Two chapters in the same month? Whaaaaat? Since when did I do that? Anyway, you all know the deal by now, so I won't repeat it. Just so ya know, this will probably be the last time we see Lucifer for a while, like, till the end of the first book. Just putting that out there.

Also! Something of note: Just because this is Hazbin Hotel Lucifer in appearance doesn't mean he is as powerful/as weak as he is. Think of him more like a composite version of Lucifer and condense it into the appearance of Hazbin Hotel Lucifer, alongside his personality (because he's my favourite interpretation of the character).

Now then, onto the chapter!

[Opening Song: Gambling – By: Syudou]

"Shadows rage forward like wild animals given new life. They rage with eyes of a bloody crimson and snarl like wolves. Their faces and parts of their body protected by large, thick plates of bone. They feed off the power of negative emotion. I know these creatures very well. I've seen them in a fictional medium before, but this was my first time encountering them. My first time fighting and killing them. Those two. The ones who will begin the downfall of this world. They have begun the true plot, haven't they? Now, all I must do is wait 500 years. Then, the fun can truly begin." – Journal Entry from a King of a Desert Kingdom, the self-proclaimed King of Lies.

[-Chapter 13: Dealing With The Devil-]

Jolyne stared Lucifer down, eyes narrowed after the revelation dropped upon her like a bag of hammers. Now she understood why he gave off that regal presence. It was because he was damn near divine royalty. The aura of power that washed over the room was nigh undeniable, and despite his appearance, he was somewhat intimidating.

Jolyne straightened herself out, relaxing as much as she could while under Lucifer's careful watch. His eyes were trained on her like a hawk as if expecting her to attack him. It made sense, given how vitriolic she had been to him when he arrived.

That being said, she wasn't stupid. Attacking the literal Devil would probably end up in her dying a very horrible, painful, drawn-out death. It was suicide with extra steps. She had already had more than enough brushes with death yesterday to last her a year. She didn't need another one, thank you very much.

She looked over her shoulder at Kotoko, terror written all over her face. Jolyne looked back to Lucifer, calming her non-existent beating heart, swallowing down the tangled knot in her throat as she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I completely forgot about our arranged meeting today. Before we continue, can I take Kotoko to my room? She's… afraid of older men."

Lucifer switched from an intimidating glare to a casual, more relaxed expression and posture. His cane disappeared in a puff of red smoke as he rested his hands behind his back, a charming smile taking up his visage. "Sure, sure. Do whatever you have to. I might be big, mean, scary, and evil. But I'd like to not traumatize children if I can help it. But make it quick. I'm on borrowed time."

Nodding silently, Jolyne took Kotoko by the hand, slipped past Lucifer, walked into her bedroom and closed th door behind her. The moment the door closed, Jolyne let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't noticed it, but the air in the living room compared to the bedroom was a lot heavier. It probably had to do with the fact that a literal deity was in her house. But that was neither here nor there.

Still, she was a fool. How could she forget about having a meeting with The Devil?! She couldn't stress that enough. She was having a meeting with the bad guy to end all bad guys! She was both confused and also a little bit lost for words.

She had expected the typical half-human, half-goat appearance that most media depicted Lucifer as. Not a cotton candy pimp. That aside, his appearance didn't change how she felt in his presence.

There weren't enough words in any language to describe the feeling of subjection she felt in his presence, as if his mere stare could break her soul into pieces. A true ruler down to the very core. Someone who both demanded and earned respect. While he absolutely terrified her down to her core, Jolyne knew that she couldn't let that slip.

Even though she knew that she was in the presence of a God-like entity, Jolyne had to allow herself at least some form of agency. She didn't want to cower under his gaze. She didn't want to show weakness to what could only be described as the predator to end all predators. He was The King of Hell, Ruler of The Underworld, and Kingpin of Damnation.

She could go on and on about just how much of a big deal this was, but at the end of the day, Lucifer was the highest-ranking Demon among all Demonkind. You didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. He was power beyond power measures. If he wanted you dead, you would die. It was just that simple.

Many creatures had dubbed themselves Lucifer. Maybe creatures had dubbed themselves Satan. But that man? The man in her living room? The man who was dressed like he had been ripped right out of the 1950s and looked like a big top circus Ringleader? That was undoubtedly the real deal. And it was because of that that she knew she needed to keep her wits about her.

Jolyne wasn't religious—yes, she knew that sounded stupid given all the proof she had been exposed to, the biggest of which was standing in her living room. But it was the principle of things. She didn't want to be beholden to anyone, no matter how powerful. She wasn't about to get down on her hands and knees and pray to God to save her from the beast in her living room.

She welcomed him because she didn't have a choice. And while the fear building in her chest wanted her to scream and cry, she wasn't going to buckle under the weight and pressure of the immense power of Lucifer.

Although, she supposed that hiding away in her bedroom made her look like a coward. Not that she was in here for herself. She came in here to ensure that Kotoko didn't have an emotional and mental breakdown.

Something told her that was something she would have to work on with her….

Speaking of Kotoko, she was still shaking like a leaf, sweat evident on her forehead as she shivered. A mix of fear and dread set itself on her face as Jolyne knelt to Kotoko, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. He won't hurt you."

