Trundling our way to the finish line. Just about ready to load up the last bullet to be fired by our Soldier in Iron.

The title is a reference to the Japanese practice of Kintsugi- of repairing damaged pottery and the like with gold fillings, leaving 'golden scars' to form a new sort of beauty

Yuuji didn't want to jump to conclusions, but… he might have done a good thing there.

Introducing, or rather, reintroducing First to Azazel had been a shot in the dark. She'd died in the Great War, Azazel had lived through it, so maybe they knew, or at least knew of one another?

But even at his most wildly optimistic, he never would have come close to imagining that First, or rather, Ariel, was Azazel's daughter. It was almost too much of a coincidence, but… no way in hell were Azazel or First mistaken. Admittedly, Yuuji didn't know all that much about fathers, but two people holding onto one another, like even death couldn't break their grasp, definitely screamed 'family'.

Of course, he hadn't just stood around in the common room while a father and daughter reunited against all odds. He'd snuck away the moment he thought he could do so without disturbing them, borrowing one of Ruth's tricks to slide under the shadows of the front door and into the street.

Now he was leaning against a fire hydrant, half-listening to the mental eruption that was the Memoir going wild with celebration.

Finally, they all had their names back. Finally, he'd managed to give back just a little of what they'd all lost.

Having tuned out the riot of joy more successfully than he realized, Yuuji didn't realize that his thoughts had struck the Memoir silent. At least, not until he abruptly became aware that all the ghosts in his head were smiling his way.

They were words that he'd never spoken aloud, and now, never would. Through centuries tinged grey by the shadows of all those he'd lost, deep down, Azazel had come to believe that true miracles had died with God.

And never once had he dreamed that being proven wrong could be so dazzling.

After all, the greatest miracle that he had ever had ever helped bring into the world was right there in his arms. It didn't matter that she was a ghost given flesh by iron. Somehow, against all odds, he'd been reunited with the daughter he hadn't even been permitted to mourn.

Later, he'd have to consider how he could try and repay the kid for a debt that even a thousand immortal lifetimes of repayment wouldn't cover, but for now…

For now, he doubted anyone would blame him for focusing on a miracle he never wanted to end.

Eventually, Yuuji had quietly flown his way around his side of the dormitory and entered his room from the balcony, and hadn't even sat himself down before the hallway door had flung itself open and a ponytailed blur had slammed into him. Steadying after being pushed a step back, Yuuji gestured with one hand, and a metallic arm reached up from the shadows to quietly close the door.

Wrapping both his arms around the shivering body pressed into him, Yuuji tilted his head up, sighing noiselessly as he waited for her to find her voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I just… when I heard I just needed to see…"

"The father and daughter reunion, right?"

Akeno flinched, awkwardly rubbing her forehead against his chest as she nodded rapidly.

With another sigh, Yuuji slid up one hand and began stroking the back of her head.

"I'm happy for her… happy for him, but… ah… I'm not trying to be selfish but… is it really such a beautiful thing? Is… being reunited with your father really so…?"

Akeno had been mustering up the courage for weeks, months, to meet with her father face-to-face. And suddenly, without warning, she'd been confronted by the most extreme example possible of what she'd been missing out on.

No, it was more than that, and in a way, it made it worse because Akeno wasn't being as selfish as she thought she was.

When Akeno lifted her head to look him in the eyes, her tear-stricken face was so wracked with guilt it looked ready to twist itself apart.

"... How much have I hurt him by refusing to be his daughter?"

Yuuji was used to not knowing, not understanding what was going on around him. He accepted that he wasn't put together quite right, and did his best not to treat that as an excuse. But every once in a while, he found himself truly hating his own ignorance, truly hating not knowing what to say.

And this was one of those times.

Or at least it should have been, but…

They'd regained more of themselves than ever before, and spoke from the fragments they clung dear.

The countless fathers in the Memoir who had lost their children, or been lost to their children all agreed, that…

""If he can see with his own eyes that you're doing okay, the wait won't mean a thing.""

Akeno flinched again as Yuuji spoke softly with the voices of both the living and the dead, while joined by one more of the living. From the door that she hadn't heard opening, Azazel leaned against the doorframe while flashing an earnest but exhausted smile.

First didn't bother waiting, just whispered into the rooms to wrap her arms around Akeno.

Feeling deeply relieved and not quite understanding why, Yuuji slipped free as the dead woman directed the living to sit down on the bed, making his way over to Azazel, who held out his hand.

When Yuuji took the offered hand, Azazel pulled him into a brief but bone-crushing hug.

Well, he didn't mind, but-

"Kid, no, Yuuji, I don't give a damn if you hadn't planned all of that," Azazel said once they were at arm's length, one hand on Yuuji's shoulder. "You've done more for me than I can ever possibly repay, so forget just you, your whole damn family line has a friend in me until my feathers are dust."

"Message received," Yuuji found himself smiling, and surprisingly, understood exactly why- debts that could never be repaid were the reason he was standing there in the first place. So he could relate to what Azazel must have been thinking, even if only a little bit.

Suddenly, Azazel grinned at him, giving Yuuji a little shove without the tiniest change of expression. The next thing Yuuji knew, he was enveloped in darkness.

… Feathery darkness. A feathery darkness that was somehow soft and comfortable, despite every single feather being composed of a lustrous black iron.

"I would have never imagined that my Host could become my hero as well," her voice was the warmth of gentle sunlight, radiant in its gratitude and affection. "And I could happily spend the rest of my afterlife proclaiming that to the heavens, but… we have time, so take good care of her, okay?"

With a playful twirl, he was released from the embrace of both First's arms and First's wings, following the motion to leave him spun around and seated on the bed at Akeno's side.

And when that brief moment was done, the two of them were already alone once more.

Akeno staring down at the business card held between her shaking hands.

"... It's the same number," Akeno murmured softly. "The same phone number as… my childhood home."

"Do you want me to stay?" Yuuji asked. He didn't need to ask if she was going to make the call, and Akeno appreciated that he didn't.

"... Please. I know it might be awkward, but… please."

Without another word, Yuuji wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and Akeno closed her eyes, taking a long, shuddering breath and wiping away the moisture from her red eyes.

"I feel so silly, making this about me," Akeno not-quite smiled. "I didn't mean to, I didn't want to, I just…"

"-Just have unresolved trauma that no one blames you for," Yuuji said firmly but bluntly.

Long eyelashes fluttered as Akeno made several long, slow blinks before giggling briefly.

"When you put it like that, I feel even more pathetic, yet a little less guilty about being pathetic," Akeno quipped lightly, after sniffling a little.

