CHAPTER 22! MAN, I LOVE YA'LL TOO! I PASSED MY EXAM, MOTHERFUCKERS!

REVIEWS:

Commandosquirrel: I see you are a man of culture. ALL NEO FANS OUT THERE SPELL #NEOBESTGURL IN THE REVS!

Nerdy - MogtheGnome: EVERYONE SPELL #PYRRHABESTGURL IN THE REVS!

Nerdy - 8-Bit pirate: PYRRHA BEST GIRL EVERYONE.

Jack Lycan: Well, as it will be stated later in this chapter, Azazel won't help with that after the deeds have been done. Instead, we got another plan to prevent full-on demonic conversion.

Nerdy - MajorSimi: I can neither confirm nor deny anything.

Nerdy - 246vili: If Cerberus's run-in with the police in the game is anything to go by, it wouldn't end pretty lol. You'll have to wait and see her sin.

Renokana: I don't know. Nerdy? What do you say? Demon Pyrrha in the future? (Nerdy: omg, she would be sexy as fuck as a demon. The outfit would be scandalous… omg yes!) You heard the simp.

Notsae: Good thing you found the intel later in the story as to why it is bad for Jaune to turn into a demon currently. Also, regarding Jaune's father, the man is not a bad person per se, just did something extremely dumb. He will redeem himself one day, but we won't say when. As for him paying for his crime...Still thinking about that.

Nerdy - Nightmare723764: Yes he is the doner. However, he did not have sex with Terra. He simply donated his sperm and her and saphron did the kinky stuff.

LordNoobReview: BIG ASS REV MAN! GONNA BREAK IT DOWN INTO BITS!

-If you wanna bet, my money would actually be on Monica in case she gets her coffee again.

-Cerberus trouble, eh? And Blake's drama?! Oh man, talk about a dog chasing the cat across the yard. That will be interesting. Also the showdowns.

-Christianity is both still known, but also kinda dying out in favor of the Brother Gods. True, certain communities on Remnant still are Christian ones, and they would RIOT learning that Lucifer is in the human realm. Not to mention Lucifer will be offended greatly when she learns humanity thinks of her as a male.

-Salem cannot win against Lucy, saying it now.

-Good to know you agree man. We will use only the design

Nerdy: TheQueenOfFoxes - Apologies. This man Bloody is a Romanian and his English needs work. (Bloody: We both know mistakes like that are common for non-natural English speakers, so gimme a break will ya?)

Anonymous: Thanks man, but I have to correct you on something: It is not just those three, but everyone has been trying their best to hold back.

ParadoxReader: Dunno about the Semblance, but the Ren part is an idea me and Nerdy will consider.

ParacgdoxReader2: JNPR family soon, with RWBY Team as well!


It was early in the morning when Pyrrha shuffled in her bed, the rays of the sun shyly peeking through the window and onto her sleeping face, making her turn around. Her hair was undone and messy, but that was to be expected when she slept. She managed to unpack yesterday and placed most of her items in the closet, and her luggage under the bed. This was, after all, her first day at the Arc Manor, and she wanted to enjoy her stay here.

However, it seems that wouldn't be happening too soon as she heard some noises coming from outside that stirred her awake. The girl opened her green eyes slowly and got up to check the time, her blue pajama dress hanging loosely off her shoulders. It was roughly six in the morning, not really a time for one to get up unless you had a job to get to. However, the time was not the issue, but the noise.

Yawning and stretching her arms, Pyrrha then got out of her bed and went towards the window. Her window looked outside towards the backyard, and she saw Jaune and Judgement there, apparently training. She watched him use his sword and shield combo, although there was one more sword sheathed into his shield. Dual-wielding blades? She found that interesting. However, what was more interesting to her was their attire. Both were dressed in normal training clothing, with Judgement having a sports bra and shorts on her and Jaune wearing shorts, but being topless.

Outside it is freezing, below -20 degrees. Their Auras were likely protecting them from the cold. She couldn't take her eyes away from the spar, though, noticing how Judgement seemed to be holding back some and Jaune going in for his strikes and blocking with his shield. His footwork was good, not to mention his stance was also not bad. If Pyrrha didn't know better, she'd believe he did have more than half a year's worth of training, but in reality, it was just Judgement training him without mercy.

Having him train without a shirt on to strain his Aura also must have doubled as training for his Aura reserves as well. Although she heard that if your Aura is strained the amount goes up, she was certain Jaune risked getting sick. A worry which was not needed, seeing as Azazel, although she did not know it, could heal him and help him get better in less than one day. Not to mention starting this early as well.

She watched, taking note of how Jaune fought. It seemed he had no long-range means, but then she noticed his Aura glow, a brilliant golden hue covering him and going to his arm which he held his shield with, then using it to bash Judgement away. An empowered strike left Pyrrha with an impressed expression on her face. Aura techniques were not something you learn as basics, but he seemed to have gotten the basics of them down pretty well and used his semblance to further empower them.

If she were to spar with him it was bound to be interesting, but she didn't hold high expectations. From what she could see, he was barely at the level of a second year at Sanctum, meaning he had a long way to go before he could match her. That is, in skill.