"T-That's what they all say…! I-I don't want him here. I-I'm scared!" Kotoko cried, panicked as Jolyne faltered. She hated this, but there wasn't much that she could do. It wasn't like she could just tell The King of Hell to leave her apartment. If he was her current Boss—or at the very least a supervisor—then she had no position to tell him to leave.

That being said, Kotoko's total fear and hesitation made her want to tempt fate. She hated seeing scared children, and it made something in her twist and turn in an uncomfortable way. There was nothing worse than seeing a child in distress.

It was strange. Jolyne, self-admitted, was never the type of person who would go out of her way to help others in need. She made an exception for someone like Hajime and the general safety of a group of people, but never individuals or strangers.

Yet, despite that and the fact that Kotoko was a stranger, Jolyne felt compelled to help her—to at least try to make her comfortable. It was bizarre and completely out of character for her. Though, it probably didn't help that she was a scared, abused child who she had already promised to help.

She blamed Hajime for this—for his stupid compassion for others and how easily he was able to spread it to other people. She knew Mono didn't like the fact that she was, well, a person and not some well-trained soldier who did what soldiers did best: follow orders and don't question them.

Unfortunately for Mono, she was a human—both in the flesh and her soul. No matter what appearance she took on or what she turned into, she was human through and through. While she joked about Hajime spreading his compassionate self like a virus, she had always had a modicum of compassion for others.

It was that compassion that made her feel guilt.

The memory of a red-haired girl about her age took hold of her mind—that panic and fear on her face as she faced her in that forest moments before Jolyne had divorced her head from her shoulders. It sent a chill down her spine.

"Never again…" Jolyne thought, steeling herself as she stared at Kotoko. "I know, kid. I know…" she paused as Kotoko buried her head into her shoulder, embracing her like the scared, terrified child that she was. It put Jolyne aback. Why? Not but a few minutes ago, Kotoko was afraid to even look at her, and now she was freely embracing her.

Was she just that scared that she didn't care? Then again, it was said that kids could sense the natural goodness in a person and whether or not they were trustworthy at a moment's notice. While Jolyne wouldn't say she was pure of heart or anything like that, she'd take this in stride.

Soothingly, Jolyne placed a hand on Kotoko's back. The kid shuttered, her breath hitching as Jolyne winced. "It's okay… No one's going to hurt you. No one's going to touch you. You're safe here. You're safe with me…" Jolyne whispered, her tone soft as Kotoko relaxed, the tension in her shoulders disappearing as Jolyne rhythmically rubbed her back. It seemed to work as Kotoko's tears dried shortly after.

Kotoko pulled away from Jolyne, her face still red from all the crying she had done. There was a wet spot on Jolyne's shoulder—not that she cared all that much. She just wanted Kotoko to feel safe. "Y-You mean it…"

"I mean it, Utsugi-san. I—"

"Kotoko… J-just call me Kotoko…" As she said that, a small, if not weak, smile took up her visage.

"All right," Jolyne replied, looking over her shoulder and back toward the door. "Now, back to the problem at hand," she said, standing up as she crossed her arms, facing the door. "I can't tell him to leave. He's… He's my Boss. You can't tell your Boss what to do. That's just a fact of life," Jolyne said as Kotoko shrunk into herself. "But," Jolyne quickly followed up, "I can keep him away from you. Not that he's here for you anyway. He's here for me. Stay put, don't leave the room, and I'll come get you when he's gone."

"Promise?' Kotoko asked, her voice barely above a whisper as Jolyne nodded once.

"I promise." After ruffling her hair, Jolyne exited the bedroom, closing the door again before turning to face Lucifer, who was now sitting on her couch. Once again, that foreboding and heavy presence washed over her, a wave of uncertainty mixing with the once-again building dread in her gut.

His arms were stretched across the back of the couch, his right leg lazily draped over his left as he whistled a tune. He looked to have made himself at home—which she had fully expected. That still didn't change the fact that she didn't like it. He stopped whistling when Jolyne entered the room, keeping his relaxed position as he smirked.

"Ah, took ya long enough," Lucifer said as Jolyne frowned.

"It was only a few minutes, if that, sir," Jolyne said as Lucifer scoffed.

"My time's limited, so I have to make this quick," Lucifer replied as he sat up straight, staring her down with his businessman-like stare that he had on not but a few moments ago. "I've got a high-profile target I need you to get for me. Her name is Mukuro Ikusaba. She traded her family's lives, except for her twin sister's, for the power to never be hit in a traditional warfare or combat scenario. Due to how powerful the contract was, she was only given thirteen years with it before she owed her soul."

Jolyne blinked before furrowing her eyebrows. She didn't want to question the specifics. If she did, a part of her feared that he'd admonish her or worse. That aside… the ability to not be hit in a traditional warfare or combat-based scenario? If that was the case, how the Hell was she supposed to take her out?!

Of course, she didn't say that out loud. Instead, she replied, "How hard would you say it'd be?"

