A Zenith Outside the Heavens

by Arrixam

They say he has three faces. Bears one thousand wings. His body is made of eyes and tongues- one to see every living being and for each language spoken. He judges all, decides who is guilty and who is innocent. None may oppose him. He is the Night Angel, the champion who protects from within the darkness. (A trilogy)

2. Chapter 2

AN: This is a birthday gift to myself. But please enjoy.

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The old man was walking down the hallways of his lair. Dead and tiresome eyes stared directly ahead down the path he treaded at his leisurely pace. There was no need to rush when one such as he had all of eternity. There was also no point in delaying what he would eventually arrive at. Simply, there was no point in hastening or slowing his progress.

He had all of eternity to do the simplest of tasks. An eternity to achieve what thousands of generations have tried to reach. An eternity to slay the True Dragon and reclaim his home. He was a patient being due to this eternity; yet, at the same time, it was the crux of his boredom.

He had an eternity to slay the Great Red. This organization he had built with this goal in mind was but a tool for him to sharpen and use. They will never be able to slay the True Dragon like how they dreamed, but he could use the organization for this purpose and do it himself. They were but a knife for him to wield when the time was right.

When one had an infinity to exist… time was an irrelevant concept. He was born of nothing and will remain within nothing when the time came for the world to die and rot. And he will see the world become anew with the cycle repeating itself. He had seen it happen before and this generation made no difference. Civilizations came and went, new species were born and became extinct, gods flared like suns and then blinked out when their fuel was spent, and yet despite it all he still remained.

But, despite his patience, he was growing bored of it all. He longed to return to the Dimensional Gap and sleep forever in the nothingness of its territory. It will not happen so long as the Great Red continued to exist. He remembered when the Dragon of Dragons appeared, waged in a cataclysmic battle against him for dominance, and banished him from his silent home. He remembered falling down into the mortal planes, being forced to hide among the humans, and seek a way to not just return to his home but to usurp the Great Red.

Eons had passed since then. The thrill, if such a thing had been there in the beginning, had long vanished. Humans came and went. Gods, such silly eternal beings, came and went. Planets and wholesome worlds came and went. Still, he remained.

He was… alone. Such a concept that would have never crossed his mind when living in the Dimensional Gap. He learned of this after eons of watching the humans express their base needs. Humans needed other humans. For a survival of their species in the name of procreation as well as for their psyche in the name of communication. Even that boy, Adam, the first of his kind, needed someone other than the Creator to talk to. Humans need humans.

Just the same, Ophis realized he had longed for a similar bond. He did not know when it had started, or if it had always been there since his conception from the nothing, and had begun to ponder what sort of creature could be of idealness of him. The Great Red, while such a damnable creature for what it had done against him, was the closest thing he could compare himself to. While Ophis had come from the Infinity of Nothing, Great Red had come from the Illusion of Dreams.

The humans always compared the two of them together, but Ophis wasn't human and so couldn't see the comparison.

He stopped walking. Gray eyes looked towards the east.

A glint of excitement flashed; so miniscule it might not have existed at all. However, when it came to an emotionless being such as Ophis, even the smallest of reactions were equal to cosmic nova storms.

There, in the furthest east, was a power he had not felt recently. It had eluded his attention for a small number of centuries, not since the end of the Biblical Faction's Great War. Not since he had stopped it from destroying the surface world.

Ophis began to turn and fully face the east. To the onlooker they would see him inches away from the wall, just staring far into empty space. But he was extending his senses, seeking the origins of that power. It had been just a flash. As quick as it had come, it had been snuffed out. There was not a single trace of its signature no matter how great his senses searched. The divine tracing had been quick, but the originator of the flare had been just as swift. Ophis could only determine it had been as far as the eastern coast of China to the west coast of America. Such a large area to cover…

It was to be expected. The Night Angel was the only one who could elude her for this long.

The young lady, no longer an old man, turned on her heels and continued to walk towards her original destination. Long black hair flowed down to the small of her back as her robes and suit had been changed into a dress of black and white frills and ribbons. Though her face remained as emotionless as it always been throughout this eternity, there was something of a bounce with each step she took. Impossible to detect, but they were there.

"I, have found you," she said aloud in a voice befitting the incarnation to the concept of Nothing. However… there was something else within the void of her personality. Something that should not be. A warmth. No matter how twisted it may be. "My Azoth."

0-0-0

As soon as sleep started to lift, Akeno took a deep breath of air. The only thing she could pick up was her own scent and what detergent her lover had used for the sheets. Kylar could not produce a scent of his own. It was such a shame. It would have been an amusing fetish to train herself in. To steal his underwear, breathe in them while she touched herself, and have him stumble in and catch her in the act.

Well, she could do it anyways. The idea of getting caught was just as alluring as being intoxicated by his own stench.

Her biological clock was telling her it was a good half an hour before she would need to get up to prepare for the day. A small grin spread through her lips as she stretched her arms above her head. With her eyes still shut, she turned towards her side and reached for her lover.

Her arm met empty air and slapped flat onto the surface of the sheets.

She peeked one eye open. The brightness of the room stung but nowhere near as the sign of absence at her side. It was still too early in the morning and her dear lover hadn't been at her side. His spot was cold, indicating he had slipped out a long time ago.

She huffed and sat up. Not having sex was something she could tolerate. Kylar was a gentleman who wanted their affections to grow until they were ready to make love. She was more than ready— Kylar was just hesitant in opening his heart further. And she couldn't blame him, not one bit. He had spent who-knows how long avoiding such relations to the point where his previous identity had him shunned from any form of communication with others. He was paranoid when it came to his immortality. Having Akeno at his side threw a wrench in his gears.

But it still hurt when he would spend the least amount of time with her. Two weeks might not be much time, but there hadn't been any progress between the two. Akeno had opened up her everything towards him, but Kylar had hardly budged an inch. He let her stay in his house whenever she wanted, but that was always as far as it went. They snuggled, they kissed, but there was no intimacy between the two.

Whenever she asked him a question or tried to get to know him, he would be crafty with his responses and avoid giving a direct answer. It wasn't intentional, it was simply something he had programmed for himself. It was a defense mechanism he was having difficulty defusing.

"Good morning, love," Akeno said with all her heart when she climbed down the stairs.

Kylar had just come back after morning training. He never changed his routine. He ran six miles, performed various calisthenics, and went through a number of stances, poses, and fluent motions of battle. He always said he was getting rusty, but Akeno thought he just said that to make himself try harder. She watched him once go through motions with a boken and praised him— he was better than Kiba, that's for sure— but he always corrected her with critiques against himself.

He was standing in front of the counter, just staring directly at the coffee maker that was refusing to work. The lights were on but no matter how many times he pushed the button it would not start.

"Mornin'," he greeted with some tenderness; most of it was washed away with his irritation. Kylar was grouchy when he didn't have his morning coffee. "Looks like the damn thing's busted. Great. I'll have to buy another one after school or something. Sorry to ask but do you think you can make us some tea…"

He blinked when he turned his head to look at her. His tongue was tied as his lips pressed into a thin line. A faint tint of red started to make his cheeks glow and grew brighter the longer he stared.

The man may be older than dirt, have seen the most gruesome of sights and have committed them, but was always rendered a little boy whenever a nice pair of tits were for his eyeing pleasure.

And he had how many lovers before?

Akeno put her hand to her cheeks and gave a teasing smile… while at the same time trying her best to hide her own embarrassment and flushing cheeks. It didn't take much courage for her to strip down and come into the kitchen with nothing but the bed sheets barely covering her modesty. With the one hand going to her face, most of the fabrics fell. Her right breast and crotch were the only things covered. It was still a dazzling sight with just a small sliver of white fabric no more thick than a sash hiding her most precious areas.

"Kiri-kun~" she teased in a sultry voice. "If you keep staring at me like that I just might scream. Mmm… maybe I should? Then you'd have to rush to my side, cover my mouth, and force me down. What to do, what to do?"

She continued to call him by his former name. It was always somewhat difficult for her to call him Kylar fluently. Her Japanese accent always pronounced it 'Kyrar'. In private, she had called him 'Kyra-kun'. Eventually, after repeated use, and after having her tongue confused between the two, it just diverted itself to 'Kiri-kun'.

Kylar opened his mouth to say something, but he shut it when he knew this was going to be a battle he could not win. He would have retorted with something witty, she would have done the same, he would have said something else, and then she would have gone along with her threat and have exactly what she wanted from him. This had played out a number of time in their alone times.

His brows scrunched, his blush intensified, and he turned his head away. "So… that tea?"

She giggled in his cute behavior and her personal victory. She grabbed one end of the sheets, folded it, and tied it above her chest. Despite being double-layered, the sheets were still thin and could be seen through with the sunlight peeping through.

They both knew this. She could use this as a weapon. He pretended to not know and would occasionally glance when he thought she wasn't noticing. She was waiting for the perfect chance to catch him in the act and blackmail him with it.

"Of course, dear," Akeno said as she began to prepare the kennel for a morning brew. What she loved about Kylar's kitchen was the variety of herbs and spices. Kylar had a plethora of plants— most of which were medicines and poisons he used in his jobs. But there were more… conventional vegetation for his personal use. He could make a small fortune should he become an herbalist or open an apothecary and a large fortune with the plants he preserved that had long been extinct.

She, who considered herself a master at brewing tea, had an entire playhouse to herself with the variety Kylar had. It was funny; when she first began to make tea for him whenever he couldn't have coffee, she had very little to work with. And then all of a sudden his cupboards were filled to brim with jars of herbs, leaves, roots, and berries. She was in her personal heaven as she experimented with exotic blends.

It was a good thing she broke the coffee machine. And the three before it.

It was also a miracle Kylar didn't catch on. Or, maybe he did but wasn't going to say anything. Did he really think he needed an excuse to ask her to make some tea? She would have done so every morning if it would have made him happy.

"Don't forget about later tonight," Akeno said as she fanned the flame while the kennel was set above the stove.

Kylar scratched the peach fuzz on his cheek— he always needed to shave if he was going to pretend to be a teenage high schooler— while he poured some cereal into a bowl. He grumbled when he forgot to pull the milk out of the fridge, walked around the counter, and grumbled further when she took the chance to pinch his finely toned rear when he passed her. He looked accusingly at her and she tilted her head, feigning innocence.

Kylar was not a morning person. Especially when he had been running around late at night as the Night Angel. She wondered if he had even gone to bed at all.

"I haven't forgotten," he eventually answered her. "After school, right? Yeah, I'll be there. Besides, we're all in the same classroom so you're going to drag me no matter what I do."

"You could at least try to resist," she pouted. A longing sigh escaped her lips as she was swept away with disappointment. "At least for me? Won't you allow your girlfriend to break an arm or two? Or how about putting you in a chokehold until you pass out? Oh, please at least let me pop your fingernails out!"

Halfway walking back towards his seat at the counter, he stared long into her eyes. His stare told her he had grown tiresome of her attempts and was starting to get annoyed at these repeats. But not to the point where he would outright reject her. He never even told her to stop. It was who she was and he fully accepted her.

Akeno was a sadist. It didn't stop him from loving her. Even when half those requests came true no matter what he said.

Secretly, she had a recording of his blood-curdling scream from a few days ago. She always got off on it and used it on those nights she was sexually frustrated.

Kylar scratched the back of his head and ignored her. He went back to his seat, poured his milk, and began to eat his breakfast.

Such was another eventful morning in the Garuwashi household, formerly Hyoudou residence.

0-0-0

"H-Hello there, Lan-kun!" Asia Argento greeted him with a heartfelt smile. She was beaming as soon as he stepped inside the Occult Research Club. There was no doubt she had rushed to be the first one here to prepare for his arrival.

"Hello, Asia," he returned in Italian. Not that she would notice the difference. She was now a Devil— their Language ability allowed them to hear every language as their natural tongue. Every language was Italian to Asia. He only spoke it to practice and shake off the rust.

He tried to smile for her. But his heart was never in it. He didn't deserve her smile. He had wronged her just as much as Raynare had. Not only had he gotten her killed, but he had gone against her wishes and killed in cold blood right in front of her. She begged him, even placed herself in danger to get him to stop, but he never did. She had died trying to get him to stop— it had literally been her last effort before her life force bled out.

His greatest sin against her was having Rias Gremory revive her as a Devil. Asia loved her One God and the Church, no matter how much the former was a lie and the latter had betrayed her. Akeno had told him she continued to pray… or at least tried to. Akeno also laughed at each attempt, which would result with a sharp tinge of pain upon the poor girl for attempting. Kylar had robbed her of her rights as a human to pray to a God she never lost her faith in.

Despite all this, Asia had developed a small crush on him. Rias had told her the Night Angel had come to her and requested her to resurrect Asia. The shadows had hidden him, his Talent warping the shadows even more so for not even their Devil's sight could see clearly through it, and he had appeared in a guise none had seen before. He had appeared with the face he was born with, as Kylar Drake, and still Asia had recognized him on that dreadful night.

It hadn't been a mistake, nor had it been wise, when he decided to enroll back into Kuoh without reshaping his body. True, he made a false identity for himself (Lantano Garuwashi must be rolling in his grave), but Asia was no idiot. She easily pieced the puzzle together.

Asia worshiped him as her savior. She did not condemn him for her becoming a Devil. She thanked him one day in private and swore with all her heart to keep his identity a secret.

But at some point that worship quickly became idolization, and then a sweetheart's crush. He caught moments when she was staring at the way he behaved around Akeno— there were brief moments of longing that were one step away from being jealousy. And she blushed whenever he would talk to her or she to him. There were also other countless smaller signs, but he was more than old enough to know the difference between admiration and infatuation.

Asia was at the stepping stones of falling in love with him.

Shit.

Akeno also knew this. She was not happy one bit. She also didn't try to hide her displeasure for Asia.

He stepped around her, giving her only a nod to end what conversation she would have started before she could open her mouth. Asia had a small sigh as she pushed her fingertips together; a habit of hers she made when she felt insecure with herself, he had noticed. She did it in the short days she stayed with him and only when she needed to ask him something as though it were a great burden.

"Hello again, Kiba," Kylar switched back to a more fluent Japanese when he entered deeper into the clubroom to greet the blonde underclassman.

"Good evening, Garuwashi-sempai," he returned from his place on the couch. His legs were crossed with a notebook in his lap. He had been occupying what free time he could finishing his assignments for the next day. Even as he was looking at Kylar, his hand continued to scribble away. "Sorry I'm not more welcoming. This passage… I don't want to forget what I was going to write."

Kylar only nodded, doing his damn best to suppress his brow from twitching. He had half a mind to strike up a conversation with him, distract him, and make Kiba lose his train of thought. But that would be childish. And though Kylar was childish, the one thing he was not was childish.

~…Do you even hear yourself?~

"Hello, Toujou-san," he ignored the little black orb inside his head and addressed the youngest in the room.

Koneko blinked in surprise— she had been in a sort of trance as she was munching away at assorted chocolates and distinguishing their flavors at a professional level. Still munching away with chocolate smeared on her lips, and with a new piece between her fingers close to her mouth, she waved hello and went back to her most dire task.

It was not the first time he had been inside the Occult Research Club. A few times Akeno had dragged him here. The first was to introduce her new boyfriend to all her club mates and every other time was on days they didn't necessarily had anything to do. He helped them on occasion with their schoolwork, indulged in deep debates regarding the sophisticated extraterrestrial abduction, or just kept to himself while he kept Akeno company. He always thought he was intruding, would try to excuse himself, but then Akeno would pull him back to his spot on the couch. Rias even insisted he was more than welcome whenever he wanted.

They suspected he was something belonging to the moonlight world but couldn't determine what. They watched him closely to see if he was sensitive to any of the occult magic lingering within the room. He played along; he would look in a random direction and question whether something was truly there or was his imagination. Whenever they would activate a small flicker of their demonic energies, he would pretend to not notice. It completely through them off (Akeno would masterfully hold back her snickering).

He had known long ago what they really were, evaluated their strengths and weaknesses, had made note of everything mystical within the room, and always came up with a plan in the chance a brawl would break out. Not that it would. It had been entirely habitual for him to think of one; it's what made him the best at his job.

"Right, so," he began as he took his regular seat on one of the couches. "What was it you needed to talk to me about?"

0-0-0

Rias Gremory did not answer his question right away. She strolled to her desk and leaned against its edge rather than cycling around and sitting in her magnificent throne of a leather chair. She wanted to appear as friendly and welcoming as possible, especially for this evening.

She had accompanied Akeno and Lantano throughout the campus as soon as classes had concluded for the day. Normally on the occasions Lantano would escort Akeno to the clubroom, Rias would walk in their shadows and give them their space. Today, however, she wanted to be especially friendly.

She took his left side and wrapped her arms around his, making sure to be as close to him as possible. There was nothing sensual about it.

It had made him very uncomfortable, however. Despite all the rumors that had spread since he arrived as well as the reputation that haunted him all the way from Argentina, Garuwashi Lantano was not a lady's man. He was quite shy. Adorably so. He rarely expressed anything with Akeno and whenever he did it was through extreme hesitance and embarrassment. When she wrapped her arms around his, he squirmed and tried to run away.

Akeno saw his displeasure and increased the strength of her grip. She took it a step further and pressed her breasts against him. By this point Rias could feel his body shake. Still, he kept his head up high and focused only on the path before him.

"Well, Lantano-san, or can I call you Lan-kun?" she began.

"I'd prefer if you didn't…" he said with a heavy sigh. "It feels a little messed up towards the guy I'm named after. I can't get Asia and Akeno to stop because I don't have the heart to tell them otherwise."

"Oh?" she tilted her head with intrigue. "What sort of person was the original Lantano Garuwashi?"

"A Ceuran warlord who wielded Ceur'caelestos, the Blade of Heaven," his response was immediate and dry as though reciting something that had been told to him a thousand times. Perhaps it was. He was named after this individual after all and his family must have driven its legend into his core until the words were a part of him as much as his flesh. "He eventually became the king of all the Ceuran tribes because of some ancient legend of his people about how only the wielder of the Blade of Heaven can become king. He had it… so, boom, kingship."

"I've never heard of this legend," she tapped a finger on her chin and thought carefully. By the looks of her Pieces they too hadn't heard anything about it. It might have been a local legend from where he came from. It wouldn't do her any good for her to call him a liar and so decided to proceed with the plan.

"Well then, Lantano-san, what is your opinion on the Occult Research Club?"

"I think you guys just have too much time on your hands," he returned with another dry comment. A smile grew across his lips, "Seriously? Aliens and black magic? It's not too hard for anyone to figure out you guys don't even believe in this stuff. Or did you just create the club as an excuse to not have to join any of the others?"

A knowing smile crept to her face. She didn't hide it. She wouldn't tell him the truth behind the foundations of the club. At least, not yet.

"Something like that," she admitted with a small shrug. "As a third-year, you're going to have to eventually decide which club to join as well. I would like to offer you a place right here. While you may think we fool around, I assure you we take our duties in the Occult Research Club very seriously. I'll even give you a trial run and have you decide on a later date. There's no reason to rush these things."

"Lan-kun, will you join, please?" Asia, Lantano's greatest weakness, jumped exactly like how Rias had planned. The former priestess jumped up and down like an excited child. "It's so much fun here and I would love it if you could be with me— us from now on. It… it would make me so happy."

Checkmate. Rias did her best to keep her smile from growing. With Asia's smile and puppy eyes Lantano had no way of refusing the request. And after that, Rias can worm her way into his heart and gain his loyalties. She would love to have this Magician in her peerage.

She glanced towards Akeno, who was in the back of the room with her permanent smile spread. A psychic conversation was exchanged between the King and Queen. Victory was assured. Rias would eventually have another Piece for her peerage and Akeno could spend all eternity with her lover.

Lantano looked at Asia. He had mixed feelings that he could not hide. He had a soft spot for the girl— anyone could tell— but never took those emotions any further. If anything, he spoiled her like a big brother.