She had to admit his planning during the Selection showed a tactical mind, and he knew about her Semblance, meaning she couldn't rely on the element of surprise like in her other fights in order to win. As she watched, her interest simply grew more. At first, from his words, she thought him less skilled than what she was seeing but it was now obvious that he was selling himself too short.

Way too short.

If this is the progress he made from untrained to being comparable to some of her former classmates in Sanctum, then he was either a fast learner or he was following a very strict and brutal training regime. And seeing as he was awake at such an early hour, training with Judgement in the cold of winter without a shirt and relying on his Aura to shield him from the cold, she assumed it was both of them combined.

But she didn't mind the show, even if she herself didn't realize she was ogling him as he trained, watching his muscles flex whenever he made a move or blocked with his shield, and that golden Aura flare whenever he used his Semblance or got hit. Not to mention there was one more detail about him that she couldn't resist. It was the main reason she decided to stay here for an entire week!

He doesn't know a thing about her fame! To him, she was no champion or Invincible Girl, but a friend; a person he saw as some kind of equal! But then there is his entire household, and Pyrrha couldn't help but notice the screaming detail in there.

They were all female. Every single one of them was cute, hot, or a combination of those. Compared to them she felt more generic than special, which was a new feeling altogether for Pyrrha. But in hindsight, it was a pleasant one, it made her feel more normal.

Her thoughts were interrupted, however, as a knock was heard on her door, followed by Beel's voice. "Pyrrha dear, are you awake?" She asked, and Pyrrha took a second to snap out of her own world to reply.

"Y-yes, Miss Beel!" She replied, then the door opened, allowing for the disguised demoness to step inside. "Is there a problem?"

"Oh, nothing, I just thought I'd see how you are accommodating to everything. I do see, however, that you already like the view." Beel teased, watching Pyrrha go a bit red in her cheeks and giving the demoness a small giggle.

"It's not like that, I swear I didn't mean to look, I just got awoken by the sound of it all!" Pyrrha said, trying to defend herself, but lying to a demon was always going to be a fruitless endeavor.

"Don't worry, I believe you." Beel lied straight to her face. "Those two always go at it early in the morning, and I and Lucy usually watch them. It is entertaining, especially since Jaune is the only male resident."

"Miss Beel!" Pyrrha gasped, picking up on the subtle hint.

"Oh, please, a lady my age has all the rights to look at men, especially when they are such a fine catch," Beelzebub said, then went past Pyrrha, the girl not making much of an effort to stop her as she went and closed the window. "There. Now they shouldn't hear anything and we won't hear them."

"What did you mean by 'fine catch'?" Pyrrha asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed talking about Jaune to his landlady, but Beel simply chuckled. All things were according to Lucifer's plan, after all, and Modeus'.

"Pyrrha, he cooks, cleans, and understands a lady during...that period." Pyrrha nodded her head in understanding. "Not to mention he is kind, hard-working, quite handy when it comes to the various chores of the house, and overall he looks good. Seriously now, blond with blue eyes, sporting a sculpted abdomen topped with the previous traits? Girl, what else could you be asking for in a man?"

"I-I-I see…" Pyrrha replied, a blush on her cheeks. "So, I take it everyone here has their eye on him?"

"Oh, certainly, but we don't bicker about it." Beel said. "Sort of a silent agreement if you will, but we decided that if Jaune decides to take one of us the rest won't argue about it." Such an outrageous lie was possible only by the lips of a demon, no one else. "But I do recommend you try talking to the others and spend some time with them as well. They might see you as a new competitor and competition is not welcomed so easily."

Pyrrha picked up at the mention of competition. Maybe it was the champion inside her, but she didn't want to lose easily. But then her more rational side kicked in, reminding her of the situation. This was a house full of gorgeous women, all of whom had spent more time with him than she had, who have known him for longer, and overall have a crushing advantage over her. But the blush on her face said it all to Beelzebub. She was not against the idea, just still processing and trying to decide if Jaune is worth pursuing or not. To Beel, who has lived a long time, this was obvious to her as Pyrrha crushed on their resident blonde knight.

And that is what they wanted. But she had to play it cool, not force it, or else Jaune might find out and they would be in trouble with the blonde. "Anyway, Jaune will be done with his training in a bit then he will come to cook breakfast with Lucy in the kitchen. We usually have pancakes for breakfast if that is ok with you."

"There is no problem, Miss Beel-"

"And please, drop the 'Miss' part. I am not THAT old." The demoness said.

"Sorry. Ok, yeah, there is no problem, Beel." Pyrrha said, this time without the formality, earning a smile from the demoness. Beel liked Pyrrha already due to her polite demeanor, which for the Great Fly was enough. Beel already knew Pyrrha won't have a lot of trouble integrating and earning the favor of the others, maybe having some issues with the sisters, but she had no doubt it would be an easy integration process.