"Dunno. What I do know is that she has superhuman reaction speed, is damn near perfectly accurate with any gun, has superhuman travel speed, and can take a good few shots to the chest without slowing down. That being said, she's not invincible. I'm aware that she's linked to The Frenzied Flame, so that could pose a bit of a problem," Lucifer said as Jolyne groaned. "What?" Lucifer asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"Why does everything here have to do with The Flame of Frenzy? Seriously!? First, it's that stupid purple-haired maniac who attacked my school, and now it's this Mukuro chick. For fucksake…." Jolyne said before waving a hand dismissively. "Nevermind. Just lamenting my current situation. All right. Do I have a time limit?"

"Eh, I'd say… about three months. That's when most of a Dreadknight's deadlines end for their projects," Lucifer said before humming, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Although, for you in particular, I'm also working on something in the background. As you have the unique gift of being able to freely travel from world to world with zero consequences to yourself, assuming everything works out, you're infamy among the Dreadknights will skyrocket."

"Why?" Jolyne asked as Lucifer smirked.

"Because no one, and I mean no one, has ever been able to enter That World. I'm the only exception because I made a prior deal with That Woman." Lucifer shuddered at that, which made Jolyne feel a little uncomfortable. He was shuddering over just mentioning this individual's existence; that didn't make her feel any better.

Lucifer cleared his throat, adjusting himself on the couch before continuing. "Sure, the Gods can come and go as they please, but that's because they're Gods. But lesser beings like System Users, members of The Seven, and lesser Deities like myself? That Woman forbade our entrance after taking over that stupid wall—and when I asked her to enter, I had to give up quite a bit just to so much as look in That World's direction."

Jolyne felt herself become curious. Just what was it that Lucifer gave up to allow himself access to… whatever it was that he was talking about? She had no idea the limitations of The Multiverse—which was something she was still trying to wrap her head around—but for someone to be able to gatekeep their world like that….

"That kind of individual has to be one of the strongest beings known to all existence if she can do something like that…" Jolyne mused as Lucifer continued.

"But, that being said, I've been having a few back-and-forths with her. I'm working on a deal that will benefit us both. If it all works out, then not only will you get a bunch of amazing rewards… but you'll gain a lot of allies. Ya know, if you play your cards right, that is."

As Lucifer said that, Jolyne hummed to herself, her expression contemplative. "All right…. But back to the whole Mukuro thing. What would my reward be for collecting Mukuro's soul?"

"A Mythic spell."

Jolyne's eyes widened, her arms lowering to her sides as she stared at Lucifer, blinking with astonishment. "You're serious?" Jolyne muttered as Lucifer hummed in acknowledgement.

"Well, duh," Lucifer replied before his expression became grim. "Mukuro isn't exactly a pushover, though. Don't go thinking this'll be easy. There's a reason why Iam choosing you to do it. Really, the fact that you're a member of The Seven doesn't really matter at the moment. Especially because you're barely halfway through… what did Loki call it? Your tutorial?"

Confusion drew upon Jolyne's expression, but before she could ask what Lucifer meant, he waved off his own words with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "Whatever. That's beside the point. He was supposed to come here with me, but he had more "important" things to be doing," Lucifer grumbled as he began to mutter under his breath.

Jolyne stared at Lucifer, trying to gauge what it was he wanted. Of course, she knew what he wanted—he wanted Mukuro's soul. That much was obvious. But… if he wanted her soul so badly, and if she was as much of a pain in the ass as he had made her out to be, then why task her to do it and not someone far stronger than her?

"Um… then why are you choosing me?" Jolyne asked as Lucifer cleared his throat, seemingly caught off guard by the question. Then again, he looked to have put himself in a trance by ranting about Loki. "Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't like him…"

"Right!" Lucifer said, cracking his neck from side to side, his expression twisting slightly as his joints popped. The sound made Jolyne want to shrink into herself. It was not a pleasant sound on the ears. "The answer's pretty simple, really."

"Which is…?"

"It's because you're new," Lucifer answered matter-of-factly. "Think of this as initiation. While Mukuro is strong, she'll be the weakest and easiest contract you'll be getting from me for a while," Lucifer said with a huff. "It wasn't anything special specifically about you that made me choose you for this. It's just 'cause you need to be broken into the job."

"Ah…" Jolyne groaned, his words bruising her ego as Lucifer chuckled to himself.

"C'mon, kiddo," Lucifer said as he got up to his feet before suddenly appearing behind her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, catching Jolyne off guard. "You're getting an exclusive chance to get in my good books and potentially go to a world no one has ever been able to get to! So, if I were you, I wouldn't be complaining."

Lucifer seemingly teleported in front of her—either that or he was just moving that fast—as he stood there, cane back in his hands, and straightened his posture to look like that of a showman. "Just remember, kiddo, starting from the moment I leave, you've got three months to collect Mukuro's soul. Oh, and by the way…" His expression switched from casual, laid back, and relaxed to sinister. With it, the air in the room shifted from heavy but otherwise meaningless to downright toxic—so much so that when Jolyne sucked in a breath, it physically hurt to do so.

The façade of someone who was easy to manage and contend with vanished in an instant. There was a gleam that settled in the back of his eyes—the kind of gleam a seasoned and professional killer had that would send shivers down anyone's spine, no matter how old. Mixed in with that was power, unlike anything she could have ever hoped to aspire to. Knowledge and wisdom far beyond her years and likely for as long as time itself reigned.

