Crimson Darkness

by Chosen Assassin

Everyone has secrets. Even the normal, everyday human, Yuuki Rito. Exactly what dark secrets does he have hidden behind his kind smiles. Mature rating: Blood, Lemons, Language, Sexual Situation. Rito / Harem.

4. Chapter 4

Crimson Darkness

Chapter four

As promised.

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

"Attacks"

"Talion and Claudia speaking"

Passing through Hyperspace, which was a pool of colors warping pass your vision at a fast speed the naked eye cannot precede. Having been in Hyperspace for ten minutes now so to arrive outside Deviluke's orbit. Rito disguised as Revan wore a hard face looking out the windshield of his personal ship.

The dance of different colors reflected off his pupils, however this mattered little to him, as Rito awaited patiently for them to come out of Hyperspace. His face was devoid of emotions, nothingness with his thoughts solely on his mission.

The assassination of the Devilukean Emperor, Gid Lucione Deviluke.

Going over his gear one final time before they enter Deviluke's orbit. Rito examined his gauntlets and hidden blades beneath his vambraces. The left one was the standard Assassin's blade, sharpen to a point, the right one had the tip doused in poison for the unexpected should the plan fail. He checked his harness around his left hip holding both his katana and kodachi respectively with the latter resting on top of the katana. Checking his belt and the array of throwing knives also sharpen to kill. Looking through his inventory stored in his back pouches Rito listed off five smoke bombs, two phosphorus bombs that deployed a thicker cloud of smoke, two voltage bombs to paralyze pursers. Timed stemex grenades that can stick to any surface, they have a set timer before they detonate, and be remotely detonated via his Data Paired Glove.

Checking his quiver hidden behind his back stuck inside the outer dimension. A total of twenty-six arrows, golden in color sat inside the quiver. Rito had increased the number of arrows he can carry from twelve by completing missions and tasks assigned to him by Talion and Claudia.

"Where are we now?"

"Ah, I remember this! This was when Papa and Rito fought each other in the palace. It's also when Rito as Revan started living with us at the palace on Deviluke."

Mikan had asked the question after she and Nana stopped moping about Kirin's abnormal breasts size. She and the other humans realized the memory began in Hyperspace with past Rito going somewhere. Lala answered her with Rito and Gid fighting each other and him (Rito) living on the planet afterwards.

And judging from Lala's cheerful demeanor remembering this event only strengthens the idea of Rito sparing Gid and not killing him.

"Rito-sama we're leaving Hyperspace now."

"Alright. Yui begin adding power to our rear thrusters. I'll give you the signal when to use boost. We're going straight through that blockade without wasting a second on the fleet."

Rito retook control of flying his ship, it previously had been flow by Yui on autopilot. Rito pushed two buttons on the console next to him and grabbed both halves of the U-shaped steering wheel.

"Yes, Rito-sama."

Her voice vanished from the cockpit as they were getting out of Hyperspace. The kaleidoscope of colors disappeared and the first thing Rito saw was the Devilukean fleet of battleships and cruisers in the horizon before him. Forming a protective formation over the planet, as well as his target.

Determined and unafraid of their large numbers Rito continued flying towards the planet. The fleet of battleships and cruisers had already noticed him and were switching to attack position. Yui's monotone, serious voice appeared over the intercom again.

"Rito-sama, the enemy command ship is contacting us."

"Put him through, Yui." He said never turning his head away from his driving. Seconds after he ordered Yui to accept the enemy's transmission, an adult male's slightly gruff voice can be heard. Rito guessed correctly it was the commander of the blockade over the planet.

"Things have become very interesting, Yuuki Rito. Challenging the Emperor of the Milky Way galaxy is one thing, but to challenge the proud Devilukean military is a death wish I'm certain. I eager to see how you survive this encounter?"

"Attention unknown space craft! You have entered an unauthorized space without the proper identification. Identify yourself and the reason for your visit. Failure to comply and we will identify you as hostile and you will immediately be fired upon."

Ignoring his warning and intimidation Rito flew his ship faster towards the Devilukean fleet. The ships in the farest corners were switching to attack positions, with many doors opening to reveal missiles and laser grids hidden underneath the armor. Unfazed, Rito put more speed into his ship. His eyes narrowed behind the visor of his red mask. He could see the cruisers opening up their doors to reveal rows of missiles and pointing their gun batteries on the face of the cruisers directly at him.

"This is your final warning. Identify yourself! Failure to do so will result in swift and brutal force."

Still choosing to ignore his threats Rito continued flying to the planet. The fleet in front of him were focused on him and him alone.

"Be ready to activate our rear thrusters on my command, Yui!" Rito shouted flying up avoiding the straight blue laser beams from the battleships. He started to fly erratic, evading the hailstorm of blue laser fire coming from the cruisers and command ship blocking his direct flight path to the planet. Doing a upward roll narrowingly avoiding the heat-seeking missiles still coming straight at him. Rito made a hard turn of the steering wheel at a forty-five degree angle, moving out of the laser beams path.

A display of explosions and lasers extending into the far reaches of space. They created a temporary flash of light that was possibly seen down on the planet below. Flying expertly into this hell storm of explosions was Rito piloting his ship, the "Traveler" with peerless skill and focus. He flew straight and around the missiles and laser fire from the fleet determined to shoot him down.

But Rito remained awfully calm when flying through this chaos. A missile detonated beside his left flank damaging the "Traveler's" shields by ten percent, however, Rito wasn't fazed and continued evading the rain of missiles coming for him from every direction.

Closing the comms channel that he left open when speaking with the enemy commander. Bringing that gloved hand he used to switch off communications back to grip the steering wheel. He kept his hardened gaze forward spotting the multitude of missiles flying straight at him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up telling Rito he was in even more danger.

Taking his hand away from the steering wheel he flip a knob above his head to release the flares. Perfoming a quick succession of rolls when releasing the flares from behind him. The missiles tailing Rito changed their direction and crashing into one of the dozens of flares Rito deployed. But this only stopped that volley because another set of missiles were already hot on his tail again.

He threw himself in his seat and his ship to the right causing two missiles behind him to crash into each other. Rito performed another set of rolls and deployed more flares, he was successful in stopping every last missile granting him a brief window to rest. Flying up quickly he avoided another volley of laser fire close to piercing his ship's hull.

Avoiding a third and fourth volley of laser fire from the cruisers in front of him. Rito increased his ship's speed heading straight for the command ship.

"This all reminds me about that Sc-fi show my tou-san and kaa-san enjoy watching. If Yuuki-kun wasn't in danger right this second I too could probably enjoy watching this."

Haruna commented on the space combat and numerous explosions happening on screen. Of course, her worry was still towards Rito in the memory fighting in this space battle. Her heart would occasional clench tightly inside her chest whenever an explosion went off next to his ship, or he flew straight into an explosion and safely appeared on the opposite side.

Some of the other females in the group smitten with Rito were also feeling similar to how she (Haruna) was feeling but said nothing knowing this is a memory and the Rito standing with them right now told them he survived what was happening.

"There is no need to worry for Rito-san's safety, Haruna-san. Everyone worried for Rito-san can release a sigh of relief right now because Rito-san is an expert pilot, who is more than capable of outwitting and defeating our father's military single-handily according to tou-sama. He didn't want to admit it but he commended Rito-san when he was Revan-san and tried to recruit him to work for him also."

"In short to what Momo is saying. Rito can take care of himself. There is no need to feel powerless seeing him fight against an army."

The second princess Nana finished for her younger twin, she looked in Haruna's direction aware of the girl's feelings for Mikan's older brother. Haruna took a deep breath to calm her nerves and released a sigh following Momo's request to do so. The other females followed after Haruna but did so quietly to not give themselves away to the younger princess.

Happy to know despite whatever is happening in the memory they're currently watching together. Rito is alive and well, although not entirely given his current predicament.

Doing some more combat rolls and maneuvers with his ship flying directly for the bridge of the command ship in his sights. Rito narrowed his eyes behind his mask's visor, and pressed the twin buttons on either half of the steering wheel to shoot the "Traveler's" primary fire.

Shooting a machine gun of green laser fire into the bridge, an explosion went off and the command ship started to sink down into the darkness of space below. Scoring a perfect kill on the enemy command ship, disabling the ship's shields with two ion bombs, allowed Rito to destroy the command ship with little to no real effort on his part. Flying past the detonating rubble and sinking cruiser, Rito gave the order to his A.I. Yui.

"Yui, now!"

"Hai, Rito-sama."

The rear thrusters opened up and shot off like a rocket straight for the planet's surface. The missiles that were closing in on the "Traveler" were left in the dust by Rito flying ahead of them. They safely exploded in outer space unable to catch up to Rito, now a small dot heading straight for planet Deviluke.

"We're going to skip the conversation and fall to the planet and go straight to me landing on the planet and fighting my way to the palace. Although I got pass the blockade at first, the rest of the military and Gid already were waiting for me when I got down there. I didn't desire to fight all of Deviluke's military and Zastin – so I used stealth and my skills to vanish and disappear until I reached the throne room itself and confront Gid in person."

"We didn't see your entire fight against Chichiue only catching the end of it when you spared his life. You both caused a lot of property damage to the royal palace and the gardens outside. Chichiue rarely gets serious when fighting so I'm wondering what you two were talking about to get him so fired up to fight you."

"Heh heh, just some fighting words were said between us, Nana. Words your dad didn't want to hear from me. Some insults but nothing too indecent for Kotegawa-san to response to." Here Rito chuckled for Yui's reaction not to the interaction he and Gid had before they started punching one another into opposite sides of the palace.

"Nevermind the bad words, or swears you two probably said to each other. I'm more interested in the next memory where Yuuki gets laid again. You still haven't clarify the whole "Bathroom Incident" you brought up before things took a page from the space battles from "Galaxy Wars"." (Get it?)

Risa started crossing her left leg over her right one sitting down on one of the sofas. Her arms are crossed over her breasts, with a lecherous smile on her lips looking at the back of Rito's head. At the reminder of the "bathroom incident", several alien women (Lala, Nana, Momo, and Mea) fell into a trance and started dreamily repeating the name over and over with glazed over eyes.

"We don't talk about the "Bathroom Incident". Plus I don't want Kotegawa-san coming after me for showing something shameless again." Rito replied turning his head away from the scowl coming from Yui sitting on the sofa behind him. Her eyes held some tears near the edges of her eyes, and a blush on her cheeks. Her lips were also stuck in a frown.

"I wonder how Rito's fight against the emperor of the galaxy ended, and who won. This wait is suspenseful."

Ayase whispered out as the memory was starting again with the traveler under hot pursuit from Devilukean gunships on its tail.

As soon as they cleared entering the atmosphere of the planet. Rito's and Yui's troubles were only just beginning because they were being chased by a squadron of gunships bearing the crest of the royal family. A dog fight insured above the capital city with Rito destroying two gunships out of the seven, however; he was soon pushed on the defensive with the gunships cutting off his escape routes when he tried to make a move towards escaping.

Now flying thirty-thousand feet in the air above the capital city and the royal palace seen in the distance. Explosions went off temporarily lighting the sky in a shower of black, gray, yellow, and orange. The people below on the city streets and looking out the windows of the large buildings watched the chase happen just above their heads.

Rito and the Devilukean pilots seem to have a mutual understanding regarding the innocents watching below. The gunship pilots were mindful with shooting their missiles at him and refused to fly below two-thousand feet. Rito also avoided flying below the large skyscraper-like buildings and when he had a missile on his back he would fly up and destroy it safely in the sky.

They both didn't want to harm the civilans below, or push them in harms way with their fight – So this is where their level of respect for one another crossed. Just a silent, non-verbal agreement to spare the innocence from their conflict.

Still, they were getting in the way of completing his mission, and the longer he waits to assassinate Gid, then getting off planet safely will be impossible for Rito. Especially with the fleet and blockade waiting for him outside the planet's orbit. The gunships had to be stalling for time given that none of them have shot a missile at him in the last two minutes. They must be waiting for reinforcements to arrive and also to buy some time for Gid and his council to flee.

If he escapes and goes into hiding that will make tracking him and getting to him that more harder. The direct assault plan Rito was reluctant to do will have been for nothing.

"Yui take the wheel and lure those gunships away from the palace. Once I'm street-level beam me down and get out of here. Return to low orbit and stay there until I call for you. I only have one chance to assassinate Gid. Be ready once I call for you to pick me up."

"I understand, Rito-sama. Good luck out there." Yui's somber tone filled the intercoms and stereo system. Rito reluctantly remained silent to this and pushed the traveler to a dive for the city streets.

The crowded streets began to clear out seeing Rito's ship, the "Traveler" heading straight for them. The gunships behind him followed him down but didn't shoot any missiles at Rito. A red alarm and siren started to go off in tandem with Rito's nose dive to the streets below. Rito ignored the loud noise and looked out the windshield of his ship, as he got closer to the ground below.

Reaching his desired attitude just hovering over the streets of the capital Rito took the steering-wheel back and ending his nose dive. Flying straight he put power on the brakes as he relinquish control over to Yui, who set the "Traveler" to autopilot. Rito pushed his chair backwards feeling his body dissolve into particles.

Reforming on the sidewalk below his ship. A shower of sparkles in a sequence of rainbow colors, and Rito was standing on the ground floor. He covered his eyes behind his mask watching his ship, the traveler fly overhead back to the clouds with the five gunships hot on its tail. They failed to catch he was no longer on-board his own ship and continued the chase regardless.

With sealth once again on his side Rito walked through the streets on his way to the palace. He blended in with the crowd as they were slowly returning from their hiding places. None of the people here didn't look at him funny, or commented on his black robes and red mask, which are two infamous markers for Revan, or also known as Crimson Darkness.

