Never Make the Big Sister Mad

The Black Sheep of the Woods, rearing a Thousand Young (okay, now that she thought about it, that was a real mouthful. She definitely preferred Chiyo over that) was once told that children had very poor self-preservation skills. That, if something interesting was happening, they'd go right for it like moths to the flame.

She supposed it made sense. In a way, danger wasn't really a concept that the young would understand right away. Sure, they could get hurt and cry, but the idea that something could potentially kill them was far beyond their reach. It was something that they needed time to digest and understand. By then, they would have all the knowledge and skills necessary to avoid such danger.

For someone like her who has lived far too long, danger simply meant nothing to her since she was practically indestructible. Almost everyone else here were, too, but that rule didn't apply for her human family.

That was practically why, the moment the battle began, she had made a quick beeline for her parents, Issei and Ophis hanging off of her at the same time, and grabbed them before fleeing to the kitchen.

"Whoo! Go, Six-eight-two, you got this!"
"Six-eight-two. You, must win."
"Children, not the time!"

Setting them down on the ground, she immediately put up a barrier around the kitchen—just in time for a couch to come flying their way, shattering against the wall. Mother cried out in shock, while Issei and Ophis just cheered in awe, both more absorbed in the high-octane battle to really realize the danger of the moment.

Namely, the fact that a hyper-sized abominable lizard was fighting against a winged man with magical powers. Or, to put it more accurately, trying to fight each other while their attacks just tore everything else around them to shreds; furniture was upturned, the walls were scorched black by light, glass shattered, and the coffee table went flying out the broken window. Father cried

If that wasn't already chaotic, it was the sight of the big lizard casually acrobat-ing all around the room, jumping left and right with surprising levels of dexterity and athleticism. It seemed almost impossible to imagine, considering his massive build, but she liked to think it was made possible by his low weight or some weird logic. Clearly, the reduced weight didn't make him any less stronger, considering how his claws and barbed tail and clawed wings tore through every single thing.

The winged man wasn't as wild, but no less dangerous. He had access to some kind of supernatural magic, a cursed feel with minor traces of holiness. Each spear that travelled through the air imploded upon impact, casting bright flashes of light and reducing the area to smithereens. And his speed was almost as good as Six-eight-two's, dodging out of his reach with no difficulty.

Chiyo watched the ensuing combat, and could only think of one thing.

What the heck was going on?

Seriously, some random guy came into their house, and now he was locked in some kind of dangerous fight with their friend. There was no denying the fact that they were fighting to kill one another, and it surprised her that Six-eight-two was actually being hostile towards someone, unlike his typical grumpiness with the rest of them.

There was something here. Something that went deeper than anything she might have known.

Realistically, she felt that it would have been okay for the both of them to settle their issues with a fight. That seemed to work for most people. But it was important to consider time and place, and this was not the appropriate setting for this kind of thing because—

"Yeah!" Issei whooped, bouncing on the balls of his heels excitedly. "You're doing great, Six-eight-two! Go go go!"

"Umm. Issei, I really think you should stand a little further away from there."

Yes. She agreed with Father. He really shouldn't be standing this close to the fighting. In fact, they shouldn't even be in the house right now. They should be outside, where it's so much safer than whatever is going on inside of here!

With no signs of the battle coming to an end, she knew she had to step in. Shaking her head with a huff, Chiyo tapped into the primordial void, eyes alight in a sickening golden glow as she glared at the two entities. Her hand outstretched towards the two of them, fingers clenched as if squeezing a heart in her grasp.

"D̸̯̉̕o̸̖̓̐n̶̡̔̓ͅ'̸̬̚t̶͑ ̷̫̭͑͊m̴̨̔o̵͐͒v̷̻͘e̶̮͗!"

A witch's howl boomed out across the living room, reverberating like a shockwave. It was the authority of an existence that predated everything else—the stars, the Earth, the very essence of magic. It was powerful, and beckoned utter subservience.

The winged man and Six-eight-two were powerful in their own right, there was no denying that, but faced with her ancient power that trumped any and all rights, they could do nothing more but to submit, bodies locking up in an instant as they fell to the ground in a collective thud.

Stepping through the barrier, the first thing that struck her was the scent of burnt wood and molten rock. She had assumed their battle would have been… well, partially under control, but they really hadn't held back whatsoever. Nothing has been spared, and the entire living room had been utterly razed to the ground.

Good thing she'd managed to stop them, though. She didn't dare imagine how terrible it could have turned out if she'd allowed them to continue. Maybe even take their fights outside.

