Life. 21: A Little Bird Told Me
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"According to Siegfried, Freed should be on his way to the coordinates shared by Azazel," Danhauser told his servant through the cellphone, "You guys made sure the package made it safe and sound?"
The pick-up location wasn't that far from Tobio's bar, much to his relief.
[I can confirm,] Tobio replied, [Freed made it safely to the evacuation point. From what Sieg rambled about, he's carrying a Sacred Gear to flex on the non-Longinus Users. All this procedure just for the Governor-General to give him a simple check-up?]
"That's just Azazel being Azazel," Danhauser furtively scanned the restaurant—so full of life. He replied with a whisper, "In truth, Freed is our whistleblower. He'll be persecuted by the Hero Faction for how valuable he is. I want Grigori to give Freed either witness protection or right of asylum, Tobio."
[I'll twist his arm, boss.]
"Great. Arthur and Le Fay are important as well," Danhauser heard his second cellphone ring briefly. "They were members of the Hero Faction too, see if you can dig anything else from them that could benefit us in the long run."
He picked up his second phone with his unoccupied hand and looked at the screen.
ROY
"Please no bad news," swallowing, Danhauser made sure to keep the call with Tobio alive by placing his phone between his ear and shoulder. He read the message. "Make sure they get the same benefits just as Freed."
Hellooooo~!
What's up? He typed.
The roof! ;D
Danhauser smiled. He saw a follow-up message.
Bad news coming from the Underworld.
"Fuck me," Danhauser pursed his lips as he smashed the keyboard of his cellphone.
Is my family OK? He pressed the sent message, followed by another, Are you OK?
Roygun's reply was instant: No one is hurt. Danhauser felt relief wash over his body. He still wondered what the bad news was.
And Roygun delivered: It's about the Rating Games. The HQ left a message. They're summoning you to address what happened in your previous match. They want to hear the side of your story.
"And the bad news?"
Yet, Danhauser resisted the urge to write that. Can't do it. He sent. Got my hands full.
Ignoring them comes with severe sanctions.
Danhauser resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This is more important—way more important.
… Is this about what we talked about previously?
Yes.
…Oh well, it can't be helped! Just don't neglect your Rating Game career, okay? It's important too!
Grunting, he looked up from his phone to see a person suddenly sitting in front of him—the only thing separating them was the table that stood in between.
"She made it," He immediately recognized her. The beautiful woman resembled Akeno, but with crimson eyes.
She waved at him and mouthed a hello.
He greeted back with a wink.
[Boss?] he almost forgot he was on a phone call with Tobio, [You there?]
"Sorry, sorry," Danhauser replied whilst writing to Roygun, "I'm texting someone."
All good in Kuoh?
He took note of how long it took Roygun to reply. Everything looking great atm!
[Texting someone? Little Missus might get jealous.]
"Don't call her that," the Devil curved an eyebrow as the next message had an image attached to it. He instinctively downloaded it. "… It's just Roygun. She's giving me an update—something came up in the Underworld."
Getting ready for a loooong night~!
It was a selfie taken using the mirror of her room. Her face was hidden behind her cellphone, but the famous pink hair confirmed it was Roygun.
Rather than showing off the red dress she wore since her Rating Game career, Roygun opted for a white blouse that exposed her shoulder blades. Underneath, she went for the classic mother jeans that accentuated her curves.
"Oh Jesus," If Suzaku wasn't present, he would've whistled. "Those hips... wow."
With how photogenic Roygun was, the picture was an undisputed ten, and the ahegao faces on her phone case were the icing on the cake. Kinda.
Cleria's doing, not like Roygun gave much of a fight, to begin with. She found the design hilarious and accepted the gift just as his cousin wore hers.
Naturally, Cleria offered him one but passed.
[You're spacing out a lot. You sure you're doing good, boss?]
Danhauser blinked twice, "Uhhh, yeah," he began typing to Roygun, "Just… yeah. What did you say?"
And where do you think you're going?
Today? Got a date with the sofa. But tomorrow I'm paying a visit to my favorite pub. The race is tomorrow and they're gonna show it live! There's no way I'll miss the sprint with how tight the championship is looking right now! It's what Roygun typed, followed by: Wanna hook up? You can brag in front of the patrons that you're dating me ;)
Loved to, but I don't think I will be free tomorrow either. Danhauser sent.
Welp, that sucks. But it can't be helped!
It's for the best if you stay in the house. Things are getting nastier over here… who the hell knows when this storm will travel to Kuoh.
Danhauser. Do you trust me? That was a question that caught him off-guard.
The younger Devil pursed his lips but eventually answered, of course. Just be careful.
This old lady can still cross the street by herself, don't worry! Message you later~! ❤️.
[I asked if Roygun shared anything important?]
"Nothing important," Danhauser pocketed his second phone with a sigh, "Something about the Rating Games."
[If you say so. Uh, gimme a second boss,] Tobio separated from the phone to talk with someone in the background. His servant eventually returned to the call, [Sieg wants to know what to do next. What should we do while you aren't with us? Stick together?]
"Exactly that," Danhauser nodded, "preferably around you. One of our enemies is the user of Dimension Lost."
[Dimension Lost… it can create barriers, right?]
"Correct."
[Damn! I heard from the Governor-General it's almost impossible to split it in half.]
"Prove him wrong then," Danhauser challenged, "Don't tell me it's too much of a hassle for your blade."
[I'll cut it down.]
That's what he liked to hear, "Good. Then I'll get out of your hair for now," he suddenly recalled something else, "Also..."
[Yeah?]
