Chapter 10

A single man with faith can triumph over a legion of the faithless. Untold billions of the faithful can never be opposed.

Attributed to Sermons volume XI Chapter IV Sebastian Thor M 35

Kuoh park Monday afternoon.

The park was still a beacon of light for the people of Kuoh. It was peaceful. But things were always happening.

A tall redhead man sat at one of the benches here in this park wondering when the one he had contacted would be coming. This was his best chance to help his sister. He was so desperate for help. She matters. Her dreams matter. He was willing to do almost anything for that. Including looking for a merc that would help her.

He had found a potential client. The 'man' had sent a message via an untraceable email to him that weekend that implied he was willing to help. For the right price. It was one they would talk about here today.

He did not wait long. A man walked to his wooden bench and sat at the other end. He looked to His Sirzechs Lucifer and nodded. A spell of unknown magic came up and the noise around them dimmed into whispers. The stranger faced Sirzechs, and he had no face.

"Lord Lucifer."

"I am guessing that you are my warrior."

"I am Alpharius. The Red Angel."

That. That was a massive surprise. He had made contact with the enigmatic red angel! The one so many devils were desperate to get into their peerages. The monster of a thing that had burst so suddenly onto the stage of the supernatural. He could possibly get him to help rias. This was a miraculous thing. This would see her free.

"I did not expect that my missive would reach you Alpharius. I am more than happy now that I know that you are interested. I will triple both offers, of money."

"I want the favor. The money is extra."

The favor had been the lure. He had taken the bait.

"Three favors. That should speak of how much this matters. I said triple and I will stand by that for all."

The man seemed to be a little surprised, before nodding.

"Very well. Three favors. What is your situation.?"

"You will help my sister. She is stuck in a betrothal agreement that she is strongly against. The only way out is a ratings game against her betrothed. She has five pieces. He has sixteen. She cannot win with the current situation. I am to help her on the side. Please help us."

Alpharius said nothing. He seemed to be dead cold.

"If I am to help. There are serious conditions. They are non nonnegotiable. Nothing. Nothing you say will change them. Even a hint of them breaking is grounds for immediate termination of this contract. What ever we decide on if it goes through."

"Name them."

"I will not become a devil. I will not join any peerage. I will not be her slave. As soon as the contract ends. You and she do not look for me again. Those are my conditions. Am I very deathly clear? You want help, do not try to add things that are not agreed here into this contract. That is also a ground for termination instantly. Am I truly clear?"

Sirzechs had to both curse and praise the other. He understands how devils think. Curse because he would never be able to control him. Praise because he was still willing to help, despite knowing what he knew. That spoke volumes about him.

"Do you have a copy of the betrothal? I have an idea."

Sirzechs did and he brought out the scroll. Alpharius read it before noticing something.

"There is no hint against contracted magicians. That is our in. Should it be acceptable."

That said a lot about the other. He was a human. He was right this was their in.

"Devils do not get contracted magicians, until later in their lives. You are right. Temporary contract? Then."

"I will introduce myself to her this week. Inform her that I am willing to collaborate with her for a time. I will not mention this meeting. Even if the other party learns about this meeting. They cannot prove it."

"You are the one who culled the exorcists enclave here last weekend. I know Rias vented to me about your deed."

"It was I."

"Why?"

"The ones killed were some of the evilest men and women who have left the church. They killed fellow believers and others. I hunt monsters. In whatever form they take. I who is the guardian. Have Cleria off my back. I have respect for her and her peerage. I do not want to kill them."

Sirzechs nodded.

"Very well. But that counts as your first favor. Name another."

"I want land in the underworld. A large tract of enough for a small country. I want independence for it from the devils."

"Done. That is the second. What is the last."

"The last will be kept for a rainy day."

"Very well. You will serve as my sister's contact magician. For her game. You win it then the second favor is paid immediately after the game. The third kept. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Do not live up to your namesake. I will know when you lie and betray me instantly."

The man got up and the noise returned. He vanished like a ghost of the night.

This would work. This had to work. For her.

Belial Mansion Kuoh City Monday Evening

Cleria was in pure and utter shock. The attacker from the weekend finally had a name. It had scared her. Scared her so badly when the strongest queen in the underworld. Had said their name. She had dropped from her sitting position, and onto her expensive wooden floor. The others had not been much better.

Suku had paled to bone white like her horns. Impressive because her skin was red. Several of her pawns fainted. Others hurled the contents of their stomachs up. Her higher pieces many of them had panicked. Only the new knight had looked both sick and amazed.

"The killer who murdered the rouge exorcists here last weekend was the red angel. Do not have the others keep looking for him."

Cleria knew fear. The Red Angel was a being in the high ultimate class. He slaughtered those in his path. Like worms. She was now thanking the Morning Star she had not gotten her people killed. She had paled further. She had almost gotten her apprentices pieces ruthlessly killed. Regret hit her.

What had she almost done?! The white haired maid in front of her desk continues.

"Do not attempt anything else. Let him work on whatever he is doing. He mentioned to Lord Lucifer that the Red Angel has respect for you and your peerage. He does not want to kill any of you. But he will. Ignore his actions. Then you will be safe."

Cleria was very scared. She had not felt this fear since the civil war when she would wait on news of her husband after every battle. This was so much worse.

That juggernaut was in her city. He could at any moment choose to slaughter them. He was rightly feared by everyone in the supernatural that were not gods. He was near unstoppable. She who was beginning to enter exceptionally low ultimate class would be like a fly should he choose.

Grayfia understands all of their reactions. She had felt the same. That thing scared even her. The Red Angel was a boogie man and rightly so. He left no survivors at his farm fields of corpses. She did not ever want to fight him.

"Is that understood Lady Bellia. I do not want you to get my sister in law killed."

"Of course. I will inform them. We will cease activity regarding him effective immediately. Starting now."

"Good. Try to have a good night. I am sorry for your reactions."

The maid had left. Silence reigned. True fear induced silence. Cleria broke it.

