slash Dog glared at the light-blonde. "That was uncalled for, you could try at least to be a little positive."
The half-breed rolled her red eyes. "You can deny my words once, twice, a thousand times. Deep inside you know the girl is completely and irrevocably an Utsusemi."
"Stop it you two," Danhauser raised his voice. He inhaled and exhaled from his nose, facing the confused Faustus. "Sorry about that."
She blinked twice in a row, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it."
Danhauser awkwardly rubbed both hands together. "Either way, we should leave and continue our talk somewhere safer." He began fanning himself, glaring at the flames. "This place is making me sweat already."
"Of course," Lavinia responded with a hat's tip. "Just let me make a quick call to Va and keep him updated."
Bova tilted his head. "Va?"
The Magician merely smiled tenderly before whirling around and floating off, a magic circle shaping around her ear as she did so.
"I have a German, a Japanese and an Italian on my team," Danhauser noted. "I just brought back the Axis Powers. Nice."
"Boss?" Someone called not so far from him, it was Tobio's voice.
Danhauser faced him properly. "Something wrong, Tobio?"
"I guess we're going back to Ryuukou Town with her and whoever is coming to join her?" He asked, eliciting a nod from the gray-haired Devil. "Well then, we have a huge problem. "
Danhauser lifted his eyebrow. "Which one?"
"Where are we going to sleep? We'll be like eight people in total." Tobio counted. "My apartment is out of place, I barely had space for granny and myself!"
That got his other eyebrow up. "Damn, you're right."
"You're a Devil, are you not?" Valerie stated the obvious. "You could always use your Mind Control on a house owner."
"And put a civilian and their family in the middle of danger?" Siegfried voiced his disapproval. "Forget it."
"I don't care where we sleep honestly," Bova tossed his two cents. "I just want to fight them already!"
That's when Danhauser's fingers snapped together, catching his servant's and Valerie's attention. "Tobio, you think Sae can give us her house?"
Slash Dog's temper glowered. "The hell? You want to put her into this again?"
"Not at all," Danhauser responded. "I just want her property, so we can have a base of operations."
The Japanese was not convinced. "Where's she and her parents going to live then? On an alleyway?"
The Heir of Belial smirked. "I think they'll like Kuoh Town."
"This is the last room," Tobio Ikuse commented whilst twisting the doorknob open, letting the Devil take a step inside. "This was Sae's room before, you know, sent her to Kuoh a few days ago."
Danhauser Belial lazily gazed around, just like the other rooms, everything was empty with the exception of the bed and a few sheets and pillows lying over it. "How many times have you visited her?"
The brunet heaved a sigh. "I lost the count long ago." He gently closed the door, lying his back over it. He wistfully smiled. "We would always play with her Golden retriever behind the house, good times."
Danhauser hummed, carefully passing his finger over the comfortable pillow. "I see."
Tobio started rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, boss… back when we fought against the Stray Magicians…"
"…" Danhauser kept listening, making his way to the window. "Yes?"
"Have you killed someone?"
The gray-haired halted his movements, slowly looking over his shoulder. "… Two of them." He admitted shortly, displeased by the question. "And back then with our fight against Kazuhisa, I killed an animal."
Slash Dog quietly whistled. "Damn…" he began kicking the floor awkwardly. "How… how does it feel?"
Danhauser's jaw tightened, looking away. "...Okay."
Tobio winced. "Too much?"
"Too much."
"Sorry, it's just…"
Danhauser shook his head. "Don't apologize, you were just curious. That's all." He pushed the curtains slightly to the side, carefully peeking from the window. "Sae's house will be useful." He spun around, looking at the silent, mutated Knight. "The only cons I have seen so far is that we are short on rooms and…." He slowly smiled. "We have to be barefoot."
The Japanese chuckled. "Suck it up, boss. You gotta respect my people's culture." He then lifted three fingers. "We only have Sae's room, her parent's room, and the guest room, each bedroom with a bathroom of their own."
"Seems we'll be sharing rooms, then," Danhauser informed. "Alright then, we should now—!"
"Master!" Came the familiar voice from the first floor. "They're here!"
"That was fast," Danhauser said aloud, calmly walking at the exit. "Let's give our guests a warm welcome."
"I can't be the only one shaken by the amount of power coming from the main room?" Tobio mumbled to himself while twisting the knob open, letting his King go out first before following from behind.
