Lance panted as he ran. Issei's rage. He did not mean to hit her. The attack was meant for Issei but that girl. That girl had gotten in the way. By some stroke of luck, he had been saved. He slowed to a stop and placed his hand on a tree trunk.

"These trees…," he mumbled.

For the first time, he had gotten a good look of his surroundings. It was early morning. By his estimate, it was around 7 to 8 AM. The trees around him were odd. Their trunks were curved at the bottom.

Lance swallowed some of his spit. "Where the hell…?"

"Nice morning, isn't it? I had to do some persuading of the vampires here in this town but they refused so…"

Lance whirled around and saw a familiar figure leaning against one of the trees. Beelzebub's masked face glanced at Lance. He checked his gloved nails for dirt.

"Well, you know what happened to them." Beelzebub swiped a thumb across his throat.

"You… what do you want?" Lance's eyes shifted to purple.

Beelzebub mockingly raised his hands in defense, attempting to placate him. "Woah, tiger. Take it easy. I just came to congratulate you is all. The others wished for freedom but you… you had the drive. A greater goal than a mere return to the mundane, right?"

Beelzebub walked toward him, causing Lance to take a step back.

"Besides, don't you want your sister to live a normal life?" Beelzebub asked.

Lance clicked his tongue. He clenched his fists and glared at him. "I've fulfilled my end of the bargain. I won. Now-"

"Up up up! We're not done yet, you know." Beelzebub wagged his fingers.

"Not… done?" Lance asked.

"There's one more thing we need to do before she goes and cures your sister. Come. We're going to go on a walk," Beelzebub said.

"Where…?" he asked, eyeing Beelzebub suspiciously.

"Toward the Circle. Toward your destiny." Beelzebub's eyes glinted eerily.

Issei had carried her back in his arms. He had walked until he ran into Irina and Vali, who were looking for him. Had he been in any state of mind, Issei would have been confused but… all he could think about Mitsuki's cold body in his hands and the anguished screams and wails of his second childhood friend.

Irina had broken down and held Mitsuki's body close to her, sobbing into her bloodied corpse. Ingvild had not taken the news well. While she didn't break down like Irina, the girl had seemingly lost the ability to feel and had thrown herself into her work.

And Uncle Katsuki…

Issei did not have the courage to face him. After all, it was his fault that Mitsuki had died. Had he noticed that Lance was going to attack, Mitsuki would be safe and alive. But instead, all he ended up with was the corpse of his best friend.

Issei walked aimlessly until he entered the medical tent. The tent was empty save for a single occupant in a bec located on the far side of the tent. The sole occupant of the bed was completely covered in a white blanket.

He walked toward the bed and removed the blanket, revealing the pale, cold face of his best friend.

Issei reached out and cupped her cheek, shivering at how frigid her skin felt.

Even in death, Mitsuki's beauty had not been marred. But it looked wrong. Her skin was never supposed to be this pale. It was supposed to be a nice light tan and full of life. Her lips were now bluing due to a lack of blood. This was not normal. Mitsuki was supposed to be up and about. She was supposed to be annoying him with her antics. Taking him on cases with her. Getting him a jet. She was supposed to be annoyed by him and his antics. Annoyed at saving him from getting beat by the kendo club and offering him unsolicited advice on how to woo women.

There was not a day since she returned that they were apart. And not a day before she left that they were not together.

The two had been born together and the two promised they would always have each other's backs. A promise they made with their other best friend.

It may have been a naive promise made between three children but to Issei, it was a promise that he would always keep.

However, even then, he had failed. Just like how he had failed to protect Asia twice.

He was always destined to lose all that was close to him.

[Partner…]

"I don't get it, Ddraig. She did nothing wrong… so why?" Issei asked.

"Issei… so you were here."

He turned around and saw Irina entering the tent. His heart clenched in pain when he saw her red-rimmed bloodshot eyes. She had been crying a lot.

Irina walked toward him and gazed down at her friend's corpse. "She looks like she's just sleeping…"

"Yeah. I… This is all my fault," Issei whispered.

Irina frowned and gripped his arm. "This isn't your fault. You could have never predicted what was going to happen-"

"But it was because I left him alive that she's dead. If only… If only I could have… If I just…"

"Killed him?" Irina asked.

Issei closed his eyes and balled his fists. "If only I did that, then she would still be here…"

Irina said nothing and just held Issei's hand.

Issei pulled his hand away from Irina, surprising her.

She glanced at Issei with slightly widened eyes. "Ise…?"

