Fate: Bonds Beyond Humanity

by Apprentice of Life

In a world where all can be real, what does it mean to be human? What is the meaning of humanity? A meeting between a human and a devil will have them discovering the truth while chasing their dreams. My take on the combined worlds of Fate and DxD with characters from other franchises if they can be adapted to it. Harem.

89. Chapter 89

Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

…..

89- After the Storm(Wrath)

…..

The first twenty four hours after a disaster were the most crucial to all of those involved, be it directly or indirectly: from the poorest to the richest, from those cleaning the streets to the head of government itself, the bigger the tragedy the more each of them was affected in all sorts of manners.

Depending on what exactly happened there were several things to be done regardless of who was in charge; a lot depended also on who had to clean the mess and in what capacity. In the case of an invasion it was already bad enough when several territories and cities were damaged in the fighting.

However it wasn't every day that a whole city, the capital of a whole dimension, or planet or country depending on semantics, was suddenly struck from the map.

Lilith was gone, absolutely destroyed in what was later called the Battle of the Fake Dragons, named after Ophis' creatures that pressed the defenders until their last breaths and the Red Dragon Emperor who finished destroying what was once the crown jewel of the Underworld.

A city inhabited by hundreds of thousands was obliterated and in its place there was just a giant chasm that made it impossible to rebuild on the short term even with magic. Earth needed to be moved, spells needed to be woven to make the soil firm, to reconnect the artificial ley line and prevent things from falling apart.

Only then reconstruction could begin and despite the devils never having done anything similar in their History they were confident that translating their knowledge of creating pocket dimensions into terraforming would help immensely.

But that would only happen after the mana left behind by the many combatants was purified, chief among them the one which came from the Sacred Lance. Rhongomyniad was a Holy Weapon but also not, created not by God but as a testament that something would stand after all things ended.

Its power wasn't necessarily toxic to devils or anything similar but the mana was too powerful for the average person to deal with so it needed to be removed. How was something that nobody knew but ideas would start flying around after dealing with the main problem of Lilith vanishing; its people.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees needed to be resettled somewhere and they couldn't just be sent to the Wildlands to help with the expansion. Most of them were civilians, sure as devils they had some fighting capability but not like soldiers or explorers. If anything their talents laid on more peaceful pursuits which were needed for a modern civilization.

Since all territories were controlled by Clans, that wasn't a task for the government alone; the invasion did more than just destroy Lilith, it also created a situation of emergency that would last weeks at least or years at most.

Because even if the first twenty four hours after a crisis were important, most of them lasted much longer.

"The efforts to move the refugees into our territory turned out to be more complicated than expected." Rias' uncle Riven, the caretaker of their capital Runeas, observed with a grunt as he sat in a place of honor by the Heiress' side. The meeting room was mostly full with members of the Gremory Clan even if only two shared blood. "Most of them refuse to come and even departed with their own wings once teleported into our territory."
"Bunch of ingrates!" Another devil complained, one of those who worked on managing the Gremory Territory in the Pillar's name. In total there were twenty three present when it should be twenty seven. "Our Heiress' Pawn lost his mind because of the enemy's actions! Don't they know that?! They are just giving those terrorists what they want!"
However three of those representatives died in the stadium while another perished defending their territory. "Even if they did…" A woman looking barely older than Rias spoke. Her expression gave off only frustration. "Fear isn't something rational and that experience was a sour reminder of what the Heavenly Dragons could do when angry."

"Can do." Someone whispered but nobody called them out.
"May we move on from this topic?" Rias asked candidly for there was an order beneath her tone. One she didn't want to give because despite the bitterness they only spoke the truth. "Goetia's Road lost many of its connections with Lilith's fall." Thankfully moving on was an option. Raising a few papers, she pointed towards a couple of numbers. "So far it says that our mana reserves are stable. Am I to infer the reason for that was the Devil's Luck?"
"Quite so, Lady Rias." Riven retorted with pride as his Clan's Power saved them all many extra headaches. "Whatever connections our territory had with Lilith were secondary and even tertiary." Not strange since even if one were to follow the road they would have to cross over two or three Territories before arriving at the Gremory's. "We also have saved much mana into crystals and our Magician's swords per your suggestion. Things are going smoothly for our Clan."
"Save for the losses and the many we still have to settle somewhere." Spoke a devil who looked to be in his fifties even if he was much older. Nobody blamed him for interrupting as the man had lost his wife and many friends in the attack, his son was the sole survivor of his household beside himself. "We have barely a few hundreds from Lilith willing to stay but just because we won't be dealing with any more doesn't mean Lord Lucifer won't require our services for something else."
Rias nodded in agreement while pulling a black and red pen and wrote something in her paperwork. "Then we just give them gold, some supplies and send those who don't want to stay their way. No point in denying their wishes." Yet the Heiress knew that wouldn't be enough of a contribution. "However Lilith wasn't the only city destroyed. Plenty of people were dislodged, have no place to go and have only partially felt Juggernaut Drive's rampage. If they are willing, we can have them move here. It would replace our losses, keep our economy stable and look good on paper." Looking up, the Heiress made sure to meet everyone's eyes. Considering her seat belonged to her father and was above everyone else's desks, it was rather easy. "Any objections?"
The Princess of Ruin didn't need to ask since she was sitting at the upper desk which stood two steps higher than anyone else's as her parents' representative which effectively made her Lady Gremory until their return.

Zeoticus' return to be specific as he was the official Lord of Gremory by blood and right even if besides the Lord's desk there was a smaller one for his consort whose word only fell short to the Lord's.

Only they could undermine their Heiress' orders but they wouldn't so long as she did a good job.

Usually they should be the ones in that meeting but the Underworld as a whole needed the Pillars to coordinate their territories for the sake of stability. In fact at that very moment Rias' parents were in a far more stressful meeting in whatever city the government decided would temporarily replace Lilith as the capital.

Even that 'temporarily' was in contention because many would fight to have their capital rebuilt while others would insist on moving on. Funnily enough the two sides would be fighting for a matter of pride and the result would be revealed a few weeks later when cooler heads prevailed.

Of course that wasn't the only subject of discussion in that meeting which was why most if not all Lords had been called, leaving their Heirs to manage the territories during the first proper crisis after the Underworld Civil War.

Fortunately all of them were raised for the job, including Rias. "Since we have no objections we move to the next topic." Raising the paper in her hands, she barely paid attention to Rin who collected the documents while Ravel placed a few others in front of their King. Both women wore customized military uniforms of red and black, gold buttons in the center, short skirts that still revealed nothing and black leggings. "Since the damage to our Territory was minimal, we need to ponder how to support the others. Orders are probably going to arrive soon and we need to be ready…"
Her pause was to give a chance to hear the obvious suggestions. "The problem is going to be the food." And immediately she wasn't disappointed. "But I don't see how that is our issue. It isn't our Clan speciality."

"But we do have fertile soil and our bounty is plenty."
"Yes. For our own people."
"It would be remiss to feed other Territories if we can't even feed ourselves."

"Sallos' Territories were hit!"

"Less than our own and Sitri's."
"As the former Clan of Lord Lucifer, we must demonstrate service."
Soon the room began to debate the merits of sharing their food which wasn't Rias' intention and she could only shake her head while trying to relax on the throne. It was the chair of the Lord and one day it would be hers but with her parents still working diligently the Princess of Ruin felt uncomfortable using it.

At least her dress was comfortable despite being on the prude side of things as Akeno had called it. Indeed if the Queen hadn't gone to bed by her goddess' orders and didn't have to attend the Divinity then she would be finding ways to play around the Heiress during that meeting.

If she didn't complain about her King's lack of sleep and extra workload which she would, or maybe even point out how that was the third meeting Rias had to participate in less than twenty hours and a break was recommended since the King of Gremory also had to deal with lots of paperwork.

Folding her arms over her desk, Rias subtly pinched her own arm through her dress' long sleeves to recover some focus. Meetings like those were boring enough but she also needed to manage tempers to avoid any conflict beyond debates.

It was all and good if people were throwing suggestions but when everyone could destroy the meeting room with a hand then a much firmer touch was required, basically a prerequisite to any Lord or Lady.

"Buchou…" Ravel's whisper only had the redhead raising a hand, prompting her Knight to retreat, back to the wall and hands hidden behind her.

As far as replacements for Akeno went when it came to serve as Rias' right hand either Luvia or Ravel were the best picks. Perhaps even better picks than the Queen herself since both were raised as nobles and knew how to navigate politics since young. Yet the Daughter of Phenex was the best choice both due to her blood and the Noble Phantasms on her back.

Direct threats weren't recommended but few devils could face the Married Blades and survive so just having them around was a show of strength. Unfortunately a passive demonstration of force wasn't enough to stop the meeting from devolving into petty fighting and shouting matches.

Which was why Rias' dark aura flared, silencing the room. "So far I just heard facts and bad ideas." The Princess of Ruin tapped on her rebel side that made her an enemy of the Elders. A reminder she wouldn't hesitate to break tradition if necessary. "And our job here is to find solutions."
"For a problem that still hasn't may never arrive." Her uncle, one of the few brave enough to challenge her, raised a good point. "The whole Underworld is helping deal with the crisis, anyone still holding to old loyalties is now on the back foot after the Old Satan Faction revealed their true colors. We have no opposition."
"Serafall Sitri has been beaten." All eyes turned to the woman who had spoken but she remained firm. Looking nothing like a Gremory, black hair and eyes, she still bore the beauty and stoicism of a true aristocrat. "Old loyalties may not be as dead as you think, lord Riven."

Fixing her posture, Rias began tapping her fingers on her desk. "Lady Leviathan," she put special emphasis on the Title to remind everyone where their loyalties should lie, "may have been beaten but she is still worthy of her throne. Remember that."
When speaking about Serafall everyone had to be careful because there was no news over her recovery or even survival. Another thing that worried the Heiress of Gremory immensely and she had even tried to contact Sona several times between breaks to know if she was or if her friend needed help.

A day had passed since tragedy struck and Rias heard nothing from her friend or the Sitri in general. "Regardless, as Lord Lucifer's Clan, we must do our part." Again she paused, waiting for anyone to challenge her words. All nodded in agreement, still proud of Sirzechs' position as King of the Underworld. "Very well. As risking our stores would be stupid, we have no choice but to buy food."
"From who, milady?" Asked another woman with confusion. One which was shared by everyone else in the meeting. "Logically the other Territories are going through similar problems. Or worse and can't part with their share at all. Who are we going to buy from?"
"From Earth." Rias replied with a smirk that had everyone pausing.

"That… could work…"

"They have plenty of food there, don't they?"
"Forests there don't eat you alive. Also some of their farms are bigger than cities."

"Really?"

"Things have changed since the last time I went there."
"It will still cost us." Riven threw a bucket of cold water on the excitement and it took Rias some effort to not lose her smirk. "Not everywhere on Earth is at peace nor are their governments united enough to deal with famine. Buying big quantities of food will be anything but cheap."
All his arguments were valid so the Heiress could only nod. "True. True. But we are the Gremory. Our business acumen is second to none in the Underworld." She declared firmly while buttering up the other devils. "And we already established that there will be less difficulty for us to do something like that because we will have less work on settling new people." The retort was calm and once again she gave time for anyone to argue back. "Sure it will be expensive but we have several treasure troves. If we don't use them now, then when?"
"Certainly… the crisis warrants it." The same woman who once disrespected Serafall spoke, trying to regain some of the Heiress' favor.

After that there was another thirty minutes of discussion which raised several issues but in the end everything went back to the two main ones: money and fear.

Because of the Red Dragon Emperor it was inevitable that some devils would look at their Clan with new eyes unless Rias decided to dispose of him, which wasn't going to happen. Business may shift once things stabilized but stability was the order of the day so fear was buried under money.

Money for food, for clothes, for shelter, to support Sirzechs Lucifer, bribes and several other bills to be paid were accounted for in that meeting leaving much would still be debated in the next ones to follow.

At the end of each and everyone Rias would have to compile a report, something she began while wrapping up the meeting. Nobody was going to leave immediately and a few other devils had their own paperwork to work on but they could at least start them between discussions.

By the end of the third hour Rias was about to crash but didn't dare to show weakness. Instead she stood up from her desk which had everyone doing the same, her long dress dancing with every step she took towards the exit. Her outfit was somewhat similar to the uniform her Knight and assistant were wearing, a battle dress of a sort.

Similar color scheme, long sleeves to protect the arms while hiding most of her skin leaving only her neck and some cleavage exposed but only because she had two buttons open. On her feet there were red heels from a specific mark in the Underworld that worked with outfits fit for combat.

She would still have preferred boots but much like the dress those were the weapons and her armor for the arena of politics. "Remember to call me with any updates or if you need extra assistance. With luck, Lord and Lady Gremory will return swiftly and we will have directions about how to deal with this crisis." Turning to the devils in the room, she offered them a smile and a nod. "However, until then, we shall hold on and improve our situation as best as we can. For the Gremory!"

""For the Gremory! For Lord Lucifer! For the Ars Goetia!""

Everyone began to disperse, some of them marching towards the teleportation tower with every intent of returning to their territories while quite a few would just make calls and wait in the castle for the next meeting.

Fact was that the situation was still developing and updates from the field meant new strategic meetings or change of plans every hour. Not to mention there were several levels of devils who needed to air their grievances or deal with new problems. Just talking through magic circles wasn't enough, too many voices, too many people.

Walking down the hallway with just Rin and Ravel, Rias felt comfortable enough to vent a little. "Can't wait for when we have more computers around here."

"What do computers have to do with anything?" Asked Rin with a face of legitimate confusion which made the redhead chuckle and the Knight shake her head.

"Even I know that communication with computers is much easier. Especially to make calls." The Daughter of Phenex commented.

And the magus waved the idea away. "Nothing that a better adjusted spell can't fix. Weren't devils cooperating with angels to make special tables for these sort of meetings."
"Those are hard to make and everyone needs to have one." Rias informed her with a tired giggle. "They are also better because of interdimensional communication. That is something the Internet can't replicate."

"Yet." While busy observing her King, Ravel managed to get ahead before asking. "Shouldn't we go to your room, Buchou?"

Immediately the humor left the Heiress and the Princess of Ruin took charge. "We all know the day isn't done, Ravel."

"Your day ended yesterday after the Rating Game." Rin commented, happy with the topic change for something she knew. "Look, I know it isn't our place to talk but you even went out of your way to ask me for help so that Gorilla could rest a bit. You also should take a nap."

