Alrighty, Chapter 73. Been pretty busy with personal matters, so I haven't had as much time to catch up on my PM's between my real life matters and writing. Still, I wanna express my gratitude for all the encouragement and understanding from all my readers.

This chapter takes big steps and at the same time, it doesn't. Chapters 71, 72, and 73 were originally gonna get bundled together but I figured it was best to just release them as I proofread them. So, I hope you enjoy the read.

Date Posted: 11/20/21


Chapter 73: It's a Promise

Issei's dreams were plagued with the new information he'd received from the Atlantean Library, robbing him of any chances of proper rest.

He thrashed and tossed around in his sleep, flashes of what he feared and what had happened in the past mixing in his mind.

His first image was something he wasn't eager to see again. It was his corpse. He saw himself standing amongst a heap of corpses, blood trickling from his armor and clothes. At his feet, were all his dead friends and in his arms, were Vali and Adelaide, both deceased too.

The image flickered, changing to the destruction of the planet, erupting in a burst of navy mana, shattering the planets surrounding it. As if that weren't enough, his mind kept flashing back to the destruction of the First Galaxy.

Bahamut's roar echoed in his head, more haunting than a ghost. The clincher came when Bahamut seemed to shatter his dreams, roaring to life as if rushing into his face to devour him.

"I WILL HAVE MY FREEDOM!"

"AAH!" Issei roared awake, cold sweat running down his entire body.

He looked at his clammy, shaking hands.

"Still human…" Issei paused when he recalled that he wasn't human anymore.

Issei felt lost for the first time in a long while. Things weren't nearly this bad when he was dying. He was able to figure out what he needed to do and keep to his decisions. Why was everything so hard now?

"Because it's not just your life that's on the line now. Before, you were okay with your decisions because you were the only who'd have to deal with the consequences. Now, you've got two other people to worry about." Rexis knew this was like déjà vu, which just made things worse. He felt as if Issei was losing himself, with everything said and done just adding more fuel to the fire.

"What's all this mean, Rexis?"

Rexis felt conflicted. Should he give Issei false hope or tell him the truth?

"It means Bahamut is getting stronger. As your strength grows and you draw more from him, the stronger his influence will get. It probably won't be long until he can speak directly to you. His voice might even overpower my own."

That stuck a needle into Issei's mood. Rexis was the guiding voice that had been with him ever since he awoke. Issei feared losing him, even if Rexis was just the residual memories of one of his past lives. Rexis was the only person who'd been able to help him along on this crazy journey.

"What do I do?"

No one answered.


Adelaide woke up to find Issei typing away and staring at a computer, for the 56th time. He had a mug of coffee that had gone cold and a croissant that was basically frozen again. Issei made an irritated groan, rubbing his eyes in frustration.

"Good morning." Adelaide put her hands on his shoulders, massaging them.

"Hey." Issei tried to smile but he immediately returned to his work, dropping his smile just as soon as he'd made it.

Adelaide leaned next to him, practically pushing her chest into his face as she looked at his screen. Issei didn't groan, click his tongue, or give her glance. He merely moved his face away, not giving her any due attention as he focused on his work.

That stung Adelaide a little. She wasn't even worth a sound to him now. Before, he'd blush and even flirt. She was growing offput by Issei's growing indifference. It felt like they'd really made progress the previous day but this morning, Issei relapsed into distant behavior again.

"Let me warm up your breakfast." Adelaide moved to grab his mug and plate, only for Issei to shake his head. Again, he didn't look at her.

"It's fine. We've got a few short hours till we reach our destination. You go ahead and keep resting. I'll be fine." Issei sipped his cold coffee.

Adelaide sighed as she noticed her twin walk into the room.

'We're back to square one.'

'Seriously?' Vali facepalmed.

'I don't get it! Ever since we went to that archive, he's gotten worse. If this keeps up…he might stop smiling.' Adelaide gulped, her mind simulating chains of events.

Vali and Adelaide paled at the thought. Issei never smiling was like the cessation of time. It was harrowing when he was supposed to be the optimistic one.

At Vali and Adelaide's very strong insistence, they stopped by Canada to stretch their legs to unwind.

"Looks like they're having an early festival this year." Issei commented as the three browsed the winter festival going on.

'Yet another place that could get blown up by me being here.'

"Every time we go somewhere, there's some kind of celebration." Vali dreaded ruining another celebration too. It was uncanny that everywhere Issei went, there was some sort of festival or party, which usually got trashed by some enemy attack.

"I am the party." Issei merely shrugged, as if it was natural.

