I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Story A:
Our story continues on a moonless night within Grigori. Cleria Belial looked tired and stressed as she followed the Welsh Dragon to an unknown destination.
"Come on, Cleria. Lift that head of yours and try to relax. There's no need to worry about the academy until Monday, so try to put your mind at ease." Ddraig smiled as he walked through the streets of Grigori.
"Ddraig-san, just why did I have to come here with you? Don't you have other people to drink with?" Cleria said as she followed Ddraig.
"I do, but your cousin said you needed a break from your work. Your whole life shouldn't surround your work." The dragon says with a smile. "Anyways, be open. We're meeting a close friend of mine."
"Who?" Cleria questions the dragon.
"You'll see soon," Ddraig says.
Cleria shakes her head as they continue to traverse the streets. Her eyes wander as she sees the different factions of the alliance interacting with each other. Grigori was already formed by outcasts under the leadership of the Fallen angels, but since the alliance's creation, more races had made their way, like with the capital of the devils.
Youkais, members of the Golden race, members of the reformed church, and even a few angels could be seen interacting with each other. Her eyes were drawn to a church member walking beside a devil while smiling at each other.
Her past memories came rushing her as she imagined herself with her former lover.
"It could have been us."
"If only luck had been on our side."
"If only we had met at this age full of chances."
"Masaomi, if only you-"
"We reached our destination, Cleria," Ddraig said as he stopped before the entrance to the famous tavern that Azazel and many others used to frequent. "Come, they must be waiting for us."
Ddraig grabbed her hand and started to drag her inside the tavern.
The tavern was as packed as one would expect from such a popular spot. An army of servers carried alcohol and food. One could see Vati, the Wolfman, behind the bar giving orders and helping his staff take care of the many orders.
"Hey, is the enforcer! Make way for him." A waitress said as she saw them coming in and approached the pair. "Your table is on the second floor, sir. Your friend and his daughter are already there."
"Thanks. Give Vati my thanks." Ddraig continued to drag Cleria through the masses until they finally reached the second floor.
Many eyes were focused on them, but only two sets mattered.
"My brother, Ddraig. There you are. Come on and take a seat with us." Hephaestus said as he stood up.
"Nice to see you, uncle," Eury said as she bowed to him.
"The God of the forge and his daughter?" Cleria turned to Ddraig with expected surprise.
"Who else but my brother Hephaestus for a drinking partner? Come along, and don't be scared of him or Eurydice. None of them bite." Ddraig started to push Cleria forward as he felt the resistance she was trying to pose.
"Who might this young lady be? A new lover of yours?" Hephaestus jokes.
"Nope. This is Cleria Belial. The principal of Kuoh Academy and one of the alliance members that live in our home. She's a rather busy lady, but tonight I'm trying to help her to relax and stop focusing so much on her job." Ddraig continued as he made her sit down at the table.
"Well, I welcome another female into the group. Being alone with these two men does feel a bit boring. Now choose a drink to start, a beer, a cocktail, or maybe a hard drink Ms. Cleria?" Eury asked as she placed the menu before Cleria.
"Don't worry about paying; the tap is on me and Ddraig. Order anything you might like. Here, brother. This is a nice hard liquor they brought not too long ago. It is called Hell's Blessing. I enjoy its smoky flavor." Hephaestus said as he poured a glass for Ddraig.
"Thanks." Ddraig took the glass and gulped down in a flash. "Nice, that hits the right spot."
"See? I told you so." Hephaestus said.
Cleria admired the cheerful smile on the faces of the two males. They seemed as close as actual brothers.
"I know. It is surprising, but they are that close. You can be at ease amongst us." Eury said as she smiled at Cleria.
Cleria was taken a bit back by the radiant smile of the young goddess. The charm of Eury was slowly putting her at ease as she felt welcomed by her. "... I think I'll get a cocktail. I'm not much of a hard drinker."
"That's alright. Take it easy and go at your own flow. There's no need to keep up with us." Hephaestus said as he poured two more glasses for him and Ddraig.
"It's not like everyone can keep up with both of you. These are practically banned from joining any drinking contest. Neither can get drunk no matter what they ingest." Eury said as he pointed fingers at the two males.
"I do what I need to enjoy drinking for far longer. By the way, Eury, aren't you the same as your father?" Ddraig asked.
