Chapter 9

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.

Tonight the moon was really beautiful, a sign that Tsukuyomi probably was having a busy night. Unlike her sister, the Shinto moon goddess had a little more relaxed attitude and preferred shochu to nihonshu (1). And speaking of the Shinto moon goddess, sometimes he couldn't understand why or how people depicted Tsukuyomi as a god instead of a goddess, not to mention the 'marriage' and the reason of the day and night.

Putting his guitar aside, he laid down on the rooftop and gazed at the sky. Ever since he had been fired from one of his jobs and Asia had become an Agent of Mercy, Amaterasu had forced him to stop working part-time in order to have more time to take care of himself as well as the former nun while the living money would be provided by the Shinto. The money was actually a benefit of his position but he had turned it down. After all, you wouldn't understand how precious something was until you earned it with your very own hands...

... or until you lost it.

Though he admitted the situation was rather ironic. Before, he barely had time to himself but now, he had more time though the itching feeling that he kept getting was something pretty annoying

"Will I be released soon?" the voice of Raynare came from behind as he just shrugged lightly. She did know that pestering him with that question everyday wouldn't shorten her punishment, didn't she? So

"You can always hope."

"I don't need hope." Said the fallen angel through her gritted teeth "I need answer."

He let out a sigh.

"And I am not the one who can give you the answer. You will have to find the answer yourself."

"I don't have time for that shit! I want to be free..."

"And then what? Go to Kokabiel? Or try to redeem yourself and clean your name so that you can go back to Azazel ? Either way, good luck."

"You and that nun can help me with that power of yours!" he could sense a hint of desperation in her tone. And what was the smell that he kept getting from the fallen angel? "I can give you anything you want! Even my body and my life!"

Did she just suggest she would become his servant in trade for his help? So what was the point of trying to free herself from being Asia's servant only to become a servant again? Just how screwed her mind was?

Suddenly, the fallen angel lunged forward and straddled him down before he could react, her breath had a heavy smell of...

"Don't you find me attractive?"

... Ame-no-Uzume's sake. It seemed she had found the stack of sake the Shinto Goddess of Dawn had sent him as a birthday gift and wasted herself. Since he was underage, he hadn't touched it so he had no idea how heavy that thing was. Though now he believe he just got the answer for that.

Perhaps being underage had some certain advantages then?

"Hey, answer me! Urg!"

The wasted girl slumped down onto him, completely out cold as he gently pushed her aside before giving a thumb up to a mirror image of him who just simply nodded before dissipating into the air

Man, he loved his power.

A shooting star flew in the sky. A sign showing that a miracle had just been delivered. He couldn't help but wonder who was the lucky person.

Would one day he receive that miracle?

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It was a rule every male must remember if they wanted their life become less painful. But of course, there were people who were foolish enough to forget that. And of course, disastrous wouldn't be enough to describe the consequence.

"What do you mean by you had never received my notification, Gremory?"

Sirzech could feel sweats pouring behind his back now. This was much more worse than dealing with a scorned Grayfia. Hell, the goddess before him made him shiver in fear.

"The notification has never reached me Amaterasu-dono." The crimson hair said carefully "Perhaps..."

"Are you implying I am lying then, Gremory?" Sirzech could feel the heat in the room just increased ten-fold "That I never did send you a notification?"

Sirzechs raised his hands slightly in an attempt to calm the clearly enraged Shinto Sun Goddess down

"I didn't mean it like that, Amaterasu-dono. I just mean perhaps there was a... problem with the transfer..."

"I knew the transfer had problem that time, Gremory. That was why Strife had offered to personally bring the notification to this place and he had given it to your Grayfia bitch, Gremory." The Shinto Sun Goddess was nearly growling right now "So unless you decide to assume one of The Four Horsemen had lied, call your bitch and have her answer right now!"

Oh dear.

"I will call her" said Sirzech, his voice evidently harden "But I must ask you stop calling my Queen..."

"That bitch reaps what she had sown, Gremory. And I am sure Kayoda was grateful for hers and your regret." The smirk on Amaterasu's face was almost sardonic, her voice dripped with sarcasm "Now please stop testing my patience and call that bitch right now. You're already walking on the thin ice, Gremory."

*The next day, rooftop, lunch time*

He should have foreseen this. Really.

"Auu, why can't I hit a target?" The blond girl couldn't help but let out a tired whine.

Fifteen shots, fifteen miss. If he counted the yesterday's shots, Asia had missed thirty five shots in total and zero hit. While the former nun was able to grasp on how to use her new power rather quickly for someone like her, her skill with handgun was an entire different story thanked to her lack of confidence. Perhaps she needed some kind of motivation? But what kind of motivation could he provide? Hmm...

"Asia, if you can't get a single accuracy shot in the next five shot, I won't let you have lunch."

Now he could see an invisible black cloud started booming above her head as the blond girl slumped down. Was that too harsh?