"See… the thing is…" Lantano gave a grimace. "I was thinking about joining the Student Council."

Rias' smile was frozen on her face. She felt her lips twitch and felt a tinge of pain on her cheeks as though her skin was made of porcelain and that twitch cracked its shell.

"…What," it was Akeno who said it.

"Well, I've been thinking about my future. It is my final year in high school and all; need to start thinking about college." He gave a dispassionate shrug. "I think it would be a lot more impressive if my credentials showed I was in the Student Council instead of… well, this."

He gave a leisurely wave of his hand around the room.

"If that's what you're worried about…" Rias regained her balance and tried another direction. "I can have my father write you a letter of recommendation. A letter from a respectable member of the Gremory family will guarantee you a place in any facility of your choosing. Of course, you'd have to get his attention and earn his respect first. I can help you with that."

Lantano did not respond immediately; he leaned back in his seat with his fingers tapping against his thigh. He was deep in thought. Kiba would have said something further to add fuel to his thoughts, but Rias shook her head in a sign to let him settle things on his own. Eventually, Lantano cupped his hands together and leaned forward on his seat.

"If I join…" he spread his hands to emphasis the word if, "what if I were to say I've no interest whatsoever in the affairs of the occult?"

"Well…" Rias spread the word out to hide her excitement. She had him. But she needed to choose her words carefully or lose him just as easily. "This is a recognized club and we do need to report activities to the school board. But, I assure you, you will be more than interested. Do the trial run, Lantano-kun. You haven't seen any of our real activities just yet."

A brow was raised at her words. She had his attention now if she didn't before.

A thin, if not amused, smile started to appear. "Let me rephrase. What if I have no interest in joining your peerage?"

Her smile vanished. The silence swept throughout the room. She glanced up at Akeno, who was looking just as confused as she was. Akeno hadn't told him anything about them being Devils, she was sure of that. Which meant…

"So you really are a Magician," Rias stated. Her smile returned. But along with its charm was a predatory hunger. While Magicians could sense magical energies, only those who graduated out of the magic academies and colleges could differentiate the signatures.

"Not really…" he said with some shame as he scratched his head. It wasn't out of bashfulness; he did not believe he was worthy of being called such a title. "I'm… Talented. Most of my, uh, magic involves physical augmentations. I know some healing techniques, but I'm no Healer."

…Had it all been real then? When they tried to evaluate his magical prowess he wasn't just hiding his potential from them? He really was ignorant of the supernatural?

"Garuwashi-san," Kiba spoke up. "How did you determine we were Devils?"

One finger was immediately shot towards Asia. With every eye following and landing on her, the former priestess jumped at the sudden attention and started to shrink away.

"Asia tries to pray. A lot. And the keyword is try. But her prayers are always cut off with sudden headaches or her tripping over nothing. Sometimes she trips while she's standing still. Asia, how do you do that by the— never mind.

"I'm no magus, but I know the bare-bone basics of the world around me," he added with a shrug. "Devils can't pray to the One God. Asia, obviously, must be a Devil. She hangs with the Occult Research Club. Therefore, it's only logical to assume the rest of you are Devils as well with you, club president, being their King."

Rias' lower lip twitched. Something he said caught her attention. But… more investigation needed to be put into it.

"So you knew all along…" Rias said with a sigh.

"No, no," he shook his head. "I barely put everything together just now. I figured some of you were Devils but couldn't tell if all of you are. But with the way you were trying to get me to join the club, it meant you're either the King or a Devil who's trying to recruit me for the actual King. I really just took a shot in the dark just now. I was ready to make a fool of myself if I had been wrong."

"Lan-kun," Akeno spoke up in a soft and quiet voice. She looked uncertain. When he looked her way, her smile fell to an insecure line. "Do you… know?"

At first, he wasn't sure what she was asking him. Realization hit him immediately. His eyes widened just a fragment before his stalwart expression returned. He lifted his hand and offered it to her. Hesitant at first, Akeno crossed the room and took it.

"All I know is that I'm going to have one hell of a hot babe for a long time," he said with a smirk. He even wiggled his brows.

Akeno's smile lit up the room as relief washed over her.

Rias smiled. He was a good person. It had always been planned to ease Lantano into the world of the supernatural if he hadn't been a Magician like she thought. Not just so he wouldn't suffer culture-shock, but so he would have a more open mindset and accept Akeno. Most humans have the wrong impressions of Devils. It wasn't their fault as Devils centuries ago were horrendous creatures of destruction and malevolence.

Luckily, nothing seemed to have changed. Lantano still accepted Akeno. It felt like their love just grew a little more at this moment.

"If it means anything," Rias opened up once more. "The offer will always stand. You are welcomed into my peerage whenever you want. I can go over all the perks and privileges that come along with it, if you'd like?"

"Eh," he refused.

She shrugged. "Worth a try. But be that as it may, my other offer for you to join the Occult Research Club stands. Now that you don't need to be a Devil for. And my father's letter of recommendation is still on the table."

Before the conversation could proceed (not that it actually would), there was a knock on the door. The twin doors flew open before she could say anything.

A large group of students stepped into the room. Leading the bunch was the Student Council president and Rias' long-time rival, Souna Shitori. Or, in accordance to her actual name, Sona Sitri.

Sona had brought her entire peerage. "Good evening, Rias."

"Sona," Rias greeted a bit more casually. She looked at the clock. Had it really been that time already? "I'm sorry for not giving you an appropriate welcoming. We had other business to take care of first. It just so happens we're concluding it."

This day had been scheduled ever since the two had tried to book a meeting with the Familiar Master a few months back. Due to an error, they both had him reserved but could not comply with both their requests simultaneously. The Familiar Master said he would have to choose which one of the two he would accompany or cancel them both. They convinced him to keep the schedule and would guarantee only one of them would show up.

A series of games and competitions were waged between the two ever since then. Neither of them had ever won a single match. And the deadline was approaching quickly. They needed to settle this immediately or else have to resort to, Lords of the Damned forbid, a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

There was no honor or sense of superiority on either side when it came to that game…

But with Asia now a part of her peerage, maybe, just maybe, it would be enough to tip the scales and finally put Sona in her place! It was also convenient Asia needed a familiar.

It should be mentioned no one in her peerage needed a familiar when this appointment was made. She only scheduled it because she heard Sona was going to. And then this whole mess happened.

"Is there nothing I can do to convince you to join at this moment, Lantano-kun?" Rias turned back towards another potential piece that will make her superior to Sona. "We provide dental insurance."

"Um… no," he gave another blunt rejection.

"Oh, I did not realize you brought a guest here," Sona stepped further into the room. There was hunger in her voice at the sign of an unclaimed person. "A potential addition to your club, Rias? Garuwashi-san, we haven't met. I've heard much about you. I am the Student Council president, Souna Shi…to…"

When she crossed the room and cycled around Akeno, who had continued to stand at his side and block her visual of him, Sona got a good look at Lantano. Her sentence dropped. Her face blanched. She stared at Lantano with recognition, and with it, shock.

Her face flashed scarlet so fast she nearly lost her footing and stumbled backwards. "L-L-L-L-L-L-L-LOGAN?!"

"Logan?" Asia and Kiba repeated.

"Logan?" some of the members of the Student Council repeated as well.

"Logan?" Akeno's head swiveled around and did not question so much as she did accuse her dear boyfriend.

"…Logan?" but confusion was written on his face as much as the rest. But then something flashed in his eyes— realization. An answer had gone through his head; he knew why Sona was behaving this way. But he quelled the reaction down. Had Rias not been looking at him she would have missed the gesture entirely.

"I…" Sona cleared her throat and pressed her hands against her vest. It was a habit of hers to wipe the sweat off her palms discreetly. "I am mistaken. I am very sorry, Garuwashi-san. You look a lot like a… c-certain someone…"

"Kaichou," a sickeningly sweet voice from Akeno rang a chime of bells… and doom. "Would the person you're thinking about be named Logan Gyre?"

Lantano's face was as stoic as it was before. But not even he could hide the flash of sweat that was starting to surface on his face.

Sona looked at the Gremory Queen in shock. "How did— I mean, NO! You're sorely mistaken. I've never met any Logan Gyre. I never met a Logan before. Is Logan even a name?"

The blood rushed back to her face as she made it her ultimate goal to look everywhere except the singular spot Lantano resided. She was remembering something. Something the likes of someone as stern as Sona would be rendered a blushing schoolgirl.

Lantano was on his knees, trying to tear his hand free from Akeno's grip. She had never let go since he had offered it and now it was being used against him. Her Queen's strength was breaking every bone in his hand with crackling noise.

"Is there something you want to explain, Lan-kun?" Akeno kept her heartfelt smile despite the heat in her voice.

Unfortunately, Lantano was too busy trying to get her to let go. He didn't have the ability to respond as nothing but pain was consuming his mind. He was only human and did not have the durability to resist her strength. Even among Devil-kind Akeno was above average due to her mixed blood.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't quite catch that," Akeno's smile turned twisted as a tint of red reached her cheeks. She was no longer punishing him. She was getting off on his pain. "What was your answer?"

She adjusted her grip. Just a few fingers tensing at certain regions of his knuckles made him squeal out his pain instead of the silent screams he had been giving. She moaned at the sound and licked her lips.

"Eh? Does this mean the Kaichou has a secret history with Garuwashi-sempai?"

"I did hear he was a player, but I didn't think even the Kaichou would have fallen for him."

"Himejima-sempai is smitten with him."

"He's the only thing the girls in my homeroom talk about."

In the background, Sona's peerage were adding fuel to the fire with their comments.

"Alright, alright, alright!" cried Lantano from his spot on the floor. "I give! Uncle! Akeno, UNCLE!"

Akeno huffed but complied and released him. He gasped and went to cradle his shattered hand. The thing was disfigured as she did not hold back her strength one bit. It more so resembled a deflated balloon than a human hand.

"Well…?" Akeno eyed him as she crossed her arms and tapped her fingers in an impatient rhythm.

Asia was at his side as soon as the Queen released him. Her Twilight Healing was already working its wonders and placing every shard of bone back in its place and reknitting every fiber of torn muscle.

"Ah, thank you Asia," Lantano gave a small sigh of relief.

"Himejima-san," Sona adjusted her glasses. Her strict and firm expression was back as she began to provide damage control in an even tone. "I was mistaken. Please do not be so harsh to Garuwashi-san due to a misunderstanding."

"There's no point in trying, Sona," his eyes hardened as Asia continued to heal him. Those eyes refused to bend to Akeno's demurring attitude. He met his girlfriend's glare with one of his own. "During one of my visits here, I stayed with the old man for a few weeks. I met Sona during that time."

Akeno cocked her head to the side and waited for a further explanation.

"…What else is between she and I," he said in a firm and unbending tone. He would not have any further argument. "If you want to know anything further you will have to discuss it between either of us. In private. It's not fair to her to place her in this situation."

He tilted his head towards the spectators— that being the Student Council and the Occult Research Club. Both parties had seen the entire drama play out.

It was debatable whether Akeno was in the wrong or not. However, the Queen did realize what she had done. Her splendid smile returned, but there was a glint of shame in her eyes. "Oh dear. I've made quite the spectacle, haven't I? I'm very sorry for that, Kaichou. I hope this doesn't harm your views on my King at all."

Sona adjusted her glasses once more. It had taken her a bit longer than usual to regain her composure. But once found, she was the incarnation of professionalism. "There is no harm done on my end. If anything, I believe you owe Garuwashi-san an apology. You did disintegrate his offhand."

"I did?" Akeno played ignorant as she tapped a slender finger against her cheek and tilted her head. "Hmm. You must be mistaken. If I wanted to take my anger out on my beloved Lan-kun I would have sent ten-thousand watts of electricity through his body, frying his nerves, and watch him twitch on the floor as he releases his bowels."

Only those of the Occult Research Club, Sona, and her Queen Tsubaki have grown accustomed to Akeno's… hobbies. It was interesting watching the remainder of Sona's peerage twitch and squirm from the way Rias' Queen flushed and wiggled her hips from self-inflicted tingling urges.

"Thank you again, Asia," Lantano showed no sign that he was bothered by Akeno's words. He more than likely had a mental defense against her. He was her boyfriend after all and would have to have some sort of tolerance to her habits. At the moment, he was flexing his repaired hand and offering a small smile towards the Bishop. "It feels better than before."

"O-Of course!" Asia returned the smile with a small blush.

Akeno wasn't happy at the sign. And— Rias withheld the snicker— neither was Sona. Except Sona had a tremendously better method of hiding her emotions. Only Rias, who had been at her side since the days of the cradle, knew her childhood friend's habits better than she herself did.

"Right, well, seeing as your business with me is done," Lantano gathered his things and began to inch his way towards the door. "I'll be going now. No, Rias, I won't be thinking about your offer. I'm going to find a way into my choice of club."

The cheeky bastard then gave a wink to Sona. The Student Council president raised a brow; she didn't know what it meant. At the least she didn't act like a love-struck schoolgirl like how she did moments before.

"Have a pleasant evening everyone, please don't do anything I would do, and Akeno, love, I'll see you later."

He kissed two fingers and pointed them at her before turned around and leaving.

"…Akeno, I believe your boyfriend ran away… again," Rias said as soon as he was gone. This was not the first time Lantano had slipped out at the earliest convenience. This time, however, he had done so in plain sight. The other times had been him vanishing as soon as she took her eye off of him. Only the signs of the door clicking or the breeze of an open window indicated which direction he had fled. Countermeasures had been made, but he always found a way to escape.

"Ah, Buchou," Kiba raised his hand with a quizzical look on his face. "Is the reason Kaichou is here because of… that?"

He was reminding her to get back to business. She nodded and stood from her spot on the desk.

The two Kings faced each other. Already a psychic battle flashed within their mind's eyes. The glint of their eyes told another of their strategies and intentions; they had known another for so long they could read another's thoughts with but a glance.

"…He's mine," Rias said with a predatory smile.

Sona adjusted her glasses. They flashed in red light for an instant. "Garuwashi Lantano-san is available? Well then. This changes everything. Why don't we add him to the wager, Rias?"

"My, oh my, Kaichou~" sang Akeno in a voice of dread. "Surely you don't mean to steal my man?"

Sona looked at her. She did not back down. There was something challenging in her glare. Though, she responded respectfully, "I would never take something as precious as that. When he's a part of my peerage I will not forbid you from seeing him."

A dangerous look appeared on Akeno. "Oh? Surely you meant if he joins. I must have misheard."

"There was no misunderstanding," Sona replied smoothly. "I fully intend to make him mine and won't hold back to make it happen."

Their eyes flashed. This was no longer a friendly contest. The idea of obtaining an appointment with the Familiar Master was forgotten. This was now two lovers, one former and the other current, battling over the affections of a man.

Rias smiled. Victory was hers. Sona might throw everything at this next challenge, but Akeno would become a demon for the sake of Lantano.

0-0-0

He arrived at the parlor at the witching hour, when business for the day had dropped to its lowest and only the deadbeats remained. No one gave him a second glance as he walked forward in his ragged coat and dirty hair. He walked with a slight limp; his right leg was moving stiffly as though the knee refused to fully bend. The keeper nodded once to him and gestured towards the back of the room; and he kept walking until he went around the corner and further into the hallway.

Kylar slipped inside, shut the door, and shrugged out of his costume. Even for a brisk meeting he had gone through great lengths to look like a homeless. Makeup had been applied masterfully to give the illusion of smeared dirt and grime all over his skin. A special perfume had been concocted to get the smell just right. And then his clothes had been mistreated enough to finish the look.

He was a regular customer here— or at least the homeless drunk he pretended to be. This was a persona he had created even as his time as Issei Hyoudou. He would wander in, buy drinks, but his stench would drive customers away or would have him thrown out instead. But he always came back and with coin. Eventually, the keeper told him to go to the back, away from the clientele who lingered in the main lobby, and would be served drinks there.

Months of planning and execution had been made doing this. All for the Night Angel to secretly meet with some of his agents.

The dishwasher entered with a tray of beers, shut the door behind him, and pretended to ignore the stench. After months of exposure his tolerance had grown but could not completely wipe away his displeasure. At least now it didn't make him gag.

Of course, Sona couldn't stop herself from pulling a handkerchief over her nose. She sat on a stool at the far back of the small room. She had been waiting for him; she arrived through a summoning sigil directly within the room. None had seen her enter and none would see her leave. It would be as though she was never here.

"Sorry," Kylar said with a shrug. "I'd say you'd get used to it but…" His eyes went towards the dishwasher.

Ajuka Beelzebub tried his best to not scrunch his nose. In a few minutes his magic would kick in and dilute his sense of smell enough to ignore Kylar. The Beelzebub Satan shrugged at Kylar's gesture, placed his tray down, and went to his seat on a wooden chair.

The room was originally a small closet for supplies. There were shelves full of various glasses, some wines that had rotted, cleaning utensils and detergents in the corner, and a few articles of clothing that had been forgotten from previous patrons of the parlor. The room was tight-packed with hardly any space to hold three people.

At least there was ventilation. This room was supposed to be an office for a dentistry before being out-bought and turned into a bar. It had a window and vents for the air conditioner. Unfortunately, in order to prevent ears listening from the outside, the window had to be sealed. The vent blew air to lessen the stench; he had been that considerate. Still, he had someone make a magic sigil within the vents to block off any form of surveillance of both mundane and mystical sorts.

"I never would have guessed you were Hyoudou Issei," began Sona, still holding her napkin over her nose. She gave an apologetic nod at her indiscretion, and he would return with his own and not hold it against her. "Rather, I never would have thought Garuwashi Lantano was Hyoudou Issei, and therefore the Night Angel."

Sona had been a tremendous help to him. She had been inducted into Legion upon recommendation by her sister, Serafall Leviathan. Naturally, she had been tested on both her performance and her loyalties. She had succeeded and had been inducted into the Order.

Her first task was to keep tabs on Rias Gremory. Nothing that would betray her loyalties to her best friend, of course. But when Rias began to dig into Issei's profile, Sona had fed the Gremory girl false information and had warned the Order. Legion responded, swapping their members with others within the city to conceal as much information as possible. It had been coordinated to throw Rias off her game and shun her from any unwanted secrets.

It couldn't be avoided, however, that her city was under the control of someone else. She continued to dig into the affairs but would find nothing.

"…Or Logan Gyre," she added, a hint of betrayal in her tone.

"Later," he said in a commanding voice. They would be discussing that affair at another time. Right now, they had business to deal with. "What can you tell me right now?"

If she had been upset, she didn't show it. She began to recite logistics off the top of her head. How businesses he invested in were profiting, the series of rumors spreading throughout the city, and who was dealing with who under the table. Sona was an excellent secretary and had been trusted enough with the reins of the network he built in the city. One day he planned on introducing her to Yasaka who would mentor her, and would one day take the mantle as the Mistress of Pleasure.

Right now, though, he trusted her with the responsibility of keeping tabs of all the prostitutes as well as the more modest of entertainers throughout the city. Every entertainment from maid cafes, to movie theatres, to aquariums, and then some were under his control— under multiple names, of course. Members of Legion were placed as clerks and servers of these industries.

"Business is as usual…" Kylar said with almost a bored tone. He now had a list of people to kill, to bribe, and to blackmail just as much as he needed to protect.

"There is another thing," Sona interjected before he began to question Ajuka. "Recently, there have been more Church Exorcist than the norm. Some of which don't bother to notify the overseer of their presence. I believe they are looking for something."

"Why's that?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. He was simply challenging Sona.

She adjusted her glasses before answering. "Agents have reported of their presence and leave as soon as they come. Sometimes they ask questions about the abandoned church the Fallen had previously used. The fact that they don't notify Gremory of their presence tells the Church doesn't want their presence to be noticed. It means whatever the Church is after is something they don't want the Devils to know."