"I will see you later, dear. Have a good day." The demoness said as she left Pyrrha's room, allowing the girl to start getting ready for the day a bit quicker. She took her nightwear off and went through her clothes, taking her green turtleneck sweater out and putting it on along with a pair of blue jeans that hugged around her curves. She made sure to tie her hair in her usual ponytail, then opened the door, noticing that there was not a lot of activity in the house at the moment, likely because it was still early in the morning. But the girl had her plans, and this included a blond hunk.

She went downstairs, then made a turn for the backyard, opening the door and seeing Jaune narrowly avoiding a hard strike from Judgement which left a small hole in the snow, then retaliating by trying to strike her with his sword, only to have it blocked by her gauntlets. The grey demoness in disguise smirked, then the tonfa on her gauntlet she blocked morphed, revealing to Pyrrha that it was a mechashift weapon, which then fired upon Jaune, sending him skipping backward with his Aura flaring strongly. They didn't even register her presence in the heart of their spar, but someone else did.

"Enjoying the show, Nikos?" Asked Lucy, who was sitting down at a small table located next to the wall of the mansion where the roof offered protection from the snow, leaving the table and chairs dry. The demoness was wearing a red sweater to keep her warm, with gloves on her hands, and a jacket over her shoulders since she has been out for a bit. "When they get into it they just shut out the world around them, making this an entertaining show to watch."

At that moment, the sound of metal clashing echoed as Jaune blocked a strike from Judgement using Crocea Mors, the woman clicking her tongue and jumping back. However, Jaune threw his shield towards her, managing to land a solid strike on her stomach and sending her into the snow, a bit of magic making the illusion of an Aura on her to fool Pyrrha. "Nice hit!" Lucifer cheered.

Pyrrha also had to admit the strike was good, but then she watched as Judgement got up slowly, and a look of malice washed over her. Jaune threw his shield away, yes, but he knew of the risk and placed his other hand on Crocea Mors to reinforce his grip on it. Looks like he intentionally forgot defense. The two started to clash together again, and Pyrrha simply sat down with Lucifer at the table. "I can see that they are really into it." She commented, looking at the brutal fight before her. "But are you certain they'll be fine? Jaune is using his actual weapon, and I doubt their Auras can protect them from all injuries."

"No need to be worried." Lucy took a sip of her cup of hot coffee. "Azazel, the girl you met yesterday, knows a thing or two about first-aid. She had helped Jaune and Judgement more than once when Aura was not enough." A half-truth. Azazel had been using healing magic for that, which didn't work on Judgement since she was a demon.

"That's handy, I guess." Pyrrha said, trying to keep her attention on the fight, but Lucifer had her plans.

"So, Pyrrha, how do you find our humble abode?" Lucifer asked, getting Pyrrha's attention.

The redheaded girl laughed awkwardly. "I actually doubt you can call this mansion a humble abode, but so far I find it very cozy and welcoming." She replied, slowly shutting off the sounds of metal hitting metal. "The scene with the sisters was a bit unexpected, but I guess that is how family works at times - driving you crazy."

"Oh, you have no idea!" Lucifer said, sounding amused. "Jaune actually had to give them a pep talk when he found out you were coming to make sure they won't do anything bad to give you a bad impression of us!" Technically, he gave all of them a pep talk, but she was the devil, so lying a bit didn't bother her. "It was honestly funny to see the sisters being told to act nice."

"Do they always act like this?" Pyrrha asked, to which Lucifer replied bluntly.

"Pretty much. The little sister, Malina, is always getting teased by her older sister, Zdrada. Honestly, that bitch doesn't know when to quit." Pyrrha was caught off-guard by the crude language, but she let it slide. "Malina likes games and alcohol, while Zdrada likes to smoke and cause trouble. Honesty, I do not know how Jaune handles them."

"Maybe their parents had issues?" Pyrrha asked softly, earning Lucifer's attention. "I heard that problematic behaviors usually spring from family issues. Did something happen, or-"

"Pyrrha, listen, as much as I like you, I don't think we are this close yet as to tell you such details about the sisters." The first step is taken, that was what Lucifer had been aiming for. If they wanted Pyrrha's aid, they also needed everyone to accept her into the mix, which couldn't be done if she went and got her nose snuck where it didn't belong. Causing a scene was the last thing they wanted. "It is very personal, even Jaune has no idea!"

"You know?" Pyrrha asked in curiosity, watching Lucifer sigh in admittance.

"I do." She replied. "However, I will not say. It is not my business to share, after all." Lucy then looked at the fight, noticing how Jaune was starting to pant and shiver a bit. "It looks like they are nearing the end of the spar."

"Already?" Pyrrha asked, then looked at the fight, just in time to see Jaune put his arms up in defeat.

"I give up for today, Judgement," Jaune said, keeping his head low and hands raised. "My stamina is out and I doubt my Aura will hold for longer in this cold."

"You lasted longer than last time, so I will count this as a productive round." The demoness said, helping him up. "Your proficiency with your weapons and Aura is going up by the day, Jaune. Are you certain you are not ready for that Beacon stuff yet?"

"Certain." Jaune replied. "I still have a long way to go before I can call myself a Huntsman in training."

