The Battle Never Ends

by Arthain

The Tyrant had surpassed death once before. This time wouldn't have been any different save for the determination of one young man and his desire to protect all that he cared for. But what should have been the end instead became a new beginning. A beginning somewhere else. A beginning where Night Raid was still needed.

21. World Proclamation

Author's Note: In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have added the Prime Minister to the end of the last chapter. Not because it doesn't fit my story, but more the timing. This should have come AFTER the Gregorious Arc, allowing the story to focus. There are a few things happening behind the scenes that are based off this chapter being here at this time, but I could have moved all that to after the Gregorious Arc.

Chapter 19: World Proclamation

The Prime Minister of Japan waited within a small room on the ground floor of the estate. The room, square in shape, had round, decorative pilasters interspaced evenly along the length of the outer wall. Between each pilaster was a large, arching window that provided a beautiful view of one of the many flower gardens on the estate grounds. Several vases that sat upon small pedestals about the room held fresh flowers plucked from that very garden, adding a splash of color to the room.

From the ceiling hung a large, beautiful crystal chandelier, illuminating the cozy meeting room with a hundred sparkling lights. The crystal chandelier reflected the lights into interesting patterns below it across the varnished coffee table with delicately carved legs. Placed upon the table before the Prime Minister of Japan was a cup of tea and a small porcelain plate topped with berries and grapes. A small appetizer served by Tirade as the Prime Minister waited.

The Prime Minister was an older gentleman in his mid-sixties dressed in a smart black suit with a yellow tie. Short black hair, stylized and combed back was bereft of even a hint of grey was a sharp contrast to the lines on his face and the weariness that rested upon the shoulders of a man that carried a nation on his back. His eyes, however, burned with a fervor, a passion, that was undimmed by age. He sat patiently on the long, plush couch, picking at the plate of berries and grapes. Two aides stood just behind him.

It was this scene that Tatsumi, Bennia and Najenda walked in upon.

"Prime Minister, Shinto Ai," Tatsumi greeted the powerful man with a respectful tilt of his head. "Sorry for not receiving you in person. I was preoccupied elsewhere." Be respectful and courteous. He didn't need Najenda's warning to be on his best behaviour. You did not want to make an enemy of the leader of the very country you lived in.

The Prime Minister had an easy smile on his lips as he rose to his feet. "So I heard from your associate," Shinto Ai said, nodding his head towards Xenovia. The girl was sitting on an identical couch opposite of the Prime Minister. Despite the calm look she put forward, Tatsumi could see the sweat beading on her forehead. The Prime Minister had obviously tried to drill her for information. "She hasn't been very forth coming on what you were preoccupied with."

"Business," was all Tatsumi would say on that. He made his way over to the Prime Minister and held his hand out. "For what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

The Prime Minister took his hand and shook it firmly as a little smile flickered across his lips. "Business, hopefully, but perhaps more." His eyes twinkled brightly as he let go. "We shall see how this goes."

"I see." Using his own words against him. Tatsumi wasn't quite sure what to make of this person just yet. Would he be friend or foe? Tatsumi didn't like politics. The politics of the Empire had forever sullied that for him, but he had a feeling if he wanted to lead Night Raid he had better get used to it. "Do you need anything before we begin? More fruit or tea?"

"No, I am good, thanks."

So be it. Tatsumi made a slight gesture to Xenovia as he made his way around the low table. She understood and quickly stood, taking up position behind the couch, mimicking Shinto's aide. Bennia did the same. Tatsumi took a seat on the couch directly across from the Prime Minister with Najenda just to his right.

It was all very strategic. He had arranged it with Najenda on the way here. The impression they wanted to give the Prime Minister was that Tatsumi was in charge but Najenda was a very close confidant, while Bennia and Xenovia were more support. Bennia wore upon her wrist a small bracelet that made her presence known to human. If the Prime Minister thought Najenda was important enough to sit beside him, it would allow Najenda to make interjections that wouldn't be outright dismissed.

He was just glad Xenovia understood what she needed to do without being told anything.

"You mentioned about something about business?" Tatsumi asked once they were all settled. Without even asking a plate of fruit and a cup of tea was placed before both him and Najenda by Tirade who had come seemingly out of nowhere.

"Yes, I did," Shinto Ai said softly. The older gentleman leaned back on his couch, peering intently at Tatsumi for some time before finally speaking. "The eyes don't match the face. How curious."

Tatsumi didn't let his surprise show on his face. He wasn't going to let this man distract him. "I have to warn you, my organization is in a rather unique line of work."

"Oh, I am aware, Nakimori Tatsumi," Shinto Ai said without blinking. He held his hand up and one of the aides handed forward a stack of documents. "I know quite a bit about you." A couple pages were set on the table between them, accounts of Tatsumi's youth. "A gifted child, your rate of growth and learning shattered most records." A few more pages. "Your skill with a kendo blade surpassed those many times your age. Reading it all and putting it all together almost makes one wonder if you were a hero of the past reborn." The man leaned forward, smiling ever so slightly. "And that's without taking into account your heroic deeds." He leaned back and dropped a stack of documents held together by a paper clip. "Your sister was brutally murdered three and a half years ago. A tragedy for sure, and one I wouldn't wish on anyone, but it is my job to look at these things objectively." His eyes became sharp. "A young child, capable of 'defeating' those rapists and murders with such brutal efficiency. I saw the autopsy reports. Those were not the cuts of a child wildly flailing a sword about, nor even a kendo practitioner. It was someone that knew just how to kill, and went for that kill as quickly as possible. Then there was the shattered window, the strange, alien DNA in the semen recovered, the dark shape that witnesses saw flying away afterwards."

"You've done quite some research," Tatsumi murmured softly. There wasn't any reason to deny it when the evidence was literally staring up at him from a piece of paper. "It makes one wonder, why?"

"Why indeed?" Shinto Ai asked archly. He dropped another set of documents on the table, held together by a pair of paper clips. "That was not all though, was it? That was no simple rape/murder. Something else happened there, something… supernatural perhaps?" The man smiled. "No, don't say anything just yet. A lot happened that day. Nakimori Tatsumi walked away from the Kendo world, his sister, Mira, dead and his greatest rival, Hikaru, declared missing. A lot of strange occurrences. Then, not long after, mysterious deaths began to appear throughout Tokyo. Horrific crime scenes filled with bodies, victims and perpetrators both. Nothing too out of place, perhaps, unless one were to discount the strange, alien biology of the perpetrators. The police were made to keep it quiet, but we knew. We didn't connect it with you immediately, you were very good at keeping your existence hidden. However, there was one particular incident that I think the entire world saw."

"The battle with Esdeath," Tatsumi said. The news helicopter had live broadcasted the entire battle. Something like that would have exploded across the world faster than light.

"Yes," Shinto Ai said, still smiling. "It didn't take very much searching to figure out what that beautiful woman was. Those black wings fit too perfectly the legend of Fallen Angels. And there you were, standing against that woman. Flashing across the sky in a dazzling display of light like a hero plucked straight from the legends of old. A modern day hero, fighting the nightmares of the past. It set the world afire. Everyone wanted to know everything about you."

"One wonders why you waited so long to contact me."

The Prime Minister actually looked surprised for a moment before his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "So it wasn't you, interesting." He nodded his head. "We tried, the very next day even. But for some reason mysterious things kept happening. Cars kept breaking down, people got sick, surprise pregnancies, sudden lottery winnings, corrupted e-mail servers and much more. It was almost like all of heaven and hell was striving to keep us away from you." He chuckled like he'd just made a joke. "It's not that we didn't try to contact you. This is simply the first time we've managed to do it successfully, and trust me, it wasn't easy. There are at least three dozen decoys driving about Japan pretending to be me." He paused. "I had to take an ambulance just to get out of Tokyo."

Tatsumi honestly had no idea that was all happening. Did the Seraphs, Satans and the Fallen really go to such length to protect Tatsumi from the prying eye of the public and from the political machinations of the government? It'd be touching if it wasn't so utterly ridiculous. Still, he was thankful of it.

"If you know that much, then you most certainly know what sort of business Tatsumi is in," Najenda said, speaking up for the first time.

"I can guess," Shinto Ai said, glancing between the four of them. "A small, obscure website offering services to fight the supernatural for a fee, an e-mail and a phone number to contact. Not very much, but enough."

"Is there some problem you need Night Raid to take care of?" Tatsumi asked. It didn't really matter of the request came from the Prime Minister or not. If there was some supernatural force somewhere in Japan causing a problem, he'd deal with it.

