IX
A Solution Arises

"Giselle, can you dice up the carrots? I'm gonna need them in a few for the stew," Kouji checked on the fish in the oven before turning his attention to the glaze. "Remember to peel them before dicing them up."

"Diced and ready," Giselle, without looking, slid over a bowl of perfectly peeled and evenly diced carrots. "I've got the celery waiting and the peppers ready. Let me know when you're ready for the glaze, and four more minutes on the fish right?"

Kouji smiled with relief. He thought that he was going to have to prepare and cook the entire meal by himself, however much to his surprise, Giselle was a natural in the kitchen. She knew exactly what he was going to do before he he even had to say anything and was even a step or two in front of him in terms of prep. He had never felt so confident cooking before…he could get used to this.

"So…" Winter leaned forward on the island and frowned. "When the hell did you two get so close?"

"What do you mean?" asked Giselle, wiping down the area. "I'm just helping him cook, something you lot clearly can't do."

"More than just the cooking," said NingNing, chiming in. "You guys are like…closer, emotionally I mean."

Giselle smiled. "We just had a lot of fun shopping, I guess. He's like the little brother I never had."

"Why thank you," Kouji pried open the oven to a puff of smoke before pulling out the tray, revealing a perfectly crispy and evenly cooked catfish. He had scored the skin and descaled the entire fish so hopefully there wasn't anything left, however Giselle had handled the seasoning so finger's crossed it tasted as good as it looked. "Glaze?"

The girls watched as Kouji laddeled over heaps of the honey and tamarind glaze over the fish. Winter was practically drooling while NingNing was in a hunger filled trance.

"Can we eat it yet?" Winter gulped.

"Please…" said NingNing.

"Not until Rina's back," Giselle smiled, boiling the vegetables with a pinch of salt. "Speaking of which, has she been in that meeting all day? I thought she would have been done by now."

"Haven't heard a peep," said Winter. "I hope Lord Azazel isn't giving her hell for bringing Kouji to Korea with us without telling him…"

Kouji frowned. "Do you think she's going to get in trouble because of me?"

"I doubt it," NingNing smiled. "Rina's his favorite anyway. She'll probably get a slap on the wrist."

The sound of a bag of chips opening snapped Giselle back, slapping Winter's hand as she dropped her ketchup chips.

"What do you think you're doing?" Giselle scowled at Winter. "No snacks before the meal, it'll ruin your appetite."

Winter frowned. "But I'm hungry!"

"Well that's your fault for napping for almost 10 hours, isn't it?"

Kouji chuckled before turning to NingNing. "How was the book? Did you finish?"

"Informative," NingNing smiled. "I learned some new sigils and runes too, I can't wait to try them out."

His brow furrowed. "Sigils? Runes?"

"NingNing's specialty," said Giselle. "It's an old form of magic that hardly anybody uses but it's perfect for her Sacred Gear."

"You have a Sacred Gear too?" asked Kouji. "That's cool. What is it?"

"It's called Scripture," said NingNing. "It's an artificial one though, a gift from Lord Azazel. Basically anything I write can come to reality, with limitations…but runic magic and sigil magic add to it. Watch."

NingNing's finger glowed a green color as she wrote a strange symbol in the air. With every movement of her finger, a streak of light was left behind until it formed a full sigil. With a push from her palm, it compounded into a ball before shooting at a spoon. To Kouji's surprise, the spoon stood on its end and began to dance around like an from the movies in Las Vegas.

"Whoa…" said Kouji. "What is that?"

"It's a combination of Scripture and runic magic," said NingNing. "The closest translation is…dance? I haven't gotten to creation magic yet but this is still pretty cool right?"

"Totally…" Kouji watched with amusement as the spoon danced until the effect of the spell wore off, falling flat on the island countertop with a clank. "Wait, you haven't gotten to creation magic yet? You're still learning?"

"Yup," NingNing smiled cheekily. "I'm still young compared to these hags. Giselle gives me lessons whenever we have our schedules alligned though. You should join us. You need to practice too right?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," said Kouji.

"Did she just call me a hag?" asked Winter.

"Did you just call us hags?" asked Giselle.

"I'm back."

It was Karina, opening the door and entering the loft. From the sound of her voice, the meeting didn't go well.

"Rina!" cried Winter. "Come, come, we were just about to have…dinner…"

Kouji dropped his laddel when he saw who was accompanying Karina. A beautiful…no, that wasn't the right word, maybe transcendent? Anyway, a unrealistically heavenly woman walked into the loft. She had vibrant yet somehow silky smooth bright blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes. Her skin was porcelain and free from any blemishes which made determining her age near impossible. She wore gorgeous white bown that would have fooled Kouji into thinking it was an elaborate wedding dress, addorn with golden armbands and jewelry as well as glass heels.