Issei placed a hand on his forehead, feeling his feelings beginning to spiral out of control. The power within his body surged and craved to be released, wanting to level his entire surroundings. To take revenge against the world that took his friend from him. To rectify a wrong that he had committed. If only… If only Issei had been strong enough. That was what his mind kept telling himself.

"I need… I need to be alone. If I… If I keep seeing her like this then…"

He stiffened when he felt Irina's hand on his shoulder. "I understand. I'll look after her… so go and clear your head. We'll… be…" Irina's voice began to crack. "Waiting for you…"

Issei nodded and left the tent.

"Oi, Hyoudou." Vali's voice rang in his ear. "Hyoudou, wait-"

[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker]

A pair of draconic wings manifested on Issei's armored back and he flew off into the night.

"Hyoudou-"

"Don't."

Vali stopped when he heard Kuroka's voice.

Kuroka stepped out of the shadows with her arms crossed. She had a stern look on her face. A rare change from her usually playful demeanor.

"Kuroka-"

"You and I know what it's like to lose family. Leave him alone for now. He'll be back," Kuroka said, walking past him.

Vali remained silent, choosing to ball his fists before uncurling them.

Issei flew.

He flew and he flew. He had no destination in mind. Merely being high in the sky at breakneck speeds while being bathed in the light of the moon was enough for him. Being close to the Moon and bathing in its light reminded him of being in her presence. She was the only consistent female presence in his life aside from his mother. The bond he had with her surpassed even the one he had with Rias.

But now…

Issei suddenly dove toward a forested area. His landing was so fierce that it created a shallow crater in the dirt. Rage built up inside him. Rage at Lance. Rage at Beelzebub. And most importantly, rage at himself. Rage at his own weakness. If only…

"AAGGGHHH!" Issei let out an animalistic roar. The noise that came out of his mouth was not human.

In their long lives, Mastema and Ddraid had only heard such a noise from people who had lost their loved ones. People who had nothing left to live for and rushed headlong into death in a berserk rage.

Issei swung his arm, generating a powerful shockwave that leveled a mass of trees ahead of him.

WHY! WHY HER!?

A surge of demonic power exploded from Issei's body, erasing everything around him. The ground shook violently and the Earth split open. The Boundary of Chaos seeped from his aura, infecting the nature around him.

Lightning rained down from the cloudless sky and winds tore up everything within two hundred feet of Issei.

Birds flew away en masse. Animals ran in fear of a new apex predator that had settled in this area. Perhaps that was what Issei had become in his grief.

The spirits of this land lamented as the Red Dragon Emperor in his rage and grief tore everything around him.

A blast of energy appeared in front of Issei and shot forth, tearing up the Earth and trees before slamming into a small hill.

A sonorous explosion that could be seen for a few miles shook the landscape. Flaming pieces of rubble rained down from the sky, setting the forest ablaze. Each impact shook and disfigured the landscape. Where the hill used to stand was now nothing more than a molten pool of Earth. Smoke billowed into the sky and the orange glow of the magma pool could be seen from where Issei stood.

Red lightning crackled across the cloudless night sky as Issei continued to rampage across the wooden area. Nothing could stop him. Nothing wanted to stop him. With one final surge of demonic power, Issei unleashed a massive blast of aura from his body.

The aura shook the Earth, tearing it open and leveling the entirety of his surroundings. A blast that made the hill-destroying energy beam look like a firecracker in comparison. The aura burst reduced everything to ash. The unlucky animals that got caught within its range and the unlucky spirits that had stayed behind were all wiped from the face of the Earth.

The aura expulsion drained the majority of Issei's strength and his Balance Breaker faded, causing him to fall to his hands and knees in fatigue. Around him was a crater that was several hundred feet across and a couple of dozen feet deep. He lay there in the center, on all fours, uselessly beating the ground with tears streaming down his face.

"I… I'm sorry, Mii-chan. I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

"So, can I count on your continued cooperation from here on out, Aniki?"

"Let's get stronger together, Aniki!"

"You're safe… I'm glad…"

Issei's tears flowed down his face as every image, every moment he had spent with her replayed over and over in his mind. Every silly promise they made. Every prank they pulled. Every fight they had had. Every fight they fought together. Every moment they cried together and every moment they laughed. Every moment, no matter how big or small, played themselves over and over again as if his brain had decided to play a cruel joke.

She was the biggest part of his life.

She was the Moon and now, he had lost her.

She had died saving his weak self.

"Issei…" Mastema said softly.

I… I killed her… She died because of me… Issei replied.

[Partner, you know that's not true.] Ddraig said.