There is only a brief landing to kick the air out of nervousness as Danhauser Belial and Tobio Ikuse continued on their way to the staircase. Each step downwards brings them further away from the bedrooms and, instead, to the welcoming, and warm conversations that bring life to the house, thankfully.
From what he listened so far, is Lavinia Reni's sharing the great news of officially speaking with Valerie Tepes properly with something that is akin to Devil's manipulation over language, but a different system. Credit goes to Mephisto Pheles, obviously.
Danhauser scanned the main room briefly, noticing that his Rook was not in sight, much to his surprise, the rest, on the other hand, were close to the sofa respectively. A new face, however, was standing over a distanced wall, arms folded.
"Ah, Danhauser. Tobio." The Magician was the first one to greet them, floating beside the sofa. "This is a beautiful house, is it yours, Tobio?"
"It's the house of a friend of mine," The brunet replied. "Boss bought it."
Lavinia nodded in understanding. "Of course, Danhauser explained everything to me." She turned to the Devil with a small, cute frown. "After all, I've been notified at the last minute to put a magic equation on the moving truck."
Danhauser raised an eyebrow at her gentle scolding. "Sorry for that, but we needed to make sure she made it safely. I'm curious, how did you do it, magic I mean?"
In response, she produced a wooden stick from her breast pocket, watching how it emitted a blue light from its tip. "With this."
"A magic wand…" Tobio whispered in awe, Danhauser swore to see a small glint of doubtfulness in his light-gray eyes as if he wasn't buying her answer, but it instantly disappeared. It seems that here and then, Tobio would like to believe the magic stick is nothing but a farce.
But keeping in mind the circumstances around them and their previous combat, it didn't necessarily seem that this so-called witch was a dumb prank, even less a Halloween costume.
How comforting it would be if it all turned out to be a dream.
Belial watched the girl dismissing her wooden stick. He awkwardly gestured at her clothes. "Is that Grauzauberer's uniform?"
Her mood instantly brightened, spinning around as her white cape followed suit. "It is! Do you like it?"
"Looks great on you," Danhauser complimented, stealing a quick glance at her thigh-high socks. "Love the hat, too."
She tipped her white, pointed hat. "Thank you."
Danhauser turned to the Dhampir. "Valerie, where's Bova?"
"Outside," the light-blonde replied. "I offered the idea of him guarding the entrance since he has an excellent sense of smell."
"As long as Bova is in his miniature form then everything's good," Danhauser commented, finally facing the dark, silver-haired boy. "And who might you be?"
"I was asking that question, too," Siegfried grunted. "But he just kept staring."
"Oh, right!" Lavinia happily applauded, beckoning the boy to get closer. "They're the people we're going to work with against the terrorists, Va. Come and say hello."
Danhauser patiently waited for the child to introduce himself, he obviously knew who he was, his attire, however, was what made his eyebrow jump slightly. He's wearing a scarf around his neck, even when they're in summer. The way he dressed was completely mismatched. He was also small and carried feminine looks. It was as if he was ready to leave elementary school.
This was the Strongest White Dragon Emperor and descendant of the Morning Star, Vali Lucifer.
The silver-haired boy finally rolled a shoulder, making sure the plush toy that resembled a white dragon didn't fall off. "I can sense demonic aura from each one of you. It's weak." He then glanced at Belial with his hazel eyes. "Yours is descent."
Danhauser and Valerie Tepes blinked in unison.
"Why you…!" Siegfried growled, fists clenched.
"Uh… what?" Tobio shrugged off his confusion. "Did the brat just called us weaklings?"
Lavinia gasped and flicked the boy's forehead. "Haven't I told you not to blurt things out of blue?" She chided him. "You're giving a poor impression of yourself, Va."
Vali rubbed his flickered temple. "Hmph! When it comes to meeting someone else first you need to study the other's aura." He said with half-closed eyes. "So far, the gray one is the strongest of them in terms of demonic power."
"For someone younger than me, he sure speaks like an adult," Danhauser broke into a thin smile. "Yet he has a sweet voice, almost girlish."
The Faustus sighed in return. "I apologize for his demeanor. Natsume always called him the 'cheeky brat of Grigori'…. He's afflicted with the so-called '2nd year of junior high school sickness' that's common for his age."
"Interesting," Valerie hummed. "It seems Grigori is involved in this feud, how quaint."
"Indeed," Siegfried concurred, glaring with resentment at Vali. "The Agency seems to enjoy making enemies."
