WARNING: There is a LEMON written in this chapter. If you are uncomfortable reading it, please skip ahead by your leave. Thank you.

I do not own Highschool DxD nor do I own Diablo. All rights respectively go to Ichiei Ishibumi, the series' creator, and Blizzard Entertainment, the company who made Diablo.

Sescheron was an extraordinarily large city, a living symbol of united Barbarian tribes. Its gates guarded the lone path to the Worldstone, and the Children of Bul-Kathos were tasked with defending them. It was believed that the city would never fall, and the people of the Northern Steppes would always stand vigilant.

That belief came to a test when a massive legion of Demons stood on its doorstep. A lone Barbarian emissary stepped out of the two massive wooden gates, wielding proper winter clothing and bearing a staff that held the flag of the Barbarian tribes. As he steps out into the open, he beheld himself the tide of evil itself.

Legions and legions of Demons emerged, all ready to partake in the sacking and slaughter of the city. It seemed like a never-ending tide of them as they roared ferociously. Four flag bearers stood in front of the emissary before they stepped to the side to reveal a pedestal being carried by demonic servants, holding something or someone up.

The leader of the Demonic Legions emerges, bearing some sort of human face that was gaunt and hollow. He had bone-liked shoulders protruding outwards. Around his necklace was some sort of yellow crystal that he played with in his right hand. He sat on a throne carried by his servants on a platform who hoist it on their shoulders.

The emissary knew who this was as soon as he spotted, coming face to face with its wicked grin as he covets the yellow crystal around his neck.

"Baal…" The emissary noted.

In fear, he attempts to turn around walk back inside, believing that parleying with a Demon, much less a Prime Evil, was worthless. But before he could even notice, the gates to the city closed off, leaving him between the Demons and his home.

Now realizing that there was no way out of the situation he was in, he turns back around to face the Lord of Destruction and sighs, forced to play the part he now must play. Whether Baal will listen or not is unknown. But then again, who is to say Demons ever listen to the pleas of mortals?

"Baal! The gates of Sescheron have stood for eons beyond remembrance. And you shall not breach them now! Remove your foul Demons from our lands! We stand on the side of light. You shall not be allowed to reach Mount Arreat. And that which you seek will not be yours!"

"Enough!" The loud voice of Baal shouts, enough for the emissary to drop his flagpole and cover his ears.

Baal's voice echoes around the mountains, reverberating all around for all to hear for almost ten painful seconds. With but a word, Baal could project his voice like it was a voice of a god speaking from the heavens, sharper than any sword that could cut. Soon, he silences the echo with a gesture of his left hand as all was suddenly quiet. The barbarian emissary, in fear of the Demon Lord, removes his hat, revealing himself to be nothing more than a bald elderly man as he looks back towards Baal.

"I shall take your position into consideration," said Baal, who sounded as If he was contemplating the offer.

The emissary was confused. He was bewildered if Baal's words held true. But typical of a human, he was about to learn the hard way that Demons, especially Prime Evils, do not uphold their word.

*FWOOSH*

With a wave of his left hand, Baal blows the heavy drapes on Sescheron's right walls upwards, being blown violently.

*FWOOSH*

He does the same thing again to the drapes on the other set of drapes on the left side. Whatever tactic Baal was using certainly seemed to have somewhat an effect as he was able to keep the emissary distracted of his power. Baal only looked further amused at the emissary's fear being presently shown.

*SHOOM*

Suddenly, Baal conjures two fog-like strands of wicked power, bearing an orange glow as they are hurled towards the emissary like serpents. They go outwards from the emissary before approaching behind him, implanting themselves into his back, down to his very soul.

*SPLAT*

In an outburst of flesh and blood, the emissary simply explodes from where he stood, killing him instantly and scattering his flesh over the wooden floor. Not even a face of his untimely demised remained among the carnage.

Chuckling to himself, Baal then remarks, "Well, it seems your terms… are not acceptable."

And with that Baal laughs as he signals his army to march on to Sescheron, easily penetrating through the defenses even as the Barbarians hold the line against the tide of destruction.

And yet, as the Lord of Destruction, Baal continues to laugh, reveling in it all as his shadow descends over the Northern Steppes.

OP: Metamorphose feat. Ishida Yoko – Over the Testament (Shinmai Maou no Testament BURST OP)

(As the music begins, a flash of white light occurs as the camera moves upwards to depict a mural showing the entire universe like a tree, first starting with the Burning Hells and their masters, the Seven Evils, as they light up in red. Aidan appears first in a blue background with a bare chest before it cuts back to the mural moving upwards to the middle showing Sanctuary/Earth and all the other realms surrounding it, including the Underworld which light up in green. Then Rias appears in a red background, a bit further back than Aidan yet also naked before it reverts back to the upper portion of the mural, showing the High Heavens and their leaders, the Angiris Council, illuminated in a white glow. Akeno is the last show further back than Aidan and Rias, also naked and with a yellow background. The last image shows the entire mural illuminated in its respective colors.)

Over the Testament (The title of the show is revealed as Highschool DxD: The Prime Evil)

sabireta kono sekai ni habikoru (Aidan is standing on top of Tristram Cathedral, looking out to the sunset over the horizon before he turns briefly to his right to face away from the camera)
gizen to jiko gisei sore ga bigaku ka? (Rias is shown in front of the ORC Clubhouse before she turns around fully and then begins to walk forward)
honne o kakushita koduku na PIERO (The camera cuts to Akeno in her miko outfit at her shrine, her eyes closed before she opens them in a serious expression)
kyou mo kimi wa Poker face (Asia is shown in a church praying before she turns around to the light. The next image shows Kiba leaning his back against a wall, head down and eyes closed, with the spirits of his dead comrades surrounding him in comfort)

kamen hazushite saa kocchi ni kite (The Gremory rune is shown before the background turns black. Rias appears amidst the flames of the Burning Hells soon afterwards with the rune still present)
arinomama no kimi shiritaikara (Aidan's left arm, from his Sacred Gear that was holding Silentium, is corrupted as he activates his Balance Breaker, making him scream into the air as the shadow of Diablo appears above and behind him)

kagayaki ni tsutsumare yasashii kaze ga fuku (Rossweisse, fires a powerful blast of lightning from on high at a group of flying Demons. Xenovia was on the ground as she slams Durandal to the ground, creating a massive quake that topples the incoming Demons in front of her)
sonna sekai o misetakute chikai o koeta (Kiba charges across the rooftops with Sword of Betrayer in hand. The camera follows him where he was charging towards the towering Belial, Lord of Lies. He jumps up to dodge a blast from the Demon Lord before spinning in the air and cutting off one of Belial's horns)

arata ni kizamareru kibou e no ayumi o (Koneko is seen next running across the rooftops as the camera follows her, charging at Azmodan, the Lord of Sin. She lands roughly on one roof before jumping upwards, dodging Azmodan's attack before she runs across the Demon's left arm and delivers a swift kick to his head)
tsugi no PEEJI ni kakishirushi (Rias fires a powerful blast from her Power of Destruction, only to be caught in a blast herself by Azmodan, sending her flying away)

ugokidashita jikan wa New age (Rias is caught by Aidan who smiles at her to which she returns. Then the two lean in for a romantic kiss as they are enveloped in a red power, their clothes also dissipating in the process)

(Aidan is shown in his Balance Breaker, Primal Terror Vengeance, starting at the back as the camera steadily turns around to show him until the last shot shows his left demonic eye. Between each frame, quick-time images appear; the first one being Venalana Gremory, Lilith, and the angel Aurelia in her mortal guise but with her back facing the camera, the second Sirzechs and Grayfia, the third being the Student Council led by Sona Sitri, the fourth being Loki and Diodora Astaroth back to back, and finally the last one showing Sinestra as the Angiris Apostle with the Angiris Council members looking over her, including Tyrael as the Archangel of Justice and Malthael as the Archangel of Wisdom)

(The final image shows Aidan looking to his right at Sinestra in the air, ready to take part in the Eternal Conflict)

The summer holiday was now over for everyone in the ORC. After the fight with Belial, everyone had time to relax and loosen off. With Tyrael and the Horadrim tracking down Belial, they can finally spend some peace and quiet. Granted while there were still many questions needed answering regarding how Asgard became infested by Belial, they can be answered another time.

Everyone stood in front of the heads of the Gremory Family, including Grayfia in her maid outfit along with her son Milicas.

"Father. Mother. Thank you so much for having us here," Rias bows to her parents.

Zeoticus smiles. "You are always more than welcome to come back home. And be sure to bring your boyfriend with you as well. He's a part of this family now."

Venalana turns over to Aidan. "Somnus. If you ever need some counseling, please come to me. And please take continue looking after Rias. She may be a woman, but she is still young and reckless."

Aidan, not one to deny an offer, bows nobly, "As you wish, Lady Venalana."

Rias could only pout at her mother cutely and embarrassingly, as if her own pride was not picked on more so than usual. However, she feels her nephalem boyfriend's hand hold hers, intertwining fingers.

Milicas however bore a sad look, like that of any child who was saying goodbye to some friends he just made.

"Do you have to go already?" He asked to his young aunt. "You only just got here."

Rias bends down to meet Milicas' eyes. "I'm sorry, Milicas. But yes, we have to. Don't worry. We will play again some time."

"Lady Rias is incredibly busy," Grayfia reminded her son. "We cannot be greedy and keep her to ourselves."

"Okay," Milicas said. Rias soon turns her attention over to the rest of the ORC, with their bags packed and ready to go.

"Alright, everyone, let's—"

"Hold it!" A voice cried out, and out of the small blue teleportation circle inscribed in Old Norse was Odin with a bag in hand.

"Lord Odin?" asked Rias.

The elderly king of the Aesir gods approaches Aidan, without any escort. Everyone looked tense as they all remembered last time when Odin and Aidan interacted, which ended violently with a punch from the latter. Odin's injury did heal at least but everyone still braced as nephalem and Aesir stood face to face.

Aidan kept a stoic face, hiding away his small feelings of mistrust. Now wasn't the time for him to throw another misfit or another punch. So for once, he will listen to what Odin has to say without throwing a punch or opening another Town Portal and leaving everyone abruptly.

"Nephalem, I owe you an apology," Odin said with a serious look on his face. "Deceiving you and everyone, despite being the right thing to do, had no doubt left a negative impact on you to the point you nearly tried to kill me. It also left you with a mistrusting view of gods in general and I do not blame you for that. So I thought to hand you a gift as a means of apology."

Aidan was a bit surprised and was hesitant about this gift. Not out of mistrusting Odin but rather whether he should accept the gift out of consideration. Granted his mistrust for the gods is slowly but surely beginning to fade away but it is still too early to call it him being fully cleansed of such wariness.

"I…appreciate the offer," Aidan said humbly. "But it was my fault for assaulting the Allfather. I was so enraged and out of control of my emotions. And I have no excuse."

But Odin shook his head. "We both need to take responsibility for what we've done to the other. And so I have decided to give you this."

Odin soon pulls out the gift from the bag, a severed head which hung by his hand and dangled, swerving left and right before coming to a halt. Everyone was at first freaked out and shocked before the next thing boggled their minds..

"Ach… how can I be so nauseous without a stomach?" A sharp Scottish voice coming from the head had said. "I swear, this is no worse than that time I nearly got swallowed by Garmr."

Everyone was so surprised to see what appeared to be some sort of head. It resembled an elderly man with a long grey beard and bald head with two horns protruding. The top of the head was covered in Old Nordric runes. As for his eyes, they were golden, but they looked like jewels. He was held up by some rope tired around his head, with a knot at the top for him to be held up.

Asia was freaked out, as was Koneko. Kiba, Akeno, Xenovia, and Rias were surprised at the sudden talking of the head.

But it was Aidan who was the most surprised at who it was. "Wait, I know that voice." He then sees a familiar face as he holds up the head. "Mimir? Is that you?"

"Yes?" The severed head turns and sees Aidan. His face then grew ecstatic. "Oh, laddy! Am I glad to see you after so long. I believe I've reached my limit for Aesir charm."

"I'll say…" Aidan concurred. "But… I don't remember you being a severed head who could talk."

"Well, a lot of things happened lately. One minute I was standing here, the next thing I know my head was rolling down on the floor," Mimir quirkily said. "Nearly scared everyone at that but luckily, Odin came to fix that. Add some special herbs and chanted magical songs to preserve it and I am still alive."

"I guess you owe your life to Odin then, huh?" asked Aidan.

"Aidan… do you two know each other?" asked Xenovia, sort of uncomfortable of the severed head.

"Briefly once," Aidan said. "When I was traveling with Uncle Deckard up in Norway. Although, Mimir, didn't you have a body last time I saw you?"

"Like I said, lad, a lot of things happened," Mimir said. "It's complicated."

Aidan then turned to Odin and asked, "You would give me your advisor, Odin?"

"I figured since you and he knew each other briefly, he would be the perfect gift," Odin explained. "Plus, he can be your personal ambassador to the other gods if you are not so comfortable being in their presence considering your…slight mistrust."

"That's putting it mildly," Mimir quirked before he speaks to Aidan. "I have to say when you punched Odin and strangled him, I was shocked. No one has ever punched the Allfather like that before. Next thing I know, Thor would be coming down on your ass with his hammer."

Aidan rolls his eyes. "I'd rather not think about that scary thought."

With all the goodbyes said and Aidan given his apology gift from the Allfather, everyone sets off back to the train that will take them back to Kuoh.

ON THE TRAIN…

By the time everyone boarded the train that took them back to Kuoh, the presentation of the room was one bore of curiosity. Rias and Akeno were situated on one side of the room apparently discussing something important too far out of Aidan's ears to hear.

"Not that I do not mind this, Koneko, but care to explain why you are laying your head on my lap and swishing your tail around?" asked Aidan.

"I feel most comfortable here, senpai," Koneko said, trying to hide her blush. But she was also happy, wanting to be spoiled by the nephalem as she behaves like a proper cat.

The two Great Ladies of Kuoh seem to be watching as they bore smiles on their faces.

"Looks like Koneko has finally opening herself up," Akeno observed. "I've never seen her this close to Aidan before this trip."

Rias nods her head in agreement. "Indeed. It seems Aidan was once again able to catch another girl's heart. That's my nephalem for you."

Both the girls smile as Aidan continues petting Koneko via scratching underneath her chin, making her purr. Aidan truly was a powerful warrior, and with that power came a lot of female attraction. An unintended side effect on his part considering he never felt the need to find a girl and fall in love before he met Rias. But now, his harem was growing; now from a trio to four with Koneko wanting to be part of it now.

"Rias…" Akeno grabs Rias' attention. "I have a request. Is it alright if I can borrow Somnus for one day?"

This surprises Rias. "Wha-? Akeno! Somnus isn't—"

"I have to tell him," Akeno cuts her off. "He deserves to know everything. Especially after what we have been through."

This surprises Rias. To think her best friend will reveal to Aidan of her past. While it is true everyone heard of Akeno's past during the battle with Mephisto, it is likely they only heard one side of the story. Now Akeno intends to tell Aidan everything from her point of view, so as to put the pieces together. And maybe then, knowing that there is no hatred for Baraqiel but no love either, they will get the chance to pay a visit to Baraqiel at the hospital.

Rias sighs and relents, allowing the Priestess of Thunder to have her nephalem for the full day.

"…Alright. If you think it will help. Once again, Somnus comes in to save a friend from their past."