"I can get drunk but choose never to push it to such levels. A goddess should have self-control." Eury claims as she takes a sip from her beer.
"I doubt those beers will ever affect her. The one time she got drunk was when she tried to keep with me while drinking hard liquor. She had her first hangover after that night. I was so proud of her." Hephaestus said as he remembered the night she challenged him.
"Don't make me remember that. I was barely one century old. Never try something like that, Cleria. These two are monsters." Eury said.
"One day, you'll join the big leagues, my dear niece," Ddraig said as he grabbed his glass.
Cleria felt the easiness in the air as the trio enjoyed their drinks. Before her eyes, she initially saw two gods and a dragon, but now she could see three adults enjoying their time in peace instead. Such a welcoming environment was slowly drawing her in.
"Could I help you with anything?" The voice of a waitress drew her attention.
"I... Could I get this cocktail?" Cleria said while pointing at the menu before her.
"One Bloody Dahlia? I got it. Anything else?" The waitress asks as she turns to the rest.
"Five more beers and bring them at least three bottles of Hell's Blessing. Is going to be a long night for us." Eury said.
Ddraig and Hephaestus nodded at her words before they continued to drink.
"Got it. What about food?" The waitress asked as she noticed no signs of snacks around the table.
"Cockatrice wings and Sliders. Bring us a decent amount." Ddraig said as he finally noticed the lack of food.
"My mistake. Alcohol comes first." Hephaestus said.
Ddraig smiles. He knew what to expect from his "brother." In many cases, they would drink for hours without eating anything. Neither would realize that their stomachs were practically screaming in pain for food until many hours after they began to drink. Not that it would kill them, but even a dragon and a deity needed something to fill their stomachs besides alcohol.
Thus began a night to remember.
At least 4 hours later.
Cleria continued to smile and laugh as she enjoyed the conversations going on within the group. The cheerful environment and the effects of the alcohol became an effective combination that allowed her to drop her defenses. She was enjoying herself; her mind was at ease as she didn't think about the academy or her past.
"Brother, you're a fool for trying to infiltrate the Everblue Realm. Its residents are quite troublesome, and they are willing to fight anyone who dares to cross its borders without "paying" for the entrance." Ddraig said as he put the glass down. "Those "Moon Bunny" fellows care for their business."
"Hey, I was just curious, and in the end, Eury pulled me away. You're telling me you're not curious about what one could find in such an "exclusive" realm?" Hephaestus questions the dragon.
"It is a realm for "vacation" purposes for couples, Dad. Unless you have someone to go with and pay the fees, you're not making your way inside." Eury said as she turned to her father.
"Eury said exactly what I wanted to say. I had nobody that I could bring along, brother. I had nobody that I could bring as my significant other. I could pay the fees, but going alone to such a place would be… sad. What should a male dragon do in a realm focused on couples? I doubt the locals would fall for my "charm" back then." Ddraig admits. "I could try to infiltrate the realm, but it wasn't worth it."
"Relax, I get it. It was just my curiosity getting the best out of me. I heard that Everblue had some curious materials, so I wanted to check them out, but I get why I shouldn't force it. Two loners like us shouldn't have traveled to such a realm back then." Hephaestus takes another sip from his glass. "But things are different for you now. Tell me, when will you take Tiamat or Serafall to that realm? When you go, be sure to bring me some gifts. You have to bring them on a nice vacation. You damn heart hunter. How many more are you trying to get? 10? 20?"
The god said as he playfully pointed his fingers at Ddraig.
"Is not like that. I'm not making a collection." The dragon looked at his glass as he reflected on his relationships. "I… Issei and I genuinely care about each of them. When I started my relationship with Tiamat, my emotions began to run far more profound than expected; I blamed the fact that we were two souls, lonely souls with barely any beings to connect. I grew to care for each new contact I made, especially those I considered part of my "family." I feel happy with them, at ease, welcome, secure, and as if I belong with them." The dragon takes another sip. "It is not like I will romance every female in my life. I'm not trying to break Tannin's record."
"I doubt anyone will reach that level," Eury says before she drinks from her beer.
Hephaestus smiles as he sees the expression on Ddraig's face. "Hey, don't worry. I'm happy for you, brother. At least knowing that you can settle down after so long puts me at ease. The "you" back then cared more for your rivalry and proving your strength, but at your core, I knew you were capable of much more. You're the one that led me to end my false marriage after all."