Vali chuckled, but she didn't have all of her heart in it. She could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He was trying to look as positive as he used to be, but it was forced. Now she felt bad for forcing him to put up an act to relieve her and Adelaide.

"Let's try some of that." Adelaide pointed at a stall selling pastries.

"Ooh! Beaver tails! You've gotta try some." Vali eagerly bought some, holding some up to Issei.

She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to open his mouth. He nervously looked at Adelaide.

'I'm not going to get jealous. Stop worrying.' She gave him a smile as she took a bite of her own beaver tail.

Rexis was quite disappointed with Issei. If it were before his death, Issei would've been over the moon.

'Sometimes, what we longed for isn't cherished when we finally receive it.' He whispered to himself. He didn't really care if Issei heard him or not.

Vali then took a bite off where Issei ate, her mood seemingly higher than before.

"Hm, I wonder what kinds of poutine there are." She walked ahead to browse the festival.

"Vali sure does have an appetite." Adelaide chuckled.

"Yes, she does. She can pack away all that food and have no trace of flab." Issei pulled at his stomach to check his own flab.

"Insecure?" Adelaide poked him, causing him to jump.

"If you two keep feeding me, I'll get fat." Issei puffed his stomach.

"I don't mind." Adelaide poked his belly again, causing him to cough.

"Hey, I found a nice poutine stand!" Vali waved at them.

When Issei laid eyes on the menu, he had to doubletake.

'I know I lived in luxury, but this is…a very rich meal.' Rexis was taken aback by what was in front of him.

Adelaide looked at him in bewilderment. Vali had ordered a big box of poutine that had ground beef, cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, caramelized onions, and fries. Alongside that was a box of poutine topped with guacamole, onions, cabbage, and fried carrots.

'I can already feel my veins clogging.' Issei slowly retreated.

"Let's eat!" Vali held up a bite for Issei to eat.

"A-Ah…" He opened his mouth as she put the fork in.

"How is it?" Vali almost seemed a bit too eager.

"It's good." Issei's response was rather flat.

Vali only gave him a sad smile as she forked another bite.

"Here." Issei then held up his bite for her, maybe to help cheer her up instead.

Her expression lightened, but for a fraction of a second, he saw a downcast look in her eyes.

"I forgot to order drinks. Give me a minute." Vali stood up to grab cups.

"Hm, I think I'll get something too." Adelaide walked over to the counter to order. She wanted to test some suspicions.

When she returned, she put a box of dark chocolate fries on the table. Vali immediately took a bite of it, confirming Adelaide's intuitions. Issei had told her before that Vali ate dark chocolate whenever she was feeling bothered or down.

Adelaide decided that since Issei wasn't obliged to cheering anyone up, she'd have to smooth things over.

They then passed by a skating rink as they walked around. Maybe it was another chance to lighten Issei's mood.

"Wanna go for a quick slide?" Vali held onto his arm, this time, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Maybe not." Issei looked around, almost anxious. It was as if he were expecting anyone to jump out of a wall and slit his throat.

"Okay." Vali, again, smiled, though her crestfallen eyes didn't go unnoticed.

Adelaide pursed her lips.

"Let's have some lady time, girl." She perked up, taking Vali by the hand.

"O-Okay." Vali was taken aback by Adelaide's sudden gesture but appreciated it, nonetheless.

For a brief second, Issei could've sworn that Adelaide looked disappointed with him, even a tiny bit resentful. While Issei sat on a bench, he drifted into another zone. Meanwhile, Adelaide decided to talk with Vali about their beloved.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" Vali tried to play coy, even wearing a smile.

"We're two halves of one person, remember? I know you're sad." Adelaide lightly brushed her shoulder.

Vali looked down. There really was no point in hiding how she felt.

"I'm worried and kinda sad. I've been trying so hard to support him ever since he came back to me. I've tried so hard to pay attention to him. I try so hard to get past the walls he keeps putting up but I'm running out of ideas. He won't trust me with anything. I'm so scared of history repeating itself. This is how it was like the last time he disappeared." It was rare to see Vali look so defeated.

Vali pulled to a stop, deciding to exit the rink.

Adelaide proceeded to take her twin to a more private place for her to voice her troubles.

"I know he's driving himself crazy but I know that if I push him, he'll snap. He's hiding something and it scaring him, which scares me. It takes a lot to freak him out." Vali covered her eyes, but Adelaide knew she was masking so much behind that hand.

"It's gonna be okay. Issei won't die so easily. He came back to you, didn't he?"