He had come to the same conclusion. On his patrols he had spotted these Exorcists. He watched them closely but moved on to more pressing demands as the Night Angel. There was nothing out of the norm, until Sona gave this report.

"Do you know what they are after?" Ajuka was the one to ask.

Sona shook her head. "We are looking into it. But it will take time."

"Discretion demands time," Kylar spoke up. "But if the Church is sneaking around it means they don't have time. Sooner or later Gremory will learn about this. The Church would know this."

Sona looked at him. "Should Rias know about this?"

"That is her responsibility as overseer," Kylar answered. He put up his hand before she could protest. "We are Sa'Kage, Lords of Shadow. We protect from the shadows, against the shadows, and for the light. Our existence is to never be known. That is the purpose of Legion."

"…Yes," she said after some time and thought. "I understand. Should there be some… precautions in case?"

He nodded and turned towards Ajuka. "Rotate members. Bring in more combative ones. Other than that, we should proceed as normal. If we set up sentries or scouts it might alert the Church. I'm curious to know what they're after but I don't want there to be a panic over it."

"If I may," Sona spoke up. "Wouldn't it be more efficient to send a request to Michael? Perhaps he can inform us on what is transpiring?"

"Michael would have told us if he knew," Kylar leaned back and stroked the fake beard on his chin. "But, this isn't a first. The Church has always been after my treasures, saying they are creations of the One God and deserve to be in the hands of His followers. They probably had someone notice the surge of power a while back and are looking into it. Regardless, this shouldn't be brushed off whether I am right or wrong. Proceed as you would and watch them carefully. But do not engage no matter what. I'll deal with them if necessary."

Ajuka, looking slightly bored at the subject, folded his hands in his lap. "It would be more efficient to have Rias involved. Are you sure you don't want to have her included into the Order?"

Kylar looked at him for a moment, studying the ancient Devil. "That sounds half Falbium and half Sirzechs. Did they put you up to asking me this? Speaking of which, when is the Master of Coin going to get off his lazy ass and do something? Don't answer that. As for Gremory, her induction into the Order is entirely dependent on how she deals with her engagement to Raizer Phenex."

"You don't mean to say you planned that?" Sona spoke out of term with anger clear in her voice.

"No," he answered anyways. "What I had planned was much more… demanding, let's say. Her engagement was made through her family affairs."

"…And what are the requirements she must fulfill in order to—"

"That's getting into a personal topic, Sona," he chastised. "I know you want to help your friend, and you're free to do so, but don't use the resources of Legion to do it. Especially when Rias is on trial. She's to use her own resources to figure something out."

There was more she wanted to say, but she held her tongue and lowered her head in understanding.

"Is there anything else, Sona?" he asked again.

She thought it over, running through the list in her head once more. "No. That is everything I need to report. But if I may, usually I report these things to Azrael-sama. Why did you request to meet in person?"

He indulged her curiosity. He shrugged and gave a charming smile. "Because I like to see your pretty face. I missed it."

She didn't take the bait. Instead, she gave him a blunt look with a slightly raised brow.

He sighed at her dismissive expression. His whimsical mood shifted to one of surrealism. "I think I owe you the respect to have this discussion in person. I look forward to working with you, Sona Sitri."

"Thank you, Night Angel-sama," she bowed her head in professional respect.

"That'll be all," he dismissed her with a wave. "Oh. Before I forget. Good luck in the games this week. Everyone in the club are pretty mean with the bat… except Asia. Even with her Devil's strength I doubt she can lift the thing. I'll be cheering for my girl, naturally, or else she'll fillet me. Literally. But just know I'm really rooting for you guys. I really don't want to be in ORC."

He would not share his reasons why, despite the inquisitive look Sona gave him. She didn't voice her question. Instead, she thanked him, gave her courtesies to the both of them, and vanished in a reverse summoning spell.

"Now, Ajuka," Kylar's voice shifted from a friendly tone to one befitting of the Night Angel. "Why has the Church been sending Excalibur wielders into my city?"

The Satan gave him a wry smile.

0-0-0

Kylar sighed. Since when were the gods on his side? Fate was a bitch, they said, and it was true.

The Student Council had lost at the third and final game. Despite their numerical advantage, they didn't stand a chance against the tenacity of the Occult Research Club. Sona and her peerage had lost, thus Kylar was forced to apply to the Occult Research Club. He had half a mind to apply for the Student Council anyways, to show that it was his decision and not theirs, but Sona said she would refuse the application because of her honor at the loss.

Rias was beaming. Not because he was a valuable prize to her, but simply because she had defeated Sona. The effect eventually died down after a few days.

However, the bliss radiating off of Asia's entire being never died down. In fact, as the days went by the warmth seemed to grow. To the point where it was no longer warmth and now just blistering heat. He always began to sweat when around her. Cold sweat, as though the heat radiating off of her was just his body warmth being drunk by her.

She was always at his side whenever Akeno had allowed it, as rare as it could be. He did his best to keep his distance away from her, and the girl never took a hint. He also didn't want to flat-out tell her to stay away. It would break his heart as much as hers.

He didn't want to admit it, but he liked Asia. He wanted her to stay at his side and loved her company. He loved her smile. He loved her kindness. He loved the way she blushed whenever they talked, the way she fiddled with her fingers, and the way she slipped on her words. He loved her dedication to the One God as she prayed out of both habit and pure faith… only to be struck by rejection and pain as a Devil.

But he hated how she was like Elene in almost every way. Asia had Elene's passion and the desire to understand another. Asia knew he was the Night Angel and had seen him do atrocious things, but had accepted him and wanted to know more about him. The only thing she lacked was the fire Elene had. While neither girl had no evil bone within them, at least Elene had a few dark thoughts here and there.

Asia was completely innocent.

He wanted to join the Student Council because he didn't want to be anywhere near Asia. She followed him around like a love-starved kitten, which wasn't far from the truth after digging deeper into her profile. Still, it was a natural habit for him to try to distance himself. The cost of his immortality was love. He didn't want Asia to fall in love with him and he didn't want to fall for her.

He was still getting sick with worry over Akeno. But he dove furiously into his training to make it so he wouldn't die by another mistake.

"So… why am I going with you guys?" he asked on one evening.

They were all gathered after the sun had set. It was strange to ask him to stay this late. He had thought they were going to show him the ropes of Devil activities so to either warm him into becoming one or to persuade him to request it himself. Instead, Rias had wanted him to join them in a planned trip down into the Underworld.

"We are going to meet the Familiar Master and get Asia a familiar, Lan-kun," Rias answered with her pompous smile. He told her to stop calling him that, repeatedly, but she did so anyways. She was a playful person and always took care not to step on his toes. He allowed her this but continued to play her game to get her to stop. "Since you are a Magician, why not go get one yourself? Don't worry. This one is on me. Consider it a welcoming present from your Buchou."

He also refused to call her 'Buchou'. Even if it was an order.

He sighed and put his hands on his hips. "But I already have familiar. Two of them. One named Ezra and the other Roygaris. And they are awesome. And a bitch to take care of. Do you know how much they eat?"

"Ezra? Like the prophet?" asked Kiba with a curious smile. He always smiled. But it was always fake. Everyone else was fooled, but never Kylar. Still, he never called the Knight out on it.

"No, I named Dorian after the prophet," he retorted. Inwardly, he was grinning. These people had no idea what he was talking about.

"…I'm sorry, Lan-kun," Rias' brows scrunched in confusion. "I'm not aware of any prophet by the name of Dorian."

"…That's three," stated Koneko with a sharp gaze.

"Yeah… I always forget about that one," he waved a hand in dismissal. In actuality, there was no third familiar. He just threw it in there for the sake of. "You guys know I'm human, right? The toxins in the Underworld will kill me."

"That won't be a problem if you become a Devil," Rias returned with a large grin. "Then you can come and go as you please."

"No," he returned bluntly for the ninth time this week.

She shrugged, her face in feigned woe. "Oh dear. I'll have you somehow, Lan-kun. But for now, I can cast a spell to have you breathe normally. It's a simple spell used whenever a human has business in the Underworld, such as a Magician like yourself."

He noted how she wasn't willing to have him learn it. He glanced at Akeno, who gave him a knowing smile. She knew what he was thinking. If he learned it, then Rias would lose one of her advantages over him. He would be able to enter the Underworld without penalties to his body. Instead, he would have to return to her whenever he wanted to go into the pits of Hell.

She didn't know he could do so whenever he wanted. He knew the spell already. He wasn't very good at conventional magic like that, but after several generations of attempts he could do the bare basics of every field. Some better than others but never at a master's level. Physical augmentations was his field of expertise.

"…Let's just get this over with," he said with a weary sigh.

0-0-0

Days had passed with eerie silence. He wasn't used to having nothing to do. Patrols as the Night Angel have lately been aimless wandering. There was the occasional crook for him to judge, but they were more distractions to his idleness than anything.

He almost leapt for joy when, one day, as he entered the Occult Research Club after school, he was met with two Exorcists of the Church.

He recognized them immediately but feigned ignorance. They were Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou, two wielders of the Excalibur Fragments of Destruction and Mimic respectively. Currently, their backs were to the door, but upon his entrance they turned and studied him. He projected himself as an average student— slumping his shoulders, dragging his feet, feigning surprise and obliviousness in his expression— so to not warrant any attention from the girls. He did not want them to think he was exceptional in any way.

They dismissed him as what he wanted from them and returned to their discussion with Rias.

"You are mistaken," Xenovia resumed the conversation. "We are not here to request your permission. We are merely letting you know of our presence here. Our superiors have ordered it and to see if you are or are going to be involved in any way."

Rias' cheerful expression had been washed away some time ago. She openly glared like a fierce predator having her territory invaded. But her demands as the city's overseer was more important than her own pride. "I assure you my peerage has not and will not partake in anything relating to the Church. Thank you for the notice. But I share the city with Sona Sitri. You will have to present yourself to her as well."

"Oh, we already did that," chimed Irina. While Xenovia was stern, Irina was bubbly. "She pretty much said the same thing. Don't worry. We'll take care of everything and be out of your way."

They turned to leave, ignoring the procedure of proper courtesies. Rias' brow twitched at this but she did not react any further.

The one who was fuming the most was Kiba, who was glaring absolute hatred at the two Exorcists. They had noticed, and how could they not, but ignored him. He was a Devil and they were priestesses; it was only logical to assume one would hate the other.

They didn't notice how he was glaring at the weapons they were hiding. Kylar noticed. He would need to keep a careful eye on Kiba on the next few days.

The Exorcists suddenly stopped as they passed by Asia, who had been keeping to herself at the side of the room. Xenovia eyed her, studying her, and then realized who she was. She approached the Bishop.

"You are Asia Argento? The Holy Maiden?"

Asia's eyes widened slightly at the title. There was a twinkle of light in her eyes at the recognition, but it was shadowed under layers of doubt and fear. "Y-Yes."

Xenovia grimaced. "So, you have become a Devil. That is… most disappointing. To think one blessed so highly would fall so low."

Asia almost whimpered. She refused to cry though. She only braved the insults as she knew they would come eventually.

Kylar spared a glance at Rias. The Gremory King shook her head, telling him not to get involved just as she wouldn't. It was always a delicate matter whenever the Church was involved. The slightest insult to them would bring down the hammer. Or worse, the Lae'Knaught.

It still amazed him how after eons the Warriors of Light were still around.

"It's strange…" continued Xenovia as she studied Asia. As if she were a cancerous rodent sealed in a glass case. "You still believe in God, don't you?"

"Xenovia, don't be silly," Irina prattled in a sing-song voice. "Devils can't worship God."

Xenovia shook her head. "I can still smell the faith within her. She may be tainted but it's still there, lingering. Tell me, Asia, do you still believe in God even after becoming a Devil?"

He gave another look to Rias. She shook her head again. He folded his arms and moved to lean against the wall next to the door.

Asia looked at Kylar, as if he held the answer. He didn't give her anything. His expression never changed as he watched the engagement. She looked then towards her hands as if she was holding the answers between her fingers.

"Yes," she eventually answered. Unresolved faith shone in her eyes as she returned Xenovia's gaze with one of her own. "I still try to pray to Him. I know I can't, but I can't abandon my beliefs."

Xenovia's lips thinned. "Then shouldn't you do something to absolve yourself of this betrayal? You are a Devil. If you still believe in the teachings, why haven't you taken your life?"

Asia had no answer.

Kylar moved away from the wall. Only the fierce look from Rias made him stop from doing anything else. If only. He knew better than she did about the political affairs within the snake's den that was the Church. Two Exorcists, especially wielders of the Excalibur Fragments, were high on that totem pole. To insult them would cause many problems. Most of those problems would be directed onto Rias as she was the one responsible. She needed to play host. Their demands weren't unreasonable. If they had a neutral understanding then that would bring about the best result. The slightest tipping of the scale would bring trouble.

He hated the Church. But it had its uses.

Xenovia bowed her head, as though in sympathy. Perhaps through her unique understanding of the faith she did sympathize. "I see. Then I shall do so. As an Exorcist I have the authority. Do you consent to this, Asia Argento? In death your sins will be forgiven."

Xenovia moved her hand to the large sword on her back.

That hand was pulled to her back as her legs were swept off the floor. She was airborne for a split second before Kylar threw her to the ground. Her body was pinned with him pulling the hand he gripped at an awkward angle around her back and his other hand pressing her head against the floor.

No one had seen him move. His knee was to the weapon on her back, using the majority of his weight to keep her in place. His eyes were blazing with fury.

"Lantano! Let her go!" Rias quickly stood and tried to fix the disaster.

He wouldn't listen. "Fuck off, Gremory. You are not my King."

His words made her mouth gape and frame stiffen.

His eyes went back towards the Exorcist under his knee. "You. Apologize. Or the arm comes off."

"Coward," hissed Xenovia. "Striking from behind! You expect me to apologize for offering penance to a witch?!"

"Lantano," pressed Akeno this time. Her usual smile was gone. "Let her go. Please."

~She even said please,~ the Black Ka'Kari muttered in the most unhelpful of times.

Irina put one hand to her arm, where a metal band was wrapped around the bicep. He knew it was Excalibur Mimic and knew it would warp into any blade of her choosing. She was willing to use it against him. His eyes shot towards her. No words were said. There was no need. The ferocity in his look alone made her stagger back and think about the unspoken threat.

"I won't ask again," he said in a soft, if not cold, voice. His grip on her arm tightened. It was a gesture to show the threat wasn't idle. His threats are never idle. He had learned from the very beginning any threat he made would be true. An idle threat was as useful as a blunted blade.

"Lan-kun… please…" Asia pleaded at his side. "I… I don't want anyone hurt."

Seconds passed as he looked at Asia. The room was tense as everyone watched with anticipation on how he would react. These seconds were as long as hours. They all began to fidget, about to move.

"Gremory, I'm sorry," he said with a slight sigh. His grip was released and he stepped off Xenovia. He stood and fixed his uniform jacket. "Well, not about any of this, really. But about your window."

"My… window…?" Clear confusion swept through Rias. She had thought him mad.

And then she realized what he was implying.

"WAIT—" she tried to stop him.

When Xenovia stood, shirking away from him and rolling her shoulder, he grabbed her again. By the hair and collar of her cloak. There was no time for anyone to react. He was a blur as he used his Talent to lift her, swing her around in a tight axis, and flung her directly towards the window.

It was a miracle she didn't strike the edge or the wall. It also spoke testament to his aim and handling. Wood and glass shattered as she was thrown across the room, colliding with the window, and propelled out of the building from the second story.

Kylar flexed his hand. There was a chunk of hair and blood stuck to it.

Everyone looked at him with agape horror.

He looked only once to Irina. His eyes were cold, merciless. Harder than steel and more oppressive than any angel she had come into contact with. For all she knew, he was the Angel of Justice itself.

"Leave."

It was not a request. It was not a command. It was a threat.

Irina did not give it a single thought as she fled from the room.

0-0-0

Of course Rias ripped him a new one as soon as they were gone. She told him things he knew about regarding the Church. But she was determined to lecture him on the foundations of the Biblical Factions, their political system, and how a single hair out of place could trigger another Great War. He knew all this. He had stopped many incidents from starting another War. For fuck's sake, he stoppedthe Great War in the first place!

He couldn't tell her these things. So he kept his head down low, apologized repeatedly, and kept his mouth shut when she scolded him. He had never seen her this upset before.

In the end, however, and it startled him, she thanked him for protecting Asia and even gave him a hug. The appreciation embarrassed him. The hug, however, freaked the hell out of him.

Akeno wasn't talking to him. He had a good guess it had to do with Asia. If she were a normal woman he would be able to have a more solid guess. But with Akeno, it could be anything. Eons dealing with women couldn't prepare him for the sadistic Queen. Then again, as much as he boasted, women were always his bane in general.

More importantly, he couldn't afford to have a pair of Exorcists running amok like this. The previous units he could have ignored as they didn't draw in any attention. It had been clear those before had been scouts and the two here now were the main infantry. Rias had shared with him someone had stolen an Excalibur Fragment from the Church and these two were sent to retrieve it. They didn't want the Devils involved in worry they would try to steal the Fragment for themselves.

If such were the case then the Church should have continued with its stealth operations. He needed to find out what they were really up to.

And it wasn't very hard to find them. He didn't even need to make a phone call.

Hours after getting booted out of the Occult Research Club, Kylar had found the two priestesses in the garden center of the shopping district. They had an open basket at their feet with a few coins inside. To his amusement, they were chanting prayers and reciting verses of the bible about giving offerings. They were asking for donations.

It wasn't difficult for him to approach them without making a sound or without gaining their attention. He didn't need to use his Talent for this. The only sound he made were a few crinkling of bills being counted from his wallet and fluttering into the basket.

"Thank you very much good… sir…" drawled out Irina. Her smile dropped just as slowly as her words as she turned at his sudden appearance.

"You!" growled Xenovia. There were bandages wrapped around her head from where he ripped a chunk of hair from her scalp.

He put up his hands and offered a friendly smile. Well, as friendly as he could give. He was still upset about the words shared towards Asia but was mature enough to hold back his emotions… most of the time. Right now was a good example.

"I would like to have a word with you two," he said. "I'm not apologizing for anything and I won't demand anything of you. I only want a few minutes of your time."

They both eyed him warily. Xenovia was the first to state the question on both their minds. "Are you not affiliated with the Devils?"

"I'm held against my will to be their slave," though he spoke sarcastically he could not withhold the sigh that escaped. He realized these two took his words seriously and corrected himself. "Now hold on. I meant there are circumstances— No, I'm not with them. I'm a member of their club but I am my own person. I'm not a Devil nor aligned to them. Just another student of Kuoh Academy."

They looked at another, not believing his words for the briefest of moments. Nonetheless, they could only accept his excuse.

Xenovia spoke again, "We don't have time to prattle. I thank you for your generosity and offer blessings." They both made a sign of the crucifix. "If you must, be brief. We are on a holy crusade and cannot allow any distractions."

"Xenovia," Irina patted her partner's shoulder. "We can at least hear him out."

"I'll be quick," Kylar said but looked at their surroundings. "Would you mind if we relocate? This isn't exactly something we should talk about in the open."

A brow was raised by Xenovia. Irina seemed to trust him, or at least didn't show any disbelief in her bubbly personality. They looked at another once more, nodded and gestured unspoken conversations with their eyes, and eventually came to an agreement.

"Very well, please leave the way…" Xenovia spoke, again. He wondered if it was just her dominating personality or if she was the senior of the group. Her brows scrunched up. "I'm sorry. Your name…?"

"Garuwashi Lantano," he said. But then thought about it. "Hmm. Or Lantano Garuwashi. At least, that's the western version. Whichever you prefer."

"L-Lantano Garuwashi of… A-Argentina?!" Irina's smile dropped as perspiration shimmered on her brow. Her cheeks flushed red.