"No… it's…" Issei shakily got to his hands and knees. "It's all my fault…"

Her eyes slowly fluttered open to an unfamiliar sight. It was not the ever-recognizable white ceiling of her room nor was it the glossed-over ceiling of Issei's living room. Instead, she was met with the drab coloring of the Medical Tent.

Getting hurt was not a new concept to her. As an Agent of Blacklight, injuries came with the job and were reminders to be more careful. She had a few scars from close calls that she had encountered over her time as an Agent.

Mitsuki blinked, trying to remember what had happened. She had rescued Issei and… nothing after that. Why could she not remember what had happened?

"I'm losing my edge. A Dantalion forgetting something so recent… Mom will rip me a new asshole," Mitsuki said.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye.

Irina sat in a chair next to her bed, sleeping soundly. There were tear tracks staining her cheeks.

Mitsuki smiled softly at the sight "Rin… I'm sorry. But I'm okay." But as she reached out to gently rouse her from slumber, her hand passed through her body.

Mitsuki's eyes widened as she pulled her hand back immediately. "W- What…?" She reached out to grab Irina once more, only for her hand to go through Irina's body again.

"What is this?" Mitsuki said. She immediately jumped out of bed and that was when she noticed it for the first time. There was someone laying in her bed. No, she was laying in bed. Was she having an out-of-body experience? If so, then why was her face covered?

Was she…

Mitsuki shook her head. She dared not to entertain the thought. Merely just thinking of it made her feel sick.

Maybe this was all just one horrible dream. It would explain why she is seeing what she is seeing. Mitsuki walked around the tent and for the first time, really took in her surroundings. The colors were slightly dull. Even with her Precision active, the pigmentation remained the same. It was as if there was a slight gray filter over the entirety of reality.

"Haaa… this is crazy."

The sound of the tent flap opening alerted her.

Ingvild walked inside with a glass of water.

"I- Ingvild! You're here, I need to tell you something…"

Ingvild passed through her as if she were not there.

"W-... Huh! Ingvild, turn around!" Mitsuki tried to grab her shoulder only for the same result to occur once more.

She tried over and over again to no avail, trying to get the attention of all the occupants in the room around her.

"As fun as this is to watch, it's becoming pitiful. It's not going to work you know."

Mitsuki whirled around and saw a woman sitting on one of the beds. Despite sitting on it, her presence did not exert any visible indication that there was someone sitting on the bed. It was as if this woman was either made of air or did not exist at all.

The woman had long pink hair that cascaded down her back. Her bangs framed her face and ended in drill-like curls. She had reddish-pink eyes that stared intently at her and wore a sleeveless black and white bodysuit with a cleavage window that ended at her upper thigh. Her body was voluptuous and slender, making her feel self-conscious of her own size. She had a clipboard in her hand that she looked down at every so often. On her head was a ribbon that somewhat resembled rabbit ears.

"You… can see me?" Mitsuki asked.

Her spear levitated behind her. The woman crossed her legs and smiled playfully. "Of course, I can."

"Where am I…? This… This is a dream right and you're some sort of skinwalker using dream hoodoo on me," Mitsuki said.

"How rude. I have a question to ask you first. You are… Mitsuki Hyoudou, age 17. Born April 16th. Bearer of… Telos Karma. Ooh. Atziluth is going to have a doozy with you. Anyway, member of Blacklight and descendant of Dantalion, am I correct?" she asked.

Mitsuki took a slight step back in surprise. This woman knew her. Not just that. She had fairly detailed information about her. She narrowed her eyes, causing them to turn into a blazing shade of red.

"Who are you?" Mitsuki asked.

"Me? Oh… right. My, how rude of me. It's been so long since I came to personally whisk a soul away," she said.

"S- Soul… so I'm… but if I'm then that means, are you…?"

The woman blinked at her statement. Her conclusion almost made her want to laugh. "No, no, no. I'm not a Reaper. God, no. Do I look like I'm subservient to the Great Evil of Senescence?"

"Great… Evil of Senescence? You mean Hades?" Mitsuki asked.

"Yes. And no, I am not. I am… Asiyah. I work for Heaven… sort of." The now-named Asiyah introduced herself.

"Heaven? Are you an Angel?" Mitsuki asked. She had never heard of an Angel named Asiyah.

"Mmm… people don't really know who I am? I guess I can give you a hint. I have three other siblings. Their meanings are 'Formation', 'Creation', and 'Emanation'!" Asiyah said.

"I… I still don't know who you are…"

"Mmm… how about another hint? Do you know the Great Flood that's recorded in nearly every mythology in the World? That was me!" she patted her large chest with evident pride.

