Still don't own DxD or K Project

Over the next few years, Mikoto continued to train with Vali and even sometimes managed to bring in Azazel for a few light spars. It never got too intense with the old crow but fighting a different opponent every once and a while helped with keeping your skills sharp as no one person fought the same. That being said, his experience fighting the two couldn't be any more different, while Vali often met him up front and tried to match him in power and technique. Azazel, on the other hand, was one hell of a sly bastard in a fight. Fighting Azazel felt like fighting a maze, there was rarely a move that didn't get him to second guess and while he had fought intelligent combatants before, none of them had such a versatile tool like Azazel's magic. Should he ever have to fight against Azazel for real, Azazel would win rather decisively with Mikoto in his current state. He had one saving grace during the spar, his flames were extremely effective against magic, any magical attacks that got through his defense burned away rather quickly before they could do any real damage. Azazel was so interested in this property of his flames that he even advised him on a technique to sense magic users. By letting his aura lightly flow out from his body as a furnace does with heat, he would be able to feel his aura chip away and burn at the magic around him. It was a difficult technique to learn due to how much stronger his flames had gotten but eventually he managed to nail it along with significantly increasing the control of his flames. In addition, Azazel also recommended using the technique in pulses, similar to submarines with sonar, his reasoning being that it would be harder to find him that way. He doubted he would use the technique much, after all, he'd rather deal with any confrontations head on but he did admit it would have its uses.

One thing did bother him though, his Sword of Damocles. It hadn't manifested at all during his time in this world. This was concerning is power had dwarfed what he had as an adult, and because of that, he had yet to truly push himself. However, that could also mean that any Damocles down that may happen could be more catastrophic. He decided to air on the side of caution and inform Azazel about the potential catastrophe. After explaining what was at risk Mikoto wasn't sure what to think of Azazel when he showed more intrigue than concern upon hearing of the potential calamity. The crow was currently sitting at his office desk, his feet propped up on his desk in an area that wasn't swamped by paperwork.

Ultimately the fallen angel governor told him that there was nothing he could do without being able to study the blade in question and that there was no point worrying about something he couldn't do anything about. After all his abilities operated differently in this world so it wouldn't be off the table for the blade not to appear. It's not like there was much he could do about it anyway, any seal that he could try to put on the boy would only be burnt away by his flames. A stronger seal it would only delay the inevitable, he knew that much from studying the flames during their spars it didn't matter how much magic he put into his attacks eventually Mikoto's flames would burn right through it. Mikoto was not content to just "see where it goes," Azazel decided to meet him halfway and offered him a wristwatch. The watch itself looked rather modest at first but one could notice the intricate detail after getting a closer look.

"I built that watch to monitor energy outputs from Vali for training purposes, but clearly you'll be needing it more." Azazel said before waving a hand over the watch, a magic circle briefly flashing over it.

"What'll that do?" Mikoto asked.

"Well in the situation where your power reaches a certain height or goes critical as you described, I will be alerted and can easily teleport over to help out." Azazel said a-matter-of-factly, as he got up from his office chair and walked over to Mikoto. He gently pulled out the boy's left wrist before slapping the watch onto it. The rim around the watch pulsed with a crimson hue similar to his flames before calming down. Mikoto stared down at the watch in contemplation, he expected more but it was better than nothing.

Along with his training, Mikoto made sure to keep up with Issei whenever he got the chance, which was usually when Wakako went to check up on family in Kuoh. Currently, the boys were spending their time at the edge of a lake, throwing stones across the water's surface with Mikoto often getting significantly further than Issei. As for why they were there, Wakako had invited the pair on a fishing trip along with her granddaughter.

"Hey, Mikoto?" Issei asked as he threw another pebble, getting a good 5 skips across the surface of the lake.

"Yeah?" Mikoto answered, crouched over with his hands on his knees while looking for a nice pebble to throw.

"Have you ever had any weird dreams?" Issei asked as he sat down on the ground looking over at the boat where the rest of the fishing party was currently at. Little Mikan, Wakako's granddaughter, was currently celebrating by catching a small fish while Takemura was helping her retrieve it so as not to harm herself with the fish hook.

"Weird how?" Mikoto asked, looking over at his friend.

"I keep seeing this red dragon and he keeps trying to put out this red fire...? Kinda like the one you had the last time we were with Rin." Issei explained.

Mikoto took in the new information completely ignoring the odd name Issei used to refer to their mutual friend. He supposed people described the feeling of his red aura differently so it would explain Issei seeing red flames in his dreams but that left him with nothing to explain the dragon.

"Oh! I forgot to mention there was this weird red sword in the flames..maybe the dragon was trying to get the sword?..." Issei mentioned as he was trying to make sense of the dream, though it sounded more like he was trying to remember it at all.

Mikoto's ears perked up upon hearing that, the dragon definitely correlated with something, perhaps a sacred gear? He vaguely remembered Vali asking Azazel about a previous user of his sacred gear during training, maybe this was something similar? Either way, Issei seeing his sword of Damocles when he hadn't even manifested it, was definitely odd.

"Hey, Issei? Wanna learn how to use these?" Mikoto asked as he flashed the crimson flames he once shared with his friends.

"Can you show me?!" Issei asked gleefully.