'That would be difficult to handle. We were always meant to keep Six-eight-two's identity a secret, yet here he is, almost botching all of our efforts…'

Sighing, she looked to the two downed individuals. Even frozen on the ground, the two did not stop struggling. As if they could undo the binding of ancient magic. "Argh..! Undo this spell, Chiyo! I cannot leave him alive!"

"You need… to unfreeze me, miss! That thing is dangerous!"

"That thing, sir, is our family," Chiyo huffed, only to pause. "Granted, he's more like an honorary pet of the family, but that's besides the case."

An insulted gasp came forth, his eyes shifting towards her. "Pet?!I can't believe you'd call me that!"

"Then would you prefer being the uncle?" Her retort had Six-eight-two wincing, then grumbling in defeat. "Just as I thought. Now then," her attention shifted towards their visitor, unamused. "I don't see any reason to unfreeze you if your first instinct is to attack one of our family. If anything, I like to think that I should just get rid of you myself."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with..!" He forced out, desperately shaking on the floor but not getting any close to doing anything useful. He looked like a wiggling earthworm. "That there is SCP-682, the single most dangerous beast in the world! He's a warmonger; someone who will destroy everything and everyone!"

"Really? As far as I can tell, we were having a pleasant morning until you showed up. Before that, he hadn't been doing anything but relaxing, had he?"

The man didn't seem that deterred. "It's just putting up a front. It's very dangerous, and he must be contained!"

"I will never return to those cells ever again! I'll kill you before I let myself be taken away!"

"You—"

All of a sudden, distant thunder boomed from far away, shaking the very foundations of the world. Everyone in the house promptly froze up, all heads turned up towards the ceiling. The skies had been completely clear today, so there shouldn't have been any thunderclouds.

Suddenly, the entire roof of the house was ripped off, the world around them no longer the same as the sky bled indigo, howling winds and sickly thunder crackling across the skies with no restraint. Upended, everything returned to nothing, and all that remained was a shattering existence that returned all life to emptiness.

Stars aligned to witness the machinations of the divine. The maddened laugh in the faces of the mortals. The bells toll for the death of the faithless. The beast, lifting the cretins of sin in its hands, crushed them in its grip—

And everything returned to normal.

Neither Six-eight-two or the man spoke anything anymore, shaken and very aware that she was now upset. Good. If it wasn't the ominous aura emanating from her being, or the fact that she was reverting to her monstrous appearance, or her hair was slithering like mad, then she didn't know what else could really make her feelings known.

"The both of you clearly have issues. So, here's what I'm going to do. I'll undo my spell, and then we'll have a healthy, constructive discussion regarding all of this. But!" She quickly added upon noticing she'd caught their attention. "If any of you are quick to try and leap at one another's throat again, I will consider throwing you to the sun."

"What?"
"T-The sun? Is that even…"
"Is that possible? I don't know. Want to find out?"

Their mouths promptly shut closed.

And if that sounded overkill… well, sometimes one had to go with a very drastic threat just to convince someone to listen. Goodness, trying to be civil can be so difficult at times. How can humans

Willing the magic to her commands, she freed the two from their bindings, allowing them to stand up. Azazel immediately backed away from Six-eight-two, who growled back at him with clear murderous intent. A cough from her has him at least backing down, but no less guarded.

From the kitchen, Issei whistled. "Wow. Chiyo-nee, you're scary when you want to be, huh?"

"Guess it all comes with the territory…"

Even Supernatural Beings can be Civil

Okay. So, this was his life now.

Sitting at the dining table usually meant they were eating a meal together. Breakfast, lunch, dinner—heck, it might not even be related to eating at all. Maybe they would be using the table for a game, which was totally fine.

Things weren't that simple this time. Because, even if most of them were seated at the table (excluding Nyan, who went to who-knows-where), there was also the presence of their mysterious winged guest who was in a deadly stare-off with Six-eight-two. Oh, and their living room was a complete mess, having just been their prompt battlefield.

Man… It's going to be a lot of trouble trying to fix all of that up. He sure hoped Nyan had some kind of idea up her sleeve, because he doubted his desk job would be enough to cover for all of this in quick time…

A sigh from his left had him looking at Miki, who seemed to be sporting a headache. Further to her left was Chiyo, who was watching the other supernatural beings with vigilance. Opposite of them were Issei and Ophis, both of whom were looking to either ends of the table, where Six-eight-two and Azazel sat. And Lucy…

Actually, where did she go?

"Arf!" Ah, right. She was busy cleaning up the living room as best as she could, sweeping the floor and picking up glass shards with her tendrils. Such a sweet girl.

