AN: Ha, this one is actually on time!

Yet another reminder that this is an AU because I can't stop myself from saying "What if I do that" and then doing it. Also worldbuilding stuff that I made up on the spot and now have to rationalize with everything else. Because I'm a writer and we get to do that.

...Yeah, I should really go back and fix all the stuff I messed up at some point shouldn't I.

As you may have guessed by the fact that this chapter actually has an author's note instead of just a creepily long list of warnings, this chapter isn't going to be as bad as the last one was. And related to that...

Thank you all so much! I honestly thought that my last chapter was absolute garbage that I was just throwing out onto the page to make a deadline I'd already missed, but I got so many reviews from people saying that they actually enjoyed it and looked forward to what happened next! So again, thank you for that, it let me go into writing this chapter with much more enthusiasm and I feel a lot more optimistic.

With that said, lets get into the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Highschool DxD and I'm sure that everyone involved is perfectly fine with that.

The red was halfway gone, eaten away like a monster had taken giant chunks out of with sharp serrated teeth, leaving violent gouges on the edges of what remained that still seemed to shiver in fear that the beast would return.

I could feel each mark, each missing peace inside me, like a book without words or a picture without ink. Empty, lacking everything that gave it value. And wasn't that what I was? What did I have left?

Without the protection of the red shell half of me was exposed to the blank Nothing, a chill on my left side that left my bones sapped of warmth and sucked all strength from my muscles. Not that I really had either. What was I, anyway? A spirit? A simulacrum of a person? I was Kai Kado, but I wasn't. A fake of a fake. Truly, there was nothing more regretful than the existence of something like I.

But as if to spite the eternal cold both in my body and heart, the right side was warm and comforting, filling me with fire and the will to go on. Attached to the shell and extending off into the distance until it was too far away to see was a winding red thread. It was thin and frayed, but it connected me to something real outside this pitiful existence.

The two sides, light and dark, warmth and cold, the Nothing and the Anything that was me, directly bisecting me in a straight line, dividing me into two equal pieces.

I hated both sides. The dark for the pain and numbness it felt, the light for the false hope and effort of protection. But most of all, I feared what would happen if a tipping point was ever reached. At this point I could neither survive without the dark nor without the light.

But this delicate balance between the two could not last, and eventually either the seductive pull of the Nothing or the determined grasp of the Anything would weaken and I would lose myself. But really, what was I to care either way? I was nothing, and so why should I fear?

How could I have the right to fear?

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

I'm sure that Kioko had only had my best interests in mind, but as I withheld another wince as I sat up on the bed to accept a small bowl of soup from my girlfriend, I wished that she had let me stay with Rias and Akeno just a little bit longer.

Naturally Kioko didn't miss my brief moment of weakness and was immediately on the other side of the bed, fluffing pillows and worriedly checking my temperature with the back of her hand, leaving me to handle the bowl of hot soup on my own, using every bit of concentration I had to make sure that my hand and supporting stump didn't shake too much as I fought my own body to keep the thin broth from sloshing over the side of the container.

For not the first time, I wished that I hadn't been quite so quick to flood my body with magic as I tried to save my family. I would never regret trying to save somebody, but my hasty efforts had been completely useless and almost got me killed as a result. Next time I would need to take more time to think. (There is no next time.)

Kioko finally noticed my plight and gasped, hurrying over to take the uncomfortably hot bowl from me. "Oh, I'm sorry! Let me take that!" I grinned at her and hid the sigh of relief at the scalding feeling being removed from my hand. No need to give her any further trouble. (What happened to no more lies?)

Looking around for a moment, Kioko decided to set the bowl down on the small table next to the bed, carefully pushing aside a glass of water and a book to make room for the meal. She then turned around and dragged a wooden chair from across the room closer to the bed, sitting down on it before picking up the bowl and corresponding spoon, taking a scoop with the latter and holding it up invitingly. "Say 'aaahh,'" she requested, opening her own mouth wide to invite me to do the same.

I gave a deadpan stare at the girl. "I'm not two, Kioko-chan. I am completely capable of feeding myself." Honestly, she'd been like this ever since I woke up an hour ago. It was comforting to know that she cared so much and was worried, but I was really starting to get tired of being treated like an invalid. Never mind that I was one.

At hearing my words, Kioko's green eyes lost some of their shine, the spoon landing back into the liquid soup with a soft splash. "Are you?" she asked quietly, "Would you be able to take care of yourself with no problems at all? Even though you can't keep your hand from shaking, much less the fact that you are missing a limb?"

Sighing, Kioko closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and raising the spoon back up again. "I'm sorry, but you really aren't well or even whole. So please don't try to act like you are perfectly fine when we both know that isn't true." Regaining her cheerful attitude, she held the spoon closer to me. "Now open up or I'll end up spilling it on my nice sheets."

Smiling in response, I opened my mouth and leaned forward, allowing the spoonful of soup to enter. It tasted like watered-down chicken broth with too much pepper in it, but I grinned and told her it was delicious anyway. I was injured, that was true, but it was by my own fault. Kioko shouldn't have to suffer for my own selfishness.

Once I was finally done with the meal, Kioko stood from her chair, most likely to go take care of the wooden bowl in her hand. "Kioko-chan?" I asked, interrupting her before she could leave the room.

The blonde girl turned to me, a full smile on her face. "Yes, what is it, Kado-kun? Anything I can do for you?"

"What happened to my family."

Kioko's smile drooped like rain cascading down a windowpane before flexing back up into a rigid grin in the blink of an eye. "What do you mean, Kado-kun? They're perfectly fine. You're just staying with me for a while until you recuperate from the awful accident that made you lose your hand. I'm sure it won't be long before-"

"I'm not stupid," I said quietly, no longer looking at that (fake fake always fake) smile. "I was there, I saw them burn in front of me. There was nothing left but ash." Why did she lie? (What did she have to hide?) "I… just want to know if they got a funeral."

There was silence in the room for a moment before soft footsteps approached and a soft hand laid itself across my own tightly clenched hand. "I'm sorry, Kado-kun," she said with a gentle tone. "I didn't think you remembered and I didn't want to alarm you. I don't want you to hurt any more."

I thought of the deep ache in my chest, different from the rest of the various pains and sore muscles I had in my body. "Yeah, well it's too late for that," I mumbled softly, still not raising my head. A moment later I felt a soft touch on my head, like a fairy's caress and instinctively stiffened before I recognized it as a light kiss.

"Would you like to go see your house?" Kioko asked, still sounding hesitant, as though the wrong word would send me into a fit of screaming. I nodded mutely, and after a moment the soft hand left my own rough, shaking one and footsteps padded across the floor before I heard the sound of a door closing behind Kioko. (Still alone.)