As Jolyne gazed into those infernal pits Lucifer called eyes, she felt fear blossom within her chest, the likes of which she knew she would never forget. A gaze that reminded her that this was The Devil she was talking to. Not a friend. Not a co-worker. Not even her boss. But someone so far beyond that, it bordered on a joke.

Someone who could blink and end her within a fraction of a fraction of a millisecond. And it didn't help that when he spoke. His voice gained a bite to it that would make even the worst of criminals cry like a little baby.

"…You don't want to know what happens if you fail me."

Then, with very little fanfare, Lucifer disappeared into a pillar of flames, and in his place, a pop-up appeared in her vision. Jolyne couldn't move. She couldn't even blink. She was far too ravaged by what had just occurred that her mind had ground to a blazing halt.

Even though she had experienced it before, she couldn't just shake off the level of fear that had settled into her body. Her non-existent heart pounded against her chest like an earthquake as she tried to reign in her emotions to the best of her control.

That look… Those eyes… she never wanted to see them again.

Never. Never in a million years.

She didn't want to even so much as think of them. That was how terrified she was. That was how menacing those eyes were. Deep in the reaches of her mind, she pushed them down as far as she could possibly go.

Forget. She needed to forget.

The fire died down, leaving only minor scorch marks where they had appeared. She let out a small, shuddering breath as she finally regained control over herself. She had only noticed it now, but she could feel the burn of tears trailing down her eyes.

She had become so afraid that she had started to cry. She never wanted to feel that way again—she refused to feel that way again. Her body was still shaking, so she took slow, methodical breaths to calm herself until the shaking stopped.

Jolyne had no idea how much time had passed since she had started the breathing exercise, but she did not care. All she cared about was getting herself under control. Finally, once she did, she looked over to the pop-up and read it carefully.

[Contract Collection: Mukuro Ikusaba]

[Difficulty: Hard]

[Details of individual: Average height, black hair, black eyes, pale skin, freckles, dressed in casual clothes and sometimes with bulletproof vests over her shirts. Usually, she always has a gun on her at all times. Has a knife and wolf tattoo on her right hand. Underweight by 10 pounds]

[Contract Information: For her soul and a guaranteed afterlife in Hell for all eternity, along with trading the lives of her family, excluding her twin sister, for the inability to be hit in a traditional warfare/combat setting]

[Rewards: 1 Mythic Spell, 10 level-ups]

[Time Remaining: 89 days, 59 minutes, 58 seconds]

The pop-up disappeared, vanishing onto the list of Quests that she had to do. This was probably her first timed Quest. She wouldn't lie… there was a lot of pressure behind it. The last thing she wanted to find out was what would happen if she failed, well, Lucifer of all people.

She felt that same clawing fear dredge itself up at the mere mention of the idea of failing him before shoving it back down violently. No. She would not fail him. She couldn't—she utterly refused to. Failing him was not an option. Period.

Once she regained control of herself again, she let out one last shuddering breath and focused on what needed to be done. "The task. Focus on the task…" Jolyne thought, blinking a few times to regain focus before addressing Mono. "Hey, Mono. Is there anything that you can tell me about this Mukuro girl?"

[Aside from the fact that you cannot, under any circumstances, go after her right away? She's one of the two people who are closest to the entity known as The Lord of Frenzied Flame, and she is that individual's right hand. She is well beyond you at the moment. However, you can use most of the time given to you to get to a point where you won't have to worry about that sort of thing]

"How'd I know you'd say that…" Jolyne let out a groan of annoyance. Turning around and going to open the door to her bedroom. When she entered, Kotoko sat on her bed, staring vacantly at the wall. She looked over to Jolyne, a hesitant yet also hopeful look on her face.

"Is he gone?" Kotoko asked as Jolyne smiled.

"Yes, he's gone."

"What did he want? You look… not okay," Kotoko said, a hint of concern in her voice as Jolyne looked to the side, not making eye contact. She didn't want the girl to see the weakness she had once displayed.

"Nothing important, and nothing like what you're probably thinking," Jolyne said as Kotoko almost looked relieved. Had she really thought that he was here to…. The mere idea of that disturbed Jolyne. That… that was not something she wanted to think about. She knew Lucifer was bad news, but she'd like to think that even he wouldn't stoop to that kind of thing.

"Okay…" Kotoko said, her voice still a little shaky, before slipping off the bed and walking over to Jolyne. "Frozen? You said you would put it on. Please?" Kotoko asked as Jolyne couldn't help but smile.

"I did say that I'd put it on, didn't I?" Jolyne said, ruffling her hair—which earned her a pouty face from Kotoko. "What, you don't like that?"

"I don't wanna have to brush my hair again, meanie," Kotoko complained as Jolyne scoffed, taking her hand away from her head before putting her hands back into her pants pockets.

"Yeah, yeah. C'mon, let's go. I have some stuff I need to do later."

"Yay!" Kotoko cheered, running over to the couch and sitting down as Jolyne sat next to her. She turned on the TV, and when she did…

"Hey, Mono, can you project the movie Disney's Frozen onto the TV?"

