"Father! FATHER!"
Issei found himself standing amidst a scorched land. Above him and around him, there was something amiss about the space he had found himself in. It felt real yet not at the same time. It almost felt like he was-
Like that time at Kuroka's pocket dimension, Issei thought. He whirled around, trying to find the culprit, however, he found none. Instead, he spotted a white-haired girl standing before a white-haired man in dark clothing. In his hand was a flaming sword wreathed in orange and black flames. The blade was oddly designed, containing two tips and the world appeared to bend and corrode around the blade itself.
The white-haired woman had an ornately decorated silver lance in her hand. The silver lance appeared to be a combination of two weapons, with a pure white outer lance and a dark inner lance spiraling into each other ending in a black-violet tip that shimmered in the distorted sunlight. It was a simplistic yet complex design. A blinding golden crown-like halo rested above his head.
"Father… how could you? I… I believed in everything you did. I blindly followed every word, every teaching, so why? Why are you permitting such horrors to happen to your own children!? My brothers and sisters! My… own children…! ANSWER ME!" the woman''s eyes flared with brilliant light and her wings spread from her back. A broken violet halo appeared above her head, resembling ethereal horns.
Yet Issei could hear the utter despair in her voice and saw the tears cascading down her blurred face.
"Because it amused me. The more humans offered themselves due to your conflicts, the more prayers angels offered to snuff you and your creations out, it provided me with souls. The weight and quality of souls of those from despair, there is no greater source of sustenance or power," he said.
An aura that was the mixture of pure white and pitch black emanated from his body. The mere sight and feeling of it caused Issei to freeze in place. He felt the omnipresent, dark gaze of the man, no, the monster before him.
But the girl was unaffected. She clenched her fist, tightening her grip around her Lance. "If… If this is truly what you wish… then I have no choice. For the sake of my family, for the sake of this world, then…" she lifted the massive lance and leveled it at the man. "I will stop you here and now. Prepare yourself, Father!"
"Then, come !" the man yelled.
His brow furrowed. He clearly said a name, however, what Issei heard was nothing but garbled nonsense. It was if something was actively blocking him from hearing or understanding the name.
As the two charged and prepared to clash, Issei felt someone grabbing him by the back of his collar and he was thrown into a black abyss.
He heard a voice calling out to him.
"Ise…"
Huh? he thought.
"Ise…"
The voice got louder.
"ISE!"
Issei jolted up, jumping out of the chair he had been sitting on. He panted heavily, breathing and heaving all at once.
"Ise-kun! Are you okay?"
"Ise!"
He turned to see Rias and Irina giving him worried looks. That's right, he thought. He was in the club room. Today was the day Rias was discussing the future regarding the Rookie Rating Games and he… had fallen asleep.
[Partner. Are you alright? I couldn't wake you up even if I wanted to. It's like your consciousness was enveloped in an impenetrable shadow.] Ddraig said.
Is it like that… that time with Yatogami-sensei? Issei thought.
"I didn't sense anything foreign in your mind, Ise-chan," Mastema said.
Then, what was that? It felt so… real and… that woman. I couldn't see her face or hear her name, Issei thought.
"Ise?" Rias said, holding his face in her hands.
Issei blinked when he saw Rias's face mere centimeters from his. "P- Prez?" his face turned red at the sudden contact.
Rias narrowed her eyes. "I think we should stop the meeting here for the day. We can discuss possible matchups another day," she said.
"W- Wait, Prez! I'm okay-"
"No, you're clearly not. I told you, Ise. Don't try to avoid your problems. We're here to help," Rias said.
"Rin! Tell her I'm fine!" Issei said.
Irina blinked before avoiding his gaze.
"Ise, I think we should go to Ingvild and get you checked up by someone at Blacklight," Irina said.
"I agree with the two, Kiddo."
Issei turned to see Azazel sitting on the sofa next to Yuuto. The older man had a laid-back position but his face was all Issei needed to see to know that he was concerned for his mental state.
"Don't try to go through this alone. Remember what happened with the Naamah descendant?" Azazel asked.
Issei gulped, remembering the psychological torture Miyo had put him through. Even if she was still locked down in the Underworld, he still had thoughts of her and what she had done. His hand unconsciously went to his throat.
"Look, kid. Everything's been happening so fast that we forgot to see if there were any traces of Luxuria still affecting your mind. I think it's best to get checked up on by someone… someone who's well-versed in this stuff," Azazel said.
"Right, so we send Issei to Blacklight," Akeno said, putting in her own two cents.
"Or we can send Issei to someone closer," Azazel said. "I don't doubt Blacklight's capabilities to deal with this. It's just if he goes there, we won't be able to accompany him. We're not Blacklight operatives. We're just contacts and you're only contacts thanks to me vouching for you not to get neuralyzed."
"Did you just make a-"
"In any case, I think sending him to someone we can go to and accompany him to would be better," Azazel said, cutting Rias off.
Rias placed a hand on her chin. "I guess so…"
"I can just go to Blacklight. I'm able to handle myself. Besides, Irina and Ingvild will be there with me, and… there's Lady Dantalion who's also there. She can take a look at me," Issei said.
"I mean, Ise is right. There's nothing that that woman doesn't know." Irina shivered, remembering the piercing, analytical, scouring gaze of Dantalion's yellow eyes. Mitsuki's Scan never made her feel as naked as Dantalion's did.