"Luvia has another job. A more important one." Nobody could disagree with Rias as they stopped in front of her office's door. "And like Ravel, you know most of how to manage my documents better than any random devil could. You are the best, actually."

The blond glared at Tohsaka who just shrugged as Rias grinned and opened her door, getting ready for another round of paperwork. She almost lost her footing when an extremely pleasant smell announcing someone was already in her office hit her nostrils.

Didn't take even a second for her to dive straight on his arms and rub his chest with her face. "Whoa! Careful, Rias."
"Shiro! You woke up!" She couldn't be more pleased because standing before her dressing in a plain white and blue shirt and jeans was her beloved.

Also he was holding two plates with food which was an excellent bonus. "And you haven't had a wink of sleep." His tone was reproachful and concerned but he also gave her a gentle smile before placing the two dishes on her desk and returning the hug. "Glad you are fine. I was worried when you weren't by my side."
"Which didn't last long because his actual dependable woman reminded him you had work to do." Xenovia commented as she and Liz arrived from another door with carts full of food. Wearing a dark green top and also jeans, her smile was smug, making Rias pout. "Seriously, sister? Couldn't even leave a note? Our beau was more than concerned you were running yourself ragged."
"Oh, are we sisters now?" The Heiress asked with a chuckle to try and hide her exhaustion.

Which failed as Shirou grabbed her arm and gently nudged her towards a chair. "A note wouldn't help. Not when I know you haven't taken a wink of sleep yet." He placed a cup of tea in front of his first lover which she drank after he gave her a look. "What is happening that you can't rest?"
"Lots of meetings and the Underworld half panicking." Ravel commented before Rias could retort and when she tried the Mage picked a spoonful of food and offered it to her. Not resisting being fed by her beloved, the redhead devil could only open her mouth with a blush, not even caring that his attention was on her Knight. "Currently nobody can make heads or tails of everything that is going on. The government is in chaos, the capital destroyed, people are lost and thous-"

"Ravel-"
"Thousands are dead." Shirou brushed Rias' cheek because he knew she had been trying to stop him from hearing those news. From feeling worse than he already was. "I already imagined. And the numbers on Lilith wouldn't have been small."
Grasping his hand, the Heiress was quickly assured, "It isn't your fault."

A few seconds of silence passed by while Rin made her way to the cart Liz had been pushing. "No, the situation is nobody but those terrorists' fault. Also the corruption in the Underworld." Seeing the sort of food her fellow magus had prepared, the Head of Tohsaka noticed every single one of the dishes was on the lighter side. Giving the maid a look, she collected one after a nod of approval. "Coordination has been shot to hell with Lilith's destruction. Like Ravel said, 'nobody can make heads or tails' and it is mostly because the Underworld took a huge hit on the 'brain'."

"Can't they just move the capital or something?" Xenovia asked while leaning on a wall.

The twin tailed magus was the first to reply. "It isn't that simple. Ignoring the magical side of things and forgetting the Goetia ley line for a moment, just having a place of work is fundamental to any government… for anything, really."

"It helps with cohesion, coordination and to keep everybody in check." Shirou added as he fed Rias another spoonful of soup which was odd for her as the Mage never made that sort of meal

Nevertheless she was relishing his attention.

"'The center cannot hold'." Liz suddenly quoted and even if it wasn't completely appropriated, most of them understood the reference.

Without a central authority there were a lot of devils who didn't know what to do or took advantage of the lack of supervision and furthered their own ambitions. Messages, even with magic, can be lost or ignored after all. Or orders can be misplaced somewhere in the command chain by 'human error'.

"Can't they just raise a temporary capital or something?" The bluehead asked. "I mean, didn't we save a lot of people? If the people are fine then that should be easy."
"It certainly isn't going to be any harder." Ravel half agreed with her statement yet she knew it was far more complicated.

Rias was the one who found a good comparison. "Imagine the shock that would be if the Vatican suddenly was destroyed. Completely obliterated." The former Exorcist suddenly found herself silent as the King of Gremory continued. "In this example… the Pope survives, everyone was evacuated but the loss of life… considerable, to say the least." After a beat of hesitation she moved on. "The loss of people, even a single one, is already a bad sign…"

Her lover offered another spoon of food before asking, "You haven't rested yet, have you?" Placing his other hand on her head, he added. "Not just sleep. Rest in general. Did you-"

"The doctors gave me a clean bill of health." Before the Mage could say anything further, she focused on Xenovia. "People die in situations like this, no matter how good the evacuation. Then there is the less important stuff; books, documents, treasures and the very land itself." She flinched before massaging her temples. "The Vatican isn't important because it is where the Pope lives, it is important as a place for people to gather, where power gathers. Once it is gone it is like a black eye on the owner's authority."

"So…" The blue haired swordswoman folded her arms below her chest. "The problem is not what we lost in that place but that we lost the place itself." She nodded in understanding. "And like a wound-"
"It needs time to heal. The people need time to heal." Ravel frowned before letting out a breath and sitting down in a random chair.

Xenovia nodded again. "... Rome was once the capital of Christianity once and we had it changed…"
"But Rome wasn't fully ripped out of the map." Rias retorted gently. "It was transferred after a lot of negotiation and the Vatican came to be… It is extremely rare for a capital to change unless there is a conquest, or assimilation, between countries and this… this is the second time." The Heiress tapped her finger on the table two times rather forcibly. "The second time a capital is destroyed, the second time the Underworld suffers because of war and even then the first one is still there… just different." A den of gambling, that was what the city of Lucifer became. "And we can't just move back either because the Old Satan Faction is responsible for-"

"But they weren't. I was." Shirou interrupted with a sad look. "If I haven't gone and challenged Juggernaut Drive-"
"Then the city would have been destroyed anyway." It was Rin's turn to interrupt with a shrug. "At least this way Ise lived."

Her words worked into cheering Shirou up a bit and he smiled. "Thank you." He then placed the spoon back on Rias' plate. "Eat, take a bath and go rest a little."
"Shirou, I can't. There is a lot-"

"I know." The Mage interrupted gently despite his smile disappearing. "Good grief, I have been watching almost everyone in the castle jumping from the walls to get their posts faster. Did you know that besides cooking for you, I had to cook for the whole castle because most of the staff was either busy or went with your parents?" He wasn't complaining, just pointing out something which would shock his lover. Which it did, the Heiress suddenly realizing something crucial. "You are out there helping a lot but letting the affairs of Gremory Castle pass by you. Not only that but… have you gone to check on the others?"

Rias tried to remember when she did and her mind could only conjure the image of her and Akeno watching Ise and Asia sleeping "Did everyone wake up? Is Ise alive?"

"Koneko is taking care of him…" Shirou observed delicately before pointing a thumb at his fellow magus. "It apparently was Rin's idea."
Blue eyes focused on her, the Head of Tohsaka shrugged again. "His problem is in life force, vital energy. Nobody is better than a nekomata with Ki control to help that stabilize."
"Ise still sleeps but Asia's awake." Liz pointed out, throwing Rias out of balance.

"She is in his room with Luvia, Koneko and Irina." Then Xenovia spoke and the King noticed how out of the loop she was. At least when it came to her Pawn and Bishop. "Azazel dropped by for a few minutes, told us that Rin's idea had merit and then flew out."
"He also promised a more thorough check up once he has time." Shirou couldn't even phantom what sort of tests Ise would have to do but from the look on Azazel's face he knew there wouldn't be few.

And he also knew there were some reserved for him as the fallen angel was extremely curious where the extra mana had come from. In their short talk before the Governor General returned to his duties the redhead admitted not knowing and that only made his friend more suspicious.

Not that the Mage minded or would complain, he was also curious. "Anyway, we can't have you running ragged. Not in a situation like this."
"But I need-"

"To rest. Leave something to the others. Leave it to me." Shirou asked sincerely, his words reaching her heart. "I may not be a Heir or a devil but as your Magician people around here listen to me."

"Actually they seem to be more eager for your orders." Xenovia observed with a smirk.
Ravel grunted irritably. "Probably because you are the most likely future Lord of Gremory. At least in the capacity of consort." Her glare would have made lesser men cowl but the Mage just stared back with a raised brow. "Onee-sama pretty much announced her love for you back at the camp and everyone knows that a Gremory's Love…"
"Is forever and unique." Basically Shirou understood that was pretty much a marriage declaration as far as the average devil knew. Seeing Rias' stoic expression he got that she also knew as much but had no shame about declaring what to her was always a fact. "Me not being a devil is going to be a problem?"
That question had his lover glaring at a wall. "If someone dares to suggest that then they are dead."
"Realistically it will be." Ravel respectfully ignored her King. "But everyone is too busy with Lilith's destruction and the chaos from the invasion to raise a fuss about it. Just get ready to deal with the Elders in a couple of months, maybe years."

"Or earlier." Liz pointed out but when she didn't elaborate they moved on with the conversation.

"Either way, eat something then go rest for a bit. Let me take charge for a few hours."
"But there is just so much to do! We just organized the supplies and I need to make sure the new arrivals get places to stay."
Instead of questioning Rias, Shirou's eyes shifted to Ravel. "Does it need to be her?"

"No." The redhead noble glared at her Knight, feeling a stab of betrayal. Nevertheless the Daughter of Phenex agreed her King needed to rest. "Delegation is an option. Hell. I can do it. You do remember I also was raised as a noble, right, Onee-sama?"

"Fine but there is still a lot to do. I need to take inventory-"
"Can do it." Shirou said simply, earning a small glare.

"-organize a better security-"

"Leave it to me!" Xenovia offered herself proudly. "Just meeting with a bunch of guys to sort out personnel, right? Saw Griselda do that a thousand times." She noticed Rias' skeptical look and grinning. "And she made sure I knew how to do it. Most Exorcists didn't get that training… luck bastards."
A sigh left the Heiress' lips as she relaxed on her chair. "Is that why all this light food?"
"Soup and broth do not weigh in the stomach while you take a nap." Her lover commented while stirring her dish. "Also made sure they were all warm for you and the girls since I heard from a imp that you weren't the only one avoiding rest."
"Akeno?"
"Akeno." Shirou answered with a grin. "To be fair even Medusa is worried. You went from a trap, to checking on me and everyone else to then jumping back to work without pause. Makes me feel embarrassed for taking a nap."

"You faced a Juggernaut Drive, Shiro." Xenovia reminded everyone of the risk he took. While the Mage could feel Rias flinching and a glare from Rin, he did his best to soldier on. "A nap was the least you needed."
"Well, I am back on my feet, rested and ready." Shirou made sure to show only confidence in his expression for Rias' sake. "So leave it to me, alright. Just go rest a bit and I promise the castle won't fall apart because of it."
"But I still need… I need to…" She could see not only in his eyes but on everyone else's that they all could see their burden and only wanted to help. Yet there were things only she could do not only as Heiress but also as Rias Gremory. "I need…" Holding her forehead with a hand, she took a sigh which represented all the stress and exhaustion she had accumulated over a day. "I need to call Sona…"
That was one conversion Rias knew had to happen due to their Clans' alliance but had been delayed because her oldest friend refused to answer. No, in reality it was because Sona hadn't replied nor been reachetable for the last twelve hours. In fact the whole Sitri Clan was a mess because of Serafall's defeat.

Just thinking about that reminded Rias of the other conversation that had to happen, one she had been dreading to have: she needed to call her brother. Sure the man was more busy than her but some things had been said during their last meeting and several more needed to be said.

But if the Pillars were busy then the current Lucifer and the other Maous had to be buried under their jobs. People needed to be led and reassured while the Underworld watched their leaders work together to keep it stable. More than when they won the civil war, contested by the invasion, it was that crisis which would define the new regime's worth.

"You didn't call her yet?" None of that crossed Shirou's mind. He was more worried about Rias the second she mentioned Sona. "I thought… Is this about Serafall?"
"... Leviathan was defeated and the one who did it was a member of the Original Leviathan's Clan…" Placing a finger close to her lips, she shook her head. With so many visitors in her castle, she wasn't taking any chances. "Worst yet, last I heard Serafall hasn't woken up yet."

Shifting through her papers, Rias soon found a report about the Maou's condition and offered it to Shirou. The magus took a look at it and was about to say something before reading through, surprised as the thing actually was written in Japanese. An odd choice considering where they were but he silently read the thing, respecting his lover's choice.

"That is a lot of wounds that EM fixed up but she should wake up eventually. If anything she is probably just sleeping because of exhaustion, like Ise." When his other lover approached, Shirou handed over the report for her to read.

"Isn't Ise's situation a whole different story?" The former Exorcist took a look at the report and frowned, noticing the whole thing was written on devil language. 'Didn't know Shiro was studying it. Then again he got so many books inside his Reality Marble that it must be easy for him.' After a second she placed it in front of Rias and asked, "Does she have any brain damage or something?"
"It is possible. I don't know how the restorations spells on EM work on those…" Shirou wasn't going to test by himself and as far as he knew devils never had the chance to do it. Leaning over he read the paper again before frowning and shaking his head. "Better to ask her doctor in any case. They will be able to explain more."
Yet the Mage of Swords didn't notice he was easily reading the Underworld's alphabet and Rias was too tired to ask who taught him. Anyone else could only guess he learned it somewhere but without asking directly they couldn't know where the knowledge came from.

It was from the thing in his soul, the attempt of a takeover left some marks, most of them which Shirou wouldn't notice for quite some time.

Nevertheless he understood the reports on Rias' table which gave him enough confidence to say, "Let me handle this, alright. Catch some sleep and then when you wake up we can get everyone together while you call Sona." The redheads looked at each other and he added, "Serafall was almost murdered. If her family is having trouble it is because her sister and their daughter… maybe won't wake up any time soon."

"What makes you say that?" Rin asked with a curious expression and the Mage paused for a bit to think about what he just said.

Usually he was optimistic and Serafall's body had been fully healed, both by his EMs as well as the best medical care the devils could afford. Looking at the reports again Emiya couldn't give an actual reason why Serafall wouldn't wake up.

"Call it a hunch." Shirou admitted with bitterness in his mouth. "Maybe it is just my experience talking, maybe it is the memories of the thousands of swords stuck in my brain from Gilgamesh's Vault…" The number of deaths he had 'read' when inspecting those weapons after the fight was huge. Sobering up, he concluded. "I sincerely hope I am wrong, that Serafall wakes up… But something tells me she won't, at least not by herself."

