Chapter 4-) En Passant

Issei, for the lack of a better word, was feeling nervous, for the first time in three years, he had a conflict against one of the members of the Supernatural. Well, necessarily for the first time without the whole Fallen Assassin ordeal. Not nervous for what if's, but due to having to disclose his identity with Three Heirs of the Underworld.

Deal with the Shitori-Kaichou had just gone into effect as the said beauty was escorting him, to handle the bureaucracy involving his situation, to the other governor of the county, Rias Gremory. The atmosphere between the boy and Sona is intense, no doubt, however, as both parties knew, this was only due to the fact that both of them were just out of a deadly match against the one another.

Sona herself was quite impressed, yet again, his opening moves almost cornered her, if not for the trades they had done in mid-game, she would have had to resign. The lady became eager to have more matches against him in the future, she gained a lot of ideas to corner the opposing pieces and make sacrifices to utilize her Knights for possible forks. Especially his efforts to force smothered mate within an instant perplexed and replenished the admiration she felt for him and his tactics.

However, Sona could clearly see that he was taken aback by the deal they had offered, which made her feel both respect and guilt. He didn't play at his best, she could see the insecurities in his moves that in turn earned her respect as Hyoudou valued her freedom more than his secrecy.

Seeing his chess-rival lost in her thoughts, Issei decided to let her snap out of it.

"What'cha thinkin' there Kaichou?" Now walking beside her, the boy tried to get her attention over him, rather than over her. He knew that she was certainly sleep-deprived and possibly assigned herself more duties to the ordinary monotonous ones, which in the long run could exhaust her body and mind.

"Nothing, Hyoudou-kun. Just wondering if I'd truly won or I've made you uncomfortable with the deal so you resigned. I shouldn't have proposed it in the first place." Deciding to share her two-cents with the boy, the Sitri heiress shot right back with her usual stoic tone and uninterested gaze.

"Hey, hey. You've won fair and square Shitori-Kaichou, I knew that I couldn't even last for another ten moves so I resigned, we both had the same material except for Knight and Bishop, however your positioning was far more dominant. If I had seen a way out of the situation I would've taken it, don't pressure yourself and I'm glad that you've proposed the deal." Replying with a warm smile, Issei looked right into the heiresses' eyes, only for further supporting his argument.

Critical! As Sona was both exhausted and sleepy, staring directly at the eyes of the boy she had interest in made her heart skip a beat. Quickly shaking her head and clearing her mind, Sona implied her thanks with a smile of her own as they continued their trail to the old school building just outside the campus.

As the duo approached the old school building, the current headquarters for Occult Research Club, the residents of the club could see them fairly well, despite the snow. Seeing the feared Kaichou of the Student Council walking casually with Hyoudou, the boy they dubbed as a potential terrorist, spiked interest among them, especially in Yue and Vali. The Dragon Duo, in meantime, decided to use the opportunity Issei provided by having a snowball contest, much to Rias' disappointment.

Meanwhile, Akeno was much more interested in the Hyoudou kid than she was in the rivalry between the dragons. His aura and composure didn't seem to match at all, it was practically screaming to unleash itself whereas he was as calm as one person could be, which was, at the very least, intriguing. If he is very well aware of their existence, one might expect him to at least be prepared and cautious. Unless…

Unless Hyoudou Issei was that much confident in his skills to actually undermine the profession and experience of the Gremory peerage, in addition to Vali, quite a powerhouse both in mind and physical prowess. His posture was relaxed and, his eyes examining the Dragon Duo as Sona and him came closer and closer, the brunette had his eyes fixed at Yue, a predicament the beauty couldn't put her finger into.

As the head of peerage noticed the advance of the duo, Rias signaled her Queen to be wary of the foreign boy, whom the red-head was very aware of being a potential threat. She had to be careful around someone they didn't know a thing about, whereas he had been aware of their existence for far too long to slip under their radar without any problem. Hyoudou Issei could become a serious pain in the ass if they let their guard down.

"Greetings, Rias Gremory. I believe I and Kaichou have a few things to discuss with you, in private." The brunette exclaimed with a tone of seriousness, raising a few eyebrows in the process. Even the Knight and Rook of the peerage were interested now, Kaichou and the suspect aimed to have a conversation with their King herself, personally.

"In whose authority, Hyoudou-kun?" Vali would be damned if he had not participated in that secret conversation, this could be the source of the only excitement he would ever get in the human world, a wannabe vigilante rising against the authorities of Kuoh. If Hyoudou shows promising strength, then Vali could actually consider turning the young boy before him a devil.

"None other than Humanity's, Lucifer-kun." Making his stand, the brunette glared right back at the Emperor. Hyoudou Issei could be defined as many things, a coward is, however, not one of them. Even if he's at impossible odds, the boy would always find a way to triumph, taking his own stand against the Miracle of the Underworld was simply something he needed to get around, if necessary.

"No need for violence, gentlemen. I wholeheartedly believe we can cooperate and reach an agreement that will benefit both parties." Deciding it would be for everyone's interest, Sona intervened. She didn't know the limits of what Hyoudou would be able to accomplish, a secret Kaichou didn't want to find out in the foreseeable future. According to the documents and reports by Issei, she could pinpoint exactly how a battle between the finest of Underworld and Caretaker of Humanity would fare, and things didn't look bright for the former.

Individually, Vali would have a field day against a human of this caliber, that would be before Hyoudou activates his own Longinus and sweeps the battlefield. If you asked Sona what would be the outcome of this battle, she would've given the victory to Vali half an hour ago. Even if Issei has a weapon that can release condensed bursts of Holy Light, Vali could simply go for the kill before Hyoudou can do anything. As experienced as Issei is, being a human is kind of a limitation in a battle as serious as this one.

However, there are different topics to cover in a fight like this, as the real world is much more cruel. Hyoudou Issei excels in assassinations and skirmishes, if the brunette needs someone to simply shuffle off this mortal coil, he would do such a clean job that even the Old Men of the Mountain would rise up from the grave to congratulate his skills. The President had seen the accumulating list of people he sent to six feet deep under the very earth they are standing. If she didn't know Hyoudou personally, Sona was absolutely certain that she would mistake him as Jack the Ripper on steroids.

The conflicts he had participated in were such huge events that the echo of their damage has actually weakened the overall economics of Underworld, on top of it, Hyoudou actually survived these with minimal injuries. Meanwhile Sona didn't know what had Hakuryuukou gone through his journey to the northern lands and realms yet, Kaichou was fairly certain that they wouldn't compare to being hunted by eight different factions at minimum for a long period of time. Truly, Issei would have been executed at least fifteen times on ten different realms if he was ever caught, Underworld being one such case, twice.