She felt so bad for Vali. All this insecurity and fear and the man she loved was too worried about the world that he didn't see how much she was being torn apart. To be honest, Adelaide was a little angry. Still, all sides had their fair reasons. Issei was fearing the fate of the world and Vali feared for Issei's fate. Adelaide, herself, was terrified of losing Issei.

Perhaps they needed to finally stop beating around the bush and live up to their promises to each other. There had been so many secrets already. Adelaide feared that if this kept piling on, their own dynamic would shatter, dooming them completely. The trio only had each other left.

"Then let's lay all our cards out on the table tonight, Vali. No more consideration. As much as I don't want to say it, it's time for complete and brutal truth."

Vali was hesitant.

"I know you want to be considerate, but right now…Issei's hiding something from us. I can feel it and I know you can too. He's stubborn and he doesn't like burdening other people. That's why we've gotta coax it out of him. I know you've been at this for a long time and that's wonderful. However, if we're gonna get through this, then we've gotta stop giving him ways to weasel out."

Vali nodded in agreement. She'd wanted to do so but had found it so difficult. Her personality just wouldn't make her push such a serious matter. Thankfully, Adelaide decided to be the direct force to move things along.

The two eventually returned to Issei, who hadn't moved from his spot. He was staring at the ground, rolling an empty cup in his hand in lost thoughts.

(Rurouni Kenshin OST – Departure ~ Acoustic. Play Song.)

"You haven't moved from here at all?" Adelaide brushed the snow off his head.

"I got lost in thought." Issei sheepishly chuckled as he stood up.

"I'm gonna go get us some hot drinks." Vali stepped away, giving Adelaide her chance to address Issei.

Adelaide knew Issei had his reasons and perhaps it wasn't her place, but she felt that this couldn't go on. Everyone was hurting and trying to heal but they kept limiting themselves. It seemed minor now, but she saw problems down the road. She was just so tired of all the bravado and then going around in circles.

"You know, I know it's weird coming from me, but I think she just wants to spend more time with you. Lately, you've been really distant with us, Issei. We'll go off and rest or eat and you'll just sit in front of a screen and brood. We'll even flaunt ourselves at you and you act as if you don't notice."

Issei was certainly surprised by her abrupt directness. Adelaide rarely struck such a confrontational tone with him. Of course, he could see deeper and realized the frustration and sadness she'd been hiding.

"We know you mean well, and your priorities are straight but sometimes, I feel like you're changing." Adelaide tightened her hold on his hand.

"What do you mean?" Issei sheepishly laughed, subconsciously trying to reassure her, even if he felt some confusion and falsehood.

Adelaide grit her teeth in anger. That fake smile was seriously pissing her off now.

"Issei…ever since the incident at Headquarters, you've been acting different. As time passed, from the moment I met you at the resort, till now…" Adelaide paused, trying put together her thoughts and feelings.

She felt a lump in her throat. What she was about to say could make or break her relationship with Issei. It was daunting but critical to snap himself out of his current state.

"You're not the Issei I fell in love with. When you smile, it's colder than it used to be. You don't laugh from your heart. When you're worried, you get more and more distant. I know Vali doesn't want to pressure you, but I'm sure she knows too. You're worried about something, and you won't share it. It's like we're losing you and you won't let us help."

Issei's hand lost its hold, going slack.

"I-It's just…" He sighed in exasperation.

There was so much he wanted to say but he didn't want to, either. He knew that what he'd learned would just scare Vali and Adelaide. When they got scared, they would resort to extremities. Vali would get more violent, and Adelaide would start to get reckless, even extreme.

When Adelaide realized that he wasn't going to respond now, she let go of his hand, walking away in silence.

'Damn it all.' He closed his eyes in defeat.

(Rurouni Kenshin OST – Departure ~ Acoustic. Ending Song.)


The three returned to the Bastion in silence. Not once did both parties' eyes meet.

As Vali got a drink of water before going to bed, she paused, a thought passing through her head. She recalled that Issei had gotten even more distant after their visit to the library. After he read something, he seemed jumpy. She needed to see what he saw. She headed to a room with a monitor and began browsing through all the books that Issei read.

"Can't sleep?"

Vali turned around to find her counterpart in the doorway, wearing a short black nightgown.

"I think I'm close to finding out why Issei's been so odd lately. I've been reading for hours and he's blocked so many passages. What the hell did he see?"

Adelaide walked over to see what Vali read. They spent hours pouring over the data logs and scriptures.

At long last, they came across the prophecy that Issei had read.

"Hm, this is covered up too." Vali clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Computer, clear all censorship." Adelaide demanded.

"Request denied. Requiring verification from original editor."

