Ride 11: Re:Cognize

7th of April, 2019 AD

"Good work today, Mashibara-san," one dam worker said as he handed a clipboard to a senior worker. "Here you go."

"Ah," the older worker replied. "Thank you, Ikeda-san."

After receiving today's reports, the older of the two went towards the coffee machine before turning it on.

"How do you want yours?" Mashibara asked. "Black or with cream?"

"Black," Ikeda replied before sitting down behind the dam control center's operating console. "... Lord knows that I'll be needing it for another night shift."

"It's the worst, that's for sure," the older worker replied back as the windows were lightly tapping with a drizzle. "Huh, I wasn't expecting rain tonight."

Outside of the control station, their workplace, Urayama Dam, began to experience a sudden downpour.

"Man, in this day and age of automation, does this place even need grunts like us?" asked Ikeda as Mashibara set down their two mugs of black liquids of caffeine. "I mean, at this rate, this whole place practically runs itself."

"Can't be too careful," warned Mashibara. "Even machines need maintenance if something were to go awry. We're here to fill any gaps that the machinery might miss."

"Guess we're not that obsolete then..." grumbled Ikeda as he sipped on his coffee. "... Still don't like it, though."

"No one asked," Mashibara replied before a small tremor was felt. "... What was that?"

"Checking." Ikeda then checked on the console connected to the dam. "... It's stable. Dam's still holding up and the water levels are still within the threshold."

Mashibara grumbles with concern. "... Just in case, file a report," he ordered. "I don't like this feeling."

"Already on it-"

*RUMBLE*

Then a larger tremor rocked the control station, knocking out the power temporarily.

"What the hell was that?!" Ikeda exclaimed before looking back at the console.

Mashibara tries to keep calm, but then the rocking begins to intensify into a full-blown earthquake, now taking out the backup generators powering their workplace and sending them into total darkness.

"Shit!" the older worker cursed. "Emergency protocols! We need to bail-!"

*CRACK*

The two workers then look outside to see a large fracture snake up towards the concrete wall blocking several tons of water behind it. But just before either of them could comprehend what was going on, a bolt of lightning struck the fissure, opening it up and unleashing a massive torrent of rushing water and rubble towards them.

"OH MY GOD!" Ikeda cried out as he tried to run out the door.

Mashibara mirthlessly chuckles as the wall of water closes in on them.

"... So this is where I die."

"DON'T GIVE UP LIVING JUST YET!"

Then appearing out of the blue, an armored superhero grabbed the pair of workers by their jackets, revealing themselves as Re:Live, the salvation of all mankind.

"COME WITH ME IF YOU WISH TO LIVE!"

The two workers were safely whisked away as all of Urayama Dam was breached and sent its titanic volume of water and debris towards the Southwestern fringes of Chichibu City, wiping out the local ecosystem and other infrastructure in its wake.

"That's enough," ordered a gentlemanly voice, revealing himself to be Turel, levitating above the carnage with his two pairs of black-feathered wings, denoting him as a Fallen Angel.

To whom he was addressing to was a young girl dressed in an open-shouldered black dress with feathered bottom rim around her skirt, her face obscured by a thick black veil, and orbiting around her were several multi-colored spheres of pure energy, each orb spinning erratically as they all let out a faint hum before coming to a stop. She herself was escorted by an entourage of black-robed people resembling an ambiguous cult.

The veiled girl nodded in acknowledgement as she dismissed the still spheres of energy around her, causing the earthquake to cease and the downpour to stop.

"Good work," the Fallen Angel addressed the veiled girl as he descended towards her. "Your powers are indeed the real deal. Pity that it's so conditional, but I suppose its potency more than makes up for it."

She says nothing, her response being almost akin to that of a porcelain doll.

"As expected of the 'Calamity Witch'," another voice commented, presenting herself as Lailah, another Fallen Angel with three pairs of blackened wings, who in turn was escorted by a trio of other Fallen Angels of lower rank, as evident by their few pairs of black wings, with one being a short pigtailed blonde dressed in gothic lolita, the other being a more mature-looking blue-haired woman dressed in a provocative-looking dark-red secretary's suit and a short pencil skirt with a seam on its left side, and the third being a behemoth of a man dressed in longcoat, fedora hat, white muffler, and swagger, his overall bearing akin to an early-20th century American mobster.

"Her powers are truly something to behold," the blonde spoke with a sadistic giggle. "Look at them running for their lives!"

"A fitting signal to our return," the sharp-dressed woman remarked as she fingered her bang as alarms began to blare from a distance. "... Ah, it's been a long time coming since I got to help myself to those Devil filth!"

"Now we wait for them to come into our trap," the mobster-like man stoically pointed out before turning to his superiors. "Lord Turel. Lady Lailah. What is the likelihood of she and her pets making ground here?"

"More likely than you think," Turel answered with a small smirk.

"Sentimentality has always been that Gremory brat's weakness," added Lailah. "Whether they suspect it's a trap or not is irrelevant. That child cannot ignore these cries for help echoing through the night."

As the Fallen Angels then break off from their incursion zone, Re:Live sneakily follows the group before pulling out a camera.

"Baiting them into a war zone?" they scoffed before pulling out a USB with the letter "B" printed on its flat. "Two can play that game."

"[Bat]!" Re:Live then inserts the memory into the camera, morphing it into a bat-like drone with a camera lens on its rectangular chest as it took off, rendering itself invisible as it began recording the Fallen Angels and their associate from afar while following close behind, its live footage connected to Re:Live's smartphone.

"... By the way, has anyone seen Raynare?" asked the gothic-lolita Fallen Angel. "She usually doesn't run this late."

"Maybe she found a new toy to play with," the secretary-like Fallen Angel dismissively remarked. "... Wouldn't be the first time."

"I swear," the mobster-like Fallen Angel groaned. "Her sadism of tormenting the weak sometimes outweighs her sense of duty."

"I'll be sure to reprimand her the moment she returns," Turel reassured his subordinates. "... That girl needs to be reminded of her place."

"At least my own recent addition is far more compliant," snarked Lailah. "... His own quirks aside."

Re:Live rolled their eyes behind their helmet before posting a request on the Gremory Peerage's website.

8th of April, 2019 AD

"... Oi," Takeshi remarked as he sat on his desk. "... At this rate, you're gonna burn holes into my skull, Kiryuu-san."

"Well excuse me for being inquisitive..." Aika grumbled before she adjusted her glasses, still unable to get the image of him and Yuuto sharing drinks at the same table over at her part-time job (to the latter pair's ignorance) out of her mind. "... So, you and Kiba-kun, eh?"

"Please don't get any ideas," begged Takeshi as he placed his head against the desktop. "... It's too early in the morning for that kind of crap."

"Agreed," Yuuto added. "... I mean, it's not like you can claim that you knew where we were last week."

Aika tried not to laugh at/reveal the fact that she worked at the same Jazz Club that the two boys were hanging out at part-time.

"Well, you know what they say," she remarked with a shrug. "... Don't be a stranger!"

That stelpa still confounds me to this day, whelp, commented Nidhogg. ... There's not a single trace of exploitable fear within her soul!

Story of my goddamn life...

Takeshi tries to shake off his daily dose of his own personal black dogs consisting of being surrounded by perverts and Evil Dragons.

While internally debating which company is preferable, his gaze unknowingly strays towards Issei, whose head was in the clouds as he stared into his phone with the picture of him and Yuuma at Tobu Zoo together on it, looking forlorn as his gaze was practically superglued to it.

"Yuuma-chan..." Issei sighed out. "... Where did you go?"

Takeshi grumbles as he looks towards Eiji and Naoto, both of them sharing news of an upcoming sequel to an eroge. "... You two gonna help him out or what?!"

"Sorry, but we are not associated with that normie," Naoto coldly rebuffed.

"Us dateless guys have a life outside of girlfriends, you know," Eiji huffed.

Takeshi slightly clenches his teeth. "... You guys freaking suck as friends, you know that?!"

How factitious their so-called "friendship" is, the Evil Dragon commented as the two perverts didn't heed his words. ... No, really, I'm telling the truth. These assholes make me look like a good guy. At least I don't pretend that I like any of you.

*BANG!*

Once again, Kiri-sensei kicks down the doors, signaling everyone in the class to sit down without protest.

"Good morning, you pukes," the slovenly-looking teacher greeted as he set down his clipboard. "Before we begin, I'd like to share with you all a little nugget of wisdom."

Oh this outta be good... Takeshi internally rolled his eyes as Kiri-sensei began pacing around the podium.

"As you already know, spring is a time of romance, where boys and girls get all hot and bothered, and serves as a prerequisite for some of you to lose your V-cards over the coming summer break," the teacher began. "However! Some of you dateless schmucks, whether you're too off-putting to land a girl or too high-maintenance for the guys to deal with you, you get a little... desperate, per se."

Everyone looks towards Eiji and Naoto in particular.

"Enter one of today's underrepresented societal ills; the date scammers," Kiri-sensei revealed. "Take what I say wholeheartedly, those assholes take advantage of your desperation and inexperience to fleece your bank accounts dry, at best. Now, I assume that you already know the possible worst-case-scenarios, no? Maybe they'll sell your ass off to the yakuza. Maybe you'll find yourself hospitalized. Or maybe, something unfathomably worse. Mark my words, they cannot, and shouldn't be attempted to be 'fixed'. They're not like those 'yandere'-archetypes that you find in whatever visual novel you read. Those leeches can and will find ways to tug at your barren heartstrings, and once they're done with you, then consider all of your social prospects ruined with guilt by association and possible debt traps. Which then brings me to the following..."