"False marriage?" Cleria asked.
The pair turned to her. Hephaestus scratches his head.
"I guess not many know the truth behind my marriage with Aphrodite. I was once married to Eury's mother, Aphrodite. Blinded with love, I ignored the signs and lived in a fake marriage for ten years. She cheated on me to no end with many of the gods inside our pantheon. She even screwed Zeus in our so-called "marriage" bed, but not once she consummated the marriage with me." Hephaestus admits.
Cleria turns to Eury. The goddess nods as she takes another sip from her drink. "I met my other siblings after I turned 16, and none ever denied that they were the products of her affairs. Everyone knew, and some tried to advise Dad about it, but he ignored them. It wasn't until he met Uncle Ddraig that he finally realized the truth."
"So you were born after the marriage was over?" Cleria asked.
Eury nods. "She had me long after the marriage was over. Dad can tell you the details regarding my conception, but Dad and Hestia raised me with help from Athena, Apollon, and Athermis. You can say that Uncle Ddraig is indirectly involved in my birth. If Dad never broke off the marriage, it is likely that Aphrodite would have never conceived me with him."
"Him?" Cleria points her fingers at Ddraig.
"Exactly him. Ddraig is the one that pushed me to seek the truth and wake up. Although indirectly, he led to Eury's birth. He was the friend that pushed me to get out of that broken pantheon, travel into other realms, and improve my skills by getting new clients; my current forge lives thanks to his crimson flames; my daughter's birth is all thanks to his interference. That's why he is my brother." The god proudly claims as he grins.
"Tone it down, brother. I only did what was needed. Living in a lie, some would love such a thing, but we all need to wake up at some point. One can't continue to run away from reality. We all have to face it and try to move forward." The dragon said with a serious expression.
"That is indeed true… Anyways, we should focus on more positive themes. The past is the past; the present and the future are what should matter. Waitress, bring us more hard liquor." Eury said as she felt the need to change the subject.
Her instincts as a goddess told her that her uncle's words had touched a rather delicate theme regarding Cleria. "Letting go is hard, especially for her."
She could see it in her face; to her, a goddess involved with emotions, it was as straightforward as it came.
Hours after, Cleria's POV.
Cleria began to open her eyes. Her senses were dulled, and her head hurt after a long night of drinking. She took a minute to take in her surroundings and realized that somebody was carrying her.
Hephaestus was carrying her on his back through the streets of Kuoh.
"Hephaestus-sama?"
"Oh, you're finally up? It took you long enough; you passed out two hours ago. Ddraig and I continued to drink without you while Eury took off shortly after. He asked me to bring you home in his place." Hephaestus said.
"Where is he?"
"He had to take care of a pair of wasted Youkai ladies. It seems that they had caused a bit of a mess in the tavern's lower part, and he decided to take care of them to prevent further problems."
"... He just continues to attract problems with females?"
"He tries his best, but his luck is not the best. Anyways, want to walk the remaining path, or are you alright with this?"
Cleria remains silent for a second before she replies. "I fear I won't be able to walk straight in this state. I prefer staying like this until we get there."
"It won't be a problem for me," Hephaestus says as he continues to make his way to the building.
The sun was barely rising on the horizon, so no humans were around to see either of them yet. The silence was barely bearable for Hephaestus as he was still getting to know Cleria, but he wanted to assure her of his support.
"If you need to talk to someone or need some time off from your daily life, let us know. Eury and I are more than available to offer an ear. You might not match Ddraig or me when it comes to drinking, but you're a funny lady to have around. If you ever need help, let us know." The god said.
"..." Cleria felt silent. It was hard to accept the help of a god she had just met, but she felt no mischievousness from the god. She knew of the legends surrounding the Olympian gods, but Hephaestus didn't seem to fill the bill before her. She had witnessed the trust Ddraig placed in the god. "... I don't know if I will ever need the skills of such a famous god, but I'll welcome a few cocktails occasionally."
The devil smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Then I'll be happy to carry you each time you get drunk." The god of the forge replied as he felt at ease.
Neither imagines that they were being watched from the shadows by a young goddess who was worried about Hephaestus, thanks to the help of a small golem that kept an eye on the pair.
Nobody could say what the future had in store for them, but every good romance needs a starting point.