Xenovia also took a step back. Her arms crossed over her chest regardless of the thick cloak that hid her entire frame. "You… And here I thought you were actually wanting to talk. You may have gotten me by surprise, but you will not take us again. We are trained in combat and are the best of our class in swordsmanship. You will not have your way with our bodies, Lantano Garuwashi!"

"…The fuck?" Kylar, however, had no idea what they were talking about.

~Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!~ laughed his Ka'Kari. ~I knew it was going to bite you in the ass someday! But I thought it would be native. To think the legend of the womanizing Lan-kun reached as far as the Eastern Orthodox Church!~

His brows twitched. "Wait. It's not what you think!"

"T-To think the Lantano Garuwashi was real," Irina turned away from him and held her face with both her hands. "N-No. Not like this. I… I promised to keep my chastity for the Lord. T-To think it would be taken by such a brute. Oh Lord give me strength to resist this evil!"

"This was your plan all along!" continued Xenovia. She had one arm extended to shield Irina as they slowly walked backwards away from him. "Shame on you! Taking two maidens who have sworn an oath of abstinence!"

It was a rumor he started based off of his formula for Hyoudou Issei. Instead of being so perverted no one wanted to touch him with a fifty-foot pole, he had created a persona of unparalleled legend in which people placed him on a pedestal. People talked to him, at least. But they worshiped him at a distance. Thus, he was able to keep his distance without being fully isolated and harassed. Men told stories about him and women cooed at the sight of him. And hardly anyone approached this godlike wonder.

Apparently his own legend was so great it had reached the furthest corners of the planet. Including the opposite side of the globe. The deal was, Lantano Garuwashi of Argentina was a man who had, supposedly, courted a hundred girls. He never meant for it to be taken seriously. But when someone like him dated someone like the second most sought-out beauty in all of Kuoh City, then it must be true.

A memory flashed through his mind. When Rias had swung her arms around his and escorted him beside Akeno into the club room. How many people had seen that? What other outlandish rumor had been started because of this bullshit?

And because of his carelessness, he was losing the two (scared) Exorcists girls.

Correction: lost. Before he could say another word to them, they were booking it as fast as they could. They even left a dust trail from how fast they were sprinting.

…But they still took his money.

0-0-0

It was the next day after school.

Kylar entered the Occult Research Club to report for his daily harassment when he was shocked to see there was hardly anyone present. He knew Rias and Akeno had some family affair to deal with and would leave 'assignments' to the other members to fulfill. However, he found himself and only another member accountable.

He had half a mind to shut the door and pretend he was never there. He could use his Talent to silent the door click and warp the shadows. But, as though his sheer presence alone from standing contemplating his choices was loud as thunder, the girl who had her back towards him turned and gave her beautiful smile his way.

"Ah, good evening, Lan-kun," Asia Argento said.

He tried his best to not grimace. This was the first time he had been alone with Asia since under the identity of Issei. He wondered where Kiba and Koneko were.

"Hello, Asia," he returned the greeting and tried to keep his voice as neutral as possible. He couldn't tell if he let a bit of joy or unease slip. He had mixed feelings of both by being with her. Asia was a great girl and the more time he spent with her in club activities and during short exchanges the more he realized how she was not Elene. Asia was her own person.

And he was starting to like her individually.

"Um…" Asia began nervously. She fiddled with her fingers and looked away as she normally would when talking to him. "Kiba-kun hasn't been around since yesterday. I don't think I saw him today in school either. And Koneko-chan said she went to a sweets shop with some friends. But she promised to be back soon and promised to bring us something. And I'm sure you already know about Himejima-sempai and Buchou… being Himejima-sempai's boyfriend and all…"

Himejima. Not Akeno. Akeno wouldn't grant her the courtesy to call her by her name like friends. She still didn't like Asia. Why, Kylar had no clue and could never press her about it.

Her head bowed in thought. Her expression was unreadable.

It was mostly unreadable because he didn't want to know what she was thinking. He sighed and rubbed a few fingers through his hair. "So it's just you and I for now? Alright. What's the big project Rias wants us to take care of?"

If he could focus on what nonsense Rias had left them, the better. He could distract himself until someone else showed up. And if they somehow managed to finish early, he had homework to complete or could excuse himself for the day. Asia couldn't follow him as she had Devil duties after sunset and he didn't need to be here once his responsibilities in the club were complete.

They sat together on one of the couches and began to set up a divination instrument. It was a diamond pendulum connected to a piece of string with four iron pillars keeping it stable. Supposedly, the diamond was supposed to point towards an answer to one of the four corners. The person divining would have to scribble four answers though and place them underneath the instrument.

He didn't know why he partook in these silly things. Most of it was bogus, such as this thing. Especially this thing.

Rias had already set up four answers. Yes, No, Maybe, and Unknown.

"Um… Ise-kun?"

"It's Lantano now," he corrected.

"But…" she tried to find the right words. Sitting beside him, she turned until her knees were touching his. He almost shirked away from her. "In private, when we're alone like this and no one's around… can I call you Ise-kun? Ise was my first friend…"

"I'm still your friend," he replied, smacking his lips after saying such words. They were almost foreign to him. He was still unused to having this kind of company near him after so long. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "You can call me Kylar. It's my real name, after all. But only in private."

He would make a mental note to make sure something like this never happened again. Both getting close to someone for affections to grow and to make sure he was never alone with Asia. Ever.

They sat there, awkwardly, watching the pendulum swing around aimlessly. He wondered at what point would be a good time to leave. Right now would have been preferable. But he didn't want to deal with Rias if she found out he skipped club activities early. The girl could be annoying when things didn't go her way. She still thought she could persuade him to join her peerage.

~And yet that's not enough to get you to leave. What does that tell you about your priorities?~

"Kylar…" began Asia again after some time. "Thank you. For yesterday. I was so scared and you protected me. I don't know if what I've done is right. I have sinned, I've become a Devil, but I'm so happy with this life that it makes me so confused. I don't know what I'm doing is right or wrong. When she asked me if I wanted to die I almost said yes. I love the Lord and cry every night because I can't pray to Him any longer. The God I love shuns me. When… when the Church abandoned me, I at least had God who listened to my prayers. And now I don't have that anymore."

She began to openly weep. It made his heart ache. She probably didn't have anyone to talk to about this. Asia was a wonderful girl who had many friends in Kuoh, but none of them could get to know the supernatural side of her life. The Occult Research Club probably knew of her circumstances, but they had been… indifferent towards her. Willing to sympathize, but never truly understanding.

Kylar knew. He sympathized. And he understood. He didn't want to, but he did.

He put one hand around her shoulder and pulled her in close. It had been more of a reaction than a planned response. He had no idea what he was doing until it happened. The gesture was meant to be innocent. Asia did not push him away. She embraced him, wrapping her arms around him, gripping the edges of his jacket tightly, and wept harder. He had a million things to say, things to warm her heart or to shun her away if he could decide which to use, but chose to say none of them. He only had the one arm around her shoulder and held her firmly.

"I'm sorry…" she said when most of the tears had run their course. "You've already done so much for me and I've burdened you with this. And I've stained your uniform. I'm so sorry. I'm an idiot girl."

He almost moved to pat her head or to rub the small of her back. He did neither after reeling back in his emotions. Instead, he kneaded his fingers around her shoulder. "Probably," he returned bluntly without remorse. "I think you're too damn nice for your own good. But that's what makes you… you. Asia, do you hate being a Devil?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "N-No. I mean… I can't pray any longer but… I love Buchou, and going to school, and having friends, and I…"

She stopped herself. Her head bowed back down. The grip on his jacket tightened.

"And… I love Kylar Drake…"

Dread and bliss clashed within himself. He had already been the death of her once before; and now he was watching it happen all over again. He had watched her wreath in pain and let her life force bleed out until her eyes went gray. His heart wrenched at the knowledge it shall happen again. But with that despair, he was feeling joy. He was happy to feel horrified for her. It meant she mattered so much to him and didn't want to let her go. She loved him and it was tearing him apart.

He didn't realize what he was doing. Asia was almost on his lap, but her chest was pushed up against him from their embrace. He dropped his arm and it rested at the small of her back. Asia never shied away; she seemed to be drawn further into his gaze as much as he was into hers.

Emerald eyes met sapphire. Both were scared of their feelings. But with their fear… there was hope.

Their lips almost touched. They hesitated at the last instant. More fear rose between them. Fear and insecurity.

It passed. Their lips met. A sigh escaped Asia from a breath she had been holding for months. A longing she believed she could never have was now hers.

They were soft pecks. So gentle it felt like butterflies. It was not the act of kissing that put Kylar into bliss. It was the companionship; the will of being with another he loved hopelessly. The feeling of this desire had been with him for so long and had suppressed it so deep into his core it hurt when another's warmth made its way through him. Layers upon layers of mental and emotional defenses were pierced.

"Wait, stop."

He gasped and pushed her away gently. Both his hands were on her arms while she remained on his lap. He was breathing heavily as though he had put all his effort into these gentle labors.

She was just as bad, if not worse. She had been kissing him with tenderness, putting all of her love into each peck as if they would be their last. And, more than likely, they were.

She had been kissing him with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I shouldn't have… You're Himejima-sempai's and I… Oh God, please forgive me Ky— ow!"

She flinched by invoking the One God's name. It did nothing to quell her crying.

He lifted her off of him and put her at the cushion to his side. He couldn't look at her as he brushed both his hands through his hair. Without another word, he stood and walked away.

"K-Kylar, please don't go! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that!"

His hand lingered on the doorknob. He knew she was looking at him, tears still running down her face, begging for his forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, Asia," he said instead. She did not know this was hurting him more than she was.

In his heart he knew the truth. He loved her more than he did Akeno.

And it would be the death of her.

Without another glance back at her, he closed the door behind him.

He didn't bother going to school the next day. Nor did he return home to face Akeno, who would be waiting for him to love and embrace.

0-0-0

"We've received word from Michael," Azrael informed from his place behind the desk.

Today, they were in the office of Officer Takahashi, the persona Azrael assumed, had taking a liking to, and had to reinstate. His magic had wiped himself clean from the memories and records when the character Hyoudou Issei had transferred to America. Now that Garuwashi Lantano was present, he had to remake his guise and forge new documents. This had been done hundreds of times before, so most of the matters were settled long in advance. Azrael was the sort of man who was already prepared for the next life and the one after that.

But making a brand new history, hacking into the networks, hypnotizing people, and transferring locations into one he was already involved in with the same character was another issue. So much work; and all of it pointless. Had he known the Night Angel was going to waltz back into Kuoh he should have just stayed.

Azrael made it a ritualistic habit to remind his partner on this whenever he had the chance.

Today, Kylar was dressed in a black suit while projecting an illusion for his visage to be in the appearance of Durzo Blint. Azrael was not amused but did not comment on it, only raising a brow at the appearance as he would whenever in this guise. Kylar was to be a private detective Officer Takahashi knew well and was discussing a case with him in the man's office.

The door was shut and the blinds were sealed. A magic sigil was made to block any form of interference and surveillance by outside forces.

Sona also sat to Kylar's right. He wanted her involved in as many of these meetings as possible to gain experience. Plus, he always enjoyed her insight. There were some things she picked up immediately that he would only after a certain span of time. His mind was great, but it was spread out into several different fields. Sona was more focused and as sharp as a needle point; astounding but only in so few fields compared to him.

"I hope it's about those Exorcists," Kylar said after massaging his brow.

"Those girls who invaded our territory?" Sona's eyes sharpened and Kylar didn't think they actually could. This girl was never dull. But, given the edge on her voice, she had a reason to be. "I'm sorry, that was out of context. Ignore me."

"No, it's the girls who ran away from the Garuwashi of Argentina," Azrael added with a smirk. The cheeky devil. "Michael tells it wasn't just one Fragment being stolen. It was all of them. The only ones out of reach were Destruction and Mimic because their bearers were out in the field. Two others were killed in the stronghold and had their Fragments taken while the rest were stolen directly from the vaults. Nothing else was stolen."

"Why hasn't there been news of this?" Sona inquired.

An excellent question, though Kylar can already figure why.

Azrael indulged her, "By no part of ours, believe it or not. The Church has its way of keeping mum about its fuck ups. Almost two thousand years of experience. Did you know Peter was a rabbit? Not the technical term rabbit like how the Bible depicts him as a poor fisherman. An actual rabbit, fur and whiskers and—"

Kylar cleared his throat.

Azrael was making a gesture with a hands over his head mimicking rabbit ears. Kylar stopped him before he began to go into the story about why the pope's hat was oddly shaped.

Azrael almost pouted like a child. Almost. "If word got out four of the seven Fragments were missing, it would gain the attention of the wrong crowds. There are little cults belonging to every Biblical Faction and then some who want those swords. War can break out so easily by these small groups, even if their respective leaders punish them or swear ignorance. Not by the responsible men in charge of the Church's decisions, mind you, but from the zealots who simply don't like the other factions.

"This mission would need to be carried out with discretion and utmost secrecy. They told you, what, one Fragment was taken and believed to be extracted here? Not enough for you to ask questions or get involved."

"But we're getting involved," ordered Kylar. "If it was one Fragment then I could let the girls continue their mission whether successful or failing. But four? And to have the other two brought together? Those girls were totally set up. They're walking into a trap and whoever's behind this will have six Excalibur Fragments in their hands. Who was the Church official who ordered them to retrieve the Fragments?"

Azrael shrugged, "Michael has been looking into it but fingers are being pointed everywhere. Not even our agents know who is telling the truth and not. Whoever is at fault, or believed to be, will suffer under harsh scrutiny."

Kylar sat back in his seat and almost massaged his chin. Had he done so then the illusion he projected would have crumbled apart. It was always a pain to rework the weaves in a good illusion. He didn't put it down despite being in a secluded area because of the hassle.

"I figured," he stated. "Do we have any leads to start with?"

"We have more than that," Azrael's eyes brightened with childish glee. Like a cat that had found a cornered mouse. "Azazel has produced us a name. He says his affiliate Kokabiel has gone rogue— or at least missing and can't be tracked. Also, the leading director of the Holy Sword Project a few years back has disappeared as well."

"And you think they are behind this?" Sona asked, fixing the rim of her glasses. "Is there any solid evidence? There will be repercussions otherwise, even if the Night Angel himself judges them guilty."

Kylar nodded at the wisdom of her words. Most would take the Night Angel's judgment to heart and never question it. But there were those who did not believe in his authority and those who did not believe in him altogether. The zealots of the Lae'knaught as well as the enemies he's made over the centuries. Without proof of their actions, it would be hard making a case and proving the Fallen faction's innocence.

He missed the days when he could just walk in, kill someone, and walk away. Well, they had never been that simple before, even during such barbaric times as Midcryu. But neither were they as convoluted as this.

"Our agents have spotted them prowling within the city," Azrael answered calmly, though the glint was still there in his eyes. "Maids know which suite he is staying at and in which hotel, servers know which restaurants he gorges himself in, and our—

He eyed Sona for a second.

"…Friendly females have told us of his nefarious plans. Kokabiel is a great warrior I am proud to call a brother, but he is still ever the fool who did not so much as fall as he was pulled down by his cock. We even know the base of his evil lair."

He then eyed Kylar. "Now all we need to know is when the Night Angel will be paying him a visit?"

"Not now," he answered. "But soon. Just because we know about it doesn't make it evidence. We don't exist. I will, however, sneak into their base and retrieve the Fragments. We will lure Kokabiel out of his hiding hole and force him to make a move. Then we can hand him over to the Exorcists."

Sona turned her head. "They would be walking into their own deaths. Even I've heard of Kokabiel. He might lower his guard for… pleasantries but he will not for warriors of the Church." She couldn't help but crinkle her nose. How Kylar envied her innocence. "He was one of the Grigori Lords, whose power was great enough for him to be recorded into the Bible—"

"Book of Enoch is not in the Bible," Azrael mumbled, almost sourly.

Sona continued unperturbed, "In our archives of the Great War is Kokabiel mentioned to be on the front lines of every major battle. He has been at war against the Angels even before the birth of us Devils. To say he will be formidable against two girls no older than two decades is a gross understatement; it's almost laughable."

"But against the Night Angel…?" Kylar interjected before she could finish.

Sona had opened her mouth about to say those very words until he stole them. She was caught off-guard with her mouth agape, but she quickly shut it and recovered.

Kylar shook his head, "Only if it comes down to it, Sona. If he poses a threat to my city, I will deal with him. I'll take his toys away and then go from there. Follow through as you would as a Devil; I mean, don't get involved unless they shoot first."

She wanted to argue. It was clearly written on her face. But she sank back in her seat and said nothing.

"I'll protect you," Kylar added. "You and everyone who enters my city."

She eyed him for a moment. "…Except Kokabiel, right?"

"That depends on what I see in him," he said with a shrug.

Neither he nor Azrael said anything further in regards to Kokabiel. Kylar remembered the Morning Star very well. The archangel of the stars was a fierce deity who wanted to prove his superiority to all three factions. He was one of the lieutenants to the Grigori who led his battalion admirably against impossible odds and won through brutality as much as valor. He would administer tactics the enemy would not have the stomach to use, quite the feat even against the original Devils who were living aspects of all the world's sin and evil.

He reminded Kylar of the original Lantano Garuwashi. Not that Lantano was a cruel-as-fuck bastard. But they both shared a tremendous sense of pride and honor for their people. Lantano had once recommended making a bridge to infiltrate an enemy base and then have that same bridge destroyed once his troops were fully over. He claimed desperate men fight better than those who knew they would have an escape route.

Logan wouldn't permit such a tactic, of course. It didn't stop Lantano from trying a more outrageous strategy, however. While Lantano led his army against the enemy on the front lines, his elite troops snuck for two days behind enemy lines under the cover of darkness against the freeze, limited provisions, and no armor. If a single unit was caught, the whole mission would fail and they would all be dead. His elite knew this and did their utmost to keep hidden. The plan worked in the end.

Kokabiel was of like-mind. Except Kokabiel would sacrifice his soldiers to achieve his goals. Lantano always knew he would lose men, but he would at least tell his men this truth. He would tell them nine out of ten would die and do so with grief. Kokabiel, however, would tell them the same thing but with a smile.

Kylar didn't need to judge the former angel to determine what sort of man he was.

"Is there anything else?" Kylar asked Azrael.

The man gave him an amused look. "Should there be anything else?"

Kylar frowned at the response.

"Lighten up, kid," Azrael crossed his arms, sighed, and leaned back in his chair. Kylar was anything but a kid. But, only Azrael had the rights to call him this. "You've been in a bad mood lately. I hope this isn't a lady problem. I keep telling you—"

"Women will be the death of me," Kylar sassed and waved his hand around. "I know, I know. Gods, I've heard this a thousand times from you!"

"And I'll say it another thousand times," Azrael unfurled his arms and leaned forward. "Kid, whatever you have going on, stop worrying about it. Enjoy it. This little drama, whatever it is, is a lot better than what you were trying to achieve the last few lives. You're not the type who can be alone for a great deal of time, if at all."

Kylar rolled his eyes. He knew all of this. He had heard it from Azrael an innumerable amount of times as far back as the beginning of their union. But Azrael had a point; he spoke through his own experience. He too had a great number of lovers and children and he had to watch them all die as he lived on. Azrael was one of the few beings left on this planet that was older than Kylar; he had been on this boat far longer than Kylar.

It still annoyed the crap out of him to hear the same advice over and over and over and over and over throughout the eons.

"You know what's going on," Kylar accused next. His eyes were blunt as he scowled.

"Go for the harem ending," Azrael returned with as serious of an expression any being could have. For one older than time itself, it was something no mortal should ever see. If only, if only, his words could have matched his expression.

Sona made a noise from the back of her throat as she shifted in her seat. She was uncomfortable with this discussion and was seeking a way to excuse herself from the room.

Kylar said nothing, he only gave the old man a dirty look.

