I thank you all for reading this FF up to now, it's been a hard year for me but luckily I've passed my Medical Residency Interview to General Surgery so I'm now a PGY-1 :D. I won't be able to update any of my stories as I would usually do due to my tight schedule and having to study, but I at least promise a yearly update of those FFs that are relevant to me in a personal level. First of all Thanks to FaiyaMyst for Beta-Reading me up now. It has been a massive help to this huge project, please go to the channel and seek out; If at first I don't succeed... on Sofia the First's fandom. The story's rad and a breath of fresh air.

The world stops for Nobody, not even for our perturbed protagonist. Diodora Astaroth faces a hard choice, the choice we all must take; Would you be selfish? Or would you for once give?
"Cao Cao is willing to set the world on fire for the sake of my revenge... And the only one that can stop such tragedy is me"

'Should've used the boots.' She groaned, her thoughts being regarding the steep narrow rocky hills she had to climb. When she asked for directions to the Astaroth Castle she was given a general route, however, the road itself had been abandoned for decades and it was in a massive state of disrepair. At times monsters lurked at night on the road. As she went forward, her path stopped to reveal a twisted road so slim only a single person could pass through, and it was ascending like stairs.

The Treacherous Twist

The inhospitable road to the Astaroth Castle, a natural defense against any invading army, a true castle standing atop a very steep hill. Underneath the road, her eyes only saw the abyss of darkness, a fall that would destroy anyone. With a calm exhalation, she braced through the winding path, panting as time went on.

'I don't remember it being like this.' Her brow furrowed and her eyes shifted to a concerned gaze. What happened to her Master?

By the time the treacherous twist's path ended, she managed to finally land on a barely-maintained road that went through a dense dark forest. Going through, she found her first topple, it was a puzzle and apparently, the bridge had to pick a path depending on what she would choose. Choosing the path on the left, she went through. And for the next hours, she had to resist the urge to scream in frustration as she had to go through the forest's puzzle. It seems that somewhere along the way her beloved master Diodora Astaroth had developed a sense of humor.

With her legs almost jelly, she stood triumphantly before the gates of the Astaroth Castle, by a far-off column was an intercom speaker with a doorbell. Pressing the button, her heart skipped a beat waiting to hear her master's loving voice. Her cheeks flushed with a light pink blush, her lips so instinctively curling up in a light smile, and her eyes bright with affection and admiration. Yet her heart thrummed in anticipation which made her lower lips tremble at each beat of her heart.

Name and Motives...

Not unexpected. Her master would've been on edge after his death at the hands of the gremory, she is an ally.

"I'm Dio..." She hesitated at first. What if her master had no memories? What if others knew not of her and chose to hide the secret he was reborn? Revealing herself as her master's queen would jeopardize her goal.

'I have to be cleverer if I'm to survive this time.' She thought and opened her mouth.

"I willfully offer all of myself to serve the interests, ambitions, and devil lusts of master Diodora Astaroth." She called out to which on the other side of the intercom was received by silence. She is going to be Diodora's queen, no matter what.

/(SCENE CHANGE)/

The Crimson Titania POV

'I shouldn't have taken this assignment.' Erza grunted in her thoughts as she looked underneath the sun's glare on the ship and the open sea. It reminded her of when they navigated to the Alvarez Empire to save Makarov.

"Teach me."

She raised her eyebrow in amusement, was the boy aware of who was he asked training to? Erza Scarlet, 7th Guildmaster of Fairy Tail and the Crimson Titania. Sorcerer Ranked Mage and the best Spellsword of all the Magician Faction. Defeater of the Alvarez Navy, daughter of a Dragon Queen. She took time to stare into the boy's eyes, she was right there in the moment the kid's anger shouted at the silver-haired woman, she listened albeit those weren't affairs related to her therefore she ignored them. Yet she could see in the boy's eyes a resentment, as a gust of wind revealed the boy's hood, her eyes saw it clearer than just glowering orbs in dark crevices.

"How old are you boy?" She asked with her eyes narrowed as he shrugged.

"Twelve."

She repressed the urge to whistle in surprise. As they made their way to a safe space, the crew members also made space for them to unwind.

"Then come at me with the intent to kill." She took hold of her sword and ran towards the boy to do the first cut. By the time she did so, she swung her sword from upward left to downward right. Swinging at nothing, she felt the air behind her as her lips curled up. She leaned her body away from two fingers that almost struck her body, taking hold of the second hand that almost got her sword arm, the boy widened his eyes as she headbutted her enemy's face, right on the nose.

*Gasp*

"Too predictable." She grunted. 'Perhaps I should hold back.' Erza grunted as the kid attempted once more to get near her, swinging her sword.

Her opponent sidestepped and she evaded to the side, only to widen her eyes in surprise at the feint to the right, when the left-hand stroke underneath her neck, but still the neck nonetheless. Her body was paralyzed and her sword arm fell. A sensation akin to a hundred ants traveling up her arm as it didn't answer her command to swing and attack. Turning her eyes, gone were the purple orbs, and instead, hellish nightmarish crimson-red eyes glared back at her. Akin to a curse laid upon her forever. Her body was paralyzed and not moving. The boy had a bleeding nose.

What was that!?

"You're underestimating me due to my age." The devil frowned as her ears rang.

*BOOM*

She didn't know when she was gazing at him and then so suddenly at the clear sky. Just what had happened?