From his leather bag, he then pulls out a stack of fliers with pictures of legally authorized and unauthorized school uniforms.

"Recently, there's been a few reports of some 20 or 30-somethings trying to pass themselves off as high schoolers, trying to find whatever gullible brat they can enamor before making off with their credit card information," warned Kiri-sensei. "Ergo, Kuoh Academy's staff, the Disciplinary Committee, the Student Council and I have organized a system of daily school gate check-ins that will come into effect the following week to deter any possible gatecrashers. The line between school uniforms and cosplay is becoming thinner by the hour, people. Keep yourselves informed, and spread awareness of possible date scammers prowling about the town before and after school. Am I clear on that front?"

"Yes sir," most of the students mumbled, both confused and concerned about this sudden inclusion of this admittedly-relevant problem.

"... Good enough," Kiri-sensei grumbled before he picked up his clipboard. "... Now I'm taking attendance. Present when called."

After School...

"It's only been a week and Kiri-sensei is already showing his chops as a spartan instructor..." Takeshi then slouched onto the sofa as he and the rest of ORC gathered at the main office of their (unofficial) club building. "... What's up his ass to make him like that?"

"There, there," Koneko remarked as she cuddled against her boyfriend. "... Feeling better?"

Takeshi nods as they cuddle together, trying to relax within each others' presence and being as close as possible together, with Koneko even letting out her Nekomata features as she lets her boyfriend pet her like an oversized cat, softly purring like one too.

"... How revolting," gagged Nidhogg. "Wake me up when there are things to destroy."

"Have a nice break!" Takeshi replied before Rias cleared her throat, causing Koneko to break off from her and Takeshi's PDA.

"First of all, thank you all for coming on a short notice," Rias remarked. "Normally, this would be the time when I begin our activities of taking commissions, but there's been a sudden shift in our business."

Akeno then placed today's newspaper reading the following:

URAYAMA DAM COLLAPSES AFTER MAGNITUDE 5.7 EARTHQUAKE

SOUTHWESTERN PART OF CHICHIBU CITY CAUGHT IN FLOOD

32 PEOPLE MISSING, 54 PEOPLE INJURED

EVACUATIONS TO MINANO CITY UNDERWAY

Takeshi dryly gulps as he and everyone stares at the headline.

"And what does that have to do with us?" asked Nidhogg. "Last I checked, we're nowhere near that disaster."

"Normally, during times of war or disaster, people's desires take the utmost precedent," explained the President. "Whether they need help looking for their loved ones, helping them survive, reclaim lost property, or give them an edge over the others, that's where we Devils come in, ready to provide our services for a generous discount."

"And if they're still unable to pay?" the Evil Dragon pointed out. "... Do you resort to... alternative payment methods?"

"No, we offer them a loan in such cases," Akeno pointed out. "Once they get back up on their feet, we return to them to receive our commission fee."

"So, pardon me if I'm being overly-presumptuous, but are you expecting that we're taking jobs at the epicenter as a prime opportunity for monetary gain?" asked Yuuto.

Rias shakes her head in rebuttal. "Yes and no, weirdly enough," she answered vaguely as she opened her laptop. "... Mainly because we have a commission pertaining to all of our members' involvement."

Once the laptop turns around, the video chat turns on to reveal none other than Re:Live themselves.

"That guy?" Koneko remarked as she put her cat ears away at the same time when Takeshi diverted his attention away from the newspaper.

"Ara ara, it must be especially dire if they of all people is contacting us directly," Akeno commented.

"Spare me the snark, I'm not here to chat," the armored superhero pointed out as they began. "Greetings ORC. I have a commission for you."

"Let us hear your demands," Rias replied as she sat herself before the laptop along with the rest of her Peerage.

"I need your help with the investigation of Urayama Dam's collapse," they revealed. "I've done some legwork of my own, but all of my results have been inconclusive. I have 6 million yen as my commission fee and an additional reward should we solve this case. Meet me at Mt. Bukō. I'll fill you in on the rest when you arrive here."

"... And of the people requesting our assistance?" asked Takeshi, his voice sounding as if it were out of breath.

"I'll allow it, provided if you have the means to do so while keeping my request as the main priority," answered Re:Live. " Think of my request as the 'Main Quest' to their 'Side Quests'. Feel free to use my temporary base camp as yours for the duration of my operation."

"Understood," Rias replied. "So when would you like us to arrive?"

"Immediately," answered Re:Live. "I have built up a list of potential suspects, and time is of the essence."

The video chat cuts off after that declaration.

"... President, do you think we can borrow some of their familiars for advertising?" asked Koneko as the President quickly texted on her phone. "Last I checked, all of our own familiars died at that dark elf's arrows, and I don't think the Sitri Peerage is willing to loan us for a mission outside of Kuoh."

"If they have any, then it's up to them," Rias replied as she activates the magic circle. "Alright everyone, our mission will take us to neutral territory. I've already texted Sona to take care of Kuoh's requests while we're away at Saitama Prefecture. Any questions?"

"... O-Oh, right," Takeshi stuttered to himself as he hastily got off of the sofa. "No problems here! I'm ready as everyone else!"

Rias grumbles with scrutiny before locking every door across the whole ORC Building and raising her barriers around the area to their maximum before teleporting to their designated location.

"Occult Research Club, move out!"

Atop of Mt. Bukō...

Warping into a small camp overlooking the entire Chichibu District from above its cliffside, ORC arrives at the campgrounds where their client was waiting at.

"They weren't kidding about the 'camp'-part..." Koneko commented on their new surroundings. "... They even rigged a portable shower stall all the way out here!"

"Just in time."

Everyone yelps as they spring back in surprise after suddenly finding Re:Live sitting on one of the camping chairs before a burnt-out fire pit.

"Good grief, please don't ever do that again..." Akeno grumbled.

"No promises," answered the superhero as they got up. "In any event, thank you all for arriving on such short notice."

"So, how are we going about this?" Rias spoke. "Anything you found on your own?"

"A few," Re:Live answered as they pulled out their phone before sharing their findings through the DM, showing slightly-blurry pictures of a few people present around Urayama Dam before its collapse. "So far, they're the clear suspects, but I don't have their names or affiliations. Before we can catch them in the act, I'll be needing more concrete findings, but I've already stretched myself too thin."

"So are we, in part due to all of our familiars being dead," Yuuto pointed out.

"Then take as many as you need from me." Re:Live then pulled out a cooler before opening it, revealing several metallic cans each with a large red stripe with a hawk printed on it vertically running down the middle of the cylinder.

"... We're not thirsty, but thank you for the offer," Koneko replied as she then took a can from the box before cracking open the tab...

*FWOOSH*

"WHOA!" Koneko's soda can then unfolded itself to be a red colored drone resembling a hawk.

"... A working Candroid," Takeshi chuckled at the sight of the robotic avian flying around ORC like its real-life inspiration as his eyes drifted towards the open cooler. "... Then all of those cans are-!"

Before anyone could react, every other can inside the box rumbles before all of them unfold into the same hawk drones, flying around the Peerage in a coordinated flock.

"They're my general-purpose familiars if I need to get to places where I can't normally reach," explained the armored superhero. "... I assume you have your physical fliers for your Peerage on your person, Gremory-san?"

The red-haired Devil grumbles before taking out the bundled pile of papers, each form with reading their provided odd-jobs service and contact info, with the House Gremory heraldry placed betwixt the aforementioned two. "Don't shred them. They need to be intact in order for them to work."

Re:Live then telepathically orders his mechanical familiars to each take a single flier by their beaks before making their way towards the surrounding municipalities.

"Now all we have to do is wait..." Rias then remarked as she waited for her phone to be dinging with several requests. "... So, Re:Live. Do we have anything else to work this case off of?"

"Here." They then handed the President a book titled "Geological Surveys of Japan up to 2018," along with the files related to Urayama Dam's construction and maintenance. "I also saved two workers when the dam collapsed last night. Feel free to ask them anything related to the case. I'll be sure that they are to be safely evacuated back to their families or close associates once we're finished."

"Let me handle them," Akeno offered. "Can you point me towards where they are?"

Re:Live points their thumb towards the cabin tent pitched away from where they were at. "I'll come with you to make sure that they're treated well."

"What about the rest of us?" asked Koneko before she found an actual can of soda in the mostly-empty cooler.

"Wait here," ordered Re:Live. "Don't go off on your own until we can coordinate a proper searching plan."

As the rest of ORC waited at the campsite, Rias couldn't help but stare at Takeshi as the latter looked out into the open.

"... President," Koneko spoke as she held her can of Pepsi. "... Can you be honest with me for a second?"

"Sure," she answered. "So, what is it that you want to know?"

Koneko grumbles. "... Are you in love with Takeshi-senpai?"

Rias' eyes widened before sighing. "... I'm getting there," she vaguely answered. "... His openness and authenticity is quite appealing. Not to mention that despite his wounded spirit, he still holds true to himself and I... like watching him grow."

Koneko nods with a small smile. "... I won't lose, even to you, President," she declared. "No matter what, I will never let him go."

"It's not a competition, Koneko-chan." Rias then pulled her Rook in for a small hug. "All of you are important to me, even in the face of love."

Closer towards the ledge, Yuuto walked up towards Takeshi, who was hanging off his legs from the edge as he sat and stared across the ruins stretching from the collapsed dam.

"... Ryuugamine?" the Knight asked. "... Are you okay?"