Honestly I didn't. I didn't want to see the ruins of the dream. I knew what had happened but it was like if I didn't see the proof in front of my eyes I wouldn't have to face it. I could close my eyes and pretend that my sisters would wake me up the next day, Mom would make meals that were almost right, and Dad would try to be a father in his own awkward way. That I could continue to cherish the times I'd spent with them like I hadn't when they were real. Had I even told my family I loved them before I'd left to go on a date with Kioko? (Did I ever love them?)

And that was exactly why I had to go. Because I couldn't keep living in a fantasy like that, it would only hurt me more. I had to see my failure with my own eyes and accept that I'd gotten my family killed.

Because I knew that circle, not like it had been hard to recognize. I had insulted Riser, even gone so far as to land a hit on him during the rating game. And so he had targeted my family. They had done nothing wrong, but my sins had been forced onto their shoulders. (They were never supposed to be involved.)

And yet, as I retraced my actions, I couldn't think that I would have done differently. I would have protected my family, I would have warned them and asked Rias or Kioko to place some kind of wards for their protection, but I would never regret that rating game or saving Rias.

Didn't that make me the most selfish one of everyone? Wanting to have my cake and eat it too?

I was pulled from my thoughts by a faint pinging sound. Frowning, I looked around to try and find the source. It had been clear, like two glasses clinking together, but wasn't faint enough to come from outside the room. It was only at the second ping that I noticed a small object rising up past the view I could see through the window and tapping against the glass before falling back down again.

Was someone seriously throwing rocks at my window? Kioko's apartment was on the third floor, so it would take quite a bit of accuracy to repeatedly hit the window. The room I was in wasn't that big, but the bed I rested on was placed at the center of it, leaving me unable to reach the window and open it or even see who was there.

I might not be able to reach the window with my single hand, but I could see that the window was already slightly open so it wouldn't take too much effort to open it completely. With a little maneuvering I was stretching my pajama clad leg out as far as I could, resisting the feeling of aching muscles and stinging pains to finally get a toe in the small aperture and sliding the window farther open, leaving a half-meter of open space.

Almost collapsing in relief and from the strain I retracted my leg and pulled it back under the covers, calling out "Who's there?" It most likely wasn't anyone I knew, since any people from school or from the peerage would just use the front door. Admittedly a little late, I realized that opening a window for a complete stranger when my family had just barely been killed probably wasn't a good idea.

Before I could change my mind and try to close the aperture though, a screaming form rose in a high parabola, barely clearing the gap in the window before collapsing in a heap of brown and black on the floor in a groaning pile.

Craning my neck and resisting the urge to pull at my magic I managed to recognize the messy head of hair that was barely lifting itself up from where it had landed at an uncomfortable angle. "Issei?"

Blinking slowly, Issei didn't seem to hear me, instead jumping to his feet and dashing over to the window, leaning out and yelling down at whoever was below. "I didn't mean throw me, Koneko-chan! I meant a message, like paper or something! How many snacks do you eat that you got that mixed up, you half-sized-"

Breaking off his tirade with a frightened "eep!" Issei leaned back inside the room barely in time to dodge a small object that looked suspiciously like a brick from hitting him in the face as it progressed higher up the building. Leaning back outside the window, Issei called out "You missed! You can't even aim right, you-ouch!"

The object coming back down landed on the back of Issei's head, bouncing off and falling back down to the ground below. Issei immediately pulled himself back into the room and slammed the window shut behind him, not daring to take another hit from the annoyed rook.

Up to now I had been watching with a bemused look, but it was probably time to say something. "Umm, Issei? Why did you just come in through my window?" I could honestly figure out most of what had happened after that point, but that still didn't explain why he was here in the first place.

Starting up suddenly and jerking around to see me, Issei's face lit up like a summer festival as he rushed the bed, barely pausing before embracing me in a hug that squeezed my limbs and sore skin uncomfortably tight. At least the burns were healed or it would have been much worse.

"You're alive!" He declared joyously, still not letting go. "And you're awake! Man, you really had me scared!" If anything his grip got tighter, as if afraid that I would drop dead in his arms if he loosened it any.

I rolled my eyes but patting Issei's back in reassurance, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. I'd been unconscious for most of it, but it was good to see my… basically only male friend. And wasn't that just sad. "Yeah yeah. Now let go of me before you finish me off."

Issei immediately pulled away with a stricken expression, holding his hands away from me like they were active bombs. "S-Sorry! I should have remembered you were injured!"

"Nah, it's fine." I waved it off casually, not wanting him to start treating me as delicately as Kioko did. If everyone started treating me like a baby bird I'd end probably end up screaming and breaking something.

After a moment I realized that Issei's eyes were tracking from left to right in a repeated pattern. I tracked his line of sight and found his gaze directly pointed at my waving stump. Flushing slightly I shoved the crippled limb back under the blankets, not used to the attention.

"So!" I exclaimed louder than normal, drawing Issei's attention away from my new feature. "Why'd you come in the window like that?" He hadn't ever answered my question in the first place, and it was as good a distraction as any.

It worked and Issei focused on my face, looking confused. "You didn't know? Horikawa-san hasn't let a single person in to see you the entire time you were unconscious." Really? Why would she do that? More of her over-protectiveness?

"And how long was I unconscious?" I asked, that being a question I hadn't asked Kioko when I had the chance. Last time I had taken myself out with magic I had been under for about a day, so I wasn't expecting anything different this time.

"You've been sleeping for about four days now." Issei's face scrunched up in a look of confusion. "Wait, is that including when you were injured?" He shook his head, dismissing the question. "Well either way, it's Friday now."

Friday? Rias was getting married on Sunday! I immediately tried to struggle out of bed, putting my legs down off the side in an effort to stand but immediately had to be helped back onto the bed by an annoyed Issei. "Don't try to move so fast, man! You'll just hurt yourself more."

I put up a token resistance, but knew he was right, even though I grumbled as I sat back on the bed. "That's why you came in the window," I said, "but why'd you come visit me in the first place?" Meanwhile I was trying to figure out how fast I could heal, how long I had to try and force Riser into a situation where he would have to wager Rias.

Issei gave me a look as though I was the stupidest person in the world. "Why do you even have to ask that? It's because we're friends, idiot. Koneko-chan would have come too, but I was the only one that would fit through the window." He said it with such utter conviction that I had no chance or reason to deny it.

"Oh," I said, feeling somewhere between embarrassed and ashamed. I'd called Issei my friend before and really did think of him as one, but I'd assumed he would change his mind about me after the rating game. I really hadn't given him enough credit, had I. "How's Asia-chan doing?" I asked, hoping to deflect the conversation away from the current topic.