"Now then," Chiyo began, hands put together as she looked between the man and the lizard. "Let's start off from the very beginning, just so we're on the same page. So, could the both of you introduce yourselves and explain what's your connection to one another?"

"Do we need to? You sort of know who I am…"

"I'm new here, Six-eight-two. If you would."

Knowing that it was unavoidable (and likely unwilling to test her patience even further), the lizard went first, sighing. "I am SCP-682, assigned the moniker 'Hard-to-Destroy Reptile'."

"Mmhm. And you, mister?"

"You… can call me Azazel, the Governor General of the fallen angels and the Grigori."

Without missing a beat, six pairs of jet-black wings expanded from his back, feathers scattering to the air. His entire being seemed to radiate a mysterious kind of power, making him feel as if he was in the presence of something beautiful, yet sullied. It was a strange feeling, and he doubted he could explain it with words if he tried to.

"…Wait, what's a fallen angel?"

Everyone looked at Issei, who had been the one to pose that question. Beside him, Ophis was the one who answered. "They, were originally angels, but they fell from heaven because they did or thought something impure."

"Ehh? But how could they fall when they have wings? Mister Azazel had his wings, after all."

Miki sweat-dropped. "It's a figure of speech, Issei."

The fallen in the room chuckled, amused. "Nah, we didn't suddenly lose our wings. Just as your mum said, it's a figure of speech. We didn't really fall from heaven in the literal sense that we fell down from up there. Calling an angel fallen just means that they've lost their place in heaven."

"Ehh..? But that's so sad."

Azazel's expression softened a little. "Don't worry about it, kid. It's not all that bad. We just learned to live with it. Plus, it's a little bit of a blessing for me; now, I've got all the time in the world to do whatever I want to, so it's not all that bad."

"Ohh. That's neat."

"Sure is."

"Well, now that we know who the both of you are, maybe we could have a little more backstory from the both of you. Six-eight-two, if you don't mind."

"Right. Well, as most of you might have known already, I was kept in a facility not known to the general public, of which countless other entities are also kept. Their whole mission is to keep us dangerous creatures away from the knowledge of the public and prevent us falling into the wrong hands—"

"—I'm a little different. Unlike the others who are simply kept in captivity, due to how dangerous I am, the facility considers me a high priority to destroy as soon as possible, using whatever methods possible. Acid, bombing, torn to bits; you name it—"

"—However, on one day while I was attempting another containment breach, I had been warped to a forest all of a sudden. By then, the facility had completely lost all sight of me, and I lived in the forest since then."

The quiet intake of air did not go unnoticed, coming from Azazel. "Yeah. You escaping was a real shock to us. It was a global emergency, and countless teams were dispatched to locate and recapture you…"

"Saying that I escaped is a grand misnomer. Like I said, I was teleported away without my knowledge or doing. One moment I was in the process of breaking out, then the next I was in a forest with absolutely no humans for miles. And no, I won't tell you where it is. I don't even knowwhere it is."

Right, right. Six-eight-two's home was in a forest, though he'd certainly been away from it for some time since Ophis had called him over to celebrate Issei's birthday. He'd called it a very peaceful place, where he would go around hunting for animals or berries if he ever got hungry, with lovely waterfalls and rivers to frolic about. Sounds nice.

"And what Azazel said about you being dangerous," Chiyo hummed. "Is that true?"

"If you're hoping I defend myself, then don't," he scoffed. "I admit that I've killed humans during my time in containment. And I don't regret it either."

"Hmm… Well, that isn't our focus here," the fact that Chiyo didn't seem all that bothered by it was a little unsettling, though Gorou assumed that it was because she simply didn't care much about humans to begin with. Why would she, when the only interactions she ever had with them was to grant the wishes of some greedy men? "And now, Sir Azazel. What about you? Are you an executive in the facility?"

"Nothing like that, missy. You see, I wasn't lying about what I said earlier; I'm merely partners with them, working for the sake of Earth's protection from threats and the like."

"I see. So, what do you do?"

"Well, I do research twenty-four seven, even back in heaven. Never really had much time for that back then. Now though, I've got all the time to pursue my hobbies, like studying and inventing cool weapons. But it's still a pain because of all the paperwork I've got to handle from time to time."

"Um. Sorry to interrupt," Miki interjected. "But we're still curious. How is it that you're familiar with Six-eight-two?"