"Like if she was hit by the Sleep Disease?" Rias questioned outloud and upon seeing the confusion in the room, she elaborated. "It is one of the few diseases that actually affects devils and only devils."
The Mage remained confused. "But what does it have to do with Serafall?"

It was the Knight who answered. "Because nobody knows the cause of the Sleep Disease. Or the cure." Ravel took a sip of her soup and refused to show how pleased she was for the taste. "For some reason there are devils who fall asleep and just… don't wake up anymore. Their vitals are normal, their mana reserves are full and yet they sleep."
"Seriously? There wasn't a single common factor among the victims?" Rin asked in disbelief which grew when both devils shook their heads. "Unbelievable. How long has this disease existed?"
"Since devils were created?" Rias replied with uncertainty.

"Not like the disease is common enough to be observed. There are just a few cases. Less than a hundred in thousands of years, I think." Ravel pointed out with apathy. "If anything the Sitri Clan, specialized in medicine, will know more. Personally, I never met anyone who caught the disease."
Biting her lip, the Heiress of Gremory once knew someone who suffered that particular fate. "Saira's- I mean, Sairaorg's mother. She has been asleep for almost two decades now."
"Is that why he lived with the Gremory?" Xenovia remembered when she and Shirou were investigating the black market for his swords. The Lion of Bael had talked a little about himself then, about how the Gremory had watched over him when nobody else would. "That was why…"
"Regardless of the situation, his mother fell to the Sleep Disease." Rias said out loud just to make sure they understood the situation. "It isn't contagious and she didn't fight anyone to get into a coma in the first place." Her eyes turned back to her lover. "Are you sure Serafall won't awake?"

"... Like I said, a hunch." Shirou couldn't explain as anything else even if it sprung from taking a look at the reports about the Leviathan's condition. "Let's hope that I am wrong. Or that she will only sleep for a few days and go back to her magic girl shenanigans." 'Illya would like those. Before joining the Khaos Brigade she loved magic girl shows.'

Letting out another sigh, Rias couldn't help but feel her own exhaustion. "There is to be a service for the fallen. A funeral and a monument." Plans hadn't been made yet but it was easy for her to imagine.
"Is it today?" Shirou asked immediately and she shook her head. "Good. Then you have time to rest and work after you rest."

"But the longer I take, the longer it will take for us to go back to Fuyuki." Her last card to play, their desire to go back home. Sure their familiars and the city Watchers would take their place if necessary but didn't change the fact they would stay away from a longer period of time.

"Take your time." The Mage countered it with a shrug. "Fuyuki is still going to be there after a few days. This is more important."

"I agree." Of everyone else Rin, the one who wanted to return to their city the most, wasn't in any rush because of the situation.
Realizing she wasn't going to get her way, Rias surrendered. "Losing a few days of classes will be detrimental to some in our group. Maybe we can send them back early."
"Nobody's leaving you." Liz pointed out the obvious.

With that note Rias, Ravel and Rin had a few bowls of soup while the Heiress explained what exactly her lover would need to do, at least the basics. In the end he offered the idea of separating the reports he judged important or not while making a list of what was actually urgent.

Fifteen minutes after that was defined the three women left, Rias to sleep and the other two just to rest or do whatever they wanted with their free time. The King of Gremory demanded to be woken up four to five hours later but silently everyone agreed she would sleep however long her body judged necessary.

Leaving only Shirou, Liz and Xenovia in the office for a bit as the bluehead grabbed another document. "Are you sure you can deal with these?"

"Easy enough, if not a bit boring." The Mage of Swords acknowledged while his maid moved to make him some tea. "Since it is just paperwork and Rias will check everything later, everything will be fine so long I am patient." Reading the first paper immediately made the redhead frown. Devils apparently liked to use extremely flowery language. "Maybe I will also summarize some of these, write a few suggestions in another piece of paper to make her work easier."

Not liking to deal with that sort of work, Xenovia just accepted his word. "So, about this security meeting I have to deal with…"

"It is right… here!" Shirou found the report on it, took out a blank piece of paper and started writing something. "These are most of the important topics and your only job will be to somewhat direct everyone. Ignore the maps on the original one, the devils around here know the territory better than us so let them make suggestions and work around based on them." There would be no direct combat or even training involved so the former Exorcist only needed to pay attention to what her 'subordinates' could do. "I see here that one of Zeoticus' Pieces is the head of security. Work with him. Your only job will be to listen and judge who is better where." Considering her experience as an Exorcist there was no doubt Xenovia was qualified.

Even if she wasn't, plenty of devils there were old enough to know what they were good at. The bluehead's presence as a representative would be enough to make the meeting and its results official. If she were to contribute to it, which Shirou had faith she would, then it would only be a plus.

After a few minutes, he handed his lover a spreadsheet with some names and tips about the devils who will be at the meeting. Xenovia was smart enough to figure anything else by herself so he didn't need to give any further instructions. All she needed were names and tasks and those the redhead could give her.

Once she took a look at the sheet, she chuckled. "Well, this makes stuff easier. Would be strange getting to the meeting and not knowing anyone's names." Raising her eyebrows, she asked. "Got any pictures to help? I still won't have any clue whose names belong to who."
"One of the butlers can tell you who is who. Just get one to take you to the meeting and make some introductions before it starts."
"Sir, yes sir." The former Exorcist giggled. "Now you are looking like a lord."
"Please forget about it."
"Never." After receiving her orders, Xenovia departed the office with one last word. "But I am glad… that you are finally taking the lead."
"I am not-" His words when his blue haired lover closed the door without letting him finish. Taking a deep breath, Shirou got back to work. "Seriously, I don't mind taking the lead but being a leader isn't for me."
"Why not?" Liz asked while placing a cup of tea by his left before moving around to stand behind his throne. The Gremory throne to be more precise. "Your parents lead, your sister leads. Why not you?"
Blinking a few times to process the maid's question, Shirou quickly began to wonder. 'When was the last time it was just the two of us?' He mused for a bit before noticing her red eyes focused on him. "Because sitting on a desk coordinating doesn't feel the same as just going around doing stuff." Was the first thing that came to his mind. "Staying behind, trusting others to do what I could with my own two hands… letting things happen isn't my style… Especially after the events of yesterday."
A part of the Mage of Swords' mind demanded him to drop everything and go after Sirzechs for a better explanation of what his plans were before tragedy struck. He wished to know what to do about the dead or even Serafall's fate since her defeat was bound to have repercussions.

Because things weren't going to end with that invasion. Shirou was sure the Underworld Civil War hadn't restarted yet something had changed, mistakes were made. People had died and he refused to believe it was for nothing.
'Lilith's destruction is a tragedy but…' Opening a drawer he found a pile of papers Rias had been quick to try to hide once she saw him. Nobody else noticed but when it came to his loves, his eyes missed nothing. 'The true tragedy are the names on this list.'

He didn't recognize a single name in there but the fact Rias tried to hide it was telling, even more so when a quick Structural Analysis on the desk showed the Heiress staring at it for several minutes before Akeno snapped her out of it.

Thanks to his magecraft he found another few documents with more details including several names corresponding with the list. It was a list of the dead, a list of the people the Gremory lost during the invasion. Easily the Mage could guess it wasn't even complete, just holding the names of those deemed important for the Clan.

'There will be many others like this. A lot of people died.' Bellerophon sang in his soul to try and light the burden in his conscience. However Shirou was quick to give him a pat on the head, directing the pegasus to rest some more, his power greatly reduced despite his rider's recovery. 'For now the Underworld will be more focused on Ise's rampage and the destruction of Lilith but…' He began crushing the papers. 'They are going to pay for it! I won't let the Old Satan Faction get away with-'

A hand suddenly rested on the redhead's shoulder before gently nudging him. "Shirou?"

"Huh? Liz? What is wrong?"
"I thought you were going to work." Her eyes moved to the pile of documents before focusing on the ones in his hands. "You have been… still for a while."

Realizing he spent a minute or so staring at the lists, Shirou cleared his throat. "I see… Thank you. Later I am going to make you some cookies, what do you think?" The promise of treats did little to move the maid, so he decided to open himself a little. "A lot of people died because of my hesitation, Liz. I know…" He raised his voice a little, interrupting her reply. "... that not every name in here was my responsibility, that I can't blame myself for everyone here." Not a single one of them was under his command and he was sure to not meet even one of these devils. While those were facts, so were the reasons for his guilt. "I hesitated and people died. Because I trusted in an abstract plan people died and ended in lists just like these."
Which was why he couldn't help but stare at the one which held the name of several Gremory devils. Perhaps some of them were in the stadium, perhaps not, it didn't really matter because the possibility he failed them was there. That by his inaction had resulted in the loss of life.

It wasn't like how he came across a 'normal war' and couldn't interfere due to the risk of escalating. He still got everyone in the vicinity as far away from the conflict as he could throughout the whole front line. Sure that didn't solve the main problem but he couldn't interfere more without risking more death.

The Underworld's situation was the other way around; he could have interfered so long he distrusted Sirzechs' plans and risked instability which of course he didn't, taking a back seat while trusting the devils could sort themselves out.

However plans had gone warry, people died and while the enemy had been defeated it was not the main perpetrators nor the person who managed to defeat Serafall. That was a dangerous individual and unlike most believe, not someone just from the Leviathan Clan. No, her identity heralded something far more sinister.

Medusa had told him who she was, the person who called a storm, flooded a city and defeated one of the new regime's champions who was considered the strongest woman; Leviathan of the Original Satans.

'Leviathan's return can't be good, not for the Underworld nor for anyone else. Medusa is right, a being like that didn't just come back, someone must have resurrected her. But how?' A glance at the documents had him using Alteration a second later to fix them all. With a swift move he returned them to the drawer but only after using Structural Analysis to record every single name there in his swords. "Sorry for worrying you, Liz. I just have a lot to think about."

"... I shall help with whatever is required." His maid assured him.

And he knew it was the truth. "Thank you." Yet that filled him with dread because of the idea she would help and die. Considering the enemy was Leviathan and how easily she dispatched Tannin, her power couldn't be underestimated. 'I need to get stronger.'

Facing Juggernaut Drive shifted his stance on how to develop himself. After completing his Ascension, the Mage started to believe he could take his time with the next step. His power was akin to a god's, after all, even a minor one. That his and the pegasus' versatility meant he could do much with little.

Yet that was a mistake, having versatility meant nothing if he couldn't use it completely or had the proper tools to make it an asset. 'I need better weapons.' An easy conclusion to reach since Sihrou was sure that if he had a better dragon slaying sword, saving Ise would have been easier. Perhaps Lilith would have survived then. 'If Tannin's body had survived-'

Immediately Shirou cut down his own thoughts while feeling anger at himself building up in his gut as he started remembering the Dragon King. The redhead had talked with him, cooked for him, shared a laugh with him and suddenly thinking about using the dragon's body to make a weapon made him furious.

Slowly he kept working on the reports, making sure to not worry Liz who was at his back ready for anything. Barely looking at it, he took his tea with a single gulp before focusing more on his work. His maid refilled the cup silently, her eyes looking for any sign of distress on his body.

Which was fine, he had already recovered his focus after mourning the loss of Tannin, a friend and ally, silently in the privacy of his mind. Only Bellerophon heard his musing and the pegasus wouldn't judge his rider for seeking strength.

But dismissing the idea of making a new weapon, left him another avenue for growth. 'If I can't get any new Noble Phantasms, I just need to improve the one I have.' Ascalon shone inside his Reality Marble, its image shifting to the forefront of the redhead's mind. 'There is more to that sword's Legend than just being killing a dragon and they are the true power of a Noble Phantasm, the fact they are Crystalized Legends.' Their History and deeds were, in fact, their greatest strength. 'If I can increase my options by exploring their Legends then I don't need new weapons. The ones I have will be enough.'

To be fair he had a similar idea while working with Azazel and Olga Marie while examining Tsubasa's condition when she was bonded with Galahad's shield. Unfortunately his fellow magus' research was geared towards Evil Pieces, exclusively on those used to Reincarnate humans.

Because of that the Elders had tried to stall it since pureblood devils couldn't gain Noble Phantasm while arguing there would be an imbalance of power. Technically they were correct but with Sona pushing for reform it was only a matter of time before she had her way.

Which would have happened so long Serafall remained on her sister's side but with her in a coma there would be delays and new fights. Especially if she took too long to wake up which Shirou felt was going to happen.

Regardless he brushed the Head of the Animusphere's system aside, focusing on his own. 'While the adaptation isn't quite complete, Ascension lets me use other Noble Phantasms besides the Married Twins with some limitations… What if I tried something else? To lean more on the secondary Noble Phantasms that I can use.' His eyes began to shine with resolve and power as Bellerophon felt much better and eager. 'Could I somehow sync them to the Married Blades? Just Tracing them grants extra aura so maybe if I establish a stronger connection before or during Ascension…'

It was worth a try if nothing else.

And if that failed he would try another idea.

And another one until he found a solution that allowed him to save more people.

…

"Today I am proud to welcome the five of you into my priesthood. Rejoice for you now follows a goddess. Rejoice for the Underworld shall hear more of the Word of Medusa." The purple haired goddess spoke eloquently and calmly, her eyes full of compassion and interest as her hair danced close to the floor. Wearing a long purple and white kimono tied with a dark red obi, she was a vision of beauty more stunned as usual while standing on a stage. "Let us all celebrate our union! My name is Medusa, Goddess of Snakes! Here I decree you are my priestesses, worthy of my Love! My Authority! My Power!"

Violet mana began rolling around the goddess' body as the faithful watching the ceremony quickly began to pray while soft instruments played. It was the first proper ceremony Medusa conducted and she had taken inspiration from several other Faiths, mostly Japanese but also Greek.

Purple filled the temple from almost all sides since the devils had built the place for Medusa so obviously it would carry her color. Statues of bronze and gold depicting an older version of her could be found all around. The tallest of them glorified the Gorgon with a more beautiful female body while retaining the snakes for hair.

The building itself was open, several pillars held the huge rooftop that covered everyone since and few walls could be found in the temple. Those walls hid offices, bathrooms the size of houses, rooms private and public. Everything else was open for view making the place comfortably large.

And around the goddess who stood above all were dozens of devils wearing her colors with their aristocratic flair; dresses and coats of purple spread around everywhere. Except for the ones kneeling close to Medusa as they had colors similar to Akeno's outfit; purple hakama pants and a lighter shade for their haori.