"Not at this exact moment, no," the Prime Minister said slowly. His eyes suddenly became sharp, piercing. "No, I need to figure out what to do with you. The people see you as a hero, fighting the shadows of the night and the terrors of legend."

"And what do you see?" Najenda asked, her voice low. She sounded as disturbed as Tatsumi felt. The Prime Minister wasn't here to sing his praises.

"I see a threat," Shinto Ai said. "A threat to my people and to my nation." He dropped the rest of the documents on the table. "You have left behind a long trail of death and destruction in your wake. Over three dozen counts of property damage ranging from minor marks to outright destruction of entire buildings, and that's just what we can definitively associated with you, and it only goes up to before the battle with Esdeath." He thumbed a finger on the documents. "They're still repairing the damage that battle caused. The apartment complex the two of you flew out from beneath may never be structurally sound again. There was also the catastrophic damage done to the intersection and the nearby office tower." He thumped the table again. "Again, there was an incident that happened just recently. Two massive spikes of power, yellow lances people called them. It devastated Kuoh City. The people call you a hero for saving so many people but you were the cause of that, weren't you?" Tatsumi flinched almost by reflex. There was no satisfaction in his eyes knowing that he was right. Just a grim acceptance. "One of the lances centered on where people found you, and another upon your home. A retaliation against your Crusade, perhaps?"

He… wasn't very far from the truth. This man was dangerously intelligent.

"That's hardly a fair accusation," Najenda cut in before the man could go any further. "The 'retaliation' as you stated, came about because Tatsumi interrupt Esdeath and if you've researched this much," she gestured towards the documents, "then I know you're aware of what took place in the basement of that apartment complex. Would you prefer that some powerful Fallen Angel was still running about Kuoh City, kidnapping random people and subjecting them to horrific torture? How would the people react to that fact?"

"I was not trying to implying—"

((Shit happens,)) Bennia cut in sharply. ((Tatsumi has always acted in the best interest of the people, to his own detriment most times. We can't make decisions today based on what 'might happen' tomorrow. You may be able to look the other way when people suffer in front of you, but Night Raid won't. Tatsumi won't. I won't.))

"Your voice…" his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he stared at Bennia. "And what might you be?"

((Does that matter?))

"Enough," Tatsumi said, stopping this before it could go any further. "The Prime Minister is not entirely incorrect. I was the reason Kokabiel destroyed those two sections of the city. One could argue that he would have done it anyways after he killed Rias Gremory but that doesn't change what happened." He gave the Prime Minister a focused look. "I am sorry for what happened. I've only ever done what I could but I'm not God. I'm not all powerful nor all-knowing. As Bennia put it, I can't stay my hand on what 'might' happen, otherwise I'd never do anything." Tatsumi was certain of something though. "But that's not what you're here for. If you were here to arrest me, or even charge me, for property damage or to lay blame for the deaths of innocents at my feet, you would not be here alone. You'd be here with the army and every police officer in a hundred kilometer radius."

He could see the corner of Najenda's mouth quirk upwards at his words. She'd obviously caught on to that as well and was hoping he would too.

The Prime Minister just cocked a brow. "Don't think I didn't entertain the idea on more than one occasion." He clasped his hands together as he leaned back on the couch. "The only reason I haven't tried is because of one particular strange happenstance. It is the biggest reason I haven't confronted you sooner and why I am here now, without the Japanese Self Defense Force at my back." His smile slipped away and for a moment Tatsumi saw a vulnerable old man reflected in those eyes. Someone with a great concern weighing upon him. "Forgetfulness. Every time I turn around, an order I've given has been forgotten as if it was never given. Worse, I'm finding myself having the same problem." He glanced out the window and sighed. "If it weren't for the constant reminders and alerts I set, I would have forgotten completely. I admit my memory isn't perfect and that I forget things every now and then, but with this frequency and shared by everyone else?" He shook his head and turned back to Tatsumi. "Someone is making me, making us, forget… and if they're making us forget this, what else have we forgotten? How many times has a Fallen Angel, a Devil, a Youkai, or some other horror of the dark committed an atrocity that no one knows about… because we've been made to forget?"

"A lot," Xenovia said quietly. "As part of the Exorcist group in the Church I was always busy."

((It happens every day)) Bennia added. ((Somewhere, someone, right now, is suffering because this or that mythological creature wants to play.))

"And that's what I suspected and feared," Shinto Ai said sadly. "I thought about putting together a special forces group to deal with these monsters but…" he held a hand up to the second aide. She pulled a laptop from somewhere and handed it to the Prime Minister. He placed it on the table and turned it towards them. There was a video opened up on it. "I fear though, that whatever group I put together wouldn't fare any better than this."

He hit play.

It didn't take long for Tatsumi to guess what happened. A special forces unit wearing the European Union emblem stormed into a compound. Tatsumi could tell from the way they moved and the looks in their eyes that these weren't green-horns. These were veterans, soldiers and special ops that had fought against impossible odds, and won.

It hadn't mattered against what they faced. A devil. The damned thing had been live streaming onto TheirTube the fun he'd been having with a female he'd taken. That live broadcast caught the entire ill-fated raid. The fight lasted barely a minute, and not in favor of humanity. The men in the unit had fared better than the females. At least they had been killed. The devil had… taken his time with the women.

The video had ended when a beautiful woman, the peak of physical perfection, wearing a female Greek Toga walked into the room carrying a golden shield and a long spear. The devil had just enough time to go as white as a ghost before the woman obliterated his existence.

((Athena...)) Bennia murmured softly.

"That woman at the end there?" Tatsumi asked. Bennia nodded.

"Many suspected that too, the description fit well," the Prime Minister said. "Greek paganism is gaining quite a bit of steam over in Greece now, especially in Athens, and—"

Do you want me to deal with him? a soft voice whispered in his mind.

Tatsumi schooled his features to prevent the surprise from showing. He hadn't known Serafall could speak to him telepathically. Is that you Serafall?

It's Levia-tan!

What do you mean deal with him? I won't allow you to hurt him.

No, nothing like that. I can put him and his aides to sleep, make them forget and—

A flash of irritation raced through Tatsumi. No, leave him alone. Humanity deserves to know what's happening to them, no matter how terrible it might be. It's too late to hide your existence, it's time you stopped hiding your actions.

There was a brief moment of silence before she replied, and when she did, she sounded subdued, almost resigned. So this is it then… as you wish, Tatsumi. Then her presence in his mind was gone.

"—now come to the conclusion that to fight the supernatural, we need something supernatural of our own," the Prime Minister said, concluding his thoughts. He didn't seem to have noticed Tatsumi's brief conversation with Serafall. "And as much as I wish I could punish you for your role in the wanton destruction of public property and all the lives you've endangered… I fear even more the lives that would be endangered if I came down upon you. That brings me to why I am here." He leaned forward, his eyes intent. "I want to do what I can to help you protect my people. If you can convince those… others that are interfering with my job to stop, we will help you track down that evil. We can't fight them, but we can find them. Be your eyes and ears both here and abroad. With Night Raid as an arm of the Japanese Government, we can provide you with funding and resources. Free accommodations, food, and travel along with access to all the information you need to hunt—"

"Whoa, whoa!" Tatsumi stopped the man with an upraised hand. The man had offered Tatsumi exactly what he wanted and then quickly rushed over a bunch of things Tatsumi didn't, hoping he wouldn't notice. "I like the idea of you helping me find targets, but Night Raid is not becoming an arm of the Government. We'll work with you, but we're staying private." He wasn't going to let Night Raid get incorporated into the government. The moment he did that he'd lose control. The Government would be able to take credit for all his work and worse, dictate what he could and couldn't do.

"I won't be able to provide you with much support if you do that," the Prime Minister pointed out. "The Government is not allowed to fund a private organization with tax payer money."

"I'm aware, it's why we charge for our services," Tatsumi said. "We always have, and always will." Now it was Tatsumi's turn to lean forward and give the Prime Minister a long stare. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. I'm not giving any control over Night Raid to the Government. Not all devils and fallen angels are evil and I can't have you or someone you've appointed dictating where Night Raid strikes."

The Prime Minister's eyes narrowed. "I can't just let an organization like yours run rampant across my country without oversight," he said. "What's to stop you from becoming worse than what you supposedly protect us from?"

