A Certain Illusion of a Dragon

by OneSoul953

"Those dragons who reign over the supreme as emperors deserve to have their illusions destroyed. Red or white, it doesn't really matter".

6. Imagine 4: Spawn of Nox

Prologue

Puppet souls.

It was 4 A.M., when Hyoudou Issei, who was in bed in his usual room in the house where he had lived his 16 years of life, woke up with a jump, bathed in sweat and with the discomfort of nausea attacking his stomach, as well as the chills that did not stop running through his body.

The boy sat on the edge of the bed feeling that at any moment he would begin to empty the contents of his stomach, but fortunately such a thing never happened, on the contrary, after a few minutes his breathing, his whole body itself, began to return to normal.

At first he understood why he had woken up this way and at such a bad hour, it was not even early enough for his father to start getting ready for work. However, like all people who are just waking up, soon the compression hit him in the form of a slight headache and so he remembered that what made him wake up that way was a dream.

No, it was wrong to call that thing a dream.

It was a full-blown nightmare.

And Issei remembered it so vividly that it frightened him.

A heartless woman who played with his young and delicate heart for a whole day, making him create illusions of spending his days of his youth together. For yes, Hyoudou Issei might be someone who had never had a girlfriend and was branded as a pervert by most if not all of those he knew, but he was not so desperate as to think of something as complex as marriage.

Be that as it may, the heartless nightmare woman had taken him to an abandoned area where with a spear made of impure she put an end to his life, mocking him in a cruel way. Something Issei hoped he would never see again was the damned smile the woman put on as she watched the life leave the boy's eyes.

Although... that was where the nightmare became strange, even positive in a way.

In the end, two figures were there to save him.

A crimson goddess to whom he would gladly give himself.

And a hero in the form of a dragon whose skin had shocking colors, he was someone capable of breaking reality itself in order to get to where a person asked for help no matter who he was, known or unknown.

Hyoudou Issei did not relate the events, but thinking and remembering the dragon"shaped hero made his left arm itch.

"I guess there's no point in staying here anymore...", he whispered to himself, giving a defeated glance at the alarm clock whose pixels read 4:46 AM. It crossed his mind that maybe he could try to sleep a little longer but he quickly had to discard it, Issei knew that he wouldn't sleep anymore and that, if he did, then he would be late for class.

With that in mind, he stood up and headed to his bathroom to take a warm shower would wake him up. By the time he finished, it was 5:22 AM.

Issei was now certain that for the rest of the day he would not be able to concentrate. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop visualizing the female figure wrapped in crimson light. It was eerily familiar. "It's as if Gremory-senpai had been there...", he couldn't help but say, and he couldn't be blamed.

When a Kuoh Academy student was asked something related to that color, he would inevitably mention the Gremory heiress. It was no lie to say that the members of the Occult Research Club, the Student Council and their respective presidents were all celebrities within the institution.

Issei recalled in an anecdote Kiryuu used to tell about Kiba Yuuto; many girls and some boys came to think he was a dorama actor, all because of how handsome he was. The swordsman had no difficulty in denying such a thing.

Falling deeper and deeper into a deep thought that only let him concentrate on what he wanted to remember, think and the only thing he was doing at that moment, Hyoudou Issei never noticed the moment the other two inhabitants of the house got up and found him preparing food.

When he finished his shower, Issei thought that a good distractor for his mind would be to go to the kitchen and prepare breakfast. It wasn't something he wasn't used to, he remembered clearly the cooking lessons his mother used to give him.

In short, it was a selfless action, an aspect of him that very few people knew about.

While the boy was still immersed in his mind and in preparing a good breakfast, Gorou, his father, looked at him with grace and a hint of pride, Miki, his mother, was worried, almost thinking that who was in front of them was just her son sleepwalking.

"Is this how it feels to know that someday they will leave the nest?" Miki couldn't help but ask herself.

"That's right, honey," Gorou's look became a solemn one, looking at his son with evident nostalgia.

... ... ...

... ... ...

"A-and then Kanzaki threw the pancake flour out the window!"

A new morning had come to the town of Kuoh. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, the people were sad because the dreadful Monday was upon them, and Kamijou Touma had large dark bags under his eyes from constant sleepless nights.

´Gremory-senpai, are you really a demon? ´

Even if his mind wanted to, he could not forget it.

The dark-winged woman, the boy bleeding out, one of his kind senpai emerging from a crimson light, all those images were endlessly mingling in Kamijou's stricken mind.

"Touma... are you listening to me?"

The boy turned only to see Index staring at him while pouting. Normally he wouldn't give in to such a thing and end up getting bitten by an angry freeloading nun, but Touma was too tired to deal with something like that right now.

"Touma-kun!"

The attention of the boy with no luck in life and the nun with a black hole for a stomach was diverted to Itsuwa who was approaching them at full speed. She seemed very animated, contrary to her state on Sunday night. It was inevitable for Touma to feel bad to learn that she was depressed because he had been out all day and hadn't even bothered to tell her.

He promised to make it up to her one way or another.

"Good morning, Itsuwa-chan!" Index greeted, making Touma look at them with fish"out"of"water eyes.

"Itsuwa-chan? What on earth happened at that sleepover for you to call her that now?"

A heavy blush appeared on both girls' cheeks and only supernatural willpower kept Kamijou's imagination from running wild.

´Huh? What the hell? ´

"What's going on Itsu-?"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

Both girls took off running so fast that all that was left behind was a blurry shadow. Such a physical feat on Index's part would have impressed Touma had the nun not had crocodile tears in her eyes.

"What did I do now?"

"Touma!" A pitiful Index carried by Itsuwa in a ´piggyback´ fashion demanded Kamijou before turning to flee, at what point had he gotten on the Amakusa magician's back? "You're an insensitive fool!" With her statement made, the two girls set off for the academy once more. Such was their speed that someone could easily think that both of their lives depended on continuing to run.

"..."

Not even the chirping of a cricket accompanied Touma in her sudden and unexpected loneliness.

"... I have no idea... what happened..."

Sighing in clear annoyance, Touma had no choice but to continue on his way to the academy alone. Looking on the bright side of things, he recognized that sometimes it was good to be alone with his own thoughts which were just a bunch of unresolved questions from the events of Sunday afternoon. "Gremory-senpai said she was a Fallen Angel, but... it doesn't make sense, she didn't look anything like Misha Kreutzev." Kamijou reviewed his memories of the Fallen Archangel during the Angel Fall incident and at the end of World War III when he brought down the Star of Bethlehem on it.

Back then Touma could feel how overwhelming was such power capable of extinguishing all life on Earth, being pure Telesma and concentrated in a single being following the distorted orders of Fiamma of the Right.

"Yesterday's woman didn't look like anything, was she really a Fallen Angel? Then why is everything still normal and it's not like when the Angel Fall happened...?" said the unlucky boy out loud, which woke up the stowaway in his uniform jacket.

She heard him loud and clear, having asked a question in response to his own question.

"Have you thought that's because it wasn't just concentrated Telesma? There could be something else involved like biological matter, even some kind of soul," it was the unmistakable voice of Othinus.

"Othinus? I was sure you'd stay home."

"Hphm, and leave you alone just when you could meet a duchess of the Ars Goetia and her minions? Not a chance, human."

"Heh, you're overprotective."

"And is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all."

Othinus and Touma exchanged smiles, with the boy quite grateful for the fact that the little former Magic God lightened the mood before elaborating on what his had led him to conclude.

"But yes, since you mention it, when I fought that woman... it was like fighting a human being, my fist connected with skin, bones and she was someone with emotions, she was happy for what she did to that boy and angry when she saw that he was saved, it's nothing like what I had seen before regarding Angels. It's not like this Kamijou is a scholar on matters of the Magic Side either, but it's still weird."

Othinus wasn't going to deny it, she was worried too. First it was that barrier with some kind of demonic magic that felt different. As a Magic God, it was obvious that at some point she interacted with magic based on what was said about Hell, not to be confused with magics based on Underworld concepts.

Not only that, but, in a long existence, she came to observe unsuspecting humans who made deals with demons or came into contact with them. One of the most famous examples in the world was the legend of Niccolò Paganini, the devil's violinist. A child whose parents were tempted by the devil, following to the letter what the devil wanted such as making the young Paganini practice the violin up to 10 or more hours a day.

In the end the devil won, Niccolò obtained an unparalleled talent and in exchange the devil with his vileness claimed the souls of Antonio and Teresa Paganini. An indirect deal forged with deceit, that was the way the demons acted.

"If this Rias Gremory really is THAT Gremory, which I would doubt if it weren't for the magic the girl used yesterday, then something serious must have happened to her to end up like this."

"Is that so?"

"Of course. I highly doubt a demon would interact with humans so casually, you can call it prejudice or whatever, but it's in their nature to deceive and trap humans into dealings they had no knowledge of. Unless... but it must be impossible."

"¿...?"

"I have another theory, one that I would not at all like to be true, but it starts with the High Priest."

Touma couldn't help but shudder at that mention, if there was anyone he didn't seek to remember, it was that mummy who had caused him so much trauma. Because of that old man he doubted he could live a teenage romance in a normal way!

"Ugh, as much as I don't want to talk about him, I see where you're going... It's too strange that after his appearance, the only other thing that happened was Saint Germain's appearance. Don't get me wrong I like peace and I know my misfortune has not gone away, but it's... very strange."

On December 1st of last year, the Violet Spectrum Magician, the name of the fakers, several St. Germain's attacked the Dianoid facility in Academy City. You may have heard this before, but there was a small detail this time. A butterfly effect that may or may not have resulted in this situation.

Kamijou Touma, protecting Othinus, not only confronted St. Germain.

He also confronted a woman named Kihara Yuiitsu.

And he did so with the help of Mugino Shizuri.

That Kihara knew that the former Magic God was still by the Imagine Breaker bearer's side and according to her, she was the key to the mystery that had been gnawing at her master's mind after defeating the High Priest with the use of the Anti"Art Attachment.

The 4th Level 5 of was also part of whatever Yuiitsu wanted to do, accidentally revealing that her Meltdowner was perfect for finding the key to this mystery.

The ´Imaginary Spectrum´.

Kamijou and Mugino knew at that moment that the woman had completely lost her mind so, despite their very different mentalities and clear dislike for each other, they decided to cooperate to stop her, which they did. The Kihara had many, many aces up her sleeve and really put Meltdowner and Imagine Breaker in a bind but in the end they both prevailed.