Akeno gives her usual smile with eyes closed. "Thank you."

Truly, everyone is saved by Aidan's kindness and care. His methods were sometimes life-threatening and extreme, but he nevertheless held the best interests and lives of all before him. Even for rivals like Issei.

And yet, Rias could not bear the thought of losing him again like that. If only she were all the more stronger for it. As his master, it was her job to ensure the nephalem was under her control and not become a stray. She will need to find some way to make the leash tighter without abusing it.

Hopefully, a solution will become clear to her in due time.

The girls turn their attention over to Aidan, apparently relaxing for once as he leans his head back against his seat and closes his eyes. It was almost as if he was ready to doze off into sleep.

But what was most strange was Koneko. She not only sat next to Aidan on his left side but was also laying on his lap like a cat. And she was smiling like she enjoyed it, especially when Aidan pats her head when she demands it, making her purr like a cat. Now granted Aidan has patted her head before but that was mostly out of cute affection. But never has Koneko done something this bold, especially if her cat ears suddenly pop up as a result of it.

"Nyaa~" She lets off a cute kitten noise.

It was enough for Asia to want a head pat too as she puffs her cheeks in an upset expression. Even Gasper wanted head pats as well from the nephalem.

All eyes however were turned on Mimir, the headless former advisor to Odin on a pedestal table overlooking the passengers.

"So…" Xenovia said. "Who or what are you exactly?"

"Me?" Mimir asked. "I'm the greatest ambassador to the gods, the Giants, and all the creatures of the Nine Realms. I know every corner of these lands, every language spoken, every war waged, every deal struck. They call me… Mimir! –smartest man alive, and I have the answer to your every question."

"Every question?" asked Xenovia curiously and now intrigued as she smirks to ask this. "Okay… who is better in combat: me or Kiba?"

Mimir was thinking. And thinking. Until…

"Okay, there are a few gaps in my knowledge," Mimir then said.

This shot Xenovia's question down like a rock, leaving her huddled in a corner of her seat and crying comically. "I wanna go die now…"

Aidan chuckles a bit while Asia tries to comfort a comedically saddened Xenovia, who could not help but pout a bit. Mimir decides to switch topics after watching that sort of amusement.

"Well, you Devils certainly know how to get around," Mimir said. "Why don't you tell me how all this began with Loki?"

"He just crashed at the party!" Koneko plainly said.

Mimir was bewildered. "Loki of Asgard just crashed at the party?"

Koneko nodded. "Yeah, he just showed up and started a fight. All because he wanted Ragnarök. Unleashed his Demons."

Aidan grunts in response to that.

"Oh!" Mimir exclaimed. "Well, we'll circle back to that later."

Given that Mimir knew of the fight with Loki, he was not sure just how it exactly started. He knew of Loki to be a God of Mischief and how he was obsessed over Ragnarök, but for him to just blatantly showed and unleash Hell on everyone was something of a revelation for the head.

Thankfully, because Mimir is not one to pry, he dropped the conversation. At least for now.

"So, um… Mr. Mimir—" asked Asia.

"Just call me Mimir, lass," Mimir happily said. "I'm not one for formal stuff."

Asia recomposes herself and relaxes thanks to Mimir's suggestion. "How did you become like this?" asked Asia.

"Like I told Aidan, it's complicated. And a lot of things happened. But to sum it up in a nutshell, I was beheaded in the Aesir-Vanir War, when the gods were throwing fists and bashing heads at one another. The Vanir came and chopped my head off before sending it to Asgard. Odin brought me back to life and I served as his advisor for a long time. Until now that is."

"Aidan, you said you had met Mimir before in your travels with your Uncle, right?" asked Kiba to the nephalem.

"Well last I saw Mimir, he was standing, with a body I think, by some sort of mystic well, as if he was guarding it," Aidan said. "Legends say it held some incredible power, enough for a god to be wanting to have a drink in it."

"He had a mystic well?" asked Kiba. "What kind of well was it?"

"Well before that, let me explain that the body you saw, lad, was not my real body," Mimir said to Aidan. "It got destroyed long ago. What you spoke to that day was a body double of myself, which is a sort of a copycat of me, designed to answer only a limited set of questions. Granted I was still able to witness it but unfortunately you could only listen to the recording me and not the real me. Sorry. I'm sure that's a bit confusing."

Aidan was now in deep thought. "So that's why some of my questions I asked were not answered."

"Now for the second question. By the time I arrived at Midgard, I already knew Odin by his reputation — and so I set to demonstrate my worth by coming up to him with something I knew he'd value — a mystic well of knowledge. Or rather, I should say, a well of water laced with enough mystic mushrooms to make a god see visions."

Silence followed after that and everyone blinked their eyes a few times. They could not quite hear what Mimir just said next, mainly because they were caught off-guard of what he just said. Even Aidan was surprised as he looks at Mimir before he asks the question.

"Mimir…" Aidan called out hesitantly.

"Yes, lad?" asked Mimir.

"…You drugged Odin… with mystic mushrooms?"

Mimir, confused a bit, confirmed. "Why yes. Yes I did. Oh, he was rightly impressed. Can't say for sure what he saw that led him to try gouging out his own eyes, but I managed to restrain him before he finished the job. Then I persuaded him it had been his sacrifice, made for an even higher form of sight to be bestowed, blah-de-blah-de-blah-de-blah."

That was perhaps a shocker. Mythology stated that the reason why Odin lost his eye was because he sacrificed it for the same well Mimir had guarded in order to gain whatever knowledge laid within. But never did they think it was because the Allfather went crazy after getting high, enough for him to gouge out an eye.

Somehow, Aidan envisioned Mimir with black sunglasses and one large cigarette in his mouth, smoking weed every day while Odin was left searching for his other eye that, contrary to belief, he gouged out because he was high. The thought of it gave him a flurry of mixed emotions.

"I used to think he never caught on," Mimir said. "But the day my head was brought back to life by yours truly, I realized he had never been fooled. He knew I'd outwitted him, called the lesson wisdom, and hired me, to make sure from then on I was on his side. And for a long, long time, I truly was. Doesn't mean he didn't hold a grudge."

Everyone was soon silent, just trying to accept of how Odin became Odin's advisor contrary to the mythology told. Perhaps it was because Odin wanted to get rid of Mimir that led him to hand the head over to Aidan as an apology gift. If Odin did have a grudge for Mimir for what he did to the Allfather, then Odin kept it well hidden underneath his gentle façade.

"That is…quite the story," Gasper said, trying to comprehend how a god got high.

"That's putting it mildly, lad," Mimir said. "Everyone on Asgard never knew of it since I told them the lie to ensure Odin's reputation doesn't get hampered. Magni and Modi, the sons of Thor, however, were not convinced by their grandfather's story with me. Nearly tried to drown my head in a bowl of water with those same mushrooms. Terribly strong, even as children. Why, I remember the time Hrungir the Brawler fell upon Thor—"

"Another time, Mimir," Aidan interjected, silencing the head.

"Aww!" Gasper was depressed, wanting to hear some more stories.

And for the rest of the trip back to the Underworld, everyone rests and relaxes, with Aidan sleeping with a nekomata resting her head on his lap. If anything, the sight of it was cute, especially with his hand on her heat petting her like a cat.

Back at Aidan's residence, Xenovia and Asia were already attempting to finish the rest of their homework that they had not finished over the summer. They were both studying diligently and committed to work.

But for Xenovia, it was a little too much.

"Ahh, mou!" Xenovia cried. "Why are we given homework over the summer? This is just too much for someone like me!"

Asia could only smile sheepishly. "W-Well, this is what we get for being so busy, after all."

Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko were already finished with theirs. And they were already either relaxing or helping the girls with their summer homework. Gasper on the other hand was a classified case. With only a few days of summer break left before school begins again, it was best to make do with the time they have now before they get busy. For Xenovia and Asia, that meant getting their homework done and turned in on time.

Xenovia sighs, knowing that Asia is right. "Everyone else must already be done with their work."

"Not all of us," Asia said, making her look at Aidan who was putting his work aside to speak with Mimir. Xenovia follows her gaze and notices the nephalem either taking a break or slacking off and not wanting to do any homework.

As for Mimir, he was placed on a small pedestal for his head to remain. This pedestal was a heavy concrete filled structure, so the head was kept safe. And it was magically enchanted for Mimir to float and turn his head around to speak with other people. Since Mimir was now of Aidan's property, he will remain in the house for the time being until there was a way for him to be carried around without revealing a severed head out in public. There is a second pedestal located at the ORC clubhouse from which Mimir can simply warp himself too, acting as some sort of teleportation device for him to appear.

"So what do you think, Mimir?" asked Aidan. "Why didn't the hammer work on Loki?"

"Well… let's look at what we know," Mimir said. "Loki, the God of Mischief as you know, wanted to ignite Ragnarök in any way he can because it would allow him to recreate the world as he saw fit. Yet no matter what he tried, there was always someone to hinder his plans. So he struck a deal with Belial, the Lord of Lies and one of the Lesser Evils. In exchange for providing him the resources needed for Ragnarök to occur, Loki would offer his allegiance to Belial."

"But what could Loki gain from that asides Ragnarök?" asked Aidan. "It doesn't make sense for him to consort with Demons since they don't care."

"But that's just it, lad. The Demons didn't care for his goals and sought to take advantage of his ambitions. Even Belial knew that consorting with a trickster like Loki was unwise. However, he knew that Ragnarök would be the key to take over Midgard. And the only thing standing in his way was none other than Loki himself."

"What happened?" asked Aidan.

"I've had many moons to work it out, but this is what I think happened. Belial, in disguise as the Aesir god Heimdallr, went to the dwarves Brok and Sindri, the same ones who crafted Mjolnir, to craft a replica of his sword, Hǫfuð. The replica was made exactly like its first counterpart, all of it down to the sliverist of metals. With the weapon in hand, Belial, in disguise as Heimdallr who allied himself with the God of Mischief, had conceived it away from Loki's prying eyes to ensure he never knew. Their plans went along swimmingly, but when Loki decreed that Ragnarök would soon be ready to commence, SHINK! Belial, as Heimdallr, backstabs him with the Hǫfuð replica, catching him off-guard. Loki, upon seeing the Demon underneath the disguise, then realized that he had been fooled by the Lord of Lies, as Belial told him that he had other ideas for Ragnarök. For Belial never wanted to get rid of and remake Midgard, but he wanted it destroyed permanently so as to wipe out mankind from the face of the earth and turn it into an outpost of Hell."

"And that is when Belial decided to take over Loki's body…" Aidan deduced.

Mimir nods. "Correct. Loki cursed the Hǫfuð replica with his dying breath so that Belial would never use it again, but Belial had no need for the weapon anymore and promptly discarded it. And since that time, Belial, in disguise as Loki, had plenty of time to infect Asgard with his Deceivers, with none of the Aesir nor Vanir even being aware of it. Had Odin not decide to make an alliance with the Three Factions, Belial would have triggered Ragnarök sooner without exposing himself. Perhaps it was because of this though that he was forced to make himself appear at the conference and started a fight, which ultimately led to him being sent away until his true identity was exposed."

Now it all came to a full circle. With Belial using Loki's body, it meant he had access to the god's abilities, even his powers of deception. It just became all the more easier for Belial to infiltrate into Asgard and all the other Nine Realms and sow whatever chaos and misery he could implement. And no one, not even Odin, would be able to notice his presence.

"So then why wouldn't the hammer work?" asked Xenovia.

"The Mjolnir replica was an exact copy of Thor's real hammer that he carries around. If Thor had wielded it instead of the Red Dragon Emperor, replica or not, then Loki - or Belial in this case -wouldn't just be sealed but obliterated, killed instantly. I suspect during the time it was used; Belial utilized Loki's husk as a shield for him to negate the effect. And then, once the seal had cracked and was destroyed, Belial merely used Loki's image as a disguise before you exposed him for who he really was."

If Issei ever heard any of this, then it would become a bitter pill for him to swallow, thinking it would bring his morale low. Best not to tell him the truth and simply say to him that it was Belial everyone was fighting, not the real Loki.

"Head..." Azazel called out from his chair in the corner in a lax mood. "You are full of stories. When will you tell one that entertains?"

Mimir however was shocked to hear that. "I beg your pardon?!"

"He just insulted you," Koneko simply said.

"Yeah, I got that…" Mimir annoyingly said. "So you want a corker, do ya? Very well, my friends – I'll tell you the story of Hrungnir the Brawler. The real story."

While Mimir goes on with his stories over to Gasper, Koneko, and Azazel, Aidan's phone in his pocket was buzzing.

*BZZZ*

"Who's texting me?" Aidan asked to himself as he looks at his phone. His expression was next one filled with surprise as he sees three separate text messages from three familiar people.

'No sign of Belial in Caldeum. His trail went cold once we arrived. Will be working with Tyrael for a bit to uncover his whereabouts.' -Johanna

'The boy emperor is not possessed. That's good. But I cannot sense any scent of Belial with my magic. And this desert heat is making me irritable for my skin.' -Li-Ming.

'Tyrael and the Horadrim are scouring all over Kehjistan, looking for any trails of cultists who might know where Belial is. We will keep you informed. Stay safe out there.' -Alrik.

Aidan was totally shocked to see three separate text messages from the three nephalem who came back much earlier than he initially thought. Last he heard of Alrik, Li-Ming, and Johanna, they had covered the extraction team's back as they entered through the portal during the rescue of Baraqiel. Since then, they had to wander and find a way out of the Burning Hells which would take a while.

Then again, these three were nephalem who had been fighting Demons for a very long time. So of course they would eventually find a way out. Perhaps Aidan did not need to worry for them after all.

But another thing was on Aidan's mind as of late. And it was not about the summer homework that he had yet to finish. Rather, it was another dream he had. A dream before everyone left the Underworld back for Earth. The dream of the invasion of the Barbarian city of Sescheron by Baal.

It was about two days before everyone left back for Earth yet about a week after the battle with Belial, the Lord of Lies. The nightmarish dreams had once again returned but for some reason, Lilith was no longer in them. Now this was a dream of the past, of one of the most important events throughout the history of Sanctuary and perhaps the Eternal Conflict.

The event of when Baal laid siege on Mount Arreat, decimating the Barbarian tribes that guarded the Worldstone. Baal then corrupted the Worldstone, hoping to sway and influence mankind to the side of the Demons where the nephalem power would be his and he could finally end the Eternal Conflict and attack the High Heavens. Though Baal was killed in the end by the same heroes that slew his brothers, they were too late to undo the damage he had done.

Thus the only way to save mankind was to destroy the Worldstone, an act Tyrael willingly executed after seeing how abused the Worldstone had become in the hands of the Elder Angels and the Demons, respectively. Aidan knew Tyrael did the right thing but had Baal's plan to succeeded, mankind could have had a bright and prosperous future without the supernatural intervening in their daily lives.

And now with every mythology and the Three Factions here on Sanctuary, the whole world had become the playground to all things supernatural. And mankind was caught in the middle, unprepared and vulnerable.

And yet, Aidan wondered heavily why he saw that dream. Of Baal laughing as his army plows through to reach the summit. The thought of it filled him with dread.

"…Aidan? Aidan? Aidan!"

A voice disturbed his thoughts, jolting him before he looks to see Akeno smiling over him.

"Are you okay?" Akeno asked.

"Y-Yeah," Aidan said as he rubs his eyes with his left hand. "I was…preoccupied by something else. I'm sorry."