"Now, now, no need to get all riled up," Najenda spoke up before the conversation could get heated. She looked and sounded amused. "I know boys like to prove they're on top, but we both stand to gain by working with each other, not against." She turned to Tatsumi. "Even with the added assistance you've been given recently, you need help, especially in tracking down breaches of treaty. You know how things were under me. You're not in a position where you can ignore his assistance."

Tatsumi knew, even back in the old world Night Raid hadn't acted autonomously. They had worked for the leaders of the Rebel Army. Sure, Najenda could have been considered one of said leaders, but she didn't make decisions alone, she simply dictated how the decisions were carried out. This was a different world with different rules. He couldn't hand over control like that but… it didn't mean they could work together in some ways.

"As for you, Prime Minister Shinto Ai," Najenda continued, shifting her attention to the older gentleman, "You need us more than we need you. We can, and will, protect your people from the supernatural forces, but it has to be done on our terms." Her mouth curled upwards into a smile. "We could just walk away from all of this and leave you with nothing save the knowledge that your country is overrun by devils, fallen angels, youkai and an assortment of other evil forces preying upon your people."

The man's eyes narrowed dangerously, "you wouldn't. Everything you own is here." He gestured about the room. "Your base of operations is here."

"Nothing that can't be replaced." Tatsumi murmured, catching onto Najenda's ploy. Tatsumi didn't want to leave Japan, but they really could go just about anywhere and be welcomed with open arms. Also, how would that look on Shinto Ai? How would the people perceive his chasing Tatsumi from Japan? It might very well be political suicide. "I have no family, and neither do any of the members of Night Raid. Moving wouldn't be as hard as you might think." He paused for a brief moment. "Europe sounds nice and I hear they have their own problems." His eyes shifted to the still open laptop and the video found therein.

"We want to work together," Najenda continued. "It's in both our best interests to do so. We don't need much from you, simply those 'eyes and ears' in exchange for keeping your people safe, and the freedom to do what we need to do free from Government oversight." She gave Tatsumi a sidelong glance. "You wouldn't mind giving him at least a monthly report on Night Raid's activities, would you?"

"I can do that," Tatsumi said.

"And," Najenda continued, "I do believe you have something called 'elections' coming within a year, right?"

"We do, yes," Shinto Ai said, nodding his head slowly.

Najenda gave the man a knowing smile. "I think we both know the real reason you're here and it's not so much taking control of Tatsumi and Night Raid, but the perception that you're involved. That you, personally, are associated with helping Tatsumi protect your people. It would make for good re-election material."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the man said. However, while he said one thing, the smile on his lips and the look in his eyes spoke of something very different. Tatsumi finally understood. This was a man looking to get re-elected and saw in Tatsumi the perfect ticket to do so. "I am simply trying to do what is best for Japan and her people. We need a hero. Japan, the world, everyone." His eyes shifted to Tatsumi. "By simply existing you would bring hope to the people and while I'm not so naïve as to think that you can solve all our problems, I know you can solve some and your existence may prevent others. That's more than we have now."

"Of course, you are a kind, gentle leader after all," Najenda murmured softly. Her eyes sparkled with understanding. She was playing his game now. "But that would all be easier if Tatsumi were to proclaim himself to the world and if you were the one that introduced him at…" Najenda trailed off as she searched for the word she wanted, "what do you call them? Press Conferences?"

Najenda realized they were asking for more from the Prime Minister than they were giving. The conference was probably her way of evening it out a bit. Giving him the chance to shine to the public and bolster his re-election chances.

"Not just Nakimori Tatsumi," Shinto Ai said, "we would need Night Raid as well. Let the world officially know that there is a Government sanctioned organization led by a genuine Japanese hero created specifically to protect them from Devils, Fallen Angels and others like them."

A risky ploy. If Shinto Ai threw his complete support behind Tatsumi and Tatsumi did well, he stood to gain immensely. Both in popularity and influence here at home and abroad. The reverse was true if Tatsumi failed or caused some sort of catastrophe. He wanted Tatsumi under his thumb to reduce the risk of the latter, but nothing he did could completely negate that risk. He was simply going all-in on Tatsumi and wanted to stack the deck as much in his favor as possible.

"If I am independent and I fail, or become unpopular in the eyes of the people, it'd be easier to distance yourself if I'm not under your direct control," Tatsumi pointed out.

"So it would," Shinto Ai said, nodding slowly. There was a sliver of respect in his eyes for some reason, as if that point was something he had already known about but hadn't expected Tatsumi to catch onto. The man suddenly smiled. "Would tomorrow be too soon for that conference?"

Tatsumi blinked, that was very soon, sooner than would have normally been possible unless… unless this was something the man had been after from the start. How much of what had happened here was planned and how much wasn't? Did he truly want complete, direct control over Tatsumi and Night Raid or was simply suggesting such a controlled relationship to make Tatsumi more amendable to lesser requests?

Tatsumi hated politics.

"Tomorrow as in today since it's now," Tatsumi shifted his eyes to a nearby clock on the wall. It said 2:58am, "early morning? Or Tomorrow as in more than twenty-four hours from now?"

"Thirty-three hours from now," Shinto Ai said. That would put it at noon the following day. "That will give me enough time enough to promote the event."

There's no going back after this, Tatsumi-chan, Serafall whispered in his mind again. This will change everything.

I know.

Everyone in this room knew that as well. The videos of the supernatural that existed could potentially be explained away by very good CGI, or a movie script, something by those not there and didn't experience it first hand… but if Tatsumi stepped out onto the world stage and proclaimed to the world the truth, and brought with him said truth? The doubts would be gone.

And a new age would be ushered in. An age that hearkened back to the Age of Gods.

He returned his attention back to the Prime Minister and nodded. It was much too late to back out now. "I just need to know where."

The Prime Minister was all smiles now.

x~X~x

Sona busied herself with a set of contracts in the Student Council room at Kuoh Academy. She felt more comfortable here than at her estate in the human world, that place simply felt too cold and empty with Tatsumi moved out. That wasn't the excuse she used to be here though. Even if it was summer break now there was still much to do in preparation for the following semester, including processing Xenovia Quarta's enrollment. True to her word, Gabriel had sent in the application the moment the semester was over. There was an added request to have her placed in Tatsumi's class.

Her initial thought was to decline it, keep that naïve baby-seeking woman away from her Tatsumi, but had thought better of it. She trusted Tatsumi to be responsible enough not to fall prey to her whims, and getting on the bad side of a Seraph just months after signing the Peace Treaty was not a particularly smart move. She was going to have trouble enough getting the elders of the various families to accept Tatsumi as her husband, she didn't need to make enemies of a Seraph too.

"Kaichou, its beginning."

Sona set the contract she'd been staring at aside and turned her attention towards the TV. Her Queen, Tsubaki, was standing nearby watching the large sixty-inch TV that had been set up in the student council room at Kuoh Academy. It'd been set up so that she could watch this very event, so that they could all watch it. Yura, Meguri, Saji and Ruruko were here as well. It wasn't something she wanted to miss. It wasn't something anyone wanted to miss.

Already preliminary numbers of those watching were over a hundred million and still rising. The Prime Minister of Japan had spared no expense promoting this particular event. He had so much to gain by riding on Tatsumi's success, but on the other hand, just as much to lose if Tatsumi failed. It was a gamble but gambling was what Politicians enjoyed most, especially when the potential payout was significant.

A wave of applause boomed from the TV speakers as across a glittering stage of hardwood, reflecting the lights of countless camera flashes, walked Shinto Ai, the Prime Minister of Japan. He looked every bit like a man about to lay his hands upon the proverbial golden goose. The Master of Ceremonies stepped aside as the Prime Minister came to a stop before a podium covered with countless microphones branded with the logos of major news outlets from across the globe.

The crowd quieted as the Prime Minister smiled into the cameras. "Thank you everyone for joining me on this most auspicious day." The Prime Minister began, his voice rising and falling with each word, lingering on vowels to give rise to emphasis and meaning. "Today truly is a special day. A day of new beginnings, and old returnings." The edges of his lips quirked upwards into a smile. "Since the dawn of our species, we have always looked to the sky, to a higher power, to explain that which the understanding of the time could not. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tornados, and so much more were all thought to be by products of angry Gods upset at us for mistreating the land or each other. Likewise good harvests, fine weather, or a gentle rain at just the right time, were looked upon as blessings from the self-same Gods. Proof that we were walking the right path."

The Prime Minister paused dramatically and lazily swept his gaze across the crowd, capturing each camera for just the right amount of time. This man knew how to spin a story.