By the time their groups of friends met with they, Touma and Shizuri had reached a kind of understanding that could not possibly be called friendship, but tolerance. Practically, they agreed to remain in a status as acquaintances.

The story of how the semi-friendship between those two developed is for another day, it can only be said to relate to February 14 of that same year and was called ´The World's Worst Date´, an event starring Hamazura Shiage and co-starring Kamijou Touma and Accelerator, known from that day on as the Delta Force Alter by Musujime Awaki and Tsuchimikado Motoharu.

That was a brief summary of the last event in which Kamijou Touma or his acquaintances had been involved.

"... it's not normal that nothing happened, right?"

"It could be and I need that girl, Gremory, to confirm some suspicions to see if she is what I think she is."

"Egh, you make it sound like a totally bad thing."

"As such it wouldn't be bad, but if a probability of one in almost an infinite number of variables that my theory is true."

"Now I'm really start to worry... As if the park thing wasn't enough…"

"Were you at the park?!" exclaimed a voice that belonged to that breast"loving boy whom Touma had almost seen die yesterday.

Whatever was going through Othinus's mind in response to the presence of demons in Kuoh, it had only one immutable factor.

Kamijou Touma's misfortune.

… … …

… … …

"Uh, it's a bit annoying," confessed the boy who checked his skin once more to make sure he didn't have some kind of rash.

That Monday morning in the city of Kuoh brought with it a wave of new sensations and experiences for a 16 year old boy with long brown hair, amber eyes, fine facial features and a great taste for feminine attributes.

Beyond the void in his memories that was yesterday, a Sunday like any other, he felt very different from his premature awakening. For starters, he was looking completely clearly in the dark if he wanted to, which shouldn't be possible because A) he was a human being, not a cat or nocturnal predator, B) his eyesight was screwed up from watching anime with the screen brightness at maximum in a dark room.

Breakfast together with his parents that morning had been a good distractor for his mind, making him not get lost in his thoughts for the rest of the day, something Issei was sure of before. Another positive thing was that his father and he had agreed to go fishing the following weekend, just like they did in the old days.

His peace ended the moment he said goodbye to his mother, left the house and let the cool morning weather as well as the first rays of sunlight hit him, that's when he knew something was wrong. The sunlight didn't feel good against his skin, it wasn't painful, but it was a little uncomfortable, like an itch that came and went, that was only there when he wanted to be aware of it. "What the hell is happening to me, a second puberty?" He couldn't help but think with a hint of amusement.

"No, that's impossible. Maybe it's just my lack of sleep…" Just like that unfortunate black haired boy from Academy City, Hyoudou Issei attributed all his problems to the lack of a good night's sleep.

Not wanting to keep looking for the mythical fifth leg of the cat, he continued on the path he took almost every day to the academy. It seemed strange not to meet Matsuda or Motohama but it was because they had probably already arrived or as usual, they would get up late and start their way in a hurry.

In the solitude of the road, he stopped reflecting on these new sensations and began to reflect on the obvious emptiness in his memory. "It's impossible to believe that I don't remember anything, I'm sure that this nightmare has something to do with the fact that I can't remember anything from yesterday, but what is it...?" In the pit of his stomach he felt a discomfort as he tried to connect the dots about the woman in his nightmare. It was as if his own brain was playing a bad joke on him by purposely blocking things to remember, sure, believing it was the work of an outside influence and such was very easy, but Issei didn't feel that way, he knew those memories were still there and it just needed something to stimulate them to come back to him.

Unknown to him, his path soon crossed that of another student, one involved in what had happened to him and who soon said something that brought the young Hyoudou out of his mental dive.

"Now I'm really starting to worry... As if the park wasn't enough..."

"Were you at the park?!" He shout out loud without a second thought.

Looking closer at the boy, Issei recognized him as Kamijou Touma, one of the three crazy Academy City students who had transferred in just last Friday. Although they didn't put on quite a show with the famous ESper skills that could be acquired through the Power Curriculum Program, simply coming from the city of science 30 years ahead of the rest of the world had already made them celebrities among the youth of Kuoh.

Don't get it started with those girls who came from England, all 3 of them were beautiful, almost on the level of Ojou-sama from the academy like Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri and Akeno Himejima.

"I..." Issei stopped thinking about girls and boobs when he heard Kamijou address him, the Imagine Breaker young man seemed nervous, thinking carefully what he was going to say and leaning slightly to the right side for some reason. It seemed he soon found what he wanted to say and the realization hit him. "...yes, I was at the park yesterday. Why do you ask, Hyoudou-san?"

´Huh, how do he know my name? The only time we talked was when he found Matsuda, Motohama and me going through the collection of magazines we bought from the janitor! Besides, I teased him by telling him I had a date with... with...´

"... Sorry for shouting like a madman, I didn't even introduce myself." With great discomfort he extended his hand to her as a greeting. "I'm Hyoudou Issei, we are in the same class if I'm not wrong."

"Ehm, I don't want to be rude Hyoudou-san- "

"Oh come on, you can call me Issei no problem."

"Well, Issei", the unfortunate boy felt weird talking so casually to someone he barely knew. "Aren't you part of the Pervert Quartet?"

"So they're already calling us a quartet... For some reason I was angry that they didn't involve Kiriyuu when she's done more questionable things than Matsuda, Motohama and I combined."

"Eh...?"

"Tip: never let her stare at you, everyone at school firmly believes she has some special ability thanks to her glasses that allows her to gauge guys' manhood."

"Ugh, that's scary... Wait, I didn't introduce myself, now I'm the rude one," it was curious but the luckless young man was enjoying this conversation, much better than continuing to mull over the possible outcomes of his meeting with the ORC president that would happen later. "I am Kamijou Touma. You can call me Touma, Issei."

With the awkward atmosphere now cleared, both boys gave a firm handshake. Out of nothing more than mere precaution, Touma saluted with his left hand.

Issei's left arm felt a little numb, but he played it down so Touma couldn't have noticed.

"Huh, so Touma, if you are in the park yesterday too, did you see me with anyone else by any chance?"

Kamijou felt the need to take a deep breath, but he pushed it aside; he had already made his decision. Whatever Rias Gremory had done to save his life, Touma believed that Issei al deserved to know that ´something´ did happen in that park, the only thing he was not going to do was give him the details, that would be a job for his crimson-haired senpai.

Before speaking, Touma made sure to remember the name that Issei himself had mentioned last Friday.

"Yes... I saw you in the park with that girl, Amano Yuuma."

The imaginary trigger in Hyoudou Issei's mind went on.

It was all there, all came to his mind in a single blink of an eye.

The sadistic smile of his date who had become a fourth-rate dominatrix.

The crimson goddess who claimed him.

And the dragon-shaped hero.

Once again, he felt a slight cramp in his left arm.

"Gremory-senpai promised to tell you the rest today. When? I don't know, but she will, she was very mortified about it."

"...T-this I'm remembering isn't easy, ¿y-you know? But... even though I still wonder what the hell happened, that two people were able to save me... it makes it a little more digestible..."

Touma couldn't help but empathize with the boy. The cold sweat running down his body, the expression of discomfort on his face and the way he inhaled and exhaled deeply made him realize that it was a very hard truth to digest.

"Issei, are you sure you want to go to class? I can... hmm, make up something convenient."

The brown's eyes widened, he looked tired, but much more confident than before.

"I appreciate your concern Touma, but I'll be fine. And... I want to know the truth as soon as possible. So I can resume my plans to become the Harem King, ¿you know?"

That puzzled Kamijou a bit but made him form a smile, at least now he knew that for the most part, Hyoudou Issei was still the same person he met briefly last Friday.

"Of course, whatever you say."

The boys shared a silent nod and once again set off for the school.

Passing through the entrance of the academy, Kamijou Touma began to feel stared at as soon as he separated from Hyoudou Issei, this did not go unnoticed by Othinus and he effortlessly sought and found the source of the stares. She poked Touma's cheek to get his attention.

"Human, look over there," she said pointing to the open corridor on the second floor.

In that place were Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Kiba Yuuto and Koneko Toujou watching him as if it was the most normal thing in the world, to the extent that Koneko gave him a weak greeting that Touma had no choice but to return. -He said without thinking, feeling that his future was much darker than when he was in Komoe Tsukoyomi's classes and that Sword of Damocles called failing was constantly hanging over his head.

Things weren't like that, but it wasn't something they were going to tell the boy, not even his confidant Othinus.

The Magic God reduced to a fairy did not look at Rias' group with distrust, but with intrigue, feeling more and more that the theory she did not want to be correct was becoming more and more real.

... ... ...

... ... ...

《Grayfia will be there during your meeting with Kamijou Touma, that's not up for debate. Believe me Rias, it's a necessary thing》

"But Nii-sama-!"

《Rias, please believe me, I wouldn't take such socks if it weren't for Grayfia's discoveries in the last few hours. I'm not saying that Kamijou-san is an irredeemable villain or someone who aims against your integrity and that of your nobility, on the contrary, reading about his actions make me realize that he is a human being worthy of praise》

"Then why send Grayfia...?"

《 … In spite of everything, Kamijou Touma is still someone in relation to Academy City, a city-state that represents the entire Science faction, just as Vatican City represents a large part of the Church faction. Add that to his outstanding participation in the British Halloween or his alleged actions during World War III and you have a meeting with one of the most outstanding individuals in the world 》

Rias Gremory knew her brother well, she did it very well.

It may be that Sirchezs Lucifer was a seasoned politician and warrior brimming with charisma, enough to be one of the main cogs in this tense ´peace´ between the Three Great Factions while also keeping the suppoters of the Old Satan Faction at bay, but it wasn't perfect, and it was just at times like this that the young Gremory could notice cracks in his statements.

"What are you not telling me, Nii-sama?" She declared bluntly, the dryness in his question was so serious that Sirchezs felt really hurt.

《 … He was also involved in the events surrounding [GREMLIN] and the siege of his sargassum in Tokyo Bay 》

Rias twisted her lip into a grimace. She wasn't going to deny it, it was surprising to hear that he was involved in that event, but she didn't understand her brother's apprehension to tell him beforehand.

"Sigh, I saw how he faced a Fallen Angel without thinking twice, eventually he would have won if that cowardly crow had not run away. Honestly, Nii-sama, what you said doesn't surprise me that much anymore it should."

´Oh little sister, you have no idea´, was the thought of the Maou Lucifier.

《 Hmm, so I guess you feel ready to have a meeting with a boy a year younger than you who in a matter of months has gathered enough allies to form his own faction? 》

"... When you put it like that it sounds so intimidating..."