"You look so weary," Akeno noted before she places a cup by his table. "Here. Some fresh tea."

"Ohh. Thank you, Akeno. Much obliged," Aidan said as he takes a sip. The taste felt refreshing, as did the temperature. It cleared his mind away.

But then he saw Akeno standing over him from behind, which perplexed him. "Hm? What is it, Akeno?"

"Nothing," Akeno said, keeping her usual façade. "Here, let me massage your shoulders."

Aidan would have objected with the presence of Rias and the other girls in the room. But Akeno's hands were already on his shoulders, massaging the muscles within. Aidan was worried the other girls would feel jealous but for some reason, nobody seemed bothered by it. Not even Rias who was enjoying her tea, although Aidan thinks she may be trying to hide her envy.

Xenovia and Asia were busy with finishing their summer homework and Koneko was busy somewhere else.

"Sorry," Aidan apologizes to his massager. "For making you worry."

"No big deal," Akeno reassures while still gently massaging his shoulders. "You've been uneasy these past couple days, Somnus. You're beginning to make everyone worry."

Aidan knew she was right yet admits, "I can't help it, Akeno."

And for some reason, a dark gloom overshadows Akeno's eyes, like she was a little ticked off about something. "Ara ara~. So are you saying you should make me worry?"

To prove her point, she squeezes down on his shoulders, making him flinch in pain.

"Owowow!" Aidan winces. Akeno giggles before relieving the pressure, which Aidan realizes that he was making her worry. Deciding to set aside his concerns and fears for the time being, he allows Akeno to continue her service onto him, feeling his muscles loosening the tension they carried.

After a bit of massaging, Aidan feels much more relaxed. "Thank you, Akeno. Sorry for making you feel bad about me."

"No problem," Akeno smiles. "Tell you what? In exchange for giving you some service to relax and helping you finish your summer homework; will you take me out on a date this weekend?"

It could be just Aidan, but he thought he heard a question from her. A question regarding a date. "…Say what?"

Aidan was standing at the same shrine he met with the archangel Michael where he was supposed to meet up with Akeno. And he was certainly dressed for the occasion in a semi-formal outwear. With a buttoned up half-sleeved navy blue t-shirt, black jeans, and gray shoes, it seemed like the perfect outfit for a date.

Kuoh looked like it was appearing in its autumn season, but the heat from the summer was still present. But at least it was not too unbearable. Still, Aidan wondered why he had to wait for Akeno at a proper location rather than leave their home given that they live together. But then again, best not to question the date that the girl had asked him out on, especially if she has everything planned.

When it was about to become 10 o'clock, the time Aidan and Akeno promised to meet at, there came a girl wearing a one-piece with a cute frill on it stops in front of his eyes. It was a light purple dress with black outlining, a pink bow in the middle by her cleavage, and a silver-heart shaped necklace. She was even wearing some fancy boots. More importantly, her hair was down, no longer in its ponytail.

"A-Akeno…?" asked a shocked Aidan, recognizing the Priestess of Thunder in an outfit that almost threw him off guard..

"I'm sorry, did I make you wait?" She asked.

Aidan quickly shakes his head to snap out of his bewilderment. "N-No."

This must be how Akeno dresses up when she is not at her shrine home and hanging out with Rias when there is no club activity to attend to. For once, Aidna could see she is wearing cute clothes worn by high school girls. If anything though, she may even look younger than him.

She looked even more beautiful than usual. Or rather in Aidan's eyes, she is always beautiful, but today she looked exceptionally beautiful if not cute as well.

Her beauty and cuteness were truly captivating on the nephalem's eyes, enough to make her shy and blush as she looks away.

"I… I feel shy if you look at me like that." A blushing Akeno said. "…Do I look weird today?"

Aidan shook his head to the side. "You look amazing! Absolute vision!"

Akeno seemed embarrassed but also happy at his charming opinion. She is usually the "Ara Ara" Onee-sama, but today she is like a maiden. Even if she can be a little…rough and dominant in bed.

"Today, Aidan - no, Somnus - will be my boyfriend for the whole day. Can I call you that?"

Looking at him with those eyes and acting shy made Aidan bashful. Either this was intentional for her to use or this was her real persona was difficult to say.

But Aidan clears his throat and says, "You can call me however you want to…my dear."

Even though his heart was racing, he could only answer her like that, and Akeno put on a big smile after hearing that.

"Yay! Thank you, darling."

'D-D-Darling?! No one has ever called me that before! Not even Rias!'

Her expression of joy was simply the best. Then again, a single expression from her, even in the form of a giggle, is like a weapon. Best to exercise caution with extreme care.

Then, out of nowhere for some reason, Aidan felt someone's killing glare while he was feeling overjoyed of Akeno's smile. When he looked around…..

It was just a small glimpse, but he swore he saw a lock of crimson hair belonging to a familiar girl.

"Oh crap!" Aidan cursed quietly to himself. And he also saw that she wasn't alone.

It was just a brief moment, but he could see Rias wearing a brown cap and sunglasses. Asia was wearing simple glasses, a poor disguise job it would seem. Xenovia wore something of a medical mask, which was clever but not enough. Gasper surprisingly was with them yet wore his brown paper bag. Koneko though was the one who stood out for her disguise, which was a tiger mask worn by wrestlers.

Akeno however did not seem to notice them. She wraps herself around Aidan's left arm and gains his attention, bearing a lovely smile.

"Shall we get going, darling?" asked an unconcerned Akeno.

Aidan, deciding to get this date going, responds, "Yes, my dear."

THREE HOURS LATER…

During that time, Akeno was acting like girls her age. When she went inside the brand clothes shop, she would ask me things like "Hey, Aidan. Do I look good in this?" and "Or do I look better in this one?" just like an ordinary girl. Her speaking manners are just like normal cheerful girls. Her usual "Ara Ara" and "Ufufu" completely disappeared. Which was a huge surprise for the nephalem.

When they bought a crepe from the booth, she ask cutely if the crepe was delicious. They were holding hands while walking in the town, and the way she gripped onto Aidan's hand tells him that she is relying on him. His heart was pounding in his chest the whole time, but it was quite hard to tell the feelings he was experience in his heart.

What he learned today though is that Akeno is not only beautiful but insanely cute. Perhaps this is the side of her which she will only show to him, her boyfriend for the day.

She is normally the Japanese beauty with an elegant and noble presence, and that's the Akeno Himejima who is popular at school. With her elegant speaking manner and attitude, she shows all of us the way an Onee-sama acts.

But right now both her speaking manner and attitude is that of a normal shy playful girl. Any guy will fall for her if they see how she is acting now. No, the usual Akeno is plenty….. No, a very wonderful woman who can fascinate any guy.

"Akeno!" Aidan calls out. "Let's go to the aquarium! We need to enjoy ourselves today to the extreme."

Akeno was shocked first, but she replies with the ultimate smile. "Yeah. Let's do that!"

AT THE AQUARIUM…

"There are so many weird looking deep-sea fish aren't there?" Akeno asked with enthusiasm after exiting the aquarium. Akeno and Aidan went to the aquarium after having sat down and enjoying crepes at the crepe shop. The aquarium in the town was small but it has a good atmosphere.

Since the beginning of the date till now, Aidan had been holding hands with Akeno every step of the way. Every time they saw a funny looking fish, both of us pointed it out and laughed. Maybe from the perspective of others around us, they might look like lovers.

One thing is for certain though. For Aidan, having a date with Akeno will definitely remain as one of the best events of his life! There was no need for a comparison to Rias' date from long ago because there was no point to make one.

But Aidan could not speak for the disguised ORC that were following them every step of the way. They gave off intense pressure, enough for Aidan to get chills.

Rias was especially envious, seeing her nephalem and her best friend holding hand in hand, arm in arm. "Hey, I gave her permission to go on a date. I thought they'd go get lunch or something, but no walking arm in arm."

Asia was shocked. "Huh!"

"Gaspy, if you see something happen, make sure you stop it in time," Koneko urged the vampire bishop.

"If I see something happen?" Gasper asked timidly. "This mask won't make that easy."

And with that, the two take their leave. Either aware or unaware that a certain group was following behind them and giving a wide berth.

"They clocked us somehow," Rias said.

"Let's roll, Gaspy!" Koneko said, grasping the vampire bishop by the collar of his shirt to his dismay.

Akeno confirmed their presence after the crimson-haired group came out of the aquarium. She puts on an adorable mischievous face, and then started running after she took Aidan's hand, catching the nephalem by surprise.

She turns around and says it to him, "Let's shake off Rias and the others!"

Not one to complain, Aidan decides to run along, realizing that this game of cat and mouse has gone for too long.

Of course, Rias and the others also started running after they found out they were running away from them. While being pulled by Akeno, they turned right, then left inside the town trying to lose Rias and the others.

After a few minutes of running, they hid themselves after entering a small road. After seeing Rias and the rest go past us from the shadows, Akeno and Aidan came out to the road.

"Ufufu, looks like we lost them," Akeno giggles, sticking her tongue out and she seems like she enjoyed it.

One thing is for certain, Aidan is definitely going to get killed afterwards. Perhaps over-killed, courtesy of Koneko's punches, Asia's braid, and Rias' Power of Destruction.

Well, who cares? As long as Akeno was enjoying the date, Aidan was okay with it and more than happy to shake his first girlfriend and her little retinue off.

LATER…

Aidan and Akeno were finally in front of a shop. What appeared to be some sort of pet store in the middle of town. On the fancy sign was called Reginald's Fantastical Beast Emporium, adorned in yellow letters with a purple background.

"A pet store in the middle of town?" asked a surprised Aidan. "I didn't think there was one."

"This actually is a pet store exclusive for Devils, Fallen Angels, and other beings connected to the supernatural," Akeno revealed. "Anyone who wishes to buy a pet come here."

"Really?" asked Aidan. "But what about the general populace?"

"You need special access to get in here and have a pickup arrangement made. Of which is very expensive. Most Devils usually do delivery services, never really exploring the shop as regular customers, but we're here because I wanted to check this place out."

*RING*

Entering into the store, Aidan and Akeno get a very good view of the layout of the store. And it was huge. Despite appearing as a small shop on the outside, views on the inside made it look almost like a mini mall.

Reginald's shop has all the supernatural creatures possible ranging from griffins, orthuros, manticores, pegasai, thunderbirds, stymphalian birds, Uraei, Zouyus, rompo, and Serpoparda. All the mythological creatures that mankind has recorded throughout history are actually real, hidden away right under from the human nose and eyes. Again, this shop is exclusive for Devils and other supernatural beings.

Thankfully, the very large beasts of legend were kept in a separate part of the building that was its warehouse in the back. One would imagine them to be stuffed in wooden boxes, but they were actually not as the warehouse had proper stables and cages to keep the workers and animals safe from one another.

Aidan and Akeno explore the shop together, viewing all of the amazing mythological creatures from simple dogs to big birds. It was not just pets but also food and treats and toys usually used for typical animals like dogs and birds more suitable for humans.

But that is when Aidan turns his head to the right and spots something so familiar.

"What the hell? No way…" Aidan said.

Aidan rushes over with Akeno behind him to see what appeared to be small birds laying in their hay-stacked nests. They were yellow in color with orange beaks and had somewhat large feet. They looked like a cross between an ostrich and baby chicken, but they were fatter and had more feathers than a stuffed pillow.

"Kweh~!"

"Aww, they're so cute~! What are these?" asked Akeno.

"I think it's just me, Akeno, but I think these are baby chocobos," Aidan believed.

"Kweh~!"

The baby chocobo gives off its cute natural call.

"Chocobos?" Akeno asked while looking at them. "I never heard of them."

"They're a rare breed actually. These large avian creatures roughly act as the equivalent of horses in some parts of the world, being domesticated for use as mounts, for pulling carts and carriages and for racing."

"Have you ever ridden one?" asked Akeno.

Aidan sheepishly responds, "No. I… Last time I tried to get on one, it nearly kicked me. Scared the crap out of me."

Akeno, upon hearing that, puts a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter of hearing that funny story. She couldn't believe that. A nephalem nearly kicked by a chocobo while attempting to get on it.

Now there's something you don't see every day.

"Kweh~"

Again does the baby chocobo give off its natural call, Akeno, after composing herself before giving in to the cuteness of the chocobo, pets the baby who seems to adore its gentle touch, nuzzling its bird head against it.

She giggles. "I wonder what they look like full grown?"

"They can actually grow to the size of ostriches," A familiar voice spoke up, making Aidan turn around to see who it was. "And they've been known to be the most gentle birds if treated and groomed with care. They even made a song about them."

"Kiyome!" Aidan saw the Club President of the Tennis Club. Someone he has not seen since making a deal with her regarding the Familiar Forest. "What are you doing here?"

"I work her part-time," Kiyome revealed as she holds up a baby griffin in her arms, one that was apparently rejected by its parents due to its excessive fondness of Kiyome. "Given of my skill as a Beast Tamer, I figured I would stay in my comfort zone and come here and work with the various animals this store has."

Kiyome then notices Akeno with Aidan and then asks, "What are you two doing here?"

"Well, we—"

"We're on a date," Akeno blurted out without shame.

"Ack—" Aidan got shocked like he got flash-freezed.

Kiyome Abe however was flustered. Her face red when she sees Akeno wrap herself around his right arm, causing it to be mashed in between her breasts.

"D-D-D-Date?!" She exclaimed. But then she realized her loud voice startled the animals in the room, making them shudder. She recomposes herself with a cough and then asks, "Y-You two are going out together?"

Akeno giggles as she nods. "Why? Are you jealous?"

"Wh—No no! Of course not! I-I was just surprised is all!" Kiyome bashfully looks away. Truth be told she had something of a crush on Aidan. But after learning he had become the boyfriend to Rias Gremory, she decided to push it away. But not out of envy or sadness that she wasn't chosen. Rather because she saw that they were happy with one another.

And having dealt with both of them during their bet at the tennis match, she can finally see and understand why. Though why would Rias' boyfriend be on a date with Akeno? Was he cheating on her or did they make some sort of deal?

So many questions ran in her head, wondering what was going on. None could be answered though.

*BZZZ*

"Who's texting me?" asked Aidan as he pulls out his phone to see he got a text message. It was from Azazel, of all people.

'You at that pet store with Akeno, right? Drop my name to the owner and tell him you want a package regarding Baraqiel. He just woke up.'

That last sentence brought his eyes wide opened. Baraqiel awakened. This was good news. Until the thought disappeared shortly afterwards and was replaced with concern as he looks at Akeno enjoying the chocobos. He wondered what would happen if he told her the truth of her father awakened from his coma. Will she be happy or angry?

It was a difficult question to answer.

But that is when Aidan looked out the window and saw Azazel on the other side of the street. Despite being so far, the two caught each other's eyes as the Fallen Angel gave a nod to Aidan before putting his phone away and walking away casually like he saw nothing.

Aidan's reaction was an expression of admiring Azazel's cleverness, giving off a small smirk.

'That sly bastard…'

While Akeno continued admiring the baby chocobos in their nests, Aidan puts away his phone and goes over to Kiyome's side.

"Actually, Kiyome…" Aidan then whispered into her ear, catching her by surprise. "I need to speak to the owner of the shop. There's something I want to get for Akeno's father currently in the hospital."

Kiyome's eyes widened, realizing who Aidan was talking about. Having heard that a Fallen Angel was retrieved by the combined efforts of the Three Factions thanks to the treaty. With that in mind, she wasted no time in reverting back to her professional role as part-time worker of the store..

