I'm back with a new chapter!

And... nothing much more to say as an intro, so enjoy!


It was the same night Crime Sorcière made it back to Kyoto from their job request. The mission was over, although not in the way the wizards wanted. The entire thing definitely wasn't in their favour, it was very likely that now the Devil faction was well aware of their presence, that little display of power they showed may be a problem in a near future. Furthermore, that unknown presence Erik was able to pick up, he was quite sure that whoever it was would probably know who they were. On the upside they did save two innocent children from the enemy, so that wasn't a total loss, right? Hopefully, Azazel would find a way for them to track down Freed and his crew, where there they were.

Erik and Macbeth weren't sure to call their mission a success or a failure. Sure, they did save someone else's life, a child in addition, but for now they absolutely had no clue of whereabouts of their enemies.

As for Jellal, he was still a bit down in the dumps about how his mission went. His encounter with Freed and the loss of the demonic flute didn't bode well. True, the Etherious Lullaby wasn't exactly Zeref's top creations in terms of strength, yet its curse and magic power was still a force to be reckoned with. And that flute falling in the wrong hands could only mean chaos.

Reunited inside Yasaka's Palace meeting room, the five were now discussing about the latest events and their next move.

"So, you're telling me…" The Governor of the Fallen Angels said. "This priest got his hands on this flute, which happened to be one of Zeref's Demons? And that Tartaros was behind its revival?" Azazel asked.

Jellal gave him a nod in response. "Yes, it was. The priest's name is Freed Sellzen."

"Damn him, he was still in the entry program, but it looks like he escaped before even commencing it."

Noticing the stares he was getting, Azazel went on.

"Our organisation is no stranger to welcoming Strays, especially if they come from the Church." Azazel clarified to wizards.

'Even if it's a damn stray going around freely…' Erik deadpanned in a bit of irritation.

"Looks like we'll have to deal with this guy too… knowing Azazel.' Macbeth followed up in his mind.

"It was unfortunate…" Yasaka murmured as she turned to Jellal who was still sporting a pained and frustrated expression. 'That poor girl, losing her parents in such terrible and violent manner...' She thought in sadness letting her loving motherly side took over.

"Ahem. About that Demon, what can you tell us about it, Jellal?" Azazel coughed as he asked in seriousness.

Jellal took some seconds to muster the right words and started telling them. "In truth, that Etherious is a type of spell made out of black magic that has a strong connection with Zeref, it is said to be created by his curse itself. It was so rotten and malevolent that people started to refer it as 'the curse of Death magic'. Over the years, the Demon in possession of this deadly spell was called Lullaby. And as the name suggests, when the flute is played, it casts a powerful spell that kills anyone who listens to it, except for the caster of course." Jellal explained. "Like almost all Etherious, it also possesses an Etherious form which reinforces its power further… which unfortunately, I'm unable to describe its appearance as I've never seen it first-hand. Various dark wizards in the past tried to awake that beast just for causing death and destruction in their wake."

Azazel and Yasaka nodded taking into account the information.

"I don't know much about it in particular, but I surely know it's weaker than Deliora." The blue-haired wizard informed. "Or at least, it's supposed to be…" He went on explaining.

If his memories served him right, it was Fairy Tail, more precisely Natsu's team, who dealt with the Lullaby demon more than 8 years ago. Back then, the Magic Council had to take the flute of Lullaby into custody, but somehow Tartaros was able to take it back… could it happen in the middle of their assault in year X791? What mattered now was finding it and destroy it once for all.

"If memory serves me right, Deliora had the power of an Ultimate Class Devil, very close to Cadre class actually, so that means this Lullaby would be in the middle between ultimate and high class." Azazel pondered.

"I still have no idea how it ended up in that house, not that it matters, yet... somehow that Demon is still alive, and now it's in the hands of that maniac of an Exorcist, who knows what happens it's unleashed again..." Jellal told them, his palms tightening into fists. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to complete my job. If I got there before, I could've saved that girl's parents and prevented him to take the Demon."

"Stop crying over spilt milk Jellal. What's done's done. You can't change it." Erik called out his guildmate as he crossed his arms. "Besides, it's not like me and Midnight were so lucky either."

"Right, and if I correctly recall, that flute's power has been sealed by the Council once was taken into custody. So, unlocking its power again won't be easy." Macbeth clarified.

"I know, but what if he discovers how to unleash it?" Jellal wondered. "If he does who knows how many innocent people will pay for my blunders..."

Before saying anything else, Jellal felt a sense of reassurance as Yasaka gently put one of her soft hands over Jellal's, he shifted his gaze at her noticing her beautiful reassuring smile. For some reason, his heart sped up slightly, the feeling didn't feel bad at all, on the contrary he appreciated it, yet he was able to hide his blush. It has been a while since he felt this way, for whatever reason, he was no stranger to this since it reminded him of a familiar feeling he had for a certain redhead. The other mages rose their brows in curiosity while Azazel's smirk widened.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened to that poor girl's parents, Jellal." She assured the wizard but her tone was clear she was sorry for the child's loss. "You, Cobra and Midnight are doing the best you can to pursue these menaces. And you certainly couldn't know a Stray Exorcist was freely walking around the neighbourhood and killing people. The fact you and the others were able to save an innocent child shows how you take your job seriously."

Jellal felt his emotions conflicting to each other, ever since coming here he always "I see…"

"Don't worry Jellal, after Azazel dismisses her, I will be more than happy to welcome the girl and host her in my adobe." Yasaka continued. "I will make sure she will be safe here."

"She's got a point, y'know?" Erik patted Jellal's shoulder with a smirk.

"Yes, so don't read too much into it." Macbeth added with a smile of his own. "As soon as we know where he is, we will go on and take him down."

The former Wizard Saint looked at both of his guildmates and nodded smiling. "You're right, all of you."

"C'mon Jellal, she's still alive, you know?" Erik said.

"I know… I know…" The blue-haired wizard murmured. Shaking his head slightly, Jellal shifted his gaze to the Governor of the Fallen Angels. "Speaking of which, how is she doing, Azazel?" He asked.

"She's doing good. Her conditions are stable; she just received a bad beating. Fortunately, no several injuries." Azazel responded. "She'll be fully recovered in a few days."

Sighing in relief, Jellal smiled at the Fallen Angel in appreciation. "I see. Thank you, Azazel."

"It's fine, don't sweat it." Azazel answered.

"Cheer up Jellal..." Erik said. "At least you haven't faced as much shit as us."

"Now that you mention it." Azazel spoke as he looked in Erik and Macbeth's direction. "You guys said you didn't exactly have a walk in the park. What happened?"

"Yeah, to make a long story short, I ran into a Stray, tried to ask her some info but instead she asked me to hook up." Erik explained.

"Oh that's curious." Azazel put his trademark smirk on his face, making the other two mages sweatdrop while Yasaka laughed awkwardly a bit. The Dragon Slayer, on the other hand just glared at the Fallen Angel as he knew where he was getting at.