《 Haha, sorry, I didn't mean to. I just hope you understood why he hesitates to tell you so many things about this young man 》

"Yes, I can understand, but you have nothing to worry about, Nii-sama. I've gotten to know him a bit and I can already see the kind of person he is.

《 So it seems my worries were unwarranted. Even so, Grayfia will go, do you agree? 》

"I see that that's not something I can change, so it's okay."

Before he had a chance to retort, Sirchezs was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

《 Starting the busy morning, huh? In that case I won't take any more of your time. Take care, Rias 》

"Same to you, Nii-sama. Tell Milicas that her aunt Rias sends her regards."

Sirchezs gave a soft laugh saying that he would do just that as he ended the call. For her part, Rias loosened her muscles for a moment feeling the pressure that was beginning to weigh on her shoulders, but she had to deign to attend to the reason why the call ended.

"Go ahead!" She said to whoever was there.

With a squeak produced by the lack of oil, the door opened. Koneko, who was lying on the sofa reading manga, made a mental note to ask Kiba to fix that.

In the doorway appeared Tsubaki Shinra who seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.

Koneko and Rias raised an eyebrow at the sight of her. It wasn't uncommon to receive visits from Sona or her peerage, it's just that it almost never happened so early in the day. Besides, Shinra was just as serious as Sona, so seeing the obvious nerves that invaded her was something new.

"Tsubaki-san, what is the reason for this visit?" Rias asked with a friendly tone but at the same time implied that she wanted to get to the heart of the matter.

Sona's [Queen] stood still a few meters from Rias's desk like a child stuck eating sweets late at night. The slight quiver in her lip did not go unnoticed.

"... Is what happened with Kamijou Touma true?"

"That's right. If it's Sona's worries once again, tell her that she has nothing to fear. Grayfia will be present during our meeting."

"Assuming it's just a 'boy'..." That hint of poison in Tsubaki's words surprised Rias and Koneko, the latter was to such a degree that she stopped eating the lollipop she was holding in her right hand.

Shinra, realizing the heavy atmosphere that was formed because of him, heaved a sigh and lost his straight pose.

"Sorry about that, Rias-san, Koneko-san, it's just that it's quite a shock to learn that she can make a Fallen Angel back like nothing after interacting with Kamijou. If anything gives me peace, he didn't seem like a bad person, but… I still find it a bit convenient that an Academy City student faces a supernatural being just a few days after his arrival."

"Are you suggesting that Kamijou-senpai and those perverts of his friends are working with the Fallen Angels?" Koneko asked, her tone clearly showing how much she didn't like Tsubaki's train of thought.

Meanwhile, the [Queen] of Sona refrained from saying anything else, realizing that Rias didn't really like her thinking either despite the understanding look she gave her. It was thus that the [Crimson Princess of Destruction] stood up and approached Shinrai.

"Tsubaki-san, if knowing this calms your concerns, then I have no qualms about telling you. Kamijou-san wasn't there at the beginning, apparently he came into contact with the Fallen Angel barrier and dispersed it, how? I haven't the slightest idea; maybe it's his ESper ability, maybe he's a talented magician who posed as a student in Academy City, but that's what our meeting is for in a few hours, to clear up doubts and who knows, Kamijou Touma might be the bridge for [House Gremory] and [House Sitri] enter into talks with the Science faction."

"… that sounds good…" she said, not entirely convinced.

Rias then prepared to deliver the forceful blow.

"Also, I am partially indebted to him. After all, he tried to save Hyoudou Issei, I even saw them arriving at school together this morning."

"I hope Kamijou-senpai doesn't get influenced by that degenerate."

Hearing that last statement, Tsubaki's mood lifted. Despite still having her concerns regarding Touma and the students who transferred with him, now she could be much more optimistic about the truth that would be revealed in the meeting.

"Jo~", dropping her seriousness, Shinrai decided to play a little with what Rias's words left to interpretation. "I see that you care a lot about Hyoudou-san. Has Rias-chan become infatuated~?"

"..."

"Huh? Is seriously?! I was joking!"

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Nyah~ And you say that now Itsuwa-chan is avoiding you and Index wants to ambush you?"

"I still don't know what I did, could it have been so bad?"

Tsuchimikado and Aogami felt the uncontrollable urge to strangle Touma no matter what the teacher told them. They had heard his complaints about girls a thousand and one times, but now they wanted the bastard to do his bit.

"Well Kami-yan, even if you can understand it a bit, the heart of a woman in love will still remain a mystery. So why not take the initiative?"

Touma did not deign to reply. It was very early and he did not want to talk about a topic that did not make him feel comfortable.

´Index and Itsuwa are very cute and we get along very well, but... I don't see either of them feeling that way´

At a certain point before starting the next class, Aogami Pierce proudly exclaimed that he was going to check out the 1st grade classrooms saying stupid things about a cute white-haired girl who gave off catgirl vibes.

Tsuchimikado and Touma agreed to sell Aogami to the Kendo Club after that. Those girls were brutal from what they heard.

"And then, Maika said Aogami was unpleasant and gave me the idea."

"Well, if a guy like him comes and asks you to make life-size posters, what would your reaction and opinion be?"

"Heh, he sometimes asked me how we slept peacefully before dismantling his cult of Komoe-sensei and the girl Accelerator takes care of."

"Ugh, Aogami should be grateful to whatever god has taken pity on him," Touma said trying not to remember his friend's statements with a false accent. "If Accelerator had listened to him, then nothing in the world could have saved him."

"Weeeeell~, he may have been saved from him, but not from Fukiyose. Do I have to remind you how the girls from our school and some Ojou-sama from School Garden teamed up to set fire to it in District 22?"

"… I'm beginning to believe that most of your viewers on that live stream were girls from the School Garden."

"Exactly, from Tokiwadai. Just look at this masterpiece!"

Tsuchimikado held out his phone to show him a post he found on social media, it being a large banner that you could mistake for political propaganda. Whoever posted the photo said it was now archival as the banner wasn't around long before the Tokiwadai School dormitory manager removed it.

Said banner in question showed Aogami suffering in what you would call the interpretation that a common person gives to a circle of hell, with Tsuchimikado as the jailer and Touma in the background holding a flag surrounded by three girls, of course, nobody looked like how they were in real life.

Underneath was a small note saying that it was made by the Tokiwadai Middle School Art Club to honor the heroes who defeated the False Shepherd of Gekota.

"... Am I having a lucid dream about eating something bad?"

"Excuse me, is Kamijou Touma here?"

Female cheers filled the classroom to the chagrin of the boys, reaching such an extent that those girls who had boyfriends covered their eyes and began to recite haiku. Touma could swear in his ending there was a girl saying tongue twisters in Spanish, one about three sad tigers and a wheat field.

With resignation, Kamijou Touma got up from his seat and made his way through the chaos and barbarism that represented the Kuoh Academy girls' admiration for their male idol, Kiba Yuuto.

"What's on offer, Yuuto-san?"

´Tch, damn handsome boy, surely he knows about Kami-yan's disease and plans to start his plans for a harem by revealing its secrets. I'm sorry, imbecile, but the secrets of that disease will belong only to the Delta Force!´, the thought ran through the sea of infinite stupidity that was part of Aogami's mind, who returned defeated from the first-year classrooms having realized that his big mistake. That white-haired girl was as earthy as a cat, but she punched like a jaguar! So there he was in the hallway, beaten and whimpering and witnessing the female euphoria that could do the impossible.

"The President has made an appointment for you this afternoon after school, she wants us to be able to talk without interruptions."

"That... is fine."

While most of the students in the room were thinking about the reasons why one of the newly transferred students from Academy City would be summoned by the ORC president herself, in the back, three boys had a very different reaction.

"I-impossible! That guy caught the eye of a beauty like Gremory-senpai?!" Matsuda had his hands on his head as if he wanted to pull out the non-existent hair he had, all because of the frustration in his being.

Yes, the Perverted Trio was the most affected by Kiba Yuuto's appearance and the ORC's invitation to Kamijou Touma.

"I heard that guy and Himejima-senpai was together on Sunday!" Motohama yelled, red from the fury that invaded him. His delusions did not go unnoticed by the other male students who were single.

A single train of thought ran through that class, as if they were all one hive mind whose goal had been determined. Not even the weary Hyoudou Issei, who already considered Kamijou a nice guy, was immune to such a thing.

"Kamijou Touma and those guys from Academy City are public enemy number!"

The murderous aura of everyone did not go unnoticed by Tsuchimikado who shrank back in his seat, adjusting his sunglasses with trembling hands. If this were Academy City and his old class, he would no doubt launch an unrealistic argument to let these guys know that Aogami and he were on their side, but he had a feeling such a thing wasn't going to work.

´Delta Force against the world, haha... we are so screwed,´ he thought staring at Touma trying to devise a revenge for later, but those thoughts died when he caught his friend's state.

Touma was tense, too tense, and it wasn't because now almost the entire class hated him.

It was because of the appearance of Kiba himself. That tension got worse when the aforementioned mentioned Rias Gremory.

"... Nee-chin won't like this at all."

Kamijou 's invitation as well as exposing their fangirl side to Kiba Yuuto.

In the center of them all stood a young woman with glasses that glowed in an ominous light and the familiar brown pigtails. Her name was Aika Kiryuu, the biggest pervert at Kuoh Academy, a great confidant for other girls, and the bearer of a supernatural ability that allowed her to give the exact measure of manhood.

"Aika-san, could you, you know…?

"Hoooo˜, interested to know if among the new guys there is a gifted˜?"

"... " The girl who asked didn't need to say anything, her strong blush and looking from side to side without finding where to focus her eyes were enough of an answer for Kiryuu.

She adjusted her glasses like a stereotypical anime villain.

"Je˜, what remedy? Let's see... the lolicon is normal... Sergeant Siscon the same, nothing impressive, Kamijou Touma remains... Wha-?!" for the first time since she joined at Kuoh Academy, other girls looked at Aika Kiryuu in bewilderment and apparently embarrassed. Of course, they noticed that she got like this the moment she looked at Touma. "W-wow… the performance, the maximum range… I could do a thesis on it."

… … …

… … …

In the Underworld, Sirchezs Lucifer laid his head on his desk trying to get a modicum of rest and hoping his beloved Grayfia would be lenient at least this once. Every time he lay down, she used to scold him for not doing it, especially since there was once before an important meeting that he almost fell asleep there, inevitably almost drooling on the desk.