Just one of Rito's many titles and monikers.

To them he was just another random face within the crowd despite his taste in clothing. Not that from all the planets Rito has visited and the people he has met on those planets – are their choice in clothing any different from his. Still this raise the question weather the Devilukean people even knew who Rito's alter ego was?

Did this planet even know of his existence? Are the people of Deviluke honestly unaware of the bounty hunter and wanted criminal Revan? Is only their military and generals within the monarchy aware of who Revan is. Is withholding this information to the public to safeguard them? Or perhaps a ploy to keep the people oblivious to the dangers in the galaxy using their massive military and ships to create a protective wall around the planet. And only talking about the good things involving them and nothing more?

This was all speculation on Rito's part, however. Everything he's listed off right now can be false and was thinking too hard about the true answer concerning this planet and the people who live here. Besides he doubts he will even be welcomed back here after Gid's murder. Not that Rito would want to return to this planet again in his lifetime.

Reaching a large outer gate protecting the palace behind a large stone wall. The wall was beige in color, with the door itself being a dark brown made from wood and black accents near the sides where the hinges can be located. The large door was situated in-between a archway with the wall holding it together.

Planting his boots on the swirl-like pattern flooring. The surrounding people walking the sidewalks behind Rito dispersed and went in the opposite direction. They moved away from Rito getting as far back as possible from him, leaving him to stand alone before a large door blocking his passage into the royal palace.

The clattered and thundering of boots were quickly approaching Rito, who stayed where he was and didn't move a muscle. He moved his head side to side looking at the group of soldiers wielding spears and rifles coming straight at him. Once they surrounded him in a circle they're weapons drawn and held out in front of them. The second group stood in front of Rito with their weapons drawn and held before them. The tip of their spears glittered in the sunlight over their heads, Rito's mask visor shielded his eyes from the flash.

Both sides held this position for some time. The soldiers kept their weapons on Rito and the latter remained quiet and calm to the situation around him. Rito exuded a calmness to being surrounded by the group of soldiers with their weapons facing him. Perhaps it was his refusal to break his character as Revan, or otherwise Rito had mastered the art of hiding his true feelings and expressions from friends and enemies alike. It's impossible to see what he is thinking about and what feelings are he experiencing.

A lone soldier taller than Rito and the two soldier pointing their rifles at the latter. He removed his helmet to show a grim face and hardened eyes of a man, who's height matched his age. White skin and blond short and shaggy hair. His eye color were green like emeralds and he possessed some wrinkles around his eye-lids and bags under his eyes.

Rito eyed the hardened veteran with respect and awe behind his visor. He could see himself potentially recruiting this man to his cause as an advisor, and officer in his Brotherhood. Anyone who has fought in many battles and have been shaped by the fights and beliefs they have inherited throughout their lifetime. They make primary recruits to join the Assassin Brotherhood. Rito is always ready to accept those with experience and the will to protect others into his fold.

However, the apparent leader staring back at him doesn't appear to be the type to openly switch sides and defect. A shame and a huge lost on Rito's end. Killing a man like him is a treasure to be openly sought and taken for themselves.

"State your business here, or be killed on the spot. Don't think we don't know who you really are." The soldiers holding the rifles removed the safeties off their guns and hastily awaited the command to fire on Rito standing still in front of them.

Saying nothing Rito remained silent to the soldiers surrounding him. He was just finishing his conversation with the two siblings inhabiting his mind and body.

"I won't ask a second time, son. State your business or be fired upon by firing squad. You have to the count of three-."

A soldier to Rito's right released a cry of pain and fell backwards onto his back. His moans of pain and rolling around ceased after another ten seconds expired revealing a golden-colored arrow embedded into the soldier's heart through his chest plate.

Another soldier let out a gasp of pain followed swiftly by a third and so on and so on. Until all of the eight soldiers surrounding Rito were dead on the ground, and golden-colored arrows were found on their dead corpses, either in their hearts, backs, and stomachs. Rito had not moved a single finger and now eight soldiers were dead at his feet. The group in front of him including the leader with short, shaggy blond hair were astonished and also afraid of Rito after witnessing the killing of their comrades and brothers.

Using their hesitation to move freely, he reached into his backpouch and retreived a round white object. Rito cooked the device in his hand before rolling the device at their feet. The device was beeping, while it rolled to a stop touching the toe of the leader's boots. It was facing up showing three green LED lights lit up staring up at the soldiers.

"You may want to cover your eyes." Rito said off-handily reaching over his right shoulder to grab an arrow from his quiver on his back. It proved too late for the soldiers as the round device went off releasing multiple flashes of blinding light, eliminating their vision, robbing them of sight for a brief moment.

Rito followed up with their immobility and fired the arrow from his bow of the the same color. The arrow before it could pierce the person in its line of sight, this being the leader standing in front of the pack. The arrow vanished into thin air leaving behind a cloud of mist in front of the leader's metal chest plate.

A burst of speed originating where Rito was standing previously in front of the soldiers. He reappeared behind the group of five soldiers holding an English straight sword with a jewel-encrusted cross guard held horizontally in his right hand. Blood was found on the blade of the sword quietly dripping and staining the swirl-pattern concrete below their feet.

Seconds after appearing behind the soldiers they all collapsed to the ground together in unison. On their bodies and armor were entry and exit wounds, along with their blood leaving their corpses and spilling downward to the streets then trailing down to the sewers below.

Rito calmly cleaned the blood off his sword and returned it to the sheath on his back peeking over his right shoulder. Next to this sword's sheath to the left was a knife held in its sheath also peeking over Rito's right shoulder. These two weapons were given to Rito to be used by him from Talion and Claudia after he finished his training with them. The sword is Talion's, while the dagger belongs to Claudia.

Looking over his left shoulder at the carnage he is leaving behind. Rito gave a small prayer to the departed soldiers so they may find their way to the afterlife. Finishing up he fired a second arrow up the face of the wall. When the arrow reached the top of the wall Rito vanished again only to re-appear standing on top of the wall itself.

Sheathing his bow over his shoulder which evaporated into energy. Rito snuck himself over the wall and dove straight down to the ground opposite of the wall.

"I never seen Revan-sama use that kind of move. It all happened in the blink of an eye and all the soldiers were dead. Ne, what did you use to kill all those soldiers?" Mea turned in her seat looking up Rito's face wanting an answer to what he did and how he did it.

"Seeing Yuuki-kun kill others no matter who they are, weather they are humans, or aliens. I find myself more surprised on the different forms of magic and powers he can use. Mea-san is onto something when asking Yuuki-kun to go into more depth about his various abilities. It starts the question on exactly how strong Yuuki-kun really is."

Yui Kotegawa finished giving her explanation about Rito's new found abilities and powers given to him by the two gods inhabiting his body. Forgetting about his murdering of the soldiers outside the gate, everyone's focus was towards the nature of these abilities granted to him from the previous set of memories set on Mercury and Europa respectively. Everyone watching inside the Yuuki siblings living room were getting no where to understanding the phenomenal that is Yuuki Rito.

Here Rito started to chuckle and laugh calmly ganering everyone's attention on him once again. His smile disappeared and a calculated look enveloped over his once humorous visage.

"I'm not all that powerful to start with Kotegawa-san. When I was first starting out as Revan, when I was barely constructing and building my Brotherhood. I was weak against the enemies I confronted on my journeys across the galaxy. On almost every mission I went on I was almost killed by whoever I happened to be fighting at that time. Of course I can't die so the purpose is therefore defeated. However, I did struggle against a lot of my opponents, who I was later successful to recruiting to my side. Yami could be a prime example on my struggles to become stronger. But another example is my battle with Gid, or Lala, Nana, and Momo's tou-san."

"You didn't try something stupid and got yourself seriously hurt did you Rito?" Mikan coldly accused her brother glaring at him with his back facing her. Yami sitting next to her, the knight's helmet sitting on her lap. She ran a supportive hand down Mikan's back to soothe her anxieties over losing her brother again. They turned to face the TV as the memory started playing again.

Running across the rooftops Rito would ducked behind the opposite side to avoid detection. Word had traveled quickly about his killing of those guards at the outer gate. The inner courtyard and plaza inside the palace were teeming with guards and knights running towards the gate. He spotted some knights going in different directions and some stopping outside a building Rito thought to be a barracks.

He remained put where he was hiding, waiting for the last of the knights, now with reinforcements started running in the opposite direction back to the palace. Rito waited until they were out of sight when the rear soldiers disappeared behind the corner. Standing up from his hiding spot on the bright-colored tiles of rooftop, Rito started running for the lavish building of many archways and pillars that was the royal palace, and where those knights were heading towards to reinforce the defenses there.

While he was careful with his approach up to the palace. Rito took extra precaution in altering his running speed and landings after a successful jump to another rooftop. Most of the knights have evacuated the citadel already, but Rito didn't want to eat his own words and alert some sleeping guard of his presence. Landing on the round pillar shaped rooftop fitted with blue tiles. Rito grabbed onto the spire tip, relaxing his posture and feet on the side of the roof. He looked ahead up the west wall of the royal palace admiring the structure and beauty of the extravagant building he was suppose to infiltrate.

Examining the face of the large-scaled brick wall impossible to be climbed without being immediately spotted. Rito's eyes widened spotting a glass-stained window partly left opened behind where the wall and the palace end with the palace towering over it. Thanking whoever was the oblivious soul that left that window opened for him. Rito withdrew his bow and brought back the string, an arrow of the same color already held between Rito's fingers.

"You're welcome, Rito!"

"Onee-sama... that wasn't suppose to be taken as a compliment."

Adjusting his aim to hit near the window, he released his hold and the arrow soared tearing through the sky up the face of the wall. When it reached the side of the window where it was left opened. The arrow disappeared and Rito re-appeared in the arrow's place. Quickly latching onto the window still and grabbing the handle of the window with his right hand. He spared a backwards glance over his shoulder at the leap he made to get up here. Rito then pulled his body into the room and properly closed the window, locking it behind him.

"So naturally what's coming up next is Yuuki Rito's fight with the emperor of the Milky Way galaxy? If Yuuki Rito was defeated by the emperor and he found out he was a human... that would mean..."

"He would destroy this planet to send a message to never rise up against his rule. Tou-sama can't go a single day without threatening to destroy a planet. He will even say it as a joke and no one will laugh because they know he can and will do it if provoked. So if Rito-san was defeated then that would mean the end of the planet Earth and the extinction of the human race as a whole."

Everyone except for the aliens of the group wore surprised expression on their faces and started to shiver and cower with anxiety at the idea of the planet being destroyed. The way Momo said this so casually sold the idea that if Rito indeed had loss his fight with Gid that would mean the destruction of the planet Earth.

No one wanted to picture the destruction of their planet, or their deaths at the hands of a mad king and possible tyrant from what they had heard about Gid from the three princesses. Rito could be seen scratching the side of his head with an annoyed look on his face. A tick-mark was pulsing behind the fringes of his hair covering his forehead. Nemesis grinned saucily at him opening her mouth to comment on his current state.

"Maa, it seems they don't have much faith in your abilities, Yuuki Rito. Even after witnessing your surprising feats and appalling actions you have made in the past. Your friends cower at the thought of your selfishness costing them their lives and the fate of this planet. What do you think about this, hmm?"

"Nothing really. It just shows I'm still seen in a not so forgiving light in their eyes."

The memory continued with Rito sneaking though the royal palace.

Choosing to stay on the ceiling rafters and use the furniture that was suspiciously placed in areas for him to to get back up should he fall, and use them as support beams to jump to the next railing, or rafter in front of him. Sticking to the shadows away from the light whenever someone was passing by. The inside of the palace wasn't any different than how it was outside. The maids and butlers continued going about their work with no change to their routine.

Rito believed with what happened outside the gate and everyone would be on high alert, however, this was nothing at all what he was expecting to find. In the back of his mind the thought of an ambush waiting for him seem to be appropriate, with how everyone was reacting normally to his daring attack on the planet.

But he has already come this far with his only escape route sealed off by him. Rito had to push deeper into enemy territory and fight through the ambush if that was what he was walking into. Leaving his hiding spot behind the plant on the ceiling in the corner of the hall. He continued his sneaking around via railings and rafters on the ceiling.

Two minutes later of sneaking around quiet as a mouse. Rito found the large engraved double doors leading to the throne room within the palace. His target sitting in his throne behind these doors, just in sight of him. Rito looked through his weapons and supplies on his belt one last time before facing the emperor and strongest being in the Milky Way.

Pressing both of his palms flat against the door and pushed inward. The two doors gave a resounding 'creak' as they were pushed opened, alerting the people inside with their eyes fixated on Rito's robed personal. Rito gave one final push against the double doors watching them slide against the rugs then hitting the two walls on either side of him, where they let out a loud clap reminisce of thunder.

The room fell silent after the doors ceased their clatter. Two pairs of eyes were facing one another in a silent face-off. One the color of red narrowing to a bored glare, and the other hidden behind his mask's visor were glowing gold. These two competitors were focused on the other standing before him.

The other people in the room whether they were knights, or an advisor of Gid's watched Rito with shock marred on their features. Their posture soon changed to terror and were shaking after realizing who Rito was.

The throne room became active with life with the knights springing into action, some putting themselves in front of their emperor like a human shield, while the other half drew their swords at their sides ready for battle against the infamous and highly decorated Revan. The last of the knights were escorting the crowd of officials and advisors out of the room leaving only those battle-ready alone in large throne room complete with banners hanging from the ceilings and flags nailed to the wall above the room.