"I'm not very good at comforting people," Yuuji shrugged.

Akeno turned her head and kissed him on the cheek.

"And one day, I'll manage to convince you how wrong you are," she whispered with her lips almost brushing his skin. "But before that…"

Akeno took another long, deep breath, closing her eyes.

The number was dialed before she opened them again, and when she lifted the phone up to her ear, she nearly dropped it when it was answered on the first ring.

"... Akeno?" The voice rumbling through the phone was sonorous yet soothing.

"... H-how did…?"

"There's only one person Azazel would give that business card to."

"... O-oh." She should have known better.

"Pleasant though the surprise is, this is a bit of a surprise… are you alright, Akeno? Do you need help?"

"No! I-I mean… that is… I…"

"Take as much time as you need," she hated herself for finding his voice so comforting.

"I just… wanted to talk to you… O-O-Outo-san." She should ask Yuuji to open a window, it was incredibly warm in the bedroom-

Akeno flinched as the sound of a fierce gust burst through the speakers.

"Did I… um… i-interrupt something?"

"No no, pay it no mind, I'm outdoors so it's just a bit windy," the father who had generated that wind via fist-pump hastily deflected. "So you just wished to speak with me?"

"Y-yes… I know it's sudden and I d-don't mean to be a bother-"

"You'll never be a bother, Akeno. I'll always make time for-"

"I know this is selfish… so incredibly selfish, but…" But with a deep breath and a reassuring squeeze of Yuuji's hand, Akeno at last managed to admit, both to herself and her father, what she actually wanted.

"... I just want to see you, Outo-san… p-p…. p-please?"

"... Where are you?"

"Kuoh. The dormitory. Do you need the-?"

From somewhere nearby, thunder boomed on a sunny day.

Rias sat bolt upright in her seat, but Grayfia, whom Rias had joined for her break, merely tilted her head to one side… then sucked in a slow breath, closing her eyes.

"Grayfia? Who is it? Do we-"

"No, Ojou-sama, there is nothing to worry about," Grayfia's eyes remained shut, but her red-painted lips curled gradually into a smile. "Quite the opposite, in fact. It seems that more than one daughter will be reuniting with her father today."

Rias connected the dots in an instant, and the moment she did, a proud smile, as warm as sunlight, naturally spread across her lips. The prayer-like whispers that swiftly followed were heartfelt congratulations to one who wasn't present, yet never far from her heart.

Perhaps it was his innate nature coloring his thoughts, but for Baraquiel, an unexpected miracle was like a lightning strike.

His daughter had asked to see him. His daughter had asked to see him, and had referred to him as 'father' when she did… a title he felt ill deserving of, and had more or less given up on hearing.

There wasn't a single thing in any world that could have kept him from his daughter's side at that moment.

But his oldest friend greeting him at the door, truly smiling from the heart?

Well, that could certainly slow him for a moment.

How many centuries had passed since Azazel could smile like that?

"Looks like miracles aren't out of reach quite yet," Azazel grinned without any preamble. Grinned while opening the door in a way that didn't place him in Baraquiel's way, wise even if his towering friend had slowed his steps, given the circumstances.

"It would seem so," Baraquiel easily agreed as he entered, smiling freely even while puzzled. It was crystal clear that Azazel had been blessed with a 'miracle' of his own, and-

"There is… quite a story here, I am certain, but I hope you understand why I'm in a hurry," he said. "So for now, let me just say…"

Baraquiel's brawny arms gently encircled the slim body of a girl he'd once bounced on his knee.

"Welcome back, Ariel."

Azazel's daughter pressed her face against his chest, as much to hide her blushing cheeks and delightedly flustered smile as anything else.

If Baraquiel seemed like he was accepting First's presence too calmly, it was merely due to the presence of one shock too many. He'd never even dreamed of the opportunity to reunite with his daughter and his deceased goddaughter in a single day.

The next thing he knew, knuckles that looked an awful lot like his own were carefully knocking on a bedroom door, one that swung open as he did.

And there she was, sitting frozen upon the bed, and looking even more like her mother than he had ever remembered.

The door swung shut behind him of its own accord, and the moment it did, his little girl crashed into him with tears in her eyes.

The moment he walked through the door, the many words she'd desperately been arranging in her mind had fizzled and vanished to leave her head entirely blank.

The person who moved her across the room and into… into her father's arms must have been someone else.

Someone else, because Akeno didn't have time to think about such things.

Not when a torrent of words like a flood had swept her everything away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it- I don't hate you I never hated you I-! … It just hurt I just hurt and I hurt you to make myself feel better and I couldn't stop! I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't… I shouldn't- I didn't mean it!"

It was like the enormity of the night sky had descended from above to embrace her. That's what it felt like, being wrapped up in her father's wings for the first time in what was less than a decade, but felt more like an eternity.

A long forgotten comfort that she missed so much it hurt, and had no one to blame for losing but herself. The measure of clarity brought by that comfort laid starkly bare just what she'd done to him.

"You lost Okaa-san too! What the hell was I thinking, blaming you!? All I did was take away even more of your family! How could I- I… it was my fault. It was always my fault, if only I'd never been born, you and Okaa-san wouldn't have had to suffer and she'd still be alive, and-!"

Those strong arms and warm dark wings retracted just enough for their gazes to meet.

"Miracles aren't a thing you suffer from, Akeno," his voice was just like she remembered it- the soothing rumble of distant thunder. "And you look even more like your mother than I remember."

… There was no forgiveness to be found, she realized in an instant. No forgiveness, because in her father's eyes, she hadn't done a single thing he might need to forgive her for.

They had both been hurt, and her answer to that hurt had been to blame him, hurt him even more.

But he had never blamed her in return.

She didn't deserve him at all.

She didn't… but… Akeno had long since learned that being granted a miracle was rarely a choice.

So instead of blaming herself and begging for forgiveness, Akeno took a deep breath, smiled, and told her father the long overdue truth that he deserved to hear.

"I love you, Outo-san."

The next sounds to leave her lips were giggles, because the sensation of feathers wiping away her tears was every bit as ticklish as she remembered.

Then her father smiled, and told her the words she'd missed hearing, but hadn't realized until that very moment. And with that, just a little more was right in the world.

When Yuuji made his way up onto the roof, his sister was there, sitting on the bench with posture so impeccable it made her seem inorganic like a doll. That impression didn't last long, however, vanishing the moment she met his eyes with a slight smile.

"You took longer than I expected to make your way up here, come sit," she patted the bench by her side. Yuuji made his way over without comment, somehow not surprised she was there waiting for him.