*Cough* *Cough* She coughed the breath held in her chest as she got up, feeling angrier and swindled by such an easy defeat and frustrated by her body so suddenly growing paralyzed. What was that? What were those eyes? Touching her Heart Kreuz Armor's chest plate. It had a hole in its center where her heart was; grunting as she got up she frowned. Sometimes her armor has dented, pierced, and even suffered a casual burn. Her base armor meant the prime of her base form, and now it's been pierced and decimated. Which meant that the boy was more powerful than she thought. Her fists tightened. There was potential there, not even to the level of her Guildmates, a lucky shot. Nonetheless, the kiddie gloves were removed, and he pierced her armor.

'He made me fall…he controlled my body…just one single gaze.' Erza thought as her eyes widened, realizing the illusion she'd been placed in. 'Eye-sight oriented illusions. Should've seen it.' Erza narrowed her gaze to the floor, it was blurry and it swayed with her disorientation. From the gaping hole in her armor, there was no smoke, so it wasn't an explosion. Her eyes narrowed to find on his hands black dense energy, devilish…evil.

She panted with a smile. The boy was good, although there were bleeding fashes in his hand. 'He's not a fighter. Not used to at least.' She concluded. Years too early was the devil boy to get any of her friends in Fairy Tail, but anyone below them would have a hard time. Trying to move her right hand, but instead, her armored left boot lightly twitched from the toe.

'He messed with my brain. Clever fighter.' She complimented with a growl, analyzing the fighting style from head to toe to make an assessment. Closing her eyes and trying to overcome the challenge placed before her. Attempting to decipher what has caused such a situation.

'The fighting style most probably. Those strikes he does with his hands mess with the nervous system. It looks like a Dim-Mak/Tai-Chi Hybrid.' Erza scarlet narrowed her eyes. Moving her body, and limbs moving at random to her brain stimuli.

'Damn it! Move. MOVE PLEASE!' She cried out in her thoughts with fury as she tried to move her body.

It proved futile. Until one of her legs finally twitched weakly. She did more experimental movements, picking her brain as random limbs moved. Once she deciphered it, she opened her eyes and with a loud battle cry. She swung her spiked mace. Her pierced armor glowered with magical power and showed her black Purgatory Armor instead. All it takes is a single swing to kill someone-.

*CLANG*

Her sword clashed with a white bone blade. Diodora's robes were torn from the shoulder and her nose smelled the iron of blood. Nothing prepared her for the shock of feeling shackles on her ankles and left wrist, shackles with chains made out of nowhere.

"Magnetic fields." Diodora Lucyaes panted. "With grains of magnetic metal, I can create and undo anything in my pictures." With a frown, he blinked twice.

'Magnetism...electricity!' She thought closing her eyes and smashing her mace, a current of high-voltage purple lightning struck the boy. Who gasped as a minor explosion repulsed her opponent to crash his back into a set of stairs.

She gave no mercy and threw an axe in the young devil's direction.

Grunting, she felt pain on her left leg and she turned to see a thin white arrow-like projectile had stabbed her leg. With a grunt, she took it out.

*Clap* *Clap*

Both turned to meet the aged Ser Ellyldor with bright eyes. "For the first time engaging a supernatural enemy, you were splendid. My prince, you need to spar more with others. You took a beating, Miss Erza wasn't even going serious at all." The former Lucifer Kingsguard knight offered his opinion all while Erza remained tall and proud. But he felt bashful, his nose throbbed with pain as he actively held the bridge of his nose to hold blood.

More so, the cyan-haired kid's thigh was wounded. Their dedication to his survival and studies had made his battle skills rusty.

"I need to go." Excusing himself, just about to go back to the cabin.

"Who said you could go?" The red-haired female swordsman reprimanded and he bowed. Ready to learn any lessons the Titania could give.

***Diodora POV***

Sea Serpent's Nest

As the ship docked in the castle of the Leviathan in the city of Adasht, nearby. The castle was beautiful, the dock area was receiving a unique entrance to the castle, he ran through the plank and stared with awe at the gates which would lead to the inside of the nest. What secrets could it hide? What will he find? The Sea Serpent's Nest is a castle with a beautiful overlook to the bay of Adasht, the Leviathan Sea was of a beautiful crystalline blue color, pure water, and able to be drank if one wished to do so. Untouched by anything, the protective wards of the First Leviathan were still as strong as the first time they were placed. This castle, in the very heart of the land, in the very center, as he watched the immense castle from afar, he could feel it in his skin. Tingling, with a smile he took a deep breath, of pure clean air.

"It's beautiful." He said breathlessly as he glanced at the castle. The castle had a tall light-house connecting the lighthouse and the castle was a beautiful bridge with an arc that supported the castle. Built upon a beautiful hill that reflected the light of the sun, on the deeper lands he could see the tall mountain with a snowy peak which was an active volcano constantly fuming light smoke into the clouds. Behind on the ships already Ser Ellyldor and the retinue of two serpent-folk guards escorted Grayfia Lucifudge in chains and shackles under very careful watch.

Lucyaes however chose to stare at it from afar. Choosing to not wear the hood of his black robes, he could only stare at the Leviathan Castle, he could feel it in his soul. A tug, a tug of the warmth of home. A warmth that he hasn't felt in a long, long time.