"Even better," Danhauser chimed in. "The more people helping us, the better our chances at victory."
"His name is Vali." Lavinia introduced him. "He is serving as our companion."
Finally, Vali slowly sprouted his trademark, prideful smirk. "Will any of you fight me?"
"Classic Vali," Danhauser fought back a sigh.
Soror Demise scowled. "This is not the time to start something quarrelsome, Va. We need all the energy we have when the incoming fight against the Agency and Hexennacht begins."
Vali gave a confident smile. "We need to be aware of one's power if we're going to work side by side. Perhaps they have weak demonic powers, but they may shine in other talents. This is their last opportunity to gain a passing mark."
Before Danhauser's group could open their mouths, another familiar voice joined the conversation. "I'm sensing a dragon, where is it?" Bova Tannin walked inside in his taller form, eyes burning with excitement.
"Dragon?" Siegfried repeated confusedly. "You're the only dragon here."
"I can smell them," Bova shot back. "I never lie."
"He's talking about me," Vali said, earning curious stares.
Danhauser smiled at his newest servant. "Hey there, big guy. I suppose the coast is clear?"
Bova folded his arms. "For now, I guess." His eye twitched slightly when an intense eagle eye fell over him. "Why do you keep looking at me like that, mage?"
"I apologize," Lavinia tipped her pointed hat apologetically. "I didn't mean to stare. It's just I've never seen a Dragon in person before."
Tannin's son grunted. "You can blink occasionally. I'll still be here." Finally, he gestured with a nod at Vali. "Who's the homeless girl?"
"W-what?!" Vali snapped. "I'm not a girl!"
"But are you homeless?" Valerie inquired teasingly.
"No!"
"Ehehehe…"
Lavinia moved beside the angry half-breed, stroking his head maternally. "There there, Va. They're just joking."
He slapped her hand away. "D-don't do that! I'm not a child!"
"Now this way of getting mad was appropriate for his age!" Danhauser laughed softly. "It seems his mature attitude was just to put on a front like Lavinia said."
"I don't wish to ruin the moment," Siegfried spoke. "But I think it's time to formulate a plan."
"You're right," Danhauser scratched his neck. "We shouldn't waste more time. We don't know when they're going to attack again, better be ready before that happens."
"Lead the way, boss," Tobio cracked his knuckles.
"Let's go."
They quickly resumed the meeting in the kitchen, not wasting a single breath for objections. Thankfully, Lavinia Reni placed a few magic equations around the neighborhood, just to make sure no Utsusemi or Stray Magician were spying or invading their territory.
He'd already filled them in with anything he had at his disposal, which came from the mouth of Mephisto Pheles himself. To his surprise, Kazuhisa Doumon finally spilled the beans, but it came in shapes of teasing and taunts, hence Mephisto Pheles found out about the parents now missing in sight.
Danhauser Belial never knew if he was exaggerating on his orders, on his previous life, he wasn't the leader of his Empire or business, just another man following orders for the sake of filling his pockets with bills.
It made him anxious. Each soul inside this house chose him as the leader, even Vali Lucifer throughout his silent treatment. If one of them dies or gets wounded fatally, it's all his fault.
What made it worse is that he never asked for this role, but obviously, he never said a word.
He never asked to be brought into a Light Novel.
"Here," said Vali, offering a long, rolled piece of paper. "The Governor-General has the map of this town, take it."
"Thank you," Danhauser took it and unfolded the map, spreading it flat on the table. "Our main objective is to locate the whereabouts of the missing students and parents as well," he said.
"Now they kidnap the parents? How wonderful!" Came Valerie's sarcastic response.
Danhauser just grunted and continued. "The only way to do so is by also figuring out the hiding spot of the Agency. Unfortunately, we lack data about their location. Lavinia, do you know if Kazuhisa Doumon has mentioned something that could help us out?"
It doesn't have to be the exact coordinates, but at least approximate to their secret base or their next movements.
The Magician shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid not, only things that we already know. He seems to be loyal to the Agency."
"Damn," Tobio Ikuse bit his tongue. "I can't believe the media hasn't heard any of this. Why, though?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Valerie said. "This completely smells like something that the Agency would scheme. They're obviously cutting their tongues out."
"… How?"
"By killing them," Siegfried dryly responded.
Lavinia's expression turned cold, tipping her hat. "If a journalist ever thinks of this, they'll immediately be executed."
