REVIEWS:

Xerzo LotCN: His accessories have indeed been gathering dust in one way or another, but no more. Since he no longer has his Gear, he will start looking to improve them. Know what that means? CRAFTING TIME!

Marquis: Check the announcement below, pal.

Rales Mckoy: Oh yeah, things are stewing in the background. Your boy is cooking good.

PTYN: I might do one soon. You right, it has been a while.

Ezoren: It warms my heart every time I read such a good review. I truly hope my work can inspire you, and if you need aid, do not be afraid to come to me on Discord for advice. We are currently a strong 200+ community, and all are welcomed.

Alright, lads, you know what the text in the middle means. Announcement time. As you all might have seen, the Slateon (You know what I mean.) is no more. This is due to some issues that saw me remove it. Don't worry. I am fine; the whole ordeal just bumped me. Anyway, I am pleased to announce that I have moved to Ko-Fi. There is a link at the bottom of this chapter. Or know what? Ima put it here. You will see all Previews there from now on, as stuff should be pretty similar to how things were before.

Discord Invite: /FVXgdXtMUv

Coffee Link: (You know how to alter this)/horns

Until next time, guys! ENJOY!

Chaos.

That was the only word that could be used to describe the events unfolding all over India. It is currently the beginning of spring, and India has been dealing with a pandemic since the end of January. At first, there were only a few isolated cases here and there in random villages across the country. Mainly old men and women who one day fell ill on their beds, coughing horribly.

One week later, their entire village saw itself littered with corpses. The Indian Government went up in arms at the sight, but it was too late. Or was it? The epidemic that started in India seemed to have started seemingly overnight, and from what some of the doctors learned by studying corpses, they were dealing with a mutated form of TBC. Tuberculosis. A disease as old as humankind, known to gain resistance to drugs if not treated properly easily.

Despite humanity defeating this disease, this new strain has proven itself not only more fatal but more contagious and more difficult to cure. Namely, no known antibiotic worked. Even experimental drugs imported from India's ally, Russia, were used, and nothing. It has been around one month since this started, and currently, over 10% of the country's population is reported to have been infected.

The young, such as infants and children under five, and the elderly contract it especially easily. More horrifying yet, the disease worked fast. In less than 24 Hours, any infected person perished unless treated immediately, and even those they reach can only live another 6 hours before death grips them.

The crematoriums in New Delhi alone are struggling. The capital was in chaos, with people afraid to leave their homes, fearful of infection. But this was not your average virus. It was airborne. It was in the air, and once an infected person died, they released more of the virus into the atmosphere. The number of infected people rose by the day, as did the number of deaths. This was a true humanitarian crisis, but strangely, the disease has not left the borders of India. Some speculate that the disease evolved to target the genome of Indians only, while other, more extreme sources even went as far as to call this a terrorist attack.

But what it was was a crisis.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The powerful shout resounded within the ornate hall atop Mount Meru. And its owner? The Hindu God, Indra. A man with a buzz-cut hairstyle, greenish-brown hair color, and lavender eyes, wearing circular sunglasses, an aloha shirt, and a jewel around his neck when in his leisure."Our people are dying like flies in a cloud of bug spray! The death toll is already in the thousands by the day!"

"This disease is ravaging the humans!" One of the Buddhas whom he had recruited stated. "We are trying to find its cure."

"Great. At least the matter is bound to be resolved within the week." Indra stated, but then he saw the worried expression on the face of the Buddha. "It will be done within the week, correct?"

"I am afraid not."

"It is just a human disease!" Indra shouted. "Why are you doubting your skills? As Deities, there should be nothing we cannot do about something as trivial as a cough."

"It is not just that, Lord Indra." The Buddha added. "We have analyzed it and discovered it to be unnatural. This disease was not caused by natural hands but by artificial means."

"Are you telling me what I think you are telling me?" Indra asked.

"Sir, I am afraid that your people are truly being the victims of a biological attack." The Buddha answered.

"Then we will cure them with a miracle!" Indra declared. "Anything to save them!"

"We tried…"

"Impossible! You mean to tell me that this disease can resist even the power of a God's miracle for his people?" Indra questioned the Buddha.

"No, in fact, a miracle seems to cure the disease right away. However, there is nothing that prevents it from returning. This is more than just TBC; the old human plight. It is like a new disease altogether, but TBC was definitely used in its component. Sir, I fear that despite our efforts, creating an effective cure that can prevent its return will take us too long…"

"Too long to what?" Indra asked them further.

"Too long to prevent the Hindu Pantheon from losing more than half its might."

"Keep your mouth shut!" Indra raged. "I don't want to hear it! You mean to tell me that whoever is doing this might just-" His eyes widened. "But of course!"

"Sir?"

"Prepare the troops! All of them! Contact the other Gods as well!" Indra looked down into his searing pool again. He saw the mountains of corpses rising and the smoke from the funeral pyres. His people were dying so fast…Because the enemy's aim was them. "They want to weaken us."