"Tell Azazel that I got his answer," Danhauser watched the waiter leave their table to deliver the orders to the cooks. For how long was the waiter here? "Tell him that I'm all in."
[Uh, okay?]
"He'll fill in the blanks," the heir simply said. "He'll understand too. I'm hanging the call now. Remember, don't lower your guard. I'll join you as soon as I can."
[Understood. Slash Dog out.]
"See you on the other side," he sighed before flashing Suzaku an exhausted smile, "now we got the night for ourselves now."
"You should always prioritize your date first, Dan," Suzaku chided him playfully, "three minutes have passed, and still no comments about my appearance. I made my hair for you, you know?"
"Nothing against your hair, but your eyes are more distracting," he locked stares with her, "You have that look in them—I like that."
Lady Himejima giggled behind a hand, "'I'm glad you like my eyes'... is what I would like to say."
"Thank you for coming, Suzaku."
"Thank you for inviting me," she bowed her head, "I made the order for us while you were occupied, I hope that's not a problem."
"That's fine. You know this place like the back of your hand—I'll put my faith in your taste buds."
"I hope your stomach can handle spicy food," Suzaku teased, "Rough patch at work?"
"Yeah, but that's how the cookie crumbles," he saw her offer an empathizing nod, "I'll do everything to bring things back to normal—I'll step up my game."
"I was wondering… are you the head of your Clan?"
"I wouldn't be here if I was."
"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow with an Akeno smile, "Despite my age, I am the Head of the Himejima Clan. I made some time on my schedule just to see you. Wouldn't you do the same for me, Dan?"
"You got me," Danhauser chuckled as he brought both hands up in surrender, "once I become Lord Belial, I'll treat you somewhere luxurious."
"I may not be alive to see that happen. Or maybe I will, who knows? Time will only tell."
"I'll persuade brother to hang up the gloves sooner."
"Then I hope our next meeting will be in your territory. I always wondered what the Underworld looks like," Suzaku's smile faltered a bit, "but I'm afraid this isn't the time to plan our future date."
"That can be arranged later," the gray-haired vowed, "no way I'm missing a second dinner with you!"
Suzaku laughed, "Well, if you keep your promise, then I suppose I can help you to lessen the huge weight on your shoulders."
"I'm cashing that right now—thank you. When we first met in Kyoto you—" He paused once the waiter came to pour them their drinks. Danhauser continued once the worker left, "—you told Azazel and Baraqiel that you know something about Ouryuu that you couldn't share with us… yet."
Suzaku tilted her head in deep thought, "Oh, that," she awkwardly massaged her wrist, "Yes… I believe I did leave you in suspense. How cruel of me."
"Very."
"Did something happen?" Suzaku asked, worried. "Or did the Governor-General send you to quench his curiosity?"
"I'm speaking for myself. And yes, something bad happened," Danhauser thrummed his fingers, "Fucking scums kidnapped someone I care for."
The raven-haired gasped, "That's horrible!" she exclaimed, "could the culprits be the remnants of the Utsusemi Agency? The return of the Wizards of Oz?"
"Doesn't seem like it," Danhauser replied, "from what I gathered, this is the doing of a group called Hero Faction."
"Hero Faction?" Suzaku narrowed her eyes in disdain, "their delusion is showing."
"I gathered clues on how they operate from former members, but that wasn't enough to finish the puzzle. So, I decided to ask about what you mentioned with my issues as a coping mechanism…"
"As a coping mechanism?" she parroted, "You feel that you're getting closer to your wits' end?"
"Not yet, but…" he shuddered, "with what's at risk, I'm scared of getting there."
"Dan… it will be okay," Danhauser looked over the table to see his being held gently by her hand. "I understand. You can count on me. You helped the Five Principal Clans, you helped me, and you helped Tobio. Now, it's my turn to return the favor."
"Thank you—I mean it."
"Think nothing of it," She gave him a comforting squeeze before pulling back, "Let me get started by saying this, I refuse to accept that Nakagami collaborated on your friend's abduction—let alone become a member of that ominous organization. I've known Nakagami since I was a child."
"I hope you're right then," Danhauser muttered, "And this is just my paranoia pointing fingers."
Yet, Danhauser hoped she was wrong, Nakagami being a suspect could be the key to Lavinia's whereabouts.
"I think it would be for the best if you started from the beginning," he requested her, "be sure to not discard any information even if you believe it's irrelevant—everything counts."
"Yes…" Lady Himejima cleared her throat, "After we took the mantle from the previous Clan Heads, we agreed that every Saturday we should reunite in someone's territory to start our briefings," she explained, "Nakagami is always early, scolding us for not being punctual or earlier before we get started—sometimes even slapping the back of our heads.
Danhauser curved a brow as she unconsciously rubbed her head, "I'm surprised all of you seem fine with him being around."
"Between us? Nakagami and the other Clan Heads are not on the best terms," Suzaku made a sour expression, "Although I'm used to his eccentric approach, even I find his personality irritating. However, there's something that we can't deny… he's truly the most powerful of all of us."
The possibility of Cao Cao finding potential in him increased.
"I'm sorry, we're getting sidetracked," Suzaku coughed behind her fist, "A month ago, he started to be late on the meetings—sometimes he was not even present," she took a sip of her drink, "Byakko was missing since day one, so no one was surprised by his absence… but Nakagami? That sounds nothing like him."
"You became curious."
"Extremely. On a Saturday, I proposed to Genbu and Seiryuu to skip this briefing, and they both agreed to it. I consumed my free time by summoning my Vermillion Bird to scout the Nakiri territory from above—to satisfy that little voice at the back of my skull."
"And your summon spotted Nakagami," Danhauser saw her stifle a nod—they were getting near the end of the tale, "what happened next?"