After spending most of the day at the lake, the two boys were now at Issei's residence relaxing in the living room watching one of Issei's anime, having just finished eating their dinner. Mikoto had only shown Issei the basics, mainly how to summon the crimson flames and showing him how to throw them without burning himself, it was still fire after all. This in addition to a fishing trip had worked up quite the appetite.

Issei's parents and Wakako were still in the dining room, deciding to give the kids their space as the conversation swung around to extended family which Wakako had a lot of. Takemura had taken up the duty of driving Mikan back to her parents and was bound to arrive in a little while.

"Hey Issei, try not to tell your parents about the flames." Mikoto said in a whisper.

"WHAT? WH-" Issei yelled in protest before he found Mikoto's left hand clamping his mouth shut.

"Everything OK boys?" Issei's mother asked from the kitchen after hearing the shout.

Mikoto gave him a knowing look, conveying he would explain if just given the chance before slowly letting his hand down.

"Everything's fine Mom!" Issei yelled back. Mikoto drew his attention back to the TV, closely paying attention to the adults in the dining room, waiting for them to resume their conversation. Once the adults were conversing in full swing, he proceeded to illustrate why letting his parents in on the loop was a bad idea, at least at the moment.

"Listen, there are way more people than me who can do a whole lot more damage than just set things on fire." He started explaining in a hushed tone.

"So? What does that have to do with my parents knowing?" Issei replied, starting to look over his shoulder, he never had to hide something this big from his parents.

"Let's just say that a good amount of them aren't the type to let bygones be bygones, and your parents might accidentally tip the wrong person off and put themselves in danger." Mikoto elaborated.

Issei closed his eyes, taking the information in, in the end, he agreed to keep the flames secret for the time being. "Hmm guess I can see your point there…" he said with a small pout.

"Good… additionally you should probably learn how to fight as well." Mikoto suggested.

"Huh? What like martial arts or something?" Issei asked to which Mikoto nodded to.

"Bug your parents to sign up for one, it will make learning how to use your flames easier on top of being more prepared to protect your parents." Said Mikoto, he might as well give the kid incentive.

Issei was just about to ask if there were any he could recommend but it was at that moment that Takemura entered the room carrying a noticeable somber and dark aura around him. He made a small wave to the boys, barely sparing them a glance, and made his way to Wakako where he whispered something next to her ear. The effect was immediate, she now carried the same aura Takemura did when he walked in.

"Excuse us but we must be on our way. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the middle of a family emergency." Wakako said, apologizing to Issei's parents with a small bow.

"Oh please, we understand, don't let us slow you down." Said Goro waving off the apology.

"Don't worry about it, you're welcome to come around any time." Added Miki As she started to clear up the dishes from the dining table.

Wakako nodded toward the pair and headed toward the door where she saw Takemura had already retrieved Mikoto and was also heading toward the car. Something always had to go wrong…

"So what's the family emergency?" Mikoto asked seeing how he was going to be stuck in a long drive.

"Kei Minegishi, one of my closest men has just been reported dead." Wakako explained as she opened a compartment at the back of the vehicle, and poured herself something to calm her nerves. "Wounds don't match up to most of the gangs that I deal with, still I'd rather not rule them out. The yokai wouldn't kill someone this close to me, and Yasaka would skin the one responsible alive before I could even do anything about it. Either way, should they be forced to take someone out of the playing field, the youkai are significantly more subtle about it. The only other faction at play leaves us with-"

"The crows." Mikoto finished before drawing his attention to the view out the window.

"Correct, Takemura has been trying to reach our normal contacts but hasn't gotten anything back. I'll try to contact Azazel directly upon arriving in Kyoto and we'll figure it out from there." Wakako said then took a sip from her drink. Mikoto nodded to that, not really having any input to add.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence and while Mikoto had gotten used to the long trips to see Wakako's family, it doesn't mean he enjoyed them.

Arriving in Kyoto, Mikoto could already notice just how uneasy the local gangs were. Small things that most wouldn't notice but he could see them regardless. They made it back to Wakakos home safely where she and Takemura proceeded to make some calls to get a better grasp of the situation while simultaneously coordinating gangs under her jurisdiction. She tried to reach Azazel several times to try and get his side of the story but for whatever reason, he was not answering his phone.

It was not looking like things would end well. Takemura at least had some good news from the calls he made. What Wakako failed to mention on the car ride over was that Minegishi was one of a trio of "generals" for lack of a better term. They took care of the smaller things so that Wakako could focus on bigger issues. The other two went by Benkei and Yoshitsune, code names for sure but if he had to go by Takemura's opinions of the two, they have more than earned those code names. Once he learned of how well they handled the current situation he was actually eager to meet the pair. Benkei had taken the responsibility of calming and appeasing the crime lords that worked with Wakako, while Yoshitsune threw his weight around to track down and corner the crow responsible. The building was already surrounded by both their own men and paid-off police by the time Yoshitsune reported on the situation. Mikoto was really beginning to wish these two could have joined HOMRA back in his world.

Upon leaving the car, Mikoto's eyes made contact with a middle-aged man approaching Wakako. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a pattern of red flowers, and a turquoise shirt covered by a beige overcoat. He also wore a pair of shades, their purple tint complimented his graying hair well.

