NMHA Ch. 60 - Legacies of the Past


A/N - So I wrapped up with the job I held for the past ten months. It was nice while it lasted, but at the same time I'm ready to move on to something a bit more in my field.

I'll probably have less time to write in this new position, unfortunately, but we'll have to see. With a little luck, it won't be that much different than when I was writing in college. Hopefully with the same level of quality as I've developed thus far, at least!

This is the (first) wind-down chapter for the Kuoh Beginnings Arc, which I think is fitting considering we've hit a nice, clean 60 chapters. If we're not counting the way FFN does anyway, lol


Luna woke back up to that sea of stars, head a throbbing mess even as she floated amidst what could only be the dust of the small planet-sized rock she and Kokabiel had their final clash on. She wasn't sure when she'd passed out, but the fact that she was still alive meant one thing.

'I won.'

The thought didn't necessarily elicit joy, though. She glanced back down at the first truly telling injury she received in their fight, and grimaced as she faced the stump of what had been an otherwise healthy arm before it had been broken, then removed from her body outright.

'...I'm good at patching myself up, but I'm not sure I can regenerate a whole arm from nothing.'

Maybe if Kokabiel hadn't sliced it off with a weapon whose element was diametrically opposed to her body's, she could have reattached her limb and had Asia realign the nerves like what happened with Issei.

Then again, Luna did accidentally - sort of - nuke Kuoh.

'...Oh God.'

Luna's hand went to cover her face, a low keen escaping her throat. She'd gone and worked with atoms in Kuoh knowing full well what the result would be. After everything she'd done to try and avoid getting civilians involved, her control slipped?!

"Damn it..." she shook her head slowly and lifted it, letting out a low sigh. "I screwed up."

A moment later, and the brunette had to suppress a giggle. Really, she nuked a town and the most she could say was 'oopsies'?

The giggles intensified, no longer able to be held back, the sheer incredulity of her train of thought crashing home, intermixed with the sheer relief of surviving her duel with the Watcher of the Stars.

"Cough, cough... you'd better not... be going mad now of all times."

Luna's gaze shifted - downward? No, wait, zero-g, there was no such thing as 'down' - to where she heard the cadre.

He was a complete mess. His robes were all but destroyed, only protecting his modesty, body covered in burns and bleeding a bright red, hemorrhaging it. One arm was gone, a badly burnt stump the only remains, and a leg on the same side had suffered the same fate. His face had certainly seen better days too, bloody and swollen, one eye bleeding much like the rest of him, though the other was focused intently on the Devil that he'd lost to. His twelve wings, once a symbol of fallen grace and might, were shattered, bent and broken in a way that Luna knew deep down that he may never recover from.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Longer than you, apparently." Kokabiel huffed, before breaking into more bloody coughs. Luna spread her own wings with a wince, and made to move closer with a lifted hand before the cadre interrupted. "Stay your hand, Outsider. You already spared me by cutting your power off before I was completely torn apart. I - cough cough - won't suffer the indignity of being tended to by the enemy, as well."

That may have just been her passing out, but it was hard for even the brunette to tell considering she wasn't sure when she lost consciousness. Her hand closed up slightly.

"What was that saying, about turning the other cheek?" the Worldweaver asked. "You're a fucking dumbass, but it'd be cruel to just leave you like this. Wouldn't your dad do the same as me?"

His head turned away, lone operating eye narrowing. "It's because of that mercy that the Outsider before you was able to hurt Him so."

Luna's own brow furrowed.

"Then I'm just as much a dipshit as you are. Hold still."

Kokabiel's head turned back to Luna, nonplussed as she slowly drew closer, wincing even with each beat of her wings. "Look after yourself first, bitch."

"Unlike you, I'm not dying. I am, however, in so much pain right now, so pardon me if I'm a little short." She clamped onto the burnt stump of his arm with a snarl, eliciting a growl of pain from the cadre. "Now shut the fuck up and let me stabilize your stubborn ass!"

Luna was perhaps more surprised than she should have been when Kokabiel actually complied, backtalk replaced by shuddering breaths and wet hacking coughs as the brunette went over his body, identified the most life-threatening injuries, and set to work mending them.

It was slow going, especially with the way her head felt like it was going to split apart if she poured even an iota more into channeling Worldweave, but slowly Kokabiel's breathing evened out, and his coughing began to fade. Many of the cadre's injuries went untended, or only given a basic clean, but it was enough for Luna to feel confident that he'd at least stabilize.

It was at this point that the cadre finally spoke again. "...Why?"

"Because I'm a monster to hunt monsters," she replied, voice quiet. "And even if you're too stuck in the past to see what's in front of you, I do think you mean well. You said it yourself; your goal is to protect humanity."

Kokabiel harrumphed, glancing away again. "Yet here I am, being spared and healed by the reincarnation of humanity's greatest foe, who also happens to be touched by the Beast of the Apocalypse."

"Or maybe you're ignoring that we have the same goals?" Luna archly pointed out. She lifted a hand to her head, and breathed out slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Look, instead of just accusing me of these things, can you at least give me some more context about the first Outsider? I can suss out a few things based on what I've already learned, but considering you were there when God died - kh!"

She grit her teeth and rubbed her head. "Damn, I'm completely out of juice if that's affecting me that badly again - and apparently it wasn't sealing Trihexa that did Him in - maybe you can help fill in more of the story for me? I don't want to go and confront my 'patron' without knowing the facts first."

"...Your patron?" Kokabiel echoed, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah. You know how I've claimed to be a naturally-reincarnated Devil?"

"You mean to say that you weren't natural?"

"You could say I - my soul, I mean - was shoved into a soulless shell by a conceptual being of potential."

Kokabiel was silent, processing this information.

"I think that conceptual being and the first Outsider are one and the same."

"I see." He closed his eyes. "So even banished from Creation, she has found a way to manipulate us all."

"...I'm not sure that's entirely true." Luna put a hand to her stump. "When I first spoke with her, she said that she wanted me to live my life my way, and that she'd only offer her own opinion here and there. Otherwise, everything I've done... Well, it's been my choice."

"Even nearly releasing Trihexa into the world because of your little meltdown." That wasn't a question.