"He… he was with something I had never seen before," she held her drink with both hands, reminiscing, "I thought it was a new Youkai species that wasn't documented by our ancestors… but Nakagami would kill it with a single blow, not speak to it. It was something else."
"What did it look like?" Danhauser saw her hesitation develop. He leaned forward, "tell me, please."
…
Suzaku let loose a sigh as she replied.
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Nakagami yawned loudly as he comfortably sat cross-legged on the floor. His eyes were closed, but his ears were standing tall and ready. The whole room resembled more a dojo than a meeting room, but swap the wooden floor for soil.
"As usual, everything seems to run smoothly in your territory, Lord Nakiri," his male counselor briefed him, "However, there are matters that need your attention."
"What about the Killing Stone?" Nakagami suddenly asked, "Is it in a good state, or has it shown any cracks?"
"From the recent reports we received, the exterior of the Sessho-seki hasn't shown any threats of splitting in half," his male counselor stated, "but we don't know the condition of the seals used by your predecessors, it'd be wise to go over and form your conclusion."
"Hmm," Nakagami scratched his chin, "Fine, better safe than sorry as they say. Make some free space on any day of my calendar that you feel is suitable. I'll put faith in your pick."
"Of course," his female counselor replied, "To fortify the evil Tamamo-no-Mae's prison is one of your many obligations as the Yellow Dragon, Lord Ouryuu."
"Don't call me that," he opened his eyes to glare at her, "Lord Nakiri is fine."
"Apologies, Lord Nakiri."
He watched them bow their heads and grinned, "Heh, you know… if you two wish to kill me in my sleep, you're free to try it at any time."
"Don't speak nonsense, milord," he was chided by his counselors, "we are nothing but your faithful servants, now and forever."
"Fuhahahaha!" Nakagami laughed, "does that mean none of the Nakiri Clan would dare try to kill me twice?"
"…"
"Relax, I was merely joking," the Yellow Dragon said, "Now then, tell me…"
He bit his tongue as the earth whispered him movement coming from afar. He could sense the footsteps toward the entrance of his room—something that his counselors were oblivious of.
And they were moving fast.
Nakagami spotted two silhouettes behind the paper of his Shoji. Weird, he heard only the steps of a single person. "We got company," Nakagami spoke just as the door slid open with the new guests.
A flustered Suzaku and surprisingly Danhauser stood at the entrance.
"Lady Himejima?!" His advisors rose from the ground to face the visitors. "What is the meaning of this sudden visit? Who is this outsider?"
Suzaku took a deep breath, the red on her cheeks slowly dissolving, "He's a friend of mine," she explained, "And the reason why I am here is to speak with Nakagami. Alone."
"I… see," the woman kept her suspicious glare on the gray-haired. "You three agreed to meet at this hour?"
"I'm afraid not, but—!"
"Then with all due respect, milady," she was interrupted, "We were–."
"What are you doing?" Nakagami demanded to his subordinates, "Instead of interrogating them, you should be offering them one of our finest sakes."
"Milord! But we were addressing matters that could benefit Clan Nakiri!"
"I should kill you for your lack of hospitality," Lord Ouryuu sneered, "Get out. We'll continue later."
The backs of his counselors stiffened but quickly bowed, "O-Of course. We will leave immediately!"
Once the doors closed, Suzaku huffed, "S-Seriously," she stuttered, "I know you are in a hurry, but did you have to carry me all the way here?"
"I'm not Achilles, but I can move quick," Danhauser waved off her complaints, "and you had the directions. It was just teamwork between us, that's all."
"We moved past so many people in this building," Suzaku massaged her temple, "their eyes on us. They will get the wrong impression now…"
"Who cares. Let them gossip like teenagers, no different from my students," Danhauser paused, "And what if they believe we are together? I'm a good boyfriend! Ask my Missus."
Nakagami chuckled, "Welcome!" he finally greeted them, "I never expected to see you sooner. I heard your steps, but I could not sense your demonic power."
"Senjutsu," Danhauser revealed, "that stopped your clan members from kicking me out of your territory."
"Or maybe it was because I was with you," Suzaku suggested sarcastically.
"Hm. You changed the flow of your ki," Lord Ouryuu hummed. "I didn't expect you to accept my proposal so soon, Danhauser. Today is not the best day to cash it, however."
"We can use that for another occasion," Danhauser assured him, "I'm here for something important that came up."
Tasting the gravity of his words, Nakagami narrowed his eyes, "I see," he folded his buffed arms, "soundproof the room."
With a mere snap of his fingers, Danhauser surrounded the dojo with a barrier. He cut to the chase, "Remember the last time you spoke to a purple mist?"
"Yeah, I do," Nakagami tilted his head, "Around the early days of this month. Friend of yours?"
"Prey," Danhauser said back, "he wanted to recruit you?"
Nakagami nodded, "I turned down his request. Unlike the kid, I no longer have time to pull jokes—I'm a grown man now. Yet, he wasn't happy with my answer."
"Go on."
"He was spying on me," Nakagami answered, "A week after his visit, I found out I was being spied on by weird-looking monsters. I crushed them, but they were replaced days after..." he tapped his chin in deep thought, "thinking about it, I haven't seen another one the past few weeks."
"Couldn't they be Youkais?" Lady Himejima wondered.
"Bah," Lord Nakiri grunted, "Like Devils, Youkais release a different type of demonic energy—Youjutsu."
"They could use Senjutsu to hide as I did," Danhauser countered.
"I fought and exorcised many Youkais during my career. I can tell whether I'm facing one or not."