"... I-I'm fine, really," the Pawn hesitatingly answered. "... It's like watching a car crash. So horrifying, yet one just can't look away."

The two boys sigh as they share a spot at the cliff's edge.

"... The suspects," Takeshi said. "... You think we're in for another shitshow?"

"Given our line of work, it is a possibility," replied Yuuto as he flexed his hand before squeezing it. "... More than I like to admit, though."

Takeshi sighs deeply and loudly. "... I want to say that things can't get any worse than the 'Hisaya'-incident, but given that the Aesop of the whole mess was specifically about assuming nothing... I'm gonna hold my breath on that one and just... you know, wait until it actually happens."

Yuuto slightly chuckles before placing his hand onto Takeshi's shoulder. "... Just be sure to practice what you preach, okay?"

Nidhogg meanwhile, was busting a gut at the irony present. ... Oh if he only knew, he chortled at the irony. But then again, I suppose that there is a fine line between "deception" and "denial," correct?

You got anything else more constructive than enjoying yourself at my expense, Nidhogg? the host mentally replied.

Then peel your eyes out there for a moment and look, the Evil Dragon suggested, to which Takeshi followed suit.

"... Can't see nothing but death and destruction out there," Takeshi sighed out loud, to which Yuuto took notice. "... Sorry, Nidhogg's acting up again."

"As expected..." the Knight sighed in sympathy to his peer.

Are your eyes too blind to see the painfully-obvious facts presented before you? the Evil Dragon scolded. ... Look harder. Specifically at the trail leading up to the breach.

Takeshi then heeds Nidhogg's advice, squinting his eyes as he follows the trail of destruction left behind, zigzagging through various train stations, roads, and patches of wilderness swept up by the flood.

"It doesn't make any sense..." he muttered. "There's nothing to be gained from this indiscriminate carnage... unless!"

There you go... Nidhogg then snickered with approval. ... Yes, even if this were a work of an angered local god, there's no benefit to this senseless destruction... unless said act of destruction was merely a means to an end.

"Ryuugamine?" Yuuto reached out towards Takeshi as the latter got up from where he was sitting before walking up towards Rias.

"President, I have a question," he spoke to the red-haired King as she and Koneko were looking over the records given to them by Re:Live. "... Has there been cases similar to this and it happened to be the work of an angry god?"

"Actually, yes," Rias replied before closing the book. "A few incidents like this have happened, with the aforementioned culprit being the god that we of the supernatural have to negotiate with to appease their tempers."

"But even the gods' powers have their limits," Koneko pointed out as she pointed towards the specific part of the files pertaining to Urayama Dam. "Gods are restricted to using their powers only pertaining to their domains, such as the earth god being only able to cause earthquakes when enraged and not cause heavy downpours. So unless someone has angered multiple gods of different domains, this whole incident is particularly bizarre."

She speaks the truth, confirmed Nidhogg. Only powerful deities like that of the Aesir can have multiple domains, but prefer to specialize in a few to better shape their individual identity.

"Okay, so hear me out, but remember those blurry pictures of Re:Live's suspects that they DMed us?" Takeshi pointed out, his breathing gradually becoming more hyperbolic as adrenaline rushed into his brain. "... Can we possibly be absolutely certain that they're from around here?"

Rias and Koneko check their phones again, trying to make out the blurred images.

"... I don't think the local kami watched any gangster movies," Koneko pointed out as she scrolled to the picture of a bulky-looking figure with a fedora.

"Are you suspecting a third party of agitators?" Rias suggested. "Perhaps Strays that we haven't heard of?"

"Or it could be something bigger."

Rias and Koneko spring back and yelp in surprise as Re:Live suddenly appears behind them (again) along with Akeno.

"By Satan... wear a bell or something!" grimaced the red-haired Devil as Koneko hissed and arched her back up and hissed like a spooked cat (in her Nekomata form).

"190-200 cm tall and utterly imperceptible..." shuddered Takeshi.

"President! Are you okay?!" Yuuto cried out as he ran towards the panic. "... Oh, it's just you, Re:Live-san."

"Please, just call me Re:Live," the superhero replied with a slight hint of embarrassment at the formality. "... I'm not like those borderline grammar-Nazi pricks from Kyoto."

"Anyway..." Rias then cleared her throat as she composed herself while Koneko cuddled against Takeshi to calm herself down. "... I can assume that you and Akeno are finished with the questioning?"

"Indeed, President," Akeno answered as she took out her scribbled notepad (provided by Re:Live). "I managed to construct a timeline from the workers' testimonies."

Everyone then looks over the gathered intel that read the following:

9:30 PM - Sudden downpour despite the weather forecast stating clear skies

9:34 PM - First tremor; knocks out power before backup generators come online

9:36 PM - Second tremor; blacks out the control room's powers

9:37 PM - Dam walls begin to crack before lightning strikes on the fracture

9:38 PM - Urayama Dam collapses upon breach

"... Okay, someone's clearly behind this." Takeshi then looked back towards Re:Live. "Anything else from them? Did they catch sight of the culprits?"

The armored superhero shook their head. "... Don't get railroaded," they advised. "We must be flexible to every possibility in this case. Inconclusive evidence will be the death of our case, so all of you, wise up."

"Got it," he nodded as the rest of the ORC was in agreement. "So, what's our plan?"

"We're splitting up," ordered Re:Live. "Gremory, Kiba, and I are going to Urayama Dam's remnants to investigate further in-depth on why it collapsed and to see if we can pick up on any traces of magical happenings. Meanwhile, you, Himejima, and Toujou will head to the Southwestern fringes of Chichibu City and take the two works to join in on the evacuation. Don't worry about their safety. My other familiars will be looking out for them as do the others, provided if our suspects are bold enough to conduct a daytime assault out in public view."

"... Wait, how did you know all of our surnames?" asked Koneko. "The President's, I understand. But I don't remember sharing our names with you."

"I've been following Ryuugamine before [Cataclysm Zone] manifested around him," revealed the superhero. "So of course I picked up on your identities in short notice."

Everyone from the Gremory Peerage takes a step back at their methodology.

"... Creep," Koneko commented.

"Whatever it takes to save the world." Re:Live then taps the air with their armored finger before a spatial distortion was formed out of a ripple. "This way will lead to Chichibu City. Be sure to erase their memories of our involvement before you send them on their way, understood?"

"And I suspect that you have your ways of heading to the ruins?" Rias pointed out as Re:Live formed another spatial distortion akin to a mercurial ripple.

"Time is of the essence," warned the superhero. "Be sure to notify each other when something comes up. We'll reconvene here by 8 PM. Understood?"

Everyone nods in agreement, including the two workers that Akeno had escorted out of the tent.

"Good luck, everyone."

At an Undisclosed Location...

"... Well this is a surprise," Turel commented as he looked at a magical projection.

"Pray tell, Turel, what could it be that has caught your attention?" asked Lailah.

The Fallen Angel beckoned his compatriot towards him so that she may have a better look.

"It appears that the Gremory brat had taken the bait ahead of schedule," explained Turel. "In addition, they also brought in outside help."

Lailah glowers at the armored figure accompanying Rias and Yuuto as they begin poking around the dam's ruins. "... I sense that whoever that person may be, they will prove themselves to be a massive hindrance."

"Then why not simply adjust our current plans?" a voice suggested, revealing himself as another Fallen Angel, whose features were obscured with a simple yet all-encompassing black cloak and white mask to hide his identity. "After all, we still hold the element of surprise while they still have yet to figure out our schemes. Now all it comes down to utilizing what we have in the most efficient ways possible."

"... It's you!" Turel replied at the Fallen Angel's presence, being careful to not blurt his name out loud as Lailah gave him a look.

"Do you have any suggestions?" asked the other Fallen Angel present.

This new Fallen Angel scratches his chin for a moment before coming up with an idea after he spots the projection depicting Takeshi, Akeno, and Koneko sending two of the dam workers with the rest of the evacuees.

"... I heard that your own recent addition has been chomping at the bits for some bloodshed, no?" the unknown Fallen Angel pointed out as the other two Fallen Angels looked towards where his eyes were glancing at. "... Let him go out and play, I'd say. Kids these days need exercise."

"You suggest attacking a civilian sector?" asked Lailah. "... Won't that go against our current plans?"

"Then tell your rabid dog to keep his chops to the enemy only," the enigmatic Fallen Angel dismissively remarked. "Enthusiasm is good and all, but if he doesn't learn self-control, then he'll be a liability. Surely, he can understand that much, no?"

Lailah sighs. "... I'll try to convince him to keep his bloodlust exclusive to the Evil Dragon User," she stated. "Or at the minimum, have the others try to keep him on a short leash. After all, our ace in the hole is exhausted from last night's incursion."

"Thank you," the hooded Fallen Angel replied before turning towards Turel. "Now my good friend, how do you estimate their presence?"

"A High-Class Devil with the blood of both House Gremory and Bael in her veins and her Low-Class Devil pet of hers," the Fallen Angel commented before paying back attention towards the armored enigma. "... Although their presence is a concern. Normally, I'd inform our leader to deal with them to address this issue as soon as possible, but that in itself is unrealistic."

The unknown Fallen Angel then turns towards Lailah, who has returned from giving her orders to her subordinates as they embark on their operations. "... Dear Lailah, can you deal with our armored stranger yourself?"

"Are you sure?" she replied as she looked at them searching the ruins with the other two Devils. "... Surely, my three chief subordinates are more than enough."