"Hmm, I guess so. It's all up to you, Kiddo. If you go to Dantalion, I might as well get Asmodeus to stay here at school to look after you too," Azazel said.
"That's fine by me," Issei replied.
"Anyway, let's continue what we're supposed to be discussing. Issei, you're going to be with us for a couple of days and not Blacklight," Rias said.
"I am…?" Issei asked.
Rias gave him a deadpan look. "Did… Did you not listen to that whole thing I went over before?" Rias asked.
"Um…"
Rias sighed. "It's fine. I'll explain it all over again," she said.
However, before she could, the school bell rang. Rias's eyebrow twitched at the thought of being interrupted for the fifth time in a row. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she watched her peerage members begin to try and leave.
"Just go. I know you all have class," she said with a heavy sigh.
"Wait, prez! What were we talking about?" Issei asked.
"You'll find out eventually. I'm sure Ingvild will tell you once you go to the cafe," Rias said.
"I really wish they kept it as a bar. Instead, they turned it into a cafe," Azazel said.
"Well, Ingvild's mom and Aunt Elaina were pissed when they found out that Blacklight wanted a bunch of minors to run a bar so they forced them to change it into a cafe. Looks like Blacklight is going to venture into the coffee business," Irina explained.
"Issei, don't forget to go see Lady Dantalion after school," Rias said.
"I will. Jeez, mom," Issei joked.
"Come on, you," Irina said, dragging Issei out of the room.
As soon as the two left the room, Rias collapsed into her chair and leaned back. "I never knew that allying with a global secret organization was going to be this tiring…"
Akeno placed a cup of tea next to her.
"By the way, kid, how are you?" Azazel asked.
"Yeah, Akeno. Are you alright? Beelzebub was occupying your body for quite some time. How are you feeling?" Rias asked, eyeing her queen.
"I'm still a bit weak from it and I have some episodes where I'm vomiting some blood but… there's not as much pain as there was before," Akeno said, offering them a smile. Her face was a bit pale and she had faint dark circles under her eyes.
"I see. We'll continue your treatments with Asia," Rias said.
"Don't push yourself, Akeno. If you can't participate, then don't. Rias and I will find someone to sub in for you for the time being, especially with what's coming up," Azazel said.
"What? I'm fine! I can do my duties like usual-"
"Akeno, you were the vessel for a Prime Demon. If Beelzebub exerted any more demonic power while he was possessing you, you would have melted into a puddle of blood and flesh," Rias said.
"..." she said nothing and gripped the plate tightly.
"It's not gonna be forever, Akeno. Just a few more days. I'll even get Big Sis Raph to come check you out," the older Fallen Angel remarked.
"Fine." Akeno's tone was curt.
"I just wish nothing will happen when they get here," Rias said.
"Mmmm…"
Issei sat uncomfortably in the chair. He felt the scrying gaze of Mitsuki's grandmother crawling all over his body as she walked around him. Ingvild and Irina stood off in the corner of the room, watching the woman inspect him. After a few seconds, Dantalion took her eyes off Issei and walked over to her desk. She opened a drawer and began to rummage around inside it.
"So these waking dreams, how long have you been having them?" Dantalion asked. She pulled out a small corkscrew from her desk.
Issei eyed the sharp object before answering. "I had them when Miyo-sensei used her powers on me. But after she was imprisoned, I stopped having them," Issei said. "I did fight someone recently with the same powers, do you think-?"
"I highly doubt that. Lance's Luxuria, while strong, had not developed to the point where he can twist the perception of the mind." Dantalion placed the corkscrew back in her drawer and pulled another device out.
"Then, is it a residual?" Ingvild asked. "I read in a report somewhere that mental abilities can have a sort of residual effect on the mind."
"Maybe… we won't know for sure until I crack his head open," the older devil responded.
"I'm sorry? Crack?" Irina asked.
"Yeah," she replied as she pulled a power drill out of her desk.
Issei's eyes went wide and he jumped out of his chair, backing away and hiding behind Ingvild.
"Um… is there a method where Issei doesn't have to get surgery?" Ingvild asked, feeling his trembling form behind her.
"Surgery? Why do I need to do surgery?" Dantalion asked, stuffing the drill back in her desk.
"Um… Ah… nevermind," Ingvild said.
"Ah, here it is." She pulled out a device with multiple wires attached to it. "There is magic for this sort of stuff but I like using this better."
"What… What kind of Magitech is that?" Issei asked.
"This? Oh, this is a modified EEG that detects microscopic traces of mind magic. A usual magician or healer will never notice minute traces left on you unless you go directly to a psionic specialist like… let's say Elder Sister Asmodeus. If you went to her, she would have found some just by looking at you," Dantalion said.
"So… instead of getting hooked up to that, I can just ask her?" Issei asked.
"I mean… you don't have to. You're already here, aren't you?" Dantalion asked.
Issei tried to come up with a reason to leave her office but found that he could not formulate a single response that woman would not counter.
"I…"
"He'll do it," Irina said.
"O- Oi!" Issei said.
"Come on. We're already here. We might as well," Irina said.