Before any fighting could take place, Gid raised his hand out to his side. The knights recognizing this gesture backed away and removed themselves between Rito and him. Now it was only Rito (Revan) and the emperor Gid to face each other in combat.

Standing up from his chair, standing at his full height on his own two feet. Rito didn't bat an eye at the child-like emperor standing in front of him. His black cloak around his shoulders touched the floor going far pass his ankles. Rito was contemplating the idea of the emperor tripping on his own cloak and falling to the ground defeated. His embarrassment was too great he surrendered without contest to Rito.

While a silly and unbelievable way to defeat the emperor of the Milky Way galaxy. Rito knew that his victory won't be won as easily as he would like. Closing both his hands into fists. He took a single step backwards with his left sliding against the red rug at his feet. Gid started walking forward towards him. His cloak not being an issue despite the length of it and his small size.

"I finally can put a face to the names now finding you standing in front of me. This will save me the time in looking for you." Gid began to speak. His walk towards Rito is slow and full of confidence. Even with his small stature Rito was feeling doubtful he could defeat Gid. He had heard from his spy network that he was still recovering his power, which resulted in his diminished size. Even if he was being handicapped, Rito was still doubtful he could walk away from here alive. "So what brings the Assassin out of hiding? Did you come here in person to beg for mercy?"

"I'm here to bring your reign of tyranny to its overdued close." Flicking his wrist on his left hand, and the hidden blade sprang out for Gid and the knights behind the chair to see. The steel of the hidden blade cast a light hitting Gid in the eyes.

"Hmph. You can't be serious? I'll give you my respect for making it this far. But that's all you're going to get from me. In addition to the attempted murder of an emperor of a powerful planet and kingdom there is also the lives of those knights you killed in space and in front of my palace. Now I will avenge them and put the rumors of the "untouchable Revan" to sleep."

Gid crouched backwards on his legs slightly bending them at an angle. Rito's eyes widen behind his mask finding Gid in front of him one second, arm locked for a clothesline, when a second ago he was standing in front of him. He failed to react in time as Gid clothesline him backwards with the force of a car going thirty miles per hour behind his swing.

"Rito-san!"

"Ouch, Rito that had to have left a mark..."

"Chichiue was really trying to kill Rito with that one attack."

Comments like these ones were spoken out loud with everyone reacting differently to seeing past Rito being knocked back into a wall with the force of a semi-truck behind it from the amount of force Gid put behind that last attack.

Some weren't so vocal with their worries towards Rito. Yami sitting beside Mikan, she used her trans ability to transform her blond hair into a large hand and rub Mikan's back to sooth her friend's worries, as well as her growing negative emotions. She herself clutch at the bottom of her skirt tightly. Her own concern for the boy she loved showing in her usual silent way.

"Hah, was that all? The bounty hunter and Master Assassin I'm always hearing about was defeating with a single hit? Now something has to be wrong here."

Gid started talking and taunting Rito not believing for a second he was defeated so easily. His gamble proved right with the loud screech of a sword being unsheathed was heard around the room. A fiery explosion occurred at the rubble where Rito crashed into. The floating rubble and pieces of wall flew around the throne room, crashing into windows and damaging the flooring leaving many wide-open craters and potholes that will need to be fixed less someone falls down one.

"Stand back you sissies. I can handle this one on my own!" Gid referring to the knights behind him urging him to get back. He didn't mind their constant whining and cries very much so he told them to shut up, plain and simple.

The dust and smoke settled for Rito's crouched form could be seen standing on top of the rubble. Held in his hands horizontally was his katana, the steel blade was burning hot with red-orange flames licking the katana's steel entirely and stopping at the guard. Rito's black robes were gleaming a bright smooth orange, with fiery wings burning behind him, and his hooded cape had fallen off his head leaving his mask and shaggy black hair with red tips visible. His cape fluttered behind him, now a discarded scarf when not protecting his identity.

Raising his body to stand up straight, Gid began to clap his hands together seeing Rito unharmed and moving after his last attack.

"Nice to see you're still ready to go. Most of the insects I'm faced with can't even take a simple laser blast before they issue their surrender to me. Although you're young I can see you becoming even stronger with the right teacher to guide you. Obviously I'm not that teacher, but if you survive and successfully get away from here, and find someone who can teach you. Feel free to come back and show me what you have learned."

"Do you ever stop talking?" Rito said, a stoic and bleeding face glaring back at the small emperor.

"Nope~."

"Not likely."

"Otou-sama does like to hear the sound of him talking."

The three sisters revealed their father's inability to stay quiet and talk over just about anyone to listen to himself speak and nothing else.

"Hmm...?" Gid continued his taunting, pretending to clean out his ear with his finger. Rito shook his head finding Gid to be a lost cause to talk to. So the demand for his surrender is unnecessary now.

"Whatever, it won't matter in minute. Normally I wouldn't hit someone not my size because I'm not a monster. For you... I'll make an exception." Rito raised his katana parallel with his left shoulder, the tip of his flaming katana facing the well-decorated and artistic ceiling over there, his katana diagonally starting from his left shoulder.

A crescent arc of fire launched from the katana's edge moving straight for Gid. The small emperor raised his right hand nonchalantly and took the full blunt of the attack. He absorbed the fire but without suffering third-degree burns to his palm of the hand he used to stop Rito's attack.

Clenching the back of his wrist with his uninjured hand he gritted his teeth in pain and discomfort. He was seething with rage from the burning aftermath from absorbing that last fire attack. The skin on his palm was a darken pink, singed with black spots depicting dead skin and dried red blood sticking like tree sap around the black spots and climbing up towards his fingers.

Gid sent a harsh and painful glare at Revan. The burning fire on his sword and wings behind him were crackling beneath the silence, the knights remained where they were under strict orders to not intervene by their king. And with his recent injury he just endured, it wasn't in anyone's best interest to offer their help and join the fight at this point in time.

Rito stood unmoving in front of the seething small emperor glaring at him, while nursing his scorched hand. Emperor, or not, no one can handle flames hailing from the sun itself. With his wounded hand made it impossible to be used in their fight. Now Rito has been given a greater handicap against Gid wounding his right hand he used to absorb his last fire strike.

He was still suspicious and cautious around Gid, even though he can't use his right hand anymore, Rito still didn't have enough data on him to accurately read his power. He has to approach this fight in front of him with care and not lose sight of Gid for more than three seconds.

"Hahahaha! I'll give you that one! That last attack stings quite a bit." Gid gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes fighting through the contractions in his injured hand. White pus can be seen leaving the infected hand, hitting the floor next to Gid's feet. "Hopefully Sephie can fix this later. Ah, that stings."

"I'm asking you to throw the fight and surrender. Even you can't survive these flames, just look at your hand." Rito pointed his left index finger at Gid's infected hand. The small emperor ignored him and rolled his shoulder of the arm that was clean. Getting himself ready for combat.

"You should know by now that I don't like taking orders from other people so well. Sure you messed up my hand pretty good but that's the only hit you're going to land on me. Consider that the warm-up, now the real fun starts."

He finished talking, rolling his neck till he heard a pop, and Gid releasing a satisfying moan.

Rito held his katana in front of him with two hands. Ready for Gid and his counter-offensive to his first attack he did to officially begin the fight.

Raising his index finger in front of him pointing it straight at Rito. A orb of red energy began to form in front of that finger, charging up with power. Gid launched the orb of energy at Rito, who retaliated with a swing of his katana in front of him creating a tall wall of burning flames to protect him. The red orb crashed into the wall of flames and was swallowed whole leaving no trace of it within the burning inferno.

Holding his katana in front of him again returning to his previous ready stance. Rito increased his sensory abilities to listen for Gid. He tapped into the outer dimension to get a better read on his movement. Detecting a shadow moving to his left around the wall of fire. Rito opened his eyes and turned in that direction, his katana held over his head he brought it down releasing a second arc of fire heading for Gid.

The emperor of Deviluke recalled the damage done to his hand and moved out of its flight direction. The fire strike soared pass Gid and detonated behind him in a medium-sized explosion of fire. Bringing up his uninjured hand he created a second red orb of energy and shot it at Rito. Rito instead flew high up into the skies using his wings to avoid the orb of raw energy.

"It's best we avoid those. Okay, Rito-kun."

'You don't need to tell me, Claudia." He finished talking with the sister god inside his mind, dodging another orb of energy fired at him from the ground. Now that he (Rito) was flying up in the air, Gid still on the ground was firing orbs of energy at him trying to shoot him down. Rito avoided most of them from flying away and using his katana to create a wave of fire in front of him, swallowing the orb entirely without the explosion.

"Is that it!? All you're good for is firing single moving projectiles at a target! I'm disappointed because I was expecting to fight someone who didn't rely on a single move to save him." Gid taunted as he continued to fire volley after volley of red orbs.

"Says the guy, who is spamming the same attack repeatedly!" Rito said swinging his katana to destroy the orbs coming at his left flank. Returning to his ready stance he raised his katana over his right shoulder and released another fire strike heading straight for Gid.

The small emperor made a 360 degree spin, dodging the fire strike and explosion. Stopping himself and facing up at Rito flying overhead. He bended his legs at a forty degree angle, swiped his right hand out to his side, and had a grin over his face. His trident-shaped tail peeked over his left flank, red and white energy started to charge on the tip of his tail. Gid's shit eating grin widened as he finished charging up the correct ratio for his follow-up attack.

"Catch!" He shouted up at Rito, a large laser beam was fired at Rito hovering overhead. Frowning behind his mask Rito willed his wings to dive down avoiding the laser beam flying pass his head and creating a large hole in the palace ceiling. Rito looked over his shoulder looking at the damage, while mentally agreeing with Talion and Claudia to avoid being hit by that massive beam of energy.

"Don't think you're out of the woods." Rito turned his head back down at Gid finding him charging up a second attack similar to the first. Raising his katana over his right shoulder he launched a single fire strike down at Gid causing him to lose his concentration to dodge the fiery projectile.

Taking the advantage for himself Rito dived back to the ground, his armored greaves touching the red rug below his feet. Swinging his katana twice in an "X" formation launching four more fiery projectiles at Gid, forcing him to dodge them giving Rito time to reach him.

Standing in front of each other, their eyes staring into the others' eyes. Rito held his katana over his right shoulder for another attack, Gid moved his tail in front of him, a build-up of power quickly forming at the tip of his tail. Rito and Gid stared at each other, both determine to attack their opponent first, and displaying no fear, or hesitation before the attack their opponent has.

Ready to kill the opposite and leaving no mercy behind their respective attack.

"Ohhh, this is intense. How I wish I had some popcorn to go along with this!"

"Master... Revan-sama can seriously die if he's hit by that attack."

The two were 'shhh', by none other than Lala. Her eyes stuck watching the fight between her fiance and her father. Seeing the look in both of their eyes (they can see Rito's face behind his mask) she knew they were really trying to kill each other, or in her father's case; seriously wound Rito and make him suffer through torture then kill him. The thought of her beloved Rito suffering such a humiliating fate, even if this fight has already happened in the past. This didn't stop her from clasping her hands together in front of her chest. Lala bowed her head in silence, presumably praying for Rito safety.

Rito swung diagonally to his left, while Gid launched the laser beam straight at Rito standing two feet in front of him. What occurred next was an explosion that engulfed the two fighters in a ring of fire. This explosion on a grand scale covered both walls to the sides of the throne room, the scorching heat raised the temperature of the room to a punishing one-hundred and twenty degrees. The knights unaffected by the explosion were being cooked alive inside their heavy armor, some knights even commented on the heat and their situation being inside the fireball surrounding the throne room.

When the heatwave reduced back to a cooler and bearable room temperature. The devilukean knights started calling out for their king wanting to know about his safety. With the smoke and dust settling from the explosion caused by their two attacks colliding in the center. The roof over their heads wasn't much of a roof anymore. Gid's first laser beam made a hole above the entrance of throne room nearly causing the double doors to fall if not for the walls holding it up (barely) weren't supporting it from doing so.

The second explosion caused by the collision of Rito's solar fire and Gid's laser attack. The room over everyone's head was now an opened skyroof. In the blue skies above in the distance, there was a sky battle going on. The battle with Yui flying the "Traveler" currently in a dogfight with Deviluke's own Air Force.

Laser fire and explosions from both sides were visible down on the ground. You can even make out the silver colored palette of the traveler's hull avoiding three devilukean ships tailing it from behind. The ship doing many rolls and maneuvers to avoid the laser fire and missiles firing at it every so often.

Rito swiped his katana diagonally in front of him cutting through the smoke that had yet to dissipate. His black robes were a bit in tatters, black soot and singed marking can be found around his chest, shoulders, coat tails, biceps, gauntlets, and pants underneath. His mask had a big crack on the visor's left side and the area around his mouth was cloaked black from soot.. Rito's jet black hair had ash and soot mixed-in, when he started running his hand through his hair he found his hand covered in the stuff.

Gid wasn't that different from Rito, having jumped out of the epicenter same as him before being engulfed fully. His hair and childlike face had ash and soot mixed together, and given his small size people can think he was playing in the mud off somewhere hence his dirtied facial features. His royal clothing and cape were similar to Rito's in being covered head to toe in soot and ash sinking into the fabric. Gid began pounding on his chest coughing up the soot in his mouth when he failed to cover his mouth in time.

Their eyes met again, Gid was bending over hands on his knees, as he coughed out the toxins still in his lungs. Katana iginiting in flames again Rito grasped the hilt with both hands bringing it up to his face held away from him. The knights catching the panting figure of their emperor were quick to release a sigh of relief.

"Oh will you- *cough* *wheeze*, shut up, ugh."

