Ride 10: Re:Spite

Takeshi finds himself floating in the dark once again.

"... Not [Section Náströnd]?" he remarked out loud as he looked around the ambient void akin to outer space. "... Going by pattern recognition, I suspect someone else is coming up."

He then hears a faint rumble coming from the darkness.

... Can't believe... missed out... beautiful bloodshed...

Takeshi says nothing, heeding Nidhogg's words of warning.

... Don't keep... waiting...

Normally, Takeshi would give lip, but given his current station in life as a newly-minted Devil, it was only a matter of "when" rather than "if," regarding what kind of shit he would end up in.

With that feeling of resignation in mind, he then falls back into slumber-

1st of April, 2019 AD

YOU CAN COUNT THE MEDALS: ONE, TWO AND THREE!

LIFE GOES ON ANYTHING GOES COMING UP OOO!

The brass ensemble then springs him awake, tangling him up in his sheets before rolling onto the floor headfirst.

"Oww..." groaned Takeshi as he turned off his alarm. "... I swear, if this becomes a running gag, I'm going to find whoever's writing this and sue 'em."

Or you can just change your alarm, snarked Nidhogg as his host then went to the bathroom and freshened himself up. Ever thought of that?

I tried Agito's opening as an alarm back at Junior High, but it didn't take, Takeshi mentally replied as he brushed his teeth. ... Although in my defense, I was suffering through depression and the constant harassment by punks and police didn't help matters.

Good on you to deflect blame, Nidhogg faux-jovially deadpanned as his host changed into his school uniform. You'll make a fine Evil Dragon as of yet.

Hey, baby steps, Takeshi thought as he went downstairs for breakfast. ... Come to think of it, can you remember what happened when you were born?

I don't know, can you? The Evil Dragon dodged the question as his host got his fill of natto beans and rice.

Touché. Takeshi grinned as he finished his meal. "Thanks for the food!"

"Someone's looking chipper today," grinned Hiroto.

"Honey, it's early in the morning to that kind of crap," Shiori rolled her eyes in exasperation before the doorbell rang. "Takeshi, can you get the door?"

"Coming!" He then strode towards the front door before opening it, revealing Koneko waiting outside before she arches her toes up for a quick kiss to Takeshi's lips.

"Morning senpai," she greeted with a small smile.

"H-Hey!" Takeshi nervously chuckled. "... Kinda early in the morning, don't you think?"

Koneko smiled as she allowed herself inside. "Well, given that I'm now a first-year in High School, I thought I can have you all to myself for a little while."

Both of Takeshi's parents grinned at their son finally having a girlfriend.

"Ara, aren't you a bold one?" teased Shiori.

"Mom!" Takeshi's face turned slightly red.

"To be fair son, my missus found you two laying on the couch on top of each other," Hiroto pointed out. "... Never took you for a bottom, but I won't judge!"

"Mou!" Takeshi throws a small tantrum, causing Koneko to slightly chuckle.

"Now I saw your childish side, senpai," Koneko joined in on the teasing as she sat down on the couch. "... But I like you more because of that."

Takeshi pouts before sitting next to her with his arms crossed. "... Well, don't think of me as any less cool, okay?!" he protested. "I worked hard to build that rep!"

Koneko shrugs slightly before checking her phone's clock. "... We should go now," she suggested. "Can we walk together to school?"

"Sure," Takeshi beamed before picking up his bag and walking out with his new girlfriend after getting a glass of water. "Heading out now!"

"Have a safe trip!" both parents replied as their son and possible daughter-in-law left through the door.

"... You know, she kinda reminds me of you when we first met in Osaka," Hiroto commented.

"Oh come on, I wasn't that short," grumbled Shiori.

Later at School...

Once Kuoh Academy's opening ceremony was over (much to everyone's relief), Takeshi (after having to be woken up by Yuuto along with Koneko) makes his way to the school bulletin board, currently being swarmed with the rest of the second-year students.

"Hmm... Let's see, let's see, where's my name...?" he muttered while looking over the extensive list of names under the bracket of classes.

"Found it," Yuuto pointed out, his finger being pointed towards Class 2-A. "And look, we're in the same class."

Takeshi then grinned to the side. "... Quick question, how much of this school does the President own?"

"Whatever it takes to keep the Peerage members close by, I suppose," shrugged Yuuto. "... Wouldn't put past her, Ryuugamine."

"Well, whatever the bullshit is, please do take good care of me this year, Kiba-kun," Takeshi requested.

"Likewise." Yuuto chuckled. "... I have to admit, being with male company that doesn't want my head on a pike is a welcome change of pace."

"That bad?" asked Takeshi as the two walked towards their new class. "... I mean, if the guys give you shit, then I suppose I can unleash my 'predisposition'-"

"You're here too, Ryuugamine?!"

A familiar voice cuts through the morning lull as Takeshi quietly grumbles upon recognizing who spoke to him. No longer denying reality, he then faces into the classroom, and through the tide of starstruck eyes of the female students (all of them aimed towards Kiba, much to his discomfort) and the rueful glares of the male student body (also towards Yuuto, to which he was less bothered by it) were the familiar trio that Takeshi himself had become associated with.

"... Hyoudou, Matsuda, Motohama, you're all here too?" he grumbled before sitting down behind them (a seat next to the window). "... And together no less?"

"Yep, guess we're all stuck with each other once again," Issei remarked as he then turned his glare towards Yuuto (who's seated next to Takeshi). "... Anyway, what's Pretty Boy doing here with you?"

"Yeah!" Eiji spoke out. "You know that if he's here, then he's going to monopolize every girl in this class! Save some for us, dammit!"

"We demand that he changes classes at once!" Naoto protested. "His presence alone is an act of resource disparity for us guys who didn't get laid!"

"Wow, objectifying women on your first day of Second Year," Takeshi snarked while Yuuto nervously chuckled. "You're on a fast track to be a ladies man at this rate."

"AND DON'T PRETEND THAT WE DIDN'T HEAR THE RUMORS!" Eiji erupted as he slammed both his hands onto Takeshi's desk. "YOU AND KONEKO-CHAN ARE AN ITEM, AREN'T YOU?!"

Takeshi smirks before pulling out his phone to reveal a photo of him and Koneko cuddling together on the same couch, with the latter laying on the former.

"Get on my level, you scrubs," he snickered as the three raged visibly.

"Is it wise to anger them like this?" Yuuto pointed out.

"If they have a problem with it, then they should be able to deal with it," he replied in a nonplussed manner. "... Those knuckleheads will either learn the hard way, or no way."

I can vouch for that, deadpanned Nidhogg. I do represent the sin of Envy, after all.

Issei, within the trio, fumed the most, before he then pulled out his phone and then showed a picture of him with another girl. "Well two can play that game!" he boasted right back. "Check it! I also got a girl for myself just last weekend!"

Both Naoto and Eiji's faces contort into expressions of sheer disbelief while Takeshi raises an eyebrow as they saw a picture of Issei posing next to a pretty girl dressed in a black dress with a thin purple cardigan over it, her violet eyes, soft facial features, and silky black hair that reached down her waist all radiating through the image.

"... Pray tell, who's this lucky lady's name?" he asked, admittedly a little proud of his friend for growing up (not that he'd say it out loud).

"Her name is Amano Yuuma, and she and I hit it off just yesterday!" boasted Issei. "She and I are going on a date this coming weekend!"

"How could you?!" bemoaned Eiji. "First Ryuugamine and now you?!"

"Unfair! It is an injustice that you'd get laid before us!" Naoto cried out before raising his hands towards the heavens. "Please God! Give us more headaches to deal with!"

"Give it a rest, you bozos."

The five boys then turn their heads towards a bespectacled girl with gold-colored eyes and slightly-messy brunette hair tied into braids on both sides of her head, slyly grinning towards the gathering of boys.

"Huh, can't say I recognize you," Takeshi pointed out. "... You new around here?"

"Indeed I am. Name's Kiryuu Aika, just transferred all the way from Tokyo to this fine town just last month," she greeted as the transfer student adjusted her glasses. "And before you ask, yes, I am very aware of you five, and I have to say, the entirety of the Pervert Trio, Kuoh's Boogeyman, and the Prince of Kuoh all in the same class is rare enough, but to think that two of the most unlikely bachelors getting laid? I'd say I have better chances of finding a Tsuchinoko lying under my bed."

Takeshi looked towards Yuuto for some assistance, but the latter was already as lost as the former.

"... I'm not exactly jazzed about what I am called behind my back, Kiryuu-san," Takeshi remarked with slight displeasure.

"But it's fitting regardless, isn't it?" Aika grinned. "... Then again, upon closer inspection, you and Hyoudou don't look that bad upon closer inspection, with you having that 'bad boy'-vibes that some girls might like while Issei doesn't objectively look that bad, but it's just that he and his friends' collective personalities are garbage."

"Wh-WHO ARE YOU CALLING GARBAGE?!" Eiji protested.

"Don't get carried away!" Naoto's glasses began shining menacingly. "My Three-Size Scouter can see through anything, so you'd better watch your mouth unless you want me to post your information all over the internet!"

"Oh really now?" Aika however, did not look intimidated in the slightest while the rest of the female students had already edged towards the wall of the classroom in safety. "... Do you honestly believe that you're the only one with such power?"

A wave of unease permeates throughout the whole classroom not unlike the Pervert Trio's, but this time, the male students were the ones affected.

... Is she serious? Nidhogg commented.

I think I lost half of my brain cells just hearing them talk... Takeshi mentally groaned before slamming his head into the desk.

Aika began chuckling as a menacing aura began to permeate from her very being.

"Circumference, girth, pre-and-post-erection length..." she recited as if she were a witch during an incantation. "... I will also post your private information all over the net if you do the same to my own dirty little secrets!"

Realizing that both the Pervert Trio and Kiryuu Aika were caught in a mutual (social) destruction clause should they push each other further (and the ensuing fallout from two perverts violating everyone's bodily privacies), both stare each other down as both genders feel like naked animals staring down a match between two predators on who gets the first helping.

"... Well played, Kiryuu-chan," Naoto clicked his tongue. "To think I'd find a match for myself."

"Oh please, you're practically nothing compared to me in the art of perversion," she boasted with a smarmy grin. "I'm like Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan. My tendrils are dipped into every possible tag posted on Rule 34."

Takeshi then looked up towards Yuuto with grave concern. "... Did I just see mutual sexual harassment being weaponized?"

"I honestly don't know what to even comprehend," Yuuto replied with an expression that looked as if he'd swallowed a lemon.

... No comment, Nidhogg remarked, feeling more grossed out than satisfied at gorging at the other students' collective fears, feeling as if the girl's perverse aura alone was more than enough to taint his meal, almost reminding him of a certain eight-headed Evil Dragon.

Takeshi then groans out loud before slamming his head into his desk again. "... This is going to be a long year."

"Aw, don't be like that," Aika laughed as she patted on his back. "Nothing wrong with a little chaos in our mundane lives. I'm sure we'll all have a wonderful year altogether."

"Keep your WMD-grade perversions away from me and my friends and I'll stomach your existence," Takeshi deadpanned. "... I do not need the Pervert Trio to evolve into the Filthy Four-"

*BANG*

Then the classroom's door was then literally kicked open with the force of a SAT (Japanese SWAT) battering ram.

"Sit down. All of you."

Upon that authoritative command, every student in Class 2-A sits down without word or protest as their homeroom teacher comes in.

Walking through the door was a tall and lanky middle-aged man dressed in a wrinkled white dress shirt barely tucked into one side of his black suit pants constricted with a tattered-looking brown leather belt buckled with a faded bronze fastener around his waist. His steps clacked with the hard soles of his laced brown-leather dress shoes as he walked up to class.

Upon standing behind the podium was a slovenly-looking man with thick glasses whose lenses were so opaque that no one could see his eyes, a messy light-blue hair that he'd scuffed with his right hand as he set down his clipboard before stroking his thin 5 o'clock shadow.

"Good morning, you punks," the man greeted as he scratched his name onto the chalkboard with the white stencil. "I'm Class 2-A's new homeroom teacher, Kirigakure Tatsuya. You may also call me 'Kiri-sensei' since my surname is a mouthful."

A few students murmured amongst themselves before their new teacher then shot a glare towards them, prompting them to stop.

"I've been in the academic field for over 15 years," he shared. "I spent five at Saitama's Keio Shiki Senior High School, four at Tokyo U as an Associate Professor for Criminal Law, and the last six at Hakai Academy. The reason for my sudden arrival is that half of my previous class were found dead last month at the hands of some serial killer, and as a result, I got sacked under the pretense of 'budget cutbacks'. I was admitted here after I submitted my credentials, so if you assume that I'm just a charity case, think again."

... Oh fuck, he were those Fist of the North Star-rejects' teacher, thought Takeshi.

The new teacher then turns his gaze towards the group sitting by the window in particular, paying certain attention to Issei, Eiji, Naoto, Yuuto, Takeshi, and Aika before turning back to the rest of the class.

"... No horsing around while I'm here, alright?" the homeroom teacher remarked sternly.

A few yeses were uttered, the whole class feeling oppressive at the hands of a teacher who cut his teeth handling the students from Hakai Academy for the past six years.

"Good," he replied curtly as he picked up his clipboard. "Now I'll be taking attendance. Present when you're called."

After School...

As all of the members of ORC finished their first day of their new year, they gathered upon Rias' request.

"Everyone," spoke Rias as the rest of ORC gathered at their club building (still off the records), "before we begin our club activities, I'd like to congratulate you all for advancing to the next year without issues. With that, I'd like to make a toast. Here's to a fruitful and pleasant school year!"

"Cheers!" Everyone then raised cups filled with soda following their President's announcement before taking a sip.

"So, how was your first day as a high schooler, Koneko-chan?" Takeshi asked his girlfriend. "Any umbrages that need to be addressed?"

Koneko then plops herself onto Takeshi's lap with a hint of satisfaction. "... None whatsoever," she replied before sipping from her cup of orange Fanta. "... Although, I think there might've been a few boys in my year drooling over me while I was having lunch."

Takeshi then felt a sense to keep the boys away from his girlfriend as far as he could. "... Let me know when it gets too much, Koneko-chan," he remarked with a forced smile of reassurance. "It's the least I can do."

"Murder is an option, you know," suggested Nidhogg from the manifested [Cataclysm Zone].

"Nah, too much of a pain in the ass to hide the bodies," Takeshi bounced back. "... Also, we're not exactly subtle."

The Evil Dragon huffs before going inert from this positive atmosphere.

"It's almost fascinating how you two are able to talk on semi-equal terms," Akeno commented. "... So this is what 'synchronization' is like in action."

Rias nodded, as she recalled the footage that Koneko had sent from Takeshi's phone, and to see how strong he'd gotten within a month, almost edging towards High-Class from that boost alone.

"It works to our benefit, that's for sure," the President nodded. "At least for now, our scoutings for new Evil Piece candidates can be put on the back burner."

"I also heard that the Sitri Peerage are proactively scouting for new candidates of their own right out of the gate," Akeno commented. "In any event, they might try to poach some of our own potential recruits."

"We'll see," shrugged Rias before turning towards Yuuto. "So, Yuuto. How was your first day?"

"Ryuugamine and I are in the same class, in case you're wandering," he answered with a small chuckle. "Although it seems that the Pervert Trio has gone through more interesting developments recently."

"Mainly, the new student in our class, Kiryuu Aika," Takeshi pointed out. "... Never thought I'd see the day when those three would have competition on who can stack up the bigger number of potential sexual harassment charges."

"And that's not all," Yuuto remarked with a slight wince. "... Our new homeroom teacher, Kirigakure Tatsuya, is... hard to describe."

"How so?" asked Akeno.

Both Yuuto and Takeshi mull over how to describe their new teacher.

"... In a word, he's what you call 'hard-boiled'," explained the Evil Dragon user. "The 'no bullshit'-kind of a man you'd see in detective novels. Methinks that the Kuoh Academy staff and board put Kiri-sensei in our class with the Pervert Trio, me, and Kiryuu-san in mind."