"I can't say I know the details about what happened there. All I do know is that the First Outsider - I call her Ulan - seems deathly afraid of Trihexa, possibly because I was able to contact it in the first place." She rubbed the side of her head. "But I can't really say it wasn't my choice then either. I was drowning at that point, I just wanted it all to end... and Trihexa answered that call. It was only because there was still a part of me that dared to have faith that I didn't lose myself entirely."

Kokabiel's eyes reopened again, and he furrowed his brow.

"...Do you want to see it again?" Luna guessed.

"I do."

She took in a deep breath and nodded, closing her eyes and calling Trihexa's power. Even as the weaponized wings extended from between her shoulderblades and her neck was covered by that twisting, pulsating choker, she could feel its fell power spiting the weakness of her flesh, reinvigorating it with a dark rush.

"You could say that these are... the crystallization of my lowest point. Where I felt like I'd lost everything, where I could trust nobody, where I was alone and spiteful and..." Her voice caught briefly. "And it was all me. All my fault."

Luna took a deep breath and shook her head, dispelling the malaise that briefly threatened to bowl over her psyche. "But I'm still here. I'm still... me. And I'm still living for others, because I've realized that by putting my own advancement before my morals... y'know, I can't stand it. It nearly killed me here that day." She tapped her chest with one of Cataclysm Eclipse's wings.

Kokabiel's good eye narrowed. "How can you be sure that you're the same person you were? How can you still claim you're 'human' when you aren't even from this world in the first place?"

"I'm different than I was then. But I still give a damn. Because I want to make things better. Not perfect... never perfect." She shook her head adamantly. "I'm not perfect, and I won't ever claim to be, but I just... do what I can. How I can. And I have this power I never had before. I know what it's like to be just another face, and now that I can be so much more than that, isn't it fair that I try and make things... not perfect, maybe not even good, but better than they are now?"

"...How does this tie back to your patron that you think is the one who betrayed Father?"

"I think she chose me to be her scion in this world because she knew that I'd take this path and defy the world as it stands now... or at the very least, that I'd be able to live a life that she could live vicariously through."

Kokabiel shook his head. "...She was ever the selfish one. Even now, taking someone away from their rightful rest to fulfill her own designs? That certainly seems plausible."

"Y'know." Luna let out a brief huff of laughter. "I think you're right. It certainly explains why Ulan's nowhere to be found now that I'm at a point where I should get the full story behind her... nonexistence?"

"Ulan. It's an anagram of your own name," he pointed out.

"At first I just took it as my not having the strength to properly comprehend her true name. But now... I have to wonder."

"Ridiculous." Kokabiel clicked his tongue. "...though I can't remember her name, nor her face, even if I know that you two share the same form, so perhaps there is something more going on."

Luna furrowed her brow, tilting her head. "Really? That is... peculiar."

A long moment passed, before Kokabiel spoke again. "You should have let me die. I'm not going to apologize for fighting you and taking your arm."

The brunette let out a sigh and rose slightly. "That's fine."

"I'm going to keep coming after you," he continued. "And I'm not going to stop until one of us is dead."

The brunette tilted her head the other direction again, now to the opposite side. Then, she smirked.

"Y'know, that's a big claim coming from someone I just beat, spared, and healed from the brink of death."

The cadre's glare intensified. "I'll become stronger. I'll get prosthetics for the limbs I lost. I won't rest, and I won't stop until I kill you, even if it's the last thing I do."

"Uh huh."

"Are you even listening!?" he shouted, trying - and failing - to lunge at her, still too injured to move more than just a little bit of his body. "Just finish the job already, or I'll take a whole lot more than just your arm in the future!"

"Or maybe you could claim responsibility instead." The innocuously-aired comment stopped Kokabiel, who stared at her in disbelief.

"What? Responsibility?"

"Yeah." She held her stump out. "You took one of the only two hands I have, y'know. Took a good deal more than that too. Don't you think that it'd only be fair if you became my hand to replace the one you destroyed?"

That shut Kokabiel up, and if the situation were less serious, Luna would have broken down laughing at the utter incredulity on his face.

Even so, she couldn't stop the grin that spread across her own. "If you're going to keep coming after me, then you may as well come with me, instead. Save you the trouble, like the nice person I am."

"You could spare me the trouble by slitting your own throat," he grumbled.

"Ah... yeah, about that." She scratched the back of her head. "Can't exactly do that, y'know? I might have a pussy, but that doesn't mean I am a pussy. Besides, didn't I already go on a spiel about moving forward for the sake of those that I've already climbed over?"

"The fact that you bear Its mark means that you could destroy Father's seal, and thus His legacy."

"Trihexa is going to break free one day anyway. It's not an 'if', it's a 'when'." Luna's hand went to the remains of her other arm, her smile sliding off her face. "With or without me, that 'when' is 'soon'." Her eyes shifted back to Kokabiel. "As in, very soon. I'd rather be here to either push that time back, or to beat the Beast back if it is released into the world."

"...and so you'd offer mercy and a place at your table to someone who crippled you and still wants to kill you."

"You're not the first person to want to kill me. You're not going to be the last, either." She shrugged, floating slowly around. Her head tilted up, both Fallen and Devil needing to crane their necks upward to keep meeting each others' eyes. "But even if you took my arm... I need people like you, Kokabiel. People who aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe in, even when it means sacrificing so much of themselves."

He stared at her, long and hard. "Why?"

"I'm only one person. I'm going to make mistakes." She smiled self-deprecatingly and shrugged again. "I'm going to mess up, like I did with Kuoh. If I'm going to keep challenging this diseased husk of a world, I need people who are ready - eager, even - to take me to task. If I understand where I went wrong, I can do better next time. And you? You're a stubborn piece of shit, but you're willing to do whatever it takes to see your vision through. I respect that, more than I resent you for seeing me as something I'm not."

"Something you claim not to be."

She cocked a finger gun at Kokabiel. "Case in point."

There was a moment of silence, before the Watcher of the Stars closed his eyes and let out a huff. "How can I trust that you won't turn on me and mine the moment I become a threat to you? You bested me in combat, and your power will only continue to grow."

"Have I given you reason to not?" Luna didn't give Kokabiel time to answer. "Every time you gave me the benefit of the doubt, the only reason it fell apart was because you jumped the gun."

This time, she gave the cadre the opportunity to respond, and his looking away in sullen silence was all the response she needed.

"But I don't blame you."