"So this is the new brat you've been taking care of, ey boss?" the man said. The man dug out a carton of cigarettes and stuck it in his mouth.

"Yoshitsune, it's been a while since we've met in person. " said Wakako with a respectful nod.

"You didn't miss out on much to be honest, telling people what to do and appeasing a bunch of old crime bosses gets old pretty fast. A shame Benkei couldn't make it… but she always handled them better in tense situations anyway." Yoshitsune stated as he dug through all of his pockets looking for a lighter to no avail. Eventually, Mikoto got sick of the man patting down his pockets and flicked his index finger toward the man's cigar. Like clockwork, a tiny crimson wisp of flame appeared following the redhead's command and lit the cigar for the man.

"I forgot you said the brat was special…" taking a long drag from his cigar, turning his head away from the conversation, and exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"Even if I didn't have to worry about him being an arsonist he would still be quite the hothead." Wakako replied.

"Haha! You're telling me, I can't even count how many grunts I've seen around bruised, beaten, and covered in scorches." Yoshitsune said with a retreating chuckle before taking another drag of his cigar.

"Anyway, our contracted mages got what little of our winged friends we could track down trapped in that building, some human accomplices too but Im pretty sure they were 'taken care of' before we got here. They've hunkered down in there pretty tight and we could get them out but part of me is pretty curious to see what the redhead can do firsthand now that he's actually in front of me." Finished Yoshitsune as he tapped on his cigar, shaking off some ashes. It was then Mikoto took notice of a child around his age being watched over by some of Yoshitsune's men. Curious about why the boy was so quiet, he followed the redhead's line of sight.

"Oh right… He's Minegishi's kid, Minegishi was using his day off to spend some time with his kid, and the crows pounced on him while Minegishi was taking a leak. They used the kid to isolate him before wiping the kid's memory. Thankfully the crows were amateurs and left some mana traces behind, a few of our mages were able to reverse the effect and track them down to this building." Yoshitsune explained. There was a pungent silence once he brought his attention back to the conversation at hand, he felt like he had accidentally stepped on a landmine as he made contact with Wakako.

"Listen, kid, if you don't wanna do it-"

"I'll do it, just tell the gawkers to keep their distance." Cut off Mikoto. He put his hands into his pockets as he began to approach the building with a neutral-looking face, though it was clear to Wakako that the boy was seething on the inside.

He had entered the building and it was quiet for quite some time, that was until the first of many blasts of crimson fire rocked the building's foundation. Most on the ground were in shock at the sheer impact of the blast at first, just gaping at the now-growing plume of black smoke. The second blast proceeded to crack all the glass on the building and was accompanied by a blood-curdling scream that came to an end with a thunk. A burnt carcass was now on the ground as burning black feathers slowly fell around it.

Yoshitsune grabbed one of the feathers, observing the crimson flames burning before a third explosion demanded his attention once more. He threw the feather down before taking a drag and ordering one of the paid-off officers that were there,

"Tell your boss it's under control, anything to keep extra eyes off this block" As he walked back to where Wakako was waiting, where she wore a contemplative expression on her face, he could now see why she was wary of angering the brat.

Mikoto brewed a torrent of chaos as he cleared the building floor by floor. Most of the people who tried to challenge him were fodder, barely worthy of a single blast of his crimson flame and that was if they withstood some of his physical blows. Though his movements seemed controlled, his mind was the complete opposite. The look on that boy's face… It reminded him of HOMRA right after they lost Totsuka… he grimaced his face in anger before blasting one of the angels through a few walls and probably out of the building.

Having enough of dealing with common grunts, he began accelerating the process, making bigger and bigger blasts, taking out more groups of goons per blast. He was careful to avoid blasting anything that supported the building's structural integrity but by the time he made it to the top floor, the building was reassembling more of a block of cheese with smoke emitting from the holes he blasted.

He didn't bother opening the door to the last room, opting to just blast the wall. He walks in as the smoke clears up seeing two dead fallen angels with blood. Both had stab wounds and neither would live long enough to talk. He let off a weak pulse of his flames to scan the room for any attackers cloaking themselves with magic but only got residual energy.

"Tch bastard teleported away…" he muttered barely containing his anger. He began to make his way back to the ground floor but not before calling forth a crimson flame into his hand and bringing forth an inferno, destroying everything on the top floor with a devastating blast, though it did not make him feel any better in the slightest.

Making it to the ground floor he took note of the various people who stood there, staring at him with a dumbfounded look on their face. He assumed it was due to the destruction he caused in the building prior until he spotted a certain fallen angel governor leaning on a car, next to Wakako and Yoshitsune.

The crow made eye contact with him before shooting another glance upward. He walked up to the trio about to report his findings only for Azazel to cut him off.

"Damn kid you didn't do that sword justice."

At those words, Mikoto for the first time that night took a look at his handiwork only to be taken by surprise when he saw his sword of Damocles barely being shrouded by the smoke of the building. He looked down at the watch on his wrist guessing that it was how Azazel knew where to find him. 'Guess it works… even though it really didn't feel like I used that much power…' he thought to himself

"Way you described it made it sound like some old relic riddled with decay. So why does it look brand spanking new?" Azazel continued

"Couldn't tell you…" Mikoto replied, musing his thoughts as the gargantuan blade began to fade into a red haze.