It was Annihilation Maker—just Danhauser playing the Devil's advocate. "That's all I wanted to ask, thanks for collaborating."
It was the same answer as Freed, Arthur, and Nakagami. Purple mist here, purple mist that. Thankfully, the Clan Head of Ouryuu had a bit more to share.
He imagined Cao Cao opted to use Annihilation Maker to spy on Nakagami because he knew that, if he sent one of his men, they would get killed—proved by the monsters of Leonardo's Longinus facing Ouryuu. They can be replaced easily.
What were the chances that they were being spied on? Big.
"If you get the chance to face him outside his purple mist," Nakagami flashed a grin, "Break an arm or two for me."
"Break his arms? Now that's thinking too small."
"Ha! You do you! All I can do is play the world's smallest violin for him," Nakagami rubbed the index finger and thumb together to "play" said instrument.
"I've got to say, I never imagined you'd collaborate so easily," Danhauser drawled, "thankfully, I was wrong."
All his answers could have been lies or half-truths, however.
"I got nothing to hide," the Yellow Dragon shrugged, "The secret seemed to be out of the bag anyway. Suzaku is terrible at keeping secrets."
"And you are good at keeping them!" the raven-haired shot back. "When were you planning to tell us? These reports are worse than I imagined! What if this man has not only spied on you but us as well? This is so selfish of you!"
Nakagami chopped the top of her head, getting a squeak from her.
"O-ow!" She grabbed the top of her head.
"Shut up, Suzaku," Nakagami growled, mildly annoyed. "You're babbling aloud."
With a small pout, she rubbed the spot that suffered from the impact, "We have a soundproof barrier…!"
"And? You're annoying me, woman."
"She has a point, though," Danhauser made a mental note that Cao Cao most likely knew he was there.
"Bah! Not you either," Ouryuu rolled his eyes, "Gossip would spread out the more people knew about this—I wanted to give the bastard that fake idea that he's outsmarting me before I sink my teeth into him. Plus... I don't want to give the elders stupid excuses to twist my words just to declare war on Kyoto Youkai."
Making sure she didn't have a bump on her head, Suzaku muttered, "Is that so…"
"Aye."
"I understand, but you could still have—!"
"I'm not having this conversation," Nakagami cut her off before nodding at the Devil, "What causes that purple mist? I know it can't be Eastern magic. Western perhaps?"
"Longinus," Danhauser responded, "Dimension Lost."
Nakiri's eyes widened a bit, "A Longinus?"
The heir frowned at his reaction, "Yeah. Dimension Lost stands as the best Sacred Gear that creates barriers."
"A Longinus," Nakagami wanted confirmation, "did I hear that right?"
"Yes."
"… Huh, I see," Ouryuu rolled his neck, cracking a few bones, "That lad may have a few tricks under his sleeve. What if he gets the upper hand on you?"
"I don't think I can be beaten."
"Ha! Seems that you are mentally prepared for whatever he throws at you then," Nakagami clapped Danhauser across the back. "If you say so. Call it a hunch, but I think a battlefield will come soon enough…"
"We will see," Danhauser summoned a magic circle under his feet, "I'll be taking my leave. Want me to leave you at your doorstep, Suzaku?"
"Thank you for your offer, but I will stay a little longer," Suzaku shot a glare at Ouryuu, "the night is young, Nakagami and I have some talking to do."
"Are you stupid? I told you I won't talk about this subject."
"I won't accept that kind of answer, I'm afraid."
"You're in my territory as a guest. I can kick you out myself if I want to."
"Oho…. I'd love to see you try that."
Eventually, Danhauser teleported away.
.
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"Alright, this is the last picture," Tobio took a few steps back to appreciate the canvas he and the rest of the peerage formed together.
On a police station or even the headquarters of Grigori, it would fit because of the theme. In his restaurant, it stood out like a sore thumb. Thankfully they closed early by the orders of his master, so any customers didn't have to witness the abomination. He even told Sae to go ahead and get to the bedroom.
In short, it was a bulletin board carrying the pictures of both victims and suspects. He had seen these scenes dozens of times in thrillers and detective fiction movies.
"It's brainstorming time," Tobio felt Danhauser pat him on the shoulder, "Do us the honors."
"Hear, hear. Let's assess the current situation," Slash Dog cleared his throat, "This Hero Faction is led by an unknown character, with Georg Faust, the user of Dimension Lost, seemingly acting as the subleader. Their targets consist of humans with unique traits to increase their ranks."
"Descendants of famous heroes, holy or demonic sword users, Sacred Gear users—they are on their watch list," as Jeanne counted them on her fingers, she felt a shudder of realization, "Sieg and I could've been…"
"No doubt about it. They captured Freed to replace me," Siegfried pointed out, "which begs the question, why did they stop going after us? Or even after Tobio?"
"Um, we're Reincarnated Devils?" Jeanne answered without putting much thought into it.
"Try looking deeper. I have Gram and a Sacred Gear which is a sub-species," Siegfried proved his point by lifting the strongest demonic sword with his third, silver arm. Any signs of vulnerability because of Twice Critical's draconic attribute gone thanks to the Sephiroth Graal. "Freed is the new wielder of Star Buster Star Blaster all thanks to its former user having Devil ancestry."
"And I have Canis Lykaon," Tobio nibbled his thumb, "I'm getting it now. We could potentially have targets on our backs because of our Sacred Gears alone."
"In other words," Valerie drawled, "they lost interest in us, but our equipment is still a priority."
Hence why Danhauser decided to bring Ingvild with him. The purple-haired girl was either trying her hardest to be part of the conversation or trying to understand what was happening.
She's a little confused, but she got the spirit.