"She's doing great!" Issei said almost automatically, before blinking and actually taking the time to think about the question. "Well she's still pretty upset about the rating game. She's really worried about what's going to happen to Rias, you know?" Yeah, that sounded like the gentle girl I knew. She probably hadn't even thought about what was going to happen to her yet.

Issei cast my a sidelong look, carefully sitting down on the edge of the bed next to my legs. "Speaking of the rating game…" Weren't we talking about Asia? "Weren't you the one who killed the-"

The door on the other side of the room opened smoothly as the loud sound of a throat clearing drowned out whatever Issei was about to say. Kioko was standing in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob and a cold look in her eyes. "Excuse me, Hyoudou-san," she said without even a hint of apology in her tone. "But I believe you have overstayed your welcome. Kado-kun is still healing and needs his rest."

Swallowing what he was about to say, Issei shot off my bed, standing up and making a quick bow towards the green-eyed girl. "Sorry, Horikawa-san," he spoke quickly, a hint of fear in his tone. "I didn't mean to bring up anything like that."

"Oh what could you mean?" Kioko laughed hollowly, stepping to the side and leaving an open route to leave the room. "I am simply worried about my boyfriend's condition. Would you please be so kind as to leave him to his rest?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Issei shot me a worried look, barely a glance, before nodding and proceeding to leave the room without another word. Kioko watched his retreating back for a short while before turning back to me, warmth returning to her eyes. "My apologies, Kado-kun," she said with a short bow. "I will make sure that you aren't disturbed again." A moment later the door clicked shut behind her.

My mind was spinning with questions as I looked at the closed door. Why didn't Kioko want anyone to see me? Why had she been so cold to Issei? There was no way that her coming in when she did was a coincidence, so what was Issei going to ask me that she didn't want me to hear? There was something going on her deeper than what was on the surface and Kioko was a large part of it. (What had I done to her?)

But I couldn't do anything about it right now. I had to focus on improving my own condition and on saving Rias. These kinds of questions would have to wait until after that was complete. With a sigh, I laid back down on the bed, enduring the faint pains of my body and pulled the blankets over my head with my sole hand.

My chest never did stop aching. (Never would.)

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

"Is it what you expected?" Kioko asked quietly from over my shoulder, her hand a comforting presence on my shoulder.

I nodded, a lump in my throat preventing me from speaking. It was exactly how I had thought it would be, but it still hurt to actually physically see it. Making the whole thing feel real in a way it simply hadn't been before.

Today was Saturday and Kioko had deemed me healthy enough to visit my home. Or the ruins of what it used to be. I was improved enough that I could walk, if with some trouble, but Kioko had insisted on me using a wheelchair she had scrounged from somewhere.

Actually, Kioko seemed almost paranoid with how often she checked around corners. She was probably worried about more devil assassins, but I couldn't really understand. They wouldn't targeting me, they had already taken what they wanted.

The antique store itself was mostly intact, although I could see that a majority of the wares that used to be inside were missing or damaged, either by the fire or by vandals. A thick coating of a powdery substance lay over the top of everything, remnants of the floor above. I could even see our oven in one corner, having fallen through the floor as some point.

The door was hanging open, almost inviting criminals inside, while the windows and walls were still mostly intact. If you focused only on the lower floor, it looked almost whole, as if the events from last Sunday hadn't happened at all.

But if you dragged your gaze up even just slightly, the top of the walls were charred and covered in black in an uneven wave pattern. And above that, nothing. The second floor, where I had used to live, had been composed of wood and plaster for the most part, with almost no metal in the construction. It looked like the entire second floor had simply vanished, gone without a trace. Almost ten years of memories gone in a single night.

I thought I should cry. It seemed like the correct response in a situation like this. But I just couldn't seem to muster up the emotion to care. I told myself that my family wouldn't want me to cry for them. That they would want me to move on.

But that wasn't it. I just… couldn't cry. Maybe I was still in shock. Or maybe I was just a horrible person who didn't even care about my family.

My feelings aside, it didn't change the fact that they had been murdered. The single act of a petty devil, unwilling to accept his pride being damaged. But even still, I couldn't seem to gather any hatred for Riser. I felt melancholy, like I had lost something, but that was all. I just couldn't hate the arrogant fop.

He would come to justice. Once Rias' problem was taken care of, I would ensure that Riser was held accountable for his crimes. Not as revenge for my family, but because he needed to be stopped.

Swallowing, I used my one good hand to turn the wheelchair around, facing away from the destruction. "Let's go home, Kioko-chan," I said with a lump in my throat.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

It was Sunday night, and Kioko was hopefully already asleep. She'd relaxed somewhat after I didn't seem interested in leaving the house or contacting the peerage, but I still didn't want to risk that she would keep me from what I was about to do.

Easing out of bed I quickly put on the jeans and t-shirt that I'd prepared previously, slipping on a pair of Kioko's sneakers that I'd found in the closet that seemed to fit me, if a bit snug around the toes and instep.

Making my way out of bed with only faint wobbling, I eased open the window as far as it would go. I cast a look behind me, partly to check if Kioko had arrived and partly out of guilt. Was it really right to keep this from Kioko? But this was above me and I couldn't drag her into it. What if Riser targeted her next? (Would I cry for her?)

No, this was for the best. I hoisted myself onto the windowsill and held onto the side on the window tightly, looking down at the three story drop below and feeling a sense of vertigo in the pit of my stomach. And Issei had been thrown up this distance and still made it through a half-open window?

I was still trying to gather my courage when the door behind me burst open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. "Kado-kun!" Kioko cried out, standing in the doorway in a set of pink cotton pajamas embroidered with small cats and samurai. Huh, interesting choice.

Smiling softly, I spoke barely loudly enough for my girlfriend to hear me across the silent room. "Thank you. And I'm sorry." (For everything.)

Then I jumped, ignoring how she screamed my name behind me as I sent a pulse of energy to my back, flexing muscles that I didn't have. With a sound of tearing cloth and an uncomfortable stretching feeling, I could feel two bat-like wings opening up and catching the air above me, slowing my fall and angling it into a steep glide.

It wasn't much, but it was enough. Retracting the wings a short way above ground level my speed picked up again and I landed in a roll. I immediately hopped back to my feet and started to run, trying to block Kioko's cries of fear and pain from my ears. This was for the best.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

"Are we really not waiting for him, Akeno-senpai?" Asia asked weakly, looking at me with those large green eyes of hers. I resisted the urge to ruffle her hair and instead gave the girl the best smile I could muster. "Kado-san is still trying to recover, remember? We can't try and force him to come with us when he's still struggling to get over what happened."