"Well at least we won't have to conceal it from the public… awfully convenient of it." Azazel joked knowing that he had quite the dilemma to explain.

"Let's make ourselves scarce… the boys in blue can take care of the rest. I'd rather not have to deal with more cops if given the choice, besides we got personal business to conduct" Yoshitsune said, blowing out a puff of smoke before walking into one of the vehicles but not before helping the orphaned boy into the vehicle.

"What a mess…" Wakako said solemnly before entering her respective vehicle. Mikoto shot Azazel one final glance before following her. The fallen angel merely shrugged before walking a block away from the now-active crime scene and teleporting away.

Mikoto, Wakako, Yoshitsune, and the boy reconvened with Azazel at the lobby of Wakako's penthouse apartment. They all went up the elevator, entering Wakako's suite where Mikoto reported his side of things when it came to tracking down Minegishi's killer while Takemura proceeded to handle the guests' needs.

"So, I believe we are due an explanation about why one of my generals is now dead because of fallen angel activity." Wakako said as Takemura laid out refreshments, mainly some liquor for the adults and some juice for the two boys.

At first, Azazel looked a bit uneasy, glancing at the newly orphaned boy.

"Are you sure we want to do this in front of… " he tapered off, not knowing the boy's name.

"Sano…and it's fine…" the boy said just staring at his cup of juice. Wakako simply remained silent knowing the boy had been through similar situations; one doesn't join organized crime without a few scrapes with death. Azazel who was previously swirling his glass of liquor in his hand, proceeded to down half the glass of bourbon and began explaining the situation.

"There's a good chance of a splinter group within the Grigori… I didn't have anything solid until now but me and Penemue have been noticing some odd occurrences. Small things like patrols where we didn't assign any, missing assets when they had no reason to be missing. It's the main reason I've been so busy lately. I doubt I need to explain why tracking down holy artifacts is very time-consuming." Azazel finished with some of his frustration at the situation leaking through.

"How frustrating…" Wakako muttered as she took a sip from her glass.

"'Frustrating'? Sounds like an utter shit storm brewing. I'm guessing our current business ventures are going to come to a stop for now?" Yoshitsune continued.

"I'd recommend slowing it down for now after this incident. If our deal really is that much of a necessity, I'd recommend you handle it with mages strictly or have the Yokai deal with us for the time being." replied Azazel.

"And what of Minegishi? Am I just supposed to let some crow get away with killing one of my closest friends?" Said Wakako, the way she hatefully spat out the word crow gave everyone a hint of the inner turmoil she was currently feeling.

"About that…Mikoto, you said the fallen angels you found at the top were already dying of stab wounds by the time you made it there correct?" Azazel inquired to which Mikoto nodded in confirmation.

"If you can remember, what size and shape were the puncture wounds and did you notice any burn wounds around them?" Azazel continued to inquire.

"Like a sword, but round and no noticeable burns at least not like the ones I leave behind… why?" Mikoto responded after reconstructing the scene in his head once more. It seemed that Azazel already had a few theories on what was going on. Sometimes he forgot just how smart the lazy guy was.

"Well, while I was scurrying about tracking down missing assets, Penemue reported what she would describe as undesirable exorcists around some of those shady patrols. They're not quite morally bankrupt but well on the way, and I've been around her long enough to trust her judge of character… Those wounds do match up to the light blades some exorcists are known for using, however, fallen angels still possess some of our resistance to light attacks before we fell, so outside of the puncture wounds it wouldn't leave that much of a burn as it would on a human or devil." Azazel explained.

"So it's more than likely a stray exorcist was leading this group… that would explain how messy this job was… you supernatural types are usually more discreet about this type of thing…" Yoshitsune reasoned.

"Correct, assuming you still want to do business we'll have a list of our prime suspects ready for you" Azazel finished looking at Wakako for affirmation.

"Fine… I'll limit our meetings to mages and we'll be back to business as usual. I expect that list first thing in the morning." Wakako said as she finished off her drink. Azazel flashed a grateful smile before giving her a small bow.

"Right… we have a bit of restructuring to do so we'll meet up with you tomorrow." Yoshitsune said making his frustration known with a sigh.

"Aw kicking me out already?" Azazel said seemingly back to his jovial self but there was a small hint of guilt given that day's events.

"Calm down, I'll be dealing with your scruffy ass tomorrow anyway" Yoshitsune jokingly countered as the fallen angel governor flashed a smile as he began to disappear from his teleportation spell.

"Mikoto, Sano will be staying with us from now on so make sure he knows where everything is. Takemura, whip us up some curry, extra spicy…" Wakako said, releasing a deep sigh.

Once the two boys left, Yoshitsune stood up and walked towards Wakakos bar picking up an expensive bottle of bourbon and taking it back to the table to resume their discussion.

"So how are we going to tackle this? Kei, Me, and Benkei had a system… it's going to be a while before we can get anywhere near that level." Yoshitsune started as he poured some of the drink into his glass and slid the bottle over to the elderly woman.

"I'm thinking of letting Mikoto take over for Kei." Wakako said also filling up her cup but not to the same extent as Yoshitsune.