"Unfortunately, our contacts won't be ready with the Hellhounds on time," said the unknown Fallen Angel. "If we can't overwhelm them with numbers, then we'll overwhelm them with on-the-fly tactics. After all, that is your specialty, no?"

Lailah slightly smirks with a bow. "... One of my many gifts, milord."

"Please, 'sir' would be appropriate enough," the Fallen Angel modestly replied to his subordinate's proclamation. "... Now, I can assume that our little boys and girls are on their way?"

"It is as you say, sir," the Fallen Angel replied.

"Turel, be sure to coordinate both operations from here," the Fallen Angel ordered. "The moment either end goes awry, do not hesitate to abort the operation at all costs. Our children may be ready to die for our cause, but that doesn't mean we can afford to throw them to the wolves so haphazardly. Understood?"

"It is as you say, sir," Turel replied with a nod as the hooded Fallen Angel made his way out of their secret base while three other Fallen Angels subordinate to Lailah came out of the shadows."

"Then I'll leave the rest to you all."

The Fallen Angel then casts a magic circle around himself before teleporting elsewhere.

"Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, Mittelt," Lailah ordered her subordinates as she unfurled her three pairs of blackened wings. "It's time to go Devil-hunting."

"Finally!" the Fallen Angel dressed like a secretary hissed with joy. "A chance to partake in the deaths of those filth!"

"Don't get too cocky," warned the mafioso-like Fallen Angel as he unfurled his wings. "We're dealing with a High-Class Devil and an unknown."

"Don't worry, just count on me to watch your backs," the goth-loli Fallen Angel reassured. "It'll be nice and easy as long as we stick to his plan."

With that, the four Fallen Angels take off towards their designated quarry.

At Chichibu City...

"Take care of yourselves!" Akeno waved the two workers goodbye as the men were driven out of the ruined city and towards Minano, their memories altered appropriately to match their status as "evacuees."

"... Is that... will they be... okay?" asked Takeshi as he and Akeno watched the evacuation vehicle drive off towards the distance.

"They're in good hands," she reassured. "... Come on, there are still people waiting for our help around the city."

"... R-right," he heaved out, trying not to go faint. "... Coming."

As the two Devils made their way towards their destination, Nidhogg began profiling his host's sudden downshift in his behavior as they went about their day throughout the ruined city.

... Something that even I don't know? hissed Nidhogg. ... Feels like... it's as if he wanted to forget it. This feeling... of lost innocence.

"Senpai, I finished clearing out the rubble," Koneko pointed out as she, Akeno, and Takeshi stood before a collapsed house.

But it's not helplessness... the Evil Dragon commented. ... No, it's something worse. Something... that doesn't taste like a pain of the past... but more akin to a faded scar...

As the Evil Dragon continued to scrutinize his host's internal turmoil, Takeshi meanwhile was having difficulty responding to outside stimulus.

"... Senpai?" Koneko tried to speak to Takeshi, only for him to stare off elsewhere like a zombie. "... Senpai, are you okay?"

Takeshi snaps out of his funk before responding. "... Y-Yeah," he stammered out. "... I'm okay, really."

... He's still in denial, Nidhogg grimaced. ... So why is this feeling... So unappetizing?

For Nidhogg, there was a difference between "negativity" and "pain." The former was rooted in acknowledgement, while the latter stemmed from ignorance.

Daily resentments like a long-held grudge to a bad day at a date was something he could devour and subsist on. But this time, it felt almost phantom-like of how it inflicted its anathema.

Nidhogg would rather cast stones from an unseen direction rather than envelop his prey in a shawl made of thorns. The latter fades away over time while still existing to inflict pain.

... Oh, I see what's going on here, Nidhogg snickered as he slowly discovers what is really happening. ... Guess he's coming out sooner than I thought.

As the sun began to set, Takeshi slowly began to look more haggard compared to Akeno and Koneko after each took mini-commissions around Chichibu City.

"Our queue is cleared up," Koneko pointed out. "I think we can take a break."

"And the Satans below know too..." Akeno sighed. "... Koneko-chan, can you get us something to drink?"

"'Kay." The Nekomata then heads elsewhere to find the nearest vending machine.

After Akeno was left alone with Takeshi, she then approaches him before holding his hand. "... Are you okay?"

"... What do you mean, 'I'm okay'?" he nervously chuckled. "... I'm fine! Really-!"

"You're not," Akeno sternly rebuffed. "Your hands are clammy, your eyes are pulsating, and your breathing is uneven. You're not okay."

Takeshi's labored breathing then becomes heavier and slower, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"... I'm okay," Takeshi heaved out, his lips trembling, his eyes closed, and his sweaty hands gripping around Akeno's in a vice. "I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay..."

Akeno sighs before looking around. "... You want to go somewhere else to talk it out?"

Takeshi nods.

"Come with me."

She then texts Koneko of their shift in locations as the two made themselves scarce from the ruined neighborhood.

At Urayama Dam's Ruins...

At the collapsed ruins of Urayama Dam, Rias, Yuuto, and Re:Live begin searching throughout the pile of rubble and clogged waters in hopes of finding anything as the sun begins to set.

"Anything, Yuuto?" the King asked as she searched the area with her magic.

"It would be a lot easier if we had our own familiars, President!" the Knight pointed out as he flipped over another rock. "... Also, no. Just more water and dead fish... I think I'm gonna go vegan for a week after this."

"Keep searching," Re:Live said as they made their way towards the control booth that had miraculously survived the flood, albeit structurally rather than generally. "Hopefully, the black box inside should be intact..."

Gutting the station's broken-down machinery, the armored superhero then finds the black box connected to the dam's internal seismograph and depth reader, only for it to be completely waterlogged, rendering it utterly useless.

"FUCK!" cursed Re:Live before they slammed the hatch shut. "... So much retrieving concrete data."

As the armored superhero comes back out, they then walk up towards Rias, who was scanning the surroundings.

"Find anything?" they asked.

"... A few things in particular, but something's not adding up," she replied as her hand continuously brushed over the ambiance. "... It almost feels like this whole place wasn't externally breached... but I sense... an internal disturbance?"

"Can you describe it?" Re:Live requested.

Rias closes her eyes as she continues investigating. "... If the area around Urayama Dam is like a building... then I don't think it was 'demolished' via a 'wrecking ball'," she explained in metaphor to best convey her gut feelings. "But almost as if... someone or something... removed the support pillars internally... Yuuto! I need your help here!"

"Coming!" the Knight exclaimed as he ran towards his King. "... To which sword do you need?"

"Anything elemental," she requested, "I need a comparison to see if there's a difference between it and the atmosphere."

Upon acknowledgment, Yuuto then summons [Fire Brand] with his [Sword Birth], the blazing blade lighting up its edge like a torch as Rias uses it for reference.

"... It's... I see," she muttered to herself. "... Well, we can definitely cross our culprits being involved with the local kami off the list, because this isn't Eastern Magic."

"Explain," Re:Live said.

"Put it simply, if it were a god's work, then the magical residuals left behind should've shown signs of strain akin to a ripped cloth after it had overstretched," Rias explained. "But here... there's no seams left behind. Almost as if someone behind this had 'convinced' nature to just act out of control... like some sort of spirit charmer or something?"

Yuuto's eyes widened. "... Aren't spirit charmers an exceedingly rare practice even for the most esoteric of magicians?"

"Meaning that we have narrowed down the culprit's ace in the hole," Re:Live agreed as they looked around. "Now we need to find a clue of their possible association."

The three begin searching the surroundings of the collapsed dam, coming across one side of a mountainous forest adjacent to the collapsed bridge connecting both ends of the dam and finding faded footprints that had looked as if they were washed away by the rain.

"Several pairs," Re:Live confirmed the tracks' remains. "Someone was clearly here... and organized too."

"PRESIDENT!" Yuuto's voice cried out. "I FOUND SOMETHING!"

From below where the other two stood, the Knight then climbs back up with a raven-colored feather in hand. However, this quill emanated holy energy that was slightly burning to a chthonian creature like the two Devils present.

"A Fallen Angel's feather?!" Rias exclaimed before gnashing her teeth in distraught. "... We've reached the worst-case scenario! The culprits are a Cluster of Stray Fallen Angels!"

"Well someone give this girl a cookie for being a pair of smarty-pants, won't ya?!"

Then a rain of light spears fell towards where the three were standing at, causing both Devils to dodge out of the way while Re:Live parried all of them with their punches.

Taking flight, Rias and Yuuto spot four Fallen Angels, with their leader being one with three pairs of darkened wings, denoting her superiority to the rest of the group.

"Who are you all?!" asked Rias as she and Yuuto readied to fight.

The four Fallen Angels snickered evilly as they introduced themselves.

"We are the glorious Fallen Angels hunting sinful filth like yourselves," the secretary-suit Fallen Angel revealed. "And if you must know, then my name is Kalawarner."

"Dohnaseek," the mafioso Fallen Angel curtly answered as he adjusted his hat. "... Remember that name as we send the two of you back to Hell."

"And I'm Mittelt, the cutest executioner that you Devil filth have the privilege of seeing!" the goth-loli Fallen greeted faux-kawaii style. "Be honored that both of you get to die by yours truly!"

"Deal with those two," ordered Lailah as she turned around. "I'll handle the unknown."

"Yuuto!"

"Yes President!" The Knight then summons a pair of swords as both he and Rias engage the Fallen Angels above the collapsed dam in an aerial melee.

"YOU WILL BE THE FIRST TO DIE, DOG!" Kalawarner then brandishes a pair of topaz-colored light blades as the two clashed while Rias engaged in a dogfight with the other two Fallen Angels.