Azrael began to count with his fingers, "You got Akeno, that blonde girl, those two Fallen girls you're making me take care of— they're asking for you, by the way— maybe Gremory, and, by the looks of things, Sitri here as well. Not to mention every other female on this planet you've met under other aliases."

Another noise was made by Sona; something similar to a squeal and a cough mixed into one. She dared not to look at Kylar. It didn't stop her face from blushing though.

"I'm not having this discussion," Kylar announced. "I made a commitment to Akeno and that's that."

"…Is it now?" Azrael raised a brow. "You're how old and still having these problems like a teenager?"

"Then it means I'm doing something right," argued Kylar as he stood from his seat. "Because I'm supposed to be a teenager."

"Yes, yes, and a womanizer," Azrael said with a smirk. "So… were those rumors really rumors?"

Kylar did not dignify that with a response. He left the room.

0-0-0

"Sona, I really don't have time for this," he said as he took his seat across of her. He made sure to take the corner seat to see all his perimeters and to keep his back to the wall. They had met in one of the cafes he owned in the upper district. He didn't need a disguise and so appeared as his normal self.

Sona eyed his casual attire while she was dressed in her Kuoh uniform. "While I am aware you are quite occupied with your duties, I am also aware how big of a gap your schedule contains. You have time. There is something we need to discuss, Garuwashi-san."

No server came to take their orders. Everyone who worked here knew who they were and had been given the gesture to leave them in privacy.

He groaned but didn't argue. "I suppose this is about the whole Logan Gyre thing?"

Sona tilted her head in thought. It took only a moment before she answered. "I had assumed that was because of your inadequacy to fulfill a commitment and your pride to admit mistakes."

He nearly flinched at those words. Leave it up to Sona to know him inside and out and then to find the right spots to stab the nerves. This was another reason why he personally sponsored her apprenticeship within Legion.

"That… Look, Sona, I am sorry about that," he looked her squarely. She deserved this much from him. "I, uh, shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that."

"I accept your apology, though I am not here for that," she nodded. Her eyes remained professional despite the light tint starting to sprout at her cheeks. "I am here as both your steward and as your Student Council President. Garuwashi-san, why have you been skipping school?"

Had she only announced herself as the president he wouldn't have answered and more than likely walked away. However… as his steward? He didn't bestow her such a title but if that's what she wanted to call herself it was appropriate enough. Regardless, it meant she was here both as a representative of Kuoh Academy and Legion. But how the hell could those two mix? He made damn sure to keep his public life and his night life separate.

"Does this have to do with Gremory hiding poorly across the room?" his eyes slithered across the café and honed on the red-haired Devil doing her best to look as discreet as possible. She was failing. Horrendously.

"Unfortunately," Sona said neutrally as she tapped her fingertips on the table. Apparently it was a sign, because Rias got up from her seat and began to approach them.

Kylar grimaced. Now he couldn't slip out without it looking like he was intentionally avoiding her. He should have left as soon as possible but Sona— damn her— was crafty enough to catch him by surprise with her wordplay.

"Hello there, Lantano-kun, it's been a while," Rias Gremory greeted with her friendly smile. It shifted immediately into one of coy. "Or do I have the permission to call you Naitoenjeru-sama?"

Kylar's eyes shifted coldly, calculating Rias' worth and how much he would lose if he decided to kill her. His eyes then turned towards Sona, wondering if he should kill her too.

"I won't kill you…" he said slowly before either girls could say anything else. "I would lose your brother and your sister. But they can be replaced, at a tremendous cost. Your next words will decide the fate of your entire civilization, Gremory, Sitri. Think carefully."

Sona turned green and Kylar watched Rias' face turn ashen white. Her smile dropped. What bravado she normally carried was gone in a flash.

Kylar gestured for her to sit else she would draw unwanted attention. She complied woodenly, her motions almost mechanical.

He began the topic, "How do you know who I am and why shouldn't I kill you?"

Slowly, her charisma began to resurface. "I am not a fool, though by the looks of it you think I am. I never sought to question why Akeno had loved Issei so much but then latched onto you so quickly, and with as much zeal. Issei never really transferred, did he? Sometimes I would have dreams. Akeno on her knees, crying, covered in his blood. I mentioned it once to her and had it had caught her flatfooted. I had thought she was aghast with the idea of her lover like that but now I think those really weren't dreams, were they?

"You did an amazing job matching your story with documentations. I couldn't trace a single lie. But not everything was perfect. There shouldn't have been a reason why Asia was so attached to you. At first I thought it was just a young girl's crush but then…"

She stopped for a moment, trying to find the right way to say her next words.

"I reviewed the conversation you two had the other day."

His heart lurched. He should have known. He never thought to check the Occult Research Club for surveillances because he never thought Lantano Garuwashi would be anything other than a regular student. A low-tier Magician, sure, but normal in every other aspect.

"But what really sealed the deal?" Rias shrugged. "Your comment a few weeks back in the club room. When you pretended to not know we were Devils you called the God of the Bible the 'One God'. Only one other person has ever called Him that and that was when the Night Angel himself paid me a visit one dark night."

"Fine," he admitted his mistake— his fuck up. "But that's only half an answer. Why shouldn't I kill you?"

She started to become a little bolder. "Because I can help you. I can—"

"If you so much as utter the word peerage I will kill you right where you sit, in front of all these people."

She shut her mouth. The offer had been on the tip of her tongue. She needed a moment to rethink her strategy.

He didn't need the Ka'Kari to see into Rias' soul. He remembered a time when these creatures would make him go into a frenzy as they were nothing but sin upon sin. They were crystalized evil. But this generation of Devils, however, were the least amount of evil possible. Rias was a girl who loved her family dearly, but she still had the nature of a Devil as sin and evil course through her veins. It was in her base instinct.

Rias was a spoiled girl who was outrageously greedy. She saw she had a chance to include the— arguably— most powerful being in the entire world into her peerage. She could tell herself it would be for a good cause, but in the end she would only be thinking of her own status. The amount of worth her reputation would transcend was unthinkable. She, Rias Gremory, would be the Devil— no, the being capable of making the Night Angel bend.

He refused because the Night Angel must always be human, must always be able to love and be loved in return, and must always strive alone. He sided with whatever was just. To side with any one faction would tip the balance of power— impossibly so if he was a slave to the Devils for all eternity.

He had once fought for Truth and Justice on the side of Angels. And then Equality and Freedom for the Fallen. And then Passion and Love for the Devils. But never once had he been bound to a single one faction wholeheartedly. He was a creature bound to the concept of Retribution itself.

He also refused because he didn't like Rias. Oh, she was charming, but among all the Devils he had known throughout the eons she was the most human of the species.

And humanity was far more evil than the incarnations of evil itself.

By no means was Rias Gremory evil. But neither was she innocent. She was naïve and oblivious in her greed. She didn't believe her actions would stir up too much trouble. Perhaps some misfortune here and there but nothing more.

Terah Graesin was one such person of parallel greed and power. She would have burned the kingdom of Cenaria to the ground if Kylar hadn't killed her and made Logan the rightful king.

"There may be another alternative…" Rias began slowly, her mind grinding for a new plan on the spot. He gave her that much; he admired the way she concocted a plan. He had a mind to have her apprenticed to be the next Mistress of Coin. But that would only be if she could channel the same processing power that came from her greed to everything else she did.

Kylar gestured for her to continue.

Sona watched her friend in the corner of her eye, both curious and frightened for her.

"It… would be beneficial to all parties if… Lantano Garuwashi would take the Gremory Heiress, a High-Class Devil, as his bride."

Sona couldn't hold back the cringe from nearly warping her face. Her hands went to adjust her glasses to hide the reaction and lingered longer than necessary.

"…I'm amazed," he snickered, outright mocking. "I hadn't known such a level of stupidity was possible. Well, Durzo owes me some coin now. He said my record would never be beaten. Dammit all… I was actually starting to take some pride in that trophy. Just the other day I bought this really nice display case for it. See-through panels, elevated to my height, and pretty good lighting. Really makes the platinum shine after a good polishing. Please take good care of it. I've had it for a long time."

"I am not asking for the Night Angel," she said in a low voice. She wasn't afraid any longer. Now, she was determined. "Nor am I asking you to become a Devil. If I marry into the Garuwashi family— and I'm more than sure a man with your talents and resources can make the name surpass that of the Gremory's— everything I am endowed to as the heiress will fall into your control. Deeds, titles, lands, profits, and, especially, my peerage."

This was something he could do. Easily. Laughably. He could come up with some bullshit story and records about the Garuwashi family. Hell, he could just copy the original Lantano Garuwashi, pull out the actual Blade of Heaven from his vault, and make it so his family were of the most elite and noble of clans. He could even push it a little further, if he so chose. He had the influence to make himself a king even in this day and age.

"I have my own pride and honor, Gremory," he said. "Those things can't be bought. I'm going to have to refuse."

"…I have my own pride too," she said below her breath.

He almost snapped at her. While he admired her tenacity to use him— him!— as a means to escape her engagement, he knew better than to think he hurt her feelings with this rejection. She admired him and that was all. He knew her affections would never grow past that point. The words were on his tongue and it would be too easy to destroy her. He held it in.

"They are as much yours as they are mine," she spoke up next. "Don't you think you need to share in the responsibilities?"

He spread his hands before cupping them back over the table. "I saved their lives and delivered them to capable hands. Upon recommendation by your brother, whom I still have this argument with whenever we meet. Are you saying you no longer want them?"

She was horrorstruck by the question. She reeled in her emotions, however. "Never. I am looking for a way for everyone to win. You, me, and them."

At least she admitted she wasn't selfless.

"If I may," Sona spoke up after clearing her throat. "What she is offering is plausible."

"Not you too," he muttered bluntly.

"Please hear me out," she protested. "It is quite common for Magicians, as the role you are assuming, to make contracts with Devils. The contract works both ways; political influence, protection, finances, and knowledge is shared. While something like marriage may be out of the question, I believe a contract like this would be beneficial to everyone. It may even be possible to forge such a contract with the Night Angel himself, if he is willing."

She let it hang in the air for a moment. He didn't react or give away any emotions. He simply continued to stare at her.

She continued calmly, "The contract will not give authority over another being. If either party is in danger, then it is an obligation to protect or support them. The Night Angel, no doubt, will do no such thing if the Gremory chose to do anything unjust to warrant such afflictions. And, likewise, the Gremory family will not be at the beck and call should the Night Angel require their services."

He liked how she was no longer trying to be subtle about the contract being with the Night Angel and no longer the Lantano Garuwashi persona.

"It would be a partnership based on what will be written in the contract," she went on. "I'm sure there could be a clause for Rias to keep her purity or something similar and the Night Angel the liberty of courting anyone serving the Gremory family if they are willing. And since it is the Night Angel, that would mean he must be open for further contracts if he is willing. Therefore he could make contracts with multiple other factions, perhaps some other pantheons, or perhaps other Devils."

If this was supposed to be funny he wasn't laughing. She totally just slid in there at the last minute how other Devils could be a part of this pact. Such as, oh, the Sitri Heiress.

He nodded, "That would be an interesting idea. I'll present it to Sirzechs and Serafall next time I see them. It sounds more beneficial if I have influence from the top brass instead of two small families of lesser rank."

They both visibly flinched.

He waved a hand in dismissal. "You children forget who you're talking to. I already knew about it. I've had a few of those and know how they work. I'm not interested in the Magician's pact. Especially as a means to escape the problem I started. When I said I have my own pride and honor, I meant this is something I need to deal with on my own. I made a mistake. I am going to deal with it and face the consequences. I don't need you trying to take advantage of it."

He was both disgusted and proud of them both. While this was immoral in every sense, he respected them greatly for their reasoning. Both of their evaluations went up. He was beginning of thinking about how to have them work together from now on but instead forced that idea to the back of his mind for now. He could worry about Legion and its affairs for later.

"This is a personal issue and I don't want to talk about it any further," he said with finality. "Look, Rias, Akeno is your best friend. I betrayed her. I get that. But I will deal with that. Feel free to tell her what I've done; I plan on telling her myself. Eventually. I've been avoiding her and Asia so to figure out how to approach this."

Rias blinked in astonishment. "…To think the Night Angel had commitment issues."

"Speaking of which," he grounded out. "What do you plan on doing with Raizer Phenex?"

The question made her face drain of color again. But as quickly as it washed, her face turned red. She scowled, "I won't be marrying him."

He almost laughed. It wasn't truth, it was a promise. She didn't have a clue how to get rid of her engagement. He pondered for a moment whether or not he should give her advice. He had multiple ways of solving that problem. But then the girl wouldn't learn anything. She was so damn absorbed in her own greed she needed to fall on her face in order to learn.

He wondered at what point did he become so cynical. He had hated Vi with every fiber of his being when she had ringed him, when those earrings had been meant for he and Elene. And here he was not batting an eyelash for Rias being forced into the same situation.

"I'm sure you won't," he finished dryly.

0-0-0

Mittelt was grumbling under her breath the whole way. That douche-bag Azrael had given her the chore of running down to the convenient store to pick up tonight's dinner. Here she was, a Fallen Angel, an ethereal being crafted by the hands of God and given corporeal form, reduced to fulfilling menial tasks the likes only humans should commit. She hated it; having to cook, clean, launder, garden, and worst of all going to school. She was an ancient being nearly a thousand years old! She had taught the mortals long forgotten arts and knew secrets of the universe that would make any scientist blow their brains out with madness.

Azrael said going to school was not for educational purposes. He said it was to teach her humility and for her to learn how to interact with humans. Leave it up to an old fart who had a human wife to come up with such a thing.

She also hated how she had to do all the work. Raynare never pulled her own weight. At first, Mittelt put up with it. The woman had her wings torn off by the Night Angel for the sake of penance. By all means, she was as mortal as any other. Raynare always sulked in her room, rarely came out, and was always in such a bitchy mood whenever approached. After some time, Mitteltt couldn't take it any longer and found an excuse to get out of the house as much as possible.

So while she hated fetching groceries, it was also relieving to get some fresh air. Miss Takahashi, she swore, had the patience of a god… and the wrath of one. There were times when the woman would put her fist down and make Raynare shut up through sheer willpower alone.

"Ooooh! I remember you!"

She nearly stumbled. The bags fell out of her hands as she spun around.

Freed Sellzen lurked out of the shadows of the alley with his trademark sadistic smile. She had thought he had died along with everyone else after the Night Angel sacked the church. There hadn't been any proof of his execution, however, as every Exorcist working for them had been reduced to ash.

"And where have you been, jail bait?" he asked in a playful tone mixed with hunger. It disturbed her how it was both carnal and bloodlust. He wanted to fuck her just as much as he wanted to kill her.

Mittelt refused to be afraid. He may have been one of the more formidable of Exorcists, but Freed was still just human. She knew he wouldn't stand a chance if she got serious.

She brushed a few locks of hair out of her face and answered haughtily, "Sorry, I don't talk to lowly trash. Go away before I puke."

Freed's smile grew as he stepped closer. "Mmm… those eyes. I love the look of murder just as much as I love watching the sunset. It's so tranquil and romantic— letting the light and last hope fade away and all that. But you know what I love most? When they scream. I've recorded a bunch of them and turned them into a mixtape. Wanna hear one?"

She nearly gagged when he pulled out an audio player from his coat pocket. He was serious.

"What do you want, Freed?" she chose to ask instead.

"Oh, what I always want," he began jovially. As he approached further, he was almost dancing in his steps. He even twirled. "To murder the heretics and rape their corpses. Raping them while their alive is just as good, I think, I at least get to hear their screaming. So here I am, making my rounds, killing a few priests and those pesky bounty hunters when I stumble upon one such heretic."

He was just a few feet away from her. Her body began to turn cold. The powers of light began to course through her veins as she prepared for a fight.

He licked his lips. "Been a while since I've fucked a child's body. You mind if I do it without your head attached?"

The spear of light was being thrust before it finished forming. She was faster than any human at their peak condition.

The spear went through him. But there was no sizzling sound of flesh melting or fabrics tearing. His body simply vanished as if he had been nothing but an illusion.

Her eyes shot wide.

She gasped when a sharp pain slashed through her back. A human would have crumbled; she, a Fallen, was able to stay on her feet. But this was by no mistake; Freed knew exactly how deep to cut for the best effect. He wanted her alive for as long as possible.

Mittelt spun and threw another spear without fully looking. It struck at the center of his chest, but— again!— his body dispersed into shadows. There was no trace of his presence anywhere.

The next cut tore into her thigh. She didn't try to retaliate this. Her wings tore the back of her dress as she took to the skies. Her plan was to rain spears of light down in every direction until his corpse was seared unrecognizable. The pain of the gash on her back only added fuel to her rage.

She screamed. She could hear his disgusting moan of pleasure. The next cut had cut off her right wing. She fell back to the ground.

He was already on top of her before she could recover. She screamed again as his dirty boot stomped down on the bleeding stub of her ruined wing. The pain froze her in place. She couldn't find it within her to defend herself.

A golden blade was in his hands. A Holy Sword; one that put the radiance of her spears of light to shame. The sword in his grip made him almost not real with how he seemed to be warped by light and shadow alike.

With just the tip of the blade, he cut into the hem of her dress and ran it up to her collar. His sickening smile grew as her skin was exposed. He was going to defile her here in the middle of the street. And in order to keep her from fighting further, he raised his weapon up with the intentions of nailing her through the chest.

A boot struck him in the side of his head with enough force to send him flying.

"Get up, child," Azrael pulled her to her feet and pushed her behind him. "Stay close to me."

Mittelt put a hand around the bleeding stump of her wing. She winced in the pain as she gave it a squeeze in an attempt to clot the blood. Healing magic coursed through her fingers to shut the wound. She grounded her teeth together. "I'll kill him. Do you hear me? I'll kill him!"

"Don't pretend like you're so innocent," he gave a snarky remark.

"What the shit grandpa?" Freed got back up to his feet and rubbed a hand at his jaw. It was swollen and bleeding. The impact should have killed him but a dense layer of protection charms within his clothes kept him from the critical damage. "How the fuck did you even get in here?"

"Fuck you, that's how," he retorted with a cheeky grin. "You're sloppy. Your barrier distracts onlookers from entering but anyone can see a black spot on a white canvas. And my daughter's signature disappeared as soon as you put it up."

Mittelt clicked her tongue. They had an understanding; if she was to desire the protections of the Night Angel then she would have to make herself useful to him. Other than the occasional information gathering, Mittelt was to pretend to be the youngest daughter of the Takahashi family. It annoyed her to no end.

Freed lifted his weapon. He spat blood and resumed to smile. "A'ight. Whatevs. I'm down for a little two-for-one bargain sale. Don't know who you are gramps, but you have some brass to be able to sneak up on me like that. But you should have killed me— gyak!"

Freed's body vanished into smoke and shadow after his face gasped.

Azrael had moved. He spun sharply on his right and lashed his hand out into the open air. Strings of light flashed from his fingertips and latched onto something unseen five fifteen feet away.

"You are a thousand years too young to be critiquing me, boy," he said and flexed his hand. The strings tugged tighter until there was a squishing noise and splatter of liquids.

Like a sheet being lifted, Freed appeared after his invisible illusion fell apart. His right hand as well as the golden blade had fallen to the ground; Azrael's strings severing the grip altogether. Three other layers of strings held him in place with his legs bound, his left arm and torso, and his neck. The bindings was more than tight enough to seal his voice. Freed struggled to breathe as much as to break free; but the light weaves were digging into his flesh.

Azrael's eyes were cold. Now that he got a good look he knew who he was. Freed Sellzen, a former Lae'knaught before being kicked out for being too zealous even for the order's standards. He was also the bearer of the Silver Ka'Kari and the one who killed Kylar a few months ago. But unlike the Black, the Silver did not grant the same level of immortality. The Silver only stopped the aging process and made the bearer immune to harm from metal.