"Are you well?" A voice interrupted him and he turned to meet the red-haired female knight whose gaze was upon him. She had no surprise in her eyes whatsoever. Turning back, the castle's gates remained closed and no one could open them. He contemplated as he rubbed his right shoulder bashfully, where only a day ago he was gripped with strength by Heracles. Threatening his loyalty to the Hero Faction.

"...Master." He addressed his new teacher, who turned the gaze at him. Staring right at her brown eyes before turning back to the gates. "Have you ever felt trapped? Wanting to escape but being afraid of doing so?" Diodora inquired to the female knight who remained with a poker-faced expression yet her eyes softened mildly turning back in the direction of the castle.

There was silence at first.

"I did." His teacher's firm even voice replied without betraying the emotions that may be contained in what was said. There was a weight in such words, a history in them.

"How?" He closed his eyes and turned towards the female knight as a gust of lightly billowed her red hair.

"My friends, my guildmates of Fairy Tail. The power of Friendship can usher even the most impossible of miracles in the most needed moments." Her brown eyes stared back at him and he lightly smiled, if only he had any friends.

"If only I had friends." He told disappointingly and shook his head bitterly, how much of a loser can one be than a friendless loser enslaved to a god-complexed nihilistic anarchic leader.

"This is your first step, as I had mine. All it takes is beating that fear."

Erza Scarlet went back to the ship, ignoring him all as he stared at the Sea Serpent Nest's castle. A first step in his life?

Hope where there's none.

~Could I be redeemed?~ He thought and stared at his hands, balling them into fists he rose he rose his head once more and stared at the castle. ~Why do I have to change for the world for things to go better?~ He asked bitterly, glaring at the floor with anger in the depths of his heart.

~Where is justice for me? For the life I lost.~ He bit his lower lip and raised his hands slowly, glaring at them.

~Cao Cao is willing to set the world on fire for the sake of my revenge... And the only one that can stop such tragedy is me.~ Once again the world forces him to make a choice that would affect so many.

~I don't need to make a choice. Let others act, this is my story, and my purpose is revenge against Serafall. That's all that matters to me.~

The main gate to the castle had a beautiful stairway made of polished rock and the surface of the very place the castle was structured. This place had so much history, it was here where the first death of the Dance of Kings occurred, it was also in this place where his Leviathan ancestor Gaergoroth was raised. He didn't even have a chance to breathe in the castle's air as his chest ached.

"Argh." He protested as his knees went to the floor in weakness.

"My prince." Ser Ellyldor's concerned cry echoed through the place, rushing towards him. Erza did so too as he tried to breathe. Air.

"Your hair." His teacher toned with moderation as silence filled everyone and shock coursed through his body.

"My...hair?" He questioned, taking a breath...trying to in the heaviness of his body. As she summoned her sword and turned it, so he could see his face on the edge. Platinum Silver-colored hair was seen on his hair, his cyan green gone. Lucyaes' head hung, now he lost the only thing that could've made him an Astaroth since they all had a green shade of hair. Slowly getting up, in silence he basked in the lonely and dreary atmosphere of the castle. As the gates slowly creaked open, letting on their wake the sight of what awaited inside. So dark and lonely, melancholic, prone to be fed and basked in the shadows of the sun, as if trying to hide.

How can a place so old, understand him so? He remembered this humid yet fresh climate of being so near the sea, it was so like London. Diodora ascended the stairs first and as he did so slowly ancient sigils started to glower on the stairs as he ascended, all those with a bright gold-orange color as it pulsed. On the background of his ears, he could swear he heard the roars of the monster lords of the seas. As If perhaps a glorious or victorious in their call. He took the first step inside the castle, the walls were of a dark color and in them, there was a heavy history, the outer yard was big and wide mostly abandoned, to his left close to the wall was a big tree which brought shade from any harsh sun its roots feeding from the very sea. Approaching the tree, he stared at it, the tree bark had something written.

GxM

He took a deep breath and he felt it, as if he was taken far into the past. As he turned around, he could see a Silver-haired man with blue eyes and dressed in dark-black armor with no helmet standing before the tree. His right hand on the tree's bark by his hand's sight a slimmer yet firm hand also was close to the tree. A blond-haired woman with crimson red eyes stared deep blue eyes of the man taller than her. On her left eyelids, there was a minimal scar. On the silver-haired man's head a crown, one adorned with jewels and with bladed spikes on it also so close yet simply caressing the hair and his scalp. The man's face was adorned with a minimal-trimmed beard and a lightly curved mustache. His face is framed by round-rimmed glasses. He took a step back in shock, the union that caused the Dance of Kings. The one that bathed the realm in fire; the one moment where the four royal houses of the underworld were led to their downfall. He easily recognized them, the crowned man with silver hair was his Great-Grandfather King Lucifer, in his graceful appearance although he seemed wiser and calm, relaxed.

It was always the same as all stories, a love; so pure and without any stain. The most beautiful and helpful reprieve of the heart. Who would think that their faces would be the last refuge before the inevitable end that comes to all?

He retracted his hand and turned to see Ser Ellyldor and Erza both staring at him expectantly, he smiled melancholic.

"They all swore their love before this tree. My ancestors." He told with mild bitterness as his face was stricken with melancholic sadness. Can hope be truly born out of something as bitter as ashes? Feeling as if he missed something he never knew existed and now that he was aware it existed, he knew not why but he missed it. Was this the true destiny of love? To end up corroded by time or end too soon when it's just too pure to be corroded? Why must love to be so tragic and hurt?