"D-don't worry, Yodaka-san. I will hit a target for sure." said Asia as brightly as she could. The girl wasn't going to give up easily and that was a good thing. Though it would be better if the clumsy girl could hit a target right in the first shot. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to his MP5...

*CLANK!*

That was fast. The motivation did work after all.

"I... I... I did it, Yodaka-san! I hit it! I hit it!" as he inspected the small tin can used as a target, Asia was on the verge of jumping up and down as if Christmas just came early. One more centimeter and it would have been a miss. A lucky shot no less but she had successfully hit a target nonetheless.

"Good. Now if you can't hit a target in the next four shots, you won't have any dinner tonight."

"EEHHHH?!"

Still, the only easy day... was yesterday. And she still had a long way to go.

Wow, the atmosphere in the Occult Research club room was rather... heavy, to be honest. And here he had thought dealing with the stares was annoying enough.

"Here's your tea, Yodaka-san, Asia-chan." Two steaming tea cup were put in front of him and Asia, who was shifting nervously next to him, as he gave his black hair classmate a small thankful nod. How long had it been since the last time he had had a cup of tea? He couldn't remember. This was another nice change.

That aside, he wondered who would fire the first shot. The redhead Gremory, the Sitri heiress or him?

"You tricked me, senpai!" his answer came with the brown hair pervert who comically pointed an accusing finger at him.

Well, it had been more like he had pulled his leg, though he admitted the difference between those two things was very small. But more important...

"And you fell for it even though I didn't even try to trick you." He gave Issei a deadpanned look, making the pervert laughed nervously

"It's... it's because you're too good!" this made his deadpanned stare become even more intense. Really? REALLY?! His full-of-holes act had been too good?! If that pervert wanted to become a new Shimura Ken (2), then his review advice for this comedian-wannabe would be 3/100 and 'try harder'.

"Can we return to the main reason why we are here, please?" Any person with half a brain could see how irritated the Student Council president was. Though he was glad that the kaichou had decided to interfere, no more dealing with the ido...

"Exactly! Now, why did you destroy my baby?!" the Gremory heiress was on the verge of howling childishly now "Do you know how hard it was to get the same one used in the live-action version? It also has the signature of Shindaichi-kun!"

... He took that and anything he was going to say back. And did she mean the flycam yesterday?

"If you mean the flycam, then I am going to sue you for violating my privacy." He said blankly. If she had used a familiar, he might have a little more trouble to find out. Might. And speaking of that, he wondered between a submachine gun and a shotgun, which one was better for familiar hunting?

An audible sigh escaped Sona's lips as she pinched the bridge of her nose. For a moment, he had almost felt some sympathy for the glass-wearing girl. Almost.

"Akeno-san, can you please restrain Rias?" Now there was a tick mark on the Student Council president's forehead. Guessed the glasses-wearing girl had just used her last ounch of patience.

"Ufufufu, if you said it like that kaichou, I might get the wrong idea." This was the first time he saw and heard someone could laugh in such a melodic and beautiful yet... very disturbing way at the same time.

"Senpai is a pervert." Said the mascot of Kuoh in her well-known monotone as her senpai started bickering again.

And why did he have a feeling that they had forgotten that Asia and him were still here? And had they forgotten that their reason why they had invited him and the former blond nun to come here, which he assumed was to find out more about him and Asia?

"... Um, Yodaka-san?... Should we say something?" Asia whispered timidly

"... Don't bother. Let's get out of here and return when they calm down."

What a waste of time.

*Unknown place*

"You call?"

"Yes, my friend. Tell your siblings to prepare. The time may come much sooner than I expected. And he will need your help."

"Will he remember anything?"

"Unlikely. He and The Scourge has the same soul yet they are two different entities now. He may have similarities with The Scourge but he is not the same person you four knew anymore."

"Like how I share the same name with you?"

"Simply put, if you seek a substitution for The Scourge you knew, then I can guarantee that he is the best one you can find, physically at least."

"War and that woman will be disappointed."

"I doubt that, my friend. And even if it happened to War, I doubt it would last more than two minutes. And that woman, did you forget the reason why when that had happened, you four and The Ghosts hadn't ridden and eradicated every single devils and demon you laid eyes one?"

"Our and her loyalty lies with The Scourge doesn't mean we view things in a same way. That aside, shouldn't you give him a head-up?"

"Not necessary. Beside, it will be a much more... entertaining scene to watch if our friend is not informed beforehand."

"More like you want to see the world turn upside down. Is this the revenge you intend for what they did to The Scourge?"

"Revenge? No, my friend. This is simply a small prank. But if you want, you can think this is a retribution. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Good."

(Chapter end)

(1) Nihonshu and Shochu are both traditional Japanese alcoholic beverages, but there are some important differences between them. For example, Shochu is distilled liquor, similar to brandy and vodka. However Nihonshu is categorized as fermented liquor putting it in the same category as wine.

(2) Shimura Ken is a well-known Japanese comedian and actor.