The reason for that was because Medusa had decided those outfits would be the standard uniform for her priestess, a manner to honor the country which had adopted her. For the Queen herself she stood in the view of all enveloped by her Noble Gear, looking as a princess as much as a priestess.

Mana approached the five women before taking the shape of snakes, one for each woman. They barely touched the ground before moving around the faithful and jumping in their new vessels. Unlike with Ophis' power, those snakes wouldn't be consumed, they would become a part of the devils.

Even beneath the robes everyone could see light shine between the women's wings as the symbol of a snake almost making an 'S' manifested before disappearing from the view of all as their hair grew long, as long as Akeno's at least.

Long enough to touch the floor if the devils weren't quick to collect ribbons and ropes to tie their hair, one which was red, three which were black and one which was orange. They didn't tie like the High Priestess with each woman choosing their own style but all made sure it wouldn't touch the floor.

"Welcome, sisters and daughters, to my family. From now on you shall be Priestesses of Medusa! My representatives! Guide the Underworld to prosperity and beauty!" Roars and applause followed as her new priestesses raised to their feet.

Akeno remained stoic while standing at the Deity's side as she concluded her speech and the people began dancing to an upbeat song. 'The first devils to join any sort of priesthood. I am happy that I won't be the only priestess anymore. All those events were rather tiring.'

The Queen of Gremory joked to herself even if she was slightly nervous because of that turn of events: to all intents and purposes those priestesses were her subordinates with only their goddess holding more authority than her.

Indeed during the initial vows, Medusa made sure to include her position as High Priestess as one of the figures the women would follow after herself and they had agreed to it with great zeal.

While nervous, Akeno could admit the territory wasn't necessarily new to her as she was Rias' second in command and was used to deliver orders for the Gremory once in a while. But at the same time the 'flavor' of her position felt different and not just for the new priestesses but to every devotee Medusa managed to gain.

Tragedy was an excellent way for people to gather under new ideals, religion usually being the one which most benefited from catastrophes and despair. Devils usually didn't follow anything, the ideas of Goetia more often than not had the Pillars as reference but was not something substantial during a crisis.

Medusa, who stood there making a barrier that grew stronger with each and every prayer the devils gave was extremely substantial. Sure Odin had contributed plenty into jailing Ise in place which saved many lives but they all felt the small goddess' power holding the Red Raging Dragon back.

'They saw her grow stronger with their support.' Akeno glanced at her goddess who was speaking with a devil or another. 'And they saw me. They saw power that could be gained and after the invasion everyone wants something to help them all feel safer.'

The five new priestesses approached her and the hybrid was quick to expose her face with a mental command to Serpent Eye. Her smile was radiant as she studied the women, each more beautiful than the next. Some of it was because of their species but the rest was because of Medusa's power which ran through their veins.

It was like those five devils had somehow gained the majesty of angels, feeling and looking greater than they were individually. Their new longer hair was shining as well, almost sparklingly as they played with the power their goddess had offered.

"Lady Akeno!" One of them had stepped forward before the others and the Queen of Gremory almost felt odd at being called with such reverence. That woman was a pureblood devil, daughter of a Pillar even if not a Heiress, so in the Underworld's hierarchy she was supposed to be above the 'Reincarnated' devil. "We are so glad to join our goddess' church. We hope to not let you down. Neither of you."

The Daughter of Baraqiel did her best to not wince. "And I know you won't. I am also happy to have you all. Medusa-sama had been thinking about recruiting more priestesses for a while, you know?" She approached with a giggle before whispering to the five conspiratorially. "Then she heard your prayers and knew the time was right. Not only have you already shown true devotion but also guided many to help our goddess with the barrier. For that I thank you."

Everything Akeno had said was true but there were some omissions for why those five women were chosen; four of them were part of the Pillars in a way or another with money and influence to help Medusa's religion to spread around the Underworld.

While there was no competition for the devils' devotion, many still held extreme loyalties to the Pillars themselves beyond any external influence which was one of the reasons why no Pantheon ever managed to take root in the Underworld.

But Medusa began with the Gremory Clan's support and held the favor of the new regime which allowed her entrance into the Youth Gathering Ball to start spreading her ideas. Then, when Juggernaut Drive struck, she worked in the barrier while her Champion faced the dragon which earned her many more faithful.

However having a stellar reputation meant little if used carelessly.

"You girls don't need to worry about your duties." Akeno told the new priestesses with a genuine smile. "Just preach our goddess' words and lessons. When in doubt, there is no problem keeping an open mind so long as you do it with pose and grace."
""Yes, High Priestess."" Hearing the formality her Title gained almost made the hybrid nervous.

Almost.

There was an order of things Medusa needed to respect and often enough the name 'Goetia' was used in a superior station implying that while not openly venerated there was a god to whom devils prayed.

A strategy was required and it began with four of her new priestesses, women with true devotion who belonged to the Underworld's nobility. Through them the Goddess of Snakes' influence could spread more naturally and subtly without ruffling too many feathers. Particularly from the Elders who could openly start a confrontation.

Which was why Medusa decided to take her time when selecting new representatives, to take things slow and not be a threat to the status quo. So she picked just a few new priestesses and if they spread her religion in their Clans at their own volition then all the better.

It was another reason why she only went for women at first, leaving her Champion as the only male representative of her religion, even if there were plenty of men who wanted to join her either out of real devotion or for the power she could offer.

'Devils as priestesses. Not as a mockery but legitimately following a goddess… I still can't wrap my mind around that idea.' Because even though she knew that was a step that needed to happen, Akeno was still getting used to her new Reality. 'At least we managed some good ones, fufufu.'

Five was a good number and the fifth one was legitimately a devil who prayed for Medusa often enough the goddess heard them almost every time she visited the Underworld. Unlike the others she was no noble but loyal and the gratitude she felt was enough that there would be no objection to her priesthood.

All in all the five women were honored to be chosen, grateful for their new power and elevated beauty. They would do their job and Medusa's power would increase, both in the Underworld and in herself.

"My High Priestess…" The goddess appeared before her six representatives who bowed in reverence. However only Akeno managed to do it right. "It is time. We must return to Gremory Castle."

The High Priestess gave the goddess another bow. "As Medusa-sama commands."

"Hmm." Looking at the other five women, she began giving instructions. "Remember to spread my word but do not be forceful. Hear and be heard. I, myself, hope to hear great news the next time we meet."
Deity and High Priestess began to depart from the temple as the devils still rejoiced her words and gifts not understanding that there was a limit to what Medusa could give. She wasn't Ophis who was Infinity and could give energy without end with some effort. Worse yet, the goddess still found herself lacking.

Indeed, once far enough from the temple, the ravenhead watched goddess shoulder's drop once they were out of view, her elegant kimono shining before transforming into a more casual black and white dress that exposed her arms and neck.

Taking her cue, Akeno dismissed her Noble Gear revealing she was wearing a black top with a red undershirt, jeans and sneakers. "How are you feeling, Medusa?"

"Exhausted." Confessed the purple haired deity. "But that is mostly because I needed to get rid of the excess. That many prayers… I am not a complete goddess yet so using it all is beyond my current means."

Nevertheless they were making Medusa stronger little by little. Even during the middle of the 'day', or work hours of the Underworld, she could still hear someone giving her praise. A lot of people, in fact.

"Fufufu. Well, at least you can finally claim to be the sole Deity of the Underworld." When the goddess didn't react to her joke, Akeno tried another approach. "But seriously, how do you feel? I know it must bother you that we can't just call you little anymore."

Medusa clicked her tongue in frustration. "Don't remind me." Yet she could only accept the facts.

And they were that Medusa no longer had the build or the body of a little girl, not even one that was starting to leave childhood. The excess of power needed to keep up with Odin and contain the Juggernaut Drive forced changes to her Core, an adaptation of a sort. Consequently her vessel, her body, also changed to match.

Once upon a time, during the first days she arrived in Fuyuki, the Goddess of Snakes was as tall or slightly shorter than Koneko. Challenge after challenge made her change, growing taller than the Rook after Kokabiel's plot and her development in the Underworld. But she always was small, keeping a childish aspect she didn't want to let go.

Both for her past self and her sisters who were perfect idols as they were but also because of fear. Fear she would stumble again and become the Gorgon reborn destined to kill her dear ones, losing herself to madness and grief a second time.

However Medusa was also realistic and knew she would have to 'grow'. "My power rose, my influence is spreading… I should be happy."
"I think you are." Akeno has been her priestess long enough to know her goddess' nuances. "This is all just happening too fast for your tastes."
Freezing in place, the purple haired deity could only nod. "Yes, you are right. Everything was just so unexpected." Raising her hand, she couldn't help but notice how it didn't feel any different. "Or I am just like all those children who don't want to grow up."
Growing up she did: still a head smaller than Akeno, her body was well in her teenage 'years' without a shadow of a doubt. Any 'baby fat' she had was gone and her body began to present the curves of the woman she was going to be.

Her legs were especially long, almost giving her the height of a woman even as anyone could tell she was just tall. Her beauty grew from cute and innocent to one much like a flower's; something to be admired as it reached full bloom.

Medusa hated it.

When she looked herself in the mirror after returning to the castle of Gremory it was almost enough to suck all joy and crush every notion of sleeping. That wasn't her complete self nor the one who killed her sisters but it was close. Time wasn't a factor for a god in that situation, her Core was.

Little by little her efforts to build herself back up started bearing fruit but no matter how much she prepared for when her body inevitably changed it was still a lot for her to handle after just bearing witness to the power of Juggernaut Drive.

Fortunately Medusa was able to take hold of those emotions and notice things beyond her fundamental changes like the excess of power she took to hold the Red Raging Dragon of Domination inside a barrier.

Before they parted ways, and Odin left with promises of seeing her again as he wanted to leave the Underworld with a certain urgency, the Old Man of the North advised his fellow deity to take care of herself after dealing with the extra energy she gained from too many prayers.

"So the problem is solved, right?" Akeno's question pertained exactly to that. "You said that finding a few priestesses and giving them power would be a good use for your 'faith'."

"Yes. It worked. My Core is stable and this form is more manageable now that I don't feel bloated with energy." The situation helped Medusa understand why gods made Pantheons in the first place. Prayers were an excellent source of power and too much of it too fast could make them extremely strong but if there was nothing to use the energy it felt uncomfortable. "Maybe if I was complete, things would be different."
"You aren't complete yet?" When her goddess threw her a raised eyebrow, the ravenhead raised her arms defensively. "Sorry but you just feel so powerful… So grand…"
"Many would think the same if you showed your true form more often." Medusa retorted after a snort. Even then it was elegant beyond measure. "I felt you using some Divinity in Diodora's trap, whole dimensions of distance between us." Akeno didn't flee from the goddess' eyes nor hide her own gaze. "When hiding, you are beautiful. If you showed your true self more often, I wouldn't blame people who thought you a goddess." That made the ravenhead pause and blush. The divine girl also stopped her stride to remain beside her priestess. "A True Hybrid… I doubt many know what that really implies. My influence on you may have made you greater but only because you would always be… Grand by yourself."
"My, my. Thank you for the compliment, Medusa-sama."
"Stop with the formalities. It always feels like you are teasing me." Medusa moved to seat and a huge serpent from the Gremory's garden quickly made itself known to be her seat. "You also are an excellent High Priestess who knows how to adapt to a more political environment. I need to thank Rias for that. Truly… I have been lucky that you are by my side, Akeno. Without you I would still be half lost trying to gather followers and having far less than what I do now."
"But is that a good thing?" The ravenhead asked cautiously. "I know you don't want to change and the more your religion grows…"
Her huge child shifted beneath her, lifting its head closer to the goddess who began to pet it. "Change is inevitable and should be embraced. I just need to get used to not being cute anymore."
"Oh my, I disagree." Akeno approached Medusa and began caressing her cheek. "You are so cute I just want to pinch your cheek."

"Why don't you?" The deity asked in challenge.

"Fufufu. I know my place."
A moment of silence descended on the garden as both of them watched devils fly in and out of Gremory Territory. As there weren't any teleportation circles in the temple, they knew several of Medusa's faithful would be making their way to the castle or flying back home on their own.

However, watching so many devils who followed a goddess, including one of the new priestesses, made Akeno ponder. "There isn't any problem to have devils praying, right? It isn't that much different from humans praying, is it?"
For a moment a flash of discomfort crossed Medusa's beautiful features. "What makes you ask that?"

"There is a problem?"

"Not a problem but differences. Enough that I started to understand why gods don't lobby the Underworld after more followers." Medusa confessed and saw worry color Akeno's face. After a sigh, she muttered. "It isn't anyone's fault, it is how things are."
Approaching her goddess, the priestess asked, "What do you mean?" She saw how the deity gave her a look and only then did she notice that the giant snake was offering part of its body as a seat. Taking it as a sign the conversation would be long, the hybrid took her place before asking again, "What do you mean, Medusa?"
"... When a human, or most races, die, their soul leaves their bodies to go somewhere. Of course this 'somewhere' depends on a lot of factors, especially who was the divinity they believed, but the important thing is that after death the soul leaves the body and moves on."
"Devils aren't like that." Akeno had heard something similar from Azazel.

"Devils aren't like that." Medusa repeated for affirmation. "But it is odd. You see, Akeno, when people pray it is like they are inviting the gods to peek at their soul." She revealed after a pause. "That is why prayers are powerful, because no matter how weak one's body is, the soul is strong. Stronger when filled with love, devotion… faith and determination."
"What are you saying? That devils don't have souls?" Because the ravenhead didn't believe it one bit. The fact sacred gears remained with Reincarnated devils was evidence the soul was there, for example. "No, that can be it."
Medusa raised a hand and the priestess grew quiet. "It isn't. The soul is there but in a different fashion. In fact devils, fallen angels and human souls… They have different presences but they are present in their own way." Again the purple haired deity paused. "Perhaps that is part of the problem but it is still odd that devils have no way to go after death."

"Isn't it because we- they are creations of Lucifer?" Akeno reminded herself once again she wasn't really a devil. That her existence was too different. "Technically they would be in the purview of God but since their creator was kicked from Heaven, they can't be accepted."

"I don't know." Medusa confessed. "Sorry but I am no Goddess of Wisdom."

Recognizing that, Akeno leaned forward to whisper. "Then what is the Goddess of Snakes' best guess?"
"My best guess?"