Kokabiel blinked, and looked back at Luna, who briefly tilted her head and grinned.

"Y'know, if I saw someone walking around with the face of some great betrayer from ages ago, I'd probably freak out too regardless of them claiming amnesia or not being the same person. Yahweh knows that I'd at least deck that motherfucker Sirzechs if he tried that shit on me. Gh-!"

She cringed as Heaven's System gleefully took its toll on her head again, though she did catch the black-haired Fallen huffing again.

"Still." The brunette finished rubbing her forehead, shaking her head briefly. "All I'm asking for is the chance. You get the opportunity to stay close and keep an eye on me, I get to show you what I mean to stand for, and- y'know, you get to hold me to account."

"You want validation," he accused, to which Luna shrugged.

"That too. Yours is a powerful voice, and it never hurts to have another backer." She reached out with a hand, extending it toward the Fallen Angel, mirroring his position both vertically and horizontally. "But our missions are the same, regardless. As is our willingness to put everything on the line to see it through."

The Worldweaver tilted her head and smiled softly. "So let's burn the rot away together, Kokabiel. Let's usher in an age of equality - true equality, where everybody has the same opportunity to become all they can be, regardless of where they came from."

She remained like this for several seconds while Kokabiel mulled over her words.

"Another backer," he echoed slowly. "Then you already have clout in the supernatural?"

"I do. I also have that ceasefire with the Grigori, and alliances in multiple others, so mine is a group legally recognized by multiple different factions."

"Then you have nothing to gain from offering me this?"

Luna shook her head. "Not entirely. You know details about Ulan's past that I don't, even if I have the gist. You have a voice recognized worldwide for your staunch support of human-centric policy. You're a powerhouse in your own right, powerful enough to stand in the same ring as heavyweights of the supernatural like Odin or Poseidon."

"And so we're back to validation." He huffed again. "You say you're confident in your path, yet you seek approval from your enemies."

"But that's the thing, Kokabiel. I don't think we're enemies." She tilted her hand, splaying her fingers slightly. "Or at least, I don't think we have to be."

Once more, Kokabiel was quiet, contemplating the Worldweaver as she continued reaching out to him.

She remained in that pose, letting him time to think.

"Three hundred, sixty-five thousand."

Luna blinked once as the cadre closed his eyes.

"Of those three hundred and sixty five thousand under my command, you killed no less than... eleven thousand of my people. Of the twenty-thousand that faced you and twenty-thousand that were in place to maintain stability in Kuoh, you killed eight thousand in combat, and three thousand more died in the explosion protecting the inhabitants of Kuoh from total annihilation. That does not include the cost in human life, either." His eyes opened back up and the functional one stared balefully at her. "Their lights are extinguished forever, and you expect me to... what, turn the other cheek?"

"Of course not." she shook her head. "But, that doesn't mean their deaths can't mean an opportunity for peace between us. An opportunity for their lives to be the bedrock for a better future-"

"Enough sophistry. I have heard that argument from my former Governor-General countless times." Luna shut her mouth as Kokabiel met her gaze evenly. "I cannot merely turn away from their sacrifice, nor will I let you make light of it."

That incensed the brunette. "You think I'm making light of killing people? I warned you on multiple occasions to get them to back off!"

For a long moment, Luna thought he'd try to subvert the narrative and ignore her, especially with the way his breathing seemed to speed up for a moment, pupil dilating... but then Kokabiel let out a sigh, the indications of aggression fading away as truth defeated stubbornness. "You did. At every opportunity, you sought to minimize casualties, and it wasn't until I pushed you to your limit that you used your full power."

She closed her mouth again, her simmering indignation fading as the Fallen Angel chose his next words carefully.

"You... confuse me, Outsider. Even near death, pushed to exhaustion and agony, your facade remains... so perhaps I am mistaken in assuming that your 'facade' is one to begin with."

More silence.

"Even so. My vision has been - and forever will be - colored by the first of your kind. But make no mistake. Even if this signals the end of my aggression toward you, your life remains mine to end as I see fit."

Luna nodded once. "And it remains mine to fight for, but fine."

He glanced down at himself. "Furthermore, you speak of me in my prime. It would take decades for me to recuperate from the wounds you have inflicted upon me. Even then, my power has been... crippled."

Kokabiel's face twisted into a scowl, though for perhaps the first time Luna recognized that it wasn't aimed at her. "These are not injuries one merely recovers from, even if I were to receive the full aid of Twilight Healing's wielder within Kuoh."

The brunette breathed out quietly, inclining her head to indicate her attentiveness.

"...Azazel will be forced by the other factions to exile the Fallen who followed my command into Kuoh," the cadre seemed to change topics. "I will be declared persona non grata, to be imprisoned in Cocytus if I am found in territory belonging to the Three Factions. It is a punishment I am willing to accept, as are the agents and soldiers who agreed to join me in Kuoh."

His head slowly shook from side to side. "The rest of my troops, however, as well as the Protectionist faction as a whole, will be dissolved into the rest of the Grigori, separated and placed under strict probation. 'For their own protection', of course." Kokabiel rolled his eyes. "Many will find themselves without a home, both in the physical and social meaning, pariahs among their own kind."

"They will find succor under the banner of the Dawn Legion. Every last one that earnestly comes to our doorstep."

The immediacy in which Luna replied caused Kokabiel's eyes to widen, prompting a smirk to rise, as well as further words. "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore'."

"Quoting The New Colossus. Rather pretentious, combined with the name of your... group."

"Our mission is to herald a new day both for the world at large and for those who come to us for a fresh start. What better way to signify that than with the rising sun?"

"And you mean to say you could support an additional three hundred thousand individuals' needs."

Luna stared deadpan at Kokabiel. "Considering that I'm working with the holder of Dimension Lost and possess a frankly irresponsible amount of assets for any one party to own, I could house a fucking country."

Kokabiel stared back, before releasing a drawn-out sigh. "I wish I could be surprised at that, but somehow I find it difficult to be surprised by you any longer. You are almost predictable in your outlandish claims... despite your ability to prove their veracity."

The brunette's gaze softened. "Still. You have my word, regardless of whether or not you join me, and whether or not you retain even a fraction of your previous strength. They'll have to work for their keep like everyone else in the Dawn Legion, but I swear on my parents' names that the Fallen who leave the Grigori will have their second chance in my home, just like everyone else."