Asia looked dissatisfied, but I could see a hint of relief in her eyes as well. So she still kept her distance from him then. I couldn't exactly agree with their tense relationship, but it really had nothing to do with me.

I was moments away from igniting the magic circle that would take us to the wedding in the underworld, the door to the clubroom slammed open, Kai Kado standing in the doorway and panting heavily, a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Am I… too late?" he gasped, looking up.

Feelings warred within me for a moment. Shock, anger, amusement, worry, and a faint bit of jealousy. But that all fled as I saw his eyes, filled with fiery determination. This devil, this boy, had lost his home, his family, and his hand in a single night. And a week later, and he still couldn't manage to give up.

Something within me whispered soft thoughts about how much punishment he'd be able to take with that kind of tenacity. I squashed it down, instead twisting the corner of my mouth into a smirk. "Just in time, M-kun."

The boy simply rolled his eyes and stepped onto the platform in the space that Kiba and Koneko made for him, accepting the small girl's half-hearted punch with a rolling of his eyes. Compared to the rest of our formal clothes he looked almost comically out of place with a pair of worn jeans and a t-shirt with two holes in the back by the shoulder-blades. Yet I couldn't imagine him wearing formal wear.

"Hey, where's Issei?" Kado asked, recognizing that he wasn't on the platform with us. I pretended to stumble forward on my high heels, intentionally pressing my chest against the back of Kado's head for an instant before straightening up and responding. "Sirzechs-sama said that he would be coming at a later time. Something about a 'special event.'"

As Kado turned to face me I carefully studied his expression. Not a hint of embarrassment or a blush. He was focused enough to resist my little distraction then. As I weathered the complaint about high heels with a teasing smile, I felt a bit more hope rise within me. If the weakest one of us still had hope, then how could I give up?

M-kun's protest broke off into a sharp yelp as I triggered the magic circle and sent us falling through dimensions.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

I staggered off the teleportation pedestal, feeling my breath catch for an instant as a sharp pain radiated out from my chest, the feeling of a dagger pricking my heart. Whatever was giving me pain during teleportation seemed to be getting worse. I may have to find a different way to get into the underworld next time.

Kiba clearly noticed my pain, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving me a worried expression. "Are you all right?" He asked quietly, leaning in closer.

Just as he asked the pain faded and I was able to straighten my back and give a smile. "I'm fine, Kiba-san. Nothing much." I probably should tell people at some point, but this really wasn't the time.

The knight didn't seem to fully believe me, but gave me a nod and quickly regained his smile, walking off further into the room and quickly disappearing behind a large man with two large horns protruding upward from his forehead.

…Huh?

Panning my vision out, I took in the room I had just barely arrived in. It was a large hall that I would have believed was a French cathedral if someone had said so. Large stained glass windows lined each wall of the building, radiating sparkling light down on the myriad guests that were attending.

Over the last month and a half I'd gotten used to thinking of devils as being almost-human, or at least looking like they were, but this room seemed to prove every one of those beliefs to be false.

The room was filled with people in smart-looking suits or sleek evening dresses in a variety of colors from purple to brown that combined with the stained glass windows to give the room the feeling of a kaleidoscope. To further the confusion, each guest I could see was sporting some kind of demonic attribute. Horns, tails, forked tongues, and I even saw one tall man with a blood-red trident grasped in his hand.

At the far side of the room, on something that looked almost like a balcony with two staircases leading up to it, one on either side, several people stood, some of the only people that I saw without devil features. They were distant, but I could make out Rias standing at the front of the balcony with a plastic smile on her face, wearing a long red dress with white gloves that conspired to show almost nothing but her neck upwards.

The other occupants of the balcony seemed to be Rias' equally red-headed relatives, including the male that I had met at the clubroom, and Riser and his also blonde relatives. I couldn't see Ravel up on the balcony, but there were two men and a women standing with Riser. I idly wondered if they had been a part of the plot to kill my family or if it was all Riser's doing.

I looked away with a sense of dissatisfaction, knowing that I couldn't do anything right now. But it still burned inside to know that Rias was stuck up there against her will and about to marry someone who had already broken the devil laws. I knew that I didn't have any proof though, so I couldn't use his crime to annul the marriage.

Now wasn't the right time to try and force a confrontation anyway. I'd have to time it just right so that Riser wouldn't have the opportunity to refuse. And Issei was really the only one who could beat Riser, so I had to wait for him to arrive anyway.

Something tapped my shoulder twice and I turned around to see Akeno standing next to me. She leaned in closer and whispered into my ear. "Incidentally, you're supposed to register when you enter the underworld. So congratulations, M-kun, you're officially a fugitive of the law."

Saying that, she pulled back and gave me a teasing wink before walking off into the crowd and leaving me alone, Koneko having left as soon as we arrived. Just fantastic, now I had to make sure that I didn't get arrested by the devil police while trying to rip apart a decade-long engagement.

Sighing, I slapped my cheeks a few times to raise my spirits, drawing some attention at the action, and walked further away from the teleport pad, hoping I could at least stay out of the public eye until the wedding took place.

Naturally this meant that in five minutes I was loitering around the refreshments table, trying not to stand out and utterly failing due to my more… casual clothes as opposed to the majority of the guests.

I refused to let myself be ashamed though, keeping my head high and lightly picking at something that I thought was fish from off a small plate I was balancing on my right arm. At least I hoped it was fish. Anyway, I was a part of Rias' peerage and belonged here, no matter what anyone else said.

Popping another tiny fish-thing in my mouth, something bumped into me from behind and knocked me temporarily off balance. It wasn't enough to make me fall, but the small plate I was holding tipped forward and a few of the small snacks fell off the plate and hit the floor with a wet smacking sound.

Heaving an internal sigh I turned around to see whatever it was that hit me and came face to face with a teary-eyed girl about a head shorter than me, wearing a black dress that seemed like it was made for someone at least half her size.

Her eyes were looking at my face, but she kept glancing down at the ground and back up rapidly, her hands twitching nervously in front of her chest. "U-Um, excuse me…" She really didn't seem like the kind of person who would intentionally run into someone, judging by how it looked like she was about to cry.

Taking pity on the girl I stepped back, sliding the plate I was holding off my arm and onto a nearby table. "Are you alright, miss?" I was supposed to be a guest at this fancy party, right? I'd better act the part. (Always pretending. What's real?)

The girl let out a small sound of distress and scooted back a few steps, still looking incredibly nervous, like a small rabbit. She didn't say anything, but I could practically hear her apologetic thoughts from where I was. Actually, now that I could see her fully, I couldn't see any kind of devil traits. No wings, no horns, no trident. Perhaps she wasn't as high in the social structure?