"Give me a moment," She said as she walks back to the back of the store, leaving the couple alone.

While Kiyome retrieves her boss, Aidan patiently waits while Akeno continues looking around. Aidan keeps watch over her as he reminisces of Akeno's personality. She was indeed a very elegant and gentle woman, embodying the true ideal of a Japanese woman. While she can be highly sadistic and flirty, she was nonetheless an innocent girl at heart who went through too much and who deserved better. She originally had no interest in dating men until she met Aidan, whom she developed an interest and feelings for. His possession by Diablo and his self-exile after his rescue made her see who he was to her. Though she knew and respected Rias taking priority over her in regard to possessing over Aidan, having been the one to go through the worse, Akeno nonetheless sought to be the main girl for him.

But in regard to her family, her initial hatred for her father, and Fallen Angels in general, based on the trauma of her mother's death was all that drove her in the years that passed. She had never forgave her father and developed a sense of self-loathing towards her Fallen Angel nature.

Unfortunately, when Mephisto told her the truth of what really happened, it changed her dramatically. Now she was feeling conflicted about her past feelings and what she had been doing. Granted she may have been in the right about her father's failure to protect her and her mother, but how could he when Mephisto was pulling the strings behind the scenes? Given that he corrupted the Fallen Angels and the Himejima Clan, Mephisto's plan to make Akeno his servant would have succeeded had she not been found by the Devils. But even then, she had to live on a lie of the truth of her parents' fates.

With the knowledge that her father had been captured and tortured and that her mother was killed by Demons possessing members of her family clan, it has become difficult for her to accept the fact that her life had been manipulated by powers far worse than she could imagine.

Such is the price of family one could say.

Kiyome soon returns with one other person behind her as she then represents to the couple her boss and owner of the shop.

"May I present – Reginald Echidnos. The Collector of Beasts."

When presented to the main in charge, he was human for one thing, with honey blonde hair and sapphire eyes. Like Zatouji, he was a human connected to the supernatural, yet he wore more formal clothing than the Familiar Master, something more reminiscent as a Beast Tamer and as the so-called Collector of Beasts. For instance, he wore a red and black outfit, complete with a fur coat around his shoulders and stretching down to his legs. He also wore white gloves. His facial expression was one of an enigma, difficult to tell.

"Ooh!" Reginald was ecstatic to see, exclaiming calmly. "Nephalem. It's an honor."

In a somewhat dramatic fashion, Reginald brings his hands together horizontally before taking a deep bow and having his hands stretched out beside him. He really is one quirky fellow. For a collector of all supernatural pets. Skipping small talk, Aidan decides to get straight to business, out of Akeno's range of hearing.

"You know why we're here," Aidan said as Reginald rises.

"Of course," He acknowledges before he asks curiously, "But if I may ask; what exactly is it for the reason why you are here?"

"Azazel," Aidan said. "He said you have something for us regarding a certain friend of his in hospital."

Reginald's eyebrows perk up in interesting amusement. Turning over to Kiyome, he signals her with a nod of his head to bring out from the back room the gift Reginald was meant to give them. Kiyome soon comes out with what appeared to be a winged creature on her right arm.

It was a giant sized firebird, about the size of a bald eagle, with black & red feathers. Its body is slick and build for speed and power. With black beak and a red line going down its back. Their calls are short but loud and sounds like a mixture between an eagle and a hawk. These giant birds have no cases of violence.

"Here we are," Reginald exclaimed. "This is Yua. She's a Hō-ō, a kind of Japanese female phoenix. They were adopted as a symbol of the imperial household, particularly the empress of Japan. This mythical bird represents fire, the sun, justice, obedience, fidelity, and the southern star constellations."

Yua, upon seeing Aidan, bows its head in recognition of the nephalem. She did not show much of a reaction to Aidan but upon seeing Akeno, she directed all of her attention her. Akeno's notice was caught as she feels the presence of the bird to her left. Turning to her left, she was surprised to see the Hō-ō.

"Ara ara…" She says as she rallies over to Aidan, getting a good look at the bird before she lifts her hand to it. Yua in response nudges its head against her hand, apparently liking her touch. "She's so beautiful."

"She is one of a kind," Reginald said. "These birds are quite rare and hard to catch. Luckily, Yua was born and raised here."

"What do I owe you?" asked Aidan.

"Not a penny," Reginald revealed. "She is all yours."

"We'll take it then," Aidan said.

With the paperwork filled out, Aidan and Akeno take their leave with Yua in tow. Kiyome waves goodbye while Reginald watches with keen interest, apparently figuring out that Akeno does not know of the reason why Raiden bought the Hō-ō. But he's sure to give her the reason outside his shop.

When the dating couple exited the shop with the Hō-ō bird standing on Aidan's shoulder, Akeno stopped just right outside the door, curious about something.

"Aidan…" Akeno called out, making him turn around. "What made you decide to get this?"

This is where Aidan had to come with the truth. If he lied to Akeno, it would only ache his heart and he will not be happy about it given that he never liked using deception.

"It's not for me," He said, making Akeno confused. "It's for your father. I just received news that he woke up from his coma."

Akeno's expression upon hearing that was a mix that it was so hard to tell what exactly she was feeling. Her hair bangs covered her eyes as she looked down in contemplation.

UNDERWORLD: SERAFALL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL…

The Serafall Memorial Hospital was aptly named after the current Leviathan Satan herself. Having used the natural reserves of her family clan to create this place, it became famously known throughout the Underworld to not only have the best of the Sitri Family;s medical facilities, but also for being named after Serafall Leviathan herself, given the fact that she is the most famous female Devil in the Underworld.

When Aidan and Akeno went to visit the hospital, Serafall was informed of their arrival, and of the cargo they carried in the form of a hospital gift. Serafall, having known why they were there in the first place, makes arrangements for them to be shown the room to Baraqiel. Call it a favor she owes for having been part of the rescue team that rescued Baraqiel from the Burning Hells. She may act cute and girly and all, but even she knows when to get serious about events concerning all Devils, including the Burning Hells. She was after all one of the members of the who took part in the Second Dark Exile and fought face to face with the Prime Evils.

As for Yua, the Hō-ō bird was not exactly allowed to be in the patient's room. Even if tamed and well-behaved, the bird was quite big and for it to be in the patient's room is exactly a luxury anyone can afford. When the staff heard this, they had to contact Serafall Leviathan. And because of having something of an infatuation with Aidan, she allowed the bird in the patient room, along with its own perch that the hospital just happened to have. But for now, the setup would have to be taken care of by the nurses during which Yua will be left in the temporary care of the Leviathan Satan, provided of course she knows how to properly take care of a bird until the nurses are finished setting up the perch.

Aidan and Akeno stood in front of Baraqiel's patient room, the glass sliding door was all that was between them. They could see the Fallen Angel asleep on his bed and on his back. His wings were bandaged, despite the fact that five of them were missing. He was still in the ICU, despite the fact that at this point from what they know that his surgeries are complete. He was still hooked to a heart rate monitor, along with blood bags and IV bags. Most of his bandages that were initially used to cover his wounds were no longer needed and focused more solely on his surgery scars. His oxygen mask was also no longer needed but it was kept on standby just in case. For now he was given oxygen via a nasal cannula.

Aidan, wanting to leave Akeno for a bit, heads over to the desk where the nurses were and decides to speak to one of the Devil nurses dressed in pink.

"Can I help you?" The nurse asked.

"I'm here regarding the health of a Fallen Angel named Baraqiel," Aidan answered.

The nurse nods. "Right this way."

Both the nurse and Aidan walk over to somewhere private, away from the eyes of Akeno who was still looking at her father from the other side of the glass sliding door.

"Mr. Baraqiel has indeed woken up from his comatose state but there have been…complications in his health."

"Which are?" asked Aidan.

"His speech has become very slurred and slow, likely because he had been comatose for a few weeks. Aside from the injuries that we have treated thanks to multiple successful surgeries, we have also had to give him bags upon bags of blood and nutrients to keep his body healthy and strong. But there is one problem with which the doctors seem to have found."

"What is it?"

"According to them, some of Baraqiel's vital bodily functions have started to show signs of deterioration and malfunction. They originally thought it was due to torture of five years, but there's been no evidence of the barbed hooks ever penetrating through his organs nor of any poison being used on the hooks. We had taken a sample of his blood to be analyzed and realized that they were beginning to malfunction and not work properly, which can lead to cancerous cells emerging. We also noticed signs of white hair forming on his head, which is a clear sign of aging. But for a man of healthy age and having endured for a long time, such a thing is impossible unless—"

"He had physically aged during the torture," Aidan guesses. "By the means of demonic magic. By having his life force sapped."

The nurse nods in grave suspicion. "Physically speaking, and from a human point of view, while he may appear as the same man in his 50's, he is actually in his 90's. And from a human physiological standpoint, at that age depending on the person, various forms of incurable diseases may occur. For a Fallen Angel, I don't know if diseases like cancer are even possible. Not unless magic was used in some form we don't know of."

"Is there any way to correct this?"

The nurse gives a grim look. "Our doctors are consulting with one another, along with Satan Leviathan, on what to do. They are considering chemotherapy, which is a strong suggestion if there are any cancerous diseases. In the meantime, bedrest and medication are what we advise for him until he is mobile again for physical therapy. If he is mobile, that is."

Aidan graciously bows. "Thank you."

Once Aidan returns by Akeno's side, all he could see from her were hollowed eyes. A mixture of emotions ran through her as she had no idea what to say. She got to see her father again for the second time since his rescue, but once more do the words she wants to say not appear. Or rather she has no way to how to say anything.

Deep in her heart, she knew she had to do something to fi the already broken bridge between them. But how could she, against a man she falsely hated for a lifetime?

"Come on, we should go," Akeno urged to Aidan, no longer standing at the sight of it.

Aidan turned to her in surprise and concern. "Don't you even want to say hello?"

Now it was Akeno who was surprised, if not a little mad at the suggestion for Aidan. "It's just… It wouldn't be right. For so long I had despised my father for failing to protect my mother. But now when I look at him I feel…empty. If I step in now and speak to him, I'll just bring bad memories."

Aidan gently gives a smile. "He doesn't need any details, but would it really be so bad for him to know he has daughter who thinks about him? Or for you a father who loves you despite his mistakes?"

Akeno is silent for a moment, thinking about Aidan's words before she turns back to the room to see her sleeping father, her emotions starting to get the better of her as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"I guess not…" She said, nearly choking on her words.

"Go on…" Aidan urged gently. "I'm right behind you."

Akeno looks back to the door. She hesitates to open it as the temptation to just turn and run away was heavy. But if she was ever going to get this weight off of her chest, she needed to ensure that she herself does not become a burden to anyone. Not to Rias. Not to Aidan.

She reaches for the door handle and gently opens it, stepping inside with Aidan right behind her as she gets a look at her sleeping father. With Aidan behind her, she can now finally speak to her father face to face in such a very long time.

"Hi dad…" Akeno began with a small hint of fear in her voice. "I-I'm sorry it took me so long to come see you. I… I don't know what to say. Seeing you like this… makes me feel so…confused."

The only thing Akeno could hear in response is Baraqiel's breathing as he sleeps.

"I guess I should say that I am doing fine," Akeno said. "I mean, I have been put into all sorts of dynamic situations. I recently battled Loki, the God of Mischief, who turned out to be nothing more than Belial, the Lord of Lies. And while I can say it was hard… nothing prepared me for the worse than when I battled Mephisto."

The memories of that terrible battle ring through Akeno's mind, as images flash before her from her mind. It only filled her with shame and dread, especially when she learned the truth straight from the Demon himself.

"I—I came here to tell you that… I forgive you," Akeno struggles to hold back the tears and the shaking of her hands. "When I learned of the truth, I… I didn't want to believe it, at first. But now…"

She reaches for her father's right hand and gently grasps it.

"Now I can say with certainty… I don't hate you. Not anymore."

Akeno gets up to leave but that is when she felt something in her hand. A gentle squeeze.

She could then see her father's lips move a little, as if trying to say something. Whether he could see her or not is unknown given of his closed eyes, but his head was turned slightly to the right as if he knew Akeno was there.

Akeno leans her head further in to hear her father's words, almost hesitant to back away like she never wanted to hear another word from his mouth.

Then, the first audibly quiet words were spoken.

"I…I…I…I'm…s-s-sso…s-s-s-s-so…sor…ry…"

And with those few words, they broke away the ice within Akeno's heart. The tears started falling down as she could no longer hear her father's voice. Thankfully, he only went back to sleep as there was no alarms ringing from the machines.

Her teeth grit as her hand in her father's grasp shakes a little. Her head hangs low afterwards as she finally lets out the sadness in her heart. Aidan's heart aches, feeling the heavy sadness in the air.

A SHORT WHILE LATER…

After the two exit the room, they are met upon by a familiar figure right in front of them.

"Figures you'd be here, Ahz," Aidan said. Akeno looked in his direction and saw, to her surprise, Azazel leaning on the back of the wall with his arms crossed and bearing a solemn expression.

"I just got here," Azazel said. "Sorry if you think otherwise."

Akeno then asks, "Why are you here?"

Azazel took a moment to think for himself as he closes his eyes. But the look he bore on his face was all to evident and plain to see; a look of…guilt?

"There's something I gotta get off my chest," Azazel said solemnly.

"What's that?" asked Akeno.

With an expression that looked like one full of regret, Azazel unfolds his arms as he looks directly at the daughter to his best friend.

Then his next words came as a surprise.

"I'm sorry…" Azazel said. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for your father. And your mother."

Akeno looked more shocked than anyone else. But that was just the start of it as Azazel had more to say.

"That day, I had called out your father to discuss something important, which took him away from home. Little did I know that Mephisto took advantage of the situation and killed your mother, leaving you as the only witness and implanting a seed of hatred for Baraqiel in your heart."

And there Akeno had it. The start of all of her troubles was none other than Azazel himself. She was feeling a great shock at first before the memories of that fateful day came back. Anger was slowly starting to rise within her, but she kept it suppressed, realizing that shouting in front of a patient in the form of her father was not right. She did want to say something, but she cannot say anything.

Aidan in turn was also surprised to learn Azazel was responsible for Akeno's sadness. However, he held no blame for the sly fox. For all of Azazel's sneaking about plans, he still held emotions of regret when it came to personal feelings, especially one regarding Baraqiel.

Azazel had more to say though as he continues laying out his guilt before the two.

"I tried to prevent your father from going after Mephisto, but I wasn't strong enough. I should have taken you in after you were kicked out but… I knew how much you hated the Fallen Angels because of your father. You were nearly killed by the same members who exiled you, all because of my inaction. Had it not been for Rias Gremory to intervene, I would've saved you myself. In the end, I failed your father and destroyed your family because of my actions. And for that, I am terribly sorry."

Akeno looked downwards, trying to cover the painful expression on her face. Oddly enough, she didn't show any hatred for Azazel, as if she wanted to say that it wasn't his fault and that he had no idea what would have happened. But that would just be too easy for her to say, being the victim of it all.

Gritting her teeth, she questions the meaning of her existence. The meaning of her life and her family that ended tragically. If all she has ever done was live through a lifetime filled with nothing but hate, then what has she been doing all along? Was she even worth living? Was she even worth being by Rias' side as her Queen and best friend?