"They're trying to keep everyone out of this," Danhauser said, slowly. "They already have Grauzauberer, Ars Goetia, Grigori and the Five Principal Clans as enemies. They don't want more unpleasant figures to chime in."
"So what now?" Bova Tannin broke the short silence. "Are we going to wait for them to attack or what?"
"Do we have any other option?" Tobio said, voice low in irritation. "Those bastards did great at hiding! We need to wait for them to show their faces again. Then we take another member of the Agency and force them to spit the truth."
"Then we should prepare a defense system around here," Siegfried declared. "Plan strategies to defeat our enemies easier and capture a few."
"Have you two forgotten the weird light?" The Dhampir questioned them. "When defeat approaches they disappear from sight, this man, Kazuhisa, becoming an exception."
"They won't repeat the same mistake again," Danhauser sided with Valerie. "They're not fools. They'll also plan something to intercept us. And we need to save the children and parents ASAP." He paused. "Plus let's not forget their main objective."
"Complete the Four Fiends Project," Lavinia breathed out. "Time is against us here."
"So," Vali finally spoke. "To sum it up, we have to defeat the Agency along with Hexennacht fast enough to save those that are turned into Utsusemi and make sure they don't get the Four Fiends. Or wait for them to strike first and risk our chances of rescuing the deprived families and them hunting down the Four Fiends Users easily."
"… we could use Tobio's idea," Siegfried commented, but there was reluctance in his voice. "Kazuhisa Doumon hadn't teleported away maybe because the tool fell from his hands or pockets, we could steal it from another foe, lend it to Grauzauberer so they can study the object deeper and that way figure out their location."
"And along the way have a few hostages to spit some damn answers," Tobio added. "That's all we have."
"It doesn't look good," Valerie fiddled with her short hair. "But true, that's all we have."
"How unlucky. We're grasping at straws here," Danhauser clenched his teeth. "There must be something we could use…!"
"… Unless," Danhauser drawled, watching the map intently.
Lavinia floated closer, looking over his shoulder. "Something on your mind?" She urgently asked.
"Perhaps," Danhauser said, tracing his finger across the black ink of the streets. An idea slowly shaping in his brain. He hopes so either way. "… We are lacking answers. That's a given. Then our main objective is to find them."
Bova's eye twitched. "Great, flying back to square one." He said, annoyed. "What's your plan?"
Danhauser looked up. "Inspect the houses of the departed families."
"… that," Soror Demise trailed off. "… is actually a good idea, search for clues from the abandoned houses."
Valerie scoffed. "Right. Mr. Belial, are you suggesting to go after two hundred houses? That would take us a lot of time."
"We don't necessarily have to look through all of them," Danhauser countered, tapping the map. "We can just go where the latest victim lived."
Vali's fists balled but persisted in silence.
"Natsume," Lavinia whispered. "Since she's a member of Grigori they may have raided her home to go after her parents and search for Intel."
"I know where you're going with this, Master," Siegfried started, "and I must say it's a reckless plan. They could ambush us the moment we take a step closer to that residence. I speak from experience."
"Then we fight," Vali dismissed his words. "We will win."
"Huh, I don't know if I should call you confident or arrogant," Valerie mused. "What makes you think we'll have the high ground?"
Vali just summoned a pair of white, mecha-like, dragon wings, startling most of the room. "Because I'm Vali Lucifer, the White Dragon Emperor."
"… Albion." Bova said in sheer awe before breaking into a bloody roar. "Amazing!"
" A descendant of Lucifer…?" Siegfried said, eyes wide. "But you have a Sacred Gear…! Then that means you're a…!"
"Half-human," Tobio finished, gaping. "Just like Valerie."
"It appears so," Valerie hummed calmly.
Danhauser spared a quick glance at Soror Demise. "I've met Five Longinus Users. One of them is an enemy. This is going to bring a lot of attention from outside forces, fuck me."
The Heir finally cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "Since no objections have been made so far, we'll investigate Natsume's house. Be cautious and don't lower your guards. Understood?"
[Understood.]
They left Sae's house straight into Natsume Minagawa's residence, not even daring to use teleportation spells. Sticking by traveling on a train and by bus, typical of Japan. Danhauser Belial suggested using spells, but Lavinia Reni countered his ideas. One of them would alarm troublesome figures by just releasing energy, plus she wasn't a professional Magician to cast a spell around everyone, yet.
