Have to say this real quick. Ignore Miquella's lore, specifically about his curse. That will not have any part in the story, and he will retain the body of a male in his early 20's. Didn't think about this earlier, but it is to stop 'that' kind of crowd or accusations. Thanks and enjoy!

Chapter 4

Have you ever heard of the saying 'God works in mysterious ways'? If you haven't, then allow me to explain.

In simple terms, it is a phrase people, often Christians, use when a seemingly random event is believed to have some kind of higher meaning or purpose. An would be a guy getting fired from a job he hates, forcing him to spend time with his family, which turns into a moment that helps him realize how much he loves his family and stops him from seeking harmful substances. Another would be a woman being divorced by the love of their life and being left broken and alone, only to find comfort in a doctor she meets at Starbucks who notices symptoms of a possible cancer and gets her treated before it gets to a stage where it becomes untreatable.

Pretty harsh examples, but you get the point.

Why do I bring this up?

It's because I used to believe that every little action served a purpose in the greater scheme of things. Every bump in my road of life was a test, and no matter what it was, some higher power was testing me—be it my endurance or mental fortitude.

As the wind blew for the tenth time and a group of well-endowed Asian women screeched as they tried desperately to hold down their skirts, I began to wonder whether or not this was a test at all.

When Malenia told me she was taking me to see the outside world, I was ecstatic. Just the thought of seeing what kind of fantasy world I had ended up in made my bones shiver in excitement so much that I was practically vibrating in her arms from my jitters. I was looking forward to it, especially when Malenia had said she would take me to the city. If the gym was a sight to see, then I could only imagine what wonders the outside world held.

And what better way to travel there than a magic circle? Bright light encompassed my vision moments before The magic circle beneath us transported us to our destination.

Now, going from the magically advanced stove Ruby used to cook our meals, I had expected something like the capital from Tales of Xillia. We would step out of the magic circle in the center of the city, and I would be greeted with a grand view of a city of marble, stone, and glass that was the pinnacle of human advancement in a world where magic was the power source instead of electricity. Magic would be everywhere, and a whole slew of monsters, elves, and other humanoid races would be walking around.

Reality had no right hitting me as hard as it did.

We appeared in a dingy alleyway, not some grand magic platform. Upon exiting the alley, I found myself staring at a city of metal, stone, and glass that was not even close to the technological level of my previous thoughts.

In fact, there was nothing special about it at all. It looked exactly like home, the only difference being the exorbitant amount of Asians in the vicinity and the signs that clearly said I wasn't in America anymore.

This was Japan.

How did I know that?

Because despite having never learned the language, I could read the symbols easily, and there wasn't a single Japan Town that I knew had a train running right over us.

At that moment, all excitement left me. I've been to Japan before, and though it was one of my finest memories, it didn't hold a candle to my ideal fantasy adventure.

And that was only the beginning. Things got so much more worse.

Malenia nor myself were particularly what you would call 'plain'. The demi-god may not have been her accurate lore height of 8 feet, but 6"8 was very tall in Japanese standards. She towered over everyone we passed, garnering the attention of every living being with two eyes and opposable thumbs. If the attention wasn't embarrassing enough, she was still holding me to her chest like a child holding a porcelain doll, and though she was wearing a suit, the face of a demi-god wasn't so easily dismissed by the human eye. We were on the tips of every tongue in the vicinity—everyone talking about the model and the teenage boy in her arms.

It was emasculating.

It was unnecessary.

There was absolutely no need for this.

But despite all that, I was still somehow distracted because the most magical thing kept happening.

Women screeched, and my eyes bugged out of my eyes as the wind forced women of all heights and sizes to flash me. White, yellow, black, blue—every color I could think of was revealed to me, each a masterpiece that would have had artists weeping and sculptors throwing their chisels away. As if to make it even better, breasts jiggled as if not one of them wore bras, enhancing the visual tenfold.

At first, I thought it a coincidence. It was surely impossible that the wind only blew in my direction every time the perfect angle came around. There was simply no way the laws of physics were working specifically to my favor, which meant God was testing my will.

Then it happened again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

At some point, I stopped counting and simply began to question my own beliefs. If the purpose of all this was to test my ability to look the other way, then I was fucking failing because I only grew better at catching a peak after every whisper of the wind. There were even some daring shots that showed there was nothing underneath at all, which I particularly saved in my ever-growing collection of debauchery.