"Did you two by any chance..." The Governor General wondered with a smirk.

"Say one more word and I'll cut your willy in the middle of the night." Erik interrupted while threatening him.

"Uh, you can't seriously…" Azazel stammered.

"I can hear you just fine, you forgot?" Erik immediately interrupted him.

Azazel grimaced a bit, but managed to laugh nervously, but he somehow was afraid the Slayer may be serious about this. "Ugh... come on! It was just an innocent joke!" He said waving his head in a defensive manner.

Erik let out a tired sigh, but followed up what he was telling them. "Anyway, once I turned her down, she changed into a circus freak and attacked me. I fought back for some minutes, knocked her flat and then a Devil army showed up out of the blue, they weren't Strays though."

"Well that's strange, I'm more than sure that pure bloods never set foot down there." Azazel considered as he had a thoughtful look. Then he shifted his gaze to the Dragon Slayer. "Cobra, did you hear anything important?"

"Yeah, other than all the high and mighty racist speech, he did say something about his bosses. He said he was doing it for his master… Belziboob, Beelzebub or whatever it was." Erik pointed out.

Now that caught the two leaders off guard as they gasped in surprise, Yasaka had her eyes widened but she kept her composure, while Azazel gained a very serious look, recognising that name very well.

'Beelzebub...' Azazel thought. Could it really be him? Beelzebub as one of the current Great Satans? No... there was no way Ajuka would ever attack someone without wronging them, let alone stepping into a neutral territory and stir the pot with two unknown humans.

"This doesn't make sense." Yasaka spoke. "Ajuka would never do something so sneaky."

"Yeah… you're right." Azazel agreed. "There's not a snowball's chance in hell he would attack a human like Cobra if he didn't do anything to begin with." He pondered.

"Ajuka?" Macbeth inquired.

"Ajuka Beelzebub is one of the Four Great Devil Kings alongside Sirzechs, also one of the most powerful Satans around. Hence it wasn't him." Azazel stated.

But then something came to the leaders' minds.

"What if..." Azazel suddenly said stroking his chin.

"What?" Jellal asked.

"It's a theory, what if the Devils you came across weren't sided with any of the remaining clans of the main faction?" Azazel wondered. "That would explain why they're acting on their own."

"So, you're saying that there could really be someone else pulling the strings?" Macbeth said.

"Yeah, I have no solid proof yet, but I'll make sure to investigate about that." Azazel said in a confident tone. "Anyway, back to your report, what happened after Cobra was assaulted?"

"I intervened. I used my Reflector Magic to quell their leader." Macbeth replied. "I caught him unawares just at the last second before those cowards could harm their hostage."

"Hostage?" Yasaka asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, some crimson-haired boy in fancy clothes." Erik answered. "Luckily I was able to read their boss' mind as he went nuts, he called the brat Gregory, or… Jeoffrey… no, that wasn't it…" The Dragon Slayer scratched his head as he tried to recall the name.

That did catch both leaders off guards. Crimson hair? Fancy clothes? And that name Gregory… wait a second, what if Cobra misunderstood it with something else, or rather somebody else… And furthermore, why would some group of Devil terrorists kidnap a regular Devil kid? No that couldn't be a normal boy, that must've been someone related to the nobility… or else what other reason could they have? So, could that mean...

"Wait a sec Cobra. Did you just say crimson hair?" Azazel immediately asked.

"I did, what of it?" Erik asked.

"I think I get it now." Azazel figured it out gaining the others' attention. "It's not Gregory nor Jeoffrey… It's Gremory." The Fallen Angel corrected.

"So, what you are saying is…" Yasaka trailed off in surprise and shock.

"Yeah, it must be it." The Fallen Angel murmured in confirmation.

"What? What is it?" Erik asked.

"The boy you rescued… judging by what you told us so far, I'm pretty sure he was the son of the current Devil King, Sirzechs Lucifer." Azazel explained gaining shocked looks from the wizards. 'Can't remember his name though…'

"Wait, are you sure?!" The Dragon Slayer spat in alarm.

"Hm..." The Reflector mage hummed inconveniencely.

"But, what does the Devil King have to do with the Gremory you mentioned before?" Jellal inquired.

"It's simple, the Gremory Clan is one of the most powerful Devil families in the Underworld, not to mention one of the highest-ranked. A long time ago, Sirzechs Lucifer used to be the heir of the Gremory Clan, as a matter of fact, he used to be called Sirzechs Gremory but when the Civil War ended, he was crowned as the ruler of all the Devils and took the Lucifer name." Azazel told them. "Which also confirms the fact it wasn't Ajuka who ordered the attack."

"So, there could really be a faction of Devils that is operating independently." Yasaka considered.

"Yeah, there's a high possibility…" Azazel continued. This wasn't good, what if this unknown faction was linked to those human terrorists… no, that couldn't be, why would they ally themselves with some humans considering their treatment they served to Cobra. And what if these Devils will try to compromise the already delicate situation between the three great powers? "Looks like I'll have to go deeper into this. This whole shit might hit the fan sooner than we know."

"Just fucking great, 'cause having just one possible Devil close behind wasn't bad enough." Erik cursed. "Now, it'll be only a matter of time 'till we'll have the entire Hell up our ass."

The Fallen Angel sneered at the Dragon Slayer's comment. "You don't have to worry about Sirzechs that much though. I know him, he's a pretty chilled guy, so I don't think he'll cause you much trouble." Azazel reassured the wizards.

"And besides, you did save his son's life." Yasaka added. "So, I find hard to believe he would do anything hostile toward you."

"I certainly hope so..." Macbeth voiced.

"Still… this doesn't sit too well with me." Erik complained again.

"I guess it can't be helped for now, we just have to wait and see how things will be rolling up." Jellal mused. The mage then turned his head to Azazel. "How about you in Grigori? Have you guys discovered anything important?" Jellla asked the Governor General.

"We have. Sadly, Freed and his group of Exorcists weren't the only ones who strayed away." The Fallen Angel leader responded while crossing his arms.

"Say what?" Erik asked rising a brow.

"Yeah, a bunch of foot soldiers slipped out as well. One of them is actually a four-winged Fallen Angel, meaning that's a mid-tier." Azazel stated gravely. "Weeks ago, Shemhaza, my vice Governor-General, told them to keep tabs on a kid with a Sacred Gear, a Dragon Gear to be more precise. Dragon Gears could be extremely dangerous if they lose control." The Governor General told them. "But a few days ago they cut off contact with us going on their own. Unfortunately, Shemhaza hasn't shared with me the details of their mission yet, but what I do know is that they could be taking orders by someone else… and what's worse is that they're in the Devils' territory…"

"Do you or Shemhaza know where they may be?" Jellal asked.

"To be honest, I don't." Azazel shook his head. "Since Shemhaza was the one who send them out only he does, so I'm going to contact him and ask him to trace them." He explained.

"It appears our circumstances have turned out more serious than we expected…" The blonde Youkai said. "Azazel, do you need some extra help to manage this one?" Yasaka offered.