"Call everyone off immediately. I ask much from all of you. But I will not ask you to fight that thing. You all who are my second family. Your lives matter."

He peerage nodded quickly in noticeably clear and genuine gratitude. Suku had directly helped get those pawns who had fainted and helped move them out of the room to beds. They left. Except Masori, the new knight.

"My king. We are in profoundly serious trouble. If he is here. Something brought him here. Like a megalodon to a fresh kill. We must do something. Anything! To prepare should he come against us. We are in so much trouble that if the words of respect that the lady Lucifer said exist. That might be the only reason we are all still alive."

"What can we do? There is nothing we can do Masori."

The calmest man she had ever met broke into hysterics.

"We have to do something! He endangers everyone in the city. Not just us but the people too! We have to do something! Anything! This is…."

Cleria hated what she did next with a very bitter hatred. She forced Masori to calm down via her bond through the evil piece system. It was so wrong. But it had to be done.

He immediately stopped. There was betrayal in his eyes, but also understanding. They all knew she hated doing that to them. But the betrayal was so strong.

"I'm so very sorry Masori. I know. I understand. Forgive me. But it needed to happen. You could scare the others into a fully-fledged riot. This sin I committed is the wrong choice done for the right reasons. I will never be forgiven for this. You who have trusted me, to treat you better than the clans. Please. Please I beg you do not freak out again."

The man was stone unmoving other than a few small breaths. Finally, after much effort, he nodded.

"Very well my king. I do not I'll remain calm."

He left and a part of Cleria's soul that had been turning from the coal black to a neutral white, after so many years of trying to be better than her nature. A chunk of it returned to the black.

Masori was enraged. He had trusted her. He had reused the woman who had helped him. He was an ok mid-tier sword user who had broken one of his clan's core beliefs.

To fall in love with a youkai. He had done that. He had met his other, the one who understood everything about him. As he did about her. She was a swan youkai. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. The moment when his eyes had met hers during one of his missions serving his clan. They had connected.

He would do anything for her. He had done anything for her. They were together. Married in secret by a sympathetic family member. She made his world that had been grey before, it was filled with light.

They had been found. His sympathetic friend. They had been tortured by their clan. He did not blame her. He and his new wife had fled. The clan hunted them, was still hunting them. He had traded his services to his king for his wife's safety. It had been granted. He loved his king for the act.

Their hunters had fled. They were safe. They had until five minutes ago been safe. He had enjoyed working for his king. But that was now dead. He had heard about what other kings would do. He had been more thankful; his king was not like that. Had been not like that.

He understood. He knew she understood exactly what he was now feeling. His king had betrayed him, in the worse way possible. She had taken his free will knowingly. He hated that he understood why. She was right. He would have caused the others who were his comrades to panic further.

But his feelings mattered. He was going to do it. He was going to get his wonderful wife, and they would run again. He had lost faith again. But a whisper came to his ear.

"Trust the Red Angel."

How? How could he trust that thing it was pure evil! The voice whispered again.

"Have faith. Have faith one more time. He will help you and her. Have faith."

Could he do it? He was at a brick wall. He would do anything for the woman he loved. He had said that at their marriage. The voice whispered one final time.

"Have faith in humanity. That is what you are. Have faith in that.

He would do it. He would run. To the path of damnation.

Or what he had not considered. Salvation.

Kuoh academy Student Council room. Tuesday morning.

Sona was so very scared. She saw it on all of hers and Rias's peerages face. All except Saji. He did not know who or what the Red Angel was. He could see that it was extremely bad. But he had bravely asked anyway.

"Who is the Red Angel?"

It had been Tsubaki who had answered. Sona's queen was shaking.

"The red angel is one of the most powerful beings in the eastern… No not that. He is the one of the most powerful people on earth that is not a god, or their avatars. He can kill Satans. He can given enough time…. He might be able to kill gods too. You cross his path; you die we were all so close to death. We almost kissed it. Thank God that we did not cross him. We are flys compared to him."

The holy words had accented the fear. It had caused all of them a headache upon being spoken. Tsubaki had done that. It showed true fear.

Saji had paled further, and further. A being who could kill Satans and perhaps soon gods! That had almost made him piss himself.

"He is here?! If he is here."

Sona spoke. Everyone else was too afraid.

"There is something here that has caught his eye. Effective immediately, you see him. You run. Run as fast as you possibly and am physically capable of doing. Do you know magic? Use it to run. Do not try to fight him."

That had gotten nods from all the devils present. Sona found some courage.

"School begins in an hour. Momo you and Reya check the wards. We need them to be as strong as possible if he comes here. Everyone else you are to prepare bolt routes. Just in case."

The situation was so serious that Rias did not get mad that Sona was giving orders to them too. Not intentionally. But she had.

Their peerages ran out of the room.

"We are in trouble Sona."

"I know. He, however, will not be a danger to the humans. It is disgusting in the extreme. But we are safer here in the school. They are our shield."

"You cannot know that! He kills humans too! Just like last weekend! He."

"I have followed him Rias. He does not kill people who are trying to live their lives peacefully. It is hidden very well but there is a pattern to his work, he protects people. Truly protects them. He had a heart. It is extremely hard to see. But he does. He loves humanity. Like his children. His operations always seem to show this. He cleans up terrorist organizations that are from our world. They fear him just as much if not more. He will come for them. He crushed a rebellion that happened at Lady Yasaka's court. He rescued her daughter. He has a heart. Don't try anything that violates a human's rights. You will be safer. Trust me. Please."

Rias nodded still shaking.

"I trust you. Please by the morning star be right. Or we are dead."

"I know. Have faith in me. I think I have read that right."

Rias had nodded before leaving.

City of Kuoh Tuesday after school.

Koneko was still trembling. She was trying to fix that by feeding her sin. She had gone to her favorite sweet shop to do this and had in her worry mistakenly bumped into an older woman. She had bowed profusely spluttering apologetically. The woman had smiled and kindly forgave her. She had left.