Issei tried to open his mouth to retort but then he noticed the prodding look on Ingvild's face and decided to give in. His shoulders fell and he shuffled back to the chair. As he sat down, Issei noticed Dantalion looking intently at him.
"I have not done something myself in a while. Even though it's just a simple mind scan, I can't help but be excited at what we'll find," she said, placing a sticker on Issei's head.
"And if we don't find anything?" Irina asked.
"Then, I go to hypothesis two. Honestly, I expect to find nothing and we got to the second option," she replied.
"What's… What's the second option?" Issei asked, gulping as he felt another sticker on his head.
"I'll tell you after I finish the scan. Now, stay still," Dantalion said.
Issei nodded and remained as still as possible.
After a few more minutes, Dantalion finished setting up the machine. She walked over to it and flipped a switch. A holographic screen showed up before them, showing several squiggly lines tracing themselves across the screen.
Irina and Ingvild walked over to Dantalion's side and observed the screen with her.
"Okay, let's see what happens. Issei, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate Irina's chest?" Dantalion asked. Her tone was as monotonous as ever, not even betraying a hint of shame at the question.
Irina's face turned beet red. Her hands flew to her chest as she covered them from both Issei and Dantalion's gazes.
Meanwhile, Issei's cheeks flushed and he began to seriously think of how to rate them.
"Mmm?" Ingvild raised an eyebrow, seeing several spikes in Issei's brain activity.
"At least we know he has a brain," Dantalion said, noticing them.
"About… an 8? I haven't touched them yet but they look firm and bouncy. If I had just a little squeeze, then I can probably rate them better," Issei answered.
[As expected of you, Partner.] Ddraig said.
"Wow, you can say that with zero shame on your face," Ingvild said with a slightly disgusted look on her face.
Meanwhile, Irina's face was in her hands, dying from the embarrassment she was being put through.
"Alright, now. Issei, I'm going to switch on the scanner now. You might feel a little uncomfortable but it will only be for a few seconds," Dantalion said.
Issei nodded and remained as still as possible. As soon as Dantalion pressed a button on the holographic screen, Issei felt an uncomfortable feeling pass through his head, slowly making its way through his body. It was a weird discomfort that made him want to squirm. He had no words to describe it other than discomfort. But he fought the urge to squirm and jolt as it passed through him. And those few seconds turned into a few eternities.
"Okay, Issei, we're done."
Issei sighed in relief as he felt the discomfort vanish.
Dantalion observed the screen before waving her hand. All of the wires and stickers that were attached to Issei flew off and neatly arranged themselves in the case.
"Well?" Irina asked.
"As I thought, there's nothing. If you don't believe me, you can go get scanned by my sister after you get back. But that means my second hypothesis might be more plausible," she said.
"And that is?" Issei asked.
"It's your Boundary," Dantalion said.
"My boundary?" Issei asked.
Dantalion nodded. "You've been taught what that is, right?" she asked.
"I know what its name is. I just haven't been properly taught about it," he said.
Dantalion nodded. "Well, I'll give a brief explanation. Whoever's going to teach you how to wield the Shevirah, make sure to ask them."
Issei nodded in response.
"Boundaries are metaphysical rules and ideals. You can say that they are axioms in that they are self-evident truths that define the most basic aspect of existence. In addition, you can refer to them as principles due to the fact that they are the underlying nature of everything, forming the idea of concepts. In layman's terms, they are the nature and structure of everything that exists from Origin and Infinity to Chaos and Destruction," Dantalion said.
"People who can use Boundaries are known as Ascendants. Do you get it?" she asked.
"I think I do. So what does that have to do with my dreams?" Issei asked.
"Because of your Inheritance," Dantalion said.
"Inheritance?" he asked.
"Yes, your method of Inheritance is unique, unheard of even amongst other Ascendants and there aren't that many of them. You might be experiencing some residual memories from its previous wielders because of how you got it. Basically, Inheritance is the method of obtaining a Boundary from a natural Ascendant such as my mother, Lucifer, or my grandfather, Yahweh, the God of the Bible," she said.
"So… like I'm getting someone else's memories from blood?" Issei asked.
"Basically. Since you're getting Elder Sister Lilith's blood, her memories might be popping up in your mind every now and then," Dantalion explained.
"Lilith, huh," Issei said.
"Again, this is just a theory. I can't prove that you're getting her memories so you'll have to take this with a grain of salt," she replied.
Dantalion lifted the device into the air and manipulated it back into her drawer.
"How… How is Mii-chan doing?" Issei asked.
Dantalion paused and gave him a quick over-the-shoulder glance. "She's doing fine. She'll be back soon when she's done doing what she needs to do in Greece," she replied.
"Did Mii-chan really need to go all the way to Greece just to get Yorihime fixed? It wasn't even that bad," Irina said.
"Mmm. Elaina offered the girl that she would fix it but Mitsuki was looking for an upgrade so the two went to Greece to find Hephaestus," Dantalion said. "Though, Hephaestus has a peculiar way of forging. He needs live combat data from the subject before performing any upgrades or crafting anything-"
"Woah, woah, hold on. Live combat? Mom never told me Mitsuki would need to go through a live combat trial," Ingvild said.
"Really? Tsu didn't tell you? Well, now you know. But I wouldn't worry much. Mitsuki is a strong girl. She's my granddaughter after all so she'll be okay," Dantalion said, waving the matter off.