Story B:
Her torso was floating within a tank filled with a blue liquid. The attachments and limbs that once had made up her mechanic body had been removed, only leaving the ones that kept her "body" alive. Her eyes looked around the large room, seeing the faces of many researchers.
But her eyes were drawn to a particular pair. Said pair was formed by the one that had driven a sword through her chest, which had taken her free will away, and the one that likely held the keys to either her death or her freedom. These two were the only ones that mattered in this whole run.
As she kept looking at them, her eyes met the female researcher standing next to the dragon she was forced to obey. The face of the researcher was filled with doubt and pain.
"Why do you look like that? Who are you?"
No answer will ever reach the fallen angel, Mittelt, as she falls into a deep sleep due to the chemicals injected into her body.
Raynare's POV.
"Mittelt, what should I do with you?" Raynare asked as she touched the tank.
"The answer lies in you, Raynare," Ddraig said as he touched her shoulder. "Whatever you choose, I will support it."
"Is not as easy as you might think. I could just end it now and just let her rest forever. Let Ereshkigal take care of her soul. End the story now."
"But you don't want that. Deep inside of you, you want her to stay alive in one way or another. She was your friend, the closest one you had. You want to keep her around in one shape or another." The dragon turns to the monitors before them. Detailed plans for a full body replacement were shown in each one, involving new limbs, organ replacements, and practically recreating the closest thing to a fallen angel without the help of their deceased creator.
It was an ambitious project that, if it was successful, could go down in history as an impressive achievement showing the might of the alliance.
"You planned to rebuild her from practically zero. To give her a new chance at life even if no memories remain from her past. This is something only you could do and is likely to go down in the history of the alliance as one of the most impressive achievements."
"Don't try to make me smile. The Delta body is just a prototype, something that I came up with to maybe keep her alive for a bit longer, but it is still incomplete. The core that is sustaining her body won't last for too long. I have yet to figure out what to do to replace it. If only they had not taken her real heart away."
"How complicated would it be to replace it?"
"Is practically impossible. We analyze the core and figure out nothing about its possible making process. The heart of an angel or a fallen angel is not a normal organ. Although you might feel my heartbeat." Raynare grabs his hand and places it on her chest. "Is not what you might expect. Our hearts are containers for our souls and our power cells to keep us alive. To replace her heart and transfer her soul into that faulty core is already impressive, but we lack the technology or knowledge to create something similar in such a short amount of time."
"Are other hearts not compatible?"
"That is the problem; I can't just go around and take the heart of a demonic beast to replace it or try to create a new one from scratch. Luck is not on my side, and I can't just ask somebody to give me their heart to try to use it. Nobody has an extra heart to give away."
"Raynare? Are you seriously saying that in front of me?" Ddraig asks.
"What? Do you know some angel I don't know about with an extra heart, my lord?" Raynare questions the dragon.
"Raynare, look at my chest and think for a second," Ddraig says.
"... Huh?" Raynare looks at the dragon, and her mind connects the dots after several seconds. The fallen angel grabs his hand and starts to drag him away from the ears of the others present and into an office, where she closes the door and windows of the office.
The other researchers in the room looked confused by her actions but dared not interfere with their affair.
Inside the office. General POV.
"We are not doing something like that." Raynare starts. "I appreciate your concern, but that's going too far. Your body can survive without one heart, but I can't just ask you to lend me one, especially for something like this. There's also no assurance that your heart might be compatible with her."
Ddraig sighs before he takes a seat. "Then are you willing to give up and let her die?"
"My lord, she's partially to blame for crimes that affected you and Issei. Although you don't remember what she did, I do, and I can't just save her by using the heart of someone she hurt. Is insane."
Ddraig smirks. "My dear friend, insanity is part of our lives. We are already used to the unusual." Ddraig stretches out his tail and brings Raynare closer to him. The dragon sits down in the chair with Raynare getting dragged along, ending in her resting in his lap.
The maid could feel his heartbeat and take in the full impact of his scent. "Father, how do I keep falling into such kinds of situations?"
"Raynare, I'm offering something like this not because I hope to gain something in return. I'm offering one of my hearts because I trust you because we're friends and close allies. Only Hephaestus got the chance to use such a rare item. Although you might not know the result, you must at least try. You made plans to replace her body, to give her a chance to live, you had already made your choice, and now I'm trying to support it." The dragon grabs her hand and leads it to his chest. His face shows a sincere smile. "Let me support your plans with the same determination you support mine."