"Y- You… Wait… Flood? Are you God?" Mitsuki asked.

"W- What? No! I'm not Dad… wait, do you really believe it was Dad that flooded the planet?" she asked.

"Well… everyone knows that-"

"That's not true! Dad gave the order! I was the one that did it! Damnit… Damm humans. Damn you, Yetzirah, for sending Angels to warn those brats. Noah, Atra-Hasis, Manu…" she bit her thumb.

"Um… can you tell me where I am and what's going on?" Mitsuki asked.

"Right. But first, let me introduce myself since… the world seems to have forgotten who I am. Father damn these Gods. These humans. If only Gabriel could restrain herself, then we wouldn't have three conflicting religions filled with assholes… I am the World of Action and one of the Four Living Creatures. In short, I am an Incarnation of the Sefirot, the system that manages Heaven, Purgatory, Earth, and the Underworld… er, Gehenna," she said.

"S- SYSTEM!?" Mitsuki backed away slowly.

Asiyah nodded. "You should be more grateful! My big sister, Yetzirah, is the reason that those two Devils can pray after all, and Big Sister Atziluth is responsible for maintaining the Sacred Gear System."

"If… If you're an incarnation of the Sefirot System, then why are you…?"

"Here?"

Mitsuki nodded.

"Oh. I simply got interested. You see I am the Living Beast in charge of the Earth. The Great Flood. The Tower of Babel. The splitting of the Red Sea. That… was all me. I am also in charge of all souls that fall under the influence of our Pantheon, be it human, angel, or devil." Asiyah's eyes glinted. "I also normally appear to all Longinus users upon death. I was going to whisk away that child, the Red Dragon Emperor's soul, and dump him in the Pure Land but he was revived by the worst invention ever created by Devils."

Mitsuki remained silent, allowing the supposed Living Creature to rant.

"Now that that's out of the way. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah. Where are we? And… am I…?" she asked.

Asiyah raised an eyebrow when she saw Mitsuki's pointed look. "Alright. I'll tell you. As a Longinus Wielder, you have the great privilege of being reaped by me rather than your average Reaper.

"We are located in a separate world that I created to make sure that a wandering reaper doesn't come here and yoink your soul. Essentially, I peeled and copied the space that your friends are in and superposed it on… well, I'll explain it. I stacked two spaces on top of each other. For people like you and me, going in through the flap will lead to this place but for people like your friends and reapers, they'll get sent to the normal world. It's just a formality I do for people I'm going to reap. Can't have a ghost running around." She chuckled a little at that notion.

"So… you're just going to take me?" Mitsuki asked.

"Mmm. I could but I don't want you to have any regrets. I'll give you a few hours to say your goodbyes. Well, mostly goodbyes," Asiyah said.

Mitsuki nodded. She let out a tired sigh and closed her eyes. "You're not really good at this, are you?"

"I take offense to that," she replied.

"So are you going to let me talk to them?" Mitsuki asked.

"No. You can say your goodbyes from here. I can't allow people with supernatural abilities and possible evil pieces to interact with you. It's part of the reason I created this separate reality so it doesn't happen. I have to tell you, Evil Pieces are an affront to the cycle of Life and Death. But since it was created with good intentions, we've allowed it to exist." Asiyah picked her gloved nails.

"Allowed?" Mitsuki asked.

"We act separately from… well, most of us act mostly separately from the authority of Heaven. Big Sister Atziluth is the only one that acts with the will of the Archangels, considering she is the incarnation of the Sacred Gear System. But anywho, another reason is that we have no possible way to influence the roots of the Sefirot System aka the Qliphoth. Otherwise, we would have rendered Evil Pieces inert… and that we're not at full power anymore…" she whispered the last part.

"So… an hour?" Mitsuki asked.

"A few hours is all you get. Oh and don't even think of moving beyond this camp. The space ends at the edge of this campground," Asiyah said. "Mmmm… it's 4 am. I'll give you until 8 AM."

Mitsuki nodded. "Can I have some privacy?"

"Of course." Asiyah's body faded away, leaving a light cloud of mist where she sat.

[Partner, we should get back. It will do you no good to be wandering aimlessly like this.] Ddraig said.

Issei ignored him, preferring to walk aimlessly down the streets. It was early morning. The only people that were out and about were those who had to go to work or those that exercised early. The sun was barely up in the sky and shone its weak orange light in the barely awake town.

"Ise-chan-"

Guys, just stop. I… I want to be alone right now.