"As time marched on and our understanding of the world around us grew, we came to realize that it wasn't angry Gods that destroyed our crops or killed our loved ones. Nor were it benevolent ones that blessed us. Theories, studies, and experimentation expanded our minds and helped us grow as individuals and as a collective. We built enormous monuments, wonders and vehicles that have even reached other worlds. But…" His voice dipped and became quiet, filled with a somber mood. "Even as our understanding of the world and universe around us grew, our awe dwindled. Gods and Goddesses became mere whispers, myths and legends, instead of facets of our daily lives. We lost the wonder that made life just that much more magical." He paused and threw a sidelong glance to the side. "Every time I march into my office and see that stack of documents waiting for my signature or those five hundred pressing e-mails you have to get to right away, I can't help but long for those simpler times." He turned his eyes back to the crowd and gave them a sly grin. "I imagine a great many of you can sympathize with my plight."

A bout of laughter filled the room. Even Sona found herself grinning despite herself. She had her own stack of papers sitting on her desk, a stack of papers that wouldn't be nearly as large if there weren't so many different rules and regulations to adhere to.

A cold chill suddenly ran down Sona's back and the smile disappeared in an instant. This man was very dangerous. He was using this moment to reach out to everyone in the world and become an appealing icon. He wasn't content to just sit in Tatsumi's shadow and reap the rewards of his efforts. This man wanted to stand beside Tatsumi on the world stage. Use the man she loved to elevate his own position on the world stage.

Tatsumi couldn't screw up his speech because if he came out sounding weaker, less charismatic, everyone would look to the Prime Minister first, and Tatsumi second. He would be seen as Tatsumi's handler, no matter how things played out behind the scenes.

The Prime Minister waited for the laughter to die down before he continued and when he did, his voice was quiet and filled with a hint of darkness. "It wasn't just Gods back then. There were other horrors that lurked in the night. Fears made manifest. Demons, Devils, Youkais, there were countless different words for them, all describing a different subset of monsters we often used to scare our children into being good little boys and girls. Back when I was a child, my parents used to scare me with stories about them." He let out a good-natured laugh. "It's different these days. Hard to scare your children when they can just run to the internet and learn the truth."

His laughter disappeared and his smile turned grim. "These aren't just stories anymore. We've seen firsthand in recent months the truth behind these stories. Those myths and legends, those whispers in the dark. Unbeknownst to us they took on a life of their own and lingered long after we had all moved on. We've seen devils rape and murder of our kind, we've seen the Fallen battle our heroes in the skies above our cities, and we've seen Gods and Angels descend upon our mortal world. With such evidence presented before us, we have no choice but to accept the truth. Gods and Demons. Angels and the Fallen. All the mythical creatures of legend… they all exist."

A glowing blue circle appeared beside the desk. Sona tossed it a cursory look before letting out a pained groan. She knew that magical circle. A moment later her onee-sama popped through it in an explosion of magical sparkles and confetti.

Serafall twirled in place and swung her magical staff through the air. "Your magical girl onee-sama has arrived!" Serafall said cheerfully.

"Please, not now, I'm trying to listen."

"You and everyone else, Sona-chan!" Sona said cheerfully as she bounced her way to her side. "Everyone is watching this broadcast."

Sona gave her sister a sidelong glance. "Everyone?"

"Everyone," Serafall stressed that word again. "This is being broadcast all over the Underworld and the various Heavens. Gods, Angels, Devils, Youkai, everyone is watching it to see which way Humanity will move. It's not much of a stretch to say everything hinges on what Tatsumi-chan says after this windbag finishes."

"I'm surprised no one has tried to stop it," Sona said softly. They'd taken great pains to keep their presence, their existence, a secret from humanity for thousands of years. Now it was all about to be thrown out into the open.

Surprisingly her onee-sama just shook her head. "We all knew this day would come eventually. It was easy to hide in the past. The humans didn't have any real way of communicating quickly. Pigeons could be intercepted, horses waylaid, even mailmen seduced and sent wandering elsewhere." Then there was the memory manipulation on top of all that. "It's different now. A single live broadcast and…" Serafall held her hands wide and then gestured to the TV. "It was inevitable. All that we were really doing up until now was simply delaying it. We couldn't reveal ourselves in the past otherwise Humanity would never be able to grow, they'd become over reliant or over fearful of us. Now though? Their collective Ego has developed enough that they can accept us without being chained by us… and it's probably better to let our existence be known now while they still lack the ability to hurt us, than in the future when their technology grows to such a level where they can."

That was surprisingly insightful, especially coming from her sister. Suspiciously insightful, even. "Are those your words, or are you stealing lines from Ajuka Beelzebub again?"

Her sister looked hurt. "Your onee-sama was thinking it! He just said it before I could… and way better than I probably would have."

"Kaichou, Serafall-sama, I think he's wrapping up," Tsubaki said respectfully.

Sona quickly shifted her attention back to the TV.

"…fear the shadows in the night, nor do we have to rely solely on the whimsical natures of the Gods above to protect us. Just like in the past when the heroes we speak of in legend walked the world and protected us from the supernatural threats, so too do heroes exist in this modern day." The Prime Minster of Japan shifted and gestured towards someone offstage. "It is my esteemed honor to present to you all one such hero and some of those that fight alongside him, Nakimori Tatsumi and Night Raid!"

There was a thunderous applause as the man Sona had fallen in love with strode across that glittering stage with a face filled with confidence and conviction. Even here, on the other side of the TV, Sona could literally hear hearts breaking as he cut a wide swath through the ladies in the crowd with his easy smile, wild, untamed hair, handsome face, and enormously powerful physique that was only further emphasised by the form fitting black body armor and the soft blue Shroud of Longinus that trailed along behind.

If Sona didn't know the real man that hid behind that smiling face, she could have believed that he was every bit the hero the Prime Minister said he was. But Sona had seen his face crumple in despair, held him as he wept tears of sorrow. Tatsumi was no hero. Just a man with a kind heart doing what he could to help those in need, and suffering for it.

He didn't step onto the stage alone. Bennia followed almost on his heels, hovering a few inches above the ground looking every inch the Grim Reaper she was and nothing like that playful and often lascivious girl Sona had come to know. Sona wasn't surprised she was with Tatsumi, she usually was. What she was surprised to see was the bracelet around her wrists that made her presence noticeable by the average human.

Along behind her came the exorcist, Xenovia, wearing her holy raiment and Najenda dressed in the same black suit she'd worn the day she first arrived. The Holy Sword, Durandal, was visible for a change, strapped across Xenovia's back in a vibrant holster. It radiated with powerful, divine energy that Sona could feel even here, through the TV.

Tatsumi and the Prime Minister briefly clasped their hands together and exchanged smiles before the Prime Minister stepped away, allowing Tatsumi to take the stand with Bennia and Xenovia taking up positions on either side. Najenda stood behind and slightly off to the side.

This was it, Tatsumi's public address to the world. Her onee-sama was right. Everything would change after he finished speaking. What everyone was waiting for was what that change would be.

"Don't screw this up, Tatsumi," Sona whispered softly.

~o~

With an annoyed grunt Najenda ripped her blade from the face of a dead cultist. The edge had a large nick in it now from where it'd scrapped off the dank stone wall. The cultist's face hadn't offered enough resistance. At least she was dead now, and the child she'd been about to ritualistically sacrifice cradled safely in Najenda's arm. The poor little thing was sobbing, her voice barely more than a whisper from crying for so long.

This was one child that wasn't being sent to some strange god called Yog-Sothoth. Najenda had never heard of it before this mission. Supposedly it was one entity you did not want visiting your world. Goddesses like Isis were considered planetary level entities, Yog-Sothoth was a cosmic, universal level entity.

It basically ate planets along with any mortals and immortals associated with that planet. Regardless of what this Yog-Sothoth was, saving babies from being sacrificed was something Najenda could support.

"Ah, I see you've finished in here."

Najenda glanced over to see a beautiful, dark skinned woman with a sizeable bust step into the room. She had a great deal of fantastic makeup on her face, enhancing her already super natural beauty, and wore a simple white dress accentuated with gold trims that matched the jewellery she wore about her ankles and wrists.

"I am, Isis, have the others finished cleaning up their chambers?"

Isis smiled happily. "They have, and not a single death on our side. I consider this a job well done. You mortals can be surprisingly efficient when given proper motivation." She paused, tilting her head to the side. "And ruthless."