Normally, Gilles de Rais or Diehauser Belial are the ones in charge of transporting Danhauser and his Peerage to the Human World, Calcabrina Belial would also offer the gesture.
They headed north by pure walking toward the residential area. A short distance up to the main street was the house of Natsume Minagawa. The house was just like the others, a monotonous two-story building.
"Remember," Siegfried broke the heavy silence. "This girl, Natsume Minagawa, is affiliated with Grigori and in a way to us… don't be too shocked if the door is unlocked because…"
"It could be a trap," Danhauser finished for him. "Perhaps us going to her house is part of their plan, after all, this is Utsusemi domain."
Siegfried nodded. "Indeed. Unfortunately, if we don't make a move this time, most likely they'll obtain the remaining Four Fiends and attack the Five Principal Clans."
Luckily, they had the cooperation of Grigori, which in a way, they were the greatest faction to fetch some information about their foes. All thanks to Azazel, Danhauser always saw Grigori as the whole 'secret black ops' business.
"They do also recognize the hole we're slowly digging ourselves in," Valerie Tepes spoke. "We're trying to rescue the friends of Mr. Ikuse and stop them from finishing their project, they know that we won't just remain in hiding."
"We're powerful," Bova Tannin said with a shrug. "It's obvious those guys would use places we're clearly connected to as bait for a trap."
Even just glancing from a short distance away, there was no sense at all that anyone lived in this house. The windows were all shut and the nameplate on the door had been stolen. The grass on the lawn had grown unkempt.
Just like the ones around here.
"This place reminds me of a ghost town," Tobio said timidly. "Gives me the creeps."
"I like the ambiance," Valerie tossed her cents, eyeing a shattered window. "I wouldn't mind passing the night here."
"Of course you wouldn't." Tobio sighed.
"Oh please," the Romanian huffed out. "How many times do I have to say it? Just adapt and nothing will stop you."
"If you say so," said the Japanese, obviously not convinced.
"Let's just get inside," Danhauser urged, using a finger to weakly push the door crack open. He didn't even need to twist the knob.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"Like Sieg said, the door's left open," Tobio mumbled.
Danhauser peeked behind his shoulder. "Before making a move, I would prefer if some people stayed on guard while the rest is searching for hints," he said. "Bova, Vali and Jin can fill that role easily."
Vali Lucifer and Bova shrugged while Tobio whistled loud enough to bring Jin out of his shadow.
"You'll be watching from inside," Danhauser continued. "You guys sticking outside would bring a lot of attention. Now, everyone's ready?"
"Right behind you," Lavinia answered for everyone.
Just as everyone expected, there wasn't any human presence inside. They were the only ones who dared to step inside, it didn't feel lonesome, but it had a dark ambiance, regardless if the sun was peeking through the curtains. It didn't carry the homely essence anymore.
Danhauser was the first one to move further on the entryway, diverse accessories and framed pictures hanging on the walls, he felt how his night vision instinctively turned on.
"What now?" Bova asked, also stepping inside, followed by the others. "Any plans?"
The Heir glared up at the flickery light bulb, buzzing like a mosquito near his ears, it barely brightened the dimmed hallway. "Split up and check for traps and answers."
They began hunting down for traps.
"How come people never found out about this?" The Dhampir shifted closer to a picture. "I understand the media was silenced by the Agency, but still…"
Lavinia adjusted her pointed hat. "After thinking about it, I think I have your answer." She said, confidently. "This whole area is cloaked by a magical technique to drive people away with this house, acting as the control center. Its purpose is fairly obvious, use it against immune figures that wield unique powers like us it is impossible to ignore. They have absolute control of this zone."
"Then the reason why we can perceive this house is that some of us have Sacred Gears and control over magic?" Tobio asked from another room.
"Correct."
Danhauser opened a drawer—it held notebooks and gas bills. "Any idea which spells were used?"
"I don't know the spells, but the magic system on the other hand…" The Faustus drawled, hat tipped. "Houjutsu, Shintoism, and Onmyoudou. They outclass in 'exorcism' skills suchlike 'concealment' and 'repulsion'."
"Eastern Magic," Siegfried peeked behind the television lying in the living room. "Then the ones assaulting the houses must be those expelled from the Five Clans."
Valerie unhurriedly twisted a knob and peeped inside a room. She closed the door unsatisfied. "This place, was it like this long ago?"
"Yes," Vali responded, spying from the window. "Surprisingly, nothing has been removed. The only things that aren't here are Natsume and her parents."