"Nah, we can handle it just fine." Azazel assured.

"Are you sure about that?" The female Youkai asked unsure. "It would be much safer if we helped you out."

"I am." The Governor nodded. "Yasaka, we may be allies, but I'm not about to involve you guys into a problem that could involve a greater problem two other factions." The Fallen Angel told her.

Yasaka wanted to insist, but deep down she knew Azazel had a point. "Alright, I understand." She nodded in understanding.

"Are you really sure you'll be able to pull this off on your own Azazel?" Macbeth this time asked.

"Yep, it shouldn't be much of an issue." He responded. "And don't worry, once I get all I need, I'll let you know by today. Because you may have a new job request sooner than you expected." Azazel pointed out to them.

"Are you saying?..." The former Wizard Saint wondered.

"Yeah, as much as I don't want to admit it, I can't let more of my people sneaking into an enemy's territory." Azazel claimed. "We need to act cautious before an actual peace treaty is signed. So, I guess we're in you guys' hands."

"I see." Jellal said understanding.

"Bet we'll end up being your ambassadors one of these days." Erik sighed shaking his head.

"Actually, having super-duper powerful humans in Grigori wouldn't be a bad idea." The Fallen Angel quipped. After all, those three were in a totally different level than any regular human as their base power rivalled with the strongest of the Dragon Kings, if not even higher.

That gained another flat stare from the mages, especially from the Dragon Slayer.

"So, in the meantime, why don't you take the opportunity to rest here?" The Youkai leader asked. "You will have everything at your disposal: you can either use your rooms here or train outside. We also have several hot tubs available both inside and in the back gardens, so feel free to use them if you like." Yasaka offered the independent mages with her usual smile.

"Well, actually we could use some rest. Thanks, Yasaka." Macbeth said.

"Alright, we're in your hands Azazel." Jellal stated.

"I'll notify you as soon as I've got more news. Leave the rest to us." Azazel assured with thumb up.

The tattooed mage replied with a nod.

"Alright, you guys." Erik said as he stretched arms. "Guess we'll leave the rest of the researches to you." He finished as he got up from his spot.

As Erik and Macbeth left the room, Yasaka got up as well.

"Well, I should be going too. I'm rather busy tomorrow morning." She announced. "Goodnight Jellal, Azazel."

"Have a nice sleep." Jellal smiled at her.

"See ya, Yasaka." Azazel said while waving at her.

After Yasaka made her way out of the room, Azazel got closer to the blue-haired mage, he put one hand on his shoulder. "So Jellal…" Azazel said trailing off.

"Hm?" The wizard gazed at him. The Fallen Angel was trying hard to suppress a sly grin.

"What's going on between you and Yasaka, huh?" The leader of Grigori asked in a teasing manner.

Jellal flickered his eyes open, but managed to not lose his composure. "Wait what do you mean by that?"

The Fallen Angel instead nudged him, his sly smirk still creeping across his face. "You know, you two being closer to one another each passing day, her spending time with you all alone and you getting flushed when she touches your hands."

Jellal couldn't deny the sensation felt really good, not to mention Yasaka was honestly one of the most beautiful and sweetest women he's ever met. Perhaps even more than Erza.

"Well, yeah." Jellal admitted. "I can't deny the fact I'm getting along with her..."

"You know, you two should just date." Azazel immediately pointed out without letting him finish.

"Come again?" The wizard asked blinking his eyes.

"You know, take her out to eat, to spend more time together." The Fallen Angel suggested. "You two are close, you clearly like each other. Yasaka made it clear days ago. Plus you should really loosen up a bit, you seem a bit overstressed with all of this Tartaros mess."

"Huh… I'm not sure." Jellal replied uncertainly.

The Fallen Angel, however carelessly continued. "And who knows, maybe it'll end up good for both parts…" Azazel's smirk grew wider. "You can't deny Yasaka's real a bombshell."

Jellal showed a small flush. "I… don't know. I mean, Yasaka is truly a beautiful woman, but I think I'm not mentally ready for a relationship in these days… yet."

"Well, it doesn't necessarily need to be a 'proper' date, think of a way to spend time together and see where this goes." Azazel stated

"You won't drop it until I give in, right?" Jellal shook his head.

"You know me too well already." Azazel smirked in response. "Plus it'd just for your own good."

Jellal thought about it for some seconds before giving his response. "Alright, I'll do it." He accepted.

"Now you speak my language." Azazel grinned.

Jellal could only let out a tired sigh.

- Next morning -

Fortunately, the next day went by without any more headaches. The independent vigilantes took one day to rest before Azazel could communicate them his report.

At the moment, the three were enjoying their day off, each of them spending their time differently. It was very likely that they would have to return to action soon afterwards. True, lately their missions were not too difficult except when it came to Tartaros, the only 'problem' was that the demonic guild had not yet shown its face, despite being in that world with them.

As for now, the former Wizard Saint and the Youkai were walking through a corridor next to one another. Yasaka had a quizzical look on her face as she was still thinking about what they had said to each other on the phone just yesterday.

Should she really bother him with her questioning? Jellal and the others were already going through enough, Tartaros' presence, the flute of Lullaby going missing and the whole 'new enemy faction' thing. On second thought, Yasaka preferred to leave it be. It would be only fair to not put pressure on a topic they would've liked to avoid.

"Hey Yasaka." Jellal called her making her look at him.

"Yes?" Yasaka questioned.

"I was wondering, what was you wanted to tell me about yesterday?" Jellal asked in curiosity. He didn't want to ask her out right away, so

"Oh, that." Yasaka realised their quick conversation by message. "I just thought it wasn't the right time to ask questions, you still were in the middle of a mission."

Technically, he was still on the train, so she would've not been a bother, actually the contrary. But Jellal decided to not press the matter. "Alright then." Jellal accepted.

As the two continued walking together, the Youkai started to speak again.

"What are your plans for today Jellal?" Yasaka inquired.

"Since I won't be training today, let alone doing any job requests, I think it will be a day off." The wizard responded, which the maiden nodded in understanding.

"I see." She said. "Are you planning to rest then? You know that everything is at your disposal here."

"Actually." The wizard suddenly spoke. "I wanted to ask something. Are you busy now, Yasaka?" Jellal asked.

"Uhm, I should be free for lunch and early afternoon." Yasaka replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Since Cobra will be out training and Midnight will be resting for the time being…" Jellal trailed off for a few moments making the Youkai leader look at him quizzically. "What do you say we spend some time together?"

While he asked, Yasaka felt the pulse of her heart beat a little faster, her eyes opened slightly for some seconds and her cheeks had turned rosy. Of course, this was by no means the first time the two of them had eaten together, but every time it was either with everyone else, or was a meal offered by her. Jellal had never directly offered to eat with her alone. Through it all, Jellal was smiling at her waiting for her response.

"Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you Jellal." Yasaka chirped sweetly.

"If I may, I have an idea." Jellal proposed.