But when Yuuji sat down beside his sister, she promptly stood up, a hint of mischief in her eyes as she shifted in front of him.

"An opening," she said in a mysteriously smug voice, as she reached over and began to pat her brother on the head.

"... What are you doing?"

"Hm?" Kazuki tilted her head without stopping her hand. "My younger brother worked hard so I'm praising him, what else?"

"So you overheard all that?"

"All what?" Kazuki tilted her head the other direction, once again without stopping her hand. "To answer your question, no, I haven't the faintest idea what I'm praising you for, but you're most welcome to tell me all about it if you'd like."

"I guess I helped reunite some estranged family members," Yuuji shrugged. "More luck than anything else, but still something worth celebrating."

"And the reason you don't feel like celebrating is because you specifically reunited fathers with their children? And while I'm at it, I suppose the thunder on a cloudless day is tied into that?"

Yuuji gave an amused snort that came across less bitter than he expected. "Well, you got the thunder part right, Nee-san."

Kazuki at last stopped patting him on the head and returned to her seat.

"And the other part?"

"I don't miss him at all, and I don't feel like I should miss him, either," Yuuji shrugged. "I don't wish things turned out differently with 'that man' at all, but I guess I do feel a little bad about never having visited Kaa-san's grave."

"And I don't miss either of them," she said firmly. "... Is what I'd like to say. But hearing that our mother took you away from that place after I was gone, I suppose that some small part of me wishes we could have been a family of three. She was timid to the point of being pathetic, but she found her courage in the end, and that must mean something."

It meant that she'd been trapped in a repeating hell until he'd found her and set her free, but it also meant she'd had a chance to see that at least one of her children had survived her, and…

That too, had to mean something.

But now didn't seem like the time to mention that to Kazuki, and Yuuji was debating whether or not he should do it anyways when Kazuki broke her silence.

"I've never visited her grave either, come to think of it," Kazuki commented off-hand.

"I found out where she was buried not all that long ago," Yuuji offered in a similar tone. "We should probably leave flowers at some point."

"Together, then?" Kazuki leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Together, then."

No sense dwelling on missed opportunities, especially when sitting side by side was proof that they'd had a miraculous reunion of their own.

And speaking of miracles- "I would break your nose if you called me that any other time," Asako emerged from his inner darkness while grumbling.

Kazuki sat up, her eyes growing slightly wide, then infinitely tender.

"I was wondering when we would have a chance to meet," she smoothly rose from her seat, taking the hem of her skirt as she curtseyed.

"Pssh, none of that," Asako scratched her head. "We're pretty much the same anyways, yeah?"

"Are we? … Yes, I suppose we are," Kazuki absentmindedly reclaimed her seat, eyes locking intently with Asako as she did.

The rest of the conversation passed over the course of several silent seconds, and then the two smiled as one, a rueful sort of comradery there.

Two women who had been his guiding light, the ones who reached out to one forgotten and unwanted by the rest of the world, through no fault of his own. Two women who formed the beginnings of a mangled chain, one that formed the very reasons Yuuji was sitting on that rooftop today.

… And two women who had failed him, left him, before their work was done, and had somehow, against all odds, been granted the chance to do better.

Yes, they really were the same.

It didn't matter how wildly different their current existences were. There was no telling how long it would last, and saying 'for life' didn't really fit, so…

In that very moment, Kazami Kazuki and Kusakabe Asako decided they were friends until the moment their 'forevers' ended.

There was much more to talk about, and more who needed to be present for those conversations to happen, but for the moment, Asako cheerfully threw herself onto the bench to claim Yuuji's other side. Leaning against him with a joy she couldn't articulate, and leaning past him, to look at Kazuki with mischief sparkling in her sharp blue eyes.

Belatedly, Yuuji realized he was trapped, but promptly decided he didn't mind and gave up.

"Hey, so I'm guessing you don't have any hard copies, but you smell like magical bullshit, so do you have a magical bullshit way to show me baby pictures?" Asako asked Kazuki with a grin.

A beatific smile spread slowly across Kazuki's lips in return.

"As expected, you and I are going to get along just fine."

… As the sense of relief he was feeling became something a little more complicated, Yuuji's eye twitched.

Comfortable.

So comfortable.

Just like she'd been told, the time apart hadn't mattered at all.

Things weren't 'awkward' between her and her father at all.

It was like she'd come home from school to see him sitting on the porch like he always used to, and it just so happened that she had a little bit more to share than usual.

They just… talked.

Well, she talked, mostly, but she was certain that her father was committing every single word to heart like he always did, and it all just felt so… right.

Like a part of her life had corrected itself, in a way that made it feel as if it had never been broken at all. And even with Okaa-san gone, for the first time, Akeno had the distinct impression that they were all 'together once more', as if at any moment, her mother would walk through the door to join them. Wearing that smile that Akeno saw every time she looked in the mirror, and did her best to wear as often as possible for that very reason.

It sounded sad when she put it like that, and at one point, it definitely had been. But not anymore, not when she couldn't remember the last time that smile had been feigned. She had more than just her mother and father to thank for that smile.

And so from the moment she'd sat down side by side with her father, that pure and innocent smile didn't waver for even a second.

"I'd like to meet him man-to-man before long, I suppose," Outo-san was saying. "I don't intend to make a nuisance of myself when it comes to your relationships, but if you're serious about him, I would like to personally get to know this Yuuji."

… Akeno's smile froze as she began to sweat a little.

They'd all been busy while she was at work. The irregular but frequent status updates had gotten her though a day of nothing but budget reviews and paperwork, so Julia was both very curious and mildly dreading the chance to swing by the dorm on the way home.

When she stepped out of her car, Asako was there, smoking a cigarette that smelled like gunsmoke and not tobacco. Casually filtering out that bit of nonsense, Julia made her way over with an eyebrow raised.

Truth be told, she'd quickly given up on trying to make sense of whether or not Asako was really Asako- apparently not even the Gods knew, so what chance did she have in figuring it out? Maybe it was a brand new start, maybe it was a second chance, whatever it was, it was real enough for her.

She'd take what she could get and not worry about the details.

"We've been waiting for you, you know?" Asako stood up with hands in her jean pockets as her cigarette vanished on the breeze. "Didn't seem right to start without you but anticipation is driving those girls a little nutty." Explained why Asako was smoking on the porch.

"What am I about to get myself into?" JB questioned dryly, pausing with her hand on the door.

"Magical bullshit," Asako glibly replied.