"Even if it is just speculation… Most of my loved ones are devils. If they die-"
"That may never happen."
"Lilith never was supposed to fall but it did." The Underworld wasn't as safe as everyone once believed. It was why the capital's fall was so shocking; it shattered the blanket of security everyone once shared after the civil war ended. "I want to protect them."

Medusa nodded, sharing the sentiment. "Many of my followers are also devils but I don't think there is something we can solve. If we could, other gods would have already tried." She pointed out, her eyes widening in realization. "That is why…"
Akeno could almost see the cogs turning in the goddess' head. "What?"

"When a person dies and goes to a paradise, or whatever other Fate they reserved for themselves, their souls still benefit their gods." Brushing her hair, three strands came to rest in her hands. They began to shine slightly as Medusa continued. "When alive the benefit is greater; their prayers are given willingly so they are almost like fountains of energy that fuels a god's Core." Two of the strands turned into snakes that run around the garden leaving only one. "And when they die the energy is greatly reduced, almost like drops of water in a desert." The last strand of hair became a much smaller snake that disappeared with its brethren. "Now it may sound like little but quantity has a quality of its own. A long lasting religion, with their paradise and hell full of people, is a huge boon. Especially because…"

"Because people don't live forever." Akeno got it, a chill running in her spine. "Which is why gods don't mind making many immortals. It is the other way around, they want people to keep living and dying so they can't change their minds. So they can't follow another god."

"Or Pantheon. So long they belong to the same Pantheon, a god doesn't mind sharing. There are much more dead than living, after all." Medusa sighed with sadness. "Since devils don't go anywhere after death, the prayers they can offer are actually limited."

"Even with a long lifespan, not many devils live long. Only a few have lived over a thousand years…"

"And when they expire, a god loses their prayers forever."
Akeno's shoulders dropped. "So that is why they don't even try to convert devils. For all intents and purposes the benefits are too temporary while humans... " She allowed herself to sigh. "Souls are really powerful things, aren't they?"

"More than we can imagine. There must be a reason why Reality Marbles can exist." Medusa petted her child again before standing up, prompting Akeno to do the same. "Either way, I still don't know all the details or why devils are such singular existences."

"Why just devils in particular? You have fallen angels following you… and me." The ravenhead reminded her with a smile. "Or is the soul of this hybrid too different for Medusa-sama to understand."
The deity glared at her priestess who was a little too smug for her tastes. "Maybe I should take a page from Rias' book and give you a spanking- No, wait, you would enjoy that, wouldn't you?" By the smile on her face, the goddess knew she was right which made her sigh again. "At any rate, I don't know." Both of Akeno's eyebrows went slightly up. "I can tell you your souls are different, angels and hybrids. They have qualities different from devils'." Pausing to think for a moment, Medusa shook her head. "Actually, scratch that. An angel's soul is completely alien compared to anyone else's. I can barely understand the dozen eyes, the swords for heads or the three heads. Why did God put a lion head in some of them, I can't say."

"I see…" Honestly Akeno didn't.

"And devils… They all look like themselves but with a red aura around their soul that I suspect is their demonic energy… that makes them shine… like a bonfire." Medusa's hair hid her eyes from her priestess. "But once the fire dies, they die. I mean, their souls also die. It is so… strange. Souls are supposed to be eternal but…"

Folding her arms, Akeno gave her goddess some time to organize her thoughts. Soon enough she was almost wishing the snake from before returned because the deity was taking her sweet time thinking. Medusa's silence easily extended for several minutes as if she was stuck in the world's most difficult riddle and without the possibility of an answer.

And every second that passed also seemed to make her even more upset as the picture she began to witness either grew more confusing or more frustrating. Nevertheless the Goddess of Snakes was stumbling into the unknown without a light leaving the hybrid to bring her back.

"What about little old me?" Akeno playfully questioned.

"Your soul?" Sure it was the one Medusa was most familiar with, being in contact with it for months by that point. "It is you but shining way too much and with too many wings on your back." Still playfully the High Priestess opened her wings to reveal her angelic features. "Yes, those wings but way more of them."

Akeno couldn't help but look at her back, see just a pair of purple angel wings, and grow confused before sheathing them on her back. "If you are saying…"
"Yes, I am saying. Your soul shines more than a devil's, an angel's and certainly more than any human's as well." Medusa declared without a hint of hesitation. "But I also don't know if that is just you being yourself, your bloodline or your status. I would need another hybrid following me to be certain of anything."

"Hmm, interesting. But I am still more engaged by devil souls. You made it sound like pureblood devils and Reincarnated devils were the same… What do you think that means, Medusa?"

"Don't make me repeat myself; I am no Goddess of Wisdom. That sort of riddle eludes me. And probably will do so for centuries to come." The goddess then paused and looked at her priestess with worry before turning towards the castle. "Akeno, please don't leave me." To say the ravenhead was surprised by the sudden shift would be an understatement. "I don't have enough power or influence for an afterlife of my own… Also, I don't know where a True Hybrid's soul might go after-"

The deity suddenly felt herself enveloped in a hug. "Ah, don't worry your pretty little head about me. My father is a fallen angel that has been around for quite a while." She could feel the divinity flinch in her arms. Laying her head over the younger woman's, the hybrid added. "Don't worry. I will be here for as long as you need."

"... Maybe I will need you here forever."
"Oh goody, I want to play with you forever."

…

Walking around the castle without anything to do, another ravenhead was having a crisis. "What am I even doing here?"

Immediately Setsuna regretted her words and bit her tongue. She knew the Underworld was in a very tumultuous period and it barely had been twenty four hours before everything changed. That she was being insensitive even when she had been offered a choice to return home earlier in the day.

Releasing a sigh, the hanyou's sharp eyes looked at several devils entering the castle from one of its windows. There was a rush in their movements but also a levity many of them were missing after the invasion.

'Too many people are still making it all about Lilith… All about the Red Dragon Emperor." Setsuna couldn't help but sigh as she massaged her temples. Wearing a t-shirt with the words, 'Strange Day, Stranger Night' written on it and jeans, she stuck like a sore thumb around the aristocratic devils which filled the castle. 'Even if Ise killed no one, many think he did. It is irrational to think something so powerful, so dangerous, could just manifest and kill no one... '

Yet that was what happened for the most part since Setsuna heard of no victims by the Juggernaut Drive. Then again, she suspected the Gremory Clan may be trying to suppress some stuff to protect their Pawn despite its relevance. Everyone was accounted for after Ise was saved, everyone important in the Princess of Kyoto's opinion.

Despite that there was a tension in the air born from a continuous tragedy, she could literally smell the devils' fear through the whole castle and suspected some departed because of it. Sure they were still loyal to the Gremory but the Red Dragon Emperor's presence was too terrifying for the average person.

Juggernaut Drive or not.

A few hours ago Setsuna visited his friends, finding irritated Luvia, a freshly awake Asia and Irina watching Ise's sleep with worry, detecting nothing different from the Pawn. Then Koneko arrived with a loose robe, getting ready to work on him with her Senjustu so the ravenhead left without thinking too much about it.

'From what everyone explained it was all Diodora's fault. Why isn't the Gremory just blaming him?' She knew why; because it would look like they were deflecting unless the Astaroth Clan admitted their Heir's betrayal. Which they eventually would but only when they had the right statement. 'I finally get why my father doesn't bother with politics and lets Jaken deal with it.'

The kappa, on the other hand, loved politics but Setsuna never saw the appeal with the backstabbing. With the Astaroth dragging their feet around, and the Maous unable to force them to move since they asked for an investigation to see if their Heir was really a traitor, obviously most of the blame for all deaths in Lilith fell on Ise.

Despite reports on the contrary, that power which made the Underworld shake was proof he had been capable of killing everyone when enraged. It didn't help that the Pawn truly wiped the capital out of the map or that during his rampage everybody felt like the Red Dragon Emperor had his fangs on their neck.

Even Setsuna felt it most of the time; her nervousness and sickness from fighting in a true battlefield were consumed by the Raging Dragon's presence as every instinct told her to run for the hills.

And keep running because it wasn't far enough.

'At least he didn't kill anyone… But many still died and people want- need somebody to blame. And who better than the guy that put the fear of god in their bones?' Suffice to say the Underworld wouldn't be forgetting the terror that came with Ddraig's wrath any time soon. 'At least they are still alive…'

Her mind then went back to that family she mostly saved. Mostly because the father was forced to give his life for his wife and child. After they were safe Setsuna didn't have the guts to talk with them, actively doing her best to forget her failure.

But of course she didn't, even after a 'night' of rest, a filling meal and several people telling her she did her best the Princess of Kyoto couldn't help but scream in frustration before completely destroying a random empty room in the castle.

That was just a few minutes before she found a random window and began to stare outside, watching devils flying in and out Gremory Territory. Some were moving extremely fast but that was because of their power since every single one of them had purpose and urgency in their actions.

After a while things started to slow down and she managed to find a few who were calmer, relieved for reasons she couldn't understand which made her question. "What am I even doing here?" And she did so again. "... Maybe I should have gone back to Fuyuki…"

When she closed her eyes to take a deep breath the ravenhead couldn't help but slam her hand on a wall in the next instant as the image of the mother and son crying over the father's corpse.

If she had stayed in her room, she would have curled into a ball and cried.

'Father would be disappointed.' Shaking her head, Setsuna began walking around the castle in search of a distraction. Anything would do otherwise her thoughts would turn on her. 'I am useless. How can a Daughter of Sesshomaru balk because-'

Memories crossed her mind and instantly she felt sick as the smell of blood and corpses hit her nostrils when her mind easily visualized the battlefield. Holding herself close to the wall, she took a few instants to keep breathing while not closing her eyes.

Guilt would not consume the ravenhead, she utterly refused to fall to it specially nobody else in her circle of friends was dealing with the same. Regardless if most of them were stuck in a trap or not, Shirou, Xenovia and Liz managed to move on with their heads held high. She completely ignored Irina who had similar problems but was focusing on Ise for the moment.

Slapping her face with all her strength, there was nobody in the hallway to see the red from the blow nor the youki surrounding her body as her yokai blood boiled while chastising her human side.

It was the first time in her life Setsuna considered empathy a weakness and her father's bloodline tried to crush it. Her eyes grew sharper, so did her fangs and claws as the dog yokai's power flowed in her veins.

Everything was because of emotional distress which she was unused to. The second daughter of her family, she wasn't the next King. That would be her sister and so Setsuna was given more freedom. Freedom that she still respected and used to apply herself, preparing for the future.

But that didn't mean she was truly ready for the violence of war.

'Calm down…' Her claws began to scratch the castle stone. Even if reinforced with magic, the rock gave way to her power. 'Calm down.' The hanyou demanded of herself, her breathing normalizing as her discipline allowed her heartbeat to slow down. Since she couldn't run from her thoughts, she did her best to keep them coherent. 'Going back would do nothing for me. I have been away from Kyoto for so long that most of my friends are devils.'

Fact was that the people she cared for were in the Underworld and directly involved with the invasion as either political figures or victims in some ways. Fortunately none of them died but the experience of what happened stayed. Even if not visible, scars would mark each of their hearts in one way or another.

'Including mine.' Setsuna concluded, admitting to herself she also suffered because of the invasion. Her powerlessness was fully on display through those she couldn't save. 'I did my best and still failed. That is why I am feeling guilty. Which is normal… and human.'

Because the hanyou couldn't, for the life of her, imagine her father in the same situation. If anything she could see him coldly staring at the dead and move on to kill the one responsible. Which she could try to do as the Old Satan Faction was still around, at least their leaders.

However she didn't know where to find them, how strong they were or if Ophis would let that happen. Furious as she was, the Princess of Kyoto wasn't stupid enough to think the Ouroboros Dragon would just let her ruin its plans by attacking her allies.

Pushing herself off the wall, Setsuna began to walk around the castle. 'If I remember right, the arena is around here….' The place was bigger than her home back in Kyoto but she had been around enough to know her way. 'Better to vent there than destroy another room. I also need to apologize and pay for the damages but I can do that later. For now I just want to… I don't know… blow something up.'

What she really wanted was an enemy to fight but the Old Satan Faction wasn't going to attack anytime soon and stray devils in the Underworld were extremely rare. Most just ran to Earth the moment the mutation started because of too much demonic energy. It was possible, just extremely difficult.

Actually her best bet in finding someone to beat up legally would be to join the police force of the Underworld, even if she didn't know that. What many hadn't realized, as there weren't even forty eight hours since the invasion happened, was that several criminal elements would take advantage of it.

Many good soldiers died, the new regime's base of power was shaking after the event and with Lilith's destruction there was a large number of people with nowhere to go who could be either attacked or used as a cover for more insidious activities.
Enemy soldiers also could be counted among the survivors and some still wanted to fight.

Nevertheless, Setsuna had no way of knowing any of that. She was smart and educated enough to figure all that out if she stopped to think. It would still take time for everything to settle down and the more shady elements to move. For chaos to return in a manner the Underworld could notice and contain.

Even if she chose to remain waiting for the new status quo to settle so she could find those elements, there was a chance only the Gremory Clan would allow an outsider to mess with their territory creating more headaches for all involved.

"First I need to get to the garden and… Tsk, why am I looking for an exit?" With all that happened Setsuna forgot she wasn't on Earth. She was in the Underworld and so she could do like devils did. "The arena is there."

Placing a foot on the window, the hanyou didn't even care she was five or six floors above the ground. While she couldn't fly, running on the wall was doable and kicking it for a jump that would shift her acceleration, easing her descent, even more so.

It was more of a matter of agility than power and the ravenhead had plenty of both so landing with a roll to mitigate the impact was child's play. Considering her constitution that was unnecessary but training had kicked in making her move her shoulder in position so it was easier for her to just complete the maneuver.

Cracking her neck she looked up, watching devils going inside the teleportation tower from its windows. "Honestly, better than on Earth." She admired how the devils had mastered teleportation and how their wings could take them virtually anywhere. "No cars, little noise. Maybe I can convince father and mother to take a vacation here once everything calms down."

Spirits uplifted by the idea of introducing her family to her friends and even doing a tour of the Underworld, she began to run towards the arena in the distance. Just not at her full speed nor in a straight line since she didn't want to cut through the garden nor damage a few flowers she stopped to admire in her way.

It was a good way for her to take her mind off the world's problems. 'This place is beautiful.' It was also the first chance she had to truly appreciate what the Gremory Clan had in their lands.