"Relax, Sona. I'm just sizing up our guest here, neither of us would want to shed blood, am I wrong, Hyoudou?" Itching to do the opposite, the Emperor kept his gaze intact, with a fake smile on his face. He should be at least worth the trouble to even consider fighting and by the looks of it, Vali would get the battle he had long desired. During his journey, the lad was constantly able to go against opponents that were either beyond his power-level or on the same, the last few weeks of bureaucracy had bored him to death. He absolutely needed to get this out of his system.

"No, I don't think it's necessary to spell the precious blood of the last heir of a dying house. Wouldn't want that to go to waste, Lucifer-kun." If Vali wanted to play like this, then Issei was so on board. It seems that the brunette needs to demonstrate his skills to show them exactly what they're up against, being underestimated at the field would mean that he would get a less fair deal in the treaty and Issei would not like that, not in the slightest. He was there on behalf of the humans of Kuoh, he would break the leg of the Devil if he's forced to.

"[Divine Dividing!]"

"[The Lance that Shines to the End of the World: Rhongomyniad!]"

Both contenders had called forth their prized possessions and took their stance, with Issei holding the Holy Spear in one hand, the tip of the spear being closer to the ground and the handle on his hand, daring the Emperor to make a move on him with the other. Vali took his guard up, a mythical construct such as Rhongomyniad should never be underestimated, especially as a Devil of his own. The Lad was so sure that he had seen this Spear before, but couldn't put his finger into it.

Just as Issei was about to go all homicidal on the boy, Sona interfered.

"Stop it in an instant, you two. If either of you even gets their nose bleed, I will expel you from the academy with such speed that Kiba here would get embarrassed." Neither of them had any tendency to put an end to it, so the beauty had to intervene and give an ultimatum that would force both of them to have second thoughts about the situation they were in. Yet…

"In two to five business days then? That's slow, Kaichou. Let me show you what being fast actually means." In an instant, Issei vanished, with such speed that surely couldn't belong to a human. The spot he was standing just a moment ago was affected by the brunette's speed, as such, the snow on the ground scattered everywhere. If he wanted to get the boy before him surrender before things got ugly, then he had only one opportunity to do so, and Issei would use it to the brim.

Being a Spear user of this caliber, Issei knew the advantages he held against an unarmed yet quite dangerous combatant, he needed to keep his distance at optimal. Against the Heir of Lucifer, this brief fact was amplified more due to the fact that he too had been selected as one of the Children of God, rather ironic for this case. The brunette had tremendous knowledge concerning the Sacred Gears and Longinus', which would come in handy in a fight against Vali.

Divine Dividing's first liberation only worked if there's contact with the wielder and the opponent, Vali couldn't subtract Issei's strength and increase his own without engaging in close quarter combat. In such circumstances, the boy in brown had the upper hand as his combat style didn't require him to take such drastic measures such as diving in. Keeping himself away from the Battle Maniac and using his advantage, Issei went in for a strike, aimed at the shoulder of his opponent with the tip of the Spear.

His goal was not to end the existence of Vali, not yet, never if he doesn't become a threat. Issei only needed to subdue the man against him and show them that the Humanity still persists, and can go toe-to-toe with them given the right conditions. Unfortunately, Vali himself was not the kind of man to go down with a single strike. Hyoudou might be fast, however, that did not mean anything to the Emperor. He had seen faster, stronger and better.

Side-stepping the strike, Vali reached for his own. Issei would not find enough time to dodge the strike as Vali's reaction time fared better than his, again, a weakness originated from his heritage. Aiming at the chin of the teenager, Vali launched his attack at a speed not comparable to Issei's. Just as his attack was about to collide, the image of Issei shattered in front of his eyes to a million pieces. The Emperor couldn't comprehend the pre-emptive assault in time, and as a consequence, he fell for the trap. Quickly turning behind, Vali felt Issei's presence, but was not able to spot the brunette, he had already given the initiative.

Guarding himself with his arms, Vali braced for the attack. He could do only so much within limited time, Hyoudou managed to get a clean hit on his guard with his left fist. The power behind the strike pushed the teen to a stem nearby.

"A decoy? No, I don't sense any flow of mana coming out from you. I'm curious, though. What interesting tricks do you have up your sleeve, Hyoudou?" Voicing out his thoughts, Vali stood up from the stem of the tree he had just flown directly into. It was fearsome to think that a human held this much physical strength without the usage of enhancing spells, Vali could now go out without having to worry that he might accidentally spell the end for the boy against him.

"Decoy? Nah. Ask the Knight, I'm sure he could keep up with what you've just witnessed." Spinning the spear with ease, Issei readied himself for another shot. So far, Vali could not keep up with his speed, which wouldn't have been the case if he had come in contact with the boy for even a second. Divine Dividing would close the gap between the two in just one [Divide], seriously, God shouldn't have made Longinus' a thing at all.

After his exclamation, everyone present spared a glance to the Knight of Gremory that had been watching the spar between the two with interested eyes. It didn't make sense for a human to be unnaturally fast, even if they had spent their whole life achieving such speed. Yuuto Kiba was proud of his achievements as the Hypersonic Knight of the Kuoh, however, Hyoudou Issei had shown that he was closer to his specialty than any of the Devils around. After realizing that all of the attention was now upon him, the bishonen flashed a smile and began his explanation.

"I'm certain that this was an After-Image. You may ask, what is an After-Image? Allow me to explain briefly. If an object becomes fast enough to not be recognized by your perception, you can only see it as though it is there. If the said object stays in motion, our minds can't comprehend the inauthentic velocity, therefore creating afterimages of the object at the latest perceived location." The Knight explained simply, yet, the theory side of a technique always proved harder to understand. To attain After-Image, one needs to perceive the world in a rapid state, adjusting themselves with the natural flow of time and balancing it with their own slowed perception.

"Take a closer look at this and I believe you may understand what I'm pointing out." The blondie further acknowledged his own point by materializing a blade in his hands, an ordinary steel sword from the Medieval Era. Taking his own stance, Kiba started to sprint. As he accelerated, he began to concentrate, for he had to perceive the natural flow of time himself. When none of them could perceive his speed, Kiba tightened the grip he had on the blade and let the tip touch the snow that accumulated.