"You sure? Sure the kid packs a punch not denying that but…" Yoshitsune hesitated.

"You think he's too hot-headed." Wakako finished to which Yoshitsune simply nodded. "Don't worry, the boy knows when to use his head, even when he'd rather burn things." Wakako said having gone through the trouble to school the kid.

"Still… I can't help but feel that Sano would be a better fit. With Benkei handling other crime families and me handling contraband and other supplies… I'd rather have someone familiar with the family business handling…well the family business." Yoshitsune said.

"That will only put the boy in more danger, they already killed his father." Wakako countered.

"Change his last name and he should be able to fly under the radar of those rogue crows." Yoshitsune offered.

"That choice would only hold up if he stayed away from the business." Wakako countered. Both were about to dive into the discussion a bit more interrupted by Takemura clearing his throat as he began setting plates on the table for the upcoming meal.

"Apologies, but you two act as if they are mutually exclusive… besides they might not even agree to this, to begin with." Takemura said, bringing about the pot of curry, and setting it in the middle of the table before doing the same with a pot of rice. This left the two in thought as Takemura went towards the balcony's door.

"Now please let's save this talk for another time… it's been a long day for all of us." Said Takemura placing his hand on the sliding door handle. Wakako and Yoshitsune picked up on the implication, shelving the matter for later but were keen on Takemura's suggestion.

Mikoto had shown Sano around the penthouse, the two were now relaxing on the balcony where Sano seemed entranced by the Kyoto skyline.

"It's fuckin annoying isn't it?" Said Mikoto, breaking the silence that had taken over the two since the tour ended.

"What…?" Sano asked sparing Mikoto a small glance as the redhead walked by and leaned onto the railing similarly to him.

"The sky doesn't give a damn who dies… it looks down on us all the same…" Mikoto elaborated, still focused on Kyoto's skyline. There was an awkward silence before a chuckle escaped Sano's mouth, the chuckle broke into a laugh for a small while before dying down as his demeanor began to dampen.

"Something you find funny?" Mikoto asked taking a look at Sano as he calmed down.

"Oh! I meant no disrespect- it's just…" he released a small sigh of frustration as he gathered his thoughts and continued.

"Normally in this kind of situation, people try to get you to calm down or try to sympathize. You just caught me a bit off guard I guess..." Said Sano. Mikoto took some time to digest the sentiment.

"Everyone in there has experienced something similar, it's only natural in this line of business." Mikoto finally said after a bit of silence.

"...I guess you're right…" Sano said going back into thought, though this time the silence the two shared was slightly overtaken by the night wind.

"It's fine to feel angry, but even with that the important thing is to make sure you live on with no regrets… and right now I know that I would regret letting the bastard who did this get off scot-free." Mikoto finished.

"On that, we can agree." Sano said as they stayed there briefly, enjoying the sights and sounds of Kyoto. Before long the pair heard the sliding door behind them open, they turned around to see Takemura standing by the door.

"Your meals are ready, Mikoto-san, Sano-san." Takemura said with a polite nod of his head.

The next morning Mikoto found himself awakened by Wakako, they had something to discuss apparently. He made himself decent and made his way to the dining table. Upon arriving he could see that Sano was there as well trying to stomach down some food but he could tell he was having a hard time forcing himself to eat. A quick glance at his eyes and he could tell that the boy didn't get to sleep that well either. Wakako's spot on the table and he could see what he could only describe as a flurry of documents laid out in a fashion of controlled chaos. He looked around the penthouse for Takemura and Yoshitsune and seeing no one else he assumed they were out doing other tasks. He grabbed himself a serving for breakfast and sat across from Sano.

"You said you wanted to talk about something?" Mikoto asked before taking his first bite.

"Finish up eating first, this concerns the both of you." Wakako replied without her eyes even leaving the assortment of documents in front of her. Mikoto responded with a shrug and continued with his meal and though Sano started his meal a decent amount of time they both finished around the same time. It seemed that Wakako had gotten some of her paperwork in order by that time too.

"Let's start off with you Sano, your father's funeral will be a week from now. I will be taking over any financial responsibilities your father had so if you ever need anything just let me know. You are free to stay here as well if you wish." Wakako finished. Sano took a bit to process the information, giving an affirmative nod. Wakako took that as her sign to continue:

"This next point concerns both of you. As you know now, Kei managed a good amount of assets for me." Wakako started.

"Yes, we spent quite a bit of time working on some of his projects." Sano added.

"Yes, he did mention you had an affinity for the tiny details… said it saved him quite a bit of trouble…" she said as they both seemed to reminisce on a short memory.

"To cut to the chase… I want you to take over for your father." Wakako finally said she gave the boy's a few minutes to digest the request, and while Sano didn't look too against it, Mikoto appeared quite confused.

"Let me elaborate, I want the both of you to take over, Sano can take care of the business side of things and Mikoto already prowls the streets of Kyoto." Wakako said before focusing on Sano, "With what has happened recently I think it would be best to have someone like Mikoto by your side… assuming you both agree of course."

"And if I don't agree?" Sano asked.

"You'll sign some legal papers, and I'll hand over all of your father's assets to you when you turn 18 and you can do with them as you wish. You will still be welcome to stay here." Wakako explains.