She tried to find the opportunity to pull out her phone to at least get the word out, but being tag-teamed by those who could actually do irreparable harm towards her was proving a bit precarious even for a High-Class Devil like her, forcing her on the offensive lest she gets killed.

Noting the dilemma, Yuuto then tries to aid Rias, but is then intercepted by a blast wave of light swung from Mittelt, sending him flying back to where Kalawarner was at and forced back into the melee, keeping the pair separated as Dohnaseek shoots a barrage of light magic at Rias to draw aggro.

"Nuh uh uh," she wagged her finger as her lance made of periwinkle-pink light orbited around her. "No party poopers allowed."

But just as Rias was about to unleash her magic onto her directly, Dohnaseek intercepts her demonic blasts with the flat of his broadsword made of blue light. She then tries to help Yuuto who was clashing blades with Kalawarner's topaz-colored light blades, but was intercepted by Mittelt's holy magic blast shot from her weapon.

"You do know that you're violating the post-war accords, right?!" Rias pointed out.

"Tell that to someone who cares," the mafioso coldly replied as the two Fallen Angels continue double-teaming Rias and keeping the Knight and King separated from each other.

As the fight begins in the skies, Lailah descends towards Re:Live, the latter crossing their arms as they wait for her to confront them while surrounded in a ring of shattered light spears.

"So the culprit finally reveals themselves to us," they declared as they shifted their body into a fighting stance. "Makes my job way easier."

"Trust me, I'm no easy quarry," boasted Lailah as she summons a massive battle axe made of green light of holy energy.

"Not my first, nor you will be my last."

Re:Live and Lailah both rush towards each other in an epic confrontation between fist against holy weaponry.

Back at Chichibu City...

Akeno was carefully guiding Takeshi through the empty library as the latter's episode of disassociation gradually increased.

His breathing is getting even more sporadic...! Akeno thought as she tried to find a place for the two of them to sit down before settling on a brutalist cube sofa-bench. "Come with me, you'll be okay."

The two Devils then sit down in the dark, with Akeno holding onto Takeshi's hand gently.

"We're okay now," she soothingly reassured before gently pulling him in towards herself. "... We're okay."

Takeshi's breathing then calms back down to an even tempo.

"... I'm... okay," he heaved out quietly, barely muttering a murmur. "... I'm okay."

Akeno sighs. "... You can be honest with me," she reassured as she used her shoulder to support Takeshi's leaning head. "... It's just us here."

Takeshi slightly hyperventilates before sobbing into Akeno's shoulder. "... I wanted to forget."

Akeno embraces him tighter as Nidhogg prepares to feast on whatever he could find about his host's past that he has no direct access to. Takeshi then let out all of his tears until he was calm enough to speak.

"... You know that I used to live in Ishinomaki, right?" Takeshi shared, his voice trembling like a leaf. "... Well, I wasn't exactly born there. I was actually born in Osaka. We only moved to Sendai since my dad's job required it. Apparently two building projects that altogether took over a decade."

Akeno nodded, acknowledging his existence while Nidhogg was both admittedly interested in the whole story while slightly frustrated at his host not revealing the good part sooner.

"... Kinda lived my life there as any other kid in my would," he continued. "... Then 2011 happened."

"... Oh," Akeno remarked as she knew what he was implying. "... I... I see."

Takeshi began to bitterly chuckle as he began to cry once more.

"... I got lost from my mom and dad during the evacuation, and I spent days wandering the streets of the abandoned city," he whimpered as he kept sobbing into Akeno's bosom for any semblance of comfort. "... I saw a few dead people lying around... and I was afraid that another earthquake would come back and take me... every night I slept on the streets."

"... It must've been very hard for you," Akeno reached her sympathies.

Takeshi nods. "... I... thought I was gonna die back then," he confessed. "... The only thing that kept my grip on sanity... was that Kamen Rider statue that remained standing even after the tsunami struck. ... I spent nights there, praying to whatever God or Buddha that would reach out to me... and even if they never answered my prayers... there was always Kamen Rider."

Akeno can understand somewhat, and how Takeshi mentioned how he knew he felt to be "alone," but compared to her past, his was even worse.

At least there wasn't a risk of radiation poisoning in her own past.

"... They found me a week later by the statue," he revealed as his story reached its conclusion. "... According to the doctors, I almost starved to death when they found me."

"... I'm... I'm so sorry that you had to go through all that," Akeno reassured as she hugged Takeshi, now realizing how hurt he was without his own knowledge. Even Nidhogg couldn't help but feel slightly horrible for his turmoil, which was mostly overruled by his lack of appetite at his host's own turmoil.

An empty death is the worst kind, he commented. To waste away for naught... at least I give my victims the thrill of the hunt.

"... I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, senpai," Takeshi apologized back, sobbing softly into her chest. "... I... I wanted to forget that it ever happened, even though it won't be the case. This kind of destruction... is unforgivable."

"... It is," agreed Akeno, her voice darkening with resolve. "... If you need to talk, don't be afraid to let me know, okay?"

Takeshi nodded as he wiped his eyes of his tears. "... Thanks senpai," he said. "... Thanks for being in my life-"

"Aw, how adorbs," a mocking voice droned out from the darkness. "IT MAKES ME WANNA FUCKING PUKE!"

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Takeshi and Akeno both immediately dodge out of the way of gunfire as the former manifests [Cataclysm Zone] around his waist.

"Gunfire?!" Takeshi exclaimed. "Shit, what now?!"

"Heads up, whelp," Nidhogg said. "We're not alone."

A small giggle echoed through the dim library as the originator of the voice revealed himself as an albino young man dressed in a white clergyman's dress with a dark-gray longcoat over it. Licking across his manic expression was a gold-hilted sword with a glass-like blade that was made of light, and held in his other hand was a Beretta 92FS Inox engraved with golden religious iconography on its nickeled frame.

"Bullets or blades, which do you prefer, o' sinful spawns of the Underworld?!" the mad priest cackled with a spring of jubilance in his voice. "Actually, scratch that. IMMA MURDER SOME DEVILS-!"

"[Malice Rise]!"

Before either Akeno or this lunatic clergyman could react, Takeshi's mind had already entered into its automatic "fight or flight"-mode, acting on pure instinct to get rid of this threat as soon as possible.

"[Abyss Rage Awakening]!"

Takeshi brings down his [Mayhem Striker] upon the madman, knocking the latter back with a crushing swing as Takeshi had entered his Balance Breaker state, [Dead Shore Advent].

"Takeshi-!"

But then, another hail of gunshots cut her off, revealing more of the same armed clergymen emerging from the shadows.

Mk 18 assault rifles, SPAS-12 shotguns, MP5K submachine guns, more Beretta 92FS Inox handguns, and a whole assortment of holy medieval weaponry consisting of swords, axes, and flails. Priests and nuns armed to the teeth, their expressions being just as insane as their forerunner, albeit a different kind of madness rooted in zeal rather than bloodlust.

"Stray Exorcists here of all times?!" growled Akeno as her hands crackled with lightning. "No matter. DIE YOU SCUM!"

The whole library erupted with gunfire and magic as the two Devils fought for their lives in this sudden ambush.

"COORDINATE YOUR FUCKING ATTACKS BETTER, YOU MORONS!" the albino Stray Exorcist shouted as his light blade clashed against Takeshi's [Mayhem Striker] dane axe before firing a few point-blank shots towards his head, only for Takeshi to dodge them as he kept pushing the madman away from his allies. "FUCK ME, BRO! YOU'RE A HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS TO NOT THE TAKE A FUCKING HINT THE FIRST TIME AROUND, HUH?!"

Takeshi remains silent as the Stray Exorcist fires a few more shots towards the Evil Dragon User, only for the latter to parry the shots by slashing his axe through the bullets and towards the gun's barrel, splitting it across its tip and causing it to rupture, forcing him to let go lest he loses his fingers.

In his retreat, the priest then pulls out an incendiary grenade and throws it, before he then pulls out a spare pistol to prematurely detonate it before Takeshi's face.

*KABOOM*

It takes less than a second for Takeshi to break through the pyroclastic cloud and resume his melee with the madman.

"Not the talkative type, huh?" taunted the mad priest. "WELL MY FRIENDS WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES!"

*BANG*

A large-bore .50 caliber bullet strikes Takeshi's leg before a few more follow up in quick succession, knocking him off balance, as Freed then slashes his light sword across his armored chest, sparks flying with each collision, inflicting burning wounds through his armor from the exposure of the holy energy alone.

From behind the bookshelves were a group of nuns armed with Barrett M107CQ, scurrying about the dim library as they provided fire support.

My healing is slowing down...?! Nidhogg remarked as his charge-per-rate for his passive auto-regen. ... Holy magic?! DAMN IT! I CAN'T WORK WITH THAT!

Takeshi continues to fight with his wounds still fresh, now taking into account outsider interference.

"Aw come on, most Devils I hunt down usually go down after a few blows from my weapons, give me a break!" groaned the mad priest.

"Kill them all, Nidhogg," hissed Takeshi as he kept a tight grip around the shaft of his [Mayhem Striker]. "... Whatever it takes."

The Evil Dragon couldn't help but snicker at his host's current state of mind, almost tempted to have another go on taking over his body, but right now, getting rid of those who insult his powers took precedence.

"I'll make these choir krakkar wish that they stayed at Church."

Back at Urayama Dam Ruins...

"YOU WILL DIE SCREAMING, DEVIL!"