The main goal of the Hero Faction was to see the potential of the human race by pitting the Hero Faction against Great Red.
He didn't know if Cao Cao was aware of Ingvild's existence yet, but her Sacred Gear had an ability that is worth arousing his attention.
If rumors of her reached Cao Cao's hideouts, he would put a target on her back.
And what they did to the previous user of Star Buster Star Blaster hinted that Cao Cao would be after her Sacred Gear only, as Valerie implied.
Whatever happened to her afterward was none of his business.
"Yeah, like hell that will happen," Danhauser instinctively ruffled her long, purple hair, making her confused orange eyes look at him. "They already stole Lavinia from me, I refused to lose someone else."
"Exactly," Siegfried nodded to the Dhampir.
"That's a valid point, and yet…" Tobio suddenly turned pale, "shit, man… if that's true then what if they're…"
"Don't finish that sentence," Danhauser cut him off sharply, "They won't extract her Longinus. It'd be a damn waste to give it to someone else and expect that nobody to match her skills with so little time."
"From what you told us, Lavinia didn't appear too enamored to join their cult," Valerie pointed out, "if she continues acting like a stone in their shoes, they will resort to harsher methods—even if it is at the cost of her life."
"Then they'll brainwash her or something," Danhauser insisted, "but they will not kill Lavinia. They won't."
He refused to accept that.
"This Georg guy must know about you," Jeanne whispered, "He should know about you and Lavinia, he must! You two never met before, but you helped Grauzauberer. Why would he get on your bad side?"
"Because I've never recruited Lavinia to my peerage nor made a pact with her," Danhauser sighed, "Lavinia's only connection is Grauzauberer, the latter is just a school that has no support from other factions aside from Grigori—the weakest group within the Biblical Faction to top it off. She's free game."
Siegfried hummed, "Interesting. Following that logic, we should be safe because of you, Master."
"My connection to Ars Goetia and the Great King Faction, our growing reputation inside and outside the Rating Games, Grigori and Grauzauberer," Danhauser counted them. "If the Hero Faction puts a finger on us, they risk involving bigger sharks."
The last thing Danhauser needed is the Great King Faction sticking their noses, however.
They accepted to participate in the extermination of the Old Satan Faction because of the benefits that came with its downfall. And they would gladly help against the Hero Faction if they heard the whole story.
But with a huge price, that being Lavinia.
"They can fuck themselves," Danhauser snarled. "Although what Sirzechs did to the Old Satan Faction may have spooked them... forcing them to employ guerrilla tactics."
[Or maybe it's something else,] Fafnir's voice echoed in his head.
"It's someone else," Danhauser corrected but agreed with the Golden Dragon. "I just need to get them to come out of their cave. I'm almost there."
[Who is them? The leader of this Hero Faction?]
"No."
[Then who?]
"Take a guess."
[No thanks. Bye.] the link he had with Fafnir ended.
Danhauser returned to the real world.
Tobio scowled, "Then why they didn't go after Arthur and Le Fay again? Their only allegiance aside from Vali is what? The Pendragon Family?"
"The Pendragon Family is not a threat to the Hero Faction," Siegfried concurred, "At most, they will put a bounty on their heads and hope someone to pick it up."
Tobio looked over his shoulder, "Squirt, any looming threats of purple mists around your team lately?"
"No," Vali finally added something to the conversation.
"See?" Tobio faced his teammates, "I can't get why they turn a blind eye on Arthur and Le Fay."
"Either it went above your head, or you refuse to voice it," Valerie noted, "this Georg character knew Lavinia for years—they had their studies in the same school and they were expected to graduate simultaneously as the best students of Grauzauberer… perhaps of all Magician organizations."
"And Georg was Mephisto's ace," Danhauser reminded them, "he knew everything that Mephisto kept confidential about Lavinia."
Her Longinus. Her being formerly part of Wizards of Oz. Her situation with Glinda. Her residence.
She was the easier prey with the bigger reward.
"While Arthur and Le Fay are part of a team that acts like a nomad group," the heir continued, "they don't have a permanent abode and simply travel from place to place. The Hero Faction just can't tell their current spot when they are always on the move."
Slash Dog kneaded the sides of his head, "And what about Nakagami? You told us you went to his territory, right? What do you think?"
"Your cousin insists he has a clean slate," Danhauser responded, "but I have my doubts."
"How so?"
"I have nothing to back up my words other than the way he reacted," Danhauser harrumphed, "but I believe they have a Longinus."
"Oh?" Valerie's eyebrow arched up, "You think therefore the Hero Faction gave him an invitation? Because he's a fellow, Longinus User?"
"Not necessarily him," Danhauser drawled, "But maybe a Clan member?"
"Your theory… it's plausible," Siegfried rubbed his chin, "they exactly kidnapped Lavinia for that reason."
"I mean, even if they don't have a Longinus, they could be interested in Ouryuu," Slash Dog pointed out, "I heard he bench-presses hard."
"BUT! If Lord Ouryuu has a Longinus," Jeanne met the eyes of the whole peerage, "… which one would he have?"
His peerage has two Longinus. Sairaorg, Issei and Vali have one.
The Vatican has Dulio. Satanael has Walburga.
Lavinia.
Three Longinus under the possession of the Hero Faction.
Which left only two remaining Longinus on the list.
"What will it be, Nakagami?" Danhauser glared at the picture of Ouryuu on the board, "Telos Karma or Innovate Clear?"
"Other than that, Nakagami had similar circumstances as Freed and Arthur," Danhauser reported, "However, he gave me an interesting clue."
"Finally!" Tobio cheered, "something different for once! What you got for us, boss?"