Her hand tilted again. "And if you would allow me your trust just this once... I would let you have yours, too."

There was another long pause.

The black-haired Fallen's eyes closed. "...I believe you. Damn it all, I believe you. Rgh... I should be more upset than I am, and yet..."

Instead, there was resignation. "I will stay your execution for the time being, Lunarunn nee Bael. Your ethos, pathos, and logos have proven worthy enough for that much."

His hand reached out to hers, shaky but resolute, and their palms met.

Yet despite the resignation, Lunarunn could hear the barest undercurrent of relief in Kokabiel's tone as he spoke, too.

"Then we don't have to stay here anymore, right?" the brunette inclined her head. "I think it'll be alright to drop your domain now."

That, however, got a peculiar look from Kokabiel.

"You mean to say this isn't your domain?" he asked slowly, brow furrowing.

"...No. No it's not." Luna drew back, looking around with narrowed eyes. "That's a problem. If you're not having me on, then whose domain is this?"

"Mine."

Kokabiel's eyes widened, and Luna turned around to see a young black-haired woman, expression eerily flat, meeting the brunette's gaze. What stood out, beyond the emotionless, doll-like features, however, was the aura of what felt like insurmountable - infinite, even - power that surrounded the other woman.

'Shit.' The Worldweaver's mouth went dry, and her breath caught in her chest, both from the force of presence from the woman as well as an internal panic. Luna wasn't ready for this encounter just yet, she needed more time! 'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!'

"So you're the one that piqued Great Red's... concerns." Ophis, Dragon God of Infinity, tilted her head to the side, black eyes unreadable. "...Curious."


Issei wasn't sure how to feel about walking into Kuoh Academy's cafeteria, dressed only in a pair of tattered pants and shoes, but compared to the other things running through his mind embarrassment was a mainly secondary concern.

Though admittedly, he did have errant thoughts running through his mind.

'What if I'm not good-looking enough? It'd be a disgrace to force an unsightly appearance on Rias-sama's eyes, I can't do that after everything that's happened! Sirzechs would murder me if she complained!'

"Whelp, you're fine." He could practically hear Ddraig rolling his eyes. "You weren't wrong about your girlfriend not putting as much effort into finding you a shirt - don't tell me you didn't see the way she looked at you."

'...I had other things to worry about.' He cleared his throat. 'Plus, Asia is-'

'Human too, and prone to the same desires most humans have,' the dragon finished. 'She may be a believer in God's teachings, but clearly she's comfortable enough to ogle you like you do the female form.'

'Oh come on, don't diss my girl like that!'

'Right, right,' Ddraig drawled. 'If you'd been looking behind you, you'd have missed her wiping some drool off her face.'

'...R-really?'

He heard Ddraig chuckle in the back of his mind before falling silent, but Issei felt a bit better about his current... er, attire?

The brunet stepped into the cafeteria, looking around briefly before his eyes locked onto the unmistakably vibrant red hair he'd been seeing more often as of late. A moment later, hazel met aquamarine.

"Issei-kun? You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Hey, Rias-sama. You too, Sona-kaichou, Akeno-senpai." He sheepishly waved. "Er, sorry for barging in like this - Sirzechs-sama wanted me to stop by?"

"He did?" Rias blinked slowly, before putting a finger to her lower lip. "And what about you?"

"Well. I'm here, aren't I?" Issei held his arms out to either side, before glancing back down and lowering those arms, sliding them into his pockets. "How are you two doing? It's been a pretty crazy day, from what I've heard and seen so far."

"Crazy is an understatement," Sona grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And that isn't even including the state Kuoh is in. Even just dealing with the fallout has been nothing short of mayhem."

Issei looked back up and squinted, before realizing something. "...Have you three slept? You look really worn out."

"We've been taking shifts," Rias explained, nodding briefly at Sona. "Unfortunately, we've still only been able to get a few hours of rest."

"There just hasn't been any more time to do so." Akeno shook her head, rubbing an eye. "Between all the family drama, dealing with arrangements for the casualties, and dealing with big names stepping in... ah, it's been a terribly frustrating time."

"...About that..." Issei furrowed his brow. "Is there a list of people who died that I could look at? I want to see for myself the cost in life that all this took."

At that, the black-haired Devil's shoulders sagged.

That wasn't like Sona.

"...It's that bad?" he asked, throat tightening as the Sitri heiress took her glasses off and rubbed her temples.

"You really don't understand the scope of what happened, Issei-san," she replied. "We had approximately four thousand students in Kuoh... and well over a third of their bodies have already been accounted for."

Issei's blood ran cold. "...Over fourteen-hundred?"

"One thousand, four hundred and seventy-six students have been reported to have died in the explosion or the resulting damage to Kuoh's infrastructure," Akeno reported, voice dull. "The official story is that a terrorist organization managed to sneak a nuclear bomb into Kuoh and detonate it at Kuoh Academy, and the town's been isolated from the rest of the world save for the JSDF and various global aid groups."

Those aid groups being the cover for the Biblical Three and the Youkai Faction, Issei surmised.

The wielder of the Boosted Gear stood there, the words echoing in his head.

"How...?" he murmured. "I nearly died putting every Boost I had into that barrier, that- that should have been enough!"

"That's the gap between our strength - our combined strength - and the Dark Moon," Rias replied softly. "She really is a monster... The only Devils I know who can cause that much damage so quickly are the Satans themselves."

'...Why...?'

Issei looked down, hands clenched into fists.

'The why is irrelevant here, Issei.' Ddraig's voice was sympathetic, but it was also firm. 'The question now is, what are you going to do about it?'

"...She dies for this," he whispered, shaking his head before looking back at the three Devils, expression hard. "Lunarunn is going to die for bringing so much death and destruction to Kuoh - to my home. I'll make sure of it."

Akeno, Rias, and Sona exchanged glances, before the redhead nodded at the brunet. "Then we're in agreement. She needs to pay for what she's done. But if we're going to help my brother bring the Dark Moon down the next time she shows her face. we need to lay the groundwork first."

Issei nodded once. "Tell me what I need to do."

Sona stared at Issei, expression unreadable. "Claim us as your property."

Issei stared back. His face went completely slack.