The garden was so full of life that it was hard to believe there was no sun in the Underworld, sure several of the plants were nocturnal but after looking around a little it wasn't hard to find a couple of roses in the bushes.

Plants from both Earth and the Underworld shared the same space even if they weren't straight up touching each other.

The hanyou saw a giant palm tree that there was no place on Earth surrounded by lilies, a punch of petunias which were moving by themselves side by side a few static ones and even several sunflowers turned towards another flower which she didn't know the name but shone enough to fool the former.

A fascinating sight for the ravenhead who chuckled at a thought. "And where are the men eating flowers I heard about?" She doubted the Gremory would dare having those in their garden. "Then again… it would be extra security. Maybe I could suggest it, if nobody else did… Probably would ruin the garden if they are big enough to actually eat anyone."

After a slow trail through the garden she found the path towards the arena and began racing towards the structure. With her speed she was fast approaching it in a few seconds only to notice some bright flashes every other second, perceptible thanks to the Underworld's darkness.

'Someone is already here?' Odd considering many of the Gremory Clan were working on the post invasion clean up, partaking in meetings or guarding several points of interests.

Still, the knowledge someone else was already using the arena didn't deter Setsuna who actually felt happy at the idea of finding a couple of sparring partners.

And was completely caught off guard when she saw two familiar blondes who usually didn't train together. "Come on, Gasper! You have to actually hit me!"

"Yes, Kiba-senpai!" The Bishop summoned two magic circles and threw several balls of pink mana at the Knight only for the older blond.

Who easily dodged left and right to escape them, his pace accelerating when a blast of mana tried to consume him. Suddenly Kiba kicked the floor to launch himself right before resuming his run as the former dhampir took flight and pushed his blast after his friend.

The thin pillar of pink mana tried to reach the older blond but the Knight just accelerated, reaching a corner of the arena with plenty of time to spare as he stopped his motions to watch Gasper's attack try to reach him.

Which never would as the Bishop cut the mana feed, before landing on the arena and taking a few deep breaths. Sweat poured from his forehead and his shoulders were sagged, clearly visible with the long shirt he was wearing. Long enough that could be a dress by itself, reaching until his knees and almost hiding his shorts.

Despite his sparring partner's exhaustion, Kiba made no move to close the distance between them. In fact the young man, wearing a gray shirt and jeans, had not a single sword on his grip. Nor could any weapon be found in sight and he just patiently waited for his young friend to recover.

Eventually the Bishop looked back towards the Knight but his eyes were shining. Forbidden Balor View was activated and the next thing Yuuto noticed was a huge ball of air going in his direction. He quickly bent over and rolled beneath the attack but got it by a ball of water just after.

"Didn't I tell you to not hold back-"

"I didn't!" Gasper's voice came from outside the ring and Kiba turned to see the former dhampir with his wings out and a magic circle in his face. "Gotcha!"

A new blast of pink mana was unleashed and the Knight of Gremory was sent flying for several meters before he fell on the ring with a roll. A heartbeat later and he was standing up with a grimace while massaging his head while Gasper celebrated a successful hit.

"Yes! I did it! I finally got you, Kiba-senpai!"

"Yeah, you got me." Admitted the taller blond before frowning. "But you did it wrong." He reminded the younger one who suddenly stopped celebrating. "The point of the exercise was to sharpen your focus, remember?"
All happiness vanished from the younger devil and he stood still. "Sorry, Senpai. It was just… I was getting frustrated." One could only miss so many times before losing their patience.

"Then you should have asked Koneko or Luvia to train with you. Those two can take hits. Or maybe even Ravel." He watched how the Bishop grew bothered by the mentioning of the other Gremory Knight. That training was so he could actually do some real damage by himself unlike he did against the chimeras in Diodora's trap. "Hey, you are doing this for everyone's sake. No use thinking about the mistakes we made unless we are going to improve on them."

Gasper took the words with embarrassment. "Maybe but I failed."
Kiba couldn't disagree with the facts. "That you did."
Immediately the former dhampir felt shame. "I just didn't want to hurt you and-"

"That wasn't the problem and you know it." The Knight cut him off with annoyance. "You asked me to help you because you 'need a target to visualize better spells'. Better spells, not something that can't hurt a weak Knight like me."

"But you aren't weak, Senpai."

"When it comes to magic? I may as well be." Kiba retorted without shame. "My reserves are poor and my skills suck. Especially compared to you… or anyone else on our team." Feeling the younger blond was already feeling plenty of guilt, he let out a sigh and changed the subject. "How did you even hit me in the first place? I am sure that I was just frozen for a second."

"Two." Setsuna finally chose to reveal herself, jumping into the ring and approaching her friends. Confusion was evident in her face. "He delayed the spells for that much time, holding his magic circles from a distance. I didn't know you could do that, Gasper."
"I am still learning, Setsuna-senpai." His eyes trailed down and the boy gulped before taking a step back. "By the way… did something happen?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because your bloody knuckles." Kiba pointed out and the ravenhead raised her hands for a better look.

Indeed her knuckles were dirty with dry blood from her punching the walls and destroying a room, which she hadn't noticed until then. "Oh…"

"Nobody attacked you, did they?" The Knight doubted but asked to be sure. With everything on high alert and the sentinels around the castle, he doubted an enemy would have got to his friend.

"No, I just…" The hanyou was surprised that she hadn't been able to smell her own blood until having it pointed out. Nevertheless she summoned some youki and the green poison melted the dry red from her skin. "Forget about it." Clearly they wouldn't but she would try regardless. "What were you two doing? You shouldn't be training after yesterday."

"Then you want to tell us why you are here?" Kiba asked back, trying to be gentle about her circumstances even if the tone was more forceful than he intended.

Everyone had gone through a lot during the invasion and he was trying to be kind while failing to hold his feelings back. That created a tension between the two which weighed on the air as neither knew exactly what to say after.

Fortunately Gasper was facing his own troubles more head on. "I screwed up on Diodora's trap." The traitor's name carried a loathing the ravenhead was surprised to find in the young blond. The Knight, on the other hand, just took a step back to keep both of them in his view. "Because of me Ravel was almost killed. She would have died if she wasn't a Phenex."

While not fully grasping what happened in the Rating Game's pocket dimension, Setsuna got the gist of it. "So you are training to not repeat that mistake."

"Gasper asked me to help him refine his magic so he can do some real damage when necessary." Kiba revealed, folding his arms and looking at his teammate with disappointment. "But he blundered just now."

"He did manage to hit you." Setsuna pointed out which made the blond shake his head.

"He wasn't supposed to hit me." The Knight of Gremory revealed, much to the half yokai's confusion. "I was dodging because he needs a focus, something to hit. But this isn't target practice, I never had any intention of being hit."

"I asked Kiba-senpai to stand in for our enemies. I thought…" The Bishop hesitated for a second. "If I get close to hitting him then I can hit anyone."

"There is also the fact I wasn't going all out." In fact Kiba was pacing himself a lot to give the Bishop plenty of chances to get a hit. Close but never enough to be dangerous. "But instead of power and speed he used trickery." A failure in his eyes. Undoubtedly a disappointment because Gasper stopped trying and cheated instead. "The point was to make something actually capable of hurting me that could do damage by itself."

"And he hit you but you aren't even hurt." Sure enough the older blond had been surprised by the hits but there wasn't a drop of blood in his body. "Not even a scratch." Noticing Gasper growing sad by the conversation, she offered a strained smile before adding, "Well, at least he is getting better with Forbidden Balor View." Then she turned to the Knight. And I thought you were actually strong enough to shrug it off."

Kiba couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. "Because I wasn't using my sacred gear. Like Gasper shouldn't have used his." The Knight reminded the younger blond whose expression changed to one of frustration. Nevertheless he needed to hear what the older devil had to say. "Forbidden Balor View is powerful but has no offensive capability. Not only that but its power is easily countered by anyone stronger than it." He summoned a sword she never saw before, one with yellow and teal tones in the blade and handle respectively. "Or if they have the means to ignore powers that affect time."

Feeling little from the sword, Setsuna couldn't help but comment. "I doubt that is stopping a God of Time anytime soon. But I get what you mean." Because there was no doubt that sword could help him resist Forbidden Balor View. "But if Gasper were to hit you…"

"He wouldn't." Kiba replied, dismissing the sword. "The second something stronger flew my way I would just escape."

"Sounds risky. I understand Gasper wanted some sort of image training but using golems would be a better, safer, idea." Setsuna suggested and both blondes nodded in agreement.

"If we had some lying around, sure." The Knight commented. "But we are supposed to be resting. All of us." He added forcefully, throwing the ravenhead a suspicious glare. She remained silent as he continued. "Either way, Gasper needed to burn some energy… and admittedly I couldn't just lay down after everything."

Looking at the frustration on Kiba's face, Setsuna asked, "What exactly happened back there? When the game was supposed to begin instead we lost all contact. Next thing we knew the invasion had begun and there were so many enemies." She shook her head, wallowing in her own frustration. "I confess that after a while I forgot about you all."

"Better that you forgot us and lived. Not everyone had the same luck." The swordsman observed somberly.

For a few moments all of them fell silent as they remembered the dead and lamented all that happened the previous day. Memories of their own battles were replayed on their minds and Kiba slowly moved to hold his shoulders. Anger burned on Setsuna's chest with the wish to rip the Old Satan Faction's devils apart.

"There was a castle." Gasper started after a while the former dhampir finally broke the silence. "Every floor there had an enemy. And in the first…"

"Diodora's Pieces basically didn't know what they were doing…" Setsuna had only heard whispers and Kiba confirmed the women were completely under the pureblood traitor's control. And he was far from done. "None of them were fighters, not really. Robotic, automatic, almost zombie-like. Their moves were so stiff not just because they weren't really there but also because their bodies weren't used to fighting at all."

Previously the Astaroth's Heir used every single one of his Pieces as supports; be it as extra batteries or back ups for each other when he needed to buy time for another strategy.

"... And suicidal." Kiba suddenly added after some thought. "They didn't care about what they were doing or the weapons their King gave them."

Gasper noticed the ravenhead's confusion and decided to explain. "You didn't see them, Setsuna-senpai, but Diodora gave those girls some of the nastiest weapons that I have ever seen in my life. They looked like solid evil that was killing them."

Pausing to look at her two friends, Setsuna came to a decision. "Tell me more." She needed to hear what everyone else had to deal with but they also needed to talk. To express their opinions of what happened while facing those memories, much like she should do with hers. "Tell me everything."

Upon seeing her compassionate eyes Kiba relented and began regalling his friend with the struggles in the castle while Gasper summoned a couple of seats for them. The former dhampir ended up bringing out several boxes which had his fellow blond smiling for a moment before his mood turned fully somber.

Before truly beginning the tale they shared with Setsuna the details of how the trap started. "Diodora had Asia from the start. His crew probably sabotaged the magic circles." Kiba said bluntly, getting it out of the way to avoid misunderstandings. He saw fury fogging the ravenhead's eyes before shaking his head. "While he promised to do unspeakable things with her, Asia pretended to be asleep the whole time."

"Yeah! He never noticed even when-" The former dhampir slapped his mouth closed and flinched, his eyes barely hiding his disgust. After the Knight patted his back a little, he added. "Glad that traitor is dead."

'I can only imagine what that bastard did. To have someone like Gasper hating you like that… he must have been utterly despicable.' And she didn't want to but she shared the Bishop's feelings.

For the sake of everyone's mental health, Kiba moved on from the subject. "He basically challenged us to climb the castle which would be his base. Seven floors, seven fights…"

He first told about Akeno's challenge, the fight of ten Queens and how their friend managed to bring the girls' emotions back with tears of blood making the Princess of Kyoto shiver in place.

He described Koneko's fight against the enemy Rooks who had drunk potions that consumed their lives while wearing equally dangerous armors leaving the Knight and Bishop with doubt if they were even alive anymore.

He went over his own battle against two cursed weapons in less detail forcing the younger blond to take over reminding the ravenhead that his arm had been cut by one of those weapons and was still recovering.

Then both took turns talking about the Bishops who never got a chance to live, whose lives were wasted on a golem of relative fame that Luvia trashed with extreme prejudice because of prior knowledge.

Gasper hesitated when talking about his and Ravel's fight, leaving the Knight to describe the many chimeras that their enemy unleashed on the last few floors, experiments from the terrorist organization.

Leading all to the last enemy before the traitor, a clone from the Chimera of Lycia and the one whose fame made all creatures like it receive its name. The blond took his time describing the creature and the aura of terror it held. Its bloodlust in particular was quite memorable for the two devils.

Only losing to Ise's fury and overwhelming power as every other floor their enemy provoked the dragon with what he wanted to do with his hostage until the Red Dragon Emperor grew so angry his power easily eclipsed the Chimera's clone.

At that moment Setsuna interrupted the story. "Weren't you afraid?" Both blondes looked at her with confusion. "I mean, it was an angry Red Dragon Emperor in a small environment…"

Kiba understood first. "He wasn't going Juggernaut Drive yet. Remember how Asia wasn't with us?"

"We thought she was dead. That was what set Senpai off." Gasper didn't even try to hide his fear. The Raging Dragon of Domination had Ise's body but wasn't Ise and he was fine fearing it. "If we had just been faster-"

"No use thinking about it." Despite trying to console his kouhai it was clear Kiba himself held a good amount of guilt as well.

"Things got worse?" Setsuna focused on getting things back on track if only to just keep the devils focused on the present.

It certainly helped the Knight of Gremory who didn't mind answering honestly. "We had the traitor cornered and he tried to use Asia as a hostage but then she revealed that she was awake the whole time." A mischievous smile grew in his face. "Then Ise started beating him up. Just wish I could get there and stab him a little myself."

Gasper nodded in agreement and eagerness. "Ise-senpai was about to kill him too but Asia-senpai stopped him." His gaze shifted to one of admiration as he looked back to the castle. Setsuna could guess he somehow knew the room in which his fellow Bishop was resting. "She wanted Justice. For the girls Diodora hurt to have some comfort after everything. And the way she shot him down was so cool!" It was clear he was more than proud of Asia who stood up by herself magnificently despite also being a victim. However that pride soon turned to sadness and fear. "Then another enemy showed up."

"He was Beelzebub, one of his descendants at least." Kiba summarized the whole fight as quickly as possible, unlike before where both boys were taking their time.