JB's hand fell, the door unopened. "Hold on, I think I left the stove on at home," she said, despite having not used it in at least a day.

"Magical bullshit that resulted in a whiteboard full of Yuuji's baby pictures," Asako drawled without missing a beat.

Also without missing a beat, Asako found herself being pulled arm-in-arm through the suddenly open doorway by JB.

Asako just laughed as she was all but dragged into the dorm, and the commotion had started up again well before the door swung shut behind them.

Despite his first joint 'quest' with Rossweisse having involved a lot less combat than expected (as in none at all), Yuuji clearly felt like he'd dodged a bullet somehow.

Also…

"Supposedly, if you eat the food of Helheim you're unable to leave my realm," Hela Black flashed a comfortably sinister smile as she worked. "Truth be told, I've never tested that, but feel free to eat my cooking and stay here for eternity."

Watching Rossweisse trying to decide whether or not she should be nervous, Yuuji decided not to mention just yet that his previous stay in Helheim had included three square meals a day.

"I didn't know you could cook in the first place," he said instead. "Not that you don't wear it well, but a Goddess in an apron was nowhere on the list of things I expected to see in my first or second life." The apron was a lot more mundane than a pitchblack, floor melding-dress, but monochromatic outfits did have their appeal.

"There should be at least one member of my family who can cook, no? Father does try from time to time, but Tricksters and kitchens do not mix." The last time he'd tried his hand at stew, the 'pot' he'd meant to use turned out to be an enchanted cauldron that animated all of its ingredients. Chasing a fleeing tablespoon worth of salt had been tricky even for Fenrir.

"Lots of teachers with nothing but time," Hela White tacked on, eyes flickering. Her cute subjects were eager to share their knowledge to those who could hear their words, all the dead were like that. "Now sit."

A flick of her finger dragged out a pair of bone chairs, to the right and the left of the small throne at the head of the table.

The first 'quest' she'd assigned them was simply a bonding session, but it wasn't simple at all because she had very little idea of how to bond with the living, and thus had resorted to attempting to win over their stomachs.

From the moment her Herald and her Valkyrie had taken their seats, to the moment they brought the food to their lips, she did not breathe even once. Rather, she sat regal and composed, quietly glad that she was incapable of sweating.

And her nervousness died a quiet death when Rossweisse took her first bite and moaned in culinary bliss, then flushed cutely when she realized what she'd done.

"Tastes as good as it looks," her Herald casually diverted attention away from the embarrassed Valkyrie.

"I-indeed," Rossweisse recovered. Recovered, then blushed again as a Goddess smiled warmly her way.

"I am glad," Hela murmured softly. "Truth be told, this is the first opportunity I've had to cook for those not of my family or kingdom. "Truth be told, I never imagined I'd have that opportunity to begin with."

She was not entirely certain if she'd meant to speak those last words aloud, but the atmosphere around the table softened with an air of something kinder than mere sympathy.

"Well then, it would be a waste to let it get cold," Rossweisse said in an almost business-like tone, her knife and fork moving in elegant concert.

Such mundane words were not so mundane for one such as the Goddess of the Forsaken, but that only made them all the more pleasant to hear. In a hall dedicated to the final silence, the quiet clinking of cutlery sounded like music to her ears.

"I have many questions," Rossweisse admitted.

"What a coincidence, I have many answers," Hela Black smiled pleasantly. "Would you like to see if some of those questions and answers match?"

"Why are we in the bath?"

"Because I asked if you wished to freshen up after dinner?"

"No, I mean why are we in the same bath!"

"Ah, if you're actually asking 'why is Yuuji in the bath with us', it is because I did not wish to let him feel left out," the Goddess kindly explained.
"And because washing hair as long as yours probably shouldn't be a one person job," Yuuji dryly interjected, a floor-length lock of blue hair draped over his raised palm.
"That as well," the Goddess laughed. Her Herald had quite clearly seen through her little trick, and hadn't been surprised in the least when her suggestion of bathing at the same time naturally included bathing in the same place.

Perhaps her efforts to grow the bonds between them seemed clumsy to his eyes, and she would not blame him for thinking so because they were clumsy. But acceptance was all she wished for, and he gave that freely.

Her dear Valkyrie was no different, of course. Flustered and embarrassed just as her Goddess was flustered and embarrassed (the difference being little more than their capacity for outward expression), but there was no rejection there.

She sat upon a humble stone stool, fully exposed to the gaze of the living, and they did not shy away, neither with their gaze nor their touch. Lifting the full weight of her brother's coils would be an easier task than properly articulating how much the present moment meant to her.

But perhaps where words failed…

Running her hands through her silky blue and red locks with a soft sigh of satisfaction, Hela gave the reality of her domain a gentle little twist, so that it was Rossweisse and Yuuji seated upon stools with her at their backs.

"I believe it's about time I returned the favor," Hela Black said, hefting the bucket full of warm, sudsy water.

"I didn't know you could do that," Yuuji met her reflection in the mirror with one eyebrow raised.

"Didn't tell," Hela White glibly replied from behind him.

"A woman needs some secrets, does she not?" Hela Black teased, from behind Rossweisse, who giggled softly. "And I suppose I'll wash your backs while I'm at it."

Yuuji just smiled, and let the Goddess behind him get to work in silence. "Might tingle, medical exam," the less eloquent of the two halves explained.

"Checking up on your handiwork?" Yuuji made casual reference to the parts of him she'd 'rebuilt'.

"Also groping. Nice muscles." The supposedly 'dead' half of the Goddess was apparently capable of blushing, which really stood out with how pale her skin was.

"Speaking of things that are enjoyable to touch," Hela Black's voice carried something akin to professional appraisal, "you truly are a work of art, aren't you?"

Slowly, the temperature in the bath rose a few degrees, though the increase in temperature was curiously centered around Rossweisse and her cheeks. It had taken a moment for it to dawn on Rossweisse that her naked body was the 'work of art' Hela was referring to.

"She really is, isn't she?" Yuuji casually agreed without looking their way. "I wouldn't mind if she wanted to pick me up from the battlefield."

The increase in temperature that had been centered around Rossweisse's cheeks spread across her whole face, the creeping pink even coloring her ears and slender white neck.

Of course, Yuuji hadn't been thinking about how Valkyrie-themed pick-up lines saw frequent use in Asgard, not that he'd known in the first place. He also had no idea that he'd once again blasted right through one of her complexes, as those sort of lines were usually used on the less studious, more popular Valkyrie.