Indra saw right through the enemy's plan. This disease was their way of first weakening them and then attacking them. But when and how is the final question. A set of questions that he can answer. As the Buddha left to deliver the message, Indra started focusing, using his power. He was going to take a peek at the future.

The further one looked into the future, even for him, the more unclear things became, but he was certain that he could at least look one month ahead for when the attack might happen. "Reveal yourselves to me…Who is doing this?" His eyes changed, becoming like open lotus flowers as the world around him faded to many colors. He was looking ahead, trying to find something, anything, to tell him what he wanted.

He saw many things, however. He saw that the deaths won't stop for another month, at the very least. But then he took note of something. As the future branched out, revealing paths possible and unknown to him that would be true, he followed one and saw something that gave him chills before him: not an army, but a monster. A giant snake with wings like a dragon, black with fire raging between its scales. This was too far for him to pinpoint accurately, but he was certain of what he was seeing.

They were standing atop his mountain…his palace had been reduced to burning rubble. He looked behind himself and saw Shiva, defeated among the ruins. The God of Destruction himself was humbled into the ground. Indra then stared again at the snake, trying to understand what he was seeing. He heard the screams below and tried to do something to see better what he was dealing with, but something happened.

Something he did not expect.

A hand shot out from inside the snake, covered in shadows, and grabbed his neck. The shadow walked to him, making him take steps back. The world around them stopped, like time refused to flow anymore. No…It was his vision! It was being tampered with! But that was impossible! Indra stared directly at his attacker, seeing no facial feature to tell who it was, only shadows in the form of a man.

"Do not peek again…Wait until I arrive." Their voice was distorted, and the moment they let go, Indra found himself back in the present, hunching over and coughing.

"What the…" He touched his neck and froze as he felt something. He looked in the reflection of his small body of water, seeing his neck burned. His eyes widened when he saw such a thing, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Someone INVADED his vision!

An impossible feat! Or…Did they somehow get into his palace? Impossible! Despite the fact he becomes almost defenseless when peeking into the future so far, he is not without defense! He can easily snap out of it and counter when needed, so it was impossible for someone, anyone, to sneak up on him and attack him! And even then, why warn him and leave?

Warn him…Whoever did this, they knew he'd look into the future, and somehow, who knows how, they ensured he could not. "Who is that man to tell me what I cannot do?" His eyes changed again, yet this time, it didn't take him long to see something again. "What? No…"

There he was, standing below the snake, looking back at him.

"I told you not to peek."

And Indra found himself back to the present again. "Again!" He looked again but saw them again. And again. Again. Over a hundred times, he looked, and a hundred times, he saw the same snake and the same shadow.

"How?! Who are you?! Who are you?!" Indra shouted in frustration, unable to take this anymore. But he got no response. When he gazed for the last time, he faced the shadow. "Who are you?!" And demanded his identity.

"You will learn soon, God King. But mark my words. I am coming to reclaim something you stole from my father. Something that doesn't belong to you. Once I have what I want, then it is the end of you." And the shadow kicked Indra back into the present for the hundred and one time.

"No…" Indra was at a loss. This never happened to him before. Every time, in every battle, he could foresee the outcome and change it to favor him, but now, it was like every future he tried to see, and change led to the same result. Was someone out there with such power that they could decide the future before it was set in stone?

Who wields such a power?

The answer? No one wields the power to decide the future. But one can wield the power to prevent another from looking at it. "Ugh!" Ignium hunched over, covering his eyes with his palm.

"Sir!" Jeanee, one of his colonels, went to him, offering support. "You went too far. You overused the technique."

"I had to!" Ignium replied strongly. "Indra was more insistent than I originally predicted. I need to keep a watchful eye on him in case he tries to peek again. He cannot learn who we are, where we are, and when we desire to attack until we are ready!"

"Sir, forgive me for speaking out of term, but you are putting your health in peril!" Alonzo, another one of the colonels, said. "This technique. This ability, to essentially prevent those with the power to see the future from seeing past a certain point you guard, is something I only learned exists now. Where did you learn how to use such a power?"

"From my father!" Ignium replied strongly.

"From Him?!" Alonzo gasped in surprise. "Surely, He wouldn't have taught you that technique had he known you'd-"

"Be silent, Alonzo!" Ignium ordered him, and Alonzo quieted down. "What happened in Heaven before the war is not something that concerns you. I have secrets, yes, but those secrets are of no use to you, to Jeanne, or anyone in the Snake! Just follow my orders, and soon, I promise you, we will emerge victorious in the battle to come."

"I…Yes, Sir." Alonzo replied, then headed out, leaving Ignium alone with Jeanne in the meeting room.

"Sir, forgive me, but don't you think you were a bit…Harsh?"