"Yeah, like that," Yuuto agreed. "... Despite his admittedly-prestigious credentials, his bearing is akin to a former yakuza or any of those 'manly' 80s genre archetypes. Then again, he did spend the last six of his fifteen years at Hakai Academy, so it makes sense that he's a bit abrasive."

Koneko gulps her soda. "... Oof."

As the discussions wind down and the soda runs dry, Rias then clears her throat for an announcement.

"Everyone, I'll be frank," she began. "After the incident at Zenkō Temple and the Yomi Faction, the Shinto Pantheon has billed us the damages to us and the Sitri Peerage... Here's the result."

Rias then DMs the following, causing everyone's eyes to widen in shock.

"... Our club's budget is in the red," she revealed. "Damages to cultural property, defacing of numerous protected environmental enclosures, and Hakone Shrine's magatama being destroyed in the process... even after me and Sona split the bill, both of our budgets took a massive beating."

Takeshi's throat goes dry as he tries to choke out the next words to speak. "... B-But isn't almost all of this the Yomi Faction's fault?!"

"Believe me, Yasuhiro-san and Kambei-san tried to vouch for us," Rias pointed out. "... This is the result of our bill after the plea of leniency was appealed."

"Miserly bastards..." grumbled Takeshi as Koneko crushed the plastic cup in her hand in anger.

"Gods will be gods," scoffed Nidhogg. "... Spiteful bastards until the bitter end."

"In any event..." Rias continued. "For the rest of the week, we'll have to take commissions to restock our club's coffers. Thankfully, Archduke Agares has commissioned us to track down a Stray that has been spotted around the town of Sakaki, along with a few missing persons reports popping up around the surrounding municipalities. With that in mind, the Archduke's agent has graciously informed us that it has made its base in Katsurao Castle Ruins. Our job starts tonight. Any objections?"

"None whatsoever," grumbled Takeshi as he picked up Koneko into his arms like a princess. "I think we have enough time to help Koneko move to her new residence before our job starts, no?"

"We'll help," Yuuto remarked as all of ORC then helped Koneko pack her stuff into cardboard boxes.

As the Peerage spent their waking hours helping out their youngest move, they began to make small talk with each other.

"So, if I recall correctly, Zenkō Temple is Buddhist, right?" Takeshi asked, to which Akeno nodded as both of them taped their boxes shut. "... So why does the Shinto Pantheon give us a huge stink about it?"

"Kind of works how real-life land lease agreements function," Akeno explained as she moved the boxes into a magic circle that warped it away. "The Buddhist faith built their property onto the land owned by Takamagahara. They get to practice their faith as long as they register their sect of Buddhism as the Shinto Pantheon's subsidiary/collateral. It's how Japan got Acala to become Fudo Myo-O and how three of the Seven Lucky Gods came to be in the first place."

"Stupid politics getting into everything..." grumbled Takeshi as he then moved the last box to the magic circle, placing it onto it before teleporting it away to its new location. "... That's the last one, senpai."

"And look at you, not a single attempt to peek at her underwear while we were packing!" Akeno then patted Takeshi's head.

"... Senpai, Koneko and I are barely past our third date," he flatly remarked. "I have standards."

"Boo. You're no fun," she faux-pouted before giggling as she walked into the circle herself. "But that's why you're so fun to tease~!"

Takeshi slightly shudders before teleporting himself to Koneko's new apartment room, where inside, everyone was already helping her unpack.

"Thanks for doing all of this for me," Koneko remarked as she used her claws to open her boxes.

"No problem," Rias remarked as she then opened the front door to let the fresh afternoon air in. "Anything for my cute little subordinates. Like a good King would."

"Nice pad you got here, though," Takeshi commented as he looked around the modest, one-room studio apartment. "... Curious, but does the President happen to own this whole building?"

"Damn straight," nodded Koneko. "In fact, she owns several apartment buildings throughout Kuoh as part of her personal network of safe houses in case of emergencies."

Takeshi then begins wandering as the rest of ORC helped Koneko unpack her boxes before refurbishing her new residence.

"... Come to think of it, if Koneko is living alone... then how do the others have legal guardians who can vouch for them?" he thought out loud.

"It's quite simple, actually," Yuuto interjected from behind, causing Takeshi to flinch in surprise. "Usually, a servant under the employ of House Gremory poses as our parent on such occasions. Their looks are varied enough for any of them to play themselves off as our close or distant relatives."

"Huh," Takeshi remarked, his curiosity now peaked. "... Mind if I take a look?"

Yuuto then pulled out his phone to reveal one of the servants posed next to Yuuto as his "mother," looking just similar enough to a blond relative to the boyishly-handsome Devil.

Takeshi whistled in an impressed tone. "Wow, guess acting must come naturally to all of House Gremory, huh?"

"I mean, your plan did work due to your trust in all of us," Rias pointed out, recalling last week's calamitous foray to stop a regional apocalypse.

"Speaking of, did I mishear you guys fighting a pair of Oni called the 'Hell Brothers' without me?" Takeshi remarked on the after-action reports he'd read on his own time.

"Which Tokusatsu?" asked Rias.

"PunchHopper and KickHopper from Kamen Rider Kabuto," he answered, his tone akin to a child denied a toy he wanted. "... Next time if there are Toku-referenced baddies, I want first dibs."

Koneko chuckles before hugging him from behind. "Himejima-senpai was right. You are kinda cute to tease."

"Mou, don't think of me as any less cool, okay?!" he pouted.

"No need to worry," she reassured. "You're cool enough for me-"

Her stomach rumbles loudly as does everyone else's.

"... There's a McDonald's nearby," Rias pointed out. "Who wants a quick dinner before tonight's mission?"

All of ORC unanimously head to the fast food place for a quick bite.

"Itadakimasu!" All of them then partook in their food around the shared table.

"You know, there's another thing..." Takeshi then took a bundle of fries from the shared pile. "... About the Pervert Trios'... Development."

"Finish chewing your food, Takeshi," chastised Rias.

Takeshi then slurps on his soft drink before continuing.

"Issei's got himself a girlfriend."

Akeno snorts her cola out of her nose while Koneko chokes her cheeseburger, the former hastily wiping down her ample chest area with a bundle of napkins while the latter was being assisted by Yuuto, the boyishly-handsome Devil performing the Heimlich Maneuver.

"... Oh," Rias plainly remarked right as Koneko successfully coughs out her chunk of food stuck in her throat. "... That's... I don't know what to say."

Akeno grumbles before getting up from the table and walking towards the restroom.

"... Senpai, if this is your idea of an April Fools' joke, then it ain't funny," Koneko remarked before looking towards Yuuto for further confirmation, to which he did not give away any hints of being surprised. "... My Satan, you're serious."

"As a heart attack," Takeshi confirmed. "He showed me the picture and everything. Girl's name is Amano Yuuma, apparently."

"Really now," Rias remarked with a raised eyebrow before she pulled out her phone. "... I'll refer that name to Sona and cross-reference it to our recent string of newcomers."

"Come on President," Takeshi remarked. "Can you at least be a little proud of that perv for growing up?"

"Senpai, President Gremory literally knows everyone in town by name," Koneko pointed out as she sipped on her cup of Sprite. "... Ever since what happened last week, President's Peerage along with Sitri's have been boosting security measures throughout who comes and goes throughout the two. It's a slow progress given that all of our familiars are dead during your inauguration, but we're making sure that we don't get blindsided like that ever again."

Takeshi sighs. "... Fair enough," he shrugged before he bit into his teriyaki burger. "... Sorry about bringing the mood down."

Believe me, I think being on pins and needles is a good thing, Nidhogg pointed out. ... You think I'm a master of cunning? There are others who are aspiring to be as elusive as I am.

Speaking from personal experience? Takeshi asked.

Those so-called "heroes" coming to Náströnd to slay me underestimate my guile, the Evil Dragon snickered as he recalled all those times when he burrowed himself underneath his corpse pile to then resurface under their feet. ... By my inclinations, I am an ambush predator. Admittedly, I'm a little out of practice until you came along.

Glad to be of service, Takeshi mentally remarked as Akeno returned to her seat.

"Ara, so little Hyoudou-san has found himself a lover," she remarked to herself with bemusement. "... I'm shocked. Really."

"You're in good company," Takeshi pointed out as he mentally recalled how everyone after class wouldn't shut up about how one of the Pervert Trio got laid. "... Believe me, I also thought that it was an April Fools' joke too, but then I sort of recalled that it's on brand for any of the trio to claim that they suddenly got girlfriends for a cheap prank."

"Really now?" Yuuto raised an eyebrow. "... Pray tell, what constitutes a prank for them?"

Realizing that everyone else in ORC now cornered him into a position that he'd walked into, Takeshi concedes and tells his embarrassing story of what happened the first time he'd met the Pervert Trio in as few words as possible.

"... One time, I asked if I could borrow one of their DVDs over the weekend," he shared. "... They handed me a compilation of the Discovery Channel clips of animals fucking."

The rest of the Peerage snorted in an attempt to hold in their laughter while Nidhogg was howling himself sick, rolling his back on the floor at his own host's great embarrassment.

Guess you had to learn the hard way, huh?! The Evil Dragon cackled throughout the dark depths of his cell, feeding off of his host's negativity rooted in his past embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Takeshi himself was pouting, beating himself up for making an ass of himself.

"... Oh lay off!" He then proceeded to stuff himself to the gills.

At Katsurao Castle Ruins...

"... I don't think this manor was mentioned here in the brochures."

Takeshi and the rest of the ORC found themselves standing before a dilapidated Western-style manor approximately two stories tall and a few rooms wide. The woodwork was rotting and choked with moss and ivy, the windows were cracked with dust and shattered in some panes, and permeating through the crooked gaps was a thick and pungent scent of death.

From the manifested [Cataclysm Zone], Nidhogg inhales the ambient atmosphere of dread before his host and his compatriots. "... Smells just like home."

"Well, here we are," Rias remarked. "A reconstruction of a western manor within a spatial barrier stationed in the middle of one of Nagano's Prefectural Historic Sites. I don't think we have to worry about this Stray being particularly smart."

"Why can't they just hide in nicer places like a spa or a tropical resort?" Takeshi bemoaned.

"Usually, when they do, they tend to make a mess of it in the first place," Yuuto pointed out. "... I'm speaking from personal experience here, Ryuugamine. We once raided a vibrant underground casino in Shibuya that was full of people, and by the time we were done... I'll be generous and say that an active slaughterhouse is cleaner in comparison."

Takeshi groaned in dismay. "... Makes me wonder why the Strays usually go postal rather than live out quiet lives," he thought out loud. "I mean, in the long run, they'd live longer."

"It's more of a... physiological and psychological issue," Akeno explained with a hint of dismay. "Most of the time, when one is reincarnated into a Devil, their inclinations towards aggression are multiplied due to the boost in power that comes with the transition. For regular species like humans, the shift in mood is hardly noticeable. But when said process is applied to a race that are genetically predisposed to active combat and violence..."

"Admittedly, you humans were the only species that fell off of that curve," commented Nidhogg.

Takeshi groans again upon discovering the core issue regarding the Stray problem. "... What is going on with the High-Class Devils' brains to reincarnate those psychos if they are more likely to turn on them?" he bemoaned before turning towards Rias. "... No offense, President."

"None taken," she replied before answering his concern. "... Really though, I think it's mostly an ego problem. The ones in power tend to have the inclination to overcompensate for their high status, and I can name a few instances where some of my noble peers had done the same, but we'd be here all day."

"They never learn..." deadpanned Koneko. "... Why Lord Beelzebub didn't make the Evil Piece System more foolproof in the first place, I will never know."

"Nor can we do anything about it until we become a bit wiser," Yuuto pointed out. "... In any event, we should get this commission done by tonight."

"Agreed," Rias nodded. "Takeshi? Do you want to do the honors?"

Said Devil smirks giddily. "Gladly."

Winding back his feet, Takeshi then spin-kicks the front doors open, ripping both off of their hinges as he and the rest of ORC stormed into the manor...

"DING-DONG! ONE FRESH ORDER OF ASS-KICKING-WHAAAAAT?!"

... Only for all of them to be mildly shocked at the insides of the abandoned building to be littered with half-eaten corpses of the people from the missing persons-reports, flies buzzing throughout the air and maggots infesting their rotten flesh and exposed bone as their home and food source.

It was expected, but the sheer quantity of rotting half-eaten bodies made them realize that the missing persons-reports were an underestimation.

"... Okay, maybe we should've taken Nidhogg's words as a warning," Takeshi grimaced at the horrific sight. "... Even the Amazons had the courtesy to finish their meals."

"Urp, shouldn't have eaten before the commission..." Koneko gagged as she tried not to vomit.

"We're in a complete pigsty," groaned Akeno as she and Rias began disposing of the bodies that were in their way with their magic. "... I sense a foul aura up ahead. We should be careful as we proceed."

"On me!" Rias ordered before she then checked the other side of the door leading to the manor's ballroom before entering.

"For the love of-is it too much for the Stray to clean up after themselves?!" Takeshi exclaimed as they found the whole hall littered with even more bodies, this time there were corpses hanging from hooks suspended up on the ceiling. "... Let's cut the crap and get this over with. COME OUT SO WE CAN KICK YOUR ASS! WE'LL CHASE YOU DOWN BEFORE YOU CAN RUN!"

Some of the chains from above swayed and jingled before a topless woman with short white hair, gray eyes, and a pair of voluptuous breasts that she rubbed in her hands provocatively emerged from the ceiling, hanging upside down like a bat.

"I smell something rancid, but also something sweet," she declared before licking her lips. "I wonder what the color of your insides are like?"

"Classy," deadpanned Takeshi, completely turned off by the Stray's blatant exhibitionist act. "... Look, we'll overlook the dead bodies if you just come with us quietly."

Suddenly, the woman bore her teeth in fury.

"As if I'd trust the words of a rotten Devil!" she declared. "ATTACK, MY GREATEST CREATION!"

Upon her command, a bassy growl was heard from the corner of the room before a giant creature the size of a truck lunged towards ORC.

Takeshi and Koneko both punch the creature in the head with their fists both striking in perfect unison, sending the beast back before the woman above then brandished a pair of lances as she then jumped down from the ceiling she was hanging from.

Yuuto parries the sneak attack with his pair of summoned swords from his [Sword Birth], knocking the Stray back as both the mistress and her beast were revealed fully from the moonlight illuminating from the stained glass windows.

From the waist down, the woman's physical appearance was that of an amalgam form composed of her front legs featuring humanoid hands with red claws (the same color as her nail polish), her hind legs being that of a pair taloned feet akin to that of a bat's, her central body being a hybrid of a leopard's body whose spots were made of gem-like scales belonging to that of a fish, a live snake for a tail, and below her naval featured an open cavity with piranha-like teeth arranged akin to a leech's mouth, said orifice being large enough to devour her prey (mainly humans) whole (albeit messily).

Meanwhile, the giant beast itself was more recognizable, being a semi-traditional depiction of a Chimera. Its amalgam form consisted of a lion as its head and main body, a bull's horns on its shoulders and its hooves for its legs, a falcon's right wing and shoulder, an enlarged dolphin's waxy fin serving as its its left wing, and a chameleon's whole head and elongated tongue for its tail.

Takeshi squeals in elation as he locks his eyes onto the latter. "... President," he spoke before slapping both of his hands onto her shoulders and pointing his finger towards the monstrosity. "CAN I KEEP IT AS MY PET?!"

Everyone sans Takeshi (including the Chimera) goes silent at his childlike glee glimmering in his eyes, treating his encounter with the monster as if he were a child spotting a cool new toy.

"... Huh, did the whelp's brain finally break from being under pressure?" Nidhogg commented.

"... Uh, if it lives, maybe?" Rias scratched her head, befuddled at her Pawn's sudden shift in behavior. "I mean, guess that makes for good enough time for us to teach you how to contract with a personal familiar-"

"I'm gonna love it, and hug it, and pet it, and call it 'Nitō'!" Takeshi already begins fantasizing of having a Chimera as his personal familiar.