Issei's lips thinned into a line as worry set into his heart. Before she abruptly left, Mitsuki had been acting slightly differently from usual. He could feel the obsessive aura that settled into her usual presence and she began acting more coldly toward the other students during class. However, it was only slightly so no one noticed. No one noticed except for him and maybe Irina.
Mii-chan, don't push yourself too hard, okay? Issei thought, wondering what she was doing.
Mitsuki panted heavily as she sprinted through the wilderness. This place. These woods. She clenched her jaw as she vaulted over a fallen log and slid behind a rock. Mitsuki placed a hand over her mouth and slowed her breathing. The fall and rise of her chest slowed to a minimum as she trained her ears to listen to her surroundings. A small amount of blood leaked from her eyes as she activated her Precision and peeked out from behind the rock.
In the distance, her vision zoomed and pinpointed five individuals tracking her.
"This is a combat simulation? I'm being hunted down by five demigods from that damn demigod school in America," she hissed.
Mitsuki began to think of how she landed herself in this situation. It was not her fault that she forgot to check on Yorihime after the fight with the Lord of Hunger. There was a far more important matter than checking her sword. And she was now here in Greece at her insistence because she wanted an upgrade for what she was going to do in the future. However, her mother never told her how intense this "combat simulation" was if she could even call it that.
"Lord Hephaestus, you better pull through on your end," Mitsuki muttered.
In the branch above, a bronze-colored bird watched the entire situation.
Elaina stood in the control room with her arms crossed. Her eyes focused on the video feed of her daughter hunkering down behind a boulder.
"Hephaestus, was this really necessary?" she asked.
Her eyes flitted to a tall man that stood next to her. His golden eyes gazed at the screen, analyzing the feed in real-time. His hands were tucked away in the pockets of his black and white coat. Underneath was a white v-neck sweater with a black collar and he wore black sweats and white shoes. His red hair fluttered lightly in the breeze of the room's air conditioner.
"Yes. Recordings always lack a certain quality of life to them. It's better to see everything in a live feed. Otherwise, I can't make weapons that fit according to the user's personal preferences," Hephaestus said, stroking his chin.
"I know that but did you really have to send one of Artemis's hunters and four demigods to hunt her down? Couldn't you have had her fight a monster or something?" Elaina retorted.
"That's no good. She'll know it's just a simulation. I need her to feel like I threw her out there to die so she can perform at her highest capacity-"
He leaned his head back as a red bolt of energy flew past his face and leveled the wall to his right. Behind them, several scientists jumped in fear and all the personnel in the room began to slowly back away.
"Die? You sent my daughter to die?" Elaina's eyes glowed dangerously and her aura flared, causing the entire building to shake violently. A red shroud formed around her body and a few of the lights in the room exploded along with several computer screens going haywire.
"What? Of course not. She just needs to think she's in a life-or-death situation. She'll perform better that way and Arty here is on standby just in case they actually try to kill each other," Hephaestus said.
Elaina's lips thinned into a line. She lowered her hand but kept her glare fixated on him.
"Brother, is antagonizing Dantalion's daughter really the smartest decision?"
The two turned to see a woman standing on Hephaestus's left. The woman was strikingly beautiful. She brushed aside her white hair before crossing her arms. Her silvery-blue eyes were fixated on the screen, mainly the screen with her hunter leading four demigods. She wore a white sleeveless button-up shirt with a black coat and a black skirt with golden embroidery. She had a lapel in the shape of a moon buttoned to her breast pocket.
"I'm not antagonizing her, Artemis. She has nothing to be worried about as long as you're here," he replied.
Artemis rolled her eyes and switched her focus over to Mitsuki. The girl's katana had broken midway through the experiment and now she had nothing but a jagged blade.
I wonder how you'll deal with this situation, girl, she thought.
"I think she went this way."
Mitsuki stiffened when she heard a female voice near her. She slowed her breath down and made her presence as invisible as possible. Though she could utilize ki, she had no skill in senjutsu so she could not blend in with her surroundings nor was she the most skilled in cloaking magic. All she could do was hide her presence physically.
Against a Hunter of Artemis… what good is that? she thought.
"Adelaide, can't you use your powers as Poseidon's daughter to sense her blood or something?" a male voice asked.
"Troy, you dumbass, that's not how my powers work," she snapped.
"She's right, Troy. I guess Zeus's children lack a brain after all," another male voice said.
"What did you say!?" Troy yelled.
"Come down, Troy. And you, Malcolm, stop acting like a jerk. You're supposed to be Athena's child and our guide so act like it," another feminine voice said.
"Guide? If I remember correctly, you wanted to be the leader, Natalia. But I guess all of Aphrodite's children are this vain," Malcolm said.
"Why you-"
"All of you stop. You'll give our position away."
Mitsuki's breathing slowed to a crawl when she heard the voice. Artemis's hunter. The girl never introduced herself. However, Mitsuki was quite familiar with her presence. She cursed inwardly—the katana she was given broke after fending off all five of them.
Damn demigods, she cursed.
"What the hell am I supposed to even be doing?" she whispered to herself. Mitsuki gulped and slowly peeked out. The demigods were still arguing and the Hunter had given up on reprimanding them to scan her environment.