Koneko had gotten her sweets and had been in her room at the ORC building when a note that had not been there before falling out. She opened it. And the blood had drained out of her face. She had screamed so loudly that it had shaken the building in her fear. Akeno had charged into her room with Kiba, to see what had happened. Their faces also grew white.

The bird was back. On the note. Its heads stood unbowed. Below the bird was the sentence.

"I wish to meet with your king. Do not run. I will find you all. Be at the memorial wall on Friday after school at 5.00 pm. All of you. I will give my word not to kill you. Do not run."

That had prompted Akeno to join in the screaming. Kiba had tried so desperately to calm them. It had not worked. Rias had come to help her rook. Her power of destruction was ready. She had also read the note. Her screams joined theirs.

Kuoh academy Student Council office Tuesday evening.

Sona looked at the note. Rias was trembling so badly that she had to be held by her also very badly trembling queen.

This felt different. There was the fear. But something else also. Sona felt it again just like she had when they had seen the bird for the first time.

Hope. She did not know where the feeling was coming from. She felt it. It called it her. It touched her and whispered words of encouragement and sometimes even pure love. This was unbelievably bad.

"This was in Koneko's bag. What did the person you bumped into look like?"

The nekoshou had stopped shaking terribly. And said.

"It was a woman. She was young, late twenties. She had a few scars. And some white hair in her black. I am so scared he has agents here."

Sona nodded in sympathy. The hope returned. Stronger this time.

"Rias. Remember our talk this morning. I think we might be able to get a hint of his goal. Meet him this Friday. Unless you did something that angered him.? Did you do something that angered him!"

Rias was crying now in pure fear.

"I did not do anything! I did nothing that as you said violated a human! Please Sona he is going to kill me! I am so scared he."

"I believe you. Still meet him. It is interesting that he wants to meet you. Not lady belial. I want you to live. You saw what it said do not run."

The words know no fear reached her ears. Sona unconsciously repeated them.

"Know no fear. Rias. Meet him. I will come and help you. I love you and I will help you."

The words seemed to calm her friend and her peerage.

"Thank you. I….. I will meet him."

"That is all I can ask Rias. Go rest you need it."

The redhead had nodded before leaving. Her people followed.

Why had she said that? Why that line? She had a small revelation. Issei. So much had fallen into place. He was an agent of the Red Angel. That is why he fought so hard against the offer.

He had to be connected to the Red Angel. That is how the Red Angel knew about Rias. She was beyond pissed he had been spying on them!

Her blood ran cold. The Red Angel knew her too. She had been with him multiple times.

The question was. Why was she still alive? He had betrayed her trust. She would summon him tomorrow and demand answers out of him. Had their conversation and connection meant nothing to him!

She remembers the conversation. The anger flows out of her. He had meant it. The connection was very real. He had seen her.

"Your drive is amazing Shitori-san."

He had truly meant it. He saw though the veil that covered her life here. He still wanted a connection. Even with what she and Rias had tried to do. She mattered.

She would get her answers from him. Or else.

Kuoh academy Wednesday morning before school.

He was ready. The bait had been set.

Issei had been walking to the school when Sona and her entire peerage had met him halfway to the school in an alley. He sprung the trap.

Sona had her queen next to her in the middle of the alleyway. One bishop and pawn were at either end with her knight and rook. He looked at her and knew no fear. She was beyond angry. And so beautiful in that anger.

"I will ask this once. Swear this to me.

Show me our conversation and connection is real. Show me that you are my friend.

Are you an agent of the Red Angel? Show me the truth!

Show me that you care! Show me that you are the man I think you are! Show me the truth!"

The delivery was filled with so much.

He spoke.

"The truth. I am Alpharius. I am one of a legion. I am an agent of the Red Angel. You are my friend. I say that as the truth. That was never a lie. I knew you and the others are devils. I do respect your drive to change your society. I did not lie when I said I admire you.

I know Rias's problem. I know yours. I will not lie. I would be a lesser human being if knowing what knew about you two. I did nothing to help. I want to help Rias. He does not want to kill any of you. I mentioned to him about the problem. He wants to help.

Have faith in me. Just like I have faith in you who is my friend. You who despite trying to get me into your peerage. You wanted to help my dream.

You cared. You still care. I enjoy being in your presence despite what you are. Your people abuse mine. I hate that. But I do not hate you or the others. I like you all. Believe me."

The silence that followed was deafening. So many emotions crossed Sona's face. Relief. Betrayal. Understanding. Hope. Trust broken, lost, and then regained and strengthened. All that and more.

"You lied to me."

"You did too. We are each not blameless."

The silence again. He spoke his voice small and sad.

"You are my friend. I understand if you want to hate me forever. What we have. I treasure it. Let's if you will let me start a new page in our tale.

I am Issei Hyoudou. The friend of Sona Sitri. I want to leave the world we live in together. Devil, Human, Youkai, fallen angel, pure angel and more.

I want to leave it in a much better shape than the one I was born into. That is my and the red angel's dream. We care. I care. That is and will always be the truth. This I swear. Believe me now."

Sona believed him utterly. He was not lying. He was her friend. He was right. They had both lied. She felt the hope the bird brought to her sing a great choir of voices. The song was beautiful.

She would never be able to describe it to her children when she had them. What the song was like. It made her gasp unconsciously. Why could she hear the music so brightly!

She smiled. She truly smiled. Tears were coming down her face. Tsubaki had thought they were tears of rage. She had been about to attack her friend. She stopped her queen.

"They are tears of happiness. Tsu. He is right. We are friends."

The song rose again.

"Hello. My friend, my name is Sona Sitri. The friend of Issei Hyoudou. The heiress of house Sitri of the seventy-two pillars.

My dream is to build a school that will help reincarnated devils learn everything of the ratings games.

I want to leave the underworld. I was born into a much better place for the people who are my species future. I care about them. They matter."

She was smiling at him. It was the sun.

His smile was the same.

