Movie night with Medea was a much needed break from all the stress I'd felt for the past week. I went from the High Class test, to digging through the Blind Eternities, to going to a stressful meeting that turned out to be not that stressful at all. I was wound tight, and some time watching a good movie with good company was just what the doctor ordered.

We had a brief chat while the popcorn was popping about my meeting with Magdaran. She agreed with my tentative assessment of the situation. We were going to move forward with our plan to do business with him, but we'd still keep an eye out for any underhanded plays. After meeting Magdaran, I didn't think he was the type, but it was possible he was a better actor than I gave him credit for, or that his family would try to pull something without his knowledge. I should be too small time for Lord Bael or Zekram to take an interest in at present, but a little caution never hurts.

It was a little ironic I'd bought a movie about a dragon considering what Medea had told me right before watching said movie. As for what we were going to do about it, I still wasn't sure. She'd been able to locate a Sacred Gear holder somewhere in France whose Sacred Gear contained the Colchian Dragon that she encountered while traveling with the Argonauts, DXD's version of said dragon anyway. We didn't have much more detail at present, but she was working on getting more.

I'd never seen this specific Sacred Gear in the anime, so we'd be going in blind. It wasn't exactly ideal, but metaknowledge couldn't be relied on for everything. The question was whether or not we even wanted to approach the Sacred Gear holder to attempt to recruit them. I knew of many interesting individuals from the anime that we could recruit, but I'd held off on that for a couple of reasons.

For one, I didn't have much in the way of offerings to convince people to join my peerage. That was one of the advantages of my scrying ritual and trips beyond the Dimensional Gap with Hole. I could find people in a position where accepting a deal to become a Devil would be considered a good option compared to their present circumstances. It was manipulative, but it was the only card I really had to play.

Another reason I hadn't approached some individuals who would be easier to recruit was simply because I didn't really like them. Issei Hyoudou would be the easiest person in the world to recruit. Tell him devils could have harems and that there were lots of hot devils and he'd throw his soul at you. I just… I didn't think I'd be able to keep my sanity if I had to spend a lot of time around him. I'd actually considered telling Sairaorg about him for some goodwill, but I didn't want that guy anywhere near my sister. I'd figure out something else for how to benefit from knowing the identity of the Boosted Gear's holder. I had a lot of time left before canon started, so I didn't need to rush things.

Then there was the fact that reincarnating some of the people I'd thought of would make me some very dangerous enemies. Did I want Sephiroth Graal? Absolutely. Did I want the entire Tepes Clan calling for my head? Not particularly.

On the other hand, I really did need more allies. So far, it was just Medea and I. The two of us were having to build a business from the ground up by ourselves. We needed help, and some extra power on our side wouldn't hurt. I'd be able to afford making some enemies if I had a stronger peerage behind me, which would allow me to start making bolder moves. I would come to a decision when Medea came to me with more information than the Sacred Gear holder's approximate location. For now, I had to meet with my sister.

Arriving in front of Sairaorg's mansion, I followed the instructions my sister had given me and headed around the back of the house. Off in the distance behind the house, I could make out what looked to be a small coliseum-like structure. I opened a Hole and was there in a single step.

"I'm here…I think." I said, opening another Hole next to my mouth.

"Fly up to the top. I'm in the observation area." my sister's voice responded.

I closed the Hole and manifested my wings, taking flight up the wall until I was over the structure.

The structure was built into a square with a large dirt field in the middle of the box shape. Currently, there were two giant monsters thrashing against one another in the field down below.

I paused in mid-air to watch the spectacle of a brown scaled dragon slamming a giant golden lion into the ground. The lion rolled to its feet and pounced, slashing at the dragon with its claws.

When Kuisha had told me she was overseeing some of the peerage's training, I hadn't expected this. The lion was obviously Regulus, but since when did Sairaorg have a dragon in his peerage?

Still watching the dragon attempt to burn the lion alive with fire, I slowly floated over to an elevated platform with a viewing box overlooking the field.

"Impressive, aren't they?" Kuisha said with an amused smile as I landed next to her.

"I don't even… Where'd the dragon come from?"

"You've already met." Kuisha said. She sounded like she was enjoying my reaction far too much. "That is Ladora. The lion is Regulus."

Sparing a moment's glance away from the sight of a golden lion trying to pin a dragon to the ground, I turned to my sister and said, "Ladora can turn into a dragon?" Was that in the anime and I'd just forgotten it? To be fair, I never really knew most of Sairaorg's peerage. The only ones that stuck in my memory were Regulus because he was the Nemean Lion and Kuisha because of Hole.

