His body ached. It seems that it all finally caught up with him. His eyes remained closed for a few more seconds, wondering when Ran would come in and lick his face off. Or if Vivi would dump a bucket of water on him. Either way, someone would come wake him up for school… right? Shin sighed and moved his arm to grab a pillow.

"Hya~!"

His eyes shot wide open. His pillow felt softer than usual. And that wasn't his ceiling. Shin shot up in the bed (futon) and looked around. This was not his house. This was somewhere else.

"Ara, ara, I didn't think you'd wake up like that."

Shin gulped and looked down.

Akeno lay on her side in a kimono that was far too open. Her head lay on her right hand and she smiled in a satisfied manner that did not placate his worries.

"Um… uh…"

"Fufufu, Shin, you were so passionate last night. I had a hard time getting you to sleep," Akeno said, sitting up. How her kimono didn't fall he would never know.

"P-Passionate?" he stuttered.

"Yeah, after you had your tea, you whipped out your long hard sword and just…" Akeno trailed off for added effect.

Of course, she would never tell him that all he did the minute he calmed down was train in her yard. Train to the point of passing out at that. There were moments when she wanted to drag him inside the Shrine and force him to sleep but… Akeno didn't show it on her face. The worry she felt at seeing the desperation in his eyes.

"Um, uh, haaah!?" Shin backpedaled a little. Did he do something last night? Did he and Akeno… he shook his head. No, no, no, no! There was…

"Akeno, what happened?"

"Like I said, Shin was so passionate. Unsheathing his long blade and just… Oh! You were so hard! I didn't even stand a chance," Akeno said, cupping her cheeks.

"W- W- WHA!?" Shin got up and pointed his finger shakily at her. "HUUUH!?"

Akeno brought her sleeve up to her mouth and suppressed a laugh. If she knew his reactions were going to be like this, she would have done this every day.

"Anyway, I washed your uniform. We really should get ready for school, Shin-kun~!" Akeno got up from the futon and walked over to him.

Shin remained frozen in place, steam slowly rising from his head.

And so, Akeno went in for the killing blow and pecked his cheek. "I had lots of fun last night," Akeno whispered. Talking that is…

She immediately left the room to conceal the growing nuclear full-body blush she was having. Akeno ran into the bathroom and closed the door. After locking it, she slid down it and cupped her cheeks.

"Oh my Satan, Oh my Satan, Oh my Satan! I can't believe I just kissed him on the cheek! It was a heat of the moment but still… ahhh! But his reactions were so… Mmmmmm!" Akeno swayed from side to side, feeling one half-embarrassed of her actions and one half elated at what she had just done.

Shin stood outside the bathroom door, having wandered out in a daze. He mindlessly put on his uniform, not even questioning why Akeno had a uniform in his size in her house and just collapsed in the chair. His hand unconsciously touched his cheek.

His phone buzzed on the table and he robotically picked it up. After answering it, he put it to his ear and was immediately brought back down to cold, cruel reality.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!? YOU HAVEN'T BEEN RETURNING MY CALLS! MY TEXTS! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS!? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, YOUNG MAN!?"

Shin flinched. Akane sounded angry, no, furious. She was absolutely seething. He could feel the heat from his phone.

"O-Onee, hi."

[Hiya, Shin-chan! Your Onee was very worried about her wittle bwother last night.]

"Oh, hi, Oba-san," Shin said.

"Oba! Let me talk! Shin, where the hell are you? I'm sending Ran to pick you up right now!" Akane said.

"I'm fine. I'm at Akeno's house. I walked her home yesterday and was too tired to go home," Shin said.

"Call me first at least! I swear to the Seven Great Gods, you'll give me a damn heart attack!" Akane barked.

"Er, sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll see you at school, okay, Onee?" Shin said.

"Fine. See you then," Akane said.

Shin hung up and leaned back in his chair. The morning's events were too much for him to handle. He rubbed his cheek. Hmph, there's no way, Shin thought, laughing to himself.