"Uh, Malenia?" I spoke my first words 45 minutes later.

"Yes, Brother?"

"Are we going somewhere particular?"

"There is a perch in the Chiba prefecture that has an amazing view of the ocean. I thought it something you would like to see."

I hummed at that, already knowing the place she was talking about. It was closed during COVID when I last visited Tokyo, but it could likely be open in this world.

I blinked as an important question came to mind. "We're in Shinjuku, right?" I asked, to which she confirmed with a hum. I stared up at her owlishly. "Chiba is at least 2 hours and a half away on train, no?" She hummed again in agreement. "And you're planning on walking there?" Another hum, and I felt as incredulousness morph into irritation. "...Why the hell are we in Shinjuku?"

"...I thought it would be romantic if we took the long route and walked... Like a couple."

I deadpanned, my consort's pokerface as immaculately unreadable as ever.

Thing is, I believed her.

However, I also knew that there were other motives to this madness.

I was being shown off; that much was obvious. However, never in the history of ever has a girl carried their man through the shopping district in a show of dominance to her competition, and never would a man ever want that sort of princess treatment in public. I would be upset if it wasn't for the constant eye candy presented before me in the form of mother nature being a bro.

"Much different from the one I was used to back in the Lands Between. Gods, Devils, and Dragons exist, but most do not know of their existence. Magic is a fairytale told to children before they sleep, Governments have replaced Kings and Queens, and people are more connected to one another through technology I never thought possible without the use of magic. It is a fact that I am still getting accustomed to." She summerizerd, and the more she spoke, the more disappointed I became.

It sounded just like home...minus the Gods and Dragons. Technology wasn't advanced, there was no medieval setting, and as far as I knew, it wasn't a world I was particularly familiar with.

It was boring. Not fantasy-like at all...

"You seem disappointed." She said, somehow gauging my thoughts without even seeing my face.

"Its just, not the experience I thought this new world would be." I admitted.

"What were you expecting?"

"Don't know really. Battles? Flying cars? An overpowered gaming system that could basically make me overpowered within a month? Something more exciting, I guess." I ranted.

"Some would say your dreams closely resemble that of a child." The amazon said, and I could practically imagine the smile on her face at coming up with that one.

"And I'd tell those same people to eat a dick." I said on reflex. Anyone adult male who hadn't dreamed of being in a fantasy, zombie apocolypse, or Sci-Fi world at least once was lying through their yellow teeth.

Malenia chuckled, the first real reaction she's shown since the trip began. "That is a very crude statement. I do not believe my Miquella has ever uttered such words in a sentence."

"Then its a good thing I'm not Miquella." I paused at that, the words playing in my head before I craned my head up to observe the redhead's face. "I...no offense."

"None taken." She smiled back down at me. "As I said before, my brother is dead, and I never knew the man he became in this world. I would like it to stay that way."

I nodded, satisfied with her answer, and returned to looking forward. We continued for several minutes before the next question popped in my head.

"Since we're on the topic of that guy, you said he did a lot of bad things, right?"

"...Yes." I could hear in her tone alone that she would have rather had any conversation other than this, but I kept going regardless.

"Then, does that mean I have enemies?"

"That is not an inaccurate assessment." She all but confirmed, making my heart drop to my stomach.

"So, who did I piss off?"

She hummed, and the fact she had to think about it made the heart in my ass beat even faster. "First, there is the Heaven factions. He was responsible for orchestrating one of the greatest tragedies covered up by the church. The fact that you got away with it, and helped one of their fallen Popes escape makes it, makes it understandable why the Heaven faction would want nothing to do with you. There is also the Devils. Though you may not have guided Adolf Hitler down the road of genocide and forcing the supernatural to personally intervene, you were directly responsible for his descent into madness due to your actions. I hear he was important in the underworld, but nothing more. The Greeks also hold you in whispers...though I'm not sure why, seeing as we have never had any direct contact or influence on them. The Vampires resent the fact that we obtained Ruby Rose before them, and similar to that, the Fallen Angels resent us for obtaining Aizen from under their noses. The Yokai do not 'resent' you, per se...but I would stay as far away from them as possible. And then there is the Hero Faction, who hates us for everything I stated before. In short, we have very few allies, and half the world is our enemy."

My jaw slowly fell, and I paled the more she talked. I knew Miquella was a bastard in this world, but I didn't think he was this STUPID! Like, damn! What the fuck did he do to make Heaven that mad?