"Senpai..." groaned Koneko before she looked towards the Chimera itself, who was looking more unnerved than anything at Takeshi's baby-talking. "... His dorkiness knows no limits."

Yuuto sighs before glaring towards the Stray. "... Stray Devil Viser, this is your last chance," he warned as he brandished his [Flame Delete] sword. "Please surrender."

The Stray replies by lactating a pair of acid jets from her bosoms, spraying the caustic stream towards ORC, causing them to scatter and snap Takeshi out of his childlike fantasies.

"That has to be her barely-disguised fetish," deadpanned the Evil Dragon. "... This world I woke up to is becoming more akin to that eight-headed pervert's wet dreams."

"Aww, of course she's gonna say no..." Takeshi pouted before slapping both of his cheeks. "... You know what, I think I have a plan that will allow us to take them alive. President, mind if I take the two of them on by myself?"

"Are you sure?" Rias asked, to which her hands then caught a tossed box of UNO cards.

"I was saving that for today's celebration, so leave this yee-yee-ass DEVILMAN crybaby OC-reject to me while you guys take five," the Evil Dragon user reassured before turning his attention back to the enemy. "... I want to experiment with my new powers for a bit."

"Uh... okay," the red-haired Devil remarked as she then led everyone else out of the dilapidated manor. "... Just text us when you're finished, okay?"

"Be careful, senpai," Koneko said as she left.

"We'll watch the perimeter to make sure she doesn't escape," Yuuto reassured.

"If you're not done by five minutes, I'll come back in and check on you," Akeno reminded him.

Takeshi gives the rest of ORC a thumbs-up before he was left alone with two amalgam affronts to nature in the ruined ballroom.

"Cocky little bastard, aren't you?" sneered Viser while her beast snarled threateningly.

"Before we start and inevitably engage in great violence, I must ask," Takeshi said. "... Are you born that way or did you graft on your current appearance?

"I am known as a genius among my peers," Viser boasted as she stroked her bare breasts obscenely, licking one of her nipples before sucking on it. "I was initially born as a leonine Chimera before I learned magic to graft additional beasts onto me. My current form compliments the Rook's bulk."

"And the other Chimera?" Takeshi pointed towards the amalgam beast.

"A side project," Viser remarked. "A successful one. Shame that I had to double my prey count to sustain such a mighty beast."

"Alright, questions are over," Takeshi sighed before stretching. "Let's see what I can do with you two..."

"Whelp, what are you planning?" asked Nidhogg. "Care to test our new powers to its fullest extent?"

Takeshi smirks before letting out a small chuckle. "... Nope."

By the process of elimination and recalling what his host had said prior ("I want to experiment with my new powers for a bit.") before applying the principle of "exact words" into those words, Nidhogg figures out what Takeshi was planning.

"... No," the Evil Dragon shuddered.

"... Cover your ears," he requested with the bluntness of a sledgehammer, prompting the Evil Dragon to start burrowing into his collection of corpses as deep as he could dig.

"GET HIM!" Viser charged with her pet towards, brandishing her pair of lances in her lunge as Takeshi began singing the first verse of Kamen Rider Zi-O's "Over 'Quartzer'" by Shueyoshi Shuta (feat. ISSA) while allotting his demonic energy into his vocal cords.

Just Outside...

"8 red," Rias announced.

"5 red," Yuuto replied.

"5 yellow," Koneko interjects.

"Draw 2 yellow," Akeno countered.

While Takeshi was inside the manor conducting his mad schemes, the rest of ORC were waiting outside of the manor, playing UNO as they sat around on the dirt in a circle.

"Good grief, sometimes I can't get a proper read on Takeshi," Rias remarked as she drew 2 cards from the deck. "One minute, he fights with the heart of a lion and a rage rivaling that of the original Devil King Satan himself, and in the next minute, he so much as spots an opportunity to indulge in his fantasies, he becomes like a kid in a toy store. 1 yellow."

"He's proven himself capable so far," Yuuto replied as he placed 1 red on the pile. "Personally, I think he's the kind of person who wears his heart on his sleeve and is proud of his own individuality. In a way, his own childish sense of justice and heroic fantasies of comparing us to heroes... It may be the very thing that propels him forward towards danger without fear."

"That's my boyfriend in a nutshell," shrugged Koneko as she placed 3 red on the pile. "I like him because he's not perfect. He's genuine with his own desires while being considerate of other people's feelings to a healthy extent."

"Ara, Koneko-chan is growing up so fast..." bemused Akeno as she then placed her card onto the pile. "Draw 4."

Rias groaned as she drew 4 cards. "... He's quite the handful, that's for sure," she remarked as she looked at her bloated hand. "A fast learner, an Evil Dragon User who has synchronized with one of them, and advocated by a masked stranger with futuristic armor... might be just me, but it feels like we're all living through Takeshi's story with all of us as his guides-"

Suddenly, her phone vibrates, prompting her to pull it out.

"President?" Yuuto remarked.

"He's done," Rias confirmed as she put the cards back into the deck box. "Everyone back inside. We need to confirm the Stray's presence."

The four then reenter the dilapidated manor before making their way towards the ballroom.

"Takeshi, are you still there-SWEET SATAN! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN HERE?!"

Lying on her back was none other than the Stray Devil Viser herself, twitching like a dying bug, her eyes, ears, nostrils, mouths (all of them), and nipples spewing fatal amounts of blood.

Standing before the victim was none other than Takeshi himself, looking upon his prey like a perfect victor.

Everywhere, the corpses were no longer there save for the very parts that were hooked through, covering the rest of the ballroom in their fetid gore that appeared as if they've exploded like water balloons.

"... Kill... me," the Stray begged in a gasping voice, futilely reaching her hand out towards Rias. "... Kill... me."

The rest of ORC then all turned their heads towards Takeshi, who was looking more confused than anything else.

"... Explain," ordered Rias.

"Okay, so you guys know how horrible my singing is, right?" Takeshi pointed out. "Well, I sort of implemented my own demonic energy into my vocal cords and homebrewed a spell of my own creation; the [Death Phoneme]."

Everyone's eyes widened like pie tins upon hearing the revelation of the Peerage's Pawn weaponizing his own lack of musical talent into something lethal.

"... It's a work in progress," Takeshi shrugged. "And before I forget, Nidhogg, are you okay in there?"

A faint droning of a groan could be heard from the Sacred Gear's ashen-gray gem.

"... The despair... coming from her... is exquisite," Nidhogg commented on the sorry state of the chimeric Stray. "... But even I... the 'one who strikes with malice'... find it inhumane... in preparation."

Everyone visibly cringes when even the Evil Dragon couldn't handle his host's terrible singing.

"... You do know that we don't have to take her alive, right?" Rias pointed out as her finger then emits a small red sphere of her own demonic energy. "... Don't worry. I'll make it quick."

Rias grimaces as she shoots a small beam through the dying Devil's head to relieve her unimaginable pain forever.

"... Wow," Takeshi remarked. "... Suddenly, I feel like the bad guy."

"Like you weren't already..." groaned the Evil Dragon. "... Don't wake me up... until my head stops ringing."

"Just... don't perform your original spell while we're close by, okay?" begged Akeno. "I'm partial to pain, but what you just did violated so many rules of engagement to the point where you might get you indicted for a war crime."

"I get it, I get it... sheesh, if I knew that this was going to happen, then maybe I'd have just used Nidhogg's Balance Breaker instead..." grumbled Takeshi as Yuuto contacts the Archduke Agares' agent of their confirmed kill.

"Wait a minute," Koneko remarked. "... Where's the other Chimera?"

As the clouds moved out of the moonlight's way, the stained glass then revealed the other Chimera trembling in the corner of the ballroom, its fur covered head to toe in gore to the point where it was perfectly camouflaged against the bloodied walls.

"... I guess that's one way to assert dominance," Yuuto commented.

"Hey buddy," Takeshi softly remarked as he then slowly approached the frightened Chimera. "... Come on. That mean lady is gone. So come home with me-"

Normally, when an animal, mundane or arcane, is overwhelmed with fear, the typical carnivore's response to natural danger is to "fight."

However, what Takeshi had done to it wasn't classified as "natural."

This sense of animalistic instinct that overtook the Chimera's judgment surpassed mere fear.

Horror.

Nothing but pure, unadulterated horror that its brain couldn't even comprehend.

So instead of choosing to "fight"...

*SHATTER!*

... It instead opts to "flight."

"No..." Takeshi groaned in utter disappointment, futilely reaching out towards the Chimera flying away into the night sky as fast as it could. "... Come back."

Akeno then looked towards Rias. "... The agent's reports only mentioned a single Stray and not her pet Chimera, right?"

Rias' after-action reports only confirm the Stray Devil Viser's demise at their hands. The manor that was erected around Katsurao Castle Ruins was quickly demolished without a trace by a subcontracted third party.

Archduke Agares then rewards the Gremory Peerage with about 10 million yen's worth of ancient artifacts to sell.

2nd of April, 2019 AD

Another commission was assigned to Takeshi and Akeno, to which they were to arrive at a moderately-sized town located within Gifu Prefecture.

"I cannot thank you enough for doing this for me," a woman in a white doctor's coat over her wool sweater and long pleated skirt remarked.

"You know, you could've just called a repairman," Takeshi pointed out as he reconnected the valve to the main metal box.

"True, but the principal here is a notorious cheapskate who plays favorites." The beautiful woman's expression then slightly betrayed her as cracks of resentment were heard from her tone of voice. "I happen to use the incinerator often, given that I'm a school nurse who has to deal with contaminated goods."

"Ara, to think the 'Saint Maria of the Infirmary' would be treated as such," Akeno pointed out as she then turned the power back on, the gas main working properly evidenced by the flames inside the box.

"Believe me, I didn't take the job because I like it," Maria sighed, with Nidhogg noticing a whole mess of dark emotions that she kept hidden within her saint-like façade.

"Well, whatever the case, hope that our work made your job easier, Akeboshi-san," Takeshi said as he turned off the gas for the incinerator.

Maria smiles. "Thank you," she bowed before transferring her pay to Takeshi's Venmo account. "I'll be sure to call you when I need to."

"It's quite rare that you found one of our old fliers ever since we transitioned to digital advertisements," Akeno pointed out as the three walked back into the school.

"To think that I was able to summon two Devils who are students at another prefecture," Maria chuckled before they entered her office. "... I guess when you live long enough, life throws you a bone-oh dear."

The flier that the two Devils were summoned from was nowhere to be found in the office, save for the open window.

"Crap, it must have blown off," Takeshi grimaced. "And it's our only way back too."

"I'll be able to easily track it thanks to my magic," Akeno remarked as she and Takeshi unfurled their wings. "We'll see you next time, Akeboshi-san. Good luck with your endeavors."

Maria nods as the two Devils fly out of the window beneath everyone else's notice while Nidhogg could sense pure malice coming from the school nurse's heart.

How refined... that evil within her is... he snickered as his host and his senpai spotted the flier hanging from one of the tree branches. ... And so is the rest of this town... it is so full of malice and spite that I'm living high off the hog here!

"Got it!" Takeshi remarked as he snatched the paper with the magic circle on it. "And still intact too."

"Good," Akeno sighed out. "Now let's go find a safe space to teleport back."

"Right behind you-"

*thud*

Suddenly, Takeshi's shoulder bumps into someone else's, causing both of them to stagger.

"Oh fuck, I'm so sorry!" he apologized to the tanned and bleached haired boy in his mid-teens.

"... Who the fuck are you saying 'sorry' too, HUH?!" the boy snarled out as he then threw a punch towards Takeshi's direction.

Suddenly, an unpleasant feeling overwhelms Takeshi's soul as flashes of him being ambushed by delinquents during his Junior High years were vividly recalled.

But unlike last time, he had power. Power to fight back.

*SNAP*

Moving on instinct, Takeshi grabs the punk's arm before squeezing it so tight and fast that he snaps the bone in two with an iron grip.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Akeno exclaimed as the punk went down as his right arm flopped around. "TAKESHI! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE-?!"

"LOOK OUT!"

Without warning, the downed punk suddenly flicks up a high kick from a grounded position, to which Takeshi then shoves Akeno out of the way before parrying the blow with a swift stomp to his shin.

*SNAP*

The bone snapped in two upon contact, but this time, the punk wasn't even screaming in pain anymore.

In fact, his eyes were dead. Nothing but short of murder was on his mind as his body went on autopilot.

Even as he couldn't stand, the punk kept coming at Takeshi like a wounded predator, crawling towards him like a snake before lunging his left hand towards his leg.

After one too many flashbacks to his past, Takeshi's own body also goes into autopilot, acting on surgical instinct to systematically disable this persistent delinquent.

Both of their minds are gone, commented Nidhogg as his host snapped all of his opponent's limbs with pinpoint accuracy. ... That creepy little punk is a natural bloodletter. I could even smell death on his hands that go way back... he's like a Nordic Berserker reincarnated into the modern age of peace.

"TAKESHI!"

After hearing his name called out by Akeno, he suddenly wakes back up only to find the punk that had tried to assault them brutalized by his hands.

"... What happened?" he asked his senpai. "I... I just went blank... he wouldn't quit!"

Akeno sighs before picking up the punk by his clothes, only for him to make another attempt at her...

*ZAP*

Only for her to knock him out with a custom taser designed to run on her powers (set at "low-voltage"/about 50k volts).

"Fucking bastard..." she growled as she dragged him along. "... Come on. Let's go find a place where no one can see us."

The two Devils then find themselves inside a small abandoned shed where Akeno begins healing the punk's injuries while putting him to sleep with her magic.

"... What happened back there?" she asked Takeshi. "... The way you two moved... it's almost the same."

Takeshi sighs before answering. "... Guess the old scars back at Junior High never healed," he ruefully snickered as he picked through the punk's pockets pull out his student ID card, reading "Name: Kinugawa Tsuyoshi; DoB: 10/21/2004; Junior High - Year 3". "... Seriously though... this kid's fucked up in the head."

"Yep," Nidhogg agreed as [Cataclysm Zone] appeared around his host's waist (Akeno's magic calling him here). "The strákur was born in the wrong era. At best, he would've been one of those many heroes that I've devoured. And at worst, the Blood Eagle awaited him."

Takeshi sighs as he watches over the punk from trying anything, even going as far to ready himself to transform with his Sacred Gear. "... Can we just Men in Black him while all of his limbs are broken?"

"Takeshi, I have to remind you, we're not vigilantes," Akeno replied sternly. "... Even if he's the worst of what humanity has to offer, it's not in our place to deliver judgment upon him."

"You Devils have gone soft," scoffed Nidhogg. "... It's better to rule with fear than love."

"I sort of agree with you both, but I concur, let's not be the bad guys this time around," Takeshi insisted as Akeno finished healing. "... By the way, how long do we have until he wakes up?"

"About an hour-"

*SWOOSH*

A fresh nick opens across Akeno's cheek as the punk wakes up not a second later with another surprise high kick.

Takeshi's PTSD triggers once more, but this time, he aimed to decisively end this farce.

Tucking down as Tsuyoshi had delivered his wake-up attack, Takeshi then winds back a punch balled in a killer iron grip until he was white-knuckled...

*CRACK*

The fist burrows into the punk's solar plexus, literally knocking all the air out of his lungs to immobilize him on the spot as his back collides against the cabin wall.

"SENPAI!" Takeshi cried out as he ran over to Akeno. "Are you okay?!"

"D-Don't worry. He just took me by surprise, that's all," she replied as she then erased Tsuyoshi's memories with her spell. "... We should go. Now."

Hastily, the two Devils then use the flier to teleport them back to the ORC building.

As soon as the flier disintegrated onto itself upon use, the punk woke up gasping for air.

"... What the fuck happened?" he grimaced as he got up. "... Where am I?"

As soon as he left the door, a small sliver of ash the size of a single strand of hair went into his ear before the door was slammed back shut.