"There is a difference between cruelty and mercy, Jeanne. Not telling you things and telling you not to dig further is my way of offering you mercy. If I wanted to be cruel, then I'd have told you everything from the start." Ignium explained. "Understand this, however: My objectives have not changed. I made a promise, and I will uphold it. I will fulfill my role as leader of the Snake of Adam until the bitter end."

Jeanne seemed irked by the last line. "Sir, can we-"

"Another word, Jeanne, and I will consider castration of my balls. I will not take another request of such nature from you." Ignium shot her down harshly.

"But, Sir! You are the only one of your lineage! When you die, the power of your flames will go extinct with you! It has to be preserved!" Jeanne argued, but in doing so, she drew Ignium's ire. The demon's eyes fixed themselves on her, and the room grew in temperature. Jeanne began to sweat rapidly, with obvious stains appearing on her uniform.

"My powers will go extinct with me. I will take them to my grave. End. Of. The. Story." And then he left, leaving Jeanne to recover from the intense heat he put her under. Literally, she just sat there, scared out of her wits.

She overstepped. She realized that now. And Ignium was gracious enough not to punish her, merely warn her to drop the subject. Jeanne has been making many requests of their General of a specific nature. She was offering her womb to him to sire the next heir to the line of Ophirius. Again and again, for years, she has been requesting this of him, wishing to continue his lineage, which she believed would pride itself in their mighty ancestor. It was not due to the power of the flames Ignium commanded and the terrifying might a hybrid of their blood would wield.

The main objective of the Snake of Adam was preservation. Not letting any seed of the Devil Race be lost to the sands of time.

Dejected, she made her way back to her quarters, but on her way there, she was met with Darium. The old man saw her state and nodded knowingly. "Another rejection, is it?"

"I get Marakus and his boy toy, Crowley, but could it be that our leader is...Asexual?" Jeanne asked the old man, and he rubbed his beard, thinking.

"Best not discuss such things about our General in the open, dear. Come. Let us retreat to your quarters." Darium stated. "And before you get ideas, I fear that my tool has been out of order for years now. The poor lad saw many sheets in his day, but alas, it can't battle no more."

Jeanne shivered at the image but followed him regardless. They went back to her room, where she took a seat on her bed while Darium took a chair. "I just do not know, Darium." She repeated herself. "The duty of the Snake, above all else, is to preserve the various bloodlines of the Devil Race. Yet, why is our General so willing to let his fade to oblivion?"

"Hmm. I think it relates to his virtue." Darium said.

"Virtue? Like a heavenly virtue?" Jeanne asked. "But why? He is a demon. He betrayed Him. Why does he still hold that virtue in importance?"

"His virtue was loyalty, Jeanne, dear," Darium stated. "I was there when he was named General, you know? I was but a mere Major at the time, and he rose the ranks quickly. Lucifer offered him to be 73rd House, believe it or not, but he refused. Said he'd rather serve in the fire of battle. Lucifer was quite displeased with this, but then Ignium's power rose. His fire grew hotter. Lucifer, out of fear or jealousy of such fire, is said to have ordered him never to sire a child."

"And you think he still follows such an order? Darium, I know our leader is still a man. Or did you forget the women he sometimes enjoys in his chambers?" Jeanne stated the obvious, and sure enough, Darium laughed. "Also, isn't he older than you?"

"Oh, dear, demons age differently than us devil-kind." Darium pointed out. "He will be here long after you and I both become dust. Demons never age."

"That only goes to reinforce my doubt; if he never ages and always retains his peak condition, why does he still follow such an order? Lucifer is gone, and no devil has power over him to reinforce that command. We broke free from the Old Satan Faction - NOTHING is holding him back from letting his lust do its natural duty!"

"He is holding it back!" Darium said swiftly.

"Also…I doubt he is being loyal to Lucifer now, don't you think? If he were, then we wouldn't have betrayed the Old Satan Faction." Jeanne pointed out the contradiction, making Darium actually look back and ponder this new insight.

"Hmm. You bring forth a fair point. However, I am certain he had his reasons for taking such a course of action." Darium defended the General still, but Jeanne was unconvinced. "Jeanne…The only one who can answer most of your questions is the General himself. But you know how he has been lately."

"I know. Lately, he seems very on edge about something. I know we are preparing for war with the Hindu Pantheon, but he seems almost…"

"Scared…"

Jeanne and Darium locked eyes with one another as those words left Darium's mouth. Ignium? Scared? They might be going up against several beings in the top 10 strongest, but come on! Their General wouldn't have headed into such a battle without a solid plan, and the plan was being performed as they spoke! Gods took their power from those who worshiped them. By reducing the population of India, they are reducing the number of followers. Their population, however, was so great millions would die before they would attack.