"Wait, so you're telling me that I'm hated universally?! Scratch that, go back to the part where there's Devils, Vamps, and Greek Gods! Does that mean Thor actually exists in this world? Does Lucifer Exist? Am...am I fucked?"

"Language, Dear Brother." She chided me during my existential crisis. "To answer your question, I have no knowledge of a being named Thor, but the Greek God's are not a faction we want to make an enemy of. If our paths ever cross, I would advise making amends in whatever way you can."

...How the fuck do you appease a God? Especially the Greeks? I don't know how strong Malenia, or anyone in the house is, but I highly doubted they could hold a candle to Zeus or Thor. And let's not forget about Satan himself. If he did exist in the world, and I was likely to go to him whenever I died since I've been barred from heaven, then what the fuck was I meant to do here?

I really am fucked here, aren't I?

Malenia's suddenly squeezing me was the only thing that pulled me out of my near panic attack. Looking up, I realized the demi-god was smiling down at me, a reassurance in her eyes. "Worry not, my dearest consort. No matter what may occur, no matter who may come for us, know that I will be there to defend you with my very life. That, I swear as your consort eternal."

Her words made a warmth spread throughout my body, a feeling of comfort that helped relax me. The fear of death and an eternity in hell wasn't something so easily dismissed, but at the very least, I could be reassured that this woman, and the people back at the mansion, would fight to the end for me.

It was truly reassuring.

"Didn't Miquella know magic?" I asked.

"He was a very accomplished mage, yes."

"And you know magic as well, right?"

"I know incantation, yes, however-"

"Teach. Me."

Malenia looked down at me, her eyes meeting the determined glint in my own.

Out with the depressing, and in with every Harry Potter fan's wet dream.

(•∆•)

We found a quiet place to teleport right to the top of the Skytree, and boy was she not kidding about the view.

The sight of the ocean was indeed breathtaking, the waves crashing against the beach and the water glistening in the sunlight. It was a sight that made my heart beat just a little faster, and not because I was 1,000 feet in the air. The people down below looked like ants, and it was honestly a wonder that none had looked up and seen two people floating in mid-air.

A particular organ note began to play in my head, followed by an ominous choir, and I had to stop myself from uttering a phrase that gave PTSD to every Naruto fan alive.

"Sssssoooooooo, about that magic," I broke the ice, not understanding why I suddenly felt a pang of sadness from my consort.

"...As I stated earlier, you were a master of incantations in our world and well versed in the magic of our current world." She stated, making that jittery feeling from within me return. "Though I must ask, do you not bare the memories of your time using sorcery, dear brother?"

I frowned at that and surfed through my archive.

I did, in fact, have those memories. Problem was, like the other memories, there were visuals and emotions but no voices or touch, meaning despite the fact I could see the memory, it didn't help me at all in understanding what the hell Miquella had done to perform it. I said as much, and Malenia's expression turned pensive.

"Give me your hand," she said, an arm reaching out while the other held onto me firmly. I did as she asked and placed my palm into hers. Immediately, I felt something warm crawl up from the back of my mind and into my arm, settling there as a ball of heat. "Do you feel it?" she asked, her tone warm and comforting.

"Y-yes. It's, warm." I confirmed, my voice shaky.

"Close your eyes and focus on that feeling. Feel the energy flowing through your body and grab hold of it with your mind." She instructed, to which I complied.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the warmth, the energy in my body moving to match. It felt like a muscle was being used for the first time in a long while, a muscle that had long since atrophied. It answered my demands and began to flow in the direction of my hand.

"Now, visualize the stars. Visualize their power, and take it as your own." I...didn't fully get that, but I tried. The first star I envisioned was the sun, its light being absorbed into my own. Next I envisioned the stars beyond our solar system, drawing their power away and into my body. "Focus that energy into your palm and picture the spell you wish to cast. Once you've reached the point of clarity, let the energy burst forth, and your will shall come to life."

I felt as if the instructions weren't very clear this time, but I did my best to do what she said. I clearly was doing something right because my hand suddenly grew hotter. Remembering what she said, I thought about the only incantation Miquella had ever performed in the game and let it loose just as the energy reached the tip of my fingertips.

Eyes open, I watched the fruits of my labor. A magic circle much like from the game was illuminated in front of me. It glowed a brilliant gold color, the symbols dancing across the circle as the magic formed at its center. A ball of light slowly began to form, the circle glowing brighter as it grew to the size of a softball.