But a severed head, however, was a completely different story. Azrael flexed his hand, jerked, and tugged each finger into a closed fist.

The strings snapped as a blade of light cut through them from the sky.

Azrael moved, sweeping Mittelt into his arms as a hail of spears and arrows of light rained down on him. They tore into the ground, creating concussions and sending shrapnel everywhere. But Azrael was a blur, moving swiftly to avoid every attack while creating a magic shield to protect them both from the splashing concrete.

"Freed, Freed, Freed," a suave voice clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Azrael landed thirty feet away from them both as he went through his mental list of precautions. He put Mittelt down and tried to push her behind him. But the girl would not let go of him. Her grip in his arms tightened as she stared fearfully at the man floating above them all.

"Kokabiel," she whispered in fear and awe.

He was as tall as Azrael, dressed in a finely pressed black suit. His skin was ghastly pale as though it had never seen the light of day throughout his entire existence. His hair, in contrast, was black, sleek, and fell down his back. His eyes were bloodshot; the entire sclera turned red while his pupils were as black as a void. He hovered high above them on ten pairs of blackened wings.

There was something over his shoulder. A body.

He smiled with a mouth filled with too many teeth, all razor sharp, as those eyes of his gazed down at Azrael.

"Why, hello there," his voice was charming, almost delighted after a longing being fulfilled. "It has been far too long, Wingless."

"Eh, boss? You know this old goat?" Freed uttered as he patted the dirt off his coat and went to fetch his severed hand. He pressed it to his limb; the Silver Ka'Kari transformed his arm into a blade in which sprouted thousands of needles and attached itself to his hand. The hand, in response, turned metal and began to flex. He called back his power, turning metal back into flesh. Both hand and arm were one once again.

Azrael did not drop his guard nor did he respond. His face was as blank as a mask. He only held Mittelt tight; he will have to fight while holding on to her since she was petrified.

Kokabiel began to laugh, "Of course! Azrael, the Archangel of Death. And God's failed project in making his own Night Angel."

Again, Azrael said nothing.

"Oi! An Archangel?!" Freed suddenly dropped his jovialness. He took a few quick steps away. "Hey, uh, boss, that's like a whole tier higher than you."

Kokabiel's toothy grin turned carnivorous. "Fool, he is a failure. He cannot create weapons of light, only pale imitations such as those petty coils. And his talents only go as far as illusions. His wings are purely phantasmal."

"Don't get so full of yourself, Kokabiel," Azrael spoke up with a growl. Under the moonlight piercing through their barrier, strings flickered from existence to invisibility as they swayed in the air. Weaves upon weaves of razor thin wires moved like silk threads, linked to each of his fingers. "Real or not, I'm still acknowledged as an Archangel. For a reason. If you come at me, I'll tell you personally why."

There was a dangerous smile spreading on his lips. He was challenging Kokabiel and would show him even with Mittelt in his arms. There was truth in his gaze. Indeed, his power of light was as bleak as a wingless Angel, but the light was still there in him. The lack of prowess had him turn towards cunning instead of raw power and strength. While his kind had always been warriors, while he had been bred to be the ultimate warrior, Azrael had molded his entire being into becoming the ultimate hunter. He was more wet-worker than soldier.

Kokabiel knew this. He wouldn't dare give in to the provocation. He chuckled to himself and slung the body off of his shoulder. With a lax wave of his arm, he flung it casually towards Azrael.

Azrael's eyes widened. He moved and caught the body of Irina in his spare hands while maintaining his grip on Mittelt and his control over his strings. But no attack came.

Kokabiel announced, spreading his arms wide. "I've grown bored of your games, Wingless. Did you think I wouldn't notice your little ants running around? Did you think I wouldn't notice the extra attention from the lowly servants and prostitutes? I've always known Legion would be here as soon as I heard from Freed it was the Night Angel who destroyed my previous plans here."

Azrael frowned. "So it was you who wanted the Twilight Healing."

"Of course!" he boasted proudly. His eyes shifted towards the shivering Mittelt, who held her protector tighter from his gaze. "It's so hard finding good help these days. They get too attached to their feelings. Did you know Azazel sent those four to this city specifically because they all Fell for the Night Angel? Bah! In the end it got them all killed… Well, except for that one.

"No matter. I want you to hear something, Wingless. I have every Fragment of Excalibur the Church had. And I am having my assistant put them all together. Surely you know what this would mean… without the Excalibur Ruler, the most powerful Fragment of them all, no?"

Azrael kept his face a blank. But he knew what it meant. If Valper Galilei found a way to put the Fragments back together, their power would grow unstable without the final piece. The energies would clash and eventually erupt in a tremendous explosion. It would take out more than half the city in its blast.

Kokabiel's grin broadened. "Share this news with your precious Night Angel. Only he has the means to defeat me and I shall enjoy our battle. I shall await his arrival at Kuoh Academy. He better hurry. My patience is not to be tested. And if he is too late, then the Gremory and Sitri children will suffer dearly before their deaths."

His wings fluttered. In a flash of black light and torrent of feathers, the Fallen was gone.

Azrael checked his perimeters. The barrier dispersed as soon as Kokabiel had vanished. And Freed was no longer present. Azrael had seen the creep put up another illusion and walk away. He kept tabs on his location until he was outside the bubble; he wouldn't dare try another sneak attack.

"H-He's gone…" he heard Mittelt mutter. They were assurances to herself more than facts.

He managed to get her to release him.

…And then he threw the unconscious body of the Exorcist girl into her arms. She nearly fumbled in his haste.

"Run straight home, do you hear me?" his voice was firm and demanding. "Ruri will heal you and the girl. Tell her to get to the safe house and wait for my return. Now go!"

Her head spun around at his commands. This was the first she ever heard him under such a dominating presence. She had no choice but to comply. She could not fly as half her wing was cut off. But she ran with as much haste as she could in her child's body. It would have been a hilarious spectacle seeing such a small creature carry another twice her size and weight.

Azrael was already moving in the other direction. His Talent was pushing him forward. It allowed him to leap up onto the rooftops and run from there. He would arrive at his destination faster than by street while keeping his presence concealed. The shadows obeyed his command and masked his visage further.

The whole world was a blur as he sped from rooftop to rooftop. The wind bellowed as he cut through it. But he was nowhere near as fast as someone who could fly. Nor was he magically proficient enough to cast a teleportation weave. One would think someone as old as he would learn such a convenient technique.

His phone was to his ear as he ran ferociously. But at this speed he wouldn't arrive at the school until another twenty minutes.

"Come on kid, pick up the fucking phone!"

Twenty minutes was too long. Too much can happen in that time. The entire school could be wiped out by then. Hell, the bomb could go off in that time!

He wouldn't be able to make it in time. Not like this.

Unless…

Where was he? Near downtown. His mind raced for options.

There was a bridge a few miles from here. It would take ten minutes detour to get there. The drop from there into the river was approximately fifty feet, depending on the tides. If he climbed the highest arch and fell from there… applying freefall gravity with acceleration…

…It might work.

0-0-0

Kylar didn't know how much time he wasted just standing in front of the Occult Research Club. He waited an hour after school had ended, and then waited another hour after that for club activities to end. By the time he reached the clubroom, the campus was mostly devoid of life with the exception to a few stragglers who liked to linger for their indifferent reasons and the Devils who used the school as their base. Such as the Occult Research Club, the Student Council, some members of Legion pretending to be students and staff (or actually were), and the miscellaneous.

He stood there, with his arm raised, placed back down, sighing, raised again, and repeating for the next hour. The conversation he wanted to have ran through his mind in a hundred different ways— more than ninety percent of them resulting in a bad end and another nine percent being optimistic. The singular one percent was left open for surprises. But instead of following his principle of never hesitating, he was hesitating. And not just for the three hours wasted today. But for a few days.

~To think the Night Angel has commitment issues,~ cackled the Ka'Kari, even mimicking Rias Gremory's pitch and tone. ~Here. Let me help you.~

His raised hand turned black as the Ka'Kari seeped over his skin… and knocked on the wood before he could command it away.

'Fuck you!' he cursed with as much venom his thoughts could muster.

Only the sound of childish laughter from the primordial instrument echoed in his head.

He could just turn invisible… if he could win that battle against the Ka'Kari, seeing as it was going to be against him at the moment. But at this moment, he couldn't pretend to have not knocked. Because…

"Come in, Lantano-kun~" called Rias from the other side.

…Because Rias already knew it was him. She probably knew he was standing there for so long but never said a word to anyone inside or approached him. She was probably enjoying his dilemma.

He withheld the groan and entered the room with as much dignity as he could. He had made himself a fool for believing she wouldn't notice his presence.

Looking around the room, he noticed everyone was accounted for with the exception of Yuuto Kiba. Koneko was in the middle of nibbling on her sweets, who had stopped to look at him curiously as if he was a giant enigma to her. It wasn't the first time she gave him that look, considering he had no scent for her to pick up. Asia sat beside her, who was doing her best to look anywhere but near him. She failed miserably as she would peak glances in his direction and her face lighting up in both joy and embarrassment.

Akeno was standing at attention with a tray in her hands. She stood in the back of the room but not too far out in the chance her King would need her services. She eyed him disdainfully. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was just as peeved with him as she had been worried. He hadn't been around for the past few days and never sent a word towards her.

His eyes locked on the ring on her ear. He remembered what it was supposed to mean.

Suddenly the ring in his pocket, his matching pair, felt like hot iron on his skin.

Rias was seated elegantly on the larger couch. Her legs were crossed as well as her arms under her chest. Though she looked dignified, there was also a look of annoyance that he had seen very rarely. It was more than the childishness he had seen whenever she didn't gain something from him or had been outsmarted by Sona. This time, it was one step away from being seething.

There was a young man sitting beside her with his arm thrown around her shoulder and keeping her close to him at all times. The hand around her was playing idly with the strands of her crimson hair. He was a few years their senior with wild blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a sharp face. His clothes were formal but donned casually liken to the stereotypical juvenile forced to attend a prestige academy. Even his smile was charming and arrogant synthesized together into one new expression.

The young man eyed cocked a brow at Kylar's entrance.

Kylar paid him little to no mind as he addressed Rias. "I'm sorry to be interrupting something, Rias. But I would like to borrow Akeno…"

He paused to think about something.

"…And perhaps Asia. If it's not too much trouble."

He had seen Akeno felt relieved to have a chance to be out of the room. Rias, however, didn't look pleased to have her Queen taken away. Her expression increased at the request of having another of her Pieces taken. And Akeno's relief warped to one of skepticism, then doubt, and then worry.

He did his best to not look at Asia.

"Now, now, Lantano-kun," Rias leapt out of her seat and approached him in haste. She had found him to be an excuse to get away from the man. A playful smile dressed her but it did not reach her eyes. "If you have something you'd like to discuss you can do so in here. Phenex was just leaving. Oh, where are my manners. Lantano Garuwashi, this is Raizer Phenex, a High-Class Devil of the Phenex Clan. And this Raizer Phenex, is my fiancé."

She grabbed Kylar and bundled her arms around his, pressing her breasts against his forearm and squeezing him tight enough. He could feel the desperation resonating within every ounce of her body. Something must have come up to the point where she was no longer thinking rationally. She latched on to him like a lifeline and if she hadn't she would drown. She smiled sweetly at him, and her eyes were begging at him to at least follow through with this until Raizer left.

No one was amused by her attempt.

Kylar sighed and turned towards Raizer, "Hello Raizer. How are your brothers?"

Rias stiffened.

Raizer smirked, leaned back in his seat, and crossed his leg over his knee. "I almost didn't recognize you, Master Jarl. Your skin is usually dark and hair in locks. Always the master of disguise… I do admire this new look of yours, however. My brothers? Oh they're doing just fine. But really, shouldn't you be asking about my sister? She's always asking Father about you. It's all we ever hear from her for the next few days after you visit.

"But if you don't mind…" Raizer lifted a hand and waved it at Kylar and Rias both. "Surely none of this is true, correct? Ravel would be devastated if she heard this was so."

"No, no, good God no," he laughed and waved his hand in dejection. Raizer gave a small chuckle as well in return. "I think Rias is just a little nervous, is all. How is Ravel, by the way? I think the last time I saw her she was…"

The two of them went on, discussing matters like old friends.

Rias had unlatched herself from Kylar. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him as though he had betrayed her deeply. Her hands were clutched close to her heart.

He spared a glance to her. It was only a small glance but it told her everything she needed to know.

You will get no help from me, his eyes told her.

"Sorry, Raizer," Kylar eventually cut the conversation short. "I'll have to pay a visit when next I'm able to catch up. Right now I have something I need to deal with. If you don't mind…?"

"Not at all," Raizer stood and clasped Kylar's forearm; and Kylar returned the favor. They shook in a single strong grip. "Please, do not let me stop you. I'll make sure to tell Ravel to look forward to your visit. You best not disappoint her, Master Jarl."

Kylar gave a firm nod. There was a bit of edge in Raizer's voice when mentioning his sister. The man loved her dearly, so much so he included her in his peerage. But, thankfully, he never touched her. He only looked out for her and respected the girl for her tactical skills.

"But please, if you've the time, return here once your business is complete," Raizer went on with a smirk. "Rias and I were just discussing the arrangements for the reception hall—"

"Raizer Phenex how many times must I tell you…" Rias gritted her teeth as she snapped. Her face was flushed and she was shaking with fury. "I will never marry you!"

Raizer sighed. A sigh that spoke of someone who had dealt with a labor a thousand times and would be repeating itself for a thousand more. "Rias, darling, how many times must I tell you there is nothing either of us can do about it? Even if I talked to my father and mother, our marriage has already been decided by both our parents. It is out of my hands."

"Right…" Kylar coughed and scooched away from the both of them. "I'm going to just… let you guys settle this one… alone."

Rias looked at him once more. She was now pleading with him to do something. Anything. But he wouldn't be assisting her. This was her burden to deal with and this was her trial to overcome. If he gave her so much as a helping hand, to even advice or a cryptic clue, she would fail her trial. Out of her marriage, sure, but not a respected and useful member of Legion. Her father and brother would be more disappointed in that.

Kylar looked at Akeno and gestured with a nod of his head for her to follow him out of the clubroom. She tilted her head in response but listened. She placed her tray down and moved to follow him. Next, Kylar snapped a finger at Asia— the gesture wasn't needed as he always had her attention— and did the same for her to follow him. She almost jumped to her feet and stepped around the arguing couple.

Koneko looked at him, begging to escape from this drama even if it meant being tossed into the flames of another. He sighed and nodded his head. She gathered her sweets and followed Asia along the long way towards the door.

He felt it crawl on the hairs of his skin before…

"MOVE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs and surged Talent out of his pores. A shield of raw energy circled around him as he moved to the nearest window.

…Right where the first attack was coming from.

The world shook as a barrage laid waste to the Old School building.

0-0-0

His shield of Talent had been costly to both his mystic reserves and his stamina. But it had saved his life as well as those within the room. Demonic shields had been conjured at the alarm in his voice, but they hardly made a difference with the level of firepower put in their assaulter. Kylar took most of the brunt, but even he didn't come out unscathed.

He didn't move at first. He didn't know what he was against, didn't know if moving would trigger another attack, and didn't know exactly how hurt he was. He couldn't be breaking out of the rubble only to find his leg was broken.

He did little twitches with his limbs first; the fingers, the arms, the toes, and then the legs. Everything checked fine. He was sore from taking such a hit that knocked down the walls of the Occult Research Club but everything was manageable.

And then, he closed his eyes and sharpened his senses. He channeled his Talent through his senses to extend his attention. He searched his surroundings through hearing.

"You deflected most of my attack with your body?" came a voice three stories above him. "Impressive. My spear should have destroyed the entire building. And yet only a third of it is gone. What academy did you learn such a potent shield, Magician?"

Kokabiel. He was here. His voice sang with assurance. He knew Kylar was fully conscious even when he didn't move out of his hiding spot.

Kylar kept his breathing down. Kokabiel didn't know he was the Night Angel. He thought he was just a Magician. He remained sprawled under piles of rubble while keeping a surge of Talent through his muscles just in case.

"…Do not play dead with me, Magician."

There was another concussive force near Kylar. It was a few meters away from where he lay but the impact was strong enough to smack him around. More rubble fell on top of him. It would have crushed him if he didn't harden his body with Talent. The pressure was straining. Even with his monstrous reserves it was taking a hefty sum of his stamina to keep the charade up.

He still didn't move.

"Ah," Kokabiel sighed with disappointment. "Perhaps you really are unconscious after all. How droll…"

There was the sound of plaster, wood, and glass shifting followed by a loud thump. He heard the faintest sound of a clicking tongue. It was a universal gesture that most people did even when they didn't notice. But it was the specific way, so miniscule in difference to the countless others who did it similarly, that he was able to pick up who it was first climbing out of the wreckage.

"K-Koneko-chan, you're hurt."

…Or he could have just waited until Asia announced to the world who it was.

There was an even louder boom near him. It didn't contain the same signature as Kokabiel's concussion of divine proportions. He recognized it immediately as his psychotic girlfriend. She unleashed a force of raw demonic energy to blast her way free.

"KYLAR!" she shouted at the top of her lungs in a near-hysteria. She had seen him dash straight for the window where the spear of light was coming for them. She had seen him leap in front of it and use his body as a shield to cushion most of the impact. She knew he was human. It might have been possible, to her, he was dead.

He silently apologized to her as he continued to play dead. He couldn't afford to give away his position.

"There's three…" Kokabiel muttered with satisfaction. "Now, where is the final piece of this set…?"

Kylar heard the crackling of wall as though hundreds of years' worth of rot and abuse fell upon them in a single instance. He recognized this phenomenon as Rias' Power of Destruction. She too unearthed herself.

He also felt intense heat swirl in the general area. The flames of a Phoenix came to mind.

"You!" snarled Raizer with utmost outrage. "How dare you assault my fiancée!"

…At least the guy had his priorities, as lopsided as they were.

No one ever thinks to run away from the Big Bad Wolf these days. They just think they can intimidate it with loud noises. Oh, sure, go ahead and poke that really sharp stick at the Fallen blessed with the power of light. There's no way that won't wind up bad against the likes of a Devil.

~You know,~ the Ka'Kari commented with extra dryness today, ~you could have used me to stop that attack. But nooooo. You're too worried about your secret getting out. Even when half of the people here already know about it.~

'Noted! Now keep quiet while I think.'

Surprisingly, the Ka'Kari actually listened to him.

He could visualize Kokabiel throwing his head back as he laughed, "Now this was unexpected! A spawn of Phenex? This should prove to be amusing. I suppose your death will further the flames of war."

The flames of war?

"Come children," Kokabiel said with delight. "Entertain me. Scream in agony as you struggle for your lives! Cry out in despair so the Night Angel may hear your wallowing!"

He snapped a finger. It echoed as loud as thunder.

"CERBERUS!" Rias cried out as the buzzing and whining noise of summoning magic rang in the air. The feral growling of beasts not seen in the mortal realm in centuries came after. It was more than one mythical beast. Kylar heard the distinct acoustics of a second beast relatively close to the first.

"Scatter!" Rias ordered.

There was a sound of chaos as plaster and wood shattered, granite and cobblestone crumbled, and the whirling screams of air being cut by flight and magic. He heard the crossfire of demonic energies combined with the elements colliding against the savage barks and howls of the guardians of the Underworld.

He knew he couldn't do anything just yet. Kokabiel was floating above them. He was watching them struggle. He would have noticed Kylar disappear instantly if he made the Ka'Kari turn him invisible. His one advantage to this situation had become his one weakness. If he moved, he would reveal himself. Kokabiel might attack him again and this time put more energy to devastate the area.

Right now the Fallen Cadre was entertained. It would have to do.

Plus, he felt like he didn't need to intervene in this battle. The Occult Research Club was more than enough to deal with a few dogs.