The disease they created was something they spent considerable time on, making sure no divine miracle could prevent it from infecting a person again and again. Trying to prevent it from being cured by divinity in the first place was not possible, but they could prevent it from being blocked by an artificial immunity or something.

They were going to play the long game. And prepared. The production of golems was in full swing, and their soldiers were being equipped with the latest weapons and equipment designed and manufactured by Tadeus himself. Not to mention their ace in the hole: The Bizmark.

Even now, that massive human-made ship was receiving improvements and alterations to its original design to prepare it for the upcoming battle. She'll never know why they kept that ship around past getting the gear on board, but what she does know is that the weapon being built on that ship could easily take out the likes of a Dragon King.

So why would their leader be afraid? He had power, men and women who'd die for him, and more! He had what few could ever have and commanded not only their minds but hearts as well! He was Ignium Ophirius! One of the 666.

Jeanne laughed at that, surprising Darium with her reaction. "I apologize for my response, Darium, but…It is hard to imagine our leader scared of a lot. I know he feared the Juggernaut Drive, but I can understand that fear wholeheartedly! Surely, you jest."

"I would never jest about our General, Jeanne. Something is scaring him. There is something that seems to make him afraid." Darium said again. "But for my life, I cannot begin to guess what could have such an effect on him."

"Maybe it has something to do with the warehouse that was raided." Jeanne guessed, but Darium merely scoffed.

"A few imperfect toys would hardly make him sweat."

"There were not any toys, Darium." Jeanne pointed out. "Do recall, I was the head of the investigation. As it turned out, Creusery Asmodeus activated Errgo, uploading a version of his programming most problematic to us. He broke into it and stole several prototypes. Who knows who he gave them to!"

"I hold my stand, Jeanne. There is no way those things could be what scare our leader." The old man said again but then rubbed his beard. "Maybe it is something of a holy nature?"

"Only the holiness of the Abrahamic Heaven does anything to demons, Darium. Holy water, crosses, prayers, angels - that kind of stuff! No way the Hindu have any of that in large amounts to counter him." Jeanne reasoned.

"Very true, yes. To assume all Pantheons have equal holiness when holiness itself is an attribute wielded by Heaven is ludicrous. Only they have the holiness that can chase away a demon." Darium said.

"Then what is making him afraid?"

"Only he knows…"

"Ugh…" Jeanne threw herself on her bed, frustrated by the constant questions. "This is bullshit! I don't understand how you, Marakus, Alonzo, and even Sanac have so much loyalty in him, never questioning him."

"Because we know he won't answer," Darium replied, which really got Jeanne's attention. "You are the most recent Colonel, Jeanne. You took over from your grandfather. But had you known the General for as long as the rest of us, then you'd know second-guessing him is the last thing you must ever do. For centuries, he has kept us safe, leading us from behind bars. Now he is back…And we are moving more than than ever.

"So I am supposed just to follow him without question?" Jeanne asked.

"Yes! Why? Because whether we like it or not, he is the first and LAST line of defense that we have against the enemies that might seek us harm. The New Satan Faction would never allow us to reinstate the rest of the Houses. Not yet. We need more leverage to negotiate such a demand."

"Then why are we not going to war against them?" Jeanne asked.

"Because it'd lead to more bloodshed among ourselves. Numbers we cannot possibly afford to lose." Darium answered. "Be grateful you were born in an era of peace after the war ended, Jeanne. Be very grateful that we, old men and women, fought to bring forth such an era. Even if history remembers us as the villains, it does not change what we fought for. Peace is so fragile, so easily lost, and so hard to earn."

"I…I will keep that in mind, Darium." Jeanne said. "Now go, I want to change my clothes."

"Oh? Why not let me-" An icicle flew by the old man's head, stabbing itself into the wall.

"One more word, you sleazy old man, and I will shove the next one up your ass!"

"Understood!" And so, Darium vanished, likely stopping time again to make his escape.

Jeanne sighed. "So much power in such an old package…" She smiled softly. "But the years brought you wisdom, old man."

"This was terribly unwise…" Leon said as he stood stuffed inside a box. Yes, a box. Why? Well…

"Hmm? What is this?" Kuroka said as she opened the door to their house, seeing a relatively large box at their door. She reached for it, trying to pick it up, but found it somewhat heavy. "What's in this stuff?" She asked, then looked around. In the next moment, she brought her tail out and managed to lift the box and bring it inside.

"What do you have there, Kuroka?" Issei asked as he saw her bringing a box into the house.

"That was what I wanted to ask! Did anyone order anything?" She asked as she put the box down. "It's quite heavy."

"I am not sure. And we cannot just open it to see what it is since if anyone did order something, it'd be rude to open their delivery like that." Issei stated, and Kuroka found it to be a fair argument. So, their only choice was to call everyone to the living room to see what the deal was with the box.

"Not mine. I haven't ordered anything apart from a new bikini for the coming summer." Ingvild stated.