The woman glanced around the room before looking to the kitchen, taking notice of the girls. Kouji panicked as Giselle, Winter, and NingNing dropped to one knee and bowed their heads almost immediately as soon as she had entered the loft.

"L-Lady Gabriel," said Giselle. "It's an honor to see you again after so long."

"My Lady," both Winter and NingNing said in unison.

"Oh come now girls, no need to be so formal," Gabriel smiled and helped them to their feet. "Word around the grapevine is that you've gotten yourself a very interesting new friend. I just came by to say hello after Azazel was so insistent…that and Micheal was very insistent I see for myself this new hybrid."

Kouji froze. He had never experienced this before. Was it admiration? Was it fear? A combination of feelings he had never felt before froze every cell in his body. He couldn't move, he couldn't blink, he couldn't even think. He broke into a nervous sweat as Gabriel smiled at him, walking around the island and smelled their meal.

"Oh my, is this catfish?" asked Gabriel. "I haven't had human food in awhile…were you all about to have dinner? Would it be alright if I join you as well?"

"Of course Lady Gabriel," said Karina. "You're always welcome here."

This was completely different from when he met Azazel. The old man was more relaxed and human than anything…she was something else entirely. Even without his magic detection, he could feel the sheer power radiating from this one being.

"You must be Koujiro," said Gabriel. "Shidou Koujiro, am I correct?"

"Y…Y…Y…." His brain malfunctioned from trying to say one single word.

"Lady Gabriel," said Karina. "Kouji is still inexperienced to the adverse affects of magic pressure. I hope it's not too much to ask for your to suppress yours for the time being. The girls and I can handle it…but I'm afraid he might pass out."

"Oh silly me!" Gabriel cried. "How careless…My apologies."

The feeling in his heart subsided. Taking in that first breath…it was like he was breathing for the first time again.

"Oh my god…I couldn't breath…" Kouji panted.

Karina caught him before he could topple over, however smiled. "Kouji, this is Lady Gabriel, Archangel of Heaven. She's the one who reincarnated us…our master."

Gabriel shivered. "Oh you know how much I hate that word Rina. I'm just a friend. But yes, I am Gabriel at your service."

"I…It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Gabriel," Kouji awkwardly bowed. "I've heard quite a lot about you from everyone. I hope my being here doesn't cause you too much trouble."

"Oh I could care very less for the petty squabbles of the church," Gabriel placed a hand on Winter and NingNing's heads. "I'm just happy my girls finally found a new friend after all these years. I was starting to think that this whole idol business had completely isolated them. I should be thanking you, Koujiro. I've never seen Karina speak so highly of anyone outside her sisters here. That's quite the amount of praise from someone like her."

"L-Lady Gabriel, please!" Karina blushed.

"Oh I'm just teasing," Gabriel made her way over to Kouji. Even with her magic pressure suppressed, his heart was racing a million beats a minute. He wasn't quite sure if it was from her beauty or the fact that she was a literal angel as old as time standing before him. "Do you mind if I see an old friend? I need to make sure he hasn't gotten out of his cage so easily."

"What? Oh…" She meant Imugi. "No, of course not."

Gabriel closed her eyes and simply held a hand to his chest. Seconds passed without anyone in the room speaking a word before Gabriel broke a smile on her face.

"I see…" said Gabriel. "You've done a fine job containing Imugi for so long, Koujiro. I commend you for your efforts."

"I…" said Kouji. "I'm not so sure I'm worthy of such praise, Lady Gabriel. The mask manifested on multiple occasions…and Imugi even took over my body."

"That tends to happen when you're a vessel for a timeless metaphysical concept like this one," said Gabriel. "However the seal seems to be intact. I've restored it to make sure it doesn't slither out so easily, however the more you access the serpent's power, the more the seal will weaken. The Church seems to have used quite a reckless seal on you, I'm afraid removing it and placing a new one will risk killing you."

"T-That's…" Winter cut herself off.

"Surely there's something we can do, Lady Gabriel,' said Giselle.

"We can talk about this over dinner," Gabriel smiled. "Shall we eat? I'm more than excited to taste this delicious meal."

While Karina, Winter, and NingNing set up the table in the dining room, Kouji and Giselle hurried to finish the toppings. He couldn't take his eyes off of Gabriel, standing by the window and stoically looking out into the city.

"This isn't the end Kouji," said Giselle. "We'll find a way to remove that thing from you…I know we will."

That's a first. He was used to hearing that from Karina and Winter, but from Giselle? She was always distant with him before, however since returning from Gwangjang, she had begun to treat him nicer and more like Winter.

"Thanks," Kouji smiled. "Alright, you got the sides?"

"Yup," Giselle smiled.

"Let's eat guys!" Kouji declared, carrying over the tray and setting it on the table.

The five of them watched eagerly as Gabriel snagged a piece of catfish and took a bite with the rice. Her eyes were closed and her expression unreadble, however she broke out in a bright smile and groaned.