"Hmm? Ah, right. So, basically, trying to cut the story short, we sort of want peace. Like, we're sick of war and all that nonsense—especially after the Great War, which did a real damage to the three major races—so we've kind of turned to a more pacifist route," he explained. "And along the way, I sort of got acquainted with the SCP Foundation, and we work towards preserving the humans' safety."

"Why? What do you gain from that?"

"In return for assisting them with their efforts to protect humans, I get access to unique SCPs and materials that I can use in my inventions. Oh, but don't get me wrong; I'm not making them for the sake of warfare or anything. I just do it because that's my way of passing the time."

Well, if there was ever a hobby in the world that Gorou liked to think was a definite concern for other people, it was anything related to weapons. And knowing that the fallen angels' leader apparently enjoyed making powerful weapons was a little scary.

Still, there was something about this man that made him seem trustworthy. He didn't have that bloodthirsty feel to him. He was pretty chill, all things considered, and it felt like all his words were genuine.

Didn't make him any less scary for being interested in crafting weapons, though. So long as the things he makes doesn't fall into the wrong hands, he supposed…

"Regardless, we offer the facility our assistance in capturing SCPs and ensuring that every facility is equipped appropriately to keep them locked up—or, if things go south, to recapture them in the case of breaches."

"That's… nice," their daughter hummed. "I guess."

"Right. In any case, Six-eight-two and I have never met personally, but everyone joining the foundation have already been briefed on every SCP in existence, and he's top on the list."

"Great. My reputation precedes me."

"In the worst way possible," scoffed the fallen angel. "Every personnel and partner have been informed of how dangerous you are, so you're literally one of the few who've been given great priority to make sure you never escape, because we know just how much danger you could bring upon the people of this world if such a worst-case scenario ever comes—"

"—Yet here you are, and somehow, no one here is dead. How is that possible?"

Rather than answering him directly, the lizard snarled back. "Who cares? It doesn't matter."

"Whoa, sure it does. I mean, you made it very clear countless of times that you hate humans. Every single time you break free from your containment, you take down at least a dozen people."

Goodness… Gorou had known that Six-eight-two could be antagonistic towards people, but to hear of such a number was just…

A hand found his, grasping it gently. Maybe he'd been a little obvious in showing his discomfort, for he'd noticed his wife giving him a sidelong glance. He smiled back, though even he knew just how weak it was.

After all, with all of these pieces of information laid out on the table, it made it very obvious that the lizard who's been living with them all this time was indeed a very dangerous being that's killed countless of people before them. And knowing that he was here in the same room as them, who could so easily hurt him or his family…

"So why? Why are you okay here? What is different about these people that you're willing to leave them alone, and not kill them just as you've done to all the other humans before?"

Gorou looked away from his wife and towards Six-eight-two. Even with those bestial features, there was clear discomfort wafting off of him. "That's… none of your business."

"It isn't. But there's no denying the fact that your presence is a danger to these people's safety. I can't accept it on my conscience to leave you here."

"If you're still thinking about taking me back to the facility, then you can continue dreaming," hissed the beast. "I have found my freedom. If you seek to take it away from me, then I will kill you, fallen."

"Why you…"

"Gentlemen," both of them perked up at Chiyo's stern voice. "This discussion is meant to be cordial. I won't have any arguments here."

"Miss, you still don't get it! SCP-682 is not supposed to be outside of his confines! He is a threat to the safety of the people!"

A deep sigh escaped her lips. "While I understand that Six-eight-two has had a history of unwanted violence in the past, and may perhaps be an incredible detriment to humanity even now—"

"I… won't deny that."

"—you can rest assured that he has been on his best behaviour the entire time he's been with us. In fact, I can say that he's been here much longer than I have, so if there's anyone you can believe in to defend him, it's Mother and Father."

Both of them winced when the winged man turned to look at them. Gorou shrugged. "It's true. He's a little sassy here and there, but he's been really nice. Heck, he even plays with the kids."

"Yeah! Mister Lizard is really nice!"

"But that's…" Azazel looked back to their bound lizard friend, a doubtful expression on his face. "No. I can't accept this. You have no idea just what you've allowed into your home. The longer he's allowed to roam free, the more damage he could bring about to his surroundings. This isn't something I'm willing to budge on."

The man was clear in his intent. He wanted to bring Six-eight-two in for containment for their safety, which was something Gorou appreciated. It went to show just how much he cared for them, despite him being a different species entirely.

And yet… a part of him just couldn't accept it.

Yes, Six-eight-two had killed people. If he was a person, he'd be labelled a serial killer. That part of his history had been validated by Six-eight-two himself. And still, Gorou just couldn't bring himself to despise the lizard.

