Contracts.

Coming into agreement with another party for an exchange. Either by word of mouth or written binding.

There is power that comes in agreement. Whether it be working together for a common goal or for one's own will and goal to be subordinate to another to advance, a means for people to reach objectives they cannot on their own means.

Usually in myths it comes off as a monkey's paw, a fulfilled wish for a price. A price frequently equated to one's own soul and freedom.

Now, it acts as a lucrative business to fulfil common desires and luxuries using Magic as a binding guarantee while giving us more power.

I, as a Knight of Rias Gremory, am encouraged to fulfil contracts of my own. I supply people with kitchen knives, sets as well as cosplay props.

We have recently lost contact to some of our clients. Either they moved out of town or got into an accident. Or so the rumors say. We suspect foul play.

What am I to say? These things happen. That is just how things are. That is how this world, life is. Move on.

Under heavy rain with my umbrella, I kept walking thinking of such. I walk from one of my loyal contractors. She's a cosplayer among others, end of story.

The night in Kuoh is novel to me. Despite the darkness the town is clear to my eyes. Quiet and being into a reflective mood I remember the last few weeks. Things happened the same as the canon timeline.

Issei still became the Pawn of Rias Gremory, on his way to be the overpowered harem king.

Asia the blonde ex-nun cinnamon roll found the love of her life and a family alongside eternal youth. A Bishop of Rias Gremory just like in canon.

Except Riser. I made sure we won the Rating Game for Rias's hand in marriage by equipping my friends and my performance pulling blade after blade to counter the numbers and his regeneration.

I ended up wandering towards my apartment near Kuoh Academy. Seeing nostalgic sights.

The park where Issei became a Pawn.

The "church" building where Asia joined the 'club'.

The walk into the night seemed more pleasant than it was time before. The quietness of the night seems peaceful.

Even the crickets are quiet.

…yes. Because that's natural.

…GODDAM-

No, no, its OK. Everything will be fine. Just keep walking. KEEP walking, Kiba.

Hearing footsteps in the rain other than my own, I have to resist the urge to curse before even seeing the person.

It was a priest limping in haste with a nasty wound on his left leg. Looking at me in worry and concern then turning to a hateful glare, probably knowing what race I am when he got close.

Huh, this guy's pretty good.

I can feel a headache coming from this.

I wonder why he isn't mentioned?

Suddenly a blade burst from his chest.

The priest looked comically surprised. An outline of a single edged blade dripping in blood can be seen. The soon to be corpse fell down.

Well, shit. I tensed my body for a fight. A pair of short katanas appeared on my hands. My eyes scanning the clearing.

I saw a man with deranged red eyes and silver hair wearing priestly garments. Similar to the one before. Freed Sellezen.

One of the Stray Exorcists and a formidable enemy for Issei and his harem for the first few arcs.

I let out a breath I was holding.

"Man, and here I thought it was something serious"

Getting worked up for nothing.

My eyes peer through magic circles I formulated through years of study.

So those are the Excaliburs? All I can truly see is a simple long sword on his right. The left one seems Transparent.

Creating a cursed counterpart will require some effort and time but the blue print is now recorded to memory.

Then again, I can just loot the rapist murderer later.

I throw knives towards the general direction of Freed. He deflects most while the others stick near the fallen priest.

I activate their effect.

"Curse On: Flesh, Stagnate." I mutter under my breath unheard by anyone but me.

The priest coughing up his final breath stills.

I look back to my opponent 5 paces away from me. Taunting and cocksure.

I did not manage to kill him back at the church nor was the fight seemingly in my favour before he retreated, overwhelmed by our numbers.

Back where we fought.

"Well, well, well, if it isnt the Hell knight of Gremory?", the one dimensional villain spoke as predictable as he was.

"Sup." Appear nonchalant yet keenly observe your surroundings. Your eyes must never leave your enemy, keep track. As sensei taught me.

"Looks like I can test my Excalibur, huh?"

I put more power into my eyes. I see the outline of a double edged sword against the heavy rain. Transparency? The other single edged sword he is flashing within his coat, Rapidly?

No wonder he escaped before in canon against someone with a hate boner and enhanced speed.

"Funny, I was looking for a test dummy myself." Do not fear the battle. Confront and master it.

I raised two katanas to meet his own. No words, no light or fanfare. They simply were in my hands to those who observe.

An exchange of blows happened.

He is transparent but my senses and body attuned to magic being cautious of the Holy Element gave me something to work with.

Block. Behind. Counter. Tsk.

Light cuts are irritatingly burning in pain as if open wounds doused in salt.

His blade and sadistic tendencies are noted.

Not being able to track my opponent with my eyes is a standard with my Teacher.

Freed is even slower. Weaker. My katana burns away and breaks after a few collisions and is replaced by an identical one quickly in less than the blink of an eye.

I manage to block and counter, shallowly cutting.

Freed will feel pricked. His heartbeat will increase. He seems to be playing with me with that expression on his face.

I always seem to misjudge the length of the other one. Is it Mimic? No, Irina has not yet come here to Kuoh.

Every three nicks of mine and he passes my guard.

That smile of assured victory on his face is annoying.

Frankly... I am holding back myself. Waiting for the opportune moment.

These blades are meant to curse the iron in the blood to turn into swords.