"Yes?" Yasaka tilted her head while asking.

"How about I treat you to lunch?" Jellal offered smiling at her.

Treat her to lunch?... 'Like a date? Is he asking me out?' Yasaka thought as her cheeks turned redder. She didn't know why, but somehow spending time with Jellal was like reawakening her long gone teenage days. She would've lied to herself if she denied she was developing something for him.

'Pull yourself together, Yasaka. It is nothing more than lunch together.' Yasaka mentally told herself. Yet, a small part of her couldn't help but feel a little… nostalgic. This sensation wasn't new to her, yet it seemed like lost in time…

Ever since the disappearance of her husband three years ago, Yasaka lost interest in dating other men, most likely due to lack of desire and out of sadness. Of course there was no shortage of date requests from various men: Youkai, Humans and such. But Yasaka had simply lost the urge. Not to mention that many of them were only attracted by who she was or only by her physical appearance. It was different with Jellal though, he was different, he wasn't the type to go after a woman just for her look or status quo. And honestly that was what she really appreciated in a man.

Yasaka was pondering the request and spoke after pausing for a minute. "Yes, I'd be more than happy to spend time with you." She too late realised how that sounded. "I mean to eat in your company of course." Jellal didn't fail to notice she was nervous.

"…Are you sure? I don't want you to disturb yourself." Yasaka managed to ask.

"Don't worry, I mean it. Despite the mission didn't go how we initially planned; Azazel paid us rather well." Jellal reassured the maiden.

Despite her blush, she nodded. "Very well, thank you for the treat." Yasaka smiled as she bowed at him with gratitude.

"Of course. It's only a pleasure for me." Jellal smiled back.

Meanwhile in the back gardens of the Youkai Palace, the Nightmare Mage was relaxing at one of onsens. The place was even better than he had expected, the hot spring was surrounded by vegetation giving it a rural ambience, making the view convey an even more peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

Right now, Macbeth was wearing nothing but a towel that covered his modesty, fortunately it was 9 o'clock in the morning, so the place was currently empty, thus he could take some time for himself in peace.

Pervaded by his thoughts, Macbeth was gazing at the blue sky. In the 2 years almost gone by, his and his guild mates' lives drastically changed… for the better. It was weird in the beginning, a bunch of dark wizards having a change of heart and fighting for good? The idea felt strange, nearly unrealisable in his eyes, or so he used to believe. Saving lives instead of ruining them felt good and kind of gratifying… he knew he still had a long way to go to completely atone for his sins, considering that he and the others were indeed the victims of a worsening evil.

Now they were fighting for a good cause for correcting all their sins. But was it the only reason? Could it be that reason was also fighting on the side of good for the sake of it?

"This feels good..." Macbeth murmured to himself. "This place isn't bad at all. People are nice and treat us with respect." He said to himself. "Unlike someone else for more than a decade…" He muttered the last part in a grief tone while closing his eyes.

Macbeth knew they'll have to reveal their past to their allies sooner or later. They may have left their past behind them, but they surely didn't forget it. The Oracion Seis, the Balam Alliance, Brain… everything.

"I wonder who things are going back home." Macbeth continued to murmur to himself.

Although it didn't seem so, Macbeth had a great concern for his guild mates, valuing the bond forged over time. Especially in regard to a certain angelic mage...

'Sorano... I hope you're alright.' The Reflector Wizard thought.

'People's hearts aren't meant to be changed with magic. Even love has the power to make even the weakest of the hearts become strong.'

An image of a smiling Sorano appeared in Macbeth's mind, perhaps Richard was right…

"Maybe love did change me for the better, huh?" Macbeth thought aloud as he ended up staring at the blue endless sky. "Hmph." He smiled.

Despite the looming threat, Macbeth could not help but feel somewhat relieved; after all, Tartaros was no longer in their world. Right? In addition, what were his companions left behind doing? Could they be looking for a way to catch up with them? If so, how? They were still unsure how they ended up in a new dimension in the first place.

'Well… at least, as far as we know, the others are safe for the time being…' That was the only kind of relief Macbeth could think about.

Having rested inside the relaxing onsen for an hour, the Nightmare Wizard decided it was enough for now. Getting up from his sit, he exited the tubs. After getting dressed, he walked to his room as he decided to do one of his favourite hobbies, take some nap for the rest of the morning.

-Later in the morning -

Right before lunch, the Poison Dragon Slayer decided to take easy his training for today, even though Jellal and Macbeth decided to call a day off, he still decided to do a little work out, but not go all out. Just like for Macbeth, he didn't run into anyone before and during his training. In order not to get sweat on his shirt, he even decided to train chest-naked, after all nobody was around. Admittedly, despite his lean figure, his build was still fairly muscular, his muscles were toned and his abs were well-sculpted. True Erik was certainly not as bulky as his fellow Dragon Slayers such as Gajeel, Laxus or Acnologia himself, but he surely had a body in which he could make most women drool.

After at least a hundred push-ups, sit ups, plank jacks and handstand push-ups, Erik decided to take a break as his body started to sweat, yet he still wasn't worn out, far from it. As he took a moment breathing in and out, he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Hey Cobra!" A familiar girly voice called the slayer from behind.

"Hm?" Erik shifted his head to the approaching nun. "It's you Asia, what's up?"

"Aaaah!" Asia squealed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were still training!"

As she noticed his well-built muscular body, Asia widened her eyes after quickly covering them, her face red in embarrassment.

"Huh?"

For a moment Erik wondered what was wrong, but quickly understood. That must've been the first time for her to even see a half-naked man. Easily perceiving that for obvious reasons, the Dragon Slayer rolled his only functioning eye with a sigh, as he grabbed his maroon shirt, he dressed. Sighing once again he turned back to her.

"Alright, you can look now." Erik told her.

"O-oh." Asia pronounced nervously. "Again, I'm really sorry for that. That was uncalled for by me." She bowed at him.

The Dragon Slayer grunted a bit in annoyance, but deep down he couldn't really blame the blonde nun, a life spent in confinement by the Church could lead to this, if not worse.

"Quit apologising, jeez." Erik told her as he facepalmed. "It's not like you caught me up butt-naked. It was an accident, end of the story." He clarified. In the meantime, to freshen up, he took out a canteen from his bag and drank.

"R-right." Asia stammered nervously.

"So, why are you here?" Erik asked while putting away the canteen.

Asia recomposed herself. "I just wanted to see if you were alright."

"What do you mean? 'Course I am." Erik answered bluntly.

"I mean… did your mission go alright? I've heard a little before from Lady Yasaka and Mr. Azazel you had it rather rough. So I was worried about you." Asia explained.

Erik rose a brow, but he wasn't that surprised. He was expecting much from Asia, that nun was the pure embodiment of kindness and innocence. As he sat down on the grass he answered.

"Went pretty meh so far in my book. Ran into a bunch of Devils wanting our heads in Hell, but saved a kid from them in the process." Erik summarised. "Apparently, he turned out the son of current Devil King. One of the Gremory Clan actually." He went on explaining.