"What's the plan if I do?" Sano asked but Wakako could already tell the boy planned on staying at that point.

"I called in a favor from one of my friends, you and Mikoto will undergo training with the youkai to better understand the supernatural world, although for you it will also involve combat training. When you have reached a proficient level in that, Takemura and Yoshitsune will help you get more familiar with your father's assets. Once you graduate you can begin actually handling the businesses." Wakako finished. Mikoto had a good idea who she asked the favor from though he had only talked to the fox lady one time before, last he heard she was pregnant. If he had to guess she probably had a toddler by now.

"In that case, make sure you sign these by the end of the week, it's just to keep the legal teams off our asses. Feel free to ask Me or Takemura if you have questions." Wakako put some papers away into a folder leaving a few on the table.

The funeral was a rather small affair, mostly with immediate relatives and very close friends. Many kind things were said about Kei but from what Mikoto saw of Sano that day, he doubted the boy even heard any of it. Sano's eyes remained focused on the casket for the majority of the funeral and even after the body was buried he stayed there looking at the mound of dirt for quite some time. Having felt their goodbyes were enough, Wakako and Takemura decided to give the boys some space.

"Thank you for being here, We barely know each other and you've already done so much." Sano said, keeping his eyes on the grave's epitaph.

Mikoto put his hand on Sano's shoulder and Sano felt a warm red sensation.

"This pain may be yours to carry but that doesn't mean you have to carry it alone." Mikoto said as he offered his hand with a small red flame. Sano didn't know what compelled him to grab his hand but the flame didn't burn him…

"Your father gave up his life to protect you and I'm sure if given the chance he would do it again without any regrets. Don't make his sacrifice be in vain, follow his example and live your life without regret." Mikoto finished as he left to meet up with Wakako and Takemura. Sano looked at the small fading flame in his hand before clasping his hand around it with a burning resolve.

A few years later…

A spar is underway in the Youkai temples. The bout is between two teenage boys, both with lean builds, and was being monitored by a kitsune. Mikoto's hair has grown longer than he was normally used to, though he tied back his fringe for the sake of better vision. Sano was defending quite well from Mikotos barrage of crimson flames, and while normally a King would be able to overwhelm any defense a fellow clansman could put up, Sano had a trick up his sleeve, senjutsu.

Using his own life force to bolster his defense and flames, Sano was able to keep up considerably well against Mikoto even when he was holding back. Sano deflected a few blasts of crimson flames to either of his sides, using the openings to land a few hits of his own with his bare fists. There was no reason in using Milkoto's own flames to attack him, at the end of the day he could simply command them not to harm him.

Deciding to close the distance, Sano charged the redhead after dodging a blast of crimson flames and being fast enough to get a flanking position. Mikoto was quick to react though Sano was counting on it, rather than go for a blow he aimed higher. Going over the redhead's guard, Sano grabbed onto Mikoto's shoulder, flipping over the redhead and landing a spinning kick on Mikotos back. Mikoto stumbled forward but transitioned into a handstand twisting and twirling his body and using his legs to make a torrent of crimson flames around him and defend himself from any more follow-ups before landing on his feet again.

The spar was about to continue if not before the kitsune's ears flicked towards one of the doorways leading to the training yard causing her to stop the training session.

"Mikoto! You have a visitor!" A young voice announced as the sound of small footsteps finally caught up to them. The two turned to see a young girl, only coming up to about the waist in height running towards them. Her blonde hair and miko outfit became more prominent as she ran in between the 2 teens.

"Lady Kunou, aren't you supposed to be at your lessons?" The kitsune asked.

"Hello Emiko, my mom said I could take a break while that angel governor guy was here." Kunou said as she walks up to Sano. "Are you going to show me how to do that cool senjutsu trick you did earlier?"

"Sano just finished a sparring match Lady Kunou, give him a minute to rest." Emiko said as she watched the redhead leave to meet the fallen angel governor. She thought of her time training the two boys, and how strange it was. Though she was used to them now, she still found it weird that they shared an ability to spew crimson flames whenever they wished yet neither had even awakened a sacred gear.

Mikoto was more so the anomaly as she was still unsure if Sano had a sacred gear while she could guarantee that Mikoto had none. Oh well, she could always ask Azazel about the boy, the two had gotten closer as of late. Sano however was quite the prodigy when it came to senjutsu. While most Youkai could easily pick up on senjutsu, humans could take years of training before bearing the smallest fruit, yet after going through a few rigorous but brutal training sessions, which definitely weren't hazing, Sano was able to get a grasp of his own life force. Within a year he was able to use it in actual techniques.

Her mind went back to the spar that just occurred, even with all that, it was unlike Mikoto to drop his guard like that, especially in a bare-knuckle brawl. Though now that she thought about it he did seem a bit out of sorts the past few days. Something was definitely bothering him. It was then that her train of thought was pulled away by Kunou cheering, She had finally gotten the hang of that trick with Sano's help.

Reflecting on the spar, Mikoto was internally chastising himself for letting his thoughts run that rampart. However, he just could shake the feeling that something bad had or was about to happen. Unable to shake the feeling, he had been on the lookout for anything and everything out of the ordinary but that only left him more distracted.