Ddraig and Mastema glanced at each other from within Issei's mindscape before removing their presence from his psyche. If privacy was what Issei wanted, then privacy is what they would give him. Though, that did little to stop them from observing Issei in the event that something drastic happened.

Destroying that forest did not help Issei feel better. Rather, it made him feel more empty inside. He wandered aimlessly until he reached an empty park. He mindlessly walked to the aged swing set and sat down on one of the swings.

He kicked off, lightly swinging back and forth.

"Mii-chan…" Issei mumbled.

Images of their life together replayed once more in his head.

"Aniki, today's our first day at Chiba! Come on or we'll be late!" Mitsuki called from his front gate.

"I got it! I got it!" Issei burst out from the front door, barely keeping his toast in his mouth. He ran out the front gate, leaving his exasperated mother standing at the front door.

"Your tie is crooked." Mitsuki stopped him and went to fix his tie. "What are you going to do without me…" she tightened the tie and aligned it on his chest.

"Ahaha. What are you saying? We'll always be together, Mii-chan!" Issei said.

Mitsuki closed her eyes and sighed. "Hmph, of course. Who else is going to take care of you? Your wife?"

"That… That one hurts, Mii-chan."

Issei smiled. "Mii-chan… you never thought I could get a girlfriend. Well, look at me now." his voice warbled as he choked back a sob. A few tears streaked down his face as his mind tortured him with more and more moments together.

"Aniki, I did it!"

An image of Mitsuki holding the National Kendo Tournament Trophy popped into his head.

"Aniki, you really need to take better care of yourself. If you're going to peep, at least don't get caught."

A memory of Mitsuki helping him find better peeping spots. Spots he never revealed to Matsuda or Motohama out of respect for her.

"A- Aniki… I…" Mitsuki's tear-streaked face popped into his head.

That day, she had been asked out by a senior that she had feelings for. Feelings she had confided in Issei and feelings that he had supported and encouraged. And now, this was the culmination of her efforts to appeal to and possibly attract that man's attention.

"Mii-chan! What happened!?" Issei asked. He ran from Matsuda, Motohama, Murayama, and Katase, sliding to a stop when he saw Mitsuki's small frame shaking.

"I… Senpai, he asked me out today."

"And… isn't that a good thing?" Issei asked.

"Issei-kun." Murayama placed a hand on his shoulder. "She…"

"Punishment game."

"Huh?" Issei whirled around to see Mitsuki's broken smile.

"It was… just a punishment game. I… I feel so…"

Issei cut her off by wrapping her in a tight hug. His anger began to boil. Listening to Mitsuki's heartbroken sobs was something he never wanted to hear ever again. He would protect her because it was his job. It was his job as the older one to protect his pain-in-the-ass younger sister. And later that day, the senior that had asked Mitsuki out was sent to the nurse's office after having his nose broken and having a few teeth knocked out courtesy of Issei.

"Hah… I'm so stupid." Issei placed his hand on the side of his forehead. "I… I promised to protect you but in the end, you were… the one protecting me and I got you killed…"

Issei removed his hands from his face and clasped them together. Tears fell one by one onto his hands and pants. Sobs escaped his mouth as the memories replayed themselves. He would never see her smile again nor would he hear her soothing voice.

"Mii-chan, I'm… I'm…"

"Mister, are you okay?"

The voice of a little girl snapped him out of his stupor. He wearily turned his head to see a little girl sitting on one of the swings. The girl appeared to be a year older than Lily. She had short, light blue hair that reached down to her upper shoulder. Her hair was done in a side ponytail that was clipped by a starfish accessory and adorned with several shells. The little girl wore a black dress that went past her knees. The girl was barefoot but her feet did not even appear to be dirty.

But what drew Issei in was her eyes. Her poisonous, sulfuric yellow eyes. It reminded him of Beelzebub's and oddly, Yozora's.

"Mister?"

Issei blinked, noticing that he had been staring at her for too long. "I'm fine."

"Oh, that's good. But why are you here in this park by yourself? Mom always told me not to go out alone early in the morning!" the little girl said. Her tone was firm and sure of what she had learned, not even realizing the irony of her statement.

Issei opened his mouth to retort but decided that she was just a young child. She did not deserve a snide remark just because of his grief. "I'm… I'm just here."

"Aww? But you look so sad," she said.

Issei stiffened. He had heard from Irina that children were perceptive.

Perhaps this girl was picking up on his despair?

"My friend. She's gone," he finally said.