"Password verification." Vali snapped. She wasn't letting up till she got to the bottom of this.

"Awaiting password."

Vali knew she could outsmart the AI if she played her cards right.

"KuohNavy25."

"Password accepted. Voice match authentication failed. One attempt left." The AI beeped as if to taunt her.

"Ugh…" Vali looked ready to shred the computer.

She then had an idea. She called Issei.

"Issei, what's the password to your Crunchyroll?"

"KuohNavy25." Issei's tone was flat, nary a care to what she was up to.

"Thanks, love you." Vali hung up her phone.

"Clear all censorship from document library." The Lucifer Heiress repeated her request. She dared the computer to deny her again.

Just like that, the covered text in the documents cleared.

"How'd you know the password?"

"Issei's fond of Kuoh since it's his home. His symbolic color is navy. As for 25, it…it was the day that his parents died." Vali then pressed on while sipping her drink.

A part of her regretted not being able to save his parents. They were the core reason Issei turned out the way he did. She wished she'd been able to get to know them better aside from the two times she'd spoken to them.

As she read the text with Adelaide, the two blinked. They hoped they were mentally blipping as they read what Issei had found in the library. Did they read it all right? No matter how many times they read over the text, it didn't change. Vali and Adelaide gasped.

"No…No…No…" Vali trembled, her mind coming up with horror shows at the possibilities.

"Soon, the Third Era shall come towards its greatest conflict. Past and present will collide to decide the future. Where the Third Era began, an old soul shall end for the final time." Adelaide tried to think of the precise meaning of those words.

For what was seconds felt like years as the two agonized over the meaning. This was a death prophecy. Even worse, it correlated to the three of them. Yet, the words of the passage made it clear that only one person would die.

"Another death prophecy…" Adelaide sat down, trying to process this, hoping to find an alternative meaning.

Vali felt like she was going to snap. This connected too much to Issei to be a coincidence. Bahamut had been the direct cause of the end of the Second Era and was a very old soul.

"This is all a lie…We can't let it be true. We already got past the first one." Vali gripped her shorts.

"This is why he's been acting so different. He got slapped with another death prophecy. One of us might die." Adelaide was disgusted by fate. How much did they need to suffer? Just when they resolved themselves to keep moving forward, they got another prediction of death.

The two ruminated on their learnings for hours, trying to calm down.

"He must be terrified out of his mind." Vali stared at her hands, soaked with perspiration and anxiety.

It was at that moment that the two decided to confront Issei. This couldn't wait.


They knocked on his door before entering. True to their expectations, Issei was typing away rapidly. He didn't even notice their presence. Through the crack in his door, they saw scribbles and notes all over the walls of his room. Stacks of papers and the constant beeping of programs filled its interiors.

It was scary, almost like a horror movie. It was subtle but there were signs that Issei was starting to lose his stability. His bin was full of angry shreds and red markers were all over the place. The writing on his papers were messy and aggravated. There were even dents in his desk.

He'd been running himself ragged, trying to prepare for all situations. Even more likely, he was trying to find a way to prevent the prophecy.

"Issei?"

He swiped away his data and turned to them when he finally noticed them.

"You two should be resting." He coyly smiled.

"Stop pretending, Issei. We know what you saw."

The forced smile on Issei's face instantly vanished as the color in his face faded. At first, Vali and Adelaide wanted to confront him, but when they saw the fear in his eyes, their plan changed. All the outrage vanished as his composure disintegrated.

They took a deep breath to refresh their minds. Going in with outrage and loud voices wasn't going to help anyone. They had to be calm and they understood that for someone who'd died over and over and retained the memories of those deaths, Issei didn't need a screaming match.

They knew what was wrong, so they had to approach this responsibly.

Vali walked over to him and took his hands, leading him to sit on the bed. He was so flabbergasted that he didn't resist.

"What're you doing?"

Instead of responding, Vali merely rested his head on her lap.

"You've been scared this whole time, haven't you?"

Issei didn't respond, merely looking away.

"Issei, let's stop this, okay? You promised to me that you'd be honest. You promised that you'd trust me. Why did you hide all this from us?" Vali gently brushed his face.

"I-I…" He fought to get his words out. He was still dazed from Vali and Adelaide having caught him.

"You said that you'd help us and let us help you. Why'd you keep such a huge thing a secret?" Adelaide didn't sound angry, only disappointed.

She kept eye contact, delving deeper into his eyes. She could see how close he was to breaking down. There was so much anxiety, frustration, confusion, and anger in his eyes. It saddened her to see him like this.