He was scared, yes, but more than that… he didn't want Six-eight-two to be taken away.

It was probably foolish. And probably a huge mistake. But that was just the feeling he had.

Glancing over to the lizard, there was clear unease in his being. It couldn't be regret, but there was something there. He understood what it was; Six-eight-two didn't want to go back to how things were before. Not after he'd finally gotten his life back.

What was the right thing to do here? To do the right thing and hand in Six-eight-two to protect lives, or side with him and risk things getting worse down the line?

"Urgh…" Azazel groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "Damn it all… For the sake of these people, I can't just leave you be. It'll be a real problem if you end up hurting them and I could have prevented it."

[He wouldn't.]

Gorou blinked, looking over to Six-eight-two. "Did you say something?"

The lizard tilted his head. "That wasn't me."

"Weird, that sort of sounded like you."

[It's not Six-eight-two, I assure you,] the voice spoke up once more. Everyone perked up, looking around to find it. [I'm right here. Issei, lift up your left hand.]

"Huh? Oh, sure—Whoa!"

"What the…"

From the back of his son's left hand, a beautiful emerald shone gently, giving off an ethereal luminescence that could only be described as regal.

Everyone stared at the jewel poking out from the back of Issei's hand, and blinked.

Miki proceeded to have a breakdown. "Issei! Why is there a rock inside of your hand?!"

Azazel lifted a finger. "Right. So remember when I first came here earlier to talk to Issei? That," he pointed his finger at it. "Is exactly it."

"Whoa! I have a rock on my hand!" Like usual, Issei reacted with childish glee, poking the jewel with one finger. "And you sound kind of familiar! Have we ever talked before?"

[Briefly, though I doubt you recall,] the voice chuckled. [You went downstairs for a glass of water, and I tried to help you as best as I could.]

"Ooh. I knew it wasn't a dream. Hehe, thank you."

[It's fine.]

"Wait wait wait. What is going on?" Miki looked halfway close to ripping her hair out. Gorou didn't blame her. Too many things were happening all at the same time. "Why does our son have a talking rock in his hand?"

[Forgive me, ma'am. I suppose introductions are expected,] clearing his throat, the masculine voice spoke again. [When your child was born, he was also bestowed something called a Sacred Gear; a divine tool passed down to humans by god as a way to grant them an advantage in battles against supernatural beings. I myself am locked in your son's Sacred Gear—]

[—As for who I am, you may call me Ddraig. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.]

"Oh?" Ophis suddenly seemed curious. "Ddraig? How, curious. I did not expect Issei to receive the Boosted Gear."

[Ophis. I… would have been shocked to see you, but having been by the boy's side for quite some time, I'm already used to your presence—]

"Wait, what?" Now, it was Azazel's turn to be shocked, staring wide-eyed at their daughter. "Ophis? As in, the Ouroboros Dragon? As in one of the most powerful dragons in the world alongside Great Red?"

"The one, and the same," nodded the girl, only to then look annoyed. "Also, Great Red is pathetic in comparison. Don't lump me, with him."

Within the confines of the Dimensionless Gap, Great Red, who had been drifting by without a care, suddenly bore a sense of annoyance towards his proclaimed enemy. Why that was, he would never know, but he had the sudden, great urge to just beat her up.

"What the… How the hell are you here? You're living with these people?"

"We've got plenty of characters in this household," weakly chuckled Gorou. "We have Ophis, our daughter—"

"She's your daughter?"

"—We sort of adopted her, yeah. And our dog's a shapeshifting alien."

To prove his point, Lucy promptly expanded and mutated, showcasing her gruesome appearance. Azazel promptly went slack jawed.

"And we have Six-eight-two with us here, as you know. And our other daughter here, Chiyo, came from space, alongside her aunty, Nyanlathotep. Well, you sort of already know that she's not human."

"That's true," Chiyo also altered her state, displaying her horns and other animal-like designs, grinning. "None of us are normal. Barring my parents and Issei, though apparently, it seems that Issei has a dragon living inside of him."

"That's so cool! I never thought there'd be a dragon living inside of me! Oh, but my body is small, right, Ddraig? Isn't it cramped in here?"

[Haha, you needn't worry about space or the like. My soul isn't constrained by physical dimensions and the like.]

"That's… Holy shit, this household in insane."

At that, Gorou simply shrugged back. He wasn't wrong. He'd always known that any outsider would be utterly taken aback at the sheer diversity of the members of their family. He doubted there were that many families out there who could boast having supernatural creatures and aliens and dragons.