He wasn't going to blame her, he was one of the Four Great Devils, no one could see him do something like that.

To his surprise, his wife didn't scold him, but instead joined him by sitting on his lap, causing him to look up. Seeing the weary face of the love of his life was an unusual sight and one that squeezed his heart in a non-positive way.

"Before I could ask what was wrong," Grayfia spoke. "Why didn't you tell him about what ties Kamijou Touma to that man?" She said with a distant tone.

Sirchezs had a logical argument, practiced hundreds of times in front of the mirror that morning, and anyway the doubts were still there, waiting for him to have made a blunder that could endanger his dear little sister, the sister of Serafall Leviathan, to the nobility of both and if things kept escalating, to any supernatural faction.

"… I just… didn't have the courage. Declaring something so serious about that boy would paint a big target on his back, and this is not how I seek to repay the one who has done so many heroics actions, saving Rias's [Pawn] between them."

"… Sigh, I get it, it's just… Mathers has already been distant about it, conflicted about what to do.

"I understand. He may have changed since those distant days on the Golden Dawn, but that doesn't mean he can forgive that man and I doubt he will do the same. Mathers has had to pay dearly to try to rectify his mistake, including losing Moina forever. It makes me wonder… if the Silver Star has done the same, but I doubt that."

There was a fact that Sirzches Lucifer and Grayfia Lucifuge wished they had not known about.

January 6 of that same year that it was documented, all by the work of Laura Stuart who had been in Academy City since January 4.

Kamijou Touma had come into contact with a man thought to have been lost in time, someone who unlike other great magicians such as Mephistopheles, Merlin, Paracelsus, the infamous Morgana Le Fay, John Dee, Helena Blavastsky, Samuel Lidden Macgregor Mathers and many more, never transcended beyond his human life despite being one of the best remembered dark magicians.

January 6, 1 A.D., the day three wise men gave gifts to the newborn Christ.

January 6, 2016 A.D., the day that man was known to be alive.

Their names were many; Edward Alexander, Silver Star, Frater Perdurabo and the Great Beast 666, but he would always be remembered for only one.

Aleister Crowley.

Part 1

Delta Force had caused a huge commotion in Komoe Tsukuyomi's class.

When they left, they were the most idiotic guys, with strange but interesting topics of conversation, and it was always a pleasure to see them get what they deserved from Fukiyose Seiri. And now, overnight, they had lost that.

As if the shock wasn't already big enough, most of the girls were depressed about their prince charming leaving with no luck.

"Umu, I wanted to show you my excellent cooking skills.

"Sniff, Touma-kun… I was so close to giving you my confession under a sakura tree, then we would be together forever… and if not-!"

The rest of the girls in the class felt a chill when that girl's eyes changed from an ordinary brown to an impossible red.

Contrary to the lamentation of the girls for the departure of their beloved, the boys were in even worse shape. More than heartbroken, they were terrified by an apparent prophecy.

"Aaaaaaaaarrrggggh, those bastards! They have Kamijou's Disease to themselves and the bastard is now in a school full of beauties!"

"The Aogami Saint's manuscripts were true, Kamijou the False Shepherd is going to spread his disease throughout the world!"

"The very greedy one wants all the Onee-sans in the world… that kind of ambition is admirable.

In short, the class was a bloody mess that even Komoe couldn't fix, it's not like that specific day the teacher had the energy and energy to do such a thing.

Sitting on her desk, Fukiyose Seiri and Himegami Aisa were trying to cheer up their beloved teacher, and were hopelessly failing. She herself felt so guilty for not having foreseen that something like the direct would surely happen, it was something that Tsuchimikado had already said he would do and the only thing that prevented him was Tsukuyomi's pleas. That the idiot didn't remember his promises with the teacher who had been so patient with him filled Fukiyose's heart with anger and Aisa promised to make him reflect on his actions with her limited edition magical girl wand.

Actually that ´wand´ was an experimental type electric prod obtained by Fremea Seivelun and lost for months to the girl.

"Please don't cry Komoe-sensei. Those bastards are not worth your tears.

"B-but, sniff, I tried so hard so that Aogami-kun could be with his friends... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Once again, the little teacher burst into tears on Aisa's chest who kept her stoic face while stroking her head.

Fukiyose bit her thumb in frustration, she did her best not to start biting her nail, aware of how harmful and unsanitary it was. The ones that he could bring those guys back to Academy City and at least go to the city of Kuoh, so he could just give them what they deserved, were already going through his mind.

´Just hold on you trio of idiots, you'll see´, the realization took a while to hit her, but when it did, it was hard. ´Ah…? Why did I include Kamijou? I-I mean, he wasn't helping Tsuchimikado, he was wrong not to stop him, b-but he was helping Index who didn't look good…´

That's where she realized.

That last thought caused her a twinge of annoyance, and she had no idea why.

Or maybe there was a time when Fukiyose Seiri knew the reason, but putting facade after facade on it had buried it deep in her memories.

And from her heart.

With a raised eyebrow, the normally expressionless Himegami Aisa watched as the face of one of her best friends suddenly turned red and she couldn't help but snort. She was a bit clueless, Aisa knew that, but even so she could tell what was ailing her friend.

How could she not? After all, she was afflicted by the same thing.

´Will this be my chance to stop being a background character? Tune in to the next episode for my debut with the Magical Girl of the Shrine, Aisa-tan,´ she thought jokingly.

Who knew that Seiri's need to clear up that annoying pang would pave the way to something greater?

Something that would lead more than one to Kuoh

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Why?! Why couldn't I raise a flag with Koneko-chan?! I would give her the world itself if necessary!"

"That she called you a disgusting pervert and beat you almost to death wasn't enough for you to understand why she doesn't want you around?"

"You shut your mouth Kamijou bastard! You live with that adorable nun and every week you show up with a new girl!"

Touma, Tsuchimikado, and Aogami were outside the classroom having a ´civilized´ conversation in the hallway. Apparently the class had the last hour free since the teacher had to leave due to a family emergency.

Of course, Onee-san's Lover and Sergeant Siscon were very quiet listening to Aogami's complaints about what happened to him when he met Toujo Koneko for the second time that day.

As if once wasn't enough for the guy with the fake Kansai accent, he tried again upon finding her passing her classroom less than 30 minutes ago, resulting in a beating that made Fukiyose's punchs seem light. The withdrawn and silent white-haired girl had the strength of a gorilla, now the Delta Force knew it.

But that was not all. To top off Aogami's already null dignity, the girls from the Kendo Club headed by Murayama and Katase appeared out of nowhere proclaiming that they would bring down divine justice on this degenerate.

So yes, on his first Monday at Kuoh Academy, Aogami Pierce was brutally pummeled by a girl a year younger who was as tame as a cat and some ruthless would-be samurai girls.

"Hey, what's with that, idiot?! Don't bring Index into this!"

"Kami-yan, what if we call Yomikawa-chan to arrest him? My sixth sense tells us that our frustrated ex-PE teacher would love that, she might even take it as her birthday present."

"Bah! Shut up siscon lover of maids! Now I know very well that you are the main conspirator to bring down my dream! Keep it up and you'll soon be the fucking Guy Fawkes!"

"Friend, no. Setting up a worship cult for Komoe-sensei is not a dream worthy of a Bonfire Night, nor is it even worthy of going to the janitor's dirty bin."

Pierce clucked in frustration deciding not to say anything else.

During the silence, Touma discreetly looked at the clock on his phone, realizing that it was very close to departure time. The best he could do was tell Index that he would be late and that it was better if she went home with Itsuwa and Kanzaki.

"See you guys tomorrow, I have to go to the Occult Research Club building." Before those two had a chance to tell him anything, Touma turned around and left until he disappeared around the hall.

Both remained in a deathly silence creating in their heads far-fetched theories about why some of the most popular students in the academy. However, while Aogami was doing it out of curiosity, the same could not be said for Tsuchimikado.

So deep in thought that they were, they were oblivious to the group of girls who had watched their entire conversation from a distance. Murayama, Katase, and Aika were in that group.

"Well…" Katase spoke first. "At least they're not perverts like those three."

"Maybe not, but they're really idiots," Murayama declared with an expression that showed nothing but disappointment.

... ... ...

... ... ...

"It's going to leave a mark…" Touma said, looking painfully at the new bite on his arm.

He didn't even have to tell Index that she was going to be late or to leave with Kanzaki and Itsuwa, she did it on her own initiative. Of course, not before biting him about twice.

Neither he nor Index knew that the witnesses would nickname the gluttonous nun "Piranha Girl" from that day on.

As if Index's attack and coldness hadn't been enough, he also had to deal with a rather nervous Itsuwa who didn't form any sentences in his presence leaving the boy confused to astronomical levels. Had his question really been that bad since morning?

"The advice that dad gave me at Christmas makes sense, don't try to understand a woman's mind because you'll end up crazy."

Hia savior was (once again) Kanzaki who had taken the two away before things escalated for the worse and caused a scene. Thanks to her, Touma had more time to process that it was time to face Rias Gremory and learn the truth of the events that occurred the day before.

Strengthening his nerves to titanium and controlling his breathing, he cautiously approached the old building where the ORC members met. To his surprise, he realized that they were already waiting for him and he added to see who it was.

It was Tsubaki Shinra with a grim expression, arms folded and standing at an angle that made the sunlight reflect off her glasses ominously, she was facing the door just as a security guard would be at a nightclub.

Touma felt his throat tighten and swallowed loudly.

"H-hello Tsubaki-senpai..."

"..." In the silence, Kamijou thought that at that moment that girl who was kind enough to show him around the school on the first day would start to rant against him or attack him without asking a question, however, he soon grasped the truth. There was doubt on Shinra's face, but also hope. "Kamijou Touma… you seem like a nice guy, I hope that's true."

Surprised by her words, Touma gave a short laugh that helped her relax.

"Tsubaki-senpai, I'm just a normal high school boy."

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Hmm, girls, I remembered that I have something to do, wouldn't you mind going ahead?"

"Oh, okay. Will you be back late? I mean, if that's the case then I'll make dinner today."

"I don't think it will take long Itsuwa, I just have to make sure of one thing…"

In a hurry, Kanzaki Kaori broke away from Itsuwa and Index to run back to the academy grounds.

She was clueless in certain things and a sworn enemy of technology, but many would consider Kaori a good judge of character and sometimes of mood.

This time, her mood judgment had fallen on a person she held in high esteem; Kamijou Touma.

She was able to partly capture how the boy who had protected her friend from the machinations of the church felt since that day almost 1 year ago.