"It's delicious!" she exclaimed. "My word Koujiro, you definitely know how to cook. You should open up your own restaurant once you're older."

Kouji smiled with relief as Giselle and Karina placed their hands on him, a silent congratulations for achieving something quite remarkable as making an angel like human food.

"Thank you, Lady Gabriel," said Kouji.

"My Lady…" said Giselle. "About what we were talking about before?"

"Oh, yes of course," Gabriel cleared her throat. "Unfortunately I cannot directly help you girls in finding a solution for such matters. The most I can do is what I have done, rebuild the seal those ignorant elders placed on the boy. It's an old sealing magic that my brother developed, similar to the ones placed on the Gates of Purgatory."

Gates of…Purgatory? He wanted to ask what that was exactly, or if it was exactly as the name described, however he felt like asking something so stupid to Gabriel would lose any reputation points he had just gained.

"But why?"asked Winter.

"The treaty," said Karina.

"I'm afraid so," said Gabriel. "The war only recently ended. Granted to humans it might be a few thousand years, but to those who have the lifespan we possess…it's a merely a few years ago. Relations between the three factions are still in a rather fragile state, each side still rebuilding their ranks after the losses. If I were to help, no matter how much I would want to help you out…it could cause some rather unnecessary political drama that I'm sure Micheal would smite me for."

"The war?" asked Kouji. "As in…Lucifer's rebellion?"

"Right on," said Gabriel. "Luci was rather…aggressive, about his ideas on humanity. It took the combined forces of the Fallen Ones and the Pure Ones to force the Devils into submission. Killing an immortal is something of a paradox you see, it's tantamount to ripping apart space-time. Since we couldn't outright kill my dear brother, we created a space to contain him for all of time."

"I'm…so confused," said Koujiro. "What does that have to do with Imugi?"

Karina pinched Kouji's thigh, however Gabriel giggled. "Don't judge the boy Rina, most of this is unknown to humanity. To explain in short, Koujiro, Imugi is the metaphorical key to the Gates of Purgatory. Where there is light, there is darkness. Where there's a door, there's a key. Without one, there cannot be another. Imugi is a constant throughout time. It's the first thing that my brother created in the days leading up to his fall from grace, you could say it's the first demon my brother ever sired."

"Imugi…It's a demon?" asked Kouji.

"The first," said Gabriel. "That creature cannot be killed as much as Micheal or I. The very first beings created by the very first beings…the Archangels cannot be killed just as Imugi cannot be killed."

"So you're saying angels…can't die?" asked Kouji.

"Oh no, angels most definitely and have died," said Gabriel. "I've witnessed the deaths of millions of my brothers and sisters fall during that stupid war, however we cannot. Father made sure of that."

"So that's why we can't just…kill Imugi," said Kouji. "If it dies, the Gates of Purgatory will open."

"Precisely," said Gabriel. "And I'm almost sure that's exactly what it's after. It's timeless existence, as well as Luci…Imugi means to restart the Valak bloodline and free Lucifer from his prison."

"But…How is it going to restart an entirely extinct bloodline?" asked NingNing.

"Imugi was gifted to Valak, one of the original Greater Demons," said Gabriel. "Lucifer sired four specific demons that acted as his top generals…Valak was one of them. Valak was entirely loyal to Luci, even after he was sealed away and Valak feigned submission to us. The Devils he birthed afterward were merely…an experiment."

"An experiment?" asked Giselle.

"Wait…Devils?" asked Kouji. "I thought Valak was a Demon."

"He is," said Gabriel. "The term Demon we specifically use to reference the creatures that Luci himself sired. The 72 Pure-Blooded Devil Clans originally started out as 72 demons, however the children they themselves sired weren't demons but Devils. Dilluted blood is complicated but because it was spread so thin, they don't contain nearly as much magic as the originals. It's complicated, I know but that's the gist of it. Valak was the most loyal of Luci's generals and will stop at nothing to bring back his master…even in death."

Kouji was putting it together now.

"The Devils that Valak created…" said Kouji. "He was trying to create a vessel strong enough to contain Imugi, someone who can open the Gates for him."

"Exactly," said Gabriel. "You're catching on rather quick."

"I…still have a question," said Kouji. "You said Archangels and Imugi can't be killed…because Imugi was created by Lucifer himself. But the 72 Demons he created are dead, right? How's that?"

"Because of us," said Gabriel. "The Archangels personally made sure that each of the 72 original demons were reduced to atoms floating in the vast cosmic of infinity."

Kouji gulped. So…that's what an Archangel was capable of. The most primordial of forces in nature and even they couldn't outright kill the Devil himself. If it's something so powerful…what's he supposed to-

"What's Kouji supposed to do then, Lady Gabriel?" asked Giselle. "How can we save him?"