"...Eh?" He stuck a pinky in his ear and tried cleaning it out. "S-sorry, did I hear that right?"

"You certainly did." Akeno beamed, but there was no warmth to it. "Issei-kun, would you please mark us as yours~?"

"Eh?" His eye started to twitch. "Is this some sort of prank?"

"On the sanctity of our Pact, I assure you it's no prank." Rias crossed her arms beneath her bust. "How would the aristocracy back at home react when they hear that one of the worst criminals to escape the Underworld triggered a nuclear explosion in the same town as two major Pillar heiresses?"

"They'd freak out and want to make sure you two are safe, of course." He glanced back at the entryway. "Is that way Sirzechs-sama is currently in the principal's office?"

"He and my sister have directly assumed control over the Devil slice of Kuoh after the Japanese provincial government declared a state of emergency," Sona explained. "They're handling the diplomatic and reconstructive affairs, but that means they can only afford us the protections offered by emergency heads of states, which can be overruled by the Assembly of the Pillars should they vote and pass a motion."

"I've already heard rumors of a motion being circled through the Assembly to strip us of our shared stewardship over Kuoh and ban us from the overworld until the Dark Moon has been brought down," It was clear from the expression on Rias's face what she thought of it. "Unfortunately, my father is the one spearheading the motion, and he has support from the Baels. The only reason it isn't already passed is because Sirzechs and Serafall have been ardently rallying against it. Even so, it's all but guaranteed at this rate that we'll be recalled to the Underworld, Peerages and all."

"...What about their families?" Issei looked at Sona. "If you're taken back to the Underworld, then won't your Peerage be separated from their parents for who knows how long?"

"Why do you think I'm so opposed to the idea that I'm willing to go along with Rias's harebrained scheme to make sure they can stay with their families?" Sona growled. "Even beyond my own goals, I refuse to put my Peerage - my people - through that sort of pain."

Rias just smiled. "But you, you aren't beholden to the Assembly like we are, Ise-kun. If you, the recognized savior of Kuoh and of the Satans' sisters, were to claim Kuoh as your protected territory and claim us as part of your hoard..."

"The Assembly would need to tread more carefully," the Sitri heiress finished with a nod. "After all, you are a high-value asset, already in a Pact with the most eligible bachelorette in the Underworld and of immense power yourself. The Pillars would be wary of disturbing that, especially given your rate of growth."

'...I still wasn't strong enough to stop her...'

'So become stronger. Simple as that.'

"Does it have to be such a possessive claim, though?"

"Does the thought of having us as your property... bother you, Ise-kun~?" Akeno teased, but even he could tell it was a half-hearted attempt. She was looking away again, lost in thought.

It still turned his mouth dry. "Er, n-no- well, yeah, kinda, ah." The brunet cleared his throat. "The way you put it, you're suggesting I make a harem with you three, or something-"

"It doesn't have to mean anything special, though it would certainly help if rumors of it being a progression of sorts went around..." Rias trailed off, glancing to the side before meeting Issei's gaze out of the corner of her eye. "After all, we're already so closely bound by that Pact... it's only a hop, skip, and a jump to imply that our relationship is more than simply business."

He still wasn't sure what to make of that. Akeno didn't seem to be giving him any attention after she said her bit, and Sona looked distinctly uncomfortable - or was that flustered? It was hard to tell, especially given her stoic demeanor.

Rias, on the other hand... Issei could faintly smell strawberries again.

'...Dangerous.'

Issei wasn't sure what to make of it, but he got a creeping feeling he wasn't going to like what came next.

"And what do you think about that arrangement?" he asked, shifting his gaze from Rias to Sona, then Akeno. "That goes for you two as well."

"I'm not particularly comfortable with the idea," the Sitri heiress admitted. "In a sense, that would limit my options going forward, especially since I'll be going along with your claim. But between putting myself under your thumb, or being forced by the Assembly to separate my Peerage from their families and give up my own ambitions, I'd much rather choose the Devil I don't know."

"Ara~?" Akeno drawled, turning her gaze to the Student Council President with a small smirk. "You mean to say you don't like the idea of repaying the young man who saved us all through letting yourself be, ah, claimed~?"

Sona's lips pursed, and her cheeks faintly flushed as she glared at the nephilim-turned-Devil. "Put a sock in it, Akeno. You don't like the idea either."

"Perhaps I don't," she admitted, eyes sliding over to Issei, giving him a once-over before slowly licking her lips. "But perhaps I could come around, given the proper... incentive."

...Were they serious? Or was this another ploy of some sort?

His eyes shifted back to Rias, whose own gaze was both piercing and heavy.

"I wouldn't come up with the idea if I wasn't willing to put myself at your tender mercies, Ise-kun," she purred, tilting her head with a teasing smile. "It's not every day that a princess willingly lets herself be taken away from her castle by the big dragon, you know~"

"Okay, hold up." He held up his hands. "I've played enough H-games to know that this isn't realistic. This is just to make sure you all can stay in Kuoh despite the whims of the Underworld, yet you two seem to want it to be something else!" Issei pointed at Rias and Akeno, respectively. "What's your game here?"

"Ara, so suspicious Ise-kun~" Akeno smirked, leaning forward.

"Considering you kind of hate my guts, yeah."

"Mh." The black-haired nephilim blinked, then gave a casual shrug and leaned back. "That's fair."

"Okay, so... why are you coming onto me like this?"

"Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I don't like what I see~"

'...Well, at least she's direct about it.' A beat passed before Issei's eyes widened. 'Wait, Akeno thinks I'm-?!"

"Ah, you do prefer directness, don't you?" Rias stood and strode over to the brunet, hands behind her back. "Then let me make it perfectly clear."

Issei's brain shorted out as something pressed up against him, his chest, his hips, his face, his lips, warm and flooding his senses.

He heard Sona groaning back at the table, but he couldn't make out her words, even as Rias stepped away, looking far too pleased with herself.

"You're strong. Very strong, and only getting stronger. Plus, you saved my life - our lives - to boot." Rias's tongue slowly slipped out to trace her lips, eyes smoldering. "We also have that Pact, which demands that I... repay you, for your service. I, for one, would be happy to oblige."

It was a good explanation, and one that left him dizzy in tandem with that kiss, but there was something else...

Issei's blood ran hot, though for a different reason than the redhead would have wanted.