Raynare felt her heart racing faster with each second. "This is going too far for a simple employee/employer relationship."
"You do far more than a normal employee. Who else does the many things you do? You care for my family, you followed me to dangerous places, you fought by my side on many occasions, not once had you gone against my choices, not once have you shown signs of ever daring to betray me."
"Is hard to try to betray you when I have a slave mark."
"Raynare."
"I know, you never use it besides that one time. It makes me think that we actually never had a need for it."
"You never gave me reasons to use it, to begin with. Can you please accept and take this dragon's heart of mine?"
Raynare smiles. "It almost sounds like some kind of love declaration."
"Raynare."
The fallen angel looks deep into his eyes. "If I do this and it works, she will have a part of you inside of her from now on. I don't know what effects it might have in the long run."
"We'll figure it out together. If you're willing to take responsibility for Mittelt, I'm willing to do the same."
"You need to choose your words more carefully, my lord. You can sway hearts with such words."
"I know what I said. I know what I meant. I'll stand by your side just like you have done for me. This is something that Issei and I agreed on a long time ago."
Raynare looks at him with a curious look. "How far ago?"
"Around the one-year mark. Even with all the times you got us involved with damn tentacles and cursed manuscripts, we came to believe in and trust you from the bottom of our hearts."
"Is that so?" Raynare felt the connection between them growing more profound, but her mind told her that it wasn't the time for it. At least not yet. Knowing this, she cut the distance between them and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "One day, hopefully soon, I'll take the next step. For now, wait until then."
"... Very well." The dragon couldn't help but smile. Seeing that there was a future for the relationship between them. "Then, are you ready to operate?"
"Huh? You expect me to take out the heart myself?"
"Raynare, I need to be conscious during something like this, and if we're doing this, you have to be the one to remove it. I can't operate on myself. I'm likely to damage it."
"But I don't have the tools!"
"You have those holy weapons of yours. Focus on the surgical knife and the task; I'll take care of the alcohol and the phoenix tear." Ddraig says before releasing her hand and taking out a bottle of hard liquor. The dragon takes a sip and offers her the rest. "Take a sip and clean your hands with it."
Raynare watches as the dragon uncovers his chest for her. Her hands tremble as she holds the bottle, but his calm expression calms her worries. "He trusts me. I have to remain calm."
*Author's note: I do not support such practices. Please don't try this at home.*
The fallen angel looks at the bottle before she takes a long sip and sterilizes her hand with it. Once ready, Raynare puts the bottle to the side and uses her holy energy to materialize a surgical knife. "Ready?"
"Go ahead," Ddraig says as he relaxes his muscles.
Raynare begins to sink the knife into his skin. Guided by her knowledge of basic dragon anatomy, she goes for the center of his chest before she slides the blade downwards and across its length, creating a fleshy window that she forces open. Blood spills as the outer layer of skin is pushed to the sides.
Ddraig's eyes dilute as his instincts try to take over. "Continue, I'm fine."
Raynare nods.
Once the skin is out of the way, Raynare meets the next stage. A hard layer of some kind of elastic bone in the form of a chest plate blocks her path. While humans have a rib cage, dragons have internal elastic bony plates which expand and contract as necessary to block damage to their inside. When Raynare touches it, she feels the high internal temperature of Ddraig. Like some kind of reactor, his chest was boiling. It was a true testament to the inhuman anatomy of a dragon.
"Can you try to decrease the temperature?"
"I'll try."
Ddraig eases his breathing and tries to cool down his internal temperature.
Raynare senses the slight shift in temperature and takes it as a signal to continue. Her holy surgical knife sinks into the plate. She finds incredible difficulty cutting through the bone plate; nonetheless, Raynare pushes forward.
Ddraig clenches his claws which have come forward, and stops his tail from attacking Raynare. His own body was a deadly trap for anyone that dared to intrude, but he wouldn't allow it to hurt anyone, especially not someone he cared for.
If anyone dared to try something similar while unconscious, the results were likely to be disastrous, even with using sedatives.
A long ten minutes went by until Raynare could remove a part of the plate to access the dragon's inside organs. "How long did Hephaestus take when he did this?"
"Hours. Praise his determination and focus. Few can claim such an achievement."
"Very well." Raynare inspects the inner organs of Ddraig and notices the diversity in shapes when it comes to some of his organs. An array of organs with unusual shapes and sizes stood before her, the dream of anyone hoping to study the ins and outs of a dragon. His lungs were purple and weirdly shaped, covered in a mysterious gooey substance she dared not touch. His hearts were located right in the middle, and to the surprise of the fallen angel, they were massive compared to any other hearts she had seen. Both were boiling red as they pumped blood throughout the body of Ddraig.
"You're almost there. Take a deep breath and do what you must." The dragon said as he continued to hold his instincts back.
Raynare nods before she continues with the task at hand. She felt the impressive temperature of both hearts, but her guts told her that backing away would be a dishonorable choice after so much.
Thus the knife sinks once more.
30 minutes afterward. General POV. *Rel- The Oral Cigarettes.*
Raynare caresses the scar she had been responsible for. Her hands were stained with his blood and slightly burned due to the heart's heat, but she did not care as she caressed the large scar that he now held. She knew that once he took a week inside the egg, the scar was bound to disappear, but she would still keep the memories and heart of the Welsh Dragon.
Said heart was still beating as it sat on top of the desk inside a special container she asked one of the researchers to bring to her after she removed the heart. The researcher was surprised to see her bloody hands but decided not to ask questions.
"Are you sure you don't want to get those burns treated? They are bound to leave some scars." Ddraig asked Raynare as he saw the damage his heart had caused her.
Raynare shakes her head. "If it leaves some scars, I like to keep them. It would be a sign for me to remember the trust between us. I doubt any other female could claim to have experienced something like this. I had somebody who gave their actual heart to me at no cost but out of their own free will, and he is still alive after it." Raynare smiles before she focuses on him. "Are you worried about my beauty? Would you stop liking my hands if they were filled with scars?"
Ddraig shakes his head. "I'm not superficial. I'd still like you even if your face became unrecognizable due to an accident. I'll still like you, no matter how you look, Raynare."
Raynare blushes. "Is the first time you said it out loud… is the first time anyone openly said they liked me that way. It feels good but weird. Don't push me into giving into your charms."
Ddraig smiles. His hand reaches out and caresses her right cheek. "I'm just being an open book like always. Trust me; I won't push myself into you. I'll wait until you come to me."
"Playing the long game?"
"Patience is the virtue of those who care. We're not playing a game of who gives in or who's willing to confess first. We're adults, adults that are risking their lives. We could die tomorrow, so it is best to make our feelings known before-"
"Don't finish that sentence. Neither of us is dying anytime soon. I won't accept such a tragic fate." Raynare eyes threw daggers at him for even daring to mention something in the realm of either of them dying.
"My bad. I promise that I will return home no matter what, but if by some miracle I'm unable to get home, please continue to care for our "family" and support them in any way you can. I promise I'll make my way back even if it takes years or going through the entire land of the dead."
"You promise?" The fallen angel holds his face.
"I do." He grins as he enjoys the closeness.
"You better, or I'll tell Tiamat and the rest. We'll hunt you down." Raynare blushes as she pulls away.
Ddraig could only sigh as he imagined what could happen to him if all the ladies in his life united under one banner to punish him. "Anyways, now you have the heart. The rest is up to you, but if you need help changing it in any shape, ask Hephaestus for some aid. He's the one with experience working with them."
"I'll visit his forge tomorrow. I'd like to start as soon as possible, but I'll like to rest for now." Raynare rests her head on his chest. "Wake me up in two hours or three. I have to help prepare dinner for tonight."
"Sure. Rest for now." Ddraig says as his wings cover her. "Am I some kind of pillow? This is becoming the norm for some reason."
Raynare closes her eyes with a smile on her face. "My stupid and lovable, lord."
The dragon relaxes as he continues to enjoy the time with his fallen maid.
Neither realizes the many pictures the researchers took in secret as they peek inside to see why neither had returned outside.
The photos would make their rounds across Grigory and other parts of the alliance, letting every fallen angel and angel know that their sister had decided to settle with someone. Some teared up after seeing the photos, others joked about her staying single for another century, but overall, everyone felt happy with the result—especially a particular duo in Grigory who was ready to tease her to no end.