Gabriel smirked. "You become a vessel to Imugi, force that creature to submit to you."

Kouji's eyes widened. "I…What?"

"I apologize my sweet child," said Gabriel. "But Imugi does not possess a tangible body, not like we do. It's more of a concept then it is a being. It needs a host to exist…however being a vessel of something so primordial will come with it's fair share of risks."

"What kind of…risks?" asked Giselle, taking Kouji's hand.

"Immortality, for one," said Gabriel. "Imugi cannot die…therefore you cannot die. The key must always remain a constant in this ever advancing world, as does the door it unlocks."

"You mean…" said Kouji. "I can't die, no matter what?"

"Not quite yet," said Gabriel. "Your body hasn't properly matured yet. I'm guessing when you turn 18? Maybe 21? How old are you?"

"15."

"Oh yes, still too young," said Gabriel. "Your body has to mature to the point of adulthood before you can properly become a vessel to this entity. The only other option is not so…humane."

"That's the humane way?" asked Kouji.

"What Lord Azazel said…" said Karina. "That's the method she's referring to Kouji."

Kouji gulped. He remembered exactly what Azazel said. The alternative would be ripping Imugi directly from Kouji's body, but because it's spent 15 years intwined with Kouji's soul…it's the same thing as ripping out his own soul and killing him.

"So…I don't have a choice," said Kouji. "I pretty much have to wait until I've reached adulthood and force Imugi to submit if I want to live…that's what you're saying, right?"

Gabriel closed her eyes. "I'm afraid so."

Karina's grip on his hand tightened. This…This must be why she was so sad when she came back. She knew that this was the only option aside from directly killing him. Karina…

"Then so be it," said Kouji.

Gabriel, as well as the girls, dawned shocked expressions.

"Pardon?" asked Gabriel.

"I just have to force that thing to submit to me once I'm more…mature, right?" asked Kouji. "I've got great teachers…and a lot to live for. I'll do it."

"I…I do admire your optimism my boy but it's not so easy as you make it sound," said Gabriel. "That creature will do anything and everything in its power to corrupt your very being, everything you hold dear. Making it submit is a herculean task."

"I don't have a choice," said Kouji. "If I force it to submit…the world will see that I'm not a threat. I can see…I can see my family again…"

Gabriel smiled. "You…remind me of all the reasons why I fell in love with your species. So fragile…so frail…yet filled with hope that knows no bounds." She stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her hands around him. Kouji blushed, however Gabriel rested her chin on his shoulder. "I may not be able to reincarnate you Koujiro, but know that you are a part of this family now. If the times when you require my assistance…I won't hesitate to intervene for you as I would with Karina, Giselle, Winter, or NingNing."

This was strange. A wave of relief washed over him in ways he couldn't explain. He felt so at peace hearing those words from Gabriel, like when he heard it from Karina. He couldn't explain it but here…in her arms and being surrounded by Aespa, he felt safer than he ever felt anywhere.

"I'll be on my way then," Gabriel smiled. "I may not be able to assist you when it comes to matters of the Underworld, I'll have Griselda do some research on that thing you asked for Karina. She'll be by soon when she has enough information."

"Thank you, Lady Gabriel," said Karina. "We're very grateful nonetheless."

"But of course," She smiled. "Be well children, and do try to not get into too much trouble."

Gabriel simply vanished, leaving behind nothing but the sound of wings flapping. They were all left in a stunned silence, everyone simply taking in all of the information that Gabriel had just dumped on him.

"Not the news you wanted to hear, am I right?"

Kouji looked to see Azazel leaning against the frame of the dining room entrance. He was still dressed in his suit but had a long coat down to his knees.

"No…not exactly," said Kouji.

"But it's good news nonetheless," said Azazel. "This way you can avoid death at the hands of the exorcists and with any luck, have a long life with the girls. Shouldn't you be happy?"

"But I'll be living forever as a vessel to the key to freeing the literal Devil," said Kouji. "I'd be nothing more than…a thing."

"You won't just be a thing," said Karina. "If you're really going to go through with this, then we'll be there right by your side."

"We live pretty long too, yanno?" Giselle smiled. "We're not just going to die on you Kouji."

"We'll help you through this," Winter smiled cheerily. "Promise."

"This is going to be tough though…" said NingNing. "He has to pretty much master Imugi's magic and his Sacred Gear before he turns 18, right?

"The kid can do it," Azazel smirked. "I've seen drive before but this kid's got a fire burning inside him. He might make a fine addition to your group…shame he's not an angel though."

"Please don't encourage him to do anything stupid Lord Azazel," Karina sighed.

Kouji smiled. "It'll be okay." He took both Karina and Giselle's hands and confidently smiled. For the first time awhile, he was hopeful. The road ahead was dire and treacherous…but he meant it when he said he had good teachers. "Everything's going to be okay. I know we can do this."