Still, looking around and seeing the grinning faces of his family members, he found himself not minding it in the slightest. If anything, he rather liked it.

And looking at Six-eight-two, who winced back, he simply offered him a gentle smile of his own.

"W-Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with this if everyone's happy with this arrangement. Still can't believe that the Ouroboros Dragon is living here too. Talk about unexpected…"

"Mother, Father and Issei are, really wonderful people."

"And Ophis is a great sister!"

"That so, eh?" Somehow, their responses had him easing up a little. "That's good. Guess I've got noting to worry about there. As for Six-eight-two, however—"

[About that,] Ddraig interjected. [At the moment, we need to understand what your concerns are. What about this are you worried about?]

"Practically everything," answered the fallen angel. "I mean, Six-eight-two isn't in captivity. And he's made it real clear that he ain't coming back willingly."

"Over my dead body, fallen."

"Trust me, we've been trying."

"And you wonder why I despise my time there."

"Either way," he continued. "I can't rest in peace knowing that you're roaming free. Sure, you said that your home is far from human settlements, but that's not a permanent guarantee that you won't attack humans again. It'll be a real big trouble if that happens."

"That's…"

[Then would it reassure you if he lives here with us?] Ddraig's words had everyone looking at him, Azazel and Six-eight-two in surprise. [Just so you know, he's been living here with us for more than two weeks, and nothing has ever occurred. He's been nothing but peaceful here. But if even that isn't enough, then why don't you come here once every week to check on him?] He suggested. [That way, you can find out for yourself whether or not Six-eight-two is keeping true to his word of not causing any trouble. Then that should be enough to convince you not to take him back to the foundation.]

"That's…"

[Besides, were Six-eight-two to ever go rabid like before and attempt to harm another life, there are plenty of people here who could stop him.]

That was true. Six-eight-two was impressive, there was no denying that, but Chiyo had demonstrated complete ease in disarming him within seconds. Ophis and Nyan could likely do the same, simply because they were capable of tapping into magic that overpowered him.

Judging by his expression, Six-eight-two knew that as well, but he certainly wasn't happy with that. If anything, it sort of seemed like he was pouting right now.

[And I must mention that you are incapable of making any reports on him. Doing so would draw suspicion towards yourself, and that would be a problem for us as well since the foundation would then dispatch all forces necessary to capture Six-eight-two.]

Azazel's features hardened afterwards. "And what makes you think that I would adhere to such conditions?"

[Because if you don't, then I've a feeling that it isn't just Six-eight-two you'd have to be worried about.]

"That's right," Chiyo nodded at Ddraig, looking to Azazel. "We really appreciate you for everything you've done for us, sir, but Six-eight-two is a part of our family now. And that means he's here to stay, no matter what."

"You… You don't understand what you're getting yourselves into."

"We don't. But we believe in him. Isn't that enough for you?"

[If you can trust us, then we will do everything in our power to ensure that Six-eight-two never steps out of line. Not a single life will be threatened. Not while he's with us.]

Gorou looked at his daughter and at the dragon gem, and wondered if mere words would be enough. Six-eight-two was dangerous, wasn't he? There was always the possibility that he might indeed go on a killing spree.

But the fact that he was dangerous applied to everyone else here. Ophis was a powerful dragon, Lucy could eat anyone and anything, and Chiyo and Nyan were literal deity-like beings. Almost everyone in the family could kill them.

But none of them would ever do such a thing.

Because we're a family seemed too cheesy, but it was sort of true. Maybe that just brought about its own sense of sentimentality and solidarity. And that instilled a trust in one another.

Humming, he met Azazel's gaze. Those yellow eyes stared into his, and he wondered if there'll ever come a day when he would ever regret the next words he would say. That maybe it would be something he would look back on with despair and hatred.

But in this moment, he knew that he didn't. It felt right.

"Sir Azazel, I understand your concern for all of this. But… I think we'll take our chances," he grinned. "Six-eight-two has never given us trouble since the beginning. He's family. Please, let him live with us. I promise you, he will never hurt another person ever again."

Everyone stared at him, then at Azazel. Azazel, in turn, kept his gaze focused on him for a very long time, searching him for some kind of message.

Eventually, however, he let out a sigh. "Jeez… This is not how I expected today to go. I for sure thought I was going to help the kid with his Sacred Gear issue. Not discovering the single most dangerous SCP living with the family of said kid."