The Magician's lips sealed, looking away.
They resume on their quest, find anything that could bring them a step closer to the Agency. Lavinia would sometimes pull out her wand and draw a circle on the floor whilst chanting something that resembled a spell. A glow emerged on the circle shortly after the short-lived radiance would be emitted. It would soon die out.
Danhauser, for an unknown reason, would spot Lavinia with a tiny smile gracing her lips. It was unfitting for the situation, but he won't deny that it was cute.
He just wished it didn't carry evil intentions.
Everyone in the living room felt a chill down their spine as steps echoed from not so far away, they took battle stances and followed the sound with their eyes, only to catch sight of Tobio and Jin walking closer. The brunet shook his head sadly. He hadn't discovered anything useful.
Danhauser's nose twitched slightly as his eyes slowly went up. "I'll check the second floor."
"Then we'll continue searching for anything useful on the first floor a little longer," Valerie resumed her job.
"Take Jin with you," Tobio turned to his dog. "Follow boss around."
Jin barked.
"Let's go, little guy," Danhauser and Jin returned briefly to the entry hall, giving a quick nod at Bova who returned it. They began ascending the stairs, but Belial halted when he heard a soft whine. He looked behind, noticing how it took effort for the puppy to climb up one step at a time, all thanks to its miniature body.
Danhauser smiled at the sight. "What is it little guy, can't climb?"
The red-eyed dog whined in return!
"Here," Danhauser crouched and carefully picked up Canis Lykaon, lifting it. "I'll lend you a hand."
Jin barked with gratitude!
"You know," Danhauser resumed on the stairs. "I sometimes wonder just how smart the Avatar-Type Sacred Gear such as yourself are …"
Jin gave a conversational bark!
"Huh, interesting answer," Having ascended the second floor, Danhauser let Jin land on the floor and sniff the area. "You know what I think? Maybe you just read the tone of my voice. You're just a dumb dog, that's all."
Jin gave a threatening growl!
The Heir winked. "Relax, I was just joking. Honestly, everyone's special on the team, playing important roles, if it wasn't for you, Tobio would probably be captured by the Agency. Good job."
Jin gave an ecstatic bark!
Danhauser smiled amusingly. "Totally. Go, team. Hurrah." He turned his feet toward the closest room. Advancing silently with Jin through the unclean corridor, he slowly twirled the doorknob.
The bedroom's appearance was out of place compared to the grim look of the house. It was definitely nothing more than your typical girl's room—if the posters of Japanese boy bands clipped on the walls were a giveaway—the interior of which had been kept ordered and saved from dust.
Danhauser stepped inside, also making sure Jin was following, closing the door softly. He let the fake God use its nose across the wooden floor. Meanwhile, he walked over the desk, it was full of papers, most of them containing drawings and notes.
"Someone seems to love drawing," he pushed the sheets away while whispering apologies, coming face to face with a picture. He picked it up.
"This has to be Natsume," Danhauser stared at the caramel-haired girl grinning at the camera. "A pity that now she's just another Utsusemi. All thanks to me. Way to go, champ."
At that moment, the entrance to the room creaked open, alarming Danhauser and Jin. They looked over that way, just for Belial to release a soft sigh after seeing the Faustus waving awkwardly at them.
"Sorry for startling you," Lavinia apologized, floating to him. "I wanted to lend you a hand inspecting the second floor. I've just finished checking the Landlord and Landlady's bedrooms… nothing."
"I haven't finished here," Danhauser gestured to the whole bedroom. "I wouldn't mind another hand."
She smiled warmly at him and instinctively glanced down at the picture on his grasp. Her expression morphed. "Is that…"
He pursed his lips and nodded, letting the girl take a hold of it.
The Magician took it whilst passing her thumb tenderly over the picture, quickly floating to the desk and grabbing a few drawings.
"She always loved drawing," Lavinia commented, gently landing on the bed's corner. "But she wasn't proud of her results, so I helped her."
Danhauser blinked, walking somewhere else. "You draw?"
"Paint," she said. "I love painting and art in general. When I was just a girl I wanted to be a painter… until I found out I had something unique within me."
"Absolute Demise," Danhauser muttered loud enough for the girl to hear it. He dropped to the floor and peeked underneath the bed. "Your Sacred Gear, isn't it?"