[Yes, I can. But, Jolyne, you need to—]

"I know. I just want to appease the kid. Now, put it on. We can train more afterward."

[Very well…]

…Frozen began to play, much to Kotoko's shock and awe, as Jolyne hadn't even needed to touch the remote more than just turning on the device. She could tell that the kid was curious, but honestly, all she wanted to do now was watch the movie. That, and seeing her wide-eyed smile, warmed Jolyne's heart.

Nothing was more priceless than that.

[XXXX]

He was too late. That alone had made Jackson feel more than a little frustrated with himself and Ms. Pluton. The information had come far too late for him to act on it, and as a result, he was staring at what remained of what should've been a homeless shelter. The key word was "should've" because now it was reduced to nothing more than smouldering wood and charred remains of whoever was inside it when it burned to ash.

And, because he was a betting man, those orangeish-yellow embers confirmed to him exactly what and who had done it. That alone made his stomach twist and turn with unease, the likes of which wouldn't be cured by even a few passes of whisky. No one simply encountered The Flame of Frenzy and walked away without feeling even a little ill.

Cursing under his breath, Jackson stayed his distance, dressed in civilian clothing—a short-sleeved silver-gray shirt, dark blue jeans, and a pair of worn work boots. His usually ear-length, messy orange hair was brushed back and done up into a man bun, and his crystalline blue eyes narrowed with a levelled amount of frustration.

He didn't often feel this amount of frustration. Especially when he failed at a job, but this went beyond that. Maybe it was because he liked to believe that he was a pure individual, but even the thought of dead innocence made his body tremble with rage and his soul demand retribution for those who did not need to die.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do in cases like these. Not yet, at least. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was get himself implicated in something like this. Even if he was beyond what humans could do, that didn't mean he wanted to draw attention to what was going on and drag more people down with him.

Several police cars had gathered around the burned rubble, unknowingly exposing themselves to that accursed flames' passive Madness effects. It wasn't as if he could step in and stop it. That would draw too much attention to himself, and he was under strict orders to keep The Dark Triad as much of a secret as possible.

Even if it came at the cost of watching innocent, hard-working men and women damn their minds to incurable madness. Ms. Pluton had made it very clear to him not to tell people about it. While, at first, he hated the mere notion of not saying anything, he knew why it had been kept a secret. He had seen why firsthand.

It was not a pretty sight. When people found out about The Flame of Frenzy and what it could do… especially if they weren't already aware of magic, it drove them crazy. It drove them right into the palm of The Three Fingers and would, in turn, create a Lord of Frenzied Flame.

Humans craved power. Jackson knew that, and so did Ms. Pluton. So did The Three Fingers and The Flame of Frenzy. It was only natural for humans to seek power, and when told about power like that of The Flame of Frenzy… well, that was partly why The Emperor of Japan had gone as crazy as he had during the Second World War.

It was why not much remained of his lineage.

Pressing his right index finger to the side of his head, he sent a message to Ms. Pluton. "It's exactly what we thought it was. Those freaks are moving and fast. They must be getting ready for something. They haven't been this active since the Second World War."

"That is vexing. It means we have to start moving as well, and I have to get my daughter involved. Much like the rest of my race, she will have a great aptitude for Magic. Even if I am enhanced thanks to The System, my genetics will still have passed over to her, much like any other Elf."

"Not yet. Don't bring her into this just yet," Jackson countered, turning and walking down the alleyway. There was a measured look in his eyes, the kind that radiated a steely determination. "Let her have her fun with High School. She's about to get drafted into Hope's Peak, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then leave her be. It's been you and me for nearly half a century. We can handle ourselves. If there's anyone you want to drag into this, make it be that other System User you've had your eyes on ever since Chinatsu's brother attacked Hope's Peak."

He was interested in her as well. The kid was strong—dangerously so. Granted, she went up against something that she probably shouldn't have. But the fact that she had held her own against something of that magnitude for as long as she had, on top of running through a gauntlet beforehand? Needless to say, he was impressed.

To think, she was still a newbie. She had potential. Potential the likes of which he was both afraid and curious of. Not many things could get him to either of those points, which was why he wanted her as an ally rather than a potential foe. Better to be safe than sorry, he'd reckon.

"Ah, yes, the newest member of The Seven. The "Late One" as certain circles have been clamouring about."

That had gotten Jackson to nearly halt in his tracks. "The Seven…?"

"Yes, my dear compatriot. The Seven. It is quite funny that you mention attempting to get into contact with her. I have been meaning to do the same thing. My husband, however, has been keen on keeping me busy. He keeps saying that he wants Sayaka to have a sibling. I'm inclined to indulge him~."

Jackson shuddered at that. He really didn't need to know what was going on in his boss's sex life. Then again, that was just how Ms. Pluton was. Due to her nature as an elf, and specifically the kind of elf that hailed from that place, it made sense that she was like that. It was built into her very nature.

"Moving on," Jackson replied curtly. "I take it you want to shove that duty off on me?" As Jackson beamed that thought to Ms. Pluton, he continued moving, only looking over his shoulder to ensure he wasn't being followed.

Since arriving at the crime scene, he had felt an odd presence lurking around him, as if something was tailing him. Something related to what had happened, something with an alarming amount of power.