After his coughing fit had ceased Gid stood at his full height staring at Rito holding his flaming katana before him, waiting for him. Waiting for any snide remark and taunts to agitate him to misstep. Rito was already prepared for his next attack, he had been building-up on solar energy, while waiting for Gid get his coughing under control.

Holding his sword horizontally now, one hand holding the hilt, and one gliding along the blunt surface of the steel burning with red hot flames. Rito swung his katana then pointed it straight up at the sky, a baseball-sized fireball shot up into the sky high above the palace. Five seconds later the fireball exploded high up in the air, five more seconds and a rain shower of fireballs began to pummel the throne room with no roof to protect them, some of these fireballs hit the surrounding buildings and houses inside the walls, but were quickly snuffed out.

The fireballs touched the walls, banners, fur carpets, extravagant rugs. They burned everything they touched leaving nothing to be salvaged. A hail of fireballs were heading for Gid in the hundreds, falling straight for the small emperor, who can be seen smiling. No hesitation on his visage, his eyes reflecting the fireballs falling.

Gid showed he was full of surprises for the young Mentor, displaying his power that left Rito in both awe and doubt.

Releasing a loud shout from his lungs. This shout reminded Rito of the many creatures and predators he's encounter on his space travels. However, Gid's shout had visible soundwaves in front of him where he was facing. Not only that but Rito through Claudia's expert sensory skills, he can detect an aura of power outlining Gid's form as he was shouting.

The sound waves created from Gid shouting stopped the hailstorm of fireballs, snuffing away at the oxygen causing the fire to dissipate into nothing. He stopped screaming fifteen seconds after the final fireball was snuffed out. Rito and his two companions looked at the emperor in bewilderment at what they had witnessed.

'The difficultly for this fight just went up and then some.'

"It will be in our best interests to avoid long-range attacks against him now."

"You are right, sister. We'll just have to focus on short to medium range attacks. Someone with great magic prowess isn't very adept at close quarters. Let's see if the emperor has muscle to support his large reserves."

Their conversation ceased and Rito cut the line, just as he did he overheard Gid taunting him again, with a wide smirk on his visage.

"What, are you going to cry now? Can't follow up after that?" He started to walk forward and every step he made shook the planet creating distant earthquakes on the other side of the planet that can be felt here like they were happening just outside.

Rito turned his eyes away so not to look at that smug look and confident smirk glaring back at him as he got close. Reaching into his belt for the pouch sitting behind him he pulled out a smoke bomb and tossed it at his feet. Gid stopped seeing the cloud of smoke in front of him, it completely concealed Rito's form.

Choosing to wait for him to appear again from his attempt at a surprise attack. Gid crossed his arms over his chest staring at the cloud of smoke, which was showing signs of dissipating. Three throwing knives were tossed from within the smoke cloud moving rapidly for Gid. The knives caught fire with a swing from Rito's burning katana.

Not impressed in the slightest, Gid grabbed the side of his cape and swung it out in front of him. The throwing knives hit his cape and bounced harmlessly off the fabric that normally would have caught on fire, but not Gid's . The knives lost their flames and fell to the ground with a clang. In that instant Rito jumped from inside the smoke cloud with his left hand outstretched in front of him, a faint bright-blue aura was visible behind his gloves.

However, Gid surprised Rito again with showing his level of intellect by dodging the swipe for his head, he grabbed his outstretched hand in his left, he then slammed his elbow into Rito's chest causing the masked Assassin to gasp at his loss of breath. He wasn't done with him yet because Gid pulled Rito's entire body over his head and slammed him down in front of him. A large crater flanked everywhere by spider cracks from where Rito hit the ground hard knocking the air from his lungs a second time.

Gid wasn't finished there showcasing his brutality as he stomped on Rito's chest again causing the young Mentor and Assassin to pass out. Crimson red blood began to soak into his black robes and armor. A large stain could be seen sinking into Rito's robes.

"Don't think I haven't read about your strange powers you can do with your hand. All you need is to touch the person you want to control then you can force them to do whatever you want with them. A clever trick but I'm not so easily fooled by such tricks. I'll give you a passing grade for trying this but you do remember who it is you're fighting, right?"

He continued with his taunts smiling down at the unconscious Rito in front of him at his feet. The blood around his chest was more visible now and falling to the ground creating a stream away from his body.

"He's not getting up after that. Best to do in him-"

A figure swept pass Gid at rapid speeds not seen by the small emperor, who released a growl of pain coming from his chest. Bringing his left hand up to his chest laying his palm flat against his chest where the pain was coming from. Pulling that hand away then bringing it up to his eyes he noticed it was blood, his blood. Moving his eyes down to his chest Gid could see a large cut on his chest leaking blood and was staining his vest and shirt.

Turning his body to look over his shoulder at Rito standing away from him, his back facing him. Rito turned his head and body to show Gid he was holding his kodachi in his left hand, with his katana held in his right hand. The kodachi's blade had blood falling off it hitting the ground near his boots. Gid looked at the kodachi first then switched his eyes to Rito. Finding him perfectly fine except for the small scratches and dried ash on his robes.

The small emperor let out a laugh. He closed his eyes, his face still looking at his feet. He wiped his blood covered hand on his cape cleaning off the blood. Ignoring the stain and shouting he will be receiving from his wife later. He looked at Rito, opening his eyes to glare into the mask's dark visor hiding his eyes.

"Well... that's a first. You getting a big head behind that mask from landing another hit on me? It was a fluke because it won't ever happened again. If you're really serious about cutting loose now then show me what you're made of."

Rito sheathed away his kodachi into its sheath on his left hip resting above the sheath for his katana. Gripping his katana, which renewed the hot flames covering the entire length of the steel. Rito grasps the hilt in both hands. Behind his mask he had a serious visage ready for the next round between him and the emperor of Deviluke.

"Let's dance shall we, Rito-kun." Came from Claudia, like Rito and her brother Talion, she was serious about this fight. Her response to this tense, heart-wrenching moment is a jovial question about asking Rito if he'd like to dance. Which was another term to say for a fight.

xox

The Yuuki living room was soon filled of different voices and opinions, as Rito went through cutting pieces out of his fight with Gid, with deciding to show the end of their fight. They weren't missing much in terms of quality in his fight, what happened afterwards was more insults from Gid and the two trying with all their might trying to take the advantage over the other.

In the end they agreed to ban the usage of magic and using their powers to settle everything with a fist fight. While yes, a fist fight to end their epic battle was anticlimactic, especially when Gid clearly was stronger than him in every way, he could easily triumph over him in a brawl. But here Rito stood in front of his friends and little sister meaning he wasn't killed by Gid at this climax of their fight.

Rito honestly believes he got lucky at the end, where he scored the hit that let him overpower Gid at the end. But that was then, and with viewing the point that turned the fight in his favor from a different angle from when he saw the opportunity. He can finally put his doubt over his victory if he sees exactly what happened at that crucial moment.

"Chichiue always used to smile like that whenever he was conquering other planets before he used most of his power and became his small size he is now. Fighting Rito must have been an exhilarating feeling to have after he was reduced to his current self." Said Nana analyzing the changes in her father's mood through the different frames of the memory fast-forwarding. His smile looked full of happiness and full of eager he stopped showing when he was reduced to a child-like body.

"Papa does seem to be in a better mood whenever he's talking with Rito. I remember seeing him smiling after Rito defeated his trials to stop the earth from being destroyed. He smiled again when I mentioned Rito's name in my call home last week."

"Otou-sama does like Rito-san for who he is and admires his strength to fight him for your freedom to wed the person you love, Onee-sama. He just has a difficult time showing he cares. Here's an example, whenever he treatens to destroy the earth he's only telling a joke to see Rito-san's scared face. It makes him feel better seeing the look of fear in peoples eyes when he talks about blowing up the galaxy."

'How can you say that with a smile on your face?' Mikan and the other human females voiced their suspicions about Momo's true nature, with how she causally talked about the destruction of the planet like it was a normal topic to be discussed at a party with friends and family members.

Leaving Momo's true colors to be solved for another time. The discussions switched from the fight, to what happens next given how there is a timeline of Rito spending a total of three months on planet Deviluke. From the reactions and way they acted after the mention of the "bathroom incident" by Rito earlier. How Lala, Nana, Momo, and Mea acted suspiciously strange with blushes on their faces, and were swooning, remembering something that had to do with that memory. This only proved something more happened in that three month period beside the "bathroom incident" that garner such a reaction from these four girls.

"Were you able to at all go back home and see Mikan-chan, Rito? Did the emperor prevent you from leaving the planet to meet loved ones and return back to planet Vermillion?" Ayase said referring to the lack of intervals in the timeline projected next to the memory of his fight with Gid.

She wasn't wrong about a lack of breaks, where he can actually leave the planet. Gid didn't let Rito leave the planet believing he will leave and never come back. They were enemies before they became allies.

Momo answered for Rito to Ayase's question. The youngest princess looked at the tall and buxom figure of Ayase Ayatsuji leaning against the wall closer to the window and adjacent to the exit leading out into the hallway.

"Otou-sama made Rito-san, or Revan-san as his new Marshal for his forces. He didn't allow Rito-san to leave Deviluke thinking he will leave and never return. He was paranoid about losing a valuable ally he prevent Rito-san from leaving. Period. But it wasn't a large loss because I got to meet Rito-san and get to know the man I would call my husband in the future."

Momo gushed bringing a hand to rest on her cheek, her pink blush covering her cheeks, she also began to coo remembering the time she spend with Rito before they were to meet again when she and Nana ran away from home.

'She can't be trusted.' Were the thoughts of the human girls seeing the secret side of the cute, polite, and smart first year student, who is rumored to have her own cult of boys who worship her like some goddess.

"That was too bad... everyone on planet Vermillion believed Revan-sama had been killed and the Assassins there started to leave and go elsewhere." Mea stopped here and was rocking in her seat on the couch going back and forth, while staring up at the ceiling. Yami picked up where Mea let off from.

"Everyone believed Yuuki Rito was dead so they went elsewhere, abandoning the Brotherhood. I did the same and so did Mea and Nemesis later. Black was the only one of us who stayed when everyone else had left."

"I wonder if he's still there? Waiting, wanting to bring us all together again. He must think I'm still dead. I really need to get in-touch with him and tell him I'm alive."

Everyone listen-in to Rito's quiet mumbling. Rito himself wasn't paying attention so he continued to mumble to himself, unaware his audience was listening to him mumble to himself on his failures.

"How sad..." Kirin uttered, while sitting on her knees in front of the small coffee table in the center of the room.

"If that's the truth then didn't Mikan-chan grow worried over Rito's long absence?" Ayase continued staring at Mikan into her golden-colored eyes when she turned her head to look at Ayase at the mention of her name.

"Fortunately, this was around the summer season and it was my last trip to summer camp. The time I was away worked together with my time at summer camp. So, as long as Mikan knew I was away at summer camp.

Said Rito, finished with swifting through the fight and arriving at the climax, where it's him and Gid using only their fists. The living room fell quiet once again as Rito restarted the memory where he left off. He sat himself down on the floor with Mikan's and Yami's legs behind him as they were sitting on the largest sofa in the living room.

xox

"No more tricks, no more surprises, no more weapons. Let's see what you're made of old man." Rito taunted removing his hidden blade on his left forearm and throwing them to the ground along with his other weapons and equipment.

His red mask had been broken from a powered-up punch from Gid, shattering the face wear into many pieces. Revan's red eyes glared at the small emperor adopting a boxer's stance. His black spiky hair, messy and full of ashes trapped between his tresses. Blood trails and purple-black spots lined up around his face as their fight dragged on.

"Alright then, if that's how you want to do it." Gid wasn't any better as Rito. His black spiky hair is a mess, purple and black sores marred his face, and dried blood can be found around his eyes and a little off the corners of his lips. His right hand was completely useless due to the third-degree burns, yet he managed to form a fist with that hand, his face contorting to one of pain.

Both Rito's and Gid's clothing were in tatters, stained with dried blood, and their bodies were weary from fighting non-stop. Blasting magic at each other for a good solid round before Rito switched back to close combat with his weapons. Gid was pushed on the defensive from being handicapped at using one working hand.

However, he survived against Rito's offensive window and their fight continued until both fighter were on their last legs. That moment being right now.

Standing in front of their opponent in the destruction of the throne room from their battle getting out of hand during the magic portion of the fight. The Devilukean knights that had been watching from the beginning have fled not wishing to be caught in the cross-fire of their emperor and Revan's fight

They both adopted a boxer's fighting stance with both hands held up in front of their faces. Gid was gritting his teeth, fighting the pain from his burned right hand. They walked in a circle going clockwise their eyes not leaving their opponent. Both Rito and Gid were waiting for the other to take the first punch.

The crackling of fire burning silently around them amongst the rubble. Rito moved his feet forward, strafing until he was in Gid's face with his right hand cocked back in a fist. Gid saw through this and leaned his head to the side, dodging the punch, he quickly countered with a punch with his left hand, the hand not burned.

Rito raised his left arm to block, and the punch hit the metal vambrace on his left forearm. Cocking his right arm back for a forward punch. He released the power behind it landing a solid hit to his face. Gid fought through the stars in his eyes and drew back his arm and punched Rito's right cheek. The power behind that punch pushed Rito away giving Gid some breathing room.

Caressing the cheek where his punch hit massaging it and wiping away the blood from his lips. Rito started to strafe side-to-side to fool Gid and hit him with a sucker punch. Gid refused to fall for the trick and kept his eyes firmly on Rito's feet.