Most of all, was she worthy of the name Himejima, the very name whose family members were corrupted and cast her out due to her Fallen Angel lineage?

So many questions and only a few could be answered. She gazes her eyes back onto her father as she grips her hands and teeth in despair.

"…How could my father be played for a fool?" asked Akeno solemnly, knowing of how much Baraqiel had to suffer.

Azazel tries to comfort her and says, "Don't kid yourself, Akeno. Baraqiel wasn't born yesterday. The Fallen Angels and the Himejima Clan got dealt a losing hand by Mephisto and your old man played it the best he could. He saw his fate coming a mile away…" Azazel's mind remembers back to when he and Baraqiel fought side by side during the Second Dark Exile, where they fought against Mephisto single handedly at his Fortress of Bone. "And he wasn't going to go down without a fight."

Akeno looks up at Azazel, seeing him bear a face of regret for not having stopped his friend from doing something rash in the wake of Shuri's death.

"In the end though, well… it just wasn't enough."

Azazel sighs as he looks at his best friend asleep on his hospital bed.

"Aidan…" Azazel said to the nephalem. "Take care of Akeno. If you need anything, let me know."

Aidan nods as Azazel makes his way out of the hospital. He stops to look behind to see Baraqiel back in his room, bearing shame for his friend's state. "I can't even remember last time I spoke to Baraqiel. Feels like a lifetime ago."

Azazel soon makes his way out of the hospital, leaving both the dating couple and the sleeping patient in the room. All that was filled later was silence as Akeno leans into Aidan, making the nephalem wrap an arm around her shoulder. Tears soon pour out as she looks at the sleeping form of her father, now finally realizing just how much her father truly cared for his family and how much he mattered to her.

By the time the two left the Underworld and went back to Earth, it was already getting late. Not only that, but they also ended up in the red light district once again. It was unsafe at night to walk home alone and they were too far away from home as well. So a hotel was needed.

A love hotel called Paradise Eternal to be exact. Azure Lust was only a few blocks downward from where this love hotel was located. But unlike Azure Lust's hotel rooms where it had a pink light illuminating a dark room, this one instead showed a more traditional Japanese tatami room complete with a futon and natural lighting, as shown by the shoji panels with mini Japanese gardens behind the sliding doors. On the more similar side, the futon bed was surrounded by a transparent white veil and the room had come with a bathroom plus a shower.

While Aidan sorts himself out and gets out of his date clothing, Akeno went to take a shower. Aidan gets out of his jeans, shoes, and buttoned up t-shirt and uses his magic to slip into something more lax and comforting. A gray tanktop and short sports pants will do. He grabs a bottle of water from the table and goes to take a seat, having a lot on his mind.

Truth be told, Baraqiel was the last thing on his mind. He didn't want to make Akeno sad by saying they should go visit him in the hospital, but Azazel insisted on it. Perhaps he was trying to get Akeno to build the bridge back up with her father after seeing how damaged it was thanks to Mephisto. But still, to do that on their date…

Not every date goes perfectly as planned. And if it did, then everyone in the world would be in love with someone right now. But reality is often disappointing with its bitter truths.

The doors to the shower room open up and reveal something to Aidan. Something oddly familiar from when he had to meet with Akeno privately to resort with the corruption in his left arm and of the out of control power buildup.

Akeno had her hair down. It seems like she is lacking in judgement and there is a charm in her expression.

"Somnus…"

"Yes?"

Even though she spoke, Akeno's tone sounds low. She stood in front of the nephalem after walking towards him slowly.

Then Akeno unties her rope around her waist, and the white robe drops on the floor.

Blood soon floods out from Aidan's nose out of surprise. In front of him, Akeno is wearing nothing, naked like the day she was born. A white naked body, with both her breasts and lower front visible.

Aidan's body became stiff at this intense situation. He couldn't move and Akeno approaches him while putting her hand around his neck. She then hugs him tightly. Every part of Akeno's body envelops Aidan. The woman's soft, tender, smooth, and very elastic body blew his brain away. It was very soft, almost like Rias'.

On his chest, Akeno's breasts gets pressed down, her nipples are touching as well. Aidan couldn't move because of the sensation of the woman's only trait of soft body. Aidan could smell a sweet pheromone from Akeno's silky black hair.

Her pheromone hits his nose from the nostril, and his brain becomes a flower garden.

Then Akeno whispers in his ear. "Make love to me."

Akeno hugs him with her full naked body and the sensation of her breast was amazing. Her white skin is so bright, and both of Aidan's hands wander around because he didn't know where they should go.

Akeno looks straight at Aidan and our eyes met. But form the moment he saw her face, Aidan could see her expression seemed a bit lifeless, and it seemed like she doesn't care and is in self-abandonment.

Akeno approaches her face and…. comes to try and kiss him.

But Aidan realized what she was doing as the memory of Rias attempting to lose her virginity to Aidan that one night came rushing back to him. In that instant, he realized the one similar thing Akeno was doing.

This wasn't right.

Before his lips could meet hers, Aidan puts a hand on Akeno's shoulder, and pushes her away from him.

"…Why?" Akeno asks in a shaky voice. "Is my body not attractive…?" It sounds as though she thought Aidan would make love to her like this.

There was no point in lying so Aidan came clean with his mind.

"That isn't true," He said. "It's the best!. I never get bored of your enormous and large breasts, no matter how many times I touch them! I want to grab on to your butt, I also want stroke around your hips, I also want to hold up your thighs as I make love! I want to enjoy every part of you, and lastly I want to meet your lips with mine!"

"…Then you can do that, you know?" She said. "I… want you to do that to me. I want to give my body to you, and be embraced with your chest, and get rid of everything. They are right in front of your eyes and you can have them by pushing me down. But why?"

"…Because I cannot do it to a girl with a sad expression like what you have now."

It seems like Akeno regained her proper consciousness with my words as her eyes widened, realizing what she had been doing.

"When you do erotic things to me, Akeno, you always seem to be having fun," Aidan confesses. "So do I. But right now you are trying to forget about a painful memory…."

"…That's right," Akeno did not deny. "What would you do if I said that? I'm trying to feel relieved by making love with you and head towards the battle. I thought that I can get rid of this feeling if I make love with you."

But that is wrong. And they both knew that. Even if she feels relieved, that will only last for a short time. Then Akeno won't be able to move forward.

Aidan picked up the white robe that Akeno took off, and wraps it over her body. He then hugged her gently, feeling her soft body once again but this time his brain stayed normal as he comforts her.

"Akeno…" Aidan speaks gently. "I truly do feel refreshed and alive whenever I want to have sex with you. But I don't want to make love with you with these kind of feelings."

"Somnus..." Her tears start to flow.

They both know of Akeno's past, one filled with tragedy and hatred all thanks to Mephisto's twisted influence and manipulation from the shadows. Aidan couldn't say anything good for the burden she is carrying.

But if Akeno is relying on him, then he can just hug her like this until she feels safe. Akeno's feelings must have become a bit weird because she remembered her past after reuniting with her father. That's why she tried to get a false sense of relief by getting embraced by someone like Aidan, a nephalem.

Instead of relief though, that would leave a scar in Akeno. She would definitely regret it. She would have committed the same mistake Rias nearly made during the trouble with Riser.

Aidan then whispers to Akeno's ear while hugging her. "I will stay by your side. I will always stay by your side whenever you feel sad. I will hug you like this anytime. So please. Please cheer up."

The only thing he could do is to hug her gently.

"…Such an idiot." Akeno said. "Both me… and you."

"Even if I am an idiot, I will protect you, Akeno. Always."

She then begins to hug back gently, feeling safe in the arms of her nephalem. "Somnus… Thank you. I love you."

Her voice which is mixed with tears, sounding like it has a mixed feeling of security.

I hugged Akeno gently like this until she left me.

'Akeno. If it is me you want, then I will always stay with you. That's why please return to the way you were, Akeno.'

The two let go of their hug from one another, yet their hands remain attached to one another. They look into each other's eyes, lovingly. And then, in an act that brings both of them together without anything being forced, passionate lust overwhelms them.

Their lips meets in the middle.

BEGIN LEMON…

Akeno grinned and started things off with a sloppy wet makeout session. Pushing past his teeth and Aidan had his tongue dance with hers as he grabs her hips and bareback, pulling her deeper into the kiss.

Aidan then pulled away from the Priestess of Thunder's lips when he felt her hands tugging at his tanktop, wanting him to pull it off. Aidan does so before he gets back to kissing Akeno hard, her hands going down to the hem of his sports pants as he brings one hands to the back of her head to kiss deeper.

Soon his pants were down as his ten inch cock was freed. It was raging and throbbing at ten inches, wanting to fuck Akeno right here and right now. And it was already leaking some precum in the process.

Aidan had to admit he was a little overwhelmed with Akeno's forwardness, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. Akeno on the other hand was all too eager to be wanting to be fucked her beloved nephalem right at this moment. But first she wanted to joy herself a bit with Aidan and try to dominate him through various forms of teasing.

He then felt himself pushed down to the bed as Akeno straddles him, licking her lips lustfully. While this no doubt made Aidan feel harder, he began to dread just what Akeno had in store for him.

"A-Akeno…? Is this a punishment?!" asked Aidan as is head is shoved between her breasts.

Akeno giggles. "Fufu. Yes, you're right~. In order to make sure you are not falling for any other girls other than Rias and me… I'll punish you by imprinting myself into your body and soul~."

As she shoves his head to her breasts, she grinds on his lap, feeling that rod beneath her getting harder and harder.

"To the point that my nephalem cannot stop thinking of me…" She further said to emphasize the point. She then whispers huskily to his left ear. "From my voice to my aroma… With my whole body, my nephalem will be wrapped by me whole…"

To further dominate him, she pushes him further down onto the bed, wasting no time in shoving her breasts right in front of his face to the point he could not see anything except for two massive melons. Her melons.

"How was it, Somnus?" She asked. "The feeling of me wrapping you…"

It was soft, warm, and it smelled good. Aidan found himself intoxicated by it, about as much as when he gets enveloped by Rias' breasts.

But there was a problem. "Mgh…? Wai- Can't…breathe…!"

This wasn't good for Aidan as his head started to feel dizzy. Perhaps expecting this, Akeno lifts herself up to give him some breathing space, making him gasp for air.

"As expected," She said. "You like bigger ones like mine, don't you? More than the small ones like Asia or Koneko's, am I right…?"

Her breasts jiggle as she entices Aidan to grab onto them. "My breasts… You can use them as your liking…"

Unable to resist the raging urges within him, Aidan roughly grasps them. They were kind of heavy, but his fingers sunk right into them. He couldn't resist their temptation as he sucks on her right nipple for any form of liquid milk ready to spew.

And Akeno loved the sucking a lot just as much as she loved how hard Aidan's cock was as she strokes it with her left hand. "Fufu… Oh Somnus… You've already become this hard. You really do love boobs, don't you…?"

As she plays with his cock in one hand, she grasps behind his head to hold him up. "Fufu… You're sucking me like a little baby…"

After he finishes, Akeno slams her lips into Aidan's, kissing him deeply and sloppily as tongues clash. Her moans were quite loud as she continues pleasuring herself by having her breasts massaged while she continues stroking Aidan's cock.

"Nnhh… Nnfuu, fuuu, lyuu, chuu… Somnus Hapuuf… Ann, chuu…nnn… Haafff, chuu…Puuuff…yeuu…nnaa… Ah-pchh…"

Their kiss was so sloppy and wet as evidenced by the constant saliva around their mouths. It was the wettest kiss Aidan ever had, more so than Rias as Akeno vigorously fought him tongue for tongue.

They release their kiss as Aidan was nearing climax.

"Akeno…!" Aidan cried. "Cumming…!"

"It's fine," Akeno reassured. "Release it, Somnus. I'll give you a kiss while you cum. Now, give me your tongue."

With her pupils shaped like hearts, Akeno dives in with her mouth to Aidan's as soon as he stuck out his tongue.

"Haah… Nn, chii, chiiiii… Aaahh! Somnus… Nnnnfff…lyaaaa…"

Their ecstasy of pleasure could not be held back any longer.

*SPLURT*

Strands of Aidan's essence spurt out everywhere. Like strands of white rope, they spray everywhere in the air and either landed on Akeno's hand stroking his cock or on his body.

This made Akeno excited. "Ahhh… Somnus' dick… It's pulsating…" She grips it harder as she lets loose even more. "There! Shoot it. Release as much as you want, my love. I'll rub your dick until it stops ejaculating."

Aidan keeps squirting out more as his vision turns white with pleasure before he breathes heavily. Akeno, seeing that he is a bit exhausted, gives him some space to breathe and take a short break. A very short one.

"Uh… Sorry, Akeno…" Aidan said. "For showing you that kind of pathetic view…"

Akeno giggles as she brings one hand to her face, with eyes closed and smiling. "My. No need for an apology. Since you were adorable in this position." She then eyes Aidan's cock was still upright and hard. "Fufu. But… your dick doesn't seem satisfied enough, does it?"

That's when Akeno gets up in front of Aidan and clamps down on his dick with her two massive breasts.

"Heave-ho," She squeezes it gently. "If you do love boobs… this might do the trick. I'll be comforting your penis to ease the pain, dear."

"Like this…?" Aidan said as he adjusts himself and gets comfortable enough for him to be serviced pleasurably by his mistress.

"Yes…" She confirmed. "Now let us begin…"

Akeno wastes no time using her breasts to squeeze and rub them against the now trapped cock in between her breasts. This was one of Akeno's favorite things to do as she practically enjoyed the feeling so much. Rias had never done this before with Aidan when they made love so Akeno was glad she was first.

Aidan started to get the hang of his cock smashed between her breasts, loving the feeling as he moans and groans.

Akeno sighs in pleasure. "Ahha~ The tip is slowly entering inside~. Please enjoy the pleasure while it lasts, dear."

Aidan continues moaning and groaning. "It feels so good…"

"Your dick is really splendid and strong," Akeno said. "But, against my breasts… Even that kind of dick is concealed and unable to be seen."

It was really amazing for Aidan. Akeno's titjob on his cock was unlike anything he had ever experienced. While Rias could also potentially do the same since her breasts were roughly the same size as Akeno's, the Priestess of Thunder's were the only ones who can do such a violent and rough titjob.

As Akeno picks up the pace, Aidan could feel himself ready to let loose another climax. And Akeno saw it took as the tip, barely visible, was ready to let loose more of its white essence.

"Cumming!" Aidan said.

Akeno giggles. "Fufu… Please release it inside…" She demanded. "I won't let a single drop… of your semen escape…"

Aidan continues moaning and groaning until, "Ugh…!"

*SPLURT SPLURT*

Aidan ejaculates one more, but this time he can feel his essence coat his cock given that it was now trapped inside Akeno's breasts. He had released so much that he arched his back a bit and stretched his legs in the process.

Once it was all over, Akeno lets loose of Aidan's cock and sees for herself the sticky mess made to her breasts.

"You did pour it inside… Somnus…" She said as she traces it. "Since your cum is so thick, it makes a bridge between my breasts."

Seeing how limp Aidan's cock was now as it fell over and how mashed and messed up it was, Akeno provides more of her service. "Ufufu~ Let me clean this for you, Somnus…"

"Wai—Akeno…!" Aidan pleads but it was too late as Akeno was already bringing her mouth over Aidan's cock.