"Not necessarily." Pyrrha said, finally making her presence known to the two, a slight blush on her face as she saw Jaune shirtless. She tried to look away, keeping her gaze up at their faces. "H-Hi. Good morning." She said sheepishly.

"Morning to you too, Pyrrha." Jaune replied in a friendly manner.

"I see you like to rise early as well?" Judgement inquired, referring to the time. "Breakfast is not even ready, we usually have our morning spar first, then comes breakfast."

"I was actually woken up by the noise, not going to be dishonest with you. My window was a bit open, so I heard the commotion." She confessed, watching as Jaune seemed embarrassed. "By the way, great heating for the house, I didn't feel the chill of the outside one bit."

"Y-yeah. It is a custom-made system." Jaune said, replying with a half-truth. "But wait, what did you mean by that Pyrrha? About me being at Huntsman level?"

Pyrrha giggled a bit. "Not at Huntsman level, Jaune, but at trainee level." She corrected him. "Your skills, built, and overall technique, coupled with your tactical mind all indicate that you are at least at the level of a second year at Sanctum, maybe even above that in terms of tactical thinking!."

Now it was Jaune's turn to blush ever so slightly at the praise and smile. Hearing Pyrrha saying that knowing her own level of skill was far above even those at Sanctum, really made his day. Knowing that he was close assured him that by the time he joined Beacon he wouldn't have to worry about being behind the others, but that didn't mean he would start slacking off. Judgement wouldn't allow it, and he wouldn't allow himself to let himself go soft now.

"Thanks for saying that Pyrrha - achoo!" Jaune sneezed, making him remember where he was. "Right, outside, cold. Let's return inside the house." He said, and everyone nodded and returned inside the house, Jaune reaching for his shirt and putting it on before he caught a cold. Once there, he looked at the girls present, those being Pyrrha, Lucifer, and Judgement. He knew Beel was around the house, likely trying to wake the others up, meaning it was Jaune's turn to shine. "Alright, I will go into the kitchen and start making breakfast. I hope you like pancakes Pyrrha!"

"I love them!" Pyrrha replied. "Mind if I can have mine with fruits, however? It helps balance out the diet."

"Sure!" He replied, then dashed inside the kitchen, leaving Pyrrha with the girls in the living room, on the sofa. Lucy grabbed the remote, turning on the TV to allow the girls something to watch, and Judgement seated herself right next to Pyrrha.

"Phew!" She said, the demoness in disguise throwing her arms behind the sofa and relaxing her muscles. "That boy is sure giving me a workout lately, Lucy! It was just a few months ago that we started and look at him now!"

"I can clearly see him, Judge." Lucy said, using the nickname. "The development is thanks to your training methods."

"What methods?" Pyrrha asked, reminding Judgement of the guest.

"My methods." Judgement said, pointing at herself with a cocky smile. "When he first started, believe me when I say I had to pound that noodly ass of his into shape real good!"

"Despite it being a brutal training schedule and even taking care of what he ate." Lucifer added, making Pyrrha flinch.

"H-how brutal?" She asked, fearing a bit.

"She was sitting on top of him while he did push-ups, then forced a daily quota for him to reach. A few hundred...some things, I do not recall." Lucifer said, giving Pyrrha the general idea of it, to which she nodded in understanding. It made sense the training he followed was advanced and likely pushed his limits, otherwise, such fast progress wouldn't have been easily achieved.

"Yeah, but with time it became easier for him, so the fun died out." Judgement added. "Still, his swordsmanship needs work keeping up with the modern times."

"Ugh. Tell me about it." Lucifer said, agreeing with the other demoness in the room.

"His swordsmanship is outdated? How so?" Pyrrha asked curiously. "I haven't seen anything to indicate that."

"Well, outdated might not be the word for his skills, but for his equipment it is." Judgement said. "I noticed the weapons of everyone else at Sanctum, and everyone has crazy mechashifting weapons that include long-range."

"True, but that is a good thing for Jaune then!" Pyrrha argued. "Mechashifts require more maintenance, meaning that Jaune can relax knowing he doesn't need to spend money on that, which helps his budget."

"Hmm. Haven't thought of that before." Judgement said, weighting the new information. "I mean, we might be able to afford it, but I guess more money in the house is always nice."

"Indeed." Lucifer agreed, however, at that moment they all looked back to see another demoness coming down the stairs as she yawned, her disguise still on. It was Pandemonica, and she looked tired, as usual, which only added to her irritation seeing as she was denied higher-quality coffee in order to keep her sadism in check. She did, however, manage to see Pyrrha sitting on the sofa with Lucy and Judge.

"Morning, everyone." She replied politely, trying to keep herself awake. "I take it Jaune is already making breakfast?"

"Certainly it is!" Justice replied as she too came down the stairs. "I can smell the sweet pancakes!"

"Can you really?" Asked the tired demon.

"When you are blind, the other senses become sharper, Monica!"Justice said, making her way to the sofa, namely behind Pyrrha. "So, how is our guest settling in so far? Got some sneak peeks at Jaune's abs, girl? Please, do describe them!"