Kalawarner's twin swords made of topaz light clashed against Yuuto's dual set of [Fire Brand] and [Frost Bite], blitzing throughout the sky as the latter's Knight speed was the only thing keeping him in the fight, since a single touch from her light-based weapons and magic is tantamount to a death sentence. And combined with her sheer aggression, Yuuto was having a hard time breaking off from her reach, forcing him to fight her at the cost of being unable to come to Rias' aid.

Meanwhile, Rias herself was trying to break the lock of Dohnaseek and Mittelt's tag team, with the former being a tank-like bruiser who was able to withstand the former's shots while the latter provided long-ranged support with her light magic swung from her periwinkle lance.

"Sheesh, does it kill her to hold still for one second?!" groaned the goth-loli Fallen Angel as she began throwing an increased number of light spears towards the King.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to," the mafioso Fallen Angel pointed out as his blue-light broadsword parries another blast of demonic energy.

Rias was already considering unleashing her [Power of Destruction] to end the fight quickly as possible, but something about the fight felt wrong.

Did they come here on impulse or is this part of some bigger scheme? she thought before dodging another barrage of light spears before shooting another barrage of demonic energy blasts in response. Still, I'd rather not test my luck with holy power coursing through my veins. Even Superman's smart enough to avoid Kryptonite.

As the fight in the air continued, back on the ground, Re:Live and Lailah were exchanging blows, the former with their metallic fists while the latter swung her axe that clove through the surrounding trees in her attempt to cut down the superhero.

"Have to wonder, what brought you and your entourage all the way out here?" asked Re:Live.

"You, specifically," the Fallen Angel curtly answers before swinging her axe downwards, uprooting several trees upon impact as it unleashed a wave of holy energy that rushed towards the armored superhero.

Re:Live then jumps onto the flung trees, to which Lailah meets him up at the top, blasting a ray of light out of her hand, to which Re:Live counters by grabbing said hand before crushing it in their palm.

*KABOOM*

A giant sphere of light devours both of them in a flash. Upon the light fading, both combatants were revealed to be unharmed, with Lailah unfurling her three pairs of blackened wings whereas Re:Live propels themselves by kicking the air hard enough to maintain the same level as their opponent.

"So my holy powers didn't leave a single scratch on you," Lailah commented with a scowl. "... Just who are you, really?"

"You should know better that a superhero always keeps their real identity a secret," they replied as enigmatically as possible. "Why else do you think I installed a voice modulator in my helmet?"

The Fallen Angel growled in frustration. "You're a threat to our plans, interloper," she declared. "One way or the other, I'm removing you from the board."

"No," they replied as they pulled out another keycard from the side slot of their belt. "The game is already over."

"[Re:Trieve]," the belt announced as the card slid across its open slot. "[Gandiva]."

From their hands, a fiery longbow of Hindu origin manifested, its limbs crackling with the holy flames of Agni, and its immaculate string between it glistening like the sunset in Brahma's glorious craftsmanship.

Lailah's eyes widened upon feeling the divine Sacred Gear's sheer power causing the surrounding ambiance to distort like a heat haze. "... Where did you get that?" she muttered before completely losing her cool. "WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GET THAT?!"

"... Would you like to know?" Re:Live then tugs on the bowstring as far back as they could.

In desperation, Lailah then rushes towards the armored superhero in hopes of being able to stop them from shooting the arrow at her.

"I WON'T YET YOU!"

She attempts to break the weapon with an upward swing of her axe, only for Re:Live to not only block the blow with the flaming frame of the longbow, but also use the impact's momentum to flip-kick her across her chin before letting themselves dive into a free-fall.

As both Lailah and Re:Live fell back to the earth, the former's fading consciousness glanced upon the superhero's summoned Sacred Gear, now with its arrow pointing upwards, realizing that it was their plan all along.

"And now, the finale."

The arrow shot up towards the darkening sky like a firework that was about to go off, catching everyone's attention as they all stopped what they were doing to see what was going to happen.

Rather than explode, the arrow upon reaching its apex, summons a giant magic circle depicting none other than the Agni Mandala.

"... We should run," suggested Mittelt, admittedly trying not to piss herself.

As the giant glyph shone like the sun, a torrential rain of fiery arrows fell towards the dam's rubble pile, with both the Fallen Angels and the two Devils caught in betwixt.

"PRESIDENT!"

Yuuto, pushing his Knight piece to their absolute limit, tackles Rias and himself out of the way of the fiery rain of death descending towards where they were. The three other Fallen Angels tried to flee, but the heat of the sheer quantity of the divine bombardment caused their wings to catch fire spontaneously.

"YOU GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" screamed Kalawarner as she was the first to be incinerated alive, leaving naught but ashes as the rest of her compatriots fled.

Seeing that Mittelt, the youngest of the three, was too scared to flee, Dohnaseek then grabs the goth-loli by her clothes before hurling her away from the blast radius as far as he could.

"W-WHAT?!" Mittelt squeaked out as she found herself being flung away from the mafioso Fallen Angel.

"AVENGE US!" Dohnaseek was then completely engulfed by the holy flames of Agni as the last of the trio watched helplessly.

As soon as the bombardment claimed its final victim, the arrows made contact with the ground below, resulting in a white-hot carpet bombing that blasted all of the rubble to ash, water to evaporate, and the surrounding nature to go up in flames.

"... Killed less people than I thought," Re:Live remarked as they landed at the same time when Lailah made landfall. "Now do you understand? You only live because I allow it."

Lailah tries to make a retort, but ultimately realizes that she's ultimately outmatched.

"Scram."

Taking Mittelt along the way, the two Fallen Angels then make a hasty retreat before Re:Live walks back to where the two Devils have landed after the fallout.

"Glad to see that you're both alive," Re:Live stated.

"A warning could've been appreciated," Rias growled as she dusted off her clothes. "Also, if you're this strong, then why did you ask for our help in the first place?"

"There's only one of me available, so I can't be in multiple places at the same time," they answered as [Gandiva] disappeared from their hands, causing the flames it generated to go with it. "Strong as I am, even I have my limits."

"I find that hard to believe," Yuuto pointed out. "A Sacred Gear whose origins are that of the Divine is the furthest thing from limited!"

"Then your perception is just as so, Kiba," the armored superhero replied before turning their attention towards Rias. "... By the way, that Fallen Angel with the three pairs of wings... you suspect that she's a Cadre-rank?"

"If she survived an encounter with you, then I have no reason to doubt it," Rias answered. "... However, she'd yet to unleash her true powers, so I can't get a clear read on how strong she is, let alone what her name is."

"Whatever the case may be, we can infer that she's involved in the Cluster's leadership," Re:Live pointed out. "And before you ask, no, she did not reveal her name to me as well."

"Why keep it a secret, though?" Yuuto asked. "The Fallen Angels are a proud race, and they tend to announce themselves before attacking us, like those three beforehand."

"Either she's someone that can't afford to reveal herself willingly, or her true name might give away what powers she has yet to reveal to us," the armored superhero hypothesized. "... In any event, we should regroup with the others."

Rias then pulled out her smartphone to call Koneko, but just as when she picked up...

*BANG*

*BOOP*

*BOOP*

"... That's not good," she gulped.

Then just as when they were about to figure out what to do next, several growling sounds could be heard coming from the surrounding forest, heralded by several shadowy shapes that then emerged as a whole pack of bear-sized mastiffs with glowing red eyes, stark black coat, and a row of spikes growing out of their backs. Their paws and tips of their tails were alight with wisps of flame, flickering with each movement that they took, and around their necks were thick metallic collars engraved with arcane symbols around its circumference, glowing in a sinister shade of purple, indicating that these creatures are under some sort of spell that made them compliant to someone else's will.

"... Hellhounds," sighed Re:Live. "... Our culprits aren't being subtle about this anymore."

"How many?" asked Yuuto as he readied his blades.

"I count twenty," Re:Live pointed out. "I got a plan. You'll know when."

"Wait, what-?!"

Just before Rias could finish, all of the infernal hunting dogs lunged at the three of them, ready to sink their bared fangs into their next meal.

However, Re:Live steps up, inhales a sizable volume of air, and then lets out a booming roar that causes all of the beasts to relent and shrink back in fear.

"NOW!"

Wasting no time, Rias then immediately unleashes her [Power of Destruction] onto the pack, disintegrating every last one of them where they all stood.

"... Tad overkill, but necessary," Rias commented before letting out a sigh. "... We need to get going, now."

"But where do we start looking?" Yuuto pointed out. "If anything, we don't have time to waste searching the whole city-!"

*KABOOM*

"... Found them." Re:Live pointed their thumb towards the only burning building in the city. "Follow me."

Back at Southwestern Chichibu City...

"DIE, DEVIL SCUM-!"

The Stray Exorcist's curses were cut off along with her head as Akeno busied herself dealing with the mob of the Church's mavericks with her lightning magic and other elemental spells at her disposal.

A Roman hat-wearing priest tried to get a few shots off at the Devil with his shotgun, but Akeno grabs it by the barrel before pulling it and the user towards her before delivering a stinging kick that ripped him in half. Upon killing him, she then takes his shotgun, switches it to semi-auto, and then proceeds to empty the cylinder by unloading its buckshots onto the other Stray Exorcists.

"HOW IS A DEVIL USING ONE OF OUR HOLY WEAPONS?!" a nun with a Micro Uzi and a light sword cried out.

"So says the stray sheep of the lord," deadpanned Akeno, too furious to even toy with her opponents even slightly. "... Come. I shall return all of you to your maker!"