"Is this what true love is destined to have? Corrosion by time or death when it's just too pure to be corroded?" He wondered out loud with no answer to his question given.

What could they say? Life is more than just black and white, it is made of so many colors that eventually take a more grey tint. Why would some be so easily loved? Perhaps some aren't just made for it. Love demands, that some of our souls are just too free or love being tied to things outside of love and its tenets to ever obey them.

In the eyes of his family perhaps his line is formed of bastards born out of wedlock. Heh, as if devils ever had something so formal as a wedding tradition. If such a thing was real in this side of existence, then his Great-Grandmother might as well be the legitimate Queen since King Lucifer barely had any affairs after getting involved with her.

~Such a union caused my birth.~ He mused with a bitter smile. =Rebirth.= He had to agree with his subconscious, his birth. An event that perhaps defied all notions of logic inside an already established universe; altered the events completely, as if perhaps the stars or something greater aligned and caused events in history to happen the way they did for him to be born and survive.

To be here today in these very walls; dreary, dark, and lonely. In the canon, these properties were beyond abandoned, and these territories were left to their luck; these people waited for a prince, for someone to swear their loyalty to. Someone with a vision of the future to lead them. The Sea Serpent Nest's throne had a beautiful design, the throne's stairs were two flights of three stairs each. The throne had the sitting section made of a clamshell's bottom part, the edge of the bottom clamshell meeting with the knees for a firm sitting position. The back was formed and the top had a shade-like disk conformation that ended atop the ruler, the sentient throne accommodating to the height of the ruler. Atop it adorning its sides were feathers with algae and plankton masses coiling around them and atop it a curved crown-like formation that gave it an otherworldly sentient and elegant look. Sitting on the Sea Serpent's throne is the silver-haired Astaroth Family's heir who breathed in and out. The Pirates were restocking supplies from what they could find, Strawbeard was just having his noodle-eating time in the cabin, Ser Ellyldor explored the halls of the castle aimlessly and Erza chose to admire the garden that the castle had. By his lonesome, he went into the insides of his robes and took out the envelope he was given by Heracles.

~Time to see if you were joking or not.~ He snorted in his thoughts as he undid the seal and finally lifted the lid of the envelope, to his surprise were many folders. He took the first one.

Проект Иван МК II (Proect Ivan M.K II)

The front page was the detailed drawing of a thermonuclear bomb, it had the official Kremlin seals and everything up to order. Which made him sweat nervously.

~How did you get away with this?~ He thought tensed and continued to read the specifics of Project Ivan, which was an experimental 55-megaton thermonuclear bomb.

The strongest of its models and the kind created by Russian hands. The classified documents, as shattering as they were, were still as harmless as any other document. Until something heavy shifted inside the envelope. Frowning, he took it out and he took hold of a CD and inside it was a tiny piece of paper which had a magical circle. His face frowned, no doubt this went deeper than just Cao Cao or the leader managed to get himself some help. Either way, he'll get the mystery out.

~Nuclear bombs would be useless against the Supernatural, yet one thing is to just use sacred gears and men to terrorize others, and another one is bringing nuclear bombs and all their potential into the mix.~ And knowing Cao Cao, the corroded hero would do anything to make it serious enough to be noticeable.

"We have found a suitable prison for Sirzechs' queen." Ser Ellyldor's voice made him shove everything inside the envelope once more and get up from the throne. His heart beating against his chest. While it was loathful to hide secrets, this one had to be hidden. Until he could discern what had Cao Cao planned. Taking a breath, his lips curled up. Having Grayfia as a hostage is an advantage and a disadvantage, he cannot be too complacent with the new position on the strategic board.

"Let's see if we're being good hosts." With a grin he followed Ser Ellyldor who led him to the tunnels of the castle which led him to the dungeons of the castle, through intricate passages of hallways and stairways, rooms got progressively darker and the light of the sun was gone. The eerie silence awakened soon a creeping nigh-silent tone of a high-pitched sound which was made to slowly turn prisoners mad, a psychological torture. The sound of their steps echoed on the walls, once all turned dark, a magical candlelight cast by Ser Ellyldor provided the only light to the dungeons. Once a barred metallic door was opened, the sharp sound of metal being moved screeched, which revealed a woman whose back leaned to the rocky wall.

"Have you reconsidered the veracity of your references in Devil Civil War bibliography Lady Grayfia?" He asked the woman who snorted and spoke.

"You don't know what you're doing boy. You still have time to turn back from what you're doing. You'll cause the ruin of your household." The bars divided them, yet he could feel the woman's intense stare at him. Grayfia's stare was one of doom and almost pleading.

"Are we any better now? King Sirzechs will bring the end of our Race and my Family."

The woman stared at him incredulously.

"You are a few years older than Millicas. Would you ditch the peace and your position in favor of following the Old Satan Faction?" The female devil stared right through his eyes, yet pleading and almost as if giving up on her fate or perhaps, pitying him for what he was doing.

"Would you be against us all? Would you pin your power against your Faction, Your race? Would you be willing to be our enemy when you already know what has happened to all of them?" Grayfia Lucifudge leered at him as he closed his eyes and smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

"We'll just have to see, don't we? You lost your advantage and now you're my hostage." He smirked with confidence, perhaps having the woman as a leverage would be of benefit in the future. As the cell was opened, he stepped inside to face the woman once more and gazed at the conditions inside the cell. The sentience of the castle itself caused the woman's chains to be tightened and thus was brought back butt-to-floor, a grunt was all the reply he got.