"His family's magic allows him to tame dragons. After rigorous training, they can also learn to become dragons themselves. He has only recently unlocked this ability." Kuisha explained.

"That is undeniably cool." I said, more than a little jealous. Who wouldn't want to be able to turn into a dragon?

"Wishing you'd been born a Buné, brother?"

"Hardly," I said, giving her a flat look. "I may not be able to turn into a dragon, but this," I created a Hole above my hand. "Is far batter." Could Ladora reach through the Dimensional Gap to reincarnate the best Queen in the Underworld? No. No he could not.

"It's good to see you, Bal. Judging by how cheerful you are, I would assume your meeting with Magdaran went well?"

I let out a sigh. "Down to business, huh? We can't watch the giant lion and the giant dragon try to kill each other just a little longer?"

"You are perfectly capable of watching the lion and dragon try to kill each other while we talk. Now tell me what happened at the meeting."

I leaned against the railing in the viewing box, watching as the dragon's claws scraped harmlessly off the lion's tough hide. "Nothing is set in stone yet, but It's all but guaranteed Magdaran and I will go into business together."

Kuisha's expression went blank. "I see. I don't suppose you'd be willing to reconsider that? Sairaorg's wealth can support you just as well as Magdaran's."

"It's not just money. Magdaran has some botanical stuff he wants to throw into the deal, and that'll help me bolster my stock of goods a bit. Besides, I don't think we need to take any overt action against him to accomplish your goal."

Kuisha frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He didn't offer me his bishop. He wanted me to be his Queen. We talked a little bit about the reasons he wanted me as his Queen and he said a big one was you being my sister."

"How does that factor?"

"He said it would be easier to approach his brother to mend bridges if both of their Queens got along well. I think…" I shook my head. "This is speculation, but I think he's regretting his decision to push Sai out of his position as heir. He didn't strike me as a prideful, power-hungry guy. He just seemed tired of all the politicking. When we weren't talking about hard topics he was a pretty cool guy."

"Could it have been an act?" Kuisha's entire focus was on me as she adopted a deep thinking expression. She totally missed Regulus grab Ladora's tail in his mouth and use it to toss the dragon across the arena like a sack of potatoes. The lion pounced on top of the dragon and pinned it, letting out a triumphant roar.

I shrugged. "It's possible. I didn't spend an awful lot of time with him, but it felt genuine. I'll probably be able to get a better picture of his feelings on the whole thing as I work with him on our business."

Kuisha's eyebrows were furrowed. She lightly tapped out a sharp rhythm on the railing. "This… If he really is having regrets, that would make things much easier for me. It would also be much better for Sai." She laid a hand on my arm, then smiled and pulled me into a hug.

I was a little surprised, but accepted it easily enough.

"Thank you, Bal." She pulled back, seeming genuinely happy. "Please let me know if you learn anything else while working with him. I am going to… Well, there's a lot I'm going to do. I'll see you later, little brother."

Recognizing the dismissal for what it was, I gave her a two finger salute. "See ya, sis." A Hole opened up at my side, I moved to step through it, pausing right before. I turned back around. "Ku?"

She turned around, surprised I hadn't left yet. "Yes?"

"You said Ladora can tame dragons, right?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I did."

"How does that work exactly? And how does his ability define what a 'dragon' is?"

"Is there a particular reason you're asking?"

I pursed my lips, considering if it was really worth the risk of unleashing the world's most unrepentant pervert on my sister. "Nah. On second thought, never mind. Have a good one!"

"Bal, wa–" Her words were cut off as the Hole closed behind me.

It probably wouldn't work anyway. A dragon in a Sacred Gear was not the same as a wild dragon. And even if it could work, there was a difference between taming a dragon and taming Ddraig. It was probably best that I think of some other way to profit off of Issei Hyoudou.

I walked inside my house and headed to the dining room. "Medea?" I called, searching for my Queen.

A squawk drew my attention as a shadowy raven flew down from an unseen perch near the ceiling and landed in front of me on the table. The bird's beak opened. "I'm in the basement." Medea's voice spoke through the raven. The bird's beak closed and it flew back up to disappear somewhere in the ceiling.

I stared after the bird for a moment. That was a neat trick. Creepy, but neat.

I headed down into the basement, through the not-so-secret-anymore tunnel and into mine and Medea's workshop. My Queen was kneeling in a small spell circle off in the corner, far enough removed to not interfere with the much larger circle in the center of the room for scrying beyond the Dimensional Gap. There was a golden animal hide laid out flat on the ground in front of her connected to the scrying circle.