Despite all his bravado and bluster, Issei couldn't bring himself to acknowledge that he didn't have the answer this time. He couldn't just track down and kill the problem. The enemy was stronger than he could manage alone and he had no idea what to expect.

Now that he'd been caught red-handed, he had no idea how to react. His guilt then seeped into his inner reflections, forcing the truth out. He just couldn't take it anymore.

(Doctor Who OST – A Lot of Life Behind Us. Play Song.)

"Y'know, we keep saying we'll do better but we keep relapsing. Issei…do you mean what you say now? Why did you keep this from us? Why are you allowing yourself to change and distancing yourself from us?" Adelaide's voice shook, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the truth, her suppressed feelings flooding out.

"I…" Issei's voice was husky, as if he was fighting to keep himself together.

Perhaps it was fortunate that he failed. There was no use trying to hide anything anymore. Issei couldn't make up any more lies. He couldn't dodge any more questions. He couldn't run away. He had a promise to keep.

"Ever since I came back to life, nothing's been the same. It's not just being something different now. I don't feel like I belong."

"Belong?"

Issei didn't meet Vali's gaze.

"Was that how we made you feel?" Vali stroked his cheek.

"It's not something any of you did. I'm neither human nor devil. I'm the only one of my kind here. When I saw everyone together and being around them, I felt like I was out of place. I felt like everyone was going in one direction and I was headed in another. No matter where I went, what I did, or told myself, I just didn't feel like I belonged."

"Issei, you're still you."

"I…I'm not so sure." Issei's voice dropped to barely being a whisper.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since the last battle with the Aviturs, I've been feeling Bahamut's presence. Every single day it's been getting stronger. Sometimes, the smallest things just make me so angry. Sometimes, I have thoughts that make me wanna hurt people. When people keep telling me that I've been behaving differently, it keeps reminding me that I've changed and I don't think I like it. People say change is good, but not this kind. It feels wrong." Issei took a shaky breath.

"I don't know if I'm even Issei Hyoudou anymore. What if I'm just Bahamut possessing Issei's body and I don't know it? His soul and mine are intertwined. What if I'm actually dead and you all are with an omnicidal dragon bent on revenge?"

"What if Issei Hyoudou died that day and the Abyss or the Void brought Bahamut back and he think's he's Issei Hyoudou? What if all this is fake? What if…What if I wake up in the Sacred Gear and it's someone else living the life I wanted? What if one of you dies and I or the one in control can't stop it then?"

With every single word, Issei's voice cracked harder. His gaze and breathing grew more distraught. His hands trembled, causing Adelaide to hold them to try and calm his nerves.

"That's not all, is it?" Vali's smooth was calm and soothing but it did so much damage to his composure. Despite all the crap he flung their way, the two still heard him out and never failed to try and comfort him. Issei sat up, avoiding eye contact with Adelaide and as he covered his face with his hand.

"Every time I think I've got a solution, every time I get to taste happiness, something always takes it away. I died once, now I might die again. Even worse, one of you might die…"

Vali and Adelaide's hearts broke as they saw the tears come down his face. It squeezed their chests to see him fall apart. The last time Vali had seen him shed tears was when his parents died. To see this happen again just went to show how much he'd bottled everything up, for the sake of not worrying others and making sure they got to see the next day.

"I've been going insane trying to figure out a way to stop the prophecy. I've got no one else now. You two are all I've got left. I don't want to lose anyone else. I'm so tired of losing." Issei choked on the lump in his throat.

Vali smiled sweetly at him as she embraced him from behind as he continued to shudder.

"Let it all out." She whispered to him.

Adelaide came around, wiping his tears tenderly.

"We're not leaving you. We're not going to die. Issei, you don't have to shoulder things alone. If Bahamut is trying to change you, then we'll anchor you. You don't have to keep wearing that mask anymore. It's okay for you to show that weak side of yours."

Vali nodded in agreement.

"If you need to be strong, then I'll help you bring it out."

"And if you need to be weak, then I'll shield you." Adelaide placed her lips upon Issei's.

Issei seemed to calm down as they comforted him.

"You're not alone anymore, Issei. You're not alone. You're not Bahamut. You're Issei Hyoudou, the man who earned his happy ending more than anyone else. You're our wacky loveable and strong goofball. You're our Issei." Vali held him tighter. She wanted to drive it to his soul that she meant it.

(Doctor Who OST – A Lot of Life Behind Us. End Song.)

It took a while but Issei finally managed to calm down thanks to Vali and Adelaide.

"Thank you, both of you. I love you."