*thud*

Loudly.

3rd of April, 2019 AD

Another day after school, another commission to go through.

This time, Takeshi and Koneko teleport to an enclosed marshlands outside of Kuoh. Waiting for them was a voluptuous-looking girl dressed in their school uniform, with long, brown hair arranged in multiple drill-like curls.

"Ohohoho, it's an honor to meet the infamous 'Kuoh's Boogeyman' at last!" The girl had her hand placed adjacent to her mouth, laughing haughtily like a typical anime "ojou" character. "My name is Abe Kiyome, third-year student in Kuoh Academy, captain of the Tennis Club, and a practicing beast tamer!"

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, senpai," Takeshi greeted back before turning towards Koneko. "... Quick question, how many people in our school are part of the supernatural?"

"More than you think as long as you know where to look," she answered. "Abe-senpai here comes from a lineage dating back to the 15th century in Germany who started out as Wolfssegners."

"Cool," Takeshi replied. "... So, what can we do for you today?"

Instead of answering, Kiyome begins scrutinizing him with an intense gaze, almost like a diehard collector chancing upon a rare find.

"You are the current Evil Dragon User, correct?" she said with a curious glint in her eyes. "Truly, a one-of-a-kind specimen... Before we begin, can I forward a request for your time-"

Suddenly, a heavy aura of bloodlust emitted from Takeshi's manifested [Cataclysm Zone].

"Sorry, but he's not up for barter," hissed Nidhogg, jealously guarding his host in a manner that would make Fafnir proud. "Back off."

"Good grief, a simple 'no' would have sufficed..." Kiyome grumbled.

"No offense, senpai, but I don't like being treated like a piece of meat," Takeshi added.

"I was only half-joking, Ryuugamine-kun," Kiyome replied. "... Although, maybe I can get a word in with Gremory-san to see if I can borrow you. After all, the first rule of beast tamers is to never let your guard down around creatures you have yet to understand."

"The numerous eddur chronicling my deeds weren't enough of an indication?" the Evil Dragon deadpanned.

"We're getting off-topic," Koneko interjected. "Abe-senpai, our commission?"

"Right, follow me." Kiyome then puts on her rubber waders before handing the spares to both Takeshi and Koneko as the three begin to walk through the knee-high muck. "A few years ago, a Kappa rapper named 'Salamander' Tomita used to frequent here before he returned to his family farm back at Shiga Prefecture."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up. Kappa rappers?" Takeshi pointed out, to which both Koneko and Kiyome nodded. "... Guess not all Yōkai are shut off from the modern day."

"... The light of the town that dries up my plate/My anger which cannot be conveyed/I will just take your shirikodama."

Takeshi blinked as he heard his girlfriend suddenly rap. "... You have his album, don't you?"

"'Salamander' Tomita's 'Shirikodama Rhapsody' is one of my favorite albums next to his 'Showdown at Sanzu' and 'Cucumber Mile'," Koneko remarked. "Many within the hip-hop community were in tears as he announced his sudden retirement from his rap career."

"... Hm, so flyting has survived to the modern day as 'rapping'," commented Nidhogg. "I remember those times when some of those heroes tried to fancifully insult me. I ate them whole while they were busy giving me lip."

"Anyway, it's not his retirement that is the issue," Kiyome addressed. "... It's the vacuum that came in afterwards."

The three then slowly pick up on the rambunctious crowing coming from beyond the swamp. Kiyome then stops them before cracking a peek through the reeds to reveal a group of other green-skinned and shelled Kappa dressed like modern-day "gangsta" rappers with their baggy pants, oversized shirts, snapback caps, thick sunglasses, and garish-looking blinged accessories themed after cucumbers, all three of them reciting their numbers as the beat in their boombox playing a beat, treating the local riverbank as their studio.

"After 'Salamander' Tomita's retirement, these bunch of posers moved in and they're the cause of several noise complaints," Kiyome grimaced as she and the other two Devils covered their ears from their attempt at "rapping". "... The local Kodama community requested that they be taken elsewhere so that the other Yōkai who had to move out can return to their homes and finally sleep."

"... Murder isn't an option, is it?" Takeshi groaned as he could feel his head split in twain from the Kappa's hawking.

"Negotiate first, then at worst, rough them up and throw them out," Kiyome requested. "... I've tried to do the same, but they dump me back to where I came from, usually covered up to my head with swamp muck."

"Noted," Takeshi nodded. "... So, how do we approach this?"

As the three ruminate, Koneko then hits upon an idea.

"... Senpai," the Nekomata said. "... I got an idea."

At the shore, the Kappa reciting their numbers break off from their routine.

"No, no, no! You guys got it all wrong!" the large Kappa shouted, his size indicating his leadership status. "Ugh, working with you guys is like herding drunk Bakeneko! Even if the OG 'Salamander' ain't around, we'll never rise to the top of the charts with flows as weak as that!"

"And whose fault is that?!" another Kappa complained. "Your rhymes are weak as piss, kappa! That's why we lost to those Tanuki at last week's battle at Gunma, kappa!"

"What did you say to my face, kappa?!" The other Kappa then raised his fist threateningly. "Come 'ere, kappa! Imma break yo head plate-!"

"That's quite enough!"

Breaking through the reeds, Kiyome, Koneko, and Takeshi, causing the Kappa to cease their altercation as the three stepped onto the shore to stare each other down.

"Well, well, well, look who's back," the boss Kappa sneered at the beast tamer in particular. "... So getting dunked on by yourself wasn't enough, so brought your friends?"

"We dunno why you kappas are here, so you better beat it or we'll rip yo shirikodama out yo assholes!" the other Kappa crows.

The third Kappa then squinted before widening his eyes. "B-Boss! I know that white-haired chick!" he exclaimed as the Kappa pointed towards Koneko. "I-I remember her! She was at last year's Grand Kansai Rap Battle at Shimooi's River Terrace! She was 'Salamander' Tomita's second, 'Hellcat' Koneko!"

Takeshi looked back at his girlfriend with a stupefied look as Koneko slicked her hair upwards before pinning it, giving her a different bearing as she and the boss Kappa stared down at each other.

"... It's been a while, 'Gift Rappa' Goro," the Nekomata replied as she manifested her cat ears and forked tail from her head and lower back as she and everyone else took off their waders. "... Getting your asses owned once wasn't enough, so you gathered a bunch of posers to have another go?"

"Tch, don't get cocky, 'Hellcat'," sneered the large Kappa. "Of course we didn't forget that day's humiliation back at Kansai! This time, you ain't got the OG 'Salamander' to back you up!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" another Kappa jeers. "Our beats and burns will send yo ass hoppin' back to Hell!"

Koneko scoffs. "Trust me. 'Salamander' Tomita being here would be considered overkill," she boasted. "And so is my involvement, which is why my own second will be rapping in my place."

"Brave words, you kappas," Goro sneered confidently. "... Sudden death, one-on-one, three interval verses. Whoever loses capitulates to the winner's demand. Any objections?"

"None whatsoever," Koneko flatly remarked as she then slapped Takeshi's back into the ring. "Go get 'em, 'Jaryuu' Takeshi."

"Oh cool, already gave me my rap name..." he nervously chuckled as he came face to face with the large Kappa.

As Koneko and Kiyome stood behind, the former then handed the other a pair of earplugs.

"... What?" The beast tamer was confused at this sudden gesture as Koneko began erecting several soundproof barriers around the two.

"Whatever you do, don't take them off unless I do," the Nekomata warned as she plunged up her cat ears with the rubber plugs.

Outside, Goro was snickering at the Evil Dragon User's confusion. "Since you're just a tadpole, I'll let you have the first verse."

"If you insist," sighed Takeshi. ... Why do I have a sinking feeling that this is going to go horribly wrong?

Don't worry about me, Nidhogg reassures. Just think of flyting as commonly insulting someone. Don't think of it as singing, and you'll be fine.

"Drop the beat!" ordered Goro as his subordinate Kappas turned on the boombox.

With that, Takeshi began his first verse.

Back at ORC's Main Office...

"I see, thank you for your hard work," Rias spoke into her phone.

"No problem, President," Akeno's voice replied from the speaker. "The rate we're going, I'd say we would resolve our budget issues by the end of this week."

"Still, I'd like to resolve our issue as soon as we can," the President said as she looked through her admin page of requests. "... Think you can take one more job before you call it a day?"

"That I do, President," the Queen Piece Holder replied. "Tell the others I wish them good luck as soon as you're able to reach them."

"Will do." Rias then hangs up before assigning Akeno another request. "... Yuuto's assigned work at Hokkaido's dairy farm after one of their employees threw out his back... he should be back by another hour-"

*bzzt*

*bzzt*

Her phone then vibrates with Koneko's number being the one to call her.

"Hello?" Rias spoke into her phone.

"... President..." groaned Koneko's voice. "... Help... me..."

*thud*

*boop*

*boop*

"... Koneko?" Rias blinked as the call got cut off. "KONEKO-CHAN?!"

Now going into full-blown panic mode, Rias then uses the office's main magic circle to teleport herself to Koneko's last known location.

At the Marshes...

"KONEKO-CHAN-GAAARAGH! MY BRAIN IS MELTING!"

A horrid and eldritch tenor rippled throughout the air of the swamp, distorting the once-pristine natural landscape into a toxic sludge pool of its former self.

Willing herself through the psychic pain, Rias then unfurls her wings to fly towards where the sounds were coming from.

From above she spotted Takeshi, to which she then wastes no time tackling him down to the gravely earth.

"BAH! GAH! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Takeshi exclaimed before he spat out a few pebbles.

"YOU WERE SINGING AGAIN?!" Rias exclaimed in ire. "AFTER WHAT I JUST SAID EARLIER THIS WEEK?!"

"I WAS RAPPING!" Takeshi defended himself. "THERE'S A DIFFERENCE!"

"THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN ALL OF THIS?!" she then points him out towards the carnage that had been left behind in his wake.

Both Koneko and Kiyome were laid on the gravel, twitching like dead insects and foaming at the mouth with both of their eyes rolled to the back of their heads.

The Kappa were also found lying on their shelled backs, their head plates cracked, their eyes blank, and their ears bleeding.

"... In my defense, Koneko was the one who suggested doing this," Takeshi replied. "And Nidhogg encouraged it, citing that rapping wasn't like singing."

Rias groans in sheer disappointment. "... New clause: 'no one in ORC asks Ryuugamine Takeshi to sing or do anything musically inclined'."

"Noted," Takeshi nodded. "... We should probably wake the others up. And heal them too."

Both Rias and Takeshi got to work recuperating the victims of Takeshi's killer burns.

"... Seriously? The singing affected them even with several soundproofing measures?" Rias grimaced as she saw Koneko and Kiyome have earplugs while being behind several magical barriers.

"... You know... I think I know what's the deal with the whelp's so-called 'singing'," Nidhogg spoke out as his host healed the Kappa's ruptured ear canals. "... It works in a similar principle to a Dragon's roar."

Rias' eyes widened upon hearing that revelation. "... Are you suggesting that Takeshi has Evil Dragon ancestry?!"

"That's the first I've heard of it!" said host pointed out.

"It's hard to tell, but it's the only explanation I can come up with," the Evil Dragon explained. "A Dragon's roar doesn't affect the listener physically... but rather spiritually."

"... So you're saying that Takeshi's horrible singing attacks the soul itself?!" Rias pointed out. "And that was before you guys showed up?!"

"Again, a theory," Nidhogg addressed. "... We're better off not knowing where it actually came from."

Rias, for the first time in her life, agreed with an Evil Dragon.

After the sun had begun to set, Koneko, Kiyome, Goro, and the rest of the "Gift Rappa" crew returned to the waking world.

"Good going, Takeshi-senpai," Koneko remarked with a thumbs-up. "All according to plan-"

*WHAP!*

Rias then smacks her Rook's head with a harisen paper fan, causing her Rook to clutch her head in pain.

"As soon as we get back to ORC, you, Takeshi, and I are going to have a serious chat," the President scolded as she smacked her fan in her other hand. "Capisce?"

Both Koneko and Takeshi shrink in horror. "... Yes President."

"To think that your singing doesn't work on the principle of sound in the first place..." Kiyome remarked as the glint in her eyes became more obsessive. "... I must know more-!"

Nidhogg snarls from his [Cataclysm Zone] as a sign of warning.

"... Never mind," the beast tamer also shrank in fear.

"As for you three..." growled Rias as she then faced the kneeling Kappa. "... I take it that given you all were rendered unconscious and partially-deaf, Takeshi won by default. And his King, I will make his demand on his behalf: never come back here, give up rapping entirely, and go find honest jobs, or I'll sic my Pawn onto you and not even all of Takamagahara itself will be able to salvage your souls afterwards. Am I clear?"

All of the Kappa nod frantically.

"Scram."

Upon Rias' order, the Kappa immediately leave the marshes screaming in sheer terror, swimming away from Kuoh as if their lives depended on it.

"... And as for you, Abe-san," Rias sighed in exhaustion before bowing apologetically. "... I'm so sorry for what my subordinates have put you through."

"No worries, I'll still pay in full if that's what you're concerned about," the beast tamer insisted. "You got the Kappas out, and all I have to do is regrow a few acres worth of trees with my magic to restore the Kodama population and Estleena-chan won't have to hydrate herself in the school's pool every night. All of that chlorine is bad for her skin, you know. I had to replace my bathtub just yesterday."

"Silver lining, I suppose," Rias grumbled as she dragged two of her subordinates back to her office for some serious scolding as Kiyome whistled to beckon her Kelpie familiar to her.

As the day came to an end, the name "Jaryuu" Takeshi was spread far and wide, with how soul-destroying his burns were throughout the supernatural hip-hop community.

Eventually, another title was bequeathed unto him (without his consent) as the tales of his calamitous beats were shared with bated hushes.

The "Rappa-Killa" Takeshi.

4th of April, 2019 AD

"Coming in," Takeshi remarked as he entered the ORC's main office. "... So President, what did you call me here for?"

Rias grumbles before setting down a newspaper onto her desk. "Please explain what happened on Tuesday."

Takeshi's eyes widened upon reading what was on the newspaper, his eyes focused on the headline in particular:

SLASHING SPREE AT GIFU PREFECTURE'S SAINT SPRING SCHOOL'S JUNIOR HIGH WING

4 STUDENTS MURDERED; KOWASE TSUBASA (14), SHIKIMI KUMIRU (14), AJIKI MUTTA (15), YASHIMA SACHI (15)

13 OTHER STUDENTS AND STAFF CRITICALLY INJURED

CULPRIT: KINUGAWA TSUYOSHI (14) FOUND DEAD AFTER A THREE-STORY FALL

In horror, Takeshi looks down at his [Cataclysm Zone]. "... What the Hell did you do, Nidhogg?!" he pointed out. "ME AND HIMEJIMA-SENPAI MADE SURE TO ERASE HIS MEMORIES!"

"You got me," the Evil Dragon nonchalantly confessed. "Although in my defense, the amount of ash I left behind was only enough to cause a mild irritation."

"YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT HIS BLOODLUST WAS ON A HAIR-TRIGGER!" Takeshi rebuked.

"Akeno told me everything what'd happened," Rias sighed. "I just needed you to confirm it."

Takeshi grimaces before bowing his head. "... I have no excuses."

"That whole town was a veritable buffet of negative emotions and I couldn't resist," the Evil Dragon snickered. "... Admit it, stelpa, I did this whole world a favor by removing him from the gene pool. I'm the good guy here, so before you give the whelp some shit, think about the current circumstances: was he really that safe to let live even if I didn't intervene?"

Rias grimaces. "... Look at you, Nidhogg. Trying to play yourself off as some sort of hero."

"No, I just despise hotheaded little shits like him," Nidhogg replied. "I see no difference between taking the lives of Strays and that little shit."

"He's not from our side!" Takeshi pointed out.