Mitsuki waited until the Hunter looked away before picking up a pebble. She channeled a small amount of touki into it. She flicked her wrist and threw it at high speeds, striking a tree.
The sound was enough to make all of them turn away from her direction. It was the moment she waited for.
Mitsuki jumped out from her hiding spot and began to run.
"THERE!"
"Shit!" she turned around and saw the Hunter knocking an arrow into her bow. The arrow flew at high speeds.
Mitsuki ducked, wincing as the arrow zipped by her head.
The sound of rushing water filled her ears. She saw the daughter of Poseidon riding a wave at high speeds toward her.
"Hey there!" the girl raised her arm and threw them at Mitsuki.
Several jets of water flew toward her.
Mitsuki flipped, avoiding each shot. She pulled out the broken katana and swiped it several times, sending electrified slashes at the girl.
The black-haired girl yelped as the wave she rode was sliced in half and she fell to the forest floor.
"Adelaide! You bitch!" A bolt of lightning slammed into her, sending her flying through several trees.
"Eat this!" Troy yelled as he brought his hands down. The sky rumbled and several thunderbolts rained down on the area, pounding Mitsuki into the ground. A portion of the forest was leveled and scorched in an instant, leaving a smoldering crater in its wake.
The black-haired boy smirked, sweat pouring down his dark skin from the heat of the Grecian Sun. "How was that?"
The smoke cleared, revealing an empty crater. A dagger made of demonic energy flew from out from his left, striking him in the side.
"Raggh!"
"Troy!" Natalia came rushing out of the forest, her blonde hair flowing and a bronze dagger in her left hand. She caught him before he fell to the ground, pulling the dagger out from his side.
"This damn devil. Where is-"
"Behind you!" Malcolm screamed.
Natalia pushed Troy away before blocking Mitsuki's broken katana with her dagger.
Mitsuki growled before pushing more of her strength, slowly bringing the girl down to one knee.
"You… Get the fuck off me!" the girl screamed. She kicked Mitsuki off, sending her flying into the air.
Mitsuki flipped, landing on a branch. She looked down at the four, staring at them intensely with her blazing red eyes. Wait… four… where is- She felt something sharp pierce her side. Mitsuki bit her lip, falling off the branch. Her wings popped out from her back, catching herself in mid-air before she could hit the forest floor.
"Hunter of Artemis…," Mitsuki said in pain, gripping her side where the arrow pierced her. Blood flowed profusely from her abdomen.
Mitsuki gripped the broken sword tightly with her left hand. She felt the dizzying effects of blood loss slowly starting to hit her. Her vision began to swim. Her breathing became faster and her mind became muddied. When she saw the hunter getting closer, Mitsuki stepped forward and swiped her sword.
The Hunter blocked it, parrying her blade before kicking her to the ground.
Mitsuki tried to get up but a heavy boot pinned her to the ground. She clawed at the boot, looking into the onyx eyes of the brunette standing above her.
"It's over, Devil," the Hunter said. She pulled a silver Bowie knife from its sheath. The knife glinted and Mitsuki felt faint traces of divine power inside of it.
No… No… I can't die here! I have to… keep my promise. Aniki… I will save you!
"No one will mourn your passing…"
As soon as she saw the silver gleam of the knife flash through the air, Mitsuki felt something snap inside her. The stress and emotional tension she had been feeling in this entire simulation all culminated like rushing water against a levi. It all broke down under the turbulence of the emotional storm she was currently experiencing.
An explosion of demonic power burst from Mitsuki's body. Her hair faded into white and her eyes turned a bright violet-red. A powerful wind ripped through the area, uprooting all the trees in her immediate vicinity. An inhuman roar came out of Mitsuki's mouth as her red aura illuminated the area.
"Oh…? That's her…," Hephaestus began.
"Mitsuki's Qliphoth Form. Tch, she's losing control," Elaina said.
The Hunter grimaced as she slowly came to. Around her was a shield made entirely out of water. The daughter of Poseidon, Adelaide, had her hands held out. Blood flowed freely from the wounds on her body as she fell to her knees. The water barrier dissipated.
Around them was a massive crater, around the size of an entire stadium and as deep as an Olympic swimming pool. At the center, Mitsuki stood with her hair shadowing her face. A pair of wispy flaming horns were on her head and her body was cloaked in a flaming red aura. Electricity arced around her body every so often.
"Oi, Malcolm, use your freaky Athena eyes to see what she turned into or something-"
"It's over. That… What is that monster?" he whispered. His words were heard by his friends.
"Explain, Son of Athena," the Hunter said.
"She's become a monster. My eyes… she's become a walking shadow," he said, swallowing some vomit that threatened to escape his mouth.
"She's coming," Natalia said.
"Everyone, be ready-"
Troy's words were cut off as Mitsuki suddenly appeared and grabbed his head. Her grip tightened around his skull.
"Let me g- Raaaaggggh!" a scream of agony ripped through the air as Mitsuki channeled electrified demonic power through his body.
"Tch! Let him go-!" a wave of demonic fire slammed into Adelaide, sending her flying to the edge of the crater.
"Shit, get back all of you!"
However, the warning was uttered too late. Mitsuki raised her hand into the air, gathering demonic power into it. The aura around her body twisted and snaked, shaping itself into an odachi.