At that moment, emotions ran high for three of them. Maybe it was the weight of the moment, or it was some metaphorical event happening like some affection game. Those three words from Issei hit way different from before to Vali and Adelaide. Some kind of carnal urge awoke, blending with tonight's revelations and the high tension. Whatever the case, Vali and Adelaide felt ready.

Issei turned around to smile at Vali. He seemed oblivious to what was going on in Vali and Adelaide's bodies right now. His eyes seemed to regain some sort of innocence that they used to have after unloading some weight off his soul.

Vali fought to control herself but she started to breathe a tad bit harder as she struggled.

'I love you so much, Issei.' Was something both girls thought. The words were so simple but the strength and implications were bigger than before.

Their gazes held before Vali gave in to temptation. She brought her face to his, kissing him. This wasn't new for Issei, at first. Issei accepted the kiss until he realized that her tongue wanted entry into his mouth. By the second, it grew more passionate before she and Adelaide pushed him down on the bed.

They wanted this and they all knew it. Vali and Adelaide were redder than ever before and were breathing heavier than reasonably possible.

"No turning back." It felt more like a question than a statement from Issei.

"We told you that we love you. We'd have never gotten to this point if we were afraid of regret. Now, take us." Adelaide smiled, undressing her nightgown as Vali followed suit.


After a very long night of passion, Issei awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, even hopeful.

'Will you finally believe now?' Rexis sounded hopeful. Issei never showed it, but there was always a tiny sliver of doubt that always gnawed at him.

'Yeah…Thanks to Vali and Adelaide, I finally understand and accept it all. Even though I said I'd be honest, it's hard keeping up with big promises like that. I made a big promise and I didn't understand everything about it.'

'You're actually pretty crappy at keeping promises. I guess that's a habit we've all had. Still, I'm eager to see you be the first to keep promises out of us all.'

'This time, I'll carry through. No more half-hearted promises and lies. All this time, I was hurting, and I kept putting myself down, not paying attention to the hurt I was doing to the others. At first, I thought it was all their own past weights bearing down on them. I didn't reflect on my own troubles affecting them. Hah…I guess a part of me was still a kid.'

He turned around to see Vali and Adelaide still sleeping, covered only by blankets. It had been a long night, indeed.

After a quick shower, Issei went down to check on the ship.

"Status report."

"All systems functional. Performance is at normal levels. Repairs are completed." The Bastion's AI replied.

"Set a course for the Third Key."

"Course charted for Russia. Precise location undetermined. Processing and scanning for landing point. Estimated wait time for calculation: eight hours."

"Why the error?" Issei asked. This was supposed to be a super advanced ship. Why was it having errors?

"Coding error within magical network. Patching in progress."

Issei sighed. Even with how advanced the Bastion was, it wasn't safe from tech problems. Still, they were already unbelievable lucky to even have something to travel in. If it weren't for Viatorus, the three would probably be limping in some forest, tired, lost, and hungry.

Issei wasn't complaining too much since this gave him time to read more of what he'd scanned from the Atlantean Library. He needed to get stronger. Training the same thing over and over and increasing muscle strength wasn't enough. He had to find a way to access Calamity Savior on demand. Ever since the incident at Alliance HQ, the trio had been training and trying to find new ways of growing stronger.

Then he thought better for his plans for the day. He had stuff to make up for. He owed it to Vali and Adelaide to be the boyfriend they deserved.

"I thought last night would be enough exercise." Two pairs of arms laced around him as two lips kissed both sides of his face.

He still had a hell of a time processing all that'd happened.

"We've gotta be ready. I wouldn't be surprised of the major gods came after us. We've gotta get stronger." Issei then stood up.

"Let's eat." Issei took them by the hand and led the two to a dining table.

The two ladies were pleased to see an American breakfast waiting for them. If there was one menu America excelled at, it was breakfast.

"So, what's our plan?"

"I charted a course for Russia to get the Third Key but the ship needs to pinpoint where it is. So, I think we should take the load off today. The Alliance is still swarming the skies and the Novella Caelum are probably more active than before. Let's take some time to lay low. You two were right. I've been so absorbed in my work that I've been ignoring how you two feel. I'm sorry."

Vali shook her head, placing her hand over his.

"There's nothing to apologize for. You were in a dark place and now you're out. That's all that matters."

"Even so, I got lucky, like Viatorus said. I shouldn't waste it brooding all the time. So, where do you want to go? We're right above New York. Should we go down there and frolic?"

Vali and Adelaide stared at Issei. How long had it been since he smiled wholeheartedly like this? His eyes were bright, his lips wide, and his teeth showing. They breathed sighs of relief as the Issei they loved was returning.