I was fully prepared to leave it at that and head somewhere else for the evening, since a few eyes were starting to point in my direction already. Holding back a sigh I turned away and prepared to find somewhere less conspicuous.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, bumping into my girl like that!" A deep voice with a hint of nasality rang out from behind me, forcing me to stop in my tracks. Great, an overprotective boyfriend misjudging the situation and getting carried away. With any luck I can resolve this and slip away before too many people notice what's going on.

Carefully clearing any signs of exasperation from my face I turned around just in time to see a large man with two horns shaped like hooks protruding from his forehead push his way through the crowd to reach where I and the girl were standing. The man towered above me by at least a half-meter and was wearing a deep green suit with a matching tie. His hands seemed to be the size of my head and had cleanly trimmed nails despite looking like they could easily rip me apart.

The man stalked forward, his footfalls shaking the floor slightly as he stepped in front of the featureless girl, who hid behind the large man, peeking out from beneath his arm with a scared expression. The man folded his beefy arms and gave me an angry scowl from far above me. "Did you hear me, boy? What do you think you're doing?"

By now more heads were turning to the scene, drawn by the large man and his shouting. I wished I was back home for a moment, but shook it off. I needed to be here, and I just had to deal with this as quickly as possible.

"I apologize, sir, but what happened was an accident and I had no harmful intentions towards your girlfriend." I ended the statement with a short bow, just a slight inclination of my torso as a display of apology.

"Yeah right, like I'd believe anything a filthy human says."

My back straightened slowly, my gaze rising until I was craning my neck back to look the devil in the eye. The devil had taken another step closer while I was looking away, forcing me to look up even farther to meet his blue eyes, twinkling with dark amusement.

"Excuse me, sir," I said carefully, not looking away. "But I am a devil and a member of Rias Gremory's peerage, and I have-"

I was cut off by the large devil's booming voice, his head swiveling from side to side to cast the noise even farther. "A member of her peerage? You mean the noble who's getting married because she couldn't even put up a fight in a rating game?" He laughed, a deep booming thing with an undertone of cruelty. At the sound, the girl hidden behind the man's back shrunk back even farther, whimpering slightly.

Oh. So that's how it is.

A larger crowd was growing now, gathering around the little drama in a loose circle, their murmurs creating a backdrop to what was apparently the most exciting event in the room at the moment. Across the room I could even see the devils gathered on the balcony beginning to turn this way. I got the feeling that Rias wouldn't be happy once she noticed that I was the one involved.

Taking a step forward I looked up almost completely vertically, doing my best not to blink and break eye contact. "So basically you took offense at my presence and decided to come over and embarrass yourself by making fun of someone weaker than you." The girl bumping into me was probably a setup as well, giving him an excuse to start a fight.

The whispering surrounding us increased in volume and density, a few words such as "disrespectful" and "brat's got guts" slipping through the muddle of words. I was more focused on the devil in front of me, his face reddening with anger and the horns growing from his forehead becoming longer and more curled. Could the devil attributes be linked to emotions?

"What are you saying to me, kid?" The man growled, leaning down close enough to my face that his horns poked my forehead. The man seemed angry but that dark amusement was still lingering in his eyes. He had every confidence that he was in control of the situation, seeing me as nothing more than a pest.

That was devil culture, wasn't it. Rule of the strong. They had laws, civilization, but beneath all of that might made right. They were ruled by a Maou, weren't they? The strongest devil? And that made me bottom of the food chain as a low-ranked reincarnated devil without any kind of special ability and missing a hand. In this kind of culture, I was dead meat.

"I'm saying that I'm not afraid of you and I think that you're an idiot for wasting both your time and mine to insult someone that you don't know." The curved tips of the horns were pressing into my forehead now, trying to force my neck to bow.

The muscles in the devil's arms were bulging, stretching the material of his suit slightly as he tried to intimidate me. "Even if that is true, what are you going to do about it, human? I'm surprised they let a worm like you in here." He pointed down at the floor where the fish-things had spilled earlier. "Why not get down there and lick up the mess you made like you were meant to do."

No matter how much I wanted to punch him in his stupidly large face, I couldn't do a thing. I was still too weak to use any magical strengthening without tearing my body apart, and that was my only actual way to fight. Without that, I was helpless. But why should I have to? "I'm not going to do anything," I said bluntly. "I have no reason to fight you and I'm not immature enough that I can't deal with mindless insults."

The devil's arms finally unfolded, the huge meaty hands stretching towards me. I fought to keep myself still, maintaining eye contact and keeping my arms by my sides. If I was attacked, I was in the right and some kind of security would step in. But if I attacked and got thrown out, then coming here would be a waste in the first place.

The heavy hands moved closer before slowing to a halt millimeters from my arms. The devil lifted his head up and looked to the sides as if only just now noticing the surrounding crowd that he himself had gathered.

Then he began to laugh, this time a lighter tone without the underlying cruelty of the last one. He straightening up and I mentally sighed in relief as the pressure let up from my neck, allowing me to face downwards. The man took a step back as he laughed, gesticulating widely with his arms. "Isn't this fantastic, everyone? Even a crippled child shows no fear!" He laughed again, reaching around to slap me on the back with a giant hand that sent me stumbling forward with the sheer force.

The man had clearly decided that he had gone too far and was trying to save face. Apparently the act was enough though, and as the man walked away without a backward glance with the girl hurrying after him, the rest of the crowd began to disperse, each managing to find their own conversations as if they had gathered by happenstance instead of being collected.

As the surrounding devils slowly scattered, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end and I got a feeling like someone was watching me. Slowly turning I found my gaze drawn towards the raised balcony where I locked eyes with Rias' relative from the clubroom, his calculating blue eyes meeting my own and sending a tingle up my spine even from the distance.

And as I watched, almost pinned in place, the man gave me a slow nod before turning away, the tingling feeling fading away as he laughed at something another red-haired woman on the balcony said. What was up with that?

Tracking my gaze across the balcony I noticed Rias standing next to Riser and leaning out on the balcony railing with a look of fuming anger on her face. I didn't know whether it was meant for me or for the other devil, but I gave a casual wave towards my king before turning away, hoping to find somewhere quiet I could hide out for the rest of the evening.

But before I could move, Koneko was by my side and grabbing my arm with a firm grip as Kiba seemed to materialize from the crowded masses of people with the same smile on his face, Akeno right on his heels, Asia lingering a short way behind and apologizing to a guest as she accidentally bumped into them.

"Well, M-kun, you can't even go ten minutes without causing some kind of scene, now can you?" Akeno asked airily, planting herself at my side opposite from Koneko, winding a thin arm around my own and squeezing tightly.