Asia widened her eyes; she was no stranger of that name as she already had already heard him mentioned in Grigori. Yet, she managed to form a kind smile. "I knew it!"

"Huh?" Erik pronounced confusedly.

As Asia approached him, she went on with that. "I knew you were heroes!" She repeated as she beamed at him once again.

Truthfully, the Dragon Slayer was almost on the verge of sniggering at her remark as he still didn't seem himself as a good person. But then again, Erik did feel like to tell her everything about his past. But was it really the right choice to make now? He got along with Asia just fine; despite he's known her for barely two weeks, he still wasn't sure to tell her... after all his and his guildmates' past was darker and sinful that she could ever imagine.

"Trust me Asia, I'm all but a hero…" Erik said while trailing off.

Asia's smile slowly faded as she looked at him with worried eyes, but she clearly had issue to tell him directly, so she tried to focus her mind into something else.

"What now?" Erik questioned.

"Uhm…" Asia murmured. "Oh, I just wanted to... well…"

"I know something's got you worried Asia, it's in your voice." Erik remarked shaking his head.

"Hum…" Asia still was unsure if to tell him or not.

Of course, Erik could see the young nun's nervousness, so he waited for her to start speaking again. "It's just… every time we face the topic about you guys saving people and you being a good person…" She explained. "I don't know, it's like you don't appreciate that compliment at all… so I wanted to ask if something happened in your past."

Erik half closed his eyes as he crossed his arms. "It's not like that. It's a bit complicated… no matter, I'm ok, there's nothing you have to worry about, really." He tried to assure her. Unfortunately, his face betrayed him. Asia may be kind, but she wasn't naïve enough to fall for that, she did understand when something made him unconfutable.

"You're lying. I can hear it from your voice." Asia retorted with conviction.

That made him gaze at her as she ironically used his line against him, but he said nothing in response. Despite the fact almost 2 years have passed since his last wicked deed, he knew there still was several marks left inside him. The nun came up and stood in front of him, beginning to speak in a sympathetic tone.

"You know, I can listen to you." Asia offered with her hand on his shoulder. "That's also what friends are for, right?"

"Look Asia, my… no, our past ain't nice, like at all." Erik explained with a low tone. "There's a lot of stuff you may not want to hear, trust me."

However, Asia seemed to not give in the matter, she genuinelly wanted to help him no matter what he said.

"I'm willing to listen, I'm here to help you after all." Asia affirmed. "We're friends… aren't we?"

As he heard that, Erik wondered if tell her everything or not. Was it necessary to reveal some of his past? Should he kept bottling it up? No... It would come out one way or another anyway. After a staring contest that lasted almost a minute, Erik made up his mind.

"Alright you win…" The Dragon Slayer accepted with a sigh. "But I'm warning you… our story isn't to be taken lightly as it's pretty dark and violent for the most part. So you may want to sit down and listen cause it ain't short either."

Asia nodded and took into account the warning. Sitting next to him, she waited for him to start.

"You see, it all started 20 years ago give or take…"

It had been several minutes since Erik was sitting with Asia and was sharing his story with her. The Dragon Slayer briefed her on the most important things, of course leaving the most personal details behind such as his family, his hometown and Jellal's involvement too as he thought it wasn't his place to tell it, but Jellal's. The story started from their slavery at the Tower of Heaven, followed by his encounter with his guildmates… and then the Oracion Seis and of course, Brain.

Asia's reactions weren't surprising, her expressions shifted between shocked to When he told her about Zeref's fanatics, Asia couldn't help but feel shocked and disgusted by the Dark Mages who ran the R-System. When she was told about the enslavement, punishment and torture parts, Asia dilated her eyes in horror and distress, her eyes were about to tear up, but she retained herself from burst out crying… everything made sense now, the reason why they reacted that way when Azazel mentioned enslavement and the Evil Pieces.

His time with the Oracion Seis and Brain wasn't exactly pleasant to hear either. Apparently, Cobra, Midnight and their guildmates were 'released' from the Tower at the age of eleven, and practically conned into joining Brain and his cause, in return the leader of the dark guild promised them the very thing that was robbed from them the day they were captured and enslaved: freedom.

The nun had an expression of sorrow and sympathy toward the Dragon Slayer, the number of crimes they committed under Brain were fairly high and the count of kills in their hands weren't low either. In spite of the clear discomfort Asia felt as he carried on, she was still willing to listen Erik's story to the very end.

Despite the tragic tale he was narrating, the scarred wizard managed to flash a smile at his pet's mention, or rather his former pet, Cubellious. Now known as Kinana of Fairy Tail.

"She was born human but turned into a snake?" Asia asked.

"That's right." Erik nodded. "I still got no clue who did that… but I can easily tell she was my best friend; I couldn't live without her. Whenever I was sad or beaten up, she always came to stay with me. If I only could hear her thoughts even back then…" He trailed off.

Asia placed her hands on her mouth when she heard what he went through with Brain, in particular…

"So…" Asia began. "Brain was the one to teach you and Midnight your magic?"

"Hmph, since summoning his magic for the first time, Midnight was self-learned, so he didn't train under Brain that much." The Dragon Slayer told her.

"What about the Dragon that taught you your magic?" Asia asked.

"There was none. A Dragon Lacrima was implanted in my body, granting me to use Dragon Slayer Magic." Erik answered.

"Implanted?" The nun asked.

"Yeah, those who have obtained their Dragon Slayer magic in this way are called Second Generation Dragon Slayers. In case you're wondering that was also Brain's doings. And one of the most painful things I went through my life, if I have to say." Erik said trying to brush aside Asia's reaction.

And that was where his story reached its peak, their war against the Allied Forces, which included Fairy Tail. The Poison Dragon Slayer went on and told her how the war begun until his fight with a certain Fire Dragon Slayer…

"And here's the part where I clashed against Salamander, Natsu… aka the Fire Dragon Slayer." Erik smirked smugly at the memory. "Honestly, that runt wasn't much of a challenge back in the ol' days. Hell, I'd say he was pretty flimsy."

"So you were totally on another league?" Asia questioned.

"Pretty much yeah. I tossed him around like a ragdoll for about 2 hours. That pyro hardly even landed a scratch on me, and when he did, it barely tickled me." The scarred slayer replied. "But still, that kid never gave up, no matter how hard I hit him. Hmph." He briefly smirked.

"Oh…" Asia hummed.

"Even though I told him I could hear all of his moves, that idiot never threw in the towel… that was the first times in a long while I genuinely had fun in a fight." Erik closed his eyes with a small smile on his lips. "Eventually, he was able to tell my weakness, when I was about to finish him off, he screamed like a madman…" Erik grunted as he placed his hand near his ears for the unpleasant memory. "I nearly went deaf for that."

"Then what happened?" Asia asked.

"Brain showed up and sold me down the river." Erik replied.