"After he refused to join their cause, the Hero Faction has been spying on him," Danhauser continued, "They didn't send humans such as Freed, but monsters."
Siegfried folded his arms, "Monsters?"
"Yeah," Danhauser bit his lip, "I'll shoot in the dark and say that this is Annihilation Maker."
A pregnant silence soon followed.
One that was shattered by Jeanne's angelic words, "Shit on a stick—this is getting nuts!"
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Tobio facepalmed, "Fuck. This was shaping up for an easy hit-and-run rescue mission, but the difficulty keeps escalating the more we look deeper. They have an army backing them up."
"Umm, I have a question," Ingvild raised a hand timidly, "Is this… Annihilation Maker bad?"
The Belial Peerage exchanged stares before focusing back on her, "If Zenith Tempest is the ultimate Elemental-type Sacred Gear," Siegfried started.
"And Sephiroth Graal the ultimate Recovery-type Sacred Gear," Valerie continued.
"Then Annihilation Maker is indisputably the ultimate Independent Avatar Sacred Gear," Tobio finished, thumbing at his Longinus—Jin. "See that furball? They can create from nothing armies of Canis Lykaon and copy all its abilities if the user is the big deal."
"Even from your Balance Breaker, Tobio," Danhauser looked over Vali, who caught him glaring at Ingvild's back. "… Perhaps even make Heavenly Dragons as their pets."
Vali only scowled.
Ingvild swallowed the lump in her throat, Danhauser didn't know if she realized someone was firing lasers at the back of her head. "I…I hope they don't have Annihilation Maker."
"Oh, sweet summer child."
"Hmm," Siegfried hummed.
"Mmm," Danhauser hummed back.
Jeanne pursed her lips, "So…"
"This isn't looking good," Slash Dog hated to be the bearer of bad news, "The discussion is coming to a halt. How 'bout we continue tomorrow?"
At that Jeanne yawned a little, feeling suddenly exhausted, "Yeah… all this serious talk got me out of juice…"
Danhauser felt the eyes of everyone in the room, "Fine," he allowed it, "We'll take turns. We can't let our guards down."
Siegfried took a step forward, "I can be the first one on watch."
"You sure? I don't mind taking the first turn."
"You've done a lot of work, master. It's the least I can do."
"Damn, if he won't go to bed then I'm staying up too," Bova finally spoke. "I rather get turned into a bag than depend on him."
"Give me the word, Bobo," Siegfried threatened, "I can make that happen."
"Alright, don't go too far and stay close to the bar. After two hours, knock on Vali and Tobio's door," Danhauser clapped once, "Everyone else is dismissed… except you, Ingvild."
The Leviathan jumped a little before pointing to herself, "M-me?"
"How many Ingvilds do you see here?" he joked, "Yeah, you. I need to speak with you."
"Okay..."
"The bedrooms are downstairs," Slash Dog thumbed to a door in the corner holding a sign that prohibited entrance to customers. "Should be enough rooms to hold the whole Peerage and Vali's team… I always thought Governor-General went overboard building this place but look how handy it came out to be."
After getting Tobio's directions, they all wished for a goodnight's sleep before picking a bed.
All minus Vali, Bova and Siegfried. Two of them starting their guard duty and the other most likely going to pick his teammates.
It was only Danhauser and the two girls he sleeps with.
"I'll give you two some space," Valerie reached to grab his hand. "Don't take too long, okay? I'll be waiting in our room."
He gave her a gentle squeeze, "We will see," Danhauser broke into a smile as his girlfriend puckered her lips expectantly. He kissed her, "If I don't show up in ten minutes, just go to the bed. A good night's sleep should keep that pretty face for what is coming."
"And what is coming?" she placed both hands on her waist jokingly, "May I know what that is?"
"That's a secret," Danhauser pursed his lips, "It honestly feels inappropriate to talk about this with the dilemma we are facing. So, you'll have to live with the suspense."
Her lips moved upwards, "Ehehehe… tease."
It was silence after that. Valerie didn't move an inch as her gaze remained on him still—the smile still glued on her face.
…
Danhauser finally laughed nervously, "Why are you giving me that look?"
Her smile only widened, "Nothing, nothing. I was just lost in my thoughts," Valerie's hand gently dusted off his chest, making sure he looked proper, "I'll be going then, good night."
"Night," He gave her a playful pat on her hip as she left. He turned to Ingvild, "It's just us now. Sorry about that."
"It's fine!" Ingvild assured him, "I-It reminded me of a fond memory, so I don't mind."
"About what?"
"… That stare. My mom had that same expression whenever she returned home," Ingvild recalled, "w-whenever she saw dad, something bright came out from her eyes, something that only dad could get out from her. It always made me happy to see my mom with that look."
"Glad you have something to treasure," Danhauser cleared his throat. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine... I swear," Ingvild murmured, "just… a bit confused about what's happening right now to be honest."
"Yeah, you had it written all over your face," Danhauser quipped. "You were years too late for the party."
"I'm sorry if I didn't contribute to anything," Ingvild apologized, "I-I wanted to be more involved, but I was scared that I may sound silly…"
"Don't feel like that," he tried to cheer her up, "Bova didn't say a word either."
"Y-yes, but Bova knows his role," but the Half-Devil insisted on being gloomy, "strategy isn't his strongest suit, he knows he helps by staying quiet. H-He's the muscle, not the brain. Unlike him, I don't know what my place is yet…"
"Hmm," Danhauser tilted his head a little, "Vali didn't say a word either and he's not that much of a meathead... I think."
The Leviathan gulped, "Is… Is Vali the one with silver hair? He was staring at me the whole time..."