"Mangetsu…" a demonic voice exited her mouth. She swung the blade, creating a flash of blinding red light.
In an instant, the entire forest was cut in half, creating a fissure that spewed magma onto the surface.
"Hephaestus, we have to stop her. She's going to kill all of them!" Elaina yelled.
"..." Hephaestus's hands balled into a tight fist. She was right. The girl's rampage would not only kill these demigods but she would destroy entire cities in her wake if she was not stopped. He turned toward his younger sister. "Artemis, stop her. But don't kill her. We've gotten enough data from her."
"Understood," Artemis said, brushing her hair aside.
"Don't kill my daughter. I don't care if you're the Goddess of the Moon. I will kill you," Elaina said, her eyes flashing dangerously as Scan subconsciously activated.
Artemis nodded, unfazed by the sudden flare of the younger woman's demonic power. She took a step toward the screen and disappeared in a flash of silver light.
An animalistic roar came from Mitsuki's mouth as she grabbed Malcolm by the leg. The demigod yelped in fear as he was lifted into the air. In an instant, his screams of fear became gasps of agony as Mitsuki violently slammed his body into the ground, shattering it.
A silver arrow flew through the air, passing through nothing but a fading image as Mitsuki vanished from her spot.
The Hunter quickly scanned her surroundings. It was only her hundreds of years of experience and reflexes that allowed her to narrowly avoid death as a kodachi made of red flames sliced through the air.
Her eyes widened in fear and horror as a portion of the forest was mowed down, sliced by the wave of compressed air created by Mitsuki's swing.
"You monster! I'll put you down by Artemis's name-" she jumped, narrowly avoiding Mitsuki's flaming claws by a mere centimeter. She flipped over her back, knocking five arrows into her bow. The arrows were engulfed in silver flames.
However, the Hunter's efforts were all in vain. As she fired the arrows, the world around them glitched and the arrows faded from existence.
W- What was… shit! The Hunter raised her arms to block as an endless barrage of flaming needles shot through the air, slicing into her skin.
"Rrrgggghhhhh!" Mitsuki let loose a breath of steam as she gathered demonic energy into her hands. She threw her hands forward as ten concentric circles, all spinning in opposite directions of the preceding circle.
"My Lady, forgive me…"
A massive beam of violet energy ripped through the air. The mere shockwave generated by the blast leveled the surroundings, blowing away the remaining demigods, earth, and vegetation.
However, before the beam could consume the Hunter, a flash of silver light appeared in its path, and the beam was deflected, and redirected into the sky.
A massive explosion ensued, outshining the sun and causing the sky to temporarily become purple.
"L- Lady Artemis!" The Hunter exclaimed as Artemis held her in a bridal carry. The Goddess paid her no mind as her silver eyes focused on the absolutely feral Mitsuki below her.
"Foul beast," she muttered. Artemis glanced to her Hunter. She landed on the ground and set her down. "Go. Protect those children."
"B- But-! The ques-!"
"Forget the quest. It was never real to begin with," Artemis said. She walked forward, pulling two bowie knives from her waist.
Mitsuki leaned forward. Her flaming aura surged and she held her hand out, creating an odachi made of red flames.
"..." Artemis widened her stance slightly before holding the knives up. "Let's go… Selene… Phoebe."
"Grraaaaggghh!" Mitsuki rushed forward, bending the blade slightly. Even in her feral state, her body had memorized the motions of the techniques she had branded into her body. She slashed her sword, performing the Mangetsu.
A red light sliced across the forest, cutting the Moon Goddess in half.
However, it was just an afterimage. Artemis appeared behind her and narrowed her eyes. She spun her left knife, Selene, and rammed it into the back of the girl's neck.
Mitsuki's aura hardened, causing the strike to bounce off. She narrowed her eyes and jumped back as several spikes made of demonic aura erupted from her back.
"Hmph," Artemis said.
Mitsuki turned to face her. Silver stared into red. Mitsuki's fangs glinted in the sun as she shifted her foot. In an instant, she took off from her spot, lightning and fire streaking in her wake.
She raised her odachi once more to perform another Mangetsu when Artemis rushed forward, uppercutting her in the chin.
Mitsuki's jaw snapped shut and she flew into the air. Her eyes and face were contorted in pain. Artemis appeared above her and performed an axe kick, striking her solar plexus.
She hit the ground violently, shaking the entire forest from the sheer impact. Mitsuki writhed and gasped in pain, struggling to get to her feet. Her aura began to lessen and fade but her animalistic instincts still retained their grip on her mind.
Artemis landed on the ground, standing before her with an expressionless gaze.
"Shi…"
"Shi?" Artemis asked.
"Shin… getsu…" A black aura exploded from Mitsuki and was about to consume Artemis when the hilt of Artemis's bowie knife, Phoebe, struck her in the side of the head.
Mitsuki fell to the ground. Her vision began to fade as she reached for the Moon Goddess's boots.
"A… ni… ki…" she whispered before passing out.
Mii-chan…
"Aniki!"
Mitsuki sat up. Sweat poured from her temples as she panted heavily. Her vision adjusted and became acclimated to her surroundings. Mitsuki noticed she was no longer in the forest. She was in the infirmary, lying in a hospital bed. There were several bandages wrapped around her arms and head.