He and Sano had been staying at Yasakas for the past few years as Sano went through training though unlike Sano the only thing he really needed to do was get a more in-depth understanding of the supernatural world.

Mikoto had tried keeping up with his childhood friend Issei, however, over the years they simply drifted apart as they began focusing more and more on their own lives. From when they last spoke, he knew that Issei had taken his advice to heart and picked up a few martial arts classes throughout the years and while he wasn't considered a master at any of them he was quite proficient. This made a good foundation on how he could use his flames, plus it never really hurt to learn a punch when you would be spending time around Mikoto. He could still remember visiting Totsuka at the hospital after he got his ass kicked.

He made sure to visit and catch up with his childhood friend, it would probably put him at ease… Putting a pin on that train of thought, he eventually found himself in a lounge room where he saw Yasaka and Azazel sitting around a low table where they were both enjoying a cup of tea. There was what looked like classwork closer to Yasaka's end of the table, probably Kunou's.

"There's my favorite redhead! How are things? Vali has been asking about you." Azazel said seeing Mikoto walk in, Yasaka simply gave him a polite smile and a small nod as she had been hosting them for quite some time.

"More likely he's asking for a rematch again now that he has a better grasp around his sacred gear." Mikoto said, knowingly as he sat across from Azazel with Yasaka on his right.

"So Azazel what did you need to discuss?" Yasaka asked appreciative of the break from teaching her daughter.

"I have a favor to ask of our temperamental crimson lion of Kyoto and a gift as well." Azazel declared taking the last sip of his tea.

"What's up?" Mikoto asked, cracking and stretching his neck from the spar.

"I'll start off with the good news, I made you an artificial sacred gear that should help with your sword issue…" Azazel said while twirling his finger in the air, referring to Mikoto's sword of damocles. He waved his hand over the table and a magic circle illuminated the room for a bit revealing a giftbox slightly over two and a half feet appeared in front of Mikotos section of the table.

"By the gods Azazel… I don't know what I expected but an artificial sacred gear wasn't one of them." Yasaka said exasperatedly.

"What can I say? My genius can't be contained" Azazel said proudly, as Mikoto opened the gift box which had a single-edged one-handed sword with a very ornate design. The steel had what appeared to be a Damascus steel finish however the waves in the metal appeared to flow like water, and while the sword had a black finish the edge itself was a crimson color similar to his hair.

"I based it on research from the data we acquired from your watch by watching your power output and on a cursed blade fragment we found in the underworld, I'm not exactly at liberty to say which one, you know how the Greek pantheon is with names but it should do pretty well for you." Azazel said as he watched Mikoto get used to the weight of the blade. "Upon calling it forth the blade will be able to absorb any excess power your sword of Damocles puts out. Additionally, you can also absorb any magical attacks thrown your way. From there, you have the choice of releasing it from your blade or having it devour the energy over time and make it stronger." Azazel explained as Mikoto seemed entranced by the sword.

"Wow Azazel, you've really outdone yourself" Yasaka complimented and unknowingly stroked the governor's ego.

"What can I say, I'm simply the best." Azazel said with a cocktail grin while rubbing his chin. "One more thing though Mikoto, I know you like to be over the top when you fight but you should be careful with this blade for a while until it gets a little stronger. While it is powerful, we found out through testing that it can be fragile at first due to its low power threshold, though that should go away with the more energy it devours. I'm sure you don't wanna wait on me to repair it should it break." Azazel explained matter-of-factly, the overconfidence he gained from Yasaka's compliment now fully shining through to Mikoto. He'd have to curb that.

"And how am I supposed to carry this around? I can't exactly summon stuff like you can" Mikoto asked, putting the blade back in the gift box. At that Azazel sweat dropped, though he shot Mikoto a look that was partly shrewd.

"Right I forgot about that…but it's not too hard of a fix…" A small magic circle appeared in the governor's hand where he clasped it with his other hand and a dull purple light shined from inside his hands and the gift box. Upon handing the watch back Mikoto could see that the design of the watch had changed. In each of the four cardinal directions of the watch's face, there was now a small engraving of a knight holding a sword, though the knight over the number 12 was holding onto his new sword. "To summon your sacred gear just call forth its name: Divine blight"

"Did you have to give it such an ominous name?" Yasaka asked, a little disturbed.

"I like to stay on theme, and I can't call it 'supernatural blight,' it doesn't roll off the tongue." Azazel explained a little exasperated.

"You said you also had a favor to ask?" Mikoto interjected before the two could get into the naming convention, as he put the new watch back on.

"Right… Penemue gave me a report recently… a young nun with a sacred gear with the ability

to heal almost any injury was recently excommunicated from the church and I pulled a few strings to have her lodge with us." Azazel started.

"That sounds like work for one of your grunts…" Said Mikoto.

"Well, it was… I had sent an agent by the name of Raynare to go pick her up, as well as do some recon on humans with potential sacred gear around the Kuoh area." Azazel continued. Mikoto's interest was piqued by the mention of his childhood friend's hometown.

"Sounds like everything should be under control…What went wrong?" Yasaka asked.

"Sometime last night an important artifact was also reported missing, a sacred gear extractor at that… there's a decent chance this is tied to the group responsible for the incident with Minegishi a few years ago as well." Azazel finished.