Touma looked nervous, too. It was as if he were heading into a situation far beyond what he could bear, one about which he knew absolutely nothing. She wished she had said something to him, offered to come with him, but she couldn't say anything at the time and now she regretted it.

Back at the academy, she asked the other students if they had seen Touma describing his features, they all pointed out that they saw a boy like that heading to the Occult Research Club building.

Following the clue, she found herself at the gates of the old building with the sight of her friend talking to a member of the Student Council, Tsubaki Shinra was her name if Kaori remembered correctly.

She couldn't say everything they were talking about, just something about a meeting and that they were waiting for the signal to leave it to which Kanzaki was upset that she was right; something was happening. Were they all a magnet for trouble on the science side and the magic side?

"Heh, Touma would agree with me." In her determination to find out what was going on, she don't get that she said the unfortunate boy's name so casually. If she had noticed, she would have started an embarrassment scandal and given away that she was there, so she was pretty lucky. "Huh? What does she do?"

She soon saw Toujou Koneko appear behind the door and wave to them indicating that they could now come in, Kanzaki hissed realizing that she should find a way to see what would happen inside there. By default, his eyes focused on the windows in the second.

´Hmm, this building must have an office, and if it does, then surely they will be there.´

To Kaori's bad luck, she hadn't been as stealthy as she had thought.

Koneko looked at the bushes near the entrance suspiciously. It was probably nothing, but she decided to be alert just in case, she would also tell Kiba and the members of Sona's peerage.

Part 2

Opening a manicured-looking exotic wood door, Kamijou Touma, Tsubaki Shinra, and Toujou Koneko entered the ORC's main office. The boy had to swallow loudly once more at the sight that greeted him.

All the students that were part of the Student Council were there including the President of the Council, ´Souna Shitori´. As expected, every single ORC member except for Gasper Vladi was present, as well as a beautiful woman with intense silver hair and deep reddish eyes.

"Kamijou Touma, it's nice to meet you once again," said the girl standing in front of the desk, Rias Gremory herself with her characteristic business smile that the boy had already become familiar with despite only having met her twice before.

In an action that would define the entire course of this meeting, Rias approached Touma and extended her hand in courtesy causing the aforementioned to wobble indecisively over one thing; she offered him her right hand.

Grayfia's eyes narrowed in disapproval, she had warned Rias not to attempt this ´test´ just to see what that right hand that contained some special power was capable of.

Back with Kamjiou, it didn't take long for him to grasp that this was a test. He as Rias's "business smile" turned into a playful one. He could only sigh internally.

"... You're a bit of a sadist, Gremory-senpai," and then, it happened.

Rias Gremory's right hand and Kamijou Touma's Imagine Breaker met in a firm grip that soon broke.

The sound that invaded space could be described in many ways.

A bullet fired at sonic speeds.

Glass breaking in an instant.

A void forming instantly.

Those and many more descriptions were just as valid.

And as for Rias Gremory, she herself felt as if someone put a negative filter on her eyes that disappeared in less than a blink, followed by a feeling of weakness that overwhelmed her and made her jump back where she leaned against the desk. As soon as that right hand separated, she felt how all her strength returned to her, but at a pace too slow for her liking.

Everyone present in the office tensed except for Sona, Koneko and Garyfia who found Rias's reaction deserved, thinking, «I told you that you shouldn't do it», of course, she kept a straight face the whole time to save appearances. .

" Heh... hehehe" To the bewilderment of some, that dreamy red-haired girl began to laugh despite the nervous sweat that was running down her forehead. "That was… new."

"Are you alright, Gremory-senpai?" asked Touma with great concern in him.

"Rias."

"Oh?"

"You can call me Rias, Touma-san. There is no need to be so formal."

"Uhhm, so, Rias-senpai…? It feels a bit weird."

"Maybe."

Having regained her composure, Rias made her way to her chair at the desk, motioning for Kamijou to find out in front of her.

Feeling more secure with what was going on, Touma confidently walked over to the chair, of course, feeling somewhat uncomfortable from all the stares he was receiving. The most terrifying was that woman with silver hair and maid outfit, she didn't know why, but it gave her a vibe similar to Fukiyose's.

"So… where do you want to start?"

Touma knew, it was now never. Othinus had advised him that if she wanted to start her questions off on the right foot, then the first thing she had to do was question the origin of her last name.

"Rias-senpai, are you THAT Gremory? The one that King Solomon caught with his ring and put at his service?"

"… I feel insulted."

The poor boy broke into a profuse sweat believing that Othinus might have been fatally wrong, at least he thought so until he saw the mocking expression shared by Rias and Akeno, who had moved to his right side.

"Touma-san, do I look that old?"

"Uh...? Uhm, no, no! It's just, you know… Aren't demons so long-lived that they've been around before all the Garden of Eden stuff?"

"Well, we live at most for about ten thousand years, so I doubt that my ancestor who lived at that time could still be alive."

"Ancestor…? Wait wait, if you are Gremory, then who are the others in this room? Decarabia? Sitri?"

"You seem to know some demonology, although the [Decarabia House] is an extinct pillar and well, the [Sitri House] is present in the room." With a look, Rias guided Touma to where Sona was, making it not difficult. connect the dots.

" House… Like in a noble family."

"I see you're already getting it. That's right Touma-san, those 72 demons that were under the control of King Solomon and their details are in the Ars Goetia grimoire formed the 72 Pillars of the Underworld, noble houses that run it in different territories."

" That's... It's very different from what I expected."

"I can't blame you. Any human slightly versed in the supernatural, but with no real contact with this side of the world comes to make assumptions like yours."

"Then, you are a member of the [House Gremory]. Who are they in all this?" Kamijou said, referring to both Sona's and Rias's peerage.

The Crimson Heiress fell silent, having agreed with Grayfia that she would explain this part.

"They are Reincarnated Devils thanks to the [Evil Pieces] system, the panacea of our race if I may comment. Full stop, I'm Grayfia Lucifuge, it's a pleasure to meet you Kamijou Touma-san."

"Eh, it's a pleasure, Grayfia-san..." He greet with clear bewilderment.

"There's a part that Rias omitted, and it's the higher authority than the 72 Pillars, the Four Great Satan," Grayfia pointed with four fingers for a bit of drama. "Lord Falbium Asmodeus, Miss Sitri's sister, Lady Serafall Leviathan, Lord Ajuka Beelzebub, and Lord Sirchezs Lucifer, formerly heir to the [House Gremory] and my [King]."

´As if I needed more surprises…´, Touma was trying to digest the information. ´Now it turns out that Rias-senpai and Souna-senpai are sisters of Lucifer and Leviathan, though…´

With unnatural timing, the stowaway riding in Kamijou's jacket thought the same thing as him.

´Leviathan was a sea beast created by Yahwe as a vessel for the chaos and destruction that existed before Genesis, and although religious texts overlap and confuse its figure with that of Satan, that would not have to take away its status as the Beast of the Antichrist. I'm also sure that Lucifer's full name was Morningstar and he never had much of a relationship with Gremory´ , Othinus thought trying to fit these confusing pieces of information, she didn't care that they still didn't tell her everything since, to her misfortune, she did. She was getting and she didn't like at all the puzzle she was managing to put together. ´She mention the [Evil Pieces] system , but that's impossible... the only place it came from never had an Emanation that affected like this.´

It was clear that she knew something that no one else in the room did, a piece of information that she was aware of even before she achieved Magic God status.

"Lord Ajuka Beelzebub in particular, is the possessor of a brilliant mind who found a way to save our race from extinction due to our low birth rates and the increasingly common extinction of a pillar. That is the [Evil Pieces] system, imitating chess pieces, they are given to the 72 Pillar families as well as High-Class Devils to form a peerage. The [Evil Pieces], as you may have already deduced from Kamijou-san, reincarnate the individual into a Devil based on the selected piece which also grants the attributes of the piece."

"So... were all of you human?" Touma asked the ORC members and the Student Council members. He couldn't perceive that both Akeno and Koneko were the only ones not nodding to his words.

"And as you've witnessed firsthand," this time it was Rias who spoke. "They can even save someone who is on the brink of death..."

Both Kamijou and Rias shrank in their respective seats uncomfortably, clearly remembering what may have been Hyoudou Issei's fate just a day ago was not something pleasant at all.

"I think I understand for the most part what they told me… Heh, then I see that I had nothing to worry about.

"Ara˜?" That was Akeno joining the conversation. "Were you afraid of us, Touma-kun?"

A bead of sweat comically ran down the boy's cheek knowing that this was his beautiful black-haired senpai messing with him once more, just like she had done in the mall.

"I wouldn't call it fear just, you know, reserves. It's not the first time I've been involved in Magic Side problems, but I've never come across nice Devils before."

"So you knew we existed?" asked Momo Hanaki, a second year student and [Bishop] of Sona.

To her question, Touma forcefully denied.

"The one I met… didn't have any human traits on him."

Inevitably the image of a Stray Devil appeared in everyone's mind, but at the moment they discarded it, understanding thanks to his tone of voice that the unfortunate boy did not want to talk about it.

"Hmm, with ´Magic Side´. I assume you mean the faction formed by the Anglican Church and the various Kabbalistic Orders throughout the world?

"I could say yes. Although, does that mean you guys aren't on that side?"

Rias waved her index finger in denial, clearly in a good mood.

"We have our own faction, one of the big three in the world."

The confusion that invaded Touma at that moment was immense, so much so that his mouth was opening and closing like a fish trying to say something. To his already typical bad luck, Rias would show no mercy and continue to tell him what it was all about.

"The Three Great Powers; the Underworld, Heaven and the Grigori, the faction of the Fallen Angels.

"It's okay, that's all, I can't stand this damn circus anymore."

Out of nowhere, a small figure emerged from the inner pockets of Kamijou Touma's jacket and jumped onto the desk until it was face to face with Rias Gremory. The girl might have mistaken her for some anime doll produced in Academy City, which would explain why she was walking towards her while muttering curses under her breath.

Her theory fell apart when she noticed two things; the magical energy she gave off and how Grayfia had tensed and radiated hostility. Did she know her?

"Othinus?! You said you weren't going out!"

"Hphm, I said that I wouldn't do it only if I was wrong because their magic and what they know about the world's factions were so different, and now I see that I was right."

"Kamijou-san," Grayfia interrupted. "Can you explain what the former leader of [GREMLIN] is doing with you?" From what I understood, Academy City collaborated in the siege of their lair in that Sargasso that was in Tokyo Bay." With a thud, she dropped a folder on the desk with the name of the group stamped on the cover.