"...Are you talking about Issei, the person? Or Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor?"

Immediately, Rias froze. "...Aren't they the same?"

He set his jaw, breathing out heavily through his nose. "Is Rias Gremory, the heiress of her house the same as Rias Gremory, the person?"

"Of course not. One's just a part of the other-" her mouth clicked shut the instant she caught on.

Of course. Of course! She was so fixated on Issei as his title, she wasn't looking at him as his own person. Again!

The realization killed any lingering arousal that had remained from that searing kiss, as though Issei had cold water dumped over him. It was a good wake-up call from the suggestion they were putting forth - and the thoughts that they had been propagating in his head.

He wasn't sure he liked what took its place, though.

"You really are a hypocrite, aren't you?" he breathed out, slowly shaking his head as he took a step back. "Every time I try to get you to see me for me, you just... turn right back around."

"What?" She blinked multiple times, frowning. "What are you talking about, Issei?"

"Do you really not see it?" The brunet shook his head again before he grit his teeth, exhaling roughly. "...Fine. Fine, I'll do it. I'll lay claim to Kuoh and the sisters of the Satans so you don't have to go back to the Underworld. Then we'll deal with the Dark Moon. But that's it. No more, no less. After that, we're done."

Sona stared at Issei carefully, before she bowed her head once. "...Thank you, Issei-san."

He gave a single, curt nod before turning and walking out without another word.


"What just happened?"

"I think what happened was, you fell back into old habit, and he reacted poorly to it." Sona's expression was steely. "Not that I blame him. Issei has had to deal with a reputation for a considerable amount of time now, so there's a reason for him to be sick of being seen for just that."

"But... I'm not..." It was several seconds before Rias spoke again. "I'm... not a hypocrite, am I? That was just a mistake on my part... right?"

"...Don't let him bother you, Buchou. The boy is just showing himself to be the fool he really is." Akeno spat, crossing her arms and looking away. "A pity. I would have enjoyed playing with him."

Rias, however, didn't reply, replaying Issei's words in her head.

("Are you talking about Issei, the person? Or Issei, the Red Dragon Emperor?")

Her hands clenched into fists.

This wasn't how this was supposed to go. He was supposed to be her's! And... and...

("Is Rias Gremory, the heiress of her household, the same as Rias Gremory, the person?")

She stared at the ground.

They were supposed to be the same, right? They were supposed to be together, right? Whether as Pawn and King, or equals and friends, or...?

'...This isn't how it's supposed to go...'

Sona watched on, brow creased in worry, but otherwise leaving Rias to her thoughts.

Rias was a smart girl. She'd figure it out.

Or at least, Sona hoped.


As Issei walked briskly to the principal's office, he noticed that the maid from before was standing guard in front, arms crossed, eyes tracking Issei as he drew close.

"...You can take a message for Sirzechs, right?" he tried.

"I am his Queen," she replied, as though that would be reason enough. Issei figured that it was.

"Alright. Tell him that I'm laying claim to Kuoh as the territory of the Red Dragon Emperor. That includes his sister and Sona Sitri - any attempts to remove them from my territory will be met with force," Issei declared. Then he took a breath. "I will also be dissolving my Pact with Rias Gremory. I do not believe I can work any further with her, as she is now."

The maid's eyes widened slightly, before she furrowed her brow. "Is that so? May I ask what caused this sudden change of tone?"

"She won't see me as the person I am; just the title I hold. It's gotten to the point that I can no longer entertain legitimate relations with her." Issei tilted his head up. "Until she recognizes me as my own person, rather than as the Red Dragon Emperor, I..." He exhaled. "I can't do it. I can't base something like what Rias was suggesting on such superficial crap."

"I see." Grayfia nodded her head slowly, once. "Consider your message delivered."

He nodded back, and turned to leave, before the silver-haired maid's voice sounded again behind him. "I believe you made the right choice."

"...Huh?" He turned around, to see how the Devil's eyes were... less hard.

"Rias Gremory is many things. Brilliant. Cunning. Creative, among others. But she is not without fault. One of which is thinking that everything will fall into her lap if she just tries to obtain it." Grayfia stared at Issei. "Including you."

"So... entitled?"

"More misinformed. Though it is understandable; such usually is the case for Rias, that she achieves what she sets out for."

"So why do you think that I made the right choice, cutting ties with her?" he queried, raising a brow.

"She needs to learn that not everything will go her way, even with Lord Sirzechs at her beck and call." Grayfia turned her gaze back to the door, expression softening. "He doesn't need any more on his plate than he already does. Lord Sirzechs loves his sister, but he does spoil her. I worry that it may lead to further stress in the coming days for them both."

"And my turning away will fix that?"

"It will encourage Rias to look beyond her own world going forward," the maid replied, stoically facing the Red Dragon Emperor once more. "Something I, personally, believe she sorely needs."

He nodded once, and moments later Grayfia spoke once more.

"...Issei Hyoudou. Please be careful, going forward. The Gremory family does not take slights lightly, and Rias's mother is particularly vengeful. I worry that it is something she may have passed on to her daughter."

He took a deep breath. Issei really didn't need a revenge-driven Devil family after him for rebuffing their daughter.

"If she does try anything, I'll stop her." He met Grayfia's gaze. "Whether that's Rias's mom, or Rias herself."

"Which is why I ask that you be careful. Rias is still young, and still can learn, and Lady Venelana... she is the Gremory matriarch."

Which means that he couldn't hurt either even if they did try something, at least not seriously. Not without serious consequence, anyway. Even stepping away wasn't going to be easy, was it?!

"Message received." He nodded and smiled faintly. "Thanks for the warning."

The silver-haired maid bowed her head. "Let us hope that it is not a necessary one."


Georg stepped out into the snow-filled top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the mists of Dimension Lost dissipating behind him as he looked around, tapping the side of his glasses to prevent them from freezing over in the cold temperatures. He let out a quiet sigh, before his eyes locked on the brunette he had come for.

She was standing, staring into the sky, dressed in only her badly tattered undergarments, body slowly oozing blood, and his eyes trained on the arm - or rather, the lack of one. As well as the fact she only seemed to be standing because of the twin, distorted wings that kept her propped up.

Luna turned back around, and even her face was bloodied. But her eyes were bright - maybe a little too bright - and she cracked a grin as she waved at Georg. With the missing arm.