"And yet, he came so close to finding out...!" taunted Nidhogg. "Also, if you want to know what was going on with him empathically, he legit was trying to kill the two of you. As if he could, being that he's just a human."

Rias and Takeshi's eyes widened upon the Evil Dragon's testimony. The former was reluctant to believe him, but the latter had experienced firsthand how he wouldn't stop even after his limbs were broken.

Takeshi mentally compared Tsuyoshi to a zombie running on pure hate. A ball of rage that wasn't picky about who it could kill.

"... Alright, you made your point," Rias remarked as she typed a message on her admin board. "I'll blacklist you from all jobs addressed within Gifu Prefecture, understood?"

"Yes President." Takeshi bowed his head in shame.

"And as for you Nidhogg, please try to keep your bloodlust reserved for our enemies exclusively," Rias requested. "And if your concern is that Takeshi might run into murderous criminals to the point where lethal force is an option... I'll just say this, we really don't need to add more to the pile given what we deal with."

"Fingers crossed," Nidhogg snickered. "But deep down you know that this whole modern age of peace is rotting."

"I know," Rias acknowledged. "But acting upon it won't make a difference."

Takeshi slumps onto the sofa with the fact that he has incurred an indirect civilian casualty. He should be thanking his lucky stars that he wasn't being reprimanded even harshly, yet now he's come to understand what it truly meant to become a Devil.

"... The whole world I used to know is now made of cardboard," he remarked to himself. "... President, are you familiar with PTSD?"

"Too familiar, I'm afraid," Rias answered with a nod. "... Junior High was nothing short of actual Hell for you, wasn't it?"

"Felt like all of the sudden, the whole world sans my family was against me..." he answered with a bitter chuckle. "Hell, for three years straight, I couldn't celebrate my birthday properly without something going wrong. Freshman year I just forgot that it was my birthday."

"... I see." Rias then closed her laptop. "And... if I may be so daring to ask, how did this Tsuyoshi fare in comparison?"

"A legitimate monster in human skin," Takeshi answered immediately. "... Even a hundred of the punks that I ran into back Ishinomaki were to team up, I doubt that they would pose a challenge. But... after remembering that I'm no longer a weak human... a temptation welled within me."

Rias then sits herself next to her Pawn. "... The power to strike back at those who made you feel weak."

"It's such a human thing, but I understand," Nidhogg commented. "... Never was there a passing night where I would challenge all of Asgard myself if I had the power to slay them with my own powers."

"So what's the right choice?" Takeshi then looked towards Rias. "... Can my inner demons ever be repelled as long as the option to take revenge is always on the table?!"

Rias then places her hand onto his own. "... I can't say for certain, but know this," she said reassuringly. "... You're not alone when it comes to facing them. Like I said before, if you ever find yourself in trouble, whether it's in a job or anything personal, I'll be there. Can you promise me to at least remember that?"

Takeshi's heart skipped a beat upon hearing her words of confidence coming from her. "... I'll try," he replied. "I... I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not alone... that I have friends I could count on... that... I... I can still heal... even if our lives aren't that of humans anymore."

Rias smiles gently. "... Personally, I think 'human' as a way of life," she answered. "Look at me, a Devil born of House Gremory a few centuries ago, now living the life of a... semi-normal high schooler girl with a social life... well, close enough, but still life itself is meant to be dynamic and chaotic, no?"

Suddenly, remembering Aika's words echoing behind the back of his head causes him to chuckle. "... You know, maybe I can see myself healing," he remarked semi-confidently. "... Thanks President. And Nidhogg, I appreciate your sentiment, and I hope that one day, I grow strong enough to stand on my own two feet so I'd save you the trouble."

"Hm, clever wording," complimented Nidhogg. "You'd make a fine Evil Dragon as of yet."

"You mean the 'greatest and kindest Evil Dragon,' I hope," chuckled Takeshi as he walked out of the office.

As soon as the Pawn, Rias sighed, knowing that even though Takeshi's path was nothing but bloodletting-thorns treaded barefoot, he was still more than willing to go through with it not because of a lack of choice on his part, but because he wishes to overcome the past that had broken him.

She admires his spirit, and it's for that sole reason why she swore to walk besides him to the bitter end as his King.

With that in mind, she then pulls out her phone before making a call.

"Hello? Ryuugamine-san?" she spoke through her phone. "It's me, Rias Gremory."

5th of April, 2019 AD

Today is Friday... not in California.

Wonder why I thought of that all of the sudden, Takeshi mentally remarked as he made his way to Kuoh Town's park on foot.

"Ryuugamine! Over here!"

Takeshi then looked towards where the voice had come from, revealing it to be from Yuuto standing before the park's entrance.

"I'm here," Takeshi replied as he walked towards the Knight. "So, you and I are working together for this commission?"

"Indeed," he answered as he walked further in. "Follow me."

The two walk towards the park's basketball court, with a pair of students around his and Yuuto's ages dressed in basketball practice clothes waiting for them. One was tall and well-built with short dark-brown hair with green eyes, while the other had a pair of prescription sport goggles strapped around his gray eyes and below his light-blue hair, while appearing a head shorter than his companion.

"These are my two current clients," Yuuto introduced.

"I'm Ogawa Kazuhiko," the taller of the pair greeted.

"I-I'm Yamaguchi Hitoshi!" the shorter of the pair nervously greeted. "... It's nice to meet you, Ryuugamine-san."

"Likewise," Takeshi bowed his head. "So what's their story?"

"Two of them are Kuoh High School's first years trying to join the Basketball Club," Yuuto explained. "Tryouts are next week, and the two of them are in need of practice playing against another team, but several of their old teammates moved out of Kuoh, and that's where we come in."

"So basketball, huh?" Takeshi grinned as he looked towards Yuuto. "... Guess we finally get to play for real, huh?"

"I knew I could count on you!" Yuuto beamed. "Shall we get started?"

The four then got into position on the empty court.

"Alright, to make it fair, let's make it one Devil and one human per team," Takeshi suggested as he loosened his tie around his school uniform before throwing off the blazer. "Yamaguchi-san and I will face Kiba-kun and Ogawa-san, with us Devils not allowed to use physical enhancements or any magic bullshit. Any objections?"

"None whatsoever," Yuuto nodded.

"I'm fine with this," agreed Hitoshi.

"Let's do it!" Kazuhiko pumped his fists as Takeshi then took out a 500-yen coin from his pocket.

"Heads." Takeshi then flips the coin into the air as he makes his call.

The coin then lands onto the court floor on heads.

"We're on offense, Yamaguchi-san," Takeshi confirmed as he then picked up the ball. "... Ready?"

Yuuto then catches the ball bounced by the Pawn. "Anytime."

As soon as the ball bounced back to Takeshi, the game began.

One Intense Practice Match Later...

"THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD MATCH!" Both Hitoshi and Kazuhiko bowed their heads at once.

"Take care, you hear?!" Takeshi replied as the two first years then left with a sense of satisfaction.

"I have to say, Ryuugamine, never took you for a basketball pro," Yuuto commented as he sat down on the bleachers while looking over their received fee. "... You were kind of intense back there."

"Well it ain't practice if they don't give it their all," Takeshi replied as he sat next to the Knight. "I'm just glad that my skills haven't atrophied after four years of... well you know."

"I heard," Yuuto remarked as he remembered Takeshi's own inner demons. "... Well, guess it's as good a time as any to rebuild a lost skill."

"Lost skill? I whipped your ass 50 to 47!" Takeshi pointed out with a smirk.

*grumble*

Both of their stomachs grumble at the same time, causing them to slightly blush.

"... There's a beef bowl place nearby," Yuuto pointed. "Hole-in-the-wall place, but I heard that it's really good."

"Take me, o'fair Knight of Gremory!" Takeshi melodramatically flourished as Yuuto slightly chuckles at the Pawn's high spirit.

The two of them then end up taking a seat in the booth section of the homely-feeling restaurant, with both of them sitting next to each other as they made their order.

"One large pork bowl with extra garlic and pickled ginger, please!" Takeshi requested.

"One medium beef bowl with a side plate of chopped scallions, please," Yuuto inputted.

The two's orders then arrive shortly after, the two of them partaking in the meal after giving thanks.

"Ahh... nothing beats a combination of roasted fatty meat with the punch of garlic and the sting of ginger after a good workout!" Takeshi blissfully remarked as he chewed on the thick slab of pork with the rice and accompaniment.

"It is filling," Yuuto reacted more mutedly as he ate his slice of beef.

I DEMAND MORE OF THIS "PICKLED GINGER"! Nidhogg bellowed from [Section Náströnd] as he tasted what his host was eating. AND GET ME SOME MORE GARLIC! AND IT BETTER BE RAW!

Takeshi grumbles as he makes an additional order to tranquilize the Evil Dragon's tantrums.

"Really, Ryuugamine, I can't thank you enough," Yuuto spoke out as Takeshi kept eating. "Normally, I'm not accustomed to doing what the students call 'normal'."

"Eh, you're not so bad for a newbie yourself, Kiba-kun," Takeshi snickered before inhaling the plate of raw garlic, much to Nidhogg's delight (not that he would admit it out loud). "So, uh, given that this is my second month with you guys, you mind... well, sharing with me the details of how you ended up in ORC?"

Yuuto sighs before explaining himself. "... Well, you already know that I was saved while I was on the verge of death," he recalled. "... Before that... I was an orphan."

"... Oh." Takeshi blinked. "... So in a way, you were literally adopted into House Gremory."

"As a servant, yes, but family all the same," Yuuto confirmed. "... Guess we're both haunted by our own inner demons from our pasts, huh?"

"Life's a bitch like that," Takeshi remarked as he then picked out a chunk of pickled ginger with his chopsticks before dumping it into his mouth. "... But I guess when you live long enough, life throws you a bone."

Yuuto chuckles. "No more truthful words can be said," he agreed. "... I just hope that one day that my life will be as kind."

"Keep living, man," Takeshi encouraged.

The two Devils sighed in satisfaction as they finished their meals.

"I'll pay," Yuuto volunteered.

"Cool," Takeshi replied as he headed outside. "I know another place that we can hang out at."

Upon the two meeting outside, the pair of boys walked to a jazz club.

"Never been here before, but I heard that they serve soda-based mocktails for us minors," Takeshi explained as the two headed inside, the sound of smooth brass playing in the background welcoming them. "The reviews recommend the Blue Lagoon Mocktail. I'll pay this time."

The two of them then sat across from each other at a small table as their drinks were served.

"Enjoy!" the waitress remarked as Takeshi sipped his fruity and fizzy drink first.

"Ahh... carbonation and jazz... an unlikely marriage," Takeshi sighed with satisfaction.

"It is relaxing here," Yuuto agreed as he sipped his mocktail. "... I should recommend this place to the rest of ORC."

As the two boys settled in, they began to confide with each other.

"... So, now that Koneko-chan and I are an 'item' per se, do you have any advice on how I can treat her?" Takeshi pointed out.

"I got a few," Yuuto answered. "... Most important of which, is that whatever you do, do not take her snacks, even so much as by mistake. I did that once, and she gave me the silent treatment for a whole week until I gifted her with a box of Castella from Fukusaya."

"Don't take her snacks, understood," Takeshi nodded as he also mentally noted what kind of gifts Koneko would like. "... I've also noticed that whenever me and Koneko go out, we often gravitate towards eateries and arcades. Got any places like that you'd recommend?"

"... I think so." Yuuto then dug for his phone. "Let me DM you for a hot minute."

Takeshi's phone then vibrates, with a small list of places that they can go to. "Sweet. Thanks man."

"No problem," Yuuto remarked as he sipped his mocktail. "... So, I began to notice that you and the President are getting closer as of late."

Takeshi nearly chokes on his drink before composing himself. "... Okay, you got me," he winced. "... President Gremory fucking healed my soul when I needed it the most. Especially after I nearly succumbed to Nidhogg's temptations."

Don't assume that it is over, whelp, warned the Evil Dragon before going back to sleep, finding the music a nice change of pace compared to his host's own "musical inclinations."

"But what am I supposed to do?" Takeshi groaned as he put his head down next to his chilled glass. "I mean, it's not like I can ask both of them out at once, can I?"

Yuuto sips on his mocktail before placing down. "... Actually, that is an option."

Takeshi's eyes widened upon hearing that. "... Pardon?"

"Polygamy is a common practice in the Underworld," the Knight pointed out. "As long as everyone within the relationship is mutually consenting, then no one will raise an alarm."

"Kinda hard to do that when I'm an Evil Dragon User," deadpanned Takeshi. "... But, I think I understand better now. I can't treat my relationship with ORC half-heartedly. I gotta be the best I can be for everyone's sake. First Koneko's trust and soon the President's... but I'm still confused about Himejima-senpai..."

Yuuto shrugs. "From my point of view, I'd say she's taken a liking to you."

Takeshi blinks. "... Really now?" he remarked. "... Mind filling me in? The only reference I got was our picnic a few weeks back, but even then, I feel as if she's keeping me at arm's length."

"Senpai is aloof, but affectionate in her own way," Yuuto admitted. "But even so, the way she's willing to open herself up to you, even little by little, I think this is the closest she'd ever been to another person beside the President."

"You tried pursuing her yourself?" Takeshi asked with a teasing grin before drinking his mocktail.

"Not a chance," Yuuto replied as he sipped his drink. "... I can't see myself in an intimate relationship with the opposite gender."

"... I see," Takeshi remarked as he might assume that Yuuto might be swinging the other way, but after the "Hisaya"-incident, he puts the lesson of "assume nothing" to practice and chooses to not press the issue any further than it needs to be. "... Well, like I said, keep living. Life will throw you a bone someday. Maybe someone who you can be honest with can come prepackaged?"

Yuuto chuckles at Takeshi's jest. "... You're quite the company, Ryuugamine."

"Only because I met you, Kiba-kun."

The two then click their glasses together.

And unbeknownst to them, Kiryuu Aika was watching them behind the counter (her part-time job as a bartender, wearing contacts and has her hair in an upper bun), her eyes locked onto the pair like a hawk as her mind went to "places."

... I feel like I'm being watched from afar, shuddered Nidhogg as he picked up what his host couldn't. ... Not my fucking problem.

6th of April, 2019 AD

"Well, this is the last day, President," Takeshi remarked as he stood before her desk. "How's our budget?"

"A few more jobs... and we'll be back to our previous sum!" the President pointed out as she looked at her spreadsheet and Venmo account. "I got two more jobs both from Kuoh, and both of them are thoroughly vetted to ensure that you'll be fine on your own. If anything goes wrong for whatever reason, don't hesitate to call for help, understood?"

"Got it," he replied as he walked towards the magic circle. "... By the way, where are the others?"

"They're out on their commissions," Rias answered. "They'll be fine on their own. Good luck!"

"Heading out!"

Takeshi then warps away to his next jobs to make up for his first one that resulted in a whole indie band being hospitalized.

Job #1

"Uhh..."

Takeshi groans as he stands before a lavender-colored door decorated with a ring of flowers around the number "206" plate denoting the apartment address.

"... Welp, no time like the present." Takeshi then knocks on the door. "Hello, this is Ryuugamine Takeshi from the Gremory Peerage. I'm here for... 'Mii-tan'?"

The door clicks open, revealing a massive muscular man with pigtails dressed like a magical girl, said outfit being a tad too small for his muscular frame.

"Hello," the client greeted before posing with an equally girly-looking wand. "I am an aspiring Magical Girl Mii-tan, nyo!"

Takeshi's brain short-circuits as [Cataclysm Zone] appears around his waist.

"You're a fucking degenerate, that's what," Nidhogg deadpanned.

"For the record, he does not speak for me," Takeshi addressed with utmost seriousness while pointing to his Sacred Gear after he snaps out of his initial funk. "... Given that when you opened the room, it caused [Cataclysm Zone] to manifest, I suspect that you're one of the supernatural, or at least affiliated with it?"