The little girl tilted her head slightly, confused by his wording. "Gone? Where did she go?" her question was childish. Though, Issei did understand that she was just a child. The reality of death had not taken hold for her, probably.

"She went to a place in the clouds," Issei said.

"Is she coming back?" the girl asked.

"I…" Issei choked on his words. This girl. He knew she did not mean it but her words really stabbed Issei in the heart with a metaphorical dagger and she twisted it without even knowing.

"I don't think she is…" he whispered.

The girl picked up on it, however. Instead of responding, she hummed and looked out at the empty street beyond.

After a few seconds, Issei glanced at the little girl, who had been silent. "Aren't your parents going to be worried if you're out like this? Especially talking to a stranger like me?" The fact that this girl was here unnerved Issei. A little girl her age should be at home sleeping, not walking into parks, and talking to strangers on the swing this early in the morning.

"Mmm? Mommy won't mind. Mommy is far away right now. Big Sister won't mind either. She asked me to come here," she said.

Big… Sister? What the hell kind of sister makes their kid sister go out this early in the damn morning? Issei wondered.

"Hey, Mister. I have a question. If you could… make your friend come home, would you do it?" she asked.

Issei raised an eyebrow but decided to indulge her childish attitude. Though, the question did strike him as odd. "Yes."

"If she could come back to life, would you take that chance?" she asked.

"Yes."

Issei blinked. This girl. He never explicitly said that Mitsuki had died. He only told her that she had gone far away. He quickly got up from his chair and looked at the girl closely this time. Her sulfuric yellow eyes. There on her face was a smile. A sinister smile that was far more heinous than anything man, god, or devil should be capable of, much less a child.

"You're a…" Issei held his left hand out.

[Boost]

The Boosted Gear manifested on Issei's left hand.

"Mister… I thought we were having fun." The little girl's eyes brightened in amusement at Issei's display of power.

Issei slowly backed away instinctively. However, before he could move an inch, an immense pressure slammed down on him, forcing him down to the ground. He was laid out, sprawled across the ground unable to move nary an inch.

The little girl got off the swing and walked toward him, smiling the whole time as if the mere sight of him being restrained amused her. Fear trickled through his body as he felt her raw power pressing down on him.

"You're a… demon…" Issei choked out.

"Oh, dear. How could you call a little girl such a horrible name, Mister?" the little girl giggled.

"You're not-"

"But yes, I am. I'm only using a little bit of demonic power right now. If I had used more, well, you'd be nothing more than paste on the ground now, Mister," she said mockingly.

D- Damn it! Ddraig! Mastema!

[There's nothing we can do, partner. Compared to anyone you've faced, bar Kali, this woman is on a league of her own.] Ddraig said.

"Ddraig is right, Ise-chan. Even if we wanted to… this girl can turn you to paste at any moment."Mastema's voice was urgent.

Issei instinctively knew these two were right. This little girl, despite her harmless appearance, possessed enough foul power to destroy him and lay waste to this entire continent and possibly everywhere else in mere moments.

"Who are you? Wh… What do you want?" Issei asked.

The little girl's smile grew wider and she squatted in front of him. She held her hand out and pointed a finger at him.

"Can I ask you a question, Mister?" the little girl asked.

Issei glared.

"If… let's say there was a chance that this friend of yours can come back to life, would you take it?" she asked.

Issei opened his mouth but said nothing. He remained silent, not knowing how to respond to such an obvious question. And the girl clearly expected only one answer from him.

The little girl's smile fell slightly. "Really, Mister? After all those moments? I guess this is the extent of your love for her.

"Lance was willing to murder even children to save his sister. That cat, Kuroka, murdered her master and her entire peerage, allowing herself to be outcast and branded as a criminal to save her sister. Miyo manipulated you into almost committing suicide, ruining the lives of people around her in order to save her brother. But you… she goes and dies and you just wallow in your misery?

"Is this truly the extent of how much you love her?" she repeated.

Issei's face contorted in rage and grief. He struggled against her hold to no avail, lashing out. "You… fucking bitch! How dare you!? Once I get out of here, I'll-"

"So tell me then. Tell me just how far you would go for her, Hyoudou Issei." The little girl's tone shifted. Rather than her usual cheery lighthearted self, her tone became deeper and more commanding.

The change in tone shut him up almost immediately.

"The longer we wait, the harder it will be and you'll never be able to see your precious Mii-chan ever again." her smile returned, this time more sinister than before.

"I…"

"Tick tock, Issei."

"I… I w-"

[Partner, don't do this! Whatever that woman says, ignore her! We can find another way!] Ddraig said.