"So you want me and Sano to go ruffle some crow feathers, and make sure a Nun makes it to base safely?" Mikoto asked for confirmation.

"I would recommend avoiding confrontation, they are currently posted up in devil territory and while they have been known to be relatively amicable I'd rather not risk it." Azazel answered.

"You said that like we can't handle a couple of bats." Mikoto scoffed.

"It's not a question of whether you can handle them, but of who they are related to. If our information is correct, that territory is run by the younger siblings of the leader of the Four Great Devil Kings" Azazel elaborated.

"Tch, I hate dealing with brats" Mikoto spat out to the amusement of Yasaka and Azazel.

"One more thing, Wakako transferred you and Sano to Kuoh Academy." Azazel casually dropped to the surprise of both Yasaka and Mikoto.

"Before you ask, she wanted to spend some more time with her granddaughter before you and Sano graduated and business started bustling again. She thought you might appreciate catching up with a childhood friend during that time as well, seeing as most people either hate your guts or are afraid of you." Azazel quickly finished.

"When do we leave?" Mikoto asked.

"Tomorrow, Takemura already has your things packed and your tickets ready. You should make it just in time to check out your school " Azazel answered to which Mikoto only nodded.

"Thanks for the sword." Mikoto said as he went to inform Sano of the upcoming trip. I guess he would get to see how Issei was doing after all though it didn't really shake off the bad feeling he had been having the past few days…

"I know you haven't seen him for quite some time but does he seem a little…" Yasaka began.

"Distracted? Yes he does." Azazel replied.

"You don't think it's anything serious do you?" Yasaka asked, giving the fallen angel governor a worried look. Azazel rubbed his chin in thought for a bit thinking over all he has learned about Mikoto over the past few years. He knew the boy was more of a lone wolf like Vali but even Vali didn't get like this.

"I'd like to think he just needs more friends his age but a lot of rumblings have been happening as of late and we sort of just added to the pile…" Azazel answered unsure himself.

"I guess all we can do is be there for them…" Yasaka said with a tinge of worry for the redhead.

Meanwhile at Kuoh Academy…

Another certain redhead can be seen playing with a pawn in her hand as she looks upon a chess board deep in thought when a small magic circle appears at her ear.

"Prez she's about to make a move on the perv. They're at Kuoh Park, by the fountain." A monotone voice droned out quietly, it was clear they were trying to stay out of sight.

"Thank you Koneko, I can handle it from here. Feel free to take the rest of the day off." The redhead replied, dismissing her servant. All she had to do now was wait for the flier to summon her.

…

…

That's odd… a few minutes had passed and still, Rias felt nothing. Koneko had reported he picked up the flier so she should have been summoned. She took a glance at the unfinished chess game in front of her contemplating what to do. Koneko had been following them all day so it was unlikely to be an ambush, and from little she sensed of the fallen angel, it was unlikely she would lose a confrontation if it came to it. Considering what was at stake, her new servant, it was simply too good to pass up. She teleported to Kuoh Park to see how the situation was unfolding and to save her future servant, however, she was not prepared to see what had unfolded in her presence.

The first thing she took note of that was blatantly apparent was the destruction across that section of the park. Trees and other shrubbery all around the fountain were set ablaze with a crimson flame that was still burning away. Focusing once more on the task at hand she saw Issei, her future servant on the ground, unconscious and bleeding out from what appeared to be a stab wound. But upon seeing the fallen angel, or rather what was left of her, Rias couldn't help but be elated. It looked like the fallen angel had just blocked an attack from Issei, however, she didn't come out unscathed. Her body was littered with large third-degree burns, and while her wings didn't suffer too much damage, a considerable amount of her feathers were still scorched.

The fallen angel was rearing to finish the job completely, making a light spear of considerable power. She was about to throw the spear at the unconscious boy before an orb of destruction flew in its path, halting any plans the fallen angel had of continuing.

"If you know what's best for you, you will leave this place immediately." Rias announced her presence as she readied another orb of destruction. For the moment the fallen angel couldn't look any more livid at being denied retribution but calmed down significantly after recognizing the power of destruction. Outclassed and in no condition to fight the fallen angel snarled before opting for retreat, taking off into the sky.

As singed black feathers fell from the sky from the retreating fallen angel, Rias looked down upon her prize, barely containing her excitement. She kneeled down beside him bringing forth her evil pieces and beginning the reincarnation ritual, the stab wound mending itself slower than she would like though she supposed that was probably due to it being from a light spear. She once again remembered that the park would need some more cleanup than what was planned, not that she was complaining, she was getting a powerful new addition. A magic circle appeared near her ear as the glow of the ritual began to die down significantly.

"Hello Akeno….sorry to pull you away so suddenly but our new addition seems to have made more of a mess than anticipated…. Yes, your help would be appreciated in the cleanup, you can postpone your contracts for today and take the rest of the day off… Thank you Akeno." Rias finished as the magic circle near her ear faded. Now that Issei's wound had mostly healed she carefully lifted him up before teleporting them both to his home.

Yeah… I took my time with this one… though in my defense it is significantly chunkier than the other ones lemme know how yall like it.