"My parents are practicing magicians subcontracted with House Gremory," Mii-tan explained before letting Takeshi inside, to which the whole apartment was decorated from floor to ceiling with Magical Girl paraphilia, from manga to Blu-Ray, to merchandise (including limited-time editions that Takeshi himself recognized) and posters (from mainstream to the more obscure IPs), and some artifacts and tools that radiated with the energy of the supernatural. "... We don't talk a lot. Or see each other eye to eye."

"I can tell, you faggot," grimaced the Evil Dragon. "... Whelp, turn away from him. My prison also doubles as an additional pair of eyes and he's taller than you."

"At least retract that initial statement..." sighed Takeshi as he turned his back. "... Sorry, he's from another time."

"Don't worry, I'm used to people calling me worse, nyo," Mii-tan remarked. "... Want something to drink?"

"Get me something cold, please," requested Takeshi as he was served a can of soda while Mii-tan settled for a cup of tea. "... So, what can I do for you today?"

"I want you to help me become a proper Magical Girl, nyo!" Mii-tan requested. "As a henshin hero like yourself, you must know the ins-and-outs of a proper transformation sequence! I want to make my own transformation sequence that is fitting just for me!"

"Yeah, that makes sense," nodded Takeshi. "... Alright, let's do it. Can we go to the roof so I don't wreck your pad?"

"This way, nyo!"

Mii-tan then led Takeshi upstairs up on the apartment rooftop enclosed with a chain-link fence.

"Alright, I'm ready to observe when you're ready to transform, nyo!" Mii-tan stated as he raised his phone covered with more Magical Girl iconographies.

"Must we humor this faggot, whelp?" asked Nidhogg.

"We're getting paid, so don't think too much about it," Takeshi replied as he posed like Akiyama Ren. "HENSHIN!"

The black gem on his [Cataclysm Zone] shines in its unholy light before its base armor was formed around the Devil.

"Amazing, nyo!" Mii-tan cheered as he began taking pictures. "That transformation was simple yet precise! Like an early-Heisei Phase 1 Kamen Rider's transformation, nyo!"

"Oh, you noticed?" Takeshi remarked with a slight chuckle. "... And that outfit... I just recognized it as being from Magical Girl Milky Spiral 7 Alternative. Are you a fan?"

"Yes!" Mii-tan answered with a cutesy pose with his wand. "Me and my friends are diehard fans of that series, nyo!"

"Wonderful, there are more of you freaks out and about..." Nidhogg grumbled. "... God is dead, isn't he?"

"In any event, I'd like to see your stronger transformation, nyo," requested Mii-tan. "I got the fundamentals down from seeing your default form. Now I want to see you at your strongest right now, nyo!"

Takeshi looks down to his [Cataclysm Zone] semi-reluctantly. "... May I also request that you erect as many barriers as you can? I don't want to disturb the neighbors."

"Just a sec, nyo!"

Mii-tan then casts basic magical barriers around where they were standing.

"The rooftop should be able to take a meteorite and still stand, nyo!" Mii-tan reassures. "Now let it rip, nyo!"

"Enough with the bullshit 'nyo', it's grating," growled Nidhogg.

"Alright, let's hurry and wrap this up," Takeshi remarked as he then hyped himself up. "Dai dai-HENSHIN!"

"[Malice Rise]!" announced the Sacred Gear as the black gem turned ash-gray. "[Abyss Rage Awakening]!"

Takeshi then lets out a draconic roar as his base armor turns dark while the chthonian inferno generates pieces of the armor for his [Dead Shore Advent] form.

Upon entering into his Balance Breaker form, Takeshi let out a sigh as Mii-tan began taking pictures for reference.

"Wow! That's more like Heisei Era Phase 2, nyo!" the masculine Magical Girl aspirant commented. "I liked the helmet being like Den-O's transformation, nyo!"

"... Hey, just one question, but does this armor sap away at my lifeforce?" asked Takeshi.

"Initially, it did," Nidhogg answered. "But ever since we've 'synchronized,' that hurdle has been passed and now you can wear this as long as you want. Healing and using [Helfrost] is still going to cost you."

"Noted," Takeshi replied. "... Also, one more thing, but usually, when something powerful as a Balance Breaker is activated, shouldn't there be a strain that comes with the usage?"

"It is strange for me too," the Evil Dragon pointed out. "... Balance Breakers aren't the things that you should be able to activate on a whim. My guess is that the 'base armor' serves as a support to reduce the strain that comes with the Balance Breaker."

"... The way you're saying it, you're implying that the armor wasn't a thing before I showed up," Takeshi pointed out.

"Who knows? Maybe you're the chosen one, like that Re:Live fellow proclaimed," Nidhogg sarcastically remarked.

"I got all the pictures, nyo!" Mii-tan remarked. "You can stop now!"

"Right," Takeshi replied as he then undoes his transformation. "Think you can transform on your own now, Mii-tan?"

"I can! I can see myself transforming, nyo!" Mii-tan replied. "But I have to practice first! Thank you for giving me some of your time! Here's your fee, nyo!"

Takeshi then looks at his phone to see his fee being received. "Thank you," he said as he walked back downstairs. "Good luck with your endeavors!"

He then DMs Rias for a job well done before he then teleports to his second job for the day.

Job #2

"Hello?" Takeshi knocked on a bluish-silver door with a "2-1" on its number plate. "This is Ryuugamine Takeshi from the Gremory Peerage. I'm here for your commission... Morisawa-san."

The door then opens halfway from a chain lock behind the door, with a bespectacled and rail-thin looking man in his early thirties dressed in a white shirt and baggy sweatpants peeking from behind the door with a scrutinizing look.

"... I see, so you're Koneko-chan's replacement," he remarked as he then disconnected the chain. "Come on in."

Takeshi then enters the apartment room as Morisawa flicks the lights on, revealing several anime posters, figurines, and manga decorating most of his room, most of them leaning towards the lolicon-side of the genre.

"... I will not judge," Takeshi remarked. "And just to break the ice, my first childhood erection was from Gekiranger's Mele."

"Ah, so you're a leg and qipao fetishist," Morisawa remarked. "I can respect that."

I bet that eight-headed degenerate would love this modern era... Nidhogg grumbled.

"So, what do you need me to do?" asked Takeshi as Morisawa then handed him several papers with several manga panels with explicit images drawn on them.

"I need your help with the shading and toning the test drafts for a collaborative project that someone on my Discord invited me for," he explained. "It's for this year's Comiket. I'm promised a small cut of the sale's proceeds if I help out someone under the alias 'k41RyUwU'."

"Haven't heard of that name before," Takeshi remarked as he used his magic to adjust the manga's images to the best of his abilities.

"A rising star among the doujinshi community who debuted in 2017," Morisawa explained as he drew on the drawing tablet while keeping his Discord page open for updates. "Nobody knows who the rising star is, save for their talent for tackling unheard combinations of h-genres seamlessly into one 24-page long book. Since then, their portfolio has been really sizable to make the old guard take 'k41RyUwU' seriously as competition. Very few are brave enough to tackle 'bisexuality' and 'glory hole'-tags in the same story and make it semi-wholesome."

"So a talented one, indeed," Takeshi replied while trying to mentally disengage from what he was talking about. "... Forgive me, Morisawa-san. I don't enter the doujinshi circle willingly, and it's only because it's... new for me."

"First time for everything, Ryuugamine-san," Morisawa acknowledged as he was handed the test draft with the different shading. "... Hmm, it's a little off, but I think I can touch it up a little."

"Sorry if I'm not an artist," Takeshi apologized. "Maybe if the Peerage has a dedicated artist in their ranks, you'd been better off."

"Not saying that it's bad, per se, but it's not bad for a novice," Morisawa pointed out. "You'll learn as you go. Kinda like me, and now my mom isn't calling me constantly to get a job!"

"When life gives you lemons, I suppose..."

And so, Takeshi and Morisawa worked on shading the drafts for "k41RyUwU," the former learning as he went along as the latter ironed out the finer details.

Once the drafts were finished, the papers were then scanned over before being sent over through Discord.

"Thanks for the help, Ryuugamine-san," Morisawa said. "Here's your reward."

Takeshi received his commissioner's fee along with a tankōbon doujinshi book written by "k41RyUwU" called "DIGEST - Secret Menu for Sadomasochists."

"A little reference text in case I need to call you up for help once again," Morisawa explained with a small wink. "Focus on the art rather than the story. That's my advice for someone who has worked with 'k41RyUwU' for over a year. Genre-busting is their forte."

"Noted," Takeshi sighed as he tucked the doujinshi into his coat. "Well, good luck with your work, Morisawa-san."

And so, Ryuugamine Takeshi finishes his solo job without incident-

"USING YOUR BALANCE BREAKER IN A NON-COMBATIVE SITUATION?!" Rias exclaimed as soon as Takeshi returned to the ORC's main office. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

... Technically, the scolding came after the job, so he was still in the clear.

7th of April, 2019 AD

*DING-DONG*

"This early in the morning?" Takeshi yawns as he approaches the door. "Coming!"

He then opens the door to find Rias standing before him, dressed in beige cardigan over her white shirt with red stripes, white jeans that accentuated her hips and matching low-heeled pumps, and around her shoulder was a blue tote bag.

It was a refreshing, yet trendy, modern look. Perfect for a girl like Rias Gremory.

"Ah, President, what are you doing here?!" Takeshi stepped back in surprise.

"Well, can't a girl visit her friend?" Rias remarked as she let herself in right before sitting down.

"Fair enough," sighed Takeshi as he sat himself down next to Rias after getting himself a bowl of Cornfrost as Star Twinkle Pretty Cure! Episode 10: "Sparkling! Welcome to Planet Coumarin!"

"Never took you for someone who watches a show aimed towards a female audience," Rias pointed out as the episode continued after its advertisements with an all-out fight scene between the Precures and the Notraiders over the discovered Star Color Pen.

"I kinda started with Yes! Pretty Cure 5 after I woke up too early when I was a kid for TV," Takeshi explained as Aiwarn, the Notraider's commander, turns the episode's plot device into a dark mockery of itself. "... I kinda got hooked since then."

"Ah, fair enough," Rias remarked as the Precures are defeated by the Notraiders, losing one of their Star Color Pens in the process and forced to make a hasty retreat back to Earth. "Oh that's rare. The heroes lost this episode."

"More common than you think," Takeshi pointed out as one of the people sees the rocket land close by. "That's what makes Pretty Cure special compared to other Magical Girl franchises. They're not afraid to take the 'L' every now and then."

Good, good, keep the story interesting, Nidhogg complimented as Zi-O Episode 30 begins.

The two (three counting Nidhogg), watched the continuation from the previous episode with Diend harassing Geiz and Woz while Blade and Chalice clash arms before being interrupted by the former's Another doppelgänger during the former pair's finishers.

"... Given how busy you are, I guess you couldn't keep up with Zi-O?" Takeshi remarked as he ate his sugary cereal.

Rias nods as both sides of the conspiracy reconvene with their own parties to govern their gathered info. "It's a shame, really," she pointed out. "The story is really intriguing, but I get the feeling that it's the kind of series that one can't just engage at a whim."

"Well, at the very least, you can just turn your brain off and enjoy the chaos," Takeshi pointed out as they watched until the debut of Zi-O's new form, [Zi-O Trinity], which stuffed Woz's, Geiz's and Sougo's minds into a single body. "... Well, that's new."

For future reference, please don't let our future forms act like this, Nidhogg commented as the three minds fought over each other within a single body before engaging Another Blade. ... Us Evil Dragons have a reputation to maintain, and I for one, not rather be perceived as a spaz.

Noted, Takeshi mentally replied as Another Blade was taken out, ending the Battle Royale that was triggered from the previous episode.

"This episode was... confusing," Rias remarked.

"Coming from someone who watched this ever since its debut?" Takeshi remarked as Sougo's future self messages to his present self that only six Ridewatches remain before the (New) Day of Ohma arrives. "... I can't argue. Maybe the new form could've been pushed back an episode or two given the severity of the plot."

Rias nods in agreement as Ryusoulger Episode 4 begins... with Towa and Koh competing who can cut the leaf the most intricately.

"... Oh my," Rias remarked as the two Ryusoulgers continuously tie in a game of rock-paper-scissors. "... I don't know what to say."

"I'm disappointed, but I'm gonna continue watching anyway, because I came this far anyway," Takeshi begrudgingly grumbled as the monster of the week was a Kraken Minosaur with guns for arms.

The episode goes on with the revelation that the initial thought of the Minosaur being sourced from a sick child being proven wrong as the true culprit is revealed to be a doctor who is the child's father.

What in Hel's name is with this fuddy-duddy crap?! complained Nidhogg. And why is a feline considered a dinosaur?

I am befuddled as you are, Nidhogg, Takeshi remarked as TigerLance woke up from its temple. "... Curious, but do the world's Pantheons mention or acknowledge the existence of dinosaurs or any prehistoric creatures?"

Rias grumbles as KishiryuOh TigerLance is formed. "... The closest is when the Egyptian Pantheon commissioned the Pyramids of Giza to be erected, some records of the Wooly Mammoth were cited, but otherwise, everyone else flat-out denied them of ever existing, despite the clear, physical evidence to the contrary that once can find at dig sites and museums."

Takeshi mentally sighs as the episode ends with the child being well enough to reunite with his father. "... Why does that remind me of the 'creationism vs evolution' debate?"

"Believe me, it existed before the internet," groaned Rias. "... In any event, here's the real reason why I came to you today."

From her tote bag, she then takes out a pair of tickets to Tobu Zoo.

"Personally, I think I've been a bit too hard on you this week, so this is my way of making it up," she explained. "Don't worry about it, I pre-purchased these tickets two weeks in advance."

Takeshi blinked before looking down on what he's wearing. "... I'll go get dressed."

Takeshi then comes back downstairs dressed in a red and black flannel shirt over his black t-shirt with a pair of slightly-torn dark-gray jeans bound with a thick brown-leather belt with a silver medallion with an Eastern Dragon iconography carved onto to the metallic surface as a buckle, and slipping onto his feet were a pair of black Converse sneakers.

"Just threw something together from the closet," Takeshi remarked. "... Compared to you, I must look like a slob."

"No, no, you look great." Rias wrapped her arm around Takeshi's as she pulled him out of the door. "Come now! Let's go have some fun together! My orders!"

"C-Coming!" Takeshi remarked as he narrowly closed the door as they made their way to the nearest train station and rode all the way to Sugito Town, Saitama Prefecture.

After a surprisingly quick train ride, the Devils arrive in front of Tobu Zoo's Eastern Gates at around 10:30 AM.

"We're here!" Rias exclaimed as she pointed towards the Ferris wheel. "Since I dragged you all the way out here, I'll let you have the first pick!"

"In that case..." Takeshi then looked at the Tobu Zoo's map before pointing at number 13. "... How about the Carousel Water Lily?"

Both then made their way to the merry-go-round, with Takeshi mounting on a horse before Rias'. As the attraction began spinning, the horses began bobbing up and down gently, with Takeshi occasionally looking behind and seeing Rias smiling like a normal girl having fun.

Little moments like this make my life worth living, Takeshi thought as he took pictures of his King who looked like a princess on her horse.

"Mou, if you want to take pictures, then ask me beforehand," Rias faux-pouted while riding behind Takeshi. "At least let me get ready."

"I like my pictures to be in the moment, President," Takeshi smiled as the ride came to a stop. "Natural beauty is better than forced."

Rias chuckled. "No wonder why Koneko fell for you," she teased. "You're quite the smooth-talker."

"Only saying the truth, President," Takeshi pointed out before his arm was hugged once again by Rias.

"Sheesh, call me Rias," the girl faux-pouted. "... You don't need my permission to stop being a stiff sometimes."

"Right... Rias-chan."

The red-haired Devil smiles. "Now that's the spirit!" she remarked as she then pulled out the map. "Now where to next?"

Both of them looked over at the map to see where to go.

"... Shame that there's not a single haunted house around here," Rias commented.

"To be fair, given the kind of shit we go through on a daily basis, I think I'm desensitized to what normal people classify as 'horror'," Takeshi pointed out.