Parent's Visitation Day was a day Shin looked forward to the least. It wasn't as if he hated his parents. No way. If anything, Shin loved his parents to death. His parents had taught him all he knew about life including his dad's less than stellar advice on women. But this year was a year without them. His parents were gone on an "extended vacation" so to speak. He walked down the hall, taking note of the business of the school to welcome the parents.

"Where is she?" he muttered.

"Who're you looking for?" a voice said.

It was a voice he had heard only a few hours before. He turned around and faced the woman behind him.

Ayaka Furude was Shin's aunt and by far, one of the most beautiful women Shin knew. It was honest truth. His aunt was a pretty lady. It was a wonder why she was single. She was tall and graceful with a slender face and body. She had well-defined features and iridescent violet eyes that always changed color depending on the angle of the light. Ayaka had long, violet-black hair reaching down to her lower back.

She wore a white uniform-like dress with multiple embellishments decorating the outfit. It had a black top and a belt-like sash wrapped around the middle. The hem of the skirt went down to her mid-thigh and she wore a long brown pantyhose. Underneath the white skirt was a black one and she wore brown boots. Behind her was an additional hem that resembled a small cape that reached down to the back of her ankles.

With a kind and motherly smile, Ayaka wrapped her nephew up in a hug.

"Oba-san," Shin greeted, wrapping his arms around her.

Ayaka pulled away from the hug and patted his shoulder.

"Ohh! Shin-chan got so big! You're even taller than me now!" Ayaka said, flitting around him like a bird.

"Oba-san, I've been taller than you for three years now," Shin said.

"If only Onee were here right now to see how tall you've gotten," Ayaka said.

"Mom hasn't been gone for that long," Shin sighed.

Shin and Ayaka began walking down the hall. Her presence did not go unnoticed. Students, male and female, alike began looking in her direction as they passed by.

"Mmm, this school's bigger than St. Mary's," Ayaka said, marveling at the architecture. "Onee was right. Devils really do splurge on material things. St. Mary's wasn't this big when I went to Kureha's Parents' Day. Maybe I might move her over here. She can go to school here for the rest of high school and then she can run off to Tokyo University like she wanted."

Shin grimaced uncomfortably. The mere thought of Kureha coming here to Kuoh was just… extremely uncomfortable.

"Ara, Shin-chan, aren't you happy? You and Kureha don't have to wait one year for your yearly bet," Ayaka said, smiling as if she had found the cure to cancer.

"Ehehe," Shin laughed uncomfortably.

"Mah, I'm just messing with you. Whether Kureha wants to go here or not is her choice," Ayaka said, patting his back. "Though, I'd like it if she went here to be closer to her cousins."

The two walked quietly down the hall with Shin making comments from time to time of the various facilities they passed. His aunt nodded, mentally taking notes of the entire campus. The two stopped outside the gymnasium and stood there for a few seconds.

"There's a Devil in there. Four of them in fact," Ayaka said.

"It's Issei and I think Rias and Sona-senpai. I don't know the fourth," Shin said.

"I heard that Issei became a Devil from Akane. It's amazing what can happen in life. But I'm glad that he's happy," Ayaka said, smiling. "He's found his path."

"Yeah…" Shin trailed off. "Oba-san, why are you here? Even if Okaa-san and Otou-san are out of the country, you never tend to leave Serikawa."

"Hmm? Oh, that. Akane told me that you two planned to bring someone into the family so I'm here to inspect her. Before the others do at the Dragon Festival this summer. You know how our family can be. Even the Old Man had a hard time dealing with the other family elders," Ayaka said.

"Ah, so you're here for Asia," Shin said.

"Oh? Shin, you make it sound like I'm not here to support you two at all. You two are Onee's children, which makes you my kids too. Whatever it is you have to say, you can tell your Auntie Ayaka," she said, patting his shoulder.

"Yeah," Shin said. "The truth is… I've been having weird dreams lately."

"Shin, you're a growing boy. Dreams like those are normal. You see when a man reaches a certain age, he begins to think of other women and possibly men as potential partners. This results in dreams known as-"

"AHHHHH! No! No! That's not what I meant!" Shin waved his arms to get his aunt to stop talking. Red stained his face and his heart was beating a thousand miles per minute.