When he felt that he was starting to leave his After-Image, Kiba began to head for the tree Vali had just flown into. Taking a step at the tree's stem and launching himself to the upper part of the tree, the bishonen then slashed right through the leaves, making a rain out of them. From their perspective, Kiba's sword would leave a trail on the snow before he reached his current location, when the trail stopped, the leaves began to fall to the ground, it was not until a few moments ago his after-image approached the Heir of Lucifer.

"Hahaha, well done. That's exactly what I'm talking about, Yuuto-kun. However, I believe you can reach way more than just one After-Image with your absurd speed. Check this out." His mood brightened up, Issei was feeling more like to be accepted as an equal now. Yuuto Kiba's eyes told him exactly how he fared against the Heir of Lucifer and the brunette found it plausible that the Knight admired his movements.

Accelerating once more, Issei went straight for a strike, to show the true nature of his capabilities. He was certain that Yuuto-kun could keep up with his speed and once he realized that all eyes were over him another time, the boy began to leave After-Images. His technique differentiated from the Knight's by one small detail, Issei could leave more than one After-Image, courtesy of utilizing his body to its fullest.

One, Two, Three, Hyoudou Issei was now unperceivable to their eyes. He would not even be a blur to them at the moment, as if he vanished into thin air within the snow. At one point, Four separate After-Images seemed to strike at Vali from different angles. His expertise on the technique seemed as if Hyoudou himself was the one to develop it, truly marvelous. Vali, on the other hand, remained calm. If the brunette wanted to launch an assault of his own, Vali could simply wait until he was in the range for a counter-attack.

Sensing Hyoudou coming closer than usual, the Emperor stood idly. Hyoudou's rapid movements are a force to be reckoned with, that is correct, however, it did not mean Vali would go along and get torn down, no, he is smarter than that. Having sparred against opponents of all kinds, Vali knew the fast types. They would think that they have the advantage until Vali divided their strength in half with just one decisive strike and that was all he needed in this exact match-up.

A thrust, aimed right at his abdomen, yet again. He may not see Hyoudou, however, that did not mean Vali could not feel the Holy Energy radiating from the Divine Construct. The bishonen could pin-point exactly where the brunette was thanks to his enhanced senses, side stepping the strike once again, Vali reached out with all his might. Even if he could come into contact with Issei for a split second, he would gain tremendous advantage.

"{Divide!}"

Rush of power surged within the Emperor, he had successfully divided the strength of Hyoudou in half. This profound strength, Vali realized the capabilities of his opponent in an instant. Even the divided strength of Issei was absurd, a Human should not wield such tremendous power, not without supervision. Vali was determined now, he was absolutely gonna turn this boy a Devil. He would be worthy of Eight Pawn pieces, no, even better, a Queen.

'Albion, Human World is surely full of surprises, buddy. I wouldn't have thought about sparring with a normal high school student and, even more surprising, to actually consider turning the boy in question to one of my servants.' Reaching out to his soulmate, the Bishonen had the opportunity to gain the edge now. Hyoudou Issei turned out to be quite the powerhouse.

'{Indeed, Vali. However, be cautious. There are always restraints when it comes to King Arthur's weaponry.}' The Emperor reminisced, Rhongomyniad was especially dangerous, as the Tower of World. The Holy Lance had the ability to mend the shattered world, and destroy it altogether.

"Hyoudou! This is magnificent! Would you be interested in becoming a part of my peerage? No, I believe an agreement would be more appropriate." Directly confronting the brunette for a punch, Vali was now certain that he would be the one to emerge victorious from this battle. Striking the teen on his face and staggering him, Vali spent no second wasted as he slammed his knee to the boy's abdomen. Issei was now completely in his sight and he would not lose the chance to acquire such a powerful asset to the Underworld.

"Y'know, I'm totally comfortable with being a human, so, no." Rapidly backing away, Issei made his statement. He was not totally being prejudicial, however, he cared a great deal about his humanity, it would be the last thing he would throw away, his freedom and will. Laying down his life did not matter as long as he died a human, for his love of Humanity.

"Won't matter! Sona! Put up a barrier, it's finally time to get serious." Vali announced as he distanced himself from the boy. If Hyoudou was not willing to join him, then Vali could get all of the excitement he would be able to from this battle. Even if Hyoudou has Rhongomyniad, it would not matter, Divine Dividing excels at battles against superior forces, Vali would always come out on top, as the Dragon of Supremacy had in his lifetime.

"Whatever suits you, Lucifer-kun." This would be the final showdown of the battle and Vali did not show any signs of backing down, meaning he would either take the battle to skies, which was Issei's weakness, or go into Balance-Breaker. The battle maniac would rather pick the second, considering how confident he was in himself.

'{Vanishing Dragon! Balance Breaker: Scale-Mail!}'

The Supremacy's voice echoed through the barrier, effectively gaining all the attention on him once more.

"Sona, we have to put an end to this. Those two are going to destroy the whole school, along with students!" The Red-head voiced her concerns, really, Vali was more akin to a sociopath when he was against people that could withstand his strikes. Hyoudou's behaviour didn't help either, he was ticking every mark that would drive Vali mad. As the heiress made eye contact with Sona, the latter informed her that such case would not happen with her eyes alone.

"I refuse. Why? Because both Hyoudou-kun and Vali need a reality check, if Vali is in the receiving end, the merrier. Besides, the result of this battle may or may not benefit us. If Vali beats Hyoudou, that would strengthen our hand against him. If the opposite happens, our friend finally realizes that he can't beat everyone and Hyoudou will have an edge against us that he can use in the treaty. Also, I have to see how strong Hyoudou-kun is compared to us, that will help me evaluate his position and our relationship with him." Adjusting her glasses, the beauty spoke cynically.

If Hyoudou Issei manages to beat Vali in his Balance-Breaker, she would finally understand why he was so adamant to not use his Longinus. Because he would actually not need it, just as he explained in the Student Council, even the thought of it is a scary concept. This brief fact would absolutely put him above High-Class in Underworld, as he would be able to subdue Vali without even using his own Sacred Gear, what would he be capable of doing if he activated his own?

If Vali wins, then Hyoudou would be placed under their authority, not as an equal, but as a subject. They would be able to control Hyoudou Issei and potentially the other humans that are aware of their existence, as the brunette came here to represent them. It was not exactly the way Sona would want things to go, however, she wouldn't be able to prevent it from ever happening. It would be up to Rias and her to decide, and the beauty didn't know what her companion would do in such a situation.