"Is it wrong to wish for peace?" Grayfia trailed off with sadness, he raised an eyebrow at the woman. The gall of the silver-haired woman to say it, was he too cautious and afraid of the carelessness of others. He could only shake his head. Approaching the woman he lightly angled his head downward to stare at such intense eyes, the female devil had her head hung.

"No, but it is wrong to aid a false peace. Hard times raise hard men, hard men raise good times and good times raise weak men." He replied cryptically at the maid's desire for peace because there can be no peace as long as there is no justice. He turned around and was about to close the cell.

" Please." Grayfia pleaded.

"I only want to see my family again. Whatever you want, we can give it to you." The Gremory Family's maid pleaded and he gripped the cell door and barely repressed the anger that coursed through his veins.

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can offer me, Lady Grayfia."

Diodora turned away from the presence of Sirzechs' ex-wife and left her in chains to rot in a cell in the confines of the castle he had now taken. His ancestry proved to be once more valuable for obtaining a boon he never thought he'd obtain. An empty lifeless castle with dust accumulated in it for a thousand years, the fact the maid has fallen in the trap and the effort of his temporary allies caused this result.

A delicious boon indeed.

~I can't grow too confident, I should go to Kuoh and assess the situation at least once.~ The last thing he wanted was to anger Cao Cao for not doing his duties to the Hero Faction. ~Being in the Hero Faction is better than the Old Satan Faction anyway.~ With a shrug he dusted his black robes and tugged on his hood to hide inside its depths even further. Emerging from the dungeon's deepest crevices, to be once more in the Throne Room. Revealing his face, being in between trusted associates unaware of his situation.

"Ser Ellyldor. I will need you to look after our prisoner?" He asked as politely as he could without sounding condescending or overly irritating as most devil nobles. His eyes danced over the man's surprised face.

"B-but I have to protect you, my prince." The man stuttered at first before delivering a firm answer, and he felt elated. That a man of such honor wished to keep him protected. Yet, in the dark world, he crawls the intricate web he has now created. Shaking his head and lightly bowed.

"I apologize if you feel slighted Ser. But I'm not ready for this all." Being honest about being overwhelmed by everything. He was just a dispossessed boy, retrieved from his family, who had to beg for meager scraps and who landed on Cao Cao's group only by chance and through a miracle, his research led him to this place and the briefest and happiest memory of his life.

"Will you ever have time to get ready my Prince?" The knight's direct stern gaze to Diodora's eyes spoke volumes of the man's determination to get him to occupy his duties and sit on the throne. A throne he felt undeserved for. A throne he was not worthy of, instead he turned to the big gates afar and he could only think about his problems. Of the Khaos Brigade and the envelope that threatened to bring deathly flames to an already destructive scenario. Things would've been different if his Father were here, if his parents would take their duties instead of running off from them; if Monsieur Allairo or Trisha's advice could be heard.

But he had nothing of those commodities, he was all alone with no allies, and where everyone had their agenda.

"Please." He pleaded turning back to the experienced elven knight who faltered in resolve, the man's eyes softened.

"Then at least take Lady Erza with you. I would feel safer if you had a blade by your side."

He turned his eyes away from Ser Ellyldor's gaze, shook his head, and turned to the Red-haired knight who raised an eyebrow at the experienced knight's statement. "Lady Erza has duties to her guild Ser Ellyldor. We've bothered her enough as it is." He told the next excuse he could find, can't the knight get the fact that he cannot be seen with anyone at the moment or he'll be a dead man? Using a magical circle, on the floor appeared a heavy duffel bag and he took hold of the hoops to carry it.

"For the services, plus compensation." The Shocked female swordsman took hold of the duffel bag, her eyes surprised as she nodded.

"I thank you for choosing my Guild. Know that we are always welcome to customers." Erza Scarlet's practiced business tone took over and with a light bow out of modesty and education to the young boy. The Titania got ready to make the trip back home to the human realm.

"A handshake my Prince, you at least owe Lady Erza that." The man insisted which made him shrug, and he lightly raised his right arm ready to grip the female's hand, once both shook hands and gripped each other's hand with moderate strength. Ser Ellyldor's hands cupped both of theirs as Diodora felt a tug on his magic and he could see on the edge of the man's palm his very magical circle now marked on the right hand of the Red Haired female.

~What are you planning Ser Ellyldor?~ He frowned at the man's insistence to be pampered and watched. But alas he narrowed his eyes at the magical circle that disappeared into the female's hand. He knew that some devils marked their evil pieces to have them always located and teleported in case of emergency, but that magical circle wasn't it. With a single nod as a goodbye, the Red Haired Female swordsman left the premises and so did the ship on the shore of the Sea Serpent's Nest.

***(SCENE CHANGE)***

For the rest of the day, he emptied his shop and living place in his new household in the city of Kuoh, Japan. On the first floor, he established a Computer Hardware Shop and a tiny Net Café with only three computers. Yet, the most interesting was on the back of the maintenance door. Where he just copied his lab in Cao Cao's manor and brought it to the human realm.