"Let's go sit down and you can tell me. Judging from how you look… last night looks like it's the most sleep you've gotten in a while," Ayaka said.

Shin nodded and led her over to one of the benches. The two sat down and Shin folded his hands. "Ever since we fought Kokabiel, I've been having… these dreams," he said.

"What kind of dreams?" she asked.

"Weird dreams. It used to be just at night but… the other day, when I was sparring with Onee, I blacked out and had this weird waking dream. I was talking to someone and… I think they said their name but I couldn't hear it," Shin said. "And the dreams I have at night, they're all of the same person that I saw in that waking dream. But every time she says her name, I either wake up or can't hear it. What do you think it means?"

Ayaka furrowed her brow in deep thought. She placed her hand on her chin and began to think. Her eyes twinkled with the promise of a profound answer that Shin knew only she could come up with. For his Aunt was none other than one of Japan's greatest prie-

"I dunno," Ayaka shrugged her shoulders.

Shin's expression cracked and he fell over in an exaggerated manner. "You don't know? You're a Miko!"

"Yes, I am a Miko. I'm also an Exorcist. None of that means I'm good at interpreting dreams," Ayaka said, patting his back.

"Y-You! You used to give people their fortunes during Dragon Festival!" Shin pointed out.

"Oh, that? That's just a scam to make a quick buck. It's easy to fool people into thinking the Gods are listening to their pleas when in reality, it's the complete opposite. Giving them spiritual reassurance is my job and since people don't donate enough, I might as well make a quick buck out of it," Ayaka said. Her expression was still as bright as ever as if nothing she had said was morally wrong.

Shin gawked. "There are so many things wrong with what you just said."

"Really? Our family, Furude, doesn't have the favor of the Shinto Gods. Realistically, we can't make any divinations regarding the Kami," Ayaka said.

"S-Still! You can't just make a quick buck off people's hopes and dreams!" Shin said.

"There are a lot of things you need to learn about reality, Shin-chan. People's thirst to know their fortune and misfortune is a growing market. There are a million idiots out there that believe that the Gods listen to their pleas. That's what religion is. A way to make money off idiots," Ayaka said.

"Eh… I… I don't know how to respond to that. Wait! Haaah! So you can't help me interpret my dream?" Shin asked.

"Nope. But… your dream reminds me of what Onee had to go through," Ayaka said.

"Okaa-san?"

"Not just her, your father too. When they had their Stigmata implanted by their Sponsor, they had weird dreams regarding whoever sponsored them," Ayaka said, looking straight ahead. "Onee told me that it's a sign. A sign that an Authority is adapting itself to the divine power flowing through your body and becoming a Contract. Since you became a Contractor at such a young age, you never had to go through this or don't remember it. Onee said that… all the dreams are connected to the one who sponsors them."

"So these dreams could be connected to Vivi then? Is my Contract evolving?" Shin asked.

"What do I know? Ask a Contractor like Akane or that Lucifer child living with you," Ayaka said. "I can help you out if you need a quick way to make a buck and the Onigari-Ryuu but beyond that.."

"You know, I've always wondered how you were able to perform the Ama-Kakera-no-Ken," Shin said.

"I'm just that good," Ayaka replied.

The bell rang.

"Ah, class is starting. Are you going to Onee's class or mine?" Shin asked.

"Yours. Akane is a big girl. She can do without her Aunt's help. Besides, I haven't seen Miki and Gourou in a long time. I want to catch up with them," Ayaka said, getting up.

"Oi! Psst! Wanna switch seats?"

Shin blinked and saw Sophia waving over to him discreetly.

"Huh?"

Sophia pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

Shin turned around and saw a man standing next to Issei's parents and his aunt. His white hair stood out amongst the row of parents standing in the back. His violet eyes glinted in the sunlight. He wore a black business casual suit.

"Is that your dad?" Shin asked.

"He won't stop recording me! Let me switch seats with you!" Sophia hissed.

"It's Parents' Day. They're going to record you no matter what. Look at my aunt!" Shin hissed back.