"Ddraig is right, Ise-chan! Don't listen to her! This isn't worth doing this for! How do you think Mitsuki will feel if she finds out?" Mastema said.

Mii-chan…

"Hmm, it seems that you've made up your mind. What a waste of time…" the little girl released the pressure and turned around to leave. "I hope you live well knowing that it was your fault that she died and your fault that she will stay dead. What a great friend and brother you must be. That girl was willing to die for you too."

Issei shook, looking down at the ground. He was on his hands and knees, contemplating his choice.

No.

There was no choice.

There was only this.

Mitsuki was dead because of him

And here was a chance. A chance to bring her back. Evil Pieces will not revive her. Her soul had most likely crossed to the other side by now. There was no bringing her back except for this. If the little girl could be believed that is.

[Partner!]

It's the only way. Mii-chan will be alright. She doesn't even have to know what happened. As long as she's alive… as long as she's fine… Issei thought, despair and delirium overtaking his mind.

"Ise-chan! Think about how she would feel knowing you sacrificed your own life for hers!"Mastema yelled.

Even if she hates me, I'd rather have her alive and hate me than dead.

"How… How can you bring her back?" Issei asked.

The little girl paused before smiling. "A Faustian Bargain. Ancient magic born of the soul. You see, once someone crosses over, someone cannot be brought back to life, even with magic. Only by the Authority of a God of Death can a soul even have a chance at life after it has crossed into the realm of the Dead but even then, it's very… finicky. But with this, with your soul, you can shave off a portion of your lifespan and I will rewrite fate and death for you."

"My… lifespan?" Issei asked.

"Souls are power. Balls of energy that contain immense amounts of energy that can be used to fuel magic powerful enough to rewrite reality around them at the cost of the lifespan of the user or the vessel, stronger than Magic yet weaker than the Authority of a God or the Boundary of an Ascendant. With your soul, I can reverse fate and death to resurrect your sister before the World of Action removes her from the planet," she explained.

"H- How much do you need?" he asked.

"I will shave your life down to a year."

[PARTNER! DON'T DO THIS!] Ddraig yelled.

I have to… I have to fix this, Ddraig.

[THINK ABOUT HOW SHE WILL FEEL! WHAT SHE WILL THINK!?] Ddraig roared.

"Ise-chan, I know how you feel. I know it feels empty now but don't do this! She wouldn't want you to do this!" Mastema urged.

Issei ignored them and looked up at the little girl with desperate resolve written on his face.

Ddraig thrashed and roared inside Issei's mind, attempting to get him to see reason.

"H- How… How does this work?" Issei asked.

The little girl smiled and held her hand out.

Issei gingerly reached out and took a hold of her hand.

In an instant, an intense burning flame beyond anything he had ever felt coursed through his body. White hot lines, resembling veins, crept from under his skin. They snaked their way up his throat and around his arms. The pain was unbelievable. It burned worse than Riser's flames and hurt more than any attack he had ever received from Vali or Kali.

"Aaaahhh!" Issei screamed.

"Bear with it, Mister. We're almost done." the little girl's eyes glowed brightly.

"Are you ready?" Asiyah asked.

"I think I am. I couldn't find Aniki," Mitsuki said.

She had a bitter smile on her face as she watched her mother and father standing over her dead body. Irina stood there next to them, having drained herself of tears. Ingvild was right next to her, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"Mmm. Well, if you tell me now, I can pass along what you want to say to him." Asiyah created a notebook out of nothing.

"Can you tell him-" Mitsuki stopped. A slow-burning sensation began to bubble up within her.

"Mmm? Mitsuki—!"

Asiyah's eyes widened when she felt the power emanating from Mitsuki's soul. A foul power. Power capable of laying waste to the world and reducing it to a near-apocalyptic watery ruin. Even at full power, Asiyah was unsure if she could even combat this power.

This power… Leviathan! How is she here… I made sure to hide this from even someone as powerful as her. There's no way she could have found this superposition unless…!? Asiyah rushed towards Mitsuki to grab a hold of her.

However, before she could, a surge of water that resembled a snake erupted from the ground and slammed into her.

Asiyah flew through the tent and landed on the ground. She shakily got up, seeing Mitsuki's levitating form from the hole in the tent.

A sinister voice belonging to a little girl echoed through the space.

"It's been a long time, Asiyah. I was beginning to think that my senses had gone awry when I sensed you. I was under the assumption that you were deactivated after Grandpa died. No wonder it took a while to find this superposition."

"L- Leviathan! What are you doing!?" Asiyah asked.