"And we still pale in comparison individuals like yourself," Najenda returned dryly.

There had been a terrorist organization with her name over in the Middle East at one point in time. It hadn't lasted very long. The moment Isis saw her name being defiled she took steps to correct it. Several normally dry rivers in Syria and Iraq had run red with blood for several weeks after she finished cleaning house.

Najenda hadn't asked what the body count had been. No one had. But it was fact that there were at least several million fewer people in Iraq and Syria than there had once been.

"You're too kind," Isis said, not the least bit perturbed for being called ruthless. She knew she was, especially when someone tried to harm a child, and didn't find offense to it. "I've simply had more time to perfect the art. Come close, I have something to show you."

Isis could also be very kind and generous to those that were on her side. Najenda approached the Goddess with interest as the immortal raised a hand and turned her palm skyward. A projection appeared above it, casting a soft glow about the dark stone chamber. It was a projection of an address to the people. She recognized the Prime Minister of Japan.

Then she recognized the person that walked out along side the man the Prime Minister introduced.

"So that's the me Michael-sama mentioned," Najenda murmured as she watched herself walk across the stage. It was an strange feeling, really. She knew that wasn't her, but at the same time it was. It helped a bit that she was noticeably older, but if that's what she had to look forward to in seventeen years… well, she didn't mind aging that well.

"It is, it seems the you of another world is supporting this Tatsumi," Isis paused, watching, staring, waiting for some sort of reaction from her. "Do you wish to watch?"

What Isis was saying was that she wanted to watch, but didn't want to seem overly interested in the on-goings of a simple mortal she had nothing to do with and was hoping to use Najenda's own curiosity as an excuse. One look at the Goddesses told Najenda that Isis knew that she saw through the excuse.

Well, Najenda couldn't help but admit to being a little curious, if for no other reason than observing this man the alternate, older version of herself had supposedly thrown her support behind.

"Are we truly finished here?" Najenda asked again for confirmation as she glanced past the Goddess to the hallway beyond.

"We are."

"It might be a nice change of pace, but perhaps in a less bloody location?" Najenda asked, tossing a glance at all the dead and broken bodies scattered about the room.

The smile on Isis's face was absolutely breathtaking. "I believe that is acceptable."

~o~

"…Tatsumi and Night Raid!"

"About time," Athena muttered as she lounged across her bed wearing little more than a white toga about her body and her head propped up by half a dozen pillows. "If I had to listen to that worthless human drone on about myths and legends for a moment longer…"

"Oh hush, child, you're too interested in this Tatsumi to turn away for such a trifling reason," a childlike voice spoke up nearby.

Athena threw a hurried look over at her companion. She was short with long silver hair that reached the floor framing an oval face that was more adorable than beautiful. A white blindfold embroidered with a set of scales covered her eyes. Athena's gaze momentarily dropped to a chest most called the largest and greatest of all the Greek immortals. Aphrodite took offense to that, of course, but she never complained too loudly.

Those that wanted to live long, healthy lives didn't argue with the Titan, Themis.

Thick streams of silver energy undulated about her body, raw power in its purest form. It wasn't a display of power or a means of showing off, it was simply the excess power Themis had to expel from her body so she could fit in that small, five-foot nothing human form. Themis' natural form, as was befitting of a Titan of her stature, was simply titanic and far too large to fit into Athena's bedchamber.

The large-chested titan wasn't even looking at her but instead focused on the oval picture hovering in the air above an indigo viewing crystal. How she could see with that blindfold on, Athena didn't know. It was one of the few mysteries no one really questioned. You didn't question why a Titan did what they did, and Themis was one of the few you really didn't want to be on the wrong side of.

To be powerful enough to bring about divine justice, one had to be powerful enough to stand above all the divine. Hades only thought he was the most powerful Greek immortal because Themis hadn't seen the need to correct him yet.

Athena's attention was drawn to the handsome man entering onto the stage. "So that's this Tatsumi I've been hearing about so much about lately," she mused as she watched the strange human stride across the stage towards the Prime Minister of Japan. She liked the way he moved. There was a wariness about his movements, an edge. That was a man that had seen war, battle, the worst that life could throw at you and still held his head high and back unbowed.

Word of mouth, rumors, gossip. It was all useless information to Athena. You never truly knew a person until you met them yourself. He was also the first person to successfully use the Bracelets of Aias since she gave them to Ajax over two thousand of years ago.

"There was a video of him fighting that child, Esdeath," Themis reminded her.

Athena stretched her arms and legs out and let out a pleasant noise as the kinks worked themselves out. "I don't trust human videos. They never capture what's important." Athena had watched a whole five second of that live broadcast before walking away. Human cameras weren't capable of catching all the tiny little nuisances of battle that she was most interested in. She grabbed a few purple grapes from the bowl on the bedside table and popped them in her mouth. Her eyes flickered briefly to the Grim Reaper that floated at his side. She recognized that particular mask. "Well, at least we know where Nemesis went."

"I'm going to have some words with Hades in the near future." Despite her calm, quiet words Athena couldn't stop the shiver of fear that ran down her spine. "I don't care what he does with the rest of the Reapers, but Nemesis belongs to me. I judge and she dispenses Retribution to those that ignore me. If he has sent her on another one of those hair brain missions again…"

"You know Nemesis would never accept a mission that would go against her epithet," Athena said as gently as she could. You didn't want to upset Themis. You didn't even want to be around an upset Themis. "And look at the way she stares at that boy. I'm not so sure Hades is the reason she's hanging around this Tatsumi."

Themis let out a loud harrumph. "At least it's with someone agreeable," she said, nodding approvingly. "If what I've heard of this Tatsumi is true then I might need to speak with him as well, although for different reasons than Hades."

"You'll need to bring him here," Athena reminded her. "The further we wander from Greece the less we become. Here you are all powerful. The same can't be said in Japan and there are other powers that have their fingers on him."

Themis waved away her words, unconcerned. "You say that like you think I'd drop to the level of a Seraph or a Satan if I leave Greece." The tone of her voice left no doubt what she thought about that. Athena supposed Themis would have to fall pretty far to ever become that weak. "Besides I'm not going to hurt him, just talk. Now hush, he's about to begin."

Athena returned her attention to the handsome human with the piercingly sharp eyes that seemed to skewer you. Had she been mortal she may have even found herself affected by that look. She raised herself on her elbows and waited for the man that had captured the hearts and imaginations of humans the world over to dictate the direction humanity would walk.

It began with a simple, genuine smile.

"Thank you everyone for taking the time out of your busy days to listen to what I have to say. I think, perhaps, that the Prime Minister was overly generous in his praise. I don't consider myself a hero by any means. I'm just a man like anyone else. I love and hate, laugh and cry. The only thing that separates me from the rest of you, is a little bit of strength and understanding."

"Humble." That was the word that Athena felt best described the man she was seeing right now. He wasn't just saying those words. It was evident in the way he held himself and the softness around the edges of his face that he genuinely believed his words. It wouldn't do any good to say that. All the heroes of the past were much the same, except that braggart Hercules. Trying to pass yourself off as humble would only make people more assured of their opinion.

Themis's soft chuckle indicated she had noticed the same thing Athena had. "He just caused half the women in the world to swoon with those words and that smile."

The smile faded away and his features hardened and he seemed to age almost two decades on the spot. No one looking at Tatsumi right then would have believed him to be some wet-behind-the-ear seventeen-year old teenager. "I can't say I took up arms against the Devils and Fallen Angels out of a sense of Justice. Like all of you I didn't know they existed until a devil murdered my older sister, Mira." For a brief, singular instant Tatsumi's face was a twisted mask of pain. Athena had to stop herself from reaching out to comfort the man that was half a world away. "That was what started it all and as many of you who have been placed in similar positions can attest, there's nothing noble about our intentions. Those first few devils I killed, it was out of revenge. I won't deny that." His eyes slowly closed as his head tilted towards the ceiling. A gentle sigh escaped his lips before he continued. "However, revenge by itself is hollow though. It didn't fill the hole in my heart, nor did it bring my sister back." He brought his head down and regarded the crowd once more. "As I witnessed atrocity after atrocity I came to realize I wasn't the only one suffering. That's when my thirst for revenge ebbed. That's when it became more about making sure no one else suffered as I did. That was when Night Raid really started to take shape."

"And there goes the rest of the women. That's the stuff heroes are made of." Athena said softly. Themis just chuckled again.