Through the maintenance door, he established his in a big wide room his laboratory, copying the same design he had on the hero faction's headquarters. Once more when the humming of machinery was all the noise that filled the room, he knew he could be ready to continue his endeavors not bothered. Wearing goggles above his normal glasses a green neon light glowered dimly as system text appeared near the rim of the goggles.

Astaroth Electronics: System A.S.

…

Access successful.

Touching the upper rim of the right with his right hand's index finger and slowly sliding it to the right, he obtained a maximized view of both of his eyes. Taking his tools, once more he uncapped the crystal orb containing Ser Crowley's intelligence and core before he once more started to work. Discarding the tools he turned to his laptop once more.

System64C-boot/D

As he pressed another command.

Through the USB output, a device was attached to the laptop, the device was an orb-like component which had an optic camera-like attachment atop it. As the device glowered alight with electronic power glowering a dim blue, laser lights started to form a holographic projection which slowly formed a map of Kuoh Town. Using his talent for manipulating magical magnetic fields, he managed to use magical metals such as underworld titanium which had a moderate rate of magnetism to build micro-sizes nanorobots that can work to obtain data. Akin to an image composed of many different pixels, the same happened with each nanorobot the size of a sand grain, imperceptible to the eye but with destructive potential.

Getting up, his goggles showed him a Heads Up Display with many key locations.

"Fateor absconditum." (Reveal your Secrets) He outstretched his arms and opened his palms atop the map as it slowly revealed the areas of interest, soon it revealed a virtual simulated appearance of Kuoh Academy and the church. Territory in which his nanites couldn't get it but that didn't mean a single inspection of the zone didn't garner him now a full map of the area he was supposed to work with.

As a magical circle appeared underneath the map, dimly glowering, slowly dots of different colors started to glower. His goggles though showed even more data, each dot had a name and a surname, actual skill-level rank, and allegiance. Aside from the dots that moved at the school, he dared to say there was not anything out of the usual. With a shrug, he turned away from the map and chose to open the folder and check the disk that Cao Cao granted him. Channeling magic to the tiny slip of paper, it revealed another brown envelope, opening it gently. Finally, revealing a harrowing title.

Project Prometheus

My loyal associates, before we can fight the war. The time has come for you to be enlightened on our operation Prometheus. The final transformation of our planet and the recuperation of our species sovereignty. The Capitalist, Socialist, Communist, and Fascist governments were predestined to fail in their efforts of globalization, and in the defense of humanity against the breach and contamination of our human soil with the dirty presence of the Supernatural Beings on our sacred turfs. The answer is sublimely simple; a "systemic corporate takeover" by The Hero Faction on a worldwide scale. No more national boundaries, no more grasping individuals who make the top 1% with happy lives, no more hard-working low-middle class who cannot even buy a home for their family, but continent-wide regions of agriculture, industry, energy production, and research. Quarreling governments will be assaulted by the power of our Sacred Gear-using Army and be replaced with a single Parliament made of Sacred Gear-Using Leaders members of the Inner Circle. Of course, our "New Order" will be resisted. But we have obtained the ultimate leverage, our Quasar Missiles mounted on our island's grottoes, and controlled from an unassailable command center, "The International Space Station".

Unfortunately, our plan's security has been temporarily breached. Vali Lucifer and his team are confirmed traitors and associates to the sworn enemies of humanity; Rias Gremory and Issei Hyoudou; therefore I've advanced our plan's schedule. All Project Prometheus Crews and Combat Units are to report to their superiors at once and prepare for attack. Operation Prometheus has begun.

He widened his eyes in shock, this plan was insane. ~Quasars!?~ He thought at the implications the name spoke, Quasars were named after extremely luminous active galactic nuclei overpowered by supermassive black holes with millions of solar masses surrounded by accreditation discs. In short, the totalitarian equivalent of a destructive weapon.

The only way he could've obtained such weapons was if he stole nuclear warheads and experimented with them. ~He Has the resources.~ He thought with a frown.

The Hero Faction's leader is secretive about the elements of the group, with many members at call. Leaning his back to the chair, he closed his eyes. ~I must know what they do.~ Exasperation filled his chest, reading the specifics of Project Ivan once more, he went to the disk and placed it on the CD reader.

It showed a single .EXE file.

Clicking on it, his laptop screen turned black before it showed a background with numerous videos, all of them different bombing simulations.

EASTKYOTO . avi

INDIA . mp4

WASHINGTON . avi

BUCKINGHAM . mp4

The titles were endless and each was more harrowing than the last, he went to the first video which showed the main temple of the Eastern Kyoto Yokai Faction's territory. At first, the video was black and it showed the image of a Nuclear Warhead, nothing outside of it from a common one. It was however when it dissected its common outer appearance that it truly turned into a nightmare fuel. Condensed Magical Energy A on a far section of the bomb and Condensed Magical Energy B, then it showed a disc. Supercharged Dimensional Gap Hole ═ Condensed Supermassive Black Hole. Then both energies rotated creating a disk and shaping it into a Niels Bohr atomic model shape. As Energy A and B dangerously energized the black hole disc around the two centers of energy, they rotated at light speed.

Condensed Magical Energy.

Magically Negative Electric Pulse

He gasped as he saw the text explaining further the traspolation of Atomic Bombs into Quasar Magical Nuclear Bombs. The moment the bomb is in the air and near its target, this process, any magical energies are effectively blocked, distorted, and ineffective. By the time the bomb expanded with magical energy, it showed an explosion.