There was an obvious change in Kamijou Touma's demeanor. With them there was still that boy who was a little clueless and nice but also seemed more…protective. Akeno in particular couldn't help but be curious about his behavior. What kind of relationship did he have with someone as infamous as Magic God Othinus? And above all, wasn't she dead?

Everyone present remembered that day, the immediate consequence of the siege in the bay was a manhunt by the International Coalition against the criminal Othinus who had fled to Denmark. After long hours of tension around the world, the President of the United States, Roberto Katze, and the Queen of England, Elizard, confirmed her elimination in the city of Odense. With the fall of its leader, the terrorist group called [GREMLIN] dissolved and many of its members fell into the custody of the American and European authorities.

So yes, hearing from the [Queen] herself and wife of Sirchezs Lucifer that one of the most dangerous criminals in the world was with them right now did not sit well with those present.

"To answer your question", surprisingly, Othinus was the first to speak. "Those two commissioned him to watch over me. What was the point of putting me in a cell like I am now? And Academy City has nothing to do with me being by his side."

"But the Coalition said they eliminated you in Denmark!" Shinra exclaimed in frustration.

"First rule of the real world girl; Don't believe anything the politicians say. Seriously, do you guys think it would be that easy for them to eliminate a Magic God? Heh, only Academy City had that ability and they lost it months ago."

The meaning in her statement stuck with everyone.

" Are you…" Saji took several steps back, clearly fearful and not understanding how the meeting had taken such a drastic turn. "Are you saying that the whole ´Magic God´ thing wasn't just a nickname?"

"Why don't you ask Rofocale's descendant?"

That clearly hadn't pleased Grayfia but out of infinite patience, she kept the scathing comments to herself.

"Othinus, be nice or I'll take the dollhouse from you and let Sphinx enter the room."

"... Do you know how weird it is to see you being so stern?"

"I'm not sorry."

"Oh, I didn't expect you to. In fact, I like it, a lot."

"I know."

The verbal exchange between Kamijou Touma and Othinus was… interesting to put it in kind words. They didn't even seem like two of the most interesting individuals who had caused the most waves of change in the world.

´Are they flirting?´ Rias asked herself, trying to imagine what kind of circumstances could have led them to develop such an intimate relationship so to speak.

If it weren't for the fact that they were having a bilateral meeting to share information, she would have been envious. Don't blame her, she just wanted to have a nice healthy teen romance!

Assuming and guessing what was going through the head of her best friend and [King], Akeno Himejima decided to ban her from watching Romcom-style anime and manga for at least one month.

"Cough, I'm sorry you had to see that," it was hard to notice, but Othinus's face was a little red. "Answering your question, boy who I doubt is a natural blonde-"

"Hey!"

"Yes, a Magic God is exactly that, someone who has reached a very different scale within the magical arts and has left their mark in mythology thanks to the changes they have made throughout the phases of the world. It goes a little way to say it, but I'm probably older than Miss Lucifuge there."

"Are you saying that you inspired part of the myths of humanity?" Kiba questioned with a raised eyebrow, not quite sure where the new addition of this meeting was going.

"Of course. When the siege happened, it was not a coincidence that I go to Denmark, one of the five Nordic countries."

"Norse mythology…" Grayfia muttered before quickly denying it. "The Underworld may be on neutral terms with the Norse, but I highly doubt they could hide the ´Magic God Othinus´ from us for that long."

" Hmm, since you mentioned this 'neutrality', am I to assume that they agreed to the same thing with Michael and that old crow Azazel?" I'm just saying, the Three Great Factions of the world were on the verge of extinction after that war last time I looked, the logical thing would be to agree to a ´peace´ that only makes it seem like they are in a Cold War."

For the first time the [Strongest Queen]' s stoicism was broken, looking mortified that Othinus knew such crucial information and mentioned it so casually. Touma wasn't taking it any better, but he chose to remain silent, fully trusting what she had to say.

" Were you there...?"

"Not exactly, I could simply observe everything from a fissure. I must say, for being home to such powerful beings, the Dimensional Gap is very poorly protected."

Once again, no one knew how to react to those words. In any other situation, they would think that statements of that caliber spoken so freely would be the result of the delusions of a madman, and perhaps thanks to what they had heard about [GREMLIN], the majority would doubt the sanity of the individual known as Othinus. But even so, they couldn't ignore that their word carried weight. It was also not just the caliber or value of what was said, but what was implied as a certainty, something only Grayfia had heard of, and it was by mere chance.

A long time ago during a party, the antisocial Ajuka Beelzebub had gone too far with her husband, how did it happen if Devils have high resistance to alcohol? Don't ask her, she got a migraine just thinking about it. In his drunken sayings, he mentions an ancient myth, one he would love to know more about, but to do so he needs the cooperation of other mythologies.

"…Are you one of those Ancient Gods?"

That was just the question that Othinus was waiting for.

"Not at all, that these guys are considered beings that were even before the Judeo-Christian God only shows that the responsible Aeon made a nasty mistake in his timeline. The fear of the unknown of the universe and stuff has always existed, but it did become a layer, a phase of the world, it was thanks to H.P. Lovecraft popularizing the concept and giving them the form of beings that the human psyche cannot understand and if they try, they will lose their sanity."

"OK, wait a minute!" Rias suddenly stood up and glared at the Magic God reduced to a fairy. "Are you trying to get anywhere here or are you just saying what comes to mind as you go along? Also, Kamijou-san," oh, she must have been pretty tired or annoyed to use her last name so harshly. "Wasn't this just a meeting to exchange information? I have told you what we are, but you have not said anything about your right hand and how it does that to deny our powers or those of that Fallen Angel."

Touma and Othinus shared a look, as if they were saying something to each other without the need for words.

It was after an eternal minute of sepulchral silence that the one who held the title of Magic God resumed her speech.

"If you're patient, we'll get to how this boy's right hand works," she said as she poked Touma's cheek. "But before that we need to see something much more extensive. Does any of you find it strange that events like World War III, everything that happened with [GREMLIN], and the very existence of Academy City are things that feel isolated, almost disconnected from everything around them despite falling Also on the spectrum of the supernatural?"

Silence reigned once again in the room. During that new pause, a new theory began to form in Grayfia Lucifuge's mind, all thanks to a key word. She was not the most erudite in the deep subjects of esotericism and philosophy, but she could recognize the origin of it.

"Lady Othinus, why do I speak of an Aeon as if it were a living thing?"

"I see you got it," she said with a mischievous smile. "It is not difficult to think that ´Aeon´and ´Eon´ are the same word, but in a different pronunciation, and although it may be so at times, the ´Aeon´has a greater meaning and value of its own beyond being just a unit of time for billions of years if we delve into the Gnostic doctrine which mixes ideas of Master Plato. He himself professed the idea of a God, a Demiurge, whose creation was geometrically perfect and in full harmony, hence the idea took two directions; a Demiurge, the architect of the world, emanated from the divine source, the Uncreated Unknowable while also becoming a title ascribed to Archon Yaldabaoth and to the Draconian Serpent of Eden, Samael who was sometimes called Lucifer or Lilith herself, the first woman created according to the apocryphal texts of the Dead Sea."

The mood that was constantly changing was now similar to that of a classroom with Othinus as the teacher, or so Kamijou Touma thought.

´ … I better stop or my mind is going to play me wrong.´

"I must say, the Gnostics weren't so bad. Divinity has a source that can only be perceived as light, interesting things come from there... like the living Aeons, little Demiurges that copy elements from the phases and assimilate them into themselves. Once they have had enough, they become Unconscious that they have created a world and have lost all trace of the Uncreated Unknowable source, falling to the bottom of the bottom and being outmatched by whatever being emanated from them while copying the phases. In a certain way this is part of the belief of the Gnostic genesis, where the Aeon Sophia granted humanity its free will, which caused its fall into the material prison that is the world, but that has nothing to do with it."

Inadvertently, Sona raised her hand as if asking to speak.

"Oh? What do you want to ask, heiress of Sitri?"

"My name is Sona," she said, not happy that Othinus never used a person's name to refer to they. Inadvertently saying her name moved the gears of the simple part in the brain of a certain boy plagued with bad luck.

´Souna Shitori equal to Sona Sitri? Eh, dissembling doesn't seem to be her thing,´ Touma thought, finding it a bit funny.

"And my question is, what is the relationship of these ´living Aeons´ in which you were a spectator of the Great War that almost destroyed the Three Great Factions?"

"Heh, you see girl, even before ascending as a Magic God, I was already very aware of the supernatural world, although I prefer to say that it was a relationship with the mystical. Anyway, what I am trying to tell you is that, if you know how to do it, it is not difficult to observe the works of these little Demiurges since they are completely foreign things to the phases of the world once the Aeon becomes an Unconscious. That was exactly what I did, observe what one of these built... That would be a plane where all mythology was mixed, the gods were sentient beings and immortal at the same time, but they could die if seriously injured and a war between the three factions coming out of the Judeo-Christian religion were fought, this before the year one after Christ. I watched the war unfold from start to finish, with its conclusion on a certain day in April of the year 30 A.D. Gremory Heiress, when I saw you in the park, I could feel it from you and the Fallen Angel who almost killed that perverted boy. that he would be a good candidate for Eros. Your core, that which allows you to use magic and innate abilities as supernatural beings, is not something separate from you, it is a thing bound to your soul while the rest of you are biological matter, that is why Kamijou Touma's right-hand, the Imagine Breaker, cannot deny your existence or return you to a previous state, you have always been like this. At most, it can negate your powers whenever you're in contact with your right hand, just like you experienced a while ago."

"Imagine Breaker...?" Rias muttered, searching her mind to try to remember if she'd ever heard of magic or a Sacred Gear by that name.

Trying to process such a dense fact, Shinra asked the question that no one wanted to ask.

"You mean... that we come from another world?"

Othinus's reaction was something that neither Grayfia, Sona, or Rias thought would happen.

"Ha! Not at all, you have always been a part of this world so to speak. If what I theorize is true, then the Unconscious Aeon with such an unleashed magical system and where everything they know happened, reached a point where it reached Emanation. Hmm, a good analogy to describe what he did is when on the internet you send the same file to random users until one assimilates it and is allowed to mix it with a copy of the file he already had, but without overwriting anything. The only thing that puzzles me is that the emanation of that curious Aeon collided with this phase of the world, I wonder why..."