This was it! I was doing it! I was performing the supernatural! It was, it was-

The softball-sized ball suddenly rolled out of the circle like a gumball from a candy dispenser. My eyes followed it all the way down till it inevitably vanished into particles of light, leaving me owlfaced and underwhelmed. Not a moment later, the circle shattered, taking the light around us with it.

A pregnant silence followed shortly after.

"...That was good for your first try." Malenia spoke, likely trying to be encouraging.

It worked, to a degree, because it was indeed the first time I'd done anything remotely magical. Still, it was a pretty poor showing compared to the pillar of light Miquella had conjured in the game.

But despite lowering my morale, a girl was here, and I was no quiter.

Raising my hand once more, I followed her words step by step, making sure to truly grasp the power and put more 'oomph' into my spell. When I opened my eyes, the ball was the size of a football, the golden glow so bright that I was almost blinded.

Then it rolled out of the circle much like its predecessor, my eyes following it all the way down till it disappeared once again.

"...That was an improvement." My consort intoned, which only served to build my frustration.

For the next 20 minutes, I repeated the same process over and over, yet all the spell ever did was roll away balls of light like a sad, deflated balloon. The only victory in all of this was that the balls were getting bigger and brighter, yet none of that meant squat if they held the same usefulness as slapping someone in the face with a wet napkin.

Despite it being my 30th time, I wasn't exactly tired. Being a demi-god had its perks, and apparently one of those was having a near limitless pool of mana to pull from.

That didn't mean I wasn't about to flip my lid, though.

"If I may, what spell are you trying to conjure?" Malenia, the ever helpful one she was, quarried after my most recent fail.

"Divine Judgement." I gritted out, restarting the process.

"Have you thought about using the correct amount of mana to fuel your-"

"Yes, I have. I've put so much mana into it at this point that I can't make it any brighter if I tried. It's supposed to rain lazers, not drop glitter bombs." Once again, there was a bright light, followed closely by the formation of a ball. I tried pouring even more mana into the thing, but all I accomplished from doing that was making the orb brighter and hurting my eyes. When my arm grew tired, I dropped the technique, and the ball of light fell.

"...Perhaps the reason you are failing is because you are trying to perform an advanced technique that requires more than imagination." She theorized.

I looked up to her, frustration clear to see on my childlike face as I said, "I know, but it's the only incantation I can remember with clarity. Miquella wasn't exactly the kinda guy to get his own hands dirty. Even if he was, I can only take from his memories what he has seen, not what he has felt."

"Hmmm." Malenia hummed to herself before looking back down at me. "Miquella knew many incantations, but they were more of the healing variety than the destructive. Said it was easier to cast and less taxing on his body. Maybe you would find more success there."

My jaw dropped at that, and an unhealthy amount of dread filled my entire being.

"HELL NO!" I shouted, a shiver crawling down my spine at the mere thought of being the healer of the party. I was living a man's romance, and I'd be damned if I became the team's babysitter. Malenia likely saw my conviction, and no doubt acknowledged it.

"How about a simple fire incarnation? Would that peak your interest?" She asked, to which I bobbed my head up and down eagerly.

She told me to picture the sun once again and gather the energy there, except I was to draw not its power, but its heat. As the warmth flooded my veins, I imagined the sun as orange, then blue, and then the hottest violet imaginable. The energy moved accordingly, gathering itself at my fingertips and growing in intensity.

My hand burst into flames almost immediately.

"AH!" I screamed and flailed instictively, my hands slapping against my robes in hopes of snuffing the fire out. The fire refused to relent, and a sudden wind only seemed to fan the flames further. A hand gripping my flaming appendage was the only thing that calmed my panic, making me realize that I wasn't burning alive.

The fire was white and black, a perfect blend of both colors. It flickered and danced, its warmth radiating in the palm of my hand, but never once did the flames so much as lick my skin.

"Now, release your control and throw it." Malenia encouraged, my eyes shooting to hers briefly before returning to the flame in my hand. Thinking nothing of it, I tossed it, watching as it sailed through the sky. Much like my earlier balls of light, it flew a fair distance before disappearing, but unlike my earlier attempts, this did not leave me with a sense of failure.