"What about money? It's not like we can dip into our accounts. I'm pretty sure people are keeping watch for where we stashed cash too." Vali hated it, but she could already predict that people were just waiting for them in case they needed funds.

"Viatorus covered us."

Issei showed them to a mini vault, which had more than enough money in every currency.

"Seriously, who is Viatorus?! Where does all this come from?!" Vali's jaw dropped.

"Well, if you're backed by the Abyss, I guess you can have whatever you want." Adelaide shrugged, still reeling a bit at all that the Traveler had prepared for them.

Issei didn't have many guesses as to who he was either, but he was fine with not knowing too much.

"Now then, let's go stretch our legs." Issei smiled again.

That was far too tempting of a promise to catch up.

"Let's go!" Vali and Adelaide dragged him off, giggling.


Given the coming of Winter, there weren't many outdoor activities. Still, they were enjoying whatever they could.

They watched a standup comedy show, with Issei turning red from laughter. After the show, they toured Madison Square Garden before catching a show on Broadway.

"No wonder it got so many Oscars." Issei sipped his chocolate shake as the three walked down the street after the show ended.

"It was so sad. The leading lady got amnesia and fell in love with the leading guy's cousin. He didn't even tell her the truth." Vali tightened her arms around Issei's left limb.

"He shouldn't have tried to start over from square one." Adelaide sighed, taking Issei's other arm.

"If it was us, who'd you pick?"

The remark was teasing but Issei felt like the two were shining the Sun over his head. He gulped as he met their expectant stares. He dared not answer.

The twins merely laughed as Issei tried to think of a response.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Adelaide walked over to the road, which was sectioned off from traffic.

A parade was passing through the city, being winter themed.

(Doctor Who OST - Clara? Play Song.)

Issei's jaw dropped. Christmas was in a few weeks. Who knew if there was going to be another chance to go shopping? So far, the marks they'd gotten from Viatorus had kept them safe from detection. Maybe he could push his luck just a tiny bit more for today.

"Okay, uh, I gotta go do something real quick. I'll meet up with you two when I'm done." Issei walked away, praying that stores would have something adequate for him.

"Hey, wait, Issei?!" Adelaide called out to him but he just kept walking.

"Where's he going?" Vali gave up on trying to see the parade, only to find Issei gone.

"He said he had to do something and that he'd meet up with us later."

The two wondered in silence as to what it was he was trying to do, only to gasp too when they came to the same realization.

"We forgot Christmas!" They nearly shrieked.

So much craziness had happened that they'd forgotten about the holiday that was approaching.

"We'd better go do some shopping." Adelaide took her twin by the hand and headed off to a shop.


As it would turn out, shopping for their boyfriend was harder than they'd expected.

"Hm…don't think he has much reason for a tie." Adelaide browsed the racks, pondering whether or not to get him clothing.

"Warm clothing's kinds moot since he's got dragon traits." Vali inspected a fleece coat.

"Maybe a nice shirt?"

"He always tears through them." Vali disagreed as she looked at a belt.

"He's not very gentle with his clothing." Adelaide recalled having done his laundry two days ago. So many holes and shred marks.

"My grandma was always complaining about how careless he could be. I used to sew up his buttons whenever I had time." Vali chuckled.

"What?" Adelaide looked at her twin, curious about the story behind that laugh.

"I decided to teach him a lesson one time for screwing around and mismatched all his buttons on one of his shirts after I sewed it back up." Vali giggled.

"Really?!" Adelaide imagined Issei wearing a shirt with a rainbow of buttons.

"He stopped being nosy for three days. He looked like a bowl of Fruity Pebbles." Vali was still chuckling.

Since clothing was out of the question, the two decided to check accessories.

"Red's not really Issei's color." Adelaide put down a watch.

"He likes silver more than gold." Vali was having a tough time finding something that their boyfriend would like.

"Does everything have to be navy?" Adelaide was exasperated, rubbing her temple after having looked around for three hours.

"Ooh! He might like this!" Vali pointed at a bracelet in a display case.

"Ah, that's a new one. It's a men's bracelet made out of kyanite and platinum. It promotes inner tranquility and mental healing." A clerk walked over, hoping to get another sale.

Vali stared at it, reflecting on its meaning. Issei had been taxing himself so much lately. Even if this bracelet was ordinary, she could still put a charm on it to bless him. It just felt right to give this to him.

Adelaide then looked at a navy necklace.

"That's a pendant made from sodalite. It promotes perception, intuition, and truth within oneself."