The Italian hummed, pocketing the picture and pulling out her wand, casting the same spell she'd used on the first floor. She frowned when nothing happened. "Indeed. It's a shame, but, even if I'm now a Faustus, I never stopped painting… I already have my first creation. It's called the Eternal Ice Princess."
Danhauser stood and chuckled. "I wonder where that name came from…"
"What about you?" Lavinia curiously asked, pushing herself off the bed. "Something you wished to be when you were a kid?"
"…" Danhauser's lips pursed, moving to the window and peeking outside. He could feel her gaze glued to his scalp. "When I was a kid I used to want to be a…" He gulped slightly. "… a, uh, a writer."
Her gasp was enough to make him cringe. "Really?"
"…Yes."
"Can I read one later?"
"Uh, no."
"Oh, please! I won't laugh!"
He flushed, conveniently studying the curtains' fabric. "I don't think so."
She clasped both hands, her body language almost reaching the stage of begging. "Please…"
"I smell something!" Bova's deep voice alarmed everyone.
"Wha—!"
A cat meowed behind them.
Danhauser and Lavinia immediately fired their spells, unblinkingly. Not paying close attention to the holes that were shaped throughout the habitation from their merciless attacks.
It took quite the time, but finally, they lowered their hands, their chest puffing in and out. They could hear how the former Exorcist began shouting orders, hurriedly rushing to the stairs.
But they just kept staring at the white cat slowly crawling out of the bed, the creature not caring at the threatening barks of Jin.
It was far more different from the Cowardly Leo and the common Lizard Utsusemi.
"No way…" Danhauser's throat tightened but kept his stoic mask. Siegfried was right—they're stepping out of their game. "This shouldn't happen, not at all…"
Speaking of the Devil, Siegfried's figure appeared in front of the entrance. "Master we heard—!" He took notice of the cat in the middle and pulled out a sword. "Utsusemi?!"
"No, I don't think so," Danhauser's face fell, finally noticing something between its mouth. "I… I think that's another of the Four Fiends…"
The silver-haired Knight showed brief signs of shock before lunging at the Fiend, but the cat disappeared by the infamous vast, white light, leaving only a sheet of paper land on the floor as a memory.
The Heir shook his head strongly. "We're leaving. Jin, take the small note, we'll read it at Sae's house."
"Two," Tobio Ikuse walked in circles around the table, fighting mentally to not chew out his nails. "Two fucking Fiends they have now! What the hell?!"
"They only need two now," Siegfried growled behind clenched teeth. "This is worse than we expected."
"It may sound wrong but," Valerie Tepes trailed off, tapping her nails on the table. "… What'd happen if they obtained the Four Fiends? I'm curious to see that event occurring."
"… terrible things." Lavinia Reni responded, her face completely obscured by her big, white hat.
"An explanation would become handy," the Dhampir demanded. "We get they'll attack the Five Clans when they obtain the Sacred Gears, but are they really that necessary for their revenge? They could just kidnap more children and turn them into Utsusemi."
"Or go after Longinus Users," Danhauser Belial proposed, massaging his temple after finishing reading the message. "I have to agree with Valerie. I don't see any reason whatsoever to waste their time to hunt down the Four Fiends."
"If they somehow find the last two…" The Faustus finally looked up, her sapphire eyes carrying a neutral glint. "They'll have the power to erase the Sacred Beasts permanently, according to Pops."
Danhauser froze in place.
"…Okay," The gray Devil cleared his throat, ignoring Tobio's slumping beside him. "I never expected that answer."
"I'm more baffled that a Longinus Tier can't do that," Valerie dryly commented, eyeing idly Canis Lykaon on its master lap.
"So do I," Lavinia nodded at the half-breed. "That's information that we, unfortunately, don't have. We may know if we had the chance to study the Five Sacred Beasts deeply, but the Five Clans are well-known for their strictness."
"What do you know, then?" Bova Tannin asked, arms folded. "Anything at all?"
"Suzaku, Seiryu, Genbu, and Byakko are the Four Sacred Beasts linked with the Five Principal Clans along with Ouryuu," Lavinia explained. "They're not Gods, but Elemental spirits, just like the Four Inauspicious Beasts. They're ageless and unchanging, spirits who have attained raw physical shape and allude an element, fire, wind, water, so on..."
"It all started just like the fight between the Heavenly Dragons, correct?" Siegfried guessed.
"Exactly," Lavinia sighed. "Similar to Ddraig and Albion's clash. The Four Fiends and The Four Sacred Beast once brawled—the former to keep balance, the latter to bring chaos. That's all I know."