Still strafing, Rito can see his movements were being watched and he couldn't wait too long, without creating an opening for Gid to exploit. Dodging to his left for a right hook, Gid raised his only good arm in front of his eyes to guard against the punch. Rito smirked, then pushed his feet to go right at the last second, his left arm drawn back for a swing from that arm. Catching the feint he wasn't prepared for it and Gid took the punishment from Rito's left hook, which he followed up with another right hook and a straight punch for his face, breaking his Gid's nose.

Blocking the punch from his left hand, Gid jumped back to catch his breath, also to set his nose back into place. A loud crack of the bone being put back into place was heard. Gid gritted his teeth through the pain. He squashed out the tears in his eyes threatening to fall. He cracked his neck and jumped forward meeting Rito with a feint from his right hand, then using his left hand for a punch to his eyes. Rito blocked the real punch, then answered with a right hook aiming for Gid's head, however, he blocked it using his right forearm.

"Come on, what will this solve if we continue this? You're still going to die! Why delay the inevitable?" The two started to talk as they threw punches aiming for vitals, or the face.

In the emperor's case he was going for the former aiming his punch for Rito's chest. He answered by grabbing that hand, and instead of breaking it, thereby winning the fight by default because Gid would have no use of either arm. Rito then went for another right hook that hit disoriented Gid.

"Why do you do what you do? Attack and destroy planets and the aliens living on those planets and their livelihood. Just because you're emperor of something doesn't grant you permission to attack others, who are weaker than you, or at equal strength. This doesn't give you permission to wage war against those who cannot win."

Landing two punches to both cheeks Rito went for a wind-up from his left hand hitting Gid's temple. The emperor retaliated with several punches to Rito's chest and one to the bottom of his chin launching Rito into the air. He went in for the finisher jumping high into the air looking into Rito's red eyes, then slamming both fists down onto his chest. Rito quickly got back up and landed a hit on Gid's chest, then following with another strike to his temple on the same side.

Standing back up to his feet Rito went into his boxer's stance and ripped into Gid with punches after punches. Some punches were too fast for him that Gid had to take the punishment from them. His bloody face was being thrown side to side.

"Always the same thing... use your influence and power over your government to wage war against everyone, who doesn't agree with you. You attack the planet's of your enemies allies instead of the main army because you can't win against them in a straight fight so you pick a fight with the weak links because you can." Rito went on, he was referring to the home planets protected by the Brotherhood, and planet Deviluke's current invasion of those planets leading to the Brotherhood's immediate protection of safeguarding their allies.

With every punch he made at Gid's bloody and purple face. Rito's mind was red with rage for the lives of the Assassins and soldiers he has loss to this war with the Deviluke army. The Assassins aren't enemies with Gid's armada, but the same can't be said for the emperor himself. Landing a uppercut with his left and a follow-up with his right hitting Gid square on his crown.

He (Rito) can remember the faces and names of those he has loss in this war, perfectly in his mind. His punches were the unfilled ambitions and destroyed dreams of those gone from this world. Right now Rito wasn't fighting Gid, he was avenging the lost souls of his students and Assassins killed because of the childlike emperor, whom he was currently knocking his head around like a punching bag.

Gritting his teeth in anger and rage, his eyes had some tears falling off his face and staining his cheeks. Rito grabbed Gid's shirt bringing his face and body close and landing multiple punches to his bloody face making it more bloody with the force behind his punches.

"How many lives have you taken away because your thirst for conquest can never be sated. This whole thing could have been avoided if you didn't attack the planet's under the Brotherhood's protection. How will your people respect you when they see you with your bloodied face, throat slit and naked body hung from the highest tower in your palace?"

"They will respect me as their protector and leader!" Grabbing his right hand with his left stopping the punch. Gid, looking through a single eye this being his left one, although it was half-open. He banged his forehead hard against Rito's pushing him back. He jumped up high looking into Rito's red eyes and began to lay out his own punishment.

"Yuuki-kun's face is already bloodied and misshaped. He can barely stand as it is." Yui said voicing her concerns for Rito. She was covering her eyes with her hands seeing Rito being bullied in the memory by Lala and her sisters, father.

"Rito-kun is built of tougher stuff and his body can take the punishment. Plus Deviluke is known for their healthcare – so after their fight Rito-kun got the best care in the entire galaxy. Looking at his face now I say those doctors did a good job." Mikado said looking at the back of Rito's head. Rito had a frown on his lips, a gray cloud can be seen over his head shooting lighting and raining making his hair wet.

"Moving on." The Assassin and Mentor drew out hiding his sadness behind a strained smile.

"Don't be quick to judge people from their actions alone." Straddling his chest Gid displayed his brutally through his punches in beating Rito to a literal pulp. Even though he was severely limited to his left hand only, Gid didn't show any mercy for the Assassin. "And who said I'm fearful about attacking you Assassins? I can send our entire armada to Vermillion over this stunt, and I think I will I kill you first. That will destroy their will to fight seeing their leader dead at my fight."

He didn't slow his punches, just one after the other Gid pound Rito back into the crater he was in. He'd disorient him for a second stopping him from reacting and doing it again. Rito can only take the punishment, choking on his blood and several of his teeth from the force behind those punches.

"You." punch "Are." punch "Weak." punch "You and your entire group of killers are stupid if you thought I would be easy to kill." punch "Still think you can take my head?" Gid taunted with smile despite his bloodied and mangled face. His face was low enough to Rito's ear, that he did see the closed fist hitting his temple forcing him off of him.

"Threaten any of them again and you will regret it." Said Rito standing shakily up to his feet. He spit out the blood in his mouth, shivering at the taste of iron on his tongue. Using his right sleeve to wipe the blood from his forehead and eyes he spotted the emperor slow to rise onto his feet. "This fight is over."

"Have something else you wish to show the class?" Wiping the blood around his eyes with his sleeve, his tail swing lazily behind him. Gid was glaring back at Rito through his one good eye. Standing away five feet from each other. Rito's golden colored orbs began to glow with power. The gold in his eyes brightening to a glorious shine.

"Just this... our fight hasn't been 1v1. Who said I came here alone?" Finished Rito then vanishing before Gid's eyes. The emperor looked at his surroundings in a panic as he was unable to detect Rito's energy, which vanished alongside him.

His searching came to a halt by the hard elbow thrust to his nose. Clenching his broken nose again with both hands to stop the bleeding. Gid missed the overhead punch knocking him on his crown disorienting him further. His arms down to his sides and falling to his knees. Rito went for the finishing move grasping the left side of Gid's face firmly in his palm.

Talion's golden silhouette appeared over Rito's form upon contact being made to Gid's face. His voice boomed like thunder shouting a single command to the child-like emperor. His one good eye widened seeing the tall and glaring figure of Talion cloaked in a gold light looking down at him like he was an insect in his eyes.

"Submit!"

Gid couldn't follow the command as his black orbs shifted to gold. His will now belonged to Rito.

Releasing his hold on him, Gid's eyes went back to black before they rolled to the back of his head. He fell backwards, unconscious laying flat on the ground. Rito was given control of his body again, the gold silhoulette of Talion going away as Rito fell down to one knee. He was panting, struggling to catch his breath after the possession.

After everything he has endured and seen during his leadership. Fighting an emperor of a powerful planet was by far the most taxing. Struggling to move his body over towards the unconscious body of Gid's. Rito fought through the pain in his legs and everywhere else on his body. Gritting his teeth he crawled over to Gid, then straddling the emperor's stomach, cocking his left arm back with his right hand gripping the collar of his shirt. Rito sent a hard punch to Gid's face giving the child emperor a black eye.

Still unconscious, Gid gave a soft snore but didn't wake up. Rito continued punching the sleeping emperor's face, his teeth grinding in anger, and hatred burning strongly in his red eyes. He didn't stop his brutal onslaught on his face until it resembles a puddle of blood and his hand was bleeding with his blood.

"He's not stopping! Rito that's enough!" Mikan yelled at the screen of her brother pounding Gid's face to a literal puddle of blood, not the one sitting next to her on the floor.

"Seriously, Yuuki he's out cold, he can't feel it." Risa said with a grim face at Rito's ferocity and disturbing smirk on his face. She held onto tighter to the shoulders of Mio sitting beside her on the couch they were sharing.

"Yuuki's still not stopping. His punches are covered with blood." Mio said, about ready to vomit from the brutally and blood staining Rito's fist as he just continued punching.

"That is the Revan I remember." Was Nemesis' only response to Rito merciless attack against the unconscious Gid.

"Revan-sama is the perfect example for a living weapon to behave. But Rito-senpai does make a good argument for us to live a normal life here on earth. To know that the two people I like, are the same person – it's amazing!"

"This is about the time Hahaue, Ane-ue, myself, Momo, and everyone else find Chichiue and Rito." Nana answered after Mea's cooing about how cool Rito / Revan was. She and her sisters didn't appeared bothered by Rito's savagery, or the possibility of him killing their father either. They watched the brutal display with sad smiles on their face.

Just as Nana said that, footsteps were quickly heard approaching behind Rito in the memory.

"Stop! Stop! Don't kill him! Please." A voice cried weakly in a hurry behind Rito. The Assassin stopped his arm, cocked back for another brutal punch. His eyes lost their murderous, killing intent seeing the female body passing him and the wind sweeping his bangs from how fast she was going. Rito's red eyes returned to their normal warm gold, dropping his disguise in the heat of the moment.

They widened finding a woman with long bubblegum pink hair that flowed down her back and is wearing a veil over her face. She was on her knees with Gid's head resting on her thighs. Rito raised an eyebrow passed his fringes seeing the clothing she was wearing. Like Gid's own they looked expensive and had an aura of royalty. The woman's veil connected to the head piece she was wearing also has the mark of royalty.

"What, finished already? I... told you, you can't kill me."

Gid, waking up from being unconscious spit out the blood in his mouth along with a tooth. He started running his mouth again completely unaware of where he was right now. The woman whose lap he was resting on grew annoyed with him and used two of her fingers to flick him on his forehead. Getting a reaction out of him Gid looked up issuing threats to the person that did this. He then fell backwards seeing the glare his wife was giving him.

"Anatta, now is not the time for you to call for someone's execution. Look at what you did to the palace. *Sigh* Why can't you go a day without causing trouble." She flicked him again in the same place getting a weak apology from her husband.

Rito watched the funny display between Gid and his now revealed wife. He can honesty admit she is very beautiful and from her smile she was giving him (Gid) he knew they were very much in love. It got him thinking about her background from her acceptance to the destruction they caused with their fight, and her quick forgiveness of her husband.

His thoughts were cut short by the rough manhandling of two knights that approached and grabbed Rito from behind, and holding him by his arms. They started pulling him away, dragging him out of the destroyed throne room. Because he was grabbed so suddenly and his rage hadn't fully subsided yet, Rito's aura spiked and the two knights bursted into flames. They started screaming in pain and for help, they dropped Rito and desperately tried to douse the flames.

It was hopeless for them as they soon stopped squirmming and their screaming ceased. Rito slowly stood up dusting himself off as more knights unsheathing their swords surrounded him.

"Stop! You're only making things worse. Stand down!" The woman ordered the knights with authority in her voice, Rito could detect a faint aura surrounding her when she gave the order for the knights to stand down. It worked because the knights sheated their swords and stepped away from Rito.

Looking all around him at the knights looking back at him. His eyes lingered on the charred corpses and skeletons of the two knights he burned with his aura. He snapped his eyes away from that and turned his head to face the woman from before overhearing her calling his name. Gid's head was relaxing on her lap and the woman was gently playing with his black spiky hair with her left hand combing through it.

"Still think you can escape here alive, punk?" Gid bit his tongue at his wife flicking him in the same spot three times now. He looked up at her chin with a mild glare, but she missed it and looked into Rito's golden-colored eyes. She smiled and opened her lips to address him for the first time.

"Revan-san, is that correct?" At Rito's nod she continued with what she wanted to tell him. "I beg you, please don't take my husband away from me. He's also a father to three beautiful girls, who will be devastated if they were to lose their daddy." She flicked him again when he tried to say something in regards to how she described him. He clicked his tongue and remained quiet. "Please, you wanting to kill Gid-kun is from something he did which upset you. If you come with me quietly. I promise you will not be harmed, or mistreated during your stay with us. If we sit down and talk about this, like honest and respectable adults, (She's looking down at Gid's face with her last sentences referencing him.) we can reach a positive outcome where both sides are happy.

"Sephie-"

"Hush, anatta. I'm cleaning up after you're mess. You can thank me later after we get you cleaned up. You're a mess and the doctor is going to need to have a look at your hand so he can fix it." She flicked him on the forehead again getting a soft moan. Gid used his undamaged hand to rub the spot she keeps flicking at.

Behind Rito, a number of doctors and rescue workers pushing a stretcher passed him and stopped beside Gid and his wife and helped him onto the stretcher. Strapping him in tight they worked non-stop with getting Gid hooked up to IVs and other medications. The woman slowly stood up after Gid's head had been removed from her lap. Rito recalled Gid calling her by the name Sephie before he was flicked on his forehead again.

Sephie dusted off the skirt of her white dress, she gave Rito a gorgeous smile from behind her veil, yet Rito can still see it despite the majority of her face being barely visible.

"Revan-san... let's figure out what my husband did to bring you here today."

"Wow, she's very pretty. Nana-chan's, Momo-chan's, and Lala-senpai's okaa-san."

xox

Mea had stars in her eyes upon gazing at the full height and appearance of the previously mention princesses mother. Like Rito she could barely make out her face from behind the veil, but this didn't stop her and everyone else to comment about Lala and her sisters mother and her beauty.