"Yeah, but I want to know what humans consider... heart pounding," Rias remarked before she then hears screaming coming from a winding structure ahead of them. "... Let's go here!"

Takeshi instinctively gulps as her finger pointed towards number 19, the "Wooden Roller Coaster Regina II." And before he knew it, he found himself latched onto the seat next to Rias'.

"Wow, the rumbling adds to the tension, doesn't it?" Rias said as she turned towards Takeshi, who was in a... different place.

"2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23..."

"... Prime numbers?" Rias remarked before Takeshi began rattling against the seat's safety latches.

"GET ME OFF OF THIS INFERNAL CONTRAPTION-!"

As soon as the cart climbed over its initial incline, Takeshi loses whatever composure he has left as he begins screaming like a girl whereas Rias was having the time of her life.

Once the ride was over, Takeshi's shaky legs carried the terrified Devil to the nearest bench while Rias was trying her best to not laugh at her Pawn's amusing predicament.

"Ryuugamine Takeshi, fiftieth Evil Dragon User, Destroyer of the Yomi Faction's Elite, and Pawn of the Gremory Peerage... brought low by a roller coaster that didn't even have a loop-de-loop," she summarized with a bemused tone.

"... Give me a break!" shuddered Takeshi as Nidhogg was howling with laughter within the hidden [Cataclysm Zone]. "... I was ten when I rode on the 'KAWASEMI'... scarred me for life."

"There, there." Rias then patted Takeshi on his back. "Now it's your turn to pick a ride before we have lunch. My treat, of course."

"... Number 27, then," Takeshi semi-pouted as his finger pointed to the "Water Shooting" attraction.

The two then spent time at the shooting gallery before heading to Korune's Pancake House for lunch.

"Wait, wait, wait! Before we eat...!" Rias then takes out her phone to take a picture of both of their pancakes stacked with sweet swirls of whipped cream, fruits, nuts, and syrups. "There we go! Something to boast about for today!"

"Not exactly partial to sweet stuff, but I'm not saying 'no' to free food," Takeshi remarked. "Itadakimasu!"

As the two ate, something passed by Takeshi that caused him to look from the corner of his eye.

... Is that Issei? he thought as he spotted a familiar mop of spiky brown hair being next to a girl with long raven-black locks adjacent to him. ... More power to him.

"Is something the matter?" asked Rias.

"Nah, nothing important."

After the two finished eating, they opted to relax for the rest of the day until closing time by heading to the "zoo" part of Tobu Zoo.

"Hey look! An eland!" Takeshi pointed towards the antelope-like creature in its enclosure.

"You like animals, don't you Takeshi?" Rias pointed out her Pawn's childlike fascination. "... Might explain why you wanted to make that Chimera yours."

"Something about watching them feels nice," he replied and Rias walked through other enclosures containing zebras, giraffes, and rhinos. "... Maybe... maybe I enjoyed the company of animals more than humans back when I was in Junior High. As in, if they're going to attack me, at least I know that it was my fault and not some arbitrary reasoning that I don't understand."

So you enjoy the simplicity, Nidhogg commented. ... Although in my opinion, humans are animals compared to me.

Way to go ruining it for me, Nidhogg, deadpanned the host.

I aim to displease-

*DING-DING-DONG*

"Oh! It's feeding time for the animals at the central enclosures!" Takeshi exclaimed as he took Rias by her hand. "Come on!"

The two make their way towards the central enclosures, where the park-goers gather around the pens to watch the zookeepers feed the animals.

"Is seeing animals eat really that important?" Rias asked.

"It only happens once a day! Rides can be ridden anytime, but seeing animals eat is a whole 'nother story!" Takeshi pointed out as he and Rias saw the white tiger eat its feed along with the other predatory cats nearby.

Both found themselves watching the simple display of simulated nature despite its initial unremarkable description.

"Okay, I have to admit, it was kind of fun to watch the animals eat," Rias remarked.

"I know, right?!" Takeshi beamed as he walked towards the llama enclosures. "I like these guys in particular! Their mouths look funny when they chew!"

"Really now?" Rias chuckled as she walked over towards where Takeshi was standing. "Do they really look that funny-?"

Suddenly, Rias found herself frozen upon seeing something beyond the llamas.

"... Rias-chan?" Takeshi said, trying to get her attention. "... What got you on the fritz?"

Looking towards where Rias was staring towards, Takeshi spots a camel behind one of the wooden fences.

"Oh, you mean those guys?" Takeshi grinned. "... Come to think of it, aren't House Gremory associated with camels-"

*SPLAT!*

Fun Fact: the longest recorded distance that a camel spat was 121 feet/36.8808 meters.

From about several meters away, Rias' face was sniped by a camel's cud-ridden saliva with pinpoint accuracy. Breathlessly groaning upon realizing what had happened, she then takes off screaming like a lunatic, with Takeshi following her behind until the two of them found themselves inside the public restroom next to the kiddie rides.

"Rias-chan, are you okay?" Takeshi called out from the outside as he heard the faucet working itself overtime.

She eventually comes out, her expression looking as if she was about to cry.

"Of all the animals... we had to run into..." she sniffled. "... Why?"

Before Takeshi could say anything, Rias threw herself into Takeshi's chest before messily crying into it, soaking into his clothes and to his bare chest.

"There... there?" Takeshi confusedly calmed her down before the two sat in the rest area next to the reptile exhibits. "... Are you okay now?"

Rias nodded as she sniffled.

"To be fair, I didn't know you were afraid of camels..." Takeshi nervously pointed out as he handed her a can of matcha soda. "... Or the fact that said camel was a reincarnated WWII sniper."

Nidhogg meanwhile, was laughing himself sick at the Gremory girl's plight.

"... Funny, I know," she pouted.

"Not really," sighed Takeshi. "... Animal-based trauma is pretty bad. I should know... because I'm one of them."

Rias looked towards Takeshi with curiosity.

"... When I was like... five or six, my uncle invited the whole family to celebrate a fried chicken business that he opened," he explained. "My cousins and I were playing hide and seek... and I accidentally locked myself up inside a chicken cage... I had to go through therapy for that. Mostly recovered, but live chickens still freak me out."

Rias chuckles as Takeshi discloses his fears of animals, enough so for Rias to begin sharing her own story.

"... When I was a kid, my family were raising a stable of camels... and I accidentally let one loose," she confessed with a hint of embarrassment in her voice and reddened face. "... It chased me throughout the whole family estate... and even broke into my room and covered it with hoof-scratches and spit! ... I... I had to sleep with my parents for a while until we could give them away... I swear, those beasts had it out for me personally!"

The two sigh before cracking open their cans and chugging it in one go.

"... Guess we each have our own embarrassing childhood fears," Takeshi remarked with a smirk.

"Agreed," Rias sighed. "... Can we just forget about that and go somewhere else? I'd sooner die than spend another second near those affronts to creation."

"Let's go see some cuter animals," Takeshi suggested as he pointed towards the red panda exhibit.

And so, both Takeshi and Rias made their way through the rest of the animal exhibits, ranging from Japanese macaques (to which Rias points out that they remind her of the Shōjō, Heihachi), the petting zoo (Takeshi enjoyed petting the alpaca's wooly fur while Rias stuck to smaller creatures like rabbits and Guinea Pigs), hippos, elephants, flamingos, and anteaters before returning to the main amusement park half of Tobu Zoo.

"... We have about an hour before the amusement park closes," Takeshi pointed out as he checked his phone, reading "4:30 PM."

"How about getting something to commemorate our time here?" Rias suggested as she pointed to number 18, "Arcade 'Carnival'". "There's a crane game where I saw a teddy bear dressed like a samurai."

"Say no more!" Takeshi then took Rias to the arcade where they were greeted with a whole slew of crane games and gachapon machines.

In one of the boxes, he saw the desired prize sitting atop the pile of other stuffed animals. Inserting a 500-yen coin, Takeshi then begins the game as he strategically moves the claw towards where the samurai bear was at.

Now normally, one would assume in a crane game, that the most optimal move would be to grab the prize immediately and bail, but that was a misconception that led a frustrated majority to overspend on these kinds of games.

The trick is more indirect and mathematical. Takeshi opts to bring the claw down onto the side of the pile, causing the whole stack to collapse, allowing the samurai bear to tumble down into the prize chute in one clean sweep.

"Boo-yah! Score one for me!" Takeshi then took the samurai teddy bear out of the prize hatch while flashing a V-sign. "Here you go!"

"Thank you!" Rias squeezed the stuffed animal. "What about you, Takeshi? Want anything for yourself-?"

Takeshi then takes out a stuffed bear dressed like a European knight in gray armor. "Now we match!"

Rias giggled at his elation that was hidden until the last minute. "... My, aren't you quite smooth."

"Eh, it's just years of practice," Takeshi shrugged as he scratched his head. "... You meant the crane game, right?"

Rias chuckled at Takeshi's befuddlement. "Once again, it's little wonder why Koneko's attached to you."

Both Takeshi and Rias share a laugh in a moment of mutual joy as they walk down to the Ferris wheel together while stopping by to pick up a pair of water bottles.

Upon reaching their last stop, the pair then boarded the cabin as the wheel kept turning, lifting them up from ground level and higher up in a gentle rise.

"We Devils are creatures gifted with the ability to fly, but seeing the ground from above here is something unique," Rias remarked as she stared at the scenery outside. "Don't you think so too, Takeshi?"

"Speaking of flying, I need to get used to doing that sooner rather than later..." Takeshi nervously replied before looking back at Rias. "... It's nice. Just the two of us here, high up in the sky without having to exert ourselves."

Rias smiles. "It is," she agreed. "No life-or-death situations breathing down our necks whenever we unfurl our wings while we're in here."

Takeshi sighs with satisfaction at seeing Rias happy. "... So, now that we're alone, there's something I have to ask," he said. "... How did you and your family end up setting up shop in Japan?"

Rias smiles while looking down at her clasped hands. "... It was only meant to be a temporary arrangement," she began. "But my affinity with this country began with my brother's Knight, Okita Souji."

Takeshi's mind goes blank for a few moments before snapping back to reality upon hearing what she'd just said. "... Captain of the Shinsengumi's 1st Division, master of the Hyakkidou-ri, THAT Okita Souji?"

Rias giggles at Takeshi's stupefied look. "I see you're quite educated."

"I honestly shouldn't be surprised that the Evil Piece System had snatched up actual historical figures, but hearing firsthand accounts of it is nothing short of astounding," Takeshi remarked.

"It happens more likely than you think," Rias explained. "After all, if a human is capable of leaving a substantial mark on history with their deeds, then of course we of the Underworld's nobility take notice and recruit them into their Peerages."

And those who didn't ended up inside my belly, Nidhogg snickered.

"I guess the stories that your brother passed onto you must've been a huge motivator to come here yourself," Takeshi pointed out. "Guess I have to thank him for allowing me to meet you in the first place."

"Why thank you," Rias replied with a serene smile before becoming more downcast. "... Although, that's only half the reason why I chose to stay here."

She then looks out towards the setting sun outside as their cabin reaches the apex.

"I'm... I am a Gremory," Rias said with a hint of sorrow in her voice. "The next heir to my House, the younger sister of one of the Four Great Satans, Rias Gremory, the 'Crimson-Haired Queen of Ruin.' All of those accolades, I carry with pride and dignity befitting of my family name..."

Takeshi sighs as he places his hands onto Rias'. "... Heavy is the head that wears the crown, is it not?"

"Got it in one," Rias confirmed. "Every action I take within the nobility's ranks are judged down to every twitch and fidget I make. I must steel my resolve every time I make a public appearance lest those vultures prey upon my perceived weaknesses. And aside from my family and their servants, everyone just sees me as the daughter of House Gremory, never as Rias the individual. Either they fear me or they seek to use me, it's a suffocating existence."

Boo hoo, I wish I had those kinds of problems that you bitch about, stelpa, Nidhogg jeered. Get over yourself.

Takeshi takes this moment to contemplate why he was chosen to be part of Rias' Peerage. "... You were alone like me once before, right?"

"All the more reason why I value my time spent here on this mortal plane," Rias answered earnestly. "Here, I can be Rias Gremory and no one would worship me in fear. Here, I can be myself. Here, I can laugh, cry, play, and act like a normal girl without anyone judging me. The gulf between here and the Underworld is vast, and I know that one day, I will have to return in order to assume my position as the next head of House Gremory... But until then, I wish to enjoy my dream for as long as it lasts."

Takeshi's own heart could feel his King's melancholy seeping out. He knew that it was nigh-impossible for him to truly understand the kind of burden that she carried throughout her whole life, but even still, this did not make his heart waver on what he should do next.

"... Then I will be the wind behind your wings, Rias," he declared wholeheartedly. "I know for sure that I won't last forever, but until then, I will be by your side as you did for me up to this point."

"... Thank you, Takeshi," Rias thanked him as she placed her hands onto his own. "No matter what, I will never regret bringing you into my family."

"And thank you for letting me meet you guys."

For the rest of the ride, the two of them leaned onto each others' shoulders while sitting together.

"Tobu Zoo will be closing in 30 minutes," the PA speakers announced. "All attendees, please be sure to make your way to your nearest exit and make sure your belongings are on your person. Thank you for visiting Tobu Zoo. We hope that you all visit again."

Back Home...

"You know, I think we could've used magic to teleport ourselves back to Kuoh, Rias," Takeshi pointed out as the sun had completely set.

"True, but I wanted to take the scenic route back," she remarked as she held up her samurai teddy bear. "Is it so wrong to spend a little more time together?"

Takeshi chuckles. "... You know, Kiba-kun pointed out that polygamy is accepted in the Underworld as long as everyone is consenting."

Rias giggles at his sudden forwardness. "But we only went out twice, Takeshi!" she faux-gasped. "Can't you bear to wait a little longer?"

"I can and I will," Takeshi answered as he and Rias returned back to his home. "... Why's it so dark?"

Walking ahead of her, Takeshi then unlocks the door's lock before opening it...

*POP!*

*POP!*

*POP!*

The lights inside suddenly turn on as several party poppers burst around him, raining his head with streamers and confetti.

"SURPRISE!"

Everyone from ORC along with his family comes out of hiding, all of them wearing party hats.

"Huh?"

*POP*

From behind, Rias had popped her own popper before taking out a party hat from her tote bag.

"You guys... I... WHAT?!" Takeshi exclaimed as everyone else giggled mischievously.

"Happy birthday, kiddo." Shiori then stepped forth before hugging Takeshi. "A little late, but the others in your friend group reached out and wanted to pull this off for you."

Takeshi then looked back at Rias, who had the most pleased smile curled up on her face. "... How long were you planning all of this?!"

"Since last Wednesday," she answered immediately. "Although I have to admit, we were cutting it close yesterday, so I had to send you on a runaround to keep you busy."

"Today was a good day since we're not that busy on Sundays," Hiroto pointed out before looking towards Rias. "Seriously, we couldn't have done it without her help."

"I heard four years of no birthdays, and I knew that it had to be answered," Koneko remarked with a thumbs-up. "Consider this an overdue vindication."

"Admittedly, I was the last to be informed before senpai filled me in on it," Yuuto confessed with a slight hint of embarrassment.

"Ryuugamine-san and I were cooking up a storm while you and Rias were away," Akeno explained as she and Shiori then brought out a homemade birthday cake. "... Well don't just stand there, Takeshi-kun. Come on in!"

Once the shock had worn off, everyone then gathered around the table as the birthday candles were lit before him before everyone sang happy birthday to him.

"Make a wish, Takeshi-senpai," Koneko added after she and everyone else finished singing.

Takeshi smiles. "... For the first time in my life, I'm genuinely happy," he said. "The last challenging few years was worth it because I got to meet you guys. I wish... that I can celebrate many more birthdays like these in the future."

After that declaration, Takeshi blows out his candles, with everyone clapping around him.

"Congrats turning seventeen this year, kid," Shiori remarked with a grin. "So, food or presents?"