"Then let us be friends. I did mean all of it. I want to help Rias. Please have her come on Friday. He wants to help."

"I believe you. Please do not lie about anything else. Unless you really have to. I cannot reveal everything about myself either. What does he really want?"

"He calls it Unification. I do not understand everything about it. But the parts I do. I love it. We who serve him all do. Trust me. It is better than what we currently have. Your dream is part of it. He wants to help. All of us. He loves us humans. We deserve that and more. He hates parts of devil society. But he and I understand that you need to feed your sins. Just remember us humans. We matter too."

This had built something. Sona wanted to believe. Know no fear. She had said that to Rias. She accepted it.

"Alright. I believe you. I trust you. Thank you for being honest. I am still a bit bitter. But I understand you more. Let us try and make chess games between us a weekly thing. I loved facing you."

His smile awoke a dream in her. A vision of a future they could have. She was happy there. He was equally happy. Between them was a child. It was a boy. He had her hair with bits of brown here and there. That little boy had his eyes. He was looking at them with adoration. They were together. The boy looked at her with his family. His smile was like the song. Beautiful. She wanted this. She wanted this almost as much as her school. This was possible.

Possible but not guaranteed. She saw other visions too. Many ended in nothing but pain. For both of them. Physically and emotionally. They hurt. She wanted only the first. No, she needed only the first. Regret. All the bad only left regret.

She was snapped out of it by Issei touching her hand.

"I am sorry. That happens sometimes. I will tell you it about it when we are alone."

He smiled kindly to Tsubaki. Who had been insulted by the words before understanding. It was true she and he were not friends. None of the others were. It was not done out of unkindness. They were all except Sona were strangers. Her queen spoke quietly.

"I understand, Hyoudou-san. I see that now."

He still had his smile.

"That does not mean I do not want to try. Maybe we will get there someday. All of you are good people. We all are different. We each have flaws. It does not make us enemies. It means we are learning this life's lessons together.

I have, from the time of my childhood, wanted more friends. Life happens. Let us all try to be that. Friends. We may be on opposite sides of the deep hidden divide between your people and my people. But we can try. That is all I think anybody can really do."

The rest of her peerage had tears in their eyes too at those words. They had been ready to kill him. He served a monster. Or what they had thought was a monster. The Red Angel was a being like them. He had just taken a goal that was harder to reach.

He wanted to help. He was trying. They could see that now. Yes he was still something that they all were scared shitless of, but he was doing something that in the end it mattered to him and issei and apparently the legion of others.

Unification. That was something they were all curious about. What did that mean? What was making the man before them fight so much for it. Like they were fighting for Sona. What was this dream?

Sona looked at him still smiling. Her tears were gone.

"After school. Let us talk after school. I want to have you on the student council. Not in my peerage. But I understand that I am insulting the others if you join immediately. Talk to Rias. She is very very scared. Make her feel less of that. Prove to me that you meant it."

"I will. I will calm her. I swear this to you who has not thrown this. Whatever this we have together away. I will talk to her at lunch and please give her a heads up before I do talk with her. I do not want her to kill me, in her fear and in front of the school. They do not know. But they will one day."

"I will tell her. I am very curious about this thing you want to share with me. And Unification. I want to understand him more too."

"It extremely complicated. But I will try to explain. He can do better. Come Friday. He is not the evil everyone portrayed him as."

"Very well. I will see you after school. Friend."

"I will see you there too my friend. I know that your primary sin is greed. Greed for knowledge. I will share something with you that will sate it for a long time. Its overly complicated."

She smiled.

"I will hold you to that. Do not disappoint me."

"I will not. I am not a master in it. I will never ever be. Let us get to school."

She nodded.

"You are right. Thank you for proving me right. About who you are."

He nodded to her, his friend happily. Before making his way to the other end of the alley. He passed Ruruko.

"I like you a lot Ruruko-san. I would like to know more about you. Please do not think less of me, for my choices."

Ruruko was scared, but he was kind.

"I need time. But I think I would like to know you too in the future. I am scared of your boss. But you are a good person."

He nodded thankfully. Before leaving them in the alley.

Unknown location. Unknown time. Tuesday. M 2

Freed grunted as a small twinge of pain hit his enhanced nerves. It was slowly getting better. He would keep it for the rest of his life.

It would remind him. He had known no fear as he was under the knife. It hurt just as much as what his lord said it would. His lord had done what he had and much much more. It made freed respect him even more than he had ever felt before. To try and stop him from doing it. Freed loved his lord. The one who had taken pity on him in his darkest time. Who instead of killing him like he should of, he had seen him and helped. He mattered.

The others were seeing that too. Charles had finally been encouraged to follow the machine. He believed in it. He would say things to the machines making everything for what he called the Great Work.

He had seen what that belief was doing. Production had doubled again after Charles had started his prayers. Daliea had been shocked. Charles seeing the look smiled.

"Let the machine god favor you and your father. He who made you in his aspect of the omnissiah. Let me help ease some of the burden of the great work. I am a faithful follower of what will be the children of the omnissiah. I the harbinger."

Freed had been a little put off by it. As had the others for a day. But other than that Charles was still the same. He realized that they were all changing. In an incredibly good way.

Charles was helping their three new people into the city. Jean and Janet were here with him getting the sapling. They had mark three lasguns and chainswords now. He had two new prototypes. A power sword was on his hip, what Daliea had called a hades hell gun was in his arms. It was his first lasgun but better.

Out from the trees a female fallen had met them she scanned them before saying to the humans in carapace armor, Freed was the only one with no helm.

"I am Alpharius. You are also Alpharius yes? We who are legion?"

"Hello to you Alpharius. I am also Alpharius. One of the legion we all are. We serve Omagon. He in the service close to weaver."

The fallen let out a clear sigh of relief. She had been nervous. She was new to her ring.

"I have the sapling. What was spoken about for my service. It will be paid forward, yes? I need it badly."

"I know not what weaver the head of the hydra has promised you and your head. But it will come. Have faith. In them. He has helped us too."