And, swept up in the momentum of the evening, it had only just fully dawned on Rossweisse that she was naked in the presence of her first real crush. Of course, she'd been well aware that she'd been in the bath with said man, so logically, that should have included the awareness of being naked, but no, clearly, the steam of the bath had gone through her ears and fogged up her thoughts.

And of course, due to her crush being a man, all of that meant that she was also naked for the first time in the presence of a man.

"... Rossweisse?" "Oi, you okay over-"

The heat in her face that had just begun to fade returned in a sweeping flood, like a tidal wave of boiling water.

Sweeping her right off her feet, which could clearly explain why she was suddenly looking up a ceiling that rapidly receded from sight-

… It probably didn't say anything good about her that making friends was one of the strangest things to happen to her in recent times, but Kazuki didn't mind. The more harmonious she was with Yuuji's surroundings, the less troublesome her presence would be for him.

… She was a bit uncertain as to how she'd somehow naturally ended up at the bar with the adults, though. She'd been snuck onto the school roster not even a day ago, and she was the correct age to be in class with Rias and Akeno.

Also, strictly because of height, she was aware that she was a bit less… visibly developed than her two soon-to-be peers.

And yet here she was.

Drinking orange juice in a bar.

"The best part about being… whatever the hell I am is that I never run out of cigarettes," Asako was saying.

"I'd be more impressed if you never ran out of alcohol," JB quipped from the side.

"Yuuji can pull that one off, but there's shitty booze, and then there's 'someone fermented a loaded gun and put it in a bottle'," Asako told her while making a face.

"So there is alcohol that even you won't drink," JB covered her mouth with one hand, eyes widening slightly. Kazuki found herself faintly impressed that even she couldn't tell how much of the shocked expression was genuine, and Asako's narrow-eyed frown suggested she couldn't either.

"Come to think of it, I suppose I haven't tried alcohol," Kazuki mused after a sip of her orange juice, not directing the comment to any person in particular.

"Want to?"

It took Kazuki a moment to realize that the question was aimed at her, and looked up to find Asako looking her way.

"I'm underage," Kazuki pointed out.

"Matters for here," Asako gestured to her surroundings with a finger, "but no problem drinking

at JB's place if you're with an adult."

"A responsible adult," JB chimed in with an innocent smile, "so it's probably a good idea for me to join in anyways."
"Who can properly pay for booze," Asako wisely tacked on. "I have a bank card and literally no idea why it works," she only knew it worked because she'd tested it of course, not like she'd get embarrassed from a declined card.

Kazuki was silent, pondering. Given what she was, the issues with underage drinking were entirely based on societal pressures, so if she could indulge her curiosity in a way that wouldn't inconvenience Yuuji, then why not?

"Oh, why not."

…

…

Vaguely, Kazuki recalled that someone at some point had been curious about the effects of alcohol on someone's system, but at present, she was more interested in why the contents of her head, the contents of her stomach, and the room she was in all seemed to be trying to spin in different directions.

The thought made her want to throw up, and the idea of throwing up seemed strangely reasonable at present.

No need to hesitate then. The part of her brain set aside for monitoring any abnormalities that might arise had discovered something that required her attention, and so Kazuki mentally began to 'gather' those irregularities.

Gather them, so she could pour them into the Cup, mix them up until they were unrecognizable, and dump them down the drain.

Or at least, that's what she would have done, not all that long ago.

For some reason, despite her addled state, a clear voice was making itself heard.

Reminding her that she wanted to be better, do better, for his sake. Telling her that the days of pouring things into the Cup that she didn't want to face were behind her. Telling her that, yes… she most certainly was about to throw up, and that she needed to thank 'that woman' for holding her hair out of the way.

And for getting the bathroom to her in time. No, something about that didn't quite sound right. Coincidentally, it seemed that either the Cup had grown or her head had shrunk, because there was a splitting pain pressing up against her temples.

"Ah, you're one of the unlucky saps who gets a headache before the hangover, huh?" 'that woman' said. "Shame that, but it's kind of a rule to let a first-timer keep drinking for a bit if they ignore when they're told to stop drinking, tough love sorta deal."

Vaguely, Kazuki found herself wondering why the calloused hand rubbing her back was so soothing and warm.

"But don't worry about any of that right now, got it?" 'She' said. "Doesn't matter how smart a brat is, she shouldn't be pushing herself as much as you push yourself. So just relax a little, and let the adults take care of things, even if it's just for tonight, okay?"

Let the adults take care of things? If only she could.

If she could, even if just for a little while, then maybe, just maybe, she could let down her guard a little.

Alcohol could be fun, but it could also cause harm, ruining lives or even ending them entirely. But, it could also let down walls that needed to be let down, relax what couldn't be relaxed.

And on that night, it meant that a young woman who struggled to relax even in her sleep was destined to rest peacefully until morning light.

While the world above prepared itself to rest for the night, in the realm below, where time flowed in accordance to the whims of its ruler, someone was just waking up.

A pair of aqua blue eyes flickered open, and a barely audible groan escaped. Blinking slowly, Rossweisse made to sit up, only for a gentle hand to press itself against her chest and stop her.

"Take it slow," the voice that was soft in tone yet carried a certain inexplicable weight to its words.

Blinking, Rossweisse shifted her gaze slightly to find the Goddess Hela staring down at her, the gold of her eyes shimmering with something that strangely resembled relief.

"Fainted in the bath," Hela White explained, "was scary." Her Valkyrie didn't need to know about the part where she panicked just a little- even the sturdiest of mortals seemed frail and fleeting to the eyes of Death herself.

"Forgive me, I-" a pleasantly cool finger placed itself against her lips, silencing her as the Goddess slowly shook her head.

"There is nothing to forgive, rather, it is I who should apologize- my teasing was clearly well beyond what was appropriate, for me to cause such a reaction."

"Ah, no, it wasn't that," Rossweisse shyly averted her gaze. "And you weren't just teasing… were you? With those things that… both of you said?"

Turning her gaze away from the Goddess had brought Yuuji into her field of view, who had been staying quiet so as to let the two speak uninterrupted.

"If you're talking about the compliments, then no, meant every word," he replied.

"Indeed, my Herald speaks for us both, as is his right," Hela Black asserted.

"... Oh," Rossweisse said in a very small voice.

"Now, if you are feeling better," the Goddess briskly carried on. "Feel free to sit yourself up, slowly of course. I do not imagine my cold legs are the most comfortable-"

"A-actually they are, and if you don't mind, I t-t-think I still need to cool down!" Rossweisse's voice cracked a little as events belatedly caught up to her. Two highly attractive, highly naked people, both focused on admiring someone like her!? No wonder she fainted, she was ready to faint again right now!