"That would be like… Two types of supernatural worlds coming into contact at the same time and interacting with each other without anyone being able to notice, not even those who are native to that hidden side of the world."

"Very proper, redhead." Othinus gazed at something, a comment she couldn't help but make. "I like you girl, the same to your sister-in-law there." She pointed at Grayfia who flinched.

"H-how did you know?"

Kamijou and Othinus exchanged a look, both ending in a shrug.

"Grayfia-san talks about Sirzches-san just like my mother does when she talks about dad; not pleased by his antics, but with sincere love."

"… You two are very good at drawing conclusions," Grayfia said in a low voice, not at all happy that someone caught her true emotions hidden behind that beautiful stoic face. Luckily for her, everyone else in the room was so engrossed to process what the little one-eyed blonde girl revealed that they didn't notice the color her face had turned.

Listing the thoughts that each person present had was complicated, although surprise was the common factor, each one was carrying it in their own way. Of course, if one thing was making it easier for them to process information, it was the well-known fact that, between worlds like Earth and the Underworld, there was a Dimensional Gap that remained unexplored to this day.

"I guess there's no point in worrying," Sona stated to everyone's surprise. "What you say may be correct because before you saw a ´world´ whose supernatural nature works in the same way as ours does, but it doesn't change the fact that our race has always been here. I ask you, former Magic God Othinus, would we ever have noticed if you never told us?"

"… I see that now you understand what I was trying to tell them. I didn't say it because their being here is a mistake or something that needs to be fixed, but rather to satisfy my own curiosity and understand why they were so different from what you've seen before."

Touma scratched his head in a bit of frustration. It was a bit difficult to understand that somewhere beyond what human beings can reach, some divine-type force maintained a world so different from theirs and that by having reached a natural point in the "life" of it, they had thrown fragments of himself in the form of ´emanation´ causing everything that had happened there, also happened in this ´world´ but without overwriting anything.

Although… perhaps it was best to take Sona's advice. Correct, it was a great revelation, but it didn't change anything, as Othinus said, it was something that happened all the time either to a greater or lesser extent, having realized that it had happened was only due to the great knowledge that she herself acquired before and after becoming a Magic God.

Following Sona Sitri, Kamijou Touma found what he wanted to tell them.

"She's right," he said, offering a smile that conveyed calm. "You've always been your own person in this world, that something as curious as all that business about the Aeons and the Emanation has happened changes absolutely nothing."

A belief was forged within Kamijou Touma at that moment.

They were Devils.

But not bad people.

They could consider it a minuscule thing, a detail that was not perceived by doing it as a part of their day to day, that detail was the genuine concern that Rias Gremory had shown her on two occasions, both in the mall when she got lost due to a stupid reason, and when Hyoudou Issei had been mortally wounded.

"Rias-senpai, what you did with Issei was to reincarnate him as a Devil?"

´He call him by his name, that is a surprise´

"Sigh, yes, I had to. You saw his wounds, they were fatal and I'm not specialized in healing, heh, I'd say it's quite the opposite. Before you ask, yes, from before I was planning to offer him a position in my peerage, but I wanted him to make his own decision, not having to reincarnate him as a way to save his life."

"I'm sure he'll understand. Call me crazy, but something that tells me to look at it as a positive…" If Kamijou knew how correct his words were, then he would freak out.

"... Touma-senpai..." Koneko spoke from her place next to Kiba. The girl looked very tired, but at the same time she radiated curiosity. "How does your right hand work?"

Again Touma scratched his head, only this time it was with pity. I had forgotten that this was one of the main issues to be discussed.

He was about to start recounting how little he knew about that special power contained in the limb when without warning, the [Strongest Queen] began to speak .

"Imagine Breaker, the strange power that resides in Kamijou Touma's Right Hand, one that does not belong to the ESper powers developed in Academy City, to any kind of magic in esotericism and much less fits into the Sacred Gear system. In fact, coming into contact with at least two such forces has been known to negate them entirely."

"… Yes, that's a good summary."

"I was hoping they would mention it to make Lady Rias understand the status of her guest," Grayfia chimed in, dropping a much thicker folder on the desk causing Rias's eyebrow to twitch. "In addition to the Siege of Sargasso, Kamijou Touma has been involved in the attack on the Queen of the Adriatic Sea, was a prominent person during the events of the British Halloween, and congratulated by the President of the United States for a role against [GREMLIN] during their attack in Hawaii."

"Is it normal for me to feel harassed?"

"To his long list of actions are added the rumors of his participation in World War III, such as defeating Fiamma of the Right and shooting down his floating fortress, the Star of Bethlehem. Following these actions and many others that are surely unknown to this day. Is how you formed the so-called [Kamijou Faction], am I wrong?"

"I-it wasn't intentional, it's all the fault of what Princess Carissa said while drunk on Christmas."

"I don't see why she would be wrong, you seem to have a good relationship with the royalty of the United Kingdom. Even if Carissa has lost her place as heiress, she is still an influential figure."

Everyone was stunned, even the imperturbable Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra. Now looking at Kamijou Touma, it seemed like a danger sign had been placed over his head.

A boy who, at 16, had already carried out such outstanding actions, someone so influential that it was said that he had his own faction. Overwhelmed, Rias opened the folder and flipped through it at full speed, catching only a few parts of what interested her the most; the connections of the ´Kamijou Faction´.

Academy City and some of its level 5 ESpers, a group that operated in the science city known as ITEM, the aforementioned UK royalty, the Anglican Church of England and its magical branch Nessesarius as well as the Amakusa Church. Above all, there was the Kabbalistic Order Dawn-Colored Sunlight, led by Leivina Birdway, and the Magic Order New Light.

´Even if this Imagine Breaker is not a Sacred Gear, does it have the same effect as a Longinus in terms of gathering powerful and inclusive individuals around its wielder? Anyone would think that this is logical, but my intuition tells me that it is all thanks to the efforts of Touma-san.´

"Grayfia-san, when did you get all that information?"

"Last night. It was a last minute job," Grayfia commented, giving her sister-in-law a disapproving look. The woman may have been a bit of a workaholic, but she also had a great responsibility as a mother, and certain needs that only Sirchezs could attend to. She did not appreciate abrupt interruptions.

"Uhm, I didn't think all those problems I ended up in were such a big deal."

"Touma-senpai." After a long internal debate since the Magic God Othinus began with his explanation of the Aeons and everything related to it, Koneko steeled herself to ask a question once more. "Didn't you get involved in all those things things on purpose?"

"…Toujou-san, I couldn't tell you if it's just my bad luck or just an incredible coincidence, but I don't regret getting involved. It was just me acting reckless, dashing towards danger with this right hand of mine. I do not have perfect solutions, I am not a Samaritan with immense altruism, I am not a sage who meditated on some mountain until he was worthy of the Imagine Breaker and then rejuvenated himself to travel the world or a hero of ancient times who reincarnated or anything like that, I'm just an ordinary high school boy who can't stand by and watch someone suffer in silence and no one does anything about it."

"Ara, what an unusual response," was all Akeno could say, trying and slightly failing to hide how those words made her feel. It wasn't just the actions mentioned by Grayfia or the Magic God reduced to fairy Othinus, but for Akeno, it was very easy to feel the weight of those words, something she wouldn't dare say lightly.

Himejima Akeno and Kamijou Touma shared one negative aspect in common.

Both carried immense guilt.

"Now, regarding my name and this ´Nordic Mythology´-" Othinus was about to speak when suddenly, the door of the room opened and the Devils present except Grayfia backed off; they clutched their heads as if they had a horrible migraine.

" Kamijou Touma!"

´What now?!´, he asked himself without recognizing that female voice and when he turned to face who belonged to him, he knew that things were going to go downhill. ´Kanzaki?!´

There at the door was Kanzaki Kaori, looking hysterical and not knowing who to focus her gaze on. In her hand she had her Nodachi in a scabbard, only a small part of the metal blade was visible, and that alone was enough for the lesser-powered Devils to feel that someone had prayed an Our Father by their side.

´N-not even those damned Holy Swords of the Church could feel like this,´ Kiba thought, the hatred he felt for such a similar presence dulled by the overwhelming headache.

"Can you explain this?! I don't know how so many of you got here, but I know what you are!"

Looking for a way to return the situation to the way it was before, so that Grayfia wouldn't attack Kanzaki and she would stop dealing indirect damage to Rias, Sona, and their peerages, Kamijou Touma did the first thing that came to mind.

Simply put, damage control.

"J-just wait Kanzaki, if… if you put that sword away and listen to the explanation of all this, I promise to do whatever you ask of me."

The Saint's eyes widened comically, as if what she had just heard was just a figment of her feverish imagination.

"S-anything?" she wondered more to herself than to that boy whose misfortune was about to multiply.

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Are you kidding? That's just a rumor!"

"If he was playing a joke on you, he would send you to sleep on the floor and leave you at the mercy of Silvia, believe me."

The former priest returned to his composure as he lost his energy. He couldn't believe what that man who almost became Magic God was telling him with that damn confident smile.

"Since your influence disappeared from the Roman Catholic Church, there has been some leak of information. Does the name of Freed Sellzen sound familiar to you?"

"Sound me?" That fool dared to challenge Aqua of the Back when he was in his prime. If it weren't for Vento del Frente's intervention, that maniac would have delayed the plans I had at that time."

"Then I don't understand your surprise, this is just confirmation that we were unaware of the existence of the Sacred Gear."

Fiamma of the Right wrapped a single arm around his neck, easing some of the stress that hung in his bones before this news.

According to what they heard, Asia Argento, a Holy Maiden who Fiamma heard of for her incredible healing talents during his time as leader of God's Right Seat, was excommunicated from the Vatican for healing ´an enemy of the Church.´

Now the disgraced maiden was on her way to Japan if what they heard was true.

The former leader of God's Right Seat, when he was running the organization, didn't take much importance at the time to Asia's talents, believing it to be some kind of overly powerful healing magic. He only come to believe that cultivating her power could be extremely useful for certain ambitions in case using Index Librorum Prohibitorum had unwanted side effects, but luckily for Fiamma that never happened and, besides, he had already abandoned that nefarious path.

"If Asia Argento and others had a Sacred Gear, why didn't the Pope ever tell me?"

"I bet he tried to, but surely you were too focused on your plans to cause World War III that you didn't even deign to listen to him."

Fiamma shrank back in his seat, not much liking remembering his past self, though he knew he would have to deal with it for the rest of his life.

"What shall we do now?"