"Where-" she winced as she leaned forward, feeling some pain in her side.
"Mii!"
The curtains opened and Mitsuki saw her mother lunge at her. She felt her mother wrap her arms gently around her, pulling her into a hug.
"M- Mom?" Mitsuki said.
Elaina pulled away from the hug and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "How are you? Are you still in pain? Can you breathe properly? Do you need me to express ship some Phenex tears by blackmailing Razia?"
"Huh? Blackmail Lady Phenex? Mom, I'm fine. Just some afterpain from the fight," Mitsuki said, holding her side.
"Are you sure you don't need me to get the doctor? You might have something broken inside-"
"Give the girl a rest, Lani. You're stressing her out enough already," a male voice said.
"Dad?" Mitsuki saw her father walking up to her mother with a toothpick in his mouth.
"How ya feelin', kiddo?" Katsuki asked.
"I've… I've certainly felt better," she replied. A bitter smile spread over her face as memories came rushing back to her. Mitsuki looked toward her mother with a look of nervousness and anticipation. "Mom, the test. Lord Hephaestus, did he…?"
"I got enough."
Mitsuki turned her head to see Hephaestus walking up to her bed. He flashed her a smile. Her eyes flitted over to Artemis, who stood next to him.
"Ironically, the best of the best was when Arty had to go restrain you from ripping those demigods apart," Hephaestus said.
"Rip… apart? Lady Artemis? Restrain?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"You don't remember?" Artemis asked.
Mitsuki tightened her grip around her covers and shook her head.
"It's only natural," Elaina said, standing up. "Your Qliphoth Mode is incomplete. You haven't mastered it yet so I wouldn't be surprised if your head's ability to recall memories from when you were in that was insufficient."
"I… lost control?" Mitsuki asked.
"Mmm. I guess that's something we have to add to your little list, don't we?" Elaina said.
Mitsuki nodded, looking down at her blankets. The Qliphoth Mode. A form she temporarily achieved during their battle against the Lord of Hunger. And it was a form she had been incapable of achieving naturally since then. She had made multiple attempts to try and do it with all ending in either failure or her losing control and going on a rampage.
Mitsuki let out a sigh.
"Don't worry, Mii-chan. Your Mom and I are gonna begin whipping you into shape so don't look so glum! We can start after you get back on your feet-"
Katsuki was silenced as Elaina drove her elbow into his gut, causing him to double over.
"Mii, no heavy training until I can blackmail Razia, 'kay?" Elaina said.
"R-Right! About the data! Did I pass the test? Are you going to upgrade Yorihime?" she asked, nodding vigorously.
"Kid, this was never about you passing or failing. All you needed to do was fight like your life depended on it so I can get data to make a weapon that fits you so yeah, I'm going to upgrade it," he replied.
"R- Really? You'll fix her and make her better?" she asked.
Hephaestus pulled Yorihime out of a storage circle. "Hmm. A trigger mechanism on the sheath. A little on the nose with your references there, huh?"
"W- What? I really like the series," Mitsuki said. "So…?"
"So?" Hephaestus asked.
"Can I-"
"Yes, I'll keep the trigger sheath. I liked it. It's an innovative design. I gotta hand it to you, Elaina. Getting this on must have been one hell of a trial and error," Hephaestus said, running his hand over the scabbard.
"It wasn't that hard once I figure out how to finetune the mechanics and not have it shoot halfway across the room," she replied.
"So how long?" Mitsuki asked.
"About… a week? Maybe two?" Hephaestus said. "I'm kind of limited in my access to some special metals I'll need, considering my… current situation."
Artemis gripped her skirt tightly.
"It's okay, Arty. I've… gotten over it," Hephaestus said.
Mitsuki looked between the two in confusion. However, she refrained from asking a question after getting a look from her mother.
"Anyway, even with Blacklight's resources, the earliest I can get you is a week. Some metals I need to mix into the alloy are in different realms so I need to have some people run errands for me. But the two main metals I need to get… well, one is heavily guarded on the outskirts of Mount Olympus, and the other… I need to ask someone to get for me," Hephaestus said.
"Alright…?" Mitsuki said.
"So the earliest is a week. The latest would be three weeks," he said. "So you gotta make do with a generalized magitech weapon for now."
"Mmm…" Mitsuki gulped. The idea of being separated from her beloved katana was unthinkable but Yorihime needed to be fixed and upgraded.
After a few seconds of contemplation, Mitsuki gave in. "F- Fine, you can keep Yorihime. But don't you do anything weird to her! Yorihime's been my partner since I became a full fledged agent!"
"Ahahaha!" Hephaestus let out a hearty laugh. He wiped a tear from his eye. "Me? Do something weird? Who do you take me for?"
"I mean… you did throw me to my death so…," Mitsuki mumbled.
"But enough about that. I'll mail your sword to you in a bit, kid," Hephaestus said.
Mitsuki watched as Hephaestus and Artemis left the infirmary, leaving her with her parents. She leaned against the head of the bed and sighed.
"What's wrong, kiddo? You miss her already?" Katsuki asked.
"I do but… I'm still weak," she said. "I need to get stronger. I need to get stronger for Aniki. I…"
I'll break that deal. No matter what it takes, Aniki!
Mitsuki clenched her fists so tightly that it caused blood to trickle down her palm. She looked up at her parents with a resolute look on her face.