"{Divide!}"

"Hey, Kaichou. Do I have permission to slightly injure my opponent?" Issei tested the waters as Vali hurled at him, truth to be told, Balance-Breaker of Divine Dividing was nigh-impossible to breach without removing some of Rhongomyniad's seals placed by the Round Table. With his own Sacred Gear? Not so much, as Issei could utilize Zenith Tempest to simply suffocate the Emperor in his own Balance-Breaker, forcing him out of it in mere seconds. However, this battle was not to be triumphed over with his Longinus.

"Why do you ask me? I'm not a party to this, unofficial battle. In fact, I'm not even aware of it happening." You sly Devil.

Issei's smirk met with Sona's hard smile, her statement meant two things that are crucial to Issei's stance in the battle. First things first, he could even go for the kill if the situation demanded, as Vali violated the terms of the battle by going too far, that he could deduce by the fact that Sona did not recognize this battle. Secondly, she declared it as an unofficial battle, which meant that whatever happened here will not be reported back to the Underworld unless the consequences are too severe.

Dividing the strength of his opponent for the third time, Vali could now lunge forward. From his perspective, Hyoudou actually slowed down to the point where he could sense the strikes before Issei went for them. Vali's pride and greed were starting to get the better of him, he could feel it, however, none of it mattered now. Against Divine Dividing, no one could fare as long as Vali would be able to stand, even if they somehow shatter his Balance-Breaker to nothing but dust.

However, one thing the Emperor had not thought of, came to bite him in the ass. He was not up against some punk, Vali was sparring against the very man that wielded a weapon capable of ending his existence. Taking his stance with the Holy Spear, holding it in front of himself and closing his eyes, the brunette started the ritual of removing the restraints.

"Palamedes."

One must savor his honour, facest thine opponent alone.

"Lancelot."

For one to shine, thy struggle must be not against opponents that rose from nature.

"Mordred."

Thy battle must be against evil descent.

"Bedivere."

Thy enemy must be more powerful than thyself.

"Gaheris."

For the Sacred Lance to reveal the End, thine battle must not be against Humanity.

"I've conquered, vanquished the enemies of Man, unsettled the balance of realms and have made the Mankind unbeholden. All for…. What?"

"O' Holy Lance, tell me of the end!"

"[Rhongomyniad!]"

Light.

Pillars of Holy Light sprouted from the ground, each following the direction the Lance is pointed at. There were at least fifteen different Pillars heading towards the Emperor and probably fifteen more waiting at the brunette's command. This was but a fraction of the true power of Rhongomyniad as the Tower of the World, materialized for the only cause of protecting the Earth and its inhabitants. At the hands of the boy that governed himself with the same cause, Rhongomyniad would have no choice but to accept the ideals and calls of its second greatest wielder.

Sensing the sudden increase in the boy's strength, Vali called forth another Divide.

"{Divide!}"

Nothing happened, as if Hyoudou possessed no power left for Vali to steal away. However, Rhongomyniad's seemingly homing Lights continued to chase him without wavering.

'{We can't divide the strength of a Weapon on this caliber, Vali, no matter how magic imbued it is. Allow me to explain it like this, for us to subtract the power of something, it has to be something I would be able to devour in my prime, that's how high the bar is. However, as you can see in our failed attempt, Rhongomyniad is no ordinary Spear. Besides, even if I could, the sheer force of a Divine Construct such as the Holy Lance would tear your arteries apart before you can begin to consume the Divided strength.}' Truly, Rhongomyniad enacted as to why it had been forged as the Anchor of the World.

'You have to be kidding, right? I have divided weapons before, much stronger than this Spear. I even divided Jin, for Satan's sake.' Flying right past another Pillar of Light, Vali searched for ways to get close to Hyoudou once more.

'{You don't understand, do you? Vali, Rhongomyniad alone is the Tower of the World. Trying to divide something like this is akin to cleaving the world in two. You can divide a Longinus-Tier Sacred Gear, but not an Apocalyptic-Tier Weapon, remember it well.}' Apocalyptic-Tier: Spear of the End, Rhongomyniad.

'Oh… Alright, then. I'm open to suggestions to get out of this mess, you can at least give me advice, can't you?' It was unnatural for Vali to give up easily, however, if Albion can't handle the power of the Lance, he definitely wasn't going to try to surpass the Dragon on his own expertise against a foe that wielded a weapon capable of erasing him from the face of the earth.

'{Kick the boy's ass to kingdom come, other than that, nah.}' Taking out the wielder without coming in contact with the Lights, the supreme element to use against a Devil. It would prove to be a nigh-impossible tas-.

During his dialogue with the Supremacy and his efforts to dodge the Lights as much as possible, Vali failed to realize something, something that would cost his life in a real battlefield. He kept his eyes off of his opponent.

Clang!

Rhongomyniad met with the scales of the Embodiment of Supremacy, nullifying any protection it offered to the opponent just by forcing a small amount of Holy Light into the Scale-Mail, effectively and completely forcing the Emperor out of his Balance-Breaker.

Having gained the edge one more time, Issei made sure that this battle ended before it became any more crazy. The brunette realized half-way through his chant that if he unleashed any more seals than five, Vali would not be able to endure it as Holy Light tended to be very uncomforting against Devils, especially with Restraint: Mordred being lifted.

"Power of Christ compels you, Devil! [Shackles of Eternity!]"

The ultimate spell to be used against any creature that dismissed the teachings of God, Shackles of Eternity limits the mobility and nullifies any defence capabilities of the opponent before the caster, should they belong to any race that has strayed away from the ideals and beliefs of the All-Mighty himself. A perfect usage of one's own Mana would result in Holy Chains erupting from the Earth herself to entangle themselves with the opponent, making it rather nifty to break free from.

Vali Lucifer could be defined by many things, the descendant of Lucifer, a battle-crazed psycho, a caring friend. A planner? No, not in the slightest. When he has someone that can withstand his strikes, he's down for a spar, even to death. However, this recklessness of him had not cost him anything up until this point in his life, quite unironically boosting his ego to the point that he was even ashamed to think that he would not be defeated at the hands of a high-schooler.

"Do you yield?" He said, with the boy's Holy Lance pointed just a few inches away from his heart, ready to tear his most vital organ to shreds with simply one Pillar of Light, containing itself to run amok within his body. Vali had been cornered, the latest enchantment's chains had latched onto his arms and legs, pulling the boy to the ground slowly. He had to admit, even with his Balance-Breaker, this would've been very hard to escape.