"Nnhh… Nnfuu, fuuu, lyuu, chuu… Somnus Hapuuf… Ann, chuu…nnn… Haafff, chuu…Puuuff…yeuu…nnaa… Ah-pchh…"

"It's too rough…!" Aidan said. Akeno soon stops. Her cleaning service was finished but then she grew even more ecstatic upon seeing Aidan's cock spring up again, hardened than before. It just won't calm down at all.

Her eyes widened in joy. "Haah~ Somnus… You're still so energetic. It's truly lovely.."

With no time to waste and now wanting to be pleasured herself, Akeno lays on the bed and spreads her legs out, revealing her wet pussy ready to be penetrated.

"Hey Somnus…" She called out. "Will you make me your exclusive mistress…? From now on, will you love me more than Rias…? If you do, I will gladly let you make love with me as much as you want. If you do, from today on, every time, everywhere, I will grant you anything you wish."

For any man drowned in their lust, they would immediately go for it. Akeno's seductive advances, worthy enough for a Devil of her sexiness and caliber up to the point she may be a succubus, can enthrall and attract men to her to give them pleasure beyond imagination. Aidan however was in a different predicament. For one thing, he loved Rias and he felt guilty for what he was doing. He had been seduced by Akeno so easily and he felt like he was now cheating on his official girlfriend with a mistress.

But feelings be damned. He too loved Akeno and treats her just as the same as he treats Rias. And Rias may have consented of Akeno wanting Aidan but still, both girls desired him individually. And he desired them as well in return.

No longer giving a damn, Aidan dives right in.

"Akeno!" He slams himself right on top of Akeno, kissing her as her breasts are smashed and her legs cross over his hips. "I'm putting it in… Akeno…!"

Once more does Aidan enter inside Akeno as he did in the past. However this time, this one was done to answer the feelings he held for the Priestess of Thunder. His harem mistress. And Akeno could feel it.

"Arraa~!" She screams in delight, feeling the big cock stretch her walls. "Finally… Finally I become one with my nephalem!"

Aidan wastes no time pumping rigorously, like a lion in heat. He did not want for this to go slow like he did with Rias on their date. With Akeno, she loved things to be fast.

"I was always…always hoping for this," She said. "Even though we have done this before, I've always been waiting for the day that you would finally love me. This time, this is for real. Now… be more violent. Mess me up. These breasts… will be your personal things…"

Aidan wasted no time in squeezing and sucking on Akeno's breasts, drowning her in her own lust as she reaches cloud nine. He flips her around as she is now on top, but she keeps her arms around his head just as he keeps his around his body. He grasps her hips as Akeno slams her lips into his.

"Chuu…haah, mmm…aah…Somnus… I love… I love you, Somnus…"

"Akeno, I love you too!"

Aidan, in his maddening lustful state, gets back to dominate Akeno in missionary.

"Ahh, Somnus~! Your dick… mmh, is convulsing roughly… You really want to release it, don't you?"

Akeno wraps her legs rightly around Aidan's hips as he continues going very rough on her, practically slamming his hips into hers.

"Ahh… Akeno…!" Aidan growls. "I'm gonna cum…!"

"Do it!" She demanded. "Shoot it all in me! Your seed, Somnus! Please pour it all in my womb! Make me pregnant with your baby!"

Aidan kisses Akeno in a passionate embrace, her tongue colliding with his before he releases her lips, nearing his release into her womb. Akeno too was nearing her climax, ready to coat Aidan's dick in her love juices.

"GUH! AKENO!"

"SOMNUUSSS!"

*PSSHH*

*SPLURT*

Akeno climaxes outwards as Aidan climaxes inwards, shooting every single drop directly into her womb. Akeno arches her back in great pleasure as she feels that hot burning passionate essence of the nephalem coursing through her like she was feeling lava.

"Ara… so warm…" She said lustfully. "It's pouring up… and pounding inside me."

Aidan was in a trance for a long time, pouring out everything. "Akeno, I'm still-"

"It's okay," Akeno reassured. "Please release all of it inside me… There~ spurting~ You really came a lot didn't you, my nephalem?""

Th two kiss passionately and lovingly, sharing their tongues as they craved for each other more and more.

"Being loved with you, Somnus… I am really happy," Akeno said. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Aidan said, making him kiss her in a kiss that cemented each other's feelings.

There the two laid in silence. Sweat covered every single pore of their body as they held tight in each other's arms, never intent to let go. Akeno's pussy explodes and leaks more of Aidan's essence even as she laid down to catch her breath. This night of passionate was the most intense one they ever had, more than the first time they did it at her shrine or those few times they did it with Rias in a threesome.

After a few minutes of simple cuddling, Aidan breaks the silence.

"You must be tired…" Aidan remarked. "It's not dark yet… but should we call it a day?"

Akeno giggles. "My. What are you talking about, Somnus? We're not done yet."

"Hm?" He asked. Akeno soon gets on top, her naked and sweaty body glisteninig.

"Well… if it ends with pleasure then it's not really a punishment, right?" She asked lustfully while licking her lips. "As you already said, from tonight on… I'll squeeze you up until nothing's left."

Aidan smirks, accepting the challenge as he soon shoots up, wrapping his arms around Akeno and kissing her sloppily. Though this was the start of round two, it will be many more rounds before they were fully satisfied.

And so in the night, Aidan continued to climax, ejaculating, and getting squeezed dry.

END LEMON…

"ARA ARRAAAA!" Akeno moans one last time as she shoots herself upwards, her Fallen Angel wing and Devil wing spreading out in unison. Aidan feels his cock twitch as he shoots the last remnants of his cum into Akeno's already filled up and leaking pussy. After a few moments of intense cloud nine, Akeno collapses on top of Aidan, keeping his cock deep inside of her.

Finally, after such an arduous and lust-filled journey with Akeno, it was finally over. This was not like the first time Aidan had sex with Akeno but this was the first time it was passionate and romantic. The two didn't know how much time had passed in all their time making love but neither cared in the slightest, even if it meant Rias may be wondering where they were now.

Just like he had with Rias, Aidan went six rounds with Akeno, using positions that defined domination. The first round was the classic missionary. The second was lowered doggy style, a very rough version of the regular doggy but Akeno's favorite as she loved both the feeling of being conquered from behind and her body being crushed. The third was the V in which Akeno's legs were on Aidan's shoulders in missionary. Fourth round was the spreader, in which Akeno lied on her back and got started in missionary before she put her legs in the air, and have Aidan grab onto one ankle with each hand pulling the legs away from each other as he enters in her. Fifth round was when Akeno was hanging onto Aidan as she was being pounded with her back against the wall. The sixth and final round was a very intense cowgirl.

Once they were finished, they were sweating so profusely that they were practically glued from the stickiness. Truth be told Akeno was ready for more, but Aidan was thoroughly exhausted. Having sex with Rias was one thing but Akeno was far more rigorous. And usually Aidan is the dominant one. He himself never expected to be dominated, albeit easily at that, by his second lover.

"Ara ara. I think I finally understand," Akeno said. "Of why Rias felt addicted to having sex with you. It felt so good."

"Yeah," Aidan said. "You nailed me good a few times. Practically squeezed the life out of me."

Akeno giggles in response. "You went really wild on me, too. Admit it, you love holding me down while fucking me from behind."

Aidan blushes yet smiles. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't."

Again does Akeno giggle and blush. She wanted to go further with anal but felt that she wasn't ready for that yet. And neither was Aidan. They needed to get some sleep as Aidan pulls the covers over them. The relax in each other's arms, with Aidan's right hand interlocking with the fingers of Akeno's left. The pink light in the room only made this moment more peaceful and erotic.

But even after ten minutes of just silent cuddling, Akeno felt reinvigorated and recharged. She scoots her hips right over Aidan's as she keeps his fingers interlocked with hers.

"Hey…" Akeno spoke up with a lustful smile. "Ready for round 69?"

"…What?" Aidan was wide-eyed.

And before he knew it, his lips were sealed by Akeno's as she gets on top and begins to ride him passionately and roughly.

Aidan found himself in some sort of empty space appearing as a borderless yellowish voice filled with white light. It was calming yet bright. Aidan found himself walking endlessly upon it, like he was forced to wander in this place forever. There was no ground, yet Aidan could feel it right under his feet. There was no sky, yet Aidan could tell which way was up.

The nephalem knew this had to be some sort of dream realm. If he was here, then it was not a nightmare like the ones he had been having. Not while he had secretly devised a spell for this moment.

Truth be told, when Aidan was having sex with Akeno, he not only gave her what she wanted, his own essence. But in the time she was on cloud nine, he managed to look deep into Akeno's heart. Add some Devil magic, if not a bit of nephalem magic, and he manages to create a spell that looks into the hearts and feelings of the female receiver.

Affectus Cordis, or Feelings of the Heart in the old Latin tongue. A powerful illusory spell that is a mix of Devil and nephalem magic used to gain information. If there was ever a spell that can be feared by women, it is this though it can only be done through sex.

Once the spell is cast via Aidan releasing his essence into the female receiver, that is only half of it. The other half requires deep sleep afterwards, which takes place in some dream realm where a mysterious space is expanded and unfolded with Aidan at the center. And only Aidan can hear the voices that it creates.

"I was feeling lonely," Akeno's voice was soon heard, echoing throughout the place.

This made Aidan surprised. "Akeno…?"

Suddenly, images popped around him, like screens from a movie theater. There must have been five or six of them, all of them showing detailed images and time-lapse videos of the past. Of Akeno's past, which contained her true feelings.

On those images, it showed Akeno's life with her mother and father before the tragedy that had befallen upon them. One of them showed Akeno seeing the wings of her father which she had admired, a surprise for Ryuichi to see. Then the next image showed her and her mother outside by their house, the young Akeno wondering if her father was proud of her and wishing he could stay with them forever. Baraqiel was ineed away from his family for quite a while but nevertheless made time for them like any devoting father and husband would do.

Then the next images showed the last moments of Akeno's mother. Of how Baraqiel arrived too late to save the woman he loved. Only his daughter. Akeno, in her grief, could only vent out her rage and hatred toward her father and to everything and everyone around her. It could have been Aidan's eyes, but he swore he saw the shadow of Mephisto looming over her, pulling her strings from above like a puppet master and grinning evilly.

"I knew at the time it wasn't his fault…" Akeno's voice was heard again. "But I couldn't stop myself from blaming him. I'm pathetic, weak, and that's why I'm always alone. What I really wanted was for my father to be around more than he was. I wanted him to pat me on the head and tell me everything was going to be alright. I wanted to play with him more, I want… I just wanted a little more time in that life together… I wasn't ready for it to end."

Aidan's eyes widened. He had just witnessed Akeno's past all in one day, starting all the way back to when Baraqiel was first found. Sure he was told of it by AKeno, but to see it in person was altogether different.

But the next words that came out really hit it home for him. And it completed the circle of Akeno's current mindset.

"I love him. And I always will. But… I don't know how to start over again with him. Not after all he has been through."

In a flash of white light though, Aidan shuns his eyes. Then he hears footsteps, like those of a wooden sandal. Looking past the light, he sees a figure of a woman approaching him. As her face becomes more recognizable, Aidan was shocked to see who it was.

Akeno? No. This young lady looked older. She certainly had Akeno's appearance down to almost every feature. She was a beautiful woman who has long, flowing black hair and light brown eyes. She wore a beautiful kimono adorned in white and red, typical for Shinto shrine maidens.

But Aidan could see that this was some form of spirit of the dead. Something appearing into a dream. Something only the dead could gain access to if they ever wanted to contact someone of the living.

At least it wasn't some sort of skeletal ghost draped in white cloaks.

Aidan asks of the spirit, "Who…are you?"

The spirit merely smiles. "I…am the mother of she whom you love most. A child born of human and Fallen Angel blood. My name is Shuri Himejima."

This was a huge surprise for Aidan. "Himejima? Then you are Akeno's—"

Shuri nods. "Falling in love with my Fallen Angel husband and giving birth to a child born of both bloods were the happiest moments of my life. We were family, living in peace. Yet little did I know that fate had plans in store otherwise."

Aidan's ears perk up, remembering what Azazel spoke of during the peace summit months ago regarding Akeno's parents.

"You know of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred?" asked Aidan.

Shuri, bearing a remote yet somber expression, nods. "Baraqiel told me of the history of how he ended up at my shrine. Of the wounds he had procured. Wounds that I helped treated. He owed me a life debt for saving him and we soon fell in love. I knew that my clan would oppose to my love for him, but I never realized that Mephisto was watching the whole time and took advantage of their fears. He was well aware of just how powerful I was, having the power to sense and cleanse whatever corruption he could use to inflict on me. I was practically fighting him on a spiritual and influential scale."

Shuri could recall if not imagine herself doing a kagura dance, a traditional Shinto ritual dance of sorts, to wave off the dark influence and shadow of Mephisto that surrounded her.

"Each and every battle I did through the kagura dance was exhausting. I could not tell Baraqiel nor my daughter out of fear of losing them. But it was not until Azazel called out my husband that I was left to contend with members of my clan, now fully corrupted. If Mephisto could not defeat me directly, his subordinates would do so for him. I hid Akeno away and protected her, even as I was cut down."

Aidan looked to see as if Shuri was somewhat at peace with what had befallen upon her. If she was truly descended from a nephalem as Azazel said she was, then it stood to reason why she was able to match her spiritual will against the Lord of Hatred. And why she allowed herself to be killed to protect Akeno.

"But my death had consequences I could not have foreseen, mainly for Baraqiel. When he learned of my death and of how Mephisto caused it, he was consumed with revenge. As such, he left our daughter in the care of my corrupted family, unaware of its tainted state, and went after Mephisto."

"Only to end up captured," Aidan concludes, knowing of the result.

"Yes," Shuri confirms sorrowfully. "I was unable to properly sleep because of what had happened to my family. I could only watch as my daughter was left in the streets to fend for herself while my husband was left captive and tortured. All because I could not succeed in the fight against Mephisto. But that was when I learned of the horrifying truth of Mephisto's plan: wanting to make my daughter into a Demon and as his personal servant."

And so the truth becomes known. But what surprised Aidan was how Shuri became well known of it. And also of how she was unable to tell anyone of it because at that point, it was far too late. The damage would have become permanent had Rias not saved Akeno when she was young.

"Why go that far?" Aidan asked. "What could Mephisto gain from that?"

"Nothing more than the satisfaction seeing my husband suffer in pain. What better way to do it than to have me killed and Akeno turned into a Demon filled with nothing but absolute hatred?"

It sounded as if Shuri said that with venom in her voice, as if she bore animosity to the one Demon who not only fought her husband before he met her, but also battled her in a duel of wills. If anything, Mephisto had become the one major enemy to the Himejima Clan.

"But the one person who had managed to fix all that I sought to correct, the one person whom I placed all my hopes on, and the one that my daughter fell in love with, was none other than you, nephalem."

"Me?" asked Aidan.

"You were able to do what neither me nor Baraqiel could do. You triumphed over the Lord of Hatred. And in doing so, avenged the once proud noble family of the Himejima Clan, powerless as it is now. You also allowed Akeno to reconcile with her father, something she struggled with for much of her lifetime. And what's more, my daughter had fallen in love with you. Tell me, did she inherit my S&M personality? Has she tried any techniques of such?"

This made Aidan blush, realizing what Shuri had meant. "Wha-? W-Well, um… I think she—no, wait! I—" This was hard to answer, seeing as how Shuri looked like Akeno in terms of appearance but never thinking they had the same personality. Like mother, like daughter one could guess.