"It's not even my choice to be here. At this point, I feel like I've no other choice but to live here with them because the only person who can warp me back home constantly forgets. And so do I."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say… Well, I guess that's the end of the issue," he leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. "You're right. I won't be able to report on you, Six-eight-two, because that would just cause a lot more ruckus than it would solve."

"Will the heat die down with time?"

"There's no knowing if it will. But so long as Six-eight-two doesn't try to draw attention towards himself through some kind of massacre, I've a feeling that things should be fine enough. But I need your word on this, Six-eight-two," he looked at the lizard next. "Can you promise me that you won't cause any trouble in the future?"

Every single eye stared down the man, calm and utterly unshaken. "My word alone wouldn't be enough for you. I know that. But for what it's worth, you can go back with your tail tugged between your legs that not a single thing shall happen."

"…Good enough, I suppose. Well, guess that's that, then. I should take my leave."

Chiyo wasn't as willing to let their guest go. "And leave our house in this state?"

The man had the decency to look embarrassed. "That's… But, well, don't you have magic to just fix all of this up?"

"Oh, I most certainly could. Trust me, I could literally rewind all of this damage to the point that not a single thing happened to begin with. But I also do not appreciate you coming into our house and wrecking the place up like it's a rage room."

"But, but… Six-eight-two ruined things too."

"That he did, and I'll see to it that he's properly punished for this."

"What? That's not—" When she turned to glare at him, Six-eight-two clamped up. "Fair. Exceedingly fair. I never expected to walk out of this without any repercussions."

"Good. And what about you, sir?"

"Ahaha… Alright, alright. I messed up. I won't try and weasel my way out of it. To make up for this, how about I handle the reparation costs? Heck, you don't even need to call the people. I've got some people of my own that can do the job quick."

"How quick are we talking?"

"Give it three days tops."

Three days? That seemed too good to be true, but Gorou liked to think that magic would likely be involved. That would be pretty useful if there was magic that helped with construction efforts and things like that. He would honestly take it. Even Miki didn't seem to object to the offer.

Regardless, there wasn't much left to do afterwards, as Azazel took his leave to return to his office, promising to contact them tomorrow regarding the repairs. And that left them to look around, accepting that the mess was made, and got to work cleaning up as best as they could.

A Heart-to-Heart between Men (Well, a Man and a Lizard)

Cleaning up took much longer than any of them anticipated, and that was by no means because there was too much. The damage had thankfully been limited to the living room, with Chiyo's magic doing the bulk of the work and Lucy having already done much during their previous conversation.

By now, they'd already had dinner and finished taking their baths. The children were already tucked into their beds, Nyan had just returned and was now having a chat with Miki in the kitchen, and Chiyo was having a nightly walk with Lucy to look at the stars out.

While everyone were off doing their own thing, Gorou opted to find someplace to sit and appreciate the night sky, and what better place to do so than outside of the house?

"A little chilly out, but nothing I can't handle," he said to himself, putting down the wooden chair near the door and sitting down. He'd made sure to put on a coat before sitting outside, though he doubted he'd be out here for too long. "Man… Talk about beautiful."

Even beautiful didn't do the sight justice. It almost reminded him of The Starry Night, except rather than the exaggerated yellow strokes to create almost sun-like stars, these were countless white dots that littered the black landscape, blinking every so frequently. None of this could be considered natural, yet here it was, openly welcoming any and all spectators.

Gorou sort of wished that they'd gone camping right about now. They would have probably gotten a better view out there in the woods, with their tents and a campfire and just the sky above them. It's hard to find this kind of sky because the city lights are pretty disruptive. But thankfully, with Kuoh being fairly small, it wasn't all too impossible to appreciate the natural beauty of things.

…Or maybe this entire sky was made possible because of what Chiyo did earlier. That thing with breaking the sky wide open before putting everything back together. It could be possible.

Humming, Gorou just sat back and listened to the quiet world. Crickets off in the distance, the gentle wind humming in the distance, the soft yet heavy footsteps approaching him from behind…

"What are you doing?"

"Hmm?" Broke out of his thoughts, he looked to his side, finding Six-eight-two staring at him with a contemplative look. "Oh, nothing much. Just enjoying the night view. It's rather pretty tonight."

"It sort of is, though I have a feeling this was Chiyo's doing."

"You know, that was exactly what I was thinking."

"Mmhm. So, I wanted to ask you something," Gorou quirked a brow at the lizard's question. "About me being here, that is."

"Oh, do you need to head back already? Well, Ophis is already asleep, and I don't really want to bother her, but if you—"

"I'm not talking about returning to the forests. I meant me living with you from here on out. Will that be a problem for you?"