Sophia glanced over her shoulder and saw Ayaka pointing directly at the camera lens.

"Ugh, fine," Sophia said.

Shin tried to return to paying attention to what the teacher was saying. The keyword being tried. He felt a pair of eyes on the back of his head. Shin had an idea who was looking at him. He had locked eyes for the briefest of moments with the man. The divine power he was faintly leaking was making him drowsy. Was… Sophia's father trying to put him to sleep?

"This Divine Power is enough to overpower you…? You are at the gap between Dreams and Consciousness…"

You?

"Hmph… the Authority is growing stronger within you. But now is not the time for us to speak, Shin."

Shin felt his mind being forcefully ejected from his sleepy haze back into alertness. He blinked and heard everything the teacher was saying in full detail. He looked down at his hands. They were shaking. That voice was not Vivi. Rather that voice was…

He shook his head. There was no way.

"Hey, are you alright?" Issei asked as he placed his books into his bag.

The class had ended for the day. Parents' Day at Kuoh was a half-day after all.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Shin said, rubbing his temples.

"Cut the act, man. You look like absolute dog shit," Issei said.

"..."

"Come on. Just tell me."

"I said I'm fine!" Shin growled.

Issei and Asia's eyes widened while Sophia narrowed her gaze. In the time the latter two had known Shin, he was never one to get inexplicably hostile.

"Okay, jeez, I was just worried," Issei said, shrinking away slightly.

Shin breathed and calmed down. "Sorry, it's just… you know. Only one good night of sleep. Stress. Tests are coming up," he said.

"I have never ever seen you get worried over a test. You score like… third in our class," Issei said.

"Fifteenth," he corrected.

"Yeah, well, you don't worry about tests. It's not a Shin thing to do," Issei said.

A buzzing sound came from Issei's backpack. He sighed and pulled out his phone. "Look, don't go doing anything. I gotta go because Buchou's calling me for something. Something about a reward, I don't know. Can you guys make sure Shin doesn't go do something stupid?" Issei asked.

"That's what I'm here for," Sophia said.

"Says the girl getting filmed by her dad for the family album," Shin muttered.

"You are being an ass right now aren't you?" she commented.

"Come on, class is over. I have to take my aunt home," Shin said, getting up from his chair.

Sophia, Issei, and Asia watched as Shin walked over to Ayaka.

"Aren't you supposed to be going with them?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah but…" Asia paused when Shin beckoned for her to follow. "Wish me luck."

"Yeah, wish me luck too. I have to deal with my dad now," Sophia said, getting up.

"I guess I'm the only one left?" Issei said.

"Don't count your stars yet, Jailbait. We're about to have a summit meeting tomorrow night. Since you're Rias's cash cow and basically the only card amongst their young readily available, you're going to get grilled tonight I bet," Sophia said.

"Huh? What? Me?" Issei asked.

"Yes, you."

"What about you?"

"I'm more or less the representative for the Grigori tonight along with… well, I heard you ran into him outside of school today," Sophia said.

Issei clenched his fists and nodded.

Vali Lucifer.

"I'll see you later but I don't think the pub's open today," Sophia said, walking over to her father.

*THWACK!*

*THWACK!*

Shin hit the dummy on the side of the head and panted. One more. He just needed one more try. That's what he kept telling himself. One more try and he could finally pull it off. The first original technique of his older sister, the Shin'en Kogeki.

Ran watched the sidelines, her ears flattened and her tail swishing pathetically against the ground as she watched her master practice.

He tightened his jaw and widened his stance. Placing his bokken in the draw position, Shin closed his eyes and concentrated.

Spread your ki equally and evenly to every muscle in your body.

Stimulate the muscles in your legs, core, and arm at once with the ki from your tanden and move all these muscles simultaneously.

He opened his eyes and drew the sword, slashing the dummy several times. On the sixth slash, Shin's hand slipped and the sword's angle became awkward, causing his blow to glance and hit the ground.

Shin clenched his teeth.

"One more time. Remember and repeat. Remember and repeat," Shin chanted.

"How long has he been like this?" Ayaka asked, walking up to a watching Vivi.