His system had been blaring at him to stay on high alert, telling him that something that would pose a threat to him was nearby. Given that he was level 150—the max level for standard System Users—he had a feeling that whatever was lurking around was stronger than he was.

At least, base stat-wise. His Requirement Stats were on par with some low-end Seven-members, but that didn't stop things from being able to one-shot him if push came to shove. It wouldn't matter how yolked his Requirement Stats were if whatever was attacking and, in this case, stalking him far exceeded him in base power.

Thankfully, nothing was there. Or, well, not-so-thankfully in his case. If there was something following him, he would've much preferred it to be out in the open so he knew what he was dealing with.

"Scratch that; I'm being followed. I'll contact you once the coast is clear."

"Understood."

With that, Ms. Pluton severed the connection. When she did, Jackson put his hands into his pocket and continued walking down the alley until he merged onto the sidewalk and blended into the crowd. As he did, he made sure to keep his senses alert and open.

Jackson Fring picked the Druid as his sub-class and a sorcerer as his primary class, and he specifically chose to become a Desert Druid. One might think that wouldn't be helpful for someone in his current location—especially because this was a bustling city, not a desert. In most cases, that would be correct.

However, Jackson had picked up something on his path as a Desert Druid that only Desert Druids could get. A trait that he had gained when he levelled up past level 100. That trait was called Expand Senses. It did exactly what it sounded like. It allowed him to expand his senses like that of a broad network.

For five minutes, he could see all 360 degrees around him, hear up to a kilometre away from where he currently was with perfect clarity, and have the same sense of smell as that of a bloodhound. The best part? He could pick and choose which senses would be expanded.

For something like this, he expanded his eyesight and hearing—the two most important ones for situations like the one he was currently in. If he was being followed, being able to see around his entire perimeter and hear just about everything he could would help him get a better understanding of who or what was that had been after him.

As soon as his senses were fully expanded, he could hear hundreds, if not thousands, of conversations happening simultaneously. Some were arguments about bills, others were pillow talk after sexual encounters, and some were just run-of-the-mill conversations. Not that he particularly cared about any of them, mind you. He was looking for something specific.

He was looking for something incriminating.

Back when he first got this trait, he wouldn't have been able to do something like that. But now? Well, now was an entirely different story.

He remembered when he first used the trait twenty years ago. It nearly caused him to go insane. Thankfully, with the help of Ms. Pluton, he had been able to hone and train the trait to the point where he was now. He had no idea how to use it when he first unlocked it. In fact, he had refused to use it after the first time he activated it.

Now, however, he saw the uses in it. He was glad that Ms. Pluton had slapped some sense into him when she had. Because otherwise, Jackson would've screwed himself over. It was precisely in situations like these where abilities like this one were insanely valuable.

Concentrating as much as he could, Jackson filtered out all the unnecessary conversations and honed in on one conversation in particular. It was nearby, and it was on the rooftop of some newspaper building. If he had to guess, it was four to five buildings north of him, and as soon as he caught it, he nearly froze.

"Target is stopping. I repeat, the target is stopping."

"That voice…" Jackson thought, panic rushing through his veins. He knew damn well who that voice belonged to. Back when he was alive on Earth Zero, he had been a massive fan of all things Danganronpa. He blamed his little sister for that one, but that was neither here nor there. The point was that he recognized that voice.

It was a dull voice. The kind of voice that you'd expect would belong to some background character. In any other show or media, for that matter, it would have. But not in the world of Danganronpa.

Never, in the world of Danganronpa.

Only one voice in the whole of the Danganronpa Universe would illicit that kind of terror. That kind of caution. The kind that made Jackson's body prickle with adrenaline and maybe more than a bit of trepidation.

Out of all of the characters that had existed in this world, he knew damn well that only a handful meant anything in a combat scenario. One of them was a Yakuza member, the other was an MMA fighter, and the final one was the one he was worried about—ignoring the cast from V3, of course, alongside that tacky anime that came out.

And given that those two individuals he had previously mentioned would have no reason to hang around a burned and hollowed-out homeless shelter, that could only mean one thing. It was the one he needed to be scared of. The one that was triggering his system to go buck wild and tell him to flee. Now.

"Mukuro…! she's hunting me!" That was all Jackson needed to know in order to activate the other trait he had gained over his five decades of time by being both a member of The Dark Triad and a System User.

This one had been obtained when he had levelled up to 150, and it had reminded him heavily of something he had seen before in another show that he had been addicted to, that being One Piece—or if you didn't know about One Piece, then Sand Man was from Marvel Comics.

In the blink of an eye, his body transformed into sand and travelled into the sewer grates as if guided by his presence—and it wasn't because he had ordered the sand to do so, but because he was moving it himself. Because he was the sand.

Sand Form, as the trait implied, was the bodily trait that a majority of novice Desert Druids gained when they got to the point of power where they themselves had become "one" with the desert. But one did not need to be in a desert to do it. Why? Because, as far as the universe was concerned, they were the desert.

The best part? Because sand was so light—barely even heavier than a feather—it could travel faster than he could have if he had started to run. That, and he was pretty confident that if he had begun to run, he would have more than likely been fired upon by Mukuro and however many other mooks she had dotted around the area, endangering more than a handful of innocent civilians.