Curses are activated via conditions. Similar to a contract. Usually people can decide for themselves to not be affected by magic and other means to make them untouched by the curse. The beauty is in making one's enemy come into agreement to be under the curse without the person knowing. Doubly so if they convinced themselves when and how it will affect them.

The condition is the striking of one's weapon against another person with the intent of spilling blood. Meaning, the opponent must have intention to hurt you which is common to most battles in this world.

You know, every enemy.

Prickly sensation similar to nerves misfiring and blood not flowing properly that cannot usually be differentiated from combat high. Adrenaline.

Well, not that I will explain this out loud.

This is a kill or be killed world. This is putting down a rabid dog.

Similar to how Stray Devils are.

They're free game.

Supposedly.

"You'll paint the town red by my blood? You sure? You'll swallow a hundred neeeeedles if it doesn't happen?" I say as if speaking to a toddler.

"HAH! AS IF! I HAD YOU BY THE ROPES WHEN WE FIRST MET!"

I can feel a small smile on my face. "So, we're in agreement!"

Killing intent. He seems good at sensing those by what Koneko tried to do when fighting him and other rouge exorcists. Reeks of it too. No subtly at all.

Being physiologically weak to the Holy Element, Rias and the others have no leeway to hold back that night.

Not for me though. I felt a chill on my body then I stopped holding back my speed, dodging out of the way before his blade stabs me at the back.

Annoying.

Looking at the fragment of blades and handles on the ground I decided that its probably enough. Nearly a dozen blades. I created a new pair.

As I lightly tap my blades together producing quite the musical chime, red needles burst out his joints and near his heart.

With blades as a sacrifice and a means for the curse to stick, his words and actions coming into agreement that one will spill his blood after this battle.

His heart and blood harden in response to my command.

He's too slippery otherwise.

"YOU-!" the psychopath who enjoys killing spits blood in my direction.

There is no need for killing intent for one like him. Stray Exorcist he may be but those priestly clothes are the real deal in this world. It took a while for the curse to properly take effect and it took more magic than usual.

Disposing a one off villain isn't killing. Its community service. Just like the Strays, its community service to put down rabid animals before they hurt more people.

"The only reason why you lived that night is for me to take the Excaliburs from your hands."

His eyes widen in realization before their light faded.

I let out a breath I was holding seeing him fall and not rise up again.

I looted the corpse for any clues and information. It becomes easier and standard after a few dozen times.

What the hell is my life.

Would you look at that, a custom light pistol and a bootleg light saber.

I saw the 2 Excallibur fragments and tried to wield them. Obviously they're racist so I wont be using them.

Stupid bootleg Excaliburs. Stupid enough to be used by psychopaths like Freed but not by a Christian like me who at least believes on the God who made it.

Tch. Your stupidity makes my head hurt. Peerless blade my ass. Breaking must have divided your IQ too, huh.

I put into reality another blade. This one looks like a round hand mirror with a handle of a blade and without a frame.

A cursed mirror meant to store objects based on myths and stories of a world beyond a mirror. Foundations are important for one's imagination to take form. It took me a while to make so I made it the object within preserved and untraceable. Theoretically

I felt my hand burn against the Holy blades, so I took another precaution.

I encased the blades and the Excaliburs into my own cursed blades that I can handle.

Gilded coating that allows me to make use of it.

I encase it in similar material made to mask tracking and the supposed Holy Element it gives off.

And Freed is… sent to another Cursed Sword of Holding. It's fragile but more fitting as an ornamental hand mirror shaped like a sword rather than an actual blade.

I needed some way to dispose of bodies in this long career of mine. Has it only been 3 years?

Looking back at the supposed holy blades gilded with my cursed blades I felt unnerved being capable of wielding them like this. I put the gilded blades within the mirror and kept it within Sword Birth.

Truly my genius scares me.

Or its probably from how close of a possibility war is breaking out now.

I look at the priest laying face first on the ground, now glaring bloody murder at me.

Reaching out my hand to help him up, I ask,

"Need a han-"

"I would rather die than be at your mercy, devil."

I heard cracking at his molars and he immediately went limp.

Ok then.

The knives deflected and dodged by Freed were always meant to be around the dying exorcists.

Blades need my concentration to stay solid but that is only if they do not have a foundation.

They are meant to keep him alive in partial stasis. Increasing its power output is no problem.

Asia with her Twilight Healing could probably heal him good as new.

With the Excaliburs and Freed in my hand mirror and the priest over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, I make my way home disappearing from sight and mind of anyone who observes.

"Cursed Blade: Carnwennan"

I'll go and report to Rias and Sona first thing in the morning.

My God, where did my life go all wrong?

Good news. The priest survived and testified to me and the local devils not being involved.

Bad news. Zealots are a pain in the ass. Threaten our Healer who never hurt anyone just to satisfy your own justice out of some vague sensor of "Faith" by sheer smell and gut feeling.

Are you high? Where can I get some?

Seriously, I heard Christ had 2 as his disciples. How did He manage?

Is the Holy Spirit in her? Baring witness?

Pffft. How stupid.

If she does, she'll know.

She'll remember.

The Lord demands Mercy NOT Sacrifice.

You self deceived hypocrite, who will join my sister's Peerage after being

excommunicated.

Joining by your own Free Will, given chance.

Fine. I'll show you the error of your ways.

I'll show you the Path to Cursed Conviction, filled with gilded Dreams.