"How is your sister, master?" Medea asked, focused on whatever she was doing, but still able to converse with me.

"She's fine. I filled her in and she said she's going to maybe change tracks with how she approaches her goal. We'll need to give her more information as we work with Magdaran."

"We expected that, but it's good that your sister will not be implementing any of her more impulsive plans. Magdaran seems willing to work with you in good faith. It would be foolish to jeopardize that without good cause."

"I agree, hence why I thought it was a good idea to go fill her in before she did anything rash. Did you have any success while I was gone?"

"I was able to ascertain a rough location, but I do not know exactly what to expect this Sacred Gear holder to look like. If we come face-to-face, I will likely be able to point them out to you."

"What do you want to do, Medea? You're the one with the most experience with this dragon."

Medea chuckled lightly. The golden hide vanished into motes of light as she levitated to her feet. "My experience with this creature was with a different version of this creature, and it was a hostile encounter. I do not know if this world's version of the Colchian Dragon will be hostile to me or if it will even be able to recognize me. I will follow your lead on this, master."

I considered my options for a moment.

Until Magdaran contacted me, I had some free time. I wanted to use that time to recruit for my peerage because I was willing to bet I would be too busy to easily do so once we started building our business in earnest. I could just ignore the Sacred Gear and use my ritual to try to find my prospective knight. With Medea at my side, it would likely be significantly easier than when I'd tried to find her. At the same time, Sacred Gears were highly sought after in the Supernatural world. Leaving an avenue unexplored just didn't sit right with me. I was able to justify leaving Issei alone because I could trade his location to another devil for a significant boon when the opportunity presented itself. The Colchian Dragon on the other hand? I didn't have all the information. It couldn't hurt to just take a look. If it didn't work out, then I wouldn't take them. I could trade the information later like I was planning to do with Issei.

"Did you have anything important planned for today?" I asked Medea.

She smiled, looking pleased. "I do not. Are we going to Paris, then?"

"The Sacred Gear is in Paris?"

X

"Oh! There it is!" Medea ran ahead of me, holding her sunhat down so the wind wouldn't blow it away. She had a look of excitement on her face as she looked up at the Eiffel Tower. We'd both traded out our traditional wardrobe for this trip. Medea wore a violet sundress to go with her hat while I wore jeans and a red t-shirt.

"Can we go up there, master?"

I followed the finger she pointed to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Technically, we were here on business to learn more about a Sacred Gear user. Technically.

"When in Paris… We might as well." I said, smiling as Medea clapped excitedly. My Queen ran up to me and wrapped both of her arms around one of mine, dragging me with her through the crowd towards the line for the elevator.

Medea shared facts about the tower and Paris as a whole with me while we waited in line, apparently she'd spent a lot of time with a search engine before coming here. When we were finally able to ride the elevators all the way to the top she rushed over to the railing, looking out over the city. I walked up behind her, silently enjoying the view.

"It's beautiful." Medea breathed.

"That it is." I agreed easily, turning to look at her. The dress and hat she wore were a stark contrast to the imposing clothing she typically wore. It was nice to see her relaxed.

Medea saw me looking at her, and hunched in on herself, concerned. "Is something wrong, master?"

I smiled. "Nothing. I was just thinking about how beautiful you look in that dress."

Medea's ears twitched. Her cheeks reddened. "We… We should get going, Master." She walked up next to me and took my hand in hers, refusing to look me in the eye as we headed back towards the elevators. I didn't say anything, just enjoyed her company.

The ride down was faster than the ride up because we didn't have to wait as long for the elevators. We walked away from the Eiffel Tower. I wasn't leading us anywhere in particular. Medea was the one who would recognize the Sacred Gear User, but she was easily distracted.

"Master, the food from that restaurant smells good."

"Ok. Let's get something to eat." I had already come to terms with the fact that we likely wouldn't be accomplishing the task we'd set for coming here, but I couldn't really bring myself to mind. I was just enjoying spending time with Medea.

We got a table in the restaurant Medea had been interested in near a window with a view of the Eiffel Tower. I ordered a sandwich while Medea ordered fish.

"We haven't really had a chance to just talk, have we?" I asked as the waiter left to give our orders to the chef.

"I…guess we haven't, master." Medea said hesitantly, her happy smile dimming somewhat.

"How are you adjusting to life here? Any regrets?"

"No!" Medea denied immediately, and loudly, causing some people from nearby tables to look over curiously. I glared at them and they got the message to mind their own business. "I mean, I don't have any regrets. I'm adjusting well. In fact, I already feel more comfortable than when I was summoned from the throne. This…you are much better than my previous master."