In what felt like a strange turn of events, Rossweisse no longer lacked for compliments as a servant of Rias Gremory. And, it wasn't even the first time she'd been complimented while sharing a bath with someone beautiful, in recent months.

Something about more current events just felt more… intimate. Even though there was clothing involved, sheer clothing better suited for the bedroom, but clothing nonetheless.

After a moment, she realized that she'd rendered the room silent with her little outburst, and a bout of nerves struck her as she wondered if her lacking social graces had once more reared their ugly head-

Until a quick glance confirmed that the expressionless line of Yuuji's mouth was twitching upwards at the edges, and that color was rapidly making its appearance known on the porcelain cheeks of the motionless Goddess staring down at her.

Neck creaking like a door with rusty hinges, the Goddess slowly averted her gaze, the borders of her eyes rapidly flickering between white and black.

"I-I-I see, then I suppose it can't be helped," Hela Black said in a slightly rushed tone. "Lay there as long as you wish."

Slowly, the beginnings of a mischievous smile began to bloom upon Rossweisse's pale lips, even as her cheeks remained flushed. She'd have liked to be able to blame the heat, but she'd spent her time in the bath in a constant state of fluster.

Now that her thoughts had cooled along with the rest of her body, Rossweisse was able to view the situation with something more approaching calm. She wasn't the only one who had been embarrassed, wasn't the only one who had been swept up in the moment.

And, she suspected, she probably wasn't the only one who appreciated how Yuuji had patiently gone along with their silliness- teasing a bit, yes, but crossing no lines and pushing no boundaries. Though her embarrassment had been constant, there hadn't been a single moment when he'd made her feel uncomfortable to be in his presence.

Even when he'd been right beside her, all handsome and naked. Despite her complete lack of composure and foggy recollection of what had transpired, she seemed to have a clear mental image of the slow path several droplets of water had taken while traversing their way down rock hard abdominals.

And she had not been lying when she said that her current position, her head cradled on the pleasantly cool lap of a Goddess, was rather comfortable. Though it shamed her to admit it, even her own knowledge of Hela was nothing more than hearsay. Her prior opinions of the Goddess weren't even developed enough to be called biases, it had simply been something within a Valkyrie's heart vaguely convinced that Helheim was something separate and foreign.

But no longer. She was a Valkyrie of Helheim, the only Valkyrie of Helheim. And she was the only Valkyrie of Rias Gremory, as well. Rossweisse did not view those facts as something that elevated her, nor even set her apart.

Just as precious symbols of the blessings she intended to repay in full, even if it took her an eternity.

And in an incredibly Rossweisse way of doing things, she settled on a clumsy but earnest way of 'repayment', and acted upon it before a resurgence of embarrassment could catch up to her.

"Feeling better?" Hela Black arched her brow as her Valkyrie suddenly sat upright, feeling the complex emotions of being relieved at Rossweisse's seeming recovery, yet already missing her mortal warmth somewhat.

Her eyes went wide, and flickered several colors, as that mortal warmth turned its head and mashed itself straight against her lips.

The constant internal dialogue of her two selves devolved into several heavily-condensed instances of 'babbling' as they attempted to catch each other up to the current state of events. Only to find that her body was already acting, long before the 'conversation' was done.

Because while she had splendidly lost the initiative, Hela was a ruling Goddess. The ability to take charge was a fundamental aspect of her being.

Shapely arms encircled a smoothly toned back, and slender fingers tangled in hair like woven threads of silver.

And. Then. She. Took. Control.

Rossweisse jolted, then melted, as the kiss deepened until it felt like she was being devoured. Yet even as her senses swirled, she felt secure. Anchored, somehow. The control being taken from her was being taken by one who would never use it against her, and she could take comfort in that.

And perhaps that was why she somehow maintained that sliver of control needed to stick to the plan. Or perhaps she hadn't, and her Goddess had merely agreed to that plan without needing to be asked.

Suddenly, they were upright, embracing, beckoning, of one mind and of one question.

""Why are you still sitting over there?""

Wearing a wry smile, Yuuji rose from his chair to respond to both the question and the invitation at once.

It was a peculiar, but not unwelcome feeling. Despite how the night was smoothly progressing towards the best case scenario she'd been aiming for, Hela found herself thinking that she was most certainly not in control of the situation.

Perhaps it had something to do with her experience as a woman lagging far behind the time she'd actually spent as a woman. Or perhaps it had something to do with how her Herald seemed to know the bodies of herself and her Valkyrie far better than herself and her Valkyrie did.

It would certainly seem that the ruler of the realm wasn't the ruler of the bedchamber.

How splendid.

With a flick of her wrist, Hela sent the nightgown she'd just finished stripping from Rossweisse flying away, the sheer folding and fluttering its way over to the white bone dressing table. One of Rossweisse's arms went high, and the other went low in an attempt to cover herself, only just discovering that the Goddess hadn't bothered to include undergarments when she'd dressed her.

It was a delightfully futile attempt, given how buxom her Valkyrie was, but it was also rather adorable, and the way Rossweisse squirmed against her was an exquisite way to savor mortal warmth.

It was understandable that her Valkyrie's focus was directed away from her Goddess, given the circumstances.

"Y-Yuuji!"

"Yes?"

"I…. actually don't mind if you look, but please don't stare!" Rossweisse stammered out in a high-pitched rush. Her Herald's raised eyebrow mirrored her own, and their eyes met past the delightfully flustered Valkyrie.

She could feel Rossweisse's body heating up against her. The warmth that she craved, pressed against her without fear or revulsion. A small part of her was satisfied with that alone, but there was no such thing as a goddess with small desires.

Porcelain skin shivered beneath her touch as Hela slowly unwrapped her hand's from Rossweisse's taut waist, marking a feather-soft trail with her fingertips. Across her stomach, over the gentle slope of her hips, and down the smoothly toned lengths of her legs.

Until Hela's hands made it almost to Rossweisse's knees, where her grip shifted, and her arms lifted. Gently, slowly spreading Rossweisse's legs open, presenting her body to their man who watched the show with an affectionate gleam of appraisal in his eyes.

"W-wait, this pose is really embarrassing!" Rossweisse half-shouted.

"But you're cute when you're embarrassed," Yuuji pointed out, quite reasonably in Hela's estimation.

"I'm happy you think that but it doesn't make me any less embarrassed!"

"I know it's easy to get swept up in the moment, so I'm going to remind you right now," the usual blankness had returned to Yuuji's tone, snapping Rossweisse out of her fluster somewhat. "We can stop at any time, for any reason. Just say the word."