"Not mine either. I didn't make any online purchases this year." Rias added further.

"It is not mine or Asia's either. I hate online shopping, and Asia can barely use the internet!"

"A sheltered lifestyle in the Church does have downsides…" Asia said after Raynare.

One by one, everyone made their statements. No one ordered anything.

"Then what is-"

"Finally!" A hand shot out from inside the box, and at once, everyone got into battle positions, with Kiba and Xenovia pointing their swords at it, Akeno being ready to fire her magic, and overall, everyone was prepared to attack. However, as the hand tore through the cardboard, what came out was…Just a guy?

"Nya! A Stray Devil?" Kuroka stated, sensing their presence.

"A sweaty one, to that," Koneko added, which prompted Leon to answer.

"Hey! You try being stuck in a box for over a day! Shit is stuffy as fuck!"

"Hold on, everyone! Calm down!" Issei told them, then faced the man before him. However, he did so by getting out his sword. "Now, I'd rather not have to do this, but unless you tell us who you are and what you are doing here, I WILL take action."

"Hold up! I am not here to cause trouble! Promise!" Leon said quickly. "Look, I am here actually to seek employment!"

"Employment?" Issei echoed.

"Yes! Under you, to be specific, Red Dragon." Leon specified.

"Wait, hold the phone!" Issei put his sword down. "You mailed yourself to me to seek employment under me? To join me? Just like that."

"Sounds silly, I know, but I've done sillier," Leon admitted. "Plus, I can be useful!"

"I don't doubt that you know a thing or two…"

[Leon]

[Level 64]

"Leon?"

"How the fuck do you know my- Know what? Never mind that. I heard that you are some anomaly, and I guess the rumors check out." He stated.

"Anyway, as I said, the issue is not that you might be useless; the issue is that you just showed up, effectively sneaking into my house and telling me to let you join us. What stops me from saying no?" Issei asked.

"Nothing." And Leon provided the answer. "Nothing stops you from refusing to take me in. Just like nothing I can do can stop you from killing me, most likely. But allow me to prove at least what I can do first and maybe answer some questions about myself?"

"Like an interview?" Issei asked.

"If that's how you wanna see it."

"Issei? A word?" Kuroka took him to the side to talk, leaving Leon alone to be watched by the others. "What do you think about him? Because frankly, I don't trust him."

"Neither do I, but he doesn't seem to be lying so far," Issei stated. "At least, I think he isn't. Still, something about him is strange. I mean, why come here, of all places? How did he know where I live - where WE live? It was not some guess-job either; he knew the exact address, seeing how he mailed himself over."

"He is a Stray Devil," Kuroka added. "Are you going to remove his Evil Piece?"

"If he wants me to, I will do at least that, even if I don't agree to let him join and-"

"This is amazing!"

"I know, right!"

The two looked back to see a sight that really surprised them before them, not one, but TWO Rias Gremory. "Oh, what the hell?!" Issei said loudly, then noticed one of them turning to him, smiling.

"Does this prove my usefulness?" The fake Rias asked.

"Issei! He has a Sacred Gear!" Rias, the real one, stated.

"Indeed, I do! It is quite precise as well. Look." Then, to prove their point, the fake Rias lifted her shirt, letting her breasts fall out. The boys in the room had their sights covered swiftly, and Rias turned red with embarrassment.

"Cover yourself! Don't go around showing my chest to everyone!" The fake covered their chest, then turned to black liquid. In the next moment, Leon was back. "This Sacred Gear. I never met it before."

"It is my Gluttonous Copycat. It enables me to take on the appearance of others. What I used was the Balance Breaker, which allows me to do so without, well…The base requirements." Leon replied vaguely. "I used it quite a bit when I aided Danbooru some time back and-"

"Hold on, Danbooru? Huge guy, bald, white eyes?" Issei asked.

"That's him, alright! Real strong guy, with a stronger hate boner against the Great King Faction."

"Wait a second, you mean that- Wait…It was you?!" Rias realized. "You were involved in the Great King Scandal?!"

"Involved? Girl, I was one of the people who caused it!" Leon bragged. "I, disguised as Lord Bael, snuck into his study and stole those letters right from under their nose! Among other exploits, too! Ha! Then we mailed everything to a contact of Dan's in the media, and the shutdown unfolded!"

Suddenly, a slap was given to Leon over his head, coming from Raynare.

"Hey!"

"Are you an idiot?! Your timing was horrible! Because of you, we had nearly no aid when Kokabiel ran amok with his plan to start another Great War!" Raynare scolded the man.

"In my defense, I had no idea of that!" Leon defended.

"He's right," Issei stated. "He had no idea what was going on at the time, so there is one way they could have known what their actions would cause."

"Thank you!"

"But that does not excuse that you openly admitted to be part of the entire scandal. The cause, no less!" issei added.

"Ah, I saw that coming."