"Well, I'm glad. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, let me know and I'll see what I can do about it."

"I have everything I need, master. I'm just happy to be here. I'm…" She looked down at the table, not meeting my eyes. "Thank you for saving me. I know how much it cost you."

I reached across the table and gingerly took her hand, causing her to look up. "I would do it again and again. I got the better end of the deal by far. You are more than worth it."

Medea opened her mouth, then closed it and looked away.

Wanting to give her space, I moved to pull back my hand, but her grip on mine was like a vice. I left my hand where it was and tried to move to more pleasant topics.

"So now that you have the opportunity, do you have any plans?"

She seemed confused. "Plans?"

"I told you I'd try to give you as much free time as possible. Is there anything you want to accomplish or do?"

"I…" She trailed off, a warm smile on her face. "I'm just happy to have a second chance. Everything… I have a chance to experience everything I couldn't. I won't let it go to waste."

I wasn't too sure what she meant by that, but I wasn't going to press. She seemed content, and that was what mattered.

The waiter came back with our food, and the conversation turned to the various ways Medea had researched how fish were prepared in french cuisine. Her eyes lit up as she discussed it. I wasn't sure if it was a true passion for her or if she was just glad to be able to enjoy things outside of fighting, but I enjoyed listening to her talk all the same.

When we finished our meal the waiter offered a dessert menu, but Medea wanted to go find a chocolate shop, so we left after I paid our bill.

We walked down the street once more, Medea pressed into my side, resting her head on my shoulder. It felt nice, being so close to her. I was enjoying myself so much that I forgot why we'd come to Paris in the first place. If the irritated venom in Medea's voice when she spoke next was any indication, she had too.

"That man is the one who holds the Sacred Gear."

I was immediately on guard, no longer relaxed as I had been moments ago. I followed her eyes to a figure walking down the street ahead of us. He had spiky black hair and wore a dark leather jacket. He walked down the center of the path, forcing people to part around him lest they run into him. Judging by that simple fact alone, I wasn't too keen on inviting him into my peerage. I didn't want to have to babysit anyone or put up with assholes if I didn't have to. I would already need to deal with too many of those in devil politics without having to watch for potential problems within my own peerage.

"What do you want to do, master?" Medea asked. Her features were hard, focused. She was ready for a fight now.

"We'll follow him. If we see a chance to talk to him alone, we'll take it. Even if I decide I don't want him, Sairaorg might."

Medea didn't say anything, just nodded in acceptance.

We followed the man through several city blocks. After almost thirty minutes of walking, he turned into a small courtyard with no one in it.

"I bet you two think you're sneaky, huh?" the man said as he turned around to face us as we entered the courtyard behind him. He had a cocky grin on his face. It was only the three of us here.

"We were not trying to conceal ourselves from you." I replied. "In fact, we were hoping to speak to you."

"Talk, huh? You with Bolt's outfit? You can tell him to save his breath. When I take a job, I finish it. I don't care how much you're offering to walk away."

"I do not know anyone named Bolt, and I can assure you I have no idea what you're talking about. If you are working I can come back later, but I would like to discuss potentially recruiting you into my peerage."

The man's grin faded instantly. "You're devils."

"We are. Before you–"

A shield of violet magic appeared in front of me moments before my own would have been raised as the man drew a crossbow and fired an enchanted bolt all in one motion.

Medea moved to follow up her shield with a counter attack when I stopped her.

"Caster! Wait."

Medea did not look happy, but she reigned herself in. Magic crackled around her hand threateningly. "Attempt to harm my king again, and I will kill you."

I laid a hand on her shoulder, still ready to fight, but preferring to leave this courtyard without confrontation. I didn't know what this guy's Sacred Gear did, I didn't want to find out in the middle of combat. For all I knew, he had friends in the area. I didn't want to be drawn into a large scale battle I hadn't prepared for. "Clearly, you have no interest in accepting my offer. We will–"

"Hey, bitch, you greek?" the man said, staring intently at Medea. "I recognize the magic from some guys I do jobs for now and then. Why'd you join up with a devil? You need help getting rid of him? I'll do it for a price." He leered at her. "But I'd be willing to give you a discount if you get on your knees and–" He leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding a lash of fire.

"Insult my Queen again and I will kill you." I warned, rage burning in my chest. One of the downsides of being a devil. The seven deadly sins tended to get amped up to eleven. It was time to leave. If we stayed any longer, either Medea or I would kill this idiot, and that might cause us problems down the line. From what little he'd said, I was guessing he was a mercenary, but he could also be aligned with the Greek supernatural. It was better not to tangle with this.