"Led you to this," Hela White chimed in, "Won't force it."

Rossweisse took a slow breath, closing her eyes briefly.

"I really, truly appreciate you both saying that, but honestly, I'd be mad if you decided to stop here," Rossweisse admitted honestly.

Yuuji and Hela both chuckled at that, and after a moment, Rossweisse joined in too.

Her laughter ended when Yuuji placed a knee on the bed, the light of her eyes seeming to be swallowed up by the darkness of his.

Her laughter ended, and anticipation unashamedly took its place.

Rossweisse covering her boobs with both hands while she was naked and had her legs spread open was pretty silly, but it was the cute sort of silly that Rossweisse had unintentionally elevated to an art form.

Probably shouldn't say that to her face though.

She squirmed every time his lips touched, and then stopped breathing entirely when he'd finished kissing his way down her inner thigh, watching intently as his mouth passed her slit. A convulsive shiver rocked her shapely frame as a brief puff of air tickled her labia, but her pout was met with a smirk, and that pout melted away entirely as Yuuji began kissing his way up her other thigh.

By the time he'd repeated the process once, the hands that had been covering Rossweisse's quivering chest had lost the strength to do so, falling down limply to rest against her thighs.

Yuuji took that as his cue to give her breasts some attention, lightly kissing one, then the other, then repeating the motion with a light flick of his tongue.

Then he stopped, because Hela had gently released Rossweisse's legs, only to make an impressed noise as Rossweisse used her legs to snare Yuuji's hips with surprising swiftness, sliding him across the sheets as she reeled him in closer.

Yuuji couldn't decide if he was more curious or impressed, and the Goddess was no different.

"I-I'm sure you could tease me until I'm mush, and I'm tempted to let you, but…" The heated look on Rossweisse's face faltered as the color of her cheeks deepened.

"But she wants you to put it in her already," Hela helpfully finished.

Rossweisse nodded briefly but clearly, eyes swimming with embarrassment even as her legs hitched themselves more firmly around Yuuji's waist.

"Well, be rude to keep a good girl waiting," Yuuji said. And they were so close that he was nearly inside of her anyways, so…

Rossweisse tensed as he pushed himself against her entrance, then fumbled behind her head with one hand. Darkness and light flickering in her puzzled gaze, Hela moaned in approval as she was guided into enough of a lean to lock lips with her Valkyrie, and at the same time, Yuuji met the blue eye locked onto him, and nodded once.

Hela's lips muffled a sweet moan as Rossweisse slowly took in Yuuji's every inch, shuddering sensually as she was filled.

As if the thought had nothing to do with her, Rossweisse found herself vaguely thinking that losing her virginity in a threesome was something she never could have imagined.

And yet she couldn't imagine things playing out any other way.

She decided to blame the strangeness of her thoughts on the way those thoughts skipped a beat every time Yuuji thrust into her.

Her legs were the only part of her body that seemed to have any strength to them, and that was only due to their devotion to keeping themselves wrapped around Yuuji's hips.

The grip of her hands was weaker, yet still just managing to stay firm, her fingers interlocked with the owner of the soft, cool lap cradling her head, and the dark but warm gaze flitting between the two mortals in the room. Twin moons of dark gold filled with an adoring fascination, as if every twitch and shudder observed was a treasure to be savored.

Then Yuuji shifted angles minutely, and the last bit of coherence in her thoughts was surrendered with delight.

A cascade of breathy moans all melting together spilled from her open lips as her beautiful body bounced rhythmically with every thrust. Yuuji eased his pace ever so slightly, keeping the tempo at a pace that Rossweisse could just barely handle.

Fun as it was to make a hot girl come undone, he also wanted to make sure that Rossweisse's first time was a good memory, and that meant not reducing her to a state where she couldn't remember anything.

A knowing smile appeared on pale lips as his eyes met Hela's, the Goddess teasing "indeed, pacing yourself is wise, my Chosen, neither my turn nor Rose's will be limited to just one, after all."

A seductive promise heard by two, and reacted to by one in a way no one could have foreseen.

Yuuji was a bit curious why Rossweisse's eyes had regained a measure of focus, but thought nothing of it as she began to slowly move her hips in return, matching his thrusts. And Hela thought little of it when Rossweisse shifted her grip on her hands, beyond that Rossweisse drawing on her palm using her thumb was pleasantly ticklish.

And of course, neither of those two actions had anything to do with each other- it was just Rossweisse reciprocating affection in her earnest yet awkward way.

And fixating entirely on someone she loved saying 'my turn'.

When Yuuji pulled back, Rossweisse did as well, so smoothly and naturally that Yuuji went right along with finding his tip pressed against her pussy instead of inside it. And when he thrust back in, Rossweisse picked the most unintentionally perfect moment to complete the spell she'd been drawing on Hela's palm without being consciously aware that she was doing so.

""KYAAA~!?"" A blissfully bewildered scream of two feminine voices in stereo resounded, as Yuuji found himself thrusting into folds that were equally wet, but noticeably less warm than what he'd been thrusting into a moment ago.

And Rossweisse screamed a moment later as she suddenly discovered that she'd switched places with Hela, and had not the slightest hint of awareness that she was the cause.

For a long moment, the only sound was that of Hela's ragged panting, the only movement the shuddering of her breasts and waist.

"... How the hell did you even manage to cast a spell like that?" Yuuji asked with morbid curiosity.

"I-I-I don't know, you tell me!" Rossweisse demanded, somewhat unreasonably. "Lady Hela I'm sorr-"

"Warm~" was Hela White's raspy contribution to the discussion, followed by miles upon miles of alabaster leg coiling firmly around Yuuji's waist and pulling him in deep.

"Warm~warm~warm~warm~warm~"

"Maybe try not to do that again without warning someone," Yuuji dryly advised the flustered Valkyrie, "but somehow, I don't think she minds."

"Of course I don't mind," Hela Black regained her wits (read, shunted sensation briefly to her other self), and asserted herself. "I'm a trickster's daughter, and that was a splendid trick."

A stutter crept into her voice as her other self swiftly failed to contain the rampant warmth melting their shared being. "B-but I'm going to be quite cross if you pull out early."

After sharing a brief laugh with Rossweisse, Yuuji took the Goddess by the hips, ready to begin anew, when a pale hand outstretched halted him.

"Hmm, speaking of tricks~" the Goddess' smile turned wicked. "How about something like… this~"

"W-wha-!?" Rossweisse gave a start as bloodless hands emerged from the bed, gripping her by the waist and lifting her up and then forward.