'Looks like since he realized there is nowhere to run from what happened he wants to get over it as fast as possible.' Setsuna could understand that, she would certainly do the same when it was her turn.

So it was up to the Knight of Gremory alone to finish the tale as Gasper fell completely silent and began playing with his thumbs. Or not really as magic circles could be seen forming and dissolving between his hands. It was both training and a distraction, things he desperately sought.

Nobody wanted to remember the Raging Dragon of Domination if they could help it.

Eventually the story reached "... because of the gateway Beelzebub opened, the whole pocket dimension was unstable and Asia fell in the Dimensional Gap. That was when shit hit the fan…"

Honestly Setsuna couldn't help but wish to skip the next part and she did so by cutting it off. "I can guess the rest." Not all but enough to not have any questions. Besides, the feeling of a large predator over her shoulder was something she was never going to forget for as long as she lived. "You guys went through a lot…"

"So did you…" Kiba offered back, opening the floor to her. While talking hasn't settled all their troubles, the Knight felt lighter and he suspected Gasper was the same.

Indeed the former dhampir was a little shaken during the story but managed to retain his composure while working on his magic. He wasn't fully comfortable by any means but at least he relaxed a little. Perhaps even a little too much as his eyes suddenly went up and he focused all his attention on the ravenhead.

Calm in a manner he didn't expect of himself, Gasper focused on Setsuna and asked. "Want to talk about the war?"

"It wasn't a war, Gasper." She retorted gently.

"Might as well have been. They tried to hide them but," his gaze grew maniacal for a second before shifting back to normal and changing into sadness, "I saw the bodies being dragged out of Lilith. And smelled when some of them passed."

Kiba stood up, stunned. "You did what?!"

"Death stinks." Was all Gasper wanted to say, his eyes never leaving Setsuna's.

Who nodded once, slowly and with a grave face. "I agree." Kiba turned to her, his eyes begging for an explanation. "You guys are VIPs; not nobles but working for one and everybody knows how the Gremory Clan value their servants." First came the context, then the reveal. "Obviously you all were given a 'protected' medical tent. But it was still surrounded by others…" Turning back to the Bishop, she questioned. "I didn't know your nose was that good. Koneko didn't smell anything between the barriers, the medicine and whatever they stuffed in your tent."

"Hmm." Gasper's initial response was lackluster but soon he was shaking his head and shivering a little. "It was horrible but it didn't take long for me to figure out what the smell was. I almost wanted to get out to check but…" Placing his feet on the box, he hugged his knees while hiding his face. "It was all too awful. War is awful."

Standing up the hanyou made her way to the young man. "An invasion. Not a war." Setsuna reminded him. "That was probably the only large-scale battle we will have to deal with, in any case. The Old Satan Faction wasted a lot to make it happen."

"Even if they are still around then it isn't our job to deal with them. Not yet, at least." The Knight of Gremory admitted. There was no point in denying their position. "As part of a Pillar, members of the Gremory Clan, we will have a duty to protect the Underworld from its enemies. The Rating Game system exists to prepare us for that." It wasn't news to anyone but it needed to be said, if only for his peace of mind. "But that is far in the future, Gasper. Way too far. Even if there is a war now we have Sirzechs-sama, Ajuka-sama and even Azazel-sama. Our King isn't Lady Gremory yet."

Raising his head, the former dhampir revealed an expression of fear and worry that went beyond the concerns of a child. "When things start going wrong, we will have to fight. Like she did during the invasion."

"That doesn't mean the civil war is back on." Kiba replied while placing a hand on the younger blond's shoulder. Admittedly he wanted to change the subject and forget the invasion for a bit but he was still worried for Setsuna. "But just in case, can you tell us how it was in the stadium?"

"It was ugly." The ravenhead retorted immediately. Then, after a deep breath, she added. "I didn't have great opponents to fight like you all. I remember their faces, how I killed them, but I don't know their names and I am sure they weren't… relevant to anyone else."

Gasper placed his feet back on the ground before saying. "You can still tell us." Kiba nodded, fully agreeing with his words.

"... For the most part it was all a blur. One moment I was fighting to keep up with Shirou and Irina. The next I was fighting for the sake of fighting and then I remember seeing someone who needed help."

If there was one thing the Princess of Kyoto was proud of that day was that despite the shock and violence running rampant she managed to save some lives. Not as many as she wished but as many as she could at the very least.

"I don't know if anyone explained anything to you all but Ophis' had lended the devils her power…" She paused to see what they had to say.

The blondes shared a look before the Knight shook his head after sitting down. "They didn't tell us anything. Maybe Rias will later but-"

"She probably won't…" While Gasper was saying she wouldn't tell him, Kiba also understood his King's wish to protect the innocent ones in their group and could partially agree with his observation.

However Setsuna had no qualms about telling them her experiences. In her eyes both were warriors whose valor was proven in battle and she would respect them even beyond friendship because of such. If they wanted to hear her side, the acts of heroism and atrocities she witnessed, then she would tell them everything.

Which she did; starting by telling how Shirou, Irina, Rossweisse, after explaining the Valkyrie's presence because of Odin, and herself charged out of the VIP room straight on an enemy squad.

That Shirou had decimated after his first offer for surrender was rejected. "He was angry." Kiba observed, seeing no trouble with the action.

"He is still angry." Setsuna countered half bitterly. "Just not with us."

"Good." Gasper shocked the other two but when they turned to him all they found was silence and stoicism.

Regardless, Setsuna continued her tale by going through some of the initial challenges her group had until they eventually arrived outside into the stadium proper where violence was running free.

Initially it was easier to give the details and she didn't find any trouble telling them about the enemies she faced nor the few rescues she did. Those were moments of pride for her where the hanyou felt she was in her element. Where her yokai blood sang and the human side danced its tune.

Setsuna also praised her allies which she acknowledged more than anyone else in that battle; admiring Shirou's steward advance to neutralize enemies before innocents were wounded, Irina's courage to reveal herself as an angel to catch the attention of many devils on both sides and Rossweisse skill that impressed at the same rate it defeated their enemies.

Particularly she spent a whole minute explaining the Valkyrie's ability with barriers, not just on how she raised one in an exit but how she defended and controlled it masterfully to secure many lives.

Out of everyone else Rossweisse was the person Setsuna found herself working with the most during the crisis so she had more to say about the silver haired woman. At least that was how she presented her initial explanation by going around and explaining how useful and trustworthy she was several times over.

"You are stalling." Kiba called her out after the conversation fell into a rhythm.

"I was pulling a lot of people out so…" The ravenhead paused after realizing her words would be just excuses.

However her actions still earned the Knight's sympathy. "We can stop here for today." His prince charming smile was out, failing to meet his eyes. "You already listened to us rambling about some heavy stuff. Maybe we should go in? Grab some drinks?"

"No, I…" Setsuna paused, unsure of what to say. 'Maybe today isn't good to talk about this stuff… but then, when is it going to be?' Reinforcing her resolve, she continued. "This will be good… for me too…" She saw both of them nod, happy to let her pour things out of her chest.

From her fights there wasn't much to say really and the Princess of Kyoto could admit as much. Unlike them she didn't face any specific team or group, just soldiers for the most part as she ran up and down grabbing people. By that point the most interesting thing to mention was when she split up from Shirou.

The Mage of Swords was mad with anger and impotence, discounting it on whoever stood against him. Mercy and kindness were so distant from him that even if he was a human she could only admit something, if only for the two, then and there.

"He was like a monster. Pragmatic to a fault." In that moment Setsuna could freely call him the Magus Killer's Son.

At least he was still saving people, trusting the peerages around and the devils on the Underworld to escort those who needed it while he attacked the terrorist's attention.

Something similar to what Irina was doing, dancing on the air and taking down anybody with evil intent towards her or her allies. Despite not leading anyone there were those who followed the angel despite being devils. A favor she returned by watching their backs until she couldn't anymore.

During all that the abominations created by Ophis' power spread even more destruction, caring not about friend or foe. Their smell and presence were the foulest thing she had ever felt.

However they were manageable, even if dangerous.

Powerful but not frightening.

'Stupid' was what she called them, even telling the Knight and Bishop of Gremory the best ways to deal with such creatures if they came across another cluster while warning about their potential self destruction.

Turning back to talk about Rossweisse again, she only added that the Valkyrie was far more powerful than herself and Irina since the older woman not only held a barrier by herself for a good while but also took any chance he could to exterminate any invader that got too close.

"... I let a good man die…" Eventually she forced herself to tell them. The real reason why she was outside and her hands were bleeding when frustration boiled over. "... Heh… Considering how many died it feels odd to care about just one person…"

"They must have been important if you remember them." Kiba offered to try and coach her to talk about the man.

Yet she had little to say. "I completely forgot his name. My mind was just… I wanted to forget it! I don't want to remember it! Because every time I did it was only hearing his wife and son crying over his death!" Her claws grew since youki began escaping her body. "... I just want to forget them so my chest stops hurting…"

"Well, you shouldn't." If there was anyone who knew the weight of a memory it was Kiba. "Instead, remember them and keep moving forward."

"What? And seek revenge? Because if I could, I would!" Her eyes grew sharper but before her fangs did the same she managed to pull herself back from the brink. "I wish I could…"

"... Last time I learned vengeance isn't everything." The Knight of Gremory commented softly with a more honest smile. "But remembering them, honoring them… that is good enough. At least that is what I believe my brothers and sisters would prefer I did."

"We can go look for them later, the mother and child." Gasper offered with a small smile of his own. "Or we can just train harder to make sure this doesn't happen again."

It was an appealing thought and one that reminded them why they were there. "Have you checked if you have magic circuits?" The hanyou suddenly asked. "You are, were, half human after all."

"Not enough for them to be relevant." Admitted the former dhampir without much concern.

"Then perhaps… Perhaps magic isn't the path for you." Setsuna mumbled but they both heard it.

"But he is still a Bishop and his reserves are really big." Kiba pointed out, confused by the ravenhead's observation.

"Mana can be used for more than just magic. Or used for different sorts of magic." She replied while rubbing her chin. "I mean, Gasper can turn into bats and fog. The great vampires can do more than that."

"Not a vampire. A dhampir." Was the small blond's reply but she waved him off.

"A Daywalker, all benefits of a vampire, almost none of the weaknesses and a sacred gear to boot. Are we sure you aren't a True Hybrid?"

"A True Hybrid wouldn't need to drink blood." Gasper pointed out in denial. "Vampires are too close to humans so they don't make them, I think. Dhampirs like me are just 'human plus'…"

In reality he was putting himself down more than anything since their existence wasn't that common nor was it by any means weak. Like a True Hybrid he held no weakness and his potential was immense, enough so that Rias needed a Mutated Piece to Reincarnate him into a devil.

Yet the comparison gave the ravenhead an idea. "Like a yokai? Like a hanyou?" Setsuna observed and his eyes grew wide.

So did Kiba's. "Wait, you aren't suggesting…"

"Forget about devil magic- no, put it on the back burner for now." Setsuna stood up and gazed down towards Gasper who also rose from his seat. Their eyes met and she allowed her father's blood to flow freely.

As dark green mana began to fill the arena, the Knight of Gremory couldn't help but step back. "Setsuna! Stop!"

Instead of replying, she focused completely on Gasper. "This doesn't bother you, does it?"

"Not at all." His eyes began to shine but it wasn't pink with the light of his sacred gear. Instead it was the dark red of blood. "I don't need to breathe."

"Good. I figured as much. You are as much a vampire as I am a dog yokai." She pointed out and he couldn't help but nod. Even with an Evil Piece, he never really felt like a devil. "Time to grow into a proper warrior."
"Time to be a man…" Gasper added with ever growing confidence. However he realized that road would be rough because he never bothered to learn how to fight like a vampire. "Will you teach me?"

"It will hurt."

"I can take it!"

"You will cry."
"I can take it!"

"Don't ask to stop after we start."

"I said that I can take-" A fist made its way to Gasper's face which sent him flying to the other side of the arena with blood pouring from his lip.

Kiba immediately made a sword and pointed it towards the ravenhead. "Setsuna! Control your impulses-"

"Oh, they are under control alright. This is all me." The hanyou replied calmly before jumping left, away from the Knight and evading a blast of mana. "Rules are as follows: you are forbidden from using any magic that doesn't come from your vampire side!" Her announcement stopped the blond's next spell. "Also, no flying unless you can do it without those wings."

She pointed at the bat-like wings typical of a devil which had Gasper looking at them with some confusion as he couldn't even remember when he opened them. It was by instinct, an impulse to run away before danger could get him that had the former dhampir ready to escape.

A coward's way out in Setsuna's opinion since the blond wasn't even thinking of fighting.

"Okay, okay. Calm down you two!" Kiba shouted while standing between them. "Look, if you want to spar it is fine but this isn't how we do things. Setsuna, I agree we need to help Gasper improve his magic but that was an unnecessary cheap shot!"

"We need to draw out his instincts, those rooted in his blood and passed down from the vampires of old!" She declared firmly, committing to not back down on it. "Vampires are some of the most powerful predators on the planet. Few haven't heard the Legend of the Greatest Vampire of all, Count Dracula." For some reason hearing that name had Gasper's expression clouded with anger. But that was fine, just more for her to work with. "Few monsters can claim the title of Legendary in this World and he was one of them. A true born killer."

"That has nothing to do with this! Stand down!" Kiba pointed his sword at the hanyou but she ignored it.

Instead the one who stopped his hand was Gasper. "Senpai, please step aside." Landing on his feet, the boy tried to take a fighting stance.

He was doing it all wrong, his feet were spread too far, his hands were positioned in a way that guarded a little of his belly and little else. At least his balance was descent, something he mostly got from watching other people's training. However everything else was a mess, especially the way he held his arms.

'If anything, anything that is more suited to hold a weapon to close the gap between his arms.' Then Kiba looked at Setsuna and imagined her teaching Gasper how to use the naginata. 'That would be-' His thoughts were cut short when he shook his head. "Gasper! You are not trained for this! Your body isn't trained to survive facing someone like Setsuna going all out."
"She won't hit me like that again. I won't let her." Gasper was absolutely ignoring the blood dropping from his head and mouth.

"That isn't the problem here and you know it!" He focused on the hanyou again. "Both of you realize how stupid this is?"

"Kiba, don't spit in his determination. Gasper is ready. He just needs to develop his instincts as a hunter." Setsuna affirmed with a confidence odd to him. Neither had seen the Bishop training his body much, just the basics. "You can't say this isn't good for him."