Pyrrha blushed a bit, muttering under her breath, but to Justice, this was enough. "Oh, hell! You did see his abs! When was it? You are here for barely one day and you already saw them, so you have to share!"

"I didn't mean to look!" Pyrrha said quickly. "They were sparing and he was shirtless, so...it was kind of unavoidable."

"I can agree with her on that." Lucifer commented, coming to Pyrrha's aid. "It is hard not to look, wouldn't you agree so, Monica?"

"Lucy, please refrain from trying to extract such information from me." Monica replied, then yawned. "I just hope we have good coffee." Even if she knows she might not get any.

"You know Jaune, Monica, he always makes good stuff for us!" Justice said.

"Quite the truth, Justice, quite the truth." The girls turned around to see Beel walking down the stairs towards them. "Sorry to interrupt, the sisters, Mo, and the triplets are having a hard time waking up. Aza is getting ready right now, but she should be joining in shortly."

"Good, because knowing Jaune the breakfast should be done in a heartbeat!" Justice replied, then leaned towards Pyrrha to whisper in her ear. "He really can be that fast."

"Oh!" Pyrrha gasped slightly at the information but decided not to reply. "Well, I guess I will get my weapons for later. I did say I want to spar with Jaune at some point, so I better get everything ready." With that said, Pyrrha went up the stairs, and the demons waited until she was out of hearing range.

"Ok, so who here gives their ok regarding her?" Lucifer asked the present members of the Harem, waiting for their responses. "Because I say she is good to go."

"I like her, she is polite and well-raised." Beel added as well. "I say she is good to join as well."

"I mean, she is obviously a skilled warrior and knows a lot more about this world compared to us, so I give her a pass as well. But I'd like to also have a go with the spartan girl at some point." Judgement said.

"She seems nice, so sure!" Justice said. "Plus, if this means we get to ride the blonde hunk all the better, right?"

Monica cleared her throat, attracting their attention. "I should mention that I have yet to make my own opinion of her, and as such, I cannot give my consent on the situation yet. Although I am willing to bet that Azazel and Cerberus will have no issue giving theirs, especially the latter."

"Well, we still got four out of ten, which is not bad all things considered." Lucifer said. "However, I do hope everyone knows what is mainly at stake here...I doubt we can afford more 'artificial' relief for long."

"I can attest to that." Monica said.


Breakfast went on without any trouble, not even the sisters bickering, but Pyrrha was thinking about them and her eyes found themselves settled on the sour one, Malina, more than once. The demoness didn't notice this, instead, she focused on her pancakes more than anything then going away to her room the moment she was done with them to avoid spending more time around her sister. But Pyrrha was too curious for her own good and despite Lucifer's warning, decided to try and see what was the issue among the sisters now even Jaune was not aware of.

"Thank you for the breakfast." She said, thanking Jaune.

"Glad you liked it. Pancakes for breakfast are something common around here since the girls seem to have a sweet tooth." Jaune said with a smile.

"I have no complaints about that." Lucy said before taking another bite of her pancakes and smiling widely.

Pyrrha got up from the table afterward, going after Malina and noticing the sour demoness going up the stairs into her room, Pyrrha following her and arriving before her door. She stopped for a moment before knocking, thinking about what to say to her, but eventually, she figured out something based on what Beel said yesterday. Malina was a gamer, so maybe having a gaming partner would be pleasant. She knocked on the door softly, hearing a few curses being uttered on the other side of the door before it opened and revealed the scowling demon before her, still in her human disguise.

"What do you want, redhead?" She rudely asked, but Pyrrha was not fazed, keeping her friendly demeanor and patience.

"I was actually wondering if you'd want to play something?" She asked, unsure of what they might be playing. Pyrrha has never had time for stuff like video games, so this was a relatively new experience for her altogether. However, it seemed it worked as the demoness raised an eyebrow at her.

"I mean, as long as you are fine with turn-based strategies I have no issues with it." Malina replied, then opened the door more to allow her inside her room. "Make yourself comfortable and grab a drink if you want, the fridge is stocked with plenty of orange juice and vodka." Malina's room was truly made for the demoness, having a bed covered with a red blanket and red walls decorated with various posters from games. The floor was covered with a black carpet and a closet rested on the side, close to her bed. But what got Pyrrha's main attention was the advanced PC set-up there and the mini-fridge filled with alcohol and orange juice. This was clearly a gamer's room, and she did find it interesting that she had drinks here.

"Nice room." Pyrrha said, trying to be polite and compliment her.

"Well, yeah, I guess." And it had little effect. Malina went and grabbed a controller. "Here." She gave it to Pyrrha, then sat on the bed. Pyrrha wondered what they were doing before Malina brought a remote controller out and pressed the button, and a TV, not as large as Jaune's, appeared from the wall as a slim panel opened. "I installed this set-up more or less in secret using my own free time to play some of the more high-end games. I got this new one named 'Remnant: The Four Kingdom'. It is some political strategy game, but it is turn-based as well, so I said I'd give it a go. Unfortunately, playing against the AI is not that entertaining."