Rossweisse registered that yes, she was straddling the face of a Death Goddess, at precisely the moment when said Death Goddess took her by the hips and penetrated her with her tongue.

Curvy hips squirmed, then squirmed again as smug chuckles seemed to vibrate her folds.

At the same time, the legs wrapped around Yuuji's waist pressed their heels against his butt, prompting him to start moving his hips once again.

Her trickster's lineage was oft overlooked in the tales told of her and her realm, but it was much appeased by the chance to affectionately tease her Valkyrie while being gently teased in turn. Scattering her sense of hearing had been a truly inspired idea, all the better to hear her Valkyrie's moans without the muffling effect of those lovely thighs clamped about her head.

Were she any less of a responsible sovereign, the temptation to forever lose herself in warmth sweetly shared would be irresistible.

But surely, there was no harm in losing herself to the sweetness for just one night?

Such were the thoughts of Hela's more eloquent half as her less verbose self was given free rein to indulge and be indulged.

But Hela was not the only one present with a trickster's fire, hidden deep.

Perhaps sensing the trace amounts of leeway afforded to a soul split and shared, her Herald relaxed just a little more of that admirable restraint of his. Her hips were lifted slightly, while the moaning lips of her Valkyrie were claimed and plundered by a nimble tongue.

Like a conductor in a symphony, their man took full control of that primal melody, and made his women truly sing.

Later, when she could string more than half a coherent thought together, Rossweisse would freely acknowledge that it was an expected outcome for bedding a pair of sadists.

They weren't treating her roughly, and somehow she knew the whole time that they really were being gentle with her, respecting boundaries she wasn't yet fully conscious of.

It was just that the careful constraints they'd wordlessly agreed to were room enough to make her nearly lose her mind with pleasure.

Nearly, but not quite- somehow, they always knew just when to ease off, pull back.

She'd found herself pinned upright- kneeling with her quivering legs once again spread, Yuuji thrusting into her at a slow but firm pace. The Goddess Hela was in front of her, their busts squishing together in clinging ways as they held hands and made out. 'Made out' in the sense that Hela's tongue had free reign over her mouth.

Drool splattered onto heaving, jiggling breasts as Yuuji's cock slammed wetly into her, vaginal fluid oozing free to drip onto soaked sheets.

Her eyes rolled back and her senses whited out for a moment as the next of an unknown number of orgasms wracked her body with bliss, yet mysteriously, when the haze cleared she'd regained a measure of her wits.

She didn't know how she did it, but she did it- leading her lovers to switch positions, pinning her Goddess down onto the bed in a way that would have felt irreverent if Hela didn't seem to delight in it so much.

Then her sopping folds felt a little less… 'full' for a moment as Yuuji pulled out, only to push in elsewhere and make the Goddess moan into her mouth.

And then, almost at random, he pistoned into her once more, swapping between the two women seemingly without reason, unraveling them both at his whim.

Guiding them towards a mutual, blissful end despite never fucking either of them at the same time.

And then his length was sliding between them, catching that little bundle of nerves and making the lightning bolts of pleasure dance up her spine. The kiss ended so both women could scream their release as molten heat spurted between the slick press of silky skin.

A sultry night gasped itself to completion, not because of dawn arising in the sunless halls, but simply because a pleasant exhaustion made its demands known.

Using a whisper of magic to clean the naked bodies of the sleeping beauties by his side, Yuuji slipped off the bed, wrapped a towel around his waist, and strode out onto the open balcony, staring out contentedly at the silent crystalline city below.

The post-coitus clarity turned out to be just what he needed to get his head on straight, and come to a decision long overdue.

Azazel woke up at a time that was early for him, trudging out of his bedroom to discover his kitchen was being haunted.

The thought gave him pause for a moment- both from him standing there to quietly drink in the sight, and to laugh inwardly at the realization that even he couldn't think of any ghost stories that involved fresh bacon and eggs done over-easy.

Then his daughter turned just enough to smile over her shoulder at him, and the brighter world he'd woken up to got just a little brighter. Following her small nod over to the small dining room table, Azazel sat down in front of his tablet and a steaming mug of hot black coffee, taking an appreciative sip of the later while moving to push aside the former.

Work could at least wait until after breakfast… or it could, if the alert that caught his eye hadn't been a message from Yuuji.

Curious, he opened it, then laughed at what the brief text said.

Ariel came over with breakfast in hand and curiosity in her eyes, and Azazel showed her the tablet without hesitation. His reward was a lyrical giggle, and his daughter's bright smile brightening even further.

Given the mutual interest in what might result, Azazel decided that a single message before breakfast wouldn't hurt.

He'd meant for this meeting to happen sooner or later, and actually approved of the young man taking the initiative to set it up himself. Truthfully though, it had happened a bit sooner than he'd expected.

His meeting with the young man his daughter was in love with, that was.

He didn't intend to interfere with Akeno's love life- in fact, he didn't believe he had that right, not after so long. Unless this Yuuji turned out to be no good, he would give his blessing if it was desired, and his support regardless.

That was Baraquiel's intention, but…

"I think this way will make things go smoother, and Akeno happier, so I suppose it can't be helped," Yuuji was saying as he slipped off his jacket, ditched his tie, and rolled up his sleeves.

"And what way might that be?"

"Gaining your approval, Sir," Yuuji answered respectfully. Baraquiel was unaware, but the instinctive respect shown had little to do with him being Akeno's father, and much to do with how Baraquiel was the first supernatural war veteran Yuuji had met (outside the Arsenal) who actually carried himself like a military man. "I'm fairly certain we're supposed to fist fight now."

"A fist fight? Young man, precisely what sort of 'approval' are you seeking from me?"

Yuuji told him, and Baraquiel rose to his feet, towering over Yuuji while nodding agreeably.

Nodding agreeably, while cracking his knuckles and flexing his way out of his shirt.

Nodding agreeably, while rolling thunder shattered the quiet of a cloudless sunny day.

Yeah… you can probably guess what kind of 'approval' Yuuji is looking for. And if not, well, you'll find out before long. Akeno and Yuuji's respective families are as repaired as they're gonna get, a new beginning that can lead to even better places.

Tying up loose ends takes a lot of work, this is a big, long story, and I don't want to rush us to our Chapter 50 conclusion. I also didn't want to make it too dry, either, and some of the milestones involved were sexual in nature- Yuuji going all the way with Rossweisse and Hela, for example. Having that be a threesome was a handy way of saving a bit of time there.

And y'know… Loki's daughter being gungho to use sex as an icebreaker kinda just makes sense.