"Mom, Dad, when we get back, bump up my training!"
Katsuki and Elaina exchanged worried glances before turning to their daughter.
"Mii-chan, why are you-"
"I won't let them… I won't let him. I won't let him die," Mitsuki said. "Mom, Dad… please. I can't let him die…"
Katsuki closed his eyes while Elaina's worry increased. Elaina was the first to break the silence.
"Fine, we'll help you but promise me. Promise me that no matter what happens, you won't rush into the same predicament as Issei did," Elaina said.
"Mom-"
"Promise me! I already lost you once… and losing Issei too, I can't lose another child," she said.
Mitsuki clenched her jaw and felt guilt gnawing at her heart. Issei's deal. Her parents having to deal with the grief of losing her and the pain of losing the boy they saw as a son. She couldn't even begin to imagine how her Uncle Gorou and Aunt Miki would feel. It was all her fault.
That was why she needed to right this wrong. No matter what, Mitsuki was going to free him from that deal.
"I promise," Mitsuki whispered.
Elaina frowned before realizing her daughter would not budge on the matter. She kept her mouth shut, leaning into her husband's side. Katsuki looked down at his daughter before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing.
"Kids, these days. We'll help you, Mii-chan," Katsuki said.
"Thanks, Mom. Dad. Let's go home," Mitsuki replied with a sincere smile on her face.
"Hmm? How goes it?"
Underneath a stormy sky, amidst the bustling of an unaware city, and in the ruins of an old estate, there sat numerous corpses strewn across the ground. The koi pond was stained red from blood and the various statues were soaked in the crimson life essence. Inside the manor's main house, statues of various figures were broken and several religious artifacts and texts had been defiled by the presence of corpses and bits of their organs.
"Yes, Levi. How is your assignment in Hong Kong?"
Leviathan smiled as she crossed her legs. The chair underneath her trembled and cursed silently, feeling humiliation coursing through his body.
"Well, Big Sis. It's the same as it was over there in Seoul. A big fat loss… for them of course," Leviathan said, checking her nails for dirt.
"I told you not to escalate the situation."
"Heh? But they attacked me first! All of these… cultivator martial artists and their fancy sect names. I managed to get a few though but it was just this one that managed to piss me off so badly. Them and their God."
Leviathan looked disdainfully at the man she sat on. The man glared at her with tears of humiliation and defeat in his eyes. His robes which were once green and ornate were now stained in the blood and guts of his followers.
"Cangdi or whatever his followers called him," she said.
"...How many did you recruit exactly?"
"Well, I got the ones Ruby-chan hadn't wiped off the face of the Earth yet. There are just a few big wig clans that… aren't complying," she said.
"Fine. Finish there and return to the main building."
"Can I… do what I did in Seoul and New York?" Leviathan asked.
"Don't take too long, Leviathan. Ruby can't cover up for you forever."
The call cut off and Leviathan smiled. She looked down at Cangdi before getting off and kicking him across the floor.
"You… damn demon. Do you think you'll get away with this?" Cangdi said, gripping his side as he pulled himself up.
"Get away with it? I already have but… since I have you as a captive audience, I might as well tell you something," Leviathan said, squatting in front of him.
Cangdi stiffened as her poisonous yellow eyes looked into his own.
"This city… is rife with envy. Students in school humiliate, bully, and torture those they feel jealous of into suicide. Jealous partners cheat and kill their supposed loved ones over their own insecurities. People will trample upon each other just for that feeling of superiority… to get rid of that feeling of inferiority… of jealousy of others that have what they don't have," she said.
"This place is the same… as Seoul… as New York… as everywhere, be they God, monster, or human," Leviathan said.
"W- What are you trying to get at?" Cangdi said.
"Envy… is one of the driving forces that push all forms of life. It pushes them to covet. To steal. To betray. And to murder. This world is steeped in such sin so I don't get it. Why reject the idea of paradise?" Leviathan asked.
"A paradise born of the blood of others is no paradise worth pursuing," Cangdi said.
Leviathan blinked before laughing. "Ahahaha! I never took a god to be such an idealist… hah. Or are you ignorant to how you Gods became the top of this world? A world you built on blood. Hehehe, when those lower than you want to replace your shitty system with something new, you call it evil. Just like how our mother was called evil by the other gods long ago… for pursuing what she believed was right."
The storm above them grew stronger and the winds began to rip apart the building as lightning crashed down across all of Hong Kong. The waves battered the shoreline, capsizing anchored boats along the way.
"To pursue Paradise… an unattainable utopia possessed by others, that is the ultimate form of Envy."
With that, she snapped her fingers, and all of Hong Kong was engulfed in a brilliant white light.
Welcome to the first chapter of this two-chapter release for Volume II, Arc I of Til Midni- I mean, the Doomsday Option. If you haven't already noticed, the title of the chapter is a reference to the old TM countdowns where we had a x hours til midnight counter. Of course, these will return every so often in certain chapters. Why two chapters you ask? Well, I did two to begin establishing this arc aka what is supposed to be the Loki arc in canon with some twists and turns. New villains and more insight into Issei's abilities all ending with... well, you'll find out. Anyway, I'll say more at the end of the second chapter as to what you can expect for the rest of the arc volumes.