"Thanks for coming to pick me up. Ehe, I'm not exactly in the condition to drive home right now - think you could give me a hand?"

Georg's eyes narrowed. "What happened, exactly?"

"That's... a bit of a long story." Luna tilted her head. "And right now, I could use one hell of a nap."

His gaze shifted.

"Then I take it your fight is finished."

"...Yes. It is finished."

"Hm." Georg turned back to the brunette, lifting a brow. "...Considering that Kokabiel is here as well, and in seemingly untouched condition, I'd say that deserves an explanation before I make any decisions."

The brunette pouted. "You're really gonna ask a poor crippled girl in the middle of an icecap in just her bra and panties to explain how she bargained with Ophis?"

"Yes." He crossed his arms and glanced away before he did a double-take. "...Did you say Ophis?"

"...Shit," Luna silently swore, prompting a snort from the cadre, who crossed his arms and turned away.

The magician, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. "Okay, I was messing with you before, but this absolutely needs an explanation, now. So start talking."


Luna didn't dare move.

She didn't dare speak.

She didn't dare so much as breathe, lest Ophis take offense and wipe her out then and there.

She was already exhausted from her fight with Kokabiel, and Ophis was leagues above even the Watcher of the Stars.

There would have been an infinitesimally-small chance for Luna to walk away alive if it came down to a fight, even with Cataclysm Eclipse, but completely drained as she was-

'Fuck, the wings are still out!'

Yet she didn't hide them either. To do so would be an admission of... what, guilt? Fear?

"Familiar," Ophis said, drawing closer, and as she did Luna could see ever-so-slight shifts in her expression. Confusion? Frustration? Curiosity? Well, she as much as admitted to something being 'curious'. "Outsider. You are familiar. But I do not know why. You are familiar, but I do not know you."

...Had Ulan had contact with even Ophis at some point in her brief time within Creation?

Her brow creased, and Luna broke into a cold sweat. "It... irritates me. I heard your explanations, Outsider, Watcher. Yet my memory of your first iteration is missing. It does not add up. Explain. Now."

Luna's mind raced. "How can I explain something I don't know? I could offer hypotheses, but beyond that-"

Now Ophis's eyes started to narrow. "Then your only use to me is to die so Great Red gets off my back-"

"N-not quite." Her interruption caused the Infinite Dragon God's mouth to shut. "If you do, then you'll always wonder what it is you're missing. Even beyond that, why do you want Great Red to leave you alone in the first place?"

"He barged into my home and refused to leave." Ophis's nose twitched. "And he seems intent on making as large a nuisance as possible."

"Then... what if I gave you someplace you could retreat to?" Luna glanced back at Kokabiel, who was watching the interaction with a tense silence. "Someplace that you could go to when you just want some silence. It'd be easy for me to provide that."

Her gaze drifted back to the black-haired woman. "...And to throw in a bonus, we could work together to figure out why the first Outsider seems to be a blank space in both your and Kokabiel's memories. You get the best of both worlds, and all it'll take is a little patience for one of those things while I heal, and then a little more to figure out why exactly your memory's got that hole in it."

Ophis seemed to take this in slowly, thinking over Luna's offer before she raised another point. "You're corrupted by Trihexa."

Luna glanced back at the glowing wings of Cataclysm Eclipse. "...I thought I made it clear, didn't I? You suggested you were listening in - I'm tainted by It, but if I was corrupted like you say, then we wouldn't even be talking. I'd have either attacked or fled, and I would be marked for death if not already dead."

There was a brief pause, before the Infinite Dragon God's head inclined slightly in a nod. "...You are not wrong. Then you will help me learn why my memory regarding your... predecessor is faulty, and you will provide a place where I will be wholly undisturbed whenever I wish."

She held up a hand, and in its grasp something appeared - a snake, Luna realized a moment later. "In exchange, you will be allowed to live, and I will give you power to assist in fulfilling your expected duties toward me. Failure to fulfill or agree to my demands will not be tolerated, and I will kill you. Succeed, and I will grant you a boon beyond even what I offer now."

'For just making an isolation chamber for her and figuring out something I meant to learn anyway? There's gotta be something else."

A beat passed, and then Ophis nodded once. "I forgot one demand - help me kill Great Red too."

'And there's the rub.' It wasn't unexpected though, and there wasn't a set date on when Luna had to fulfill Ophis's demands. She could work with that.

"Is that why you came? To ask me to kill Great Red?"

"I initially intended to kill you at his request, but if you could get rid of him, then I find that more ideal." Ophis's nose twitched. "I prefer permanent solutions instead of what that overgrown dragon-whelp was going to give me."

"Do I even want to know what he offered you?"

Now it was her eye that twitched, rather than her nose. "Three days of being left alone."

Luna and Kokabiel both stared at Ophis, nonplussed.

"And you... agreed with that? Er..." Luna trailed off as Ophis glared at her without actually glaring.

"I expected this to be over within as many days as he offered. But it has been fifteen years, and Great Red refuses to alter the deal to reflect the time I've spent looking for you." She shook her head slightly. "Stingy lizard. He's dead, and you're gonna help me."

...PETTY.

'Word of advice Trihexa, don't throw stones in a glass house.' She cleared her throat. '...But you're not wrong.'

"Alright. I'm not nearly strong enough to fight him, though." Luna shrugged. "I'll need time to learn how to fight the Dragon of Dreams."

Kokabiel's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing while the Worldweaver continued to negotiate.

"That's why I want you to eat my snakes. They will give you more power."

"That's only a fraction of your power, Ophis, and even if your power is technically infinite, mine doesn't fit the framework, especially at the level I'll need to be at to actually help you kill Clifford the Big Red Reptile." Luna pointed at herself. "Outsider, remember?"

"Who is Clifford?" Ophis tilted her head. "I want you to kill Great Red."

Kokabiel had to turn a snicker into a cough.

"...Right. It's a figure of speech, don't worry about it." Luna waved it off. "Point is, even if your Ouroboros Snakes would be helpful, they wouldn't nearly be enough for the challenge in tackling the Embodiment of Dreams."

"Which is why I'm offering a boon - anything within my power to grant - once you do succeed." Ophis tilted her head. "That is not unreasonable, is it?"