When he went into the sewers and reformed his body on one of the concrete ledges that acted as a pathway, he saw several rats and other sewer-dwelling creatures scatter. His presence wasn't a welcome one, but he didn't give an iota of a shit. Right now, he needed to escape. The last thing he wanted was to become prey to one of the Despair Sisters.

Even worse, one of the Despair Sisters who more than likely had become infected with The Flame of Frenzy. That was a combination of pure, unmitigated terror, especially if they could retain even an iota of their sense of self and not give into the power and insanity of The Flame of Frenzy.

Just before he could haul ass and get into a safer location, the sound of a manhole cover being removed and about twelve or so men in orange cloaks leapt into the sewer, landing on the ledge across from him. He could make out their orange eyes, and he felt something assault his mind.

He grit his teeth, looking away, burying the voices that had pricked into his head before snarling. "FUCK OFF!" Sand began to form from his hand, and he swung his arm out as a whip constructed out of sand began to fly toward the group of twelve at unimaginable speeds. The people in cloaks scattered, but not before two of them got knocked into the noxious liquid so deep that they sunk into it, more than likely drowning in a mix of piss, shit, and whatever kind of nastiness was in the sewer water.

Being able to control his body as if it were sand was a wonderful weapon. Unfortunately, it also had a downside. Some of the sewage water had gotten on his arm, causing that part of his body to soften and slide off. Hissing, Jackson took off running.

"After him!" One of the cultists snarled as the sound of over a dozen footsteps filled Jackson's ears. A wisp of orange flame raced just past his head and singed the ground just in front of him, leaving a glowing burn mark on the ground. Jackson made sure to avoid it and continued running.

He didn't know how long nor how far he had run. All he knew was that as he ran, he made sure to keep looking at his stamina meter. Something to note about System Users was that, outside of combat and other scenarios, they had infinite stamina. Inside those scenarios, they had whatever their stamina bar allowed them.

So, for example, if he wanted to run a marathon without breaking a sweat, he could. But, if he were being hounded by a pack of wild dogs, all with the intent to rip out his throat, then his stamina bar would begin to drain. It didn't matter how strong an opponent was. The stamina bar would drain if it proved to be a hostile individual or group.

Or, if a System User found themselves having sex, the stamina meter would also drain. He had been in several relationships, even being in one with another System User, so he had plenty of knowledge on that front.

He came to a stop at a ladder, and without even looking back, he began to climb it. He knew that he more than likely had more stamina than a bunch of mad cultists—at least, he'd like to hope so anyway.

As he climbed the ladder that led to a manhole cover, just as he made it to the halfway point on the ladder, he looked over his shoulder to his left and saw one of the cultists round the corner. "Over there! He's over there!"

"Fuck!" Jackson thought as he hung to the side, swinging himself over to one side as he faced the group of approaching cultists while still clinging onto the ladder. There was only one way this was going to end, and that was by getting rid of them. Even people like these cultists, he hated killing them, because they themselves were victims.

Victims of The Lord of Frenzied Flame and its machinations. They more than likely didn't choose to become what they were, and on the off chance that they had, then they had been groomed into doing so.

Drawing his weapon from his inventory, Jackson scowled. His weapon had been a black and purple trident, the two colours mixing and fusing like merged liquids that didn't want to turn into one solid colour. A single strip of red fabric hung off of the shaft of the trident just before the head of the weapon. It radiated with power, and much like most weapons of its kind, had scaled primarily with Physical Strength.

He pointed the trident toward the group of cultists, and felt something stir within his chest. Unease, defiance, and fury. Unease at the fact that he was once again killing—even if these people more than likely deserved it. Defiance as he had not wanted to be caught by these people. And fury for the people who they had more than likely killed in that homeless shelter.

With a snarl, he felt power began to well up within the tip of the trident. A dark purple aura began to glow around the trident heads, as his mana bar dipped just a little bit. Once he had charged it up enough, and just as the cultists had reached the halfway point to getting to him, he pulled his weapon back before thrusting it forward, shouting, "DEATH WAVE!"

A black wave of energy thrust out from the tip of the trident with a powerful boom. If it were just a wave of energy meant to knock things over, then that would've been more than enough to do so. But, the Weapon Art was called Death Wave for a reason. As soon as the wave of pure, raw Death Magic slammed into the first cultist, he exploded. Not figuratively, but literally. His body popped like a balloon, blood, gore, and viscera decorating the walls of the sewer, followed by many others like that one cultist meeting their ends.

Death Wave was a Legendary Weapon Art that he had obtained during a particularly nasty Dungeon Run he had did with Ms. Pluton. They had barely come out of it alive, and that had been his reward.

As for his Obsidian Trident—which he had maxed out to upgrade level 25 not too long ago—it was an Epic weapon. It's original Weapon Art was called Jet Stream and given that it was a trident, one could imagine what that would've been.

One thing about Death Wave that made it annoying to use was that, while it barely cost him any mana to use, it only worked on those who were lower level than the caster. Those cultists were level 50, and he was level 150. He had a full 100 levels over them, so Death Wave would have worked as intended.