Ah. So that's what he was talking about. Gorou had a feeling that Six-eight-two would be bringing it up at some point, though not this soon. "I don't think so. I mean, we've had you for weeks now, and it's been okay so far."

"But I am a danger to you."

"Are you, Six-eight-two?"

"Don't be an idiot, Gorou," the anger in his tone didn't exude any true heat. If anything, it felt put-on; as if he was attempting to be angry. "You knew what I was from the very start. I've said it so many times. And yet, you are still so stubborn to let me remain in your house. What for? Do you really think I won't harm your family?" Those eyes met his, challenging. "You are putting yourself at danger when you could so easily wash your hands of my presence. What for?"

What for indeed. It was a good question, and he supposed there was no real good reason to keep him around if he could potentially hurt his family somewhere down the line.

In the end, he just shrugged. "I don't know," he honestly answered. "I just have a feeling that you won't."

"You and your foolishness. I may not be a danger to you now, but I—"

"Then what am I supposed to do? Let Azazel take you away, when you've been so adamant about your refusal?"

"My opinion should not matter, does it?"

"Most people might say that. But I just can't give an opinion, because I'm just a normal guy who's having all this crazy stuff beyond his control happening all around him with no idea as to what's going on. I'm at a complete loss."

Both of them fell silent, and for a moment, he could almost hear his wife's and sister's laughter from inside the house. It was a remarkably simple thing, yet his heart seemed to swell from hearing it.

Gorou began to speak again, this time in a whisper. "But I just… want to believe in the good of you," he said. "I know. I get it, I do. You've killed people. But what am I supposed to do?"

"In every way possible, I'm a criminal."

"I know. But now I've got to choose someone to side with. And if it's between the fallen angel doing his job to help us humans, and the killer lizard who's a part of our family, I… well, I'd want to choose you over him."

"That's ridiculous…"

"I'm sorry, Six-eight-two. I don't know. I really don't…"

Six-eight-two looked at him, and for a moment, he really didn't see a monstrous lizard. The beast sitting beside him looked exhausted, almost guilty, and a million thoughts were swimming in his head as he tried to understand his reason and formulate a response.

Eventually, he fell short. His gaze moved towards the sea of stars, and in each eye formed on his body, they seemed to shift colours like an aurora; from pinks to blues to greens to yellows. It was like watching a bubble, reflecting colours that always seemed to change depending on the angle and its own form.

Six-eight-two was never particularly chatty unlike the rest of their family. He and Ophis were more or less similar in that regard, but Six-eight-two never really began conversations unlike his daughter, and had been particularly distant at the start.

But here and now, he was quiet in a peaceful way, lacking the heat that he'd always carried with him every single moment. He seemed almost… somber.

"For what it's worth," his voice was steady, yet gentle in a way Six-eight-two had never been. "I've had to deal with all kinds of terrible human beings my whole life. I can easily say that you and your family aren't the same."

"Is that so?" Gorou couldn't help but smile. "Thank you. I'm happy to hear that."

"What Azazel said back there, about me becoming a danger to any of you. I promise you, I won't. You're a good person, Gorou. Your entire family is, and I can't bring myself to hurt any of you."

For once, he'd actually spoken from the bottom of his heart. Not twisting his words, not trying to avert the truth, not trying to shift blame or hide his feelings. No anger, no denial, no disbelief or lies.

He was being a hundred percent honest. And nothing in the world could have changed that.

"And… if you really won't regret having me here, then I'd like to stay with you a little longer."

Gorou made to reach out his hand for his companion, hesitating at first but eventually resting his hand on the beast's back. Six-eight-two perked up, but when he didn't shy away from his touch, he knew that everything was alright. "Stay with us for as long as you want, Six-eight-two," he answered, nodding. "We'd be happy to have you with us."

If there was ever a man's best friend, a biological superweapon in the shape of an ever-adapting lizard that was deemed the most dangerous threat to mankind was not it. And yet, here and now, Gorou found nothing but utter peace with Six-eight-two by his side, and the two watched the stars late into the night.

Author's Notes:

Ddraig is revealed! But this isn't his chapter yet. That'll come in the next one.

It can certainly be difficult to accept someone's crimes when they're someone who matters to you. And in this instance, I'm sure a lot of you would consider the Hyoudou family's decision to keep Six-eight-two to be very foolish, but this is just an opportunity for rehabilitation and redemption.

…Pretty sure that it ain't possible to give someone who's killed tens of people a second chance. But, well, sentiment makes everyone idiots. And I'm an idiot for wanting them to be happy, I suppose.