So, she knew. "Yeah, I saw that too. He sucks at being discreet."
"But why? I didn't do anything wrong, d-did I?"
"You're clean. He got curious—you two have similar circumstances after all," Danhauser revealed, "He's like you—a Half-Devil with Satan blood coursing through his veins. A Sacred Gear user too."
Her eyes broaden in surprise, this time shifting her attention to Vali's previous spot, "Really?"
"Yup. Vali is a descendant of Lucifer," Danhauser rubbed the top of her head, "So don't take it too personally, he's probably jealous that he's not the only descendant in the group anymore."
When he saw her faint smile, Danhauser considered that an achievement. Next goal: a giggle, "I'm glad you stuck around by the way," he told her, "What's your overall view of the situation? Be honest."
"It's stressful."
The heir laughed, "I agree!"
"H-How are you not tired of all this..."
"Who said I wasn't?" Danhauser offered a shrug, "It grows on you."
...
"Ingvild... rather than sending you to bed, I kept you here for two reasons," Danhauser brought up two fingers, "one is to have you close, things are getting dangerous out here, and I want you in my sights."
"And you also want me to be part of this, right?" the purple-haired finished.
Danhauser smiled at her, "Smart girl," he complimented, "Yeah, that's the gist of it."
Descendant of Leviathan. Possessor of a strong Sacred Gear. She's a girl brimming with immense potential—not the type to be locked in her room.
And his gut told him that this Sacred Gear was meant to become a Longinus like Forbidden Balor View was implied to evolve into one.
There's no way Ishibumi planned to make a hybrid character whose bloodline descends from a Satan House without giving them a busted Sacred Gear.
"Here, open up your hand," the gray-haired grabbed her soft hand once she obeyed—he found her high schooler blush adorable, "Watch."
On her palm, the emblem of his Clan formed—followed by a familiar object.
Ingvild observed with the curiosity of a child, "What is this?"
"An Evil Piece," he answered, "A Bishop Piece. Ever played a round of chess?"
Her big orange eyes were still locked on the game piece, "Um, n-no. Is it fun?"
"Not my cup of tea," Belial admitted, "it's a board game in which you have to outsmart your opponent by being five steps ahead on every turn."
"I don't want to play…"
Danhauser chuckled, "Luckily, we won't. If I were to use this Evil Piece on you, you will officially be part of my peerage."
That's when the Leviathan finally looked up to his grey gaze, "Like Siegfried and Valerie?"
"Like them," Danhauser summoned his Queen Piece, "Take a look at this one."
"Woah…" sparkles appeared in her eyes as she reached for the strongest piece of the board, "This one is pretty too!"
"I know right?" he watched the woman with the mentality of a teenager comparing both pieces in her grasp. "You know what's even great? They're both Unused Evil Pieces."
She frowned a little, "What does that mean?"
"I can use them on stronger people that demand more than one Evil Piece," Danhauser explained, "the first time I got them, they weren't unused… they were fresh."
He started with a full set of pieces with only one Knight being mutated—currently spent on Tobio. Now only his remaining Evil Pieces, which are his two Bishops and Queen, evolved into Unused Evil Pieces.
Years of intense training and expanding his abilities, becoming stronger to the point that he's able to tap on his True Form paid off. As such, his Evil Pieces rewarded him by changing according to their master's growth—giving him more options to choose from on the market.
They were like Mutated Pieces, but rather than getting them right from the start because of RNG luck, you had to work hard to upgrade them.
He was glad he didn't use his remaining Evil Pieces. Leaving them on a shelf to gather dust as they absorb his growing power was the best move.
"Ingvild, I want you to be part of my peerage," Danhauser took the Queen Piece from her fingers, "As my Bishop."
"Okay."
"We're good people. We could help each—" Danhauser paused halfway, "Did you accept?"
Ingvild nodded, "Since the first days I was here, everyone has been kind to me. It's also thanks to you that I am here right now… even though I wish I could go back. If joining you is a way to repay your hospitality and..." she averted her gaze, rubbing her arm, "I mean… not that I have a place to return to, anyway."
…
"By the way," the hybrid changed the subject, "I-I thought Valerie was your Queen…"
"Because she's my girlfriend?" Danhauser asked playfully, "That's not how it works. My Missus declined the Queen Piece and chose to consume all my Pawns instead..."
"Why?"
"Mostly because whoever consumes the Queen Piece automatically becomes the top officer in the peerage after the King," the gray-haired Devil explained, "they mostly keep an eye out on the peerage, leaving their King to more important duties. As you can tell, it's a role that comes with responsibilities and expectations compared to other Evil Pieces. Interested? I can enlist you as the fourth candidate."
"Um, no thanks…"
"Your loss," Danhauser wanted to squeeze her cheeks so badly, "Then let's get started, shall we? I don't know about you, but I'm so looking forward to this."
The glowing magic circle of his Household appeared under Ingvild's feet, startling her. The Bishop Piece broke free from her grasp and floated toward her chest.
Once Danhauser saw her body wasn't declining his Evil Piece, he felt relief wash over his soul, "It's working, Let's go," he made a mental fist pump, "Having her on my peerage should keep her safe. All Evil Pieces have something like a GPS that I can monitor 24/7. It's what the government uses to locate Stray Devils."
Which surprised him how Kuroka was still alive. Maybe because how she's a dangerous Stray Devil, most didn't dare to go after the reward that came with her extermination.
Or maybe she played illusions with her Youjutsu to fool her hunters.
"Best move to recruit Ingvild sooner than later, too! The stronger she gets, the more expensive she will be," Being a man himself, Danhauser's eyes were drawn somewhere else. "Man, that dress fits her body perfectly… And it complements her breasts so much."