Vivi stood behind the glass door of the house, watching her Contractor mercilessly beat a dummy to death.

"Ever since you guys got home from school. How did meeting Asia go?" Vivi asked.

"Oh, she's quite a lovely girl. Though, I wish Akane told me in advance how sweet she was," Ayaka said, cupping her cheek. Her eyes drifted to her nephew, who had failed on the seventh stroke of the sword form. "I feel like I'm looking at myself."

"What do you mean?" Vivi asked.

"I was like that too," Ayaka said, smiling bitterly at the memory. "I know what it's like to live in the shadow of your Onee."

"Shadow? Akane's never cast any of the sort on Shin. Rowan and Akari treat their children equally," Vivi replied.

"That's one way to cast a shadow but… other times, they don't need to favor one child. A child can grow in a very loving environment with parents who divide their love equally amongst their children, and that child will still be stuck in the shadow of the better sibling," Ayaka said.

"I'm going to talk to him," Vivi said.

"Mmm, you go do that," Ayaka said. "I'll prepare dinner for us."

Vivi opened the sliding glass door and walked out.

Shin, who was in the middle of a motion, tripped on his own foot. The sudden change in momentum caused the sword to lurch from his hand and fly towards Vivi.

"V-Vivi! Watch out!" Shin yelled.

Vivi raised her hand and halted the sword in midair. The sword fell to the ground with an audible clunk. "You're still going at it?" Vivi asked.

"Yeah. I think I almost got it. Toss me the sword, will you?" Shin asked.

Vivi hesitated for a second. After a moment of contemplation, Vivi picked up the bokken and handed it to him.

"When Onee showed me, she showed me only in the way she knew so I've been breaking down and analyzing her motions. As expected of her, she has no wasted movements or energy. Every muscle in her body is moving in perfect unison to minimize the overall energy consumption of the motion while also maintaining its overall strength of it," Shin said, assuming the draw stance. "When I move, I have to direct all the movement in an order that can't have time delays in the middle, or my technique will end up looking clunky."

"Shin, I think you-"

"Ready to watch?" Shin asked, ignoring her remark.

"Shin, I really think that-"

"Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu: Shin'en Kogeki!" Shin performed the motions fluidly and to the book. Or at least he attempted to. Like his previous attempts, there was a blunder in the motions of his strokes and while they all managed to strike the target correctly, it was not the same work of art that Akane had been capable of using against Kokabiel.

"Did you see that? I almost got it that time!" Shin said, clenching his fist.

"SHIN!"

"Huh?" he turned around and saw Vivi looking at him with a worried expression on her face.

"Stop. Just stop," Vivi said softly.

"Stop? But I'm not done yet. I just have to do five more repetitions and then I think I can finally get it," Shin said.

"That's what you said to me and Ran two days ago," Vivi said.

"Okay, maybe I overestimated myself there, but today I think I'll-"

"And the day before that, you said the same thing too," Vivi said.

"I… Um, hmmm, what are you trying to get at here?" Shin asked.

"I'm saying to get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow and you're here running yourself ragged," Vivi said.

"It's fine. I'll just ask Ravel or Riser for some Phenex Tears so I can heal any damage I get from stress," Shin said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Master, Phenex Tears cannot heal mental damage," Ran pointed out.

"No one needed your opinion, Ran," Shin said, gripping the bokken tightly.

"Shin, she's just worried. We're all worried. I know that Akane promised to teach you the Musou-no-Onigari-Ryuu but did you really expect to get it down in mere days?" Vivi asked.

"I'm not expecting to master it in days. I just want to perform it correctly at least once okay?" Shin said. "After that, then I'll get some sleep after."

"Shin, that's what you said-"

"Two days ago, I know but I have a really good feeling about today. If I can perform it correctly at least once, then I know that I'm on the right path," Shin said, looking down at his left palm.

"And that path is?" Vivi asked.

"To be strong like Onee. Four years ago, Onee told me that if I could make 2 Holy Swords, I could join her again on missions. And yes, I admit, I lost sight of that goal for a bit. Went to school. Got accustomed to normality but… fighting alongside everyone else, it reminded me of how I used to fight with Onee and how I wanted to be strong. I've said this to Issei multiple times but Onee is… the person I have to reach," he finished, clenching his fist.