The man grinned, drawing a machete in his other hand. "Did I touch a nerve, pit bitch? Why don't you–" He was cut off as, with a flash of brilliant golden energy, a scaled black helmet appeared around his head, black like coal with seams of gold accenting it. It had no faceplate, leaving his shocked expression visible. A faraway voice spoke through the helmet, distorted but still understandable.

"Medea, kill this fool and I will be in your debt. I have suffered from his presence for too long."

Neither Medea, I nor the man moved for several seconds. I saw the man's eyes widen when he made the connection.

"Medea?" he said breathlessly, staring at my Queen.

Well shit. Now we had to kill this bastard.

I didn't want to let this fight drag on. We were in the middle of a crowded city on Earth. There was no telling who could stumble upon us or who would come looking when they felt a supernatural battle taking place. The man may also decide to flee. I wanted this over now.

As the man settled into a fighting stance, his eyes flicking between the two of us, a Hole opened behind his neck. Before he could react, an arrow rocketed out of the Hole and tore through his neck, the power behind its flight strong enough to carry it clean through the man's neck to scatter against the concrete beneath him.

In my experiments with Hole, I tested quite a few more…inventive methods. The pocket dimensions opened with Hole had gravity, so could I open a Hole within the pocket dimension to abuse that? The answer was yes. I had several pocket dimensions that were filled with nothing but falling weapons, all imbued with a minor charm to make sure they fell they way I wanted them to. They fell down into a portal connected to one directly above, falling infinitely until I changed the destination of the other Hole which I could open wherever I chose.

Yep. I could pull off a bastardized Gate of Babylon. Granted none of my weapons were noble phantasms and I didn't have Ea hidden up my ass, but it was still cool. It was another way for me to use Hole to hide my other abilities.

"Let's clean up the body and…" I trailed off, refocusing as the man reached up, still standing. He was glaring murderously at me.

He growled something, but it came out as a gurgle so I couldn't make it out. The helmet on his head flashed with golden power. Suddenly, the mortal wound in his neck was mended, leaving him hale and hearty.

My eyes narrowed as he laughed.

"That the best you got, spawn bitch?"

This was why unknown Sacred gears were a pain in the ass. Did it just let him heal from mortal wounds instantaneously, or was it more than that?

The man rolled his shoulders as he looked at my Queen. "Hey, Medea, I don't know what this scum did to force you into this, but I can–"

"Caster, curse him into oblivion." I ordered as four Holes opening up around him to match the four appearing near me.

Medea didn't need to be told twice, a dozen magic circles appearing in front of her, all sending dark energy at the man.

He rolled backwards, dodging most of the spells, but several still landed. The effect was immediate, he slowed down, weary. The arm holding his machete hung low, burdened by the weight where before it was held high. That was all the opening I needed.

I conjured four glowing red chains of fire, sending one through each of the Holes near me. They emerged right on top of the man, winding themselves around his wrists and ankles, knocking his weapons from his hands. I moved the Holes into the air as the chains snapped taut, forcing the man to be suspended and spread eagle in the air. He struggled against the chains, but Medea continued firing curses into him, weakening him further until his struggles ceased.

Before there could be any more surprises, a large Hole opened to swallow the man and his bindings, sucking him away to a pocket dimension. Another, smaller Hole opened to send away the remnants of the arrow, the bolt he'd shot at me, as well as the machete and crossbow he dropped when the chains took him to get rid of evidence.

"Good job, Caster. Let's go deal with this bastard." I opened a Hole next to us and we both stepped through. Darkness surrounded us, illuminated by bright glowing chains of fire restraining the Sacred Gear holder.

"Can't…kill…me…I–"

Medea waved her hand and a bundled up cloth flew forth from her, wrapping itself around the man's mouth to gag him.

"What do you intend to do with him, master?"

"He knows who you are. He needs to die before he spreads that around. We just need to find a way to kill him that he won't heal from."

The man's helmet thrummed with power and the same voice from before spoke once more. "His weakness is that which defeated me in life. Put him to sleep. He will no longer be able to regenerate."

Even weakened as he was by Medea's curses, the man's eyes widened as he started to panic, renewing his efforts to thrash against my chains. It didn't last long as Medea cast several spells. Soon, the thrashing ceased as the man hung limp in my chains, unconscious.

A relieved sigh emanated from the helmet. "Thank you. Of all the undeserving wielders I have had over the years, he has been the worst by far. As I said before, Medea, I owe you a debt."