Magical Radiation + Quasar Radiation + Supercharged Gravitons

He looked to the side of the video, to the foot of the page.

The Holy See

Vatican, Rome

Turning back to the video, he gulped.

Simulation Rate: 99.4%

Simulation Application: To be Determined

Further testing is needed on live objects to determine weapon application.

Result: Magical Radiation disrupts magical energies and enables a 'Magically Negative Area' creating a Null-Area. Quasar radiation has been shown to have damage to supernatural beings. Supercharged Gravitons are capable of destroying all buildings of any type of pantheon.

~How is the Church involved in all of this?~ He thought scratching the back of his head. While this weapon may be useful for magical using folks such as Norse and others, most Gods and even Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels used different sources of energy. As he went further through the videos, it showed different races being victims of this deadly weapon. Proving his theories once again erred, the manuscript detailed magic as the source of the power of these beings but effectively dissected the origin of the power of each supernatural species and thoroughly searched for vulnerabilities in them. The fact that an institution such as the Holy See was openly experimenting with equivalents to the Atomic Bomb for the supernatural was just insane. It explained how Cao Cao could've gotten this.

A pop-up window on the computer made him raise his eyebrow.

Hermitage . exe

He frowned gazing at the archive that so suddenly appeared in his download's section. Analyzing the archives in the file, he frowned as it gave him a partial read.

Size: 3.1217GB

Type: .Exe

Origins: Unknown

The Antivirus recommends discretion

With a shrug, he proceeded to execute the file with the rest of his computer very much defended against a possible threat it revealed a pop-up screen that looked to be a video and a pink-haired girl with pointy ears, with small dangle earrings that looked like a fishing lure wearing a pink and pale-green form-fitting suit with a star-shaped watch.

Ugh, where am I?

She groaned which caused him to raise an eyebrow.

Jeremie, is that you?

The female asked attempting to reach a rapport with him on the other side of the screen. As soon as the file was executed, a .txt archive followed it on the pop-up as he read.

If you read this then it means that my last resort worked, the threat of XANA has been averted but it seems that it was at a very great cost. Aelita, I'm sorry for what I was forced to do to you but there was no other way at the time nor the moment; by vanishing XANA to the Marianas of the Web, it seems the internet in its sentiency purged the remains of XANA outside of you as she was sealed forever in the deepest reaches of the web, never to ever surge again from her jail in the Marianas. I've allowed her to walk from the Closed Shell Web to the most superficial levels, maintaining her in a feigned sleep to be oblivious to the cruel nature of the world.

If you read this, then it means you've found a purified Aelita, she is a pure soul tormented by her past. Lyoko, oh…I chose to destroy it completely, spread its bits through the entirety of the internet, and use the leftover information to trap XANA in the Marianas.

My name is Jeremie Belpois and I ask of you, please…take care of her. Take care of her as I could not. That's all I ask of you.

"Jeremie's not here." He deadpanned to the female who stayed silent and looked at him. A pink eyebrow was raised at his words.

"Oh."

Was the bashful reply he got.

"He left a letter; I don't know how to."

"You can just swipe it above my screen."

With a shrug, he obeyed the oddly specific instruction. The computer program known as Aelita gasped and widened her eyes which grew moist. Tears slowly cascade down her eyes.

"Jeremie." Aelita whispered in sadness as he got up and pressed a few of the keyboard's keys, executing her application In-Private akin to a conference where you hide the background except yourself. A beeping noise brought him out of his musings. Not wishing to risk his identity, he wore the hood of his black robes and buried his face and head as far into the hood as he could.

"What is that nya?"

He could already guess who it was. Closing the lid of the laptop computer and almost placing the entirety of his body weight atop his work desk, chuckling awkwardly as the dark-haired cat-girl blinked him expectantly.

"W-what are you doing here?" He asked shaken and mildly irritated by the surprise visit. As he sat on his work desk once more. He chose to pile the documents as fast as he could.

~As if I would want someone as Kuroka to know Cao Cao's manipulating Atomic Weaponry. She won't even understand what I say anyway.~ Shrugging his shoulders, he still hid the documents. Not wanting to tempt fate and have the cat-girl steal his documents to smuggle them to Vali.

"How cruel Nya. I came to visit you of course. Aren't you excited, Nya?"

He snorted, lightly ticked off by her verbal 'Nya' call. Yet it was part of her personality, something he had to bear. How quaint for her to say that just to know more about him. Storing papers and disks, the Cat-Girl stared in awe at his holographic map of the city he lived in.

"I hardly see the motive for it." He shrugged as Kuroka pressed her finger curiously and she saw nothing happen. He absent-mindedly fiddled with Ser Crowley's hardware. The nekoshou's mischievous eyes held perhaps the craving for a prank, to be able to enjoy the time. Life wasn't made of joys, real life is only a few joys and the other portion in its majority efforts and hard work.

~More so now that Cao Cao has revealed his trump card.~ He narrowed his eyes at the stash of folded papers and disks to his right.

Duty or Death.

"Why are you with them?" He questioned the deadly cat criminal who tilted the head to the side cutely in question. He preferred having awkward sincere conversations than being on the end of the cat-girl's pranks and playful banter.

"Nyhat?" Kuroka asked.

"What did they sell to you to be part of the Khaos Brigade? What was their promise?"