"Mea-san is right. She's really beautiful. What do you think, Yami-san?" Said Mikan turning to her friend sitting next to her. Yami with Rito's knight helm sitting on her lap. She moved around in her seat to become more comfortable, and moving the helm on the armrest she wasn't using.

"The princesses okaa-san is beautiful and very caring from how worried she was for the emperor and so happy when Rito spared him."

"I never met the high priestess in person myself. But from the many rumors I've heard floating about her during my years as a doctor traveling from place to place. The reason she wears that veil, according to sources closes to the high priestess is because if people were to see her face without her veil they will lose their sanity and immediately lust after her because of how beautiful she is."

"That sounds unbelievable to be truth. Can people really lose their sanity because someone is extremely beautiful?" Haruna voiced her thoughts to Ryoko's claims about people becoming crazy after seeing Lala and her sisters mother without her veil.

"It sounds unbelievable when you hear it for the first time. But when you see for yourself what okaa-sama looks like behind her veil, then you will see how truth the rumors are."

Momo clarified for Haruna removing the doubt by comfirming the truth about her mother. Sitting next to her twin Nana nodded her head as well. With both of the twins in agreement then everyone knew the rumors and claims concerning their mother to be completely truth.

"Although they said the rumors are truth. It's difficult to picture men losing themselves from just looking at their hahaue without the veil."

"Oh, it's not just men, Ayase-san. Women have been shown to react the same way men do when they see okaa-sama's face. Apparently, a woman that is straight, is married, and has kids of her own can immediately become a lesbian from one look at okaa-sama without her veil. I remember when I was little. Okaa-sama brought me with her on a diplomatic mission to settle a growing conflict with two neighboring moons over resources. The two leaders from both moons were female, one woman was married and the other woman was proposed to just the other night by her boyfriend then fiancé. Just as they were about to reach a settlement for trading between their two moons. I recall an aide serving everyone water tripped and removed okaa-sama's veil by accident when she fell. Okaa-sama covered her face with her hands in time but the damage had already been done. We had to leave the system in a hurry because the two female leaders were asking to marry okaa-sama and begging her to stay with either of them and for her to be their Queen. She was even offered to rule their two moons in hopes of convincing her to stay. I'm not sure how long the affects last for, or if they stay this way forever. Okaa-sama never hinted to what happens to those that look at her.

"So in short if anyone regardless of gender are to look at your mom when she's not wearing her veil are victims to their lust and fall in love with her? And since you three are her kids can we expect this trait being passed down to either, or all three of you in the future? I remember we are already acquainted with each other on an intimate level, Momo-chan."

Risa said looming over Momo standing behind the couch she was sitting at. Momo shivered with an uncomfortable smile on her face, her eyes widened from remembering a traumatic experience from her past and her arms instinctively went to her breasts covering them.

Rito looked through the corner of his eyes over his right shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at Risa hovering over Momo's shoulders, while wiggling her fingers in a suggestive manner, and Momo becoming defensive all of the sudden, with her arms covering her breasts. He mildly listened to Momo's excuses to spending the day with Risa, while the dirty blond didn't hear her and continued on with her attempts to convince Momo to say yes to spending the weekend with her.

Turning his attention from that he pushed his back off the couch he was laying against, reaching for then grabbing one of Kirin's rice ball. He took a bite of the snack, giving a nod of his head at the familiar taste he recalled was delicious. Rito went for seconds taking another bite of his rice ball.

"What happens to Yuuki-kun now that the fight is over? Momo-san mentioned he stayed on their home planet for three months – doing what exactly?"

Yui brought attention to the previously mentioned topic of Rito's fate after his victory against Gid. Momo and the others didn't specify on his fate being on a hostile planet for three months after he nearly killed their emperor. This left many in the room anxious to learn what he was doing there for so long away from Earth.

"This would clear up a lot of doubt many of us had for Rito-kun when we thought he had been killed." Tearju said with a sad smile on her visage, she was coming close to crying with remembering how affected she was believing Rito was dead back then. As attention went back to Rito and the three devilukean sisters. Kirin was blushing up a storm from where she was seated. Her hands were covering her lips as she watched Rito take a bite of one of her homemade rice balls.

"Oh, that's easy. Papa and Mama talked it over and they both agreed that they didn't want Revan-kun to leave because he was so powerful, he beat up Papa so easily they didn't want him as their enemy again." Lala stopped here looking over to her two younger siblings finding Nana waving at her. She nodded her head at her little sister, then started to play with Celine sitting in her lap.

"So, they talked it over with Rito that if he stayed and joined the Navy, then Chichiue will withdraw his fleet attacking the planet that is allied with the Assassins."

"Rito-san said yes and was a sergeant when he first joined but he quickly climbed up the ranks in the Navy. He was promoted as high as Marshal and was leading tou-sama's fleet as the captain of his own cruiser and fleet in his second month living on planet."

"As long as he didn't attack Assassin interests and planets under our protection, then I followed his orders. Gid and Sephie-sama were careful around me knowing I will not attack and go to war against planets that were previous allies to Deviluke, and those protected by the Brotherhood. We didn't step on each others toes during my stay there but I still think about if I had refused their offer to join, then the Brotherhood would never have disbanded, and I never would have ended up hurting the people I loved who thought I was dead."

Rito lowered his head and face into his knees. He thought about putting up his hood but stopped feeling two hands caressing his back from behind. He knew the hands belonged to none other than Yami and his little sister Mikan. They both were worried for him and tried to sooth him with a soothing back rub. He appreciates their kindness, he gave the two friends a grateful smile and raised his head up. Finding all eyes looking at him except for Ren.

Clearing his throat he went through his memories of Deviluke on his data paired glove. Finding a good one to start on he pressed play and the memory showed up being played on the projectile.

"Long story short, I spent three months on the planet as pretty much Gid's enforcer. I fought his battles for him while he recovered from his injuries, and his armies leaves the Brotherhood alone in return. In those three months I met Lala and her sisters, Zastin and his two bodyguards, Run and Ren when they were still one person, and their parents. I got to know all of them really well leaving behind a lasting impression of me in their minds – This is from two days before I was released from service and could go back to being an Assassin. Sephie-sama had something she wanted to say to me before I left."

The memory began to play on the projector for everyone to see. It showed Sephie sitting behind her desk with the window of space behind her. They were on her personal flagship going somewhere that demanded her attention. Rito can be seen sitting in a loveseat couch in a far corner of the room. He was slouching in his seat and was looking up at the ceiling.

xox

"Tired, Revan-kun?" Sephie playfully asked her bodyguard for this diplomatic mission to negotiate peace between Deviluke and a hostile force, which sees her husband's empire as the true evil responsible for the galaxy's problems.

While this mission to achieve peace against a planet who openly despise her husband and everything he stands for. And her (Sephie) being his wife was an invitation to be kidnapped, tortured, and possibly even worse. All to force Gid to submit to their demands – was dangerous.

But she didn't appear the least bit worried because she had Revan (Rito) accompanying her as her bodyguard for the day. With him here with her not only will the exchange for peace between their two planets go smoothly. They won't dare try anything with her seeing him in all his glory standing beside her. Like her daughters when they confessed to her about the warmth they feel in their chests whenever around him. She too felt a lot safer with him in the same room as her. She snapped out of her daydream overhearing his groan and hands palming his face looking up at the ceiling.

"You're husband wants me to take command of a five month campaign he's building to take the center rim of the galaxy once and for all. He's only doing this to extend my contract knowing I only agreed to three months. I'm leaving in two days and here he comes giving me my orders to go to war with the amphibious people of Aquas. Aquas is neutral and is completely okay with Gid's rule over their planet. They even trade with us some of their best fishes and products in the hopes of pleasing him. You know for a fact he picked a random planet and made up a lie to force an invasion because you're husband doesn't want to admit he's going to miss me."

Rito finished his long rant, crossing his arms over his chest after fixing his posture in his seat. Releasing a sigh and looking up at the ceiling of Sephie's study, which was next door to her bedchamber onboard her personal vessel. He overheard her giggling but he didn't trun to give her his attention. Rito continued staring up at the white tiled ceiling as she opened her lips.

"Gid-kun can't show his true feelings because he says they promote weakness. "following your emotions make you weak, an emperor cannot be seen as weak less he loses favor with his people and generals." Somewhere along those lines was Gid-kun's excuse for why he couldn't kiss me in front of his top advisors and trusted generals on our anniversary last year. He means well he really does. It's just his pride that gets in the way of him expressing his feelings to me, and to you."

Rito said nothing but stood up from the loveseat couch, he began to walk over to Sephie's desk. His mask and hood are removed allowing Sephie to look at his face morph into a variety of expressions as he was thinking. She found him cute whenever he thought about something for a long time.

Coming back down Rito unfolded his arms bringing them down to his sides. He looked behind Sephie at the large emptiness of space.

"So, all in all he's a gigantic coward when it comes to love and other emotions he's unfamiliar with because he believes it'll make him appear weak to his people."

"Pretty much, Gid-kun has difficulty leaving his comfort zone. When Lala was first born and I was recovering from child birth the previous night. He was there in my hospital room making silly faces and talking funny to Lala, who was laughing non-stop. He did the same when the twins were born, which had me thinking that he gets this way when it comes to babies. I won't put it pass him to behave similar around his grandchildren."

"He has a soft spot for babies then? The only time he's comfortable to show his softer side is around new borns. It's not pathetic if he fawns over the birth of his child. Plenty of dads become emotional when they hold their baby for the first time in their arms."

"Yeah... he's a wonderful father to Lala and her sisters, but since he desires an heir to hand over the kingdom to. He pushes Lala to marry all these different suitors so she can get pregnant and give him a heir, a son so he can retire. But while it may see like he doesn't care for Lala's happiness, or her sisters. He cares very deeply for his girls and wants the best for them. An example would be, if one of Lala's suitors begins to get pushy with her, Gid-kun makes them regret even thinking about hurting his little princess."

"So, he's a big softy when it comes to his kids and their happiness. He wants what's best for them yet he still pushes for his eldest to marry against her wishes. Nope, I still can't sympathize with his character. He's always going to be conniving little brat who has never heard of the word "please" and "thank you." And who can't accept defeat with a straight face and not throw out some poor excuse to established why he lost. He'll always remain pathetic in my eyes. Your explanations of him hasn't help to change my mind of him, Sephie-sama. They've only serve to weaken my respect for my employer and I don't intend to work for your husband again in my lifetime for as long as I shall live, Sephie-sama."

Standing in front of her desk, he crossed his arms and looked around the room of her study. Sephie was looking up at Revan with a smile. Her violet eyes widened looking at the tall stature of the black-haired male in front of her that is the same age as her eldest daughter and taller than her by a couple inches. How confident he held himself, to his calm and quiet nature which made him mysterious, to the power he holds and from what she can see him do with this power.

Her decision involving Revan and his future was clear now. She smiled at the Assassin in front of her looking around her study for something to draw his attention. Her left hand left go of the drawer handle behind her desk. Sephie's smile widened again as she called for Rito to look at her.

He did as she asked and was now looking into her violet eyes that shined like sapphires.

"Seeing how you'll be leaving in two days. In the three months that I've known you, unfortunately I only know about the Assassin and bounty hunter part of your life. Not the person behind the mask. Whatever you tell me in this room I promise to never talk about again. I swear to you as my title of High Priestess I will take whatever is said today with me to my grave. Let's be honest with each other, who is Revan and what can you tell me about him?"

"What is okaa-sama up to? What does she want to achieve asking Rito-san about his personal life."

"Things just got more interesting..."

Ryouko said with a sedective smirk watching the memory with a keen eye. Everyone else, namely the girls that have feelings for Rito were also thinking along with Momo about want Sephie wanted to hear about Rito.

"Don't be modest, Revan-san. It doesn't have to be deep, or something traumatizing from your past. Just something I can remember you for besides the man in the black hooded robes wearing a red mask over his face. They've came up with some good nicknames for you. I won't read them here because it's not the place for that, and a couple of them aren't friendly enough to be repeated. What defines your character? What makes you different from Gid-kun?"

Sephie opened up with twenty questions off the bat. Her eyes held onto Revan's (Rito's) contemplating visage thinking over her proposal. Can you blame her for wanting to know at least something about the person who has been staying with them for the past three months, and all Sephie knew about Revan is his name, his favorite food, and favorite hobby. His hobby was strange to her because she didn't expect someone with his professional background to be interested in that field.

Thinking over every single question she listed off in a hurry. Rito stroked the bottom of his chin while he thinks. He went over every question in his mind, slowly, repeating each one letter by letter. He then recalled the last sentence Sephie said at the end of her rapid fire. He went over the question in his head and found he can talk about this topic and not give too much away about his real identity.

Opening his eye-lids and looking at Sephie's smile barely being contained behind her veil. He repeated what he was thinking about in his mind.

"What's the difference between me and Gid?" He stopped then looked at her wondering if this was what she wanted. Sephie nodded her head in quick succession Rito was susprised she didn't break her neck from doing that.

Thinking on her question though he paused to really think about the similarities that he possibly shared with her husband. Before learning about Gid's softer side from Sephie-sama. He had picked up on the quirks and mood swings he has at random during his stay. Or when he's in a council meeting with his top officers and how he will relax and put his feet up on the table and kick back.

Rito can confirm he did not share in Gid's laziness and disrespect for his advisors. He certainly wasn't one to throw a tantrum and nearly destroy half of the palace over someone stealing his favorite food. Momo later came to him in his room and confessed she didn't mean to have eaten it. She thought it belonged to her twin sister and she wanted to see Nana become angry over someone taking it.