"I did it." I voiced breathlessly, staring down at my hands in disbelief. "I did magic." A grin began to split my face as the jitters of excitement returned. "Holy SHIT, I did MAGIC!" I shouted, raising my arms high and shaking them vigorously as a childish glee came over me.

"Well done, Brother. You should be proud of yourself." Malenia intoned, but I could barely hear it.

"...Heh...heheheh." I began to giggle, getting lost in the feeling. Soon, it turned into a cackle, then a full-blown belly laugh. When I had finally calmed, my eyes met the horizon, and the same giddiness returned tenfold.

Lifting my hand, it immediately lit up in black flames, making my glee grow. With little effort, I threw the ball of flames before immediately conjuring another, then another, and another. They got bigger and brighter each time, and it wasn't long till I was chucking basketball-sized fireballs as far as I could see. Somewhere between the haze I'd fallen into, my giggles renewed, and soon, I was laughing maniacally as I continuously performed something I could only do in dreams and videogames.

This is what power felt like! The ability to destroy things with just a snap of my fingers! The knowledge that if I willed it, I could turn a city into a graveyard! The knowledge that you were a part of the unordinary! It was intoxicating! World shattering! If this is what 'drunk on power' felt like, then I could completely understand how people could get lost in it! It! Was! Fucking! Awesome!

In the end, I did not stop until I could literally no longer lift my arms. I was winded, the constant usage of mana having drained me to the point where simply keeping my eyes open was a struggle. Despite that, I smiled like a child, the feeling of pride and satisfaction making me feel like a high school girl at a Billy Eilish concert. The fact that this was just the beginning made my bones shake in anticipation.

"Are you satisfied, Brother?" Malenia, who'd been silently observing this whole time, finally spoke up.

"Never been better." I replied happily, my feet kicking back and forward like the child I am.

"Do you still wish to sightsee?"

I thought about it, but the stickiness of my clothes and the burning of my shoulders quickly changed my mind. "Maybe another day. Right now, I could really go for a bath." My stomach suddenly growled. "...And some food."

Malenia hummed amusedly before a magic circle appeared under us and we disappeared. I now had so much I wanted to do, and the prospect of exploring this new world was at the top of the list. I was living the life, and the world had never looked so beautiful.

(•∆•)

"We are here with you live today on the shores of Chiba as our firefighters work tirelessly to put out the blazing inferno that seemed to have come out of nowhere on the docks. So far, there has been no report of any causalities, and the police have not released a statement as to whether or not there is a culprit. Eyewitnesses claim that black flames rained from the sky like meteors before the fires started. We can only hope that the situation doesn't get out of hand and that the fire is quickly brought under control."

I stared at the TV, mouth on the floor, and my expression that of doom as choked gasps escaped my throat.

"You think they're gonna blame it on aliens?" Vergil asked no one in particular.

"I believe they are more likely to blame it on the Yakuza. Wouldn't be the first time, and Japan is quite fond of their conspiracies—not to mention there was no camera footage of the event other than a few sparks igniting a dumpster. I don't expect our Lord to be questioned anytime soon, if at all." Edelgard replied.

"He was quite enthusiastic." Malenia added.

"D-don't worry, Master Miquella! The first time I used my powers, I accidentally killed poor little Bambi! I was so shocked I ran home and cried for hours! Turns out, a hunter saw the whole thing and contacted the local news. Next thing I knew, there were theories and conspiracies all over the internet! They were calling me names like 'skinwalker' and I couldn't leave my house for a whole week in fear of being taken away by the men in black...wait, does this mean we caught their attention?! Oh no! Are the men in black coming after me again?!"

As fascinating as it was to know Ruby was likely the reason behind the 'skinwalker' theory in this world, nearly burning down an entire dock was definitely a lot worst morally—even by accident. Men in black would definitely be coming after me, though, likely with pens, documents, and lawsuits if I were ever found to be the culprit.

"Do not worry, Dear Brother. I will protect you from these 'men in black' if ever they decide to turn their weapons on you. I swear on my name as your sword."

Malenia's words did not help. In fact, they only solidified my future would forever be in danger if even one person knew the truth. I just hoped cancel culture was a bit more forgiving in this world...or the men in black could take 'my bad' as an apology.

A/N: Honest question, should I have posted this on Anime-crossovers? Since this is technically a multi-crossover, I feel as though it should have been in that section instead of. What do you guys think?

As always, thanks for the follows, favs, reviews, and have a DAMN good day!