Asia gasped in shock while placing a hand to cover her mouth. His guild master stabbed his back in a moment of weakness… what was more shocking is that he just told her that like it was nothing. "He… betrayed you… but, you were his comrade. He was the one who set you free… you were his friend…"

"Apparently, he couldn't give two shits." Erik remarked as he shook his head with a bit of irritation in his voice. "Said I wasn't worth to be in a dark guild because I got my ass bested down by a light wizard. That traitorous son of a bitch."

So he was even betrayed by his guild master? The one who supposedly freed them from the horrors of the Tower of Heaven? Asia closed her eyes as she started to pray. Erik just stared at her without saying a word. Just how evil could this man be? Submit to this kind of treatment someone who has been faithful to you all this time.

"What was your next move after that?" Asia asked as she tried so hard to contain her sobbing.

"Nothing, we were all defeated and thrown in prison." Erik answered.

The Dragon Slayer sighed took some moments to pause as he grabbed his flask and sipped the water. Asia took her time to acknowledge it, she did feel bad for him, but to be honest, she knew it would've ended up like that. However, the nun was curious about something else too.

"Cobra…" Asia called him. "I've never had the chance to ask about it but…"

"Hm?" The scarred wizard rose a brow as he was finishing to drink.

"I was just wondering… your scar, what happened to your eye?" Asia cautiously asked.

As he slowly stowed the bottle inside his bag, the Slayer started to give his reluctant response. "I…" Erik stopped short in answering her. "I sacrificed it for power." He said, while covering his scar with his hand.

"Sacrificed for… power?" Asia inquired fuzzily.

"Yeah… and that's when the second part of my story comes in." Erik replied bitterly. "When we lost our first battle with Fairy Tail, the others, Midnight and I were thrown in prison for 6 years… that was where Brain freed us, but in exchange he wanted revenge on them… and to be honest I kinda thought I had a bone to pick with them too. Anyway, after escaping he put Midnight in charge and instructed us to awake the Infinity Clock."

"I-Infinity Clock?" Asia inquired in confusion.

"That's right. It was a powerful magical item stored by the Zentopia Church, one of Fiore's most well-known religious cults. That clock was originally sealed by Zentopia itself, but Brain knew where the pieces were hidden, so he told us to retrieve them." He explained.

"…why?" She asked with reluctance.

"Because once merged, that clock could unleash a very powerful spell meant to bring chaos and darkness into our world." Erik told her. "That spell was called Real Nightmare..."

"To be fair, I kinda went along with the plan from the get-go." The Dragon Slayer said, but his voice conveyed his shame. "But then I realised it was worthless to resist. I was lost and alone, I had lost everything; Cubellious, my dignity, my will to live and my eye... and for what? For something so trivial like revenge and chaos… So I got tricked, again." Erik shut his eye close as his expression switched to one of resentment and bitterness.

Asia remained quiet, trying to open her mouth to find the right words. But the young nun couldn't muster anything at the moment. That look was enough for Erik to understand.

"Do you see it now?" Erik asked noticing her silence. "I ain't no hero, I'm a former wanted criminal who's been a piece of shit for most of his life. Someone who tried to bring nothing but havoc and violence into his path. Because I let my anger and revenge desire taking over, I wanted to bring despair to everyone else… Yeah, a real scumbag." The Dragon Slayer concluded closing his eye.

"This isn't true!" Asia suddenly cried out emotionally. "While I can't deny what you did in the past was wrong, I know even back then, you weren't really evil…" She trailed off. "You cared for your friends, for your comrades, for Cubellious… and you still do!"

"Hm." Erik whispered.

"Besides, you already faced enough punishment and suffering; you were treated as slaves, you were used as pawns then thrown away… and spent a lot of years in prison as well… but deep down, you guys can be forgiven! You were all the prime victims of a greater evil!"

Erik cracked his eye open turning towards her as he still hadn't seen Asia being this emotional. Him be forgiven? Him who destroyed towns, who killed and caused chaos just for the fun of it? Or so he thought to think that was the case… until a couple of years ago. He was about to retort that but Asia wasn't done yet.

"I've seen the good in your hearts! I saw it when you, Midnight and Jellal saved me, Kunou and the entire Kyoto from Deliora's attack. I could feel it, you did not do it for personal gain but out of pure benevolence and willingness to help us." Asia continued. "And what about all the good you've been doing with Crime Sorcière? What about the lives you saved among all the others back on Earth-Land? You're trying your best to be a better person, and I think you also are aware of it!"

"..." Erik still didn't pronounce a word despite still listening to her.

"That evil man Brain, took advantage of your condition and corrupted all of you just to fulfill his benefit and vile plans."

The scarred wizard looked at her with an expression somewhere between astonishment and wonder, they were the exact same words he told to Macbeth just yesterday.

"Even if you'll keep saying you have no heart or soul, I won't believe that!" The nun exclaimed. "Because as I told you… I know that you repented for everything you've done, that you are giving your all to correct your past together with your comrades!" Asia stated convincingly.

"Asia…" Erik muttered in a low tone. Of course, he has heard these kinds of words from both Jellal and Meredy before, but to hear them from someone who was completely uninvolved in the whole thing was a completely different story. He found himself at a loss for words as his shock turned into anguish, but before he could speak up, those words came back into his mind...

'I'm aware of your past. But you realise the wrong you've committed and you're trying to atone for your sins by working to make tomorrow a better future for the sake of everyone. You must continue to follow that path, and live on.'

'There's a victim inside every villain, but that doesn't excuse us from our crimes.'

Those words came respectively from Princess Hisui of Fiore and Jellal. Despite the fact that those words kept reverberating in his mind, the Dragon Slayer found it very difficult to believe that some sins could be atoned for.

"You really think we're not that bad, huh?" Erik inquired.

"Absolutely!" Asia replied.

"Ugh, you know… sometimes you really are too touchy-feely, and not for your own good." Erik groaned as he scratched his head.

Asia slightly pouted at his remark; however, the Dragon Slayer wasn't finished yet.

"But this is also something I appreciate about you. You're a kind and forgiving soul. Even after all that we did, you still accepted us. Honestly, I'm not sure if that makes you either nice or a complete idiot."

Asia frowned while still staring at the scarred wizard.

The Dragon Slayer sighed. "Listen Asia, I still don't know if I could ever forgive myself for all of that…" Erik said causing Asia's expression to turn somber. But the Dragon Slayer then went on with a smile. "…but that doesn't mean I'll stop to make amends. Me and the guys of my guild won't stop fighting until it's needed. If I die trying, I'll be more than happy to fall into the deepest bowels of Hell to pay for all the sins I've done."

"D-Don't say things like that!" Asia exclaimed. "You may have committed bad things in the past, but I'm sure God would forgive you."

Erik almost wanted to groan after hearing that, as he needed his forgiveness of all people.

"Just spillin' straight facts." The scarred slayer shrugged. Asia continued to gaze at him with a small pout, which made Erik roll his eye. "Relax, I don't plan on dying anytime soon. And I'll be damned if I let anyone kill me without fight back."