"Shin, I…"

"Look, if you're here just to drag me to bed, then I'll be going out," Shin said.

"To where?" she asked, watching Shin deconstruct the dummy and bokken.

"To the woods, where else? Come on, Ran," Shin said.

Ran didn't move for a full second before bounding over to her master and standing by his side.

Vivi stood there silently. Her bangs shadowed her eyes. "I'm just worried about your health. Your Stigmata is raging out of control and you're here running yourself into the ground. Can't you at least wait until it's stabilized?"

"What?"

"What do you mean what? Can't you feel it?" Vivi asked.

"I… I… yeah, I can."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about it," she said. "Whatever, if you want to go expel divine power and attract the attention of the Three Factions, go be my guest." Vivi turned around and silently walked back into the house.

"Master, were you aware that your Stigmata was out of control?" Ran asked.

"No, I wasn't. I think I was too busy… training," Shin lied.

So that was what Ayaka had meant earlier when she talked about the possible reason for the dreams.

"Come on, Ran. And uh… Vivi!" Shin called out to her just as she was about to step foot into the house.

"What?" she glanced over her shoulder.

"I promise I'll be back before midnight this time," Shin said.

Vivi looked at him for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright."

Shin collapsed on his back, panting heavily. His hands tried to find purchase on his bokken so that he could go another round but nothing listened to him. Ran ran over to her master and offered him a Phenex Tear to rejuvenate his wounds.

"I'm… too weak to drink it," Shin said tiredly.

"Open your mouth, Master," Ran ordered.

Shin could do nothing but comply with his Shikigami's demands and opened his mouth. He felt a rush of vitality enter his body as his muscles repaired themselves and his stamina gradually recovered enough for him to sit upright. He stabbed the tip of the bokken into the ground and eyed the tree in front of him.

He was sure of it now. He was moving perfectly according to his older sister's teachings so why wasn't he getting it? Shin glanced at Ran, who stood next to him.

"Ran, do you think if I used the Mystic Gear, I can get closer to perfecting this kata?" Shin asked.

"Master… never mind," Ran said, swallowing her words.

"What? What is it?" Shin asked.

"Master, have you ever thought that your body might not be fit for this martial arts?" Ran asked.

"No. Besides, I can adapt. I've been going at this nonstop ever since I asked her that night after she defeated Kokabiel," Shin said, getting up.

"Have you ever thought about what you'll do after you reach your goal?" Ran asked.

"Huh?" he turned to face her in full.

"Your goal. To reach Akane-san. Have you ever thought about what you'll do now after reaching her level?" Ran asked.

"..."

"You haven't, have you?" Ran said.

"I… I have time to think of what I'll do," Shin said.

"Do you know why your sister wanted to be so strong in the first place?" Ran asked.

Shin moved to answer but fell silent. He didn't know at all. All he knew was that his older sister in his eyes was invincible and powerful. Why was she strong? What drove her? Perhaps if he knew what drove her to become that powerful, then maybe he could use her drive for himself as well.

Ran remained silent. The thoughts of her master were laid bare before her and she didn't know how to respond to the emotions on his face. She sighed and folded her hands into her sleeves. "Master, Tsukuyomi is out in full. We should return home now-"

Ran's ears perked up. Her fangs elongated and black flames radiated from her body.

"Ran, what is it-" A splitting headache threatened to shatter Shin's skull open. "Ran… I…"

"Master, we have to move! Something's coming here! Something-" Ran froze when she felt it swallow her and Shin in its absolute presence. Her mismatched eyes met another pair of odd eyes. A beastial growl escaped her mouth when red and gold locked with red and blue.

"I'm surprised I didn't recognize you earlier but to think a being such as yourself was hiding amongst the humans," the presence said.

"Ran… who is… it…." Shin's words died in his throat as he got up. "You?"

"I said we would meet in the real world soon, didn't I, Shin?"