The Stray Exorcists begin redoubling their efforts to kill the Middle-Class Devil, firing their holy rounds from their guns as Akeno dodged all of the coming shots, retaliating with her own magic along with salvaging any dropped guns she could find on the way to use as her own, using every available option in order to get Takeshi and herself out of the encirclement.

I need to get to Takeshi...! she thought as she emptied her Mk 18 before smashing its stock into a nun's jawline, ripping it off its hinges. ... If he continues fighting like this... then the [Cataclysm Zone] will claim his soul!

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Akeno, tapping into her Queen Evil Piece, unleashes a voltaic storm of biblical proportions that electrocute every Stray Exorcist within a 40 meter radius. After giving them the shock of their lives, she then proceeds to end all of it by unleashing a volley of demonic energy blasts around her.

After dealing with them, she then tries to look for Takeshi, only for her to duck under another volley of bullets coming from somewhere else in the library.

"Shit, there's more," she cursed as she looked out of her cover to find the sniper squadron of nuns moving towards the library's reception desk.

Just as she was about to move out, more gunfire was pelted through the window before her, forcing Akeno to cast defensive magic to somewhat block the bullets before making her escape from the volley.

Outside, a squadron of Stray Exorcists armed with M249s, RPKs, and MG3s, with their leader hefting a sizable M134 Minigun (w/backpack containing ammo and battery for the rotary mechanism) sprayed the library's windows with their ordinance with extreme prejudice, shattering every window they could find in order to keep the Devil inside.

"THAT RIGHT! KEEP THAT DEVIL BITCH BOXED IN!" ordered the bald Stray Exorcist as he and his squadron kept firing their shots into the library. "MIND OUR OWN ALLIES AND GIVE THESE DEVILS THEIR DUE-!"

*SNAP*

From behind, Koneko had seized the leader by his neck before snapping it.

"Thanks to you pricks, the drinks for my senpais are now lukewarm," she stated robotically as her foot then bent the six barrels of the rotary cannon underneath it. "... Die."

As Akeno was running through the library's halls, she was growing increasingly frustrated at the Stray Exorcists' collective tenacity to keep her away from Takeshi.

... How unpleasant, she grimaced internally as she zapped another nun with her taser (set to lethal levels of charge) before taking her pistol and firing a few holy rounds into the hall. ... Those snipers inside are the real issue here. I have to make haste-

*SHATTER!*

Then coming from one of the windows, a nun with a barrel of an entire RPK impaled into her rectum and out of her mouth was thrown before where Akeno was at. Coming through the breach was none other than Koneko, now covered in the blood of her enemies.

"Sorry for the wait," the Nekomata stated as she came in through the broken glass. "My phone got shot to shit on my way here."

"No, you just came in time," Akeno reassured before looking at the corpse. "... Do you really have to be that elaborate?"

"Admit it, senpai, you would've done the same," Koneko replied with a deadpan tone.

"Touché." Akeno then looked out towards the reception hall before looking back at Koneko. "... I'm gonna go for those snipers. Can you draw out their fire for me?"

"Two minutes."

The two Devils then break off, with Koneko tapping into her Nekomata powers as she boosted her speed with her innate ki, catching the attention of the snipers as they fired their .50 caliber bullets towards her.

She dodges the shots made for her, allowing Akeno to swoop in and take out the whole nest in one blast of demonic energy.

"Good work." Akeno then gave Koneko a thumbs-up.

"Now let's go find Takeshi-senpai-"

*SWOOSH*

The two Devils then see something speeding towards the door, to which both of them widen their eyes in horror.

"RPG-!"

*BOOM*

Takeshi then lets out a roar as the fight between him and the crazed Stray Exorcist continues all the way into the library's staff office, bulldozing each other throughout the desks and shelves of flushed books with impunity.

"Oi oi oi, just how are you not dead yet?!" the mad priest hollered out before he took a few more shots at the Evil Dragon User, only for the latter to block it with a thrown up desk. "I'VE HAD SHITS AFTER FAT TUESDAY THAT WERE EASIER TO FLUSH THAN YOU!"

Takeshi only growled as his anger towards the madman grew the more he talked.

"Why do you mortals always underestimate us Evil Dragons?" deadpanned Nidhogg. "Does the fact that the Deus Trinity sealed us away don't give enough clues away of our reputation?"

"Aw just shuddap and DIE!"

The madman then pulls out a bundle charge before hurling it towards Takeshi by flinging it off by its pin.

*BOOM!*

The whole office room explodes, and this time, the Stray Exorcist takes the initiative by thrusting his light sword towards Takeshi's chest.

"Too slow."

Only for him to dodge and then knee him in the gut, causing the madman's back to arch up before he was then batted through the walls with the swing of his [Mayhem Striker].

But as soon as the wall gave way upon the Stray Exorcist's collision, behind the smirking madman was a whole row of RPG-wielding priests and nuns awaiting for him.

"... Motherfucker."

The whole battery of rockets fire towards the Evil Dragon User, engulfing him in so many explosions rooted in holy energy that he was both blasted through then other wall, and knocked out of his transformation completely, as evident by his unarmored body rolling up to both Koneko and Akeno, both equally battered and injured by the sheer number of Stray Exorcists present.

"Man! That was a close one!" cackled the mad albino priest as he emerged from the ring of his peers. "And all it cost me was my Sunday best and one of my favorite guns! Guess Balance Breakers are no joke, even if they are weak as piss, ainnit, boys and girls?"

"Brother Superior, we're short on time," one of the nuns with a Mk 18 assault rifle pointed out matter-of-factly before handing her own Beretta 92FS Inox to him.

"Right, right, my B." The mad priest then poses with his dual pistols like a gangsta as everyone else on his side aimed their barrels towards the surrounded Devils. "Normally, we take you guys as hostages, but for ruining my good looks, I'm afraid you're all going to Hell. But since I'm a nice guy, I'll let you say your last words so I can jack off to them every night after I record them."

As Takeshi slowly woke up from his delirium, he found himself, Akeno, and Koneko surrounded by a ring of guns ala John Wick: Chapter 2's promotional poster.

... It's all my fault, he thought to himself. ... My mind is still too weak... I'm still too weak... too weak...

Even though Takeshi had power, he felt weak.

Even after defeating Hisaya and stopping the Yomi Faction's mad ambitions, he was still too weak.

His mind and soul descended into the abyss once more into the darkness.

*thump*

Just as he was about to give up, time suddenly slowed to a crawl.

*thump*

A boiling feeling began to well up inside of his chest. And it felt hot.

*THUMP*

It was too hot. Too hot to be considered rage stemmed from impotence.

*THUMP*

It was seething. Like a volcano forming within the darkness.

*THUMP*

They were standing there. Those who mattered to him the most.

*THUMP*

... And he wasn't going to let those assholes take them away from him.

"... I got one."

Takeshi stands up, hobbles towards the madman's gun (his phone recording everything from his pants pocket), and places his forehead directly against the tip of the barrel, smirking like his own soon-to-be-killer's likeness.

"Senpai?!"

"Takeshi-kun?!"

Then the gem around [Cataclysm Zone]'s buckle turned dark green.

"Up yours, you lunatic."

The mad priest smirks as he pulls the trigger as did everyone else with a gun pointed towards the Devils.

"[Connection Complete]."

Upon the announcement, a massive heatwave was unleashed from the belt as Takeshi's Sacred Gear manifests its base armor, causing every single firearm present to just explode in everyone's hands, taking out their fingers in the process as the powder in each bullet prematurely ignites inside of their casings.

"MY FUCKING HAND!" screeched the albino madman as he and his associates coiled in pain.

"Oh, you think that hurts?" a different voice bellowed from Takeshi's mouth. "Trust me, you runts. This is only the beginning."

"... Senpai?" Koneko muttered out, only for "Takeshi" to turn around and reveal that the eyes behind his armor's grilled visor was now a pair of white-silver wisps. "... You're not him."

"Then you are...!" Akeno gasped as the Evil Dragon User then bellowed out a booming laughter of triumph.

"It is as you fear, mortals!" the awakened Evil Dragon boasted. "I am the 'Crime Force Dragon', the 'Berserker Dragon of Great Sin', the 'Child of Destruction', the 'Demonic Dragon of Death', 'Hellfire-Bringer of Hoarfrost', 'Harbinger of Hate', and the 'Storm King of the Borderlands'!"

"[Transfer]!" The Sacred Gear then announced the authorization of the new auxiliary Sacred Gear. "[Berserk Devastator]!"

Encasing his arms and legs were each a pair of gauntlets and grieves that were deep green in coloration with thin silver lines running through its length, each rambling a Dragon's limb attributed to its scaly and jagged look. The lines slowly turned orange, glowing brightly like an electric stovetop running hot, before hisses of steam spewed from its gaps before they each erupted into a jet of flames, looking akin to glowing blades of hellfire. In addition to the armored limbs a half-mask encased itself over the helmet's lower half, turning the smooth surface into a menpō-like snarl resembling a Dragon's teeth.

"I AM GRENDEL!" the Evil Dragon User roared. "AND I! HAVE! RETURNED!"

Now Playing: "Spinning Around" by Takeshi Hagino (from Kamen Rider Ryuki)

"W-WE NEED TO BAIL!" one of the Stray Exorcists cried out.

"FUCK THAT!" the albino madman rebuked as he picked up his light sword. "THAT MOTHERFUCKER AND I AREN'T DONE YET!"

"It won't matter either way," sneered the Evil Dragon of the Deadly Sin of Wrath. "... Your God can no longer hear your prayers anymore."