I narrowed my eyes at the helmet. Even after we killed the wielder, we still had a problem. The Sacred Gear would go to another wielder, and the dragon housed within it knew Medea was alive. It was possible, likely even, that the Sacred Gear would take so long to reform that by the time its next wielder awakened it I'd be strong enough to deal with the extra attention, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Medea looked skeptical. "I would have assumed a dragon I had a hand in killing would be less willing to help me."

"Killing?" the dragon sounded surprised. "You did not kill me. It was after you and the Argonauts…" A low, rumbling laugh came from the helmet. "Now I see. That is why you felt so strange to me. You are not the Medea I knew. Tell me, how has reincarnation treated you? Two wielders ago I also encountered Jason's reincarnation in Germany. He too was unable to recall all of his memories."

I shared a look with Medea, seeing the same thoughts whirring through her mind. Things just got a lot more complicated.

The dragon knowing Medea was alive was one thing. The dragon knowing that something was strange about the Medea who served as my Queen was an entirely separate matter. I didn't know the exact mechanics by which legends in this world reincarnated, but if there was a way to prove their reincarnation, it would be easy to tell that Medea wasn't from this world. That would lead to questions about where she came from and how we met, which would inevitably lead back to the ritual I'd devised, the ritual I wanted no one outside my peerage to ever learn about.

"Since you have this bastard of a host good and trapped, would you mind hearing me out for a bit? I have a request I would ask of you." the helmet continued, seemingly oblivious to Medea and I's concern.

"I don't see why not." I said cautiously, keeping an eye on the unconscious man whose head the helmet was affixed to lest the soul trapped in the Sacred Gear try something. "But first, tell me how your Sacred Gear works in detail." It might lie, but the information it had given so far seemed to be genuine, the man was too panicked to make me think the helmet had been lying.

"It is simple. As Medea knows, in life, I served as protector for the Golden Fleece. I spent so much time in proximity to the ram that I was changed by its presence. In time, I learned how to mimic its power. I could only affect physical injuries, but that was all I cared about at the time. It wasn't until the Argonauts bested me that I learned how deadly curses could be. I was killed before I could learn to purge myself of them.

The dragon sniffed proudly. "So long as I was able to concentrate, I could summon the Golden Fleece's power to heal nearly any wound. Since it was an ability I needed to focus on, I couldn't use it while I was asleep. That was how I was killed, a craven coward crept into my cavern and slew me while I slept. It is much the same with the Sacred Gear I was trapped in. The user can consciously heal from any injury as if the Golden Fleece itself was wrapped around their body. Only one individual who has wielded me could use me to heal others. A nun. She was the only one I liked. The rest have been morons."

That was a very potent power. While at first glance it may not seem as impressive as the ability to double your power to infinity like Ddraig, having an on tap connection to a Golden Fleece-like healing effect was incredible. I doubted that many of this Sacred Gear's wielders died in battle. Actually…

"What is the name of your Sacred Gear?" I asked, not wanting to continue referring to it mentally as 'the Sacred Gear'.

"Perfected State." the dragon grumbled. "I would have chosen a much more impressive name, but I didn't get much choice regarding this arrangement. Do you have more questions, or may I now make my request?"

I shared a look with Medea, silently asking if she wanted to ask anything. This dragon was directly connected to the version of her that lived in this world. If she wanted to learn about that Medea, this was probably the best opportunity we'd have.

Medea met my eyes and shook her head.

I nodded in understanding and turned back to the helmet. "What is your request?"

"Destroy me. I despise this prison and would be rid of it." the helmet said, bringing me up short. I had not expected the dragon to want to die.

"I already owe you for dealing with this idiot I'm attached to, but I think this is the best chance I will have to be free. If anyone can figure out a way to destroy a Sacred Gear, it would be you, princess of Colchis. Do this for me and I will tell you the locations of all of the treasures I hoarded in life and those my wielders accumulated during theirs. My hoard is the least I could offer you for this service."

"You want me to kill you?" Medea asked, studying the helmet.

"Death is preferable to this. I am a slave, forced to serve bumbling idiots, each more annoying than the last. I no longer feel the sun on my scales. The air blowing against my face as I fly. The pleasant feeling one gets after consuming a wild deer. I am not alive. I am just not fully dead."

"Give us a moment to discuss this." Medea said, fixing me with an intent look.

Understanding her desire for privacy, I opened another Hole and took us back to my manor where we could talk without fear of prying eyes. I doubted the unconscious man would be able to escape my Hole, and the dragon within his Sacred Gear didn't seem all that keen on helping him even if he woke up and tried. We appeared on the front porch, looking out over my lands.

"What do you think, master?" Medea asked, watching me closely.