She nodded thankfully.

"I have faith. But things happen."

"Things always happen. You will get the help you need. Just like you are helping another in our legion. We who are all Alpharius, your problems matter just as much as the others. Believe."

"I want to so desperately. How do you all do it? You who a very clearly human? "

"Know no fear. That is how we do it. It will come."

"I will try. My problem is unbelievably bad."

"So was mine. I was broken by the church. But our lord made me whole again. I promise you it will come."

She smiled softly. Not believing it. But she had faith. She was promised help. She, who was a fallen angel who had broken faith with her maker. Still had it. She opened a portal and brought the sapling forward. The box was moved to a waiting van and freed bowed to her. It was not the typical bow a human would have given to a fallen. It was between equals not subordinates.

"Thank you again Alpharius. We appreciate what you have done. What all of you that helped us did. Tell them that. Know no fear and have a good day."

"I will try. Thank you Alpharius."

She stepped through the portal, and it closed. Freed got in the van and the three of them were off.

That fallen was named Ariel. She so desperately wanted to believe the human. To genuinely like he did and know no fear. She returned to her post and was met by her husband. He was also a fallen. He was smiling so hard it was splitting his lips apart. He hugged her. He was also a part of the ring.

"What are you smiling about? I just got back and."

"Arie. It came. It came while you were away. He did it. My problem is fixed. Our dream it can finally happen! I can give you what we both want so desperately. I am no longer infertile."

That shocked her so deeply. She felt it in her soul. She had faith again fully. If this was true.

"You checked with the machine from the Governor-General?. You."

"Yes! I am fixed! They came through to us! We can have a little one now Arie! What we both want so much! They helped us! Just like we helped them and another!"

His wings were changing color in his excitement. They were changing color from midnight black to instead of white, now they were changing to pure gold! They were almost there totally before falling back to black.

They had both fallen because of lust. Not lust for each other that way mostly. They had fallen because of the the lust for a family. They had wanted what the humans had. So, they fell. Only to see that dream die a short and painful death. He, her husband could not produce a viable chance for their desire. It would take an extraordinary extremely had to get ingredient that was only found in heaven. That which they could not return to.

He had cried for decades. She had joined him. They wept for what they could not truly ever have. But their employer had promised them it would come their last hope. It meant that he had people in heaven. Some pure angel had taken true pity on them and had helped them. Just like what they had just done.

They did matter. That was what Alpharius had said that and.

"I know no fear now. Like those who we helped."

Her own jet black wings began turning gold. Before back. She crushed her husband. They were both crying so much in happiness.

"I know no fear too Arie. When do you want to start?"

She answered by dragging him full force to their bedroom.

This was happening across the shadow network. For people who had for whatever reason donned the mask of Alpharius. They who were truly legion. Devil, fallen, the more pure angels that were now joining those who were tired of the status quo. The humans, the youkai, every single species that had members with this hydra. They were beginning to believe again. To have faith. In each other. They who had been forgotten and were not the powers at be. They had all mattered.

No. They all did matter. The hydra was growing. It would never stop growing now. It had reached critical mass. They all believed because they who had been often remarkably close to despair with their various problems.

They had faith one more last time. It was working. Not all would be the warriors of this new faith. They would be the cogs of the Great Work. Each need for the machine they were build together. They now believed in the goal of Unification. They wanted to do more. For the people they had helped. And the others who would join.

They were all Alpharius. And they were truly legion. For they were all one.

Kuoh academy lunch time.

Rias was scared. She was so scared. The Red Angel wanted to talk to her. That scared her so badly and so very very much. She had been shaking with the fear since yesterday. They all had.

And now. Now they had a face to put with his faction. Issei Hyoudou. He was here at her table sitting with them. He who she so desperately wanted in her peerage. He served another more terrible master.

She had been warned her beforehand.

"Know no fear. Rias. I trust him. Issei and he want to help you. Take it."

It had helped a little. He had come to her, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko. He the agent had brought gifts.

For Akeno it had been a book on something. Her queen focused on it heavily before blushing.

For Koneko it had been a large bag of sweets and a gift card for reduced prices at the nekoshou's favorite sweet shop. For a year.

For Kiba it had been a very advanced book on swordplay.

And for her? It was an unbelievably beautiful and expensive necklace. Greed had filled her instantly calming her nerves.

Just like the other gifts. Issei smiled at them, before saying to them all.

"We are your friends. Please do not run. We genuinely want to help you. He is not bad. Just like how I am not bad either. He will help you. He and I do not think that any of you are bad people. Kiba-san I spoke truth with you. I do not like your dual sins. But your not a bad person either. Again, please come on Friday."

Rias felt a little better hearing this, the others did too. Know no fear. Sona had said that. She trusted her. She would trust Issei. He was not bad. He was popular because he tried, he backed up his words with action.

"Ok. He still scares me. How will he help me? My problem is bad. But you can probably guess that. If you mentioned that to him. Him who is unstoppable."

"Come Friday. He will explain. He does not tell me even a quarter of his plans. He does not do that with anyone, except his very trusted inner circle. I am near the bottom. Like I always have been. But I and the others who serve him. He cares about what we think."

Rias nodded again before smiling softly.

"I am sorry. For what I was attempting to do."

"I am sorry he scares you this badly. I promise you he will help."

It would have to be enough. The ORC spent the rest of lunch talking to him. He was knowledgeable. He could talk to anyone of them about what the other was interested in. Rias had liked that. They were not friends. But he was as always trying with them. Especially since he had known from the beginning what she had wanted. That counts for something.

Student council office Wednesday after school.

They sat looking into the others eyes. They were alone. Sona had put her privacy ward up. They were friends. He had wanted to talk to her about her questions. She would honor that.

"Ok Issei-kun. What is it you wish to tell me? Why did I have sudden and such livid visions? You said that happens. What is that?"

"It is complicated in the very extreme. I'm what is called a psyker. I use psychic powers. I know magic yes. But this is my gift."