"I don't believe there was anything heroic about what I've done these past three years. The Devils and the Fallen Angels I killed brought misery, pain and death to humanity and I brought the same down upon them. About all that separated me from those I killed was intent. They brought pain and suffering upon us to indulge in their own selfish desires while I did the same to protect you all from those desires." Tatsumi let out a long sigh as he slowly shook his head. "Intent. Across all the battles of my life, the wars I've fought in… I've come to learn that single word, intent, was all that separated one side from another. Us from them, right from wrong, good from evil… a Human from a Devil or any other supernatural entity." He placed a gentle hand on the shoulder of the Grim Reaper at his side and no one could mistake the emotion that entered his eyes right then. "And from that I realized that all those books and stories written about the supernatural creatures hold about as much truth as Barry Hotter series. About all they got right were the names."

Themis snorted loudly and started to laugh. "Isn't that the truth."

Athena could only agree. The Greek Legends in particular only spoke of what they wanted them to speak of, and Zeus had a heavy hand in editing it. That sex crazed maniac had made it sound like he'd slept with every Goddess on Mount Olympus and that every God, Goddess, and even remotely respectable human, had been sired by him. Athena had been labeled as a 'Virgin Goddess' because she'd laughed away his attempts to woo her behind Hera's back and that was his silly, immature attempt at revenge.

The stories were all giant loads of ox shit. Everyone knew Hera kept Zeus on a tight leash. That was why Hades was stronger than his brother. Zeus was too busy being Hera's whipping boy. Those 'God Inspired stories' written about the Greek Gods was the only leeway Hera had ever given her husband.

About the only things Zeus stayed true to were their names and their epithets, and that was only because Hera refused to let him change them.

"A prime example of this is this lovely woman at my side here, Bennia," Tatsumi said, giving Nemesis a loving smile. "If someone had told me a cute little girl like her was a Grim Reaper, I'd have laughed them away." She pulled her mask off and gave everyone a cute little smile before replacing the mask on her face.

If Nemesis hadn't been hovering several inches off the ground carrying an enormous black scythe strapped to her back that just oozed with a black, inky darkness that screamed death, it was likely no one would have believed Tatsumi either. Thankfully, Nemesis made sure no one could mistake her for anything but what she truly was.

Tatsumi needed that legitimacy to his words.

"Bennia is it, now?" A deep, angry noise rumbled inside Themis' chest. "Adopted an alias and reincarnated. Hades definitely has her on another one of his errands."

"Do you believe she'll stay flat or do you think she'll let them grow out naturally?" Athena asked. In her natural state, Nemesis matched Themis in the chest department. However she could control their growth, or lack thereof, each time she reincarnated herself.

It was a trick she never told anyone else, much to the chagrin of the Greek Goddesses everywhere. Aphrodite in particular was jealous of that ability. Athena didn't much care that she had a smaller than average chest. Preferred it even. Large breasts got in the way during battle.

Themis just shrugged. "Depends on what this Tatsumi desires."

Tatsumi's face darkened and his features hardened once more as he continued. "Some elements of the stories hold true. Gods, Goddesses, Devils, Angels, the Fallen and many other supernatural forces of the world… they don't take us seriously. From the dawn of their creation they've looked down upon us as lesser creatures. Sometimes that's for the better such as in the case of the Angels. Because they see us as lesser creatures, they feel it is their duty to guide and protect their faithful. Grim Reapers are another that simply see us as a job, souls to guide after we pass on to whatever fate lies in store for us after death. Then there are some such as the Fallen and the Devils that see us as tools, slaves even, to use as they see fit for whatever whimsical desire that floats in their minds." Tatsumi trailed off into a deafening silence as everyone waited for his next words.

"This is where we come back to intent and the hardest lesson for me to learn these past three years. It required me to see hard, definitive proof that I could touch before I could even begin to accept it…" What came next was barely more than a whisper, but it was heard around the world and changed everything. "Not all Angels are good nor are all Devils evil. That's why we have Fallen Angels and I've seen firsthand love, compassion and self-sacrifice from a devil. This simple fact goes for all the supernatural factions out there. There are good Gods and Goddesses just as there are evil ones. Benevolent Youkai and cruel ones. Just as each and every human is unique and different, so too can that be said for all of them. What they are simply skews the ratio of good to evil in one direction or another, it doesn't preclude either from existing." Tatsumi paused, allowing those words to sink in before he continued. Athena could almost see the shift happening in Humanity before her very eyes. If the hero that fought the evil of the night said it was true, it had to be true. "Night Raid and I, we do not judge an individual based on the actions of an entire race, but by their own individual actions. If any supernatural entity rises up against Humanity to harm you in some fashion, whether they be Angel, Devil, God, or gifted Mortal, we will fight them." Tatsumi smacked his palm off the podium, sending a loud crack throughout the auditorium and across the world. "Humans are not toys to be used for another's amusement. Your lives are your own! Anyone that tries to strip from Humanity that right, the right to choose how you live and how you die, will be cut down by Night Raid!"

It was a declaration heard around the world.

"Well, that's that," Themis said lightly as a deafening roar of cheers rose up from the assembled crowd. The speech was all but done now as the Prime Minister stepped forward once more to take the podium. Themis let the image disappear and a beautiful smile bloomed on her face. "Judging each individual based on the merits of their own actions and the intent behind them. That is the most difficult road to walk."

"But also the most true," Athena finished for the Titan. "I know a few Gods and Goddesses he's made an enemy of."

"But not us."

"Not the two of us two at least," Athena reminded her. "Ares, Hades, Hermes are three I can think off the top of my head that aren't going to let a simple speech from a human they barely know anything about stop them from having their fun at the expense of humanity."

"True." Athena shivered as a chilling smile spread across Themis' face. "But it has been so quiet lately and one does get a little bothered if they don't have Divine Justice to spread as often as they would like. I look forward to being… relevant again."

~o~

"Well, that was interesting," Najenda said as the image disappeared. "A difficult road that man chose. It still doesn't explain why the other me is following him, but I imagine they have some personal history together."

Isis' eyes twinkled with amusement. "You think so? You do know what that would insinuate."

That Tatsumi wasn't of this world, just like that older version of herself. "What I've heard is not enough for me to follow someone. Perhaps allow someone to work under me, but to follow? No, I'd only follow those that have earned my trust and respect and if that Najenda is anything like me, she hasn't been in this world long enough for Tatsumi to have earned it."

"Having come to know you as I have these past few months, I came to the same conclusion," Isis said, smiling widely. "I might have a talk with Gabriel and see where she found that interesting child of hers."

"Later, we've got some rituals to stop and children to rescue," Najenda said.

"Very true," Isis said, still smiling, "and I feel another ritual starting up thirty miles to the west." Isis turned to regard the other exorcists under Najenda's command. "Let's be off children, there's still plenty of darkness left."

~o~

Night Raid would defend Humanity's freedom. The freedom to choose how they lived their lives… and how they died.

Sona shook her head slowly as a little sigh escaped her lips. "I don't know what I was worried about," The cheers were still booming from the speakers long after Tatsumi had left the stage. The Prime Minister didn't seem to be in any hurry to settle the crowd down as they chanted Tatsumi's name over and over. "Tatsumi completely overshadowed the Prime Minister's speech." And it had nothing to do with the quality of it either. In terms of quality, the Prime Minister was far better than Tatsumi, which wasn't surprising since half his job was giving speeches. In the end it hadn't amounted to anything. The sheer force of Tatsumi's reputation and presence had been enough to erase whatever popularity the Prime Minister had created.

From the look on the man's face, he knew it as well. That was the look of someone that knew he was beaten. He'd definitely try to keep Tatsumi as close as possible in the future regardless. Try to use his popularity to elevate himself. If Sona wasn't mistaken, elections were coming up soon.

"It had little to do with the speech itself," Tsubaki said, adjusting her glasses as she approached the TV. She turned it off and regarded Sona with a contemplative look on her face. "He appears to be quite popular. Not unsurprising. Most people desire to be a hero or, baring that, have a hero they can look up to. It's hard to grow too attached to the 'everyday' hero that saves someone from a burning car or helps an old lady across the street. They're too much like themselves. Tatsumi feels and looks more like a hero plucked straight from the legends and mythos of old. It's very easy to lose one's self in their imagination with someone like him as the figure head."

"Will he have a superhero name?" Ruruko asked, her voice filled with excitement. Sona could practically see the girl vibrating with energy.

A sharp snap echoed throughout the room.