"But you're…"

Her familiar apathetic gaze amplified her intimidating stature. The moonlight bounced off her stark white hair and illuminated her black holy vestments and the red scabbard made of a cedar-like wood. She took one step forward, causing the two to take two steps back.

"Master, don't. We need to run now," Ran said.

"You've grown weaker," the Unknown God said.

Ran's face twisted in confusion.

"But then again, it appears that you don't know what I'm talking about…" the Unknown God raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

The illusion of white lightning and the sound of a terrible storm manifested around them. Ran's eyes began to glow as she fell to her knees, reliving a buried trauma that neither she nor Shin knew even existed. Ran trembled on the ground, tears flowing from her face. Her fangs were bared and she breathed puffs of onyx flames from her mouth.

"Ran! RAN!"

"It seems that the Queen of Conquest's rampage across Japan still rings fresh in her mind," a voice said.

A twisted chill crept into Shin's soul. He mechanically turned his head around and saw the woman standing before him.

"So we finally meet at last. I'm surprised your Stigmata from me has remained asleep for this long. It seems that exposure to Angelic Energy forced it to finally awaken," the Unknown God said.

"What… What are you… I received my Stigmata from Vivi," Shin said, forcing the words through his ever-increasing pain.

"I'm here to finish the adjustment process. The Stigmata implanted into you was to save your life at the very least. And no, it wasn't to save you four years ago. Have you ever wondered why you were on a continuous Phenex Tear infusion rather than a single drop?" she asked, ignoring his statement. Her hands wrapped themselves tightly around his head. Her eyes glowed and red lines etched themselves across his body.

Shin felt an immense pressure building inside his head. The strain of whatever this woman was now doing was too much for him to endure.

After a few agonizing seconds, the Unknown God dropped Shin to the ground, right next to a trembling Ran.

"It is done. You should have a few more dreams as your body finally acclimates to the Authority," the Unknown God said.

Shin's vision swam and black pinpricks bit at the corners of his rapidly fading consciousness. "Who… Who the hell are you?"

"Hmph. I guess calling myself by my mother's name, Elohim, won't work here anymore. Won't it?" she muttered loud enough for Shin to hear. "If you can remember this beyond a passing dream, then remember it well.

"My first Contractor… My name is Yaldabaoth, daughter of the White God and the Coiled Serpent. I am the God who has sponsored you since you were young."

Those were the last words Shin heard before his blue and red eyes finally closed.

[]

Yaldabaoth

The true identity of the mysterious God. The Daughter of the White God and the Coiled Serpent.

She represents the Order of Heaven and the Chaos of the Abyss.

Her journey of thousands of years culminates at this moment. Having forgone the company of her family, she has acquired immense strength and skill.

Yet even after all this time, her encounter with the boy she has forgotten has piqued her interest.

"Gaze upon me... then fall into the Abyss."

The advance of this Fallen God in her quest to end the servants of Entropy shall not be hindered, even by the Laws of the World.

And here we have gotten to it. The calm before the storm. And the identity of the woman of Shin's dreams. Pun completely intended.

As for Shin, I had this idea to have him devolve into... this state. As Auntie Ayaya said, Shin is trapped in the shadow of his older sister. Her display of sheer skill against Kokabiel and Vali only served to trap him further in that shadow but it's not that Akane is the one who imposed it on him. Which is more than I can say for now. I want to let you all see this happen. His obvious mental and self-degradation over the past couple of chapters.

As for Yaldabaoth and Shin, Yaldabaoth is Shin's first and original Sponsor. As for how she became that, there is a story behind it which we will find out in a few chapters when Shin confronts her again. Their confrontation will... Well, I'll try to make it the highlight of this arc. A way to serve as a finale and a way to kickstart Shin's multi-arc Character Arc. She'll be a rival in a way that she is the one who makes Shin question everything.

Well, see you all next time. Remember to go read DxD: Alternate! It's a great story. It's OC-centric but not in a way that kicks Issei out of the story. Issei plays a big role in the story, just not as the MC. It has good pacing, great character relationships, and impeccable storytelling. So please go, read it. I highly recommend that you do.

And remember to always leave a review. Have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours.