Iron-Blooded Devils

by The Ashen One

The Calamity War was thought to be a violent conflict that nearly caused the extinction of humanity. However, over three hundred years later, a group of child soldiers will learn the hard truth about the war and come to grips with those around them.

2. Chapter 2

Chryse Region, Mars

Late September, 323 P.D.

"Jeez, does anyone bother listening to me when I tell them to take it easy on the mobile workers?" Issei clicked his teeth in irritation once he saw the state of the vehicles rolling into the depot for their usual maintenance. His brown eyes scanned each of them as they were guided inside by the younger kids. He shook his head once he saw the bright green paint covering many of them, "These guys are going to be the death of me at this rate."

Once the final mobile worker entered the depot, the pilots got out of their vehicles and began the usual trash-talking that followed their training. Issei watched two guys start going at it. Everyone in the depot was used to watching Eugene and Shino butting heads and trying to figure out who was the top dog following a training session.

"Oi!" Everyone in the depot went quiet upon hearing a loud, gruff voice. Issei looked over his shoulder and saw a familiar face walking in from outside. Mr. Yukinojo was a dark-skinned man with a pair of prosthetic legs. However, the look on his face let anyone know he was not amused. "Anyone who isn't helping with mobile worker repairs needs to scram."

No one attempted to argue with the old man. Instead, the group of pilots followed his orders without a single rebuttal from anyone. 'With the exception of one as per usual,' Issei thought, not surprised to see Mikazuki, a short guy around his age with black hair and blue eyes, stick around. He didn't even wait to see if anyone needed help as he started assisting some of the younger kids with the heavier and more laborious tasks associated with mobile worker repairs.

"Thanks, old man."

"Don't thank me," Mr. Yukinojo said, who stomped on a cigarette he finished up. "I'm only reminding them about the rules whenever they're in the depot. So, what do you think of the damage?"

Issei glanced over at the nearest mobile worker being worked on. He watched as it was being raised off the ground for the kids to inspect underneath the machine. Others, unfortunately, already appeared to be taking out welding rods. He had a growing suspicion that this job was going to take longer than anyone expected.

"As always, all the guys ignored whatever I said to them."

"Should I step in?"

"Nah." Issei shook his head at the old man's offer. "It's alright. I think telling Mika should be enough to get the point across to them. Besides, the mobile workers do look less roughed up this time around."

Mr. Yukinojo chuckled at his words, "That's one way of looking at things."

"It's the only way to look at things," Issei said, remembering the day when he took on the responsibility of keeping an eye on the younger kids as well as heading up the more boring jobs like maintenance and repairs. He looked at the old man, "In the end, I was the one who agreed to Orga's request. It would not be a good look for me if I started to bitch about this job."

Life on Mars was incredibly difficult for most people. As a child, he remembered coming across alleys filled to the brim with people searching for places to sleep. Fights broke out on a daily basis over scraps of food. It led to many making tough choices to make ends meet. For wandering boys like him, it's how he found himself working as a soldier for a local paramilitary company called Chryse Guard Security.

Desperation – from what he's experienced and seen over the years – is the greatest source of motivation in the universe. He can't begin to recall how many times he's seen children, who appear to be helpless, turn into vicious killers if there was even a chance to find a few crumbled bills or rummage through the garbage to eat whatever was thrown out.

Nearly member of Third Corp had a story about struggling to survive prior to working for the jackasses in First Corp and the scumbag called their president.

"You've matured a lot," Mr. Yukinojo stated, a smirk on his face. "I'm sure a certain someone would be happy to see your growth as a person. How long has it been since you two saw each other in person?"

Issei simply rolled his eyes, "A month, old man."

"By the way, I would recommend being a little more careful when you sneak off to the watch tower to call her. I'm not sure what Maruba and the others would do to you if they find out. I doubt they'll stick another alaya-vijana system into your spine," Mr. Yukinojo said quietly, but in a stern tone. "I can't say for certain what a fourth one will do to you at this age, especially after you turned eighteen."

The young man suddenly felt his back become itchy at the thought of another implant being forced into his body after years of avoiding trouble. It's why he really couldn't push back or deny the claim. The old man was right to chide him for being careless. If it was anyone from First Corp, Issei fears he might not be standing here today.

"I'll...I'll be careful next time," Issei promised.

The frown on Mr. Yukinojo's face was soon replaced with a proud smile. He then placed a hand on his shoulder, "But I am glad to see you two are doing well."

"Thanks."

It was the only thing Issei could say to the old man at the moment. After everything he and the others have been through during their time under the leadership of First Corp and the president, trusting adults was hard for him. Mr. Yukinojo proved he was nothing like the rest.

"Just don't screw things up with her," The old man told him.

Issei resisted the urge to make a snarky comment about the man's love life. However, he refrained from saying anything that would get him into trouble with Mr. Yukinojo.

"In other news, I wanted to ask you about that upcoming––"

"Mr. Hyoudou!"

The young man was unable to finish asking his question when he heard someone call out to him. This prompted Issei to turn around, which was in time to see a young boy with blonde hair and brown eyes running toward him. Issei was about to tell him not to run into the depot until he saw the others stop whatever they were doing and looked over towards a particular section of the building.

A group of the younger kids were forming a circle around something.

"God damn it," Issei said, who already suspected the cause behind it. "I better not find Ride or Danji in the middle of that mess or I'm going to personally kick their asses for forgetting what I told them."

Less than a moment later, the boy with blonde hair reached them. He took a second to catch his breath before pointing in the direction of the circle with a nervous expression on his face, "S-Some of the kids are about to start fighting."

"Which one of them is it this time?" The boy didn't give him an immediate answer as he seemed to find the ground a lot more interesting. Issei sighed in disappointment at the boy's quiet response, "You know I'm not going to ask you a second time, Takaki. Are you gonna tell me which of the idiots started the fight?"

"D-Danji," Takaki said, revealing the name. "But it's not for the reason you think, Mr. Hyoudou. Some of the other kids were picking on Gasper."

Issei pinched the bridge of his nose after learning the reason behind the fight. He looked over at the old man with a face torn between frustration and amusement, "Would it be too much to ask you for help?"

"Gasper is your responsibility," Mr. Yukinojo said, reminding him of his promise to Orga. The old man reached into his pocket and took out a small metallic box. He opened it up and took out a cigarette. "If it was up to the president, you already know he would've tossed the kid aside. Or sell him to one of the clubs in the city."

"Fine, I'll take care of it."

The young man wasn't disappointed or anything with the answer. He knew Mr. Yukinojo wasn't wrong to point out the unfortunate reality awaiting Gasper if the decision was entirely left up to First Corp and the president. It made him sick to his stomach what might've happened if he hadn't stepped up and offered to watch over the kid.

Once he reached the school circle, Issei made his way through the small crowd of kids. Many of them began to move out of the way to let him through. It wasn't long until Issei arrived at the center of the circle.

He saw the state of the four kids involved in the fight. One of them was a boy with short black hair and green eyes. Issei saw the blood coming from his nose. 'Jesus, Danji doesn't listen.' Issei was right to think of the troublemakers were participating. But he did remember what Takaki told him as he saw a familiar face standing behind Danji.

For anyone not aware of the truth, they would believe the kid being protected by Danji was a girl. That would be hard to believe since the paramilitary group doesn't accept girls. However, Gasper was a boy in reality. Unfortunately, his feminine face, violet eyes, and platinum blond hair genuinely made it difficult for everyone in Third Corp to accept he was a guy. It took a lot of convincing, but the others came around to the idea eventually. At this point, the boy's only saving grace has been wearing the same kind of clothes as the rest.

Issei, on the other hand, came to learn the reason why he acted this way along with information his girlfriend revealed to him when they came across Gasper. It's why he's willing to protect the kid from the president and First Corp. Although, the thought of letting them sell Gasper off to those local clubs were enough of a motivation factor given what Issei has heard about them from Atra.

"Break it up!" Issei stepped in the middle and glared at the other two boys. They also seemed to be hurt from the bruises on their face. He didn't hold his tongue back, "I don't care who started this fight, but I am definitely ending it. You two, go get fucking checked out, and don't come back until I say you can."

"But!"

"I don't care!" He interrupted one of the boys from talking. Out of the corner of his eye, Issei saw Mika standing off to the side as the guy ate his Martian plums. "Mika," Issei called out to his friend. "Do you mind walking these two to the infirmary?"

The mobile worker pilot nodded his head and said, "Sure."

Neither of the boys protested as everyone within Third Corp was aware of Mikazuki's reputation. He's the best pilot among those who use mobile workers. There's also his willingness to do whatever is asked of him by the boss. A lot of the younger kids were hesitant to do anything to make Mika upset as they've only seen glimmers of him being annoyed and that was enough to scare most people straight.

Issei was glad to see them being quiet and following his orders. He didn't like resorting to Mika as a way to keep the kids in line, but there weren't many options available to him. After Mika escorted the other boys out of the depot, Issei turned towards the rest of the circle. He narrowed his eyes at them, "I better see all those mobile workers in pristine condition by the time dinner is served or no one is leaving."

His threat worked like a charm as the kids scattered like mice to their workstations. The only ones left were Gasper and Danji.

Issei walked over to the latter of the two. He placed a hand on top of the kid's head and tilted it back to stem the bleeding coming from his nose. Outside of the bloody nose, Issei didn't see any other injuries on him that were serious.

"Keep your head tilted back." The boy followed his instructions without talking back as he usually did. It must've been more serious than Issei thought if Danji was quiet like this. "Yamagi!"

Among the younger group of kids, Issei came to trust a few of them with a lot more responsibility than the others. Yamagi was the smartest of the bunch because of his time at school. His knowledge helped solve a lot of problems they've encountered. Issei knew a few things himself from everything he's done prior to being part of Third Corp, but Yamagi would've had a bright future if it wasn't for being here.

"Yes?"

Issei gestured towards Danji, "Could you help him with his bloody nose?"

The blonde-haired kid nodded, "Of course."

"Thanks, Yamagi," Issei said, appreciative of the kid's willingness to help him out. "I'll be right back. I need to have a talk with Gasper and figure out what happened. By the way, can you and Takaki keep an eye on the place for a few minutes?"

"Sure, Issei."

"I won't take long. Come on, Gasper, we need to have a talk."

"I-I…"

"Let's go, Gya-suke."

"…"

(X)

"...Can you please explain why we're still opened for the day?" Kuroka asked, unable to fight back the feeling of boredom as she sat at the counter, staring at an almost empty store. The dark-haired woman looked over at the only other person in the store, "I seriously doubt anyone will walk through that door today, Yasaka. Those demonstrations happening downtown will make sure of that."

"And those same demonstrations have nothing to do with my store," Yasaka retorted, a smile present on her face. "Besides, you should be lucky I'm even trusting you to man the register while Atra is away."

Kuroka waited for the older woman to look away before sticking her tongue out. However, it seems she wasn't quick enough as Kuroka suddenly felt something smack her on the head. "Ouch," She muttered, raising her hand and massaging the spot where she got hit by an invisible force. "I didn't do anything that time."

"Just because I have my back to you doesn't mean I can't sense you acting like a child." Yasaka looked over her shoulder and winked at her. "And it helps to have a daughter like Kunou."

"You're no fun," Kuroka grumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Oh, I like to have fun. Don't mistake me as some boring hag," Yasaka said off-handily while folding up an empty cardboard box. She sent a smirk in her direction, "But I'm not the one who's been moping around for the past few weeks. If it makes you feel any better, Nadi told me he's stopping by early next month. I asked him to bring along Issei."

Kuroka perked up at the mention of her boyfriend, "Really?"

"I did." Yasaka nodded. "Although, I do think this visit might not be for long. Nadi mentioned Issei and the rest of Third Corp will be busy for the next few months with some big job coming up soon."

"What kind of job?"

"Nadi wasn't too forward regarding details, but he did confirm it will be off-planet."

Kuroka furrowed her brows at the information. Never once did Issei mention something about a job off the planet during their calls to each other. The dark-haired woman wasn't sure how to feel about the news of Issei being away from Mars for a few months. On one hand, she was happy to hear Issei and the rest of Third Corp getting some work, but she can't exactly say she's thrilled to find out they won't be able to see each other in person for months.

"Did Mr. Yukinojo say when they were leaving?"

Yasaka grimaced at the question. "He did," She said sadly. "They're slated to leave by the end of next month. Apparently, he said the president of the company was eager to start the job."

"Of course," Kuroka scoffed at the mention of the company president. Among the small list of people she despises in the solar system, Maruba was at the top of her list. "That filthy human would rather toss away the lives of Third Corp than lose out on profit. I still sometimes can't understand how Issei could stand taking orders from that excrement called a human."

"You know why he sticks around, and please hide your non-human parts. They're out."

Kuroka made a quick gesture with her hands, which created a small mirror-like object. The first thing she noticed was her pupils being more cat-like than human. After a moment, Kuroka concentrated and turned them again into the normal, rounded pupils of human eyes. Then there was her other set of ears, which resembled that of a cat. Those quickly hid underneath her black hair without any real effort on her part.

"Happy?"

Yasaka shook her head and pointed at something behind her, "Your tails."

Looking over her shoulder, Kuroka saw her two tails swishing around without a care in the world. The dark-haired woman turned back to see Yasaka with an expression that said she was waiting.

"Fine." Kuroka closed her eyes and focused on making her tails disappear. As quickly as they appeared, the two tails popped out of existence as if they were never there in the first place. Once they were gone, Kuroka looked back at her guardian and said, "Are we done here?"

"No, we're not actually."

"Now what?"

The older woman sighed before putting the folded-up cardboard on the counter. "How much have you told Issei about you or anything related to us?" Yasaka's question caught Kuroka by surprise. She didn't stop there as her guardian kept speaking, "And please don't lie to me and say you haven't said anything to Issei because we both know that's not true."

"Why does it matter if I told him that side of me?"

"Kuroka, I have watched over you since you were a little girl. You are like a daughter to me," She said, placing a hand on her arm. "I put these rules into place in order to protect you and Kunou. You have no idea what lengths people would go to if they knew about our existence. I know you care for this boy and I'm glad you're happy with him, but do you believe letting a human know about your existence is a wise decision?"

"I told him the truth about me because I trust him." The dark-haired woman got up from the stool. She glared at Yasaka, "I don't care if you're still unhappy about me choosing him as my mate. That doesn't sound like my problem. I get to choose who I want to be with. Not you."

She may be the last Nekoshou in existence. However, Kuroka refuses to live her life in fear.

"I'm not unhappy," Yasaka said, emphasizing on that last word. "I respect your decision to choose Issei as your mate. I'm only asking you whether it was wise of you to inform him of the supernatural."

"Yes, I do think it is wise of me to tell Issei the truth about myself." They've known each other for almost ten years. Kuroka can't imagine having someone better in her corner than Issei. He's been there at her side through the most difficult moments in her life. "We've been together for over four years. Don't you think that's plenty of time for me to judge whether or not Issei can be trusted with that part of me?"

The store became deathly quiet as Kuroka waited for her guardian to respond. It was a good thing Atra offered to go pick up Kunou from the local school because the former hated seeing them argue. The last thing she wanted was for Kunou to catch them fighting. Although, Kuroka knew this wasn't going to be the last time if the past is anything to go by.

In fact, the arguments have only been getting worse since the day they confessed their feelings. For whatever reason, Yasaka seemed slightly agitated about it, which was odd given the woman's calm demeanor.

"...I'm not saying your judgment is wrong," Yasaka countered, her stern expression softening. "I...I just don't want to lose you like we lost Shirone."

Kuroka narrowed her eyes at the older woman. "You don't get to say her name," She sneered at Yasaka, taking a step towards her guardian. "Not after what happened to her."

"…"

"That's what I thought," Kuroka retorted with a scowl on her face, but she started to reel in her anger as soon as she saw the hurt in Yasaka's eyes. A moment later, the dark-haired woman got up from the stool and headed for the back. It was better for things to cool down.

Maybe talking to Issei later tonight might help.

(X)

Earth, Vingólf

Late September, 323 P.D.

Rias, once upon a time in her life, loved reading fairy tales. They always brought a smile to her face as she daydreamed about being swept off her feet by a handsome prince or dashing knight. Many of those stories helped form her one and only wish in the world. To this day, Rias can remember her mother and father smiling at her as they agreed to accommodate her one and only wish in the world.

The chance to marry someone on her own terms was asking for a lot. Arranged marriages between the Seven Stars were normal. Many of the current members (even among her kind) can trace back some of their blood to other families no longer in existence. Her mother was the best example. The Bael family, a powerful house during the Calamity War, had nearly gone extinct.

The only surviving members of the once-great house were her mother and grandfather. Others perished during the devastating conflict. Yet, despite needing to perform her duty as the last daughter of the Bael family, her mother was allowed to choose a husband.

'And they cave at the first sign of political pressure. So much for the Gremory name.' Rias was starting to reach the end of her rope with the entire situation. In the weeks following her private discussion with Grayfia, the daughter of the Gremory family continued to argue with her parents in hopes of persuading them to abandon the agreement with the Phenex family.

Many of those conversations were put to an end by her father. There were times when the man outright refused to hear her out, forcing Rias to reconsider her possible options. Unfortunately, she knew time wasn't on her side. A few days ago, it was announced the wedding would take place towards the end of the year. Her growing desperation is the reason for her decision to directly speak to her other parent.

"Mother," Rias politely greeted the brown-haired woman sitting at the table. "I was hoping you could spare me a few minutes and listen to a request of mine."

People often remarked on how much she resembled her mother. A common mistake usually made by others is assuming they're sisters. It used to be amusing to see their shock when they learned they were actually mother and daughter. Outside of their hair and eye color, the similarity between them was quite eerie at times if Rias had to be honest.

Although, she simply chalked it up to her mother simply wanting to be beautiful and remain youthful as it wasn't entirely uncommon among the older female devils throughout the Seven Stars.

"Oh, what is it, dear?"

Rias took a deep breath as she thought about her words carefully. She needed her mother to understand she was willing to take a husband. However, Rias wants to be the one to choose and remind them of the promise they made to her years ago.

"I wanted to speak to you about my arranged marriage with the third son of the Phenex family."

"Of course," Her mother said with a sweet smile. On the other hand, the older woman's violet eyes said something else entirely. "I see you're still quite adamant about not wanting to marry Riser. My, you and your step-sister continue to evade your responsibilities as members of the Gremory and Sitri families."

The beautiful redhead was stunned by her mother's harsh words. Over the years, Rias can't recall being scolded by the woman sitting across from her all that often. It was difficult to believe those words came out of her mother's mouth. She glanced over at Grayfia, who was standing behind her mother.

She hoped her family's long-time maid would scold her mother for such a mean-spirited joke, but such a thing never came. Instead, Grayfia merely remained silent with a frown on her face. That's when she realized her mother wasn't playing a cruel prank on her. No, she meant them. Rias could feel her throat go dry as the woman sitting casually sipped on a cup of tea.

"W-What?" Rias stuttered as she came to terms with what was happening.

"Are you deaf, sweetheart?"

Rias, struggling to figure out why her mother was behaving so differently, shook her head as if she was a child once again. Meanwhile, the calm expression on the older woman's face didn't even change. The older woman's violet eyes, usually filled with patience and affection for her only daughter, were as cold as the darkest pits of Hell.

She looked to Grayfia once more for assistance. However, the silver-haired woman didn't move an inch as she continued to stand behind her mother.

Snap, Snap!

"Did you not hear me, child?" The older woman's stern tone sent a shiver down Rias' spine. She folded her hands together on the table and continued to speak, "I am getting tired of these conversations. Your inability to accept the responsibility we've placed upon you is...concerning, my dear. There are no words that change your fate, Rias. I do not want to repeat myself, do you hear me, child?"

Her mother didn't say another word as she calmly and gracefully stood up from the table and walked to the door leading back into the estate. The terrace remained quiet outside of the occasional gust of wind from the sea or a bird flying above the floating city. However, it wasn't long before Rias fell to her knees with wide eyes.

"Grayfia, make sure she returns to her room." The sound of her mother's voice made Rias recoil out of a new sense of fear. It was unbelievable how someone she believed would be on her side, all but proved otherwise with a few words. "I think my daughter needs some time to think about her responsibilities."

The way her mother spoke about her made the hairs on the back of Rias' neck stand up. After she heard the sound of heels clicking getting farther and farther away, Rias raised her head and looked at Grayfia.

Shockingly, there was a hint of anger on the silver-haired woman's face.

Why was Grayfia upset?

She's never seen the silver-haired woman upset in her life. Anything other than a calm expression on her face was unusual, but to see genuine anger on Grayfia's face was a shock to the redhead. It's why Rias couldn't help but look at her face as she was helped off the ground.

"Let's get you to your room, Ms. Gremory."

Rias merely nodded as she didn't know what to say to Grayfia. This was the first time such an incident had occurred in her life. All she could do was follow along with her instructions.

Neither of them said much of anything as they walked back to her room. Other occasionally greeting a few of the servants who passed by them in the halls, they refrained from speaking much. Whatever had caused her mother to lash out in such a way, Rias understood her chances of escaping the marriage were all but gone now.

It wasn't just her father, but even her mother. She was truly trapped with no way to escape her fate. The thought of knowing her marriage to Riser was set in stone brought Rias to tears.

"Ms. Gremory?"

Once she heard Grayfia's voice, the redhead tried her best to wipe away the tears and collect herself as she knew it wouldn't do her any good if the servants, or anyone else for that matter caught her crying in the hallway. Rumors would spread like wildfire, and it was bound to find its way into the estates of the other families. She took a moment but was able to stem the emotional tide for the time being until they reached her room.

She didn't bother looking up at Grayfia's face once since the woman called out to her. The disappointment was bound to be on her face. After all, Rias remembered how much the maid was there for her growing up on this estate.

As they entered her room, Rias found the strength to stand up on her own two feet. She was grateful for the help from Grayfia.

"Thank you."

A rare smile appeared on her face as she nodded, "It's not a problem."

However, it did nothing to change the reality of her situation. Today was the final nail in the coffin. She thought today would be a great opportunity to speak to her mother alone, hoping to find some support from the woman who gave birth to her. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a mistake. The conversation from earlier only made Rias sick to her stomach.

Rias, once sitting down on the edge of her bed, no longer held back her tears as she began to cry. From the very beginning, her parents were lying about their intentions. They never intended to let her marry a man of her own choosing. No, it was nothing more than empty words they used to string her along until the day came she was useful to them. Now, she was cornered with no way out.

'Would...Would Grayfia help me?'

The thought of asking their family maid for assistance popped into her mind. Out of everyone, Grayfia was probably one of the few people she could trust. But, then again, she thought her mother might've taken her side in the matter over the marriage agreement. Would asking Grayfia be a step too far? Rias briefly glanced over at the silver-haired maid.

'No,' Rias thought, coming to an answer. 'I can't ask Grayfia. She's done more than enough. This has to be something I do for myself. I-I can't drag someone else into my problems.'

While she was lost in her thoughts, Rias felt a hand on her shoulder. A moment later, the bed moved as someone took a seat next to her. Rias turned her head to see Grayfia.

"I...I apologize for the way your mother acted," Grayfia said, her hands gripping part of her skirt. There was a hint of frustration in her voice, "We were...in the middle of a discussion before you arrived. I will not fault you for being upset with me if you chose to do so, Ms. Gremory."

"What?" Rias furrowed her brows as she looked at the woman with confusion. She shook her head and reached over to place a hand on one of Grayfia's "You shouldn't be apologizing." The idea of placing the blame for what happened on the terrace on the woman sitting next to her was crazy. "You aren't the one who said those things to me."

Grayfia seemed stunned by her words but managed to regain her legendary composure.

"Of course."

"...Do you agree with my mother?"

"It's not that simple," The silver-haired woman said calmly. "You're a Gremory, which means you have responsibilities to fulfill, regardless of your feelings on the matter."

"But you said I had a decision to make?" Rias reminded the maid of their conversation from weeks ago when the marriage was first announced to the rest of the Seven Stars. Those words had been bouncing around in her head for weeks. "What did you mean by that?"

The maid stared at her for a few moments before letting out a sigh. "Ms. Gremory, I can't always give you the answers to these questions," Grayfia said, a frown on her face. "All I can do is help guide you."

"Right…"

Does she have a decision to make?

The silence in the room allowed her to think about everything standing in her way. After the encounter with her mother, Rias realized the marriage arrangement was going to happen regardless of what she or others thought. 'The only reason I was offered up on a silver platter is because of our family name.' It made the redhead sad to know how little her parents thought of her. 'Is that what Grayfia tried to tell me?'

For someone who follows the rules, it was quite dangerous for the family maid to suggest her family's name being the source of her problems. But the bigger question is...would it really solve her problems.

Although, she wondered if her family would allow such a thing to occur.

Sirzechs might understand where she was coming from on the matter. After all, he was the only person to voice his displeasure toward their parents about agreeing to Lord Phenex's proposal. However, what could he possibly do to help? His position within Gjallarhorn already limited him. On top of that, Father was all but going to choose him as the next head of their family.

There was no way she could ask Sona for assistance as her childhood friend was dealing with her own family at the moment. Her choices were limited, unfortunately, and Rias craved freedom in order for her to escape from a fate worse than death. Riser was a monster.

If she truly wanted to decide her own fate, Rias came to the conclusion that leaving might be her only real choice. Neither of her parents was giving her much of an option. The few people she could trust weren't in any real position to help for one reason or another. However, while lost in her thoughts, Rias did recall someone who might be able to lend a hand…

'Kudelia.'

Among the few friends in her age group, Kudelia Aina Bernstein was unique for a certain reason. She's a human. The only thing stopping her from reaching out was how long it's been since they last spoke to each other. The other big problem is the news surrounding Kudelia.

Mars was getting really dangerous with all the revolts breaking out across the surface of the planet. She's heard plenty from her brother about how difficult it was getting for their forces stationed out there to keep things from getting out of control. There were already restrictions being put in place for those who are traveling to the planet.

'But what choice do I have?' Rias thought.

The date of the ceremony was announced around the same time as the marriage arrangement. It's going to take place near the end of the year, which meant she only had a few months of freedom before she ends up with Riser as her husband. The time it would take to travel to Mars, for example, takes a few weeks at the quickest. For most businesses or ferries operating in the Earth-to-Mars route, it was closer to one to three months.

There's just one problem…

'I've never traveled alone to Mars. In fact, I don't think I've ever left Earth without someone.'

She thought about asking her loyal knight for assistance on the matter. Although, he wasn't returning to the estate until late in the evening. He was spending time with his lover, Tsubaki, as they didn't always get to see each other. Rias, for a second, felt somewhat jealous about how those two can be together. It was a short-lived thought. 'What am I saying?' She was disgusted by some of her thoughts. 'Those two deserve to be happy after everything they've been through.'

Letting him be with Tsubaki was probably the only thing she could do to make up for what happened with his best friend. 'I can't imagine what Kiba's reaction would be if he finds out I wiped Issei's memory of the entire incident, along with him.' Among some of her decisions in life, Rias hated herself for wiping the boy's memories.

Humans aren't supposed to know about the existence of the supernatural. It's been that way long before even her great-grandfather was born. Plus, Rias panicked at the moment after resurrecting Kiba in front of Issei.

Rias may have saved Kiba from dying in that alleyway, but she committed a far greater sin by essentially killing his best friend in all but flesh and she's never been able to gather the courage needed to tell Kiba the truth.

'Am I any different from mother?' Her parents strung her along with the promise of letting her choose who she wants to marry. Is it any different than making a promise to Kiba about eventually returning back to Mars and getting to meet Issei once more? It's been years since he inquired about going back. Rias can remember how much she panicked at the moment and made up some lie out of fear.

Kiba hasn't made any inquiries about if she intends to keep her promise, but it's only a matter of time until he does. When that time does come, Rias isn't sure what to tell him.

Does she tell him the truth?

On the surface, Kiba was the consummate gentleman. She remembered hearing Tsubaki talk about how he reminded her of those knights from old stories from another time in history. Rias, however, sensed the vitriol flowing through her knight's veins. She's never asked out about what happened to him before his friendship with Issei, but she knew it must have been awful.

Rias took a deep breath as she started wiping away the tears, 'I have no right to feel sorry for myself. I can't after what I've done to Kiba.'

But maybe she could try to make things right with her loyal knight by fulfilling the promise she made to him all those years ago.

"Grayfia…?"

"Yes?"

The crimson-haired daughter of the Gremory family saw the path laid out for her, and Mars appeared to be her only option for escape. It was risky, but it was better to try and gain her freedom over staying.

"I've...I've made up my mind."

She saw yet another never before seen expression on the woman's face; a smirk.

"Have you now?"