Adelaide knew that he'd been stressing out over his anxieties over Bahamut and his own identity. She wasn't exactly an expert with enchantments, but she wanted to help ease his mind, even if just a bit.

The two could only nod in unison as to what they were getting for Issei.

"Special gifts for your special someone?" The clerk looked between the twins.

"You could say that." Vali and Adelaide almost forgot that polygamy wasn't legal in the U.S…

(Doctor Who OST - Clara? End Song.)


Issei was running across all the stores, trying to find something meaningful to get the two of them. He knew they didn't care for glamorous things. They'd treasure anything that came from the heart.

For a long time, he'd been thinking, yes, even more than assumed. He'd been reflecting on his feelings for Vali and Adelaide, coming to terms with what kind of future he'd have with them. Last night's events made it clear to him about what he needed to do. Yes, there was still a lot of work to do but Issei was going to fight tooth and nail to get the future he wanted. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with Vali and Adelaide.

'Where should we go? Jared? Zales? Blue Nile?' Rexis sounded a little too eager.

'…You've been watching too many ads.' Issei deadpanned.

'Oh come on! This is like my favorite drama happening. My ship is sailing.'

'Okay, first, your ship was me with two people? Second, you've been watching dramas?'

'Yes.'

Issei considered going to a brand name store but changed his mind when he saw a nice little store's display.

"Welcome." The Clerk warmly greeted him in as he waited for Issei to start browsing.

Issei seemed to stare at the displays for forever.

'Dude…it's been half an hour…' Rexis would've slapped Issei upside the head if he could.

'These decisions take time, alright!'

'We've taken dumps shorter than this.'

'I don't wanna half-ass this.'

"Can't decide?" The Clerk leaned over the counter, following Issei's gaze.

"Can't."

"You're awfully young for engagement rings." The Clerk chuckled. It seemed a tiny bit insulting but the Clerk looked as if he was reminiscing.

"I was thinking of a promise ring."

"I take it you're still in high school. I've got a son that looks your age." The Clerk went into the back and came back with a lacquer wooden box.

When he opened it, Issei was dazzled by the selection before him.

"Now, these aren't as 'high-grade' as engagement rings, but they're still very nice and priced for young people. These two are my favorites." The Clerk pointed at two rings.

The first ring had a garnet gem in the middle with a silver band laced with red markings for decoration. The second ring was an aquamarine gem embedded into a silver band with blue decorative markings.

Issei carefully looked over the entire collection but settled onto the ones the Clerk pointed out. Despite them being cheaper and of lower quality, they were well-made and beautiful, made to last.

"Garnets symbolize courage and willpower. Aquamarines embody truth and healing. They're great traits to put into a promise ring."

"I'll take them both." Issei took out his wallet.

"Both?" The Clerk paused, making sure he heard right. Normally people only bought one ring.

"Yeah." Issei didn't explain himself but he was dead set on getting them.

The Clerk saw how serious he looked and didn't question him further, only smiling in understanding.

"Well, great luck to you and your lady. I hope I get to see you again if you do look for an engagement ring." The Clerk bagged his rings and handed them over.

"Count on it." Issei proceeded to walk out the store, a big smile on his face.


Considering how long they'd been out in the open, the trio decided to go back to the Bastion so they wouldn't push their luck any further.

What awaited Vali and Adelaide was a starry surprise. The Bastion had been draped in winter and Christmas decorations. Stockings, a Christmas tree, and lights were all set up in the Living Quarters of the ship.

"When was this?" Adelaide looked at Issei, the obvious culprit.

"I had the bots do it. Considering Christmas isn't too far off and with all that's been happening, I think it'd be nice to celebrate whenever we can." Issei could only shrug.

He had a point.

"Fine, but no gift opening till Christmas." Vali agreed with him but this was beyond simple tradition.

"Why not?" Adelaide looked like a disappointed child.

"I want us to be together for Christmas. No matter what, we'll be by that tree opening gifts. Promise me we'll all be there."

"Yeah. It's a promise." Issei clutched the rings in his pocket, smiling.

They would be together for Christmas and onwards.


So, huge step for the trio. They all made a promise to be together on Christmas.

Now, I know that Thanksgiving is the next week of the day I post this, but I didn't want to wait for an actual holiday to post something. You guys know how I am. I post when I can and when my heart's in it.

Anyways, I don't have too much to say. Once again, I want to say thank you to everyone who's supported me till now. I'm trying to make time to respond to anyone who's PM'd me. As of this moment, is having some issues with displaying any new messages in the inbox, so bear with me.

As always, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time.