"If I were stuck inside a Sacred Gear for thousands of years, I'd probably want a way out too. That's not to mention the offer of telling us the location of its hoard. It's possible it was raided at some point between now and when the dragon died, but if it wasn't, that would go a long way to helping us set up our business with Magdaran." If we could figure out a way to grant this dragon's request, then I saw nothing but positives.

Medea pursed her lips. "What if there was another option?" She held out her hand. With a flash of violet energy, a wicked dagger whose blade zig-zagged back and forth appeared in her hands.

My eyes widened as I saw the blade, slowly looking back up at Medea. She was plotting something. "What are you thinking?"

"I have been curious about Sacred Gears since I first heard of them, wondering how they function and if I would be able to replicate them. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to…experiment. The dragon wishes to be free, and I believe I can free it, truly free it. While I could likely unmake the Sacred Gear, I might be able to even keep it intact while freeing the beast, leaving it inert for me to study. So long as the magic that binds it is not too powerful, I am confident I can do it. If I can sever the function of Perfected State, the dragon within would likely be freed, not killed. We went to Paris seeking a peerage member, master. This is an opportunity to both give me something to study and accomplish that task."

I was silent for a moment as I considered it. Having a true dragon in my peerage would be an amazing boon, let alone a fairly famous one like the Colchian Dragon that served as the Golden Fleece's protector. With that being said, there were downsides to doing this as well.

"A dragon in my peerage would be a great boon, but not if it puts you at risk, Medea." I stepped closer to her, wrapping my hand around hers clasped around Rule Breaker's hilt. "Devils, angels, dragons, gods – there are too many powerful beings to count in this world that need magically enforced contracts to function. Treaties, trade agreements and even something as minor as devil contracts with their mortal clients all rely on the immutable nature of contractual magic. If they learned you can break those contracts, let alone unmake Sacred Gears with the same power, they'll all come after you."

"I know. There is a reason I have not used Rule Breaker since you reincarnated me. I will only use it as a last resort, but this is too substantial of an opportunity to let pass. In my world, we killed the Colchian Dragon. I wanted to put it to sleep and sneak past, but Jason wanted the glory. It took all of us to best that dragon. It was strong enough to fight on equal footing with all of us at the same time. I don't know if this world's dragon is its equal, but if it is even half as strong it will be a great ally for us."

There wasn't a much better pitch to consider a new recruit than hearing they'd done battle with multiple demigods and other legendary heroes all at the same time. And Medea wanted something cool to play with. Who was I to deny her that?

"Okay," I said. "If the dragon agrees to keep the method used to free it quiet and be reincarnated, we'll see if you can break a Sacred gear."

A Hole opened next to us and we both stepped through.

"Come to a decision, then? Will you destroy me?" the black helmet spoke as we joined it. The man it was affixed to still hung limp from my chains.

"What is it you really want?" I asked. "Do you want to die, or do you want to be free?"

The helmet was silent for a moment. "I want to be free, but the only way to be rid of this prison is to die. My soul is bound to it. That binding cannot be severed."

Keeping my face carefully blank, I said, "If we were able to sever that binding, freeing you from the Sacred Gear, what would you offer me?"

The helmet's silence stretched on even longer this time. "If you are truly capable of this," it said, a suppressed hope slowly building in its words. "Then I would do just about anything you ask. You desire my treasure? Have it. Do you desire my service? It is yours. In life, I served as the Golden Fleece's protector. I would gladly serve as your protector if you freed me."

"Would you be willing to become a devil?" I asked.

A barked laugh came from the helmet. "If you get me out of this thing, I will happily let you shove whatever kind of chess piece you want in me, little devil. If Medea willingly follows you, then you can't be too bad of a master."

That was about as clear an acceptance as you could get.

"If we do this, you cannot tell anyone how we did it."

"Done. Get me out of here already." The dragon sounded anxious, its anticipation building.

I looked at Medea and nodded.

She walked forward, a wicked dagger appearing in her hand as she approached the restrained man who held Perfected State. "I don't know if this will hurt you or not, but you should prepare for the possibility." She reared her hand back, a wave of power pulsing out from her. "Rule Breaker." She stabbed her dagger down into the dark scale helmet.

There was a great explosion of violet light as the dagger sunk into the helmet. The eyes of the restrained man snapped open, a guttural scream tore forth from him, muffled though it was by the gag still in his mouth. The light continued to build. Medea wrenched her dagger down as if she was prying something open. The man's screams cut out. His entire body went limp once more, suspended by the chains.