He listened to the song of the battle around him. He listened to the drums of explosions, the winds of spells clashing, the chimes of bone breaking, and the trumpets of their vocalized emotions. Within his mind's eye he could play out the entire bout.

"Hoh…?" he heard Kokabiel shift. He was… sitting on something? Something so high above ground?

The next sound being heard was the magic of more summoning circles. Multiples of them. His skin tingled with the sensations and he recognized the energy signature.

Reinforcements had arrived. They were the peerage members of Raizer Phenex.

"Dispatch these beasts!" Raizer roared with the voice of a King whose lands had been scorched by invaders. "Search the ruins! Master Jarl remains within! Go! We will watch your backs!"

"M-Master Jarl?!" he heard the high-pitched gasp of Ravel Phenex, Raizer's younger sister.

The orchestra changed as more players took to the field. There was the pounding of fists like hammers, the slashing of steel, and the ravenous rupture of explosions.

"Here!" he heard the voice of Mihae, Raizer's Bishop beside Ravel. She used a detection charm to locate him.

"Stand back!" Isabella, one of his Rooks, lifted the wreckage off of him.

It wasn't her gloved hands that came to his side. It was the smell of perfume that gave away her identity.

Ravel Phenex knelt down and tenderly examined his injuries. He could almost feel the amount of tension her body withheld as soon as she saw him. Probably because he had lowered his breathing to the point he could have been dead unless closer inspected. She fidgeted and lowered her head close to his face to check if he was breathing.

"I'm playing dead," he whispered softly into her ear. She twitched, almost jerking away in surprise. "Unconscious. Play along."

"He's still alive!" she announced, immediately following his lead. "Quick, Isabela, help me carry him out."

He expected her to heft him over her shoulder. But Isabela was surprisingly gentle. She lifted his body with minimal effort and slung one of his arms around her shoulder. Another girl— Shuriya, a Pawn, based on her height while his eyes remained closed— took the other arm. They half-dragged him out of the wreckage and quickly away from the battle.

Only then, when he knew his back was turned from Kokabiel, did he open his eyes.

"Ah~" he heard Kokabiel call out with surprise and mild amusement. "You were faking your inability. Masterfully, at that. I almost suspected you were on the verge of death, Magician."

Kylar swore aloud and stood on his own feet. His breathing had remained the same. His body had been completely limp. The only difference he made had been opening his eyes. And yet Kokabiel had been able to read such a miniscule shift even without seeing them directly.

"Kylar…" Akeno sighed with heavy relief.

"Lan-kun…" as did Asia.

Both had lowered their guard. Most of the battle had been suppressed as Raizer's peerage took control. The two Cerberi had been subdued and on the verge of defeat. Normally, both the Queen and Bishop would be able to afford this moment to breathe.

But Kokabiel was still present. He sat on a throne floating over their heads. His legs were crossed with one cheek resting in his hand propped at the elbow. His wicked smile grew as he took in their reactions.

A third summoning circle directly from the gates of the Underworld opened. It shined right behind the Queen and Bishop.

Time all but stopped as Kylar's Talent flared through his body. He nearly knocked Raizer's Pawn and Rook down as he turned and rushed for them. The ground beneath his feet cratered as his Talent propelled him forward.

He saw them spin around just in time for three maws of another Cerberus rise out to attack them. Lightning crackled at Akeno's fingertips but she was too late. The beast was upon her faster than she would be able to lift her hand.

Kylar was only halfway to her.

There was a flash as another summoning circle appeared in midair to the side. When the light hit its crescendo did Yuuto Kiba burst out of it. His face was as hard as steel and eyes as sharp as a blade. He came out of the circle with a purpose. He had a blade in his hand and already in motion to intercept.

He lodged off the head that would have taken Akeno's life.

Akeno finished her spell half a second later. Lightning pierced a hole through the dog's hide from its front shoulder and out through the tail.

And Kylar never stopped running. A second later and he slammed his shoulder into the chest of the beast. He crashed into it the same way a cannonball would demolish a brick wall. There was a roar of thunder as bones shattered and organs ruptured. The beast was thrown back, dead before its body hit the ground and fumbled limply.

"Marvelous," Kokabiel clapped his hands, expecting an encore. "This generation has promise! I've not seen the strength in low-born Devils since the climax of the Great War! The Cerberus is no beast easy to fall!"

Nobody moved against him. They all stared up at him with anticipation. They were hesitant to act until he did.

Akeno moved close to Kylar without looking away from the Fallen Angel. She might not have been aware of her actions. She could have done it subconsciously, full of the need to be close to him.

He felt Asia's hands clutch onto the back of his shirt. She was shaking. He couldn't tell if she was terrified because of Kokabiel or for his own sake. Or a combination of both, knowing her.

"This is a direct violation of the armistice!" Rias shouted up to the Fallen Angel. "What purpose could you have to attack the overseer of Devil territory?"

Kokabiel put his face back in his hand as he eyed her. "The Heiress of the Gremory Clan… The Crimson Ruin Princess. I will give you but one chance. Draw up all your forces. Summon all your power. Hit me with your best shot! And, maybe then, I will tell you what purpose this—"

Kokabiel's expression shifted as he noticed something. He had watched Kylar.

Because Kylar had spotted something else in the sky. It was a blackness darker than the night sky. It was like watching a fly zip around that was more of an annoyance despite the situation. His eyes flicked around to follow its movements.

Kokabiel turned his head slightly aside, stretching his senses in search of whatever had gained Kylar's attention.

…The look on his face afterwards was priceless.

The throne shattered as a humanoid meteor slammed into its back and continued to drive forward. Kokabiel's head snapped back in the whiplash as a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, tackling him at literal break-neck speed. The meteor took him over their heads and then abruptly stopped… but not before letting go of the Fallen Angel and throwing him into the gymnasium.

Kokabiel's body tore through the chunk of brick and cement.

"Wingless my ass," said Azrael with a sneer. He flexed the giant mass of leathery wings in such a way to have him drop to the ground. He landed not too far away from the group.

They all watched with diverse discomfort as those wings sank back into his body and reshaped his mass. Azrael had used his Talent to shapeshift; using the muscle, fat, and bone he could spare to grow wings five feet in diameter and was now returning that mass where it belonged.

"What took you so long?" Kylar was the only one capable of speech.

"Go to hell!" Azrael spun on his heels and snapped at him. "Where the fuck was your phone?! I was trying to call you ever since I took flight!"

"On silent," Kylar shrugged. "Didn't want anything to interrupt me. But… seems kinda moot after…"

He eyed the giant hole in the side of the gymnasium.

"Damn kids are always on your phones except when needed," Azrael grumbled while rubbing at one of his brows. "Like when the parents call, or a job opportunity, or as an alarm clock, or when you're about to get attacked by a Cadre-level Fallen! You're getting rusty, kid. I keep telling you that but you don't listen!"

"A friend of yours… Lantano-kun?" asked Rias.

"No," both he and Azrael snapped immediately.

Any other witty remark was cut off when a pillar of light erupted from the center of the gymnasium, devastating it and some of the space around it. A gale of biting wind whipped around them as debris from the building and the surrounding forest were flung everywhere. Shields were erected by every Devil present.

Azrael was not so fortunate. He took a piece of bark to the face. It made him stumble back more out of surprise and annoyance than pain.

"Wingless," the voice of Kokabiel was searing with boiling rage. "What a dirty trick you used. How dare you treat me like a fool? How dare you strike at my back?! Coward! But that's to be expected from the likes of—"

"I'm getting rusty?" Kylar cut him off as he faced Azrael. He put his hands to his chest with a heavy look of disbelief. "The old you would have killed him. You're the one who taught me to never miss an opportunity. So who's the one getting rusty?"

"Kiri-kun…" Akeno grabbed his elbow and gave it a good squeeze. "Maybe you shouldn't annoy the Fallen Angel capable of killing us all."

They chanced a glimpse at Kokabiel. The Cadre's face had washed away into complete serenity. His anger had reached a point of inhuman proportions. It couldn't be measured or expressed by human perspective.

"You should get out of here," Kylar said in a low voice. He shrugged his arm free. "We'll deal with him."

"But… what if you get hurt?" Asia asked at his back.

"I'll get hurt if you stick around," he said with a cynical smile. "I can't face him and protect you at the same time."

"…Is there really nothing we can do?" Rias asked after hearing him. "I am the overseer of this city. It's my duty to protect it. Is there nothing we can do to assist you?"

He only needed half a second to think about it. He turned his head so she could see the corner of his face, all without taking his eyes off of Kokabiel.

"You'll only get in my way. Raizer, get them out of here. The old man and I will take care of this. And someone please get a hold of Sirzechs…"

"Yes, Master Jarl," Raizer said with a bit of relief in his tone. For all his bravado, he was more than knowledgeable he and his peerage didn't stand a chance against the likes of a Cadre Fallen.

"Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, oi, OI!" a voice called out from seemingly nowhere. "What the shit is this?! So many disgusting Devil babes and no one invited me to the party?! I'm hurt by all of you."

A veil of reality was torn down. Stepping out of nothingness was a young man with gray hair in the black cloak of an Exorcist. From the voice alone Kylar had been able to recognize him.

He was the bearer of the Silver Ka'Kari. He was someone who had managed to surprise the Night Angel and take one of his lives.

"Freed Sellzen," snarled Kiba with utmost animosity.

Freed had in his hand a golden sword brimming with chaotic energies. It was full of divine might and magic that was going out of control. Tendrils of golden light arched around it like solar flares. The air hissed and space vibrated around it. It was pulsing with too much power without a stabilizer.

"Oh yeah," Azrael said as though he had forgotten something. "That's a thing. Kokabiel plans on using that sword as a bomb. It's made from all the Excalibur Fragments he stole. It's going to take out most of the city."

"…What?" it was Rias who said with alarm.

"Fun," Kylar groaned. "Can you deal with Kokabiel?"

"Who do you think I am?" Azrael responded with a growl of insult.

"Freed," Kokabiel called out as he began to roll up the sleeves of his suit. He was going to get serious now that Azrael was going to interfere with his plans. "Kill them all. Start with the Magician."

"Sure thing, boss!" Freed hefted the sword and gave a salute.

And then, he was just gone. The illusionary works of Excalibur Transparency turned him invisible. But it didn't do anything against his surroundings. When he moved forward, he had kicked up the dust the battle had already created.

He was using Excalibur Rapidly to amplify his speed mixed in with…

"HE'S TALENTED!" Kylar shouted as he moved forward to intercept.

More than half of the group understood what it meant. Raizer and his peerage for sure. Akeno did as well. But everyone else almost drew in a blank or looked at him as though he was crazy. They probably thought he had shrieked to the world that Freed had some skill. Not Talented with the capital 'T'.

He could feel the pressure of the makeshift Excalibur sword draw in close. The Black Ka'Kari shifted through his body and he was about to call it out as a dagger to meet with the first swing.

Kiba beat him to it. The Knight of Gremory had rushed forward with his superior speed and threw himself at Freed first. Sparks lit up as his demonic sword skidded along the edge of his false Excalibur. He had been able to read the flow of Freed's movements based on air pressure and instinct alone. He deflected three blows before his demonic sword shattered.

"Ha!" cackled Freed. "This is awesome! So very awesome! Your demonic garbage doesn't stand a chance against my Excalibuuuuuur~"

"Then how about this?!" Kylar roared as he charged forward.

His Talent flared through his body, making his skin glow with ethereal light on par with the Excalibur. Even with the properties of Excalibur Rapidly, Freed barely had a chance to shift his guard over to block Kylar's charge. Kylar had fired off like a rocket and slammed into him.

He had a black blade forged from the Black Ka'Kari in his grip. It bit into the Excalibur, sinking half an inch into the blade and devouring its holy light.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Freed shrieked in a panic and drew away from Kylar. "What the shit is this?! How are you doing that?! That… hey wait a minute now… That blade. I've seen it before. You're not some new wielder either. Those murderous eyes; I feel like I've seen them before. I know you, don't I?"

Kylar kept quiet. The Black Ka'kari had taken a fair portion out of the Excalibur but it was nowhere near enough to stop it from exploding. From the way it was pulsing… he'd have to get rid of the blade entirely. Or he could have his Ka'kari drink the energies and reduce the blast to a minimum. Maybe wreck the schoolyard at most rather than the entire city.

~Whatever works best for you. Just don't drop your guard like last time. He recognizes you.~

"Get out of here!" Kylar barked when no one else was moving.

"Absolutely not," Kiba bit back. He created another demonic sword and readied himself. His eyes were flaring with hatred at the Excalibur. "I will destroy that blade no matter what."

"Kiba!" shouted Rias. "You're coming with us! That's an order from your King!"

His grimace twitched. He didn't bother looking at Rias. "I'm sorry, Buchou. But that's an order I can't accept."

"Raizer!" Kylar turned to the elder Phenex. "Get her out of here!"

The man looked conflicted. He exchanged glances between Kylar and Rias. Eventually, he shook his head, "If she stays, then I will stay to support her. She is my fiancée and will not leave her alone."

"I don't plan on leaving without my Knight," Rias protested defiantly.

Goddamn stupid teenage brats!

"Then take him," Kylar snarled in frustration.

Kiba turned just enough in alarm to see Kylar's fist drive into his left temple. The Knight stumbled half-consciously and it took a second hit from Kylar to get him out. The demonic sword crumbled apart into raw energy as Kiba collapsed. Kylar caught him and shoved his body towards the group.

Koneko was the one to catch him. She looked up at him with mixed feelings of appreciation and disapproval.

"Thank you, Lan-kun," Rias said with a heavy sigh of relief. Her eyes remained hardened, "I'm going to entrust this to you then. Be sure to make them pay."

"Scout's honor," he replied with a three-fingered salute.

"Now we leave," Raizer announced and snapped a finger.

His Bishops and a few Pawns were already working on the mass-teleportation circle. It was a generic model that would take everyone within its confides to a distant location. It took a few short seconds for it to gather enough energy to take everyone away. There was a brief flash before they vanished.

He almost felt hurt. His girlfriend didn't tell him bye. But she fully believed in him. There wasn't a need for any distractions like a worrying look.

Now it was Kylar and Azrael against Freed and Kokabiel.

"I do know you," Freed said suddenly. He snapped a finger and pointed at Kylar. "Yeah, I didn't get it at first but yeah I totally remember you now. Your thingy makes you just as immortal as me, yeah? But I coulda sworn dicing up your head would'a done the trick. I wonder then… would cutting your whole body to chunks work? Should I burn them and spread the ashes? Ooo… this is making me frisky."

"Freed Sellzen," Kylar growled as he readjusted his grip on the Ka'Kari blade. He had never lowered his guard against the former Exorcist nor had he looked away. The blade was always positioned to attack or defend. "How did you get in possession of the Silver Ka'Kari?"

Freed's eyes flashed with glee, "Is that what it's called?! Well, ain't you a smart fella! Yeah, see, this thing has been in my family for generations. My pa got it from his pa and the pa before that and so on. It's the last treasure of the Sellzen name. It just so happens I'm the only one able to use it. Makes me sorta special, don'tcha think?"

There were a total of seven Ka'Kari. Six made by Ezra based on Kylar's Black Ka'Kari. Most of them had been retrieved by him with the exception of three. The Red Ka'Kari was floating somewhere in the mantel of the Earth. The Blue was lost in the Bermuda Triangle. And the Silver had been lost through unknown means.

Freed's family held onto it. It was possible. Very possible. The Ka'Kari could have easily been seen as regal jewels. Suppose someone from the family did know what it did but didn't trust the heir to know what it did. He could have handed it off to a friend or just tell the heir some bogus story. Say, it could have been a gift of a king or something ludicrous. And over the generations, the story might change.

In this day and age, where Talent was nigh existent, there was no way to tell when a shiny rock was really something special. Even the mages of today couldn't tell if the Ka'Kari had magic potential. Talent was just too unique compared to the magical schools and signatures exchanged today.

But all it would take is one child under the right conditions to pick up the Ka'Kari and bond with it. A one in a millionth chance, but still possible.

Freed was one such person, conveniently born into the family that held this treasure, had picked it up, and had gained a reaction out of it.

The six forgeries made by Ezra granted their wielders immortality… to a certain extent. It allowed them to live forever if no lethal harm came their way. And, depending on which of the six Ka'Kari they were branded with, they were invincible to certain means of death. Freed's Silver Ka'Kari granted him invincibility against metal, just as his Ka'Kari granted him manipulation over metal.

But Kylar's was the original. It was the more potent one with the other six being pale imitations. Not even Ezra as he was now as Great Red could fully understand its mysteries. The Black Ka'Kari, the Devourer, could eat away at anything. Kylar never remained dead when he was killed. He would be back.

And, he could devour mass and energy.

"I only have one thing to ask you," Kylar said in a firm voice. "Do you regret?"

"What an odd thing to ask," Freed replied with his twisted smile. "Regret? Regret is for pussies. I love my job too much to regret anything. Maybe, if anything, letting those succulent Devils go while I tried to remember who you were, Hyoudou-san. Oh, wait, that would make me a pussy then, wouldn't it? I take it back. I regret nothing. Eh, I'll be raping and killing them when this is over anyways. I regret nothing!"

"Then I judge you, FREED SELLZEN!"

Kylar roared out as he brought the Ka'Kari to his eyes. Blue flames burned out of his sockets without damaging his vision. He could see Freed as clearly as he would in the day. And more. He was peering into Freed's soul, reading every list of sin the man had accumulated. He was guiltless of doing anything but that didn't make him sinless. He had performed evil, knowing it was evil, but believing it was virtuous.

"Murderer," Kylar announced as he charged at Freed. The blade of the Black Ka'Kari bashed against the Excalibur, biting into the alchemic metal. "Thief! Rapist! Heretic!"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" Freed stumbled back as every strike tore away larger chunks of his sword. "What're you doing?! That's my Excali-chan! How are you breaking it apart?! Is that what yours does?! No fair! Mine doesn't let me eat magical energies!"

"SINNER!" Kylar roared as he brought his blade around once more in a swing powered by his Talent.

Freed was Talented and knew how to use it. He had gained immeasurable sums of Talent from the Silver Ka'Kari. But it was nowhere near the amount accumulated by the Black nor from Kylar's ageless experiences. Freed had the power to match against the lower and middle tier monsters of the moonlit world. That didn't mean he had a chance against the heavy hitters.

Such as the Night Angel.

Kylar's Talent exploded out of his arms at the last swing. The blade smashed into the Excalibur and cut it in two. The top half of the blade lit up like the first rays of dawn.

And then everything became white as it exploded.

The Black Ka'Kari rushed through Kylar, covering the entirety of his body as soon as the explosion went off. It would have knocked him, it would have peeled back his skin, and it would have killed him hadn't the Black been there to save him. His body was a mass of black metal that drank in the explosion— the kinetic and magical force plus the radioactive residue created by the holy radiance. The Ka'Kari drank all of it and spared him from dying.

When the light faded, only a withered hilt remained on the ground. The ground was ripped asunder by the detonation. The Black Ka'Kari had devoured most of the energies before the blast could reach critical mass. The city was saved.

There wasn't any remains of Freed to mourn over.

"KYLAR!" Azrael shouted.

Kylar spun and brought his hand up. He noticed only briefly at how his fingers were glowing like individual stars, swirling with energies wrought by the Excalibur's explosion. That energy was the residue the Ka'Kari couldn't devour. After all, there was only so much a person could eat in one sitting. All the rest was leftover and it made his body shimmer.

The spear of light Kokabiel had flung at him crashed into his palm. There was a shock from the impact, but it didn't pierce his metallic skin. He remained standing on his feet. His hand closed around the spear, crushing it before it could detonate. The spear of light turned into dust by his crushing grip.

"Magician…" purred Kokabiel with a wide smile and large eyes. "What amazement! How amazing! I should have guessed through your trickery. Through such marvelous deception! You were the Night Angel all along! I would have never guessed! Such is the nature of the Night Angel itself!"