"I will contact my brother. He and Ajuka will want to interrogate you." Rias stated, already going away to do the call.

"Saw that one coming as well!"

"Then why?" Issei asked. "I mean, if you knew you'd expose yourself, why tell us everything?"

"Ever tried holding secrets from your boss? Doesn't go well." Leon replied. "Also, the reason I wanted to join you is simple: I got nowhere else to go."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that my partnership with Dan ended almost immediately after the whole shebang with the Great Kings went down. I am out of a job, pretty much. The last I saw him and George Merrygold - a magician we rescued from being auctioned to the North Koreans - was quite some time ago. We shared one last toast, and I haven't seen the guy since! George is no exception. I only saw him briefly back in a bar in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since then, I lost touch."

"So, you came to me solely because you want employment?" Issei asked again.

"Yes! Like I haven't been saying that since I came out of the box!" Leon stated again.

"I called my brother. He said he would arrive here with Ajuka in an hour or so. And you!" Rias pointed at Leon. "You better behave. I decided NOT to tell my brother about your stunt just now, but know that if he knew you did something so unsightly in my form, he wouldn't show mercy."

"Roger that…" Leon replied awkwardly.

"Hmmm." Issei was thinking about his offer. No, not an offer, more of a request. He wanted to join his group, and Issei would be lying if he said his skills didn't seem useful. Being able to become anyone was like the ultimate sneaking power! Or was that invisibility? Yeah, invisibility was the ultimate sneak. Turning into others was the ultimate scam.

But that being said, he wondered what other skills he had.

"Tell me, Leon, how good are you at fighting?" Issei asked.

"I am more of an assassin, but I can manage in a fight."

"Then follow me."

"I cannot believe this," Kuroka said softly as they were set to watch Leon go against Dummy. "You are actually considering adding him to your peerage?! To your peerage! Meaning you will be wasting a Draconic Piece on him!"

"If he manages to pass my little test here, that is," Issei added to Kuroka's words.

"Well, I lost the bet." Kibba took out some money from his wallet, giving them to Xenovia. "I made a bet with Xenovia that you will only ever have women in your peerage. Guess I lose."

"Well, I dare say that you should be ready to take your money back. He is not in yet. We still need to see how he does against Dummy. If I am satisfied with his skill, then I will have him join. If not, then we will hand him over to Sirzechs to do what he wants with him."

"That's cold," Mit said. "You are essentially discarding him if you deem him useless."

"He did admit to stealing from high-ranking devils, so…"

"Fair point." Mit dropped the subject.

"He doesn't seem fit for direct combat," Ravel noted. "His body indicates more what he told us: An assassin. A rogue is made to strike fast, with lethality, and escape swiftly before he is found. You are pinning him against the odds."

"And he has to beat them," Issei added, then took a step forward. "Are you both ready?"

"I have a lot of questions for later, regardless of the result here!" Leon said, having been surprised by the dungeon and not only.

"Begin!"

Dummy was first to act, charging in and swinging his arm to strike Leon, but the man was fast and sure on his feet. He dropped low, then swiped Dummy's legs from under him before doing a backflip back to put distance between them. He then took out a knife of some kind tied to a string and threw it at Dummy's shoulder as he tried to get up.

But with a press of a button, the string began to pull Leon to Dummy. By the time the straw was noticed, it was too late. Leon planted his feet into its face and then used him as a jump board.

"Nya! He moves well!"

"And that weapon of his is interesting, too," Ingvild added after Kuroka.

However, Dummy was not done and jumped, aiming to crush Leon under his weight. But the man was ready. "Balance Breaker!" His Gear activated, and Leon took the form of Dummy. He not only caught the bigger being but also restrained him before performing a suplex on it.

"Damn!" Raynare said. "No mercy."

But Leon was not done. Next, he changed forms again, becoming an elephant. He grabbed Dummy by the leg with his trunk, then threw him to the side. Poor Dummy was being tortured at this rate!

"Such fast shape-shifting," Mit remarked.

Leon then charged at Dummy, not letting it recover, aiming to gore him with his tusks. But Dummy managed to grab him by said tusks as he charged. His momentum was gone, but Leon kept pushing, trying to push Dummy out of bounds. But the being was not letting itself be defeated that easily, and he lifted Leon, which shocked the man, and then threw him toward Issei.

It looked over, but Leon was quick to change into a falcon, flying above and surprising even Dummy.

"So versatile," Issei said, offering his bit of praise.

But then Leon decided to end things. He flew above Dummy, who expected anything to come from Leon's trickery. He could not expect, however, for him to turn into a literal whale and drop on him. Dummy stared wide-eyed as the giant animal fell on his head, kicking up dust.

"Rias, we arrived to talk about the man you mentioned - WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!?" As Sirzechs had arrived, he saw the giant whale. "Issei, in the name of the nine rings of hell, why do you need a whale?!"