"Saji, you'll be purchasing the next box of pens," Sona said.

"He's not like you though Saji-kun!" Ruruko said quickly. The girl just looked embarrassed and guilty now. "Tatsumi-san is everyone's hero. You're mine, you're always here whenever I need your help. Tatsumi-san never is."

"It was just a slip," Saji said hurriedly. There was a wide smile on his face as he looked up at the girl. "I'm not going to try and compete with Tatsumi-san. I'm Saji and I'll do what I can for the people I care about most."

"That's a good sentiment to have, Saji-san," Sona said. "Everyone is different, unique. Each of us has a role to play in life. There's no point in trying to be someone else. Just be yourself and that is enough. That's all I ask of you."

The smile on Saji's face could have lit up the room by itself. "Of course Kaichou! I'll protect Ruruko-chan and help you both achieve your dreams!"

"I still think he needs a superhero name," Ruruko said softly as she poked her fingers together shyly.

The door to the Student Council room burst open and slammed against the wall with a thunderous crash. "He's the Loli Dragon Emperor!" Issei shouted as he dove headfirst in a superman dive through that open portal, the green jewel of his Boosted Gear gleaming brightly with Ddraig's presence. The dive lasted a whole two seconds before Issei slammed into the nearest table with a loud crash sending both it, and he, tumbling over. Unperturbed Issei pointed his gauntleted hand to the ceiling. "He's the Loli Dragon Emperor because of all the lolis he's got around him! Bennia, Kaichou, that fallen angel Mine and even Koneko-chan has fallen for his whims! Then there's Ravel-chan too! She's got a large chest but she's small enough to be considered a loli!"

"No." Sona was shutting down that suggestion right away. A brief thought flashed through her mind that she should find someone with a large chest to throw at Tatsumi just to end any possibility of that name sticking.

"Sorry about Ise-kun," Rias said as she strode into the room with her peerage behind her. Asia quickly rushed over to Issei's side to see if he was alright. Gasper was doing his best impression of Flacid Snake in the corner with that box of his. "He has this inane idea that Tatsumi-san is trying to start a harem."

"He is!" Issei shouted energetically as Asia helped him sit up. The air about him buzzed with the same excitement that had clung to Ruruko earlier. "I wouldn't expect anything less from my rival!"

"Ara, ara, if you wish to be better than Tatsumi then shouldn't you try branching out?" Akeno asked as she strutted over to Issei and bent at the waist, dangling her breasts almost directly in Issei's face. The perverted man's gaze instantly latched onto those enormous breasts and drool started to leak from the corners of his mouth. The trickle became a water fall as Akeno rubbed her hands over her breasts. "I could always be your third."

"That's quite enough Akeno!" Rias snapped. Anger billowed about the red-haired beauty like an aura, whipping her hair about. "Ise-kun belongs to me!"

Asia just pulled Issei away from both of them, clutching him tightly like a child would a favorite stuffed toy. She tried to glare at the two devils, but coming from an adorable face like that the effect was lost.

Sona just sighed and rubbed her head. This ridiculous scene wasn't what she wanted right now, and she was fairly certain Rias hadn't come here to fight Akeno and Asia over Issei in the middle of Sona's room. She also knew it was rather futile to try and stop it before it ran its course. What she needed wasn't here. A change of scenery.

She stood and headed for the door. Instant relief washed over her as she stepped into the hallway. The headache that had been slowly pounding its way up into a frenzy subsided.

"Are you alright Kaichou?" Tsubaki asked as she came up alongside her.

"I will be." She hadn't realized just how anxious she'd been about Tatsumi's speech. Even if he had accepted some devils such as herself, onee-sama and the Phenex family, that didn't mean he'd extend the same courtesy to all devils. He had the perfect opportunity there to destroy their society.

Had he spoken against them as a whole, it'd cause the entire Evil Piece system and devil contract systems to collapse. The number of people willing to be reincarnated as a Devil or to even accept a contract with one would collapse almost overnight. It would be absolutely devastating. Their species wasn't at the point where they could afford to make the entirety of humanity their enemy.

It would have crippled their attempt to rebuild.

Was that why…

"Why what?"

Sona jumped in surprise as her onee-sama popped out of thin air wearing her usual pink magical-girl uniform. She carrying that ever-present smile on her lips as she stared eagerly at her. It was only then that Sona realized that she'd spoken that last bit aloud.

"Tatsumi… that's why I had to make him accept me, wasn't it?" Sona said quietly so that only Tsubaki and her onee-sama heard. "Beelzebub-sama saw this coming from the very start."

"Why does it matter if he did?" Serafall said cheerfully. Sona noted that her sister didn't try to deny it. "It doesn't matter anymore! That speech was about as good as we could have hoped! Humans probably wouldn't have accepted anything better even if Tatsumi had pushed for it. With so many millennia of books, stories, tales, movies and magical girl monsters, no one would believe more."

"He's also correct in his assessment of devil society," Tsubaki added carefully. Her tall, buxom vice president glanced back into the room to the television. "There are a great number of terrible devils out there. Humans do need to be on guard for them."

"As do we," Sona said softly. Those terrible devils Tsubaki referred to didn't just hate humans, that was just a by-product of their natural temperament. They'd take advantage of weak devils just as quickly as they would humans. Sona arched backwards and stretched her hands above her head. A small, pleasant noise escaped her lips as the last few kinks worked themselves out of her muscles. "I haven't had time to speak to Tatsumi much since he moved into his new place. Will you two be coming?"

"Are you sure you shouldn't break that up?" Her onee-sama asked, throwing a sly look through the open door where the fighting over Issei was getting ever more intense. Issei was squashed between three pairs of breasts and from the significant stream of blood pouring from his nose, he didn't seem to mind.

"I'll just bill any damages to the Occult Research Club," Sona said simply. "Or take it out of their next budget." She had ways of getting what she was owed here. Kuoh City may be Gremory territory, but here at school her authority superseded Rias'.

It wouldn't even get that far. Her friend would probably apologize and offer to pay for any damages before Sona even had to go that far.

"Yes! Rias-chan is good for that!" Serafall's eyes suddenly filled with mirth and mischief. "And I'm sure Tatsumi-chan will need some relaxing after having to deal with that stuffy politician! I know I always do after listening to all the elders."

"Go, Kaichou," Tsubaki said taking a step back towards the council room. She paused for a moment before looking over her shoulder towards the ruckus happening inside the Student Council room. "Someone should deal with that before it gets out of hand."

"Just make sure you don't get dragged in yourself," Sona told her.

"I'll make Yura, Saji, Ruruko and Meguri help."

Sona gave Tsubaki a small smile. "Thank you." Her Queen nodded in return before she turned on her heel and marched back into the classroom. Tsubaki was already barking orders before Sona turned back to her sister. "Let's go."

~o~

Tatsumi let out a relieved sigh as the light from the teleportation circle died down and he found himself standing once more in the main lobby of his too-large estate. The large golden chandeliers that hung from the vaulted ceiling of the lobby cast a pale white light about the area creating an intricate network of shadows in the various alcoves and corners of the room as they played with the moonlight streaming in through the large stain glass windows towering above the large front doors. Night had fallen by the time the conference had well and truly ended and Tatsumi had finished shaking the hands of the seemingly endless line of dignitaries from across the world.

It felt good to be away from all that.

His nose twitched as a pleasant smell suddenly caught his attention. His stomach rumbled quietly reminding him he hadn't eaten anything since this morning. That would need to be rectified as soon as possible. There were expectations to live up to now, and he wasn't going to be able to do that if he collapsed from hunger.

((GAH!)) Tatsumi felt his lips quirk upwards as a smile tried to worm its way onto his lips. Bennia had suffered worse than he had in some regards. ((If I got asked one more time if I really was a Grim Reaper I was going to give them a firsthand demonstration!)) Bennia swung her scythe down for emphasis. Despite his words, there were a number of people that kept asking her about it.

"And those that managed to look up your dress?" Tatsumi asked. There'd been a few of those too. One even had a camera on his shoe.

Bennia's eyes flashed dangerously. ((I haven't forgotten about them! Tatsumi… I'll be back.)) She slipped the bracelet off her wrist that made her visible to humans and disappeared through the wall.

Tatsumi winced. He had tried to convince her to forgive them but she'd flat out told him her body belonged to him and no one else. She wasn't going to outright kill them, but she was going to shave several decades from their lives as punishment for their actions, along with destroying the video that one man had taken. Apparently Bennia was only very free with her nudity when it came to those she didn't mind actually seeing her in the nude, which meant only other women or Tatsumi.