Shuri giggles with one hand over her mouth. But then she begins to notice that the area around them was beginning to disintegrate.

"We're running out of time. You will wake soon. Before you leave, I ask only of one thing in gratitude for all that you have done."

"I'm listening," Aidan was all ears.

Shuri takes a deep breath, followed by a moment of silence. "Take care of Akeno for me. Love her as you would love any other. And help my husband break free of his torment. This is all I ask."

It was a simple request to uphold. This was not the request of some spirit of the past, but a mother and wife currently in a state where she cannot interact with her family physically.

Aidan nods in agreement. "I promise."

Shuri smiles as she looks to the one image of a sleeping Akeno, in the arms of Aidan.

"Akeno. Whatever happens, please forgive and believe in your father. Your father might have hurt many people until now. But you know…It's true that he loves you and me. That's why, Akeno, please love him too."

And before she finally dissipates, Shuri closes her eyes with a smile, entrusting the future over to her daughter and her nephalem lover. All soon turns white afterwards.

THE NEXT DAY…

When the next day had arrived, Aidan and Akeno were already back home long before anyone else woke up, even the maids. They both kept up their usual façade, but Rias, having been the first one up since she couldn't sleep last night, could tell that Akeno seemed a little different. She was smiling more brighter than usual. Even she could see her boyfriend also bearing something of a smile of peace.

Rias knew then that Aidan must have done something to Akeno to make her seem more at peace with her past. But the realization of what they did made Rias' heart feel something of a knot within. She could see that they had sex. Now this was not the first time Rias knew Aidan and Akeno had sex, but it was the first time she had seen Akeno seem at peace with herself, of how she had found genuine love with Aidan. She was indeed happy for her best friend, seeing of how she had confronted her inner fears and laid them to rest. As expected of her nephalem boyfriend to help her.

Even still, the thought of Aidan and Akeno having sex made her envious. She bore a jealous expression even as she tries to hide it behind her cup of tea she sips.

Akeno was already making some breakfast. "Somnus, can you try some of this for me?"

"Sure. Not a problem," Aidan said as he walks over to Akeno. Rias continues watching, doing her best to hide her jealous expression.

Akeno held out a small bit of cooked potato. "Say ahh~"

Aidan opens wide and says "ahh", but before he could even taste the potato, he felt a pair of warm and moist lips against his.

Opening his eyes, he saw Akeno kissing him, first thing in the morning of all things. When Rias sees this, not only was she shocked, but also the cup in her hand seems to have cracks in it. Coming from her very, very tight grip.

Akeno smiles with a warm blush. "Thank you, Somnus… for everything."

Gulping, he nods with a blush. "N-No problem. Ehehe."

He laughs sheepishly. But that might have been the wrong response to make as he soon looks over to see Rias standing arm's length from them, her arms crossed and her eyebrows twitching while she tries to keep a straight face.

"Akeno, what do you think you're doing?" asked the redhead with an intense red and black aura of jealous fury. "To MY boyfriend?"

A cold sweat ran down Aidan's head while Akeno looked unsurprised, giggling as she does.

"Aww crap," Aidan curses to himself, fearing the inevitable.

NIFLHEIM: CASTLE OF HEL. THRONE ROOM…

"Sorry, Loki…" Vali sarcastically said as he stares out to the open void of Niflheim. "But when I saw Fenrir I thought, 'Hey I wouldn't mind having a dog'. After all, Julian has got one too. In his sword, no less."

Vali was staring out to Niflheim, looking out of its window from a building he and his team were in. Niflheim is one of the Nine Realms; a cold, dark, misty world of the dead that often interacts with Helheim. Its frigid environs provide a final resting place for the dishonored dead, those who do not die on the battlefield and do not ascend into Valhalla. Whereas warriors can freely go to Valhalla upon death on a battlefield, those that die dishonorably of disease, crime, and age come here. The realm possesses dark clouds covering the skies, an emerald-colored thin fog and mist, mountains of ice, structures made of stone and human-shaped metal statues. An ever-present wind current, known as the Winds of Hel, always blows throughout the entire realm. Despite the overwhelming cold and abundant ice, there are non-frozen rivers of water that flow from the waterfalls hidden in the mists.

As for the place the Vali Team were staying at, it was none other than the Castle of Hel, belonging to the name in question. It stood right in the middle of all Niflheim, specifically on the highest mountain peak in Niflheim if there ever was one. The castle itself was shaped like your typical Norse architectural building, but instead of wood, it was made of obsidian stone. It included everything that would be needed for a ruler of the Underworld, including a couple of bathhouses, bedrooms, guest bedrooms, living rooms, dining room, kitchen, meditation room, and study rooms. Despite the extremely cold temperatures of Niflheim itself, the castle is enchanted to make it warmer on the inside, especially for Vali and his Team since most are from Earth.

In the room they were all in was Hel's throne room, complete with a red carpet rug that stretched all the way to the stairs leading to the throne. Open windows showed the endless snowy landscape of Niflheim, and torches lit the place yet burned with a white flame, a flame never to be extinguished. There were also comfortable couches for the Team to rest on.

Vali looks over to his right see Julian with Garmr, the dog having manifested to play with Le Fay Pendragon, the younger sister of Arthur Pendragon. To describe him, Garmr is a wolf or dog associated with both Hel and Ragnarök, and described as a blood-stained guardian of Hel's gate. He was also the former pet of the goddess Hel, daughter of Loki. And though his size can match up to Fenrir at about ten meters, in truth he likes to be reduced to the size of a common German Shepherd.

As for how his soul ended up in the Warg Dire Ulfberht, it was not like Ddraig or Albion where the dragons were slain, and their souls sealed away. Garmr allowed his being, body and soul, sealed in the sword to accompany Julian, much like how Fafnir did with Azazel's Downfall Dragon Spear. The body of the dog was also kept within the Sacred Gear, "put on ice" as Julian would say. Garmr could manifest with his body and soul bound together but it still remains connected to the Sacred Gear. As for how the body is stored, when Garmr was sealed, his body dissipated into light dust that was then collected into the sword, allowing it and his soul to linger simultaneously and remaining bonded together.

After some tinkering and modifications, a new Mid-Tier Longinus was created, a secret only the Vali Team and few others know of. Garmr, unlike Ddraig or Albion, can manifest itself but only for one hour of the day, allowing a temporary release of his form physically and a spectral projection. The rest of the times, his primary essence mostly stays inside the Warg Dire Ulfberht.

In fact, that was the reason why Sköll and Hati were brought over to Niflheim: to replace Garmr as Hel's guard dogs. That was why the Vali Team retrieved them and their father Fenrir so as to get the God Devouring Wolf to join them, using his sons as a bargaining chip. Fenrir was reduced to size from his usual ten meter stance, giving off the stance of a large wolf. He also had one new feature; a scar on his left eye due to Aidan who had stabbed him. Luckily, after his capture, his left eye was restored but the scar remained, a permanent reminder to the God Devouring Wolf of how much he hates that particular nephalem for giving him such an injury.

The goddess of Niflheim, Hel, sat upon her obsidian throne overlooking the corpses of the deceased sons of Fenrir. She is a beautiful woman with a tail figure with long hair of mixed colors of red and blue, dressed in a robe with white and black colors as the basic tone. On her head she wore her black crown, a Viking diadem made of pure obsidian and crafted using the souls of Helheim itself. Through it, Hel not only ruled the realm of Niflheim and Helheim, but she was Niflheim and Helheim.

With the slain bodies of Sköll and Hati before Hel, they laid upon a carved magic rune with old Nordric runes decorating the circle. Candles also surrounded them outside of the ritual circle.

"Hel, all the pieces are in place," Arthur Pendragon said. "We're ready whenever you are."

"Then let us begin," Hel said as everyone stands far back. Except Julian. "The tesseract cubes, please."

Julian soon brings out the two green tesseract cubes that held the souls of Sköll and Hati inside of them. Hel telepathically takes them off her hands and keeps them levitated as Julian steps back outside the circle.

*RIING*

The rune circle lights up underneath the bodies of Sköll and Hati. Hel then spreads out her hands as she steps down from her throne, gathering power in what appeared to be soul magic. It gave off a turquoise glow as Hel gathers and once she reaches down to the base of the stairs leading to her throne, then then channels that energy into the deceased wolves.

Hel soon spoke of the old tongue of Old Norse, a language only a few mortals could understand.

"Kinder ór Fenrir, gøra fran kaldrinn hljóð ór hel ok munu hverfa til fylgja goddesanórr andlát!"

To sum up the translation in a nutshell, Hel simply commands the deceased sons of Fenrir to awaken from Hel and serve her.

As the soul magic is blasted into Sköll and Hati's bodies, their forms soon begin to reconfigure themselves. Bones were repaired, flesh wounds mended leaving behind scars, and blood restored back to their forms.

Once that was finished, Hel levitates over the two tesseract cubes containing the pups' souls over their corpses. Then, by her command as she clenches her fists, the tesseract cubes crunch up and begin leaking a glowing essence like a faucet of water. That essence from the tesseracts were the sleeping souls of the pups

As the essence falls onto their bodies, they glow white and a ringing noise echoed throughout, bringing color back to them. Ten seconds pass and the glow dies down. The tesseract cubes disintegrate into crystal dust and are scattered away from the winds of Niflheim. A few seconds pass before the eyes of the sons of Fenrir open slowly but surely.

The first to stir was Sköll as he sits up, looking weary and tired. Hati came next, also in the same state. Hel, as their aunty by blood, comes over and pets the two on the heads, using her magic to at least stabilize their minds so that they do not freak out the moment they realize they are in Niflheim and have died.

The goddess of death soon looks up to the rest of the Vali Team.

"A bargain is a bargain," Hel said as she stood up. "You are free to keep Garmr in exchange for Sköll and Hati as my new pets. And thank you so much for getting rid of that nuisance Belial. I had enough of that bastard roaming around the Nine Realms as it is."

"Speaking of which, how did you even know Belial was possessing Loki, Helly?" Kuroka said as she was lazing about like a cat on the warm carpet floor, eating some kraken takoyaki, courtesy of Julian as it was made by him, recipe and all.

Hel could only chuckle. "Well, unlike the Aesir who had no idea what they were bringing into their court, I had the foresight to see that my father was not himself, being his youngest daughter and the fact that I knew him better than most. And after investigating into his affairs, I realized what became of him. His own pride for wanting to commence Ragnarök cost him his life and allowed Asgard to be infested with Demon filth." Hel kept a pitiful smile as she reminisces on her father's schemes. "A pity he did not live to see his work ever completed."

That may have been the wrong move as Fenrir suddenly comes up to Hel and growls at his sister, feeling as if she insulted their father. Perhaps it was out of a sense of loyalty for him in all the time he served him, unlike Midgardsomnr who would rather be sleeping in the north. Unfortunately, because of chains of Gleipnir wrapped around him, it prevented him from even clawing or biting his sister. Most of Fenrir's power was also sealed, courtesy of the chains that were reinforced with Dark Elf magic and remained permanently wrapped around him as if willingly attempting to restrain him, and the most he could do was growl. As for how the chains were acquired in the first place, when Fenrir broke free thanks to Belial in disguise as Loki, they were left behind, mostly intact. And because of the weight, Kuroka kept them in her personal territory space.

Hel, looking at her elderly angered brother, was unamused and unthreatened as she responds to Fenrir's growls. "You would be defending a Demon that inhabited our father, big brother? Not even you could know that our father had been killed and possessed by the same powers he worked with. All because of his ambitions for Ragnarök."

Fenrir continues to growl at his younger sister, not convinced by her argument no matter how right she was. Perhaps it is because he is the firstborn son of Loki and of how proud he is of it that he does not take too kindly of his father being insulted. Despite being a Master-Slave relationship, Fenrir displayed absolute loyalty to his father without question.

"I would use this opportunity to repair your reputation and restore our family's name," Hel advised. "Join the Vali Team and in return, your sons will live to be in my good care down here. Refuse, and I can very well send you and them to Helheim if your pride takes precedence. And believe me, in your current situation, I hold the power here."

It was a fair and proper deal. And being a goddess of death, Hel can do exactly what she said for she was not bluffing. After all, for many lifetimes, she has ruled Niflheim and arranged the souls of all who travel there. But she was not one to commit fratricide. It was just something needed for Fenrir to back away from her if he was to be given a second chance free from being enslaved to their deceased possessed father. Plus this involved his sons, who were killed in the battlefield.

Sköll and Hati are really the only ones she can kill since them being to Helheim and her magic being what was used to revive them gives her a bit of power over them. Fenrir was simply at the point where the combined power of the chains and Excalibur Ruler weakened him to the point where Hel could easily kill him.

Fenrir, wanting his sons to live, concedes and backs away, lowering his growl.

"A wise decision, big brother," Hel said before she turns to meet with Vali and the others. "Be wary. The Demons are already making another move."

"Again?" asked a smirking Bikou. "No matter what numbers come, we can take care of it easily."

But that is when Hel speaks of one other note.

"Sinestra is also returning," She said. "With the Heavenly Host right behind her."

That immediately puts a sour mood onto everyone present, Vali included. Ever since his little sister's betrayal, he could never forgive her. The small vial of blue light liquid given to Azazel and used on Vali healed his wounds and restored his Sacred Gear. But when Vali was told it was given to him by Sinestra as an act of apology, he couldn't bear to accept that notion. Given of Sinestra's loyalty to the High Heavens, it is likely that she shares the viewpoint of many Elder Angels regarding everyone: they view them all as Demons of sorts.

In terms of humans and nephalem, since they were born from Demons comingling with Elder Angels, it was the basis of their biased and prejudiced view. For Devils, the Elder Angels would also view them as slaves of Demons who, despite their freedom, carry on their legacy like a permanent brand burned on a slave in the Middle Ages.

"Sinestra…" Vali growled.

"Figures she'd show up again," Julian concurred with his best friend. "What is she up to this time?"

Hel shrugs her shoulders as she returns and sits on her throne with Sköll and Hati right behind her. "I don't know exactly. But I heard rumors that she is heading towards the Russian Orthodox Church. Going after a certain nun that I am sure you know of, Julian."

This made Julian realize to his horror who was being targeted by the Angiris Apostle. "Mirana?!"

For those unaware, Mirana Shatarova is a nun of the Russian Orthodox Church. She is a beautiful young woman with an enormous chest who wears a black sister outfit. She has ashen blonde hair and mesmerizing gray eyes with a tint of blue.

When Julian first met her, he was instantly captivated by her beauty. They had met a few times in private, first starting off as friends before their bond grew something into mutual love. Mirana in turn was also quite fond of Julian, having been on the forefront of his compassion and care for her. He even left her a bouquet of orchid flowers from when they first met. They both had found a place in each other's heart from that day on.

Now it is no secret that it is forbidden for Christian nuns, especially cloistered ones, to be in relationships as it distracts them from the vow they have made before God. Some may call Mirana's affair with Julian a forbidden secret. Others may find her a heretic disobeying the Lord. But with God no longer around, who's to say he will bring judgment upon the sinners now?

"Why her?" asked Vali to the goddess of death. "What does my sister want with her?"

"From what I can gather, the Russian Orthodox Church is corrupted. Demons in disguise as priests roam the religion. And I suspect Sinestra is there to purge it, killing everyone even the innocent. No one will be spared."