"As much as I'd like to continue, I'm in no such position. So, yes. I surrender." The burns on his forearms and legs were only getting worse and worse, he would absolutely find a way to break through had they continued their fight, that hadn't been his source of dread. It was the fact that this boy managed to corner him within a minute and didn't even show any signs of uncertainty in his eyes. Hyoudou was ready to end his life if it came to be, that bothered the Heir of Lucifer.

Such dedication to the cause he has burdened himself upon sparked mild interest in the eyes of Vali, Hyoudou Issei seemed to be that kind of a man to go such great lengths for his adoration towards his own race.

"Well done, both of you. I believe I'm speaking for everyone's behalf as I suggest that we move this indoors, where we can discuss the situation on our hands." Sona spoke as she gestured towards the Occult Research Club, with interest in her eyes spiked. She had never seen such a powerful Divine Construct, yet, like all the devils here, she knew of the Legend of King Arthur of England, and his mythical Spear, Rhongomyniad of the End.

The beauty acquired all the information that she needed to know about Hyoudou's power and how well he would fare against them, needlessly to say she was absolutely certain, with the current conditions of Rias' and her peerage, the brunette would be able to subdue them all combined, especially on an all-out type of fight. The only thing that had kept the boy from ending the life of Vali was due to the fact that they had agreed to not take such drastic measures such as critically injuring the opponent to the point they would not be able to perform basic tasks.

However, his victory against Vali would only strengthen the relationship and cooperation he would offer regarding the safety of the town they would govern together, as he would be placed right beside them in regards to the authority they would be sharing. He alone had fended off foes that wanted to operate on their turf, the information he possessed regarding the activities of terrorist organizations and Rejects would absolutely be welcomed if he was willing to cooperate with them on the specific matter.

"For how long have you been aware of this side of the world, Hyoudou-kun?" The red-headed beauty shot her question without hesitation. If they were to trust the boy with their lives when they execute a joint-operation, Rias had to squeeze all the information she could without bothering the opposing authority. Meanwhile, She had her queen to be the Clerk of the meeting, writing down every question and his reply. They had to report back to the Underworld as this single event could be used to question their authority of Kuoh if the meeting goes south.

"Six years, give or take. Have been contributing to Supernatural causes for far too long to actually keep track of." With an uninterested gaze came his reply, this seemed a lot like an interview on his behalf. If they were to exchange information and fortify the town they come to love, then be damned they should instead do that.

"I have somewhat of a personal question if you don't mind, Hyoudou." Vali decided to contribute to the conversation, the boy in front of them turned out to be an interesting individual besides his Supernatural side.

"Alright, shoot away, Lucifer-kun."

"How did you come to possess Rhongomyniad? I believe it had been an heirloom for Pendragons for centuries, until it surprisingly had been reported as missing after some terrorists ransacked the Pendragon palace. I presume you don't have any knowledge regarding the theft, do you?" Vali had known what had exactly taken place, courtesy of having the Prince of Pendragon's as an acquaintance. Yet, he wanted to know whether Hyoudou was involved or not.

"Riiiight… about that… Yeah. I would not like to talk about that specific matter if possible." Avoiding the question and unable to maintain eye-contact with the trio, Issei was so sure he had finally fumbled the ball.

"Understandable, it's not my place to bother you with unpleasant questions, that belongs to Sona and Rias. Yet, I'm curious, where did you learn to take your stand against people like me so well? I can see by your attitude that you're not just an everyday high-schooler." Vali, interested to learn the whereabouts of the boy, had decided to take the initiative and ask him.

"Actually, I think I can explain this one for everyone's benefit. During my early years, I had my tenure with an organization I can't disclose the name of. I've been educated and trialed for every kind of obstacle I might come across. That includes people with Longinus such as yourself, so, when you brought upon Divine Dividing I knew exactly what I had to do. Linking back to the former question, I think I might be able to say that the very same organization handed me Rhongomyniad because I was compatible with it." Issei, flashing a fake smile, replied. It was not entirely true, however, who would be able to catch a small lie within a larger truth?

"In essence, you have been given Rhongomyniad to carry out the dirty business for a shady group, am I correct?" Sona, showing signs of being cynical once more. Meanwhile she didn't know exactly, the beauty knew that he had his turf with an organization that recently became much more dangerous than it used to be.

"More or less, yeah. I believe I have to say that my group and I have only retaliated when there are outside forces meddling with the everyday life of humans. Obeying without any questions is not the kind of relationship I'd want with my employer, I might add." Issei jokingly exclaimed. He was not some kind of foot soldier to be sacrificed for the greater good, they did not do that kind of stuff, every member of the Faction mattered as much as the higher-ups.

"Your group?"

"My group as in I was a part of it, not the leader. No one would give a twelve-year old charge, would they?" They would, given the trust they had in his capabilities as the protege of their leader.

"So, How in the world would you think that we would be able to trust your word? Considering the mysteries surrounding your past and the fact that you possess something that is able to blow every Devil to ashes is not exactly something that screams innocence here, Hyoudou-kun" Rias, feeling doubtful of the boy, exclaimed. Hyoudou Issei's coming out with such an attitude had her on the edge. No one could be this carefree and relaxed in the face of danger.

"You don't have to, you've seen it first hand. If I deemed any of you as potential threats to Kuoh and the Humans, I would've acted first without revealing myself. Don't get me wrong, but I doubt any of you except Vali would be able to locate me as the assassin before it's too late. Just as Veyrion did a couple weeks back." Issei, a little bit agitated that they still did not see him as an equal, even after mopping the floor with the strongest Devil in the room.

"Veyrion? As in Veyrion Vapula-Haures?" Vali, confused by hearing the name of an heir that passed away just a couple of weeks back.

"Yeah, what a shame. I guess Holy Light is indeed poisonous to Devil scum." Issei scoffed, even uttering the name of that bastard made him feel sick to the core.

"Hyoudou-kun, it's vital for us to know whether you have been involved with any activity that would dampen the relationship we have with the Underworld or not. Have you made any moves against the citizens of the Underworld before?" Rias, confused by the implication but agitated.

"Sona-chan, would you?"

"That's Kaichou for you." Irritated, but nevertheless amused by the boy's reaction, Sona implied him to use the proper way to refer to her. He had to earn his way to call her by the first name basis. Although, Sona-chan didn't sound that terrible.