"Being honest? No idea. I guess in case the Catholics make a real move, we'll have to visit that town, I think its name was Kuoh"

Both of them were somewhat reluctant to return to Japan, all because of what happened in the Siege of Sargasso and the fiasco with the High Priest in Academy City.

"Sigh, and I thought that after Othinus and the High Priest the world couldn't get crazier."

"Heh, you have no idea partner," Ollerus said, staring entranced at a talisman covered in gibberish meant to imitate Chinese words. "You have no idea."

Fiamma's third arm innocently handed him and Ollerus a cup of tea. Somehow he had sensed the stress that now rested on both men's shoulders.

… … …

… … …

"It's… I have nothing to say, nothing comes to my mind."

"Sigh, and I can't blame you. Othinus also got tired, although she didn't want to show it. Look, she's already asleep." To show Kanzaki that he was telling the truth, Touma opened his jacket and pointed to the inside pocket.

There, without worrying about anything, lay Othinus sleeping peacefully while drooling a little and muttering something in her dreams.

After Kanzaki Kaori's interruption just as Othinus was going to explain her origin using the Gesta Danorum as a base, Rias Gremory, Grayfia Lucifuge, and Othinus proceeded to explain to her everything that was discussed and revealed in the meeting. To say that Saint Amakusa was stunned would be an understatement, because on more than one occasion she tried to deny what they were saying, but in the end, like everyone else who was there, she came to accept the facts.

That day, important figures for the present and future of the Underworld realized that beyond the mysterious and supernatural side of the world they inhabited, there was a similar one, with its own mysteries to reveal.

As for Kamijou Touma and Kanzaki Kaori, they came into contact with people from the demon race. Playful and a bit impulsive, but with a fierce determination to fulfill their wishes and those around them. A certain dark side in both of their minds can't help but think of what such determination would be like in someone vile, which from Grayfia's own words, was not something that was lacking in the Underworld, especially with that [Old Satan Faction] during the Civil War. They also couldn't help but be curious as to what the Heaven and Grigori faction would be like.

"It 's almost cute..."

Touma looked at his friend with concern, noting that despite having assimilated well what was revealed to her. She seemed quite lost, almost unsure of even looking at her own shadow.

Kamijou Touma knew that he had to do something about it.

"Oh hey, Kanzaki… Do you remember what I told you, that I would do anything you asked if you listened to what we had to say?"

" Huh? Oh yes, I remember."

" So, do you have something in mind?"

" This...I..."

Inside Kanzaki Kaori's head, many versions of her that could be called ´chibi´ started running around in a panic trying to give the girl some idea, let her say anything. For almost a year that Saint had wanted an opportunity like this to present itself and when she was right in front of her, she couldn't think of anything to say.

"E-erm, well I… hmm, maybe… Could we go to the mall again?"

"That would work." Touma was not going to deny that he liked the idea to relax a bit from everything that had happened in recent times. However, it was that same emotion that he felt that made his mouth be faster than his brain. "So it's a date."

A cricket began to sing as the punchline.

Like a bullet train run amok, the realization of what he said hit him, but it was too late. Both Kaori and he had seen a situation like this in movies and series, always with the boy trying to rectify his words and ending up worse than before. Kamijou Touma wouldn't do that.

With an awkward silence formed, both began their walk to their respective homes in Kuoh, paid for by the very ´generous´ Anglican Church.

Their faces were flushed to the limit and it looked like they wanted to say something to each other, but it just wouldn't come out.

In Kamijou Touma's case, it wasn't because he was dense, maybe a little. A person who knew him deeply knew that the boy did not feel deserving of many things, hence his act so indifferent and clueless towards girls whose feelings were directed at him, simply inside his head the idea that a girl would be interested in someone as he had no place. And as icing on the cake, he had known Kanzaki Kaori for a long time, he thought she was a pretty attractive girl in every way and they had been through a lot together...

In truth, he was having a hard time keeping his sense of denial to the idea of a girl interested in him and vice versa. The worst thing is that he didn't know why, he hadn't felt that way that September 30th in Academy City.

If you thought Touma was confused, then Kanzaki Kaori was completely lost and hopeless. All they would do would be a friends outing and nothing more, was what she told herself. If that was the case… Then why did she expect anything more from that day, from that date?

What the unfortunate boy proposed succeeded; distracting their minds from the information they discovered today, but what he did had created a new ramification that would soon change his personal life completely.

Kanzaki Kaori would realize that she was in love with Kamijou Touma.

... ... ...

... ... ...

"Are you going to tell Onii-sama everything?"

"I have to. What has been revealed today is not something to be taken lightly, although I wouldn't worry too much about the repercussions of this information either."

Back at the Occult Research Club's office, Grayfia was preparing to leave while, with the late afternoon, Rias's peerage began to keep an eye out for potential clients. Kiba had already been called, so it was only a matter of time before someone else obtained a Demon Job.

"Sigh, you know that he probably wants to meet Touma-san in person."

"Yeah… I know," Grayfia said with obvious annoyance as her right eye twitched slightly. When her husband proposed something, it was difficult to set a limit, which was always up to her.

It was not very difficult to see who was in charge in the relationship.

Before Grayfia could return to the Underworld, she noticed how Rias tensed up. Something else was going on.

"... Grayfia, does the teleportation circle have Hyoudou Issei's signature demonic power?"

"¿?" Confused by the radical change in her sister-in-law's attitude, she analyzed the circle that Rias and her peerage used to attend to the jobs they received . "Yes, is here."

"Please, take me to him right now," she asked. desperately.

... ... ...

... ... ...

This was bad for Hyoudou Issei.

It was very, very bad. As well as the flashbacks he had throughout the day about the girl known as ´Amano Yuuma´.

Only this time, it wasn't about a sweet girl who suddenly turns into an intimidating dominatrix on the hunt for submissive men.

No, this time it was a man who stood out for his dark trench coat and having wings much darker than Yuuma's. Before feeling the pain of a thousand hells in his torso, Issei thought he heard him tell him that his name was Donahseek.

The situation had gone south in a masterly way, so much so that it seemed like the way the world made fun of the boy with enormous taste for tits.

With the sun much lower, he began to feel more comfortable, so he told his mother that he would go for a walk and be back before 8 p.m. She knew that Issei used to go for walks when he wanted to clear his mind or to sneak out and buy a magazine of models in bikinis that covered absolutely nothing.

However, on this unusual occasion, it wasn't to buy a magazine, Issei would really go for a walk. Everything was normal until the sun went down and he headed back home, then he found him there.

The Donahseek guy was already in front of him, saying that for a Stray Devil, he still looked very human. Issei couldn't even get a retort out before a weak, thin, but painful spear made of light pierced his stomach and brought him to kiss the ground.

The pain was so excruciating that he would soon fall unconscious, not understanding a word the Fallen Angel was saying to him. If his consciousness had lingered a little longer, then he would have noticed the two women who appeared next to him thanks to a circle of shocking crimson that appeared on the ground.

… … …

… … …

Kamijou Touma was fast asleep in a comfortable bed, not in a hellish bathtub that almost broke his back every night.

However, while he slept like a rock, his partner, that person who understood him more than anyone else in the world, couldn't avoid a certain thought.

Its a shameless way she avoid revealing its origin, feeling that it was not the moment. That, if she did, something bad was going to happen. Othinus turned this feeling over and over, until with a pang of pain where her eye used to be, she knew what was happening.

"That Aeon really was a joke. Make you real and wake up just when I get a bit active. Or am I wrong, Woden?"

Between lines

Aeon and Eon.

Same word in essence; used to refer to an age within different doctrines.

Aleister Crowley used the word Aeon to refer to the stages that the world had gone through since its inception, beginning with the Aeon of Isis to the supposedly current Aeon of Maat.

On the other hand, some Gnostic branches considered the Aeon as a being emanating from the unknowable divinity, the invisible light. For example, following this belief. Yahwe would be the emanation known as Demiurge, the creator of the material prison known as Earth and responsible for the fall from grace of the feminine Aeon Sophia from the highest (divinity) to the lowest (matter).

A forgotten belief is that the ´prison´ of the Demiurge was an egg surrounded by the serpent that tempted the second woman to set foot in Eden and others who tried to take the role of the Demiurge. Satan, the ´Serpent of Eden´ together with the archons Yadabaoth, Saklas and the Draconian Samael, the poison from the unknowable source, the Poison of God, kept the egg closed without any possibility of it hatching, placed there by the jailer emanating from the source from which all divinity arose. In order for the egg to hatch, that disgraced Sophia would have to die and be reborn to ascend to the light from which she came.

What would emerge from that egg, from that prison? What did the Demiurge and the Serpents fear?

Simple: a being that united the extremes.

Yahwe, the pure good.

Satan, the absolute evil.

Abraxas IAO Sabaoth, the absolute union on all scales of light and darkness.

Love and hate.

Life and death.

Fire and water.

Air and earth.

Imagination and reality.

Abraxas must be that bridge.

But it was not an Aeon.

That hypothetical being with the head of a rooster, the body of a human, the feet of a serpent and a chariot drawn by lions was not an emanation of the unknowable divinity, it could not fit into the doctrine of emanation proclaimed by the ancient Gnostics.

Abraxas was an emanation of Sophia's gift to humanity.

Free will.

But this is all a hypothetical story.

Perhaps it happened in some distant Phase, it is even possible that it was before that Black Box that a certain Magic God failed to touch at the starting point of the infernal loop.

Who knows.

But there was a certainty.

The unconscious and unknowable Aeons responsible for breaking the veil between two worlds, one heterogeneous and one homogeneous, had not broken the veil without paying a great price.

There was no egg, there was no Abraxas, there were no archons, there was no Demiurge, but there was something in that veil, that thin layer above the Ouroboros, to infinity itself.

Eight roads crossed for Vovin.

And beyond the roads was the Imaginary Spectrum that the Aeons did not understand, that they only captured as light reflected in mundane objects, symbols of earthly origin.

The tree that stretched its branches to infinite heights and the deepest darkness of the abyss where the Howler of Set unhindered by Vovin's 8 Paths. Emanated from Ein Sof, the ´non-being´, keeping at bay the positive and negative Sefirot alike to make way for the Pleroma.

The tree was Cabala.

The roots, the remaining negative spectrum of the universe, was the Qliphoth.

And, in the center of the tree, in the middle of life and death, of benevolence and malevolence, was the symbol that the Aeons could not understand before paying the price for breaking the veil.

The Rose and the Cross.

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Happy February 14!

-Mr:Soul.