Kiba came around to stand behind me and leaned in closely to my ear. "That was Lord Foras. He's well known for his ability at crafting elixirs and enchantments, but also sees humans as inferior. You may have made a powerful enemy." I nodded in understanding, but Kiba stayed where he was, a half step behind me.

Asia was the last member of our little party and seemed lost for a moment before a look of determination came across her face and she affixed herself to Akeno's other side, gripping the black-haired devil's hand with a tight grip.

I looked around at each of the members of the peerage in confusion. I understood why they might come and ensure that I wasn't embarrassing Rias, but why were they sticking so closely to me? "Uh, guys," I said, trying to extricate my arm from Akeno's grasp. "You can step back, you don't need to- woah!"

My left arm was jerked harshly and I realized that Koneko was walking over to the refreshments table while still holding my arm, dragging me and the rest of the peerage with her, Kiba still a step behind me. "If you're going to get food, at least let go of me first," I whined and was promptly ignored.

Deciding to plead to Akeno next I turned my head and affixed the beautiful devil with a plaintive expression. "Akeno-senpai, could you…" Akeno was staring innocently at me even as her arms tightened around my arm until it felt like it was being held in a vice.

"Yes, M-kun?" Akeno asked with a guiltless tone of voice. "Can I do anything for you?"

"Nope, nevermind," I said with a sigh, turning away. It was already a lost cause. Once Akeno got that look on her face there was no chance of being able to reason with her. She probably took pleasure in my confusion anyway.

By now Koneko had made it to the food table and was eying the food with a speculative eye. Looking back at my arm, which she still had an iron grip on with her hand, I realized with a slight sense of satisfaction that the girl wouldn't be able to both hold a plate and eat with only one hand. She would be forced to let go of me to enjoy her snacks, freeing my slightly from the prison of flesh I was currently in.

Koneko cast one last gaze over the food-filled presentation before slowly turning her gaze to me. "…I'm not hungry," the girl said with a look of blank long-suffering that said she was anything but.

I nodded slowly before leaning down as much as the tight grip on both my arms would allow. I looked straight into Koneko's eyes and said as seriously as I could, "Koneko-chan, are you sick? Do you need anything?"

The small girl gave me a deadpan look before turning away from both me and the heavily loaded table with a small huff, yanking my arm in a different direction towards an elaborate set of stained glass windows on the nearby wall.

As I was being dragged away, Akeno and Asia being dragged behind me like the tail on a kite, Kiba leaned in again, still just behind me. "Lord Foras also has connections in the human underworld, and it's believed that he has his hands in human trafficking businesses."

Yes Kiba, thank you for that exposition that simply made me even more nervous. And if the guy is this bad, why are you all sticking so close to me! Shouldn't you be trying to get more space so that you won't attract his attention?

I tried to subtly maneuver my arm from Akeno's grasp, but had to swallow a yelp when electricity shot through my arm, rendering it numb and limp in Akeno's grasp. The devil gave me a pout that was clearly fake. "Do you really hate me that much?" She asked, tucking the handless arm even closer to her chest.

Kiba's breath was on my ear again and I resisted the urge to rub the sensory organ on my shoulder to try and get rid of the weird feeling. "The girl that was with him was probably a human he brought in from earth as a show of power, to make him seem even stronger."

A loud groan left my mouth at the thought that this would be what the rest of the night was going to be like.

But I still couldn't keep my gaze from tracking along the crowd as we passed, looking for a teenage girl in a black dress following a large devil in a green suit.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

The party had officially moved into the wedding stage, the guests that had previously been milling around like a colony of ants now gathered in straight lines. There were no chairs, save for a few elaborate pieces brought in by elderly-looking devils. The majority of devils stood though, waiting patiently for the proceedings to begin.

Comparing this to my new knowledge of the devil culture, sitting down would be seen as a sign of weakness. But at the same time, an old devil calling for a chair was a sign of prestige and strength. That they were strong enough to live long enough to be weak. That they had survived.

This assumption was verified moments later as Kiba spoke up from his apparently designated spot behind my right shoulder. "There are no chairs since sitting down would mean they were too weak to stand. But experienced devils use them to prove their age and how long they have lived."

I held in the urge to snap back at the smiling male and just breathed a sigh. "Yes, thank you, Kiba." The peerage had stuck by me the entire time, only one person leaving for a time and someone else taking up their spot while they were absent. I hadn't even been able to use the restroom without Kiba happily humming a meter away.

It was almost enough to make me scream. That and the fact that Issei still hadn't shown up? Seriously, where was the guy? Did I even have a chance against Riser without our resident god-slayer around?

Currently we were positioned at the front of the room, on the far left side. Apparently, as Kiba had so delightfully informed me as we made our way to the appointed location, this meant that we had a relation to the bride, thus being closer to the front, but weren't important enough to be in the middle.

So far as I could tell, Kiba was the appointed info-dumper, informing me on anything and everything from devil etiquette to how to dance with only one hand. Not that I was ever able to with my hanger-ons.

Koneko took initiative when it came to location, dragging the group from one area in the room to another at apparently random times, making sure we never stayed too long in one place.

Akeno administered "discipline" whenever I tried to escape, making sure I knew they weren't going anywhere and numbing my arm at regular intervals.

Asia didn't seem to have as large a part as the rest but she was still present and had gone so far as to grab my shirt at for a short while when Akeno left for a short time.

I would love to see what Rias thought about what was happening, but she had left shortly after the altercation to prepare for the upcoming wedding, accompanied by her family and leaving Riser, already wearing a tuxedo, to wait along with his family.

The time had finally come though, and a loud wave of polite clapping arose from the crowd around us as the Issei fanboy led the wedding procession from a door on the far side of the room and brought them to the balcony stairs in a slow but straight line.

My hands were still ensnared by my peerage members so I wasn't able to applaud with the rest of the crowd, but I wouldn't have anyway. The rest of the peerage seemed to feel the same that I did, a small bubble of silence surrounding those who truly supported Rias.

There were no bridesmaids like in a traditional wedding and instead of wearing a ceremonial kimono, Rias was wearing an elaborate white dress that looked to be of western make with frills and lace ballooning outward from her unusually small waist like a bell. The final touch was the white veil laid over Rias' face, hiding her true expression from the observers.

This wasn't supposed to be Rias, this was supposed to be a doll. A doll with the Gremory name for Riser to use and discard once he was done. There was no love in this marriage, just lust, greed, and despair.

By her side was a red-haired man and woman, each one holding one of Rias' arms and with big smiles on their faces, her father and mother most likely. I couldn't tell if they were there for support or to make sure that she didn't run away, but their smiles seemed to be real at least.

I decided that I hated them.

The wedding train slowly wound it's way up the balcony stairs, until each member was standing at the top in full view of the crowd and the audience's applause had finally died down into a stale silence.