"Excitable girl," Najenda said, sounding amused. The amusement faded away as she turned to regard him. "I'm going to check in on Akame and see if she's prepared for tomorrow."

"Thanks," Tatsumi said to his old commander. She gave him a small smile before she left the lobby, heading towards the training rooms on the sublevel. Tatsumi knew Najenda was just using that as an excuse for to give Tatsumi some space to relax. Akame was the one person you could count on to always be ready.

Tomorrow was a big day for all of them, but more so for Tatsumi in particular.

With Najenda gone, Tatsumi found himself alone with Xenovia. He gave her a smile and gestured her to follow. They could talk while they made their way towards that delicious smell. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"I will be ready, Tatsumi-san," Xenovia said cheerfully. He gave her a sidelong glance and found her eagerly staring ahead. "Is that food I smell?"

Tatsumi grinned. She was just as hungry as he was. "I think both of us could use something good to eat after having gone through all that."

"Do you think there's any cake?" Tatsumi almost laughed at the eagerness in her voice.

"You'll have to ask Tirade when we reach the kitchen." Tatsumi paused. "How were things back there? I lost track of you in that giant mass of bodies." There really had been far too many people for such a small reception hall.

"Everyone kept asking me about Lady Gabriel." Xenovia shook her head. "I won't spill Lady Gabriel's secrets! Or yours Tatsumi." She rushed a few steps ahead of him and turned, walking backwards in front of him.

"Thank you, do you need anything for tomorrow?"

"No, I am fine," Xenovia said. "I just need some time for prayer." Her eyes brightened. "There is a shrine to God and Jesus Christ in the chapel out back. I should go there first and tell Lady Gabriel everything! A cleansed soul is more important than a full belly! Make sure to save some for me and tell Tirade I want some cake!" With a small bow and a cheerful wave Xenovia started off in the opposite direction.

He continued on alone and without distractions it didn't take long for Tatsumi to find his way to the kitchen. That was one place, aside from his own bedroom, that he spent more time in than anywhere else. Every morning he faithfully tried to recreate his mother's dishes, and like clockwork Koneko was always there as well willing to taste test. Right now, Tirade was there with food on hand, waiting for him. Like everyone else he had seen the conference and had predicted Tatsumi would be hungry when he got him.

Tatsumi was grateful for that. He quickly finished eating and left instructions with Tirade to have the same, along with some cake, ready for Xenovia before Tatsumi left for his room.

The moment he entered his room his eyes fell upon the bed and everything else fled from his mind. Those crisp, warm sheets looked so inviting right then. Boots came off, socks went flying along with everything else save for a pair of boxers. With a groan he collapsed upon the bed, face buried in the warm, soft white pillows. No sooner did he collapse on the bed then did all his energy flee from his body and exhaustion washed over him.

Gods was he tired.

"I'd rather fight Esdeath again than have to deal with that," Tatsumi groaned, his voice muffled by the pillow. That was a horrible experience and one he was going to do his best to avoid for the rest of his life. Never had he seen so many fake smiles or heard so many false platitudes.

You didn't need to be a genius to know what everyone in that damn reception room was thinking. 'How can I best use Tatsumi to propel my career?' That was all they thought and their every word and action played on that. It had been absolutely exhausting not to commit to anything and he was certain if Najenda hadn't been at his side helping him he would have been tripped up.

There was a soft knock on the door to his room, which he realized he'd left open but was far too tired to care.

"May I come in Tatsumi?"

It was Sona. "Come in, doors open," Tatsumi mumbled into the pillow. He didn't even have the energy to wave her in. "But close the door behind you."

"What about me Tatsumi-chan!?"

Tatsumi let out a tired laugh. "I couldn't keep you out if I tried… would you even listen?"

"Probably not," Serafall agreed, laughing.

Tatsumi felt more than heard their feet padding softly across the floor, the minute vibrations running up the feet of the bed and into the pillows his face was buried in. The bed shifted as someone settled next to him and a warm hand was placed on his back. "That was exhausting for you, wasn't it?" Sona asked, her voice was as soft as her hand as she gently rubbed his back.

"Never. Again."

He didn't need to see Sona to know her lips quirked upwards into a smile. "You're the leader of a world renown organization now, Tatsumi. You can probably avoid more social responsibilities than most by citing you're too busy with missions, but you're probably going to need to attend some."

"Not anytime soon." At the very least he was taking the summer to do things he needed to do.

"Yes, not any time soon." She agreed. There was a long pause filled with only the gentle touch of Sona's fingers on his back. When she continued her voice was filled with warmth and gratitude. "Thank you, Tatsumi."

"For what?"

"Your speech today!" Serafall said cheerfully for her sister. "You have my thanks as well, and that of the other Satans. We want to be on good terms with Humanity and the others but we never would have been able to if you turned all of Humanity against us. It's going to be hard, but at least we have the ability to make peace."

"I just spoke the truth," Tatsumi murmured. "Even if a large portion of your race is evil, you're not all evil. You two are proof of that. As are Ravel and Lord Phenex."

Expecting devils to be as saintly as Angels was utterly unrealistic since not even Humanity had that expectation placed on them. Devils like Sona and Serafall really weren't all that different from a human. They just had wings and could toss around a tremendous amount of power. In fact, Tatsumi could think of any number of humans far worse than Sona or Serafall.

"The speech is only one part of it, Tatsumi," Sona said softly. "I had time to think about what you said today while we waited for you to return from that gathering." There was another pause. "I have a solution."

"To what?"

"My Rating Game School." That peaked Tatsumi's interest. Had she figured out an answer to her problem? "I still need time to properly word it since I will be required to present it at the Young Devil Gathering in a couple weeks but I have discovered a way to achieve my dream without you having to worry about my students exploiting Humanity."

"I look forward to hearing it," Tatsumi murmured. He could feel his consciousness fading away as sleep came for him. He didn't even try to push it away.

"I look forward to telling you about it," Sona returned easily. "For now, just sleep. You've done more than enough for today."

Yes, sleep. Sleep was good.

And so he slept.

---

Note about Themis and Bennia: In Greek Mythology Nemesis (who I'm making Bennia to be an alternate version of) and Themis were closely tied together, closer than any other two Gods/Goddesses. Basically Themis Judged, and Nemesis dispensed Retribution on those that ignored or found ways to circumvent Themis' judgements. Nemesis was essentially Themis' instrument when she was too busy or simply didn't feel like getting involved herself.

Now, before I go into this next bit, I have a fairly strong understanding of the power rankings of the strongest DxD Universe individuals. Do note that the order is an educated guess based on all the information I could find and should by no means be taken as definitive. What is definitive, are the individuals in the top 10. Those names were specifically stated by the author in the afterword of Volume 13 of the Light Novel and stated it's a DxD Original ranking so it's not a true reflection of our world's mythologies.

Anyways, the order at the start of the series is: Ophis, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Śakra, Hades, Aten, Thor, Lugh and then Fenrir.

The author goes on to state that Great Red doesn't fight, so he isn't ranked, that the Hindu Gods would occupy the upper ranks because of their hax'd abilities, and that Sirzechs and a serious Ajuka would rank in the top 10 as well. We also know Sirzechs would place above Hades based on what was mentioned in the Light Novel. Also, since Typhon would replace a depowered Fenrir, we can assume that Typhon clocked in at #11, and Fenrir #10 before the doggy got boned. Based on that information, along with the fact that Fenrir and Ophis have both been depowered, the current DxD power rankings are, I feel, as seen below.

Power Ranking 2: Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Śakra, Sirzechs, Hades, Aten, Ajuka, Thor and Lugh with Typhon still coming in at number 11.

Why does all this matter aside from being an interesting tidbit of information? I'm altering the order slightly. I'm inserting Themis into the top 10 and Ophis may not end up losing her top spot considering she has the Left Eye of God now. I'm placing Themis at #5, above Sirzechs but after the Hindu/Buddhist gods. It fits her epithet perfectly as the Titan in charge of dispensing Divine Justice (as opposed to Dike who is more about Mortal Justice). Don't worry too much about her ranking, it won't have a major impact on the story. It's more a statement of how the other immortals will receive her whenever she decides to wander about the world.

Author's Note: Anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you think. This chapter is both very important, and at the same time probably not quite as important as it seems. It sets a lot of foundation and background work that will very rarely be visible but will have a constant effect on the story as a whole.