"Honoring a deal. Unfortunately, you won't be transporting this soul to Heaven, hehe."

"Damn you!" Asiyah kicked off the ground, reaching for Mitsuki. But it was too late. Mitsuki's body was engulfed in a white light and combusted into a storm of white flames, leaving nothing behind.

Leviathan opened her eyes. She looked down at Issei's pained expression and let go of his hand.

"I honored my end of the deal, Mister," she said.

"Is she… Is she really?" Issei asked.

Leviathan nodded. "You can go see for yourself, Mister."

Issei hastily got to his feet, pain is all but forgotten. As he was about to summon the Balance Breaker to fly back, Leviathan's final words made him pause for a split second.

"One year, Mister. All you have left is one year."

Issei remained silent, not knowing how to answer. He turned around to find that the little girl had vanished, leaving no trace of her existence behind.

One… year…

Issei thought.

He shook his head and activated his Balance Breaker, taking off into the morning sky in the direction of the camp.

"Was that satisfactory, Big Sis?" Leviathan asked.

She tossed her hair. Her voice had deepened, no longer having a childlike tone to it. And she was no longer a little girl. Leviathan had grown, or returned, to her usual appearance. A tall woman with long blue hair and elf-like ears and a slender, voluptuous body. She wore a white and blue top with a white skirt and a black choker around her neck. The only accessory that remained the same was her starfish ornament, though there was a noticeable lack of decorations around it.

Lilith hummed in appreciation. "Of course. Lance may fit the bill but so does Issei. In the end, we need one to be alive, do we not?"

"Issei is… you're betting on him being the Lamb, aren't you?" Leviathan asked.

"Of course. After all, the situation he was in. The despair he felt and the hope he experienced at this moment led him to make a choice that was simultaneously selfish and selfless. The worst taint one can inflict on themselves," she replied.

"I don't get it… but, you're expecting Lance to die, aren't you?" Leviathan asked.

Lilith merely smiled in response.

"Dodging the topic. That's not like you, Big Sis."

"Return to your post, Leviathan. With this, we can be assured that no matter who it is in the end, the Fifth Trumpet will be blown as planned," Lilith said.

Smoke began to surround her body as she vanished from her spot but not before Leviathan got a glimpse of her eye color changing from their usual yellow to the same shade of blue that their mother once had.

Leviathan

One of the Seven Prime Demons and the daughter of the Archangel Lucifer. She is the third of the Prime Demons and the second oldest daughter.

Powerful and mercurial, she is the Dragon and Serpent recorded during Genesis, blessed by her grandfather, the Biblical God, to rule the seas as its sovereign. To this end, her power is seen as insurmountable and akin to that of the End of the World.

And despite her preference to take the form of a child, one should not be fooled by her disguise. Those that do, always end up seeing the true depths of the abyss.

"Everything shall die within the Abyss. For that is the fate of the world that is to be reborn by the Origin."

[]

Blacklight File: Archive File #668

The Mother Sea Leviathan, The Serpent of Chaos, Lord of Envy

Information:

One of the Seven Prime Demons and the third child of the Archangel Lucifer.

The ancestor of House Leviathan and the original holder of Satan Leviathan. True combat capabilities have yet to be measured but information gathered from Silver Archivist suggests that her capabilities are ranked to be an Aleph-Class Disaster. Wields power over the Oceans and possesses the ability of Original Sin pertaining to Envy known as Sehmehl Kinat. Encounters with her should be exercised with extreme caution. All agents not on the rank of Division Captain should be flee-on-sight. Purported to have the ability to kill God-Class Entities.

"All units are advised to not engage. Please revise the profile. Elder Sister is not someone to be trifled with." - Silver Archivist

We've almost reached the end of the Arc. The events are lining up and after this, I will change the second arc. Only the first arc will remain the same. The second arc will change. Reminder that I will go on break with this story after this arc is over. Now, let's begin listing some differences from the original.

Asiyah takes the place of Teysara. Arch-Reapers have been eliminated from the story and anyone with said title will serve Hades or is the title of Azrael, the Seraph of Death.

The deal Issei made is with Leviathan and not a rando demon. I felt that it was better that way, considering my plans for Leviathan and her role in the story. And yes, this is her official introduction. People might remember that the old Leviathan in the original version was male. This one kept her canon gender.

Regarding the nature of the deal, yes, it's a mix of what you think it is and another concept from a webtoon called "I'm sorry, Mom." Read it. It's... actually pretty good and has a somewhat happy ending.

Anyway, that's all I have for now. Issei's lifespan has been cut down to 1 year. Remember to have a good day.