"That is no whale," Issei replied, and on cue, Leon turned back, revealing an utterly crushed Dummy on the ground.

"Phew! Ok…I never switched forms so much before; kinda tired me out." Leon said, then noticed Sirzechs there with Ajuka Beelzebub. "Umm. Hi?"

"Are you Leon?" Ajuka asked. "You are hereby under arrest for conspiracy and-"

"Wait!" Issei said, interrupting Ajuka. "Wait, don't arrest him."

"Issei Hyoudou, understand that he has committed crimes against hell," Ajuka explained. "We have to bring him in. He is also a Stray Devil."

"Not for long." Leon smiled, hearing Issei's words. "He passed my test."

"This is why he was a whale?" Sirzechs asked.

"Issei was testing him," Rias replied. "Leon here wanted to join him. So, to decide whether he was worth it or not, Issei decided to test him and see if he was worth the hassle and draconic piece."

"And he passed with flying colors. Dummy here is designed to be stronger than anyone he faces, even by a small margin, to push them to improve constantly. But by changing forms, you were essentially changing your focus from strength to speed and so on. Good work." Issei stated. "I am a man of my word. Leon, I will allow you to join my ranks. BUT! I expect you to tell those two gentlemen everything you know."

"Full cooperation?" Leon echoed. "In exchange for my freedom?"

"House Arrest," Ajuka stated. "I cannot go further. You go nowhere outside this dungeon or house without the Red Dragon accompanying you or one of his group."

"Deal! I will tell you everything!" Leon stated.

"But first…" Issei stretched his arm to Leon.

"Hey, I feel funny. Woah!" And before long, his evil piece was extracted. Issei then threw it at Ajuka, who caught it.

"Re-use it," Issei told him, and Ajuka nodded his head, pocketing the piece.

However, what followed next was quite a surprise. Leon began to sweat, and his skin was changing color. "Shit…"

"What is going on here?" Issei questioned.

"It seems like his mutations are reversing themselves. They must have been quite severe." Ajuka guessed.

"This never happened before…" But then again, Solomon was gone. Could his magic have been affected negatively? "Is he going to be alright?"

"Where is the bathroom?!" Leon asked, bolting past them to search for the bathroom.

"I think? I never saw this before." Ajuka replied. "One thing is for certain: his body seems upset by the changes."

"Well, when he recovers…" Issei took out a pawn piece. "I have his reward right here."

"You plan to reveal to him your secret?" Sirzechs asked.

"Eventually, my abilities might go public. While I want to keep the secret as tightly locked as possible, I am no fool. Eventually, everyone will know. For now, I will at least let my peerage know."

And with that, Leon was officially on his path to join Issei as his next pawn.

"You wretch…" Within a closed off-realm, where no soul could escape from, Solomon stood surrounded by the past users of the Boosted Gear. Specifically, he was surrounded by the ones responsible for the curse of the Juggernaut Drive. But before him stood only one man. Old, with a wrinkled face, and wearing a tattered brown cloak like all others. He let his hood down and stared at Solomon with his weary blue eyes. "You dared to intervene, Solomon. Now look at the consequences! Never again will Issei Hyoudou wield the Boosted Gear as it once was!"

"That is no consequence of my actions but of your spite! Now tell me your name so I know who I am addressing!" Solomon demanded.

"Woe unto thee, so-called wise king of Israel! Know that I am Giovani! I wielded the Boosted Gear in the time of the talented Dante, who wrote the Divine Comedy!" The user introduced themselves to Solomon, but the wise king was unfazed.

"Dante Alighieri. The man who walked through Hell, Purgatory, and stepped foot into Heaven." Solomon nodded his head. "He was born in the middle of the 13th century, in 1265, and died in the 14th century, in 1321. He was in his 50's when he died…And you claim to have lived during that period?"

"Precisely!" Giovani said. "I battled Alberto Fi De Boniati, the White Dragon Emperor of my time, and used the Juggernaut to claim victory! I perished, but I took his life in the process! A victory accredited to the Juggernaut Drive's power!"

"Speak not of the Juggernaut as if it represents a reason to be proud!" Solomon chastised him harshly. "The Juggernaut Drive is naught but a curse! Even Ddraig claims it as such! It is a poison - a cancer! And your hate and anger is the malignant tumor that harms all future users!"

The realm erupted into mutters, with the users talking among themselves, outraged by Solomon's words. But Giovani, who took it upon himself to speak first, remained defiant. "You speak such big words, King Solomon, with such authority and power. But you forget your place! Here, we hold the power, not you!"

"And what power is that? If you held such power, why are we here?" Solomon questioned, pushing Giovani into the proverbial wall. "I can see you growing tense, Giovani! But then again, what did I expect? Return to the crowd, you big-mouthed buffon! You try to speak with intellect and authority, but you ramble with no brains to fall on!"