"Psychic powers? Mind reading? How is that even possible?"

"There exists an exceedingly rare gene in humans. It is ultra rare. Those who can use it actively. But all humans are in truth psychic beings. Yes I could read your mind. But I do not. It makes me sick to do that knowingly to someone. I have great mental control. I see flashes from people. But that is it a quick flash here and there. When the thought slips past the walls I have built up. The Red Angel is also a psyker. You saw visions because I do that sometimes very unwillingly. The futures you saw. Those were very real possibilities. Not guaranteed. But very possible. I noticed that you and Tsubaki picked up on that last week."

Her friend had been very right. Her greed was now in full force. Learning this was satisfying her so so much. It answered a lot of her questions that had been left.

"You saw multiple timelines. Why did you choose the one you did? For this?

"In a way yes. But at the time. It was to give us both something to look forward to and enjoy the journey we took on Friday. I care. I will never stop caring."

"Where do you draw the energy from? It cannot be free. Nothing like this has no strings."

"You are a hundred percent right. There is a cost. Psykers draw energy from a dimension that runs above ours. Like a mirror. It has many names. The immaterium, the unreality, the warp and many more. We are dangerous. Like a ticking time bomb. There are things that like our reality, they live their too. Like BG. He exists up there.

If you are untrained in mental discipline. You can unconsciously draw power from the warp and do very horrible things. Like devil magic. Psykers can do almost anything if they have the willpower and control. I owe the red angel so much. He saw me after I had released my gift for the first time. My psychic scream hit a large number of people and gave them migraines. Including him. I will say this to you my friend. Because I trust you. I am a survivor of the Night of Red Flame. My home was near ground zero. No, I don't know how it happened.

My gift awoke me. I ran. I ran harder than I have ever ran before. That was a decade ago for me. My family. They did not make it."

Sona felt tears in her eyes. He was broken. Just like her. The fact his gift was what tied him to the red angel. He was speaking the truth again. He was so loyal to the Red Angel because he had helped a 7 year old boy who had just lost his family. He had helped the one who shared his gift. He had helped the boy who was now utterly a man before her, from hurting others unwillingly.

That said so much about him. It painted him to her in a much better light. It was biased. But everyone has bias. The truth was clear. She was, however, incredibly fascinated by the warp. This was something that she never knew about. She did not think even her sister knew about this. It honored her that her friend had been willing to share it with her.

The Night of Red Flame. His family's names were on the wall. The Red Angel knew that. It was a hidden message. To show that he did care. That is why he had wanted Rias there.

They had been silent for a while. She changed that. She quickly got up and ran to her friend and surprised him greatly. She threw her arms around him. She squeezed him. She saw his face let out a chuckle.

"I can see that you did not see this outcome. You are my friend. I am beyond honored that you would share this all with me. We. We are not friends anymore. No, we are true friends. I have more questions. Are you saying that when I felt hope from seeing the Aquilla for the first time. I was channeling psychic power? Am I?"

"You are not a psyker. But the legacy of it is in all beings that share the human form. The warp reacts to feeling and emotions. The bird means hope to i and so many others. We are feeding it. Just like how I am feeding your sin now. The gods are beings that feed off the emotions and feelings of their followers. They are warp creatures. They can manifest in reality. It is extremely hard to do for them. But they can do it.

Angels, fallen and even you devils are all linked to the warp. You all are somewhat of what I and the red angel call. Daemons. But that has significantly changed. You are still partially warp beings. But your races have taken on so much of being human. That you all are now more beings of the materium. All supernatural beings that are not gods are like that. Some like Odin's Valkyrie, are still mostly warp beings. But they and others are falling too. It is just slowly."

Sona was shocked. This, this was a big eye opener. It explains so much about their world. She. She was something more than what her race knew. Humanity. It was why they were so connected. Why they had needed humans in the beginning for pure belief. And now why they were so different from the first of the devils.

This knowledge rewrote the entire understanding of the supernatural world.

"That vision. The one with the little boy. I. Did you see it too?"

She wanted so desperately to know. Did he see it? She needed to know; it was like she was dying of thirst she had to know.

"I saw it. It was beautiful. I want it too. But that vision should not be the foundation of any relationship we might eventually have. It is a potential future. We do not know each other at that level. One day maybe. It has happened to others. Possible branches that are splitting from the tree that is our reality. "

What he said shocked her even more.

"There are multiple trees. The warp connects them all. In some trees. I do become a devil. In others I become a fallen. And others a pure angel. Some I become a god. But in saying that, I prefer the ones where I stay human. I like this you. In some trees, you, Rias, and the others are true monsters. In others you are such extremely good people that you forever change your world. In many of my trees, I am a disgusting human who only wants to be drowned in breasts. But I am an incredibly good person here. I really am thankful for that."

"Multiverse. You are seeing the multiverse. You are telling me you can do that! You can see."

"Yes. I can see it. Psykers can I will repeat. Do almost anything, with the right training. I am stronger than the Red Angel in that aspect. "

That was incredible. Her friend was incredible.

"In the ones where you become a devil. Who do you most often serve?"

"Rias. She would take advantage of my perverted nature and revive me after I die to a fallen. I hate that. The evil piece system. It is vastly different in them. It is here true evil. It is part of the reason I fought so hard against it."

"And me? Do you ever serve me?"

"In some. There was a tree where you noticed me. It is after I suffer a lot of abuse from Rias. You see it. You fight a ratings game against her for me. You win. And that is still after my tree version that has Divine Dividing. You save me. We fall in love. We have six children, because you encouraged me to try and let my nature go. I turned from perverted undertakings to being a scientist that surpassed Lord Beelzebub. I fix our races near infertility. Because you cared. I really liked that tree."

She liked it too. It explains more.

"What motivated you as a devil, and the other trees to an extent?"