Azrael was panting. His suit was crinkled with a few tears. There were a few bruises on his face and his fingers were bleeding from using his strings of light too much.

Kokabiel hardly looked winded. Other than a few cuts and reddened streaks where Azrael's strings had landed, he looked none the worse for wear.

"Kokabiel," Kylar spoke in the echoing voice of the Night Angel. The metallic skin flexed and molded itself into the visage of Retribution. "I judge you."

"And what is it that you find within me, Night Angel?" Kokabiel cackled as he disregarded Azrael.

Kylar… couldn't find anything. The man was a Fallen Angel. By definition he was a creature of sin. He had disobeyed the Word of the One God and fallen to the mortal planes. He had given himself to sin and chose a life of debauchery.

But… his only sin was following a man he looked up to, Azazel, and teaching the mortals about constellations. Kokabiel gave humanity the wisdom of the stars.

Kokabiel… was innocent.

He had killed, but never murdered. He had fought in the Great War, had killed his brothers and sisters, but never once stained his soul of evil. Never. His methods were cruel, vicious, callous, heartless, and malignant, but not evil.

Earlier in the week, Kylar had compared him to the real Lantano Garuwashi. It had been something of a joke. And he had said Garuwashi was still the better man.

But… Kokabiel was sinless.

Kylar couldn't judge him. Not as the Night Angel. Not as the face of Retribution. He could not bestow upon him Justice, Mercy, or Vengeance. The Justice would be to allow Kokabiel to walk away. There was nothing to forgive with Mercy. And there was nothing to avenge through Vengeance.

Threatening to destroy the city through the Excalibur…? Even then. There wasn't a stain in Kokabiel's soul.

…Because he would have stopped the blast from happening. He wouldn't have allowed humanity to die. Not he, who had nurtured humanity since the dawn of creation. The Devils and Angels he would gladly crush under his boot. But never humanity.

Kylar read all of this within Kokabiel's core. His wings may have been blackened from the Fall… but his soul was still as pure as an Angel's.

Kokabiel's smile widened. He knew all this. "What is wrong, Night Angel? Will you not judge me? Will you not give me a warrior's death? Will you not stop me from starting another Great War and killing millions?!"

Rage boiled through Kylar. He wanted to kill Kokabiel. He had killed greater men for less. But that was as Kylar Drake, as a wetboy. Not as the Night Angel. Under the guise of the Night Angel, he couldn't touch Kokabiel.

"Millions will die," he tried instead to reason, "including the innocent. Will you allow them to perish out of your pride, Star of God?"

Sin. Sin! Fuck, Kokabiel, sin!

Kylar screamed inside his head. He needed just one taint. Just a drop of blood in this vast ocean. Just enough taint to remove Kokabiel from existence.

Kokabiel almost looked sad, "Not today. Perhaps one day. But not now. Not when the Gremory and Sitri Heirs are away. Not when the sisters of the Devil Kings are out of my reach. But that day has been promised. You, Night Angel, have destroyed six of the Excalibur Fragments. Heaven and its Church will surely wage war against the Fallen for this. I thank you for this."

"KYLAR!" Azrael croaked. "Kill him! Do it now!"

He knew he couldn't do it. Azrael knew the burdens of being the Night Angel. He knew better than the One God Himself.

He couldn't stop sin from happening. He could only punish it.

He would have to let the war start before he could do anything about it.

Such was what it meant to be the Night Angel.

The three faces; Justice, Mercy, and Vengeance— they could only appear at the presence of sin. He was the one who guarded from the light from the shadows. He was the avenger of the damned and the protector of law.

But he wasn't a shield. He was a sword.

"I was hoping for something… more," Kokabiel said as he gripped the hem of his suit. He pulled it tighter around himself. "But now I know your identity. Now I know how to find you. I know how to hurt you, Night Angel."

"Hurt any of them and you will answer to me!" Kylar snarled.

Kokabiel could only laugh at that. His wings flexed, folded over himself…

And he was gone in a flash of white light.

0-0-0

She stopped moving. Her head turned towards the east.

The snow didn't bother her. She remained frozen with ageless eyes scanning the horizon. The snow pelted her, covering her in a blanket of white. She remained where she stood until it covered her entirely.

The smallest of twitches had the snow falling off.

"There you are," Ophis whispered.

She had felt it. Rather, she had felt the nothingness only the likes of the Night Angel could create. She had felt the void in his presence. She had felt a disturbance of power— horrendously insignificant compared to the weavings of nature constantly ruling over the world— but had also felt the gap between them. It was a blank spot. It was pure nothingness. It was open space.

The only one who could create such a gap was she… and the Night Angel.

She was close. So very close. Now she knew where he was. He was in the archipelago that was Japan.

"I, am coming for you. My… Azoth…"

0-0-0

"And you let him escape?" Rias asked, almost demanded. She was one step from doing so. The only reason she kept her anger in check was because of who she was addressing.

"I did," Kylar replied without hesitation.

They met in one of the safehouses of Legion. It was where Raizer had told his Pieces to send them all. An hour after the battle did Kylar and Azrael meet up with them. They gave a briefing of the situation. Kylar was alone now with Rias, Raizer, and their peerages while Azrael dismissed himself to give orders to other members of Legion.

"Why?" Rias was burning. "How could you let a monster like that go?"

"Rias…" Akeno tried to get her to reel back.

"She doesn't understand," Kylar interjected. "There are… rules. Rules that even I have to follow. I am the avatar of Retribution. I uphold the law. Holding a person against their will is illegal, no matter how you look at it."

"He was going to destroy the entire city!" Rias burst out.

"No, he wasn't," he shook his head. "It was a ruse. His goal is to trigger another Great War. He feels… disappointed. He wants to prove the Fallen are the best out of the three Biblical Factions. There was nothing within him I could see that stained his heart. There was nothing I could do."

"Rias, try to understand where Master Jarl—" Raizer tried to calm his fiancée.

"Don't touch me," Rias shirked away from him as soon as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Garuwashi, do you understand that monster was going to kill my servants? And you can look at me in the eye and tell me there was nothing you could do about that? Threatening the lives of others doesn't qualify for the Night Angel to take action?!"

"No," he answered bluntly. "Threats are nothing but words. Actions speak louder. I can't do anything unless actions were made. Unless the sin is made."

It was both true and false. As Kylar Drake, he could kill Kokabiel whenever he wanted. But if he appeared as the Night Angel, there was nothing he could do. It was the same when facing the real Lantano Garuwashi. He couldn't bear to kill the man even when the man wanted to start a campaign that would have killed thousands of lives. Lantano Gaurwashi was entirely sinless. He was a proud warrior who lived through a code of honor.

Everything screamed Kokabiel was a monster. Even Kylar thought so. But, according to the law the Black Ka'Kari followed, he wasn't a monster. He was a man with hopes and dreams. He was a man of virtue, of honor, of discipline. Nothing he did was evil. Twisted and corrupt, maybe, but never evil.

"He will be back," Rias said, folding her arms under her chest and glaring at him.

"I'm not leaving," Kylar said back to her. "We've sent word to your brother and the Leviathan. We've spread the word of other members of the Order. Kokabiel is at large. Even Azazel will keep an eye out for him. Now, I would like to have that word with your Queen and Bishop if you would be so kind."

"Just… go," Rias sighed and waved a hand in dismissal. She was tired. Agitated and on edge, but tired most of all. It was her first crisis as the overseer. Someone beyond her expectancy had appeared and threatened to destroy everything she ruled over. And that person was able to walk away. She wasn't angry at him. She was taking it out on him but she was more angry at herself. He could forgive her for this much.

He cocked his head to the side in a gesture for Asia and Akeno to follow him.

He led them down the hallway and into one of the spare rooms. It was one of the spare apartment rooms that held a cot and a few essentials. Members of Legion who needed a place to stay could hole up here depending on their missions. He could use it for a quiet meeting between these two. Hell, he owned the building. By thunder if someone told him otherwise.

"Are you two okay?" he asked as soon as Akeno shut the door behind her.

"A little shaken…" Asia answered immediately. She looked frightened despite the danger being away for now. And then she grew flustered, "B-But, Ise-kun— I mean… Kylar. Are you okay? You weren't hurt, were you?"

He gave her a small smile. He noticed immediately Akeno's lips thinned.

"I'm fine," he told Asia anyways. "You won't have to worry about Freed anymore. He's been taken care of."

"…Oh," Asia nodded in acceptance. Sad acceptance. She wasn't sad about Freed dying. She was more sad Kylar had taken his life.

"Akeno?" he asked next. "Are you okay?"

"If…" she paused to choose her words carefully. She entered the room but kept her distance from him and Asia. "If you are asking if I am hurt, I am fine. Untouched, really. But am I fine? No, Kylar, I don't think I am."

She looked up at him. Her stance was guarded and her eyes were burning. She was beyond angry at him.

"You don't call," she began in a quiet voice that made him try to listen. "You don't go home. You don't go to school. You don't leave a message. And Officer Takahashi tells me nothing. I understand your duties as the Night Angel, Kylar. And I understand if you can't tell me somethings. But I'm beginning to feel you don't trust me enough to tell me when you're going."

The hurt in her eyes made him want to look away. He didn't. He kept his eyes locked on hers. However, he struggled to find the right words to calm her. Everything to come to mind couldn't be said by his tongue. Because it was nothing but excuses and lies. He was in a relationship with Akeno. She deserved better.

But he also couldn't bear to tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her why he had been avoiding her. Why he was so ashamed to confront her about this. Even now, alone with no way to escape.

~To think the Night Angel has commitment issues…~

"Oh shut up!" he snapped out loud.

Akeno's eyes flared into something maddening.

"No, not you!" he put up a hand quickly. "The Ka'Kari. It told me— Never mind. Look, Akeno, you deserve an explanation."

"I would certainly hope so. But does your explanation have something to do with Argento-san being here?"

Asia fidgeted where she stood. She looked up at Kylar with nothing but concern in her eyes.

Kylar desperately wanted to find a hole and stick his head under it until all the problems went away. But if that didn't work for ostriches, it wasn't going to work here. If it didn't work under his persona Hyoudou Issei— no, no, that persona was what started this mess in the first place.

"I made a mistake," he began, looking Akeno squarely in the eye. "The other day when you were with Rias talking about her engagement plans with Raizer, I was alone with Asia. Kiba was away trying to chase after the Excalibur wielders. And Koneko was with her classmates."

It didn't take a second for Akeno's eyes to widen. She understood where this was going.

"It's my fault!" Asia blurted out. "Ise-kun had nothing to do with it! I was the one who kissed him! Please don't be mad at him! I know he's your boyfriend! But… B-But… I love him so much. I'm sorry, Himejima-sempai. I'm so ashamed of myself. I couldn't help myself. I'm so sorry!"

She was sobbing and repeating herself, telling them over and over how sorry she was to have done it and how betrayed she felt for doing it.

"I kissed her back," Kylar said in a calm voice. A heavy voice, but calm compared to Asia's sobbing. "I was avoiding you because I wasn't sure what I was supposed to tell you. But that's what happened. We kissed. I shouldn't have done it but I did. I love you enough Akeno to tell you what happened. You deserve better respect."

Akeno slid her arms under her chest. Her hands gripped onto her elbows as she looked away from the two. She said nothing while Asia cried out apologies and Kylar stood there like a dumbass. He had no idea what else he could tell her. All he could do was await her judgment.

"…Okay," she said in a low voice.

Kylar stared at her for a moment.

"Okay… what?" he pressed from her.

"I already knew, Kylar," she said with a voice of irritation. "Rias told me everything. But I wanted to hear it from you. Even if she didn't tell me I could have figured it out on my own. Being in the same room as you two like this right now tells me the entire story."

…He tried to ignore the sound of the Ka'Kari laughing at his misery.

"I knew as soon as you told me Asia was the cost of your immortality," Akeno continued. "The Black Ka'Kari feeds off of love. You tried desperately to push me away because you were worried I would be sacrificed. When you died because of that Exorcist, it was Asia who was taken. Not me. Asia meant more to you than I do. I've always known and I've always accepted that."

He stared at her some more. Now it was his turn to be disbelieving.

"Do you hear yourself?" he asked. "Akeno, seriously, do you hear yourself? It sounds like you would have been glad if you were the one to have died. Asia is here because of the Evil Pieces. You've already been made into a Devil. Do you understand you can't come back if you were to die?!"

She looked straight at him, "I understand. But knowing I would have died because you loved me the most would have made me happy beyond measure. I would have gladly died for you."

~You gotta admit,~ his Ka'Kari shrugged inside his head, ~it sounds kinda romantic. In a twisted sort of way.~

"Kylar…" Akeno said softly. "Do you love Asia? Do you really love her?"

Asia had stopped sobbing. She peered up at Kylar through the rim of her fingers.

He frowned and didn't say anything for a while. It was his turn to cross his arms.

"You already know I do," he admitted. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at Asia. It wasn't fair to talk like this to Akeno and not to her. "Asia, I shouldn't. I am in a relationship with Akeno. She's mine as much as I am hers. I'm sorry, but I can't shouldn't return these feelings to you. I don't even think we should be friends. I care about you too much and that's not fair to Akeno. It's better if we never talk again."

Asia looked absolutely heartbroken. But she bowed her head and nodded. She sniffed as more tears started to begin.

"Now… hold on…" Akeno said. It sounded like she struggled to say that. "I don't think that's fair either, Kylar."

They both looked at her. Kylar with confusion and Asia with hope.

Akeno frowned. She looked unhappy when her eyes met Asia's. "Argento-san, I don't like you. I don't think I ever will. I've been jealous of you since we first met. You got to live with Kylar before I could. You were going to leave with him while he abandoned me. And you were the price for his immortality. He picked you over me in every way. It really hurts, you know, when I'm supposed to be his girlfriend. I really should let you drown with this rejection.

"But… I can't help but feel for you. I can't imagine what it would be like without Kylar. You really do love him. And he loves you. I can't live without him and I can't imagine what you must be going through."

His mind came to a screeching halt. The metaphorical train tried to pull on the brakes. But the emergency brakes weren't working. The station was approaching! Oh shit. There was a massive collision that killed a dozen abstract concepts of thought who were carrying out their daily routine.

"I have conditions," Akeno said sternly. She pointed a finger per each condition as she faced Asia. "Number one, I am the alpha. Number two, I get five out of the seven days of the week. I'll allow you to pick two. Number three, no matter what I get to sleep with him first. Number four, I'm the only one who gets to snuggle up in his bed, period. Number five—"

"No," he snapped as his mind finished rebooting. "Absolutely not. Akeno, what the hell are you saying?"

Both girls looked at him as Akeno answered, "Is this not what you wanted, Kiri-kun? I was sure you wouldn't mind sharing two gorgeous maidens all to yourself."

"I'm not a Devil," he argued. "I'm human. I made a commitment to you. I'm not going to dishonor it by bedding multiple women."

There was a loud knock on the door. Followed by Azrael's voice, "The harem route!"

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Kylar shouted after the man kept walking through the hallway.

"Bedding?" Akeno pouted. "Kiri-kun, you and I haven't done the deed yet. You have no right to say that until you've popped my cherry. We could even do it here and now. We could make Asia watch until I climax. And then, as I recover, you can give her a turn."

Asia was shaking with a face as red as a tomato.

"Does that ring not mean anything to you?" Kylar argued. He pointed to the brand of mistarille attached to her ear. "That's a ring for marriage. That's my ring. It's linked to the other set I always keep on hand."

To prove it, he pulled out the matching ring out of his pocket. It was nigh indestructible anyhow. The magic had survived despite the eons and could take a few beatings whenever he was the Night Angel— though he always tucked it away in a compartment when he was out patrolling.

Yet, the ring was broken. It had been snapped in two. It had been broken for millennia because of the breaking of the compulsion.

He kept it because it had belonged to Elene, whom Vi had stolen and ring-raped him into a marriage contract. Elene, his Doll Girl, was someone he loved lethally.

"It means everything to me," Akeno countered. She frowned deeply at him this time. "Kylar, I love you more than life itself. I would happily die for you. I would do anything for you. Even if it means I have to share that love with someone else. I took this ring knowing you already loved Asia. You mean the world to me."

She stepped forward and took his hands. He didn't meet her eyes.

She didn't need him to. She pressed herself against him and kissed his lips. He didn't kiss back at first, too ashamed of himself. But, as she pushed harder, the sensation of her touch lulled him to return the favor. He kissed her back, still ashamed of himself but full of want and love for her. She never forgave him because she had already done so long ago.

She loved him. She knew everything about him when he had spent months trying to hide these feelings from her. And she fully accepted him for who and what he was.

"This still isn't right," he said to her when they broke apart.

"Don't think I'm just as happy about it," she said to him with a voice of disdain. "But whatever makes you happy. Argento-san, come here. Why don't you give your new boyfriend a smooch?"

Asia jumped where she stood. "C-Can I really? Himejima-sempai? I… I would like that very much."

"I have no say in this?" he growled.

Asia looked at him with eyes full of hurt. "Oh. Ise— Kylar… Do you not like me? I thought that… I-If you don't want to… You are Himejima-sempai's boyfriend after all… It would be shameless to have another lover. I understand…"

"Don't be like that," Akeno slapped his shoulder. "I'm doing a lot by allowing this, you know. Just think about it. I'm allowing you to have an affair with another woman. While I watch you swap spit with a woman you love that's not me. While you look into each other's eyes with passion and hold each other. While you both moan with pleasure while I watch… Oh just hurry up and kiss her already."

"…There is something seriously wrong with you," he held nothing back.

"I love you too," she said with a smile and stepped back. She gestured for Asia to step forward.

When Asia did, she peered up at Kylar with hope-filled eyes.

~Isn't it every man's dream to have a harem? Both girls seem okay with it. There was also that one time when you had—~

"We will not talk about this," he said out loud. Both to his Ka'Kari and to the girls.

"A secret affair?!" Akeno gasped. "Even better! I'll pretend to never know about it! But make sure no one else finds out either before I'm supposed to!"

There was something seriously wrong with Akeno. He was also pretty sure everyone else knew about it. There was no way he could keep something like this a secret.

"Kylar…" Asia said softly as she kept staring. "I… I meant what I said the other day. I do love you. I felt horrible about doing that when you were with Himejima-sempai. But… if she says it's okay… I won't hold back. I love you, Kylar. I love you so much it hurts. I want to be with you always. Will you let me stay by your side?"

When he first met Asia, he couldn't help but compare her to Elene. It wasn't fair to her. She looked so much like Doll Girl even when they were two completely different people. He had to make a literal list dividing the differences between them.

He couldn't see that any longer. Asia was Asia and Elene was Elene.

Asia was too much of a sweetheart. She cared too much about his morality. She cared too much about his health, about his mentality, about him. She put him over herself. She openly prayed for him even when it would cause her harm as a Devil. She would fret over him even on the smallest of matters. She would ask about him. And she would go out of her way to make herself helpful to him.

He had watched that crush become genuine love. She wanted to know him, to be with him, to accept him.

He could only sigh in resignation.

He grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to him. Her face flushed slightly, and then they deepened in color when he moved his hands around her back and pulled her tighter to him. She didn't shirk away. If anything, she fully accepted and embraced him. Her eyes lit up despite her innocent demeanor.

"I think this is a huge mistake," he sighed one last time.

"…I love you, Kylar," she said quietly. Her blush intensified. "Will you not have me too?"

It was physically impossible to deny the look in her eyes.

He pulled her up to him and kissed her. Her body shuddered by his touch as she kissed him back. He could feel the tension in her body relax as though she had been stressed about this all her life. She had been holding a great weight all to herself. Hell, she had jumped in front of the gun and screamed she was the one who started this whole mess. She was willing to face the wrath of Akeno for his sake.

She was crying as he kissed her. They were tears of joy and relief. She was in absolute bliss over this.