"I guess I can see why." Pyrrha replied, sitting down on the bed with the demoness. "The AI becomes predictable after a few games and you are able to easily learn its patterns, making it easy to plan against it. Too easy."

"Damn right!" Malina replied as she turned on the TV and the game appeared on the screen. "After five games I knew every move that AI would do, and the thrill died quickly. I would have invited Jaune, but he is more often than not busy with training and whatnot. He does spend time with me from time to time when he can, but he has been hauling ass recently"

"What about the others?" Malina scoffed at that question.

"Please, no one else is really into this, and there is no way I will ask my sister!" Malina said, then the game began, the girls selecting their nations. Pyrrha found it strange how Malina chose Vacuo, she herself went with Mistral, her home. Maybe Malina was from there? "I can already see her messing up my stuff."

"What is the relationship with your sister, actually?" Pyrrha asked as the game began. She didn't expect herself to win in the first session, focusing more on the talk.

"She has a bone to pick with me, that's what." Malina replied, growling a bit as she noticed Pyrrha's lack of experience. Looks like she had to go easy for a bit. "Ever since we've known each other and as far as I can remember, she always liked to tease me about things to the point it was infuriating. Best part? I got no fucking idea why she is like this!"

"I mean, didn't your parents-"

"I and she are orphans," Malina said, cutting her off. "Lost our parents in a G-Grimm attack on our village." That was a lie, for the most part. From what Malina knew, their parents kicked it because of Ghouls.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Pyrrha said, feeling a bit of remorse at digging up that painful memory.

"Meh. Wasn't old enough to remember either of them. Zdrada took care of me for the most part, but she was a bitch all the way through. The day I could, I high-tailed it on my own." That was true, except she didn't mention all the Hell-related bits. "Also, your northern borders are open and I am about to ally with Atlas. You are done for." She said, drawing their attention back at the game, which Pyrrha forgot about for a second.

True to Malina's words, Pyrrha has been defeated thanks to a combined effort from both Atlas and Vacuo, conquering the entire continent of Anima. But Pyrrha Nikos was not a girl that gave up easily! Asking for some orange juice from the she-devil, she continued playing with her, not realizing the hours that went by and only trying to win at least once. But even if she improved round after round, learning from her mistakes, Malina was a master while she was but an apprentice, and each time the result was the same, ending in her defeat by different means.

It was evening by the time Pyrrha lost for the last time. "Damn it!" She said as the frustration got to her. "I almost had you!"

Malina snorted. "No, you didn't!"

"I did! All I had to do was send my forces towards the east and invade!" Pyrrha argued.

"Please, don't you remember the land reform I did? I sold the territory to Vale, meaning that the moment you landed you would be on Valean land, effectively declaring war to them and earning me a free ally." Pyrrha froze realizing that, then she sighed in defeat. Malina smirked at her reaction, even if it was easy for her. She enjoyed playing the game with her, she was a good partner. "Good game."

"Good game." Pyrrha muttered, then she looked at the time. "Oh my, I think we missed dinner!"

"Don't worry about it." Malina said, getting up from the bed and stretching a bit. "Knowing Jaune, he figured out that we were absorbed by the game and stashed away some food for us to eat after we were done. All we need to do is go, use the microwave, and eat."

"Still, it is a bit rude of me, as a guest, to miss Dinner." Pyrrha said, feeling worried.

Malina scoffed. "Please, as far as everyone is concerned you missed it because you spent time with me. There is no issue there."

"I guess…" At that moment, Pyrrha felt her stomach grumble, making her blush slightly. "How about we grab that food?"

"Go ahead, I will stay behind and clean a bit. I will join you in a bit." With a nod of her head, Pyrrha left, closing the door behind her which allowed Malina to drop her demonic disguise and turn to the window. "I know you are there, Beelzebub!" She said, and true enough, a fly flew out from behind the window's curtain and transformed into the Cardinal of Gluttony.

"Oh my, I didn't think you'd be able to see through my disguise!" The demoness said, her too having dropped her disguise as a human. "Say, how long did you know I was there?"

"I noticed the buzz a few hours ago." Malina said, looking at Beel with her usual scowl. "Lemme guess, you want my input on the redhead?"

"If it isn't a bother to ask and answer."

Malina sighed in mild annoyance, not being usually comfortable with giving her opinion on things. "She is ok, I guess. She is kind of a noob at games, but she seems to be able to learn, so at least she is not mentally disabled or too stupid. A bit too polite for my taste, but I can live with that, so I give her a pass."

"Marvelous!" Beel cheered. "That makes five out of ten!"

"She is already halfway there?" Malina asked, raising an eyebrow at the question. "To be fair, I thought she'd be two-thirds of the way there by now. The dogs and angel girl seem pretty easy to convince."

"All in due time~," Beel said, then walked to her door, returning her disguise. "I am pretty sure she would have gotten to spend time with them as well had you not played for hours."

"Hey, when you have fun, time flies." Malina retorted, earning a giggle from Beelzebub. "What is so funny, bug-lady?"