But this didn't mean he was a complete jerk, or a self-centered tight-wad who can't take defeat and accept no to the simplest of demands. Believe it or not Gid was a good man, father, and husband from the way he treats his wife Sephie whenever the two are together. Rito began to say what was on his mind to Sephie listening intently to his every word.

"When you eliminate his less desirable traits, the treats to blowing up worlds and planets, his temper he unleashes around his generals and advisors. His perverted thinking towards other women, despite being married. The positive I can gather about him and myself aren't very many, but we both have a strong desire to protect the people we care about. We both have much to lose if we were to fail in our separate goals. His empire's conquest and my creating a permanent presences for the Assassins to thrive out there. We both desire companionship on our long and difficult roads to achieve our dreams. The last thing I can think of we share is our desire to have children in our lifetime. Gid has three daughters in Lala, Nana, and Momo. While I'm still in my youth but I can't stop thinking about starting a family of my very own later in my life. Maybe its my line of work where I'm always exercising the possibility that I won't return back from a patrol, or a mission, where the need to have a family and leave behind something in my short life – so I don't feel like I didn't accomplish anything in my life. The other half of my brain goes back to my previously asked question about companionship and starting a family, with my future wife is something I really want some point in my lifetime. To hold my infant son / daughter and see the life in their eyes when they look at me and the smile they will make seeing my face for the first time. Being on my own for so long I never thought the desire to have others standing next to you would be so satisfying."

At the end of Rito's long speech both sides of the room where in utter silence. Sephie in the memory was showed to have a sad, but understanding smile full of respect and love for Revan (Rito) standing on the other side of her desk looking down at his feet.

In the Yuuki living room, the same range of emotions and feelings were felt by everyone, and all of them were looking at the back of one Yuuki Rito following his counterpart from the past with looking down at his feet with a solemn frown over his visage.

Those of whom in his small harem wanted to run up to him and embrace him from behind. To help him forget these sad feelings and take away the darkness he had growing in him all this time. The girls undecided with their feelings for Rito were also thinking about holding him tight and never letting go if just to remove some of his pity and regret.

Talion's and Claudia's spectral forms appeared behind Rito. The siblings were wearing sad smiles on their faces knowing the true reason behind his last statement. They both said nothing but encouraged Rito in their own ways. Talion laid a hand on Rito's left shoulder and tighten his grip with a reassuring squeeze. Claudia smiled sadly with tears leaving her violet eyes, she patted Rito on the back and he gave her a smile over his shoulder.

They both disappeared back to the outer dimension as Rito turned his head to face forward. He caught Sephie looking up at him with a sad smile behind her veil. She opened her lips again to ask something else of the male in front of her.

"Revan-san... do you regret becoming an Assassin? Always putting yourself in danger for your cause and the lives of those people you take under your tutelage. Do you in some way regret the decision you made about becoming an Assassin?"

What came out of Rito's mouth was by reflex. Everything he would say required no thinking whatsoever.

"Not really. I was brought into the Brotherhood because someone saw something in me to do good and I was destine to do great things in my future. I don't regret this choice about joining the Brotherhood. On the contrary, I'm glad I met that old man, who helped push me to get out of the rut I was in and do something with my life. Because of that meeting I'm the leader of my own guild of Assassins, who are loyal to me and to our cause. And I have the power to protect my family and the people that are dear to me. It's because I chose to become an Assassin that I now the strength to protect everyone I love and can use my abilities to their fullest potential. If I was given a second life to live after this one. I would do it all over again."

The solemn, painful frown on his face vanished to nothing and was replaced by determination and power swirling in his red eyes. Sephie found herself memorized by his visage. An after image of someone from her past overlapped with Rito, almost repeating word for word what Revan had just finished saying. When the after image finished talking Sephie's smile was full of love and pride for the black-haired teenager and young adult standing in front of her with that same serious look she remembers someone familiar she met when she was a little girl made that same serious face to her.

Releasing a sigh of nostalgia Sephie looked over at Rito with a look of longing and remembrance.

"Ufufufu~. If we were to have met somewhere in the past before I met Gid-kun, Revan-san. I can honesty see myself falling for you. Everything you said reminds me of Gid-kun when we were kids. He was so different back then, than he is now as an adult. Oh, what is it that I'm doing!? Here I am, a married woman and a loving mother of three beautiful girls and I'm thinking about another man half my age."

Rito didn't appear to have heard Sephie's wistful thinking as he turned to look at her, and finding her face buried in her hands and shaking in her seat behind her desk.

"Did you say anything, Sephie-sama?"

And just like that she stopped her self-loathing and routine. Fixing her dress and wiping away the dried fake tears from the edges of her eye-lids. She stood up out of her seat and grabbed her staff resting on a stand next to her. Sephie gave Rito her best smile and pushed a strand of her long pink hair behind her right ear.

"Nothing, Revan-san. Just a beautiful woman thinking about the past. The galaxy was very different from when Gid-kun and I were kids. So much has changed because of our efforts and determination to create a better future. You should be proud, Revan-san. You have personally had a hand in keeping this world and thousands of other worlds safe from danger and upholding the peace we have today because of your sacrifice and good will to see the right thing be done."

Sephie and Rito, who had been following behind her on their way to the exit. Sephie gripped the door knob and twisted it open. Opening it outward she turned around giving Rito a smile.

"Come then, Revan-san. I can't have my bodyguard slacking off on the job when he's supposed to being protecting me."

He chuckled softly while shaking his head side-to-side. Revan (Rito) pulled his hood over his head and face hiding his eyes behind the shadows his hood made.

"I'll be right behind you, Sephie-sama."

xox

"Two days after that meeting I leave Deviluke behind and set the course I normally take back to Vermillion. I was having a conversation with Tearju and another one of my Assassin's, when I flew into an asteroid field. My ship, the "Traveler" was badly damage and I had to inject the cockpit from the rest of the ship before I was crushed. I crashed landed on a large asteroid and was hit on the head by some rocks flying over my head. The missing part of my helm is from being hit by those rocks and it saved me from suffering a concession and losing consciousness, I was still in the vacuum of space with very little oxygen already. After that near-death experience I had a terrify revelation about my future. So, I hitched a ride with a garbage ship, where he dropped me off on a planet allied with the Assassins. Reacquiring a new ship from them I flew back home to Earth and abandoned everything because I was afraid of leaving Mikan alone without me to support her. And in doing so I involuntary disbanded my Brotherhood and drove away everyone that cared about me away because I was selfish. However, that changes now."

The same serious look and eyes from the memory, the same look he gave to Sephie when talking about his decision to become an Assassin. That same look was on Rito's face and everyone found themselves hypnotize by the unusual seriousness in his eyes. Rito ignored them and narrowed his eyes. His golden orbs started to glow with a brief flux of power as he began to talk again.

"...Now, I know that this is sudden but we go on break in two weeks, and I need to go back into space. I need to rebuild my Brotherhood and resurrect myself to show the galaxy that Revan is still alive."

"My, already?" Nemesis gasped with an wide open expression and a hand covering her mouth. Everyone around the living room were shocked hearing Rito's decision about returning back to space. Mikan was fearful and worried about her brother and his choice to go back to space so soon after learning everything about him and his secrets. She clenched her hands together in front of her chest looking up at her older brother's serious visage.

"Yay! With Revan-sama back as leader we can bring everyone back. We're getting everyone back together!" Mea started to shout and cheer, jumping up and down in her seat. Nana placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. The couch they were sharing was wobbling together with her jumping.

"Are you certain you want to go back so soon? Going through your memories and it feels like you just got back."

Tearju expressed her concerns for her young lover. Like Mikan she held her hands together in front of her breasts. Her lips were set in a wavy line feeling apprehensive for his safety. Rito stared into the beautiful emerald orbs of his first lover. His visage also held a frown and a sullen look mixed together with his determined and seriousness.

"I know this is sudden, but I've been holding back on returning back to space because of everything that's happen with Lala and the others coming here to Earth. I've overcome my fears and hesitations – this is something I have to do. It has to be done to fix everything I destroyed with my leaving. I hope everyone here knows this isn't personal but something that must be done."

The human side of his friends were in deep thought, going over what Rito had said and repeating his reasons to return back to space. Momo stood up from her spot next to her twin and approached the standing Rito. She wordlessly grabs his left arm and brings it close to her breasts. The soft and squishing feeling of her clothed breasts trapping his arm was a lovely feeling he thought.

"Ehehehe, if that is you choice, Rito-san. Than I want to accompany you on your journey. You promised me a year ago you would take me to see planet Vermillion, the homeworld of the Assassins. We also have to use this trip to return home and show otou-sama and okaa-sama that you're alive. Okaa-sama will be so happy to see you healthy and stronger than ever." Momo finished bringing Rito's arm closer into her hold. A blissful and happy smile on her lips enjoying the closeness with her love interest.

His sweat dropped fell from his brow at the mention of meeting Momo's parents again. Like the three sisters, they too were grief-stricken and sadden about his death. A year later and he walks up to the palace's front gates he will be met by a crying and relieved Sephie, and a hostile and hard-loving Gid attacking him left and right for lying to them about his death. These were just his suspicions, yet Rito knew he hit the nail on the head with their reactions to finding him alive.

"How about we hold off on that meeting for now, Momo. Let's ease them into the thought of me being alive slowly because I don't want to fight Gid again when he's at his angriest."

"No fair! I want to show Rito-kun to my parents to show them he's alive. Besides, Rito-kun doesn't want to meet Lala's tou-san knowing he will attack and killed Rito-kun for lying about being dead."

"Run... you're not helping. Now, I won't be able to face her parents without worry about getting stabbed in back with a knife, or being shot in the heart by a sniper Gid hired to kill me."

"What are you so worried about Rito-kun. You're immortal now, nothing can kill you. You'll just be revived by us again and again."

Claudia reasoned with a smile and a giggle. Talion standing beside his sister crossed his arms over his chest and smirk. He added in his own two cents into the hat of advice for Rito.

"Best to get it over with early sooner than later, Rito. They still think you're dead and it's already been a year. They'll go easier on you if you come clean and announce you're not dead. Than what you described will happen to you should you wait any longer."

Focusing back to reality, Rito received some good advice from the siblings and chose to agree with Talion's logic. It's better to rip the band-aid early than wait for it to sink deeper into the skin. Not sure why Rito translated his words as to ripping off a band-aid, but it strangely worked.

Giving a sigh, alerting the two arguing princesses in front of him. Momo and Run looked up at Rito simultaneously, he just smiled at them then took his arm back from Momo's hold. He missed the feeling but it was for the best judging from the dirty looks he was getting from Mikan and Yui to name a few.

"I'll think about for later. But I should meet Gid and Sephie-sama sooner and avoid being surprised with attempts on my life by your dad, Momo. You know how he gets whenever he gets angry." Momo agreed with Rito shaking her head at how her father behaves when he's angry over something. The small circular device he received from Minato flew downward then into Rito's open hand to catch the device, which he put away into his pocket.

"Right now I'm just going to relax and prepare for my journey in my free time. I feel like I'm meeting everyone for the first time again after you have seen the real me and everything I can do with these powers I have. It's a start but I hope nobody here sees me any differently from before. I'm still me just a little more special than others."

"Like we told you that night when you revealed yourself to us back then. We still see you as Yuuki Rito, our fireteam leader, Master Assassin, a good friend, a brother to the three of us in Red team, and most importantly mine and Kirin's boyfriend."

"I-I-I also don't see you any differently, Rito-senpai. I-I know we became a couple a month ago. But I'm glad I can finally act on my feelings for you, Rito-senpai. My opinion of you will never change."

His two friends, sworn sisters, and girlfriends, Ayase and Kirin gave their honest feelings about Rito in relations to him having powers and being a wraith tied to the physical realm by two Gods, who see something special in him. It doesn't matter what he is now, or becomes in the near-future. Rito will always stay the same Rito to them.

"Thank you, the both of you. I love you two so much."

Hearing Rito say 'I love you' to any girl. It sounds alien coming from him when before his revelation about his powers and being revived. He was always dense and oblivious to the feelings of the other girls always surrounding him. Not leaving out his habit of falling over seemingly nothing and exposing the girl he was talking too, their underwear by grabbing their skirt, falling in-between their legs, grabbing their breasts, or all of the above whenever they're naked.

Lala filled that category herself given her lack of modesty of being seen without clothes on.

But hearing those three words filled with so much love and endearment addressed to Ayase and Kirin from Rito no less. It wounded most of the girls undecided with their feelings for the young Assassin. It felt like he just stabbed them in the heart with his hidden blade and twisted it.

Going back to him now being surrounded by Ryouko, Momo, Run, and Mea. The former draped herself over his shoulders and was seen caressing his left cheek with her hand. A sultry smile on her face and a healthy red blush staining her features. Rito himself, was blushing red from whatever she was whispering into his ears right now.

"Seeing how you have free time now, Rito-kun. Remember that thing I told you I would do for you when you got back from working for the emperor? Want to go upstairs to your room and experiment?"

"What is it you're talking about. Can I join as well?" Mea eagerly said this and started to bounce on the balls on her feet, and leaning her head closer to Rito's reddening face.

"Ara~. If Mea-san is allowed to take part then I wouldn't mind joining in Rito-san's bed. What do you say, Rito-san?"

Before he can give a response to Momo and the others, there was a loud crash behind Run and Mea. It came from the second couch where Saki and her group, Saruyama, Haruna, and Yui were seated out. Losing the blush on his face Rito peeked over Run's and Mea's bright colored heads to see what was the cause of the crash.

"Kotegawa-san..."

He said this in a soft whisper seeing his black-haired classmate still in her Sainan school uniform. Her front bangs were concealing her eyes from view, a shadow was cast over them leaving Rito unable to read her expression. He, however, detected a swirl of negative emotions around her.