"Cobra…" Asia's voice went sadder. "I'm sorry for everything. All your losses, all the pain you went through… I should've been more careful with my questions. I ever bothered you about…" Her eyes watered.

"Forget about it. I had to spill the beans about my past sooner or later." He assured her.

"I know, but still…" Asia repeated.

"I think I told you, didn't I?" Erik interrupted. "Look I'm not proud for who I was, let alone for what I've done. But the last thing I'd do is denying my sins and not to face my past like a coward, that ain't me. I don't really blame you for asking, any other person would. So you don't have to worry for asking."

As he checked the time from his phone, Erik got up from his spot.

"Cobra?"

"I'm gonna grab something to eat, it's past noon." Erik told her. "Wanna come with me?"

Asia was in the verge of tearing up again, but then she noticed Cobra's expression wasn't serious as before, but he was displaying his signature fanged smirk. Asia shook her head and smiled back at him.

"Yes, gladly!" Asia beamed.

"Let's go then." Erik motioned to come closer.

As soon as they were on route, Asia lifted her gaze towards the Dragon Slayer.

"Cobra." Asia called him causing him to look at her. "Do you know where Cubellious is? Is she alright?"

Erik smirked and nodded. "Sure, she's fine. She's safe at Fairy Tail."

-A few hours later -

It was now past one o'clock, Jellal decided to take Yasaka out to eat. Although Jellal and the others did indeed receive their pay for the job request from Azazel, he certainly couldn't afford a fancy restaurant. Consequently, the former Wizard Saint decided to take Yasaka to a medium-sized restaurant. Being the kind and humble woman she was, Yasaka didn't mind and gladly accepted the mage's treat.

Now, Jellal and Yasaka were sitting at a table in front of each other. Sparing no expense, they both ordered a bowl of ramen, and the blue-haired magician in particular found himself adoring the typical Japanese dish. As they continued talking, Jellal ended up asking her how their strange dimensional journey could've occurred.

As Jellal sampled his ramen, he asked. "So, you're saying there's a great chance we've passed through this Dimensional Gap?"

Yasaka sipped her tea before replying with a nod. "Most certainly. Are you certain you haven't heard anything related to it back in your world?"

Jellal rubbed his chin with his hand. "Now that you mention it, I do know something that sounds very similar to this Dimensional Gap." Jellal told her.

"You do?" Yasaka rose a curious eyebrow.

"It's called the Space Time Rift. Eri… I mean, Cobra was there while fighting with the other Dragon Slayers a powerful evil Dragon called Acnologia. As far as I know, it's a space of nothingness that was created due to a time wizard's time travel to the future in our world. It happened 400 years ago during the Dragon King Festival, about the same time Dragon Slayer Magic was created." Jellal explained.

'It definitely seems to resemble the Dimensional Gap, could there be some connection between them?' She wondered.

"Ahem, but I'm changing the subject…" Jellal shook his head. "I'm more interested about this Dimensional Gap. What do you know about it?"

"What I know of the Dimensional Gap is approximate… but my husband knows a lot about it… well, at least used to know…" Yasaka replied with a bit of hesitation in her words

"Don't worry, you don't have to go on if that makes you feel uncomfortable." He assured her.

For some moments, Yasaka didn't understand as she never mention it to the wizard, but it didn't take much to realise.

"So you knew, didn't you?" Yasaka realised.

"Yes… Kunou told me about that some days ago." Jellal responded in a sad and sympathetic tone.

"Is that so?" The blonde Youkai asked.

Jellal nodded sadly. "I'm really sorry for that. As I told to Kunou, you have my deepest sympathy."

"It is fine, I appreciate it." Yasaka told him. "It happened more than three years ago, Kunou and I tried to be strong and get through this phase. Of course, it wasn't easy, but we had to move on."

"I understand." The blue-haired mage nodded.

Yasaka paused for a bit, but continued her explanation as she tried to push past the bad memories and maintain her composure.

"You see…" Yasaka squinted her eyes, displaying a sad smile. "Before my husband passed away, he dedicated his time on studying space and time continuity. Originally, the Dimensional Gap was known as 'the realm of nothingness that lies between the three realms', which referred to the Earth, Heaven and the Underworld."

As such, she started to fill him with what her husband discovered about the place. Although it wasn't much, Jellal pretty much understood how it worked.

"So, is it like space between worlds?"

"Yes, I think we can also call it that." Yasaka replied to him as she continued. "It is also considered as a Void World, none is able to survive it, unless the traveller bears a strong magic power to protect themselves. Either way, I find your situation peculiar; never has a true dimensional journey been conceived since you are the first to have experienced such thing." She explained further.

"So, it is much complicated than I thought, isn't it?" He said.

"And there's more…" Yasaka stated. "It's also the current place where Great Red resides."

"Great Red?" Jellal asked with interest.

"Yes, he is the strongest Dragon God ever known in this world, his strength surpasses even the two Heavenly Dragons by a large margin to such an extent that it is considered unmeasurable. It is said that he can dominate dreams themselves and that he is the True Dragon God Emperor." The blonde-haired maiden explained the wizard, which he listened very carefully. "His power far surpasses the Gods and the Three Factions leaders."

'If this Dragon God is truly this powerful, then he might be even stronger than Acnologia.' Jellal wondered. 'I wonder…' He pondered. "Yasaka, is it possible to meet this Dragon or to transport inside the Dimensional Gap?"

"I would advise against that, the Dimensional Gap is not one of the most welcoming places, and it's not easy to reach it either." Yasaka advised him. "Are you certain you don't remember anything?"

"No, not that I recall…" Jellal stated with clear confusion.

"Oh." Yasaka said in surprise. "Are you certain about it?"

"I am. After Mard Geer and Midnight's spells collided everything faded away. And we… kind of appeared in Kyoto's outskirts, like it was out of nowhere." Jellal pondered.

"It might be that their attacks were strong enough to open a dimensional gateway somehow. From what you told me, Midnight's spell and Mard Geer's curse have common characteristics, both of them have the ability to erase matter, but they also differ... it's likely that the clash of two such great forces between magic and curse would cause an outcome like that." Yasaka theorised making Jellal gaze at her with a surprised look.

"This is… actually a very keen observation." Jellal told her.

"Do not take it for granted though, it's nothing but an hypothesis." Yasaka reminded him.

"Even so, there is a chance it's like how you're saying." The mage declared.

The two fell silent for about a minute. Yet, he recalled how that conversation started and started to speak.

"Yasaka… about before, I'm sorry for not telling you about that." Jellal claimed.

"Nonsense." Yasaka shook her head. "I told you, didn't I? You don't have to worry about that. If Kunou decided to tell you, it means she trusts you and likes you. You have no idea how much it pleases me to have my little girl see you as an example and a big brother figure. You, alongside with Cobra and Midnight, gained our trust… especially Kunou who immediately saw you as a trustable person… and so do I. For that I thank you profoundly." She finished with a kind yet scolding tone.