He thought it was always the same in this type of place. You end up because you don't have a choice, He always wondered why Kuroka joined the Khaos Brigade, though her loyalty to Vali is superior. Issei Hyoudou, Vali Lucifer, Kuroka, everyone always held up their smiles, they laughed and enjoyed their lives. Yes, life was rough with them but at least they had good memories at first. They had to progressively struggle; they weren't fully given the load ever since birth.

Such are the injustices of life, no one is made equal after all.

In Diodora's case, he had no believable facade that could fit him. The Old Faction would've been too restrictive, the Hero Faction allowed for liberties and the luxury of privacy. Therefore, out of convenience and selfishness, he wastes his life to the megalomaniac bastard that is Cao Cao. That is how life in the world is. In the end, everyone is subservient to someone, no one is truly ever free.

"Do you see me anywhere else Nya?" The criminal nekoshou inquired with a raised eyebrow in his direction, cynical as always but honest. ~Can I trust her with my secrets?~ He thought with a frown as he hung his head.

"No, but you could do much better than this." He retorted at the cat-girl's hypocrisy. Kuroka didn't have the necklace of pseudo-slavery tied to the body as he had, nor ever experienced it. The nekoshou had someone to go home to, a little sister named Koneko who deep inside felt the absence of her elder sibling. He only has ruined buildings, and echoes whose legacies are long gone; old glories that usher only pain and sadness.

What does he go back to?

A father that won't ever wake up? A father-figure butler who tries to desperately hold to a vanished hope?

"Hmmm. I rather like it where I am Nya." Kuroka trailed off with a seductive smirk on her face, lightly loosening her kimono with a seductive lean to the nearest wall to him, showing far more cleavage of the breasts than what was normally allowed by etiquette standards of society.

~No, she doesn't. She hates it, which makes her a liar.~ He thought, and he wanted to scream at her. Scream at her hypocrisy, at her falsehood and the illusion she prefers than to take that which she has and hold it with the greatest strength of her life. What would she know? She has a living young sister still CONSCIOUS! And she prefers to waste time by being in between sleazebags, criminals, and low lives who will not be allowed to live once the heroes win.

"This is yours." From the depths of his coat, he threw towards her a USB which the cat-girl caught on instinct purely and stared at the object with fascination. He sunk his head deeper into the confines of the hood of his robes to hide himself from Kuroka's lies, her falsehoods, her hypocrisy, and the mask she wears every day.

"It's yours, you are now a blank file in their memory too. Leave this nightmare while you still can, go back to the young sister who misses you and blames herself. Go away before the flames consume you and those you love." Briskly ignoring her calls, he prepared his teleportation circle. Leaving the shocked catgirl who stayed there in shock, as the metaphorical bucket of ice-cold water was dropped atop her head. Diodora was too deep into Cao Cao's inner circle, now in between a rock and a hard place.

For the first time, the true threat to the world is right before him, and it seems he will be forced to hand out the red button. His past life's Medical oaths and vows will be stained by his dishonor. And it felt as if the very chains of those oaths and vows tugged him enough to bleed, manifested through the very dull ache of the faint scar his mother's hands left him on the neck.

~Am I evil for screaming at the world for what it took from me?~

His hurried steps were all his ears could hear, going deep into the depths of Kuoh's dark streets. His eyes analyzed the HUD of his goggles.

So, you're saying Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, and Gods exist in the world. And we never knew?

Aelita's eyes were wide with surprise, acting too quaint for someone who hid inside deep robes. Right now only his voice serves as a method of communication with the computer program. Being himself no stranger to loneliness, he found chatting at least with the pink-haired female as a way to get her to be once more a part of the world after being sealed inside the web for who knows how long. Diodora raised the goggles and removed his glasses, his indigo eyes turned into a demonic crimson red with three hollow tomatoes that rotated clockwise, each tomoe rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. As the entirety of his vision changed, the spectrum of his vision turned into a multitude of positive colors which meant magic usage, as saw the entirety of his surroundings in a 360-degree vision, he went farther, farther…until finding the building at his front, the church. He thought about the challenge they would no doubt get by going against Kokabiel and his group, perhaps he could them. At the entrance of the church where the way intersected with the street, there she was. Blue hair with a dyed-green fringe and brown eyes, wearing a black skin-tight short-sleeved leotard with pauldrons, matching fingerless gloves that extend to her bices, and thigh-high boots, all of which are adorned with straps. Above her battle attire a white hooded cloak with gold and blue accents. Wearing a crucifix around her neck.

"What do you want, devil?" The female exorcist questioned as he jumped into the street and raised his arms in a gesture he was disarmed.

"We have a mutual enemy; I came here to offer my services."

"Why would I trust the word of a devil? More so when I don't know his name." The blue-haired warrior called out and the young male could only frown. Her trembling hands got to her sword. ~Her control is slipping.~ He frowned with his same focused visage.

"This is our mission, we already said we don't want your kind involved with this affair."

Xenovia Quarta was fierce and self-centered as she has always been, driven to her duty mostly and blind to a wide world. He folded his arms behind his back.

"What is your name?" Xenovia asked the male who could only stare back at her.

"Shouldn't you have better scabbards for those blades?" He gestured to the holy swords, shards of Excalibur they carried.

"That's enough." Taking hold of her Excalibur sword, she rushed towards him, his eyes turned red as he saw the immense power she was focusing on in a single swing…the wind being cut as she did her swing.