Rias' relative that I had met at the clubroom was wearing a large black cloak with shoulder pauldrons the size of my entire torso projecting away from his shoulders like a set of armor plating made for someone at least twice his size. As the man walked forward to the front of the balcony I could catch flashes of a pure white tuxedo beneath the dark cloak.

Upon reaching the railing that lined the balcony, the man cleared his throat and set off into a clearly scripted speech. "The houses of Gremory and Phenex are very pleased today to welcome you all to the wedding of Rias Gremory, heiress of the house of Gremory to Riser Phenex, scion of the house of Phenex. We have been gathered together to celebrate this joining of two souls both deeply in love and…"

I tuned out of the speech with a sense of disgust, instead wondering why it was this man directing the wedding instead of a priest of some sort. Well, I could guess why there wasn't a priest since he would probably be impaled on the spot, but why this guy? I wrestled with my confusion for a moment longer before reluctantly leaning back and quietly whispering to Kiba, "Hey, who is that guy who's talking?"

Kiba's face held a look of surprise for a moment before flashing back into his default smile. "Well, I suppose we never did explain it to you. That man is Rias' brother, Sirzechs Lucifer." I nodded in understanding and was about to lean forwards again when Kiba continued. "He is also a Maou and the strongest devil alive."

My head jerked around to face Kiba in a move that probably stretched a muscle and earned me another surge of electricity coursing through my body. I ignored the familiar numbing sensation to stare at the knight with wide eyes. "You mean that guy," I hissed loudly, "is the leader of the devil race?" Pieces were clicking together, like why the ninja maid knew Rias and how she managed to get a rating game set up so fast.

There was definitely more than a glimmer of amusement in Kiba's eyes as the knight nodded sagely, a serious expression on his face. "Oh yes. He's rumored to have fought two of the archangels and Azazel at the same time to buy enough time for a battalion of devils to escape enemy lines." Kiba lowered his voice further and leaned in even closer. "They say that he eats humans, you know."

My reaction must have been what the knight was hoping for since he leaned back again, softly chuckling with his eyes closed. Jerk. Rolling my eyes and trying to subtly shake the pins and needles from my right arm I refocused on the official proceedings, viewing the still-monologuing man in a different light.

So the underworld was ruled by an Issei fanboy? How had they even managed to survive this long? And why hadn't he gotten rid of the contract if he that much power then?

I decided I hated him too. Honestly, was Rias the only decent member of her entire family?

The speech was apparently beginning to wrap up by now, the long-winded waste of space finally finishing his overly-long speech. "-and now as we are gathered to wed these two together in unholy bonds of matrimony, I would ask if there are any who wish to challenge the groom for the hand of the bride." Huh, that was new.

On cue, Riser stepped forward with a smug smile on his face, looking down at the gathered crowd scathingly. Apparently the words were a mere formality, much like the "any objections" line in a standard wedding. Something remaining from tradition that wasn't expecting to actually be used. Riser already believed he had won.

That just meant I had to prove him wrong. My arms were still pinioned by Akeno and Koneko so I couldn't raise them, but I took a deep breath and shouted "I challenge Ris-" My pronouncement was broken off by three pairs of hands slapping my mouth closed and being treated to glares by each and every one of the peerage members surrounding me, even the unusually angry Asia.

It was enough though and heads had begun to turn in our direction, devils looking for who had dared to speak up during the ceremony and ruin such a grand occurrence. My own gaze was locked on Riser's eyes, drained of their arrogant look and instead filled with a burning hatred for me, who had dared to ruin his perfect day.

Even behind the grip of three different palms, I could feel my grin stretching into a harsh smirk as I glared back. I wouldn't let him have his way. I might be broken and beaten, but I was still going to oppose the arrogant brat with everything I had. Next to Riser, I could see Sirzechs with a intrigued look on his face, his eyes giving me a lingering look.

Then my declaration was completely overshadowed as a heavy booming sound rang out from the back of the cathedral accompanied by a loud "I object!" from nobody else but our resident pervert. He'd made it in time after all.

I let my body slump down and relax, listening with one ear to Akeno quietly chewing me out at drawing attention to myself and Kiba's recital of how exactly a challenge for the hand of the bride would go, including rules for an honor duel and how my life was basically forfeit if Riser had agreed. But I was more focused on Rias, on her hands folded over her mouth in what was undoubtedly a sign of relief, her legs shaking beneath her as she saw her savior.

Happiness and satisfaction filled me at the fact that Rias could feel hope, that she was willing to bank on Issei saving her. But simultaneously, I couldn't help the surge of self-deprecating bitterness that rose up inside me. I hadn't been able to bring that hope, or even give her the chance of being saved. In the end, I was simply relying on Issei for everything. But I could endure that, so long as she was saved. That was all that mattered in the end.

Riser's attention had turned to the back of the room and towards Issei, but now he looked merely annoyed and frustrated instead of murderous. "Must we do this?" the blonde devil asked bitterly, looking towards Sirzechs. "The offer is a mere formality and this marriage has been set in stone for over a decade."

Sirzechs, the Issei fanboy that he was, had a big grin on his face and only seemed to be paying a bare modicum of attention to Riser, gazing fixedly at the back of the room where Issei was. Still, he was aware enough to respond to the question. "The clause was never removed from the wedding oaths, so it is still valid. You must either accept the challenge or forfeit your marriage to the contender."

Riser growled lowly from where he was, muttering something under his breath. "Very well then," the arrogant devil proclaimed loudly, beginning to shuck off the outer layer of his tuxedo. "Since this peon has dared to oppose me, I shall accept his challenge and show him his place." The lines sounded almost scripted, a facade of arrogance.

In the next few minutes the guests were evacuated from the building onto the wide grassland outside the cathedral to see the upcoming fight between the Red Dragon Emperor and a member of the Phenex family. I had been dragged along behind Akeno and Koneko, both of which had yet to take their hands away from my mouth as if I would try to challenge Riser again.

As our small group exited the large building, the first thing I noticed was the deep purple sky above. The time should have been close to midnight, but there were no stars, simply a blank color like the end of sunset. Where were we that the sky looked like this?

The cathedral wasn't in any kind of city, but was instead positioned in the middle of a large flat field of grass that seemed to stretch for kilometers in each direction before large mountains rose up to block the sky in each direction. It was like we we at the bottom of a deep bowl.

The two combatants lined up at opposite ends of a long stretch of empty grass, about twenty meters separating the two. I was situated about halfway between the two, but had been forced farther back by the press of the crowd, larger or more powerful devils carving out a place for themselves that pushed back the smaller devils.