"Kotegawa-san?" He tried calling her by name again in hopes of receiving a response from the quiet disciplinarian officer. She gave a subtle flinch of her shoulder meaning she had heard Rito calling out to her. Tilting her chin up a bit, her lips opened slightly not enough to show her teeth and tongue. Yui began to walk forward taking small strides up to Rito and the other alien women.

Seeing her approach Run and Mea wisely got out of her way leaving a straight path towards Rito, who was stunned into silence seeing his black-haired classmate walking up to him in complete silence.

"Kotegawa-san?"

"Yui..."

Mikan and Lala tried calling out to their friend but were met with silence from the girl. She reached her destination after thirty seconds of painstakingly silence. She was standing in front of Rito, their height difference showed with Rito being taller than his female classmate. Yui stopped at the crook of his neck and Rito can look over her head back at his equally silent audience watching him and Yui.

Momo and Ryouko removed her body off Rito's back and took several steps back. Leaving the two teens to workout what was bothering them. Namely Yui as she has yet to say anything, or make an expression from behind her hair concealing her eyes.

At this point Rito was sweating bullets, he didn't know what was disturbing his friend and Yui wasn't being very helpful choosing to give him and everyone worried about her, the silent treatment. He needed to find the reason for her sudden change in emotions that has led to her distant and cold demeanor. Rito opened his mouth to call Yui by name again."

"Kotegawa-."

"Yuuki-kun!"

Hearing her say his name with a shout that silenced his own attempts to call her by name. Rito admittedly kept his lips sealed giving Yui his full attention and ears.

After shouting his name loud enough to calm the butterflies in her stomach. Yui raised her head up revealing her always serious and orderly golden colored eyes, they were lacking from her visage, and instead were left with kindess, hope, fear... and love burning above the former three emotions.

"I... I love you too, Yuuki-, no, Rito! I love you, Rito."

His eyes widened and his mouth opened up to release a silent gasp but none came. Rito was speechless and frozen in place by Yui's surprise and unexpected confession. In front of all their friends, and his little sister no less!

She continued to surprise him further by reaching out for him with both of her hands opened wide. They clasped both of his cheeks holding him in place. Rito didn't see what came next as Yui closed her eyes on the verge of tears and a large blush cutting across face through her cheeks and her nose. Rito closed his own eyes that were widened considerably feeling Yui's lips taking his for a sweet and passionate kiss.

Closing his eyes to return the kiss with her, he was momentarily stunned at the amount of love and care she was putting behind her lips, desperate for him to feel what she was feeling for him, and that her feelings were 100% real.

A determined look came over his visage as he returned the kiss with Yui. Pushing all of his feelings and love for his classmate and secretly (he remembers) his childhood friend. Yui may not recognize him as such but he remembers her with all his heart.

She released a moan from her lips but it was swallowed up by Rito taking control of the kiss. He brought his hands up; one holding her by the waist, and his other hand grasping the back of her head and waterfall of midnight black hair in his hand.

Yui managed to push Rito away by pushing on his chest. She was panting heavily by the intensity of their kiss. Her blush was quickly heating up her entire face in red, and her golden-colored eyes were shimmering and absolutely glowing in her happiness of having her feelings returned by the one person she loves. But he was vicious in their lip-locking to the point, where Rito was literally stealing the air from her lungs leading her to end their kiss prematurely because she couldn't breath.

"R-Rito- Stop. You're too rough- Kya."

Rito heard none of what she said to him. Growing frustrated with Yui's reluctance, his hand holding the back of her head he brought her back to him. Rito instantly restarting their heavy make-out with him becoming more aggressive and rough with the timid and shy Kotegawa, who has since submitted herself to his power.

The two lovebirds ignored the world around them, continuing the kiss like they were the only two people in the room. Rito displayed his feral and locked away lust with openly groping her ass. His hand holding her by the waist fell down to her supple and malleable ass hidden behind her plated skirt. Yui's eyes clenched closed and released a second moan feeling his hand kneading her ass.

The other occupants consisting of friends, classmates, close acquaintances, and family members gathered around the living room watching the heated make-out session between Rito and Yui. The entire room were blushing bright red, with some releasing steam from their ears witnessing and hearing the different noises Yui would make. She sounded like she was enjoying herself a little too much, despite forgetting where she and Rito were a moment ago. No words were said around the room except for Yui's moans and the audible sound of saliva being exchanged in their mouths.

Finally, Rito regained some part of his sanity and ended his kiss with Yui. While he was barely winded, Yui wasn't so great. She was panting heavily breathing in and out, her big breasts jiggled behind her bra from her heavy breathing. Her blush was starting to recede, and her eyes were staring back at Rito looking at her.

His warm and cheerful gold-colored eyes that have adopted a steel edge to them. Were an icy-blue instead of their normal gold. Yui admittedly was worried about his current mental state, but she couldn't lie to herself that she was not hypnotized by his exotic eye color.

Rito quietly gripped the short-sleeves of Yui's uniform. She looked up at him, her breathing still in soft pants. Her eyes looked at his facial features then to his icy-blue eyes that now contained a slit instead of a pupil in them. Rito's Ice Wolf powers having taken control of his subconscious. Right now Rito was a slave to his lust and deepest desires.

That desire involve making Kotegawa Yui, his and only his. Gritting his teeth showing his enlarged canines, he started to growl in a possessive manner. His growling surprised Yui in his arms. Her surprise increased feeling her head crashing softly into his chest. Her red blush returned to coloring her entire face with his arms wrapped securely around her small form. Yui could hear his sniffing her hair from the crown of her head, he rubbed his nose deeper into her black hair taking in her scent. Rito let out a groan and then a moan pushing himself away to look down at Yui staring up at him with insecurity and timidness in her eyes.

"Please... please don't look at me like that, Yui. I won't be able to control myself if you look at me with those eyes." This was the first thing he had said since Yui started the kiss. Yui's eyes widened hearing Rito call her by her first name with the "san" suffix added to the end of it. He would always call her by her last name and add the "san" suffix for his respect for her.

Never has he called her by her first name until today. It was both shocking and wonderful to Yui, who embraced the warm feeling in her chest hearing Rito calling her by her birth name for the first time since they have known each other.

He wasn't done just yet as Rito tighten his hold around her body. She looked back up into his icy-blue stare. Her eyes widened slightly finding many different emotions in his eyes. The lust and want were still there, but two other ones Yui could make out were, love and lonesome. The latter didn't make sense to Yui – why would Rito feel lonely around her?

His hold around her tighten again but Yui didn't feel uncomfortable, or was in pain by how strong he was holding her.

"You're mine now. I want you to say you belong to me and me alone. I've always loved you, Kotegawa Yui, my first ever friend." Yui widened her eyes at that last sentence. Her mind rapidly going through memories from her past in search of the memory, where she and Rito first met because according to him they have already met before officially meeting each other at Sainan High School. "I want you, I want you to always stand next to me and always hold my hand through the deepest darkness. Even if I have a harem of my own I still want you in it. The first girl I've met outside of my family and the person I fell madly in love with."

He didn't stop. Rito continued talking with everyone like Yui, were listening in to every sentence that left his mouth. He let out a sigh that ended in another growl. It had an undertone of a wolf's growl that last one did.

"I love everything about you, Yui. You were cute when we were kids, now you're beautiful and gorgeous that must be admired. I love everything and desire everything of you. From your beautiful face, your eyes whenever they light up after someone gives you a compliment, your cute little nose I want to kiss everytime I see it." He did just that and kissed Yui on her nose. Her blush grew in size with his small act of affection. But he wasn't done. "These lips you torture me with because I always want to kiss them. Your figure has matured but I wasn't paying attention back then because I was always memorized with your personality. But now that I'm paying close attention I can say that I want this sexy body under me and on top of me. These big breasts, I want to suck on and bury my face in them and then use as a pillow to sleep on. They're perfect for feeding our babies we'll have together, however, I'm already jealous of them because they can have access to these delicious breasts whenever they want."

Rito pulled his body backwards and used one of his hands to palm and knead her left breast. Yui's blush covered her entire face in red from Rito touching her breasts and in front of their friends. He didn't mind in the slighest, picking up where he left off.

"Your curves, hip, and waist feel nice to the touch. I'll never grow tired of mapping out my favorite routes whenever we're in bed together." Rito's arm wrapped around Yui's back slid downward finding her ass a second time. Yui released a soft moan at his hand kneading the flesh on her cheeks again. Although she was feeling embarrassed from everything he was doing to her, she couldn't find the voice , or will to tell him to stop. "This ass you have is by far the greatest I've ever seen. My hands just can't grab all of it and my fingers just sink into your cheeks like its dough. Here I would make a comment comparing yours and Tearju's asses, but I only want to focus on you right now, Yui."

"R-Rito..." She whispered seeing the look of endearment, love, care, and desire swimming in his icy-blue orbs. Yui noticed absentmindedly when staring into Rito's eyes that they were closing and opening again. She also noticed that his speech was coming out slower and slurred at the end of his sentences.

"...Y-You're mine now. We both have confessed our love for each other so I don't have to hold back anymore. I've always wanted to make you mine, Yui. B-But I was afraid you didn't remember me. I won't make the same mistake, you belong to me and I won't let another man have you-"

Rito lost consciousness there with his head falling into Yui's breasts using them for a pillow. His back was slouched and his arms fell limplying down to his side. Soft snoring alerted Yui he was only sleeping. Her mouth opened slightly hearing his confession and sudden concern for him once he lost consciousness. Yui wrapped her arms around his neck pressing his head deeper into her breasts.

Her blush was mild and calm now creating a horizontal line between her nose and cheeks. Her eyes closed shut in bliss, while Mikan, Ryouko, Tearju, and Momo came closer to the couple seeing Rito had passed out.

"Rito!? Rito!"

Ryouko appeared next to Rito and Yui, she placed two fingers to his neck checking his pulse.

"He's fine, he's only exhausted. Looking through his memories with that device made him physically exhausted. Whoever gave him the gadget forgot to tell Rito it drains the user the longer it's being used."

"Okay, Ryouko and I will take Rito-kun to his room and put him to bed. Given everything that's happened today I think its best everyone here goes home. Take the rest of day to absorb what's been said. Ayase-san, Kirin-san can I ask you two to stay behind and look after Rito-kun?"

Tearju immediately took charge of the situation, surprising everyone and Yami, with her putting up a confident, brave face when assisting Rito. None of Tearju's personality, Yami remembers from her memories was standing in front of her with her back facing her. Yami looked at her mother's back, while Tearju helped Mikado with carrying Rito upstairs to his room.

"When will Rito-san wake up?" Said Momo standing off to the side watching the two nurses carry Rito's unconscious body out of the living room. She had her hands joined together in front of her chest, her face showing her worry for the boy she loves. She had just found out the two people she ever loved happened to be the same person, and Momo didn't want to lose either of them again if she couldn't at least be there to help when he needed her.

"He's just tired, Momo-chan. Rito-kun will wake up tomorrow full of energy and back to his normal self. For now everyone here should go home like Tearju said. A lot was said and happened today both at school and here in this house. We could all use a day to relax and think about the future."

She said as she and Tearju walked out of the living room, their footsteps echoed in the silent household on their way up to Rito's bedroom.

Back in the living room Ayase and Kirin gave a look to each other then nodded their heads. No words were needed with them. A testament to their friendship and sisterhood they shared. Both young women stood up and left the room following the two nurses up the stairs to Rito's room adjacent to the stairs.

The living room with everyone else fell into complete silence. Not even Celine was making noises with her having fell asleep in Lala's lap. The older Deviluke princess was smiling, while she played with Celine's yellow-green hair. She knew Rito so she didn't need to fuss over his safety and health. Plus he had Mikado-sensei and Tearju-sensei looking after him.

With today starting with one of Lala's inventions going haywire, which nearly engulfed the entire school into a black hole. A danger Rito prevented with the cost of him revealing his powers. That then led to a viewing of his memories from a year prior to him meeting Lala. His secret lifestyle as an Assassin came to light, to him dying and being resurrected again, him going to space where he began his own crusade for peace in a troubled galaxy at war. Oh, and the eye-opener for the afternoon was he was starting his own harem, which already has four different girls sharing him amongst themselves.

Just another normal day they say. Nothing out of the unusual there at the Yuuki household.

Done. Two chapters finished a week from each other. But both will be uploaded at the same time in tandem with the other. I'll update Date a Sekirei first, and thirty seconds later I'll update Crimson Darkness.

This chapters marks the end of the flashback art of Rito's past. I'll admit this proved a bit of challenge as some people didn't want the flashback arc to carry on forever. So, I needed to go through my notes and pick out different scenarios to keep the chapter short, but also serving to show the relationships Rito had with Gid and Sephie based on their many interactions with each other in the chapter.

You can't please everyone, nor will they agree with all of your choices and decision. No matter I've salvaged a decent victory with the battle between Rito and Gid, and the set up Sephie has planned for Rito in the future.

The scene with him and Yui came as a susprise to me. I was going to end the chapter after Rito finished explaining why he disappeared, which led everyone to believe he had died. It just came to me and I'm happy how it turned out. I've always like the couple of Rito and Yui together. A lot of images and epilogues from one of the anime's OVAs and the PSP video games have shown Yui pregnant, or her and Rito as parents to their daughter.

It works and I like seeing them act on their feelings for each other. Now this has me thinking – I'm going to go and re-watch the OVA of when everyone returned to being kids , it has the flashback of Rito's and Yui's first meeting when they were children of him rescuing a cat from a tree.