How would Kuoh's uniform look on her?
"They seem way bigger than I thought… She's very pretty and has a great body. Her personality makes me want to hug her—she'd be popular in any school."
On the very first day in school, she would have a cult already sacrificing goats in her name.
[B102/W56/H84.] Fafnir's voice alarmed him.
"What," Danhauser asked, but the Dragon King refused to elaborate any further and left.
He returned to admire the Leviathan.
Only to find the girl staring back at him.
Danhauser did his best to sport a flat face. He awkwardly coughed behind his fist, "I-I guess the reincarnation went flawlessly. Welcome to the team!"
"God, that was embarrassing," he inwardly facepalmed, "Did she catch me staring at her tits?"
"Um," Ingvild frequently looked left and right as if she was expecting something else to happen. She focused her attention back on him, "Y-yaay…?"
"Yeah, I know anticlimactic," He gave her a sheepish smile, "Usually this follows with my peerage giving you a warm welcome… but these difficult times are wearing them out."
"It's okay… I understand."
"Now, how do you feel? Experiencing something different after absorbing my piece?"
"I'm feeling a bit… ticklish?" Ingvild unconsciously rubbed the spot where the chess piece passed through, "I-I don't know… my demonic power feels… it feels—"
"Enhanced?" Danhauser answered for her, "That's the Bishop Piece adjusting to your body—it will stop eventually. Each piece has a unique ability—in this case, yours improves your demonic energy and magical abilities."
"Okay…" Ingvild trailed off, "now what's next?"
"Now off to bed," Danhauser instructed, "We'll have only a few hours of sleep—so make the most out of it."
Ingvild blinked owlishly, "Why?"
"Because after Tobio and Vali return from their guard duty, we'll be up next."
"With me?" she heard him hum in confirmation, "I-I thought you'd want to spend more time with Valerie…"
"Nah, she'll stick with Jeanne."
"Jeanne and Valerie?"
"My two favorite blondes," Danhauser chuckled, "You know what they say, to fill a half-empty glass you need a half-full glass."
"I-I'm sorry, but I'm confused," Ingvild looked at her feet, "I don't know why you want to be with me instead of your girlfriend…"
"Because I want to know my newest servant better," Danhauser answered, "Isn't that great? We'll get to spend more time together!"
"Um," Ingvild twiddled her fingers shyly, "Can I give you back your Evil Piece?"
"Clan Belial doesn't accept refunds."
"Uwaaa..."
"What's with the long face?" He kept teasing her, "You dislike me that much? You and Yasaka would make good friends!"
"E-Eh? No-no!" Ingvild shook furiously her hands in denial, "that's not what I meant! I just… I want to sleep lots today."
"And back then you refused to sleep."
"W-Well now I'm not sleeping alone…" she said, her voice low, "it makes me feel safe when someone is there… I-I just don't want to wake up alone."
"Hmm. Weren't you the one who wanted to be more involved?" Danhauser brought his hands over his hips, "You must start from somewhere. I'm paving the road for you to walk into."
"… You're right," Danhauser was proud to see the bit of determination surfacing in her orange eyes, "I'm sorry for saying that. I-I'll do my best, I'll show you!"
"That's more like it," He flattered her, "Tell you what, we'll be having two celebrations in the not-so-distant future."
Ingvild looked up to him with her puppy eyes, "Really?"
"Really. The first one is a welcome party for my first Bishop," Danhauser winked at her. "With cake and everything. Tobio makes finger-licking food, you'll love his cooking."
"Cake?" the Leviathan lightly squirmed, "And-and the second party? What is it for?"
The smile across Danhauser's face was quickly rubbed away, "The fall of the Hero Faction."
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TooLazyToMakeAcc: I think I'm confident to say that only Ravel and maybe Jeanne don't follow your requirements, the rest are so far minor characters.
Guest: Fun fact. I shamelessly wanted to make a Fem!Magdaran a long time ago and add her to the harem, but I canceled that idea altogether. But yeah, no one got genderbent here. Promise!
Guest: Hey man, thank you! Cheers!
Guest: The fic won't die unless I die first. Even if I'm slow, I'll keep updating. Pinky promise.
Guest: You're welcome!
Guest-Questioner: I don't even know how this DanxRias or DanxAkeno even started lol. But I will make it clear right now. Neither of them will join the harem.
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At long last, Ingvild joins the Peerage. It took a while, but she's now part of the Belial Peerage. Let's go.
So, in case some of you don't know, on my profile is the peerage list, each one has an animal motif. But since some of you are lazy fucks, I will give you the sheet right here:
King - Danhauser Belial - Monarch
Queen - Confirmed - North American Cougar
Rook - Jeanne - Red Panda
Rook - Bova Tannin - Saltwater Crocodile
Knight - Ikuse Tobio - Tanuki
Knight - Siegfried - Great White Shark
Bishop - Ravel Phenex - Hummingbird
Bishop - Ingvild Leviathan - Humpback Whale
Pawn (x8) - Valerie - Noble False Widow
For those that didn't know, Ingvild was Humpback Whale all along. Nowadays, "Leviathan" is a term used to describe a gigantic, aquatic creature. For example, a whale.
And that leaves us with the most important piece of them all the Queen Piece. Bighorn Sheep, Hippo, Flamingo, the Queen represented all those animals before I decided to go for Puma. I needed someone to allude a "big cat" on the peerage per se.
But eventually, she will be recruited.
Other animal changes were Jeanne and Tobio too.
See you next chapter!
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Next Life: Moment of Truth