But even from farther back I could still hear Sirzechs announcement for the start of the battle and see the giant gout of flames erupt into the air before bearing down onto the other side of the impromptu ring like a tidal wave. A flash of cold washed over my body and I felt a stinging pain from my right hand as I saw the bright orange flames.

Run!

I shook my head to rid myself of the lingering memories, the palms still clasped over my mouth rubbing against my cheeks with the movement and ending with another surge of lightning from Akeno at the perceived escape attempt, dulling the pain from my nonexistent hand.

Looking back up I could see a black shape with brown hair and devil wings shoot into the sky, avoiding the flames before hovering in midair, buying time to increase his number of boosts. Then a pillar of flame rose up from beneath him and Issei was forced to dive to the side, quickly losing altitude to dodge the searching flames.

The battle continued like this for a time, Issei in the air and dodging multiple tongues of flame while steadily increasing his speed as he accumulated boosts. Finally Issei zipped over to the side of the battlefield where the flames were coming from and disengaged his wings, entering into freefall with his arm cocked back and ready to throw a punch before he fell out of my field of view, the taller devils in front of me blocking my sight no matter how much I tried to crane my head to look over or through the mass.

A deep booming sound rang out across the landscape and I felt like ground shake beneath me like we had just suffered a small earthquake. A moment later both Issei and Riser rose into the air, Riser looking none the worse for the wear but with a sleeve of his dress shirt missing, torn away at the shoulder and with great wings of flame burning from his back.

"Why must you continue to get in my way!" Riser spat, bringing his hands together and producing a large ball of flame before shooting it off at Issei, clipping a wing before Issei could get out of the way in time.

Issei managed to regain control, shouting back "What do you mean, fried chicken! I'm doing this for Buchou! Why can't you just let her be happy!" Charging in again with a roar and another boosted punch, Issei dove for Riser but missed as the blonde devil flew out of the way, floating to the left on his fiery wings.

"Who cares about her!" Riser said, spreading his arms and wrapping his arms in almost white-hot flames, flying in to attack Issei directly. "Just leave me alone! Stop getting in my way!"

Issei took the attack on one arm, a flash of blue signifying his defensive ability before dealing a heavy blow with his left arm that caved in Riser's chest, a splash of red quickly consumed by yellow flame. "I refuse! Buchou is Buchou, not someone you can treat like a toy!"

"You're not listening!" Riser screamed, projecting a burst of flames from short range and forcing Issei to back away. "I don't care about Rias! This isn't about the marriage anymore!"

Uncrossing his arms and blasting away the flames with a burst of wind pressure, Issei dove back in and unleashed another punch on Riser, blasting the devil back. "Then why not let this go! Just let Buchou go back home!"

Riser caught himself on his large wings after a few meters, this time hovering in place instead of going on the attack. "I can't do that! Then Ravel would have died for nothing! This is all for her sake!" Issei visibly flinched, halting his attack and casting a worried look towards where I was standing at the back of the crowd.

There was a ringing in my ears and I could feel a headache beginning to pound at the back of my skull. Riser was… saying something, wasn't he? What was it? I groaned and tried to get an arm free to cradle my aching head, but I was still being tightly restrained from all sides. (…up!)

The world seemed muted now, the fight continuing on far above my head while my hearing slowly filled with static and the shouts and impact of flesh on flesh slowly grew more and more muted. I could see Akeno's face, looking into my own with a worried expression and trying to say something I couldn't hear. (…ke up…) Koneko was tugging at my arm and I could feel Kiba leaning in closer over behind my shoulder, but I couldn't focus on any of it. What was Riser saying? It was important, something about the battle? Something about the rating game?

(Wake up!)

The world cleared, the noise in my ears and the pain in my head vanishing as if it had never been there at all, even as everything seemed to crumble around me, dropping me deeper into darkness.

Ravel hadn't been on the wedding balcony. My clothes and phone had been destroyed when I woke up. Asia had mentioned healing me before taking back her words. Ha, as if a dimension could reverse death. It was almost laughable, really.

"Don't listen to him!" Akeno was saying. No, pleading. Fear in her eyes.

"For a Phenex to fall in battle is a great dishonor," Kiba was whispering into my ear.

"Fried chicken is a liar," Koneko mumbled, tugging on my arm again.

Asia didn't say a word, but her eyes were locked on mine and they were filled with guilt.

Oh, I thought almost absently, feeling my legs buckle and only staying upright due to the firm grips on my arms and shoulders. They lied to me.

I killed someone.

The abyss in my chest gaped it's mouth wide and swallowed me whole, a mouth tearing me apart from the inside until I was nothing but a shell. I didn't resist as I felt myself become empty, my soul consumed. This is what I deserved, after all.

S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S~~~S

In a space of time smaller than the blink of an eye, the void consumed the red, leaving nothing but the blankness of Nothing. The shell, the shield, cracking and dissolving, a faint red string leading into the distance flickering faintly before blinking out entirely.

This time there was no observer.

Just Nothing.

And Everything.

End AN: So yeah, a couple things happened. Stuff was revealed. Yeah.

First up, yes Kado is being pretty heartless. But it's not all his fault. Just a bit. More supernatural stuff happening here that should be answered next chapter. Because I really can't let the guy have a break, can I?

Why is Kioko acting so weird? More questions that will be answered soon!

And just in case someone didn't get what was up with the peerage during the wedding, they were basically acting like bodyguards to make sure that nobody tried to attack Kado or insult him for being a low-ranked devil.

This chapter also wraps up something that I've been trying to lead up to for a while. Ravel is dead. Rating games act the same way as in canon for the most part, so pieces are teleported back to be healed if they take sufficient damage. But the arbiters hadn't pulled back Ravel in time due to the belief that Phenexes were invincible. So when Ravel's magic ran out and couldn't heal her anymore, she died before she could be retired. You can be healed, but you can't bring back a life that's been lost.

Way back during the training camp, Rias basically hypnotized Kado to believe that deaths and injuries would be healed so he wouldn't hold back on the opponents. It was a sound move tactically, but it didn't take into account what would happen if Kado ever found out.

This also hopefully explains why Riser went so far to get revenge. Kado didn't defeat Ravel, he killed her. And for someone who is both an arrogant devil and basically immortal, that was something that Riser had never expected to happen or even imagined that it could. For him, this was justice. He was simply returning the damage that had been dealt to him. Doesn't mean he did the right or even the just thing, but it wasn't like what Kado did was much better, intentional or not.

The last thing is about the italicized sections. That's something that I've been slowly building up to throughout almost the entire story and should be made clearer soon. I think I might have dropped too many hints along the way, but I also think that I might have come across something that I honestly haven't seen anywhere else. I just hope it doesn't all blow up in my face.

Hope to see you all next chapter for Kioko's reaction to Kado getting messed up once again.