"It isn't - it's asking me to fight the strongest being alive which is a hard ask."

"Trihexa is stronger and you said you'd beat it back if it breaks its seal."

"Beat it back - not kill."

"Then what is the point of discussing this?" Once again the brunette could tell that Ophis's mood was darkening, so she promptly answered.

"I never said it was impossible to kill Great Red or Trihexa," Luna pointed out, holding a hand to the side. "Just suggesting that I'll need time - and a lot of it - to get to the point where I could theoretically pull it off. I'll absolutely work to fulfill your other demands in the meantime, and you've had to deal with Great Red for who knows how long. What's a few more decades or centuries of his being alive when you have a way to get away from his antics? Compared to how long you have undoubtedly existed, wouldn't that basically be the blink of an eye?"

Ophis studied Luna closely, and Luna could see her eyes track the brunette's throat as she swallowed.

Finally, she clenched her fist, crushing the snake into motes of pale blue light, which sank into the Dragon God's flesh.

"...Your age for a Devil is still minuscule, yet you already show promise for further maturation," she muttered, clearly speaking aloud in thought before coming to a decision. The Ouroboros Dragon met Luna's eyes again. "Fine. However, I expect you to fulfill my other demands swiftly, and since you will not accept one of my snakes we will discuss other forms of compensation that would hasten your progress in one or more of my demands."

Luna's eyes flickered over to Kokabiel. "...A good first step would be to reconstruct Kokabiel's body."

His head snapped in her direction. "What!?"

"His? Why would I do that?" Ophis's gaze shifted to the stump that had previously been Luna's arm. "You are more powerful. You will become more powerful still. I see no reason in repairing someone weaker when you would benefit more "

"My reasoning is twofold - firstly, like with your snake, my power doesn't work like that." The Worldweaver pointed at her head. "My primary power is psychokinesis, which is limited by the strength of my mind and will. You could call it a mind/soul focus, and even Cataclysm Eclipse is body/soul-focused. Not that I'd expect you to enhance that particular detail."

"Do not speak for me, Outsider. You underestimate what exactly I can and am willing to do."

"My mind is directly affected by my soul, my soul is that of an Outsider, and both Worldweave and Cataclysm Eclipse are granted from other beings," Luna countered. "If you believe that you are strong enough to directly influence an Outsider's ability to channel power granted by not one but two outer-being-tiered entities, then it might be worth discussing further."

Ophis's lips pursed, but she chose not to pursue that logic. "And the second reason?"

"You said it yourself. I'm young." She gestured to Kokabiel. "But he isn't. He has experience, he has influence, and he has a reputation based on millennia of service to God - kh - then to the Grigori. Even if I've already beaten him at my age... that doesn't mean he's worthless. Far from it."

"And you would give up power and instead grant it to another," Ophis lifted a brow. "That is illogical."

"What use is power if the only thing you use it for is for more of it?" Luna tilted her head.

"...I still do not understand. I am not inclined to do something if I do not see benefit in doing it."

"You mean aside from securing my support?"

"And you mean to imply your support is contingent on this Fallen Angel's revivification?"

There was a challenge in the question, and a part of Luna wanted to back down, and play a more non-confrontational role.

She overrode it. "It is. Still, for someone like you, fixing the damage done to a Fallen Angel should be trivial, shouldn't it?"

"Don't I get a say in this!?" Kokabiel shouted.

"No," both Infinity Dragon and Worldweaver flatly denied, not so much as looking his way.

"You-!"

Ophis tilted her head. "Very well. Then I will heal this Fallen Angel, and return you both from my domain. I expect rapid progress from you, Outsider. I will return shortly; you will have something for me by then."

Luna nodded, at which point the black-haired woman turned to the cadre and held up a hand. Before Kokabiel could curse either of them out, he vanished in a glow of violet energy. A moment later, that same energy filled the Worldweaver's vision.


"So let me get this straight." Georg - the cool and collected master magician of the Dawn Legion and Lunarunn's head of Research and Development - slid his glasses off the bridge of his nose and groaned. "You two were dragged into the Infinity Dragon's domain after you nuked Kuoh, she watched while you two nearly killed each other, then stepped in when you managed to convince Kokabiel that he didn't need to murder you. Then you managed to talk Ophis into not only turning on Great Red, but healing the guy who had been trying to end your life not fifteen minutes earlier!?"

"Yes." Kokabiel glared at Luna, who was rubbing the back of her head. "That is exactly correct."

She just giggled, closing one eye and sticking her tongue out, awfully bubbly for someone who looked like she lost a fight with a woodchipper. "Eheh- To be fair, she didn't exactly need much convincing to go after Great Red instead-"

"Luna! Priorities!" the magician bellowed emphatically, before sinking his face into his hands. "This is why we always freak out whenever you say you're going off alone to handle 'errands'!"

"She called our battle... an errand...?" Kokabiel muttered, expression a mixture of outrage and confusion.

"In my defense," she started, twitching in place, "how was I supposed to know I was being hunted by one of the most powerful beings to ever exist? Aside from you I mean, Kokabiel. Ha ha. Ha. Not sure how I pulled that off."

"Luna. Just." Georg chopped downward with both hands. "Look at your track record. When has something not gone awry whenever you go off alone to handle things like this?"

"...Okay, fair point," she conceded, lifting her hand to her face.. "Look, can we go now? My head feels like cotton candy, and it isn't hurting like it should right now. I can't really see anything either. Uh... does that mean I'm having a-? Erm... catch me please-"

Cataclysm Eclipse vanished in wisps of black.

Georg rushed forward as Luna collapsed like a puppet with her strings cut, though she was caught before she crumpled to the floor.

Not by the magician, but by the Fallen who had swerved into the brunette's path and wrapped an arm around her stomach.

"You heard her," he said, glancing down at the unresponsive Devil. "She needs medical attention."

The bespectacled man eyed Kokabiel suspiciously, but nodded and swiped a hand upward, summoning the mists of Dimension Lost to surround them both. Moments later, they were gone.


A/N -

Okay, so there's more to wind down with, next chapter. We still only got halfway through Issei's story end-of-arc, and I haven't gotten to the epilogue yet.

But following that, we should be moving on! Jesus, there's a lot to cover in the fallout-

Also I start my new job tomorrow. Whew.

Tempura Wizard out.