As the madman swung his sword towards the possessed Takeshi, the host's body simply flexed, breaking the blade upon collision before punching the attacker in the face so hard that his left eye ruptured upon impact as he tumbled and rolled across the wrecked library.

"FUUUUUUCK!" shrieked the mad priest as he clutched onto his exploded eye and burned face. "MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!"

"Let me savor your agony..." said the Evil Dragon, cackling as the ruins of the library begin to catch fire. "AS YOU ALL DANCE IN THE INFERNO DEVOURING YOUR BODIES INTO ASH!"

Several jets of flame then propelled Takeshi across the library as Grendel began his hunt.

The Stray Exorcists trying to flee either continued running, or tried to resist by attacking him with their melee weapons.

Axes broke off from their handles, swords snapped from their blades, and the flails just bounced off of the Evil Dragon User's armor hardened by the passive effects of [Berserk Devastator].

All of them died painfully as Grendel's flames either set them ablaze like marshmallows that got too close to the flames, or popped and bursted inside-out like dry corn kernels in a microwave after his fists or feet dug into their meat bodies, covering both Takeshi and the halls he wandered into in a coat of overcooked gore.

"WE NEED TO LEAVE, BROTHER SUPERIOR!" one of the Stray Exorcists cried out as he and his fellow Strays tried to get the injured out, but all it did was signal their location to Grendel.

"FUCK YOU COWARDS! I AIN'T DONE WITH HIM YET-!"

*CRASH!*

"Leaving so soon?" he asked faux-cordially after he'd punched down the last wall holding up the whole library building, causing the whole thing to begin collapsing upon itself. "BUT THE FUN IS JUST GETTING STARTED!"

All of the other Stray Exorcists walled themselves before the albino as a human shield, buying him and a few others time to escape.

"GO!" a nun cried out as Grendel began pulverizing them one by one with his blazing fists and feet. "LET THE OTHERS KNOW!"

Growling, the albino then makes one last parting shot before he and his group retreated from the battlefield.

"I WON'T FORGET THIS!" the albino madman declared as he was pulled away by his peers. "OR MY NAME ISN'T FREED SELLZEN!"

After the last of the sacrifices had its heart ripped out of her chest, Grendel steps over the half-melted corpses as his infernal visage emerges from the flames and smoke.

"Nor will I, brat."

The whole library collapses upon itself as Akeno and Koneko manage to slip out of the chaos.

"SENPAI!" Koneko cried out as the building was now a pile of burning rubble.

"AKENO! KONEKO!"

The two Devils turn around to spot Rias and Yuuto arrives behind them.

"We're okay," Akeno reassured the other two. "But Takeshi's still in there-!"

*CRACK*

"... Was in there," gulped Akeno as the rest of the Peerage saw the armored Takeshi emerge from the rubble like an actual demon out of Hell.

Pulling himself out of the burning pile, Grendel, occupying Takeshi's body, lets out a deep and bassy snarl as his silver eyes locked onto the rest of the ORC.

"And here comes a new challenger...!" he excitedly snickered as he pounded his fist against his open hand. "... I wonder how loud they will scream for me!"

"NO!" Takeshi's voice screamed from within [Cataclysm Zone]'s gem. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY FRIENDS-!"

"Drivel."

All of ORC is horrified upon Grendel immediately shutting down his protest with nary an effort.

"I will celebrate my return..." Takeshi's head then creaks towards Koneko. "... STARTING WITH HER!"

All of the fiery jets then shoot out of the auxiliary Sacred Gear's vents before they propel Grendel towards the Peerage.

But just before they were forced to defend themselves...

"That's enough."

Re:Live then appears between them, catching the Evil Dragon's fist before winding back his own.

"Take a nap." The armored superhero then strikes Grendel across his host's armored jaw with a blindingly-swift jab, their linked senses causing their brains to rattle like a shaken maraca and sending them into an unconscious state, causing their armor to dematerialize.

As Takeshi falls, Re:Live catches him under his arm before walking back to ORC.

"... He's okay for now," they reassured. "... Do you know anyone who can clean up all this mess?"

Rias looks around the utter carnage that they've left behind, making the whole Southwestern Chichibu look way worse off than before.

"... I'm going to have to call all of my House's contracted magicians," she sighed.

"I'll help," Re:Live added. "... After we take him home."

To Be Continued...

And that concludes the reboot's "Chapter 11" and oh my god, the vacation did not help matters.

Short story even shorter, WASTED 24 hours of my goddamn life. In full, it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit at the California/Nevada/Arizona tri-state area, I did not have a lick of fun river cruising, the food was average at best, and the cigarette smoke at the casino area (of which where the lobby and entrance were connected to) did not do wonders for my mental health.

The only good thing that came out of the damned outing was that my frustration was at PEAK when I was writing, which was both a blessing and a curse, given this chapter's development cycle.

First of all, it started out alright until I hit upon when ORC and Re:Live began their investigation in the fullest. I had to cut out the whole origin story of the dynamic of the gods-expose (that will be implemented in the later chapters of this arc) and in exchange, I implemented another element into Takeshi's backstory.

He's... a bit of a mental mess even before [Cataclysm Zone] slowly began to surface. Unlike the other shit he dealt in his life, the whole 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami (aka, the largest recorded earthquake in Japanese history, rating at Magnitude 9.1, for STARTERS) fucked him up so bad that he willingly shut that memory away until the fallout of Chichibu... kinda made him remember. In fact, his whole three years of Junior High aided in both forgetting that incident ever happening... but at the same time, it made the resulting resurgence of that extremely traumatic event hurt all the more.

Am I making him towards "Wangst" territory? I'm afraid that might be the worst-case scenario, but I sort of perceive Takeshi as a character who is defined by his past pains, but also actively seeks to grow past it, and unlike the last major arc, he's quicker to open up to ORC, mainly Akeno, about what is wrong with him. Granted, it's not perfect, but he's getting there.

As someone who is in chronic depression and autistic, I'll just say that mental recovery takes a while, and sometimes, relapses happen. Takeshi may recover every now and then, but his own inner demons will come back if triggered, something that the Evil Dragons are more than willing to take advantage of.

Second, speaking of the Evil Dragons, Grendel's back, and unlike the Hellhounds from the original fic (moved to Rias' segment as a distraction after their disastrous attempt to get rid of Re:Live, but points for actually thinking things through), I thought more... a bloody fight with the Stray Exorcists was more appropriate to wake him up.

Oh and [Berserk Devastator] in form, is more based off [Gilgamesh] from DMC 4, with the addition of a menpō mask just to invoke the "Rage Helm" trope for the Evil Dragon of Wrath. And I also got rid of his ice powers because A) Nidhogg's [Helfrost] ability makes it redundant, and B) Grendel is way too filled with ire and the sin of Wrath to even think about using an element that deprives people's senses (unless the one's name is Ghiaccio). That said, however, I will implement a gag about it in the next chapter, just to acknowledge the change in-story.

Silver lining, he (and Takeshi) and Freed now have a reason to go at it like a pair of stray dogs fighting over a garbage bag. And also serves as an impetus for their eventual rematch.

And finally, the elephant in the room that I've sort of discovered, Lailah.

Is it just me, or did Lailah disappear halfway since her introduction? I dunno, but whatever the case, can someone look through the original fic and see if her name is even mentioned after the original Chapter 4? I can't exactly trust my eyes, and depending on the answer, I might have to either kill her off, or save her for a future arc.

Given that she has three pairs of blackened Angel wings (thus making her somewhere around a Cadre-rank in terms of power), I want to give her a proper due. At least Re:Live was slightly pushed to bust out [Gandiva] to end the fight as quickly as possible, collateral damage aside (and imply a limit to his powers).

Whatever the case so far, I bequeathed her the role of the "Ascended Extra," with Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, and Mittelt as her direct subordinates. Oh, and given that the three of them were flatter than paper in terms of characterization (they were all the same, smarmy, sadistic bigots in the canon), I implemented the "Freudian Trio"-dynamic to differentiate them aside from their looks:

Kalawarner: Id - the most eager and vocal about killing Devils.

Dohnaseek: Superego - the calm and professional one/still zealous, but more subdued.

Mittelt: Ego - the "mouthy kid" of the group/balances both of their personalities.

Anyway, got this out of the way quickly as possible, given that in ZZZ, Jane Doe is coming up in the banner, and I got another Pokemon raid to catch.

Until next time, where the "Calamity Witch" herself graces us with her presence.

Toku References:

- Re:Live saves the dam workers at Urayama Dam at Saitama Prefecture, another Tokusatsu filming location during its collapse, and consequently changing the affection area to Chichibu from the original fic's Minano (with the latter serving as the former's evacuation site).

- Re:Live uses the [Bat Shot] Memory Gadget from Kamen Rider Double and the [Taka Candroid]s from Kamen Rider OOO as their personal familiars.

- Takeshi paraphrases the iconic quote from Kamen Rider Spirits manga: "Even if there's no God or Buddha, there is Kamen Rider." when recalling his survival during the post 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami.

OC Fancast:

- Mashibara: Yuji Kishi (JPN), Kirk Thornton (ENG)

- Ikeda: Koji Omino (JPN), Lucien Dodge (ENG)

- Stray Exorcists: Mika Kikuchi, Shizuka Ishigami (female) Tarusuke Shingaki, Keiji Akabane (male) (JPN), Abby Trott, Marin Miller (female), Ben Diskin, Clifford Chapin (male) (ENG)

- Grendel: Tesshō Genda (JPN), Patrick Seitz (ENG)