Then, the former Wizard Saint remembered.

"Yasaka…" Jellal said as his tone became more earnest. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Of course. I'm listening." Yasaka nodded.

"No, not here. I think it'd be better to talk about it outside." He remarked.

"Oh, alright then." She accepted.

As they finished their lunch, they left the restaurant and began to walk around.

"First of all, I wanted to tell you that I fully understand what it means to lose someone close to you. Do you remember that wizard who left Crime Sorcière that I told you about a few days ago?"

"I remember." Yasaka nodded as she paid attention of what he was telling her.

"Her name is Ultear Milkovich, she was… no, she is one of the people I mostly trust, after all I did create Crime Sorcière alongside her…" Jellal trailed off while Yasaka quietly listened. "She's a strong magician and wielder of a Lost Magic called the Arc of Time, the only wizard who was capable of perfectly controlling and master such magic was her… unfortunately, something happened that caused her to quit the guild."

"What happened?" Yasaka inquired with a look that matched Jellal's.

"Our world was in danger of being destroyed because of a Dragon invasion caused by another Dragon Slayer from the future... needless to say, the situation wasn't to our advantage, far from it… we were one step away from being defeated and slaughtered by the Dragons... so she was forced to use a spell that was extremely dangerous for her, called Last Ages… she was willing to sacrifice her own life, but in the end it was that single gesture of hers that saved us all."

Yasaka had an expression of astonishment but also of melancholy, but immediately put it aside when she saw that Jellal was smiling, but it wasn't out of sadness, that was a prideful smile.

"Luckily, she didn't perish, yet it still came to a great cost making her age greatly, which caused her to leave us." Jellal continued his explanation.

The Youkai leader had a hard time to take into account what he told her, but was able to muster the right words. "She seemed a good and honourable person. It is no coincidence that she was the one who founded your guild together with you, your friend would be proud of the way you are running your operation."

"She is. Ultear and I had something in common…" Jellal paused. "Our guild was created for one main purpose, aside from taking down Zeref. It was for atoning to my, no… our past."

As Yasaka heard those words, she rose a brow in curiosity. "Your past? What do you mean?" She inquired quizzically.

"Well. You see…"

Jellal knew it was time to spill the bins to her about his past. As he was about to tell her, Yasaka's phone rang.

"Just a second." Yasaka excused herself as she answered her phone. "Oh, I understand… Hmm… Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can." She finished while closing the call.

"Is something the matter?" The wizard asked.

Putting her phone out she replied. "Nothing is wrong. I'm really sorry Jellal, but it looks like I have to interrupt our date. I have to get back to my palace for working matters." Yasaka pointed out.

"It's fine. You have your duties to attend. And thanks for accepting my invite, I had a good time." Jellal said.

However, before walking away. "Hey Jellal…" She named him making him turn to her.

Yasaka approached Jellal and placed a kiss on his cheek, the wizard had opened his eyes in surprise, his cheeks flushed and his face showed clear signs of embarrassment which caused the blonde-haired beauty to giggle.

"If you liked it, we can do it again in the future." Yasaka winked at him playfully. "For now, I will see you later."

"Y-yes." Jellal was at loss of words.

"And Jellal…" Yasaka smiled at him. "Thank you for the lunch… and for listening to me."

"Of course. It's no problem." Jellal shook his head and smiled back. 'And maybe next time I can finally tell you the truth about me… about us.' He thought.

-The same evening -

As dusk drew near, the mages of Crime Sorcière were on their way to Yasaka's palace, since Azazel had asked them to meet in the same room where they were that morning. With Yasaka's permission, who was absent due to her duties as Kyoto's governor, Azazel took the chance to organise the meeting, right now he was sitting in the same spot and wearing the same kimono.

Next to Azazel was a good-looking man in his twenties, with short silver hair and purple eyes. He wore a cap of the same colour, and a long purple coat over a black gown, white trousers and black boots. That was Shemhaza, Azazel's second in command and cadre of Grigori.

After setting foot inside the room, the wizards noticed Azazel together with Shemhaza, the leader of the Fallen Angels smirked upon seeing them while his second in command had a serious and professional expression.

"Sup, boys? How did your sweet doing nothing day go?" Azazel asked as he waved at them in his usual carefree manner.

"Just trainin' and eatin'." Erik just shrugged.

"Sleeping." Macbeth briefly responded.

"We've been good." Jellal replied. "And you?"

"Oh you know, researching Sacred Gears and trying not to trigger a war as a result of some of my subordinates' doings. By the way, this is Shemhaza, my right hand and best friend." The Governor told them as he gestured to the man beside him.

Shemhaza stepped forward to the three. "Good evening, wizards of Crime Sorcière. My name is Shemhaza, and as Lord Azazel just said, I'm the vice-Governor of Grigori. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He extended his hand to Jellal, who accepted it and shook it.

"The pleasure is all ours, Shemhaza. My name is Jellal Fernandes."

"Oh, I do know of the three of you." The vice-Governor said. "Azazel told me how you all saved this city by vanquishing a dangerous Demon."

"Talk about 'keeping a low profile', huh?" Erik frowned at the Governor General who sweatdropped with an awkward laugh.

"Fear not." Shemhaza immediately clarified. "Aside from Azazel, the only ones who are aware of you are Baraqiel and I, we haven't uttered a word about you to anyone else in Grigori."

The Dragon Slayer sighed but eventually nodded in acceptation.

"I would add that defeating a creature with strength equal to Ultimate Class beings is an impressive feat, considering you are human without a Sacred Gear." Shemhaza complimented.

"Shemhaza, you got the pictures?" Azazel asked as he turned serious.

"Of course." The vice-governor replied with a nod handing them to Azazel so he could take a better look.

"So you guys found em, huh?" Erik said.

"Yes." Shemhaza nodded. "We've sent a couple of our spies into the Devils' territory to track down our agents some days ago. They haven't reported their status for the time being."

"Here."

Azazel tossed five photos on the small coffee table that showed their faces. The three vigilantes came forward and took a look of the pictures. The photos depicted three females and two males... however, the blue-haired mage narrowed his eyes when he spotted Freed's picture.

"We have no idea of what they're planning right now, or what's their aim. Think you guys can go where they're hiding and find out what they're up to and eventually take care about it?" Azazel asked. The Fallen Angels knew that they couldn't exactly send one of their own, especially at a time when peace was hanging by a thin thread. So they had to be careful.

"So, time to get back to work huh?" Erik said.

"It seems so." Macbeth added.

"We accept the job. Where are they now?" Jellal asked.

Azazel crossed his arms and replied. "Get ready boys, because next stop is Kuoh Town."


Done!

As you could see, things could start getting interesting from here. "Canon" is about to start soon. I honestly still am trying to come up with good ideas to make it look different from the actual canon. Of course, otherwise it wouldn't be a 'fanfic' right?

Anyway, today I don't have much more to say... leave me a review, if you like. And if I've written something grammatically wrong... tell me.

Thanks for reading and see you the next chapter!