"Just you speaking those words, Malina," Beel replied, softly so. "Pretty sure before you would choke before admitting to having fun with anyone, yet here you are saying just that. It looks like Jaune has had a bigger influence on you than anticipated."

"Piss off," Malina said, to which Beelzebub simply put her hands up and left, leaving her alone before Malina headed down to eat as well with Pyrrha. She had been delayed long enough.


After the demoness ate with Pyrrha, the two girls went their separate ways towards each of their rooms, Pyrrha entering hers and starting to change into her pajamas. But as she tried to lift her sweater above her head, light from outside caught her eye. She snuck back to her window, gazing ever so slowly through it and spotting Jaune outside, his sword in hand and his shield placed on the side. He was wearing a black, form-fitting shirt this time and he looked to be focusing, Crocea Mors in hand and his Aura glowing around him and, to her intrigue, his sword as well.

It wasn't common to see people channel their Aura through their weapons in such amounts since most people only did it to mechashift their weapons more easily. But Jaune didn't have any mechashift functions, so what was he doing? The answer to the question appeared when he began moving, grabbing Crocea Mors in both hands and swinging it once, his eyes closed as the snow began to fall gently.

The first swing created a small air current as the blade cut through the air, and Jaune was focusing, trying to imagine the feeling from Hell when he first used Aura Slash.

That move is what he was trying to replicate. He has been sneaking out of the house every now and then, trying to see if he could muster the power to do that again. He let his emotions run wild, recalling the adrenaline back from Hell after Ignium helped him, the anger he felt at his father, and even the joy brought by his newly found family. He focused and swung again, the blade seemingly expanding in size this time. His Aura Overdrive into high gear to try and bring out the power he knew he had.

And Pyrrha watched every motion, wondering what the glow was. She knew his Aura pool was great, and his Semblance made it even greater, but what was he trying to do? It intrigued her, sensing familiarity with such a thing. He swung again, then again, and again. Then, he brought his sword above his head, facing the sky and pointing the blade to the ground. He let out a cry, then he swung Crocea Mors again, but this time the glow was stronger and Pyrrha's eyes widened beyond belief as she saw what he did.

From his blade an arc of Aura of a royal golden hue erupted, flying towards the sky and vanishing. The attack didn't travel far and Jaune seemed somewhat exhausted after firing only one of them, but it was enough for Pyrrha to reevaluate Jaune altogether. He turned around, looking up to her window as he felt he was being watched, but there was no one there for him to see. Pyrrha had ducked, hiding under the window with eyes as wide as they come and heart beating a thousand miles an hour.

The technique Jaune used was known only to veteran and powerful Huntsmen and only those of legend whose Aura is said to have been nearly limitless! The last person to use such a technique in which the Aura is converted into an attack was...her father. It was a powerful and advanced technique that many trained to achieve without ever achieving it, yet Jaune did it before her very eyes. She didn't believe he had only a few months of training anymore, that was absurd! Such mastery of one's Aura was something even she has yet to grasp - nay. It was something she would never be able to grasp. She had tried to focus her Aura, but her Aura pool was simply not great enough to both launch such an attack and keep fighting afterward, but Jaune's Semblance did away with that issue.

If he was this strong already, from what she was told and in the possibility it was true, half a year of training, then she shuddered to think how he would come out of Beacon. He already had so many good qualities, not to mention having now discovered he might be a true monster in the makes.

Pyrrha calmed herself as the thoughts ran through her head, and instead focused on going to sleep, changing out of her clothing, and deciding to just shower in the morning. The power Jaune displayed was like nothing she had seen before. Not so close. Her father was able of this, but only briefly and only thanks to his Semblance, but in rest, it left him vulnerable.

Jaune looked somewhat winded from it, but not downright out of steam, which intrigued her. The first day at the mansion and she was already feeling better than she did back home for her entire life. She wished this little escape of hers would never end.


Jaune walked back inside the house after managing to launch the Aura Slash, placing his weapons next to the door on the wall, both blades sheathed. He tried to be quiet, not awaken any of the girls, and headed to the kitchen to grab himself something to drink. Arriving there, he opened the fridge and the light came to life, illuminating the insides of it as he took out a can of soda, but when he closed it the light didn't fade from the kitchen.

Confused, he turned around, seeing Azazel there in her pajamas, consisting of large white pants that likely kept her warm and an equally large shirt, staring at him. "Why are you up so late, Jaune?" She asked softly, her halo illuminating the room. Jaune sighed knowing he was caught, placing his soda down.

"I just wanted to try something out, Azazel." He said, trying to be vague with the truth. As his guardian angel, Azazel knew when he lied, so he couldn't lie to her. Not that he could anyway. "I didn't want to wake up anybody, and the night is usually the time of day where I can focus the best, so I took a stroll out."

"Has it anything to do with that move I saw you doing?" Azazel said, catching him off-guard. She blushed a bit, realizing she just gave herself up. "I...I actually saw you leave your room when you left, my door was ajar and I noticed you. I followed you and stayed inside, next to the door behind the wall. I can control the light amount my halo gives off, so I was able to hide. That move you did...It is just like the one in hell, isn't it?" Her voice carried worry within it, for a reason Jaune didn't quite understand.