If he had used it on someone like, for example, Mukuro, who if he had to bet was significantly higher level than he was, it would've only done regular damage. How much damage that would've been, he didn't know. But, if Jackson were to guess? Probably not a lot.

Putting his weapon away, Jackson finished climbing up the trident. The manhole over the road blocked him from progressing, but it didn't do so for long. Rearing back his right arm, he punched the manhole. It shattered upon his fist touching it, and the moment that happened, he leapt onto the road.

A car swerved past him as he appeared, as he used Expand Sense to see if Mukuro was nearby. Sure enough, across the street, right behind him, was the woman in question. She had short, ear-length black hair, soulless black eyes that had a tiny hint of orange resting within, and freckles that dusted her cheeks.

Adorned in a white button-up shirt and a black combat skirt and matching black leggings, Mukuro stared at him with a victorious smirk that was barely noticeable. In hand was a standardized military rifle, and in the arms of anyone else he wouldn't have thought anything of it.

But in the hands of Mukuro? That weapon was much, much more than a regular weapon. It also didn't help that when he used his Observe he felt the colour drain from his face.

[Mukuro Ikusaba, Despair Soldier, Messenger Of The Flame]

[Level: 400]

[Hp: ?]

[Mp: ?]

[Opinion of you: Prey]

"400…" Jackson thought, his eyes widening. He doubted even Ms. Pluton could do anything about her—hell, he doubted that if both of them team up they could've done anything to her. His best chance at survival right now was convincing her that she wasn't worth his time. "Mukuro Ikusaba. Fenrir soldier, also known as The Child of Death. I have to admit, it's an honour for you to be hunting me. But I have to ask. Why?"

Mukuro's eyes narrowed. "How did you know about my past with Fenrir?"

"People talk when they aren't given much of a choice," Jackson retorted smoothly, keeping his nerves cool as he tried to remain looking away from her eyes.

"You managed to capture one of our own, didn't you?" Mukuro said, her tone laced with surprise. Her expression changed to a neutral gaze, and as Jackson looked around, he could several more cultists waiting in the alleyways behind him and behind Mukuro.

He was surrounded, and he doubted he'd be able to get out of here without taking a severe amount of damage. "You've got me surrounded and dead to rights, and you still haven't answered my question. Why?"

"My sister wants you dead. I'm afraid it's that simple," Mukuro said. When she did, Jackson didn't have the time to blink before she whipped her gun toward him and unloaded three rounds into his chest….

…only for them to pass harmlessly through him as his sand body protected him from being damaged. Mukuro's eyes widened as Jackson smirked. "Ever watch One Piece?" Jackson said before his hand transformed into a massive sand hammer that was easily twice the size of himself.

"What…?" Mukuro said, eyes going from wide to narrow before she leapt back, barely avoiding being flattened by Jackson's hammer hand. Mukuro snarled as her right arm began to roar to life with orange fire. Jackson took that as a sign to make a run for it, his body blasting apart into sand particles, gathering upward to a single point on the top of one of the roofs of the plethora of buildings.

Expand Senses allowed him to hear Mukuro yelling in anger as she barked orders to the cultists to find him. Not that they would be able to do that easily unless they already knew what building he was on. Jackson crouched, staring down at the road below as he felt a scowl take up his visage.

This sucked. Actually, this more than sucked. He knew Mukuro was going to be an endgame level threat, but not to that extent. It more clear than ever before. He needed to find this Seven Member, and unlock the rest of his and Ms. Pluton's levels. Chinatsu's as well. They were all going to need it.

The Despair Sisters had their target set on him, and they wouldn't let up until he died. He had too much to live for to die to them. He had someone that he needed to find, because they had died with him back on Earth Zero.

He needed to find his older brother.

He needed to find Jamol.

[-To Be Continued-]

[-Outro Song: Paradisus-Paradoxum – By: Myth & Roid-]

Well, would ya look at that, a nasty little cliffhanger. Aren't I just the best person in the world? Anyway, onto my response to reviews/comments.

[Response to Reviews/Comments]

(Qoutev) Sunky Addict: UDG really dropped the ball on that, but I'm not shocked. The Utsugi family will wish that they had never so much as even looked in the direction of Jolyne, because by the time she's done with them, there won't be much left….

(Ao3) AidenJacksonSmithDSBB: Context, my dear friend. That is the difference. On the one hand, in the original, it was an unprompted attack on both ends and entirely unjustified on Fuyuhiko's out of paranoia and fear. In this one, Jolyne is simply trying to protect Kotoko from her mother, and unfortunately, the Kuzuryu Clan is involved. This was going to happen since the beginning when Jolyne was beefing with Natsumi. Besides, it'll only be a matter of time before Fuyuhiko figures out that it was Jolyne who killed Natsumi.

(Ao3) fluffycuddlebug: Yeah… I feel bad for those two. Kotoko is a disaster child.

(Ao3) Kolt: John Wick Jr, huh? Don't give me ideas Kolt, you know what happens lol. I have yet to watch DxD and I don't think I will, so that reference completely illudes me. Have a good day, Kolt!

That's all from me. See ya'll in the next chapter! Peace!