"O-kay, Would you mind explaining them the incident with Veyrion, Kaichou?" Under stress, Issei's somewhat toxic personality started to show itself. This reminded him of the time he spent with the group, they would question every decision he took with his conscience during the beginning of the journey with them. He had grown up from the little kid he was, sure, however, some things would never change.

"You're involved in this, Sona?" Surprised to learn such critical information, Rias stood up from her desk, glaring right at her companion. If Sona knew about the dreadful end of an heir before it happened, then how would she be able to trust her friend again?

"No, not in the slightest. This dork seems to be enjoying the benefits of being a bully, that is all. However, he has explained to me how Veyrion passed away and who had a hand in it." Seeing the snickering sight of the brunette, Sona could only facepalm. Who would've thought that the kind and sincere boy would bring such chaos to a meeting directed by none other than her? That was a line no one could even hope to cross, as she would be able to maintain order even at the sight of attempted manslaughter.

"You guys seriously need to calm down, yes I know who ended the miserable life of your heir and I know what kind of weapon was used. It had an uncanny resemblance to the Spear which King Arthur used in his lifetime. Oh wait! I remember now. It was me, yeah. You would be surprised how resilient your kin can be during dismemberment."

Now the air had become suffocating for everyone in the Clubroom. Rias, still not sure whether the boy is trustworthy or not, was inclined to report him as the culprit regarding Veyrion's case. When her eyes met with her companion, Sona's look alone told her exactly what she should do in this situation. They had to hear out his part of the story before being judgemental, they had to be fair even if he was actually one to end the life of Veyrion.

"Xenophobic." Contributing to the conversation by insulting the boy, Koneko had her glare intact. She should be able to sense something, anything, from his aura. Yet, he was as pure as one human could be, which in turn meant that he actually did not have any power bestowed upon him. His body itself was the weapon, that brief fact made him more dangerous than he already is.

"Why, thank you, midget." It was a compliment, right?

"Midget..?" If she wasn't already pissed enough, Koneko could swear that she would've gone on a rampage had this meeting not been as serious as it is. One could see the veins in her forehead popping off if they observed close enough.

"You provided me the opportunity, couldn't help it. Whatever, let's all take five so we can calm ourselves down. I had enough laughs for today, after the break I promise I will try to stay serious. You down for a cig, Lucifer-kun?" Reaching out to his pocket, Issei got a hold of the pack he always carried around. Whenever he felt like he was nearing a dead-end whether writing a document or having a hard time to even think about anything, he would light a stick to ease the burdens on himself.

"Whatever, lead the way, racista." Following the antics of the former, Vali reached out and grabbed a stick one his own. It was not that uncommon for two eighteen-year olds to smoke, especially if they had gone through some serious shit just as Vali and Issei.

"Hey! No smoking in my school!" If they wanted to poison themselves that badly, they could very well do that in their home. Sona had a strict rule of keeping this place as clean as possible, it extended to any kind of hazardous substances and consumables.

"In case you failed to notice, Kaichou. It's been two hours since we've come here, that means I ain't have to listen to you anymore as it's past school hours. Also, I'm a teenager, I do whatever the hell I want because it's my superpower as a raging hormonal creature. Committing sudoku in the long run on a smoke-induced bliss included." Tired of being lectured on top of being this much stressed, Issei retaliated harshly. He wouldn't say a dime to Sona in normal circumstances. However, he too had a limit.

"Wise words from a retard." Feeling like he had finally found someone that was closer to the level of being as savage as he is, Vali couldn't help but snicker. If they hit it, Hyoudou might be the only friend he would have in the Human World.

"I love you too, Vali." A little bit of banter wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

As agreed, they took a short break. Issei and Vali on the balcony together to get rid of the toxicity in their system and have some fresh air, Sona and Rias inside still arguing over whether Issei was joking or he seriously meant all the things he said.

"Don't go overboard with them, they don't know the life of a stray." The Emperor said as he helped Issei to light his cigarette. The best way to get to know a guy was to share something in common, better if it's consumable. Vali himself had gotten this habit by being around a die-hard smoker and his proclaimed brother, who would often light one his own whenever he felt like the walls were coiling around him, and it happened, a lot.

"You do?" Inhaling the poisonous smoke, Issei relieved himself from all the stress that came through disclosing his identity. When it was just Kaichou herself, it went perfectly well. He didn't even know what to talk about when Rias suddenly started to bombard him with questions, it was only natural for him to retaliate by shitting tons of crap that did not even make sense for the most part.

"When you're paired with a grown-up open pervert with serious drinking and smoking problems and a guy who's all about being alone, working in the shadows kind of thing but still scoring the hottest bitches. I guess I have some ideas when it comes to being a loner in that kind of environment." Reminiscing about the time he had spent in Grigori, a smile crept up to the face of Vali Lucifer as he inhaled a deep one. Even when he complained a lot, he had formed such great relationships within the Watchers of Children of God that he had not found in his own realm.

"I get the first one, the infamous Azazel who's Fallen to a pair of Tits. Can't blame the guy honestly, have you seen that painting? That rack is gorgeous. Any man, unless we're talking about Uriel, with just a tiny bit of manhood would scrap those White Wings and Halo away without thinking." The Fall of a Seraph. One would think that it would be something cursed such as taking the life of an important devout or blasphemy, yet, Azazel had fallen because he admired the creations of his Father. Blasphemy would've been a better choice, PR wise.

"The Painting? I got the whole story from the man himself, dude. He said that painting ain't nowhere close to the actual beauty he scored. He told me that the first time he laid eyes on that girl, he had already made up his mind to fall. That man knows no boundary when it's about getting laid. That madlad said that his only regret was that he didn't get to see Gabriel's tits before he fell." Vali laughed his ass off as he remembered the utter face of dread of the Governor when he had the epiphany of never being able to see Gabriel's Holy Rack even if he somehow reverse-engineered his Fall from the Grace.

"Fucking Legend." Cracking up a laugh of his own, Issei exclaimed. The perspective he had on Azazel completely changed, he pictured the guy as a stuck-up Fallen Governor on their first encounter. He should've known better, every man, regardless of their origins, tended to be more eccentric than they cared to show. Only around men they would trust they had shown their true colors. It often led to either being utterly racist and having severe traumas, or having a thing for femboys.

"Indeed, Legend." Before he realized, Vali had been speaking the forbidden language which all men shared with the boy that was ready to end his life half an hour prior, the language of pure crap and banter. As the old adage goes, Two men are dumber than one, Three are dumber than two.