Takeshi looked towards the rest of ORC in his house. "... You know, it's been a good four years since I had other people bring me presents, so why not?"

"Totally worth it," Hiroto remarked to his wife before handing his son a small-medium-sized box. "A little something from me and the missus."

Takeshi unwraps the paper, revealing it to be a new smartphone. Specifically, an iPhone XS.

"Saw your phone got a few cracks and figured you needed an update," Shiori pointed out. "Take it. Consider it a celebration of your new life at Kuoh."

Takeshi chuckled and held back his tears before hugging his parents. "... Thanks mom. Thanks dad," he said. "... You guys are the best parents, period."

"Damn straight." Shiori smirked.

"You're worth it, kid," Hiroto reassured. "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

As Takeshi finishes hugging his parents, he then moves onto the next present.

"That one's from me," Akeno remarked as she saw Takeshi open up her gift, revealing a black and red sukajan jacket with a fierce-looking iconography of a silver-scaled Eastern Dragon sewn on its back. "It matched your spirit, and given that your name contains the kanji for 'dragon'... I thought it would be fitting."

"I like the look of these threads! Enough so to wear it to school..." Takeshi snickered before looking towards Akeno. "Thanks a million! I'll wear it with pride!"

"Here's a little something from me." Yuuto then handed Takeshi a modestly-sized box before the latter unwrapped it, revealing it to be a Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger DX Ryusoul Sword. "... I heard from the President that you've been watching the series since it debuted... so I kinda bought it before someone else could. I'm a little hesitant about whether you like it or not... This is also the first time I bought a birthday present for someone on my own."

"Are you kidding? I fucking love it!" Takeshi remarked. "If you were a girl, I'd kiss ya like if I owned ya-what the Hell did I just say?"

Yuuto's face turns cherry-red as everyone else gasps or holds in their laughter.

"Ara ara, so Takeshi-chan swings both ways?" Akeno teased. "... Don't worry. So do I."

Koneko puffs up her cheeks with a pout before giving Takeshi her present. "... From me, Takeshi-senpai," she said. "It'll blow the rest of what they have right out of the water."

"Bold statement," Takeshi remarked. "... I like it."

He then unwraps the gift, revealing it to be Devil May Cry 5 for the PS4.

Without saying anything, Takeshi then picks up Koneko by her hips before leaning forth with a deep kiss, to which Koneko reciprocates with just as equal of passion.

Everyone squeals with delight as both Shiori and Akeno begin taking pictures of this dramatic expression of love.

"Ara ara, Koneko-chan has gotten bolder without me, hasn't she?" Akeno cooed as her phone camera's shutters snapped like a machine gun.

"My kid's growing up fast, that's for sure," Shiori agreed. "... Guess I know who my future daughter-in-law is going to be."

"Alright, break it up," Rias remarked as she separated Koneko and Takeshi. "Need I remind you that both of you need air to breathe?"

Koneko pouts. "... Party pooper."

Takeshi then looks at the biggest box present. "... That's yours, right Rias-chan?"

"Yep." She then hands him the sizable box to Takeshi. "... I also admit, I never thought I had to learn how to use eBay Auction in a span of 24 hours just for this."

As Takeshi unwrapped his box, it then revealed a massive 42 cm-tall figurine of Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann in its iconic arm-fold pose.

"... Holy shit," Takeshi remarked as he'd lost his breath. "... You got the discontinued model that also glows in the dark?"

"Starting price was about 110,000 yen," explained Rias. "I was going for the Mashin Chaser Figure signed by Katôno Taikô, but 666,666 yen was cheaper than 100,000,000 yen, and it was sold off to another buyer before I could try."

Now losing whatever inhibitions he had left, Takeshi utters out the following words.

"Marry me."

Rias' face turns red as the color of her hair.

"... Eh?"

Unable to process her emotions any further from that sudden bold declaration...

*BOOM!*

Rias' head explodes as steam shoots out her ear holes as she lays on the ground.

After a few moments of silence, Hiroto then places his hand onto his son's shoulder.

"Son," he spoke frankly. "... You have my blessing-"

*CHOP*

From behind the father, Shiori, the mother, chops the back of his head with her hand.

"For the love of...!" she groaned. "... Stop moving at Mach 5 before my own head explodes!"

At Kuoh's Central Park...

"Man! Today was great!" Issei remarked as he walked ahead of his date, Amano Yuuma. "Thanks for coming out with me, Yuuma-chan!"

The girl chuckles as she leaned in towards Issei. "... Then could you do one small thing, before we call it a night?"

His heart quickened as he then approached the girl, with the hopes of losing his V-card right here and now. "... Sure!" he answered. "What is it-?"

*SHANK*

A stabbing sensation was burned into his stomach as Issei looked down, revealing a blade of pure light burrowed into his gut.

He then looks back up, staring into Yuuma's eyes that are now nothing but pure malice.

"Will you die for me?"

The sudden femme fatale rips the blade out of Issei's stomach, sending the latter collapsing on the ground as he screamed in unimaginable pain. "... Why...?!" he groaned out. "... Why... Yuuma?!"

The girl smirks coldly as a pair of black-feathered wings sprouted from her back. "... Poor naive little fool," she hissed as the candor of her voice dropped several octaves. "You really assumed that you had a chance? With me, of all people?"

She then raises her blade over her head as she stands over Issei.

"Now be a good sport..." she sneered as she readied herself to deliver the killing blow, "... AND DIE-!"

Suddenly, her swing stopped.

"What the-?!"

*CRACK*

The moment she looked behind herself, a metallic fist buried into her face, scrunching her nose and sending her flying across the park grounds, landing right on the vending machine and partially electrocuting her.

Issei, in his fading vision, groggily looks up towards the one who saved him. "... Who... are you?"

The figure answers. "I am Re:Live, the salvation of all mankind."

The girl with the black wings picks herself up from the wrecked dispenser before healing her face. "... Who-WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

Re:Live ignores her as they take Issei to a bench before setting them on it while instantly healing his stab wound while putting him into a deep sleep with a spell.

"I am your worst nightmare," they answered before gesturing to her. "Come."

Yuuma then accelerates forth with her blade of light in hand, swinging it down upon the armored figure's body...

*SHATTER!*

... But as soon as it made contact, the blade of light shattered. Seeing this, she pulls back to gain some distance while Re:Live stands completely unfazed.

"How long are you going to put up with that ridiculous facade of yours, Raynare?" outed Re:Live. "... Come at me with everything you got or else you will die."

"Amano Yuuma" growls in frustration. "... FINE THEN!"

In an ember-like flash, her beige cardigan and violet dress were burned away to be replaced with an extremely-revealing BDSM gear consisting of black leather straps that barely covered her ballooned tits, a pair of spiked shoulder pads that were connected to her full length leather gloves, and a skimpy thong that hung out both her ass cheeks, with the only thing covering the rest of her legs being a pair of leggings that went up to her thighs and a pair of stiletto heels.

"Good lord, woman. Are you here to fight me or make me lick your taint while strangling me?" Re:Live groaned at Raynare's true form.

"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!" Raynare then summoned several spears of light with her magic. "DIE!"

The volley of spears were then thrown towards Re:Live and Issei, to which the former flawlessly intercepted the barrage with their fists shattering each projectile in a single blow.

Right as Raynare was about to rush in towards Issei to finish the job, Re:Live intercepts her with a lariat, striking her neck and sending her flying into the fountain.

"I have to ask," spoke the armored figure as Raynare emerged from the water. "Why are you after a civilian?"

"He has the power," she pointed out. "... I have to destroy him... so that the Fallen Angels will be short of one threat!"

Re:Live sighs as he then extended his hand towards Issei before remotely pulling out a small orb of red energy from his body before crushing it.

"A fake?!" Raynare exclaimed.

"You're a bloody idiot, that's what," Re:Live pointed out as they spilled the shattered remains of the dummy signal. "I only planted my signal into him so I can lure you out. After all, you're partial to easy prey, aren't you?"

Raynare could do nothing but growl, causing Re:Live to sigh in pity.

"... Let's make it a bit more sporting, shall we?" From the side of their waist, Re:Live then pulls down a slot to reveal a keycard-like object jutting from it.

Raising it across their visor, they then slide it across the slot in their belt.

"[Re:Trieve]," announced the belt. "[Caladbolg]."

From the night sky, a rainbow-bladed greatsword crashes between them and Raynare like a meteorite.

"... Is that... the legendary Holy Sword, [Caladbolg]?!" exclaimed the Fallen Angel. "HOW?! HOW DID YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON SUCH A MIGHTY ARMAMENT?!"

Re:Live scoffs as they crossed their arms. "Go ahead," they said. "Take it if you can."

Normally, a show of such power would cause any rational being to flee than attempt to salvage their way out of this mess.

However, Raynare was as far from "rational" as one could get. Without hesitation, she throws herself towards the legendary rainbow blade, blinded by its power falling into her hands.

"YOU FOOL!" she cackled. "WITH THIS LEGENDARY BLADE IN HAND, VICTORY SHALL BE MINE-!"

It wouldn't budge.

"... What?!" Raynare then kept pulling up on the planted blade. "... WHY... ISN'T... BUDGING?!"

Re:Live then clicks their tally counter to "10."

"I forgot to mention, but that sword weighs over 666,666 kilograms," they pointed out, causing the Fallen Angel to go agape with shock. "Fergus mac Róich could only deadlift that sword, and lady, you're more fat than muscle."

They then take out another keycard before sliding it down across their belt's slot.

"[Re:Trieve]," the belt announced. "[Járngreipr]."

A pair of stony gauntlets encased themselves around Re:Live's arms before they then clashed the fists against each other.

"By the way, have you read Overlord Volume 2, Chapter 4?"

Raynare's eyes widened as the massive fists sped towards her face.

Issei then finds himself awake sitting on a park bench in the middle of the night.

"... Yuuma-chan?" he called out.

At the Ryuugamine Residence...

After the birthday party ended, Takeshi found himself falling asleep from a little something called "food coma."

The others offered to clean up afterwards, but his mom insisted that they leave the rest to her and Hiroto, citing that "it gives them something to do."

Man, when was the last time I partied this hard? he thought as he closed his eyes.

As soon as he entered into his own mental void during his slumber, he'd expected to be back at [Section Náströnd] with Nidhogg, but instead, he found himself floating in the darkness like a fish swimming in an ocean of black.

Then, it began to feel warm. But not in a comforting way.

... me out...

The new voice rumbles like a volcano about to go off.

... Let me out...!

A voice boomed in the darkness as a hellish glow of the earth's molten core could be felt in the void's recesses.

... LET ME OUT!

Takeshi groans.

Oh bother.

To Be Continued...

And with that, the reboot's "Chapter 10" is done.

Again, I did not foresee this chapter being this big, but to be fair, I had to cut a few segments so it doesn't drag on for too long.

So first of all, for those uninitiated, this chapter is a partial tribute to the original canon DxD with its contents, with the following:

- Viser's new form is a hybrid between her light novel (upper half and tail) and anime (lower half), with the remainder going to her pet Chimera.

- Takeshi taking Issei's first jobs, only slightly altered (with Mii-tan being part of the supernatural and Morisawa being self-employed rather than an implied NEET).

- Rias and Takeshi's stuffed bears are a reference to Susan and her crush from the canon DxD anime/side story.

- And Issei's first date going horribly wrong with Amano Yuuma/Raynare (with Re:Live coming into save his ass).

Now for this chapter's crossover cameo, Takeshi and Akeno's outing from the original fic was changed to another ORC commission from the main character of Maria no Danzai. I only read a few chapters and I stopped for the same reason why I stopped reading Kingdoms of Ruin.

Anyhoo, doing my due diligence, here's the non-OC fancast (only for the ones with lines, because god forbid if I do, I'd be here writing all day):

- Akeboshi Maria: Kikuko Inoue (JPN), Colleen Clinkenbeard (ENG)

- Kinugawa Tsuyoshi: Hiroshi Kamiya (JPN), Damien Haas (ENG)

- Abe Kiyome: Shizuka Itō (JPN), Emily Rudd (ENG)

As for the, synchronized Evil Dragons, here are the notable effect:

- Some costs from the Balance Breaker forms are removed.

- They are allowed to act more autonomously while symbiotically existing with their host like Venom from his 2018 movie (given what that PoS Tsuyoshi did in the manga, he had it coming).

- Being more social (mileage may vary depending on the Evil Dragon in question).

And speaking of the jobs, I sort of went for a balancing act of both light and heavy-hearted. The latter dealing with his unresolved PTSD and emotional relationships with ORC (Akeno and Yuuto), while the former focus more on comedy relief (Koneko and his solo jobs)

And before anyone asks, Nidhogg being transphobic comes from his disdain for another Evil Dragon, and him being from a time before LGBTQ was identified as a term. Also, he's an Evil Dragon, so being an asshole comes within the territory even after he's synchronized.

Also, the birthday party's gifts were a bit altered, but that was more of a personal decision to coincide with the setting update from late-mid Heisei to late-Heisei/early-Reiwa.

And the limited edition 16-inch tall Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann statue figurine (that glows in the dark)-"Son of Sparda DxD" (the first DxD fanfic I got interested in)-reference, right down to eBay and Dante using it as a nightlight.

Now for Re:Live's sudden inclusion, yeah, they're busted as fuck in terms of power scaling, with them casually giving out Holy Swords like [Caladbolg] (based off [Photon Ray] from Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star, used by Altera/Sefar) and Thor's [Járngreipr], putting them in the background until the time is right is JUSTIFIED to prevent the story from being broken in half.

Also, one last thing, my whole family is going to be heading to Nevada for river cruising. So consider the extra-long chapter something to chew on while I take ANOTHER extended break.

With that, see you all in the next chapter, where the Fallen Angels begin making their move...

Toku References:

- Kiryuu Aika's mention of "chaos" is a reference to Homura Sakito/Bun Violet's catchphrase from Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger.

- Kirigakure Tatsuya's appearance, while partially based on Mikisugi Aikurō's "drab form" from Kill la Kill, is mainly inspired by Minato's history teacher disguise/day job from Kamen Rider Gotchard.

- Viser's Chimera, consisting of a lion, bull, falcon, dolphin, and a chameleon, is based off Kamen Rider Wizard's Beast Chimera, Nitoh Kosuke/Kamen Rider Beast's inner Phantom (something that our main character notices).

- Takeshi's rapper name/title, 'Jaryuu,' means "evil dragon" in Japanese, and named after one of the villain factions from GoGo Sentai Boukenger.

- Obvious Kakuranger meme reference is obvious.

- Takeshi quotes Hojo Emu/Kamen Rider Ex-Aid's Level 3 transformation call when activating [Dead Shore Advent].

- Takeshi's fear of chickens is derived from Sakurada Hiromu/Red Buster's fear of chickens and how he got them (by accidentally locking himself up inside the coop) from Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters.

- Re:Live's [Járngreipr] are based on the Kurumi Bombers from Kamen Rider Gaim.

OC Fancast:

- Kirigakure Tatsuya: Jun'ichi Suwabe (JPN), Reagan Murdock (ENG)

- "Gift Rappa" Goro: Shun Oguri (JPN), A.J. Beckles (ENG)

- Other Kappa Rappers: Kunihiro Kawamoto (JPN), Daman Mills (ENG)

- Ogawa Kazuhiko: Nobunaga Shimazaki (JPN), Gareth West (ENG)

- Yamaguchi Hitoshi: Chiaki Kobayashi (JPN), Zeno Robinson (ENG)

- Re:Live's Driver Announcer: Subaru Kimura (smooth like Kuaidul Velgear from Yu-Gi-Oh! GO RUSH!)

Addendum (13th of December, 2024): Edited "Sachi" in place of "Makoto" after finding her full name and the name of the school in the newspaper. No, I will not commit to reading the manga, but I will dip my toes in and out a few times because reading this manga is like watching a train derail and crash; so horrible, yet one cannot look away.

Another Addendum (18th of January, 2025): Added Abe Kiyome's casting in the Non-OC Voice Headcanons.