"The idea, maybe. The methods? Not a chance in hell. This isn't safe! Not with you like this."

"Please, step aside." Gasper's aura began to pour from his body. "I want to get stronger."

"There is a method to this, Gasper! Steps you need to take!"

"We don't have time for that!" His roar had the older blond quiet and for a full minute all he and the ravenhead could do was stare at Gasper who looked like a completely different person. It was his face, so familiar yet different, carrying a determination and fury beyond reason. "They are coming to hurt us and I will be ready! I will KILL THEM ALL!"

Hearing this had Kiba hesitating even more until he realized something else. 'If not now then later, they are going to 'train' no matter what…' Was the Knight's realization that threw a bucket of water on his plans. Gritting his teeth, a part of him wanted to run towards his King and have her deal with that mess. "Fine!"

However he didn't because in truth he couldn't. Even if Rias was the only person Gasper would hear when push came to shove, by the time he found her a fight would have already broken out. It wasn't only the Bishop who wanted that sort of harsh training, Setsuna wanted it too.

The Knight of Gremory had paid close attention to how his friend was telling her story and the feelings pouring from her chest. He understood that there was anger ready to burst out at any moment, that needed release.

While true she wanted to help Gasper, training was just an excuse to let some of those pent up feelings lose.

If it was against someone like Ise or Luvia, even Shirou or Koneko, perhaps even himself, Kiba wouldn't mind letting Setsuna vent as much as she wanted. That obviously wasn't the same with Gasper who wasn't trained for those sort of fights nor naturally inclined for them, much less prepared to face an enraged hanyou.

However there was little he could realistically do. 'The second I leave, these two are to duck it out. I don't think I can find Buchou before something really bad happens.' With that conclusion Kiba let out a sigh of resignation before taking a few steps back. Nevertheless he kept the sword high. "I will be keeping an eye on you. The instant that things start getting out of control I am ending this!"
Deep in the recess of his mind the Knight thought things were already out of control but he understood neither dhampir nor hanyou believed such. In their minds that was the only way for the Bishop to grow strong fast enough to make a difference in the battles ahead.

Because there would be battles, Kiba wasn't naive enough to believe otherwise.

And even deeper down in his soul, he agreed with them.

Drastic measures needed to be taken.

"Thank you, Senpai." It was just a flicker from the gentle Gasper of always but soon it vanished being replaced by a person Kiba didn't know.

A creature with a man's face that still managed to be beautiful in a monstrous way as his features grew distorted, sharp in the cheekbones and his eyes grew red like blood as a similar aura enveloped his body.

An aura unlike his friend's who was always a soft and gentle pink. Instead it felt similar to Rias' who carried the same colors but in a chaotic form. In another comparison the Knight would say his King's Power was more black than red while Gasper's new presence was more red than black.

Something else of note was, 'He isn't using his sacred gear…' Kiba felt no trace of God's Gift anywhere in the Bishop's eyes. 'Don't tell me he won't even try and get a Balance Breaker!'

Unfortunately for him there was no more time to think since the instant the older blond concluded a third step and got out of the way enough to give the two combatants a line of sight they dashed at each other.

A shockwave exploded and Gasper was sent flying from another punch, his back hitting a wall outside the ring as blood left his mouth with a cough. However there was nothing stopping Setsuna from advancing anymore and so she pressed another attack with a sequence of fists and feet.

Things barely started and Kiba already wanted to interfere. 'At least she isn't using her claws…'

But before he even took a step in their direction he watched the dhampir shapeshift into a cloud of smoke and evade the hanyou before returning to his normal form to throw a kick at her head.

An attack easily blocked by a forearm and countered when Setsuna grabbed her newly acquired student to flip him around, slamming him on the ground. She was about to attack again when the Bishop dispersed into a cloud of bats.

They tried to surround the ravenhead but she easily bashed them around forcing Gasper to reform his wounded body to throw a clumsy punch. His attack was successful in the sense it connected to the woman's torso but the damage was so neglectful that didn't even get a wince.

Instead it got a backhand that sent the blond flying again, actions which would be repeated several times over during the course of that 'spar' because Gasper hadn't been trained to fight like that.
He was supposed to be a Wizard Type, a supporter, not a direct fighting or a brawler. No one else was guilty of that either since that was the Bishop's own preference. At least past preference since his position shifted as he stood up once more, his eyes shining with determination.

Setsuna wasted no time to strike again, a hand on the ground as she sent a kick on Gasper's ribs that had him crashing on the ground several meters away from the Princess of Kyoto.

Yet he stood up one more time which extended the spar.

Gasper would keep doing so until finally losing consciousness almost an hour later, the boy resolute in becoming someone capable of protecting his loved ones. Despite stiff posturing, lack of strength, too many wounds to count and little skill with his bloodline he kept going. Not once he brought out his wings or his sacred gear, much less his devil magic.

Full of resolve and perhaps with less than a little sense, the boy charged against the hanyou with his fist held high. He was going to fail, to fall and to get hurt but clearly the boy had already accepted the process as part of his new routine.

A path to grow into the man he wanted to be; someone strong.

A warrior.

…

Dreams actually weren't things Ise was used to. Most of the time he would just wake up forgetting them save some exceptions. Once and a while the Pawn of Gremory could swear he dreamed of Ddraig before they met and those tended to stick out.

That and dreams about sleeping the breasts of several girls who gladly allowed him to enjoy their 'fluffiness' to his heart's content only to wake up a second later and realize he was actually hugging his pillow a bit too indecently.

However when he grew aware of himself all Ise could see was darkness. 'What the…' Then he realized something which made him feel stupid. 'Ooooooohhhhhh… My eyes are closed… When did I fall asleep?'

Indeed the young man could feel he was on a bed, a very comfortable bed that was way better than his own. Even the pillow on his head was extremely soft to the point he was in no rush of getting up if not for a few issues.

Firstly Ise was feeling hot. 'Damn. Didn't remember my blanks being so heavy.' Also it was like his arms were stuck. 'But they sure as hell are comfortable. What was I thinking about again?' Then he tried to remember when he went to sleep only to backtrack and realize. 'Wait a sec… this isn't my bed…'

Moving his neck a little, the Pawn found some difficulty opening his eyes which was odd as he felt fine. Nevertheless his body was reacting like he had slept way more than he should, presenting him with a lethargy he lacked even after the worst of training sessions.

Eventually the Red Dragon Emperor found enough strength to open his eyes, first seeing a bunch of red curtains surrounding a strange bed that was too big and luxurious to even fit in his room.

Next he noticed cat-like ears covered in white fur as when looking down to his chest before Toujou Koneko chose that moment to turn her head with an unimpressed expression contrasted by the blush that grew ever more crimson.

However neither had time to say anything because another voice took over the room. "Ise-san!" Asia Argento jumped in the bed and on the Pawn's arms as the nekomata quickly jumped out of the bed. Nevertheless all of the dragon's attention was on the former nun who hugged him so hard it should have broken his ribs. "Ise-san! Ise-san! Ise-san!Ise-san! Ise-san!"

Asia had started crying, especially when he returned the hug with shock, but she wasn't the only one. "Ise! Thank the Heavens you are alright!" Irina joined their hug without hesitation, a plate with sliced apples and a knife dropping on the floor. "Dumb Ise! Dumb! Dumb! Dumb Ise! Never!" She made sure to meet his eyes. "Never worry us like that again! You hear!"

"Eh? What are you- owowowow!" When not hearing an affirmation, the honey haired woman began to pinch his cheeks so hard that he almost started crying. "Okay! Okay! I give!"

"You better stop before he loses consciousness again." Koneko commented as she finished tying up a black bathrobe she was suddenly wearing.

Only then did Ise realize that previously the girl had been naked. "What happened?" Both Asia and Irina took advantage of the huge bed to sit around him allowing the Pawn to take in their appearance. The girls were using casual clothes, a long skirt and sweater for the blonde while the honey haired one wore a pair of jeans and short sleeved buttoned up shirt. "And why am I naked?"

Usually those raised by the Church would be blushing a storm but they just smiled as Koneko, who was the one blushing, replied. "You aren't naked. You have briefs."

"That's nothing!" He immediately pulled the covers on his upper body before looking at the three. "Where am I? What happened?"

Luvia chose that time to reveal herself, rising from a chair close to the wall and approaching the bed. "Seriously? You don't remember anything at all?" The magus' eyes showed a huge amount of skepticism. The other three women turned to Edelfelt, each looking more uncomfortable than the last. "Think hard. Really hard."
Ise started to grow afraid of her tone. "Why?"

"It is important. Focus." Her tone was forceful despite her calm expression.

"Luvia…" Irina's tone, on the other hand, carried a warning and the two women traded glances as the angel fully turned to the devil.

"I mean…" The boy paused for an instant to think before making an uncomfortable face that had the girls worried.

Especially the former nun. "Luvia-san, maybe this isn't the right time? Ise-san just woke up."

Clicking her tongue, the magus began to step out of the room. "I suppose letting him recover his bearings for a few hours is a good idea." She then glared at the women surrounding Ise, knowing that later they would impede any progress regardless of how much he rested. 'I have a King for that.' And once she reminded herself she wasn't responsible for their group, the Blue Ogre turned to leave. "Well, he is awake and not rampaging again so I will check if anything else needs to be done before we go back to Earth."

"'Rampaging'?" Ise questioned softly before a bunch of images crossed his mind.

Swords coming in his direction, the White Dragon Emperor charging at him and light so bright that it could outshine the Sun. There was something wrong with all that as most of them didn't make sense, at least in that moment.

A moment that lasted longer than he expected as when he next looked up Luvia was already gone with Asia, Irina and Koneko looking at him with obvious concern. Focusing on the present the Pawn tried to smile but his chest felt heavy and he didn't feel like it.

"Do you want some food?" Koneko asked nervously and Irina looked down to the plate she dropped.

"Heheh. I was cutting apples for everyone. Sorry. Maybe we should have asked Luvia-san to get more?"

Finding an opportunity for a joke, Ise took the chance. "Like that Ojou-sama would agree to do menial work." The angel giggled while Asia and Koneko smiled.

"Ise-san, that isn't a nice thing to say."

"But I'm right." He tried to smile again but something was still wrong.

Sure he was relieved that the girls were smiling despite the confusion going around his head but there was also a strange feeling settling in his belly that refused to leave. Something was wrong in a really bad way, that was all the Red Dragon Emperor could affirm, and that feeling was connected to it.

Didn't take long for Ise to look for a solution and it all started with a question. "What did she mean by 'rampaging'?"

His questions killed the smiles in the room and a suddenly very apprehensive Irina asked back, "You don't remember… anything? At all?"

"Remember?" Ise paused and slowly raised a hand to his face, noticing his arm was far heavier than it should. 'Remember what? Luvia wanted me to remember something… She wanted to ask me…'

"What is the last thing you-"

"We should get Luvia back. Or call Buchou." Koneko interrupted the angel with urgency.

Irina glared at the nekomata as Ise wondered. "Why? I mean, what happened…"

The three women saw his thoughtful expression but while two of them didn't want to think about it, Asia hugged him tighter. "Ise, what do you remember?"

"I remember… didn't we have- the match!" Ise suddenly shouted and tried to get up only for his body to move slower than it should. Something was wrong but he didn't think about it as the memories flooded in his mind. "We're trapped and…" Then he hugged Asia back before tears started dropping. "You're safe. You're safe."

The three women could hear the disbelief in his voice, Asia brushing his head while speaking in a soft voice. "I am safe. We are all safe."

A little bothered by what she was watching, Irina tried to leave the bed only to notice Ise's hand holding her own like a lifeline. Clearly his worry extended to more than just Asia and so the angel found herself welcomed into another hug.

Koneko watched everything stoically as her heartbeat slowed down and she began to think on how she should tell Ise about his reduced lifespan. 'Juggernaut Drive…' She shivered, trying to keep her thoughts away from the Raging Dragon and its presence. 'No, just Ise now. Dumb pervert…'

A small smile grew in her lips as she watched the three in bed contant to just share warmth. "This isn't a crazy dream, right?"

"Of course not, dummy." Irina replied as she began to cry a little as her shoulders dropped in relief.

"We are going back home, Ise." Asia said as she acted a little more daringly and placed her face in his neck.

"Home…" Ise's head hid his expression and Koneko could only watch as tears flowed. She was willing to give them a few more minutes of peace and rest before bringing troubles from the outside. "Thank you."

"Of course." Asia replied resolutely.

"Always…" Irina added with the same tone.

"Thank you…" Ise repeated himself as his hug grew tighter, still not believing the two of them were there.

Because once he started remembering the events from the previous day he recalled several things he wished to forget like an uncontrollable fury and thirst for destruction that was completely unlike him.

Also fire, a flame showing him horrible memories that weren't his own. Memories of people like him dying several times over in awful ways. Red Dragon Emperors falling to despair or having their final stands.

Or the memory of himself raging like a monster as he destroyed everything in his path until a warrior in black and white showed up to slay him, to stop the dragon from destroying an empty city.

Ise remembered his skin exploding several times over, blades ripping his chest apart, the pain of having his insides ripped off, headaches that came and went with sudden blindness before he stared at the warrior who certainly was Shirou.

Not all memories were there, several details were missing as his mind couldn't process everything at once. Or at all since he didn't even know what he was remembering in the first place.

Rage he couldn't explain confused Ise more than he wished to admit but the worst part was remembering the sort of destruction he unleashed; it was absolute.

Not only Shirou but Azazel also tried to get in his way and that hadn't been enough. Not even close to enough, they inflicted pain and new wounds but he kept going. Attacking, burning, destroying more and more until there was a gap in his mind where he could only remember anger.

Next thing the young man remembered was a bright light and his arms grew tighter around the two women because even if he didn't know what exactly happened he was able to connect the dots as his mind conjured the rest of what happened.

'I almost killed them. I almost killed them all.' Roars of fury replied in his mind again and again. They were his own.

[I am sorry, Partner.]

'Ddraig?' Ise's voice was weak in his own soul, almost like a kid looking for his parents.

Yet the Original Red Dragon Emperor didn't answer.

…..

Arm is better but the doctor suggested I slowed down a little so for the foreseeable future this story shall be monthly.

Support my work and read two chapters early on:

P a treon

Apprentice of Life or

P a treon . com (slash) ApprenticeofLife

Until next time.