"Enough about him, honestly. What about you? How did you get into all this mess?" Savoring the stick of pure toxicity, Vali asked the brunette. He damn should get a pack of his own, this shit felt better than every pack he had encountered, including Azazel's special made cigarettes.

"Tax evasion, It turns out that NTA is not exactly friendly towards people who steal money from the government." Sliding in a joke, Issei spoke as he enjoyed his own stick.

"No, seriously. I recognize a traumatized man when I see one. You've gone through some serious shit, haven't you? You seem to be scared to even think about going back to the world you've left behind." Digging deeper than usual, Vali felt inclined to ask about the brunette's actions that left him this much scarred. He could feel the tension in the club room, Issei felt as if his heart was going to explode just by answering the questions Rias bombarded him with. Underneath the joking and toxic personality, Vali knew there resided a fragile and traumatized boy. A weirdo would be able to recognize one his type.

"Eh… Your usual teenager stuff. Recruited to an organization to work for the interests of Humanity at the ripe age of 12, trained to assassinate countless threats to everyday lives of humans, get disillusioned of living, trying to find your own way in this meaningless life and existential crisis on top of it. That I was being hunted by Underworld, Grigori, Heaven, Valhalla, Egyptian Pantheon, Vortex Bunch, Shinto Gods, Pendragon Family, Grauzauberer, Greek Gods and by my own Organization in the meantime didn't help either."

"Grauzauberer? Why would you come into contact with the Grey Wizards?" Hyoudou's answer to this specific question would determine a crucial point for Vali to trust him completely. He had known someone from the organization, a rather loving and dear individual for him.

"I'm surprised that only Wizards got your attention but whatever. We had the descendant of Faust as a member in our group, they did not like that, at all. However, we did not retaliate. Eliminating anyone from Grauzauberer would only worsen the already jeopardized situation for Humans to learn about Magic, we've only evaded them and whenever one of us got captured, we would then kidnap a High-Class Magician and force a trade of PoW's."

"Have you ever come into contact with someone known as Lavinia Reni?" Anger slowly building up within him, Vali could now only wait for Issei's reply. If he had a hand in the incident, the Emperor wouldn't hesitate to rekindle the fight they had, only on a much more personal level.

"Demise Girl? We've known her, yes. I personally handed out an offer for her to join our team, however, she decided against it. You could say that she was our contact within Grauzauberer, we would force the trades within her supervision. Haven't heard from her in like, two years or so. Why? Did you know her or something?"

"I… see. Let's just say that she was important to me, very important." Putting down the stick, Vali spoke. The tone he used implied that there had either been a fallout between the two, or Lavinia Reni was no longer among the world of the living. Either way, Issei could sympathize with the Emperor, losing someone had always been hard, even more so if the said person is any way influential to one's way of life. He had learnt it the hard way, when he lost two of his comrades, people he would without hesitation call a brother and a sister.

"Look, I'm not going to say that it's easy or anything. However, I know what it feels to lose people I care about. Death is always hard, not for the one that passes away, but for those who are left behind. My condolences, brother." Reaching out and putting an arm over Vali's shoulder, Issei implied that he would be here if the sullen boy wanted to talk about what had happened.

"For what it's worth, thanks, brother." For the first time since he had gotten back from his trip, Vali Lucifer had shown a sincere smile. Hyoudou Issei turned out to be exactly like him, during their early years, they both went their own ways to become powerful. They both had tasted what it's like to be face to face with death, both of them had lost people they cherished. It was only natural for them to become this broken and traumatized. Out of all the people Vali could call friends, Issei probably would be the only one that could understand him.

"So… What was it like? Being on the run constantly?" Deciding on a change of topics, Vali exclaimed. It would be very weird if either of them broke down here, especially under Sona and Rias' watch. He had no doubt if they pushed the conversation, Vali would be the one to break down first. Reni had occupied a great deal in his life, her parting was what pushed him to abandon the quest he had amounted to himself. He couldn't afford to even enter Grigori as it would remind him of the time they had spent together.

"For the most part, I'd say fine? As long as we hadn't been in their territory, most Factions left us alone. Who were actually a pain in the ass would be Underworld and Heaven, sending their men consistently. A pro-tip if you ever want to be hunted by virtually every Faction out there, steal something that most of them want or kidnap a Longinus user. Guaranteed they will literally spend most of their resources to locate you." Putting down his own cigarette, Issei exclaimed.

"Is that why you're sought out with a red-notice by the Council? For kidnapping and killing the heir of Haures?"

"No, that's completely different, honestly. I stand by what I've said in the Clubroom, not even feeling a tiny bit of regret by putting that scum down. You know what, I take that back. Veyrion deserved to be completely erased from the face of Earth, it's a shame I let him off the hook by ending his miserable existence quickly. Should've tied him up to a tree for crows to feast on his internal organs, heal him right back to life in the evening and the cycle goes on." Reaching out to light another cigarette, Issei scoffed.

"You sure make a good point that you absolutely hate the guts of Veyrion. What has he done to you?" As he took the stick right out of Issei's hands, Vali lit one of his own and lost deep in his own mind. It was absurd for Issei to hold such hatred for someone that, as it seems, didn't even do anything to him. Vali couldn't wrap his mind around it, however, there were things he wished he did not hear as Issei began to explain.

"Oh no… no no no. He didn't do anything to me personally. Let me explain it to you this way, picture yourself as a powerless human, not even aware of Supernatural entities." Pointing to the boy, Issei began to explain.

"You're approached by this beautiful young man and immediately torn to pieces, if you're lucky. If Lady Luck abandons you, enjoy being tortured and sexually assaulted. When he's done with you, if you make it that far, your entire existence is then erased. By erased, I mean it. Nobody in this damned world remembers if you actually lived or not. I'll tell you this much, this year, Kuoh cemetery has been the last peaceful soil to more than hundreds of Nameless Orphans."

"That's… fucked up! Through and through fucked up. What kind of a deranged man would someone have to be to mindlessly murder people? Screw murder, I would be able to get behind even that, but torture and assault? Why? Just tell me, how did you even get to him if those orphans' existence were already erased?"