"Weren't they five creatures?" Tobio recalled. "Why do you keep saying Four?"
The Magician shrugged one shoulder. "That's how they're widely known—most people don't see the Yellow Dragon connected to the other, yet it is."
"I still highly doubt the reason to capture the Four Evils is to destroy the Sacred Creatures," Valerie informed. "It just doesn't make sense at all. The weakest Longinus could handle that job easily."
"Trust me, I'm with you," Lavinia frowned a little. "Even Pops looked doubtful when he answered my question… there must be something for their desperate focus on that project."
"Whatever it is, it'll definitely be bad," Danhauser finally spoke sternly. "Why did Vali left?"
"Grigori," responded the blonde human. "The Governor-General called him back to their base—must be something important."
"Whatever," Slash Dog grunted, glaring at the sheet of paper on the table. "Let's get back to the point. What did it say, boss?"
Danhauser nervously passed a hand over his gray hair. "… Hanezu and Augusta send their regards. They want to speak with us, face to face."
…
"I'm against it," Lavinia broke the silence with a cold tone. "They're strays, terrorists. We won't ally ourselves with them. We won't fall lowly like them!"
"I'm with her," Tobio growled, slightly surprised by the girl's coldness. "Those bastards kidnapped my classmates and their parents, ended our school, ruined Sae's life and mine by pulling us into this damn mess!"
"They want to team up or take us away from this war," Bova grunted. "They know we are strong."
"Not only that," Siegfried spoke. "But it appears that Walburga knows what Clan you belong, maybe they know about the Emperor or some of his servants."
"It could be the Bishop," The Faustus hinted. "Mater Ozma knows your brother's Bishop, he's powerful. He goes by his magical motto, Pater Perdurabo."
"Then that means my brother's Bishop owns a magic school," Danhauser tapped his chin. "Interesting…"
"Back on topic, we should decline their offer," Lavinia insisted, glaring at the table. "They do not deserve a chance."
"What are your orders, Mr. Belial?" Valerie calmly spoke. "In the end, it lays in your hands, whether we like it or not."
Danhauser just pinched the bridge of his nose and sucked a sigh. Too many things happened for him, he was struggling with ingesting all this information properly. Hanezu Himejima already has two Fiends, which belongs to two characters that are supposed to be from the main cast, alongside Tobio.
It's obvious he just screwed up. Again.
How?
By recruiting the brunet as his Mutated Knight, of course.
But in all honesty, he doesn't regret his decision. It was worth it, for him.
Danhauser pocketed Hanezu's message, staring back at those hypnotizing, sapphire eyes. "Lavinia, contact me with Mephisto. We need to talk, only the three of us."
Lavinia blinked owlishly, she opened and closed her mouth a few times before nodding at his demands. "Of course, follow me."
Reviews:
Namikaze Uzumaki Potter: Thank for th kind words, I'll do my best, good day to you too!
reader: The Queen piece is something I'm still struggling with, after all, there are few DxD characters to reincarnate and have a potential to become one, it's more difficult when I said I won't use characters from other franchises. All in all, I'm still doubtful to give him either a Queen or not, if I do, it'll be a female, don't worry. About the Peerage thing, I've posted it in the next chapter. I noticed that was the wrong one I've used, lol. The updated one is on the next chapter, cheers!
Guest: Should I give him a scar on his face, too, lol?
I'm Da Bomb: Thank you, he eventually will!
Warlord of Chaos: Don't' worry, we'll see more of best girl Ravel, later on, thank you!
Dipssy: Eeeh, I don't see her as a Queen, probably I won't, sorry.
Guest: Thanks for the words, it wouldn't be impossible for Danhauser to obtain Incinerate Anthem, after all, Valerie had it when they took it from Walburga in canon. But still, I don't want to give him SG.
Fenrir-kun: Don't worry, we'll see in the future more about best girl Ravel.
Kalmaegi: Indeed it does, later on, we'll find out.
Guest-Questioner: Good job for guessing! If I had a cookie, I'd give you one.
Since we're on Slash/Dog plot, Lavinia and Vali were about to appear yes or yes. After all, Azazel was also an important figure there, he also ent Vali to end off the Utsusemi with Mephisto sent Lavinia.
Nothing else to say here, move on to the next chapter, my children.
Cheers!
Next Chapter: Going All In