"I said I was perverted in many of them. I want a harem there. Not for the right reasons. It was to objectify my primary sin of lust. I actually share a hint of that. I want a harem here. Not because of that reason. I want one because I have a lot of love to give. I desperately want a large family. Not to replace my lost ones, I want to be happy. And like Rias I want partners I build up. And they do so to me too. I am human and I do feel lust. But I want the more permanent stuff. Not something that only lasts a truly short time."

That was interesting.

"The tree where you become better, with me. How many there?"

She was very curious about that.

"Two, you and a nekomata with long black hair. I did not play favorites. We all loved each other equally. I had three with her."

"That, was there never trees that you were with only one? Or completely alone?"

"Many. So very many. I would do dreadful things. Or a split would happen in Rias or your peerage. Rias is not always a kind person. There was one where I was with Koneko. She was the only one there. It was unbelievably bad. Rias was awfully bad to me and her. We connected through that. We fled. That tree branches off from that choice, like they all do. We became very bad strays, not because we wanted to. It was because we found a way around the evil system. When I say it was very bad. I mean it. I will not say what she and I had to do. It was because of the abuse. Mentally and physically."

"I am sorry. For what happens or."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Just like Rias here. They were not you, or her. Believe it or not in some trees it is where I was the king, and you two were the pawns. That was what piece I was. The most often anyway."

She had been hugging him throughout this discussion. They had moved to a couch. They were so connected. It continued to deepen. They would spend the rest of the evening together. She asking, and he telling the truth. It was wonderful. She had been shocked when a noise had come through the door and Tsubaki had entered and looked at them.

"It 11pm my king. I am sorry."

Issei had smiled at both of them.

"I will get going. It was nice. Sona-chan. I will let you get to sleep."

He looked at Tsubaki.

"May I please sit with your club at lunch tomorrow? I would like to get to know you all better."

Tsubaki had been pensive before nodding slowly.

"I am not against it. But the others might. I will see you before school and let you know what they think. I know Sona-sama would want you to sit with us."

Sona nodded vigorously.

"I do."

Tsubaki smiled slightly before looking at Issei with a very pointed look.

"I do not trust you. You work for that thing. But you are as you said not a bad person."

He accepted the words.

"I understand. Thank you for considering my request. If it is a straight no. I get it. But I will keep trying."

Sona saw her queen nod and with that he her faithful friend smiled and then bowed to her. Before leaving.

"Your incredibly happy Sona. Did you learn more about him?"

"I did. I learned so much about him and more. You will not believe half of what he and I spoke about. No. Not even a quarter of it. But I will let him tell you about it himself. I really like him."

Kuoh city outskirts Tuesday afternoon.

Charles was incredibly happy. He was joining the machine. He was so very happy. He had been a little upset about having to leave the forge. But he was needed to get the others into the city. He carried a laspistol. He had made it himself. He had remembered his brother.

Allen. Charles missed him so very much. But when held his lasgun, he heard his brother's voice. It was of all the good. He had named the gun after his brother. The machine had soothed him. The hums. He knew no fear. So, he was here.

The bus station was packed with people. But he was waiting on a bus from Kyoto. He had waited patiently. Humming a hymn, he was writing for the children of the omnissiah. It and more would be his legacy.

The bus arrived. It was here and one of the first of those new children was here. He was smiling so very brightly. Sarah and James walked off the bus, with Cornelia behind them. He saw her now. The first Cornelia and the others had smiled after seeing him.

"Brother, Sisters. I am so glad you are here."

He hugged them. They returned it. Cornelia had broken the gif first.

"You saw it too. Did you see it Charles? Him."

"I saw him that is the Omnissiah. I will help you learn him."

Sarah and James had no idea what their comrades were talking about. Cornelia on the plane here, had woken from a dream and had cried tears of pure joy. They had hugged her.

"I wish to see the Omnissiah. He that is the aspect. I want it so bad Charles."

"You will see him Cor. Believe me."

He turned to the others.

"Do not mind us. We had an exceptionally good similar experience. We are still the ones you met in hungry. Just more now. You will see him, and you will understand Unification. Cor and I just see it differently. Trust me."

They did. Charles had led them to a waiting van with Arnaldo leaning against it. He was definitely happier than they who had just gotten here had last seen their captain. He helped get their luggage into the van.

Cornelia was pelting questions at Charles so desperately to see and understand what she had seen. He answered them all. Sarah and James were very worried. Arnaldo just chuckled.

"She will be fine. I do not understand even a quarter of what they are talking about. But it is ok. Cor is not in any danger. She as Charles probably said is just seeing unification differently. It is not wrong. Frontline or support?"

That confused them. James asked.

"What do you mean. We are all fighting for."

"Yes we are are. Do you want to fight as the frontline, or you can be like Charles. He who is fighting in the back. I am a support. I am going to be running the pipeline of those who will fill the front. I am done being in the thick of it. Front or support? Our lord will not think less of you for either choice."

That made the two of them silent. Sarah had spoken conviction in her voice.

"Frontline. I am still ready for battle. I know no fear."

James nodded.

"Same. I want to keep fighting. The fact we are being asked rather than told is incredibly good. I do eventually want to leave the frontline. But not now."

"Completely understandable. I will introduce you to Freed. He is the one leading the front."

"Freed? You cannot mean that Freed? The batshit crazy Freed?"

"He was broken too. He is now whole. Give him a chance. He is very much so better."

They would.

Kuoh academy Thursday lunchtime.

The others had given him the chance. Tsubaki had told Issei that. So he joined them surprising the students. The fans girls had wept with how well he and Sona were getting along. Before turning 180 and started whispering about how they would get their king back.

Rias had just nodded and went back to eating. The fear was now significantly reduced, still there but nothing had happened. Yet.

The rest of the student council had slowly begun opening up to Issei. They had asked about Unification. When Issei had explained the basics to them. They were in truly clear awe. Unification sounded amazing. Utopian, but was very grounded in harsh reality. Ruruko, Saji and Tomoe had been enthralled. It was beautiful. For all of them to matter. The others were beginning to be invested in the idea too.