Le Fay, upon hearing this, shudders, "But…But that's just…wrong. That is nothing but genocide!"

"Doesn't matter for her," Kuroka said in a serious tone. "Wherever there are Demons, Sinestra will slay them and any who conspire with them, even the innocent who do not know."

"This is unforgivable," Arthur Pendragon concurred. "Even the Angels themselves would not steep this low. It's no wonder the Seraphs are having difficulty keeping the High Heavens in check."

Julian suspects Mirana must be totally unaware of it given of how clever the Demons are in disguise. But now it was a race against the clock to stop the Angiris Apostle from killing her.

"Either way, she isn't good news for any of us," Hel said. "It's best you get to Mirana before the Heavenly Host sweeps in and destroys the Church. My advice for you is to not engage Sinestra. She is too powerful at this point, having acquired the Divine Dividing power. Who knows what other powers she may have stolen as well?"

"We have our mission," Julian said. "We should get to Mirana quickly before it is too late."

"Good, because I am freezing here," Bikou said sarcastically in regard to Niflheim's cold weather despite the warmth of the castle.

With Fenrir agreeing to join the Vali Team, it will mean one more ally against their enemies. If they were going after the Angiris Apostle again, then they will need all the help they can get now that Sinestra stole Vali's powers and is targeting a loved one of one of their members. Julian swore pure retribution on Sinestra for going after the woman he loves dearly. Because no one should lay a hand on her, not even the arrogant Elder Angels.

As for Vali, the next time he meets his sister, he will kill her. He does not take treachery, especially from family of his own blood, too kindly.

Meanwhile, in the dark desert night among the sands of Egypt, Aidan, wearing his form as the Dark Wanderer, rides his phantom horse Luna within the dunes. Once he arrives at his destination, he halts Luna and gets off of her, making her dissipate magically before he walks among the ancient and forgotten ruins lying in the Valley of Kings. He lays his hand on one of the destroyed pillars tracing his hand across the ancient hieroglyphs of old, admiring the work and how it is amazingly preserved after thousands of years. He had to admit that for all their accomplishments, the ancient Egyptians left a plethora of hidden knowledge deep within the sands, waiting for them to be claimed for better or for worse.

But he was not there for archaeological findings nor for tourist sightseeing. Not in the middle of the night. Earlier, he had told Rias and the other girls that he had a contract to attend to. This was very unusual as it was already late at night for them. Aidan promised to be back sooner than they expect him, so Rias allowed him to go, trusting her beloved as she always has.

No one knew though that his contract would take him halfway across the world. Right in the desert sands of Egypt, where the Egyptian Gods, led by Osiris, dwindle there. Despite the people of Egypt no longer worshipping them, the gods felt that they were still their people and thus had to be protected.

As Aidan walks among the ruins, he could only feel shame in his heart as he keeps his head lowered to ward off suspicion. He once again did something inexcusable to Rias and the others regarding this endeavor. He did tell them he was going to be late tonight and that it may take all night for this contract.

The truth however was far more alarming, one he kept to himself for the sake and safety of everyone. In reality, it was not a contract but rather something else entirely. As of late, his Sacred Gear has been behaving rather erratically, along with the recent nightmare he had prior to leaving the Underworld. The corruption in his left arm grew more violently. The bandages holding it back were also proving useless and he could see the soulstone in his Sacred Gear glow, giving off pulses like that of a heartbeat.

Someone was calling for him. And Aidan would have no choice but to answer it.

It was dark and cold as Aidan delves into one of the forgotten tombs. A tomb well hidden away. One that was either explored and its records forgotten, or one never explored at all. He enters inside, surprised to find no traps hidden away or any small critters crawling about or ancient creatures of the dead and damned waiting to ambush him. It was almost as if the tomb was made for him to explore alone and uncover its secrets.

Aidan came at last to some sort of great hall where a stone platform awaited him. Carved in obsidian and adorn in ancient Horadric runes, Aidan walks to the center where he sees a red glow from his Sacred Gear.

*RIING… GACHING*

Then the whole platform shifts underneath his feet as it sinks. Instead of using great chains to lower the platform, it instead operated on some form of ancient magic, the platform levitating downwards to the deepest recesses of the tomb.

Having a bad feeling about all of this, Aidan conjures up Silentium and imbues it with magic to give it some light as he didn't carry a torch with him nor spotted one around the tomb.

As Aidan soon rides down the stone platform and into the dark ruins of the tomb, he could feel his conscious grow heavier.

"At last…" An echoing voice of a Demon suddenly spoke. It sounded raspy, as if it were wounded and dying. Still, it was unusual for a Demon to sound like that. And yet it's voice sounded so familiar.

Once the platform reaches the bottom, Aidan continues his journey down into the dark structure, using Silentium and his senses to look around the place. He walks among the dark corridors of the stony tomb, with only Silentium in his right hand glowing to light his way. His steps were careful so as to be cautious, perhaps to not set any other traps that have yet to be set off. While he was indeed scared and unsure what to find, he knew he was walking in the right direction as the glow on his Sacred Gear glows ever brighter the further he walks down.

"Diablo was right to choose you," The demonic voice spoke.

"I defeated Diablo," Aidan proclaimed as he walked. "I defeated Mephisto. I can defeat you."

But the Demon said in reply, "My boy… my brothers did not die in vain." This made Aidan pause momentarily in his walk as he realized who this was. "Your destiny…"

"As the Prime Evil…" Mephisto's voice suddenly rang from Aidan's Sacred Gear.

"Was foretold long ago," Diablo's voice spoke afterwards from the same place.

Upon finally realizing who this was, Aidan presses forward, delving deeper and deeper into the long forgotten tomb lost to the sands of time. But as he walks further, he can feel the darkness around him get stronger, along with the evil that lied at the very heart of it all. Looking around the walls, what appeared to be Egyptian hieroglyphs were actually carvings much older than the time of the Egyptians.

And as he looks around these carvings, he sees that they were telling a story. On one panel were what appeared to be mages and wizards defeating a Demon and encasing it into some sort of magic stone. The next showed a discussion amongst them about what to do before one mage steps up to the plate, as if volunteering for something. The third panel then showed the Horadrim and an Elder Angel, which looked like Tyrael, jamming the magic stone into the chest of the volunteered mage who was chained to some sort of binding stone before sealing away the tomb.

And finally, the fourth and last panel showed the end result of the tomb as the centuries passed by. The mage's body decayed as his essence was consumed, taking on a more demonic appearance as it wrestles with the spirit of the demon entrapped inside of him.

Aidan realizes where he was in now. The forgotten Tomb of Tal Rasha, the ancient structure that housed the body of its namesake, who was the original leader of the first Horadric order.

And the prison of Baal, the Lord of Destruction and the middle brother of the Prime Evils, when he was captured by the Horadrim millennia ago. Tal Rasha selflessly allowed himself to act as a soulstone proxy to contain Baal's spirit, hence the name of his tomb.

As Aidan continues to walk through the crumbling remains of the tomb, the hallways are filled up more and more via the torches. He knew he was getting closer and closer as his soulstone on his left arm glows brighter and brighter indicating that he is going in the right direction. The aura of power and darkness also grew, like Aidan was almost walking in Hell itself.

He came at last to another hallway which led to a large darkened chamber barely lit up. There was also a wooden bridge that despite eons of inactive use and decay as evidenced by the rotting wood, still remained intact. It led to the central platform at the center of the darkened chamber.

"Diablo's release was just the beginning," The Demon's echoing voice said. "I will give you so much more."

"You'll die first," Aidan threatened. But his adversary was unmoved.

"I have died before," The Demon retorted back as Aidan then follows the exact location of where the voice was coming from, going across the wooden bridge. "Where Terror and Hatred tread wherever they walk on the earth, Destruction follows them… like the storm."

It was in that moment as the braziers were lit up that Aidan finally saw who was guiding him and speaking to him. The jeweled glow from the Al'Diabolos Terror Claws grew only brighter with a crimson color as the figure reveals himself, attached to some sort of structure behind him.

It was a four-legged Demon with spikes poking out of the legs. Six bones emerged out of his shoulders with hanging ornaments. The upper body appeared humanoid and held a yellow crystal on its chest as he played with it. Two large curled horns sprouted from the head and half the head seemed skull-like and the yellow half made of flesh but entirely pale and hollow. His face, oddly enough, resembled the Archangel Raphael's but horribly disfigured, pale skinned, and corrupted beyond recognition.

Aidan had recognized the voice and presence but needed to be sure he saw him face to face. Now confirming his worst fears and suspicions, Aidan, in that moment, brings the tip of Silentium over to the face of the Demon, recognizing who it was. Raising the tip of his sword to the creature's face brought clarity to its features, revealing that the Demon's eyes were filmed over with milky blindness.

Aidan also caught a glimpse of the Demon's hand, half rotted away, leaving only a few fingers covered with skin like melting candle wax. Aidan could see that the Demon was incredibly frail, his body dangling from an enormous binding stone etched in red runes that glowed brightly. On his neck was some sort of yellow crystal shard, corrupted and filled with demonic power.

Aidan recognized this binding stone the Demon was using while studying with his Uncle about the Horadrim. It was the same or similar device used by the Horadrim to imprison Tal Rasha in his tomb eons ago, meant to contain an ancient evil by his selfless sacrifice. The vials that punctured the Demon's neck from above were also familiar to Aidan. He had seen this device in his dreams in the past, back when he studied the first Dark Exile as a boy. He noticed that the liquid flowing into the living nightmare before him was nearly depleted, having fought a losing battle to sustain the Demon's putrid flesh. Aidan knew how much the Demon relied on the binding stone, for he could not live without it, given his current state at the time. Perhaps it was because of the Demon's awesome power and destructive spirit that its body was decaying at such a fast rate, thus needing the binding stone to halt the process.

Aidan recognized this Demon, for it was the same one whom his Sacred Gear had been reacting to due to the very bright glow from the soulstone. While concluding it was not the same Demon giving him his nightmares as of late, it was the one who was whispering to his mind to have him come to this dark and forgotten place.

This Demon was the one who had corrupted the Worldstone years ago. The one who embodied the powerful mortal form of Tal Rasha when he was imprisoned by the original Horadrim. The one who was set free by the unfortunate human Marius, whom he later killed. He was the one who was responsible for bringing ruin and desecration to the Children of Bul-Kathos, the Barbarians. The one who had sent Katarea Leviathan to attack the Three Factions during the peace treaty.

The one who killed Kokabiel in Cocytus and set the realm ablaze.

Tor'Baalos, or Baal, the Lord of Destruction. The middle brother of the Prime Evils.

Baal was unmoved of the fact that Silentium, the weapon that killed his brothers, was pointed directly at him. He retained a calm if not very faintly amused expression despite looking remote.

"What could you give me that I do not have?" Aidan cautiously asked while keeping the tip of his blade at the Demon's neck.

Baal responds, "Everything." Baal then raises his half rotted hands as if he were proclaiming something. "The Power of Destruction."

In that moment, Baal's hands cackle with demonic energy. And then suddenly, Aidan was hit with a vision that was shared to him by Baal.

In a vision, he showed Aidan the Devils working as slaves to the Demons. Each and every one of them were working hard at their stations but also being punished brutally. Baal also showed visions of experimentation done by the Demons, concocting what appeared to be the Power of Destruction as that red and black power aura Aidan knew that emanated from Rias was shown.

This confirmed the rumors that Aidan had heard about Baal in his Uncle's studies, particularly of the fact that Baal was the one who created the Power of Destruction and bestowed it onto his slaves whom he intended to use as a weapon against the Elder Angels. They were meant to be the harbingers to the Lord of Destruction and his brothers, and it was the Prime Evils' intention that Aidan should inherit their dark legacy by taking this power.

Now that power was in the hands of the Bael Clan, a clan perhaps named after the progenitor of its Power of Destruction. Whether they were named by Baal himself or they took it as a reminder of where they came from is unknown.

As the vision ends, Baal explains the meaning of it all.

"Your Sacred Gear is finally ready to accept the Power of Destruction," Baal announced to Aidan. "It will be yours if you do as I ask. Take my soul. Let me join my brothers. And become the Prime Evil from which you were meant to be."

It was a very tempting offer. Despite the Lord of Destruction's promises, Aidan sensed deception in his words, yet also truth. If he did accept the offer, Aidan's power would definitely increase, and no one would be able to challenge him. However, it would also prove to be his downfall in that he will venture much closer to becoming a full-fledged Demon, perhaps losing his sense as a nephalem.

Time was of the essence, however. The ancient arcane means by which Baal lived on borrowed time could not sustain him for long. The Tomb of Tal Rasha had become nothing more than a forgotten ruin drained of power, yet it was the only place where Baal could use his former prison to sustain himself. Aidan watches with detached interest as the demonic servants of Baal scrambled from behind to resuscitate their lord as his breath became a drastic wheeze before stopping completely. As they worked to restore Baal's dying host body with their demon magic, Aidan tried to gauge the Demon's strengths and vulnerabilities.

Cautiously, he lowers Silentium in an act like he accepts the offer. He still keeps his hard intense gaze at Baal.

"With this power, you may be able to protect your companions, and save your friends," Baal snarked, not really caring for the nephalem nor the bonds he shared, before he next gave a very cryptic warning to Aidan, his expression turning slightly serious. "But beware. She is much closer than you think she is."

Aidan, perhaps knowing who Baal is speaking about yet displays a face of suspicion, asks, "Who is 'she'?"

But Baal merely smiles. Whether he found Aidan's false bewilderment amusing or not is unknown. For the most brash and reckless of the Prime Evils, he yet maintained an aura of deception and glee.

It was if everything was proceeding as he had foreseen.

This is perhaps my second longest chapter to date. I don't know whether the wait was worth it all but I am once again leaving this season on a cliffhanger to deal with my own life and puruse career opportunities.

Now for the story. There have been a few complaints about Aidan's punch to Odin but I made it so because of the deception done unto him. Granted mistrust does not go away so easily but relations will improve between him and gods in general, not just Odin. I figured the best way was to introduce Mimir, the wise-cracking head whose appearance and voice is just like his God of War 2018 counterpart. Besides, who doesn't love a good severed head that tells hilarious stories and makes funny witty comments.

This chapter was wholly dedicated to the date scene of Akeno and Aidan, along with Baraqiel considering his current state and how it is derived away from what we know. The date wasn't too hard to make but the hospital scene was a little difficult, especially the gift giving of a giant mythological Japanese bird. Speaking of the bird, Reginald Echidnos will make more appearances throughout the story. Think of him as the Taneleer Tivan of Highschool DxD, except he deals in exotic mythological pets.

Now finally, a deal made with the Lord of Destruction and the last Prime Evil, Baal. In a manner very similar to the beginning scene of The Rise of Skywalker. For those that have not watched it, I recommend only watching the Emperor scenes because those are the only parts I liked about the movie. As for what Baal meant by the word She, well I am sure you can guess. The hint is Aidan's recent nightmares starting back at season 3.

Next up will be the beginning of the Diodora Astaroth arc. Considering how this arc lasts for four episodes, I may work all over it instead of focusing on one chapter at a time. So be prepared for a long-ass hiatus.

Shout out to drakin6345 for the creation of his OC Julian and the new OC, Reginald Echidnos. All rights and credits go to him for being given permission to create this new OC in my story. And thanks to him for helping plan out the Niflheim scene between Hel and the Vali Team.

Like, favorite, follow, and review at your leisure! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.