"What is it, Azazel?" Jaune asked, trying to avoid her question for now.

"It's just that…" She fidgeted in place a bit. "The last times you were able to do that was when Ignium had you boosted and your emotions were running wild, and when you almost-"

"Azazel," Jaune said sternly, not wanting to remember that day right now. "I understand now that you might be worried my emotions are going haywire again, but as my guardian angel you should know better, right?"

"I don't know…I have never been a guardian angel before, so I do not know everything about it. In theory, feeling your emotions is possible, but I don't know if I should. That sounds like me invading your overall mental privacy." She said, "Even though being able to feel how a human mind works would be exhilarating as far as research goes, I just don't feel right doing it to you…"

"Azazel?"

"I just…" Azazel looked strange to Jaune, no longer acting all bubbly and curious like before, but something seemed to bother her. "I never want to leave, Jaune."

"Azazel, what are you saying?" Jaune asked again, feeling concerned for her and going to her. "Are you unwell? Is something the matter? Come on, Azazel, please talk to me."

"I...I am painting my hair." She confessed, then went to the sink and turned it on, grabbing the sponge and using it on a strand of her heir, exposing the white strands. "See this, Jaune?"

"Your hair is going white?" Jaune said, examining what Azazel was showing him. "Azazel, what is going on?"

"That is what I was wondering as well until I remembered a story from Heaven," Azazel said, looking down at the ground. "It is said that, when an angel's hair goes white, their days serving by the Lord's side are numbered. Because they are…" She clenched her fist. "Because they are falling."

"Falling?" Jaune echoed, this time sounding more alarmed. He knew what falling meant, and he didn't want that for Azazel. If she fell, that meant she would never again be able to return to Heaven, to her home and friends. "But how? Surely just being around everyone doesn't-" His words died in his mouth as he saw Azazel start to sob softly, just as he mentioned the others. Realization hit him, and he refused to believe it. He went to her, growing ever so close. "Azazel, look at me." He told her softly and the angel girl listened to him, lifting her face to him so he could see her. "Is it possible for an angel to fall just for being friends with demons?"

"N-no...But you don't have just any demon here, Jaune." Azazel said. "You got Lucifer and her prosecutors, Judgement, and Justice, not to mention Beelzebub. They are powerful demons, Jaune, the likes of which Heaven doesn't take lightly. It may be that by being around them, interacting with them the way that I am, thinking of them as friends - all of this is seen as betrayal in the eyes of Heaven…" She sobbed further, then buried her head in Jaune's chest as she let her tears flow. Jaune hugged her and patted her head, trying to comfort her. "I don't want to leave...But I don't want to fall either...Jaune, what should I do?"

What should she do, indeed? Jaune couldn't tell her what to do. This was far beyond him, deciding if Azazel should stay and fall, or leave and stay an angel. It was a decision too great for a simple human boy to make for a being likely older by him by centuries, who comes from a higher ground and has a higher understanding of the very things around him and beyond him. It was a decision you'd expect only God can make. Jaune looked up, thinking that he was looking at God and offering a silent prayer for an answer from him.

But God was silent.

This reminded him of the times when his sister, Coral, had her heart broken by boyfriends. He might have been younger than her, but he always comforted her each time it happened. But this was different, it was not the same.

"Azazel, I…" He sighed, knowing this was not going to be easy to say to her. "I cannot make that choice."

"Huh?" Azazel looked at him as he said those words, her teary eyes staring at him. "Why?"

"Because it is not my place to decide if you should fall for the sake of us or leave us to remain in Heaven. If I chose the former and you remained, only to fall later, then you'd end up regretting it one day and possibly start hating me because of it. And if I chose the latter, then you might miss us too much to bear it." He said to her, stating the facts. "It is selfish of me to tell you what to do in either case, and I refuse to do it. You have to find your own answer, Azazel. It must be your choice."

"My..choice?" Azazel echoed, measuring Jaune's words in her mind. It was true, really. It was her choice at the end of the day wherever she stayed or left. If she becomes a demon or remains an angel. If she joined Lucifer or stayed by God. She stepped away for a bit from him. "I need to think about it." She said, then looked at him again. "Thank you for hearing me out, Jaune. Also, can you keep this a secret? I do not want the others to find out yet."

"Sure, Azazel. No need to worry about anything." Jaune said with a smile, which Azazel reciprocated with her own. Afterward, she left, going back to her room to catch a wink of sleep of her own. But now Jaune was the one bound not to catch any tonight. He sat at the table, soda in hand, thinking about Azazel's words.

She was falling and she was torn between her home and this place. He sighed. "I am definitely not getting any sleep tonight." Grabbing his soda, he went to the living room, turned on the TV, and lowered the volume. He will watch some TV until he hopefully passes out and tomorrow he will try to spend some time with Pyrrha.

But he sincerely hoped Azazel made the right choice.


Another Chapter done, alas! I finished my exams, but life and work are still hard, so please gents and gals, bear with us.

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