Medea reached forward, her other hand still gripping Rule Breaker's hilt. She grabbed the underside of the helmet and pulled. Slowly, the armor piece lifted away from the limp man's body. With a final heave, the helmet came free from the man's head. Medea lifted the helmet high above her head, Rule Breaker still embedded in it. She twisted the blade sharply.

There was a crashing sound like a shattering mirror and a primal roar filled the space. A dark-scaled head emerged from the helmet in Medea's hands, followed by a massive, long serpent-like body that slithered up into the air. Black scales mixed with flakes of gold as a serpentine dragon flew up from the helmet.

Joyous laughter echoed around us as the dragon's tail emerged from the helmet. The dragon flew overhead, weaving in and out of its own long body as it flew. Medea removed Rule Breaker from the helmet, letting her dagger fade into motes of energy as she cradled the helmet in her arms. There was a large crack right down the middle of the helmet where Rule Breaker had penetrated it, but it was otherwise intact.

"I. AM. FREE!" a triumphant voice reverberated through the air. The dragon slowly lowered itself down, its body coiling in the air behind it as it lowered itself to our level. "Medea, devil, thank you. You cannot hope to understand the hell you just freed me from. What is your name, devil?"

"Balthazar Abaddon," I answered, not shrinking under the dragon's gaze. "And what is your name, dragon?"

"My name… No, it has been too long. I am to begin again as a devil. A new life requires a new name. I think I will go by…Coal. Yes, it fits. I like it! You may call me Coal!"

"It's good to make your acquaintance, Coal."

"And I yours, Balthazar Abaddon. Thank you for freeing me. As agreed, my hoard is yours and I shall serve as your guardian. Use your Evil Piece on me, then send me to a place with open skies. I long to feel the rush of the air on my face once more."

I held out my hand, intending to summon a Rook. I frowned, hesitating.

Evil Pieces were an exemplary invention. They could reincarnate other races into devils. Each piece was limited with how strong an individual it could reincarnate with the strength of the pieces themselves corresponding to the strength of the King. The pieces matched the point value of the chess pieces they were modeled after well. The Queen was 9, the Rook was 5, Knights and Bishops 3, and Pawns 1. Next to the Queen piece, the Rook could reincarnate the strongest individuals…unless the intended individual was too powerful for the Rook piece to reincarnate. If I were even a little more powerful, it wouldn't have been an issue, but it was what it was. 6 Pawns was more than worth reincarnating the Colchian Dragon into my service.

6 Pawns appeared floating in the space above my hand. The Pawns drifted together, melding together into one piece as they floated towards the dragon. The Pawn pressed into the great dragon's snout, melding into its body.

The dragon's body curled around itself, shrinking down, a deep rumbling sound slowly morphing into a very human sigh. With a final flash of red energy, a humanoid figure appeared in place of the dragon, demonic wings spread wide behind its back. Hair like soot stood at wild angles on the figure's head. He had a fair face and young feature, like he was in his mid-to-late teens. The newly reborn devil grinned at me, showing off sharpened canines and shining golden eyes as he said, "This is a stark improvement over my previous accommodations. I hold to my word. I will tell you where I hid my wealth, but first, I would like to see the sky."

With him reincarnated and now bound to me, I saw no reason to deny his request. He'd been stuck in a soulcage for thousands of years. He deserved to stretch his legs a bit. I opened a Hole at my side. Treasure hunting could wait. "This'll take you to my estate. Try to stay near the house please. It has far greater protections than the rest of the property, and I'd like you to stay a secret if possible." I didn't think anyone would be trying to scry on my lands right now, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Easily done. Thank you, master." He ran towards the whole, his body elongating into a serpent-like dragon as he leapt through.

"You don't need to call me…master." He was already gone. I fixed Medea with a distinctly unimpressed look. She was trying, and failing, to hide her laughter. "I blame you for this. This is your fault."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, master. Now I'm going to go study a priceless artifact. Ifyouneedmecallbye!" Medea finished all at once, dashing through the Hole, Perfected State's unert form clutched tight to her chest.

I shook my head, amused despite myself. I turned and followed my Queen and my newest peerage member through the Hole back home. The sight of a massive serpentine dragon spinning through the air in ribbon-like motions greeted me. Medea was nowhere to be seen, likely already in the lab poking at the remains of Perfected State.

My peerage had grown. The Colchian Dragon was a superb addition. And if his hoard had managed to survive unpillaged these last millenia, I'd have a good bit of funds to work with. Either enough to set up my business or eliminate the need for it altogether. The original intent behind it was to make money after all. I'd still probably go through with it if for no other reason than to foster a relationship with Magdaran, but it would be nice to be financially secure.

But I could sort all that out later. I'd let my two peerage members enjoy their activities first.