"There had been a student here, called Aika Kiryuu. She, along with her sister, had been attacked separately at different times. Her sister passed away, at the hands of Veyrion, she had been the only one I was able to identify, thanks to Aika, the only one who actually remembered the girl being her sister. Aika herself was also attacked by Veyrion, killed and erased. However, that tough girl refused to die even in the most unfavorable situation. She made it out alive, contacted everyone in Kuoh, including Sona and Rias." Seeing the Emperor

"Before you begin, let me finish. Sona and Rias did not remember her as expected, I did not, either. After she had been turned down by both of them, she reached out to Mira Adria, also another student here, who in turn contacted me. They both confronted me, telling me that they had seen me purging some trash out of Kuoh with my Lance, by trash I think you get what I mean. I took Aika to see if her story checked out, and showed her my document on Veyrion's case. At that time, I did not know how these girls had passed away. I didn't even know about Veyrion up until Aika told me her side of the story."

"I couldn't even look Aika in the eye when she realized that her sister also passed away at the hands of the same sicko. I realized, only an entity capable of wide-spread memory alteration magic could be behind this. I took Aika with me, leaving Mira out of this whole mess. I wouldn't be able to look at the mirror if even one more girl got hurt because of my callousness. Together, we tracked down Veyrion, I had to pull all the strings I could, invited some of my old group members to locate the bastard and provide a much more guarded presence in Kuoh."

"Eventually, it bore fruit. I got ahold of the madman, on the west-side section of Kuoh. Believe me when I say that I had not gone all out in three years before battling against Veyrion, not because I couldn't keep up with him. I wanted him to taste the exact feeling he imposed upon those girls. I released Eight Restraints." Even against him, Issei only unsealed Five Restraints. He would be unstoppable, even Ultimate-Class Devils wouldn't be able to endure with that amount of Holy Energy.

"Every slash resulted in chopping his fingers, one by one, slowly driving the bastard crazy by all the pain he endured. Took out both his hands to keep him unable to cast any more spells, then I used the same spell I did against you, locking him into one tight space. Cut away all the way to his shoulders, bit by bit, muscle by muscle. After that, I thought it would be fair if I did some special treatment to his rather special area, it would all be in vain if he didn't taste his own medicine. Castrated him, took my damn time to actually peel every bit of his skin with Rhongomyniad before I renounced him as a man."

"No man would even have the flickering thought of enjoying what I had done, but by then, I was already consumed in my own fury. Next, I used another Spear, one that has been cursed by Gods and Humans alike. I had to make sure that he would never, ever return to the land of living, and damned will I be if he does. Within the limited time he would lose consciousness and drift into nothing to never come back, I completely dismembered him, gouged out his eyes and released a condensed burst of Holy Light right into his heart."

"So, what was next? You might ask. To send a message, a direct threat to never meddle with Humans. I'm sure you know what this specific message was."

"When the authorities of Underworld found a dead-body that was completely unrecognizable, crucified on the Statue of Beelzebub, it was him, right?" Vali could totally understand the actions of the brunette, horrified he might be to hear that he was capable of something like that, true. However, Had Vali been to find who was behind the incident with Lavinia, Issei would be the one to be horrified by the amounts of sheer brutality and gore Vali was capable of inflicting.

"Correct. Yet that message was not to the Underworld, I need to say. It's for the Rejects, I know for a fact that it was K***** B*****'s agents in the Council that sent him, even if he was allied with an organization that rivals them. Speaking of which, Have they tried to contact you? If they have, believe me you wouldn't want to be associated with people like them, I have and it's not a pleasant experience." Waiting for the Emperor's reply, Issei had two thoughts in his mind. First was the regret of not making Veyrion suffer more than he had done. The other one revolved around the answer of Vali. If the bishonen decided to join, Issei would hate to clash against someone like Vali.

"A week ago, I had a suspicious transmission from someone named Zod. Wanting my aid on some stupid shit like Conquering the Supernatural and Transcending the Limitations of Life, I refused."

"That's him, yeah. If it's not personal, may I ask why you declined? Your reputation in Supernatural is very much that of a Battle-Mongering psycho, it's unnatural for you to decline. I was even ready to give you the whole "being a good guy is nice" speech."

"The same reason I decided to come to Kuoh and settle down. I lost someone dear, Issei, I can't bring myself to enjoy fighting anymore. Nothing feels ever the same, without Lavinia. When I try to work out and keep my shape, I remember her encouraging me to push my limits. When I go out to have some fresh air, I can't help but think what would it be like if she was here, with me. When the night comes, I want to off myself, hoping to meet her in after-life. Everything I do, makes me yearn for her comfort once more." Dazing off to the blizzard, Vali did everything in his power to keep himself together. With her, a huge part of him vanished as well. He was no longer the boy trying to attain the title of True Vanishing Dragon. He had become this husk of an emotional, broken man, pretending to be fine.

"What kind of a pair, are we?" Issei couldn't help but get emotional, they both went through the same stages. Issei lost his mentor, the one man that had taken him under his wing and taught him everything he knew, introduced him to people he would later call his brothers and sisters in all but blood, and Kiersten, the first girl to ever actually tell him that she loved him, just before passing away in his arms. Vali had his beloved taken away, by the cruel strings of fate, crumbled under the realization that he was powerless against a law of nature.

"I'd say… hollow."

That's it, yahoooooooooo. New chap from the guy that commits zero-sum every time he posts a chapter.

In this chap we find that Issei's secretly an American, as he's extremely rasist against creatures of the night while loving the normal ones, even killing one brutally, F in the chat for Veyrion. He's also evading taxes, how could he?! insert amgry peepo.

We also explore a bit of lore and char dev, with Issei's and Vali's backgrounds and their reasons to abandon the Supernatural World completely all of a sudden. For those that did not understand even if I made it very clear, Vali and Lavinia used to be a pair, until Lavinia passed away. There's an incident and there is someone responsible for her death, yet Vali was not able to find them. So, a plot point is on the horizon.

In this fic, I like to imagine both Vali and Issei being the two sides of the same medallion, while it was fate that introduced them into each other, they are two identical youngsters that have gone through similar shit in their adventures that left them partially, or in Vali's case completely, scarred. They may or may not work out their issues and come in peace with their demons, that's the fics' side-goal. The goal is, obviously, to demonstrate that a single-pairing fic with a rather unpopular heroine, decent grammar and world-building can thrive in this fandom, xd.

Also, have to tell y'all this. If something is implied by either the characters or me, that shit is going to be in this fic. I dun like to leave plot holes even tho I probably already left one with Aika being both dead and alive during the Memory Alteration Incident, however, that's going to be explained as well, in the next chapter, kinda have an idea that I wanna try out, hint, it's about Telos Karma and how it always manifests the most favorable condition for the wielder.

Till then, kthxbai.

R&R gals and grilles.

Shiwftie out.