"Solomon, your arrogance is legendary!" Another soul rose from the crowd and replaced Giovani. They took their hood off, revealing a young man, no older than his 20s, with hair pale as snow and eyes blank and void of light. He was blind. "I see your arrogance! You believe yourself entitled to command us, but it was us who fought the White One again and again! Hear me! I am Alwin Von Hunbenmunt. I wielded the Boosted Gear during Napoleon's time!"

"Napoleon, the great general!" Solomon stated, showing once again that his wisdom and knowledge matched expectations. "He brought order within chaos and kneeled the great powers of Europe of his time. But you? You step before me, claiming I am arrogant? Do you claim I entitle myself to your command? Hmm? Fool!"

"Dare not call me a fool, old man!" Alwin retorted. "We are the users of the Boosted Gear! You are an outsider with no right to be here! What you did has doomed Issei Hyoudou! Without the power of the Boosted Gear, he is doomed to fall to the White Dragon Emperor, Vali Lucifer, in battle!"

"The White One of this generation…" A soul muttered.

"Descendant of the Rebellious Son…" The mutters continued.

"The stars aligned for Albion. He got a good host." Another said.

"Ours is abnormal, however. So many possibilities…" A soul stated, and Solomon caught their words and pointed his staff at them, singling them out from the crowd. "Huh?"

"You have faith in his victory, even without the Boosted Gear?" Solomon asked her, and the soul slowly stepped forth, unveiling her head. She was a woman of noble birth, made clear by her features. She had skin as pale as ivory and eyes blue like sapphires. Her hair was long, braided, golden like a field of wheat. "Who are you, child?"

"My name is Maria. From Wales." She bowed to Solomon. "I was the Red Dragon Empress of my age when the Romans still plagued the lands and threatened to come onto the isle of Britania. I fought the White Dragon Emperor, Antonius Pontica, and found victory against him. But my victory was short-lived. I used the Juggernaut, and my life was shortened."

"But you escaped its influence?" Solomon asked, intrigued. She nodded, but Alwin interjected.

"Get back in line, you disgrace!" However, in response to his rude behavior, Solomon struck Alwin, sending him back into the crowd.

"Mind your manners!" The old man shouted. "Go on, Maria."

"As my life was cut short, I was weakened. I fear that, despite my victory, the Romans captured me. They had their way with my body, and eventually, my life ran out after three days." She recounted.

"I see. I don't sense the same malice in you as I do in them, however. Why is that?" Solomon asked her.

"Wise King, I wish no harm on Issei Hyoudou. The grudges and hate of everyone here stem from our lives being cut short by the curse of the Juggernaut. There is no personal vendetta than we have against Issei Hyoudou." She replied.

"Then you say that, as far as you are concerned, he can have his power back?"

"Absolutely."

"JUDAS!" Another soul shouted, shocking Solomon as they cried with such might they were heard over any other soul. "You Judas! You betray us by saying such senseless words!"

"Who are you? Name yourself, ye who calls this woman by the name of the Great Betrayer!"

At Solomon's demand, the soul obeyed. "I am no one of renown! I was born when the Sacred Gears were still young! During my time, the two dragons had only been sealed, and the war calmed…but then the curse unveiled itself! I am Mikail, of the land Ivan turned into the mightiest of empires!" The man in question was large, with a bushy beard and a bald head. As he stood in front of Solomon, the old man could tell this soul held much in terms of malice. "Know this! Simply being forced by fate to battle another is a curse in itself!"

"Such a call was never mandatory!" Solomon said strongly. "Fate might bring the two together, but fighting is your choice!"

"Wrong! We never had any choice! And you!" He pointed at the woman's soul. "You betray us by siding with the wise king! Had I had the power, I'd erase your very memory from our minds!"

"Enough! Tell me, Mikail, why shouldn't Issei recover the power of his Gear right now? Or stay silent and hold his power back no more."

"This is not his power!" Mikail claimed. "It belonged to us all! It is power that still belongs to us, and we decide that is done with it! He dared use the Juggernaut and sinned by not dying by it! You also interfered, and this is his due punishment!"

"His due punishment? For what?! This curse is naught but a trap! Yet, you all pin the blame on those who use it. Not on he who created it!" Solomon rebuked.

"Weaklings have no right to speak… complain…Or choose," Mikail stated coldly.

"Not today," Solomon said with finality. "I will debate you to the end of time if I must! But know this: There is nothing any of you can say to sway me, but there are more than one million combinations of words I can use to sway your opinions to me. The odds favor me!"

"Then pray they continue doing so…" Mikail retreated into the crowd of souls, but Maria stood with Solomon.

"One at a time, I will debate the matter with you. If you wish to remain silent, then so be it. If you want to make your choice now, then make it. Because at the moment I break this curse for good…I will suggest a proper cleaning of this place." Solomon said. "There is a true pestilence here. "