That this dream encompasses theirs too was something they all appreciated. It repaired some of the bridges. They were still scared. Sona had started a conversation about magic. Something that was carefully hidden from the rest of the school, but it had led to positions changing on some of the points for both the council and Issei.

The council realized how close their king and Issei had gotten last night. They would make a few strange remarks to each other talking about trees of all things. But the conversation was interesting.

When lunch had ended Sona had hugged Issei happily and openly called him Issei-Kun. He had looked to her for permission, and she gave it. He smiled more and called her Sona-Chan. They had been so happy.

Forge of dreams.

Cornelia was so incredibly happy. She was finally like Charles hearing the machine. That dream she had on the plane. It had purified her soul, ridding her of doubts that Kan had helped raised in her. The machine god. It made her feel completely normal. Charles was teaching her a small hymn he had written and the pieces of the world that had never fit before had finally done so.

The great work. That was the thing she wanted. To build it. Many would have been a little angry and annoyed when Charles had compared them to cogs in the machine that was the great work. She had not been. She liked the analogy.

She had always been a child of the omnissiah. She could now really show it.

Production jumped again.

Kuoh city Wednesday.

Mittelt was incredibly happy. Kala had been on cloud nine with so much hope that she had brightened the mood in the church where they were hidden. Dohnaskeek had been happy for her. Raynare was not. The friction in the flock was showing more openly now. The attack on Saturday last week scared Mittelt and Kala. But it had given them hope.

Alpharius had been intrigued by the gear user list so far. Two of the potential users had twice critical. Raynare had been ready to kill them both. When that had been slipped to Alpharius the day before, the users had both disappeared.

That had pissed Raynare off more. She had killed one of the exorcists that had reported that to her. His blood had painted the wall. That scared the rest of the elite guards of the church stationed humans.

They had been scared before. Now they were terrified. That had somehow gotten out and two minor exorcists from another part of their cell had run. When Raynare had demanded the head of the cell to find them, or else. The cell leader had not been able to locate them.

The other two cells were also scared. Somehow a rumor had spread that they would be fighting the red angel. That had made the flock scared. When Mittelt asked Alpharius via a short terror filled message if that was true. The symbol of the two headed bird that was their new standard was shown and Mittelt had felt hope. The message had read.

He is here. But he knows you and your comrade. You are safe.

Mittelt had looked at the bird again. The hope was now even stronger. She had faith. She had noticed a very strange thing, however. It was taking her wings and Kala's longer and longer from turning the new color of gold back to black. Was this a coincidence? Or was there a way to reverse falling.

She did not know.

Thursday Afternoon.

Masori had finalized the plan with his wife. He had disobeyed his king. He had looked at the Red Angel further. He had been met at a local restaurant by a man with white hair that had called himself Alpharius.

Masori had thrown himself at the man's feet following the strange whispers. He had begged for help. The man had told him he would help. That was yesterday.

The knight had gone on a date with his wife and had said his goodbye. He still had not met his king's gaze. She was so deeply sorry. He could see it in her brown eyes. It did not change anything.

He had enjoyed the date with his light, and he could tell she was feeling the same. They had finished before meeting the white haired man again who had come with another. The man had helpfully gotten the both of them in a waiting car and they had fled.

Now he was on his knees in a basement in a house here in the city. Before the Red Angel. He had been shocked to his core.

The red angel was incredibly young. He had another title. The Master of Mankind. Masori would tell his children of that day countless times. The master of mankind had gathered unknown power in his right hand before gently placing the hand on Masori's chest. Before saying.

"You had faith. I see this. I will help you. Not for your service. I will help you because it is right. Know no fear Masori. Because the night is over. The sun is rising. Be free."

Masori felt like his body was on fire as the hand pushed the energy into his being. He had so desperately wanted to scream. But he continued to have faith in humanity. After but a moment of that intense pain. Masori heard something fall to the floor. The pain was over.

He looked down at the floor with tears in his eyes. There laying before him.

Was his knight piece. It was cracked. Masori cried. His new lord now and forever had moved his hand away.

"Know no fear, Masori. You will never be a slave again. This I say."

The sun had indeed been rising.

In the underworld a set of eyes slammed open from sleep. She saw it again. The bird of hope. It was rising. She would meet him soon. The one with her other half. The one she desperately wanted to meet. Ever since she had received her first vision of him. A decade ago.

AN surprise. Those last few parts are especially important and have very wide implications. How with the piece? Simple faith. Issei is an avatar of the god of humanity. This is its first miracle. No matter how you frame the evil system. It is very evil. Yes you can volunteer for it. But Rias and her history in her peerage. Kiba and Gasper were not given a choice. They were dying. Issei dies he has the circle. But your desperation at that point you will take it. But what about if you were forcibly murdered and then revived, by your killer. That and rias saying. You will live for me. That is wrong. It does not ask the people you do that too in their situation. Those words lead me to believe that there is something very wrong in the system. But that is just my interpretation. Probably very wrong.

ANN the primary wife is now hinted at. The early visions for Asia and Kuno. They are not complete confirmations. They are being struck headfirst by the overwhelming potential of the master of mankind. I hope the explanation on what my view on the supernatural for in universe is all right.

The shadow network. That was fun to write. I like the Alpha legion. I really like Alpharius and Omagon. I like that unlike canon where peace between the factions is forced on them by leadership. That peace here is being built by understanding one another. By having empathy.

Lots of deep talk and discussion but no action. That should change in the next chapter. Once again thank you all for taking time out of your days to read this. I will never stop saying that. This has been incredibly fun. A break might happen after arc two where I try my hand another fic. But we will see.

ANNN. Sorry for the late post been fighting a bad cough and have been pushing hard on new chapters. im up quite a way and its been starting to snowball. Thanks again to everyone for enjoying this work.

to the reviewer who nitpicked Thank you for that. ill try at some point to fix the mistake when i get time. i will always like that sort of thing it broke immersion for you and thats not good.